Rules for the Movie Theater - Covid Edition
Ken Jones, Chief Film Critic
Previously, I wrote about the proper conduct for attending the movie theater, something that had long been a hobby horse for me in a deteriorating world of movie theater etiquette. In a COVID/Post-COVID world, we need to reconsider how we conduct ourselves when we go to the movies. So here are a few additional rules for the movie theater.
1. Wear A Mask And Keep It On As Much As Possible
I know that masks have become the latest flashpoint in the left-right culture wars but let’s try to move past that. For better or worse, masks do help limit the distance that airborne droplets can travel. It’s also important because you’re sharing a confined space with a group of people you are not in regular contact with. Reports are that Covid-19 spreads more effectively in confined spaces as opposed to outside in the open air.
Now, if you’re buying concessions, it’s understandable that you’re going to have a hard time keeping your mask on for the entire movie as you’re eating food or sipping a soda during the movie. Popcorn is probably the biggest obstacle here, as it’s the most frequently bought concession item and the largest in terms of serving size. There’s no easy solution to the popcorn dilemma that I can figure out right now, so I would suggest eating as much of it at once as you can, wait a while, and then chow down on some more.
Do it all in spurts. Or just down it all as quickly as possible. I got out of the habit of eating popcorn at the movie theater for the most part, but when I did, I noticed I usually ate a lot of it during the previews and in the early parts of a movie. I think soda should be a lot easier to navigate as you can probably slip a straw under a mask.
Basically, just have a game plan when it comes to food and the mask situation. Which brings me to my second point…
2. BUY CONCESSIONS
I said I got out of the habit of buying popcorn when I went to the movies, but the truth is that I got out of the habit of buying any concessions most of the time too. Sometimes I’d still get the urge to grab a soda and popcorn, or a box of candy and something to drink, but more often than not I’d just buy my ticket. We all know how expensive concessions are at the movie theater. It was just cheaper to not buy something. I could go 2+ hours not eating or drinking something.
But here’s the thing; the movie theaters are getting throttled by the lack of business because of Covid-19, like so many other businesses that are closed right now. We know concessions are expensive. That’s because movie theaters make most of their money on concessions. Revenue from ticket sales is split between the theater and the studios; it’s shared revenue. They’re not sharing the revenue from the concessions.
When theaters do open back up, and when I’m finally comfortable with going to the movie theater, I’m making it a point to buy concessions to help my local movie theater make money. I’m not saying splurge and buy the biggest tub of popcorn available, but make sure to buy something. They’re going to need all the help they can get.
3. Clean Up Your Trash
This was in my original list, for obvious reasons, and it belongs on this list for new, additional reasons. We’re trying to limit the exposure to people that we do not interact with on a regular basis. The employees that work at the theater are going to have their work cut out for them in terms of having to wipe down every theater in between showtimes, the last thing they’re going to need is having to clean up your mess that you left behind. Just pick it up and take it with you and place it in the trash that they provide in the hallway or sometimes even in the theater as you leave. Do your part to help the ushers do their jobs effectively and efficiently and with minimal risk.
4. Keep The Bathroom Trips To A Minimum
This is another one that was on the original list, and it bears repeating just like cleaning up your trash did. Seating is going to be limited. At best, movie theaters will be at 50% capacity for the foreseeable future, possibly even less. Social distancing will need to be maintained when we’re seated in the movie theater.
If you’re sitting in the middle of a row and need to leave in the middle of a movie to use the bathroom, you may have to cross paths with something and step directly in front of them to get to the aisle. Make an effort to use the restroom before the movie starts and hopefully your bladder is big enough to hold it until the end of the movie after drinking that soda I just told you to buy to help support your local theater. If you got to go, you got to go, but try to minimize the number of times you cross paths with other people.
5. Limit The Size Of Your Group
I don’t know what the seating situation is going to look like or whether the purchasing experience will be overhauled when theaters open back up, but I would suggest limiting the group of people you’re going to a movie with to probably 2-4 people max; in fact, probably the fewer the better. I suspect that they will have some seating arrangement where some seats are side by side, but maybe not. Whatever the case may be, look up your movie theater’s information or call ahead before you go to see what they recommend and adjust accordingly to their specifications.
Also, this may be controversial, but consider whether it is wise to bring your kids to the movie theater, or at least groups of them. Sometimes kids have a hard time sitting still and frequent bathroom breaks may be in the cards. My hope is that some of these same-day releases continue, especially for the family-friendly movies, so some parents don’t need to bring a clan of five or six to the movie theater.
6. Just Do What The Movie Theater Says
This is maybe the most important one of all. These people have a business to get back up and running. The people working there are going to be putting themselves into a certain level of risk every day they work for what is likely a minimum wage job. Their jobs and their day to day functions are going to have to change.
Be patient with them and give them the benefit of the doubt. Abide by the seating they layout. Follow the ticketing and waiting in line guidelines they provide. And above all, don’t bring outside food into the theater. It’s something we’ve all done in the past (myself included), but it’s an even bigger no-no now.
I have a lot of uncertainty about how theaters will open, how different the experience will be, and when I’ll personally be comfortable going back. But I know that when I do go back, it’s going to be a different experience, I’ll have to adjust, and I’ll need to show some compassion and consideration for others when I do go back. We’re going to have to live with a certain level of risk for a while going forward.
For those who determine that going to the movies incurs and acceptable level of risk for them, I hope it’s worth it to be able to sit in a darkened theater again in front of that big screen.