When in China, check out these drive-ins

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Haitian Lovely Home Car Movie logoI just had to share this with you. According to What’s On Xiamen, if you’re in the neighborhood, you might want to “Enjoy private movie time in Xiamen’s drive-in movie theaters”.

The author of that article, Sanmao Lin, clearly has a handle on the appeal of drive-ins. “Drive-in movie theaters are not only a place for family recreation,” he wrote, “but also great for a couple to share romantic times. And unlike normal theaters, you can cuddle and whisper without annoying anyone else in total privacy.”

It turns out that Xiamen, a city of the southeast coast of the People’s Republic of China, has two drive-ins. There’s the Xiajinwan Drive-in Movie Theater, which has a 40-foot screen and space for 100 cars, and the Haitian Aijia Drive-In, with a 60-foot screen and room for 300 cars. I want to see the movie that Google translates as “Fantasy Flying Piano,” apparently a feature-length version of this Magic Piano short listed on IMDB. No matter what’s showing, if I ever find myself in Xiamen, I’m going to go check it out.

Ceres Drive-In may reopen this year

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Ceres CA fall sunset

photo by Mouse209

According to an article in the Modesto (CA) Bee, the Ceres Theatre may reopen some time in 2013. The drive-in had closed after the 2008 season, then suffered extensive damage in a “suspicious” fire in June 2010. But its new owners, Diego Castillo and family, say the local community wants to see it reopen.

For now, the site operates as a flea market on weekends. Starting in April, a farmers market will operate alongside the flea market. There’s a new concession area, but Castillo said a separate projection booth still needs to be built.

Bee columnist Jeff Jardine also voiced his support for the drive-in. “A nostalgic night out,” he wrote, “just like the olden days. The kids might find they actually like leaving the house to watch a movie beneath the stars.” Here’s hoping!

Town and Country raises enough cash to survive

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Town & Country Drive-In (click to visit)The Town and Country Drive-In, which we profiled here in December, announced that it has raised enough money to continue operating. In a press release, quoted in the Abilene Reporter News, owner Glenda Thornton said that the “Go Digital or Go Dark” campaign had succeeded. “Thanks to this support we were able to obtain financing and make a down payment to get the project going,” Thornton said in the release. KTXS, Abilene’s News Leader, also has a story and a nice video segment about this good news.

Since the amount raised was just a down payment, fundraisers will continue this year to pay off the new digital projectors. The drive-in is also looking for volunteers. If you’re interested, you can sign up at the Town and County’s Facebook page.