Movie fans, rejoice. Theatres in Bengaluru are gearing up for 100% occupancy, and outdoor movie screenings have resumed.
Unlike at the theatres, the outdoor cinemas don’t show the latest releases. They offer a mix of classics and fan favourites, and provide the experience of watching the action on an ultra-big screen, with food and drinks on the side.
Metrolife tells you what to expect at these open-air shows, which had stopped for most part of the pandemic.
SCC SkyCinema
It threw its first outdoor movie night in a long time on September 18 and has screened rom-coms like ‘Noting Hill’ and ‘The Proposal’ since.
Horror films are lined up for October in tune with the Halloween mood.
“Bengaluru mostly likes rom-coms and light-hearted films. They go well with the breezy weather. Among Bollywood films, ‘Jab We Met’ is a crowd-puller.
Cult films like ‘The Silence of the Lambs’, and ‘Pulp Fiction’ also do well,” says co-founder Sanchit
Gupta.
In pre-pandemic days, 200 to 250 movie lovers would turn up for a show. “We have now limited the numbers to 70 to 80,” he says.
They hosts shows on the rooftop of a mall and a microbrewery on weekends.
Look up sunsetcinemaclub.in
Under The Stars
If you are still wary of public gatherings, you can watch the movies from your car — from the sunroof, the boot, wherever you are comfortable.
This team organises drive-in cinema nights on a field in Thanisandra and their comeback movie was ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ on September 11.
They also do intimate shows where you can sit on the lawns. “We have cut down on our seating capacity by 60% now,” says co-founder Abhijit Shah.
According to their survey, Bengaluru likes to watch buddy films like ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ and ‘Dil Chahta Hai’, and also action capers like ‘The Batman’, and ‘Star Wars’.
“We have a partnership with Yash Raj Films and now we are in talks with a distributor of Hollywood films, so our upcoming shows will be around this portfolio.”
Get the show schedule on utsdrive.in
Timbre Blr
If road trips and movies are your idea of a perfect weekend, they deliver both. Timbre Blr is a farmhouse-turned-drive-in cinema close to the airport. It can accommodate 20 cars.
Owner Sidharth Bhatia says it is a throwback to the drive-in theatre culture of Bengaluru of the pre-90s but with a modern twist. You can stream the film’s audio in real-time on your phone or car speaker.
An amphitheatre here can seat 150 but entry is now limited to 50.
Timbre Blr will resume the screenings on October 8, running shows from Friday to Sunday.
‘The Conjuring’, and ‘My Best Friend’s Wedding’ have been slotted.
The team is in talks to screen Netflix TV series and sports events.
Follow updates on timbreblr.com
Movie Under The Stars
This cafe in Shanti Nagar has taken dinner-and-movie nights to the next level.
The food and drinks served during the show are inspired by the film of the night. So think of burgers and fries to go with ‘Pulp Fiction’, Spanish tapa to suit ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’, and French delights to pair with ‘Amelie’. The menu is curated by popular chefs.
“These days, people are stepping out on limited occasions. So we need to offer them something interesting,” owner Akhila Srinivas explains.
The screenings are held on their lawn. You can bring your mat, rug, and pillow, while they provide low tables to serve the food.
Akhila has been running these shows on and off since June this year with a seating limit of 30.
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