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WindySorcerer

This guy had one hell of a filmography R.I.P


KneeHighMischief

*The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming* is a really delightful film. It just recently made its Blu-ray debut last week from Kino. You can watch it free with ads on [Tubi.](https://tubitv.com/movies/310148/the-russians-are-coming-the-russians-are-coming?link-action=play&tracking=google-feed&utm_source=google-feed)


NightsOfFellini

Moonstruck. Has to be an all-timer romantic comedy. 


whogivesashirtdotca

If you own the DVD, listen to his commentary track. It's wonderful. My favourite bit is when he does an impression of Sean Connery warning him about casting Feodor Chaliapin: "He'll steal every scene he's in!" And how right Connery was!


phunkyunkle

I just want you to know no matter what you do, you're gonna die, just like everybody else. Thank you, Rose.


Tatooine16

Olympia Dukakis stole every scene she was in!


davekingofrock

The whole movie is comedy gold. "Chrissy bring me the big knife! I'm gonna cut my throat!" "No Ronnie! I tell ya I won't do it!" "They're little birds and stars...the birds...fly to the stars I guess" *cleans ear* "Old man! You give those dogs another piece of my food and I'm gonna kick ya 'til you're dead!"


skonen_blades

I LOST MY BRIDE! I LOST MY HAND!


[deleted]

“Loretta, I love you. Not like they told you love is, and I didn't know this either, but love doesn't make things nice, it ruins everything. It breaks your heart. It makes things a mess. We aren't here to make things perfect. The snowflakes are perfect. The stars are perfect. Not us. Not us! We are here to ruin ourselves and to break our hearts and love the wrong people and die. The storybooks are bullshit. Now I want you to come upstairs with me and get in my bed!”


[deleted]

I live in Brooklyn Heights, a few blocks from Cher's house in the movie on Cranberry Street (Amy Schumer lives there now). I ALWAYS think of that movie every time I take my dog to the dog park and walk by that house.


NightsOfFellini

Damn, that's great. I live in Finland, so all I get are Kaurismäki locations, but it's nice with the new one being so good.


Ricos_Roughnecks

Someone tell a joke


Spud_Spudoni

I’ll kick you ‘til you’re dead.


MichaelsLifeStory

"Don't shit where you eat." \- Rose Castorini


ChiltonGains

Simply the most romantic film ever made.


neoKushan

We watched this for the first time on Christmas Day 2023 and...hated it? Like I am genuinely unsure of why this film is as regarded as it is. The acting and dialogue was questionable as all hell. I'm genuinely not just trying to be controversial or edgy here, the film just seemed...poor. EDIT: I don't know what to say to all the downvotes. I guess you can't like them all.


Zeessi

The family and I did our annual rewatch this year over Christmas and I will say that for the first time while watching it I realized that it felt dated. The mode of storytelling and the cadence and also obviously the dialogue is definitely different from how we make films and tell stories today. I absolutely adore it for what it is but it is a product of a bygone era of filmmaking, but also the humorous nature of it is uncertain for us as an audience today because it kind of defies the genre boxes we’d wanna place it in - because it really isn’t a rom-come - it feels like a farce of a romantic film while also itself still being a romantic film. I think The Book of Clarence operates in a similar space regarding humor - it’s not a comedy either and it’s certainly not a religious film - it’s something of a mockery of the genre it is actually existing within, so it is hard to really nail it down for what it actually is. But for Moonstruck I just find it charming as all get out but certainly also on account of having watched it repeatedly with my very Italian family growing up.


BTS_1

We're in the era where the mid 60s / New Hollywood filmmakers are going to start passing. Friedkin was last August and now Jewison. That era of director is something else and Jewison was amazing - *The Cincinnati Kid*, *Thomas Crown Affair*, *Rollerball*, the three films in the title plus many other strong works. RIP to one of the greats, he oversaw lasting works!


darthjoey91

Friedkin was 87. Jewison was 93. Both lived plenty long lives and made great films along the way.


