Trailer to New Bill Maher Documentary: 'Religulous'

[romantico]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 4:15pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_6MRQd4gEE


A Statement from Bill Maher

Since starting on Politically Incorrect in 1993, it has been my pleasure over the last decade and a half to make organized religion one of my favorite targets. I often explained to people, "I don't need to make fun of religion, it makes fun of itself." And, then I go ahead and make fun of it too, just for laughs.

With religious fanatics like George Bush and Osama bin Laden now taking over the world, it seemed to me in recent years that this issue — this cause of debunking the man behind the curtain — needed to have a larger, more insistent and focused forum than late night television. I wanted to make a documentary, and I wanted it to be funny. In fact, since there is nothing more ridiculous than the ancient mythological stories that live on as today's religions, this movie would try to be a real knee slapper. Unless, of course, you're religious, then you might not like it.

Who could I get to direct me on such an epic quest? In reality, there was only one man, and his name is Larry Charles. I hope that together we fulfilled that quest. Which really isn't that hard, considering that comedically speaking, the topic of religion is pretty much hitting the side of a barn.

As a comedian, religion has always interested me — it was the single easiest subject to make jokes about. I think that tells us something: comedians look for things that don't make sense, that are illogical.

Even as a young comedian, routines I did that got the biggest laughs and got me invited back on the Tonight Show were the religious ones — like the one about being half Catholic and half Jewish and bringing a lawyer into confession: "Bless me father for I have sinned — and I think you know Mr. Cohen . . ."

Politics is a rich area, but even politicians, although they promise some ridiculous stuff, don't approach the level of, for example, the Mormon practice of promising couples a planet to rule over in the after life if they have a really good marriage on earth. They give you a planet — kinda like when someone gives you a certificate that says a star has been named after you — except here, they really give you the star!

Join me in the final battle between intelligence and stupidity that will decide the future of humanity. Coming soon to a house of false idols near you.

--Bill Maher

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 4:37pm

Aces! I can't wait to see it.

[YouWantitWhen????]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 4:44pm

Ditto.

[romantico]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 4:49pm

I love Bill Maher. I agree with him politically 99% of the time, but this is not a political movie. I love how he expose religious hypocrisy and this is the BEST topic for him of all people to tackle. Plus, I find his sarcastic sense of humor sexy.

[Roninjoey]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 5:49pm

So there.

[shira's chef]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 6:14pm

Interesting. I like!

[DG]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 7:19pm

"Join me in the final battle between intelligence and stupidity that will decide the future of humanity."

I'll be one of the first in line for this flick, mostly because I believe the statement above.

Please, PLEASE let a few of the idiots make a big deal about boycotting it so everyone will go to see it.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 7:25pm

Would you all hate me if I said I can't stand him and find him incredibly irritating? (and no, I'm not a right wing evangelical).

[DG]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 7:39pm

Adam - no one appeals to everybody

I generally get a real kick out of him - even when I don't!

[Namaste]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 9:52pm

If I see any movie this summer, this one will be it.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 9:53pm

It doesn't come out till this fall.

[javero]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 10:50pm

I'll be first in line at the local movie house.

[romantico]

Posted: 6/8/08 at 11:22pm

One of my favorite Real Time Moments with Bill. LOVE IT, LOVE HIM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iINxH8QObDE&feature=

Updated On: 6/8/08 at 11:22 PM

[DMsquared2]

Posted: 6/9/08 at 7:19am

While Bill Maher can be funny, his smart-ass personality turns me off.

[DG]

Posted: 6/9/08 at 7:57am

In today's "culture", I'll take smart-ass over no-smarts every time.

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/9/08 at 10:09am

I'm not a fan of Maher, but I am also not a fan of organized religions. I don't think they're inherently bad, but historically so much harm has been done in the name of religion. In fact, they do much good, but I'm not sure the good outweighs the harm.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/9/08 at 10:36am

I sort of liked Bill Maher until he wore the Halloween costume mocking Bill Irwin's death. That was incredibly insensitive and disrespectful for no good reason whatsoever.

