Identity - Daniel Madison

[ThrallMind]

When I saw this was out, and then saw the price, I had no choice. I love Daniels work. His stuff is clean, looks brilliant, and is to the point. The format is different than my normal reviews, since this is a compilation, and I feel it deserves a different view than single effect reviews. Some descriptions have been pulled directly from the PDF, not out of laziness, but to make sure I don't leave anything out. Also, I have not gone and broken down every effect. For one, this would be a long post. For two, you can find great reviews of most of the material presented here already written on these forums. If there's anything you find interesting that you are unable to find on these boards, let me know and I'll try and resolve the situation That being said, here's my review.

The Effects
The book contains 12 of dM's effects, which I've listed here. Most effects have at least four variations. This is awesome, as it gives you many different variations to suit your mood, or the current situation.

IRREVERSIBLE
An effect where you write down a card then hand it to the spectator, along with a deck. You have the spectator put the deck behind their back, reverses a card, and then spreads the deck. Their reversed card is pulled out, and then it is checked to the prediction. It matches.

IRREVERSIBLE 'TU
Tu, being short for impromptu, this is dMs way to do IRREVERSIBLE with a borrowed deck.

MEMENTO

The performer explains that he is going to psychologically force a playing card on the spectator
The deck is handed to the spectator and held by them throughout
The performer tells a short story and explains that there is a key word, which is used to help direct the spectator toward the force card, that word is MEMENTO** and is used a number of times throughout the story
After talking to the spectator for a while, the spectator is asked to name whichever card they think of when the word MEMENTO ** is spoken
The cards are removed from the box and the freely named card is found to be the only card in the deck to have the word MEMENTO ** permanently written across it
All other cards are shown to be unmarked

212215

The performer writes down the number 212215 and shows it to the spectator
He then introduces a deck of cards
The performer asks the spectator to name the first card they think of when they read the number
The performer explains that the number is used as a level of influence to psychologically force a playing card on the spectator.
After the card is named, the performer explains the number…
2=B, 12=L, 21=U, 5=5; 212215=Blue.
The performer then takes the named card from the deck to show that it is the only blue-backed card in a red-backed deck

CUT
An effect where you write down a prediction. Hand the spectator a deck, and they cut to a card. The cut card is shown, as well as the magicians prediction. It matches.

RIP
A torn and restored card where the restoration happens in the spectators hands. Really cool, In my opinion.

TENDER
RIP, but with bills.

EI8HT2WO
An awesome effect where you apparently show you have an amazing capability for memory. This effect gained dM the nickname of "Rain Man."

THE FINE SCRIPTURE
This is essentially a revamped version of SCRIPTURE, from dM's ONE notes. A selected card has its corner torn off, and is then handed to the spectator to sign the back. When they go to, the find the sharpie doesn't want to write. Their card is turned over, and revealed to have become a joker. The sharpie is snapped in half, and their card is found inside, torn corner matching.

DECK 9

1 // The performer introduces a regular deck of cards; which is spread face-up across a surface for inspection.
2 // The deck is split into two face-up piles, one of which is turned face down. At this point, the performer turns his back to the spectator
3 // A spectator is invited to mix both piles into each other thus creating a mixed deck of face-up cards and face-down cards.
4 // When shuffled to satisfaction, the spectator spreads the cards back across the surface to show a fairly messy deck of face-up and face-down cards.
5 // The performer then invites the spectator to remove one of the face down cards and place it back into the deck face-up
6 // The spectator then shuffles the cards again until satisfied that they are mixed up even beyond simple restoration.
7 // The performer turns back and visually inspects the deck. He picks the deck up, holds his hand over it for a split second then returns it to the surface
8 // The spectator states that „in that instant I was able to sort the cards back into order‟
9 // The spectator is invited to spread the cards where it is revealed that every card in the deck is now facing the right way with the exception of one card in the middle which remains face-down. The card is revealed to be the spectators freely selected card.

THE DEVILS TOUCH
You take out a notepad and write down a prediction. Tear it off, and set it aside. You then have the spectator think of anything. By anything, I mean anything that person can conceivably dream up or recall. The paper is opened, and is shown to match the spectators thoughts.

BREACH (gimmicked)
A selected, signed, visual penetration with a card. No licking here. One which I will be using. A lot.

