Author Archives: mrdrivein

Voice of America celebrates drive-in theaters

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Voice of America News ran a wonderful video feature on the Family Drive-In in Stephens City VA, using it as an example of drive-in theaters in general. VoA ran the full transcript on the page that originally hosted the video, but watching it is a lot more fun.

I guess the folks at the Family might have a point about being in the Washington DC metro area, even though Maryland’s Bengies is closer. For one thing, they got DC-based VoA to come out to do its drive-in story there. And once they got there, VoA didn’t have any problem finding patrons who also made the long drive. I’m especially glad that VoA found nearby motels that host drive-in tourists; I keep telling one of Carload’s advertisers, TripAdvisor, that there are a lot of people like that.

Most of all, I’m just grateful for another nice video snapshot of the way a drive-in looks in 2013, in this case just before digital projection. The classic black and white photos are a nice addition, too. Check it out!

Drive-in movie coming to a TV near you?

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There are a lot of movies that are easy to find. They’re available for streaming through Netflix, or in high rotation on cable TV channels, or in the markdown bin where you buy DVDs. Then there are special, cult movies that are unavailable to rent and cost serious cash to buy. One of those movies, one you might care about, is the 1976 classic Drive-In, which is coming to Antenna TV at 3 in the early morning (Eastern time) this Tuesday, July 23, otherwise known as the late, late night of Monday, July 22. (It repeats at 7 am EDT this Thursday, and again at 5 am EDT on July 27.)

Antenna TV is one of those digital sub-channels that are available for free from over-the-air broadcasters. Some cable systems it, but you might have to resort to hooking up your digital TV to a real antenna. You can find a full list of Antenna TV stations in this PDF.

Here’s Amazon’s description of Drive-In: This slice-of-life comedy both documents and satirizes small town life in a rural Texas town where the only entertainment in the day is the roller rink and at night the local drive-in. Hosting a cross-section of the town’s population, the drive-in comes to life at night – parents show up with their kids in tow, teenage paramours arrive with their dates, and the local gangs fuel their rivalry – under the gigantic screen and at the snack bar. The film playing is a ’70s staple: the disaster movie. (A satire named Disaster ’76.) Tension builds on the screen and also among the patrons. Director Rod Amateau, producer/director of legendary television series “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” and “The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis,” is no stranger to comedy, and this off-beat, little-known film (with a lesser-known cast) is a hilarious flashback to the seventies.

There’s a pretty good 70s country music soundtrack. but the movie’s main appeal is that it gives us a pretty good idea of what it was like to go to a drive-in movie back then. Reviewers from Amazon and IMDB recommend it, and I do too. Especially this week when you can see it for free.

Developer hopes to build Tennessee drive-in

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Here’s some good news for a change. According to WSMV, Nashville’s news leader, a developer called Black Eagle Holding wants to build a new drive-in theater in Murfreesboro TN. The 28-acre site is a wooded area that includes buildings that were once part of Nashville’s original airport. You can see the group’s Facebook page here.

The nest step for Black Eagle is to get approval from the local Board of Zoning Appeals, which will hold a hearing on the question on August 14. The usual NIMBY opponents are making the usual arguments, but it sounds like Black Eagle has done its homework and lined up the personnel they need to get it passed.

So how big is this drive-in going to be? Black Eagle attorney Ted Goodman told WSMV, “We’re hoping, actually, it will be the largest single-screen drive-in theater in the United States.” The Shreveport Times quotes him as saying the planned drive-in would hold 500 cars. Uh, no, then that won’t be the largest. Just among drive-ins I’ve visited, Bengies (Middle River MD) and the Boulevard (Kansas City KS) each hold more than 500 cars.

I think we’re going to see more drive-ins built in the next decade than we saw in the last 10 years. I’ve got my reasons, which I’ll explain in a future post or two. Meanwhile, let’s be glad that someone else recognizes how fun (and profitable) a drive-in can be.