Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Coney Island Film Festival Deadlines Approaching

Can you believe it? This wonderful film festival has already been around for a whole decade. Thanks to the passionate work of Rob Leddy and CIUSA!

indiefilmpage.com and Coney Island USA present the 10th annual Coney Island Film Festival September 24 - 26, 2010
at Sideshows by the Seashore and The Coney Island Museum in the historic Brooklyn neighborhood Coney Island, New York!

EARLY BIRD DEADLINE February 25, 2010 (postmarked)
Regular Deadline April 23, 2010 (postmarked)
Late Deadline June 25, 2010 (postmarked)
Extended Late Deadline July 2, 2010 (postmarked)



Coney Events: Coney Island Sideshow at Gotham Comedy Club

Image courtesy of the Coney Island USA

The Coney Island Sideshow play at Gotham Comedy Club tomorrow.
From the Coney Island Sideshow:

Freaks, Wonders and Human Curiosities, They're Here... They're Real... They're Alive... at GOTHAM COMEDY CLUB'S "Home by 9 Series" Admission $20 plus 2 beverage minimum per person. This is an ALL AGES SHOW.

FEATURING:
ADAM " the first real man" RINN
Inside Talker/Master of Ceremonies, Sword Swallower
ANGELICA, SCOTT BAKER, and XECUTIONER

CONEY ISLAND SIDESHOW AT GOTHAM COMEDY CLUB!
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24TH
6:30PM (SEATING AT 6PM)
at the Gotham Comedy Club
208 W. 23st. (between 7th and 8th Ave.)
New York, NY
212-367-9000





Monday, February 22, 2010

More Summer Of Zamperla: The 'New' Future Of Coney Island

Hail to the city for saving Coney Island with the help of an Italian amusement ride company for shoving off Thor Equities to the side and showing them how to better remake Coney Island with a new renaissance full of better designed carnival rides over a fresh coat of asphalt!

They claim this is just the beginning. Let's hope they mean it.
Rememember this?...
They [Thor Equities] promised us the future of Coney Island but instead hauled in old carnival rides, swindled some sideshow operators, carted in the portable crank shows, and left us rotting tents still wreaking from a useless flea market.

We're putting our hopes up for Zamperla, but we'll smile broader when the original attractions designed for Coney are presented. In the meantime, with 94 days of this posting for the grand opening we hope they don't start late like their predecessor. You can keep abreast of updates on their LunaBlog and for those in need of employment - you can apply under their 'job opportunities' page. Hiring for the future Luna Park are positions for: ride operators, park services, retail, game operators, tickets, food & beverage and more.




Sunday, February 21, 2010

Coney Vid: Polar Bear Club Coney Island

Polar Bear Club Coney Island



Description:
The polar bears of coney island take a swim on Sunday, February 21, 2010. I happen to be there with my camera.

Posted by Arteeest [YouTube]



Friday, February 12, 2010

Coney Events: Brooklyn Stages

Wednesday, February 24, 2010
7:00 PM


The Brooklyn Collection, Brooklyn Central Library
Presents
Brooklyn Stages
An illustrated talk, by theatre historian Cezar Del Valle,
on the history of Brooklyn’s three entertainment districts:
Fulton Street, Eastern District, Coney Island
The Legitimate Stage, Vaudeville, Burlesque, Minstrel Show

The Trustees’ Room
Brooklyn Central Library
10 Grand Army Plaza
Brooklyn, NY
Phone: (718) 230-2762
Henderson's, Coney Island



Saturday, February 06, 2010

Coney Shore Theater To Starts Its Landmarking Process

Image courtesy of masnyc (Flickr.com)

This coming Tuesday, February 9th the Landmarks Preservation Commission will put the Shore Theater in Coney Island, and owned by Horace Bullard, on their calendar. According to the
Amusing the Zillion blog: this is the first step in the long process and that the public hearing is usually scheduled one to six months after the calendaring.
ATZ writes:
If you wish to attend Tuesday’s public meeting, don’t be late because the calendaring is expected to take a mere five minutes! The Shore is on the schedule from 9:35-9:40 a.m. Sources say the LPC staff will present a PowerPoint on the building’s history and then there might be a brief discussion among the commissioners. They are likely to vote to calendar the building.

So, there is still the vote to place the structure in the calendar.

