First, a quick reminder that entries on several films playing here or there have been updated through today: Film Socialisme, Agrarian Utopia, Road to Nowhere and The Tree of Life. Alright, on with the weekend...
"Jj Abrams imitates to flatter with Super 8, an homage to the seminal science fiction films of Steven Spielberg that succumbs to empty nostalgic pandering," argues Nick Schager in Slant. "As with his Star Trek, Abrams's latest puts a modern spin on classical material, though here reinvention isn't the goal so much as slavish duplication embellished with muscular CG effects. It's akin to returning to a cinematic womb of Spielbergian father-son issues, suburban households under extraterrestrial strain, and teen romance, friendship, and maturation via out-of-this-world circumstances. The effect of such a modus operandi is initial coziness quickly giving way to disheartening familiarity, with Abrams's own preoccupations (if he had any to begin with) becoming subsumed beneath the root themes,...
"Jj Abrams imitates to flatter with Super 8, an homage to the seminal science fiction films of Steven Spielberg that succumbs to empty nostalgic pandering," argues Nick Schager in Slant. "As with his Star Trek, Abrams's latest puts a modern spin on classical material, though here reinvention isn't the goal so much as slavish duplication embellished with muscular CG effects. It's akin to returning to a cinematic womb of Spielbergian father-son issues, suburban households under extraterrestrial strain, and teen romance, friendship, and maturation via out-of-this-world circumstances. The effect of such a modus operandi is initial coziness quickly giving way to disheartening familiarity, with Abrams's own preoccupations (if he had any to begin with) becoming subsumed beneath the root themes,...
- 6/12/2011
- MUBI
International comedian Ahmed Ahmed's directorial debut "Just Like Us," follows comics in the Middle East (Ahmed included) who tour to show that comedy is still very much alive in the Arab world. Ahmed chatted with indieWIRE about what made him to step behind the camera. The film opened in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. on June 10th. Click here to see when it's coming to a theater near ...
- 6/11/2011
- Indiewire
International comedian Ahmed Ahmed's directorial debut "Just Like Us," follows comics in the Middle East (Ahmed included) who tour to show that comedy is still very much alive in the Arab world. Ahmed chatted with indieWIRE about what made him to step behind the camera. The film opened in New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. on June 10th. Click here to see when it's coming to a theater near ...
- 6/11/2011
- indieWIRE - People
While the kids of small-town America try to figure out J.J. Abrams big secret in Super 8 and Charles Xavier, Erik Lensherr and the rest of the X-Men prep for a second weekend battle at the box office, we take a look at a few other movies that are getting limited releases today. Check out the trailers below and let us know if any of these movies look interesting to you. Bride Flight A sweeping romantic drama that charts the lives of three Dutch women from different backgrounds who emigrate to New Zealand as war brides, Bride Flight gets a limited release in Los Angeles this weekend. Critics have tagged this movie a lush, epic romantic weepie that’s filled with rich characters and great acting. Just Like Us Director Ahmed Ahmed leads a group of comedians...
Read More
Read Comments...
Read More
Read Comments...
- 6/10/2011
- by affiliates@fandango.com
- Fandango
Comedy generally doesn’t benefit from having any goal beyond making people laugh, but for Ahmed Ahmed, a prominent Egyptian-American stand-up and ringleader of a tour through Arab countries chronicled in the documentary Just Like Us, the opportunity seems too great to pass up. Post 9/11, with American tensions with Arabs and Muslims running hot, Ahmed seized on the chance to use comedy to build bridges between disparate cultures and lighten the mood a bit. It’s an admirable mission, but the bridge-building doesn’t serve the comedy, which generally searches for a common denominator, and it definitely doesn ...
- 6/9/2011
- avclub.com
Each week within this column we strive to pair the latest in theatrical releases to the worthwhile titles currently available on Netflix Instant Watch.
This week there’s something strange lurking out there in the dark. While aliens and trolls cause havoc here and abroad, a band of British and Middle Eastern comedians take to the road to crack jokes and break down barriers. And if you’re eager to take these kinds of thrills and chuckles home, we’ve got a slew of suggestions for your viewing pleasure.
