—Benjamin Schuman-Stoler

One of the women to whom this dubious honor links me is the actress Isla Fisher, Sacha Baron Cohen's betrothed.  In case you have been living under a rug in the Sahara Desert, Cohen is the comic (?) behind the hilariously horrifying movie Borat and The Ali G Show.  All seven-foot-eight-inches of him can be found carting around the USA and Europe, making asses out of unsuspecting victims.  Cohen recently fathered a child with Fisher, and they are engaged to be married - but only AFTER she converts to his religion.

Apparently, Cohen comes from an Orthodox Jewish family.  (I am not sure where the Torah prescribes staging homo-erotic cage matches, but whatever.  I've also been trying to figure out where Orthodox philosophy condones not only dating a non-Jew, but knocking her up out of wedlock.  That's three no-no's in one short sentence!)  

Don't get me wrong, being religious is fine; what frightens me about this story are the accounts of Cohen's MOTHER.  She seems to be dissatisfied that Fisher has returned to work making movies "so soon" after having her grandchild, when she had expected Fisher to stay home and spend her time making borscht with the extended family.  She is also very upset that Fisher seems to be taking longer than desired to convert to Judaism - which means that the summer wedding she was planning on throwing her precious son and his hussy bride must be delayed.  (Oh, this is bringing back my own memories!)  The atmosphere between Fisher and Cohen's mother has evidently become so hostile that Cohen himself is mediating relations. 

My, what a good little boy he is!  Throwing the mother of his child into the controlling clutches of his family.  What a guy.

Since reading about this drama, I have actually developed a shred of gratitude for my own in-laws.  While they have insisted, like children, that I call more/look pretty/obey/quit ruining their son's life, they would never demand that I convert.  They aren't Jewish enough for that.  They are what you call Deli Jews:  Jewish enough to faint over good Rugulah and drink Diet Coke with everything, but not enough to go to temple.  Jewish enough to dub a shiksa anyone not wearing Cartier, but not enough to light a menorah.  Jewish enough to Oy with gusto, but not enough to demand that I Oy along with them (although this is admittedly my favorite part).

And thank the great pagan gods for that.  It has been a point of brief contention with my husband, but it isn't a big deal.  He mentions converting every several months, and I promptly shoot it down.  Other than not subscribing to the concept of organized religion, my reason for not doing so is simple:  If reciting a few words and going through hand motions can magically "make me into" something else, I'd much rather spend that energy becoming tall, blonde and independently wealthy. 

Perhaps, though, Isla really feels it.  Perhaps she has been so moved by her love of Cohen, and by the history and ritual she's witnessed thus far, that she is willing to walk into her mother-in-law's den and risk suffocation and identity-snatching for love.  Maybe there really is a part of her that seeks the mothering presence of manipulation and control in order to make sense of the universe.

Me?  I'd tell her to run, Isla, RUN.  Just as far as your unholy shoes will take you.

Douche Bag.
Would someone please send him a copy of "The Anti-Aesthetic"?

And also thank you Sascha Baron Cohen

Cohen og Ferrell har sammarbeidet tidligere i Talladega Nights, produsert av nettopp Apatow.

Guy Ritchie is currently getting a lot of press because of his relationship with media lightening rod Madonna, but despite all of the negative attention, there is a good chance that he may finally be able to shake the proverbial monkey off his back (by directing a profitable movie) with an upcoming film project.

Ritchie is set to direct Iron Man’s Robert Downey Jr. in the Warner Brothers project currently called “Sherlock Holmes.” Unlike Columbia’s upcoming comedy on the English Sleuth featuring Sacha Baron Cohen/Will Ferrell, this version of the famed detective’s story portrays the hero as more adventurous than past incarnations. Think Indiana Jones meets 007.

The film starts shooting in the fall and the studios has suggested a release date of October 2009.

To quote G-Money: "We'll be seeing a lot more of these."

Sacha Baron Cohen is working on a BORAT sequel, based on Bruno, a garishly gay Austrian fashionista who is the only one of Cohen's three principal characters who hasn't had a movie yet (Ali G had a British-made film ALI G INDAHOUSE that went straight to video in the US). And some MMA fans reportedly were not amused as a supposed fight turned into a gay sex scene. Nor was a Dallas-area audience last month, lured out for a talk-show that turned into public gay passes and a 2-year-old "gay baby."

Now, I happen to think that several of DA ALI G SHOW's funniest bits were Bruno's ("in or aus: keep em in the ghetto or send em to Auschwitz?"; "Say hello to Austria Gay TV"; the rope line; the two fashionistas critiquing per Bruno's "offscreen" cues). But I also think he had the worst moment in any of them, and it was cringeworthy in ways that mean these two reports are suggestive of the direction the film is going in.

