http://www.showbizsandbox.com Showbiz Sandbox is a podcast featuring industry professionals J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward and Michael Giltz’s humorous viewpoints, insightful analysis and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast features renowned industry guests, as well as phone calls and emails from listeners who voice their own opinions on the child’s play of the entertainment business. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:58:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 en hourly 1 Showbiz Sandbox is a podcast featuring industry professionals J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward and Michael Giltz’s humorous viewpoints, insightful analysis and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast features renowned industry guests, as well as phone calls and emails from listeners who voice their own opinions on the child’s play of the entertainment business. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz sperling@showbizsandbox.com sperling@showbizsandbox.com (J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz) 2009 The podcast that brings you all the dirt on the news making headlines around the entertainment world. Entertainment, Movies, Film, Television, TV, Music, Theater, Broadway http://www.showbizsandbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/showbiz-sandbox-podcast-artwork-with-photos.png http://www.showbizsandbox.com http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/08/showbiz-sandbox-44-and-the-six-oscars-go-to-hurt-locker/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/08/showbiz-sandbox-44-and-the-six-oscars-go-to-hurt-locker/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:14:21 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=715 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/08/showbiz-sandbox-44-and-the-six-oscars-go-to-hurt-locker/feed/ 0 "Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","Precious","The Colbert Report","The Daily Show","The Hurt Locker",Academy Awards,Cablevision,Christolph Waltz,Conan O'Brien,Disney,Hulu The ballots have been counted, the envelopes have been opened and the nominees have undoubtedly returned their ball gowns and tuxes. Finally, after all the news coverage and public speculation about who would this year's Oscars, The ballots have been counted, the envelopes have been opened and the nominees have undoubtedly returned their ball gowns and tuxes. Finally, after all the news coverage and public speculation about who would this year's Oscars, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences put us out of our misery on Sunday during their annual awards ceremony. The proceedings lasted more than three hours as usual and provided very few surprises. Katheryn Bigelow made history by being the first woman to win the Best Director Oscar for "The Hurt Locker", which won six awards in total including Best Screenplay and Best Picture. Jim Cameron's "Avatar" won three technical awards for art direction, cinematography and visual effects. One of the night's biggest surprises was when Geoffrey Fletcher walked off with the Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for "Precious", upsetting Jason Reitman's "Up In The Air". As we predicted on last week's episode, Jeff Bridges won Best Actor for "Crazy Heart", Sandra Bullock won Best Actress for "The Blind Side", Mo'Nique won Best Supporting Actress for "Precious" and Christolph Waltz won Best Supporting Actor for "Inglorious Basterds". Damien Bona, co-author of the book Inside Oscar (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345400534?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345400534)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0345400534), stops by to help us analyze this year's Oscar results. Believe it or not, there were a few other entertainment news stories this week besides the Oscars. In fact, the Oscars weren't even the only awards show. The Spirit Awards were handed out the day before the Academy Awards and "Precious" walked of with. . . well, just about every top prize. At movie theatres, Tim Burton's 3D adaptation of "Alice In Wonderland" opened to over $210 million worldwide, setting records for a March debut. Over in the world of television, Conan O'Brien may no longer have a talk show, but he does have a Twitter account. Maybe he can use it to promote his upcoming live stage tour. Viacom has pulled "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" off of Hulu (for now). Is the move just a negotiating tactic for Viacom to get an ownership stake in Hulu? Meanwhile Disney was getting into scuffles of its own. It pulled the entire ABC network off of Cablevision over a retransmission fee dispute with the cable operator. If you don't know what retransmission is all about, make sure to listen to this week's Inside Baseball segment to get caught up on a topic you are sure to hear more about in the months ahead. 'The Hurt Locker' Wins Big At Oscars http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/movies/awardsseason/08oscars.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/08/movies/awardsseason/08oscars.html) "Precious" Tops Spirit Awards http://www.indiewire.com/article/list_of_spirit_award_winners_in_progress/pem (http://www.indiewire.com/article/list_of_spirit_award_winners_in_progress/pem) Indie Spirits: "Precious" Sweeps, Izzard and LA Live Fizzle http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/06/indie_spirits.... (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/06/indie_spirits_precious_sweeps_izzard_and_la_live_fizzle/pem) Conan O'Brien Live Tour Confirmed http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/2010/03/05/conan-obrien-live-tour-confirmed/ (http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/2010/03/05/conan-obrien-live-tour-confirmed/) Conan Twitter Tracker: How Conan Met Sarah http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/03/conan-twitter-tracker.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2010/03/conan-twitter-tracker-how-conan-met-sarah.html) Joaquin Phoenix says he's ready to act; just looking for good script http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/2010/03/06/joaquin-phoenix-says-hell-come.... (http://showbiz411.blogs.thr.com/2010/03/06/joaquin-phoenix-says-hell-come-back-to-movies/) Viacom Pulls Daily Show/Colbert Report from Hulu J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:04:25 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/01/showbiz-sandbox-43-the-obligatory-oscar-predictions-episode/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/01/showbiz-sandbox-43-the-obligatory-oscar-predictions-episode/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:07:06 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=689 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/01/showbiz-sandbox-43-the-obligatory-oscar-predictions-episode/feed/ 0 After taking last week off we have to make up for some lost time during our latest episode.  This week the Oscar countdown begins as J. Sperling Reich, Michael Giltz, and Karen Woodward attempt to predict who will win some of the top prizes during this... After taking last week off we have to make up for some lost time during our latest episode.  This week the Oscar countdown begins as J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling), Michael Giltz (http://www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz), and Karen Woodward (http://www.twitter.com/karen_woodward) attempt to predict who will win some of the top prizes during this year's ceremony next Sunday evening.  Academy Awards experts Anne Thompson (http://www.twitter.com/akstanwyck) from indieWIRE's Thompson on Hollywood (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com) blog and eFilmCritic.com (http://www.efilmcritic.com)'s Erik Childress (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/author/author-255/) join in on the fun by letting us know what they think of our selections. Will it be "Avatar" or "Hurt Locker" for Best Picture?  Cameron or Bigelow for Best Director?  What about Best Actress?  Will Meryl Streep edge out Sandra Bullock?  Many of the categories we try to predict are truly toss-ups, however Anne and Erik (http://twitter.com/EriktheMovieman)'s  knowledgeable insights could be just what you need to win your Oscar pool. Meanwhile, there is other entertainment news to talk about, such as Jay Leno's return to late night television.  We whip through all the big showbiz headlines from the past two weeks in our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment, including Dustin Hoffman's foray into television, the Hollywood Stock Exchange's transition into a commodity's market and Kevin Smith's attempt to board a Southwest Airlines flight.  During Inside Baseball, Sperling updates us on Disney's feud with movie theatres over the release of "Alice In Wonderland".  We also discuss Wal-mart's purchase of Vudu, a video-on-demand Internet streaming company, and video rental kiosk giant Redbox agreeing to delay renting Warner Bros. until 28 days after their release on DVD. Could "The Hurt Locker" Be Disqualified From The Oscars Because of an Email http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/02/hurt-locker-oscar-email-boal.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2010/02/hurt-locker-oscar-email-boal.html) The Hurt Locker Sets Off Conflict http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/25/entertainment/la-et-hurt-locker26-2010feb26 (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/25/entertainment/la-et-hurt-locker26-2010feb26) Roger Ebert: The Essential Man http://www.esquire.com/features/roger-ebert-0310 (http://www.esquire.com/features/roger-ebert-0310) Jay Leno Returns To "The Tonight Show" http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/02/entertainment/la-et-leno-review2-2010mar02 (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/02/entertainment/la-et-leno-review2-2010mar02) Hollywood Stock Exchange Set To Launch http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/..... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3icac65f467d72bd94f06118d501c3984b) Hulu Turns to American Idol Creator to Produce New Online Show http://mashable.com/2009/12/16/if-i-can-dream/ (http://mashable.com/2009/12/16/if-i-can-dream/) William Shatner In Sh*t My Dad Says http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie935c.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie935cc06a4035022666f553e0936ab6a) Dustin Hoffman Set To Star In HBO Pilot "Luck" http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if65bfa.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if65bfa5c7af6f79a21c635563c192647) "Modern Family" Director Boards "Arthur" Remake http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3iff1c6b7ea.