Holiday Drive-In welcomed movie-goers from across the region during its opening weekend. Those who missed out need not fret, as there will be plenty of weekends to come over the summer season. Owner Tim Moseley and his employees were hard at work last week getting ready for the drive-in theater’s 2023 debut. The opening line up included some major recent hits at the box office, including “Super Mario Bros” and the third film in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise. This is something of a departure from recent years, as the film industry reorients itself in the wake of the pandemic.
Hollywood’s steady stream of new releases was hit hard as everything from filming to distribution was impacted by lock downs. Many theaters could not abide by social distancing rules in any case, forcing movie goers to make due with streaming services at home. Even then, delays in filming kept many anticipated releases tantalizingly out of reach.
Holiday Drive-In, however, managed to survive and thrive amidst these challenges. Social distancing is rather easy with customers lounging in their vehicles, or around them. Tim even found away around the lack of new content by offering audiences a chance to see old classics such as the original Indiana Jones Trilogy on the big screen again.
“They seemed to like the old stuff,” he said.
As things started to return to normal, however, Moseley noted that audiences were getting impatient for new flicks. There was a particular appetite for the huge studio productions that tend to dominate the summer box office.
Unfortunately, getting the gears of Hollywood working again took time. Screenplays need to be written and rewritten, contracts negotiated, funding secured, and all manner of work before an actor ever gets before a camera. Even then, scenes need to be shot multiple times, edited, and sometimes completely redone. Finally, there is the not insignificant task of getting films to theaters across the world.
“It takes years to get these things out,” Tim said.
Fortunately, that bottleneck has more or less worked itself out, and Holiday Drive-In expects to host a slew of new cinematic releases this season. The theater opens at 6:30 p.m. CDT Fridays and Saturdays and 7 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is $12 for adults and $6 for kids aged four to 11. Check the theater’s Facebook or www.holidaydrivein.com for up to date show times and films.
Spencer County is one of very few communities in the United States to still sport a drive-in theater. In the 1950s, at the height of America’s newfound car culture, more than 4,000 such venues popped up from coast to coast. Only 300 or so are still in operation today, hit hard by the oil crises of the 1970s and the widespread popularity of television and home entertainment.
That did little to defer the Moseley family, however. Tim’s father, Darrell, purchased the theater in 1978, after a four-year closure with the aim of keeping the institution alive. One year later a second screen was completed, showing “Love at First Bite” and “Jennifer” to local audiences. Another two screens were added in 1992, followed by another in 1997. Today, there are six screens in operation.
Tim spent most of his life in the business, and so it came as an easy decision to eventually take over the Holiday Drive-In when the time came.
“I grew up in it,” he said.
Much like his father, Tim took over during a period of transition for the drive-in theater industry. In 2015, less than a year after he took ownership, traditional “film reels” were being phased out for digital equipment. This required a rather expensive overhaul, one some theaters were unable to make. Tim found the change a boon in the end, however, noting a marked jump in quality since the installation.
Having come out strong through the pandemic years, the Moseley family expects Holiday Drive-In to continue as one of the county’s unique attractions. Tim expects the 2023 line up to offer some exciting opportunities to catch major summer blockbusters under the stars.
“I’m looking forward to a good year,” he said.
Photos and story by Don Steen
