The Reel Schmooze

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

We roll out with three Jangles -- news with a Jewish angle. Borschel-Dan gives her favorite actress, 96-year-old June Squib, a shoutout for her recent Tony nomination for "Marjorie Prime." Hoffman discusses his recent discovery of a famous Jewish porn star and also the new reboot of "Lord of the Flies" which hints that one of the boys is Jewish.

We then turn to "Cast a Giant Shadow," the 1966 biopic of Colonel Mickey Marcus. David Daniel "Mickey" Marcus was a complicated character who was foundational to the organization of what became the Israel Defense Force.  The United States Army colonel, who was later dubbed Israel's first general, was also instrumental at the Nuremberg Trials.

Kirk Douglas plays Marcus and the rest of the all-star cast includes Senta Berger, Yul Brynner, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra and Angie Dickinson.

The movie maven and our host disagreed about the film, so stick around to see if "Cast a Giant Shadow" gets an "oy," "meh" or "not bad" in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, we dive straight into our two films for this week, the 2021 documentary "Bernstein's Wall" and Bradley Cooper's 2023 "Maestro."

Our two classical music fans begin with the documentary, highlighting the parts of conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein's life that were previously unknown to them. We hear how the movie employs Bernstein himself as its narrator by weaving together clips from dozens of revealing interviews the celebrity gave over his life. 

Shifting over to the Hollywood treatment, we zero in on the Maestro's relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein. We learn where Cooper stayed true to the contours of the musician's life -- and where he missed the mark.

Stick around to see if "Bernstein's Wall" and "Maestro" got an "oy," "meh" or "not bad" in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, before diving into our two films for this week, we revisit the 1960 film "Exodus" with a few reflections based on listeners' responses -- and Hoffman's musing while sweeping.

We then hear about the movie maven's night out enjoying the Boss, Bruce Springsteen, and the E-Street Band's longtime Jewish musicians.

The first film we chew over in this week's episode is a short, 13-minute indie production called "How to Make Challah" by Sarah Rosen. The intergenerational look at New York Jewry is framed within footage filmed by Rosen's aunt of her grandmother making challah in 1975.

Now #1 on Netflix in Israel, Sadie Sandler's new "Roommates" left the team almost speechless, but they valiantly rallied at the sight of Jewish acting greats Natasha Lyonne, Nick Kroll and Carol Kane.  Chloe East stars as Celeste, joined by Sadie Sandler as Devon. Does her apple fall far from the Adam Sandler tree?

Stick around to see if "How to Make Challah" and "Roommates" got an "oy," "meh" or "not bad" in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, before diving into the nuts and bolts of the iconic epic Hollywood adventure, we learn how the 1960 film "Exodus" is part of Hoffman's genesis story.

Hoffman lays out the film's plot, which is based on a 1958 Leon Uris novel. We learn about director Otto Preminger, who was a very big deal in Tinsel Town during his era, which is how he managed to capture an all-star cast including a dashing Paul Newman, high-heeled Eva Marie Saint, Sal Mineo's fury and the "good Arab" John Derek, whom we recently saw in "The Ten Commandments."

We give a big shoutout to Ernest Gold's soundtrack -- as well as the many covers of it.

We then hear a sharp criticism from Borschel-Dan on the poor historical accuracy of the film: The real boat, the Exodus 1947, never weighed anchor in Cyprus, where the first third of the film takes place.

Hoffman notes that the film raises abiding issues, including ideology pitting brother against brother and the everlasting hope of coexistence in the land.

Stick around to see if "Exodus" got an "oy," "meh" or "not bad" in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

We start the program with a "Jangle" -- a Jewish angle -- on this week's entertainment news. Hoffman brings a tale of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, who defends three Israelis in Times Square who are being attacked by a would-be social media influencer. Hear what transpires.

Our main feature this week is Israeli director Nadav Lapid newest film, "Yes!" The film has raised eyebrows -- and not a little amount of ire -- in Israel for its messaging, with the Minister of Culture Miki Zohar weighing in. 

Now screening in the United States, the film premiered in 2025 at the Cannes Film Festival. The film focuses on an artistic couple that is willing to do almost anything to succeed in their art, including sex work and writing a horrific anthem calling for the complete destruction of Gaza.

