A double feature:
"Drive-in theaters endure as thrifty alternative" by Brooks Barnes | New York Times, August 19, 2012
MONTCLAIR, Calif. —Another 1950s-era symbol of Southern California — the drive-in movie theater — continues to thrive....
Drive-ins remain a fragile business.
I could do without the plot contradictions.
Only 368 remain in the United States, and their numbers are dwindling by two or three a year, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association. But some survivors, like Mission Tiki, appear to be chugging along just fine — a few are even gaining steam — as a more affordable option to the multiplex....
This movie sucks.
Drive-ins are where thriftiness and a fondness for the past converge with escapist entertainment — under the stars, no less.
Yeah, and you don't have to worry about some assassin shooting up the theater.
Soupy cheese fries are part of the deal, footballs occasionally fly past the windows, and the romance in the next car can be more deserving of an R rating than the movie. And while the crackling speakers of old have been replaced by low-frequency radio transmissions, no one is expecting a state-of-the-art presentation — a good thing, considering that the headlights of late-arriving cars can end up co-starring with the characters on screen....
I'm also tired of the elitist corporate mouthpiece of bankers telling us how great the drop in standard of living is as they get phat.
The drive-in obituary has been written repeatedly. The first drive-in opened in 1933 in New Jersey, and about 4,000 were operating by the late 1950s. The solidification of daylight saving time in the 1960s contributed to the drive-in’s downfall, forcing later starting times. Widespread sales of color televisions hurt, too. Later, the VCR and multiplexes — called hardtops in movie theater parlance — took a toll.
And real estate development is a continuing threat. Drive-ins can occupy 30 acres or more, and originally were often built on low-value farmland. But urban sprawl eventually caught up, with shopping mall builders in particular buying and razing the outdoor theaters....
There is no publicly available box-office data for drive-ins, but....
The AmeriKan media has a nice filler of an anecdotal article for you.
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You want anything from the snack bar?
"‘Jaws’ draws fans of the 1975 classic to Martha’s Vineyard for festival" by Adam Sege | Globe Correspondent, August 12, 2012
EDGARTOWN — “Jaws” fanatics from across the country have descended on the island where the 1975 cinema classic was filmed, gathering in packs of diehards to hunt down actors from the movie and prowl the locations where legendary scenes were shot.
The second-ever Jawsfest started Thursday....
Seven years after the island’s first Jawsfest, this year’s sequel has consisted of a four-day lineup of autograph signings, panel discussions, and a Saturday evening screening of the film....
That's when I drove off, I mean, stopped reading.
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