The Hebrew Hammer (Comedy Telefilm)
Picture: B- Sound: B-
Extras: B Film: B-
Films referencing the exploitation genre have been seen
coming through here and there over the past few years with varying
success. There hasn’t been a flood of
these by any means, but there isn’t really enough demand for them to really
catch on as a well-populated genre. The
ones that stick out the most for me are the Shaft remake with Samuel L.
Jackson in the title role and the comedic Undercover Brother. A big mark against these movies is that none
of them have effectively captured the feel of a 70's exploitation picture. The Hebrew Hammer (2003) doesn't
change this tradition, but at least it seems to be more aware of the genre it’s
poking fun of.
This TV movie was originally shown on Comedy Central from time to time around
the holiday season, and you can see that some of the humor may have been a bit
much if it made it's way to wide release in the theaters. I can almost picture the backlash against it
from various groups that would spring up to attack the film. That said, those who would take such great
offense to the film don't know how to take a joke, but it seems like the people
who can are in short supply these days.
Regardless of being politically incorrect, there are other things it has
going against it that probably held it at bay from theatrical release. Mainly it’s that the production standards
aren't quite up to snuff, and a lot of the jokes really end up falling flat -
but no worse than the Austin Powers sequels or Rowan Atkinson’s
ill-fated spy spoof Johnny English, which was a hit everywhere but the
U.S. itself.
I have seen many worse movies than this, and for a Comedy Central original, you
could do worse. At least it gets a
decent DVD release with a decent selection of extras. Even the commentary attempts to get in on the big joke, as the
director and producer's mother joins in on the track. On top of that, you'll find the original black and white Hebrew
Hammer short film that preceded the production of this. The humor there is a great deal darker than
in the feature, and it’s not as slick, but some of the scenes are mirrored in
the full-length film version. Along
with this, you’ll find the usual deleted scenes and outtakes that are commonplace
on DVD releases.
This movie has an amusing premise - a Jewish bad-ass in the vein of classic
blaxploitation stars. Had it contained
more stylistic flair, it might have had a good chance at being a cult classic. As it stands now, I don't see a huge future
in store for the movie - but time and audience response will ultimately tell.
The video quality is average, but it appears as though it was shot on HD rather
than film. I could be wrong about this,
but it's becoming a noticeably more popular route for independent movies and
even many big budget features - so it's likely that that's the case. Those filmmakers with lower quality cameras
should still take 35mm film into consideration, as much that is being shot on
digital video isn’t up to industry standards.
The image here is presented in widescreen (non-anamorphic) format,
though I‘m not sure it ever received theatrical presentation. The audio is good and done well enough, but
it’s also just average, though Pro Logic surround does decode enough from the
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo.
There may be an audience for this film, and if you’re into Austin Powers, it’s
a spoof along those lines - so fans of that style will probably find something
to like in here. Its not as polished,
but it still has some good moments. I’d
say to check it out on TV first and decide on purchasing it from there. Chances are it will be a staple on Comedy
Central during the holidays for at least the next few years.
- David Milchick
