"21st Century Phantom" DVD by Oz Pearlman
Suggested Retail USD$29.95
Available from your favorite dealer
In a Blink: 7 Out of 10

"21st Century Phantom", a DVD by Oz Pearlman, is really nothing that special in presentation or method until you get to the unusual climax that just may make this one of your favorite effects.

The effect of "21st Century Phantom" is pretty straightforward for starters. A packet of cards is shown with the name of different celebrities written on them. The spectator chooses one and the performer goes to work divining the chosen name. A blank card and scissors are brought out and the performer begins cutting away at the card with small pieces falling to the ground. When finished, the performer has created a piece of paper art depicting the cut-out image of the chosen star.

See? Told ya it was unusual.

Now, the best part: for performers that believe in the ABM principle ("Always Be Marketing"), you then take the stencil, slap it onto a business card magnet (which has your business card on it) and that becomes the giveaway for the spectator who chose the celebrity.

I like that part. A lot. It's not a signed playing card, it's not a business card with a hole in it, or any of the other silly stuff spectators usually are given: it's something pretty, unique, and arguably has a use. And it's got your name all over it.

To me, for that alone, I'd throw the money at Pearlman. It's a great idea. The problem here is that, apart from the neat climax and getting it done, there's really nothing here to recommend this to those with a bit of experience and a drop of knowledge. I'd venture to say that if you've read the original "Phantom Artist" in Anneman's "Practical Mental Magic" (and, if you haven't that little ditty in your library, you certainly shouldn't be spending $30 on a DVD until you spend the $5 or $10 on it) then you can work out your own way of pulling off Anneman's stage piece in close-up, leaving you with paying for the idea (which can be worth a fortune if you're one of the ABM types) and the necessary stencils. The rest of the disc? Not so much.

I'm not completely knocking Pearlman's work here: it's good stuff. But the guy or gal who has been in this business for a while is going to definitely have a "That's it?" moment on this one. Others will have a fit over it and rightfully so. And "21st Century Phantom" does have it's share of hurdles to overcome.

First, the set-up is a nightmare, especially if you're the least bit challenged when it comes to arts and crafts and I can guarantee you'll be making a run to the office supply store before you get started. Pearlman says he can make two of the climax cards in five minutes and I'm sure it can be done... with a lot of practice. Expect to spend a lot more time than that until you get the hang of it.

Second, pocket management and pocket space come into play if you want to do this one regularly while strolling. Nothing wrong with that but it definitely takes up some space (think about it: stacks of cards, the "extra something", lots of giveaways, lots of stuff to stick the giveaways to... get the idea?)

Third, if you're in another country, you're going to have weigh whether or not the four celebrities supplied will get the job done for you. How well known is Oprah Winfrey and John Travolta in your nation? If you look around online, you'll find other stencils of other celebrities (and other things, too) which might serve you but you'll probably need to resize them to scale and all of that. Not a deal-breaker, but something you should think about. And while we're about it, I'm not sure how easy it is to get those business card magnets in other countries; that may be something else for you to consider if you're not in the USA.

Okay, so do I recommend "21st Century Phantom" and to whom? Man, that's a tough call with this one. It's not as earth-shaking as the ad copy makes out, though it's pretty good and the giveaway is awesome. Would I consider doing this one all the time? Probably not; I just can't see going to all that trouble when there are other things I could perform in its place and not miss it. Still, I can see doing this one as more of a one-off for that special spectator or for that special occasion. And maybe that's where "21st Century Phantom" really leaves a mark. I'd recommend it for that purpose but for little else unless you can shoulder the burden this one comes with.

"21st Century Phantom" DVD by Oz Pearlman
In a Blink: 7 Out of 10

Material: 6
While not strictly living up to the ad hype, it's a neat effect. There's nothing truly mind-blowing here -- it is a revelation of a chosen card with a celebrity's name on it -- but the revelation itself is quite unique and the souvenir actually something of some worth instead of a signed card or the like. Don't expect to build a religion from this one or build your reputation on it, but do expect some good reactions because of its strangeness.

Practicality: 5
The set-up is a nightmare. Eventually you'll be able to duplicate Pearlman's "two in five minutes" but you're going to have to make a lot of them to get that well practiced. Also, be prepared to devote some time with pocket management to deal with repeating this one in strolling situations. Overall, it's fine as practicality goes, but be prepared for a headache to get going with this one.

Quality of Production: 10
The video is very well done and gets bonus points for the running commentary during the performance sections. Now that's a nice touch.

Quality of Instruction: 10
Pearlman does a great job of explaining everything there, from construction to performance to the psychological bits and pieces that help sell this.

Presentation: 7
The presentation itself is very basic, but the saving grace here is the revelation: it's a very good one , and unusual one, and it hasn't been done to death yet.

Shane

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