For the last thirty years, the movie theater industry had been innovating to give its patrons a more technologically impressive and luxurious experience. Customers came to expect more screens with better picture and sound, leather recliners, higher-end food and drink and add-ons like 3D. But with our modern temples to cinema closed, and with this year's summer blockbusters postponed, drive-ins -- even some that have been out of business for decades -- are reopening all across the country.
These charming relics offer a distinctly lo-fi and naturally socially distant way to watch movies. However, without a steady stream of new releases, drive-ins, too, will have to look to Hollywood's past. Drive-in movies need to be big, loud, timeless and broadly appealing, and these seven movies surely fit the bill.
THE WIZARD OF OZ
The Wizard of Oz is, according to the Library of Congress, the most seen movie in history, yet crowds flock to it every time it's rereleased (which is often). Most of us see it for the first time in early childhood, and many film fans consider it a profound, formative moment. The switch from black and white to technicolor still takes our breath away, 80 years after its debut. Add memorable songs and moving performances that hold up just as well, and it's inarguably one of the greatest films ever made.
CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
Any of Universal's Classic Monster movies would make for a fun night out, and a double feature or mini-festival would be sure to draw crowds. But 1954's Creature from the Black Lagoon, which tells the story of a doomed Amazonian expedition to unearth a murderous Gill-man, is among the campiest and works best as a summer movie. Drive-ins, which had their heydey in the 1950s, can't promise the same degrees of quiet and dark, and thus concentration, as can picture houses. The kind of artful, subtle films that sometimes win awards doesn't always translate so well to 70-foot screens and car stereos. Creature from the Black Lagoon isn't subtle or self-serious. In fact, it's as silly as it is scary, and is suited to an evening at the drive-in.
GREASE
Drive-ins have a vibe that teeters between wholesome and heady, and so it's no surprise that one is the scene of a date between opposites-attract lovebirds, Danny and Sandy, in 1978's Grease. The film has long been a staple at tween sleepovers and is based on a musical that has long been a staple in high school auditoriums. Grease famously touches upon some adult themes, but with an extremely PG-friendly tone, which means families can sing along with it a car over from teens looking to do some summer loving. Its retro aesthetic is a no-brainer match for any drive-in's marquee.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Back to the Future touches upon almost every motif that's associated with the drive-in. Small town? Check. A bygone era? Check. Lovelorn teens? Check. Cool car? You betcha. But Robert Zemeckis's 1985 summer blockbuster ups the ante with time travel, and because it's still so beloved 35 years later, it's now doubly nostalgic. The first in a successful franchise. Back to the Future is the kind of movie Hollywood keeps trying to make. It's large scale intellectual property that went on to become universally popular. But without key ingredients like Marty McFly and that DeLorean, it's hard to replicate the formula. Rather than showcase last year's subpar copycat blockbusters, drive-ins should just go back to what worked the first time.
JURASSIC PARK
Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park became an instant classic when it premiered in 1993, largely because it made good on everything it promised...and it promised a lot. It boasts a compelling story, earnest performances from its leads, a masterful mix of practical and computer-generated effects, stunning locales, adventure, humor, scares and enormous, mostly realistic dinosaurs. Jurassic Park somehow manages to play like a well-made B monster movie and a brilliant piece of culturally significant cinema at the same time. It's a movie that people happily see again and again, and it would be as exciting as ever at the drive-in, where the T-Rex would finally be life-sized.
INDEPENDENCE DAY
Independence Day is the perfect movie for a fourth of July weekend at the drive-in. Though it's faded from the zeitgeist, the 1996 sci-fi epic with a fantastic ensemble cast was a hugely consequential movie in its day, paving the way for mega-blockbusters like Marvel movies. It became the second highest-grossing film of all-time, and audiences were so enthusiastic about seeing it, it ushered in the practice of early Thursday night screenings. The film's scale is ideally suited to the drive-in experience.
CARS
Cars might not be Pixar's best movie, but it is the best choice for the drive-in, and not just because it stars anthropomorphic vehicles. The film lost some of its shine as it spawned the studio's worst work in its sequels and spinoffs, but the original is better and more heartfelt than most people probably remember. Through its simple story of a race car's detour, it teaches kids to slow down, appreciate life, avoid assumptions and prioritize being part of a community over "winning". Cars essentially takes place in a small town that feels like it's in the middle of nowhere, and because of the acreage they require, that's where you'll find most of the country's drive-ins. In that way Cars and drive-ins are a perfect match.