Cinemas were closed for months and when allowed to re-open (with strict hygiene rules and socially-distanced seating) were eager to showcase new films that would attract audiences and bring in much-needed revenue . . . especially from the sale of popcorn and soft drinks!

The film industry was hoping that Christopher Nolan’s complex, visually stunning film “Tenet” would be the one to kick-start the public’s return to big screen entertainment.  However, for whatever reason, “Tenet” hasn’t done the ‘box office business’ that was hoped for.

“Mulan” was due to be Disney’s big summer release, but it went straight to pay-per-view streaming.

Let’s hope the new James Bond film “No Time To Die” – originally due out in April – will definitely be released to cinemas this year, as the producers promise.

The film business will survive this tough period as it has many times before.
In the early 1970s, the only ‘attractions’ at many British cinemas were spin-offs from TV sitcoms and X-certificate ‘comedies’ about randy window cleaners.  It seemed to many that the British cinema was doomed.

Then, in 1977, when “Star Wars” came out and George Lucas insisted that any venue that screened it had to have Dolby Sound installed, cinema chains upped their game and audiences flocked to see it and all the sequels, creating a craving for massive blockbuster entertainment.

In the early 1950s when TV replaced ‘the pictures’ as the people’s main form of entertainment, Hollywood fought back by producing wide screen films in CinemaScope, VistaVision and the Granddaddy of them all . . . Cinerama.
3D films were also popular around that time and were again more recently with many big-budget films getting the 3D treatment.

When I went to see one of the new 3D films, I was amazed.  I really did feel I could reach out and touch the characters.

Half-way through I had to make a call of nature, so, still wearing my 3D glasses I made my way to the back of the cinema and asked a fellah who was standing there if he knew where the Gents was.  He said “Don’t ask me, mate. I’m in the film!”