The Force is with Banko Cinemas.
The Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, ArtsQuest Center, SteelStacks, Bethlehem, had six screenings each of “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary” (1980) and “Black Panther” (2018), Aug. 7, 8 and 9.
Banko Cinemas became the first indoor movie theater in the Lehigh Valley to reopen in the nearly five months since Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered non-essential businesses in Pennsylvania to close their physical locations March 19 in an attempt to mitigate the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Ryan Hill, ArtsQuest Programming Director, said in a phone interview that the decision to reopen Banko Cinemas was “a confluence of Disney making their repertoire available and the final weekend of 2020 Musikfest.”
Disney re-released “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary” and “Black Panther,” Aug. 7 - 13.
Banko Cinemas opted to show the movies Aug. 7, 8 and 9 only.
“We felt once Muskfest is over, the staff deserves a break,” said Hill.
2020 Musikfest, a hybrid of live, streamed and broadcast concerts, as well as in-person food vendors at SteelStacks, ran July 31 - Aug. 9.
“It’s not an experiment,” said Hill of ArtsQuest reopening Banko Cinemas.
“We feel confident in what we’ve put in place regarding safety measures.
“It’s the work of our operations team, led by Steve Ott [ArtsQuest Director of Facilities and Festivals].”
Hill said that Banko Cinemas will reopen once movie studios resume rolling out new releases on a regular basis to movie theaters.
The ArtsQuest website had listed “Mulan” and “Tenet,” two highly-anticipated releases, as “coming soon.”
Disney’s live-action “Mulan,” which was to be released Aug. 21 as summer 2020’s first blockbuster, will be available Sept. 4 on Disney + at a cost of $29.99 for “premium access,” in addition to the Disney + monthly subscription service cost.
Director Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet,” set to open Aug. 12, is now to open Sept. 3 in movie theaters.
“If that [opening date for ‘Tenet’] holds, then we will reopen. We’d like to play that movie,” said Hill.
“After that, it’s going to depend on what’s out there,” Hill said of Banko Cinemas.
“We have a Hitchcock festival ready to go,” Hill said.
Banko annually has had a Hitchcock film series after Musikfest.
The movie-going experience at Banko Cinemas was quite different for “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary.”
Since it was my first time seeing a film in an indoor movie theater in nearly five months, the film’s opening storyline crawl held special irony: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ... “
The “Star Wars: Episode V” shown at Banko Cinemas was the 1997 restored and re-released version, with some brief scenes added and other minor changes to the original 1980 release. The film is the second in the series, but the fifth chronologically. The sequel to “Star Wars” (1977) takes place three years after events in the first film.
Seeing “Star Wars: Episode V” on the big screen at Banko Cinemas was a nostalgic cinematic experience. It was startling to see how young Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) are in the film.
Han and Leia provide more romantic sparks than I remembered. C-3PO and R2-D2 are a delightful nattering comedic duo. Chewbacca is roaringly endearing. Yoda instructing Han is particularly memorable. Alec Guinness floating as the spirit of Obi-Wan Kenobi is touching. And there’s the great voice of James Earl Jones as Darth Vader and the thrilling John Williams’ score.
The AT-AT walkers’ battle, the malfunctioning Millennium Falcon lumbering along, the X-wing fighter zooming across the stars and the lightsaber battle between Luke and Darth Vader provide thrilling action.
The film is regarded by many as the best in the “Star Wars” saga, and as a rare example of a sequel that transcends the original. The climax, in which Darth Vader tells Luke that he’s his father, is said to be one of the greatest plot twists in cinema history.
“The Empire Strikes Back” was followed by “Return of the Jedi” in 1983, completing the original “Star Wars” trilogy. “The Empire Strikes Back” has grossed more than $557 million worldwide from its original release and re-releases.
“It was the best movie theater experience of the summer,” said Michael “Movie Maven” Gontkosky after he and I saw “Star Wars: Episode V” at the 4 p.m. Aug. 8 screening at Banko Cinemas.
“The only one,” I replied to Mike.
The last film that Mike and I saw in an indoor movie theater was “The Way Back,” March 16, at New Vision Tilghman Square 8.
Mike saw “The Empire Strikes Back” when it was first released. He saw the movie at the former Eric Theater, Allentown. He was eight-years-old.
The personnel at Banko Cinemas made the movie-going experience flawless.
Each screening was limited to 25 persons. The Banko Red Cinema holds 200. The Banko Blue Cinema holds 100.
“We were going to open in early July,” said Hill. “Our capacity was going to be 48.
Pennsylvania Gov. Wolf on July 15 ordered in-door capacity limited to a maximum of 25.
“That’s probably why you don’t see a lot of theaters opening right now from a financial standpoint,” Hill said.
“The backdrop of Musikfest and people already being there allowed us to have a little more flexibility.”
At Banko Cinemas, face masks were required to be worn by staff and movie-goers.
Social distancing was in force, and not only for the lightsaber battles in “Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back 40th Anniversary”
Seating was every other row. At least two seats were empty between movie-goers. Aisle seats were empty.
Banko Cinemas were cleaned between each screening. Bathrooms were cleaned hourly.
ArtsQuest followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state and local guidelines.
Said Hill, looking to the possibility of a coronavirus vaccine or a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is brought under control, “When we get on the other side of this, there’s going to be a glut of cinema.”
Now I’ll give that five popcorn boxes out of five popcorn boxes.
And if the trailer for “Tenet,” shown before “Star Wars: Episode V,” is any indication, “Tenet” looks amazing.
ArtsQuest MovieLine: 610-297-7111
For a video, hosted and narrated by Ryan Hill, on measures that ArtsQuest is taking to ensure the safety of patrons:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8QK6Txc6eY&feature=emb_title.