Are you a fan of fun, family-orientated movies on the big screen? Do you find yourself wishing that your local movie theater could be more atmospheric?
Well, have no fear, the City’s Recreation Department, Arts and Culture Commission, Public Art Committee and Gilroy Arts Alliance have come up with something to tickle your celluloid fancy.
“Herbie Under the Stars” will take place Aug. 8 at the Interim Gilroy Center for the Arts located at 7341 Monterey St. in downtown Gilroy. Disney’s original version of “Herbie the Love Bug” has captivated audiences since 1968 and now locals, young and old, have a chance to fall in love with the mischievous Volkswagen Beetle that has a mind of his own.
Choosing Herbie, who – according to the movie tagline “will honk his way into your heart” – was reasonably simple for the groups involved.
“People all had positive memories of Herbie,” explained Dave Dunkle, who is on the board of directors for the Gilroy Arts Alliance, a member of Gilroy’s Arts and Culture Commission, and wearing yet another hat, the chair of Gilroy’s Public Art Committee.
While the City has put on movies outdoors before – at the Amphitheater in Christmas Hill Park – this is the first time that the city’s artisans have banded together to put on a show. Dunkle is clear on what they’re trying to do.
“This is the arts groups getting together to create an interest in the arts,” he said. “If we can get enough to draw a crowd then we will have done our job.”
The movie will be projected onto a blank wall at the Interim Center for the Arts starting at 9 p.m. Early attendees will have first pick of the best place to plonk down their chair and load up on the all important concessions – including packaged candies from the Gilroy Foundation Youth Board, along with drinks and coffee from the Gilroy Arts Alliance – to see them through the movie. Baskin Robbins is rumored to be another vendor on the night, but that hasn’t been finalized yet.
That desire to find the best way to get people interacting with local artists is echoed by Carol Harris – newly elected president of the Gilroy Arts Alliance and chair of the Arts and Culture Commission – who helped devise the “Herbie Under the Stars” plan.
“We just came up with the idea of a free movie night,” Harris explained. “It’s a good event that we can do easily.”
The City will pay the rental fee for the movie to be screened in public, explained Harris, along with advertising the event via its website and printing flyers. Throw in coverage on the Recreation Department’s Facebook page, department newsletter, Government Access Television Channel 17 and even a two-sentence announcement in water bills, and Dunkle’s aim to draw a crowd seems a certainty.
Local Volkswagen Beetle “Bug” owners will also have a chance to show off their cars and bask in some reflected glory of the anthropomorphic star on screen.
“We’re going to block off some of our parking for them,” Harris said.
People arriving early at the flick will also get the chance to see some local youngsters making their acting debut.
“We’re showing a very short film that was made during the film workshop,” beamed Harris.
The free film workshop was taught by local filmmakers from the local 152 West Productions and took place over a two-week period from June 17 to June 28. Funded in part by a City of Gilroy Community Development Block Grant, the Gilroy Arts Alliance also sponsored it.
While not giving too much away about the content of the children’s project, Harris says that it involves the Bruno Mars track “The Lazy Song.”
“It’s short, fun and people like to see local kids in things,” she added.
