History Main / DriveInTheater

'''The Fall:''' Drive-ins gradually declined for a number of reasons. The real estate they used became too valuable to "waste" on a business which could operate for only a few hours a day, a few months a year, and even then was subject to bad weather. Meanwhile, audiences began turning to cable TV and [[HomeVideoTropes home video]] for their movie fix, or hitting up the then-new concept of the multiplex theater. Some drive-ins responded by changing their emphasis from family fare to the [[DarkerAndEdgier increasingly violent and sexually explicit]] exploitation and [[HorrorTropes horror]] films that were, ironically, the successors to the 1950s {{B Movie}}s.

* The 1976 comedy film ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074433/ Drive-In]]'', about teens having a wild night at a drive-in in Texas.

* One of the last episodes of ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', "[[Recap/CheersS11E18 The Last Picture Show]]", has Woody, Norm, Cliff, and Frasier going to a local drive-in to watch its losing-down event, a marathon of ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' movies. They conclude that drive-ins are overrated -- tinny speakers, people blocking your view -- and that they're really nostalgic for their youth. They go home early.

[[caption-width-right:350:An iconic image from the drive-in's heyday. The movie is ''Film/TheTenCommandments''.]]

[[folder:Fanfic]]

* In the first issue of the original ''ComicBook/TheTransformers'' comic, the Autobots go to a drive-in theater during their first night on Earth, thinking that cars and trucks are sentient and that the drive-in is a church of some sort. It takes them a while to realize it's the little fleshy things ''inside'' the cars that are the ones watching the movie.

At the beginning of TheNewTwenties, drive-ins saw a return to popularity for an unexpected reason: as the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic made its way around the world, people realized that drive-ins were a good way to see movies in public while still maintaining physical distancing. As Rick Cohen, owner of the Transit Drive-In Theatre in Lockport, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New York]], told ''[[https://variety.com/2020/film/features/drive-in-movie-theaters-coronavirus-safety-measures-1234612749/ Variety]]'': “Drive-ins aren’t having a resurgence. Drive-ins have been doing well. It’s a resurgence of the media remembering that drive-ins still exist.” Also, during the 2020 Presidential campaign, Democratic candidate UsefulNotes/JoeBiden, his running mate Kamala Harris, and Biden's former boss UsefulNotes/BarackObama began appearing at drive-ins to have safe political rallies, with the audience staying in their cars and honking their horns instead of applauding.

* The first present-day sequence in ''Film/JurassicWorldDominion'' sees Rexy the ''Tyrannosaurus'' being pursued into one and causing mayhem.

* The VHS releases for ''Series/ShiningTimeStation'' had an additional FramingDevice[[note]]The series itself was a FramingDevice designed to introduce ''WesternAnimation/ThomasTheTankEngine'' to American audiences[[/note]]. The episodes were being played at the Shining Time Drive-in, and before the main feature began, there'd be, amongst other things, a KitschyLocalCommercial for Schemer's Arcade. After the episodes, there'd be a short film from "Schemer Presents", a series of instructional videos made and presented by Schemer, which the voiceover notes, "We had nothing to do with it".

** An intact drive-in also appears in virtual Steelport during a mission near the beginning and end of the fourth game. Unfortunately, once these missions in 50s Steelport are over the player can't return there and none of the objectives or side content use it for anything, its just there for effect.

** The GatOutOfHell expansion also has the remains of a drive-in theater in hell's entertainment district.

* The ''WesternAnimation/TwoStupidDogs'' episode "At the Drive-In". Watching the movie, Little Dog comments on how bad the movie is and wonders why people would go there. [[GettingCrapPastTheRadar Cue the]] [[AutoErotica bouncing and rocking cars]]. When they first tried to get in, Little Dog tried to buy ''one'' ticket but the woman at the booth noticed they were in two. Little Dog said Big Dog was his dog and she told him pets weren't welcome. Little Dog then drove away, hid Big Dog inside the trunk, returned and bought a ticket. Big Dog entered for free. Little Dog also wanted to enter for free so they exited and Big Dog drove back in, buying a ticket. [[ComicallyMissingThePoint Little Dog was happy he entered for free]].

