SUMMER MOVIE SEASON IS REALLY HEATING UP COMPARED TO THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THERE
ARE MORE BLOCKBUSTERS SHOWINGS
ON THE BIG SCREEN AND YOU
DON’T HAVE TO BE IN A THEATER
FOR THAT MOVIE EXPERIENCE. THE
PANDEMIC ACTUALLY ALLOWED
DRIVE TO MAKE A BIG COMEBACK
NEWS. 6 INSIDER GUIDE. CRYSTAL
MOYER JOINS US NOW IN CRYSTAL.
THERE IS A DRIVE AND IT’S A
REAL SIGNS OF NOSTALGIA RIGHT
HERE IN CENTRAL YEAH. BELIEVE
IT OR NOT, LADIES TODAY IS
NATIONAL DRIVE-IN MOVIE DAY.
AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO
CELEBRATE THAN TO EXPERIENCE
THE TRADITIONAL WAY TO VIEW
MOVIE ON THE BIG SCREEN FROM
YOUR CAR. THERE ARE A HANDFUL
OF THEM WITHIN A DRIVING
DISTANCE, INCLUDING THE OCALA.
DRIVE-IN. I FOUND THAT THERE’S
SO MUCH HISTORY WITH A UNIQUE
EXPERIENCE AT THE DRIVE-IN.
>> GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN. WELCOME TO THE
OCALA. DRIVE-IN OUT THE
SESSION IS OVER WITH PLENTY OF
FRESH MEAT. PIZZA HUT. BUT THE
POPCORN HAMBURGERS. HOT DOGS.
FRENCH FRIES. IF YOU’VE SPENT
SOME TIME HERE AT THE OCALA,
DRIVE-IN, YOU’LL RECOGNIZE THE
SPIEL COMING FROM THE RADIO
BEFORE EACH MOVIE, ITS OWNER,
JOHN WATZKE ON THE MIC. HE
SAID IT SO MANY TIMES. HE’S
GOT IT MEMORIZED 11
>> AT LEAST 3 TIMES A TO DO
THE OCALA DRIVE-IN OPENED IN
MARCH OF 1948. AS DYER’S
DRIVE-IN ONLY HAVE ONE SCREEN
BACK THAT THE ORIGINAL STRAIN
IN 1940 THEY WANT TO OPEN WAS
THE WITH THE THAT AND STRAIGHT
UP.
>> AND WITH WHAT THEY CALL THE
FLAG FORMAT. IN TO LATE 60’S
WHEN THEY CAME IN WITH THE
SENTIMENTS, GOLD AWAD, SPAIN,
THEY ADDED THE 2 WINGS ON EACH
SIDE. THE PROPERTY WOULD
SWITCH OWNERS A COUPLE OF
TIMES, THEN SIT VACANT UNTIL
WATZKE TOOK OVER IN 2011,
ADDING A SECOND SCREEN A FEW
YEARS LATER, A LOT OF PEOPLE
FELT THAT WAY AND THEY THOUGHT
I WAS KIND OF CRAZY. BUT
>> I WAS RAISED IN A JOB LIFE.
FAMILY HAS WORKED IN OVER 100
YEARS. IT’S A PASSION. YOU
HAVE TO HAVE A PASSION ABOUT
IT. IF YOU’RE LOOKING.
>> IT’S NOT A GET RICH, QUICK
THING. WATTS QI CHARGING $6
FOR ADULTS AND 3 BUCKS FOR
KIDS. THE LAW CAN FIT ABOUT
300 VEHICLES. YOU CAN WATCH
SOME OF THE CLASSICS OR CHECK
OUT NEW RELEASES. IN FACT, AT
SOME POINT DURING THE
PANDEMIC, THE OCALA DRIVE-IN
WITH THE ONLY THEATER IN THE
COUNTRY STILL OPEN PLAY. NEW
RELEASES THE OUTDOOR VENUE
OFFERING A SAFE AND UNIQUE WAY
TO WATCH MOVIES. IT GIVE IT
THE YOUNGER GENERATION, AN
OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIENCE A
DRIVE IN THAT IN THAT. BUT
>> GIVEN A CHANCE AND THE
OLDER
>> CHANCE TO REMINISCE ABOUT
WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER. THIS
DRIVE-IN COMBINES OLD AND NEW
TECHNOLOGY. THE MOVIES ARE
SHOWN USING LARGE DIGITAL
PROJECTORS, UNLIKE THE
SPENDING TRADITIONAL FILM. I
STILL HAVE SOME END THERE.
SOME OF THE OLD COURT TOO.
WE’RE BACK IN THE DAY.
>> THE AUDIO STILL TRANSMITTED
THROUGH THE RADIO IN THE CAR,
BUT WITH A MUCH IMPROVED SOUND
WATZKE SAYING THIS VENUE
PROVIDES MORE THAN JUST A
MOVIE.
>> THE WALK-IN IS NOTHING MORE
OR LESS. THEN THEY. ROBIN IS A
MEMORY. WANT TO COME TO THE
DRIVE-IN? EXPERIENCE IN A
FAMILY OUTING A GET TOGETHER.
WE’LL SEE THE CHILDREN HERE.
BUT AROUND THE GRASS AREA
PLAYING WITH THE OTHER
CHILDREN BEFORE THE MOVIE.
IT’S A IT’S IT’S A MEMORY.
>> THE OCALA DRIVE-IN IS OPEN.
7 DAYS A WEEK, EVEN WHEN IT
RAINS WAS, HE SAYS IT DOESN’T
AFFECT THE QUALITY OF THE
PICTURE, WHICH IS PRETTY COOL.
IF YOU WANT TO HEAD OUT THEIR
POST MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
THE OCALA, DRIVE-IN AS WELL AS
A LIST OF OTHER DRIVE INS IN
AND AROUND CENTRAL FLORIDA ON
CLICKORLANDO DOT COM SLASH
INSIDER LADIES IN YOUR DOG CAN
GO. YOUR DOG CAN GO. IT’S
ABOUT THE PRICES. SOUNDS LIKE
$6. THEY SHOW 2 MOVIES PER
SCREEN EACH NIGHT. SO IF YOU
PAY THE MONEY, YOU GO THERE,
YOU CAN WATCH 2 MOVIES. YOU
DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR EACH OF
THEM. WAS LIKE, WELL, HOW DO
YOU MAKE MONEY? HE SAYS WHY
DON’T MAKE MONEY OFF OF THE
TICKET PRICE? HE MAKES MONEY
OFF OF CONCESSIONS THAT DON’T
BRING YOUR OWN FOOD OR DRINK.
WE WANT TO BUY IT THERE. HE’S
ACTUALLY FROM NEW ORLEANS. SO
HE HAS SOME REALLY SPECIAL
DISHES IN THE KITCHEN IS JUST
AMAZING. WHEN WE TELL YOU THE
FOOD TOP NICE. THERE’S NOTHING
LIKE IT BECAUSE WE THINK ABOUT
HOW PEOPLE ARE SO INTO
WATCHING EVERYTHING ON
TELEVISION. NOW WE CAN, YOU
KNOW, LOSE. YOU KNOW WHERE
START? YEAH. AND HE SAID, YOU
KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE’RE ON
OUR CELL PHONES. HE SAID THIS
IS THE ONE TIME THAT YOU SEE
PEOPLE PUT THE PHONE DOWN AND
THEY’RE JUST INTERACTING WITH
EACH OTHER AND WATCHING THE