The Carolina Theatre of Durham hosts regular retro movies, from its Retro Film Series Friday night double features and epic film series to festivals. Beginning on Friday, February 6, 2026, and running through Thursday, February 12, 2026, Durham’s Carolina Theatre hosts the FantasticRealm Film Series.
As the name suggests, FantasticRealm is comprised of fantastical stories–from adventure films and creature features to disaster flicks and everything in between, the commonality is that you’ll bask in wonderment at images sparking your imagination dancing across the silver screen.
Here’s the complete FantasticRealm Film Series 2026 lineup!
The X-Files: Fight The Future (1998)
While The X-Files may be best-known on the small screen, “The X-Files: Fight The Future” came out in 1998, slotting between seasons five and six of the television series. “Fight the Future” follows the show’s extraterrestrial lore storyline, and while it’s a treat for fans of the TV series, the movie stands on its own for newcomers. It gives a grand scale to the show’s brooding, conspiratorial ET mythology.
Showtimes:
- Friday, February 6: 7 PM ET
- Saturday, February 7: 4:50 PM ET
Swamp Thing (1982)
Written and directed by master of horror Wes Craven, “Swamp Thing” is based on the DC Comics character. The movie follows scientist Alec Holland (portrayed by Ray Wise), who–you guessed it–gets transformed into a monster, dubbed Swamp Thing (played by Dick Durock). Adrienne Barbeau co-stars as Alice Cable, a government worker who ends up befriending Swamp Thing.
Showtimes:
- Friday, February 6: 2:40 PM ET
- Saturday, February 7: 5:10 PM ET
Deep Impact (1998)
“Deep Impact” is one of my favorite disaster movies, if not my all-time top pick. High Schooler Leo Biederman (a pre-“Fellowship of the Ring” Elijah Wood) discovers a comet set to collide with Earth. From there, it’s a race against time. While it’s got all the trappings that make the genre so enjoyable–an ensemble cast, an ordinary hero–the film’s sprawling focus, compelling human drama, and slow-burn yet still exciting approach make it an exceptional movie.
Showtimes:
- Friday, February 6: 4:40 PM ET
- Saturday, February 7: 9:20 PM ET
- Tuesday, February 10: 9:20 PM ET
They Live (1988)
Even if you’ve never seen “They Live”, there’s a certain line about chewing gum you’ve likely heard before. John Carpenter’s sci-fi-action-horror flick stars “Rowdy” Roddy Piper as a drifter who stumbles upon a conspiracy. Themes of control, conformity, controlling the media, and an anti-consumerist message chisel “They Live” into a thought-provoking, forward-thinking romp that will leave you pondering far after the final credits have rolled.
Showtimes:
- Friday, February 6: 7:10 PM ET
- Saturday, February 7: 7:20 PM ET
- Thursday, February 12: 7:10 PM ET
12 Monkeys (1995)
The Terry Gilliam-directed sci-fi thriller “12 Monkeys” takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, where prisoner James Cole (Bruce Willis) is sent back in time to find a virus that wiped out the bulk of humanity. Highly stylized, exquisitely acted, and mind-bending, “12 Monkeys” is a must-watch, whether for the first-time or a repeat viewing.
Showtimes:
- Friday, February 6: 9:10 PM ET
- Sunday, February 8: 2:00 PM ET
- Thursday, February 12: 9:10 PM ET
The Relic (1997)
A string of murders plagues the imminent opening of a big exhibit at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. Accordingly, Chicago PD homicide detective Lieutenant Vincent D’Agosta (Tom Sizemore) and his partner, Sergeant Hollingsworth (Clayton Rohner) are called in to investigate. The Peter Hyams-directed horror flick, based on the 1995 novel of the same name, is one of the best creature features of all time. Hollywood legend, special make-up effects artist Stan Winston (“The Terminator”, “Jurassic Park”, “The Thing”, “Aliens”), spearheaded the monster design, which is truly inventive.
