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1
00:00:31,532 --> 00:00:34,701
Then watching the movies there,
2
00:00:34,785 --> 00:00:39,373
it gave me a sense of direction,
3
00:00:39,456 --> 00:00:41,250
what I liked.
4
00:00:43,835 --> 00:00:47,130
I like watching good movies,
5
00:00:47,214 --> 00:00:49,800
and seeing
6
00:00:49,883 --> 00:00:53,637
that life could be many things.
7
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,725
It allowed me to think of
8
00:00:58,809 --> 00:01:01,144
and dream of
9
00:01:01,228 --> 00:01:04,356
what I might be able to do.
10
00:01:04,439 --> 00:01:08,610
I wasn't sure
if I could do it, but
11
00:01:08,694 --> 00:01:12,573
I was already figuring out
12
00:01:12,656 --> 00:01:15,617
that this is something
that I would like to do
13
00:01:15,701 --> 00:01:19,079
and work in this kind
of environment in the movies.
14
00:01:38,348 --> 00:01:40,475
Yeah, I was born in Cyprus,
15
00:01:40,559 --> 00:01:44,980
small island in
Eastern Mediterranean Sea.
16
00:01:47,316 --> 00:01:53,989
These villages, maybe there
was 40, 45 people living here.
17
00:01:54,072 --> 00:01:55,866
It was a very simple town.
18
00:01:55,949 --> 00:01:57,993
People lived very simple.
19
00:01:58,076 --> 00:02:01,121
Fishing, some had a few goats.
20
00:02:01,204 --> 00:02:05,834
It was a carefree period
in Cyprus.
21
00:02:05,917 --> 00:02:09,087
Money wasn't the end goal.
22
00:02:10,505 --> 00:02:12,841
It was just surviving,
23
00:02:12,924 --> 00:02:15,761
raising your big family.
24
00:02:15,844 --> 00:02:18,347
My grandfather, my grandmother
had nine kids.
25
00:02:18,430 --> 00:02:21,725
My father was the oldest one.
26
00:02:21,808 --> 00:02:25,145
Life was easy-going.
27
00:02:25,228 --> 00:02:29,524
Playing soccer in the street,
going to school.
28
00:02:40,535 --> 00:02:42,537
This was a mixed village.
29
00:02:42,621 --> 00:02:47,334
We lived together with a lot of
love with our Turkish Cypriots
30
00:02:47,417 --> 00:02:50,504
and the Greek Cypriots
as laborers in France
31
00:02:50,587 --> 00:02:54,508
and this is their mosque
32
00:02:54,591 --> 00:02:56,301
and this is our church,
33
00:02:56,385 --> 00:02:59,221
coexisting together.
34
00:02:59,304 --> 00:03:02,557
So living in a mixed village
like this,
35
00:03:02,641 --> 00:03:07,354
it was maybe a good basis
that I had to coexist
36
00:03:07,437 --> 00:03:09,981
with different people.
37
00:03:10,065 --> 00:03:14,986
So I had no problem
with adjusting in New York.
38
00:03:15,070 --> 00:03:19,658
So basically,
in our Cypress tradition,
39
00:03:19,741 --> 00:03:23,161
the father of the bride usually,
40
00:03:23,245 --> 00:03:25,330
even if they're very poor,
41
00:03:25,414 --> 00:03:26,957
even if it's just one house,
42
00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,127
you'll split it
into two smaller houses
43
00:03:30,210 --> 00:03:34,256
to give the daughter because
the mother is very important
44
00:03:34,339 --> 00:03:36,258
in our tradition,
45
00:03:36,341 --> 00:03:40,929
it's the mother
that takes care of
46
00:03:41,012 --> 00:03:44,433
going to the next generation.
47
00:03:44,516 --> 00:03:48,937
In those years,
my mother didn't have a father.
48
00:03:49,020 --> 00:03:50,814
She was an orphan,
49
00:03:50,897 --> 00:03:53,734
so they didn't have
a lot of money.
50
00:03:53,817 --> 00:03:58,822
So my grandmother bought
the cheapest piece of land,
51
00:03:58,905 --> 00:04:02,951
which was always away
from the center of town
52
00:04:03,034 --> 00:04:05,412
where the church is
and the mosque.
53
00:04:05,495 --> 00:04:08,331
So she bought it all the way
up here because in those years,
54
00:04:08,415 --> 00:04:10,500
there was no houses up here,
55
00:04:10,584 --> 00:04:16,715
to build the little couple
of rooms for the daughters.
56
00:04:18,341 --> 00:04:20,218
And my father,
57
00:04:20,302 --> 00:04:23,096
I remember he always was cursing
58
00:04:23,180 --> 00:04:25,390
for having to climb this.
59
00:04:25,474 --> 00:04:28,143
- To go up.
- I don't blame him.
60
00:04:28,226 --> 00:04:32,522
It must be hot as fucking hell
in the summertime.
61
00:04:35,317 --> 00:04:39,905
So he finally had enough
and moved to the city.
62
00:04:46,203 --> 00:04:50,832
So this was our house
in the village.
63
00:04:57,714 --> 00:05:01,551
This is a typical Cyprus
outdoor oven.
64
00:05:01,635 --> 00:05:04,679
Everything seems so smooth now.
65
00:05:04,763 --> 00:05:07,140
I remember we had
a wedding here,
66
00:05:07,224 --> 00:05:09,976
believe it or not,
in this small area.
67
00:05:10,060 --> 00:05:12,604
Cooking in the outdoor oven,
68
00:05:12,687 --> 00:05:14,606
it was our favorite pastime,
69
00:05:14,689 --> 00:05:18,485
you know, when meat was meat.
70
00:05:24,282 --> 00:05:27,327
Nobody's home though.
71
00:05:49,182 --> 00:05:52,394
So at about 12, 13 years old,
72
00:05:52,477 --> 00:05:54,604
I had to drop out of school
73
00:05:54,688 --> 00:05:59,901
and go with the boat,
fishing every day.
74
00:05:59,985 --> 00:06:05,323
That's the way they used
to make a living those days.
75
00:06:05,407 --> 00:06:07,200
So if he brings fish,
76
00:06:07,284 --> 00:06:10,787
my grandfather would sell it
to the nearby towns.
77
00:06:10,871 --> 00:06:12,956
We'd all make money.
78
00:06:13,039 --> 00:06:14,958
If he didn't bring fish,
79
00:06:15,041 --> 00:06:18,086
sometimes he told me he would go
80
00:06:18,169 --> 00:06:21,840
without eating to punish him.
81
00:06:21,923 --> 00:06:25,385
So he always brought fish.
82
00:06:25,468 --> 00:06:27,512
In those days
it was just my father
83
00:06:27,596 --> 00:06:31,516
with a small boat like this.
84
00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,436
Fish wasn't so popular
those days.
85
00:06:34,519 --> 00:06:38,982
The rich people ate meat.
86
00:06:39,065 --> 00:06:41,735
Now it's reverse.
87
00:06:41,818 --> 00:06:45,780
Fish is the way to go.
88
00:06:50,744 --> 00:06:54,122
See this, this stays on top.
89
00:06:55,874 --> 00:07:00,170
Many times when you come back
after fishing,
90
00:07:00,253 --> 00:07:03,048
you have to repair all this.
91
00:07:03,131 --> 00:07:04,633
It was hard work.
92
00:07:04,716 --> 00:07:06,635
It wasn't easy work
in those years,
93
00:07:06,718 --> 00:07:08,637
you couldn't sell fish.
94
00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,307
People wouldn't pay for fish.
95
00:07:12,390 --> 00:07:17,938
That's why my father
and my mother moved to Limassol.
96
00:07:18,021 --> 00:07:21,483
So he worked at the port,
at the sea port.
97
00:07:29,532 --> 00:07:32,702
We moved to Limassol afterwards.
98
00:07:32,786 --> 00:07:35,705
This is like a 25-minute ride,
but it's a bigger city.
99
00:07:35,789 --> 00:07:37,624
It's a big city.
100
00:07:37,707 --> 00:07:42,170
When I say big city, then it was
maybe 50,000, 60,000 people.
101
00:07:42,253 --> 00:07:46,216
Now it's probably double.
102
00:07:46,299 --> 00:07:51,846
This place remains
the old part of Limassol,
103
00:07:51,930 --> 00:07:55,600
got the movie theater here,
104
00:07:55,684 --> 00:07:59,354
and the little shops,
restaurants around the area,
105
00:07:59,437 --> 00:08:03,483
and this is where everybody
gathered to celebrate anything.
106
00:08:09,072 --> 00:08:11,741
I don't remember what I saw,
maybe I was five, six years.
107
00:08:11,825 --> 00:08:14,369
Five years old.
108
00:08:14,452 --> 00:08:19,416
Yeah, those days
you saved five caps.
109
00:08:19,499 --> 00:08:22,669
Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola
was sold in bottles.
110
00:08:22,752 --> 00:08:24,963
You get free admission
to the movie.
111
00:08:25,046 --> 00:08:29,300
So that's how we came
to see our first movies here.
112
00:09:19,392 --> 00:09:22,979
This is our cinema
where everybody came,
113
00:09:23,063 --> 00:09:25,231
especially on weekends.
114
00:09:25,315 --> 00:09:30,278
Now it's used as
a multifunction theater
115
00:09:30,361 --> 00:09:35,700
for not only movies,
but singers and culture,
116
00:09:35,784 --> 00:09:38,328
like a cultural center.
117
00:09:38,411 --> 00:09:40,246
You see,
they've done a beautiful job
118
00:09:40,330 --> 00:09:44,501
to bring it back
to how it was years ago
119
00:09:44,584 --> 00:09:49,964
and we are very grateful
to whoever did this
120
00:09:50,048 --> 00:09:54,344
because as you know,
sometimes modern,
121
00:09:54,427 --> 00:09:59,516
when you modernize,
you destroy a lot of history.
122
00:09:59,599 --> 00:10:01,184
"Moving Target," ” Paul Newman.
123
00:10:01,267 --> 00:10:03,394
Let's see if we find
any good movies.
124
00:10:03,478 --> 00:10:05,563
Yeah, there is some,
there we go.
125
00:10:05,647 --> 00:10:08,358
Some Double-O Seven action
right over there.
126
00:10:08,441 --> 00:10:11,528
James Bond, James Bond,
what year is this?
127
00:10:11,611 --> 00:10:16,032
- '66, '67.
- Oh, you know who's in this?
128
00:10:16,116 --> 00:10:18,201
- Who's this?
- Giancarlo Giannini.
129
00:10:18,284 --> 00:10:20,537
"Seven Beauties"”
and "Swept Away."
130
00:10:20,620 --> 00:10:23,665
Yeah, "Swept Away."
131
00:10:23,748 --> 00:10:24,916
Charles Bronson.
132
00:10:24,999 --> 00:10:26,399
This is the money-maker
right there.
133
00:10:26,459 --> 00:10:28,253
- Who's this?
- Yeah.
134
00:10:28,336 --> 00:10:31,172
Now the black exploitation
movies, they got them all going,
135
00:10:31,256 --> 00:10:33,109
come on, this is the history
of the cinema here.
136
00:10:33,133 --> 00:10:35,135
Yeah, this is history of cinema.
137
00:10:35,218 --> 00:10:36,803
And then going to New York,
138
00:10:36,886 --> 00:10:40,306
was this like a family decision
or your mother wanted to do it?
139
00:10:40,390 --> 00:10:44,727
My father's sister
was there for many years
140
00:10:44,811 --> 00:10:47,772
and she mentioned it to us.
141
00:10:47,856 --> 00:10:50,608
If you had a brother
or a sister,
142
00:10:50,692 --> 00:10:53,653
you could legally come
to the United States.
143
00:10:53,736 --> 00:10:56,322
So we saw it as an opportunity
144
00:10:56,406 --> 00:11:01,244
to move from Cyprus to New York.
145
00:11:02,912 --> 00:11:05,623
Honestly, I was super excited,
146
00:11:05,707 --> 00:11:08,168
super excited inside of me.
147
00:11:08,251 --> 00:11:10,670
I said, "This is great."
148
00:11:10,753 --> 00:11:13,256
You know,
I want to go to New York.
149
00:11:13,339 --> 00:11:15,175
Not that I knew
what New York was like,
150
00:11:15,258 --> 00:11:19,470
but there was excitement
for me to go.
151
00:11:19,554 --> 00:11:21,514
Guys, take your coffee.
152
00:11:21,598 --> 00:11:23,349
So I was a teenager,
153
00:11:23,433 --> 00:11:28,396
12 years old going
from Limassol,
154
00:11:28,479 --> 00:11:31,608
a small town, to New York.
155
00:11:33,610 --> 00:11:36,279
This good friend of mine,
she told me
156
00:11:36,362 --> 00:11:39,532
it wasn't the best thing
that happened to you as a kid
157
00:11:39,616 --> 00:11:41,326
because you've grown up,
158
00:11:41,409 --> 00:11:43,912
your hormones are changing,
159
00:11:43,995 --> 00:11:46,497
your place of surroundings
and all that.
160
00:11:46,581 --> 00:11:48,917
But despite all that,
161
00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:52,837
despite all that, I managed
and I love New York
162
00:11:52,921 --> 00:11:58,343
and I feel grateful
163
00:11:58,426 --> 00:12:02,472
for being able to do
whatever I accomplished,
164
00:12:02,555 --> 00:12:04,140
whatever little I accomplished,
165
00:12:04,224 --> 00:12:06,476
it gives me great satisfaction.
