Cinemark wants to reopen movie theaters by July 1

I'll risk it. For the past 30 years, I've averaged a movie a week at the cinema, sometimes 2 or 3 a week. Not being able to go to the movies has been absolutely crushing for me. Sure, I've been able to watch some older films that I'd missed on my big screen TV, but it's just not the same rush that a 50 foot movie screen gives.

Hell no!

Nope. Why, when I can watch the same film at home?

I think it totally comes down to whatever we discover about the efficacy of presently-available drugs by the end of next month.

If something like Ivermectin ends up being effective for prophylaxis, and there's abundant anecdotal evidence that taking something like 12-40mg/week of Ivermectin can either prevent most C19 infections, or at least attenuate them enough that most people won't even feel like it's worth spending another $50-250 to go to the doctor or urgent care to get a dose of remdesivir and/or a week's worth of prescriptions for hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, then absolutely.

If the jury is still out on Ivermectin, or it's widely shown to not be of much use for prevention... but there's enough consensus about available drugs to keep most people who are treated early enough from requiring inpatient hospitalization, and nearly everyone who isn't EXTRAORDINARILY frail from ending up in the ICU... probably. Though if there's still a nontrivial risk of ending up with a thousand dollars in medical expenses from a close encounter with C19, lots of people will still probably be limiting their public exposure as much as possible.

If the situation in late June is no better than the situation today, reopening itself will almost certainly still be out of the question.

The earliest weekend I can see studios committing this far in advance to a big-ticket movie's release is Halloween... partly, because horror movies kind of have a "Halloween expiration date" to begin with, and partly because it's likely to be the last major holiday weekend before large-scale flare-ups resume.

Planning to release a big-ticket movie anytime this November or December would be economic suicide. For one thing, I suspect a lot of families might forego Thanksgiving gatherings and spend most of December informally sheltering in place just so they can say "fuck it" and travel/gather on Christmas... simultaneously ruining the economics of a Thanksgiving movie release, and practically guaranteeing the worst spike in new infections we'll likely ever SEE in the US before New Years Eve even ARRIVES.

Seriously, anyone who thinks families will be content to socially-distance for CHRISTMAS is just plain delusional, risks be damned. Period, full-stop, end of story. People might go into the holiday feeling like it's going to be their last one as an intact family, but they'll do it anyway because they'll figure if things are THAT bad, it might end up being their last potential holiday together ANYWAY.

Haven’t set foot in a movie theater in years and I won’t do it now during a pandemic. I’ll be watching from the comfort of my sofa at home.

I haven't been in a movie theater since 2015.

Knock yourself out.

The only way I would go to the theater again is contingent upon the same condition regardless of whether or not there is a threat of contracting a virus: only if my husband and I are the only ones there. Rude, talking people had made the experience unpleasant and I haven't been to see a movie in years.

Cinemark CEO:

This poll raises a very legit question. Politicians (mostly conservative ones) want to re-open the economy, but how many are actually going to show up? There is a great deal of fear around COVID, and many people aren't just going to suddenly show up at the office or go out for a shopping spree. They're find this out in Spain, where they have reopened some sectors, and people are not showing up in significant numbers.

Is this idea that the warm, summer weather will reduce the coronavirus like normal flus true or not?

If they re-released CATS - absolutely!

No, but I haven't been comfortable going to movie theatres in decades. All those other customers. All their noise. Their wrappers. And now their devices. I couldn't care less if they ever open again. I'd much rather watch a movie at home.

FWIW, I've never subscribed to the "but you [italic]have[/italic] to see it on the big screen" nonsense.

I don't go to movie theaters very often, but I'd feel more comfortable going to one in July than going on a cruise. Several cruise lines have announced they're going to start sailing again in late June.

Just because they end social distancing doesn't mean the virus is gone.

There will continue to be flare-up and hotspots for months after the lockdown officially ends.

I probably won't go anywhere or do anything much more crowded than a supermarket. I certainly won't go to a show or movie or fly on a plane until at least October if there are still people being hospitalized.

What are you going to see? Nothing is being released.

Here in PA, there is a law that allows old, historic movie theaters to incorporate as a non-profit. The theaters then are able seek tax deductible memberships and donations for capital improvements and operating costs.

I'll renew my membership and attend if there's a decent picture. I will NOT go to some huge megaplex with 25 different theaters and thousands of people milling about.

R4 Ivermectin is an anti-parasitic poison, just one pill too many a day can cause serious neurological adverse events and sometimes death.

