The Drive In

I remember as a child living in South Africa, going to the drive in movies with our parents in an old beat up Volkswagen Beetle. They would lay down the back seat and we would curl up under a blanket "asleep" to be able to into 18/R rated movies, so they could see them without having to hire a babysitter. I guess I must have been around 9 or 10 because the movies I remember came out in the late 70s.

We saw a terrible B movie, The Car and what I thought at the time as hilarious, although now who knows, The Last Remake Of Beau Geste, but I remember it as a very cool experience. Care all around, windows rolled down a bit, speaker on a cable, hung on the side window. At the time, of course, I didn't know it was really an American institution.

It was much later through the magic of television and my exposure to American TV shows, that I learned just how much of an icon the drive in was. Of course with the advent of modern cinema, surround sound, air conditioning, etc, they have all but faded away. We did' however, have an opportunity with some friends of ours to visit one of the few remaining, a couple of weeks ago.

Up in Kenosha, just over the WI border, they still have one, and it seems to be pretty popular. People drive up there with a car load of people, some lawn chairs, some beers, some picnic food, and in our case an inflatable mattress for the kids in the back of the pick up, and can watch a double feature of recent movies for under $10 per adult.

We saw Shrek 4 and Iron Man 2. Now; would I have enjoyed those movies in a modern theater with all mod cons? Absolutely! but for us the experience, hanging with our friends, and taking in a piece of history was infinitely more fun, and we will definitely do it again.