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3iff1c6b7ea787305ba827386a4be56b6c) Twitter Wars: Kevin Smith vs. Southwest Airlines http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/02/twitter-wars-kevin-smith.... (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/02/twitter-wars-kevin-smith-vs-southwest-airlines/36063/) TLC Not Renewing Miss America Pageant http://www.mediaweek. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:15:22 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:32:14 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=677 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/feed/ 0 "24","Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","Clash of the Titans","How To Train Your Dragon","Lost","Mission Impossible IV","Superman",Bob Iger,Christopher Nolan,Disney,iPad We only talk about "Avatar" for a couple of seconds in this week’s podcast, thank goodness. Instead, we focus on actors campaigning for their Oscars (and a few who aren’t). We also discuss what we call “the 3D movie brouhaha” which has made Jeffrey Ka... We only talk about "Avatar" for a couple of seconds in this week’s podcast, thank goodness. Instead, we focus on actors campaigning for their Oscars (and a few who aren’t). We also discuss what we call “the 3D movie brouhaha” which has made Jeffrey Katzenberg irate. In TV news, co-hosts Karen Woodward (http://www.karenwoodwardonline.com) and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/) are passionate about the Olympics and the absurdity of “Lost” (even recaps are confusing!) And, after 28 years, MTV is changing its logo to reflect that the channel is no longer just about “music television”. They may be about 10 years too late. Co-host J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) jumps into one of his favorite topics – new media – and reminds us that this guy named Steve Jobs sits on the board of Disney and is one of the top shareholders. No wonder Disney CEO Robert Igor called the underwhelming iPad “a really compelling device” that could be a game changer. We’ll hold off our thoughts on the new Apple product until we see if it really will change the way entertainment is distributed.  All the top entertainment news stories of the week are rehashed in our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment before we end with some Inside Baseball, and a heated debate over journalistic plagiarism. Programming Note: Sperling is on assignment next week, so we will not be recording a podcast. It’s a good time for you to download a few of our past episodes over on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=315942437) or the Zune Marketplace (http://social.zune.net/podcast/Showbiz-Sandbox/106b3ff8-0b50-4577-8e9d-777626418d31)! Oscar Diva Smackdown http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-08/oscars-diva-smackdown/ (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-08/oscars-diva-smackdown/) Alice Might Get Shorter Theatrical Run http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6c8a99.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6c8a99484479c6fe23ff6a8804817a27) http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/02/are-movie-theater.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/02/are-movie-theater-owners-playing-the-heavy-in-alice-in-wonderland-dvd-controversy.html) Katzenberg Angry Over Warner Bros Clash Of The Titans release http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/katzenberg-.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/katzenberg-.html) Next Spider-Man Movie to be in 3-D http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/10/arts/AP-US-Film-Spider-Man-4.html (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/10/arts/AP-US-Film-Spider-Man-4.html) Tom Cruise and Paramount Reunite For Fourth Mission http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie48d97.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie48d97158d5e5659bbcad877a67320a9?imw=Y) MTV's New Logo http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=142017 (http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=142017) “Lost” Recap http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2010/02/lost-season-6-answers-answered-ep-2.html (http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2010/02/lost-season-6-answers-answered-ep-2.html) Disney's Iger Takes a Big Swig of iPad KoolAid http://paidcontent.org/article/419-disneys-iger-takes-big-swig-of-ipad-kool-aid/ (http://paidcontent.org/article/419-disneys-iger-takes-big-swig-of-ipad-kool-aid/) HBO Gets Kathryn Bigelow For Pilot http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i2fac53d5f65010f7.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i2fac53d5f65010f7c12bdd0489f96600) 24 Headed To The Big Screen http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014913.html?categoryId=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014913.html?categoryId=13&cs=1) USA Posts Sharp Drops for White Collar, Psych http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/cable-tv/e3ie4.... (http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:02:47 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/08/showbiz-sandbox-41-live-nation-becomes-the-master-of-tickets/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/08/showbiz-sandbox-41-live-nation-becomes-the-master-of-tickets/#comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 06:47:00 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=665 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/08/showbiz-sandbox-41-live-nation-becomes-the-master-of-tickets/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Catfish","Daredevil","Stretch Armstrong","The Tillman Story",American Idol,Boxee,David Letterman,Howard Stern,Hulu,Jay Leno,Jeff Zucker We swear we’re trying not to talk so much about Avatar, and although this seemed like a good week to skip the Ava-chat (congrats “Dear John!”), alas, the news cycle had other ideas. - But wait! There was also some important television news! Namely, We swear we’re trying not to talk so much about Avatar, and although this seemed like a good week to skip the Ava-chat (congrats “Dear John!”), alas, the news cycle had other ideas. But wait! There was also some important television news! Namely, the Super Bowl, which drew an average of 106.5 million people, just edging out "MASH's" 106 million people in 1983. And football fans didn’t just watch the Saints win; they also watched the ads (which are sometimes the best part of the Super Bowl). This year’s favorite seems to be the Leno-Oprah-Letterman ad, but you be the judge. Where was Conan? Probably negotiating with Fox? It certainly seems like Rupert Murdoch plans on playing hardball with Team Coco (whenever he’s not unofficially greenlighting “Avatar 2”). A company that doesn’t appear to be negotiating is Hulu, or is it NBC? During a Congressional hearing last week to investigate Comcast’s proposed acquisition of NBC, a representative asked NBC Universal CEO Jeff Zucker, “What about Boxee?” Yeah Jeff, what about Boxee? Zucker claims the blocking of Hulu content on Boxee was a Hulu management decision. According to Zucker the Boxee social media software (which allowers viewers to watch streaming video on their TVs) was illegally taking Hulu’s content. However Boxee CEO Avner Ronan points out that Boxee is not taking it illegally. And Hulu CEO Jason Kilar wrote in a year-old blog post, “Our content providers requested that we turn off access to our content via the Boxee product, and we are respecting their wishes. “ He doesn’t specifically say NBC, but… we think he means NBC. So, Jeff, what about Boxee?! Finally, Joe Reinartz (http://www.pollstar.com/), the news editor at concert industry trade publication Pollstar, joins us to discuss the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation and what will mean for the future of the music business, concerts, and consumers. Rupert Murdoch Unofficially Greenlights "Avatar 2" http://www.movieline.com/2010/02/hollywood-ink-rupert-murdoch-unofficially.... (http://www.movieline.com/2010/02/hollywood-ink-rupert-murdoch-unofficially-greenlights-avatar-2.php) Avatar In The Amazon http://www.pri.org/arts-entertainment/movies/avatar-in-the-amazon1863.html (http://www.pri.org/arts-entertainment/movies/avatar-in-the-amazon1863.html) How is Avatar not an animated film? http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/2010/02/02/how-is-avatar-.... (http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/2010/02/02/how-is-avatar-not-an-animated-film.aspx) Apolitics And The War Film http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/weekinreview/07aoscott.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/weekinreview/07aoscott.html) Relativity/Rogue grabs 'Catfish' http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/02/04/sundance_watch.... (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/02/04/sundance_watch_relativity_rogue_grabs_catfish/) Weinsteins Finally Conclude Deal For Sundance Hit "The Tillman Story" http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/sundance/sundance-news/weinsteins-finally.... (http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/sundance/sundance-news/weinsteins-finally-conclude-deal-for-sundance-hit-the-tillman-story/5010485.article) More New Helmers Get Their Hollywood Shot http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/damn-yankees-daddys-home-more-new-helmers.... (http://www.deadline.com/hollywood/damn-yankees-daddys-home-more-new-helmers-get-their-hollywood-shot/) Super Bowl Viewership Sets Record http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014867.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014867.