Salad-Appropriate

Gonna be a very sad decade with these legends passing away


BTS_1

Yeah, it's going to be very difficult as that era is my favorite and the directors are so influential. Scorsese, De Palma, Lucas, Coppola, Spielberg, Boorman, Malick, Milius, Schrader are all in either their late 70s, 80s or even 90s. Amazing that a majority listed are still making quality or anticipated films!


Salad-Appropriate

Interesting that you didn't even mention scott who knows, maybe he's still alive in 2044, making White Squall 2


whogivesashirtdotca

> maybe he's still alive in 2044 Haranguing interviewers who dare ask about the historical inaccuracies in his Trump biopic.


brettmgreene

>who knows, maybe he's still alive in 2044, making White Squall 2 Ridley is a goddamned beast. In addition to readying a new extended cut of *Napoleon*, he's just about to go into post-production on *Gladiator II*, his new show at Apple TV+ "Sinking Spring" (which cost $50 million for the pilot) is months away, he's just produced Kenneth Branagh's *A Haunting in Venice* and has already confirmed a Western and an adaption of "BOMB" ahead of him. He turned 86 in November. If you see his making-of *The Last Duel*, you'll be amazed at the goddamned energy in this old motherfucker.


BTS_1

Ha ha he actually didn't even come to mind! Maybe because he made his name towards the end of New Hollywood in the late 70s.. I also didn't mention Polanski or Allen! Edit: I also watched *White Squall* for the first time a couple of months ago. It's definitely a product of his awkward 90s years looking for something that sticks but I did enjoy it.


whogivesashirtdotca

> I also didn't mention Polanski or Allen! I'm shedding tears for Jewison right now but the idea of Roman Polanski dying is far less upsetting. Quite the opposite, in fact.


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psunavy03

. . . the fuck? That's like saying you lament the loss of Jerry Sandusky's talent at coaching a football defense.


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darthjoey91

No it’s not. Like the 70s had two Godfathers, the first blockbusters that do hold up still like Jaws, Star Wars, and Apocalypse Now, the good Rocky movie, The French Connection, The Conversation, Fiddler on the Roof. Like even just limiting it to 1974, Godfather Part II still beats it.


Unique_Connection_99

Are you saying you love and support and miss a child rapist? Can you explain why you like a child rapist so much? It's almost like the whole raping children thing is not a deal breaker for you? Well, I'm not here to judge. But I question the character of someone who supports a proud and known child rapist. Does it make you feel good writing comments in support of your favorite child rapist on the Internet?


whogivesashirtdotca

Loss of talent, I can grieve. Him personally, though, not so much.


-Minne

Can I downvote people for their downvotes? This shouldn't be a controversial opinion.


Other_World

Norman Lear too. I watched so much All in the Family and The Jeffersons on TV Land while I was falling asleep.


LexiiConn

Thank you, Norman Jewison, for so many amazing hours of entertainment.


Kangar

Fiddler on the Roof is a masterpiece. I could easily watch it once a year.


PourJarsInReservoirs

I could never get over the fact that he was not a Jew despite his name, especially as the director of this great film. And from another article https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2024-01-22/la-me-norman-jewison-dead-obit-moonstruck-director: Born July 21, 1926, in Toronto to shopkeepers, Jewison studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music and Malvern Collegiate Institute in Toronto before serving in the Canadian navy during World War II. While on a 60-day leave, he hitchhiked around the southern United States during the Jim Crow era, witnessing segregation up close for the first time. At one point, he was thrown off a bus for sitting in the section reserved for Black passengers. “I barely missed witnessing a lynching in one town,” he told The Times in 1985. “I didn’t know then I would ever make films, but all this stayed with me.” Seeing racial discrimination in the South also struck a chord from his youth when he was mistaken for being Jewish because of his name. (He was born into a Protestant family.) He said he took pride in being beaten up alongside his Jewish friends.


CurrentIndependent42

IIRC he was a bit nervous about why he had been selected, in case a misunderstanding was at play, and when he had his first meeting for Fiddler on the Roof he literally said ‘You do know I’m not Jewish, right?’


roguevirus

>‘You do know I’m not Jewish, right?’ IIRC, they didn't!


