Jared Gilman humbly requests you not get yourself killed re-watching Moonrise Kingdom
Aux Features Film
There have been a lot of questions raised in recent months about how the theater industry is eventually going to lure people back within its dark and spacious arms, ranging from our shared cultural love of watching Christopher Nolan blow shit up, all the way to our shared cultural love of watching old Harry Potter movies while sitting in air-conditioning. But what are you supposed to do if you’re operating the sort of theater where a re-run of Prisoner Of Azkaban just won’t fly, huh? What of the arthouse theaters? (Or at least their corporate-owned approximations?)
If you’re Regal (and its Cinema Art line of smaller theaters), you load up your lineup with a bunch of feel-good (or at least feel-something) classics, charging just 5 bucks a head for Trainspotting, La La Land, Call Me By Your Name, Slumdog Millionaire, and more—including two Wes Anderson features, 2014's The Grand Budapest Hotel, and 2012's Moonrise Kingdom. All of which sounds great, except for the part where it’s not at all clear that it’s actually safe for anybody to be back in the theater just yet—something Moonrise Kingdom star Jared Gilman noted today on social media.
You don’t normally see the stars of films advocating against people going to see them, but Gilman’s plea is pretty simple: As good as Moonrise Kingdom is (we named it No. 45 on our list of the best films of the decade), it’s not worth dying over. Meanwhile, Regal has yet to state a formal date for its U.S. re-opening; the company had previously floated a hypothetical July 10 return, but that was clearly whimsical madness—and not the fun, “fall in love on a secluded beach after getting into an arrow fight with Khaki Scouts” kind of whimsical madness.
17 Comments
That movie caused me to roll my eyes way more than is comfortable. I wouldn’t watch it again for free. That’s when I realized Wes Anderson, for me at least, had lost that thing he had when he made Royal Tenenbaums or Rushmore. Or it was the point when I had just had enough of that thing. Quirk? Maybe it’s an overload of quirk. Or twee, whatever that is.
I feel old. This movie is eight years old. Bloody hell.
And it held up pretty well! One of Wes Anderson’s best films.Grand Budapest Hotel, though… THAT’S his best ever film (and he got Oscars to prove it!)
I strongly agree, Moonrise Kingdom, Rushmore and Grand Budapest are my favorite, with Budapest as my number 1. Damn am I saddened that French Dispatch isn’t getting a streaming release soon.
I intened to watch French Dispatch in a theater. I don’t mind waiting a year to do so,
Eh, plenty of independent theaters are open. They cap them at like 1/4 capacity so there really shouldn’t be an issue going.
Is this your opinion as a public health official, or just a fool blathering on the internet?
I mean, 1/4th is better than full capacity, but you’re still spending 2 hours with strangers–who might or might not give a shit about wearing masks–in an enclosed, air conditioned room.
“That’s a guaranteed death!”
Not one of the Wes Anderson films I’d revisit in theaters.
I saw it when it came out in 2012 and we just re-watched it on Peacock this week. My teenage daughter loves Isle of Dogs, Rushmore, and Fantastic Mr. Fox, so I wanted to share one of my favorite Wes Anderson movies with her. On second viewing, it felt less whimsical and more wistful. I still love it, but it’s not ideal pandemic entertainment.
Have you seen T.S. Spivet? Not Wes Anderson obv, but it has a similar feel.
I have not. Will have to check it out. Thanks for the recommendation. I see it’s available on Amazon Prime.
Not planning to go to a theater, but the Cinemark near me is doing something interesting. You can rent the entire theater room for $99. I suppose if I had kids and needed to just get them out of the house this might be appealing. The price is certainly right.
I’d like to see that one catch on in general – that’s only twice as much as taking a family of four to the theater anyway, and I’d be willing to pay that to avoid dealing with other people even without the plague.
I’d imagine they would want a lot more than that if they could pack out movies like normal. This feels like a hail mary to get any sort of income in.