These days, a good deal for dinner and a movie is hard to come by. With gas prices on the rise, moviegoers may opt to stay at home rather than cash in for a big- screen flick.
But for $7, one can get a double feature of recent blockbusters at Bloomington’s very own Starlite Drive-In Theatre, located between Bloomington and Bedford on Old State Road 37. Experiencing two hit movies under the peaceful night sky is like reliving one of America’s favorite pastimes.
"After 9/11 there was a need for family and to be ‘total American,’" Starlite owner Troy Jarvis said about his decision to buy the drive-in. For wife Cindy Jarvis, the Starlite was a chance to bring a bit of nostalgia back into the lives of past and future generations.
Jarvis didn’t start off in the drive-in business, though. Frustrated with his former career, he soon became an entrepreneur, and set out to create unique and fun-filled experiences for local residents.
He purchased the lot in 2003 after surveying other theaters and taking note of their positive and negative characteristics, he said. Starlite Manager Rob Baker said working at the drive-in is fun, not stressful and political like other jobs.
Jarvis, a self-proclaimed weekend warrior," has successfully turned the original drive-in — constructed in 1955 in the back yard of the previous owners — into the number one entertainment business in Bloomington. The retired remnants of the old speaker stands remain on display as aesthetic reminders of the past as patrons turn up their radios in the comfort of their own vehicles.
"It’s a relaxed family atmosphere," Jenna Baxter, a four-year employee and senior at IU said.
Not only does the $7 ticket give a two-for-one deal, it also provides a comfortable seat and some fresh air under the luminous Midwestern sky. Kids toss around footballs and bean bags while families, friends and couples lie back and relax on the crisp grass.
Neatly parked rows of cars and trucks sporting mattresses, pillows and lawn chairs surround a white brick concession stand in the middle of the lawn. Moviegoers young and old listen intently to the radio broadcasting the sound of the picture towering high above the Midwest treeline. The 80-square-foot white screen is six times larger than that of the average indoor movie theater.
The concession stand — a 50s-style diner — sells a variety of hot and cold snacks and novelty light-up items priced from 50 cents to $4.
Despite the growth in popularity of drive-in theaters over recent years, the theater has no problem accommodating guests every weekend — rain or shine — in the approximately 420 parking spaces provided.
Jarvis expects Memorial Day weekend to be one of the busiest of the summer due to the double feature of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and "Iron Man."
As children fall asleep and the second feature’s credits start to roll, the gentle hum of engines sound the end to a great night. The anticipation and enthusiasm for the 2008 summer season are high as the Hollywood skyline.
