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a30 people & arts
Friday 31 July 2020
In an upside-down summer, ‘Jaws,’ ‘E.T.’ are hits again

By JAKE COYLE ing theaters, the circuit ac-
AP Film Writer counted for close to 70% of
NEW YORK (AP) — When the national gross.
historians look back on "It's ridiculous," says Frank
the top films at the box of- Huttinger, the company's
fice in the summer of 2020, chief executive.
they may feel like they've Huttinger, happy for a
slipped into a time warp, break from bookkeeping,
or maybe "Back to the Fu- sounded exhausted on a
ture." recent evening. He's never
Over the second weekend worked harder, he says.
in July, "Empire Strikes Back" "For a while there, we were
— 40 years after it was first just turning people away.
released — was again No. Now that the theaters are
1. "Ghostbusters" claimed operating at half capac-
the July 4th weekend, 36 ity, we're turning a lot of
years after opening. Over people away," Huttinger
the June 19-21 weekend says. "We get spillover due
and 27 years after it last to sell-outs, so all screens
led the box office, "Jurassic do well, regardless of what
Park" again ruled theaters. you're playing. Right now,
In a pandemic that has This image released by Universal Pictures shows, from left, Laura Dern, Joseph Mazzello and Sam 'Goonies' with 'Gremlins'
resurrected all kinds of vin- Neill in a scene from the 1993 film "Jurassic Park." is just blowing it out of the
tage pastimes, from puz- Associated Press park."
zles to drive-ins, even the film by Dave Franco. tremely paltry compared in 13 weeks, an impressive First opened in 1947, Mission
blockbusters are retro. That This is American moviego- to the usual billions gener- total for a film made for less Tiki's circuit numbered 40
is much out of necessity. ing in the summer of 2020. ated in Hollywood's prime than $100,000. screens at its height. Now,
About 1,000 theaters in the A nostalgic trip to the drive- season. Mission Tiki, the four-screen, it finds itself the hottest cin-
U.S. are currently open, just in. A white sheet hung off The unreported grosses for Polynesian-themed drive- ema in Southern California
about a sixth of the nation's the patio. The comforting newer releases like "Trolls in in Montclair, California, — even if it lacks the usual
cinemas. That includes the reunion with a great white World Tour" and "Onward" outside Los Angeles and perks.
approximately 300 drive-ins shark. Keasey says he's exceed those of the reper- flanked by the San Gabriel "Sometimes, you just can't
that have, since the multi- seen "Jaws" three times this tory releases. But the likes of Mountains, also turned into help doing something
plexes shuttered in March, summer, including once on "Jaws," "E.T.," "Goonies" and the epicenter of U.S. mov- right," says Huttinger. "But I
hosted the majority of mov- a screen improvised next to "Ghostbusters" rank among iegoing. DeAnza Land and promise you, nobody's call-
iegoing. a pond. the summer's top draws. Leisure, which owns Mission ing me for the A-list parties."
With all major new releases "It's the classic summer That vacuum has led Tiki and five other drive-ins, Weekend box-office results
postponed until at least blockbuster. It's gorgeous. to some unlikely heavy- outranks all other circuits usually function, like the
Labor Day weekend, sum- You can freeze frame any weights at the box office with 32% of the market top 40 radio hits, as cul-
mer moviegoing has again piece of that movie and this summer. The low-bud- share. tural signposts. It would be
belonged to the classics — it's a perfect slice of 1975 get IFC Films horror film "The Typically, chains like AMC hard to recall the summer
the kinds of films that, for America," says Keasey. "I Wretched" led all report- and Regal would domi- of 1981 without mentioning
many, remain as indelibly feel like those movies of ed films for seven straight nate such lists, and urban "Raiders of the Lost Ark," or
linked to the season as E.T. the '70s and '80s had char- weekends in May and multiplexes would be the the summer of 1977 without
is to Elliott. Brian Keasey, a acter development. Now, early June, a stretch that top sellers. But at one point remembering "Star Wars."
44-year-old in Montrose, it's 100% right out the gate. matches the run of "Ava- in the spring, when Mission Summer movies burrow into
Colorado, has been going There's no room to breathe tar." It's made $1.8 million Tiki was one of few operat- childhood memories.q
every week, when he's not anymore."
playing movies on his back- Among catalog films, "Ju-
yard screen. rassic Park" has led them
"I saw 'Jaws' on the big all with a bit more than
screen. I saw 'Raiders of the $3 million in ticket sales
Lost Ark' on the big screen. this summer, according to
I saw my childhood on the several people who have
big screen," said Keasey seen box-office grosses.
a few hours before head- The major studios have de-
ing to a double-feature of clined to report ticket sales
"Ghostbusters" and "The during the pandemic. The
Rental," a new indie horror numbers, naturally, are ex-

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Roy Scheider in a scene from the iconic 1975 film
“Jaws.”
Associated Press