The Blurb
From the creative mind of Tom Lauten comes “357”
A participant is invited to examine six cards, each one has the word ‘Click’ on one side and ‘Bang’ on the other. Six regular envelopes are examined and any card is placed into any envelope as the performer explains that each card represents a bullet and each envelope is the chamber of a gun. Turning away the performer instructs them to place one card showing the ‘Bang’ and the others showing a ‘Click’ into each envelope. All are mixed up as the performer turns back and attempts to divine which envelope contains the ‘Bang’ card.
Using suggestion, precognition and persuasion the performer puts money on the table and states that if he makes a mistake he’ll lose the cash. Maybe not as life threatening as a live bullet but none the less painful in it’s own way. Each envelope is eliminated one by one, more and more cash is placed on the table until just one remains. Despite the real test conditions you will succeed every time. No marks, peeks, impressions, forces, electronics, duel reality, equivoque or pateo.
You really do not see a thing, they can choose any card, any envelope, in fact they can use their own if they really want to.
Peter Nardi and Marc Spelmann teach 357 and then show you how to adapt the routine for other effects, living and dead, bank night, win or lose.
You are supplied with gimmicks that enable you to be ultra clean with a technique that is truly remarkable.
With 357 you will be able to display true test conditions for a close up performance piece that is as direct as it is astonishing.
Running Time Approximately 1hr 20min
My Comments
This is a fairly standard and very effective Russian Roulette plot with the advantage being that it's done with cards and envelopes, instead of bullets and spikes. The method itself isn't new, either. I'm fairly certain that most experienced mentalists will figure out that we're dealing the Fillmore Principle. (Chazpro has a bunch of effects and supplies using this principle and this is mentioned in this video. See Blank Mental Telepathy Cards
in my catalog).
As you might expect if you're familiar with the Fillmore Principle, the props are examinable and instantly re-set, making this very suitable for walkaround or close-up work, if that's your needs. Also, this is very easy to do and contains no sleights. Finally, the cards that are provided are blank, so you can easily customize the props to suit your needs if you don't wish to perform the routine exactly as presented.
This DVD features a performance of 357 by Marc Spelmann with Peter Nardi, another routine by and featuring Thom Bleasdale, an explanation of the effect by these two, and an
interview with Tom Lauten, who's the creator of 357 and also a film/TV special effects wizard. Also included are a dozen blank cards and six envelopes.