With high temperatures in the 110-degree range this weekend, local theaters are inviting the community to chill out inside and watch a movie, or two, while sipping an ice-cold drink.
To celebrate the inaugural National Cinema Day, the National Association of Theater Owners is collaborating with thousands of theaters nationwide to celebrate the pastime of movie-going with deeply discounted tickets, concessions and special screenings.
Nearly 30,000 screens nationwide are included in the celebration, including those at the local Hanford Cinemark 8 and the Lemoore Stadium Cinemas.
“The industry was impacted so directly and so severely from COVID-19 when not only did we have to shut our doors for the first time in history but also everyone was stuck at home and realized how much they missed those shared, communal entertainment experiences,” said Caitlin Piper, public relations senior manager for Cinemark. “We thought Labor Day weekend would be a great time to reignite that excitement around movie-going that we’ve seen all summer.”
In addition to $3 movie tickets all day Saturday, Cinemark will also offer $3 medium drinks, $3 candy and $3 small bags of popcorn.
Saturday’s choices in Hanford and Lemoore will include big summer blockbusters like “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Jurassic World Dominion” and “Bullet Train,” “Elvis,” “Thor: Love & Thunder” as well as more idiosyncratic fare like “Honk for Jesus Save Your Soul” and “Easter Sunday.”
Kids will be well entertained by “Minions: Rise of Gru,” “DC League of Super-Pets” and “Dragon Ball Super: Superhero.” Those seeking thrills and chills can choose from the horror films “Beast” and “The Invitation.”
Perhaps most intriguing among the weekend’s offerings are re-releases of one time-tested classic and one instant classic. The re-release of 2021’s biggest movie, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” with an additional 15 minutes of footage will screen in both Lemoore and Hanford. A 3-D IMAX re-release of Steven Spielberg’s classic “Jaws” will play on screens in Visalia, Tulare and Fresno.
“’Spider-Man: No Way Home” practically broke the internet when tickets went on sale [last year] and proceeded to have one of the best opening days of all time,” Piper said.
No matter what movie — or movies — theatergoers choose Saturday, they’re sure to have a good time, Piper said.
“There’s nothing like watching a movie on the big screen,” Piper said. “One of the things I noticed when I first got back into theaters after COVID was how refreshing it was to be in a room where my soul purpose was to be entertained. The dog wasn’t barking, the phone wasn’t ringing, I wasn’t seeing a pile of laundry I needed to fold out of the corner of my eye. There’s nothing like being in that big auditorium.”
