Highbrow at the Drive-In
August 24, 2015 4:26 AM Subscribe
What foreign or classic film would you like to watch at a drive-in?
There's a drive-in in my town, but they only show superhero crap. It occurred to me recently, while trying to actually follow the plot of one of these terrible films, that the real pleasure of film is the opportunity to stare at human faces. It made me think how fun it would be to find a slower-moving, perhaps classic or foreign film to watch at the drive in. The drive-in people are game. I'm billing it as "Highbrow at the Drive-In".
Only question is: What movie?
There's a drive-in in my town, but they only show superhero crap. It occurred to me recently, while trying to actually follow the plot of one of these terrible films, that the real pleasure of film is the opportunity to stare at human faces. It made me think how fun it would be to find a slower-moving, perhaps classic or foreign film to watch at the drive in. The drive-in people are game. I'm billing it as "Highbrow at the Drive-In".
Only question is: What movie?
Rebel Without A Cause
posted by HuronBob at 4:35 AM on August 24, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by HuronBob at 4:35 AM on August 24, 2015 [5 favorites]
My god, any of the old classic musicals. Singing in the Rain could be nicely tounge in cheek, since it's about the bridge to talkies. And any of Gene Kelly's dance numbers are already larger than life.
posted by librarianamy at 4:40 AM on August 24, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by librarianamy at 4:40 AM on August 24, 2015 [4 favorites]
Lawrence of Arabia. I don't even know what my second choice would be, because I'd really just rather watch Lawrence of Arabia twice.
posted by thetortoise at 4:44 AM on August 24, 2015 [11 favorites]
posted by thetortoise at 4:44 AM on August 24, 2015 [11 favorites]
North by Northwest
Close Encounters
Grease (a drive-in at a drive-in!)
posted by apparently at 4:51 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Close Encounters
Grease (a drive-in at a drive-in!)
posted by apparently at 4:51 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Casablanca
posted by Telpethoron at 4:52 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Telpethoron at 4:52 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
Sherlock Jr.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:54 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by pxe2000 at 4:54 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
'The Wizard of Oz', 'Gone With the Wind', 'The Triplets of Belleville', 'Hugo', 'Synecdoche, NY'
posted by ersatzkat at 4:54 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by ersatzkat at 4:54 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
Seconding Wizard of Oz. Also Willie Wonka. Not exactly highbrow but both have wide appeal.
posted by ReluctantViking at 5:03 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by ReluctantViking at 5:03 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
Vertigo. Rear Window. Sunset Boulevard. Double Indemnity. Lawrence.
posted by persona au gratin at 5:07 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by persona au gratin at 5:07 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
(This might be a given in the US but) I'd come with the whole family to every show if it was closed captioned.
posted by humph at 5:27 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by humph at 5:27 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
i've just been reading (am abut 10 pages off finishing) vibrator, by mari akasaka, which was apparently made into a film. so i'm curious to see that.
since about half the book happens inside the protagonist's head, and much of the rest in the cabin of a lorry driving through japan, i imagine it could include both headshots and wintry japanese landscapes. on the other hand, i could also see it being something of a japanese betty blue (which doesn't really do justice to the (rather excellent) book, although it does have some pretty good sex writing).
posted by andrewcooke at 5:29 AM on August 24, 2015
since about half the book happens inside the protagonist's head, and much of the rest in the cabin of a lorry driving through japan, i imagine it could include both headshots and wintry japanese landscapes. on the other hand, i could also see it being something of a japanese betty blue (which doesn't really do justice to the (rather excellent) book, although it does have some pretty good sex writing).
posted by andrewcooke at 5:29 AM on August 24, 2015
Is the drive in digital? Because "Days Of Heaven" would look just gorgeous. I love that movie! Plus it seems to have some little theme about vehicles (I guess representing the industrial) - motorcycles, car, planes, trains... it might fit in nicely at the drive-in.
posted by ReluctantViking at 5:35 AM on August 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by ReluctantViking at 5:35 AM on August 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
i've just been reading (am abut 10 pages off finishing) vibrator, by mari akasaka, which was apparently made into a film. so i'm curious to see that.
I've seen it; it's good, in a Japanese art house kind of way, but isn't going to bring in big crowds to a drive in. For this I think the goal needs to be something with broad appeal to start with, and add in the weirder stuff later as the series becomes popular.
So suggestions like Lawrence of Arabia are perfect, with plenty of name recognition and lots of people willing to come.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:55 AM on August 24, 2015
I've seen it; it's good, in a Japanese art house kind of way, but isn't going to bring in big crowds to a drive in. For this I think the goal needs to be something with broad appeal to start with, and add in the weirder stuff later as the series becomes popular.
So suggestions like Lawrence of Arabia are perfect, with plenty of name recognition and lots of people willing to come.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:55 AM on August 24, 2015
2nding apparently.
I would kill to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind in a drive in setting. The outdoor scenes would just be perfect for it.
posted by phunniemee at 5:56 AM on August 24, 2015 [11 favorites]
I would kill to watch Close Encounters of the Third Kind in a drive in setting. The outdoor scenes would just be perfect for it.
posted by phunniemee at 5:56 AM on August 24, 2015 [11 favorites]
The outdoor scenes would just be perfect for it.
