Alien (1979)
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
There are a hell of a lot of excellent Tunnel Vision Tuesday shows on the lineup this year, but it's going to be hard to top this one. The movie that was screened last night was the 1979 Ridley Scott sci-fi horror classic Alien.
Harvey gets very excited every time we tell him that he's coming out to the drive-in. He loves to walk around the lot, and he especially enjoys the attention he gets from folks who stop by to pet him. He usually ends up falling asleep in my lap or in the back seat of the car about halfway through the first movie, so single features are the best time to bring the little guy out.
It was also Taco Tuesday at the Mahoning with the concession stand selling hard shell tacos with Rico's nacho cheese and your choice of toppings. I don't remember these being offered at any of the previous shows that I've been to, but they definitely hit the spot.
Prior to the start of the show, there was a trailer reel from Exhumed Films. This included some shows that were already screened at the Mahoning this season, such as Predator and The Fly, as well as shows that are scheduled for upcoming events, like Night Of The Living Dead, House and Re-Animator.
Last night's screening of Alien was about as perfect of a night at the drive-in as anyone could hope for. I'm not sure what the attendance was, but the place was packed. The last time I remember seeing this many cars at the drive-in on a Tuesday was for Terminator 2: Judgment Day last June. It's easy to understand why. It was a beautiful warm Spring night without a cloud in the sky or a drop of rain.
Virgil said something during the pre-show that I hadn't considered before I started to come to the Mahoning - there's something special about seeing a space movie on a clear night at the drive-in. When you see the Nostromo surrounded by the stars in space, and then you look up, above and around the screen to see the stars in the night sky, it's an almost magical experience. It is immersive in a way that no 3-D movie can touch, and it just makes you thankful to be at this place, and at this time, and in these circumstances. What better way to spend a warm spring evening than at the drive-in with a plate of tacos watching one of the greatest sci-fi horror flicks of all time?
