At the drive-in

I went to a drive-in movie theatre for the first time in my life earlier this year. I remember they had one in Memphis when I lived there, but then I think they turned it into a farmer's market because no one would go. But on a Monday night, the theatre here was hopping. Granted, Monday night is discount night, and we were there to see "Funny People" — so that's probably a good combination for a crowd, but still I was impressed by the number of people.

I think part of the reason for its popularity this far north, is that you can actually go to the movie and not have to leave your car running with the air conditioner on. In fact, halfway through the movie, I had to get under a blanket, it was so chilly. Plus, while I got bit by a mosquito early on, I think there was just the one little guy doing all the work because I never got bit again and I had forgotten to bring bug spray.

The movie broadcasts over your car radio in a manner that I guess is similar to how the iTrip works for your iPod. You tune it into a station and that's that. Afterward my date asked me what I thought about the movie and I said I thought it was long (like most drive-ins, there was a double feature — the second film some movie I had never heard of by the guy who wrote "Little Miss Sunshine", but it was 11:30 p.m. at the intermission between the two films, so there was no way we were sticking around for that). Then my date said, "Let me ask you this: Was it better because we saw it at the drive-in?" And I said, "Definitely!"

Much like when I saw "Beowulf" in 3-D, this is a movie only worth seeing in the theater if there's an "experience" to be had along with it, because the movie on its on isn't going to be worth the price of admission. "Funny People" was too long, the characters not very deep or likable in anyway and all the Adam Sandler character learns from his near death experience, I guess, is how to be a friend...sort of, but not really. Like most movies that are TOOOOOO long, this one would have benefited from some cutting — like almost all of the stuff that goes on while they are upstate California at the "love interests" house, interacting with her kids. What WAS good about the movie is all the stand-up. They should have done more of that and just left the romance plot line out completely.

Wow. I've seen a lot of bad to mediocre movies this summer. Next up: "G.I. Joe."