Sean Connery: the first Bond, and for many people, the best. (PA/PA Archive/PA Images)
Coverage of the passing of Sir Sean Connery has inevitably been dominated by his legacy as the screen’s first – and best – James Bond. Connery’s “Bond, James Bond” moment near the beginning of Dr. No (1962) is one of the iconic moments of cinema history and has spawned countless imitations and parodies.
Perhaps the most persistent myth about Connery, who was 90, is that he was an “unknown” actor who was plucked from obscurity by Bond producers Albert “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, who reportedly cast him against the wishes of author Ian Fleming and distributor United Artists. But this is to ignore the fact that Connery had already established himself as a television actor, drawing critical plaudits for lead roles in a 1957 BBC production of Requiem for a Heavyweight and in the 1961 TV production of Anna Karenina, but also appearing in a number of meaty co-starring roles in Hollywood films, including opposite Lana Turner in Another Time, Another Place (1958).
It was reportedly his appearance in Disney’s fantasy Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959) that drew Connery to the notice of Broccoli’s wife, Dana, while the British crime drama The Frightened City (1961), in which Connery as an underworld enforcer steals the picture from its nominal star John Gregson, was also evidence of a star in the making.
Nevertheless Connery was inspired casting as James Bond. Connery made the role his own to such an extent that it is now impossible to imagine any of the other actors said to have been considered – including Cary Grant, David Niven, Patrick McGoohan and even Roger Moore – stepping into the shoes of “the gentleman agent with the licence to kill” in 1962.In this context an important point to remember about Bond is that Fleming’s character was not an Old Etonian establishment figure: he is even described in Moonraker as being “alien and unEnglish”. Connery’s working-class Scottish roots – he was born and grew up in Edinburgh, where his early jobs had included milkman, bricklayer and coffin-polisher – imbued his Bond with that sense of “otherness”.
To this extent Connery’s Bond has as much in common with the outsider protagonists of the British new wave – Laurence Harvey, Albert Finney, Richard Harris – as the tradition of British screen heroism incarnated by stars of the 1950s such as Richard Todd and Kenneth More.
Sean Connery and co-star Honor Blackman in a publicity shot for the film Goldfinger (1964). (PA/PA Archive/PA Images)
Connery’s performance in Dr No is edgy and brusque: he really settled into the part in From Russia With Love (1963) and Goldfinger (1964) where he commands the screen with that indefinable quality of star “presence” that means all he has to do to dominate a scene is to be in it.
Beyond Bond
Bond brought Connery fame and fortune. He was paid a mere £6,000 for Dr No, four times that amount for From Russia With Love and a then-record US$1.25 million for his first Bond “comeback” in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever (George Lazenby had taken the role for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1969).
The lucrative remuneration meant that Connery was able to pick and choose his roles outside the Bond pictures. Indeed his non-Bond roles demonstrate just how versatile an actor Connery was. Alfred Hitchcock cast him against type as Tippi Hedren’s conflicted husband in Marnie (1964), and he excelled in two films for Sidney Lumet, as the rebel-with-a-cause in the hard-hitting military prison drama The Hill (1965) and as a vengeful policeman in the much underrated The Offence (1973).Connery was particularly good at playing characters older than himself, including the potentate standing up to Teddy Roosevelt in The Wind and the Lion (1975) and an ageing Robin Hood reflecting on his own myth in the beautifully elegiac Robin and Marian (1976). He paired with Michael Caine as soldiers of fortune in 19th-century Afghanistan in The Man Who Would Be King (1975) and was one of the all-star cast of suspects in Sidney Lumet’s lavish adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express (1974).
Screen gods: Sean Connery and Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King (1975). (PA/PA Archive/PA Images)
There was, inevitably, the occasional left-field choice, but even the science-fiction oddity Zardoz (1973) now has something of a cult status. Connery famously said that he would “never” play Bond again after Diamonds Are Forever: hence the ironic title of his second Bond “comeback”Never Say Never Again (1983), a rival production outside the Eon Production series mounted by independent producer Kevin McClory.