—
Super 8
Sci-fi icon Steven Spielberg and Star Trek director J.J. Abrams team up to bring this much-anticipated tale of childhood adventure and alien mystery to theaters. Super 8 centers on a tight-knit group of adolescent filmmakers who witness a horrifying train crash — and later spot something far more frightening emerge from the wreckage. But who will believe them? Joel Courtney,...
This week there’s something strange lurking out there in the dark. While aliens and trolls cause havoc here and abroad, a band of British and Middle Eastern comedians take to the road to crack jokes and break down barriers. And if you’re eager to take these kinds of thrills and chuckles home, we’ve got a slew of suggestions for your viewing pleasure.
—
Super 8
Sci-fi icon Steven Spielberg and Star Trek director J.J. Abrams team up to bring this much-anticipated tale of childhood adventure and alien mystery to theaters. Super 8 centers on a tight-knit group of adolescent filmmakers who witness a horrifying train crash — and later spot something far more frightening emerge from the wreckage. But who will believe them? Joel Courtney,...
- 6/9/2011
- by Kristy Puchko
- The Film Stage
Comedian/director Ahmed Ahmed in Just Like Us In the spring of 2009, a dozen American and international comedians and I set out for the Middle East on a four-country comedy tour. What we embarked on was groundbreaking, to say the least. Two years prior to that, I had toured the Middle East with a group of strictly Middle Eastern comics, and we called our show The Axis Of Evil Comedy Tour. After we made history introducing Arab-American stand up comedy to the region, I thought it would be a great idea to mix it up a bit and allow American comics to actually perform "American" stand-up comedy, and it worked much better than I thought. We filmed the tour, called Just Like Us, and cut 200 hours of footage into a 72-minute, (eventually) award-winning documentary. With the help of my incredible producers Taylor Feltner and Matt Blaine, and our awesome editors...
- 6/9/2011
- TribecaFilm.com
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(June 2011)
Directed by: Ahmed Ahmed
Starring: Ahmed Ahmed and the Ahmed Family, Omid Djalili, Khalid Khalifa, Peter Howarth-Lees, Lubna Hussein, Whitney Cummings, Tommy Davidson and Tom Papa
Exploring the image of Americans belonging to the Islamic faith, Ahmed Ahmed, an Egyptian-American comedian, utilizes the words of Barack Obama interspersed with person-on-the-street interviews to open his documentary before presenting us with his stand-up comedy tour of the Middle East.
Addressing issues of “Arab” vs. “Muslim,” the concept behind the film is that through comedy (mainly self-deprecating or self-aware commentary), comedians can enable others to laugh at the experiences proffered and through that laughter realize these Muslim comics, and Muslims generally, are “just like us.”
With one sweep, Ahmed and company provide evidence that indeed he and his contemporaries are much more like us than extremists, but at the same moment, their awareness of how privileged their position is,...
(June 2011)
Directed by: Ahmed Ahmed
Starring: Ahmed Ahmed and the Ahmed Family, Omid Djalili, Khalid Khalifa, Peter Howarth-Lees, Lubna Hussein, Whitney Cummings, Tommy Davidson and Tom Papa
Exploring the image of Americans belonging to the Islamic faith, Ahmed Ahmed, an Egyptian-American comedian, utilizes the words of Barack Obama interspersed with person-on-the-street interviews to open his documentary before presenting us with his stand-up comedy tour of the Middle East.
Addressing issues of “Arab” vs. “Muslim,” the concept behind the film is that through comedy (mainly self-deprecating or self-aware commentary), comedians can enable others to laugh at the experiences proffered and through that laughter realize these Muslim comics, and Muslims generally, are “just like us.”
With one sweep, Ahmed and company provide evidence that indeed he and his contemporaries are much more like us than extremists, but at the same moment, their awareness of how privileged their position is,...
- 6/9/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(June 2011)
Directed by: Ahmed Ahmed
Starring: Ahmed Ahmed and the Ahmed Family, Omid Djalili, Khalid Khalifa, Peter Howarth-Lees, Lubna Hussein, Whitney Cummings, Tommy Davidson and Tom Papa
Exploring the image of Americans belonging to the Islamic faith, Ahmed Ahmed, an Egyptian-American comedian, utilizes the words of Barack Obama interspersed with person-on-the-street interviews to open his documentary before presenting us with his stand-up comedy tour of the Middle East.
