Brüno

Spanks - 4

Director - Larry Charles

Writer - Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Mazer & Jeff Schaffer

Starring - Sacha Baron Cohen & Gustaf Hammarsten

Release Date - 10 July 2009

MPAA Rating - R

Brüno, the new film by Sacha Baron Cohen, is the same style as Borat. However instead of being a satire about racism it is about homophobia. It does not say anything bad about being gay or stereotype them in a bad light like G.L.A.D says. It shows the viewers how homophobic the American people are, using the extreme stereotypes in the character to make it more comical. If you think Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan pushes the boundary of taking things to far, Brüno takes that line and goes twice as far. Brüno went as far to have a group of people walk out yelling in disgust because of a scene*.

The film is shot documentary style and follows Brüno as he travels to Los Angeles to become a superstar after he is fired from his Austrian fashion show Funkyzeit mit Brüno. Accompanied only with his assistant's assistant Lutz, (who is secretly in love with Brüno) they set out to become a superstar.

The film is very funny, but it isn't like any other R rated movie. The film's first cut was originally rated NC-17 and was re-cut. There are an uncountable number of mentions to gay sex; there are scenes of naked men; scenes of exaggerated gay sex acts; but it is done for comedy and to get reactions from the unsuspecting people involved in the prank and not to be pornography.




* The scene people walked out of included a physic medium and the deceased half of Milli Vanilli. Rob Pilatus was his first of his two loves. Use your imagination.

Religulous

Spanks - 3

Director - Larry Charles

Writers - Bill Maher

Starring - Bill Maher

Release Date - 3 October 2008

MPAA Rating - R

Religulous is a documentary about religion directed by the guy who did Borat and starring the guy from Politically Incorrect. It discuses how religion is "old", "wrong", "stupid", and "fake". It is very one sided, Bill Maher doesn't try at all to believe anything anyone of his interviewees are saying. He interviews people from Christian, Jewish, and Muslim groups, all from the groups that are way off the wall. A Puerto Rician minister who says he is the second coming of Jesus, a Jewish rabbi who is against the nation of Isreal and believes the Holocaust isn't real, and a guy from the Cannabis Ministry in Amsterdam to give you a couple of examples. It also has a good segment about how religion and war are tied together.

The film is very funny, but doesn't come close to Borat. Some of the funniest parts are when they cut away from the interview to a video to go against what they are saying. It is also funny when Bill Maher ask a question they don't have a pre-scripted answer for and just look dumbfounded at him. I will say he is very mean to his interviewees too, but he is usually mean to the guest on his show, so its nothing new for Bill Maher.

The documentary, although completely biased (but name me one that isn't), was very interesting. If you are religious you will most likely hate this movie. If you have an open mind you might like it.