166
00:12:06,559 --> 00:12:09,562
And I could not do it here.
167
00:12:09,646 --> 00:12:12,065
Only in a place like New York.
168
00:12:12,148 --> 00:12:15,026
So here's to New York.
169
00:12:27,747 --> 00:12:30,875
Basically we went from here
to Heathrow
170
00:12:30,959 --> 00:12:34,837
and Heathrow to JFK.
171
00:12:34,921 --> 00:12:37,799
It was me, my mother,
and my sister,
172
00:12:37,882 --> 00:12:41,844
because my brother and my father
went there a few months earlier.
173
00:12:41,928 --> 00:12:46,599
That was in 1970 and there's
an escalator and we said,
174
00:12:46,683 --> 00:12:48,518
"What the hell is that?"
175
00:12:48,601 --> 00:12:52,355
And my mother refused
to take the escalator,
176
00:12:52,438 --> 00:12:55,108
so we had to go
through the steps,
177
00:12:55,191 --> 00:12:57,860
because we didn't know
what it was.
178
00:12:57,944 --> 00:13:00,071
The escalator in the airport.
179
00:13:04,867 --> 00:13:07,453
I come to New York,
I basically...
180
00:13:07,537 --> 00:13:09,706
All I knew how to say is,
181
00:13:09,789 --> 00:13:12,667
this is a cat.
182
00:13:12,750 --> 00:13:17,255
My name is Nicolas,
that's about it.
183
00:13:17,338 --> 00:13:23,511
But very quickly, because
I went to regular public school,
184
00:13:23,594 --> 00:13:25,930
I learned very quickly.
185
00:13:26,014 --> 00:13:28,433
In six months
I was doing really good
186
00:13:28,516 --> 00:13:31,894
and really doing good
in school too.
187
00:13:31,978 --> 00:13:34,897
And then I went
to junior high school.
188
00:13:34,981 --> 00:13:38,026
I was a good student,
189
00:13:38,109 --> 00:13:43,698
but then junior high school,
I really wanted to get a job.
190
00:13:49,662 --> 00:13:52,832
From Astoria this was
the first stop with the train.
191
00:13:52,915 --> 00:13:55,877
So I came in this area
looking for a job.
192
00:14:02,050 --> 00:14:04,427
Across the street
from Bloomingdale's.
193
00:14:04,510 --> 00:14:06,637
This is where it was happening.
194
00:14:06,721 --> 00:14:08,765
Third Avenue and 59th street,
195
00:14:08,848 --> 00:14:12,602
Baronet & Coronet Cinema
1,2, & 3.
196
00:14:12,685 --> 00:14:15,021
The greatest movies played here.
197
00:14:15,104 --> 00:14:18,983
If you had any great movie,
it opened up here.
198
00:14:19,067 --> 00:14:23,071
These theaters opened in the
early sixties, like '61, '62,
199
00:14:23,154 --> 00:14:25,281
and then everybody
in this business
200
00:14:25,365 --> 00:14:28,868
started building around it to
capture some of this business.
201
00:14:28,951 --> 00:14:31,704
I mean, the lines were
all over around the corners.
202
00:14:31,788 --> 00:14:34,415
It was unbelievable here.
203
00:14:34,499 --> 00:14:38,419
Baronet & Coronet came down a
long time ago in this building.
204
00:14:38,503 --> 00:14:40,838
- The Baronet was right here.
- It was right here, bro,
205
00:14:40,922 --> 00:14:42,082
- I'm telling you.
- Right here.
206
00:14:42,131 --> 00:14:43,466
Cinema 1,2, &3
207
00:14:43,549 --> 00:14:47,178
is the only one
that's still around.
208
00:14:47,261 --> 00:14:49,722
- You know what Peekskill is?
- No.
209
00:14:49,806 --> 00:14:51,891
We'd come down,
get fucking lost.
210
00:14:51,974 --> 00:14:55,019
Park our car, get all
this shit ripped off.
211
00:14:55,103 --> 00:14:56,229
Come here.
212
00:14:56,312 --> 00:14:58,314
Stand in line for an hour.
213
00:14:58,398 --> 00:15:01,526
My favorite biggest movie
we saw here was "Putney Swope."
214
00:15:01,609 --> 00:15:04,112
- Do you know "Putney Swope"?
- No.
215
00:15:04,195 --> 00:15:05,488
You know the movie, right?
216
00:15:05,571 --> 00:15:10,952
It's a big super-duper star's
father, Robert Downey.
217
00:15:11,035 --> 00:15:13,413
Then we saw one of the actors
on the street.
218
00:15:13,496 --> 00:15:17,875
For guys from PeekskKill,
that was a big, big, big movie.
219
00:15:17,959 --> 00:15:21,045
You were voted in here
on a jive hummer.
220
00:15:21,129 --> 00:15:25,383
Now how, when are things
gonna happen, man?
221
00:15:25,466 --> 00:15:27,718
Your whole cart has been peeped.
222
00:15:27,802 --> 00:15:29,470
When are things
gonna start to change?
223
00:15:29,554 --> 00:15:31,806
Where is the revolution
you were talking about?
224
00:15:31,889 --> 00:15:33,599
There ain't nothing happening.
225
00:15:33,683 --> 00:15:37,854
There is no revolution, the way
you're running this joint, man.
226
00:15:37,937 --> 00:15:39,939
Now when is something
gonna happen?
227
00:15:40,022 --> 00:15:42,066
When you gonna do it?
When and how?
228
00:15:42,150 --> 00:15:43,150
What day?
229
00:15:43,192 --> 00:15:44,694
Give me a time, man.
230
00:15:44,777 --> 00:15:47,363
Show me how progress
is gonna be made.
231
00:15:47,447 --> 00:15:49,907
There ain't no progress
the way this is running now.
232
00:15:49,991 --> 00:15:51,784
This is Sonny Williams.
233
00:15:54,078 --> 00:15:57,540
What do you got to say
for yourself, Sonny?
234
00:16:06,340 --> 00:16:09,760
Don't feel bad.
235
00:16:22,356 --> 00:16:25,193
Now there's a man
who is doing something.
236
00:16:25,276 --> 00:16:27,320
That is a revolution, man.
237
00:16:27,403 --> 00:16:28,571
Don't you understand?
238
00:16:28,654 --> 00:16:30,239
When are you gonna start?
239
00:16:30,323 --> 00:16:33,117
When are you gonna do something?
240
00:16:33,201 --> 00:16:40,458
So RKO Warner built two theaters
here in late sixties.
241
00:16:40,541 --> 00:16:44,212
Two 400-seat theaters.
242
00:16:44,295 --> 00:16:47,882
And I went there
and I told them I was a 17.
243
00:16:47,965 --> 00:16:52,345
They gave me a job and I started
working there in these theaters.
244
00:16:52,428 --> 00:16:54,764
Right here was the entry
to one theater
245
00:16:54,847 --> 00:16:56,557
and the entry
to the other theater.
246
00:16:56,641 --> 00:17:00,269
And this was the box office,
right here where this wall is.
247
00:17:00,353 --> 00:17:01,812
It was the box office.
248
00:17:01,896 --> 00:17:05,024
You buy your ticket,
you go to twin one or twin two.
249
00:17:09,237 --> 00:17:13,324
I worked there as a doorman,
an usher, a concession.
250
00:17:13,407 --> 00:17:16,202
I used to change the marquee
for extra money.
251
00:17:16,285 --> 00:17:18,371
In that RKO 59th Street,
252
00:17:18,454 --> 00:17:23,459
I used to even clean
the theater after closing
253
00:17:23,543 --> 00:17:26,128
because that gave you
an extra salary
254
00:17:26,212 --> 00:17:30,424
and I was able to get to school
by eight in the morning,
255
00:17:30,508 --> 00:17:33,094
sometimes late but I got there.
256
00:17:33,177 --> 00:17:35,680
I worked around full time,
257
00:17:35,763 --> 00:17:41,060
I think it was $2.00 an hour,
1972, '73,
258
00:17:41,143 --> 00:17:44,105
but over there I worked
like a manager almost.
259
00:17:44,188 --> 00:17:48,025
Not the manager,
but a night manager.
260
00:17:48,109 --> 00:17:50,027
It was easy work,
I mean, you just sit there.
261
00:17:50,111 --> 00:17:52,363
You could read, people go
through a turnstile.
262
00:17:52,446 --> 00:17:54,532
You didn't really
have to do too much.
263
00:18:00,454 --> 00:18:01,789
We showed 35 millimeter.
264
00:18:01,872 --> 00:18:04,959
We used to show repertory films
for a decade
265
00:18:05,042 --> 00:18:07,253
where we played all the movies,
266
00:18:07,336 --> 00:18:09,005
change every couple of days.
267
00:18:09,088 --> 00:18:12,800
Like "Last Tango in Paris"
and Pasolini, all the movies.
268
00:18:28,357 --> 00:18:31,360
I knew watching the movies,
I was a very quiet kid.
269
00:18:31,444 --> 00:18:34,030
Watching the movies that,
this is magic.
270
00:18:34,113 --> 00:18:40,161
It just hit me inside my soul
that this is really terrific.
271
00:18:40,244 --> 00:18:44,040
And I started dreaming
in my head, making my own movie,
272
00:18:44,123 --> 00:18:46,334
and I was calculating too,
because I was a little bit
273
00:18:46,417 --> 00:18:49,045
of a businessman,
how much money do I need
274
00:18:49,128 --> 00:18:51,339
to open up a place like this?
275
00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:56,677
So I had to make
some quick money.
276
00:18:56,761 --> 00:19:01,724
So across the street
was an upscale adult film.
277
00:19:01,807 --> 00:19:05,227
In the '70s this was pretty big,
and the early '80s.
278
00:19:05,311 --> 00:19:07,438
It was called the Lido East.
279
00:19:07,521 --> 00:19:11,942
It was the east side
to the Pussycat Theater.
280
00:19:12,026 --> 00:19:13,903
So this glass building
right here
281
00:19:13,986 --> 00:19:18,366
was the famous
Lido East Theater.
282
00:19:18,449 --> 00:19:21,452
It played day and date with the
Pussycat Theater on Broadway.
283
00:19:21,535 --> 00:19:24,288
- Which building?
- This was the Lido East.
284
00:19:24,372 --> 00:19:26,749
So I worked here
for about a year.
285
00:19:26,832 --> 00:19:29,794
I doubled my salary
from RKO Warner.
286
00:20:01,992 --> 00:20:04,453
So I went over there
and asked him for a job
287
00:20:04,537 --> 00:20:08,999
and I worked there
for about a year
288
00:20:09,083 --> 00:20:11,502
to make some quick money.
289
00:20:34,358 --> 00:20:37,486
And then I said, okay,
I had enough of this,
290
00:20:37,570 --> 00:20:39,572
I made some money.
291
00:20:39,655 --> 00:20:42,199
And there was another theater
on 59th Street
292
00:20:42,283 --> 00:20:44,785
called the D.W. Griffith.
293
00:20:44,869 --> 00:20:48,914
So I got a job over there
working as a manager.
294
00:20:50,958 --> 00:20:54,503
And it ends up that these people
that own the Griffith
295
00:20:54,587 --> 00:20:56,839
also own the 59th Street
296
00:20:56,922 --> 00:20:59,842
and a bunch of other
family theaters,
297
00:20:59,925 --> 00:21:03,345
but also adult theaters
because those years,
298
00:21:03,429 --> 00:21:06,140
adult was very big.
299
00:21:06,223 --> 00:21:08,976
My boss was Chelly Wilson.
300
00:21:09,059 --> 00:21:12,229
She was a woman
that came from Greece.
301
00:21:12,313 --> 00:21:15,608
When the Nazis came in Greece,
she's Jewish,
302
00:21:15,691 --> 00:21:18,319
she left Greece
and came to New York
303
00:21:18,402 --> 00:21:21,447
and she opened up
the first adult theaters
304
00:21:21,530 --> 00:21:24,241
where the girls
were playing volleyball
305
00:21:24,325 --> 00:21:28,829
and their tits
bouncing up and down,
306
00:21:28,913 --> 00:21:35,127
and she started all these adult
movie theaters in New York.
307
00:21:51,393 --> 00:21:55,731
She had the Eros, the Venus,
the Cameo, the Adonis.
308
00:21:58,442 --> 00:22:02,112
She was a tough woman and
she worked with other people
309
00:22:02,196 --> 00:22:04,323
like the guys from the Pussycat.
310
00:22:04,406 --> 00:22:07,284
They cooperated together.
311
00:22:07,368 --> 00:22:10,579
Actually this whole building
is Richard Basciano.
312
00:22:10,663 --> 00:22:15,251
Richard Basciano was
the biggest guy on Times Square.
313
00:22:15,334 --> 00:22:17,878
He died a few months ago.
314
00:22:17,962 --> 00:22:20,130
This whole building
is worth a lot of money.
315
00:22:20,214 --> 00:22:26,387
She had all these adult
actresses have live performance.
316
00:22:26,470 --> 00:22:29,932
It was the multiplex
of those days.
317
00:22:30,015 --> 00:22:33,727
So all these people
worked together.
