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Borat: Cultural Learnings of America (1 Viewer)

PaulP

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Oct 22, 2001
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Can't wait to see it tonight. This should be a killer DVD, with all the viral/trailer/web stuff etc. collected on it.
 

Jason Roer

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Oct 5, 2004
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Hey All,

Just got back. This is the funniest movie I have ever seen. In fact, I'm bringing my wife to see it tomorrow night. As someone else mentioned, this is going to be a fantastic DVD and I certainly can't wait for it. The entire audience (quite a large number for a 10:30 screening!) was in gut-busting laughter the entire time. This film will have VERY long legs and will only sky rocket further on DVD. Expect this to be a film watched for years to come.

Can't praise this film enough and I wish Sasha and crew the best. Looking forward to anything he puts out!

Cheers,

Jason
 

Joseph S

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Dec 23, 1999
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The place was packed and folks were already lined up for the next showing as we walked out of the theater.

:emoji_thumbsup: :emoji_thumbsup: and definitely worth a repeat showing or two.
 

Mike.P

Second Unit
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Dec 10, 2004
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289
Above average, but not even the funniest movie I've seen in the last 2 years - 40 YOV was far better.

It wasn't nearly as offensive, well paced, or eye opening as I was hoping for.

I laughed most of the time, but I can tell on subsequent viewings it won't hold up nearly as well as something such as Anchorman or 40 YOV.
 

JediFonger

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mostly young people in my crowd. i'm surprised because HBO caters to older crowds... but youtube.com definitely helped.

there were a LOT of teenages trying to sneak in or buy tix w/o showing ID. there were a LOT of ushers carding at the entrance and even 2-5 inside scanning for teens w/o adult and kicking them out.

aaanyway, i laughed much more in the beginning but it got 2serious towards the end.

i'm v. surprised Pamela Anderson agreed to let the footage be used in the end. It was sooooooooooooooooooooooo funny.

overall i just loved the various economic classes/cross sections of america and what they were like. the ignorance shown wasn't borat... but the people he was interviewing!!!! =).

PS i also love the fact that Sacha is basically utilizing British humor (more wit). he's like the intellectual version of jackass... if such a thing was possible!!!
 

MikeRS

Screenwriter
Joined
Jul 17, 2002
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Favorite moments


Borat's agony and breakdown after discovering the "truth" about Pamela
Serious acting by Cohen. It's the cumulative buildup of stuff like this, that separates the film from the television show. You FEEL his pov infinitely more in this film. In DA ALI G, he's really only a reporter in a fucked up show. In BORAT, he becomes a great fictional character to care about in an honest-to-goodness narrative. Changes everything.

The slow realization that the bed 'n breakfast is owned by Jews - and the complete and utter unholy fear it causes the rest of the night.
One of the great set-pieces in the film.

The subtle sexist mannerisms that push the feminists to the breaking point. Just that "subtle" nudging.
:laugh:

The dinner - how the hosts accommodate everything he does (I MEAN HANDING HIS SHIT IN A BAG..C'MON!) but lose it when a black hooker comes over. Hey Reverend, Jesus made a life of hanging out with sinners, y'know. ;)


Obviously...

The wrestling match :eek:...especially the way Larry Charles holds the camera on the traumatized women in the elevator - until they leave. Then the PAN LEFT reveal....brilliance.
:laugh:



Borat getting the telegram about his wife's death.
Unbelievable comic timing.

The unfazed used car dealer..."pussy magnet".

Borat "speaking in tongues"

Gay pride, Borat, and Alan Keyes,
 

NickSo

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Oh god, I have never been so mortified, yet laughed so hard for so long at a movie in my life.

Just way too many great moments...
 

MikeRS

Screenwriter
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Jul 17, 2002
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This line...

"Are you telling me that that man who tried to put a rubber fist in my annus was a homosexual!?"

...made me laugh the hardest. :laugh:


Just the way the sequence built to that line.


I think folks are gonna underestimate the important creative element Larry Charles was to this picture.
 

