The Dune movie is premiering in U.S. theaters October 22. It will also begin streaming that same day on HBO Max. According to Denis Villeneuve, the movie’s esteemed director, people should watch Dune – If they feel comfortable – in an Imax theater, not at home on HBO Max.
From The Hollywood Reporter:
“At the end of the day, these are of course difficult times for everybody — safety first. If the audience feels comfortable, I encourage them to watch it on the big screen,” he said. “It has been dreamed, designed and shot thinking Imax. When you watch this movie on the big screen, it’s a physical experience.”
Safety first?
I cringe anytime I hear “safety first.” It’s been my experience that when someone says that, they mean the complete opposite. Villeneuve is no different. He doesn’t care about the safety of moviegoers. He cares about putting people in theater seats. Preferably, he wants people to flock to Imax theaters because people pay more for tickets at an Imax theater.
Villeneuve wants Dune to make a lot of money because if the movie isn’t a financial success at the box office, Warner Bros. will not allow him to make the second part of Dune. Yes, the movie opening in theaters and appearing on HBO Max on October 22 is only the first part of the movie. According to Villeneuve, Part 1 is an “appetizer.” Part 2, the movie he doesn’t know if he will be allowed to even make, is the “main meal.”
Make no mistake, if there isn’t a Part 2 to Dune, Villeneuve reputation with take a massive hit. And rightfully so. Respected movie directors don’t make half-movies.
Encouraging people to go to the movies during a pandemic is irresponsible
It’s not safe to go to a movie theater right now, not with the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus surging.
STAT, a medical sciences journalism website, conducted a poll of 28 public health experts. They asked epidemiologists, immunologists, and other infectious disease experts how they personally were navigating the risk of Covid.
When asked if they would go to a movie theater to see a film, 17 of the 28 said, “No.” Others put qualifiers on their answer, things like if everyone is vaccinated and masked.
The problem is unvaccinated people are going to movie theaters. They’re not wearing masks. They’re not adhering to social distancing guidelines. Movie theaters are operating and full capacity.
I live in Washington County Maryland, a Covid high-risk area
Where I live in Maryland, today’s positivity rate is 8.94% and the case rate per 100K is 47.76. Coincidently, we have one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state. Most people here are not wearing masks. There are zero Covid restrictions in place.
As it stands today, 22 September 2021, it is not safe to go to a movie theater, sitting in close proximity of unvaccinated, unmasked people for a long period of time.
Will things drastically change one month from today? I’ve been lousy at predicting the future when it comes to Covid. I think everyone has. I thought this pandemic would be all but over by now when vaccines began rolling out in December of 2020. Never in my wildest imagination did I think such a large segment of the population would refuse to get vaccinated. People suck.
I plan on watching Dune at home on HBO Max. It seems the safest course of action to take.
I’ve been going to the theaters since the first theaters opened up after quarantined ended.. and really some theaters were open before in Texas. Never effected me. Saw Bill and Ted 3 at the theater and it was most triumphant. Been going to shopping malls, eating out… not effected. If I had covid I didn’t know it. I’ve been sick, and when I was sick I stayed in. Treated it like a flu and I was better in a couple of days.
The most vaccinated states experience the upsurges in Covid. If you’re old, or have a threatened immune system then by all means stay in, take care, do what you feel you need to do. But you look healthy from your image even though you have a mask on. Get out, feel the freedom of no mask forced on your face, drink lots of beer. I’m jealous of you getting to move from Cali to anywhere up north in the New England areas. Best beers I’ve had when I visited all around up there. Or .. if “ITS” legal then .. I’m not saying anything ( wink wink nudge nudge ) but it will really take the edge off and cause your anxiety to go.