One reason moviegoing is such a popular summer activity is surely....air-conditioning. Among the best ways to beat the heat of the season is to sit still in a chilled, dark space and distract yourself from the experience of having a body that’s subject to the discomforts of weather.

But summertime is prime outdoor time, too, and, increasingly, people are finding that another fine way to enjoy the season is to watch a movie under the stars on one of Portland’s perfectly-pitched summer nights. Each year, more and more opportunities to screen films outdoors emerge, turning Portland’s parks -- and a least one parking garage -- into seasonal movie houses.

This week, the

launches its annual

series, a collection of six feature films shown on the rooftop of the

parking structure at SW 15th and Yamhill when the night gets dark enough for proper viewing. The first film in this year’s line up is a treat:

"The Palm Beach Story," Preston Sturges'

delicious 1942 screwball romance starring

Joel McCrea

and

Claudette Colbert

as two sets of identical twins on the marital make. It plays on Thursday, July 26, and it’s a joy.

The subsequent weeks of “Top Down” are as diverse and appealing as possible: a

Don Knotts

comedy (

"The Ghost and Mr. Chicken,"

August 2), a drag queen musical (

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch,"

August 9), a wild zombie movie (

"Dead Alive,"

August 16), a tale of Portland banditry (

"Drugstore Cowboy,"

August 23), and a time capsule of 1960s rock and soul music (

"The T. A. M. I. Show,"

August 30).

Doors for all “Top Down” shows open at 7:00 p.m., with live entertainment before the screening and food and drinks available for purchase. You’re encouraged to bring a blanket or low chair to sit on, but no coolers or outside treats are permitted. (

)

There are plenty of other films to see outdoors in what’s left of the summer, and there’s probably one right in your neighborhood, too.

is in the midst of its annual

"Movies in the Park"

program, bringing a diverse roster of films to every portion of the city.

Many of the PPR films are, of course, specifically geared to kids, and among the most enticing are

"Toy Story 3"

(July 28, Wilshire Park),

"The Goonies"

(July 29, Lents Park),

"Akeelah and the Bee"

(August 18, Warner Pacific College), the 1971

"Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory"

(August 31, Dawson Park),

"The Adventures of Tintin"

(August 31, Mt. Scott Park), and

"Pee Wee's Big Adventure"

(September 8, Wallace Park). Two Oscar-winning family-friendly films from 2011 will get multiple screenings:

"Hugo"

(August 17, Irving Park; August 24, Laurelhurst Park; September 7, Multnomah Arts Center) and

"The Muppets"

(August 5, Sellwood Park; August 9, Caruthers Park; August 10, St. Johns Park).

But there’s also a wide variety of fare that will appeal to grown-ups who are neither accompanied by children nor channeling their children-within. These include

"Pretty in Pink"

(July 26, DeWitt Park),

"Citizen Kane"

(August 3, Laurelhurst Park),

"Moneyball"

(August 7, Peninsula Park), and

"Funny Face"

(September 7, Director Park). Amid all these choices, two shows stand out in particular:

Ed Wood's

confounding masterwork

"Plan 9 from Outer Space"

(August 12, Washington Park) and the 1971 Japanese monster movie

"Gamera vs. Zigra"

(August 25, Sewallcrest Park), both of which will be presented with live musical accompaniment by the Filmusik ensemble.

Admission to all PPR movies is free. The evenings begin at 6:30 p.m. with pre-movie entertainment, and screenings start at dark. (

)

Another venue for outdoor movies is Portland’s

, where free films screen on Friday nights. The 1984 version of

"The Karate Kid"

launches the series on July 27, followed by

"Clueless"

(August 3),

"A League of Their Own"

(August 10) and

"E. T.: The Extra-Terrestrial"

(August 17). (

Complete information

)

The movies-under-the-stars fun isn’t limited to Portland. In

Lake Oswego, Millennium Park Plaza

will host free screenings Thursdays at dusk through August 30. Titles include

"Tangled"

(August 2) and

"How to Train Your Dragon"

(August 16). (

)

In

Beaverton

, Friday is free movie night,

Beaverton City Park

is the place, and the film menu includes

"Up"

(August 3),

"Grease"

(August 10) and

"The Goonies"

(August 17). (

)

Vancouver

, too, offers free Friday night movies. The venue is

LeRoy Haagen Memorial Community Park

and the features are

"Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides"

(July 27) and

"E. T."

(August 3). (

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