Wow! Who would’ve thought that we’d ever be able to go back to the movies again!  On September 4th, Governor Phil Murphy allowed movie theaters in New Jersey to reopen again. They were originally closed due to COVID-19 since it was a big health risk.  About a month later after the announcement, I decided to look online and research open theatres near me.  At first, there were mainly drive-in theatres open but they were far away.  Then I noticed some people started to go back to AMC and it piqued my interest. I asked my dad and my best friend, Ashleigh, if they wanted to go to the movies. I looked up different theatres and the movies they were showing.  Turns out, Center Cinemas in Rutherford was showing Hocus Pocus on October 3rd.  I knew I could just watch this movie at home but why not go to the movies since it’s been so long? 

And so we went.  Besides my dad, Ashleigh and myself, there were only two other people in the theater room. In the theatre, your mask had to be on at all times unless you were eating or drinking. Once you were done, they had to be put back on.   It felt strange having to wear a mask for that long. You had to distance yourself from everyone else in the theatre unless you went with others, and the maximum number of people you could have in a party was seven. I have always enjoyed watching Hocus Pocus, but the details from the movie stood out more because I was seeing it on a bigger screen.  This experience was definitely an interesting one, but I don’t think there will be a next time. Instead, I think I’ll stay home to watch movies!