All Regal, Cineworld Cinemas to Close on Oct. 8

[TomCADem]

Source: PC Magazine

Regal Cinemas and parent company Cineworld Group are shutting their doors for a second time during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a Sunday tweet, Cineworld confirmed it is "considering the temporary closure of our UK and US cinemas," adding that a final decision "has not yet been reached." However, today it was confirmed the closures will go ahead on Thursday, Oct. 8.

As The Verge reports, the closures affect 536 Regal theaters in the US and 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse cinemas in the UK. Mooky Greidinger, CEO of Cineworld, explained, "This is not a decision we made lightly, and we did everything in our power to support a safe and sustainable reopening in the U.S.– from putting in place robust health and safety measures at our theatres to joining our industry in making a collective commitment to the CinemaSafe protocols to reaching out to state and local officials to educate them on these initiatives. We are especially grateful for and proud of the hard work our employees put in to adapt our theatres to the new protocols and cannot underscore enough how difficult this decision was."

The news comes after the latest James Bond movie No Time to Die was pushed from its already-delayed November release date to April 2021. There is no word on how cinema closures may affect the upcoming launches of Pixar's Soul, scheduled for Nov. 20, or Warner Bros. titles Wonder Woman 1984 and Dune, both set for December.


Read more: https://www.pcmag.com/news/all-regal-cineworld-cinemas-to-close-on-oct-8

---

A lot of states have opened movie theaters, but just because you open theaters, you can't force people to risk their lives.

That is the thing. Personal choice swings both ways, and if a lot of people prolong the pandemic by refusing to wear masks, then a lot of people will then continue to be cautious about avoiding risky activities unlike Trump.

[CrispyQ]

1. This: "Personal choice swings both ways..."

I see our household sheltering-in-place through 2021, maybe longer if stupidity reigns. Our economy isn't coming back until this virus is contained.

[Earthshine2]

13. Ironically, the more they open it all up, the more likely it is that I'll stay at home.

There are infected, maskless people walking around everywhere, and they think it's their right to do it. Freedom!

[bucolic_frolic]

2. With home theaters, where did this industry think consumer tastes were going?

COVID just pushed it over the edge.

[oldsoftie]

3. But some movies are just SO much better on the huge screen!

I've got a 70" TV, but it still doesnt do a Bond movie justice.

[JohnnyRingo]

8. Movies that spend on special effects are best on a big screen.

That's how it's best to see and hear the money spent because there's a lot going on visually.

Dramas and comedies don't matter as much as they're just character studies. You can watch those on a phone and still get it.

[Earthshine2]

15. Try sitting closer to the TV. It gets bigger when you are close.

Okay, that's a silly joke. But, ...

To maximize the home theater experience, one needs optimal distance to the TV.

Pretty much, that's the point where one can distinguish individual pixels. (So, one can sit closer to a 4K TV than the equivalent size HD TV because the pixels are much smaller.)

My eyes are 3.5 feet from my 4K screen.

Also, when that close to the TV, it is necessary turn the brightness/contrast down so that it doesn't blow out the eyes.

Next, big sound is needed. When the sound is huge, it focuses one's attention. A smaller screen is made more captivating by wide sound. Headphones can work well if one doesn't have a sound system.

Of course, the big theater experience has the potential to be better. But, given the disadvantages (COVID, commute to theater, distracting people eating or viewing their phones, lack of pause button, constant smell of popcorn, etc.) I'm staying home.

[lagomorph777]

18. Theater screen is nowhere near as bright or sharp as a decent TV.

And these days, a night at the theater for the family costs about the same as a decent TV.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. You know it's interesting how it has evolved since HT's became a "thing"

back in the '90s. I had put together an early "budget high end" one (that I call it), with a DD 5.1 processor and the 5 speakers + a subwoofer, and it required an AC-3 capable laserdisc player to get surround sound, because DVDs hadn't come out yet.

That was 25 years ago. These systems and all the paraphernalia that they were selling associated with creating a "home theater" (including seating and other things to decorate a room with), seemed to signal the death knell for movie theaters. And it did pretty much finish off the drive-ins.

So then theaters actually "reinvented themselves" and started offering larger and more comfortable seats and food delivered to you at your seat, etc. But of course now that being in a "confined" space like that is risky, and seeing that "innovative people" have resurrected the "modern" concept of a "drive-in", I expect you may see a pivot. Certainly there is a whole young generation today who have never been to a drive-in and never got to experience the tinny staticky speaker jammed into a window, lines at the single bathroom, exorbitantly-priced stale popcorn, and the teens making out in the back of the pickup right next to you.

But in the age of jumbotrons, there's no reason why they can't tide themselves over with a "drive-in" concept. Heck I remember we used to have the Hot Shoppe around here when I was little (they were just starting to be phased out) with the waiters and waitresses skating the food over to your car. I think we went once.

[Bleacher Creature]

4. I really miss going to the movies, but there's no other choice.

Sitting in the same place inside for 2+ hours seems like a recipe for getting infected. Masks and air filtration certainly help, but I'm just not willing to risk it at this point.

[JohnnyRingo]

5. No doubt they already locked in Covid aid.

Likely the only way to collect govt subsidies is to close down for a while.
It's going to cost someone a fortune, probably you and me.

[Garion_55]

6. they dont really have a choice. release this stuff on dvd and it gets pirated to death

and the film makes 12 bucks or shut it all down for now.

it probably wont be safe to go back until the end of next summer.

[Arthur_Frain]

7. Cellphones and our non self-aware culture destroyed going to the cinema for me long ago.

Which is a shame. Occasionally I even ponied up fo a $10 popcorn if it was going to be a long show. Amadeus, Moulin Rouge, just some on my list better experienced on the big screen with the 10.1 surround.

Streaming was slowly killing theatres anyway. COVID-19 just accelerated the process.

[Jirel]

9. Neither surprising nor alarming.

Between the restrictions, state to state, and people with sense not wanting to expose themselves, this was to be expected. No fear - after the bankruptcy dust settles and we actually DO start getting back to normal in probably late 2021, the good vacant theaters will be bought up and live again. I doubt that even that many staff will be impacted by closure, with so few movies showing and so little attendance. There is only one small chain I hope survives, locally, because they are a nonprofit that returns the money to a host of community projects. (They also are tons better than any other theaters!)

I'm actually mad at the movie industry for delaying movies. It's possible to release on video, or do some type of pay-per-view. Right now, when people are partially or fully shut in, and they NEED distraction and fun, the industry could be providing that.

[Politicub]

11. I loved going to see movies on the big screen, but it's a big

nope for me now. It’s a ridiculous risk.

I remembering seeing Pandemic in the theater, and every cough from the audience would make me squirm. I would have a nervous breakdown now.

[BootinUp]

12. It's pretty reckless to go into a public space

Right now just for entertainment. Sorry but that is the truth.

[greenjar_01]

14. Wait, theaters re-opened and people went to them?

WTF?

[TomCADem]

17. Tenet and Mulan Crashed and Burned...

...so once again movie studio started delaying their major blockbusters into 2021.

This is the issue. Even if you remove the restrictions, most people aside from die hard Fox News watchers are going to be cautious about endangering themselves. Yet, Republicans are conditions to blame it on regulations, rather than their own inability to control the spread of a deadly disease.

[Yeehah]

16. I can't remember the last time I went to a movie theater

I like drive-ins but not indoor theaters.