Since becoming a member of my local movie theater’s subscription club with my significant other in 2018, I’ve seen a total of 88 movies at that location alone.
This doesn’t include movies I’ve seen with family or friends at other theaters or the movies I saw multiple times. To say I’m a movie geek would be the simplest and least embarrassing way to explain my intense level of commitment to seeing movies at the theater.
I am obsessed with the power of storytelling in film and the impact movies have on audiences. Earlier this year I saw some great films including “Just Mercy,” “1917” and “The Invisible Man.” The latter of these was the last movie I saw in a theater.
I watched it in my favorite theater with the humongous screen, way too loud Dolby audio and comfy reclining seats. I had a free birthday reward for a slushy and large popcorn, so of course, I enjoyed that.
Watching the trailers for upcoming movies, I was teeming with excitement. With “Black Widow” slated to release in June, I realized I’d practically been having Marvel movie withdrawals for an entire year. The wait for “The Eternals” in the fall felt like it would last forever, until recently.
Sadly, COVID-19 closed theaters across the country. This resulted in an unprecedented number of movie releases being postponed indefinitely. Some of these films, such as “The Lovebirds,” “Trolls: World Tour” and “Scoob!” released online to commercial and critical success, while many remain in limbo.
Theaters have yet to reopen but are slated to begin screenings as early as July 24 in Houston. Drive-in movies are a popular option lately, with companies like Walmart rumored to open theaters in their parking lots in cities across the country. However, I’m not sure crowding parking lots with idling vehicles is the most environmentally friendly or practical solution for moviegoers.
As many states begin to reopen, theaters are rescheduling the releases of summer films. “Saint Maud,” “Tenet” and “The New Mutants” have been rescheduled for upcoming releases, and I am eager to see them all.
Graphic by The Signal Executive Editor Miles Shellshear.
Despite the intense nostalgia I feel for the theater, I don’t see myself returning very soon for a few reasons. The first reason is cleanliness. Let’s be honest, none of us have always been good stewards of the theater. Even at its best, a movie theater tends to have sticky floors, odd spills on seats and cup holders, and a particular odor somewhere at the intersection of pickle juice, popcorn and pretzels.
No matter how much a movie theater tells fans (AMC, Cinemark, Regal, Star Cinema, etc.) they are doing to keep their theaters clean and safe with regard to COVID-19, I just don’t see it happening based on the experiences I’ve had at theaters up to this point. In the pre-pandemic world, I could easily overlook these hygienic shortcomings and get lost in the world of a good movie. These days, I don’t see how I could simply look the other way.
Secondly, other people are the worst part about going to the movie theater. Movies theaters are filled with people spending extended periods of time eating, drinking, coughing, sneezing, talking and generally projecting germs everywhere. Because of my newfound aversion to anyone performing any of the aforementioned actions around me, I am hardly tempted to return to a theater in 2020.
Lastly, many theaters do not show independent films, leaving me to experience films from my favorite studios like A24, Annapurna and Neon exclusively at the theater I had my membership with. Sadly, these films are being rescheduled and screened with or without me, meaning that if I miss them in their pandemic-present theatrical run, I am unlikely to see them in a theater ever again.
Admittedly, there are worse things that could happen. I understand that people’s lives are more important than movies, which is why I am not eager to return to a theater. However, I am saddened by the prospect of missing movies I was (and still am) excited to see. The idea that I could miss the fun of Marvel and DC fandom at the theater along with the indie flicks I enjoy so much is saddening and frustrating.
Part of me blames the government officials and people who ignored reopening recommendations from the CDC for this disruption in my geekdom, while another part of me blames the film industry for not giving fans different ways to access the films they want to see.
If films are released in theaters, I would personally appreciate a digital streaming release at the same time, if not shortly after. That way, film fans have the choice of going to the theater or supporting a film from home.
While I am eager to experience the movies I have missed and may miss during their pandemic-present theatrical run, I hope those of us who elect to maintain safety by staying home aren’t left out as we move forward in this chaotic and continually unpredictable year.
