Trivia for
You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008) More at IMDbPro »

• Co-writer Robert Smigel revealed that the movie was mostly written in the year 2000, but it was delayed after 9/11 due to the terrorist themes in the film.
  
  
• Zohan was loosely based on Nezi Arbib, a hairstylist and former Israeli soldier in Solana Beach, CA. Arbib taught Adam Sandler and the film crew different hairstyling techniques, while Sandler learned Arbib's mannerisms.
  
  
• Throughout the film, Zohan and other Israeli characters use various Hebrew words and phrases, including: Aba (father), Ima (Mother), b'seder (okay), and Yiddish words, including: faygelah (homosexual), tuches (butt).
  
  
• Adam Sandler's longtime friend and former college roommate Eric Lamonsoff, who was previously mentioned in both The Wedding Singer (1998) and Click (2006/I), makes his film debut here as Hamdi's passenger.
  
  
• Most of the guns used by the Zohan and the terrorists in the film are weapons manufactured by Israeli Military Industries (such as the Uzi submachine gun, Galil assault rifle, and the Jericho 941 and Desert Eagle handguns).
  
  
• The Arabic text on The Phantom's head band spells SH-B-H, or 'Shabbah'.
  
  
• Some of the jokes in the film are directly related to an old Saturday Night Live sketch, entitled "Sabra Price is Right". The sketch aired on 05/09/92 and the show was hosted by Tom Hanks. The specific jokes include the recurring "Disco! Disco! Good! Good!" saying, as well as "No-no-no-no-no-no". Also, the entire sketch revolves around bidding on cheap electronics that the host claims to have "Sony guts", or a variation of that brand, very similar to the electronics store salesmen in Zohan. The SNL sketch included many of the actors who appear in Zohan - 'Adam Sandler', 'Rob Schneider', Robert Smigel, Kevin Nealon, and 'Chris Rock'.
  
  
• Adam Sandler's daughter Sadie Sandler and wife Jackie Sandler make an appearance at the end of the movie. His daughter is seen taking a "Goat Ride", while his wife holds onto her.
  
  
• The opening scene on a Tel-Aviv beach strongly references the film Metzitzim (1972) starring Uri Zohar, Israel's "bad boy" of the '60s and early '70s, who later became an orthodox rabbi. Zohan looks just like Zohar, including hairstyle and wardrobe.
  
  
• Zohan isn't an actual Israeli first name.
  
  

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