#what with theaters being closed due to the covid-19 pandemic

[frankbelloriley]

[queen-of-badomens]

Seeing The Old Guard on the Big Screen and Gina Prince-Bythewood in Person!

Last Saturday, November 5th, there was an event in Santa Monica, CA, US, where Aero Theatre would be showing The Woman King (2022) and The Old Guard (2020) and hosting a Q&A with director Gina Prince-Bythewood in person. I love these movies, and even though I’d already seen both (The Old Guard many times), I knew I had to go.

[Image of my ticket for the event, image taken by me]

For a few of my thoughts on the event, what I learned, and what it was like to see The Old Guard on the big screen, click below!

It was a free-to-attend event, only having to RSVP online, but seating would be on a first-come, first-serve basis, so I made sure to arrive early. Though, I perhaps ended up arriving way too early… In fact, my brother insisted I didn’t need to be there any earlier than 11:30 PM for the 1 PM event, but anxiety made sure I arrived at 10:30 AM, which was later than I had originally planned. There was absolutely no one there waiting, no one was even in the theater yet, but you know what? I was there, I was going to watch The Old Guard in a movie theater for the first time, and that was all that mattered. So I parked myself across the street with a pastry and a hot tea and watched until I saw life. Which, as it turns out… wasn’t until 11:30 AM, but my brother doesn’t need to know that…

Based on the marquee, The Woman King would be shown first, followed by the Q&A and ending with The Old Guard. I knew TOG would not be what drew most people to the event, and while I am a fan of both movies and Gina Prince-Bythewood, my main drive for getting up early and forcing myself to go to a crowded place was to see the The Old Guard on the big screen, something that was sadly denied to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This would be, as later confirmed by the moderator of the Q&A, the first time The Old Guard was to be shown in a theater to a public audience. I wished my online TOG family could’ve been there with me, but I hope I did my best to represent our collective love for it.

[Front of the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica, CA, USA, image taken by me]

After checking our RSVPs and vaccination cards (I still wore my mask the whole time inside), they began letting us in at about 12:00 PM. By that time, a sizable crowd had gathered so I was happy to have gotten there early. Once inside, I had a fairly good choice of seating and chose a place not too far from the stage but not too close so I could enjoy the films without straining my neck and eyes. Also, since it’s an older theater without stadium seating, I also picked a centered seat so I would have a good view.

[The screen at the Aero Theatre, image taken by me]

The Woman King was shown first, and I enjoyed the opportunity to see it again. Especially with a crowd who clearly loved it and cheered loudly at all the great moments. It is a rousing film and a great action movie that has a lot of character driven moments, and I recommend anyone who hasn’t seen it to go if they are able. It tells a not-well-known story of African women warriors, the Agojie, of the Dahomey kingdom in the 1800s. And it truly accomplishes one of GPB’s goals as a filmmaker to “disrupt the genre,” something I’ll touch upon again in a moment.

After TWK came the Q&A, with Gina Prince-Bythewood strolling with swagger and yet also casually towards the stage to take a seat with the moderator, Mark Olsen of the L.A.Times. I was a little starstruck to see her in person, this visionary who helped craft these two amazing movies, but also happy to see how cool, calm, and collected she was. GPB had confidence without the overbearing ego and a quiet strength that I know she uses to fight for her vision.

[Gina Prince-Bythewood in the flesh! image taken by me]

While most of the questions were about the process of making The Woman King, a few questions touched on The Old Guard, making it clear why TOG was being shown in addition to TWK. And GPB’s answers showed me how TOG compliments TWK, how both movies create something unique and ground-breaking for the Hollywood industry that has long failed to tell diverse stories. So, now I want to focus on a few things from the Q&A and what they say to me about The Old Guard.

The moderator pointed out that TWK isn’t just a historical epic, it also functions as an action movie and a finely tuned character drama. This is something that I would argue is also true for TOG – it’s not just a summer action/comic book movie. It doesn’t feel anything like an MCU film but instead functions as a meaningful character drama, which is why I believe it has such a devoted fan base even two years after its release. Both TWK and TOG have awesome fight sequences worthy of numerous rewatches, but they also make time for quiet character moments, something that studios tend to cut in order to get to the action faster. But GPB comes from making deep character dramas, and she brings that to all her films, regardless of genre.

Getting into action is relatively new for GPB, but it’s something she wanted to do in order to make a film that her kids could see themselves in. But she had to get her foot in the door first, which began with filming the pilot for the Marvel TV show, Cloak and Dagger. According to GPB, having that little “Marvel” on her resume got her in to direct Silver and Black, a now defunct Sony “Spiderverse” project, which then led to her being hired for The Old Guard. Though, in the end, GPB said Skydance really hired her because they loved Love and Basketball, her first movie, a much beloved film and most definitely a character driven story. And I think that says a lot about what kind of movies TOG and TMK turned out to be.

[Gina Prince-Bythewood and Sanaa Lathan on the set of Love and Basketball, image taken from imdb.com]

The moderator also pointed out how TWK “works as a character drama, and it works as a super kick ass action movie. Like, those things don’t necessarily all go together, but don’t often get all those things in one movie, especially the way that you have like character beats happening within action scenes,” and he wanted to know how GPB managed to strike that balance. She said that Hollywood loves action movies because they bring in money, but in her pitch to the studio, she wanted to emphasize that it was more than just an action flick. That what she wanted for this film was for it to be “intimately epic,” and that for her “that meant that the quiet character moments were as seismic as the big set pieces, knowing that those two things had to work in tandem. You will not care about the action if you don’t care about the characters or there’s no stakes.” And I think that’s very true of the movie, but also something she definitely did with The Old Guard.

After all, some people might dismiss it as a dumb summer flick, but I think it functions as an “intimately epic” movie too. There are no world ending threat or giant CGI villains to fight – the climax is a shootout in a small set of an office/lab/penthouse – but still, the stakes matter in the movie because you care about the characters, because the filmmakers, led by GBP, took time to show those quiet moments that made us all such devoted fans of these characters. She made sure to show Andy meeting Celeste in the pharmacy, Booker talking about his son’s death, Joe and Nicky spooning in the background, and Nile listening to music to ground herself. GBP drops these little crumbs throughout the movie because she knows that “you have to care about these characters for it to matter.” That all pays off later, so that when Andy says, “Let’s go get this motherfucker,” you feel that line and are cheering as they make their way through the lab, mowing down everyone in their path.

GPB also talked about how important training was for all the TWK’s actors to go through that in order to develop and feel connected to their characters, but also for her as the director in capturing their performances. She said, “That helps me put character into the action because I show performance. I’m not cutting around stunt doubles, this is really them, giving me everything that I need.” And we know training was a big part of the actor’s preparation for TOG as well, so when it came time for the viewing of TOG, I made sure to pay attention and realized for the first time that for a lot of the action scenes, you can actually see the actors’ faces most of the time. And that absolutely makes the movie feel more alive and real. For two hours I wholeheartedly believed these immortal warriors existed.

[Still from The Old Guard, image taken from straight.com]

But it’s not just about strength and how bad ass the characters are – although make no mistake, they are tough as nails, and I would  personally love to see a story where Nanisca from The Woman King (played by Viola Davis) meets Andromache the Scythian (played by Charlize Theron) and they go on a tear–, GBP knows to show that vulnerability is strength. She personally has a “no crying rule on set” which she attributes to her athlete mentality growing up and also being a woman in Hollywood – you can’t cry as a woman, she explains. But she did mention that she broke her own rule and cried during her pitch for TWK, but it ended up getting her the job. Because Viola Davis said it meant that she could trust GPB as a director. I think that is a very powerful message, and something that is felt even in TOG, where these immortal warriors are compelling because they are permitted vulnerability and emotion.

The moderator said how TWK could have easily just centered around Viola Davis’s character, Nanisca, but GPB made sure to also tell the stories of the other women around her. When asked why that was important to her, GPB explained that she loved all the characters and wanted them to have more, and Viola supported that. Because Viola knew “that the better the whole ensemble is, the better the film.” And so GPB tasked the cast with coming up with their backstories, some of them coming up with such amazing stuff that GBP wanted to make movies just out of those backstories. And this really reflects in the film with how strong and layered the characters are, you truly care about all of them and their fates. It may be Viola Davis’s movie, but she shines because everyone around her is also shining. And I think that’s true of TOG too.

The Old Guard could easily just have been just about Andy and Nile, and though they are the main characters and focal points of the story, we know from interviews that the other actors, such as Marwan Kenzari, put a lot of consideration into their characters, such as collecting poetry that reminded him of Joe and Nicky’s relationship, even though they were secondary characters. They could have easily faded into the background and been forgettable, but there’s a reason that these characters have their own set of devoted fans even today. Their scenes are fewer but no less impactful and they help make a richer story. Even Copley, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, has a heartbreaking scene that explains why he, a seemingly good man, would sell these immortals to a heartless Pharma-bro. There are not just one-note characters, and together they make Andy and Nile’s stories stronger.

It’s deeply intentional that fans love and care about Izogie, Amenza, Nawi, Gezo, Ode, Malik, Joe, Nicky, Booker, Quynh, Copley, and even Celeste. Because Gina Prince-Bythewood wants to make character driven stories, and she succeeds in both of these films. If she had been allowed the budget, I know she would have shot more backstory flashbacks for all those characters. But, as she pointed out, studios often want to cut those moments to get to the action quicker.

Another connection that was a delight to learn about was that GPB used the same fight coordinator on The Woman King that she used on The Old Guard, Danny Hernandez. GPB told us that when she got TMK, Hernandez was her third call, because he is, according to her, “a genius.” So in terms of action, these two films really feel like siblings. And GPB was very grateful for having done TOG first so she could meet him and then have him work with on TWK. TOG also taught her, she said, what it takes to do good action – as many takes as you need and actors who are willing to give it. She explained, “And this sounds really basic and obvious, but if you did not shoot it, it's not gonna show up in the edit room.“ And it’s not just about action. We know that the famous Van Speech had numerous takes to get just the right one, the one that still makes us go nuts. Which again leads me to ask, Dear Netflix or Skydance, when are we getting BTS footage and the deleted scenes?!

[Charlize Theron with what I’m 82% sure is Danny Hernandez in the background, image taken from looper.com]

The moderator then asked her about a phrase he’d heard GPB use a few times – something I referenced earlier– which is that as a filmmaker, she wants to “disrupt the genre.” And he wanted her to talk about that and how she did that with TWK, to which GPB replied: “Sad reality is, disrupting the genre was literally putting black women at the center of it,” words which were met with thunderous applause from the audience. TWK is a unique movie in that it is a historical epic and centers on so many deeply complex black women. And in the same way that GPB disrupts the historical epic, she did the same with the hero’s journey in The Old Guard, putting Nile, as played by Kiki Layne, in a role traditionally inhabited by a long line of white male characters. GPB and Greg Rucka worked together to really bring that genre disrupting story to film, where Nile is like Luke Skywalker (to use a big pop culture reference), discovering a strange new power, leaving everything they formally knew behind, to follow a wise, old warrior who will guide them. And yes, I am saying that Andy is a more bitter, drunker Obi-wan. But in all seriousness, one could easily name a dozen other hero’s-journey stories about some white dude, but Nile makes it unique, to finally have a black woman inhabit that role in a major movie. Even with the multitude of comic book movies taking over Hollywood, The Old Guard has done something none of them have yet. (Though, Wakanda Forever may finally change that, I’ll admit. But hey, more cake, right?)

Finally, the moderator mentioned the sequel for The Old Guard, which drew loud cheers and applause, only to turn to disappointed “awws” when he mentioned that GPB wasn’t directing it, though that was soon followed by some good hearted laughs as she smiled sheepishly to the audience.

