My husband and I spent the week on a business trip to Texas, and then stopped to visit some friends in Lubbock before returning home. While there, we asked our hosts for ideas on things to do, and they mentioned going to the movies. At first, I was not really interested, as we can go to movies anywhere, anytime, and I was looking for something we can't do elsewhere. Then, they told us the hook as to why this would be worth doing – it was a drive-in theater that shows first-run double features. I was indeed impressed. Not only are drive-in theaters an endangered species, but the few that do exist always seem to be ancient, and show only old movies.

This theater, the Stars & Stripes Drive-In Theatre, can actually provide a full evening of family fun and entertainment. While the movies don't start until after 9pm (it is a drive-in after all), they have a 50s-style cafe that opens at 7pm and in addition to traditional movie snacks, they serve box dinners, sandwiches, and hot dogs among other things. The food and decor brings back memories of the Happy Days era, including old movie posters (along with current/upcoming posters), but don't let that fool you...the facility is very modern. For the kids, they have a playground, and on Saturday nights they even offer live music before the movies start. Another modern feature is the sound. Rather than the clunky old speakers that you had to sit on your open window, the movie audio comes through radio stations, and you can choose to use your car stereo or bring a portable unit if you wish to sit outside your car.

So, if you are looking for something nostalgic but current, check to see if your area has something like this. I understand that theaters like this are starting to pop up across Texas and in other places, and maybe there's one near you. If you live in the Lubbock area, or will be visiting there and want more information, visit www.driveinusa.com and get showtimes, their menu, and more.

Once I was sold on the idea of going to this theater, we talked about which double feature to see. All of the choices sounded good, with each screen having a different theme: one was showing Kung Fu Panda and Wall-E for kids and families, one was showing Hancock and Get Smart for the comedy movie lovers, and we decided on Wanted and The Incredible Hulk for those who like comics and graphic novels. I'm sure we would have enjoyed any of the choices, but I think we made a great decision.

Now, when I first heard of Wanted, I learned that it was based on a graphic novel, but I have never read or seen it, so I cannot make a judgment on how true it is to the original concept. What I can tell you is that it is what I look for when watching an adapted movie such as this. Characters are larger than life, and find themselves in impossible situations that are actually written in such a way that they seem possible. The characters and situations are ones that you can visualize in full color on the page, with a good flow.

In this movie, we are introduced to Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy), who has a dull life and a dull job. He soon finds himself thrown into a world of assassins, being told that his father was one of the top assassins in an organization known as The Fraternity, and was killed by a rogue member. Wesley has become a target now, and must be trained so that he can survive. I won't tell more of the plot...don't want to ruin the movie. I will say that for those who like special effects, there are effects reminiscent of The Matrix, and there are wonderful action scenes, particularly one with Fox (Angelina Jolie) very early when she has first contacted Wesley and they are trying to escape other assassins. I definitely recommend this movie for those who like action and dramatic twists.

The Incredible Hulk was almost as much a blast from the past to me as the drive-in itself. Many times in the movie we were reminded of the 70s TV show, from seeing characters watching an old episode of The Courtship of Eddie's Father (which was an old 60s TV show that starred Bill Bixby, who of course would later play David Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk TV show), to scenes of the movie's Bruce Banner (Edward Norton) walking alone down a deserted street much like in the TV show, to the cameo appearance of Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk in the TV series. Ferrigno did something in this movie that he never got to do in the TV show – speak. Not only did he have lines in his on screen cameo as a security guard, but he voiced Banner when he changed into the Hulk.

There were plenty of action scenes, as well as drama surrounding Banner and his attempts to rid himself of the radiation. The only gripe I had with this movie was that unlike Iron Man, I felt like the special effects when the Hulk was fighting took me out of the movie. With Iron Man I believed that Tony Stark could really do the things he was doing, that there was always a man in the suit. But, with the Hulk, the effects seemed to be a bit over the top. I never truly believed. The effects were excellent, but I knew it was not real.

For those looking forward to a possible Avengers movie, there was a scene at the end of the movie with Robert Downey, Jr. appearing as Tony Stark. Stark has come to talk to General Ross (William Hurt) about a team that is being put together. True believers can only hope that Marvel Studios will see this through. As a fan, I would love to see this happen, and I hope they are able to keep the actors who have starred and will be starring in the solo movies, as I believe it will greatly enhance the team movie.

All in all, the whole night was outstanding. Two great movies at a top-notch theater, with great friends. The whole trip was one big adventure, including an interesting museum stop and and lunch detour that Dennis will be talking about in his next column (on Monday). Now that we're finally almost home, I'm starting to look forward to what will likely be my next night at the movies, courtesy of Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Aaron Eckhart. It's a great summer for comic fans!

 Photos:  Drive-Ins.com, Wikipedia.org

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