Issue 21 - July 08
Undiscovered Wonder
Mel Mellers
Available from www.rsvpmagic.com
Price: £24.99
Thank God the clown IS dead after his annoying debut on Mel’s Tickling the Mind DVD. Mel’s first DVD release was the fastest selling release from RSVP magic, and this second offering has got quite a lot to live up to. In fairness, it has been around for a few months now, so many magicians may well have already purchased it. Mel performed several effects from Undiscovered Wonder at the South Tyneside Magic Convention, and was doing a brisk trade after his excellent lecture.
What I like about Mel is that his effects are relatively simple, but the ‘hard work’ of forming a routine is done for you – although I’m not saying copy them word-for-word! Mel is the king of the one liner and it his subtleties which make him stand out as a performer. So, what’s on the DVD? Eight routines – of which these are probably the best:
Beat The Brain: This is a speed memory test where Mel asks audience members to call out numbers which will form the page number in a telephone directory. Mel then attempts to write the first telephone number from the selected page before a member of the audience can turn to the page itself!
Agony Aunt: This is the classic Confabulation stripped bare. No gimmicks & no carbon paper required. Mel’s presentation revolves around writing a letter to an agony aunt to receive advice about a rash he has picked up on his travels. His 4-phase routine contains a lot of comedy and makes the effect a real winner.
Flags: The card story with a unique twist and not a playing card in sight. Mel shuffles a pack of jumbo cards which have the national flag of a different country on each. Mel tells the audience that he is going to attempt to make up a story from the cards, without knowing which card comes next. A cleverly written routine which audiences seem to love.
The DVD is 1 hour 45 minutes, contains 8 routines and just about maintains the high standard set by Tickling The Mind. GH
What's Hot: All excellent routines and ready to go!
What's Not: Not really a bad point, but I think Mel gives too many gags away! I’d
keep more of them to myself if I were him…
Star rating: ****
To find a specific review, just click on the relevant letter for the product name
0-9 | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
RETURN to the magicseen homepage