Addressing issues of “Arab” vs. “Muslim,” the concept behind the film is that through comedy (mainly self-deprecating or self-aware commentary), comedians can enable others to laugh at the experiences proffered and through that laughter realize these Muslim comics, and Muslims generally, are “just like us.”
With one sweep, Ahmed and company provide evidence that indeed he and his contemporaries are much more like us than extremists, but at the same moment, their awareness of how privileged their position is,...
(June 2011)
Directed by: Ahmed Ahmed
Starring: Ahmed Ahmed and the Ahmed Family, Omid Djalili, Khalid Khalifa, Peter Howarth-Lees, Lubna Hussein, Whitney Cummings, Tommy Davidson and Tom Papa
Exploring the image of Americans belonging to the Islamic faith, Ahmed Ahmed, an Egyptian-American comedian, utilizes the words of Barack Obama interspersed with person-on-the-street interviews to open his documentary before presenting us with his stand-up comedy tour of the Middle East.
Addressing issues of “Arab” vs. “Muslim,” the concept behind the film is that through comedy (mainly self-deprecating or self-aware commentary), comedians can enable others to laugh at the experiences proffered and through that laughter realize these Muslim comics, and Muslims generally, are “just like us.”
With one sweep, Ahmed and company provide evidence that indeed he and his contemporaries are much more like us than extremists, but at the same moment, their awareness of how privileged their position is,...
- 6/9/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Getty Images Ahmed Ahmed
In the wake of September 11th, my life took a left turn into a world I never saw coming and suddenly I was hurled into a cross fire of hatred, racial profiling and misunderstanding. Up until that day, Arab-Muslims in America had always been viewed in such a way that made it difficult for the average person to identify with, and then it got worse. At the time, I was an out-of-work actor living in Hollywood...
In the wake of September 11th, my life took a left turn into a world I never saw coming and suddenly I was hurled into a cross fire of hatred, racial profiling and misunderstanding. Up until that day, Arab-Muslims in America had always been viewed in such a way that made it difficult for the average person to identify with, and then it got worse. At the time, I was an out-of-work actor living in Hollywood...
- 6/6/2011
- by Ahmed Ahmed
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Ahmed Ahmed’s Just Like Us made its world premiere at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival and almost exactly a year later, wrapped up its festival run back in New York at the Gold Coast International Film Festival. Similarly to the film and Ahmed’s approach to life, Just Like Us has come full circle. Sticking with the idioms, when one door closes for this documentary, another one opens as Just Like Us is preparing for a Us release via Lionsgate. In the film, Ahmed tackles the misconception that Arabs have no sense of humor. With the help of a hilarious and amusingly crude team of comedians, Ahmed travels to Dubai, Lebanon,...
- 6/5/2011
- by Perri Nemiroff
- ShockYa
ComingSoon.net has a first look at a clip from Just Like Us , opening in New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC on June 10th before expanding to more markets on June 17. The documentary features Egyptian-American comedian Ahmed Ahmed, in his directorial debut, and also features Ted Alexandro, Sherif Azab, Whitney Cummings, Tommy Davidson, Omid Djalili, Erik Griffin, Maz Jobrani, Sebastian Maniscalco, Eman Morgan, Tom Papa, Maria Shehata and Angelo Tsarouchas. The film documents four countries in the Middle East, showcasing the cultures of Dubai, Lebanon, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Egypt with sold out crowds totaling over 20,000 people. Through the current Internet age, stand-up comedy has flourished in the Arab region over the past few years.
- 5/16/2011
- Comingsoon.net
The Tribeca Film Festival has announced its jurors who will be choosing the winning films, filmmakers and actors from the six competitive Festival categories. The thirty-eight jurors consist of award-winning filmmakers, screenwriters and notorious actors such as Whoopi Goldberg and Michael Cera. Winners will be announced at the Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28, which will be hosted by Gideon Yago and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com. Below is the press release from Tribeca.
