Showbiz Sandbox 154: Understanding Comic-Con’s Tribe Mentality

July 17, 2012

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Last weekend self-professed geeks made their annual pilgrimage to San Diego for Comic-Con. There’s no better person to speak with about the world’s largest pop-culture convention than Los Angeles Times writer Geoff Boucher. His Hero Complex blog has become a must-read for those attending “the Con” and he fills us in on all the big news coming out of this year’s show.

Boucher also had a professional and somewhat personal relationship with producer Richard Zanuck who unexpectedly passed away last week at the age of 77. The executive behind such films as “The Sound of Music” and the producer of movies like “Driving Miss Daisy”, Boucher provides a unique perspective on what Zanuck was really like.

Meanwhile in the world of television, the war over carriage fees has heated up once again. This time Viacom has pulled its 26 networks from DirecTV and AMC has yanked its programming from Dish.

We also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including Bruce Springsteen’s curfew, the exodus of judges from “American Idol” and why you should see the “The Dark Knight Rises” in Imax.

Hero Complex Comic-Con Coverage
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/tag/comic-con/

The Imax Difference, Blockbuster Size
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/movies/how-the-dark-knight-rises-makes-use-of-imax.html

How Do I Know If My IMAX Theatre Is Real 70mm IMAX or LieMAX (Digital IMAX)?
http://www.slashfilm.com/qa-imax-theatre-real-imax-liemax/

Richard Zanuck, Producer of Blockbusters, Dies at 77
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/business/media/richard-zanuck-producer-of-blockbusters-dies-at-77.html

Richard D. Zanuck: Six Movies That Changed The World
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-dick-zanuck-six-movies-that-changed-the-world-20120713,0,707744.story

‘Dark Shadows’: Tim Burton and Richard D. Zanuck Form A Family
http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2012/05/10/dark-shadows-tim-burton-and-richard-d-zanuck-form-a-family/

Charlie Sheen’s ‘Anger Management’ Suffers Another Sharp Ratings Drop
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/charlie-sheen-anger-management-ratings-drop-349073

Warner Bros.’ Barry Meyer Rejects Contract Extension
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/warner-bros-barry-meyer-jeff-bewkes-347277

Univision Tops English-Language Rivals in Demo
http://www.adweek.com/news/television/univision-tops-english-language-rivals-demo-141794

Is Kickstarter the #2 Graphic Novel Publisher?
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/book-news/comics/article/52925-is-kickstarter-the-2-graphic-novel-publisher-.html

Plug Pulled On Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney In London
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-bruce-springsteen-paul-mccartney-hyde-park-20120716,0,5376352.story

Steven Tyler Leaves ‘American Idol’
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/idol-worship/steven-tyler-leaves-american-idol-348649

Jennifer Lopez Says She’s Leaving ‘American Idol’
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/jennifer-lopez-says-shes-leaving-349026

Viacom and DirecTV Are Both Right, But DirecTV Is Righter
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2012/07/12/viacom-vs-directv-theyre-both-right-but-directv-is-righter/

The End of TV and the Death of the Cable Bundle
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/07/the-end-of-tv-and-the-death-of-the-cable-bundle/259753/#

Viacom Uses Fans As Hostages: Blocks Daily Show, Colbert Streams For Everyone To Spite DirecTV
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120712/03405119672/viacom-uses-fans-as-hostages-blocks-daily-show-colbert-streams-everyone-to-spite-directv.shtml

Dropped By Dish, AMC Pulls An Anti-Viacom: Offers Breaking Bad Premiere Free To Dish Subscribers
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120713/06503719688/dropped-dish-amc-pulls-anti-viacom-offers-breaking-bad-premiere-free-to-dish-subscribers.shtml

Diller Says Aereo Will Expand To Most Large U.S. Cities
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-07-12/diller-says-aereo-will-expand-to-most-large-u-s-cities.html

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