Three outdoor movie screenings offered

As part of its summer movie series, the Museum of Contemporary art will offer three outdoor films in July and August.

The film screenings take place at MCASD La Jolla, 700 Prospect St. All screenings begin at 8 p.m. MCASD invites you to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy.

Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation

Thursday, July 10, 2008

MCASD invites you to bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the Museum’s free third annual Parking Lot Pictures. As moviegoers flock to Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull at multiplexes, MCASD hosts the San Diego premiere of “Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation” against the oceanfront backdrop of MCASD La Jolla’s parking lot. Back in 1982, the then-12-year-old filmmakers Chris Strompolos, Eric Zala, and Jayson Lamb made this shot-by-shot remake of Steven Spielberg’s 1981 classic adventure film, filming in their Mississippi neighborhood.

Shot for $7,000 over a period of seven years and rarely screened for the public, “Raiders of the Lost Ark: The Adaptation” might just be one of the most heartfelt, no-budget homages to movie love ever made. Coincidentally, Paramount Pictures is currently developing a feature film with screenwriter Dan Clowes (of Ghost World fame) to tell their story on the big screen. MCASD invites you to enjoy these movie fans’ labor of love that dares to ask what it might feel like to be Indiana Jones. Strompolos and Zala will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A session.

Superman

Thursday, July 26

Back in 1978, film director Richard Donner helped launch cinema’s love for modern superheroes with the big-screen adaptation, “Superman,” starring the late Christopher Reeve in his most famous role. As the Man of Steel, Reeve brought a mixture of charm, humor, and a generosity of spirit to his portrayal of Superman and his mild-mannered alter ego, Clark Kent. Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, and Margo Kidder round out the all-star cast in this fantasy adventure that soars from Superman’s doomed home planet of Krypton to the bustling cityscape of Metropolis where America’s favorite superhero leaps over buildings in a single bound. Just in time for Comic-Con, MCASD celebrates the 30th anniversary of this pop classic that made audiences believe that a man could fly.

Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure

Thursday, Aug. 7

Animator-turned-auteur Tim Burton plugs into the colorful, manic persona of actor Paul Reubens’ inspired creation, Pee-Wee Herman, to craft a marvelously eccentric, hilarious, pastel-colored universe where eternal childhood delight reigns supreme. With its giddy energy, amusing sight gags, and surreal ensemble of offbeat characters, 1985’s “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” transports viewers to a cinematic oasis of laughter and ear-to-ear grins as the film follows Pee-Wee’s cross-country quest to retrieve his beloved stolen bike.