drive in movie theatre intermission sign

Drive in movie theatre intermission sign movie#
Drive in movie theatre intermission sign windows#

John Stefanopoulos, of Four Brothers Drive In, also in New York, said before the cinema was forced to close for the shutdown, business was “almost double what it was the previous pre-season opening”. Once they are allowed to reopen, Beth Wilson, owner of Warwick Drive-In in New York, is expecting them to have a “very good season” during which she also hopes to host school graduations. You’re in the car with the same people.”īut under official state policy they remain non-essential and therefore currently barred from reopening. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo has expressed sympathy for drive-in theatres, saying at a recent press conference: “Where is the public safety issue? It’s a drive-in theatre. “You can work with the system and have it the way they want it because everyone’s so well-trained,” she said.

Drive in movie theatre intermission sign movie#

People wait in the socially distanced line for the snack bar during the intermission of a double feature movie at the Tiger Drive-In theater in the tiny mountain town of Tiger, Georgia, last Friday.

Drive in movie theatre intermission sign windows#

McCutcheon, who thinks more drive-ins should be allowed to open, said most people stay in their cars with the windows closed.

The venue, which runs dinner and cinema nights on Fridays and Saturdays and now hosts “drive-in church” on Sundays, has installed additional safety measures. “They decided we were an essential business because family had to have a place that they can go for entertainment. He has also been approached about staging live comedians.Īuto Drive In, a family-run business in Greenwood, was declared “essential” after South Carolina’s stay-at-home order was put in place.Ĭarolyn McCutcheon said tearful parents thank them for staying open and she considers the three-screen drive-in, which was built in 1945, a “community service”. His cinemas usually show classic movies, but he is now also showing independent arthouse films and put on a South by Southwest short film showcase after the festival was cancelled. He plans to reopen his Austin theatre in May. Tickets for his theatre in Round Rock, which is currently open, have been selling out “within minutes” and he’s been adding additional shows. He added: “Outdoor drive-in movie experiences are going to be incredibly sought after – at least for the next year or two – even when things do start to reopen because it is simply the safest, most comfortable way of getting out to see a movie, a live show or anything.” Josh Frank, owner of Blue Starlite, a mini urban drive-in concept with two theatres in Texas, said he expects drive-ins will see a “big spike” in ticket sales in the next two to three months. Photograph: Vic Micolucci/AFP via Getty ImagesĪs well as showing films, drive-in owners are also preparing to fill a new role in a post-pandemic world by hosting church services, graduations, live shows and meetings. Leann Carlsen and James Virgil, local residents, wait for the movie to start in their cars at the Ocala drive-in theatre.

Of those that are open, drive-ins are already seeing a boost following coronavirus, which they expect to last beyond the immediate crisis, as people seek socially distanced entertainment. The National Association of Theatre Owners said depending on conditions and guidance from officials, most indoor theatres are “tentatively aiming” to open in late June or early July – in time for the release of the Christopher Nolan film Tenet. Meanwhile, most of America’s 5,548 indoor cinemas remain closed. They expect that number to continue to grow each week. Last weekend there were approximately 25 drive-ins open across the US, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association (UDITOA), a rise of around five on the previous weekend. While far from its peak of the late 1950s, when the US had over 4,000, drive-ins have seen a resurgence in recent years.ĭespite the easy accessibility of at-home streaming services, today there are still about 305 around the country. “If I did not feel that the guests and my staff were perfectly safe I wouldn’t have done this,” said Watzke. They also check employees’ temperatures every three hours. Since the outbreak he has introduced new safety measures including almost halving capacity from 460 to 250, asking employees to wear masks and gloves and moving food orders online, which are then delivered to vehicles. “My thought is if you’re sitting in the house together, you can ride in a vehicle together, why can’t you watch a movie together?” With many facing financial uncertainty and confined to their homes unable to see friends and family because of the virus, he wanted to provide an outlet.

Photograph: Vic Micolucci/AFP via Getty Images Owner John Watzke stands in the concession area at the Ocala drive-in theatre in Florida.