The Closing of Movie Theatres is a Horrible Thing
As we all know, the world is a crazy place right now. People aren’t exactly keen on leaving their homes, and for good reason. However, this has had negative effects on many different industries, but one of the biggest ones has been the entertainment industry. Movie theatres around the globe are closing, many films are being released on VOD (Video On Demand) or delayed for another year, and many are wondering what to do about it.
Recently, Regal Cinemas announced that they are closing all of their locations around the U.S. This has led many to wonder if more theatre chains are just as likely to close. I’ve personally heard a lot of speculation about our local AMC theatre, which worries me.
I definitly have a bias toward theatres. I’m a huge fan of film, and watching films in a cinema is one of my favorite things to do, especially with friends, but I still think that this affects more than just me.
The closing of theatres will obviously affect jobs, and Hollywood, but it will likely also affect the way films are made, and how we watch them. If theatres close in mass, we will only have two options on how we watch new releases: drive-ins (which are growing in popularity again due to social distancing guidelines related to COVID-19), and video on demand (VOD). But the issue with VOD is that most films that have been released for rent cost around $30 to watch, whereas a normal movie ticket is around $8. The steep price difference is not exactly easy to justify.
The effects the closings will carry are astronomical. People will lose their jobs. Small towns with limited activities will likely suffer from one less thing to do, and films will likely not make as much money, which in turn will possibly lead to less effort going into films.
Another thing that is bothersome is how some directors will react. Many directors make their films to be played in cinemas, and if that experience goes away, home media will not exactly be a proper replacement. Very few people have sound systems that are anywhere similar to ones in theaters, and even less have screens the size of those in cinemas.
Of course, this isn’t the end of the world; we do have more pressing matters in our day-to-day lives, but as a huge fan of going to the movies, it does make me feel a little sad that it might go away soon. Of course, drive-ins are still a thing, and those are still a lot of fun. So there’s a bit of a silver lining there, but overall I think that the possibility of theatres disappearing around the globe is a sad and negative consequence of our current state in the world right now.