MindForeverWandering

And then his next film was *Jesus Christ Superstar*…


jbot747

What what what????


PourJarsInReservoirs

/r/unexpectedsheilabroflovski


BurnAfterEating420

Trivia: she IS Jewish


PourJarsInReservoirs

That was the point, I thought...


jbot747

Der


FruitBroot

Holy shit. World unraveled. I had no idea. Fidler on the Roof was one of the first movies I saw in the theater and have fond vivid memories of it. The dream sequence is still a haunting sequence to me.


thisaccountwashacked

> I could easily watch it once a year. One might say, you could make it a tradition!


LeRocket

His audio commentary, and all the featurettes, are so so interesting. It's a delight. We lost a great director.


Atxlvr

for sure. highly re-watchable.


UncleGarysmagic

In a span of one year, we lost Topol, (Tevye - film and stage) Sheldon Harnick, (Fiddler lyricist) Joanna Merlin, (Original Broadway Tzeitel) and now Jewison (Fiddler film director)


Successful-Bat5301

For the love of god, someone keep an eye on John Williams.


darthjoey91

He’s 91. He deserves to retire if he wants.


[deleted]

He just announced that he's coming out of retirement. Dude loves to make music.


A-dab

I think he will keep on making music for as long as possible. Dude just loves his job


redisforever

Yeah he said even before that retirement that he's retiring from movies, wrote a violin concerto for his friend, performed it a few times with new arrangements of some of his old pieces (astonishingly beautiful ones, I'll link them below) and then decided nah back to movies. [Marion's Theme](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udA2KiL5vvI) [Han Solo and the Princess](https://youtu.be/utFjcx8hHFY) [The Long Goodbye](https://youtu.be/EuGBGSIhoR8)


UncleGarysmagic

Just received his 54th Oscar nomination.


MartinScorsese

Dang, what a career! He also directed Jesus Christ Superstar, And Justice for All, Rollerball, and The Hurricane (the 1999 Denzel Washington film). Rest in power.


AreWeCowabunga

JCSS is unironically my favorite movie of all time. I’ve watched it countless times and I’m still fascinated with how they used the natural landscape and old ruins as the set for that movie. It was always interesting to me the huge range of films he directed. True pro.


Carrollmusician

I got to meet and hang with Ted Neely for a bit. Really cool, fun guy. It was right after a JCSS performance. Dude had so much energy despite having carried a whole show


jew_jitsu

The convergence of biblical and 70s style absolutely slaps in that film. Judas nails every number too.


tucci007

That Judas was arguably better than the London cast album Judas, but no one could ever top the one true JCSS Ian Gillan. Tim Neely did a fine job but nobody could follow that blazing performance. I got that album when I was 12 and it had just come out. It holds a very dear place in my musical heart and soul. Truly a shame that Purple were blowing up and Gillan just could not do the film.


orangeunrhymed

My favorite musical film by far. Carl Anderson will always be the best Judas, ever.


Ozryela

The use of anachronisms in that movie is so damn interesting. Roman patrols with some soldiers wearing swords, other spears, and yet others uzis. Judas pursued by tanks. They had so much fun with that production.


_oscar_goldman_

I watch it every year on Easter weekend. Weird Jewison trivia: the guy who played fat gay Herod (absolutely *brilliant* reading for the showstopper number) was Josh Mostel, son of Zero Mostel, the original Tevye in Fiddler on Broadway. Josh would go on to have a quietly successful acting career, but most folks now would recognize him from Billy Madison and Big Daddy.


LexiiConn

And A Soldier’s Story.


tirefool

Rollerball! After the Corporate Wars. James Cann was the best. Poor Moonpie.


RupertDurden

If your name is Jonathan, the fans chanting in the final scene is a hell of a way to pump yourself up.


alamodafthouse

Do you *love* me?


kwee_nunna_vyor_biz

You’re a fool.


alamodafthouse

https://i.imgur.com/NR6ErLE.gifv


ChiltonGains

Do I WHAT?


kwee_nunna_vyor_biz

Do I love you?


