Drive-In Movies Back on Sat Nights at Oregon Coast's Lincoln City Cultural Center

Published 07/18/21 at 7:05 PM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – An old friend of sorts has returned to the central Oregon coast. The Bijou Theater's Drive Summer Movie series is back in Lincoln City, happening again every Saturday at the Lincoln City Cultural Center (LCCC).

The feature skyrocketed last year after it was implemented, with all spots getting sold out rather quickly by late summer.

The drive-in was an offshoot of both the Bijou and the LCCC as they made serious efforts to maintain revenue by coming up with something creative during COVID's long shut down. Both facilities had been been promoting online shows, with the Bijou providing streaming movies to people at home while it was closed. This retro-themed, natural extension proved to be just the ticket, especially as the Oregon coast was flooded with visitors last summer, and seeing movies in your vehicle was the perfect way to remain safe from the pandemic.

Photo courtesy LCCC

With an FM transmitter for stereo sound and an enormous 22 x 12 foot silver screen, it's again going to be a pleasant couple of hours with an age-old favorite pastime, as well as favorite movies. And you're on the beach, to boot. The parking lot opens at 8 pm on Saturday evenings. They happen rain or shine.

Cost is $25 per car load. Shows start at dusk Saturday nights. For tickets visit CinemaLovers.com. Again this year: free large popcorn included with ticket purchase. Remember to pick it up at the Bijou prior to the movie.

The Oregon Coast Drive-In movie lineup:

7/31: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982). The Steven Spielberg film launched the career of Drew Barrymore and also featured heavy-hitters such as Dee Wallace and Peter Coyote. Released by Universal Pictures, the film was a blockbuster and wound up the highest-grossing film of all time, until Jurassic Park took it out 11 years later.

Often dubbed “E.T.,” it's the story of a cute little alien stranded on Earth who befriends the boy Elliot (Dylan Thomas). Elliott and his siblings help it return home while attempting to keep it hidden from their mother and the government.

The concept came from Spielberg's imaginary friend he created as a child after his parents had divorced, and then culled from the remnants of another movie that had stalled in production called Night Skies. According to Fandom, unlike most motion pictures, it was shot in roughly chronological order, to facilitate convincing emotional performances from the young cast.

8/7: Alien (1979). The groundbreaking sci-fi horror film was the first in a highly successful franchise that has lasted through this decade (although with mixed results). Alien was directed by Baker Baker and starred Tom Skerrit, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. This nail-biter focuses on a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature that gets aboard a cargo spacecraft, where it begins stalking and killing its crew. One tense moment after another leaves you jumping in your seat fairly often.

Originally, the story came from screenwriters Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, with O'Bannon turning it into the screenplay. The movie was primarily filmed at Shepperton Studios near London, England. Ridley Scott is reportedly working on another film in the franchise at this moment.

8/14 Gremlins (1984). The wacky story of a man looking for a Christmas present for his son, snagging a mystical but adorable, fuzzy little creature called a mogwai in a Chinese junk shop. Problems arise – indeed explode – when the son gets the creature wet in spite of instructions otherwise. Gizmo is no longer cuddly and turns into a monster, spawning other similar critters that create havoc in the neighborhood. All of it over the holidays, no less.

The film also stars Corey Feldman.

8/21: Casablanca (1942). You can't get much more iconic than the Bogart / Bacall combo and this film that turned a song into a decades-long classic and the final kiss goodbye scene into a major staple in film literature. Countless films and TV scenes have referenced it, and almost 100 years later it's widely regarded as one of the best films of all time.

8/28 Bridesmaids (2011). The kooky American romantic comedy film was directed by Paul Feig, written by Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig, and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend.

Bridesmaids centers on the astoundingly talented Wiig (Annie in the film), who suffers a series of misfortunes after being asked to serve as maid of honor for her best friend, Lillian, played by Maya Rudolph. The all-star and glittering cast of fellow bridesmaids includes Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Ellie Kemper, and Wendi McLendon-Covey, alongside biggies such as Chris O'Dowd, Jon Hamm, and Jill Clayburgh (in her last film appearance).

It hit a nerve with the public and critics right off the bat, grossing $26 million in its opening weekend and eventually brought in $288 million worldwide. Bridesmaids remains an important point of discussion in the world of female-centric cinema.

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