Updated On: 10/3/08 at 10:36 AM

[Jane2]

Posted: 6/9/08 at 10:37am

I have to echo what Madbrian just said. I'm not a Maher fan at all, but this film is right on. I'll see it.

[me2]

Posted: 6/9/08 at 8:55pm

I LOVED Politically Incorrect and was very sad to see it go off the air, particularly for such a stupid reason. I don't take Maher himself too seriously, though. I loved how he held himself up as the man with all the ideas about men and marraige . . . yet, at 45 (or whatever), he hadn't ever been married. So he's calibrating his views on his own life, which clearly not a typical example.

That was typical of his show for me--a very informative and interesting show but more for the discussion it provided, not so much for Maher's input.
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[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/9/08 at 9:03pm

What did he say about marriage?

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 6/10/08 at 2:03pm

Trailer here!

[me2]

Posted: 6/11/08 at 8:01pm

I don't remember the specifics, but it was always along the lines of men don't want to be married, they don't want one sexual partner, they weren't created for marraige, etc.

Considering most men do get married, it would suggest his own feelings form his theories, not the experiences of men worldwide.
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[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/21/08 at 8:54am

Chud.com reviews the film

[romantico]

Posted: 8/21/08 at 3:22pm

More of Bill on Larry King Live. Bill is right on with this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEmwKhKdZKI

[KrissySim]

Posted: 8/22/08 at 3:27am

Oh oh! I'm going to have to put this one on my list.

When I lived in Eastern Europe, I attended the Christian Orthodox church at times as a cultural experience, but it actually became an interesting diversion for me. If anyone here gives a rat's ass, here is a bit from my journal that I wrote for friends' eyes only about that time:

"OK, write something about Orthodoxy? To me it's like a theatrical event complete with non-instrumental music, sights, lamp lights, incense and ritual, sets and costumes. The Orthodox calendar with all the days of the saints, etc. is like a giant epic poem cycle played out over the course of the year. In the midst of all that is metaphor, metaphor and metaphor. Like watching a pageant play in which you become a player.

"No, I don't take much of it literally. And I get annoyed by others who not only take it strictly and literally, but try to impose their beliefs on me. And I get annoyed by priests who say "Life on this earth is supposed to be hard. It's what you do on this earth to prepare for the next life that counts. The important thing is to praise Jesus. Life will be hard, but if you praise Jesus things will be fine in the hereafter..." :-P

"You see, I can relate to Orthodoxy as art, poetry and metaphor. But try to tell me that it is more important to get the oppressed and poor of the earth to praise Jesus than it is to try to improve their living conditions, or oppose and remedy the oppression they face, and you might very suddenly see the sole of my shoe up real close.

"So yes I do attend the Orthodox church at times, when there's a good congregation. I do not go to mock the "true believers". I just have a different way of looking at and relating to it. And I love attending a real feast. I like the sense of community that's there when you are at a church that is attended by nice people and not packed with idiots. Idiots who are patronizing towards me or looking at me like I'm one of God's lost angels fallen and astray. Or in any other way looking down at me. Have mercy on this poor child of God. (see my shoe?) I've actually been in a church where I was sneered at, like church was too good and pure a place for someone like me. Don't pollute the pious. (see my other shoe?) I guess like every village, every church has its idiots. Nuff said?

"Oh...And I prefer churches that go by the old calendar to ones that go by the new. I like the way the old calendar does the Feast of the Nativity. Completely without the commercialism and advertising blitz of the Western Christmas. No gift-giving. No Santa. No "Merry Christmas!" The Nativity on the Old Calendar compartmentalizes itself from the Western "Ho ho ho". Not that the Western "Ho Ho Ho" is bad. But you can deal with it separately when the Nativity is on the 7th. : - )"

... interesting to look at what you've written in years past....