I've only ever been to two drive-in theaters, and the first shouldn't even count.  The Pine Grove Drive-In was on its' last legs when I caught Judge Dredd there on a mosquito-infested Saturday night in 1995.  I couldn't tell you what the screen was made of, but it seemed like siding, and the picture was hopelessly warped and distorted.  But that odd, uncomfortable evening did get me across the drive-in barrier.  My sister (take a bow, Tammy) and I had heard better things about another area Drive-In that had re-opened the year before, and in August, 1995, we made the drive to Gratz, PA to see Batman Forever (which we had seen before) at the Sky-Vu Drive-In.  First, we learned Drive-In Lesson #1:  the family movie always plays first, and as such we instead watched A Kid in King Arthur's Court (surprisingly resonant performance by Joss Acklund as Arthur, and I don't remember one other thing about it except that it was not good).  But with that lesson learned, the theater made a good impression and has become an annual destination for a handful of trips during their May-August season even now, when I live about 80 minutes away.  

So what makes the Sky-Vu worth raising gas prices a cent or two to get to?  Start with the grass.  There's a closer operating drive-in, the Haar's in Dillsburg, but it's essentially a parking lot with a screen.  The Sky-Vu is an open field, landscaped into a series of inclined rows perfect for tilting your car toward the stars (and, more importantly, the screen).  I've been told that the perfect drive-in experience occurs in a convertible, but I've never owned one of those, so mine comes on a lawn chair.  Set that chair up in front of the car, with folding table for goodies and an old-school boom box to pick up the FM signal that provides the soundtrack and it's time to hit the concession stand.  

And I'll be frank, there's be no 80-minute drives if not for that concession stand.  The standard-bearers are there:  popcorn, candy, nachos and fountain sodas.  But you'll also find hot dogs, pizza burgers, and my personal fav, a really great cheeseburger.  They'll even order you a pizza, although I've never felt the need for that.  Sides include really good fries and mozzarella sticks.  Even when you don't get a good movie, you always get a good meal.

One thing about the drive-in, especially if you like to leave your car:  you are one with the weather.  Even in the heart of the summer, I've got a sweater and and a blanket to avoid what can be some really chilly nights, especially as the season wears on.  And check that forecast:  you don't want to get caught in the rain “watching” the film unfold from inside your car.  I'll always think of Inspector Gadget as a radio play...  Even under ideal conditions, the show you get isn't perfect:  the screen is the right size for a 1.33:1 ratio and anything bigger is going to bleed off the sides.  And, of course, the quality of the picture is compromised by natural light and a screen made up of many small squares rather than a single surface.  It is, after all, a drive-in.

I've been seeing 3-6 movies a year there for over a decade, and a few highlights stand out.  Best movie:  Independence Day, the standard-bearer of 90's sci-fi spectacle.  Of course, I was pretty sure I'd love it since I'd already seen it three times before it got there (like most drive-ins, the Sky-Vu mixes first- and second- run features).  Best evening:  neither was a classic, but a Labor Day 1997 double-bill of Kull the Conqueror and Picture Perfect came with perfect weather and a small crowd distracted by local high school football.  It was drive-in nirvana.  I remember seeing Signs and shooting glances to the cornfield behind the field with just a bit of concern.  The steady trickle of car after car leaving Godzilla as it lurched toward an impressive conclusion they'd lost faith would ever come.  Keeping an eye on some fairly large mammals (I THINK they were cats) wandering the grounds as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy stretched past 1 am.  And you need only keep your eye on the highway behind the screen to see the Amish riding by in their horse-drawn carriages.  Every once in a while, one will even stop by to watch the movie.

Since its' re-opening in 1994, the Sky-Vu has become part of the local Cinema Center chain and you can find showtimes on their official site.  I would recommend giving them a call to confirm those, because the site isn't always accurate.  If nobody picks up the phone right away, let it keep ringing:  they've got cheeseburgers to sell.