If anyone needs personal help with their 3 No Evil presentation, eMail me and
I'll get you the Toll Free Number.
3/29: What does Doug like to do when performing?
I get asked every once in awhile what my favorite effects are to use in a show If I still performed. So, what do I do for an act? Mental Magic...
For Casual Walk Around, before or after main show material: Thread the Needle (Eye Of The Tiger) with a One Handed Knot flourish. Dollar Bill PENetration. Washington Portrait remove and restore. These I call Controlled Vision where I cause them to see 'things' and not necessarily believe their eyes.
Warmup (If called for): Grave Mistake (Dick Stoner’s Funny Funeral Sales Pitch, Higley style as a Commercial Sponsor. )
Main Show Theme: Adventurous Mind Mystery Show, includes:
Thought Control Wallet (Get info to be revealed as Perfect Solution Target)
Lightning 3 Card Monte Routine using 4 high speed variations on the theme of Controlled Vision (Higley Original)
Master Lock and Key divination (or Locked and Amazed).
3 No Evil (Card Prediction Higley original)
Doug’s ‘Scary Dark Rides’ Book Test: (original) Reveal an outrageous amount of information from any 3 chosen pages. Is it Memory or…? (Loosely based on Greg Arce’s ‘Freestyle Book Test’)
Cheap Danger!: (Higley original) Saved by the audience from Animal Traps!
Finale: The Xmosis Effect (Higley original) Mind THROUGH Matter as Doug slowly Melts through Heavy Steel. (Never released, only done by Doug. A complete reworking of an idea sparked by Peter Loughran.)
Off handed after show: Extreme Burn (R. Sanders) Answers the question “If your so mental, how come you’re not rich?
Now you know...later Doug
Perfect Solution (Lightning Calculation Math Magic.A 'reverse' version with an unknown target number. ie: Wallet used)
3/31: I first got into magic in 1964 doing Birthday parties and small stage shows. Lots of Doves and a few Illusions and plenty of props with regular visits to Tannen's. This led to a couple of years with an Escape act and Night Club work. Eventually bored with that I really liked the idea of not carrying so much equipt around. Thus Mentalism seemed the answer...and was. While admiring those who take the stage unemcumbered by props and play the Telepath, I prefer something in my hands...small props if you will. Thus after many years and working at many different things, the act described below (3/29) is what it has all come down to. It all packs in a very tiny case. Lots of original stuff and I'm always on the look out to get something 'new'...but then aren't we all.
4/10: And the Shrunky Head goes to... Paul Kostrach ! Paul's easy to do idea for producing a physical Shrunken Head at the end of 3 No Evil does, appropriately, 3 things...it adds to the 'atmosphere', it is 'magical' and it is cheap to do. The last of the submitted ideas came in last night so I want to thank those who took the time to put on a thinking hat and write. Paul's cool finishing move will be posted tomorrow .
4:11: I thought it might be a fun finish for the 3 No Evil routine to produce a 'real' Shrunky Head as a finale. Paul Kostrach has come up with an EASY and FUN way to add this bit of business. Just click the 3-D Head!
3-D photo by Doug Higley using a 'normal' digital camera.
Doug (pre-Gepetto) and a little 510 lb buddy in the 80's.
Is there any better way to spend a Sunday than on the World Famous Jungle Cruise at Disneyland? I think not.
There is hope for the world...while the little boys were buying the Nut Cans with a Snake and Joy Buzzers (from our friends at S.S. Adams) there was a little girl (about 9 yrs old) who chose a Haunted Key and a set of Sponge Balls!
5/17: IMPORTANT PERFORMANCE TIP! I got the following eMail...
"...Also, I want to say wow on the 3 No Evil postcard routine. I've had it for about three months now and I absolutely love it and have performed it often since getting it (about 20 times), and it fits in nicely with my other bizarre routines. I do have one question though, I've only had this routine backfire on me once. A friend of mine wanted me to entertaining at a private dinner he was throwing. After setting the mood using the introduction in the script, the spectator who volunteered (whose friend had been a bit of a heckler that night) to be the "Guest Curator" chose the Speak No Evil right off hand, and, as instructed I had the bold move with the envelop between myself and the spectator. I announced "This head is to go on display IN the Museum!" but the spectators friend spoke up and said, "But if she's the curator then she should have a say in where it goes and not you." I attempted to play it off by saying, "The power of the heads are strong right now, they sense bond between them breaking, we must insure that the last two heads are taken far from the museum to help break the power".
I slid the envelope to the far end of the dinner table and asked the spec. to chose another head and slide it to either myself or keep it. But that damn guy she was with was hell bent on wanting her to put a different head in the museum, and wouldn't let the routine continue until he got his way. I hate it when people like this ruin the enjoyment of a great routine because they want to be a smartass. I like all of our colleagues get ticked when jerks try to call you out , not really because their calling me out but because it messes up the enjoyment of everyone else watching a routine. And that's what grinds my gears. If you're going to call me out, then do it when no one else is around trying to enjoy some magic. Sorry, Doug, I didn't mean to go off on a rant there. Back on subject; I simply gathered all the postcards up, and said "Clearly the heads are greatly having a negative effect on our volunteers friend, someone should get him a cold drink so he doesn't wind up like my little friends here. To the rest of you, you've all been wonderful tonight, but I'm afraid that I have nothing else left to offer." And with that I stuck the cards in my jacket pocket, grabbed my "bizarre box" (filled with routines) tipped my hat to the crowd and strolled out the door. My friend (the host) later apologized greatly for his guests actions.
