By JAMI KUNZER
jkunzer@shawmedia.com Nostalgia, stars and “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.” That’s Scott Dehn’s kind of weekend. “I can’t wait for Friday,” said the owner of McHenry Outdoor Theater, which opens for the season May 5 with a double-feature weekend showing of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” followed by “Beauty and the Beast.” “The weather forecast looks really good,” he said. “I’m expecting close to a sellout, especially on Saturday.” Admission for a night of both movies is $12 for adults, $6 for children ages 11 and younger, seniors and military. Gates open at 6:30 p.m., with the first movie beginning when it is completely dark Friday and Saturday at the theater, 1510 Chapel Hill Road. Originally opened in 1955 – with Dehn taking over in 2012 – the theater has survived while other
outdoor theaters throughout the nation have not. Once home to 120 drive-in theaters during the 1950s, Illinois is believed to have about 10 still in operation, according to the United Drive-In Theatre Owners Association. As far as Dehn’s concerned, the McHenry theater won’t be going anywhere. Having previously leased the land, he recently bought the property to prevent any development on it. “It’ll be a drive-in for as long as I’m around,” he said. He attributes the McHenry theater’s success to the community, which helped save the theater back in 2013 when the movie industry forced a switch from 35 mm film to digital – a format cheaper for studios and distributors. Dehn struggled to find a way to raise the more than $100,000 needed to make the upgrade when Honda, through an initiative to help preserve what the company called an “iconic part of American car culture,” surprised Dehn with the news his theater had won one of five digital projectors.
Shaw Media file photo
Community votes resulted in McHenry’s selection. “I think as long as you can offer a clean and affordable place and keep things family friends and at least maintain the property, make sure it looks nice and it’s something you want to bring your kids to . . . we’ll be here,” he said. He’s looking to expand activities at the theater this summer with outdoor concerts coinciding with movies. He first tested it out last October with a performance by Pink Floyd tribute band The Divison Bell followed by movie showings of 1982’s “Pink Floyd: The Wall” and 1984’s “This is Spinal Tap” as part of the theater’s popular
Fall Throwback schedule. No bands or dates have been confirmed yet, but the goal is to expand the Fall Throwback activities even more this year, he said, with not only concerts, but party favors and celebrity appearances. Dehn expects a busy summer, with blockbuster movies, such as “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” (May 26), “Cars 3” (June 16), “Transformers: The Last Knight” (June 23), “Despicable Me 3” (June 30), “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (July 7) and “War for the Planet of the Apes” (July 14). “All of those I can’t wait for,” Dehn said.
“GOING IN STYLE”
4:50, 7:20, 9:45 p.m. Regal Cinemas – 2:50, 5:50, 8:40 p.m.
WEEKEND SHOWTIMES
The following are showtimes for May 5-7 unless otherwise noted.
“BEAUTY AND THE BEAST”
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 12:45, 3:45, 6:45, 9:45 p.m. Classic Cinemas Carpentersville – 11:00 a.m., 1:40, 4:40, 7:00, 9:40 p.m. Classic Cinemas Woodstock – May 5: 1:30, 4:10, 6:50, 9:30 p.m.; May 6-7: an extra 10:50 a.m. showing McHenry Outdoor Theater – May 5-6: Following a dusk showing of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” Regal Cinemas – 12:50, 4:00, 6:20, 9:20 p.m.
“BORN IN CHINA”
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 10:20 a.m., 12:30, 2:40, 4:50, 7:00 p.m. Regal Cinemas – 12:20, 2:40, 5:20, 10:05 p.m.
“THE BOSS BABY”
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 10:15 a.m., 12:10, 3:00, 5:20, 7:45, 10:10 p.m. Classic Cinemas Carpentersville – 10:00 a.m., 12:10, 2:20, 4:30, 6:40, 8:50 p.m. Classic Cinemas Woodstock – May 5: 12:10, 2:20, 4:30, 6:40, 8:50 p.m.; May 6: an extra 10:20 a.m. showing; May 7: an extra 10:30 a.m. showing Regal Cinemas – 11:05 a.m., 12:05, 1:40, 4:10, 7:20, 9:45 p.m.
“THE CASE FOR CHRIST”
Regal Cinemas – 3:30, 9:10 p.m.
