What might moviegoing look like post-shutdown? And how many of us want to find out?
When I was a kid, going out to the movies was a treat — and, until cinema doors slammed shut a few months ago, I still thought it was. Yes, moviegoers with cellphones often were doing their best to ruin the experience for others, but I still loved everything about it: the enormous screen, the enveloping darkness, the buttery aroma of fresh popcorn, the laughter and gasps that reminded me we were all experiencing something together. And, as the movie critic for this paper since 2001, I went a lot: visiting movie theaters two or three times a week, sometimes more.
Currently, no one knows exactly when movie theaters might reopen. The major national cinema chains — AMC Theatres, Cinemark Theatres, Regal Cinemas — have indicated they will not reopen, even in areas where it’s allowed, until June or July at the earliest. But we are beginning to get a sense of what that might look like: quite possibly (at least in the beginning), sparsely populated theaters with widely spaced patrons, masked and gloved staff behind Plexiglas barriers, a scent of disinfectant in the air.
And all of that will be important and necessary — staff members and moviegoers need to feel and be safe. But how many of us will be eager to return, under such conditions? After months of not gathering in groups and watching movies solely at home, will it feel odd to return to the cinemas? Will some people be scared to return, and will others find they just didn’t miss going out to the movies?