Break out the blankets. One of summer’s best traditions, outdoor movie nights on the lawn, has returned — at least for a limited time.
Logan Square’s volunteer-run event space Comfort Station (2579 N. Milwaukee Ave.) recently announced a series of four socially distant outdoor screenings. The events, which started Aug. 19, come from the space’s long-running Comfort Film series.
“While we remain cautious about the possibility of us returning to any remotely ‘normal’ mode of programming anytime soon, we also recognize that updated data shows that [the risk of] outdoor transmission is extremely low — especially with ample safety precautions,” said the organizers in a recent email. Comfort Station shut down its programming in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Comfort Film attendees will have to wear masks, limit their viewing group to no more than six people and maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet between parties.
In other words, just behave as you normally would when leaving the house during these fraught times. As a bonus, wearing a mask means you can laugh, cry, heckle or otherwise emote in relative anonymity.
“A Playful Respite”
Fans of series like the Chicago Park District’s Movies in the Parks should not to come looking for “Jurassic Park” or other well-known blockbusters, however. Comfort Film programming tends more toward independent filmmakers, obscure titles and experimental filmmaking.
This summer’s lineup includes “The Pink Egg,” which depicts the actions and habits of seven insect species, and “Big Eat Meater,” a 1982 “pastiche of pulp trash … about aliens, Turkish butchers and radioactive deli meat set in the Technicolor 1950s,” as Canuxploitation, a Canadian B-movie site, puts it.
“Our programmers felt it most appropriate to create a playful respite from the pressures and anxieties that many of us are dealing with on multiple levels,” Comfort Station said, “and as you can see … the films chosen lean heavily in that direction.”
As in past years, attendees cannot bring alcohol.
Comfort Films’ 2020 outdoor movie nights schedule opened with “The Pink Egg” (2017) on Aug. 19 and runs the next three Wednesdays:
Aug. 26, 8 p.m.: “Big Eat Meater” (1982)
Sept. 2, 8 p.m.: TBD
Sept. 9, 8 p.m.: “Crime Wave” (1985)
Find more information on the Comfort Station website.
Featured photo: Comfort Station
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