Penn Jillette reviews movie scenes featuring magic tricks, providing behind-the-scenes insights and debunking illusions. He critiques scenes from various films, including "The Prestige," "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," and "The Magnificent Seven." Jillette discusses the differences between movie magic and real-life magic performances, pointing out that movie magic often relies on impossible or implausible tricks. He also shares his own experiences with performing under pressure, including a memorable performance on "Saturday Night Live." Throughout the review, Jillette pokes fun at the inaccuracies and exaggerations of movie magic, while also highlighting the artistry and skill involved in creating these illusions.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Penn Jillette reviews movie scenes with magic.
2. The scenes reviewed are from various movies and TV shows.
3. Penn Jillette mentions that movies often misrepresent magic tricks.
4. Houdini had a rule not to do anything more dangerous than sitting in his living room.
5. The water tank escape is often associated with Houdini.
6. Ricky Jay was a magic consultant for one of the movies reviewed.
7. Instant stooging is a technique used in magic where someone on stage is told what to do.
8. Penn Jillette prefers to fool the person on stage as well as the audience.
9. Penn & Teller always fold the person on stage, rather than just the audience.
10. The Magnificent Seven is one of the movies reviewed.
11. Penn Jillette performed on Saturday Night Live in the 80s.
12. Penn Jillette and Teller performed a difficult bit on Saturday Night Live, which they had been rehearsing for six weeks.
13. Penn Jillette believes he performs better under pressure.