Terry Moore's Third Quarter 2004 Drive-In Theater Reports

Visit the Quarterly Reports Index to see past reports.

2 July 2004 - Turkey Legs!

If you recall my last report, I lamented that it seemed as if the summer movie season had been "paused" after the release of "Shrek 2". With the release of "Spider-Man 2", that "pause" had finally ended! I knew this highly anticipated film would pack the patrons into the Mission. Even though I was prepared to share "my" drive-in with hordes of eager moviegoers, I was completely unprepared for just how it would happen!

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that only one new film was playing at the Mission this week. This film being "Spider-Man 2". This was the first week of release for "Spider-Man 2". No surprise here, right?

With the addition of this new film, I had seen 4 of the 7 films being exhibited this week. Why seven films and not eight? That's the surprise! For the first time in living memory, the Mission booked two copies of the same film! "Spider-Man 2" was booked as the first feature on two screens!

Fearing massive lines at the Mission, I left my apartment at 6:12PM. I stopped along the way for cash at a convenient ATM machine. A massive traffic jam on Interstate Highway 35 forced me to seek an alternate route to the Mission. After much twisting and turning, I arrived at the Mission at 6:52PM.

The weather was nearly perfect for a night at the drive-in! The air was hot and dry. A few clouds drifted across the sky. For the first time in weeks, rain was not in the forecast.

As I neared the Mission, I noted that the white sign near the entrance remains completely blank without lettering or symbols! Could someone at Santikos be the victim of "writer's block"? That happens to me but I usually get over it in a few weeks! This sign has been blank for nearly two years! Or, is it three? Time passes so quickly!

Rounding the screen tower, I discovered that both ticket booths were still closed. Eleven cars were waiting in line for service. I admit to being disappointed. I had seen more cars sitting in front of the Hi-Way Drive-In in Santa Maria waiting to buy tickets to see 'Shrek 2"! For just a moment, my faith in the drive-in wavered. But just for a moment!

Braking my car to a halt, I turned off the ignition. I had brought a magazine with me. I picked it up and began to read it. Time passed. Finishing my magazine, I got out of the car and looked around. More cars had arrived and the lines now wrapped around the screen tower. I admit to being disappointed that the cars weren't backed up onto Roosevelt.

I got back into my car. More time passed. The patrons in the other cars began to grow restless. Someone honked their horn. There was a pause. Another horn honked. Then another and another. After a few minutes, the honking stopped. I thought this display of drive-in disobedience was over. I was wrong.

Moments later, in the next lane over, I saw a man going from car to car. He was clearly saying something to the driver of each vehicle. I strained to hear these conversations but could not. Eventually, the man moved so far down the line that I couldn't see him anymore. Time passed and then he returned to his vehicle. He had a big smile on his face. You know the kind of smile I'm talking about. The kind of smile someone gets when they've plotted some type of mischief. But what kind of mischief, I wondered?

The man climbed into his car and honked his horn. When he released the horn switch, the sound stopped. Before the last echo faded away, the car behind him honked. When this car stopped honking, the next car took up the tune. Now I knew what plot the man had concocted. He had organized a "honking wave".

People being people, the cars in the other lines soon joined into this juvenile enterprise. For nearly ten minutes, the "honking wave" went forwards and backwards up and down the car lines.

Finally, the novelty of this activity worn off. The cars stopped honking and quiet returned to the entrance lanes.

By 8:02PM, the line of cars had finally begun to back up onto Roosevelt. The line was growing on VFW Boulevard, but it wasn't as long.

At 8:15, the box office opened.

Reaching the ticket booth, I purchased a ticket for "Spider-Man 2". The runner attempted to give me directions to the Screen 1 lot. I ignored him and proceeded on into the Screen 2 lot. Why? The picture quality on Screen 2 is superior to Screen 1.

Driving across the Screen 2 lot, I parked in my usual location on the left side of the screen near the exit. Given the possibility of a sell-out crowd, I didn't want to be trapped into seeing the second feature, "Breaking All The Rules". Now that I think of it, I had actually "broken the rules" by refusing to park in the Screen 1 lot.

Leaving my car behind, I headed directly to the concession stand. As I moved towards it, I performed a complete count of the Screen 2 lot.

Entering the concession stand, I walked up to the counter and placed an order for a large Diet Coke and a large popcorn.

Exiting into the Screen 1 lot, I discovered a strange sign posted on the door. It said simply "Turkey Legs - $5". Turkey legs? Why serve turkey legs on the Fourth of July weekend? Why not serve a traditional holiday food? When I asked this question, I got no answers except for blank looks. You know the kind of look. It's the kind of look you see on a fish in a display case. I even call this look - "the fish eye". Next to the concession stand, a tent had been erected. Underneath it, a grill was in operation. From time to time, flames soared upwards towards the roof of the tent. I waited for five minutes or so to see if the tent would catch on fire.

When it didn't, I performed a complete car count before continuing my patrol.

I paused on the bridge to watch the cars coming into the Mission. The vast majority turned into the Screen 1 lot. From time to time, a maverick would split off from the herd and head on into the Screen 2 lot. Why were all the cars being directed into the Screen 1 lot? Why not attempt to balance out the cars between the two screens? Later, when I asked these questions, I was given "the fish eye" by those I questioned.

After ten minutes or so, I discontinued my observations of the entrance lanes and moved on to the Screen 4 lot. After a quick car count, I moved on to the Screen 3 lot. This count was also a quick one.

I won't bore you with the details, but the little tree near the foot bridge has still not been trimmed. I considered borrowing a pair of tree snips and trimming the tree myself. As I crossed the foot bridge, I wondered if I had what it takes to become a vigilante landscaper.

As I walked back through the Screen 2 lot, I performed yet another car count.

Reaching my vehicle, I got out my chair and connected my external speaker unit. I then settled down to enjoy the evening's entertainment.

Here are the car counts for those that like them. The first number for Screen 2 was taken at the start of my patrol. The second number was taken at the end of my patrol.

Screen 1 - "Spider-Man 2" / "White Chicks" - 186
Screen 2 - "Spider-Man 2" / "Breaking All The Rules" - 26, later 50
Screen 3 - "Dodgeball" / "The Day After Tomorrow" - 6
Screen 4 - "Garfield" / "Shrek 2" - 7

How was "Spider-Man 2"?

It was far superior to "Spider-Man". Why? Simple. "Spider-Man 2" is a "smaller" film than the original. What do I mean by that? This movie is tightly focused on its characters and their interactions.

Mostly gone are the long scenes of Spider-Man swinging through the city. When these scenes do appear in the film, the camera angle is more depressed. In the first film, these scenes left me with the impression that Spider-Man was swinging across the sky. In the second film, these scenes left me with the impression that Spider-Man was swinging through a man-made "steel canyon". In one movie, he is free of the city. In the other, he surrounded by it. Perhaps, given the tone of the movie, smothered by it. The same is true of the aerial combat scenes. The first movie was packed with them. The second uses them sparingly. Consider the fight on the clock tower. The fight sequence opens with some wide-angle aerial shots but then drops them in favor of more close up action. And why not? The audience knows the characters are on top of a tower. There is no need to belabor that point.

