Erik Mana: Master Mind

[Cardinal Bunal]

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It shows tonight on ABS CBN at 10: 30 pm, it will have it's re-run on the 18th of November, same time, same channel...

Renowned prestidigitator and psychic illusionist displays some of the latter of that material in the performing art of ledgerdemain in his special, hence the title Master Mind.

[jeppoy]

watched it last night....tsada au...as in... ;D

[Cardinal Bunal]

First of all I'm glad that Mr. Mana didn't get on a rail for the cinema verite approach, we see that in the opening scene with a motor biker... Mana also does Out of this World and almost blows everyone away from planet earth with it, it is interesting to note that he uses the riffle shuffle for this one. Well, shame on you for Mana uses it on tv. He also does visual chicanery with half dollars, and some of the effects take place in the spectator's hands.... And also, I thought that the JK Mind Power deck was such an idiotic product but I was confounded as to how Erik made the 3 thought of selections go under a close-up mat, or in his pockets. Don't get me wrong, I just thought the JK routine had "too many questions" in it. But the JK MindPower Deck performance marries the mentalist theme and that of visual and physical close-up illusion very well.

Also, he does a little bit of a self-working routine for the people at home, much more simple than most "for the spectators at home" kind of effects we see on tv. One other that impressed me was one that Max Maven did, but this card effect was more self-working and it doesn't use numbers... at least per se, it uses values and suits if that made any sense.

He also does a very impressive "puzzle piece" platform routine, this is mentalism per se but it's very impressive and there's a build-up in it.

And as a prelude to a platform act, he does an "ambitious card" type of effect where a card goes right from the bottom through a pack even if it's inside the cardbox. He does the same thing Luis DeMatos does with a big mirror and instead of a blue silk scarf passing through it while it is "in his pocket" he uses the spectator's lucky card.

One thing I'd like you other magicians to take note of is that routine he uses a spread-cull ***** as a utility for. It's a transpo effect but it's very very clever and very strong although getting from point a to point b in that routine took a bit of some time.
I censored what comes after "spread-cull" as to avoid magic exposure. It's important magic ethics be kept inside the community, or outside.

To all non-magician viewers, honestly after one viewing I can't take in what has been planted or which were genuine, but considering that most of the effects were "mentalist" - or including those that had physical ledgerdemain, Mr. Mana didn't violate magic ethics in here - if he did I didn't notice any. It was an entertaining show both layman and prestidigitator can be hooked with the choice of effects and the renditions that Erik Mana tries to do them with.

Cardinal Bunal's rating 9/10

[babymiki]

I saw it sad intertaining gyud cya, but ang iyang style kai almost the same sa kang david blane.

[chagorio]

mao ra man japon woi...murag david blaine....expert kaau sya sa baraha....boring na man ni ila style woi....

[Cardinal Bunal]

boring na man ni ila style woi....

Well, although there is the elimination of the cliched cinema verite approach to magic, I agree..... it has lost some of the theatricality and marriage of other performing arts such as music and dance like the David Copperfield, Lance Burton or the Champions of Magic in Monaco specials used to have...

The "can I show you something? Can I show you something?" kind of thing gets irritating sometimes. I wished TV would produce more theatrical magic specials that have artistic integrity.

[Cardinal Bunal]

The 2nd episode of MasterMind was very theatrical. The "Sadako" parody was startling and at times darkly funny....
I think Erik has read Absolute Magic by Derren Brown. He DOES manage to unnerve people. He also sets the premise and mood very well and does some magical effects of the paranormal genre inside a haunted house.
I wonder how he does the "telekinetic" or "touching someone by remote"... He also does some flashy, flourishy pasteboard material at one point.

I like the exaggerated presentation of how he lets 3 people send out the message of the card that neither Erik or anyone in the audience has seen when it was selected. (Guys, we all know how he did it ) But his presentation was great.
But he ends with optimistic commentary that we can all do magic, and make our dreams come true.

[skylee_swoop]

STREET MAGIC!!! STREET MAGIC!!! STREET MAGIC!!!

[Nezumix22]

seen these kinda things (street magic) so many times already I found it boring yet manages to be entertaining if a little bit..

[thisbe.ara]

have you seen that ala-the ring-episode where a card was snuck from outside the TV screen to inside the TV screen? how is that possiblewaaah.