Summertime Traditions: Outdoor Movies

Regardless of how great the dialog or the music selected, some films are meant to be paired with another soundtrack: the great outdoors.

“Having all the ambient sound affects the storytelling in ways that with a TV or movie theater, you’d miss out on,” explained Silas Marder, whose gallery in Bridgehampton is hosting a free Friday outdoor movie series, beginning with “Bonnie and Clyde” on Friday, June 24.

“It’s just a great way to see a film,” he continued. “You’ll see shooting stars, airplanes far away. You really hear the breeze and bugs, things that would be absent from any other experience.”

Mr. Marder, who’s dabbled in filmmaking, said his passion for the cinema sparked the idea for the free series five years ago. Plus, the sculpture garden’s space lends itself to outdoor movie screenings, he said.

“It was actually designed for movie screenings,” Mr. Marder explained during a telephone interview last week. “There’s a bit of a rise in the stage area, where the screen is placed, and the lawn is stepped up in the back, so people can see over each other’s heads. It’s a very intimate setting for a small group, but it can absorb a big crowd, too.”

The garden’s 160-foot-long-by-12-foot-high hay wall lines the lawn, which can hold about 150 people. Upcoming films this year will include “Annie Hall,” “North By Northwest” and “King Kong”—the 1933 version.

“It’s a great way to have a common experience with people” he said. “Going to a movie theater is similar to that, but it’s super dark. I think being outdoors, when the moon is a little full, is when you get a feeling that there’s other people sharing an experience with you.”

The Silas Marder Gallery doesn’t have the only big, outdoor screen in the Hamptons this summer. Outdoor movie-seekers can also satisfy their film hankerings at Mulford Farm in East Hampton, courtesy of Guild Hall and the East Hampton Historical Society; Coopers Beach in Southampton; and Montauk’s Solé East. The different hosts will show flicks ranging from family features and classics to mysteries and thrillers.

The screenings can also connect an audience to the Hamptons, said Josh Gladstone, artistic director of Guild Hall. Especially when the director of a film lives just doors down from the venue.

In one particular case, the venue is Mulford Farm’s lawn, the director is Steven Spielberg and the movie is a 1970s “freak out” classic, Mr. Gladstone said.

“‘Jaws’ is sort of the quintessential summer movie,” Mr. Gladstone said. “Who doesn’t like to see ‘Jaws?’ Especially right at the start of our beach season in the resort community, just when they’re all getting ready to get in the water. Why not scare the hell out of everybody?”

Next up for that series, on July 16, “Back to the Future,” will screen. Mr. Gladstone said during a telephone interview last week that the series will continue from there if it yields enough interest.

The lawn at Mulford Farm can pack in hundreds, while taking into account blankets and beach chairs, according to Mr. Gladstone. Be sure to bring pillows, a sweater and a wine opener, he said.

“We’ll only have so many around, and we can’t lend wine openers to everybody,” he said. “They should also bring very good hors d’oeuvres. I personally enjoy smoked fish. I’ll be walking around from blanket to blanket, trying to mooch.”

Tickets cost $5, and are free for children under 5 years. But Mr. Gladstone offered a warning about bringing children to see the ocean-based thriller.

“If you want to bring your 4-year-old to ‘Jaws,’ sure it’s free,” he said. “You can pay for the therapy later on.”

The screening equipment is provided by East Hampton-based Hamptons Drive-In Movies, Mr. Gladstone reported. The 30-foot inflatable screen will sit on the lawn, visible to cars driving along Route 27.

And rest assured, the sound system stands up to the size of its accompanying screen, he added.

“I’m afraid the neighbors will come by and ask what that ‘Dun-dun, dun-dun,’ is,” he joked. “They’ll think there’s a shark coming in the window. You’ll be able to hear it.”

Hamptons Drive-In Movies is also making screenings at Coopers Beach possible. That outdoor movie series, which will be screened on Mondays, begins on July 11, with a lineup that will appeal to audiences of all ages, according to Meghan Cavanaugh, assistant to the executive director of the Southampton Chamber of Commerce, which is sponsoring the series. “Despicable Me” will kick off that series, followed by family favorites such as “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” “Grease” and “Toy Story 3.”

The mechanics are those of a true drive-in movie, Ms. Cavanaugh explained. The inflatable screen will be set up in the parking lot, where cars can tune in with their FM radios. External speakers will allow for outdoor seating, too, she said.

“They can bring pillows, blankets, lawn chairs and bug spray to sit comfortably without a car,” she wrote in an email last week. “It’s basically a slumber party set-up.”

For the Southampton Chamber series, a carload will run $40, or cost $15 per person. Proceeds will benefit the Chamber and its community events. Attendees are not allowed to bring in food or beverages, but can buy snacks from the Coopers Beach Café.

“It’s a wonderfully nostalgic experience that’s pure entertainment,” Ms. Cavanaugh said. “What better way to spend a Monday night?”

On Sundays in Montauk, Solé East’s summer classics series is already in full swing. And owner David Cera anticipates it will only gain momentum as the season continues.

The 12-foot-by-10-foot screen is set up against the building in the backyard and elevated off the ground about 6 feet, Mr. Cera explained.

“There’s a big sand pit that people can sit in, or we have chairs set up beyond it in a kind of semi-circle,” he said. “Before the movie, we have a barbecue and bar outside, and then people make their way to the hammocks or the pool. Later, it’s free to come by for the movie.”

Nine films remain in the series, including “West Side Story,” “Big Night” and “The Wizard of Oz.”

“‘The Wizard of Oz’ is one of the most essential films for me, personally,” said Hamptons International Film Festival programmer Holly Herrick, who handpicked the lineup for Solé East. “These are films that are really timeless classics and from a range of decades. They’re movies that evoke the summer, movies that you may have enjoyed in the summer or evoke feelings of the summertime.”

Other than a blanket for the chilly nights, Ms. Herrick recommended bringing along a group of friends to share the experience.

“It’s about enjoying the Hamptons in the summer,” she said. “And it has the vibe of the Hamptons; that social, laid-back feel.”