It’s still too soon for indoor movies

By Marcos Perales | Big Stick Editor |

We as people trapped in quarantine miss a lot of things out there in the outside world. Places like comic book shops and music stores are still open and that’s fantastic.  It can be argued that we need entertainment now more than ever. We have some forms of entertainment at home, but it’s really not the same as going out for fun. What form of entertainment involves people sitting on a couch, eating snacks, and minimal talking? Movies.

Movie trailers are getting the world hyped, and in some cases relief that we’re getting a piece of normality or “the past life.” This is after the fact that many productions have announced that filming and the release dates have been delayed almost half a year. What got to me was the sight of a dearly missed word: theaters. Instead we see “Currently in production,” “coming soon,” or “stream at home,” such as the new movie “Mulan” that will be available on Disney+. These are the new displays of words on our screens at home ever since the dawn of the current pandemic. Long have I waited to see a trailer say that the movie is going to be in theaters. Now we’re getting somewhere. Are we really getting somewhere though?

There have been ups and downs while we all have been in quarantine. One apparent good thing was opening businesses back up. Nobody thought they would open up for months. Not much later, it was revealed that the authorities spoke too soon, that COVID-19 wasn’t done just yet. Businesses shut down again, and the cases have gone up and down since. There were limits in place for essential businesses like grocery stores; now imagine a place for entertainment. Imagine a place where groups of more than 10 people are gathered in the same place for two or more hours, instead of going in and out for consumer goods. 

“The Batman” that is supposed to hit theaters on Oct. 1 2021, has now shut down because Robert Pattinson who has been cast as the new Batman has tested positive for coronavirus this past week. Movie sets not being secure should send a message to the rest of us. I’m really skeptical about the opening of one of the most beloved locations in human history. Hopefully officials and authorities have learned from their very early mistakes. They should at least try to make movie theaters somewhat coronavirus proof. That is a strong point that movie theaters such as EVO, Alamo Drafthouse, Regal Cinemas open, and Santikos Theater just opened last Friday.

Even though we are desperate for some sort of normality, my opinion is that we have to keep waiting before we can return to watch some of the most anticipated movies on the big screen. It would be a lot better for people to go to movie theaters to enjoy themselves instead of walking through those doors with the fear of getting sick. Meanwhile, drive-in movies are making a comeback and have been organized by EVO Entertainment. They really don’t want people to go months without entertainment. However, a trip to watch a movie along with a big audience at a real theater after the coronavirus is contained would be a reminder that we as a whole made it through the hard part and that there is finally some relief.