Drive back to the movies

Taking in a drive-in movie is something that Costa Mesa residents have not been able to do in 30 years in the city, but tonight is the night to gather up the kids and show them what they’ve missed.

The first drive-in movie theater has popped up at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa and plays its first feature film tonight.

The Star-Vu Drive-In will show “Shrek the Third” tonight on a state-of-the-art inflatable movie screen that towers 65 feet above the parking lot.

But it took plenty of time and money — the screen alone had a six-figure price tag — to get the retro idea off the ground.

After several years of batting around ideas, businessmen Fred Armendariz and Bob Deutsch thought it’d be a great idea to bring the drive-in back to Orange County.

To help make it happen, they invited Mary Jean Duran of Newport Beach to lead them to success. But the thought was easier said than done.

“It wasn’t as if the demand for the drive-in went away — the land just became too valuable,” Duran said.

A major hurdle was finding a place for the drive-in. Jeff Teller, president of the Orange County Marketplace, was approached by Armendariz about the venture.

“He really got some traction with the fair board and staff who recognized it was time to utilize the parking lot when it typically wasn’t in the highest use,” Teller said. “It would bring focus to the fairgrounds and all the great activities going on there, including the marketplace and summer fair while generating a little revenue for the district as well.”

The drive-in will be open seven days a week — except for the period from July 1 through Aug. 11, when it will be closed for the fair — and will play two shows per night at the start. It will play first-run movies, which Duran found out required the company to hire a film buyer.

“We can’t just go to Paramount and tell them Mary Jean would like a movie now,” Duran said.

Tickets cost less than people spend at brick and mortar theaters — $8.50 for adults, $5 for kids 5 to 12 years old, and kids younger than that are free. Tickets can be bought online or at the venue.

“That’s one of the nice things about that — mom and dad don’t need a baby-sitter, which can get very expensive,” Teller said. “You can just throw the kids in the back and they can sleep while mom and dad catch a movie.”

The theater won’t be playing movies Teller called “off-color or inappropriate for at least a young teenage audience.”

Although the concept isn’t new, doing it in the 21st century is different from the past. People who remember having to put the clunky speaker box on the window will no longer have to hassle with it — the sound is transmitted through FM waves through the car radio.

But some things don’t change. The same popcorn, candy, soda and other treats will be available for people to munch on during the movie.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: First-run movies at Star-Vu Drive-In

WHERE: Orange County Fairgrounds; enter through the Vanguard Way entrance

WHEN: 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. nightly

COST: $8.50 for adults, $5 for kids 5 to 12, free for kids under 5

INFO: www.star-vu.com