Movies Under the Stars, a New York City summer outdoor film screening program, has continued to be a hit since its inception a few years ago. Every summer, multiple venues throughout the city host outdoor screenings of both new and classic films. This past year’s HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival showcased a few very familiar titles including Ghostbusters, Footloose, Chinatown, and Back to the Future. 

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The program’s outdoor locations include the Central Astoria Waterfront, Central Park, Washington Square Park, Tompkins Square Park, and Columbia University. Due to the program’s popularity, Movies Under the Stars has been extended for another month, adding quite a few August viewings. All five boroughs will host family-friendly events, showing The Muppets Take Manhattan, The Wiz, Annie, Mad Hot Ballroom, and Enchanted. More parks around the city are also joining the summer fun to enhance exposure to participating New Yorkers.

Los Angeles has a similar summer outdoor screening program beginning in April and lasting until the end of October. The fair LA weather makes it easier to hold outdoor events for a longer duration of time. This summer, a 2015 Master Calendar was released, allowing everyone to easily schedule which screenings they would like to attend. For the month of August, some great films are lined up including Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club,  The Princess Bride, Mean Girls, and Big Hero 6. Screenings are spread throughout L.A. to venues like the Lou Bredlow Pavilion in Warner Park, La Cienega Park, Pacific Palisades, and the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Outdoor screenings give people the old-school drive-up theater experience for a low cost and easy convenience. Many look forward to the festivals every year. With the increase in popularity, both New York and L.A. are going to have to find new venues, additional support, and a larger number of eligible films. At least this is a good problem to have!