Eric_Connelly

Second Unit
Joined
Nov 25, 1999
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460
We're going tonight with our neighbors.

They had never heard of Ali G or Borat before. They are...well I'll say more conservative in general than we are. We watched a DVD or two and I thought the other guy was going to pass out he was laughing so hard.

They were aghast the first time we showed them Strangers with Candy to give you an idea.

Needless to say they bought the DVD's and we're going tonight.

Every theater around Detroit and the metro area is showing it. We're about 30 miles from downtown and there is not a single major theater not showing it. I doubt there was any reduction around here.

He is huge in Detroit and even had him on the radio this morning on WRIF.

Word is spreading quickly but most people just think its Jackass type humor but once they see it their hooked.
 

Sam Favate

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Wow. I haven't heard an audience howl with laughter like I did at this movie last night in a very long time.

Fox has to have committed the blunder of the year in reducing the number of screens for this movie. Word of mouth for this is going to spread like wildfire and everyone will be looking to see it now. Plus, Cohen is everywhere on TV these days. He did Letterman and Conan this week, plus he did interviews on CNN this morning. I'm sure he's everywhere else too.

Outrageously funny, and not without wit and intelligence. Borat may be a racist, sexist pig, but his adventures in America show the many ways the society is like him.
 

Chris

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Oh god, the "NOT" joke comeback late in the film is CLASSIC. I've seen this twice now, and I found it much better the second time, because I watched what was happening in the background and with the people he was around. The first, time, I focused almost entirely on him and his direct interaction; the second time.. just watching the people who were looking on - KILLED me.
 

Jason Roer

Supporting Actor
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Oct 5, 2004
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Chris,

I laughed my ass off at the "not" joke at the end as well. I'm bringing my wife tonight so this will be my second viewing - I'll have to look at the people around him this time and see what you saw, because I too was focused on Sasha during the scene in the initial view.

Cheers,

Jason
 

JediFonger

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well, the funniest part isn't borat himself, it's the people he is interviewing him =). and all of the bigotry you think borat has is fiction... but the people he is interviewing is not fictional, hehehhehe. that's the humor.
 

Nicholas Vargo

Second Unit
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Oct 4, 2001
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Well, well, well. Borat has made some serious dough yesterday. According to Box Office Mojo, it made $9 million yesterday. If you think Fox made a blunder, I'd like to fill you in on something, and this was pointed out to me by someone at the Box Office Mojo forums, and it's that the film did as well as it did yesterday because the film opened in the right markets. The theater count was reduced because had it played in Middle America, it most likely would've bombed (It didn't play in most Middle America locations this weekend). Middle America is getting it when it opens wider next week.

As for the movie itself, I went to the first showing this morning at 11:15, and I tell you now, I laughed so hard that I didn't stop for about 85-90 percent of the time. There were only a couple of moments I didn't find funny, but for the most part, me, along with the rest of that audience were in hysterics. The funny thing though was that no one, and I mean no one applauded when the movie was over. A huge shred of proof that this will become a huge guilty pleasure as time progresses. People did applaud and laugh at the same time when the jokes sustained huge laughter, but that was it.

How do you say a huge laugh riot, and maybe even one of the best of the year.

Rating: **** out of ****
 

Chris

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Middle America where? It's on almost all of the major screens here in Kansas City.. yes, I'm sure if we mean "the sticks" I could buy that. I'm sure it's not in one of the four screens in Chanute, Kansas as an example.

I get the general jist of what you're saying, just saying as someone in middle america - don't dismiss us all, jeesh ;)
 

Patrick Sun

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Jun 30, 1999
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I caught the early show this morning (ticket price $5, niiiice!), and was impressed by the number of people in attendance.

This movie is a blast to watch with a medium-to-large number of people in the audience. Funny stuff for the first 2/3 of the film, then it goes into some visually arresting territory that will take a few trips to the therapist to deal with (kidding). Had a good chuckle at the "moral" of the story as well.

I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.
 

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