It was previously reported that GPB has a “no sequels rule,” and she explained that while, yes, she does, it’s because for each film, she puts so much of herself into that particular film in order to say everything she wants to say. So if she ends up wanting to do a sequel, it means she didn’t say everything she wanted with the first film. Which means something went wrong. She went into TOG knowing it was a trilogy, and she admires Greg Rucka and his “amazing mind,” but she had a personal connection to the arc of the first film so that was the story she wanted to tell. She explained it was just her personal thing and feels like she doesn’t have anything new to bring to the sequel. And while I am saddened that she did not direct the sequel, reigns handed over to Victoria Mahoney, I appreciated the thought GPB put into it and I respect her reasoning.

[Mark Olsen and Gina Prince-Bythewood, image taken by me]

With that, the moderator opened up questions to the audience, and though I tried to ask a question, I was sadly not picked (I planned to ask about TOG deleted scenes). Also, in the end, they only had time for three questions which were mostly focused on TWK and film making in general. Not to mention the one lady who took up a lot of time with her three part question that everyone else had a hard time following, so much that the moderator had to cut her off. If he hadn’t, I’m sure she would still be talking to this day...

As GPB made her way off stage, a large crowd gathered to get last minute questions in or just to shake her hand. I tried diligently to get to the front so I could give her a small gift bag of TOG fan made stickers, but it was nearly impossible and I was so nervous by then, I was literally shaking. So I handed them to a woman next to her and explained it was a present for Gina and then I ran off! I have no idea if they got to her, but if they didn’t, it’s okay, I might not take a gift from the panicking grown woman who hands it off and then runs for her life.

About half the theater cleared out after that, but a sizable portion stayed for the viewing of The Old Guard, myself included. Me and this other lady were probably the most excited people in the theater, her loudly declaring “You should stay! It’s a good movie!” to which I added, “She’s right! She speaks the truth!” Mystery lady who left before I could talk to you – are you on Tumblr? Hit me up, let’s be friends!

[Proof of TOG on the big screen, awkward image of the hotel concierge checking out Booker taken by me]

Then, I finally got to see The Old Guard as it was meant to be seen– on the big silver screen! And guys, let me tell you, it was freaking amazing. We were SO robbed of this experience and it is my fervent wish that somehow it gets a limited run around the world so people can experience it as well. I feel like I noticed more details and just fell in love with the story and the characters all over again. And I know there’s division when it comes to the soundtrack – some love it, others hate it – but I gotta say, in a movie theater, I think the song choices hit harder and work so much better. You may still dislike it, but I personally felt more emotionally roused in the church fight scene and during Nile’s elevator ride.

Also, it’s important to say that the people who did stay were a vocal group, and it was such a joy to be part of it! I feel like Joe comes off as snarkier with an audience, his lines definitely earning the most laughs and rounds of applause– let me tell you, the audience loved him laying into Booker. And his beautiful eyes as he teared up in the van scene really popped on a big screen. Actually, all the actor’s eyes were simply stunning. And as for audience reactions to certain sequences, I would say that the biggest winners were a tie between the Van Speech and Nile’s defenestration with Merrick. Both got huge cheers and applause. It was, as GPB would put it, intimately epic.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on that evening and please join me in a prayer circle for there to be a run of the first movie in theaters as we get closer to the release of the sequel. Thank you for reading! And go see The Woman King if you haven't! (and can!)

[theshowliveontour]

Niall Horan, who has been traveling through Europe for just over a month with the first leg of his world tour , presented The Show: Live On Tour last night at the Wizink Center in Madrid . The last time he set foot in the capital of Spain was in 2018, with the Flicker World Tour. On that occasion, La Riviera hosted the Irishman's concert; a room of 2,000 people that was nothing like the more than 80,000 (in Wembley, for example) that he was able to gather during his time in One Direction.

It is also true that, six years ago, Niall took his first steps alone. He had to not so much start from scratch, but rather be cautious, tread carefully and test the waters. Build his own identity apart from the boyband that had given him everything (without forgetting his origins).

His good work led him to publish a second studio album Heartbreak Weather, whose concert series – under the name Nice To Meet Ya Tour – was suspended due to Covid-19. Fortunately, the pandemic passed and the singer continued making music... until publishing The Show , his most recent album.

And with said album, the artist returned yesterday, March 23, to a large venue and, of course, to meet again with the fans of our country, specifically, close to 17,000. With the lineup sold out for several months, Niall took to the stage to show that he is made to be a frontman and exude talent, sense of humor and charisma.

After having Tommy Lefroy as the opening act , the indie rock duo formed by Tessa Mouzourakis and Wyntel Bethel, it was the turn of THE SHOW in capital letters. An interlude composed of classics by Fleetwood Mac, Queen, ABBA (and even La Macarena by Los del Río) gave a clue about the musical theater setting of the 70s that had been chosen for this tour, as well as livened up the wait until nine at night, the time when the lights went out to raise the imposing beige curtain that occupied most of the stage.

The screens on the sides introduced the leader and his band, as well as welcoming the audience, who immediately expressed their enthusiasm with shouts and flashes . "Buenas noche, Madrid" gave rise to Nice to meet now, a song that started a two and a half hour long performance. They followed a mashup of Small talk with a version of Edge of seventeen , by Stevie Nicks; She's on the loose and On a night like tonight.

After these four songs, Niall greeted his audience: "Hello, Madrid. Welcome to The Show live on Tour, baby. Thank you for selling out at this venue . Are you ready to have the best fucking night of your lives? Come on, Spain! " he exclaimed. Next, he sat down at the piano to perform the song titled from his third album, The Show.

The rhythm, interrupted by the native language

Since We're Alone, Heartbreak Weather and Black and White heated up the atmosphere enough to delay for a few minutes the acoustic block that Mullingar had prepared. The singer and three of his musicians formed a circle on the catwalk that brought him a little closer to the fans in the front rows - a privileged position that some had achieved by sacrificing four nights spending the night at the doors of Wizink - to sing Science , This Town and You could start a Cult.

However, the constant cheers and ovations he received prevented for a moment from transforming the hectic atmosphere of that space into a calmer one . "Tranquilo, tranquilo," the host said in perfect Spanish. Some words that only provoked more applause and the unison chorus of a compliment that he still didn't know... until now. Despite being a great fan of our language, Niall was not familiar with the word "guapo" and, when he discovered what it means, he wanted to return the compliment. "You guys are beautiful [...] And you are very good singers," he said in English.

This would not be the only moment in which the normal rhythm of the concert would be interrupted. Horan's eyes fell on a banner, which said: "We sing you La Macarena and you dance ." And as an idol he owes himself to his audience, said and done. The young man dared to cross his arms and move his hips three times in a row, to the madness and amusement of those present.

The 'One Direction infection' is still valid

Songs like Heaven, Everywhere, Paper Houses, Meltdown, Still, Save My Life and Slow Hands —as a final culmination—completed the setlist, which differed in a couple of songs compared to the previous date in Assago (Italy), so just two days before. Before playing Mirrors , Niall revealed that he composed it in 2016 when he saw a girl crying in a cafe while on the phone. "Many times we are so busy with ourselves that we do not realize the lives that pass us by, nor what can happen to them ," he said, so it occurred to him to invent a story with this situation as the protagonist.

And, despite the fact that that year was the same year in which One Direction made their separation effective (after the publication of Made in the AM ), the truth is that the British boyband is still alive, very alive. Horan not only remembered the last time he set foot in Spain with the formation with which he achieved global stardom, "the Vicente Calderón stadium, in 2014", he also wanted to thank the loyalty and affection received after all these years . "You are incredible. Thank you for coming to see me. That this is my job will never cease to surprise me, and I will never get tired of giving concerts. I hope to continue doing it for a long time," he reiterated several times, visibly excited.

For this reason, he did not hesitate to perform Night Changes, an anthem not only for the directioners or for Niall, but also for Louis and Harry, who have also included it in their respective concerts. Nor did he hesitate to print his name on a T-shirt for the merchandising of Take Me Home , the second album whose cover shows the five members surrounding and climbing a London telephone booth. "Of course I'll sign it for you," she said, and madness broke out in the room.

[brian-in-finance]

Belfast News Letter

Inside 2022 Oscar Parties With Nicole Kidman, Lana Condor and Colman Domingo

Hollywood is out and about Los Angeles in the days and nights leading up to the Oscars. Here, Variety reporters go inside the hottest parties and events.

Shutterstock edit

Chanel and Charles Finch Dinner

Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills, March 26

It sounds like “Belfast” director Kenneth Branagh and the film’s Ciarán Hinds will be at the Oscars. It was unclear if they could attend after both contracted COVID at the BAFTA Awards in London. “I know Ciarán is all clear,” Caitriona Balfe told Variety before heading into the Chanel and Charles Finch’s annual pre-Oscar dinner. “I think [Branagh] is, too. I think he’s good.”

Michael Buckner for Variety

Oscar Wilde Awards

The Ebell of Los Angeles, March 24

In spite of a venue switch due to the pandemic and a missing honoree due to COVID-19, the Oscar Wilde Awards still maintained its usual Irish charm as it kicked off at the Wilshire Ebell Theater instead of its usual hub at emcee JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions in Santa Monica, Calif.

Before the awards ceremony began, guests, who were required to be vaccinated to attend (both shots and a booster) mixed and mingled, toasted Oscar WildeTini and Irish Gimlet cocktails, and noshed on a variety of eats, including fish and chips and vegan enchiladas.

“This is an incredibly formal [ceremony], very serious, and no one takes a risk,” the “Star Trek” director, who was dubbed an “Honorary Irishman” at the 2010 awards, joked about the vibe of the event before heading inside. “I think you can see it’s fun. And I think after a couple years of not being able to do this, a lot of people are feeling a relief to get to sort of hang out again and toss back some Jameson and Guinness and enjoy the night.”

Adam McKay, Jamie Dornan, Dónall Ó Héalai and Kenneth Branagh were all honored at the event. Branagh was recently diagnosed with COVID-19 and couldn’t attend, but did send in a video acceptance speech.

Dornan told Variety that he’s keeping his fingers crossed that his “Belfast” co-star will be able to attend the Oscars on Sunday.

“We’re all gunning for him and hope he can make it,” Dornan said. “He and Ciaran Hinds are both in the same situation. So hopefully, he will pass the fitness test and we have them with us. I can’t even imagine going on Sunday night without those guys.”

Inside the event, Dornan kept the crowd laughing as he accepted his award, even pulling out a pair of silver handcuffs, Christian Grey-style. “I’ll start with something you’re familiar with,” he quipped. He went on to take a more serious turn, getting emotional as he called working with Branagh in Belfast, “the greatest honor of my career.”

Mary Steenburgen introduced McKay and dished about their best moments working together on “Step Brothers,” praising the director, too.

“The fact that somebody can be so outrageously funny, and still have the heart and the passion to make films about the environment, about hypocrisy, who shine the light on the injustices in the world the fact that all of these things are in this man’s absolutely brilliant career makes him a rare, and Irish, and loud and sometimes obscene bird,” she said.

As Ó Héalai accepted his “Wilde Card” award, he recalled how he “nearly quit acting” and moved from New York City to Buffalo, N.Y. He was later sent the script for “Arracht,” which changed his life. “Buffalo taught me what can come into your life if you stop chasing things,” he told the crowd, later adding that an Irish proverb continues to ring true for him in his career. “It’s in each other’s shelter that we survive and thrive as people.”

Ironically, as “King Richard” director Reinaldo Marcus Green presented Ó Héalai with his award, he said the “Arracht” star helped him push forward when he was a struggling filmmaker in New York with a ton of student debt. He told Green to keep going and that he was “so close.” He was so right. —Brandi Fowler

Full story/all parties ⬇️

https://variety.com/2022/scene/awards/oscars-parties-celebrities-nominees-1235213864/

Remember the great news about Sir Kenneth’s and Ciarán’s being all clear to attend the Oscars?