This scene is neither sufficiently outrageous nor sufficiently appalling (like Borat putting his waste in a Ziploc bag) to be inherently funny. Part of the reason is that Borat and Bruno are different characters. When a Borat sequel was signed, the Defamer story had the headline "Universal Bets $42 Million That Sacha Baron Cohen Can Continue To Taunt Middle America With Naive-Foreigner Characters." That is exactly backwards. Borat is naive and so people do go and should go to great lengths to accommodate him, which can become hilarious. But Bruno is nothing if not a sophisticated urbanite, sensitive to the cues of social life at the center of the world.

And there is no possible point about supposed "homophobia." I don't happen to think that man Jim did anything to deserve what Bruno was doing to him. Nor do I think seriously-based disagreement with me on that point is possible, except under the premise that being neither gay nor freely bisexual is some sort of crime, morally or legally (and AFAIK it isn't, for now anyway). Jim just wanted to go dancing himself, and if he were anti-gay in any seriously blameworthy sense (and yes there is such a thing), then he would have refused to teach the steps to another man. But still, Bruno keeps coming onto him, repeatedly, after reasonable indications he should lay off. Anger at someone not taking a hint does not become "homophobia" merely because the person not taking the hint is a homosexual.

If the reports from at least Arkansas are accurate, those fans were not engaged in "homophobia" either, but righteous anger over having been cheated and made to watch something they probably would rather not and definitely did not pay for. They paid to see some fights, not public sex. There's always and everywhere an implicit right to truthful advertising, and it would be just as violated if the video box in the adults-only section for "Best of Randy Longhorn" contained the disc for "Best of Matt Hughes." I simply have no sympathy for goaders and baiters, and I think they deserve the reactions they get, even the violent ones. But if BRUNO turns out to go where it seems to be headed, we can only conclude that "gay-baiting" has changed its socially acceptable form from "baiting of gays" to "baiting by gays."

El sábado a la noche alquilé la película " Sweeney Todd: el barbero demoníaco de la calle Fleet"
y como el protagonista es el bombón de Johnny Depp, mi hija y una amiguita ( 10 años ambas) quisieron verla.Bueno, no es apropiada para niños, ya que el cine Gore justamente se caracteriza  por el uso de la abundancia de sangre como elemento visual / artístico.

Pero vayamos por partes ( como diría Tupac Amaru): El barbero de la calle Fleet es una antigua leyenda urbana publicada  en 1846 en Inglaterra en formato de fascículos semanales , unas revistitas de papel barato llamadas genéricamente "penny numbers". De allí fue tomada por numerosos autores para versiones literarias ( Charles Dickens también crea un personaje basado en él), teatrales y luego fílmicas.

En este especial film, el director Tim Burton se basa en la obra musical de 1979 de Stephen Sondheim . En todas las versiones, se trata de un barbero que vive  en Londres en la calle Fleet alrededor del 1800 con  su bellísima esposa y su pequeña hija. La esposa es seducida por el malvado juez Turpin que se apodera también de la niña, y el barbero es desterrado. 15 años después éste vuelve a Londres con ánimo de vengarse. Se confabula con su vecina  Mrs Lovett que tiene una taberna ( o pastelería), de forma que mientras espera el momento de asesinar a su enemigo Turpin, va degollando sucesivos  clientes con su navaja de afeitar, que bien descuartizados y deshuesados , pasan a formar parte de los riquísimos pasteles (meat pies) de la cómplice.

Bueno, la película es muy buena. Sorprende el comienzo con un Depp llegando a Londres en medio de la niebla nocturna...en barco!! Una escena idéntica a Piratas del Caribe... en fin. Creo que casi no hay diálogos en prosa , los personajes cantan en toda la película. No sorprende en Depp que tuvo una banda antes de ser actor, sí gratas sorpresas constituye Helena Bonham Carter ( Mrs Lovett)  en su vigésimo papel de época  (hasta parece que usara siempre el mismo vestuario) ,Alan Rickman ( Turpin) , un actor muy versátil que se defiende bastante bien en  el canto y el brillante Sacha Baron Cohen como el flamante barbero Pirelli.

Hay sangre a más no poder, siempre super roja sobre una pantalla muy oscura, monocromática. Tan roja es, y tan abundante, que no resulta desgradable, ni impresionante. Es más bien artística, pues muestra con detalle por dónde se escurre, qué objetos mancha, todo en una cámara super vertiginosa que en general se aleja de la escena hasta mostrar los suburbios de Londres en vista casi aérea, de un modo muy semejante al film musical Moulin Rouge (2001). El ritmo de la película se mantiene en casi toda su extensión ( casi dos horas), con  un desenlace rapidísimo ( el cual no contaré!!). Hay mucho humor negro , con climax en el genial Cohen y su desagradable personaje del barbero Pirelli, muy logrado, con unos primeros planos que provocan risa y repulsión al mismo tiempo..

