Ah, the ’90s. When the trouble in the Oval Office revolved around a blowjob and not the denial of a global pandemic that had already claimed thousands of lives. When our international dread centered on the upcoming turn of the millennium, paranoid that the grid would go dark the moment we whimpered, “Happy New Year?” When Fred Rogers was still living and breathing and wearing cardigans on the set of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Simpler times, indeed.
The Belcourt invites us to go back in time to one of the decade’s touchstones: Space Jam. Once a divisive megaplex hit, the 1996 meeting of Michael Jordan, Danny DeVito and the Looney Tunes has garnered a cult following over the years. Diehard Space Jam fan and Scene contributor Cory Woodruff says the film is “a major piece of ’90s culture. You know all the awful stuff from the ’80s people defend as near and dear to them? Space Jam is kind of like that to ’90s kids. It’s our Goonies.” Read his notes on the Jam from 2013 here.
The Belcourt originally planned to screen the film as this weekend’s Midnight Movie, but the theater closed amid efforts to flatten the curve of COVID-19. Instead, you can watch it virtually with your Belcourt buddies on Saturday, March 21.
Here’s how it works:
1. Put on your Jordans and pop some popcorn.
2. At 9 p.m, cue up Space Jam on Netflix or — if you’re special — load your VHS tape into the player.
3. Join some Belcourt buds on the theater’s Midnight Movies Twitch Channel at twitch.tv/belcourtmidnights for a special pre-show and intro. Count down with everyone before you hit “play.”
4. During the movie, some Belcourt staffers/Space Jam experts (that’s a thing!) will chat about the film on Twitch, and you can join in with them while you watch.
The virtual event is free of charge, but you might consider donating the cost of a movie ticket to the Belcourt for the occasion. The theater is one of our city's most beloved institutions — a true cultural treasure. It has some mighty plans to continue fostering a love of movies in our city during these difficult times. Let's make sure it reopens stronger than ever.
