por Scott Marks
Crítico de cine SDUN

This summer it has once again my pleasure to team with CommCinema (“Community,” not Commie!) to show free outdoor movies throughout San Diego County. When you consider that in this dire economy it costs a family of four something like 40 bucks to go to a movie, this is a terrific night out with the kids.

Cinema began when Auguste and Louis Lumiere would haul their generator and projection equipment to a public square, string up a sheet and run movies. The sheet has been replaced by a 25-foot inflatable screen, the digital projection equipment is no bigger than a Motel 8 refrigerator and there are no cranks to turn. And did I mention that the entire “theater” system is compact enough to fit in a car? The screen actually rolls up like a six-foot black burrito.

The venues are generally spectacular. For the past two summers I’ve spent my Friday and Saturday evenings exhibiting movies on everything from Little League diamonds to spacious parks in housing developments and surfside amphitheaters. The biggest screen on which I project a film is 33 feet—we have all been in multiplex theaters with much smaller images (and concrete walls instead of a field of stars).

The outdoor movies continue throughout the summer. The movies begin at sundown (generally around 8 p.m.) and I suggest you get there early with your lawn chairs and blankets because the good seats tend to fill quickly. What follows is a list of the remaining films, or go to commcinema.com for updates:

Fri., Aug. 20 “Up” at Tidelands Park, Coronado
Sat., Aug. 21 “Toy Story” at 4-S Ranch Community Park
Fri., Aug. 27 “The Princess and the Frog” at Lemon Grove Recreation Center
Sat., Aug. 28 “Park Planet 51” at Poway Community Park
Fri., Sept. 3 “Up” at Point Loma Community Park
Sat., Sept. 4 “Swiss Family Robinson” at Oceanside Pier
Fri., Sept. 10 “Nacho Libre” at Kimball Bowl, National City
sábado 11 de septiembre “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” at Lindo Lake Park, Lakeside
Fri., Sept. 17 “How to Train Your Dragon” at Tidelands Park, Coronado
Sat., Sept. 18 “The Blind Side” at 4-S Ranch Community Park