OKLAHOMA CITY – As state businesses – locked down because of the Covid-19 pandemic — slowly begin to reopen, restaurants and hair salons are seeing some customers return.
But not every sector of the economy has reopened its doors.
In Oklahoma, like many other parts of the country, movie theaters remain closed and movie production remains stalled.
One of the country’s largest theater chains – AMC, which has theaters in Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Norman – told the Hollywood Reporter that it wouldn’t reopen its 630 locations until there is a new Hollywood movie to show.
Other chains have not announced their plans yet.
So, what are customers doing until the movie business returns?
Many people have turned to streaming movies, using services such as Netflix, Prime Video or Disney+.
The problem, though, it what to watch.
With that in mind, ENN asked its staff to recommend movies for Oklahomans as they continue to practice social distancing and fight the coronavirus pandemic.
Staff Writer Melissa Cliff suggested five movies for quarantine: Howl’s Moving Castle, Forrest Gump, Parasite, As Above So Below and Frozen II.
Cliff said Howl’s Moving Castle “never fails to disappoint.”
“It’s another movie to sit down with your quarantined family and to truly experience the splendor that is Hayao Miyazaki’s work,” she said.
Other movies, such as the horror film As Above, So Below, are always fun to enjoy during a time of crisis, she said. “And one so involved in the history of Paris’ underground graveyard certainly can send chills down the spine while we stay indoors,” she said.
ENN broadcaster Maycee Elerick also made five suggestions – television shows, which she said were just right for quarantine viewing: The Office, The Bee Movie, Queer Eye, The Circle and Tiger King.
Writer Noah Lewis, chose old school, suggesting movies such as the 1992 animated version of Aladdin, Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Rocky, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Groundhog Day.
Kenzie Watson, a host of ENN’s show, the ReCap, said she prefers shorter TV shows to movies. Watson’s suggestions include: The Good Place, Psych, Dance Moms, The Lion King, The Office and ‘any musicals she can find access to.’
Though photographer Bekah Disney said she likes YouTube videos ‘on how to do cool stuff’ more than television, she does have some suggestions to fight quarantine, including the three-film saga Back to the Future, the 2015 movie version of Cinderella and the gameshow Wheel of Fortune.
Bekah also suggests random cooking shows and photography videos on YouTube.
Broadcast student Grace Ann White said her top five suggestions included the movie The Greatest Showman and the television shows, Saved by the Bell, the new Magnum P.I., Live PD and the First 48.
Deborah Horn suggested three movies: Noises Off, Clue and the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. For television, she said the shows, The IT Crowd and Chuck were winners.
ENN staff writer Christopher Rabourn suggested four movie series: Fast and Furious, Predator, Transformers and Bad Boys I and II. Rabourn also said he liked the film, Alita Battle Angel.
Raybourn’s brother, Devon, endorsed the Fast and Furious series and the film Alita Battle Angel and the film, Bad Boys II. He also suggested watching replays of the NBA and the NFL.
With the television and film industry effectively sidelined until later this summer, Oklahomans will be looking for a larger and more diverse selection of shows and movies. We hope the suggestions made by the ENN stuff will give you a starting point.
