Author Archives: mrdrivein

Two south Florida drive-ins stay popular

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View from the bridge on Lake Ave, Lake WorthTired of all the digital conversion articles? Then you’ll love this piece from the Sun Sentinel, which is a classic example of the “Hey, we still have some drive-ins around, and they are so cool” kind of article. Not one word about that 2013 thing.

There’s a photo of the Swap Shop (Lake Worth) with an amazing amount of background light; can those folks really see the movie? Just to make things confusing, the other drive-in is also called the Swap Shop, but it’s in Lauderhill (according to the article) or Fort Lauderdale (according to Google Maps and Drive-Ins.com). The Google Maps link shows the Swap Shop in its midday flea market glory, but check all those long-shadowed screens at the perimeter. Turns out that there are 14 screens at that one location!

Be sure and check out the photo gallery that accompanies the article.

Manitoba drive-ins raising money for conversion

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Big Island Drive-InThe Winnipeg Free Press ran an article over the weekend about two drive-ins in Manitoba that are struggling to find the cash to buy digital projection equipment. The Stardust (Morden) and Shamrock (Killarney) both face an uncertain future as they go into the off-season without the right stuff to reopen in the spring. And it suggests that the Big Island (Flin Flon) just isn’t coming back next year.

The article includes a couple of okay photos, but it excels in its quotes from the business people facing the odd situation of asking the community to donate so they can continue to make a profit. (Hey, it works all the time when pro sports teams need a new stadium. But I digress.)

“Meanwhile, the sign where movie titles normally go outside the Shamrock theatre now reads, ‘Closed Until Digital.'” Check it out.

photo by: noricum

Midway using Kickstarter to go digital

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Midway Drive-In movie screen, Palmyra, IllinoisThe Midway Drive-In (Palmyra IL) is facing the modern problem of needing to buy a digital projector. It’s attempting to solve it with a modern solution: a Kickstarter project. Folks who pledge the right amount of cash will receive rewards such as popcorn and pop (we call it “soda” around here), a t-shirt, admission passes, and semi-private weekday screenings. If you’re a business, you can also just sponsor the Midway’s new projector and get some advertising out of it, but that sounds very old-fashioned.

The horror-movie fans at Dread Central are on board with this project. You might also just swing by the Midway web site to learn more about the place. Stand-up comedy at a drive-in? That’s cool!