I was eight when I first saw an open-captioned movie in a theater. It was 1997, the animated musical Anastasia. I was thrilled. I’m deaf, and though the Americans With Disabilities Act had been passed in 1990, I hadn’t, until then, been able to watch a movie with my family with much comprehension. Twenty-seven years
CHESTERTOWN â Chesapeake Movies is out of business. Cambridge Premier Cinemas is closed. Easton Premier Cinemas is open on the weekends only. The novel coronavirus forced the permanent closure of one movie theater and is pushing the two remaining ones on the Mid-Shore to the brink.
The plight of the local cinema industry follows a story that is repeating across the country, including for national chains such as AMC, which was on the verge of bankruptcy this year. But local theaters, which are operated by small, private companies, are struggling the most.
With revenues that have fallen nearly 100%, capacity restrictions and mandatory closures in some counties, there is no clear way forward for smaller movie theaters. John Fithian, head of the National Association of Theatre Owners, has been quoted saying 70% of small and mid-size theaters will face bankruptcy by January 2021.