The Princess Bride
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Last night was the second time that I got to see The Princess Bride on 35mm at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater. The first time three years ago at Medieval Mahoning II. I was on the fence about coming out to see it again when it was first announced, but I'm very glad that I did. First of all, tickets to Thursday Thread-Up movies for members of the Mahoning are only five dollars. On top of that, it was an absolutely beautiful night, the movie is one of my absolute favorites from my childhood, and it gave me an opportunity to hang out with my friends Gene and Ben. When's the last time you got to spend a pleasant evening out at a place you enjoy with the people whose company you enjoy and only spend five bucks?
Mahoning Drive-In Theater - Lehighton, PA
Last night was the second time that I got to see The Princess Bride on 35mm at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater. The first time three years ago at Medieval Mahoning II. I was on the fence about coming out to see it again when it was first announced, but I'm very glad that I did. First of all, tickets to Thursday Thread-Up movies for members of the Mahoning are only five dollars. On top of that, it was an absolutely beautiful night, the movie is one of my absolute favorites from my childhood, and it gave me an opportunity to hang out with my friends Gene and Ben. When's the last time you got to spend a pleasant evening out at a place you enjoy with the people whose company you enjoy and only spend five bucks?
This screening was also the fifth punch on my Thursday Thread-Up Rewards Card, which means I get a free bag of popcorn. You can't beat that!
So far, I haven't missed any of the Thursday night screenings. In fact, I only missed two nights this season so far: the first Friday (because we went the next day when they were showing the same two movies), and the May 19th screening of Freaks (because we had tickets to see Echo & The Bunnymen in Philadelphia). A few things dawned on me this season which have kept me coming out night after night. While there are several shows that I regret not attending in previous seasons, I have never once regretted my decision to come out. Even on nights that I didn't end up loving the movie in question, I still had a good time and felt that I was exactly where I belonged. That, combined with the fact that this could all end at any minute, has inspired me to go out to the lot, even in cases like last night when it's a movie that I've already seen at the Mahoning. I am fortunate enough to have a job that pays me enough to be able to go out to the movies and that has scheduled me for hours that never coincide with the hours that the drive-in is open for business. I live close enough to the Mahoning that the drive out to see the show is no big deal. I have my health and reliable transportation, and the world is stable enough to make the existence of this place possible to begin with (something that the pandemic has taught us is not at all guaranteed). Any one of those things could change at some point in the future which could limit, or put an end to my ability to come out to the drive-in and enjoy a movie... but right now, the stars are aligned for me. There are millions of people who are not lucky enough to be able to enjoy their lives in exactly the way that they choose to. I am very thankful that I am.
Gene was meeting some of his friends and family last night at the drive-in. All of them were experiencing the Mahoning at the first time, some of them were experiencing a drive-in theater for the first time, at a few of them were seeing The Princess Bride for the first time. We spent a few hours before the movie relaxing on the lawn and talking. They're all very cool folks and I'm glad to have gotten to meet them. Gene wanted to take a group photo and when I offered to take the picture, he said "no, I want you to be in the picture". I'm sure he'd chuckle at how corny I sound if he read this, but for a guy who spent most of his life feeling like an outsider who didn't belong, that meant a hell of a lot to me.
Brendan had a very cool DJ set of Mark Knopfler music prior to showtime, and Krista did a fantastic job as always projecting the movie. The first reel of the print looked like it had some wear and tear, but it was limited to just a few minutes at the start of the film and it didn't negatively affect the experience one bit. If anything, seeing things like that serve as a reminder that these prints are not going to last forever, which makes it all the more special that we're getting to enjoy them here and now.
