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Borat: Cultural Learnings etc. etc.

Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 7:45 pm
by Remo D
Take it from somebody who's out of the loop.

I don't watch enough Comedy Central, I've never seen "Da Ali G Show," and I had no idea who or what "Borat" was. But from the trailers, it looked like there was something potentially pretty darn funny here, and I needed the laughs.

And when more than one critic (not just the nobodies) proclaimed it to be right up there with the funniest films they'd ever seen in their LIVES?

Pretty tall order to fill.

Well, let me tell you... fill it it DOES.

I kid you not. Packed theatre in HYSTERICS, and me doubled up along with anybody else. Pure outrageousness, pure "how the hell did they get away with THAT?" moments, pure in-your-face confrontation, and gross-out moments that threaten to make JACKASS look like a gelding. And while some of it HAD to be staged (you'd never, never, NEVER try to do the Pamela Anderson scene for real unless you were prepared to be locked up for the rest of your natural days), but you've either got a cast of the most naturalistic, convincing extras and actors the world has ever seen, OR they really turned some worlds upside down. And since nobody's ever going to get to interview Sasha Baron Cohen out of his Borat character? Nobody's ever really going to be certain...

Look, I'm not going to take any time out to get "sociopolitical" on you here. And I don't care how much you think the TV spots and trailers gave away. There is NO way to prepare for the way this film attacks you. I was utterly helpless and out of breath--and while I've always loved a good joke, it's not THAT easy to do THAT to me.

Read no more about it and just SEE it. Trust me.

Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:33 pm
by Chris Slack
Hilarious movie, I was crying from a excessive laughter a number of times. I may have to see it again as laughter was drowning out the dialog in a number of parts :)

Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 10:19 am
by horhey
yeah, i had trouble believing the Pam Anderson part, but it was still an awsome movie.

Posted: Tue Nov 07, 2006 3:36 pm
by BILE
I seen it the day it was out in theaters. I thought it was better than Jackass number two. The whole "Naked fight Scene" was both hillarious and disturbing but it was a great movie.

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 12:58 pm
by Adremelech
I'm going to see it tonight. I can't wait.

Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 9:05 pm
by Adremelech
Well, now that I've seen it... I wouldn't call it the funniest movie ever, but I was laughing frequently, and a couple of times laughing so hard it hurt.

The naked fight scene is the most disturbing thing I have ever seen in a movie. Hands down. It is piss-your-pants funny and gouge-your-eyes-out nasty all in one.

Bottom line: Go see it if you haven't already.

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 4:43 am
by Latte Thunder
I'm amazed by Sasha Baron Cohen's ability to be this new man of a thousand faces. I had no idea he was the french driver in Ricky Bobby.

Posted: Thu Nov 09, 2006 7:26 am
by zach
He's very diverse, but the thing that amazes me most is his ability to stay in character on his show, even though he playes 3 different ones (Ali G, Borat, and Bruno)

Tonight show

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 11:08 am
by Jakeuglyface
Did anyone catch Borat on the Tonight Show last night trying seduce Martha Stewart? I was cracking up through the whole episode.

Posted: Fri Nov 10, 2006 8:49 pm
by BILE
"My moustache still tastes like testicles":D

I know there isn't a period in the word.

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 3:57 pm
by dr coathanger
A british j.ew making fun of Kazakhstan AND America while pissing off gypsies?
Fuck I loved this movie. If this movie were a woman, I'd marry it. And if it were a man I'd marry it in Canada. I know it can't be the funniest movie of all time but right now I'm having a hard time thinking of a funnier one. Baron Cohen has certainly set the bar very high and it will be great to see if he can match it or even beat it with the Bruno movie that is in the works.

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 4:11 pm
by dr coathanger
Remo D wrote:And while some of it HAD to be staged (you'd never, never, NEVER try to do the Pamela Anderson scene for real unless you were prepared to be locked up for the rest of your natural days), but you've either got a cast of the most naturalistic, convincing extras and actors the world has ever seen, OR they really turned some worlds upside down. And since nobody's ever going to get to interview Sasha Baron Cohen out of his Borat character? Nobody's ever really going to be certain...
I think it's fairly obvious which parts of the movie are "real" and "staged". Of course Pam was party to the proceedings or there would have been a headline-grabbing arrest at the time of filming. And there are other sequences that would have necessesitated the people involved at least knowing that there is a movie being made. Which I think is fine. It seems like some people out there are confusing this with a Jackass style "reality" film which, thankfully, it isn't. It was directed by Larry Charles (Seinfeld) for Christsakes. I've been a fan of 'Da Ali G show' for years and was looking forward to this movie the second I heard about it but I'm really glad it's not JUST sequence after sequence of uncomfortable interviews. That alone would have been funny enough but I'm very happy they went in the direction they did. Everybody is so busy heaping the 'funniest movie ever' title on it that they're forgetting it might also be the best TV to movie translation ever as well.

