A love letter to the cinema in times of streaming and lockdown

Cinemas are closed.

For months.

And streaming services are multiplying rapidly.

Do movie theaters still have a future?

Definitely, says our reporter.

Erding - 110 days.

That is how long the cinemas have been closed.

When they will open again is in the stars.

Many people even believe that they will soon become extinct.

Streaming services have become too much of a competition, and people's viewing habits have changed.

The

cinema cannot win

the fight against lockdown

and

streaming.

On June 18, 2020, the Erdinger Cineplex-Kino opened its doors again after the three-month first lockdown.

I was there, saw “The Gentleman” by Guy Ritchie.

A film that I had seen in the cinema before the lockdown.

The second time it was less about the film.

Rather, I missed the cinema experience.

Streaming vs. cinema: A cozy movie evening on the couch or a journey into a magical world

No question about it: a cozy movie evening on the couch is something beautiful.

Taking a break, making tea, answering WhatsApp messages - streaming means convenience.

But that is exactly where the problem lies.

The film mostly runs on the side.

Life apart from the film goes on.

It's different in the cinema.

When the lights go out and the first studio logo appears on the screen, everything revolves around that one movie.

You don't have time to get something to drink quickly.

The movie is running.

And he does it with incredible force.

Life apart from the film ends.

The doorbell doesn't ring, the vibrating cell phone must be ignored.

You can't stop the movie anymore, you have to watch it.

You can't recreate this experience at home, no matter how rich the streaming offer is, no matter how big the television is.

The cinema is still a magical place 125 years after its invention.

Films are beautiful in the cinema - in the front row

The Cineplex Erding was open for 19.5 weeks between the first and second lockdown.

During this time I have been to the cinema 23 times, 20 of them in Erding.

Between the two lockdowns, the Lichtspielberg, as it used to be called, became my second home.

I've seen some of the few new films.

But Cineplex also had the great idea of ​​showing old classics on the screen again.

Masterpieces like “Mad Max” or “Leon” that I saw countless times on TV or on DVD, but never in the cinema.

The cinema staff also noticed my many visits, also because I obviously have strange sitting habits.

“Always in the front row, may I ask why?” I was once asked at the cash register.

My answer: “I like getting lost in the film.” It works better in the front row than in the back.

When the picture is huge and no longer fits into the field of vision.

In the cinema you get to know new worlds.

At home you only watch one movie.

And that's why cinemas will survive this crisis.

History proves it.

I was one of the insatiable.

One of those closest to the screen.

Why are we sitting so far ahead?

Maybe we want to see the pictures first.

If they're new, fresh.

Before they get to the back rows.

Before they move from row to row, from viewer to viewer, and arrive worn out in the projection room.

Maybe because the canvas is a real wall ... that separates us from the world.

from Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Dreamers"

Death was prophesied to cinemas in the 1930s.

Then again in the 60s and 70s.

This time they probably have a more difficult time than they did then.

You will have to change in order to remain economical.

But the movie theaters will also survive these difficult 2020s.

Because a cinema experience cannot be copied home.

And when the Cineplex opens again, I'll be there.

On the first day, in the front row.

No matter what is going on.

Cultural memories:

It has become quiet about the culture.

Cinema, town hall, Jakobmayer - all venues are closed.

And they will probably be the last to open again after the corona lockdown.

So that the culture is not completely forgotten, we reminisce a little.

In loose succession, editors and reporters tell about their most impressive concerts, cabaret evenings, theater or film performances in the district.