Dead Again

I recently saw Penn & Teller Get Killed in a movie theatre for the first time since it was originally released.  The film has a cult, but it flopped originally. It pretty much had to.  No one knew the stars and no one want to see a movie about two weird guys messing with each other.

It's directed by Arthur Penn, who'd done The Miracle Worker, Bonnie And Clyde and Alice's Restaurant.  Admittedly, he wasn't quite so big a name in the late 80s when they made the film.  Still, he must have seen something in the script--which happened to be by Penn and Teller.  (I've seen Teller in person talk about how much he learned from Arthur Penn.)

In case you haven't seen the movie (and you probably haven't) I don't want to give away too much. Penn and Teller essentially play a version of themselves.  They appear on a talk show and Penn says he wishes someone were trying to kill him, so he'd feel more alive.  From that point on, there are attempts on his life, though it's not clear if they're serious or not.  It all leads to a big confrontation.

I think they were commenting on both violence and the celebrity culture, but doing it in their odd way.  I wouldn't call the film a classic, but I can't say there's anything like it.  It's certainly never boring.  And Teller--who, as in their act, almost never speaks--has an intriguing presence.  I wish it had been a hit, because I'd like to know how they'd follow it up.