Connery won his only Academy Award, a popular choice as Best Supporting Actor for his “Irish” street-cop in The Untouchables (1987), after which his career enjoyed a second wind as the world’s most bankable sexagenarian film star in a sequence of superior adventure and caper movies including The Hunt for Red October (1990), The Rock (1996) and Entrapment (1999).
By this time Connery’s refusal to disguise his accent had become something of a trademark, whatever the part. When Steven Spielberg cast him as Harrison Ford’s father in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), it captured the idea that Connery’s Bond was the symbolic “father” of a later generation screen hero.
Feet of clay
Most stars turn out to have feet of clay: Connery was no exception. He attracted controversy for a remark made in an interview with Playboy in 1965 that legitimised hitting a woman (“An open-handed slap is justified if all other alternatives fail”). His Bond did this on screen in From Russia With Love and Diamonds Are Forever.
He also had a public falling-out with Broccoli, suing the producer and MGM for alleged non-payment of profit shares in the Bond films. Against this should be set Connery’s charitable work: he used his fee for Diamonds Are Forever to found the Scottish International Education Trust to provide financial assistance for Scots from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend university and college.
Proud ‘Scottish peasant’
Connery, who since the 1970s lived in Spain and the Bahamas as a tax exile, was proud of his Scottish roots. Ian Fleming warmed to Connery to the extent that he introduced a Scottish heritage for Bond into the later stories. Bond’s “I am a Scottish peasant and I will always feel at home being a Scottish peasant” – from The Man With the Golden Gun – might have been written with Connery in mind, although Bond was actually played by his successor, Roger Moore, in that film.
Unlike Bond, Connery did accept a knighthood, for services to film drama, in 2000. It is widely believed that his public support for the Scottish National Party had delayed his knighthood.
Connery’s last screen appearance was as Allan Quatermain in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003), in which he leads a Victorian superhero team to save the British Empire. He confirmed his retirement when he was presented with the American Film Institute’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.He died in his sleep at his home in Nassau, and is survived by his second wife Micheline and son (by first wife Diane Cilento) Jason Connery.
Drag Superstar Nina West has come to SLAY this Halloween season, literally!
Her new Spooktacular Variety Special HEELS OF HORROR began streaming on VIMEO on October 28th 2020. As part of the special Nina created an ode to one of her favorite TV shows of all time, Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Written by Nina West and Mark Byer, with a video Directed by Brad Hammer and animations by Kevin Posnanski and Shawn Adell, NINA THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, features the voice of SNL's Taran Killam as well as an appearance by original Buffy The Vampire Slayer cast member Anthony Stewart Head!
Buffy The Vampire Slayer Animated cast in Nina The Vampire Slayer by Nina West
It tells the story of a group of friends gathered around a campfire to listen to spooky stories about vampires on Halloween. However, Buffy The Vampire slayer superfan Nina keeps interrupting the storyteller (the voice of SNL's Taran Killam) with "OMG, IT'S JUST LIKE THIS ONE TIME ON BUFFY!.." and her excitedly singing how each ode likens to her favorite episodes of Buffy through recaps using animated versions of the original Buffy The Vampire Slayer Cast.
The Video:
About Nina West's Heels of Horror:
In 2020, due to the pandemic and the need for social distancing protocols, Nina and her producing partner Patricia Taylor, searched for ways to bring Heels of Horror to the stage safely and with the highest quality possible. Ultimately, it was deemed that a Live show would not allow for a large number of people to attend the show and for the safety of performers and fans it would be best to move the show to a digital space.
However, this opens the show for a whole new worldwide audience to see what Nina and her spooky friends have been up to! The entirely new show is split into 3 episodes each featuring a different Halloween theme.
They are streamed exclusively via a ticketed event on VIMEO and feature some of Columbus's finest performers as well as special guests Sydney James Harcourt (Original Cast Member Hamilton on Broadway), Jennica Tastrophe, Gretta Goodbottom and The Skeleton crew, Jamz Dean and surprise cameos from the world of stage and screen,
The show is sponsored by the generous support of the presenting sponsor Equitas Health. Equitas is a regional non-profit health system serving the healthcare needs of the LGBTQ+ in 13 cities in the Midwest. Throughout the run, Nina will be asking for donations to Equitas Health to continue its mission. The production is also supported by the Columbus-based, national companies White Castle and Big Lots.
