Pictured Above: Even after you’ve forked over your life savings for a medium popcorn, the cashier on the other side of the counter will always ask you to just spend “a dollar more” on upgrading your popcorn. What could it hurt? You’ve already sacrificed a retirement plan for your drink.
Sophie Ojdanic | The Crow’s Nest
By Sophie Ojdanic
I was convinced that if I had gone another day without going to the movies, some poor ER doctor was going to have to inject my veins full of that stuff movie theaters like to call “butter.”
The last movie I saw before quarantine was Brahms: The Boy II. Which means, even if it was only a few months, it felt like an eternity.
Sure, I had Netflix – The Old Guard is a masterpiece – but it just wasn’t the same.
There’s nothing quite like that awkward moment you tell the person in the box office to enjoy their movie, too, spending your life savings on a small popcorn and drink and sliding into a chair that screams as you lean back.
Ah, the good old days.
So, when I got an email from AMC that its theaters would be opening back up starting Aug. 20, I knew I would have to be there on the first day.
AMC Sundial 12 reopened on Aug. 27, and it was a ghost town. When I approached the box office, it was just the employees, a friend I had dragged along for the ride and me.
To meet COVID-19 guidelines, AMC Theatres requires that all guests wear face masks while outside of their auditoriums or if they have not purchased concessions. Seats are socially distanced, meaning that when a ticket is sold, the two seats next to the sold seat become unavailable for purchase.
As I stepped into auditorium 10 for the 6:40 p.m. showing of The New Mutants, I thought to myself: “Finally, something to think about other than Brahms.”
Unfortunately, The New Mutants was a let down. I mean, what were they doing for the two years it was just sitting in the editing bay?
Nevertheless, the experience was enough to have me prepared to come back next week for a viewing of Tenet.
As far as COVID-19 goes, I would not recommend the movies to those who are immunocompromised or have friends or relatives who are. The precautions AMC has put in place seem to be all they could do, except for putting in personal seat-windshields in the auditoriums.
And for those of you wondering, I did observe three AMC employees sanitizing workstations and guest touchpoints.
Overall, my AMC experience was great, but my choice in film ultimately brought it down to about a 6 out of 10.