El personaje de Depp está bastante desaprovechado. Empieza con cara de amargado, sigue con cara de amargado y termina amargado. Más que falta de matices, pareciera que no creciera a lo largo del film. Tal vez esto constituye un deseo del director: congelar la leyenda del barbero en su personaje principal, con  su maldad sin discusiones innecesarias. En cambio Bonham Carter muestra riquísimas facetas. Es al comienzo una (casi) bruja odiosa, pasa a ser una mujer enamorada que sueña con la "casita - jardín - marido", mientras cocina carne humana sin un ápice de remordimiento, con una practicidad terrorífica, luego es una dedicada  madre que hará cualquier cosa por salvar a su niño adoptivo.

Hay una escena de Depp que logra conmover. Casi al final, percibe que el niño se le acerca por detrás: en un segundo se lee en su rostro la resignación ( y hasta la complicidad ) de lo inevitable, una muy lograda expresividad que no se ve en el resto de la película.

Un dato: Tanto Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman y Timothy Spall ( el alguacil- rata) trabajaron también juntos en "Harry Potter y la Orden del Fénix", una vez más como tres grandes malvados..

En fin,muy  buena peli, bien al estilo Burton  ( una mezcla de El Cadáver de la Novia y el Jinete sin cabeza) , excelente música original de Sondheim , esperaba más de Depp

After Alpher and his Palestinian partner found themselves answering other idiotic questions, they started to suspect the sophisticated team of several assistants and three cameras. In one, the interviewees had to explain the difference between Hamas — an Islamic group ruling Gaza — and hummus — a chickpea paste eaten throughout the Mideast.

"One of us mentioned Hamas, and the exchange that ensued went something like this: `Vait, vait. Vat's zee connection between a political movement and food. Vy hummus?' We exchanged astonished glances," Alpher recounted in a letter that originally appeared in the New York Jewish weekly, the Forward.

Commentary
Haven't people heard of a GOOGLE search?  Bruno is hardly a new character- Grandmasta has owned the entire Ali G-Bruno-Borat HBO series for three years and Bruno appeared for several years in  Britainbefore that.  Aren't Intel people supposed to  be aware of their surroundings?  Be street smart?  Yes,  Sasha Baron Cohen probably doesn't have alot of fans in the age group this guy comes from, but it would seem a good Intel officer would be a little more on the ball.

On a related note here are some of his interviews with famous people related to the Mid East- Boutrous  Boutrous Boutrous Ghali, James Baker, Noam Chomsky, the heads of the CIA ( twice) and the FBI.

I find it difficult not to smile or burst out into tears of laughter whenever I have the chance to look at Sacha Baron Cohen's performances. It's since 2006, when I moved abroad and chose to live without cable (!!), that I don't longer have my daily / weekly dose of this great British comedian.

Peace.

/K

Anticipation is at the boiling point for Warner Bros. The Dark Knight as advanced ticket sales are reportedly selling at a frantic pace. It’s pretty clear when it comes to a Batman movie it’s all about the Joker. Just as in the case of Tim Burton’s 1989 original ( and still the highest grossing Batman movie) which featured Nicholson’s famous interpretation of the comic book villain, mainstream America, and not just Batman fans, will line up to see this iconic character on the big screen. July 18th is the day of reckoning!

Guy Richie may be losing a Madonna, but he's gaining a Robert Downey Jr.

The Iron Man star has signed on to play the lead in Sherlock Holmes, which is being produced by Warner Brothers. 

And while this has ratings gold all over it, there is one major problem:  Columbia Pictures is coming out with a Judd Apatow Sherlock comedy at the same time starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell, which one can only imagine involves Sherlock and Watson making a lot of piss and cum jokes.  "I say Watson. these hounds of bakersfield won't stop sniffing my nuts."

Meanwhile, Columbia Pictures is fast tracking its own Sherlock Holmes project -- a comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen and Will Ferrell.

Popsquire loves competition and detective movies!  In celebration of both, enjoy this Madonna song from the James Bond film, "Die Another Day."

Mindenesetre azt is igen erősen pletykálják, hogy Holmes szerepére sikerült megnyerni Robert Downey Jr.-t, aki annak ellenére játszhatná el az angol nyomozót, hogy tősgyökeres New York-i - viszont nagyszerű színész, akinek egy akcentus megtanulása gyerekjáték, és az ő neve az én olvasatomban lassan garancia lesz a minőségre - és ha így megy tovább, a kasszasikerre is. Holmes amúgy is különösen kedves a szívemnek, hisz őt tartom az irodalomtörténet legjobban kitalált nyomozójának, Ritchie és Downey neve pedig egy egészen rendhagyó megvalósítást ígér.

