San Francisco has permanently lost some movie theaters amidst the financial ruin of COVID-19. And while some theaters are back open, they’re playing mostly unimpressive features not really worth risking COVID over, because Hollywood is holding back the good titles until these pictures can perform well at the box office again. Early in the pandemic, Balboa Theater owner Adam Bergeron said to Hoodline of the closure, "I'm just now wrapping my mind around that it will be all of April."

Oh, if we only knew then what we know now.

But now movie theaters can operate with 50% capacity. And that same Balboa Theater tweeted Friday that “We have big news, we are reopening on May 14th with a Godzillafest! We will be at 50% capacity and encourage all attendees to be fully vaccinated. We can’t wait to show you movies again! Tickets on sale now!”

Per SFGate, your usher at Godzillafest just might be wearing a full-body Godzilla suit. 

The currently popular contemporary blockbuster Godzilla vs. Kong will not be among the Godzilla movies playing at Godzillafest. The lineup is all Japanese “classics” filmed between 1954 and 1974, but will include the original 1954 Godzilla, and many, many sequels involving your old friends Mothra and Mechagodzilla.

Tickets will be $15 per screening, and there will be no festival pass

We should remind readers and Godzilla fans that you are not fully vaccinated until two weeks after your second shot. Proof of prior vaccination will not be required at the Balboa Theater, but President Biden announced today Tuesday that the vaccine will be available to all Americans 16 and up by April 19, so achieving full vaccination by Godzillafest is fully plausible for any adult.