In LA, during the summer months, film preservers Cinespia screen a movie on the side of a Hollywood Forever cemetery mausoleum every Saturday night.
Bring ten bucks cash for the door “donation” (they say donation, but it’s a fee– my friend was turned away for only having 8 bucks). Get there early! These picnic-like events fill up fast in this town.
Before sunset, the resident DJ supplies an amazing amount of hipster music while photo stills of old movie posters shine on the mausoleum. I’ve found a lot of tunes for the LA Playlist from going to Hollywood Forever (“Psychedelic Sally” was a particular jewel).
As the wine pours and the unmistakable scent of pot fills the air, you realize anticipation for the big event is half the fun.
The sun goes down, people get drunker, and then Adam busts out his favorite picnic treat, the Blueberry Fool. It’s a light dessert, and here’s how you make it, kids:
1 package of blueberries, 1/2 cup of sugar, dash of cinnamon, dash of lemon zest. All this into a saucepan, bring to a boil (yes, the blueberries will boil themselves in their own juices!) and simmer for 5 minutes on low heat. Put this in a bowl and let it cool. In another bowl, electric mix 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and a 1/2 cup of half-and-half until it’s solid and showing little creamy peaks. Fold in the cooled blueberry concotion, and you got your Blueberry Fool! Observe…
Now we’re drunk and sluggish with Fool, the movie is about to begin. Every film is begun with a relevant speaker. The greatest (and actually worst) speaker was last year’s Paul Reubens, opening “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.” He came out to a standing ovation, but then rambled his anecdotes along (Andy Kaufman-esque) for 45 minutes, until there was a vocal revolt against the man to let his film finally begin.
Tonight is the closing night (!!) for Hollywood Forever, and the film will be “Night of the Living Dead” (!!!!). Now, previously, the movies I’ve seen there have been un-spooky, neutralizing the strangeness of being in a graveyard. This will be interesting / ready to jump out of my skin at any moment.
So, please, gather your blankets and bottles of wine, and get yourself to the cemetery!
