Movie theaters reopening with new virus rules
After being shut down for months amid COVID-19, the AMC Loews theater at The Waterfront in West Homestead reopened Thursday with limited seating, sold-out shows and 15cent tickets, mimicking prices paid near the end of the nation’s last pandemic.
The reopening — one of about 100 AMC theaters in the country to open Thursday — marked the first wave of theater chains welcoming guests back after months of closures as the entertainment company gears up to screen the release of two new movies in the next few weeks.
On Friday, several Cinemark theaters in the region — including ones in Monroeville, Robinson, McCandless and Monaca — are scheduled to reopen, according to that company’s website.
Like many of the independent theaters in the region, AMC is initially relying on old movies to bring back its customers. Since the pandemic hit in March, many highly anticipated summer blockbusters haven’t come from Hollywood as public health concerns pushed back production and release dates. In the extended intermission, some local theaters have been screening old favorites like “Jaws” and “Back to the Future” at the discounted price of $5 a ticket.
AMC’s one-day very-very-very-low-price promotion
worked to fill its Waterfront seats — at least at the muchreduced occupancy levels now being set. That made some fans happy, but left others out in the summer sun.
“It’s about time,” said Christie Johnson, who traveled from Greensburg with her son and some friends to see “Jumanji: The Next Level.”
Ms. Johnson, 50, said she had gone out to eat a few times throughout the pandemic but always checked to make sure the places were following the right safety protocols.
In one instance, she drove to Ohio for a festival but was prepared the whole time to turn around again if there were too many cars in the parking lot.
At the theater on Thursday, she was pleased AMC was taking extra cleaning precautions and blocking off some seats so that her group wouldn’t have to sit next to strangers.
Responding to social distancing guidelines and other protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, AMC has said it will cap theater capacity at 40%. In auditoriums that allow reserved seating, the computer system will automatically block off surrounding seats to help keep moviegoers at least 6 feet apart.
In some auditoriums, the ones that don’t have “signature” seating allowing for extra leg room for audience members, every other row will also be blocked off.
“As you begin to enjoy our theaters once again, on behalf of AMC associates everywhere, we are absolutely thrilled to welcome you back to the movies,” president and CEO of AMC Entertainment Adam Aron said in a prepared video ahead of the openings.
“As we reopen, we recognize the world has changed. As a result, the health and safety of our movie theater guests and movie theater staff is our absolute highest priority.”
Masks are required before, during and after the movie, AMC says on its website, “but may be removed while enjoying food and drinks.”
The theaters are also planning to sell masks for $1.
On opening day at The Waterfront, the fare was mostly older films, from “Black Panther” and the latest “Beauty and the Beast” to “Ghostbusters,” “Grease,” “The Goonies” and “Back to the Future.” As a nod to the company’s 100th anniversary, AMC sold tickets for 15 cents, coining the slogan “movies in 2020 at 1920 prices.”
The company, which has 1,000 theaters and 11,000 screens across the globe, plans to open 300 more locations leading up to the release of two new films: Disney’s “The New Mutants” on Aug. 28 and Warner Bros.’ “Tenet” on Sept. 3.
In the Pittsburgh area, The Waterfront site is the only one in the AMC franchise to open Thursday.
AMC Classic South Hills Village and AMC Classic Mt. Lebanon are scheduled to open Sept. 3.
Of the company’s 29 theaters in Pennsylvania, five were open on Thursday, nine are set to open Aug. 27, 12 are scheduled to open Sept. 3 and three do not yet have a scheduled reopening date.
Boyfriend and girlfriend Nikolas Johnson, 18, and Melanie Schumar, 17, traveled about an hour to get to the theater Thursday. The couple, who are from Grindstone and Republic, both in
Fayette County, said the movie theaters weren’t yet open near them and they couldn’t pass up the 15-cent deal.
Before the pandemic, Nancy Yodan, 59, of McKeesport, had been coming to the theater in The Waterfront every few weeks since 2008. It was a great “way to get your cool down from work,” she said. And she would always make a day of it with shopping and a meal at the concession stand. (She recommended the theater’s chicken and waffles.)
Over the years, she has collected two containers full of ticket stubs.
Now, on the theater’s reopening day, she came with a friend to see “Bloodshot,” a superhero movie starring Vin Diesel that was released earlier this year. “I’m glad I’m back. It feels like getting back to normal,” Ms. Yodan said.
But opening day didn’t go off without a hitch.
Chrystal Owens and about 15 family members were planning to see “Black Panther” and maybe a few other movies to take advantage of the 15-cent offering, but were turned away when they got to the door. All the tickets had already been sold online.
Ms. Owens, 39, of Braddock, said advertising and marketing materials for the day didn’t specify that people should order tickets online, and she was disappointed the theater didn’t do more to honor the discount for those who showed up.
Another woman, who asked not to be identified, ran into the same problem. She doesn’t have internet at home and, after taking two buses from Bellevue, was turned away at the door. She was able to secure a ticket for a showing the next day, but she’ll have to pay more than 15 cents.
The outing was one of the first Ms. Owens’ family had planned since the pandemic shut down movie theaters, restaurants and most other businesses with in-person operations.
“We were excited, we got ready, I got people coming from Duquesne. We were all going to meet up, it was going to be a whole to-do,” Ms. Owens said. “Unfortunately, we missed out.”
With their afternoon suddenly open, one of the kids suggested a trip to Dave & Buster’s instead.