美国国家公共电台 NPR As States Reopen, Movie Theater Owners Are Watching, And Most

 

NOEL KING, HOST:

A handful of theaters are screening movies for the first time in more than a month. On Saturday, the San Antonio chain Santikos opened three cineplexes - masks are required. They're playing older movies at a discount. They're limiting the number of patrons for social distancing. Other theater owners are waiting to see how this turns out. Here's NPR's Bob Mondello.

BOB MONDELLO, BYLINE¹: About half the movie screens in the U.S. belong to three national theater chains - AMC, Regal and Cinemark. Not one of them has plans to reopen before June. Even if they did, Hollywood studios can't release a major movie until it can play in major cities. And most U.S. cities are currently on lockdown. So if cinemas are to bounce back as governors open up individual states, it's up to local chains and independent theaters to start. In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp authorized² theater openings almost two weeks ago.

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BRIAN KEMP: I know people are chomping³ at the bit to get back to work. People, are you know, experiencing financial ruin right now. I think people are getting very frustrated⁴ with having to stay at home.

MONDELLO: So I asked Chris Escobar, who owns The Plaza⁵ Theatre in Atlanta, what time the show starts tonight.

CHRIS ESCOBAR: (Laughter) We aren't going to have a show tonight. We are respectfully not taking the governor up on exactly what he's doing. And keep in mind, he's not forcing anyone to reopen. But at the same time, I'm not forcing my employees to choose between their livelihoods⁶ and their lives.

MONDELLO: Chris Collier, executive director of Renew Theaters, is thinking along similar lines. His organization manages four cinemas in the currently locked-down states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey⁷. When those states allow him to reopen, he is unlikely to leap back in.

CHRIS COLLIER: We are imagining what that could look like, with spaces between people, shields at the concession⁸ stand. But honestly, it's going to be a long way off.

ALISON KOZBERG: Reopening might actually require a substantial amount of investment on the part of theaters.

MONDELLO: Alison Kozberg is managing director of Art House Convergence, a nonprofit that works with about 200 independent theaters nationwide.

KOZBERG: It would require buying new equipment and new hygiene⁹ products to keep the theater clean and safe in accordance with new guidelines to mitigate¹⁰ the spread of COVID. And for some theaters, the expense is going to be viable¹¹, But for others, it's going to be quite overwhelming.

MONDELLO: Especially, says Collier, at just one quarter of capacity.

COLLIER: At that point, with the cost of staff and cooling over the summer, it might actually be more cost-effective to stay closed until we can reopen properly.

MONDELLO: In the meantime, he and a lot of theater operators are trying something called virtual cinema in which their patrons can screen a new film at home and the theater gets a share of the proceeds. Great idea, says Collier, but...

COLLIER: The number of ticket sales are more in the tens instead of the hundreds and thousands.

MONDELLO: So what else? When Escobar thought Atlanta's Plaza Theatre would be closed for a couple of weeks, he figured they'd do the equivalent of cleaning out the garage.

ESCOBAR: We were going, OK, well, let's paint the floors. Let's organize concessions¹². Let's, you know, make use of this time.

MONDELLO: But as weeks stretched to months and costs mounted, he got bigger ideas like a contact-free pop-up drive-in behind the theater. And he wants to give something back to frontline workers in hospitals and even grocery stores.

ESCOBAR: My sister Kristen (ph) works at a Publix. My mom works at a Costco. I understand firsthand the new level of risk that none of these folks had ever signed up for.

MONDELLO: So he created movie night care packages for them, free tickets and refreshments¹³ when the theater starts up again. And before that, on a more limited basis, private screenings for first responders.

ESCOBAR: One family at a time. They get to watch their favorite movie. They have the entire 485-seat movie theater to themselves. Give them the full treatment of concessions and popcorn¹⁴. We're going to treat them like the VIPs that they are.

MONDELLO: And he's hardly alone in getting creative, says Kozberg, who deals with lots of theaters.

KOZBERG: The Music Box in Chicago has a kind of tip line where people can call in and describe what streaming services they have and their programmers to recommend what to watch. Cinema Arts Center in Huntington, N.Y., has really been working with their audience to care for them. They've been calling them on the phone just to make sure they're doing all right.

MONDELLO: And there's this...

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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: One hundred dollars.

MONDELLO: ...Aimed at kids.

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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: OK. Good. Now we have your intention. We work at the Dietrich Theater in Tunkhannock.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: The theater is trying to find new and innovative¹⁵ ways to keep you and your family entertained at home.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: By making your own film with your family.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: You have to be 16 years old or younger to enter.

MONDELLO: Renew Theaters' Chris Collier is thinking even younger.

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COLLIER: Do you want to introduce yourself?

ZACHARY: Yeah. I'm Zachary (ph).

COLLIER: And we're here to talk about what movies we're watching while we're at home and share some of our streaming options. One of the films that we've been watching is...

ZACHARY: "Fantasia."

COLLIER: He's only just 4, so the biggest draw for him at the theaters is the popcorn. But he really does like the experience. And at home, he does run around the house and loses attention. But at the theater, he sits in the dark and is enrapt with what's on screen.

MONDELLO: That is the magic of cinema. And Zachary, you might argue, is the future of theaters. He's also the reason Collier is pretty sure theaters will have a future.

Bob Mondello, NPR News.

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

3 chomping   

v.切齿，格格地咬牙，咬响牙齿( chomp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Elizabeth and Lawrence are chomping at the bit to go on vacation. 伊莉莎白和劳伦斯迫不及待要去度假了。 来自互联网
• She was chomping away on a bagel. 她在嘎蹦嘎嘣地啃着一个硬面包圈。 来自互联网

4 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

6 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。

7 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

8 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

9 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

10 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

11 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

12 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

13 refreshments   

n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待

参考例句：

• We have to make a small charge for refreshments. 我们得收取少量茶点费。
• Light refreshments will be served during the break. 中间休息时有点心供应。

14 popcorn   

n.爆米花

参考例句：

• I like to eat popcorn when I am watching TV play at home.当我在家观看电视剧时，喜欢吃爆米花。
• He still stood behind his cash register stuffing his mouth with popcorn.他仍站在收银机后，嘴里塞满了爆米花。

15 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。