Help Save Our SC Drive In "The Big Moe"

Isolated T-storms

High: 88 F                              Low: 71 F

Chance of Rain: 30%             Humidity: 96%

 
Back in June the South Carolina State of Mind blog featured the Drive-In Movie culture in South Carolina. It highlighted the Big Mo Drive In as well as the other 2 remaining drive-in theaters in South Carolina Highway 21 Drive-In (Beaufort) and 25 Drive-In (Greenwood). 

To view the previous blog Click Here 

The Big Mo needs our help! Film studios are doing away with 35mm films and will be fully digital. This hampers the 386 remaining drive in theaters in the U.S. As this will provide better quality movies and save money to produce the 35mm films many of the drive ins are incapable of meeting DCI compliance requirements. Theaters are required to make screens smaller for some movies, set number of FL (brightness of the picture) and digital 5.1 surround sound. Current drive-ins use FM transmitters to broadcast sound channels to the audience.

 

Per the WISTV news report The Big Mo is facing a deadline. In less than 3 months majority of the U.S. drive-ins will face closure. The owner Richard Boaz states the drive-in needs about $200,000 to make the switch to digital. The new projectors cost about $80,000 each and the additional funds are needed to renovate the projection booths. WISTV report

Drive-ins that do not make the switch are able to show older films but movie goers want new releases. New releases attract the customers therefore keeping the drive-ins in business.

The Highway 21 Drive In located in Beaufort did a tremendous amount of fundraising in 2013 to come up with the funds to comply with the digital switch. They utilized their facility to not only show movies but host events among numerous fundraising events.

Honda wants to preserve the iconic part of American car culture. They will start a drive-in fund and donating 5 digital projectors. YOUR VOTE DECIDES WHICH DRIVE-INS WILL RECEIVE THE PROJECTORS!!!!

There are 17 days to vote, contribute or pledge to "Project Drive-In." You can vote once at projectdrivein.com and once via text message each day, so remember to come back tomorrow. In the meantime, spread the word about Project Drive-In. CLICK HERE TO VOTE!!!!!!!! 

Nichole

 

South Carolina Drive In Movies

Scattered T-storms
High: 92 F                              Low: 74 F
Chance of Rain: 50%             Humidity: 58-83%

Up until a few months ago I haven't been to a drive in movie since I was a little kid. We have been going with our friends to the Big Mo Drive In lately. I have always known they were a dying form of entertainment but never really gave it any thought. I want to commend the people who have revitalized this American past time! As a little girl I do remember being at the North 52 Drive In in North Charleston sitting on top of the car with my blanket and popcorn. These are the memories that have recently came back to me with hanging out with our friends at the drive in.

Movies have turned into being squeezed into multiple little rooms with cellphone lights and people talking all for revenue. If you have checked the prices of tickets lately with snacks it can be costly for a family! If this isn't for you then maybe a drive in will be.

For our recent trip to the Big Mo Drive In this past Friday we all arrived around 6pm. You may think that is early as my husband did since the first showing doesn't start till after dusk. We usually meet for dinner somewhere first but to get a decent parking spot it was decided to arrive early and bring a dinner of subs, chips, sodas, snacks, and cookies! We sat around ate dinner, chatted about our lives and upcoming vacation,  and people watched.

There are all ages and groups of people: families, couples, teenagers, and friends. Never have we noticed any issues and sometimes if you listen you can't hear anything but the movie! We watch people who have brought light weight sofas for the back of their truck, air mattresses to lay on, and many other comfortable neat ideas. We just sit in fold up chairs and kick our feet up on coolers. 

The Big Mo Drive In is located at 5822 Columbia Highway Monetta, SC 29105 which is about halfway between N. Augusta and Columbia. This drive in was opened April 30, 1951 and closed in 1986. It was reopened in March 1999 and has been opened since. It is opened Friday and Saturday nights, has three screens, concession stand and bathrooms. The movies are just as new as the theaters and it cost $8.00 per person for a double feature. This past weekend we seen World War Z and Man of Steel.

In South Carolina there are only 3 operating drive in theaters: The Big Mo (Monetta, SC), Highway 21 Drive In (Beaufort, SC), and 25 Drive In (Greenwood, SC). 

By supporting the local drive ins you are support local family businesses. Most of the revitalization efforts have been made by owners who run it as a family business.

DRIVE IN FACTS
Do you know when the first drive in opened?  June 6, 1933 in Camden, New Jersey by Richard Hollingshed. It cost $0.25 for the car and $0.25 for each person.

The largest drive in recorded was the All-Weather Drive In in Copiague, NY. It capacity was 2,500 parking spaces and 1,200 seated viewing. There are two smallest drive ins on record whose capacity was 50 parking spaces each. One was Harmony Drive In in Harmony, PA and Highway Drive In in Bamberg, SC.


See you at the movies!

Nichole