Stick around to see if "Yes!" got an "oy," "meh" or "not bad" in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

We start the program with two "Jangles" -- Jewish angles -- on this week's entertainment news. In a follow-up to our previous program, we hear how the comic Modi dropped out of a Passover event after finding out that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was participating. A principled stance?

And then, Hoffman pays tribute to Tzruya ‘Suki’ Lahav, who played violin with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band half a century ago, and died last weekend.

However, in honor of the end of the Passover holiday, we turn our gaze to "The Ten Commandments," which this year turns 70.

The 1956 Cecil B. DeMille "sandal epic" sees Charlton Heston as Moses going head-to-head with Yul Brynner as Rameses. The supporting cast also glitters with Anne Baxter as Nefretiri, Edward G. Robinson as Dathan, Yvonne De Carlo as Sephora and Debra Paget as Lilia.

Although screened annually in the US, Hoffman hadn't watched it for several decades, and this is Borschel-Dan's first time. But it's a movie that, as Hoffman puts it, "people know even if they haven't seen it."

The duo goes into the weeds with the biblical and Jewish influences on the work, including a surprise member of the tribe for Hoffman. And, while dated in its treatment of women on screen, the film also offers an insightful feminist moment.

Stick around to see if "The Ten Commandments" got an "oy," "meh" or "not bad" in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

This week, the team takes our listeners -- and our boss -- up on their recommendations.

After Borschel-Dan asked listeners for their favorite stand-up comedians, we received a deluge of responses. We decided to launch our stand-up tour with "Modi: Know Your Audience," which is available freely on YouTube. While both had heard of the very Jewish performer, this was their first-time watching a full-length show. 

Next, we discuss "The Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel," which is now streaming on Netflix. The documentary sheds light on the origins of the still-hot band and focuses on its original guitarist Hillel Slovak. Born in Israel, gifted guitarist Slovak was the catalyst that brought both bassist Flea and lead singer Anthony Kiedis to the music world. For our duo of reviewers, it was a chance to revisit their high school soundtrack.

Stick around to see who got the "oy," the "meh" and the "not bad" marks in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

In today's Oscar episode, movie maven Hoffman gives us a Jewy recap of this year's Academy Awards. We learn about surprising Jewish roots among some winners and how a person we thought was a sure thing came home with nothing.

We then turn to the most recent installment of "Superman" and discuss the hero's Jewish roots and the film's political overtones. (Check out Hoffman's review of the film here.)

Stick around to see who got the "oy," the "meh" and the "not bad" marks in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

IMAGE: Close-up of Javier Bardem's political attire at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 15, 2026, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in Los Angeles. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

In today's escapism episode, movie maven Hoffman begins with a recommendation of a new, very Jewy podcast, Classical Music Happy Hour with pianist Emanuel Ax.

We then discuss the 2025 independent film, "Fantasy Life," written and directed by Matthew Shear. His directorial debut is produced by and stars Amanda Peet, Shear, and a slew of Jewish (or Jew-ish) actors, including Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin and Zosia Mamet.

Next, we turn to the classic Larry David series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," which Borschel-Dan had never seen. Hoffman assigned her the iconic "Palestinian Chicken" episode. See how she liked it.

Check out who got the "oy," the "meh" and the "not bad" marks in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to The Reel Schmooze with ToI film reviewer Jordan Hoffman and host Amanda Borschel-Dan, where we bring you all the entertainment news and film reviews a Jew can use.

In today's Oscar-themed episode, movie maven Hoffman begins with a rant against the cynical social media uproar over a misstepped statement made at the Berlin Festival.

We then hear about the 2025 hit "Blue Moon," which portrays a pivotal night in the life of master lyricist Lorenz Hart. The film is up for two Academy Awards, but one of our team would not give it the time of day again. 

Next, we turn to a 14-minute animated film called "Papillion," which captivated the pair. It is a painterly immersive dive into the life of Alfred Nakache, who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Nazi Germany, only to end up in Auschwitz that is one of five films competing for best short animation.

Check out the "oy," the "meh" and "not bad" marks given to these films in this week's The Reel Schmooze.

The Reel Schmooze is produced by Ari Schlacht and can be found wherever you get your podcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.