• Documentary or Satire? Decoding Albert Brooks' "Real Life" with Eddie Schmidt" | Jews on Film
    Aug 22 2024

    Harry and Daniel welcome acclaimed director Eddie Schmidt to the pod to discuss Albert Brooks’ pioneering meta-documentary “Real Life,” released in 1979.

    Join them as they track the film’s exploration of truth and reality, and Brooks’ repeated meddling in the “reality” of his subjects. They then consider the different modes of performance in the film, and discuss how a God-fearing Jew is uniquely equipped to survive in an overly-observed world. Finally, they discuss the shlemiel and shlimazel archetypes and debate which each of the characters represents in the film. As always, they rank the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.

    Stick around for the end of the podcast to hear a little bit more about Eddie‘s latest project “Good One: A Show About Jokes" and some of the parallels to "Real Life" as well as how he set out capturing Mike Birbiglia’s process in creating a special.


    Real Life Trailer

    Real Life on IMDb


    Eddie's Links

    Eddie Schmidt on Instagram

    Good One: A Show About Jokes


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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Jewish Themes in 'X-Men: First Class' – A Deep Dive with Yacov Freedman | Jews on Film
    Aug 8 2024

    In this electrifying episode of Jews on Film, Daniel and Harry are thrilled to be joined by Yacov Freedman, Sr. Producer of TCM's acclaimed series The Plot Thickens. Together, they dive into the dazzling world of 2011's X-Men: First Class, directed by Matthew Vaughn. 🦸‍♂️💥

    This action-packed discussion covers everything from Magneto's poignant backstory as a Holocaust survivor to the X-Men's historical role as stand-ins for marginalized members of the Jewish, LGBTQ+, and Black communities .

    📽️✨ As they unpack the film's historical influences and character dynamics, you'll also hear Harry's heartfelt confession of his admiration for Michael Fassbender.

    Don't miss this opportunity to explore the superhero saga's deeper meanings and its cultural impact! 🌟🦹‍♀️


    X-Men First Class on Trailer

    X-Men First Class on IMDb


    Yacov's Links

    The Plot Thickens on Apple Podcasts

    Yacov Freedman on Twitter


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    1 hr and 16 mins
  • BONUS: The Nightingale of Iran Episode One - The Time Machine
    Jul 30 2024

    Daniel and Harry had Danielle Dardashti on last week to discuss the film Persepolis, and this week they are sharing the first episode of Danielle's series, "The Nightingale of Iran", enjoy!

    ____________________________

    Sisters Danielle and Galeet Dardashti grew up in a Jewish American family band: The Dardashti Family. They sang international folk music in 12 languages – English, Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, Greek, Spanish, French, Japanese and more – but never any songs in Persian. This seems odd to them since both their father and grandfather were famous Iranian singers during the “Golden Age” for Jews in Iran, before the Islamic Revolution. Danielle and Galeet make a discovery that takes them back in time, and helps them find answers to their questions about why their family left Iran and abandoned their Iranian identity.


    Co-creators / Co-executive producers - Danielle Dardashti and Galeet Dardashti

    The Nightingale of Iran - nightingaleofiran.com

    Presented by The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, a publication of 70 Faces Media

    Host - Danielle Dardashti

    Writer / Director / Senior Producer - Danielle Dardashti

    Producer / Musical Director / Subject Matter Expert - Galeet Dardashti

    Audio Editors / Sound Designers - Rebecca Seidel and Zachary Goldberg

    Story Editor - Rider Alsop

    Story Consultant - Asal Ehsanipour


    Composer of Theme Song - Galeet Dardashti: “Melekh” from her album Monajat, featuring Younes Dardashti (with Shanir Blumenkranz, Max ZT, Zafer Tawil, Philip Mayer)


    In Episode 1, The Time Machine, you heard our conversations with: Farid and Sheila Dardashti, Shahla Javdan, Homa Sarshar, Lili Keypour, and Nahid Pirnazar.


    Thank you to our sponsors:


    -Jewish Writers’ Initiative Digital Storytellers Lab / Maimonides Fund

    -Common Era

    -Younes and Soraya Nazarian Family Foundation

    -The Himan Brown Charitable Trust

    -UCLA Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music

    -Be’chol Lashon (fiscal sponsor)


    Intro credits read by: Michelle Dardashti

    Cover art design: Ghulam Nabi

    Assistants: Courtney Cunningham & Jessica DeWeese

    Marketing / PR: Tink

    Distributed by PRX, the Public Media Exchange


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    35 mins
  • Persepolis w/ Danielle Dardashti
    Jul 25 2024

    Daniel and Harry are joined by Danielle Dardashti, co-creator and producer of "The Nightingale of Iran" podcast to discuss "Persepolis," the 2007 animated film co-directed by Marjane Satrapi.

    They discuss Marjane’s split sense of identity throughout the film, and Danielle shares parallel stories of her grandfather that reflect the experience of living in Iran during the fall of the Shah and rise of the Islamic Fundamentalism during the late 1970s.

    Then the three talk about religious as well as national persecution for Iranians at that time and finish up the discussion weighing the pros and cons of various modern storytelling mediums such as graphic novel, animated film, and audio podcast.

    As always, they close out the episode by ranking the film's "Jewishness" in terms of its cast & crew, content, and themes.


    Persepolis Movie Trailer

    Persepolis on IMDB


    Danielle's Links

    The Nightingale of Iran Podcast

    Danielle Dardashti on Instagram


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    1 hr and 13 mins
  • Kentucky Fried Movie w/ Adam Lisagor
    Jul 4 2024

    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" Trailer

    IMDB


    Adam’s Links

    Sandwich

    Adam Lisagor on Twitter


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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Bottoms w/ Raye Schiller
    Jun 20 2024

    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 Page

    Movie Trailer


    Raye's Links

    Yenta! Podcast

    Raye Schiller on Instagram


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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Indiana Jones & the Raiders of The Lost Ark w/ David Tuchman
    Jun 6 2024

    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 Page

    Movie Trailer


    David Tuchman's Links

    Listen to OMGWTFBIBLE

    Read David's Story "Chelm, NJ"


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    1 hr and 15 mins
  • Made for Each Other w/ Becky Feldman
    May 24 2024

    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 Page

    Movie Trailer


    Becky's Links

    Too Stupid to Live

    Becky Feldman on instagram


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    1 hr and 11 mins