The Real Borat?

by Erik Olsen on

Is our beloved Borat a thief? That’s the question that a lot of news sites are now asking following the complaints of a Turkish comedian whose shtick is eerily familiar to the Kazakhstan goofball played by Brit comedian Sascha Baron Cohen. Mahir Cagri says that he is completely sure that he was the inspiration for Borat, that he’s hoofing it to London to…well, try and get some money our of it. Ah capitalism.

But there is some rather intriguing evidence to back up his claim. To wit: back in 1999, before anyone had heard of Borat, let alone Ali G, Cagri became celebrity online after posting “unintentionally” amusing photos of himself playing ping pong, the accordion and sunbathing in a skimpy bathing suit. Not the stretchy day-glow nut-hugger suit that Borat wears, but then again, perhaps that suit has not been invented yet. He was also known for his broken, albeit charming approach to women: “Who is want to come TURKEY I can invitate … She can stay my home.” You have to admit, it sounds a lot like our little Borat.

But, of course, if anyone who thinks they’re being somehow imitated can get money for that is another question entirely. I don’t know the details exactly, but I do know that the guy upon whom the Kramer character is based in Seinfeld tried to get some compensation for that fact….and didn’t….although I think he’s leading tours in the city or something. So perhaps if all else fails the “real” Borat can maybe buy himself a bus.

(thanks Karen!)

Utah Red Rock Video

by Erik Olsen on

Not that you needed a reason to go to Utah to experience it’s jaw-gaping beauty. Most Americans, ad certainly most gadling readers, are aware that Utah is probably the best place in the country, and perhaps on earth, to go mountain biking and skiing. Nothing I’ve ever experienced beats Utah powder. But take a look as this finely done (albeit a little muddy, thanks to the Google codec) video from America’s Redrock Wilderness. The color of stone there, shot during the golden hour, of course, is out of this world, almost as if it was shot on Mars. It was shot in wide screen and narrated by Robert Redford, so pull the corner of your browser out a bit and enjoy.

Our Shrinking Planet: Traveling via Foreign Films and the AFI Film Fest

by Neil Woodburn on

For many people, film is often the only way they are able to visit a foreign country. When James Bond orders a martini in Vienna, millions of movie-goers are right there with him.

This is especially true in America. Unfortunately, actual foreign films–those filmed in another country with a foreign crew and foreign actors speaking another language–are never quite as popular in America, whether subtitled or dubbed. This is sad because foreign films tend to be far truer and more accurate visionary journeys of distant lands.

I therefore make it a point to catch such films when they come to my home town. The best time to do so in Los Angeles where I live, is in early November during the AFI Film Festival.

AFI is the American Film Institute. Despite the name, the AFI Fest (November 1-12) features dozens of films from foreign lands. In fact, films from 45 different countries are among the 147 movies being showcased this year.

If you’re going to be in Los Angeles, take a moment to check out the various offerings under World Cinema, Latin Cinema, African Voices, and Asian New Classics. Or simply look up films based upon the country in which they were made.

Personally, I’m excited to catch 12:08 East of Bucharest, about the downfall of the Ceausescu regime (Romanian), Beauty in Trouble (so that I can brush up on my Czech) and a comedy called Offside about six Iranian women who sneak into Iran’s World Cup qualifier match dressed as boys (women were prohibited from entering Tehran’s Azadi Stadium to watch the match).

Not a bad showing of films if I say so myself. For $12 a pop I’m going to grab a box of popcorn, settle into my seat, and let the world come to me.

Gadling Podcast: Travelistic

by Erik Olsen on

The online video space right now is hotter than Georgia asphalt…hotter in fact than a griddle sitting on a bonfire burning on the surface of the sun. YouTube cashed in to the tune of $1.5 billion when Google scooped them up recently, making several lucky individuals quite rich, and leaving the rest of us wondering whether GoogleTV will come to dominate the online video space. I, for one, hope not. And given the nature of the Web, I doubt it. New players are constantly emerging, finding satisfying niches to fill and offering legions of camera-toting Spielbergs the opportunity to become stars…even if just to a few friends and family members.

One genre that seems ripe for new players and opportunities is travel. You and I both know that if you were heading to, say, Cambodia, in a month or two, you’d love to peruse the various travel vids that others have done. Especially if they were informative (as opposed to people lighting their farts on fire in front of Angkor Wat) you’d get to find out what the best hotels are, and which ones you should avoid. You’d meet all sorts of new people, right from the cozy confines of your cubicle. Video is the new word, as it were, because we all know that a picture can be worth a thousand words.

And it is with real enthusiasm that I announce another Gadling podcast with the leader of a new company called Travelistic who is squaring off to compete in this new travel video space. We blogged about them earlier, and drew their attention, and so their CEO Nicholas Butterworth asked us to come down and have a quick chat. Which we did. The new site officially launches on Monday, but we got a sneak peak and learned a bit more than we knew about online travel video. There’s a lot to learn, including how YOU can possibly become the next “Rocketboom” host of a travel show.

We offer you a chance to hear that conversation, here and now.

(Time – 10:30)

Like Father, Like Daughter

by Erik Olsen on

No, this is not, to my knowledge, the child of Steve Irwin that he, the Croc hunter, dangled over the gaping, toothed, gnashing maw of a live crocodile. This is the one he fed to the sharks. Just kidding. That’s irreverent. Even if he was a bit kooky and put himself in danger with perhaps predictable results, we loved Steve Irwin. The Aussies sure have a way of exporting interesting characters, even if their stars fade quickly. Or they die. And it looks like we may have another Aussie star on our hands, and this one from the loins of the croc man himself.

Yes, Bindi Irwin, the eight-year-old daughter of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, is set to star in her own series on the Discovery Kids Network, beginning early next year. You read that correctly. Eight years old. The new show is to be called “Bindi, The Jungle Girl”, and was originally supposed to star both father and daughter. In fact, the Discovery Kids Network had begun filming episodes before Irwin’s September 4 death by stingray stab. In a creepy turn of events that I am not sure the producers have really considered how creepy this is, and which if I were she would cause me all sorts of awful emotional problems, Irwin will continue to play a role in the series posthumously, appearing in scenes filmed together with his daughter before his death.