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The Cut Outdoor Cinema Lives Up to Pandemic Promises of Accessible Moviegoing

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Outdoor movie screen with cowboy image and audience laying on colorful beanbags under blankets
Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ screens at The Cut Outdoor Cinema at the site of the former temporary Transbay Terminal. (Noise Pop)

It was another Friday night out at the movies with a few noticeable differences. As I adjusted the tilt on my deck chair, a spotted mutt in a purple harness paced anxiously nearby, waiting for its human to return with hot popcorn. As the movie began, planes regularly crossed the skyline, pulling my attention away from the film ever so briefly. About halfway through the screening, the moon crept out from behind a glass tower.

The Cut Outdoor Cinema opened in 2022 to seemingly little fanfare. In the same area as new pickleball courts, soccer pitches, and an outdoor gym, the cinema occupies a dedicated parcel of the former temporary Transbay Terminal, now dubbed The Crossing. With a bright 23-foot LED screen and noise-canceling headphones to keep viewers focused on the feature presentation, distractions common in indoor theaters — folks whisper-chatting, smartphone screens lit up by mid-movie texting — don’t even register here. The only major intrusion can be the sound system at the neighboring beer garden — that, and a good dog passing in an aisle.

I’d expected to enjoy the experience, especially as a person seeking safe entertainment options in a time when pandemic protections have been stripped from basically all public areas. But it wasn’t until I settled in to watch Clueless on a recent evening that I realized how an outdoor cinema set up on a repurposed SoMa square feels like a necessarily inventive and radically inclusive space. I only regret that it took me so long to discover this delightful new option.

An outdoor cinema is the exact sort of creative, accessible venue I’d optimistically hoped would emerge — and remain — as a safer alternative to indoor spaces with poor ventilation, given all we’ve ostensibly learned about preventable airborne illness in the past few years. Located just two blocks from the bay, the breeziness and ability to spread out from other moviegoers is a benefit, not a drawback. It’s part of a flat-surface plaza, accessible for folks using mobility aids or with wheeled conveyances like strollers.

Boxed candies and canned beverages displayed on a colorful Mexican blanket
Snack and drink offerings at The Cut’s “Concessiontainer.” (Noise Pop)

The moviegoing logistics are as straightforward as they are charming. When buying a ticket, moviegoers choose their seating type — a canvas sling chair or Big Joe bean bag — and large blankets are free to borrow at the venue for cooler evenings. Warm hats are for sale in the adorable red “Concessiontainer,” along with snacks, soda and adult beverages from Monarch. (Like any other theater, no food or drink from outside the venue is allowed.) All are welcome, including babies and on-leash pets. Cash is not accepted. Tickets are priced per show, typically $16.75 for a deck chair or $26.75 for a bean bag and popcorn, plus Eventbrite fees. Monthly passes for unlimited access sell for just $29.99.

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The venue has honed a certain je ne sais quoi of what plays best on a huge, vivid screen: big-budget newer releases, animated features, beloved throwbacks, and action flicks. There’s also seasonal sports and cultural programming. For example, the July calendar features numerous Major League Soccer and UEFA Champions League games, as well as the FIFA Women’s World Cup. (Sports broadcasts don’t have an entry fee but do require registering with the venue.)

Additionally, this month marks the partially-in-person return of the 17th annual San Francisco Frozen Film Festival (SFFFF), which is hosted only at The Cut Outdoor Cinema and online. The longtime SF festival went entirely virtual the past three years and is maintaining that option. But it will also screen new hyperlocal work at The Cut for the better part of a week starting on Wednesday, July 12, partnering with this inclusive physical venue to showcase work by filmmakers who are young, from marginalized communities, or creating socially-conscious art. Festival passes are $25, with film screenings also priced individually.

While The Cut Outdoor Cinema is open year-round, some of this summer’s outdoor moviegoing options in the Bay Area are timed for lazy summer days and (slightly) warmer nights. Most screenings are free-of-charge in public spaces.

Nighttime view of crowd on blankets in Dolores Park, large inflated screen in distance with three nuns and dialogue below.
‘Sister Act 2’ playing at Dolores Park in 2022 as part of Sundown Cinema. (Courtesy SF Parks Alliance)

Sundown Cinema in SF Parks

Now in its fifth year, the San Francisco Parks Alliance 2023 Sundown Cinema series kicked off on June 8 and is currently underway. Through October, catch a selection of all-ages movies at parks across the city. Join the Mamma Mia singalong at Dolores Park on Aug. 18 or get in the Halloween spirit with Ghostbusters (the 1984 original) at McLaren Park’s Jerry Garcia Amphitheater on Oct. 20. Showtimes vary by screening and park; check the SF Parks Alliance website for more information.

Movie Nights in Mountain View

A similar initiative enables peninsula-based movie buffs to catch free screenings at various Mountain View parks on Friday nights through August 11. The city’s Summer Outdoor Movie Night Series includes Puss in Boots: The Last Wish at Stevenson Park on July 21 and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at Eagle Park on Aug. 4. All shows begin at 8:30 p.m. or dark.

Saturday Movies in San José

San José’s downtown Starlight Cinema also returns this year, staging Saturday movie nights in St. James Park. The 2023 lineup includes Ferris Bueller’s Day Off on July 15, Moana on July 29, and Back to the Future on Aug. 5. The films all start around 8:30 p.m., with pre-movie lawn games available an hour before showtime.

August at BAMPFA

The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive hosts another free summer series on its huge outdoor screen at the corner of Addison and Oxford Streets. The three-film program focuses on animated features, with Toy Story 2 on Aug. 3, Finding Nemo on Aug. 17, and Persepolis on Aug. 31. All screenings begin at 7 p.m.

A Farm Film

Free in Fremont on Saturday, Aug. 12 at 8 p.m., Ardenwood Historic Farm presents Lightyear at this family-friendly sunset screening. BYO chairs, snacks, and a flashlight. No pets.

Local Flicks in Bernal

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Celebrating 20 years of screening diverse work by local filmmakers for no charge, the Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema returns for three nights on September 8, 9 and 15. On Saturday, Sept. 9, make your way to Precita Park for a full evening of short film screenings, beginning at 6 p.m.

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