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WANNA GO SEE A MOVIE??
A GUIDE TO THE ONLY LEGITIMATE THING TO DO IN CULLOWHEE
© 2003 Kristi Henderson. All Rights Reserved.
Stuck in Cullowhee with nothing to do? Don’t worry, it happens a lot. The Cullowhee/Sylva area only boasts one theatre, but hey, that’s better than nothing at all! The Quinn II Theatre in Sylva is conveniently located in the same shopping plaza as Sylva’s only ABC store; so many of you probably already know where it’s at. For the rest of you innocents, you’ll just have to wait until I update this article for official directions, but until then, if you want to take a drive towards Sylva I guarantee you can’t miss it!
The Quinn shows up to three or four movies at a time (at least two of
them are Disney or Disney affiliated films, unfortunately), and has three
movie screens. The ticket prices are fairly cheap (five dollars a ticket),
and the concessions are actually a bit cheaper than at other theatres
(which is a good thing because they offer about half the selection as
bigger theatres).
The theatres themselves are fairly well kept (they aren’t sticky
and coated with grime like many theatres). The only real complaint with
the theatre is the large population of local teenagers who flock there
to ‘hang out.’ They crowd the theatre, not to watch movies,
but to socialize before, after, and during the movies. This can be a huge
annoyance if you’re there to see a film that you hope to enjoy.
But as far as theatres go, this one gets a B+, it’s clean, it’s
cozy, and it’s reasonably priced.
Movie Rentals
If you suffer from social disorders, or just don’t feel like braving
the outside world long enough to enjoy a film, don’t despair! There
are four video rental stores in the Cullowhee/Sylva area! One of the primary
video stores in the area is Video Update, located in the Wal-Mart shopping
plaza. Aside from its proximity to Wal-Mart, Video Update is a popular choice
because of its wide selection of current movies on both DVD and VHS. This
store also boasts an enormous game selection for the PlayStation 2, XBOX
and GAMECUBE. Update also features a large selection of pre-played movies
that you can purchase, as well as popcorn, candy, and new movies. Though
Video Update is slightly more costly than the other video rental stores,
it is still a great choice when it comes to selection, and it is also open
until 10:00 p.m. during weekdays, and 12:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Next on the list is Movie Time. Movie Time has a movie selection to rival
that of Video Update, though its selection is actually placed into some
semblance of order. They have a huge VHS collection, and a fairly large
DVD collection. However, if you were looking to rent a game I wouldn’t
recommend this store. Their selection consists of mainly out of date games,
and tons of cheesy sports games. The prices for rentals are cheaper here,
though. I would certainly give it a try!
Right next door to Movie Time is Smoky Mountain Video. The main thing
that this store has going for it is it’s well-lit atmosphere. The
movie selection isn’t bad, but they don’t have nearly as many
films as the aforementioned stores. Their new releases section is impressive,
but other than that they don’t really have much of what you’re
looking for. As of the last time that I entered their establishment they
didn’t have a game section to speak of. If you can’t find
what you want at Video Update or Movie Time, you could try looking here,
but chances are they won’t have what you want either.
Last on the list is Zoo Video, the only video store that is technically located in Cullowhee. Unfortunately it’s convenient location (a thirty second drive from campus) is the basis of its appeal. It's also within walking distance for those of you without access to a vehicle. They have an almost nonexistent DVD selection, and thanks to downsizing (half of the already microscopic store has been done away with to make room for an apartment), their VHS collection is equally small. However, they have many cult classics that are tough to find elsewhere (this alone makes them worth checking out). They have a tiny game selection, but they still have some fun ones. I could let you in on a little secret as to why this store used to be a big success, but I’m not sure if it still holds true. Plus this gives you incentive to go check it out for yourself!. They also house a fair selection of candles, books, tapestries, incense, and jewelry. So if you don’t mind a classic movie on VHS, and you’re too lazy to drive somewhere else, you should check out Zoo Video. They’re very inexpensive and their store is worth going into once.