Friday, June 3, 2011

2011 Free Summer Movie Guide




Hello internets! It's been awhile! I've decided to live an opulent lifestyle and have subsequently abandoned this blog. Fortunately, I'm a generous robber baron (think Carnagie) and have decided to once again compile a list of free outdoor summer movies. Remember all films start at dusk and you should try to get there as early as possible to ensure you'll get a good spot (Pack a picnic and enjoy the sunset beforehand! The ladies love it.) If my giant philanthropist hands and heart feel up to it, I may update this as film schedules are released. Enjoy the films! Maybe I'll see you there (from one of my many roof top terraces, of course)!

5/15- Warriors- Habana Outpost
5/22- Crooklyn- Habana Outpost
5/25- Ocean's Eleven- Stuy Town
5/27- Top Gun- Intrepid
5/29- Moving- Habana Outpost

6/1- Some Like it Hot- Stuy Town
6/3- The Swimming Pool- Cedar Hill
6/5- Quicksilver- Habana Outpost
6/7- Teddy Bear- Bohemian National Hall
6/8- Legally Blonde- Stuy Town
6/8- Entre Nos- Tavern on the Green
6/10- Those Happy Days- Washington Square Park
6/12- Selena- Habana Outpost
6/14- Melancholic Chicken- Bohemian National Hall
6/15- True Grit- Hoboken Pier A
6/15- Ocean's Twelve- Stuy Town
6/17- A Summer's Tale- Washington Square Park
6/17- Singing in the Rain- Snug Harbor
6/19- Krush Groove- Habana Outpost
6/20- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Bryant Park
6/20- Desperately Seeking Susan- Elevated Acre
6/21- How to Drown Dr. Mracek, the Lawyer- Bohemian National Hall
6/22- The Fighter- Hoboken Pier A
6/24- Spiderman- Intrepid
6/24- Contempt- Tompkins Square Park
6/24- Moonstruck- Snug Harbor
6/25- Iron Man 2- Roosevelt Island
6/26- Above the law- Habana Outpost
6/27- The 39 Steps- Bryant Park
6/27- The Godfather Part II- Elevated Acre
6/27- March of the Penguins- Astoria Park
6/28- Thanks for a Good Morning- Bohemian National Hall
6/29- Breakfast at Tiffany's- Hoboken Pier A
6/29- Between the Folds- Tavern on the Green
6/30- Raging Bull- Tompkins Square Park

7/1- Mr. Hulot's Holiday- Tompkins Square Park
7/3- Grease- Habana Outpost
7/4- Easy Rider- Bryant Park
7/5- Whisper- Bohemian National Hall
7/6- Friday- McCarren Park
7/6- Clermont Ferrand Short Films- Socrates
7/6- The Social Network- Pier 63
7/7- Coming to America- Tompkins Square Park
7/7- Manhattan- Brooklyn Bridge
7/8- The Goonies- Intrepid
7/8- The Karate Kid (2010)- Pier 46
7/8- Towards Zero- Pier I
7/8- Mars Attacks!- Snug Harbor
7/8- Prometeo Deportado (Ecuador)- Unisphere
7/8- Momma Mia- Narrows Botanical Gardens
7/9- The Goonies- Roosevelt Island
7/10- Roller Boogie- Habana Outpost
7/11- Saturday Night Fever- Coney Island
7/11- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes- Bryant Park
7/11- The Brother from Another Planet- Elevated Acre
7/12- The Bitch's Diary- Bohemian National Hall
7/12- Men in Black- Valentino Pier
7/13- Wayne's World- McCarren Park
7/13- Who Wants to Kill Jessie- Socrates
7/13- The Invisible Man- Pier I
7/13- Easy A- Pier 63
7/13- The King's Speech- Hoboken Pier A
7/13- Mad Hot Ballroom- Tavern on the Green
7/14- The Warriors- Tompkins Square Park
7/14- Ghostbusters- Brooklyn Bridge
7/15- Despicable Me- Pier 46
7/15- My Father's Glory- Pier I
7/15- Antz- Snug Harbor
7/15- Africa United (Africa)- Unisphere
7/17- Saturday Night Fever- Habana Outpost
7/18- Rango- Coney Island
7/18- In the Heat of the Night- Bryant Park
7/19- Twosome- Bohemian National Hall
7/19- Bring it On- Valentino Pier
7/20- Ghost World- McCarren Park
7/20- Caramel- Socrates
7/20- Invasion of the Body Snatchers- Pier I
7/20- The Kids Are All Right- Pier 63
7/20- The Social Network- Hoboken Pier A
7/21- Star Trek- Tompkins Square Park
7/21- Sweet Smell of Success- Brooklyn Bridge
7/21- West Side Story Dance and Sing a Long- Prospect Park Bandshell
7/22- Back to the Future- Intrepid
7/22- The Princess Bride- Pier 46
7/22- Children of Haiti (Haiti)- Unisphere
7/22- Wally- Narrows Botanical Gardens
7/23- Star Trek- Roosevelt Island
7/24- Breaking- Habana Outpost
7/25- Top Gun- Coney Island
7/25- The Lady Eve- Bryant Park
7/26- Dissolved and Effused- Bohemian National Hall
7/26- Lords of Dogtown- Valentino Pier
7/27- Ferris Bueller's Day Off- McCarren Park
7/27- The Good, The Bad, The Weird- Socrates
7/27- The Birds- Pier I
7/27- The Other Guys- Pier 63
7/27- Waiting for Superman- Hoboken Pier A
7/27- Food Curated- Tavern on the Green
7/28- Arthur- Tompkins Square Park
7/28- Basquiat- Brooklyn Bridge
7/29- Toy Story 3- Pier 46
7/29- Kung Fu Dunk (Taiwan)- Unisphere
7/31- Dirty Dancing- Habana Outpost

