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’Net Junkie Shawn "Speedy" Lopes |
Web sites offer a picture
of drive-in moviesHard to believe, perhaps, but it's been nearly half-a-dozen years since Hawaii audiences enjoyed a drive-in movie. It was Labor Day 1998 that Kam Drive-In, the last drive-in in the state, pulled the plug on its projector, following years of declining attendance and sagging profits. Many lamented its passing, as it represented the end of an era, though anyone with a bit of sense could see its time was nigh.
Yes, Kam Drive-In went the way of Royal Sunset, Kailua and Waialae drive-ins, along with a few which were already gone by the time I was born. In fact, nationwide, these outdoor theaters have been an endangered species for several decades now and the majority of those scant few sites which have been spared the bulldozer have been converted to full-time swap meets.
Those who are nostalgiac for the good old days may want to take a gander at Web sites like driveinmovie.com and drivein-theater.com, which both provide exhaustive databases of drive-in theaters in America, both surviving and extinct.
At driveinmovie.com, you'll find an impressive state-by-state update on drive-in theaters across the country, from Alabama to Wyoming; reviews of classic drive-in fare; and even a forum to retrospect. Click on "Reminiscing at the Drive-In" to view posts by old-timers from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., to Laconia, N.H., who get sentimental over memories of dollar matinees, bulky metal speakers, Chocolate Stars and late-night backseat romps.
By comparison, driveintheater.com, an interesting site in its own right, offers a history of the drive-in theater (first established in Camden, N.J., by Richard M. Hollingshead in 1933, by the way); links to surviving drive-ins; old drive-in print ads which date back to 1957; a screensaver; and a downloadable animated intermission sequence featuring the famous dancing hot dog and box of popcorn.
Despite dreary statistics, many die-hard drive-in enthusiasts still hold out hope for a return to its former glory. "Drive-in theatres have dwindled, but are being rediscovered and are recovering," says driveinmovie.com. "The drive-ins offer an experience that is larger than merely seeing a movie. Choosing to see a movie at the drive-in is an opportunity to support a fragile tradition and to help preserve the presence of the past."
Note: Web sites mentioned in this column were active at time of publication. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin neither endorses nor is responsible for their contents.
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’Net Junkie drops every Monday.
Contact Shawn "Speedy" Lopes at slopes@starbulletin.com.
