Marietta, Ga. (April 29, 2013) —The Earl Smith Strand brings classic comedies, musical extravaganza, dramatic classics, and a big scary shark to the screen this summer. This season’s adult-oriented movie line-up features a mix of the best of the old and new. Perfect date night experiences abound as this movie line up promises side-splitting laughter, top-of-your voice singing, compassionate tears, and serious scares.
National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) (R). Friday, May 24, 8pm. Clark Griswold takes family bonding to a new and strange place in National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983). The first of the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, Vacation follows the Griswold family’s eventful cross-country drive to the Walley World theme park in California. Before your summer vacation begins, take a night away from the kids and bathe in the comedic glory of Chevy Chase.
Mamma Mia (2011) (PG-13). Thursday, July 11, 8pm. Set on the colorful Greek island of Kalokairi, the plot of Mamma Mia serves as a lively background for a wealth of ABBA songs. A young woman soon to be married discovers that any one of three men (Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, Colin Firth) could be her father. She invites all three to the wedding without telling her mother, Donna (Meryl Streep). Watch the drama ensue in this feel-good experience that will have you singing and dancing in the aisles. Lyrics will be displayed at the bottom of the screen to sing along to! Come at 6:30 to warm up with our Bottomless Wine Party and Silent Auction to benefit the Strand’s Arts Education Programs. What a night!
Bridesmaids (2011) (R). Friday, August 2, 8pm. Put together Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph of SNL, Chris O’Dowd from the IT Crowd, and a host of world class comediennes and you get Bridesmaids, a snort-your-drink-out-your-nose funny comedy about how competition between the maid of honor and a bridesmaid over who is the bride’s best friend threatens to upend the life of an out-of-work pastry chef. If laughter is good medicine, come for a wonderfully heavy dose!
Jaws (1975) (R). Saturday, August 3, 8pm. Get ready for the yearly tradition of scaring yourself away from open water for the summer by coming to watch the classic ocean terror movie Jaws. Responsible for decades of thalassophobia, Jaws burst into America’s collective consciousness in 1975. Who would have thought that a movie about a super smart shark and two guys in a boat would have won three Oscars and still be watched by millions every year? Yeah, us too. That sounds awesome!
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) (NR). Friday, August 9, 8pm. In a story as relevant now as it was when it was written in 1960 and filmed 1962, To Kill a Mockingbird is a timeless story of injustice, family, and steadfast integrity in the face of overwhelming adversity. Atticus Finch, a lawyer in the Depression-era South, defends a black man again an undeserved rape charge, and his kids against prejudice. One of Gregory Peck’s all-time best performances. This is a movie that should be in everyone’s dramatic top ten!
Tickets for movies are $8 for seniors, students, and military; and $9 for adults. There will be an organ preshow and sing along on the Mighty Allen Theatre Organ 30 minutes before each movie showing.
The historic Earl Smith Strand Theatre is a multi-use performing arts and events facility. The theatre is governed by the Friends of The Strand, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and depends on the financial support of private and corporate donors. It is The Strand’s mission to serve the community with cultural entertainment for a diverse audience and to promote economic health in the City of Marietta and Cobb County. For more information or tickets, visit www.EarlSmithStrand.org or the Box Office at 770-293-0080 or 117 North Park Square, Marietta, 30060. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and two hours before the show.