Old Jews Telling Jokes (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)If ever there was a film (though this is really a digitally shot video) whose title told it like it is, this is it. For 44 minutes you watch, and hear, 16 men and two women - all Jewish and "moderately" old - telling jokes. Some tell a couple so there are 38 jokes in all. The only issue is whether the storytellers are "old". "Old is a relative term and most of the participants - each of who stands before an unseen small (based on the laughter) audience while a white curtain acts as scenery. Most are between 65 and 70 years old with the eldest being 75.
Think of this as "Comedy Night at your local synagogue". None are professionals but they have a good deadpan delivery. Some of the jokes hit you about 10 seconds after you hear the drum thud at the end. And many are REALLY funny. A few of the storytellers (there are short funny stories as well as one-two jokes) cover other ethnicities (Italians, for one) but most are the Jews laughing at themselves. There are quite a few "risqué" ones and private parts are often described so don't play this in front of your young kids. (They probably wouldn't get the joke anyway).
There are no real Special Features. There is a "find a joke" option - which is just the Chapter index and a "hear a new joke" option, which just displays a web site where you can hear more.
It is a lot of fun and makes a great gift for that parent or relative for a birthday or holiday. Giving the gift of laughter is a blessing and there's enough fun here to entertain the viewer for 44 minutes.
Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

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Just what it's called: Old Jews telling jokes. The 18 joke tellers featured aren't professionals; rather they're doctors, lawyers, a garment worker, a wine salesman - just like your favorite Jewish uncle or grandparent. With wonderful timing and mannerisms, and bouncy klezmer music backing them up, these funny old alter kockers deliver, with great delight, the off-color and risqué jokes from a bygone era.

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Leaves of Grass (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)Leaves of Grass isn't a movie that you can easily categorize. While it doesn't offer up laughs every few minutes, it's still a clever comedy in the vein of a Coen Brothers film. But you also can't quite call it a black comedy completely in the spirit of Burn After Reading or Fargo. It's equal parts crime drama, humor, romance and philosophy.
The film revolves around the intertwining lives of two identical twins, played by the incredibly talented Edward Norton. Ivy League philosophy professor Bill Kincaid is lured back to his Oklahoma hometown as part of a scheme cooked up by Mary Jane growing brother Brady. The first half hour of the film moves slowly but quickly gains momentum when the two siblings eventually cross paths.
The best part of this movie is easily watching Norton put on brilliant performances as both brothers. The supporting cast is top-notch as well, especially director Tim Blake Nelson in the role of Bolger, Brady's partner in crime. Nelson slips into the role effortlessly, which is no surprise considering he himself is a real-life Okie (a Jewish one at that, which influences a subplot of the movie). My only gripe with casting was Richard Dreyfuss as Jewish gangster Pug Rothbaum, with Dreyfuss giving one of the most bizarre attempts at a Southern accent in film.
I enjoyed the cinematography, Jeff Danna's work on the score, and the infusion of philosophy into the film. As a Southerner, I appreciated the fact that Brady's accent was no reflection on his intelligence. While not as well-read as his sibling, he still gets the occasional profound message across. The only real complaint I have about the film are the jarring scenes of violence. Considering it's not entirely a dark comedy, scenes that involved murders seemed extremely out of place in this movie.
Overall, watching Edward Norton effectively tackle two completely different roles was a real treat. If you enjoy a good drama or comedy that makes you think, definitely check this one out.

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LEAVES OF GRASS - DVD Movie

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