mentalism – Page 3 – MagicShow.Tips

Calculator Prediction Routine

This morning I was doing my daily writing and came up with a little routine for a number prediction. Here’s the rough routine:

“My third grade report card said my handwriting was bad, and only suitable if a grew up to be a doctor or serial killer. One time I turned in an essay and Ms. Smarr said it was illegible…It was typed, double spaced.”

“The only good thing about having bad handwriting is when I find a note a wrote a long time ago I feel like Indiana Jones trying read a document written by a lost civilization of serial killers. My handwriting looks like the handwriting that on the Magna Carta, if it got wet and put in a blender!”

You then show you elementary school signature, which looks like the bottom line below:

“It’s not that bad. I guess that’s why I preferred math, numbers are easy.”

You then do a calculator force and in my case I’m forcing the number 311707. I then flip over the LOUIE to show it’s actually 311707 (see the top line above).

There you go, it’s a routine, it’s not a great one, but it’s a routine that gets the prediction into play with a personal story. I may revisit this later, but it was a fun surprise that came out of my morning writing!

-Louie

Nick Trost’s Gemini Cards

Over on TikTok I post vintage magic tricks and a recent one that I did was Nick Trost’s Gemini Cards. Also, if you’re not following me over there please do, I’m at: https://www.tiktok.com/@louiefoxx

Gemini Cards is an Out of This World style of card trick. Here’s what it looks like:

@louiefoxx Will the cards match? #cardtrick #magictrick #cardmagic #shuffle #match #vintagemagic #nicktrost ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

The trick is great, and a fooler. I was trying to think of what it could be done with that aren’t playing cards. Here are some ideas:

Cards with pictures of:
-Red/Black socks
-Cats and dogs

However I don’t want to use things that are pictures drawn on playing cards. So other objects that are “card like” in their natural state.

Here are some ideas:
-paint swatches
-number flash cards: evens and odds match each other
-photographs (maybe of my dog and cat)
-postcards: I have custom made “postcards from home” that I use for a torn and restored postcard routine. I could use those and postcards from exotic places.

I think that the Gemini Cards definitely has potential, just not sure how to use it!

-Louie

L or D: Life or Death by Peter Kamp and Magic Dream – Review

The other day I got an email for the trick L or D: Life or Death by Peter Kamp and Magic Dream from Stevens Magic Emporium. This is a mentalism effect where you have five tokens have a “heads” and a “tails” side. In this case they are themed with “life” and “death”. They are turned over by the spectator, so that you don’t know what’s token has which side up and then one is covered. You tell them which side is face up on the token that is covered.

The description of the trick, immediately told me this was a themed version of Sam Dalal’s MentaColor (this trick is probably not original to him). Here’s Sam’s much older version of the trick:

@louiefoxx Why would anyone do this Magic Trick? #magictrick #mentalism #mindreading #headsortails #guess #5050 #louiefoxx #vintage #samdalal #vintagemagic ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

As I say in the video, this is a method that’s looking for the trick. It’s a lot of process and props for what is essentially a 50/50 guess. Sure you can repeat it to prove you get it right every time, but it’s still a lot of process each time.

Honestly, I think that the “life or death” presentation angle of the trick is an improvement over Sam’s colors, and a bit easier on the performer when you get to the end because you don’t have to remember the pairs of colors. However in the end it doesn’t fix the fundamental problem with the trick, which is that it’s a lot of props to do a “heads or tails” revelation.

-Louie

Vintage Magic Trick: Nick Trost’s Geo-Metrick

Nick Trost’s Geo-Metrick interesting trick, it’s essentially a packet version of Paul Curry’s Out of This World, using ESP cards. The packet is only 20 cards, ten are of one ESP symbol and the other 10 are of another ESP symbol. You and the spectator each get five of each symbol, they are mixed and you deal out ten of them face down in a row. The spectator then deals their ten cards face up on top each of your face down cards. When you flip over the pairs of cards they all match!

Here’s what it looks like:

@louiefoxx The Bacon and Square Magic Trick! #magictrick #bacon #square #cardtrick #magic #mindreading #mentalism #outofthisworld #louiefoxx #nicktrost ♬ original sound – Louie Foxx

For me, this trick isn’t strong enough to justify carrying around a packet of 20 cards just for that trick. However this method would work with just red and black playing cards, so that would make it something you could do with any deck of cards. It’s a good thing to have in my head for an impromptu situation, but I’ll never do it with the ESP cards. I should say that if I came up with a great way to theme the trick for a gig, it’s something I would do.

