Larry Charles, director of Borat as well as highly notable episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Seinfeld, turns his eye to the R-word. Religion. Your host: American comic Bill Maher.
A supermarket isle of organised religions such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Mormonism, TV evangelism and Scientology (apparently skipping Hinduism and Buddhism, strangely) are drawn into the crosshairs. Bill Maher's a disbeliever and sets out across the globe to see what's cooking for religion's followers.
I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
Seems to be these days that if you want to get a decent audience for your documentary you need a) a smart-alecky onscreen personality and b) a social institution to incredulously rally against. Think Michael Moore vs. gun control or Morgan Spurlock vs. McDonalds. Here, Bill Maher sets his sights on an even higher power, so to speak, by going after God, well Gods, and their hordes of followers.
What Maher does really well compared to the previously mentioned examples is focus more on the social institution rather than his own persona. It’s particularly rewarding because of the litany of deluded weirdos he comes up against. Soul singers turned televangelists, reformed homosexuals trying to spread the word of same-sex love’s evil, the self-proclaimed reincarnation of Jesus and a fantastically kitschy religious theme park are easy targets but choc full of realised comic potential. You could argue that the shooting fish in a barrel approach dilutes his surprisingly passionate anti-religious message, but Maher is a comedian first and foremost and a theological inquisitor second, best evidenced by the ironic splicing of stock footage and sub titles into the original material.
Not afraid to step on toes in its quest for laughs, this is as accessible and entertaining as documentaries get. Unless, of course, you have committed religious beliefs.
By Andreas Heinemann, Flicks.co.nz
Finally a movie that speaks up on the insanity of religion!
Its a really good doco, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
You may very well hate it, but at least you've been informed. Perhaps you could enjoy the material about other religions, and tune out when yours is being discussed. That's only human nature.
This film needed to be made. The only trouble is, while it's easy for avowed atheists and cynics like me to laugh along as Maher takes his pot shots at the side of the barn, we know that the people who might actually learn something from this film - like those poor bloody Bible-belt teens being dragged off to "creation museums" every weekend - are never even going to know that Religulous exists. Talk about preaching to the unconverted.
It’s a rare film that can simultaneously crack you up and send a chill down your spine. Worth seeing — even for believers.
By focusing so narrowly on religious fundamentalists and bigots while ignoring any spiritual dimension to religion, the film is not only being disingenuous but limits its audience to non-believers.
Though he claims to be a seeker, someone who "has to find out" why believers believe, Maher sets out not after answers but cheap laughs that preach, so to speak, to the converted.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Thursday, 7th May 2009.
Release date: May 7th 2009.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
