As box office numbers are booming for movie theatres with Spider-Man No Way Home setting records at the box office for Sony, it’s confirming what Kira Moore, owner of the Bijou, and Stephanie Powers, have known – “Coming to see a film is almost more special than it used to be.”
“Movies have always been a moment of escape — and right now it’s more meaningful than ever,” Kira said.
Along with the shows to the public, Kira noted that the Bijou has also been able to offer a number of private rentals of the theatre, enabling groups and families to plan a special
Kira noted that Powers has been ‘crucial’ in running the Bijou during the midst of the pandemic.
“We meet every week to talk about the needs of the Bijou,” Kira said.
Powers experience has been that some of the biggest challenges that have plagued the Bijou have been supply chain disruptions many other businesses have noted.
“We have had trouble with products being unavailable, such as movie theme popcorn buckets and favorite movie candies,” Powers said.
Both Kira and Powers also noted one of the biggest challenges currently has been navigating the movie line-up to what they can bring to the Bijou.
“Many movies have been planned for theatrical release, and then end up changing to streaming only, causing us to adjust our plans,” Kira said. “The pandemic pretty much stopped the movie production pipeline and in those early weeks we watched movie release dates fall from the schedule like dominoes. Things are just now catching up, and there are lots of movies on the way! So we have a lot of tough choices ahead of us.”
The theatrical run of films has also shortened considerably.
“The second run model is pretty obsolete,” Kira said. “If we can’t fit a film in our line-up within the first three to four weeks of release, it isn’t worth bringing in, because it would probably bump out a newer film and will shortly be available for streaming.”
People are excited for seeing movies as soon as possible upon releases.
We have found that people still love coming to the theater to see movies. There is usually a lot of anticipation for film releases, so that’s what most people are excited for: seeing it as soon as possible.
When it comes to movies on the radar, Kira notes that as a Pixar film she’s really looking forward to “Turning Red,” which the Bijou is planning to run during Mount Vernon’s spring break week.
Other films on the radar include the Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbeldore scheduled for April 15, The Bad Guys scheduled for April 22, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness slated for May 6, Lightyear scheduled for June 17 and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse scheduled for Oct. 7.
Bijou’s recycling program – lower priced refills for buckets and soda cups – has been reinstated, and the theatre has had issues keeping buckets in stock because of supply issues.
The Bijou’s lobby is small, so they encourage masks are worn in the lobby, and masks are also welcome in the auditorium.
“We are beyond thrilled to be part of the community and are humbled by the support we have seen,” Kira said. “If you’re streaming at home, remember we offer curbside concessions that can be ordered on a mobile device. See you at the Bijou!”