Take Five: Screen Gems

Southern drive-in theaters promise nostalgic nights under the stars
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web-Starlight_hi-resStarlight Drive-In Theatre
Atlanta, Georgia

Long before Atlanta earned its film-industry cred, Starlight Drive-In Theatre was making movie magic. Sixty-seven years old and open nightly, the local landmark boasts first-run films on four screens, often showing double features on at least one. Popcorn and candy are available at the concession stand, but regulars opt to bring their own picnics, wolfing down pizza and buckets of chicken in their blanket-covered truck beds. For the full monty, make a trip to the weekend Swap Meet, a daytime spectacle that transforms the theater’s grounds into a gargantuan garage sale. starlightdrivein.com

web-Jesup_DriveIn3(32)Jesup Drive-In Theatre
Jesup, Georgia

Located an hour and a half southwest of Savannah, the oldest drive-in theater in Georgia is dated—in a good way. When owners Ralph and Jamie Hickox bought the drive-in in 2012, they decided to restore 1950s panache to the venue, which turns sixty-eight this year. Throughout the double feature, carhops dressed in poodle skirts and horned-rimmed glasses deliver diner fare: root beer floats with hand-scooped ice cream, funnel cakes, hot dogs, burgers, dill pickles, and more. One modern-day difference? Moviegoers may text their menu orders from their cars. jesupdrivein.com

web-Raleigh-Road-Drive-In-Theatre---After-2007-renovationRaleigh Road Outdoor Theatre
Henderson, North Carolina

Not much has changed at Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre since opening night, July 15, 1949. Then called the “Moon-Glo,” the 265-spot theater played Ali Baba & The Forty Thieves on the same screen graced by first-run films today. The venue traded window speakers for Drive-In Radio long ago, but the concession stand still serves American classics with a twist: Funnel cake fries drip with homemade glaze; and the WowBurger, served all the way, is best with a scoop of chili. Feel free to bring your dog, too; the theater provides treats for canine cinephiles. raleighroaddrivein.com

1-PEACHFRONT 1-30-2015 10-47-54 AMMonetta Drive-In Theatre “The Big Mo”
Monetta, South Carolina

Few theaters feel as welcoming as Monetta Drive-In Theatre, aka the Big Mo. About forty-five minutes southwest of Columbia, South Carolina, the theater plays double features on three screens from March to November, hosting special events such as pajama nights, cookouts, an annual screening of the year’s Oscar winner for best picture, and a Labor Day weekend triple feature. Rent a radio, and then stock up on concessions—a giant fiberglass peach marks the stand, you can’t miss it—before the feature. Play trivia during intermission; you might win a snack for show two. thebigmo.com

web-IMG_4279Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In
Miami, Florida 

Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In, a pop-up started in Austin, Texas, spawned a South Florida spinoff in 2013. Like its Longhorn twin, the tiny theater provides intimate screenings of old-school flicks—mostly revival and cult classics—to nostalgic urbanites. Open year-round, it changes venues every six months or so, sometimes camping in a grassy lot, sometimes holing up behind an old playhouse. Retro window speakers and radios provide audio, and in true drive-in fashion, advertisements encourage dates to make out in their cars. miamiurbandrivein.com

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