Summer’s Final Cemetery Screenings
Cemetery Screenings, one of the best things to do in Los Angeles on a summer Saturday night is nearing the end of its 6th season.
The Hollywood Forever Cemetery is a beautiful stretch of grass and graves, with lush trees, impressive timeworn mausoleums and a gorgeous reflecting pool. It’s dubbed “The Resting Place of Hollywood Immortals” and is home to the remains of of Cecil B. DeMille, Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone, Jayne Mansfield, Rudolph Valentino and many more. Few pastimes are more serene than an afternoon spent wandering around these grounds. The air is clean, the residents are quiet and the staff is fairly invisible. [Unless you decide to conduct a photo shoot without a permit, that is.]
The sky at Hollywood Forever Cemetery before a screening
Since 2002 the fine people of Cinespia have been conducting screenings of old, obscure and cult films, projected onto the side of Valentino’s mausoleum. Hundreds gather at the cemetery gates well in advance to ensure a great spot on the lawn. These lines are a captivating sight: strange caravans of all breeds of Angel City dwellers, their cargo of blankets, lawn chairs, wines and food at hand, to be arranged into picnics once a piece of lawn is secured. The projection begins with a slide show of vintage movie posters as guest DJs spin an eclectic selection of music and the people converge, set up and eat. The first time can be overwhelming, so the Cinespia website offers a few how-to tips for novices.
The three final screenings begin tonight with the Marx Brothers classic Duck Soup, followed by Pee Wee’s Big Adventure next week and culminating with the classic space drama, Alien, on September 20.
September 6th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Holy crap. I have been living in L.A my whole life and I’ve never heard of this awesomeness! I now HAVE to make it to one of these. Shweet.
September 6th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
My god, that photo is great!
September 6th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I can NOT believe something this neat exists. And to think I’ve been dreaming of a simple drive-in movie! No more small dreams for me!
September 7th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Any zombie pictures scheduled?
Just wanted to be the first to say it…
September 7th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Does anyone remember the name of the gallery that showed the vintage posters before the movie started?
September 8th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Now that’s just dandy!
October 20th, 2008 at 9:44 am
That is so cool. I know just because they’ve done it since 2002 doesn’t necessarily mean they will keep doing it. Do you know if they will be doing it again next year? I think that would be such a cool way to spend an evening.