UPDATE: Since posting this, I've found out that unfortunately the film ran out of funding, and it looks like it will not be finished.
Originally published in 1986, Josh Alan Friedman's "Tales of Times Square
" memorialized the "old" Forty Deuce before it had even disappeared. Friedman presented a history of the area which combined contemporary stories (circa late 70's into the 80's) and old timer's stories of an even older time. If stories of a pre-gentrified 42nd Street interest you, I heartily recommend this book. The reason I'm mentioning this is that friend-in-blog, NYCD, spotted a gem of a movie trailer over on Vimeo. It's apparently an in-production version of the book. Unfortunately the film makers have the sharing option turned off so you'll have to go to Vimeo to view it. Check it out here. I hope it's not too long before we get to see the results.
"WINNER BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY - LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL - TAMPA FILM FESTIVAL - MOONDANCE FILM FESTIVAL - NYC EAST VILLAGE FILM FESTIVAL.
Sex. Drugs. Crime. Corruption. Just another day in Times Square.
Tales of Times Square combines 16 mm footage and grainy Super 8, as well as original 35mm photography by Paul Stone and Porn Star Annie Sprinkle, to paint a vivid picture of Times Square’s seedy past, the sex industries that thrived there, and those threatened with extinction by a movement to ‘sanitize the square.’ The film investigates the past, present and future of the infamous neighborhood, at the height of its raunchy reputation.
The film is a complete recreation of 1980's Times Square, mostly from Paul Stone's own memories. The film features actual people from the book and real people cast as actors. Not one frame of the film is stock footage. Quite a feat given the massive gentrification transformation that has taken place in the last decade."
Visit the film website here.
If the trailer is any indication, this is a ridiculous documentary written by men who still believe in the "hooker with a heart of gold" and that strippers and prostitutes are enjoying themselves as much as the patron. I hope there's more to it than what the trailer shows. Will it include a body count of murdered young women, women strung out on drugs, runaways and those who have been kidnapped? There was nothing romantic or nostalgic about the old Times Square.
ReplyDeleteJosh Alan Friedman has gone from strength to strength since the initial publication of TALES in 1986. We've published his latest, the autobiographical novel BLACK CRACKER - a phenomenal book dealing with his childhood as the lone white boy in the last segregated school in NY. Funny, tragic and brutally honest. For more, check out his website, blog and archive, BlackCrackerOnline.com
ReplyDeleteHere's great TV news footage of an anti-porn demonstration in Times Square from 1979...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1CMeX-GzeU
Tales of Times Square is a tremendous book. Anyone know if he's planning on a second installment?
ReplyDeleteI doubt it...but I'm sure one of us could ask him via his blog or facebook. He has a new one out as mentioned above.
ReplyDeleteJust saw the short film...wowowow, EXACTLY like the book! I actually thought it was a straight documentary until I happened to scroll down and read that it was recreated. Just shows you the quality of the work.
ReplyDeleteHa, one of my favorite parts of Tales of Times Square was Josh trying in vain to sleep with Megan Calendar, a Ford model at the time. I read the book like two years ago, and I remember trying to google her to see what she looked like. Of course, it was a shot in the dark, but I tried...
As I mentioned, I don't know about a follow up, but I did ask Josh about the film. He said the film makers ran out of funding and it doesn't look like it will get finished. Its too bad they don't allow sharing with the video clip...it might help generate interest.
ReplyDelete