New York, NY —
New York City. The city where you'd like to think you can get anything, at any time. One American phenomenon that never quite made it to Manhattan is the drive-in theater. Well, that changes tonight kind of.The Tribeca Film Festival under way in lower Manhattan is paying homage to the Drive-in by setting up a huge screen at the end of Pier 25 at North Moore Street for three nights of free screenings. There'll be cars from the 1950s on hand to help set the mood but don't even think about bringing your own car if you have one. This drive-in is not car-friendly. This is New York, after all.
The drive-in is a truly American invention actually it was born in New Jersey in 1933. Americans love their cars and they love their movies so it was only a matter of time before the two came together.
In many ways, drive-ins were not really about the movie. It was a night out.
Person: "It's a novelty. Let's face it to go to a drive in, to go to a movie and not get out of your car is an experience."
Michael Aaron Rockland, Professor of American Studies at Rutgers University.
He says drive-ins also appealed to the notion of having a communal experience -- while at the same time having your own private space. Rockland remembers a horror movie he saw at a drive-in, where the characters on the screen told the audience to shout...to scare away the monster...
"Suddenly a voice came over the loudspeaker that wasn't part of the movie, that was part of the folks who owned the drive-in ... multiplexes that you go to today."
Drive-ins, of course, were also favorites for teenagers who often used the privacy of cars to focus on things other than the movie...or at least try.
In the 1950's there were nearly 5-thousand drive-in theaters across the country though never one in Manhattan. Not suprising...considering the city's immunity to "car culture."
With rising property values and the advent of cable TV and VCRs the drive-in has gone the way of the Edsel...almost. There are barely 500 drive-ins left -- just a few within a couple hours drive of the city...and none...in its native New Jersey.
The Tribeca Film Festival will be showing "When Harry Met Sally," "Diner," and "Grease" at their "drive-in."
And...you won't have to worry about piling your friends into the trunk to get into this drive-in on the cheap. First off..it's free. Second...again, cars are not invited. Take the subway.
Tribeca Film Festival:
www.tribecafilmfestival.com
Tribeca Film Festival Drive-In link
Tribeca Film Festival Drive-In ticket info
Other Drive-In Links:
driveintheater
www.driveinmovie.com
NYC Area Drive-Ins
Fair Oaks Drive In Theater
Route 17M
Middletown, NY 10940
(845) 361-5774
Overlook Drive-In Theatre Incorporated
Overlook Road
Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
(845) 452-3445
Warwick Drive-In Theatre
Warwick Turnpike
Warwick, NY 10990
(845) 986-4440