Brother Attacked Outside Library Dies — One of the 26-year-old twins who was stabbed outside Arlington Central Library in June has died. Tim Kern died at a homeless shelter on Saturday. Police do not suspect foul play and say his injuries from the attack did not contribute directly to his death. [Washington Post]
Wes Anderson Movies at Eat Bar — Eat Bar, at 2761 Washington Blvd near Clarendon, is hosting a mini Wes Anderson film fest. Each Sunday night in August the restaurant will show a different movie from the director. This Sunday, the movie is Rushmore. [Clarendon Nights]
County Fair Starts Tonight — The Arlington County Fair kicks off tonight. The fairgrounds at the Thomas Jefferson Community Center (3501 2nd Street S.) will be open from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. The fair’s indoor exhibits will open starting Friday at 4:00 p.m.
Crystal City is getting ready for its summer showings of outdoor movies. The first movie will run next Monday, June 3.
This year’s theme for the Monday night Crystal Screen movie festival is “Blockbusters.” Last year, residents had the opportunity to vote for which movies they’d like to see relating to the theme.
The movies chosen are a mix of old favorites, such as Jaws, and newer options like The Help. The full schedule is as follows:
June 3 — E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial
June 10 — The Social Network
June 17 — The King’s Speech
June 24 — Crash
July 1 — American Beauty
July 8 — The Blind Side
July 15 — Moneyball
July 22 — A Beautiful Mind
July 29 — Forrest Gump
August 5 — The Help
August 12 — Jaws
August 19 — Inception
August 26 — Jurassic Park
The movies are shown just after sunset in the green space at 1851 S. Bell Street. The free movies will play rain or shine, but could be canceled in the instance of severe weather.
Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser
The filming of a big Hollywood movie will temporarily close the Roosevelt Bridge on Sunday.
The closures are scheduled from 8:20 to 9:10 a.m., and again from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. From the D.C. film office:
On Sunday, May 5 there will be intermittent closing of the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge to allow for the filming of a major motion picture set in the District. MPTD has negotiated an agreement with the DC Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Police Department, the Virginia Department of Transportation, Arlington Police and the National Park Service to close the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge.
The Theodore Roosevelt Bridge plays an integral role in the storyline. Aerial photography will be used to capture various angels (sic) of the bridge. While in the nation’s capital the production company will film other iconic sites.
VDOT is advising drivers to take alternate routes.
Drivers accessing the bridge from Virginia via I-66, Route 50 or the George Washington Parkway will be detoured. Virginia motorists heading into D.C. from I-66 have three options:
Take I-66 East to Route 110 to the 14th Street Bridge (this is the official detour motorists can follow).
Take I-66 East to Exit 73/Lee Highway to the Key Bridge.
Take I-66 East to Exit 72 to Spout Run Parkway to George Washington Parkway to the Memorial Bridge.
Motorists heading from D.C. to I-66 can use the same options in reverse.
During the closures, message signs on I-66 as far west as Centreville will advise motorists to use alternate routes.
Virginia State Police, Arlington County Police, and U.S. Park Service Police will be stationed at various traffic control points on Route 50, I-66 and the GW Parkway.
VDOT traffic engineers anticipate that the 8:20 a.m. shut down will create 15-minute delays and the 1 p.m. closure will create 30-minute delays.
While neither agency specified which movie is being filmed, ComicBookMovie.com speculates that the closures are for the filming of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, a new superhero movie that’s set in D.C.
The Marine Corps War Memorial will host a movie screening on Friday and a ranger-guided history lesson on Sunday.
On Friday, May 3, the memorial will host a screening of the 1949 film Sands of Iwo Jima, starring John Wayne (see movie trailer, above). The public is invited to bring a lawn chair to the reviewing stand to watch the film, which will start at 8:00 p.m.
On Sunday, May 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., park rangers will give talks about little-known secrets of the statue.
