With the return of Midnight Movies, group announces ‘soft opening’ for new operator at Capitol Hill’s Egyptian Theatre

Recent WFLM programming included a screening of the original Halloween (Image: @d_j_notsogood)

“Midnight Movies” are returning to Capitol Hill as the WFLM Seattle collective says it has been given the go ahead to begin its “soft opening” operating the historic Egyptian Theatre.

The group is getting a jumpstart on formal announcements of the new era for the old theater with a full schedule of upcoming midnight screenings. “Ten bucks,” the flyer promises.

Things kicked off over the weekend with a showing of cult classic 90s adventure flick Hard Ticket to Hawaii — “bad acting, unnecessary nudity, and a mediocre plot,” one succinct summary reads.

In September, WFLM and the E Pine theater building’s owner Seattle Central told CHS they are working out details of a long-term lease for the venue that has been available for events but hasn’t been serving the public regularly since a major water pipe break damaged the landmark former Masonic Temple in November 2024.

WFLM has been part of this year’s pop-ups in the Egyptian as Seattle Central opened a schedule of one-time showings and special screenings to light the theater back up after a long closure following the water pipe break and the exit of SIFF.

The school has been looking for a new long-term tenant for the theater that has been showcasing arthouse, classic, and international cinema since 1980.

The group says it plans to operate the Egyptian similarly to Santa Ana’s Frida Cinema with programming centering on repertory cinema, crowd favorites, forgotten titles, and the return of late-night midnight movie screenings.

Learn more at wflmseattle.com.

$5 A MONTH TO HELP KEEP CHS PAYWALL-FREE

Subscribe to CHS to help hire writers and photographers to cover the neighborhood. CHS is a pay what you can community news site with no required sign-in or paywall. To stay that way, we need you. Become a subscriber to help us cover the neighborhood for $5 a month — or choose your level of support