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Letterman/Leno Win Super Bowl Ad Wars http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/super-bowl-ad-watch-a-look-at.... (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/super-bowl-ad-watch-a-look-at-the-other-side-of-tonights-game/) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/08/business/media/08adco.html?hp=&adxnnl.... (http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:09:37 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/03/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-and-the-oscar-nominations-go-to/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/03/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-and-the-oscar-nominations-go-to/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 21:23:00 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=656 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/03/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-and-the-oscar-nominations-go-to/feed/ 0 "(500) Days Of Summer","Avatar","District 9","Inglorious Basterds","The Blind Side","Up In The Air","Up",Academy Awards,James Cameron,Kathryn Bigelow,Oscars Early Tuesday morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences handed out their nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards. This is the first year since 1943 (when Casablanca won) that the Academy is expanding the list of Best Picture nominees to ... Early Tuesday morning the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (http://www.oscars.org/) handed out their nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards. This is the first year since 1943 (when Casablanca won) that the Academy is expanding the list of Best Picture nominees to 10, up from the traditional five. The Academy's original goal in increasing the field of nominees was that more popular films would be nominated, rather than a handful of independent films few are familiar with. It's safe to say, they got their wish. Not only were predictable entries nominated, such as "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker", but so were a few surprises that included crowd favorites such as "The Blind Side" and "District 9". Even Pixar's "Up" was nominated, making it the second film to ever be nominated for an Oscar. Of course, this year even if the list of Best Picture nominees hadn't expanded, "Avatar", the biggest box office winner of all time, was a lock for one of the slots. If "Avatar" wins Best Picture it will be the first time in 12 years that a movie which wasn't nominated for Best Screenplay takes home the top prize. The last time that happened was when another James Cameron film won in 1997, "Titanic". You'd have to go all the way back to "The Sound of Music" to see such a win. Based on the complicated way votes will be counted for Best Picture, we could have a real surprise winner in the Best Picture category. In fact, a film that receives more second place votes may actually win. On the other hand, Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) believes the acting nominees were lazy and filled with the usual suspects. He was hoping the Academy would take a few chances in selecting some performances which hadn't been chosen by the Golden Globes or the SAG Awards. That happens to be the case for Jeremy Renner, who is nominated in the Best Actor category for his performance in "Hurt Locker". As well, despite a strong crop of animated releases this year, "Up" will probably take home the Best Animated Feature trophy. That film was also nominated for Best Original Score and Best Screenplay. We'll have to wait until March 7th when the Oscars are handed out to find out who all the winners are, but before then we plan on handicapping them with your help. Please email us (mailto:dirt@showbizsandbox.com) your thoughts on who might in each category. You can also leave us a voicemail (888-567-7263) or leave a comment on this post. Your emails, comments and voicemails will be included in a future episode. Nominees for the 82nd Academy Awards http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/nominees.html (http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/82/nominees.html) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 27:53 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:54:35 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=646 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Catfish","Jersey Shore","Lost","Transformers 3",Alison Willmore,Beyonce,David Wild,Geoff Boucher,grammys,Jay Leno,Kathryn Bigelow The highlights of this week’s entertainment news were the Grammys and Sundance. First though, there was “Avatar”, “Avatar”, and more “Avatar”. The 3D wunderkind was number one at the box office again and has sold roughly 56 million tickets in North Am... The highlights of this week’s entertainment news were the Grammys and Sundance. First though, there was “Avatar”, “Avatar”, and more “Avatar”. The 3D wunderkind was number one at the box office again and has sold roughly 56 million tickets in North America so far. “Titanic” sold roughly 128 million admissions in North America, so if “Avatar” did that, it would gross about $1.2 billion in the U.S alone. But there is more going on in the entertainment world besides “Avatar”. The music world gathered for the Grammys on Sunday, January 31. Geoff Boucher (http://twitter.com/latherocomplex) from the Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/) and David Wild (http://twitter.com/wildaboutmusic), one of the writers on the Grammy telecast, join us to discuss the hits (Pink’s performance), the misses (Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks) and what was going on backstage (Alice Cooper hangs with Smokey Robinson). The Grammys weren’t the only prizes handed out over the weekend. Sundance announced its festival winners and Alison Willmore (http://twitter.com/alisonwillmore), a senior editor at IFC.com (http://www.ifc.com), stops by to talk about her favorite festival films and a few she recommends skipping. (Pause for J. Sperling Reich to geek out asking Alison about all the movies she didn’t manage to see in Park City this year.) Meanwhile, Michael Giltz and Karen Woodward are still arguing over the Jay Leno - Conan O’Brien debacle. This week they have Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Leno to debate. Was Jay able to do some damage control, or will America turn off their TV’s when he returns to “The Tonight Show”? Lastly, in Inside Baseball news, indie film great Miramax has officially shut its doors. Or more accurately, Miramax had their doors shut for them by Disney. The film company, named after the parents of co-founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Miriam and Max, will live on as a shell of its former self as Disney searches for a buyer. The closing of Miramax makes those of us who were around when “Pulp Fiction” was released feel very, very old. Avatar Ticket Sales in US http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/movies/awardsseason/27record.html?8dpc (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/movies/awardsseason/27record.html?8dpc) Is This A Box Office Record with an *? http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-bigpicture30-2010jan.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-bigpicture30-2010jan30,0,7457451.story) Avatar Plot FAIL. http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/ (http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/) Breakdown of Avatar Costs http://graphjam.com/2010/01/19/funny-graphs-avatar-costs/ (http://graphjam.com/2010/01/19/funny-graphs-avatar-costs/) Kathryn Bigelow Is First Woman To Win DGA Award http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/feb/01/kathryn-bigelow-first-woman-dga-award (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/feb/01/kathryn-bigelow-first-woman-dga-award) IFC’s Sundance Coverage http://www.ifc.com/sundance/ (http://www.ifc.com/sundance/) Alison Willmore's Writing On IFC.com http://www.ifc.com/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=6 (http://www.ifc.com/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=6) "Winter's Bone", "Restrepo" Lead Sundance Award Winners http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance_10_awards_in_progress/ (http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance_10_awards_in_progress/) Best & Worst of Sundance: "Gasland", "Giftshop" Lead Critics Polls http://www.indiewire.com/article/best_worst_of_sundance_gift_shop_gasland_lead_critics_poll/ (http://www.indiewire.com/article/best_worst_of_sundance_gift_shop_gasland_lead_critics_poll/) Sundance Sales Pick Up http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014532.html (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014532.html) Karina Longworth’s Sundance Coverage http://www.voicefilm.com/search.php?tag=sundance&blog_id=175 (http://www.voicefilm.com/search.php?tag=sundance&blog_id=175) Not Even Oprah Can Keep America From Hating Jay J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:03:56 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:56:50 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=635 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/feed/ 0 "Avatar","The Tonight Show",Aerosmith,Angelina Jolie,Brad Pitt,Conan O'Brien,Jay Leno,MPAA,NBC,Quincy Jones,Roman Polanski,SAG Awards Co-host Karen Woodward puts a moratorium on any more talk of “Avatar”, James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic which continues to break box office records. So instead, we skip straight to Sundance, where the atmosphere has gone from recession (last year) to de... Co-host Karen Woodward (http://www.karenwoodwardonline.com) puts a moratorium on any more talk of “Avatar”, James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic which continues to break box office records. So instead, we skip straight to Sundance, where the atmosphere has gone from recession (last year) to depression (this year). J. Sperling Reich is in the snowy, cold ski town and fills us in on the movies everyone in Park City is buzzing about. If you can’t make it to Sundance this year, no worries, you’ll be able to catch a few of the festival’s selections on YouTube. Also in movie news, anti-smoking activists are claiming that Sigourney Weaver’s line “Where’s my damn cigarette” in “Avatar” should have earned the film an R rating. What set of rules is the MPAA going by when they come up with some of their absurd ratings? After a brief fly by of the SAG Awards, we head over to television land.  Things have calmed down in the Conan vs. Leno vs. NBC war, but Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and Karen must not have gotten the memo. They argue over who was wronged more by the whole debacle. Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien hosted his last “Tonight Show” on Friday.  During our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment we learn that the rumors of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s split are indeed, just rumors, however the rumors that Aerosmith might be replacing lead singer Steven Tyler seem to be true. Also, Quincy Jones will revisit “We Are The World” and Roman Polanski will have to revisit the United States if he wants to be sentenced for his rape conviction. During Inside Baseball, Michael and Karen lock horns once again over “transmedia storytelling.” Don’t know what it is? Listen to this episode and you’ll learn all about it! Chez Betty http://www.chezbetty.com (http://www.chezbetty.com) YouTube to Sundance: Independent Filmmakers Wanted http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/01/youtube-to-sundance-independent.html (http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/01/youtube-to-sundance-independent.html) Johnny Depp Sets Sail On Fourth Pirate Movie http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-pirates-4.html (http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-pirates-4.html) This Article Is Not Yet Rated http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/movies/24scott.html?hpw (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/movies/24scott.html?hpw) ‘Clash of Titans’ 3D Decision Coming Soon http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/01/clash-of-titans-in-3d-decision.... (http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/01/clash-of-titans-in-3d-decision-coming-soon.html) Conan Gets A big Sendoff http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/01/conan-gets-a-big.... (http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/01/conan-gets-a-big-sendoff-his-tonight-farewell-) Jay Leno's Point of View http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/leno-deconstructs.... (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/leno-deconstructs-his-own-predicament/?hp) Falling Late-Night Ad Prices Will Shape Conan's and Leno's Futures http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-fi-ct-latenight25.