Sunset Drive-In

Lindsey Rapone

When was the last time you went to the drive-in to see the latest movie?

I was driving for Uber the other night, when I took a group of 20-something passengers Northbound on 101. As we passed The Sunset Drive in, the guy asked his 2 female friends, "have you been to the drive-in?". When their answer was "no", this sparked a friendly debate over the merits of experiencing movies at the drive-in as opposed to the fancy modern movie houses. By the time we reached the destination, the girls had come to the conclusion that their next outing would be to the drive-in.

This got me to thinking, when was the last time I had supported this local establishment. The answer was July of last year, for "Inside Out". We had a great time. 

The experience is much better, especially for the kids, in my opinion. But I grew up with going to the drive-in. Back then, the experience wasn't the best....but let's be honest, I wasn't necessarily going to the drive-in for the movies as a teenager! Back then, you had to hang a scratchy-sounding, heavy, metal speaker in your window. If you were lucky, no one would park next to you, so you could almost hear the movie in stereo. Long gone are those days. The modern Sunset Drive-in uses your car stereo to broadcast the movie's sound track. This makes for an amazing audio experience, depending on your car's system.

I haven't even mentioned the best part of the drive in, the double-feature. In an era of $15+ per adult movie tickets, which only allows you to watch a single movie, Sunset charges $7 per adult ($2 for a kid!!). This makes the drive-in such an incredible value, you'll actually be able to afford snacks.

Most people love hitting Sunset's snack bar at intermission. Nachos, popcorn, pizza, pretzels, the usual snack bar fair. This is the one time our child gets to eat in the car, he loves it! 

Between the minuscule cost, and the fact that they can get outside and watch a movie, this is the perfect way to take the kids to the movies. 

Get out and support the Sunset Drive-in soon, or it will just be another business we say "goodbye" to as SLO evolves into the modern city it's becoming.