While summer is largely defined by outdoor activities, there's an undeniable lure of escaping the heat to duck into a movie theater and catch a new blockbuster film. Even in the streaming era, summer movie season still carries weight. From throwback shark-infested waters to new releases to outdoor movie screenings, here are some of the Inland Northwest's best big screen options for the summer of 2025.
JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO BACK IN THE WATER...
The history of cinema can reasonably be divided into two eras: before Jaws and after Jaws. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg's shark-based classic that made everyone substantially more afraid to swim in the ocean. Crucially, Jaws was the first summer blockbuster. The massive buzz led filmgoers to turn out in droves and come back to see the film again and again, laying the groundwork for Star Wars and all the big budget action films that followed over the next five decades.
Spokanites will have a chance to see the film in its original format when the Garland Theater hosts a special 35mm screening of Jaws on June 20. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at garlandtheater.org.
For Garland co-owner Tyler Arnold, there's an analog magic to watching movies on 35mm that just isn't the same as modern digital projection. It's kind of like comparing listening to the warmth of a vinyl record versus the precision of a CD.
"As [35mm films] get played more and more and as time goes on, the film starts to fade. It picks up scratches. It has a feel to it. Every reel is different," Arnold says. "You could have 20 versions of Jaws on 35, and every one's going to have little imperfections in different places."
The screening at the Garland came about thanks to the theater's partnership with Eastern Washington University's film department, which has an in with Universal Pictures thanks to a high-ranking EWU alumnus. The Garland has already hosted successful 35mm screenings of films like The Thing and Batman. There are also plans for a 40th anniversary 35mm Back to the Future showing this fall, but first Jaws in 35mm presents a different sort of cinematic time travel.
"When you're watching a movie that's 50 years old, this is the way it was presented 50 years ago," Arnold says. "I wasn't alive 50 years ago, so it's pretty exciting to be able to kind of step back into the past and live that moment."
BOX OFFICE CONTENDERS
Of course there are plenty of new films headed to theaters soon to try to follow in Jaws' finsteps and become new blockbuster classics.
While superhero movie fatigue is a real phenomenon, there's reason to be excited about the summer's two big comic book entries. For starters, writer/director James Gunn now is in charge of the DC Extended Universe and is rebooting things in a much more colorful direction (hopefully capturing some of his Guardians of the Galaxy magic) starting with a new version of Superman (July 11). Marvel will counter later in the month with a retro reboot via The Fantastic Four: First Steps (July 25), featuring a 1960s retro-futurist aesthetic and Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic (because he's legally required to be in every-other movie or TV show).
The two other movies clearly designed to be megahits are the Scarlett Johannson-led dinosaur adventures of Jurassic World Rebirth (July 2) and racing spectacle of F1 (June 25), helmed by the director of Top Gun: Maverick and starring Brad Pitt.
More summer releases to keep an eye on include the Pixar alien feature Elio (June 20), the zombie frights of 28 Years Later (June 20), Ari Aster's Eddington (July 18), a reboot of The Naked Gun starring Liam Neeson (Aug. 1), Lindsay Lohan's return in Freakier Friday (Aug. 8) and the Darren Aronofsky crime thriller Caught Stealing (Aug. 29).
SHINING UNDER THE MOONLIGHT
North Spokane event space Commellini Estate becomes a bustling cultural hotspot with its free Moonshine Artisan Night Market and Moonlit Movies series. Tucked away among the towering trees the pre-film festivities include art vendors, crafts for kids, live music, plenty of food and drink to purchase, and more. When it gets dark enough (usually 8:30-9 pm) the cinema begins. The schedule for 2025 includes animated features — Cars (June 18), Moana (July 9), Elemental (July 30) — plus The Proposal (July 16), Hook (Aug. 20) and an array of classics: Hoosiers (June 25), Top Gun (July 2), Casablanca (July 23), E.T. (Aug. 6), Charade (Aug. 13) and Grease (Aug. 27). Find details at commelliniestate.com.
WORTHY FAMILY FLICKSThe shining cultural gem that is Moscow's Kenworthy Performing Arts Center schedules intriguing cinematic experiences all year-round, but the theater really leans into family entertainment when summer hits. The free Farmer's Market Cartoons programming features classic animation on the big screen every Saturday from 9 am to noon. Those seeking free features can enjoy Kenworthy's Summer Family Matinees (largely drawing from the Warner Bros. catalog) which begin at 1 pm every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from June 17 to Aug. 21. Finally, Kenworthy teams up with University of Idaho's Habib Institute for Asian Studies to bring anime the whole family can enjoy via a Studio Ghibli Fest on Aug. 26 and Sept. 2. Learn more at kenworthy.org.
BIG PARK, BIG SCREEN
Many people forget Spokane's Pavilion started as a movie theater, showing a nature documentary in the then-revolutionary IMAX format as part of Expo '74. While that may no longer be the recently rebranded Gesa Credit Union Pavilion's primary function, it's still a blast to occasionally catch a free summer screening there. This year's slate at the iconic landmark kicks off on July 9 with a screening of 2016's live action The Jungle Book. The lineup also includes two recent megahits — Wicked (July 19) and The Minecraft Movie (Aug. 9) — and a few nostalgic childhood standbys: Free Willy (July 16), The Lion King (Aug. 6) and E.T. (Aug. 20).
LET'S ALL DRIVE TO THE MOVIES
Most of the time driving an hour and a half to go see a movie you could just see at a local cineplex would be a horrible waste of time. But that's certainly not the case when trekking up to Colville to watch new flicks at the Auto-Vue Drive-In Theatre.
The Inland Northwest's only remaining drive-in theater showcases why it's still a great way to watch the latest cinematic offerings and not merely a nostalgic trip. Each weekend Auto-Vue rolls out a different double feature with wildly affordable ticket prices ($8 adults, $4 children, $10 for a whole car on Sundays), making it a delightful family outing. The double features so far in 2025 have included films like The Minecraft Movie, Thunderbolts*, Final Destination: Bloodlines and the new Lilo & Stitch. Check out Auto-Vue's Facebook page to see what's playing on a given week and then embark on a little movie lovers road trip.
PARKS & RECOMMENDED VIEWINGS
If there weren't already enough reasons to enjoy our public green spaces in the summertime, Spokane Valley Parks & Recreation offers up even more with its Outdoor Movies in the Park series (pictured above). This year's free film offerings begin with a trio crowd-pleasers at Balfour Park: Moana 2 (July 11), Monsters Inc. (July 18) and Top Gun (July 25). The following month, things move over to Mirabeau Park to showcase two 2024 Academy Award-nominated animated features: Inside Out 2 (Aug. 1) and The Wild Robot (Aug. 8). ♦
