The Drive-In... Do you still go?

[flippyshark]

Out here in Central Florida, there is only one drive-in movie theater left, the Silver Moon in Lakeland. I've been there two or three times in the last year, and it is a fun, nostalgic place to go. Three bucks and seventy-five cents gets you two features in the privacy of your own swank-mobile. Plus, the pizza is home-made, and they serve popcorn with real honest to goodness butter. The large bag can be refilled endlessly throughout the night. It's all very reasonably priced to boot.

I presume that you folks out west have access to a few drive-in theaters. Do any of you still go to them? Are there any particularly swanky ones? Do naughty things still happen in the back seat? OK, you don't have to answer that last one.

One thing I really enjoy at the Silver Moon is that they play some classic Intermission clips between features. I could watch those things for hours.

[Boingonut]

Well I have a huge intersest in Drive-ins although I have not been to one since I moved to California. Back in Utah though I went to a really nice one kind of like yours in Florida about once a month. I have a convertable and it was nice to put the top down and enjoy the film. Before I moved I found a old abadoned drive-in not far from my home. I own a digital projector to at about 2 in the morning me and a freind braved the freezing cold and hooked the projector up to the car battery AC converter and poped in Star Wars. It was really interesting to have a 40 foot screen all to yourself even if the projector was not all that great. I later went back and video taped the drive in and used the fotage I took for one of my student films. This summer when I was back in Utah visiting my Family I took my 16mm camera out there for some better shoots. I don't know what I am going to do with the film but I am sure I will find something. I wish there were more drive-ins since it really is such a good idea, but I don't see that changing soon.

[Not Afraid]

I used to LOVE the drive-in. Never saw many movies there, though I think the last time I was at the Drive-in must've been 1984. We took the Dad's Station Wagon and pilled a bunch of people in it, brought along some beer, god popcorn and cardboard pizza, and had fun. I smashed my fingers in the door of the car that night. I don't rememeber who else was there, except Chris and I and our friend Craig (now the music director at West Point). Boss Radio......were you there that night?

My local Drive-in was the Hi-Way 39 Drive-in Theater, on, Beach Blvd (duh) just North of the 405.

I think I caught the tail end of Drive-in culture in So Cal because they started to "go bad" soon after '84 and, now, there aren't many left. The ones left in CA that are members of the Drive-in Association are these:

California:
HI-WAY (Santa Maria)
MADERA (Madera)
MARYSVILLE (Marysville) (http://www.marysvilledrivein.com)
MOTOR VU (Imperial)
SKYVIEW (Santa Cruz)

I'm not sure if there are any others that are actually showing films these days (most have become swap meets) and, if they are, are they showing any that we'd want to see??


Here's a very nice information about your Drive-in, Flippyshark. I wanna go!

One other Drive-in memory: I went to see Ryan's Daughter with my parents in 1970 (Hi-Way 39 again). The film was terribly boring for an 8 year old, but I remember being SHOCKED.....SHOCKED! when, during a make-out session Sarah Miles' nipple was exposed! THEY CAN'T DO THAT! I asked my Mom if someone was going to get arrested for that.

Ahhh, it's hard to believe that was me.


I guess my lack of Drive-in availability is why I like seeing films in a cemetery so much. It's sort of the same, right?

[Ghoulish Delight]

Sigh. It's been about 9 years since we last went. CP and I heard they were closing the last one in our area to make way for a multiscreen megaplex type thing. So we went to see a double feature of The Rock and Phenomenon.

It became quickly apparant why they were shutting it down. It cost $5 for the double feature. In the end, we made $5 each off of them. If I remember the seuqence of events correctly, the first time, it got about half way through The Rock when we see the film melting. So they refunded our money and gave us a free ticket to come back again. We came back again the next week. This time, we saw The Rock in full, but between the movies, they announced that the projector broke down. So they again gave us a refund of our $5 (remember, we got in on a free ticket this time) and a free ticket to come back. The third time was the charm and we saw both films, but in the end, we were up $10. Not a particularly profitable state of affairs for them.

