Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Borat

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Posted by Justin Gorka (Member # 3727) on 11-04-2006, 07:19 PM:

He, he. Not going to say any more in case I get banned! US of A, he, he!

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 11-04-2006, 08:32 PM:

[Confused]

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-04-2006, 08:38 PM:

Actually, Borat calls this country "U. S. and A."

He was hilarious on Letterman the other night. I bet we don't play this, but I'd like to see it.

Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 11-04-2006, 09:20 PM:

With a $9 million Friday at 800 location you might end up playing it.

Couple of friends of mine saw the 'Black Carpet' screening in Minneapolis a few weeks ago, couldn't stop talking about it.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-04-2006, 10:05 PM:

Today 11/04/2006, Cinemark 17 in Springfield, House #16, SR-D. Sold-out show in their largest house and the only screen in the area showing this. The image was bouncing up and down way too much. Sounded great.

Funniest movie of all time? Hardly. But very very funny. Not a minute longer than it needs to be. Unfortunately, it seemed like the first 15 minutes or so had all been shown in previews and other clips, so didn't have the impact it might have if it were fresh. The wrestling scene is hysterical though. Heh. [puke]

Can't help wondering how much of the movie was staged vs. improv.

I'll give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. [beer]

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 11-04-2006, 10:05 PM:

He was [sleep]

on SNL last week. Hopefully the movie is better and not the same old "I like sex" schtick.

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 11-05-2006, 10:26 AM:

HBO is running a marathon of both seasons beginning Monday. With the per screen average Borat is doing, I can only hope they expand it quickly. People that enjoyed Friends need not view.

Mike - Is it possible that SNL has become less funny than a Bazooka Joe comic and nobody can do a good show on it anymore? I did not see the episode you refer to, but it seems like it has been years since someone has started a conversation with, "Man, did you watch SNL last night?"

Posted by Tom Hayes (Member # 3932) on 11-05-2006, 11:17 AM:

>Mike - Is it possible that SNL has become less funny than a Bazooka Joe comic and nobody can do a good show on it anymore?

I saw that performance also and agree it was not his best work. The problem with Borat is that STAGED performances from him are not nearly as funny as when he interacts with people who are not in on the joke.

I saw Borat in San Diego at 11:30am on Friday and the house was 75% filled. I don't think I've seen a matinee that full in a long, long time.

As for SNL not being funny, well I doubt almost anyone could change that.

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 11-05-2006, 11:27 AM:

Ahh ok cool, I'll check out the film for sure then. Yeah SNL has been seriously unfunny the past 2 seasons. I dont even watch it past the first few sketches anymore

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 11-05-2006, 03:56 PM:

Borat's at a $31,000 per screen average! Holy crap. That's a serious hit.

I'll bet Mr. Murdoch will be having whoever made the revised decision at Fox to go limited week one in for a nice cup of tea and a kick up the ass.

Can't wait to see it.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-05-2006, 08:29 PM:

It's too early to knock Fox's release strategy. Next weekend's numbers may be through the roof if word of mouth holds up (which it probably will). I know people who have already seen it multiple times. I will probably go again myself.

See Borat with an enthusiastic crowd if you can.

This thread is a duplicate. ?

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 11-09-2006, 10:43 PM:

U.A, Midway Theatre,Forest Hills, NYC, Screen #9, 8PM 11/09/06
Arrived 7:30 to find auditorium lights blinding bright and filmed adverts projecting off-center, about 18" onto right masking. Went downstairs and asked employee to have it corrected. He agreed, but it remained the same for another half hour, followed at 8 PM by 15 minutes of trailers with same defect. Trailers all with ear-splitting explosions with maddening extremes of pitch. Thankfully, feature was correctly framed, clean, sharp and bright.

"Borat" was a fun satirical romp despite some scatalogical humor.
Borat's village, my wife noted, was filmed in a Romanian Gypsey village, and she heard some characters cursing in Romanian.
I found the (Pentacostal?)church scenes hillarious, but wondered how they might be received by some audiences.

