Backstory: the theater in our town mostly does live music, but they've got two movies on the schedule, Blade Runner and Rocky, both of which will have live orchestral accompaniment. My neighbor and her partner wanted to see both, but it was too pricy, so they bought tickets to Blade Runner and put on Rocky in their back yard.
Picture a small suburban back yard, maybe large enough to park three cars, if it wasn't tucked in behind a hedge and the garage. (I can fit 13 raised beds and a hammock in mine, with almost everything touching). Now picture a white sheet hung on the side of the garage, fifteen lawn chairs, and a DVD/projector hookup balanced on a ladder at just the right height.
They ordered pizza, made popcorn, bought movie theater candy, and had coolers of wine and beer. There was also a handy table of various mosquito sprays, bandaids, etc. (She's very prepared).
The show started with a video clip from a 1970s local TV news show. Everyone knew the theme music and sang along. Then a short film that was shown at the IMAX theater in Philly, and finally two previews, one for a movie about the making of Rocky, and then the original theatrical trailer. By then it was after 9, and full dark in the yard, and the movie started.
Now Rocky having its 50th anniversary makes me feel old, because it was the first movie I went to see with a girlfriend without any parents along. But you know, it holds up. And there's something to be said for tight editing and 90 minute films. (No I haven't been to see the 3 hour Odyssey yet, why do you ask?)
Everyone loved the whole experience and wants to do it again, but they aren't sure - they think it turned out as well as it did because it was relatively unplanned and no one knew what to expect.
But we still have a lot of weekends left to summer. We'll wear them down.
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