It has to be administered under strict medical supervision. If it worked against viruses (unlikely) it would still be a dangerous option.

I would also remind you Cinemark contributed to Roy (old enough to bleed, old enough for me) Moore’s Senate campaign, Prop 8 and thought seating wheelchair bound customers in front of the first row was “a reasonable accommodation”.

You should have had a Maybe option in the poll. I can’t make that decision now.

Yes, the seats are almost 6 feet apart in AMC theaters anyway. Just cut out that delivery service to the seats and use the dine in theaters first.

Sure I'd go if something good was playing, but I don't know what will be.

Do you people ever plan on leaving the fucking house again. In July. July. I hope that restaurants, beaches, libraries and parks are open again. I don't think the huge sports stadiums are a good idea but as long as they clean well between the shows.

" but as long as they clean well between the shows."

Are you really dumb enough to believe a for profit business is going to make a movie theater antiseptically clean?

I’ll wear a mask, bring my own drinks (do that anyway), and take the risk.

I would gladly--gladly!--risk my life to see a Glenn Close's "Sunset Boulevard", which is bound to be a cross-generational, motion picture extravaganza! She'll singlehandedly save the entire motion picture industry!

[quote]Do you people ever plan on leaving the fucking house again.

Meh - life is all about calculated risks and risk tolerance.

All you have to do is look at the last two weeks of February to see how quickly this whole thing can escalate. Until it drops below a certain threshold of new infections, it can easily start all over again.

FFS R4, yes or no?

Nobody asked for a thesis.

r17, bitch please. The LD50 of ivermectin is approximately 50mg/kg

For comparison, the LD50 of fucking WATER is 90mg/kg. And no, I'm not talking about "drowning". 90mg/kg is approximately the point where your body's chemistry destabilizes.

This whole thing is like JAWS.

Remember when the awful mayor (tRump) told everybody it was safe to go back in the water?

Business was tanking on Amity Island.

It didn't go well and neither will this.

Movie theatres have been dying a slow death and this just might finish them off.

I can't speak for other parts of the US, but in South Florida, pretty much all of the "nice" theaters have stadium seating, big reclining chairs, and rows that are so far apart, you could almost have someone directly in front of you without violating social-distancing guidelines.

If anything, IMHO, theaters wold probably sell a few more seats per movie if they REDUCED the row to row pitch by a foot or so while keeping the total number of rows constant (enabling the front row to get pushed another 5-10 feet back from the screen), then lowered the screen itself by a few feet (so everyone was a foot or three higher than they are now).

Back in the old days, screens had to sit higher because the noisy projector had to sit behind a glass window in a projection booth. Nowadays, everything is digital anyway, and the projectors (at least, at the theaters I go to) hang from the ceiling. With digital projection, you can move the projector closer to the screen, apply automatic keystone correction, and have a projected image that extends almost all the way down to the floor. IMHO, there's really no REASON to still have a shitty front row that's perpetually vacant for literally everything besides opening night of something on the level of a Star Wars movie.

But then again, maybe I'm just weird. I also think theaters, when remodeled, should put a single-occupancy unisex restroom in the vestibule for each theater room, with LCD monitors on the walls of the tunnel-like hall leading into the theater room and in that restroom showing whatever's on the big screen. That way, if you bought a 64-ounce BladderBuster pail of ${beverage} and had to pee halfway through the movie, you wouldn't have to miss anything... you could just run to the entrance vestibule, continue watching the movie on the monitors while you waited in line to use the restroom and inside, and wouldn't have to miss anything. They could even go a step further, and allow you to go into the same entrance vestibule and order food & drinks mid-movie, pay with a credit card, and have them delivered to you a few minutes later without having to miss anything.

Back when movies used film, this would have been nearly impossible (absent something like a one-way window inside the hypothetical restroom, and maybe mirrors enabling someone in the vestibule to see the big screen), but with VIDEO, it's just INEXCUSABLE that they DON'T already do something like this.

[quote]They could even go a step further, and allow you to go into the same entrance vestibule and order food & drinks mid-movie, pay with a credit card, and have them delivered to you a few minutes later without having to miss anything.

Right. People having food delivered in the middle of movie wouldn't be even one bit annoying.

[quote]I don't think the huge sports stadiums are a good idea but as long as they clean well between the shows.

I really don't think the 17-year-old pimply kid earning minimum wage is going to step out from behind the candy counter and have the skills of a human autoclave between screenings.

I love movies on a big screen.

But let's face it, movie chains have been dying a slow death. The absolute ridiculous prices for tickets, and in some places you have to choose a seat and then when you are in a pair or group, there are only single seats left. Then the insane prices for food.

