Showbits

Spring has sprung, summer looms, and Hollywood blockbusters abound — though you may not want to spend the season in a movie theater… so don't! Instead, take in your movies in the great outdoors by patronizing your local drive-in.

It's easy to forget this artifact of a bygone era. The first drive-in movie theater opened on June 6th, 1933, in Pennsauken, New Jersey. Though that theater no longer exists, the second-oldest drive-in opened in 1934 and is still in operation, as are 393 others in 48 of the United States (sorry, Alaska and Louisiana).

I was plotting my own upcoming trip to the drive-in when, coincidentally, Major Nelson pointed out the venue's recent 75th anniversary. I thought I too would do my part by again highlighting this oft-overlooked alternative. I've previously written about the draw of the drive-in, and those attractions are no less true now. Most such theaters are open on Friday and Saturdays only, and it's tempting to fill those few weekend nights with expensive outings — but the more affordable drive-in needs your support today. So enjoy the great weather and some big-budget films in what's sure to be a memorable night.

It's time for a brief look back at 2007 — brief, because my theatergoing is not what it once was. The number of movies I saw in theaters has fluctuated wildly since a decade ago, though it seems relatively constant over the course of this millennium:

This past year was very similar to its predecessor, with me taking in 15 theatrical films. It is not the prohibitive cost that keeps me from seeing more movies: a genetic condition permits me free tickets to any movie, anytime. It's more a matter of the time investment and working around the theater's schedule, whereas I can watch as much of a DVD as I want, whenever I want. Theatergoing also has a more social element than sitting at home in my pajamas, so I'm further limited by other people's geography and availability. Add in the fact that I don't have TV service and thus am not exposed unwillingly to commercials and trailers, and it takes some other rare factor, such as brand recognition, to make me aware and interested enough to warrant seeing a film.

Of the 15 films I saw in 2007, the best were Live Free or Die Hard, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets. (I'd include Star Trek: The Menagerie as a theatergoing experience, but it technically was not a movie.) All three were rock'em, sock'em good action flicks that may've relied on tried-and-true formulae, but executed with finesse and humor.

This year's most disappointing movies were Spider-Man 3, 300, The Simpsons Movie, and The Golden Compass. And downright loathsome was The Transformers, which I recently saw the RiffTrax version of. Sadly, even Mike Nelson and crew could not improve on The Transformers, as I found it even more tedious on a second runthrough. Again, each of these films was based on an existing property, which perhaps led to high and ultimately unfulfilled expectations.

Which of 2007's films did you enjoy the most or least? Did I miss any you recommend?

Welcome to the holiday season! I hope everyone survived American Thanksgiving and Black Friday. I'm taking the holidays off from performing so that I can instead be in the audience of the many wonderful shows that open this time of year. Already I've seen My Fair Lady, The Importance of Being Earnest, Murder in the Wings, Reefer Madness, The Full Monty, and Seussical.

All these shows were produced by local community theaters, which offered stunning quality for a vastly more affordable price than Broadway charges. And with Broadway stagehands currently on strike, leaving Broadway dark, community theater is the only alternative for many of us who would otherwise be making an expensive holiday trek to the big city. Fortunately, it is an abundant and enjoyable alternative, with a full dissertation of the reasons why after the jump.

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After a week of blogging about Star Trek: The Next Generation, you might get the impression it's my favorite of the Trek series. Even I haven't decided if that honor belongs to TNG or DS9 — but definitely not in the running is TOS.

That's not an indictment of the show's datedness or lack of quality, but more simply a lack of exposure. The Original Series' debut predates my own by a decade, and since it has the least number of episodes of any Trek series and I cancelled my TV service eight years ago, it's simply not something I have much opportunity to watch. But I love the characters and have found that Kirk, Spock, and McCoy make for much more captivating novels than any other crew (especially Voyager's — blech).

Now comes the opportunity to watch The Original Series in a way previously afforded to only The Next Generation: on the silver screen. As a promotion for the November 20th HD-DVD release of Star Trek Remastered, the updated "Menagerie", which features footage from the rejected pilot "The Cage", will be shown in 300 theaters nationwide the evening of Tuesday, November 13th. "The two-hour screening includes a special introduction by Eugene 'Rod' Roddenberry, son of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, plus an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Remastered series," says StarTrek.com, which has links to both the press release and theater listings. (Yet another tip of the hat to Dayton Ward)

"The Menagerie" is one of the few episodes I have seen of TOS, but not like this. I already have my tickets and will my calling my father shortly to introduce him to this event, just as he did me to TNG two decades ago. If you've never seen Trek before, this might be the franchise entry point you've been looking for.

In anticipation of Spider-Man 3 — a new trailer for which was released this past weekend — I've invited several friends to a group outing.

One person accepted:

I love opening nights; there is an energy in the audience that is different from other movie experiences.

Another declined:

I would rather see the movie in a more relaxed atmosphere. I am not a fan of the battle for good seats, plus it's possible to get really bad seats.

I can see the advantages of both. So what company do you prefer: a large, boisterous, reactive crowd on opening night? Or a quiet matinee a few weeks later, perhaps at a second-run? And why?

Now that I've reviewed my first two films of the year, let me tell you where I saw them: the drive-in.

I'd been to such a theater only twice before: with my best friend and his parents in 1990 to see Die Hard 2 and Days of Thunder; and six years later, on a date, to see Dragonheart and The Nutty Professor. (Sadly, the crass humor of the latter film precluded any fogged-up windows.) Now, eleven years later, I've had what was my best drive-in experience yet: two friends, huddled under our respective blankets on what was likely the coldest Holy Saturday on record, watching two first-run comic book adaptations (TMNT and 300, in that order), doing our own MST3K when appropriate, glancing at the other screens (showing Blades of Glory and Grindhouse) when bored, and being appalled by the intermission snipes showing a hot dog suggestively leaping into a bun.

What a shame that such fun isn't more widespread! But alas, the drive-in is a dying breed: as of 2003, there are 432 theaters left — down from 815 in 1997, and 3,775 in 1950. But some drive-ins are being reopened or built anew; in 2002, the number of drive-ins actually increased.  As well it should!

The drive-in movie theater, first established in 1933, is not just a quaint artifact for moviegoers nostalgic for a simpler time. It's an effective, enjoyable, and unique venue for watching movies — one with many advantages over more generic multiplexes:

• Affordable — in my case, two movies for the price of one (charging by the head, not the carload)
• Bring your own snacks
• Control of the film's volume
• Control of the "theater"'s heat
• Talk with your friends as much as you want without disturbing others
• Conversely, other people talking won't disturb you, either!

The only disadvantage I encountered is that my car would turn off its electrical system after an hour of idling. If I didn't anticipate this by turning on the engine, the radio would suddenly cut out and we'd lose some dialogue.

That trivial inconvenience is easily overlooked for the wonderful opportunity presented by the drive-in.  MST3K alumnus Kevin Murphy wrote a wonderful book, A Year at the Movies, that describes how contributive the personality of the theater is to the experience of moviegoing. I can't think of anywhere that's truer than at the drive-in. Support your local one today.