Classic Films On The Big Screen In The Triangle Area

This post is extremely localized about theaters in my area that show old movies so it might not appeal to some of my readers. However, I think it’s possible that out-of-towners will find some interest and may be inspired to comment about revival showings at theaters near them.

The summer season is overflowing with movie choices, but many in the Triangle may not know that there is a welcome antidote to the mind numbing “event movies” arriving weekly at the multiplexes.

Favorite films from years past, both classic and cult, are being shown at a number of theaters and venues in the area alongside current releases. These screenings give moviegoers a chance to see on the big screen films they’ve loved before on television or DVD, or heard about but never seen, in all their 35 millimeter glory. Plus, they’re typically not as expensive as first run films.

Built in 1926, The Carolina Theater in Durham has a great reputation for revival shows with their popular weekend series of horror movies: “Retrofantasma” and a summer series that this year includes double features of Robert De Niro (TAXI DRIVER, THE UNTOUCHABLES), Alfred Hitchcock (REAR WiINDOW and VERTIGO, Steven Spielberg (JAWS and INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM) and John Belushi (ANIMAL HOUSE and THE BLUES BROTHERS) features. 

“Retrofantasma”, billed as “a joyful jolt of terror and nostalgia”, has a dedicated audience for a roster ranging from SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT to the tongue in cheek CLUE. They may be scratchy old prints for the most part, but there's no denying the thrill of seeing famous film history writ large.

Located in North Raleigh, The Colony Theater caters to the cult crowd; the kids who grew up on Lucas and Spielberg but leaned towards Tarentino and Lynch as they matured. “Cool Classics @ The Colony” has showcased a multitude of films with fanatic followings such as PURPLE RAIN, ERASERHEAD, PULP FICTION and MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. 

After 3 successful years the Colony is starting a new series: “Cinema Overdrive” which will feature far out and obscure oddities like DEATH RACE 2000 (starring the recently deceased David Carradine) and Frank Zappa’s 200 MOTELS.

Colony Theater General Manager Denver Hill, a film buff and 35 MM film collector, said that the “Cool Classics” often “do a lot better than the usual films” as it’s been “slow for indie films lately.” Hill, who has worked for the theater since 2002, also remarked that he expected the June 16th and 17th showings of the late 90’s Coen Brothers cult classic THE BIG LEBOWSKI to make more money than the current well reviewed Broadway documentary EVERY LITTLE STEP. LEBOWSKI, is a repeat performance as Hill explains: “90% of the films have been customer requests.”

The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh offerings may be a bit more highbrow, but they are just as crowd pleasing. Over the fast few decades there have been many film festival of such icons as Woody Allen and such noted genres as “film noir.”

It should be noted that they could benefit from having more than one screening in the winter when movies are shown in their auditorium; multiple times when I tried to attend showings they were sold out or only single seats remained.

This is a non-issue in the summer season as they have outdoor screenings that can accommodate more people (of course, those can get rained out). This year the highlights will be a Watergate revisited weekend with AlLL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN and FROST/NIXON, a tribute to Paul Newman with a showing of THE STING, and at the end of August a 70th anniversary showing of GONE WITH THE WIND with an accompanying documentary “The Making Of A Legend.”

The Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary, in their “Movies By Mooonlight” Summer series shows mostly movies from the last year (TWILIGHT, KUNG FU PANDA, IRON MAN, etc.) but does offer a few older titles: MOONSTRUCK and WAIT UNTIL DARK are showing this Summer. 

Be forewarned: Koka booth rarely shows 35 MM prints (the last one was 3 years ago: the legendary THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON) – the films are projected from a DVD. Still, it’s a beautiful venue and a fine evening be had with the right companion, lawn-chairs and beverages.

The Galaxy Theater in Cary often screens older films, in the last year they’ve presented an overlooked beautifully restored Charlie Chaplin film - MONSIEUR VERDOUX as well as LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and DOUBLE INDEMNITY. The theater, which is something of an art-house multiplex, has several popular series such as the “Undiscovered Gem Series,” the “Silver Screen Spring Series”, and like a number of local theaters, a “Kids Summer Movie Series” that runs on weekday mornings.

And for almost 20 years there’s been the Friday midnight showing of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW* at The Rialto. 

Via email, Ambassador Entertainment owner Bill Peeples said that “attendance is high and consistent” for the long running late show that has played “every Friday at midnight since December, 1989.”

The Rialto, which is part of Ambassador Entertainment along with the Colony, Mission Valley Theatres, and Six Forks Station, also hosts “Cinema, Inc”, billed as Raleigh’s oldest and finest non-profit film society offering classic film presentations once a month on Sunday night.

With the possible closing of the Varsity and Chelsea Theaters in Chapel Hill, one might wonder if more revival screenings might have changed their fate. 

This spring at the Chelsea, a retrospective of director Mark Rydell (including ON GOLDEN POND and THE ROSE) drew respectable crowds so it goes to shows that there is definitely an audience for vintage cinema in this area. If the historic Varsity and Chelsea theaters are to continue operation I hope they embrace the past as they look to the future.

Post note: For more information like show-times and directions and please click on the theater's highlighted names in the article.

* I just blogged about seeing THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW for the first time - read the post here.

More Later...