As the weather cools down, many of us start to take our social lives indoors. And what’s a better plan for a wintry night than seeing a new (or old) favorite movie on the silver screen? 🍿It’s a guaranteed cozy way to spend an evening, and best of all, you still get points for leaving the house.
Asheville is unique in that we have *three* independent movie theaters. To put it in perspective: Our S.C. neighbor Greenville doesn’t have an independent movie theater, and Columbia, S.C. only has one.
What exactly is an indie theatre? Indie theaters aren’t owned by major companies (like Regal Entertainment Group, Cinemark + AMC), and they typically have fewer than 5 screens.
By the numbers
- 22. The years Fine Arts Theatre has been screening films 📽️
- 120. The number of vintage purple seats in Grail Moviehouse’s Theater 1
- $5. The price of all movie tickets on Tuesday at the Fine Arts Theatre 🎟️
- 2 ½. The years Grail has been open in the Hatch Building on S. French Broad Ave
- $3. The cost of a movie ticket at Asheville Pizza + Brewing 🍕
- 1973. The year the Merrimon Twin Theatre (now the location of Asheville Pizza + Brewing) opened 🍻
Ever wondered how our local indie theaters pick their movies? Or why they opened in Asheville in the first place? Delve into the background of the Fine Arts Theatre, the Grail Moviehouse, and Asheville Pizza + Brewing – straight from the source.
🎥 Fine Arts Theatre
📍 36 Biltmore Ave.
⏰ 12:30–10 p.m.
The two-screen Fine Arts Theatre has had many incarnations over the years. Originally, it was The Strand – downtown’s original first-run movie theater.The Strand opened in 1947. During the 1960s, it morphed into the Grindhouse and specialized in adult films. The whole operation was shuttered in 1986, and the building sat empty until John Cram purchased it (in 1996) and transformed it into the Fine Arts Theatre as we know it today. Cram’s original goal with the Fine Arts Theatre was to help revitalize downtown + bring quality art films to Asheville, a mission the theater still espouses today.
DYK: if you look to the left of the box office, you can still see the segregated entrance that was used during “separate but equal” legislation. The window was restored in 2001 and is now used by groups like the Center for Diversity Education to educate the public about the history of racism in Asheville.
Currently, the Fine Arts has two screens and holds occasional special screenings + discussions by groups like the Asheville Movie Guys.
We got the scoop on Fine Arts from Neal Reed, General Manager and Programmer.
Q: How do you pick movies?
They have to be good, number one. It doesn’t mean everyone will like them, but that’s what we’ve done for over 20 years is pick the best ones we can find. As the Programmer, I sometimes go to the Toronto Film Festival, which is really the biggest festival for previewing the year’s holiday films, I generally have access to most of the art films ahead of time to watch.
Q: What deals and specials do you have for people?
A: Every Tuesday, all films are $5. We also do a Citizen-Times Movie Guys screening every two weeks or so with the Asheville Movie Guys, Edwin Arnaudin and Bruce Steele. It’s $6.50 for Citizen-Times subscribers and they also get a free popcorn. It’s open to the public as well, but the discount and popcorn are only for subscribers.
We’ve always had the cheapest concession prices in town, as well. People are often surprised at how reasonable the prices are. And we’ve sold the Go Local card and been a sponsor since the beginning. We do a half-price popcorn or soda for customers with the Go Local card.
Q: What made you open in Asheville, and what do you love about being here?
A: It’s a long story! In 1991, John Cram opened Blue Spiral 1 when Biltmore Ave. was still mainly shuttered. The old movie theater next to the gallery had been shut down in 1986, and he had the opportunity to purchase it. He bought it from the Arts Council, who mortgaged it for their operating expenses, with the help of Julian Price. John studied film and has been a leader in the Asheville arts community for 45 years now, so he saw the opportunity to open a movie theater and bring quality films to Asheville. The Fine Arts Theatre really put Asheville on the map as far as being a film destination. We’ve had incredible support for the last 20 years, and in the 90s and 2000s, we really helped Asheville learn about a lot of art films, independent films and good films. We continue to strive to bring quality films to Asheville.
