Quote of the Week

“Forty years through the desert to now, it’s a long journey but they made it.” ---PETER GUBER, 73, the majority co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, during the presentation ceremony of the NBA championship trophy on June 16. The Warriors last won the title in 1975. Guber, the son of a Boston-area junkman, has been a leading entertainment industry executive and film/TV producer since the mid-‘70s. He also has a minority interest in the Dodgers. His Warrior’s co-owner, JOE LACOB, 59, also comes from a poor Boston family. His college degree in a medical science led to a business career as a venture capitalist primarily financing medical companies.  

At the Movies (Opening June 26)

“Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around the World” is a documentary which records an event many of you will recall. In November, 2013, Miles Scott, then five years old, became the subject of an amazing “Make-A-Wish” fulfillment as thousands of people, alerted by social media, combined to turn San Francisco into Gotham City. Scott, whose leukemia is in remission, was diagnosed at just 18 months. He was told he was going to San Francisco just to pick up a Batman costume. He was met by the City’s real chief of police and a series of events were planned to turn Miles, dressed as Batman, into a “true super-hero”—and along the way huge crowds of on-lookers cheered him on. Of course, this event became the “feel-good” story of the year—and, fortunately, the event was captured by DANA NACHMAN, 40, a local award winning documentary producer. Her film tries to answer why so many helped and why we were so touched. Julia Roberts narrates.

“Big Game” is a thriller which begins with Air Force One being destroyed by terrorists. The President (Samuel L. Jackson) manages to eject in an escape pod, which is found on the ground by a 13-year-old Finnish boy out hunting. Kidnappers are soon on the trail of the duo. VICTOR GARBER, 66 (“Alias”), co-stars as the Vice-President, with TED LEVINE, 59 (“Monk”), in a supporting role as an American army general.

“Max” tells the story of an army military dog who served in Afghanistan and is traumatized by the death of his handler. The dog is taken in by a young teen who’s been heartsick after the combat death of his brother, an American Marine. “Max” was co-written and directed by BOAZ YAKIN, 48, who was born in America, the son of Israeli parents. His previous hits include “Now You See Me” and “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time.”

TV and On the Radio/Internet

“Zoo” premieres on CBS on Tuesday, June 30, at 9PM. It stars JAMES WOLK, 30, as an American zoologist who leads safaris in Africa. He notices that violent animal attacks on people are happening all over the world and he decides to find out why before attacks get more frequent. Wolk, a very handsome fellow, grew up in suburban Detroit where he worked as a local bar/bat mitzvah emcee. Wolk’s “hot” blonde co-star, French actress NORA ARNEZEDER, 26, is the daughter an Egyptian-Jewish mother and a non-Jewish father.

Most NPR stations carry the comedic current events show, "Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me" and you can also listen to it via the Internet/Podcast.  You can learn a great deal while being entertained. A panel of clever and funny “minor” celebs are quizzed on events of the week by host PETER SAGAL and regular folks can win a small prize if they can correctly answer current events questions. Sagal also quizzes a weekly celebrity guest, who is usually pretty famous.  Sagal, 50, grew-up in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey and his brother, DOUGLAS, is a rabbi at a Westfield, New Jersey synagogue. 

The June 6^th broadcast included this question---“According to the Associated Press, what media organization is ISIS imitating in its on-line media pitch?” Sagal’s answer and wry commentary proves that even ISIS can be made fun of: “They [ISIS] imitate the smooth calm style of National Public Radio [true] as they try to recruit people to their cause. So, I guess, [said Sagal] ISIS says thing like ‘That’s another victory for the caliphate and now it’s time for Jazz Jihad Café’. It’s amazing [said Sagal] that they can imitate NPR’s style so perfectly despite having a staff with 9000% less Jews. They even got these weekend, all evil shows, like ‘This Un-American Life’ and ‘Car Bomb Talk.’”