Free Movies

Like the Google calendar, a set of "ongoing cheap fun links" is in the pipeline.

Since the Boston Public Library has a film series (or two) over the next couple months, I might as well start with "Free/Cheap Movies".

This page will be updated and enhanced as time goes on. When it falls off the front page, I'll link it to the right side and probably change the format as time goes by.

I don't always check it, but I've noticed that Joe from Somerville does a good job of keeping up with free films in the Boston area on his Google calendar.

These may or may not make the main list (see "Tommy" tonight!), but it is free air conditioning...

Last Updated: 9/8/09

(Wow, this is woefully out-of-date! I'm taking it off the front page for a day or two...)

* * * ONE-OFFS * * *


TUES 9/8

7pm
"O Outro Lado da Rua (The Other Side of the Street)": Screening
at Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St, Arlington
FREE

As part of the continued Independence celebration, you can watch this thriller in the mold of Hitchcock's "Rear Window".

* * * MONDAYS * * *



* * * THURSDAYS * * *

MON 7/20: Improv, Rock, Tequila

It's not under $10, but I listed a tequila tasting at the bottom, because: 1) it's only $5 over the limit, 2) I like Redbones, 3) I like Downtown Wine & Spirits, and 4) Tequila isn't a bad way of conquering Monday blahs/blues.

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MON 7/20

9pm to 11pm
"CastleBar CageMatch"
at Castlebar, 575 Washington St, Brighton (Oak Sq)
$1

Have you seen Ultimate Fighting commercials with Brock Lesnar? That guy is a scary freak of nature, but he wouldn't stand a chance at this cage match.

In these battle of wits, there will be several rounds of head-to-head improv contests including members of groups like ImprovBoston, Anderson Comedy, as well as others. Anyone can join in for the "improv jam" at the end

I have no dedicated link, but I know it's happening. One of the guys emailed me, and it's happened once before. Folks supposedly had a good time at the first time. It's not hard to believe when Miller High Life is $2.

MON 7/20

9:30pm
You Can Be A Wesley, Casper & The Cookies, Everything Now, Magic Magic
at Middle East - Upstairs, 472 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Central Sq)
$8 / 18+

Heap after wave after surge of indie pop fills the "upstairs" room all night. It's easy to enjoy the sunny, psychedelic rock of Casper & The Cookies from Athens (Georgia). For those of you keeping track of all Of Montreal offshoots, Casper/Jason played with them on "Satanic Panic in the Attic" and "The Sunlandic Twins".

Everything Now seems so familiar to me. Maybe because each of their songs have so many musical references. These folks from Indianapolis are all over the place, but there's an overall atsty, trippy garage-pop vibe.

You could have heard You Can Be A Wesley and Magic Magic at ArtBeat for free. (Although it seemed like Magic Magic's Friday set was getting called off due to threat of rain. I didn't stick around.) Now you can pay a few bucks to catch the sweet tunes from two of our excellent local bands.

MON 7/20

10pm
66 Breakout, Boston Beat Machine, Hazard Adams
at Charlies Kitchen, 10 Eliot St, Cambridge (Harvard Sq)
$5 / 21+

They may not have $2 High Life's, but the PBR is served at Charlies. Many beers will be quaffed, and Hell will likely be raised.

Sweaty, Mississippi-bound bluesy rock is the sound of 66 Breakout who aptly describe their sound as "70s Detroit teenagers trying to sound like 60s London teenagers trying to sound like 50s Memphis teenagers trying to sound like 40s Clarksdale teenagers."

The Boston Beat Machine should rip it up as it seems like the band includes Tom from The Dirty Truckers and Jim from Buttercup. Hazard Adams churns out a country/folky classic rock that sorta reminds me of early-70s Stones. The vocals grated me a bit on the recordings, but I imagine they're cushioned by the band in concert.

Deal of the Night:

MON 7/20

5pm to 7pm
"Tequila Tasting with Tony"
at Redbones, 55 Chester St, Somerville (Davis Sq)
$15

Tasting starts at 5:30pm, but events like these fill up and it's a "first come - first serve" deal. Tony Iamunno from Downtown Wine & Spirits is going to lead the group through a tasting of 8 different tequilas.

It's a rare occasion that I drink any tequila better than Hornitos, but this seems like a damn good deal for the amount of top-shelf booze. Look at the math: 8 x 1/2 oz pours = 4 shots for $15. There's also going to be some complementary (sic, I assume complimentary) appetizers.

7/19: Sunday Night Off-Topic Video

Watching "House MD" feels like a guilty pleasure. I like various aspects, but the structure seems so redundant. As a fan of British comedies (thanks to PBS), I'm familiar with Hugh Laurie when he was funny -- on various seasons of the "Black Adder" series. So weird to compare the two performances.

Here's a clip from an older comedy series with Stephen Fry (a mighty fine performer and twitternaut):



Damn, he does a good American accent!

SUN 7/19: Day Cheapness

What's in the clubs tonight? Nothing that would really shake me by the lapels, if I had lapels. Have some daytime fun, and relax tonight.

