Well the title doesn't lie ;-)
Steven I. Ramm | Phila, PA USA | 08/20/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"
If ever there was a film (though this is really a digitally shot video) whose title told it like it is, this is it. For 44 minutes you watch, and hear, 16 men and two women - all Jewish and "moderately" old - telling jokes. Some tell a couple so there are 38 jokes in all. The only issue is whether the storytellers are "old". "Old is a relative term and most of the participants - each of who stands before an unseen small (based on the laughter) audience while a white curtain acts as scenery. Most are between 65 and 70 years old with the eldest being 75.
Think of this as "Comedy Night at your local synagogue". None are professionals but they have a good deadpan delivery. Some of the jokes hit you about 10 seconds after you hear the drum thud at the end. And many are REALLY funny. A few of the storytellers (there are short funny stories as well as one-two jokes) cover other ethnicities (Italians, for one) but most are the Jews laughing at themselves. There are quite a few "risqué" ones and private parts are often described so don't play this in front of your young kids. (They probably wouldn't get the joke anyway).
There are no real Special Features. There is a "find a joke" option - which is just the Chapter index and a "hear a new joke" option, which just displays a web site where you can hear more.
It is a lot of fun and makes a great gift for that parent or relative for a birthday or holiday. Giving the gift of laughter is a blessing and there's enough fun here to entertain the viewer for 44 minutes.
Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"
"
Keeping You Laughing
Steven I. Ramm | 08/13/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
""Old Jews Telling Jokes"
Keeping You Laughing
Amos Lassen
I was very happy to hear that First Run Features was releasing "Old Jews Telling Jokes" as I had been watching snippets on U Tube for a while. However, when you have 44 minutes of non stop laughter there is reason for celebration. The movie is just what the title says--18 old Jews who are amateur joke tellers--some of them are professional people while others are men on the street. What they all have is a joke to tell and they do so in a way that you can't help but laugh. These "alter kockers" give us every reason to laugh and they are risqué and the jokes are often off-color. You get some Catskill humor mixed in with Woody Allen and it is not just for Jews. It is for anyone who needs a good laugh. The idea is simple and the execution is wonderful.
"
Laughing Out Loud
Sandy Ressler | 10/31/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"So there I was at home...working as usual...not in a particularly good mood. I take a break turning on my AppleTV and discover this podcast with an amusing title. I play one of the jokes (can't remember which one) and just break out laughing out loud till tears came out! They're not all quite that good but most are hilarious...ever since they never fail to make me laugh or at least get me into a much better mood."