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The Return For most of my life movies have been both my passion and my refuge. No matter what troubles or concerns I had, I could go to a movie theater and they would all melt away. I could lose myself for two hours, sometimes four hours, sometimes a whole day. By the time it was done I would feel refreshed and recharged. These past few months were, to put it mildly, different. Neither I nor anyone else could go to a movie theater. I love my DVDs and the various streaming services, and have made consistent use of them. But it’s not the same. I can never immerse myself in a film at home the same way I can in a theater. There’s just something special about the lights going down, turning off my cell phone and giving myself over to what I am seeing on the big screen. Let me take a brief step back to acknowledge that missing movies in a theater pales in comparison to the hardships so many have suffered during this pandemic. The health and economic threats, the loss of life and livelihood have led to suffering that I can barely imagine. I remind myself every day that I and my wife Sarit are among the fortunate ones, and we are both grateful. Even the fact that I can bemoan losing a type of recreation illustrates my privilege. While keeping this proper perspective, there’s no denying that losing something you love for a long period of time hurts. In that frame of mind, I eagerly read the early August news that the Arlington Cinema Drafthouse was reopening. The Drafthouse is a longtime second-run movie theater, restaurant and comedy venue in northern Virginia. The DC Film Society has hosted its annual Oscars party there for many years. Sarit and I received the reopening news with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The Drafthouse was taking reasonable precautions. They would have many seats blocked off and only fill to 35% capacity. Six feet social distancing. Paper menus and no ticket booth (the tickets could be bought online or added to the checks). Masks required when moving around (not when seated). Frequent cleanings. Still, it was staying at a public indoor site for over two hours with not everyone wearing masks all the time. There was no denying the risk. In the end we convinced ourselves that since we had each recovered from COVID, and tested positive for the antibodies, that we would be OK. The truth was that we (especially me) just felt that we needed this. We went to the Drafthouse the Monday night after its opening weekend. True to their word, the theater had blocked off much of their seats. 
 The staff all wore masks while the patrons, as far as I could tell, followed the rules. During some down time I chatted with our waitress. She told me the most people the Drafthouse had for its first reopening weekend was 40 (out of a 275 capacity). The previous few months were tough for her and her colleagues, but the Drafthouse helped them with a GoFundMe page. Most of all, she just seemed happy to see the customers and to be doing her job again. After surveying the crowd, Sarit and I picked seats in an empty row. The Drafthouse seats are closer to plush desk chairs, including the wheels. Later another couple sat in our row. While they were likely six feet away, I wanted to make sure. When Sarit was in the bathroom I moved our seats further away from the other couple. Initially I did not tell this to Sarit, fearing it might worry her. When I told Sarit a few days later she laughed and confessed that she had also moved our seats away while I was in the bathroom. Fittingly, Back to the Future was the Drafthouse’s feature presentation. A nostalgic film for a nostalgic night. I felt like I was going back in time along with Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox). Back to the Future captured the optimism of the 80s. We could do anything, even improve our pasts. Neither the 80s where McFly lived nor the 50s which he visited were as bright and innocent as the film made them out to be. But that really doesn’t matter. The film’s optimism was just what the doctor ordered. The filmmakers blended the comedy and sci-fi so well that it never stops being fun. Some of the references may be dated, but everything else about the film held up. The familiar beats were comforting that night and washed through me like a tonic. So now what? Theaters across the U.S. including in northern Virginia and D.C. are slowly reopening. Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated Tenet will open in theaters on September 3. During this pandemic I had always maintained that all of us should listen to the scientists. Safety first, err on the side of caution, and any other related clichés. To the best of my knowledge most public health experts are still saying that, even with precautions, going to movie theaters is unwise and dangerous. Will other theaters be as responsible as the Drafthouse? AMC, Regal and other theater chains are saying all of the right things, but we really don’t know for sure. Still, restaurants and houses of worship have opened. Are either of those safer than a movie theater? Many questions with few answers. This is the quintessential head vs. heart debate. What I do know is how everything seemed right with the world that night at the Drafthouse. For those two hours I immersed myself in a classic film. For those two hours, I experienced emotions that I hadn’t felt for a long time. For those two hours, I was home. Note: The September 21 Cinema Lounge topic is “Are We Ready to Return to Movie Theaters?” It will be on Zoom at 7pm. If you’re interested, please e-mail me. Adam Spector September 1, 2020 Contact us: |