8/1- Iron Man 2- Coney Island
8/1- Iron Man- Waterside Plaza
8/1- Cool Hand Luke- Bryant Park
8/1- Karate Kid- Cunningham Park
8/2- Wall-E- Valentino Pier
8/3- Clueless- McCarren Park
8/3- The Straight Story- Socrates
8/3- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!- Pier I
8/3- The Fighter- Pier 63
8/3- Wizard of Oz- Hoboken Pier A
8/4- Pope of Greenwich Village- Tompkins Square Park
8/4- An American Tale- Brooklyn Bridge
8/4- Metropolis with Alloy Orchestra- Prospect Park Bandshell
8/5- E.T.- Intrepid
8/5-Sugar (Dominican Republic)- Unisphere
8/5- How to Train Your Dragon- Pier 46
8/5- Young Frankenstein- Narrows Botanical Gardens
8/6- Up- Roosevelt Island
8/7- Heathers- Habana Outpost
8/8- Annie Hall- Coney Island
8/8- Spiderman 2- Waterside Plaza
8/8- Airplane!- Bryant Park
8/8- Toy Story- Astoria Park
8/8- Breakfast with Scot- Cunningham Park
8/9- Karate Kid (1984)- Valentino Pier
8/10- Jurassic Park- McCarren Park
8/10- At the Edge of Russia- Socrates
8/10- Return of the Swamp Thing- Pier I
8/10- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World- Pier 63
8/10- Despicable Me- Hoboken Pier A
8/10- Appetite City- Tavern on the Green
8/11- Kick-Ass- Tompkins Square Park
8/11- Breakfast at Tiffany's- Brooklyn Bridge
8/11- Rent- Cunningham Park
8/12- Shrek Forever After- Pier 46
8/12- Heliopolis (Egypt)- Unisphere
8/14- Risky Business- Habana Outpost
8/14- Tron: Legacy- Roosevelt Island
8/15- Moonstruck- Coney Island
8/15- Spy Kids- Waterside Plaza
8/15- High Sierra- Bryant Park
8/15- Shrek- Astoria Park
8/15- Despicable Me- Cunningham Park
8/16- The Fast and the Furious- Valentino Pier
8/17- Biutiful- Socrates
8/17- Mars Attacks- Pier I
8/17- The Town- Pier 63
8/17- Tangled- Hoboken Pier A
8/17- Carol Channing: Larger Than Life- Tavern on the Green
8/18- Rosemary's Baby- Tompkins Square Park
8/18- Grown Ups- Cunningham Park
8/18- Crooklyn- Brooklyn Bridge
8/19- Jurassic Park- Intrepid
8/19- Tangled- Pier 46
8/19- The Accordion Kings (Columbia)- Unisphere
8/19- Over the Hedge- Narrows Botanical Gardens
8/21- St. Elmo Fire- Habana Outpost
8/22- Justin Bieber: Never Say Never- Coney Island
8/22- The Incedibles- Waterside Plaza
8/22- Dirty Harry- Bryant Park
8/22- Saturday Night Fever- Astoria Park
8/23- The Iron Giant- Valentino Pier
8/24- Silent Film Festival- Socrates
8/24- Toy Story 3- Hoboken Pier A
8/25- The Godfather- Tompkins Square Park
8/25- Rosemary's Baby- Brooklyn Bridge
8/26- Libertador Morales, el justiero (Venezuela)- Unisphere
8/28- Purple Rain- Habana Outpost
8/29- How She Move- Coney Island
8/30- Pump Up the Volume- Valentino Pier

