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Massapequan makes Guiness Book of World Records
Allan Press of Massapequa Park made the Guiness Book of World Records at 4:30 a.m., Dec 8 when he completed 66 hours and 30 minutes of continuous movie viewing with 10 other individuals. The event and its participants were visible to all the world as they sat behind the large, sound-proofed windows of the Good Morning America studios in New York City’s Time Square to view 35 continuous movies. The event began at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5 and went through Monday, Dec. 8, ending at 4:30 a.m. so the morning show could begin setting up. Press said it was the first time since college that he’d stayed awake so long. "I was delirious by the end of it," he said with a laugh. "Other people fell asleep... one girl was disqualified because she spent 10 minutes staring at a tassle on a lamp shade and playing with it," he said. Press said the films the participants watched were determined from lists of favorites that they compiled. So, beginning with Bruce Willis in Die Hard, and ending almost three full days later with its sequel, Die Hard with a Vengeance, the viewers watched other flicks that included the Matrix I and II, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Jerk, American Pie, American Beauty, Dumb and Dumber, Annie Hall, Blazing Saddles and The Shining. Press said he’d already seen most of the movies they watched during the event. An event that began with 21 individuals, ended with much fewer, and Press said that some may still be disqualified after contest officials view the video tapes. According to Press, the rules that he and other participants had to follow stated that no one could take their eyes off the screen at any time, watching all 35 films through completion of the credits, followed by a five minute rest at the end of each movie during which they could only rest their eyes and stretch. At the end of every third movie, a 15-minute break was allotted for bathroom time, cigarette breaks, eating and phone calls, he said. Press, a broker at JP, Morgan Chase in Manhattan, is also appren-ticed at a tattoo parlor and he said he hopes to open his own business some day. An avid movie viewer, Press said he grew up in East Massapequa. He and his wife have lived Massapequa Park for three years. They are expecting their first child in February. Press, as well as the other participants, was chosen by Netflix, an online video rental company which sponsored the publicity event, for his enthusiasm in movie viewing. Netflix asked Press to be part of a focus group about movie rentals and viewing habits, Press said. Once again, his enthusiasm led to being included in the world record event. Press describes himself as "a big movie fan." "My prize, aside from being in the book of records, is to have free movie rentals for the rest of my life," he said. "It’s pretty good."
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