This seems to be the summer to see James Bond outdoors. Not only are there three neighborhood film festivals showing nothing but Bond films all summer long, but Screen on the Green just released the schedule for their 9th year of films on the National Mall, and who should be heading up the list but Mr. Shaken-Not-Stirred himself. What, was MGM offering a discount on print rentals this year? At least it’s a Connery flick; if SotG decided to give D.C. a fourth screening of Moonraker, it might be cause for revolt.

Of course, for Screen on the Green, good programming is nice, but it’s sort of secondary to the whole experience anyway, lazing away a summer evening on the Mall under the stars with a picnic, a blanket, and an old movie flickering away on a screen with the Capitol dome looming in the distance. The feeling of community bears the distinctive stamp of a sort of Capra-esque Americana, shattered only on unlucky occasions when a group of interns on the blanket behind you decide to be loudly drunk through the whole film. Even so, aside from the repetitive nature of the first pick, it’s a good lineup. There’s a classic comedic thriller from the aforementioned Mr. Capra. A timely political satire about a presidential senatorial candidate who, according to the film’s tagline, is “Too Handsome. Too Young. Too Liberal.” A brilliant Billy Wilder film that more than earns its status as one of the greatest comedies ever made. And finally, Marlon Brando picking up a hefty paycheck for a five minute role as an alien.

We’ll be covering these in more detail in future Popcorn & Candy columns, but here’s the calendar:

Monday, July 14: Dr. No

Monday, July 21: The Candidate

Monday, July 28: Arsenic and Old Lace

Monday, August 4: The Apartment

Monday, August 11: Superman