Overkill by Christopher Taylor

Perform an eerie exercise in which a participant correctly matches the photos of five murder victims with their Victorian Era killers.

Contains detailed performance and instructional videos by Christopher Taylor. Vintage Victorian style photos included in download.  Also includes an additional effect by Rob Haber.

review:

Older magicians will roll their eyes when they see his performed, but laymen and younger magi will be amazed. But the older magicians will be lining up with the youngsters to buy it after seeing the reactions this gets. This is good, really good. Because it is entertaining, tells a story, and makes the spectator a winner. What more could you ask for in a routine?

Let me preface this with a note. If you are a card man, or perform at kid’s birthday parties, you can stop reading now. While in actuality this is a card trick, you can’t present it as one. You have to be able to tell a story and keep people’s interest up. You need to connect emotionally with your audience, they have to care for these 5 beautiful young woman and be outraged that they were murdered at such a young age. If that’s not your style, save your money and look elsewhere.

The first thing you need to do when you receive this is print the 10 pictures. I used photoshop to print them 2 to a page on heavy printer paper. I’ve also uploaded them to Walgreens and will print them out for a total cost of under $3, less when they offer a coupon. Then you have to write (pencil is best) a sentence on the back of each. After that little bit of arts and crafts you are ready to amaze. As the pictures age, get wrinkled and look ratty that just adds to the authenticity. You really should either age the pictures or mention that you found them online and printed them. The pictures are all old you just need to justify why they are in the condition they are. order more great magic item:

https://www.52chinamagic.com/isabellas-star-iii-peter-turner-p-11530.html

The story centers around 5 murders in the London area in the early 1900’s. This is post Jack the Ripper but people still remembered. You have 5 pictures of victims and 5 of murderers. A spectator is determined to be psychic and then is directed to pair up each victim with a murderer using their psychic powers. Of course when the pictures are turned over it is shown that each victim/suspect pair is correct.

As taught a single person does all the work. I do it with 2 spectators, a woman and man. I give the men to the woman and vice versa. I say the man has a better connection with a woman’s attraction while a woman is able to feel the fear the woman felt as she saw her attacker.

The performance video runs 4.5 minutes, the explanation only takes 6.5 minutes. The 4 page pdf contains a history of the effect and credits as well as instruction on how to use the principle for other effects and the work behind it to expand/contract it to match your needs. The teaching is more than enough, one run through of the videos should be all you need.

The pictures can be printed in whatever size you want. They can be business card size and you can carry them in your wallet to always be prepared, you can print them as a full 8×10 or 11×14 picture and perform it on stage. It will hold up to those and all venues in between.

For $15 and a little time you will transform an old chestnut into something you do all the time.

Highly recommended with the caveat presented in the second paragraph. Fred Rosenbaum

+++++++++++++

I always have a strong reaction from Overkill. Everything happen in the hand of the spectator. It is so clever. I used it as a warm up exercise before my séance, it makes a great start. The pdf is very well explained and I loved to watch the video performance and explanation from the creator of the effect himself , it is always a treat. This is a real gem.