Dive-In Movies

Remember going to the drive-in? Double features playing into the wee hours of the morning through a tinny window speaker, the picture slightly obscured by the couple making out in an old Caddy in front of you . . .

This is just like the drive-ins you remember — except no Caddy, no speaker, and you’re half-naked, soaking wet and stuffed into an inner tube.

That’s right, it’s time to dust off the flip-flops and break out the spandex: Tempe’s Summer Float-in Wave Movies start Friday night, June 21. For those who haven’t watched a movie from the comfort of the aimlessly meandering innards of a tire, this is a must for summertime fun.

Tickets will set you back a measly $4 — which is a bargain, even if the DVD rental is only $3.99. You might be able to get the movie at home, but you can’t replicate a wave pool in your living room without seriously upping your homeowner’s insurance.

The opening night feature for this Friday is Legally Blonde, last year’s comedy hit starring Reese Witherspoon as a blonde sorority girl-turned-hot-shot Harvard law student. The first 50 “legal blondes” to show up get free admission, says David Bucher, supervisor of the Kiwanis Recreation Center.

What makes one a “legal blonde?” According to Bucher, you can be unnatural, as long as you’re 100 percent. “I’m not checking roots,” he says. “If you look blonde from the outside, that’s fine with me.” But he won’t accept streaks or subtle highlights — it’s all blonde or four bucks at the door.

Summer Float-in Wave Movies are on June 21, July 19 and August 9 at Kiwanis Park Recreation Center, 6111 South All American Way. Waves begin at 6:30 p.m., and the movie starts at 8 p.m. Tubes and seating are limited, so come early. Admission is $4 for adults and $3 for youth ages 3 to 17. Tubes are $3. Children younger than 7 must have adult supervision. Call 480-350-5201 for more information and directions.