First of all, total kudos to the production team as they really had their work cut out here, but with patent vigour they really have captured this masterfully - in bog standard English, the shots are perfect! Every visual detail is captured, the editing is slick & the whole spirit of Menotti's work shines through, huge thumbs up to Papercrane, this is possibly their best release to date.

So what exactly are we dealing with here? Well, the pinnacle teachings (or should I say treachings, b dum) are focused around the psychology of performance, in particular the various techniques that can be employed to specifically create memory recall, or as Menotti describes 'hooks' in the spectators mind - thus leaving your audience with the ability to remember many multiple moments throughout the show, a sort of family tree but for memories. This alone is hugely powerful & will be sure to inspire your own approach to routining.

To experience these 'foreshadowing' techniques, the viewer is delightfully subjected to Menotti's parlour show where the true value of creating hooks is evident. The show I could talk about all night, it's freakin awesome! The audience management, scripting, effects, choreography, it's all super smart and very inspiring.

To capitalise on the performance tape, their is also commentary version where Menotti talks you through his reasons for certain actions, lines, provides insight into the history of the effects, includes stories of past performances & points out small details which your likely to miss first time round. This really goes to show how a class act is constructed and the commentary concept is something that I've never encountered with a magic product before, I do hope to see it again!

A few of the effects from the parlour show are explained in great depth, I have to say Menotti is the finest teacher I've ever come across. Incredibly clear, perfectly paced, every point is justified, credits are extremely well researched, the list goes on.. you can't fail to miss a thing. There are also a couple other effects taught, suitable for close-up or parlour and again these aren't throwaway items, each aspect has been thoroughly considered.

Also included is a section called 'Essays' which gives us a chance to peek into Menotti's mind and see how he thinks. Some excellent advice here and content which we rarely see with magic products, the fact that Menotti shares this with us shows his immense attention to detail.

Overall I think this release is worthy of a standing ovation. Highly Recommended.

There's two disks in the set- disk one contains several tricks, with detailed explanations, so that you can add the material to your act. My favorite of the bunch was Schrodigner's Card, a nifty routine in which a selected card vanishes from the deck and appears somewhere else... all without you ever having to touch the cards. Its a fooler.

Disk two contains a full 30 minute show and some "essays" (actually Francis discussing magical thoughts on video), and this is where the true value lies. Francis is a wonderful performer and he's a very clever thinker. I would have paid double just for the show and essay portion!

Anywho, I really enjoyed the dvd, and its rare to see a dvd on stand-up material, taken right from a talented performers show, being released.

Just watched these today. Seriously - awesome job man. Is so rare for a great thinker to share his original presentations and thinking behind his formal set. From his razors, to the mixed up words, SHOES, the "killer" ending, (plus several others), to his essay section and thoughts on performance - all really smart stuff and a real breath of fresh air. 5 stars

While yes, he can perform a terrific show, that isn't why you should buy these DVDs. The reason I say this is because I honestly didn't love the tricks that he showed us how to perform, there was only 1 that even tempted me at all. It's a good thing that I didn't buy the DVDs for tricks, I bought it for the lecture in which he didn't disappoint. It is priced far too highly, but if you can get a good deal on it then go ahead and buy it.

Simply the best DVD I have ever bought for routining magic and forming a performance in a close-up/close-up stage magic. It goes into not only a great variety of smooth effects but also some fantastic sleights and most importantly, performance advice. I mean, you even get to learn a sleight of hand variation of The Raven!...its just awesome. GET THIS!

Francis Menotti has released something of a mixed bag here. Everyone will find something in the effects that he teaches to like, and his explanations are alright. The real meat here is the full performance, and then his audio track over it. You learn a lot about his philosophy on making routines. This DVD set is like a fine one, it is good, but not for everyone.

Francis Menotti presents one of the best DVDs I have seen on the art of magical performance. While there are lots of DVDs and collections that house many more effects, far more technique or much more that might seem immediately "usable", The Treachery of Tricks parts with something even more precious. Menotti lets us come back-stage and into his mind-set for creating a cohesive, practical and polished performance. He shares razor-sharp points on audience psychology, show framing, effect selection and development and aims them squarely at the target of creating an entertaining, magical and memorable experience for anyone lucky enough to attend.

I bought this DVD as a part of a "Choose 5 for $99" special offer, but it would have been worth it had it been a hundred bucks by itself.

You know, when you've been a student of magic for a long time like me and many of you, you hardly ever stumble upon anything new magic. Usually just old material given a new spin and repackaged, or another expensive gimmick for your magic drawer. Francis Menotti doesn't fall into that bracket and his methods and style are his own, it's really refreshing. His magic is organic, original, and it really flows - almost like magical freestyling, where your audiences get amazed but you have a really enjoyable time getting them there. I really do recommend these DVD's and for me they were money well spent.

This 2-disc DVD is excellent for people who wants to work with and explore routines that are slightly "different" from the average routines that most magic performers do. Francis Menotti has his very own approach to magic and comedy, which is wonderful to study. The 2nd disk where he explains how one can come up with new ideas based on ordinary life experiences, and then create magic effects out of them, is great value for the money.

Not only will you love the effects he teaches, but the information and entertainment value is priceless! The coin effects are visually delicious and the all the other effects are mind boggling to the audience.

The only downside to this DVD is that 2 or 3 of the effects require soecial little gaffs that are easy to find and purchase. They are cheap except for one which is a little expensive. Not to bad though.

I recommend this DVD to the fullest extent!