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IvN the kind of town that you usually
■if \ P ass t ^ rou 9* 1 on y° ur wa y t0 a "big-
j s J ger and better" destination: relics
of classic Southern grace, hometown charms,
drivers in pick-up trucks who throw up a hand
in greeting along the road seem to accom
pany any sort of road trip through small-town
Georgia.
My husband and I, having both lived in
Athens for many years, had never been to
Washington, GA, a town that we had heard
about in passing, but never seemed to have
the time to visit. With a free Tuesday after
noon on our hands, and nothing particularly
intriguing happening in Athens, we decided to
make the long-overdue trip. And if we found
ourselves too bored, we could always travel a
little longer to Atlanta and find something to
occupy our evening.
However, we found that Washington has
a distinct pull, convincing enough to forego
that "bigger and bet
ter" destination. You “
will, undoubtedly, ”
want to stay awhile, i
This was the case for z
Dana Kibbey and her
husband, Richard.
"We drove around
Georgia for a year
before we found a
place. We fell in love
with Washington,"
she says as she
bustles around the
interior of what has
become a vibrantly
unique attraction, for
visitors and locals.
The Kibbeys
are the owners of
Retro Cinema and
Books, just around
the corner from the
main downtown
square. Walking into
the Retro forces an
immediate grin—the
high ceilings cascade Retro Cinema and Books,
down to walls draped
in every sort of movie memorabilia imaginable,
from Marilyn to Easy Rider. The front of the
cinema's house is the home to a fully func
tioning bookstore, offering the usual suspects
in the form of history and entertainment sec
tions, sports books to the latest bestsellers.
One section, curled up in the corner of the
store, is devoted to vintage works that would
make the most avid collector drool all over the
hardwood floors. The merchandise doesn't end
with books: DVDs, vintage postcards, vintage
puzzles and posters pop up alongside the
aisles, perfect for killing the time as patrons
wait for the film to roll.
The heart of the Retro i! the theater. Seats
are limited, lending to a feel that's more remi
niscent of watching a movie at home with a
group^of friends rather than sharing an audi
torium with 200 popcorn-chomping strangers.
And there's a reason it's called the Retro:
Kibbey says, "We select our movies carefully,
looking for themes and genres that would
appeal to this market, while at the same time
standing as special movies in their own right.
We do play classic Hollywood films from the
'40s and '50s on 'Retro Nite.'" They aim for
the special charms and appeal of the classics,
leaving the typical Hollywood blockbusters to
the chain theaters. They're also planning to
expand a bit by hosting a special film festival
in the fall of '08 that Kibbey reveals will also
include "guest appearances by classic film
stars to discuss their films and their books."
Housed in the rear corner of the cozy theater
is a concession booth, complete with popcorn,
cookies and Tab. But they offer a wider variety
of sodas, if you're not feeling quite that retro.
As though managing a book/video/
music store and a cinema wasn't enough, the
Kibbeys have another trick up their sleeves.
The wine bar at the Retro, tucked away beside
the theater, is just as coated by memorabilia
as the rest of the establishment. Elvis comes
to life in the form of a life-size, hip-wiggling
statue, beckoning patrons to the bar to
sample a vast array of wines, many of which
just around the corner from the main downtown square.
Kibbey says are "rare wines from vineyards
featuring Hollywood actors and movie direc
tors, including Francis Ford Coppolla. Fred
MacMurray (My Three Sons) [and] Fess Parker
(Davie Crockett)." Visitors can sip their drinks
at the majestic bar, or in old movie theater
seats, complete with a cafe table made from
oversized film reels.
Kibbey says the inspiration behind their
labor of love was her husband's passion for
American movies, a fascination that began in
his childhood. She says that he "enjoyed the
excitement of going to see his favorite movie
stars in the '60s." Richard expanded on his
adoration by "working at a movie theater in
the late '60s." This, not surprisingly, led to
the beginning of his movie memorabilia col
lection, which has been flawlessly used in the
decor of the Retro.
The Retro is more than a movie house. It is
more than a bookstore, and it is certainly more
than a wine bar. The entire establishment, the
atmosphere, even the bathrooms, are a work of
art. It is obvious upon arrival that the Kibbeys
have put every facet of their hearts, souls and
minds into each minute detail—and you will
certainly find quite a few of those. It's dif
ficult to explain, but my husband and I felt...
GOOD there. Kibbey sums this feeling up per
fectly: "going to the theater is a special event,
like back in the old times." She says that she
and Richard have gone to great lengths to
recapture the magic of old Hollywood: the
glitz, the glamour, the excitement that existed
when going to a movie was more than grum
bling about overpriced tickets and worries over
calorie intake from butter-slathered tubs of
popcorn. "We want people to feel something
that they've never experienced before."
While the Kibbeys' project is a welcome
addition to the town, Washington is a warm
place to be on its own, and it's easy to see
why the couple fell in love with their sur
roundings so easily. The square itself, sur
rounded by a combination of towering,
antiqued buildings and small storefront win
dows, is simply...
lovely. We strolled
the tree-lined streets
of the square, peek
ing inside the antique
shops and admiring
the grandeur of the
historic Fitzpatrick
Hotel. When trying
to find the Retro, we
stopped and asked
a group of women
sitting at one of the
sidewalk tables for
directions. There
was much talk as
every single one of
them seemed eager
to help us find our
way, joined with the
typical Southern lady
banter that can't
help but tickle you
pink: "Well, don't
listen to these crazy
ladies. They'll just
get you lost!" On our
way back to the car,
we met one of those
same women, and she made it a point to stop
us to be certain that we had found what we
were looking for.
To avoid my afternoon coffee headache, we
stopped by Sophie's Ice Cream Shop and Cafe
and were once again thrown back to the past.
With antique ice cream equipment covering
the walls, alongside a much more modern cap
puccino and espresso machine used to make
my wonderful remedy, we were once again
tempted to sit, take it easy, and look around
at all of the visual treats that accompanied
the pastries, made-to-order sandwiches and
ice cream scoops.
As evening began to fall, we decided that
it was time to make the trip back to Athens, a
drive that we had discovered was just as easy
going as the destination itself. An older man
cutting his grass waved to us as we left the
town, so fitting of the character that we had
found in Washington. We could almost hear
him warmly say to us, "come back soort."
We most definitely will.
Blair Rlvkin
LUNCH BUFFET
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THE RETRO (MEM
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NEWS & FEATURES I CALENDAR I MOVIES I A&E I MUSIC I COMICS & ADVICE I CLASSIFIEDS
JUNE 11,2008 FLAGPOLE.COM 9