For example, if I was performing at a pet adoption event, instead of wavy lines and as square, I used pictures of families and pets. Each family was matched to a pet! That makes sense and it’d be an easy way to add a custom trick for the event.

-Louie

Variable 30 minute Magic Show

Recently I wrapped up a twelve day run at a fair. I was doing 30 minute stage magic shows. Here’s what my case and tabletop set up looks like:

The show set list is pretty simple:

ACAAN
Rope Trick
Cup Trick
Drawing Routine
Tape Measure Prediction
Marshmallow, blindfold, or whip and safety pin routines
Hoop and Cup

The second to the end position is a variable spot in the set let. It could be one of three routines based on time, how much of the audience are repeat, and general vibe I’m feeling. That variable is great when there are people who just saw the show, you can have a slightly different show for them!

-Louie

Father’s Day Magic Trick!

I was playing with an interactive “touch the screen” style trick for father’s day. This is the type of trick where someone starts by touching a object, then spells/counts several times eventually ending up on an object that you know.

The cool thing that I noticed is that if you spell the three words HAPPY FATHERS DAY the math works out for each word for to make it easy.

To do this you’ll start with five objects. These could simply be little pieces of paper that say things about dads, or whatever. You will line these up. For simplicity, I’m going to just use the numbers 1-5.

1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5

Touch the one on the left. You are going to move one space per letter. You can move left or right, but only to the one next to it, you can jump spaces or from end to end. Spell HAPPY, moving one space per letter and keep touching that one.

You’re not on the one or the five, so I’ll eliminate those.

2 – 3 – 4

Now you’ll spell FATHERS moving one space for each letter.

You’re not on the four, so I’ll take that one away.

2 – 3

Now spell DAY, moving one space per letter.

You’re on the 2!

That’s a very simple interactive math trick you can do for father’s day!

-Louie

Making Spirit Hands!

I was procrastinating recently, so I made a couple of spirit hands!

I made a mold of a vintage spirit hand and make these out of resin.

These are ungimmicked, and if you’re interested in one and want to gimmick it yourself, or use it with an existing board you can get one at:
https://www.magicshow.tips/spirit-hand/

-Louie

Spirit Rapping Hand

Awhile ago I made an ungimmicked spirit hand for someone in Arkansas. They then added the gimmick to the hand and decorated it so that it looks old and cool and here’s what it looks like:

I was chatting with the guy who gimmicked the hand and he’s willing to make more. If you’ve been wanting a gimmicked spirit hand, shoot me a note and we can get you pricing options for one!

-Louie

Spirit Rapping Hand

A long time ago I made a mold of a vintage spirit rapping hand that I had acquired and then made a few hand out of resin. (You can read the post about it here).I sold them a long time ago, but someone contacted me asking me to make them one. I has some time, so I made him one:

It turned out well! These hands are kind of a pain to make, so it’s something I don’t offer on my online catalog. However if you want one, feel free to contact me and if I have some time available, I’ll gladly make you one!
-Louie

Pi Day Magic Trick

One of the things I do to try to keep creative is come up with tricks for holidays. While Pi Day 3.14 isn’t a traditional holiday, it’s a theme that I can create a trick for. Here’s a counting trick using Pi Day as the theme.

“We’ll the first 5 digits of Pi which are 3.1415, without the decimal, so we’re using: 31415”

“Let’s start on the first digit, so touch the three. Now you’ll spell “Pi Day” jumping one number per letter. You can move forward, or backwards for each jump, you just can’t jump from end to end. Go ahead and start jumping now.”

“Pi is a number that never ends and I’m going to guess you’re not on either end, so eliminate the 3 and 5. That leaves us with the 1, 4, and 1.”

“Using the number you’re touching, jump that many times, forward or backwards.”

“I’m guessing you’re not on the first number one. That leaves us with a 4 and 1.”

“Using the number you’re not touching, jump that may times.”

“You’re on the number one!”

There you to a simple trick that could be used as a social media video or as newsletter content!

-Louie