The mighty Borat has defeated 3 accusers in court! We get wind of this legal victory thanks to the Justice caves of Yahoo:
A New York judge has tossed out lawsuits brought by a driving instructor and two etiquette school teachers who said the makers of the movie “Borat” deceived them. Judge Loretta Preska says all three accepted money and signed agreements releasing the filmmakers from liability. She noted in a Sept. 3 ruling the agreements said the plaintiffs consented to appear in a “documentary-style” movie.
In the 2006 film “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan,” British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen plays an uncouth and anti-Semitic journalist traveling the United States in pursuit of Pamela Anderson. Cohen often fools people with his gag interviews.
Well this is good news. If I am not mistakes a few more law suits may still be pending from this film, but I am sure all the other decrees will follow the president that this judge has set.
May this be a lesson to those that don’t want to be made fools of in film/tv. If you are unsure of what your footage will be used for, never sign.
I think a cool documentary would be to follow the crew responsible for getting these releases signed. What planning do they have to go through, what pitch do they use and how the hell do they keep a straight face knowing full well what kind of movie they are making. These guys are the unsung heroes of the film.
