A scary good time: FIM Capitol Theatre hosts summer slasher movie series

FLINT, Michigan — You’ve heard of Christmas in July, but what about Halloween in the summer? The FIM Capitol Theatre (140 E. Second St) is hosting a summer slasher film series and they’re inviting the community to join in for a scary good time. 

The film series at the Capitol Theatre kicked off in June with “Friday the 13th.” The next film on deck is the 1984 horror film classic “A Nightmare on Elm Street” on Thursday, July 25 at 7 p.m. On Thursday, Aug. 15, the theater will show the clever 1996 slasher spoof Scream.”

This series is in addition to other cult classic movie showings and concerts throughout the entire season. Tickets are $5, and Genesee County residents receive half off. 

Amanda Sauvie, manager of community programming at FIM, says the community program event series gives people another affordable night out. 

“It’s practically free, it’s a really inexpensive option for families or adults to go see a movie at the Capitol Theatre,” she says. “It’s only five dollars.”

Sauvie added that people have expressed interest in seeing older cult classic movies on the big screen with a particular liking for the horror genre.

“We have a pretty large community of folks who really enjoy horror,” she says. “We have a lot of folks interested in that kind of film, and to my knowledge, it’s been a long time since we’ve shown a horror movie at the Capitol Theatre.”

Sauvie says the outing can make for a great date night, paired with dinner and drinks at a local establishment. 

“If people haven’t come out and seen a movie at the Capitol Theatre, it’s a beautiful place,” she says. “It’s so fun because of the historic location but also because it’s downtown. You can go have dinner at one of our restaurants and jump on over to the theater to watch a movie.”

With the entertainment venue dating back to 1928, many generations have seen movies at the Capitol Theatre in the fifties and sixties, including Sauvie’s parents and grandparents. At the time, it was the largest and most lavish theater in town with 2,000 seats. This year, however, marks the first year of the summer slasher series. 

“This is brand new and it’s something we’re thinking about in terms of doing other horror series,” says Sauvie. “We might do three films like a zombie or walking dead series or three ghost movies. All of these films happen to be stabby serial killer type movies and there seems to be a lot of interest.”

The theater sells typical movie concessions like popcorn, pop, and candy as well as beer, wine, and mixed drinks at the full bar. There are over 1500 seats and Sauvie would love to fill the theater one night for a movie showing.

Tickets are general admission so folks can choose their own seats once inside. The blue sky and tiny starlights twinkling overhead in the theater help to create a unique movie-going experience.

Sauvie recommends sitting in the balcony for an extra spooky slasher experience given the rumors of it being haunted. 

Unrelated to the slasher series, the theater will also show National Lampoon’s Vacation,” as a family option with less fright and more fun on Thursday, July 18.

To learn more about FIM Capitol Theatre and to purchase tickets, visit: thefim.org/capitol-theatre or call (810) 237-7333.
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Read more articles by Sarah Spohn.