Freaky free film fest

Are you ready to experience the terror of the original “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” while huddled in the pitch-black basement of a parking garage, with its director Tobe Hooper appearing live to offer his personal insights into the making of that twisted classic?

How about mustering the patience to watch the entire “Lord of the Rings” trilogy in nine consecutive hours — surrounded, no doubt, by what will be the strangest audience you’ll ever encounter?
In the past, watching classic movies for free in Old Pasadena has been a mellow proposition, a peaceful evening usually involving a G-rated ’50s comedy or some ancient Western starring John Wayne.

This year, however, the Old Pasadena Management District is looking to shake things up in a big way, teaming up with the American Cinematheque to create the Old Pasadena Film Festival. The event, which starts Friday and continues Friday and Saturday nights through July 26, offers the most unusual set of outdoor screenings to come our way in a long time.

Basements, rooftops, walls and alleyways will become theaters for films of various genres and eras, plus work from some aspiring student filmmakers, said Management District CEO Steve Mulheim. His hope is there’s something for everyone. 

“You can take your kids to lighter fare like an Audrey Hepburn classic in the early evening, and then head down on your own to the basement to catch ‘Chainsaw,’” said Mulheim, a wicked chuckle slipping through. “We’re constantly looking for how to do things better and get a wider audience, and get more people to see Old Pasadena and really explore it, too. There’s a lot of interesting things we’re showing, and we’re particularly interested in seeing the audience for the mental hygiene shorts.”

That’s right: The fest is actually dishing out a program of classic hygiene films — those now-ironic educational short flicks of decades past which attempted to frighten our nation’s youth into laying off booze, drugs, sex and reckless driving. Learn how to say no the hard way at 10 p.m. on July 19 in Mercantile Alley (right behind the Coffee Bean shop at 18 S. Fair Oaks Ave.) while watching the stories of young people whose lives are destroyed by substance abuse, venereal disease and driving too fast on prom night. You’ll never rush to a prom again.

“That place and time is perfect for a curious, adventurous late-night crowd. From my perspective, the mental hygiene program is particularly exciting. It’s not often shown, and seeing them as a collective experience outside will be really unique,” said Cinema-theque programmer Gwen DeGlise, who selected the festival’s lineup.

But the Old Pasadena Film Festival begins not with films aimed at students, but with work they have produced. At 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday a special program of works by emerging filmmakers from the Armory Center for the Arts, Art Center College of Design and Pasadena City College will be screened at the Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.

Audrey Hepburn’s classic “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” screens at the One Colorado Courtyard at 8:30 p.m. Friday, followed on Saturday by “My Fair Lady,” also at 8:30 p.m.

The first of a series of rooftop spectaculars takes place at 10 p.m. Friday, when the 1953 version of “War of the Worlds” (trust us, it’s way better than Spielberg’s 2005 crapfest) plays atop the School House parking structure at 33 E. Green St., with original cast member Ann Robinson introducing the screening.

Hepburn films return with a showing of the romantic thriller “Charade” at 8:30 p.m. on July 18 in the One Colorado Courtyard, with “Chainsaw” changing the mood at 10 p.m. in the basement of the School House garage.

“‘Chainsaw’ is an example of the organizers diversifying their past showings and diversifying their locations,” said DeGlise. “The Cinematheque tries not just to show movies, but to create a discussion. [Director Tobe] Hooper is a really good friend of the Cinematheque and has been to the Egyptian and Aero a number of times. He was thrilled to take part.”

If you survive that evening, bring the kids back for a family matinee of Julie Andrews’ classic “Mary Poppins” at 10 a.m. in the One Colorado Courtyard, and another Hepburn classic, “Sabrina,” at 8:30 p.m.

The fest offers up an odd double feature on July 25 in the One Colorado Courtyard, with Hepburn’s “Roman Holiday” at 8:30 p.m. and Akira Kurosawa’s action classic “Seven Samurai”
at 10:45 p.m.

Things come to a close on July 26 with dueling events: a screening of “Grease” — complete with a cast member surprise — at 22 Mills Place, and the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy at One Colorado Courtyard from 8:30 p.m. until dawn.

Stick around for the sunrise Hobbit breakfast if you dare.

All screenings are free. For more information, call (626) 356-9725 or visit www.oldpasadenafilmfestival.com.