Review: "Religulous" is Brilliant and Funny

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 31 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


Religulous (2008)
Running time: 101 minutes (1 hour, 41 minutes)
MPAA – R for some language and sexual material
DIRECTOR: Larry Charles
WRITER: Bill Maher
PRODUCERS: Bill Maher, Jonah Smith, and Palmer West
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anthony Hardwick (director of photography)
EDITOR: Jeff Groth, Christian Kinnard, and Jeffrey M. Werner

DOCUMENTARY – Religion/COMMENTARY/COMEDY

Starring: Bill Maher, Julie Maher, Kathy Maher, Senator Mark Pryor, Pastor John Westcott, Ken Ham, Reginald Foster, Tal Bachman, Bill Gardiner, Aki Nawaz, Ray Suarez, and Jeremiah Cummings

Comedian and politically provocative talk show host Bill Maher took on religion and faith in the hot-button documentary, Religulous, a title derived by blending the words “religion” and “ridiculous.” Maher examines the presence of religion in many of the big news stories of recent years, from Muslim rioting over cartoon depictions of Mohammed in European newspapers to a born-again Christian being President of the United Sates (George W. Bush).

Maher, currently the host of HBO’s "Real Time with Bill Maher," also skewers the current state of organized religion, while visiting Jerusalem, Salt Lake City, the Vatican, and other holy destinations. Of the many questions Maher asks on his journey, the main questions are why are believers of many faiths so sure that their religion is right, and why they’re so certain others are wrong?

One thing I wish that Bill Maher had done in Religulous was to offer more commentary from cultural, historical, political experts on religion and faith. Often this movie seems like Maher vs. the crazy religious people, which makes Maher come across as a prankster (a la Borat) snarking on the loons. Still, what Maher and director Larry Charles do present is fantastic and also funny on so many levels.

Some of Religulous is laugh-out-loud funny, but some of it made me cringe as much as I laughed behind my hands. I don’t think Maher is able to get an answer to the question of why believers from a variety of faiths are so sure their religion is right, and why they’re so certain others are wrong? Many of the people Maher meets are quite sensitive to someone not only questioning their faith, but also questioning why they are religious.

In fact, the attitude from many people is that they don’t want outsiders questioning their faiths, although many of these same people seem to have large, answered questions of their own about their religions. Maher often interrupts his subjects, and many times, he should have let them rant, even if their ranting made them look bad, scary, or crazy. The best line in Religulous came from self-avowed Evangelical Christian and U.S. Senator Mark Pryor, D-Arkansas, when he said, “You don't need to pass an IQ test to become a senator.” Pryor seemed eager to be interviewed, and while he certainly comes across as a nice guy (maybe even a smart fellow), his willingness to declare his allegiance to superstition is both sad and frightening.

By the end of the Religulous, I got the idea that this film was less about the faithful’s embrace of irrationality, superstition, and blind faith, and more about Maher giving rational people a wake-up call. He thinks that the rational, non-religious are actually in the majority, and one can hope he is right.

That said, Religulous is a great documentary because it takes a blunt, unflinching look at organized religion and faith, not through the eyes of religious scholars and clerics, but by taking on the foot soldiers and rank and file believers who give voice to their faith, warts and all. Only Maher, brilliant as both a social observer/critic and provocateur, could deliver a documentary about blind faith that is almost as powerful as blind faith.

