Danny Aiello was like the New York actor. He was a hit here before he was a hit anywhere. Everyone in New York knew him from the movies and loved him. He was our guy. And he responded that way, too. He loved everyone he met. He became friends with everyone, on a first name basis. You could tell he loved life, and appreciated his fame. He died at age 86 yesterday, and there’s an outpouring of love for him all over social media.

I could say I knew him, but he knew everyone and everyone’s names. Even if he hadn’t seen you in a while, Danny acted like you were long lost friends. He was the kind of person who made you feel good for his success.

And that success: “Godfather II.” “Fort Apache: The Bronx.” Two Woody Allen movies, “Purple Rose of Cairo,” “Radio Days.” “Moonstruck.” And then “Do the Right Thing” brought him the celebrity, the Oscar nomination, all the accolades. He was off and running. Wherever he went people wanted to hug him. That’s what you did before everyone started asking for a picture. In Elaine’s, if he stopped by, they’d be talking about it for days. Danny Aiello was here.

Thanks, Danny. It was great knowing you. The funny part now will be people going back to the old movies, and saying, Look, it’s Danny Aiello. He’s in every movie. It seemed like that.

FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE: “Playmobil,” an animated film based on a children’s toy, made just $11 per screen Thursday night at 2,337 locations. The film cost $75 million to make, and has so far earned just $797,702 in 7 days. On Wednesday night, it made $17 per screen.

For new studio STX this is quite a disaster. It’s especially heartbreaking since STX’s fortunes were looking up with the success of “Hustlers” and Jennifer Lopez getting some nice awards attention. Earlier this year, STX also had a hit with “The Upside.” Each of those films made over $100 million.

But “Playmobil” is a total write off. Reviews were terrible, too, coming in at 16% on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s not like the bar is that high. The goal here is to make something where you can park kids on the weekends. The movie ticket price is supposed to be a bargain compared to a baby sitter. But if the movie is so bad that even that can’t happen, you know you’re in trouble!

“Playmobil” is directed by Lino DiSalvo. It’s his first directing job, but he was head of animation on “Frozen.” These days, such a failure could mean DiSalvo directs the next “Star Trek” movie.

Playmobil is a toy for small children– very small. It’s owned by German company, Brandstatter. It’s a little unclear if they licensed the product or invested their own money in the movie. The credits include 21 different producers including the husband of Princess Grace’s granddaughter, Dmitri Rassam.

Well, all the best showbiz genes have lined up for Jack Henry Robbins.

The son of Oscar winners Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins has written and directed his first feature film, called “VHYES.” It will be released next month by Oscilloscope.

Sarandon and Robbins not only executive produced the film, they act it in as well. The film is part of a kickstarter fundraising program that raised $25,000 this fall.

The film is described in a press release: “A bizarre retro comedy shot entirely on VHS, “VHYes” takes us back to a simpler time, when twelve-year-old Ralph mistakenly records home videos and his favorite late night shows over his parents’ wedding tape. The result is a nostalgic wave of home shopping clips, censored pornography, and nefarious true-crime tales that threaten to unkindly rewind Ralph’s reality. A hypnotic narrative told through hundreds of criss-crossing vignettes and a mix of absurdist comedy, sincere drama, music, and just a touch of horror, this wholly original feature debut expertly walks the fine line between complete lunacy and total sincerity. ”

The cast includes mostly indie actors, unknown to us, except for Thomas Lennon.

There are 12 EPs and producers including Sarandon, Robbins, and Stella Schnabel, daughter of artist Julian Schnabel.

I don’t know how the film will turn out, but the party should be amazing. Stay tuned!

PS Jack’s brother Miles has a burgeoning acting career. He’s been a regular on “X Files” and “Mozart in the Jungle,” plus he has three or four movies already shot for release this coming year.