Shopping Mall Cineplexes and Drive in Theaters

Factual Questions
1

Why not make modular drive in theaters in mall parking lots?

Okay… I’ll go out on a limb by saying that it’s generally accepted these days that your local movie theater will be a cineplex at the local mall, rather than the classic, downtown building with the 30’s verticle marquee, or the Grease-ish drive-in.

Most malls seem to close around 9PM, even on friday and saturday nights.

Generally, a Multiplex is located at one end of the mall, away from acres of parking which is abandoned after closing time.

Also, there seems to be a new interest in drive in theaters, and given the huge cost of building new indoor theaters, and the higher standard of comfort that is expected (plush, stadium seating, digital surround sound, etc), it seems that a ingenius cineplex owner could easily add several extra screens using just the broad space and a bit of portable equipment.

Picture the situation:

Starting around 7-8 in the evening, begin moving equiptment into place and closing off a section of the parking lot, preferably in the far section of the parking lot, away from the more active wings of the mall. Or rather, folding, canvas screens could be set up from trailer based mounts to allow more versatile arrangements (put two together for a big production, or use them seperately for multiple showings)

Bring in a projector on a trailer, and have a screen set up just on the edge of the parking lot, facing in toward the mall. Use portable stands or trailer based concession stands (think of the county fair). It may even be possible to digitally send the video using cameras mounted in the indoor theater.

Sound could be handled without the classic box in the window, by using short range radio transmitters to broadcast to the in car FM radios (with the car stereo fad of building a high-wattage system in the car, this would likely be a draw).

Thus, extra screens for extra showings could be pretty cheaply added by making use of space that usually goes unused through the latenight hours. It would also likely be popular with the rice-car sect who loves any opportunity to get together and show off the latest mods.

Are there any logistical problem to prevent implementation of this idea? The only one I can think of off the top of my head is the ease with which bootlegs could be made (setting up a camcorder inside the car, with clear, stereo sound delivered straight to the radio).

2

The biggest problem I can see with this idea is this:

The owners of the cineplex do not own the mall. I would be willing to bet that there is something in their contract that would prohibit them from closing off part of the parking lot, especially before the mall is closed.

Other than that, I think this sounds like a pretty cool idea. I used to love drive-ins. Last one I was at was in Ohio, about 4 years ago. We say “The Mummy” with Brendan Fraser.

3

Problem #1: Where would you get a projector? All the ones in the cineplex are (a) upstairs, (b) bolted to the floor, and © weigh, literally, a ton. You’d need another project that was not only easily mobile but also a lot stronger, since the throw would be longer, the lamp would have to be significantly brighter. Where would you get a power hook-up in the parking lot? How would you resolve the electric bill? Also, you can’t just put a sheet up, it absorbs light, not reflects it. To have a picture that’s not all muddy, you need a special screen. Most drive-in screens are permanent fixtures, not fold-em-up jobs. And we haven’t even begun to deal with the audio issues.

Now you’ve got issues of crowd control. There are multiple access points in mall parking lots. You’ll have to cone off areas without it interfering with people who are trying to access the mall. Malls often have restaurants around the perimeter that close later, so you’ll need to make sure their traffic isn’t impeded either. All in all, we are talking about enormous amounts of labor involved–probably not cost effective for a cineplex operation. Most drive-ins are independently owned; fewer & fewer are part of large chains. But all mall cinemas are chain ones (they’re usually the only ones who can afford the rest), so the profit margin expectations are going to be very high. As for concessions, there may be zoning issues involved, and you still have to deal with additional power hook-ups (as well as the pain-in-the-ass of having to move all the equipment necessary as well).

4

Remember that theaters make most of their money off of concession sales, not ticket sales. (Along with the arcades and game centers that most of the newer ones have.) There wouldn’t be much incentive to spend money to show movies to people outside the controlled environment in which the real money is made.

And while you may be hearing of renewed interest in drive-ins, I have to say that none of it has trickled down around here. Compared to stadium seating and digital surround sound the movie experience at a drive-in just can’t compete these days.

And then there’s rain.

5

You wouldn’t be able to see the screen if you are planning on using a regular parking lot, drive in movies had a slight ramp to park on as I recall.
It is much more comfortable to set in the theater than in an automobile to watch a movie.
What are your plans for cold weather (some drive ins had in-car heaters) or other inclement weather?

6

My $.02.

One reason that the drive-ins were/are on the outskirts of town was light pollution. In a mall parking lot, there is going to be a lot of ambient light from the neighbourhood surrounding the mall and that will affect the quality of the image.

Another reason that they are isolated is that they can restrict access to those who have paid admission (hence the fences around the drive in).