Bill Maher's "Religulous"

[zero]

Trailer Here

Outside of The Dark Knight, this is probably the movie I'm most excited about this year. I cannot wait to see the uproar this thing causes around the world, and especially here. I'm a huge fan of Maher and a huge fan of dissecting organized religion, so this movie will be on the top of my list come Fall.

A Statement from Larry Charles - Director

Ok. An old God, a very buff old God that lives in space decides to create the first man from earth dust, then makes a woman from that man’s rib. They get to live forever if they don’t eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, but the woman is tricked into eating a piece by a talking snake and all future humanity is cursed. Or, how bout this one? This same space God who lives in the sky and has power over everything decides he wants a son, so he impregnates a woman but she remains a virgin. And, the child can walk on water and raise the dead. But his father, the sky God, sends him on a suicide mission to save humanity. After he dies, he rises from the dead and flies into space to be with his father (who is also him.)

Greek myths? The latest installment of the “Lord of the Rings”? Disney’s new animated movie? No! These are the foundations of Western religion. The tenuous shaky belief systems that our entire civilization rests upon.

What do you believe, why do you believe it, and why do you need to believe it? Can we be good without God? Is religion a calling or a mental illness? Were Jesus, Moses and Mohammed prophets and visionaries, or crackpot nut cases who today would be put away? Is religion an obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Comedian, acerbic commentator, raconteur, skeptic, seeker Bill Maher and I set off in search of answers to these questions in a raunchy, rude, irreverent, outrageous, and shocking nonfiction film about the greatest fiction ever told.

Set to the rhythms of “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Jesus Walks,” from the Western Wall to the Vatican, from self-professed messiahs to self professed Pariahs, we will not only expose the hypocrisy and corruption in organized religion but the absurdly hilarious logic that holds it together.

We will talk to clergy, extremists, scholars, politicians, ex-cons, the man on the street and even the man upstairs (that’s right, we interview God.)

The funny will be scary, the scary wildly funny. The crazy will seem sane and the sane absolutely and undeniably crazy. All lines are blurred. All bets are off. We will get inside, on top of, behind, and in front of religion.

–Larry Charles

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

Edited June 7, 2008 by Zero

[TGC]

He kept mentioning this on Real Time this spring and I too am excited. As excited as I am to see Get Smart, Dark Knight, or The Incredible Hulk? Uh no.

[zero]

I'm a nerd for this kind of stuff though - unfortunately the film got pushed back to Oct. 3

[TGC]

Wow. They should push it back to December 25th next.

Wait no. Easter Sunday!

[zero]

Easter weekend of this year was the original release, then it got pushed back to July and again to October.

Clearly divine intervention.

[TGC]

God was pissed?

[Hellfire]

I like documentaries, and anything that pokes fun at religion is good in my book. Actually being able to see what some crazies believe in should be a good time.

[PanchoVilla]

Just like Real Time, I'll watch it, I'll laugh, and then I'll forget about it fifteen minutes later so it'll all seem new to me when I see it on TV. I'm not sure what it is, but as as funny as I find Bill Maher, nothing he says ever sticks in my memory.

[zero]

Go see this movie this weekend. Seriously, it's flat-out amazing and long overdue that someone called out ALL religions for likely being the ones to bring about man-made Armageddon.

[ROC]

Oh God, that endorsement is just what I need. I've looked forward to this movie as I've looked through religion through both lenses, plus I enjoy a lot of Maher's stuff. So that sounds awesome.

[The Mask of Norro]

I'm probably not going to see it. Not because Maher will offend me, I honestly don't mind people who think religion is ridiculous because in all honesty, the years and years of corrupt churches have brought it upon themselves. I choose to believe what I do, Maher's mocking the belief, sure, but as far as I understand he's mostly mocking these fanatics and whatnot.

No, I won't go watch this instead because of the people he'll be talking to in there. The people who would suit for this sort of movie to paint things in a negative light and, unfortunately, the people who are the majority of those picked up on by the media and the people who perpetuate these negative stereotypes all over the damn place. Maher I could care less about, he wouldn't piss me off, no, what would piss me off is the fucking idiots who take their beliefs, mix them with the word, and call it "Christianity". The people who can't answer simple questions by guys like Maher regarding the faith, when all they'd need to do is use common sense in the word in order to offer up a response.

