Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the American Drive-in Movie (2013)
Once a vibrant part of American culture, drive-ins reached their peak in the late 1950s with almost 5,000 dotting the nation. Although drive-ins are experiencing a resurgence, today less than 400 remain. In a nation that loves cars and movies, why haven't they survived? April Wright's lovingly made documentary, filled with archival images of hundreds of open and closed drive-in theaters, interviews with theater owners, operators and cinema luminaries attempts to answer that question.
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It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.
Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
The birth, the boom, the death and the (slow-building) rebirth of the drive-in movie theater, chronicled in this fun, if thin and low-keyed documentary from writer-producer-director April Wright. Outdoor theaters began to crop up in the U.S. in 1933, but it was in post-WWII America that Hollywood and the automobile made for the perfect marriage. In the 1950s, teenagers used the drive-in as a good excuse for getting out of the house with their friends, while in the late '70s many screens were turning to X-rated titles to turn a profit (which, along with many other factors, is credited here with killing the drive-in, if temporarily). Communities are shown turning out for the new era of the drive-in experience, while owners and aficionados wax poetic about the days of loading the kids in the car and seeing a double feature for a dollar on a Friday night. Entertaining memories and an avalanche of photographs (which go by at too-fast a clip, some too fuzzy to see and some repeated) make the happy/sad history of the drive-in theater a nostalgic journey, particularly for those who were around at their peak. **1/2 from ****
Believe it, or not, Drive-Ins have been around (at least in the USA) since 1933. But it wasn't until the late-1940s (and especially throughout the 1950s) that Drive-Ins really flourished, big-time, all across America, and beyond.It is estimated that in 1958 there were something like 5000 Drive-Ins going strong all across the States. While, in comparison, today, there are less than 400 still in existence.Through stills, vintage film clips, and interviews with historians and Drive-In owners, alike, this fairly interesting documentary moves its story along, decade-by-decade, giving the viewer a thorough history of this phenomenon known as the Drive-In.From Drive-Ins having to compete with TV in the 1950s, to the invasion of mall cinemas in the 1970s, to the video explosion and cable TV in the 1980s - The survival of the Drive-In (in the last 30 years, or so) has certainly taken quite a beating - But, according to what the experts say - "They aren't dead, yet!".So, with that said, who knows what the future holds for the Drive-In?