From Buffalo to Pittsburgh, ‘Unbillievable!’ film brings childhood friends together
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From Buffalo to Pittsburgh, ‘Unbillievable!’ film brings childhood friends together

Buffalo Bills and zany movie fortify bond between old pals

The Buffalo Bills and "Unbillievable!" helped Eli Honig, left, and Saul Markowitz, right, rekindle a childhood friendship. (Photo courtesy of Markowitz Communications)
The Buffalo Bills and "Unbillievable!" helped Eli Honig, left, and Saul Markowitz, right, rekindle a childhood friendship. (Photo courtesy of Markowitz Communications)

Shared misery over mutual losses enabled old friends to laugh about new endeavors.

Nearly 50 years ago, diehard Buffalo Bills fans Eli Honig and Saul Markowitz attended The Kadimah School of Buffalo. Markowitz left the Queen City in sixth grade but stayed connected to Honig and his fellow Jewish day school classmates.

Part of the bond, Markowitz, 61, said, stemmed from an absolute love of the Bills.

The professional football team is often chided for having gone to four consecutive Super Bowls, between 1991-‘94, and losing each one.

Markowitz, a longtime Pittsburgher and self-described “member of Bills Mafia,” said he has enthusiastically followed the team for decades.

Last year, before traveling to a Bills game with his son, Markowitz reached out to Honig.

When the old classmates met, Honig, 61, told Markowitz about a project.

Bills fans, led by comic and former National Lampoon Editor-in-chief Scott Rubin, were making a whimsical film about their unwavering loyalty to the team.

Markowitz said he needed to be involved and volunteered his services as a public relations professional.

“The Bills mean so much to me,” Markowitz said.

The Pittsburgher met with Honig and Rubin and learned about “Unbillievable!

Filmed in Buffalo, the spoof follows three generations of Bills fans through numerous episodes of absurdity.

Familiar to anyone who has ever tried to gather family and friends for a shared experience, the scenes are entertaining, awkward and festive.

Still from “Unbillievable!” courtesy of Markowitz Communications

Much of the movie is about whether the Bills can win the Super Bowl, but the premise is larger, according to Honig, executive producer of the film.

“When you really peel away the edges, it’s about the human interaction between fans, how it affects our lives personally and how we’re always hoping that it’s going to be better next year,” Honig said.

That belief isn’t particular to Bills fans, he continued, but also applies to the supporters of many different teams.

As filmmakers, putting those “personal connections” on screen is critical, Honig said.

Regardless of which franchise someone supports, “We want them to walk away from this movie and say, ‘Wow, that was really an enjoyable film. You don’t get a good comedy that much anymore. And it’s about something that I can relate to, it’s something that I can see my family, or my friends, doing the same type of thing.’”

Still from “Unbillievable!” courtesy of Markowitz Communications

“Unbillievable!” will have its Pittsburgh premiere at 7:30 p.m. on June 21 at the Harris Theater.

Neither Markowitz nor Honig expects the film to alter one’s athletic allegiances; instead, both men hope the film fosters something greater.

For years, the two communicated “once in a while, but this movie has brought us right together,” Honig said. “We’re talking almost daily, if not weekly, and it gives us an opportunity to kind of live our roots, work together and work for something that we really both feel passionate about.”

“We really have become better friends throughout this whole thing,” Markowitz said. “I think it’s kind of cool that the Bills brought us together when we were kids and it keeps bringing us together.” PJC

Adam Reinherz can be reached at areinherz@pittsburghjewishchronicle.org.

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