The movie theater experience is a pastime that cannot be replicated at home as many film lovers have missed its presence throughout the pandemic.
But 3Below Theaters and Lounge, located on Second Street in Downtown San Jose, is successfully bringing that experience back by hosting a four week run of its dinner-and-a-movie event “Up On The Roof.”
The event, which started on Oct. 8 and finishes Nov. 1, features a total of 44 films, all based on themes of social justice. The theater is showing movies focused on women, the LGBTQ+ community and the Black Lives Matter movement while also highlighting Latinx, Asian and Pacific Islander filmmakers.
3Below Theaters and Lounge moved its viewing screen to the roof of its Second Street parking garage to create a safe, outdoor experience while the coronavirus pandemic persists.
“We know that our fans and our patrons were looking for something to do and we hope that you’re able to experience what you’re here for tonight with lots of joy, watching the films, joining us as we continue on,” Scott Guggenheim, owner of Guggenheim Entertainment and operator of 3Below, said to the audience before the start of Friday’s featured movie.
The theater follows COVID-19 regulations by selling seats in groups of two, three or four, which are separated six feet apart to meet the social distance requirement.
Tickets are $75 for a group of three and each ticket comes with a $10 meal voucher.
Moviegoers can purchase small meals called “Hot Bites,” which include hot dogs, samosas and taquitos, as well as typical movie concessions like candy and popcorn.
Aryana Hernandez, assistant manager of 3Below’s cafe and an SJSU graphic design senior, said the theater had to adapt in order to follow more safety regulations and customers also have to adjust to the new theater policies.
Attendees must wait in line for concessions with strict social distancing protocols enforced by employees and have to wear face masks. Reusable cups are no longer an option and the theater’s cafe menu offers fewer items.
Hernandez knows the event is something theater fans are excited about. As an art major, she’s pleased to be a part of this new style of going to movie theaters.
“I think that that’s, like, really the best thing about being open right now is, like, showing that we’re important to [people who are] locked up in their house all the time,” she said. “When they come to places like this where they can kind of get a sense of normalcy. I feel like it makes people feel a little bit better about the situation.”
As someone who has stayed home almost religiously since March, I was very interested in this event and wanted to see if it was both safe and amusing.
My roommates and I watched “The Post,” which was Friday’s featured movie. The film is part of the theater’s “Power of Women” viewing series and is about Katharine Graham, the first female publisher of a major American newspaper.
Attendees were required to either take an elevator with a two-person capacity or walk five flights of stairs to the roof where the movie was being shown. Luckily, when we arrived there was no wait for the elevator.
The movie setup reminded me of a drive-in theater and it was an amusing thing to experience without a car because none of my friends have driver’s licenses.
After being escorted to our seats by an usher, we found gifts on the seats including flashlights and hand sanitizers from the theater’s sponsor.
It was exciting to enjoy a movie outside the confines of my house and it was a common feeling among some other attendees.
“It’s just a fun concept [and] super cool idea,” Debbie Velasquez, a movie attendee who traveled from Santa Cruz said about her experience. “It’s comfortable out there and it’s nice to get out.”
However, some drawbacks were expected when attending events like this where operations are moved to an outdoor setting, such as distractions that wouldn’t be found in a typical theater.
The downtown street noises made the outside setting seem more authentic, but it was bothersome during the movie. The colorful LED lights in several rooms from The Grad San Jose, an apartment complex near the theater, also took my attention away from the movie.
These complications of new outdoor movie venues are something that theaters looking to host similar events need to consider, as well as people planning to attend those events.
But, despite the changes that were made to comply with the pandemic regulations, 3Below Theaters and Lounge hosted an entertaining event that was enjoyably reminiscent of life before the pandemic.
