Orthodox police detective, The Fabelmans (really the Spielbergs) and much more

Stars of David

By Nate Bloom, Stars of David Contributing Columnist

Editor’s Note: Persons in bold Jewish for the purpose of this column. Persons identified as Jewish have at least one Jewish parent and were not raised in, or identify with, a faith other than Judaism. Converts to Judaism, of course, are also identified as Jewish.

“The Calling,” an 8-episode series, begins streaming Nov. 10 on Peacock. It is loosely based on “The Missing File,” a novel (2013) by Israeli Dror Mishani, 47. The central character of “The Calling” is NYPD detective Avraham Avraham. He is a special investigator in Crown Heights, a Brooklyn neighborhood where many Hasidic Jews live.

Jeff Wilbusch, 34, plays Avraham. He told TV Guide, “His [Avraham’s] calling is solving missing persons and homicide cases through uncanny observational abilities.”

Wilbusch, born Iftach Wilbuschewitz, was born and raised in Israel in a Hasidic family (he has 13 siblings!). He’s best known for playing Moishe Lefkovitch, a lead character in the hit Netflix series “Unorthodox.”

Ben Shenkman, 54, a veteran character actor, has a supporting role as a rabbi. (Peacock only costs $5 a month with ads or $10 a month without ads).

“Tulsa King,” a series, begins streaming Nov. 13 on Paramount+. Sylvester Stallone (whose maternal grandfather was Jewish) stars as Dwight Manfredi, a NYC Mafia bigwig who has just finished a 25-year prison sentence. His boss sends him to Tulsa to establish a crime operation there. Not knowing anyone in Tulsa, Manfredi has to build his own “family.”

Max Casella, 55, plays Armand, Manfredi’s right hand man. Casella, whose father was Jewish, had a pretty big recurring role on “The Sopranos” as gangster Benny Fazio, a Soprano Mafia family member. Andrea Savage, 49, a quite talented actress best known for her comedic roles, has a “main cast” role as a federal ATF agent stationed in Tulsa.

“Tulsa” was created by Taylor Sheridan, who also created the Paramount+ series “Yellowstone” and “1886.” Frankly, I think that the “Tulsa” premise, for too many reasons to mention here, is absurd. But maybe viewers won’t notice. “1886” got decent ratings and reviews despite a laughable premise. In the series’ first season, many important as well as lesser characters died trying to cross the country in a wagon train. The historical fact is that by 1886 they could have taken a much faster cross-country train for less than $20!

You probably won’t be able to catch “There There,” an indie film that has a limited theater release on Nov. 18. But try to watch it when outlets like HBO or Amazon show it, which they will. Writer/ director Andrew Bujalski, 45, has made seven indie films since 2005. All received good reviews. His most recent film, “Support the Girls” (2019), got a lot of attention and several awards. He’s the son of a Jewish mother and a Catholic father.

“There There” has been described as “a round robin of emotional two-character vignettes in which seven people reach out and bond momentarily, which sets the scene for the next encounter.” Molly Gordon, 26, and Jason Schwartzman, 42 (whose father was Jewish), play two of “the seven.” Gordon costarred in the TNT series “Animal Kingdom,” and she had big parts in the hit films “Booksmart” and “Shiva Baby.”

“Bones and All” opens in theaters Nov. 23. It is not for everyone. The film follows cannibalistic lovers, Maren and Lee, as they embark on a road trip across Reaganera America. Timothee Chalamet, 26, plays Lee. Michael Stuhlberg, 54, has a large supporting role.

You might call this film “high art horror.” It has an A-list star (Chalamet) and a top European director. “Bones” got very good reviews following a showing at the recent Venice Film Festival.

After years of items in the Jewish and general media about Steven Spielberg’s film about his life, that movie, “The Fabelmans,” arrives in theaters on Nov. 12. Frankly, you’ll see so much about this film in every media outlet that I will just give you the “bare bones.” You’ll easily be able to read/see everything about this film “all over the place.”

The film was directed by Spielberg and was co-written by Spielberg, 75, and Tony Kushner, 66.

Here’s the brief official description: “Growing up in post-WWII era Arizona, from age 7 to 18, a [Jewish] young man named Sammy Fabelman [think Spielberg] discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.”

Non-Jewish actors play Sammy’s mother, father and Sammy (respectively, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Gabriel LaBelle). Jewish actors with big parts include Seth Rogen, 40, as Sammy’s “honorary” uncle (a close family friend), Judd Hirsch, 87, as Sammy’s great-uncle, and Jeannie Berlin, 71, as Sammy’s paternal grandmother. By the way, Berlin’s mother, the great Elaine May, 90, is still “very much alive” in every sense.