Whew! 😮‍💨

[robertreich]

Trump Rushed to Reopen America. Now Covid is Closing in on Him

Donald Trump said last Thursday’s jobs report, which showed an uptick in June, proves the economy is “roaring back”.

Rubbish. The Labor Department gathered the data during the week of June 12, when America was reporting 25,000 new cases of Covid-19 per day. By the time the report was issued last week, that figure was 55,000.

The economy isn’t roaring back. Just over half of working-age Americans have jobs now, the lowest ratio in over 70 years. What’s roaring back is Covid-19. Until it’s tamed, the economy doesn’t stand a chance.

The surge in cases isn’t because America is doing more tests for the virus, as Trump contends. Cases are rising even where testing is declining. In Wisconsin, cases soared 28% over the past two weeks, as the number of tests decreased by 14%. Hospitals in Texas, Florida and Arizona are filling up with Covid-19 patients. Deaths are expected to resume their gruesome ascent.

The surge is occurring because America reopened before Covid-19 was contained.

Trump was so intent on having a good economy by Election Day that he resisted doing what was necessary to contain the virus. He left everything to governors and local officials, then warned that the “cure” of closing the economy was “worse than the disease.” Trump even called on citizens to “liberate” their states from public health restrictions.

Yet he still has no national plan for testing, contact tracing and isolating people with infections. Trump won’t even ask Americans to wear masks. Last week, Democrats accused him of sitting on nearly $14 billion in funds for testing and contact tracing that Congress appropriated in April.

It would be one thing if every other rich nation in the world botched it as badly as has America. But even Italy – not always known for the effectiveness of its leaders or the pliability of its citizens – has contained the virus and is reopening without a resurgence.

There was never a conflict between containing Covid-19 and getting the economy back on track. The first was always a prerequisite to the second. By doing nothing to contain the virus, Trump has not only caused tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths but put the economy into a stall.

The uptick in jobs in June was due almost entirely to the hasty reopening, which is now being reversed.

Arizona’s Republican governor, Doug Ducey initially refused to order masks and even barred local officials from doing so. Last week he closed all gyms, bars and movie theaters. The governors of Florida, Texas and California have also reimposed restrictions. Officials in Florida’s Miami-Dade county recently approved reopening of movie theaters, arcades, casinos, concert halls, bowling halls and adult entertainment venues. They have now re-closed them.

And so on across America. A vast re-closing is underway, as haphazard as was the reopening. In the biggest public health emergency in US history, in which nearly 130,000 have already lost their lives, still no one is in charge.

Brace yourself. Not only will the virus take many more lives in the months ahead, but millions of Americans are in danger of becoming destitute. Extra unemployment benefits enacted by Congress in March are set to end July 31. About one in five people in renter households are at risk of eviction by September 30. Delinquency rates on mortgages have more than doubled since March.

An estimated 25 million Americans have lost or will lose employer-provided health insurance. America’s fragile childcare system is in danger of collapse, with the result that hundreds of thousands of working parents will not be able to return to work even if jobs are available.

What is Trump and the GOP’s response to this looming catastrophe? Nothing. Senate Republicans are trying to ram through a $740 billion defense bill while ignoring legislation to provide housing and food relief.

They are refusing to extend extra unemployment benefits beyond July, saying the benefits are keeping Americans from returning to work. In reality, it’s the lack of jobs.

Trump has done one thing, though. He’s asked the Supreme Court to strike down the Affordable Care Act. If the court agrees, it will end health insurance for 23 million more Americans and give the richest 0.1% a tax cut of about $198,000 a year.

This is sheer lunacy. The priority must be to get control over this pandemic and help Americans survive it, physically and financially. Anything less is morally indefensible.

[desdealgunlugardelsur]

Harrison Ford: 2020 summary

A year like no other, as you must have heard countless times. The pandemic changed almost everybody´s life on this planet and Harrison wasn´t an exception. Our lil´ bean is strong and healthy but also has to be safe at home, so this year didn´t deliver many news about Harrison. Still, we had a new Harrison movie, The Call of the Wild, released in February, and a few other events before the lockdown. 2020 was also marked by the death of 3 former Harrison´s costars: Chadwick Boseman, Sean Connery and David Prowse. May all of them rest on peace on Heaven.

A new year begins, and we all wish Harrison (and everyone by the way) a productive, happy and healthy 2021. Stay safe!

JANUARY

Early January:  Harrison Ford enjoying his holidays in the caribbean island of Bonaire

25th: Harrison Ford with singer Carole Bayer Sager in a dinner in support of US Democratic candidate Michael Bloomberg

28th: The Call of the Wild “Adventure Companions” Featurette.  Harrison Ford talks about dogs and companionship in The Call of the Wild’s “Adventure Companions” featurette.

28th: not sure where these pics were taken. Probably in Wyoming?  (pics from Rich Elali)

FEBRUARY

3rd: Verizon Super Bowl Ad Features Harrison Ford And New Pearl Jam Song

Kathleen Kennedy Says Harrison Ford Is Still On For ‘Indiana Jones 5’

Early-mid February: the national and international promotion  of The Call of the Wild  begins

5th: In Mexico City:

Harrison Ford: America Has Lost Its Moral Leadership And Credibility:  The “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” star calls out U.S. policy on immigration and climate.

11th: On the Jimmy Kimmel Show:

More here 

13th: Harrison Ford, actor and watch designer.  Newly adapted from Jack London’s literary classic, “The Call of the Wild” transports us to the snowy expanses of Alaska in the 1890s, with Harrison Ford as prospector John Thornton. The actor talks about climate activism, technology and why mechanical watches beat smartwatches every time.

14th: Indiana Jones 5 Starts Shooting In Two Months Says Harrison Ford :  The long delayed fifth Indiana Jones film is finally about to get underway, as Harrison Ford reveals that he will begin shooting in two months. (that was what they were planning before COVID-19 hit the world...)

14th: Harrison Ford: Indiana Jones 5 Will “See Part of His History Resolved”

17th: “A Force ghost? I don’t know what a Force ghost is…I have no idea what a Force ghost is. And I don’t care!“. Legend.

21st: The Call of the Wild is released in cinemas

At the movie premiere in Los Angeles:

BRING ON THE PUPPIES:

More videos:

Call of the Wild Survival Tips!

SNACK??? (Kudos to that girl)

Find epic stories at your library! 

More news:

Of Course Harrison Ford Did His Own Call Of The Wild Stunts And 'Wore Out' The Stunt Team

Harrison Ford's shirtless chest is that buff (at 77) for his 'Call of the Wild' swim scene

26th: Steven Spielberg Won’t Direct ‘Indiana Jones 5,’ James Mangold in Talks to Replace  

27th: Harrison Ford Breaks Down His Career, from 'Star Wars' to 'Indiana Jones'  (Vanity Fair)

Late February: Harrison Ford visits Google´s offices in San Francisco to test the company´s self-driving car. [x] [x] [x] [x]

MARCH

14th:  Harrison spotted in South Hadley, Massachusetts [x].  Apparently Harrison and Calista went to Massachusetts to pick up their son Liam after college shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

MARCH

MARCH

MARCH

MARCH

...

APRIL

3rd: Disney delay multiple release dates including Jungle Cruise, The French Dispatch, and Indiana Jones 5  

(…) Another big reveal is that Indiana Jones 5 – which will reportedly be directed by James Mangold – is being pushed back a year, from July 9, 2021 to July 29, 2022.

29th: Harrison Ford under FAA investigation after making a mistake while operating an airplane on the runway

According to the audio obtained by TMZ, Ford, 77, did not follow the direction of a tower operator to “keep short” on the runway because of “traffic”. It seems that the actor did not hear the direction. He nevertheless started to cross the runway, which prompted the operator to reprimand him for not following his instructions.

“Cross this trail now!” I told you to keep it short! You have to listen, “said the operator.

“Excuse me, sir, I thought exactly the opposite. I’m really sorry, ”said Ford immediately.

TMZ said there was no risk of an accident. The other aircraft was allegedly 3600 feet from Ford’s aircraft.

MAY

6th: Lucasfilm Reportedly Wants Harrison Ford To Return For Han And Chewie Star Wars Spinoff (Note: this hasn´t been officially confirmed by Lucasfilm)

15th: No news but I think this is cute: 

From twitter.com/siikasele

21st: The Empire Strikes Back 40th anniversary. 40 years ago, TESB was released on theaters the 21st of May of 1980.

27th: James Mangold Confirmed To Direct Indiana Jones 5.  Producer Frank Marshall confirms James Mangold is directing Indiana Jones 5 and says he's only just begun to work on his own script for the movie.

28th: James Mangold plans to take Indiana Jones franchise 'someplace new'. 

Indiana Jones Writer on How Pandemic Will Affect Film's Script

JUNE

Nothing happens but look at this

You are welcome.

JULY

13th: Happy birthday king!

AUGUST

23rd:  Harrison Ford dropping off his son Liam at College with wife Calista Flockhart via private plane (from tinyrebelstuff)

28th: Chadwick Boseman dies of cancer at the age of 43

Harrison Ford Calls Chadwick Boseman "As Much a Hero as Any He Played" 

“Chadwick Boseman was as compelling, powerful and truthful as the characters he chose to play,” Ford said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “His intelligence, personal dignity and deep commitment inspired his colleagues and elevated the stories he told. He is as much a hero as any he played. He is loved and will be deeply missed.”

SEPTEMBER

24th: Harrison Ford Cleared by FAA in Runway Investigation. "The FAA has closed the case involving the pilot who crossed a Hawthorne Municipal Airport runway without authorization on April 24, 2020. The FAA required the pilot to take a remedial runway incursion training course. When the pilot successfully completed the course, the FAA closed the case with no additional action," the FAA said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.

OCTOBER

19th: Harrison Ford & Ed Helms To Star In STX Seafaring Comedy ‘Adventures Of Burt Squire’ 

22nd: Actor and Pilot Harrison Ford Becomes Airlink Spokesperson. Video here

31st: Sean Connery dies at 90.

Sean Connery: Harrison Ford pays tribute to his Indiana Jones father and 'dear friend'

"He was my father... not in life... but in Indy 3," he said.

"You don't know pleasure until someone pays you to take Sean Connery for a ride in the sidecar of a Russian motorcycle bouncing along a bumpy, twisty mountain trail and getting to watch him squirm.

"God, we had fun - if he's in heaven, I hope they have golf courses.

"Rest in peace, dear friend."

NOVEMBER

2nd: Harrison Ford And Lincoln Project Back Anthony Fauci, Advocate Firing Donald Trump  

In the waning hours of the 2020 presidential election, the Lincoln Project has enlisted Harrison Ford to narrate a new ad that plays up President Donald Trump’s suggestion that he will fire Dr. Anthony Fauci.

The spot features a scene from a Trump rally on Sunday in which supporters began chanting “Fire Fauci! Fire Fauci!” and the president responded, “Don’t tell anybody, but let me wait til a little bit after the election.”

Ford then says, “Tomorrow, you can fire only one of them. The choice is yours.”

3rd: Harrison Ford and Bloomberg on Biden 2020

7th: Destiel becomes canon. Harrison doesn´t give a single fuck.

Also Joe Biden wins the US elections. Trump is defeated. Harrison, we know you hate Donald Trump. Congratulations.

21st: Harrison Ford back in Boston, Massachusetts, to pick up his son Liam for Thanksgiving Day.

28th: David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original trilogy, dies at the age of 85. Sorry, I didn´t find any words from Harrison on his memory... it seems they weren´t so close. Also, Jeremy Bulloch, the original Boba Fett, dies at 75 the 17th of december.

DECEMBER

10th: Indiana Jones: James Mangold, Harrison Ford Team to Close Out the Character  

Harrison Ford and James Mangold's Indiana Jones 5 will serve as the final chapter for the iconic character.

