Interview:
Josh Frank,
owner,
Blue Starlite Drive-In
At a time when most movie theaters in Austin remain closed for the foreseeable future because of the Coronavirus pandemic, the Blue Starlite Drive-In is welcoming back carloads of people who have missed the communal experience of watching films on a big screen. The boutique drive-in theater’s Mueller location, behind the Moose Lodge Building at 2103 E.M. Franklin Ave., reopened May 4 with reduced capacity after closing in late March in compliance with the City of Austin’s “Stay Home—Work Safe” order. Programming remains the same, with an heavy emphasis on 1980s and 1990s classics, a splattering of such recent releases as The Invisible Man, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Underwater, and programming devoted to SXSW Film Festival 2020 shorts. Audiences eager to watch The Goonies or Back to the Future must observe social distancing polices at both the Blue Starlite’s Austin and Round Rock locations. While the Mueller location temporarily closed for more than one month, the Blue Starlite’s new Round Rock location has continued to show films since it opened to the public on Feb. 28 at 800 Harrell Parkway in Old Settlers Park. By remaining COVID-19 resistance, the Blue Starlite has received national and international media coverage as one of the country’s drive-in theaters that has provided a safe movie-going experience during the pandemic. Aired: May 14, 2020 Web site: http://www.bluestarlitedrivein.com |
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