The Mentalism DVD of the Year!

Boris has toured the world performing on cruise ships, in shopping malls and at very fancy bar mitzvahs.

On this very special DVD, Boris performs and explains every detail behind 16 of his most memorable routines including effects with clock faces, photographs, playing cards, billets, business cards, coins, pay envelopes, locks and keys.

This DVD also features revealing interview segments during which Boris shares his unique views on predicting the future, reading minds, ESP, fortune tellers, nurturing a mental state and the importance of the performer's voice. Boris even offers heartfelt advice for viewers who feel that they too may be mental like Boris.

1. Perfect Timing: Boris predicts a freely selected time down to the minute!
2. Mona Lisa: Boris demonstrates the existence of both an "Alpha" and "Beta" mind!
3. Lottery: Boris predicts five freely chosen cards and their order!
4. A Very Good Year: The date on a borrowed coin matches the date on Boris' coin!
5. Acquaintances: Boris' favorite "warm-up" routine with playing cards!
6. Distant Relations: Boris shares his profound understanding of Siamese Twins.
7. Impulse Control: Boris displays his ability to control a spectator choice!
8. Telling Tales: Boris demonstrates a "tell" and (the seldom seen) "reverse tell!"
9. Projection: Boris engages a spectator's "projective imagination!"
10. Echo: Boris creates a "mental echo" between himself and a spectator!
11. Undeclared Income: Boris divines the total of a handful of borrowed change!
12. Color Blind: A spectator finds her way to her own favorite color!
13. Unconscious Knowledge: Boris proves a spectator knows more than she knows!
14. True Believer: A "true believer" selects the one key that unlocks a lock!
15. Facsimile: Boris "senses" every detail of a borrowed business card!
16. Speechless: Boris predicts virtually any object the spectator thinks of!

Manufacturer Says

Running Time: 144 minutes. (This DVD contains strong language)

A Review by David Acer

"I can predict de future, read minds, cause de tornado... I can do it all!" -- Boris Pocus

Part used-car salesman, part East European mentalist, Boris Pocus is, to the best of my knowledge, the first fictional character ever to release a lecture DVD. Channeled by Jay Sankey, Boris teaches 16 mental effects, all in an accent that hints at just enough countries to offend everyone.

Is it funny? Yes. I laughed out loud from the opening credits on. But what's interesting about this collection is that the tricks themselves are not parodies. They are boni-fide feats of mental magic, many of which require little or no sleight-of-hand.

Highlights include "Perfect Time," a self-working effect in which a time chosen randomly by a spectator proves to have been accurately predicted by the magician (as Boris says, "This one ees like acid down their pants!"); "Lottery", a mind-buster in which the magician not only predicts five cards chosen by five spectators, but also the order they will end up in after the packet has been mixed; "Distant Relations," an interestingly framed billet-switch routine in which the magician divines the name of a person who has some significance to a spectator; "Speechless," a clever effect in which the magician foretells any object mentally chosen by a spectator; and "True Believer," possibly the best trick on the DVD, in which a key chosen freely from a bag of keys proves to be the only one that actually opens the lock in question.

A number of techniques are taught during these effects, including Vernon's Strip-Out Substitution, the old Deal-Or-Switch subterfuge, Jay's Paper-Clipped switch, the Dry Marker Principle, a Half Pass, and the Tenkai/Goshman Pinch.

I should also mention that people (mostly mentalists) often point out the distinction between "mental magic" (like the tricks on this DVD) and "mentalism" (a more purist approach to reading thoughts and affecting objects with one's mind). As such, I suspect the material on this DVD will be of greater interest to magicians than mentalists, despite the theme.

And finally, allow me share one last bit of Boris Pocus wisdom - "There really is two minds... There are... There is... There are... Whatever. I know what I'm talking about, and now you do to."

David Acer