Americans have a love affair with their cars and so too they have a general love affair with the freedom that America represents. So, in an era, in which you can't smoke, you can't drink, you can't talk, you can't text, you can't fool around, you might think that the concept of watching a movie with your friends in your own car, to which, whatever that you want to do is either permitted, tolerated, or benignly ignored, would be an enticement to going to see a movie at the drive-in, as opposed to the mall.
The thing about drive-in movie theatres is that they traditionally appealed to both families, as a way to see a movie without having to get a babysitter or worrying about their child causing too much ruckus in a traditional movie theatre, as well as to teenagers and young adults, who are the highest attendees of the movie experience. It is these two basic audience types that drive-in movie theatres must market to in order to have any hope of being successful, and especially to the later.
Back in their day, there were approximately 4,000 drive-in theatres in operation in America, whereas, currently there are less than 350 in operation. Additionally, the traditional distribution of 35mm print film for the showcasing of movies has been replaced by digital, and therein, lies, the opportunity for drive-in movie theatres to perhaps get back part of their mojo. While seeing a movie projected up onto a big screen has its place, so too there is something to be said, about allowing your patrons to stream the movie to their digital handheld device such as a tablet or phone, negating the need to have a perfect view of the big screen. In addition, there isn't much of a need of speakers throughout the parking lot, as the audio can either be streamed thru digital devices as well as being broadcast through the appropriate radio channel.
The bottom line is that the drive-in theatre experience really isn't about seeing necessarily the latest and greatest Hollywood release, but much more about establishing your own hangout and ability to enjoy yourself with your friends without bothering or being bothered with other people outside your own particular sphere. In an era of shorter and shorter attention spans, the drive-in movie theatre affords people the opportunity to embrace that fact without needlessly upsetting patrons around them.
The fact that you are in your own automobile with a reasonable amount of personal space and privacy, lends itself to a movie experience that has the opportunity to be of much more personal import than simply watching a picture show on the big screen. There are plenty of people that go to sporting events, and never leave the parking lot, because their intent is to save major dollars on admission and other peripheral stadium expenses, while giving themselves the opportunity to instead party, talk, and congregate in the parking lot, because they get more pleasure and more value from doing that.
In point of fact, drive-in movie theatres can still be relevant, even vibrant, as long as they emphasize freedom, convenience, independence, and tap into the love Americans have for their automobiles