No new blockbusters? How about some old ones then?

Amid the plethora of recent grim news was the closure from October 9 of Cineworld cinemas across the UK. It’s got worse since then. The closure, which includes multiplexes at Murton and Boldon, is temporary. But the chain will reportedly run out of cash by Christmas if nothing changes. It’s a similar story at Odeon; and Vue is about to partially close 21 of its 87 venues.

The person receiving much of the over-simplified blame is James Bond. His hard-earned reputation for resolving perilous situations has been compromised by the postponed release of No Time To Die, the spy’s latest 163 minutes of knacking baddies.

The problem is circular. People are eschewing cinemas due to the lack of releases. Studios aren’t releasing films while cinemas are empty. No Time To Die cost £193 million to make, so it’s obvious why they’re stalling.

Could Humphrey Bogart and Charlie Chaplin come to the rescue of our cinemas?

There’s nothing like a new blockbuster to put bums on seats. If that isn’t possible then a partial solution could be for the studios to release some old ones.

Even in this era of televisions being equal in size to the walls they occupy, there is nothing quite like seeing a film on the real big screen.

For many years Disney resisted putting out their classics on video and DVD. They would re-release them in cinemas and still make money. Why can’t they re-re-release them?

For example, have you ever watched Fantasia on a big screen? I have, many years ago and it was incredible. I later bought it on video but it just wasn’t the same.

There are films I’ve watched a dozen times I would still fancy seeing in a cinema. I’m too young to have seen, for example, Raging Bull in a picture house. There are classics I’ve never watched that I know will be better appreciated at the flicks.

Halloween is upon us so there straightaway is an opportunity to show some obvious titles. Ditto Christmas (anyone subjected to the offal shown by the Sony Christmas channel from September onward would appreciate it).

Casablanca, The Matrix, ET, George & Mildred - The Movie. They’re all much better on big screens, so why not wheel ‘em out?

Just as long as we support them.

It wouldn’t solve everything but would be, using the unofficial motto of 2020, better than nothing.