The first time I saw the poster, I had just walked out of work and saw the ridiculousness of it all on the bus stop kiosk. “Great.” I muttered to myself. “Another frat boy comedy.” Than I looked a little closer and saw that the main face dead center in the sea of beer was in fact (un)typical and desi. “Great…”Seriously? A desi in a frat boy comedy around beer competition? Why, it’s almost like a desi in a frat boy comedy around marijuana! The desi in this movie, Jay Chandrasekhar, is who I’m talking about and it looks like he is doing it all; starring, directing, writing and producing for Beerfest. We’ve seen Chandrasekhar’s directing before with the movies The Dukes of Hazard and Super Troopers.
I wasn’t planning on watching it but that will not stop me from reviewing the movie for you.
When their great grandmother asks them to return their grandfather’s ashes to the old country, Jan (Paul Soter) and Todd (Erik Stolhanske) Wolfhouse jump at the opportunity. It doesn’t hurt that the trip would take them to Germany during Oktoberfest… What Jan and Todd find is a secret competition in which all of the world’s greatest beer gamers and beer drinkers compete for glory: Beerfest. [link]
Director Jay Chandrasekhar (who also stars as Barry, the hustler) has plenty of good ideas to bounce into his cinematic glass but, at several points, they become too much. What seems like a “Saturday Night Live” skits winds up as “Long Day’s Journey into Night.”…Easily, “Beerfest” is an acquired taste. If you’re not into this kind of comedy, you won’t find the film intoxicating. If you are, drink up [link]<
p>Beerfest is a movie that is funny when it goes for outrageous and farcical, but tedious when it displays the originality of a Kevin Federline rap. [link]
Ouch, a Federline diss. Read more reviews of catch-phrase critics here, watch a red carpet interview with Jay here, and Manish at Ultrabrown compiles some more reviews here. But in all my searching, I haven’t read any other desi perspectives on this movie on the blogrolls. Mutineers, have you seen the movie? What do you think? And of course, is it really a step forward for desis in Hollywood if instead of being typecasted as terrorists and silent head henchmen, we have a role like the one on Beerfest?
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And of course, is it really a step forward for desis in Hollywood if instead of being typecasted as terrorists and silent head henchmen, we have a role like the one on Beerfest?
I will render my verdict after seeing whether Jay hooks up with the barmaid on the left, or her mirror image twin on the other side.
2 seconded. those are long legz to die for.
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I prefer Broken Lizard & Danny Leiner’s sympathetic, albeit fratboyish, portrayals of Indian dudes to that of most Indian female directors. This is definitely not high art, but I would prefer to spend $10 on a movie that portrays my peers as bon vivants rather than a-holes.
lol Uh blah and razib, Jay starts out as Barry Badrinath, a gay hooker that does BJs for as cheap as $3. So, as far as hook-ups go, I don’t know what to tell you.
This movie was a lot of fun though and in such stark contrast to Jay’s fellow brown director, Mr. Shymalan. For anyone who loves manly, slapstick comedy, this is the movie for them. I personally love this movie because it adds a more human, common-man dimension to desis rather than portraying them as terrorists, engineers/doctors or some other stereotype.
Correction: not gay. He does women too, just not THAT woman.
he gives women BJs???
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To paraphrase SepiaMutiny, if it’s funny, it’s all good. If I have a problem with this movie it’s that I’m generally a big fan of potty humor. However, my love of Strange Brew, the Jerk, Harold and Kumar, American Pie, Blazing Saddles, and Spaceballs, illustrate that I have many exceptions to my general rule. I think it’s a desi appearance in frat boy movies shows a more mainstream acceptance in general. Further, the fact that brother man Chandrasekhar wrote in directed the movie illustrates that the desi community is starting to make real in-roads in Hollywood. I don’t see this as a bad thing.
On a side note, I was compelled to subject myself to ‘Mistress of Spices’ last night. Gurinder Chadha has achieved the impossible, made me want to throw up in disgust during a movie starring Ash!
Yes. There’s a serious disconnect if you don’t think 99% of desi men are at least mildly happy to see a desi guy in a movie, any movie, in which the person is not depicted negatively. Its a day of celebration, for the day desi men are frat boys is the day they get a pass on all negative behavior as boys will be boys. maybe we’ll even be let on to transportation now
and with my luck the 1% is actually much greater and they’ll all come to SM and tell me how awful it is to like this movie. Maybe even a mean-spirited Eofia comment out of left field
and if you don’t think normative dudes now that all these frat boy movies are all about being gross and disgusting and still being “boys will be boys” you’re kidding yourself. the frat boy movie is designed to enshrine the idea that Johnny Knoxville type behavior is cool, and that we should all be interested and concerned about what kind of crazy stuff J. Knox (and by proxy anyone who looks like him) is doing now
I’ve been waiting for this post. Oh who here likes shayamalan’s movies? I’ve seen 3 I think and I’d say no.
