UPPER EAST SIDE — Call it a movie poster about nothing.
"Seinfeld" fans got a pleasant surprise over the holiday weekend when they stumbled upon posters on Second Avenue for a fictional film featured in the New York-centric sitcom.
Movie posters for "Rochelle, Rochelle," a fake film repeatedly mentioned on the long-running show, were spotted on the shuttered United Artists theater on Second Avenue near East 64th Street.
Upper East Side artist and avid "Seinfeld" fan Jason Shelowitz said he created the posters after being inspired by reruns of the show.
“I noticed that they showed an actual poster for 'Rochelle, Rochelle.' I paused the TV and I thought: I have to make that and put it up,” he said. “Any project I do, it’s because I think it’s cool or funny first.”
Shelowitz, who also goes by Jay Shells, has previously garnered attention for quirky public art projects. In 2010, he created a series of "Subway Etiquette" posters that advised people against behaviors such as clipping their nails and eating smelly foods on the train. He is also behind the ongoing “Rap Quotes” project, for which he hangs street signs with lyrics that mention specific locations around the city.
While much of his work has a comedic bent, Shelowitz said the "Seinfeld" posters, which he put up on Nov. 27, are his funniest work to date.
He chose "Rochelle, Rochelle" over other movies mentioned on "Seinfeld" because he believes it’s the best known.
“Anyone who considers themselves a fan of the show, if you say 'Rochelle, Rochelle,' they’ll say, 'a young girl’s strange erotic journey from Milan to Minsk,'" he said, reciting the tagline for the fake film.
The posters feature fake credits that include "Rochelle, Rochelle"-related quotes from "Seinfeld" characters and a shout-out to the sitcom’s creators, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David.
Depending on public reaction, Shelowitz is considering producing more "Rochelle, Rochelle" posters or creating posters for other fictional "Seinfeld" titles, such as "Sack Lunch" or "Chunnel," he said.
But for now, he knows he has made at least one fan’s day.
"When I was installing them, this guy approached me with such enthusiasm. He was like ‘Oh my God. Is this real? I have to call my brother and tell him,'" Shelowitz said. "That's what I'm doing this for, for that kind of moment."