Disney changed the Indiana Jones logotype. I have a bad feeling about this.

15th: Rare, behind-the-scenes look at 'The Empire Strikes Back'

Including this jewel:

Gif from the @theorganasolo​

31st: And just at the very last day of this weird and strange year...

Disney Reportedly Wants Harrison Ford For Indiana Jones Streaming Show 

Thankfully, then, it seems that the fifth (Indiana Jones) outing may not be the last we see of the actor in the role, as insider Daniel Richtman claims that Disney wants Ford to appear in a series that’s being developed for their streaming service. Further details are unclear and the tipster doesn’t say if it’s an all-new show or a reboot of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, but as one of the Mouse House’s most valuable assets, it wouldn’t be a surprise if they wanted to continue mining the property once Indiana Jones 5 wraps up the big screen stories for good. 

Thanks everyone! Hopefully in 2021 the pandemic will fade and the world will return to normalcy. Luckily the production of Indiana Jones V will start this spring, as well as other Harrison projects such the tv show The Staircase and the movie starring with Ed Elms. Fingers crossed for a year full of (good) news about Harrison. Have a happy and safe 2021.

[cloudselkie]

My Old Friend, The Mall

When I was a child, this mall was fading. Not even half of the stores were filled and you didn't go past the food court because there just wasn't anything there.

Even before it was transformed, it was one of my favorite places. There was an El Fenix in the mall that my family went to often. I loved the waterfall wall outside the entrance. I was also fascinated by its emptiness. We had recently moved from another county in the area, one with a flourishing and vibrant mall that was always filled with people (and now, ironically, is no longer standing). The emptiness filled me with an emotion I couldn't identify as a child - perhaps a form of loneliness I didn't understand yet.

But a few short years later, a new investor bought the property and revitalized it. They painted it, built a very nice new playground for little kids, numerous fountains (my favorite was the one with the giant turtles) and breathed life into it again. It was my favorite mall growing up. It was my mall of choice when I had the option.

I have many fond memories of trips to Sears with my dad to look at appliances and lawnmowers, TVs and tools. My mom and I were frequent visitors of Penney's. And the whole family loved the new movie theater.

I bought my prom dress at a bridal store there and had my nails painted for prom at the Roman garden themed spa and nail salon next to Foley's...or perhaps it was Macy's by then. My first college job was at the Bath and Body Works next to Penney's. I worked there for two years. I basically lived in the Waldenbooks while I wasn't at work. I went for lunch at Chili's almost every day I worked.

I remember nights the most. Bath and Body Works has this thing called floor sets on Sundays where they get most of the employees together after the store closes to move displays around and change out promotional signage. It was common to be there until midnight or later, especially during the holidays. I remember standing outside the windows helping two other employees get a sign they were stringing up level and just being...alone. Alone with the sound of Christmas music. You couldn't hear the music during the day due to the noise from all the people, but at night, it was there, so eerie and out of place. I loved it.

I even worked there during the Swine Flu outbreak. I used to call it a pandemic, but now I know better. During the day, the store was empty except for us employees most of the time. More people visited in the evenings, and it was my task to get a splash of hand sanitizer on the hands of anyone who came in. Those months were interesting. I told this story to someone a few months ago. They called me essential. We didn't think of ourselves like that back then.

And then, I moved. First east, then north, then west.

By the time I made it back to the area, I could already tell something was wrong. Charlotte Russe had closed and been replaced by a bargain shoe store. Windsor, once a store of dream dresses, darkened its windows.

But for the time being, it even boasted an indoor lazer tag arena that nothing since has been able to live up to - at least to me.

Stores closed one by one. Waldenbooks closed in the years I was in college. Chilli's wasn't far behind. FYE was long gone, and the Roman spa and nail salon disappeared. Even the anchor stores, those bastions of mall culture that once seemed like they would always be around, suddenly began closing their doors. First, it was Sears. Then, Neiman Marcus announced it's departure. Dillard's went next, and finally, Macy's. Only Penney's seemed to survive. Even the bridal store that seemed unkillable finally left for better fortunes.

I have not been back since a little before the Covid-19 pandemic. Even then, the mall was beginning to sound the way it had before, when I first set foot inside as a small child. Sounds echo more, people talk less. It's almost like walking into a funeral. Not even an aquarium could revive it (that aquarium is truly atrocious) and it's still there, surviving only through bored families and cheap rent.

And yet, when I do visit, I feel at peace. This place has been mine as long as I can remember. Its hallways and stairs and empty storefronts make up the whole of an old friend who greets me with a weary smile when I can find time in my busy life to stop by and reminisce.

I used to wonder at the lack of people when we were all there at night, the sole source of activity on quiet December nights. Now I see that was, in a way, a premonition of what was to come. Now, she owns her liminality - on the boundary of life and death, or as much so as a building can be.

[positively--speculative]

Many of us enjoyed this film without really considering why, but its release came a whole two years before the Covid-19 pandemic that forced us to remain indoors for over a year as we waited for a vaccine to become available to us. Its sequel, A Quiet Place: Part II (2020), was delayed a year due to theaters being closed during the lock down. Ironically, the sequel feels more relevant to this new world we are living in due to Covid-19 than the world we lived in before.

So, I wrote what, I guess, some would consider a review, though I didn't set out to write a review at all. This is more of what I take away from both A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place: Part II.

Enjoy!

[swanlake1998]

Article: Gabe Stone Shayer Is Creating an African Narrative Ballet in a Locale That’s Not Only Dreamy, but Informing the Work Itself

Date: April 23, 2021

By: Lydia Murray

American Ballet Theatre soloist Gabe Stone Shayer's latest project will inspire some serious travel envy. From March to April of this year, Shayer has been an artist in residence at Palm Heights Grand Cayman—a resort in the Cayman Islands—where he is choreographing an African-themed narrative ballet, performing solos that will become part of the upcoming piece, collaborating with Caymanian artists and teaching dance classes to guests.

The hotel's residency program is designed to cultivate artists, athletes and writers with ties to or interests in the Caribbean, aligning with Shayer's goals to honor his African heritage and increase the visibility of Black stories in ballet. Due to the islands' strict COVID-19 safety protocols and low number of cases, he's been able to safely create in an environment reminiscent of the pre-pandemic era.

As only the second ballet dancer to participate in the program—the first being San Francisco Ballet corps member Kimberly Marie Olivier, who had told Shayer about the opportunity—his feedback will help develop the residency for future dance artists. During his mandatory 15-day quarantine upon arrival, Palm Heights built a studio for him and future dance residents.

Dance Magazine spoke with Shayer about his new work and what it's been like to live and create in the Cayman Islands.

Lydia Murray: How did you decide to pursue this residency?

Gabe Stone Shayer: I saw an opportunity to create a space for performing artists to have a concentrated residency experience. Besides helping develop it, it was a perfect opportunity to start workshopping a bunch of choreography and a bunch of ideas that otherwise, especially during COVID, would be very difficult to find the studio space, the time, the works to really curate what I was trying to make happen.

Lydia Murray: What impact has living and working in that environment had on your creative process?

Gabe Stone Shayer: What's vastly different is I'm on a very small island that has very good control over their COVID protocol, so it's practically COVID-free. You get tested before you get on the plane, you have to get tested off the plane, and you have to get tested right after your quarantine ends before you can leave your room. The protocol is extreme, but it makes for a very free environment. We're as close to normalcy as you can get. I have the freedom to not think about this extra hurdle of not being able to get close to someone, or not being able to use a studio without this, that and the other thing. It gives me the expansive feeling of being able to reach anything that I'm putting myself out there for.

Lydia Murray: Can you give an overview of what you're working on?

Gabe Stone Shayer: For a while, I've been thinking about the idea of this project to honor African and Black narratives through classical ballet. I feel like ballet needs to do a million different things. One, of course, is to update things. Be socially conscious, and hopefully be sustainable one day in terms of costuming. But a big thing is championing Black and brown cultures and narratives through stories that people haven't seen before on a ballet stage, or in the proscenium of a theater like the Metropolitan Opera House.

I had the idea to either shape an African narrative, or make up an African narrative, or take a piece of folklore and turn it into some sort of fairy-tale piece that shows the beauty, the strength, the elegance of African cultures—specifically Ghanaian culture, because that's what I'm closest to. I'm part Ghanaian, and it's what I know. But hopefully in the future, expanding that into other cultures, as well.

Lydia Murray: What has it been like to be a Black American artist of Ghanaian heritage, creating an African narrative ballet in a location with such a large Black population? Does that have any impact on your mindset or anything else about creating this work?

Gabe Stone Shayer: I think it does. I'm really excited about it because, for me, it feels like the first time I'm going to be doing something that is in the vocabulary of ballet, that is a story about my ancestry or connected to my ancestry, and really shows more colors to ballet than just the German, the French, the Italian stories. It gives way to other narratives that will hopefully involve and make a new community interested in watching ballet and seeing themselves more so than just by face, but by story and by content, as well.

It's great to see what inspires the people who are here, and what the culture derives from. It's a very, very, very mixed island in terms of culture. It's very international. But a lot of the people here have some lineage from West Africa, which is serendipitous, because a lot of these African stores or places where textiles are made lean towards West African and Ghanaian.

I've been essentially curating my costume with a woman who makes adinkra symbols. It's a Ghanaian symbol that represents different strengths within people. One symbol may represent being cunning, or power, or strength, or love. These symbols are, a lot of times, printed on cloth or clothing to signify what you identify with. I found two textiles that this woman made with a power symbol on them, and made them into my costume.

Lydia Murray: You've mentioned wanting to fuse ballet with fashion and pop culture, which you've already done with creators like Alicia Keys and Dapper Dan. In addition to working with the textile designer, are there any interdisciplinary collaborations we should expect to see here in music, costuming or otherwise?

Gabe Stone Shayer: I'm working with a few designers who are under the umbrella of Vogue Talents. It's a program for up-and-coming designers and artists and collaborators to get together. I met them through a mutual contact at Vogue Italia, and they sent me down here with their clothing. The brand is called Corban Harper.

I consider cuisine an art form, and displaying this West African work is also a part of a larger evening. I talked with the executive chef here, Jake Tyler Brodsky. He's done a lot of research into what West African food is and how to shape it for his menu, and, in turn, we created a collaborative evening where people were able to learn about West African culture through all of their senses by tasting new foods and watching me dance.

Lydia Murray: On The Dance Edit Podcast, you mentioned wanting to make a ballet about Mansa Musa [a 14th-century king of Mali] or the orishas [Yoruba deities]. Will we see any of those themes in this piece?

Gabe Stone Shayer: For this work, I thought that I would want to do a bit more in-depth research before putting a real name and face to what I'm doing. So I've just made it about an African king/chief. It's more vague; I could play with it a bit more. The narrative of the solo is of a young king coming to power and having to take control of his kingdom, but with the humility that he has, it's daunting to take the reins. But he fully leans into it.

Lydia Murray: What are your plans to present this work in the future?

I'm planning to workshop more of this piece through the coming year. I am probably using my nonprofit company, Creative Genesis, to film dances on location again when I'm back in America, and to workshop more of the ballet and flesh out the storylines for the rest of the characters. I'll hopefully work with The Guggenheim at some point to do Works & Process. And hit all of those points in New York to present the work and find people who want to see it come to fruition.

[yurionicestolemyheart]

about MAPPA and Ice Adolescence and COVID-19;

someone else pointed this out but I'm going to say it in my own words and with my own thoughts

I completely understand, as things are right now, why we probably won't be getting a release date. a lot of time, effort, and money have gone into making this film and they will probably NEED a successful theater launch, which is impossible as things stand right now. there are probably less theaters open than closed, and people are unable or unwilling to leave their homes to go see a movie anyway.

and as we have no idea what’s going to happen in the near future, let alone the far future, they can’t say for sure when anything will be played in theaters.

