Travel Blog

16 Jul

Whistler Summer Cinema Series: It’s Like a Drive-In Movie Theatre Without Cars

Sure, these days you can watch a movie on your smartphone while riding the bus but at its essence, cinema is a shared human experience and movies are always better when watched on the big screen with a bunch of people laughing, crying, and reacting together. Especially when it’s all free of charge.

Of course, in the summer, Whistler’s beautiful scenery and weather can make it difficult to make the trek indoors to watch a flick at the Whistler Village 8 cinemas. Thankfully, the Whistler Film Festival and Creekside Village are stepping up and re-introducing a classic Whistler experience—an outdoor movie theatre—through the Whistler Summer Cinema Series.

Whistler Outdoor Cinema

Outdoor cinema nights rock – like this one held a couple years ago in Lost Lake Park.

“The screen will be located at the base of Whistler Mountain in Creekside Village,” explains WFF’s Nikki Segovia. “Seating is on the grass going up the hill so everyone is looking down at the screen – bring your own chair or blanket. It’s just a great chance to get together and do something fun outside at night to celebrate the beauty of the environment we live in.”

And watch some pretty awesome movies. With four absolutely free screenings planned throughout the summer, Nikki and the WFF crew chose films everyone in the family can enjoy. Check them out:

1. Where the Wild Things Are

July 19, 2017

Maurice Sendak’s classic children’s book got the live-action, big screen treatment in 2009, with visionary director Spike Jonze (Her, The Beastie Boys Sabotage video) adapting the sparse tale of Max, a young lad who escapes to the wild kingdom of his dreams, and does a little growing up along the way.

“I didn’t want to program just child-friendly films because I think the crowd will be more mature,” Nikki says. “But this one is a classic in its own right and I think everyone grew up reading that book.”

(2009/Rated: G/104 minutes)

 

2. The Castle

July 26, 2017

“This is an Australian classic and it’s hilarious,” Nikki says. “I wanted to appeal to Whistler’s Aussie residents and this year also marks the film’s 20th Anniversary.” Billed as an Australian Full Monty, The Castle is about a quirky family doing whatever it takes to save their home.  This one’s going straight to the pool room.

(1997/PG*Coarse Language/84 minutes)

 

3. Wayne’s World

August 2, 2017

Wayne’s World shouldn’t have worked– a feature film based on a Saturday Night Live skit about two rockers with a cable show in their basement–but Mike Myers and Dana Carvey brought so much passion and charisma to the film it not only worked, it changed the world (or at least the world’s vocabulary) and even got a sequel! This one is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Party On Wayne!

(1992/PG/95 minutes)

 

4. E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

August 9, 2017

This might make you feel old. E.T. celebrates its 35th anniversary this year, but Steven Spielberg’s classic tale of a boy and his alien (or is it an alien and his boy?) holds up even after all these years. This one is also good for kids (and people in their 20s) who have never seen a rotary phone before!

(1982/G/121 minutes)

Good to Know

Screenings start at dusk/8 PM. No smoking or outside alcohol permitted although beverages will be sold at the screening. Dusty’s Bar BBQ invites everyone to drop in for dinner before the movie and kids under 12 (accompanied by an adult) can eat free (ordering off the children’s menu) from 5 PM to 8 PM on movie nights.

“The movies are free,” Nikki reiterates, “but donations to Whistler Film Festival and non-perishable food items for the Whistler Food Bank are always greatly appreciated. See you at the movies!”

For more information on summer events for the whole family, check out the event calendar on Whistler.com. And if you love movies, make sure you visit for the annual Whistler Film Festival held in December every year.

Article source: https://www.whistler.com/blog/post/2017/07/14/whistler-summer-cinema-series/