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

 

Unusual Movie Flick, Two ‘Jewish” Hallmark Holiday Movies, Much More

 

“Nightbitch”, a drama/fantasy opens on Dec. 6 in theaters. It focuses on a stay-at-home mom (Amy Adams) who sometimes (literally) becomes a tough dog(!). MARIELLE HELLER, 48, directed, and she wrote the screenplay, too. Heller’s the secular daughter of a Jewish father. Her most recent movie, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” (2019), was a critical and box office hit.

 

This year, the Hallmark channel has over 30 original, 2024 “holiday” movies. Hallmark was ‘kind enough’ to give Jewish viewers two “sort-of” Jewish holiday films. I do have to credit Hallmark with almost exclusively hiring Jewish actors to play Jews in its holiday films.

 

“Leah’s Perfect Gift” premieres on Dec. 8. Leah (EMILY ARLOOK, 34) loves all the stuff associated with Christmas, but she’s Jewish and she’s never had the chance to revel in XMAS stuff (like trees). This year, her Christian boyfriend invites her to visit his parents on Christmas. Leah quickly realizes she doesn’t quite fit in. His parents are “uptight” and not very welcoming.

 

You might know Arlook as Rebecca, the Jewish ex-girlfriend of the rabbi who is the central character in “Nobody Wants This”, the hit Netflix series. Critics were split on “Nobody”, but it got truly astonishing large number of viewers-- worldwide(!).

 

ERIN FOSTER, 42, the creator of “Nobody”, and the screenwriter of most of the episodes, recently (Nov. 24) gave an interview full of interesting things I didn’t know. Before “Nobody” premiered last September, I did report that the series was inspired by Foster’s marriage to a Jewish man (who isn’t a rabbi) and her conversion to Judaism.

 

In the new interview, Foster described how hard it was to get a production “greenlight” from leading streaming channels. She said: “Everybody passed [on the series]. Hulu passed. FX passed. Apple passed. Then, eventually, we went to Netflix with our last pitch, and honestly, I wanted them to pass. The whole thing had just been really tough.”

 

It was hard going, Foster said, even after Netflix “greenlit” the series. It took three years to make “Nobody”. There was a lot of writing, filming, and editing to do and, on top-of this—they were delayed by a writer and an actor strike.

 

But, Foster said, it was all worth it: “It surprised me when it became a monster hit. I remember just thinking, ‘If people like it at all, I’m going to feel good about this.” (Season 2 has been ‘greenlit’ and it will’ premiere late in 2025),

 

“Hanukkah on the Rocks” premieres on the Hallmark Channel on Dec. 13. Plot: Tory (STACEY FARBER, 37) is an attorney who unexpectedly loses her job just before Hanukkah. Tory is at her grandma’s house for the first night of Hanukkah. Then she realizes she wants to go out to buy Hanukkah candles. She walks around Manhattan and ends up at a “cool” bar. There she meets a charming Jewish doctor (DAREN KAGASOFF, 37) and his cute father (MARC SUMMERS, 72). She takes a job as a “cool bar” bartender and everything romantic goes perfect during the 8 days of Hanukkah and—I guess---forever.

 

Farber, a Canadian, is the co-star of “The Spencer Series”, a Canadian series. It sounds interesting: a former policewoman (Farber) works, with her mother, a big-selling mystery writer, to solve real life mysteries. Farber also has a recurring role on “Virgin River”, a hit Netflix series. She plays Tara Anderson.

 

Kasagoff’s first TV role was his best-to-date. He was a co-star of “The Secret of American Teenager”. It ran on ABC Family (2008-2013). Since “Secret” ended, he has struggled, like many young actors. He’s had just one recurring role (7 episodes) and a main role in two, very quicky cancelled series.

 

My gut says that he got the Hallmark role because he is a seasoned actor, he’s a nice-looking guy, and he’s “really” Jewish. He deserved a break, like this role.

 

“Wicked” has become a “mega-hit” at theaters. It opened on Friday, Nov. 22. It earned $114M in just three days: the 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. This box-office haul beats out most movies ever made. A sequel to “Wicked” will open in about a year and, no doubt, it will make “mucho gelt”.

 

Of course, the huge popularity of “The Wizard of Oz” (1939) movie “gave birth” to “The Wiz” and “Wicked”. I just “nailed down” that a virtually unknown actor in “Oz” (1939) was Jewish. Everyone ‘sort of’ knows this actor—in character, he sang straight at the (Oz) camera for a few minutes. He comes from a very interesting family. By next week, my research will be complete and I, like some wizards, will reveal it all.