Movie theatres are open at half capacity, but ‘normal’ still out of reach
KITCHENER — Sitting in a darkened movie theatre two days after Ontario cinemas were given the green light to reopen, I feel like I’ve time travelled back to February 2020, pre-COVID, when screens were big, seats were plush and Imax sound blasted from every speaker with the blunt force of a charging rhino.
“Black Widow” is the movie, the 24th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a special effects blockbuster that casts Scarlett Johansson as an estranged Russian superspy who — with her fake superspy family — runs through walls of fire, guns blazing, as things explode around her.
Because I’ve missed the first 23 instalments, I’m at something of a loss as I settle into my bouncy Imax seat at
Kitchener’s Landmark Cinemas to watch this whack-amole Avengers origin story that’s the cinematic equivalent of an amusement park thrill ride.
But it doesn’t matter. After 16 months of cinema closures — with a tepid fourmonth reopening last July that leaned heavily on recycled movies — theatres are back, people around me are munching on giant buckets of popcorn and, in a bold departure from watching Netflix, I’m not distracted by the hum of a dishwasher in the kitchen.
“I miss the theatre and the whole experience of getting popcorn,” agrees Katelyn Bradfield of Cambridge, who says that after months of tinny TV sound, she was blown away by IMAX’s astounding wall of thunder.
“It was so loud. But it makes the whole experience more exciting.”
In the corner, two middleaged dudes who qualify as film buffs have made the trip from Guelph to watch this portentous 134-minute special effects smackdown with no regrets.
“It’s just so much more immersive,” insists Andrew Seagram, for whom Marvel superhero flicks are a guilty pleasure. “I just like being in a theatre. It’s my respite from life.”
“They did a thorough job of making us feel safe,” adds his pal, Tom Klein Beernink, who had a good time attending a movie he jokingly calls “ridiculous.”
Twenty-year-old Tito Duarte, pumped for the thrill of cinematic overkill, agrees: “I feel like I’m getting a sense of being normal again!”
It’s not normal, of course, because while COVID has retreated, it hasn’t disappeared.
Almost 40 per cent of Ontario’s adult population is not fully vaccinated.
Masking and distancing rules are still in effect. Directional arrows line the floor. Seats are by reservation, with a push to purchase tickets online.
And after being shuttered for eight months, theatres such as Kitchener’s Landmark are operating at half capacity, which — once you account for social distancing and the empty seats that entails — adds up to less than that.
“It will take several months before we’re back to normal,” predicts Landmark CEO Bill Walker, noting that while it’s summer blockbuster season, with everything suddenly reopening, people have a lot of options.
“There’s a lot of things they’ll be doing. There’s pent up demand for restaurants and patios. Movies are back in that mix.”
But people will need to be coaxed back gradually, with a steady string of new releases — not the movie retreads of last summer — and the confidence that comes with increased vaccination rates.
“The vaccine program has made all the difference,” agrees Princess Twin owner John Tutt, noting his theatre enjoyed two sold out shows on the weekend at the mandated 50 per cent capacity.
“With an emphasis on promoting a fully vaccinated community, the prognosis is good!”
It’s more complex for big multiplex chains that depend on big movies and big crowds to hold their own, economically.
“It doesn’t happen overnight,” insists Landmark’s Walker.
“There’s not a switch you can turn on. The problem comes with the Delta variant and vaccination rates. If the U.S. goes sideways (now happening in red state pockets), the movie studios may hit the pause button on new releases.”
After the pandemic’s many starts and stops, moviegoers understand this uncertainty and have tempered their optimism accordingly.
“It just feels like life is never gonna really go back to normal,” says Brooke Lambkin, nonetheless excited to be celebrating her 18th birthday with an Imax screening of “Black Widow.”
“Watching Netflix in a room all day gets boring after two years. I’m so tired of being cooped up in the house. This adds a different element.”
Standing in the near deserted lobby of Landmark Kitchener with her date, they glance at the empty snack counter.
“Before it was so loud and there were lineups around back,“points out Tapiwa Kandoje. “This feels very ‘COVIDY.’ ”