318
00:22:33,811 --> 00:22:38,816
It's the same woman and a Greek
man and another Jewish lady
319
00:22:38,899 --> 00:22:40,442
that lived on the East Side.
320
00:22:40,526 --> 00:22:42,111
Very old people.
321
00:22:42,194 --> 00:22:47,908
Lee Pomeranz was one
that lived on the East Side.
322
00:22:47,992 --> 00:22:50,536
Chelly Wilson and Nick Justin.
323
00:22:50,619 --> 00:22:52,288
Wilson used to live
right upstairs
324
00:22:52,371 --> 00:22:55,624
from a gay porno theater.
325
00:22:55,708 --> 00:22:58,294
With their home office
right there
326
00:22:58,377 --> 00:23:03,215
across the street
where the bar is.
327
00:23:03,299 --> 00:23:05,676
So that was three
adult theaters there.
328
00:23:05,759 --> 00:23:10,639
The Venus, the Eros,
and the Capri.
329
00:23:10,723 --> 00:23:15,019
Upstairs was
Chelly Wilson's house.
330
00:23:15,102 --> 00:23:17,938
The Eros was right there
where that Cafe Expresso is
331
00:23:18,022 --> 00:23:20,858
and next to it was the Venus.
332
00:24:02,191 --> 00:24:03,984
Nick Justin, the Greek guy
333
00:24:04,068 --> 00:24:08,197
because she was more into
the art film and the art scene.
334
00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,492
Besides being a partner
in the adult business,
335
00:24:11,575 --> 00:24:15,245
he had a fancy office
at 1501 Broadway,
336
00:24:15,329 --> 00:24:18,832
you know, in Times Square
where the ball comes down.
337
00:24:18,916 --> 00:24:20,918
The old Paramount Theater.
338
00:24:21,001 --> 00:24:24,088
I worked out
of that office basically.
339
00:24:26,799 --> 00:24:29,218
About a year after working
as a manager,
340
00:24:29,301 --> 00:24:35,641
their general manager
that run about a dozen theaters,
341
00:24:35,724 --> 00:24:39,019
left with a girl,
342
00:24:39,103 --> 00:24:40,646
a younger girl.
343
00:24:40,729 --> 00:24:43,273
Left his wife and kids.
344
00:24:43,357 --> 00:24:48,737
Left the job and they had nobody
to go around to the theaters.
345
00:24:48,821 --> 00:24:50,823
So somebody called me up
and they said,
346
00:24:50,906 --> 00:24:57,037
"Nick, can you cover Ted
while he's away
347
00:24:57,121 --> 00:24:59,206
until we see what happens?”
348
00:24:59,289 --> 00:25:01,750
So they gave me his car
and I started going around
349
00:25:01,834 --> 00:25:04,211
to the theaters.
350
00:25:04,294 --> 00:25:08,215
At the time I was even
going to Hunter College,
351
00:25:08,298 --> 00:25:13,262
but I got so interested
in the operations
352
00:25:13,345 --> 00:25:16,640
and Ted never came back
353
00:25:16,724 --> 00:25:19,852
and I ended up being
a general manager
354
00:25:19,935 --> 00:25:22,271
for about a dozen theaters.
355
00:25:22,354 --> 00:25:24,023
Half of them were art theaters
356
00:25:24,106 --> 00:25:26,775
and half of them
were adult theaters.
357
00:25:26,859 --> 00:25:31,030
The adult theaters
were doing good cash money.
358
00:25:31,113 --> 00:25:32,489
That was cash, cash.
359
00:25:58,557 --> 00:26:01,435
- You got to be kidding.
- What?
360
00:26:01,518 --> 00:26:04,813
- This is a dirty movie.
- No, no.
361
00:26:04,897 --> 00:26:07,858
This is a movie that a lot
of couples come to.
362
00:26:07,941 --> 00:26:10,069
All kinds of couples go here.
363
00:26:10,152 --> 00:26:12,279
- You sure about that?
- Yeah.
364
00:26:12,362 --> 00:26:14,698
Yeah, I see them all the time.
365
00:26:17,534 --> 00:26:18,786
Come on.
366
00:26:59,159 --> 00:27:02,496
The cost, those years,
was so much less
367
00:27:02,579 --> 00:27:04,706
to do business in New York.
368
00:27:04,790 --> 00:27:07,376
Those were the times
when people just, I mean,
369
00:27:07,459 --> 00:27:12,756
we saw like sold-out shows
for porno movies,
370
00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:16,635
and the film repertory we used
to sell out in this theater,
371
00:27:16,718 --> 00:27:20,556
The Cinema Village,
every single seat.
372
00:27:20,639 --> 00:27:23,684
I mean, people would line up
to see all those.
373
00:27:23,767 --> 00:27:28,438
"Last Tango in Paris" and all
these other movies, art movies.
374
00:27:28,522 --> 00:27:30,983
After a year of doing this
with college,
375
00:27:31,066 --> 00:27:32,901
I had to drop out of college
376
00:27:32,985 --> 00:27:37,865
because it was too much
time consuming to do both.
377
00:27:37,948 --> 00:27:42,578
But I... this business
just took me over.
378
00:27:45,038 --> 00:27:48,000
There was a big education
for me to go around
379
00:27:48,083 --> 00:27:49,877
to all these theaters,
watch these people,
380
00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,045
how they operate their business.
381
00:27:52,129 --> 00:27:57,801
I learned everything I know
in that period because my luck,
382
00:27:57,885 --> 00:28:02,139
they were old and they didn't
want to do anything anymore.
383
00:28:02,222 --> 00:28:05,434
And here they had a young kid
that they trusted,
384
00:28:05,517 --> 00:28:07,728
with the money.
385
00:28:37,758 --> 00:28:42,012
Nick Justin dies and he leaves,
386
00:28:42,095 --> 00:28:45,641
as an executrix,
Chelly Wilson's daughter.
387
00:28:45,724 --> 00:28:49,019
So one of the things that
was selling out to people
388
00:28:49,102 --> 00:28:52,105
was the D.W. Griffith Theater
389
00:28:52,189 --> 00:28:54,566
because it didn't make
that much money
390
00:28:54,650 --> 00:28:56,944
and it didn't have a long lease.
391
00:28:57,027 --> 00:28:59,529
It only had a few,
two, three-year lease.
392
00:28:59,613 --> 00:29:01,365
Yeah, it was an art theater.
393
00:29:01,448 --> 00:29:06,328
I bought that business
from Bondi for about $160,000.
394
00:29:06,411 --> 00:29:12,584
I got about $35,000 left
and all the money that I saved,
395
00:29:12,668 --> 00:29:15,087
and then the opportunity
comes about
396
00:29:15,170 --> 00:29:17,923
where these people I worked for,
they told me,
397
00:29:18,006 --> 00:29:21,343
why don't you just give
the keys back
398
00:29:21,426 --> 00:29:23,095
for that theater
on Third Avenue,
399
00:29:23,178 --> 00:29:25,097
which showed the adult movies?
400
00:29:25,180 --> 00:29:27,641
It was the Jewel Theater.
401
00:29:27,724 --> 00:29:30,727
My mind started thinking,
why give it up?
402
00:29:30,811 --> 00:29:33,897
I need something
to generate money.
403
00:29:33,981 --> 00:29:35,774
So I took it over.
404
00:29:35,857 --> 00:29:40,570
I give the landlord
like $15,000 deposit.
405
00:29:40,654 --> 00:29:43,907
We started fixing up the place.
406
00:29:43,991 --> 00:29:46,994
We put new carpets,
we redid the seats,
407
00:29:47,077 --> 00:29:49,162
make the place look nice.
408
00:29:49,246 --> 00:29:55,460
Meantime,
we made a cash business grow,
409
00:29:55,544 --> 00:29:59,715
so I had cash flow from
that business every week.
410
00:29:59,798 --> 00:30:02,009
Cineplex continued
its buying spree
411
00:30:02,092 --> 00:30:04,303
by adding a thousand
new screens to a circuit
412
00:30:04,386 --> 00:30:08,056
that now boasted 1,800 screens
in 500 locations
413
00:30:08,140 --> 00:30:10,350
in North America and the UK.
414
00:30:10,434 --> 00:30:12,769
Drabinsky spared no expense
when buying,
415
00:30:12,853 --> 00:30:15,230
building, and renovating
each theater.
416
00:30:15,314 --> 00:30:17,441
He outspent his competitors
two to one
417
00:30:17,524 --> 00:30:19,359
in construction costs.
418
00:30:19,443 --> 00:30:21,987
Every theater had to be
bigger, better.
419
00:30:22,070 --> 00:30:25,282
To cover his expenses,
he raised ticket prices,
420
00:30:25,365 --> 00:30:29,494
arguing he offered a superior
movie-going experience.
421
00:30:29,578 --> 00:30:34,166
In the '80s,
Cineplex Odeon came to town.
422
00:30:34,249 --> 00:30:37,294
They wanted to buy
all the theaters.
423
00:30:37,377 --> 00:30:41,006
They wanted to have control
of the movie theater industry.
424
00:30:41,089 --> 00:30:45,510
So they approached me and
they wanted to buy the theater.
425
00:30:45,594 --> 00:30:48,305
They offered me
like a million and a half.
426
00:30:48,388 --> 00:30:50,599
I was just a kid then,
so I didn't understand
427
00:30:50,682 --> 00:30:54,394
big business,
and this guy wanted the theater.
428
00:30:54,478 --> 00:30:58,065
So they came into town
with a private plane,
429
00:30:58,148 --> 00:31:01,985
I went to their offices,
some office over here,
430
00:31:02,069 --> 00:31:05,822
and I'm sitting with the guy,
I'm making the deal
431
00:31:05,906 --> 00:31:09,326
and I realized that this guy's
a real professional.
432
00:31:09,409 --> 00:31:11,787
By the time I left,
he wasn't going to give me
433
00:31:11,870 --> 00:31:15,916
a million and a half,
maybe $500,000 and get out.
434
00:31:15,999 --> 00:31:18,710
And I just didn't know
what to do.
435
00:31:18,794 --> 00:31:22,214
So I told the guy, I'm sorry,
I have to go to the bathroom.
436
00:31:22,297 --> 00:31:25,300
And I just walked out.
437
00:31:25,384 --> 00:31:27,886
I went to the coffee shop,
some good coffee shop,
438
00:31:27,969 --> 00:31:31,264
I had a hamburger,
439
00:31:31,348 --> 00:31:34,226
and then this guy
was calling all over for me.
440
00:31:34,309 --> 00:31:36,561
Not that this deal was
so important to them,
441
00:31:36,645 --> 00:31:39,272
but he had to go
to Washington, D.C.,
442
00:31:39,356 --> 00:31:41,817
and the private plane
was waiting to buy
443
00:31:41,900 --> 00:31:45,237
another 18 theaters
in Washington, D.C.
444
00:31:45,320 --> 00:31:48,073
So he was getting
a little bit upset,
445
00:31:48,156 --> 00:31:50,492
and as they told me afterwards,
446
00:31:50,575 --> 00:31:53,120
Drabinsky, they had
a voice call from Canada.
447
00:31:53,203 --> 00:31:55,247
He says,
"Where's this fucking kid?
448
00:31:55,330 --> 00:31:57,165
Didn't he sign already?
449
00:31:57,249 --> 00:31:58,750
You didn't get this kid yet?"
450
00:31:58,834 --> 00:32:01,086
Anyway, by the time
they reached me,
451
00:32:01,169 --> 00:32:03,922
my lawyer told me,
"Why'd you walk away?"
452
00:32:04,005 --> 00:32:05,715
I said,
"Listen, I'm not coming back."
453
00:32:05,799 --> 00:32:07,884
This guy said he'd pay me
a million and a half.
454
00:32:07,968 --> 00:32:11,012
I want a million and a half,
otherwise I don't come back.
455
00:32:11,096 --> 00:32:13,557
I'm not giving up the theater.”
456
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,518
So they just wrote me a check.
457
00:32:16,601 --> 00:32:18,562
That was my first big check.
458
00:32:18,645 --> 00:32:20,897
That's how you do it, guys.
459
00:32:39,291 --> 00:32:44,296
This is my mom's village,
Kalavasos,
460
00:32:44,379 --> 00:32:47,549
and she was born here
461
00:32:47,632 --> 00:32:51,636
and in 1970 went to New York.
462
00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:53,972
And in 1983 she died.
463
00:32:54,055 --> 00:32:57,684
She was only 59 years old.
464
00:32:57,767 --> 00:33:00,979
She lived a difficult life.
465
00:33:01,062 --> 00:33:03,940
She was an orphan
from her father.
466
00:33:04,024 --> 00:33:06,026
And then she also had
a difficult life
467
00:33:06,109 --> 00:33:08,195
because she married my father.
468
00:33:08,278 --> 00:33:11,281
Another difficult man.
469
00:33:11,364 --> 00:33:14,701
To my good luck,
she was cleaning the houses,
470
00:33:14,784 --> 00:33:18,038
the apartments, the hallways,
471
00:33:18,121 --> 00:33:22,209
and she was a big...
Very, very good with money.
472
00:33:22,292 --> 00:33:24,252
She saved a few dollars.
