Brooks Goes On Pakistani Scavenger Hunt

Hey guys, it's Donnie...We've heard a lot of hoohah about Albert Brooks next film, Looking For Comedy In The Muslim World. Sony had distribution rights to the film and passed, ostensibly because they simply didn't like the film, and certainly not because they're afraid they're going to offend Muslims or some other such PC nonsense. According to Brooks, they "jokingly" asked him if they could change the title to simply Looking For Comedy, and "One [Sony exec] told me that if a mullah in Iran saw a poster for the movie and took it the wrong way, I could be in deep trouble. I told him that I have trouble getting posters put up for my movies in Sherman Oaks." But this decision was based solely on "the merits of the film." Yah, sure.

The film centers on a State Department schlub who gets sent to India and Pakistan to figure out what makes Muslims laugh, in an effort to bridge the societal gaps in our post-9/11 world. Brilliant concept and Albert Brooks is the only one I would want to take it on. The trailer went online today and it looks like a really smart, entertaining film. In fact, from what little is on display here, it seems as if Brooks went out of his way to try to not piss off Muslims, aside from the "funniest kid in my school" guy. That may be a wee bit offsides.

I'm excited to see Brooks return to the big screen, and I'm glad that Warner Independant was waiting in the wings when Sony so spectacularly dropped the ball on this one. I'm looking forward to catching this one in theaters, that is if I don't get blown out to sea on my walk home this afternoon.

Click it here for one of the best first lines of a trailer ever...