We do get more "falling scenes" in this film. What is obvious here is the physical danger of falling but I suspect these scenes are a metaphor for other types of falling. A famed scientist falls from grace after a failed experiment. An elderly woman's life falls apart slowly after the death of her husband. A young man's courage and determination fall down under the weight of a events he cannot control A young woman's hopes for romance fall apart due to the actions, and inactions, of the man of her dreams.

I advise you to focus on these issues and not the major plot flaw in the film. Why would anyone design a device whose most vital component was so exposed and vulnerable to trauma and misadventure?

As the credits began to roll, I packed up my car, made a quick patrol of the property and then proceeded home without incident.

Here are the updated car counts for those that like them. There were too many cars in the Screen 1 and Screen 2 lots to count. As always, the percentages are based solely on my observations walking through the lots.

Screen 1 - "Spider-Man 2" / "White Chicks" - 100%
Screen 2 - "Spider-Man 2" / "Breaking All The Rules" - 40%
Screen 3 - "Dodgeball" / "The Day After Tomorrow" - 56
Screen 4 - "Garfield" / "Shrek 2" - 41

As you can see, "Spider-Man 2" failed to sell-out on two screens. Does that mean having it on two screens was a bad idea? No! Absolutely not! Everyone that wanted to see "Spider-Man 2" at the drive-in was able to see it. No one was turned away because the theater sold out. Perhaps even more important, there really wasn't any other film available that could have pulled in enough cars to fill up 40% of the Screen 2 lot. Will we ever see the same film again on two screens? Only time will tell!

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Five of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Spider-Man 2	$115.8	YES!
2	Fahrenheit 9/11	$22.0
3	White Chicks	$11.5	YES!
4	Dodgeball	$11.4	YES!
5	The Terminal	$10.8
6	The Notebook	$10.4
7	Harry Potter 3	$8.5
8	Shrek 2	$8.4	YES!
9	Garfield	$4.3	YES!
10	Two Brothers	$3.9

10 July 2004 - Now It Can Be Told!

While reviewing last week's report, I realized that I had failed to relate two important developments at the Mission. One development is potentially positive while the other is definitely negative! Intrigued? You should be! As they say on television, "Now it can be told"!

A large pile of fresh asphalt has been deposited next to the snack bar. This suggests that perhaps, at long last, an effort will be made to patch the holes in the Lot 1 pavement. But don't get too excited at this prospect! There is an ancient mound of asphalt sitting just to the left of Screen 1, near the location of the original entrance into the Mission. I'm betting that when that asphalt was fresh, some long forgotten manager had ambitious plans for pavement repair. I'll monitor this situation and report any changes as soon as practical!

When I entered the concession stand last week, I walked briskly to the counter. Before I came to a halt, the employee behind the counter made an ominous declaration -- "The prices have gone up". I was taken by surprise to say the least! Higher prices? Of all the drive-ins that I've visited, including those in California and Nevada, the Mission has the highest concession prices. But surprise wasn't the only emotion this statement invoked in me! I glanced at the employee's face. Did I know this person? Had he recognized me? Or was he simply warning everyone who came near his register? He didn't look that familiar! What to do? Was I moments away from some embarrassing social misstep? Filled with dread, I decided to "buy some time" by scanning the menu. I hoped to give the impression that I was evaluating the new, higher prices. As I read the last line on the menu, I decided that the best response was a glib response. In my best conspiratorial voice replied, "And just in time for Spider-Man"! Was this the proper response? Moments later I knew it was when the employee's eyes brighten. A laugh escaped his lips. He nodded his head. We had achieved mutual understanding. I placed my order, paid the higher prices and I was off into the night.

Wasn't that interesting?

And now, the next thing....

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that only one new film was playing at the Mission this week. This film being "Anchorman". This was the first week of release for this film.

With the addition of this new film, I had seen 4 of the 7 films being exhibited this week. Still just seven films? Yes, still just seven films. While "Spider-Man 2" was still showing on two screens, it was no longer the first feature on both screens. If you think about it, that makes a lot of sense. On the weekends, that allows the Mission to show "Spider-Man 2" three times -- the 1st feature on Screen 1, the 2nd feature on Screen 2 and then repeated on Screen 1 as the 3rd feature.

I left my apartment at 6:45PM. I stopped along the way for cash and corn dogs. I arrived at the Mission at 7:32PM.

It wasn't a perfect night to visit the drive-in. The air was cool and the sky was overcast. Waves of light drizzle swept through the area from time to time. Would the drizzle keep the less devoted away? Only time would tell!

As I neared the Mission, I noted that the white sign near the entrance remains completely blank without lettering or symbols! Do something with this sign! Rent it out as ad space!

Rounding the screen tower, I discovered that the box office was still closed. Twenty-four cars were waiting in line for service.

After nearly a forty minute wait, the box office finally opened at 8:00PM.

Reaching the ticket booth, I purchased a ticket for "Anchorman" and proceeded to the Screen 3 lot without incident.

Driving across the Screen 3 lot, I decided not to park in my traditional spot near the exit. For reasons that are unclear to me now, I decided to park in the second row, on the left side of the screen.

Leaving my car behind, I headed directly to the concession stand. As I moved towards the foot bridge, I decided not to perform a car count. Why? It was simply too early get a realistic car count. I decided that I would make a second loop of the property later just to get car counts.

Rather than be melodramatic, I'll simply say that the little tree has still not been trimmed and that it is becoming more and more difficult with each passing week to get onto the foot bridge.

I passed through the Screen 2 lot and into the concession stand. I walked up to the counter and placed an order for a large Diet Coke and a large popcorn. Even after eating three corn dogs, I was still in the mood for popcorn!

Exiting into the Screen 1 lot, I noted that the pile of asphalt remained undisturbed. I'm afraid this will become yet another recurring entry in future reports. Maybe I'll even title a future report - "White Sign, Black Asphalt".

Crossing out of the Screen 1 lot, I stopped on the bridge to watch the cars coming through the entrance lanes. After a few minutes, one of the assistant managers walked over towards my location. He stopped a few yards away to use his cell phone. When he finished his call, he walked over to me. He looked like a man with a problem. In this case, looks weren't deceiving. The computer that manages the ticket sales at the Mission had just died. Jessie, his real name, had just called in the failure to the maintenance provider. He didn't seem hopeful that the problem would be resolved that night. Fortunately, the Mission actually has contingency operations plan and was still able to sell tickets. Each transaction simply took longer than normal.