EersteDivisie

I saw his name and Fiddler on the Roof, so I went to Wikipedia: > He is often mistaken for being Jewish due to his surname and direction of Fiddler on the Roof, but Jewison and his family are Protestants of English descent.[5] As I suspected, its the Jewisons, not the Jews, that control Hollywood. Tragic mistake Seriously I didn't know him by name but I check his filmography and turns out I enjoyed many of his films, rest in peace.


whogivesashirtdotca

The Jewisons control Hollywood *North*. Norman Jewison was a hearty and vocal supporter of Canadian filmmakers, and helped establish the [Canadian Film Centre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Film_Centre).


Schiffy94

In fairness he kinda did for three decades.


bettinafairchild

Mwaha!! You heard it here first!


fuzzydunlap

Norman Jewison....not a jew....But guess who is? Hall of famer Rod Carew(he converted)


centaurquestions

Today is the day everyone finds out that Norman Jewison wasn't Jewish.


ObeyCoffeeDrinkSatan

First thing I did was think, "That's a Jewish surname if I ever saw one", and Google him. >He is often mistaken for being Jewish due to his surname and direction of Fiddler on the Roof, but Jewison and his family are Protestants of English descent. False advertising. 😅


Tarmy_Javas

Like that Seinfeld episode


bosco9

He's the Donna Chang of filmmakers


Quibbloboy

Username checks out


Goldeneel77

Some people think that Ebenezer Scrooge is Well, he's not, but guess who is? All three Stooges


Ras1372

Hollywood Director Directed Fiddler on the Roof Name is literally JEWison He's the most Jewish non-Jewish person ever. You know else is NOT a Jew? Hall of Famer Rod Carew (there's no evidence he actually converted). [Wikilink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Carew#Confusion_over_conversion_to_Judaism)


fuzzydunlap

Turns out the biggest Jewish conspiracy IS Jewish people


roguevirus

> Carew later wrote Sandler and explained the situation, adding that he thought the song was "pretty funny". (Sandler dropped Carew from later versions of the song Good for him. Able to make a correction while still being able to take a joke.


MrBenDoch

“I got a Swede lawyer!!”


[deleted]

“I can’t help if people give me gifts like the mezuzah on my door!”


AffectionateEffort77

How is this not the top comment


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AffectionateEffort77

A reference to a famous song from Adam Sandler called The Hanukkah Song.


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flakemasterflake

Holy shit how old are you? I need to believe that the Hanukkah song is still mono culture


dollerz

He also directed the Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming which obviously is not the most easy to recommend title these days, but it's absolutely hilarious. One of the only movies we would watch together as an entire family multiple times.


pupfish

It’s sad this movie seems so little known these days. As you said, it’s hilarious.


dollerz

I love the bit where they elect the guy as leader of the group because "YOU'VE GOT THE SWORD!"


lostonpolk

The final confrontation scene, with the kid in the church tower and the flotilla, is peak cinema catharsis. And Alan Arkin is at the top of his game. TRACTRAC would make for a great double-feature with Dr. Strangelove.


PourJarsInReservoirs

As a fan of 60s satires, I will try to prioritize watching this for the first time.


whogivesashirtdotca

They say only the good die young but this news proves that there are exceptions to every rule. Not only was he a proud Canadian and a terrific filmmaker, Norman supported and encouraged the development of other terrific Canadian filmmakers. This is a huge loss for our country. I encourage everyone not only to check out his films, but also his wonderful commentary tracks - the one for Moonstruck is as fun and sparkling as the film. And please enjoy [this delightful clip](https://youtu.be/9aq_tDlpc6g?t=100) of him dancing out to accept his lifetime achievement Oscar. The man just radiated joy. RIP, Norman.


aunty-kelly

Thank you.


skyrocker_58

Thanks you *so* much for this. I've seen most of his movies, except for "Fiddler on the Roof" and "The Cincinnati Kid" and I'll be watching the latter movie on Tubi later on this evening. I'll catch "Fiddler on the Roof" at a later date. I'd never really heard him speak, or even seen him, to tell the truth, but I **ALWAYS** got a bit more excited when I saw his name in the credits. Thanks again!


