Coney Events: Nights Of Horror At Coney Island's New Luna Park

The new Luna Park amusement park in Coney Island gets into the Halloween Horror fascination with their "Nights of Horror" with a mix of fun and thrills of amusement park rides and live Halloween haunting terrors.  This one is suitable for children and adults of ages 14 and up.  And just one price includes unlimited access to twelve rides and the haunted maze intertwined throughout the park.

Nights of Horror

Luna Park Coney Island

October 2010
Fridays 15th, 22nd, and 29th

Saturdays 16th, 23rd, and 30th

Sundays 17th, 24th, and 31st

Fridays and Saturdays from 5pm to 12am

Sundays 5pm to 10pm

Luna Park at Coney Island
1000 Surf Avenue
Brooklyn, New York 11224
Phone: 718-373-LUNA (5862)

Coney Event: The Ride Inspector's Nightmare

The Halloween extravaganza at Coney Island USA is interactive, creepy, and a "ride" into a twisted nightmare of an amusement park gone hellishly wrong.

THE RIDE INSPECTOR'S NIGHTMARE is an interactive show (allow 45 minutes for the complete experience) that tours various rooms at the Coney Island Sideshows by the Seashore building generally not available to the public such as the damp creepy basement, back stairs, etc.

Audience members will take a "tour" of several amusement park ride "NYPD Crime Scenes" including a deadly collapsed roller coaster  and will meet living-dead performers along the way including drunken incompetent ride inspectors, creepy ticket sellers  and lots of dead and decapitated bodies of innocent tourists. At the conclusion of the show, the audience will also get to partake in a courtroom trial of the negligent ride inspector and will be sworn in for horrific jury duty.

CREEPSHOW AT THE FREAKSHOW is Coney Island’s original Halloween extravaganza and one of the best haunted tours in all of New York City. This year, the rides at new Luna Park will be open weekends during the October run of the show. Come see what the New York Press called "Not only the best and wildest haunted house in town, but the smartest as well."


Creepshow at the Freakshow 2010
"The Ride Inspector's Nightmare
Recurring nightmare dates and times:

Friday, October 15, 7pm - Midnight
Saturday, October 16, 5pm - Midnight
Sunday, October 17, 5pm - 10pm
Friday, October 22, 7pm - Midnight
Saturday, October 23, 5pm - 9pm
Sunday, October 24, 5pm - 10pm
Monday, October 25, 7pm - 10pm
Tuesday, October 26, 7pm - 10pm
Wednesday, October 27, 7pm - 10pm
Thursday, October 28, 7pm - 10pm
Friday, October 29, 7pm - Midnight
Saturday, October 30, 5pm - Midnight

Sunday, October 31, Halloween!, 4pm - Midnight

All tickets $10 at the door.
Parent or Guardian must accompany anyone 13 and under.

at Coney Island USA
1208 Surf Ave. (between Stillwell Ave. and West 12th Street)
Brooklyn, NY 11224
718-372-5159

City Needs To Acquire More Coney Land For A Prosperous Coney Future

Image courtesy of  Pavement Pieces  (Flickr.com)

The city did wonders to purchase the  6.5 acres of land from Thor Equities then lease it to Zamperla USA for their new Luna Park.  The new amusement park, making this past summer season one of the busiest Coney Island has seen in a while.  It also created a fixture in Coney Island for amusements. But more property currently owned by other private entities like Thor Equities needs to be purchased by the city or other civic minded entities in order to maintain the integrity of Coney Island as an amusement destination. And to also make the area in a viable revenue generator for the city itself.

In a panel discussion this past Thursday, September 28th 2010, entitled, "Heritage, Rides, Redevelopment: What's Next For Coney Island?",  executive at the Walt Disney Company, David Malmuth, argued that the area could easily draw 3.5 million visitors and tourists.  He stated that, “Land control is the key to making Coney viable and successful on a long-term basis,”

In a press release today the Save Coney Island group indicated about Malmuth's comments that, at least 26.5 acres of land for rides were require to accommodate this level of attendance. At present, he said, only 11.5 acres of land are set aside for amusements and only 6.5 acres are currently in active use.

