Central Cinema

Central Cinema Knoxville's neighborhood moviehouse, in the heart of Happy Holler.

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Central Cinema is a single-screen neighborhood moviehouse in Knoxville's Happy Holler. We offer classic movies, cult favorites, under-the-radar indies and much more... plus partnered screenings helping local communities and organizations host a wide range of film events. Head to centralcinema865.com for our schedule and more information.

This week at Central Cinema:• WWII doc 10 GOOD MEN screens one more time Monday in observance of Memorial Day• end the l...
05/25/2026

This week at Central Cinema:

• WWII doc 10 GOOD MEN screens one more time Monday in observance of Memorial Day

• end the long weekend with our monthly

• we've had a great response this weekend to , and you've got two more chances to see it Tuesday & Thursday

• our month of East Asian classics wraps up Tuesday & Wednesday with Tsui Hark's epic ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, starring Jet Li

• check out some of the hottest comics from Knoxville and beyond with Thursday's return of and Friday's late night show Top Rated Laughs

• returns Friday for a pop-up book sale and LIVE "rom-commentary" for teen classic CLUELESS... plus standard encore screenings Saturday & Sunday

• and prepare for Disclosure Day with Spielberg's original story of first contact in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Saturday, Sunday and Monday 6/1

05/19/2026

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND • Saturday May 30, Sunday May 31 and Monday June 1 at Central Cinema

As we collectively prepare for DISCLOSURE DAY (both the movie and possibly IRL?) Central Cinema is flashing back to director Steven Spielberg’s original tale of first contact, which solidified the legendary director as a box office wizard following the unprecedented success of JAWS.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (DIRECTOR’S CUT) (1977, 4K) | Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) witnesses an unidentified flying object, and even has a “sunburn”from its bright lights to prove it. Roy refuses to accept an explanation for what he saw and is prepared to give up his life to pursue the truth about UFOs.

“A marvelous movie... an eye-widening, ear-filling adventure that lifts your spirits and sends you home with a great feeling that lasts for hours.” - Toronto Star

Join us as we kick off our annual MOVIES UNDER THE STARS series in partnership with this Friday, May 22 with SCHOOL OF ...
05/19/2026

Join us as we kick off our annual MOVIES UNDER THE STARS series in partnership with this Friday, May 22 with SCHOOL OF ROCK 🎸 Details and tickets available now on Ijams.org

This week at Central Cinema:- Godzilla faces down Mechagodzilla and King Ghidorah in the Monday encore of our Summer Of ...
05/18/2026

This week at Central Cinema:

- Godzilla faces down Mechagodzilla and King Ghidorah in the Monday encore of our Summer Of Godzilla double feature kickoff, presented by

- presents Chinese epic FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE Tuesday... one show only!

- our FREE monthly archival series with .knoxlibrary spotlights two "Extracurricular" treasures from their vaults Thursday

- fascinating true crime doc STOLEN KINGDOM (starts Friday!) tracks Walt Disney World's behind-the-scenes explorers and the mysterious theft of an animatronic

- slice & dice cult classic SH**UN ASSASSIN screens Friday & Saturday

- our 2026 Movies Under The Stars screening series at kicks off Friday evening with SCHOOL OF ROCK

- join us as 10 GOOD MEN detail their exploits aboard the B-17 Flying Fortress in WW2 as we present a Memorial Day premiere presentation Sunday & Monday

- our $7 monthly screening returns Monday

SH**UN ASSASSIN • Friday May 22 & Saturday May 23 at Central CinemaThe legendary midnight movie sensation that firmly em...
05/17/2026

SH**UN ASSASSIN • Friday May 22 & Saturday May 23 at Central Cinema

The legendary midnight movie sensation that firmly embedded samurai mythology within American pop culture consciousness, this English-dubbed reedit of the first two films in the classic Japanese chanbaraseries Lone Wolf and Cub is a giddily entertaining, mesmerizingly gory classic of East-meets-West grindhouse mayhem. Following the murder of his wife at the hands of an evil sh**un, an avenging ronin (Tomisaburo Wakayama) roams the countryside with his young son — and the boy’s sword-shooting baby carriage — in tow, dispatching ninja assassins with steely resolve in operatically stylized flurries of hallucinatory violence. With its pulsing synth soundtrack (cowritten by Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders) and delirious action set pieces — kinetically edited whirlwinds of flashing blades, spurting blood, and severed limbs — SH**UN ASSASSIN proved an instant cult favorite that has bubbled its way up from the underground to the mainstream thanks to its influence on artists ranging from the Wu-Tang Clan to Quentin Tarantino. (Janus Films)

STOLEN KINGDOM • Opens Friday May 22, only at Central Cinema!STOLEN KINGDOM is a documentary that delves into the histor...
05/16/2026

STOLEN KINGDOM • Opens Friday May 22, only at Central Cinema!

