What’s at Milwaukee drive-ins, movie theaters this week
With the pandemic persisting, movie theaters and pop-up drive-ins in the Milwaukee continue to adjust.
First, it was adjusting to instituting safety protocols, from distancing seating, hand sanitizer and aggressive cleaning processes. Now, it’s to the fact that big, new movies may not be in theaters until October — a long time to wait for audiences to go back to the moviegoing waters.
The theaters that have opened have begun responding.
Marcus Theatres, the state’s largest theater chain, shut down one of its popup drive-ins, the one outside the South Shore Cinema, and cut back screenings at the other, at the Majestic.
In Cedarburg, the nonprofit Rivoli Theatre is switching to “classic” movies in an attempt to interest audiences that are starting to tire of the available second-run fare.
Short version: If you’re hoping to see movies on a big screen, you’d better get going.
Here’s what’s playing this week, and where.
Indoor movie theaters
Marcus Ridge Cinema: Starting Friday, Marcus Theatres’ biggest Milwaukee-area multiplex, at 5200 S. Moorland Road, New Berlin, has “John Wick,” “Midway,” “The Meg,” “Playing With Fire,” “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Shrek,” “Pretty in Pink,” “Napoleon Dynamite,” “The Mummy Returns,” “Labyrinth,” “The Thing,” “The Jungle Book,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Jumanji: The Next Level,” “Bloodshot,” “The Invisible Man,” “Fantasy Island,” “Knives Out,” “Jurassic Park” and four “Mission: Impossible” movies: the 1996 original, “Fallout,” “Rogue Nation” and “Ghost Protocol.” Tickets are $5. The Ridge is open Friday through Sunday and Tuesday; see marcustheatres.com for tickets and showtimes.
Marcus Bistroplex Southridge: The theater at 5210 S. 76th St. in Greendale is showing, starting Friday, “Us,” “John Wick,” “The Matrix,” “Hustlers,” “The Thing,” “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens,” “The Invisible Man,” “The Gentlemen” and “Jurassic Park.” Tickets are $5. The Bistroplex is open Friday through Sunday and Tuesday; see marcustheatres.com for tickets and showtimes.
Fox-Bay Cinema Grill: The Fox-Bay, at 332 E. Silver Spring in Whitefish Bay, is showing “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Major League” and the original “Footloose.” Admission is $5; see foxbaycinemagrill.com for tickets and showtimes.
Silverspot Cinema: The multiplex in The Corners of Brookfield, 20111 W. Blue Mound Road, still is taking it slowly, with three movies showing in limited screenings starting Friday: “The Jungle Book” (live-action version), “Deadpool” and “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.” Tickets are $5; see silverspot.net for tickets and showtimes.
Rivoli Theatre/Cedarburg: The community theater at W62-N567 Washington Ave. is trying something new starting Friday, swapping out secondrun movies for some pop classics. It’s showing the Alfred Hitchcock classic “North by Northwest” at 7 p.m. Friday through next Thursday, with matinees at 3:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. (Other titles in the series include the original “Mamma Mia” Aug. 7-13, and the 1967 comedy “Barefoot in the Park” Aug. 1420.) Tickets are $4 ($2.50 on Tuesdays); see rivoliofcedarburg.com for details.
Drive-in theaters
Marcus Majestic/Parking Lot Cinema: The pop-up drive-in at the Majestic, 770 Springdale Road in Brookfield, is still running, but on fewer nights. On Friday and Saturday night, the Majestic is showing a double feature of “The Invisible Man” and “The Hunt,” two of the movies that were still in theaters when the pandemic closed everything down. The double feature starts at 8:30 p.m.; tickets are $31.50. See marcus theatres.com for details.
Free outdoor movies
Some Milwaukee-area communities are ramping up their free outdoor-movie series, with varying safety protocols in place. Among the free movies under the stars this week:
Elm Grove: The village’s Friday Flicks series actually is being shown on Saturday, as part of the fourth annual Elm Grove Camp Out: “Toy Story 4,” starting at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, in Elm Grove Village Park, 13600 Juneau Blvd. Info: elmgrovewi.org/103/Recreation.
Greendale: The village’s movie series, organized by Gift of Wings, screens in Greendale Gazebo Park, 5710 Broad St. Showing at dusk Saturday: “Toy Story 4.” Info: giftofwingslanding.com/ movies.html.