The HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival Celebrates Its 24th Year

NEW YORK, June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Once again, Bryant Park will be a destination for film buffs on summer nights in New York City, with an incredible line up for the 24th year of the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival presented by Bank of America with Time Out New York, Lord & Taylor and Peapod, in association with Bryant Park Corporation.

Continuing the popular tradition of presenting "stars under the stars," the free outdoor festival returns Monday evenings at sunset, beginning June 20 and running through August 22. The season kicks off with the 1986 classic, FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF.

The festival's opening night film is the crowd-pleaser, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, which is celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year. Join Ferris, Cameron and Sloane as they skip school and spend a carefree day in Chicago. Other films that are playing during this year's film festival include Top Gun which is celebrating its 30^th year and The Omen with its 40th anniversary.

The films are projected onto a screen 20 feet high by 40 feet wide. Bryant Park is located at 42nd Street and the Avenue of the Americas. Snacks, meals, and refreshments are available at the Bryant Park Grill and Café, Southwest Porch, and in-park kiosks operated by COFFEED, Wafels & Dinges, Breads Bakery, and Le Pain Quotidien. An expanded selection of curated food options from Hester Street Fair is also available. Each presentation starts on Monday evenings at sunset. The lawn opens at 5pm. Classic animation provided courtesy of Warner Bros. Captions will be displayed for all films.

For more information, call the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival hotline at (212) 512-5700. For film series information, visit the festivals website at hbo.com/hbobryantparkfilmfestival (Live June 8th).

2016 HBO/BRYANT PARK FILM FESTIVAL

June 20-FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF (Paramount) So Ferris, what did you learn in school today?  Instead of hitting the books or turning in homework, a rebellious student skips out for a carefree day around Chicago. Among his stops are the Art Institute, the Sears (Willis) Tower and Wrigley Field (Cubs vs. Braves). John Hughes' teen comedy with Matthew Broderick was an instant hit, appealing to the truant in all of us. The musical score runs the gamut from Wayne Newton's "Danke Schoen" to the Beatles' "Twist and Shout." (1986) 103 Min. (PG-13)

June 27-EAST OF EDEN (Warner Bros.) Director Elia Kazan has made the great John Steinbeck novel (updating the "Cain vs. Able" story to the early 20th century) into a great American movie. It is perhaps best remembered for the big screen debut of the legendary James Dean. The N.Y. Times film critic was hardly a fan of the actor's performance. In spite of the naysayers, Dean was Oscar-nominated posthumously. He did not win (that honor went to Ernest Borgnine), but Jo Van Fleet, as his brothel-keeping mother, did take home a gold statuette. (1955) 115 Min. (PG)

July 4-TOP GUN (Paramount) The top-grossing film of 1986 features plenty of testosterone, noisy engines and the song "Take My Breath Away," which won an Oscar and a Grammy. Tom Cruise is a cocky Navy pilot and Kelly McGillis is a beautiful blond astrophysicist/flight instructor (no kidding). She provides some thermodynamic love lessons when the daredevil flier comes down to earth. It was described by one critic as a Navy recruiting film and by another as "part machine porn, part music video and all '80s excess." (1986) 110 Min. (PG)

July 11- THE PALM BEACH STORY (Universal) One of the all-time-great screwball comedies from director Preston Sturges, "Story" is a complete joy. Variety pronounced it "packed with delightful absurdities." Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea play a husband and wife who look for a unique way to solve their monetary problems. Rudy Vallee and Mary Astor are the rich brother-sister team that may provide the solution. The censors at the moral-monitoring Hays Office rejected the original title "Is Marriage Necessary?" How times change. (1942) 88 Min. (Not Rated)

July 18- THE OMEN (Fox) Gregory Peck took the role of American Ambassador Robert Thorne, after Charlton Heston turned it down. Thorne and his wife (Lee Remick) live happily in London with their adopted son Damien. Things begin to go terribly wrong, as the dead bodies start piling up around them.  Is the cute little tyke to blame?  Could he be the Devil's spawn? Damien, who's your Daddy? Somewhat surprisingly, Rottweilers experienced a spike in popularity after the film's release. The Oscar-winning score is by Jerry Goldsmith. (1976) 111 Min. (R)

July 25- THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (Paramount) Sydney Pollack directs Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway in this paranoid thriller of political intrigue, conspiracy and cover-ups. Redford is a reader/researcher for the CIA whose co-workers are assassinated while he is, literally, out to lunch. Is it just another day at a government office? Now on the run for his life, can our hero trust anyone? Though initially a victim of kidnapping, Faye eventually provides Redford a safe haven (and more).  Dave Grusin's jazzy score was Grammy-nominated. (1975) 117 Min. (R)