Please visit www.tribecafilm.com for more details. The 2011 Festival runs from April 20 – May 1.
2011 Tribeca Film Festival Jury Announced
David O. Russell, David Gordon Green, Dianne Wiest, Souleymane Cissé, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Rainn Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Denis Leary,Atom Egoyan and Fran Lebowitz are Among the 38 Festival Jurors
New York, NY – April 18, 2010 – The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, the Founding Sponsor of the Festival, today announced its jurors...
Please visit www.tribecafilm.com for more details. The 2011 Festival runs from April 20 – May 1.
2011 Tribeca Film Festival Jury Announced
David O. Russell, David Gordon Green, Dianne Wiest, Souleymane Cissé, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Rainn Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Denis Leary,Atom Egoyan and Fran Lebowitz are Among the 38 Festival Jurors
New York, NY – April 18, 2010 – The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, the Founding Sponsor of the Festival, today announced its jurors...
- 4/20/2011
- by Christopher Clemente
- SoundOnSight
Sometimes it’s good to be called for jury duty.
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its jurors – 38 lucky individuals, including award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers divided among six competitive Festival categories.
Together, the six Tff juries will award $175,000 in cash and prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.
The Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28 will be hosted by Gideon Yago, and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com.
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition are:
Souleymane Cissé: Noted Malian director; films include the 1995 Cannes Palme d’Or nomineeWaati, 1987 Cannes Jury Prize Winner Brightness and Tell Me Who You Are. Scott Glenn: Actor; films include The Right Stuff,...
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its jurors – 38 lucky individuals, including award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers divided among six competitive Festival categories.
Together, the six Tff juries will award $175,000 in cash and prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.
The Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28 will be hosted by Gideon Yago, and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com.
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition are:
Souleymane Cissé: Noted Malian director; films include the 1995 Cannes Palme d’Or nomineeWaati, 1987 Cannes Jury Prize Winner Brightness and Tell Me Who You Are. Scott Glenn: Actor; films include The Right Stuff,...
- 4/18/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Sometimes it’s good to be called for jury duty.
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its jurors – 38 lucky individuals, including award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers divided among six competitive Festival categories.
Together, the six Tff juries will award $175,000 in cash and prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.
The Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28 will be hosted by Gideon Yago, and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com.
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition are:
Souleymane Cissé: Noted Malian director; films include the 1995 Cannes Palme d’Or nomineeWaati, 1987 Cannes Jury Prize Winner Brightness and Tell Me Who You Are. Scott Glenn: Actor; films include The Right Stuff,...
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff), presented by American Express, today announced its jurors – 38 lucky individuals, including award-winning filmmakers and screenwriters, celebrated actors, respected journalists and media pioneers divided among six competitive Festival categories.
Together, the six Tff juries will award $175,000 in cash and prizes. Festival winners will also receive a piece of original art as part of the Tribeca Film Festival Artists Awards program.
The Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28 will be hosted by Gideon Yago, and streamed live on TribecaFilm.com.
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition are:
Souleymane Cissé: Noted Malian director; films include the 1995 Cannes Palme d’Or nomineeWaati, 1987 Cannes Jury Prize Winner Brightness and Tell Me Who You Are. Scott Glenn: Actor; films include The Right Stuff,...
- 4/18/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: David O. Russell, Nora Ephron, Rainn Wilson, Paul Dano, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Whoopi Goldberg and Dianne Wiest are some of the celebrity names added to the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Jury, announced today.
The jurors have been divided among the six competitive Festival categories and will announce the winning films, filmmakers and actors in those categories at the Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28.
The 2011 Festival runs from April 20 – May 1.
“This year’s jury is made up of a range of accomplished individuals in their respective fields, bringing a fresh and well-rounded perspective,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It’s an honor to have a jury of such caliber watching and discussing the films in competition this year.”
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition...
Hollywoodnews.com: David O. Russell, Nora Ephron, Rainn Wilson, Paul Dano, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Whoopi Goldberg and Dianne Wiest are some of the celebrity names added to the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival Jury, announced today.
The jurors have been divided among the six competitive Festival categories and will announce the winning films, filmmakers and actors in those categories at the Tff Awards Night ceremony on April 28.
