The Blue Starlite

Austin Cinematic Limits

Austin has a drive-in movie theater? Really? No way! Actually it makes total sense, since Austin is a city that really loves movies and really loves cars [and pickup trucks and SUVs]. Besides, it seems to never rain here, so the weather is perfect for outdoor movie screenings. Way back in 2010, native Austinite Josh Frank (author of “In Heaven Everything is Fine: The Unsolved Life of Peter Ivers and the Lost History of New Wave Theatre” and “Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies”) took a cue from San Francisco’s mobile drive-in MobMov.org — he constructed a modestly sized outdoor screen, acquired some car-speaker posts from defunct drive-ins via eBay, and restored a vintage runabout to use as a concession stand. Frank’s Mini Urban Drive-in, The Blue Starlite, has existed in varying capacities and locations for the last two years. When he found out a few months ago that his lease at 1001 E 6th Street would not be renewed, the future of The Blue Starlite seemed uncertain. One of Austin’s best kept cinematic secrets was in jeopardy of disappearing forever. Along came a surprising announcement from the Austin Film Society – The Blue Starlite found a summer home at Austin Studios (1901 E 51st Street). They even built their first real drive-in movie screen to complement the new location.

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published: 06.18.2013

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