When Drew Kaza heard this week that Oregon had reversed its ban on eating and drinking inside movie theaters, he rejoiced.
鈥淚n a word, hallelujah,鈥� he laughed.
The change brought him one step closer to reopening his four-screen theater in Central Oregon, the .
鈥淚t鈥檚 the concessions that really allow us to be an operating, profitable business,鈥� he said.
As the risk of getting COVID-19 decreased around the state in February, 20 counties shed their 鈥渆xtreme risk鈥� designations. That allows most of Oregon鈥檚 movie theaters to reopen, with limits 鈥� the smaller of 25% occupancy or 50 people in 鈥渉igh risk鈥� counties, and 50% occupancy or 100 people in 鈥渕oderate risk鈥� counties.
Some movie houses, such as Portland鈥檚 , have already opened their doors or soon plan to. But other theaters have pumped the brakes, still concerned about the spread of COVID-19, or about the economic viability of opening now, or both.
The state鈥檚 ban on eating and drinking inside theaters, regardless of county risk level, was one financial obstacle. That鈥檚 because theaters pocket far more of the money spent on popcorn and drinks than on movie tickets. Roughly half the cost of each ticket goes back to movie distributors 鈥� and even more if a film is a blockbuster.
So, Oregon鈥檚 decision to allow concessions in all but 鈥渆xtreme risk鈥� counties is big for cinema owners. requires moviegoers to put their masks back on during pauses in eating or drinking. Theaters selling concessions inside are also required to ensure adequate ventilation, with a recommended three to six air changes per hour.
But even though the Sisters Movie House has been closed for almost one year, Kaza is not reopening yet. He鈥檇 like to see more people allowed in the seats and more films in the pipeline.
When asked to describe the currently available movies in one word, he instead responded with three:
鈥淥ld and small.鈥�
is the only movie theater in Sandy.
For a few hours, every Friday and Saturday, the theater sells concessions to go from its main ticket window. Popcorn and soda sales bring in a little money to pay for utilities while the building stands empty.
Even though Clackamas County鈥檚 COVID-19 risk levels fell from 鈥渆xtreme鈥� to 鈥渉igh鈥� to 鈥渕oderate鈥� in February, theater owner Elie Kassab plans to stay shut for now. He鈥檚 wary of the coronavirus and its variants, and he doesn鈥檛 think he can make money from the films currently in distribution.
鈥淲e have to have something to sell,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd the product that鈥檚 available right now is not very good.鈥�
Major studios have postponed big releases during the pandemic. They鈥檙e eyeing markets such as and Los Angeles to see when the biggest audiences return. In that sense, the fate of some Oregon theaters is tied to the suppression of COVID-19 in the nation鈥檚 biggest cities.
In the meantime, from the perspective of theater operators, pickings are slim.
鈥淭here鈥檚 nothing wrong with indie films,鈥� said Marina Gephart, the media specialist with Kassab鈥檚 company, Prestige Theaters.
鈥淏ut when it鈥檚 90 to 100% indie films that nobody鈥檚 really heard of 鈥︹�� she said. 鈥淔or our small communities, the movies that are really successful are family movies or franchises that people know really well.鈥�
Prestige Theaters also owns movie theaters in Independence, Oregon, and Battle Ground, Washington, both of which reopened last year, only to shut down again.
That鈥檚 exactly what Jeremy Longstreet, owner of Portland鈥檚 , doesn鈥檛 want. When he heard theaters in Multnomah County could reopen at 25% occupancy in mid-February, he didn鈥檛 jump.
鈥淚 thought about it for about two seconds. There鈥檚 no way,鈥� he said, sitting in his dimly lit theater surrounded by empty red chairs. 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 even know how to bring people back into the cinema.鈥�
Like many theater owners, Longstreet is waiting for the U.S. Small Business Administration to launch an emergency grant program for like his. 鈥淚t would mean everything,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t would mean that, hey, there鈥檚 a future.鈥�
The federal government awarded $15 billion to the program at the end of 2020, but the application has yet to be posted.
Meanwhile, reopening doesn鈥檛 feel safe to Longstreet until more people get vaccinated. He described a Catch-22:
He thinks the current films aren鈥檛 strong enough to open for. But the prospect of a popular film worries him too.
鈥淪ay if it鈥檚 a big blockbuster movie that would fill every seat. That鈥檚 scary to me,鈥� he said.
As theaters reopen, they face increased competition 鈥� from your living room.
In normal times, movie studios would observe a certain cushion 鈥� often about 90 days 鈥� for films to play in theaters before people can watch them at home.
But the pandemic has upended that, sometimes shrinking theaters鈥� exclusive access to movies to a matter of days or even tossing it all together.
鈥淚t鈥檚 all over the place. It鈥檚 pandemic rules, which means there are no rules,鈥� said Patrick Corcoran with the National Association of Theater Owners.
In fact, every Warner Bros. movie released in theaters in 2021 is premiering on HBO Max .
So, when the operators of the Sandy Cinema looked at the list of upcoming releases, they saw another reason to wait ...
鈥� past March 5, when 鈥溾�� is going to theaters and straight to Disney+.
鈥� past March 31, when 鈥溾�� is going to theaters and straight to HBO Max.
鈥� and past April 16, when 鈥溾�� is too.
鈥淭he next big theatrical exclusive title is Disney鈥檚 鈥淏lack Widow鈥� on May 7,鈥� said Gephart. Sandy Cinema is planning to be open , though the release date could still change.
At the Sisters Movie House, Kaza is too.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a big film to kick off the summer season,鈥� he said of the latest Marvel superheroes flick starring Scarlett Johansson. 鈥淪ummer starts in May, as far as Hollywood is concerned.鈥�
And with a backlog of films coming down the pike, he expects business to soar as the pandemic wanes.
Copyright 2021 Oregon Public Broadcasting
