UPCOMING: Mahoning Drive-in to celebrate David Lynch, John Waters

Photo: The Mahoning Drive-in Theater features many retro festivals, including the annual Zombie Fest. Photo by John Soltes.

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When my time on this planet is complete, I think I’d like to be buried beneath the screen of the Mahoning Drive-in Theater in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. This temple of counterculture, this denizen of devotees is one of the best celebrants of movies and movie culture in the entire world. When they made the very smart decision to stop first-run films (quite prophetic of them!) and focus solely on retro flicks, the fans of the greater Poconos region gathered round and followed their every programming step.

Now, they are the leaders of all things cinematically odd, and their extended run of shows throughout the spring, summer and fall has become the stuff of legend. This reviewer and his friends have camped out to old Universal horror films, zombie flicks, slasher classics and David Lynch cinematic fare. And this summer will likely be one of their best yet. There are some highly anticipated offerings, like a weekend of Troma movies (with Lloyd Kaufman in person) and a VHS lovefest, but there are two signature events that will most definitely rise above the rest.

On Aug. 18-19, The Wild World of David Lynch returns for round two. The Friday night show includes The Straight Story, the one and only time Lynch went legit, with Disney no less; and Inland Empire, perhaps his wackiest and most bizarre cinematic offering. What a double feature! The Saturday night smorgasbord features Lost Highway, ever-creepier on repeat viewing, and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me, which was also featured at The Wild World of David Lynch, round one, in 2021.

One can guess why Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me is included again. First, it’s an exquisite movie that serves as background filler for the Twin Peaks canon, helping fans bridge the original two seasons and The Return series that premiered on Showtime. Also, it allows the Mahoning to do what they do best, which is welcome guest stars. This time, they are having Ray Wise, Dana Ashbrook and Harry Goaz on the lot, ready to take photos and sign autographs for the many Lynchian fans who will congregate in the Poconos. If that’s not enough, the band F You, Tammy will offer musical accompaniment on Saturday night.

For a mere $15, cinephiles can enjoy Lynch on the big screen in 35mm (except Inland Empire, which is a digital film). Add $10 for an extended pass to stay until the morning hours. Also, there’s a super-exclusive $100 VIP option that allows drive-in-goers on the lot at 4 p.m. to get a head start on vendors and autographs, plus an exclusive photo op with the three Twin Peaks stars. And if attendees are new to Mahoning, here’s a tip: They don’t simply click pics at a nondescript table. They build a full-on set for these photo ops, and one can expect something Twin Peaks-ish for this special opportunity (the set will likely be available later in the evening for non-celebrity selfies for non-VIP-ticket-holders). It should be noted that the actors will appear both nights, even though Twin Peaks: Fire Walk Me only screens Saturday night.

The other signature event takes place Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 1. That’s when the Mahoning offers the John Waters Filthy Film Fest, with Waters in person on Friday and Saturday nights. This will be downright historic for Waters’ many fans.

Friday night kicks off with Female Trouble and continues with A Dirty Shame and a secret movie curated by Waters. Saturday night features Pecker, Pink Flamingos and Desperate Living. Sunday, the only night without Waters in attendance, features the original Hairspray. Those are the movies, but the Mahoning has so much more in store, including Friday and Saturday introductions and Q&A’s with Waters, karaoke, a costume contest and more.

Tickets are priced at three levels: For Friday and Saturday nights, general admission costs $50 each night. A $100 VIP ticket includes general admission, an exclusive poster signed by Waters and early entry. The Filthy VIP Package costs $150 and includes general admission, early entry, an exclusive signed poster and a photo op with Waters on a re-created set of Babs Johnson’s trailer. Both VIP offerings come with an extended pass to stay the night. Sunday night is only $10, or $20 for an extended pass (remember: no Waters that night).

For both the Lynch and Waters events, tickets are likely to sell out (Lynch, round one, sold out two years ago), so act fast to enjoy these wonderfully bizarre festivals from the Mahoning Drive-in Theater.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Click here for more information on the Mahoning Drive-in Theater’s summer and fall offerings.