Most of the cars entering the Mission had turned into the Screen 1 lot. I found this to be highly unusual. Why? The first feature on Screen 1 was 'White Chicks' with "Spider-Man 2" as a second feature. "Spider-Man 2" was the first feature on Screen 2 with "Breaking The Rules" as a second feature. I couldn't imagine that large numbers of people were actually coming to the Mission to see 'White Chicks'. Only one explanation seemed possible. The patrons entering the Screen 1 lot must have made the incorrect assumption that "Spider-Man 2", the hottest movie of the year to date, had to be showing first on Screen 1. I wondered just how many of them would become enraged on finding out their mistake! I shared my speculation with Jessie. His expression changed from one of frustration to anxious frustration. Clearly, he wasn't happy with the thought of legions of people upset about seeing "White Chicks" instead of "Spider-Man 2".

I like Jessie and hadn't intended to make his day worse. Fortunately, my theory was quickly proven wrong. Vehicle after vehicle stopped next to us requesting information. Although the wording changed, the question remained the same. "What screen is 'White Chicks' on"? I was surprised. Jessie was relieved.

The sun was setting fast. I said good-bye to Jessie and moved on. I made a quick second loop of the property to collect the car counts before returning to my vehicle. Once there, I settled down to enjoy the previews which were already in progress.

Here are the car counts for those that like them. I've included the time the count was taken for historical purposes.

Screen 1 - "White Chicks" / "Spider-Man 2" - 47 @ 8:16PM
Screen 2 - "Spider-Man 2" / "Breaking The Rules" - 35 @9:03PM
Screen 3 - "Anchorman" / "Shrek 2" - 42 @ 9:00PM
Screen 4 - "Dodgeball" / "The Day After Tomorrow" - 40 @ 8:58PM

How was "Anchorman"?

The first fifteen minutes were a complete waste. I was constantly reminded of that fact by the group of people sitting next to me. They complained and complained and complained. When a wave of drizzle swept through the area, my prayers were answered as they rushed to get inside their car. They didn't stay inside it, but by the time they came out, the movie had started to improve. The best scene in the movie has to be the "news team" rumble. Not only do we get a parody of the competition between rival news shows, we also get lots of guest stars and gratuitious violence. What more does any movie need?

As the credits began to roll, I packed up my car, made a quick patrol of the property and then proceeded home without incident.

Here are the updated car counts for those that like them.

Screen 1 - "White Chicks" / "Spider-Man 2" - 75% full
Screen 2 - "Spider-Man 2" / "Breaking The Rules" - 90
Screen 3 - "Anchorman" / "Shrek 2" - 66
Screen 4 - "Dodgeball" / "The Day After Tomorrow" - 78

Not bad attendance given the weather. I'm still in shock about the high level of interest in "White Chicks".

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Five of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Spider-Man 2	$45.2	YES!
2	Anchorman	$28.4	YES!
3	King Arthur	$15.2
4	Fahrenheit 9/11	$11.0
5	The Notebook	$6.5
6	White Chicks	$6.2	YES!
7	Dodgeball	$5.7	YES!
8	The Terminal	$5.0
9	Shrek 2	$4.5	YES!
10	Sleepover	$4.2

17 July 2004 - Peripheral Vision!

John Miller, one of my co-workers, continues to be my most consistent source of feedback for these reports. Although he enjoys reading about my adventures, he frequently complains that some of the reports are "just too long". This week, just for John, I'm going to make an extra effort to write a shorter report! Will my efforts succeed? Only time will tell!

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that two new films were playing at the Mission this week. These films being "I, Robot" and "A Cinderella Story". This was the first week of release for both films.

With the addition of these two new films, I had seen 5 of the 8 films being exhibited this week. Eight films? Yes, eight films! One copy of "Spider-Man 2" finally left the Mission this week.

I left my apartment at 6:20PM. I stopped along the way for cash at a convenient ATM machine. I arrived at the Mission at 6:57PM.

The weather was nearly perfect for a night at the drive-in! The air was hot and dry. For the first time in weeks, the sky was free of clouds. Rain would not menace the drive-in this night!

As I neared the Mission, I noted that the white sign near the entrance remains completely blank without lettering or symbols! Why say more about something so bland?

Rounding the screen tower, I discovered that the box office was not yet open. Eleven cars were waiting in line for service.

Braking to a halt, I shut off my engine. I had brought a magazine with me to pass the time. Opening it, I started to read the first article. I was soon distracted by a motion just inside my peripheral vision. I turned to look but saw nothing unusual. I returned to the magazine. Moments later, it happened again. This time, I spent just a little more time examining my surroundings. Nothing seemed out of place. I turned back to the magazine. More movement. I gave up on reading and got out of my vehicle. Something was moving around and I had to find out what it was!

Some might think the motion was caused by Captain Chicken prowling through the grass in search of inappropriate behavior. Others might think it was "Rusty, the Drive-in Dog" scrounging for food left behind by careless patrons. The real truth contained elements of both explanations!

Looking over the wall into the Screen 1 lot, I saw over a dozen buzzards milling about the lot. Some appeared to be eating the remains of the previous night's tasty treats. Others, perhaps more health conscious, ignored the scraps.

Climbing back into my car, I looked up at the marquee. "I, Robot" and "The Day After Tomorrow" were showing on Screen 1. I knew "The Day After Tomorrow" was so bad that even the buzzards wouldn't pick at it! So, if this was a bad omen, it had to about "I, Robot". Darn!

As I continued to wait for the box office to open, I pondered what to do next. Heed the warning of the buzzards and see "A Cinderella Story" or take a chance on "I, Robot"?

Long minutes later, the staff arrived and opened up both ticket booths. Cars began to move forward. I decided ignore the advice of the carrion eaters! Besides, if buzzards were meant to warn people about bad movies, where were they the night I saw "Godsend"?

Reaching the ticket booth, I purchased a ticket for "I, Robot". After accepting my ticket stub from the runner, I pulled forwards toward the entrance to the Screen 1 lot. Just as I was about to turn into the entrance, I saw that it was blocked by a row of orange safety cones. Shifting my transmission into park, I exited my vehicle. As I pulled the cones aside, I wondered if perhaps I had been wrong about the buzzards! Had the employees left the cones behind as subtle hint that I should see another film? Or had they simply forgotten that the cones were there? And more important, why was the entrance blocked in the first place? Even now, these questions remain unanswered!

With the safety cones stacked neatly to one side, I returned to my vehicle and set it into motion. Driving across the Screen 1 lot, I parked in my traditional location on the right side of the screen near the exit. I knew that I wanted to be long gone before "The Day After Tomorrow" started!

Now here is the weird part. I had moved the safety cones out of the entrance. A rational person might expect that to mean that I was the first patron to enter the lot. But, no! There were already six cars inside. Not small cars like mine, but big land cruisers, trucks and SUVs. How did they get into the lot? Not even a Hummer has the ground clearance to drive over a safety cone! Once again, no explanation for this incident was ever offered to me by anyone on the staff.

And before anyone wonders if the turkey legs on sale at the Mission are really buzzard legs, let me set the record straight. The legs on sale are far too big to have come from any buzzard you'll find here in South Texas!

