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Screen Test Review - Pocket Edition

One DVD, a bunch of bonus videos, 17 movie poster "trading cards", $29 bucks and one Screen Test Review. Is it gem or is it rubble? Stay tuned to find out.

Screen Test Review: Effect

A spectator freely chooses a movie poster trading card while you are not looking. You are able to tell her which one it is even though you never look.

Screen Test Review: Method

The method is a very clever system built into the cards that will, I guarantee, slide right past you and anyone you perform it on. First of all, you'd have to do the effect to the same person 5 or 6 times in a row (one immediately following another) for the possibility of them to even maybe possibly get a sort of clue as to what's going on.

Further, multiple techniques are taught so that you can do this multiple people and never even come close to even thinking about being detected. The concept and method is very clever and extremely well disguised. This can be done with very little effort. There is a little bit of "remembering" required. Even that, however, can be overcome if you create yourself a little cheat sheet.

Screen Test Review: Ad Copy Integrity

The written copy is not only dead on, it's very transparent. It does nothing sneaky and makes no outrageous or incorrect claims. The video trailer is almost perfect. At 20 seconds in, Peter Nardi, The Dark Wizard says that this can be done with no memory work. Well . . . that's true of the standard sized set that comes with a hidden in plain site cheat sheet. However, the pocket version does not come with the cheat sheet.

However, the "memory" work is something I can explain right here without giving anything away. You simply need to be able memorize (or better said, "remember") the names of all 17 movies in your collection of "trading cards." That's it. There is nothing else to remember. So as long as you know the names of the movies, then you do the needed "remembering" for this effect.

Screen Test Review - Magic Reviewed

Screen Test Review: Product Quality

The included cards are good quality. They're kind of like baseball cards. Also, they're actual movie titles, not knock-off titles. The only thing is that they tend to stick together a little bit. However, one of the bonus videos explains how to fix this. I tried that, and some of them are still sticking together. It just takes a little bit of wearing the cards in.

The art work and design looks amazing. The training DVD is full of tons of great ideas and methods for using these cards. Plus the extra bonus videos that you get access to are awesome. They have tons more great tips, tricks and ideas. The particular pack that I'm reviewing is the "Classic Movies" Collection. It has movies like My Fair Lady, Jaws, The Usual Suspects, etc.

They also sell an "Action Pack" which has action movies like Terminator and other movies of that genre. On the bonus videos, there are some ideas for combining both packs together. Doing that allows some even more incredible options that even further disguise the method. This also allows different methods and presentations that aren't possible with only one pack. I only mention this to give a sense of how much information is covered and taught by The Dark Wizard. The production value of the videos is just fine. The teaching is well done, in depth and thorough.

Screen Test Review: Final Thoughts

The bottom line on this is that if you're looking for a versatile set of props with a hook (movies) that most everyone can relate to, then you'll find great value here. Further, if you like the effect, you'll love this product. It's easy to perform and easy to carry around with you. Considering all of the training you get plus the well made 17 cards, $29 bucks is beyond a reasonable price to pay for this.

Final Verdict:
5 Stars with a Stone Status of Gem.

Available at your Favorite Magic Dealer. Dealer's see Murphy's Magic for details.

9 Comments

  • paul kresky says:

    Jeff, I have to ask. Why are you calling peter nardi the dark wizard lately??? I haven’t been able to figure that out. Thanks again for your reviews.

  • John Owen says:

    Great effect bought it a couple of months ago,fooled all family friends and colleagues at work I give them the cards go out of the room and perform the effect on my mobile,nobody ever notices the ####### ,good review Jeff

    • Jeff Stone says:

      @John – Thanks for the post. I agree; the method is just so darn sneaky, and doing it over the phone is super smart and totally doable in today’s world o’ phones. 🙂

  • Mark W says:

    Great review Jeff! I’ve been back and forth on deciding on getting this trick. Is there a need for better vision with the pocket edition or is it just a matter of “remembering”

    • Jeff Stone says:

      @Mark – There is no remembering. However, there’s a subtle little thing that makes it a teeeeeeeeeny bit easier if you use the post card version. However, I don’t think it’s really that important. The pocket set is excellent as it.

  • Grandpa Chet (the MormonYoYoMan) says:

    IIRC, this is the one based on ODDS, and it was brilliant to bring that principle to movies. I got the larger (big postcard size) and was delighted to find it seems (to the “viewer”) to be an entirely different effect. This got me to thinking about how we humans do think, visually and verbally, which improved my performance with Screen Test, ODDS, and quite a number of other predictive methods.

    Mark, if I can remember the movies, anyone can.

    • Jeff Stone says:

      @G-Chet – IIRC?

      As for ODDS, I’m assuming you’re referring to Osterlind’s Design Duplication System, correct? As far as I know, this method has nothing in common with ODDS.

      Also, there’s no need to remember anything since the spectator’s will name all of the movies for you anyway. 🙂

  • STEPHANE SCHOETENS says:

    Hi jeff,

    Again a super, nice detailed and objective review!

    To eliminate ALL memory work of the pocket version, I came up with this:
    “Look, I found my TOPPS cards collection of movies in a drawer last week. I stored it with a written list of all the cards I already possess.”
    I show them the list I made of the cards “already in my collection”.
    Then I put the list nonchalently on the table and give them the actual card collection to look at.
    I go from there on to the routine and can follow at ease by glimpsing at my list laying on the table.
    This makes me more comfortable to not “overlook/overhear” some things.

    Very nice trick, Super props. Worth it’s money.

    Thanks again , Jeff for your great reviews.

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