The first Cheech and Chong movie; while in high school (circa 1978). six guys in a 1969 4 door Impala, smoking tons of rope. We’d all seen it before, so we did all the best lines out loud together. If I’m alzheimered in old age I’ll probably walk around saying, “Ship you off to military school like the goddamn Finklestein shit kid.”
Same buddies, “The Wall”, on acid, with a speaker in each window. Haven’t been able to watch it since.
I was in the back seat and would slide my feet under the front seat passenger, sslloowwlly lifing him up on one side or the other. He’d be saying, “Dudes, I’m getting such a rush.”
There are three here in Cleveland, OH within reasonable driving distance.
One of my best experiences was going out with our divorce support group and sitting out on our lawn chairs with the sound turned up in one of the cars to watch The Mask of Zorro. The guys would give the wolf whistle at Catherine Zeta-Jones and the women would do the same for Antonio Banderas, while we threw popcorn (that someone had brought from home in huge quantities in a garbage bag) at each other.
I still go, but haven’t had that much fun in a while.
This is a great topic. I grew up in Detroit and remember going to drive-ins almost all summer long. We had a big (tank) Plymouth that we’d take. My brother and I would grab blankets and lay on top of the roof to watch the movie, though we rarely stayed awake for the whole thing. I think we had more fun having popcorn and snacks passed up to us and actually being allowed on top of the car, than watching the movie.
We still have one drive-in locally. The price had been at $8.00 per car-load since I’ve lived here (13 yrs), and only went up to $9.00 this past year. They have also taken out the speakers and switched to two radio stations (it’s a double screen), so that was kind of sad. The better sound quality makes up for it I guess. The food is still pretty inedible, I think the pizza tastes like smoked cardboard, but I wouldn’t change it for some reason. There’s still double features on each screen, with the first being shown over on Saturdays. Usually it will be one good main-stream movie and then something like The Gods Must Be Crazy Part II. It also seems to draw a pretty good crowd all summer long. With such good memories I wish there were more of them around, as I can’t help but wonder if younger people aren’t missing out on a good thing.
check this site for a listing of drive in theaters. I got a link not found but it might just be down. There’s one just north of Gettysburg and south of Harrisburg PA that I went to last year a number of times. It was $5 a person for usually two movies, I saw about 6-10 movies there last year. It’s usually a lot of fun.
As a kid there was one up the road that we went to a few times, I remember seeing ET in Maine one time as well. Someone should open one up with a bunch of other “family” type things to do, around here it would probably make some good money.
I loved going to the drive-in when I was a kid. We would take our pillows and some blankets, and climb on top of the station wagon to watch the show. Before the film we were allowed to go to the playground in front of the screen, then the ads would start and there would be a mad scramble of kids running to the cars. I only remember seeing Dr. Zivago and Darby O’Gill and the Little People . As there were four of us kids, we didn’t go too often.
If you have want to relive the drive-in experience Elite entertainment has released the first 2 discs of a projected 15-disc series called Drive-in Discs. Each DVD has two low-budget horror movies with concession ads, trailers, and a cartoon. They also feature Distorto, an audio track that replicates the sounds of a drive-in movie–a car pulling in next to yours, kids playing, guys in the trunk wanting to get out. Open the window to let the mosquitoes in, and you can relive the drive-in experience at home.
Once when I was in high school I went to the drive in with my boyfriend Shon and Shon’s dad. Not because we needed a chaperone (well, we did, but they didn’t know that). We went with him because it was a new Porky’s movie and his dad (to his own shame) loved those movies. He didn’t want to go alone, or even be seen going, so he asked us to go with him to the drive in to legitimze him. Heh.
We’ve got a drive-in near hear. I think this summer we might have to make a Dopefest out of it. I know Mrblue92 has a truck, so we’re half-way set…
Worked for me. There’s also drive-ins.com. The last time I checked, there were three theaters in the I-81 corridor of Virginia are still operating with one being near the intersection of 81 and 66.
The drive-in that my family frequented was the Starlite Drive-in on Route-17 in the Kankakee area. The very first movie I remember seeing was at that theater: a re-release of The Jungle Book. The last movie I ever saw at any drive-in was Star Wars at that same theater.
I’ve led a very tame life, but I’m am surprised that you people actually went to the drive-in and watched the film. I have an excellent memory of which theater I saw what film in. But drive-ins?
I must of something else on my mind.
Best drive-in memory: Karen, Gayway ID, 3 days after my cousin’s wedding (she was the maid of honor). Movies???
I grew up in Detroit and remember going to drive-ins almost all summer long. We had a big (tank) Plymouth that we’d take. My brother and I would grab blankets and lay on top of the roof to watch the movie, though we rarely stayed awake for the whole thing. I think we had more fun having popcorn and snacks passed up to us and actually being allowed on top of the car, than watching the movie.