Babes in bikinis! Unlimited booze! A cheesy movie! Now throw some chlorine on your popcorn, and what have you got? Hot Tub Cinema!
Transported from London, the concept splashed down on a Williamsburg rooftop last week with about 100 lucky hipsters paying $55 for the opportunity to luxuriate in a portable hot tub with an open bar and watch the classic film “Hot Tub Time Machine.”
Evidently this is an idea whose time has come: The event sold out just two hours after going online, with the fundraising website Crowdtilt helping to pay for the event.
Hot Tub Cinema includes waiters bringing drinks and fresh popcorn to your tub, shared by four to six people, with certified EMTs standing by to handle any emergencies.
“It’s an epic, priceless journey to share with your friends,” according to an event news release. Perhaps so. But excuse me if I see something other than nirvana. Let’s see, an open bar in a hot tub on a slippery roof. Two hours of unlimited beer sitting with others in a 104-degree bath. What could possibly go wrong?
Yes, I’m a bit wary of this concept, but I’m in the minority. Hot Tub Cinema is doing quite well in London, and there’s already a 1,700-person waitlist for the next such event in New York.
But don’t get too excited. “This is not a sleazy sex party by any means,” company founder Asher Charman told the Daily News. “I hope New York is on its best behavior.”
Aren’t we always?
Charman plans to launch more such nights here, so it appears the bubble jet set will soon have more opportunities to indulge in their very own “Wet ‘n Wild” fantasy, and, I imagine, other water-themed movies to view. Perhaps “Splash”? “Beaches”? “Titanic”?
While it looks like Hot Tub Cinema will be a hot ticket this summer, eventually the wave of enthusiasm will subside, and it won’t be long until waterlogged film lovers seek the next over-the-top indulgence. How about “Movies On a Mattress”? Let’s see . . . 200 people on a supersized bed bouncing around, downing mojitos and throwing popcorn at each other during “Godzilla.”
I know what you’re thinking. Where do I sign up?