🎥 Grail Moviehouse
📍 45 S. French Broad Ave.
⏰ noon–11 p.m.
The Grail is a three-theater movie house that opened downtown in May 2016. The Grail’s total capacity is 250 seats, though the individual theaters range in size to accommodate audiences for larger films. They specialize in screening independent and arthouse films alongside industry blockbusters while saving space for locally-produced content as well.
DYK: Grail’s Theater 1 has 120 vintage purple seats straight from a now-closed theater in New York City?
In addition to their regular programming, the Grail also hosts regular themed movie nights (think horror movies, silent films with live piano scores, and so-bad-they’re-good movies + trailers), and provides space for special event screenings.
We caught up with Grail founders Steve White and Davida Horwitz to talk about what goes on behind the screens.
Q: How do you pick movies?
A: We keep our eyes out for quality films both from Hollywood and Indies by listening to podcasts, reading trade articles, etc. We also work with a booker who is very informed on upcoming releases. Together we program the types of movies we feel best fit our audience and that we would want to see ourselves.
Q: What deals and specials do you have for people?
A: As far as deals go, our matinee rate is $8.00 and Seniors are always $7.50. We also accept the Go Local card for half off a popcorn or a soda. Some of our special events include Silent Sundays – a monthly selection of silent films with live piano accompaniment, Bad Movie Nite – a salute to some of the worst films ever made, complete with a pre-show and commercial breaks, occasional screenings of The Room and our namesake, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, as well as other special events.
Q: What made you open in Asheville, and what do you love about being here?
A: We have both lived here for many years and we saw an opportunity for a place like the Grail. We knew there were many great films that didn’t find their way to this market, so we decided to take a risk and open the theater. 2 /12 years in, we are very pleased with the way things are going. We love our customers and love sharing these films with Asheville.
🎥 Asheville Pizza and Brewing Co.
📍 675 Merrimon Ave.
⏰ 11 a.m.–midnight
Before there was Asheville Brewing Company and the Brew-N-View, there was the Merrimon Twin Theatre. The Merrimon Twin Theatre opened on December 21,1973 by Irwin + Fuller Theatres. It was also known as the North and South Theatre. In 1998, the building was sold and became the Two Moons Brew-N-View. Two Moons was Asheville’s third brewery (ever) and specialized in showing movies as well. After only a year, Mike Rangel, Leigh Oder + Doug Riley acquired the spot and created Asheville Pizza + Brewing Company.
Asheville Pizza + Brewing Co. shows mainstream movies that have gone through the big-screen circuit plus a few old movies for special occasions. Though the company has grown to three locations since opening, movie ticket prices have stayed the same...three dollars, to be exact.
We talked with Alli Brown from Asheville Pizza + Brewing about their process for picking films and what they love about being here.
Q: How do you pick movies?
A: We use a movie broker that sends us a weekly listing of available titles. We also come up with our own “cult classics” and “sing-a-longs”, many of which come from ideas from our customers.
Q: What deals and specials do you have for people?
A: Every April we do a comedy classic movie month and every September we have 80s/90s movie month. In January, we will be showing a run of 10 Studio Ghibli films which is always popular. We have had Harry Potter marathons in the past, and every three months we have a live show of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
Q: What made you open in Asheville, and what do you love about being here?
A: We were fortunate to come across the movie theater! We were looking for a location for our pizza shop and found the location on Merrimon that had a theater attached to it. And being movie buffs, we were stoked to get into the movie business as well! What we love about Asheville is the inclusivity, the positive energy, and the support from the local businesses and neighborhoods.
I go to the movies a lot, especially when it’s cold outside. Most recently, I caught the Suspiria sneak peek on Halloween night at Grail Moviehouse. I was also at Fine Arts Theatre a few months back to see Sorry to Bother You, and I never say no to the combo of pizza and a movie at Asheville Pizza + Brewing.
And while it’s easy to Netflix and chill on the couch, I love the way community comes together at our local theaters. Plus, a night out of the house always feels special.
What’s your favorite theater in town, and what was the last movie you saw there? Let us know by replying to this email or telling us over on Facebook or Instagram.
