Meet Me In The Lobby Is Renovating (yeah… we’re under construction)

So here’s the thing.

I haven’t been writing.

Not because I don’t care—but because life got… a lot. I’m in grad school right now for Television, Film, and Media Studies, and it’s no joke. Papers, research, screenings, trying to have a life on top of that—it gets hectic fast. And somewhere in that, this blog started to feel like one more thing I had to “keep up with.”

And I didn’t want that.

Because I love this. I love movies. I love writing. But more than that, I love the experience of going to the movies—and I realized I wasn’t really writing about the part I care about most.

The place.

The theater itself.

And honestly, that tracks with my life. I used to work in cinemas. I still work in spaces that show films. I’ve spent a lot of time behind the scenes, in lobbies, in projection-adjacent worlds, watching how these places actually function. So of course I notice the details. Of course I care about the space just as much as what’s on the screen.

So instead of forcing something that wasn’t clicking, I stepped back for a bit.

And now?

The lobby is renovating.

Starting June 2026, Meet Me In The Lobby is coming back—but a little different. Not a full personality change, just… a reset that actually makes sense for me.

I’m not reviewing movies anymore.

I’m reviewing the venues.

The theaters, yes—but also the other spaces that put movies on the big screen. Museums. Community centers. Random pop-ups. Outdoor screenings. The unexpected spots where a film hits differently because of where you’re watching it.

Because that’s dope. And those places deserve to be highlighted too.

I want to talk about what it feels like to walk in, sit down, look around, and exist in that space—even if it’s just for two hours.

I’ll still mention the film I saw, but just a small piece of it. Enough to ground the moment, not take it over.

And honestly? This shift takes the pressure off.

I don’t have to write the “perfect” review or say something profound every time. I can just show up, pay attention, and write about what I noticed. 

But this isn’t just about me needing a reset.

It’s also because going to the theater—and these shared screening spaces—matters. 

These places are slowly disappearing. Not all at once—but quietly. And if we’re not showing up, they don’t stick around.

I get it. It’s easy to stay home.

But also… get off your ass!

Go to a movie!

Sit in the dark. Let the screen feel big again. Let yourself be part of something that isn’t happening on your couch.

Because watching a movie at home and seeing it in a theater—or any shared space built for it—are not the same thing. 

So yeah—the lobby is under construction.

Less pressure. More intention. Same love for the movies, just focused where it’s always been for me.

I’ll be back out there in June. Wandering theaters and screening spaces, noticing everything, probably judging the seats a little too hard.

And I hope you’ll meet me in the lobby this summer!

See you next time,

✌Kelsey Faamausili