NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Valentine's is fast approaching, and one couple in Nashville is offering up a date night like no other in town. It's a story about finding that special someone.
"I need a large popcorn and two large Pepsis, good buddy!" a voice shouted over the sound of popcorn popping and a crowd heading inside.
This is a Valentine's story. No, really. It is. It's a Valentine's story. It just happens to be about a couple who found each other through a shared love of scary movies.
"My parents took me to see the original Amityville Horror in the theater, and it scared me to death!" said Ben Dixon.
"And you were hooked!" I said.
"I was hooked!" he laughed.
"My mom was like, 'I thought you'd grow out of this,'" laughed Stacey Dixon. "It's gotten worse instead, but she's proud of me!"
"My mom often said, 'Dear Lord, where did we go wrong?'" Ben smiled.
It was twenty years ago, horror movie director Ben met special effects make-up artist Stacey.
"I was just head-over-heels about her," Ben remembered.
"An hour later, he called me and asked me on a date," Stacey added
"She said, 'Yeah, I guess so.'"
"Almost twenty years later, and we're still together."
From there, they started working on the dream.
For nearly 40 years, Nashville's had this legendary haunted attraction, the Slaughterhouse. In 2014, Ben and Stacey bought the Slaughterhouse and decided to move it into a former eight-screen movie theater in Hermitage. Since then, they've converted the space into a haunted house tattoo studio retro movie theater. Oh, and Ben and Stacey claim the place is haunted for real.
"Just think of the movie Poltergeist!" Ben said.
"Y'all are anything but boring," I said.
"Yeah, that's what our kids say!" Ben answered.
Now running their Full Moon Cineplex, not just any two people could have had the vision to see the sort of following that could be built here. Ben and Stacey did.
"Does this place say date night to ya?" I asked one couple heading into a movie.
"For us, yes!" they answered. "Absolutely, yeah!"
"Yeah! There's a lot of little love stories!" Stacey added.
For many of the regulars, Ben and Stacey are so much of the reason to come in.
Giving people a place where they can escape their worries has never been more important to Ben.
"I was diagnosed a year ago with ocular melanoma," he said. "It's a rare cancer inside the eye. There was a large tumor growing inside my left eye."
Ben has gone through radiation and surgeries, but he said he's grateful for being a part of something people love and grateful for Stacey.
"You just gotta live," he said. "As hard of things life throws at you, having that special person, Stacey, has been that for me. Together, we really did forge something special."
"We are meant to be together," Stacey said. "I'm very thankful for my life and my partner, Ben."
So, like I said, this is a Valentine's story...at the best little retro movie theater tattoo studio, haunted house, people say, really is haunted in town.
"You're my valentine all year long," Ben said.
"I'd hope so," Stacey answered.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
It takes a village! Hats off to the Wilson County Rotary clubs for investing in our kids in such a tangible way. Putting 100,000 books in the hands of little learners is something to celebrate. I love that they store the books in a bank vault — they truly are priceless!
-Carrie Sharp
