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SOCIAL DISTANCING and the movie industry
I
f you turn on the news or read any online commentary, chances are good the words “social distancing” will be mentioned at least once. We’ve been asked multiple times to stay at home and only go outside for walks and to get essential supplies (i.e. food and medications). On those journeys out of our homes, the government has asked that we stay at least six feet away from each other to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Social distancing was not on anyone’s mind last year; however, when “Avengers: Endgame” arrived in theaters. Lines were long at the box office and the concession stand. Auditoriums were packed during the first weeks of its release and it was impossible to keep away from other moviegoers. If you were lucky, you could stop someone from using your armrest, but people would still push past you to go to the restroom. Currently, most theaters are closed to the public, which has caused shockwaves in the
BY STEVE BRYAN movie industry. Production has ceased on film sets and some scheduled releases have been postponed. Late last year, the Regal Cinemas location near me started a long renovation process, but they remained open until the government requested that they close temporarily. The renovation is still going on, but there are no ticket or concession sales to help offset the costs of remodeling. Some notable new films like “The Invisible Man,” “The Hunt” and “Sonic the Hedgehog” will be available via Video On-Demand, though. These films had an abbreviated theatrical release due to the outbreak. All AMC Theaters are currently closed, but the theater chain has their own “ondemand” service where you can buy digital copies of new releases, but it’s a bit pricey. “Birds of Prey,” for instance, is available to purchase for $19.99, which is about the cost of two adult movie tickets. Mike Reyes at Cinemablend published an article last week about “My Spy,” a family-
friendly comedy starring Dave Bautista from Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise. Reyes makes an argument for the family-friendly film to be made available via Netflix. Bautista plays a CIA Agent doing surveillance when his cover is blown by a nine-year-old girl who wants him to train her as a spy. Sometime in the hopefully not-so-distant future, we will be able to resume our normal lives and head back to the theaters. After long periods of social distancing, will people flock to theaters as they once did? I imagine the rigorous cleaning protocols theaters and other businesses put in place will continue once the “stay-at-home” mandates are lifted. We may think twice about buying that large popcorn and soda, though. For now, streaming services and VOD are available options for watching new releases. Please continue to stay safe and healthy at home and I hope to see everyone at the movies sometime soon. APRIL 2020 | CROSSROADS | 15
