Every buyer pays an admission fee. And every one of them helps subsidize the continued existence of the Redwood as a drive-in movie theater. A separate line forms for each of the Redwood s six double features, with a marquee announcing the FM frequency to tune in for that theater s audio. In one line, the passengers in a pair of cars get out to chat while they re waiting. In another line, bags of fast food are passed from one car to another.
Patrons appear to be getting ready for something besides a movie.
They re getting ready for a social event. The gates open, and the patrons begin winding their way towards their respective theaters. Cars cruise slowly over the rises and falls of the asphalt like boats on choppy water, the headlights bouncing on and off the blank white screens. And suddenly it becomes clear that the drive-in army consists largely of a cavalry of SUVs, each one facing away from the screen so the cargo area can become a private screening room. But in many of the vehicles, it s a family night on the town.