‘Zipper’ chronicles Coney Island’s storied history
Documentary Airs on WNET-Thirteen on April 28
Coney Island has changed quite a bit over the past few years, especially since the building of Luna Park and the Scream Zone. However, there are those who miss the old, anarchic, slightly seedy but always in-your-face Coney Island.
Filmmaker Amy Nicholson is in the latter category, as evidenced in her documentary “Zipper: Coney Island’s Last Wild Ride,” which, just two weeks after Coney Island opened for the 2014 season, will premiere on WNET-Thirteen. The film, which first premiered this past summer at IFC, will air Monday, April 28 at 10 p.m.
The title of the movie is somewhat misleading. “Zipper” is the name of a scary-looking carnival ride in which enclosed cars swing back and forth like the cars on the Wonder Wheel, while the entire contraption spins and rotates at high speeds. Until 2007, Coney Island had a Zipper ride owned by independent operator Eddie Miranda, who’s now living in Florida.