“Size does matter,” he said. “If we’re going to make Coney Island a successful destination, we have to get to a certain scale that allows it to draw people, and hopefully draw people on a year-round basis.”

But he warned that land prices in Coney Island’s amusement district are currently too expensive for amusement operators to be able to invest in buying land for amusements.

Malmuth went on to stress the city needs to step it up and carry the major load in acquiring more property.  And how massively important it is to keep those historic buildings that are days away from their permanent doom.  Renovating them and showcasing them as Coney's historic area is hugely important in "terms of connecting people to place", to paraphrase Malmuth.

The city is running out of time.  The next few days and weeks are imperative to the future of Coney Island.

[The full release by the Save Coney Island group after the jump]:

Coney Island Even Has A Festival For Kites

That's right!  This weekend the sky at Coney Island's shore will be garnished with a spectacle in a colored variety competing for attention over the fabled sandy beach.  The Coney Island Kite Festival takes flight this weekend.

The event will be held this weekend:
Saturday and Sunday, October 2nd and 3rd
10am to 5pm on Coney Island's beach.
It's free!
Bring your kite or come by to see what others are flying.


(Image courtesy of Norman Blake)

Coney Events: Ekaterina Presents: Circus! Magic! Rock-N-Roll!

From Coney Island USA:

ALL STAR LINE UP!

The Incredible Super Sexy Daredevil CIRCUS UNA! The Piano Superstar CORN MO! He's getting huge by the minute, so you've got to catch his performance while we can still afford him....

Fresh from his World Tour the legendary street performer MAGIC BRIAN! He's got a new tricks up his sleeve and new tight trousers! And MISS EKATERINA - the damsel in a pinny with a sassy classy manner! It's the one in a million chance to see us together on the same stage - you will be sorry you missed it.

Burlesque at the Beach

Ekaterina Presents: Circus! Magic! Rock-N-Roll!

Thursday, September, 30th 2010

9 pm

$10

at Sideshow by the Seashore

Coney Island USA
1208 Surf Ave.

Panel Discusses What's Next For Coney Island

(Image courtesy of Save Coney Island)

Pulitzer Prize winning historian Mike Wallace moderates the panel discussion tomorrow, Thursday, September 28th 2010, entitled, "Heritage, Rides, Redevelopment: What's Next For Coney Island?" and presented by the City University of New York (CUNY).  Along with several local and city-wide preservation groups that will host the panel. The group hopes to answer vital questions regarding the future of Coney Island and its move forward.  The discussion also hopes to save the only remaining historic buildings, in Coney Island, from the impending doom they are facing at the hands of greed and the utter disregard for an important part of New York's social integrity that should be protected.

Envisioning the "Banker's Ballroom"
(Image courtesy of Save Coney Island)

The panel will include Valerio Ferrari, CEO of Zamperla USA, the operator of the new amusement park Luna Park, Michael Immerso, historian and author of "The People's Playground" (whom in the last paragraph of his Coney Island book was the inspiration for the title of this blog).  Also included in the panel are; David Malmuth, developer and former Disney executive who oversaw the restoration of the New Amsterdam Theater, Lisa Ackerman, CEO of the World Monuments Fund, the leading private preservation organization with a worldwide focus, and Cora Cahan, President of The New 42^nd Street, which has overseen the restoration of seven historic theaters in Times Square.

"Heritage, Rides, Redevelopment: What's Next For Coney Island?"
Thursday, September 30, 2010
6.30 pm to 8.30 pm

at the CUNY Graduate Center; Proshansky Auditorium
365 5th Ave (at 35th Street)

The event is sponsored by the Environmental Psychology Program at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, the NYC Graduate Urban Research Network, the New York Landmarks Conservancy, Save Coney Island, the Historic Districts Council, Coney Island USA and the Coney Island History Project.

