Mind Stunts 2 features seven different mentalism effects, they are;

Dove Roulette - A sort fo russian roulette played with 4 bags, one of which has a live dove, the others are crushed.

Un-Lucky - A simpel monte effect in which the spectator chooses either of your closed fists. The one he chooses is always empty while the other always has a $100 crumpled inside.

Book test 4 Dummies 2 - As the name says, it's a book test.

Hand Kuffs - After locking hand cuffs on one wrist the magician can instantly escape

Eggs - Treme Intuition - A dozen numbered eggs, Spectator chooses one, all the others are empty, the choses one still has the yolk and all inside the shell.

Bank Light - 4 Color sticks are shown while a prediction is held behind the back. After selecting a color it is revealed that the same color was held behind the magicians back all along

DNA Revelator - A Chosen card revolation using a lint brush

OK, where to begin with this. On the good side the production value is very high and it is fun to watch. In fact rom a sheer entertainmnet stand point it really shines. Much like Mind Stunts #1 this is a well crafted DVD and Kuffs (Patrick Kuffs) keeps things moving, lively and entertaining the enitre time.

On the bad side, at least for me, is that none of the effects are real knock outs and the most interesting effect is not explained. Let me elaborate on that last part.

As in Mind Stunts #1 Patrick has choses to perform one effect and start to explain it, only to cease the explaination and abruptly end the DVD. Now I am sure the explaination is available somewhere, maybe it is hidden on the DVD or something, and I know that Patrick "Likes to do things differently" but I cannot help but be a bit disapointed at this. Afterall, the Eggs-Treme Intuition which is the non explained trick is in fact the most interesting one on the DVD. It may be obvious, I certainly have my idea of how it is performed, but I am not 100% sure and I would like to know. I buy DVDs like this to be entertained AND to learn the performing secrets, I am afarid that on this trick only the first half (entertainment0 works.

So you really have 6 tricks to learn on this DVD.

Dove Roulette is oddly shown only as a street performance (In stark contrast to the nicely set up and filmed other tricks). It is a very simpel effect that most people will know well before ever watching the DVD. Fun to watch but nothing really new here at all.

Un Lucky is an interesting little effect to watch, simple to perfomr but has some limitations and is unlikely top be used by myself.

Book test 4 Dummies 2 is yet ANOTHER book test. There are MANY of these out there including on Mind Stunts #1. This is far from my favorite version, it requires a simpel gimick and is less powerful than many other versions. So again I am afraid that I was not impressed with the actual effect.

Hand Kuffs probably sounds more impressive than it is. It's fine but again for me I do not think I would every really use it. Still, it is probably one of the more interesting tricks on the DVD.

Bank Light is again, very simple and is after all just a take off of a very common and old trick. Using glow sticks is somewhat interesting the to perfomr this as Patrick describes takes a little time and money since a gimick is required.

DNA Revelator is justa VERY simpel card revelation, personally I think there are MUCH stronger revalations out there.

So in the end I am disappointed to say that Mind Stunts 2 does not live up to Mind Stints 1. On the first volume I found several tricks that I use in real world situations. On volume 2 I really do not think I will use any of them. However I still reccomend the DVD to anyone who enjoyed the first volume simply because it is well produced and entertaining to watch. I doubt that any one other than an absolute beginner would learn much new from this DVD, but I think everyone would have some fun watching it.

It's a hard DVD to review since I enjoyed the performance aspects so much more than the actual methods of the tricks and I am a bit frustrated that the most interesting effect is not explained.

There are a few bonus materials which are Patrick on a TV show (all in French) perfomring the Mona Lisa puzzle effect. This is a performance only.

A booper reel and some clips from Mind Stunts Volume #1.

So I would give this an A for production and a C- for the selection of tricks... lets say a B- overall.

At the end Patrick says to look out for volume #3. heres hoping that he maintains the high production values and sense of fun but also returns to choosing some more solid material to teach. And finally eplain ALL the tricks on the DVD! being different is one thing, intentionally annoying your customers is something different!

I'M afraid to be completly against teevtee but we all have our own opinion. So this is what I have to say about mind stunt 2:

First of all, that is true that again mr.Kuffs came up with a really high production quality. It's also fun to wath and it's funny.

Before talking about the tricks, I just want to say something. You can always change the method of an effect if you don't like it. You can always change some parts of an effect. You can always use an effect as a source of inspiration. I would also like to say that I don't think mr.Kuffs was doing Mind stunt 1 and 2 to show you effects with big elaborate presentation. I think it was more for the ideas. For new effects that you can work on. Something fresh, something with a different point of vue. What I'm trying to say is, if you like an effect, well work on it, make it for you, find a presentation, maybe change the props,make it unique, or let it just like that, there is no limits. Don't think that when you buy a DVD you must have a complete act that will fit exactly for you just because you paid 40$.

