Uproarious, Talent-Packed ‘The Love Guru’ a Script of Destiny From Funnyman Mike Myers

HollywoodChicago.com — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 01:00:02 -0700

CHICAGO – Commendably co-written by Mike Myers (who also wrote characters for 2002’s “Austin Powers in Goldmember” and 1999’s “Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me”), you know lines like “sheket bevakasha” came directly from his bowels.

Rating: 3.5/5.0

Granted, I was one of the few at my screening to understand this Hebrew line as “quiet, please” and laugh at its precision placement, but that’s OK.

Though always known as a hippie funnyman, the novel script for “The Love Guru” actually holds personal and grave emotional value for Myers. He has said the film is a “reflection of the spiritual journey” he traveled after the 1991 death of his father.

Read Adam Fendelman’s full review of “The Love Guru” in our reviews section.

View our huge, high-resolution “The Love Guru” image gallery.

Read more news on “The Love Guru”.

The Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison died on Nov. 29, 2001, which literally was the final day of filming for 2002’s “Austin Powers in Goldmember”. Upon opening a letter from Harrison, Myers told MTV on April 9, 2008 that he thought to himself: “OK, universe. I think I get it. This is the movie you want me to make.”

While Mike Myers proves he’s more than just Austin Powers through new plotlines taking him to new lands, he’s still the relatively same hilarious, hippie-loving beatnik no matter his purpose for being on screen.

Myers co-wrote this highly original script with rookie screenwriter Graham Gordy whose only other writing credit goes to a little-known film entitled “War Eagle, Arkansas”. Gordy also plays a small role in “The Love Guru,” which shot principal photography in Toronto, Ontario.

In addition to Mike Myers in the starring role, “The Love Guru” also features Jessica Alba, Ben Kingsley, Jessica Simpson, Justin Timberlake, Kanye West, Stephen Colbert, Verne Troyer and Deepak Chopra. The film opened everywhere on June 20, 2008. Read Adam Fendelman’s full “The Love Guru” review here.

Jessica Alba as Jane Bullard in the comedy “The Love Guru”.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

Mike Myers stars as Guru Pitka in the comedy “The Love Guru”.
Photo credit: George Kraychyk

Read Adam Fendelman’s full “The Love Guru” review.

Wide Release of Divisive Film ‘Postal’ From Controversial Director Uwe Boll Canceled

HollywoodChicago.com — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:13:57 -0700

CHICAGO – In response to our negative review of the divisive new film “Postal” from controversial director Uwe Boll, Boll e-mailed us with these simple words:

Uwe Boll wrote:“You should ask yourself: Who gave me my moral rules? Question yourself. Too bad you didn’t like the movie.”

Uwe Boll’s “Postal”.
Photo credit: MovieSet

We responded requesting an interview and he’s amenable. Before we had the chance, Boll at 7:43 p.m. on May 15, 2008 issued to us a statement announcing the cancellation of his film’s wide theatrical release by U.S. theater exhibitors.

Unless the boycott lifts, Boll says it’s his latest film that many audiences won’t see at most theaters.

“Theatrical distributors are boycotting ‘Postal’ because of its political content,” Boll said in the Thursday statement. “We were prepared to open on 1,500 screens all across America on May 23, 2008. Any multiplex in the U.S. should have space for us, but they’re afraid.”

Boll continued: “We have even tried to buy a few screens in New York and Los Angeles. They won’t let us even rent the theaters! I urge independent exhibitors to contact us and book ‘Postal’. Audiences have been expecting the film. I don’t think exhibitors should censor what gets played in U.S. theaters.”

As it currently stands, Boll says Event Film will only release the “R”-rated film in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver and Tucson, Ariz. Our full “Postal” image gallery can be found here. The film’s plotline is described from the studio with these words:

A religious charlatan (Dave Foley), his mild-mannered nephew (Zack Ward) and a gang of bosomy commandos face off against Osama bin Laden and the Taliban in an epic battle that will determine the fate of the world in “Postal,” which is the latest film from controversial director Uwe Boll (“BloodRayne”).

Boll roasts an entire herd of sacred cows and smashes taboos to smithereens in this over-the-top and hilariously subversive critique of modern-day America.

Inspired by the notorious video game of the same name, “Postal” is a jaw-droppingly original spoof of contemporary culture and an equal-opportunity offender that lampoons religious extremists, minorities, bureaucrats, immigrants, cops, women, the Holocaust, gun nuts and more with even-handed abandon.

The outrageous political and social satire stars Zack Ward (“Transformers”), Dave Foley (“News Radio”), J.K. Simmons (“Spider-Man”), Jackie Tohn (“On the Lot”), Larry Thomas, the Soup Nazi from “Seinfeld,” Erick Avari (“Mr. Deeds”) and Verne Troyer (“Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me”).

The film is produced by Boll, Dan Clarke and Shawn Williamson.

By ADAM FENDELMAN
Editor-in-Chief
HollywoodChicago.com
adam@hollywoodchicago.com