10th Annual Coney Island Film Festival 2010 - Sunday, September 26th Line-Up

10th Annual Coney Island Film Festival
Line-up!

Runs September 24-26, 2010

At Sideshows By The Seashore and The Coney Island Museum in the historic Brooklyn neighborhood Coney Island, New York!  The 2010 Honoree is Darren Aronofsky, this Sunday, September 26th, 5pm, at the Coney Island Museum. The opening night extravaganza starts this Friday, September 24th.

Sunday, September 26th

Program 12
1:00 pm
at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

"Hey Rachel..."

Sylvia Liken, Brooklyn NY, USA. Animation, 2:00

What About the Father?
Sara Strahan, New York, NY, USA. Experimental, 3:16

Hoop Springs Eternal
Linda Goldman, Ted Fisher, New York, NY, USA. Documentary Short, 5:26 (pictured)

A Fool's Idea - An Exploration of Clown, Pilot: "What is Clown?"
Brian Bernhard, Brooklyn NY, USA. Documentary Short, 9:53

Mermaids Of New York
Ilise S. Carter, Mica Scalin, New York, NY. Documentary Short, 16:00

The Faux Real
Suzanne Hillinger, Brooklyn NY, USA. Documentary Short, 20:33, Brooklyn Premiere!

Hell On Wheels: Gang Girls Forever
Katrina del Mar, New York NY, USA. Short, 36:34, Brooklyn Premiere!

Program 13 Coney Island Films
2:00 pm
at SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE
1208 Surf Ave. Ground Floor

Gizmo Kaleidoscope

Susan Shaw, New York, NY, USA. Experimental, 3:17

The Waking Artist

Jacob Mendel, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. Short, 4:07, World Premiere!

Coney Island: Secrets of the Universe

Charles Denson, Berkeley CA, USA. Short, 6:00, World Premiere! (pictured)

My Own Private March

Howie Alex, New York NY, USA. Experimental, 7:45, World Premiere!

Night Falls on Coney Island

Daniel Turkewitz, New York NY, USA. Experimental, 9:34

Saving The Sideshow

Mahawish Rezvi, Rebecca Huval, New York, NY, USA, Documentary Short, 17:54, World Premiere!

Last Night in Astroland with Jimmy Prince

Lou Dembrow, NY NY, USA. Documentary Feature, 44:22, World Premiere!

Program 14

3:00 pm

at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

The Skisherman
Chandler Kauffman, Brooklyn NY, USA. Documentary Short, 5:20

Tiger Ted Lowry
Chris Cassidy, Brooklyn NY, USA. Documentary Short, 11:18

Enter The Beard
Matthew Lawrence, Toms River NJ, USA. Documentary Short, 15:00, New York Premiere!  (pictured)


1939 I Have Seen The Future
Lisa Seidenberg, Westport CT, USA. Documentary Short, 35:00

Moby: One Time We Lived
Robert Powers, Woodside NY, USA. Music Video, 3:50

Program 15

4:00 pm
at SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE
1208 Surf Ave. Ground Floor

Slap Back Jack "High Five Master"

Mark Newell, New York NY, USA. Animation, 11:03, New York Premiere!

Gelber & Manning in Pictures

James Lester, Brooklyn NY, USA. Short, 10:53, Brooklyn Premiere!

Road Less Traveled
Laura Moss, New York, NY, USA. Short, 6:45, World Premiere!

Land Without Shadows
Antoine Blanchet, Paris France. Short, 16:22, New York Premiere! (pictured)

The Cycle

Roy Clovis, Brooklyn NY, USA, Short, 17:55

Empire Corner

JP Chan, New York NY, USA, Short, 12:13, Brooklyn Premiere!

The Final Weapon

Stephan Berwick, Falls Church, VA, USA. Short, 15:00, New York Premiere!

