Today is the day. If you live in Michigan, today is the first day since March that you are able to watch a movie in a theater.
It has been about 200 days since theaters closed in Michigan, although those in the northern part of the state were allowed to reopen in June. Few things have looked more depressing than the empty parking lot of our local AMC over the spring and summer, and I can’t imagine how independent theater owners have been able to survive.
In “regular times,” I go to the movies at least once a week, either for press screenings or just to get out of the house for a few hours. Finishing my graduate thesis required me to put that on hold, so I actually didn’t see a movie in theaters at all in January. On February 22, I took my son to see Sonic the Hedgehog; almost exactly one month later, theaters were closed.
I miss going to the movies terribly. I miss almost everything about it. Walking through a lobby, greeted by posters for coming attractions. The smell of popcorn as I wait in line at the concession stand. Sitting with friends, whispering “that looks awesome” after a particularly great trailer. The lights dimming, closing off the real world and ushering me into a dream one. The way light washes across our faces and the sound reverberates off the walls. The sound of an entire theater belly laughing, the exhilaration of seeing something so badass you just have to applaud, and being reduced to sobs in a crowd of strangers. I miss seeing a crowd-pleaser and leaving on a high. I miss seeing a masterpiece and being unable to leave my seat because I’m too gob-smacked. Heck, I miss seeing an awful movie and laughing about it with my friends afterward. I miss the movies.
I wrote a few weeks ago about why I wouldn’t be returning to theaters when they eventually reopened. And as tempting as it sounds, I won’t be heading out this weekend. At the earliest, if cases in Michigan appear to be under control, I might head out to an early morning show in November. We’ll see. Maybe I won’t even have that choice. Because the act of moviegoing is still up in the air these days.
First off, what would I even see? Nearly every big release has been pushed back to 2021, with the latest James Bond movie, No Time To Die, being the most major one to be delayed, followed almost immediately by Dune and most of Warner Brothers’ slate (Wonder Woman ‘84 is hanging onto its Christmas Day release for now). Just last night, Pixar’s Soul was just announced to be a Disney+ release on Dec. 25.
The movies that are hitting theaters are most often being released only to come to streaming shortly after. This week, I reviewed Sofia Coppola’s reunion with Bill Murray, On the Rocks. It opens at a few local theaters this weekend, but it will also be available on Apple TV+ on Oct. 23. Likewise, next week I’ll have a review of Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, which also hits theaters today but will be on Netflix next Friday. Both movies are worth watching, but I don’t know what incentive viewers have to pay to see a movie that will be available on a service they already pay for in just a few weeks. I suppose The War With Grandpa is a theatrical-only release, but I wouldn’t encourage anyone to rush out to see it.
That’s only going to continue, by the way. As soon as Universal put Trolls World Tour and several of its other films available online early in the pandemic, followed really closely after by Disney putting Onward onto Disney+, the dam was broken. It’s regular practice now that many films receive a day-and-date release in theaters and on VOD or streaming, and I don’t see that changing once the pandemic ends. Nor do I necessarily want it to. I think Bill and Ted Face the Music would have been a curio item had it been only a theatrical release, and likely lost in the summer movie schedule; instead, it might be one of the year’s most pleasant surprises. Many people don’t want to pay extra to see a movie that will work just as well on the small screen; I suspect that more people will give On the Rocks a chance at home, where the idea of watching Bill Murray booze around in New York might be more appealing on a service that only costs $5/month. In the end, I think most independent films and many low- to mid-budget studio films will see this kind of release, and I imagine that will be good for many of them, giving viewers multiple ways to choose to see them. While part of me is saddened to think about a multiplex only dominated by action movies and superhero spectacles, I’m also for whatever gives artists a chance to reach audiences, and I think this has been a longtime coming.
But in COVID-time especially, this makes sense. Going to the theater simply requires clearing too many mental obstacles. Do I want to see the movie? Is it a movie that will be enhanced on the big screen? Is it going to show up soon on a service I’m already paying for? And does the experience seem so good that I’m willing to risk my health for it?
