The golden age of porn is having a renaissance of sorts with the reopening of the Montauk Theater.
If the City Council approves the owners bid to reopen it next Tuesday, the Montauk will become one of the few big screen venues for gay adult films in America.
The adult movie house closed 2? years ago, the end result of police raids that exposed sexual mischief in the aisles and bathrooms.
"The theater is ready to open," Montauk owner Gloria Terminello said. "It's in perfect condition. The city just says 'health code violations,' but there's nothing of the kind."
Mayor Samuel Rivera said he's seeking "legal ways" to rid Passaic of the Montauk, which several Web sites still list as one of the state's top gay "cruise spots", although several city council members have admitted that such an approach is not likely.
"It's crazy, but the Constitution protects the rights of people who want to watch these types of things," Rivera said.
The theater must satisfy council concerns that past violations will not reoccur to win their licensce back. In order to so, the theater had installed two surveillance cameras in the 1,200-seat viewing hall. It also plans to hire outside security guards and either bar or remove every other seat. There are also numerous signs within the theater that notify patrons that sexuall activity is not allowed.
In May 2000, the city's health officer testified that he found used condoms on the floor and semen stains on the walls. City records show that during its last health inspection on June 21, 2002, when the theater was closed, the Montauk received a "satisfactory" rating.
In the past, "if there were violations, they corrected them," said Anthony Martone, the city's chief registered environmental health specialist. Signs in the shuttered theater note the prohibition on sexual activity.
As a councilman, Rivera said, he spoke with the owner about making the Montauk a mainstream venue. "She saidd she would make in a year doing regular movies what she could make in a month showing [pornographic] movies," Rivera said.
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