Program16

5:00 pm
at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

Special Event: 2010 Coney Island Film Festival Honoree Darren Aronofsky (in person) plus "Requiem for a Dream"

Requiem for a Dream
Directed by Darren Aronofsky, Unrated, 102 Minutes

Program 17

6:00 pm

at SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE
1208 Surf Ave. Ground Floor

Albert

Elin Gronblom Brooklyn NY, USA. Short, 13:10, World Premiere!

Jules and Candy

Joseph Quirk, New York NY, USA. Short, 8:32

Butterflies of Trip City

Nika Belianina, Toronto On, Canada. Short, 14:50, World Premiere!

Tollbooth Motel

Annika Kurnick, New York, NY, USA, Short, 11:42

Blindsided

Mark Cabaroy, Bronx NY, USA. Short, 15:00

Le tramway fantôme de Marseille

Lionel Laget, Marseille, France. Silent Film, 12:00

You're Here

David Vandas, Langley BC, Canada. Music Video, 5:16

FOR ALL PROGRAMS:

Advance Tickets are $6. Click here to purchase. There are no extra service fees to buy online. We strongly advise purchasing in advance. All tickets sales are non-refundable.

For further information visit the Coney Island Film Festival website.

Buy tickets now

Have a fun-filled festival!

10th Annual Coney Island Film Festival 2010 - Saturday, September 25th Line-Up

10th Annual Coney Island Film Festival
Line-up!

Runs September 24-26, 2010

At Sideshows By The Seashore and The Coney Island Museum in the historic Brooklyn neighborhood Coney Island, New York!  The 2010 Honoree is Darren Aronofsky, this Sunday, September 26th, 5pm, at the Coney Island Museum. The opening night extravaganza starts this Friday, September 24th.

Saturday, September 25th

Program 1
1:00 pm
at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

The Cow Who Wanted To Be a Hamburger
Bill Plympton, New York, NY , USA. Animation, 6:00 (pictured)

American Brooklyn
Michael Schloemer, Brooklyn, NY , USA. Documentary Short, 11:29

Ministry in the Subway

Dennis W. Ho, Brooklyn, NY , USA. Documentary Feature, 78:00, World Premiere!

Program 2
2:00 pm
at SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE
1208 Surf Ave. Ground Floor

Ray Condo's Crazy Mixed Up World
Debra Dawson, Vancouver, BC, Canada. Animation, 4:07, World Premiere!

Banana Bread
Barton Landsman, New York NY, USA, Short, 9:00 (pictured)

We Could Be Ninjas
Poz Lang, New York NY, USA. Short, 10:47, New York Premiere!

With Anchovies...Without Mamma
Thomas Justino, Brooklyn NY, USA. Short, 24:36, Brooklyn Premiere!

Alienated
Paul Borghese, New York, NY, USA. Short, 21:47

Thy Kill Be Done
Greg Hanson, Casey Regan, Rocky Point, NY, USA. Short, 16:40, New York Premiere!

Bobby Visits The Library
Eric Krasner, MD, USA. Short, 3:12, New York Premiere!

Paradise Beach

Louis Netter , Yonkers, NY, USA. Animation, 2:11

Program 3 Sold out!

3:00 pm

at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM

1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

Vinny Vino

Bill Sorice, New York, NY, USA. Short, 9:51, New York Premiere!

The Rocking Horse Winner

Bob Calabritto, Levittown NY, USA. Short, 10:57 (pictured)

Rain Dog

David Gutnik, New York NY, USA. Short, 12:00, World Premiere!

Poetry Man

James McSherry, Bronx, NY, USA. Short, 27:00

Utopia Lies at the Horizon

Leo Curbelo, New York, NY, USA. Short, 12:00, World Premiere!

Til My Voice Is Gone

Sam Griffith, Los Angeles Ca, USA. Music Video, 6:17

Program 4

4:00 pm
at SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE
1208 Surf Ave. Ground Floor

Why is Blue Man Blue?

