In card magic, it seems like dealers love to claim "no rough and smooth", like the R&S principle is something bad. It isn't. It is powerful, and responsible for one of the greatest single card effects of all time. And in mentalism, it seems like dealers now like to proclaim that a trick "doesn't use anagrams", like the branching anagram principle is not a good one. Well, this dealer proudly proclaims that this trick (Sight, by Dee Christopher) uses the anagram principle. And it is a very commercial and practical fooler for any lay audience.
The anagram principle has been used in many excellent mental effects by notables like Max Maven, Sam Schwartz, and many other mental giants. Sometimes it takes memorization and it can also take a bold and confident approach to buzz by any wrong guesses. But the prop in Sight eliminates the memory work, and the routining makes the performance of the effect within anyone's grasp.
Here's what it looks like: the mentalist gives a small (business size) card to the spectator. It is a souvenir from a horror movie festival or convenitoon, and it lists the top 10 scariest movies of all time. The spectator thinks of any one of the movies listed. The magi-mentalist now tries to read the spectator's mind, plucking out a letter at a time. "Just read the name of the movie over and over. Focus on each letter. I'm getting the letter A. Is there an A in the title?" The spectator answers yes. The magi continues, naming another letter, but misses. "Okay, let's try it differently. Just focus on the entire title, as if it is a solid thing, not made of individual letters." The spectator thinks of the title, and the magi claims, "Oh yes, much better. much clearer." He writes the title on a business card and puts it on the table. The spectator names the movie: Friday the 13th. The business card is turned up and shows the correct movie.
Free choice, and never more than one missed letter to know exactly which of 10 movies has been thought of. Good mentalism you can carry in your wallet all the time.
Brand new with prop and DVD instruction.