Inspiration Vol. 2 by Bebel and Jean-Pierre Vallarino

French card legends Bebel and J. P. Vallarino are the subjects of a new DVD set produced by Arteco Productions, titled “Inspiration.” Originally released in France as a single volume DVD, this 3 volume set of discs has been remastered to include the original French language version as well as an English dubbed version.

The viewer is greeted with an opening menu that allows you to select the language of your choice. The music on this menu is deafening compared with the actual speaking soundtrack on the DVD. Not a big deal, but you may want to keep this in mind when you start the disc.

The English dubbing on this set is one of the best I have ever experienced. The translations are excellent and conversational, unlike some other dubbings I have heard where the translations seem forced and the conversations struggle to keep up with the pace of the video. Obvious care was put into this project, and even the actors who provide the dubbed dialogue stay in character and make it a comfortable experience for the viewer. My only complaint here is that I would have enjoyed subtitles over the French track so that I could also listen to Bebel and Vallarino in their native language. Nonetheless, the expert dubbing allows you to keep your eyes on the performances, making it easy to follow along.

What you get on volume two, much like on volume one, is about an hour spent as a “fly on the wall,” looking in on a card session between the two masters. This is a true session where Bebel will open up with a version of a trick that he is working on, and then Vallarino will offer a variation on the theme, followed by another variation by Bebel, and so on. Their conversation offers critical discussion of the themes they explore, and performance psychology. They are also respectfully critical of each other as they discuss why one method may be better than another. This continues for the entire length of the DVD, which I found fascinating.

Performance segments are then followed by clear and detailed explanations. Variations are offered and discussed throughout. There is obvious reverence for Marlo, Hamman, Jennings and fellow French magician Pierre Barclay, as they are referenced numerous times throughout the DVD. Quite a bit of the material on volume 2 is directly credited to, or a variation of Marlo. Vallarino even jokes about this, as it is clear that Marlo has had a great influence on Bebel’s work.

Broken up into four chapters, volume two covers:
1. Mexican 3 Card Monte
2. Card Controls (some brilliant card switches and color changes here!)
3. The Bluff Pass
4. Ace Leader Routines

The DVD moves along at a comfortable speed, however the abrupt end to the last chapter, where it simply cuts off and returns to the high volume music on the main menu was startling. A better final edit would have helped here.

Bebel and Vallarino have good chemistry, and are clearly comfortable sitting across from one another. The material selection on these DVDs is terrific. I enjoyed this volume every bit as much as I did volume 1, and I am greatly looking forward to volume 3.

Available directly from Arteco Productions: http://www.artecoproductions.com/inspira......ino.html

Highly recommended (reservations noted above, related to minor production issues).

Magiguy, Thanks for the review. I agree with you especially regarding the English dubbing. I enjoyed the DVD a great deal. The material is excellent and am looking forward to Vol.3.

Thanks, John!

Evan

Regarding Vol. 2, the advertising clarifies that they forgot to tape the explanations of the work in the segment on ace assemblies. That's pretty annoying. On a positive note, there's a lot of good material on the DVD. Some of the card switches were new to me. Bebel emphasizes that presentation provides motivation for actions.

I noticed that Bebel described a face-up switch as Jennings'. It appears in Lorayne's "Best of Friends" Vol. 1 as Tom Mullica's Future Spread.