The Drive-In

Whatever happened to the drive-in?

Depending on what you read, it fell victim to the VCR, land development, smaller cars, wide adoption of daylight savings time, or the sexual revolution. The spot where the drive-in was that frequented the most when I was young is now occupied by a Home Depot and Outback Steakhouse, so my vote's on land development.

Whatever the main cause for the drop in drive-ins from a high of 4,000 to about 400 today, it looks like the drive-in might be staging a mini and unconventional come back, courtesy of "guerilla drive-ins."

From the NYT...

They’re called “guerilla drive-ins,” or mobile movies, because there is no permanent theater. Organizers screen the movies on warehouse walls and in parking lots. And screenings don’t usually take place in the same location twice. Viewers sign up for a service that e-mails them with the time and location a few days ahead of each screening. The movies are generally free, and organizers accept donations to fund the few hundred dollars it takes to secure the location and projector.

I haven't been yet but definitely want to. To find out where a guerilla drive-in will be near you, click here to visit MobMov.org.