There are few cinematic moments that really stay with you – “ET phone home” maybe? Or is it “Frank the tank!!” Yes, Will Ferrell devotees and lovers of crude humor catch my drift. In my mind, this is one of the funniest and most quoted movie scenes from the last decade:
Now the cool cats at Pabst Theater are showing “Old School” on a big screen once again. This time it’s not in a stuffy movie theater though. Sip a cold craft beer, eat your Streetza pizza and enjoy this co-ed classic Friday, June 3 at Turner Hall as part of the new Beer and a Movie (BAAM) series that started this spring.
BAMM takes place on Friday or Saturday nights and attracts an audience of several hundred people each week. Admission is just $5, but the even better deal is $10 all-you-can-drink beer and rails from 6:30 – 8 p.m. And just like the theaters, munch on buttery popcorn and oversized boxes of candy.
PR Manager Andrew Nelson says the experience is similar to what the Eastside’s historic Oriental Theatre offers, in that the venue itself becomes part of the movie and the ambiance adds to the experience. “It’s something we want to offer to showcase our distinctive style and how we create unique entertainment experiences in Milwaukee.”
Pabst staffers usually pick the movies, though they do look for fan suggestions via Facebook. “We are first and foremost music nerds, but we are movie nerds too,” says Nelson. “The most popular movies have been the bloody, rock ‘em sock ‘em type of movies like ‘Reservoir Dogs’ and ‘Sean of the Dead.’ You know, the type of movies you’d like to drink a beer to.”
Actually, Friday will be a launch party for Pabst Theater’s other popular movie series Fish Fry and a Flick that shows free movies on a giant inflatable screen at Discovery World’s outdoor amphitheatre. Bartolottas provides the fish fry and Stevens Point Brewery supplies the beer. This year, the Pabst plans to switch things up a bit, which they will announce on June 3 at Turner.
After June 3, BAMM will take a hiatus, but Fish Fry and a Flick will return in August to take its place. Nelson iterates that BAMM and Fish Fry and a Flick are totally different entities, but it’s the same presenting organization. BAMM is meant to be a year-round series and will start up again in the fall.
Tickets for “Old School” are available at the door. For more information call (414) 286-3663.
