
The 5th annual Chicago Outdoor Film Festival kicks off tomorrow evening in Grant Park. For the next seven weeks, some of the classic films of all time will be shown under the stars on a huge 50’ x 34’ screen.
Tueday night's kick-off will include a Q & A session with film critics Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper starting at 8:15 pm followed by "His Girl Friday," starring Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell and Ralph Bellamy. Showtime is approx. 8:58 pm.
So grab those beach blankets and folding chairs, a picnic dinner and a couple bottles of wine. Chicagoist will see you there!

Friday Afternoon Diversion


Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant...best team in a screwball comedy!
We just saw "His Girl Friday" for the first time a few months ago but we loved it so much that we are excited to see it again.
The Fest should provide some sort of seating plan that those people with the tall portable foldup easy chairs should have to sit behind those of us with little low to the ground beach chairs or no chairs at all.
Actually that is just pre-show bitchery. I always forget that, yes, it's a very big screen.
I agree on the chair issue. Last year I had a low chair and had trouble seeing over the taller ones at times.
This year, I've taken the attitude of "If you can't beat them, join them." I'm heading over the Bed, Bath & Beyond at lunch to buy a taller one!
Don't sit near me, Benjy!
Or you can just get a tall chair. Just returned from Bed, Bath, & Beyond and they were on sale for $6.99. With the 20% coupon I got in the mail the other day, it was about $6 total!
whoa! im going to bbb! this weekend i went to the kmart that is a couple blocks from my house to get a lawn chair and they didnt even have any. .. now if i can find that coupon!
Tall chairs are for assholes-- don't do it.
BTW: Is wine/beer really ok in the park?
I agree about the taller chairs, but after one summer of having a low chair and not seeing the movie well, I'd rather be an asshole who get to see the movie.
As for the beer/wine question, I'm not sure what the official policy is. But at Blues Fest a few weeks ago, movies last year, etc. the police have been pretty cool about allowing its presence as long as you're not drunk, breaking bottles, etc. If bringing beer, maybe go with cans to be on the safer side...
dont worry, im not bringing my chair there. i just need something to sit on when i grill at home.
Megadittos to Claire and Craig. Don't even think of grabbing a lawn chair, unless you are grabbing the lawn chair of the asshole in front of you so you can hurl it in the direction of his nose.
The best solution -- short of banning chairs, of course -- would be for the park to string a rope down the middle and separate the grass into chair and non-chair areas, much like smoking/non-smoking areas of restaurants and peeing/non-peeing areas of swimming pools. That way people who want to lie on blankets can do so without obstruction, and the brie-slurping creeps who want to pretend they're sitting in their living rooms can do so without me throwing gum in their hair.
We're only supposed to pee in the designated sections of the pool???
Alcohol, while technically illegal in the park, is usually ignored if you're not being an ass about it (i.e., getting rowdy, holding bottles above your head, doing kegstands, etc.). So keep everything in opaque cups and keep your bottles in bags. Wine seems to be the most acceptable beverage and I never had any trouble taking it or drinking it. Enjoy!