[Jazzman]

We have a great drive-in up here. It’s down in Newberg, OR, which is about a 45 minute drive from where I live, but well worth it and we go often. It's in pretty good condition, and it's obvious that the owners are drive-in buffs.The best time I've had there (that I can mention in public, anyway ) was watching Pirates of the Caribbean. That was a great drive-in movie.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

As a kid I saw Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Batman at that same now-gone drive in that GD is talking about.

It was a lot of fun, definitely a cool experience. But as soon as they finished the brand new 20 screen multiplex on the same plot of land, it was apparent that they could never make that much money with a drive in.

At current SoCal land prices, I wonder what they'd charge you to get into a brand new drive in? Not that they'd ever build one.

[Boss Radio]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

I think the last time I was at the Drive-in must've been 1984. We took the Dad's Station Wagon and pilled a bunch of people in it, brought along some beer, god popcorn and cardboard pizza, and had fun. I smashed my fingers in the door of the car that night. I don't rememeber who else was there, except Chris and I and our friend Craig (now the music director at West Point). Boss Radio......were you there that night?

Probably. We used to go a lot. A LOT. We used to sneak in by riding in the trunk of whoever had the biggest car. Gina Bloxham had a big, black Lincoln, and they used to love to put me and Ron and whoever else was dumb enough. Once safely parked in front of the giant screen, we would emerge, join the party and watch the movie. Or just annoy everyone. Or both.

I remember MANY nights staging elaborate picnic scenes with coolers, beach chairs and food stolen from refrigerators that belonged to the parents of our friends.

Some standout G-rated memories:

Back to the Future - I'm pretty sure you and Chris were there. Liz was. Jon Pang catered the food that night.

The time that Pat and Alisa joined us, and to to save the $5, Pat rode stowaway in his own car. Sadly, Alisa didn't have a drivers license, so she drove in at an angle with the lights on and put the car in park. When everyone at the drive-in started honking, she panicked and ran out of the car, leaving Pat locked in the trunk. It was a truly Kodak moment. Oh, how I love this story.... I finally let him out and parked his car.

The time Ron and I watched Re-Animater and Evil Dead in the rain, drunk off our asses, and were totally afraid to leave the car. I mean, really afraid. The drive-in was empty that night. Creepy. Horror movies are scary in the rain. I think we cried.

Sunni, Raini, Gina (Remember them?) and the gang at what was probably the last screening of Song of the South. I distinctly remember how everyone loved the concept of finding one's Laughing Place, and the girls gave us a practical demonstration of just how one might go about it.

There are many more, but...I'll spare you the details.

[sleepyjeff]

Originally Posted by Jazzman

We have a great drive-in up here. It’s down in Newberg, OR, which is about a 45 minute drive from where I live, but well worth it and we go often. It's in pretty good condition, and it's obvious that the owners are drive-in buffs.The best time I've had there (that I can mention in public, anyway ) was watching Pirates of the Caribbean. That was a great drive-in movie.

This is a great Drive In(.http://www.driveintheatre.com/99widx.htm) I have seen soooo many movies there over the past 5 years or so..... Including Lilo and Stitch, Finding Nemo, and Spiderman II.

Always go to the KFC just down the highway from there for a dinner special and then set up camp

Sadly, this may be their last year as a strip mall is going in next door and the theater owners fear the extra LIGHT will kill the viewability of the screen

I am thinking about going next weekend(Sat night) to see whatever is playing. just fyi

[Jazzman]

Originally Posted by sleepyjeff

Sadly, this may be their last year as a strip mall is going in next door and the theater owners fear the extra LIGHT will kill the viewability of the screen

Noooooo!!!!!!

I am so sick and tired of losing truly unique and wonderful places like the 99W because of stupid, unneeded crap like more stripmalls.

If this happens I'm going to have fits!!!

Auuggghhhh!!!!

[Prudence]

I keep forgetting that we have a drive in less than 5 minutes away. I only remember about it on nights like tonight, when we drive past it on the freeway off-ramp. First-runs and everything. Double-feature for $7.50/person.

Last time I went to the drive in was up in Bellingham. I'm probably the only person on the planet who thinks of home-made chicken parmigiana as an appropriate drive in food.