AMC Theaters Changes Course and Will Require Customers To Wear Face Masks (theverge.com) 120
In an abrupt about-face, the movie theater chain AMC said Friday it would require guests to wear face masks when its theaters reopen, after CEO Adam Aron earlier said it would not. The Verge reports: "This announcement prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks," Aron said in a statement. "Accordingly, and with the full support of our scientific advisors, we are reversing course and are changing our guest mask policy. As we reopen theaters, we now will require that all AMC guests nationwide wear masks as they enter and enjoy movies at our theaters."
On Thursday, Aron told Variety the chain would not require patrons to wear face masks because it "did not want to be drawn into a political controversy," saying he thought it would be "counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary." AMC, the largest theater chain in the world, plans to reopen in 450 of its 600 US locations on July 15th with limited capacity, after closing all of its theaters around the world in mid-March. The company posted a $2.2 billion net loss in the first quarter and made "virtually no revenue" in the last two weeks of March. AMC also said in its 8-K filing earlier this month that unless it was able to restart operations in July that "substantial doubt exists about our ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time."
On Thursday, Aron told Variety the chain would not require patrons to wear face masks because it "did not want to be drawn into a political controversy," saying he thought it would be "counterproductive if we forced mask wearing on those people who believe strongly that it is not necessary." AMC, the largest theater chain in the world, plans to reopen in 450 of its 600 US locations on July 15th with limited capacity, after closing all of its theaters around the world in mid-March. The company posted a $2.2 billion net loss in the first quarter and made "virtually no revenue" in the last two weeks of March. AMC also said in its 8-K filing earlier this month that unless it was able to restart operations in July that "substantial doubt exists about our ability to continue as a going concern for a reasonable period of time."
I'm Shocked! (Score:2)
I'm Shocked! Shocked that is that AMC will re-open. I thought they were bankrupt already. They were on the rocks before all this panic. They were really slow to move to the "fewer, nicer seats" model of trying to attract the few people who still go to movies. Cinemark is way ahead of them. Well, maybe they have some restructuring in the works to allow them to continue operations. Best wishes for anyone still working there, hope they hold out.
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I'm Shocked! Shocked that is that AMC will re-open. I thought they were bankrupt already. They were on the rocks before all this panic. They were really slow to move to the "fewer, nicer seats" model of trying to attract the few people who still go to movies. Cinemark is way ahead of them. Well, maybe they have some restructuring in the works to allow them to continue operations. Best wishes for anyone still working there, hope they hold out.
All the local AMC's replaced their regular seats with electronic reclining seats a few years ago, so many cupholders.
The only problem is all the AMC theaters are quite distant to my house, and I'm still kinda enamored of Tinseltown and the IMAX theaters.
I'd be more than happy to wear a mask in the theater, as long as I could still enjoy the $1 candy I bought at Wal-Mart on the way to the movie.
If a movie is long enough (2:30+) I could be convinced to buy large amounts of extra salty popcorn in the l
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And then run a double blind peer reviewed scientific study showing it's not possible to be reinfected. Then I'm sure they will look into your concern/trolling.
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It was the CIA who were distributing fake vaccines to conceal their operations, and set back polio vaccinations in the developing world by a decade. The least the bastards could have done was distribute real vaccine, but no.
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There is no proof yet that having it confers long term immunity. A number of coronaviruses immunity only lasts a few months. Additionally, getting it once and having a mild case doesn't imply it will be mild the next time around too.
What I don't get is how people think this is any different than regulations requiring people to wear clothes in public or to wear shirt and shoes to get service? Those are regulations that are based on nothing more than distaste and have zero basis in public health promotion
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The shirt and shoe rule seems the closest. Most places, as far as I know, don't actually have that as a regulation, just that most restaurants consider it a good idea and since it doesn't single out any protected group, is perfectly legal.
