It Was Twenty Years Ago Today!

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today!

No, I'm not talking about when Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play (though that was an important day too of course). In this case I'm referring to July 5, 1998. Twenty years ago. And what exactly happened on that date? Well, The Wife (not The Wife at the time of course) and I first met! I generally write about three things here at Monster Dad: stuff from my past when I was a Monster Kid, stuff from today about my own Little Monsters and stuff in general that interests me. But other than occasionally mentioning The Wife in passing I really haven't written about her or our relationship much in my 100+ posts.

Well, this anniversary seemed like a good time to do a little writing about that subject. The day we met wasn't the day we got married (our "real" anniversary), but indeed, if we hadn't MET on July 5, 1998 we wouldn't have ever gotten married! And, possibly more importantly for this blog's existence, we wouldn't have had our two Little Monsters who have been the subject of many posts here as well as the main inspiration for starting Monster Dad in the first place!

I will write more about this day later, but for now I just want to take this opportunity to say Happy 20th Anniversary to The Wife! Without you there wouldn't be an "us", there wouldn't be a Monster Dad and there certainly wouldn't be two very special Little Monsters making our lives so interesting!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

The Mahoning Drive-In Theater (Lehighton, PA)

The Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton, PA (visit their website and Facebook page for more information) is celebrating its 69th anniversary this year (2018). It was built 70 years ago in 1948 and began operating in 1949. That's a pretty amazing feat. And what's been going on at the Mahoning for the past few seasons has been an even more amazing story. Let's talk about both of those things...

The Mahoning certainly wasn't the first drive-in theater by any means. We just recently celebrated the 85th anniversary of opening of the first true drive-in back on June 6th. That one opened in 1933. But to be able to say that the Mahoning has been in operation since 1949 is indeed quite impressive. At 120 feet wide, it features the largest CinemaScope screen in Pennsylvania. For the first 65 or so years of its existence the Mahoning operated pretty much like most of the other drive-ins around the country. But then something happened that changed the course of the Mahoning and made it something even more special than "just another drive-in" (and I pretty much believe that EVERY drive-in that has managed to simply survive these days is something special).

The golden age of drive-ins in was in the 1950s and '60s. A their peak there were some 4,000 drive-ins across the country. Drive-ins started to decline in the 1970s and '80s (around the time that I first started attending local drive-ins during my youth in Massachusetts). The numbers eventually dwindled from around 4,000 to less than 400. Many factors went into this decline, but drive-ins really became an endangered species. As if things weren't bleak enough, the digital revolution of the past decade ended up putting many drive-ins that had somehow managed to survive out of business. Hollywood had decided to make a full switchover from film prints to digital projection. While a major change for the industry, and an expensive investment for theaters, this didn't really pose too much of a problem for the big multi-screen megaplexes that feature multiple blockbusters on a weekly basis. But single-screen and two-screen drive-ins were already finding it difficult to survive, and to suddenly have to invest about $70,000 per screen to convert their projection booth(s) for the new digital format was the final nail in the coffin for many drive-ins. That's why I believe that ALL the remaining drive-ins are pretty special and it also brings us to the Mahoning's own amazing story.

The Mahoning was one of many drive-ins that struggled with the digital conversion dilemma. They basically had two choices: somehow find a way to raise the money to go digital or shut down. So which choice did the Mahoning make? Neither! Instead they made the bold move of refusing the industry's digital demand and decided to make the switch to (or actually remain) an all-film based business model. This was previously the standard and now it would be the exception. Since the new films from Hollywood would only be available in a digital format the Mahoning went all-retro, showing 35MM prints of older films. Starting with the 2015 season the Mahoning began featuring great themed shows and weekends built around some great, fun and rare 35MM film prints. The idea was kind of slow to catch on at first, and pretty much all the money raised by those early weekends was put directly back into the theater to continue improving all aspects of the business. The dedication, commitment and hard work of the small Mahoning staff has paid off and it has now become a true destination for fans of movies, drive-ins and all sorts of different genres that the Mahoning has spotlighted over the past few seasons. The crowds have steadily grown over the years and it now has a great group of regulars, as well as new people who continue to find it based on an interest in drive-ins as well as all the varied shows they put on. There really is something for everyone!

