Things To Do: Movie Screenings

A lot of different venues in the area have special film screenings; and often talks/discussions to go along with the screening. Many of the museums, libraries, and embassies in the area have film screenings.

There are different groups in the area that watch unreleased films (advanced screenings) and then discuss the movie as a group.

There is even an event where you get to watch a bunch of movie trailers for upcoming films.

Most of the film events we have attended have been at the American Film Institute Silver Theatre which is two blocks from our apartment. I love that theatre, and I love how close and convenient it is. This three-screen theatre plays independent/art house movies, as well as some mainstream films (they had Julie & Julia, but don't hold your breath for Jennifer's Body). It's an old theatre that was initially built in 1938 and was restored and re-opened in 2003. The main screening room is absolutely gorgeous and I love how they maintained the 1930s style.

The other two, smaller screening rooms look like private screening rooms in Hollywood (or what I imagine them to look like...). And, this is perk for a lot of people, they serve alcohol at the concessions stand.

The AFI also has a lot of special theme screenings. For example, a month dedicated to David Fincher movies, or Cyd Charisse films, or 80s movies, or horror movies for Halloween. They also host a bunch of different film festivals. Eagan and I have attended screenings for the SilverDocs documentary film festival, the AFI Latin American Film Festival, and the DC Labor Film Festival. Next month is the AFI European Union Film Festival. There are usually people involved with the film at the screenings for a discussion/Q&A after the movie.

Recently, the AFI had a special advanced screening of Michael Moore's new documentary Capitalism: A Love Story.

They gave out the tickets for free and they even gave free concessions (a popcorn, drink, and bag of candy for everyone). In addition, Michael Moore was there to discuss the film and answer questions. He shared interesting things about the making of the film -- like when he was putting yellow police tape around buildings on Wall Street, a police officer came up to him. Michael said, "I know, I know...I'm doing this for a movie..." And the police officer said, "No, take your time. This company [that they were standing in front of] took X amount out of our police pensions. Take your time."

It was a really neat experience overall. It's cool watching a movie with like-minded audience members that cheer during the film and yell at the screen when something in the film makes them angry (well, not THAT like-minded). It's neat witnessing a passionate viewing of a film.

Screen shot

Promotional signs. A sign to be placed in front of foreclosed homes or businesses. And a pitchfork for the angry mob.

Another great source of movie screenings are outdoor film screenings. There are quite a bit of outdoor screenings going on throughout DC during the summer. This past summer there were at least ten different outdoor film events going on each week in different areas. Each one usually had a theme -- superhero movies, 80s movies (which ended up being a great tribute to John Hughes), music movies and documentaries, blockbusters, classics, sci-fi movies. It's great lying on a blanket, having a picnic, and watching a movie under the stars.

The most popular and iconic summer outdoor film event is Screen on the Green. It's an event sponsored by HBO and a movie is played on the National Mall. There's such a cult following that there is even a dance ("The HBO Dance") that nearly everyone in the crowd does when the HBO logo comes on the screen. This year the event was almost canceled due to a lack of funding -- but so many people complained about the thought of no SOTG, that sponsors realized how huge this event is and signed on as well and so, luckily, it wasn't canceled. This year had a lot of classic movies: On the Waterfront, Rebel Without a Cause, Dog Day Afternoon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. It's such a cool experience watching a movie with a view of The Capitol behind the screen and a view of the Washington Monument behind you.