More drive-ins in MI, PA commit to digital

Posted on May 2, 2013 by mrdrivein

photo by MichiganDriveIns, used by permission

Here are a couple more notes that support what, thankfully, looks like a growing trend. The Lehigh Valley (PA) Morning Call ran a happy note about Shankweiler’s in Orefield and Becky’s in Berlinsville, which have both switched to digital projection.

Not only is Shankweiler’s indisputably the oldest active drive-in, it appears to have been only the second drive-in ever built when it opened in April 1934, according to the book Drive-in Theaters. Becky’s isn’t quite as old, it opened 12 years later, but it’s always nice to hear of another drive-in making a successful conversion.

Over at Mlife.com is a similar story of the Getty Drive-In (Muskegon MI), except that it hasn’t quite made the transition yet. The story says that the Getty’s general manager, Kevin Sims, wasn’t sure exactly when it would happen, but it could be as early as June. “Luckily, we have a great company that backs the drive-in,” he said. For the full story, plus a photo of the film projector, go check it out!

Delsea finds a great source for transition cash

Posted on May 1, 2013 by mrdrivein

photo by applesticker, used by permission

New Jersey, the birthplace of the drive-in theater, is down to one active drive-in. But news this past week suggests that it’s going to stay around for a long time.

The Daily Journal of Vineland NJ and nearby towns reported that the Delsea Drive-In was a little slow opening this season because it installed digital projectors. “It was a very intense decision,” owner John DeLeonardis said of the investment of $135,000 for his two screens.

What’s especially nice about this story is the source of the money. It wasn’t Kickstarter or other fundraisers, it was the city of Vineland itself. According the The Daily Journal, “Vineland issued a $130,000 loan of Urban Enterprise Zone funds to finance the purchase. It’s repayable over 15 years at 5.5 percent interest.”

An agreement about virtual print fees (VPFs) appears to be what proved to be a reliable source of income to pay off the loan. Big indoor theaters have been getting VPFs from the movie industry to help pay for their conversion to digital movies, which are a lot cheaper for the movie industry to store and ship. Now a version of that is available for the Delsea, which will receive a $150 fee for each first-run movie it plays. I suspect that’s been true for other drive-ins, but The Daily Journal’s story is unusually thorough in its description of the VPF program. That’s just another reason why you should go read it!

I went to Bengies’ season opener, and all I got was this crummy photo

Posted on Apr 30, 2013 by mrdrivein

Bengies marquee at twilight. Photo by Neon Michael from the Carload Flickr group.

We’ve done a lot of talking about Bengies, Maryland’s only remaining drive-in theater. I hope it sticks around for a long time. Earlier this month, I happened to be visiting Washington DC and was pleasantly surprised to be able to drop by for Bengies’ 2013 season opener. But I didn’t go in. Let me explain.

First I visited Bengies’ web site, which is where I learned the good news that the place would be open while I was nearby. On its Home page, Bengies hauled out the all-caps to say “Click Here for things EVERYONE needs to know BEFORE they arrive.” So I did.

First of all, getting pictures for Carload was going to be a problem. “No photographing, image capturing, or audio recording anywhere on the premises, this includes the entrance road.” Yikes! And that was the friendly version compared to the House Rules page: “If we see any sort of camera, video recorder, or cell phone with the capabilities of taking pictures being used to capture a picture OF ANYTHING, you and the party with you, will leave immediately without a refund. NONE of these DEVICES may be used AT this theatre FOR ANY REASON.” All-caps and bold! Double yikes!

Over in the FAQ page, there’s a long explanation of why they’re so sensitive about all that. To summarize, they had some bad experiences, then some folks were posting Bengies photos on the internet without permission, and somebody even recorded the owner’s voice and used it “in ways you could not even imagine.” You’re right, I can’t imagine that. To summarize, “You may record NOTHING you may capture an image of NOTHING.” Ooh-kay then.

As I prowled around the web site, I found similar stern warnings about any number of other inflexible drive-in policies. Mind you, I’m a firm believer in letting any business set its own rules. There’s nothing wrong, per se, about all these all-caps rules, and anyone who patronizes such a business should go along with them. But their tone made me wonder whether Bengies would be an unpleasant place to visit. So I didn’t. I stood in the parking lots of neighboring businesses and photographed the glow of the Bengies sign against the turquoise twilight sky. Then I grabbed a snack at the McDonalds drive-through and drove back to my hotel.