9 of 10
A+

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Review: "Borat" is a National Treasure from Another Nation

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 48 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan (2006)
Running time: 84 minutes (1 hour, 24 minutes)
MPAA – R for pervasive strong crude and sexual content including graphic nudity, and language
DIRECTOR: Larry Charles
WRITERS: Sacha Baron Cohen & Anthony Hines & Peter Baynham, and Dan Mazer; from a story by Sacha Baron Cohen & Peter Baynham & Anthony Hines, and Todd Phillips (based upon a character created by Sacha Baron Cohen)
PRODUCERS: Sacha Baron Cohen and Jay Roach
CINEMATOGRAPHERS: Luke Geissbuhler (director of photography) and Anthony Hardwick (director of photography)
EDITORS: Craig Alpert, Peter Teschner, and James Thomas
2007 Academy Awards nominee

COMEDY

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Ken Davitian, and Luenell

In the film: Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, writer/actor/comedian Sacha Baron Cohen takes one his most popular characters from his HBO comedy series, “Da Ali G Show,” the Kazakhstani reporter Borat, and sends him on a road trip across America. Cohen-as-Borat then engages real Americans in this faux documentary prompting them with seemingly innocent questions and his outrageous (and sometimes boorish) behavior into revealing their worst prejudices and attitudes. Along the way, Borat even runs naked through a hotel.

Borat Sagdiyev (played by Cohen in a role that won him a 2007 Golden Globe) is Kazakhstan’s sixth most famous man and a leading journalist for the State run TV network. Borat wants to travel to the U.S., what he calls “greatest country in the world,” and learn things that might benefit Kazakhstan. Camera and film crew in tow and joined by his cameraman/sidekick, Azamat Bagatov (Ken Davitian), Borat lands in New York City and heads south encountering the fruit of American citizenry. However, another quest subsumes Borat’s original purpose for coming to America. He is determined to travel to California where he will find and marry Pamela Anderson.

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan lives partially in that esteemed sub-genre of film comedies, the mock documentary or “mockumentary,” the most famous example being This is…Spinal Tap. This is, however, firmly a fake documentary in which the documentary filmmakers mean to fool the subjects of the documentary. As Borat, Cohen is relentless and doesn’t give a sucker an even break when dealing with his clueless American subjects. These people apparently have no shame in displaying their petty bigotries and silly prejudices on camera. Were these people not ashamed to show their ugly sides because they assumed Borat was a just a dumb foreigner and his film would only be seen in another country?

Cohen shrewdly picks his targets, discerning the ones who would make great theatre – an example being the rich, Southern white suburbanites who lived in a neighborhood where one street was named “Succession Lane.” The fraternity boys who appear towards the end of the film are a hoot, and they’re carbon copies of the ones I knew when I attended a major, formerly segregated, Southern state flagship university.

Borat is certainly a lout, and his loutish behavior occasionally grates on the nerves, but the vast majority of the time, his encounters with people lead to double-side-splitting comedy. With Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Sacha Baron Cohen proves once again that he is a genius when it comes to revealing the just plain awful, ugly, vain, and intolerant side of people – a side they’re all too willing to display for the camera. Lovers of movie comedy shouldn’t miss this comic social commentary that is worth watching at least twice.

8 of 10
A

NOTES:
2007 Academy Awards: 1 nomination for “Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay” (Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Peter Baynham, and Dan Mazer; from a story by Sacha Baron Cohen, Peter Baynham, Anthony Hines, and Todd Phillips)


2007 Golden Globes: 1 win: “Best Actor in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy (Sacha Baron Cohen) and 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Shake Your Money Maker for "Alice in Wonderland"

I received the following press release about an Alice in Wonderland-related contest from Walt Disney.  It ties into the recently released 3D Alice in Wonderland movie, directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp.  One of the prizes is an iPad:

ATTENTION ALL ALICE FANS: IT’S TIME TO GATHER YOUR MUCHNESS FOR DISNEY’S ALL NEW “ALICE IN WONDERLAND” INSPIRED DANCE-OFF

WALT DISNEY STUDIOS IS ASKING YOU TO “SHOW US YOUR BEST FUTTERWACKEN!”

Prizes Include iPads, Blu-ray™ Players, Autographed Alice Memorabilia and More

FUTTER WHAT??
In celebration of Frabjous Day and the upcoming Blu-ray™ & DVD release of ALICE IN WONDERLAND on June 1st, Walt Disney Studios is asking America to “Show Us Your Best Futterwacken!”