Right now, there’s nearly nothing that fits all those bills. Most big studio releases are pushed back, and as much as I have enjoyed many films to receive a streaming or VOD release this year, I can’t think of one that would be enhanced by being in a theater, particularly one half-filled. There are older movies being shown, sure; if you know when to go, you could have seen Jurassic Park, Jaws, The Goonies and more in theaters this summer, and I’m sure that will continue. And I think that when I do go back, it might be for one of those movies; Jurassic Park always plays well on the big screen. Back to the Future plays like gangbusters with a crowd. But am I willing to risk my health for a movie I can watch anytime at home? And even if it is safe, seeing it in a theater playing to 25% capacity is not the same as a sold-out show with a thrilled audience, and we’re nowhere near that happening.
The only movie that right now has me tempted is Tenet. I like Chris Nolan’s movies; several of them, I love. I think his last film, Dunkirk, is his best work. And before the pandemic hit, Tenet was on my must-see list. But its reviews have been lackluster; I’ve seen more critics discussing Bill & Ted than raving about Tenet. And I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again: When I think about what’s missing from the theatrical experience, it’s not necessarily big scale and heady concepts. It’s humanity, humor and warmth. And Christopher Nolan isn’t a filmmaker who gives me those things. I don’t really feel convinced that there’s nothing in Tenet that won’t work as well on HBO Max in a few months.
That said, I also am well aware that these are precarious times for theaters. Regal Cinemas is closing its theaters in the U.S., due not only to the threat of COVID-19 but also to lackluster box office. AMC Theaters and Cinemark have said they’re staying open, but AMC’s outlook isn’t that great. And I don’t want theaters to close; I want the movie industry to thrive. And so, if you feel safe going to a movie, I’m not going to argue with you. Go, wear a mask and be responsible.
But can I make a request?
Yes, AMC and Cinemark are the biggest names in the game. And that’s where you’re going to see the latest blockbusters. But the people really hurting through all of this are independent theater owners. They don’t have the insurance and backing that the major corporations have. And they’re the ones that are going to be most likely to have to close in the coming year. Which is a shame, because theaters are often more likely to run by true cinema fans. You won’t see a Marvel film at Cinema Detroit, but I guarantee every single weekend you have the choice of seeing something new and exciting because the people who run that theater are film lovers to the core. The Maple Theater in Bloomfield Hills is one of the few places where I feel like watching a movie is still a high-class event. The Detroit Film Theater at the Detroit Institute of Arts is a bastion of quality cinema. And the Michigan and State theaters in Ann Arbor are two of the most exciting places in one of Michigan’s most exciting cities. At these theaters this weekend, might not see Tenet, but you will have a choice of films including On the Rocks, The Trial of the Chicago 7 and The Personal History of David Copperfield. If you go see a movie, please support one of these local independent theaters (note: I don’t believe The Detroit Film Theatre or Cinema Detroit have reopened yet).
Are you going to a movie this weekend? What are you seeing? When do you think you’ll head back? Comment!
The Digest
Where you can find my work (links in titles).
On the Rocks review: Bill Murray is a national treasure and Sofia Coppola is one of our most interesting directors. Their reunion, On the Rocks, lacks the introspective tone of Lost in Translation, but it does capture the boozy, subtle hangout vibe of their Netflix Christmas special (which I quite like). Rashida Jones is very good here and Murray’s more charming than he’s been in a long time. It’s an enjoyable lark.
The War With Grandpa review: This movie is exactly what you think it’s going to be. If you like watching kids cracking wise and old people falling down, you’ll get plenty of that here.
We’re Watching Here: The latest episode of the movie podcast I co-host with Perry Seibert is kind of a tossed-off episode. Perry and I had another subject that just wasn’t feeling right, so at the last minute we decided to do another loose episode about things we’d been watching. It’s fun. We talk about some old films and some new ones. It’s a good episode, especially considering we decided on it literally 10 seconds before we started recording.
Chrisicisms
Things I’ve been enjoying lately (links in title where applicable).
The Tobolowsky Files podcast: After three years, one of the most enjoyable and thoughtful podcasts returns. Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is one of our great character actors, best-known of course for his work in Groundhog Day. But he’s also a gifted monologist and storyteller, and the podcast he’s put together with David Chen is a collection of great and sometimes powerful stories, ranging from anecdotes from the stage to health concerns to love stories. The show ended three years ago, but apparently Tobolowsky had more in him. That’s great; I’m excited to hear them.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror (Seasons 2-6)
As I said last week, my goal this Halloween season is to make it through all of The Simpsons’ 30 Halloween specials on Disney+. I burned through the first five, which wasn’t hard because they are all part of one of the greatest runs a television show has ever had (I’d put the first 10 seasons of The Simpsons up there as the best TV ever). Some highlights:
Treehouse of Horror: This one was just called “The Simpsons Halloween Special,” but as far as I know, it’s actually the only one to use the treehouse framing device. It’s a bit softer and less energetic than later seasons, but there’s some funny stuff. “Bad Dream House” gets surprisingly dark for a family sitcom, and I think the show’s version of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven” might be the best telling of the tale I’ve heard (Bart’s petulant “nevermore” always makes me laugh). But my favorite gag is a tombstone for ‘Casper the Friendly Boy” in the show’s opening credits.