473
00:33:24,336 --> 00:33:27,214
I remember when I got
my first good job
474
00:33:27,297 --> 00:33:29,257
and I had some money
and I just said,
475
00:33:29,341 --> 00:33:32,969
"Mama, let's go out to this nice
restaurant in New York,"
476
00:33:33,053 --> 00:33:37,390
and she did get dressed
and we drove with the car,
477
00:33:37,474 --> 00:33:40,101
and when she saw the restaurant,
478
00:33:40,185 --> 00:33:42,604
she saw it was
a little fancy restaurant.
479
00:33:42,687 --> 00:33:45,106
She says, "Oh, come on son,
let's go.
480
00:33:45,190 --> 00:33:48,360
It's enough,
I saw it, let's go home."
481
00:33:48,443 --> 00:33:50,987
She refused to go spend money,
482
00:33:51,071 --> 00:33:57,327
but in any event, she did manage
to save $27,000 in 1983,
483
00:33:57,410 --> 00:34:01,706
secretly, and that money
was handed to me
484
00:34:01,790 --> 00:34:07,629
and I was also in my...
About 27 years old.
485
00:34:07,712 --> 00:34:12,634
I felt a very big obligation
that this woman, my mother,
486
00:34:12,717 --> 00:34:15,387
sacrificed so much
to save this much money.
487
00:34:15,470 --> 00:34:23,353
So I felt I needed to make
the best that I could,
488
00:34:23,436 --> 00:34:28,692
and what I did that's...
Within one year
489
00:34:28,775 --> 00:34:32,862
of my mother's death,
I was in business.
490
00:34:32,946 --> 00:34:35,198
I opened my first movie theater,
491
00:34:35,282 --> 00:34:40,620
that only cost me
about $30,000 anyway to do.
492
00:34:40,704 --> 00:34:46,543
And from there I started
making very good money
493
00:34:46,626 --> 00:34:48,920
and hundreds of thousands
of dollars.
494
00:34:49,004 --> 00:34:52,757
It's a playground
where the kids come and play
495
00:34:52,841 --> 00:34:55,343
and the park was named after her
496
00:34:55,427 --> 00:35:01,766
and this is for the people
that lived in her village.
497
00:35:01,850 --> 00:35:05,979
So this is the least
I thought we could do
498
00:35:06,062 --> 00:35:08,398
because it's not the amount
of money,
499
00:35:08,481 --> 00:35:12,777
it's that you know that person
that gave it to you,
500
00:35:12,861 --> 00:35:17,490
gave it to you with a lot of
sacrifice and a lot of love.
501
00:35:17,574 --> 00:35:20,994
That is what drove me,
502
00:35:21,077 --> 00:35:24,497
in my own way, to succeed,
economically at least.
503
00:35:42,766 --> 00:35:47,604
I remember that I admired Nick
even before I met him.
504
00:35:47,687 --> 00:35:51,566
I knew his father
that was visiting Cyprus,
505
00:35:51,650 --> 00:35:55,278
spending time with us,
and I knew of this kid
506
00:35:55,362 --> 00:36:01,951
that was a hard-working kid
that made himself.
507
00:36:02,035 --> 00:36:05,664
He helped all his family
to change their life
508
00:36:05,747 --> 00:36:09,417
from being like a poor
and working...
509
00:36:09,501 --> 00:36:10,835
- And happy.
- Yes.
510
00:36:10,919 --> 00:36:14,172
And Nick visited Cyprus
after 20 years.
511
00:36:14,255 --> 00:36:19,094
I was 22 so I was happy
to meet Nick
512
00:36:19,177 --> 00:36:23,723
and also show him around Cyprus.
513
00:36:23,807 --> 00:36:25,934
And then the day at the park,
514
00:36:26,017 --> 00:36:29,646
I was impressed that,
although everybody was running
515
00:36:29,729 --> 00:36:36,903
to be with the president
and to take pictures
516
00:36:36,986 --> 00:36:41,282
and enjoy that day,
517
00:36:41,366 --> 00:36:43,785
Nick was by me
518
00:36:43,868 --> 00:36:51,376
and he was very, very nice
and very polite.
519
00:36:53,545 --> 00:36:58,466
I only came here
for a week because the park
520
00:36:58,550 --> 00:37:00,885
and I felt an obligation
to come there.
521
00:37:00,969 --> 00:37:02,679
I didn't want to be ignorant.
522
00:37:02,762 --> 00:37:04,973
So I came here for a week
523
00:37:05,056 --> 00:37:09,060
and I really had
no other intention.
524
00:37:09,144 --> 00:37:13,606
But when I first saw Christiana,
525
00:37:13,690 --> 00:37:16,359
just something hit me
526
00:37:16,443 --> 00:37:21,990
and I knew that
I had to use every trick
527
00:37:22,073 --> 00:37:23,658
I saw in the movies.
528
00:37:26,202 --> 00:37:31,082
And then her friend,
and to me inside of me,
529
00:37:31,166 --> 00:37:36,004
it's like my mother
was the reason I came here
530
00:37:36,087 --> 00:37:37,756
and then I meet Christiana.
531
00:37:37,839 --> 00:37:39,758
I wasn't really looking.
532
00:37:39,841 --> 00:37:42,343
I never thought I would leave
my country
533
00:37:42,427 --> 00:37:45,722
and I've, you know, it was...
But I really felt
534
00:37:45,805 --> 00:37:51,060
that I didn't want to lose him.
535
00:37:51,144 --> 00:37:54,147
So without even thinking about
it, it was, the answer was yes.
536
00:37:54,230 --> 00:37:55,982
- Did you go back with him?
- No.
537
00:37:56,065 --> 00:37:58,693
He told me I'm going to go back
and take care of things
538
00:37:58,777 --> 00:38:01,905
- and come back.
- And come back and marry you.
539
00:38:01,988 --> 00:38:04,115
Yeah, the next day he went
there, he called me.
540
00:38:04,199 --> 00:38:06,159
He goes on,
when are we getting married?
541
00:38:06,242 --> 00:38:08,620
I said, we just decided.
542
00:38:08,703 --> 00:38:12,582
I said, okay,
but a few days went by
543
00:38:12,665 --> 00:38:14,209
and I couldn't stay away.
544
00:38:14,292 --> 00:38:17,295
I felt so... I wanted to see him.
545
00:38:17,378 --> 00:38:21,174
So I went and to find him
in New York.
546
00:38:21,257 --> 00:38:25,345
He said that he was planning
to come back here,
547
00:38:25,428 --> 00:38:27,472
but he never did.
548
00:38:27,555 --> 00:38:29,516
So yeah.
549
00:38:29,599 --> 00:38:32,936
You never leave New York.
550
00:38:46,866 --> 00:38:50,954
So between Third Avenue
giving me the cash flow
551
00:38:51,037 --> 00:38:53,081
and then making that deal
on 59th Street
552
00:38:53,164 --> 00:38:56,876
for a million and a half,
gave me a good starting money
553
00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,296
to look into other theaters.
554
00:39:05,301 --> 00:39:08,471
I kept looking
for theaters all over
555
00:39:08,555 --> 00:39:11,224
that were not doing so well.
556
00:39:11,307 --> 00:39:15,687
Theaters that
were maybe up for sale
557
00:39:15,770 --> 00:39:17,981
that needed fixing
and things like that.
558
00:39:18,064 --> 00:39:21,651
So I opened up at one time
a movie theater
559
00:39:21,734 --> 00:39:25,029
up by Columbia University,
560
00:39:25,113 --> 00:39:27,115
the Columbia Cinema,
561
00:39:27,198 --> 00:39:30,159
and we had a nice big premiere
of "La Bamba" there.
562
00:39:30,243 --> 00:39:33,079
And meantime,
some of their adult theaters,
563
00:39:33,162 --> 00:39:37,667
they just were walking away
from them because they were old.
564
00:39:37,750 --> 00:39:39,419
The business was dying.
565
00:39:39,502 --> 00:39:42,255
Early '80s, these theaters
were on their way out.
566
00:39:42,338 --> 00:39:45,717
So I caught those theaters
on the way out.
567
00:39:45,800 --> 00:39:47,802
So I was building up
my art theaters
568
00:39:47,886 --> 00:39:50,221
and the regular movie theaters,
569
00:39:50,305 --> 00:39:55,977
but I took a shot by taking one
of those old operations
570
00:39:56,060 --> 00:39:58,938
to keep them going,
to make some money,
571
00:39:59,022 --> 00:40:00,940
some more cash flow.
572
00:40:17,582 --> 00:40:19,667
So that was
a cash flow place for me
573
00:40:19,751 --> 00:40:23,296
because it was making some money
574
00:40:23,379 --> 00:40:27,467
and I focused
a little bit more on it
575
00:40:27,550 --> 00:40:30,637
and I doubled the profits there.
576
00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:33,264
You do anything like they do
to any regular theater,
577
00:40:33,348 --> 00:40:36,434
you have to upgrade it,
you have to clean it up,
578
00:40:36,517 --> 00:40:38,978
put new furnishings,
579
00:40:39,062 --> 00:40:43,483
make it a nicer experience
for the patron.
580
00:40:43,566 --> 00:40:46,611
People do appreciate it.
581
00:40:46,694 --> 00:40:49,197
She ever see you kiss a man?
582
00:40:49,280 --> 00:40:51,783
No.
583
00:41:06,005 --> 00:41:09,801
Well, basically a place
where people met mostly.
584
00:41:09,884 --> 00:41:12,387
A lot of people
just went there to meet.
585
00:41:12,470 --> 00:41:15,473
They also had partnerships
in the bath,
586
00:41:15,556 --> 00:41:18,685
which I never dealt with.
587
00:41:20,937 --> 00:41:22,689
This is a movie theater,
588
00:41:22,772 --> 00:41:24,774
this is what movies
I wanted to see.
589
00:41:24,857 --> 00:41:28,903
Now, whether you go there
to hang out and meet somebody
590
00:41:28,987 --> 00:41:30,571
or what's the difference?
591
00:41:30,655 --> 00:41:33,616
I mean, what do you do today
on the internet
592
00:41:33,700 --> 00:41:35,702
that it's available everywhere?
593
00:43:01,913 --> 00:43:04,457
Yeah, the city was pressured.
594
00:43:04,540 --> 00:43:06,250
That was the years of Giuliani.
595
00:43:06,334 --> 00:43:08,669
They basically wanted
to clean Times Square out,
596
00:43:08,753 --> 00:43:12,507
so they expanded
their whole policy
597
00:43:12,590 --> 00:43:14,258
throughout the city.
598
00:43:14,342 --> 00:43:17,887
They went around
and making these charges
599
00:43:17,970 --> 00:43:21,349
to all adult theaters.
600
00:43:21,432 --> 00:43:26,521
So if they saw somebody
doing something,
601
00:43:26,604 --> 00:43:28,439
then they had reason
to shut you down.
602
00:43:28,523 --> 00:43:30,817
So they shut me down
and then I reopened.
603
00:43:30,900 --> 00:43:34,070
But as long
as you did things legal,
604
00:43:34,153 --> 00:43:36,072
they couldn't close you.
605
00:43:36,155 --> 00:43:39,826
Wouldn't police every patron.
606
00:43:39,909 --> 00:43:43,663
You know, things could happen.
607
00:43:43,746 --> 00:43:45,873
Things happen
in regular theaters,
608
00:43:45,957 --> 00:43:47,750
if you notice.
609
00:43:47,834 --> 00:43:49,544
Going back many, many years,
610
00:43:49,627 --> 00:43:52,922
what do people do
in movie theaters?
611
00:43:53,005 --> 00:43:56,592
This is just the city
was focusing more
612
00:43:56,676 --> 00:43:58,886
on the adult theaters.
613
00:44:39,886 --> 00:44:41,929
But the neighborhood
never bothered
614
00:44:42,013 --> 00:44:45,641
because we always run,
if I can say,
615
00:44:45,725 --> 00:44:49,395
a respectable front,
not to provoke anybody,
616
00:44:49,478 --> 00:44:51,480
not to have any pictures
in the front
617
00:44:51,564 --> 00:44:53,941
so kids can see
as they're walking by,
618
00:44:54,025 --> 00:44:57,904
but because the place has
been there for so many decades,
619
00:44:57,987 --> 00:45:00,489
the patrons know where to come.
620
00:45:00,573 --> 00:45:03,409
I think everything
could have its place.
621
00:45:03,492 --> 00:45:04,952
It's how you do it.
622
00:45:05,036 --> 00:45:07,580
You could have adult,
you could have regular,
623
00:45:07,663 --> 00:45:12,501
you know, you have to do it with
a little respect for the area.
624
00:45:26,515 --> 00:45:28,517
At that time I was buying
the business,
625
00:45:28,601 --> 00:45:32,021
but even though
the rents were low,
626
00:45:32,104 --> 00:45:36,734
because I knew I wanted
to stay in this business
627
00:45:36,817 --> 00:45:39,779
because I loved
what I was doing with a passion
628
00:45:39,862 --> 00:45:45,326
and whether it was showing
adult movies, art movies,
629
00:45:45,409 --> 00:45:48,371
or first run movies,
I just liked it.
630
00:45:48,454 --> 00:45:51,499
I really was excited about it,
631
00:45:51,582 --> 00:45:56,212
and I knew that in order
to stay in this business,
632
00:45:56,295 --> 00:46:00,258
I need to protect the longevity
633
00:46:00,341 --> 00:46:02,843
by buying the buildings.
634
00:46:02,927 --> 00:46:06,973
So at one point,
635
00:46:07,056 --> 00:46:09,809
I offered more money
and I bought the buildings.
