Jump to content

Drive-In Theatres


-D-RocK-
 Share

Recommended Posts

In Southeastern British Columbia where I grew up and still consider home, drive-ins were all the rage probably right up until the mid 1980s.

 

Then suddenly they started to disappear (probably because of the home video market) and I can't even remember the last time I saw a drive-in theatre that still operates.

 

Back in their hayday, they sure were a wonderful summer pasttime. Sneakin' in and getting drunk was always a popular activity, and I'm sure plenty of people have stories of driving off with the speaker still attached to the driver's side window.

 

Surely some drive-in theatres must still exist somewhere.....yes?.....no?

 

 

 

 

I think "Cat People", a weird 80's horror flick was the last movie I ever watched at a drive-in.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I LOVED drive-Ins as a kid...I remember when there used to be a playground on some of them up front close to the screen so kids could play until showtime.

 

I looked up a website about 10 years ago which listed all the drive-ins in America, when they open and closed or if they were still open...I think this is the site

 

http://www.driveintheater.com/index.htm

 

Here in Orlando there used to be quite a few drive-ins but over the last 25 years or so all have gone the way of the dinosaur....The last movie I saw at one was Nightmare on Elm Street-Dream Warriors...back in like '89...Deland FL...I went there with a girl I was dating....she's now my wife...the theater is closed (in '92) but it's still there

 

Movies I saw at drive-ins:

 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

The Posideon Adventure

Star Wars

Freddie Kruger part #3

Tidalwave (a japanese flick)

 

a few other I can't remember...but I know I had a good time there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We still have one in town.

Take the kids there to see movies about 3-4 times a year.

Lawn chairs, cooler full of soda, pizza, popcorn, stereo blasting movie really loud. It's awesome. Sometimes we grill hot dogs at home and wrap them in foil and put them in an extra cooler to keep them warm. Then we load them up with the condiments that the drive in provides, they don;t mind since we always buy something from them when we do this. Great time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Necromancer @ Dec 20 2008, 07:19 PM)
We have one that's still big. It plays first run double features all summer long on the weekend and older movies during the week. During the day on Sunday it is one of the biggest flea markets around.

That's funny because ours is also a flea market on the weekends. I hate to say it but a good chunk of the "vendors" at that flea market are thieves fencing items shoplifted from local retailers. I used to manage a location near there and would routinely catch shoplifters attempting to steal grocery bags full of easy to sell items like razors, toothpaste, etc. I also used ot visit and tip off the police to items that were obviously stolen from the store.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Ancient Ways @ Dec 20 2008, 06:13 PM)
We still have one in town.
Take the kids there to see movies about 3-4 times a year.
Lawn chairs, cooler full of soda, pizza, popcorn, stereo blasting movie really loud. It's awesome. Sometimes we grill hot dogs at home and wrap them in foil and put them in an extra cooler to keep them warm. Then we load them up with the condiments that the drive in provides, they don;t mind since we always buy something from them when we do this. Great time.

Is it the Fun LAN?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Prince Sphinc-Tor @ Dec 20 2008, 08:55 PM)
QUOTE (Ancient Ways @ Dec 20 2008, 06:13 PM)
We still have one in town.
Take the kids there to see movies about 3-4 times a year.
Lawn chairs, cooler full of soda, pizza, popcorn, stereo blasting movie really loud.  It's awesome.  Sometimes we grill hot dogs at home and wrap them in foil and put them in an extra cooler to keep them warm.  Then we load them up with the condiments that the drive in provides, they don;t mind since we always buy something from them when we do this.  Great time.

Is it the Fun LAN?

Yeah, it is. r u from here?

It's not in the best part of town but I've never had any problem there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Closest one to us, Fork Union Drive-In. It's small as you can see...

 

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/fork1.jpg

 

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/fork2.jpg

 

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/forun01.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (SiriusRushFan @ Dec 20 2008, 09:23 PM)
Closest one to us, Fork Union Drive-In. It's small as you can see...

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/fork1.jpg

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/fork2.jpg

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/forun01.jpg

Cool little theater.

