Photo from the Lunar Drive-In Instagram page

Last week the Greater Dandenong Leader of suburban Melbourne, Australia ran a nice article about a new sign at the Lunar Drive-In there. The “retro-style” sign stands in front of the box office, lighting one letter at a time then finishing with a burst of faux rocket flame. You can watch it here.

Co-owner David Kilderry told the newspaper his brother Matthew wanted a sign reminiscent of movie theatres in the ‘50s and ‘60s to replace “the boring old sign that we used to have.”

The article frequently mentions “neon”, but this stuff sounds like the LEDs that San Antonio used to restore the lit mural at the former Mission Drive-In there. Rick Ruitenbach of Icon Creations said, This is new-age neon. Traditional neon is blown glass filled with gas but our signs are LED lookalikes which are more environmentally responsible and economical to run.”

The Lunar, already Australia’s largest drive-in at four screens, is planning to expand later this year after a record-setting season. Glad they could afford such a nifty sign.