For those who haven’t seen the film, this is the crazy, awesome dance performed by The Mad Hatter. In the world of Alice’s Wonderland, the Futterwacken is a dance of unbridled joy.

The contest challenges ALICE fans to submit their best interpretation of the Futterwacken dance to www.Disney.com/Alicedance and add their own original twists, turns and dance moves. So start gathering your muchness and go completely Gallymoggers as you Futterwacken vigorously! The more creative your dance moves, the better your chance to win!

Oh and one of the coolest parts is being able to put your dance moves to Kerli’s song “Tea Party” featured on the Alice in Wonderland companion album, Almost Alice. Disney's Almost Alice soundtrack features two songs by Kerli that provide the perfect beat to "show us your best Futterwacken!"

KLOTCHYN! (Head’s up!) Judging will be based on Dance Performance, Entertainment Value, Technical Quality, Creativity and Originality.

HOW TO ENTER:
Consumers must visit www.Disney.com/Alicedance to enter. Entries should be no longer than 40 seconds in length and include your first name and the state where you reside. Directions on how to enter are clearly detailed on the website. It only takes three easy steps to enter – record your video, add music and upload to Disney’s website.

The submission period for the contest begins at 3:00 p.m. PDT on Friday, April 30, 2010 and ends at 3:00 p.m. PDT on Thursday, June 3, 2010.

JUDGING & PRIZING:
There will be two (2) Grand Prize winning submissions and ten (10) First Prize winning submissions. Disney will announce winners on Wednesday, June 16th based on the following equally weighted criteria: Dance Performance, Entertainment Value, Technical Quality, Creativity and Originality.

Prizes include Apple iPads, Panasonic Blu-ray Players, Alice In Wonderland Blu-ray Combo Packs of the film, Mad Hatter Hats, Autographed Alice in Wonderland Nesting Books and iTunes Gift Cards.

My Alice in Wonderland review is here.

Review: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 30 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux


The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
Running time: 123 minutes (2 hours, 3 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for violent images, some sensuality, language and smoking
DIRECTOR: Terry Gilliam
WRITERS: Terry Gilliam and Charles McKeown
PRODUCERS: Amy Gilliam, Terry Gilliam, Samuel Hadida, and William Vince
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Nicola Pecorini
EDITOR: Mick Audsley
Academy Awards nominee

FANTASY/ADVENTURE/ART

Starring: Heath Ledger, Christopher Plummer, Lily Cole, Andrew Garfield, Verne Troyer, Tom Waits, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell

In late January 2008, Terry Gilliam’s film, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, although still in production, was thrust into the spotlight when one of its headliners died. When he died on January 22, 2008, Heath Ledger had only completed half his work on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, performing the role of Tony. After filming resumed, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell assumed the role of Tony. Each actor portrays a different incarnation of Tony, who physically transforms whenever he travels into a dream world.

Dr. Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) is the leader of a traveling theatre troupe, which includes his sarcastic and cynical sidekick and confidant, Percy (Verne Troyer), a versatile young player and sleight of hand expert, Anton (Andrew Garfield), and Parnassus’ daughter, Valentina (Lily Cole). Parnassus has the gift of inspiring the imaginations of others, and his stage show is called, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus. During the show, Parnassus offers audience members (what few there are) the chance to transcend their mundane reality. They do so by passing through a magical stage mirror that transports them into their imaginations (a kind of dream world), where they are offered two choices, and choosing one or the other determines their fate.

In reality, Parnassus is an immortal, and both his long life and magic came at a steep price. Over the years, he has made various deals with the devil, known as Mr. Nick (Tom Waits). Now, Mr. Nick has come to claim his ultimate prize, Valentina on her upcoming 16th birthday. Meanwhile, oblivious of her fate, Valentina adopts Tony (Heath Ledger), a charming outsider she rescues from dire circumstances, into the troupe. Tony joins the troupe as a barker and sets about to improve the troupe’s fortune. In order to save his daughter, Parnassus makes one final bet with Mr. Nick, and while the rest of the troupe tries to beat the devil, Tony’s motivations for helping come to light.