"I'm so excited to continue the tradition of Heels of Horror with an all new Digital show." Said Nina West. "I went back and forth on how to provide a safe and fun in person event that would be both memorable and safe as I have with the past 12 years. Ultimately the safety of my performers and fans won out. There are tons of surprises in store, even some Tricks and Treats! Tune in Beginning October 28th ! You won't want to miss it!"
Nina West's Heels of Horror - The Trailer:
Tickets for Nina West's Heels of Horror Halloween Spooktacular are on sale now at vimeo.com/ondemand/heelsofhorror with support from charity partner and presenting Sponsor Equitas Health.
Nina West Feat Taran Killam - Nina The Vampire Slayer Single art
About Nina West:
Nina West is an American drag queen, actor and singer based in Columbus, Ohio played by Andrew Levitt. She rose to national prominence with her appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11, where she placed sixth and won Miss Congeniality.
She made history at the 71st Primetime Emmy Awards in Sept 2019 when she became the first ever person to walk the carpet in Full Drag, while her season won 5 Primetime Emmy Awards including best Reality Competition Show.
In June 2019, New York magazine named West one of the top 100 Most Powerful Drag Queens in America.
On November 8th, she released her first Christmas EP, "The West Christmas Ever" featuring Disney Legend Jim Cummings which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Comedy Charts.
Her animated short "Coaster", was shortlisted for a 2020 Oscar,
Her Podcast "Dragcast with Nina West" relaunched in 2020 with guests including Glenn Close, Patricia Clarkson, Daisy Ridley, Jared Harris, Tituss Burgess, Kristin Chenoweth, Orfeh, Caissie Levy, Pentatonix and more.
West has been performing in central Ohio and around the United States for the last 18 years, doing regional theater and of course, drag. As Nina West, she has produced over 35 main stage production shows. West hosts the annual "Heels of Horror" show at Axis Nightclub and has also hosted the competition "So You Think You Can Drag?'. In 2008, she won the Entertainer of the Year award, and was included in Columbus Business First's "40 Under 40" list in 2018 and 2019.
Nina is a LGBTQ advocate and has raised over $3million for charitable causes in the last decade alone through her charitable foundation The Nina West Foundation.
On June 17th 2020, Nina released a charity partnership with Country Music Legend, Dolly Parton - The "Dolly X Nina Kindness is Queen" Collection - with all proceeds going to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library and The Nina West Foundation to benefit LGBTQ+ youth and Illiteracy.
For more information about Nina West, please visit here.
'The Strange Talent of Luther Strode ' (Cover Art by Tradd Moore; Courtesy of Image Comics)
Allnighter has announced that it will be adapting the hit Image Comics series 'The Strange Talent of Luther Strode' as a feature film in partnership with series co-creators Justin Jordan and Tradd Moore.
Allnighter's Dinesh Shamdasani, Hunter Gorinson, and Amanda Kruse will produce the film alongside co-creators Jordan and Moore. Jordan is currently at work adapting the comic and will pen the screenplay.
Celebrated as "one of the greatest comic book series of all time" by SyFy Wire and a "career-making work" heralded as both "deftly original" and "masterful" by IGN, The Strange Talent of Luther Strode is one of the runaway hit series, alongside The Walking Dead and Saga, that redefined Image Comics for a new generation. The subject of near-universal critical acclaim and multiple sold-out printings, the series cemented writer Justin Jordan and artist Tradd Moore alike as two of comics' fastest rising stars upon its debut in 2011 and led both to best-selling turns at the helm of Marvel and DC's biggest franchises.
In the process, Jordan and Moore reunited for two equally successful follow-ups – 2012's The Legend of Luther Strode and 2015's The Legacy of Luther Strode – to complete the genre-colliding trilogy that first rocketed them to superstar status.
Like Venom and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Luther Strode deftly splices together the common DNA of the superhero and slasher archetypes for a brash and bloody adventure that is equal parts comic-book escapism and action-horror hybrid.
