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[35]Interview
Please don’t go to a movie theater: “It’s just about the last thing I’d do
right now,” says expert
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[39]Patrick Gomez
[40]Tuesday 9:50AM
•
Filed to:coronavirus
[41]coronavirus[42]movie theaters[43]Film
225
4
Theatergoers at a Shanghai movie theater on Aug. 14 (Feature
China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images); virus infection concept
(fotograzia)
Theatergoers at a Shanghai movie theater on Aug. 14 (Feature
China/Barcroft Media via Getty Images); virus infection concept
(fotograzia)Graphic: The A.V. Club
For months, movie theaters across the country have been closed as part
of the ongoing effort to save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19. In
response, [44]studios have opted to delay their big releases or
[45]pivot to a VOD rollout instead. But Russell Crowe won’t be held
back by some coronavirus. He has a new action film coming out on
Friday, and “I’m not fucking with you. It’s going to be in cinemas,”
the Academy Award winner says to the camera in [46]the latest ad for
the movie, which will be opening in 44 states.
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Crowe couldn’t hold it against us if we thought he was joking, since
the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise rapidly across the
country. “I don’t think you know what a bad day really is… but you’re
gonna learn,” reads [47]a tweet from Crowe promoting the film—though
that could also serve as a really callous warning about reopening movie
theaters too soon. And did we mention what this
apparently-can-only-be-seen-in-a-theater cinematic masterpiece is
called? [48]Unhinged.
Are we overreacting? Is it actually safe to go to a movie theater in
the middle of a pandemic? “Short of renting out an entire theater,
which is obviously not an option for most of us, there is no scenario
in which going to a movie theater is a good idea,” says Dr. Anne W.
Rimoin, professor of epidemiology and director of the Center For Global
And Immigrant Health at the University Of California, Los Angeles. Her
sentiments are echoed by Dr. Abdul El-Sayed: “It’s just about the last
thing I’d do right now,” says the physician and epidemiologist, who is
also a former city city health commissioner and host of the podcast
[49]America Dissected.
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So, with Unhinged hitting theaters this week—and [50]New Mutants and
[51]Dev Patel’s The Personal History Of David Copperfield slated for
next week, The A.V. Club asked Dr. Rimoin and Dr. El-Sayed to explain
why movie theaters are particularly risky places to spend time in right
now, what signs we should look for to indicate when it may be safe to
go back to a theater, and what alternatives are ideal if we’re
insistent on watching a movie in a group setting.
__________________________________________________________________
The A.V. Club: What’s so dangerous about a movie theater compared to
other locations that are open already?
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Dr. Anne W. Rimoin: I mean, the thing people need to realize is that
there really is no zero-risk scenario during this COVID pandemic. We’re
advising people to not interact with others beyond their immediate
family or home bubble unless absolutely necessary, to limit gatherings
of more than 10 people in any given space, and to avoid indoor areas.
And you should definitely not be in an indoor area where you’d be
taking your mask off, not even for eating. Movie theaters have all of
that.
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed: I’m a huge fan of movies. I really enjoy them.
They’re a great way to have some fun and escape from the world—which we
need, especially right now. But going to see a movie in an indoor movie
theater, it’s just about the last thing I would do right now. From what
we understand, the virus is transmitted through through aerosolized
droplets that come out of our mouths, oftentimes when we talk or when
we laugh or when we sing. And so, being in a room for two hours with a
bunch of folks who are laughing at a movie, and where air is not being
circulated in an efficient way, and where you don’t know who has been
in there before you, that’s really hazardous exposure. I just don’t
think it’s worth it.
AWR: And if they’re selling concessions, people are gonna be taking off
their masks and eating, and that’s tantamount to eating in a restaurant
in a closed space—even worse, because you’re basically in a closed box.
There aren’t even windows, there’s no ventilation. Right now you want
to be thinking about “time, space, people, place”: You want to think
the about the amount of time you’re spending, how socially distant you
can be, who you will be around, and what the ventilation is like. And
it’s not just one of those boxes you should check; you need to be
checking all of them.
