Not the real kind, the kind who liberally spend their dollars in Rio and Buzios, but rather the new slasher movie about a group of hot-but-dumb Yanks who get carved up by organ harvesters on a trip to the Amazon. Call it the Kazakhstan Effect, in which a foreign country attempts to battle a negative portrayal in the all-powerful American media (no matter how implausible) by any means necessary. To coincide with the movie’s release today, the Brazilian Tourism board has issued a statement calling Turistas “a fictional story created for those who enjoy horror movies.” “We hope moviegoers will be inspired to learn more about Brazil,” it continues, “because of the breathtaking setting, which is true to life, unlike the people and events in the movie.” New York magazine got a somewhat less tolerant quote from an official in the NYC bureau of the Brazilian Tourism Office. Taking issue with the film’s tag-line – “In a country where anything goes … anything can happen” – he retorted ““It’s not whatever goes in our country!” Expect Brazil to unveil a glossy and expensive “Visit Brazil” ad campaign any day now.

– “‘Turistas’ is based on true scenery, fictional horrors” (USA Today)
– “Ugly Disemboweled Americans” (New York)
– Kazakstan v. Borat

(Image via La Mariposa’s photostream)