They are. That's the way I saw it the first time, crouching under a blanket in the back of my parent's station wagon. At the end, I remember thinking that the night sky of the film and the world blended together. It was a bit spooky.
posted by bonehead at 6:19 AM on August 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
They are. That's the way I saw it the first time, crouching under a blanket in the back of my parent's station wagon. At the end, I remember thinking that the night sky of the film and the world blended together. It was a bit spooky.
posted by bonehead at 6:19 AM on August 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Some Like It Hot, because it's perfection.
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 6:25 AM on August 24, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 6:25 AM on August 24, 2015 [6 favorites]
My first thought was Casablanca, would also love to see Gone With The Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, Grease and Rebel Without a Cause. A couple other suggestions that I don't see mentioned would be 8 1/2 or Cinema Paradiso if you are looking for something foreign.
posted by Shadow Boxer at 6:26 AM on August 24, 2015
posted by Shadow Boxer at 6:26 AM on August 24, 2015
2001- A Space Odyssey.
American Graffiti (Combine this with a classic car get-together).
In fact our local drive in is doing a Three Stooges marathon with a car show. They also are inviting local food vendors to augment the drive-in fare. The gates open at 5:30 and the movie starts at 8:15. These types of events help keep the Drive-in relevant as a local resource that is more than just a movie screen.
posted by Gungho at 6:28 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
American Graffiti (Combine this with a classic car get-together).
In fact our local drive in is doing a Three Stooges marathon with a car show. They also are inviting local food vendors to augment the drive-in fare. The gates open at 5:30 and the movie starts at 8:15. These types of events help keep the Drive-in relevant as a local resource that is more than just a movie screen.
posted by Gungho at 6:28 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: These are all excellent ideas. Lawrence is of course the obvious answer but I'm afraid it may be too obvious.
Close Encounters seems to be rising to the top. I'm also tempted by Fellini, or even Paris Texas. But I do hope to show two films, so time limits are a consideration. Maybe start with something French and end with Close Encounters... Or else maybe Badlands/Days of Heaven/Last Picture Show with a French pairing...
But what's the best French option? Contempt? Alphaville? Just as Close Encounters fits perfectly with the American night, the right French film would be deliciously incongruous...
Also love the idea of inviting local food vendors!
posted by Hobbacocka at 6:38 AM on August 24, 2015
Close Encounters seems to be rising to the top. I'm also tempted by Fellini, or even Paris Texas. But I do hope to show two films, so time limits are a consideration. Maybe start with something French and end with Close Encounters... Or else maybe Badlands/Days of Heaven/Last Picture Show with a French pairing...
But what's the best French option? Contempt? Alphaville? Just as Close Encounters fits perfectly with the American night, the right French film would be deliciously incongruous...
Also love the idea of inviting local food vendors!
posted by Hobbacocka at 6:38 AM on August 24, 2015
Monsieur Hulot's Holiday or Mon Oncle
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 7:01 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Orange Dinosaur Slide at 7:01 AM on August 24, 2015 [3 favorites]
Do you want a French film with general appeal, or one that's more serious/pretentious/alienating? Amelié is a gimme for general appeal. Bout de soufflé for alienating pretentiousness. I like Goddard and Co but it's not exactly the sort of movie that would drag me to the drive-in.
posted by fiercekitten at 7:29 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by fiercekitten at 7:29 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
"Jaws."
And "The Commitments" dubbed into French with English subtitles.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:10 AM on August 24, 2015
And "The Commitments" dubbed into French with English subtitles.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:10 AM on August 24, 2015
Blue Velvet (in fact, I have seen that at a drive-in).
Strangers on a Train: the action being set in the train cabin mirrors the audience in their cars.
posted by adamrice at 8:58 AM on August 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Strangers on a Train: the action being set in the train cabin mirrors the audience in their cars.
posted by adamrice at 8:58 AM on August 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
If you're looking for a French pairing, it would be a shame not to choose a Truffaut film, since the director actually has a speaking role in Close Encounters. I would suggest maybe Jules et Jim as a quintessential French arthouse film that's pretty accessible. If you want to be a little self-aware, you could go with La nuit américaine, (the English title is Day for Night, but the literal translation is "The American Night," which is what the French call day-for-night shots) specifically about the act of filmmaking.
I don't know if Truffaut is right for the drive-in, though. Contempt might be a good option too, as everyone knows Brigitte Bardot even though, Godard.
Actually, I just realized what I'd pick — Clouds of Sils Maria. It's by Olivier Assayas, one of the greatest contemporary French directors, it stars Juliette Binoche, one of the greatest contemporary French actors, and it has Kristen Stewart (in a Cesar award-winning performance!) to keep the American audience in its seats. It also has magnificent outdoor cinematography—a really nice match to CE3K. As a bonus, it's a great film in its own right.
posted by Mothlight at 9:37 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
I don't know if Truffaut is right for the drive-in, though. Contempt might be a good option too, as everyone knows Brigitte Bardot even though, Godard.