“THE CIRCLE”
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 10:40 a.m., 2:30, 5:10, 7:45, 10:20 p.m. Classic Cinemas Carpentersville – 10:00 a.m., 12:20, 2:40, 5:00, 7:20, 9:40 p.m. Classic Cinemas Woodstock – 11:45 a.m., 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:25 p.m. Regal Cinemas – 11:10 a.m., 1:50, 4:30, 7:10, 9:50 p.m.
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 1:00, 6:30, 9:10 p.m. Regal Cinemas – May 5-6: 11:30 a.m., 2:30, 5:45, 8:10, 10:35 p.m.; May 7: 11:30 a.m., 2:30, 4:30, 9:35 p.m.
“GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2”
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 2:30, 5:10, 7:50, 10:20 p.m.
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 2D: 10:30, 11:50 a.m., 12:40, 3:50, 5:10, 7:00, 8:20, 9:30 p.m.; 3D: 11:10 a.m., 1:20, 2:10, 2:50, 3:20, 4:30, 5:40, 6:20, 7:40, 9:00, 10:00, 10:30 p.m. Classic Cinemas Carpentersville – May 5-6: 2D: 10:20, 11:00 a.m., 12:30, 1:15, 1:55, 3:25, 4:10, 4:50, 6:20, 7:05, 7:45, 8:30, 9:15, 10:00, 10:40 p.m.; 3D: 10:00 a.m., 12:55, 3:50, 6:45, 9:40 p.m.; May 7: no 10:40 p.m. 3D showing Classic Cinemas Woodstock – May 5: 2D: 12:30, 1:15, 3:25, 4:10, 6:20, 7:05, 9:15, 10:00 p.m.; 3D: 11:40 a.m., 2:30, 5:20, 8:10 p.m.; May 6-7: an extra 10:20 a.m. 2D showing McHenry Outdoor Theater – May 5-6: dusk Regal Cinemas – May 5-6: 2D: 11:00 a.m., 12:40, 1:10, 2:00, 3:50, 4:20, 5:10, 7:00, 7:30, 8:20, 10:10, 10:40, 11:30 p.m.; 3D: 11:20 a.m., 12:10, 1:30, 3:20, 4:40, 5:40, 6:30, 7:50, 8:50, 9:40, 11:00 p.m.; May 7: 3D showing at 2:25 p.m. instead of 2:00 p.m.
“GIFTED”
“HOW TO BE A LATIN LOVE”
“THE DINNER”
Regal Cinemas – 10:55 a.m., 1:45, 4:50, 8:00, 11:05 p.m.
“THE FATE OF THE FURIOUS”
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 11:00 a.m., 1:10, 4:10, 7:10, 10:10 p.m. Classic Cinemas Carpentersville – 10:30 a.m., 1:20, 4:10, 7:00, 9:50 p.m. Classic Cinemas Woodstock – May 5: 1:30, 4:20, 7:10, 10:00 p.m.; May 6-7: an extra 10:40 a.m. showing Regal Cinemas – 12:00, 3:10, 7:40, 10:45 p.m.
“GET OUT”
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 – 10:30 a.m., 12:00, 2:30 p.m. Classic Cinemas Carpentersville – 10:00 a.m., 12:15, 2:30, 4:45, 7:00, 9:15 p.m. Regal Cinemas – May 5-6: 2:35, 7:35 p.m.; May 7: 7:35 p.m.
AMC Lake in the Hills 12 –2:00, 4:40, 7:20, 10:15 p.m. Classic Cinemas Carpentersville – 10:15, 11:30 a.m., 12:45, 2:00, 3:15, 4:30, 5:45, 7:00, 8:15, 9:30 p.m. Classic Cinemas Woodstock – 11:50 a.m., 2:20,
“THE LOST CITY OF Z”
Regal Cinemas – 7:15, 10:30 p.m.
“SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER” 4OTH ANNIVERSARY Regal Cinemas – May 7 only: 2:00, 7:00 p.m.
“SMURFS: THE LOST VILLAGE”
Classic Cinemas Carpentersville – 10:00 a.m., 12:05, 2:10, 4:15, 6:25 p.m. Regal Cinemas – 11:50 a.m., 2:10, 4:45 p.m.
“THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE”
Regal Cinemas – 12:30, 6:10 p.m.
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| Pl@y | Thursday, May 4, 2017 • NWHerald.com
Busy season expected at McHenry Outdoor Theater
Andrew and Brenna Lowery of Lakemoor await the opening of last year’s season at the McHenry Outdoor Theater.