Mendon, Massachusetts
Monday evening was the first run of the drive-in project road show, a slideshow/presentation based on my long term project on drive-in theaters all across the US. The presentation at the Langely-Adams Library in Groveland, MA, had a nice crowd in the small conference area. On Tuesday we scouted out two drive-in theaters that I hadn't looked at before. In all the effort to reach theaters thousands of miles away, I've overlooked some of the few that remain here in New England.
Leicester, Massachusetts
5 comments:
Skowhegen, ME! Lovely and popular (in the warmer months).
Do you know about the Mansfield Drive In and Marketplace on CT-32, just a little north of Willimantic? I've driven by it many times and assumed you must have photographed it at some time. It seems to be very active. Also, I found there's an abandoned drive-in on CT-32 in Unscasville. I don't know how accessible the property is however.
Thanks, Ed, I have both of them. I expect the Uncasville property is less accessible than it was when I shot there in 2007.
Do you know if the Skowhegan Maine DI made the step up to digital and is still thriving? It's a little far away, but two or three years ago was thriving in midsummer. It's on a hillside, so not as likely a place to have a flea market to use the space during the weekdays.
They appear to be up and running: http://www.skowhegandrivein.com/index.php
But they may not have converted yet. A few current releases seem to be available still, probably very limited quantity, on film. I think one reason more theaters than I expected have managed the transition is because the studios/distributers relented on the immediate demand for all-digital by 2013. Having more time has let more theaters get through the transition. Some have managed to get the equipment on various lease-to-own plans and continue to fund-raise to pay it off while running the regular operation.
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