Waris Hussein is a desi director who achieved some international fame 35 years ago with Melody that to this day has a following. The film also launched the film sountrack career of the Bee Gees.
-the movie is boring and too long
-jay c. is a gross man to look at. if you don’t mind seeing him naked and having sex with mo’nique (and of course there are the usual other ‘women are worth nothing more than a few tit shots’) then you will be able to suffer through it. i think it will make many desi men here who have masculinity/overcompensation issues (like many on his board) so jolly to see a brown man be a ‘duuuuuuuuuuude’!
-jay c. subtly gives a big up to india by strategically placing the indian flag in almost ever shot in the beer hall. look out for it.
-btw if you are a straight desi guy and take offense at the above comments, CALM DOWN, it’s just a joke. have a beer and take it easy
Not like desi women, who also get excited by seeing things like Ash Rai in Laurel commercials. Yeah, but its just us dudes.
The gender tit for tat among desis is pretty vicious isn’t it. Sometimes I get the impression there’s something really deep there. Why so much relish at taking the mick?
Btw, cheers
I think it’s cool that Jay plays non-stereotyped roles, but he is reminding me of Eddie Murphy movies of the ’80s, where you had a Black guy who had no Black friends, no sign of a Black community anywhere…a Black dude in a completely White context. Jay’s movies seem to be doing the same thing, but with a desi guy. Don’t get me wrong though, this is still progress over many of the other roles desis have been shunted in.
ya, the beauty of photoshop never fails to move me.
“I think it’s cool that Jay plays non-stereotyped roles, but he is reminding me of Eddie Murphy movies of the ’80s, where you had a Black guy who had no Black friends, no sign of a Black community anywhere…a Black dude in a completely White context. Jay’s movies seem to be doing the same thing, but with a desi guy. Don’t get me wrong though, this is still progress over many of the other roles desis have been shunted in.”
I’m sure in Jay’s case, it’s probably pretty true-to-life.
No females commenting, i see ? 🙂
I cannot hide how much I admire Jay Chandrasekhar, how much I admire his courage to guzzle beer like we desi brethren were put on Earth to do, how much I admire his tastes in leggy blondes whose one-piece scanty outfits can go from clothed to nude in 1.5 seconds. I cannot help hide such admiration for I am a member of the target demographic, for I am the gleeful soul who shall purchase retail tickets, for I am the out-spoken honest desi.
Neale,
Here’s one.
It’s just great that now desi guys can look as stupid and vulgar as your average white guy. This is the equal media treatment desi guys have been clamouring to get for years. No more nerdy scientists, doctors, accountants. Take that, Gurinder Chadha.
Gag.
Does any of this matter when JS is ridiculously unfunny?
I don’t understand why so many posters are being so stuck up about Jay. The movie was hilarious, it was great to see a brown man in a role that was not typecast for a desi. Barry could have just as easily been black, white or hispanic. I really don’t understand the extreme distaste for him, even to the point of personal insults about his appearance. If you don’t like his work, don’t resort to calling him ugly.
i cannot WAIT to see this movie.(a chic’s perspective)
Movies with desi-American leads have — for the most part — been terrible. By terrible, I mean pathetic; the films American Desi and ABCD come to mind. (The sole exception has been Mississippi Masala). I have’t seen Beerfest and don’t plan to (I once rented SuperTroopers on a friend’s recommendation and found it tiresome to watch), but I find it hard to believe that an obviously silly like Beerfest movie can be any worse for the portrayal of the Desi-American man than hearing some of the inane dialogue coming from Deep Katdare’s mouth in American Desi. Seriously, folks, it can’t be worse.
I don’t know what you’re talking about – SuperTroopers was effing awesome. I want to watch Beerfest because, even though it’s the same guys that did Club Dread (ick), it’s still the same guys who did Super Troopers. Not just because a desi guy’s in it. I think that when we want to go see a movie because we think it’ll be good, whether or not a desi guy’s in it, that indicates progress and brownfolk taking their place in Hollywood.
Super Troopers was awsome. Seriously folks, these are slapstick comedy movies and one should take them for what they are, not what you want or expect them to be (some sort of statement).