9/1- Stake Land- Tompkins Square Park
9/1- Audience Choice- Brooklyn Bridge
9/3- The Incredibles- Roosevelt Island
9/4- Teen Wolf- Habana Outpost
9/6- Highlander- Valentino Pier
9/7- Cabaret- Stuy Town
9/8- Two Days in Paris- Columbia University low library steps
9/11- Blues Brothers- Habana Outpost
9/13- Pee Wee's Big Adventure- Valentino Pier
9/14- Austin Powers- Stuy Town
9/18- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly- Habana Outpost
7/21- The Devil Wears Prada- Stuy Town
9/25- The Harder They Come- Habana Outpost

10/2- 5 Easy Pieces- Habana Outpost
10/9- Edward Scissor Hands- Habana Outpost
10/16- Gremlins- Habana Outpost
10/23- The Empire Strikes Back- Habana Outpost
10/31- Rocky Horror Picture Show- Habana Outpost

Things noticed: What the heck is Crooklyn and why is it showing twice? Someone should coordinate when they show originals and sequels (Godfather, Toy Story). I think this is the first time I've heard of a concert film at an outdoor screening (Beiber). You can pick who you want to accompany the good and the bad, either the ugly or the weird. Saturday Night Fever 3 times? Really? How does that happen? Welcome Coney Island to the outdoor screening game. About time, amIright?

In addition to the outdoor screenings:
Huckleberry Bar continues their indoor screenings every Monday. More info here.

Like German Cinema? Who doesn't. This summer, the Neue Gallery presents Vienna 1900 every Monday at 4pm. More info here.

The Queens Museum has a spring movie series exploring surveillance. Mondays at 2pm. More info here

Kate's Joint in the east village was playing films in the bar on Mondays, That may still be happening.

Motorcyclesploitation? Cine Meccanica at Otto's Shrunken Head plays the best worst motor cycle films every Tuesday. More info here.

Regal Cinemas jacked up the price of their summer kids series. Tuesday and Wednesday matinees are now a whopping $1. More info here.

Wally's Square Root Cafe has a summer movie night with food specials and free popcorn. More info here.

The Rubin Museum of Art presents Cabaret Cinema every Friday (Screenings are free w/$7 bar minimum). More info here.

The Sony Wonderlab has free screenings every Saturday. More info here.

The Church Lounge at the Tribeca Grand Hotel has free screenings every Sunday. More info here

Ace Hotel had weekly Sunday screenings during the winter, looks like they're a bit more sporadic this summer. Or maybe they just update their website more sporadically. More info here

The Museum of the American Indian has free screenings (often for the kiddies on the weekend) more info here

Also, keep an eye on your public libraries! Free screenings abound! More info here

