Cinespia at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is an unconventional movie night experience. People arrive early to socialize while waiting for the gates to open. Once inside, attendees set up blankets and chairs, enjoy food and drinks, and find spots to view the movie projected on a wall. Though sometimes conflicts arise over space, most enjoy the unique setting and atmosphere of watching a film in a cemetery surrounded by elaborate gravestones. Wine and snacks are popular items brought by many of the mostly young adult-aged attendees.

1. Cinespia at Hollywood Forever Not your typical movie night! Photo Observation By Christina Cockerill Anthro 102, Dr. Leanna Wolfe

2. Waiting in line to see “Night of the Living Dead” at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The line outside of the cemetery starts to build very early. This picture was taken at 4:45, an hour and 45 minutes before the gate opened. The fun starts here with people drinking and talking while waiting for the gate to open. Most people say the best parts are before the movie starts.

3. Cinespia is a great place to meet new people. Everyone is excited, and eager to socialize. The friends you go with may invite people you've never met, and you can make new friends, as is happening in this picture. It seems to be a much better place to meet people than a bar; it's quieter so conversation is easier, and not many people are very inebriated at this point.

4. Most of the people who go to Cinespia are young (within the age range of 18-29), but you can find a few older people enjoying the outing. While the ages of attendees are usually predictable, the different types of people are numerous.

5. Some people find it very strange to have a party in a cemetery, which is part of the allure. The gravestones in this particular cemetery can be very elaborate. Although it seems most people are fascinated by them, few people go near them while walking to the movie area. These two are an exception, as they are overcome by curiosity.

6. Once in the movie viewing area, people start setting up their spots. They put down blankets and chairs, pull out all the snacks and drinks, and get comfortable. People can be seen drinking wine and beer, and eating things such as pizza, chips, and crackers. After getting comfortable, more conversations start. Everyone wants a good spot to enjoy the evening, and sometimes this leads to conflict, as we will see in the next slide.

7. Alcohol flows freely, and sometimes not everyone wants to get along. This picture shows a man pretending to work for Cinespia, and telling a group of people they can't sit at certain places because people are trying to walk through. After a short argument, the group sits down in the spot.

8. The movie will be projected onto this wall. Before the movie starts, the founder of Cinespia introduces the movie and he is projected onto this wall. Occasionally there are guests who are interviewed and shown on this wall as well. One guest featured in the past was the real Henry Hill at a showing of “Goodfellas.”

9. It is now dark, and the movie will start soon. Shown here are multiple bottles of wine, a favorite for Cinespia attendees. Many people bring their wine glasses from home. There are also coolers, and many bags of food. People not only bring snacks, but sometimes cook a meal to enjoy, as in a picnic.

10. The movie is over, and everyone seemed to have a great time. Some people talk about the movie they just watched. This is the calm before the storm; people relax a minute before packing everything up and walking out of the cemetery to their cars. It is only about 9 in the evening on Saturday, and lots of people still have plans for the rest of the night.