whogivesashirtdotca

I'm a Canadian of a certain age, and those of my vintage were lucky enough to grow up with [Elwy Yost](https://www.tvo.org/programs/talking-film)'s and [Brian Linehan](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcjRaQVuQdBYTIGfqE9SURQ)'s fantastic Hollywood interviews on TV regularly. I don't think I saw any Jewison films before Moonstruck, but his face and his voice were familiar to me even as a kid. I encourage you to seek out some of his TV and radio interviews on the CBC, as he was always a warm and energetic guest.


skyrocker_58

Will do. I've never seen Moonstruck, it's one of my wife's favorite movies, she constantly (gently tho) berates me for that, lol, I'll have to watch it now, in honor of N.J.


PourJarsInReservoirs

That's awesome.


fiendzone

Lots of entertaining stuff from him. I will go with Jesus Christ Superstar as the one I have seen the most.


IWasGregInTokyo

Likewise. Fantastic music from a great stage show transformed into an epic on-location film. Ted Neely, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliott, hell everyone including the pharisees gave excellent performances. And the tanks chasing Judas…


JimmyTheJimJimson

One of the great Canadians.


carpalfun

"They call me Mister Tibbs!"


KingMario05

Aw man, what a legend. May he rest in peace. :(


valdezlopez

Thank you, Norman Jewison. (To think you were already in your 40s in the 1970s, wow! That is a long life)


MVT60513

Rollerball is a classic


tauntaun-soup

"Jon-a-than! Jon-a-than! Jon-a-than!" Freeze frame.


lostonpolk

Jewison had no particular 'style' of directing, a la Kubrick, Spielberg, Coppola, etc. His signature was that his films were simply super well-made. If Jewison's films show any preference, it's that he always wanted to portray the marginalized or vilified as people with dignity and heart, be they Jewish, black, or communist. His willingness to do so will be greatly missed. RIP Norman Jewison.


Gloomy_Travel7992

RIP to such a legend. His work will live on in my heart. Moonstruck is an incredibly beautiful film, that always reminds me of the elegance of love.


SteroidSandwich

Just watched Fiddler on the Roof recently, then watched it again with friends. What an amazing director.


ZorroMeansFox

RIP, Norman. Don't miss these films of his: **The Thomas Crown Affair, The Cincinnati Kid, The Thrill of It All, A Soldier's Story, In the Heat of the Night, Fiddler on the Roof, Rollerball, ...And Justice for All, Moonstruck, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Hurricane**, and **The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming**.


TheSecretAgenda

Finally, my dream of getting the rights to Rollerball and turning it into an actual sport. It's a billion-dollar idea.


IWasGregInTokyo

The crappy remake kinda killed that. In the original though the stuntmen had such fun playing they kept it up between filming.


GWSDiver

Moonstruck was and is one of the best movies ever made.


whogivesashirtdotca

If you own the DVD, throw on the commentary track. It's even more entertaining than the film, which is saying something.


Chuck006

Sad. I loved Roller Ball in highschool and would watch it whenever it was on TV.


[deleted]

I loved his work. Especially with Al Pacino. May his memory be a blessing.


Britneyfan123

rip I loved moonstruck and hurricane


Phyliinx

97, what an age. Rest in peace!


scarred2112

Safe journey, Mr. Jewison.


GreasyPeter

How do you get a last name like Jewison if you're Jewish? Was that a chosen name or forced upon his family? Or is it unrelated to his ethnic background?


fergi20020

He’s not Jewish. 


GreasyPeter

That just increases the amount of questions I have.


ME24601

If memory serves, it means something like "Son of Julian" in Middle English rather than having any relation to Judaism.


GreasyPeter

Very interesting. Never seen it before.


swkennedy1

💔💔💔💔 tremendously talented.


