Heartless Repo Men

“Repo Men,” which opens on Friday, March 19, is a futuristic action thriller. A company called “The Union” invents and sells expensive artificial organs that can extend human life. However, if a customer doesn’t make his payments, nasty repo men grab back the organ.

Jude Law stars as Remy, a Union repo man who gets one of his company’s hearts and cannot make his payments. Forest Whitaker plays Remy’s former partner, who is sent to repossess Remy’s artificial heart. Liev Schreiber, 42, has a supporting role as Remy’s boss. The first-time director is Miguel Rosenberg-Sapochnik. My guess is that he is a Jew from Latin America; but there’s little bio available on him.

Sadly noted

The last few weeks have seen the tragic deaths of two Jewish actors best known for their adolescent roles: Andrew Koenig, 42, who was found dead on Feb. 25, an apparent suicide, and Corey Haim, 38, who died on March 10.

Koenig, who starred as Richard “Boner” Stabone on the ’80s sitcom “Growing Pains,” was the son of actor Walter Koenig, 73, (Chekov on “Star Trek”) and Walter’s wife of 44 years, actress Judy Levitt Koenig. Andrew had a substantial post-adolescent career as a writer and film editor. It appears that he was suffering from long-term clinical depression.

Haim was born and raised in Toronto, the son of a Canadian Jewish father and an Israel-raised Jewish mother. He was a talented young actor with hits such as “Lucas” and “Lost Boys.” But he got into drugs at a young age and never was able to stay clean for a sustained period.

Changing hosts

Model Brooke Burke, 38, has been named as co-host (with Tom Bergeron) of the hit ABC series “Dancing with the Stars.” She replaces Samantha Harris, 36, who has co-hosted since 2006. Harris says she is leaving to concentrate on her work as a correspondent for “The Insider” and “Entertainment Tonight.”

Burke, whose mother is Jewish, was the winner of the seventh season (fall 2008) of “Dancing.” The 10th season starts on Monday, March 22, at 8 p.m.

Fisher is the man

Congrats to Fisher Stevens, 46, co-winner of the Oscar for best documentary feature. Fisher was the producer of “The Cove,” a film about a semi-secret dolphin killing ground in Japan. He shared the award with the film’s director, Louie Psihoyos.

Stevens was brought in to produce “The Cove” and help shape the raw footage into a film. He also promoted the documentary at many film festivals. Born Steve Fisher in Chicago, Stevens’ father is Jewish and he describes himself as a “thin, white Jewish guy.” He’s had a multifaceted career as an actor and TV/stage director.

Briefly noted

Rumors are that comic actor Jonah Hill, 26, is in talks to play a statistician in “Moneyball,” an upcoming film that chronicles how Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane put together a club on a shoestring budget by using computer-based statistical analyses to draft players. The flick stars Brad Pitt and is directed by Bennett Miller, 43, who got a best director Oscar nomination for “Capote” (2005).

Lainie Kazan, 67, and Richard Lewis, 62, guest star on the Fox series “ ’Til Death,” (Sunday, March 21, at 7 p.m.). Kazan plays the overbearing mother of starring character Joy Stark (Joely Fisher), while Lewis plays a publisher who is interested in a book written by Joy’s husband, Eddie (Brad Garrett, 49.)