8/8/09

Don't-Drive-In Movies


I live very much in the center of town. If I called NYC home, my tiny apartment would cost approximately eleventy thousand a month and there'd be a doorman with gold braid on his coat. Instead, my rent check goes out at less than four hundred bucks, and there's a plastic skull over my porch light.

Good thing, too, because my friends and I ain't exactly what you would call the monied class. Mostly, we're the drinking class. Though we don't have a lot of cash, we do tend to be clever fuckers, so we make our own fun. We're getting a little burnt out on just listening to music and getting a buzz on, which seems to be the drill for Friday nights and special occasions right now, so this week we came up with a new and truly awesome fun time: the Firestone Outdoor Theater. The only Don't Drive In movies in the county.

Ever see Escape from New York projected on a two story high outside wall? A twenty foot tall Snake Plisskin kicks so much ass, I can't even tell you. See, my back parking lot - hidden from street view on all sides and lacking residential neighbors - is bordered on one side by the tall end of a local auto repair shop. It makes a beautiful movie screen when a friend brings over a dvd projector that may or may not have fallen off a truck.

So there we were, maybe ten friends sitting in two rough lines, swigging beers and answering back to the movie. Over our heads comes the party patrol helicopter. It circled us four times and then flew off. Can you imagine how weird we all looked from above, sitting there in the dark, all facing the same direction in a hidden parking lot in the middle of down town? I tell you this much: they'll have another chance to try and figure it out come Friday.

16 comments:

Verdant Earl said...

Sounds pretty sweet to me. The rent and the movies. Both sweet.

That Hank said...

Yeah, I ain't complaining.

adrienne said...

you know what the best part is?! over here in bed-stuy (home of frank mccourt, jackie robinson, and jay-z) nyc, we are also spending friday nights watching movies out-of-doors with our neighbors! awesome.

but we only yell at the screen on wednesday night's 'backyard noir' less people, more imbibing...the good stuff.

so cool that we're in such different places yet enjoying the same vibe.

Ms. Moon said...

Oh. I want to come watch the movies! How awesome! Sounds like a tiny village in Mexico, answering back to the screen and all!

Petit fleur said...

FUN!!

I CANNOT believe they sent a helicopter! JEEZ!!

My suggestion... old horror movies. The really old ones can be quite sexy and funny too. Lots of double entendre and silliness. "The Old Dark House" or maybe it's "The Dark Old House" was a scream!

That Hank said...

adrienne: that's so funny. Great minds!

Mama: you're welcome to come join the fun, but you probably won't be into the movies.

PF: That's sort of what we're thinking. And cheesy action flicks.

Ms. Moon said...

You should definitely rent Tarzan and His Mate. Check out the very, very sexy clip (filmed at Weeki Watchee, maybe?) here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNGXdw2_6DM

Sarcastic Bastard said...

Sounds great, man.

Love,

SB

Mwa said...

Yay! We have one of these projector things, too. We're going to have a cinema in the garden if we finally get the friends organised.

Anonymous said...

LOL Free and fun, love it!!!

Erin said...

Sounds like a blast.

That Hank said...

mama: I think we should do a Florida old school flicks night, with Tarzan and the Creature From the Black Lagoon.

SB: come watch.

Mwa: do it, it's as cool as you'd hope for.

Dragon and ginger: no lie!

Sarcastic Bastard said...

DTG,
If I didn't live in Buttfuck, Ohio, I definitely would.

One of these days. . .

Anonymous said...

yep, awesome, we did it with a sheet a couple times in the back yard and never had so much fun. The expensive projector privileges disappeared once they took my property locker key though.

I bet the chopper just wanted to watch Snake take that crossbow shot in the leg. They were jealous.

Windy Days said...

I want a magazine. PLEASE!? Do you need my qualifications? Native Mississippian, was once employed by City Grocery in Oxford, MS (you're been there, right?), quickly introduced my great love to okra, oysters, crawfish and all things New Orleans upon learning of her tasteless upbringing in the frozen tundra. COME ON! Let me in the club!

That Hank said...

Drop me an email, I'll need your mailing address.

drunkonpabst at gmail dot com