Evolution

A bona fide, genuine, All-American drive-in movie theater.

Come the first of May and continuing until the end of October, each and every evening, beginning at four-thirty p.m., the parking lot of the drive-in begins to fill up. Within thirty minutes or so the parking for the double screen theater is filled. It doesn't matter what night of the week it is, the parking lot is full.

Which goes to a prove about movie-goers: They would rather sit in their car or truck than have their feet stick to the floor. They would rather suffer the often-tinny audio of the drive-in instead of indulging in the surround sound quality of THX. Anything in the name of the almighty drive-in.

For a number of years now the drive-in in question has had a week where it shows the worst films and movies of a given year.

This year, though, things are a'changin', owing much to a little but clever movie entitled "Evolution".

That's right: "Evolution": A throwback to the 1950s, when the drive-in WAS king and the King (Elvis) was just a rock-a-billy singer.

Now I won't go so far as to say I actually liked "Evolution". I will say, though, that one more viewing and I suspect we may go steady: It grows on you like sci-fi fungus. It has laughs, it has howls (good and bad), and it is actually a rather good effort. (Of course, compared to "Pearl Harbor", it can't help but be good.)

I mentioned a moment ago about the 1950s. Although "Evolution" takes place in present day much of the action seems to be taking place in the 1950s. For example, when aliens show up everyone takes to blasting them, as someone from the 1950s would. (Shoot first, ask later--why is that a bad philosophy again?)

Seriously, everything seems retro, including director Ivan Reitman, who recalls easily the success he found with "Ghostbusters". Like that movie "Evolution" is a tongue-in-cheek effort that makes an effort to avoid taking itself too seriously.

Quickly, now, to the story (so you can see it): A would-be firefighter (Seann Wiliam Scott) is practicing fire drills and such by rescuing--ready for this?--an inflatable doll from a burning shack when a meteor--a flaming meteor--crashes nearby. Harry Block (Orlando Jones), a scientist from the nearby Glen Canyon Community College is called in to investigate. Of course he brings along his friend, science instructor Ira Kane (David Duchovny). In the investigation they find the meteor has penetrated an underground cavern, where there are sluglike creatures.

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