St. Paul closes out outdoor movie nights with ‘Psycho,’ ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’

Frederick Melo, Pioneer Press
Updated ·2 min read
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Back in 1987, sword in hand and face-to-face with an arch nemesis, famed character actor Mandy Patinkin gained a forever following with the comedic line, “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” It was the kind of delivery that helped make “The Princess Bride” an instant cinema classic, but even Patinkin probably never imagined that Montoya would still be reciting it 35 years later on an outdoor screen at a busy craft brewery in St. Paul.

When St. Paul Parks and Recreation offered Urban Growler owner Jill Pavlak the opportunity to choose from a handful of outdoor films to host, nostalgia set in. And a heavy load of customers followed, with beers and even blankets in hand.

“It was one of our busier weeknights all summer,” said Pavlak, recalling the popularity of the Sept. 15 movie night, “and it was a good summer for us. It was a beautiful evening. … It brought plenty of business, and it was really well done. … I would do it every day if we could.”

A SOMETHING-FOR-EVERYONE APPROACH

Over the past three months, the city of St. Paul has injected a bit more oomph into its free outdoor movie series, which has traditionally been reserved for the younger set at parks and rec centers.

While the overall number of outdoor films hasn’t gone up significantly since last year, from “E.T.” and “UP” to “Psycho” and “Scream,” the city has taken a something-for-everyone approach that, depending upon the venue and age group, includes lawn games, food trucks and a smattering of venerated R-rated flicks at age 18-plus events.

“Our citywide team works hard on these, and gets the food trucks, and makes more of a full-night event for anyone who wants to participate,” said Clare Cloyd, a spokesperson with St. Paul Parks and Rec.

Among the handful of new approaches, four “Brewvies,” or brews-and-movie nights — “Jaws,” “The Princess Bride,” “Beerfest” and “Jurassic Park” — were held at Lake Monster Brewing, Urban Growler, St. Paul Brewing and the Summit Brewing Company.

MOVIES WRAP UP NEXT WEEK

The showings, which wrap up next week, culminate with a free live drag show before — you guessed it — an adults-only screening of the “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” a bawdy, star-studded musical and cult favorite among cinema lovers.

The final two showings of the season include Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” this Friday at Mears Park and “Rocky Horror” on Oct. 21 at Harriet Island’s Target Stage, which is located across the field from the playground.

Both events begin around dusk, and both will feature food trucks.

More information is online at tinyurl.com/StpMovies2022.

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