Chabad… Available at a Walmart Near You
This Content Was Originally Published at COLlive
By COLlive reporter
4,743 branches of Walmart across America will be selling DVDs of the 10-episode TV series where actor Jon Voight and film producer Steven Paul learn about Chabad with the help of Rabbis Chaim Nachum and Levi Cunin.
The Jewish Life Television network (JLTV) recently completed airing the “Friends of Chabad” television show and will be selling the 10 episodes DVD and Blu-ray disk for home viewing.
They will be sold at Walmart’s chain of hypermarkets and discount department stores across the United States which numbers 4,743 branches, COLlive.com has learned.
The show is hosted by Academy Award-winning actor Jon Voight, film producer and screenwriter Steven Paul, and the brothers Rabbi Chaim Nachum Cunin of Chabad West Coast Headquarters and Rabbi Levi Cunin of Chabad of Malibu.
It began as one of the many tributes for Rabbi Tzemach Cunin OBM, who ran Chabad of Century City in Los Angeles, California, and tragically passed away in his prime at the age of 43.
“While Tzemach was learning in Australia, Jon Voight was filming a movie there and they got really close and started learning together,” Rabbi Chaim Nachum Cunin said. Voight, who isn’t Jewish, is a staunch supporter of Chabad and appears annually at the Chabad “To Life” Telethon.
Episodes were filmed at Bais Chaya Mushka on Pico Blvd. which is a replica of 770 Eastern Parkway – Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York. “The fact that it was filmed there has special significance since Tzemach was involved in every detail of the construction and building of the school,” his brother Rabbi Levi Cunin told COLlive. “Tzemach insisted that the building be constructed as strong as possible – in fact, more than necessary – since young children will be learning there daily,” he said.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT COLLIVE
French Talent Alix Villaret is Knocking on Hollywood’s Door
Written by Pat Cauley
I had a chance to catch up with Villaret in Hollywood, California, at one of her favorite cafés over a couple of matcha lattes right after a screening of her film Doll Face and in between filming of her latest movie Blind Ghost.
“Ever since I was six years old in Paris, I would watch Hollywood films and television series, dreaming of myself in those shows. Growing up, I watched those shows dubbed in French and later on found them in English with French subtitles. That’s how I learned English. Although I was nervous I’d probably sound like a New Yorker since I liked The Sopranos and Happy Days so much,” says Villaret.
She’s been working diligently with the renowned dialect coach Bob Corff. “A year ago no one could understand anything I was saying because my French accent was so strong. The second phase is to do the American accent perfectly,” says Villaret. She often jokes with strangers that she’s American but that she’s working on her French accent for a role.
And while Villaret anticipates perfecting the American accent will lead to more opportunities, that certainly hasn’t stopped her from making a splash yet. “In L.A., it feels like everyone is someone,” says Villaret, who arrived in L.A. from Paris in March 2019. And she is hoping that’s something Angelenos will be saying about her.
With a starring role and best actress nod for the thriller Doll Face already under her belt and another horror film on the horizon with Blind Ghost, Hollywood may be eyeing a new ‘Scream Queen’ in Villaret.
As she sipped her matcha latte, exuding a rare poise and confidence, I found myself curious what it was like to be a young actress from Paris pursuing a career in Hollywood. Villaret recalled growing up in Paris and her yearning for the entertainment business.
“I was from a middle-class family and watched my father work very hard in his restaurants. I would sometimes work in the restaurant and pretend it was a stage, and the customers were my audience.” She remembers dreaming about great Hollywood actresses, like Audrey Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman.
“I always loved An American in Paris with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. Although I will still have to work on my dancing,” she says jokingly. But that wouldn’t be too tall an order for Villaret. After all, she learned to skateboard in less than a week to land a role in a music video back in France.
Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands was another Hollywood film Villaret says was a big influence on her. So it seems fitting that her breakout role in Doll Face is also a film that dabbles in the macabre.
“It’s the story about a young girl who inherits an apartment from her grandmother that is full of dolls. The place is haunted, so you can imagine what happens with those dolls. It was a challenging shoot because I was interacting and acting opposite a lot with dolls, and they obviously don’t react to you. A lot was done in computer graphics and post, so it took a lot of focus to stay fully in character.”
That type of hyperfocus on her craft is also coming in handy for her upcoming role in Blind Ghost, where Villaret’s character is blind.
