The Carolina Theatre of Durham’s Retro Film Series Celebrates 25 Years

July Through December Season Announced 

DURHAM, NC — May 17, 2023— The Carolina Theatre of Durham celebrates the 25th Anniversary of its Retro Film Series, happening July-December 2023. 

Started in 1998, the Retro Film Series brings classic double feature films to the big screen every Friday night. Retro spotlights epic adventure, horror, and sci-fi films, and classic blockbusters. In addition to its beloved double features, Retro also hosts genre-specific and weekend-long sub-series.  

This season’s double features include “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Airplane,” “Terminator” and “Robocop,” “Tootsie” and “Steel Magnolias,” “Labyrinth” and “Jumani,” and more. 

Weaved within this season are eight sub-genres of classic films — Free Retro Family Days, Disney-Quest Film Series, MovieDiva Film Series, Kaiju-Quest Film Series, Retro Rocks! Film Series, Retro Epics Film Series, J-Horror Film Series, SplatterFlix, and Retro: The Criterion Collection Film Series. 

Two sub-series —Free Retro Family Days and Disney-Quest — will feature films for the whole family to enjoy. Free Retro Family Days will feature free family-friendly films on select Saturdays during July and August. Films include “The Muppet Movie,” “The Emperor’s New Groove,” “The Prince of Egypt,” and “How to Train Your Dragon.” Disney-Quest features classic animated Disney movies including “Aladdin,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Little Mermaid,” “The Incredibles,” and more. 

MovieDiva Film Series and Kaiju-Quest Film Series happen on select Wednesdays. MovieDiva focuses on classic films with strong female leads. Films include “All About Eve,” “Gloria,” “Topkapi,” and more. Kaiju-Quest is a Japanese genre of film focused on big monsters. The series includes a variety of films pitting Godzilla against other monsters including Mechagodzilla and Megalon. 

Retro Rocks! Film Series and Retro Epics Film Series happen on select Sundays. Retro Rocks! will feature music documentaries and biopics, concert films, musicals, and movies with generation-defining soundtracks. “Purple Rain,” “The Last Waltz,” and “Say Anything” are among the featured films in the Retro Rocks! Film Series. Retro Epics will feature some of the most monumental movies in film history, including “The Godfather,” “The Color Purple,” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.”  

Retro: The Criterion Collection Film Series, J-Horror Film Series, Splatterflix Film Series, and the NC Comicon: Bull City happen over a weekend in July, September, October, and November respectively. Retro: The Criterion Collection Film Series is July 21-23 and features culturally important classic and contemporary films that are a part of Criterion’s archive. The series includes “Bull Durham,” “In The Mood For Love,” “Pan’s Labyrinth” and more. J-Horror runs from September 22-24 and features Japanese horror films that are intrinsically linked to folklore traditions involving spirits, monsters, and demons. Films include “Battle Royale,” “Hausu,” “One Missed Call,” and more. SplatterFlix is a Halloween-based series, happening October 13-15. Films include “Poltergeist,” “Friday the 13th,” “The Shining,” and more. NC Comicon: Bull City celebrates movies based on or inspired by classic comic books including Tim Burton’s “Batman,” “V for Vendetta,” and more.  

The series will also host three special events, including its sixth annual Rocky Horror Picture Show Halloween Ball  and a screening of “The Golem” with a live score in October, and a MovieDiva screening of the movie adaptation of Ursula Parrott’s  “There’s Always Tomorrow,” followed by a discussion and book signing with the author of “Becoming the Ex-Wife: The Unconventional Life and Forgotten Writings of Ursula Parrott.”   

The full series of films can be found at carolinatheatre.org. Retro double feature tickets are $12. Retro Season Passes are $150-$200 plus taxes and fees and are available at the theater’s box office. 

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About The Carolina Theatre of Durham: 

Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which manages the city-owned Carolina Theatre at 309 W. Morgan Street, Durham, NC 27701. Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc. is dedicated to presenting vibrant, thought-provoking film and live performances that contribute to the cultural and economic vitality of downtown Durham and the Triangle Region. More information at carolinatheatre.org. 

Contact: Jordan Hewitt Beard 

Senior Director of Marketing, Carolina Theatre of Durham 

(919) 560-3040 | jordan@carolinatheatre.org