I regularly have books and DVDs come across my desk, and most of them I try to familiarize myself with. Some I read entirely, some I just skim, to get the basics of what a book or DVD is about.
When it comes to DVDs, it's not my favorite way to learn magic (I know, I'm old), but having seen products with the name, Chris Rawlins, come through here lately, I decided to take a look at Chris's "At The Table" lecture on DVD.
While watching the DVD, certain aspects of his lecture seemed "familiar" to me, but I could't recall why. Then I had my first A-HA moment.
Chris performed his Drop Card routine, and as he performed it, certain words he used sounded familiar. Then I realized that it was because I had read Chris's book, simply titled DROP CARD, which I had received into my library only 2 weeks ago (but didn't lock the title into my brain, only the effect). And it is a fooler!
Further into the DVD, he did a simple design duplication using blank business cards, and it really looks this clean: You give a blank business card to someone, asking them to step away from you and draw a fairly recognizable, and simple drawing. They then put the card into their pocket, and return to the table. Chris takes another blank card and starts drawing his ideas and thoughts, and places the card face down amongst the other business cards. The volunteer then announces what they drew, and when you spread out the business cards, there is your drawing right there, and IT MATCHES THEIR DRAWING. No peeks, no impressions devices. It's that good.
As soon as Chris started into the explanation, things started to click in my head again. I went to my bookshelf, and there it was: Chris's book, explaining every aspect and development with the routine, titled XIDD. Once again, I skimmed the book when it came in, and was familiar enough with what was taught, but couldn't place why it sounded so familiar. Now I know, and I promise you, it is a methodology that I had never seen used in this manner. It will fool you, I promise.
My final A-HA moment was when Chris performed a card memory routine, where first he separates about 15 Red & Black cards, then is able to separate the 4 suits from each other (while the cards are all facedown) after only a cursory run through of the face-up cards, and finally identifies the one card hidden earlier by the spectator, by seeing everything that has gone by so far, and figuring out which card he hasn't seen yet. Here's the good part: It's not difficult to learn or do. However, I knew I had seen that routine somewhere, but it had been at least a year or two. So I checked my shelves: nothing. I checked the 25 or 30 DVDs that I personally own: nothing. Then I checked the three video downloads I've purchased over the years, and BINGO, there it was. It turns out I purchased this from Penguin almost 2 years ago, because I loved the pseudo memory premise. However, I didn't realize two years ago that I would be paying more attention to this "newcomer", Chris Rawlins. I figured he was a one-hit magic wonder at the time. How wrong I was.
So, I have to say, I enjoy Chris's work a lot, because he's not a flashy performer, but his routines and methodologies are spot on when it comes to fooling people, and keeping it simple.
I believe that Chris will become a big name in mentalism, one that many of us will remember for his creativity and fun presentations, without them being difficult to learn and perform. He may already be a "big name", but he's a newcomer to me.
For $9.00, you get one of the best "At The Table" lectures I've seen, in the mentalism genre. And you're getting the material from two $35 & $57 books in one complete package, along with 7 other routines I haven't even mentioned.
Check out all of Chris Rawlins' items I currently carry HERE. Look for more at your favorite magic shop. See if you are as impressed with his material as I have been.
Stay warm everyone,
DonB!