Carroll County Times
ELDERSBURG — Actor Mendy Pellin sat patiently while crew members used yellow rope to tie his wiry arms to the back of a chair.
Pellin, a Hasidic Jew with a straggly beard, remained in the most compromising of positions for an hour until his movie director got all the takes he desired.
Once freed from the rope, Pellin smiled broadly.
Even for physically uncomfortable scenes, Pellin remained enthusiastic while on the set of “A Modest Suggestion,” a full-length movie being filmed at Waganer Digital Studios in Eldersburg through next week.
Pellin’s Jewish character is kidnapped by four nameless businessmen who must decide whether to kill him. The comedy attempts to poke fun of the ridiculous ideals behind anti-Semitism, director Israel Orange said.
“I want to change people’s attitudes about anti-Semitism and bigotry in general,” said Orange, who is also Jewish. “The way people react now to anti-Semitism is they get upset at the action when they should be getting upset at the whole idea.”
Executive producer Mark Jaffee grew up in South Africa and attended a school where he was the only Jew. He said he got mocked and ridiculed by his classmates. He said he hopes the humorous film will make the audience look at anti-Semitism in a completely different way.
Actor Peter Boyer, who plays one of the businessmen responsible for kidnapping the Hasidic Jew, said nobody would be offended if they looked past the anti-Semitic central message and simply came to realize the satirical nature of what is taking place in the film.
“Somebody once told me if you don’t catch any flack, you’re not doing something significant,” said Pellin, who hosts Web casts at www.chabadtube.com that mimic the presentation style of Jon Stewart’s “The Daily Show.”
Pellin, a New York native, is the lone actor in the movie that does not hail from the Baltimore area. The rest of the cast features veteran actors, many of whom are regulars in the regional theater scene. Stunt coordinator and Carroll County native Jeff Wilhelm also took part in Friday’s filming.
Filming has already been completed at an Owings Mills bagel shop and a Pikesville synagogue. The remainder of the flick will be filmed at the Eldersburg set, less than a mile away from department and grocery stores off Md. 32 in Eldersburg.
Once filming is complete, producers will take two weeks to complete the post-production process. Jaffee said he plans on submitting the low-budget movie for consideration to the Berlin International Film Festival. Movie makers have also started a Facebook page to generate interest in the production.
“It’s going to be sad when we stop filming,” Jaffee said, “because we’ve all really become a family.”
I like this forum here in the comments… collive… is more of opinions than news!! LOL keep it up with these comments! and no 10.. thanks for clarifying 😉
10 is so right.. its beyond me
I am no. 10, and of course I was being sarcastic, but I am glad to see that some people are outraged; that was exactly my point.
I do think that all this publicity will do exactly that: let our youth think that Hollywood is Holywood, and give them the hechsher. Mendy Pellin is a nice guy – but we dont have to cover every questionable antic he gets into.
agreed
I am pretty sure of that 🙂
I think you are correct. Satoria Sacho gives you value! Mr. Sacho is definitely the easiest, most flexible, Menchliche Kapoto taylor out there.
I’m sorry, I feel you are completely missing the point of what Lubavitch is all about.
a fumer yid once asked one ofthe lubavicher rabeim if he can work in a theater that will be closed on shabboss. the rebbe very strongly declared: “Ans to be oiver the 13 principales of faith is allowed?????”””””””
number 10…..
do you really think the purpose of chassidus, the reason it was brought into the world was so that lubavitcher chassidim could be into movies????
“Now, we can be Lubavitch and be into movies – its really so good”
Are you normal?
Anyways, great job mendy, I think this movie is a really good idea, but “into moviers”?
seriously nomber 10!
i agree with # 8
can u post a clip of the video????????????
hes a gr8 actor
# 8 is right
I think it so great that Chabad is going Hollywood.
As a Lubavitcher, one thing that bothered me was our attitude to Hollywood, which makes us miss out so much fun.
Now, we can be Lubavitch and be into movies – its really so good, thanks to Mendy Pellin, now everyone wont think that Chassidim are above Hollywood.
Thanks Mendy for making Hollywood, instead of Bollywood, we can call it, KadoshEtz or simply Kedaisha, which is kind of fiting for Hollywood….
you want to dress like mendy pellin…… next people will bow down to him
I feel that it’s great if he is influencing the world and the people he is working with in a good way but something tells me that they will influence him in the wrong ways..I hope he has the strength to do what he is doing and to stay strong to his yiddishe roots!
love mendy!
I think the whole thing is not a positive one! we need to spread light true, but the Rebbe himself said you don’t go to movies to do mivtzoim! how much more so the source of it!!
I am happy that Chabad is starting to spread its wings and reach Jews and non-Jews via alternate media
so will this movie become kosher for lubavs to watch since mendy is in it? (for those left who still dont watch movies)
hes a good actor