New York’s high taxes really feel like they’re paying off when summer comes and suddenly you feel like you’re not just surrounded by but drowning in free culture. The un-ticketed goodness comes in a variety of forms including live music, movies and movies with live music. For those of us with air-conditioning, free outdoor summer movies provide a much bigger screen than you’ve possibly got in your bedroom, a chance to enjoy your favorite cult classic alongside other fans, a perfect date night and a number of other very solid pro reasonings. For those of us lacking air-conditioning, schlep your sweaty booty out here because the evening breeze is gonna at least make these viewing locations cooler than your apartment.
As with every year, there’s a few movies that appear multiple times in the season’s lineup, sometimes for reasons discernible other times not. This year those movies are Donnie Darko and Office Space.
Take a look at this list and make time for movies this summer. Come alone, come with your family, come with your bae, come with your dog, come wearing a nice hat, just come – the heat is better tolerated en masse and with a movie.
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SUMMERSCREEN
McCarren Park, N. 12th St. between Bedford Ave. and Berry Ave., Williamsburg
Wednesday nights July – August
July 5: Mean Girls
July 12: Office Space
July 19: Donnie Darko
July 26: Selena
August 2: I Know What You Did Last Summer
August 9: audience choice (Beetlejuice, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Now and Then, Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion or Twister. Vote!)
RED HOOK FLICKS’ SUMMER MOVIES ON THE PIER
Valentino Pier between Coffey and Van Dyke St., Red Hook
Tuesday nights July – August
July 11: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
July 18: Straight Outta Compton
July 25: Zootopia
August 1: Napolean Dynamite
August 8: Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
August 15: Donnie Darko
August 22: Minions
August 29: Armageddon
A SUMMER MOVIE UNDER THE STARS
Prospect Park’s Long Meadow
Select Wednesday nights July – August
July 19: The NeverEnding Story
July 26: The Sandlot
August 2: Moonrise Kingdom
August 9: Zootopia
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FILMS ON THE GREEN
WNYC Transmitter Park, Greenpoint
Friday nights June – July
June 23: Mauvais Sang (1986)
June 30: Contempt (1963)
HABANA OUTPOST
757 Fulton St., Fort Greene
Sunday nights May – October
July 16: Jailhouse Rock (1957)
July 23: Stir Crazy (1980)
July 30: Friday (1995)
August 6: White Men Can’t Jump (1992)
August 13: Flashdance (1983)
August 20: Life (1999)
August 27: Coming to America (1988)
September 3: Mary Poppins (1964)
September 10: Pulp Fiction (1994)
September 17: Airplane (1980)
September 24: Brewster’s Millions (1985)
October 1: Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
October 8: Scarface (1983)
October 15: To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything (1995)
October 22: Super Man II (1980)
October 29: The Addams Family (1980)
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OUR WICKED LADY
153 Morgan Ave., Bushwick
Monday nights June – September
June 19: Donnie Darko
June 26: Dirty Dancing
July 3: The Art of the Deal & Team America
July 10: Sin City
July 17: The Princess Bride
July 24: Rock & Roll High School
July 31: Fight Club
August 7: Moonwalker
August 14: Sid & Nancy
August 21: The 5th Element
August 28: Labyrinth
September 4: Transformers The Movie (1986)
September 11: Repo Man
September 18: Velvet Goldmine
September 25: Fantastic Mr. Fox
BRIC CELEBRATE BROOKLYN
Prospect Park Bandshell
Select Thursday nights July – August
July 27: Maciste All’inferno (with live score by Sexmob / Reverend Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir)
August 4: Creed (with live score by Worldess Music Orchestra / Franke Haye & The Brooklyn Interdenominational Choir)
August 10: Selma (with live score by Jason Moran & Wordless Music Orchestra / Brooklyn United Marching Band)
ROOFTOP FILMS
Location varies
Select Friday and Wednesday nights June – August
June 16: The Maribor Uprisings
June 21: The Bad Batch
July 21: Sundance short films
July 29: Net Positive: Internet Health Shorts
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NARROWS BOTANICAL GARDENS
Shore Road between Bay Ridge Avenue and 72nd Street, Bay Ridge
select Friday nights June – September
June 23: Fantasia
July 7: The Birds
July 28: Buddy
August 25: Bee Movie
September 8: Planet of the Apes (1968)
MOVIES WITH A VIEW
Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Brooklyn Heights
Thursday nights July – August
July 6: Office Space
July 13: Pariah
July 20: Casablanca
July 27: The Lego Movie
August 3: 9 to 5
August 10: 42
August 17: Mad Max: Fury Road
August 24: public vote (Footloose, Dear White People or Network)
MOVIES UNDER THE STARS
The Myrtle Avenue lawn in Fort Greene Park
July 9: Hands to the Sky
August 22: Just Another Girl on the IRT
September 23: Moana
CONEY ISLAND FLICKS ON THE BEACH
West 12th St.
Mondays at 7pm July – August
July 10: Beauty and the Beast
July 17: Landline
July 24: Finding Dory
July 31: La La Land
August 7: Get Out
August 14: The Lego Batman Movie
August 21: Crown Heights
August 28: Star Wars: Rogue One
We’ll update this list as more free movies are announced!
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