A little some thing for 'Ali G' fans....

[DukeCity]

I gotta see this movie.

You are correct! Very funny, and at times, the glimpses of "real" people in America are more than slightly scary.

Edited November 5, 2006 by DukeCity

[Noj]

Saw this today, and was doubled over with laughter for nearly the whole film! It is as much a parody of American culture as it is of Eastern Europeans.

[7/4]

The fact that this cat is "an observant Jew" poking fun at U.S ignorance of Eastern European/Islamic cultures by feeding non-spop anti-Semetic absurdities to people too ignorant to see any of the layers of sublime irony is indeed Kaufmanesque. Perhaps even beyond Kaufmanesque.

I gotta see this movie.

What he said.

[md655321]

Really bummed out that a few parts were staged. but it was still effing hilarious.

Borat is my co-pilot.

[brownie]

'Borat' made a no. 1 debut at the box office.

From an AP story:

'Borat' makes glorious earnings in debut

By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer

Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakh alter-ego Borat made glorious returns at the box office, surprising Hollywood with a No. 1 debut.

"Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan," 20th Century Fox's big-screen incarnation of Cohen's Kazakh journalist from "Da Ali G Show," took in $26.4 million during its opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"This picture was playing to full houses," said Bruce Snyder, head of distribution at 20th Century Fox. "The planets aligned, the moons aligned, the stars aligned, and everything came together perfectly for us on this weekend."

Box-office analysts had expected Disney's "The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause," with Tim Allen returning as St. Nicholas, to win the weekend. It was No. 2 with $20 million, followed by the Paramount-DreamWorks animated comedy "Flushed Away" in third place with $19.1 million.

With great Internet buzz and a built-in following from "Da Ali G Show," "Borat" succeeded where another cyber-sensation, "Snakes on a Plane," failed. "Snakes" opened last summer to modest crowds despite months of Internet hoopla.

The raucous, raunchy "Borat" follows the adventures of British comedian Cohen's TV journalist from Kazakhstan in a blend of fiction and improvised comic encounters as he travels the United States, meets and mocks Americans and reports back to his home country.

"It is what you go to the theater for," said Hutch Parker, the studio's head of production. "You get that infectious, outrageous, interactive experience. There are people yelling at the screen, there are cheers."

"Borat" played in only 837 theaters, fewer than one-fourth the count for "The Santa Clause 3" and "Flushed Away." Averaging a whopping $31,511 a theater, "Borat" easily outdistanced "The Santa Clause 3," which averaged $5,784 in 3,458 cinemas and "Flushed Away," which averaged $5,152 in 3,707 theaters.

Fox plans to expand "Borat" to as many as 2,500 theaters this Friday.

... more ...

[Brad]

I saw this movie yesterday and it's funny in spots but it's mostly sophmoric humor. However, I thought the Midnight Cowboy theme juxtaposed over his stay in was funny.

However, what was not funny at all to me, as a jew, was the running of the jew scene, especially the depiction of the jews with those outlandish features and the pelting of the "baby" jew. I found the laughter in the audience as something they were getting a kick out of because jews were ridiculed and beaten.

It's really not that long since we had pogroms, making jews scapegoats, not to mention the Holacaust, and these scenes were reminescent of that.

[Claude]

Wikipedia had to lock it's article on Kazakhstan, because of vandalism by Borat fans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazakhstan

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,300...3550524,00.html

Edited November 6, 2006 by Claude

[md655321]

However, what was not funny at all to me, as a jew, was the running of the jew scene, especially the depiction of the jews with those outlandish features and the pelting of the "baby" jew. I found the laughter in the audience as something they were getting a kick out of because jews were ridiculed and beaten.

It's really not that long since we had pogroms, making jews scapegoats, not to mention the Holacaust, and these scenes were reminescent of that.

What was funny is the absolute stupidity of the characterizations of the Jews. I laughed because it was so clearly ridiculous. Im sure you already know, but Borat (Sacha Baron-Cohen) is a jew.

[JSngry]

The fact that Baron-Cohen is "an observant Jew" also adds the Kaufman-esque layer of the theoretical possibility that by posing as an Eastern European who would probably be assumed by most "clueless Americans" to be Muslim, that he's really playing a "Jewish propaganda" game to make Muslims in general look backwards, barbaric, & idiotic. So then the ADL's condemnation of the character then takes on a whole 'nother layer of irony!

I have no idea if this cat's as personally off the hook as Kaufman was, but his comedy sure is!

[DukeCity]

I think that Baron-Cohen's brain definitely works in some Kaufman-esque ways. I also think that, like Kaufman, he takes his acting and getting into character pretty seriously. I was checking out a DVD of "Da Ali G. Show", and in the commentary he talks about the fact that they have to plan ahead for each of his characters. He has to grow his hair and moustache out for a few months to properly cop the Borat look. He also talked about the fact that the suit he wears for that character has never been washed/cleaned, so it has some SERIOUS funk going on with it. When I see him invade others' personal space as that character, I often think about the olfactory assault the person is enduring.

Another of my favorite characters of his is Bruno, the flamboyant über-fashionista who infiltrates the fashion world and the whole metro-sexual thing.

As far as the Borat movie and the Jews, I agree that the outrageous, over-the-topness of the depictions is designed to illuminate the idiocy of that kind of bigotry. At the same time, however, I can understand how those scenes could push some uncomfortable buttons for Jews.

[SGUD missile]

Another of my favorite characters of his is Bruno, the flamboyant über-fashionista who infiltrates the fashion world and the whole metro-sexual thing.

I just hope Cohen doesn't tire of doing the Ali G TV show and we can soon look forward to a new season of controlled tasteless insanity

However, for some reason , the Bruno character doesn't ring my chime like Ali and Borat do.

