(Hank) Moorehouse 1934 – 2011 - The Society of American Magicians

menTal epic Trick
aVailable From your FaVoriTe dealer
Distributed by D. Robbins
http://www.ezmagicrobbins.com
Price $22.00
revieW by Payne
All I can say
about this “prop”
is that you get what
you pay for, which
in this case isn’t
much at all. For
a start, a proper
Mental Epic is
supposed to look
like a chalkboard
or a more contemporary
erasable
white board. This “prop,” to use the term loosely, more
closely resembles a cafeteria tray than it does the previously
mentioned two items. To say it is shoddily put
together is to insult all other things that are shoddily put
together. The frame is constructed out of miserably thin
vacu-formed plastic reinforced with shiny black tape.
The areas given to you to write in are painfully small,
about two and a half inches square. This combined with
the fact that they are also recessed about a half an inch
makes writing anything in them cumbersome.
There are three doors to cover the performer’s predictions,
which on the outset look handy. But the way they
are constructed (tape hinges) keeps them from staying
open on their own when you do the final reveals at the
end of the trick. So you’re left showing that prediction
one matches and then closing the door; then moving on
to prediction two, and then again closing that door before
moving on to revealing prediction three. This makes for
a less than impressive final display of all three matching
predictions at the conclusion of the effect. The visual
image that the audience is left with is that you got one
prediction correct. Add about thirty-five bucks to what
you’d typically pay for this thing and you can pick up
Paul Romhany’s excellent book The Mental Epic Compendium
(reviewed in the July issue), which has many
variations on this effect. All of which look a hundred
times better than this prop. The only positive thing I
can mention about this piece of apparatus is that it does
come with an erasable whiteboard pen that you can use
for something else. Avoid this poorly made prop like the
plague. �
If you wish to have your product
reviewed please send it to:
BIll Duncan
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Bellevue, Wa 98015-0562
70 M-U-M Magazine
Joining Forces
By Debbie Leifer
s.A.M. Veterans entertainment chair
“Joining Forces – Taking Action To serve
America’s Military Families” is the powerful initiative
spearheaded by First Lady Michelle obama
and Dr. Jill Biden to support and honor America’s
service members and their families. The initiative
focuses on employment, education, and wellness,
while engaging in a comprehensive effort to raise
awareness about the service, sacrifice, and needs of
military families.
i’m sure all magicians will agree that the relaxation,
humor, and entertainment derived from
our art is a joy to engage in while recovering from
injury, illness, or trauma. imagine how appreciative
an audience of men and women who have served
our nation would be to receive the gift of a magical
performance while confined to a Veterans Hospital
or Veterans Nursing Home. When you attend your
next assembly meeting, please consider making
the suggestion that your members get together
to donate a performance at your local/regional
Veterans Hospital!
our Veterans entertainment program, also
known as “Operation Hocus Pocus,” is described
in great detail on the Web at www.magicsam.
com/VHSP-home.asp. You’ll find pages on How
To Volunteer, Tips and guidelines, and a list of VA
Hospitals across the U.S. that your assembly can
contact to donate performances.
You’ll also see an image of the impressive
Veterans Program Lapel Pin you’ll be sent to
celebrate the performance you’ve so generously
donated. Many of our members and officers wear
that pin with pride.
We’ve got good company! Major League
Baseball, Sesame Street, AOL, The American Heart
Association, McGraw-Hill Publishing, YMCA, Best
Buy, Intel, Wal-Mart, and the U.S. Tennis Association
are among the diverse corporations and organizations
supporting veterans and the Joining
Forces program this year. so, borrowing a phrase
from one of those popular organizations, let’s all
“step up to the plate” and hit a home run this year
by donating our time and talents to entertain our
veterans confined to hospitals and nursing homes
across America. �