Seriously, I've said it before and I'll say it again: it's because of the fucks at Westboro, it's because of the retards manning "Protect the Pulpit" and their bloody preaching of politics in church, it's because of all of these hate-spewing, word-abusing, bible-thumping-despite-not-even-following-the-fucking-thing borderline retards that have fucked things up in the world today, and have used religion as the backdrop for their plans just so they can connect with people who, unfortunately, are too damn blind to know any better. It's because of these ignorant people, that we get movies like "Religulous" poking fun at them and, in the process, causing everyone else to look at every Christian under the same lens.

And now, I get the fine opportunity of waiting for the day when the conversation comes up, perhaps with some random stranger that hey, I actually connected with on some level, maybe it was something innocent like a game at Gamestop, or a book at Barnes & Noble, but whatever it is, somehow religion could come up, and God forbid I mention my beliefs, because next thing I know, I'm some jackass with a sign that says "GOD HATES FAGS" just like every other Christian that lives in this world, apparently.

Good on Maher for making a movie like this, but fuck. I'm just sick and tired of seeing so much shit spewed out of these would-be Christians, watch the media and entertainment industry mock it as they SHOULD, and then wind up having a majority of the audience to these things leave and look at every Christian as virtually the same from that point onwards.

[zero]

It's not just Christians, Maher goes after Jews, Muslims, Catholics, and even a guy that formed a religion around smoking pot in Amsterdam. It's all religion, and the fundamental message of the movie isn't "LOL look at the silly Christian," it's what's wrong with just saying "I don't know?"

Granted, there's plenty of idiots on there who made me facepalm, but there were a few people that were downright terrifying and there was one hardcore Christian who made an AMAZINGLY good point, I'll put it in tags for people who want to see the movie for themselves:

Spoiler: Click here to view

A guy who portrays Jesus at an amusement park in Orlando was asked about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and the contradictions about whether they're all the same or separate. He responded with "God is like water - liquid, steam, and ice," and even Maher admitted that it was the greatest analogy he's ever heard in regards to religion

But when our current political climate has a woman that believes in witches and that Jesus will return in her lifetime as the Vice Presidential nominee of a major party ticket, I'm thrilled that Maher put this movie out. These are terrifying times we live in and Maher's biggest point in the movie is that if Armageddon does come, it will be man-made as a result of religion.

[The Mask of Norro]

Their trailers then seem to be trying to market the movie to, and appeal to, the "anti-religion" and "anti-Christian" crowd, because that was the vibe I got from them and that's why I went on my little rant there, because if it was what the trailer presented to me, I pretty much can promise you it'd wind up enforcing negative stereotypes on Christians even if it didn't intend to.

Now that you've explained it a bit better for me, hell, I may watch it. I'll probably get very annoyed by some of the idiots, but hey, it happens.

[KevinStorm]

I don't think it's playing near me.

[Pepsi]

Loved it.

I agree with Bill Maher's views on religion 100% so I found it just hugely entertaining. Basically it was Bill Maher saying everything I've ever wanted to say to some of these groups. My personal favorite part was when he mentioned Scientology and the crowd started laughing to which Bill said something like, "Oh Scientology is crazy but there's nothing in Christianity that's as crazy right?" I loved that part because I've always hated people bagging on Scientology and yet say nothing about the fairy tales in Christianity. I seriously wanted to clap at that part.

Chances are if you are not religious you'll love this movie and if you are religious you won't see it, which is too bad.

[EndOfAnEra]

Easily the best part was when the astrologer from the Vatican said there's no science in the bible, and that it isn't meant to be taken literally. I was just like "THANK FUCK SOMEONE INVOLVED KNOWS".

[Lowerdeck]

I saw it on Sunday, really great. Something that needed to be said, unfortunate not many people out there went to see it.

[MalaCloudy Black]

I can't see it.

There's only a single theatre in the whole state playing it and it's 3+ hours away.

[Lowerdeck]

I can't see it.

There's only a single theatre in the whole state playing it and it's 3+ hours away.

Looks like you have something to do this weekend...