I really would like to know what the political "guests" are told in the pre-interview phase to get them to play along with what they're about to experience.. some ( like Pat Buchanan ) seem to enjoy it, others look like they think they're being had ..

..well ..they are ..

boulyakousch ..and respeck!

[sidewinder]

I think that Baron-Cohen's brain definitely works in some Kaufman-esque ways. I also think that, like Kaufman, he takes his acting and getting into character pretty seriously. I was checking out a DVD of "Da Ali G. Show", and in the commentary he talks about the fact that they have to plan ahead for each of his characters. He has to grow his hair and moustache out for a few months to properly cop the Borat look. He also talked about the fact that the suit he wears for that character has never been washed/cleaned, so it has some SERIOUS funk going on with it. When I see him invade others' personal space as that character, I often think about the olfactory assault the person is enduring.

Another of my favorite characters of his is Bruno, the flamboyant über-fashionista who infiltrates the fashion world and the whole metro-sexual thing.

As far as the Borat movie and the Jews, I agree that the outrageous, over-the-topness of the depictions is designed to illuminate the idiocy of that kind of bigotry. At the same time, however, I can understand how those scenes could push some uncomfortable buttons for Jews.

I've just read that his next major project will be a feature of the 'Bruno' character.

Will check out the Borat movie tomorrow, hopefully.

[sidewinder]

One of the funniest things about 'Ali G' is the area he is supposedly based - Staines - with his 'Massive'. Staines is a characterless outer London suburb area surrounded by reservoirs and sprawl on the flight path into Heathrow.

[Adam]

The several people that I know who saw it over the weekend have all declaimed it painfully funny, with incredible commentary on American society, and a must-see.

[DukeCity]

This clip is quintessential Bruno. The whole thing is great, but I especially like the last couple of minutes when he's interviewing a designer about the fashion show he has just produced. With just a few leading questions, Bruno gets the guy to completely contradict himself time after time.

Bruno's final question: "Do you think consistency is important?"

Designer guy: "No."

That explains it.

[Brad]

However, what was not funny at all to me, as a jew, was the running of the jew scene, especially the depiction of the jews with those outlandish features and the pelting of the "baby" jew. I found the laughter in the audience as something they were getting a kick out of because jews were ridiculed and beaten.

It's really not that long since we had pogroms, making jews scapegoats, not to mention the Holacaust, and these scenes were reminescent of that.

What was funny is the absolute stupidity of the characterizations of the Jews. I laughed because it was so clearly ridiculous. Im sure you already know, but Borat (Sacha Baron-Cohen) is a jew.

Give me a little credit here

[PHILLYQ]

I went to see the movie on Saturday with my 14 year old son, and both of us were in convulsions of laughter throughout the movie. It was the funniest movie I've seen in a long time. The theater we went to was about 90% full, and it's located in an area with a substantial Jewish population. The theater was roaring all the way through the movie, and the parts where Borat makes remarks about Jewish people(running of the jew, etc.) are so absurd you couldn't take it seriously and you have to laugh at the utter ridiculousness of it all. At the end of the movie he returns to Kazhakstan(sp) and he remarks how his village has progressed and they no longer have the running of the Jew, and they show a guy on a cross being jabbed with a pitchfork! There's something to offend almost everyone.

[Epithet]

This clip is quintessential Bruno. The whole thing is great, but I especially like the last couple of minutes when he's interviewing a designer about the fashion show he has just produced. With just a few leading questions, Bruno gets the guy to completely contradict himself time after time.

Bruno's final question: "Do you think consistency is important?"

Designer guy: "No."

That explains it.

Those people make it far too easy.

[Quincy]

Had the afternoon off so went to see Borat. Left after 15 minutes.

The power went off at the theater. Argh! Now I'll never know if he got his chickens back. We were given rainchecks. Guess we'll try again this weekend. At least we can be causually late and miss the 20 minutes of 100 decibel ads & trailers.

[sal]

I saw Borat last night.

First off, I think the film was brilliant. I don't recall ever laughing so hard in a movie theater in my entire life. But what was so strange, is that the film is EXTREMELY disturbing as well. Some of the people he has encounters with are truly frightening. I found myself missing certain parts of the film because I was laughing so hard from a previous segment, and then almost immediately afterwards I'd be so disturbed that I didn't know what to do. Without giving anything away, the parts I found most disturbing involved a group of upper-class Christians around a dinner table, a crowd at a rodeo, an Evangelical church, and a motor home full of college frat boys.

This is one of the most effective pieces of stinging social commentary that has been put to film in quite some time, yet at the same time, if you are not a sensitive, easily offended personality type, its easily one of the funniest movies ever made.

[sidewinder]

I was wondering if the college frat boys had been deliberately faked but maybe not. Put it down I guess to brain addling with that cac brew they were putting back.

Lots of funny things in the film but I thought the story-line (such as it was) was a bit weak. Came across as a bit of a 'budget' production at times too but I guess that is part of the appeal.

I still find the word (insert pauses here) 'not' coming into my head all the time 48 hours later.

[sidewinder]

a crowd at a rodeo

Wonder what caused that horse to fall backwards?

[sidewinder]

And latest news is that the Russians are taking a hard line..

Borat In Russia

[Kalo]

Saw it last Sunday. I haven't laughed so hard at a movie since the first Richard Pryor concert film. I felt a lot guiltier laughing at this one, however. Still, I have to think that Cohen is some sort of comic genius.

[Claude]

And latest news is that the Russians are taking a hard line..

Borat In Russia

Must have been sabotage by those Uzbekistan agents who infiltrated the Russian Ministry of Culture.

Edited November 9, 2006 by Claude