Author Archives: mrdrivein

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.

Yet another Illinois drive-in turns to Kickstarter

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Sunset in McHenry County IllinoisThere must be something in the water in Illinois. In addition to the Midway (Palmyra IL) and Harvest Moon (Gibson City IL) which we discussed so recently, now comes word that the McHenry Outdoor Theater (McHenry IL) is trying to raise money through Kickstarter for digital projection equipment. The good news, according to the story in McHenry County’s Northwest Herald, is that another (indoor) theater there just completed a successful Kickstarter campaign, raising over $175,000.

The McHenry is also holding a weekend fundraiser October 5-6, showing Back to the Future and Jaws with live music before the movies. Go check out the article for full details, and to see some nice projection-room photos.