Given recent twister warnings, you’d think some enterprising film programmer would have tucked a trip with Dorothy and Toto into this summer’s lineup of flicks screening under our moody skies. Well, you’d be right. You and yours can catch the classic “Wizard of Oz” at Skyline Park in August.
There’s plenty of other (mostly) outdoor fare this season. With summer nearly in swing, it’s time to take advantage. To that end, we’ve assembled this guide to upcoming films. And we’ve added a couple of indoor series for those inevitable rain dates. Though, as fans note, Chautauqua’s silent film series can have the feel of the great outdoors when a good storm clatters above.Lisa KennedyFilm on the Rocks.
For its 10th anniversary, this funky- fun series of flicks and tunes went into the vaults to revisit some faves and add what organizers hope will be new classics. If Tuesday’s crowded “The Big Lebowski” screening was an indication, summer will be a blast.
Where: Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison
When: Tuesdays through Aug. 18. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Band starts around 7 p.m. and movies start at dusk.
A peek at what’s playing: Among this year’s offerings are “Jaws,” preceded by the appropriately named local band the Rouge (July 7), and cult fave “Donnie Darko,” is paired with Denver’s beautifully brooding Bad Luck City (Aug. 12).
What it will cost: $10 general admission; $12 day of show at box office. Tickets available at and at all King Soopers locations. Parking’s free.
More: denverfilm.org 303-820-FILM or
Summer Outdoor Israeli FIlm Series. Tel Aviv: A Portrait.
The Mizel Museum marks the 100th birthday of Israel’s second largest burg with a series that engages tales from the bustling city on the Mediterranean. There’s a hummus bar run by Udi’s Bakery to set the mood.
Where: Mizel Museum lawn, 409 S. Kearney St., Denver
When: Selected Thursdays. Films start at 8:30.
A peek at what’s playing:satirist Ephraim Kishon’s Academy Award-nominated “The Policeman,” (1971) about a hapless Jaffa district patrolman. (July 23). Focused on three women, “Jellyfish” (2007) is an undulating meditation on modern life, rife with beckoning performances. It touches on aloneness, immigration and the flux of the sea (Aug. 6).
What it will cost: $5. Reservations not required.
More: mizelmuseum.org or 303-394-9993 ext. 107
Boulder Outdoor Cinema.
A little bit of this, a little bit of that keeps the moviegoers content and diverse. How else to explain the perfectly eclectic mix of Pixar-Tarantino-Disney this series serves up?
When: Saturdays through Aug. 29. Venue opens at 7:30. Film starts around 9.
Where: 1750 13th St. directly behind the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art and next to the Dushanbe Teahouse.
A peek at what’s playing: “No ordinary rabbit” and “just a flesh wound” will have you rolling during “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (June 27). For a bit of “Jai Ho,” there’s “Slumdog Millionaire” (July 18). Wee robot “Wall*E” makes a big impression (Aug. 15). Robert Rodriguez’s and Quentin Tarantino’s brilliantly executed double-bill homage, “Grindhouse” (Aug. 22; leave the kids at home).
What it will cost: $5 suggested donation.
More: boulderoutdoor or 888-881-FILM
88 Drive-in Theatre.
Went to the last area drive-in standing for nostalgia’s sake. Going back because we wound up tossing footballs around with sweet kids before dusk and the folk running the crazy- stocked snack bar were just the nicest.
When: Every night. Remember you need your car’s FM radio or a portable radio.
Where: 8780 Rosemary St., corner of East 88th Avenue and Rosemary Street, Commerce City
A peek at what’s playing: Currently “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” and Eddie Murphy’s set-in- Denver comedy, “Imagine That.”
What it will cost: $8 per person. Children under 12 are admitted free.
More: or 303-287-7717
Mile High Movies in Skyline Park.
You have to admire the downtown flair of this family- friendly series. Both the affordable Corner Bakery Cafe and the higher-end Palm Restaurant have deals on meals and snacks. And the Denver Theatre District provides entertainment.
When: Saturdays through Aug. 8. Begins at dusk.
Where: Behind the historic D&F Clocktower on 16th and Arapahoe streets. Note: Although this downtown screen is this year’s go-to venue for the Denver Park and Recreation outdoor movies, there will be some screenings at Barnum, Cheesman and Fred Thomas parks. (See denver for dates and parks.)
A peek at what’s playing: “E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial” (June 27). Understated animated wonder “The Iron Giant” (July 18). “The Wizard of Oz” (Aug. 8).
What it will cost: Zip, zilch, nada. And movies include free popcorn, snow cones and cotton candy.
More: Limited patio seating in full view of the Skyline screen. Reservations: 303-825- 7256. Even more: downtown Movies.htm.
Monday Movie Madness at Infinity Park.
Make Mondays less blue with a perch in front of this Glendale venue’s JumboTron.
When: Mondays, through August. Park opens at 7:30. Movie starts at 8 p.m.
Where: Infinity Park, 4599 E. Tennessee Ave.
A peek at what’s playing: Can’t bring dogs, but laugh at their bonkers breeders during “Best in Show” (July 6). Kick butt and kick back with “Kung Fu Panda” (Aug. 3) “Mamma Mia!” here we go again (Aug. 17).
What it will cost: Free, and you can bring alchohol-free picnics.
More: infinityparkat or 303-692-5799
The Aspen Grove Family Film Festival.
A misfit mouse, a recalcitrant yellow Lab and a hotel full of hounds: Do we detect a pattern? Head to Littleton’s lovely shopping mall for family (and their pets) fare.
When: Wednesdays, through Aug. 12. Starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m.
Where: Aspen Grove shopping center, 7301 S. Santa Fe Drive, Littleton
A peek at what’s playing: I wear my sunglasses at night “so I can so I can” enjoy a 3-D showing of “Journey to the Center of the Earth” (July 8). And handkerchiefs are in order for the tale of marriage and — be warned, parents — mortality, “Marley & Me” (July 22).
What it will cost: Free
More: shopaspengrove.com
Rain-date alternatives we love:
Chautauqua Silent Film Series.
Silent-era greats and great silent flicks distinguish this most original of series. Onscreen: Lillian Gish, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton for starters. Onstage: pianist Hank Troy or the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra.
When: Wednesdays through Sept. 16. Films begin at 7:30.
Where: Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder
A peek at what’s playing: Charlie Chaplin shorts (June 24). Lon Chaney tormented in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (Aug. 19). D.W. Griffith’s “Orphans of the Storm,” starring Gish (Sept. 9).
What it will cost: $8 general admission.
More: /silent_film_series.htm or 303-440-7666
A slice of sci-fi at the Thin Man.
Last year it was horror, this year the folks at the Thin Man Tavern host a weekly sci-fi series.
When: Wednesdays through Aug. 26. at 9 p.m.
Where: The Ubisububi Room at the Thin Man Tavern, 2015 E. 17th Ave., Denver
A peek at what’s playing: “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” makes Steven Spielberg the director with the most films on the most screens this summer (July 15). Dystopian classic “Blade Runner” (July 22). See the movie, then see the Charles Deaton-designed Genessee house featured in Woody Allen’s futurist romp, “Sleeper” (July 29).
What it will cost: Free
More: thinmantavern and 303-320-7814