Charles Cohen, Baltimore MD, USA. Documentary Short, 12:00

Amant De Chaussure (Shoe Lover)

Michael Erland Walsh, Jersey City, NJ, USA. Short, 6:00

Career Advice

Peter Stass , Los Angeles CA. Short, 3:45, New York Premiere!

Socarrat

David Moreno, Madrid, Spain, Short, 11:40, Brooklyn Premiere!

Birth

Signe Baumane, New York NY, USA. Animation, 12:00, Brooklyn Premiere!

Love Comes Out of The Butt
Matthew Silver, Bergenfield, NJ, USA. Short, 23:23

OLIVE - Coney Island

Chris DePierro, Amanda Jencsik, West NY, NJ, USA. Short, 20:00 (pictured)

"This Town" Gambit
Randy Scott Slavin, New York, NY, US, Music Video, 4:23, Brooklyn Premiere!

Program 5

5:00 pm

at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

Satan Hates You
James McKenney, Brooklyn NY, Feature, 94 minutes, New York Premiere! (pictured)

Program 6

6:00 pm

at SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE
1208 Surf Ave. Ground Floor

Last Summer at Coney Island JL Aronson, Brooklyn, NY. Feature, 94:00

Now, after years of false starts, change is coming to Coney Island. Come Hell or high water, the city of New York is determined to revitalize the once glorious, world capitol of amusements. Meanwhile, a private developer with dubious motives has been purchasing every square foot of land he can get his hands on. The neighborhood's residents, along with the amusement community and the millions who cherish Coney Island's legacy are left wondering what will happen next. Seaside salvation or Brooklyn boondoggle? History will decide but this film is the first draft. Last Summer at Coney Island juxtaposes images of the past and present with interviews and observed scenes featuring many of the key players in this transformation.

Read the review from the New York Post!

Program 7 Sold out!

7:00 pm
at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

Flushed
Luke Hansen, Somerset NJ, USA. Animatiion, 3:36, World Premiere!

Hairnimation #2
Amy Grumbling, Brooklyn NY, USA. Experimental, 2:43

"Va Fa Napoli, Hipster"
Matt Weckel, New York NY, USA. Short, 2:23, World Premiere! (pictured)

New York Trilogy
Tal Shamir, New York, NY, USA. Experimental, 9:09

Snapshots
Andres Rosende, Kate Barker, New York NY, USA. Short, 14:29

Two
Ryan Gielen, Sunnyside NY, USA. Short, 16:19, New York Premiere!
Midlife
Michael Swingler, Los Angeles Ca, USA. Short, 21:43

Bay Rizz: The Man for You
Mike Rizzo, Rachele Richards, Brooklyn NY, USA. Music Video, 3:30

Loop-da-Loop and Giuseppe
Jason R. Jaworski, Union City NJ, USA. Silent, 16:16, New York Premiere!

Program 8

8:00 pm

at SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE

1208 Surf Ave. Ground Floor

DemiUrge Emesis
Voltaire, New York, NY, USA. Horror Animation, 2:30

Vision
Jamie Hooper, U.K. Horror, 8:40, New York Premiere!

Happy Face
Franklin P. Laviola, Islip, NY. , Horror, 14:27

Tub
Bobby Miller, Brooklyn NY, USA. Horror, 12:17 (pictured)

Alice Jacobs is Dead
Alex Horwitz, New York NY, USA. Horror, 21:10

Parking Space
David Bitton, Montreal, QC, Canada, Horror. 20:30, New York Premiere!

The Devil's Toy
Alex Lugones, Ridgefield, CT, USA, Horror. 8:05, New York Premiere!

Program 9
9:00 pm
at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

Panache
Nicole Emmons, Val Verde, CA, USA. Experimental, 3:00 (pictured)

Coney Ideal
Anthony Simon, Brooklyn NY, USA. Short, 2:50

Springtime in November
Jane Dorogoyer, Brooklyn NY, USA. Documentary Short, 8:07, World Premiere!

