Drive-In Premiere: 'The Spongebob Movie: Sponge on the Run'

Paramount Plus has officially launched, and one of its earliest original offerings is the new "SpongeBob Movie," subtitled "Sponge on the Run." As part of the premiere, Paramount recently held a drive-in experience and screening at the Rose Bowl (a popular spot for these things!). The line was long, and it took time to get inside, due to the slow-moving drive-thru experience. After volunteers helpfully ran a squeegee over our dirty windshield, we drove through a version of Bikini Bottom, and tried to play along with QR codes on our phone. Trying to drive and point your phone at a code is tough, though, and we failed on that account. Nonetheless, it was an entertaining drive-thru, featuring costumed SpongeBob and Patrick, among others. And it all led to the screen.

"Sponge on the Run" is a trip. Featuring appearances by Danny Trejo and Snoop Dogg, the movie is stolen by a fully game Keanu Reeves -- or more specifically, the head of Keanu Reeves, stuck inside a tumbleweed. Weed Reeves helps SpongeBob and his pals on their journey to save his pet snail Gary, and it's quite a journey. Maria and I let the boys sit in the front seat for a primo view of the drive-in film, and they enjoyed it. From the backseat, so did we. "SpongeBob Squarepants: Sponge on the Run" is now streaming on Paramount Plus.

Halloween 2020: The Schneider Drive-In Arrives for These COVID Times

This year's office Halloween party was scratched due to COVID-19, but the PMC costume contest was on — and this year, since it was virtual, family and pets could participate. Keeping things topical, we went with the return of the drive-in theater as the kids' costumes. Evan was the big screen, while Nathan was in the car, with popcorn and goodies. Yes, the marquee gags "Covid The 19th," but really the movie was "Hocus Pocus." 

The Return of Movie Drive-Ins

Are drive-ins making a comeback? April Wright writes, via Zocalo on KCRW:

Across the country, people are remembering how fun it was to go to the drive-in and realizing what we’ve lost. Since the year 2000, at least 30 old drive-ins have re-opened in the U.S., and at least 35 new ones have been built. There were five more new drive-ins opened up in 2014.

Sometimes these drive-ins are built on new land, on the outskirts of a town just like the original drive-ins. But in many cases, drive-in owners are looking for what they call a “footprint”—a plot of land that used to be a drive-in and still has the zoning and layout of a drive-in. Maybe it still has the grading and the ramps. Maybe it still has a ticket booth, or a snack bar standing, or in some cases even a screen.

I know the people of Los Angeles have been hungry for the outdoor movie experience. The Cinespia screenings at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery are always packed. The Electric Dusk Drive-in—a blow-up screen on a rooftop in downtown Los Angeles—is also thriving. The handful of drive-ins that stayed open in Southern California, like the Vineland, are well-attended. A little further east, you’ll find other survivors—the amazing Mission Tiki Drive-In in Montclair and two in Riverside: the Van Buren and the Rubidoux.

The Santa Barbara Drive-In in Goleta reopened in 2012 after being dark for nearly 20 years. And we have many drive-in footprints in Southern California, including the Roadium Drive-In in Torrance, the Santa Fe Springs Drive-In off the 5 Freeway, the Starlite in South El Monte, and the Paramount. All of these operate only as swap meets today, but the Paramount Twin Drive-in will be re-opening as a drive-in later this spring thanks to the son and grandson of the man who originally built it.

(Pic via Greg's Sandbox.)

Retro Friday: Last Day for Culver City's Studio Drive-In Theater

A fun and interesting 7-minute story produced for AMC in 1993, when Culver City's Studio Drive-In Theater shut down for good. The piece does a great job summarizing the history of drive-ins, and how they grew out of favor.

The Studio Drive-In, which was part of the Pacific Theatres chain, doubled as the drive-in theater in films including "Grease" and "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure."

Also check out this 1998 L.A. Times story chronicling the destruction of the old giant screen.