Are Drive-In Movies Making A Comeback Or Is It The Return To Cinemas?
By: Vince Tabora
Tags: Technology, Movies, Culture, Entertainment, Cinema

It has been several generations ago when it was common to watch movies from your car. If you have kids, they might tell you that you can still do that, if you have an entertainment system installed. You would have to explain to them that you can watch movies from the inside of you car at the Drive-In Theater.

To anyone who has never heard of one before, it will not give any ideas. The “Drive-In” can trace its origins back to the early 20th century to Las Cruces, New Mexico. It was like any theater, but allowed audiences from their vehicles as well. It was a partial drive-in so it was not until the 1950’s when it would become more popular in American culture as cars became indispensable to modern living. That was the period most would associate as the glory days of the Drive-In Movies.

Old photo of drive-in theater in Camden, NJ (Source: Wikipedia)

Rise In American Pop Culture

Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s drive-ins sprouted across the US. Due to the weather in the more temperate climate states, it became more synonymous with summertime activities. People would drive their cars to the Drive-In Theater grounds where there would be a spot to park. Usually after parking, moviegoers would head to the refreshment stands to buy popcorn and soda. There is a big screen that will then show the matinee feature. It was just like going to the movie theater, but you are watching it on the big screen from your own car outdoors. Originally the sound would be transmitted from speakers, but could be too loud in some areas or even distorted. Later some drive-ins would install speakers next to each car stall for theater goers. For most of them, it was loud speakers that did not exactly have high-fidelity audio.

The typical drive-in theater (Source Wired)

One of the reasons the drive-ins would gain so much popularity during this time period (in my opinion) would have a lot to do with cars. This was a time when the US and other countries were enjoying the fruits of their labor and the car was one of those rewards. The drive-in and drive thru restaurants were also taking off to cater to the automobile era. This was a time when the US was also expanding its infrastructure that improved travel between cities. Going to the drive-in to watch movies inside the comfort of your car was one of those leisure moments you can enjoy with the family. It was becoming a pastime as familiar as going to baseball games. Gasoline was also cheap and the mindset at that time was far from climate change or pollution concerns.

Decline

The drive-ins decline started in the 1970’s. This coincided with the arrival of color television as a retail consumer product. Attendances dropped as more people could stay home in the summer and watch TV. Less people were coming out to watch movies at the drive-in when they could either just watch at home or get a better experience at a movie theater (i.e. the cinema). The movie theaters were also year around available and did not require a car to go to. At some point drive-ins tried to attract more attendances by featuring adult films or more racy themes. They also started hosting events in order to attract more people. While the drive-in of the 50’s embodied the “All American” experience that highlights the automobile, the 70’s was really about saving gas during the start of the oil crisis. This affected the US and the world economy leading to inflation. The 50’s seemed like fuel would never run out, but the 1970’s became a wake up call. It would lead to less driving, thus less attendances at drive-ins, but also new automobile designs that consumed less fuel and maximized efficiency.

A modern drive-in theater. (source Wired)

Drive-ins began to dwindle by the 1980’s, when the arrival of the VCR and Cable TV brought more home entertainment options to consumers. Flea markets began co-existing with drive-ins around this time. By the 1990’s only a few drive-ins remained in operation, but it was so rare that it was not something every kid experienced during the millennial generation. There were less than 200 (down from around 4,000+) drive-ins in the US and Canada during this time. The 90’s ushered in a new era in entertainment available in media formats ranging from VHS, Super VHS, CD, CD-ROM, LaserDisc, MiniDisc and DVD. Eventually it would be digital formats that would survive while analog formats like VHS would slowly fade away. This was also a time when video rental stores would begin to gain popularity (e.g. Blockbuster). By 2000, the drive-in was down to just a few locations and they were not all full time operations.

The 80’s saw a change as home entertainment products like the VCR hit the market. This built an industry of video rentals with the VHS format winning out over Betamax. More people can stay home and watch movie rentals instead of driving somewhere else.

The trends in modern living also did not favor expansion for drive-ins. It required investment in land, which can be a premium in major cities. Traffic is also a problem, Driving for leisure was mostly done on the weekends while on the weekdays driving was mostly for work. Getting stuck in traffic to go to a drive-in just wasn’t worth the time when it was better to watch movies from home or the more modern cinemas. Land developers also wanted to make more use of spaces for commercial activity. A drive-in is basically a parking lot, so in order to make money the moviegoers would have to be charged the cost of parking along with the movie ticket. That can jack prices up even higher.

The Return Of The Drive-In?

If it were not for social distancing and the COVID-19 pandemic, perhaps no business would have considered bringing back a drive-in. In 2020 that is exactly what some companies might consider. With movie theaters and cinemas shut down across the US due to virus concerns, the latest movies were being released direct to streaming platforms via the Internet. This could perhaps be the killer app for in person movie attendance. Some enterprising companies began to bring back the local drive-in as an alternative to allow people to watch movies again, conforming to social distance guidelines.

Social distancing has affected going to the movies, as cinemas closed during the pandemic lockdowns across the world.

