Warren Theatres open back up; other local movie events and offers
Warren Theatres return!
Well, the Warren West and IMAX, anyway — for now. They reopened April 23. The Warren East is set to open May 7, while the Warren Old Town is set to open May 21, all according to Regal’s website. Regal will have safety protocols in place, which can also be found on its website.
The Warren theaters will join the already open AMC Northrock 14 and Starlite Drive-in in Wichita, the Derby Plaza in Derby, the Chisholm Trail 8 theaters in Newton and the Hutchinson Mall 8 theaters in Hutchinson.
If you’re like me, you jumped on the chance to buy a Regal Unlimited annual subscription early last year, which gives you access to any movie. Well, until the world imploded.
So what happens to those subscriptions now? According to the Regal website, “no payments for monthly Unlimited subscriptions will be taken until June 15, unless you visit a Regal theatre. Once you visit a Regal theatre, your payment cycle will resume where it left off prior to closure and the contract will be reinstated.
For annual subscriptions, your contract will be extended until you visit or June 15.
”Um, I’m not exactly sure what that means, either. But it sounds like an account will be reinstated after an initial visit (or by June 15) and a one-year subscription will pick up where it left off before the closure. (https://www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/unlimited/faq) More information on expired credits and other rewards can be found at https://www.regmovies.com/static/en/us/unlimited/subscriber-message.
Box office rebounds, kind of
Sure, viewer numbers for the 93rd Academy Awards on April 25 were dismal, but maybe that’s because people were at the movies, with two — count ‘em TWO — movies breaking the $20 million mark over last weekend. The “Mortal Kombat” video game adaptation reboot took No. 1 last weekend with a $23.3 million haul from about 3,073 screens, well above expectations, especially since it received mixed reviews from critics (no surprise there) and was simultaneously available on HBO Max.
Meanwhile, the anime movie “Demon Slayer the Movie: Mugen Train” raked in $21.1 million from just 1,600 screens. That proves the power of fan films, for sure. (Don’t mess with anime!)
“Demon Slayer” also set a record for the highest opening weekend ever in the U.S. for a non-English film, according to the Wrap. It is also the highest opening weekend for U.S. anime distributor Funimation.
Mama.film moves on
Lela Meadow-Conner’s Mama.film collective is moving forward with more special screenings at its Community Cinema in the Lux, 120 E. First St.
“Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street” is a documentary that looks inside the minds and hearts of the groundbreaking children’s show’s creators, artists, writers and educators who established one of the most influential programs in television history.
The film will be shown at 4 p.m. Saturday, May 1, and Sunday, May 2. Tickets are $15.
“Duty Free” is a documentary about a 75-year-old immigrant woman who gets fired without cause from her lifelong job as a hotel housekeeper, and the son who takes her on a bucket-list adventure to reclaim her life. As she struggles to find work, he documents a journey that uncovers the economic insecurity shaping not only her future, but that of an entire generation.
Showing at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 8. Tickets are $15.
The drive-in
Warm weather is (mostly) finally here! And that means drive-in season is in full swing.
The Starlite Drive-in is now offering season passes for $99, which are good for admission once a day, every day the Starlite is open (about 160 days per season). The season passes also include “exclusive” discounts at the drive-in’s refreshment center, access to special showings and events, and the first right of refusal for a 2022 season pass (in the event of a 2021 season pass sellout).
The passes are for sale at starlitefun.com/season-pass
This story was originally published April 30, 2021 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Warren Theatres open back up; other local movie events and offers."