Religulous - most expensive ticket ever

Okay, I'm exaggerating. The ticket itself was not expensive, but the sequence of events required to see this movie is what added up to becoming the most I've ever paid to see one movie. And yes...it was worth it.

Monday, the girlfriend and I decided we were going to drive to Dallas and see this movie. So we fucking did it! We also wanted to just hang out in the city so we woke up before 7 am and left by 7:30. Upon finding the theater we were going to watch the movie in, I discovered that not only am I going to watch an amazing movie, but I am going to watch an amazing movie with cold beer in my hands. That's right. The theater was a combination bar/theater. So at around 4:30pm, we settled into our seats with cold Rolling Rocks in my hand. Gas+ticket+cold beer+food= most expensive ticket ever.

Then it started.

Religulous conveys what is the singular most important message in the history of mankind: We will not and cannot survive as a country, as a human race, as a PLANET with religion around. It shouts to us nonbelievers to do SOMETHING to fight against this attack on our planet by religions. Not just christianity, but islam, judaism, and mormonism...no religion is innocent. He points out and makes clearly apparent what most of us rationalists (atheists, agnostics, etc.) already knew: the fact that millions upon millions of people can believe in something as insanely absurd as the Bible, the Koran, or the Book of Mormon is unbelievable, depressing, and flat out dangerous. Religion has caused more deaths than anything else during man's time on earth. Bill Maher makes all of these points throughout this masterpiece.

I laughed so hard during this movie. I cannot remember a movie that was so comedic and poignant at the same time. Bill Maher and Larry Charles show how ridiculous all of these religions are, but while doing so do not point fingers or talk down to their 'victims'. I use that term very loosely. These people being interviewed provide answers that just make us laugh because Bill Maher shapes each following question perfectly. He leaves some of the christians, muslims, etc. in utter shock, confusion, and doubt. He knows that there is no way these people are going to change their beliefs. It's too embedded into their heads; they're too far brainwashed; they're too afraid of death. He knows this. Maher directs this film to those of us who are enlightened to religion's ridiculousness already. He has inspired me moreso than I already was. If you want to be inspired, go see this film. If you want to laugh, go see this film. If you want to see the truth, go see this film.

After all of the humor, Maher and Charles decide to brilliantly drive us straight into a brick wall. By this I mean the comedy reaches a dead end, and Maher gets dead serious. The final monologue by Bill Maher and the pictures that accompany it are the most powerful 10-15 minutes I have EVER witnessed in a film. I almost wanted to cry. It kind of takes your breath away when he illustrates so vividly what our lives, what the planet's life, is headed for because of religion. It's so sad, depressing, and makes those of us who already know feel overwhelmingly helpless. This goes on my list of movies that EVERY parent should show their young teen/preteen child.

All in all, completely phenomenal folks. Everyone deserves to see this movie. Thanks for your time.