Movies in the Square

Posted on June 12, 2008, by Harvey Kirkpatrick 
Filed Under Events, Theatre & Cinema

A few weeks ago, I ventured out to Kingston Family Fun World and parked for a double feature at the Drive In. For the amazing price of $11, I got to see summer blockbusters, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, as well as Iron Man, all in the comfort of my four-door sedan. The amazing nostalgia of this experience made me yearn for more, which has already led to talks about going back to the Drive In to see the new Batman, and Hellboy 2 flicks later this summer. With my rejuvenated cinematic craving in mind, while reading over the list of events for First Capital Days, I stumbled across the first listing for “Movies in Market Square“, which is becoming our one and only annual outdoor summer film festival.

Last year’s Movies in the Square wrapped up with the marathon blockbuster featuring Forest Gump, while this year’s summer festival kicks off on June 26th by going Back to the Future. In the shadow of Kingston City Hall, the loveable Doc will embark on an adventure to send Marty McFly and the time traveling De Lorean back to the 1985. This is my all-time favorite Robert Zemeckis film, which is perfect for the whole family to enjoy under the stars. Admission is free, and you are encouraged to bring your own lawn chairs, picnic blankets and snacks, although there are also some concessions available for purchase.

Kingston is relatively new to the idea of open air movie screenings, save for the Drive In, as this phenomena has been growing in popularity throughout Canada. Vancouver’s Stanley Park became home to Monsters in the Meadow back in 2005, while Montreal’s annual Fantasia Film Festival is now revered as a premier event in the North American festival circuit. The latter breaks new ground by combining the open air elements of the drive in, with the traditional film festival format, which showcases independent and short films. Although the City of Kingston’s outdoor film festival is more of a throwback to movies you’ve probably already seen, perhaps some independent films could be shown as well.

Kingston already has an annual film festival as well as ReelOut, both of which receive a lot of attention due to the unique selections they make available to the public. To me it’s a no brainer to include a local independent short before the main feature, but full-length independent and local selections might thin the audience out a bit too much. In any case, in the age of high definition, and full service home theatre systems, it’s nice to see that community events such as Movies in the Square is something people are interested in. I suppose there’s something to be said about the starry night, and social aspect of this event that makes it work.

Be sure to check out the 2008 premier of Kingston’s summer outdoor film festival in Springer Market Square, starting at 8pm. Drop us a line and let us know what sorts of titles you’re hoping for.

Comments

2 Responses to “Movies in the Square”

  1. Ian Jackson on June 15th, 2008 9:10 am

    3 July: Field of Dreams
    17 July: Big
    24 July: Breakfast at Tiffany’s
    31 July: Big Fish
    7 Aug: Rocky
    14 Aug: The Sound of Music
    28 Aug: Splash

  2. Harvey Kirkpatrick on June 27th, 2008 9:37 am

    Rocky! That is awesome.

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