The 24th summer of movies under the stars at Hollywood Forever Cemetery will begin Memorial Day weekend when Cinespia screens “The Big Lebowski” on May 24.
The next night comes a 30th anniversary presentation of “Clueless,” followed by a May 31 screening of “Blue Velvet” and tribute to director David Lynch, who died in January.
Cinespia, which is teaming with Amazon MGM Studios and Prime Video to present the summer series, is selling tickets now for those three shows. The organization hasn’t released the rest of the schedule yet, but typically screens about 30 movies per year at Hollywood Forever and other venues including the Greek Theatre and Los Angeles Historic Park, ending around Halloween.
At Hollywood Forever, the final resting place of Hollywood and music stars such as Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney and Johnny Ramone, films are projected onto a mausoleum wall and moviegoers sit and sprawl on the cemetery’s Fairbanks Lawn (an open area with no graves). Movie nights usually feature DJs before and after the show, along with free photo booths featuring scenes inspired by films.
The Cinespia shows at Hollywood Forever typically cost $29.99 per adult and attract up to 4,000 guests, who are allowed to bring their own blankets, food, and drinks (including beer and wine). The setup includes concession stands and a beer and wine bar. Parking fees on those nights run $24 to $36.
The Cinespia organization was born in 2002, when its first cemetery screening was Alfred Hitchcock’s 1951 thriller “Strangers on a Train.”
“The Big Lebowski” (1998), which starred Jeff Bridges, was directed by Joel Coen and Ethan Coen. “Clueless” (1995), a teen comedy, starred Alicia Silverstone and was directed by Amy Heckerling. “Blue Velvet” (1986) was written and directed by Lynch. It starred Kyle MacLachan, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern.
