Tonight's Movie: The Automat (2021) - A Kino Lorber DVD Review

I followed watching the documentary THE RESCUE (2021) with another documentary, THE AUTOMAT (2021).

THE AUTOMAT, a history of the fabled Horn and Hardart restaurant chain, was just released on DVD by Kino Lorber.

Automat restaurants were famous for having dozens of windows displaying tantalizing food; customers would put a nickel in a slot, turn a knob, and pull out the food.

I first became fascinated by the Automat thanks to, what else, movies, especially EASY LIVING (1937) which features a hilarious melee which takes place in an Automat.

In my 2008 EASY LIVING review I mentioned the book THE AUTOMAT: THE HISTORY, RECIPES, AND ALLURE OF HORN AND HARDART'S MASTERPIECE which Amazon tells me I purchased exactly 19 years ago, in October 2003.

Among the documentary's "talking heads" I especially enjoyed hearing from the authors of that book, Marianne Hardart and Lorraine Diehl, who know the restaurant's history inside and out. They and others go into great detail on the restaurant's evolution over decades and its strategies for success, including a central baking facility and the economies of size enabling the company to maintain low prices.

I also found the remembrances of those who had worked there, or whose family had been part of the chain, especially interesting and heartfelt. The Automat has a rich history not simply as a restaurant but as a "melting pot" which drew all types of customers. It's also noteworthy that Horn and Hardart restaurants, located in New York and Philadelphia, were not segregated.

There are a few celebrities, including the late Colin Powell and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who share Automat memories; while these remembrances are enjoyable, I think the documentary could have gone lighter on Mel Brooks, who has considerable screen time. Brooks has some charming memories, but he's such a dominating presence in the film that at some point it felt just a bit that it was becoming more about the fact that they got Brooks to appear in the documentary than it was about the Automat.

On a related note, I also would not have chosen to use the outtake-type footage setting up takes and discussing filming with Brooks and others. I'm sure the filmmakers were looking for a little different way to frame their story, but I felt those bits wasted time and the film's 79 minutes probably could have been somewhat reduced.

Those are minor criticisms, however; on the whole this is a wonderful slice of American pop culture and food history which is very worthwhile. It certainly made me long for the chance to visit an Automat, put nickels in the slots, and open the magical doors with food. I also wish I could taste their coffee!

In fact, as ordering at some fast food restaurants is becoming automated due to both phone apps and in-store touchscreen stations, it makes me wonder if, to some extent, we may be heading back in the direction of Automat-style service. Time will tell.

THE AUTOMAT was written by Michael Levine and directed by Lisa Hurwitz. It was filmed by nearly a dozen cinematographers.

Extras include a director commentary, a long-form interview with Brooks, archival Automat footage, and the trailer, which may also be watched on YouTube.

Previous reviews of documentaries released by Kino Lorber: HAROLD AND LILLIAN: A HOLLYWOOD LOVE STORY (2015), OBIT: LIFE ON DEADLINE (2016), DAWSON CITY: FROZEN TIME (2016), THE GODDESSES OF FOOD (2016), BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY (2017), CHEF FLYNN (2018), LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE (2019), DIANA KENNEDY: NOTHING FANCY (2019), THE BOOKSELLERS (2019), THE DONUT KING (2020), and FIDDLER'S JOURNEY TO THE BIG SCREEN (2022).

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