Ok, I am thinking of getting a Mentalism Dvd.

For those who had seen the following, can give me a review of them?

1. Boris Pocus
2. Firestarters
3. 22 Blows to the Head. - All by Jay Sankey

Are the tricks generally impromptu (at least minimal set-up) or require elaborate set-ups?

Practicality?

The "Wow" factor of the tricks?

Ah.. Saw these three videos sometime back.. Couldn't really recall much details about them.. But i must say, Sankey stuff has never been "wow" stuff.. I feel.. Personally.. (No offence to Sankey fans. I like im too~)

They all have decent tricks in them thou, set up, no set up, there are mixes..

P.S. I think Boris Poris is very funny.. Ok ok.. Some people find him lame.. True.. But i think Sankey in his normal self is more lame.. Ha.. My advice, get Poris, just for the laughs..

Bro, trust me, you DO NOT want to get Mentalism DVDs from Sankey. I'm serious.

I have not watched any of these DVDs, but I've read reviews about them and no one has said anything about them being good, or even just ok.

There are much better ones out there to get. And it depends on what you're looking for.

Overall, Banachek's "Psi Series" is good. Disc 1 & 2 should give you enough to do the odd mentalism effect. 3 & 4 focus on Muscle Reading and Metal Bending respectively, so you might want to get them later too if your interest lies there.

Osterlind's DVDs are always a good bet. The "Easy to Master Mind Miracles" series and "Mind Mysteries" series will get you started. ETMMM updates and adapts old Annemann's concepts, so if you're creative and want to save money, then get Annemann's "Practical Mental Magic".

Corinda also rocks. Max Maven has a few good DVDs I heard.

Unless you're a die-hard Sankey fan and you only want his DVDs lah... Then in that case, erm... Boris Pocus seems to be the better of the lot. =/

Ya i agree, Sankey's video (especially mental ones) will not be as good as those from Banachek's, Osterlind's or even Darren Brown.

I felt Sankey is more towards the sleight of hand guy, (things like Revolutionary Coin Magic, Very Best of Jay Sankey)

FOr mentalism, just stick to Banachek's and etc....

Yo Bro, why you want to get Firestarters ah? Something up your sleeves man. Haha... :lol:

So now you're going down the mentalism lane ah. Gd for you ^_^ I've not been really into mentalism, but I can tell you if you're seriously looking for a good dvd to invest in, go with Richard Osterlind's Mind Mystery Series. There are 7 DVDs in total. Each packed with amazing effects. If you want to centre your routines around Cards, then get volume 2. This volume teaches you The Osterlind Breakthrough Card System. Its said that even if you hand it to your spectators, they could look at the cards for hours and never discover its devilish secret. Ok the following are the list of effects in vol 2 that I took it of E's product description page:

Card Calling - A group of cards are removed from a shuffled jumbo-sized deck and the performer names them all. This effect, one that will play to the largest audience, has been a staple in Osterlind's stage show for over two decades.

Two Cards in Pocket - A spectator places two cards in his pockets from a deck he's been mixing. Not only does the performer name them but also divines which one is in which pocket. This is a true killer!

Challenge Mind Reading - A thought-of card is named without the performer ever touching the deck. Quite possibly the most impossible-looking card trick ever!

Corinda Effect - The performer names a card that was reversed in the deck by a spectator while he was holding the deck underneath the table. This is the trick that started it all!

Blackjack Demonstration - Your spectators will be convinced that you are the greatest blackjack player ever! You not only know their hole card but also instruct them, quite successfully, on how to play their hands!

His other DVDs have many killer effects as well. I do not own any of them but his series are highly recommended and after reading the product info page on E. It's tempting me to click "Add to Cart" :P

Check out this clip called Radar deck which is in vol 1. Its quite funny, the reactions by the spec in green is so exaggerating. I think he could be a stooge haha... :lol:

Richard Osterlind Radar Deck

BCS is a pretty good system, but there are better ones out there if that's your purpose... ;)

For one thing, you have to know the difference between the "stacked" deck and a "memorised" one. Axl bro, I'm sure you know lah... :P

Another advantage of the Osterlind DVDs is you get to see the master interact and build rapport with the audience. In terms of audience management and getting them to root for you, enter into the experience of the act instead of figuring out how the !@^*#$% you just did what you did, Osterlind is a damn fine person to study.

I know this from having watched the performance bit from his "Mind Mysteries" vol 1 DVD. Of course my friend decided to be cheeky and not show me the rest of the DVD lah, so I'll just have to figure out how the heck the effects are accomplished. Bugger. <_<

Jeez.. So many people are so eagerly welcoming you into the "Mental Institution" eh? Hehe. I do agree that Osterlind, Banachek and others are much better if you plan on embarking on a truly mental journey.
But, hey, at least Sankey isn't a boring teacher.. There are DVDs out there you will fall asleep at watching it.. I.e. Ted Lesly.. =X I did not say that.. =X And his tricks are really decent too.. May not be oustandingly strong but they ain't bad. (mostly his own "adaptations" and "revision" of other great magicians/tricks.)

If you really want to try out other guys i would suggest Osterlind as first choice. Personally i feel that his charisma and stage charm is truly outstanding, something everyone should learn. (1-7 Vol of Mind Mysteries rox!)

Max Maven's stuff is really good too. But i wouldn't suggest Banachek untill you are more matured in your study of Mentalism.. I personally feel they are more advanced and hard to grasp and perform if you are just begining to try Mentalism.

Cheers and have fun.

Ha.. Thanks for all the views!

No, I have no ulterior motive for wanting Firestarters, I have a girlfriend... well, but who knows (God forbids!), I might need it in the future.

Actually, I am still more of a sleight-of-hand guy, only sometimes it can be quite "siong" (tiring) to always do all the sleights, so I just thought I could learn some mental effects which are more "relaxing".

The only reason I am looking at Sankey is because I don't have any of his video, and he seemed quite highly rated by many magicians.

So I suppose I might just get Max Maven or Osterlind.