"Ben Highway's Psycolor Change Deck" DVD
by Kenton Knepper
Suggested Retail USD$29.99
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

"Ben Highway's Psycolor Change Deck", a DVD by Kenton Knepper, is one of the most devious things to hit magic and destined to be one of the most divisive.

The ad copy calls this "One of the great breakthroughs in magic and mentalism" and it truly is. But it's going to be a great breakthrough that some love as much as others despise.

Okay, let's get to the effect. A deck is shown to a spectator face down and then face up. The deck is spread freely both times -- there's no false count or false display used. A card is selected by a spectator freely; there is no force of any kind. The deck is squared and held vertically toward the spectator, backs outward. The selected card is place horizontally into the deck, the back showing, and pushed through the deck. When it emerges from the other side, the selected card is shown to have changed color. The card is rubbed against the deck and now the entire deck is shown to have changed color as well.

This is as straightforward as it gets. There is no real "handling" as we think of it, no moves or sleights to clutter things up. There are no gaffs or gimmicks to worry about; you're as clean as can be at the end. Everything can be examined.

Of course, most of that is mentioned in the ad copy. The ad copy also mentions the working, too, and it's that working that will discourage some. Yes, folks, "mental influence" is the true method here, and Highway's use of it is nothing short of brilliant.

I know a lot of performers won't like the idea of a color-changing deck routine that is based on psychology and that really needs the framework of hypnosis to become foolproof in its working. I was one of them. I didn't care for it either even as it blew me away. Even interviews shown on the disc of Knepper talking to those he performed it for, with these knowledgeable spectators swearing at how amazed they were, didn't do much to convince me of its worth.

But that dichotomy -- my distaste for the method and the astonishment I felt -- kept after me until I finally tried it. And I loved it. Oh, it took every bit of control I could muster to get through that first performance (for family, for heaven's sake) but when I did, I knew this was gold. After a few other performances, I began to enjoy the flat-out sneakiness of the method and appreciate its workings.

End result? This is something I dearly love and will perform more often than I would have ever thought.

But, as the saying goes, "your mileage may vary". The ads call Highway's effect "controversial" and it will be. This is also a "hit or miss" thing as far as recommending it goes.

Right about now, I usually break things out easily with qualifications that help you decide if an effect is right for you. "Ben Highway's Psycolor Change Deck" defies that. I didn't think it was right for me and it ended up being a masterpiece... for me. I'd warn you off of this one if you're looking for some slick handling or some clever gimmick because, as I said, there ain't none.

Otherwise, delineating this one is tough. If you're looking for something new, something that can easily be described as cutting edge work, then "Ben Highway's Psycolor Change Deck" is worth a look, even if you don't end up performing it often. However, if you're that type of performer, then chances are very good that this will end up being something you love performing and you'll floor people by the handfuls with it.

If it's for you, it's easily that powerful.

"Ben Highway's Psycolor Change Deck" DVD by Kenton Knepper
In a Blink: 9 Out of 10

Material: 9
This is going to be that is either loved or hated; there's not going to be any middle ground on this one. The method is gutsy, based almost exclusively on psychology and, though it works and works brilliantly, there are likely those who will be disappointed in the work.

Practicality: 8
This is not what could be considered an "all-purpose" color-changing deck. This is best done with a group rather than just a couple of spectators. Other than that, the deck is clean at the end (allowing you to do other things if you wish), there is no real set-up to worry with, though repeatability is not something you want to attempt.

Quality of Production: 10
The production values are as excellent as usual coming from Knepper. Great work all the way around.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Knepper does an exceptional job of teaching Highway's work, covering all the fine points. Further, to allay the worse fears of those who would doubt that work, Knepper interviews those he's done "Psycolor Change Deck" for to get their reactions. All things considered, that's a wonderful touch. A big thumb's-up for a load of supporting material -- all sorts of reminders about patter, presentation, and principles used -- that makes reviewing the material quick and painless.

Presentation: 10
With "Psycolor Change Deck", it's all about simple, sheer impossibility wrapped inside the necessary presentation of hypnosis. This is what makes "Psycolor Change Deck" so completely impossible on so many levels.

Shane

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