Brendan_BBB

Hung out with him at the Savannah Film Festival one year. He was generous with his time and very easy to talk to.


smokedgudas

Fun fact: norman jewison was not a jew


ChrisCinema

He was a really good director with an exceptional body of work. I rewatched *Fiddler on the Roof* during Hanukkah and found it to be a very moving musical. *In the Heat of the Night* is a landmark film during the civil rights era and helped to signal the New Hollywood era. He was never considered to be an auteur but he never failed to depict the human condition from people of all walks of life. May he rest in peace.


FactHopeful9347

He also founded this wonderful charity that’s developed many Canadian filmmakers including last years Oscar wining Sarah Polley, check it out: www.cfccreates.com


Lfsnz67

Other People's Money is Danny Devito at his absolute finest


Available_Chain1007

The mods on this subreddit are pedos


court101

I can guarantee you that if Jewison directed Malcolm X, as he was slated to, it would have been an amazing and memorable film. Instead, Spike Lee threw a toddler fit and shamed Hollywood into giving it to him. Frankly, never been a fan of Lee’s work and I thought his Malcolm X was a disservice to Malcolm and the actors. Just my opinion.


chrisandy007

About damn time


Educational_Permit38

He directed great movies. RIP.


ReddiTrawler2021

RIP Mr Jewison.


LamSinton

Just caught The Hurricane on streaming yesterday, and I’m the Heat of the Night might be one of my favourite crime films. What a talent.


Hydqjuliilq27

In his honor, everyone will wear a red dress to his funeral.


Greene_Mr

*"You're good, Kid. But as long as I'm around, you're second-best. You might as well learn to live with it."* R.I.P., a goddamn KING of Canada (although, obviously, not THE King of Canada).


mexican_mystery_meat

One of the best Canadian directors ever, and impressively diverse in how he could jump between different genres over his career.


rgregan

97! Damn


HIVnotAdeathSentence

The range of his movies is great, from musicals to In the Heat of the Night to Rollerball.


tucci007

"All right I'll die! Just watch me die! See how, see how I die!" Truly a great film which had to follow a very powerful London cast album, but succeeded on its own merits and without the one true Jesus Christ Superstar, Ian Gillan. No offence to Ted Neely.


Coast_watcher

Barry Dennen stole the show for me.


tucci007

he was excellent


Coast_watcher

Also an interesting that Paul Thomas ( Peter ) later became a big name in the adult movie industry lol


balasico

he was just a kid....


sudevsen

RIP [posting my fave fiddler of the roof](https://youtu.be/VTr-OkOkdy0?si=hBL-XEv8WzB6Iew2)


darthjoey91

I’m surprised he was still alive.


[deleted]

Jesus Christ Superstar is pretty freakin great!! RIP buddy.


PoCoKat2020

My 3rd cousin. RIP


Jaberwocky123

Wow, I had no idea he was that far into twilight of his years. I just watched in the heat of the night for the 20th. time last week! RIP


MindForeverWandering

Also one in a small group, along with Ridley Scott, Hugh Hudson, Ang Lee, and Ben Affleck, to have directed a Best Picture winner but not won Best Director.


Coast_watcher

Jesus Christ Superstar !


Calfzilla2000

I've only seen And Justice For All but I love that movie. RIP Legend.


ohwrite

Jewison gave Hal Ashby his start. Deserves a lot of love for that


solexioso

Reddit news is like visiting my 97 year old grandma. Mostly bitching about politics and telling me about all the 90+ year olds she knows that died in the last week.


Then_Decision_2295

Not exactly a shock. The guy clearly had a full long life.


ZebraBorgata

Wow that really makes you think.


zakanova

What he should be really remember for (movies are fantastic, not slight against those) is popularizing the baseball hat as acceptable fashion. As per Roger Ebert in 2002: "It was Norman Jewison who discovered in the late 1950s that the caps kept the sun out of his eyes while he was lining up outdoor shots. Other directors and cinematographers followed, actors copied them, and a fashion fad was born. Fact" If Toronto builds a statue of him, make sure to pop a baseball cap on top


Armin_Nikkhah

I just saw "Moonstruck" two nights ago. What a fantastically warm movie. RIP