Most of you familiar with my posts know that when it comes to "new" magic I emphasize the need to RESEARCH and give credit where it is due. In the case of Sneak Peak by Bedros Akkelian I found myself screaming at the screen in hope of seeing this young man deliver some INTEGRITY about his "new" peek which is light-years from being "new" anything, it's a method that technically traces back to Al Mann though the "bubble" side of things hasn't been (technically) published. . . regardless, it is well known of by most anyone that's done Acidus Novus for any period of time and Acidus Novus is basically what this ground breaking peek is. . . just a subtle twist which, as I've stated, has been known of and used as a variation to the more traditional way of executing AN for a very long time.
The second routine shown on this video is a bloody card trick. . . arguably NEITHER EFFECT is anything remotely related to proper Mentalism NOT THAT THEY COULDN'T BE but because the manner by which Bedros presents them; HE'S A MAGICIAN and it shows. . . more so, it shows that he doesn't understand both, billet work and the psychology of Mentalism itself. He seems a great guy and all, love his energy and what I think is actual sincerity on screen, but I deplore the fact that a.) He's not giving credit where it is due; and b.) He's pitching another freak'n card trick as a mental miracle. . . sorry, but that don't fly when it comes to those of us the work hard in delivering the miraculous vs. potentially explainable tricks. . . please let me explain.
The card routine with the blank deck still comes off as being a Card Trick even without the pips BECAUSE you're using a deck of blank playing card stock and too, you are handling it as you would a deck of cards; the entire approach is identical to most signed card routines I've seen over the past 45 years. While it's a cute bit of Mental Magic, it's NOT and will never be MENTALISM . . . you could get it a bit closer if you just used business card blanks, which would be far less suspicious psychologically, but you really need to run far, far away from that polished card worker mode of handling; there's not quicker way to ruin a good piece of Mentalism than looking slick like that.
The Disappointment for me, is that I never saw the "peek" as I remember it being done in the preview. What I saw in the preview was someone wrote down something on a business card while you look away and you, as the performer folded and crushed it up and still, with head turned, sat it on the table. . . you claimed to have made several peeks in that process including when it was laying on the table, "rolled" shut. . . I really didn't find ANYTHING on my download that came close to replicating that teaser, please (I mean it, I want THAT peek) tell me where it's at in that I cannot find it in what I received.
The second routine shown on this video is a bloody card trick. . . arguably NEITHER EFFECT is anything remotely related to proper Mentalism NOT THAT THEY COULDN'T BE but because the manner by which Bedros presents them; HE'S A MAGICIAN and it shows. . . more so, it shows that he doesn't understand both, billet work and the psychology of Mentalism itself. He seems a great guy and all, love his energy and what I think is actual sincerity on screen, but I deplore the fact that a.) He's not giving credit where it is due; and b.) He's pitching another freak'n card trick as a mental miracle. . . sorry, but that don't fly when it comes to those of us the work hard in delivering the miraculous vs. potentially explainable tricks. . . please let me explain.
The card routine with the blank deck still comes off as being a Card Trick even without the pips BECAUSE you're using a deck of blank playing card stock and too, you are handling it as you would a deck of cards; the entire approach is identical to most signed card routines I've seen over the past 45 years. While it's a cute bit of Mental Magic, it's NOT and will never be MENTALISM . . . you could get it a bit closer if you just used business card blanks, which would be far less suspicious psychologically, but you really need to run far, far away from that polished card worker mode of handling; there's not quicker way to ruin a good piece of Mentalism than looking slick like that.
The Disappointment for me, is that I never saw the "peek" as I remember it being done in the preview. What I saw in the preview was someone wrote down something on a business card while you look away and you, as the performer folded and crushed it up and still, with head turned, sat it on the table. . . you claimed to have made several peeks in that process including when it was laying on the table, "rolled" shut. . . I really didn't find ANYTHING on my download that came close to replicating that teaser, please (I mean it, I want THAT peek) tell me where it's at in that I cannot find it in what I received.