AMC Theaters, Regal Cinemas, and Cinemark have closed locations across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic, but don’t shed a tear for not being able to see Trolls World Tour in IMAX. Save it for your local independent theater, which was already in a precarious protection, having to fight off the chains and at-home streaming services, before the entertainment industry as a whole shut down. As one indie theater owner told Vulture, “I’ve been in the business all my life. The earthquake in California in ’94 was pretty bad. The [1993] riots in California, that was pretty bad. You had [September 11, 2001], that was pretty bad for movie theaters. But this is probably the biggest challenge.”
What can a fan of art-house cinema do in these trying times? Buy a gift card.
Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and Baby Driver (it’s hard to not just list all his quality films) director Edgar Wright wrote about the “importance of saving the big screen experience” for Empire magazine. One suggestion: “Become a member of your favorite cinema. After you’ve read this, why not buy a membership for yourself, or for someone close to you. Buy some gift cards. Donate where you can. Consider, if you can afford to, not asking for your unlimited subscription to be refunded.”
Wright admitted memberships are a luxury that not everyone can afford, but “for those who can, think of the many hard-working staff at your favorite cinemas who may have just lost their jobs. This might help ensure they have a place of work to return to.”
You can read the whole thing here.
(Via Empire)
