Moorpark, California: Moorpark Hosts Outdoor Movies
Anniversaries have a way of encouraging people to do things properly, and Moorpark’s 25th is no exception. The celebration continues this month with an outdoor movie night at Arroyo Vista Park, where the city will screen the 1983 classic WarGames on Saturday, August 16. Admission is free, which immediately improves the mood of any gathering, and the setting promises to do the rest.
It should be a memorable evening. There will be a full moon overhead—always a useful bit of atmosphere—and vendors on hand selling popcorn and other essential movie provisions. “It should be a great night,” said Jennifer Mellon, senior management analyst for Moorpark, sounding like someone who has considered the details and approved them. CommCinema, the outdoor movie vendor, will begin the entertainment at 7 p.m., with the movie starting around 8, once everyone has settled in and found their chairs.
WarGames, for those who may need a refresher, is a thriller about a teenager—played by Matthew Broderick—who accidentally hacks into a U.S. Department of Defense computer and nearly starts World War III. When the film was released in 1983, it arrived at a time when the Internet was in its infancy, personal computers were rare, and the idea of widespread digital access seemed faintly exotic. Critics later noted that what once felt far-fetched now seems considerably more plausible, and the film served as a wake-up call for government leaders at the time.
“I think we picked a fun family movie that has relevance to the world today,” Mellon said. The event also marks the city’s first outdoor movie screening, and residents are encouraged to bring chairs, pack something to eat, or purchase food from the concessions on site. Mellon hopes a strong turnout will allow the city to continue offering outdoor movies in the future.
“This can be another community event where everybody spends time together with neighbors at the beautiful local park,” she said. Which, on a summer evening under a full moon, sounds like a very good way to celebrate 25 years.