Disney remake entertains on Hunter St.
The Rychel family didn’t have to travel far Sunday to finally catch a screening of The Jungle Book.
The East City family had front row seats to the Disney remake that was played on Hunter Street on an inflatable big screen.
They moseyed over just after 7 p.m., carrying blankets and a kidsized couch that folded out like a sofa bed.
The family of four hadn’t watched a movie on the street before and the kids were excited all week.
“It’s awesome,” said Charlie Rychel, 6, while lying on his couch.
Mom Sarah Rychel was happy to see East City coming to life in a new way and said her family would have come regardless of what was playing.
But it didn’t hurt that The Jungle Book was on their list of movies to see.
“We wanted to see this movie anyway, so it worked out, but it wouldn’t have mattered,” she said.
The Jungle Book was released in April and is a remake of the original Disney film that came out in 1976.
The Village Business Improvement Association hosted the openair movie, which closed Hunter St. from Burnham St. to Rogers St. for a few hours.
About 300 people gathered on the street, snacks in hand as they sat on their lawn chairs or blankets spread out on the pavement.
South end resident Marion Reichert brought her granddaughter Kia Sullivan, 6, to the film.
They also had front row seats, with a cooler tucked between their two lawn chairs for easy access and doubling as table.
While waiting for the show to get started, they nibbled out of bags of popcorn resting in their laps. They each had a different type.
“Mine’s full of salt, hers isn’t,” said Reichert, smiling.
Sullivan is staying with Reichert for 10 days while her parents are away.
So grandma has been thinking of things to do to keep busy and a movie night outside was a perfect idea.
“I think it’s awesome,” said Reichert.
A few rows back, Ashley Gosselin sat comfortably in her lawn chair with friends, their snacks and drinks atop a small patio table she’d brought along.
With blankets wrapped around them and reclining lawn chairs, it looked a lot like a living room.
Gosselin lives on Hunter St., so she didn’t have haul her set up too far.
“If we could have brought the couch, we would have,” she said, laughing.
The East City resident said she and her friends were excited to see the remake, after watching the original years ago.
“We’re a posse of Disney fanatics,” she said.
As a Disney fan and an East City resident, Gosselin was pumped as she waited for the show to begin.
“I’m really excited. This is the first time that something has happened in my neighbourhood.”