Movie News

Drive-in movie concept sets up shop on grassy East Dallas field off US-75

They'll open with Grease and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Photo courtesy of Rooftop Cinema Club

A drive-in company with three locations in Texas is coming to Dallas. Called Rooftop Cinema Club, it'll set up an outdoor theater in East Dallas, at 2999 N. Carroll Ave.

According to a release, the Dallas location is called Drive-In at The Central — it's off US-75, where the ACS building used to be before it got imploded in 2015 — and will open August 25. The schedule of films and tickets are available Thursday, August 13.

This will be the company's fourth drive-in theater to open in Texas since March, following locations in Houston and San Antonio.

Rooftop Cinema Club started as a single rooftop in London in 2011 and has now three venues in the UK, plus venues in Los Angeles, New York, San Diego, and Houston. The rooftop venues have it pretty good, with state-of-the-art projectors, personal headphones, deck chairs, and blankets.

The Texas drive-ins are not on rooftops. Owner-founder Gerry Cottle says in a statement that they're reviving the tradition of the drive-in to accommodate the desire for socially distanced entertainment. There are more in the works for other U.S. cities.

"The return of this great American institution continues to grow in popularity as we've seen at our other Texas drive-ins," Cottle says. "[These] aren't week-long pop-ups, they are here to stay as long as people need this as a safe escape during this uncertain time."

Hmm, so maybe it'll be month-long pop-ups.

They'll host two screenings per night, seven nights a week, and all ages are welcome.

They'll debut with Grease and Raiders of the Lost Ark, and continue with a mix of modern and classic films geared towards family, friends, or date night.

Family-friendly flicks such as Frozen II and The Sandlot will screen first at around 8 pm. The second screening of the night begins at 11 pm with films such as A Star is Born, Love Jones, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Tickets are as follows:

8 pm: $28 or $35 per vehicle, regardless of occupancy, depending on parking preference – either closer or further from the screen.
10:30-11 pm: $22 and $28, Sunday-Thursday, and $28 or $35 Friday-Saturday, also depending on parking preference.

You can bring your own snacks and drinks, or order concessions, food, and drinks from Rooftop Cinema Club or on-site food truck partners. All orders are made online and guests will be notified for pick up, to avoid time outside their cars. Concession items will include popcorn, candy, and soda.

Cars will enter the venue off North Carroll Avenue, where they’ll greet a 52-foot movie screen, and be ushered to a 10-foot by 15-foot parking space. All vehicles are spaced up to 10 feet apart. Audio can be picked up through local FM stereo in the car, or guests can bring a portable radio.

Safety rules include requirements to follow your usher's directions on where to park, and to watch the movie from within your vehicle, truck bed, or hatchback. Lawn chairs, picnic blankets, and other seating outside the vehicle are not allowed at this time.

Masks, face coverings, and social distancing are required anytime you step outside your car for any reason, whether it's using the restroom or buying snacks.

The schedule of films through September 6 is as follows:

August 25: Grease, Raiders of The Lost Ark
August 26: Sonic The Hedgehog, A Star Is Born
August 27: Selena, Dazed and Confused
August 28: Dirty Dancing, Friday
August 29: Jurassic Park, A Nightmare on Elm Street
August 30: The Little Mermaid, Pulp Fiction
August 31: Frozen II (Community Screening), Love Jones
September 1: Toy Story 4, Poetic Justice
September 2: Shrek, Bohemian Rhapsody
September 3: The Greatest Showman, Grease
September 4: The Lion King (2019), Friday
September 5: Jurassic Park, Texas Chainsaw Massacre
September 6: The Sandlot, Joker

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Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer is an unappreciated mom in Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

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