Part of the silver lining (Score:4, Interesting)
To me, everyone wearing face masks at a movie theater actually sounds like a pretty great deal:
1) Sitting in the dark fo ra long time, I probably would forget I even had a face mask on.
2) Movie theaters are already cold so it would help keep you warm and the mask would not get sweaty.
3) Masks would muffle the coughing and talking sounds you normally get at a theater.
4) It really would prevent other theater goers from getting sick generally.
Only snag; how will people eat snacks with the masks? For that reason alone, I can't see masks staying on once a movie starts, so it probably loses a lot of the benefit.
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I'm still waiting for a movie shown in Feel-Around [youtube.com]....
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The down side is that your glasses can get steamed up.
BTW where are these cold theatres? I'm always too hot.
Re:Part of the silver lining (Score:5, Funny)
from the law offices of dewey, cheathem and howe:
"Has COVID-19 caused you to wear a mask and glasses at the same time?
You may be entitled to condensation."
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You forgot, the masks also make it impossible to eat popcorn or consume drinks, so this would mean no more concession stands as well as fewer people needing to get up in the middle of the movie to use the bathroom.
Of course, I don't know how the theatres expect to make money now given all ticket revenues go to the studio for the first couple of weeks.or month. I mean, if they can't sell concessions to pay for operational costs where is the money coming from?
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The snack things is big deal. Popcorn is insanely profitable. Assuming you bought a 50 pound bag, you could make the equivalent of a medium sized movie popcorn for $0.26, but in the theater it will set you back around $8.
I don't mind though, because economically speaking movie theaters are popcorn stands that show movies. The percent of tickets sales that go to the movie studios drops the longer a movie has been out, so those huge crowds waiting to see the next Avengers movie in the first two weeks make no
Re:Part of the silver lining (Score:5, Informative)
Perhaps you are unaware that about half of the spread of Covid-19 is from people who are infected but pre-symptomatic, so they think they are healthy, but are actually spreading the virus everywhere they go. The point of mask wearing is primarily to protect others from your spreading diseases to them, not to protect you from getting infected. If 80% of the population wore masks, then Covid-19 would stop spreading and would have died out. The only reason it's been dragging on for months longer in the US than in so many other countries is that too many idiots are ignoring medical guidelines and are refusing to social distance and wear masks, so they're spreading the disease and making the pandemic far worse and last far longer than it should have.
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>"The point of mask wearing is primarily to protect others from your spreading diseases to them, not to protect you from getting infected."
Primarily, yes, when close to others. But masks can, indeed, help prevent you from being infected, also, by capturing droplets headed your way (if worn properly). If someone infected is not wearing a mask and talking to you at close range (or someone further away coughs or sneezes) and you ARE wearing a mask, your own mask can help stop those droplets from reaching
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except that it also can enter your system through your eyes. it offers _some_ protection but I would rather count on everyone else wearing a mask rather than me being the only one wearing a mask to be protected
My biggest thought here is that theaters claim the overwhelming majority of profit comes from concession sales. Drinking a soda from a straw is something you can probably make happen while wearing a mask for the most part, just cough into your mask. Eating a huge bucket of overpriced buttered popco
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Re:Part of the silver lining (Score:4, Interesting)
Droplets are dispersed from your mouth and/or nose every time you breathe, and more of them as you speak. Whispering is particularly bad, since the voice originates from deeper in the throat and the mouth is held more open.
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My understanding:
Different activities spread at different viral loads and distances. Coughing and sneezing are the worst, a high viral load at distances claimed to be up to 9 meters/30 feet - but singing, breathing heavy, talking, even just normal breath still results in spreading virus over a smaller distance. Distance, time, ventilation, and activity all play in exposure and whether you got enough viable virus to become infected, or if you gave off enough viable virus to infect another person.
The social d
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My German Shepard loves to carry around sticks. Big sticks. Like 12-foot long 2x4's. So when I go for a walk I just have to take him with me and get him to carry a stick (which he will happily do for hours on end). Makes "social distancing" a breeze ...
