This last Saturday, we were at the Midway Drive-in, located in Dixon, IL, for their From Dusk-To-Dawn show, where they screened Wes Craven’s A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) from a 35mm print, then Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm (1979), Joe Dante’s Piranha (1978), and then ending the night (or morning) with Terror Train (1980). We’ve been coming to the Midway for well more than a decade, seeing so many incredible films there on their huge 90ft. screen. And yesterday was no different.

We had some concerns with the weather though, even though the percentage of rain in the forecast was low, you just never know. And being that we got pummeled with rain at a previous event, it always makes us a little nervous. Rain and books just do not mix too well! But we were prepared, maybe a little too much but we weren’t going to let a slight chance of rain spoil the fun. Turns out the rain missed us completely, and while it was a wee bit warm out during set up, it still turned out be a fantastic night.

There is just something special about these events. I’ve always had a strong love for the drive-in, maybe because I used to go often in my youth, and these kind of have that nostalgic feel to them for me. But for younger and newer fans, seeing them come out in droves, enjoying the same thing I did many decades ago, shows the true power of the drive-in. It’s not just about the movies. It’s about the entire experience. So, when I see cars piling in once the box office opens up, it makes this old movie fan actually smile with pride!

Getting to spend the evening chatting with so many like-minded horror fans is always a good time, no matter what. Being right outside the concession stand, with the wonderful aroma of popcorn and cheeseburgers seeping outside just adds to the whole effect. We got to talk movies with a bunch of friends, both old and new, and honestly, that never gets old. It really is one of my favorite parts of the evening. Being set up next to Jill & Gregg from LixOnline makes the evening even better, with a constant stream of movie chatting throughout the evening. Same goes with Andrew from Time Warp Collectibles, when I’m not browsing through the ton of stuff he always has on his tables.

And of course, all of this wouldn’t be possible without the hard work and perseverance from Mike and Mia Kerz, and the whole Midway family, who keeps the drive-in open and running, and continuing to give that “drive-in experience” to those that grew up with it, like me, or the next generation that are discovering this fun for the first time. Mike and Mia also run the Flashback Weekend, Chicago’s best and longest running horror convention, and use all the proceeds from there to help keep the Midway up and running. They also use those proceeds for making upgrades like recently adding a 35mm projector so they can screen both real film and digital as well. For that alone, they should be commended, but they still go above and beyond that, creating a place that we’ve never gone to and not had a blast.

While this was their last event for the year, I highly recommend you save their website page (HERE) and check back next spring. Not only for their regular screenings, but for another all-night horrorfest! See you at the Midway! The drive-in will never die!

And for the record, I had 5 corndogs.