Do your remember the Skylark and Soo Drive-Ins?
The Soo Drive In was torn down a number of years ago, but I understand that the Skylark was reopened a couple of years ago by some entrepreneurial soul.
I'd be interested if anyone has pictures of the Drive-ins or knows any of the history behind either of them.
I was born a little late to appreciate the heyday of the drive-in, but I did manage to get to a few screenings in my time all of which were very memorable.
As a teenager of about 17 in the mid-1980s I spent one summer helping my father refurbish his aging pickup truck. My incentive was that if I helped out he would let me drive it.
Up until this point my father had been very protective of his vehicles not letting me drive any of them. Sacrificing my personal time seemed trivial compared to the rewards of having access to a vehicle, so I eagerly agreed to this bargin. Upon the completion of the body-work and a new paint job, I begged my father to allow me to borrow the truck (which had an extended cab) to take some friends to the drive-in which was showing a dusk-to-dawn horror fest. Reluctantly he agreed.
Rounding up a couple of my friends and an equal number of lovely young ladies we headed off to the Soo-Drive In. There was this one little horror movie on the schedule that none of us had heard anything about called Nightmare on Elm Street. I know 15+ years after its release its hard to put in perspective the intial impact this movie had, but I just remember watching the first scene in which someone dies and thinking its all a dream they'll wake up. Of course they don't. Combine this with a couple of shrieking teenage girls and the moonlight night of the drive-in and you couldn't ask for a better atmosphere. Oh, wait the speaker did fade in and out at some crucial moments of the film making it all the stranger wondering what was going on.
A memorable film and an unforgettable evening.
If you have your own memories of the Soo or Skylark Drive-Ins that you would like to share, please click the link below or email us at soomemories@yahoo.ca
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