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Judd Apatow grew up idolizing Mel Brooks. Now he’s telling Brooks’ story in an HBO documentary.

JL;DR SUMMARY Judd Apatow, a renowned Jewish filmmaker, pays homage to comedy legend Mel Brooks in a new two-part HBO documentary, "Mel Brooks: The 99-Year-Old Man!" A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish CultureFilmJewish IdentityMel BrooksDocumentaryHboComedyCarl ReinerAnne BancroftJudd Apatow

Places mentioned

Long Island, New York, United States
"When Judd Apatow was growing up on Long Island, there was no debate about who ruled the comedy world."
Brooklyn, New York, United States
"Co-directed by Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, the film traces Brooks life from his Brooklyn childhood to his work on Sid Caesars Your Show of Shows and Caesars Hour, his run of landmark films like The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, to later success that included the blockbuster Broadway version of The Producers, his guest arc on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and his update to History of the World."
Florida, United States
"In the film, Sandler compares listening to the bits an elderly Jew talking about his romps through history to hearing his own Jewish uncles talk in Florida."

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Retrieved 2026-01-22 05:30:47 UTC
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