The Orpheum Summer Movie Series presented by Orion, one of our favorite summertime traditions, kicked off last Thursday.  We happily trekked downtown to see the very first movie in the lineup – Top Gun!

If you have never been to an Orpheum movie during the summer, it’s an experience not to be missed.   The lobby is filled before each show with activities that celebrate the film of the night.  For Top Gun there was a photo station where you could put on some aviators, grab your favorite Top Gun quote, frame yourself with an Orpheum marquee cutout, and create a commemorative picture.

There was a dice-game where you could roll to discover your “inner pilot.”  Whether you were Maverick, Iceman, Viper, or Goose, you walked away with a button pin of “your” pilot, custom made for you on the spot.  There were also special cocktails, and local music group The Passport in the lobby for meet-n-greet with the guests.

The fun continued once we walked into the actual theatre.  Going to see a movie in a place full of ornate gilding, heavy red-velvet curtains, and glittering chandeliers makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the 1940s – a feeling that’s sealed when the giant Wurlitzer organ rises from below the stage for a pre-show performance of ragtime tunes.  You can’t get much better for a date night.  Or a girls night.  Or a special outing with the kids.

But it was the energy of the crowd that was hands-down our favorite part of the whole experience.  From roaring and cheering during the flight scenes to shouting memorized dialog, professions of love, quotes the actors made famous in much later film roles – and of course, lots of catcalls and whistles – they had us in stitches throughout the entire show.  We can’t wait to go back for more!  Watching old movies was never so much fun.

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Visit http://www.orpheum-memphis.com/events/2015-summer-movie-series for a full listing of shows and to get your tickets!