For the effects now

I think that The Dove Roulette was a new approach of a russian roulette.(Maybe some of you saw Patrik in the tv show Urban Magic doing this trick, so it was new from that.) I think that it's better than all the "dangerous roulette effects" because everybody knows that if you do a dangerous stunt at every of your show, you must never fail, they know you will succeed so where is the point of doing it. But if they don't know what's in the bags at the beginning and after crushing all the bags they found in the last one a real dove, now you have an impact. And you can do this effect everywhere, I saw Patrik doing this trick on tv and on stage. I don't know why teevtee found there was nothing new in this effect. If you don't like the method change it, there is plenty of it.

I use the method of Book test 4 Dummies 2 since two years now and it's WONDERFULL, it'easy to do, it works every times, you can give the book before and after, you can use a borrowed book, you don't have to do nothing on the book, it's wonderfull and invisible. You must know that secret. Great weapon.

DNA revelator is in my close-up since a couple of years now.It's pratical, it's reset, it's different and original(a lint brush), with the same lint brush you can do the trick with a different card every times(after tearing a dirty layer you do the effect again with a different card. You can do this untill the lint brush is finish). And the most important of it, it's funny.

To conclude I would like to say that if Patrik didn't explain how to do the card trick in mind stunt 1 maybe it's because it was more than obvious how it was done. If you thought you were ready for this DVD(which is not for beginner)well you must know enough in magic to know how it was working(it's not something underground, it's not a big secret). And it's the same thing for Eggs-Treme intuition in mind stunt 2.

I really enjoy this DVD, the effects are no pipe dream, it's workable, it's new, it's fresh, it's funny and it gives me the taste of creativity. Don't be affraid to buy this DVD you will not regret it.

Thank you Mr. Kuffs for always giving us good magic.
Vincent C

Well Coolmagic, this is why we have review forums, so we all can share our opinions.

You did touch ona few things that I feel I must address just to be clear:

First of all I woudl never watch a DVD and expect to have a full routine or do the magic exactly as it was presented to me. I ALWAYS look at DVDs as simply a away to garner some ideas that I may be able to mold to fit my performing style. Also, I have been doing magic for 30 plus years so it is not exactly as if I am a beginner or new to magic. Much of what you said seemed to conclude that I was somehow mot aware of how to change effects to make them my own and I can assure you that is NOT the case.

With that said I still have a HUGE problem with including tricks on a DVD with no explaination of the working of that trick. Remember, this is not a performance DVD, it is an instructional DVD. I do nto buy the idea that the effect is so simple that you shoudl just know how it is done, that is ridiculous. If the tricks are that simpel then why include them to begin with. I see no GOOD reason to do this, it adds no value to the DVD, it adds no fun or entertainment to the DVD and in fact it takes value AWAY from the DVD as there are really only 6 tricks explained, not 7 as advertised.

Now to address your individual comments on the tricks:

Dove Roulette. You ask why I see nothing new here, well, I cannot really say much without tipping method but suffice it to say that the method is one of, if not THE oldest concepts in magic. therefore the only thing new about it is using doves. Well as you suggest I would NEVER simply use the exact idea of using doves or even other live animals... that is too close to what Kuffs does and would make ne feel uncomfortable to do someone elses routine. So I am left with in essence nothing new here.

You mention that you liek Book test 4 Dummies 2. Well this is a VERY old technique only VERY slightly changed by Kuffs. Moreover I much prefer many, many other book tests which do nto require any gimmick at all. in fact I prefer the book test on Mind Stunts #1.

Finally you mention that you liek DNA Revelator. Well I must admit that this is new and something I have not seen before. So this is really just a matter of personal opinion. In my opinion it is just not that strong. When I see effects like this I think it just screams "FORCE", perhpas that is just the magician in me talking. I also would not use this effect for the same reason as the doves,it is so specific that there is not really enough I could change about it to make it my own.

So in conclusion I am happy that you enjoy the DVD. I like Kuffs and I appreciate his continued efforts to make fun and entertaining DVDs. I also gave this DVD a B- that is NOT a bad review. Simply put I just feel it is not as strong as volume one of this series. I think that those who enjoyed volume one will in fact enjoy this one but those trying to decide between the 2 should go with volume #1 over #2 as it is much stronger.