Honda wants to save your drive-in theater

By the end of the year, 35mm film distribution will be a thing of the past. Around the country, hundreds of drive-in theaters, most family and locally-owned, will be going out of business because of the prohibitive costs of upgrading to new digital equipment. Honda wants to save some of those theaters.

Cars and drive-in theaters go hand-in-hand. Many of today's generations may not remember drive-ins, as many local theaters have already closed due to pressure from large, chain theaters and megaplexes. Yet drive-ins remain active in many parts of the country as popular spots for families and teenagers. Chances are, in today's America, many of those who catch a flick at the local drive-in are doing it in a Honda.

In an effort to keep some of those theaters open, Honda has launched Project Drive-In, a campaign to save drive-in theaters through awareness and public interest. To get it going, Honda has put up enough money to refit five theaters with digital equipment, which costs $75,000 or more to purchase and install - per screen. The twist?

You can vote to put your favorite drive-in on the list to get Honda's help. Voting ends on September 9th and the five winning theaters will be announced shortly after that. Each will host a celebration with a special screening of Honda-sponsored Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2, which opens in theaters everywhere on September 27.

Honda's ProjectDriveIn.com website is the hub for the campaign. You can visit, vote for your favorite theater, send links to friends and family, and make pledges to see a movie at your local drive-in.

Drive-in theaters are a part of Americana that began in 1933 and quickly became the most popular hangout spots for teenagers and families. By the 1950s, there were more than 4,000 of them in operation around the country. Now they can live on.. with your help.