Author Archives: mrdrivein

US 23 had fun, eventful summer

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neon sign from Flint Michigan museumThere are too many details and quotes and neat stuff about the US 23 Drive-In (Flint MI) from this Flint Journal article for me to summarize, so you ought to go read it. The 23’s general manager said the biggest draw of the summer was Ice Age 4, partly because it came out when he was running more than just weekends.

But don’t think the relentless need for improvement has overlooked the 23. They plan to add fountain soda machines, because customers have been asking for them. Yeah, I remember when the old Comanche (Buena Vista CO) was open, it just had a cooler full of soda cans. Not nearly as nice. Good luck, 23, and please get the kind of machine that dispenses crushed ice.

Ontario drive-ins are thriving after conversion

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Hamilton, OntarioThe Hamilton Spectator reports on the Starlite Drive-In (Hamilton ON) and other Ontario drive-ins that are doing great after pouring lots of cash into digital projection equipment. Brian Allen, head of the company that owns the Starlite and more Ontario drive-ins, says that 2012 has been one of their best years ever, and that business keeps improving every year.

“The demand for drive-ins never disappeared,” Allen said recently, “but supply has fallen off because of the demands of real estate.” Sounds like a formula for increasing the value of any drive-ins that stay alive.

If you want to see what a digital movie hard drive and its shipping container look like, check out the photos in the article. And if you ever visit Hamilton, be sure to take in a Tiger-Cats game.

Star and Movie Manor get Best Western nomination

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Star Drive-In marqueeAccording to the Monte Vista (CO) Journal, the Best Western Movie Manor there was nominated a few weeks ago for the “Most Unique Hotel” award as chosen by Best Western International Facebook fans. Of course, that’s because every room at the Movie Manor faces the Star Drive-In‘s main screen. (You can also see the second screen from at least some of the rooms, but it’s a lot more awkward to watch.)

Unfortunately for us drive-in fans, the winner, announced this week, was the Best Western Studley Castle Hotel in Studley, England. That announcement is where I saw that the official award was for “Most Unique Hotel,” a phrase that the Journal article didn’t repeat. As an old newspaper guy, I hope that was because you can’t have anything that is “most unique”. Unique means one of a kind. Nothing can be “more” one of a kind; it is or isn’t. But I digress.

The good news from the Journal article is when it simply states that “The (Star) drive-in will go digital soon.” Glad to hear of one more drive-in that plans to persevere through the conversion process.