They even have started a new tradition (2018 marks the fourth year) of starting the season off with a family-friendly double feature of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". Those are two great films (and personal favorites), but not really what many of the new followers of the Mahoning might expect from the theater (they're both classics, but a little on the mainstream side). Still, it's a great way to celebrate the start of a new and hopefully successful season (and don't forget, they're not DVDs projected onto the huge screen, they're actual 35MM prints)! There are other family-friendly shows that allow parents to bring their kids to the drive-in and share some of the magic they remember from when they were kids themselves. And there are also shows that are decidedly NOT so family friendly. But there's always a lot of thought and preparation put into all the shows and there is a lot of variety as well. It's not like they only show old 1970s horror films that would have been seen at the drive-ins of those days. They're likely to have a weekend or two like that, but they will also have weekends dedicated to directors like Martin Scorsese and John Carpenter. And other weekends will be filled with films from franchises like "Raiders of the Lost Ark" or featuring the works of Bill Murray. In this 2018 season they have already had some of those shows and others like "Home Run Weekend" (with "A League of Their Own" and the original "Bad News Bears"), "Vampyrty 2018", "Zombiefest IV" (yes, the FOURTH edition!) and a weekend celebrating the works of Italian horror director Umberto Lenzi.

April-June 2018 schedule

A great example of how varied the shows are is this weekend's offering (July 6-7). It's the second installment of the "Drive-In VHS-Fest". Not only will they be featuring six rare horror movies over the two nights, but they will be movies that were mainly released on the defunct technology of VHS videotapes. Remember how I said that the Mahoning was dedicated to screening all kinds of great, fun, old and schlocky movies in 35MM? Well, for this weekend they'll let their classic 35MM projectors take a break and will fill that 120 foot screen with...projections of VHS tapes from an old VCR! In addition there will be an onsite VHS and cult cinema flea market with vendors set up on the drive-in's grounds!

I'm particularly excited about this show because it will be the first time this season I've been able to get to the Mahoning (I live in Massachusetts). In fact it will only be my third visit there and first since October of 2016. The two previous shows I attended were an Indiana Jones double feature in August of 2015 and an awesome six-film "Bigfoot Weekend" in October 2016 (see this post for more information about that show).

I have a friend who lives even further away from the Mahoning than I do (New Hampshire) who's so dedicated to it that he not only takes the drive down to Lehighton most weekends, but he also mans the ticket booth and snack bar while he's there! He has graciously offered to take me along once again for this weekend's show and I can't wait!

Finally, it's very much worth mentioning that the Mahoning's story is so amazing that it has actually been the subject of an award-winning documentary called "At the Drive-In"! I have not had the opportunity to see it yet, but I hope to soon!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL DRIVE-IN THEATER!

*Photos used in this post are borrowed from the Mahoning's website and Facebook page and the "At the Drive-In" Facebook page.

Sparklers on the Fourth of July: The Next Generation

This is actually the third time I've written a blog post about "Sparklers on the Fourth of July". The first two times were in 2011 in Sparklers on the Fourth of July! and Sparklers on the Fourth: Upon Further Review. The goal of the first one was to discuss...well...the topic of...sparklers on the Fourth of July. My intention was pretty simple--to talk about one of my favorite memories of Fourth of July celebrations when I was a kid, namely...running around with sparklers! However, the original blog ended up delving deeper than expected into my memories (or semi-false memories as it turned out) of the big Bicentennial celebration around the Fourth of July in 1976 and I didn't even really discuss the topic of sparklers until the end. And then in the second installment I don't think sparklers were even mentioned! That one was all about the detective work involved in unraveling the mysteries of the mind that were brought up in the first part. So here we are seven years later(!!!), and I think it's finally time to touch on this subject once again...

In July of 2011 The Little Monsters were indeed little. The elder (The Little Monster) was only five years old and the younger (The Beast) had just recently turned two. Seven years later finds them at twelve and nine, respectively. My how time flies. And what a reminder of just how long ago it was when I was a kid myself.

The Little Monster around Memorial Day 2011

The Beast at her first fireworks show July 2011

The Little Monsters celebrating Star Wars Day back in May

In the original Sparklers on the Fourth of July post I talked about how much fun it was as a kid to be given lighted sparklers to run around with. Sometimes we would go to large organized firework displays near our hometown. Other times we'd simply stay home for a barbeque. If we did the latter someone invariably would have a supply of fireworks that would be set off after the sun set and as the mosquitoes were coming out. These fireworks were obviously not of the same caliber as the "professional" displays, but you got to witness them MUCH closer--so they generally seemed every bit as impressive (and even MORE dangerous!). Those pyrotechnics were generally handled by adults (or at least teenaged relatives who SEEMED like adults to my seven-year-old self). But that's not to say there wasn't ANYTHING dangerous for the kids to handle! We had sparklers--little metal wands with a silver/grey coating that would let off a shower of relatively safe sparks when lit. Of course you DID need to handle matches or a lighter to ignite those sparks, but that's beside the point. It doesn't take much to entertain a little kid (or at least it didn't take much back in the '70s before we had all these handheld devices that put the world at your fingertips). I can still recall the feeling of magic and power I felt when those sparks started flying. The visual experience wasn't much different from what it looked like watching a welder at work--except that you wouldn't wear goggles to protect your eyes and thick leather gloves to protect your hands. Nope, there was apparently no need to protect anything. You'd run around shirtless and shoeless, wearing cut-off jean shorts while those sparks glittered all around you. You certainly didn't want to touch that hot metal stick during or after the show, but otherwise there were few concerns. Not only could a kid try to write his/her name in the dark or pretend to be some sort of magician or wizard, but you got to feel like you really were part of the celebration and participate in it.