Hell, in Super Troopers they even crack a joke about how the local police thinks he’s Mexican, because the only browns they can think of are Mexican, not Indian.
The dude is playing a significant role just as another person, not someone ‘different’ or exotic. I saw Beerfest and it was better than Club Dread (which I wasn’t too happy with), but it ain’t no Super Troopers.
to some degree i second surya’s comments. i saw it over the weekend with two college buddies (both desi males) and they agreed it was too long and pretty boring. and the only funny parts (all two of them)were just tee-hee-funny, not, ‘that was brilliant!’ funny. But unlike surya, i don’t think jumbalingam is ugly. Also, there’s a real hollywood first in this film: a desi man hooks it up with a black woman. way to go, jay c!
all in all, i left the film wondering how the hell jumbalingam got himself a career in hollywood.
Michael Caine recently berated contemporary Hollywood for churning out trash. To make his point he picked two movies playing currently. Beerfest is one of them!
This isn’t restricted to the Greek system. From my expereriences atleast, I’ve seen this type of behavior (at different colleges) from folks outside the Greek system as frequently as from guys who were in it. Actually, I’ve been one depending on my level of ethanol laced beverage consumption.
Ain’t nothing wrong with White Castle or drinking a lot of beer, or acting like an ass. Just whining about the consequences that follow is dumb. Live life the way you want to and understand what is coming your way based upon decisions you make.
i like michael caine a lot, but he was in jaws 4: the revenge, an abysmally bad movie, so….
michael caine is also married to a desi woman.
Excellent point, GujuDude. I’m doing a keg-stand in support of your post.
Prost!
Gautham said:
ACTUALLY, the pairing of badness & beer is extremely UN-American (but forgivable).
when I think of desis and the “lowest level”, other stuff comes to mind — mostly RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, CHILD MOLESTATION, MURDER and BATTERY.
you know, the same stuff EVERYONE’S made of. GASP
Ajay Patel – CRIMINAL HOMOCIDE / MANSLAUGHTER Dimpy Patel – MURDER Ravindra Singh – SEXUAL ASSAULT, BATTERY – Florida Harash Singh – 1st DEG. MURDER / KIDNAPPING Totaram Singh – AGGRAVATED ASSAULT / INTIMIDATION Jagdish Singh – SEXUAL BATTERY COERCION OF CHILD Seema Patel – GRAND THEFT AUTO Ravi Patel – POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA / DRUG PARAPHERNELIA Rajendra Patel – LIVE OFF PROSTITUTION / EARN. Dharmi Patel – LIVE OFF PROSTITUTION / EARN. Kamlesh Patel – CHILD MOLESTATION Hemant Patel – AGGRAVATED ASSAULT Subodhchandrat Patel – RAPE, ASSAULT, INCEST, STALKING Viral Patel – MURDER Harwinder Singh – SEXUAL ASSAULT Ganda Singh – VEHICULAR HOMOCIDE
michael caine’s wife: lol her name is shakira
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakira_Caine
Shakira Caine From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search
Shakira, Lady Micklewhite (born Shakira Baksh on 23 February 1947), is a British model also known as Shakira Caine.
Caine was born in Guyana. Inspired by her mother’s dressmaking talents, she aspired to become a fashion designer. However, she began to work in an office as a secretary, which is where her boss urged her to enter the Miss Guyana contest.
Shakira won the Miss Guyana title, and ended up in third place for the Miss World contest in London at the age of 19; from there she would launch a career in modelling.
Actor Michael Caine fell in love with the exotic beauty after seeing her on a TV commercial. He set out to find her, initially thinking she was from Brazil. Michael and Shakira were married on 2 January 1973, and they have a daughter, Natasha.
my apologies for several of those links not working.
the middle several do (and besides, you get the idea)
Michael Caine is supposedly part Roma : http://www.geocities.com/~Patrin/culture.htm
As such I vote that we claim him as a fellow (long lost) macaca. Shakira had a “bit” part in “The Man Who Would Be King”…actually biting Sir Caine on the lip during their wedding kiss (or am I mixing this up with another movie ?). He plays a 19th century Brit trying to be Alexander the Great, she is basically Roxanna.
Back to the point, I prefer being portrayed as a generic slob to a “maha” a-hole or romantic non-entity(i.e. the Gurinder Chadha treatment). I recall watching Cosmopolitan by Nisha Ganatra at some film festival. She was answering questions after the film, someone asked why she made the movie. I seem to recall her response was something to the effect “there needs to be at least one S. Asian film festival entry that does not portray Indian men as jerks”