Then you get in the cinema and you have loud, rude people on their phones before and during the cinema. Screens lit up, distracting other people who actually came to see the movie. Cunts putting their feet up on seats like they are at home. Disgusting. People squawking throughout the movie. We don't need your fucking commentary.

There is going to be so much social anxiety as things reopen up. We are going to be much more observant of people's behaviour after this.

Why would anyone go to a movie theater in the last two years, let alone during an incurable pandemic?

R33 I love going to the movies and seeing films as they were meant to be seen, but you're right. Movie theaters as we know them today have been on life support for years, and sadly COVID may have dealt them a fatal blow. When Netflix and at home streaming took off, cinemas needed to change their business model to compete and they didn't. Some chains did offer subscription-based packages where you could see a certain number of films for one monthly price, but it was never really worth it. For a lot of people why would spend $20-30 (for tickets and snacks) for one film, when you could watch countless for $10 or so a month?

And you're right about the social anxiety. I roll my eyes at people who say let's get back to normal. There is no going back to normal. Sadly, I think we're going to learn that lesson the hard way as governments loosen up restrictions too soon (as we're already seeing in Asia and probably will in Europe shortly) and there will be another huge spike in cases which will make things worse. We're going to be stuck in this social distancing thing for months, possibly a year or more. Even after a vaccine is found, it won't be okay back to normal.

As for movies, I think theaters will survive in some shape and form, but very different than what we know now. I also think Hollywood movies are going to become smaller and cheaper. The era of big-budget tent pole franchise films may be over and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

R32 I think there's going to be a lot of minimum wage earners wondering if it's worth risking their life to funnel popcorn into bags.

Maybe if they open drive-in theaters.

Some of you old cranky bitches haven't been to a real movie theater in years I can see. Where I live, most of the major chains have theaters that modeled their business after the ArcLight in Hollywood which started a trend almost 20 years ago. You can pick your seat at the time of purchase, you can have actual cocktails in the theater and all the chairs are like extra wide dad size recliners that go all the way back almost like a single bed. Cell phones all get turned off theses days, everyone has figured out the drill. It's very comfortable now to go to the movies.

That said, I hate hanging out with rude strangers and it's not a cheap date anymore. I never seem to spend less than $60 just for two tickets and popcorn. I only go if it's something that really needs to be on a large screen like special effects or high def digital film.

If I do go back, there better be some interesting movies to watch.

> Right. People having food delivered in the middle of movie wouldn't be even one bit annoying.

Ergo, the key word "vestibule". At the theaters by my house, you go through one set of doors into a room that's about 10x10 feet, go through a second set of doors, then turn left or right into a tunnel that runs behind the upper seating area, then turns 90 degrees and runs about halfway to the front and ends at the foot of the upper seating area. The food delivery would be to the 10x10 foot vestibule between the pairs of doors, so nobody in the main area would even see or hear anything.

Likewise, the proposed restroom would be in the area below the upper seating area, with the door facing into the tunnel adjacent to the vestibule. Maybe, maybe add a third set of doors inside the tunnels so that if someone opened the restroom door, then flushed the toilet, there would be at least one door and a 90-degree bend to attenuate the noise.

[quote] Will you feel comfortable going to a movie theater by July 1?

I never felt comfortable going to a movie theater before. Why would I feel comfortable after July 1?

I’ve been to at least four different movie theaters locally where food is served to patrons at their seats during the movie. They do it quietly, unobtrusively. No one is bothered by it. In fact, people love that food is available while they’re watching the movie.

r42, AMC does that in Florida at their old (~1980s) 4-8 screen theaters that can't be enlarged, but are in locations that are too utterly prime to abandon. They're kind of expensive (around $40-50/ea for movie & dinner), but awesome.

[quote]No one is bothered by it. In fact, people love that food is available while they’re watching the movie.

Someone sat next to me slurping down what I guess was some kind of chili burger, plus French fries w/ketchup. I don't mind that at all if I'm eating at the same time, but I choose to eat after a movie, not during, and the smell is oppressive when all I want to pay attention to is a movie. Yet another reason to avoid movie theatres.

Dream on, Cinemark.

They are probably going to raise their prices. They never clean their chairs. Kids are out of school for the rest of the year. People are probably still going to getting dying from this virus. No thanks.

Why would anyone want/need food when watching a 2 hour movie? Do these people wake up for a snack in bed during the night?

[quote]In fact, fat whores love it that food is available while they’re watching the movie.

Fixed.

