Introducing F FOR FAKE on TCM - Penn & Teller - Mon 5/22

[Tashman]

The latest entry in TCM's "guest programmer" evenings. Might be interesting to hear what Penn & Teller have to say about Welles the magician, or just about the film.

This is at 9:30pm, Monday. The other pictures will be the Marx's AT THE CIRCUS, Tod Browning's FREAKS, and THE SUNSHINE BOYS. Catch the loose theme?

[Tashman]

:)

[Roger Ryan]

Penn & Teller (well, maybe just Penn) had some nice things to say about Welles' "F For Fake" last night on TCM. Penn loved how Welles set up the "Everything you see for the next hour will be true" conceit, noting how Welles refused to outright lie so he created the elaborate disclaimer to cover himself...until the last 18 minutes, of course. Penn also flatly called Welles a "terrible magician". When Robert Osborne suggested that Welles reputation as a magician was rather good, Penn dismissed it by saying that other magicians were in awe of him because he was Orson Welles, not because he was a good prestidigitator. Penn went on to explain that the illusions in "F For Fake" were quite rudimentary and that the sleight-of-hand was accomplished through simple camera placement and editing. He did compliment Welles, however, on his filmmaking prowess.

Personally, I think it's very commendable that Penn & Teller chose "F For Fake" as a film to showcase. Also, while I'm not certain Welles would have appreciated being denigrated as a magician, the idea that he "faked" some of the illusions in the film adds yet another layer to Welles' thesis!

[Harvey Chartrand]

That old faker is skewered good and proper by David Thomson in "Let Me Show You the Glittering Career You Threw Away, Orson" at http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/film/features/article549633.ece

A neat double bill would be F FOR FAKE and THE FAKERS (aka HELL'S BLOODY DEVILS) directed by Al Adamson, who also couldn't leave the footage alone, constantly re-editing his pictures and rereleasing them under different titles.