ENTRETENIMIENTO

Pop superstar Rihanna donates $5 million to relief efforts

From finding ways to help others cope to sheltering in place to canceling events, here’s a look at some of the ways the entertainment industry is reacting to the spread of the coronavirus, which most people recover from but can cause severe illness in the elderly and those with preexisting medical conditions.

RIHANNA OPENS HER WALLET

Rihanna‘s Clara Lionel Foundation is giving $5 million to the response efforts against the coronavirus.

The money will support “on-the-ground partners working on the frontlines of disaster response especially those focused on protecting and serving marginalized communities — helping the most vulnerable in the United States, the Caribbean and in Africa prepare for what is to come,” the foundation said in a statement.

The funding will be channeled through Direct Relief, Partners In Health, Feeding America, the International Rescue Committee, the World Health Organization’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund and others.

“Never has it been more important or urgent to protect and prepare marginalized and underserved communities –those who will be hit hardest by this pandemic,” CLF’s executive director Justine Lucas said in the statement.

The money will go to food banks, testing, healthcare worker training, virus prevention and distribution of critical respiratory supplies.

BESPOKE FACE MASKS COMING

Hospitals and health care workers in New York without enough face masks to deal with the coronovirus are being promised help from someone more famous for his red carpet looks.

Christian Siriano in a tweet vowed to make masks, asking his sewing team to pump them out to help medical responders. The tweet got Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s attention, who thanked the “Project Runway” star and got in touch with his team.

Siriano later posted a photo of a mask in a plastic bag and captioned it: “Prototypes are happening — more updates by next week.”

SECOND BROADWAY CASUALTY

A revival of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” will not reopen when Broadway resumes performances, a second play to call it quits as the theater world grapples with the fallout over the coronavirus.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” starred Laurie Metcalf as Martha and Rupert Everett as George. It managed just nine previews before Broadway was shuttered on March 12. Producers early Saturday blamed “cast scheduling conflicts amid the shutdown” for abandoning the show.

The move came a day after producers of Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy “Hangmen” said that show also will not reopen on Broadway.

“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Hangmen” were two of 16 shows that were scheduled to open this spring that were suspended when Broadway went dark.

America’s small movie theaters fear coronavirus could mean their last picture show

Lisa Richwine

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Members of the Bagby family have operated movie theaters in small U.S. towns for four generations. With the coronavirus outbreak forcing their 400 screens to go dark indefinitely, some of them worry that run could come to an end.

FILE PHOTO: A man cycles past a shuttered movie theater in Times Square following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

The family’s Missouri-based company closed its 50 B&B Theatres locations in seven states this week and imposed its first layoffs ever, affecting 1,980 workers.

“We’ve been around since 1924,” B&B Chief Executive Bob Bagby said in an interview. “We hope we can continue to be around, but we’re a little scared right now.”

The global coronavirus outbreak has put the biggest strain on movie theaters in the industry’s 115-year history. Most theaters in the United States, and many around the world, are closed to help prevent the novel coronavirus from spreading.

Operators are unsure when they will be able to switch on the marquee lights again. Some voiced concern that they might not be able to reopen at all if the shutdown lingers for months. The theater business already was facing competition from streaming services such as Netflix Inc.

Website Deadline Hollywood estimated that U.S. and Canadian box offices could lose $2 billion if theaters remained closed until the end of May, though it noted that some industry sources believe that could be recouped later in the year.

To help theaters stay solvent, the National Association of Theatre Owners on Wednesday urged the U.S. Congress and the Trump administration to provide tax benefits and other emergency relief.

The industry employs more than 150,000 people in the United States, the group said, from ticket sellers to projectionists, concessions workers and cleaning crews.

Theater owners took pride in staying open during previous crises including World War II and after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and offering a respite from the world’s troubles. Plus, the movie business typically remained healthy during economic downturns when people sought a relatively inexpensive form of entertainment.

“This is the first time we’ve ever had to face mass layoffs in our industry,” said Brittanie Bagby, who serves as executive vice president at B&B Theatres alongside her sister Bobbie and brother Brock. “Our hearts are breaking.”

While no movie tickets or concessions are being sold, operators still have bills to pay for rent, mortgages, utilities and other costs.

Mark O’Meara, owner of University Mall Theatres and Cinema Arts Theatres in Fairfax, Virginia, said he would try to negotiate new terms for rent payments with his landlord to help get through the coronavirus crisis.

“If this goes six months, I don’t know if I can make it six months without any business,” O’Meara said. “I’m hoping for a two- to three-month turnaround.”

BIG CINEMA GROUPS STRUGGLE TOO

Even the largest theater chains are under pressure.

Cineworld Group Plc, which operates 9,500 theaters worldwide including 7,000 in the United States, said the worst-case scenario would be closing theaters for up to three months. If that happened, the company said it could be unable to make its debt payments.

When theaters do re-open, they face costs such as replacing expired food, candy and soda. One B&B location had just received a $3,000 food shipment that was given to employees because it would have gone bad during the closure.

Beyond that challenge, it is unclear when theaters will have fresh movies to show.

Hollywood studios have postponed many films that were set to debut in the coming weeks, including Walt Disney Co’s epic adventure “Mulan” and Marvel movie “Black Widow,” which had been slated to kick off the lucrative summer blockbuster season on May 1. Release dates for those films are now unknown.

Moviegoers also may be reluctant to return to crowds even when authorities say it is safe.

Operators said they were trying to provide financial help to employees during the closures, and the theater association announced a $1 million fund to assist displaced workers.

Many in the industry are hopeful moviegoing will see a resurgence after restrictions are lifted and people who have been staying home return to everyday activities.

“I’m very confident the industry will bounce back,” said Aaron Donaldson, who with his wife owns the single-screen Lake Theatre in Clear Lake, Iowa. “Once we are allowed to go back out there, I hope people are going to really enjoy being out, and they’ll go to the movies more.”

In the meantime, the Bagby family has appealed to lawmakers to help keep theaters afloat, noting that the local movie house is a primary source of entertainment in many small towns and a bedrock of American culture.

“Our slogan is ‘bringing Hollywood to your hometown,’” Bobbie Bagby said. “Long term, I really hope we can get back open in those communities. It’s one of the ways we will get people’s hopes back up.”

Jennifer Lopez Celebrates ‘Selena’ 23-Year Anniversary With Special Video and Challenge

Jennifer Lopez is celebrating the 23-year-old anniversary of her hit film, Selena.

The 50-year-old entertainer took to social media to share a video of herself reflecting on her time on set and the importance of honoring the late Selena Quintanilla’s legacy.

“Join me today in #CelebratingSelena. ????✨ I can’t believe it’s been 23 years since this incredible movie came out and 25 years since her passing,” Lopez wrote on social media. “Selena was such an inspiration to me and I was so lucky to be chosen to play her. As an artist, this movie truly was an experience I’m going to remember for the rest of my life. Please share your memories of Selena and the movie with me below.????❤️.”

The 3-minute clip, begins with a scene from the biopic, as Lopez opens up about her experience.

“I just go right back to the beginning of the movie in the first day of shooting and really trying to find the essence of who she was. She was an artist and she was singing from the time she was nine years old, maybe younger,” J.Lo recalls. “Learning how she sang, all her mannerisms, how she danced, studying the tape of her became really important.”

The rest of the clip is a montage of film stills, scenes from Selena, Lopez’s past interviews talking about Quintanilla and more.

Known as the “Queen of Tejano,” Selena died on March 31, 1995. She rocketed to fame in the ’90s as one of the first major female stars of the male-dominated genre, which she helped popularize on the Latin charts and the GRAMMY stage. Along with her brother, A.B. Quintanilla, who helped produce most of her music, she was known for hits like “Como La Flor,” “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” and “No Me Queda Más” as well as her posthumous crossover English hits like “Dreaming of You” and “I Could Fall in Love.”

“Selena was such a great role model and she broke so many barriers. She did so much great stuff for the Latino community, and gave all these little girls somebody to look up to,” she said at the time. “The movie, in that sense, can help in the same way, breaking down barriers in Hollywood [because] we’ve had so many problems getting good roles. For me it’s such a blessing. It’s an honor to be able to do this.”

Jennifer Lopez celebra el aniversario de 23 años de ‘Selena’ con video especial y desafío

Jennifer Lopez está celebrando el aniversario de 23 años de su exitosa película, Selena.

La artista de 50 años recurrió a las redes sociales para compartir un video de sí misma reflexionando sobre su tiempo en el set y la importancia de honrar el legado del fallecido Selena Quintanilla.

“Únete a mí hoy en #CelebratingSelena. ????✨ No puedo creer que hayan pasado 23 años desde que salió esta increíble película y 25 años desde su fallecimiento”, escribió López en las redes sociales. “Selena fue una gran inspiración para mí y tuve la suerte de ser elegida para interpretarla. Como artista, esta película realmente fue una experiencia que voy a recordar por el resto de mi vida. Por favor comparte tus recuerdos de Selena y la película conmigo a continuación.????❤️”.

El clip de 3 minutos comienza con una escena de la película biográfica, mientras López habla sobre su experiencia.

“Acabo de regresar al comienzo de la película en el primer día de rodaje y realmente trato de encontrar la esencia de quién era. Era una artista y cantaba desde que tenía nueve años, tal vez más joven, “J.Lo recuerda. “Aprender cómo cantaba, todos sus gestos, cómo bailaba, estudiar su cinta se volvió realmente importante”.

El resto del clip es un montaje de fotogramas de películas, escenas de Selena, entrevistas pasadas de López que hablan sobre Quintanilla y más.

Conocida como la “Reina del tejano”, Selena murió el 31 de marzo de 1995. Saltó a la fama en los años 90 como una de las primeras estrellas femeninas importantes del género dominado por los hombres, que ayudó a popularizar en las listas latinas y Etapa GRAMMY. Junto con su hermano, A.B. Quintanilla, que ayudó a producir la mayor parte de su música, era conocida por éxitos como “Como la flor”, “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” y “No me queda más”, así como por sus éxitos cruzados póstumos en inglés como “Dreaming of You” y “Podría enamorarme”.

“Selena fue un gran ejemplo a seguir y rompió muchas barreras. Hizo muchas cosas maravillosas para la comunidad latina y les dio a todas estas niñas algo a quien admirar”, dijo en ese momento. “La película, en ese sentido, puede ayudar de la misma manera, derribando barreras en Hollywood [porque] hemos tenido muchos problemas para conseguir buenos papeles. Para mí es una bendición. Es un honor poder hacer esto “.

Posponen los Billboard de la Música Latina por coronavirus

MIAMI (AP) — Los Premios Billboard de la Música Latina 2020 y la conferencia de líderes de la industria que los acompaña fueron postergados para ayudar a contener la pandemia del coronavirus, anunciaron el martes los organizadores.

La ceremonia de premios iba a realizarse el 23 de abril en el Centro de Eventos Mandalay Bay de Las Vegas concluyendo la semana del LatinFest+ (antes conocido como la Conferencia Billboard de la Música Latina).

Telemundo y Billboard dijeron que ambos eventos quedaban postergados debido a las recomendaciones de las autoridades de Nevada de limitar el tamaño de las reuniones públicas para prevenir y contener el COVID-19. No ofrecieron detalles sobre una nueva fecha.

Bad Bunny y Ozuna encabezan este año la lista de finalistas a los Premios Billboard con 14 menciones cada uno.

“La salud y seguridad de nuestros invitados, artistas, participantes y personal continúa siendo nuestra mayor prioridad”, expresaron Telemundo y Billboard en un comunicado conjunto. “Esperamos realizar la premiación y conferencia en un futuro cercano”.

Las peores películas de 2020 (hasta ahora)

Dolittle de Robert Downey Jr., el remake de The Grudge y otras películas que nos dejaron decepcionados.

