Congratulations. You’ve made it to Capitol Hill summer. The Block Party is wrapping up and, knock on wood whether you are superstitious or not, looks like a sunny week ahead — a perfect way to kick off the annual Three Dollar Bill Cinema outdoor movies in Cal Anderson Park. The first screening of 2011’s Rock & Roll Fantasy theme is Friday night. Details on your special time with Olivia Newton-John — and a new promotion designed to encourage shopping and dining on Broadway before the shows — below.

Movies take place in Cal Anderson’s grass amphitheatre bowl starting sometime after dusk on select Fridays. Details are still being firmed up, but we’ve heard that there is a new promotion in 2011 that will give you a free cardboard movie chair when you present a receipt showing that you’ve shopped, dined or had a drink at a local Broadway establishment. Watch for details here http://threedollarbillcinema.org/calendar/rock-roll-fantasy/

Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s free outdoor movie series returns as Sound Transit presents “Rock & Roll Fantasy” starring your favorite idols from the 1980s. The rock & roll fantastic slate of four films will be shown at Capitol Hill’s Cal Anderson Park on select Friday evenings in July and August.  Movies will begin at sunset (approximately 8:30 p.m.).  Arrive early with your picnic basket and enjoy music with 12HR NOTICE DJs and the Shopping Cart Soundsystem before the film.

“This year’s outdoor cinema really will be bigger and better than ever before,” says Jason Plourde, Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s Programming Director.  “We have an inflatable screen that’s double the size of previous years!”

Schedule:

July 29 XANADU — An unlikely creative team (the legendary Gene Kelly and THE WARRIORS’ Michael Beck) enlists magical help from a muse (Olivia Newton-John) to make their dream of opening a nightclub come alive — in a place where nobody dares to go. (1980, 93 min.)

August 5 LABYRINTH — To rescue her baby brother Toby from the clutches of Jareth, the Goblin King (David Bowie), a daydreaming girl (Jennifer Connelly) must navigate her way through a maze loaded with Jim Henson’s magical puppet creations and captivating musical moments. Will Toby really become a goblin? (1986, 101 min.)

August 12 THE APPLE — Set in an ultra-campy future world, this mind-blowing LOL rock opera follows a naive singing duo struggling to save themselves (and the world!) from the evil plans of Mr. Boogalow, a powerful music mogul.  (1980, 86 min.)

August 19 FOOTLOOSE — In an uptight town where rock music and dancing are against all of the rules, newcomer Kevin Bacon shakes things up by fighting for his right to get down and cut loose.  (1984, 107 min.)

“We’re committed to keeping this series free and family-friendly,” Plourde adds.  “The four titles being shown as part of “Rock & Roll Fantasy” are films everyone can enjoy.”

This year’s really big inflatable movie screen will be set up on the southeast corner at Seattle’s Cal Anderson Park for each screening.  Concessions will be sold and a limited number of lawn chairs will be available for rent.  

Three Dollar Bill Cinema thanks the following for their generous support of the “Rock & Roll Fantasy” outdoor series:

Presenting Sponsor: Sound Transit

Sponsors: 

• Broadway BIA
• Urban Outfitters
• Cal Anderson Park  Alliance
• YourCapitolHill.com
• CapitolHillSeattle.com
• Seattle Gay News
• Seattle Gay Scene

The Stranger

Bollywood in Volunteer Park
Volunteer Park will continue to host Bollywood classics for two more weeks:

July 29: 9:30 p.m. Chandni Bar (director Madhur Bhandarkar, 2001, 150 mins) Tabu stars as a displaced village woman forced to become a dancer in a Bombay bar. Free.

Aug. 5: 9:30 p.m. The Namesake (director Mira Nair, 2007, 122 mins) The son of Indian immigrants (Kal Penn) struggles with his parents (Tabu and Irffan Khan) and his own identity. Free.