Now Showing: The Film Forum and The Eden Drive-In

Today, we look at various movies which are being screened in both large markets and small towns, on the east coast of the United States.

We start in New York, where tonight the Film Forum screens both "The French Connection" at 7:10 p.m. and "The Honeymoon Killers" (pict. bottom) at 9:30 p.m. Both films are being screened as part of the Film Forum's True Crime series which also features Charlie Chaplin's "Monsieur Verdoux." "The Honeymoon Killers" has developed a cult reputation since being released in the early 1970s; the film revolves around a man and a woman who lured victims with lonely hearts ads in local newspapers. The film is indeed based on a true story, and it is a jarring film about a cross country killing spree. IFC once showed the film on Valentine's Day!

The Film Forum is also screening the cinematic gem "The Third Man" with Orson Welles at 4:50; 7:10 and 9:20 p.m. in addition to two earlier in the day matinees.

We move south to Washington, DC, where the E-Street Cinema is screening the new indy film "The Stanford Prison Experiment" at 2:05, 4:35, 7:05, and 9:30 p.m. The film is also showing at the a/perture Cinema in Winston-Salem, NC, at 11:45 a.m., 4:30 p.m., and 7:15 p.m.

Some three and a half hours south of Washington, DC, the Hull's Drive-In in Lexington, Va., will be screening a double-feature: "Magic Mike XXL" and "Ted 2" (pict. top) starting at 8:55 p.m. In Blacksburg, Va., the Lyric Theatre is showing the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson biopic "Love and Mercy" at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m.

In the small town of Eden, NC, which neighbors Henry County (Martinsville), Va., the Eden Drive-In is showing the new version of "Vacation" (the center image is of the original 1983 Chevy Chase version) along with "Southpaw," a boxing movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal starting at sun down which was 8:25 p.m. last night.

In Chapel Hill, NC, the Varsity Theatre will be screening "Mad Max: Fury Road," one of the best reviewed films of the year at 9:20 p.m.

Finally, Cine, a cinema in Athens, Ga., is holding a special screening of John Carpenter's "Escape from New York" starring Kurt Russell at 10:30 p.m.

http://www.varsityonfranklin.com

http://www.filmforum.org

http://www.edendrivein.com

http://www.aperturecinema.com

http://www.thelyric.com

http://www.hullsdrivein.com

http://www.athenscine.com

Casualties of Modern Technology (10 of 12)- Drive-In Theatres

Today's Casualty of Modern Technology is the drive-in theatre which has actually been enjoying a bit of a renaissance, much like vinyl records, but there is no mistake that the hey-day of the drive-in (1955-1979) has long passed. Many drive-ins have become bowling alleys, shopping malls, flea markets and even Wal-Marts.

According to Wikipedia, the drive-in theatre consists of a big outdoor screen, and the venues are known for concession stands, which generally serve ball park foods, such as hot dogs and pizzas. Patrons can also listen to a film's sound on a small-range FM radio station.

The first drive-in opened in Camden, NJ, in 1932. And, some notable drive-in films include the likes of "Werewolves on Wheels" (1971), " The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) and "Smokey and the Bandit" (1977).

This weekend, the Eden Drive-In in Eden, NC, will screen a double-header on Friday and Saturday consisting of "The Lucky One" and "The Avengers." Some 120 miles away in Christiansburg, Va., the Starlite Drive-In in Christiansburg, Va., will screen a single feature in "The Three Stooges."

In other parts of the United States, the Mendon Twin Drive-In (pictured here) will show a double-header with "The Avengers" and "The Hunger Games" on screen one; while "Battleship" and "Dark Shadows" will be shown on screen two.

The historic Bengies Drive-In in Baltimore, Maryland, which has one of the largest screens in the United State, will show "The Avengers,"  "Chimpanzee" and "The Raven."

http://www.screengems.org

http://www.edendrivein.com

http://www.starlitedrivein.info

http://www.mendondrivein.com

http://www.bengies.com

Road Trip USA-(10 of 10) Jackson to St. Paul

Today, in our last regular entry for Road Trip USA (we will have about four bonus entries on each blog to cover all 50 states, including Hawaii_?!_ plus
Washington, DC and Canada), we look at the distance between two state capitals: Jackson, Mississippi, and St. Paul, Minnesota.

St. Paul, Minn., is known for being the home of Garrison Keillor's "Prarie Home Companion," the NPR equivalent of the Grand Ole Opry that was made into Robert Altman's last film.

Jackson, Miss., is blues country, and the Magnolia State is also known for hot tamales.

For this entry, we chose the Trattoria da Vinci, an Italian restaurant in St. Paul, and Fenian's Pub, a bar located in downtown Jackson.

So, today, we ask, what is the distance in driving time between these two cities. Is the answer:

A) 16 hours

B) 16 hours, 20 minutes

C) 16 hours, 40 minutes

D) 17 hours

The answer to yesterday's quiz was B). DC United has won four MLS Cups.

SIDEBAR: It may not be showing at the Eden Drive-in in Eden, NC, but Woody Allen's latest film "Midnight in Paris" is still screening up the road at the A/peture Theatre in Winston-Salem. And, apparently, it is still screening at lots of other cinemas too as it has now become Woody Allen's most financially succesful film as it has now made $40.1 million domestically in addition to strong profits overseas, especially in France. Over the weekend, "Midnight in Paris," which cost $30 million to make, surpassed "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986), which had been his most commercially succesful film before Allen's current film.

Eden Drive-In in Eden,NC, Reopens for the Season

Perhaps, if there is a 'benefit' to global warming, it is that one can now pretty much go see a movie at a drive-in twelve months of the year.

The Bright Leaf Drive-In in Mount Airy, NC, is already open for the season and starting Friday, The Eden Drive-In in Eden, NC, is open for business once again.

The Eden Drive-In, which typically starts showing films at sun-down, will screen a double-header of popular box office hit "Medea Goes to Jail" and the Dirty Harry rip-off "Taken."