Blink and you might miss it. It’s the White Rock outdoor summer film series.
The White Rock Business Improvement Association has finally – and quietly – announced its summer 2010 lineup of outdoor movies.
You will have certainly made other plans – I know I have. But here goes:
First up was Train Your Dragon, July 3 at West Beach by the Rock. I know! I missed it too.
Pity we weren’t there to drink it in. Sounds like a gem. The well-reviewed animated flick, which premiered on regular indoor screens earlier this year, tells the unlikely, surely heartwarming tale of a dragon-hunting Viking named Hiccup who befriends a young dragon and learns there’s more to dragons than meets the eye.
It rates an impressive 8.3 (out of 10) at IMDB.com and features voices by the likes of America Ferrera (Ugly Betty, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), late night host Craig Ferguson, and the immortal geek-stud McLovin (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) from Superbad and Superbad alumni Jonah Hill, plus the publicity stills are super cute.
I know! Sucks that we missed it. It obviously ruled. A rainy rental?
It’s a whole, long month until the next film in the outdoor series, so cool your jets.
And it’s none other than the Elvis Presley classic, Blue Hawaii, a brave choice for July 30 at East Beach (In front of Sideshows and not by the Washington Avenue Grill, a major location shift so take note).
There will be an Elvis impersonator on hand for the pre-show.The 1961 film rates a paltry 5.7 (this week) on IMDb, but how can you argue with a commenter’s rave review like this? “It’s exuberant, it’s sexy, it’s Elvis!”
Golly. I’m sold. Memorable tunes include Hawaiian Wedding Song and I Can’t Help Falling in Love. I’ll be there, resplendent in cruise wear, in all its glory, Kaluha Almond Mumus in hand. Except wait. I’m going to be camping then, and I’ve only got two weeks to play with, so, suck it White Rock.
The third show is TBA for Aug. 14, and organizers always seem to leave the mid-August slot free ’til the last minute, so they can capitalize on some current summer family-friendly hi. Potpourri round!
But it seems like the final title is similarly retro inspired, with Hairspray (2007) Aug. 28 – the last in the summer series – starring John Travolta and NOT the 1988 version by the city of Baltimore’s pencil-thin moustached director John Waters (Pink Flamingos) that stars female impersonator Divine as the mom, Debbie Harry and the irrepressible Ricky Lake in her first starring role as the rotund, giddily keen dancing queen Tracy Turnblad.
(Not to mention the likes of larger-than-life icons as Ric Ocasek, Pia Zadora, Debbie Harry, Mink Stole, and even Jerry Stiller – TV’s crazy dad from hell, Frank Costanza — … sigh. One can dream.)
Anyway that’s the list. I’m ticked that it’s taken this long for word to spread.
I suppose we have to credit the brilliant PR abilities of the new and improved White Rock BIA, which has traditionally presented the series as its banner annual event.
Like most White Rockers, I had no idea they’d planned to go ahead with the outdoor film series this year until tonight.
Nobody heard a peep. But I had one advantage: today I noticed web surfers searching for White Rock’s outdoor film series have been inadvertently landing on my site (thanks to a post from last year, ’round about this time) only to find out of date, old information from 2009.
Sheesh. Get it together, White Rock BIA – a little advertising, or even a notice in the freebie community calendar – goes a long way, guys!