STOLEN KINGDOM is a documentary that delves into the history of mischief, scandal, and theft at Walt Disney World, ultimately leading to the theft of an animatronic valued at nearly half a million dollars. The film features key figures from the park’s underground exploration community, each sharing their unique stories. As the narrative unfolds, early pranks and antics are shown to have inspired more recent crimes, culminating in a true crime mystery. What begins as a tale of friendship and passion ends with one lingering question: Who stole Buzzy?

“An entertaining, comical, disturbing and downright tragic look at what was once supposed to be a cultural utopia.” - Orlando Weekly

Look who showed up for Re-Animator!
05/16/2026

Look who showed up for Re-Animator!

SUMMER OF GODZILLA Kickoff Double Feature • Saturday May 16 & Monday May 18We have officially declared this the Summer o...
05/16/2026

SUMMER OF GODZILLA Kickoff Double Feature • Saturday May 16 & Monday May 18

We have officially declared this the Summer of Godzilla, teaming up with our friends at – plus further collaborators TBA! – for a season-long tribute to the screen’s favorite tyrant lizard. The fun kicks off with a double feature presentation of two Showa Era series highlights: 1964’s GHIDORAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (in which Godzilla first fights on humanity’s side, teaming up with Mothra and Rodan to take on the titular baddie) and 1974’s GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA, which finds the kaiju king facing down a space-robot doppelgänger. (GHIDORAH will screen first on Saturday night, while Monday’s encore will begin with MECHAGODZILLA.)

GHIDORAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964) | After laying waste to an alien civilization on Venus, the three-headed, lightning-emitting space monster Ghidorah brings its insatiable thirst for destruction to Earth, where fierce foes Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra must join forces in order to deal with the unprecedented threat. An electrifying screen debut for Godzilla’s archenemy Ghidorah, this film also marks a turning point for the series, as the first time the King of the Monsters acts to protect the planet. (Janus Films)

GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA (1974) | Godzilla’s evil twin Mechagodzilla first reared its head in this Jun Fukuda–directed film. A robot designed by aliens to conquer Earth, the enduringly popular villain has since been resurrected by Toho Studios several times. With the help of earnest direction, spectacular pyrotechnics, and guest appearances by veteran genre actors, this film recaptures the feel of the sixties Godzilla movies. (Janus Films)

Central Cinema is honored to be a part of American Cinematheque’s “Bleak Week” 2026, joining theaters around the globe i...
05/15/2026

Central Cinema is honored to be a part of American Cinematheque’s “Bleak Week” 2026, joining theaters around the globe in presenting a weeklong slate of acclaimed screen classics that also happen to be Certified Bummers.

Screening Monday June 8 thru Monday June 15, our custom-curated lineup includes Leo McCarey’s ruthless domestic drama MAKE WAY FOR TOMORROW; George Sluizer’s Danish psycho-chiller SPOORLOOS (THE VANISHING); Todd Solondz’s sad, transgressive comedy HAPPINESS; Don Hertzfeldt’s breathtaking animated triptych WORLD OF TOMORROW; Frank Darabont’s Stephen King adaptation THE MIST (in its black & white director’s cut); Sofia Coppola’s dreamy, doomy debut THE VIRGIN SUICIDES; and Lars Von Trier’s Björk-led DV musical tragedy DANCER IN THE DARK.

Tickets on sale soon!

About Bleak Week: Presented in partnership with the American Cinematheque, 'Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair' is an annual film festival showcasing some of the greatest works of cinema from across the globe that venture into the darkest sides of humanity and the bleakest points in human history. The fifth annual edition in June 2026 expands to nearly 100 theaters across the U.S., Canada, U.K. and South and Central America, with each venue presenting its own original curated lineup of uncompromising films defined by unpleasant truths and raw empathy.

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1205 North Central Street
Knoxville, TN
37917

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+18659512447

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