At drive-in theaters, the best seats are reserved for punctual elitists and fashionably late monster trucks. Avoid the perils of Hobbesian parking battles by settling into a cozy seat with today's Groupon: for $15, you get two general-admission movie tickets, one large popcorn, and two large drinks at the Pickwick Theatre, located in Park Ridge (up to a $28 value).

Built in 1928, the Pickwick Theatre is a National Register of Historic Places–listed art deco stone structure that stands more than 100 feet tall, dwarfing surrounding buildings and statues of Bruce Lee in Uptown Park Ridge. A massive backlit marquee welcomes visitors to the historical theater by beaming the names of movies currently playing onto the eyeballs of passersby. Upcoming attractions include Source Code, a sci-fi action adventure starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michelle Monaghan, X-Men: First Class, a continuation of the superhero series with Jennifer Lawrence and James McAvoy, and Water for Elephants, a drama with Robert Pattinson, Christoph Waltz, and a Japanese robot meticulously designed to resemble Academy Award–winner Reese Witherspoon. The Pickwick bathes more than 1,000 moviegoers in the glow of its three smaller screens and original auditorium with its beautifully frescoed ceiling, so there's never a shortage of seats or shows.