Movies-TV

OTM (Other Than Mexican's)

BORN IN EAST L.A.
Cheech Marin, Kamala Lopez 1987

Synopsis
Rudy Roblez (Marin), a long time resident of East Los Angelas leaves his wallet at home one day and is mistakenly deported to Mexico. While there, he tries to get back home, by taking odd jobs as he is flat broke and knows no one.

My Review
Hilarious. The song (done by Cheech) is a parody of Bruce Springstreen's "Born in the U.S.A". The scene where he gathers hundred of Mexicans and OTM's (other than Mexican's) to "charge" the border is classic. Also, the scene where he is hired as a tutor, to teach English to OTM's is a gem.

Born in East L.A.

I have been waiting for some time to buy this movie because it was one of my all-time favorites when I first saw it on television. Waiting to see if it would appear at a discount price (about $5-$7)I decided to go ahead and purchase it. I was disappointed to find out that this version had the shorten-version that did not show the marriage on the float at the end of the movie. Only then did I learn this movie had two different endings. Regardless, since it was one of my favorites, I decided to keep it anyway.

Being in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Cheech Marin is a great talent. In his film, "Born in East L.A.", he clearly shows a man that has a good understanding about the issues at the heart of this entertaining movie. For some years now he has been by himself as his partnership with Tommy Chong ended.Mr. Marin makes an important point in the film. Rudy, his main character, is a man born and raised in East L.A., as the title indicates, yet, he is deported to a country he probably has never been to. His roots are American, yet being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, trying to do a favor to his cousin, he is hauled to a detention center for illegal aliens and deported to Mexico.Of course, the arrest and his deportation serves as the basis of a clever comedy that is easy on the eyes and have us laughing throughout the many funny situations Mr. Marin has created for himself and his crew. Daniel Stern is good as Jimmy, the man that exploits Rudy. Paul Rodriguez has some good moments as the newly arrived guy that keeps thinking the messages he hears in Rudy's answering service come from the Jesus image behind it. The lovely Kamala Lopez is easy on one's eyes, and the great Lupe Ontiveros plays Rudy's mom."Born in East L.A." is a funny movie with a message.

Cheech is in the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time and in the Wrong Movie!

BORN IN EAST L.A. looks more like a threat to society than a comedy based on a Bruce Springsteen parody. Cheech Marin goes solo in this unfunny farce as a U.S. citizen who is wrongly deported to Mexico and tries to make it back to his L.A. home. Cheech tries his best to make it in Hollywood on his own, but without Chong, the hilarity just isn't there, and the movie's message is dismally pointless. A huge turkey with lots and lots of cheese on top of it. I'm sure that will be delicious, especially for Americans and Hispanics who dislike crap like this.0 out of 5

Fiction becomes truth

When this movie was made, it was a comedy. It couldn't really happen, right? Well, as of 2008, 21 years later, it's happened to five US citizens, as far as anyone knows, since 2007 alone. There's no way of knowing how many people have actually been detained and/or deported because the government refused to believe their documentation -- Or they lacked it; Citizens don't have green cards, after all, so an immigration officer who is determined to deport anyone without one will deport a lot of citizens.I just read an Associated Press article about a man by the name of Jose Ledesma who was jailed for two months, because the feds refused to accept his 100% real birth certificate as legitimate. The government has become so absurd, that a parody of 1987 has become the reality of 2008.

enough laughs to recommend...

An idea suited more toward a 10 minute sketch is stretched to feature length in this decent enough comedy. The beginning and end are excellent ideas for perhaps a Saturday Night Live bit, but to pad the running time to its meek 87 minute point, writer-director-star Marin throws in some moderately entertanining moments. It all begins when he shows up at a factory to pick up his illegal alien cousin, but a surprise immagration raid ensues and, in the madness, an identification-less Marin is deported to Mexico. After some humorously done attempts at crossing the border fail, he goes to work for Stern, some sort of thumb-in-several pies businessman in Tijauna. In one of his pre-"Wonder Years" voice, City Slickers and Home Alone roles, Stern is great as the high octane Jimmy, a sauve operator of anything money related.
He puts Marin to work encouraging passers by to enter a bar, or has him selling oranges on a street corner, and in one of the films best gags, teaching a bunch of dopey non-English speaking foreigners how to carry themselves in LA. The "wass-sappening" boys will be well remembered. But when the well runs dry at several points, Marin resorts to an extensive amount of musical numbers to suck up time. He throws in a half-hearted romance that doesn't really go anywhere, which may have given the film a little more to chew on. But its well worth the wait for the truly ingenius ending that I wouldn't dare spoil, only to say it cleverly incorparates Neil Diamond's "America". I would guess that Marin came up with the ending first and tried to come up with enough antics to reach that point. If you're patient, it should pay off well for you. Marin also contributed the memorable title song as well.