636
00:46:19,527 --> 00:46:22,697
Can I help you
with something, sir?
637
00:46:22,780 --> 00:46:25,700
Yeah, you got this in a sneaker?
638
00:46:28,828 --> 00:46:33,040
I was in the neighborhood
so I thought I'd come in.
639
00:46:35,751 --> 00:46:37,003
Why are you whispering?
640
00:46:37,086 --> 00:46:38,879
- I'm whispering?
- Yeah.
641
00:46:38,963 --> 00:46:41,299
Sorry.
642
00:46:41,382 --> 00:46:43,884
- I just want to talk to you.
- Okay.
643
00:46:43,968 --> 00:46:45,386
Why don't you have a seat?
644
00:46:45,469 --> 00:46:47,388
I'll be with you in a minute.
645
00:46:47,471 --> 00:46:50,516
The first one I bought
was Third Avenue
646
00:46:50,599 --> 00:46:53,644
for a million dollars.
647
00:46:53,728 --> 00:46:57,940
I tried to make it
a regular movie,
648
00:46:58,024 --> 00:47:01,694
and I opened "Sea of Love"
with Al Pacino and...
649
00:47:01,777 --> 00:47:03,029
But then these big companies
650
00:47:03,112 --> 00:47:05,573
started building
these multiplexes.
651
00:47:05,656 --> 00:47:08,868
Like overbuilt.
652
00:47:08,951 --> 00:47:12,204
And then in '92,
I just developed it
653
00:47:12,288 --> 00:47:16,292
and made the place
into apartments
654
00:47:16,375 --> 00:47:21,964
and The VNYL upscale bar.
655
00:47:22,048 --> 00:47:24,091
Is that a gay bar now?
656
00:47:24,175 --> 00:47:26,761
All right, so where's
the theater we're talking about?
657
00:47:26,844 --> 00:47:28,387
- Nick.
- This is it.
658
00:47:28,471 --> 00:47:29,388
Where?
659
00:47:29,472 --> 00:47:30,931
I don't see no theater.
660
00:47:31,015 --> 00:47:33,267
Oh, this is it, The VNYL, bro.
661
00:47:33,351 --> 00:47:35,102
- Is this a theater? No.
- Yeah.
662
00:47:35,186 --> 00:47:36,354
This is a movie theater?
663
00:47:36,437 --> 00:47:38,606
This was the Jewel Theater
in the old days.
664
00:47:38,689 --> 00:47:39,899
This goes back,
665
00:47:39,982 --> 00:47:43,194
it was a vaudeville house
with talkies,
666
00:47:43,277 --> 00:47:45,613
Charlie Chaplin.
667
00:47:45,696 --> 00:47:47,990
You know, for a nickel you came
668
00:47:48,074 --> 00:47:50,201
and you slept overnight
in the old days.
669
00:47:50,284 --> 00:47:53,079
In 1890, this was a place
670
00:47:53,162 --> 00:47:56,123
where gentlemen
used to hang out,
671
00:47:56,207 --> 00:47:57,833
respectable gentlemen
used to hang out...
672
00:47:57,917 --> 00:48:00,669
- Like us.
- with doubtful
673
00:48:00,753 --> 00:48:02,254
character women.
674
00:48:02,338 --> 00:48:05,716
- What is it now?
- Now it's VNYL,
675
00:48:05,800 --> 00:48:08,469
- Vintage New York Lifestyle.
- What was this, variety?
676
00:48:08,552 --> 00:48:11,806
It's a multistory club.
677
00:48:11,889 --> 00:48:15,017
Somewhere you can come
and have private parties
678
00:48:15,101 --> 00:48:17,520
or if Abel wants to hang out
with his buddies
679
00:48:17,603 --> 00:48:21,649
on the second floor
or the second floor mezzanine.
680
00:48:21,732 --> 00:48:25,569
I bought the building
25 years ago.
681
00:48:25,653 --> 00:48:28,114
Actually, it's a very,
very luxurious place.
682
00:48:28,197 --> 00:48:29,782
Very fancy place.
683
00:48:29,865 --> 00:48:32,785
Just like it was in 1891.
684
00:48:34,954 --> 00:48:36,831
When you go against
these big companies,
685
00:48:36,914 --> 00:48:39,041
they just take away the product,
686
00:48:39,125 --> 00:48:40,584
so what am I gonna show?
687
00:48:40,668 --> 00:48:42,711
Go back to adult movies?
688
00:48:42,795 --> 00:48:45,756
So I just figured,
okay, I'm better off.
689
00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:49,468
I'll make it residential
and finish with that.
690
00:49:12,158 --> 00:49:13,826
Make some noise!
691
00:49:22,626 --> 00:49:27,506
Everybody knows
that the film studios
692
00:49:27,590 --> 00:49:32,970
and these big chains,
at one point or another,
693
00:49:33,053 --> 00:49:34,722
there is collusion.
694
00:49:34,805 --> 00:49:37,433
Even the Justice
Department knows.
695
00:49:37,516 --> 00:49:41,896
But the bottom line is
you try to prove that in court.
696
00:49:41,979 --> 00:49:44,231
Did you ever think of trying it?
697
00:49:44,315 --> 00:49:46,859
You can't beat these guys.
698
00:49:46,942 --> 00:49:49,153
They have an army of lawyers.
699
00:49:51,238 --> 00:49:55,910
The court system doesn't care
700
00:49:55,993 --> 00:50:02,416
to waste their money
on issues like this.
701
00:50:02,500 --> 00:50:04,168
So you always lose.
702
00:50:12,176 --> 00:50:14,970
The only reason I did it
is because...
703
00:50:16,972 --> 00:50:20,726
for seven years,
the theater in Queens,
704
00:50:20,809 --> 00:50:22,645
they took
the first run movies away
705
00:50:22,728 --> 00:50:24,021
and I was suffering.
706
00:50:24,104 --> 00:50:26,065
But I refused
to close that theater
707
00:50:26,148 --> 00:50:33,656
because a lady
gifted me that theater,
708
00:50:33,739 --> 00:50:37,952
an old lady that was
like my second mother.
709
00:50:38,035 --> 00:50:41,247
And there was no way
I was going to close the theater
710
00:50:41,330 --> 00:50:44,458
and I was begging them for film
711
00:50:44,542 --> 00:50:46,252
and nobody would listen.
712
00:50:46,335 --> 00:50:49,213
And then I thought, okay,
713
00:50:49,296 --> 00:50:51,465
if I keep it as a movie theater,
714
00:50:51,549 --> 00:50:54,426
I'll give it
to these big chains.
715
00:50:54,510 --> 00:50:58,013
They didn't want it.
716
00:50:58,097 --> 00:51:00,057
It was an impossible situation.
717
00:51:00,140 --> 00:51:02,726
So I sent them a letter
and I said,
718
00:51:02,810 --> 00:51:05,396
"Okay, why don't you
take the theater?"
719
00:51:05,479 --> 00:51:06,605
Take the business over.
720
00:51:06,689 --> 00:51:08,482
Just leave it
as a movie theater.
721
00:51:08,566 --> 00:51:11,193
I don't want to turn it
into a drug store
722
00:51:11,277 --> 00:51:12,861
or a supermarket.
723
00:51:12,945 --> 00:51:14,947
I just want to keep it
as a theater
724
00:51:15,030 --> 00:51:16,907
"even if it's your business."
725
00:51:16,991 --> 00:51:18,867
They didn't
even bother answering.
726
00:51:18,951 --> 00:51:20,452
So I figured the only way
727
00:51:20,536 --> 00:51:24,123
they're gonna
at least listen to me
728
00:51:24,206 --> 00:51:30,296
or look at my offer
that it exists was to sue them.
729
00:51:30,379 --> 00:51:32,631
And I sued them.
730
00:51:32,715 --> 00:51:35,968
Patty, theater one,
what time is the next show?
731
00:51:42,391 --> 00:51:45,352
To my luck,
of course I didn't win,
732
00:51:45,436 --> 00:51:49,273
because you cannot
beat the system.
733
00:51:49,356 --> 00:51:52,776
After 50, 60 years,
734
00:51:52,860 --> 00:51:55,863
Fox made an announcement
735
00:51:55,946 --> 00:52:02,870
and said from May 2016,
"We don't care who you are,
736
00:52:02,953 --> 00:52:04,830
we're giving everybody
the movies.
737
00:52:04,913 --> 00:52:07,333
We want people to go
to the movie theaters.
738
00:52:07,416 --> 00:52:10,753
We don't want to see
no more movie theaters closed."
739
00:52:10,836 --> 00:52:12,880
The gray is what's available.
740
00:52:12,963 --> 00:52:14,506
The screen is up there, so...
741
00:52:14,590 --> 00:52:15,799
The screen is up there.
742
00:52:15,883 --> 00:52:17,426
- How many seats do you want?
- Two.
743
00:52:17,509 --> 00:52:19,803
The screen is up here,
you want to sit in the first,
744
00:52:19,887 --> 00:52:23,265
second, third,
fourth, fifth row?
745
00:52:25,684 --> 00:52:29,563
- In the aisle.
- Aisle.
746
00:52:29,647 --> 00:52:31,857
Oh, you want to go back there?
747
00:52:31,940 --> 00:52:33,942
- Back there, yeah?
- Yeah.
748
00:52:34,026 --> 00:52:35,986
Okay.
749
00:52:36,070 --> 00:52:38,989
Sixteen dollars.
750
00:52:39,073 --> 00:52:40,324
I'll sign for this guy.
751
00:52:40,407 --> 00:52:42,743
We want to get him to sign.
752
00:52:42,826 --> 00:52:44,036
These big companies,
753
00:52:44,119 --> 00:52:47,581
the only reason
they make statements like that
754
00:52:47,665 --> 00:52:49,750
is because there's pressure.
755
00:52:49,833 --> 00:52:53,504
There was an open investigation
from the Department of Justice.
756
00:52:53,587 --> 00:52:54,963
So these big corporations,
757
00:52:55,047 --> 00:52:58,467
what they don't like
is lawsuits.
758
00:52:58,550 --> 00:53:02,179
So to avoid themselves
the headache,
759
00:53:02,262 --> 00:53:03,889
all these big companies,
760
00:53:03,972 --> 00:53:06,266
for the first time
after decades,
761
00:53:06,350 --> 00:53:10,437
decided we're going
to give everybody the movies.
762
00:53:10,521 --> 00:53:13,482
They said, "We don't want to see
movie theaters close down."
763
00:53:13,565 --> 00:53:15,192
So I have to take them
at their word.
764
00:53:15,275 --> 00:53:18,070
It doesn't matter,
the end result is,
765
00:53:18,153 --> 00:53:19,822
for the first time
after seven years,
766
00:53:19,905 --> 00:53:22,324
I was getting first run movies
767
00:53:22,408 --> 00:53:24,368
and then Paramount
followed a month later,
768
00:53:24,451 --> 00:53:26,745
Universal, Lionsgate,
769
00:53:26,829 --> 00:53:29,790
and then the theater
came back to life.
770
00:53:29,873 --> 00:53:32,584
(unintelligible) the owner of
this independent movie theater
771
00:53:32,668 --> 00:53:34,378
here in Forest Hills, Queens,
772
00:53:34,461 --> 00:53:36,130
says he could be facing closure,
773
00:53:36,213 --> 00:53:38,716
and he's hoping
the success of that movie,
774
00:53:38,799 --> 00:53:41,760
"American Sniper,"
helps him stay open.
775
00:53:41,844 --> 00:53:45,180
But it all started because
776
00:53:45,264 --> 00:53:47,433
Warner Bros. Gave me a movie.
777
00:53:47,516 --> 00:53:48,642
A first run movie,
778
00:53:48,726 --> 00:53:51,061
the first run movie
that I ever played there
779
00:53:51,145 --> 00:53:53,856
in seven years,
"American Sniper."
780
00:53:53,939 --> 00:53:56,900
And then the whole neighborhood
was up in arms
781
00:53:56,984 --> 00:54:00,487
because they really didn't want
the theater closed.
782
00:54:00,571 --> 00:54:03,615
So they all came to the theater
and supported it,
783
00:54:03,699 --> 00:54:06,869
and their support
was so tremendous
784
00:54:06,952 --> 00:54:09,663
that all the news...
785
00:54:09,747 --> 00:54:12,332
Channel ♪,
Channel 11, Channel 2,
786
00:54:12,416 --> 00:54:16,086
they all came to the theater
and it was unbelievable.
787
00:54:16,170 --> 00:54:18,046
The people
didn't stop coming there.
788
00:54:18,130 --> 00:54:19,798
This Queens resident
has been coming here
789
00:54:19,882 --> 00:54:21,508
since he was a child.
790
00:54:21,592 --> 00:54:24,720
It's a wonderful theater,
great neighborhood place to be.
791
00:54:24,803 --> 00:54:27,014
Been coming here
since I'm a kid.
792
00:54:27,097 --> 00:54:30,642
Some great memories,
wonderful shows with friends.
793
00:54:30,726 --> 00:54:32,144
It's just a great place.
794
00:54:32,227 --> 00:54:35,564
I was just standing
in front of the box office,
795
00:54:35,647 --> 00:54:39,401
thanking every customer
that came out.
796
00:54:39,485 --> 00:54:44,198
I was standing there from 11,
12 noon to 11 at night.
