Term Paper 2 - Movie Review

Gwen Gunnels 

Professor Reppert 

Mass Communication 

September 22, 2020 

Movie Review

    Before COVID-19, going to the movies was something I would do with my friends on a regular basis. Whether it be a horror movie or a comedy, there was always a movie that we looked forward to seeing in theaters. However, currently in a COVID-19 world, seeing a movie is not as easy as it used to be. For months, movie theaters have been empty and with no one to fill the seats. Until recently, no one has had the opportunity to even step foot in a movie theater since most began to be closed in March. It is evident that now that theaters are beginning to reopen, the movie-going experience will be different. I recently had the opportunity to go to the movies when the Cinemark Theater in Texarkana, Texas, had a special viewing of the classic movie Dirty Dancing in late August. Although it was refreshing to be back in the theater, it had a different atmosphere than it did before. 

    Fathom Events partners with Turner Classic Movies to put on classic movies in theaters all around the country. They sponsored Dirty Dancing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the movie. My family receives emails from Fathom Events when they are showing a movie in Texarkana. Because Dirty Dancing is one of our favorites, it sparked my family's interest to get out of the house and see the movie on the big screen, as I'm sure it did other people all over the country. The tickets were bought online with an app called ATOM. The theater limited the number of people to view the movie and required that seating be selected online beforehand to make social distancing more manageable. 

    Before entering the building. there were signs posted on the doors that reminded people to participate in social distancing. There were also signs that required moviegoers to wear masks in the building. The theater also had precautions in place to minimize any unnecessary interactions. For example, there were stickers on the floor so that people would keep a 6-foot distance while in line for concessions. There was only one concession line open but the prices seemed to be the same as they were prior to the virus. I also noticed that the theater had removed the photo booth that once sat near the entrance of the lobby and the game room was also closed. The movie was being shown at 2:00 in the afternoon, and there were not many people in the theater at that time. Before going into the theater, the tickets were scanned using a barcode on our cell phone that had the tickets downloaded on it from ATOM. 

    It seemed that the theater was not well prepared to show the movie. Fathom Events said that there would be cast interviews, which are usually shown before the movie begins, and the theater did not show them. Also, after the movie started, it suddenly stopped after about ten minutes and the audience was left waiting for it to restart. Eventually, my dad had to find and notify a theater employee that the movie had stopped and they had to restart the movie from the beginning. 

    Although there were some difficulties, the viewing was enjoyed by my group of eight people. Dirty Dancing was created 30 years ago and was a major hit at the time. It still seems to entertain today from the reaction of the people in my group. Through drama and dance, the movie keeps you engaged even if you have seen it many times before. Seeing it for the first time on the big screen was like experiencing it for first time for me and I noticed things I had not previously just watching it on a televison. While watching the movie, I noticed that by mentioning schools like Yale and by having characters drive certain car brands, the movie is advertising products. Before taking Intro to Mass Communication, I would not have noticed small details like this while watching the movie. Also, although those product placements were there to advertise to its audience 30 years ago, they can still interest an audience today, especially through product placements like Coca-Cola, which was also placed in the movie. 

    Because the audience was spaced out to participate in social distancing, I did not notice the reactions of others around us to the movie. I assumed that they had seen the movie before since it is so well known, however; there were some younger people there that may not have had the opportunity to see the movie before. By watching the movie in the theater, I noticed that it limits distractions that you would have had if you watched the movie at home, and it is overall a different experience. 

    By showing older movies in theaters, people can be nostalgic to see a movie they remember on the big screen again. Showing special viewings like this during this difficult time gets people back into the theater. I believe it is a smart strategy to keep the business going and to test the waters for future movie theater attendances. Also, the theater can advertise more movies that will be shown using lobby advertising. I have noticed many movie theaters using this strategy to keep their business going. There have also been many cities reopening drive-in movie theaters so that people are not required to exit their vehicles to enjoy the movie. Like the Cinemark in Texarkana, movie theaters who participate in special viewings through Fathom Events, or other classic movie broadcasts, can spark an interest in people to come to the theater, like it did for my family. 

    The movie theater is one of the many places that can help you escape from the stress of your day-to-day life. Without it, we are missing out on something that helps families and friends bond and creates an enjoyable experience for everyone. Currently, while new movies begin to reopen in theaters, I hope people take advantage of the opportunity to see a movie on the big screen. Of course, people should remain careful and stay healthy, but by participating in social distancing and following the rules of the theater, they can make the experience pleasant for everyone. Although Dirty Dancing is not a new movie and the theater experience was a little different from what we are used to, we still had fun and were able to escape the unpredictable world that surrounds us today.