42 | AUGUST 8 • 2024
J
N
OLYMPICS MEETS A
‘MOCKUMENTARY’ AND
THREE VERY DIFFERENT
FILMS
The Olympics (July 28- Aug.
11) are being shown on
NBC and on Peacock, a
streaming service owned
by NBC. The all-star U.S.
Men’s Basketball team is
very likely to appear in the
gold medal game (Aug. 10)
— and a case can be made
that the best player on the
team — or on the planet —
is Stephen (“Steph”) Curry,
36. He plays point guard for
the Golden State Warriors.
It’s no accident that a new
Peacock series, co-starring
Curry in his acting debut,
premieres on Aug. 8. This
six-episode comedic “mock-
umentary” series is titled
Mr. Throwback. Here’s the
premise in the words of
NBC: “A down-on-his luck
memorabilia dealer (Adam
Pally, 42) looks for redemp-
tion by reuniting with his
sixth-grade teammate
[Curry].”
The official trailer
offers more detail: Danny
Grossman (Pally) was the
basketball team star when
he and Curry were in mid-
dle school. He was also the
coolest kid in the school
and something of a men-
tor to Steph. But things go
south for Danny. The trailer
referred to Danny, as an
adult, as a “trainwreck.” I
gathered, from the trailer,
that a documentary is being
made about Curry, but he
insists that Danny, his old
friend, be a major character
in this documentary.
Of course, Danny
Grossman is a very Jewish
name. But I don’t know if
he’s identified as Jewish in
the series. I can say that the
guys “behind the curtain”
are Jewish.
The series was created
by, and was written by Pally,
David Caspe, 45, Matthew
Libman, 45ish, and his
brother, Daniel Libman,
also 45ish. All six episodes
were directed by David
Wain, 54.
I live in the San Francisco
Bay Area and Curry is just
idolized here. He’s almost
perfect: a great player
who is always courteous,
a model family man and a
generous philanthropist.
Bay Area Jews got excited
when Curry got a tattoo in
Hebrew on his arm in 2015.
Turns out, it was a quotation
from the New Testament
that translates “love will
never fail.” When asked,
Curry said he didn’t read
Hebrew. However, his moth-
er, a devout Christian, did
study Hebrew for at least
four years.
Borderlands is a sci-fi,
action-comedy film that
opens in theaters on Aug.
9. It was directed by, and
co-written by Eli Roth, 52.
(The film’s script is based on
a video game series of the
same name). Roth is best
known for his hit horror films
(Cabin Fever and Hostel are
the most famous).
Cate Blanchett plays Lily,
an infamous outlaw who
forms an unexpected alli-
ance with a team of misfits
to find the missing daughter
of the most powerful man
in the universe. Her “crew”
includes Claptrack, a robot
(voiced by Jack Black, 54);
Dr. Patricia Tannis (Jamie
Lee Curtis, 65); and Mad
Moxxi (Gina Gershon, 61).
One note: Ariana
Greenblatt, 16, an up-and-
coming actress, plays
another “crew” member.
I didn’t just “miss her.” I
know Greenblatt is a “very
Jewish” name. Ariana’s
paternal grandfather was
her only Jewish “grand” and
that seems to be her only
Jewish tie.
It Ends with Us also
opens in theaters on Aug.
9. It is based on a best-
selling 2016 novel of the
same name. As the film
opens, Lily Bloom (Blake
Lively) has just moved to
Boston to open her florist
shop. Just before her move,
her mother tells Lily that
Lily’s late father secretly
physically abused her.
In Boston, Lily meets Ryle,
a handsome neurosurgeon.
By coincidence, Allysa
(Jenny Slate, 42), Ryle’s
sister, goes to work for
Lily and they become best
friends.
Long story short: Ryle
turns out to be a wife
abuser, too. Lily forgives
him the first time he gets
physical with her, and she
ultimately marries him and
has a child with him. I won’t
disclose how things go
after they marry. I will reveal
that Allysa supports Lily
throughout her “problems”
with Ryle.
One Fast Move is an
original Amazon film that
begins streaming on Aug.
8. The lead character is
Wes Miller, a dishonorably
discharged soldier who
reconnects with his
estranged father in pursuit
of his dream to become
a pro motorcycle racer.
Along the way, he meets
two important people: a
small-town singer who
becomes his love interest
and emotional support, and
a motorcycle shop owner
who mentors Wes in life and
racing.
KJ Apa, 27, plays Wes.
This New Zealander is the
son of a Samoan father and
a European mother. Eric
Dane, 51, co-stars as Dean
Miller, Wes’ father. His many
credits include playing
Mark Sloan on Grey’s
Anatomy and Cal Jacobs
on Euphoria. Dane’s mother
is Jewish. He was raised
Jewish, and he had a bar
mitzvah.
CELEBRITY NEWS
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
ARTS&LIFE
PHILIP ROMANO
Adam Pally
GAGE SKIDMORE
Jamie Lee Curtis
MINGLE MEDIA TV
Jenny Slate