Vanishing New York website has a
photo essay with history information on the theater.
The Shore Theater was nominated for preservation by the Coney Island USA organization. Their other Coney nominations are: Nathan’s Famous, their own Coney Island USA Building, both the Henderson and the Grasshorn buildings.


Friday, February 05, 2010

BP Markowitz Highlights Coney Plan In His State Of The Borough Address

This week, Borough President Marty Markowitzs delivered his 2010 State of the Borough Address. He was sworn in by Mayor Micheal Bloomberg at the Park Slope Armory. He was joined by Deputy Borough President Yvonne NY Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, NYC Comptroller John Liu, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Mayor Bloomberg, and huge audience both guests and honorees for the 2010 address speech as the city's mayor administered the oath of office for BP Markowitz's third term.

Among the points of initiatives mentioned were:
Loew’s Kings Theater
Bedford-Atlantic and Sumner armories
Brooklyn Book Festival grows!
Brooklyn’s new poet laureate
4th Avenue streetscape
Borough President’s Office

As well as mention of the revitalization plan for Coney Island.

Excerpt from the address announcement regarding Coney Island is reads:

TO THE WORLD AT LARGE — “CONEY ISLAND” STILL CONJUREs “AMERICA’S PLAYGROUND.”
I REMEMBER, AS A CHILD, THE EXCITEMENT IN THE LATE ‘40s AND ‘50s — WHAT CONEY ISLAND MEANT TO ME — AND TO GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES. THE APPROVAL OF THE “CONEY ISLAND” PLAN MEANS THE NEXT GENERATION WILL BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SAME SWEET MEMORIES I HAD — KUDOS TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG, DOMINIC RECCHIA, EDC, AND ITS CONEY ISLAND DEVELOPEMENT CORPORATION AND PRESIDENT LYNN KELLY! I SALUTE THOSE WHO BELIEVED IN CONEY THROUGH IT ALL, LIKE CONEY’S “MAYOR,” DICK ZIGUN, CAROL ALBERT, AND THE VOURDERIS FAMILY — YOU KEPT THE FAITH!

CONEY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CIRCUS, AND LAST SUMMER WE ACTUALLY HAD ONE — THE RINGLING BROTHERS “BOOM-A-RING” (THANKS, TACONIC AND FELD ENTERTAINMENT — I KNOW THIS SUMMER WILL BE EVEN BETTER! IN THE CONEY ISLAND PLAN, I CALLED FOR MORE AMUSEMENTS — INSISTING THAT LOCAL CONEY RESIDENTS, WHO WILL BE HOSTING THE WORLD, BENEFIT FROM JOBS, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND DISCOUNTED AMUSEMENTS AS WELL.

AND I’M DELIGHTED THAT, THIS SUMMER, ITALY’S ZAMPERLA, SUPPLIERS OF RIDES TO PLACES LIKE EURO-DISNEY IN PARIS — WILL LAUNCH THE 21ST CENTURY “LUNA PARK.” THIS IS YET ANOTHER SHOW OF INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE IN BROOKLYN! — AND PROOF POSITIVE THAT CONEY ISLAND’S BEST DAYS ARE YET TO COME!

ONE PART OF CONEY’S REVIVAL THAT I’M ESPECIALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THE ASSER LEVY PARK PROJECT — WHICH WILL NOT ONLY IMPROVE THE PARK WITH NEW WALKWAYS AND RECREATION AREAS LIKE AN EXPANDED PLAYGROUND — BUT ALSO REFURBISH ITS HISTORIC BANDSHELL ON THE SPOT WHERE JOHN PHILIP SOUSA ONCE PLAYED, WHICH HAS BEEN THE SITE OF LIVE PERFORMANCES FOR OVER A CENTURY — INCLUDING THE THURSDAY SHOWS I’VE HOSTED THERE SINCE 1991.

THIS PROJECT WILL MAKE THE PARK MORE USABLE FOR RESIDENTS AND CREATE THE REVITALIZED GATEWAY THAT OUR NEW CONEY ISLAND DESERVES. THANK YOU DDC COMMISSIONER DAVID BURNEY, COUNCIL MEMBER DOMINIC RECCHIA, SENATOR CARL KRUGER AND EVERYONE AT CITY HALL.