The 2011 Festival runs from April 20 – May 1.
“This year’s jury is made up of a range of accomplished individuals in their respective fields, bringing a fresh and well-rounded perspective,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival. “It’s an honor to have a jury of such caliber watching and discussing the films in competition this year.”
Following is a list of all 2011 Festival jurors and their respective categories.
World Competition Categories:
The jurors for the 2011 World Narrative Competition...
- 4/18/2011
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
David O. Russell, Nora Ephron, Dianne Wiest, Jason Sudeikis, Whoopi Goldberg, Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Rainn Wilson, Anna Kendrick, Michael Cera, Denis Leary, Atom Egoyan and Fran Lebowitz are among the 38 jurors for this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, which runs from April 20 to May 1. “This year’s jury is made up of a range of accomplished individuals in their respective fields, bringing a fresh and well-rounded perspective,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder of the Tribeca Film Festival, in a statement. “It’s an honor to have a jury of such caliber watching and discussing the films in competition this year.
- 4/18/2011
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
HeyUGuys recently had the opportunity to chat to Egyptian-American comic Ahmed Ahmed about his debut as director on the feature documentary Just Like Us.
The film, which follows the California-born stand-up and actor on his comedy tour of the middle east, takes in such locations as Cairo, Dubai, Beirut and Riyadh and features a number of talented international comedians (including Britain’s own Omid Djalili). It’s an insightful and funny story of how laughter can sometimes bridge the cultural gap, and it’s a film which also makes some astute observations about tolerance and understanding without ever being heavy-handed and beating the audience over the head with it’s message.
Ahmed himself is a witty and passionate figure, full of fun and revealing anecdotes about his life and struggles to make a career for himself in comedy, and the far-reaching and positive effects the film has had so far...
The film, which follows the California-born stand-up and actor on his comedy tour of the middle east, takes in such locations as Cairo, Dubai, Beirut and Riyadh and features a number of talented international comedians (including Britain’s own Omid Djalili). It’s an insightful and funny story of how laughter can sometimes bridge the cultural gap, and it’s a film which also makes some astute observations about tolerance and understanding without ever being heavy-handed and beating the audience over the head with it’s message.
Ahmed himself is a witty and passionate figure, full of fun and revealing anecdotes about his life and struggles to make a career for himself in comedy, and the far-reaching and positive effects the film has had so far...
- 10/18/2010
- by Adam Lowes
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Today the Doha Film Institute announced the lineup for the second annual Doha Tribeca Film Festival, and it looks likely to be a very impressive five days in October with four world premieres, Arab film and Arab short film competitions and a packed World Cinema programme.
Rachid Bouchareb’s Outside the Law is set to open the festival on the 26th of October with Justin Chadwick’s The First Grader chosen as the film to close the event. A highlight of the festival is Ahmed Ahmed’s documentary Just Like Us, and we were able to sit down with the comedian to talk about his film, the festival and his future plans and that interview will appear on the site in due course.
We also hope to be attending the festival in October so we’ll be well placed to bring you the news and reviews from this exemplary event.
Rachid Bouchareb’s Outside the Law is set to open the festival on the 26th of October with Justin Chadwick’s The First Grader chosen as the film to close the event. A highlight of the festival is Ahmed Ahmed’s documentary Just Like Us, and we were able to sit down with the comedian to talk about his film, the festival and his future plans and that interview will appear on the site in due course.
We also hope to be attending the festival in October so we’ll be well placed to bring you the news and reviews from this exemplary event.
- 9/26/2010
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
From July 13th to the 18th, the Just for Laughs Festival will hod its 14th edition of Just for Laughs Film in Montreal. Besides, The Cultural Post got wind of Just for Laughs Film's line-up.
First of all, speaking about Canadian feature films, there will be two ones: Alain Desrochers's Cabotins and Seth W. Owen’s Peepers. The first film stars Rémy Girard, Yves Jacques, Dorothée Berryman, Gilles Renaud and Pierre-François Legendre. It tells the story of a ruined ex-showman and actor who would like to get back in the world of burlesque theatre with his former colleagues and organize a tour. As for Peepers, it stars Joe Cobden, Paul Spence, Jessica Paré, Janine Theriault and Ricky Mabe. It tells the story of three men who sneak across Montreal's rooftops with binoculars. However, a young female student gives to these men a taste of their own game.
