Last Reel: The Death Of The Drive-In Cinema?

[interestrateripoff]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23596661

Nestled in a mountain valley on the border between the states of Vermont and New Hampshire, the half-century-old Fairlee Drive-in cinema is in danger of going out of business. It is a threat that drive-ins across the US face as new technology puts this most American night out at risk.

..

"I think last year we raised maybe $15,500 [£10,000], which is great but it's not close to what we need," says Mr Trapp.

If the Trapps cannot raise the $76,000 it costs to buy and install the new projector by the end of this summer - a necessity, as all new movie releases switch to digital by the end of the year - it is very likely that the Fairlee, a mainstay in this community for more than 60 years, will close.

..

Costly upgrades

Although the switch to digital projection is often billed as a money-saving move - it costs around $100 for each digital film, as opposed to somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 for each 35mm print - the projectors are expensive.

I'm surprised so many still survive, although from the business perspective why haven't the owners been saving up the money from the profits?

[Guest eight]

I'm surprised so many still survive, although from the business perspective why haven't the owners been saving up the money from the profits?

You could say the same for banks.

[interestrateripoff]

You could say the same for banks.

Nah they've got the sugar fairy of the taxpayer who'll accept unlimited liabilities.

[onlyme2]

Can't imagine there is not a cost effective solution to retrofit a thin film digital projector insert with the required control electronics into the housing of of a standard film projector. Even if the performance/image is not quite up to par with the complete package.

[Georgia O'Keeffe]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23596661

I'm surprised so many still survive, although from the business perspective why haven't the owners been saving up the money from the profits?

[@contradevian]

Nah they've got the sugar fairy of the taxpayer who'll accept unlimited liabilities.

Or even the Mk II sugar fairy in the form of a Fed printing machine.

[interestrateripoff]

And anyway - I guess the demise in the USA is less to do with 'new technology' than other factors. Maybe car insurnace, petrol prices or even more liberal attitudes allowing sex at home. Who knows?

Are you saying they would be huge over here in dogging circles?

Perhaps a way of reviving the business model?

Go dogging and whilst waiting your turn catch a movie?

[Guest eight]

Although, it doesn't seem quite the same if not in an open top. The idea seems more attractive than the actuality.

I remember when the Michael Keaton Batman movie came out, there was a drive in set up on Redcar seafront.

The screen blew away.

[MrPin]

I remember when the Michael Keaton Batman movie came out, there was a drive in set up on Redcar seafront.

The screen blew away.

Cleveland and Yorkshire do not have superb weather!

[The Ayatollah Buggeri]

Can't imagine there is not a cost effective solution to retrofit a thin film digital projector insert with the required control electronics into the housing of of a standard film projector. Even if the performance/image is not quite up to par with the complete package.

Not an option. Digital movies are distributed to cinemas in accordance with the DCI specification, which all the major studios and distributors have signed up to. Bascially, there are two flavours of DCI-compatible DCP: 2K (same definition as Bluray but a much higher bitrate) and 4K (double the definition and about 6-10 times the bitrate of Bluray), and most of the DCI specification consists of elaborate anti-piracy encryption systems. The DCPs can only be played back on servers and projectors of a design that are DCI-approved. Even for one of the combinations designed for smaller auditoria, you're looking at £50-70k to replace a film projection installation (assuming reuse of a lot of the sound gear) with a DCI/DCP one. For a drive-in, with the long throw to a large screen that implies, you'd need a beefier one and probably wouldn't get much change out of £100k.

Agreed with Petri Dish, though - the drive-in has been killed more by social, economic and consumer technology factors than by the 35mm-digital transition.

[19 year mortgage 8itch]

They still do them at Harewood House in Leeds from time to time. Indeed next one is 25th August 2013. http://www.harewood.org/whats-on/events/1/1076

Although, it doesn't seem quite the same if not in an open top. The idea seems more attractive than the actuality.

And anyway - I guess the demise in the USA is less to do with 'new technology' than other factors. Maybe car insurnace, petrol prices or even more liberal attitudes allowing sex at home. Who knows?

Pffft, there's one in Manchester, open 7 nights a week.

http://www.route66driveincinemas.co.uk/

[crashmonitor]

I remember when the Michael Keaton Batman movie came out, there was a drive in set up on Redcar seafront.

The screen blew away.

For most of us the only knowledge of drive-ins was from the Flintstones opening title, pretty much a US thing......

But when it comes to the loss of town centre cinemas to God-foresaken children-centric mulitplexes that is another matter.

[happy_renting]

I think the appeal of the drive-in depended on in-car entertainment, mostly canoodling.

Dogging is just a drive-in movie without the movie.

Cinemas are just sweet shops with a movie.

[Big Orange]

And drive in cinemas only really work in California, not rainy Wales.