Jews on Film: Exploring Jewish Stories & Themes in Cinema

Daniel and Harry are joined by Adam Lisagor, commercial director and founder of Sandwich, to discuss the 1977 film “Kentucky Fried Movie” directed by ZAZ.Adam first shares how the film had a profound impact on his directing tone & style. Then he shares a few Zucker stories from past family gatherings, rates the commercial parodies in the film, and the three even welcome legendary producer Samuel J Bronkowitz!As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes."Kentucky Fried Movie" TrailerIMDBAdam’s LinksSandwichAdam Lisagor on TwitterConnect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Daniel and Harry are joined by comedian and co-host of the Yenta podcast, Raye Schiller to discuss the 2023 film "Bottoms" directed by Emma Seligman.First, they unravel how PJ and Josie's sarcasm and lies unwittingly sow chaos among their classmates. Then, they dissect the tribalism between school cliques, revealing subtle Jewish undertones. Finally, they explore Rachel Sennot’s knack for portraying Jewish-coded characters and her standout role in this film.As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.IMDb PageMovie TrailerRaye's LinksYenta! PodcastRaye Schiller on InstagramConnect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Join Daniel & Harry on an exhilarating adventure as they welcome acclaimed writer and podcaster David Tuchman to unearth the Jewish treasures buried within Steven Spielberg's iconic 1981 masterpiece, "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark."Prepare to delve into the thrilling world of archaeology, exploring how it sets out to preserve ancient traditions, artifacts, and customs. Discover the fascinating accuracy behind the depiction of the Ark of the Covenant and uncover the hidden depths Spielberg wove into the film. The conversation takes a bold turn as they analyze the portrayal of Nazis as unequivocal villains and ponder the possibility of such clear-cut antagonists in contemporary cinema.As the episode reaches its climax, our hosts highlight the most Jewish moments, debate the “stretches of the pod,” and tackle the ultimate question: Is "Raiders of the Lost Ark" good for the Jews?Tune in for a riveting discussion, packed with insights and spirited rankings of the film’s overall Jewishness.IMDb PageMovie TrailerDavid Tuchman's LinksListen to OMGWTFBIBLERead David's Story "Chelm, NJ"Connect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Daniel and Harry welcome actress, performer, and host of the podcast "Too Stupid to Live" to discuss the 2023 Hallmark film "Made For Each Other".After tracing the mythological roots of the Golem, they discuss the notion of doing what you truly want versus what's expected of you, imperfection as positive trait rather than something to shy away from, and finally they settle the score the best flavor of babka and how to pronounce kugel.As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.IMDb PageMovie TrailerBecky's LinksToo Stupid to LiveBecky Feldman on instagramConnect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Batter Up! Daniel & Harry welcome film maker Daniel Robbins to discuss the 2011 film, "Moneyball" directed by Bennet Miller and starring Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.They discuss the notions of tradition vs progress in baseball as well as Judaism, the use of statistics and negotiating depicted in the film, and discuss which biblical figures Billy Beane and Peter Brand most resemble.Finally, they end the episode by selecting their most Jewish scenes, “stretches of the pod,” debating if the movie is “good for the Jews” and ranking the film’s overall Jewishness.IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1210166/Movie Trailer - https://youtu.be/D1R-LwHbld4Daniel Robbin's LinksWatch "Bad Shabbos" at Tribeca Film Festival - https://tribecafilm.com/films/bad-shabbos-2024Follow Daniel on instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danrobb11/Follow Daniel on TwitterConnect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

In honor of 4/20, Daniel and Harry are joined by friend of the podcast, Meir Zwanziger, to discuss the 2015 film Dough starring Jonathan Pryce and Jerome Holder.Before diving into the movie, they share their experiences with cannabis and explore the possible historical connections between Judaism and cannabis. Then the trio discusses the depiction of Jewish and Muslim religious traditions in the film, as well as the portrayal of socio-economic and generational divides among the various characters.Finally, they end the episode by selecting their most Jewish scenes, “stretches of the pod,” debating if the movie is “good for the Jews” and ranking the film’s overall Jewishness.IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517471/Movie Trailer - https://youtu.be/Y7b4IoNRhtkMeir's LinksSababoosh PodcastSababoosh SubstackConnect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Daniel and Harry don their chef whites and sharpen their kitchen knives as they welcome food writer Leah Koenig for their biggest meal yet: a hearty discussion of 1996's "Big Night" co-directed by Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci.Join them as they go on a spiritual journey through the film and celebrate the divine nature of a great meal.Leah's LinksBuy Leah's cookbook PorticoThe Jewish Table (Leah's Substack)Leah Koenig on InstagramMovie Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQQhoYLsoHIIMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115678/Connect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Join Harry, Daniel, and their guest Jason Zinoman, critic at large for The New York Times, as they share a plate of ginger prawns (Kosher of course) at their favorite Chinese Restaurant and unpack the Jewishness of Barbet Schroeder’s “Reversal of Fortune,” starring Glenn Close, Ron Silver, and Jeremy Irons in an Oscar winning performance.Tune in to hear them discuss the way protagonist Alan Dershowitz is faced with positive and negative stereotypes of his Jewishness, debate Judaism’s perspective on upholding the law when things get morally ambiguous, and answer the question of whether or not Claus Von Bulow has a good sense of humor.Finally, they end the episode by selecting their most Jewish scenes, “stretches of the pod,” debating if the movie is “good for the Jews” and ranking the film’s overall Jewishness.IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100486/Movie Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU7cBiiYcUgJason’s LinksThe Martin Chronicles Podcast - https://martinchronicles.buzzsprout.com/Jason on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/zinomanj/Jason on Twitter - https://x.com/zinomanConnect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

In their season four debut, Harry and Daniel welcome musician extraordinaire Yoshie Fruchter to discuss "This is Spinal Tap,” the 1984 directorial debut from Rob Reiner. They debate the introspective Jewishness of the mockumentary format, compare the travails of the band to those of the Jews lost in the desert, and crank things up to 11 as they celebrate they tow the line between stupid and clever!As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.Spinal Tap on imdbThis is Spinal Tap TrailerCheck out the new Sandcatchers album, The LinesYoshie Fruchter on InstagramConnect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Daniel and Harry are joined by Pamela Lavitt, Director of the Seattle Jewish Film Festival.Pamela shares her insights on what makes a film Jewish, reveals the latest trends in Jewish movies, covers a few notable films playing this year, and makes a surprising pitch for a Jewish read of "Barbie" and “The Matrix.”Check out the full festival schedule (March 2-17) and buy tickets here: https://seattlejff.org/Connect with Jews on Film online:Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/productsInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpodYouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilmTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod