I love the optimism of this essay. Sadly, I was the only audience member for the last 3 theatrical films I attended (Dune, A Real Pain, The Great Warning). I'm hoping this is a Los Angeles-centric experience. Or maybe it's a result of the election buildup and the Dodgers playoff run. The worst part was the 40 minutes of commercials prior to the film. This was in addition to ten minutes of previews. Ugh.