Donny's Bar Mitzvah

Director - Jonathan Kaufman 

Starring - Steele Stebbins (Vacation, A Haunted House 2), Jeremy Tardy (Dear White People, Bone Tomahawk), and Adrian Ciscato (Despicable Me 3, Cereal)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Comedy

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Vinegar Syndrome has partnered with some amazing labels over the last few years to release some unforgettable films.  Companies like American Genre Film Archive, Fun City Editions, Circle Collective, and several more to churn out, not only horror, but some other genre releases as well.  A few weeks back I saw that Vin Syn and Circle Collective was releasing the 2021 comedy Donny's Bar Mitzvah.  The packaging was made to look like an old VHS and this really caught my attention.  I lived through the tape era and this was making me feel nostalgic.  I quickly pulled the trigger and ordered a copy.  After checking out The Leather Boys I was ready for some laughs.

     The film is the recording of Donny's (Stebbins) bar mitzvah and the anarchy that took place during his passage to manhood.

     I was extremely excited for this one.  The trailer was fun and I loved the entire aesthetic of this release.  With that being said, I found it a little underwhelming.  It had a lot of funny moments that had me laughing out loud but a good portion of the laughs fell flat.  The writer were trying a little too hard at times instead of letting the comedy come naturally.  Regardless, I had fun but there was plenty of missed opportunities here.  The acting in this one is the highlight of the film.  The movie is overflowing with memorable and colorful characters that really made the film what it is.  We get a small but unforgettable role from Danny Trejo along with so many more.  I would be here all day talking about the cast if I could but I'm just too lazy to type that much.  The casting is brilliant and the cast does one hell of a job with this one.  You can really tell they that they had fun on set because it translates very well on camera.  The story for this one is absolutely brilliant and so fucking simple yet it works.  The film is made to look like a VHS of a home movie about a young man's bar mitzvah and how wild the party goes.  During the party we have teenage romance, drug use, swinging, a speedy pregnancy, secret agents, and a mad shitter.  It's complete chaos but fun.  It has a lot of laughs but a good bit is forced and miss their marks.  It's fun but not something I would be adding to a top ten list.  Finally, the film has no blood or gore.  It's a straight forward comedy and that's where the film dedicates itself.  Overall, Donny's Bar Mitzvah is extremely fun and hits with that nostalgia factor that a lot of millennials are fond of.  I enjoyed it but I don't see myself spinning it again anytime soon.  I recommend checking it out.