Just think of a weekend setting where a beautiful sunset slowly dims behind palm trees and mausoleums as you lean back with a beer in hand to watch a cult Hollywood classic among tombs and headstones. Really cool, isn’t it?
Cinespia is one of a kind movie-watching experience where there is no roof, just stars and the moon above, and you are surrounded by thousands of strangers with picnics and booze ready to have a party amidst gravestones of Hollywood legends. Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the final resting place of many Hollywood Stars. Cinespia has movie night there all summer and on scheduled days, as the sun sets, tourists and locals come to picnic and hang out with friends while a DJ spins music in the background before the movie begins. It generally plays Hollywood cult classics from yesteryears and is perfect for friends or family hang out or a date night.
Watching a movie and having a party amidst the dead might sound weird outright wrong to some people but to me, it was nothing short of an awesome summer activity. I read about it in one of those “top 10 things to do in LA” blogs and it seemed like a cool idea. I checked with my friend, got a yep, let’s do it, and tickets got booked in a jiffy.
We were seemingly lucky as one of my local LA friends said that Cinespia tickets generally go out of sale a week before the screening. The movie was Bring It On, not a pick from my favorite genre for sure but hey, who’s complaining? I got tickets 4 days before the actual screening. Although I did see a couple of ticket peddlers near the entrance gate. So that might be an option too but I would rather stick to buying tickets from Cinespia’s official site than inviting a semblance of a chance to get scammed. The walk to the open screening area is stunning and the gathering on the lawn, palm trees in the background, and the huge outdoor screen make for a pretty awesome setup. We got hummus and soft drinks from a local Armenian eatery called Mini Kabob but you could also buy food at the event. The atmosphere is well organized, safe, and carefree.
It was quite evident that locals considered it as a regular repertoire as they came well prepared with chairs with low seating, blankets, food, drinks, and small picnic tables. A DJ was blasting some old 80s music as we came in and started hunting for a preferable spot. Just before the movie started, the actress who plays “Isis” in the movie, Gabriella Union came up on stage to say hi to the crowd and talk about the process of filming this movie. Spotting a celebrity or two in the crowd is not uncommon as I overheard a boozed-out local saying who seemed to have sprawled out from the adjacent blanket. There was so much energy from everyone while watching the movie. There is a DJ before and after the movie, creating a party-like environment. So stay on for the late-night party as the DJ gets crazy and the crowd gets crazier. I also saw photobooths themed for the movie for people to snap pictures after the movie and many locals were dressed up for it.
It’s a fun way to pass a Saturday with friends or date night with someone special! Definitely recommend it!