Cheech Marin is still funny

This movie was hysterical. Daniel Stern and Cheech Marin turn in two good performances. It's about Cheech Marin being mistaken for an illegal alien and getting shipped to Mexico. Most of the movie is about Cheech's character trying to get back to the USA after being deported.

Funny as Hell'o

Too funny. Send a copy the mexican border, both sides should see this movie!

funny

What I liked best was the setting. Anyone who has lived in LA can tell you that's exactly the way life was in the Latino community. Sometimes the movie gets s little slow, but it's not too bad.

Good, politically incorrect ethnic humor!

What made this film funny is that Cheech Marin's character Rudy Ramos tried to behave as the straight guy while acting out just about every bad Mexican joke that's ever been told. In this respect, it's one gaffe right after another.

BTW I also got a big kick out of Paul Rodriguez as the cousin, Javier, who acted like the picture of Jesus with the phone behind it was talking to him... at one point, he obediently brings "Jesus" a can of beer, LOL!

If only the real situation were not so depressing. I went to Tijuana in December '88 with a buddy who's an American citizen (he's of Mexican descent, but looks Egyptian... so the border guards never gave him any trouble), and came back across at the end of the day wondering why any sane person would want to live there. As bad as Tijuana is, however, I've heard it's nowhere near as bad as Calcutta ( =Tijuana if it was hit by a bomb).

LOVE CHEECH

I WILL WATCH THIS MOVIE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND A DIFFICULT MOVIE TO FIND AT SUCH A CHEAP PRICE.

not all there

there was some footage deleted, like the wedding scene at the end.otherwise it was good quality.

Green Card?

This is another one of my favorites this movie is funny from beginning to end and i can watch it over and over and i still get into it..GREAT when you need a good laugh.

Like it now more as an adult.

As a kid, I didn't like it probably because he wasn't with Chong getting stoned all the time. But having just watched it as a standalone piece, I found it quite bittersweet and enjoyable. Sure the story was a bit predictable but the movie did have a decent flow and never seemed to bore. The acting was pretty decent and there were plenty of laughs (again it's not slapstick stoner humor) Also keeping in mind that Chong usually directed their films, Cheech did a good job first time out. I think we'd all like to see them reunite, but lets just appreciate the material they've left us and leave it at that. So if you want to see Cheech branch out on his own, I'd suggest checking this out.

East L.A., Homay!

I am a fan of both Cheech Marin & Thamas Chong, Cheech is good at playing both Cheech or Red, but this aint no Cheech & Chong flick! Born In East L.A., is a movie about an Los Angeles Native Ruby, who is a Chicano, One day a Border Patroller asked Ruby for his Green Card, but Ruby didn't own no Green Card, because he was born & raised in East Los Angeles, CA. Ruby is taken on a truck with a dozen other illegal immigrants, and is taken to Tijuana, Mexico in which Ruby has to learn to survive and know how to speak spanish, if he's left out on the streets of Tijuana. I don't wanna spoil the movie for anyone so just go out and watch the damn film if you are a fan of Cheech Marin and his acting, this movie is 1 Loco Thrill ride aswell!

A Golden Oldie!

I have always loved this movie. I think a re-release starring "Carlos Mencia" would be AWESOME!

VERY ROMANTIC COMEDY

LIKING LATINA WOMEN, I FOUND THIS MOVIE TO BE BOTH FUNNY & ROMANTIC. I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS MOVIE TO ANYONE THAT LIKES A GOOD ROMANTIC COMEDY. CHEECH IS DEFINETLY ON HIS GAME IN THIS MOVIE.

Funny Movie

I love this movie! Next to "Shrimp on the Barbie," this is my favorite Cheech Marin movie as he goes on to prove he can actually be funny by not playing a pothead. A Mexican-American dragged across the border, he shows the lengths he is willing to go to return home and prove he is an American, but there is also a sensitive and heart-warming touch to his range as he proves he is also a good guy and not just some clown. Daniel Stern is also a hoot as an opportunist, and Paul Rodriguez flexes his comedic muscle that we his fans appreciate so much.

Good to laugh at

Occasionally funny but mostly stupid movie, but at least it's better than those Cheech and Chong movies. Great to laugh at, but not with. If you can endure the grueling hour and a half it takes to get to the end.

Don't buy this version. It's edited!

Don't buy this version of Born in East L.A. They cut out the last half hour of the film. Try finding a version with the original cover, that has Cheech Marin crossing the border through barbed-wire. Otherwise, I would give this movie a 5 star rating.