In the 1950s, there were 4,000 to 5,000 drive-in movie theaters in the United States; at last count, there were less than 365. The desire to watch movies under the stars, however, has not abated. The disappearing drive-ins are being replaced with outdoor movie theaters.
Unlike the drive-ins, which were usually located outside the city limits, the new walk-in theaters are convenient to the urban population, who can grab a couple of friends, some chairs and refreshments and pop on down to the nearest outdoor screen.
The original
Twenty years ago, when Jon and Candace Hegeman founded Fremont Outdoor Cinema, their intention was more to bring people to the neighborhood than to revive the dying drive-ins.
“At that time, Fremont was a small, quirky, artistic community that went unnoticed by the surrounding areas,” said Hegeman’s son, Ryan Reiter, who took over operation of the business three years ago. “Today, we draw up to 25,000 people over a 10-week period.”
Fremont Outdoor Movies, as it is now called, was the first walk-in, outdoor theater on the West Coast and is the second oldest in the country. Today, there are roughly 20 outdoor theaters in the Greater Seattle area. Most are strictly “family entertainment” affairs,” while Fremont, ever the envelope-pushing misfit, offers a diverse selection of titles with a wide-ranging appeal, from “Sideways,” which will be accompanied by a wine-tasting, to a double feature of Kevin Smith’s “Clerks” and “Mallrats.”
“We are fortunate to be able to keep our programming unique,” Reiter said. “A lot of that is due to our sponsors, who we try to match up with appropriate movies.”
The season begins on June 30, with a 20th-anniversary screening of “Singles,” a soap opera set in grunge-era Seattle, which also turns 20 this year. Admission is free on this night, but all other programs cost $5.
“I wish every show could be free,” Reiter said, “but high production costs make that impossible.”
All movies are shown in the digital format, projected onto a screen that is 42 feet wide and 20 feet high. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and the movie will begin at dusk.
There is plenty of food available for purchase from Reiter’s own company, Mobile Food Rodeo, but outside refreshments are also encouraged.
Patrons should also bring something comfortable to sit on and maybe some blankets to fend off the cool night winds blowing up from the ship canal.
(For a full schedule of movies, visit fremontoutdoormovies.com/2012-schedule.)
A night in the park
Bellingham’s Doug Boneman started his company, Epic Events, in 2000, with an eight-city tour of the Pacific Northwest sponsored by Comcast. Four years later, he was in Marymoor Park, where his outdoor film series is still going strong after eight years.
Boneman said he is taking up some of the slack left by the disappearance of the drive-ins but also has added something new to the mix.
“Outdoor movies are more intimate than the drive-ins because people are sitting on blankets and socializing with each other rather than being isolated in their vehicles. It is a good way to get out and see some movies during the few months we have great weather outside,” he said.
Last year, Epic Events partnered with Pemco Insurance to bring outdoor movies to Sand Point’s Magnuson Park. You can enter either at 7400 Sand Point Way N.E. or Northeast 65th Street and Sand Point Way Northeast. Movies take place on the grass athletic fields, where they are projected onto a 40-foot, inflatable screen.
This year promises several pre-show events to fill the time between the 7 p.m. opening of the gates and dusk, when the movie starts. In addition to costume contests and trivia games, Boneman is particularly excited about bringing two eye-popping clowns, One Fine Fool and Just Incredible, from the Bellingham Circus Guild.
“Sword swallowers and jugglers are not things you see every day,” Boneman enthused.
Another distinguishing characteristic of the Magnuson Park series is that it is pet-friendly: You can bring your dogs to the movie, but leash laws apply. There is, however, a dog park nearby, where they can run free.
The Magnuson Park series runs from July 12 through Aug. 30, beginning with “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and concluding with “The Goonies.” (For the full schedule, go to www.epiceap.com/seattle-outdoor-movies.)
Epic Events will also project “The Goonies” on Aug. 19 at Gas Works Park, for a Community Cinema event to will showcase the nonprofits in the Fremont and Wallingford communities.
Amy Faulkner, executive director of The World is Fun, fiscal sponsor of the event, explained that this movie was chosen “because it inspires community, displays that group strength can lead to improving the well-being of others and shows that breaking down barriers to work together can lead to overcoming challenges.”
The event will begin at 4:30 p.m., with the movie at dusk.
Other outdoor series
Another notable series is a complete run of the “Harry Potter” movies at the Seattle Center’s Mural Amphitheatre, on Friday and Saturday nights from Aug. 4 through 26. Admission is free, and there is plenty of food available from the Center House.
Bring your own chairs and blankets. Pets, ice chests, coolers and large bags are not allowed.
The movie will start at 9 p.m., but come early, as seating is first-come, first served. (For the schedule, go to www.seattlecenter.com/moviesatthemural.)
Several smaller events will be scattered throughout Seattle’s neighborhoods this summer, including a free Bruce Lee film series at Hing Hay Park in the International District, at 423 Maynard Ave. S., on Aug. 11, 18 and 24. The pre-movie program will begin at 6 p.m., with the movie at dusk.
BILL WHITE was a regular contributor to the arts section of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer until its demise in 2009. He most recently was the film critic for Seattle PostGlobe. E-mail him at bwhi51@yahoo.com.