Events

Hollywood Comes to Arlington: Outdoor Film Series

By ARLnow.com

Another outdoor film series is coming to Arlington, but this one has a bit more of a local flare.

While Rosslyn is showing ’90s movies and Crystal City is showing Star Trek movies, Lubber Run Amphitheatre (N Columbus St and 2nd St N) will be showing Arlington movies.

The series will kick off on Friday at 8:30 p.m. with a “tour of Arlington as seen through the eyes of Hollywood producers in ways both novel and creative.” The presentation will feature video clips and photos from the dozens of movies and TV shows filmed in Arlington, along with commentary from former Arlington Film Commissioner, current Arlington Virginia Network executive producer, and long-time movie buff Robert Farr.

Then, on Saturday, the films themselves will begin. Like Friday’s presentation, the films will start at 8:30 and admission is free. Here’s the schedule and each film’s Arlington connection.

  • June 19: The Blind Side (starring Arlingtonian Sandra Bullock)
  • June 25: Breach (scenes filmed in Arlington)
  • June 26: Heaven Can Wait (starring Arlingtonian Warren Beatty)
  • July 9: Clear and Present Danger (scenes filmed in Arlington)
  • July 10: Sweet Charity (starring Arlingtonian Shirley MacLaine)
  • July 23: Mission Impossible III (scenes filmed in Arlington)
  • July 24: Shark Tales (voice work by Arlingtonian Katie Couric)

To Do This Weekend: Air Force Cycling Classic

By ARLnow.com

It will be a weekend full of bicycle racing and major street closures in Arlington, thanks to the Air Force Cycling Classic.

On Saturday, the 13th annual Clarendon Cup will feature races by amateur and professional cyclists. The amateur races will take place between 8:oo and 10:00 a.m. The Women’s Elite Race follows, with the Men’s Pro Race taking place between noon and 2:15 p.m.

On Sunday the action moves to Crystal City. There will be a non-competitive Crystal Ride for cycling enthusiasts of all abilities, from 7:30 to 11:00 a.m. The Men’s Pro Race will depart from the Air Force Memorial at 11:30 a.m. The Women’s Elite Race and a Amateur race will follow. A bike expo will be held in Crystal City throughout the festivities.

See the full 2010 Cycling Classic schedule here, and a list of street closures here.

For the rest of what’s going on this weekend, check out our events calendar.

Flickr pool photo by afagen.

Kojo Coming to Town

By ARLnow.com

WAMU 88.5’s Kojo Nnamdi is coming to Arlington next week as part of the Kojo In Your Community series. He’ll be asking the question: “What makes Arlington, Arlington?”

The two-hour live broadcast will focus exclusively on Arlington and how it’s “a county of contradictions — a blue county in a red state; home to the Pentagon and communities of people from around the globe.”

The discussion will take place at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish (3304 Washington Blvd) from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15. The public is encouraged to attend and participate.

Photo courtesy WAMU.

The ARLnow.com World Cup Guide

By Ashley Houghton

Lessons we learned while gathering information about local bars and their World Cup specials:

  • Irish pubs cannot stand France.
  • Irish pubs cannot stand England.
  • Irish pubs are likely to ask “Wait, why do you need an excuse like the World Cup to drink?” when asked about their World Cup drink specials.
  • Even British pubs are hesitant to say that they’re supporting England in Saturday’s match against the U.S.
  • There are too many ridiculous eating and drinking opportunities to avoid soccer for the next month.

Soccer is a game meant to be watched with a large group of loud and inebriated fans, so go ahead, summon your old middle school soccer ambitions and yell out those rare soccer-related phrases you remember from the matches (“CORNER KICK!” and “STRIKER!”).

ARLnow’s list of places to watch the World Cup in Arlington is after the jump. The tournament, by the way, kicks off (get it?) at 10:00 a.m. Friday with host country South Africa versus Mexico.

Photo via Facebook: Piola Restaurant all decked out for the World Cup.

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Unleash Your Inner Film Critic

By ARLnow.com

Arlington Independent Media and the D.C. Film Salon are holding a live script reading tomorrow, with feedback provided by local professionals and amateur film critics.

Hear screenplays written by budding (and brave) local screenwriters — then offer gratuitous praise or withering (constructive) criticism.

