Critics Pay Homage to the Drive-In Movie Experience

The Drive-In Movie experience will forever be remembered as an American bred icon of youth, freedom and the automobile. Decades after its era of prominence, it continues to invoke nostalgia amongst those that lived through it and feelings of intrigue from the generations to follow. In honor of its legacy, Janson Media identifies recent reviews highlighting two exceptional documentaries that provide detailed accounts of the history of the drive-in theater.

'This highly entertaining and well-edited documentary provides a detailed account of the history of the drive-in movie theater, from the 1930s to the present day. The film intersperses nostalgic, campy archival footage and photos with entertaining interviews and reminiscences from a variety of notable personalities in the film industry, including well-known film critic...' Educational Media Reviews Online

Drive-In Movie Memories (1 X 80') chronicles the drive-in's birth and development, its phenomenal popularity with audiences of all ages, its tragic decline, and its inevitable comeback as a classic form of Americana. Described by Variety as 'slick and entertaining,' Drive-In Movie Memories includes photos and footage from the mid-1930s until today, a powerful original music score, and lively interviews with such notables as Leonard Maltin, Barry Corbin, Burton Gilliam, Beverly Garland, Samuel Arkoff, and John Bloom (aka Joe Bob Briggs). Drive-In Movie Memories covers every aspect of the drive-in movie-going experience: early outdoor projection, the marriage of the car and the movie, architects and drive-in construction, sound projection solutions, food trailers and concession stands, families and entertainment, teenagers and passion, church services, celebrity appearances, exploitation films, the effects of television and the VCR, and the drive-in's decline and comeback.

&'In 1956, the American landscape boasted some 5,000 drive-ins; today, we have 837. Young filmmaker Jon Bokenkamp interviews John Bloom (a.k.a., drive-in movie critic Joe B&'ob Briggs), John Carpenter (whose films, such as Escape From L.A., are tailor-made for the drive-in sensibility), Hollywood movie mogul Samuel Z. Arkoff ( producer of the legendary Beach Blanket Bing, among other drive-in classics), and a host of die-hard drive-in owners across America. ...After Sunset does have some wonderful moments... &' - Video Librarian

Enlivened by colorful commentary, After Sunset(1 X 46') features notables such as horror film director John Carpenter (Halloween), film critic and satirist John Bloom (aka Joe Bob Briggs) and legendary movie mogul Samuel Z. Arkoff (producer of Beach Blanket Bingo). Whether you"ve never been to a drive-in, still frequent a remaining one, or simply recall those starry nights of popcorn and two-bit love, you"ll find After Sunset to be a unique tribute to one of Americas greatest legends.

Video Librarian is the video review magazine for public, school, academic, and special libraries, as well as video fans who are interested in a wider variety of titles than what"s found in the average video store. Written by staff, librarians, teachers, and film critics, Video Librarian offers over 225 critical reviews per issue, alerting readers to upcoming new releases of special-interest, documentary, and video movie titles.

Educational Media Reviews Online (EMRO) is a database of video, DVD, audio CD and CD-ROM reviews of materials from major educational and documentary distributors and independent filmmakers. The reviews are written by librarians and teaching faculty in institutions across the United States and Canada.