Today's news reported that the Russian authorities have forbidden
the film entry to Russia, fearing it might offend ethnic and religious viewers. But I found Cohen's treatment of bigotry and intolerance to be a healthy form of satirical humor.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-10-2006, 05:19 AM:

This movie wasn't nearly as bad as the trailers make it out to be. I will put out a serious warning...eat lots of Mexican food before the show. LOTS! Lots and lots of beans or whatever it is that makes you go poop so you will have to go to the restroom in reel 4...so you can avoid the extremely long and incredibly nasty naked wrestling scene. [puke]

Other than those terribly disturbing images, 3 out of 5.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 11-10-2006, 05:22 AM:

quote: Brad Miller
so you can avoid the extremely long and incredibly nasty naked wrestling scene

I hadn't planned to watch that movie, but that makes me really curious now!

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 11-10-2006, 09:11 AM:

Fantastically awkward comedy + blatant chauvinism to catch Americans off guard + extended nude chase scene + marraige proposal to Pa-mela Anderson + Chicken = Like much [Big Grin]

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 11-10-2006, 10:26 AM:

It's not so much that the wrestling was [puke]

, it's the fact that it was 20 feet tall in front of me on the screen! I think the hairy scrotum wouldn't of had made me turn away in horror if I watched it on, oh, a 20 inch TV. Well...yeah, it probably would.

Great movie though! I screened it by myself, and I must say it would probably have been funnier if I was with a crowd.

[ 11-10-2006, 02:47 PM: Message edited by: Allison Parsons ]

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 11-10-2006, 09:03 PM:

I've caught most of this movie at this point. I just don't get it. Yes, I can see where the funny parts are. Yes, I smirk here and there by the sheer unexpectedness. And the audience roaring with laughter and stomping their feet happens at what seems like the right bits ...

But I just don't GET it. Nothing really makes me laugh. Nothing really makes me understand why this is as popular as it is. I'm not that old, am I? [Shrug]

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-10-2006, 09:29 PM:

I felt exactly the same way at Greek Wedding. Everyone was rolling in the aisles with laughter. But I just didn't get it.

"Humor. It is a difficult concept."

Posted by Allison Parsons (Member # 2728) on 11-11-2006, 12:51 AM:

I think Borat is like Monty Python. You either get it, or you don't.

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 11-11-2006, 03:08 AM:

What's not to get about Python!? That's brilliant F'ing comic genius, that is! [Big Grin]

Posted by Alan Dallas (Member # 2537) on 11-11-2006, 06:24 AM:

I didn't screen our copy, but I did try to sit through it at a regular show time. Sorry not my cup of comedic tea. In my opinion it was complete and utter crap. [bs]

Just a big ole steaming pile.

About the nude wrestling scene however. 2nd night we were playing it I was cruising past projector 10 were Borat was playing on the way to #12 and I literally HEARD the audiance over all the running projectors and other booth noise through the port glass and wall give out a collective "OH NOOOO!" and I heard a couple females scream all at the same time. Which made me glance out the port glass as I was walking by. Of course when I saw a big hairy ass and "bean bag" on screen I knew exactly what the ruckus was about.

"I don't love you anymore Paa-Mela!... NOT!"

Posted by Edwin Sheldon (Member # 4001) on 11-11-2006, 11:14 AM:

quote: Brian Michael Weidemann
But I just don't GET it. Nothing really makes me laugh. Nothing really makes me understand why this is as popular as it is. I'm not that old, am I?

I didn't get Borat's humor at first when I saw Da Ali G Show. It was when I learned that the actor is Jewish that it all made sense. If you want sheer hilarity, find a YouTube clip of him singing his song, "In my Country There is a Problem". Seeing real Americans clap and sing along to such horribly offensive material had me both laughing my posterior off and lamenting the attitudes of many Americans.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 11-11-2006, 12:23 PM:

I think that Borat song is called Throw the Jew Down the Well. It is pretty funny (in an ironically sad way) to see those folks clapping along. One guy even raises a toast. Many are bigots able to let those feelings come out of their cave. Others don't have the guts raise their voices against it. That's probably even more sad. Many are willing to go along with all sorts of insanity just out of the need to avoid any confrontations. And that's part of what makes Sasha Baron Cohen's Borat act so funny.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 11-11-2006, 12:42 PM:

Sydicated radio talk show host Michael Savage (a Jew) once said that for as many anti-Jewish comments he has heard in his life, he knows just as many Jews who have made anti-Christian comments. The knife cuts both ways.

