Remember drive-in movies? Remember the cars, stars and celluloid, and the

The film mavens at the

do, and they're hoping their annual

film series atop a downtown parking garage still captures some of that silver screen magic.

"It's recreating the idea of a drive-in movie night, except you don't have to park your cars, you can just unfold your blankets or set up your chairs," said Jessica Lyness, Northwest Film Center spokeswoman.

Though the six-film series harkens back to a largely bygone cinematic era, the format is anything but staid. Each screening is preceded by a live performance from a local band, and snack and cocktail stands dot the car-free rooftop of the Hotel deLuxe parking garage. The 300 or so chairs provided by organizers slope down the top-floor ramp toward the 12-foot-wide rear-projection screen at its base. (Others sprawled out on blankets, and Lyness said she's seen others bring air mattresses and bean bags to sit on.)

Those in attendance for the opening night Thursday said the unusual use of space and the sight of the Downtown skyline cropping up behind the screen make the series special.

"The cityscape in the background -- awesome," Portland resident Gerald LeRoy said after the screening of the 1958 sci-fi spectacle

The kitschy, colorized film drew both cheers and jeers from those in attendance. LeRoy and others enjoyed drama of the live orchestration from Portland's

collective, while the smart-mouthed dubbing drew more than a few comparisons to "Mystery Science Theater 3000."

If you go

Top Down: Rooftop Cinema

Tickets: $9

Time: 8 p.m.

Location: Hotel deLuxe parking garage, Southwest 15th Avenue and Yamhill Street

July 28 — “Female”

Aug. 4 — “Viva Las Vegas”

Aug. 11 — “The Outsiders”

Aug. 18 — “Police Story”

Aug. 25 — “Goldfinger”

"Missile to the Moon" will be the only film in the series to get that kind of live treatment. But Lyness said no films in the lineup, which slates a flick every Thursday night through the end of August, are "too talky or too dialogue-heavy ... if you want to holler something out or participate in that way, this is a safe place for that."

The films scheduled this year are, like the setup, old-school. Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas," Francis Ford Coppola's "The Outsiders" and the Sean Connery Bond classic "Goldfinger" headline the series. The newest film in the mix is Jackie Chan's 1985 Hong Kong cop tale "Police Story." Rounding out the series is the 1933 businesswoman-on-top story "Female."

"They're all very fun, they have sort of a summer feel to them, they're often forgotten cinema gems," Lyness said.

While film festivals generally appeal to small segments of the population, Lyness said the film selection and --perhaps more importantly -- the open-air environment at "Top Down" bring together an eclectic group.

"It's summer, everybody wants to be outside in the summer."

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