Weekend escapes pre-pandemic involved packing bags and checking in, but a visit to the movies qualifies today.
Actually, escaping to the movies has been a popular way to cure the blues going back to the Depression when now classic Warner Bros. musicals like GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 (pictured) & 42ND STREET helped audiences forget about grim reality, at least for a while. Now, as the exhibition recovers from extended COVID closures, audiences are showing they really want to get out of the house — especially if they’re working from home and doing Zoom calls all day.
Wall Street analysts don’t seem to see the difference between watching a movie at home or on a theatre’s big screen. Streaming’s great if you’re homesick or dealing with weather disasters, but if you’re alive & well, streaming’s not the answer. Heading to a cinema with friends, binging on hot buttered popcorn and debating over dinner how good or bad the film you just saw was is one of the most satisfying & least expensive escapes possible. Watching at home is never going to be as much fun with phones ringing, kids & pets running wild & a million other things crying out to be done.