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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James-Franco-Printed Pants, Anyone?
James Franco’s ego has just reached new heights. The jack-(or James?)-of-all-trades actor recently posted a picture to Instagram of a shirt and pants combo featuring a pattern of his own lovely mug, with the caption: “Yum.” Some laughed, some cried, and some were genuinely excited. As one fan put it: “If this isn’t my Christmas…
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Golden Globe Noms: Who Gets What?
Slavery drama “12 Years a Slave” and 1970s con-artist caper “American Hustle” led the Golden Globe Awards nominations announced on Thursday with seven nods each, fortifying their frontrunner positions in a crowded field ahead of the Oscars. In the coveted best drama category, “12 Years a Slave” will compete against piracy tale “Captain Phillips,” space…
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Claude Lanzmann and the Boss of Theresienstadt
“The Last of the Unjust” is at once a documentary on the Holocaust, a character portrait, an inquiry into the nature of evil, a rumination on drawing moral distinctions, and a lesson on the pedagogical limits of film. This well over three-hour documentary, directed — or should we say “constructed”? — by Claude Lanzmann, whose…
The Latest
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Jewish Writers Sign Anti-Surveillance Petition
A number of leading Jewish and Israeli authors have signed on to an appeal in defence of civil liberties against surveillance by governments and corporations. The petition by Writers Against Mass Surveillance was made public on December 10 and came a day after the world’s largest tech companies, including Apple, Yahoo, Google and Microsoft, put…
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Bette Midler to Play Mae West
Introducing the role Bette Midler was born to play: the actress will portray the legendary and scandalous Mae West in the upcoming HBO film by the same name. Harvey Fierstein is writing the script and Jerry Weintraub, who executive produced HBO Films’ Emmy-winning Behind The Candelabra, is also involved. William Friedkin (“The Exorcist”) will direct….
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Peter Schickele, Roman Rabinovich Tickle the Ivories
When I first met Israeli pianist Roman Rabinovich, winner of Israel’s 2008 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition, at the January 22, 2009 Salon De Virtuosi concert at the Hungarian Consulate, I could not have imagined that one day he and composer Peter Schickele aka “PDQ Bach” would share the stage at Weill Recital Hall…
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He Was Deaf But Now Can Sing
During a phone conversation from his home in Paris, David Serero admits that his “is kind of a Cinderella story.” That’s an understatement. Frankly, Cinderella wouldn’t believe his story. Cinderella would call it a fairy tale. Deaf almost since birth, Serero began to regain his hearing after a three-year series of surgeries starting at the…
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Tila Tequila, Hitler Defender
(JTA) — If your memory of C-list phenomenon Tila Tequila is hazy at best, the former star of the MTV reality show “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila” and, natch, a sex tape, is out to change that. Or — more likely — she’s simply gone off the deep end of a pool nestled deep…
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Listen to Lea Michele’s New Single
Lea Michele is giving Miley Cyrus a run for her money. The Broadway-actress-turned-TV-star has just released the first single off her debut album, “Louder.” “Cannonball,” as the song is called, is a ballad written by Sia Furler and Benny Bianco, and produced by Stargate. The chorus, “I’ll fly like a cannonball,” is weirdly similar to…
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Yamaclaus: A Chrismukkah Dream Come True
Seth Cohen’s dream finally came true. This year, celebrate Christmas the kosher way (sort of), with a Yamaclaus. It’s exactly what it sounds like: a red yarmulke complete with fluffy white Santa trim. And if you’re a millennial, chances are you’ve seen it before. Fans of “The O.C.” will recognize this holiday gem from the…
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Poems of Heresy and Transformation
If poetry requires disclosure, I’ll start with one: I am a friend of Yermiyahu Ahron Taub’s, and a fellow Yiddish poet. He sent me his book with a kind dedication, and an additional inscription in his neat hand: bet-samekh-daled. That is, the author of this book entitled “Prayers of a Heretic” noted that his signature…
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