Drive-in movies going digital

One of my fondest childhood memories is going to drive-in movie theaters. Growing up in Clark County, at one time I remember five locations to pick from: the Melody, New Moon, Stardust, Show Boat and Park Layne.

My family would go Friday and Saturday nights, with my sister and I basing our choices on which one had the best playground. When I was old enough to hold her hand and take her to the swings by myself, I knew I was getting to be a “grown up.” Although not as grown up as I thought. It took us a while to figure out why Dad would sometimes drape his big arm across the seat back and say, “you girls lay down for a minute.”

Nowadays, with film switching to digital, equipment costs have forced many drive-ins to “go dark.” The only one left in Clark County is the Melody, and the Dixie Twin in Vandalia and the Auto Vue in Sidney are asking for your help to modernize. Honda America is holding a contest called “Project Drive-In.” It’s to help five drive-in theaters with digital projectors. Visit projectdrivein.com for more info.

The tinny speakers are long gone, now you listen to the movie through your car radio, which greatly reduces the risk of drive-offs and those unsightly cord tails. Sure, it’s easier to watch a movie at home or in the “walk-in” theater, but nothing can take the place of the drive-in experience.

Sure, station wagons have given way to pickup trucks, but you’ll still find blankets and pajamas mixed among the toddlers, teens and couples and the sound of crickets makes for a real life movie soundtrack on a warm summer night. I still love intermission with the “let’s go out to the lobby” dancing snacks and the creepy clown clock, “show starts in five minutes!”

The marching snacks are in full force behind a forlorn Danny in the movie “Grease” after he was “stranded at the drive-in” by Sandy. In 1996’s “Twister,” a group of chasers finds shelter just as a tornado rips through a drive-in showing “The Shining.” Blake Shelton used a drive-in movie to shoot the video for his remake of “Footloose.”

Joe Diffie’s 1994 smash “Pick-up Man” paid homage to the glories of drive-in movies as a way to attract the opposite sex. “Most Friday nights, I can be found, in the bed of my truck on an old chaise lounge. Backed into my spot at the drive-in show, you know a cargo light gives off a romantic glow. I never have to wait in line at the popcorn stand, ‘cause there’s just something women like about a Pick-up Man.” Vince Gill took to the concession stand to record his 1991 video for “Liza Jane” when rain dampened an outdoor shoot.

Drive-ins movies have been around for years, and truth be told, may have contributed to future generations of movie-goers. So, as we celebrate their history, let’s welcome their future, especially if you pass a car with steamed-up windows.

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