Who out there remembers the joy of going to the drive-in movies? My first drive-in movie was Bambi (I sobbed in the back seat the whole way home) while my parents remember the somewhat eye-opening Rocky Horror Picture Show as their first drive-in movie experience. Anyone who ever went to one will probably have a story to tell, from watching Grease on a first date and trying not to get popcorn down your cleavage to a family outing where you all squashed into the back of a bakkie and watched ET with the speakers crackling so badly you wanted to go home yourself.
Sadly drive-in movie theatres seem to be a thing of the past, but thanks to The Galileo Open Air Cinema you can still go watch movies under the stars. The only difference being in that you sit on chairs and blankets, rather than in a car. You’ll probably still get popcorn down your cleavage, but at least the speakers won’t be crackling!
The Galileo Open Air Cinema will be screening movies at three different venues until the end of April next year. On Tuesdays the screenings take place at Hillcrest Quarry in Durbanville, on Wednesdays you can catch a movie at Kirstenbosch Gardens (or check out the Kirstenbosch Summer Sunset Concerts) in Newlands and on Thursdays you can go to the V&A Waterfront on the Foreshore. I was lucky enough to get a schedule of movies in my letterbox, but you can also see the schedule on the Galileo website. No movie is ever shown twice, so you will have to choose your venue carefully and if it rains you can opt to either get a refund or go to another movie at the same venue. For the nostalgic, the line-up this summer includes Grease, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and The Breakfast Club. Romantics can enjoy Love Actually, When Harry Met Sally and Dirty Dancing while those with kids can take them to see Ice Age, Shrek and Harry Potter.
You can buy your tickets online or at the gate, although the gate could be risky as tickets may be sold out. When you buy your ticket online you can choose to book a backrest (they are really comfy) and whether or not you would like a blanket (they are really soft). Of course you can also just buy a movie ticket and take your own blankets (no private backrests or chairs allowed though). Just as you can take your own food and drinks, or buy food and drinks from the vendors at the venues. But you may want to take some extra cash with you as the food options I was presented with at Kirstenbosch were delicious and it took me ages to decide on what to have.
The most popular option that evening were the nachos from The Mexican Nacho (they are wheat-free too), as was the seafood paella (one hot and one not). I particularly loved the traditional Pamplona from a rather delicious Argentinian while my friends tucked into burgers, boerie rolls and wraps. Prices vary, from R35 for a boerie roll, R45 for a large portion of nachos and R65 for the Pamplona. Drinks are also available from the various vendors, including soft drinks, hot chocolate and coffee.
Gates open at 18h00 and the movie starts just after sunset, being any time between 19h30 and 20h15. That gives you enough time to collect a backrest and some blankets, find a spot and grab some grub before the movie starts. If you go to the movie dressed in theme (think burlesque for Moulin Rouge or Darth Vader for Star Wars) you could be lucky enough to win complimentary tickets to another screening. I personally can’t wait to see all the men in uniform at Top Gun…
For more information on each venue and to purchase tickets, go to www.thegalileo.co.za. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter to get regular updates.
Hint:
Remember it’s Christmas time too – tickets to the movies would make a great present! Not to mention a great idea for a romantic date for Valentine’s Day …
