There are ordinary movie nights, and then there are the kinds of movie nights that feel like somebody climbed directly into your childhood memories, grabbed two battered VHS tapes from beside the television, and projected them onto an enormous outdoor screen.
That is essentially what is happening in Newberg this weekend.
From Friday, August 28, through Sunday, August 30, the historic 99W Drive-In will present one of the most perfectly assembled double features imaginable: The Goonies followed by The Lost Boys. The box office opens at 6:30 p.m., with The Goonies beginning at 8:15 p.m. and The Lost Boys following at 10 p.m.
This is just one of the concerts, festivals, movie nights, and special events happening around the state. You can find more ideas for the weekend on our constantly updated Oregon Events Calendar.
As an ’80s baby, I have absolutely no ability to be objective about this lineup. These are literally two of my favorite movies ever made. One gave us pirate treasure, booby traps, Sloth, the Fratellis, and a group of Oregon kids refusing to let developers take their homes. The other gave us leather-jacketed vampires, the Frog brothers, Kiefer Sutherland’s hair, Corey Haim, and the most aggressively memorable saxophone performance ever committed to film.
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Showing either one at a drive-in would be worth the trip. Playing them together, after dark, at one of Oregon’s last authentic drive-in theaters feels almost irresponsibly perfect.
An Oregon Adventure That Never Got Old
Released in 1985, The Goonies was directed by Richard Donner from a screenplay by Chris Columbus and a story conceived by Steven Spielberg. It follows a group of kids from Astoria’s fictional Goon Docks neighborhood as they search for the lost treasure of One-Eyed Willy, hoping it will save their families’ homes from foreclosure.
For Oregon viewers, however, the movie has always felt like more than another beloved ’80s adventure. It belongs to us.
Much of the film was shot in Astoria, with additional scenes filmed at Cannon Beach and other Oregon locations. The old Walsh house, the streets of Astoria, the county jail, and the dramatic view of Haystack Rock helped turn the North Coast into one of the most recognizable movie landscapes in the country. Unlike productions that disguise Oregon as somewhere else, The Goonies actually takes place in Astoria and allows Oregon to be an essential part of the story.
The cast included Sean Astin as Mikey, Josh Brolin as Brand, Jeff Cohen as Chunk, Corey Feldman as Mouth, Ke Huy Quan as Data, Martha Plimpton as Stef, and Kerri Green as Andy. Anne Ramsey, Robert Davi, and Joe Pantoliano were wonderfully horrible as the Fratellis, while former NFL player John Matuszak created one of the film’s most enduring characters as Sloth.
The production was every bit as ambitious as it looked. Filming began in October 1984 and continued for roughly five months. Production designer J. Michael Riva and his crew constructed a full-size pirate ship for the underground finale. Director Richard Donner reportedly kept the young cast away from the ship until filming their reactions, helping capture the genuine astonishment seen in the movie.
When The Goonies arrived in theaters on June 7, 1985, it became a box-office success and eventually grew into something much larger. It became a generational touchstone for kids who wanted adventures beyond the end of their street, and in 2017 it was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic importance.
Four decades later, people still visit Astoria to see where it was filmed. They still quote Chunk’s confession, yell “Hey, you guys!” and instinctively understand that Goonies never say die.
Watching it at an old Oregon drive-in is about as close as we can get to traveling back to 1985 without borrowing a DeLorean.
Then The Vampires Come Out
Once The Goonies ends, the evening will take a darker, cooler, and considerably more vampire-filled turn.
Released in 1987, The Lost Boys follows brothers Michael and Sam Emerson after they move with their mother to the fictional California beach town of Santa Carla. It initially appears to be a slightly strange seaside community filled with carnival rides, comic-book stores, motorcycles, and exceptionally confident teenagers. It does not take long for the brothers to learn that the town’s missing-person problem has a supernatural explanation.
Directed by Joel Schumacher, the movie starred Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, and Barnard Hughes. Although it had all the blood, fangs, and shadows expected from a vampire movie, it also had a sharp sense of humor and the unmistakable energy of a teenage adventure.
The film’s title was inspired by the Lost Boys from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, the children who never grow up. Writers Janice Fischer and James Jeremias took that idea in a much darker direction: What if the reason those boys never aged, came out at night, and could fly was because they were vampires?
