Grassy Knoll Movie Night

Movies now require a substantial investment, of both time and money. When you walk into a movie theater, you can expect to spend about $7 - $8 a ticket, plus at least $3 - $4 per item at the concessions. That means for a date for two at the movies, you can expect to spend anywhere from $35 to $40. Plus, with previews taking approximately an hour and a half of your time before the movie even starts, you'll be lucky to leave within two and a half hours for an hour and a half movie. All in a confined, cold, dark room. Take away the entertainment value and that's essentially paid torture.


Or, you can watch a movie in the cool of the twilight, surrounded by fireflies and the smell of fresh popcorn and beer sold by local vendors, reclining on the grass of an abandoned lot.Every Thursday in June, and every second Sunday between May and October, the Grassy Knoll Movie Night is held in the abandoned lot beside Bongo Java East. The show is only $5 a person, or $4 and the donation of one canned item. As I mentioned already, they sell local popcorn and beer at reasonable prices.

So, it's not like you're getting out of spending any money for a movie. But spending your time outside, under the stars, with a local beer and local food in hand is certainly better than paying a theatrical giant like Regal Cinemas for cheap, crappy popcorn and carbonated sludge.

Plus, there's something special about hearing the dialogue and soundtrack of a movie coming from freestanding speakers and echoing off of the surrounding brick walls and vegetation. Or seeing fireflies dart across the screen, or staking your spot in the lawn for the perfect viewing experience. Or the depth of community that you feel laying/sitting there with your neighbors, all reveling in the same, shared experience: a movie, a summer night, and a sense of belonging.