Lights. Camera. Sunset?
As the long L.A. summer continues and warm nights lure potential moviegoers out of the theaters, various groups and film festivals are making sure the public is still seeing its share of celluloid. They’re screening movies outdoors.
The outdoor film screening, a longtime popular event among parents looking to entertain their kids, seems to have an expanding role in Los Angeles’ film scene. In other words, the screenings aren’t just for kids anymore.
Cinespia, a film society devoted to holding outdoor screenings in unusual locations, hosts many such screenings. Cinespia frequently screens films on the lot of the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, the resting place of such Hollywood giants as Cecil B. DeMille and Rudolph Valentino. In such a setting, the society isn’t interested in screening ordinary films. Instead, the film noir classic “Force of Evil” will screen at its next event Aug. 30.
According to the mission statement on Cinespia’s Web site, the society is “convinced that (Los Angeles residents) are still enthusiastic about cinema’s great films, including those outside the normal repertory.”
The organization’s goal may be appreciated.
“I wouldn’t go outside to see a movie like ‘Crossroads,’ but if it was some weird old movie I hadn’t heard of, I’d probably go,” said Jessica Christe, a second-year history student.
Christe said she would even be willing to pay more than the price of a regular movie ticket for a screening in an outdoor venue.
This year, the L.A. Film Festival capitalized on such sentiments. Held from June 11-21, the festival included various outdoor screenings at the John Anson Ford Amphitheater in Hollywood. Tickets for screenings of classic films, such as “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” ran for $15 each. The festival also held outdoor preview screenings of current films such as “28 Days Later” and “Step Into Liquid,” selling tickets for $10, a price competitive to indoor theaters.
However, not everyone is interested in paying equal prices or more to see a movie outside.
“I would pay less because I assume the movie’s older, and there would also be more disturbances outdoors, especially if the movie has a lot of special effects,” said Jon Lemmens, a recent communication studies graduate.
To satisfy the wants of people like Lemmens, as well as families not interested in spending money for everyone to see a movie, the Santa Monica Film Festival began screening movies this year at the Santa Monica Pier for free every Tuesday in August.
“We were looking for films that were well-known and had a broad appeal,” said Tom Huckabee, an event producer for the series.
After screening “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Jaws” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” the series will conclude Tuesday night with a screening of “Grease.” According to Huckabee, after initially drawing about 1,200 people to see “Raiders,” crowds for “Jaws” and “Wonka” both topped 3,000, indicating the large appeal of the screenings.
“(The pier) is one of the great tourist attractions of Southern California,” Huckabee said. “With so many events around the area, it’s got a real carnival atmosphere.”
The energetic, family-friendly atmosphere may help free outdoor screenings draw a crowd. And like a carnival, some outdoor screenings are even traveling on the road. The Movies in Motion tour, sponsored by Loews Cineplex Entertainment and Lever 2000, travels across the country holding free outdoor screenings, stopped in Venice Beach last weekend before heading on to Seattle and later Boston to close out the summer.
For more info on outdoor film screenings near you, check out www.cinespia.org, www.smff.com or www.MoviesinMotionTour.com.