Furthermore, the...
First of all, speaking about Canadian feature films, there will be two ones: Alain Desrochers's Cabotins and Seth W. Owen’s Peepers. The first film stars Rémy Girard, Yves Jacques, Dorothée Berryman, Gilles Renaud and Pierre-François Legendre. It tells the story of a ruined ex-showman and actor who would like to get back in the world of burlesque theatre with his former colleagues and organize a tour. As for Peepers, it stars Joe Cobden, Paul Spence, Jessica Paré, Janine Theriault and Ricky Mabe. It tells the story of three men who sneak across Montreal's rooftops with binoculars. However, a young female student gives to these men a taste of their own game.
Furthermore, the...
- 6/11/2010
- by anhkhoido@hotmail.com (Anh Khoi Do)
- The Cultural Post
New York -- Swilling cocktails, saucy language and wearing sexy outfits is the bedrock of "Sex and the City" and now the franchise's sequel transplants the four leading ladies from New York to the Middle East.
The film's leading character Carrie Bradshaw and her sidekicks -- Miranda, Charlotte and the promiscuous Samantha -- try to be respectful and demure, but the movie's makers admit that, in keeping with their characters, they sometimes fail.
Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall, gets in hot water for kissing in public. The movie jokes about women in burqas and has gossip about whether a Middle Eastern butler is gay.
The movie's director Michael Patrick King said any off-kilter notes were in keeping with the characters' normal behavior, whether they be in Abu Dhabi or New York.
"The reality is Samantha Jones is outrageous wherever she goes, whether it be Starbucks ... or Abu Dhabi," he said.
The film's leading character Carrie Bradshaw and her sidekicks -- Miranda, Charlotte and the promiscuous Samantha -- try to be respectful and demure, but the movie's makers admit that, in keeping with their characters, they sometimes fail.
Samantha, played by Kim Cattrall, gets in hot water for kissing in public. The movie jokes about women in burqas and has gossip about whether a Middle Eastern butler is gay.
The movie's director Michael Patrick King said any off-kilter notes were in keeping with the characters' normal behavior, whether they be in Abu Dhabi or New York.
"The reality is Samantha Jones is outrageous wherever she goes, whether it be Starbucks ... or Abu Dhabi," he said.
- 5/26/2010
- by By Christine Kearney, Reuters
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
By Leah Rozen
Ahmed Ahmed’s father missed the birth of his eldest son in a hospital near Cairo because he was in line at the American Embassy getting immigration papers. When he finally made it to the hospital, he announced to his wife and the infant Ahmed, “We’re going to America!” A month later, they did.
Flash forward 39 years and Ahmed, now a successful stand-up comic and actor, is posing for pictures with his father and Robert De Niro at the worldwide premiere of Ahmed’s documentary, “Just Like Us,” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City last Satu...
Ahmed Ahmed’s father missed the birth of his eldest son in a hospital near Cairo because he was in line at the American Embassy getting immigration papers. When he finally made it to the hospital, he announced to his wife and the infant Ahmed, “We’re going to America!” A month later, they did.
Flash forward 39 years and Ahmed, now a successful stand-up comic and actor, is posing for pictures with his father and Robert De Niro at the worldwide premiere of Ahmed’s documentary, “Just Like Us,” at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City last Satu...
- 4/28/2010
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
When New Yorkers talk about the Middle East, it's not usually a laughing matter, but Egyptian actor and comedian Ahmed Ahmed is out to change that. In his debut film Just Like Us, he and a group of international comedians take their bold, and often controversial, brand of comedy to the Middle East. The documentary takes viewers on a hysterical journey through Dubai, Beirut, Riyadh, Cairo and finally, New York. The message is clear - we have a lot to learn about each other. Ahmed knows more than most about Arab stereotypes - his 15-year Hollywood career has included minor parts as terrorists, in Executive Decision and The Onion Movie. He has always attempted to use his comedy to break misconceptions about Arabs and Muslims (the first 10 minutes of Just Like Us are dedicated to explaining the difference between the two). With comedy tours such as One Arab, One Jew,...
