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Free Outdoor Films Raise Summer Spirits
Cabaret, with Liza Minnelli in her Academy Award-winning role, plays August 14 at Brooklyn Bridge Park
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The best reprieve from hot days in New York is sunset. And one of the summer’s most glorious events happens after dusk: free outdoor movies. This August, you can find them throughout the city on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays in north Brooklyn at McCarren Pool, in DUMBO at Brooklyn Bridge Park, midtown at Bryant Park or downtown at River to River.
Not only is there something luxurious about having your entertainment handpicked for you, the act of watching a film with friends outdoors is an especially communal experience. There is an exquisite joy in seeing a movie amidst an eclectic collection of blankets, and each group’s choice of food and drink. Rarely do you spot an angry face, bitter fight or rude gesture—a miracle considering all this heat. And what could raise collective summer spirits more than the cool night air, a free show and a bit of quality time with some of your (millions of) neighbors?
Granted, finding a good seat at a free show is never easy. Plan to arrive early. The movies begin at dusk, and getting there an hour ahead of time should do it, but two hours could mean much better seats. You can always send a brave soldier ahead to scout and defend territory, but their spot will shrink significantly if the rest of the troops arrive too near showtime. If you own a picnic basket, you can really go first class, but take-out in plastic bags will do. Though drinking in public is not advised, there is little evidence that it is actively discouraged at these events. If you choose to risk it, bring a bottle of wine you will not regret the loss of in case it has to be hastily discarded. And though not imperative at most grassy locations, a blanket is a necessity for the unforgiving McCarren pool cement.
It is advisable to select a movie that is an old favorite because, whether it’s a stunning background view or fascinating companions, you will be distracted. But who wouldn’t want to see Cabaret again just for the gravity-defying dance Liza Minnelli executes atop a wooden chair? And the crowd of Rushmore disciples is bound to be as entertaining as the movie itself. If only we could all see Woody Allen’s Manhattan for the first time, in the refreshing night breeze blowing off the Hudson, sitting on the great island itself…
Mondays
- Bryant Park Summer Film Festival presented by HBO (www.bryantpark.org)
- 8/4: Lifeboat
- 8/11: The Candidate
- 8/18: Superman
Tuesdays
- Summer Screen at McCarren Pool presented by Scion (www.mccarrenpark.com)
- 8/5: 28 Days Later
- 8/12: Blue Velvet
- 8/19: Velvet Goldmine
- 8/26: Rushmore
- Movie Nights at River to River Festival (www.rivertorivernyc.com)
- 8/5: On the Town
- 8/12: Manhattan
- 8/19: Killer’s Kiss
- 8/26: Imitation of Life
Thursdays
- Movies with a View at Brooklyn Bridge Park (www.brooklynbridgepark.org)
- 8/7: Pleasantville
- 8/14: Cabaret
- 8/21: Being There
- 8/28: The Shining