 

And I agree 100% with your signature although since the merger some of my stations have made a change I have to get used to...and sadly...I lost one of my faves all together.

 

R.I.P. The Strobe 37

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Ancient Ways @ Dec 20 2008, 08:07 PM)
QUOTE (Prince Sphinc-Tor @ Dec 20 2008, 08:55 PM)
QUOTE (Ancient Ways @ Dec 20 2008, 06:13 PM)
We still have one in town.
Take the kids there to see movies about 3-4 times a year.
Lawn chairs, cooler full of soda, pizza, popcorn, stereo blasting movie really loud.  It's awesome.  Sometimes we grill hot dogs at home and wrap them in foil and put them in an extra cooler to keep them warm.  Then we load them up with the condiments that the drive in provides, they don;t mind since we always buy something from them when we do this.  Great time.

Is it the Fun LAN?

Yeah, it is. r u from here?

It's not in the best part of town but I've never had any problem there.

Just outside Orlando actually.

 

Earlier in the thread I posted this link (http://www.driveintheater.com/index.htm)

to a website that lists all of the open drive-ins, and the closed ones for that matter too and the Fun LAN is right there in Tampa....The closest one to me would be Ocala, or Lakeland. Used to have one a couple of miles from me, but it's a Lowes now, and the one in Deland is still there, but closed since '92.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (SiriusRushFan @ Dec 20 2008, 09:23 PM)
Closest one to us, Fork Union Drive-In. It's small as you can see...

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/fork1.jpg

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/fork2.jpg

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/forun01.jpg

DUDE!!!!!!

 

DOG STAR RADIO KICKS ASS!!!!!!!

 

I never knew that existed (after almost 4 years as a subscriber!!!!)

 

I LOVE IT

 

THANKS!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know of any left near us. sad.gif There was one by my girlsfriends house and we tried to make it before it closed down - but we were a week to late.

 

During the summer our town - has movie in the park events though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kids today have missed out on the magic of drive-in theaters (IMO). They were the best! We saw so many movies at the drive-in. Of course, the theaters are few and far between now but there is one about 30 miles south of here. Totally worth the drive.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have one downtown by the lakeshore but it's only open during the summer. We also have one in Mississauga, Ajax and Oshawa I believe. So there are a few of them around me. Last movie i saw at the drive-in was The Simpsons Movie and then Live free or Die Hard
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (ReRushed @ Dec 21 2008, 01:00 PM)
Wow. The last and only drive-in movie I've ever been to was way back in 1975. A great double feature - The Man with the Golden Gun and The Return of the Pink Panther.

Awesome!

 

I actually have both those movies in my tiny collection of 12 or 13 DVDs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used to like those intermission ads they'd play up on the screen, the ones for the confectionary, coming attractions etc.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The last time I went to a drive-in they showed all of the 'Planet of the Apes' movies in a row. This was in '81 or '82.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

QUOTE (Prince Sphinc-Tor @ Dec 21 2008, 08:23 AM)
QUOTE (SiriusRushFan @ Dec 20 2008, 09:23 PM)
Closest one to us, Fork Union Drive-In.  It's small as you can see...

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/fork1.jpg

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/fork2.jpg

http://www.driveintheater.com/list/vi/pics/forun01.jpg

DUDE!!!!!!

 

DOG STAR RADIO KICKS ASS!!!!!!!

 

I never knew that existed (after almost 4 years as a subscriber!!!!)

 

I LOVE IT

 

THANKS!!!

LOL Glad I could help man. For those that don't know what it is, here's the link showing what's playing on all the channels, in real time...

 

Lot's to choose from! Channels in yellow have just been updated with new content. http://www.dogstarradio.com/now_playing.php

Edited by SiriusRushFan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They had one in my hometown but it closed back in the 70's or 80's. Of course, it originally aired the mainstream kinda movies, but at some point, it became a place for rated X films (imagine how great it would be to watch something like this in the (semi) privacy of your car. wink.gif )

 

Tall trees surrounded the perimeter of the lot that had very bright lights that shone outwards so that folks outside could not see the film since they didn't pay to get in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...