Buckingham Drive-In Movie Event To Feature Creator Of 'MST3K'

BUCKINGHAM, PA — The man behind Mystery Science Theater 3000 is collaborating with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Bucks County to bring a drive-in movie event to Buckingham Township this weekend.

None Such Farm, located at 4458 York Rd., Buckingham, will screen an episode of MST3K titled "Gamera vs. Zigra," Friday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m.

Joel Hodgson, the creator of the long-running television comedy series that first aired in 1988 and continues to be available for streaming on Netflix, will be signing autographs in exchange for a $25 donation to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County, a local organization that connects at-risk youth with adult mentors.

In the show, Hodgson stars as Joel Robinson, a janitor trapped by two mad scientists on a satellite orbiting the Earth. Forced to watch a series of B movies, he builds robot companions that help him provide commentary on the films while the audience watches at home. Each two-hour episode features a single movie, with Joel and his robot pals watching in silhouette from a row of theater seats at the bottom of the screen.

Since moving to Bucks County nine years ago, Hodgson has gotten to know the people in his community. When the coronavirus pandemic forced businesses like movie theatres to shut down, he and a neighbor started showing movies outdoors using Hodgson's equipment.

"I'm the guy with the projector in the neighborhood, he's the guy who picks the movies," Hodgson said.

His neighbor heard that Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County was looking to screen a movie at None Such Farm and decided to give his friend a call.

Knowing the cost of licensing movies for public screening events, Hodgson arranged for the show distributors to let them show the movie at a reduced rate.

"People are finding wonderful workarounds during COVID and doing a drive-in movie is a lovely way to gather people and have fun while also feeling kind of safe," Hodgson said of the event.

Volunteers who sign up for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Bucks County mentoring program are connected with at-risk youth in the community, said Rachel Kurtz, Chief Executive Officer for the organization.

"The relationships can last a lifetime," Kurtz said. "They're getting that important 1 on 1 mentoring."

Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20. The event also includes trivia, and food is being provided by 33rd Street Hospitality.

Click here to register for the event.