Now safely in the lot, I returned to my magazine. This time my reading was undisturbed. In fact, I got so caught up in my reading that an entire hour passed before I looked up. I was shocked to find the lot now full of cars! Getting out of my vehicle, I wasn't shocked to see the previews were already in progress. Too many nights this summer, the projectionists have started the evening's entertainment before the sun was all the way down. What does that mean? It means that I couldn't actually see the previews, I could only hear them over the radio. That's annoying and there is no real excuse for it.

Leaving my car behind, I headed directly to the concession stand. As I moved towards it, I realized that there were far too many cars in the lot to count. I clearly wasn't the only one to ignore the buzzards!

Entering the concession stand, I walked up to the counter and placed an order for a large Diet Coke, a large popcorn and a pizza. I was told that the pizzas weren't ready yet and that I could either wait for one or come back later. I decided to wait. After all it wasn't really dark enough to see the movie yet!

Ten minutes later, my pizza was ready. I exited into the Screen 2 lot. "Spider-Man 2" continues to do well at the Mission. Either that, or everyone came early and planned to stay to see "White Chicks". The smart money is on "White Chicks"!

I made a quick loop through the Screen 3 and Screen 4 lots before returning to the Screen 1 lot. The little tree has not yet been trimmed.

Reaching my vehicle, I got out my chair and connected my external speaker unit. I then settled down to enjoy the feature presentation which was already in progress.

Here are the car counts for those that like them:

Screen 1 - "I, Robot" / "The Day After Tomorrow" - 70%
Screen 2 - "Spider-Man 2" / "White Chicks" - 70%
Screen 3 - "The Cinderella Story" / "Shrek 2" - 52
Screen 4 - "Dodgeball" / "Anchorman" - 87

How was "I, Robot"?

"I, Robot" is an entertaining film. If you can forget that "I, Robot" is also the title of a classic science fiction novel, you'll enjoy the film even more. My one complaint about the movie is the rationale for why Will Smith's character hates robots. I won't spoil it for you except to say that, in the words of the Blue Raja, "It's weak at best". Could I have done better? Sure. Will Smith's character is actually a cyborg. One of his natural arms was replaced by a robotic limb. Obviously, to avoid the "Six Million Dollar Man" problem, more than his arm would have needed to have been replaced to give him super-human strength. Why not make the character resent being less, or more, than human? That resentment could easily have festered into self-loathing. After you take that step, the character could externalize these feelings by expressing a hatred of robots. Depending on how much of his body was replaced by mechanical parts, he might be more robot than man, giving him even m ore reason to project these feelings onto the machines. Do you get the feeling I just spent more time working on the plot of this film than the writers? Could be!

As soon as the credits began to roll, I packed up my car and proceeded home without incident.

So, dear readers, you decide! Was this report short or long?

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Seven of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week. This is the largest number of top ten films at the Mission this year.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	I, Robot	$52.2	YES!
2	Spider-Man 2	$24.8	YES!
3	Anchorman	$13.8	YES!
4	A Cinderella Story	$13.6	YES!
5	Fahrenheit 9/11	$7.2
6	King Arthur	$7.2
7	The Notebook	$5.7
8	Dodgeball	$3.8	YES!
9	White Chicks	$3.4	YES!
10	Shrek 2	$3.2	YES!

24 July 2004 - Rotary No More!

I've known Rick Sambucini longer than anyone else in San Antonio. How long? Well, that's a subject of frequent debate between us. He has a firm, fixed view of our first meeting. To keep things interesting, I frequently change the venue for my version of that historic event. I've even gone so far as to suggest that we actually met in the mid-1960s on the lower level of Wonderland Mall!

Does Rick play a key role in this week's drive-in report? Yes and no. Earlier in the week, I received an e-mail from Rick about his brother, Tony.

I've met Tony several times over the years. He is a large, meaty man who carries himself with an air of subtle menace. Danger may not be his business, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him!

In one of those coincidences that are so common in my life, after I returned to the drive-in scene, I learned that Tony had been the manager at the Mission in the early 1990s. Those were the dark times which many refer to as "the gang years". After Regal Cinemas took over the Mission, Tony moved on to other things.

Now, if Rick's e-mail was to be believed, Tony had come full circle. Not only was he back at the Mission, he had once again assumed the mantle of management.

I admit to being skeptical. Could such a thing be true? If so, what would Tony's reaction be to the new Mission? I couldn't wait to find out!

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that two new films were playing at the Mission this week. These films being "Catwoman" and "The Bourne Supremacy". This was the first week of release for both films.

With the addition of these two new films, I had seen 4 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

I left my apartment at 6:37PM. I stopped along the way for cash at a convenient ATM machine. I arrived at the Mission at 7:07PM.

The weather was nearly perfect for a night at the drive-in! The air was hot and dry. The sky was clear with no threat of rain.

As I neared the Mission, I noted that the white sign near the entrance remains completely blank without lettering or symbols! In protest, I refuse to write more about it!

Rounding the screen tower, I discovered that the box office was not yet open. Seven cars were waiting in line for service.

Braking to a halt, I shut off my engine. I settled down to wait for the box office to open.

Thirty-eight minutes later, a group of people exited the concession stand and began walking towards the ticket booths. I studied every face and figure. Tony wasn't with them. I was certain about that. Disappointed, I waited as they opened up both ticket booths. The gates were opened and cars began to move forward.

Reaching the ticket booth, I purchased a ticket for "Catwoman" and then proceeded into the Screen 1 lot without incident. I crossed the lot and parked in my traditional location on the right side of the screen near the exit.

Leaving my car behind, I headed directly to the concession stand. As I neared it, I saw a large imposing figure moving about inside. It was Tony. The rumors were true. He had returned to the Mission!

As I entered the concession stand, Tony walked towards me and greeted me warmly. He was in a talkative mood and I didn't need to encourage him to tell me of his reaction to the new Mission. He was excited about the renovation of the snack bar. He was impressed by the computers upstairs in the office. He was amazed at the amount of money and effort that had clearly gone into the Mission over the last several years. But most of all, he couldn't quite get over the change in the telephones. He told me several times, "the phones -- they have buttons, not dials"!

Was Tony's excitement truly a reflection of his distaste for rotary phones and his joy at their demise? No, I don't think so. When he worked at the Mission before, the Mission was treated worse than "a red-headed step-child". Regal Cinemas, and ACT III before them, had not really been interested in having a drive-in theater as part of their business. Why keep it open then? I'm guessing the Mission has always made money and most companies won't walk away from a profit!

As excited as he was about the improvements to the Mission, he had already noticed many things that need immediate attention. To his list of planned improvements, I suggested he add the trimming of the little tree near the foot bridge.

Eventually, Tony was called away by an urgent summons over the radio. As he walked away, I heard he muttering, "Radios! They actually have radios!".

Walking over to the counter, I placed my usual order for a Diet Coke and a large popcorn. Exiting into the Screen 2 lot, I discovered that the previews were already in progress. I made quick loop around the property before returning to the Screen 1 lot.

Reaching my vehicle, I got out my chair and connected my external speaker unit. I then settled down to enjoy the feature presentation which was already in progress.

