Pen Jilette and Teller are duo of magicians who became famous in late 1970s for their acts that combine illusions with macabre humour. Like many celebrities in 1980s, they tried to enhance their fame by having their own feature film. And, like many of such efforts, Pen & Teller Get Killed, 1989 comedy directed by Arthur Penn, became a failure.
In the film Penn and Teller play fictionalised versions of themselves. The plot begins during the nationally syndicated television show during which Penn express desire that some of the viewers would make an attempt on his life and thus “give him focus”. Penn and Teller at first don’t think much of the consequences of said statement, because both men, as well as Penn girlfriend Carlotta (played by Caitlin Clarke), enjoy spending all their free time playing elaborate practical jokes on themselves. When Penn actually gets targetted by an assassin, he at first believes it to be just another practical joke. The assassin (played by David Patrick Kelly) is actually an obsessed fan who mimics Penn. Or at least this is the conclusion one members of duo would make, unaware that certain elaborate practical jokes might have consequences that aren’t funny.
This was the last theatrical feature in the career of Arthur Penn, director known as one of the most important figures of New Hollywood. Like many members of that movement, he didn’t adapt well to 1980s and his films were either too “artsy” and too quirky for their own good, or simply underwhelming. Script written by Penn and Teller, entertainers known for their iconoclastic views, might have look attractive for famous film makers, but Arthur Penn simply failed to make it properly work. Many of spectacular illusions that work well on stage don’t work that well on screen, and the practical jokes played in the film simply last too long to remain funny or interesting. While Teller, who like Harpo Marx, uses almost exclusively non-verbal communication, appears to be good actor, over-talkative and abrasive Penn is often obnoxious and unlikeable; he lacks any chemistry with Caitlin Clarke who plays his long-suffering girlfriend. Quality of humour varies and even the macabre ending loses much of its emotional impact for being prolonged. Some cinephiles can find some interest in prominent characters actors like Tom Sizemore or Reg E. Cathay in minor roles, but the rest of the audience will probably soon realise why Penn & Teller Get Killed became one of the most obscure films of its time. Pen & Teller, on the other hand, continued their career with significantly bigger success on television.
RATING: 3/10 (+)
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