At the beginning of TheNewTwenties, drive-ins saw a return to popularity for an unexpected reason: as the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic made its way around the world, people realized that drive-ins were a good way to see movies in public while still maintaining physical distancing. As Rick Cohen, owner of the Transit Drive-In Theatre in Lockport, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New York]], told ''[[https://variety.com/2020/film/features/drive-in-movie-theaters-coronavirus-safety-measures-1234612749/ Variety]]'': “Drive-ins aren’t having a resurgence. Drive-ins have been doing well. It’s a resurgence of the media remembering that drive-ins still exist.” Also, during the 2020 Presidential campaign, Democratic candidate (and eventual winner) UsefulNotes/JoeBiden, his running mate Kamala Harris, and Biden's former boss UsefulNotes/BarackObama began appearing at drive-ins to have safe political rallies, with the audience staying in their cars and honking their horns instead of applauding.

At the beginning of TheNewTwenties, drive-ins saw a return to popularity for an unexpected reason: as the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic made its way around the world, people realized that drive-ins were a good way to see movies in public while still maintaining physical distancing. As Rick Cohen, owner of the Transit Drive-In Theatre in Lockport, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New York]], told ''[[https://variety.com/2020/film/features/drive-in-movie-theaters-coronavirus-safety-measures-1234612749/ Variety]]'': “Drive-ins aren’t having a resurgence. Drive-ins have been doing well. It’s a resurgence of the media remembering that drive-ins still exist.” Also, during the 2020 Presidential campaign, Democratic candidate UsefulNotes/JoeBiden, his running mate Kamala Harris, and Biden's former boss UsefulNotes/BarackObama began appearing at drive-ins to have safe political rallies, with the audience staying in their cars and honking their horns instead of applauding.

At the beginning of TheNewTwenties, drive-ins saw a return to popularity for an unexpected reason: as the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic made its way around the world, people realized that drive-ins were a good way to see movies in public while still maintaining physical distancing. As Rick Cohen, owner of the Transit Drive-In Theatre in Lockport, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New York]], told ''[[https://variety.com/2020/film/features/drive-in-movie-theaters-coronavirus-safety-measures-1234612749/ Variety]]'': “Drive-ins aren’t having a resurgence. Drive-ins have been doing well. It’s a resurgence of the media remembering that drive-ins still exist.” Also, during UsefulNotes/JoeBiden's Presidential campaign, he, Kamala Harris and UsefulNotes/BarackObama began appearing at drive-ins to have safe political rallies, with the audience staying in their cars and honking their horns instead of applauding.

At the beginning of TheNewTwenties, drive-ins saw a return to popularity for an unexpected reason: as the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic made its way around the world, people realized that drive-ins were a good way to see movies in public while still maintaining physical distancing. As Rick Cohen, owner of the Transit Drive-In Theatre in Lockport, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New York]], told ''[[https://variety.com/2020/film/features/drive-in-movie-theaters-coronavirus-safety-measures-1234612749/ Variety]]'': “Drive-ins aren’t having a resurgence. Drive-ins have been doing well. It’s a resurgence of the media remembering that drive-ins still exist.”

A few drive-ins even showed outright pornography. This was often the only choice some of these theatres had to be able to survive, as it was often difficult to get regular "first run" movies from the major studios, often requiring them to wait 4-5 months after a film's initial release. However, this practice of showing soft-core and even hard-core porn where it is publicly visible angered people who lived in the residences near the theatre property, who might not want to have an X-Rated film showing where they - or their kids - could see explicit sex acts being performed (on a 50-foot high screen no less!) A number of drive-in operators were put on trial over the content of the films they showed, and some communities tried to ban showing porn flicks at drive-ins. Until one owner fought back. In the case of ''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erznoznik_v._City_of_Jacksonville Erznoznik v. City of Jacksonville]]'', the United States Supreme Court struck down an ordinance that tried to ban such films at drive-ins, finding the ban violates the first Amendment as excessively broad.