There is something inimitably romantic about a ragtag troupe of performers traveling about the land, performing on and living in their stage. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus captures the ramshackle romanticism of such a “wagon show,” and the performers, with their whimsical ways and odd charms, are winning, for some reason unknown to me. The narrative, however, is messy. Sometimes, the story comes across as a listless but thoughtful collection of scenes from a college art project. Other times, the film sparkles and brims with inventive imagery that is mesmerizing, especially when the characters jump through the stage mirror. This kind of visual ingenuity is what one can usually expect of a Terry Gilliam film/mind trip, and The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus recalls Gilliam’s work as an animator and artist. Some of it reminded me of Gilliam’s short animations for Monty Python’s Flying Circus.

The performances are quite good. Christopher Plummer is brilliant as the tormented Parnassus, and Tom Waits practically matches him in one of my favorite renditions of the devil, Mr. Nick. I would be remiss in not commenting on Heath Ledger’s performance. Although this isn’t close to being his best work, especially since he never got to finish the role, Ledger is quite good as Tony, and the film is certainly livelier when he is onscreen. As for Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell, it is obvious why they are movie stars. They’re all good actors, and they give good performances here. The camera loves their stunningly handsome facial features, especially the magical Depp.

Thematically, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is about stories and the importance of imagination. In the film, characters must choose between their imaginations and their desires, presented as a dream, but they must be able to distinguish between a dream of imagination and a dream of desire. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is not perfect, but I was sad to see this colorful, visually overloaded movie end. That is a feeling I suspect many others also will have.

6 of 10
B

NOTES:
2010 Academy Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Achievement in Art Direction” (David Warren-art director, Anastasia Masaro-art director, and Caroline Smith-set decorator) and “Best Achievement in Costume Design” (Monique Prudhomme)


2010 BAFTA Awards: 2 nominations: “Best Make Up & Hair” (Sarah Monzani) and “Best Production Design” (David Warren, Anastasia Masaro, and Caroline Smith)

Thursday, May 06, 2010

Sam Jackson and Neil LaBute Unite Again for Showtime Series

From BET.com's "Stay Tuned..." comes this news:  Samuel L. Jackson and writer/director Neil LaBute are developing a television series for Showtime.  It will reportedly center on a white supremacist family living in the American Northwest.  Jackson conceived the project, but Labute will write it.  Jackson and LaBute collaborated on the film, Lakeview Terrace.

"The Boondocks" Back on Adult Swim

The AOL Black Voices' "BV Newswire" is reporting that the first episode of "The Boondocks" Season 3 was a hit for Cartoon Network, their best ratings in over a year and the highest ratings yet for the series, which airs on CN's "Adult Swim" block.

Meanwhile, Mike Hale reviews that first episode for the New York Times "ArtsBeats" blog.

EPIX Announces More TV Projects from Award Winners

Oscar Winner David S. Ward, Three-Time Oscar Nominee Todd Field, Emmy Winners Todd Holland and Lawrence O’Donnell Sign Development Deals with EPIX

Top Hollywood Creators Join Previously Announced Talent Roster for the Premium Entertainment Service

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oscar winner David S. Ward (“The Sting”), three-time Oscar nominee Todd Field (“In the Bedroom,” “Little Children”)and Emmy Award winners Lawrence O’Donnell (“The West Wing”) and Todd Holland (“Malcolm in the Middle,” “The Larry Sanders Show”) are the latest impressive names to develop original scripted drama and comedy programming for EPIX, the multiplatform premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service.

