You Know Nothing!
Potentially good news for Albert Brooks fans: His next picture, which I hope will be released under its current title Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World, sounds pretty damn funny. Brooks will once again be playing a character named "Albert Brooks," and will go to India on assignment for the U.S. government in order to develop a comedy strategy for the war on terrorism. From an early review by one of Harry Knowles' agents:
Mr. Brooks appears somewhat incredulous. He even stops the meeting to point out that India is largely Hindu, not Muslim. To which the one of the suits responds that there are 150 million Muslims in India, and Fred Thomson says, "Is that enough for ya?"
Albert Einstein has been known to stuff even his turkeys with some good gags (like Steven Wright's "Stan Spielberg" scene in The Muse), so one joke may not a movie make. But he seems to be back with some Real Life mojo, and so I remain condemned to hope's delusive mine.
Jai al-Leno, the Taliban's "Minister of Monologue," lays down the jokes here.
Bad News Update: A person I am not at liberty to identify, but whose taste and probity are beyond reproach, has seen a screening and pronounces the film so bad it probably won't be released.
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Only tangentially related, but there was a segment on All Things Considered yesterday about a Muslim comedy tour called "Allah Made Me Funny." And I have to say Allah did a pretty lousy job of it, at least with the two they interviewed.
Minister of Monologue. Classic. The real Jay Leno should actually do that bit.
Many many years ago, when I was young and single, I dated a guy who fancied himself urbane and sophisticated in a NYish sort of way, and he thought Albert Brooks was the funniest filmmaker ever, and when I confessed that I sometimes laughed at physical comedy, buddy flicks, etc. (I'm actually a pretty cheap laugh), he took pity on my gaucheness and attempted to expose me to quality films, and when I see a Brooks film it instantly transports me back to that time and that pale, skinny, condescending, sloppy kissing prat, and so I hate the films. Which is a shame, cos Brooks is a funny guy.
Thanks for the Real Life tip. Defending Your Life is certainly one of my favorite films, but I never took the time to dig deeper into the Albert Brooks catalog.
This is great news, I love Albert Brooks and I can't wait to see it. But as I cruised the IMDb, I found this terrifying little item.
That's right, the annoying Italian jerk who somehow defeated Nick Nolte for Best Actor a couple of years back has decided to take his "unique" (re: mind-numbingly banal) form of comedy and apply it to Iraq. Now I'm afraid that the ticket seller will accidentally hand me a ticket to Benigni's flick instead of Brook's. *shudder*
If Albert Brooks wants to find funny (Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World) he should go to the source in Saudi Arabia and laugh his head off.
If these Muslims were converted into eggs...
Mother is hilarious if yours is exasperating but essentially benign.
"My Mullah is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fat, when he sits around the Mosque, He sits A-ROUND ... THE ... MOSQUE ... "
ba-dum-dum!
"Why do Taliban prefer sheep to women?
So they can have dinner AND a date on Saturday Night!"
ba-dum-dum!
"What do you call an Afghani who owns a goat? A herder.
What do you call an Afghani who owns eight goats?
A pimp!"
Thank you! For my next act ...
I am looking forward to its arrival.