Riverfront movie weekend kicks off with 'Speed Racer'

HUNTINGTON -- When Cheryl Myers came back to work for the Big Sandy Superstore Arena this spring, it didn't take long for her to look around and see if the giant "drive-in" movie screen was still intact.

It is. And this Friday, the arena blows the dust off its 40-foot-by-20-foot-movie screen to revive Starlight Cinema at Harris Riverfront Park.

After a seven-year absence, the Starlight Cinema, the family-friendly, alcohol-free outdoor movie weekend, kicks off with the PG-rated "Speed Racer" on Friday and on Saturday, the PG-13-rated Vegas card-sharking thriller "21."

Admission is free with an advance ticket available at the following locations: Big Sandy Superstore Arena, Heiner's Surplus Store at Washington Ave. and 13th Street West, The Herald-Dispatch and five locations of Big Sandy Superstores; Teays Valley, Ashland, Chesapeake, Kenova and Ashland Outlet Stores.

Tickets are readily available, but moviegoers do need to pick up a ticket in order to enter the movie Friday or Saturday night when they're invited to leave the car in the parking lot and spend the evening under the stars with the Ohio River as their backdrop.

Starlight features movies that are shown on a custom designed 20-foot-by-40-foot screen hung on the riverfront floating stage and showing a movie using 35-mm projection.

People are asked to bring blankets or chairs. They are not permitted to bring in any food, drinks or coolers. Concessions are available.

Myers, who helped organize Starlight when she worked for the arena in the mid-1990s, said they're excited to revive such a great family tradition in downtown. It started in 1996 following the closing of Huntington's last drive-in, East Drive-in.

"At that time, Ogden Entertainment was hired by the city to run the building, and we were into the summer months and not typically a lot going on in the arena so we were looking for a way to get outside the four walls and to let people know what we were all about," said Myers, who is director of sales at the arena. "It was not only a way to get out into the community but was a way to introduce people to the park that hadn't experienced it yet. It was big in the news that the East had just closed that spring and a lot of people were real upset."

Then, like now, Myers said they were looking for more events to utilize the Riverfront Park and to bring families down for a safe, fun, alcohol-free movie night.

"Obviously, Harris Riverfront Park is a gold mine, a beautiful facility and we feel under used," Myers said. "We're constantly looking for ways to increase the usage and to give people opportunities to experience it in different ways."

Myers said since she just came back to the arena in early June, she's just had time to plan for a movie weekend in July and then one in August (22 and 23).

By next year, they'll have a full schedule with about six movie weekends. Myers hopes to restore Starlight to its heyday when as many as 3,000 people attended.

Myers said the fare will always feature a family movie on Friday (G or PG rated) and a more grown-up movie on Saturday (PG or PG13).

In order to preserve the integrity of Starlight Cinema, R-rated movies are never shown. Every effort is made to feature movies that have just finished the first box office run, but prior to release on DVD.

This Friday, there will also be inflatables from 7 to 9 p.m. to encourage more families to get there early and enjoy the park, which has been getting a makeover after several years of neglect.

Myers said Starlight is possible because so many sponsors, including many from the original Starlight run, jumped on board to give for free movie nights for the community.

"In talking with others in the community there was such great support," Myers said. "They all went with the idea to make it a free event and a great entertainment night for families. That is why we decided to keep it family centered and never brought alcohol into it. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but a lot of families can feel secure to bring their children to the park and be safe and secure and free to enjoy the movies."

Doing research for this season's Starlight, Myers found outdoor movie showings have turned up around the country with some unique ones such as the classic movies shown in a Burbank, Calif., cemetery.

In addition to these outdoor showings, the number of actual drive-in movies in the country has remained steady at about 650, albeit down from the 4,000 or so at the end of 1960 during the drive-in's prime.

With the Kanauga Drive-In in Gallipolis, Ohio, recently closing, Myers said she thinks there should be a good regional draw for moviegoers to come and savor the magic, nostalgic elixir of a sunset, followed by the darkening of skies and the night lit up with the screen.

"It's a great tradition for families in the summertime," Myers said. "I can't think of a more conducive setting. If anyone sets foot in the amphitheater and sees a sunset on the river, they don't forget it."