Items

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  11/29/2021

  Dan Olson Oral History, 2021/11/29

  Dan Olson was born and raised in Eau Claire, WI, and has been in the family theatre business since the early 2000s. Micon Cinemas, started by his parents, has multiple locations in the Chippewa Valley of Northwestern Wisconsin and has endured numerous closings since the beginning of 2020. During this interview, Dan discusses those closures and the effects they had, financially and otherwise, on the business. In addition to the company aspect, Dan also speaks to the challenges he has in raising two kids in a pandemic era, where he gets (or doesn’t get) his news from, and the struggles of staying neutral in such polarizing, partisan times.
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  2022-07-05

  COVID related sign outside IMAX movie theater

  This is a sign I saw at the Arizona Mills Mall in Tempe, Arizona. The sign recommends you wear a mask, keep a distance, and not come if you are feeling sick. This sign was not enforced when watching a movie at the IMAX the day I went. Not even the workers were wearing masks. This could just be something leftover from a time when this would have been more relevant, such as in 2020 and 2021. The time I took this picture was actually my first time going to a movie theater since COVID started. The last movie I saw in theaters before the Minion movie was Cats in February of 2020. It was a fun thing to experience again after a long hiatus. I wanted to go at a time when there wouldn't be any restrictions, as it would make the experience less fun. I remember having to wear a mask on a plane when I went for a wedding, and I didn't enjoy having to do that. It would have felt similar had I gone to a movie a year ago when vaccines weren't as distributed as they are now.
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  2020-12-03

  WB Movies Going Straight to Streaming

  Warner Bros. announces its intentions to simultaneously release its films in theaters and on its streaming service, HBO Max. This illustrates the changes in business practices that film studios have had to consider due to the pandemic’s effect on the theater industry and audiences’ willingness to go see movies in theaters at this time. This decision would be a somewhat controversial one as filmmakers gave polarizing reactions to their films being released this way.
• 2020-03

  Finding Joy in the Little Things

  As someone with anxiety, existing during the pandemic lockdown of 2020 was very difficult. I found myself even more anxious with health-related thoughts, especially at the beginning of the lockdowns in March of 2020. There wasn't a ton of accurate information being disseminated, and I remember my family and I religiously sanitizing everything, including shopping bags. One of the ways we kept each other sane was by recreating experiences at home. For example, I created a "home theater," for my boyfriend. In reality it was just a sign that said "Home Theater," with a few movies we could stream, but it made the experience fun. We joked about the little movie "tickets" I made (scraps of paper) as well as the theater seats (pillows propped on the bed). In the end, it was moments like this that made the first wave of Covid bearable.
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  2021-04-13

  ‘Not everyone is going to survive’: Chicago movie theaters continue to struggle amid pandemic

  The movie theater industry has been hit hard by COVID-19. Theater chains like AMC have the ability to file for bankruptcy and scale back locations. For mom-and-pop movie theaters, however, there is no bankruptcy, so many face permanent closure.
• 2021-01-26

  Covid Stats

  Covid has infected more than 3 million U.S citizens. Almost 38 thousand people have died from this virus. L.A county has more than 1 million people Infected. This caused everything to close down. Airports shutting down, people getting trapped. Something that personally affected me was not being able to do anything outside. We couldn't go to the mall or movie theatre. Our families were not allowed to fly over and spend time with us. Covid crashed the economy for the world. Leaving more people in poverty than before. Covid has affected us all in terrible ways...
• 2020-01-19

  Covid Procedures

  Because of the arrival of this new virus, Covid, we all need to follow new procedures to keep us safe. The Los Angeles County guidelines state that masks must be worn in public, we need to social distance, and more. The main rule that citizens must follow is to wear a mask. Experts say that masks can lower your chance of transmitting or receiving the virus because it would be harder to be in contact with the air particles. Although the masks are beneficial to keeping us safe, they can also make breathing harder. I personally do not like wearing masks but I respect it. I feel all citizens should respect the rules and wear a mask, even if they do not trust it. Out of all the procedures, we must follow, I wish one day we can stop wearing masks in public and attend big gatherings such as movie theatres and concerts.
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  2020-12-12

  Cinemas have reopened

  Cinemas have reopened in China since July, but food and drinks were not allowed during movie to prevent people taking off masks.
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  2020-11-10

  Cinemas in Shanghai

  For months the cinemas have been closed due to the pandemic. They were allowed to re-open starting from July, and here's a friend talking about what's like to watch a movie in Shanghai, China.
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  2020-10-08

  How COVID-19 Has Impacted My Life

  This story talks about my experience amidst the pandemic, and how it has impacted my life. This is important to me because this time is so unusual and is definitely going to be a huge part of history.
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  2020-07-10

  See You Later Rather Than Sooner: Wichita Theaters Still Closed

  Capturing the same Warren Theater documented in the items "May the Force Be With You, Wichita" and "The Show's Over...For Now," these two photos clearly reveal that, despite Kansas's hurried attempts to restore normal economic activity, the show was still over four months after Regal closed the Warren Theater in west Wichita, Kansas. The sign expresses that the Warren misses its patrons like "popcorn misses butter," while the second photo captures a still empty parking lot on a hot Friday afternoon in July. The duration of the theater's closure is made even more evident by the weeds bordering the parking stalls in the foreground, some of which stood several feet tall.
• 
  03/19/2020

  Stay Positive

  While walking down the streets of Laguna Beach, the movie theathre there put up this message to stay positive during this time when everything is closed down.
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  03/16/2020

  Theatres closing tonight - last set 5pm

  This is an email sent by the President of the small, locally-owned movie theater I work at telling us that the theater will close down due to state-wide mandates that non-essential businesses close. It also suggests signing up for unemployment insurance, and what may happen once we are allowed to re-open.
• 
  2020-03-31

  The Joy Theater

  Businesses and people alike express their love and a desire to return to normal.
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  Tuesday March 17, 2020

  Fox Bay Theater

  My husband and I were walking through the ghost town of our village's main street and saw an employee placing the letters on the marquis