Movies under the moon

DANDENONG is home to a drive-in revival.
The Lunar Drive-In in Dandenong South is one of three remaining drive-in theatres in Victoria following their decline in the early 1980s.
Manager Anthony Madigan said the emergence of multiplex cinemas forced a lot of drive-ins to close, with larger cinema companies realising the cost-savings by selling the drive-in land and moving into shopping centre development.
But while anyone can experience films on the big screen at their local cinema, the drive-in experience is a rare and welcome novelty these days.
Mr Madigan said the Lunar Drive-In focused on how people watched movies rather than just the experience of the individual films.
“We do survive a lot on the novelty visit,” he said.
“Parents take their kids to show them how they saw movies as children. It’s not a matter of ‘let’s go see Borat’ but rather, ‘let’s go check out the drive-in’.”
Mr Madigan said the price was more affordable for families and for anyone who took advantage of the back-to-back film sessions. Comparatively, a single-session film costs $20 for a carload at Lunar, whereas a sit-in theatre may cost over $45 for two kids and two adults.
Lunar Drive-In has a cafeteria with hot food, cold drinks and a range of snacks.
Privacy is another benefit of the drive-in, Mr Madigan said, with crying babies, mobile phones and general conversation guaranteed not to interfere with other movie-goers’ experiences.
Lunar Drive-In is located at 115 South Gippsland Highway, Dandenong South.