About this episode

In their 100th episode, the hosts reflect on their podcast journey while discussing Mel Brooks and the documentary 'The 99 Year Old Man' with guest Yuli Masinovsky.

For their 100th (give or take) episode, Harry and Daniel celebrate a major milestone by revisiting where it all began—with their very first guest, Yuli Masinovsky. Together, they keep things loose, reflective, and a little bit meta as they dive into The 99 Year Old Man , the documentary from Judd Apatow chronicling the life and legacy of Mel Brooks. Along the way, the trio looks back on four years of podcasting—how the show has evolved from plot-heavy breakdowns to more thematic, free-flowing conversations—and what it means to build a creative project over time while balancing careers, families, and life changes. They revisit early Jews on Film staples like “the stretch,” the IMDb summary, and the ever-elusive perfect format. On the film side, the conversation explores Brooks as both a comedic pioneer and a complicated cultural figure: his role in shaping Jewish-American humor, his connection to figures like Sid Caesar, and the lineage of comedy that runs from the Borscht Belt to today. The group also digs into the documentary itself—its length, structure, and whether it reveals anything new about a performer who’s always “on.” Most provocatively, the episode wrestles with…

People in this episode

Hosts: Daniel Zana, Harry Ottensoser

Guest: Yuli Masinovsky

Topics covered

• Mel Brooks
• Jewish identity
• comedy
• podcasting journey
• documentary analysis
• cultural legacy

Keywords

• Mel Brooks
• Jewish humor
• podcast evolution
• documentary
• Judd Apatow
• cultural commentary
• comedy history

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The 99 Year Old Man

Places: Borscht Belt

More episodes of Jews on Film: Exploring Jewish Stories & Themes in Cinema

• The Prince of Egypt w/ Stephanie Butnick (Re-Release) · April 1, 2026 · 1h 15m
• Among Neighbors w/ Pamela Lavitt · March 26, 2026 · 57 min
• Marty Supreme w/ Leigh Stein · March 5, 2026 · 1h 35m
• The Princess Bride w/ Michael Lukk Litwak · February 19, 2026 · 1h 18m
• After Hours w/ Nabil Ayers (Re-Release) · February 5, 2026 · 1h 25m
• When Harry Met Sally with Temim Fruchter (Re-Release) · January 15, 2026 · 1h 17m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Jews on Film: Exploring Jewish Stories & Themes in Cinema podcast page.