As Movie Theaters Reopen, Will Audiences Return? | The ARTery

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In the past Sunday afternoon, I did something I haven't done in five months. I went to the movies.

I know that for ordinary people, five months does not mean a break between two movie screenings. Many people I know tend to go only once or twice a year. But in the past few decades, even before it became my job, I went three to four times a week. Watching movies is my favorite thing to do in the world. It frees me from my mind, being transported by a huge screen, being overwhelmed by surround sound, seeing the world in the eyes of others for hours, and being full of emotions in the company of friends and strangers. Like most people, I streamed a lot during the pandemic, but family viewing lacked the sense of ritual, let alone getting together with other people to participate in the shared experience of shared dreams. I miss it very much.

But on Sunday, I didn't end up watching the movie in the auditorium of West Newton Cinema. I am still not feeling well.

Instead, I wandered around the hall a few times and chatted with my old friend Dave Bramante, who had been operating the theater with his brother Jim for 83 years. Owned West Newton Cinema for 42 years. I have been there hundreds of times, but I swear I have never seen this clean and tidy place. The smell of disinfectant overwhelmed the smell of popcorn. Now the concession booth is surrounded by a protective layer of plexiglass. The spacious hall is empty and all the benches are for people to wait for the performance to begin. Now, the single chair is sparsely placed in a position to keep social distance, although I did not see anyone sitting there this afternoon.

The West Newton Theatre reopened on July 17, and according to state guidelines, each of its six screens has an audience limit of 25 customers. So far, selling out is not a real problem. But Bramante assured me that attendance "has improved every week." In the absence of a new record release, they have been showing classic works such as "2001: A Space Odyssey", "Casablanca" and "The Wizard of Oz", but he told me that their biggest seller so far is "Burned" The orange heresy". "This is a playful little noir film starring Elisabeth Debicki and Mick Jagger. The film was withdrawn from the cinema in March and was recently rescreened by the distributor Sony Pictures Classics. To the cinema. Bramante is cautiously optimistic that business will continue to improve as the film industry begins to recover again.

The largest theater chain in the United States, AMC Theater, plans to reopen more than 100 theaters across the country on Thursday, August 20, including 9 theaters in the Boston area. According to Vague Dystopia

, AMC cooperated with Clorox to become its "cleaning consultant" and formulated a new "safety and clean" policy for HEPA vacuum cleaners and electrostatic disinfection sprayers. Concession transactions will now be cashless to reduce pollution, although at press time, the site is still providing conflicting information about whether food and beverages can be purchased.

There has been a lot of this confusion regarding the reopening of AMC, especially the PR disaster in early June, when the company neglected to include mandatory masks in the new list of safety measures. CEO and President Adam Aron said: "We don't want to get into political controversy." "We think that if you force masks to those who believe that there is no need to wear masks, it might be counterproductive." After a strong protest, the theater chain

And it is required to wear a mask unless you "enjoy a discount." (So ​​basically, if you buy something, you can get out.)

Before normal operations resume on Friday, the AMC Theater will sell old movies such as "The Goonies", "Grease" and "Back to the Future" on Thursday at a return price of 15 cents. According to reports, the intention of bargaining is to go back to the price when the company was founded in 1920, but I am not the first to point this out, which also means that they have returned to the pandemic price of 1918. Ah, nostalgia. Last week, the AMC’s initial announcement included Somerville’s Assembly Row causing further trouble, although the city is still operating

, Indicating that the cinema has not yet opened.

"I mean, isn't this screaming that they are out of touch with the community?" I asked Ian Judge, the director of operations at the Somerville Theater and the Arlington Capitol Theater. Since March, the judge’s cinema has gone dark. He and his staff are now on vacation and there is no plan to reopen soon. He said: "It is difficult to judge whether the demand is great." "I think our audience will be more cautious and science-based when choosing, so we may find a profitable level of business in the future. Families with theaters are very committed to maintaining The opening of the theater, so there may be more hope than some places. However, if the delay continues, they will have endless resources."

