I think that Sasha Baron Cohen, the creator of the Ali G series and the subsequent Ali G movie, followed by the Borat movie, then followed by another one of his alter ego’s Bruno, should be awarded an Oscar. Not really for the fact that he makes award winning parodies that make you want to alternately squirm and bust a gut laughing at their outrageousness, but for having the mammoth balls he must possess to actually pull these farces off, and with what type of very intimidating, closed minded people he does it to.

Bruno is his latest movie, based on one of his characters in his Ali G show.  Bruno is a gay man from Austria who wants desperately to be famous.  After he is booted out of his native Austria for embarrassing himself by ruining the set of a fashion show from wearing an all velcro suit, he decides that he wants to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles California. He heads with his faithful assistant to the land of make believe where he runs into some of the casting directors, scouts and movie stars that may help him get a leg up to where he wants to be.

This movie showcases the shallow nature of Hollywood, and boy does it make a few people look bad in the process.  In one scene, he is interviewing Paula Abdul, and he has no furniture in the house he is interviewing in, so he calls on some spanish speaking workers to behave as their chairs.  He also has Pete Rose in this situation. Watching the looks on their faces and the astonishment is worth it alone, but it’s interesting to note the reactions and the sheer irony of the situations he puts people in.  For example, Paula is talking about how she loves helping people while she’s making a Mexican immigrant extremely uncomfortable by using him as a chair.

I don’t think this movie is for everyone. The shock value is probably beyond what it was in Borat, but if you have an unabashed sense of humor and you don’t embarrass easily, then prepare to pretty much pee your pants at the situations in this documentary/movie.  Once again, he goes far out there to make us laugh, and to prove a point.

I am a HUGE fan of the Alien series of movies.  I love the whole concept, the actors, the direction, the cinematography, the dialogue, all of it.  I’m an especially big fan of Sigourney Weaver, and how she put women on the map as heroes and major protagonists in films.  The first Alien film was excellent, a real groundbreaker, and it was directed by Ridley Scott, introducing Sigourney, who we actually think may just be an extra schmuck that meets her fate as the other crew mates do, but soon find out she’s a survivor.

I think that was the coolest and most groundbreaking part about the original Alien movie, was that we were sort of surprised when she emerged as the tough survivor. James Cameron further evolved her character in the second movie, Aliens, into a more ass kicking version of her former self.  Well, now, Ridley Scott is set to direct a new Alien film that is supposed to be a prequel to the original movie.

No word yet on what it will be about exactly, but unfortunately I don’t think it can include Sigourney Weaver’s character Ripley, since that wouldnt’ make a whole lot of sense.  I’ll be sure to update you when I hear more about this exciting news!

My boyfriend has been a member of Netflix forever, the only problem is, when I want a movie or a show to rent, he takes forever to put it in his qeu for me, or he forgets, so finally, I got sick of not seeing what I want to see, and signed up for the free Netflix trial that they offer to new customers, and if I like it, I’ll continue on with it at the program where you can get a few movies out each month. 

I’m only sticking with the lower one because I figure he has it too, so he can put the movies we want in his qeu, while mine will be more of a supplementary membership for things like shows and workout videos that we want to try, or things like the first and second season of Grey’s Anatomy, which I’ve been dying to see, but unable to get him to rent because it’s a “chick show”. 

I love Netflix because it’s so easy to go in and pick movies out, and many times the movies are available right away for shipping.  It’s got an easy to use interface that’s user friendly, and Netflix also has more movies than any other online service I’ve ever looked into, such as the Blockbuster online video rental. 

The only better thing about Blockbuster is that if you live near one, you can drop your DVD’s off when you’re done with them and pick one out again right away right there in the store instead of waiting for them to be check in at Netflix before you get your next movie in the qeu shipped off to you for your viewing pleasure. 

Netflix has tons of workout DVD’s, yoga, TV shows, movies and obscure documentaries.  Everything I could possibly think of from sixties and seventies movies that I typed in their search bar was ACTUALLY available, so even the pickiest movie watcher or tv watcher would probably be able to find what they are looking for at Netflix. 

Seriously, I think if you like to watch movies, and you’re a renter at a video store still, you need to look into Netflix, I truly believe it’s the video store of the future.  Heck, of the present, if you ask me! 

When I first read the headline that Babel moviegoers were experiencing nausea and headaches, I thought it was some kind of joke, by an author who thought the movie stunk and this was their way of saying it in not so many words. 

But apparently the movie “Babel” which is still being shown in theaters in some countries, although I believe it’s been out of our theaters for some time now, is causing some to complain of headaches and nausea, enough for them to report the side effects. 

The authorities are posting warnings that the movie may induce nausea due to the content of the movie.  I’m assuming this may be due to the way the movie is shot,  because I do know that movies like Blair Witch project, which contained a lot of shaky camera effects and angles, made me feel nauseous, as did many others who saw the movie.

The warnings say that the movie uses a lot of strong effects, whatever that means, and warns moviegoers to leave the theater if they begin to experiences these symptoms.  Wild stuff!

The rumors are true, I guess about young actor Shia Labeouf playing a role – although as yet undetermined at this point.  He’s the kid that played the young kid on that movie that we’ve all since forgotten about from “Holes” I believe, although I have to check my sources!  He actually looks like a very young Russell Crowe, and if he’s half as talented, this 20 year old kid will have a great future in film and whatever other acting endeavor he happens upon. 