I understand even as far as working on it goes, due to social distancing and self-isolating preventing the studio from coming in to work on it (which I 100% respect and understand, I’d rather they all stay healthy than get the movie but knowing they put themselves in danger to make it

that being said, while i understand the lack of information as far as releasing the movie goes, and the pause in production, I am still allowed to be sad at the lack of word about ANYTHING.

we KNOW there is a trailer (even if due to any changes they’ve made since announcing the delay in release last September may mean it is no longer completely accurate), but they played it for theater audiences back in early 2019. we KNOW there is a premise planned, and we know they know who and what it will be about. we KNOW there are sketches and concept arts and frames. we KNOW there are planned costumes for the skaters, and outfits for when they are off the ice.

ANY OF THIS would be more than enough information to share with us. to get us excited, to make this whole thing easier, and to give them feedback and information on what kind of reaction may be had to the movie. 

the day the trailer played in theaters the first time during the showing in japan, only the people who were able to be there got to see it, however the ENTIRE fandom was having a freakout as if we had all seen it. there was an immediate influx of art, of meta posts and ideas of what it could be about, from people who HADN’T seen it. 

imagine how much it would brighten the day of every fan who is also suffering through this pandemic if they gave us something. anything. 

TL;DR: i completely understand and respect MAPPA’s pause on production of Ice Adolescence, as well as them not giving us a release date or a theater date due to the coronavirus and the unexpected outcome of everything currently. however, i am still sad that despite knowing they have... a lot of little teaser things they could show us any which one of without spoiling everything or needing a date, they still choose not to. 

i respect them and their choices, but still. we just want something to keep us going. 

[letterboxd]

Dream Chasers.

Mark Harris and Alicia Malone—two of the hosts of this month’s TCM Film Festival—tell Jack Moulton about Nichols and May, West Side Story, classic lockdown discoveries, and the films that make you feel like everything has changed when you walk out of that cinema.

For a second year in a row due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the TCM Classic Film Festival is being hosted virtually. Its program screens across TCM and HBO Max from May 6 to May 9. The festival, which began in 2010, was held at Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the nearby Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, a move designed to allow classic movie fans to retread the footsteps of glitzy premieres from the glamorous past.

Ahead of Steven Spielberg’s upcoming remake, the festival opens with West Side Story’s 60th anniversary screening, featuring new and exclusive interviews by living legends Rita Moreno, George Chakiris and Russ Tamblyn. The complete festival lineup includes classic programming and talent highlights, from Michael Douglas introducing his Best Picture-winning One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to Scorsese on Goodfellas, to a comedian-heavy table read of Edward D. Wood Jr.’s infamously bad Plan 9 From Outer Space.

Journalist and author Mark Harris, who published the biography Mike Nichols: A Life earlier this year, is presenting the 1996 American Masters documentary Nichols and May: Take Two, covering the Oscar-winning director’s legendary comic partnership with Elaine May. It features iconic sketches that will recontextualize the way you think about Nichols if you thought his career started with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate.

TCM host, feminist cinema expert, Australian expat and Letterboxd member Alicia Malone is also a presenter at this year’s festival. (She admits she’s slacking on her Letterboxd logging this year, but used it to track her viewings over lockdown, topping over 500 films.) Neither Harris nor Malone have been able to go to the cinema since they closed over a year ago, but both are eager to return to their local arthouses in Maine and the Upper West Side of Manhattan as soon as they’re ready.

We caught up with Harris and Malone shortly before the festival commenced for a classic edition of the Letterboxd Life in Film.

‘The Poseidon Adventure’ (1972).

What’s your fondest memory of seeing a film in the cinema? Mark Harris: This is embarrassing, but for me it’s The Poseidon Adventure. At the time, my parents were a bit stricter than other parents so the other kids were already getting to see so-called ‘adult’ movies. The Poseidon Adventure was the first ‘not-kids’ movie that I ever got to see in a theater and at the age of eight, I immediately thought ‘well, clearly this is the best movie of all-time’. Everything in it was new information to me, such as how adults talked to each other and Stella Stevens playing a prostitute—I had no idea what that was. I found it so scary, I believed everything I saw on the screen. The joy of taking in something I hadn’t seen before has never left me.

Alicia Malone: It would probably be seeing Amélie. I was living in Canberra but my older sister had moved to Sydney, which to me was the big smoke, I really wanted to live there when I grew up. I got to visit her by myself and stay in her flat which she was renting by herself and it seemed so cool. She took me to the local arthouse cinema where Amélie was playing and I was so swept away. I know that film gets a bad rap now for being overly sentimental and quirky, but I just felt like I was being seen. I had such a kinship with the character of Amélie because she’s a dreamer, always in her own head and that’s how I was. I was always comparing my life to movies and playing movie scenes in my head. I remember walking out of that cinema and it felt like everything had changed—the color was brighter, it was special.

MH: We have to talk Turner into an Amélie-Poseidon Adventure double-feature!

AM: What a double! That would be amazing.

John Garfield and Ida Lupino in ‘The Sea Wolf’ (1941).

Which classic films that you discovered during lockdown had a major impact on you? MH: I wanted to dive into some directors that I really didn’t know well so I started watching all the Luchino Visconti movies, because Italian cinema is not my strongest area. That was an incredibly rewarding experience. I also saw the big seven-hour Russian War and Peace, which completely blew my mind. Those were probably my big pandemic discoveries.

AM: Something I really loved was getting to do the TCM Star of the Month for John Garfield because he’s such an interesting character and was a pre-cursor to Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro and those types of method actors. I’d seen him in various films—such as The Postman Always Rings Twice—but I’d never sat down to watch a lot of his filmography and learn more about his personal story. To see films like The Sea Wolf and Body and Soul, I really gained a newfound respect for him as an actor. You can see some of the beginnings of that kind of tough-guy, everyday-man archetype with a brilliant actor putting his emotions right there on his sleeve.

MH: I should also say that the Women Make Movies Festival was huge for me. All those movies are on my DVR and I’m still going through them and discovering them. I recorded everything and that was and continues to be a gigantic education for me.

AM: Yes! Thanks for that reminder. That was such a fulfilling experience to get to be one of the hosts on that with Jacqueline Stewart. What was so brilliant about Mark Cousins’ documentary is that there are so many clips of films that you think how have we not seen this? How are we not studying this film? How do we not know about this particular filmmaker?

Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson in ‘Heartburn’ (1986).

If you could only pick one, which is the most overlooked film by Mike Nichols? MH: The most under-appreciated film to me is Heartburn. That was a real rediscovery when I was working on the book. I remember liking it, but I didn’t remember how sharp the performances were, how funny the comedy was, and the really acute social observations. I was so surprised when I was coming across the reviews—almost all of which were by men—and all of them said some version of “Why is he wasting his time with this? Why would he tell this woman’s story? Why doesn’t he tell the other half of the story?” Surely no-one would leave this character unless she gave him a good reason to leave! It was really shocking to me how dismissive and contemptuous a lot of the critical reaction was. I’m so happy that I’ve gotten to stick Heartburn under a lot of people’s noses because it’s a movie they seem to be really liking once they find it.

AM: I’m obviously not as deep into his filmography as Mark is, but I have to agree that Heartburn is a film that I can’t believe has been so overlooked. I came to that movie through Nora Ephron, who I just adore. [Heartburn is adapted from a semi-autobiographical novel by Ephron.] I rewatched it recently and I was blown away by it. Of course, Meryl Streep is amazing, but just getting to be in those characters’ worlds again and watching it after I had listened to the audiobook—which features the voice of Meryl Streep—about a year ago added a whole new experience. I loved how in her book how she has all these recipes dotted through it that you see in the movie as well.

MH: That’s one of the great audiobook readings of all time. It’s great to listen to [Streep] do that.

John Cassavetes and Peter Falk in ‘Mikey and Nicky’ (1976).

Where do you recommend film lovers start with Elaine May? MH: It’s only a four-movie body of work as a director so I think it’s perfectly fine to go in chronological order. A New Leaf is fantastic and feels 100 percent her. You really get a great deal of her sensibility in that movie. I would just start there and go to The Heartbreak Kid and then to Mikey and Nicky, which is not the place to start but is a fascinating movie, and then you’ll be ready for Ishtar.

AM: See, I would say Mikey and Nicky straight out of the gate.

MH: Really?

AM: I love subverting expectations of what a female director can do and that is such a masculine movie. It’s a film that you wouldn’t expect for a female director to make. I love the back and forth, the rapport between [Cassavetes and Falk]. I find it really compelling and exciting every time I see it. So I say, go hard, go in with Mikey and Nicky then, yeah, A New Leaf and The Heartbreak Kid, but maybe skip Ishtar.

Iconic comedy duo Elaine May and Mike Nichols.

Thinking of Nichols fleeing to New York City from Germany, and Alicia moving to Hollywood from Australia, which ‘American Dream’ film resonates with you the most? AM: This answer is going to sound quite cheesy since it was a recent film: La La Land. I understand all the criticism about it, I agree with it, but I don’t care. I feel like it was made for me as a redhead in Hollywood, chasing her dream, and coming up against all the obstacles. I also love Singin’ in the Rain, which I know is not necessarily strictly about the American Dream but is about Hollywood in general. That is a film that really started the idea of moving to Hollywood as a young kid. It’s the idea of a magical place where you could do anything and make your dreams come true and have dignity—always dignity.

MH: This time I’m going to go hard and dark and say the first title that occurred to me, which is The Godfather: Part II. It’s a great immigrant story, though it’s a strange version of the American Dream. The whole saga is about coming to America, becoming an American, and deciding what American values are.

AM: I should say that during our TCM Film Festival on HBO Max, we have a section on immigrant stories. We have America, America, which is a great one by Elia Kazan, and Stranger Than Paradise, which I would recommend as well. It’s a warped view of the American Dream but I love the way they think they get rich and all their dreams can come true. Also Black Legion, which is a darker version of the immigrant story with Humphrey Bogart going to the darker side of ‘foreigners should not take American jobs’.

MH: I’ll just throw in a plug for another Mike Nichols movie, Working Girl. He really saw that as an immigrant story—the first shot is of the Statue of Liberty, even though they’re [emigrating] from Staten Island! I think Mike thought it was as distant of a land as the old country, I’m not sure he spent a lot of time on Staten Island.

Katharine Hepburn in ‘Woman of the Year’ (1942).

What are some of your other problematic faves? The classics we acknowledge have not aged well, but you love anyway. AM: I think My Fair Lady is one of those. I’m a sucker for make-over movies despite all of their problematic ways of showing how women need to change if you don’t fit into the mold and you should sand down all your edges. But I get worked up in the whole transformation myth and making your life better. Even though it’s got Audrey Hepburn and you want to see Julie Andrews in that role, My Fair Lady is still one that I enjoy and I can see all of the problems with it.

Another one, that we featured during our Reframed series on TCM, was Woman of the Year, which is a great example of one of those women’s pictures that, as Professor Jeanine Basinger has pointed out, is so empowering for most of the movie and then in the last five minutes it undoes everything. It’s still a great film to watch when you want to get ahead of feminism and see Katharine Hepburn in a wonderful role, but you just have to ignore the breakfast scene at the end.

MH: I was just talking the other day to some people about the movie Network, which is one of my all-time favorite movies, but if you look hard at Network, it’s very possible to read that as a story about a woman who can’t be a professional in a workplace without hollowing herself out and becoming sort of less-than-human. [Diana Christensen] is talked about terribly by the other characters and you’re supposed to learn a hard lesson about what a monster an ambitious woman can become and that does not hold up well. It’s also a movie that features some of the wittiest dialogue and some of the greatest performances of any movie of the 1970s and I’m always going to love it for that.

AM: That’s such a trope, isn’t it? The ice-cold career woman.

MH: Right, and whoever did it better than…

AM, MH: Faye Dunaway!

