The Unlocking Of Cinemas

I love going to the cinema. Hell I write two Blogs about films and also write reviews for a horror website. As I've said before, I've been going consistently since 1987. Since cinemas closed back in March, this is the longest I have gone without cinema trips since then. I've got the shakes, I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms!

With the announcement that cinemas were going to reopen in July, I was looking forward to it, but if I'm honest a little wary too. How was it going to work? What rules would they have in place? But perhaps the biggest question is, what films will they show?

Since the closing of cinemas, it's something studios and cinemas have been coming to terms with. Most of the big studio films, the ones that dominate during the summer months have been delayed until later in the year, or in some cases until next year. Halloween Kills for example, due in October 2020 has been pushed back a whole year.

The film that most are talking about at the moment is Tenet, the new Christopher Nolan film. When cinemas were reopened, it appeared that it was the potential first big film to hit cinemas. But, like others, it's been pushed back.

As a consequence of the, perhaps understandable, nervousness of studios to release films, cinemas are having to rely on showing older films, to try and bring audiences back. There was a news report that said that The Empire Strikes Back was the number one film in the US at the moment, a film made back in 1980.

To be fair, some smaller films have crept into cinemas. A film called Black Water: Abyss is getting some screenings at the moment, possibly likely before a quick release to a streaming company or a DVD/Blu-Ray release. In some ways, this nervousness might be an advantage to the smaller companies and smaller films to get seen in cinemas, instead of being pushed out by bit studio films.

For a film fan and also for cinema chains, this lack of new films is an issue. Yes, you can perhaps see a film like Black Water: Abyss, or The Empire Strikes Back, but I know there will be many cinema fans nervous at returning to the cinema at the moment, understandably so. This has led to online disagreements between people who either want to return to cinemas to support them with those currently uneasy over returning. Personally, these disagreements need to stop. Each has valid points to make and in the end, it will be up to each person to decide on what they want to do. There is no right or wrong answer on this for fans.

But I have to say, I don't think studios are helping in the situation. Yes, cinemas are reducing audience numbers for social distancing reasons, but I think studios need to help more.

Which is why I think that they they should take the hit and release some of those delayed films, box office be damned.

I can hear the cries now, 'are you insane?' Probably. But I think a studio needs to be accept that for this year at least cinemas will be wary places to go and despite their best efforts, cinema chains can't survive just on older films. They need new ones, ones that might bring people into cinemas. It may not need to be the multi-million dollar epics we associate with the summer, but surely they have smaller films they can release into cinemas, if only to help out both cinemas and audiences.

I love seeing older films in a cinema, even if I actually own them on DVD or Blu-Ray. I just love the cinema experience. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to see every older film that is getting pushed into cinemas at the moment. When my local cinemas do open, I'll see what's on and I will choose accordingly. I'll try to support my local cinemas as best I can, but that doesn't mean I'll see everything, it's likely after all there will be films I don't like or want to see. But if studios were to throw in some new films, like the company behind Black Water: Abyss did, I would certainly try and see them.

Going back to Tenet, Christopher Nolan has been getting a bit of stick, for his stubbornness in wanting to release the film into cinemas. He wants it out there for audiences to see. Warner Bros, the company behind it, appear nervous about that.

From their point of view, I can understand it. The film has a reported budget of approximately $200 million. I've seen online suggestions it will need to make around $800 million to break even. With the current lockdown measures in place, I doubt it would make close to that figure.

But Nolan, I think rightly, isn't thinking about that. A critic can point to the fact it's not his money and it's a valid point. But what I think Nolan understands, is that if they want to get audiences back into cinemas, they, the studios, need to give them new films. Yes from a box office point of view this will likely mean losses, certainly for this year, but these films will keep cinemas alive at a time when they are under threat. As I said, older films can only take them so far. It's the new films that are like the lifeblood they need. Without them, there is perhaps the danger cinemas will go under.

Some have claimed that Nolan wants to be the saviour of cinema, with his determination to get Tenet out in cinemas. Personally, I don't think he does. But I think he is on the right lines.