"Mental Influence with Cards" DVD by Kenton Knepper
Suggested Retail USD$25.00
Available direct from Wonder Wizards
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

"Mental Influence with Cards", a DVD by Kenton Knepper, contains two routines that, done with the care in which they're presented, will have people wondering if maybe, just maybe, you've got some of those "special powers" they hear so much about.

Yeah, I know, I know... And a healthy skepticism is good. In the case of "Mental Influence with Cards", though, it's also a waste of time. These two routines are carefully crafted to simulate incredible powers of suggestion and they can do just that.

Let's get to the two routines.

The first routine, "The Kentonism Deck", begins with the performer making a prediction, setting it aside. A deck of cards is spread in front of the spectator's eyes a few times as the performer "plants a suggestion" in the spectator's mind. The spectator plainly sees the faces of the cards. The deck is then handed to the spectator who then shuffles and cuts the deck. The spectator then cuts to a card. Naturally, this card matches the prior prediction.

Next up is "The Dual Reality Deck". In this one, a prediction is made and set aside. A deck of cards is shown front and back, then the cards are sprung a la a slow "cascade" from hand to hand and a spectator told to think of any card they see. The audience sees the faces as well during this -- all the cards are different and a free choice is obvious. Still, the spectator names a card and it matches the prediction.

If the two routines sound like variations on a theme, well, that's because they are. Obviously, they are two prediction effects using a deck of cards. Beyond that, both make use of a certain trick deck I'm going to purposefully vague about (except to say that it's common and you've probably got one or two laying around; if not, it'll run you less than $10 at most magic shops) and each routine is packed with subtleties and psychology that, in the end, makes these routines much more powerful than a simple prediction effect should allow.

Especially to the spectator involved in the middle of things. In fact, when they talk to others after the fact -- and they will; Knepper's seen to that -- the effect actually builds itself up even more, with the spectator finding themselves building their own reality as they go. That's neat stuff indeed, especially if you have a strand of deviousness built into your DNA.

Okay, so the routines are powerful pieces and the impact on the audience memorable, but there are some things you need to know before going into this one.

Let's start with practicality. These really are not routines you want to add to your strolling set. Given the nature of the gimmick in play, repeatability is an issue as is set-up and reset. Beyond that, you've also got to have a certain amount of blocking or "setting" of the spectators to pull them off (especially in the case of "Dual Reality Deck"). No, these routines won't cut it in walk-around venues, but they will play huge in platform/parlor type settings (living room-type settings are perfect for them) and that's where they are best suited.

Next is that, though these routines are oh-so-simple and lacking in anything resembling "sleight of hand", they do require a bit of work with the presentations. There's a lot going on here in terms of nuances and psychology and the like and, while Knepper has made it extremely easy to grasp and implement, that's where you're going to be spending your time getting things down just right. And you'll need to: it's those touches that make these powerful pieces. This isn't too say either routine requires a Herculean effort to make pay off -- they are actually quite simple -- but you'll be paying more attention to the words here than the mechanics.

I should mention that these are bold routines. Most likely you're going to be squeamish just watching the explanation on the disc, let alone give any thought to performing these -- I know because I thought the same thing. Those feelings are all unfounded, though; Knepper has structured the presentations to take care of anything that might pass through the spectator's mind with these. One performance and you'll likely be sold, just like I was.

Bear those things in mind and, if the venue fits and if flexing the presentation muscle doesn't bother you, then "Mental Influence with Cards" is one DVD you'll kick yourself for not getting.

"Mental Influence with Cards" DVD by Kenton Knepper
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
"Devious" is one of those adjectives we overuse in magic, but Knepper's work here is just that: devious to the max. Using an old trick deck, some neat handling, and lots of so-good-it's-evil psychological bits, these are two great routines that will have people wondering if you have some special powers after all.

Practicality: 10
Strictly speaking, it's a trick deck that limits you in other things you could perform with it, which normally would necessitate a switch or the like. But these routines work better for platform/parlor situations where the venue is a bit more forgiving than that.

Quality of Production: 10
The productions values here are great all the way around. There's no detriment to learning the material here.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Knepper does a fantastic job of teaching his routines, covering all the bases quickly and simply; his work here makes it a breeze to learn the real work here.

Presentation: 10
The presentations for both routines revolve around hypnotic suggestion and it will take some work to break it out of that carefully crafted theme. However, you really don't need to and probably don't want to: the presentation works and works beautifully.



Shane

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