Aug 1- HARVEY (Universal) Mary Chase's long-running Broadway play won a Pulitzer Prize in 1945, beating a more serious contender, "The Glass Menagerie." The movie version of the whimsical fantasy starring James Stewart was a great success too.  Elwood P. Dowd (just an ordinary guy) and Harvey (a giant invisible rabbit) are best buddies. Some think Elwood has had one drink too many or needs to be committed to a mental hospital. Maybe he's just a harebrained philosopher. Delightful Josephine Hull, as Dowd's high-strung sister, won an Oscar. (1950) 104 Min. (Not Rated)

Aug 8- HIGH PLAINS DRIFTER (Universal) Clint Eastwood directs himself, as the gun-toting "Stranger With No Name," in a frontier-set revenge drama with mythical overtones. His revisionist views of the old West, subversion of the popular genre and a touch of misogyny proved controversial to some. Putting it plainly, John Wayne wasn't high on "Drifter." Eastwood was obviously inspired by those Italian-made spaghetti westerns of Sergio Leone, so expect twangy music, multiple shootings and a couple of deaths by bullwhip. Ouch!  (1973) 105 Min. (R)

Aug 15-THE BIG CHILL (Sony) A group of college friends reunite after 15 years for the funeral of one of their own. The all-star cast of 30-somethings includes Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Kevin Klein, William Hurt and Jeff Goldblum. The comedy/drama scored three Oscar nominations…for Best Picture, Screenplay and Close. The best-selling soundtrack album/CD, crammed with '60s hits, included tunes by The Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Creedence Clearwater Revival and many, many more. (1983) 105 Min. (R)

Aug 22-STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN (Paramount) "Khan" is considered by many to be the best movie of the cult sci-fi series. It's great to see the Starship Enterprise manned by the old (no offense) crew…William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, George Takei, et al. Playing the villainous Khan is Ricardo Montalban who originated the role on TV in 1967. Gene Roddenberry, creator of the TV series and screenwriter of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," is listed as Executive Consultant. Beam us up, Scotty. (1982) 113 Min. (PG)

HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the world's most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services – HBO^® and Cinemax^® – to approximately 131 million subscribers worldwide.  The services offer the popular subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand^® and Cinemax On Demand^®, as well as HBO GO^® and MAX GO^®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. HBO NOW^®, the network's internet-only premium streaming service, provides audiences with instant access to HBO's acclaimed programming in the U.S. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries.  HBO and Cinemax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.

HBO's philanthropic efforts are defined by a mission to cultivate and develop new talent through support of innovative educational organizations. We are committed to ensuring the stories we present reflect the diverse world in which we live and the voices from all communities are provided the access and resources to share their experiences with audiences around the world.

BRYANT PARK CORPORATION
Bryant Park Corporation (BPC), a private not-for-profit company, was founded in 1980 to renovate, finance and operate Bryant Park in New York City. BPC is funded by income from concessions, corporate sponsors and events, as well as an assessment on neighboring properties, and does not accept government or philanthropic monies. In addition to providing security, sanitation, and horticultural services tending the park's lush lawn and seasonal garden displays, BPC offers public amenities, programming and activities, including movable chairs and tables, cafe umbrellas, restaurants, food kiosks, world-class restrooms, and a wide range of free events throughout the year. The Midtown Manhattan park is visited by more than six million people each year and is one of the busiest public spaces in the world. Visit BPC's website, www.bryantpark.org, for more information and a schedule of upcoming events                                                                                

BANK OF AMERICA
Bank of America is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 47 million consumer and small business relationships with approximately 4,700 retail financial centers, approximately 16,000 ATMs, and award-winning online banking with approximately 33 million active users and approximately 20 million mobile users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 3 million small business owners through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

LORD & TAYLOR
Founded in 1826, Lord & Taylor is the oldest department store in the United States and one of the country's premier retailers. It has built its reputation on offering high-quality fashion apparel and accessories, exciting store environments, and seamless service. Lord & Taylor operates 50 full-line locations primarily in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic U.S., and lordandtaylor.com. It is part of the Hudson's Bay Company brand portfolio.

PEAPOD
Peapod – an Ahold USA company – is the country's leading Internet grocer, serving 24 U.S. markets throughout Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin. Founded in 1989 as a smart shopping option for busy households, today Peapod has delivered more than 34 million grocery orders. Customers can order online or on Peapod's free mobile app for delivery to homes and workplaces or pickup at many convenient locations. For more information on Peapod, call 1.800.5.PEAPOD (1.800.573.2763), e-mail [email protected] or visit www.peapod.com.

SOURCE HBO

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