During {{intermission}}s, drive-ins traditionally show [[AdvertisingTropes advertisements]] for the snack bar, as well as {{public service announcement}}s, ads for local merchants, [[NoTalkingOrPhonesWarning safety messages]] and reminders of when the next movie is going to start ("10 minutes to showtime!"). These peppy, often animated ads have a following of their own; many are available on DVD compilations and in the Internet Archive's [[http://www.archive.org/details/DriveInMovieAds Moving Image Archive]].

* Bally's ''Pinball/CreatureFromTheBlackLagoon'' takes place in one of these. The player and his date are settling down for a viewing of the titular movie, but must deal with obstructing cars, the snack bar, {{peeping tom}}s, and other moviegoing nuisances.

** Doofenshmirtz used to watch drive-in movies from one of his windows (despite being unable to hear the stories) until a new building was erected between the drive-in theater and the headquarters of Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. He could have solved the trouble by moving his chair and the lamp to another window but he instead tried to move the building away.

** Another ''B&B'' example: In the {{revival}} episode "Tech Support", the boys go to the site of an shuttered drive-in ("Abandoned drive-ins kick ass!"), only to find an office building in its place.

* ''Night of the Living Dead: Hunger'' has zombies attacking unsuspecting moviegoers at a rundown drive-in theater.

* In the Film/{{Mihmiverse}}, ''Film/TheGiantSpider'' has a scene at the Phantom Lake Drive-In, with Creator/ChristopherRMihm doing a CreatorCameo as the owner.

* In the Franchise/{{Mihmiverse}}, ''Film/TheGiantSpider'' has a scene at the Phantom Lake Drive-In, with Creator/ChristopherRMihm doing a CreatorCameo as the owner.

* The 1976 comedy film ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074433/?ref_=nv_sr_5?ref_=nv_sr_5 Drive-In]]'', about teens having a wild night at a drive-in in Texas.
* The 1978 film ''[[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076055/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1 French Quarter]]'' ends by BreakingTheFourthWall and telling viewers, "Hang up your speakers and drive home safely!"

Another common tactic was for drive-ins to add multiple screens. Some rented their land during the day to other businesses, such as flea markets -- or managed such businesses themselves. Especially in urban areas, the vast expanses of land necessary for a drive-in became too expensive to maintain, and the land was sold for redevelopment because it just wasn't financially feasible to keep it open. Therefore, many drive-ins were forced to close between TheSeventies and the TurnOfTheMillennium. In many cases, the land was even turned over to build a shiny new multiplex theater. It seemed that the drive-in was headed for extinction—or was it?

At the beginning of TheNewTwenties, drive-ins saw a return to popularity for an unexpected reason: as the UsefulNotes/CoronavirusDisease2019Pandemic made its way around the world, people realized that drive-ins were a good way to see movies in public while still maintaining physical distancing. As Rick Cohen, owner of the Transit Drive-In Theatre in Lockport, [[UsefulNotes/NewYorkState New York]], told ''[[https://variety.com/2020/film/features/drive-in-movie-theaters-coronavirus-safety-measures-1234612749/ Variety]]'': “Drive-ins aren’t having a resurgence. Drive-ins have been doing well. It’s a resurgence of the media remembering that drive-ins still exist.”

* One of the last episodes of ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', "[[Recap/CheersS11E18 The Last Picture Show]]", has Woody, Norm, Cliff, and Frasier going to a local drive-in on its last night of operations. They conclude that drive-ins are overrated -- tinny speakers, people blocking your view -- and that they're really nostalgic for their youth. They go home early.

* On an episode of ''Series/{{Cheers}}'', Cliff, Norm, Frasier and Woody go to a ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' marathon at a drive-in - it was the drive-in's closing-down event.