There's a Gospel Fest at City Hall Plaza this evening, but I really couldn't get excited about it. If you're a church-going type, some time at this might count instead of getting up early and dressing up...

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SUN 7/19

10am to 4:45pm
Open House
at Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston (The Fens)
FREE

Hey, it's a free trip to the MFA. You could go on a Wednesday night, but how often do you remember to go? There are two good exhibits to see besides "Titian, Tintoretto, Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice" (which costs extra): Edward Weston photography "Viva Mexico!" and the multimedia salute to music "Seeing Songs".

SUN 7/19

10am to 6pm
Annual New England Sand Sculpting Festival
at Revere Beach, Revere
FREE

Tons and tons of sand are brought in for about a dozen or so master sand-sculptors to work their magic. As someone who used to make sand castles with a pail and shells, these things blow my mind.

They've been working on their giant sand works all week, so the actual work should be done. You could walk around today or next week. Under good conditions, I've heard they last for a couple weeks.

I went a few years ago, and it's a bit south of Kelly's -- closer to the Revere Beach stop on the Blue Line. Still, I'd walk up to Kelly's for fried clams and take the Blue Line at Wonderland.

SUN 7/19

11am to 3pm
Community Boating Open House
at Community Boating Boathouse, 21 David G. Mugar Way, Boston (Esplanade)
FREE

You could've gone for a free sail in Boston Harbor yesterday, now you can head out on the Charles a little sail. Yeah, it's not like a whole afternoon lounging on the water, but it's a fun diversion -- and free! Hope for a windy day, because it's somewhat anticlimactic on a dead wind day. But you can still get a free sail! Ain't Boston cool?

I've gone to this before, and it's a quick tour of the facilities and a nice little sail on the Charles.

SUN 7/19

1pm to 7pm
Annual Betances Festival
at Villa Victoria:
Plaza Betances, 100 W. Dedham St, Boston (South End)
O'Day Park, 85 W. Newton St, Boston (South End)
FREE

Get a taste of Puerto Rican and Latino culture at the oldest & biggest Latin American festival in New England (named after the 19th-century Puerto Rican humanitarian, Dr. Ramon Betances). There will be 'mucho' pan-Latin American entertainment: music, dancing, arts, crafts, food, and a grease pole contest!

I'm sure salsa star Tito Rojas will put on a great show at 6:15pm, but the Greased Pole Contest (aka Palo Encebao) at 1pm near O'Day Park is the highlight of the Betances Festival in my book.

You wouldn't think that a bunch of guys clamoring over a big greasy pole in the South End could be eventful, but it is exciting to watch... You'll cheer, you'll groan, and you'll be amazed people will get that dirty. The food and music are close by.

SAT 7/18: All Sorts of Cheapness

This is what I get for staying up late while writing Cheap Thrills and drinking Spanish wine from the box -- I forget to actually publish my Saturday post! There's still time to have a great time today and tonight...

This used to be the weekend where Eastie would have their Italian festa, but there's one less party to attend this year...

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SAT 7/18

Noon to 6pm
ArtBeat Festival 2009: "Somerville...Of the Future"
at Various places around Davis Square, Somerville
$3 donation suggested

Davis Square is closed to traffic due to a wonderful collision of music, art, dance, food, crafts, and activities. The theme is "Somerville...of the Future", which may be a version of robots and rockets where the Green Line extension is obsolete!

There's a parade (of the Future) at 2pm. Somerville is actually a haven of robot activity, so you'll see a bunch of benign automatons of different shapes and sizes. The music is happening on 2 stages, there's dance performances inside the Somerville Theatre, and there's all sorts of cool stuff going on around.

Bands I'd be interested in:

2:30pm: Liz Longley -- Elm Street Stage
3:30pm: The Holey Moleys -- Elm Street Stage
4:30pm: Rakiya -- Elm Street Stage
4pm: The Dirty Truckers -- Seven Hills Park
5pm: You Can Be a Wesley -- Seven Hills Park

Yes, you're not forced to donate but you'll definitely get your $3 worth of fun (and a necklace dog tag to show you chipped in). The money funds events like ArtBeat.

SAT 7/18

Noon to 7pm
Annual Mystic River Music Festival
at Condon Shell, about 2617 Mystic Valley Pkwy, Medford (near Mystic River)
FREE

No offense to the other bands, but there are three bands that I'd go to Medford to see:

The Seamonsters (5:30pm), Go Dog Go (4:30pm), Jenny Dee & the Deeliquents (3:30pm)

It's also a green awareness concert, so there are reasons to go. The website is annoying, but there is more info there. Just go and have your fun.

Other bands:
The Well (2:30pm), Creepy Jones (1:30pm), Guillermo Ortiz (12:30pm), Adrian Emberley (Noon)

SAT 7/18

1pm to 4pm
Sailing Open House
at Boston Sailing Center, Lewis Wharf, Boston (North End)
FREE

The sun has been visiting town more frequently in time for the Boston Sailing Center's last open house of the season. No experience necessary to take a free ride in the Harbor. You might even want to sign up for discounted lessons.

