Harry and Daniel are joined by special guest Tanya Singer to explore Liev Schreiber’s 2005 film Everything is Illuminated. Starring Elijah Wood as a young Jewish American traveling to Ukraine in search of his grandfather’s past, the film blends absurd humor with profound reflections on memory, trauma, and the long shadow of the Holocaust.

Together, the group discusses the film’s road-trip structure, its use of comedy as a gateway to grief, and what it reveals about diaspora Jews returning to Eastern Europe in search of meaning. As Alex Perchik himself might say, this episode is “very premium discussion… many thinking, much feeling, and not so much crying (maybe little).”

Tanya's Links

• Simchat Torah Challenge
• Tanya Singer on Instagram

Movie Resources

• Everything Is Illuminated Trailer
• Everything Is Illuminated on IMDb

Harry and Daniel settle in with a nice luke warm bowl of shark soup and are once again joined by author Shawn Levy to delve into Noah Baumbach’s “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)”, a darkly comic portrait of a fractured Jewish family in New York.

With standout performances from Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, and Emma Thompson, the film explores themes of sibling rivalry, parental expectations, and the burden of legacy. The hosts unpack Baumbach’s signature style, the film’s Jewish sensibility, and what it reveals about art, memory, and the bonds of family.

Meyerwitz Stories on IMDB

Meyerwitz Stories trailer

Shawn Levy’s Links

• Get Shawn’s latest book, “Clint”
• Follow Shawn Levy on instagram
• Listen to the Glitter & Might series about Lew Wasserman
• Find other books by Shawn Levy

Connect with Jews on Film online:

• Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Daniel and Harry step away from their latest Capitol Pictures assignment—something about a wrestling picture?—to dive into the Coen Brothers’ Barton Fink. They are joined by actor, writer, director, and novelist Tim Blake Nelson, whose new book Super Hero adds an extra layer to their exploration of creativity, identity, and the strange, sticky world of Hollywood.

Together, they unpack the film’s Jewish themes, its surreal portrait of the “life of the mind,” and why Barton Fink still feels so eerily relevant. From peeling wallpaper to the pressures of writing for “the common man,” this conversation blends film history, industry insight, and classic Jews on Film humor—without the Hotel Earle’s heat.

Barton Fink Movie Trailer

Barton Fink on IMDb

Tim's Links

Purchase "Super Hero" by Tim Blake Nelson

Upcoming Events

• 12/1 Tim Blake Nelson in conversation with Elizabeth Marvel at The Strand NYC
• 12/16 Book Soup Reading & Signing Event in Los Angeles
• 12/11 An Evening with Tim Blake Nelson at Bnei Emunah in Tulsa, OK

Connect with Jews on Film online:

• Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Harry and Daniel are joined by caricature artist Robin Schwartzman to revisit Don Bluth and Steven Spielberg’s animated classic An American Tail, the story of Fievel Mousekewitz and his family’s journey from Russia to America. Beneath its colorful animation and unforgettable songs lies a deeply Jewish immigration story, echoing themes of displacement, perseverance, and hope. The hosts explore the film’s historical context, its portrayal of Jewish immigrant life, and the lasting cultural impact of Fievel as a symbol of resilience and belonging.

• An American Tail on IMDb - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090633/
• An American Tail Trailer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTQ0qTubGz8

Robin's Links

• Buy a signed copy of "Drawing Influence" - https://www.drawinginfluence.com/shop
• Find Robin Schwartzman on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/robinschwartzman/

Connect with Jews on Film online:

• Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

🧳 A tale of immigrants, Yiddish, and the struggle between Old World traditions and New World dreams.

Jason Diamond, author of Kaplan's Plot, join Harry and Daniel to revisit Joan Micklin Silver’s 1975 classic Hester Street, a groundbreaking portrayal of Jewish immigrants in turn-of-the-century New York.

Starring Carol Kane in an Oscar-nominated performance, the film captures the tensions between assimilation and tradition, Old World and New, as Jewish families navigate the challenges of American life. They explore the film’s authentic use of Yiddish, its role in American independent cinema, and the ways it reflects enduring questions of Jewish identity in America.

• Hester Street on IMDb
• Hester Street Trailer

Jason's Links

• Get Kaplan's Plot on Bookshop.org
• Jason Diamond on Instagram
• The Melt Substack

Connect with Jews on Film online:

• Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Harry and Daniel are joined by podcaster & writer Julie Klausner to tackle Adaptation, Spike Jonze’s wildly inventive collaboration with screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Starring Nicolas Cage in a dual role as Kaufman and his fictional twin brother, the film bends narrative form to explore writer’s block, creativity, and self-doubt. The hosts discuss Kaufman’s uniquely Jewish lens on storytelling, the blending of comedy and melancholy, and how the film fits into a broader tradition of Jewish metafiction in literature and cinema.

Adaptation on IMDb

Adaptation Movie Trailer

Julie's Links

• How Was Your Week Podcast?
• Double Threat Podcast w/ Julie & Tom Sharpling
• Julie Klausner on Instagram

Connect with Jews on Film online:

• Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Daniel and Harry are once again joined by actor & comedian Gil Ozeri to discuss the 1987 classic, Spaceballs.

Join them as they uncover the ways Mel Brooks brings his Jewish voice and humor to this parody of Star Wars and the classic tropes it inspired. Listen in as they talk about the power of the Schwartz, the Druish princess Vespa, and the all powerful (and very Jewish) Yogurt!

Spaceballs on IMDb

Spaceballs Trailer

Gil’s Links

• Gil Ozeri on instagram
• Gil’s upcoming show at the Elysian Theater with Jon Daly & John Gemberling

Connect with Jews on Film online:

• Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod

Daniel and Harry are back for Season Five of the podcast! In this premiere episode, they welcome back writer Michael Schulman to talk about Tim Burton's 1985 classic, "Pee Wee's Big Adventure" . They cover the excellent documentary film, "Paul Reubens as Himself" before heading out hitchhiking on the road to uncover what the film has to say about being an outsider, wandering in the desert, and trying their best not to say the secret word of the pod! AHHHH

Pee Wee's Big Adventure Movie Trailer

Pee Wee's Big Adventure in IMDb

Michael's Links

• Read Michael's article from The New York about Pee Wee Herman
• Find Michael Schulman on Instagram
• Get Michael Schulman's book, "Oscar Wars"

Connect with Jews on Film online:

• Jews on Film Merch - https://jews-on-film.printify.me/products
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jewsonfilm/
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/jewsonfilmpod
• YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@jewsonfilm
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jewsonfilmpod