Movies by Moonlight: A really cool idea
When it comes to breathing life into downtown, the city has made some choice moves this year. Luminaria was bold and it worked. The bullriding in front of the Alamo was a rousing success.
Tonight, the city changes pace by partnering with Slab Cinema for Movies by Moonlight, a weekly film series at HemisFair Park.
The series kicks off with "Grease." (You're the one that I want. Ooo! Ooo! Ooooo!)
The homerun events are nice and necessary. But these smaller, grounded events are equally as necessary. They're pure community. That it's in HemisFair Park serves the downtown community. But it's also a centrally located option so families from across the city can visit downtown on a Thursday night. On the flip side, it'll breathe a little life into HemisFair Park.
Slab Cinema duo Angela and Rick Martinez started screening films four years ago on the concrete slab at La Tuna, the ice house and grill on Probandt. Before that, they screened outside their now-defunct video shop Planet of the Tapes on South St. Mary's Street. Angela said over the years, they must have screened 100 movies in the Southtown area. They had been looking for a permanent location — long story — when the city called and proposed they give HemisFair Park a try.
"They actually approached us," Angela Martinez said.
Tonight the experiment begins. City workers will set up an 18-by-27-foot screen in the lawn area between the HemisFair arch and the Magik Children's Theater.
There'll always be a performance of some kind beforehand that matches the theme of the movie. For "Grease," Raymond Zapata's Dance Group will do their '50s thing around 7:30 p.m. The movie starts at 8.
People are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or blankets. Concessions will also be made available.
They're already planning to run horror flicks throughout October starting with "Nosterafu."
Movies by Moonlight
7:30 p.m. Thursdays
HemisFair Park
Free parking in the parking lot across from the federal building
September lineup
4: Grease
11: Titanic
18: Sixteen Candles
25: Casablanca
On the Web
Download the flyer
Visit slamcinema.com
— Benjamin Olivo
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/downtown/
Sure its nothing flashy, but it proves folks aren't totally ignoring the park