 The Sparrow and the Tigress
Billy Sharff, Cornish New Hampshire, USA. Feature, 62:00, New York Premiere!

Program 10

10:30 pm
at SIDESHOWS BY THE SEASHORE

1208 Surf Ave. Ground Floor

Warriors

WARRIORS, COME OUT TO PLAAYY YAAAY. The leader of New York's biggest street gang declares a truce, and gangs from all 5 boroughs venture to the Bronx for a clandestine meeting. When an assasination takes place, one gang stands wrongly accused and the truce is off. Now they must fight they're way back home to Coney Island, because a whole city is gunning for - The Warriors!

A Coney Island cult classic. Every year we pack the house and wouldn't you know it, it becomes an interactive film going experience! People reciting lines, loud applause, clanging beer bottles. CAN YOU DIG IT?? Advance ticket purchase strongly suggested to avoid sell out.  We are the only venue in the Coney Island Amusement zone to screen this Coney Island Classic. See it in the actual neighborhood it was shot in!

Program 11
10:40 pm
at the CONEY ISLAND MUSEUM
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor

Cellar
Steve Staso, New York NY, USA. Feature, 83:00

The film follows these three characters as they eventually intersect in a changing neighborhood [Hells Kitchen] during the month of November, 2008.

FOR ALL PROGRAMS:
Advance Tickets are $6. Click here to purchase. There are no extra service fees to buy online. We strongly advise purchasing in advance. All tickets sales are non-refundable.

For further information visit the Coney Island Film Festival website.

Buy tickets now

Sunday line-up tomorrow

Future Of Coney Island's Historic District Could Boast The Banker's Ballroom

The Banker's Ballroom
(Click image to enlarge)

The Save Coney Island group, released, Wednesday, a new rendering envisioning the Bank of Coney Island as a new Bowery style ballroom for music and other events.  They named it “The Banker’s Ballroom”.

Their reasoning was to demonstrate that there is a different and positive option for the structure, other than that of destroying it, which is what Thor Equities plans to do.  Their disrespect for Coney Island has gone on for far too long.  Once you vanish the possibility of this historic place from having a genuine historic district, you can never bring it back.

Save Coney Island writes:

“The Bank of Coney Island could be restored and re-purposed as a Bowery-Ballroom-style event space,” said Save Coney Island spokesman Juan Rivero. “This would not only preserve one of Coney's most attractive and historic structures, but also give new life to the amusement area and contribute to its revitalization.”

While Thor Equities has to date not expressed interest in revitalizing the structure, Save Coney Island hopes that another entity might purchase the site from Thor and adaptively reuse the Bank of Coney Island building. 

The structure, which is still sound, was built in the early 1920’s by the Coney Island Chamber of Commerce.  It boasts a neo-classical architectural style.  As Save Coney Island notes, the bank dealt with many of the amusement businesses in the area.  It ceased to exist as a bank in the early 90’s.  After which, it was temporary making competition with Coney Island USA’s Sideshow by the Seashore, with Bobby Reynolds and his two headed babies and other freak shows before heading out west leaving the bank an empty oasis for almost twenty years.

We can only hope that the Bank building is saved and restored.  Hopefully, a miracle could come from around the corner and make Coney’s historic district a reality for it’s future.  Save Coney Island gives us a glimpse of hope with their comment:

“New York has a track record of saving wonderful structures from the chopping block at the eleventh hour,” said Simeon Bankoff, executive director of the Historic Districts Council.  “Grand Central, the High Line, even Coney Island's own Parachute Jump and Cyclone were all once threatened with demolition, but were ultimately restored and have become New York City icons. The Bank of Coney Island could be the next.”

[The history the Bank of Coney Island from the Save Coney Islands press release after the jump]: