On a cool but pleasant night, hundreds of spectators enjoyed a free outdoor movie showing of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” at Cambier Park in Naples on Saturday night.
Dirk Switken is the recreation supervisor for Cambier Park.
“I think this is a really great, free event for Naples, especially with the economy being the way it has been lately,” Switken said. “For people to come out and enjoy an event like this for free is really neat.”
Moviegoers were treated to the movie’s legendary special effects on a 20-foot by 40-foot inflatable screen via a projector on Saturday night after sunset.
“It’s really cool how big the screen is,” Switken said. “It’s something people need to see for themselves to see how big it really is.”
Free movies at Cambier Park are offered on the fourth Saturday of each month, Switken said.
Genres are dictated by the season.
“In-season, we’ll offer movies that appeal to a younger audience,” Switken said. “Out of season, we’ll have movies like “Casablanca” and “My Fair Lady” that appeal to an older audience.”
Longtime Naples’ residents John and Linda Conners were excited that they could come to the event and bring their three grandchildren, who are visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday from Madison, Wis.
“It’s too cold for them to enjoy this kind of outdoor evening event up North, so I think we’re fortunate to live in a tropical paradise, well away from the white stuff,” John Conners said with a laugh. “The kids have been talking about it all week.”
Linda Conners echoed those sentiments, adding that she’d like to see more classic movies at Cambier Park.
“I’d love to see ‘Whatever Happened to Baby Jane’ on the big screen,” she said. “The young people today need to see who the real movie stars are, people like Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant.”
At a time when movie tickets can cost up to $15 apiece, Brianna Jordan of Naples said the free event was a welcome relief from the financial challenges the public has been facing.
“I think it’s a great way to come out and spend a Saturday evening, compared to other activities in the area,” Jordan said. “My boyfriend and I have been loyal ‘Star Wars’ fans for years, and to come out and see it in this atmosphere has been a really awesome experience.”
Laura Angelon is visiting Naples from England and said events such as the one in Cambier Park on Saturday night would be few and far between back home.
“We don’t have anything like this at home,” Angelon said. “You can see that families are clearly enjoying themselves tonight, and I think I’ve fallen in love with Naples.”
For more information on free movie events at Cambier Park, contact the Norris Center at (239) 213-3051.
Read full article at: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/nov/22/big-screen-was-star-star-wars-clone-wars-shows-cam/
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