Deli Man (May 16th and 17th at the Cleveland Cinematheque)

[DELI MAN screens Saturday May 16th at 7:40 pm and Sunday May 17th at 4:30 pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]

Review by Bob Ignizio

The delicatessen has long been a part of Jewish-American life. DELI MAN chronicles the history of this culinary institution from a peak in the thirties, when New York alone boasted thousands of delis, to the present day in which only about 150 remain in the entire United States. It's a story filled to bursting with pastrami and corned beef, told by the admittedly “mashugana” (crazy) individuals who keep the tradition alive, and their customers both famous and not.

Although the film interviews a number of deli owners still plying their trade in New York, it's Ziggy Gruber, a trained French Chef who learned the deli business as a kid from his grandparents, who gets the most screen time with his Houston, TX establishment Kenny and Ziggy's. So yes, in case you were wondering, there are Jews in Texas, and they make a damn fine sandwich. Going to the deli is about more than just food, though – it's a huge part of the Jewish-American cultural tradition. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, delis also helped “Americanize” many Jews back in the thirties.

Repost: Hava Nagila (The Movie) (October 9th at the Chagrin Documentary FIlm Festival)

[HAVA NAGILA (THE MOVIE) screens Thursday October 9th at 7:30 pm at the Chagrin Documentary Film Festival.]

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.

There are a precious handful of documentary features devoted to the history of a single song (not "Cleveland Rocks," sorry). One concerns the blues dirge about American lynching, "Strange Fruit." Another focuses on the widespread left-wing revolutionary anthem "The Internationale." And now comes the motion-picture version of "Hava Nagila," the stereotypical Jewish wedding/celebration music. You don't have to be Jewish (but it helps) to enjoy filmmaker Roberta Grossman's dissertation. And I dare say, it's more entertaining than hearing about lynching and communism over the long haul.

"Hava Nagila" is so thoroughly associated with Jewish culture and identity that some believe it dates back to Old Testament times. But this is false. The tune is actually a Ukrainian Hasidic melody from the 1800s, to which lyrics were put in 20th-century Palestine by Zionist composer A.Z. Idelsohn - or, possibly, his adolescent prot‚g‚ Moshe Nathanson. There has actually been a lawsuit and royalties controversy and bad blood between two prominent Jewish families over this, oy veh! Palestinians, you may now chortle smugly.

Hava Nagila (The Movie) (July 14 at 1:30 and July 17 at 7 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art Morley Lecture Hall)

[HAVA NAGILA (THE MOVIE) screens Sunday July 14th at 1:30 pm and Wednesday July 17th at 7:00 pm at the Cleveland Museum of Art Morley Lecture Hall.]

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.

There are a precious handful of documentary features devoted to the history of a single song (not "Cleveland Rocks," sorry). One concerns the blues dirge about American lynching, "Strange Fruit." Another focuses on the widespread left-wing revolutionary anthem "The Internationale." And now comes the motion-picture version of "Hava Nagila," the stereotypical Jewish wedding/celebration music. You don't have to be Jewish (but it helps) to enjoy filmmaker Roberta Grossman's dissertation. And I dare say, it's more entertaining than hearing about lynching and communism over the long haul.

"Hava Nagila" is so thoroughly associated with Jewish culture and identity that some believe it dates back to Old Testament times. But this is false. The tune is actually a Ukrainian Hasidic melody from the 1800s, to which lyrics were put in 20th-century Palestine by Zionist composer A.Z. Idelsohn - or, possibly, his adolescent prot‚g‚ Moshe Nathanson. There has actually been a lawsuit and royalties controversy and bad blood between two prominent Jewish families over this, oy veh! Palestinians, you may now chortle smugly.

The Possession

Review by Charles Cassady, Jr.

The forgettable PG-13 horror movie du jour THE POSSESSION claims, like THE APPARITION, A HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT, EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE etc. to be “inspired by a true story.” Maybe no viewers except stupid small children (some in their 20s to 40s) are suckered in anymore by that TEXAS CHAINSAW –esque come-on. But I had aspirations to be a journalist, and I’ve actually written about real-life paranormal accounts extensively. So the perversion of “truth” still grates. Yes, “inspired by a true story.” You know, like Saddam’s WMDs were. Or the Obama/Romney economic-recovery plan. When the new JUDGE DREDD reboot in 3D opens, what are chances that one will be “inspired by a true story?”