The future of the cinema…drive-ins?

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The future of the cinema…drive-ins?

Sat, 11/28/2020 - 15:17
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The AMC Classic in Ponca City has closed its door and it is far from the first or even the only theater likely to do so in the face of COVID-19. Large gatherings of people only serve to act as super spreader events for the highly contagious virus and many industries have had to adapt to ensure the health and safety of their patrons.

I love watching movies in the theater. The cinematic experience is a lot of fun and it makes movie watching feel like an event. It is something that I loved to do with friends and family, and I cherish those after-movie talks about our impressions of the film or talking about how this or that scene was incredible. But until we have a vaccine, until we have a handle on this virus, the multiplex experience is just far too risky.

That said, however, there may be one way to revitalize the cinematic experience in a safe manner: the return of the drive-in theater.

Drive-in theaters across the country have seen a resurgence in popularity and numbers thanks to the experience offering a safe viewing environment and the ability to maximize social distancing.

Besides the obvious COVID-19 prevention elements, there are other ways in which a drive-in movie is better than the classic style of theaters.

For starters, many driveins charge by the car versus by the person. Movies for large groups, particularly families, could sometimes be paying as much as $9 to $12 for a single person and in a large enough family, that adds up fast.

Drive-ins also mean an environment that new parents could still see a movie while not needing to hire a babysitter or disturbing other moviegoers.

And to speak to distractions, there is no longer a worry about someone in a theater forgetting to turn off their phone or worse still, pulling out their phone during a movie (this one is a real pet-peeve of mine).

I don’t have a crystal ball, and I do sincerely hope we can have safe viewing experiences for movies.

Will drive-ins become a new norm?

Maybe.

Only time can really tell. Until a safe, reliable and tested vaccine is made, drive-ins seem to be the safest route to take. I hope we can go to the cinema again sooner or later, but until then, I think any options that ensure the safety of myself, my family, my friends and everyone else are worth taking a look at.