High schooler Luther Strode was always a little bit less than average – soft-spoken, skinny, and, more than anything, terrified that his estranged father would one day return to torment him and his mother once more. But that ended the day that Luther discovered "The Method" – an improbably old text hidden between the comic books and ragged paperbacks at his favorite used bookstore. But The Method is far more than it seems – and, as its ancient techniques rework Luther's body and unlock the strange talents buried deep within, he will find himself transformed into a near-perfect physical specimen imbued with incredible strength, startling new abilities...and a killer's instinct for violence that he can't quite seem to shake. When The Method's masters arrive to observe Luther's progress and draw him into action, he'll be forced to make the ultimate choice: embrace the monster he was intended to be...or use his newfound power to protect the people – the classmates, the teachers, the neighbors – who never protected him when he needed them the most.
Jordan's other film and television projects currently include an adaptation of his comics series Spread with artist Kyle Strahm, while Moore's 2019 series with writer Ales Kot, The New World, is being adapted as a feature film for Warner Bros. Pictures.
"Luther Strode remains one of my very favorite things I've ever worked on and getting the chance to bring it to a new audience as a film is exciting beyond belief," said Justin Jordan. "Especially since Allnighter is dedicated to staying true to all of the foundations – from the tone to the mythology, and, of course, the kinetic action exemplified by Tradd's artwork – that people have loved about the comic."
"The Strange Talent of Luther Strode is the type of pitch every publisher dreams of – work by newcomers so anxious to make their mark that every page practically vibrates with indomitable confidence," said Eric Stephenson, Publisher & Chief Creative Officer at Image Comics. "When I first got a look at Luther Strode as a blind submission in my inbox, I was bowled over by the sheer audacity of what Justin and Tradd were creating, and it was an automatic green light. It's going to be exciting to see how this awesome series takes shape in another medium!"
Allnighter was founded earlier this year by the executive team that previously led Hivemind – the hit-making production company behind Netflix's The Witcher and Amazon's The Expanse television series, as well as Sony Pictures' Bloodshot and Lionsgate/CBS Films' Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark feature films – and includes Hivemind co-founder Dinesh Shamdasani, former VP of Film & Television and Lionsgate veteran Amanda Kruse, and former SVP of Brand & Content Strategy Hunter Gorinson. With partners whose backgrounds straddle film and television, comic book publishing, and game development, Allnighter is uniquely positioned to unite world-class creative talent and industry-leading properties from the worlds of cult genre fiction, comedy, comics and graphic novels, video games, tabletop games, manga and anime, and more. Shamdasani, Kruse, and Gorinson will jointly serve as a Co-Founders/Partners in Allnighter.
Luther Strode is just the latest addition to Allnighter's high-profile slate of upcoming film and television projects, which also includes Gideon Falls, a television adaptation of the Eisner Award-winning Image Comics series by creators Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino, in partnership with James Wan's Atomic Monster and Hivemind; Weird Fantasy, a new series based on the subversive science-fiction stories of EC Comics; Illuminatus!, a new series from showrunner Brian Taylor adapting the hugely influential science-fiction trilogy by authors Robert Anton Wilson & Robert Shea; and Final Fantasy, the first live-action adaptation of Square Enix's genre-defining video game franchise, in partnership with Hivemind; among many others.
"Luther Strode is one of the most beloved comic book series of the past decade and with good reason. Not only is it a master-class in the best that comics have to offer, but it's horrifying, heartfelt, and funny all at once. Whether you like superheroes or horror, Strode is the rare series that equally speaks to the core of both genres and creates fascinating new dimensions in the process," said Allnighter co-founder and partner Dinesh Shamdasani.
"Allnighter is built to celebrate not just the things we love, but the artists that have something new and distinctive to say about them as well. Luther Strode's unique perspective is a perfect example of that mandate in action," added Allnighter co-founder and partner Amanda Kruse.
During her time at Lionsgate, Kruse served as a feature-film executive helping to oversee recent and upcoming live-action, theatrical releases for Saban's Power Rangers, Shueisha's Naruto, and Gearbox's Borderlands franchises before being tapped by studio president and Nerdist co-founder Peter Levin to run creative and development for Lionsgate's newly founded Games Division, where she shepherded 35+ games and integrations, including the critically acclaimed Triple-I launches John Wick Hex and Blair Witch.