The colorful list of screenplays to be read include “Plus One,” about a retired couple who “attempt” to have a threesome, and “BETA VHS R.I.P.” about a Betamax salesman whose world is turned upside down in 1982 when a Japanese salesman comes into town with a VHS player.

Anyone planning to attend is asked to RSVP here. It’s free and organizers say the public is welcome to participate.

The reading is being held at Arlington Independent Media HQ (2701-C Wilson Boulevard, next to Comcast). Doors open at 7:00.

See a list of the screenplays to be read, after the jump.

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What Do You Call a Group of Trekkies?

By Ashley Houghton

A Federation? A ghom? Whatever you want to call it, a heck of a lot of Star Trek fans attended the  Crystal Screen showing of Star Trek: The Motion Picture last night on Bell Street in Crystal City.

Star Trek, featuring the swashbuckling William Shatner and measured voice-of-reason Leonard Nimoy, was the first film shown as part of Crystal City’s Star Trek-themed, summer-long outdoor film festival.

Each installment of the Star Trek series plays Monday evenings at dusk in chronological order, which means next week will spotlight the 1982 classic Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan*.

Audience members are encouraged to bring blankets and a few snacks. While a few Star Trek fans could be seen in Federation t-shirts, it seemed that most fans left their Spock ears and other costumes at home.

Following yesterday’s boffo Trekkie turnout, Crystal City announced today a new contest for residents who want to vote on which films will be featured during next year’s film film. The series will adopt the theme “By the Numbers” and feature twelve films with numbers in their title (for example: The Whole Nine Yards or The 40 Year Old Virgin).

Visit http://www.crystalcity.org/ to vote for your favorite numbered film (or suggest your own, although the existing list of numbered films is pretty exhaustive). Crystal City will announce the twelve winning films on August 16, before the last film of the season (last year’s Star Trek, the blockbuster J. J. Abrams relaunch of the franchise).

* Speaking of Wrath of Khan (fun fact), did you know that Marc Okrand of the Washington Shakespeare Company is the original inventor of the Klingon language? Furthermore, the Rosslyn Spectrum and Marc Okrand are producing the Shakespeare play By Any Other Name entirely in Klingon this September, and it will feature George Takei in person. Repeat: George Takei reciting Shakespeare in Klingon at the Rosslyn Spectrum this September.

To Do Tonight: Sunset Parade at the Iwo Jima Memorial

By ARLnow.com

It’s a weekly summer tradition in Arlington, and it’s starting tonight.

The Marine Corps’ first Sunset Parade of the year starts tonight at 7:00 p.m. at the Iwo Jima Memorial. The hour-long performance features the music of “The Commandant’s Own” Marine Corps Band and a silent precision drill team.

The parade is free and open to the public. Plus there’s plenty of room on the grounds to lay out a blanket for a picnic before or even during the performance.

The Sunset Parades began in 1956, two years after the unveiling of the memorial. The parades are meant as a “tribute to those whose ‘Uncommon valor was a common virtue.'”

The performances will continue every Tuesday though August 17.

Marine Corps photo.

Lost Chaplin Film to Be Unveiled in Arlington

By ARLnow.com

An early Charlie Chaplin film, thought to have been lost to history but recently rediscovered by a collector at a Michigan antiques sale, will be shown here in Arlington for the first time since its 1914 release.

The movie, a silent Keystone Kops film called A Thief Catcher, will be a centerpiece of the 2010 Slapsticon film festival, being held at the Rosslyn Spectrum Theater from July 15-18. The film will be shown at the festival kickoff on Thursday, July 15, at 7:00 p.m.

Chaplin has a two minute cameo as an incompetent cop in the 10-minute flick. He is seen sporting his soon-to-be-trademark mustache for one of the first times.

The film’s unlikely discovery in Michigan and the Arlington debut has caught the attention of historians and movie buffs.

“I only wish I could attend this year’s Slapsticon in Washington, D.C. and see it on a big screen with a first-time audience,” film critic Leonard Maltin wrote on his blog.

Busy Weekend for Bargain Hunters

By ARLnow.com

It’s going to be an especially busy Saturday for bargain-hunters. Here’s a chronology of where to get good deals and score some free stuff.