For more info on the outdoor venues visit the links below:
Intrepid Summer Movie Series- "Celebrating some of our favorite heroes"
Movies with a View at Brooklyn Bridge Park- Come out early for DJs and a short film before the feature. (Moved this year to the new Pier 1)
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival- Get there early, the lawn opens at 5!
Outdoor Cinema at Socrates Sculpture Park- Each week film, food and performances focused on a different culture
Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre
- Classic New York features paired with independent shorts. This fills ups fast, so get there early (Opens at 6)!
Movies Under the Stars (Pier I at 70th St)- Best theme so far this year: Terror through the decades.
RiverFlicks for Grownups (Pier 63)- Watch all of your favorite blockbusters from 2009
RiverFlicks for Kids (Pier 46)- New and classic films for the whole family
Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park Band Shell- A series of films played with live music scores. $3 suggested donation.
Summer Screen- McCarren Park Ballfields (Bedford and North 12th)- Movies with "a nod to our adolescent idols and crushes"
Films on the Green- Tompkins Square Park, Central Park, Washington Square Park- French musicals
Movie Night in Astoria Park- Astoria Park Lawn- Family friendly movies on the Astoria waterfront
Movies Under the Stars at Habana Outpost- Make yourself a margarita on a bike blender while you watch films allllll summer
Movies Under the Stars- Snug Harbor Staten Island- Come out to the Neptune Fountain Stage early for music from local bands.
Movies Under the Stars- Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ- Yes it's in Jersey, but it's just as easy to get to Hoboken as a lot of the outer boroughs. So hop on the PATH to check out a series of just released films with the Manhattan skyline as your backdrop.
Films in Tompkins Square Park- Catchy name, great films!
Coney Island Flicks on the Beach- Bloomberg begs you! Come for the free movie, stay for a hotdog!
RCN Movie Nights at Waterside Plaza- Because cable has all the best movies! Promises to be family friendly, so maybe more Beiber?
Movies Under the Stars- Cunningham Park Queens- Free popcorn!
Passport Fridays at the Unisphere- Celebrate a different culture every Friday with dance/music and a film
Movie on the Oval- Peter Cooper Village/Stuyvesent Town- Includes prefilm entertainment and food from your favorite food trucks
The Scene at Tavern on the Green- Food Trucks and films in Central Park
Friday Movie Night- Narrows Botanical Gardens- Come to Bay Ridge for some family friendly movies in the garden
Summer on the Roof- Bohemian National Hall- Czech films and Manhattan views
Roosevelt Island Outdoor Movie Series- Saturday Night is Family Night
Red Hook Summer Films- Valentino Pier- Enjoy the view of Lady Liberty


The links below were film fests in 2010 so we'll wait and see what 2011 brings...

Tony Dapolito Recreation Center Rooftop Film Series- July: Film Noir, August: The Vault of Horror Flicks
Summer Starz- East River State Park (N 8th St and Kent Ave)- Family friendly films
Reel Harlem- Morningside, Marcus Garvey, Jackie Robinson, and St. Nicholas Parks in Harlem- Films mostly feature black music, arts and activism. Events also include short films and music
Brooklyn Film Works- The Old Stone House, Washington Park Brooklyn- Classic films culminating in films by students age 12-16
Ortine Cafe- 622 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY, 11238- July is Roald Dahl month! Can't wait to see what August will bring
One Front Street- The Kings County Cinema Society has started a film series every Sunday on the wall of Grimaldi's in Dumbo. I'm excited to see what they'll bring us!
Imagenation Film Festival- St. Nicholas Park, Harlem- Show up early for performances before the films.
Parks Summer 2010 Movie Series- In a park near you- If there weren't already enough film festivals in city parks this summer, the Parks Dep't is taking the show on the road and bringing family friendly films to a park near you. And while most film fests pick a day of the week this is typically every Wednesday-Saturday. Yes some of the films and locations repeat but can you really blame them? And besides maybe it'll be easier to find a showing that works with your schedule.
Central Park Film Festival- This year's theme "Iconic New York." The film's are at the Mineral Springs, which is just north of Sheep Meadow at 69th St on the western side of the park.
Family Movies in the Park- Jamaica gives you a lot of options with multiple screenings in multiple parks AND classic film Fridays. Maybe you wanted to fall asleep on the A train after all.


Alright! Not a bad place to start if I do say so myself. If I missed anything let me know and I'll get it on the list! Go see free movies! Justify to your parents back home why you pay so much to live here!

3 comments:

  1. GREAT LIST! THANKS!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. "Crooklyn" is a great 1994 Spike Lee film.

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109504/

    ReplyDelete
  3. Movie surfers would definitely appreciate this list. It's great that everybody can now take advantage of this schedules and updates.

    ReplyDelete