Florida is one of those places where drive-in theaters are operating. There are other drive-in locations, but whether or not they will make a big comeback depends on the guidelines this summer. Some are just pop-up operations showing old classic movies and not really meant to be a permanent fixture. If movie theaters are to remain closed, then perhaps this is an opportunity for companies to build drive-in theaters. They could even be temporary since the cost of land is in itself by today’s standards an expensive investment. Perhaps the cinemas themselves could start this trend setting up temporary drive-in at fairgrounds or venues that can accommodate plenty of cars. In the rest of the country and the world, they are not really making a comeback because it is not like there is a sudden demand for people to drive-in to watch movies. More people are using OTT to stream content, so there is no actual need to build a drive-in theater from a business perspective.

The day and age of “Netflix and chill”. Video-on-Demand and streaming (OTT) services have grown in popularity, and became even more useful during the coronavirus pandemic. Consumers watching movies from home with more variety and convenience.

Now let’s talk reality. You really cannot cram thousands of cars in such little space. You can make more money cramming hundreds of people inside a movie theater with 5 daily showings than 2 showing at a drive-in for just a 100 cars or less. Space is really going to be important since the more cars you have, the more revenue you can generate. Next you need to build a screen large enough for all to see, otherwise the cars in the back will not enjoy the same movie as everyone else. Film projectors are becoming rare especially for drive-in theaters, so the use of digital projectors can be quite expensive to install. The logistics and planning of how to get cars in and out of the lot also comes into the equation, so perhaps the drive-in is really not the best idea moving forward but rather for certain occasions (e.g. film festivals, special screenings, etc.).

Let me also add a few more drawbacks regarding drive-in movies. Do moviegoers like the angle of how they are viewing the screen from inside their car? This is actually one of the major drawbacks for me. It is a much better view watching inside a big screen cinema rather than sitting inside a car. The windshield, other cars and people walking around the drive-in can be distracting while you are watching the movie. It is not as immersed and engaging compared to watching from the big screen or even from your own TV at home. Another drawback for me is the audio, which I think does not compare to a cinema or home theater surround sound system. A drive-in is open outdoor space where the acoustics are not as great as indoors. For audiophiles that is already a big thumbs down. I suppose for many people, a drive-in is more about a novelty experience rather than a normal way of watching movies.

Bringing Moviegoers Back To The Cinema

Perhaps the technological advances in self-driving cars and VR/AR (mixed reality) entertainment can bring moviegoers back to the cinema with new user experiences. The lessons learned from the coronavirus could lead to more attention to personal hygiene and protection. Spacing moviegoers at least 6 feet apart becomes mandatory practice in line and seating. There will be more hand sanitizers available. The staff will wear face shields and masks at all times. There will be transparent barriers (fiber or plexiglass) in place between seats inside the theater and also placed in ticket booths for separation between the attendant and the moviegoer when purchasing tickets.

Going to the movies may never be the same again. (The Grove LA)

Perhaps the use of self-driving robo-taxis like that operated by Waymo could strike deals with cinemas to drive moviegoers to the movies. This is one way to get moviegoers back watching movies when the cinemas are allowed to open again. The idea here is to provide transportation to moviegoers who get a special package offer to watch movies with ride service and refreshments provided. The catch is you don’t have to worry about the hassles of driving in traffic and parking, while getting some popcorn and drinks at a value price along with the movie. Self-driving cars do not currently operate in all major cities (as of this posting), but once they get the clearance it can be useful for such services. It will probably take some more time for self-driving cars to prove their record in terms of safety, so this idea is still down the road (as of 2020).

Self-driving car to the movies, maybe? (Photo Source: Waymo)

Another way cinemas can entice moviegoers again is by providing new user experiences via VR (Virtual Reality) or mixed-reality headsets. This is really only ideal if the content were made for a VR or AR style movie, so current movies cannot really be considered for this type of entertainment. The point is for filmmakers to begin experimenting and creating movies that do support this type of environment. The draw here is that you can only watch the movie in VR, and will not be viewable from regular displays at home. That can discourage piracy as well, so filmmakers will not lose out on revenue. It is just a matter of finding the target audience for this type of entertainment in order to succeed. Watching a movie with a 360 degree view using a headset may not be for everyone since some people could suffer nausea and the experience can lead to vomiting. The challenge is how to make the content mainstream enough to target a general audience.

Final Thoughts

I am all about the best experience when it comes to entertainment. I also do think that at the moment there are public health concerns regarding the pandemic in 2020. Moving forward, keeping cinemas shutdown is not going to go well with the owners and their workers in general. The film industry can adapt to OTT services already, which competes with cinemas. People will be out of work for good if it leads to permanent closures. Drive-ins provide an alternative, but I don’t think it is sustainable in the long term because of the required investment in land and equipment and actual user experience. It may not be profitable as well since there is a limit to the amount of cars a lot can hold, and there are many logistical issues to consider regarding its operations. That includes fire hazard safety and evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency. Liability on any person harmed would fall on the drive-in operator, so that would be a huge concern.

It is better to reopen the movie theaters again but with added measures for public health. People are willing to accept change if they can continue with a pastime that has been a part of our modern life. More screenings may even use outdoor movie theater setups during the summer, since open outdoor spaces might be more ideal for public health and safety (e.g. no recirculation of air that might contain virus and more space for social distancing). Adding new benefits and user experiences can bring back moviegoers as well, so long as there are perks that come along the way. While the film industry recovers from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, there are new lessons that can be learned from all this. People are going out less due to the coronavirus, more social distancing is in place and many prefer to stay home for streaming movies. This is not just about the changes that the pandemic has brought. I think cinemas and the film industry need to also explore new possibilities in order to adjust to the changes in human consumption behavior already occurring even before the lockdowns started.