Actually, I just realized what I'd pick — Clouds of Sils Maria. It's by Olivier Assayas, one of the greatest contemporary French directors, it stars Juliette Binoche, one of the greatest contemporary French actors, and it has Kristen Stewart (in a Cesar award-winning performance!) to keep the American audience in its seats. It also has magnificent outdoor cinematography—a really nice match to CE3K. As a bonus, it's a great film in its own right.
posted by Mothlight at 9:37 AM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think you should show "Dead Man" which is a Jim Jarmusch western starring Johnny Depp.
posted by contraption at 9:56 AM on August 24, 2015
posted by contraption at 9:56 AM on August 24, 2015
You may want to keep in mind the screen at this drive-in facility, by the way. If it has a Cinemascope screen (2.39:1), that's great. You're all set for stuff like Close Encounters, Lawrence, and many of the French New Wave films. If the screen is 2:1, as many drive-ins are, then the picture will either have to be "letterboxed" on the drive-in screen or cut off on the sides, neither of which would be ideal. And classics like Sherlock Jr. and Singin' in the Rain, great as they are, will either need to be "pillarboxed" on the sides or projected with the top and bottom cut off.
Someone I know just saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in scope at a drive-in over the weekend and he tweeted out pictures that looked really nice. But if the drive-in isn't capable of projecting a scope movie at its correct aspect ratio, I would forget about showing CE3K, Lawrence, Raiders and the like (not to mention Jules et Jim, Contempt, and so on) unless you enjoy pan and scan.
posted by Mothlight at 10:11 AM on August 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Someone I know just saw Raiders of the Lost Ark in scope at a drive-in over the weekend and he tweeted out pictures that looked really nice. But if the drive-in isn't capable of projecting a scope movie at its correct aspect ratio, I would forget about showing CE3K, Lawrence, Raiders and the like (not to mention Jules et Jim, Contempt, and so on) unless you enjoy pan and scan.
posted by Mothlight at 10:11 AM on August 24, 2015 [2 favorites]
Jim Jarmusch's Night on Earth, set mainly in various taxis around the world and with vignettes in Italian, Finnish, French and English. Being in a car would be great for this film!
posted by goo at 11:31 AM on August 24, 2015
posted by goo at 11:31 AM on August 24, 2015
Seconding Jaws.
Spaghetti westerns would be great - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, or Magnificent Seven... Of course Seven Samurai but that might be too optimistic.
Think about who you want to have come -- families? couples on date night? If it's families, better to pick something like Wizard of Oz where everybody knows the name and it's fun for kids even if they can't follow it.
I love (love!) Keaton and silents generally, but it's probably better to start with a sound film while you're getting the series established.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:41 AM on August 24, 2015
Spaghetti westerns would be great - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, or Magnificent Seven... Of course Seven Samurai but that might be too optimistic.
Think about who you want to have come -- families? couples on date night? If it's families, better to pick something like Wizard of Oz where everybody knows the name and it's fun for kids even if they can't follow it.
I love (love!) Keaton and silents generally, but it's probably better to start with a sound film while you're getting the series established.
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:41 AM on August 24, 2015
Oo, the original Superman with Christopher Reeves?
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:42 AM on August 24, 2015
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:42 AM on August 24, 2015
Charade?
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:42 AM on August 24, 2015
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:42 AM on August 24, 2015
For time limits, you could do a comedy short to start - maybe that's the place to fit in your silent film, a Keaton or Chaplin, Lloyd, Laurel+Hardy?
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:44 AM on August 24, 2015
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:44 AM on August 24, 2015
Response by poster: Current thinking:
Three possible pairings (going to have to do this more than once, clearly):
Close Encounters and Raiders/Jaws
Chinatown and Army of Shadows/Le Samouraï/le Cercle Rouge
*unknown foreign film* and Badlands/Days of Heaven
posted by Hobbacocka at 11:54 AM on August 24, 2015
Three possible pairings (going to have to do this more than once, clearly):
Close Encounters and Raiders/Jaws
Chinatown and Army of Shadows/Le Samouraï/le Cercle Rouge
*unknown foreign film* and Badlands/Days of Heaven
posted by Hobbacocka at 11:54 AM on August 24, 2015
The setting might be nice to show "The Lives of Others" (Germany).
posted by KMB at 1:31 PM on August 24, 2015
posted by KMB at 1:31 PM on August 24, 2015
Pulp fiction
posted by pintapicasso at 1:38 PM on August 24, 2015
posted by pintapicasso at 1:38 PM on August 24, 2015
Delicatessen, which would probably pair quite well with something like Raiders.
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 1:40 PM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 1:40 PM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
If you're pairing it with BADLANDS, Godard's BREATHLESS is the right companion piece.
posted by Gucky at 9:19 PM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Gucky at 9:19 PM on August 24, 2015 [1 favorite]
The back half of the Close Encounters double bill I remember above was Battlestar Galactica. It must have been in the summer of 1979 or there abouts.
posted by bonehead at 10:26 AM on August 25, 2015
posted by bonehead at 10:26 AM on August 25, 2015
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