Here at the Media Command HQ we just love the movies. Love, love, love the movies and with so many superhero and action flicks being released I’ve spent quite a few afternoons enjoying a matinee. With “Godzilla King Of The Monsters”, “Dark Phoenix” and “Spider-Man: Far From Home” being released soon, I will have a lot to address on that end. Every year, the folks at Bryant Park open up their lawn and set up the big screen for a bunch of free movie screenings. Check out the rundown for this summer down below.
The Press Release:
Bring a blanket and sit on the Lawn to enjoy great food, friends, and a feature film. Lawn opens 5pm and film begins at sunset. Movie Nights are presented by Netflix with support from Chandon and Vulture. Enjoy the show! Food items for sale curated by Hester Street Fair on the Fountain Terrace.
Summer 2019 Movie Line-up:
June 10: “Big” – Starring Tom Hanks and directed by Penny Marshall
June 17: “Big Daddy” – Starring Adam Sandler and directed by Dennis Dugan
June 24: Fan Choice: Vote on Twitter @vulture starting June 3
July 1: “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” – Starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, directed by Susan Johnson and written by Jenny Han
July 8: “Carrie” (1976) – Starring Sissy Spacek, directed by Brian De Palma and written by Stephen King (novel)
July 15: “Bad Boys” – Starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence and directed by Michael Bay
July 22: “Coming To America” – Starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall, directed by John Landis and written by Eddie Murphy
July 29: “Goodfellas” – Starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci and directed by Martin Scorsese
August 5: “Anchorman” – Starring Will Ferrell, directed by Adam McKay and written by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay
August 12: Fan Choice: Vote on Twitter @vulture starting July 22
*** end of list ***
Piercing Ken Thoughts: As you can see there are quite a few good films to enjoy with your friends and loved ones on a summer night provided that the weather doesn’t have other plans for the day. I love the idea of things like this since it brings people together and celebrates film. Given my general schedule I don’t usually make it out to stuff like this myself but I will still be loading all of the free screenings on our regional Events Calendar. What do you readers think about these films and which are you most interested in seeing in this setting? Chime in down below in the comments section. See you next time and be sure to scope out the rest of the do’s and dont’s on the website linked below.
Official Website: https://bryantpark.org/programs/movie-nights
The line-up at the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival seems to deteriorate more each year. More & more, the films chosen seem to reflect the lowest common denominator, with quite a few of this year’s films being mediocre vehicles for latter-day SNL alumni. SNL should’ve been cancelled after the first 15 years. With occasional exceptions (this year’s best picks to me were “Big” & “Carrie” &, if it had had any kind of a real ending [& no Jennifer Aniston], “Office Space”, which apparently didn’t even win the fan choice). Currently looking for the candidates for the still upcoming 2nd fan choice pick & haven’t found it yet. The worst decision was to include a movie with Will Ferrell, who’s absolutely the bottom of the bottom of the barrel for anyone who really has a strong interest in original, imaginative, affecting films of many different kinds. A great film doesn’t have to be gimmicky or in-your-face, even if it’s a comedy. I’ve been sending in suggestions for the line-up for several years. Just because a film title (or the names of actors in the cast) aren’t immediately recognizable doesn’t automatically mean disappointment. The audience may get some amazing surprises & they will only thank you for this. If you’re anxious for a hook, you could try showing the original versions of films that have recently been remade (“Death Wish”, maybe?). Also, I’ve noticed that you don’t show Hitchcock films anymore. There are still some of his works you haven’t shown that would be great choices. Karen Black died a few years ago & I thought for sure you’d commemorate this with a showing of Hitch’s final film “Family Plot”, but you didn’t. Regarding other horror fare, you could show something from Wes Craven or George Romero, both of whom have died recently. As for comedies, musicals & various other genres, there are many great picks. I’ve also noticed that you’ve been showing mostly newer & newer films. There are still some very worthy choices from older decades that could be included. Search around a bit & you’re sure to find some interesting material.
A website I created some years ago still exists which features pages about some films that are among my favorites & that I think have been overlooked. There are many errors or problems with the set-up & spacing of the site that I’ve not been able to correct, since the school where I created the site & the computer programs I used have not been available for quite a while. I apologize for this, but if you can read the entries well enough (& if you have Adobe Flash enabled), you might take a look at some of my suggestions–http://unpopculturefreehostia.com