- 4/26/2010
- TribecaFilm.com
Who doesn't like comedy? Nobody! And that.s exactly what the documentary Just Like Us attempts to purport, specifically in Arab nations. Yes, some regions may be behind when it comes to embracing the art of stand-up comedy, but that holds no bearing on the fact that if open to a good laugh, an individual of any background can simply be made happier. Just Like Us opens with a brief lesson about the difference between a Muslim and an Arab. Through a sequence of interviews comedian Ahmed Ahmed solidifies the reality that most people, regardless of age, sex or ethnicity, naively use the terms 'Arab' and 'Muslim' interchangeably when in fact, .Arab. refers to a nationality, while .Muslim. refers to an individual practicing Islam. Now that that.s out of the way, it.s onto tackling the common misconception that these Arabs lack a sense of humor. After a few...
- 4/23/2010
- cinemablend.com
Hard Rock Havana Tff 2010 might be starting today, but we jumped the gun a bit last night and threw a special party at the Bowery Hotel for our homegrown NY filmmakers, sponsored by our friends at Company 3. Filmmakers in attendance hailed from Queens to Brooklyn, the Bronx to Manhattan. (Staten Island, were you represented?) What did they all have in common, in addition to being from the greatest city in the world? They were ecstatic that the Festival is finally here, and they cannot Wait to show their films to the best audience in the world: Tribeca's. American Mystic Tribeca filmmakers in attendance included Keith Bearden (Meet Monica Velour), Ahmed Ahmed (Just Like Us), Alex Mar (American Mystic), Nicholas Brennan (Hard Rock Havana), and Francisco Bello (The Spirit of Salsa), to name just a few. Bello described his hopes for his big screening at the Tribeca Drive-In on Thursday...
- 4/21/2010
- TribecaFilm.com
TribecaFilm.com: Tell us a little about Just Like Us. Ahmed Ahmed: Just Like Us is a documentary/film that takes you on a journey that celebrates culture and comedy in four Arab countries (UAE, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt) while breaking down misconceptions and stereotypes the media has placed upon us about the Middle East. The film showcases a group of international comedians and gives you an inside peek into how Arabs have a sense of humor Just Like Us. TribecaFilm.com: What inspired you to tell this story? AA: I had been touring the Middle East since 2007 with comedy shows, and when I would return to the U.S., my American friends would ask me if I went there to perform for the troops. I would tell them we performed in front of thousands of Arabs and almost all of them could not believe it. So the...
- 4/18/2010
- TribecaFilm.com
See Just Like Us at the Tribeca Cinemas Doc Series Monday, October 4, 2010 7:30 pm The Tribeca Cinemas bar will be open before and after the screening - stop in for a drink and mingle with other movie lovers. Note: This piece originally ran as part of our coverage of the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. TribecaFilm.com: Tell us a little about Just Like Us. Ahmed Ahmed: Just Like Us is a documentary/film that takes you on a journey that celebrates culture and comedy in four Arab countries (UAE, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Egypt) while breaking down misconceptions and stereotypes the media has placed upon us about the Middle East. The film showcases a group of international comedians and gives you an inside peek into how Arabs have a sense of humor Just Like Us. TribecaFilm.com: What inspired you to tell this story? AA: I had been touring the...
- 4/18/2010
- TribecaFilm.com
It is rare that anything related to the Middle East makes me laugh at loud. But the new film, Just Like Us, starring and directed by the Egyptian-American comedian and actor Ahmed Ahmed, had me laughing until it hurt. The film, a comic documentary, is about a bunch of stand-up comics who took their act to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Egypt and Lebanon essentially to determine if Arabs have a sense of humor. Obviously, they do. All people do. But the kind of comedy we know as stand-up is unknown there. In Saudi Arabia, in particular, the state actually has "religious police"on the street. In Ahmed's words, "public entertainment of any kind is strictly forbidden and the consequences of being caught can be severe" At the same time, 25% of the 24 million Saudis are under 25, and,...
