Stars Under the Stars

The weather is warming up, and that means it's time for outdoor movie festivals and great classic films. If your travel plans take you to Washington, DC or Atlanta this summer, see if you can make it to the "Screen on the Green."

Your Nation's Capitol has a terrific line-up, starting with Casablanca, and including one of my favorite chillers, Wait Until Dark, with Audrey Hepburn upping her fragility quotient as a spunky blind lady, and Alan Arkin in an early role as an extremely creepy thug. Big-time cold shivers.

The movie picks are tasty, and the fab location near the Washington monument can't be beat -- but the festival could use better PR. It's hard to find the schedule - here's the best listing I've seen so far.

I'm not familiar with the Atlanta locale, but the movie choices are great -- which they should be, since Atlanta is home to Turner Classic Movies. Casablanca makes an appearance there too, Audrey shows up in Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Atlanta finale is another of my all-time favorite weird children's movies: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. All due props to Johnny Depp (love him), but Gene Wilder's mild-mannered menace as the quirky candy impresario will never be equaled.

Let me know if you've got any great festivals scheduled for your town-- inside or outdoors.

DVD cover - Warner Home Entertainment