When movies eventually come back

              If there is a word that can best describe the “new normal” its crucial. Facets of life that were once considered crucial have now been discovered to be trivial. Anyone who has had even the most basic interactions with me is well aware that I am a movie aficionado. I love going to the movies. The factor that makes me slightly different from the casual movie goer is that I have always thought that the cinema is supposed to be an experience. I never thought that people just pay money to sit in a seat and eat some popcorn. It’s supposed to be an event. One where you go to be entertained, dress accordingly, and leave in such a way that you are emotionally affected.

               It has been almost three months since the last new release came from a major Hollywood studio. Since then, multiple movies have either been delayed or taken the risky gambit of being released to a digital streaming service. I have nothing against personal streaming services. I have a Netflix, Hulu, and an Amazon Prime account. But they all pale in comparison to the experience of going to the movies to see a new release on opening night. I have heard the arguments for streaming services. The most popular argument is that of convenience. While I do understand why some people would favor it, it just seems like a trade off that is not equal.

              Let’s Examine just some of the films that have been altered from the regular theatrical release schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  A Quiet Place 2, Mulan, No Time to Die, Fast and Furious 9 (seriously), Black Widow, Wonder Woman:1984, Top Gun 2, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife are just a few of the movies that have been delayed. All of the previously mentioned movies were designed for the big screen and for a reason. The intimacy of an individual living room and watching a movie there is nice but it can never convey the sociological experience that comes when an audience of complete strangers with different backgrounds, experience the same movie and react to it. It’s a chemistry experiment which can either make or break the movie going experience.

             The summer movie schedule has always been something that I, and many movie lovers like myself, planned around. That is unfortunately not a likely possibility this year. The first new theatrical release that is supposed to happen this summer, Tenet, doesn’t even have a release date anymore. That points to the underlying belief that it would be delayed, which would in turn cause a chain reaction and further delay even more movies based on studio confidence. I cannot wait for movies to come back. But as much as I genuinely yearn to watch movies in the theater again, I am not prepared to potentially risk my health or the health of my wife and son just for entertainment value. Movies have the potential to capture the mind and spirit and leave a person in awe, joy, horror, laughter, or sadness. The great movies can elicit multiple emotions, and in a single scene at times. But the time just isn’t right yet.

           But one day the time will be right. In the meantime, the drive-in movie theater has experienced a renaissance and I think it is long overdue. The drive-in has always been the best option for families in my personal opinion , based on entertainment value/cost ratio. Unfortunately, the megaplexes have made drive-in movie theaters a relic from the past in many cases. Not that many even exist anymore. I was always spoiled because my hometown had the Skyview Drive-In and it always did well during the summer season. But not every drive-in is that fortunate. The reinvigorated drive-in’s are showing classic movies like Grease, E.T. and Jurassic Park. New releases aren’t possible and certain classic movies cannot be viewed due to licensing rights issues. But there is a desperation for human interaction and to get out of the house and do something. Ergo, even classics are becoming in vogue again because people want that movie theater experience and the drive-in offers a safe way to provide entertainment. Once again proving sometimes that the old ways are the best.