Nate Bloom blogs on this week's Jews in the News.

 

Interesting Films & Checking Out “Dancing with the Stars”

 

“The Smashing Machine” opens in theaters on Oct. 3. It follows part of the career of Mark Kerr, now 58. He was a top college amateur wrestler and a top, professional MMA fighter (Mixed Marital Artist). In 2002, there was an HBO documentary, also called “Smashing Machine”. It covered Kerr’s MMA career, as well as his drug abuse problem. It also covered his relationship with his wife and his friendship with Mark Coleman, another MMA athlete.

 

The new dramatic film pretty much covers the same ground. Dwayne Johnson plays Kerr, Emily Blunt plays Dawn Staples (then his wife. They are now divorced), and Ryan Bader plays Coleman.

 

BENNY SAFDIE, 39, wrote the film, directed the film, and co-produced the film. Of course, Benny and his brother, JOSH SAFDIE, now 41, were a team for many years and they co-wrote and co-directed several good films, including “Uncut Gems” (2019).

 

In early 2024, the brothers said that they would not work anymore as a team. “Smashing Machine” is Benny’s first “solo” film and “Marty Supreme” is Josh’s first “solo”. “Marty” is a comedic film about a “real” Jewish table tennis champ. It opens in December.

 

Benny’s first “alone” film got great advance reviews and Benny got the Silver Lion (best director award) at the recent, prestigious Venice Film Festival.

 

Here’s a fun footnote: I noticed that ILAN ROSENBERG played Coleman’s “Cornerman”. Who is he? Well, back in 2016, The Forward paper profiled Ilan. He was born and raised in Toronto, the son of Israeli parents. In 2016, he told the Forward he was trying to raise money for a film about the Maccabees. Sadly, it wasn’t made, but Rosenberg was, and still is---a very muscular film stuntman.

 

“One Happy Family” also opens on Oct. 3. It is a quite Jewish film. Here’s the premise: Rachel (played by LISA BRENNER, 51) is busy planning her eldest daughter’s bat mitzvah when she gets some shocking news. Months before, she sent in a sample to a company that analyzes your DNA. Rachel got the (DNA) news that her father was not her biological father.

 

Pretty quickly, Rachel learned that there were many other people, who had taken a DNA test—who had the same biological father as her. But nobody knows who this “prolific” father is.

 

The late LINDA LAVIN plays Lenore, Rachel’s mother (This film was the last film Lavin made). Lenore and Rachel go on a pilgrimage to find her “real” father. They meet a lot of oddballs.

 

The advance publicity says that their trip “culminates in an emotional apex that threatens the bond between Rachel and Lenore”.

 

Brenner has many credits (soap operas, guest parts). But I can’t point to a big role. Her Jewish husband, DEAN DEVLIN, 61, produced “One Happy Family.” He’s a top producer, who also sometimes directs and sometimes writes screenplays. Here’s just one: he co-produced and co-wrote “Independence Day” (1996), a huge hit—and he wrote the “Jewish scenes” in that film.

 

It’s hard to believe that “Dancing with the Stars” premiered in 2005 and its now 20 years old. The new season (34th) began on Sept. 16. New episodes premiere on Tuesdays, at 8PM. “Dancing” episodes air/stream on ABC and Disney+.

 

I hadn’t watched the show for a long time. But I quickly realized that things hadn’t changed--- there were few, if any “bona fide” stars on the program.

 

Then I looked at the professional dancers. There are 14 pros and 14 “stars”. I found out that there are now, three “confirmed” Jewish pros. One I knew about, the other two were new to me.

 

The “one” is VALENTIN CHMERKOVSKIY, 39. He was born in Russia. His father is Jewish and his mother isn’t. He first danced as a pro partner in season 13 (2011) and he has danced in every following season except one. His brother, MAXSIM, 45, was for many years, a top pro dancer on the program, too.

 

Two more pros: ALAN BERTSEN, 31, and DANIELLA KARAGACH, 32. Bertsen was born in Minnesota. His parents are Russian Jewish immigrants. He’s been a pro since 2017. Karagach was born in Brooklyn. Her Jewish parents immigrated from Moldovia. She’s been on the show since 2018.

 

The only Jewish “star” this season is/was COREY FELDMAN, 54. Yes, he was a teen film star in the ‘’80s. But that was long ago. I can’t even begin to lay-out all his personal problems.

 

I wasn’t surprised when he was the first “star” to be eliminated this season. Years ago, I stumbled on a video of Feldman doing Michael Jackson dance steps—it was embarrassing.