by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Bernie Gurberg

Age: Ageless

Occupation: Owner/operator of the Dollar Cinema (www.dollarcinema.ca) in Décarie Square

Bio: This pleasantly laid back yet gregarious Nuns' Island heartbreaker was a player in the local schmatta biz on scenic Chabanel Street until the removal of various import tariffs effectively wiped out his clothing manufacturing company not long ago. Recognizing the need for an inexpensive Montreal cinema, and inspired by Dollarama, possibly the only person anywhere to find inspiration from a store stocked with crap, Bernie shortly thereafter picked up the lease to the Décarie Square theatre, changed its name to the Dollar Cinema and opened his doors for business last June. A full-fledged hero to cash-strapped film buffs and restless neighbourhood teens who regularly volunteer their labour just to help him out, Bernie strongly believes that "Thirteen dollars is just too much for a movie. You go, you leave, and you don't have anything for your money. Okay, a memory maybe, but really you're just flushing your money down the toilet. Why not wait a few weeks and come here, save yourself $12?"

Something many people want to know when calling up the Dollar Cinema: How much it costs to get in. "I think it's because they can't really believe it's only $1. Some people ask if they can come in first just to take a look around. They think maybe the films are only being shown on a wide-screen TV or something."

Is admission always $1 because they only show old Yahoo Serious movies? "Not at all. Look, Shrek 2 came in on Friday. I've got White Chicks, Harry Potter 3, Kill Bill 2, Dodgeball, Scarface. I usually get movies as they're leaving the [full-priced] theatres and before they go to DVD."

Do many of his old associates from Chabanel Street regularly come to the theatre, or can they no longer afford the $1 admission now that 99.9 per cent of their jobs are being performed by enthusiastic children in the Third World? "Um, I've seen a few come by."

How one makes a business like this work financially: Volume, volume, volume.

What popcorn goes for at the Dollar cinema: One dollar. "I told you already, everything here cost $1 - drinks, candy bars, everything is $1."

Who he finds more obnoxious: the abrasive loudmouthed schmucks he used to deal with in the schmatta trade, or the pompous, self-important turds one regularly finds in the film biz? "Yes, well, I believe in every industry you have your good and your bad."

Best part of the gig: Meeting people. "I'm on a first name basis with at least half my customers - although it's getting harder to do as more people learn about the cinema."

Musical preferences: Gene Vincent, Elvis.

Hobbies: Sports. "I actually studied at Boston University on an athletic scholarship. I still work out twice a week."

Words of wisdom: "I don't know, I've learned I'm not the biggest genius in the world so I don't know if anybody should listen to what I have to say, but… if you're going to work, try to do something you enjoy."

Comments? dimwit@openface.ca