For the past two years, I lived on Zoom. I watched films on streaming platforms. The death knell of cinemas was and still is looming. My livelihood and the fate of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival was in jeopardy with a lot of unknowns on the fate of cinema. Then, movie theaters eventually reopened, albeit slowly. With the recently concluded HIFF41 being a hybrid event, it was surreal and also a relief to welcome back audiences back to the theaters. But the road to recovery is far from certain.
But the “Death of Cinema” trope is like the Chicken Little story. It’s been bandied around for decades, from the advent of television, then home video, DVDs and now Netflix. Granted,…
For the past two years, I lived on Zoom. I watched films on streaming platforms. The death knell of cinemas was and still is looming. My livelihood and the fate of the Hawai‘i International Film Festival was in jeopardy with a lot of unknowns on the fate of cinema. Then, movie theaters eventually reopened, albeit slowly. With the recently concluded HIFF41 being a hybrid event, it was surreal and also a relief to welcome back audiences back to the theaters. But the road to recovery is far from certain.
But the “Death of Cinema” trope is like the Chicken Little story. It’s been bandied around for decades, from the advent of television, then home video, DVDs and now Netflix. Granted, a global pandemic is an unexpected curveball, but somehow, cinema finds a way. If the new strata of viewing trends lean towards streaming for lower budget fare and big ticket films reserved for the cinemas, this debate will go one and has ever since the release of JAWS and the invention of the summer blockbuster.
I was transfixed by the grandiosity of DUNE (even though I was lulled by the second half of the film that was reminiscent of a Chanel commercial), the API representation of SHANG-CHI, the Hal Ashby vibes emanating from Paul Thomas Anderson’s LICORICE PIZZA, and the old school pizazz of WESTSIDE STORY, which I really enjoyed, the cinematic experience is still the ideal presentation. Sure, many films were box office duds, but the road to recovery will be a long one. But, if it takes an MCU movie to bring back the crowds and be that adrenaline jab that movie-going needs, then so be it.
I can gladly say that my Top 10 films of 2021 were all exemplified and heightened by the cinema-going experience. Sure, I have SPIDER-MAN in there, but the other 9 would be accurately deemed as “smaller films.” They were truly elevated by the big screen, creating that perfect alchemy of narrative resonance. But, they also were equally riveting on the small screen. So, if you prefer to stream your films at home (hey, we are still neck deep in a pandemic) or are comfortable to go to the movies (proven to be very safe), you are still a movie lover. These 10 films stratified my life-long love of the art form and its craft.
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