Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989)
The "bad boys of magic" go over the edge in this mind-blowing, role-switching comedy murder mystery set in the dizzying world of Atlantic City casinos. In a TV interview, Penn mentions his idea of a fun practical joke: "I wish someone were trying to kill me. It would give focus to my life, excitement. I'd be like James Bond." Twenty million people hear him. One decides to deliver a punchline he'll never forget. Made by people who thought Psycho was a comedy, Penn & Teller Get Killed (they also wrote the piece) features Caitlin Clarke as the femme fatale and David Patrick Kelly as the Edgar Allan Poe-esque nutcase with a new mission. Arthur Penn, known for hip masterpieces like Bonnie and Clyde, Alice's Restaurant and Little Big Man, directs with roller-coaster pacing and subversive intelligence.
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RANDOM STUFF IS THE BEST! Now that I've gotten that out of the way, I can continue. I've recently become attached to Penn & Teller and just got this movie which I had been waiting for for the past 2 weeks. I love Penn & Teller! I've seen their Magic and Mystery Tour, I own Bullsh*t! on DVD and any other way of observing them I've accomplished. This movie I couldn't wait to see because I knew it would be funny! And it was! Not only is the whole movie just a bunch of practical jokes, it's plain random! Random is good! When the movie was coming to a close and the punchline to the entire practical joke in the movie set in, I realized it was very much something that would've come from the mind of Andy Kaufman himself! That's was pure genius! If you ever get the chance to see this movie, watch it and you'll find it funny if you like random practical jokes! ALSO there is a bonus! You get to hear Teller speak! Oh yes! It's great, because you'll just think "boy does he sound weird!" but that's only because you've never heard it before- Thanks to the Egypt episode of the Magic and Mystery tour I had already heard it- So even just watch it to hear Teller's voice- It'll be great either way!
Penn and Teller Get Killed isn't what you'd call a triumph of skilled film-making. The primary function of the movie is to allow Penn and Teller to perform their routines and display their trademark style -- a style that has as much to do with their attitudes as it does their 'magic.' If you like them, you'll like the movie; if not, you probably won't.That said, the plot is interesting enough, and the film is not JUST a vehicle. The film itself really does reflect their twisted sensibility, and that may be its strongest point -- it's not just "Penn and Teller do some magic with a plot pasted on." It's really what you'd expect if someone allowed these two to make a movie. (The ending, in particular, is one of the strangest I've ever seen.) The film is perfectly Penn and Teller: it gets inside your head, twists things around, breaks some stuff, and leaves with a smile as you try and figure out what to do with the mess.
I got this movie for my 18th birthday, and it is a very good movie. Penn and Teller should make more movies like this. To bad it didn't make a lot when it was released, now the only way I can see them is watching thier magic shows. The ending of this movie caught me completely by surprise, I just can't describe how much I love it, I think I'll watch it again.
First, I will admit, I don't "get" Penn and Teller's routine.I've seen them several times and while they seem like pretty decent people, and would probably be fun to have a drink with, I don't find their brand of comedy to be all that funny.This movie is a one-joke schtick. What happens when you ask people to kill you on network TV? A perfectly reasonable 20 minute skit could be done with this material. Instead it was turned into a dreadful two hour movie.I saw this when it was in the theater. It was the only time in my life I went to the manager and demanded a refund. (He was nice and gave us free tix for another movie).I have friends who adore Penn and Teller, and if you are one of these people, go see them on video. It's probably worth two bucks on discount rental night. In a theater? At anything close to going movie ticket prices? Never again!