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Please go get some HIV or SARs or MERS virus and then tell us how wonderful your immune system is. Heck, go get malaria, if you think you can handle the former, then malaria shouldn't even raise your temperature right?
I don't think that is the case (Score:1)
All this distancing and wearing masks is ultimately going to make people sicker because it is weakening immunities.
I see where you are going with that and I generally also worrying about the whole situation weakening immunities, but I don't see masks being much of a factor.
They let a significant number of things through anyway (even if well fitted which most are not), so it's not like they are stopping you from getting the exposure you need to keep up your immune system.
In fact, if the mask wearing gets peo
This seems hypothetical. (Score:4, Insightful)
This seems pretty hypothetical. I can't imagine very many people are going to go to the movie theater regardless of mask policy. If they want to get back in business they should open drive-in theaters like in the old days.
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If they want to get back in business they should open drive-in theaters like in the old days.
And they should have roller-skating concessionaires there!
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If they want to get back in business they should open drive-in theaters like in the old days.
Some drive-in theaters like West Wind [westwinddi.com] (Western US) are already back in business.
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I proposed this idea to friends of mine a few weeks ago. Why don't existing theaters petition local government to allow them to convert their existing lots into drive-in theaters? They could have stayed open all along. They could now begin selling popcorn and whatnot in a responsible way. All major theaters have enormous parking lots, project against the building face somewhere. And it would give people a way to safely get out of the house and feel "normal". Trying times call for clever solutions. Peo
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Anyone like him that ties their ego to "+5" posts on Slashdot has deeper problems than I can address.
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Exactly right - go to the drive-in and enjoy a movie. It's still a family outing, but you don't risk injury or death!
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Until you need to go to the bathroom. The last drive in around here has done a good business, though they were still running at half capacity (every other spot empty), got into a fight with the government over the 50 people gathering limit (government backed down) and had to be careful how washrooms etc were set up.
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These days, I would imagine they would use a low power FM transmitter and tell you where to tune on the radio.
The big problem would be that one guy where the "bass" is mostly the sound of his car slowly shaking itself apart rather than actually reproduced sound.
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My TV and Home Sound System is far superior to most theaters. I see no point in having theaters at all.
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Well stream the FM signal from your phone. Most phones except the crappiest have a FM radio chip, just have to plug in headphones for an antenna. Though some phone manufacturers have removed the headphone jack to save money, my advice is to stay away from any company too cheap to have a headphone jack even if they market it as an improvement.
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I think most cinemas will go bust and we will move to a model of watching new release movies at home.
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Movie theatres are an obsolete distribution model based on the fact that every 'print' of the movie was an expensive and bulky piece of film that was best projected to a lot of people at once.
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I can't imagine very many people are going to go to the movie theater regardless of mask policy.
I think you're underestimating the stupidity of the average American. Just look at the crowds desparate to pack themselves into waterparks, political rallies or even bars.
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This seems pretty hypothetical. I can't imagine very many people are going to go to the movie theater regardless of mask policy. If they want to get back in business they should open drive-in theaters like in the old days.
I will. Of course, my wife and I typically go to movies in the early afternoon, when we're often the only people in the theater. Assuming it doesn't get much more crowded than it was before, I don't see a problem.
For that matter, the theaters we go to all have those enormous stadium seats with widely-spaced rows, so if they only seat people in alternating rows and require a couple of empty seats between groups on a row, they'll be well-distanced. Add masks all around and disinfection between showings, an
Concessions sales hit? (Score:2)
Wearing face masks is going to make it hard to eat and drink which means concessions sales could take a hit.
While AMC gets half of their revenue from food and beverage sales [amctheatres.com], it's where they make the bulk of their profit.
Re:Concessions sales hit? (Score:4, Insightful)
Yeah, it's also why this mask wearing requirement really isn't enforceable. Sure, you can make people wear masks while ordering tickets (although you really should be doing that online now) and ordering refreshments, but once people sit in their seats they're going to be taking those masks off to nosh on those snacks that they just bought. They probably won't be putting them back on until the show is over, either.
