Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 7/14/2020
PIONEER VALLEY – With Gov. Charlie Baker’s Phase 3 guidelines, “small” movie theaters are allowed to open, but two local independent theaters have no immediate plans to open and the larger chain theaters have not announced their intent.
Complicating the situation is the fact that the major studios are changing release dates for movies because nationally the pandemic varies from state to state. CinemaBlend has reported Warner Brothers has pushed the release date of the highly anticipated new Wonder Woman movie back three times. The new release date for “Wonder Woman 1984” is now Oct. 2.
What films are available at what time is at the center of the problems theaters face. The other is capacity.
According to the Phase 3 rules, “Indoor movie theaters must monitor customer entries and exits and limit occupancy at all times to:
There has been no announcement to date from Cinemark about the company’s plans to reopen its West Springfield and Hadley theaters. The company has moved out of Eastfield Mall in Springfield. Regal Cinemas at MGM Springfield are expected to make an announcement in the upcoming weeks about reopening, according to MGM officials.
Kim Wheeler, the owner of the Agawam Cinemas, explained to Reminder Publishing having 25 paying customers in an auditorium is the real problem.
“That’s the main problem, there is no way for us to be profitable,” she said.
Allowing movie theaters to reopen under such restrictions “really does nothing for us to re-open,” she added.
She also noted the lack of new movies means “if I can’t make money, they [the studios] can’t make any money.”
The growth of “pop-up” drive-in theaters also is a threat to theaters such as Agawam, Wheeler added.
Walmart has teamed up with Tribeca Drive-in to show movies in the parking lots of 160 Walmarts across the country this summer. The program started July 2.
Wheeler has started offering theater rentals to groups no larger than 25 people. She wrote on the cinema’s Facebook page, “Our governor has set a 25 person maximum per screen (even though at 30 percent capacity we would safely be able to accommodate many more than that). So because of that we won’t be opening a regular film schedule just yet (we would take a financial loss significantly given the electricity needed to turn the A/C on and projection equipment, film rental fees, staffing fees... with 25 person limits.
“But ... The good news is that we will be running Private Theater Rentals. That means you can rent out our theater for a movie you choose...for you and your friends/family! We will begin the process of sorting through requests and available times on Monday morning. To submit a request and get a quote just message us with: date and time of rental request; three movie choices you’d like; and the number of people in your party (not to exceed 25).
“We cannot provide the quote unless we have this basic information, along with your contact phone number. The schedule will fill up very quickly, so if you really want a private party then don’t procrastinate on getting us the info to return your quote.
“Thank you all for your continued patience as we get through this crisis together!”
Interim Executive Director and Business Manager Holly Greeley of the Amherst Cinema said in the theaters’ smaller auditoriums the capacity is 10 patrons socially distanced and wearing masks. The larger ones are 25 people.
Greeley explained the non-profit theater is reacting by using this time to complete renovations to its lobby and concession stand area, as well as replacing seats with funding from a grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. She added the work would continue through the summer and its anticipated reopening would be in September.
Hopefully the capacity rules would be changed by then, she added.
As a means to bring in some revenue, Amherst Cinemas has been participating in a “virtual” cinemas program. Greeley explained a number of distributors have been making their films available through streaming platforms. Amherst Cinema patrons cans select a film, pay for it and watch it in their homes. The theater gets a percentage of the payment.
“We are very fortunate to be able to do it,” Greeley said of the program. “It’s a great way to stay engaged with our audience.” To learn more, go to https://amherstcinema.org.
However the revenue the theater has been receiving through the streaming program is a “fraction” of what they would normally be making, Greeley said.
Greeley called herself “an optimist” and hopes in the near future the capacity limits would allow more customers.
Bob Adam, the owner of Tower Theaters in South Hadley’s Village Commons complex wrote in a newsletter to customers, “We realize that it’s going to take time for some people to feel comfortable being indoors among other people again. The changes we’ve been working on will help you get back into the groove. Notable among them are:
Adam did not say when the theater would be open for business.