"PENN & TELLER BULLSHIT!: THE COMPLETE SIXTH SEASON"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: * (out of 5 stars) STARRING Penn Jillette as HIMSELF Teller as HIMSELF Not Rated Studio: Showtime Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Magicians and social commentators Penn Jillette and his silent partner Teller launch a sixth season of their Showtime original series, “Bullshit!” Each episodes treats the audience to a new topic that gets debunked by Penn and Teller in their unique and creative way. The kooks are on parade in the sixth season, with some of the topics including dolphins, new age medicine, being green, world peace and sensitivity training.
WHAT I LIKED
I love fringe topics, but I am the first to admit that many people considered experts in these fields are unflinchingly idiotic. Sure, I think we’re not the only life in the universe, but the UFO fringe nutballs are complete head cases. And while Penn & Teller don’t take aim at the UFOlogists (a topic dealt with in a much earlier season), they skewer the like in their very funny series.
What’s nice about Penn & Teller in how they compose “Bullshit!” is that they don’t stoop to the always popular stance. Case in point, their attack on the green movement. While Hollywood is selling its soul to support carbon credits and green guilt, Penn & Teller tell it like it is and uncover the hypocrisy and ludicrousness of the movement. Similar things can be say about the b.s. nature of sensitivity training and anyone praying for world peace.
There are no sacred cows when it comes to Penn & Teller’s targets. They’ll defend pornography and even stick it to the NASA machine, stances that are not popular but are definitely correct.
During the show, we get Penn’s biting (and often completely vulgar) commentary on their content. Some shows hit home harder than others, with the lesser topics being sleep disorders, stranger danger and the good ol’ days. However, these half-hour hoax busters provide a nice segment of fun and education for the at-home viewer.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
As much fun as it is to watch dolphin divers attempt to sing like the marine mammals and declare that dolphins have all forms of clairvoyance, I will admit that these folks are pretty easy targets. A lot of this footage is obtained using somewhat subversive techniques (i.e., not disclosing what the real purpose of filming is about), which is normally reserved for folks like Michael Moore. Sure, it comes off as funny, but it is a bit unfair at times.
Also, to help bolster the humor of the show, the targeted subjects are often found on the extreme fringe. Very few middle-of-the-road commentators or reasonable people can be found in the interview docket. So, if you’re looking for a deep contemplation of an issue, you won’t find it here.
Finally, I know this is a Showtime production, but the blinding string of profanity from Penn Jillette gets a little old and tedious, even for a crass motherfucker like myself.
DVD FEATURES
Fans of Penn & Teller, skeptics and anyone who likes to watch people get ridiculed... often for good reason.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
October Roadies.
