John Beifuss

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

In April, 2014, a story in The Commercial Appeal began with this question: "Is Memphis ready for regular dusk-to-dawn marathons devoted to cult and classic cinema?"

Was Cheech ready for Chong? Did Elvis love his mother? Does Godzilla have dragon breath?

In other words, the answer to that question proved to be a resounding YES. Offering monster movies, stoner comedies, rock-and-roll musicals and other selections, the "Time Warp Drive-In" series at the Malco Summer Quartet Drive-In at 5310 Summer has been a surprise success at a time when streaming and other stay-at-home options have discouraged the moviegoing habit.

The brainchild of moviemaker Mike McCarthy, whose expressionistically personal no-budget projects made him the Memphis godfather of independent cinema, and movie maven Matt Martin, whose Black Lodge Video store made him a Memphis guru of movie curating, the Time Warp series returns this weekend for a fourth season that will be its longest yet, carrying it through the end of the year.

In the past, the Time Warp series generally covered the warm-weather months, on the theory that spring, summer and early fall were the ideal time for the outdoor experience of the drive-in. That may be true, but the drive-in remains open on weekends, even in the winter; test "Winter Warp" bookings drew audiences, so this year's monthly Time Warp screenings will run through December.

As always, Time Warp nights are built around themes and filmmakers (science fiction, Oliver Stone, and so on). Vintage concession-stand commercials, trailers and sometimes new short films will screen between movies, and live music and other activities will be organized for some screenings.

New this year is a relationship with Something Weird Video, the Seattle-based cult movie preservation and distribution company. Founded by 1990 by the late Mike Vraney and maintained by his widow, Lisa Petrucci, Something Weird controls a catalog of hundreds and hundreds of exploitation films, a few of which will be screened during this year's Time Warp series thanks to the company's longtime relationship with McCarthy (whose 1995 movie "Teenage Tupelo" was among the few new releases handled by Something Weird). Among the Weird movies on the Warp schedule are (to name just two) "Teenage Gang Debs" ("They all talk, fight and love just one way ... DIRTY!") and "Blast-Off Girls" (a low-budget drama about girl rock-and-rollers "with MINI-SKIRTS and MINI-MORALS," directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis, the gore pioneer who died in September).

Movies start at dusk, rain or shine. Admission is $10 per person, with kids 10 and younger admitted free. All dates are Saturdays.

Here's the lineup:

March 11: "The Eccentric Worlds of Terry Gilliam": "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" (1975), "The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus" (2009), "Brazil" (1985).

April 15: "I'm with the Band": "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" (2010), "This Is Spinal Tap" (1984), "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" (1970), "Blast-Off Girls" (1967).

May 13: "Dreams of Gods & Magic" — "Labyrinth" (1986), "The NeverEnding Story" (1984), "Legend" (1985), "The Dark Crystal" (1982).

June 10: "Burn Forever" — "The Big Lebowski" (1998), "Cheech & Chong's Nice Dreams" (1981), "Smoke & Flesh" (1968), "Alice in Acidland" (1969).

July 8: "Killer Beauty: Women in Arms" — "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" (2001), "Kill Bill: Vol. 2" (2002), "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" (1965), "Teenage Gang Debs" (1966).

August 19: "Giant Monsters Attack!" — "Jaws" (1975), "Cloverfield" (2008), "Tremors" (1990), "King Kong vs. Godzilla" (1962).

September 16: "Oliver Stoned" — "Natural Born Killers" (1994), "Scarface" (1983), "The Doors" (1991).

October 14: "Shocktober 4/Legends of Horror" — "Psycho" (1960), "Halloween" (1978), "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974), "Night of the Living Dead" (1968), "Carnival of Souls" (1962).

November 18: "All Fall Down" — "12 Monkeys" (1995), "Donnie Darko" (2001), "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (1978), "The Last Man on Earth" (1964).

December 16: "Strange Christmas 4" — "Krampus" (2015), plus retro Christmas shorts from the Something Weird collection.