Penn & Teller Get Killed
Penn & Teller Get Killed
R | 22 September 1989 (USA)
Penn & Teller Get Killed Trailers

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.

Reviews
Alicia I love this movie so much
Tetrady not as good as all the hype
Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
ericzillazillo Penn and Teller is a fictional film about how inviting killers to your head on national TV can lead to potential problems, even if you are Penn and Teller.This film embodies almost everything that is Penn and Teller, because that is what a Penn and Teller film should represent: Penn and Teller. Let's get the bad out of the way first: The acting in the film is decent and comical, but not superb - especially the actors that play the side roles. Of course considering Penn and Teller are magicians whose job is to act in a way that conceals their tricks, their acting is not bad, although it feels like something is missing, especially in the more "emotional" parts of the film.Also, there's a slight issue with the writing. The film is sort of a mix between comedy and thriller, but the twists are generally somewhat predictable, and a lot of the humor does not cause explosive laughter. Again, the writing is just a wee bit weak, but in my opinion not the main point of the film.What the point of the film is though is lots of Penn and Teller: The viewer gets to see plenty of magic tricks and how they are done, Penn and Teller make commentary on various forms of superstition, and deliver what is in my opinion the silliest, somewhat apologetic yet quite possibly best ending a film could ever have.Overall, I would recommend Penn and Teller Get Killed, even if I were on national TV.
antialiasis I enjoyed Penn & Teller Get Killed. In fact, I loved it. However, I am also very aware that it takes a certain type of person to be able to appreciate it.The rather disjointed feel of much of it may turn you off. The scenes that don't seem to serve much of a purpose may turn you off. The anticlimax may turn you off. The dragged-out ending, or the weird pacing in general, may turn you off. The bizarre mix of seriousness and silliness may turn you off. The slightly hard-to-follow plot may turn you off. And if you're not a fan of black comedy, suffice it to say this movie is very unlikely to change your mind.But if you do love black comedy, if you enjoy a movie that delights in mixing hilarity with actual horror (as opposed to one where events that would be horrifying are made not so with humour), if you don't think those quirks I mentioned above will ruin your ability to enjoy it, then you should definitely give it a chance. You may just love it as much as I did.
Elwood_Cooper 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!
paulcannon This movie was hilarious. The jokes were fast and strong, with several more subtle gags throughout the film. Many scenes had me laughing so hard I couldn't hear the movie.Unfortunately, the film is based on a very loose plot. It seems to be a movie for the sake of comedy; substance without point or meaning. While practical jokes are all fun and good, I don't see how they managed to base the entire movie on that shaky premise. Penn & Teller are not known for their storytelling, of course, so I suppose this issue can be forgiven.Also, I felt really weird with Teller started talking at the end of the film. It's a brilliant ending, but they having Teller actually speak was a little much.