By Nate Bloom
Contributing Columnist
Two Movies, More Molly Gordon, Judge Judy Special, More!
AUSTIN ABRAMS, 30, stars in “Resident Evil” (opens Sept. 18). Here’s the “official” plot: Abrams plays Bryan, a medical courier who is caught in a viral outbreak of infected monsters in Raccoon City and has to fight for survival.
Abrams grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Both of his parents are doctors. Abrams is not a star, but he has regularly snared fairly good roles in films and TV programs.
He was just 14 when he got a part in “Gangster Squad” (2013), a hit film starring Josh Brolin and Ryan Gosling.
Here are just a few hit shows/movies that gave Abrams a good role: “The Walking Dead” (2015-16); “Paper Towns,” a smart movie (2015); and “Euphoria” (HBO) (2019-22).
In 2025, he co-starred with Josh Brolin, ALDEN EHRENREICH and JULIA GARNER in “Weapons,” a horror mystery. It cost “only” $38 million and made $270 million. Next month, Abrams co-stars in “Whalefall,” a survival thriller film. Josh Brolin co-stars again. He plays Abrams’ father.
Two weeks ago, I said that I would write more about MOLLY GORDON, 31, a very good, busy actress and director. I said that I finally viewed “The Sheep Detectives,” a comedy-mystery that opened in May. It is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
I wrote that until I saw “Sheep Detectives” I didn’t know that Gordon had a juicy, important role in the film (as Rebecca Hampstead). This role moved me to run down everything I could find on Gordon. I didn’t have space until this week to write about her.
Gordon has been building a great career. In “The Bear,” a hit Hulu series, she played a doctor who was the girlfriend of Carmy, the star character (2023-26).
She starred in “Theater Camp,” a 2023 comedy movie (BEN PLATT co-starred). Gordon also co-directed and co-wrote “Camp.” This film got great reviews and earned fairly good revenues for a “small, arty movie.” It’s streaming on Hulu/Disney.
In 2025, Gordon starred in “Oh, Hi!” LOGAN LERMAN, 34, co-starred as her boyfriend — and Gordon co-wrote this film, too. (“Oh, Hi!” is now streaming on Netflix.)
“Peaked,” a comedy film she starred in and directed, will open later in 2026 (exact date not announced).
Gordon is a Los Angeles native. Her Jewish parents are TV director BRYAN GORDON, 79, and writer-director JESSIE NELSON, 75ish. Here’s part of one bio I found: “Molly Gordon performed on the LA stage from a young age, and grew up with actor Ben Platt, with whom she starred in productions of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ at age four.”
I will write more about Gordon when “Peaked” opens.
“Tiny Fugitives” opens in theaters on Sept. 18. Here’s the “official” capsule plot: A reckless group of twelve-year-olds sets out on a mission to spend the rest of their lives at sleepaway camp. They’ll just have to get past Bob — the camp’s deranged, relentless, 50-year-old lifer counselor.
The official plot doesn’t mention that the camp is a Jewish camp. That is a verified fact from other reliable sources.
Oddly, the oddball actor Johnny Knoxville plays Bob — Knoxville is usually on the “other side” — a mayhem maker.
It’s pretty clear that the director (Michael Lewen) and the writers (Lewen and Jacob Kaplan) are Jewish. The two “kid” stars are probably Jewish, too (Benjamin Pajak and Aaron Harris) — but right now that “Jewish” info is not to be found.
CBS is airing and streaming a program entitled “Judge Judy: Unfiltered, Unforgettable.” It’s a 90-minute primetime special chronicling her 30 years as America’s most popular TV judge — and she is Jewish.
Here’s what Variety says: Through home movies and personal archives, Judith Sheindlin offers an intimate look into how she became the sharp-tongued, no-nonsense jurist who sat on the bench in Manhattan for nearly 20 years before she segued into television with the syndicated daytime court show “Judge Judy.”
The third season of “Doc,” a hit medical series, premieres on Sept. 22 on Fox (also runs the next day on Paramount, and later Hulu). Jewish fans know that a major character, Dr. Jake Heller, is Jewish. He wears a chai and he sometimes mentions he is Jewish. Jon Ecker, who plays Heller, is not Jewish. But SCOTT WOLF, 55, who is Jewish, plays Dr. Richard Miller, who is not Jewish.
I have just become aware of several good sources about the show’s Jewish creators and writers. So much stuff that I will reserve all the “goody” stuff until next week. Meanwhile, all should catch this season’s premiere.
Oh, and next week I will disclose what I didn’t know until two days ago: Arguably the most handsome (national) TV newsman in America is Jewish. (He’s smart, too.) Your guess?
