We decided to profile Mr. Reeves for the first performer profile. Why? We like his movies. After 35 years in the business, he continues to be relevant.
Author: Editor
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Berlin, Flesh and The Devil
While going around taking images of Berlin in stand still I remembered the 1959 film “The World, The Flesh, and The Devil”. A 1959 starring Harry Belafonte roaming an empty post apocalyptic New York City landscape. While the German Capital is not quite in that setting the urban atmosphere has an eerie feel. As if waiting for something to happen or not to happen. How long can this last? The “New Normal” is unreal.
The next Chat Cinema Podcast takes a turn. We dedicated this episode to profile an actor. Stay Tuned.
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You Don’t Matter! Shock!
The Coronavirus outbreak has knocked the world into a new uncertainty. An event that has become a universal reference point. Make no mistake, reality will be a different place once this over. The things we consider important. Values have shifted. The “All About Me Culture” suddenly feels petty. Who cares about a daily selfie? Curated threads laced with freebies, in the scheme of things, not relevant.
Attention!
Narcism got old fast. Get over yourself!
Even Kim Kardashian could not believe she was not the center of the world with her antics. No one bothered to tell her the human race is hurdling towards the brink of ending. The world is shutting down. Suddenly her reality show family gets knocked off the top headlines. How sad a person could not put aside their fame driven ego to perhaps focus on a greater issue.
Medical teams are on the front lines. Grocer stockers making sure shelves are full to keep society functioning. These people matter. A Kardashian leaking a tape from years ago reeks of “I need attention”. A tacky publicity stunt. The shocking part, it got coverage in media outlets and trended on Twitter. HUH! Calling photographers, alerting them to where and when you will enter and exit is so 2019. I am not event going to go into Madonna’s bathtub video. Just some advice: Seek Help!
What? It’s Not About ME!
The other phenomenas: Crying about an unfair world. Rules do not apply to me. Tell that to Corvid 19. “Corna Parties” became fashionable for a few days during the crisis. There were a few in my area park. Raising the middle finger to a pandemic. Because the virus is for old people. Anyone under 35 is exempt from the plague. “It doesn’t affect the young”. All about ME! ME! ME! Mother Nature has no favourites. She has forced us to reconsider everything we hold dear. Cuddling, coddling thin skinned handling has mercifully ended. For Gen Z’s and Millennials, mommy cannot kiss it to make it better. No amount of being plugged in social media whining will take society back to before Covid-19. Just Deal With! Planet Earth is a scary place that can devour all of us.
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Louboutin Speaks
France 24 interviews master of shoe designer Christian Louboutin. A new exhibition on his designs opened in Paris.
Black and Paper covers travel features. We were saddened by the cancellation the ITB a few weeks ago. The tourism industry affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.The impact lasting for many seasons to come.
The airline industry will not be the same. Today IATA announced airlines will lose a combined $252 billion this year, revised from an earlier estimate of $115 billion. As carriers ground fleets indefinitely, many will go bankrupt.
Parked 
Berlin’s BER 
Moth Balled
I wanted to see the damage for myself. Travelling to the BER Airport I photographed Moth Balled planes on the tarmac from EasyJet, Ryanair, and Lufthansa. The jobs lost, an industry crashing to the ground. I felt despair.
However, I think this should be a time of reflection for airlines. Many treat customers as a necessary inconvenience. Customer service and the travel experience have the feel of a cattle drive. Round Them Up! Let’s have optimism out of this crisis some positive changes occur in the future.
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Again, The Second Time
While the Coronavirus is a frightening I am not uncertain about the tactics being used. The media has a great story right out of the bestselling. A deadly virus that could wipe out the world. Panic filled shoppers stripping stores. It gets clicks. Ratings are up on all the New Channels.
Verified
My question is why are Western Governments so keen to adapt China Communist Party Methods for combating the virus. Beijing “supposedly” had great success fighting the Corvid 19. Who verifies this success? Not exactly the most transparent organization on the planet. And please consider this group mishandled the original outbreak. The World Health Organization? Not too assured by their “Kiss The Ring Dealings” with the CCP. Information concerning the virus was slap shot.
On our Global leaders. Trump is silly with an oversized self serving ego. His response to the Pandemic could be viewed comical if the consequences could not become tragic. Equally, the EU missed the curve, drove into the ditch. As Berlin prepares for lockdown, I think, How did it come to this? European State leader had a heads up in December. China ended the year suffering from another heath crisis that had the potential to break out. Macron, Merkel, and Johnson, sat on their hands. My German friends praise “Mother”. Had “Mother” closed the borders, or at least taken precautions in January we would not be preparing to go in Full Lockdown. Her cherished Schengen Freedom of Movement has brought Europe to a crippling halt.
I have Seen This Before
For me, this is the second outbreak, having lived through the early years of HIV coming over the LGTB Community. I witnessed lives lost in the madness. A lot of misinformation on transmissions. Who go it? Disappearances. Gay men quarantined in hospitals. Life was under sieged. This is worse, because it’s a bigger scale not because of the health hazard. AIDS was a death sentence in the 80”s and 90’s. Institutions marginalized gays. Whispering behind the back, common place discrimination. If a person looked too thin, he was thought to be positive. Life was not a Donna Summer song.
As governments continue to tie down whole societies, I begin to wonder how far this will go. Separate and divide is the key to defeating the new enemy. Keep in mind this strategy comes from the group who allowed the Coronavirus to gain a foothold. Don’t be fooled, politics, as it did in the 80’s, is playing a decisive role in health policy.
