by Quendrith Johnson, Los Angeles Correspondent Has the cultural-appropriation boom finally been dropped on the BORAT franchise?  If you are Sacha Baron Cohen right now, you might be wondering. Remarkably, the Association of Turkish Americans of Southern California and the Kazakh Cultural Media Association have teamed up for a public pillorying of the most recent release, BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM. In fact, these organizations want it banned as an award season option for Oscar v...

Monday, September 8-------Controversial television comedian Bill Maher must be saying hallelujahs for the equally controversial candidacy of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate. In one fell swoop, Palin's entry into the race has brought up the subject of religion in a presidential campaign (yet again) and made it a topic of concern and, to some, outrage in the American popular imagination. So, the October release of Religulous, a comedic journey by the acerbic comedian into...

Monday, September 8-------Controversial television comedian Bill Maher must be saying hallelujahs for the equally controversial candidacy of Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate. In one fell swoop, Palin's entry into the race has brought up the subject of religion in a presidential campaign (yet again) and made it a topic of concern and, to some, outrage in the American popular imagination. So, the October release of Religulous, a comedic journey by the acerbic comedian into...

 Thursday, May 24------Persians are battling Pirates for top honors at this year's MTV MOVIE AWARDS, which will be held in Los Angeles and broadcast live on June 3. Awards are determined by the audience, who still have another week to vote for their favorites. Simply log on to the website: www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards.Although this is hardly your mother's Oscar ceremonies (not much dignity and decorum here), the MTV MOVIE AWARDS has an international viewing audience that rivals the A...

Thursday, November 9-----In the satirical film sensation BORAT currently in theaters, America's obsession with fame and financial success is skewered to great effect. That is also the theme of the US/UK co-production TRUST ME, which has its World Premiere at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival on Friday. The film, written and directed by actor-turned-director Andrew Kazamia, is a smart and funny look at the entertainment industry, politics and America's mania for celebrity. Risi...