797
00:54:44,281 --> 00:54:46,784
I'm bringing more people
that normally will not come
798
00:54:46,867 --> 00:54:49,036
to the... will not go
to the movies.
799
00:54:49,119 --> 00:54:52,831
They'd rather wait
and see the movie on TV.
800
00:54:52,915 --> 00:54:54,750
That's the customers
that come there,
801
00:54:54,833 --> 00:54:58,587
because that theater
has been there for 90 years.
802
00:54:58,670 --> 00:55:01,757
Ninety years,
generation upon generation
803
00:55:01,840 --> 00:55:03,884
have been coming
to that theater.
804
00:55:03,967 --> 00:55:05,636
They like it,
they feel comfortable,
805
00:55:05,719 --> 00:55:07,429
it's their home.
806
00:55:51,849 --> 00:55:56,603
Well, in the '70s and 80s,
it was more like,
807
00:55:56,687 --> 00:55:57,813
"Let's go to the movies."
808
00:55:57,896 --> 00:55:59,648
Let's get there before,
a half hour,
809
00:55:59,731 --> 00:56:01,316
we get tickets before an hour.
810
00:56:01,400 --> 00:56:03,652
Let's wait in line,"
and things like that.
811
00:56:03,735 --> 00:56:08,407
Now it's like,
"Let's get our reserved seat."
812
00:56:08,490 --> 00:56:11,076
I'm going to sit at D5.
813
00:56:11,159 --> 00:56:14,454
I come in five minutes before,”
and that's it.
814
00:56:14,538 --> 00:56:16,206
Well, you enjoy the movie.
815
00:56:16,290 --> 00:56:18,542
For example, now you're going
to see "Blade Runner."
816
00:56:18,625 --> 00:56:21,753
- Two hours and 43 minutes.
- Yeah, two hours and 43 minutes.
817
00:56:21,837 --> 00:56:23,755
So you want to be comfortable.
818
00:56:23,839 --> 00:56:26,425
I love the "Godfather" movies.
819
00:56:26,508 --> 00:56:27,843
I like these type of movies.
820
00:56:27,926 --> 00:56:32,014
I like early
Martin Scorsese movies.
821
00:56:32,097 --> 00:56:33,765
"Mean Streets" and...
822
00:56:33,849 --> 00:56:35,684
Business is business
for the city.
823
00:56:35,767 --> 00:56:38,061
They still collect
the real estate tax
824
00:56:38,145 --> 00:56:39,354
and everything else.
825
00:56:39,438 --> 00:56:41,064
But movie theaters
give character
826
00:56:41,148 --> 00:56:42,733
to the neighborhood.
827
00:56:42,816 --> 00:56:46,653
Movie theaters give life,
so it's about humans,
828
00:56:46,737 --> 00:56:49,114
it's about people.
829
00:56:49,197 --> 00:56:50,824
We just renovated the theater.
830
00:56:50,908 --> 00:56:55,287
The idea was to make it like
the way it was built in 1920s,
831
00:56:55,370 --> 00:56:57,331
because that's what we want.
832
00:56:57,414 --> 00:57:03,670
We want people to come here
and feel those years.
833
00:57:03,754 --> 00:57:10,218
And just like it was
in the 1920s
834
00:57:10,302 --> 00:57:13,305
with nice solid door.
835
00:57:13,388 --> 00:57:15,766
Right?
836
00:57:15,849 --> 00:57:18,518
As you see, there's no urinals,
837
00:57:18,602 --> 00:57:20,312
but we spend
a lot of money here,
838
00:57:20,395 --> 00:57:21,939
so I wanted to show it.
839
00:57:24,232 --> 00:57:25,525
Down the hallway,
840
00:57:25,609 --> 00:57:28,820
you have three theaters
and two up here.
841
00:57:28,904 --> 00:57:32,866
Originally the theater
was a single screen theater,
842
00:57:32,950 --> 00:57:38,914
about 1,200 seats,
but now it's five.
843
00:57:38,997 --> 00:57:41,833
The cafe will be part
of the theater,
844
00:57:41,917 --> 00:57:44,419
so people can wait at the cafe,
845
00:57:44,503 --> 00:57:48,423
have a drink, coffee,
or maybe nothing,
846
00:57:48,507 --> 00:57:49,925
just sit there.
847
00:57:50,008 --> 00:57:53,804
A movie theater
should be a relaxed time
848
00:57:53,887 --> 00:57:56,390
that somebody
puts their cell phone away
849
00:57:56,473 --> 00:57:59,893
for a couple of hours
and forgets about it,
850
00:57:59,977 --> 00:58:02,813
and they can live without it
for two hours
851
00:58:02,896 --> 00:58:06,066
and go in a dark theater
and enjoy a movie.
852
00:58:06,149 --> 00:58:07,943
If you don't come out
to the theater,
853
00:58:08,026 --> 00:58:09,903
you cannot do that.
854
00:58:09,987 --> 00:58:12,864
Basically, we have
good old-fashioned popcorn,
855
00:58:12,948 --> 00:58:17,202
good quality,
and at half the price
856
00:58:17,285 --> 00:58:19,121
of what everybody else charges.
857
00:58:19,204 --> 00:58:21,790
You don't need to be greedy,
858
00:58:21,873 --> 00:58:24,626
you don't need
to rip people off.
859
00:58:24,710 --> 00:58:27,421
They'll come more often
to the theater,
860
00:58:27,504 --> 00:58:30,215
and I want people
to come to the movies.
861
00:58:30,298 --> 00:58:32,509
-Yeah, we got people coming...
-Movies make people cry,
862
00:58:32,592 --> 00:58:33,719
they make them happy.
863
00:58:33,802 --> 00:58:35,303
Don't shoot me, shoot the crowd.
864
00:58:35,387 --> 00:58:39,099
And I think
that's worth something.
865
00:58:39,182 --> 00:58:40,934
There's a crowd,
what are you coming to see?
866
00:58:41,018 --> 00:58:43,270
What movie are you going to see?
867
00:58:43,353 --> 00:58:44,896
- Which one?
- "Battle of the Sexes."
868
00:58:44,980 --> 00:58:47,291
"Battle of the Sexes"... we got
a battle going on right here.
869
00:58:47,315 --> 00:58:48,692
I got a battle at home.
870
00:58:48,775 --> 00:58:50,253
-I don't have to come...
-We all have
871
00:58:50,277 --> 00:58:52,446
I don't have to come
to the movies!
872
00:58:52,529 --> 00:58:55,157
- Right?
- Right.
873
00:58:55,240 --> 00:58:57,200
- How'd you like the movie?
- Good, it was good!
874
00:58:57,284 --> 00:58:59,453
Okay, he liked the movie.
875
00:58:59,536 --> 00:59:00,662
You guys know the original?
876
00:59:00,746 --> 00:59:02,372
You guys see the original?
877
00:59:02,456 --> 00:59:04,376
I thought the script was better
for the original,
878
00:59:04,458 --> 00:59:06,793
but I think the directing
and cinematography was better
879
00:59:06,877 --> 00:59:09,355
- for the more... for the new one.
- Oh, really, that's interesting.
880
00:59:09,379 --> 00:59:12,049
I think that this is probably
just gonna be the end of it.
881
00:59:12,132 --> 00:59:13,842
I think they closed it
pretty well.
882
00:59:13,925 --> 00:59:15,719
I think that if they ended here
I'd be fine,
883
00:59:15,802 --> 00:59:16,922
but if they made another one
884
00:59:16,970 --> 00:59:18,805
and explored
much more mature themes,
885
00:59:18,889 --> 00:59:20,098
then it'd be great, too.
886
00:59:20,182 --> 00:59:22,100
And I think
they could have also explored
887
00:59:22,184 --> 00:59:24,728
a couple of different...
More concepts.
888
00:59:24,811 --> 00:59:29,191
Because it could have
explored concepts
889
00:59:29,274 --> 00:59:30,650
that this film didn't explore
890
00:59:30,734 --> 00:59:34,446
such as the human psyche
891
00:59:34,529 --> 00:59:36,406
and the human psyche
892
00:59:36,490 --> 00:59:37,991
that this one
didn't explore as much.
893
00:59:38,075 --> 00:59:39,785
Are you a filmmaker?
894
00:59:39,868 --> 00:59:40,868
We're two.
895
00:59:40,911 --> 00:59:42,231
Both of us are
kind of film nerds.
896
00:59:42,287 --> 00:59:43,663
- I am, yeah.
- You guys shoot?
897
00:59:43,747 --> 00:59:45,499
- Yes, we shoot.
- Excellent, all right.
898
00:59:45,582 --> 00:59:47,250
Have you made
your own movie yet?
899
00:59:47,334 --> 00:59:49,169
I've made small pieces
here and there.
900
00:59:49,252 --> 00:59:50,646
- Just like one minute long.
- All right.
901
00:59:50,670 --> 00:59:52,798
Got to start somewhere, right?
902
01:00:00,889 --> 01:00:01,890
Vito.
903
01:00:01,973 --> 01:00:03,683
- Where is Vito?
- Vito?
904
01:00:03,767 --> 01:00:06,144
Yeah, he don't work here
no more?
905
01:00:07,604 --> 01:00:09,314
He's my boss.
906
01:00:09,397 --> 01:00:13,110
They are part
of the theater sort of.
907
01:00:13,193 --> 01:00:15,904
When was this opened,
this place?
908
01:00:15,987 --> 01:00:19,157
1925 with the theater.
909
01:00:19,241 --> 01:00:24,079
So whoever wants to shut down
this place is a mistake.
910
01:00:39,845 --> 01:00:43,598
Actually, it's kind of
a holiday, I think,
911
01:00:43,682 --> 01:00:46,852
for my neighbors,
912
01:00:46,935 --> 01:00:49,980
so that's why we're not
that busy Friday.
913
01:00:52,566 --> 01:00:54,526
Club, too.
914
01:00:56,987 --> 01:00:58,905
You see it? You see it, too?
915
01:01:00,574 --> 01:01:03,785
I could see it.
916
01:01:03,869 --> 01:01:05,579
The other one.
917
01:01:05,662 --> 01:01:08,039
Sal, please pull
to the right, okay.
918
01:01:08,123 --> 01:01:09,443
I can't go
to the right right now.
919
01:01:09,499 --> 01:01:11,501
- There are the poles.
- Not right now.
920
01:01:11,585 --> 01:01:13,670
- It's like when you can.
- Come on, don't make me
921
01:01:13,753 --> 01:01:15,922
like I'm an asshole
in front of people.
922
01:01:18,008 --> 01:01:20,510
My name is Sal Peretti.
923
01:01:20,594 --> 01:01:24,055
I was born
in Union City, New Jersey,
924
01:01:24,139 --> 01:01:27,684
and I've been in Jersey
all my life.
925
01:01:27,767 --> 01:01:31,813
I started myself in 1942.
926
01:01:31,897 --> 01:01:33,773
The war started in '41.
927
01:01:33,857 --> 01:01:34,983
All the guys went away.
928
01:01:35,066 --> 01:01:38,737
I was 12 years old
and I was an usher,
929
01:01:38,820 --> 01:01:43,700
I sold candy, and I cleaned
the theater at night
930
01:01:43,783 --> 01:01:47,621
for an old weak fella
that owned the theater.
931
01:01:47,704 --> 01:01:51,625
I always was a manager
and Nick worked for me as a kid,
932
01:01:51,708 --> 01:01:54,628
but Nick is very smart.
933
01:01:54,711 --> 01:01:58,840
He told me, "I'm not going
to manage theaters all my life.
934
01:01:58,924 --> 01:02:00,175
I'm going to own it,
935
01:02:00,258 --> 01:02:02,344
and you are going
to work for me."
936
01:02:02,427 --> 01:02:04,846
And that's exactly
what happened.
937
01:02:04,930 --> 01:02:07,140
I'm working for him,
but I'm not killing myself,
938
01:02:07,224 --> 01:02:09,476
you know what I mean?
939
01:02:09,559 --> 01:02:12,520
You don't have
to say nothing nice.
940
01:02:12,604 --> 01:02:15,273
His assistant hired me
941
01:02:15,357 --> 01:02:18,276
and then, I think
I used to go a little late
942
01:02:18,360 --> 01:02:19,819
because after
junior high school,
943
01:02:19,903 --> 01:02:21,655
sometimes you go late.
944
01:02:21,738 --> 01:02:24,032
So he called me in to fire me,
945
01:02:24,115 --> 01:02:26,868
because he says,
"You come in late."
946
01:02:26,952 --> 01:02:30,038
So I said,
"What are you talking about?"
947
01:02:30,121 --> 01:02:31,373
I came from Astoria.
948
01:02:31,456 --> 01:02:33,208
I paid money on the train.
949
01:02:33,291 --> 01:02:36,795
I brought my sandwich with me
from home.
950
01:02:36,878 --> 01:02:39,005
"You're going to fire me?"
951
01:02:39,089 --> 01:02:42,133
So being Sal, who he is,
where he comes from,
952
01:02:42,217 --> 01:02:45,178
from a poor
Italian-American family
953
01:02:45,262 --> 01:02:47,847
in the Depression,
that hit a chord.
954
01:02:47,931 --> 01:02:49,349
So he didn't fire me.
955
01:02:49,432 --> 01:02:52,727
So that was the best thing
he ever did, then.
956
01:02:55,563 --> 01:02:56,982
Welcome to the Alpine Cinema.
957
01:02:57,065 --> 01:02:58,900
All right.
958
01:02:58,984 --> 01:03:00,485
- This is...
- What a beautiful theater.
959
01:03:00,568 --> 01:03:02,612
an old neighborhood theater.
960
01:03:02,696 --> 01:03:05,323
The oldest in
the five boroughs of New York.
961
01:03:05,407 --> 01:03:09,828
Has been continuously operating
for 97 years.
962
01:03:09,911 --> 01:03:11,579
About 10 years ago,
963
01:03:11,663 --> 01:03:13,248
this theater
would have been the victim
964
01:03:13,331 --> 01:03:14,958
of another shutdown,
965
01:03:15,041 --> 01:03:18,670
another theater closing,
a historic theater.
966
01:03:18,753 --> 01:03:21,298
There was like
five theaters around here
967
01:03:21,381 --> 01:03:23,675
and one by one got shut down,
968
01:03:23,758 --> 01:03:25,427
and some of them within months.
969
01:03:25,510 --> 01:03:27,262
So when it came to these,
970
01:03:27,345 --> 01:03:30,140
both the Republicans
and the Democrats
971
01:03:30,223 --> 01:03:34,102
had a big, big outcry
in the newspapers all over.
972
01:03:34,185 --> 01:03:36,563
They were calling
to find somebody to buy it.
973
01:03:36,646 --> 01:03:38,148
Nobody wanted to buy it.
974
01:03:38,231 --> 01:03:41,318
I found this theater
in the newspaper.
975
01:03:41,401 --> 01:03:43,903
I called him in his home
in Cyprus,
976
01:03:43,987 --> 01:03:47,282
and he came right away
and took it over.
977
01:03:47,365 --> 01:03:50,035
I do it because it combines
978
01:03:50,118 --> 01:03:53,621
two things I like to do:
Make money
979
01:03:53,705 --> 01:03:57,542
and keep
neighborhood theaters alive.
980
01:03:57,625 --> 01:03:59,919
He's a great movie man.
981
01:04:00,003 --> 01:04:01,504
He loves the movies
982
01:04:01,588 --> 01:04:05,050
and I taught him the business
when he was a kid.
983
01:04:05,133 --> 01:04:06,384
He's outsmarted me.
984
01:04:06,468 --> 01:04:09,846
He knows the business
inside out.
985
01:04:09,929 --> 01:04:15,060
So we discovered backstage
where about a hundred years ago,
986
01:04:15,143 --> 01:04:17,896
they had a 12-piece orchestra
987
01:04:17,979 --> 01:04:21,483
where they played
before the movie in 1921.
988
01:04:21,566 --> 01:04:23,568
Then we started building.
989
01:04:23,651 --> 01:04:28,281
We made the best theater
out of all these theaters.
990
01:04:28,365 --> 01:04:30,825
For the first time
in the history of our country,
991
01:04:30,909 --> 01:04:33,286
a majority of our people believe
992
01:04:33,370 --> 01:04:36,456
that the next five years
993
01:04:36,539 --> 01:04:40,335
will be worse
than the past five years.
994
01:04:40,418 --> 01:04:42,796
How about the next 35?
995
01:04:42,879 --> 01:04:46,299
Movies are part of our lives.
996
01:04:46,383 --> 01:04:49,135
And if you don't want
to make them available,
997
01:04:49,219 --> 01:04:52,430
how is a kid, 15,
14, 16 going to go
998
01:04:52,514 --> 01:04:54,015
if he can't drive?
999
01:04:54,099 --> 01:04:56,059
So why does everybody need
to take a car
1000
01:04:56,142 --> 01:04:59,604
and drive three, four,
five miles away to see a movie?
1001
01:04:59,687 --> 01:05:01,106
What movie you seeing?
1002
01:05:01,189 --> 01:05:02,524
I'm going to watch "It."
1003
01:05:02,607 --> 01:05:04,651
- Why?
- I don't know, it looks good.
1004
01:05:04,734 --> 01:05:06,486
- It looks good.
- I watched the reviews
1005
01:05:06,569 --> 01:05:08,488
and it looks entertaining.
1006
01:05:08,571 --> 01:05:10,907
I heard it has
a lot of jump scares.
1007
01:05:10,990 --> 01:05:12,742
Jump scares. Okay.
1008
01:05:12,826 --> 01:05:14,119
You guys like getting scared?
1009
01:05:14,202 --> 01:05:15,578
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
1010
01:05:15,662 --> 01:05:17,372
You didn't even go
to school yet, right?
1011
01:05:17,455 --> 01:05:19,165
- You didn't even go home yet.
- No, not yet.
1012
01:05:19,249 --> 01:05:20,500
We come here.
1013
01:05:20,583 --> 01:05:22,627
This is like your stop?
1014
01:05:22,710 --> 01:05:24,796
- Your stop on the way home?
- Yeah, of course.
1015
01:05:24,879 --> 01:05:26,714
So what do you tell them
at home?
1016
01:05:26,798 --> 01:05:28,007
- Doing your homework?
- Yeah.
1017
01:05:28,091 --> 01:05:29,509
- Studying hard.
- Yeah.
1018
01:05:29,592 --> 01:05:31,278
And then what,
you're watching a horror movie?
1019
01:05:31,302 --> 01:05:32,804
Yeah, every time.
1020
01:05:32,887 --> 01:05:34,347
Try to watch every movie we can.
1021
01:05:34,431 --> 01:05:35,932
- All you guys are same?
- Egyptian.
1022
01:05:36,015 --> 01:05:37,142
You're Egyptian?
1023
01:05:37,225 --> 01:05:38,601
- And this cat?
- I'm mixed.
1024
01:05:38,685 --> 01:05:40,478
- Mixed what?
- Moroccan and Vietnamese.
1025
01:05:40,562 --> 01:05:41,896
- And Egyptian.
- And Vietnamese.
1026
01:05:41,980 --> 01:05:43,356
All right, okay.
1027
01:05:43,440 --> 01:05:45,358
-You're mixed from...
-Half-Egyptian.
1028
01:05:45,442 --> 01:05:47,193
You're getting close shots.
1029
01:05:47,277 --> 01:05:49,213
There's another Egyptian,
I can see him from here.
1030
01:05:49,237 --> 01:05:50,572
Yep, he's Egyptian.
1031
01:05:52,699 --> 01:05:55,618
I'm not a politician.
1032
01:05:55,702 --> 01:05:56,786
I'm a survivor.
1033
01:05:56,870 --> 01:05:58,663
I'm a kid
that grew up in New York
1034
01:05:58,746 --> 01:06:00,415
with all sorts of people
1035
01:06:00,498 --> 01:06:02,917
that coexisted
with those people.
1036
01:06:03,001 --> 01:06:06,880
So I know if I survived,
1037
01:06:06,963 --> 01:06:11,301
I'm here in this little theater
23 feet wide,
1038
01:06:11,384 --> 01:06:14,596
and all around me
I have 49 screens
1039
01:06:14,679 --> 01:06:18,975
that are built by the biggest
stock market companies ever.
1040
01:06:19,058 --> 01:06:24,189
My poorest competitor
is a billionaire up the street
1041
01:06:24,272 --> 01:06:26,107
and I'm still here.
1042
01:06:26,191 --> 01:06:31,279
So what I'm saying is,
surviving Times Square,
1043
01:06:31,362 --> 01:06:35,283
surviving the Mecca
of film exhibitors,
1044
01:06:35,366 --> 01:06:37,452
which is The Village,
1045
01:06:37,535 --> 01:06:41,873
and I'm still open
where others closed
1046
01:06:41,956 --> 01:06:44,626
and I don't have anybody
backing me up
1047
01:06:44,709 --> 01:06:49,422
or any film studios like others,
1048
01:06:49,506 --> 01:06:51,508
so I have no problem surviving
1049
01:06:51,591 --> 01:06:54,844
and coexisting
with my mosque next door.
1050
01:06:54,928 --> 01:06:58,932
Even I disagree
or disagree with their beliefs,
1051
01:06:59,015 --> 01:07:00,642
it doesn't matter to me.
1052
01:07:00,725 --> 01:07:04,479
I can coexist
and survive through all that
1053
01:07:04,562 --> 01:07:07,482
because that theater
needs to be open,
1054
01:07:07,565 --> 01:07:12,070
the people want it,
and you don't just walk away
1055
01:07:12,153 --> 01:07:14,572
because it may be
a losing proposition
1056
01:07:14,656 --> 01:07:16,658
or it's too difficult.
1057
01:07:16,741 --> 01:07:20,078
People like to go
watch movies with people.
1058
01:07:20,161 --> 01:07:21,329
That's fun.
1059
01:07:21,412 --> 01:07:23,373
That's what we are,
social animals.
1060
01:07:23,456 --> 01:07:26,876
Watching movies
like horror movies, "It,"
1061
01:07:26,960 --> 01:07:29,754
you're watching the movie
with your peers,
1062
01:07:29,837 --> 01:07:32,173
another 300 teenagers,
200 teenagers,
1063
01:07:32,257 --> 01:07:35,051
you're all laughing, it's fun.
1064
01:07:35,134 --> 01:07:36,386
This is what it is.
1065
01:07:36,469 --> 01:07:38,388
The movie may not be
the greatest movie,
1066
01:07:38,471 --> 01:07:40,765
but it's the whole experience.
1067
01:07:55,280 --> 01:07:56,322
Ow!
1068
01:08:37,447 --> 01:08:39,324
For example,
look at Cinema Village
1069
01:08:39,407 --> 01:08:42,327
where we are right now.
1070
01:08:42,410 --> 01:08:44,454
Across the street,
the apartments are selling
1071
01:08:44,537 --> 01:08:46,414
for $10 million each.
1072
01:08:46,497 --> 01:08:49,375
I could build eight floors here.
1073
01:08:49,459 --> 01:08:53,588
I could get rent
for this movie theater,
1074
01:08:53,671 --> 01:08:58,760
a restaurant or something
that's 10 times more
1075
01:08:58,843 --> 01:09:01,346
than what I'm making
as a movie theater,
1076
01:09:01,429 --> 01:09:03,014
but that means I will have
1077
01:09:03,097 --> 01:09:05,892
to shut down the theater
for good.
1078
01:09:09,896 --> 01:09:15,568
Built in 1963 from 1800s,
1079
01:09:15,652 --> 01:09:19,656
a firehouse,
a famous engine, 72.
1080
01:09:19,739 --> 01:09:24,619
In 1963, build a little
small art theater.
1081
01:09:24,702 --> 01:09:28,456
The place shows
very independent films
1082
01:09:28,539 --> 01:09:32,627
that you don't get to see,
they crack through the holes
1083
01:09:32,710 --> 01:09:35,588
and they're never seen
in theaters.
1084
01:09:35,672 --> 01:09:37,215
You'll find them here.
1085
01:09:37,298 --> 01:09:39,092
Like now we're playing
1086
01:09:39,175 --> 01:09:40,885
executive producer
Martin Scorsese,
1087
01:09:40,968 --> 01:09:42,762
this wonderful film.
1088
01:09:42,845 --> 01:09:44,514
Maybe we get a few people.
1089
01:09:44,597 --> 01:09:46,641
Whatever we get,
that's fine with us.
1090
01:09:46,724 --> 01:09:52,313
It was one small theater
to begin with, narrow and long,
1091
01:09:52,397 --> 01:09:58,069
but in order to keep up
with the economics,
1092
01:09:58,152 --> 01:10:02,240
we separated
and made two theaters.
1093
01:10:04,450 --> 01:10:08,663
This is the original
projection booth
1094
01:10:08,746 --> 01:10:11,332
that we just took the balcony
and made a second theater.
1095
01:10:11,416 --> 01:10:14,419
In 1999, we closed the theater.
1096
01:10:14,502 --> 01:10:16,963
We were suffering economically,
1097
01:10:17,046 --> 01:10:20,633
and we just sit
in an empty theater deciding,
1098
01:10:20,717 --> 01:10:23,386
and I said,
"No, let's do something
1099
01:10:23,469 --> 01:10:25,596
to bring in more money,"
1100
01:10:25,680 --> 01:10:29,350
and the fact is that
only this theater
1101
01:10:29,434 --> 01:10:32,061
could survive in New York,
1102
01:10:32,145 --> 01:10:36,232
because the New York audience
is a kind of people
1103
01:10:36,315 --> 01:10:39,277
that are aware of movies.
1104
01:10:39,360 --> 01:10:43,489
So this is the projection booth
we had to create
1105
01:10:43,573 --> 01:10:45,825
in order to make
another theater,
1106
01:10:45,908 --> 01:10:49,454
because we needed
to have two theaters,
1107
01:10:49,537 --> 01:10:51,956
so we can have
more movies shown,
1108
01:10:52,039 --> 01:10:56,711
so the income will justify us
staying open.
1109
01:10:56,794 --> 01:10:59,839
As you see,
it's kind of unorthodox,
1110
01:10:59,922 --> 01:11:02,717
but we have to jump
on the stage.
1111
01:11:02,800 --> 01:11:05,720
When we come up,
there's nobody here,
1112
01:11:05,803 --> 01:11:09,307
so it's a matter of scheduling
so people don't see us.
