by Jeanni Ritchie
Nobody is gonna hit as hard as life, but it ain’t how hard you can hit. It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done. (Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa)
We can learn a lot from movies. They can entertain, inspire, eradicate isolation.
If you are in a movie theater, you can look two people down and they are laughing while you are laughing or you can look three people down and they love that song that you love. It is living proof that you are not alone. (Stephen Chbosky, author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and director of Wonder and Dear Evan Hansen)
For some indoor fun this summer, look no further than the Grand Theater in Alexandria. With multiple offerings to save, the recently acquired Santikos Entertainment theater brings a little movie magic into your life at discounted prices.
On Tuesdays and Wednesday at 10 AM, the Grand offers FREE Summer Movies. These first-come, first-serve movies cannot be reserved in advance so arrive early to secure your spot.
2024 Summer Schedule:
June 11 & 12: Minions
June 18 & 19: Trolls
June 25 & 26: How to Train Your Dragon
July 2 & 3: The Bad Guys
July 9 & 10: Migration
July 16 & 17: Puss in Boots
July 23 & 24: Shrek 2
July 30 & 31: Sing 2
The deals aren’t just for kids. Santikos Entertainment has recently expanded its $5 Military Mondays to include First Responders as well. All military, police, fire, and emergency medical services workers can get $5 movie tickets, $5 large popcorn, and $5 refillable large soda at any showing on Mondays.
“Our military and first responders play an invaluable role in safeguarding our nation and local communities,” said Andrew Brooks, CMO of Santikos Entertainment. “Expanding our $5 Military Monday to include first responders is our way of saying ‘thank you’ for their sacrifice and service.”
There’s also an everyday matinee discount for all moviegoers able to attend early showings.
This summer finds a slate of offerings for all ages, from family-friendly flicks to thrillers. Other genres highlighted are comedy, animated, drama, historical fiction, sci-fi, and westerns. There are new franchise sequels, faith-based films, and independent offerings.
Film as dream, film as music. No art passes our conscience in the way film does, and goes directly to our feelings, deep down into the dark rooms of our souls. (Ingmar Bergman)
Some summer movies to watch for:
June-
Bad Boys: Ride or Die
Inside Out 2
The Bike Riders
Firebrand
Thelma
The Watchers
Horizon: An American Saga
Janet Planet
Treasure
A Quiet Place: Day One
July-
Despicable Me 4
Longlegs
Possum Trot
Fly Me to the Moon
Transformers: High Moon
Twisters
Deadpool and Wolverine
The Fabulous Four
August-
Harold and the Purple Crayon
I Used to Be Funny
Trap
The Forge
It Ends With Us
Borderlands
Alien: Romulus
The Good Half
Horizon: An American Saga 2
The Crow
Reagan
Jeanni Ritchie is a freelance journalist from Central Louisiana who loves the magic of cinema. She can be reached at jeanniritchie54@gmail.com.