If you start doing things like banning refreshments, people just aren't going to show up to theaters. They'll either pirate the movie, or just wait for it to come to Blu-ray or streaming.
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And if you don't enforce masks, the other half won't show up.
The theater is like mass transit. (Score:2)
Except some people have to use mass transit. Thankfully not me.
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Re:annoying (Score:5, Insightful)
I suggest that your write a similarly misspelled and ungrammatical letter to your management to tell them how work ought to be run.
Remember, the early bird gets the worm, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. You're running out of time to collect that extra $600/wk in unemployment benefits, so hurry.
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Covid-19's case fatality rate is 6% in the US. That's probably inflated by our incompetent testing, so let's optimistically imagine that it's really only 1%. The US has a population of 330 million, and estimates are that uncontrolled Covid-19 would infect perhaps 70-80% of the population. Do the math - that's 2.3 million Americans dead. Why would you think that avoiding that disaster is "illogical"? Keep in mind that about half the people with Covid-19, who are walking around infecting others, show no sympt
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Re:annoying (Score:5, Informative)
cdc said its 0.4 percent. more people die in car crashes.
US deaths per year due to car crashes is around 35,000. We're half way through the year and US deaths due to COVID-19 is already over 120,000.
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Re: annoying (Score:2)
Re:annoying (Score:5, Informative)
https://www.worldometers.info/... [worldometers.info]
US has 1,077,468 Cases which had an outcome:
956,061 (89%) Recovered / Discharged
121,407 (11%) Deaths
The flu is 0.1% case fatality rate. 11% > 0.1%.
Since April 7, Covid-19 has been the leading cause of death in the US, surpassing car crashes, cancer, and heart disease. And the number of deaths has more than doubled since then.
And before you start quibbling, keep in mind that total deaths in the US is much higher than average, at the same and place that there have been Covid-19 outbreaks. So yes, it really is much worse than normal. For example, in NYC at the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak, deaths were FOUR TIMES the normal rate. https://www.usnews.com/news/he... [usnews.com] .
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first off the usa is huge population wise so of course its going to be bigger.
Population size has no effect on per-capita numbers. The US per-capita numbers are among the highest in the world.
second they count everyone positive as a covid death even if there frigging 90 and die of being 90.
Talk to any epidemiologist or actuary and they'll tell you that COVID deaths are being undercounted. The real number is higher than what the headlines say.
third these test are antibody based and well known for false positives.
No, the tests used for determining COVID deaths are not serum antibody tests.
we dont have a real number its just a guess.
It is an estimate, yes, but it's a lower bound.
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In the real world, people do things like collect data to test ideas, and find that "not wearing a face mask dramatically increases a person's chances of being infected by the COVID-19 virus."
https://www.sciencedaily.com/r... [sciencedaily.com]
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Join us in reality any time you like.
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I put last night down to you being drunk. But you're seemingly
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If your immediate and only reaction is to resort to name calling any educated person a sheep, then my best - educated - guess is that you didn’t finish school.
But enjoy your 600 bucks a week, Feel a bit like royalty with that much money, eh?
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They are not guests. (Score:2)
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It can be both common AND bullshit at the same time.
Like the new crop of taxi companies that call themselves "ride hail" or even worse, pretend that they are "ride sharing". Very common, and also complete bullshit.
Do mask work if ... (Score:2)
The simplewst answer. (Score:2)
Most theatres have multiple screens and have multiple showings of the same film at roughly the same time. So offer two options, screen A which requires masks and screen B which does not.
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Shut the fuck up and go back to licking dooorknobs, you boring ass troll.
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Thank you for that well reasoned argument. Based on it I've decided that InPursuitOfTruth is absolutely wrong and you are absolutely right.
Sorry to hear your critical thinking skills are in such poor shape.