Most of the movie was filmed in and around Santa Cruz, California. The Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk became the neon-lit heart of Santa Carla, giving the film its strange mixture of summer vacation, carnival danger, and coastal nightlife. Other scenes were filmed in the Santa Cruz Mountains, near Santa Clarita, and on Warner Bros. soundstages.
Schumacher helped transform vampires for a new generation. These were not pale aristocrats hiding in European castles. They wore leather, rode motorcycles, hung around the boardwalk, and looked like they could either recruit you into their gang or eat you before sunrise. Kiefer Sutherland’s David barely needed to speak. His blond mullet, black coat, and unsettling stare did most of the work.
Then there was the soundtrack. Echo & the Bunnymen covered “People Are Strange,” Gerard McMann contributed “Cry Little Sister,” and musician Tim Cappello appeared on the boardwalk performing “I Still Believe” while shirtless, oiled, and wielding a saxophone with an intensity that has never been adequately explained.
The movie earned more than $32 million against a reported budget of approximately $8.5 million and developed a devoted cult following. It eventually produced two direct-to-video sequels, comic books, endless merchandise, and generations of fans who still know the one thing about living in Santa Carla that Grandpa could never stomach.
All the damn vampires.
The 99W Is Part Of Oregon Movie History
The setting makes this double feature even more special. The 99W is not a modern theater attempting to recreate drive-in nostalgia. It is the real thing.
J.T. “Ted” Francis built the 99W Drive-In east of Newberg in 1953, during the great postwar expansion of automobile culture and outdoor entertainment. It opened that summer with Sea Devils and Under the Sahara, beginning a family-run tradition that has survived enormous changes in the movie business.
Ted Francis was already an important figure in Newberg cinema. His family also operated the Cameo Theatre, the concrete single-screen movie house built in downtown Newberg in 1937. Francis remained closely involved in the business for the rest of his life, reportedly working at the Cameo six nights a week until shortly before his death in 1999 at age 98.
The 99W has survived storms, changing technology, home video, multiplexes, streaming services, and the disappearance of most of Oregon’s other drive-ins. Its original screen was destroyed during the Columbus Day Storm of 1962. The replacement lasted until another powerful gust brought it down in 1990, meaning the theater is now showing movies on its third screen.
Much of the original drive-in remains, including the marquee, ticket booth, projection and concession building, and the carefully formed parking area that angles vehicles toward the screen. It can accommodate approximately 275 to 300 cars. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 as an unusually intact example of midcentury entertainment, architecture, and American car culture.
Oregon once had dozens of drive-in theaters. Today, only a tiny handful remain. The 99W has continued operating on its original site, under the same family, for more than seven decades.
Every ticket and every trip to the snack bar helps keep that history alive.
Everything To Know Before You Go
The 99W Drive-In is located at 3110 Portland Road in Newberg, along Highway 99W near North Springbrook Road.
The box office opens at 6:30 p.m. each evening from Friday, August 28, through Sunday, August 30. Parking is first come, first served, so arriving when the gates open is a smart move, particularly for a nostalgic double feature with this much built-in appeal.
The Goonies, rated PG, begins at 8:15 p.m. The Lost Boys, rated R, begins at 10 p.m. Parents should keep that rating change in mind if they are bringing younger Goonies fans for the first movie.
Admission is:
- Adults: $10
- Single-occupant vehicles: $15
- Children ages 6 through 11: $5
- Children 5 and younger: Free
The theater accepts cash and credit cards, but does not accept checks, and there is no ATM on the property.
Movie audio is broadcast over 96.5 FM, so make sure your vehicle radio works or bring a portable FM radio with fresh batteries. If your car automatically shuts off accessory power after several minutes, a portable radio can save you from repeatedly restarting the electrical system throughout two movies.
Outside food is allowed, but the theater encourages guests to visit the concession stand. Drive-ins earn an important portion of their revenue through concessions, and buying popcorn, candy, drinks, or dinner is one of the easiest ways to help the 99W continue showing movies.
Blankets, pillows, comfortable clothes, and lawn chairs kept close to your vehicle can make the evening considerably more comfortable. Even warm Oregon days can turn cool after dark. Taller trucks, vans, and vehicles with raised rear hatches may be directed toward areas where they will not block the screen for other guests.