Alicia Malone, Mark Harris.

Which coming-of-age movie character did you find the most relatable? AM: For me, it’s Velvet Brown played by Elizabeth Taylor in National Velvet. I watched that over and over as a child when I was obsessed with horses. It was so inspiring as a young girl to see another young girl chasing her dreams—pretending she’s a boy that doesn’t speak English to win the Grand National—particularly at the time when I grew up in the 1980s, when so many of those films for kids were about young boys achieving their dreams.

MH: Haven’t seen it in a long time, but the Peter Yates movie Breaking Away meant a lot to me when I was a kid. The idea of chasing something that means something to you but trying to reconcile what your parents thought about it, and how to balance your own dreams with the expectations other people had for you. I think that’s a really lovely movie.

I still think about those performances by Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern and Jackie Earl Haley, and of course Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley as the parents. That movie landed right in my heart the first time I saw it. I’m almost afraid to go back now, I don’t want it to have turned into one of my problematic faves! I want it to be one of my faves.

If we could gift every Letterboxd member two hours of HBO Max to discover one film from this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival lineup, which film would you want it to be? (My pick is Bless Their Little Hearts.) AM: A film that I just adore is Cléo From 5 to 7 by Agnès Varda. She was working in the French New Wave and arguably made the first movie ever in the French New Wave. It’s one of those great movies that is close to real time as possible—it should be Cléo From 5 to 6:30 really, because it’s an hour and a half. It’s so inventively shot and edited. I’ve done the walk that she did in Paris, I’ve tried to map that out and copy Cléo. I want more people to see it and discover it.

MH: My husband [playwright and screenwriter Tony Kushner] recently finished writing a new version of West Side Story for Steven Spielberg that’s going to come out at the end of the year. I think I would like to gift everybody the first version of West Side Story, which opens the festival, because you have to start there. It’s a beautiful movie and I think it’s a really instructive thing to see how this story was told in 1961 versus how it’s going to be told in 2021. Also, it’s two-and-a-half hours so if we’re only gifting people two hours… they’re not going to see the ending and they’re going to have to go to the new one to find out what happens!

Related content

Follow Mark Harris, Alicia Malone and TCM on Twitter for updates on TCM Classic Film Festival 2021

Watch the TCMFF West Side Story cast reunion, May 6 at 6pm ET

A Letterboxd list of all the films mentioned in this interview

Follow Festiville for all Letterboxd festival coverage

Follow Jack on Letterboxd

[lunar-magnolia]

World Health Organization (WHO) declares Pandemic.

Only a couple of hours ago the World Health Organization declared the state of pandemic regarding the COVID-19 outbreak.

In this article I aim to spread as much information I can. It’s not being talked about enough and so, so little people have access to real information about how to contain it, what it is and how it’s spreading.

I am from Italy. All territory has been declared “protected zone” yesterday and today (11th March 2020) the president of ministry reinforced the safety measures taken.

Disclaimer: this article was written from an Italian point of view. All I write here is all I know about the emergency the world is in and what the official sources said to us through official medias.

_____________________________________________________________

First and foremost, let’s answer: What is a Coronavirus?

Coronaviruses are a large family of virus known to cause illnesses ranging from the common flu to other serious diseases like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome).

They are RNA viruses that resemble a crown when under a microscope.

Coronaviruses were identified in the 60s and are known to infect humans and some animals. They aim to epithelial cells, as well as respiratory tract cells and gastrointestinal cells.

The source of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) is still unknown. The Superior Health Institute thinks it could have been a result of a spill over, meaning it came from animals and evolved to infect humans. It is still not certain.

(source: http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/nuovocoronavirus/dettaglioFaqNuovoCoronavirus.jsp?lingua=italiano&id=228 It’s in Italian, I’m sorry. I can translate it for you, should you need a whole translation)

With the what settled, let’s focus on why the WHO declared the pandemic state.

The WHO defines “pandemic” a situation that affects all continents. At first COVID-19 wasn’t considered a threat because of its lethality and the number of cases outside China.

Now it has been spread to all continents and the WHO declared the pandemic emergency.

To better understand what it entails, it’s worth mentioning that the word “pandemic” comes from the ancient Greek “pan” “demos”, meaning “all” “population”.

Ilaria Capua, director of the department of the Emergency Pathogen Institute in the University of Florida, states that the virus started spreading around mid-December/January, well before it was even disclosed that this virus existed outside Wuhan. This means it was in Europe (and every other nation) since then.

Since Italy declared its first case, the European nations have been kicking out Italians and blocking import of Italian goods. This was useless, as they got infected nonetheless and not by an Italian or a Chinese person.

Make an example of this and do not discriminate. It’s damaging and ultimately useless. It does not prevent contagion.

An important data is Italy having the highest number of cases in Europe, and possibly in the world after China. That is because almost everyone has been tested, starting from people who showed signs (and were confirmed infected) and then testing everyone they came in contact with in the last two weeks.

Be careful: the virus can be asymptomatic, so there are people who don’t experience symptoms but are vessels and can infect others. Although it’s rare without symptoms first.

Cases can be counted only if people get tested. So, if you’re from a country like the USA where the test isn’t free and costs a lot of money, please do not underestimate the number of infected people. It might be way more than you think.

After a mass movement of people coming from the red zones in the north of Italy (zones with a high risk of infection) to the south, and the carelessness of people who went against the decrees by gathering to party and protest, all of Italy has been put under quarantine till 3rd April 2020.

The government, working alongside medics and scientists, issued several emergency laws and sanctions to ensure public safety, plus a couple of hashtags trying to make people understand the severity of the situation.

President of the ministry Giuseppe Conte summarized all the new decrees with the trending hashtag “#iorestoacasa”, meaning “I stay at home”. That is, in fact, the first and foremost rule to apply when under quarantine and fighting a highly infective virus like this: stay at home and don’t interact with people.

As bad as it sounds, it is the necessary precaution. The virus can take up to two weeks to show symptoms, and even then, it’s not always detected immediately. Two weeks is a long time. One single person can infect dozens. And each in a dozen can infect other dozens and so on.

The decrees forced all unnecessary shops and stores, cinemas, theaters, bars and every other place where people gather to close. Only grocery stores, pharmacies and clinics are open to the public, but they must ensure safety distance between each client and regulate how many people at a time can enter.

Other commercial businesses, like restaurants, can only home delivery their products if they choose to operate.

Businesses with employees that usually work in offices are required to provide the necessary means to ensure everyone can work from home.

Ceremonies, events and shows are all cancelled.

Any movement inside and outside your city must be motivated by either work or health. People need to fill out a form stating why they are outside.

Lying and going around without taking the due precautions can result in fines and even jail time.

Medics launched their own hashtags too: #iorestoincorsia #turestiacasa. “I stay in the hospital ward” “You stay at home”.

This was a necessary step to take, to make sure people truly understand how paramount is to avoid needless contacts with others and contagion. Medics are working hard and to the bone, people are getting infected with such speed that the wards can’t keep up with demands, especially intensive care wards.

The decrees also include a set of rules taken from the WHO and adapted to the current situation that everyone should follow to ensure safety.

1.     Wash your hands often

2.    Avoid close contacts and maintain a safety distance of at least one meter with everyone

3.    Avoid crowded places

4.    Preferably stay at home, especially if immunocompromised

5.    Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes with your hands

6.    Use a one-time napkin for your mouth and nose if you sneeze or cough. Alternatively use your inner elbow

7.    Open the windows as much as you can if you are with other people

8.    Avoid handshakes and hugs, and sharing glasses and bottles

9.    Clean surfaces with alcohol (75%) or chlorine (1%) based disinfectants

10. Do not take antiviral drugs or antibiotics, unless your physician told you to

11.  In doubt do NOT go to the ER: call your physician and, if you think you got infected, call the emergency service (112)

12. Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider

(Source: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public )

Most importantly every authority recommends to use your own common sense, your sense of responsibility, and self-quarantine.

It’s not only about you as a person, it’s about public health and safety.

The word “responsibility” comes from Latin verb “respondio”, to answer. We have to respond to ourselves first, to our conscience. Then the government.

In Italy’s case the government is helping us, pointing us in the right direction and uniting the people to fight a common enemy. It’s not about the single person, nor about political factions, it’s about all of us. Helping each other by staying healthy and avoiding endangering others needlessly.

This is above the law. This should go without saying.

This pandemic is a level. There is no discrimination. The virus doesn’t care if you’re rich or poor, healthy or not, a baby or an elder, a teacher or a business person. We are all the same.

This is the right time to understand this. This is the time to understand what it means to care for others and ourselves as a community. Love thy neighbor as thyself.

And this is why self-quarantine is important.

I understand this is difficult. We are social animals and we need that social contact. These times are challenging for sure, impacting our habits and forcing us to change them, but it’s not forever.

Give up physical contact now, to feel its warmth later. It will be enhanced and most rewarding.

If your government still hasn’t given the orders, made exceptional laws, you must do what it’s necessary to ensure your own safety and the safety of others.

Keep a calm fear. Stay at home, but don’t panic. There is no need if you take the right precautions.

Respect the prevention rules. Respect the elders. Respect yourselves.

We can do it. All together.

I’ll leave some useful links in case you want to learn more. All of these are official sources. I highly recommend spending some time on the World Health Organization website.

https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

http://www.salute.gov.it/portale/nuovocoronavirus/dettaglioNotizieNuovoCoronavirus.jsp?lingua=italiano&menu=notizie&p=dalministero&id=4191 (This one is in Italian, let me know if you want a translation)

[mjj-news]

MJJNews Provided By Anji~Justice240

MJJNEWS, PICKING -UP- WHERE WE LEFT OFF…  

In Loving Memory Of Michael Jackson 1958-2009

♥ You Know That L.O.V.E. Survives ♥ **  ♥ So We Can Rock Forever ♥  **

★January 2021★  

MJJNEWS, PICKING -UP- WHERE WE LEFT OFF…

MICHAEL JACKSON – 2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

January 1, 2021

If someone had told you at the beginning of 2020 that the year was going to be spent mostly at home and online, you’d probably have laughed it off. However, in arguably the most challenging year of our lifetime, that’s exactly what happened. Thankfully, we’re fans of the King of Pop and that means that no matter where you are in the world, you’re part of an active community that engages fans and always finds ways to celebrate no matter how challenging.

So, before we turn the page to 2021, Here is MJVibe’s top picks for Michael Jackson 2020 – Year in Review!

Thriller appears in the Top 10 vinyl sales of the decade in the United States at number 6, having sold 334,000 copies between 2010 and 2019. In 2019 alone, 88,000 copies of Thriller on vinyl were sold across the U.S.

A pair of Louboutins designed exclusively for Michael to wear during ‘This Is It’ go on display in Paris France at the Palais de la Porte Dorée as part of an exhibition focusing on the world-famous designer Christian Louboutins. The sparkly shoes offer a subtle nod to Michael’s Triumph/Off The Wall look and were displayed as if Moonwalking.

- Bad in Wembley and Dangerous Live in Bucharest are once again made available for streaming on YouTube through Michael’s official channel in an effort to encourage the ‘stay home’ order given to countries around the world.

- After 11 years at the Lyric Theater, Thriller Live closes its doors for the final time. The show had been scheduled to complete on April 26th 2020 and leave the Lyric to find a new home. However, the UK-wide lock down as a result of the pandemic saw the show close earlier than planned.

- The MJ Estate donated $300,000 to Corona Virus relief efforts in Michael’s name. Broadway Cares, Three Square Food Bank (Southern Nevada’s largest hunger-relief organization) and MusicCares each received a $100,000 donation.

The Estate release ‘Heal The World 2020’, a new short film to accompany Michael’s 1992 hit of the same name. The film focused on the Covid-19 pandemic and was produced to unite Michael’s fans virtually during an almost global lock down.

In response to the release, fans ensured ‘Healtheworld2020’ trended two weekends consecutively. As of December 2020, the short film has 4.3 million views on YouTube.

View the video here!

- As a result of the pandemic, MJ The Musical’s debut is once again delayed to September 2021. Originally planned to open in Chicago in the Summer of 2019, the launch was cancelled with a plan to head straight to Broadway in early 2020. After three rescheduled dates, the decision was made to push to September 2021.

- Michael dominates Smooth Radio’s All-Time Top 500 Songs with the most entries by a solo artist. With 20 entries, Billie Jean and Man In The Mirror placed inside the Top 10, with George Michael being the only other artist to do so. Averaging four million listeners a week, Smooth Radio removed Michael from rotation in 2019, however, this poll as voted by the public, ensured Michael returned to the station’s regular playlist. #MUTEWHO?!

- HIStory turns 25 and while fans around the world mark the album’s monumental status and timeless appeal, the Estate chose to release apparel and a badge set, which mostly amounted to, what some fans considered an overpriced, bad quality, poorly designed, late delivered collection.

Judge for yourself, Ilia Mizani and Pez Jax sat down to review some of the products here.

- Marking the 25th Anniversary of the album, the HIStory teaser is added to YouTube where it has since been viewed 1.5 million times via Michael’s official channel.

- It’s been over 50 years since the Jackson 5 performed on the Ed Sullivan show. As part of a full library upload, the performances are restored and uploaded to YouTube for future generations to enjoy. You can watch the iconic performances here!

- Sixteen11 Media Group announces the release of a new book titled, ‘The Story of HIStory’ by Pez Jax. The book charts the creation and release of HIStory and marks 25 years of the album’s release. Including interviews with many people who worked on the album and short films, Jax called upon HIStory Statue sculptor Diana Walczak to help create the cover of the book. By the end of 2020, the book was released in special gold hardback and has been shipped to over 30 countries around the world. Several of Michael’s items from the era were placed on auction through Julien’s Auctions. Taking place from the 15th – 19th of June, listings included the three Olodum outfits worn by Michael in ‘They Don’t Care About Us’, the black trench coat from Stranger In Moscow and the handwritten lyrics to D.S.

- Author Damien Shields releases ‘The Genesis of Thriller’, a special audio documentary that takes listeners into the studio to discover how the world’s biggest-selling album was made. HIGHLY Recommended!

You can listen to this insightful audio documentary here!

- SiriusXM launches ‘The Michael Jackson Channel’, a radio station playing nothing but Michael Jackson music for a strictly limited time. The station also featured a special playlist titled ‘The Now More Than Ever King of Pop Playlist’.

- UK Nationwide Radio Station ‘Smooth Radio’ host their annual ‘Top 100’ poll to find out who the number one Icon is, according to listeners. With an overwhelming number of votes, Michael comes in at Number one.

- Following global demonstrations in relation to the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, Spike Lee teamed up with the Estate to release a new version of ‘They Don’t Care About Us’ for 2020. Mixing together both the Brazilian and Prison versions of the short film, Lee also incorporated footage from demonstrations around the world, which once again proved just how timeless Michael’s music is when used as the backdrop to current affairs.

Watch it here!

- Chinese fans celebrate Michael’s 62nd Birthday with the unveiling of 10 statues across the country. Created by MJJCN, the statues were installed in prominent locations including Nanning and Beijing and serve as a wonderful dedication to Michael.

‘Loving Neverland’ is released on YouTube as a five-hour compilation of footage and information that details Michael’s life, challenges and career in great detail. Compiled by fans Nandita Raghav and Deboleena Aich, Loving Neverland serves as a powerful reminder to what Michael experienced for anyone looking to understand who he was. You can watch it here!

- Finally, and after many years of asking, the Estate decided to do something with Michael Jackson’s Ghosts, announcing it would be free to stream on YouTube from 29th October until the 1st of November. To mark the Halloween period, which Michael ultimately rules, the mini-movie was uploaded in better quality than the previous uploads.

- Walmart release a limited edition 2x colored vinyl of the Jackson 5 greatest hits album ‘The Ultimate Collection’. Available only in the U.S, the album was issued through Universal Music.

- In what’s almost yearly fashion, more of Michael’s personal items were placed up for auction including the 2006 Japan VMAs jacket that marked Michael’s first official red-carpet appearance since his 2005 trial.

Also on auction were platinum record awards, signed items, photographs, drawings and a glove.

- Cirque-Du-Soleil announced that despite being closed for most of 2020 due to the pandemic, Michael Jackson ONE is one of five Las Vegas residency shows to receive a contract extension. Originally signed as a 10-year with five years guaranteed at the Mandalay Bay, the show has been so popular that both Cirque and Mandalay want to keep it going past its 2023 end date. The new end date on the contract extension has not been announced.

- On November 16th, the legendary Bruce Swedien passed away. Having worked with Michael as Engineer on all his Epic solo albums up to Invincible, Swedien continued working in the industry up until his passing and became an inspiration to many upcoming producers and engineers. Rest in Peace Bruce!

- Michael once again topped Forbes list of the Highest-Paid Dead Celebrity. Coming in at number one with $48 million earned, he beat Dr Seuss who came in second position with $33 million. FYI, Elvis came in 5th.

- To cap off another year of insightful interviews and important documentation, the MJCast episode 126 was a special featuring TJ Jackson. TJ speaks about growing up a Jackson, working with Michael and how the last few years of negativity have affected his family. You can listen to this deeply personal episode here!

- On Christmas Eve it was announced that Neverland ranch had officially been sold. Purchased for just $22 million by Billionaire Ron Burkle, the final price was a huge reduction from the overzealous $100 million asking price when the property was first put onto the market. However, there is hope as Burkle was a former business associate and friend to Michael, so while it may not be a ‘Michael Jackson Memorial’, it will hopefully be treated with the respect and history it deserves.

As we begin 2021 with hope and optimism, it may take a while before we can all be back with our favorite MJ friends; throwing down dance moves on his birthday and lighting candles on his anniversary. However, with the 30th Anniversary of Dangerous and the 20th Anniversary of Invincible at the tail end of the year, it’s likely we can look forward to some exciting coverage from a variety of different places and hopefully some more chart-topping achievements throughout the year.

⭐༺★༻ ༺🖤༻ ༺★༻⭐

[insanityclause]

On the afternoon of Thursday, March 12, 2020, Broadway was hopping, with 31 shows in one stage or another of production. That evening, Six was to have its opening night and Flying Over Sunset was to have its first preview. The evening after, Plaza Suite was to begin previews, along with Caroline, or Change. And then, over the following 42 days leading up to April 23, the eligibility cutoff for the 74th Tony Awards, several other shows — among them American Buffalo, Birthday Candles, Diana, Hangmen, How I Learned to Drive, The Lehman Trilogy, Sing Street, Take Me Out and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? — were to show their hands, gambling that a late unveiling would position them optimally for the sort of awards recognition that can make the difference between a show staying open or closing.

As it turned out, every Broadway show closed that evening — at least temporarily — as the Broadway League, the producers and trade organization that presides over the 41 theaters that comprise the Great White Way, shuttered all of them due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Now, two months to the day from when the Tonys ceremony was supposed to take place at Radio City Music Hall, members of the New York theater community — from actors to producers to publicists to the 50 or so members of the Tonys nominating committee itself — have no better idea than they did on March 12 about how Broadway's best work from the 2019-2020 season will be recognized.

"Not a word," says a dismayed member of the nominating committee. "There has been a total lack of communication," adds a frustrated Broadway publicist who has several horses in the race.

Without a doubt, there are far bigger problems these days than what is going on with the Tonys, even within the Broadway community, which usually employs some 87,000 people, according to the Broadway League. Now, virtually everyone is out of work as the League tries to determine if/how Broadway's theaters, with their cramped seats and tiny bathrooms packed with tourists and the elderly, can possibly reopen before a vaccine is widely available.

But, as the Emmys and Oscars proceed with plans for virtual awards ceremonies in the coming months, many who had a stake in the 2019-2020 Broadway season are wondering — in email exchanges and on phone calls with each other, and in off-the-record exchanges with this reporter — if they have been forgotten by the Tonys. After all, almost every other annual awards ceremony that celebrates theatrical achievements in New York has proceeded via a press release or virtual ceremony — the New York Drama Critics Circle (April 16), the Lucille Lortel Awards (May 3), the Outer Circle Critics Awards (May 11), the Drama Desk Awards (May 31), the Drama League Awards (June 18), etc.

So what is going on?

The Hollywood Reporter has learned that the Tony Awards Management Committee, which is comprised of representatives of the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing (which established the Tonys and owns the brand), has had a number of Zoom meetings during which various gameplans have been considered and then tabled as the severity of the pandemic became increasingly clear.

Indeed, Broadway theaters were originally to be closed for one month through April 12, then that was extended to at least June, then through Labor Day and now all that is known is that they will not reopen before the end of the year. No Tonys gameplan has been arrived at yet, although there is an expectation that a meeting later this month could bring things to a head.

The Broadway League and American Theater Wing declined to answer questions for this story.

It is understood that there are three primary options under consideration at this time, each of which comes with pros and cons...

1) Ask nom-com members to select nominees from the shows they were able to see before the shutdown and then conduct a virtual Tonys ceremony soon.

Pros

This seems to be the option that would please the greatest number of people associated with the 2019-2020 season, since shows that were seen will still be fresh in the minds of the nom-com and the larger pool of final-round voters.

Indeed, in the minds of a cross-section of the community, there was quite a bit of Tony-worthy work that was widely seen. Among the contenders repeatedly brought up: The Inheritance and Slave Play for best play; Moulin Rouge! for best musical; Betrayal or A Soldier's Play for best play revival; Danny Burstein (Moulin Rouge!), a popular vet with six nominations but no wins under his belt (and who recently overcame a brutal battle with COVID-19), for best featured actor in a musical; 33-year-old phenom Adrienne Warren (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) for best actress in a musical; 89-year-old Lois Smith (The Inheritance), who has worked steadily since her debut in 1952 and has been nominated twice but never won, and 80-year-old Jane Alexander (Grand Horizons), who made her debut in 1969 and won one competitive award 51 years ago, for best featured actress in a play; four-time Tonys bridesmaid Laura Linney (My Name Is Lucy Barton) and 2001 winner Mary Louise Parker (The Sound Inside) for best actress in a play; veterans Jonathan Pryce and Eileen Atkins (The Height of the Storm) for best actor and actress in a play, respectively; Tom Hiddleston and Charlie Cox (Betrayal) for best actor in a play; Elizabeth Stanley (Jagged Little Pill) for best featured actress in a musical; David Alan Grier (A Soldier's Play) for best actor or featured actor in a play, depending on where the nom-com placed him; and Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge!) for best scenic design. David Byrne, meanwhile, would almost certainly receive a special award for American Utopia.

Additionally, announcing Tony noms and winners could be a morale booster. "We're not doing shit that says 'Broadway is still here,'" says a publicist. "TV is still on. Movies are adapting. But our industry is in the toilet. So all goodwill gestures would be very welcome."

Cons

Because so few people ever make it to New York to see one Broadway show a year, let alone many, the Tonys are a tough sell to TV viewers in the best of times. Moreover, because of the abbreviated season, there may not be enough contenders to fill several categories (e.g. best revival of a musical and best original score).

And, setting aside the issue of shows that never even began previews, there is no question that a handful of late-breaking shows would be at a disadvantage, either because they had only recently opened (e.g. West Side Story and Girl from the North Country) or begun previews (e.g. The Minutes, Hangmen, Company, The Lehman Trilogy, Diana, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?), meaning not all nom-com voters would have seen them yet.

Perhaps most significantly, some associated with shows that were widely seen and plan to reopen would prefer waiting to hold the Tonys until the ceremony could be of some value to them at the box office.

