Film studio policies prompt expansion at Brackley Drive-In

The owner of the Brackley Drive-In says he'll soon be installing a second screen because some film studios require minimum run-times of certain moviessometimes several weeks.

"Most people, they want to see the movie when it comes out," said Bob Boyle."So we saw that this was an issue ...a problem that we were going to have to come up with a solution."

Boyle said it's an issue fora seasonal business like the drive-in, with just one screen.

"For our customers, they come here weekly. Many of our local customers are from Prince Edward Island," Boyle said."By playing the same movie over a period of three weeks,then we're not able to provide them that same experience."

Boylesaid he didn't want to have to make the change,but he's optimistic the work and investmentwill be worthwhile.

A second screen will mean being able to show more movies andrun films they wouldn't run otherwise.

"That'sthe main thing, is by having the second drive-in, it will sustain the drive-into be able to last for many more generations."

Unique screen design

Boyle estimates the cost may be as high as $400,000. That involves clear cutting land, importing a new projector and building a new screen.

"The cost is one part. The other part was the knowledge. Nobody's built a drive-in since maybe the 60s or the 70s ...so that knowledge just kind of disappeared here on the Island," he said.

Boyle has spent the last year doing research and visiting different drive-ins, as far away asTexas, to figure out the best way to build a modern drive-in screen.

The land next to the existing screen has already been cleared. The plan is to mount thesecond screen on a structure made ofstacked shipping containers, which Boyle hopes to have ready for the 2020 season.

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