Here are the car counts for those that like them:

Screen 1 - "Catwoman" / "A Cinderella Story" - 32
Screen 2 - "The Bourne Supremacy" / "Anchorman" - 35
Screen 3 - "I, Robot" / "The Day After Tomorrow" - 43
Screen 4 - "Spider-Man 2" / "White Chicks" - 40

How was "Catwoman"?

Like "I, Robot" last week, "Catwoman" is a much more entertaining film if you can forget everything you know about the title character. Forget her appearances in the Batman television series. Forget her appearance in the second Batman movie. If you've read stories about her in the comics, forget them too. If you can wipe you mind clean of any Catwoman related memories, you have a good chance at enjoying this film.

As soon as the credits began to roll, I disconnected my speaker unit and packed up my chair. I made a quick patrol through the property before returning to my car and proceeding home without incident.

Here are the updated car counts for those that like them:

Screen 1 - "Catwoman" / "A Cinderella Story" - 115
Screen 2 - "The Bourne Supremacy" / "Anchorman" - 50% full
Screen 3 - "I, Robot" / "The Day After Tomorrow" - 153
Screen 4 - "Spider-Man 2" / "White Chicks" - 104

I'm looking forward to seeing Tony next week. I'm curious to see how he feels once the excitement of returning to the Mission begins to fade away. Can he remain upbeat and positive once he settles into the daily grind of operating the last big drive-in theater in Texas? Only time will tell!

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Six of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	The Bourne Supremacy	$52.5	YES!
2	I, Robot	$21.7	YES!
3	Catwoman	$16.7	YES!
4	Spider-Man 2	$15.0	YES!
5	A Cinderella Story	$7.8	YES!
6	Anchorman	$7.0	YES!
7	Fahrenheit 9/11	$4.8
8	The Notebook	$4.3
9	King Arthur	$3.0
10	Shrek 2	$2.3

31 July 2004 - Trimmed At Last!

As a lackluster summer movie season continues, I found myself with few choices for the coming weekend at the Mission. Little did I know that my choice would bring to mind an old acquaintance of dubious memory!

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that two new films were playing at the Mission this week. These films being "The Village" and "King Arthur". This was the first week of release for "The Village". "King Arthur" had previously opened in San Antonio.

With the addition of these two new films, I had seen 3 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

I left my apartment at 6:45PM. No stops were made along the way although I was forced into a long detour after a portion of Loop 1604 was closed for construction. I finally arrived at the Mission at 7:21PM.

The weather was nearly perfect for a night at the drive-in! The air was warm and the sky was clear.

As I neared the Mission, I noted that the white sign near the entrance remains completely blank without lettering or symbols! As part of my continued protest about the state of this sign, I refuse to write further about it this week!

Rounding the screen tower, I discovered the box office was still closed. Ten cars were waiting in line for service. This week, my wait was a short one. Nine minutes later, at 7:30PM, the box office opened.

Even before the first ticket of the evening was sold, I knew something was wrong! The runners kept looking up at the marquee and then towards the front of the ticket booths. They were clearly confused, but why?

Each ticket booth has a miniature marquee inside it listing the movies on each screen, the feature start times and the radio frequencies for each screen. Looking inside the nearest ticket booth, I immediately understood the situation. The screen assignments on the main theater marquee were not the same as the assignments on the miniature marquees inside the ticket booths.

It is not uncommon for screen assignments to change. I've reported this several times in the past. But this was the first time that I've seen all four screens changed in the same week!

Was this the problem? No! The problem was a lack of follow through by management! If the marquees inside the ticket booths had been changed to match the main marquee, the employees wouldn't have been as confused! This confusion was to have consequences that only became apparent later in the evening!

Reaching the ticket booth, I purchased a ticket for "Harold and Kumar Go To The White Castle". The runner handed me a ticket stub and gave me directions to the Screen 1 lot. That was the screen assignment listed on the marquee inside the ticket booth. I decided not to follow these instructions and instead proceeded to the Screen 4 lot, the screen assignment listed on the main marquee.

Was this the correct location for "Harold and Kumarr"? Only time would tell!

Driving across the Screen 4 lot, I decided to park in my traditional location on the right side of the lot near the exit.

Leaving my car behind, I counted the cars before continuing on to the Screen 3 lot.

I'm happy to report that the little tree near the foot bridge has finally been trimmed. After counting the cars in the screen 3 lot, I easily crossed over the foot bridge to the Screen 2 lot.

Crossing through the Screen 2 lot, I performed a complete car count before entering the concession stand. Reaching the counter, I placed an order for a large Diet Coke, a large popcorn and a pizza. Was I forced to wait for the pizza? No! From now on, if I don't see pizzas in the warming chamber, I won't order one. Will this lead to fewer pizza purchases? That depends solely on the staff at the Mission!

Exiting into the Screen 1 lot, I performed a complete car count before continuing my patrol. Crossing the bridge, I returned to the Screen 4 lot. The number of cars in the lot had grown dramatically. Could all these people have come to the Mission to see "Harold and Kumarr"? Only time would tell!

Reaching my vehicle, I got out my chair and connected my external speaker unit. I then settled down to wait for the start of the evening's entertainment.

Here are the car counts for those that like them.

Screen 1 - "The Village" / "King Arthur" - 118
Screen 2 - "I, Robot" / "Bourne Supremacy" - 84
Screen 3 - "Spider-Man 2" / "Catwoman" - 52
Screen 4 - "White Castle" / "White Chicks" - 21

As the evening grew darker, I opened the pizza box and pulled out the first slice of the evening. Just as I was about to take the first bite, I was startled by the sound of a human voice. Had someone snuck up on me? No! The voice was coming out of the external speaker unit! It was a public service announcement! In a nearly perfectly monotone voice, the speaker delivered the following message:

"Attention Lot 4!

If you are here to see 'Spider-Man 2' and 'Catwoman', you need to move to Lot 3. If you stay in Lot 4, you will be seeing 'White Castle' and 'White Chicks'."

This was certainly new! In all the years I've visited the Mission, there have never been any announcements over the theater's radio system. I knew the Mission had this capability though. In times past, when local bands have played at the Mission near the concession stand, the performances were relayed out to the far lots using the radio system.

But that isn't quite the same thing, is it? Here's an announcement that could have, and should have, been made over the radio system:

"Attention Mission patrons!

Turkey legs are available near the concession stand for only five dollars!"

How many more turkey legs might have been sold? We'll never know!

After the announcement ended, I returned to the pizza. Not having eaten since lunch, I found the pizza to be very, very good.

The public announcements continued as the evening progressed. One final announcement was made just prior to the start of the previews. I never noticed a single car leave the lot. As the movie started, I could only conclude that all these people had actually come to the Mission to see "Harold and Kumar Go To The White Castle", or perhaps they had simply arrived early and were willing to sit through it so as not to miss a minute of "White Chicks".

How was "Harold and Kumarr Go To The White Castle"?

It was funny in places and weird in others. Some parts were boring and other parts seemed disjointed as if entire scenes had been deleted. Even so, I found it to be an entertaining experience. But you'd enjoy this film even more than the average movie patron if you knew Aaron Aragaki.