As for Borat . . . a stupid film at best. Many co-workers who travelled to see it before we received our print told me I'd love it. Chuckled quietly maybe four times when I saw it.

Sacha Cohen is not the first person to use this type of comedy to illustrate human nature. He was far more funny in Talledega Nights.

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 11-11-2006, 09:04 PM:

No, I'm fully aware of the direction the bigotry takes, and what's being made fun of, and who's the butt of the "jokes". I can see the humor, I just don't find myself laughing at it, or finding the appeal of constant doses of it. I could compare it to knock-knock jokes; you might smirk or groan, but you don't really LAUGH laugh. I'm not going to lessen the sophistication of the Borat character or Sasha Baron Cohen's comic sensibilities by reducing them to knock-knock jokes. I'm sure he's a great comic talent. I haven't seen Da Ali G Show, but I wouldn't think it would be necessary in order to find the Borat movie as hilarious as these sold-out auditoriums of people obviously do. I don't think I'm "missing" something about the comedy, so much as just not finding it funny. I'm missing what makes this so popular, though.

Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 11-12-2006, 05:57 PM:

This crap is supposed to be funny????

Kutler

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 11-12-2006, 07:41 PM:

Cohen's humor is funny, but it cuts deep.
For example, Borat, when asked why he hates Jews, replies,
"They killed the dinosaurs."

This is not only absurd, but evokes many other absurd lies perpetuated through history:
<The Jews killed Jesus.> (Repudiated by the Pope.)
<The Jews plan to control the world.> (Even such illustrious Americans as Henry Ford and Charles Lindburg disseminated copies of the 1880's Czarist libel "Protacols of the Elders of Zion"
<The blood libel.> (Resulting in pogroms at Eastertime.)
<Jews poisen wells.> (Actually being done in Darfur, not by Jews)
<Jews control the world's economies through the World Bank.>

So the humor here hits at a bitter truth--that antisemitism exists in many forms, and no accusation is too absurd to be
believed by the ignorant and the gullible.

Or take the line from Borat's folk-song,
"Throw the Jew down the well,
Take him by the horns..."

Michaelangelo sculpted Moses with horns owing to a mistranslation of the Hebrew word for "rays", or "beams of light", and Mel Gibson in his Passion film had the Jewish children outfitted with horns in a dream sequence, as was done in the Passion plays at Oberamargau.

In Texas a fellow soldier told me he never met a Jew (though there were many in our company and barracks), but he would know them by their horns. Asked why the horns were'nt visible, he answered,
"Because they always wear hats."

I think these examples--and I could cite many more from Borat, Ali-G and Borus--show that Cohen's method of satire uses absurdity grounded in reality to explode many forms of prejudice.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 11-12-2006, 07:47 PM:

yeah, but its funny though. actually, hilarious.

Posted by Will Kutler (Member # 770) on 11-13-2006, 01:31 AM:

Hey Jeremy

You are a hypocrite! If Borate was about Hispanics or African Americans you'd be yelling bloody murder!

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 11-13-2006, 01:48 AM:

Will - the guy who plays Borat is himself Jewish. He isn't making fun of Jews, but of stereotypes and prejudices against Jews, among other groups of people, about other cultures and lifestyles in general.
That can't be that difficult to understand, can it?

I am personally not quite sure if that really works. I have no idea what is going on in Kazakhstan, but now a lot of people think people there are "like that". Well, maybe not quite "like that", because the characters are obviously over the top, but somehow "like that".

It does seem pretty safe to say that in some areas of the world, especially in those areas where religious groups still have a firm grip on people - and as we all know, that is not just defined to the Near East or Central Asia -, a lot of people still seem to have a lot of prejudices against people outside their own culture, but whether or not that is particularly strong in Kazakhstan, I really have no idea.
I wish he had made his character come from some invented country, like, say, "Benistan" or "Khungistan" or something like that.

As it is, I found the movie moderately funny. Not too bad, but not really great either. Some good gags, some good lines - "do you have a telephone in this village?" - some nasty stuff - yes, the naked wrestling scene was pretty grotesque. Overall, a few mild laughs throughout the movie for me.

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-13-2006, 02:33 AM:

quote:
Hey Jeremy

You are a hypocrite! If Borate was about Hispanics or African Americans you'd be yelling bloody murder!

I think he woud have to yell bloody murder about it being hispanics or "african american" to be considered a hypocrite. I don't know if your insinuation qualifies him.

I listen to black comedians make fun of whites all the time and it does not bother me one bit. I have a sense of humor and self esteem based on who I am, not my race, which seems to be the norm among minorities.

As for the Jews, well I don't know any 'ethnic' Jews, but I have to ask one question. If a certain group of people have been hated by pretty much all other races for 6,000 years, could it be because there is a reason? Again, I am just asking the question and am not trying to project my personal views.

Posted by Gerard S. Cohen (Member # 994) on 11-13-2006, 10:23 AM:

quote: Chris Hipp
As for the Jews, well I don't know any 'ethnic' Jews, but I have to ask one question. If a certain group of people have been hated by pretty much all other races for 6,000 years, could it be because there is a reason? Again, I am just asking the question and am not trying to project my personal views.

Chris:
In the novel and film "Ship of Fools", a Jewish dwarf has the misfortune to be cabined with an a arrogant pro-Nazi traveler, who proclaims,
"The only thing wrong with with Germany is the Jews!"
To which the Jewish character responds,
"And the bicyle riders."
"Why the bicycle riders?"
"Why the Jews?"

As a teenager, I read a short book by the Anti-Defamation League entitled "The Roots of Prejudice" which explained the economic, social, historical and psychological origins of prejudice. Most of these roots help explain all forms of racial, religious, ethnic,political, cultural, gender, etc. forms of prejudice leading to hatred, discrimination, exploitation and genocide.

But some of the roots of prejudice relate more specifically to the Jewish people. Since Jewish scriptures posit an agreement (covenant) with the deity to accept limitations on mankind's animal impulses and behavior, codified in the Commandments and its many regulations, this heavy burden set a higher standard
of behavior on Jews. In sum, the principle "Don't do to others
what you don't want others to do to you." Or in its modern Goldern Rule phrasing, "Do unto Others.."

The "People of the Covenant" or "Chosen People" concept meant that Israel must live so as to become a "Light Unto the Nations" through setting an example of moral and ethical behavior.

These hard-to-live-upto restrictions were incorporated into the religions that grew from the paternal religion, such as Christianity and Islam. The concept of a people chosen to exemplify a higher morality by their living example was misconstrued as a "holier than thou" boasting of superiority.

Resentment against these commandments, led unconsciously to the need for a scapegoat, to vent that resistance with impunity. Thus antagonism towards the restrictive father religion rather than the current religion became embedded in some nations.

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 11-13-2006, 02:58 PM:

quote: Chris Hipp
If a certain group of people have been hated by pretty much all other races for 6,000 years, could it be because there is a reason?

You mean like black people, Sunni or Shi'a, gaijin in Japan, gays and lesbians, all immigrants everywhere, students in a college town, poor people, children in general or the new guys in town? All these people are/have been hated at one time or another and some for a long time. It's not the people who are hated I would question, it's the haters. Or are victims to be blamed?

Seems to me Borat uses prejudice to "out" prejudice, just like critical reviews can. I think we who are prejudiced have much more to answer for than Borat does. Sacha Baron Cohen comes from a long tradition of artists pointing out that the Emperor indeed has no clothes on. (Now if only he would have left his on! Uuck!)

So if it were to be nominated for an AA, would it be in the Documentary category?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 11-13-2006, 05:58 PM:

Black comedians have long had the luxury of using the "N" word in bits about racism. If you're a member of a certain ethnic group you have more freedom in joking about it. Sacha Baron Cohen is using a similar advantage in relation to his Jewish heritage. However, he's confronting Antisemitism and broad prejudice in a more fearless way. I don't think any WASP white comedian could get away with doing the same act. The success of the act is showing how stupid prejudice can really be.

I heard today some of the people featured in Borat have filed suit against the actor. They're angry over the unflattering portrayals. But then it's just like that cowboy raising a toast to the chorus of Throw the Jew Down the Well: nobody told the guy to act like a bigot. He did that himself.

Cohen's Da Ali G Show would also challenge many conventions of social conformity, but with more hit and miss results that seemed all over the place.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 11-13-2006, 06:01 PM:

I don't see Borat "outing" any prejudices. The people he meets in the movie are generally nice to him, just a little puzzled by his strange behavior and sometimes upset when he does really weird things. But they all generally approach him with patience and at least the intention of understanding him.

How documentary is the film really? Are any of the scenes "real"? Or are they all staged?

When I think about it a little, I find it strange that so many people find it funny and somehow smart "how he uses prejudice to out prejudice". But in fact, the whole movie doesn't really "out" anything or make any statements. All it does is making crude fun of people from a certain region in the world that we don't know much or really anything about.

In fact, I think the movie is not at all what it's posing to be, but what it pretends to be "outing".

Gerard - that's a very nice theory, but it's pretty much nonsense, I am afraid I have to say. The reasons for such prejudices are fairly complex, but at the same time, they are also simple: whatever the precise reasons for prejudices against certain groups of people may be in given historical situations, whatever "reasons" are given for the persecution of that group, what is behind it is basically just tribal thinking.
That has nothing to do with specific resentment against Jews because these have "set a higher moral standard". I know you don't mean it that way, but if you think about it, that self-congratulatory statement in itself is pretty racist and superiorist. The Torah or Old Testament is full of bloodshed and celebration of violence against other ethnic and religious groups up to and including complete genocide. There is nothing morally superior in there.
The reasons why Jews have been persecuted for a long time are complex and difficult to understand, but it's not that, that's for sure. Many, many, ethnic and/or religious groups have been persecuted by other groups, including Jews, when they had the opportunity. It's a very general problem between groups of people. It seems though as if anti-semitic persecution always gets the most press. People go on and on about the holocaust in which the incredible number of somewhere between 4-6 million people got killed. But it is hardly ever mentioned that, for instance, there were about as many non-Jewish civilian casualties in Poland or that the Soviet Union lost more than *20 million people* in the war, both civilian and military.
There is now a huge holocaust memorial in Berlin, and I was among those who were against it being specifically for that - it should have been for *all* victims of WWII of which there were far more than the holocaust victims. The total number of people killed in the war in Europe was somewhere between 40-50 million people.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 11-13-2006, 06:28 PM:

I wouldn't call Borat a documentary. In some respects, it seems to fit into a genre more similar to Jackass. Some movie critics have been using the term "survival horror" to describe the seemingly extreme horror movies being released in recent years. Maybe shows like Borat could be called "survival comedy."

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 11-13-2006, 07:14 PM:

I don't think anyone has written why Borat is so anti-Jew. Cohen throws himself into his characters. Borat is from Kazakhstan, and even Cohen's pronunciation of Pamela is accurrate according to my friend from Moldova. The scenes of Borat's hometown were filmed in Romania and the language being spoken by the locals was Romanian. Kazakhstan is predominately Muslim and the Muslims there do not like Jews. I doubt he was really trying to make any kind of statement other than that is the character he invented and that is what Borat would say and do.

I did feel old, however, when NOBODY in the audience got the Oliver Hardy joke. In a nut shell, this was the funniest movie since Team America. The frat boys are trying to sue and Pamela Anderson answered an old question, although the sack was neither paper nor wet.

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 11-13-2006, 07:19 PM:

I think its being overanalyzed just a bit. This show isnt a documentary, it is a comedy. I don't find what he does particulary funny. He talks to people who think he's legit, but as it turns out, he's just out to make them look like fools. Some bits made me smile, but I don't think I'd be interested in seeing anymore of him. How can I dislike this movie but like a movie like jackass? I guess I find it funny when idiots do stupid things to themselves, but when people try to make other people look stupid all in the name of a laugh, I find it disrespectful and not very funny at all.

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 11-14-2006, 01:39 PM:

So leaving a steamy pile of shit in a toilet on the sales floor isn't disrespectful? Punking a doctor into an x-ray of a car you've shoved up your ass is funnier? Dressing like an old man and tricking civilians into thinking your grandson is drinking and smoking is different how?

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-14-2006, 02:36 PM:

It is different because Borat is not American.

And yes, to a lage extent I do believe that the "victims" are to be blamed.