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-fi-ct-latenight25-2010jan25,0,879701.story) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Break-Up Rumors False http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/01/24/brad-pitt-and-angelina-jolie.... (http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/01/24/brad-pitt-and-angelina-jolie-break-up-rumors-false/) Joe Perry Says Aerosmith Is Auditioning New Lead Singer http://www.thewrap.com/article/joe-perry-says-aerosmith.... (http://www.thewrap.com/article/joe-perry-says-aerosmith-auditioning-lead-singers-13407) New Study: People Don’t Watch Commercials on DVRs http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/special-reports/digital-hot-list.... (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/special-reports/digital-hot-list/e3id3e0b71b5f1a6df4adcce747dc0ee4d4) 8-18 year Olds Consuming More Media than Ever http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6715693.html?nid=2286&rid.... (http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:06:51 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/18/showbiz-sandbox-38-gender-matters-in-hollywood/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/18/showbiz-sandbox-38-gender-matters-in-hollywood/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:13:36 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=623 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/18/showbiz-sandbox-38-gender-matters-in-hollywood/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Spider-Man 4","The Hurt Locker",Academy Awards,Ann Hornaday,Conan O'Brien,David Letterman,Dylan Stableford,Golden Globes,Guy Lodge,In Contention,IndieWire The New Year may have started off slow, but 2010 is heating up! “Avatar” is on track to top “Titanic” as the highest grossing film of all time, The Golden Globes were handed out on Sunday and of course the late night talk show war has really taken some... The New Year may have started off slow, but 2010 is heating up! “Avatar” is on track to top “Titanic” as the highest grossing film of all time, The Golden Globes were handed out on Sunday and of course the late night talk show war has really taken some interesting turns. Dylan Stableford (http://twitter.com/stableford) who writes The Wrap’s Media Alley (http://www.thewrap.com/column/media-alley) column joins us to talk about his post, “The Vilification of Leno: Loud, Nasty and Fleeting (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/vilification-jay-leno-does-it-matter-12930).” Will audiences warm up to Jay Leno again? Who was the bad guy in all this fracas? Leno, Conan O’Brien, or NBC? In movie news, director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire dropped out of “Spider-Man 4” and Sony now says it plans to reboot the franchise with a younger actor. Finally, though she didn’t win a Golden Globe, director Kathryn Bigelow is earning critical praise for her film “The Hurt Locker.” Academy Award nominations have yet to be announced, but she appears to have a lock on one, and may be the first woman to win the best director Oscar in the history of the awards show. Women in Hollywood and the film industry is a topic we discuss frequently here on Showbiz Sandbox thanks in part to Karen Woodward. Joining us to discuss the issue today is Matthew Hammett Knott a London-based writer and guest columnist at indieWIRE who wrote a post titled, “Is Kathryn Bigelow a Female Director? (http://www.indiewire.com/article/for_your_consideration_is_kathryn_bigelow_a_female_director/)” Picking up where Matthew left off is Guy Lodge, a freelance writer and screenwriter based in London, who is a contributor to the In Contention Blog, which covers the awards season. He wrote a post recently on In Contention titled “How Relevant is Kathryn Bigelow's Gender? (http://incontention.com/?p=20468)” Finally, we are joined by Ann Hornaday (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/staff/articles/ann+hornaday/), film critic for the Washington Post, whose article on women in film (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102300194.html?sid=ST2009102204685) we discussed a few weeks ago on Showbiz Sandbox. Let the debates begin. Spider-Man Gets A Reboot http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2010/01_10/011220.... (http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/press_releases/2010/01_10/01122010_spm4.html) It's Over! NBC To Pay Conan $30 Million http://www.thewrap.com/article/breaking-nbc-pay-conan-30m-13048 (http://www.thewrap.com/article/breaking-nbc-pay-conan-30m-13048) Tallying The NBC Damage http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-15/.... (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-01-15/tallying-the-nbc-damage/) The Vilification of Leno: Loud, Nasty and Fleeting http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/vilification-jay-leno-does-it-matter-12930 (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/vilification-jay-leno-does-it-matter-12930) Guess Who Said It? Late Night Edition http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/guess-who-said-it-late-night-edition/ (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/15/guess-who-said-it-late-night-edition/ ) Did TMZ gain glory or did they lose face by jumping gun before it was actually settled? http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ia62d19a7acb838db6035b952fde09415) Beyonce Performs for Gadaffi http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/beyonce-performing-gaddafi-photos-surface/ (http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/beyonce-performing-gaddafi-photos-surface/) Glee's Matthew Morrison Signs To Mercury Records http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/glee-s.... (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/glee-s-matthew-morrison-signs-to-mercury-records) For Your Consideration: Is Kathryn Bigelow A Female Director? http://www.indiewire. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:18:26 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/11/showbiz-sandbox-37-conan-and-lenos-late-shift-shrift/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/11/showbiz-sandbox-37-conan-and-lenos-late-shift-shrift/#comments Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:18:59 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=615 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/11/showbiz-sandbox-37-conan-and-lenos-late-shift-shrift/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Lost","X Factor",American Idol,Ben Silverman,CES,Conan O'Brien,David Colker,Fox News,Jay Leno,Jeffrey Gaspin,Los Angeles Times It's official: Simon Cowell will be leaving "American Idol" this season and NBC (finally!) admits that airing "The Jay Leno Show" in primetime five nights a week was a mistake. Cowell is headed off to start a new reality talent show, "X Factor", It's official: Simon Cowell will be leaving "American Idol" this season and NBC (finally!) admits that airing "The Jay Leno Show" in primetime five nights a week was a mistake. Cowell is headed off to start a new reality talent show, "X Factor", while Jay Leno is headed back to his old late night time slot, at least for a half-hour. But where will Conan O'Brien's tonight show end up? Right now NBC wants to push him back a half hour. In theaters, "Avatar" just will not go away. It stays firm at the top of the box office again this week. “Daybreakers” staring Ethan Hawke, also did well in its debut, but the Amy Adams vehicle “Leap Year” didn’t leap anywhere. Meanwhile, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) tries to sell us on 3D television and video rental service Netflix reaches an important agreement with Warner Bros. David Colker (http://www.twitter.com/davidcolker), a business reporter covering technology for the Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology) gives us the low down on CES, espcially all the 3D televisions announced at the show (which aren’t even available for sale yet). Do consumers even want 3D television? More importantly, how are we prepared to wear those funny 3D glasses at home? As for Netflix, Will Richmond (http://www.twitter.com/videonuze), president of Broadband Directions and editor of VideoNuze.com (http://www.videonuze.com/), helps us decipher their deal with Warner Bros. The agreement delays the studio's DVD releases to Netflix customers by 28 days while increasing the number of Warner films that are available for digital streaming. In addition, Warner Bros. will lower the per-disc price it charges Netflix to purchase DVDs. That alone could save Netflix millions. Richmond explains why the deal is a win for everyone: Netflix, Warner Brothers, and the consumer. Simon Cowell Leaving Idol http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/cowell-to-leave-idol/?hp (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/cowell-to-leave-idol/?hp) 'X Factor' Debut Could Mean A Simon Cowell-less 'American Idol' http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cowell11-2010jan11,0,2968814.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cowell11-2010jan11,0,2968814.story) NBC Kicks Jay Leno Out Of Prime Time http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013563.html?categoryid=1292&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013563.html?categoryid=1292&cs=1) NBC Greenlights Six Drama Pilots http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i936d3d2c48ddaeb1a2d9ead12d47b795 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i936d3d2c48ddaeb1a2d9ead12d47b795) First 3D Dedicated Networks Coming To TV http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10425553-93.html (http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10425553-93.html) DirecTV to Offer All 3D Satellite TV Channels To Home Viewers http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/01/panasonic-directv.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2010/01/panasonic-directv.html) Do Consumers Really Want 3D TV? http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/do-consumers-really-want-3d-tvs/ (http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/05/do-consumers-really-want-3d-tvs/) Ben Silverman's Electus Strikes Deal With Yahoo! http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if944e88734e00aa3e05308366dedea44 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3if944e88734e00aa3e05308366dedea44) Lost - Is TV Show A Franchise That Will Live On? http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013523.