Laughing at Terrorists
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
Here I was, marveling at the fact this film must've been released in Australia before America, then you explain why and suddenly there doesn't seem to be much point in marveling.
Anyways, thanks for the read as always. You make some interesting points about "edgey" comedies and you've made me regret not seeing this film when it was in cinemas.
Anyways, thanks for the read as always. You make some interesting points about "edgey" comedies and you've made me regret not seeing this film when it was in cinemas.
I'll say here what I said in the comments about your review: I really hope there is comedic surgery in this one. I would be really disappointed if the film apologizes in any way. Let it be brutal and hilarious. As an American, I say make more films that diminish terrorism and deflate the image of terrorists. I'll definitely check this one out. Might go alone first though. There are veterans in my family and they might not be ready yet. Thanks Bob. Love your work boss.
"People who can laugh at treachery are unafraid."
I read that somewhere and now I can't place it...
Anyway, I kind of knew the "too soon" brigade would try to bar the film's release in North America. I need to see this movie some time.
I read that somewhere and now I can't place it...
Anyway, I kind of knew the "too soon" brigade would try to bar the film's release in North America. I need to see this movie some time.
"Too soon" arguments are really "never" arguments when it comes to terrorism - people need to accept the fact that no one in the world/US will ever again be able to pretend that terrorism is something that happens elsewhere. A tactic so damned cheap and easy - easy enough for even the most simple-minded - will never be fully suppressed. Bravery comes from accepting that fact and still laughing (both in general and at the backwards rednecks of all cultures who stoop to terrorism).
i've seen four lions
and as a brit maybe i appreciate it more than anybody else looking in on it
but personally i felt that the film never shys away from what it is
it never tries to demonise or alternatively to justify terrorists
all it does it humanise them
and create a bizarrely ridiculous yet believable and engaging story
in a hilarious manner
love moviebob
and as a brit maybe i appreciate it more than anybody else looking in on it
but personally i felt that the film never shys away from what it is
it never tries to demonise or alternatively to justify terrorists
all it does it humanise them
and create a bizarrely ridiculous yet believable and engaging story
in a hilarious manner
love moviebob
I just thought since musilms(what ever you call the crazy ones i know not all muslims are cranky old men with explosives(but all muslims take offence to stuff really easily)) blow everything out of proportion(no pun intended) they might bomb what ever studio made this film or the publishers or whatever.
The story at the beginning did indeed make me laugh, and reminded me of probably my all-time favourite Darwin Award:
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-38.html
In the right time and place, making fun of the enemy can indeed be a good way of bringing them down.
http://darwinawards.com/darwin/darwin1999-38.html
In the right time and place, making fun of the enemy can indeed be a good way of bringing them down.
This is why I don't take the terrorists seriously, all the good ones have blown themselves up by now, all that's left are the bumbling nincompoops who will more than likely end up blowing up Osama's cave sometime in the near future.
I think the only problem I have with Chris Morris, is given that he built his reputation on satire and making up utter lies and getting others to repeat them, whenever I hear an anecdote from him, I first assume it's entirely false.
I can and went in the UK long ago and I can 100% reassure you there are NO apologies. Any that would up would have been shoehorned by the US distributor, not the original film-makers.VonBrewskie said:
I'm a little surprised no one has mentioned Jeff Dunham's Achmed The Dead Terrorist. Granted, it's very broad humor and not based in real human behavior like "Lions", but I'm pretty sure it was this same "tearing down of powerful image through satire" that's made him so successful.
I never heard of this film until today
I shall have to check it out on DVD someday
I smell a birthday present!
I shall have to check it out on DVD someday
I smell a birthday present!
The only problem is that it tends to be more or less based of a quote than actual humor mocking terrorists. The first, "Silence! I Kill You!" was funny, but Dunham plays it too much too often, and now it's a popular quote, not a thought provoking satirical attempt at humor.vid87 said:
However, I'm going to bring up my "Comedic Terrorist" retort, and I'm sure no one will mention it because of the way it was represented by the writer/Director, it really won't count, is Uwe Boll's Postal [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486640/].
It's not a very good movie by any means, even though Boll did try something that was just too relying on bad jokes and not actual satire, but one can't deny that the Taliban inspiration in the film certainly isn't something of the same thing that Moviebob was talking about, even if, again, Boll's sense of humor wasn't biting enough.
A good review, and one I have heard a little bit about (Big thanks to IFC for that one), and it's one I do want to see.
The inept terrorist with a taste for western culture has been throughouly explored by the absolutely superb Monkey Dust.
That being said, Morris is a genius. Brass Eye is kind of like the Onion on smack. As surreal as it is funny.
That being said, Morris is a genius. Brass Eye is kind of like the Onion on smack. As surreal as it is funny.