Memories
As the new virus has taken hold I remind those who think this will go away soon. Life will return to normal. My response, “HIV has been around for a generation.” Paranoia is the new normal, “Distancing”. The present state is the same, even copying movements and gestures. Walk on the side walk, interact with fellow walkers, in the current environment, people avoid eye contact. Everyone assumes Guilt first. I witnessed entire neighborhoods decimated by the so called “Gay Virus”. The new “Super Spreader” term comes from the AIDS Epidemic. In my college town there were rumors of spreaders in the gay scene who unknowingly infected their sexual partners Many young people died. These days bring back memories.
What will unfold in the future? Hope also came out of Pandora’s Box.
At the time I wrote this Angela Merkel had a Corvid 19 Test. Thankfully, it returned negative.
In these times when we are being asked to “Stay Inside” it is important to still have connect with colleagues. The Chat Cinema gang got together over Skype to have a conversation about films. Our stay home recommendations to watch until the crisis is over. Some surprises happened over the course of the 4 way digital meet up.
Bonus films we recommend.
Kristin-Breakfast at Tiffanys
Sofia-Working Girl
Steve-Crimes and Misdemeanors
Breck-Blazing Saddles
Please Stay In during this Crisis. The medical services have there hands full at this time. We wish everyone to be safe.
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How Did We Get Here?
Ineptness. Greed. Political Correctness. Self-Preservation. Denial. As the Coronavirus marches across the globe containment is the strategy. Slowing down an enemy that is dangerous, deadly, with no moral conscience. The world has its work cut out. Entering a crisis tunnel on one end, not sure how or when we will exit. Further, what happens when we get out of the tunnel. One thing for certain, the landscape will be different.
Fingers Crossed
Remembering Naomi Klein’s book The Shock Doctrine. I wondered what Draconian legislation would pass. As whole countries are in lockdown,afraid, and distracted. It would be easy. Yet, as each national government member seems to be hiding under a desk hoping the virus does not affect them. Some come out before the cameras with Deer in the Headlight Facial expressions trying to calm the masses with martial laws and curfews. Will this work? The “Keep the Fingers Crossed Strategy” is all they have left.
Clearly, the possible end of modern society triggers reflection. How did we get to this situation? Wuhan, a beaming metropolis representing the best of modern China had a problem in a market. Corvid 19 was born. A virus jumped from one species to another.
A Chernobyl Repeat
This is not the first hazard from the Middle Kingdom, the 2002 SARS crisis. Nothing learned since then. At the start of November 2019 during the first cases, the party threatened, then arrested Medical Whistleblowers. The second phase involved a massive cover up, denial. Communist officials Another viral epicenter emerged from the most populouscountry. By January the secret was out. The CCP’s “Chernobyl PR Strategy” fell apart.
The World Health Organization lavished praised China’s leaders. The UN body became willing propaganda tools. Adhanom’s gushing over Jinping’s handling of the crisis at times came across as abused partner acceptance. A combined health and political institution started sending pandering messages to the world with an all over the place narrative. Praise the leaders who allowed the raging fire to gain a foothold. Then allowed the fire to jump across to other houses. WHO heads went out the way not naming the virus after a region or a specific group. Admirable, but the press conference omitting a fact. Global Chinese Travelers became unknowing carriers, Patient Zeros, of a virus that eventually radiated to shutdown the world.
Profits First
How do you keep commercial access to world’s second largest economy, with a massive consumer market? Do not anger their masters. Prioritise profits and investments over the salvation of the human race. The reason airlines and countries did not cut off travel from China was simple. Cash! Leaders did not want to anger the CCP. Greed has a place at the table while responsibility looks through a cold window. Large investments need guarantees. A slight to thin skinned ranking officials would cause financial problems.. Country heads continually dismissed the growing health outbreak. Any chance to mitigate the situation got lost.
As the global lockdown continues, I wonder who will take the blame for this catastrophe. Populations are stunned, but once this wears off, many will demand answers, many uncomfortable. Changes will come whether the leaders want them or not.
Finally, the curious part of the live ongoing sci-fi drama. The rewriting of history has began. The CCP is hailing itself as a “saviors”. The party “overcame” the adversity it wrought by sheer power of its strength. A bit premature considering the history of pandemics. This is the same as an arsonist setting the barns on ablaze then hailing himself a hero for calling the fire department.
As the daily headlines continue to take surreal turns, we can only ponder the question. How did we get here in only 4 months?
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Here is Fashion in 2020
The Coronavirus has changed every business in ways we have yet to digest. Business models will crash. In fashion, retail brick and mortar stores have struggled competing against online sales. The end is near for many storied chains. The crash in consumer demand will put the last nail in the coffin. Habits will change, malls will seem like relics of a past civilisation.
The print magazine is on its last leg. Carrie Bradshaw reading Vogue over coffee in a New York cafe was the stuff of fashionistas dreams. Collectors get your plastic wrap ready. 2020 will usher in the last print issues for many titles. Because retail stores have closed for the outbreak. Buying toilet paper and pasta has taken precedent over the latest Spring Kors bag. Many brands will stop buying ads. Because of high overheads, publishing houses will struggle with new rounds of cost cuts.
Influencers face a balancing act. The travel influencer field has collapsed, like the industry. Anyone want to buy a plane ticket today? Freebies with cut, copy, and paste, stories will begin to feel trivia. Brands will now employ tighter messaging to engage consumers in the troubled times. Daily doses of wannabes aspirations will feel out of place. Who cares about a daily selfie. It maybe time to get real job. The new real influencers are medical workers.
In a quick update. I wanted to mention the factories producing clothing. They have completely shutdown in many parts of the world.