Why I Am Still Not Comfortable Going Back to the Movies

In 2019, my wife and I were in the theater almost every Tuesday. That was a bargain, only $5 for the tickets which left a little extra for refreshments. When the world shut down last year, it not only stopped our movie date nights, but it also took getting adjusted to the new norm.

At the top of the year, HBO Max announced a deal they were working on with releasing big budget movies for home viewing, and Amazon Prime was releasing a lot of new titles that would normally be in the theaters. This allowed for some microwave popcorn and being in the comfort of my own home to watch as many movies as I wanted without the loud talking, babies crying, or first daters.

Now as we pass a year of the pandemic, movie theaters are reopening, and while they've changed the seating pattern, they are allowing people back into the movies. Many, including Cinemark here at home, are giving the option to rent a theater out for a small group. However, I still don't think I am ready for this yet. As a matter of fact, even if you are fully vaccinated, is it even safe to go back to the movies?

If you are going to, it is recommended that you still wear your mask, stay six feet apart, wash your hands, and consider not purchasing refreshments. The latter is because obviously, you'll be removing your mask to eat. I am sure theaters are not happy about that, but I am also sure many people are skipping that recommendation altogether. When will I be ready to return? I honestly don't know.

I am just going to continue to sit back and enjoy my movies at home, and if they decide to move all of the latest titles back to theater viewing only, I guess I will make that decision then or start looking at some of my favorite throwback movies. Just be safe. While we want things to get back to normal, I highly recommend we use common sense and caution when doing so.