Alcohol, barbecues, and open flames are prohibited. Keep headlights off during the movies and plan to remain for the evening, because leaving and attempting to return may require paying admission again.
How To Reach The 99W From Around Oregon
From Portland, take Interstate 5 south and follow signs toward Tigard and Highway 99W. Continue southwest on 99W through Tigard and Sherwood toward Newberg. The theater is on Portland Road near Springbrook Road on the eastern side of town. Depending on your starting point and traffic, the trip generally takes around 45 minutes to an hour.
From Salem, travel north on Interstate 5 and take the Donald/Aurora area route toward Newberg, commonly using Ehlen Road, Highway 219, and local connecting roads. Another option is to continue toward Wilsonville before cutting west. Allow roughly 45 minutes to an hour, and check traffic before leaving because rural routes can slow considerably on busy summer weekends.
From Eugene or Springfield, take Interstate 5 north toward Salem. From there, continue toward the Newberg area using the Donald and Highway 219 route. The drive is generally around two hours, although Friday traffic through the Willamette Valley can add substantial time. This is a long trip for a movie, but for The Goonies and The Lost Boys at a real 1950s drive-in, I am not prepared to call it unreasonable.
From Corvallis, head north through the Willamette Valley, using Highway 99W toward McMinnville and continuing through Dundee into Newberg. Plan on approximately 75 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic through Dundee.
From McMinnville, the trip is wonderfully simple. Take Highway 99W north through Dundee and into Newberg. The theater is on the eastern side of town near Springbrook Road. Under ordinary conditions, the drive takes approximately 30 minutes, but weekend wine-country traffic can stretch that considerably.
From Lincoln City and the Central Oregon Coast, take Highway 18 east toward McMinnville, then follow Highway 99W north through Dundee to Newberg. Allow roughly two hours from Lincoln City and more if coastal or Dundee traffic is heavy.
From Bend, take Highway 20 west toward the Santiam Pass, connect with Highway 22 toward Salem, and continue north toward Newberg. Depending on conditions and the precise route, the drive can take a little over three hours. Anyone making that trip should consider turning the movie night into a full Newberg or Willamette Valley weekend.
Because construction, crashes, and summer traffic can alter these routes, enter 99W Drive-In, 3110 Portland Road, Newberg, OR 97132 into your navigation app before leaving.
This Is The Kind Of Night We Need More Of
Streaming has made almost every movie constantly available, but convenience is not the same as an experience. Watching The Goonies at home is fun. Watching it on an enormous screen beneath the Oregon sky, surrounded by other people who know every line, is something else entirely.
Then, once the pirate ship has sailed and the younger kids have hopefully fallen asleep, Santa Carla opens for business. The motorcycles roar, “Cry Little Sister” begins, and one of the greatest vampire movies ever made takes over the screen.
For those of us who grew up with these movies, this is more than a double feature. It is Chunk and Sloth, Corey Haim and Corey Feldman, pirate treasure and comic books, Astoria and Santa Carla, all packed into one late-summer night at a theater that has been welcoming Oregon moviegoers since 1953.
Bring a radio. Bring blankets. Buy the popcorn. Arrive early.
And whatever you do, remember that Goonies never say die, but one thing about living in Santa Carla I never could stomach: all the damn vampires.
Plan Your Night At The 99W Drive-In
What: The Goonies and The Lost Boys double feature
When: Friday, August 28, through Sunday, August 30
Box office opens: 6:30 p.m.
The Goonies: 8:15 p.m., rated PG
The Lost Boys: 10 p.m., rated R
Where: 99W Drive-In, 3110 Portland Road, Newberg
Radio frequency: 96.5 FM
Admission: Adults $10; single-occupant cars $15; children 6–11 $5; children 5 and younger free
Maps And Official Details
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We pulled these details from the 99W Drive-In’s official schedule. Showtimes can change, so confirm the program with the theater before making a long drive. If you go, tell us in the comments whether the double feature was worth the trip, what you ordered from the snack bar, and how early people really need to arrive for a good parking spot. Other Oregon movie fans will actually use that information.
Sources: 99W Drive-In official schedule and rules, 99W theater history, Oregon Historic Sites Database, OPB’s history of the 99W, and Astoria’s Goonies film-location guide.
