"These are great movies that a whole generation haven't seen, a lot of young adults are coming to see it. We have parents bringing their children along so they can experience it. People saw these movies when they first came out are seeing them again, only 20 or 30 years later, " says Peter.
In the absence of a continual stream of new release movies, Gemma says Starlight Cinema Centre is going for nostalgia. This Sunday, the first-ever Star Wars movie is playing, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
"We have different genres running at the same time, so if your friends are seeing Aliens but it's too scary you can see an action movie or an adventure movie," said Gemma.
Coming up with new themes to keep it interesting for their customers, from August 20 the cinema will be running Disney classics during the weekend and Peter says Coco, Die Hard and Captain America will be playing, along with others.
Peter says after not being able to go to the movies during Covid-19 lockdown, his regular customers are very excited to be back. He said some are also being cautious about social distancing while at the cinema.
Currently the Starlight Cinema Centre is showing three new movies, Military Wives starring Kristin Scott Thomas and Sharon Horgan, New Zealand-made movie This Town filmed in Southern Hawke's Bay starring Robyn Malcolm and Rima Te Wiata, and the adaptation of the popular self-help book The Secret is The Secret: Dare to Dream.
"People are coming back to see This Town, because they recognise where it was filmed, towns like Waipukurau and Dannevirke," said Gemma.
Peter says film studios in the United States dictate what gets shown at the cinema in New Zealand and all around the world.
"The studios are waiting till the cinema audience capacity gets to 80 per cent in the United States before they start releasing blockbusters to cinemas around the world. And that is not happening, it's currently sitting at around 30 per cent capacity.
"SpongeBob [SquarePants] is being released in September and it's going straight to video on demand. It's so frustrating," said Peter
Anyone wanting to watch the new SpongeBob SquarePants movie will have to buy it through subscription to watch it on their home television. Peter says that before Covid-19, a new family movie would have had big groups of family or friends come to the cinema to watch the movie together on the big screen.
Mulan is also being released straight to video and Gemma says this is particularly disappointing as it was filmed in New Zealand by Kiwi director Niki Caro and she knows some of the people who were working on the set.
They are both looking forward to the release of Tenet, a spy film directed by Christopher Nolan. Gemma says Nolan specified that Tenet be released to the big screen as well as video on demand.
Peter says he wishes there were more movies available for teenagers who like coming to the movies as it's a great excuse to get out of the house and to socialise. Gemma said before lockdown there were always big groups of teenagers coming in.
"Zero to 45-year-olds like blockbusters, but they are few and far between at the moment. We think teenagers will like Tenet," said Peter.
Before Covid-19, Peter says he was swamped with new movies and would spend hours watching movie trailers so he could present the best movies to the Taupō public.
Peter says Starlight Cinema Centre is relying on tent pole (blockbuster) movies at the moment.
"We don't know where it will end. We just hope our customers keep coming to the movies and supporting us. We really need these tent pole movies to hold us up," said Peter.
Movies to look forward to
August, Tenet, a spy film written, produced, and directed by Christopher Nolan.
October, Wonder Woman 1984 starring Gal Gadot, a stand alone movie starring Gal Gadot, where Wonder Woman squares off against the Cheetah.
October, Black Widow starring Natasha Romanova about a girl who is groomed from birth by the KGB to become its ultimate operative.
November, the next James Bond movie No Time To Die, featuring Daniel Craig in his fifth and final outing as James Bond.
