in the UK,
it appears that Drive In movie theaters in the USA could be on the up and up, photograph by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images, the current shutdowns have closed thousands of cinemas
worldwide, but what The Hollywood Reporter (THR) describes as a drive-in
“mini-boom” is taking place, with people safe in their cars as the projector
starts up, it’s proving a fun social distancing experience!, CNN reports that there are over 300 drive in's in the USA, I wonder how long it will be before the UK has a chain of drive in theaters if the trend continues?
I used to go to my local drive-in as a kid all the time. The drive-in is still there, though it hasn't shown films now for five or ten years. Drive-ins usually showed two movies, starting at sunset: first was typically a "PG" movie, and then after that, an "R" movie.
ReplyDeleteDrive-ins lost popularity with the advent of the "multiplex" cinemas that started during the 1970s. Drive-ins had a tough time competing because they were seasonal (summer only), limited to night-time hours and a lack of rain, and limited to only showing two movies.
However, the upside is that they were extremely low capital to start up, and could be profitable when they drew a crowd: All you needed was an empty field (preferably graded to tilt the cars upwards a bit towards the screen), a billboard-sized wall, and a shack to house the projector, toilets, and concessions. (Sound was delivered via a small-range radio broadcast to car stereos, although back in the 1950s and 1960s, they had speakers at each parking spot that you hung from your window.) Movie tickets were sold per car, not per person. Also you could bring in your own food and have a picnic if you wanted. I could see drive-ins making an appearance in England as a niche/kitsch thing, but not in any serious way. These days, home theaters are obviously the go-to choice for "social distancing" at the movies.
Dear Jil, it seems like a great idea, and I am sure it could have a revival in many states in the US, unfortunately over we have to factor in the weather, which regrettably would make it a non starter for many months of the year, but watching old movies where a waitress clips your food on to the window of the car as you sit inside looks so cool, best regards, Stan and Diana.
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