Sunset Drive-In (PA) opens May 17

Thanks to the Erie Times-News and GoErie.com, we’ve got this fun, silly bit of video about the Sunset Drive-In of Waterford PA. And there’s even a story about the Sunset that doesn’t just rewrite the dialogue from the video, so you still need to go read it.

Sunset owners Dennis and Margaret Koper have purchased and installed the new digital projection equipment, and now they’re trying to figure it all out in time for the season opener May 17. As with all the other drive-ins that have sprung for this expense, it’s a sign that they’re in it for the long haul. The article said that Dennis “expects a 15-year return on his digital investment.”

Dennis said it was this or retirement, and he jokingly blames his wife for deciding to keep running the drive-in. Now about that new equipment. “I don’t have any idea how to work this thing right now,” he said. “But we’ll both learn in time.”

Sunset Drive-In (NY) switches to digital

Aerial view of the three-screen Sunset Drive-InThe Sunset Drive-In of Middleport NY has finished swapping out film projectors on all three of its screens in favor of improved, expensive digital projectors. That’s the story this week from The Journal Register of Medina NY.

Denise Stornelli, who co-owns the Sunset with her husband Mario, said she has noticed the quality improvement in the picture. I love this sentence from the story: “Stornelli’s son and grandson are helping her and her husband get acclimated to the new computer system that handles the movies.”

And I love the tag line, which probably applies to all drive-in operators. Stornelli said, “We’re hoping for good weather, and good movies.”

Two great Texas photo albums

Coyote Drive-In logo on woodHere’s an odd case. This past week, I’ve run across two stories about drive-ins in Texas. Each story is brief and unremarkable, but each also includes an excellent photo gallery.

Over at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, they ran a story about the soft opening of the Coyote Drive-In there. It’s wonderful news to hear about a brand-new drive-in theater, but there weren’t a lot of new details except that only about 150 cars were allowed in what will be a 1300-car, three-screen complex. But check out that album of a dozen photos, especially #2 with the downtown skyline behind the screen.

Meanwhile at the San Antonio Express-News, what’s cool is the soft opening of the sort-of drive-in at the site of the old Mission Drive-In. (I already told you why I care so much about this one.) The Express-News had a decent story about it, but what was really great was that it offered a 30-photo journey into the history of the Mission. Photo #10 matches how I remember it. Go see for yourself!

Update: The Dallas Morning News added a lengthy story about the opening of the Coyote, and it included this video. Enjoy! (Edit: I used to have the video embedded below, but the darned thing would auto-start whenever this page was loaded. Don’t ya just hate it when that happens?)Placeholder linking to video of the Coyote Drive-In