Friends of Ballard Park’s 12th Annual MOVIES ON THE ROCKS series kicks off on Wednesday, August 2nd. Four movies will be shown in the quarry meadow off of Hazard Road in Newport on Wednesday evenings during the month of August. A short provided by the Rhode Island International Film Festival will be screened prior to each feature. The screenings are free and open to the public.
The series, which is co-sponsored by Cox, the Rhode Island State Senate and Ken & Tia Scigulinsky kicks off Wednesday, August 2nd with a screening of Finding Dory. From 7 to 8 pm, representatives from Clean Ocean Access will be giving away stickers and marbles to children and sharing information on how the public can enjoy the ocean while making it clean for future generations. Also on hand will be representatives from URI’s TickEncounter Resource Center (TERC). They will share information on how you can spot ticks and have fun activities for children.
Finding Dory is rated PG with a running time of 103 minutes, Finding Dory is an animated film featuring Amnesiac blue tang Dory searching for her long-lost parents with the help of pals Nemo and Marlin. She eventually heads for California and the Monterey Marine Life Institute, evading predators along the way as she hopes to find a place she can call home. It features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks.
The series continues on August 9th with Beetlejuice. Tim Burton’s comedy-fantasy revolves around a recently deceased young couple (Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis) who become ghosts, haunting their former home and an obnoxious, devious ghost named Betelgeuse (pronounced “Beetlejuice” portrayed by Michael Keaton) from the Netherworld who tries to scare away the new inhabitants permanently. The 1988 film is rated PG and runs 92 minutes.
On August 16th, Friends of Ballard Park will screen The Birds, Alfred Hitchcock’s horror-thriller about a wealthy San Francisco socialite (Tippi Hedren) who pursues a potential boyfriend to a small Northern California town that slowly takes a turn for the bizarre when birds of all kinds suddenly begin to attack people. The 1963 film is rated PG-13 and runs 120 minutes.
Movies on the Rocks wraps up with a screening of Star Wars Rogue One on August 23rd. The 2016 epic space opera is the first installment of the Star Wars Anthology series set immediately before the events of the original Star Wars. Rogue One follows a group of rebels on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star, the Galactic Empire’s superweapon. It is rated PG-13 and runs for 133 minutes.
Prior to each movie, a short film provided by Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival will be shown. The Rhode Island International Film Festival is the only Oscar qualifying festival for shorts in New England and hosts its annual festival August 8 – 13thin various locations around RI including Ballard Park.
Ballard Park’s quarry meadow will open at 6:30 pm for blankets and picnicking. Movies begin at dusk (typically at 8 pm). In the event of rain, movies will be shown on the following night. Like regular movie theaters, smoking is prohibited. MOVIES ON THE ROCKS is supported by BR Arnold Construction, DaPonte’s Landscaping Services, Kiki Finn, Flickers Rhode Island International Film Festival, Rhode Island Office of Film & TV, Savings Institute Bank & Trust and St. Clare Newport.
Seating is on the grass. Bring a blanket or lawn chair. Picnic dinners welcome. Please follow the “carry it in, carry it out” philosophy. Event goers are advised to wear sneakers or sturdy shoes as trails can be uneven in places. Bring a flashlight to guide you out at the end of the night. Park along Hazard Road and enter Ballard Park at 21 Hazard Road for this event. Visit www.ballardpark.org for more information.
