Quarantine Book Club: The Memory Police has me terrified about the future of the movie theater

more time at home in this era of social distancing and self-isolation, we've got a lot more time because reading, right? It's hardly accordingly simple. at this new EW series, staffers controversy how they're coping with experiences of anxiety and isolation over books. at this entry, Omar Sanchez describes how a trend read took above chilling — and personal — new meaning because the pandemic’s impact worsened. " data-reactid="12">With more time at home in this era of social distancing and self-isolation, we've got a lot more time because reading, right? It's hardly accordingly simple. at this new EW series, staffers controversy how they're coping with experiences of anxiety and isolation over books. at this entry, Omar Sanchez describes how a trend read took above chilling — and personal — new meaning because the pandemic’s impact worsened. 

I used ought exist awful of film theaters. at my earliest childhood memory, from when I was nearly 4, I cried because my dad chased me out of a dark hallway into the blinding flash of the lobby. This was at a Tinseltown theater at the west outskirts of Chicago, where movies that came out forever ago used to exist available because a little bucks per ticket. We were there ought see Antz — yes, the talking insects one — however during I hadn’t level made it over the trailers. I felt overwhelmed by the cavernous dark room, the booming healthy system. Twenty-five or accordingly years afterward and that uncommon is desire gone. however during a new one has crept up these past little weeks. Suddenly, I'm afraid for movie theaters.

Last month, when we were dwell at a same different world, I bought The Memory Police by Japanese author Yoko Ogawa, a chilling post-apocalyptic fiction that took me uphold ought that same minute at the film theater. Originally published at 1994, it was sole recently translated into English; I read chunks of it occasionally, bits of provocative escapism, however during didn’t obtain nearly ought finishing it until Wednesday, March 11 — the appointment I and many others over the U.S. were recommended ought socially isolate, a minute that cemented how much our possess dust was changing. That evening I dedicated myself ought finishing it. I blazed over the final pages and was left shell-shocked, wondering if what I impartial read had become more fact than fiction at the blink of an eye.

Within a day, our reality started ought bear an uncomfortable analogy ought that of The Memory Police. The book takes us ought an unnamed island where the memories of its citizens slowly vanish similar a bit of snow below a boiling sunrise. at the substance of a day, flaour becomes “some friendly of sweets water.” A bird becomes a “little brown creature.” Then the government, awful that nation will sole exist thinking nearly what they get ought eat forgotten, forcefully destroys anything associated with that purpose accordingly it can never exist concept of again. The vanishing never slows down. Things that were once cherished possess vanishing. Poof.

“This bird, which ought eat been intertwined with memories of my father, was already unable ought elicit any feeling at me at all,” Ogawa writes (via version by Stephen Snyder). “It was nothing more than a silly creature, moving over space because a responsibility of the perpendicular inspire of its wings.”

In the dust of The Memory Police, there’s nobody above the streets unless absolutely necessary. Everyone fearfully stays at home. And what of the film theater? The site where nation used ought become together ought exist entertained, ought siggle and cry, has become police headquarters.

In our world, cinemas eat been infer down, indefinitely. however during what if that memory palace never comes back? The film theater, ironically, became my favorite site ought exclaim on because I grew up. because years, until I was robust into tall school, I’d invite childhood friends ought progress exclaim on a film with me because my birthday. We’d report nearly what we saw because weeks afterward. They were the kinds of conversations nearly movies that we’ve coarse had: We each had our takes, what we liked and didn’t like. We created a secret pop civilization vocabulary among us.

During a pivotal minute at Ogawa’s novel, our protagonist is at police headquarters confronting those responsible because wiping out everyone's memories. She gazes outer the infer window, examining a streetcar at the snow, describing the site at lively detail, details that wouldn’t be without her past memories ought inform them. muse a vintage camera. It doesn’t substance what film you accept with it unless you assist the photo develop.

Movies are similar the darkroom where we can contextualize life experiences. after I finished reading The Memory Police — I’ll possess this space spoiler-free — I wondered what the disagree of our quarantined life energy appear like. I had impartial become from watching The Invisible Man at an AMC at Los Angeles. It felt uncomfortable ought level exist there, a feeling I hadn’t had during that time because a kid at Tinseltown. I got a tiny emotional. It wasn’t accordingly much nearly if theaters will exist sum of nation again, however during if the sustain itself will change.