Warning: Justin Chang's (JustinCChang) 'return to the movies' essay is a tear-jerker. But you'll laugh too as he revisits cinematic memories and ponders post-pandemic moviegoing.
Midway through the 1982 screen musical “Annie,” the characters stop and do something that’s incidental to the plot but essential to their pleasure: They go to the movies. It’s the 1930s, and hard times are sending audiences to the pictures in droves, though few can afford to go in such style as Annie and Daddy Warbucks,to Radio City Music Hall.
Indeed they are. And it’s wonderful to have them back, more than a year after the pandemic’s spread led to. For those of us fortunate enough to make a living writing about the movies, it was as if the best office in the world had closed indefinitely. For anyone who simply loves going to the movies, it was as though a bright light had been snuffed out. Newfangled streaming services and antiquarian DVD libraries kept a lot of us sane without being in any way a meaningful substitute.
Now theaters have reopened, and months after being fully COVID-vaccinated, I’ve started going back to them — tentatively at first, but soon with growing confidence and a joy that has yet to subside. I started off slow, with a couple of press screenings held in nearly empty theaters and with tight safety precautions in place.
My affection for “Annie” has dipped over the years but I’m still fond of that interlude: Seeing it for the first time as a wide-eyed child myself, I couldn’t help but share in Annie’s kid-in-a-candy-store exuberance. It invested the act of moviegoing with a sense of extravagance that couldn’t have felt further removed from the Anaheim Hills strip-mall multiplexes where I spent much of my youth.
Still, moviegoing in this city has often afforded its own bonuses, a few friendly perks to remind you that you’re there to experience something special. You may not be greeted by the Rockettes, but you could still count on a snappy intro at the ArcLight Hollywood, with a promise to ensure top-notch picture and sound quality.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Jessica Biel opens up about welcoming 'secret Covid baby' with Justin TimberlakeJessica Biel has revealed she is loving being a mother-of-two even though her family dynamic has now changed and things can be 'super hard'
Read more »
Justin Bieber, Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion Lead Lineup for Jay-Z’s Made in America FestivalAfter the initial May 26 initial announcement that Jay-Z’s curated two-day festival, Made in America, would return to Philadelphia for its tenth edition on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 4-5, Justin Bieb…
Read more »
Laganja Estranja Comes Out as Trans'I'm able to come off stage and take my makeup off and still see a beautiful woman in the mirror. It's powerful.'
Read more »
CNN's Christiane Amanpour reveals she has ovarian cancer'I've had successful major surgery to remove it, and I'm now undergoing several months of chemotherapy for the very best possible long-term prognosis,' the anchor told viewers Monday.
Read more »
Chris Pratt Shares the Beautiful Lesson He Learned After Becoming a Dad of Two - E! OnlineChris Pratt opens up about fatherhood, working on The Tomorrow War and why he would want Katherine Schwarzenegger by his side if aliens ever attacked. Watch the hilarious clip!
Read more »
Why Introverts May Find It Hard When Life Returns to NormalDoes your personality influence where you live and your life post-pandemic? swhitbo explains
Read more »