We’re starting summer off in a BIG way…by playing some of the Sidewalk staff’s favorite blockbusters on the BIG SCREEN as they were meant to be seen!
We asked our staff members to compile their summertime favorites and narrowed them down by decade. Read below on what they had to say about their picks and beat the heat by seeing a summer blockbuster at Sidewalk this weekend, May 16 – 22!
1970s: ALIEN (1979)
“Alien is one of my favorite Summer movies of all time. I love the practical special effects, the cast of characters with believable flaws, and a strong female lead. Alien was a new take on monster movies with a healthy dose of Sci-Fi and horror mixed in. The cold dreadful atmosphere of space is a perfect companion to warmer weather.”
– Front of House Associate Violet Gein
1980s: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
This selection coincides with our Sidewalk Film 101 series, which is a program focused on playing films that are historically important and influential. This year is dedicated to big-screen spectacles – movies that you must see on the big screen. Along with supplemental readings and resources to contextualize each featured film, Thursday evening screenings will include a special introduction.
1990s: TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)
“This is a sequel that goes beyond the original in all the best ways, giving itself an identity of its own while still respecting what came before it. Any time I’m seeing a James Cameron film, I know that it’s going to be a spectacle to remember. Not only is Terminator 2 massively entertaining for its spectacularly designed sci-fi action, but it also manages to tell a great story that gives this popcorn flick a real soul. In a time where we’re flooded with countless sequels and reboots, it’s nice to know there are some sequels who got it right and show what a sequel should be. The Terminator and company came back in style and didn’t disappoint!”
– Projectionist Nick Ferlisi
2000s: I AM LEGEND (2007)
“I remember watching Fracis Lawrence’s I Am Legend in a theater at the age of 11 and being completely obsessed with everything the film had to offer. From the Will Smith one-man-show to the bleak landscape of a post-apocalyptic America as a result of a deadly virus. I Am Legend has always been one of those films that stays with me due to the emotional bond between Dr. Robert Neville and his puppy (Sam) and those poignant words: ‘If there’s anybody out there… anybody… please. You are not alone.'”
– Programming Manager Allan Monterrubio
2010s: CRAZY RICH ASIANS (2018)
“I chose Crazy Rich Asians because of how beautiful it is both plot and picture wise. It shows how complicated family and love can be. The balance between funny and serious was perfectly executed.”
– Front of House Associate Jasmine Schultz
2020s: NOPE (2022)
“Catch me on the right day, as a friend did a few weeks back, and I might tell you that Nope is Jordan Peele’s best movie. It’s certainly his most ambitious — a cross between Spielbergian science fiction, Tremors-style creature feature, and Hollywood satire, crammed with so many ideas you need a few viewings to unpack them all. Not that seeing Nope many times is any great imposition. For me, this is one of the most rewatchable movies of the decade so far, a wildly entertaining blockbuster thrill ride made by a great director at the top of his game. And it’s designed to be seen on the big screen; that way, you can appreciate the astounding technical achievement of all that nighttime photography, get the full effect of the terrifying sound design, and see it with a freaked-out audience having the cinematic time of their lives.”
– Cinema Programming Coordinator Corey Craft
You can find showtimes and tickets to these great summer blockbusters at sidewalkfest.com/tickets.