According to a press release: “Rangers will host activities and offer short talks on the contents of the memorial’s cornerstone, graffiti inside the memorial’s base, and the amazing process by which workers climbed inside the memorial’s figures to piece them together in 1954.”
The events are part of the “Partners in Preservation Open House Weekend.” Partners in Preservation, a partnership between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, is currently hosting a contest that lets members of the public vote to direct $1 million worth of preservation funding to historic places in the D.C. area.
The Marine Corps War Memorial and Arlington House are both in the running. At the moment, however, they’re in 21st and 20th place respectively, out of a total of 24 entrants. The Memorial is seeking funding for a thorough cleaning and waxing.
“The Marine Corps War Memorial will compete for funds to carefully clean, wax, and re-gild the large outdoor sculpture at its center,” said a press release. “Each of the six giant bronze figures accumulates dirt, pollution, bird droppings, pollen, and natural weathering residues that must be removed with specialized pressure washing equipment. Because the statue is depicted with photographic realism, workers will need scaffolding and lifts to reach every angle and crevice of clothing and muscle, from the base of the memorial to its top 60 feet above the ground.”
Mental Evaluation for Fire Bomb Suspect — Lawyers for Leon Traille, Jr., the man accused of trying to fire bomb the Ballston Common Mall food court last week, have asked the federal judge in the case to grant a mental health evaluation. Traille is charged with arson and faces 5 to 20 years in prison if convicted. [Washington Post]
Disturbance at Arlington Screening of ‘Hating Breitbart’ — A liberal activist is accused of disrupting the Friday night showing of the documentaryHating Breitbart at the Regal theater at Ballston Common Mall. Moviegoers say the activist, Ryan Clayton, shouted at the screen and laughed loudly at inappropriate times during the film about the late conservative media icon. [The Hollywood Reporter]
D.C. Sniper’s Ex-Wife Talks at Ft. Myer — Mildred T. Muhammad, the ex-wife of executed D.C. sniper John Allen Muhammad, spoke earlier this month at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall. Muhammad, who was abused by her ex-husband, was the guest speaker at the base’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month observance. [U.S. Army]
New ‘Car Free Diet’ Video — Arlington County Commuter Services has commissioned a new series of videos for its ‘Car Free Diet’ campaign. The theme of the videos is “What’s Your One?” — and they make the case for walking, biking or taking public transit instead of driving. The videos will play on Arlington TV, the county’s cable channel, and prior to movie previews a the Regal Ballston Common and the AMC Loews Shirlington theaters. Disclosure: ACCS is an ARLnow.com advertiser. [YouTube]
(Updated on 10/9/12) A major renovation project is underway at the AMC movie theater at Courthouse Plaza (2150 Clarendon Blvd).
The renovations have been underway for at least two months. The lower level theaters have already been remodeled and now feature power adjustable leather recliners with footrests, as well as terraced rows of seating that make it easier to see the screen over the person sitting in front of you. With the lower theaters complete, renovations to the upper theaters are now underway.
Meanwhile, improvements to the lobby include updated decor, a new snack counter and new Coke freestyle machines. The theater’s restrooms have also been renovated, according to AMC spokesman Ryan Noonan.
The multiplex has remained open during the construction. Construction is expected to wrap up in the first half of November, according to Noonan.
The new recliners have reduced the seating capacity of each theater, but Noonan said the plush seating “makes for a phenomenal movie-going experience.”
Similar renovations were reported at an AMC theater in Atlanta earlier this year. Those changes included the addition of a bar that served beer, wine and cocktails that patrons could take to their seats, but Noonan said the Courthouse theater will not serve booze.
One local man is hoping that the movie “Magic Mike” can be his magic love connection.
A 42-year-old guy posted on the Craigslist Missed Connections page in an effort to connect with a woman he sat next to at an Arlington Cinema Drafthouse (2903 Columbia Pike) screening of the movie, which follows the travails of a group of male strippers.