Some months ago, he revealed that he had purchased a house in the Seattle area. He didn't mention how he had come by the money and I didn't ask. I suspect that I now know where he got it. He sold the rights to part of his life story. Which part? The part that forms the basis for this film!

Years ago, Aaron Aragaki and Annette Driscoll traveled to Houston to "see freaks" at the Waffle House. They made several other stops along the way including a visit to a self-declared psychic.

Not convinced?

Substitute "White Castle" for "Waffle House", "Harold" for "Aaron", "illegal drug abuse" for "alcohol use", "Little Cindy Kim" for "Little Kathy Kim" and change "seeing freaks" at the Waffle House to "meeting freaks" while traveling to the "White Castle". Do that and what do you have? Nearly the same exact story!

But don't take my word for it! No less a person than Dr Ken Levi also noticed the resemblance between the fictional film and the real life adventures of Aaron. He also pointed out how Aaron's fixation with police brutality found its way into the film.

If you knew Aaron, see the film yourself and then get back to me with your comments!

As soon as the credits began to roll, I packed up my car, made a quick patrol of the property and proceeded home without incident.

Here are the updated car counts for those that like them.

Screen 1 - "The Village" / "King Arthur" - 70% full
Screen 2 - "I, Robot" / "Bourne Supremacy" - 80% full
Screen 3 - "Spider-Man 2" / "Catwoman" - 110
Screen 4 - "White Castle" / "White Chicks" - 50

And what of Tony Sambucini? I never saw him. I have no idea if he survived his first week at the Mission or if he was simply taking a day off from work. An investigation is surely called for! More on that in the future!

Oh, one more thing! Listed below are the Friday night and Saturday night screen assignments that caused so much confusion at the Mission!

Friday Night:

Screen 1 - "White Castle" / "White Chicks"
Screen 2 - "The Village" / "King Arthur"
Screen 3 - "I, Robot" / "Bourne Supremacy"
Screen 4 - "Spider-Man 2" / "Catwoman"

Saturday Night:

Screen 1 - "The Village" / "King Arthur"
Screen 2 - "I, Robot" / "Bourne Supremacy"
Screen 3 - "Spider-Man 2" / "Catwoman"
Screen 4 - "White Castle" / "White Chicks"

We can only assume that the screen assignment changes were made based on the Friday night sales for each film.

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Six of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	The Village	$50.7	YES!
2	The Bourne Supremacy	$24.2	YES!
3	The Manchurian Candidate	$20.0
4	I, Robot	$10.4	YES!
5	Spider-Man 2	$8.6	YES!
6	Catwoman	$6.4	YES!
7	Harold & Kumar	$5.5	YES!
8	A Cinderella Story	$4.9
9	Anchorman	$3.1
10	Fahrenheit 9/11	$3.1

7 August 2004 - Still There!

If you recall last week's report, I was concerned about the fate of Tony Sambucini. Although I had looked for him at the Mission, I had been unable to find him. Taking advantage of my relationship with his brother, I learned that Tony is still working at the Mission. As it turns out, he had been looking for me that very same night. One by one, each and every Mission employee reported sighting me moving about the property. We'll never know just how frustrating that must have been for Tony! If you go to the Mission on a frequent basis, the employees might be watching for you!

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that only one new film was playing at the Mission this week. This film being "Collateral". This was the first week of release for this film.

With the addition of this new film, I had seen 4 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

I left my apartment at 6:30PM. I stopped along the way for cash at a convenient ATM machine. I arrived at the Mission at 7:05PM.

It was a far from a perfect night to visit the drive-in. It had rained earlier in the afternoon. The sky was overcast and flashes of lightning could be seen in the distance. On the plus side, the air was cool and fresh.

As I neared the Mission, I noted that the white sign near the entrance remains completely blank without lettering or symbols! I'm tempted to paint "entrance" on the sign some night after everyone has gone home!

Rounding the screen tower, I discovered that the box office was still closed. Fourteen cars were waiting in line for service.

After a forty minute wait, the box office finally opened at 7:45PM.

Reaching the ticket booth, I purchased a ticket for "Collateral" and proceeded to the Screen 2 lot without incident.

Driving across the Screen 2 lot, I parked in my traditional spot near the exit. Rather than rush immediately to the concession stand, I took my time and set up my equipment behind my vehicle.

Ever since I first saw the trailer for "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" on the Internet, I've been waiting for this film to be released. I am concerned that the release date for the film has been pushed back at least three times. That's rarely a good sign for a movie! Even so, I was actually motivated to purchase the novelization. I had read the first part of the book several weeks ago but had never found the time to finish it. This week, I remembered to bring the book with me to the Mission.

Sitting behind my car, I spent the next hour reading. As the sunlight finally began to fail, I reached the final chapter of the book. I admit to being disappointed. Not by the failing sunlight, that's an integral part of the drive-in experience. I was disappointed by the ending of the book. Why? The writer attempts to end the story with a plot "twist" and a warning about the future. Some might even call that warning the "moral of the story". I'm sorry, but this type of ending hasn't been a plot "twist" for decades! And the warning? It's been around for decades as well but it becomes more relevant with each passing day.

Will I enjoy the movie? Will it be shown at the Mission? Only time will tell!

Closing the book, I stood up and placed it inside my car. I took a deep breathe and then headed off to begin my nightly patrol of the property.

Noticing that the previews had already started on Screen 3, I began to move at a more rapid pace. I quickly counted the cars in Lots 3 and 4 before reaching Lot 1. As I moved across Lot 1, I noted that the giant pile of asphalt near the concession stand remains untouched. Why buy asphalt if you aren't going to spread it out? Why put up a white sign if you aren't going to paint anything on it? Enquiring minds want to know!

Entering the concession stand, I walked up to the counter and placed an order for a large Diet Coke, a large popcorn and a pizza. While waiting for my order, I noticed a patron eating a turkey leg. He was going to town on it! I haven't seen anything like that since my visit to the Texas Renaissance Festival earlier in the year.

Without warning, someone yelled out "Yes! I got it!". All eyes turned towards the source of the sound. This ecstatic declaration had come from a Mission employee working behind the counter. Like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, the employee stood frozen with pair of tongs in one hand and a ten dollar bill in the other. Caught in the tongs was a large pickle. A large, ugly pickle dripping juice back into the pickle jar. Moments passed and the employee recovered her composure. In an apologetic voice, she explained to the patrons and staff that she had been trying to "grab that pickle all night". It's good to have goals!

Carrying my snacks, I exited into the Screen 2 lot. As I worked my way across the lot, I performed a complete car count.

Reaching my vehicle, I settled down to enjoy the previews which were already in progress.

Here are the car counts for those that like them.

Screen 1 - "The Village" / "King Arthur" - 32
Screen 2 - "Collateral" / "Spider-Man 2" - 26
Screen 3 - "I, Robot" / "The Bourne Supremacy" - 38
Screen 4 - "White Castle" / "White Chicks" - 14

How was "Collateral"?