The Methods
As a heads up, something I knew when getting it which others may overlook, most of the effects in this book require construction of a gimmick. They are not very costly, and should last a good long while. Most of the methods can be learned fairly quickly, which allow you to focus on your presentation. The methods, as always, are devious, and I love every one of them.

The Book
The book itself is 95 pages. Each effect is explained in great detail. dM gives his own thoughts, ideas, and musings into how he created the effects, notable reactions he has gotten from some effects, and just some insight into his head in general. All in all, more than just teaching effects, its a fun read and will give you some laughs along the way. For the price (came to about $30 US), this is something you will not be disappointed with.

Afterthoughts
Don't let the word gimmick fool you. When you see an effect performed, and it gives you that warm, happy, tingly feeling (assuming you haven't just wet yourself...), what does the means of achieving it matter? The spectators only care about the end result, not the method. Which is why this book ranks high on my list of cool material. Pick it up. Its worth the read.

-ThrallMind

 

[drorange]

thanks for the info and i have bought it also but i need to wait for the paypal to go through

I was wandering if you are gunna update this when you learn the routines

and wheree you got the description for deck 9

 

[ThrallMind]

thanks for the info and i have bought it also but i need to wait for the paypal to go through

I was wandering if you are gunna update this when you learn the routines

and wheree you got the description for deck 9

I shall update when I learn the routines. Breach and RIP will probably be the first. I got the description for Deck 9 out of the PDF itself. Hope this helps!

-ThrallMind

 

[drorange]

okay cool i can't wait to get mine i am interesting by the impromptu versions of the tricks

 

[Tenchu]

About decknine. I believe I've seen a trick like that performed by Jay Noblezada on Penguinmagic. Can't remember the name really. The presentation is of course different, but the ending and some points are the same. And I believe he wasn't using normal regular cards. If the decknine can be done with a normal borrowed deck I'll be hella impressed.

 

[Flyingdonkey]

So which effect do you all think is good?i need some video to show me

 

[Aos]

Hahaha, you described the forces in more detail than they are on his site. They sound terrible. Gross.

 

[Cyrus]

Hahaha, you described the forces in more detail than they are on his site. They sound terrible. Gross.

Why do you say that?

 

[Aos]

This is what the site says:

DEMONSTRATE HOW YOU CAN SUCCESSFULLY PSYCHOLOGICALLY FORCE ANY PLAYING CARD ON ANYBODY WITH 100% ACCURACY

And this is what you said:

The performer explains that he is going to psychologically force a playing card on the spectator
The deck is handed to the spectator and held by them throughout
The performer tells a short story and explains that there is a key word, which is used to help direct the spectator toward the force card, that word is MEMENTO** and is used a number of times throughout the story
After talking to the spectator for a while, the spectator is asked to name whichever card they think of when the word MEMENTO ** is spoken
The cards are removed from the box and the freely named card is found to be the only card in the deck to have the word MEMENTO ** permanently written across it
All other cards are shown to be unmarked

Notice how the first one is impossible and the second one is quite simple? I will admit that I didn't buy the trick, and have no idea how he achieves this effect. It would be nice if there was a video from which I could immediately say what he is doing, but I couldn't find one. I am assuming it's done with a double lift to show one cards back as another one. Sankey has a pretty much identical effect with this premise. I am assuming you are left unclean, ie the card can't be examined. That is what I base my comments on. Then there is a giant gap between his sales pitch and what he is selling.

 

[spikormikor13]

I am assuming it's done with a double lift to show one cards back as another one. Sankey has a pretty much identical effect with this premise. I am assuming you are left unclean, ie the card can't be examined. That is what I base my comments on. Then there is a giant gap between his sales pitch and what he is selling.

http://www.magicbox.uk.com/shop.php/shop/magic-tricks/card-magic/memento/p_381.html

The spectator takes the card out themselves.

 

[Aos]

Ah ok, my mistake.

But to my defense the trick is even worse, the sales pitch should be

PSYCHOLOGICALLY FORCE ANY** PLAYING CARD ON ANYBODY WITH 100% ACCURACY

** ANY one of the ones in my trick deck.

In any case the sales pitch is WAY too far fetched. I only like certain means of achieving an effect when it comes to card magic, and so I don't like when magicians give misinformation when selling their effects. Mental force is the holy grail. He is selling a gimmicked deck.

 

[ThrallMind]

Ah ok, my mistake.

