The Schmooze lies at the intersection of high and low culture. Here, the latest developments and trends in Jewish art, books, dance, film, music, media, television and theater are all assimilated into one handy pop culture blog.
The Schmooze
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Celebrate the Marx Brothers With ‘Marxfest’
It’s been 100 years since four brothers — Leonard, Arthur, Julius and Milton — sat down at a table and, with the assistance of a fellow vaudevillian, reinvented themselves as Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Gummo. The centennial anniversary of that comic rebirth will be celebrated with Marxfest, a month-long series of screenings and discussions taking…
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Watch Katy Perry as a Bar Mitzvah DJ
You remember the bar mitzvah DJ. You know, the guy who makes jokes so lame even your dad wouldn’t crack them, whose hairstyle peaked somewhere around 1974, and whose appreciation of the musical stylings of the “Cha Cha Slide” routinely calls his sanity into question. That guy. In a teaser video called “World’s Worst Birthday…
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Clara Mamet Makes a Movie
“Two-Bit Waltz” is a small independent film about teenage alienation that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19. But before you say: “Thank goodness, that’s just what the world needs — another film about teenage angst,” here are a couple of facts you should know. First, yes, the film has moments best described…
The Latest
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James Bond, The Mensch?
“What is that?” “They’re guns, James.” “I know but so many? I mean I’m one guy. How many guns does a person need?” The opening of Funny or Die’s new video says it all: 007 goes mensch. The comedy site’s new video offers a solution to a recent comment by Harvey Weistein deploring the amount…
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Jonas Armstrong Plays the Role of a Lifetime
Irish-born British actor Jonas Armstrong stars in “Walking With the Enemy,” a story set in Hungary during the last months of World War II. Inspired by a true story, it tells of a man who used a stolen Nazi uniform to free hundreds of Jews. It’s an action story about love and courage directed by…
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Pot Not Kosher for Passover — Even on 4/20
It’s that time of the year again — Passover and 4/20, the unofficial marijuana celebration day. On the same day. The celebration of all things green poses a particular problem for the chosen people. Namely, is smoking pot kosher for Passover? Sorry to disappoint, but it seems not. In 2007, Israel’s Green Leaf Party, which…
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How a Theater Legend Overcame the Odds
“Act One,” Moss Hart’s inspirational memoir, is the story of the son of Jewish immigrants who found and successfully pursued his passion for theater despite — or because of — his family’s impoverished circumstances. Hart’s muse was his Aunt Kate, an eccentric woman who encouraged his love of theater, where he found “a refuge for…
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POEM: ‘Lilith at the Cosmetics Counter’
Lilith’s face made a face at her in the lighted mirror at the cosmetics counter. Craggy, ravined, parched, that thing above her neck looked like the Sinai Desert. Yesterday militants high on toxic rumors baby killer! man raper! had run her out of town. Again. She needed some ego first aid. New address, new name,…
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Zac Efron Proves He’s Jewish By Unzipping
Zac Efron is Jewish. Really. He can prove it. In fact, he did. In a new video for Comedy Central’s “Workaholics,” Efron and Seth Rogen (his co-star in “Neighbors”) interview for a job with Adam (Adam DeVine), Blake (Blake Anderson) and Ders (Anders Holm). “I think if you add a Jewish person, you’d probably be…
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Chelsea Clinton Is Pregnant!
Chelsea Clinton announced on Thursday she is pregnant with the first grandchild of former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Marc and I are so thrilled to be expecting our first child in the fall! Thank you for all of the kind words! — Chelsea Clinton (@ChelseaClinton) April 17, 2014 “Mark…
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Andrew Garfield: ‘Spider-Man is Jewish’
That nice Jewish boy next door? Could be a superhero in disguise. Turns out, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is a member of the tribe — at least, according to Andrew Garfield, who plays the famed superhero in the upcoming “Amazing Spider-Man 2.” ““Peter Parker is not a simple dude,” Garfield told Time Out. “He ums…
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