1113
01:11:09,390 --> 01:11:11,809
And the way
things operate today,
1114
01:11:11,893 --> 01:11:14,687
we can basically operate
with a remote control
1115
01:11:14,771 --> 01:11:16,105
from downstairs.
1116
01:11:16,189 --> 01:11:18,733
Currently showing
the digital films.
1117
01:11:18,816 --> 01:11:23,696
And in the olden days we used
to show the 16 millimeter,
1118
01:11:23,780 --> 01:11:27,617
35 millimeter,
that we can still show.
1119
01:11:27,700 --> 01:11:34,499
And this is a booth we created
to have the other theater.
1120
01:11:34,582 --> 01:11:36,167
And stay, yeah, stay over there.
1121
01:11:36,250 --> 01:11:38,628
Go a little bit by the light,
just about there.
1122
01:11:41,005 --> 01:11:42,507
Jesse.
1123
01:11:44,425 --> 01:11:46,469
Do you think Daddy...
1124
01:11:46,552 --> 01:11:48,429
What?
1125
01:11:48,513 --> 01:11:50,598
Forget it.
1126
01:11:50,681 --> 01:11:52,308
What, Tracy?
1127
01:11:54,018 --> 01:11:56,395
I'm sorry
if I hurt your feelings.
1128
01:11:56,479 --> 01:11:59,524
We can move all your stuff
back in tomorrow if you want.
1129
01:11:59,607 --> 01:12:04,237
So basically about a year,
two years ago in this theater,
1130
01:12:04,320 --> 01:12:08,032
I decided that, well,
we need to make some money.
1131
01:12:08,115 --> 01:12:11,869
I can't just show movies
that 10 people come and say,
1132
01:12:11,953 --> 01:12:15,498
"Well, that was a great film.
It should deserve playing."
1133
01:12:15,581 --> 01:12:18,459
So basically,
I would charge the filmmaker.
1134
01:12:18,543 --> 01:12:22,046
I said, "Okay, you need
the movie to play in a theater."
1135
01:12:22,129 --> 01:12:23,923
I have a great location.
1136
01:12:24,006 --> 01:12:26,175
You guys need to pay me
some money.
1137
01:12:26,259 --> 01:12:29,095
And if you make
a great box office hit,
1138
01:12:29,178 --> 01:12:32,223
"you get 100 percent
of your money."
1139
01:12:32,306 --> 01:12:36,644
You remember Daddy kissing you
or hugging you?
1140
01:12:36,727 --> 01:12:40,106
Do you think
that's why I never...
1141
01:12:46,445 --> 01:12:48,447
Do you think
that's why I'm cold?
1142
01:12:48,531 --> 01:12:50,449
I don't think you're cold.
1143
01:12:50,533 --> 01:12:52,618
I think I'm cold.
1144
01:12:52,702 --> 01:12:55,246
Or maybe just not warm.
1145
01:12:55,329 --> 01:12:58,291
You're a good person.
1146
01:12:58,374 --> 01:13:02,169
I charge them anywhere
from, depends on people,
1147
01:13:02,253 --> 01:13:04,422
how long they've been
working with us,
1148
01:13:04,505 --> 01:13:07,133
could be five
to ten thousand dollars a week.
1149
01:13:07,216 --> 01:13:09,093
Ten thousand a week
to show the movie?
1150
01:13:09,176 --> 01:13:11,220
I mean, this guy's spending
half a million dollars
1151
01:13:11,304 --> 01:13:12,638
to make a movie.
1152
01:13:12,722 --> 01:13:16,100
Why not give Nick another five,
$10,000, or $8,000,
1153
01:13:16,183 --> 01:13:18,811
and they get to have Q&A,
they get New York Times review,
1154
01:13:18,895 --> 01:13:21,397
they get a lot of things.
1155
01:13:21,480 --> 01:13:22,732
And you know something?
1156
01:13:22,815 --> 01:13:26,068
When their movie's played
in the movie theater,
1157
01:13:26,152 --> 01:13:31,157
this is like the Mecca of
movie theaters now in this area.
1158
01:13:31,240 --> 01:13:33,326
This is a top-notch area.
1159
01:13:36,412 --> 01:13:37,412
Absolutely, yeah.
1160
01:13:37,455 --> 01:13:39,373
My son and daughter
are continuing,
1161
01:13:39,457 --> 01:13:43,419
they just finished colleges
in New York,
1162
01:13:43,502 --> 01:13:45,421
they graduated,
1163
01:13:45,504 --> 01:13:49,926
so both my daughter and son
are going to be...
1164
01:13:50,009 --> 01:13:52,219
Are working with me.
1165
01:13:52,303 --> 01:13:57,141
Then I have another daughter
who is coming in,
1166
01:13:57,224 --> 01:13:58,726
but she's going to go
to college,
1167
01:13:58,809 --> 01:14:00,519
so I don't think
she'll be involved.
1168
01:14:00,603 --> 01:14:04,231
Basically, I'm giving them
the responsibility to take over.
1169
01:14:04,315 --> 01:14:06,400
- What's going on?
- The other side of the world
1170
01:14:06,484 --> 01:14:09,236
and we work remotely together.
1171
01:14:09,320 --> 01:14:11,072
They're in our office in Cyprus,
1172
01:14:11,155 --> 01:14:13,824
and we're on Skype all day,
all night.
1173
01:14:13,908 --> 01:14:16,619
She's the everything
behind this.
1174
01:14:16,702 --> 01:14:19,622
She runs the behind it,
the behind the scenes.
1175
01:14:19,705 --> 01:14:21,958
-This is...
-But basically,
1176
01:14:22,041 --> 01:14:27,546
my wife controls everything
from Cyprus
1177
01:14:27,630 --> 01:14:31,175
through her management team.
1178
01:14:31,258 --> 01:14:35,262
Anything financial,
1179
01:14:35,346 --> 01:14:37,807
what everything
1180
01:14:37,890 --> 01:14:39,767
I don't worry
about what gets paid,
1181
01:14:39,850 --> 01:14:42,853
what doesn't get paid,
1182
01:14:42,937 --> 01:14:46,941
or hooked up with the banks.
1183
01:14:47,024 --> 01:14:53,155
Everything is overlooked
from there, from overseas.
1184
01:14:53,239 --> 01:14:57,868
This is another way you cut
your operation cost, too,
1185
01:14:57,952 --> 01:15:03,040
which we are... I like to think
we pass it on to the patron.
1186
01:15:03,124 --> 01:15:07,211
That's how we have
the most affordable price policy
1187
01:15:07,294 --> 01:15:08,587
in movie theaters.
1188
01:15:08,671 --> 01:15:11,924
So we got like six,
seven show times
1189
01:15:12,008 --> 01:15:13,009
after ♪:00 p.m.
1190
01:15:13,092 --> 01:15:15,928
You see ♪:00, ♪:15, ♪:20, ♪:30.
1191
01:15:16,012 --> 01:15:18,597
Here you can see
there's something like a school.
1192
01:15:18,681 --> 01:15:21,559
It's a big group,
maybe it's 200 people there.
1193
01:15:21,642 --> 01:15:23,769
Because it's the morning,
1194
01:15:23,853 --> 01:15:25,938
all groups or parties
are usually in the morning
1195
01:15:26,022 --> 01:15:28,566
because it's usually schools.
1196
01:15:28,649 --> 01:15:31,652
Alpine in Brooklyn is
doing the best business.
1197
01:15:31,736 --> 01:15:33,738
We do very big, very, very big
1198
01:15:33,821 --> 01:15:36,073
with the family movies
in Brooklyn.
1199
01:15:36,157 --> 01:15:38,284
It's... if you go there
on the weekends,
1200
01:15:38,367 --> 01:15:41,912
it's packed with families
and their kids.
1201
01:15:41,996 --> 01:15:43,622
For one, it's very reasonable.
1202
01:15:43,706 --> 01:15:48,169
We charge a reasonable,
the lowest price in New York,
1203
01:15:48,252 --> 01:15:51,380
and people just support it.
1204
01:15:51,464 --> 01:15:54,216
Like you got "Star Wars"
coming in.
1205
01:15:54,300 --> 01:15:58,220
We're already selling tickets
for Christmas for "Star Wars."
1206
01:16:00,181 --> 01:16:04,143
I mean, I care
not only about the money,
1207
01:16:04,226 --> 01:16:05,269
I'm a businessman,
1208
01:16:05,352 --> 01:16:09,732
but I care about
what the people get.
1209
01:16:09,815 --> 01:16:12,401
It's how you feel afterwards,
that's what I care.
1210
01:16:12,485 --> 01:16:15,780
To me, to run back and forth
and sell another 10 tickets
1211
01:16:15,863 --> 01:16:18,657
means nothing
to my pocket, basically.
1212
01:16:18,741 --> 01:16:21,577
The satisfaction
that the guy parked his car
1213
01:16:21,660 --> 01:16:24,038
and came there with his wife
to see a movie
1214
01:16:24,121 --> 01:16:28,667
and I got him in
before the movie started,
1215
01:16:28,751 --> 01:16:30,377
this makes it for me.
1216
01:16:41,972 --> 01:16:45,309
He's doing his own operation,
1217
01:16:45,392 --> 01:16:48,145
and we're trying
to do everything behind
1218
01:16:48,229 --> 01:16:51,732
that has to do with financing
1219
01:16:51,816 --> 01:16:56,654
and the future of the family
to make sure
1220
01:16:56,737 --> 01:17:02,368
that we spend time together
and enjoy our home.
1221
01:17:02,451 --> 01:17:07,998
I want Nick to relax more
and enjoy his...
1222
01:17:08,082 --> 01:17:09,667
He made me many promises.
1223
01:17:09,750 --> 01:17:12,711
He promised that
he's going to be five years,
1224
01:17:12,795 --> 01:17:15,089
before 15 years,
he's going to relax
1225
01:17:15,172 --> 01:17:17,049
and enjoy everything.
1226
01:17:17,133 --> 01:17:21,846
It's getting worse
with his workaholic,
1227
01:17:21,929 --> 01:17:25,224
it's getting worse,
but now I'm saying no.
1228
01:17:25,307 --> 01:17:26,851
There is more things in life
1229
01:17:26,934 --> 01:17:30,855
like I'm doing now
my sculptures, my dance.
1230
01:17:35,901 --> 01:17:40,239
I'd rather buy
an old movie theater.
1231
01:17:40,322 --> 01:17:41,824
How do you see
the next five years,
1232
01:17:41,907 --> 01:17:43,617
10 years of your life?
1233
01:17:46,412 --> 01:17:49,081
Just keep doing what I'm doing.
1234
01:17:49,165 --> 01:17:50,666
Keep doing what I'm doing.
1235
01:17:50,749 --> 01:17:53,669
If something comes up
where we find a location,
1236
01:17:53,752 --> 01:17:56,088
we'll open another theater.
1237
01:17:58,591 --> 01:18:01,010
I love the theater, one,
1238
01:18:01,093 --> 01:18:05,139
I'm still not
a hundred years old,
1239
01:18:05,222 --> 01:18:08,601
and I feel good
being part of this business.
1240
01:18:08,684 --> 01:18:11,478
I mean, I feel privileged
that I was part
1241
01:18:11,562 --> 01:18:15,399
of you guys making the movies
in my own way
1242
01:18:15,482 --> 01:18:18,194
even as an exhibitor
or as a businessman,
1243
01:18:18,277 --> 01:18:21,780
and I don't like everything
to become mass production,
1244
01:18:21,864 --> 01:18:23,449
that people have to drive
20 miles,
1245
01:18:23,532 --> 01:18:26,035
10 miles to go to only one.
1246
01:18:26,118 --> 01:18:27,369
Give the people a choice.
1247
01:18:27,453 --> 01:18:29,747
I mean, especially in New York,
1248
01:18:29,830 --> 01:18:34,210
there's something nice
about seeing some small movie.
1249
01:18:34,293 --> 01:18:36,629
Most of the guys we play here
1250
01:18:36,712 --> 01:18:38,380
would never get
their movie released
1251
01:18:38,464 --> 01:18:41,383
in a movie theater.
1252
01:18:41,467 --> 01:18:43,427
I think that's wrong.
1253
01:18:48,515 --> 01:18:51,143
This is
our youngest daughter, Phoebe.
1254
01:18:51,227 --> 01:18:54,021
- Phoebe.
- Silence.
1255
01:18:56,649 --> 01:18:58,234
This is the last...
1256
01:19:01,820 --> 01:19:03,739
That's my daughter...
1257
01:19:03,822 --> 01:19:05,741
- Okay!
- Okay, guys.
1258
01:19:05,824 --> 01:19:08,327
Now, now, thank you, thank you.
1259
01:19:08,410 --> 01:19:10,246
My daughter also...
1260
01:19:12,331 --> 01:19:15,542
I think movie theaters
are always going to be,
1261
01:19:15,626 --> 01:19:19,630
and I don't believe
in those fancy games needed
1262
01:19:19,713 --> 01:19:23,550
to get the people in,
like all those tricks,
1263
01:19:23,634 --> 01:19:29,765
and I mean, just basically
have good projection,
1264
01:19:29,848 --> 01:19:32,017
a comfortable place,
1265
01:19:32,101 --> 01:19:34,311
a nice dark theater
to watch a movie in.
1266
01:19:34,395 --> 01:19:37,439
That's what I think people like.
90737
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