After ruining this film for Ken Levi, I won't do the same for you. I'll only say that this movie makes a strong positive statement about the ability of firearms to change lives. If you see it, consider how the cold steel of a semi-automatic handgun changes the cab driver from a passive risk avoider into a decisive man of action.

As the credits began to roll, I started out on my second patrol of the property. After counting the Screen 2 lot, I headed towards the concession stand for a refill. I saw Tony standing outside watching the credits play out on Screen 2. I stopped and we talked. For those that don't know it, Screen 2 has had persistent "soft focus" problems since the start of the 2004 season. Tony was watching the credits in an effort to determine if the latest repairs had resolved the problem. Sadly, the problem remains as of this writing.

When Tony was called away by an urgent summons over his radio, I decided to skip recounting the other lots.

Returning to my vehicle, I packed up my car and proceeded home without incident.

Here is the car updated count for Screen 2.

Screen 2 - "Collateral" / "Spider-Man 2" - 85

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Six of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Collateral	$24.7	YES!
2	The Village	$16.5	YES!
3	The Bourne Supremacy	$14.4	YES!
4	The Manchurian Candidate	$10.5
5	Little Black Book	$7.1
6	I, Robot	$6.5	YES!
7	Spider-Man 2	$5.4	YES!
8	Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle	$3.2	YES!
9	Catwoman	$2.9
10	A Cinderella Story	$2.9

19 August 2004 - Blackout!

Last week, rather than go to the Mission, I headed out to Shiner to visit the Crossroads Drive-In. Although Steve Rodman wasn't there, I still had a good time. Suprisingly, "A Cinderella Story" was a moderately entertaining film. You can read more about that trip, and the Crossroads Drive-In, on the newly revamped Crossroads pages on our drive-in website.

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that two new films were playing at the Mission this week. These films being "Alien VS Predator" and "The Manchurian Candidate". This was the first week of release for "Alien VS Predator". "The Manchurian Candidate" had previously opened in San Antonio.

With the addition of these two new films, I had seen 3 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

Since it was Thursday night, I didn't expect to find long lines at the Mission. I left my apartment at 8:25PM. No stops were made along the way. I arrived at the Mission at 8:50PM.

The weather was nearly perfect for a night at the drive-in! The air was warm and dry. The sky was partly cloudy but with no threat of rain.

As I neared the Mission, I noted that the white sign near the entrance remains completely blank without lettering or symbols!

Rounding the screen tower, I was stunned to discover that the marquee was dark. Had the Mission closed again without warning? If so, why so early in the year? For just a moment, I considered turning around and heading home. Instead, I drove slowly forward towards the ticket booths in hopes of finding an explanation for this unwelcome development.

Reaching the ticket booths, I discovered to my relief that the Mission wasn't closed!

When a runner came up to my car, I asked why the marquee was dark. The runner seemed surprised by this statement. He looked up at the marquee, turned and walked back to the ticket booth. After a few moments conversation, he returned. He apologized and explained to me that "nobody here knows how to turn them on".

He kept staring at me as if he expected me to say something. Finally, I told him, "I don't know how to turn them on either". The runner laughed and asked if I was here to see a movie. Oh! That's what he was waiting for! He wanted to know my movie selection for the evening!

Acting as if nothing odd had just happened, I shoved six dollars out the window and requested a ticket for "Alien VS Predator". Moments later, the runner returned with my ticket stub. I then proceeded to the Screen 1 lot without incident.

Driving across the Screen 1 lot, I parked in my usual location on the right side of the screen near the exit.

Leaving my car behind, I made a quick loop through the lots before heading back towards the concession stand.

Entering the concession stand, I walked up to the counter and placed an order for a large Diet Coke and a large popcorn.

Exiting into the Screen 1 lot, I looked over towards the ticket booths. The marquee was still dark. How long would this go on? How many faint-hearted patrons had the darkened marquee already turned away from the Mission?

Reaching my vehicle, I got out my chair and connected my external speaker unit. I then settled down to enjoy the feature presentation which was already in progress.

Here are the car counts for those that like them:

Screen 1 - "Alien VS Predator" / "I, Robot" - 32
Screen 2 - "The Village" / "King Arthur" - 6
Screen 3 - "Collateral" / "Spider-Man 2" - 4
Screen 4 - "Bourne Supremacy" / "The Manchurian Candidate" - 2

How was "Alien VS Predator"?

I saw this film as a thinly described commentary on our political system. It could just as easily have been "Democrats VS Republicans". The film's tagline, "No matter who wins, we lose", fits in either case! The always reconfiguring temple that serves as the battleground in this movie is an obvious metaphor for the shifting political landscape on which election campaigns are fought.

As the credits began to roll, I started out on my second patrol of the night. As I was counting the cars in the Screen 1 lot, I ran into Jessie, one of the assistant managers at the Mission. He told me once that he had lived his whole life waiting for "Alien VS Predator". How did he feel about the film now that it had finally come out? He was disappointed by the lack of gore and the poor quality of the special effects.

Deciding to change the subject, I asked him about the dark marquee. His eyes opened in surprise. We both headed off towards the ticket booths. Once we reached a point that we could see that the lights were still off, Jessie called the ticket booth on his radio. He had one simple question for the person who answered his radio call -- "Why are the lights out on the marquee"?

Seconds later, there was a flash of light. Someone had flipped the switch and turned on the lights. Jessie's radio squawked, "What are you talking about? The lights are on". Jessie just shook his head and stopped walking.

Once again, I changed the subject. I enquired as to any future plans to upgrade the Mission. Two things are currently being talked about.

My idea of tinting the concession stand windows is finally being given the consideration it deserves! Given the low cost, there is a very good possibility that it will happen. Yes! No drive-in should be its own worst source of light pollution!

There is also a very good chance that the Screen 3 fence will be replaced this fall. A full height fence will go a long way to improving the quality of life in the Screen 3 lot!

Finally, Jessie was called away by an urgent summons over the radio. I decided not to continue my patrol. Instead, I returned to my vehicle, packed up my chair and speakers and then proceeded home without incident.

Here is the updated car count for Screen 1:

Screen 1 - "Alien VS Predator" / "I, Robot" - 46

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Seven of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Alien VS Predator	$38.3	YES!
2	The Princess Diaries 2	$23.0
3	Collateral	$16.2	YES!
4	Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie	$9.5
5	The Bourne Supremacy	$8.6	YES!
6	The Village	$7.2	YES!
7	The Manchurian Candidate	$6.0	YES!
8	I, Robot	$3.9	YES!
9	Little Black Book	$3.8
10	Spider-Man 2	$3.5	YES!

27 August 2004 - Missed A Movie Week!

I failed to visit the Mission during the movie week of 20 - 26 Aug 2004. Even so, for historical purposes, I've decided to provide my weekly analysis of the Mission movie exhibition schedule. Enjoy!

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that two new films were playing at the Mission this week. These films being "Open Water" and "Exorcist: The Beginning". This was the first week of release for both films.