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&ref=bd_tv (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013523.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&ref=bd_tv) Avatar Gets Best Screenplay Nod From WGA http://movies.insidepulse.com/2010/01/12/writers-guild-awards-nominations/ (http://movies.insidepulse.com/2010/01/12/writers-guild-awards-nominations/) Roman Polanski Asks To Be Sentenced In Absentia http://latimesblogs.latimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:00:46 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/07/showbiz-sandbox-36-can-avatar-beat-titanic-heck-no/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/07/showbiz-sandbox-36-can-avatar-beat-titanic-heck-no/#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:31:24 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=606 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/07/showbiz-sandbox-36-can-avatar-beat-titanic-heck-no/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Grey's Anatomy","The Hurt Locker","Titanic",Bono,Disney,Flixter,Fox,James Bond,James Cameron,Jonathan Handel,Kathryn Bigelow “Avatar” continues its takeover of the box office, while “The Hurt Locker” appears to be taking over the awards season. James Cameron’s 3D labor of love entered the list of top 10 grossing films of all time and may be poised to become the highest gros... “Avatar” continues its takeover of the box office, while “The Hurt Locker” appears to be taking over the awards season. James Cameron’s 3D labor of love entered the list of top 10 grossing films of all time and may be poised to become the highest grossing movie ever, a title now held by another Cameron film, "Titanic". "Avatar" is now one of only five films to ever earn over a billion dollars world-wide. Now the prognostication begins about whether "Avatar" (and Cameron) will be nominated for an Academy Award? His ex-wife’s movie “The Hurt Locker” certainly seems to be headed that way. Director Kathryn Bigelow is earning raves for the film and she is being being heavily favored to be the first female to win a Best Director Oscar. Between Bigelow and Nancy Meyers (“It’s Complicated”), female directors, or at least the discussion of their recent success, is the topic du jour in Hollywood. Another favorite topic at the beginning a year is reflection and prediction. What were the top reviewed movies of the decade? Did you see any of them? What’s in store for us in the television world during 2010? What would U2's Bono do over the next ten years? Apparently, he'd police the Internet in hopes of catching intellectual property pirates. During Big Deal or Big Whoop we discuss Flixster's acqusition of Rotten Tomatoes and the potential director of the next James Bond film, among many other top entertainment headlines. Finally, entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel (http://digitalmedialaw.blogspot.com/) joins us for a little Inside Baseball discussion. He explains all the nitty gritty details of the squabble between Fox and TimeWarner cable squabble. Jonathan tells us why it happened and what it might mean for cable television (and television viewers) going forward. 'The Hurt Locker' Sweeps National Society of Film Critics Awards http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/01/national-society-of-film-critics-best-picture-the-hurt-locker-8195362847-entertainment-news.html (http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/01/national-society-of-film-critics-best-picture-the-hurt-locker-8195362847-entertainment-news.html) Top Women Director? Nancy Meyers http://www.the-numbers.com/people/directors/NMEYE.php (http://www.the-numbers.com/people/directors/NMEYE.php) 'Potter', 'Avatar' Spur Box Office Record In '09 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6021IX20100103?type=filmNews (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6021IX20100103?type=filmNews) Cinema Surpassed DVD Sales In 2009 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704789404574636531903626624.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704789404574636531903626624.html) Best Reviewed Movies of the Decade http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/01/02/best_reviewed_movies_of_the_decade_pans_labyrinth_man_on_wire/ (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/01/02/best_reviewed_movies_of_the_decade_pans_labyrinth_man_on_wire/) Library Of Congress Adds 25 To Registry http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013168.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118013168.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1) Bono's Ten For The Next Ten http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/opinion/03bono.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/opinion/03bono.html) Flixster Buys Rotten Tomatoes http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/04/flixter-to-acquire-rotten-tomatoes/ (http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/01/04/flixter-to-acquire-rotten-tomatoes/) Lenny Kravitz Says He Did Not Leak Michael Jackson Song http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/lenny-kravitz-says-he-did-not-leak-michael-jackson-video/ (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/lenny-kravitz-says-he-did-not-leak-michael-jackson-video/) Kim Raver Joins Grey's Anatomy Full Time http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ic3390a5158a31029014f3c1d1cc72acc (http://www.hollywoodreporter. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:07:38 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/28/showbiz-sandbox-35-women-in-hollywood-its-complicated/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/28/showbiz-sandbox-35-women-in-hollywood-its-complicated/#comments Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:44:02 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=587 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/28/showbiz-sandbox-35-women-in-hollywood-its-complicated/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Glee","It's Complicated","Jackass",Apple,Brittany Murphy,Charlie Sheen,DirecTV,Disney,Electronic Arts,Idina Menzel,Joe Flint You know it's a slow entertainment news week when J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward, and Michael Giltz wind up talking about their personal arrest records. However even during the holiday season we can find showbiz news to talk about, You know it's a slow entertainment news week when J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling), Karen Woodward (http://www.karenwoodwardonline.com), and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) wind up talking about their personal arrest records. However even during the holiday season we can find showbiz news to talk about, not to mention places to talk. Michael joins us from the boisterous Cranky Café where he was enjoying homemade mac and cheese (and free Wifi). America was sinning over the holidays, and by that we mean seeing movies on Christmas Day. Avatar set box office records with a $75 million North American gross and a $145 million international gross, but is it really a good movie? One movie that Karen and Michael agree is not at all good is "It’s Complicated", and yet it’s doing rather well at the box office – is that because women are so starved for a decent “women’s film” that they will see whatever is in theatres? Speaking of women's films, or lack thereof, Karen digs up a couple of interesting news pieces focusing on the lack of a strong female presence in Hollywood, both on screen and off. The end of a year always brings best of lists and future predictions, so we chose to focus on a Chicago Tribune blog focusing on the decade of television, and a Los Angeles Times article on what to expect from the world of big media during the next year. Get ready for a turbulent 2010! Finally, as actor Charlie Sheen gets arrested in Colorado for domestic abuse, rumors surface that Apple is busy putting together an online television subscription plan. Will such an offering change the way we watch TV? Avatar Grosses 145 Million As Fox International Sets Box Office Industry Record http://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/avatar-grosses-145m.... (http://www.screendaily.com/news/distribution/avatar-grosses-145m-as-fox-intl-sets-bo-industry-record/5009311.article) Times Critic On Hollywood, Women & Why Romantic Comedies Suck http://jezebel.com/5426065/fuck-them-times-critic-on-hollywood-women.... (http://jezebel.com/5426065/fuck-them-times-critic-on-hollywood-women--why-romantic-comedies-suck) Women & Film http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/.... (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102300194.html?sid=ST2009102204685) Women In The Seats But Not Behind The Camera http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/movies/13dargis.html?_r=3&ref=movies (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/13/movies/13dargis.html?_r=3&ref=movies) Get Ready For A Turbulent 2010 In Media http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-predictions28-2009dec28,0,2942337.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-predictions28-2009dec28,0,2942337.story) Thoughts on the Aughts: What made the Golden Age of TV glow? http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/12/tv-influences.... (http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2009/12/tv-influences-lost-veronica-mars-sopranos-deadwood.html) Get Ready For A Turbulent 2010 In Media http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-predictions28-2009dec28,0,2942337.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-predictions28-2009dec28,0,2942337.story) Brittany Murphy Was Warned About Husband Simon Monjack But Did Not Listen http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/12/26/2009-12-26_director_brittany_murphy.... (http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2009/12/26/2009-12-26_director_brittany_murphy_was_warned_about_husband_simon_monjack_but_did_not_list.html#ixzz0ay3PleUv) Family, Friends Remember Brittany Murphy At Funeral Service http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/family-friends-remember-brittany.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/12/family-friends-remember-brittany-murphy-at-funeral-service.htm) Singer Songwriter Vic Chestnut Has Died http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2009/12/vic_chesnutt_in_coma_1.html (http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2009/12/vic_chesnutt_in_coma_1. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:08:04 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/21/showbiz-sandbox-34-hollywoods-box-office-billions-set-new-record/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/21/showbiz-sandbox-34-hollywoods-box-office-billions-set-new-record/#comments Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:55:30 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=571 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/21/showbiz-sandbox-34-hollywoods-box-office-billions-set-new-record/feed/ 0 "Avatar","X Factor",American Idol,Amy Winehouse,Box Office,Brittany Murphy,Chris Brown,Daniel Frankel,Fox TV,Golden Globes,Hollywood.com,Nancy O'Dell We are joined this week by two of the film industry's top box office pundits, Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com and Daniel Frankel of TheWrap.com. They help us understand how the North American box office surpassed $10 billion in 2009 while releasin... We are joined this week by two of the film industry's top box office pundits, Paul Dergarabedian (http://ontherun.hollywood.com/) of Hollywood.com (http://www.thewrap.com) and Daniel Frankel (http://www.thewrap.com/users/daniel-frankel) of TheWrap.com (http://www.thewrap.com). They help us understand how the North American box office surpassed $10 billion in 2009 while releasing few films during an economic recession. Of course, we also touch on "Avatar's" opening weekend box office and the worldwide spin it's distributor claims makes the film a huge hit. But we promise this week’s episode won’t be entirely about Avatar! We also discuss the untimely death of actress Brittany Murphy and the rumor mongering it set off among online tabloids. The Golden Globe nominations were announced mid week. Were there any surprises? What about snubs? Which noms will carry over to the Oscars, and what can be done to get audiences to actually watch the Oscars? There's also a ton of television and music news, such as the rumor that Simon Cowell might leave "American Idol" (oh no!), the list of next year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees (ABBA!) and an old Rage Against The Machine song beating out this year's winner of "X Factor" on the U.K. singles charts during Christmas week (huh?!). We even have time for a little theater news. (That’s right, theater! With real live actors!). In fact, we get a proper briefing on audience participation at English holiday pantomimes, or pantos, and a lesson from singer Amy Winehouse in how not to behave at one. We finish with a special Inside Baseball Christmas card from our friends at Fox TV. And don't worry if you don't understand the studio's sentiment. It's an inside joke. 2009's Box Office Paradox: Fewer Movies, Record Revenues http://www.thewrap.com/article/domestic-bo-shatters-revenue-record-11626 (http://www.thewrap.com/article/domestic-bo-shatters-revenue-record-11626) Actress Brittany Murphy Dies at 32 http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/20/brittany-murphy-dies-cardiac-arrest/ (http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/20/brittany-murphy-dies-cardiac-arrest/) Brittany Murphy Dead; Drugs Among Rumored Causes http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2512557/brittany_murphy_dead.... (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2512557/brittany_murphy_dead_drugs_among_rumored.html?cat=40) Perez Tells Linday Lohan, Courtney Love To Learn From Murphy's Death http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/20/perez-hilton-lindsay-lohan.... (http://www.popeater.com/2009/12/20/perez-hilton-lindsay-lohan-brittany-murphy-twitter/) Golden Globe Nominations http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/ (http://www.goldenglobes.org/nominations/) New Movie Trailers Could Boost Oscar Ratings http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/awards.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/awards/news/e3ia0d444a2a4b3e35ac2de15bec376f641) Simon Cowell May Leave American Idol http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/the_end_of_idol.... (http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/the_end_of_idol_n8oVAtw5nD9N5qumfsrSmL) YouTube Video Leads To Contract http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8417789.stm?ls (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8417789.stm?ls) YouTube's Most Watched Videos Of 2009 http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2009/12/youtubes-most-watched-videos.... (http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2009/12/youtubes-most-watched-videos-of-2009-susan-boyle-battles-a-pitbull.html) Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees Announced http://www.billboard.com/#/news/stooges-genesis-abba-get-rock-hall-of-fame.... (http://www.billboard.com/#/news/stooges-genesis-abba-get-rock-hall-of-fame-1004053618.story) Amid The Many Bloated Musicals, Originality Sneaks In http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-mcnultyessay20.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-mcnultyessay20-2009dec20,0,3623076.story) Michael Jackson's Death Voted Top Entertainment News Story http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/14/showbiz-sandbox-33-avatar-is-a-100-hamburger/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/14/showbiz-sandbox-33-avatar-is-a-100-hamburger/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:15:02 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=556 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/14/showbiz-sandbox-33-avatar-is-a-100-hamburger/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Conveyor Belt of Love","Flight of the Conchords","It's Complicated","Jersey Shore","The Princess and the Frog",Academy Awards,Al Pacino,Billboard,Boston Society of Film Critics,Franklin Leonard,James Rocchi James Rocchi was one of the lucky entertainment journalists invited to the “Avatar” premiere and press junket in London and he joins us this week to tell us all about it. Rocchi also helps us dissect all those year-end "Top 10" critics lists, James Rocchi (http://rocchireport.com/) was one of the lucky entertainment journalists invited to the “Avatar” premiere and press junket in London and he joins us this week to tell us all about it. Rocchi (http://www.twitter.com/jamesrocchi) also helps us dissect all those year-end "Top 10" critics lists, not to mention one that rates the year's best unproduced screenplays. Who do you think will be on the red carpet at Oscar time? And the Best of 2009 lists extend into television and music territory as well. The Los Angeles Times rounded up the TV winners and losers for the season (and we compare them to our own predictions for this year's television series from Episode 22). Meanwhile, SoundScan released the best selling albums and artists of the decade. Guess how many of them were released before 2002? Listen to the podcast to find out. We sail through some of the week's top entertainment news headlines in our Big Deal/Big Whoop segment, including the possibility of a "Ghostbusters 3" sequel in the works. We close out the show with some seriously insider Inside Baseball: Daily Variety got a new editor, and the Finkelstein Group bought the Billboard (hey, maybe Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) can take over their website), The Hollywood Reporter, and a few other trade publications. Lachlin Murdoch, however, was not a part of the group purchasing Nielsen Business Media, as he opted to buy a 50% stake in an Australian Radio Station. What does this say about the future of print? "Avatar" Embargo Smashed http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/archives/2009/12/avatar_embargo.html (http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/archives/2009/12/avatar_embargo.html) Critics Group Awards Roundup: 'Avatar' and 'Hurt Locker' Win Accolades http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/13/critics-group-awards-roundup-avatar.... (http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/12/13/critics-group-awards-roundup-avatar-takes-ny-online-critics-top-honor-the-hurt-locker-rakes-in-accolades/) http://www.afi.com/ (http://www.afi.com/) Muppet Fur Flies Over Jim Henson Script http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/12/muppet-fur.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/12/muppet-fur-flies-over-jim-henson-script.html) The Black ist - Top 11 Unproduced Screenplays of 2009 http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/12/11/black-list-2009-screenplays/ (http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/12/11/black-list-2009-unproduced-screenplays/) New Paramount Division Will Think Small http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-paramount11-2009dec11,0,155266.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-paramount11-2009dec11,0,155266.story) Network TV Winners and Losers http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-winners-losers16.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-winners-losers16-2009nov16,0,1996196.story) MTV's 'Jersey Shore' Garners Critics Over The Use Of The Term 'Guido' http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mtv-show-jersey-shore-angers-italian.... (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/mtv-show-jersey-shore-angers-italian-american-groups/story?id=9292815) ABC Rolling Out 'Conveyor Belt Of Love' http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/12/abc-rolling-out-conveyor-belt-of-love.html (http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/12/abc-rolling-out-conveyor-belt-of-love.html) Billboard's Year End Lists http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-year-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009 (http://www.billboard.com/#/charts-year-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009) http://www.billboard.com/#/../../charts-year-end/the-billboard-200?year=2009 (http://www.billboard.com/#/../../charts-year-end/the-billboard-200?year=2009) Flight Of The Conchords Is Grounded http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/12/flight-of-the-conchords.... (http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/12/flight-of-the-conchords-is-grounded.html) Academy Screenings of "Invictus" and "Nine" Rained out http://goldderby.latimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/07/showbiz-sandbox-32-grammys-and-spirits-and-comcast-oh-my/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/07/showbiz-sandbox-32-grammys-and-spirits-and-comcast-oh-my/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 06:26:10 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=538 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/12/07/showbiz-sandbox-32-grammys-and-spirits-and-comcast-oh-my/feed/ 0 "The Blind Side","The Princess and the Frog","Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn","Twilight Saga: New Moon",ABC,Adam Lambert,Comcast,David Wild,Eugene Hernandez,IndieWire,Lala,NBC Universal Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild joins us this week to talk about the 52nd Annual Grammy nominations, a subject he knows a lot about since he's one of the writers on the awards show. If music isn't your thing than maybe independent film is. Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild (http://www.twitter.com/wildaboutmusic) joins us this week to talk about the 52nd Annual Grammy nominations, a subject he knows a lot about since he's one of the writers on the awards show. If music isn't your thing than maybe independent film is. Eugene Hernandez (http://www.twitter.com/eug), editor of indieWIRE (http://www.indiewire.com) drops by to discuss the Spirit Award nominees as well as the official selections of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. In other news, Sandra Bullock continues to impress moviegoing audiences in "The Blind Side" which knocked "Twilight Saga: New Moon" out of first place in the North American box office over the weekend. Speaking of "Twilight" who would you like to see direct the fourth installment of the franchise, "Breaking Dawn"? J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling), Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and Karen Woodward (http://www.twitter.com/kwoody3939) agree that it's probably not going to be Tim Burton, Peter Jackson or Quenten Tarantino as Moviefone suggests. But then stranger things have happened. Kind of like Apple buying Lala (http://www.lala.com). What could they possibly be planning to do with the struggling music social network?  Singer Adam Lambert's performance controversy gets moved back to Big Deal or Big Whoop this week where we also debate whether an Entourage movie and Alec Baldwin's acting future are worth our attention. Finally, we end with some Inside Baseball and review Comcast’s proposed purchase of NBC Universal. Should anti-trust regulators be concerned? Is this the beginning of the end or the beginning of the beginning? David Wild's Book: He Is . . . I Say: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Neil Diamond (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002ECEUT4?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002ECEUT4)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B002ECEUT4) Surprise! Few Surprises In Grammy Nominations http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/arts/music/04grammys.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/arts/music/04grammys.html) Spirit Awards: The Nominees http://www.indiewire.com/article/spirit_awards_the_nominees/ (http://www.indiewire.com/article/spirit_awards_the_nominees/) Fewer Films And A New Section For Sundance 2010: Competitions Lineup Announced http://www.indiewire.com/sundance_10_competitions_lineup_announced/ (http://www.indiewire.com/article/fewer_films_and_a_new_section_for_sundance_10_competitions_lineup_announced/) 5 Directors Who Could Tackle 'The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn' http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/12/02/directors-who-could-tackle.... (http://insidemovies.moviefone.com/2009/12/02/directors-who-could-tackle-the-twilight-saga-breaking-dawn/) Apple Buys Music Service Lala At A Fire Sale Price http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20091204/apple-in-talks-to-buy-lala/ (http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20091204/confirmed-apple-in-talks-to-buy-music-service-lala-com/) Apple Strikes Deal To Buy Music Startup Lala http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/technology/.... (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/technology/companies/05apple.html?_r=2&hpw) ABC Drops Lambert From Kimmel and New Year's Eve Slates http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/abc-drops-adam.... (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/abc-drops-adam-lambert-from-kimmel-and-new-year-s-eve-slates) FCC Complaint Is At Center of ABC and Adam Lambert's Woes http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/12/even-though-lambert-was.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/showtracker/2009/12/even-though-lambert-was-received-well-last-week-for-his-performances-on-the-early-show-and-the-ellen-degeneres-show-abc-has-o.html) Alec Baldwin Says He'll Quite Acting After '30 Rock' http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/01/alec.baldwin.quits/index.html (http://www.cnn. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:41:01 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=524 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/feed/ 0 "Avatar","FlashForward","The Blind Side","Twilight Saga: New Moon","Up In The Air",Adam Lambert,Eminem,George Clooney,James Cameron,Jason Reitman,Jay Leno,Lachlan Murdoch While we all still may be sluggish from all the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, the North American box office sure wasn't. It set a record for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as once again "The Blind Side" surprises everyone. While we all still may be sluggish from all the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, the North American box office sure wasn't. It set a record for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as once again "The Blind Side" surprises everyone. The Sandra Bullock m... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/23/showbiz-sandbox-30-modern-warfare-stuns-hollywood/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/23/showbiz-sandbox-30-modern-warfare-stuns-hollywood/#comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:08:57 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=513 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/23/showbiz-sandbox-30-modern-warfare-stuns-hollywood/feed/ 0 "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2","Lost","Soapdish","The Blind Side","Twilight: New Moon",Academy Awards,Adam Lambert,Ben Fritz,Disney,Documentaries,Hulu,Jessica Bendinger As predicted, the teen vampire romance “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” opened this week and earned record breaking box office. The second installment of the "Twilight" franchise made $140 million in North America, As predicted, the teen vampire romance “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” opened this week and earned record breaking box office. The second installment of the "Twilight" franchise made $140 million in North America, making it one of the largest openings in history. The film did manage to break the record for highest grossing midnight screening when it opened Friday morning. What might be more amazing is that the Sandra Bullock vehicle "The Blind Side" came in second with an impressive $34 million. Opening so strongly against a powerhouse tent pole like "Twilight" makes Bullock one of the more bankable stars in Hollywood these days. Of course, even "Twilight's" $258 million worldwide opening pales in comparison to what the new video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" raked in during its first five days in stores. Ben Fritz (http://www.twitter.com/benfritz) an entertainment business reporter for the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com) joins us to talk about the wild success of the video game. Actually, calling it a video game is almost an insult - it’s more like an interactive action movie, and one that made $550 million within five days of its November 19th launch. Fritz is a prolific journalist who this past week wrote tons of stories for the L.A. Times Company Town (http://www.latimes.com/companytown) column and blog. One such story was on the controversy over the Academy Awards’ Documentary short list. Specifically, everyone wants to know why all the documentaries people actually saw, like “Capitalism: A Love Story” and “The September Issue” were left out of the 19 films still in contention for Best Feature Documentary? Who picked the short list docs anyway? Meanwhile over in the land of television talk show host Oprah Winfrey has decided to end her successful daytime show after it's 25th season in 2011. year Maybe it could air on Oprah’s new network. After much prayer and thought, Winfrey is making the decision that she can make more money and build her brand better by launching her own cable network. The next season of “Oprah” will be her last and she will shift her focus to her new network OWN which will debut in 2011. Smart move? Who wins and who loses with Oprah's decision? Speaking of questionable moves, remember the 1991 movie “Soapdish”? Well, it’s coming to a theatre not near you. It’s headed to Broadway instead, where Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) believes it will probably meet a quick death before being relegated to high school musicals. As usual our popular segment Big Deal or Big Whoop stirs lots of debate on subjects ranging from the nutritional value of movie theatre popcorn to the entertainment value of Adam Lambert’s performance at the American Music Awards (speaking of high school musicals!). Finally, we finish off by discussing Disney's new chief Rich Ross during Inside Baseball. Ross has begun to put is own plans in place at the Mouse House, and he started by ending the remake of "Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea", which had already begun preproduction. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Video Game Gets Hollywood-Scale Launch http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-duty18-2009nov18,0,5238209.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-duty18-2009nov18,0,5238209.story) Oprah Winfrey Announces 2011 End To Her Show http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704888404574546331059957374.html?.... (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704888404574546331059957374.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLETopStories) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/ap_on_en_tv/us_winfrey_show_ending (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/ap_on_en_tv/us_winfrey_show_ending) The Oprah Effect: Winners and Losers http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/11/the-oprah-effect.