The Hebrew Hammer
| The Hebrew Hammer | |
|---|---|
DVD cover
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| Directed by | Jonathan Kesselman |
| Produced by | Lisa Fragner Josh Kesselman Sofia Sondervan Edward R. Pressman |
| Written by | Jonathan Kesselman |
| Starring |
Adam Goldberg Judy Greer Andy Dick Mario Van Peebles Peter Coyote |
| Music by | Michael Cohen |
| Cinematography | Kurt Brabbee |
| Edited by | Dean Holland |
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Production
company |
ContentFilm
Intrinsic Value Films |
| Distributed by |
Comedy Central Films (TV) Strand Releasing (Theatrical) |
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Release date
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Running time
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85 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Hebrew Yiddish |
| Budget | $1.3 Million |
| Box office | $82,157 |
The Hebrew Hammer is a 2003 American comedy film written and directed by Jonathan Kesselman. It stars Adam Goldberg, Judy Greer, Andy Dick, Mario Van Peebles, and Peter Coyote. The plot concerns a Jewish crime fighter known as the Hebrew Hammer who must save Hanukkah from the evil son of Santa Claus who wants to destroy Hanukkah and make everyone celebrate Christmas.
The film parodies blaxploitation films, and features Melvin Van Peebles in a cameo as "Sweetback".
The film begins with a flashback to a young Mordechai Jefferson Carver. At school, Mordechai is tormented by his fellow students and his teacher for being a Jewish child in a public school predominantly attended by Christians, and for celebrating Hanukkah while everyone else celebrates Christmas. He feels further alienated as he walks through his neighborhood and sees a seemingly endless number of Christmas decorations and window displays celebrating the holiday and announcing that Jews aren't welcome. As he lies down on the sidewalk in front of a store saying "Jews Welcome (for about 5 minutes)" and spins his dreidel to cheer himself up, Santa Claus walks by and crushes the toy under his foot, then gives Mordechai the finger.
The scene then changes to the present with Mordechai as the Hebrew Hammer, a Certified Circumcised Dick who has dedicated his life to defending Jews. His snappy dress (a cross between that of a pimp and a Hasidic Jew) and tough-guy demeanor have made him a local hero within the Jewish community. Jews and African-Americans have enjoyed a tenuous peace with the White Christians over the previous few decades, because the current Santa (the son of the cruel Santa who stomped Mordechai's dreidel years earlier) has pursued a policy of inclusion and tolerance. This Santa is murdered and replaced by his son, Damian, who seeks to destroy Hanukkah and Kwanzaa thus reserving December for Christmas alone. Mordechai is reluctantly recruited to stop Damian, gaining allies along the way, including love interest and daughter of the Chief of the Jewish Justice League Esther Bloomenbergensteinenthal and the Kwanzaa Liberation Front's leader Mohammed Ali Paula Abdul Rahim.
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