When the weather begins creeping into the triple digits, there are people who make a beeline for a backyard barbecue or a body of water. Then there are those of us whose favorite summertime sanctuary is the dark, air-conditioned cocoon of our local movie theater. Summer has long been synonymous with Hollywood's most expensive crowd-pleasers, but the Inland Northwest's film landscape offers plenty of cinematic diversity, from classics to cult films to kid-friendly delights.
SUMMER BLOCKBUSTERS
Who are we kidding? Summer movie season has been in full swing for at least a month already, with a Marvel sequel, a huge Disney remake and a Fast & Furious installment released in May alone. But the area's big screens will be dominated by even bigger spectacle for the next few months, so get ready for explosions, CGI and a whole lot of recognizable intellectual property.
Everyone's favorite archaeologist swashbuckler returns for his fifth adventure in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (opens June 30), with Harrison Ford once again donning his fedora for director James Mangold. Superspy Ethan Hunt drives a motorcycle off a cliff and lands in multiplexes on July 12 with Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One, allegedly the second-to-last film in the globetrotting series.
In what has the potential to be one of the wildest double features imaginable, Christopher Nolan's brooding historical epic Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig's plastic-fantastic comedy Barbie both open on July 21. The big question is: Which do you see first?
It wouldn't be summer without even more superheroes. The DC universe expands with both The Flash on June 16 and Blue Beetle on Aug. 18, while the heroes in a halfshell return with the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem on Aug. 4. If you need a reprieve from all that comic book bombast, there are a couple R-rated comedy options: No Hard Feelings (June 23), starring Jennifer Lawrence, and Strays (Aug. 18), starring some foul-mouthed dogs voiced by Will Ferrell and Jamie Foxx.
The season closes on Labor Day weekend with The Equalizer 3 (Sept. 1), with Denzel Washington reprising his role as a very serious assassin.
FILMS UNDER THE STARS
So maybe you don't need to stay indoors to get swept up in some movie magic. The Pavilion at Riverfront Park will be screening free outdoor movies on Wednesday and Saturday nights throughout the summer. It kicks off with Pixar's Up (July 12) and continues with Night at the Museum (July 19), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (Aug. 2), Top Gun: Maverick (Aug. 9), The Greatest Showman (Aug. 16) and The Super Mario Bros. Movie (Aug. 26). Movies start at 8:30. The Olmsted Brothers Green in Kendall Yards will also be hosting free outdoor films once a month: The Princess Bride (July 15), The Goonies (Aug. 26) and Top Gun: Maverick on Sept. 9. And if you happen to be up on Schweitzer Mountain, they'll be showing family-friendly movies every Friday in August starting at 8 pm.
MOVIES IN MOSCOW
Moscow's Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre is a true filmgoing destination, and to call its early summer schedule eclectic would be an understatement. You can see Cheryl Dunye's groundbreaking queer romance The Watermelon Woman on June 19, followed by the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Strangers on a Train on June 20. Or the timeless screwball classic Some Like It Hot on June 22, followed by the John Waters shocker Pink Flamingos on June 23. The Moscow Film Society is also showing some animated curiosities at the Kenworthy, including Coraline (June 21) and a double whammy of traumatizing '70s cartoons Watership Down and The Plague Dogs (June 27). Visit kenworthy.org to keep an eye on their growing schedule.
Related
AT THE DRIVE-IN
Ready for a throwback? Head to Colville, where the Auto-Vue Drive-In has been screening movies since 1953. Get comfy in your car, dial into the sound through your radio, and enjoy the only operational drive-in theater in the area. The Auto-Vue typically shows double features, and titles on their docket include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and Pixar's Elemental. Movies start at dusk.
YOUR OWN PERSONAL THEATER
The Magic Lantern Theatre is a Spokane institution, having screened international and independent films off and on since the 1970s. Its current location in the Community Building at 25 W. Main Ave. has two screens, and you can actually rent them out on select days. Bring your own DVD and a small group of friends and enjoy. Inquire about rentals at magiclanternonmain.com.
FOR THE KIDS
If you want to get the kids out of the house while sticking to a budget, the Garland Theater is once again offering free kids' movies each morning throughout the summer. Titles include Despicable Me, Kung Fu Panda, The Secret Life of Pets, How to Train Your Dragon and more. These weekday screenings start at 9:30 am. See garlandtheater.com for a full schedule.
30 YEARS SINCE BENNY MET JOON
Three decades ago, a Hollywood film crew came to Spokane for several months to shoot a quirky romantic comedy. That film, Benny & Joon, starred Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson as social outcasts who find love, and with all its Inland Northwest locations, it's practically a documentary for what our city looked like back in 1993.
To mark the film's 30th anniversary, Benny & Joon is screening July 15 at the Garland Theater, mere blocks away from one of the movie's locations, Ferguson's Cafe. The event also includes a short documentary looking back on the film's production here, plus a live Q&A with locals who got to see its making firsthand, or even be part of the action. Other activities to mark the anniversary include a commemorative Benny & Joon exhibit at the MAC, specials at local businesses like Ferguson's and more. For tickets and event information, visit linktr.ee/bennyandjoonspokane. ♦