According to reports, the intention of bargaining is to go back to the price when the company was founded in 1920, but I am not the first to point this out, which also means that they have returned to the pandemic price of 1918. Ah, nostalgia.

In addition, new Hollywood blockbusters may not have much to attract viewers for a while. Cinemas in Los Angeles are still closed. On Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo refused to allow cinemas in the state to reopen, causing a shock in the film industry. "From a relative risk perspective, the cinema is not that important and the risk is high. It is incredible. It is a ventilation system. You sat there for a long time,"

. "Even if your capacity reaches 50%, and there is only one or two seats between two people, this is a dangerous situation, and... the cinema is not high on the list of essentials."

It’s hard to imagine that a studio like Warner Bros. would trigger the trigger if it could not screen Christopher Nolan’s $200 million Tenet in New York and Los Angeles. After the film’s original release date on July 17 was postponed, it is now scheduled to be released overseas this weekend and is scheduled to be released in the United States on September 3 in "Selected Cities". However, if they can’t choose "the two largest movie cities in the country." We are more likely to see works such as "The New Mutant", which started shooting in Boston in 2017, and after a turbulent post-production period, Now set it as the fifth release date next weekend. (The plan is to make sure that the stars of Max Williams and Anya Taylor Joy are aging, and the new shots do not match, the latest round of re-shooting, and then Cancelled.) Disney just transferred the budget summer tent "Mulan" to charge high fees directly to Disney+ streaming services, which may further redefine the future of the film industry. The mouse house seems to be full of people returning to the theme park Confidence, but not sure about the cinema.

"I understand that people desire a'normal' experience. But as an adult, I realize that we don't always get what we want."

At the same time, Mark Anastasio, the program manager of Coolidge’s Corner Theater, told me that he “really feels eager to show people again.”

The Mayfield Field State Hospital where this movie was filmed was originally to close Coolidge’s "

Scorsese looked back in May. In the process of re-planning, it used to be a monster, especially last week when Governor Charlie Baker (Charlie Baker)

Soon after the tickets for the September show sold out, the number of people attending outdoor gatherings halved. But don’t worry, Anastasio and the company figured out how to convert the screen into a pop-up input device according to state guidelines, and due to overwhelming public demand, two more shows were added.

He said: "People really want to go out and gather safely." Like

, Coolidge recently started

Communicate with group members under strict social distancing agreements, so you can watch movies on the big screen with friends and family in the quarantine. Although there are currently no plans to reopen commercial screenings, Anastasio is still engaged in the production of outdoor alternatives, such as "Shutter Island" (Shutter Island) shows, including some of the annual Halloween Halloween All Night Movie Marathon with Coolidge in Midnite Thoughts after the game. (October still has a long way to go, but in fact, spending 12 hours in a closed theater may still be a bad idea.)

"I understand that people desire a'normal' experience. But as an adult, I realize that we don't always get what we want." said Nancy Campbell, the program director of the Boston Independent Film Festival. He is currently considering the option of hosting a virtual or mixed event this fall, "reflecting" the reality of the 2021 festival. "

But now, she is skeptical about AMC’s reopening and fancy prices, especially considering the chain’s “exhibition, cleanliness and customer experience is always poor standards... I may show my age here, but their The latest deal reminds me of the Columbia House Records and Tape Club in the 1980s. 15 cents seems like a good deal, but you risk paying for COVID, extended medical issues and bills or the price your life might have to pay , Not just a bunch of overpriced music."

I can tell you that as long as I finally sit in the comfortable auditorium and watch the movie again, it will be shown in one of our local independent theaters instead of some chain theaters. AMC may now be talking about big games about their new Clorox program, but every time I go to one of the movie theaters, I seem to be near, I seem to spend half of my time in the lobby trying to tell others about the image or sound What's the problem. If they value security as much as they value correct presentation, we will be dead before anyone can break the surprising turn in "Tenet."

On the way out of West Newton, I asked Bramante how he thinks AMC will stay healthy even when customers can’t even keep the film focused. "All of us are struggling, Sean," he said with a mask with a smile, "you can quote me on it."

Sean Burns is a film critic for "ARTery".