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Coney Island Flicks on the Beach Opens July 1 with Little Fugitive

Posted in Events, film, tagged Bending Steel, Coney ISland Flicks on the Beach, free event, Little Fugitive, Men In Black 3 on May 29, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Little Fugitive, the 1953 classic about a 7-year-old boy who spends 24 hours on the lam in Coney Island, returns to Coney on July 1st to open the 3rd Annual Coney Island Flicks on the Beach. This year is the 60th anniversary of the film, which won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival and influenced the French New Wave. “My Dad used to say his veins were full of sand from Coney Island,” said Mary Engel of her film-maker father Morris Engel at a screening of the new 35MM print at Film Forum earlier this year.

Also screening at this year’s Flicks on the Beach are Bending Steel, a documentary which premiered at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, and Men in Black III starring Will Smith and Josh Brolin. Both movies feature scenes shot in Coney Island. Here is the complete schedule for this summer’s Coney Island Flicks on the Beach:

July 1: Little Fugitive, 60th Anniversary (rained out, rescheduled for August 27)
July 8: Bending Steel, in partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival
July 15: The Hunger Games
July 22: Wreck it Ralph (rained out, rescheduled for Sept 3)
July 29: Men in Black III
August 5: The Avengers
August 12: Fame
August 19: 42
August 27: Little Fugitive (rescheduled for a Tuesday night due to rain on July 1)
Sept. 3: Wreck It Ralph (rescheduled for a Tuesday night due to rain on July 22)

The Monday night beachside film series is a free event sponsored by the Alliance for Coney Island together with Rooftop Films and NYC & Co. Pre-show entertainment begins at dusk on the beach near West 10th Street.

Pre-show entertainment at Coney Island Flicks on the Beach. July 12, 2012. Photo © Tricia Vita/me-myself-i via flickr

A Coney Island Classic: 60th Anniversary of “Little Fugitive”

Posted in film, tagged Cinema Conservancy, Film Forum, Little Fugitive, Mary Engel, Morris Engel, Richie Andrusco on February 2, 2013| 1 Comment »

New Posters for ‘Little Fugitive’ and Vintage Italian Poster from the Morris Engel Archive on display at Film Forum, New York City. February 1, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr

“My Dad used to say his veins were full of sand from Coney Island,” said Mary Engel of her film-maker father Morris Engel at last night’s 60th anniversary screening of “Little Fugitive.” A new print of the Coney Island classic released by APD/Cinema Conservancy is screening at Film Forum through February 7th and a Blu-Ray is forthcoming from KINO. In the meantime, the film will be shown in Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and other cities over the next two months. (See schedule at the end of this post.)

On Friday night at Film Forum, Richie Andrusco, who played 7-year-old Joey in the 1953 film, participated in a Q & A after the screenings and signed posters for fans. Asked how he won the role, Andrusco recalled being in Coney Island with his brother when he was spotted by Morris Engel. The boy was riding the Steeplechase carousel and trying to catch the brass ring just as he does in a scene in “Little Fugitive.” When Engel phoned his mom to ask if he could be in the film, she replied, “How much is it gonna cost me?” Engel had to tell her, no, no, no, we’re going to pay you.

Richie Andrusco, who starred in ‘Little Fugitive,’ signing posters at Film Forum. February 1, 2013. Photo © Tricia Vita via flickr

The 1950’s as well as the early ’60s were a remarkably innocent time. Back then, a child could have the run of the midway and not be bothered by grown-ups. That’s the way it used be with carnivals and at fairs, too! In “Little Fugitive,” Joey spends 24 hours on the lam in Coney after being tricked into believing he’d shot and killed his brother Lennie. He rides the rides, plays the games, and gorges on food until his money runs out. Then he learns to collect empty soda bottles to earn the deposit money to buy more ride tickets.

“Little Fugitive” was nominated for an Academy Award for best motion picture story and won the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival. French film director Francois Truffaut said of the film: “Our New Wave would never have come into being if it hadn’t been for Morris Engel’s fine movie ‘The Little Fugitive.’ It showed us the way.” It is also treasured by Coney Island enthusiasts for its child’s-eye view of their lost paradise: the carousel with its brass ring machine, the Parachute Jump as an operating ride, the view from under the Boardwalk. In this nightfall scene from the film, you’ll catch a glimpse of the vanished Tornado, Gyro Globe and World in Wax Musee, as well as the landmark Wonder Wheel, one of the few attractions in “Little Fugitive” which still operates today. It was wonderful seeing this classic film on the big screen!

Through February 7th – Film Forum, New York City

February 5th – Cinema Arts Center, Huntington, NY

February 16th – Los Angeles County Museum of Art

February 23, 25th, 28th – Charles Theater, Baltimore, MD

February 22 – 28 – Siskel Center, Chicago, IL

March 6-10 – Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA

March 29, 30 – Cleveland Cinematieque

March 29 – April 4 – Northwest Film Forum, Seattle, Washington

Jan 23: Coney Island Goes to North Brooklyn, Lower East Side

Posted in Events, film, News, tagged Brooklyn, Coney Island Sideshow, fundraiser, Last Summer at Coney Island, local, New York Aquarium, Slipper Room, Superstorm Sandy on January 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Usually we tweet event listings instead of posting them on the blog, which is why you should be following ATZ on twitter. Today is an exception since there happens to be a trio of Coney Island special events outside of Coney, where it’s freeeezing on the Boardwalk. The three events are pretty much at the same time so you’ll have to choose…

“Last Summer at Coney Island” at Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture

When “Last Summer at Coney Island” premiered in August 2010 at BAM, the audience got teary eyed during the scene in which Astroland’s lights were extinguished, ride by ride, for the final time, and the illuminated Astrotower made its last descent. The award-winning documentary by JL Aronson chronicles changing times in Coney Island with riveting scenes featuring Thor Equities CEO Joe Sitt and Astroland owner Carol Hill Albert, among others. The film ends with the City Council passing the rezoning in July 2009. Presented as part of the Film Wax series “Brooklyn Reconstructed,” the screening will be followed by a discussion with the film-maker and Nate Bliss of the Alliance for Coney Island and NYC Economic Development Corporation about how Coney Island is faring today.

Wednesday, January 23rd at 7:00pm at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY, 11215. Suggested $5 donation.

Coney Island Circus Sideshow at the Slipper Room

While Coney Island USA’s theater is closed for renovations after flood damage from Superstorm Sandy, the Coney Island Sideshow is performing on Wednesday nights all winter long at the Slipper Room. This week’s stars are knife-thrower extraordinaire The Great Throwdini and his target girl Lynn, and sword swallowers and fire eaters Kryssy Kocktail and Adam Realman. Last week Adam debuted the sensational act shown in the video — blowing up a hot water bottle till it bursts!

Wednesday, January 23rd. Doors at 7:00 pm, Show at 8:00 pm. Slipper Room, 167 Orchard St, New York, NY, 10002. Over 21. Tickets $10.

Brews for the New York Aquarium at Brooklyn Brewery

Sponsored by the Young Patrons Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society, Wednesday’s “Brews for NYAQ” is a fundraiser for the New York Aquarium, which is also closed due to damage from Sandy. The event includes drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and a presentation at 8:30pm by Jon Forrest Dohlin, WCS Vice President and Director, New York Aquarium. In Charles Denson’s film shown above, Dohlin dives Coney Island Creek in a Mark V diving helmet. The film was shot several days before the hurricane and the flooding of the Creek.

Wednesday, January 23rd from 7:30pm-10:30pm. Brooklyn Brewery, #1 Brewers Row, 79 North 11th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11249. Tickets $50 online, $65 at door.