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 11-14-2006, 04:35 PM:

What did Pa-mela ever do to deserve becoming a "victim"? [Big Grin]

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-14-2006, 06:15 PM:

Oh, I was answering Jim's question above. I still have not seen the movie, but I do like Borat on Ali G.

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 11-15-2006, 05:15 PM:

quote: Brian Michael Weidemann
What did Pa-mela ever do to deserve becoming a "victim"?

If you did not read or understand my previous post, Pamela Anderson was indeed in on the gag.

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 11-15-2006, 07:46 PM:

quote: Chad Souder
So leaving a steamy pile of shit in a toilet on the sales floor isn't disrespectful? Punking a doctor into an x-ray of a car you've shoved up your ass is funnier? Dressing like an old man and tricking civilians into thinking your grandson is drinking and smoking is different how?

Well, perhaps you should read my post again...THOSE stunts were not what I was talking about. I was relating more to the stunts where they actually hurt themselves and play tricks on each other, THAT is funny. Some of the Jackass material is indeed disrespectful, but ALL of Borat's material is. Personal opinion.

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 11-15-2006, 10:02 PM:

quote: Frank Dubrois
Some of the Jackass material is indeed disrespectful, but ALL of Borat's material is.

Don't you think you are generalizing a bit? There is a seemingly long, powerful scene Brad referenced back on page 1 that was obviously scripted and involved only another actor. Some of the people Borat interacts with throughout the movie were crew, so not everyone was a "victim". Add to that the Pamela Anderson scene. Are scripted scenes involving other actors disrespectful? Did you actually watch the movie, Frank?

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 11-16-2006, 01:13 AM:

Well Chad, if it was SCRIPTED, then it really wasn't a prank, therefore not disrepectful to anyone as both parties knew what was happening. Think what you like. I have my opinion which is obviously different from yours. Glad you liked the movie, it simply wasn't for me.

Posted by Jeremy Fuentes (Member # 2135) on 11-16-2006, 11:04 PM:

quote:
Hey Jeremy

You are a hypocrite! If Borate was about Hispanics or African Americans you'd be yelling bloody murder!

No I wouldnt. You only know me from my words here. You really have no idea how I feel about things in real life. Like Chris said, he has no problem with black comedians making white jokes. Just like I have no problem with any comedian making hispanic jokes. If its funny, then its funny. You can sit here and make fun of me directly all day if you want. If its funny, I'll laugh. I wont be a little baby about it, or scream "bloody murder".

Posted by Phil Hill (Member # 371) on 11-18-2006, 06:55 PM:

quote: Jeremy Fuentes
You only know me from my words here.

But Jeremy, with a few exceptions, most ALL of us here are ONLY known by the words we post. Opinions, right or wrong, are formed about that person based on what they publicly post.

OnT: I haven't seen "Borat" yet, but will. I STILL like "Jackass II" the best so far! [Wink]

Posted by Dennis Benjamin (Member # 1137) on 11-18-2006, 10:20 PM:

IT'S JUST A FRIGGIN MOVIE!!!

[ 11-18-2006, 10:52 PM: Message edited by: Adam Martin ]

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 11-18-2006, 10:54 PM:

Complaints should be emailed to a moderator and not posted on the board.

Anyway ... let's get this thread back on topic. Any further posts not dealing with a review of the movie will be moderated. Don't make me go back and actually read and edit this whole thread like I had to do with Flags of our Fathers.

Posted by Jason Winn (Member # 3568) on 11-20-2006, 09:51 AM:

This has to be one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long-ass time! I laughed so freakin' hard! Great movie! [thumbsup]

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 11-24-2006, 05:10 AM:

Cinema: Cinekarree, Aachen, Germany.
Session: 8pm Thursday 23rd November 2006
Cinema: #4

I was really looking forward to this one. I have to say that although pieces made me laugh until I cried...it was always the 'interviews' he was doing with real people and not once at anything that had to do with the stupid Pamela Anderson quest. I found that whole scripted side of the film very boring. It didn't help that I couldn't warm to his 'Producer' friend at all (and that didn't improve when he got naked I must say) [puke]

The scene in the RV was so God-awfully acted and scripted I just wanted it to end.

On the whole, I would give it 2 out of 4. It did make me laugh but I'm really glad it didn't go on any longer. If you like the Borat character, go to You Tube and see him a whole lot funnier doing what he does best.

