page_title: Drive-in theater
section_title: Revival and new drive-in formats (late 1990s–2000s)
hierarchical_section_title: Drive-in theater / History / Revival and new drive-in formats (late 1990s–2000s)
caption_attribution_description: English: Movie screen and marquee at the Superior Drive-In Theatre in Dickinson County, Iowa, on U.S. Route 71 and Iowa State Highway 9 south of Jackson, Minnesota.
context_page_description: A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars. Some drive-ins have small playgrounds for children and a few picnic tables or benches.
  The screen can be as simple as a wall that is painted white, or it can be a steel truss structure with a complex finish. Originally, the movie's sound was provided by speakers on the screen and later by individual speakers hung from the window of each car, which were attached by wire. These systems were superseded by the more practical method of microbroadcasting the soundtrack to car radios. This also allows the soundtrack to be picked up in stereo by the audience on in-car stereo systems, which are typically higher in quality and fidelity than the simple speakers used in the old systems.
context_section_description: Beginning in the late 1970s, and extending through the mid-1990s, those drive-ins still operating acquired a quasi-novelty status, catering to the wave of "boomer nostalgia" and loyal patrons. This "retro" appeal eventually led to a revival of sorts by the end of the 1990s.
  This resurgence of the drive-in industry led to the inception of the "do-it-yourself" drive-in beginning in 2001, which used contemporary tools such as LCD projectors and microradio transmitters. The first was the Liberation Drive-In in Oakland, California, which sought to reclaim under-used urban spaces such as vacant parking lots in the downtown area. The following years have had a rise of the "guerrilla drive-in" movement, in which groups of dedicated individuals orchestrate similar outdoor film and video screenings. Showings are often organized online, and participants meet at specified locations to watch films projected on bridge pillars or warehouses. The content featured at these screenings has frequently been independent or experimental films, cult movies, or otherwise alternative programming. Aside from Oakland's Liberation, the best-known "guerrilla" drive-ins include the Santa Cruz Guerilla Drive-In in Santa Cruz, California, North Bay Mobile Drive-In in Novato, California, MobMov in San Francisco, California and Hollywood, and more recently the Guerilla Drive-In Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia. 
  A similar, more recent concept is that of the "boutique" drive-in, which caters to a smaller audience, generally 30 to 50 vehicles (with some also offering seats in front of the screen), while food trucks are often used as concession stands. Unlike the "guerrilla" format, however, this type of drive-in also generally presents mainstream fare, both current releases and popular classics. A key feature of this format is the focus on the "vintage" aesthetics of the drive-in. 
  Faced with the closure of Hull's Drive In in Lexington, Virginia, in 1999, the nonprofit group Hull's Angels formed to raise funds, buy the property, and operate the theater as a nonprofit venture specializing in family-friendly films. Hull's continues to be the nation's only nonprofit drive-in.
  By 2006, around 500 drive-in theaters were open in the United States, counting both regularly operating venues (around 400) and those that held showings sporadically, usually during summertime, the highest number since the mid-1970s. The industry also had a rebound in Canada and Australia during the early 2000s.
caption: A newly built drive-in screen near Superior, Iowa, 2009
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