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 9:45 pm
by Angelica
Pee your pants funny, alright. I did miss a bunch because people were in hysterics so I will probably have to see it again.

I didn't know he was the french guy either!

So, obviosuly some of it was totally planned, some a little less planned, but has anyone heard the rumors that the frat boys are suing because they look like such assholes? They are claiming that they were "forced" to get all wasted and they were not acting like themselves. Whatever. Sound like Mel Gibson to me. Not to mention, don't they have to give permission to be shown in a movie?

(side note: you DO have to give permission, right? I was just watching Dateline when they arrest all these nasty guys for trying to have sex with 13 year olds... why would anyone be OK with that being on national TV?)

Posted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 10:41 pm
by zach
I think that's a little different though. Most movies like that do have a consent waiver that needs to be signed. I think once you have sex with minors though, you kind of give up that right to say if you want to be on tv or not.

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:15 am
by mickey brown-eye
Holy shit, what a funny movie! I wanted to see it for fear of censorship or being pulled because of law suits, I was very glad I went. A fan of Borat on the Ali G show, this was the ultimate Borat experience. The way he uses the naive broken english character to expose peoples idiocies is genius.
I also really liked how they blended the acting with the real, it flowed really well, and Sacha Coen is a great improv comedian. I hear there is a Bruno movie in the works. I hope it comes off as good as Borat.

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 7:35 am
by Remo D
Yeah, the frat boys are suing... they say they were 'tricked' into appearing in a documentary that would only appear outside the U.S. and that when they signed the release, they were told it was a waiver for damages to their van. Sorry--you'd have to be pretty simple to fall for that, so I tend to doubt their story--they're just regretting what they did after the fact.

As for other segments being staged? I gotta wonder--did they really go to an unsuspecting antiques dealer and deliberately destroy his merchandise? THAT I'd have a bit of trouble defending, funny as it was on screen...

...and can you imagine being in that convention hall when the "fight" broke out??? Now, THERE'S something you don't see every day!

Posted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:12 pm
by LIVE FO RETSINIM
You guys really thought it was THAT funny?? I did laugh a couple of times, but it was very far from "the funniest movie ever made" as the comercials boast. Seriously, if I had to do it over again, I would have just waited till it came out on Netflix. Oh well.

Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 10:38 am
by Lode
LIVE FO RETSINIM wrote:You guys really thought it was THAT funny?? I did laugh a couple of times, but it was very far from "the funniest movie ever made" as the comercials boast. Seriously, if I had to do it over again, I would have just waited till it came out on Netflix. Oh well.
I am kindof of the same opinion. It was funny, some parts were hysterical even, but it is definitely NOT the funniest movie I've ever seen.

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 4:56 pm
by Latte Thunder
Remo D wrote: As for other segments being staged? I gotta wonder--did they really go to an unsuspecting antiques dealer and deliberately destroy his merchandise? THAT I'd have a bit of trouble defending, funny as it was on screen...

...and can you imagine being in that convention hall when the "fight" broke out??? Now, THERE'S something you don't see every day!
I have to wonder how much was staged and what was improvised.

My favorite part, by far, was the faith healing scene. That was absolute fucking genius and downright intense.

Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 8:04 pm
by IRONDICK
Saw it yesterday and all I can say is I had tears multipile times, especially during the fat naked hairy wrestling scene.

Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:24 pm
by MADMAX66
I waited in line for 8 hours the day it opened and it was worth it I couldnt wait for this

Posted: Tue Jan 16, 2007 9:13 pm
by DylanDog
Watched it today and while it had it's moments, I don't recall ever laughing uncontrollably or anything like that. But I gotta give it credit for managing to, I don't know if offend is the right word, but at least SHOCK even me. ("the asshole of a 7 year old". WTF!?)

I certainly wouldn't say it was the funniest movie ever. Probably not even my favorite RECENT comedy (Anchorman has it's number, imo). But I never found myself wishing it was over, like I did when first exposed to some of the skits. I went into this one almost wanting to NOT like it, so it's to it's credit that I did.

Having nothing to do with anything, I also watched "The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer" tonight, an old 1947 Cary Grant comedy, which, while not technically funnier, I actually enjoyed more. It's little things like that that suddenly make me feel WAY older than my 31 years!