Prior to establishing Hivemind, Shamdasani and Gorinson previously led the iconic comics brand Valiant Entertainment through a groundbreaking run of creative, commercial, and critical successes that culminated with the company's sale in early 2018 and the start of production on Valiant's first-ever feature film, Bloodshot, which Shamdasani produced for Sony Pictures. In addition to their current duties at Allnighter, Shamdasani and Gorinson also serve as the Co-CEO & Co-Chief Creative Officer and Publisher, respectively, of the upstart comic book publishing imprint Bad Idea, which is slated to debut with a slate of five highly anticipated new series in 2021.
Allnighter is represented by UTA. Visit them online at TeamAllnighter.com.
People Watching Football/Soccer Game (Photo by Tembela Bohle)
With football making the news because of the launch of Premier League Box Office, we thought we would delve into the archives and discover how much it used to cost to enjoy the sport.
A BBC report ten years ago revealed that Newcastle United was the cheapest Premier League team, whereas Arsenal was the most expensive. We take a look at each of the areas the BBC analysed in their report. You can compare this with the prices you are charged to see how the expenses really have super-sized in recent times. Of course, some of the clubs mentioned are no longer in the Premier League.
So, who was the cheapest football club to visit back then? On Tyneside, you could get an adult match day ticket for £15. This is the same price as Premier League Box Office games today! This means that Newcastle also provided the cheapest day out for fans as well. This is based on the accumulation of the price of the ticket, a pie, a match day programme and a cup of tea – which came in at £23 at St. James’ Park. Other clubs that offered a matchday experience under £30 include Aston Villa, Fulham and Wigan. Can you get a matchday experience for £30 today?
These prices are a stark contrast to Arsenal’s. The North London club boasted the most expensive day ticket at £126, the most expensive day out at £134.30 and the most expensive season ticket at whopping £1955!
In fact, Arsenal is the only team in the league which charged over £100 for a ticket a decade ago. The second most expensive day ticket could be found at Chelsea at a price of £87 and the third most expensive ticket was a trip to White Hart Lane at a price of £81. Of course, Spurs have since moved. Places where you could get the best seats for good prices include West Brom and Sunderland where their most expensive tickets are £39 and £40 respectively. Sunderland has moved down the leagues since, so if you’re staying in student accommodation in Sunderland, football is definitely a good day out to consider.
As mentioned, Arsenal boasted the most expensive season ticket as well. Tottenham were not far behind them as their most expensive season ticket costs £1,845. The two North London clubs and Chelsea make up the three clubs in the league that have tickets available for over a grand.
Furthermore, with regards to season tickets, it may not come as a surprise that Wigan offered the cheapest in the top flight. However what may be surprising is that the then champions, Manchester City, offered the second cheapest in the league at £275. Newcastle then followed behind at £322.00.
The Manchester clubs haven’t been shown to charge their football fans too much as of yet, but when it comes to a cup of tea it’s a different matter. You would pay £2.50 for a cup of tea at the Etihad or Old Trafford, this is the most expensive out of all the grounds in the UK. Wigan, Reading and Swansea offered the cheapest tea at £1.80.
And finally, pies! Wigan again offered the cheapest pies at £2.30. However, travel to Craven Cottage and you better expect Gordon Ramsey behind the counter because there’s costed a whopping £3.90 10 years ago!
"Dared My Best Friend To Ruin My Life" (PRNewsfoto/DefinitelyReal.com)
Alternate Reality Cinema company This Is Definitely Real debuts the world's first alternate reality cinema project.
Built around an extended-release movie in the style of Scott Pilgrim meets Fight Club, the story "Dared My Best Friend To Ruin My Life" extends through over a dozen narratives, interactive experiences, and fictional characters who respond to the 9 episodes with their own content and interact with the audience.
In a world that feels increasingly like an alternate reality game, this first-of-its-kind asks its young adult audience to question what is real, play with their own online personas, and participate in the storytelling.
Based on a viral Reddit story of the same name, the experience begins when Team Takedown, an anarchist hacker group, bent on canceling everyone in power, hacks influencers. The protagonist Zander Jones hacks them back, sending a plea to the internet to help them find his kidnapped sister.
