There was a time when a night of good entertainment meant loading the kids in the car, driving to city limits and taking in a drive-in movie as dusk set in. Car-bound audiences munched popcorn and candy while watching the latest hit movies, as well as campy sci-fi and monster movies.
Drive-in theaters have fallen on hard times. Operators now compete with state-of-the-art cinema — equipped with cushy seats, surround sound and climate control — as well as increasing home access to millions of movie titles with only a few clicks of a mouse.
The death knell for the nation's remaining 357 drive-in theaters could be the digital switch. Movie studios have committed to a phaseout of all 35 mm film in favor of digital files to play films. The cost to theaters is approximately $70,000 for a new digital projector, as well as more to protect projectors from the elements.
Film critic Garen Daly told Boston Public Radio that New England's drive-in theaters aren't immune to the financial pinch. The area boasts many durable drive-ins that have weathered the decades and played films every summer. Their resilience will be tested by this digital switch.
Want to support a theater? Here's Garen Daly's list of New England drive-in movie theaters.
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont
