Borat

The Movies People Need to Stop Quoting

Earlier this week, while running down the worst performances of some of our favorite actors, we were reminded again of that unfortunate moment back in 2000 where Robert De Niro cashed in the chip of one of his most iconic performances for a cheap laugh in a Rocky & Bullwinkle movie. That’s only one way of looking at it, of course — it could also be argued that everyone else had been quoting Taxi Driver for years, so De Niro was just getting in on the action himself. There is something to be said for the notion that, cinema classic though it might be, we’ve probably all had enough of people taking the opportunity whenever they look in a mirror to do a Bickle-esque smile/smirk and inquire, “You talkin’ to me?”

Taxi Driver is one of many great movies that have been trod upon by the corrupting influence of movie quoting, that unfortunate social phenomenon by which pop culture obsessives, unable to communicate with their own words, end up speaking primarily in dialogue lifted from their favorite films, rendering said dialogue tiresome and unwelcome. We’ve assembled over a dozen movies we’re sick of having quoted back to us, but we’re sure we left some out — and that’s what the comment section is for. Check them out after the jump. … Read More

Olaf Cuadras Ferré’s Cartoon Posters for Classic and Cult Films

Artist Olaf Cuadras Ferré is a man of many hats. Not only is he an illustrator, an art director, and a graphic designer, but Ferré is also a talented poster artist, creating a series of cartoonish images inspired by classic and cult films. The simple design of the posters — featuring iconic characters, evocative typography, and a monochromatic background —  is complemented by bold colors and an attention to detail in the depiction of characters’ facial expressions, clothing, and props. Check out the series, which captures the essence of such films as The Royal Tenenbaums, Pulp Fiction, and The Big Lebowski, after the jump, and keep up to date with Ferré’s projects by following his Tumblr. … Read More

10 Hilarious Mockumentaries That Aren't 'This Is Spinal Tap'

We were profoundly unsurprised by the news that all-time 24-carat classic This Is Spinal Tap has been voted the funniest film of all time by Time Out London readers. But anyway, the news also got us thinking about other great mockumentaries — while Spinal Tap stands head and shoulders above its genre counterparts, there are still plenty of other hilarious faux documentaries to be seen. So in celebration of the glory that is Spinal Tap, here’s a selection of other thoroughly worthy mockumentaries — have we missed any? … Read More

Meet Borat’s Brother, Bilo

As has already been well reported, many of the Kazakh people were less than thrilled with Sacha Baron Cohen’s depiction of their country in Borat — never mind that America didn’t exactly come out smelling like a rose, either. But instead of complaining, Kazakh filmmaker Erkin Rakishev is responding with a feature of his own. My Brother, Borat follows Borat’s brother, Bilo, on a quest to vindicate the nation he claims Cohen besmirched. For our part, we have to agree with Cinematical‘s summary of the project: “The movie’s very existence makes at least one Kazakh man look every bit as clueless as the Americans Cohen was actually targeting.” Watch a video about My Brother, Borat — which will be available for download early next year — after the jump. … Read More

The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

1. Roger Ebert didn’t like Kick-Ass for moral reasons. Here’s why you should still see it. [via AICN]
2. Stephenie Meyer‘s Twilight books rank among the most frequently requested to be banned from US libraries. [via Guardian]
3. Is Banksy‘s Mr. Brainwash an art-world Borat who was “created to dupe the… Read More

Is Sacha Baron Cohen the New John Waters?

In case you forswore civilzation this weekend and are thus the the only person alive who doesn’t know about Michael Jackson’s death, you probably also missed the news that a scene mentioning the former King of Pop was removed from Sasha Baron Cohen’s upcoming Bruno.

BBC News got out the first review, saying that “There are some very funny moments, including a brilliant scene where, while trying to bring about peace in the Middle East, two rival camps have to explain to Bruno that Hamas and hummus are not the same thing – but both agree at the same time that hummus is a good thing.” We totally want to see… Read More