As Zander's team grows, the audience can view the episodes or go down the rabbit hole, pick a side, and search for the truth.
"If you look at the comments on YouTube, people keep asking whether this is real. It looks fake, but is it real? The line has become so blurred that it's hard to define real any more. And we're getting people to ask those questions," said Michael Morgenstern the film's producer.
The story universe is populated with characters (all from the town of Emet's Crossing) with real social handles, websites, video series, and interactive experiences of their own, creating an explosion of content and a web to explore. Participants can message the characters and receive replies and watch videos from the local news show, alien puppet invaders, a beauty queen named Miss Information, a brutally satirical revenge-based fitness influencer, and Zander's mom, a technically illiterate boomer who drops her phone number [406-284-0565] all over the comments and will text back.
"Our fictional story is put together the way some news events are put together; the way conspiracy theories are put together. Social media is a place where stories are being told — some designed to manipulate us, and our audience is delighting in exploring these themes," says Morgenstern.
The audience is invited to take sides in the feud between two friends, becoming live participants in the internet-based thriller, or watch and enjoy as a fly on the wall..
"It's inevitable that stories will move out of movie theaters and into the world we live in, with the audience being invited to join in. It's just taken a few years for movies to catch up and really use the medium of the internet," says Morgenstern.
"The project is built exactly like QAnon, except we tell you we're fictional," Morgenstern said. Who hopes that the story leads to experiential understanding about how controversies and stories are incepted into the public consciousness.
"This type of storytelling is used already politically, but this is the first time it's been used to tell a stylized, overtly fictional story at this scale.".
An independent team of over 400 immersive theater artists, marketers, technologists, and filmmakers have built the narrative machine that powers the experience.
On the eve of a polarized election, in a world where disinformation spreads rampant, the story's audience is engaging deeply with the story's questions: when is it right to cancel someone? Who really controls the stories we tell? Is there a good and a bad team, and which one am I on?
Interested viewers can join the experience and start participating at teamzander.com or on YouTube
#HalloweenIsHappening - 66% Of Americans Admit To Stealing From Their Halloween Candy Stash (Photo by Karolina Grabowska)
Do you open the bag of mini Halloween treats as soon as you get it home from the store? About two-thirds (66%) of people admit to enjoying a few pieces of Halloween chocolate and candy before handing the treats out to trick-or-treaters or using them for other Halloween activities, according to a recent poll conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of the National Confectioners Association.
Consumer Attitudes & Behaviors On Halloween:
74% of millennial moms and young parents say that Halloween 2020 is more important than ever. (The Harris Poll)
80% of the general public and 90% of millennial moms and young parents say they can’t imagine Halloween without chocolate and candy, and that trick-or-treating is irreplaceable. (The Harris Poll)
2/3 will participate in trick-or-treating, whether handing out the candy or going out with their children. (NCA)
79% of parents indicate they have taken candy from their children after a night of trick-ortreating. (Morning Consult)
66% of people enjoy at least some of their pre-purchased Halloween candy before using it for Halloween-related activities, like passing it out to trick-or-treaters. (Morning Consult)
80% of people believe that they will find creative and safe ways to celebrate the Halloween season this year. This is up from just 63% in July. (NCA/Morning Consult)
Fun Facts:
Most people in the U.S. enjoy chocolate and candy 2-3 times per week, averaging about 40 calories per day and just one teaspoon of added sugar per day. (NHANES)
What’s the right way to eat candy corn?
Who enjoys candy corn the most?
Visit AlwaysATreat.com/HalloweenCentral for ways to celebrate a socially distanced but not socially awkward Halloween and join the conversation on social media with #HalloweenIsHappening.
How Coronavirus Has Hit the Movie Industry (Photo by Nathan Engel)
Since early 2020, the world has been gripped by the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Despite drastic measures designed to curb the spread of the virus, it continues to wreak havoc in virtually every country around the world.
While the health implications of COVID-19 have been the most pressing factor, there’s no doubt that the economic impact of the virus is continuing to affect industries. Virtually every sector has been affected by COVID-19, but some have been hit harder than others.
