Summer Movie Programs

Yesterday I drove by one of my favorite signs of the summer. It was on my neighborhood United Artists theater and it said "FREE AIR CONDITIONING." Actually, no. It said "Free Summer Movies" but it might as well have been advertising a nice way to pass a summer morning with your kids in the coolness of someone else's A/C. (Can you tell it's already been over 100 degrees here and I've already gotten the first electric bill of the season?) At any rate, I think these summer movie programs are good fun and can be a welcome break for you, the kids and your budget.

Here are a few of the national programs, but be sure to check your local theaters as well. I know that a university near me also has a summer movie program that is open to the community. Usually the movies are on Friday Nights and aren't very G rated, but every once in a while they will show a family film for free. Be sure to check the calendar for your city or county government, too, since parks and recreation departments tend to host events like this in the summer.

• Regal Cinemas Free Family Film Festival (which includes United Artists and Edwards) - offering free movies.
• AMC Theaters Summer Movie Camp - these aren't free, but only cost $1 and they've got a discounted kid's snack pack for $3 instead of the regular, I don't know, $80 for popcorn and a drink?
• Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse - These movies are $1 per show or you can buy tickets for the full 10 weeks for just $5.