School’s almost out, so it’s the season for free, or dirt-cheap, classic family films. They are shown inside theaters early in the day — get out of the heat and into the air-conditioned cinema — and outdoors at night in parks, where families can bring picnics. Several locations in the state are offering a summer-long bargain lineup of G- and PG-rated fare.
Spotlight Theatres, 39 Front St. in Hartford, already started its summer program, which is free of charge on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. The remaining lineup is: “Night at the Museum” June 14-16, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel” June 21-23, “Alvin and the Chipmunks” June 28-30, “The Croods” July 5-7, “Home” July 12-14, “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” July 19-21, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” July 26-28, “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York,” Aug. 2-4 and “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!” Aug. 9-11. hartford.spotlighttheatres.com.
Bow Tie Cinemas, 330 New Park Ave. in Hartford and 100 Quarry Road in Trumbull, offer free movies on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. This year’s lineup is “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” June 21-22, “How to Train Your Dragon 2” June 28-29, “Big” July 5-6, “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” July 12-13, “The Sandlot” July 19-20, “The Peanuts Movie” July 26-27, “Ramona and Beezus” Aug. 2-3, “Home” Aug. 9-10 and “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” Aug. 16-17. bowtiecinemas.com.
Cinemark theaters — with locations at Buckland Hills in Manchester, the Enfield Square mall and Connecticut Post 14 in Milford — offer a “Summer Movie Clubhouse,” where moviegoers can buy a 10-movie pass for $5 (50 cents per movie) or single-movie tickets for $1 each. The movies are shown at 10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays. The films are “The Peanuts Movie” June 20 and 22, “Pan” June 27 and 29, “Home” July 4 and 6, “The Boxtrolls” July 11 and 13, “The Sandlot” July 18 and 20, “Norm of the North” July 25 and 27, “Shaun the Sheep” Aug. 1 and 3, “Max” Aug. 8 and 10, “Paddington” Aug. 15 and 17 and “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” Aug. 22 and 24. cinemark.com.
Carmike Bloomfield, 863 Park Ave., and Cinerom Torrington, 89 Farley Place, offer a series of movies on Thursdays at 10 a.m. Admission is $4 and includes a popcorn and soda. The lineup is “Epic” June 16, “Home” June 23, “How To Train Your Dragon 2” June 30, “Kung Fu Panda 2” July 7, “Monsters vs. Aliens” July 14, “Rio 2” July 21, “The Peanuts Movie” July 28, “Penguins of Madagascar” Aug. 4, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” Aug. 11 and “The Croods” Aug. 18. Details: carmike.com.
Gallery Cinemas, 396 Old Hartford Road in Colchester, shows family films for $2 a person on Wednesdays in the summer. Showtime is 10 a.m. The movies are “Minions” June 15, “Hotel Transylvania 2” June 22, “The Wizard of Oz” June 29, “The Peanuts Movie” July 6, “The LEGO Movie” July 13, “The Iron Giant” July 20, “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” July 27, “Home: Aug 3 and “The Spongebob Squarepants Movie” Aug. 10. gallerycinemasct.com/3259/Summer-Kids-Series
Regal Cinemas Brass Mill 12, 495 Union St. in Waterbury, offers two kids’ films on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m., for $1 each. Both movies play both days each week. The lineup is “The Lego Movie” and “Max” June 14-15, “Goosebumps” and “Iron Giant” June 21-22, “Pan” and “The Smurfs 2” June 28-29, “Despicable Me 2” and “Home” July 5-6, “Minions” and “The Peanuts Movie” July 12-13, “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” and “Curious George” July 19-20, “The Book of Life” and “Hotel Transylvania 2” July 26-27, “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2” and “Shaun the Sheep” Aug. 2 and 3, and “The Croods” and “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” Aug. 9-10. regmovies.com/Movies/Summer-Movie-Express
New Haven’s free “Friday Flicks” in the city’s parks already is underway. The films are shown at dusk. The lineup continues with “A Bug’s Life” at Quinnipiac Park on June 10, “Avengers: Age of Ultron” at John Daniels Field on June 17, “Dreamgirls” at College Woods on June 24, “Back to the Future” at DeGale Field, Goffe Street Park, on July 8, “Cool Runnings” at Middletown Avenue Park on July 15, “The Wiz” at Troup Field on July 22, “Finding Nemo” at Trowbridge Park on July 29, “Aladdin” at Nathan Hale Park on Aug. 5, “Jurassic World” at Lincoln Basset Park on Aug. 12, “Grease” at Wooster Square Park on Aug. 19, and “Inside Out” at Winslow Augustine Pop Warner Field on Aug. 26. For details, visit New Haven Parks’ Facebook page.
Madison Beach Hotel, 94 West Wharf Road in Madison, has its annual “Grassy Strip Film Series,” with free screenings every Tuesday at sundown on the grass in front of the hotel. The lineup is “Minions” July 5, “Shaun the Sheep” July 12, “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” July 19, “Inside Out” July 26, “Heavyweights” Aug. 2, “Zootopia” Aug. 9, “Hotel Transylvania 2” Aug. 16, “Spongebob Squarepants: Sponge Out of Water” Aug. 23 and “Rudy” Aug. 30. Guests are advised to bring blankets. grassystrip.com.
Marquee Cinemas, 315 Flatrock Place in Westbrook, offers two movies to choose from each Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. Admission is free. The lineup is “Home” and “Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2” on June 28-29, “Turbo” and “Paddington” July 5-6, “Pan” and “Hotel Transylvania 2” July 12-13, “Penguins of Madagascar” and “Goosebumps” July 19-20, “The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” and “The Peanuts Movie” July 26-27, “Mr. Peabody and Sherman” and “Minions” Aug. 2-3, “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb” and “How to Train Your Dragon 2” Aug. 9-10, and “LEGO Move” and “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip” Aug. 16-17. marqueecinemas.com.
New London’s “Beach Blanket” series at Ocean Beach Park offers free family films on Tuesday nights at dusk. The schedule is “Hotel Transylvania” June 21, “Minions” June 28, “Goosebumps” July 5, “Pan” July 12, “The Good Dinosaur” July 19, “Inside Out” July 29, “Cinderella” on Aug. 2, and two as-yet-undetermined films on Aug. 9 and 16. Parking is $6. ocean-beach-park.com.
