Diving into the drive-in phenomenon

A dark sky with a film screen, and cars parked in front of the screen. One truck has its headlights on away from the screen.
A pre-show advertisement for the snack bar's soft pretzels plays on-screen before the start of the first movie at the Starlite Drive-In Theater in Litchfield, Minn., in July 2018.
Bob Collins | MPR News 2018

Some movies are best enjoyed on a big screen, but the pandemic temporarily shuttered thousands of theaters across the country. 

One silver lining for the silver screen? Drive-in theaters.

Even as indoor theaters open up again, the outdoor theaters remain popular with folks who aren’t ready to congregate inside and want to soak up the last bit of summer.

This very strange summer has breathed new life into a shrinking ecosystem of outdoor screens, and a new generation of moviegoers experienced the magic of watching new flicks and old favorites outside.

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On Friday, two film fanatics talked with MPR News about the magic drive-in movies and suggest titles to add to your must-see lists.

Guests:

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

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