Cinemas have made a comeback like never before. From an avid moviegoer and cinephile like myself, this has been long-awaited. But as much as it feels like we never left the hallways and comfortable seats of the theaters, the times we are living in have drastically changed the cinematic experience.

The film festival experience

Gone are the crowded lines that await near the cinema doors as social distancing is still in practice. Keep in mind that only vaccinated moviegoers are allowed to get in. Alas, attending my first QCinema International Film Festival at the Gateway Cineplex was something to remember. I never got to attend past editions of the festival, but this time around, it was hard not to miss. Just trying to map out the films I want to watch and creating my own schedule made me feel in control.

It still feels surreal to be surrounded by a room full of people who share the same adoration for films. After being confined in my room and watching movies all by myself, it’s nice to finally have that collective experience.

Experiencing masterful films such as Drive My Car from Japan and The Worst Person in the World from Norway made me feel like I was in prestigious festivals in Venice and Cannes. One can dream, right? But, nevertheless, sitting through these critically acclaimed films made me fall in love with the artform even more.

With no food allowed inside, there won’t be any distractions from popcorn-munching, soft drink-slurping, and candy-chewing; I didn’t even reach my phone to check the time. It’s quite rare to be completely immersed with what I was watching. No thanks to my short attention span.

As I was about to catch a ride home, I took the time to just sit down at the foodcourt downstairs from the cinemas. While there, I missed grabbing a bite of some good ‘ol shawarma. Suddenly, I missed the feeling of spending less money on food back when college wasn’t online.

It’s quite interesting to just observe the people inside the mall. This pandemic made me look into the things that we sometimes overlook. Being alone isn’t all that bad, to be honest. Granted, you wouldn’t be able to talk about the film you’ve seen with your friends or family. But you’ll get to exercise your own imagination and contemplation.

Spider-Man’s amazing return

After so long, I finally have new additions to my ticket collection. I love how they serve as memories of the films, people, and the particular day. I remember seeing Spider-Man: Far from Home in 2019 at Robinson’s Manila, back when Taft life was still alive and well. There were no face masks, food restrictions, and vacant seats in between civilians. The world felt relatively safer back then.

I’m not particularly a fan of Tom Holland’s iteration of Spider-Man. But hey, you can’t get enough of the character, albeit who’s playing the role. Fast forward to Jan. 9, 2022, I finally got to experience the much-awaited Spider-Man: No Way Home on the big screen with my family. I always wondered how a blockbuster would play out during the pandemic. A month prior, I got to reserve tickets as many Filipinos have been clamoring for this film. Since it was delayed to give way for the Metro Manila Film Festival, the demand was obviously there.

I’m a firm believer in Philippine cinema but it’s time to evolve in terms of storytelling and genres being shown in theaters. Quality films such as Big Night and Whether the Weather is Fine suffered from the masses’ prejudice on Filipino films. We should get past the idea that all Filipino films are bad. Let’s give them a chance as the independent scene is making waves and keeping the industry afloat. With much more experimenting in play, slowly but surely, we’re trying to move away from the usual tropes that have been yesterday’s news. 

On the other hand, producers shouldn’t also have the preconceived notion that Filipino audiences would pay money to see a film with the same comedic clichés and jokes. The main focus is still to portray great storytelling above anything else.

With Spider-Man: No Way Home, the nostalgic tendencies brought out the best in honoring the legacy of the character. It gave audiences something to look forward to and have a good time in the process. It felt good being surrounded by people cheering for certain characters appearing on screen. The excitement level was too contagious even if you aren’t a massive fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the superhero genre in general. 

But with the pandemic still looming, it wasn’t a massive premiere weekend compared to the pre-pandemic releases. Moving forward, Philippine theaters are still surviving. 

Is it 2020 all over again?

But the question remains–will the rising cases of the COVID-19 Omicron variant affect the upcoming January releases such as Scream, The Matrix Resurrections, House of Gucci, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife? As much as we want to escape and enter new worlds captured on the big screen, our reality still dictates how we choose to go through life.

I miss going to the cinemas and the feeling of rushing to head over and catch the screening time. I miss the smell of popcorn at the snack stand. I miss watching the trailers for upcoming films to look forward to. I miss the big screen experience of watching a blockbuster with larger-than-life characters. I miss going out of a movie theater and imagining I was the main character of the film that I’ve just seen.

It will definitely take a long time to reach the “normal” that we’re all so craving for. But to satisfy our movie-theater itch, streaming films at home is still the safest way to go. 

As much as we want to share the collective experience of roaring into movie theaters for a jam-packed blockbuster spectacle, it’s still not entirely safe to enjoy the movie theater thrill.