On today's edition of Midday at the Movies, two of our favorite film aficionados -- Washington Post film critic Ann Hornaday and Maryland Film Festival founder Jed Dietz -- join Tom for a discussion of the widening impact of the COVID-19pandemic on the entertainment industry.
Amid a steady stream of public health advisories warning people -- especially folks over 60 -- to avoid large, dense crowds and confined spaces to reduce their risk of infection -- a new survey shows many Americans have serious concerns about whether it's safe to attend public art performances or go to movie theaters. Growing numbers of public art & film events across the country -- including all Broadway plays in New York City and the huge South By Southwest Festival (SXSW)in Austin -- have been canceled or postponed in the face of the spreading virus. Late Wednesday, we learned that actor Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, have tested positive for the virus. On Thursday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an executive order prohibiting, until further notice, all social, community, religious, recreational, sporting or other events at which more than 250 people would gather.
But life goes on...and today the movie mavens also discuss a couple of interesting new films, including: The Burnt Orange Heresy, which stars the veteran Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger, a rock icon who was kind enough to speak with Ann about his role for her Post feature; and the latest rendition of Jane Austen's classic novelEmma.
