'Schlocktoberfest': Ciné Drive-In announces month-long program of 1980s horror flicks

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
·2 min read
The logo for nonprofit art theater and event venue Ciné appears on their pop-up drive-in screen at General Time Athens on Sept. 27, 2022.
The logo for nonprofit art theater and event venue Ciné appears on their pop-up drive-in screen at General Time Athens on Sept. 27, 2022.

With the resurgence of 1980s horror movies in full swing thanks to hit TV shows like Netflix's "Stranger Things" and new "Halloween" sequels making a killing at the box office, there's only one thing missing from the modern fans' experience: seeing one of the classics at the drive-in.

For the entire month of October, the Ciné Drive-In will host a series of retro and retro-inspired fright flicks for its eighth annual "Schlocktoberfest" program. The pop-up screenings will take place Saturdays starting Oct. 1 in the General Time parking lot at 100 Newton Bridge Rd.

More: With construction still underway, Athens film and TV studio buys more land for expansion

For subscribers: Commerce actor featured on 'Stranger Things' began TV career at 52

Moviegoers settle in at the opening night of Ciné’s drive-in movie theater in Athens, Ga., on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. The theater showed “Mad Max: Fury Road” to start out its summer drive-in movie theater shows with a sold-out parking lot at the General Time/Westclox clock factory on Newton Bridge Road.
Moviegoers settle in at the opening night of Ciné’s drive-in movie theater in Athens, Ga., on Tuesday, June 1, 2021. The theater showed “Mad Max: Fury Road” to start out its summer drive-in movie theater shows with a sold-out parking lot at the General Time/Westclox clock factory on Newton Bridge Road.

Here's a look at what's playing:

"The Thing" (Oct. 1): John Carpenter's 1982 remake of the 1951 sci-fi film "The Thing From Another World" is known for its groundbreaking (and bone-breaking) practical special effects and tough-guy ensemble cast lead by Kurt Russell and Keith David.

"The Fly" (Oct. 8): Also known for its stomach-turning transformation effects, director David Cronenberg's 1986 remake of the 1958 Vincent Price classic "The Fly" stars an increasingly gruesome Jeff Goldblum and cinematic feminist icon Geena Davis.

"Fright Night" (Oct. 15): This vampire-next-door comedy horror from 1985 sees a local teenager (William Ragsdale) team up with an over-the-hill TV host (Roddy McDowall) to find out why the new neighbors only seem to come out at night.

Technical operations director Nick Gould calibrates the projector before a screening at the Ciné Drive-In in Athens, Ga. on Sept. 27, 2022.
Technical operations director Nick Gould calibrates the projector before a screening at the Ciné Drive-In in Athens, Ga. on Sept. 27, 2022.

"Cabin in the Woods" (Oct. 22): Though it was made in 2011, the title of this tribute to 1980s horror is a reference to 1981's "Evil Dead" with a plot patterned after 1988's "Waxwork" and starring a pre-"Thor" Chris Hemsworth as a hapless college student.

"An American Werewolf in London" and "The Howling" (Oct. 28): Schlocktoberfest closes out with a double feature of two beloved werewolf flicks that both came out in 1981, but it's up to you to decide which one has the best transformation scene.

Ciné Drive-In opens at 7 p.m. and the movies start at 8 p.m., weather permitting. To purchase advance tickets, visit athenscine.com/schlocktoberfest-2022.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Ciné Drive-In announces month-long series of retro horror screenings