My parents weren't rich, and for a family of 6, they said it was the cheapest enertainment going, and we had a blast . I Mary Poppins,The Godfather and Bladerunner and a billion Z-grade films, and loved them all because of Outdoor Big Screen .

I can still taste and smell the shrimp boats.

My best friend was the projectionist there -- not a bad job when you're only 17. One night, he asked me if I'd like to play guitar over the sound system before it was time to start the show. Sure, I said -- so I spent an hour playing the entire "Tommy" score. I earned a free hot dog, and I got to watch the movie, to boot. Good days.

A free hot dog is nothing to sneeze at ("nothing at which to sneeze" says the English prof in my head)

On the one hand, drive-ins in and of themselves are reasonably responsible uses of resources -- the land can be used during the day for open-air pop-up markets and other gatherings, they don't use nearly as many resources as indoor theaters (less in terms of buildings, HVAC). They're a functional alternative to indoor theaters for people with allergies, dietary restrictions or social phobias. They're an interesting cultural artifact of suburbia...

But they're an artifact of suburbia, of cheap land and heavy car use. They encourage oil consumption, and that land can't be used for much that grows since we don't have many ground cover plants that can withstand heavy car traffic. Drive-ins can't even have median trees like many parking lots because the trees obstruct the view. They contribute to light and noise pollution, and except in the milder climates, they're not really a year-round business.

My small town has movies in the park -- a walk-in/bike-in outdoor theater. I wish we had more of these because it's fun and good for the community to get together and share an experience. We could also do pop-up drive-ins in pretty much every big-box store parking lot in the country. I would like to see the outdoor movie theater evolve away from the car.

but they are mostly gone by now. There is only one drive-in left in the Twin Cities.

I remember going to the drive-in with my parents and brothers in my rural Minnesota small town. Of course mom would pop popcorn at home and we would be in our pajamas. The movie would most likely have been a western that my father was willing to watch.

As a teen, the drive-in was a gathering place. In the summer college years, there was a lot of drinking going on (of course) but that is to be expected. That drive-in has been closed for at least 25 years.

I am sure you will get a kick out of the name of the drive-in I'm writing about. It's the first name of the guy who owned it.

http://www.drive-ins.com/theater/mntgayd

Times change, society changes. In the 1950s they met a need for enough people that they made a profit. Now only a few people want to go to drive-ins. If there isn't enough customer support, then that is society's way of saying that it is time to move on to something else.

last month pulling into Glen Falls & Lake George there was a large stream of cars lining the highway all heading into the drive-in which show a few movies (all newly released) The ice cream stand was mobbed a couple of doors away. In these lean times people are finding out it doesn't take a small fortune to have fun. Even minature golf is a distraction the kids seems to love. The drive in is cheaper than the regular theaters and much cheaper than a major league ball game...besides you can put the little ones to sleep. In my youth we used to get my buddies parents station wagon... a few air mattess's some on the roof and some in the back and all the lawn chairs...we'd sneak in some Boone's Farm wine and we had a great time.