What ever happened to Drive-in Movies???

When was the last time you went to one (outside of the Dragon)

I cannot even find one in my area anymore and think that is a shame. Why did they go out of business?

I think its a real shame for teenager and singles who never had the opportunity of experiencing a real drive-in movie ... complete with the big speakers on the windows and the lousy food from the vendor

I can't even remember the last drive-in movie I saw or when it was. This should be a retro thing ... Somebody got to build a chain of Drive-in Movies theatres!

 

Funny you should mention this.
Blame VCR/DVDs for this. But are there still drive-in churches?
The last time for me was in Phoenix, Smokey and the Bandit, from the backed up pickup.

 

We had two within 15 minutes of where i live. However one was just torn down for development. Plenty of people wanted it to stay, but big business seems to win these days.

We're going tonight if the weather holds up!

 

VCRs and DVDs? That might stop the Home Theatre people who want the ultimate experience on their big screen TV but that was not was the Drive-in was about.

If I remember correctly, depending upon how old you were ... as a kid:

• Play in the playground up front
• Can't wait until it gets dark
• Whine to the parents to get food
• Sit in the back seat straining to see the movie and hope you don't get eaten alive by the mosquitos
• fall asleep while the parents watched Cleopatra

As a teenager it was much more fun ... no date

• Cram as many kids as you could in to the trunk (I guess that leave the MINI boot out)
• Get out the lawn chairs, fight the mosquitos and kibbutz the whole movie (hiding the beer)
• Watching the B movies and Sci Fi

A date was different

• Get all spruced up
• Remember next time to NOT buy some Stupid 4 on the Floor Shifter with a CONSOLE
• I leave the rest to your imagination ...

 

Still happens to this day!

 

We had a few drive-ins around here (LI, NY) many years ago.

Their disappearance was not due to DVD and VHS. It actually coincided with the development of the multi-plex. It is just more economically feasible to put a half-dozen (or more) screens into the same, or less, amount of space as one screen.

In the time-frame of the run of a typical movie, a patron could go back to the same complex numerous times to see different movies, instead of just once. This is also why most of the single-screen theatres are gone, not to mention loss of revenue from the tricks stated previosuly in this thread - smuggling people in.

Also, the 'high school teenage group' didn't help matters with their less than social antics within the grounds of the drive-in. Back in the drive-ins' day, these demographic groups did not have all the money they do now. Young adults, just out of college, starting careers was where the money just began. The people with any money - families - became less than enthusiastic about taking their kids to drive-ins when they got to a point of being socially almost out of control.

It was a combination of factors, for sure, but their demise was inevitable.

 

These are two good points. Its hard to argue squeezing in 20 movies into the space of two drive-in screens

The kid problem is probably easier to handle. Most cars today do not have huge trunks ... many are hatches .... and most kids don't buy Crown Vics.

As to drinking problems, etc, a few security cops should handle that.

I'm not saying its economically feasible but I bet someone like Trump or someone who could do good marketing could easily sell going to the Drive-in to Baby Boomers with kids. The hard part would be the land. Clearly it would need to be out of town, cheap land.

I think its sad drive-ins are gone and families dont have the opportunity to take their kids

 

We never cared for drive-ins, because the sound through the little speaker sucked, headlights hitting the screen during the movie, honking, walking a mile to food or restrooms, kids running around being a distraction, and so on.

Possibly many others felt the same way.

 

...the computer!? Come on, you can't totally ignore my point.
But I will conceed the land development impact. But in the Senator's case, it's still vacant land.

 

Gromit has a point about what may have led to be driven away from driveins but I think with some controls that could be fixed.

If the land is still vacant it could be exploited

I wanna go to a DRIVE-IN Movie and see a really bad Sci Fi flick!!!

 

Cars would be better.

 

I had my first drive-in movie experience a few weeks after we got the MINI. There's a drive-in in Atlanta called Starlight drive in. I have to say, it's definitely an experience, but I don't think I'd go to another one unless it was a movie I'd seen before. We tried to see Pirates of the Carribean... I'll need to see that one again.

 

Hmm, in Maryland we have a few.

Bengies
http://www.bengies.com/
3417 Eastern Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21220 (410) 687-5627&

Bel-Air Drive In
3035 Churchville Road, Churchville, MD 21028 (410) 734-7788

 

There's a couple of one screens out by me, and when I'm on the east caost there is a nice 4 screen drive in in NH.

MINIUSA.com has a list of some drive-ins but of all the three I've been to (all are stil open BTW) not one is on their list. They're still around you just got to look.

 

I think we are having a bit of a Drive-In resurgence where I live (all be it a teeney one). They recently opened a new drive-in approx 20 miles North of me & they are building a new one 20 miles South of me. I can't remember ever going to a drive in so I am looking forward to trying it out.

On the crappy speakerbox issue...do they still use them? I kinda assumed they would have you tune your car stereo into a certain frequency & listen to it that way??

 

I've seen it done both ways, but the ones I went to with the speakerbox also provided the FM option.

 

We hit a nice drive-in at Blue Ridge, GA last year. Recently refurbished and used the FM transmitter. On Saturday nights it's a double feature for the price of one ticket. Weather was just warm enough to keep the windows down. Best part is being able to talk during the movie like you're at home and not worry about bothering anyone else, or vice-versa.

 

We just went about a month ago to see Pirates of the Carribean and Cars at the drive-in. It was a blast. The only problem...it was a little hard to see over all the SUVs. I found it amusing when the people in the row behind me asked me to shut my boot because they couldn't see over it. I think even with my boot open, I was still the shortest in the place.

Our drive-in still has some of the speaker boxes but many are gone. I don't think they are replacing them now that they use FM. They also took down the bariers that kept you from driving to see something else playing on one of the other three screens.

 

My MINI club saw Cars at the Drive-In. It was great!!!

 

I have never been to a drive-in and saw one die during my childhood to be paved over and a Best Buy put up there. I now live in a different state and was really excited to see that there is an active drive-in nearby that has lived on, even despite a fire in recent years. [SIZE=-1]www.starlite-drivein.com Apparently they broadcast the audio over the radio.

I am hoping to make my first drive-in experience in my MINI once it arrives!!
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There are still a few here by me in Ohio.

There was talk of one closing, but I never heard anymore. I miss the days (15+ years ago) when I could get a pack of twizzlers and a six pack and head to the drive in... (that was back when DUI laws were a bit lax).

Twizzlers make good straws

 

Also if you go down the eastern shore (MD) we have a few down there also but they seem to be partially open or only when good movies come out. If you want more information on their locations just PM me.

 

There is a drive-in just down the road from me and it is SO crowded you wouldn't believe it. Cars line up way down the road waiting to get in. Business is booming for it because people come from all around because it is the only one around here.

 

I went to my first drive-in about a month ago, saw "cars", it was great. We actually have a few within a 60 mile radius of Birmingham. To bad you live so far from here.

 

We have one in SLO. My group of friends regularly get together and go. A bunch of us have trucks, so we make sure we bring the trucks and loads of blankets and pillows, and we all cram into the beds and watch the double feature. :D $6 for two full length movies! :D

gotta love it!
Janell