Indicative of what I (in the middle) might have worn while playing with sparklers

But a funny thing happened not long after those great old days. The Fourth of July would still roll around every year of course, but for some strange reason I kept getting older as each one arrived. Before you knew it I was an adult I became one of the ones who would be responsible (or irresponsible) for setting off the family firework display; The one who would drive to the place where we'd watch the big-time firework displays; The one who would comfort a Little Monster who was afraid of the noise made by those firework displays... Eventually I noticed how that gradual change over time had completely altered how I experienced the Fourth of July. I began to miss the innocent magic and wonder I felt as a kid. I missed being the one who took it all in as a new experience. ...I missed the sparklers!

Fireworks have always been a bit of a fringe thing, legal-wise. They seem like a family-friendly, fun and exciting product geared toward enhancing a Fourth of July celebration and other occasions. But on the other hand...they also contain gunpowder! Fireworks are currently illegal in Massachusetts (where we live) as well as in many other states. You're not SUPPOSED to buy, own or set off fireworks in our state. But... They're legal in nearby New Hampshire and other places. There's really nothing stopping you from driving to one of those areas where they are legal, purchasing them and bringing them stealthily back to your home to set off in your back yard. The first few years that the Little Monster experienced the Fourth of July she was pretty frightened by big firework displays (mainly because of the noise). That's not uncommon of course. But I remember thinking about how much fun I had always had using sparklers and was lamenting the fact that kids didn't get to use them any more. Despite how minor a threat they posed they were still under the umbrella of "fireworks"--and thus illegal. I felt bad that the Little Monsters were growing up in a world where they couldn't experience the thrill of running around with a lit sparkler in their hands, with the constant knowledge that in addition to being fun and exciting they were also kinda-sorta dangerous!

The good news is that The Monsters WERE finally able to get the sparkler experience a number of years back when my sister and brother-in-law supplied them with some during one of their Fourth of July celebrations. My brother-in-law was a big fan of taking the trip to New Hampshire and loading up on tons of fun and dangerous fireworks to shoot off. Suddenly it was like the old days again--the adults throwing caution to the wind and setting off all sorts of loud and colorful pyrotechnics, while a new generation of kids started running around with lit sparklers in their hands. I suppose one could almost see sparklers as a sort of "gateway drug" to the world of fireworks.

And now we find ourselves in 2018. A couple months ago The Wife and I went on an overnight hiking adventure in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. New Hampshire? What did I say earlier about New Hampshire? Something about fireworks being legal there? Well, we didn't go to a firework store, but we DID stop at a highway rest stop/service area to relieve ourselves. And while perusing the souvenirs at a convenience store there I spotted this "All-American Fireworks Assortment"!

Now, calling these items "Fireworks" is going a bit far, but it DID have a number of old-school kid favorites that I remember loving back in my old Monster Kid days of yore. Not only are there a few boxes of the coveted sparklers, but it also includes some of those champagne bottle "party poppers" (better than being a "party pooper", eh?), a box of Bang Snaps that you throw on the ground and three boxes of those little black cylinders you place on the ground, ignite and watch smoky black "snakes" "grow" out of! I loved ALL of those things as a kid! And now I would be able to share them all with the Little Monsters!

Well, now it's the Fourth of July, and it's finally time to pull out that "All-American Fireworks Assortment". We're staying at The Wife's parents' house over the holiday (which just happens to be near the New Hampshire border by the way...). As tame as my "Firework Assortment" already seemed before, it's now even more of a lightweight. That's because The Wife's brother took the short trek up to New Hampshire a couple days ago and bought a few REAL fireworks--as well as LOTS of additional sparklers in different colors and styles. Looks like we're going to have a real, honest-to-goodness Fourth of July celebration like the ones I remember from my youth!

Here are The (not so) Little Monsters enjoying some pre-Fourth sparkler fun a couple days ago. I was a bit nervous about them running around the campfire with lit sparklers while wearing nothing but their bathing suits. But then I remembered what I mentioned earlier about how I'd do the exact same thing shirtless and shoeless in cut-off jean shorts. I guess it really IS time to pass this fun and slightly-dangerous tradition on to a new generation!

The remnants the next morning

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!