Skyview Drive-In — Local services in Belleville

I visited your drive-in theater tonight, looking forward to a relaxing evening with my blanket, pillow, comfy clothes, fresh popcorn, and my partner. Unfortunately, we chose to leave before the movie even began due to multiple issues that made the experience unwatchable and unpleasant.

As a long-time drive-in moviegoer—over 20 years—I know what to expect. However, I was surprised to find that nearly 90% of the lot is reserved, leaving only a small “orange section” for general admission. These orange rows are far enough from the screen that visibility is already limited. To make matters worse, vehicles in front of us had their hatchbacks extended, blocking even more of the screen.

The orange section’s rules, clearly printed on a handout given at entry, state that hatchbacks must not extend above the vehicle's height and that this rule will be enforced. The same notice prohibits marijuana smoking. Unfortunately, neither of these policies were upheld.

After purchasing popcorn, I approached an employee directing traffic to ask about the hatchback rule. She told me it didn’t apply to the orange section. When I showed her the printed rules, another employee interjected and very rudely said the hatchback rule is not enforced in the orange section. When I asked about switching to another movie screen—before either movie started—I was again interrupted and denied without courtesy.

Concerned about marijuana being smoked nearby and the lack of rule enforcement, I asked to speak to someone at the front. There, two male staff members met me, one of which named Steve. One immediately cut me off, saying they “can’t possibly enforce the rules for everyone.” When I calmly tried to raise my concern about the marijuana smell, I was abruptly told to “go to the box office, get a refund, and leave,” in a raised and angry tone. When I asked why I was being met with such hostility, I was told I was the one being hostile—despite remaining calm and polite throughout.

At that point, another man (who I believe was “Steve”) stepped in and took over the conversation. He said they would look into the marijuana issue and when i asked, explained that I could switch to the last few rows of the other screen—but not the reserved rows. I appreciated his tone and willingness to help, but when I asked about the overly aggressive attitude of the staff, he said the team was new and overwhelmed by the crowd.

While I understand the stress of a busy night, the level of unprofessionalism, dismissiveness, and outright hostility from multiple employees was deeply disappointing. What should have been a peaceful and enjoyable evening instead felt uncomfortable and unwelcome. We ultimately decided to leave because the experience—and the screen—was simply not worth staying for.

I’m sharing this not just as a complaint, but in hopes it leads to some reflection and improvement. Clear policies, consistent enforcement, and respectful communication with guests go a long way in maintaining the charm and community value of a...

It was horrible. There's nothing pretty or nice about it. Apparently they're struggling to stay open. We paid for our tickets in advance thinking we were going to see what was posted on their website. Its good we didn't bring the kids. Nothing was family friendly from the movies to the staff to customers smoking stuff other than cigs. Bill the assistant manager came at us yelling that we were parked in the wrong place disturbing others after the movie was over. After telling him we didn't know, even turning it down while we prepared to move. He continued yelling at us. Flipping the script, we wanted to know why the last minute change of movies. He changed his tone to yelling more and louder. We finally got him to send out the so called manager who refused to give us his name. He was no better and was more concerned with being pulled out of his airconditioned office. We paid our money like everyone else and deserved being treated like people not like dogs rummaging the garbage. This place has gone down even more since our last visit there. No one wants to go out there as it is. After tonight we will see to it that no one we know does. There's nothing else nice about it. GIVEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS IN THE REVIEWS FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS IS A GOOD REASON FOR PEOPLE TO KNOW THE TRUTH AND BOYCOTT. EVEN THOSE THAT GAVE A 4-5 RATING WAS CRITICISE FOR MAKING MINOR SUGGESTIONS SUCH AS TIDY THE REST ROOMS. THIS OWNER DOES NOT CARE ABOUT TAKING CARE OF HIS CUSTOMERS. HE JUST WANT TO GET PAID. THE WAY HE'S DOING THINGS IS DRAGING WHAT WAS A FUN FAMILY ESTABLISHMENT TO THE STUFF THE DOGS LEAVE BEHIND. YOU DONT TALK TO YOUR CUSTOMERS ANY KIND OF WAY AND NOT EXPECT REPERCUSSION. THAT WAS OUR FAMILY YOU AND YOUR ASSISTANT WAS YELLING AT. MAKING UP LIES TO COVER UP THE TRUTH OF WHAT YOU AS THE OWNER DID AND SAID JUST TO HAVE A SNIPPY COME BACK, DOESN'T GO VERY FAR. IT ACTUALLY INDICATE YOUR IRRESPONSIBILITY AND LACK OF INTELLIGENCE. AS WAS STATED BEFORE WE TRIED TALKING TO YOU AND YOUR ASSISTANT AS THE BOTH OF YOU CAME AT US YELLING AND ACCUSING. WE WERE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING. ACCORDING TO YOUR ASSISTANT, THERE WERE 4 COMPLAINTS THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE. YOU NEVER ANSWERED WHY YOU WAITED UNTIL THE END OF THE MOVIE TO SAY SOMETHING. FURTHER MORE YOU DONT HAVE YOUR LOT AND SCREENS LABLED FOR PEOPLE TO SEE WHERE TO GO. WE APOLOGIZED FOR DISTURBING THE OTHERS AND SAID WE WERE MOVING WHEN MADE AWARE. YOU GUYS KEPT ON PUSHING IT. OUR GUESS FOE YOUR POOR BEHAVIOR WAS TO LOOK GOOD TO THE ON LOOKERS. APPARENTLY YOU COULDN'T TAKE YOUR OWN MEDICINE SHOVED BACK AT YOU. TRY TREATING AND SPEAKING TO OTHERS THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. YOU GET MORE WITH HONEY THAN WITH VINEGAR. WE ARE NOT TO BE TRIFLED WITH. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME SERIOUS CHANGES MADE. ONE OF BEING REMOVING THE EXISTING MANAGER AND REPLACE HIM WITH SOMEONE THAT HAS MANAGEMENT SKILLS AS WELL AS MANNERS. FURTHERMORE YOU SHOULD CHECK YOUR OWN WEBSITE BEFORE MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT SOMEONE NOT KNOWING WHAT THEY'RE...