Notes on the screening...

This was a screening in English which apparently is pretty darn rare for Aachen. The film, although in English with German sub-titles...didn't actually allow for someone watching it who only understood English as the Kazakstan language was not translated with English subtitles...only German which pissed me off.

The cinema was pretty much like any complex. There's about 8 cinemas in this one and the cinema I was in had curtains which was nice to see. They closed the curtains at the end of the ads and trailers...the usher comes in and asks if anyone wants to buy ice-creams from his tray...(no-one did as beer and Ice-Cream don't go too well...yes, you can bring your beer into the cinema) then when no-one was buying, he opened up a cupboard near the door and started the show again himself. He must have a few controls in there as it had swung to scope which he fixed very fast but the masking hadn't come back to flat so he fixed that too and even touched up the focus if I'm not mistaken.

Lots of ads...one nice thing was a Marlboro commercial...we haven't had cigarette ads in cinemas in Australia for 20 years and got a nice surprise to hear the 'Magnificent Seven' theme.

Good focus...Dolby Digital...lights stayed down until after the Kazak National Anthem had ended at the end.

[ 01-15-2007, 11:07 AM: Message edited by: John Wilson ]

Posted by Ian Woloschin (Member # 3709) on 11-24-2006, 10:00 AM:

Saw the movie last night at the Lowes (AMC?) theater in Stony Brook, NY, theater #7.

As soon as film started rolling I noticed it was falling off the screen to the right for a good foot or two, I pointed it out to my friends but they didn't seem to care. The trailers were very beat up and I thought something would break every minute, but the movie seemed in better condition. I don't think I've ever seen a good presentation at this theater though (but it's where my friends go, so it's where I go).

Overall, the movie can be summed up in one (paraphrased) sentence that my liberal feminist friend said, something to the effect of, "I don't have a problem with Borat, he's funny, it's the rest of America that I hate."

I am curious to know how much was staged and how much was improv.

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-24-2006, 08:23 PM:

Borat is not American, nor is the actor who plays Borat. So, can you please tell me what that statement is supposed to mean? Sounds like someone needs a geography lesson.

Posted by Richard Greco (Member # 2032) on 11-25-2006, 10:06 AM:

I found this to be hysterical. Excellent movie. Yes?

Posted by Chad Souder (Member # 343) on 11-26-2006, 10:08 AM:

quote: Chris Hipp
Borat is not American, nor is the actor who plays Borat. So, can you please tell me what that statement is supposed to mean? Sounds like someone needs a geography lesson.

The bulk of this movie takes place in America. Borat gets Americans to make themselves look like idiots. The word "America" is in the title of the film. I think it is safe to say this movie is about Americans and how they act. Borat is simply a tool used to get people (in this case, Americans) to reveal parts of themselves, which often ends up being funny. How do you not understand what Ian's feminist friend meant?

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 11-26-2006, 11:33 AM:

So wouldn't that in itself mean Sacha is biased against Americans? IT seems that bigotry against Jews is more prevalent in Europe than it is here. I guess we're just an easy target.

Posted by Chris Hipp (Member # 1788) on 11-26-2006, 11:52 AM:

Chad, Chad, Chad...You must not have been paying attention in 10th grade English. The key word is "rest." The word rest indicates that Borat is a part of America. The statement "I like borat but hate the rest of america" is like saying "I like New Mexico, it is the rest of the Europe that I hate."

A proper way to to make that statement would be to say "I like Borat. It is America that I hate." Or, "I like Borat, he is funny, but I hate America."

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-19-2007, 12:19 AM:

Who cares about Ian's traitorous anti-American friend? Surely he/she will be arrested soon by Homeland Security. I have made some phone calls.

Anyway I watched this tonight. It definitely did have some good parts, and other parts were retarded. The naked wrestling scene seemed about 90 minutes too long (even fast-forwarding). Apparently gross=funny, but only for mentally-challenged people. The part where Borat was alone after the gross fat dude left him and the sad music was playing was boring. Same with him camping outside of whatever building it was. I think it was supposed to be funny, but it only angered me that I was wasting precious time from my life that I will never, ever get back. I didn't laugh when the Jews turned into cockroaches, but I did laugh at the "Running of the Jews" in the beginning as well as the cow in the home. There were other funny parts as well which I can't remember off the top of my head. The scene towards the end in the Pentecostal Church wasn't funny at all. There weren't even any jokes. I was hoping he'd make some funny but he didn't. I guess he just wasn't much into the Borat character that day. I think the scriptwriting should be nominated for an Academy Award as should all improv movies. They always have the best scripts.

