Big actors Bill Murray, Matt Damon and Audrey Hepburn will all grace the big screen this summer at the Wexner Center Plaza.
The Wexner Center film series, A Summer Abroad: Cinema Italiano, will feature several Italian classics to be viewed indoors and three drive-in movies by American directors that were filmed in Italy.
“Italy has spawned and inspired generations of directors. We’re looking forward to showing some of the classics from Italian cinema,, as well as new and lesser-known titles,” said Dave Filipi, Wexner Center film curator and organizer of the series. “And as always, we expect the free, festive outdoor drive-in movies to draw big crowds.”
The drive-in series will be played on the third Thursday of each month this summer. Guests are welcomed to the Wexner Center Plaza on 15th Avenue and High Street and are encouraged to bring blankets and chairs to these festive, informal events, according to the Wexner Center website.
“The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” a comedy by Wes Anderson, kicks off the summer drive-in June 17. The plot develops around the adventures of a marine biologist, Bill Murray, and his eclectic seafaring team who try to find and take revenge on a jaguar shark, which may not exist. Murray as Steve Zissou also learns how to become a father.
“The Talented Mr. Ripley” by Anthony Minghella will be played on July 15 and is a thriller about false identity starring Matt Damon.
The final drive-in movie on Aug. 19 will be “Roman Holiday,” a romance classic featuring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn directed by William Wyler.
The indoor series begins July 1 with “La dolce vita,” Federico Fellini’s 1960s classic about a journalist and man-about-town, starring Marcello Mastroianni. Tickets for the indoor movies are $7 for the general public and $5 for members, students and senior citizens.
“We look forward to providing local audiences with a chance to discover or revisit some of the most acclaimed and popular films in Italian, or even world, cinema history as well as several remarkable new films from Italy,” said assistant film curator Chris Stults about his goals for Cinema Italiano.
According to the Wexner Center press release, there are 17 indoor movies in total for the series, all of which feature Italy in a certain fashion.
The 2009 “I am Love” is a love story set at the turn of the millennium in Milan, Italy. It was written and directed by Luca Guadagnino and will be screened July 16 and 17.
The 1948 “Bicycle Thieves” by Vittorio De Sica is “one of the most important neo-realist films.” The plot is about a poor man who romes Rome for his stolen bike that he must have in order to work.
“Our summer series is always an audience favorite and this summer should be no exception. A combination of classic films screened in our theater, with the best projection and viewing conditions in the city, along with the massively popular outdoor screenings … should make for an irresistible summer,” Stults said.
Stults said he and Filipi selected the films based on many factors, such as finding the right mix of films and making sure each have good film prints available.
“One of the most popular summer movie series that we’ve ever done was called A Summer Abroad. We showed a wide range of films from all over the globe. So our Cinema Italiano is along those lines,” Stults said. “If you’re spending the summer in Columbus, it will allow you the chance to do some sightseeing, travel, and learn some Italian vocabulary for only the price of a movie ticket.”
