Luisa Cocozzelli, a South Florida resident in her 60s, considers herself somewhat of a film connoisseur. In normal times – meaning, before the coronavirus swept the world, shook everything from cinemas to restaurants and lost millions of jobs and lost hundreds of thousands of lives – she regularly went to her local cinema. There is nothing, she says, just like sitting in the back row of a darkened theater and getting lost in the story unfolding on the big screen.
But when multiplexes reopen for business after lengthy closures, Cocozzelli does not soon find herself in the hands of her favorite activity.
“I hate to sound like that,” she says, “but I do not trust other people to follow guidelines and protocols.”
Cocozzelli’s dilemma is one that many moviegoers wrestle with in a pandemic-stricken world. Because high-profile titles such as Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic “Tenet” and “The New Mutants” collaborate to reach the big screen, mark the first major films that have opened since theaters were forced to close in March, audiences are confronted with the choice of whether or not to return to the films. Sure, they are desperate for some entertainment and would like to do something more social after months of relative isolation, but justify the risks associated with indoor activities a few hours of escapism on the big screen?
She pointed out that movie theaters are doing their part to ensure that capacity is limited, there will be enough space between patterns and that every surface will be sanitized – and re-sanitized. But she cannot control how receptive public members around her will be to the new rules and regulations established to keep locations safe. In addition, there is a chance that people around you may be asymptomatic and pass on the virus unconsciously. She has been injured from her job at a cruise line and says she cannot afford to get sick.
“They don’t wear masks here as they should,” says Cocozzelli, referring to locals in Florida. ‘It has become so political. I’ll have to keep going until it’s safer. ”
Others, like New York resident Christian Rivera, long to see a new movie on the silver screen and are willing to travel far and wide to do so. Since cinemas are closed in Staten Island, where he lives, and in the rest of New York State, the 24-year-old drives about an hour to Langhorne, Penn. on Sunday to be among the first to see “New Mutants” in theaters.
“That movie has been delayed so often, and I do not want to wait any longer to see it,” he said.
He travels over state lines with two friends, and chooses to travel by car because he feels it will limit his exposure to other people compared to public transportation. As long as there are security protocols, Rivera does not think his trip to the suburbs of Pennsylvania will be his last – should cinemas in the Big Apple remain dark.
“I’ll probably be back when ‘Tenet’ comes out,” he says. “‘Wonder Woman’ is a must. ‘Black widow,’ I’ll personally make a trip everywhere to see. ‘
In Indianapolis, where 27-year-old Cody Wainscott lives, cinemas have begun to welcome back audiences. A few days after his local AMC reopened its doors, he went with friends to see a rerun of “Back to the Future.” He already bought tickets to see “Tenet”, a decision he calls a “no brainer” to shell out some extra money to watch in Imax.
“Following protocols is pretty easy,” he says. “From what I can tell, people follow the rules.” Wainscott added that he rarely gives up on concessions, so he had no trouble keeping his face with a mask.
“I worry about trusting other people,” he admits. But as a self-proclaimed Nolan enthusiast, he did not even consider the opportunity to see the award-winning director’s latest film spectacle, when multiplexes received permission from officials to reopen. “I waited a year to see ‘Tenet’. I rather see how it is made to be seen, that is, on an Imax screen. ”
Movie theaters hope most consumers will follow Rivera’s example. Major chains such as AMC and Regal require customers to wear face masks, set up socially distant seats, and sign up for new cleaning procedures.
However, it may not be enough to convince audiences.
Shana Jones of Chicago used the theater several times a week frequently. But after her small, suburban neighborhood was hit by the virus, and that affected four of the five houses on her cul de sac, she is extra careful about leaving the house.
“I really want to see ‘Tenet’, but I prefer theaters,” the 38-year-old said. “My neighbor died of the virus less than a month ago. My father has a compromised immune system. I just don’t take chances.
Many moviegoers hold out hope that a vaccine is on the way, a development that would allay fears about relaxing indoors. Anna Pena, 66, does not plan to return to theaters until there is a vaccine that is widely available to all.
“The setting is exactly what we know is dangerous: closed, recycled air, several hours, a lot of people and little mask use,” says Pena, a cancer survivor with no other underlying conditions. She lives with her 74-year-old husband, who is also used to watching movies on streaming services. “Even if masks are required to go in, they allow snacks. And of course, you have to remove your mask to eat popcorn and drink soda. ”
That’s when things can get riskier – and for Pena and some other movie goers, it’s hard to enjoy a movie if you’re worried about catching a potentially fatal virus. For 29-year-old Portland resident Tanner McCullough, that concern makes the decision easy.
“Right now going to the movies is not just healthy, it’s immoral,” McCullough says. “Given what we see from other places [where] people get together indoors, it’s clearly just a matter of time before we break out and have potential deaths related to the movies. No movie is worth anyone’s life. ”
