418 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, Illinois 62901, United States
A historic arts & entertainment venue in downtown Carbondale, Illinois
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FILMS
LIVE EVENTS | THEATER | COMEDY
LIVE EVENTS | THEATER | COMEDY
LIVE EVENTS | THEATER | COMEDY
LIVE EVENTS | THEATER | COMEDY
LIVE EVENTS | THEATER | COMEDY
LIVE MUSIC
LIVE EVENTS | THEATER | COMEDY
LIVE MUSIC
C@V Presents: Alien (1979)
Friday October 30, 2026 7 PM
Cinema at The Varsity presents: Alien (1979)
In space, no one can hear you scream.
During its return to the earth, commercial spaceship Nostromo intercepts a distress signal from a distant planet. When a three-member team of the crew discovers a chamber containing thousands of eggs on the planet, a creature inside one of the eggs attacks an explorer. The entire crew is unaware of the impending nightmare set to descend upon them when the alien parasite planted inside its unfortunate host is birthed.
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Tom Skerritt, Sigourney, John Hurt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, Ian Holm
Run time: 117 Minutes
Rated R
C@V Presents: The Thing (1982)
Friday October 30, 2026 @ 10 PM
Cinema at The Varsity presents: The Thing (1982)
Anytime. Anywhere. Anyone.
Americans at a base in Antarctica are terrorized by an otherworldly creature that can shapeshift into the form of anything it kills.
Director: John Carpenter
Starring: Kurt Russell, T.K. Carter, David Clennon, Keith David, Richard Dysart
Run time: 108 Minutes
Rated R
The Rocky Horror Picture Show - Halloween Edition Shadowcast
Saturday October 31, 2026 7 & 11 PM
Get ready for a Halloween Evening Double Feature of the Rocky Horror Picture Show with the ONLY shadowcast in Southern Illinois!
Join us in person for a wild, colorful night celebrating our beloved cult classic like never before. Expect outrageous costumes, sing-alongs, and all the fun vibes you can handle. Whether you're a die-hard fan or a first-timer, our shadowcast brings extra sparkle and love to the screen. Don’t miss out on this epic bash—come as you are and get ready to rock!
This Halloween, our house shadowcast Big Mud De-Medusa and The Varsity extend a special invitation for an extra-special screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show! Doors and the Varsity Bar open at 6, with the screening at 7 PM. Join us as we celebrate the Original Frank-N-Furter ~ the late, great Tim Curry, YOU -- the fans, and all things that make The Rocky Horror Picture Show the longest-running movie run in cinematic history! Warmest welcome to all RHPS virgins and old pros alike!
This notorious horror parody – a fast-paced potpourri of camp, sci-fi, and rock ‘n’ roll, among other things – tracks the exploits of naïve couple Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) after they stumble upon the lair of transvestite Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry). Follow Brad and Janet, two “normal” kids, who find themselves seeking shelter in a mysterious castle after their car breaks down on a dark and stormy night. There, they encounter an out-of-this-world crowd celebrating a gender-bending mad scientist’s breakthrough in making the perfect man. Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his servants, Riff Raff, Columbia, & Magenta will expand your mind, and his creation, Rocky, will open your eyes.
For more than half a century, the Rocky Horror Picture Show has thrilled, chilled, and fulfilled audiences. Early on, a grassroots fandom began to grow and quickly set the stage for an ongoing tradition of fan culture, with cosplays, conventions, and a forever-growing family of Transylvanians. Crowds in costume, makeup, and fishnets would line up around the block to catch a midnight screening.
Grab a prop bag and settle in for the show. It will be a night out you won’t forget -- for a very long time.
Doors & Varsity Bar & Concessions open at 6 with a 7 PM showtime!
C@V Presents: Twin Peaks - Season 1
Sunday, November 1, 2026 @ 7PM
Who killed Laura Palmer?
An idiosyncratic FBI agent investigates the murder of a young woman in the even more idiosyncratic town of Twin Peaks.
Over the course of the first three Sundays of November, take this opportunity to see David Lynch and Mark Frost’s masterpiece on the big screen.
Here is our presentation schedule:
Sunday, November 1 @ 7 PM: Pilot + Episode 2
Sunday, November 8 @ 7 PM: Episodes 3, 4, and 5
Sunday, November 15 @ 7 PM: Episodes 6, 7, and 8 (Season 1 Finale)
Created by: David Lynch and Mark Frost
Rating: TV-MA
Runtime: 140 min
Doors and Varsity Bar open at 6 PM; showtime @ 7.
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If I Go Will They Miss Me (2026)
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 @ 6PM
Join us and the SIU School of Media Arts as we present the new feature film,
If I Go Will They Miss Me (2026)
Complimentary feature screening in The Balcony Theater followed by Q&A with writer/director Walter Thompson-Hernández. This is brought to you by the SIU School of Media Arts and The Varsity.
More about the film:
A poetic, emotionally expansive father-son story about Black family, grace, imagination, and the hope that love can transform even the most fragile relationships into something more healing and beautiful.
Come see the multi-award-winning feature, including the 2026 Sundance Film Festival NEXT Innovator Award, a film described as "motion picture poetry."
Tuesday, Nov 3, The Balcony Theater. Doors at 5:30, showtime 6PM
Q&A directly following.
The film is carrying a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, a 94% on the Popcornmeter, and a 4.0 on Letterboxd.
Director: Walter Thompson-Hernández
Starring: Anthony Harris Jr., Bryant 'Sight' Mangum, Tony Sirico
Run time: 92 Minutes
Screening followed by an in-person Q&A with writer-director
Walter Thompson-Hernández