Treehouse of Horror II: Fun fact: The only Halloween special not to have titles for each of its segments. The throughline is that all of the Simpsons have nightmares from eating too much candy. The stories are fine, and there’s some funny stuff with the Monkey’s Paw and Bart doing a “Twilight Zone” riff as an all-powerful kid (nicknaming America “Bonerland” still makes me chuckle). But these are largely disposable.
Treehouse of Horror III: One of the greats. Every story here is great, from the Krusty doll trying to kill Homer to the “King Kong” parody to the Zombie story that closes it out. Every segment here has at least one classic line, whether it’s “The doll’s trying to kill me and the toaster’s been laughing at me,” “I think women and seamen don’t mix,” or “That was a zombie?” This is classic Simpsons.
Treehouse of Horror IV: Another great one. I love Ned Flanders as the Devil almost as much as I love Homer drooling “forbidden donut.” “Nightmare at 5 ½ Feet” is a classic “Twilight Zone” parody with some solid sight gags. And The Simpsons does one of its all-time movie parodies with “Bart Simpson’s Dracula,” which sets the standard for its visual parodies and is also just so smartly written (“Lisa, Bart is a vampire, beer kills brain cells. Now let’s go back to that...building...thingy...where our beds and TV...is.”)
Treehouse of Horror V: Possibly the best of the “Treehouse of Horrors”? There’s a lot of competition, but how can you top “The Shinning,” one of the great movie parodies? “Time and Punishment” is a really silly riff on “A Sound of Thunder.” And “Nightmare Cafeteria” is a really demented little theme that gets funnier the darker it goes (“you might say we ate Uter and he’s in our stomachs right now….wait, scratch that.”). Even non-Simpsons devotees know this one.
Night Shift by Stephen King: Usually every October, I like to read a scary novel. And to go along with some viewing I’m going to do this month, I did recently download George Romero’s novel The Living Dead. But I’m also reading King’s first short story collection. I read it when I was much too young and it kept me up. After Skeleton Crew, I’m curious how this one stacks up
Stories so far:
“Jerusalem’s Lot”: As you’d guess from the title, it’s a prequel to his novel Salem’s Lot. It’s basically King’s stab at Dracula. Told in epistolary form, it’s the story of a man who inherits a large old house in New England in the 1800s, but soon discovers the bumps behind his walls are not just giant rats. This one is a really solid, creepy story. King exquisitely builds up the tension and dread, and while Bram Stoker is the obvious touchstone, there’s a lot of Lovecraft in this one, too (there’s a lot of Lovecraft in King’s work in general). The 50 pages fly by. In particular, there’s a visit to an abandoned village that is one of the most suspenseful pieces King’s crafted, and a moment in the home’s cellar that peaks in a moment of stark terror. This is a good one.
“Graveyard Shift”: I don’t much like rats, so this one has stuck with me since that ill-fated reading decades ago. This is the story of a group of men who take on night work in the basement of a mill. Their boss is a blowhard, it’s stifling hot, and there are thousands of enormous rats. That’s about it, but it’s effective. The final passages are pure monster movie material.
“Night Surf”: Fairly uneventful. It’s a creepy if aimless story about a group of young people whiling away their time while a virus ravages the land. It captures a genuine feeling of dread, and the description of the way the group treats a passerby is chilling. But it’s also fronted by an unlikeable character, constantly shifting back to his ridicule of a girl who has a crush on him. It doesn’t much go anywhere, and I don’t think it’s super unsettling. But King’s a master of tone, and he does capture apocalyptic malaise very well. Most notable as being an early attempt at him wrestling with ideas that eventually became The Stand.
And that’s it for this week! There’s some good reviews coming up next week, and I’m enjoying these Halloween revisits! Can’t wait for more to come!
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