Lunar Drive-In is back after eclipse

By Shaun Inguanzo
THE ONLY place where Casey moviegoers can ruffle a bag of chips and avoid the ire of fellow moviegoers is on the verge of being listed as a national icon.
Dandenong’s Lunar Drive-In, one of only three remaining drive-ins in Victoria, opened in 2002 in an attempt to revive the cultural phenomenon that is the drive-in theatre.
Lunar Drive-In manager and part-owner, Anthony Madigan, told the News that National Trust Australia was reviewing the historical site and that he felt confident it would be listed within the next fortnight.
The Trust listing is recognition of the drive-in’s cultural status, and Mr Madigan said if it takes effect, would provide a boon to its reputation.
While Lunar Drive-In has only been open for five years, Mr Madigan said the South Gippsland Highway site had been a drive-in from 1956 before closing in 1986 when the cinema multiplex boom strangled its outdoor rivals.
Since then, only Dandenong, Coburg and Dromana drive-ins survived to represent an era of when more than 60 drive-ins existed in Victoria.
Mr Madigan and partners purchased the site and rebuilt it.
The dramatic overhaul includes three screens catering for 1000 cars in total, a cafe and arcade games centre with an affordably priced candy bar and a swag of new technology to catapult drive-ins into the 21st century.
“The biggest technological step is the way we broadcast sound through FM radio,” Mr Madigan said.
Moviegoers simply tune their car radio into the frequency and can experience sound as good as their stereo can produce.
Mr Madigan said the move to FM removed the need for cars to wind down a window and listen to a mono speaker – a bonus if the weather is cold or wet.
The biggest market for Lunar Drive-In includes young families from the Greater Dandenong and Casey regions, Mr Madigan said.
And it’s the price that is winning them away from local multiplexes.
A carload of people costs $20 at Lunar Drive-In, whereas a family experience at a multiplex can cost up to $45 at the box office.
And not only is the drive-in cheaper but it is a unique experience in its own right.
Mr Madigan said more and more people were venturing out to the place where “it doesn’t matter if you ruffle a chip bag”.
“It is social movie going, you’re not in a seat where if you make a noise it annoys the person next to you,” he said.
“You can have a chat and share a laugh or a hamburger.”
Adding more bang to the drive-in buck are Lunar’s double-feature film sessions, where two films are included for the price of one.
Mr Madigan said the move was one of business sense to keep people at the drive-in and in the candy bar and not have to rely on new customers arriving at 10.30pm for the next session.
And while the experience may be a flashback for adults and a welcome change of scenery for today’s young people, Mr Madigan expects it to become an important part of Dandenong’s revitalisation.
“We feel very confident that there will always be room for us in Dandenong,” he said.
“The council likes the fact we are here because there is limited entertainment in Dandenong after-hours and we are offering something for everyone, including young teens, to do.”