Ahh, I just looked him up on the trusty old IMDB, and he indeed did star in Holes, but the other place I recognized him from was the movie that I think I may have been one of the only people that liked it, “Constantine”.  He was Constantine’s sidekick (played by Keanu Reeves, one of my favorite actors, only in certain kinds of movies, he’s admittedly not the most versatile actors, I know this). 

Gosh, to be only twenty years old and be working with some of the biggest film making legends, ie George Lucas and Steven Speilberg must be a real honor.  Not to mention he’s working with a very talented actor, Harrison Ford, who I think looks younger than his sixty something years.  I can’t wait for this new movie.  Means I’m gonna have to get a new DVD set though, I currently have the 3 disc set, which was all they planned on making for the longest time! 

This is one movie I’m truly pumped to see in the theater.  Bring it on Lucas and Speilberg! 

Well, after much anticipation and seeming like it was going back and forth whether or not to do it between Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, it is now official that the shooting of the newest Indiana Jones installment (the fourth in the series), will beging in 2007.  I’m a huge fan of the original series of 3 Indiana Jones movies, and I was thrilled to learn that Harrison Ford will be starring in #4 as well, as I could not imagine anyone else pulling off this role, which he plays so perfectly.

He and Spielberg reportedly just finished the script and Lucas is confident that this film will be the best Indiana Jones film yet.  The script is still a mystery, but Lucas did say it’s a lot of character development and there will be some interesting mysteries involved too (well, this sounds a lot like the last installment, but whatever).

Harrison Ford is now 64 years old (I can’t believe it, he still looks pretty young to me, but then again, go back to the original Indiana Jones, and you’ll see that he does look like he’s aged a bit, albeit very gracefully – he’s so handsome).  Raider’s of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom and the Holy Grail will be followed by this latest movie.  It has a lot to live up to (of course, discounting Temple of Doom, my least favorite). 

It seems some of the unwitting “stars” or the Borat hit phenomena movie starring Sacha Baron Cohen, comic genius, are not so happy that they are forever captured on celluloid looking sort of like fools, even though they all signed releases.  Hmm, perhaps some people wanting a piece of the millions of dollar pie that this film unexpectedly generated?

The frat boys, as you all probably know by now, who appeared in the scene with Cohen in an RV and made several disparraging remarks about women and minorities are suing because they say they were persuaded to get drunk before the shoot, and when they signed the release they did not understand that this would be for a nationally released film, rather some sort of documentary . Not sure what kind of documentary you’d want to be on saying the kinds of things these good ol’ boys did, but whatever. 

Also seeing red is the lady who headed the etiquette school where Cohen handed her what she thought was a bag of feces after he went to the bathroom.  She says she was also misled when she signed the release to appear onscreen that this would be a lmited release film.

OK, so maybe this “release” wasn’t the clearest thing in the world, but it sure did make one funny movie.  Now if they can just appreciate the humor for what it’s worth, let the poor guy make the money he deserves off the best comedy of the year.

Poor Angelina and Brad.  Why won’t the press just leave them and their happy little family alone?  Perhaps I shouldn’t be feeling so sorry for them, since together I’m sure they make thirty times more than any one of us would make in a lifetime, but I have to admit the picture I saw of them today, just trying to have some fun with their kid, made me kind of sad.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt tried taking their son Maddox on a rickshaw ride in India where they are currently filming the movie of the story about Daniel Pearl, the journalist who was killed and his wife, whom Angelina is playing.  They were so mobbed by photogs and paparazzi that they couldn’t even leave their hotel.

When they did leave their hotel to take their kid on a ride, bodyguards reportedly had to hop off the ride at every stop just to get the photographers to stop hounding them.  You couldn’t pay me enough to harass people like that, I swear.  I know everyone says, oh the poor rich celebrities – this is what they wanted by being famous and now that they have it they seem ungrateful. 

But you know what, enough is enough – leave these people alone.  They are human beings too.

Reportedly after Paramount recently “dumped” Tom Cruise after a long 14 year contractual relationship with the actor, they are now eyeballing Brad Pitt to take over the Mission Impossible franchise, after the third installment didn’t do such great box office numbers, despite excellent reviews.

If this due to Tom Cruise’ erratic behavior as of late?  Apparently Paramount execs think it might be.  Brad would not play the Ethan Hunt character, but would instead play a new operative who’s got some pretty bold moves.  He’s the perfect guy for the part, being the pretty boy, chiseled featured stud he is. 

No one has really confirmed any of this yet, but it would not surprise me!

The son of J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, has been working on another unfinished work by the author who passed away when it was unfinished titled “The Children of Hurin”, which includes the elves and hobbits of the LOTR and The Hobbit stories.  Does this mean Peter Jackson may be directing another installment? 

Lets not jump that far ahead yet, but at least we do know another book is coming out.  This is exciting news for the growing legion of LOTR fans, especially since the trilogy of movies directed by Peter Jackson become so popular, as well as commercial hits (and cult hits, an unusual combination today).  Here’s to hoping Jackson is inspired to do one more – especially since King Kong was pretty average.