Ulie *fjidn t ig Free 'Red Corner' screening Check out the latest Richard Gere film, "Red Corner," for free. In the film, Gere stars as Jack Moore, general counsel to a large entertain- ment firm, who travels to China to broker a communications deal and is accused of murder in the process. The screening, sponsored by Cinema Guild, will be in Angell Hall Auditorium A at 9:30 this evening. Get there early because seating is limited. Thursday October 23, 1997 PENN & TELLER TAKE ON A2 Bad-boy magicians bring bullets, spandex, opera to Michigan Theater By Gabe FaJuri Daily Arts Writer Twenty-three years ago, Penn and Teller joined forces to '@ate one of the most successful, thought-provoking and entertaining magic shows on stage. The magic world hasn't been the same since. For those uninformed members of the public, the reason that P&T are at the ton of their nrofes- out to the strip clubs at night, Teller likes to relax to Bach and turn in for the night around 10. Teller said that his "only goal was to lead a good life" when he started out his career as a performer. And what a life! Since their off-Broadway run at the Westside Arts Theatre in the mid-'80s, Penn and Teller have been steadily moving up the ladder of stardom. National tours keep them busy per- I aldt I ldp V1 U l lJPIJV sion is simple: They're different. They'reP unique. Most magicians pull rabbits out of Pe empty hats. Penn and Teller throw them into industrial-sized chipper/shredders. If you've yet to experience the insani- W hat is a Penn and Teller show, either live or on TV, then shame on you. How could you have missed them? If not making appearances on Leno, Letterman, Conan, Regis and Kathie Lee, drowning themselves in a giant cham- pagne glass after hosting Fox's New Years Eve bash or other- wise spreading themselves across the tube, the duo is per- forming live somewhere else. At the very least, you've got to recognize Penn as the pre- dominant voice-over presence on Comedy Central. Who else could make a statement like "And tonight, Kenny dies!" with h character and abandon? Others might remember his cameo as an encyclopedia salesman on NBC's "Friends" two weeks ago, to name one of countless appearances. Admittedly, Teller (he's the short one who doesn't talk on stage) isn't as great a force on the small screen as his partner is, but without him, there would be no Penn (he's the tall one who never seems to be able to shut up). Of the two, Teller was the magician first. A magic set ordered from the Howdy Doody show at an early age had him hooked on the idea of performing magic for the rest of his life. tin a recent telephone interview, enn freely admitted that he "hated "It's a dou magic until I met Teller. He (Teller) had this way of thinking about catch n ,. , magic that was so different from died everyone else's ideas of how magic h v was that I changed my mind." "Teller is probably one of the five tick great magic minds alive today" Penn said. What brought the two together s their great friendship. As usual, nn had something to say on the subject. "The reason we work so well together is that we've been friends for 23 years. Unlike most comedy teams, we get along really well," Penn added. They met in 1974 through a mutual friend. Penn was 19, Teller 25. The rest is history. And despite their agreement on what they do in the public eye, P&T lead completely different lives. Both make their homes in Las Vegas, the entertainment capital of the world. But while Penn listens to the Velvet Underground and heads UEVIEW nn and Teller Tonight at 7:30 Michigan Theater $25 years ago. Now forming hundreds of shows a year and have made them a featured attraction at Bally's Casino/Hotel in Las Vegas. "It's just us and George Carlin at Bally's" said Teller, when asked about their Vegas contract. "We started out working there for two weeks a year, and that was about four we're at Bally's 12 weeks a year," Teller rl. C added. Penn's goals were different. "I was 19 years old at the time. I was hoping I could make a living doing this stuff. I didn't really have a plan for my future; I was just 19.' And make a living at it he has. For anyone who hasn't experienced a live P&T show, or even heard of the dynamic duo for that matter, tomorrow's performance will be a baptism by fire of sorts. Let's put it this way: Material may not be suitable for young viewing audiences. Aside from mutilating bunnies, Penn will be giving a physics lecture during the show "using his head and a five-pound sledge hammer, as described by Teller. Other items in the show Teller mentioned include "an opera that uses rope, a staple gun, audience members, a big piece of spandex and someone from the audience who will become the first disciple in the religion of Teller." The evening's entertainment concludes with a finale that's not soon to be forgotten. "It's a double bullet-catch" said Penn. "You know, 12 peo- ple have died doing this trick." The whole stunt revolves around ale bullet two .357 