At this time of our National Emergency, when people are being advised to avoid crowds and remain at home, how can the public go out into the world for entertainment and keep a safe distance from potential germ-laden crowds? The answer: take a trip back in time to a Drive-In Movie Theatre where you can see movies the way they were meant to be seen … on the Big Screen … all in the safety and comfort of your car!
As the coronavirus wreaks havoc on the movie industry and our way of life, major indoor theatre chains have been forced to close. In addition, studios and movie distributors continue to collapse windows and go direct to consumer via streaming, bypassing theaters and making it difficult for many drive-in owners to get movie product.
As an alternative, Sam Sherman, veteran producer/distributor and showman of drive-in movies from the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, will be making his newly-restored catalogue of “B-Movie” film classics from Independent-International Pictures Corporation available to drive-in operators nationwide with the help of veteran drive-in theatrical distributor Mel Maron; former AMC programmer, David Sehring of Drive-In-Sanity Films; drive-in promoter and movie reviewer, George Reis, who runs the popular DVD Drive-In website; and David Gregory of Severin Films who handled the restoration efforts on various titles in the library.
To celebrate the Great American Drive In, Sherman, who serves as President of Independent-International Pictures Corp., will kick off a nationwide road show featuring his most iconic film, “Dracula vs. Frankenstein,” on May 26 at The Circle Drive In in Dickson City, PA. Later this Fall, George Reis, who produces the semi-annual Super Monsterama Show at The Riverside Drive-In in Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, will be bringing Sherman’s Hemisphere Horror films back to the Big Screen including the popular Blood Island franchise of films produced in the 1960s. More special promotions and participating drive-ins will be announced in the coming months as the drive-in season gets into full swing on the East Coast.
A self-described P.T Barnum of Drive-In movies, Sherman plans to provide theatre owners with marketing ideas to “wow ’em” as well as some throwback nostalgia featuring gags, gimmicks and limited-edition souvenirs to coincide with an aggressive social media and marketing campaign plus “Special Guest Appearances” and raffles to lure customers and their communities to the thematic retro roadshow. “As an exploitation pioneer, I know how to recapture the magic and campy fun my films brought to drive-ins during their heyday with good old-fashioned ballyhoo and showmanship … something that has been missing for years in the film business. I think kids and their folks will get a big kick out of seeing something you rarely see today.” Mr. Sherman created such classic gimmicks like “The Oath of Green Blood,” which urged audiences at the beginning of the film “The Mad Doctor of Blood Island” to recite an on-screen pledge and drink a green fluid to keep the monsters in the movie away during the showing of the picture.
As a producer of films made for drive-ins, Mr. Sherman understands the appeal of seeing movies on the big screen. Sherman sums it up, “It’s Bigger. Better. Safer. Seeing movies at the Drive-In is a classic moviegoing experience and great American pastime. Not only does it provide a wonderful sense of community with family and friends, it is a perfect escape from the troubles of the world. It cannot be duplicated indoors or at home on smaller screen TV’s or mobile devices. The drive-ins made lots of money with my movies, including those owned by Sumner Redstone’s National Amusements. My films have become cult classics… all thanks to the Drive-In and a community of fans all over the world.” The library of films includes the popular Tiki-themed Hemisphere Monster Movies (“The Blood Island” franchise) and the Al Adamson “Cult Classic” collection which features horror & sci-fi, martial arts, motorcycle, urban and other genre favorites (eg. “Dynamite Brothers,” “Satan’s Sadists,” & “Brain of Blood”). A number of these films were the subject of a newly released documentary on an independent drive-in film maverick called “Blood & Flesh: The Reel Life & Ghastly Death of Al Adamson,” which tells of the true Hollywood story of Mr. Sherman’s former production partner and friend, who was tragically killed in 1995 in a bizarre case of murder.
Though extremely popular in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the number of drive-in theaters, once in the thousands, has since dwindled. From daylight savings time, conversion to digital, movie studio consolidation, even global warming, the iconic drive-in movie theatre has weathered a number of storms. There are approximately 305 left in the United States, according to the Los Angeles Times. Most drive-ins are family owned and operated and still exist for their unique atmosphere and for the love of moviegoing. New drive-ins are still being built while pop up drive-ins have taken the moviegoing experience to vacant parking lots, malls and other outdoor spaces across the country. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend social distancing as a means of stopping the spread of the virus, drive-in theater owners that have remained open have said they have seen an uptick in business.
“Did you know that drive-in movie theatres helped get us through one of our major health crises of the 20th Century,” Sherman said. “Back in the 1960s, the administration of the polio vaccine took place nationwide at various drive-ins across the country. Perhaps there is a reason for us to turn back to the drive-in to provide some escape and comfort in these worrisome times. As in the past, drive-ins are also opening in various parts of the country to provide Sunday services for those looking for spiritual comfort from the safety of their cars. Graduations are also hitting the big screen as a way for families to celebrate the accomplishments of their kids. Of course, movies will continue to be the main attraction.
Sam Sherman is currently finishing up his memoir as a drive-in movie producer, entitled “When Dracula Met Frankenstein.” Sherman lives in New Jersey, the state where the first Drive-In Movie theatre was opened in 1933.
