Category Archives: Video

Video: North Reopens As The Moon Lite

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The renovation project in Terre Haute IN, which I most recently mentioned in January, has come to a successful conclusion. The former North Drive-In, which was sitting idle for about 30 years, reopens this weekend as the Moon Lite Drive-In Theater.

The ribbon-cutting was captured by a news video by WTHI, Terre Haute’s News Leader, and I embedded that video above. It quoted owner Brent Barnhart, who said, “People who do go to (drive-ins) just love the experience. It’s something that’s a lot different than going to a traditional movie theatre.”

As described in an earlier article in the Terre Haute Tribune Star, Barnhart has lived in Terre Haute all of his life. Last year, he took over the Starlite Drive-In in Bloomington, and that experience led him to believe that a home-town drive-in revival would work. “Halfway through the first year in Bloomington, I thought we should pursue a drive-in in Terre Haute,” he said.

It’s great to see another renovated drive-in back in action. I hope it inspires others to do the same.

Video: Wind Knocks Down Weeks-Old KY Screen

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The Good News: The Sauerbeck Family Drive-In opened this August in La Grange KY.

The Bad News: Less than a month later, a windstorm blew down the Sauerbeck’s screen. The story was in the Louisville Courier Journal, which also supplied the embedded video above.

WDRB, Louisville’s News Leader, reported this week that the Sauerbeck was working with its insurer to rebuild the screen “but it could be ‘several more weeks’ before that happens.” They say they might try a temporary screen, but my guess is that the real answer is just to get a new screen up for Spring 2019. In October, high temperatures around there are only in the 60s, and it only gets cooler the rest of the year.

Until the drive-in reopens, at least we have a nice video slice of what the Sauerbeck looked like on Opening Day. Here’s hoping for much more of that next season!

Video: Uncanny Tribute To Mountain View’s Monte Vista

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Still no news, so here’s another retro video to share. Made way back in 2009, this was some seriously strong computer-based 3D modeling, made as a tribute to a long-gone Mountain View CA landmark, the Monte Vista Drive-In, which was open from 1950 through 1978. (Not to be confused with the still-active Star Drive-In in Monte Vista CO.) Parts of the video feel like they’re in the uncanny valley, where people and objects look almost perfect but are off just enough to make it feel weird, but that’s 2009 for you! Enjoy!