Going to this place is like a pleasant time warp back when things were simpler. Back when smart phones didn't exist and James Dean was still a rebel without a cause, back when the beach boys were still surfing U.S.A. , back when Ronald Reagan was an actor, back when Natalie Wood had a miracle on 34th Street, back when Marilyn Monroe liked it hot, back when James Steward had a wonderful life, back when Elvis Presley had blue suede shoes, back when John Wayne lived through the longest day, back when Gary Cooper was the pride of the Yankees, back when Paul Newman didn't have salad dressing, back when Robert Redford was the Brad Pitt before Brad Pitt, back when Elizabeth Taylor only had one husband, back when Audrey Hepburn had breakfast at Tiffany's, back when Dorris Day had pillow talk, back when Frank Sinatra had his way, back when Debbie Reynolds had fear and loathing in Las Vegas, back when Clint Eastwood was the good, back when Micheal Jackson knew his ABC's, back when Robert DeNero was a taxi driver, back when Marlin Brando made an offer you couldn't refuse, back when Simon & Garfunkel let Mrs. Robinson know that Jesus loves her more then she will know, back when John Travolta had Saturday night fever, back when Dustin Hofmann graduated, back Ron O'Neal was super fly, back when Sunny and Cher had each other, back when Kevin Bacon went footloose, back when Moly Ringwald was pretty in pink, back when Ferris Bueller had a day off, back when Patrick Swazye was dirty dancing, back when Eddie Murphy was a cop in Beverly hills, back when the Brat pack met at St. Elmo's fire, back when Corey and Corey were looking for lost boys, back when Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter's had an excellent adventure, back when you reminded David Bowie of the babe, back when Harrison Ford shot first, back when Jennifer Beals did a flash dance, back when Bill Packston was a Navy Seal, back when Ralph Macchio was the karate kid, back when Christopher Llyod framed Roger Rabbit, back when Micheal J. Fox went back to the Future, back when Mandy Patinkin was Inigo Montoya and you killed his father prepare to die, back when you had a friend in Tom Hanks, back when Macaulay Culkin was home alone, back when Edward Norton made soap, back when Mel Gibson was a lethal weapon, back when Woody Harrelson was a natural born killer, back when Julia Stiles told Heath Ledger 10 things she hates about him, back when Will Smith stood up for Independence day, back when Jeff Goldblum stopped to think if we should, back when Alicia Silverstone was clueless, back when Nicholas Cage had a face off, back when Jim Carrey saved a bat, back when Jennifer Aniston didn't have enough flair and Ron Livingston had a bad case of the Mondays, back when Chris Farley was a man who lived in a van down by the river, back when Brendan Fraser fought the mummy, and the mummy came back, but that's where the Skyview is better. The Skyview never left you, the Skyview was always...