Last night we packed up the car with a ton of blankets, snacks and pjs (for the kid) and went to a drive in. It was a triple feature — not quite a “dusk-til-dawn”, but pretty close.
In the true tradition of multi-feature drive in experiences, the owners pieced together a disjointed, and terrible collection of movies. In this case, it was Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Prom, and I Am Number Four. Obviously, the draw was Pirates, but in our case the clincher for us parking in front of screen number one was that they were all rated PG. With a kid in tow, we actually exhibited some parental guidance and avoided the other screens with movies we both wanted to see.
But going to a drive in isn’t really about movies at all. It’s about the experience. The making of a nest of blankets in the back seat, the giant drinks in the car cup holders, and the visit to the circa-1965 playground directly in front of the screen, which features a pure metal slide at a solid 60-degree angle and a side rail that stands about two inches off the side (yes, we saw a 4 year old crash off the side about 5 feet from the ground).
This was our second drive in in about 11 years. We tried to go when Scarlett was two, thinking she’d fall asleep immediately, but after trying to watch The Bourne Ultimatum with her climbing on my head and honking the horn with her feet, we let it go.
This time, she was thrilled. Could she tell you anything about the plot of Pirates? Probably not, but neither could I. But all day today she talked about how it was such a special and fun night.
It made me think a lot about going to the Sundown Drive In in Saskatoon. Here are a few of the drive-in movies that I sat through back in the late 80s/early 90s:
- Edward Scissorhands & Home Alone
- The horror marathon: Pet Sematary, Friday the 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan, Near Dark, Hellraiser (I think) and The Accused. Yes, The Accused starring Jodie Foster as a rape victim. Sure, it’s horrific, but to pair it with Jason Voorhees slashing his way through Manhattan? Not so sure about that…
- Project X, starring Matthew Broderick and a monkey
- Return to Me, starring Minnie Driver and David Duchovny and a monkey heart & Serendipity (I can’t remember if there was anything involving a monkey in that one)
That’s all I can think of right now. Remember anything else from the days of my Lada at the drive-in (I’m looking at you, AT, EG and JC)? Please comment.
kp
very cute. and thx for the memories. I remember my mom taking me and my sisters to Meatballs/Saturday Night Fever/Enter the Dragon
One of the first movies I ever saw was the Muppet Movie, which we saw at a drive-in. I was about six then myself. I’m sure you made some awesome memories for Scarlett with this outing!
“HellRaiser” was not on the bill that night, there was only 5 movies, 10 teenagers and we were in 2 cars. We all watched “Pet Semetary” in one car.
“Home Alone” was not with “Edward Scissorhands”, but “Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story” (oh wait, it maybe that was on the other screen, “Home Alone” was with “Dennis the Menace”). Wasn’t “Return to Me” the one about Minnie Driver getting DD wife’s heart and “Untamed Heart” the one about the monkey heart with Christian Slater? I saw both of those on a plane. It’s possible we saw a “Lethal Weapon” at the Drive In. I saw “Meatballs” with “Stripes” once with my sister. I know there were more… I will have to think. The last drive in I went to I saw “AI”, “Angel Eyes” and “The Matrix”. I love the randomness of the drive in line up!
Yes! You’re definitely right about the monkey heart vs. human heart. Clearly both memorable movies (and yes, I’ve seen both). I also just remembered that My Dog Skip was the third feature with Return to Me and Serendipity. What was the fifth movie if it wasn’t Hellraiser? I felt like it wasn’t Hellraiser, but I can’t think of what it was. Wasn’t it that night that some dude went and sat in my car while we were all piled into the Firenza? And what was paired with Edward Scissorhands? I know that was a drive in feature for sure. Finally, good call on Dennis the Menace. I forgot that it was a “precocious kids” line up.
I knew I could rely on you!
We took the Lada and Dave’s dad’s car. And yes, We we were all in Dave’s car when someone sat in the Lada. That was the summer going into grade 12!! 1989!!! Funny. I think we saw 2 Friday the 13th movies… Maybe “A New Beginning”…. I’ll keep thinking.
I fondly recall kp stretched out in the back window shelf of the Scaddan’s burgundy buick. I will see if I can’t find a diary or something for some of the other lineups.
Saw Cannonball Run 1 and 2 at the drive in. I remember thinking that it was super appropriate. And at one point in my teenhood, I did sneak in to the drive in in a trunk.
Saw White Sands and Thunderheart in the rain. Bleh.
I loved that the concession had pickled eggs. Also pickled weiners – but I never bought those.