I'm surprised they were able to make this movie as I don't think they had anyone sign releases. I assume this is legal now and I can do the same thing?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-19-2007, 08:52 AM:

Perhaps some latitude is given to movies that have a "documentary" angle to them. Documentary shooters don't have to get signed releases since it falls more under the guise of "freedom of the press."

However, if you tell just about anyone, "hey! Wanna be in a movie? Just sign this!" They'll do it.

quote: Joe Redifer
The scene towards the end in the Pentecostal Church wasn't funny at all. There weren't even any jokes. I was hoping he'd make some funny but he didn't. I guess he just wasn't much into the Borat character that day.

If I was stuck in some metal industrial building functioning as a church, surrounded by a mob people "speaking in tongues" I'd be more likely to piss my pants out of fear than crack jokes. I found that scene to be pretty creepy. They could have amped it up worse by having one of those dudes mess around with some rattlesnakes and get bit, "loo loo bah la lay lah jawa la la -OW! FUCK!"

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-19-2007, 10:26 AM:

quote: Joe Redifer
I'm surprised they were able to make this movie as I don't think they had anyone sign releases.

Actually I think they did have people sign releases. That was the basis of some of the "lawsuits" filed against the producers...some people maintained they were tricked as to how they were going to be portrayed, or something. When actually they were too star-struck to read the fine print.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 04-19-2007, 11:35 AM:

My understanding is the signed releases suggested that this was a real documentary. That's the basis of the lawsuits, that the filmmakers misrepresented what was really going on. But no doubt the fine print said something like "You agree to allow the use of your image etc. in any way shape or form".

Posted by Tracy Bellar (Member # 3049) on 04-20-2007, 01:18 AM:

I'm a photographer as well. Model releases are probably close to the same release. People need to just bite the bullet on this. If they signed anything they gave approval.
I think it was just more successful than the people thought it would be. When they unexpectedly saw themselves in a worldwide release they ran to the first lawyer they could.
What do you always hear"Never Sign Any Legal Paper without more Knowledge or a lawyer" Don't cry because someone pulled one over on you. Take it like a Man.
The people were themselves. Caught being themselves, the part they usually hide from others. They just didn't like what they saw in the end. What they were really like. Thier true nature came out and they want someone to blame.

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 04-20-2007, 07:34 PM:

I wonder if the makers of BORAT set out to simply make a 21st Century, mean-spirited (but very funny) version of Candid Camera.

I agree that almost everyone in the film got what they deserved. Why does being put in front of a camera make people act so stupid?

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-21-2007, 12:08 AM:

Releases can be handled in a lot of different ways.

Example: Extreme Makeover: the Home Edition.

This Sunday, April 22, an episode will air that took place where I live, in Lawton, Oklahoma. I was one of hundreds who took part in organizing and building a glorious new home for an Army family that life really dealt a pervertedly unfair blow. We were very proud to pitch in a lot of money to help them in their time of need.

Nevertheless, when the building project was happening, all the areas of access around the building site had placards placed giving summary notice that if you entered the area, by entering, you gave your approval for your likeness and voice to be used by Lock and Key Productions and ABC-TV. Simple as that. There's a chance the sets of Borat had similar notices placed around their location shoots.

By the way, tune into ABC at 8:00pm Eastern, 7:00pm Central for the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition episode I'm talking about. You might even see ME on camera. There was a few times during the project that I had broadcast cameras right up in my ear.

Aside from the unimportant aspect of seeing me on broadcast TV, check out the family's old house getting demolished by a military tank! It was freaking cool. I know. I was there!

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 04-21-2007, 04:20 AM:

Sounds like you will be videotaping that episode. Since it will be extra special to you, you might want to use the "SP" speed on a TDK "Hi-Grade" tape instead of the way you usually do it. [Smile]