Ward, an Oscar-winning screenwriter for “The Sting,” who also wrote co-wrote “Sleepless in Seattle,” joins Jeffrey Fiskin and Emmy winner O’Donnell to develop THE SUPREMES, a one-hour epic drama about a supreme court clerk and the ripple effect of a single case that takes him through the shadowy inner workings of Washington’s halls of power. Field, the much-honored writer/director/producer, collaborates with writer Evan Bleiweiss on the one-hour drama PENTHOUSE, based on the true story of a moral young man who goes to work for Penthouse Magazine and Bob Guccione. Holland, who won Emmys for his directing work on both “Malcolm in the Middle” and “The Larry Sanders Show,” partners with writer Andrea Abbate on RANDOM ACTS, a half-hour single camera comedy about female hit men.

In addition, EPIX also announced: HUMAN RESOURCES from Imagine and Robert Borden; GONZO from Michael Oates Palmer and Ann Blanchard; MARGIN of ERROR from D.V. DeVincentis and Amy Rice, PULP BROMANCE from Michael Davis and Don Murphy. These, along with projects previously announced that include Academy Award-winner Oliver Stone’s STILL HOLDING, in his first foray into development of a scripted series, Emmy winner Larry Charles’s iCON add to a robust development slate for scripted original programming at EPIX.

Mark Greenberg, President and CEO of EPIX, said “We are thrilled that the creative community is bringing us their passion projects. Every single one of our creators has a strong point of view that captures an epic character journey whether comedy or drama.”

Original series and programming currently in development at EPIX:

SUPREMES – A one hour drama from Academy Award winning writer David S. Ward, Jeffrey Fiskin, and Marie-Louise White centering on a young, ambitious power broker of Capitol Hill. Starting as a Supreme Court clerk, the show follows a young man whose passion for a particular case takes him through the shadowy inner workings of Washington’s halls of power. Jim Lampley and Adam Fratto are also attached.

UNTITLED PENTHOUSE PROJECT – A one-hour drama, inspired by true events, from Todd Field, Fox 21, Producer Richard Bleiweiss, Executive Producers Marty Adelstein and Michael Thorn, and writer Evan Bleiweiss. In the 1980’s, Bleiweiss’ father worked as an art director for Penthouse magazine, under the tutelage of publisher Bob Guccione. The series tracks the story of a moral young man in a decade of excess and greed working for a provocative men’s magazine.

RANDOM ACTS – Half-hour single camera comedy from Emmy Award winning director Todd Holland, Fox 21 and writer Andrea Abbate. Show is an edgy action-comedy about two female hit men, looking for love in all the wrong places, while working for an eccentric and ruthless crime boss.

HUMAN RESOURCES – Half-hour single camera genre-bending comedy from Imagine, Fox 21 and Emmy-nominated writer Robert Borden (“Late Show with David Letterman,” “George Lopez”). This unique blend of thriller, suspense, and humor centers on a group of new hires at large software company who discover that they may not be management trainees after all.

GONZO – A one-hour drama from writer Michael Oates Palmer and Executive Producer Ann Blanchard, about thrill-seeking war journalists in the 1980s searching for a missing comrade in a Central American country rattled by corruption, greed, and political intrigue – a place that could blow apart any minute.

MARGIN OF ERROR – A one-hour dramedy from director Amy Rice (“By the People: The Election of Barack Obama”) and writer D.V. DeVincentis, inspired by Rice’s work on the 2008 campaign trail. The show centers on a workaholic campaign strategist who launches a new political campaign every season.

PULP BROMANCE – A one-hour action/dramedy from Michael Davis (Shoot Em' Up), Don Murphy, Susan Montford, and Fox Television Studios based on a book series about a pulp bromance between two assassins who face the good, the bad, and the unknown in the most dangerous city in the world.


About EPIX
EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies. EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry’s most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available online to subscribers via its enhanced service, EPIX Megaplex, on www.EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through carriage agreements with Verizon FiOS, DISH Network, Cox Communications, Mediacom, Charter Communications and NCTC.

For more information about EPIX, go to http://www.epixhd.com/.