Anyway, my question is....should this ever happen again, how should I handle it? Or, I should say, how would you handle it?
Thanks for the time Doug, and keep up the great work!!!!!"
(anon)
Higley's Answer: Which also can be used for close tables in a restaurant performance setting.
Guys like that are total assholes agreed. But as you say it is rare and probably wont happen again. I wouldn't get gun shy BUT to make sue you are covered though...If you think here is an asshole sniper in the group, don't make an issue of the Prediciton Card. Leave it IN the Envelope. Talk about the prediction yes but don't call attention to the card itself (untill all is going well and time to use it. The Speak No is covered on the card as usual but lets do this...in the LEFT Front pants pocket have a Prediction written out that puts the Hear No goes to the Museum and another Prediciton in the RIGHT Front pocket that says the See NO goes into the museum. When all cards are situated where the spec wants them to be, go for the Prediction Card in the envelope OR the correct pocket. (Don't forget which is which!!!) Complete the routine using the Prediction as before.
This is not as good BUT better than a tail between the legs exit!! Be prepared for it but only use it when there is a KNOWN and OBVIOUS asshole in the crowd.
If there is, Play Him...seem to resist then Do what he says to your success
Later Doug.
P.S.: As Paul Kostrach suggests, you could always have a Himber wallet handy. ;-)
Monkey Paws, Shrunken Heads and combos of Ears & Toes on a leather chord etc.
All props are Hand Made of artificial materials, no animal or human product used.
"3 No Evil is indeed one of the all-time great packet tricks. May actually be the best ever...! "
"...Mental Magic at it's BEST! It's as if 'Indy' just got off the Jungle Cruise!"
CLICK
TO BUY!
$20
The Pitch: Whether you are just wandering around, going into Bars or presenting the Mini Zibit as an EXTRA part of your Strange Thing Show (like a little blow off) what do you say? Here is how easy it is...
"Hypothetical question: What if you were at the Fair and paid me a dollar to see the worlds Largest Elephant...how LARGE would you like it to be? The size of a Bus? A building? In order to get your moneys worth, you would want to see something extraordinarily HUGE am I correct?
Lets say at that same Fair, you paid me a dollar to see the World's Smallest Elephant...how SMALL would like it to be? The size of a pony? A miniature Poodle? (Use your hands to create a picture!) You would want to see something incredibly small wouldn't you...(Get a YES answer!) Well fortunately I do NOT have the World's Largest Elephant with me...(Bring out the little display box) But I do have something just as amazing and strange...So while the question may have been hypothetical, what is in this box...and the Dollar (Flourish your hand out to accept) is very real."
Take it from there...keep it fun, keep it private to the person who comes up with the dollar. Notice as in all my spiels you Do Not Lie (nor should you EVER!) You did not tell them what you had in the box was The World's Smallest Elephant did you? But when they see it, their brain cels will put it all together for you. Let them read the little story attached. PLEASE refrain from filling in details. Let the mystery and the questions be unanswered!!! You ONLY know what is on the Zibit Lable in the box.
Have FUN!
11/18/08 Well the Blog is back. I had to take time off during the election so as not to make a fool of myself or lose friends and customers. The guy I didn't want to win won but here's the best to him anyway...there is still the potential for disaster but also if he has the smarts, the potential for greatness. Golden Rule Obama, Golden Rule. My test is how he supports the Military. Watching.
Enough bogus politics, I'm up to here with the Washington scumbags and their stench...back to SHOW BUSINESS!!!
My Three No Evil Prop sets of three Shrunky Heads are now exclusively at Hocus Pocus! Cool! Very LIMITED so if you want...get.
Much going on on a personal level.
I had a benefactor in the UK pop up out of the blue and BUY ME a Mobility Scooter!!! Now I can get around the parks with out the pain...woo hoo! Disneyland and Sea World with ease? Oh boy. My messed up legs now have wheels thanks to an Angel on my shoulder. I didn't believe in that stuff till this occured! I never asked for it, hearing about it, he just popped up and did it! Damn thing was too expensive for me to ever afford so thanks to the ANON (his requirement) Brit who put a bit of fun back in my life. Did I say woo hoo?
Another wonderful thing happened the other day...I talked to a LONG LOST Grandaughter who I knew of but never got to speak to and who knew just about nothing about me. We hit it off like old friends even though I'm 66 and she's 21 but hey, she's either advanced or I'm youth-ish...whatever...cool stuff! One thing for sure, the Higley gene pool sure turns out some great looking females of the species. I have 2 Beautiful KNOCK OUT Daughters, 6 Grandaughters and one great Grandaughter and they are all gorgeous. The one Grandson is no slouch either and at three is already displaying movie star good looks. Must be his mother's side.
end
" Part One: Dead Man's Candles " A Brief History of The Hand Of Glory by KOTAH
On your table sits a simple wooden box. It appears to be quite old.
He spoke at length of Dead Man's candles, and all manner of things occult.
Grand father swore such grizzly arifacts, by black arts had been created. By dark magick, their powers reanimated.
Each gory detail of how the hand was made, and it's nefarious purpose over time he shared.
To Continue, CLICK THE Image at left.