“I am really fortunate because another one of my favorite films is Wait Until Dark with Audrey Hepburn. Blind Ghost is about a young blind woman who is challenged by ghosts, and her being blind actually helps her with her fight,” says Villaret.
Playing a blind character is not something Villaret takes lightly.
“I feel like to play a blind character — you truly need to experience what it’s like to be blind. I spent a lot of time before filming with a bandage over my eyes. At first, I started by walking around in my apartment, and then eventually, I practiced in the streets by getting used to not relying on my eyesight but my other senses. It’s amazing to realize what you can do without sight,” she says. Villaret has been reading up on what it’s like to be blind and hopes to spend time learning at the Braille Institute or the Los Angeles Blind Children’s Center, pending current COVID-19 limitations.
So what’s next on the horizon for Villaret?
“There is a television series that I am being considered for that is based on some bestselling novels. So I spend a lot of my time reading these days. I would also love to do a superhero film like Wonder Woman or Captain America,” says Villaret.
As we finished up our matcha lattes, one thing was for sure: the American dream seems within reach for a Parisian in Los Angeles.
A Day in L.A. with Alix Villaret
‘Doll Face’ starlet opens up about food, fashion & her acting inspirations.
If not on set, a typical day in L.A. for Alix Villaret consists of sweating it out at the gym, exploring the local food scene, and working diligently at honing her craft. We caught up with the up-and-coming French talent to get the skinny on her pre-quarantine life in the City of Angels.
Breakfast Spot
Le Pain Quotidien
Go-To Lunch Locale
Urth Cafe
Fancy Supper
Madeo Restaurant or Mr. Chow
Coffee Order
Matcha Latte is the best. Although we’re Parisian, so I actually don’t drink coffee and neither does my family. We don’t even have an Espresso machine! It’s tea for me.
Fashion Style
I like to be casual and feel good. I’m really a tomboy. I find myself drawn to vintage clothes. I like to dress it up when it’s a special occasion — heels and the whole thing. But, I’m usually in sneakers and jeans. I want to do good work. For me, it’s about the work, not the look.
Favorite Places to Shop
Bloomingdale’s because it’s so convenient and close to my internship in Century City. But, I think the Melrose Trading Post is really cool. I love vintage, and you can get really good finds when you go early on Sunday mornings.
Favorite American Film
Edward Scissorhands — I think it’s a beautiful movie. I like Tim Burton’s imagination a lot. When I’m watching a movie, I like escapism — I want to forget, I want to dream.
Favorite French Film
Mommy (2014) by writer/director Xavier Dolan. But can’t name just one! Some of my other favorites:
Léon: The Professional
Borsalino (1970)
De rouille et d’os aka Rust and Bone (2012)
Les visiteurs aka The Visitors (1993)
Two classic comedies I watched with my grandparents when I was growing up were Gérard Oury’s La Grande Vadrouille (1966) and Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (1973)
3 Things Always in Your Bag
The script of whatever movie I’m working on. Whenever I have a free moment, I want to learn my lines, and I want to see if I can find something in the subtext. I find whenever I read the material in different environments, I get a lot of ideas, and I’m always able to take something new away from it.
My notebook. I sound kind of boring actually, haha. But, I always like to be able to take notes about what’s on my mind. Or even when I’m dreaming, I like to put everything in there. Maybe I’ll do a screenplay one day with my dreams? Sometimes my dreams are pretty crazy, and when I wake up, I write.
I also always have a little something for the lip, whether lipstick, a good chapstick or lip gloss. And, now with Covid-19, I always have hand sanitizer, too.
Actor Inspiration
Julianne Moore — she’s so good and so beautiful. Her performance as a professor diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in Still Alice was so sad and touching.
Of course, Meryl Streep and Audrey Hepburn. Brigitte Bardot, Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman are people I love watching on screen for their beauty and talent.
Leslie Caron (An American in Paris) is also an inspiration because she was one of the first young French actresses in Hollywood. My father actually owns a restaurant in Paris, and Leslie Caron recently walked in. She’s in her 80s, and she still has those beautiful eyes. My dad recognized her instantly.
It may not be long until Villaret is the one who is instantly recognized. Her starring role in Doll Face has landed her a Best Actress nomination from Beverly Hills Film Festival. And while Doll Face’s upcoming 2020 release is generating buzz, Villaret is already busy gearing up for her next starring role in Blind Ghost — one can safely assume with lipstick, notebook, and script in tow.
Lynchburg's Joel Guelzo wraps time-travel film after seven years
Originally published by The News & Advance on May 8, 2019
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