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT MUSIC, LIKE SPORTS, BRINGS COMMUNITIES TOGETHER — IT’S WHY I’VE HOSTED FREE CONCERTS EVERY SUMMER FOR OVER 30 YEARS. HERE’S ANITA BAKER AT WINGATE FIELD’S MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. CONCERT SERIES LAST YEAR. AND THE SEASON FINALE — DONNA SUMMER AT THE SEASIDE CONCERT SERIES IN CONEY ISLAND — WHICH ATTRACTED OVER 15,000 FANS.

The plan's flawed areas like the hotels were downplayed in the statement. Jobs for the locals were left generalized. This perhaps so not to stir further bubbling controversy about the plan that diminishes the amusement are while creating an oxymoron that most probably is a ploy. Upon further realistic and concrete developments this part of the plan will have nowhere to go but out. There will not be a need to stay at a high rise hotel for a small amusement park that could be covered in a couple of hours.

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

New Coney Documentary: "Last Summer At Coney Island" As We Knew It

Back in 2007 when the film's director, JL Aronson (a.k.a. Sonny), invited me to his home to show me an early version of this documentary, I knew he had something wonderful. Having free roam in Astroland during its last two seasons and capturing almost every event in the last three years, Sonny has a real story to tell. A story of the last summer in Coney as we know it.

The director has partnered with Kickstarter to help this project obtain some more of the needed funds for its completion. You can see the trailer at Kickstarter here, and if you like also pledge your support for this project.

JL
Aronson describes his project and needed funds:
Now, having edited a 106 minute rough cut from over 150 hours of footage, the end is in sight. But the end is the most expensive part! Independent filmmaking is a tricky business. Broadcasters and distributors rarely want to get involved before your project is completed and has premiered in a major film festival and yet getting to that point requires significant expenditures such as a sound mix, graphics, music licensing and color processing (or what we call "color correction" in the video world.) And that short list doesn't include the costs of applying to festivals and marketing expenses once your film gets into the festivals.

"Last Summer at Coney Island" has been supported by grants from the Brooklyn Arts Council and the Puffin Foundation, but those funds have been long used up. That's why I'm partnering with Kickstarter and a wonderful non-profit organization called The City Reliquary to try and bring this film to greater awareness. Kickstarter works with a limited number of projects at a time to provide a platform through which artists can raise money while being completely accountable to their investors. The project artist sets the amount he or she would like to raise. Individuals like you pledge any amount you'd like and then, to assure that donors are not spending their money on a project that will never get finished, the transaction is only completed when the funding goal is met.




Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Coney Vid: Congregation Paintings

Coney Island Congregation Paintings -The American Riviera

Description:

...For her, Coney Island was the American Riviera. And we went often to the beach via subway. My aunt Lila, years later, recounted her childhood journeys to Coney Island, not by subway, but in her mother's horse and wagon...

Posted by latenightfantasy [YouTube]


Monday, February 01, 2010

Did Coney Lovers Save The Future Of The Astrotower?

Images courtesy of Captain Nemo (left) and Pablo57 (right)

This past week Captain Nemo and Pablo57, regular posters on the Coney Island USA message board, noticed a huge but easliy overlooked pool of gushing water on the former Astroland lot. They called 311 and were able to get the problem temporarily fixed by the city. If left to the woes of neglect as we have seen in the past couple of years with the likes of Thor Equities, the city could have easily overlooked this problem which could have damaged the base of the Astrotower. Or could it have? Perhaps. But thanks to the help of these two with their keen eye, we don't have to worry about it.

Here is Captain Nemo's account of the situation:

Walking along the site, it struck me strange to see the large water pond in the middle.

Now what bothers me about this water leak, think about what is very nearby, a 200 foot steel tower. How much soil erosion can happen before it undermines the base of the observation tower??

I called 311 today, emphasized the danger and the amount of water and how long its been like this, and asked if they will dispatch someone today. She said yes, will have to see.Forgot to mention this. NYC law says in each building they have to post a sign giving a number to complain to the DEP about water leaks, forget it, the number been disconnected.Bruce

I asked him what were the chances it did any damage to the foundation of the tower, he asked when it started, I told him I noticed it yesterday at least, he didnt know the answer.He told me there is a crew who will get here later today and by tonight it will be fixed. Said this isnt a major job.