At this cinema meetup it is not what films we will be seeing but where we will be seeing them. We will be patronizing one of the last drive-in theaters located in the greater Seattle area - the Puget Park Drive-In located in South Everett. This will be a chance to become acquainted with an American cultural icon before it disappears from the scene. Most of the drive ins in the Puget Sound area are found in smaller towns such as Port Orchard and Port Townsend. This theater is located about 13 miles north of the Seattle/Shoreline border of NE 145th (about as far north as Mill Creek). Here is a link to the drive-in's web site:

http://www.sterlingre...

The Puget Park Drive-In has a huge screen and can accommodate 700 vehicles. For an admission price of $8.50 one can see a double or maybe even a triple feature. For example, the program for July 24 through July 30 is "Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince" and "The Proposal" (a romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock) all for $8.50. Patrons must have an FM radio to receive the audio portion of the films. The theater opens at 7:30 and the first show is at dusk (9 pm?)

You might not want to attend this meetup especially when you know that the films will be geared towards mainstream audiences and are not the art films or indie films that are shown at the Landmark Theaters or other venues such as SIFF and Northwest Film Forum. However, some day in the future you will discover that drive in theaters have disappeared. You might look back and wish that you had at least once compromised you standards in film esthetics to patronize a dying breed movie venue. Hey, didn't we all enjoy the nostalgia of "American Graffitti"? Live it now. Here is a link to a web site that discusses the many Western Washington drive-ins that have closed and the few that are still open:

http://www.geocities....

We will meet in the lower parking lot of Shawn O'Donnell's restaurant in South Everett at 8:30 (check for updates on the day of the event to see if the time has changed) and drive to the drive-in which is only a few blocks away. I will be driving a red Jeep Cherokee that is so old that it is either a classic or a clunker. O'Donnell's will also be the place for a group dinner prior to the showing. We will meet there at 7;30 and dine on excellent Irish food, or maybe just have a beverage in the pub. Check out the menu - the prices are very reasonable. Also, Saturday is "Cruise Day" where folks with great show cars put them on display in the parking lot. Here is O'Donnell's web site:

http://shawnodonnells...

If you need to contact me on the evening of the event please call my cell phone [masked].

This event is co-listed with the Seattle Cinema Club and Eastside Movie Buffs meetup groups.

George Liu
[masked]