"Sanctum/Kioku" by Outlaw Effects
Suggested Retail USD$19.95
Available from Outlaw Effects
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Sanctum/Kioku", two pocket-mentalism effects by Outlaw Effects, are two things that should be seen, absorbed and used by any one looking for powerful, quick, and entertaining close-up mentalism. Hands down.

You can count me into that group of performers. I'm always on the look-out for mentalism I can perform close-up, for small groups (I say that like I don't have enough or do enough of that kind of material -- think of it as my way of trying not to get stuck in a rut). "Sanctum" and "Kioku" are two close-up mentalism items that have worked their tails off for me and quickly earned a place in my wallet.

I say "items" because there is more to these two gems than simple two effects. In "Sanctum", you not only get a cool rationale for an illogical action, but you also gain a tremendous edge in performing other things. In "Kioku" lies a deeply personal, very specific act of telepathy that gets its power by allowing you to get right to a spectator's goodies in as simple a way as you could ask for using nothing but the supplied cards.

Let's start by taking a look at "Sanctum", which is the more versatile of the two but also the hardest to explain. I summed it up for a friend this way: Remember that Jenest prop, "MagiCard"? It looked like a credit card but allowed a neat reveal of the old "gray elephant in Denmark" bit, a thought-of number, a selected card, and had a couple of really bad gags built in? Okay, so ditch the gags, throw in several very nice psychological forces, add it as a reason for a peek wallet, and you've got "Sanctum", a mentalist's Swiss Army knife in laminated plastic.

"Sanctum" began as a reason for returning a business card which has been written on back to a peek wallet. The creators felt that a membership card would have to go back in the wallet since it's your card to begin with. I'll give them that -- it's a logical reason to return the card -- but it's an illogical thing to have the membership card written on in the first place. Or is it? Okay, so when I first got it, I thought it was. I also thought it was illogical to carry around a dry-erase marker, too (that marker is included with the purchase). I won't tell you how much justification and re-justification I worked through, making me think it was easier just to justify putting the bloody business card back into a wallet in the first place. Suffice to say I did a lot of worrying for nothing; there were no wrinkled brows, no twitching noses, no strange looks. It all passed as something easily explained and, well, it is. But to be honest this is the mildest, and least impressive, use of "Sanctum".

The flexibility of "Sanctum" is the big thing. There are more things built into this card than you can shake a stick at. True enough, there are the psychological forces in play, but is more than that. Anagrams are worked out beautifully using the card. Numerical revelations are built-in as well. Apply a bit of thought, a little work, and those ideas can become miniature masterpieces of mentalism (asinine alliteration aside).

So, with all that going for it, "Sanctum" went into my wallet.

Next came "Kioku". Unlike "Sanctum", which is more of a multi-purpose tool, "Kioku" has a very cut-and-dried effect to it, but man oh man, what an effect.

You begin by showing four small, laminated cards, about the size of business cards. All the cards are black backed with minimal printing on them, labeling them as "Memory Pattern Test 198". On the front of the cards are listed what can best be described as individual life experiences, things like "Eating Ice Cream", "Your First Dog", "Watching a Football Game", etc. The spectator looks over the cards, chooses one of the experiences, and remembers the details of it. You then begin to describe the experience of which they're thinking, correctly of course. Thanks to a very neat, very dramatic application of an old principle, there are no forces, nothing is written down, and no questions are asked. You simply appear to know. Period.

That's good stuff no matter how you slice it.

As with "Sanctum", everything is examinable and well-built to last for years. A good thing, that, since you'll probably end up whipping "Kioku" out every chance you get. Yes, it plays that strong. And as with "Sanctum", when you throw a bit of yourself into the mix, find a way you really like it to play, it can be absolutely devastating.

Okay, now we get to the bad stuff, which really isn't bad as much as it is a caveat emptor explanation.

Neither "Sanctum" or "Kioku" are for beginners. Even the more advanced performers will likely find themselves lost with an effect or two in the case of "Sanctum" or overly-intimidated with "Kioku". These are things for the more experienced among us, the folks who have been through their fair share of mentalism literature (particularly Corinda and Banachek for "Sanctum"; a little reading of some of Cassidy's thoughts will really help you make the most of "Kioku").

If you've got the knowledge and the skills, then "Sanctum" and "Kioku" (sold together for a ridiculously cheap amount of money) are probably the best value in mentalism today. The impacts with which they hit spectators is not to be ignored. If you're after mind-blowing mentalism for close-up situations, then you have simply got to check out these two effects. "Sanctum" and "Kioku" aren't just worth their weight in gold; they are gold.

"Sanctum/Kioku" by Outlaw Effects
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Practicality: 10
Mind-blowing mental work you can carry in your wallet (and should); well, that got me right there. Everything's examinable, there are no resets or set-ups with either of these... These pretty much have it all. If there's a drawback, it's in having to carry a dry-erase pen for "Sanctum", but that's really a minor thing and barely worth mentioning except to purists.

Workmanship: 10
The cards are beautifully made, particularly the design of the "Sanctum" card, and should last a lifetime with care.

Documentation: 10
These are tools for the more experienced performer and the documentation shows it. The use of the tools, ideas for them, and more are packed onto the pages. What you end up doing with them? That's going to be up to you.

Effect: 10
"Kioku" has never failed to knock people for a loop, not the first time. "Sanctum" began as one thing for me and, with increase usage came an increase in punch. Both of them have the potential to generate absolute astonishment.

Presentation: 10
With mental pieces, it's all about what you can put into them to get out of them. "Sanctum/Kioku" both are extremely flexible in this way and the basic presentational ideas, though barebones, are more than enough to generate strong reactions.

Shane