It's a "first come, first served", so who knows what kind of wait (if any) there will be. Again, this on Lewis Wharf, north of the Marriott.

SAT 7/18 & SUN 7/19

Various Times
Annual Betances Festival
at Villa Victoria:
Plaza Betances, 100 W. Dedham St, Boston (South End)
O'Day Park, 85 W. Newton St, Boston (South End)
FREE

Saturday: 3:30pm to 9pm
Sunday: 1pm to 7pm

Get a taste of Puerto Rican and Latino culture at the oldest & biggest Latin American festival in New England. There will be 'mucho' pan-Latin American entertainment: music, dancing, arts, crafts, food. (Do you like how I said "mucho"?)

There is musical performances and delicious food today, but the best time to go is tomorrow at 1pm for the Greased Pole Contest (aka Palo Encebao) near O'Day Park. It's pretty fun to watch and cheer, especially if you've never seen it before.

If you get to the approximate area, it's pretty easy to tell where the action is.

SAT 7/18 & SUN 7/19

"Whenever you want to go"
Annual New England Sand Sculpting Festival
at Revere Beach, Revere
FREE

The photos look amazing, so imagine seeing the most amazing sand sculptures up close. They've been working on their giant sand works for a few days now, so it should be pretty cool to walk around tonight or on the weekend. There could be some kind of "live entertainment" from 6pm to 9pm tonight as well as over the weekend. You can even go next week, because the sculptures last for quite a while...

Throw in a fried clam plate from Kelly's, and life will seem beautiful and carefree.

SAT 7/18

4pm
"Hamlet"
at Christian Herter Park, 1175A Soldiers Field Road, Brighton (near Charles River, across from WBZ)
FREE

Why wait until Thursday for free Shakespeare and grilling? The Rebel Shakespeare Company, an intense teen Shakespeare camp from the North Shore, rock the teen angst in "Hamlet" in between today's Orfeo Group performances.

SAT 7/18

7pm
"Viva Nelson Mandela: A Hero For All Seasons": Screening
at Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library, 700 Boylston St, Boston (Copley Sq)
FREE

July 18 is "Mandela Day". This recent documentary is going to shown, and I'd bet there will be some discussion before or after the screening.

Featuring exclusive interviews with politicians, close friends and comrades of Mandela, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Oliver Tambo, Pik Botha, and more!

SAT 7/18

8pm
Emily Elbert, Big Tree, Tom Tierney
at Gallery 263, 263 Pearl St, Cambridge (Cambridgeport)
$5

I accidentally found Gallery 263 while strolling to the river from Central Square. It's a little art gallery on the corner of a residential neighborhood in the former location of a beloved furniture store. I like the idea of enjoying three heaping spoonfuls of melodious folkiness in this spot.

Besides the local, soulful pixie Emily Elbert, Big Tree is coming up from New York. Their guitarist, Tom Tierney, will play an opening set. You might be sick of Michael Jackson coverage like me, but I've listened to Emily's cover of "Thriller". It's actually a celebration of his good music and not some ironic bull... I hope she does it.

SAT 7/18

Gibby & The Buzzkills (12:30am), The Wynotts (11:30pm), The Scrapes (10:30pm), The Doug McDonald Band (9:30pm)
at The Midway Cafe, 3496 Washington St, Jamaica Plain
$7-ish

Thankfully, this is a great part of the country for kick-ass punk and garage-rock. It doesn't get much better than The Wynotts. When I listen to their cool tunes with just the right amount of snarl, I forget the circus and want to run away to join this band. The chief Wynott is super-cool-guy Rockin' Bob Cenci, formerly of great Boston punk bands like Jerry's Kids and Gang Green, so how can this not be awesome? When I first saw the name "Gibby & The Buzzkills", I was hoping it was Gibby from Butthole Surfers, but I was disappointed by their tasty garage-pop. Anything by Doug McDonald is worthy of attention too.

SAT 7/18

10pm
Annual Bastille Day A-Go-Go
at Precinct, 70 Union Sq, Somerville (Union Sq)
$10 / 21+

I didn't list it last last year, because the cover was more than $10, but it was a really good time. Who cares if the Bastille Day celebration comes via New Orleans? Old-time NOLA-style R&B is a thousand times better than Gainsbourg-esque French pop! Some of the guests include Boston's creme de la creme: Jen D'Angora, JJ Rassler, John Powhida, Jordan Valentine, Asa Brebner, Mick Mondo, and Al Janik.

SAT 7/18

Three Day Threshold (10pm), The Jinx Brothers (7pm)
at Toad, 1912 Mass Ave, Cambridge (Porter Sq)
FREE

Get ready for some kickass, hard-drinkin', good-time alt-country/Americana. These folks are musical American heroes in my book for doing USO shows down in Central America, and they told me they're ready for a trip to the Middle East. After listening to this honky-tonking, rootsy rock, I almost want a pair of boots and a dusty cowboy hat.

The Jinx Brothers are going to do their county-blues thang earlier on.