The Oscars may be over, but there’s plenty of buzz about movies on the Upper West Side.
Putzel, a silly love story about a young Upper West Sider who dreams of taking over his family’s fish store, is now free on Hulu. It’s got Susie Essman, of Curb Your Enthusiasm fame, and we first wrote about it here. Click here to watch for free.
Lisa Hurwitz is directing a documentary about Automats, which were an Upper West Side and New York City mainstay for decades. She’s raising money for the project on kickstarter, and has released the trailer below. We wrote about one local Automat building here.
Also, a film called Oppenheimer Strategies (which sounds more like a financial brokerage) has been filming throughout the neighborhood lately. It stars Richard Gere, and is about “a small-time operator named Norman Oppenheimer who befriends a young politician at a low and lonely moment in his life. Three years later when that politician becomes an influential world leader, Norman’s life dramatically changes. For better. And for worse.”
Photo via Putzel Facebook page.
Ah, the Automat, where my folks would take me once a week for either lunch or dinner and the only place as a kid I would eat fish (in the form of fish cakes) with macaroni and cheese and the world’s best baked beans.
Can’t wait to see the film (or to find someplace where the mac and cheese and baked beans are as good as Horn & Hardart made them!
Somebody please start a petition on change.org to bring back The Automat.
NYC was much better in the 40s, 50s & 60s. Better and way way cheaper. And you could speak your mind without fear of being fired or sued.
Eat your heart out.
Why so nasty?
Lisa, As unique as the architecture and the operating
system was the real emphasis has to be on the food, which
was exceptional. I can still taste the Baked Beans and the
orange glaze cupcake, two of my favorites, and it’s been 50 years. I grew up with the Automat on 104th st. and Broadway, eating there regularly and often and shining shoes
after school in front of the Automat in the 1940’s. I loved the
Automat and I thank you for making this film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTqjO-dHTmE
Best Mac and cheese and pies!
1972,September, my mom and I strolling by the theatre where “Grease” was playing. I said, “I heard this was a good show.” We bought two balcony tickets for a grand total of six dollars for that day’s matinee. Barry Bostwick was Danny Zucko and Alan Paul (Manhattan Transfer) was the teen angel flying across the stage in a white suit.
Life was simpler and less expensive. And less complicated.