Derren Brown: Archive
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From: killerb_0187
Date: Sat Dec 28, 2002 5:21pm
Subject: Re: Devil's Picturebook review - no secrets revealed
No that's quite alright....heh heh...That's quite adequate... Thank
you!!
--- In a previous message Blue Chip wrote:
>
> > > If you want to practice face/lip reading, a good place to start
is
> >to KNOW
> > > what they are thinking and then try to work it out from their
> >cues. DBs
> > > video is veerryy helpful for this, but don't expect "how to
make a
> >matalist
> > > out of a newbie in 2hrs 47mins"
> >
> >
> >I'm still speculating whether or not to buy this vid. I've heard
that
> >it has absolutely NOTHING to do with what Derren does now, and it's
> >all his old card routines. Is this true??
>
> Let me give an off-the-cuff SUBJECTIVE opinion (but, then aren't
ALL
> reviews?) of "The Devil's Picturebook - The Professional Card
Repertoire of
> Derren Brown" - Now don't expect me to start blowing all the
secrets, this
> video is a part of DBs income, and although that income may be
greater than
> mine, he has certianly earned it (along with my respect) with his
last 10
> years of dedicated study...
>
> A quick answer first: No, in my honest/humble opinion (IMHO), it is
NOT true.
>
> More fully:
>
> His approach is PRESENTATION PRESENTATION PRESENTATION. And the
fact that
> he is using playing cards rather than crayon pictures or zener
cards or
> £10,000 cheques changes very little. He is immediately
recognisable as DB
> in both style and attitude.
>
> You will learn that the cheesiest card TRICK 'in the book' can be
turned
> into a mentalist spectacular with nothing extra than the right
> attitude. To me this was what it was all about, DB says
(paraphrased)
> "when you approach a table with a deck of cards people know that
they are
> about to be conned, they know it is all sleight of hand etc. So,
to me, it
> is all about presentation, about making it a personal experience"
And more
> than anything else, this is what he sets out to demonstrate.
>
> Watch the expressions on the faces of those in the Mind Control
programmes,
> HOW personal was the experience??? They love it - and him - they
want to
> tell everybody how unique they feel after it has happened. If they
went
> away feeling bored, E4 would not still be paying him!
>
> Toward the end of the tape he broaches on the mentalist
presentations (thus
> contradicting his comment at the start of the tape) - And another
thing,
> when you've seen this tape you will realise why I use the word
> presentation, any idiot can "do" a card trick, but to make it an
involving
> and emotional, YES emotional [esp. Zamiel's Rose], experience is
> *ART*. [If you read this group Derren, my hat is off to you my
friend]
>
> How many "card trick videos" offer you explantions of how to
control
> peoples emotions and reactions while you are presenting your
trick? If I
> can make you get so involved that you forget that it IS a trick,
and then I
> can force your reaction to the finalé, the trick itself becomes
> irrelevant. LOL - That aside, as someone here once said
before "when
> Derren gets out a deck of cards, be afraid, be very afraid." He is
> incredible, it really wouldn't surprise me if he knew what cards
those
> gamblers (MC1) drew before he got the deck out of his pocket - his
> repertoire is truly impressive.
>
> He presents his 3-Diamonds force (from MC2) and one other example
and then
> gives a little chat on how -it- works, not just specific forces
(for then
> it would be how -they- work), but the thoughts and ideas behind
them. And
> then, in a lead up to him 'Tarting Around', he does the worst
presentation
> of the 3D force ever... ooooohhhhhh maaaaannnnnnn, what an insight
into how
> it _really_ works!
>
> He also shows a couple of ways of predicting what card a person
will draw
> from an invisible deck!
> # He draws a card from a real deck and get the 'person' to place it
in
> their pocket (or wherever)
> # The person then chooses one card from an 'invisible' deck - no
trick
> deck, no stack, no bottom card, no funny dealing - NO DECK!
> # When the card has been chosen, (s)he declares what his/her [I
really hate
> PC] choice is
> # And, freaky as it sounds, it is, of course, the card that has in
their
> pocket all along.
>
> Now, as I've said, I'm not going into details, but DB states (in
his usual
> way <nod,nod>) that this is real mind reading. And you know what?
Because
> of the way it is presented, you really do get to see in your mind
what they
> see in theirs (no, this is NOT B.S., I really mean it - and yes, I
have now
> done it myself, several times) - this is achieved with his usual
> combination of body language awareness and the such. He thens
talks you
> through the whole thing step-by-step. And incredibly then goes on
to show
> how this technique can be used in reverse - thus presenting a
fantastic
> insight into how to make ANY trick not only unique, but uniquely
YOURS.
>
> If anyone can PROVE that they own a copy of the video, then I will
enter
> into conversation OFF-BOARD and on a one-to-one basis. Other than
that,
> please, just don't waste your time pushing me for specifics.
>
> And in conclusion: Obviously I like it; I have my own copy; it is
easily
> worth it's cost. Geez, get a couple of mates drunk and WIN the
cost of the
> tape back. "I bet you the next two rounds I can name the card you
choose..."
>
> Footnote: The above is MY opinion. I WILL stand by it. But that
does not
> make it RIGHT, it just makes it MY opinion.
>
> BlueChip