Magnums loaded by audi- ence members and fired at living p ophuman beings. Historically, when .l magicians have presented the bullet toing $this catch, they have a gun fired at them, escaping death by catching the bullets in their teeth. Sure, - Penn Jillette these guys can catch the bullet in Magician their teeth too, but, as with every- thing Penn and Teller do, there's something different about their ver- sion of the trick. If you hadn't already guessed, the two have put their own twist on the whole thing. Where most tricksters have one gun fired at one person (the performer), P&T use two in the show, one pointed at Penn, shot by Teller, and the other pointed at Teller, fired by Penn. It's not all about revenge, they suggested. After all, you've got to remember that these guys are great friends. P&T are on tour in support of their third book release, "How To Play in Traffic," which hit bookstores across the t E 1 i t 1 l i 1 Penn and Teller bring death, destruction and utter mayhem to the Michigan Theater tonight at 7:30. Don't miss the opportun ty to witness their unique take on magic. country last Wednesday. I'm already interested, aren't you? Hell, it sounds better The book marks the team's third collaborative literary than anything else CBS has regularly programmed. effort, following on the heels of "Cruel Tricks for Dear But don't settle for books or TV. The boys are coming to Friends" and "How to Play With Your Food." "How to Play Ann Arbor tonight. Granted, the ticket price is a little bi-gh in Traffic" can be best described as an interactive book, a but well worth it in my humble opinion. Hey, I've seen them collection of practical jokes, miracles and anecdotes that twice before, and I'm going back for more. will make travel funnier than ever before. When will you again have the opportunity to watch two.' In addition, look out for theirTV special, "Penn and Teller's grown men end the life of an innocent bunny rabbit in a cruel Home Invasion," which will air on CBS Nov. 11th. and unusual manner, witness the juggling of broken bottles,. "Basically, we had a camera crew set up in these peo- hear one of them preach about the ills of organized religion ple's houses for five hours," Penn said about the show. and watch them shoot at each other with .357 magnums? "Then we'd go in there and show the family a card trick or Ask Penn and Teller what all this craziness amounts to and M something and thank them for letting us use their house for they'll both give you the same answer. a day." "We're making a living.' F horroruwtN story's protagonists try to unwrap the *IR41 i mystery surrounding it, other characters 24A T @xT.. rnerP[:1'6 rIT~lY. Saul's 'Presence' disappoints fans ol The Presence John Saul Fawcett Columbine John Saul has certainly made his presence felt within science-fiction cir- cles. His stories about creepy muta- 'ions, horrific spectacles and man's bat- tle against the supernatural have allowed his nov- els to consistently top the nation'sn' best-seller list. But his new riller, "The resence," though above aver- age by any other stan- dards, is a disappointment to anyone who has come to expect the excellence of which Saul is capable. "The Presence" has all the compo- nents that make up a good science-fic- Lion thriller - horror, intrigue, a bizarre but gripping plot and engaging personal stories. But many of these components are so trite and overused by the popular genre that "The Presence" gets sucked into the realm of medioc- rity. Saul's tale of the strange occurrences surrounding people on the Hawaiian island of Maui is a work that the author describes as "speculative fiction." He explores the possibility of the origins of the human species in relationship to theories of extraterrestrial life, while questioning if these ideas can truly be dis- missed as fiction. "The Presence" begins with Katharine Sundquist, a talented arche- ologist, moving to Maui to study the baffling skeletal remains that have been unearthed near the base of a volcano. During her stay, her son Michael and his friends experience strange physical ailments after going on a night dive. Soon Michael's friends begin dying mysteriously, and Katharine's research into the skeleton's origins uncovers a shocking conspiracy that could lead to the deaths of many more people. Saul introduces the possibilities of life on other planets spawning life on Earth through the presence of a myste- rious element that wreaks havoc on a person's respiratory system. But as the are experimenting with it insidiously. "The Presence" carries all of Saul's trademark thrills and chills, complete with three-dimensional characters and a driving plot. The novel even contains profound philosophical and scientific questions. It makes you wonder about unknowns in the universe - about which we don't know. The book's setting is breathtaking, unfolding on the beaches and deep in the rain forests of heavenly Hawaii. 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