Family-run movie theaters, like the Moxie in Missouri, were also trying to find funding. If you aren’t selling tickets and don’t have the protection of being part of a large chain operation, you’re in an especially precarious position. Independent theaters like the Moxie live on donations and grant funding. Ticket sales were always a bit low, as of the Pandemic, ticket sales virtually dried up for them. In Essential Exhibition, we learn of Moxie’s struggle to acquire funding both from the PPP fund and from their pool of donors.
Complimenting the issues facing movie theaters, Essential Exhibition wisely explores the stories of film production workers. Movies, after all, require huge crews and casts of actors to become the entertainment we enjoy both at the theater and home. Cinematographer Nigel Bluck, AD Doug Torres, Composer Nathan Barr, and others inform you through Zoom interviews how they’ve survived in a world that has become increasingly remote. Torres and Bluck, being craftsmen who have to be on a set, were most impacted by when and where they would be cleared to shoot the films and television shows we as an audience want. Essential Exhibition had to address the rise of streaming services. Many of the production professionals seem torn on the topic of streaming services. On the one hand, it was greatly convenient to sit in your living room with your family and watch movies. On the other hand, it’s screwing the movie theaters out of ticket sales. When Essential Exhibition discusses drive-in theaters during the Pandemic, it becomes clear that even the outdoor movie format doesn’t quite capture the magic of the indoor theater experience. Ultimately, Essential Exhibition captures the incredibly difficult position filmmakers, movie theaters, and related businesses find themselves mired in following the Pandemic. It is a great, insightful film that provides much clarity to the trends that are now part of our lives. Between the rise and fall of streaming services and the diminishing returns of beloved movie theaters, there is much angst. State, federal, and local governments really did the movie business no favors. The suffering is clear across the board. Essential Exhibition wants you, the audience, to remember that movie theaters exist and rely on your patronage. This is a very good documentary and worth watching wherever it’s released, even if, ironically, it’s released on a streaming service.
title: “Essential Exhibition Featured Reviews Film Threat” ShowToc: true date: “2024-04-09” author: “Henry Kirschenbaum”
Amid this unrest, the studios were reluctant to produce any new movies. This indirectly harmed the theaters, too. Adjusting to the crisis, many cinemas began to alter their services. They offered curbside popcorn and played retro features instead of new releases. Drive-ins enjoyed a brief resurgence. Despite all this, business did not pick up again until the fall of 2020, when lockdown fatigue forced many restless people to escape the soul-crushing confines of the house.
Essential Exhibition explores the many permanent effects of the worldwide crisis on the movie-making world. In the post-COVID world, streaming has brought old-fashioned theaters to the brink of extinction. We’ve lost the communal touch of the theater experience. Everybody’s still isolated and avoiding each other, even after the threat of the virus has diminished.Diercksmeier conducts lots of interviews with movie-adjacent personnel. Indie directors and theater staff give their insights into the industry’s precarious future. “If you love movie theaters, it’s up to you to support them,” the narrator concludes. “Your dollar is the only thing that can truly save the theaters.” The interviews convey the urgency of the narrative. There’s a desperation to reconnect with others and build a community. The director maintains the tone and gives the subject the appropriate weight and seriousness. Unfortunately, some technical issues do prevent this from being perfect. The editing is choppy at times, and the sound design is a mess. The volume goes in and out often enough to be distracting. Still, the message is loud and clear, and it is crucial that we all take it to heart. On the whole, Essential Exhibition is a top-notch documentary. Its timely topic about the collapse of theaters (and the entire community) is a very necessary conversation in today’s America. The editing leaves much to be desired, and the volume fluctuations are incredibly irritating. But overall, I strongly recommend this as it is an enjoyable and valuable watching experience.
