Before heading out to see a movie, check what Athens-area theaters have to offer.
Whether it’s a rainy day or there’s homework to be avoided, a movie can provide the perfect distraction. Three movie theaters are all within a 20-minute drive from campus, each with its own distinctive qualities.
The Athena Cinema
Celebrating its 100th year of operation, the Athena Cinema is the location for independent or otherwise non-blockbuster films.
The Athena is showing The Diary of a Teenage Girl, Mr. Holmes and The End of the Tour through the week of Aug. 28 to Sept. 3.
The Athena offers viewings of both well-known films from directors such as Wes Anderson and Quentin Tarantino, as well as lesser-known independent films, which wouldn’t normally get a chance at the big screen, Alexandra Kamody, the Athena’s managing director, said.
“We play mostly independent films,” Kamody said. “They come from smaller distributors. They have smaller budgets — so that’s what differentiates us from the bigger theaters that mostly show blockbuster films.”
Along with independent showings, the Athena presents special screenings of classic (or cult-classic) movies and acts as a host for panel discussions and visiting directors.
The theater’s smaller screening rooms might come as a surprise to viewers accustomed to IMAX theaters, however.
“We like to think that we really provide a more intimate, living room-like space that feels like a home away from home,” Kamody said.
The Athena’s fall calendar booklet, which can be picked up in person or online, contains a listing of all upcoming events at the Athena during the remainder of the year.
Tickets are $6.50 for adults and $5.50 for seniors and children under 12 years old, but many sponsored events have free admission. Every Tuesday, tickets are discounted to $4, and every Wednesday a free small popcorn is offered with the purchase of a ticket.
The Athena Grand
For blockbuster movies, the Athena Grand, 1008 E. State St., is the closest option to campus. While the Grand is similar to regular chain theaters, its independent status also allows for it to screen live showings of Met operas, live concert recordings and ballets.
Also because of its independent status, the theater is able to offer cheaper tickets, Rick Frame, the Grand’s owner, said.
“It fits well because Athens is not a high-income area,” Frame said. “It fits the needs of the people who live here year-round, and it certainly fits the needs of the students that come from somewhere other than a small town and have to pay $8, $9 or $10 for a ticket.”
An upgrade from film to a completely digital screening process two years ago gave the Grand the edge over competition, Frame said.
“It’s just a better quality picture,” he said. “And, of course, we can show one film in all 11 theaters at one time if we wanted to.”
Tickets at the Grand cost $5 for adults, $4 for children ages 4 through 12, with an additional charge of $2 for 3-D tickets.
Movies 10 at The Fun Barn
It’s a sight seen by any student driving south on Route 33 to Athens, but many might not know what lies inside. The Fun Barn is an indoor entertainment center with a movie theater, arcade, roller coaster simulator, bumper cars and a food court.
Although Movies 10 doesn’t offer any weekly deals, it attempts to shine in other areas, Joe Edwards, the owner of Movies 10, said.
“We try not to run specials, we try to be special,” Edwards said.
Although the Fun Barn is attempting to work out an issue involving payment cards that cannot be used interchangeably among the food court, theater and arcade, a new shipment of about a dozen new games is ready to be installed, which reside in the bumper car area.
However, if students are hoping to catch a movie in an empty theater or skip the long lines, the end of the summer is the time to go, being the slowest time of the year for the theater, Edwards said.
“When August starts in peoples' minds, there’s fairs, festivals, back to school and football friday nights,” he said.
Tickets at the Fun Barn cost $4 for all ages.
@seanthomaswolfe
