Free popcorn refills? Foreign films? Reopened movie theaters in southeastern Connecticut are working to bring patrons back
Jun. 30—It isn't only the pandemic that has had a grave impact on movie theaters over the past year-plus. It's also the fact that big companies like Disney and Warner Bros. have decided to stream their films the same day they open in cinemas.
Movie theater owners, though, are banking on the fact that fans do want to see certain releases in an auditorium, with great sound and visuals, and with other people. And they're trying different ways of drawing patrons out of the house and into the theater.
AMC, whose many multiplexes include the one in Lisbon, offered free popcorn refills to celebrate Cinema Week, concluding on June 30.
Niantic Cinemas will continue to bring in blockbuster releases but is also aiming to diversify a bit. It is looking into playing some foreign films, indie releases or documentaries as a way to combat the streaming competition. Manager Joe Couillard says that companies have moved back opening dates for many of those releases, though, so it's a question of when they become available.
Niantic Cinemas reopened on June 25, the same week that Westbrook Marquee Cinemas did. That followed on the heels of Regal reopening its Waterford and Stonington sites in May.
Finally reopening, Couillard says, feels good. He has been getting fairly constant questions on Facebook over the last month on when the theater was going to start screenings again.
"It shows there's some anticipation ... A lot of people are really excited," says Couillard, who has worked at Niantic Cinemas on and off since the late 1970s.
While a lot of businesses have been having difficulty finding employees, Couillard says that almost everyone who used to work at Niantic Cinemas has come back.
What's changed?
For patrons, the only difference they'll notice about going to Niantic Cinemas now versus before the pandemic is that the plexiglass guards the theater put up are remaining.
(Niantic opened for several weeks last summer, but studios weren't releasing any major movies, and audiences weren't turning out in large numbers to see old movies. So it closed again.)
Otherwise, patrons should just follow all the current recommendations — i.e., wear a mask if not vaccinated.
Mystic has been open since August
Mystic Luxury Cinemas closed in mid-March but has been open since August, with all CDC protocols in place. It managed to survive slow stretches and then bounce back with steadily increasing audience turnout.
"I can't thank my patrons enough and the people of southeastern Connecticut for patronizing our theater and keeping us afloat," says co-owner William Dougherty.
During its closure, the theater did some previously planned renovations, including upgrading its sound system and installing new luxury electric, reclining, heated seats in all but its smallest auditorium. (That auditorium, though, will be getting those same seats soon.)
"September and October were very, very slow, and as soon as we started getting a little traction in November and December with some holiday films, it did start to get busier. All I can say is our patrons are thrilled to be back. Even with the new platform of streaming, they still want to see it on the big screen, that's for sure," Dougherty says.
The theater tried something new last year that proved quite successful — gold cards, which cost $200 and allowed the patron to see as many movies as he or she wanted for a year.
"That really helped us back in September," Dougherty says, noting that theater rentals and gift cards helped as well. (The gold cards are no longer being sold.)
Mystic Luxury Cinemas recently signed up for Fathom Events, which means the venue will be screening more live Metropolitan Opera performances, Bolshoi Ballet productions, and documentaries.
What about Madison?
Madison Art Cinemas is still closed. Owner Arnold Gorlick says that his application for a Shuttered Venue Operating Grant hasn't come back yet. If and when he gets the grant, he will gear up to reopen.
