If you are like me, you enjoy the experience of seeing a movie on the big screen, but you don’t enjoy large crowds or waiting in long lines for tickets only to be told the movie Is sold out. Independent theaters offer moviegoers a way to see movies the way they were intended without all of the hassles of going to a large chain theater. Independent theaters also often screen movies that the cineplexes don’t, such as classic films, foreign films, or limited release features. Below is a list of the best independent theaters in the Raleigh/Cary, NC area.
The Rialto, 1620 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608, (919) 856-8683, http://therialto.com
The Rialto is a small independent theater located in the Raleigh Five Points area. The location alone makes for a wonderful theater experience. Five Points offers visitors restaurants, shopping, and a chance to view a movie in one of Raleigh’s oldest theaters. The theater was built in 1942, and it still boasts a marquis sign, on which the titles of current features are listed.
The Rialto is home to one modest theater with comfy chairs and vintage recessed lighting. The theater has Dolby Digital sound. The first time I visited the Rialto was in 1999, when they showed Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil, an old black and white movie starring Charlton Heston and Janet Leigh. The Rialto is often the only theater in the Triangle that is showing a certain movie. For instance, in 2005, they were the only theater in the area which featured showtimes for Brokeback Mountain, and many made the journey to view it there.
For the classic movie buff, the Rialto shows classic films once a month on a Sunday evening. Tickets for this can be purchased at http://www.cinema-inc.org/
And for the theatrical in us, the Rialto continues their long standing tradition of showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Friday night at midnight, with all the trimmings.
They serve fresh, hot popcorn popped in front of you, soft drinks, candy, beer, and wine. Prices are reasonable when compared to chain theaters. Please note, they only take cash. Tickets $8.50, college students, seniors (60+) $6.50 (Sunday-Thurs only), Matinees $6.50 (before 6 pm on Sat or Sun).
Six Forks Station Cinema, 9500 Forum Drive, Raleigh, NC 27615, (919) 846-3904, http://therialto.com
Owned by the same people as the Rialto, Six Forks Station hosts the same great prices, popcorn, and sound system, only this time with first-run and blockbuster movies. This theater gets the grand prize in my book. The popcorn is fresh, the movies are great, and you never have to worry about them selling out. This theater does not feature stadium seating, but it has never stopped me from finding an awesome seat. The theater holds six auditoriums, and all feature Dolby Digital sound. The theater was newly remodeled in 2003 and is clean and modest. In addition, it holds the charm of the neighborhood theater you attended when you were younger and in the suburbs.
Six Forks Station features kids movies in the summer, where kids can get in for $2 a movie and parents with kids are free. There are also special prices for drinks and popcorn.
This theater sells alcohol, and they boast the best concession prices in town. Tickets $8.00, senior citizens, children, and everyone for matinees before 6 pm, $6.00, college students and military $6.50. They accept cash, ViSA, and Mastercard.
The Galaxy Cinema, 770 Cary Towne Boulevard, Cary, NC 27511, (919) 463-9989, http://www.mygalaxycinema.com
The Galaxy Cinema is located in Cary, NC, and is another great independent theater in the area. As well as showing independent films, this theater is notable for showing Bollywood films and other films made in India. They also have a classics series. I was thrilled to attend a screening of Lawrence of Arabia a few years ago. This is one of my top ten favorite films, and it is rare to have an opportunity to see it on the big screen, where you can see the grains of sand blowing. Another visit, I was able to see Citizen Kane.
The Galaxy is also notable for hosting televised events on their large screens, such as the Academy Awards and live sporting events. Fans can crowd in the theaters to turn a stay-at-home type of event into a social gathering. They also host a couple of film festivals each year, as well as film series, such as 80s flicks or the films of Ingmar Bergman, which were the series featured in 2011.
Like the other theaters mentioned in this article, they serve alcohol, popcorn, sodas, and candy, all at below average prices. In addition, this theater serves baked goods and espresso coffee drinks. They are also one of the few theaters to list concession items and prices on their website. If you plan to frequent the Galaxy, you might want to purchase a membership, which gives you discounts on regular movies and also gives you access to several free movies a year.
The box office currently only accepts cash. You can order tickets online using credit and debit cards, and the theater has an ATM in the lobby. Tickets $8.00, Tuesdays $6.00, children, students, and seniors are $6.00 all the time, and matinees are $6.00.
Raleighwood Cinema Grill, 6609 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh, NC 27615, (919) 847-8370, http://www.raleighwoodmovies.com
The last independent theater of note in the Triangle area is Raleighwood. This is not just a movie theater, but a movie theater with a full-service restaurant inside. Moviegoers can purchase burgers, pizza, hot dogs, nachos, salads, popcorn, drinks, and desserts. They have daily food specials, such as 50-cent popcorn days, or free dessert with an entrée day.
The movies shown are second-run films that have already lived their days in the multiplexes. They show kid-friendly films during the day, and box office smashes in the evenings. One thing I will say about this theater is to double check their website. They are often booked for special events, in which case the public movie showings are cancelled. Make sure to check the website carefully to see if the movie you want to see is still playing. The theater recommends you arrive 30 minutes early for the movie on weekdays, and 45 minutes early on the weekends. There is also no late entrance to movies, since the wait staff has to take food orders before the movie starts.
Like the Galaxy, Raleighwood hosts televised events, such as the Oscars, sporting events, and occasionally popular TV finales, such as American Idol.
The movie tickets are cash only, while food can be purchased with cash or credit cards. Tickets $4.50, $2.50 for Monday-Friday matinees before 6:00 p.m.
As you can see, there are many wonderful independent theaters in the Raleigh/Cary area. See you at the movies!