I recently went to the theater to see “Regretting You,” starring David Franco and Allison Williams. A friend was going through a rough patch, and we thought she needed some cheer-up time out of the apartment.
Instead, we got a reminder of how movie theaters are dead.
Aside from the three of us, there were maybe eight other people in the 150-seat theater. The place was empty. It just wasn’t the same experience as I remembered it being a few years ago, back when it felt like people still came together to watch big-screen movies.
I have vivid memories of waiting in line to get a ticket, popcorn scattered everywhere, trying to hold in my pee so I didn’t miss the good part of a movie. I can still go back to 2015 when my 11-year-old mind was blown by “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” in large part because I was seeing it with my grandfather, brother, and cousins in a packed theater with long lines — especially for the bathroom. My bladder was not a fan.
We crammed into ticket-assigned seats and waited for the lights to dim and the start of the Regal intro of riding a roller coaster into space. When the actual movie started, the huge screen seemed to bleed into the place. I felt immersed in the big images and surround-sound of explosions. Afterward, because we had that shared experience, we all talked about the movie and gave our opinions on it. The whole night felt so communal.
Let’s revive the popularity of cinema. I can’t do it without you all. Buy that Regal gift card and take your friend out to the theater. I’ll see you there.
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