No todo lo que brilla es oro y no todas las películas que llegan al cine son buenas, de hecho, en los que va de 2020 ya se han estrenado unas cuantas que no lograron alcanzar las expectativas del público y se convirtieron en fracasos de taquilla y decepciones enormes.

Nuevas películas se estrenan cada mes y cada fin de semana, tanto en el cine como en el streaming, y eso significa que hay mucho que ver y muy poco tiempo para que estés al pendiente de todo, algunas películas se te van a pasar (aunque después llegan a Netflix, HBO y Amazon, así que tampoco te estreses), así que tienes que ser selectivo y elegir solo películas que no te van a hacer perder tu tiempo.

Sabemos que el cine es un negocio, pero a veces parece que los estudios se meten el pie a propósito y que realmente no quieren nuestro dinero (¿o será que no se dan cuenta de que hicieron algo terrible?), presentan películas que te dejan deprimido de lo malas que son, y con ganas de volver en el tiempo para recuperar esas horas perdidas.

2020 ha sido un año horrible (incendios, virus mortales, caída de la bolsa, Trump y sus berrinches, etc…)

Estas son las peores películas que se han estrenado este año (y que no deberías ver aunque te paguen, a menos que tengas ganas de ver algo terrible para reírte un rato), y tenemos las calificaciones de expertos que lo comprueban:

The Grudge

Rotten Tomatoes: 20%

Esta prometía ser una de las grandes apuestas de terror del año, pero ni siquiera se acercó. La crítica dice que es “Aburrida y derivada, el reinicio Grudge desperdicia a un talentoso elenco y cineasta con sustos suavizados que pueden dejar a los espectadores con sus propios agravios”.

Dolittle

Rotten Tomatoes: 14%

Robert Downey Jr quería algo diferente para despedirse de Iron Man, esta no fue la mejor opción (aunque seguro se divirtió). “Dolittle puede ser suficiente para entretener a los espectadores muy jóvenes, pero se merecen algo mejor que la historia confusa y el humor rancio de esta adaptación”, dicen los críticos.

Like a Boss

Rotten Tomatoes: 19%

Salma Hayek claramente no tomó una buena decisión cuando decidió hacer esta comedia que no causa ni un poco de gracias. Los críticos dijeron que “Like a Boss supervisa una fusión de talentos cómicos poderosos, pero es probable que los resultados finales hagan que los miembros de la audiencia se sientan estafados de sus inversiones.”

The Turning

Rotten Tomatoes: 12%

Esto no le hizo justicia a la aterradora novela de Henry James (que también será adaptada para la segunda temporada de The Haunting of Hill House) y, a pesar de tener a tres grandes promesas del cine como protagonistas, todo fue un desastre. La crítica dice que es “Elegante pero confusa, esta adaptación equivocada de la novela clásica de Henry James enviará a los espectadores hambrientos de horror a recurrir al material original.”

The Rhythm Section

Rotten Tomatoes: 28%

A veces, ni el mejor trabajo de los actores logra salvar una película, pasó con esta. Los críticos dice que “Blake Lively ofrece un desempeño principal impresionante, pero The Rhythm Section avanza de forma muy predecible a través de una historia que podría haber usado algunos riffs más llamativos”.

Brahms: The Boy II

Rotten Tomatoes: 10%

Las secuelas no siempre son una buena idea y esta es la prueba. Los críticos dicen que “Es más probable que provoque aburrimiento que acelerar el pulso, Brahms: The Boy II da miedo principalmente por la forma en que socava la efectividad de su predecesora por encima del promedio”, y lo que es peor, no da ni un poco de miedo.

The Last Thing He Wanted

Rotten Tomatoes: 6%

No solo es la última cosa que él quería (como dice el título), los críticos dicen que la película de Netflix “también será lo último que la mayoría de los espectadores quieran”.

Este drama tenía todo para ser un hit, empezando por un gran cast formado por Ben Affleck, Anne Hathaway, Willem Dafoe y Toby Jones, y siguiendo con una historia adaptada de la novela de la gran Joan Didion, pero, al final, fue confusa, incoherente, aburrida y demasiado larga, y los críticos la destrozaron.