The entertainment industry, as a whole, has been forced to suspend numerous productions and delay movie releases due to the on-going COVID-19 restrictions. While the demand for at-home entertainment continues to soar, the movie industry has been unable to operate for the majority of 2020.
Why Aren’t Movies Being Released?
Popular firms are always eagerly anticipated by fans, with many people booking tickets to see the film months in advance. Major franchises are always winners for movie companies, which is why people are continually asking, how successful will the new Bond film be? However, movie fans have been disappointed this year, as release dates continue to be pushed back.
When major titles are released, they typically make hundreds of millions of dollars for production companies. Additionally, directors, actors, and producers can garner accolades and awards upon the release of a big picture.
If production companies choose to release major titles now, they stand to make a significantly reduced profit. While some movie theaters remain closed and unable to show the film, others are operating with limited capacity. This means far fewer people can access a viewing, which equates to lower box office figures.
In addition to this, many people are understandably worried about attending public venues, like movie theaters and comedy clubs. Even when these venues are open, the on-going concern about transmitting or contracting the virus is causing people to stay at home, rather than attend.
How Coronavirus Has Hit the Movie Industry (Photo by Tuur Tisseghem)
What Does the Future of the Industry Look Like?
Sadly, the arts industry has been severely affected by COVID-19. Many people who work behind the scenes in movies, television, or theater work on a self-employed basis. This means they’ve been unable to generate an income while productions have been halted and live performances stopped.
While larger companies have been able to weather the financial storm caused by coronavirus, smaller production firms and movie companies may be unable to continue operating for much longer. For fans, this may mean fewer independent or niche films are released in the upcoming years.
Furthermore, the demand for at-home entertainment is fueling the streaming industry. With major streaming services already producing their own original series and films, it’s possible that major movie titles will be released directly via streaming, rather than hitting the movie theaters.
When it comes to major titles and famous franchises, however, fans shouldn’t have too much to worry about. While releases may be delayed for some time yet, there’s no doubt that production large companies will bounce back from the crisis and continue to deliver award-winning pictures.
We get it, exercising at home can be tough. It’s hard to find motivation at home and when you do, you often have to modify your practice because of space or noise restrictions. Thankfully, after months of gyms being closed, many are finally starting to re-open with limited capacity. While measures are likely in place at your gym to keep people safe, you should also think carefully about what you can do personally to eliminate as much risk as possible. Grab a pair of men’s or women’s supportive sneakers and follow the checklist below to ensure maximum safety for you and those around you at the gym.
Consider Your Risk Level:
According to the CDC, those most at risk of developing severe symptoms of Covid-19 are people who are 65 years old and older and anyone with health conditions. If you fall into either of these groups, it is recommended that you avoid going to gyms while Covid-19 is still at large. While gyms should take precautions like cleaning equipment frequently and taking everyone’s temperature upon arrival, there is still a chance that you could contract the virus.
Avoid Big Group Classes:
Instead of jumping back into crowded classes at the gym, opt for solo practices or classes of small groups with less movement. For example, you should avoid a jam-packed hot yoga class in favor of a small, eight person or less Yin yoga class. Swap an organized cycling class for an hour of solo cycling indoors or biking outdoors.
A Guide to Going to the Gym During Covid-19 (Photo by Tim Mossholder from Pexels)
Abide by the Six Foot Rule:
If your gym is following CDC guidelines, they should have separated equipment and blocked off machines so that people exercising are always at least six feet away from each other. Make sure you follow this six foot guideline anytime you are in a public place, especially while at the gym.
Wear a Mask When Possible:
Many gyms aren’t requiring a mask while you are exercising, as it makes it more difficult to breathe. However, at least when you are coming and going at the gym or doing a low intensity exercise, you should wear a mask.
There is an alternative to working out in your home that doesn’t involve going to the gym. Slip on a pair of women’s or men’s supportive sneakers and head outdoors for your exercise; whether to run, bike, or do a circuit routine. Even going for a vigorous walk or swim can break up the monotony of working indoors all day long and keep you feeling active and healthy. The bonus is that you can also soak up the sun and get a dose of Vitamin D, which helps ward off viruses by keeping your immune system strong.
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