De nem ez lesz amúgy az egyetlen Sherlock Holmes-film a közeljövőben: Judd Appatow felügyelete alatt készül majd el egy vígjáték is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle történeteiből, a főszerepben a két rendkívül népszerű komikus, Sacha Baron Cohen (Holmes), és Will Ferrell (Watson) - olyan színészek, akik egyedül is a Box Office listák élére képesek ráncigálni egy filmet, azontúl színvonalra is szoktak adni, így aztán ez is igen egyedi, ugyanakkor nívós alkotásnak ígérkezik, lesz tehát konkurenciája Downey-éknak.

Addig is álljon itt Ritchie új filmjének az igencsak ígéretes előzetese:

Após o sucesso de "Homem de Ferro", o ator Robert Downey Jr. vai integrar o elenco de "Sherlock Holmes", filme que Guy Ritchie vai dirigir para a Warner Bros., informou a revista "Variety".

As filmagens começam em outubro. O roteiro foi escrito por Anthony Peckham. O ator Sacha Baron Cohen ("Borat") vai interpretar Holmes. O elenco traz ainda Will Ferrell no papel de doutor Watson.

A matéria foi encontrada neste link.

Mais sobre filmes (e livros) de mistério e suspense no blog "A Casa Torta".

Wow. If you had told me at the beginning of the year that, come June, we would have not one but two movie versions of Sherlock Holmes given the old green light, I’d have laughed in your face. If you’d gone on to say that the rival Holmes would be played by Sacha Baron Cohen and Robert Downey, Jr., I would have slapped you for such an outlandish suggestion. But it’s real. It’s happening. And I couldn’t be more excited. Just a week after Cohen was confirmed as the great detective in Judd Apatow and Will Ferrell’s comedic take on Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation, comes the news that Downey Jr. – possibly the hottest actor in the world right now – has signed to play the title role in Guy Ritchie’s adventure.

Downey had been linked with the role a month ago, but negotiations take time in Hollywood – indeed, the actor is still only in final negotiations, but unless something cataclysmic happens, it looks likely that he’s set to take on his second franchise (Iron Man being the first, naturally). Downey was brought to the role by his wife, Susan Downey, who is one of four producers on the movie, along with Joel Silver, Dan Lin and Lionel Wigram, on whose forthcoming comic book the movie is actually based.

Mrs. Downey is a producer on Guy Ritchie’s latest, Rocknrolla along with Silver, and when Downey Jr. popped into Silver’s office to see the missus, he was shown a copy of Ritchie’s Holmes script. And, a short time later, here we are. The idea is to shoot in the autumn, with a release in October 2009. Which will probably get it into cinemas before the Apatow/Ferrell/Cohen film, which doesn’t yet have a director. And I can’t wait – ok, so neither Holmes will please the purists (and there’s a great, traditional movie to be made out of classic Holmes, in our opinion), but Downey can pretty much do anything, and if he attacks Holmes with the verve and swagger that he brought to Tony Stark, then this could be one for the ages.

Is there anyone Bruno can’t fool? Sacha Baron Cohen’s new movie character apparently has no problem getting the best of people, having recently duped a former high-ranking member of the Israeli Mossad and a whole arena full of people in Little Rock, Arkansas.

While in character, Cohen fooled former spy and political analyst Yosi Alpher by asking him to participate in a documentary that would teach the world’s youth about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In Little Rock, Cohen and company put on a big cage fighting match in which the end result had two fighters making out with one-another. The audience got so mad that they started throwing beers at the ring.

I can’t wait for this movie.

I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see what Guy Ritchie does with Sherlock Holmes, but with an actor like Robert Downey Jr., how can you go wrong?

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You would think that after last year's movie Borat it would be impossible for British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen to dupe another live audience. You would be wrong.

 Cohen (in character as gay fashion reporter Bruno) recently pulled off one of his all-time greatest stunts by faking an MMA event in Arkansas. According to an AP version of the incident:

Crowds in Arkansas came for the lure of cage fighting and $1 beer, but police say what they got instead was men ripping each others' clothes off and kissing ...

Fight fans were so incensed by Cohen's latest stunt that they threatened the comedian and pelted the ring with beer.

SACHA BARON COHEN STRIKES AGAIN

Cheers,

Tom

Universal heeft aangekondigd dat de film "Bruno" - opvolger van "Borat", Cohen speelt een Oostenrijkse (gay) fashion reporter - in mei 2009 in de bioscopen te zien zal zijn.

This is intriguing for three reasons:

3) We’ll be hearing a butchered catchphrase ALLLLLLLLLLLLL summer long. Probably “Niyce!” again, somehow.