[quote] The food delivery would be to the 10x10 foot vestibule between the pairs of doors, so nobody in the main area would even see or hear anything.

How would they notify you your order is ready?

[quote] Someone sat next to me slurping down what I guess was some kind of chili burger, plus French fries w/ketchup. I don't mind that at all if I'm eating at the same time, but I choose to eat after a movie, not during,

Oh, so it’s ok if you do it, bad when others do it.

Got it.

[quote]Some of you old cranky bitches haven't been to a real movie theater in years I can see. Where I live, most of the major chains have theaters that modeled their business after the ArcLight in Hollywood which started a trend almost 20 years ago. You can pick your seat at the time of purchase, you can have actual cocktails in the theater and all the chairs are like extra wide dad size recliners that go all the way back almost like a single bed. Cell phones all get turned off theses days, everyone has figured out the drill. It's very comfortable now to go to the movies.

[quote]That said, I hate hanging out with rude strangers and it's not a cheap date anymore. I never seem to spend less than $60 just for two tickets and popcorn. I only go if it's something that really needs to be on a large screen like special effects or high def digital film.

Do you suppose r38 knows that he has a Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate himself?

Lol, good luck with that.

Given that, as I said, r50, I would be consuming food after the movie, which mean [italic]in a restaurant[/italic], yes, it's ok when I do it. I'm not stinking up anyone else's moviegoing experience.

> How would they notify you your order is ready?

You'd order from a touchscreen kiosk in the vestibule & wait for it there. No phone app, because THAT would be rude to the people seated nearby.

Waiting in the vestibule would be tolerable, because you could still see the movie (on the wall-mounted monitors mirroring the big screen).

But, I digress. The food-delivery is just a revenue opportunity for the theater. The restroom would be the BIG improvement. I hate the fact that if I drink even half of a typical "small" beverage (usually 32oz), I end up either miserable for the second half of the movie, or have to miss 5 minutes for a bathroom run. I usually try to mitigate it by getting a cherry slushie instead of diet coke (foamy air, vs concentrated diuretic), but I'd be happier if I could just drink a gallon of diet Coke & piss it away an hour later without having to miss anything.

[quote] The restroom would be the BIG improvement.

They’re going to add gloryholes?

Then you get me on the side of reopening quicker.

So? It's not like they are forcing anyone to go.

Cinemark is Rethug-owned. It's been a 'nope' for me for years.

Even with the gloryholes, r57?

on the radio, one of the movie theatre CEO of these chains said that they would leave 40% of the seats unsold to create distance. And opening to full capacity would only be rolled out according to safety with the virus.

r47, movies aren't 2 hours anymore. A lot of heading to 2.5 hours. and you get 20-30 minutes of coming attractions. You could be in there for 3 hours.

I personally don't eat more than popcorn and red vines at the movies. I liked dinner and a movie, but the dinner after so you can talk about the movie during the meal.

Can I get the 15.00 popcorn with small coke and a side of virus. Thanks, girl.

No fucking way. There’s always at least 3 or 4 people coughing in the theater, which was only annoying before the pandemic. Right now it would set my anxiety levels through the roof.

I remember reading that some of the most germ-ridden surfaces in a typical movie theater is the arm rest/cup holder, collecting all the germs from countless people coughing, sneezing, and touching it. Employees sweep the floor but never clean the seats.

Movies are mostly crap nowadays unless you like comic book movies (and I do like them but they're are too many). They rarely make movies by adults for adults and when they do, they're meh. The variety is gone.

Like r60 mentioned, you have to sit through coming attractions after having to slog through commercials, and the commercials seem longer than the previews. And with the prices, it makes going to the movies a chore. It's just not the same anymore, and this pandemic is only going to make more people turn away from the cinemas.

And r62 stated, the germs. Some people have seen rats in cinemas. Those nasty sticky floors. Those losers hanging their feet over the chairs, so you could potentially be putting your head against someone's germs.

The movie business is going to have a huge challenge while Disney+ and Peacock are in a position to thrive.

The AMC Stubs membership was a steal. If AMC goes under, that would truly be a shame.

R60 Do you mean that you need to eat every 3 hours then?

Are you are fitting 5+ meals a day in somehow? Sounds exhausting.

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[quote] and the audience (my cat) never talks or texts during a movie.

Lucky.

Mine does, the bitch. Always tryin’ slide into the DMs of the Tomcat down the street. It’s a never-ending battle with her.

LOL!

Some movies are only worth watching in the theater.

No movies are worth dying to watch.

Ahem.

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