Showtimes:
- Friday, February 6: 9:30 PM ET
- Saturday, February 7: 7:10 PM ET
Battlestar Galactica (1978)
Explore the film that started it all–the movie that kicked off the original TV series, which then received a sequel (“Galactica 1980”), a 2003 reboot miniseries, a 2004 TV series that ran until 2009, and finally a prequel series, “Caprica”. Also known as “Saga of a Star World”, 1978’s “Battlestar Galactica” serves as the pilot for the sci-fi film of the same name. Set in the seventh millennium of time, the story follows a war between humanity and the robotic Cyclons, who seek to wipe out humans.
Showtimes:
- Friday, February 6: 4:30 PM ET
- Sunday, February 8: 2:10 PM ET
Silent Running (1972)
Freeman Lowell (Bruce Dern) is a botanist in outer space, near Saturn. When orders come to destroy the greenhouses preserving the last vestiges of Earth’s forests that Lowel maintains, he can’t bring himself to do so. Directed by Douglas Trumbull, who also directed the criminally underappreciated “Brainstorm“, “Silent Running” carries a poignant message of ecological preservation that’s still–if not even more–relevant.
Showtimes:
- Friday, February 6: 2:30 PM ET
- Saturday, February 7: 1:00 PM ET
- Wednesday, February 11: 9:30 PM ET
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Dorothy (Judy Garland) is whisked off by a tornado and lands smack dab in the wonderful land of Oz. Teaming up with a Tin Man sans a heart (Jack Haley), a Scarecrow missing a brain (Ray Bolger), and a cowardly Lion (Bret Lahr), she follows the Yellow Brick Road, seeking out the legendary Wizard (Frank Morgan). But along the way, the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and her dastardly flying monkeys seek to thwart Dorothy, Et. al. Featuring memorable musical numbers and Technicolor that pops on-screen, “The Wizard of Oz” is marvelous back on the big screen. Plus, it should be fun to watch in the wake of “Wicked: For Good” (or an excellent excuse to watch, or rewatch, “Return to Oz” after watching “Wizard of Oz” at FantasticRealm).
Showtimes:
- Saturday, February 7: 12:40 PM ET
- Sunday, February 8: 4:20 PM ET
- Tuesday, February 10: 7:10 PM ET
Tank Girl (1995)
Based on the comics series of the same name, “Tank Girl” follows–you guessed it–Tank Girl (Lori Petty). Tank Girl teams up with Jet Girl (Naomi Watts) and supersoldiers dubbed Rippers to fight corporation Water & Power, run by the sinister Kesslee (Malcolm McDowell). Ice-T also stars in this wacky post-apocalyptic wild ride.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, February 7: 9:30 PM ET
- Sunday, February 8: 6:40 PM ET
Damnation Alley (1977)
In a post-apocalyptic hellhole, First Lieutenant Jake Tanner (Jan-Michael Vincent) and Major Eugene “Sam” Denton (George Peppard) traverse the treacherous Damnation Alley in armored personnel carriers. Along the way, the party picks up survivors while attempting to survive the horrors that nature and mutants hurl at them.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, February 7: 3:00 PM ET
- Sunday, February 8: 6:50 PM ET
Tarzan (1999)
Walt Disney’s animated “Tarzan” adapts the 1912 Edgar Rice Burroughs story, Tarzan of the Apes. The orphaned Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) is raised by a gorilla, Kala (Glenn Close) in Equatorial Africa. Adventurer Jane (Minnie Driver) arrives with her explorer father Archimedes Q. Porter (Nigel Hawthorne) and their escort, hunter William Cecil Clayton (Brian Blessed), and when she’s separated from the group, she’s rescued by Tarzan. Exceptional animation and a banger of a soundtrack by Phil Collins make “Tarzan” one of Disney’s finest.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, February 7: 2:50 PM ET
- Sunday, February 8: 2:20 PM ET
The Final Countdown (1980)
Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier the USS Nimitz unexpectedly travels back in time to December 6, 1941–the day before the devastating Pearl Harbor attack–and faces a dilemma. Act, and alter the course of history, or watch helplessly as tragedy ensues. An all-star cast of Kirk Douglas, Charles Durning, Katharine Ross, and Martin Sheen delivers tour de force performances.
Showtimes:
- Saturday, February 7: 12:50 PM ET
- Sunday, February 8: 4:40 PM ET
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