Went early last night to get in line for the MySpace BlackCarpet screening of "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan." I got there at around 6:30p, for an event with doors opening at 9, and the movie supposedly starting at 10p. But I’m a huge Borat fan, so it seemed a good way to see the movie more than a month before it hits theaters.

The catch of the screenings is that Borat himself would appear at one of the 25 global screenings held yesterday, and I just felt it would be San Francisco, as pictures of Borat in Los Angeles appeared on gossip sites the previous day, so he was on the west coast, and if he was on media tour, San Francisco is an obvious stop for him.

One clue was that every person in line had to sign away likeness rights, etc., which would seem a bit much if MySpace was going to take a few pictures for the site. Then, when we finally got in, a podium was set up at the front of the theater… then, the guy kept stalling for time, saying we were waiting to get a few more people in, although no new people seemed to be arriving at that point.

Finally, Borat enters the theater, and proceeds to run halfway up the stadium seating on the aisle, directly to the aisle seat at which I am sitting. So, a couple high fives, and my arm around him while he basks in the crowd, and it was just so surreal. I am thankful to report that he was not wearing the Borat suit that he uses for his field work, which he refuses to wash and has said in interviews reeks like all hell.

He slowly works his way up to the front, says "Hello San Francisco Prostitutes!" and stays in character the entire time. Then, after an audience sing-a-long in "Throw The Jew Down The Well," he leaves the theater, and the screening begins.

What a movie. It is so funny and politically incorrect, the audience couldn’t stop laughing and cheering the entire time. Although, given the wait time to get in, this would be a abnormally skewed sample of ravenous Borat fans.

I certainly intend to see it again in theaters in November. Any movie where Alan Keys is introduced as being a chocolate politician is certainly going to ruffle some feathers as its release date approaches.

Below: me and Borat. I’m in the green, he’s being swamped on the left.

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