Black suits and ties are optional for The Athena Cinema’s upcoming show, but “a sense of adventure is required.”
The Athena Cinema, 20 S. Court St., will screen The Blues Brothers for Ohio University’s Dads Weekend on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. Admission is $6.50.
Students can pre-order tickets on the Dads Weekend website or in person at the theater. For those who purchase tickets online, Alexandra Kamody, the director of the Athena Cinema, said there is a fee, but there is no extra cost if pre-purchased at the theater.
The Blues Brothers is a movie based on a popular skit from Saturday Night Live. The characters Jake and Elwood Blues — played by the late John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, respectively — set off on a “mission from God” to save an orphanage. Along the way, they get into some shenanigans — such as a famous bar musical scene — in the action-crime film.
“We chose The Blues Brothers because we thought it was a really fun film for both female and male students to bring their dads to,” Kamody said. “It just seems like a really fun, boisterous movie that a lot of dads would like and remember and have some nostalgia for.”
Kamody said it is hard to find films that appeal to all genders of students and their parents. Finding a balance of movies for all genders is the goal of family weekend screenings, she added.
“It’s kind of harder to find (films) that are really fun for everybody, so we thought (The Blues Brothers) would be really fun for everyone,” Kamody said.
Kamody is “curious to see” how many people come to the Dads Weekend screening, she said. The theater has had good turn outs for its recent family weekend showings of The Princess Bride, Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the Sibs Weekend Harry Potter Marathon, which will be continued for Sibs Weekend in 2017, she added.
“My hope is we will get people who aren’t just here for Dads Weekend — that we will get people from the community and anybody who likes the movie,” she said.
Katie Grooms, a senior studying a specialized study, said her dad will be coming down for Dads Weekend.
“He’s been here twice (for Dads Weekend),” she said. “We’ve done a lot of the typical university stuff.”
Grooms said she would consider taking her dad to see The Blues Brothers.
“I’ve seen it with him, and I’ve seen it by myself,” Grooms said. “It wouldn't be a bad idea to go see it with him.”
Though Robert Lipps, an undecided sophomore, has not seen The Blues Brothers, he said he would still be interested in taking his dad to see the film.
“There’s not too much to do in Athens, so any other activities are cool,” he said.
Kamody said the theater is a good place to rest and take a break from activities.
“I feel like a lot of people at home would like to sit around with their dad and watch a movie,” she said. “(The theater) will be your living room where you can hang out and eat some popcorn and chill out with your dad and have fun.”
