"religulosly" funny

Most people who know Bill Maher know him from his time as host on the controversial talk show program, “Politically Incorrect”, or from his new show on HBO “Real Time With Bill Maher.” But now the long time stand up comedian will translate his starkly honest and sometimes controversial act to the big screen. “Religulous”, which opened in limited release in early October, is a documentary film starring Maher that follows as he travels to the far reaches of world looking for answers about religion.
He begins in Israel at the spot where Christians believe the world will end, and then starts to explore to world of religion. Maher doesn’t forget to touch on any major Western religion, and he even explores some minor ones.
The first place he manages to find is a chapel for trucker that’s located at a rest stop along an interstate. With his first questions, Maher sets up the tone of what the rest of the movie will be, which is not about dispelling religion as a whole, but more of trying to find out why people believe in what they believe in.
He visits a religious experience theme park in Orlando, which recreates the Passion, and meets a man named Jose Luis de Jesus Miranda, who claims that he is actually the second coming of Jesus Christ and has 100,000 followers.
Director Larry Charles (Seinfeld), the man who directed Borat, follows Maher every step of the way, and even appears in front of the camera a few times throughout the movie. He may have been better suited to stay behind, as some of his comments can be rather lame, but his questions to Maher as they drive on their journey help flesh out some of the comedians own personal views.
He admits he is not much of a supporter of religion or marriage, but has a huge affinity for marijuana, and he even explores the Amsterdam Cannabis Ministry, which uses marijuana as a way to gain religious spiritual enlightenment.
One of the most entertaining parts of the film is when Maher sets up shop in London’s Hyde Park at the Speaker’s Corner and acts as if he is a Scientologist. He preaches to a group of people that Scientologists teach that there was a race of Thetans that are trillions of years old (which is older than the actual universe), and that you need to use a device called an E-meter to detect the Thetan presence inside us. Maher, who seemed to be unrecognized by the European onlookers, hilariously executes it.
Maher was raised as a Catholic, but also had a Jewish mother, and he went to church until he was 13. The idea of conflicting ideologies serves as part of Maher’s basis for the whole movie. Religulous seemingly is attacking religion or God, but in reality it strikes upon the people who say and do things in his name.
The film is hilarious, and Maher does his best to evenly distribute his doubts about God and the establishment for each religion.
“Religulous” is rated R and has expanded to more theaters nationwide.