The best thing about summer? Being outside. The best thing about a
shitty economy? Getting stuff for free. Luckily, the next few months
are crammed with outdoor movie screenings, and most of ’em are free.
Grab your blanket, some snacks, and a discreet flask.
The most solid lineup of free movies is at Pioneer Courthouse
Square’s Flicks on the Bricks series, which begins Friday with
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade before continuing with
Dirty Dancing (July 24), Jurassic Park (August 7), and
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (August 14). All
movies begin at dusk, and at
pioneercourthousesquare.org,
you can vote for the film that’ll screen on August 21 from a list of
candidates like Ghostbusters and The Karate Kid.
There’s also the NW Film Center’s Top Down: Rooftop
Films series, which shows films atop downtown’s Hotel deLuxe. Top
Down’s films also start at dusk, but it’ll cost you to get in ($5-8),
and you can’t bring any food or drink. Still, all screenings are
preceded by live music, and you can buy beer from Bridgeport Brewing.
Highlights include The Wild One (July 23), The Secret of
NIMH (July 30), and Son of Frankenstein (August 20). Top
Down’s complete listing is at nwfilm.org.
But the big one is Portland Parks & Recreation’s Movies in
the Park series, with a ton of free screenings in various parks all
summer long. Films begin at dark, and the complete listing is at
portlandonline.com, but the
highlights: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (July 23, Holly Farm
Park), Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (July
30 at Argay Park, August 2 at Sellwood Park, August 29 at Laurelhurst
Park), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (August 6, Brooklyn Park),
Coraline (August 8, Dickinson Park), Casablanca (August
10 at Laurelhurst Park, September 1 at DeNorval Unthank Park), Iron
Man (August 15 at Lents Park, August 21 at Irving Park), and
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (August
27, Hazeltine Park). Almost all of Portland Parks’ screenings kick off
with live music at 6:30 pm, but the only performance/screening that
seems unmissable is School of Rock (August 15, Sewallcrest
Park), which’ll be preceded by sets from the Portland School of Rock
Allstars and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp for Girls.
