Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Missing That Big Ol' Outdoor Screen

A friend mentioned that he recently saw the latest episode of Rocky (and really liked it!), which caused a flood of memories for me. Back in the Carter era--Sweet Jesus, I'm old enough to recall another "era"--I was just at that age where going to the movies was something of a rite of passage.

It was, after all, the best place for a pre-teen kid who lived between two mountains to meet chicks.

There were
lots of terrific movies in 1976. I didn't see a damn one of them at Grove's Theater, though. And I blame Rocky! Week after week I'd glance up at the theater marque, only to see, again:

"Held Over For The [insert week number here] Week: Rocky!"

Week, after week after week after freakin' week...Summersville loved them some boxing.

Sometimes when the theater was so booked, my parents would load the kids up in the car and head to the Craigsville, WV drive-in. Dressed in pajamas and surrounded by snacks smuggled in, we kids would gorge ourselves on popcorn and soda until we fell asleep. This usually happened about the time John Wayne shot his first bad guy in The Shootist, or sometime before Wayne figured out who killed his best friend, in McQ.

My Dad sure liked The Duke. Still does.

Me? Never cared much for the guy. His movies were too predictable, his characters too superficial.

But, I loved the drive-in! Everything about it. I loved that you paid by the carload and not by the individual. Loved that you had to walk outside to get popcorn (after you finished the popcorn you smuggled in, of course), and could smell that carnival, state fair smell that comes from damp, packed-down grass and hay. Loved the speaker you had to attach to the window, before drive-ins went high-tech and began using the better-quality-but-less-cool radio frequencies to deliver the sound.

And, chicks loved the drive-in. A lot. That--in addition to the damp hay smell--was enough for me to fall in love with the drive-in.

The first formal date Mrs. Film Geek and I went on was at a Huntington drive-in. Looking back on it, I don't think she was that keen on packing a cooler of snacks, a couple of blankets and watching
Edward Sissorhands from the hatch of her Ford EXP. Beside cars full of people we didn't know. But the night was magical for me, at least.

It was the night I knew.

That drive-in, like most in West Virginia, closed in the mid-90s. A Wal-Mart was built there, then later a medical center. I was sad when the lot was torn down; it was as if part of my life was deleted.

A really important part of my life.

While traveling to Cincinnati this past weekend, Mrs. Film Geek and I drove past what I suspect is one of the last functional drive-ins in the area. Somewhere North-West of Portsmouth and South-East of Cincinnati was an honest-to-goodness movie drive-in, less than an hour from my home.

Gotta stock up on the Jiffy-Pop.


6 comments:

primalscreamx said...

I can relate. I saw Star Wars when I was seven at the Drive-in. I sat in the front seat of my parent's gigantic Blue Van and was mesmerized. The sky was full of stars and the inside of the van felt like the inside of a space ship.
You don't get that at the multiplex.

Charleston Catholic / Clay Center Project said...

I love drive-ins! There is still this one which isn't too far from where I live. You can actually dinner there and eat in your car. I'm so lucky to be able to share that with my kids. These old drive-ins are disappearing fast!

Anonymous said...

One of the highlights of my vacation to Myrtle Beach several years ago was our visit to a Drive-In where my wife and I watched Shrek and The Mummy. I love drive-ins!

larryosaurus said...

Drive-ins kick so much ass it's ridiculous. We had several in Kanawha COunty when I was growing up. I remember watching (no sh*t) "It's Alive" when my parents thought I was asleep in the backseat. I wasn't right for years.

If I recall correctly the Valley Drive-In in St Albans got the first run of "Jurassic Park" back in the day. That was a real coup for a Drive-In back then. I think they shut down a few weeks later.. :(

Also, I didn't say I liked "Rocky Balboa" alot, I said I LOVED it alot. I might even see it agian this weekend :)

Barbie Girl said...

I loved the drive in. We'd pack up the ol' Ford Station wagon. My sister and I would take sleeping bags and a big giant paper bag of popcorn. Aaaah, those were the days.

The Film Geek said...

Let's see, Jackie. You say you weren't "right for years" after seeing It's Alive, as if you are all fine and dandy now?

Ahem...

Hope you enjoy seeing Rocky Balboa as much the second time as you did the first!

Barbie Girl: Popcorn in a sleeping bag is sorty annoying. (Unless it's extra buttery, that is!)