From Craigslist:
It was a packed movie Monday night. I arrived a couple minutes before the movie started and you offered the empty seat next to you. We talked for a couple minutes. I thought you were intriguing, but regret not having the chance to get to know you more. I liked how you laughed at certain parts of the movie. Email me back if you are curious.
Crystal City has chosen a theme for next year’s outdoor film series, but it’s counting on locals to vote for which movies they want to see.
The neighborhood’s 2013 outdoor movie theme is “Blockbusters,” a reference to both hit movies and to the long-term plan to break up Crystal City’s “mega blocks” with new roads.
“With new buildings rising, new art popping up, fun daily events and activities going on, and the next evolution of an even more pedestrian-friendly street grid underway, the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) has selected a commensurate theme for its 2013 outdoor movie series that reflects these exciting changes,” the BID said in a press release.
Among the films that movie-goers can vote to see next year are classic and more recent hits like The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Kane, Jurassic Park, Brokeback Mountain, The Social Network, Inception, Black Swan, and The Artist. The winning films will be announced at the year’s final Crystal City outdoor movie night, on Monday, Aug. 27, outside 1851 S. Bell Street.
Crystal City BID says this year’s romantic comedy-themed movie series has drawn “thousands” of visitors from throughout the D.C. metro area.
Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser
Rosslyn’s Outdoor FilmFest movie, “Dave”, will be canceled tonight because of expected rain and thunderstorms throughout the evening.
Weather permitting, the screening of “Swing Vote” will still take place next Friday (July 27) as scheduled.
The region is still under a flash flood watch from the National Weather Service until 11:00 p.m.
WIDESPREAD RAINFALL RATES OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR CAN BE
EXPECTED FROM AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS.
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL COULD CAUSE CREEKS AND STREAMS TO RISE
QUICKLY OUT OF THEIR BANKS AND COULD FLOOD LOW-LYING AND URBAN
AREAS…PARTICULARLY THOSE THAT HAVE HAD RECENT SIGNIFICANT
RAINFALL.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION
SHOULD FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS BE ISSUED.
Central Library (1015 N. Quincy Street) is hosting two free outdoor movie screenings next month, as part of Summer Reading 2012.
Viewers are welcome to bring a blanket and picnic while watching the family friendly movies. Films will begin shortly after dusk, around 8:00 p.m.
The first movie is “Hugo,” which will be shown on Thursday, August 2. The second movie is “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” and will be shown on Thursday, August 9. Trailers for the films are available on the library’s website.
The screenings will take place in the field facing the Washington Blvd side of the library. If there is inclement weather, the movies will be shown in the library auditorium.
Love will be in the air for Crystal City’s outdoor movie nights, which start next week. This year’s series will feature romantic comedies.
Starting next Monday, June 4, the movies will be shown in the courtyard at 1850 S. Bell Street. They’ll run every Monday through August 27, starting at sundown.
Attendees are encouraged to make the event a date night by bringing a blanket and picnic gear. Short chairs are allowed, but courtesy for other visitors trying to see the movie is requested. Organizers are asking that moviegoers leave their pets at home.
As with Rosslyn’s free outdoor movies, these will be shown rain or shine, unless weather becomes too severe. Should there be a cancellation, information will be posted online, but organizers hope for a continuation of the good weather they’ve generally enjoyed during the event’s six year history.
“We’ve had great weather karma,” said Crystal City Business Improvement District President Angela Fox. “Even one year when we started getting a deluge, we were able to cover the equipment and show the movie after.”
The schedule is as follows:
Sex and the City — June 4
The Wedding Singer — June 11
Sweet Home Alabama — June 18
Hitch — June 25
My Big Fat Greek Wedding — July 2
Sleepless in Seattle — July 9
Bridget Jones’s Diary — July 16
The Proposal — July 23
You’ve Got Mail — July 30
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days — August 6
Pretty Woman — August 13
Love Actually — August 20
When Harry Met Sally — August 27
Disclosure: Crystal City BID is an ARLnow.com advertiser.