But to my defense the trick is even worse, the sales pitch should be



** ANY one of the ones in my trick deck.

In any case the sales pitch is WAY too far fetched. I only like certain means of achieving an effect when it comes to card magic, and so I don't like when magicians give misinformation when selling their effects. Mental force is the holy grail. He is selling a gimmicked deck.

Which effect are you talking about? Memento?

Cause if so, maybe ya missed this part.

Includes instructions on how to make the Memento deck as well as a powerful method which allows you to perform all the included effects without the special deck

-ThrallMind

 

[Deechristopher]

The gaffed deck contains every card in a regular deck. Daniel is a very talented creator and puts an incredible amount of work into his effects and projects.

It's not misinformation in the least. To any spectator you are in effect psychologically forcing a card on them. It's like saying:

"Learn how to make a deck completely vanish!!"

In a synopsis and looking down on the work the creator has put into achieving the desired effect because the deck doesn't really vanish.

If you took the time to read the rest of Daniel's work he does go quite heavily into psychological forcing, focusing in on the force of a desired playing card. The fact is a lot of magician's aren't confident enough with the use of subliminal suggestion so Daniel has identified the gap there and created a very clean cut solution to the problem.

Daniel sent me a copy of ID a little while ago and I was thoroughly impressed.

In my opinion it's the new bible of 'underground' magic. I would HIGHLY recommend the manuscript to anyone interested in being introduced to a simple, impactful way of thinking or who just wants to learn not too technically difficult, high impact magic.

If you bought the manuscript before slating it you would have held your tongue. Guaranteed. Go spend the £15, if you don't find anything in there that doesn't impress you or work it's way into your professional repertoire I'll send you everything I have currently on my site free of charge.

Dee Christopher.
MindLapse Magic Ltd.

 

[Aos]

I didn't mean to imply that the trick is bad in any way, or make a comment about dm as a performer. I'm sure it's an amazing effect that will stun people. The problem is that it's not at all close to the trick I had in mind when I read the description. The problem is personal to me. I hate gimmicks with a passion. I am ok with very clever gimmicks that I use very rarely, other than that it's all sleight of hand. So when somebody tells me they know how to psychologically force any card, it seems too good to be true. And it is. I seems to me that the description was worded just so that the reader doesn't get any idea that a gimmick is involved. Which is fine since that's the effect that you want, but as a magician I find it insulting. I've seen a lot of dms stuff, and he is very good. It's just that I'm trying to accumulate a certain repertoire, and it's very frustrating when the sales pitches are misleading.

 

[ninja]

i like irreversible tu becuase it is so easy!

 

[ThrallMind]

I seems to me that the description was worded just so that the reader doesn't get any idea that a gimmick is involved. Which is fine since that's the effect that you want, but as a magician I find it insulting. I've seen a lot of dms stuff, and he is very good. It's just that I'm trying to accumulate a certain repertoire, and it's very frustrating when the sales pitches are misleading.

Its not misleading at all. On the product page he states that most of the effects require a DIY gimmick...

Please note that the effects in Identity require construction and some require DIY props.

The book fully explains how to create the effects - mostly with equipment you will already have and if not will be able to get hold of very easily at very minimal cost. The effects are very easy to make, handle and achieve and are designed for heightened reactions in magic and designed to be invisible and easily hidden. Each gimmick can be made within minutes.

-ThrallMind

 

[Deechristopher]

...It also says underneath the psychological force line in the description that the manuscript teaches the construction of the deck, etc. It's hardly inconspicuous!

D.

 

[Aos]

I was on that website, and I quoted the THEN description of memento. He changed his website, probably after reading this topic. If so then he is the absolute man. Respect ++.

 

[tian_ci]

I like Daniel, but I've purchased individually about half of those effects for more than the price of the total combined ebook. Though I know he has a right to do as he pleases, it kind of stinks for those of us who have bought his effects over time only to have them released as a decently price packaged deal.

Still like you Daniel, but I'd appreciate a better price for some of your repeat customers!

 

[Bernard Brandon]

Only $27 for all those effects in a PDF, I think that's a pretty good deal. I think T11 should sell this because I'm having problem with D+M effects being released and then getting unlimited fast on his website. When I was going to get Lethal it's all gone, when Breach came out I wanted to get it, but then just the next week it was no more. I noticed D+M always does this on his site. His effects would release then vanish on his "shop" page. Right now on the page is his One and Two notes and the upcoming Three notes; the blood marking system, Identity pdf, rebel download, and D+M's ebay gear.