Drive-In Theatres

I don't know how it is around the world, but here in Australia there are almost no drive-in movie theatres. Most people have never been, and probably will never go.

I'm here to explain why everyone should go to one.

When I was a child, there was nothing better than a drive-in movie. It takes about an hour to get to the closest theatre here. Despite there being a standard theatre not ten minutes down the road, I always picked the drive-in when I had the chance. We'd fill the back seat with blankets and pillows. Mum would bring chips and lollies from home because store prices are ridiculous.

The drive-in closest to our place is pretty cool. There were two screens and they would show two movies a night on each. You could watch one and leave, come for the second and leave or watch both. We always stayed for both. There are speakers between each parking space that you can bring into your car or, if you'd prefer, you could find the radio station that played the sound for the films and just use your car radio.

Or, if you're an anti-social teenager like me, use an MP3 player/portable radio with headphones. ^_^

Once there, Mum, Dad and I (and later, my younger sister) would lay at least one blanket, maybe two over the tray to soften it (lying on metal has never been all that comfortable) and cover the back of the tray with pillows to lie on. Some people used mattresses and for those without trucks, you could sit in the car or bring chairs with you. The tray was always my favourite though.
We'd hook the speakers onto the sides of the tray and bring out chips and whatnot. Basically, we were at a movie theatre with a bigass screen (bigger than standard theatres, trust me) and we could lie down and do whatever we wanted.

And the best part? You're under the stars. As a child, I loved being able to look up whenever I wanted and just stare. Something about the sky just gives you a sense of being. You're a part of nature. You can see the sky stretched over everyone and know you all belong there together. It brings a sense of unity. It's also kind of humbling, I suppose. Nothing like a huge expanse of sky to show you how tiny you really are. Oddly enough, that never upset me as a kid. I felt better knowing that there was more to life than me. That there was a huge expanse out there that we would never quite understand. And I very much liked knowing that.
I was an odd child.
Anyway, the stars were also a very good distraction. Boring part of the movie? Do some stargazing. Movie's over and you're waiting for the next to start up? See if you can spot a shooting star. Person in front of you is getting freaky with someone else in the backseat of their own car? Stare upwards and pray that they stop.

Even today I can't help but love watching movies with stars overhead. Really, you can see the stars without looking up as well. Behind the screen there is a row of trees, and just above that you can see the sky peaking through the branches. It was all very nice. And it adds to the atmosphere. Especially if it was cloudy. That always helps make horror movies so much scarier, or action movies so much more dramatic.

I've never had a chance to do this, but I suspect it's the best spot for dates, too. If you were outside of your vehicle watching the film during winter, it'd be really, really cold. Perfect time to bring out a blanket and snuggle for body heat, yeah? =3