Drive-in movies [Archive]

txteach

Oct 26, '08, 1:40 PM

My wife, daughter and I went to the drive-in in Hockley, Tx last night. We had a great time. Bought some BBQ and relaxed while we watched Max Payne (don't waste your time) and Eagle Eye. It cost 5 bucks each and my daughter wore her PJ's. We will be going back soon. Anyone else go the the drive-in or have good memories of going?

Mikey

Oct 26, '08, 1:51 PM

Drain

Oct 26, '08, 2:27 PM

There are no drive-ins left here in Oregon that I know of. I have only been to a drive-in once. That was to watch the second Aliens movie. Thou, at this time they ceased using the speaker boxes and broadcast the sound over a FM radio channel.

4NDR01D

Oct 26, '08, 2:40 PM

There a great drive in a couple of miles from my house, last one around for probably a hundred miles. Always great double-bills, Batman / Hellboy 2, Step brothers / Pineapple Express, kung fu Panda/ Wall-E etc And they will have all nighters with 5 straight movies, also has 2 different screens so if one movie sucks and your lucky enough you can just reposition your car. the only real negative is the mosquitos, I can't run my air conditioning without my day time driving lights coming on, so I have to have the windows open.

HardyGirl

Oct 26, '08, 2:43 PM

Ah, one of my fave topics!

Sadly, the last drive-in around here (Union City which is a ways away) closed in '96, I think. The last movie I saw at a drive-in was Independence Day. But my childhood and teens are filled w/ lotsa happy memories of going to the drive-in. I never went in my PJs, but I usually had a blanket and/or pillow. We used to bring lotsa good snacks. When I got older, my dad used to hide me and his girlfriend's oldest daughter in the back of the van under a ton of blankets (man, it was hot!), so he wouldn't have to pay for us!

I feel bad that drive-ins are the rarity and not the norm anymore. Those were good times!

Nostalgiabuff

Oct 26, '08, 3:29 PM

We have 2 in my area. My wife and I take our 3 kids almost every weekend. You can't beat the price and I can bring in a cooler full of food and beer and just sit back and enjoy the movies. We bring the kids in their PJ's and they are usually asleep by the end of the first movie. One of the local driveins is right across the street from FDR's mansion in Hyde Park NY. During the peak summer months there is always a new blockbuster at one of them so we have fresh movies every week. I feel bad for anyone who does not have a local drive in anymore. It's a lost piece of Americana

Seeker

Oct 26, '08, 3:40 PM

I was going to say it wasnt just the movie... It was the whole "Almost"camping out deal. Footy PJs in the back of Mom and Dads station wagon.... It was hanging out in the little playground waiting till it got dark..... It was making out on your first cool car date... It was the look of wow on your kids face when you took them their first time.

we lost ours a year ago to a medical office park. The last one in western NY is almost a hour away but its worth it to take the kids at least once a summer.

vulcan2074

Oct 26, '08, 3:43 PM

I Haven't been to a drive-in in Years. The Last time I went I was living in Wyoming. I went with a Bunch of friends. We had the Best time ever. Everyone there was having so much fun. I remember the people next to us brought a Sofa in the back of there Truck, LOL. There was Good Food and Drinks :beaming1:
Sammy

toys2cool

Oct 26, '08, 5:03 PM

Never been to one,they don't have those in Miami,but I heard there's one about 40 miles away,I might try it :grin:

thunderbolt

Oct 26, '08, 5:14 PM

We've got one here in the area. It still does a great business. We usually pick up a crapload of burgers at Mickey D's and then hit it. Growing up, it was the best. The parents took us to the one in Streator Ill all the time. I remember seeing several Apes movies and Star Wars there.

Hector

Oct 26, '08, 6:22 PM

Ah, one of my fave topics!

Sadly, the last drive-in around here (Union City which is a ways away) closed in '96, I think.

I lived a few blocks away from that Union City drive-in (ages 1-7)...I saw Planet of the Apes there with my family way back when it just came out in 1968...great and fond memories indeed.

Oakland had a three screen drive-in as well...and as you probably know...it's a fleamarket now. That one was closed aroud the same time the Union City one was closed.

toys2cool

Oct 26, '08, 7:07 PM

I lived a few blocks away from that Union City drive-in (ages 1-7)...I saw Planet of the Apes there with my family way back when it just came out in 1968...great and fond memories indeed.

Oakland had a three screen drive-in as well...and as you probably know...it's a fleamarket now. That one was closed aroud the same time the Union City one was closed.