2) Employ the Tonys ceremony in 2021 (assuming one is possible) to honor the best of both the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 seasons, each of which will have been abbreviated due to the pandemic.

Pros

By March 12, 2021, the one-year anniversary of the Broadway shutdown, theaters — and at least some of the shows that were interrupted but managed to survive thanks to business interruption exclusions in their insurance policies — will presumably have reopened, meaning that at least one full Broadway season's worth of work could be recognized at the Tonys, which itself could occur in the traditional manner with on-air performances that could help drive ticket sales.

It is possible that Broadway's top producer, Scott Rudin, now believes that this is the likeliest outcome, since a decision was announced on June 24 to postpone the opening night of his revival of The Music Man from Oct. 15, 2020 all the way to May 20, 2021, which would push it into the 2021-2022 Tonys season and thereby keep it from having to compete for best revival of a musical with another of his shows, West Side Story. (Rudin declined to comment for this piece.)

Cons

Not all shows that were interrupted by the pandemic will reopen — most plays won't, save for perhaps those mounted by nonprofit theaters, like Take Me Out and Birthday Candles, and the musicals which probably will, such as Moulin Rouge!, will be hindered by having opened so long before voting (in that case, in the summer of 2019, nearly two years prior to the would-be new Tonys date). Even those that opened later, like Jagged Little Pill and Tina, would be disadvantaged compared to any new blood in the spring.

Additionally, not all of the people who served on the nominating committee in 2019-2020 would be willing to return to Broadway theaters in 2021, making a small group even smaller. "I would withdraw from being a nominator," one older member of the 2019-2020 nom-com tells THR, citing health concerns.

3) Scrap the 2019-2020 Tonys altogether.

Pros

It would be one less headache for the Broadway League, which is first and foremost interested in reviving Broadway, as opposed to looking back at past glories.

Cons

It would deprive recognition of those who did great work on Broadway during the 2019-2020 season, and mark the first time in the 74-year history of the Tonys that a period of Broadway work was not recognized at all.

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Graphics by Ryan Best

With even hard-hit states like New York allowing businesses to bring their stores back to life, Americans are wrestling with one of COVID-19’s most painful tradeoffs: a damaged economy with millions out of work because of public health measures put in place to slow the spread of the virus.

And most Americans do think the public health risks of reopening the economy are still important to weigh. But there is also growing evidence that several months of economic hardship have changed the way some people are evaluating the costs. According to a new poll from the American Enterprise Institute conducted from May 21 to June 5, 41 percent of Americans say the government should allow businesses to open back up even if it means putting some people at risk, up from 22 percent in late March.

But not all Americans are anxious for businesses to reopen. In fact, there is a fairly stark divide among white, black and Hispanic Americans in their responses to this question. Black Americans, in particular, still overwhelmingly favored keeping businesses closed. The AEI poll found that 82 percent of black Americans said it’s better for the government to take all necessary steps to ensure the public is safe, even if means keeping businesses closed for longer and hurting the economy, while only 16 percent said that businesses should be allowed to open back up if some are put at risk — a finding that was basically unchanged since March. A solid majority (65 percent) of Hispanic Americans also thought public health needs should come first, although that has fallen from 81 percent in March.

The share of white Americans who prioritized public health over the economy has plummeted, however, from 76 percent in March to 50 percent now. In the June survey, nearly half of white Americans (49 percent) thought the government should reopen the economy, even if it means putting some people at risk.

Other polls have found a similar trend. According to an Economist/YouGov poll conducted from June 7 to 9, only 8 percent of black Americans said it’s safe right now to reopen the economy nationally, compared to 15 percent of Hispanic Americans and 25 percent of white Americans. And as the AEI survey underscores, huge racial disparities exist within the COVID-19 pandemic — with black and Hispanic Americans bearing the brunt of both the health and economic consequences of the virus. The public health crisis is particularly acute for black Americans, who are dying of COVID-19 at a much higher rate than either white or Hispanic Americans. In interviews, black Americans who participated in the survey spoke to those concerns, telling us that their desire for a government approach that prioritizes public safety isn’t reflected in many states’ plans. Some even said they’re afraid that more people may die as a result.

Dominique Anderson, 30, said he’s been alarmed to see his home state of Texas allow restaurant occupancy levels to increase, even though case counts have been spiking. “I don’t think it’s safe, how we’re going about [the reopening of the economy] right now,” he said. The topic was particularly emotional for him, he added, because a close family friend had died of COVID-19 only a few weeks earlier. “I understand that this is threatening people’s livelihoods — I know a lot of people who have lost their jobs,” he said. “But I fear that reopening so quickly is going to cost more people their lives.”

The AEI survey showed that Anderson’s experience is far from unique, particularly for black Americans, who were more likely than white or Hispanic Americans to know someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. As the table below shows, a majority (54 percent) of black Americans reported that they or someone they know personally has tested positive for the virus, compared to 46 percent of Hispanic Americans and 40 percent of white Americans. And a series of AP/NORC surveys conducted between April and June found that black Americans were much likelier than white Americans to report that someone close to them had died of COVID-19.

More black Americans know someone with COVID-19

Share of respondents who said they know someone in each of these categories who tested positive for the coronavirus

Answer White, non-Hispanic Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Myself 1% 2% 2% Someone in my household 1% 1% 3% Someone outside my household 39% 44% 50% I don’t know anyone 60% 54% 46%

Totals may not add to 100 percent due to rounding or because some respondents didn’t answer. Survey conducted from May 21 – June 5, 2020, with a sample size of 3,504 adults. Answers are not mutually exclusive, excluding “I don’t know anyone.”

Source: American Enterprise Institute

Perhaps because of these personal connections, black Americans are more closely monitoring news about the pandemic’s impact and trajectory, too: Fifty-nine percent of black Americans said they were following news about the coronavirus outbreak very closely, compared to 44 percent of Hispanic Americans and 43 percent of white Americans.

And they’re much more pessimistic about what lies ahead. Only 25 percent of black Americans believe the worst of the pandemic is behind us, compared to 37 percent of Hispanic Americans and 42 percent of white Americans. In fact, 69 percent of black Americans believe the worst is yet to come, compared to 54 percent of Hispanic Americans and just 45 percent of white Americans. “I watch the news a lot, and I get really frightened and disturbed when I see the [case] numbers going up,” said Leslie Ann Jordan, 59, who lives in Virginia. “It feels like people think we’ve got this virus under control, and they can just go out and live their lives like normal, which is just not the reality we’re living in.”

It’s not hard to see why black Americans would have a bleaker outlook on the trajectory of the virus, either. In addition to being more likely to know someone who tested positive for COVID-19, they are also bearing the brunt of the economic hardships that have resulted from the shutdown orders. According to the survey, black and Hispanic Americans were substantially more likely than white Americans to say that since February, they’ve fallen behind on rent or bills, had problems paying for food, withdrawn money from a savings account or 401k or borrowed money from family or friends.

What’s more, the survey found that black and Hispanic Americans were less likely than white Americans to have said they had an emergency or rainy-day fund that would cover their expenses for three months, leaving them particularly vulnerable if they suddenly lost their jobs or became sick. But the survey also found that the pandemic is forcing black Americans who do have savings to spend down their bank accounts at a much faster rate than white Americans. Almost half (48 percent) of black Americans said they’ve spent at least half of their rainy day funds over the past few months — including 19 percent who said they’ve spent their entire emergency savings account. Only 12 percent of white Americans, by contrast, said they’ve spent down at least half of their emergency fund, and only 3 percent said they have spent all of their rainy-day savings.

And black families are facing other kinds of stress. The survey found that 28 percent of black parents with children under the age of 18 said that child care responsibilities have been very difficult for them to handle during the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to 18 percent of Hispanic Americans and 8 percent of white Americans. One respondent, who asked that his name be withheld, said that figuring out schooling for his two small children while juggling lost income and trying not to visit stores has been unbelievably stressful. “You’re just living in this state of uncertainty, feeling very vulnerable,” he said. “What if I lose my job and can’t support my family? What if I get sick? What if my kids don’t go back to school in the fall? It all feels possible right now.”

In general, black Americans thought it will take longer for life to get back to normal. In the survey, many black Americans said they were very uncomfortable with the idea of returning to many everyday activities that involve close contact with other people — like going to church, a nail salon, or a movie theater.

And a solid majority (61 percent) of black Americans said that life in the U.S. will not mostly return to normal before the end of the year, compared to 53 percent of white Americans and 49 percent of Hispanic Americans. That could be because they have a particularly negative view of how the federal government and President Trump are handling the COVID-19 outbreak.

Overall, Americans are down on how the federal government and Trump are responding to the pandemic, but that’s particularly true among black Americans. For example, only 40 percent of black Americans thought the federal government is handling the pandemic well, down from 57 percent in March. In contrast, the majority (51 percent) of white Americans still said the federal government is handling the pandemic well — which is a more modest 10-point drop from March. Black Americans were also especially likely to think that the government needs to do more to help people who have been hurt by the crisis: Seventy-four percent of black Americans said the federal government should do more to help people who lost their jobs, compared to 59 percent of Hispanic Americans and 57 percent of white Americans.

“We don’t have the leadership,” said Gregory Coney, 57, who lives in Massachusetts. “The response is about fighting and power and not [about] doing what we need to do to protect people.”

Jordan, who is particularly nervous about her own health because she has asthma, said she understands why some Americans want to mitigate the economic damage — she feels lucky to still have a paycheck. But she told us that even though she also doesn’t know someone who tested positive for the virus, she sees that as luck, not something she can count on going forward. “I really don’t think we should be messing around with this disease,” she said. “And yet everyone is out and about. I’m worried we opened up too soon. If I’m being honest, I’m more fearful now than I was before.”

[threadatl]

A look at Atlanta’s past reaction to a pandemic

by Darin Givens, March 20, 2020

The influenza pandemic of 1918 killed tens of millions of people worldwide. In case anything can be learned from the City of Atlanta's response to that pandemic, in comparison to today’s COVID-19, here's a rough sketch of what happened from September, 1918 - February, 1919.

September 1918:

Camp Gordon, a dozen miles from the City of Atlanta, went under quarantine after an outbreak of the virus. By the beginning of October the camp reported over 1,900 cases, eventually resulting in 94 deaths.

October 5, 1918:

The Atlanta Constitution reports the city's first death from the virus. The city's health officer says that Atlanta will surely experience more cases due to the number of people traveling in from infected districts.

October 7, 1918

After the U.S. Surgeon General tells all state health officers to institute social distancing in an attempt to curb the contagion, Atlanta City Council votes to close all public places for two months, including theaters, schools, churches, and "billiard parlors." By this time, over 100 new cases of the flu were emerging daily in Atlanta.

October 26, 1918

After many protests by theater owners and other managers about their loss of business, City Council repeals the ban on public gatherings. The ban ended up being in effect for only a couple of weeks instead of the two months originally stated.

November, 1918 - February, 1919

Deadly surges in so-called “Spanish Flu” cases in Atlanta occured each month of the winter, through February. No further action was taken by the city to close public places, even as hundreds died. By March, very few cases were being reported and the pandemic had run its course, with a high toll.

Exact numbers are unknown, but according to Census data, 829 residents died in Atlanta during pandemic over the course of those few months (city population at the time was just over 200,000). It's probable that many other deaths during the time were attributable to the contagion, since Atlanta only reported deaths to the Census Bureau for a three week period that winter.

For a much more indepth look at the 1918 flu pandemic in Atlanta, see the city’s entry in the Influenza Archive, which provided most of the info for this post (with the Atlanta Constitution archives covering the rest).

As did other cities, Atlanta recovered from the pandemic. Likewise, we’ll recover from COVID-19. Our chances of avoiding the loss of life seen in 1918-19 seem good as long as the city’s response remains strong. This week, all restaurants, bars, gyms (and more) were ordered to close.