Ijams gears up for movie series

It’s nearly time for the 2018 Movies Under the Stars presented by Ijams Nature Center and Central Cinema in Knoxville.

The five-month series features fantasy films and horror flicks. This annual tradition brings thousands of people to the nature center to enjoy outdoor screenings of beloved movies, food trucks, a beer garden and more.

Events kick off Saturday, June 2, with E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (PG), Stephen Spielberg’s beloved science fiction blockbuster about a boy who helps his new alien friend find his way home.

Saturday, July 14, marks the return of Terror in the Woods, an evening of chills, thrills and a haunted trail from FrightWorks. Co-presented by the Knoxville Horror Film Fest, this event boasts a double feature of  Cabin Fever (R), the tale of a group of friends who develop a mysterious skin virus while out in the woods, and Severance (R), a comedy horror film about co-workers who fight for their lives in a remote mountain forest.

Jim Henson and Frank Oz’s high fantasy adventure film, The Dark Crystal (PG), shows on Saturday, Aug. 18. With groundbreaking animatronics, this 1982 classic holds a special place in the hearts of fans.

Another Spielberg classic, Hook (PG), screens on Saturday, Sept. 1. Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman lead this fantasy adventure film that finds Peter Pan living as a corporate lawyer in London with no memory of his amazing childhood. When Captain Hook kidnaps Peter’s children, he returns to Neverland to save them.

The series concludes on Friday, Oct. 5, with Stephen King’s Pet Sematary (R), the frightening tale of a burial ground with the power to revive the dead. This event is co-presented with the Knoxville Horror Film Fest.

Doors open at 6 p.m.; movies start at dark. Coolers and outside alcohol are prohibited.

Tickets are $8 per person for regular movies, $15 per person for Terror in the Woods and $25 for a family four-pack of tickets (regular movies only). Summer Movies Passes are $35 per person and include entrance to all five movie nights. The deadline to purchase Summer Movies Passes is June 2. More information is available at www.Ijams.org.