Movies

Director Michael Powell and Zionist Leader Chaim Weizmann

February 21, 2018 by Robert J. Avrech 3 Comments

Director Michael Powell and screenwriter Emeric Pressburger were responsible for some of the finest, most distinctive movies made in Britain from the late 30s to the late 40s: The Spy in Black (1939), The Thief of Bagdad (1940), 49th Parallel (1941), One of Our Aircraft is Missing (1942), The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), I Know Where I’m Going (1945), Stairway to Heaven ((1946), Black Narcissus (1947), The Red Shoes (1948).

Of course, like all of us who work in the movie business, Powell labored over numerous beloved projects that were, for one reason or another, never produced.

In his luminous biography Million Dollar Movie, Powell writes of his passion to make a movie about the great Zionist leader, Chaim Weizmann, who went on to become Israel’s first President.

A Great Thanksgiving Movie: Planes, Trains and Automobiles

November 23, 2016 by Robert J. Avrech 3 Comments

Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, 1987. — Steve Martin and John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a great movie to watch on Thanksgiving.

Seraphic Secret usually recommends classic Hollywood movies to help celebrate our national holidays. But this year we’re going to switch gears and recommend one of our favorite Thanksgiving movies, Plains, Trains and Automobiles, 1987.

Not only is this one of the finest, most touching Thanksgiving movie ever made, but it’s also the best film written, directed and produced by the late, great John Hughes, best remembered for his legendary teen comedies.

How to Write a Screenplay

September 21, 2016 by Robert J. Avrech 17 Comments

Casablanca Screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch Based onEverybody Comes to Rick's by Murray Burnett, Joan Alison — Casablanca, screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch
Based on Everybody Comes to Rick’s by Murray Burnett, Joan Alison

I get a fair amount of email from readers asking me about writing.

More specifically, how do I go about writing a movie?

Writing is ninety percent perspiration, ten percent inspiration. In other words do not wait to get struck with inspiration. That’s a load of romantic nonsense. In fact, that’s a sure way not to write. The biggest secret in Hollywood—at least for writers who actually work and make money—is how hard they work. Discipline is the name of the game. Organization is vital. An obsession with the minutae of a story is a requirement. G-d is in the details.

Bag of Tricks

July 8, 2011 by Robert J. Avrech 10 Comments

In Rear Window, 1954, Grace Kelly’s elegant Mark Cross bag emerges as something of a major character, a twin symbol of desire—Kelly cooly snaps opens the bag, unfurling a fetching neglige—and the domesticity Jimmy Stewart finds so intimidating.

Women’s handbags are more than repositories of oh-so-necessary possessions but a reflection of a woman’s priorities in life, a clue to her values.

The various bags my wife Karen has carried throughout our married life have endured as objects of practical magical. When one of our children scraped a knee in the playground we all rested easy because Karen just reached into her bag and out came a tube of antiseptic and band-aid. Sun too strong? No problem. Karen has sun-block. Headache? Tylenol in a little plastic pill box . Hungry? Fear not, Karen’s got an ample stash of chocolate power bars and pistachio nuts. And always, a thick band of soft tissues when pollen aggravates various allergies.

When we were dating the very first present yours truly bought as a birthday gift for Karen was a butter soft leather shoulder bag from—I splurged wanting to impress—Saks Fifth Avenue. Flattened, beat up, long ago retired, the bag sits in Karen’s closet, a cherished relic of our shared history.

A woman’s handbag is not just an accessory but a trusted companion with whom she trusts intimate secrets.

Here are a few bags that are not only practical—price aside—but beautiful, classic designs.

Celine-7 — Celine conjurs memories of an old fashioned physician's satchel, a clean, unfussy look.

Jil-Sander-1 — This Jill Sander tote has room for tons of stuff. Perfect for a woman on the go.

Louis-Vuitton-16 — A super cool Vuitton for those so confident they don't need to display the label.

Fendi-26 — Fendi produces a fun but sophisticated bag that shines like Chinese lacquer.

Hermes-9 — Okay, this Hermes necklace bag is kind of, um, petite. But oh, what a fine way to carry an iPhone or a stash of M&M's.

klein tool bag1 — The Klein tool bag might be the coolest, most practical bag around. Bomb proof canvas and nylon, leather handles and buckles, steel feet, and a cavernous interior, just $47.00.

Karen and I wish all our friends and relatives a lovely and inspirational Shabbat.

Fourth of July Movie: Raid on Entebbe

July 4, 2011 by Robert J. Avrech 9 Comments

Yoni_Netanyahu — Yonatan “Yoni” Netanyahu, z'l, commander of the elite IDF special forces unit Sayeret Matkal. He was the only Israeli killed in Operation Entebbe. Benjamin Netanyahu, his younger brother, is the current Prime Minister of Israel.

July 4th is Independence Day.

It is also the 35th anniversary of the Israeli Raid on Entebbe, July 4, 1976, in which the IDF planned and carried out one of the most audacious, innovative, and courageous rescue operations in military history.

To the jihadists America is the Big Satan and Israel is the Little Satan

Thus Israel is the only country in the world—outside America—that truly understands and celebrates the Fourth of July.

My good friend and co-worker, the late Edgar J. Scherick—he joined our Passover seder one year—produced this film. He once told me that of all his distinguished credits, it was this movie he was most proud.

Let us all celebrate freedom.

Here’s the entire Raid on Entebbe, 1977.

And pay particular attention to the “selection scene” where the IslamoNazis separate Jew from non-Jew.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNdsa7GfM04&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

H/T Israel Matzav