- 4/9/2010
- by MJ Rosenberg
- Huffington Post
While most of the eyes in film are on either SXSW or ShoWest out on the West Coast, folks out on the East Coast are gearing up for Tribeca Film Festival coming up next month. Last week, the fest announced the first group of films, which included the World Narrative films, the Documentaries, as well as Showcases and Special Events.
Now, the festival is getting a bit more star-heavy, as films starring such actors as Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Casey Affleck, and even Jessica Alba have joined the list of those titles appearing at the fest. All of these films are now coming to the festival this year, as well as the world premiere of Shrek Forever After.
The fest runs from April 21st to May 2nd. Check out the full list of new films after the jump, and be sure to keep it here, as the full list of...
Now, the festival is getting a bit more star-heavy, as films starring such actors as Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Casey Affleck, and even Jessica Alba have joined the list of those titles appearing at the fest. All of these films are now coming to the festival this year, as well as the world premiere of Shrek Forever After.
The fest runs from April 21st to May 2nd. Check out the full list of new films after the jump, and be sure to keep it here, as the full list of...
- 3/16/2010
- by Matt Raub
- The Flickcast
The Tribeca Film Festival opens on April 21, 2010 and a variety of films will be on display, from documentaries and international films, to big budget films like "Shrek Forever After" (which will make its world premiere at Tribeca).
Today the festival has announced its entire feature film lineup, and you can check out below what films will be on display.
2010 Tribeca Film Festival:
Encounters
"The Chameleon ("Le Cameleon")," directed by Jean-Paul Salomé, written by Jean-Paul Salomé and Natalie Carter. (France, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Climate of Change," directed by Brian Hill. (USA/UK) – North American Premiere, Documentary. "Every Day," directed and written by Richard Levine. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Last Play at Shea," directed by Paul Crowder and Jon Small (concert footage). (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. "Meet Monica Velour," directed and written by Keith Bearden. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Monogamy," directed by Dana Adam Shapiro, written by Dana Adam Shapiro and Evan Weiner.
Today the festival has announced its entire feature film lineup, and you can check out below what films will be on display.
2010 Tribeca Film Festival:
Encounters
"The Chameleon ("Le Cameleon")," directed by Jean-Paul Salomé, written by Jean-Paul Salomé and Natalie Carter. (France, USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Climate of Change," directed by Brian Hill. (USA/UK) – North American Premiere, Documentary. "Every Day," directed and written by Richard Levine. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Last Play at Shea," directed by Paul Crowder and Jon Small (concert footage). (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. "Meet Monica Velour," directed and written by Keith Bearden. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. "Monogamy," directed by Dana Adam Shapiro, written by Dana Adam Shapiro and Evan Weiner.
- 3/15/2010
- by amcsts@gmail.com
- AMC - Script to Screen
Edward Burns, Chuck Workman and Alex Gibney will all unveil the world premieres of their newest films at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, running from Apr. 21-May 2 in lower Manhattan.
The three filmmakers will present their latest work as part of the fest's Encounters section, announced today, which encompasses 14 films from established talent. Filling out its program, the fest also revealed another 17 films in its Discovery section, which focuses on emerging talent, and another eight films in its Spotlight section, featuring movies built around performances from such artists as Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall.
"Our Discovery and Encounters sections complement one another -- one highlights fresh talent that is breaking onto the scene, while the latter continues to offer original films that reflect pop culture and contemporary issues," senior programmer Genna Terranova said. New York native Burns will bring "Nice Guy Johnny,...
The three filmmakers will present their latest work as part of the fest's Encounters section, announced today, which encompasses 14 films from established talent. Filling out its program, the fest also revealed another 17 films in its Discovery section, which focuses on emerging talent, and another eight films in its Spotlight section, featuring movies built around performances from such artists as Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Robert Duvall, Colin Farrell, Amanda Peet and Rebecca Hall.
"Our Discovery and Encounters sections complement one another -- one highlights fresh talent that is breaking onto the scene, while the latter continues to offer original films that reflect pop culture and contemporary issues," senior programmer Genna Terranova said. New York native Burns will bring "Nice Guy Johnny,...
- 3/15/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.