All the movie theaters are closed.
Wow.
If you’re like me, going to the movies is a regular part of your life, a ritual, a welcome escape. And now it’s gone. (Temporarily.)
It’s okay to grieve the loss.
I had planned to see one last movie at my local art house theater, the only one still open. It closed the night before I planned to go.
Emma was the last movie I saw in the theaters. What was your last theater going experience?
Courtesy of Focus Features.
Those of us who love film are left with the question: What now? The good news is you have a lot of options to keep you entertained until the pandemic is over.
Several movies which were in theaters when they closed have opted to go straight to streaming. You can now rent the following titles on multiple platforms:
—Emma
—The invisible man
—The Hunt
—Birds of Prey
—The Way Back
—Sonic the Hedgehog
Disney decided to release several of its titles early on the Disney+ platform including
Frozen 2, Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, and Onward.
On June 12, Artemis Fowl will be coming to Disney+.
On July 3, a live recording of the original cast of Hamilton will be coming to Disney+.
In a bold move, Universal released Trolls: World Tour directly to streaming sites for rent.
Courtesy of Universal.
Warner Brothers has released Scoob direct to streaming to own. I’m hoping it does well as it is supposed to be the forst film in a Hanna-Barbera shared universe. As an 80s kid, I would love tp see that happen.
Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
You can now watch the movie I missed before theaters closed. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is showing on Hulu. Parasite is showing on Hulu too! If you haven’t seen it yet, now’s your chance.
The other art house film I had been looking forward to, a Sundance favorite, is now streaming too. Never Rarely Sometimes Always is for rent on multiple platforms. It’s an emotional movie but it’s good. Sidney Flanigan is my early pick for a Best Actress nomination.
The American Film Institute has started a movie club. Every day they announce a classic American film, offer some trivia about it, and tell you where you can stream it.
I’m sure you already know about Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Roku. If you love independent cinema, art house, and foreign film, though, I have a few reccomendations for you. One is the Criterion Channel. You may be familiar with The Criterion Collection DVDs and Blu-rays. They’re the best print of a film you can get with bonus features that are a film nerd’s dream. The Criterion Channel is home to a large selection of Criterion films with new themes and new artists spotlighted each month. Then there’s the app Mubi. Mubi puts up a new movie every day and you have thirty days to watch it. They have access to some wonderful out of print and harder to find films too. With thirty different films always available, something’s bound to grab your interest.
If you’re into theatre, you have a lot of great options. National Theatre Live, who usually broadcast their productions from London to movie theaters, are now showing past productions for free. They release a new one each Thursday and it’s available to watch for a week.
Andreww Lloyd-Webber is also releasing one of his musicals every Friday for free. It’s available to watch for 48 hours. It’s called The Shows Must Go On.
Also, be sure to look up your local community theater online. Some are putting past productions online for a price or for donations. They need your support.
While most summer movies have postponed their opening date to the fall or next year, Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi thriller is holding fast to a July 16 release date. If movie theaters have opened by then, it’s the one big movie to look forward to. It was #1 on my list for this year, so my fingers are crossed.
#5 on my list, The King of Staten Island, starring Pete Davidson and directed by Judd Apatow is coming to streaming on June 12.
There is one type of movie theater you may be able to attend: the drive-in. The bygone American staple is enjoying renewed interest. Some movie theaters have even managed to turn their parking lots into drive-in theaters. If you live near one of these, I envy you.
There are several ways to support your favorite movie theaters during the pandemic. Some theaters are selling popcorn for curbside pick-up. You can buy giftcards for yourself or others to use after the pandemic. Some theaters have fundraisers/donation options. Some art house theaters have the option to watch independent films from their website and they get a percentage of the profits. Check to see if your local theater is participating in this.
Don’t feel overwhelmed by options. It’s okay to watch all of these things or to watch none of them. Or to find a healthy balance in-between.
It’s also okay to be productive or not. Whether you’re writing the great American novel or just managing to maintain self-care, you’re doing fine.
On a spiritual note, this is teaching us patience. Not that patience is fun to learn. Not that patience is an easy lesson. But it is considered a virtue on most spiritual paths. As I’ve been forced to wait for things during circumstances outside my control, I have thought that the next three hour flight delay or traffic jam or whatever won’t feel nearly so long. Let the lessons from this time make you stronger.
Stay tuned for future posts on my first trip back to the movies (coming in June, hopefully) and the postponed release dates for upcoming movies. To stay up to date on all the latest movie news, please subscribe to the newsletter and like the Facebook page.