The traditional drive-in cinema experience is about to transform, courtesy of the Blue Starlite drive-in theatre in Austin, Texas. The theatre will kick off its new event series, Silents Synced, marking the first of many exciting events to come in the upcoming year.
According to Deadline, Silents Synced will be where “classic silent movies will be paired with rock music from Radiohead, R.E.M, They Might Be Giants, Pearl Jam, Pixies, and Amon Tobin.”
The first series will be produced by Blue Starlite Entertainment and will feature Radiohead’s 2000 album KID A and 2001 album Amnesiac. These albums will be paired with F.W. Murnau’s 1922 film, Nosferatu. The event, “Radiohead: Nosferatu,” will begin screenings in the fall of 2024 with a national launch shortly after in various independent indoor and drive-in theatres across the US.
New Silents Synced series will premiere every four months following this release. After Radiohead, R.E.M will take part in the event. Bertis Downs, the manager for the band, stated with Deadline, “The guys thought it seems like a good idea and they like the uncanny way their music and Buster Keaton’s Sherlock, Jr., match up — kind of perfect. What a great and unlikely way of presenting great art.”
“There is something strangely appealing about syncing modern music to an old silent film — it brings a whole new perspective. I like to imagine Buster Keaton moving around on set with a 1927 version of They Might Be Giants bouncing around in his head. It’s a perfect combo,” stated Pete Smolin, the manager of They Might Be Giants.
Blue Starlite opened in Austin in 2009 and has been entertaining movie-goers ever since. The drive-in has seen an increase in guests following the pandemic and hopes to continue this through its new series. The goal of Silents Synced is to “create a unique and engaging cinematic experience that will draw both traditional moviegoers and music fans to independent cinemas nationwide.”
Check out the official trailer for the project below.
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