Hooray! It’s summer! Here’s to choking humidity, scorching heat and that weird cold you get in mid-July from over-cranked air conditioning. At least the nights are pleasant, with gentle breezes and reduced risk of heatstroke. No better time to watch a movie beneath the stars – and the city’s jumping with free outdoor films.
Harbourfront Centre moves its Free Flicks summer screenings – hosted by yours truly – from Wednesdays to Tuesdays this year. The theme for 2011 is movies that look at urban landscapes through cinematic eyes. Which means we start off on July 5 with Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Edgar Wright’s love letter to the Toronto where Sonic Boom nuzzled up next to the Bloor Cinema before it closed for renovations.
Also on the itinerary: New York in Annie Hall (July 12), the City of Light in Paris Je T’Aime (July 19), Delhi in Amal (July 26), and Tokyo in Lost In Translation (August 2). The August 9 feature will be determined by the audience after an online vote.
There’s just one problem with Harbourfront moving Free Flicks to Tuesdays – it brings them directly opposite the free movie series at Yonge-Dundas Square. And that’s annoying, because they’ve prepared a great lineup of crowd-pleasing musicals and music-oriented films, including Beach Blanket Bingo this week (July 5), Dirty Dancing July 12, Moulin Rouge! July 19, West Side Story July 26, and All That Jazz August 23, on the bottom half of a double-bill with Chicago.
If one big-screen musical presentation per week isn’t enough for you, don’t worry TIFF has you covered with TIFF In The Park, another free series of outdoor screenings every Wednesday at sunset at David Pecaut Square, adjacent to Metro Hall. The Wizard Of Oz starts the series at dusk on July 6, The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg screens July 13, Funny Girl July 20, and The Sound Of Music July 27. TIFF nods to its Raj Kapoor series August 3 with Jagte Raho, and gives props to Norman Jewison August 10 with Fiddler On The Roof. (They’re saving Jesus Christ Superstar for the Lightbox.) The series winds down with Singin’ In The Rain August 17, The Muppet Movie August 24 and Mary Poppins August 31.
See you out there! And seriously, come down to Harbourfront for Scott Pilgrim this week. It’s gonna rock.