7:00 a.m. — The weekly Arlington Civitan flea market starts the morning bright and early. About 150 vendors will be selling their wares until 1:30 p.m. in the parking garage between I-66 and Washington-Lee High School.

8:00 a.m. — The Arlington Farmer’s Market will take place, as it does every Saturday, in the parking lot across from the county courthouse from 8:00 to noon. Affordable fresh food and free samples abound.

9:00 a.m. — Hunt for hidden gems at the Aurora Hills Senior Center Trash ‘n’ Treasure Sale. One person’s old, unwanted piece of junk may be another’s cherished antique. The Aurora Hills Branch Library will also take part, selling books and music CDs as part of their ongoing Friends Sale.

10:00 a.m. — Boutique pet store Wylie Wagg is holding a grand opening celebration for its new Clarendon store. Located in the former a.k.a. spot storefront at 2509 Franklin Road, next to the Java Shack,  Wagg will be offering a 10 percent store-wide discount and a chance to win a $200 shopping spree. There will also be free doggie “smoothies” while supplies last, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

11:00 a.m. — Clarendon’s new frozen yogurt mecca, Red Mango, will also be celebrating its grand opening on Saturday. The store (at 2831 Clarendon Boulevard) will be giving away free froyo from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. There will also be free t-shirts for the first 100 customers.

2:00 p.m. — Join the Washington Shakespeare Company for a “pay-what-you-can” showing of “Every Young Woman’s Desire.” You decide how much you want to pay to see the show, a psychological thriller that examines the brutality of unchecked power. Presented at the Clark Street Playhouse (601 S. Clark Street).

See our events calendar for more details and for more things to do this weekend.

Flickr pool photo by Pseudo-Melancholy.

To Do This Weekend

By ARLnow.com

Normally for our weekly “To Do” list we pick a few of the upcoming weekend’s most promising events and write a couple sentences about each.

This week, there’s so much going on that it was impossible to narrow it down. So rather than a novel-sized write-up, here’s a list of everything on our radar. See our events calendar for more details on each event.

Thursday

  • Canceled due to weather Rock at the Row Summer Concert Series – Pentagon Row Plaza
  • Live Music: White Ford Bronco and Practically Einstein – Ri-Ra Irish Pub
  • Clarendon Ballroom Blitz w/ Dr. Fu and Toxic Mouse

Friday

  • National Donut Day
  • Yorktown High School Art Show
  • “I Love the 90s” Rosslyn Outdoor Film Festival – Rosslyn Gateway Park
  • U.S. Air Force Band Summer Concert Series (Opening Concert) – Air Force Memorial
  • Live Comedy: Natasha Leggero – Arlington Drafthouse

Saturday

  • Courthouse Farmers Market
  • Aurora Hills Senior Center Trash ‘n’ Treasure Sale
  • Focus Group: Re-Envisioning the Future of the Library – Fairlington Community Center
  • Wylie Wagg Grand Opening
  • Red Mango Grand Opening
  • Live Theater: Every Young Woman’s Desire (“Pay-What-You-Can” showing) – Clark Street Playhouse
  • Summer Concert: Soho Down (Country Rock/Pop) – Potomac Overlook Regional Park
  • Vivaldi’s Extraordinary Four Seasons – Rosslyn Spectrum Theatre

Sunday

  • Columbia Pike Farmers Market
  • Green Living Home and Garden Tour
  • Film: “The Princess and the Frog” (2009) – Shirlington Branch Library
  • Live Theater: R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe – Arena Stage
  • A German Requiem – Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington

Pentagon Row Concert Series Starts Tomorrow

By ARLnow.com

Update at 6:15 p.m. on 6/3 — Tonight’s concert has been canceled due to weather.

Rosslyn isn’t the only Arlington locale with an outdoor summer concert series starting this week. Pentagon Row’s eighth annual “Rock at the Row” kicks off tomorrow.

Virginia party rock group the Shields Brothers Band will headline the first show. Check out their awesomely hokey music video for “Shark Attack,” featuring an unwitting guest appearance by Wendy Williams, below.

The concerts will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. every Thursday. The series wraps up on August 26.

After the jump: the full concert schedule, which includes local favorites like Gonzo’s Nose, King Cadillac and Brother Shamus.

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