With the addition of these two new films, I had seen 4 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Six of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Exorcist: The Beginning	$18.0	YES!
2	Without A Paddle	$13.5
3	The Princess Diaries 2	$13.0
4	Alien vs. Predator	$12.4	YES!
5	Open Water	$11.4	YES!
6	Collateral	$10.2	YES!
7	The Bourne Supremacy	$6.5	YES!
8	The Manchurian Candidate	$4.0
9	The Village	$3.7	YES!
10	Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Movie	$3.3

3 September 2004 - Skipped Another Week!

This week, I decided to skip the Mission. Instead, I drove up to San Saba, Texas to attend a showing a the newly re-opened Corral Drive-In Theater. You can find out more about that drive-in on our web site.

For historical purposes, I've decided to provide my weekly analysis of the Mission movie exhibition schedule. Enjoy!

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that only one new film was playing at the Mission this week. This film being "Anacondas". This was the first week of release for this film.

With the addition of this new film, I had seen 4 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Six of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Hero	$18.0
2	Anacondas	$12.8	YES!
3	Without A Paddle	$8.6
4	The Princess Diaries 2	8.1
5	Exorcist: The Beginning	$7.1	YES!
6	Collateral	$6.5	YES!
7	Alien vs. Predator	$4.9	YES!
8	Open Water	$4.8	YES!
9	The Bourne Supremacy	$4.6	YES!
10	Suspect Zero	$3.4

4 September 2004 - Summer's End!

With the summer season rapidly coming to a close, I decided it was time for me to return to the Mission!

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that only one new film was playing at the Mission this week. This film being "Without a Paddle". This film had previously opened in San Antonio.

With the addition of this one new film, I had seen 4 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

I left my apartment at 6:16PM. I stopped along the way for several essential items: gas, cash and corn dogs. I arrived at the Mission at 7:06PM.

The weather was nearly perfect for a night at the drive-in! The air was warm and dry. The sky was partly cloudy but with no threat of rain.

As I neared the Mission, I noted that the white sign near the entrance remains completely blank without lettering or symbols!

Rounding the screen tower, I discovered that the box office was still closed. Ten cars were waiting in line for service.

After a fifty minute wait, the box office finally opened at 7:56PM.

Reaching the ticket booth, I purchased a ticket for "Anacondas" and proceeded to the Screen 2 lot without incident.

Driving across the Screen 2 lot, I parked in my usual location on the left side of the screen near the exit lane.

Leaving my car behind, I made a quick loop through the lots before heading back towards the concession stand.

Entering the concession stand, I walked up to the counter and placed an order for a large Diet Coke and a large popcorn.

Exiting into the Screen 2 lot, I proceeded towards my car at a brisk yet casual pace.

Reaching my vehicle, I got out my chair and connected my external speaker unit. I then settled down to wait for the start of the feature presentation. As I waited, I paid scant attention to the previews. Instead, I pondered the essential question. Could this giant snake movie deliver enough giant snake action to be worth six dollars? I was skeptical to say the least!

Here are the car counts for those that like them:

Screen 1 - "Exorcist: The Beginning" / "Collateral" - 29
Screen 2 - "Anacondas" / "Spider-Man 2" - 33
Screen 3 - "Alien Vs Predator" / "I, Robot" - 25
Screen 4 - "Without a Paddle" / "The Bourne Supremacy" - 24

How was "Anacondas"?

It was a far more entertaining film than I had expected it to be. There was more than enough giant snake action to please even the most demanding movie patron.

Surprisingly, the film was actually well written. The plot was coherent and met the essential requirement of any science fiction movie. For those that don't know it, the best science fiction stories ask the reader, or in this case the watcher, to believe only one impossible thing. If you can believe that there is a flower in the jungle, that when consumed, can greatly increase the life span of whatever creature eats it, then you won't have any problems with the rest of the film.

This movie, with very minor changes, would have made an excellent "Tomb Raider" movie. Watch it and see what I mean!

As the credits began to roll, I started out on my second patrol of the night. I made a quick loop through the lots before returning to my vehicle. I then packed up my chair and speakers and proceeded home without incident.

Here are the updated car counts for those that like them:

Screen 1 - "Exorcist: The Beginning" / "Collateral" - 80
Screen 2 - "Anacondas" / "Spider-Man 2" - 91
Screen 3 - "Alien Vs Predator" / "I, Robot" - 58
Screen 4 - "Without a Paddle" / "The Bourne Supremacy" - 65

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Four of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Hero	$11.5
2	Without a Paddle	$9.0	YES!
3	Anacondas	$8.0	YES!
4	Paparazzi	$7.9
5	The Princess Diaries 2	$7.5
6	Wicker Park	$6.8
7	Collateral	$6.5	YES!
8	Vanity Fair	$6.3
9	The Cookout	$6.2
10	The Bourne Supremacy	$5.3	YES!

11 September 2004

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that three new films were playing at the Mission this week. These films being "Celluar", "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and "Hero". This was the first week of release for "Cellular" and "Resident Evil: Apocalypse". "Hero" had previously opened in San Antonio.

With the addition of these three new films, I had seen 3 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Six of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Resident Evil: Apocalypse	$23.0	YES!
2	Cellular	$10.1	YES!
3	Without A Paddle	$4.5	YES!
4	Hero	$4.4	YES!
5	The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement	$2.9
6	Anacandas: The Hunt For The Blood Orchid	$2.8	YES!
7	Paparazzi	$2.8
8	Collateral	$2.7	YES!
9	Vanity Fair	$2.6
10	Napoleon Dynamite	$2.5

18 September 2004

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that only one new film was playing at the Mission this week. This film being "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow". This was the first week of release for this film.

With the addition of this new film, I had seen 4 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Six of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow	$15.6	YES!
2	Mr. 3000	$8.7
3	Resident Evil: Apocalypse	$8.7	YES!
4	Wimbledon	$7.1
5	Cellular	$6.8	YES!
6	Without a Paddle	$3.6	YES!
7	Hero	$2.8	YES!
8	Napoleon Dynamite	$2.3
9	Collateral	$2.3	YES!
10	The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement	$1.9

25 September 2004

A study of the weekly Mission advertisement revealed that two new films were playing at the Mission this week. These films being "The Forgotten" and "Paparazzi". This was the first week of release for "The Forgotten". "Paparazzi" had previously opened in San Antonio.

With the addition of these three new films, I had seen 4 of the 8 films being exhibited this week.

Here is the weekly comparison between the weekend Mission exhibition schedule and the top ten grossing films. Five of the top ten films were showing at the Mission this week.

Ranking	Title	Millions of Dollars	At The Mission
1	The Forgotten	$21.0	YES!
2	Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow	$6.7	YES!
3	Mr. 3000	$5.1
4	Resident Evil: Apocalypse	$4.0	YES!
5	First Daughter	$4.0
6	Cellular	$3.7	YES!
7	Shaun of the Dead	$3.3
8	Wimbledon	$3.3
9	Without A Paddle	$2.4	YES!
10	Hero	$2.2

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