The Santa Cruz SkyView drive theater closed after 58 years! Bummer deal for us locals. I love that place. Lots of fun memories! Sad to see the drive in go! I thought it would always be around! http://www.skyviewsantacruzonline.com/
"Why didn't they give us a chance to buy it and save our(?) drive-in theatre?" Why didn't those thousands of dedicated fans of the drive-in have just ONE who would have tried to put together a deal? Why? Because the whole deal is a pipe dream, that's why. The LAND is what's valuable at any drive-in and most drive-in theatre land is now inside large expanding cities. Now really, how many of these whining dedicated movie goers would have kicked in $10 or $20 or $50 or $100 or $1000 or more to "save their drive-in"? Not many I'd wager. The property/theatre/flea market owners/operators have one responsibilty and that is to make a profit to support their families or their investors while providing their customers with a quality product or service. This time, the customer was the Medical outfit and the product was dirt. Time marches on and we must accept some of the speed bumps it produces.
I DO agree with you here, on this and MANY other similar threads on the HAMB about destruction of "culture" In Japan today, there are less than 3000 Geisha (40% "maiko" apprentices) left and its very possible that they will be extinct in OUR generation.......should it be up to ONE private citizen or a concerned group of locals to pony up the moolah to save these valuable historic treasures, regardless of todays prices??? HELL NO......with all the CRAP our governments pay to keep for prosperity........Japan would be STUPID to let their Geisha's disappear AND the USA government would be stupid to pay for all those civil war re-enactments and crap like that, but let ALL the Drive-Ins and Burger Joints to be bulldozed in the name of culturally vacant condo developments. but its YOUR responsibility to tell your local politicians that PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THIS SHIT!
Sorry to see you guys are losing a great slice of Americana. Looked at the website and I will bet it was a great place to be! People will bitch sure enough, A local dragstrip in Ohio was, and still is in jeapordy of closing due to low profits, Many whined and reflected heartfelt tales of being there during its hayday. I asked the question "Who has been there in the past year paying entry fees and buying concessions, actually supporting the business? I know I had been. I saw no response. Businesses that are supported and make money rarely sell out. My $.02 Dave
What kills me is the drive-in that used to be down the road, they sold to become a strip mall... tore down the screen and projection house... then NEVER EVEN PAVED that half of the lot, built the strip mall across the FAR SIDE of the land... they could have just as easily kept the drive in, continued to show movies, and let the Little Ceasars that was in there for a while, or the Chinese place, be the concession stand. As if we needed another Chinese place within a mile of three others. It's been like that for 10 years now. The only drive-ins left around here are well out of the major towns and on odd size lots too small for any sort of real industrial development.
I miss the old drive ins. De-flowered many a young lady at the drive ins. My children may never be able to experience the same good times I had growing up. Here is one that has been saved locally. http://www.missiontiki.com/#
One of the most popular dirve ins around here closed this past summer. The land was bought by Bill Simpson. Hopefully Ryan will have another Cinematic show at the drive in this summer. Cool show!
Holy shit man . I did not even know about this one, And knowing is half the battle! . Been Dying to take my Girlfriend to one but thought they were all gone. Although I have already Deflowered her I would love to do it all over again "At the DriveIn that is"
As much as I hate to see the drive in you're refering to go away. At least it's not going to be turned in to a strip mall with a "fast" food joint and check cashing business.
When I was a kid in high school we had a drive-in, it was called the Stardust Drive-in and across the entrance road there was the Silver Slipper Raceway, on the LAS VEGAS STRIP !! Long gone but the great memories are still with me.
Lost many many Drive ins here in the metro detroit and surrounding areas in the past 20 years..they just keep falling off like old branches from trees.. It sucks..My wife and I love them, and go to one outside of Toledo Ohio regularly in the summer..good prices..2 or 3 movies..bring the kids..and the dog. Will defenetly suck when this one goes. Im sure its just a matter of time.
I would gladly put up some cash. $50.-100. is nothing! I would put $1000. on it right now if I could! They never offered it up! It was kind of a surprise to the public. It was a rumored deal for a while. But now it's real! They closed the Starlight Drive-In here in Watsonville years ago. I remember being in the back little compartment of my dad's bug watching Footloose when I was a kid! I went to pick up a car in Bakersfield a while back. The tow yard I picked the car up at was an old Drive-In with the speaker stands still up and everyhting. The guy told me they were clearing all the cars out to develope the property. It's a bummer the land is worth more than having a drive in!
that's so sad i love our drive-in here, the best date ive been on. watched the sunset behind the screen while they're playing 50's music on the radio....it was definatly something special. i think someday ill open a drive-in
We have one here ... 30 miles or so from my home ... It was closed for years and looked like this ... Some folks got together, bought it and reworked it. They have a special Cruise night every so often and show " Automotive type movies " like American Graffitti ... Rebel without a Cause ... A Elvis movie with a bunch of cars ... Bullit ect. It is neat to go and have almost all the vehicles be older, special interest types ... sort of like when I went back in the 60's and 70's. The concession stand prices are even decent ... and not at all outrageous ... Big Mo has a web page ... http://www.thebigmo.com/
Definetly a dying tradition.Over here in Houston we had at least 6 in the immediate area and for the last 10-15 years we have been without a single one.Although there is a brand new one about 30 miles outside of the city hopefully it will last.
their closing down the local drive-in "SKY VEIW" after the next season. really sucks! my buddy and i are trying to organize a giant invasion of people to cruise the drive-in a few last times naext summer. If anyone in the st. louis metro area is down let me know.
Hey, I'm in Houston and would really like to go see a show and support them. Do you have any info or a website on where this is?
We lost ours and Google gets a new server farm. The land is far too valuable for a group of people to save a drive inn. I wish I could have but developers are way to deep rooted in my city.
If any of your guys are into saving something of these drive-ins I would find out about saving ths signs, equipment, etc etc. Most of that stuff is going to be trashed anyway. Ask the owners if they will donate it. These items can be used to reopen a closed drive-in not threatened by development. Stop talking and do something or soon it will all be gone. All it takes is a little sweat and blood. Im sure you know this term owning an old car.
Sounds like it is time for me to organize a new movie night at the mission tiki drive in. I'll get my dates together as the owners are already game for it. Sad to hear your local place closed.
I wonder if the POWER of the HAMB could seriously be so cool as to WE ACTUALLY BUYING ONE . Holy Shit that would be some Awesome Rad Crazy feeling!
Want to keep your local Drive-In alive? Go watch a movie and for the sake of all thats good, buy stuff from the concession stand. Thats where the owners make their money. For you drive-in fans in South California, there's a group for you all. http://www.socaldims.com/ The Southern California Drive-In Movie Society. Plus there's a couple groups on Yahoo who discuss the drive-in theater experience. Of course if you can doa show at a Drive-In , by all means do it. Here's a couple shots from the Judy Drive-In in Mt. Sterling,KY Cassanova's Ford Drive-In owner Chris Erwin threading a certain legendary cruisin movie.
The Denver area lost one of its two remaining drive-ins after the 2007 summer season. The operators of the Cinderella Twin Drive-In say there's a slim chance for one more season in '08, but it is doubtful. Our car club gathered up some folks and went to see a movie on Labor Day weekend. Hard to believe they closed down. We went all the time in the summer, and every time the place was packed. Oh well, can't fight progress or the almighty dollar. I took some pictures of the place to save for years later down the road when we're all geezers and having a "remember when" moment. The old Cinderella will be missed! E
The Jalopy Journal
