Curt Schleier is a freelance writer and author who covers business and the arts for a variety of publications. Follow him on Twitter at @tvsoundoff.
Curt Schleier
By Curt Schleier
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The Schmooze Celebrate the Marx Brothers With ‘Marxfest’
It’s been 100 years since four brothers — Leonard, Arthur, Julius and Milton — sat down at a table and, with the assistance of a fellow vaudevillian, reinvented themselves as Chico, Harpo, Groucho and Gummo. The centennial anniversary of that comic rebirth will be celebrated with Marxfest, a month-long series of screenings and discussions taking…
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The Schmooze Clara Mamet Makes a Movie
“Two-Bit Waltz” is a small independent film about teenage alienation that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19. But before you say: “Thank goodness, that’s just what the world needs — another film about teenage angst,” here are a couple of facts you should know. First, yes, the film has moments best described…
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The Schmooze How a Theater Legend Overcame the Odds
“Act One,” Moss Hart’s inspirational memoir, is the story of the son of Jewish immigrants who found and successfully pursued his passion for theater despite — or because of — his family’s impoverished circumstances. Hart’s muse was his Aunt Kate, an eccentric woman who encouraged his love of theater, where he found “a refuge for…
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The Schmooze Won Over by Ballroom Dance
Israeli-born director Hilla Medalia didn’t exactly jump at the opportunity to direct “Dancing In Jaffa.” Her initial reaction was, “there are already so many films about Palestinian and Israeli kids being brought together.” But then she met Pierre. Ironically, that was my reaction, too: Did we really need another feel-good movie about Arabs and Jews…
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The Schmooze Filmmaker Made Public Humiliation His Muse
Independent filmmakers can face many discouraging obstacles on the road from concept to screen. But Seth Fisher found a way to make sure he would not abandon his first full length feature along the way: his fear of public humiliation. “As soon as I started writing ‘Blumenthal’ I started a blog called watchmemakeamovie.com,” he said…
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The Schmooze Uncovering the Remains of Treblinka
Dr. Caroline Sturdy Colls is a British forensic archeologist. Much of her work is with police departments, often literally digging up missing persons — so she’s used to uncovering remains. Still, what she discovered during her research at the Treblinka death camp was so emotionally wrenching, it forced her to tears. A riveting account of…
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The Schmooze How Adam Jacobs Became a Disney Prince
Adam Jacobs has a 1,000-megawatt smile that would put the young Donny Osmond to shame. And he puts it on constant display at the New Amsterdam Theatre in the heart of Times Square, where he plays the title character in the latest Disney megahit, the well-received “Aladdin.” The son of a Filipino mother and Jewish…
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The Schmooze Some Jews Are Funnier Than Others
A popular form of entertainment is watching comics analyzing comedy — a subject that doesn’t easily lend itself to analysis. Simply: What’s funny is what makes the lady in the third row laugh. You cannot tell her she’s wrong; if she doesn’t laugh it isn’t funny, she does and it is. End of story. Still,…
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