Drive in theaters

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Used to go quite a bit when I was in high school. There was usually an after prom double feature.

My last outdoor movie experience was watching "The Princess Bride" on a sheet hung on the side of shed in my niece's back yard. It was nostalgic and fun.
 
I wonder if the ladies look back on drive-in dates fondly.
 
Still one in my Town that operates, also a flea market weekend days. In Fl still two or three within driving distance. We went to drive ins last year twice.
 
We haven't had any in the area I live for 20 years. The closest ones are about an hour drive or more away.
 
My wife and I last July 2012, drove 162 miles to Coldwater Michigan, and went to the Capri Drive-in. We stayed overnight in a motel, and went home the next day. I had heard of this drive-in for years, and always wanted to go. It was ok, but a let-down from what I expected after all I heard about it, but that's my perceptions. 6 years before, we drove 135 miles to Honor Michigan for our 25 wedding anniversary, we stayed overnight on that run also. We went to the Cherry Bowl drive-in that time. That's a family style, theater and only shows PG-13 maximum rated movies. The closest drive-in theater to out house, is over 75 miles away in Flint. Maybe we'll try that one this year!

http://www.capridrive-in.com/

http://www.cherrybowldrivein.com/
 
Ive been lucky in this department growing up. The local cinema owner also owns the drive-in. Cinema is closed in the summer and vice versa for the drive-in.
Now we have 2 seperate drive-ins within 40 miles. Besides the traditional family road trip, drive-ins are a family classic!

http://www.stalbansdrivein.com/ (always 2 movies for 1 price)

http://www.5drivein.com/now-playing.php --> alot of all night marathons.

St-Albans is a hoot. the screen is made of what looks like plywood boards painted white. Boards that have been replaced over time have a different sharde of white making it more than noticeable.

Cheers, K
 
One of ours is still going strong (in the summer), been there since the 50's (fitting for this town since a lot of it/us are still in the 50's). I took the kids there in the 70's and early 80's. Will be taking the grandkids there again this summer. Reason I love drive-ins is that I haven't been in a regular theater since they quit putting real butter on the popcorn (no joke - I consider it blasphemy).
 
I worked as a projectionist at drive-ins in years past and always loved it Unfortunately, within the next year or so, many small-town drive-ins, along with indoor theaters will be forced to close. As the motion picture industry finishes its conversion from 35mm film projection to totally digital. It costs $70,000 and more to convert just one screen to digital. Add to that the additional cost if the theater has more than one screen or a drive-in with a huge screen that will require much more powerful projectors and many owners just won't be able to afford converting. It's expected that the studios will cease to distribute movies on film by the end of 2014. The motion picture industry itself is projecting as many as 1500 theaters will close. Truly a shame.
 
http://www.skyvumovies.com/ is the closest. Talked with the owner a couple years ago(after not seeing him or taking in a movie in years, and his goal is to be the last one operating. Now with the digital conversion I don't know how it's possible.
Have read that about just about every theater in the region don't have the means themselves of financing the $100k+ 'upgrade' and are dependent on outside sources such as sponsorship's grants, donations and fund raisers, to stay open. Some will make it, many more will not, haven't seen or read anything on Shorty's Skyvu yet.
Oh well, it's rural America, I guess no one cares if it goes away. (Rural America - or it's theaters - take your pick)
 
Opening night at the Admiral tonight, was planning on going, but a broken water line at my lake house took longer to fix than I thought it would and it was too late to make it. It would have been a good hot cocoa movie night as it was just above freezing at nightfall and 29 now as the 2nd feature is running. Jack the Giant Slayer with Beautiful Creatures on screen 1 and Safe Haven with Warm Bodies on screen 2.

They will have both screens projection booths upgraded to digital by May 1.
 
For anyone outside Oklahoma that picks up OETA (Oklahoma PBS) via FTA. It is pledge month and they had a special this morning called "Oklahoma I Remember". There was a nice 15 min or so segment about Oklahoma Drive Ins of the past. Had some video and pictures of many of the old drive ins and whats left of some of them. There are currently still 7 working Drive Ins in Oklahoma.
 
For anyone outside Oklahoma that picks up OETA (Oklahoma PBS) via FTA. It is pledge month and they had a special this morning called "Oklahoma I Remember". There was a nice 15 min or so segment about Oklahoma Drive Ins of the past. Had some video and pictures of many of the old drive ins and whats left of some of them. There are currently still 7 working Drive Ins in Oklahoma.

I wish they'd share that across all PBS stations.
 
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