The saying goes “nothing in life is free,” but Cape May has one thing that really is. Movies on the Beach is back this July and August, and it costs nothing for your whole family to attend. Honestly. You won’t even need a beach tag since the event takes place in the evening. A blow-up screen is anchored to the sand next to Convention Hall at Beach Avenue and Gurney and seating is a free-for-all on the sand. It may hard to find parking, so be prepared to walk a couple blocks if you’ll be driving over.
Music begins at 7pm, and the main feature begins at 8:30. We recommend arriving at least 30 minutes before the movie starts so you can find a good spot on the sand—especially for JAWS. Bring food (pizza is popular, but please be sure to remove your trash after the movie ends), chairs, towels, and blankets. It can get cold by the water after the sun goes down.
And if it’s raining, don’t worry. The movie will be shown inside Convention Hall.
Here is this year’s movie lineup:
July 12 – Flubber (1997; PG)
A remake of the 1961 movie The Absent-Minded Professor, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and starring Robin Williams. Professor Phillip Brainard works to create a substance that’s a new source of energy and winds up inventing flubber, a substance that allows objects to fly through the air.
July 19 – X-Men Apocalypse (2016; PG-13)
The ninth installment of the X-Men franchise starring James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Jennifer Lawrence. After the re-emergence of the world’s first mutant, the X-Men must unite to defeat his plan to annihilate the world civilization.
July 26 – Disney’s The Sword in the Stone (1963; G)
In this animated musical by Walt Disney Pictures, a 12-year-old orphan begins his path toward becoming King Arthur, the legendary ruler of British literature.
August 2 – The Sound of Music – Sing Along! (1965; G)
An Academy Award-winning musical starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. In 1930s Austria, a young woman leaves a convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower.
We don’t have details of what the sing-along involves, but if it’s been a while, you have some time brush up on the lyrics.
August 9 – JAWS (1975; PG)
Steven Spielberg’s 1975 thriller starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, and Richard Dreyfuss. When a great white shark begins to terrorize the small island community of Amity, the local police chief seeks help from a marine biologist and a shark hunter.
JAWS is a popular event, so we recommend arriving well in advance of the movie.
August 16 – Trolls (2016; PG)
Starring the voice talents of voices of Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel, Russell Brand, James Corden and Gwen Stefani. After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends.
August 23 – The Greatest Showman (2017; PG)
A musical inspired by P. T. Barnum and the talent of Barnum & Bailey Circus. The 105-minute film stars Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, and Michelle Williams.
August 30 – The Peanuts Movie (2015; G)
In this computer-animated comedy, Snoopy and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life.