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After four months of shutdown, Mexico City allowed movie theaters to
reopen on Aug. 12. Most have chosen to remain closed or are gradually
reopening at 30-percent capacity.
After four months of shutdown, Mexico City allowed movie theaters to
reopen on Aug. 12. Most have chosen to remain closed or are gradually
reopening at 30-percent capacity.Photo: Hector Vivas (Getty Images)
AVC: So if we have a loved one who won’t listen and insists on going to
a movie theater, what should we tell them to make sure they are
mitigating the risks as much as possible?
AWR: Short of renting out an entire theater, which is obviously not an
option for most of us, there is no scenario in which going to a movie
theater is a good idea. If a movie theater is opening, they should
close concessions and they need to have employees in the theaters with
night-vision goggles to be able to really see people and make sure that
nobody’s bringing in food and everyone is wearing masks at all times.
That’s another reason movie theaters aren’t a good idea: You can’t
control what everybody else is doing around you. So if you’re in room
with however many people for a few hours, and you don’t know their risk
statuses, you’re totally subject to the risk of everybody else around
you.
AE-S: I’d tell people to wear a mask and keep it on the entire time.
And do everything touchless: Buy your ticket online, have it on your
phone, don’t let them touch your phone when they scan it. Don’t spend
any time in the common spaces: Go straight to your theater, sit as far
away from folks as you possibly can. I agree concessions should be
closed, and they should be wiping down the entire theater in between
every screening.
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AVC: We hear we don’t need to wipe down our mail or groceries, so why
would they need to wipe down the theater?
AE-S: When you think about people shopping, most of the time they’re
not picking up or touching a lot of things that they don’t end up
putting in their cart and taking with them. Whereas, in a movie
theater, somebody was literally sitting in that seat for multiple hours
just before you got it. The probability of the virus being transmitted
is really a function of how much virus is left on a particular surface,
so that’s why I think wiping down a theater is important. That being
said, that method of transmission is so much less likely than the
aerosolized spread in the air. And, unfortunately, there’s very little
you can do about that, which is why I think it’s ill-advised to go to
movie theaters at all right now.
AVC: As things progress, what indicators should we be looking for to
tell us it might be okay to go to a theater?
AWR: When it would be safe would be when we have community transmission
under control here, so that is not widespread and we’re only dealing
with very small clusters. When there’s adequate testing and tracing and
you only have these little brush fires, not a huge flash fire like we
currently have. I just don’t think that we are anywhere near that
level, and I don’t foresee us being there any time in the near future.
AE-S: You know, we’re having a debate in our country right now about
opening up schools. That’s an activity that is mission-critical to
society—kids being able to be educated and freeing up their parents to
work, even if that means simply working from home—and we’re still
asking whether or not it’s worth the risk. We certainly should be doing
that safely before we’re doing anything for leisure.
Moviegoers ordered food delivered to their vehicles at a showing of
Jaws on Aug. 5 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.
Moviegoers ordered food delivered to their vehicles at a showing of
Jaws on Aug. 5 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.Photo: Ian Forsyth
(Getty Images)
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AVC: So, no going to the movies.
AWR: What I do think is really innovative and exciting is drive-in
theaters are springing up all over the place, and outdoor screenings
are happening.
AE-S: Outdoor movie theaters, or watching a movie in your car, those
are great. But the safest thing is to stay home and watch it on
Netflix. We have to remember that it’s not just our risks that we’re
talking about. It’s about whether or not we are serving as a vessel to
spread it to people who may not be as healthy. And, of course, you
never know how your course is going to turn out. I’ve talked to too
many young, healthy people who’ve had terrible courses. Unfortunately,
a lot of people in my life have passed away who otherwise you would
have expected would’ve had a mild course. No one can know what’s going
to happen to themselves or a loved one, so it’s just better not to take
the risk.
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[52]Patrick Gomez
[53]Posts[54]Twitter
A.V. Club Editor in Chief...but really just a She-Ra, Schitt’s Creek,
Grey’s Anatomy, Survivor, Big Brother, Top Chef, The Good Place
superfan.
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