‘THE APPRENTICE’ Reveals Young Donald Trump: Ambition, Power, and Moral Vacuousness

October 8, 2024 by Matt Oakes Posted in Out in Theaters Tagged Ali Abbasi, Charlie Carrick, Gabriel Sherman, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Mark Rendall, Martin Donovan, Roger Ailes, Rupert Murdoch, Sebastian Stan, The Apprentice 3 Comments

There is perhaps no person living or dead more polarizing than Donald J. Trump. His adoring fans think of the real estate mogul turned controversial politician as a strongman and a patriot, some even going so far as to call him the second coming of Jesus Christ. His many detractors find his rejection of political decency, frequent illegal dealings, and blatant disrespect for tradition to be a pox on American politics and a disturbing portrait of capital-C capitalism. This is the same man who proudly stated, “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters,” and he’s not wrong. Even after 34 felony indictments and being found guilty of rape, the man’s popularity amongst his rabid base only grew. For whatever reason, a particular type of people just seem to love Trump, and quite literally nothing he says or does seems to shift that sentiment. Read More

SXSW ’22: Punchy ‘BODIES BODIES BODIES’ Subverts Slasher Formula

March 14, 2022 by Matt Oakes Posted in Festival Reviews Tagged Amandla Stenberg, Bodies Bodies Bodies, Chase Sui Wonders, Halina Reijn, Lee Pace, Maria Bakalova, Peter Davidson, Rachel Sennott, SXSW, SXSW 2022 Leave a comment

Everyone’s always a suspect in any slasher movie worth its salt and that’s true up until the very last moments in Halina Reijn’s Bodies Bodies Bodies. The film, which stars a slew of established and rising talent in the form of Maria Bakalova, Lee Pace, Amandla Stenberg, Chase Sui Wonders, Peter Davidson, and a scene-stealing Rachel Sennott, cleverly subverts what we know of the genre trappings and what we – perhaps falsely? – assume to be true. Read More

Maria Bakalova Interview: SXSW Debuts ‘WOMEN DO CRY’, ‘BODIES BODIES BODIES’, Fame, Fear, and the Patriarchy

March 10, 2022 by Matt Oakes Posted in Interviews, Most Popular Tagged Bodies Bodies Bodies, Interview, Maria Bakalova, Mina Mileva, SXSW 2022, Vesela Kazakova, Women Do Cry Leave a comment

Maria Bakalova is a star. The Borat Subsequent Moviefilm breakout not only captured national attention as Borat’s fictional daughter Tutar Sagdiyev in the 2020 mockumentary but she earned an Academy Award nomination for her efforts. Complete with uncomplimentary prosthetics and raggedy apparel, Bakalova fearlessly faced down judgmental southern debutants and, later, Rudy Giuliani’s roaming hands. But to hear her tell it, fear has always been central to her work and career. Read More

Cohen Evolves as ’BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM’ Offers an Outrageous and Hopeful Coda for Election Year US and A

October 21, 2020 by Matt Oakes Posted in Most Popular, Out in Theaters Tagged Anthony Hines, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan, Comedy, Dan Mazer, Dan Swimer, Erica Rivinoja, Jena Friedman, Lee Kern, Maria Bakalova, Nina Pedrad, Peter Baynham, Sacha Baron Cohen 1 Comment

Let’s get to the question that many are asking out of the way up top: is Borat Subsequent Moviefilm as good as the original? No. It’s certainly not. It isn’t really in the same league. But is that even really a fair question? Borat remains a generational comedy; a beloved favorite that’s held up as a cinematic standard to this day. Sacha Baron Cohen’s 2006 shockumentary is still such a comedic mainstay a decade and a half later that it’s still quoted regularly (who amongst us can muster the courage to say “my wife” not in Borat speak?) and has gone on to spawn an entire subgenre of cringe gotcha comedy, setting the table for the illustrious careers of protégés like Nathan Fielder and Eric Andre. Perhaps the better and more reasonable question then is: is Borat Subsequent Moviefilm a worthy and worthwhile follow-up? I would venture yes. Very much so. Read More