By Oliver B. Pollak SAN FRANCISCO — The 38th annual San Francisco Jewish Film festival is in full swing. From July 19 to August 5, Bay Area theatres in San Francisco, Albany, Palo Alto, San Rafael, and Oakland will screen 67 Jewish films from 22 countries. One of the films is a restored 87 […]
‘The City Without Jews’ screens 90+ years later Read More »
International, Jewish History, Oliver Pollak, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – You remember seeing the movie Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman? That was the myth. The Moroccan film Razzia (Raid) by Nabil Ayouch paints the reality of an economically depressed society where militant Islam seeks to impose its values on Berbers, women, homosexuals, and, to a lesser
Casablanca movie myth and reality Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Oren had a wife in Jerusalem and a gay lover in Berlin. Leaving Berlin for home, he forgot some of his personal belongings, so the cakemaker Tomas (Tim Kalkhof) called him again and again. But Oren didn’t answer. Distraught, Tomas investigated, only to learn from business associates that
‘The Cakemaker’ is an intense drama of love and lies Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – Comedian Bobcat Goldthwait recently had his premiere of the half-hour television series, Misfits & Monsters, in which Jewish actor Seth Green played a voice actor whose character Bubba The Bear comes alive. The Bear proves to be murderously angry at Green’s character for giving him such a stupid
Bobcat Goldthwait pumps his ‘Misfits & Monsters’ series Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Sheldon F. Merel ENCINITAS, California –I recently watched the documentary film Fattitude at the ArcLight Theatre in La Jolla. The film is by Lindsey Averill and Viridiana Lieberman, and sponsored by the Women’s Museum in San Diego. It is a graphic portrayal how fat people are ridiculed in our society. It exposes how pop
‘Fattitude’ tells the plight of heavy-body people Read More »
Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel, z"l, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food
Lawfare Project opposes Irish bill discriminating against Israeli goods originating in the territories The Lawfare Project, a U.S.-based think tank and litigation fund that fights anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli discrimination around the world, has taken legal action against what experts and advocates are describing as the most aggressive boycott measure targeting Israel in European history. The
Editor’s E-Mail Box: July 12, 2018 (4 items) Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
By Donald H. Harrison ANGELUS OAKS, California—Along with a few other San Diegans, I visited Camp Mountain Chai in the San Bernardino Mountains last week. On arrival, I saw a Baer. It turned out that Dan Baer is the director of the camp, located 134 miles from the parking lot of the Jewish Federation of
Ruach, plenty of spirit, at Camp Mountain Chai Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Jewish Religion, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Science, Medicine, & Education, Sports & Competitions, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USABy Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO — When Monty Python and the Holy Grail was released in 1975, their wildly irreverent treatment of the Arthurian legends seemed the height of chutzpah. With the advent of VCRs, it became a cult classic that true devotées could recite by heart. Adding a few more gags and songs, Spamalot
‘Spamalot’ is a ride of madcap silliness Read More »
Eric George Tauber, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – As one can glean from the title, the subject of Path of Blood is not pleasant, but for those who are not Islamic extremists, the insights it provides are necessary to learn. Documentary film maker Jonathan Hacker utilizes captured Al Qaeda footage along with video from the Security
‘Path of Blood’ includes candid Al Qaeda home movies Read More »
Middle East, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USA
By Eva Trieger SOLANA BEACH, California — How often do you catch yourself humming a tune, or singing along with lyrics, when you suddenly experience that moment of clarity as you realize the song’s message? The instant when you learned that “Ring Around the Rosie” was about Black Plague or that U2 was singing about
‘American Socialist,’ story of Debs, debuts July 4 Read More »
Eva Trieger, Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, San Diego County, Theatre, Film & BroadcastBy Eric George Tauber SAN DIEGO — The Book of Proverbs tells us that there’s a time to dance. Well, you won’t find a better time or place than the San Diego Fringe Festival. Now in its sixth year, our Fringe has grown from 52 productions over 3 days in 2013 to 90 productions over 11
Dance, drama, silliness at the Fringe Read More »
Music, Dance, and Visual Arts, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
BDS movement attempts to hijack Jewish summer camp Scholars for Peace in the Middle East reported that the Camp Ramah movement rebuffed IfNotNow after it was revealed that the BDS group had trained camp counselors to introduce BDS themes to their campers. As their materials put it, IfNotNow’s workshop’s focused on how counselors could communicate to
Editor’s E-Mail Box: July 2, 2018 (6 items) Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, USABy Donald H. Harrison SAN DIEGO – At the Asian Film Festival in New York, there is a Hong Kong-produced film titled Operation Red Sea. Always interested in stories about waterways near Israel, I requested and received a screener for review purposes. It’s a well-done, riveting war film—on the order of Dunkirk or Saving Private
Clumsy propaganda diminishes Chinese war movie Read More »
Donald H. Harrison, Theatre, Film & Broadcast
Poland revises its law on Holocaust responsibility The American Jewish Committee has welcomed the action by the Polish Parliament to remove the criminal penalties provision of the country’s controversial Holocaust responsibility law. “As long-time friends of Poland, correcting this counterproductive measure is an important step to restore confidence and advance ties among Poland, the Jewish
Editor’s E-Mail Box: June 27, 2018 (10 Items) Read More »
International, Middle East, Science, Medicine, & Education, Theatre, Film & Broadcast, Travel and Food, USA