The one they had here in the 80's was made into a flea market as well,it's now a target and a bestbuy

Hector

Oct 26, '08, 7:13 PM

The one that Hardy Girl was talking about in Union City has been turned into a shopping mall with a 25 screen movie plex.

HardyGirl

Oct 26, '08, 7:23 PM

I lived a few blocks away from that Union City drive-in (ages 1-7)...I saw Planet of the Apes there with my family way back when it just came out in 1968...great and fond memories indeed.

Oakland had a three screen drive-in as well...and as you probably know...it's a fleamarket now. That one was closed aroud the same time the Union City one was closed.

Actually, when we went to see Independence Day in Union City, the Coliseum one in Oakland was already closed.

Goblin19

Oct 26, '08, 8:09 PM

The only near me closed last year. I really wanted to take my kids once they were old enough. There's still 1 more left, but it's a bit of a haul. Drive-Ins are an unforgettable experience for a kid.

fallensaviour

Oct 26, '08, 10:15 PM

Good for you thats great.A fun thing to do for sure,great memories for kids.
We lost our drive-in last year.We used to take the kids every second weekend...

ScottA

Oct 26, '08, 10:32 PM

There hasn't been a drive-in open around here in 20 years. But I do remember going when I was a kid.

mitchedwards

Oct 27, '08, 8:42 AM

We discovered a nice drive in near our house. We saw Kung Du Panda and Indiana Jones there this summer.

Sadly they are now out of business

TEXASFETT

Oct 27, '08, 9:03 AM

We had one that closed down about 2 years ago was the last one here in San Antonio.Was the oldest running one Mission Drive-in.That place to me when scary when I was little.I saw Texas Chainsaw Massacre that freak me out at the time!!! Saw a lot of scary movies there even had them cool B-rated sci-fi films.There where a lot of chick flicks as well.I miss those days but seems like everything just dies out within time.

Tyme2tyme

Oct 27, '08, 6:48 PM

Jacksonville lost it's last drive-in just a few months ago. I took the wife and kids to see movies a few times in the last couple of years. Sure is a great loss to not be able to do it again, JOHN

Nostalgiabuff

Oct 27, '08, 7:06 PM

check out this link

http://www.driveinmovie.com

it lists by state all of the active driveins still around.

DocDrako

Oct 27, '08, 7:39 PM

In Sparks, Nevada where I grew up, the El Rancho Drive-In is still in business. We used to go all the time back in the 70's and 80's. I saw Star Wars there, as well as The Road Warrior, Popeye (Nooo!), E.T., Jurassic Park and many more. The men's restroom still has trough urinals. For the uninformed, a trough urinal is like a slim bathtub hanging on the wall that men step up to and use. I was recently visiting family there and it's still open.

Good Memory #1 - My dad and I went to see Jurassic Park, and his car had a tremendous bass booster in it. They did away with the window speakers about 15 years ago and what an improvement. We cranked the car stereo and "lived" Jurassic Park. It was awesome.

Bad Memory #1 - I went with my sister and brother-in-law to see Star Trek V and we all got drunk and passed out (I was a big Southern Comfort drinker back then). When we woke up, the drive-in was deserted. Just then an employee walked up and asked us if we were going to watch the movie again. We said no and left. It's the only bad drive-in experience I had. Plus I lost my wallet there. Luckily I was broke.

:grin:

megomonkey

Oct 27, '08, 8:14 PM

My mom always packed a Wonder Bread bag full of popcorn...

GeneralApeGuy

Oct 28, '08, 12:09 AM

We used to have 5 drives-in's within a 25 mile radius back in the 70's.
It was great.
about 1/3 of all the movies i've ever seen back then was at a drive-in.
Today, they're all gone.

Two have become self storage places today.
One is an outdoor fleamart today.
One was bulldozed and made into apartments
and one is now a junkyard.

Yeah, that's true..... I lived closer to the Drive-In's in the 70's in Texas City, TX, I had great fun with my friends there.

Funny thing is my friends and I did hid in the Truck's engine compartment then passed thru, also my 1 friend and I hid in the back left side of the van with black blankets covered us, my brother and his friend in the front seats. We're very lucky passed thru without getting cought! :grin:

In the mild 80's, all of Drive-In's are shutted down forever because the cops cought many people who did hid in the trunk of the cars and in the engine compartment of the full-sized puck up Trucks. I saw on the news about that before they're shutted down. I'm very disappointment....... 'cuz I love going back to Drive-In's again in the future.......

Someday I'll drive down to Hockley, TX at Drive-In.