[article] Cork reels in years with drive-in films

Barry Roche, Southern Correspondent, Irish Times, 07/10/2006


The Cork Film Festival will host a series of drive-in movies at the Marina next week, an initiative now in its second year which seems set to prove another tremendous success.


Movie fans will get the chance to catch Rocky, The Pink Panther and The Silence of the Lambs from the comfort of their cars and under the stars on October 10th, 11th and 12th at the Old Fords distribution site on Centre Park Road.

Festival manager Éimear O'Herlihy said the decision to show three drive-in movies this year was based on the success of last year's festival screenings of Some Like It Hot and Raging

Bull.

"We're delighted to once again bring the drive-in experience to Cork. I encourage the public to relax, look up at the stars and to embrace the experience and thrill of drive-in movies," said Ms O'Herlihy, adding that the number of car spaces would increase from 140 last year to 250. Movie-goers can listen to the films on their car radios. Refreshments will be available at all screenings as festival staff try to re-create the atmosphere of outdoor cinema of the 1950s.

The drive-in experience starts on Tuesday with Rocky.

On Wednesday it's the turn of Peter Sellers to go centre-screen as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther. The Silence of the Lambs will be shown on Thursday.

Screenings begin at 9pm but cars must be in place by 8.15pm.

The festival begins tomorrow night with an opening gala screening in the Cork Opera House of Death of a President, Gabriel Range's controversial fictionalised documentary about president George Bush getting assassinated.

Tickets for the drive-ins and other films are available online at www.corkfilmfest.org or from the Cork Film Festival box office at 15 Grand Parade, Cork, tel: 021-4272263.

© The Irish Times