A movie to distract from the real world
I went to a theatre on opening day — and then somebody coughed
VANCOUVER— Minutes before showtime inside Auditorium 1 at Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Vancouver, it happened. Awoman at the end of my row coughed.
I turned to my right. OK, good, she’s masked. So was I.
Surveying the roughly 18 others seated in the auditorium, I realized no one else was.
For a fleeting moment early Friday afternoon, I wondered if I’d made the right decision to volunteer for this assignment: documenting the first day of the reopening of theatres across much of Canada.
But as I scanned the quiet, cavernous theatre, I detected no hint of pandemic-related nerves. A few moviegoers chomped on their popcorn. Others played on their phones. Among those taking in a movie were friends Martine Dubuc and Alison Wald from Squamish, B.C., who were looking to make a day of it in the big city and reclaim a bit of normalcy.
“I miss seeing movies,” Wald told me.
“It just felt good to get out of town,” Dubuc added.
It was that sort of attitude that Cineplex was banking on as it reopened theatres not only in British Columbia, but in Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador. The Landmark Cinemas chain of theatres also reopened doors Friday in B.C. and Saskatchewan. Both chains had reopened some theatres in Alberta a week ago.
It’s been a turbulent few months for the industry, questions swirling about whether theatre chains could survive an extended shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In its first quarter this year, Cineplex reported a net loss of $178.4 million. Revenue fell to $282.8 million from $364.6 million, while attendance plunged to 10.7 million from nearly 15 million a year ago.
In an attempt to woo customers back, both chains are offering discounted tickets and have introduced “enhanced cleaning protocols” along with social distancing measures.
Toronto-based Cineplex says seating capacity has been reduced by 60 to 80 per cent, depending on location, to ensure proper physical distancing. Between showtimes, the auditorium seats and handrails are “wiped down with industrialgrade cleaning products.”
Concession stand offerings have been pared down to popcorn and a few other items.
True to billing, the moment I walked through the front doors
Friday, a masked employee was ready, waiting to wipe down door handles. After I presented my e-ticket on my phone, I took the escalator to the concession stand where I paid for a soda from another masked employee standing behind Plexiglas.
The only surface I touched was the screen of the soda dispenser. But there were hand sanitizing stations everywhere.
Those of us in Auditorium 1 were spread comfortably throughout the theatre.
Landmark, which is based in Calgary, has adopted similar safety and cleaning measures, though its CEO, Bill Walker, says they disinfect their auditorium seats by spraying a fine mist over them — a process known as “fogging.”
“It’s odourless and biodegradable,” he says. A “hygiene officer” is deployed every shift to ensure cleaning is up to snuff, the company says. While employees at both chains are requiring staff to wear masks, guests are only “encouraged” or “welcome” to wear them. That did weigh on me before I stepped into the theatre. In an interview last month with culture and entertainment website Vulture, Dr. Robert Lahita, a professor of medicine at New York Medical College, said: “You know how the air is in a theatre: It’s not circulated very well. If you don’t wear a mask, you take your chances.”
Fortunately, Friday’s 12:15 p.m. showing of the slick psychological horror film “The Invisible Man” — filled with creaking floors and what’s-around-thecorner dread — proved to be the perfect escapist antidote to my pandemic worries.
Neither Landmark nor Cineplex would say what kind of guest turnout they’d had in the past week in Alberta other than to say they were “pleased” or “pleasantly surprised.”
“I think there’s a lot of pent-up demand to get out and do something,” Walker said.
For now, patrons will have to settle for older movies (Cineplex says “Bloodshot” and “The
Invisible Man” were the most popular titles this past week in Alberta, while “Trolls World Tour” and “Jurassic Park” were big hits at Landmark Cinemas).
Hollywood has slated new releases for later this summer, but the timing is uncertain.
“I think specialized films will go first. Cult movies or art films, or things you wouldn’t expect to be sold out or be disappointed by a sparse, one-third full theatre,” said Paul Moore, a sociology professor at Ryerson University who studies the history of movie-going.
Big blockbusters will likely be delayed in hopes of reaching sold-out crowds, he said.
Moore said those predicting that coronavirus will spell the demise of movie theatres may be jumping the gun.
“That sense of going out, anticipating a blockbuster movie or well-reviewed film with a group of people, that’s a priceless social experience,” he said.
But when I ask how eager he is to get back into the theatre, he admits a bit of apprehension.
“In my imagination, I’d love to see a summer blockbuster with a sold-out crowd on opening day, but whenever I get a little too close to strangers at the grocery or on the sidewalk, I’m instantly aware that I just couldn’t sit through a movie with strangers right now, no matter how clean the theatre was.
“As for distancing the audience, it may as well be streaming at home if I’m basically seeing it on my own and not enjoying it together with others.”
While I’m generally not a fan of the horror genre, I enjoyed my two-hour distraction on Friday afternoon.
Mind you, I’m not sure I’m in a rush to return. These days, the real world seems scary enough.