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Oh, please don't. The True Believers will drone on for hours about their fantasy health strategy, they're as bad as vegans or crossfit fanatics.
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The problem is that when people get infected and spread disease to others, they're not just hurting themselves, they're hurting everyone around them. That's why they call it "public health".
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Just bail them out already. (Score:2)
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Right, the US should do what most other countries have done, and have the government help companies (and individuals) survive the gap while things are shut down do prevent Covid-19 from spreading. The US' strategy of forcing people to go to work and infect each other just means that more people get injured and die, and the economic hit is worse and lasts longer. Compare the US' situation to the dozens of countries that responded rapidly and effectively, actually got Covid-19 under control, then re-opened sa
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Everything you wrote was the truth, and the scumbag righties here will downvote you into oblivion for it.
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Something tells me that movie theaters might not have the same lobbying network built up that the airlines do.
I heard it being discussed on the news the other day, that there should be a $4000 tax credit that anyone can claim for taking a vacation this year. I forgot which talking head was pushing this retardation, but I'll bet Hilton and the airlines are pulling the strings up above somewhere.
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Or, real estate and employees of movie theaters can pivot to something in demand right now and then return to their regular work once situation stabilizes. What did outdoor caterers in London do during WWII when bombings put them out of work?
Why commercials and expensive concessions (Score:2)
A little-known dirty secret of the movie-theatre industry... for the first-run big Hollywood movies, the studios rake off 95% (YES!) of ticket revenues for the first 3 weeks or so. The theatres don't start seeing much ticket revenue until week 4 or so. 5% of ticket revenue, even in a packed theatre, doesn't pay rent/electricity/salaries/etc. Raising prices doesn't work, because the studios grab almost all of any price increase. The only way movie theatres can survive the first 3 weeks is with "non-ticket re
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do you mean to say that you would wear a mask to see Idocracy in a theater. Otherwise, no thank you. you are a believer in immunity exercise and eating good home cooked meals with healthy ingredients, you haven't had a cold or any sickness in well over 4 years, and have been continuously listening to a lot of microbiologists and scientists, while reviewing the data, and it is just illogical for healthy people to wear masks unless you are trying to re-create a 2020s version of Idiocracy.
is that what you are
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Ok ... (Score:3)
There are three reasons I go to a theater (Score:2)
Assuming that it is, of course, a movie that I actually want to see, there are only three reasons why I will spend money to go see it ion a theater instead of watching it at home.
The first reason is for having an entertainment experience that cannot be replicated in my living room without me needing to move into a new home with the space to set up an home theater..
The second is for the socialization aspect. I go to movies with my family or friends, and I happen to actually like sitting beside my wife
What the (Score:2)
No, no way I'm setting foot in a theater until this shit has some resolution. Develop a vaccine and/or do universal 100% testing and I'll think about it.
(Spoiler: I'm not a fan of movie theaters, dislike the experience and am secretly thankful that this shit pandemic has given me the absolute airtight excuse I needed to decline any offer to go sit in a fucking movie theater.)
Only if worn properly. (Score:2)
I've seen entirely too many people in "mandatory mask wear" establishments where the mask just seems to be some kind of unfashionable chin cover. Frequently the nose is completely exposed and often, the mouth is left uncovered as well.
hopefullly on their faces (Score:2)
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But wearing a mask on your arm as an armband is still "wearing a mask". In fact, I am rather in favour of wearing my Anonymous mask.
If you want a "specific" type of "mask" to be worn in a "specific" manner, then say that. Otherwise "wear a mask" is satisfied by having a batman mask in your pocket.
WTF would anybody want to do that? (Score:2)
Either watch a movie at home / spread out outdoors. Or, if you decide that the experience is worth the risk, don't make it so cumbersome you can't enjoy it. Skiing is also dangerous, but would you go down wrapped in a foot of bubblewrap? Slightly better screen/sound/seats are not worth rebreathing your own exhaust for two hours.
Let me know how that works out (Score:2)