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/11/the-oprah-effect-winners-and-losers.html) Frustration Over Oscars' Documentary Short List J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/16/showbiz-sandbox-29-camped-out-for-twilight-new-moon/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/16/showbiz-sandbox-29-camped-out-for-twilight-new-moon/#comments Tue, 17 Nov 2009 04:38:12 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=495 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/16/showbiz-sandbox-29-camped-out-for-twilight-new-moon/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs","Fantastic Mr. Fox","Gossip Girl","Twilight: New Moon",Adam Lambert,AO Scott,Claudia Eller,Disney,Fandango,Hollywood Reporter,James Cameron There was a debate over titling this week’s episode "The Profanity Podcast "due to some various disagreements and the name of a new sitcom. Intrigued? Read on. - Harry Medved from Fandango.com joins us briefly to talk about next week’s number one movie... There was a debate over titling this week’s episode "The Profanity Podcast "due to some various disagreements and the name of a new sitcom. Intrigued? Read on. Harry Medved (http://twitter.com/FandangoNews) from Fandango.com (http://www.fandango.com/movieblog/) joins us briefly to talk about next week’s number one movie at the box office, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” (Did we get the name right? Can’t we just call it “New Moon” or “Twilight 2”?) Yes, that’s right, we’re prognosticating next week’s number one movie in North America. Hey, when women of all ages are lining up just to catch a glimpse of Robert Pattinson and/or Taylor Lautner at the premiere, you know you might have a hit on your hands. Speaking of hits, is Twentieth Century Fox taking a huge risk by bankrolling a film based on an unfamiliar story with no Hollywood superstars and a budget approaching $500 million? We’re talking about “Avatar,” and particularly Michael Cieply's article in the New York Times’ on the film directed by James Cameron. (So, is Cameron himself not a superstar?) John Horn and Claudia Eller from the Los Angeles Times write that the movie's price tag continues to climbe and that its global marketing campaign could cost as much as $150 million, "Avatar" won't have to do "Titanic" business to make money, but it will have to fill auditoriums around the world for weeks to become profitable. A genre that has proven to be very profitable is animation and family films. But how many of these are really suitable for kids? AO Scott from the New York Times points out that some of the best films are too scary for adults but kids enjoy them just fine. Maybe parents will change their mind if one of these scary animated films wins an Oscar; there are 20 animated films in contention this year for Best Animated Feature. “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is one of the animated titles vying for an Academy Award. Sony is using the movie as a guinea pig for a new way to distribute entertainment directly to consumers. They’re offering the film online via Internet-TVs, the Play Station 3 and specially equipped Blu-Ray players a month before it is released on DVD. This has movie theatre owners steaming. But is this really an experiment in distribution, or just a way for Sony to sell more televisions, Blu-Ray playes and video game consoles? Speaking of television, Fox cancelled Joss Whedon’s “Dollhouse” and ABC canceled the sitcom “Hank” starring Kelsey Grammer. Bet that’s the last time Whedon does a show for Fox. Also meeting their demise are some of the employees at Al Gore’s Current TV. The network recently let 80 staffers go, as it shifts away from in-house production and towards out sourcing segments, which will be done via acquisitions, co-productions, and the use of outside studios. In music news, John Mayer’s new album “Battle Studies” was leaked online, followed by a battle of his own with a reporter for New York Magazine. Karen Woodward (http://www.industrynexus.com) and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) have their own battle over who was in the right – Mayer or the newbie journalist, Christianna Ablahad (http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2009/10/john_mayer_threatens_to_sodomi.html). We cruise through our favorite segment Big Deal or Big Whoop this week covering a wide range of topics; from a new sitcom based on a Twitter poster whose crude username we won't mention here to Omarosa of "The Apprentice" returning to reality television. Finally, we discuss yet another executive shift at Disney. Mark Zoradi the president of Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group and who had been with the studio for 29 years has been ousted. It looks like new studio head Rich Ross is bringing in his own team. 'New Moon' Fans Camping Out In Westwood http://community.livejournal.com/taytay_daily/114637.html (http://community.livejournal.com/taytay_daily/114637.html) For Avatar Budget Pops From The Screen http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/09/showbiz-sandbox-28-why-spider-man-is-hard-up-for-52-million/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/09/showbiz-sandbox-28-why-spider-man-is-hard-up-for-52-million/#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:38:03 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=484 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/09/showbiz-sandbox-28-why-spider-man-is-hard-up-for-52-million/feed/ 0 "A Christmas Carol","Gossip Girl","Precious","Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark","This Is It","V",Academy Awards,Alec Baldwin,Bono,FCC,John Horn,Los Angeles Times We don’t always talk about theater on the podcast, but Los Angeles Times staff writer John Horn wrote a story too good to resist. The Broadway debut of “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark” has found its greatest enemy is the budget. We don’t always talk about theater on the podcast, but Los Angeles Times staff writer John Horn (http://articles.latimes.com/writers/john-horn) wrote a story too good to resist. The Broadway debut of “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark” has found its greatest enemy is the budget. Horn joins us to talk about the story behind one of the most troubled productions in Broadway history and how he got the scoop (not to mention the musical's script, soundtrack and a video promo reel). But first, Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) eats another serving of crow this week, as the Michael Jackson rehearsal documentary "This Is It” held up respectably and indie-darling “Precious” grossed a stunning $1,800,000 on just 18 theaters over the weekend. "Precious" will no doubt be nominated for a few Oscars come awards season. Speaking of the Academy Awards, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin are teaming up to host next year's Oscar telecast. Karen Woodward (http://www.industrynexus.com) though the decision to go with Martin and Baldwin was dated and hopes they don't hijack the show. On the other hand, Michael and J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) thought it was a good choice. In more frivolous news, Nicolas Cage is suing his former money manager, Samuel J. Levin, for $20 million in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming he enriched himself while “sending Cage down a path toward financial ruin.” Granted, this is probably not a frivolous topic for Mr. Cage, although he was not exactly careful with his money, Sperling (who once worked as an executive at Cage’s production company) explains. As much as his NDA will allow. Technology and reality reared their ugly heads this week and movie studios are wondering how to benefit. Is the MPAA betraying theater owners? Are day-and-date release windows a good idea? If you have no idea what that even means, listen to the podcast. Were you one of the 13.9 million people who tuned in to watch the series of premiere of “V”? Michael and Sperling were. Will you continue watching? Did ABC do the show a favor by rolling it out in stages by airing a handful of shows in November, and the rest of the season in January)? Maybe this belongs in a future Big Deal/Big Whoop. We cycle through the rest of this week’s top entertainment news stories in our popular Big Deal or Big Whoop segment, and end on a positive note: Oprah may leave daytime, but that’s only so she can take over the world. "Precious" Stuns With $100K Weekend Average http://www.indiewire.com/article/box_office_precious_stuns_with_100k.... (http://www.indiewire.com/article/box_office_precious_stuns_with_100k_weekend_average/pem) Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin Will Team As Hosts Of The Oscars http://theenvelope.latimes.com/la-et-oscarhosts..... (http://theenvelope.latimes.com/la-et-oscarhosts4-2009nov04,0,1066819.story) On Broadway, Spider-Man's Greatest Enemy Is The Budget http://www.latimes.com/la-et-spider-man..... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-spider-man6-2009nov06,0,3989809.story) http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/.... (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/spider-man-musical-announces-new-producers-star/) Nicolas Cage Compulsive Spender http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-11-03/nicolas-cage.... (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-11-03/nicolas-cage-compulsive-spender/) The MPAA's Motive In Upsetting Exhibitors Over Release Windows http://celluloidjunkie.com/2009/11/09/the-mpaas-motive.... (http://celluloidjunkie.com/2009/11/09/the-mpaas-motive-in-upsetting-exhibitors-over-release-windows/) http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/archives/2009/11/what_does_the_m.html (http://www.mcnblogs.com/thehotblog/archives/2009/11/what_does_the_m.html) V Debuts With Massive Ratings http://scifiwire.com/2009/11/v-debuts-with-massive-rat.php (http://scifiwire.com/2009/11/v-debuts-with-massive-rat.php) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/03/showbiz-sandbox-27-thats-it-for-this-is-it-2/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/03/showbiz-sandbox-27-thats-it-for-this-is-it-2/#comments Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:28:03 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=481 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/03/showbiz-sandbox-27-thats-it-for-this-is-it-2/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Precious","This Is It",Anthony Hopkins,Disney,Hulu,January Jones,Jeffrey Katzenberg,Keychest,Michael Jackson,Miramax,Nicolas Cage This week we begin with Michael Giltz and Karen Woodward disagreeing over “This Is It,” the Michael Jackson documentary/concert film/eulogy. Is the film recommendable? Not according to the box office numbers, This week we begin with Michael Giltz and Karen Woodward disagreeing over “This Is It,” the Michael Jackson documentary/concert film/eulogy. Is the film recommendable? Not according to the box office numbers, where the film brought in a disappointing $23 million. But since the film made $103 million worldwide J. Sperling Reich wanted to serve Michael some crow pie. If you don’t want to see “This Is It,” maybe you’ll see “Avatar”? The second trailer for the highly anticipated film was released this week, after the first one bombed. The new trailer looks like this movie is actually about something. How about “Precious”? Sperling and Michael disagree over whether this movie is a heart tugging Oscar winner or shallow drivel. Speaking of shallow, did Jeffrey Katzenberg really add anything new to the future of entertainment conversation in his recent Business Week interview? Seems more like a politician staying message then a mogul adding to the dialogue. But the folks at his old stomping grounds -- Disney -- may be adding to the debate by unveiling technology that will enable entertainment companies to adapt their business models to a new reality in which consumers increasingly rely on computers and cell phones in place of DVD players and TVs. But does anyone care? As usual there is a healthy debate in our little corner of the sandbox. One thing we do agree on is that anyone who DVRs a show and says he/she is still watching the commercials has to be lying. Who would watch the ads if they didn’t have to? Sperling for one: turns out that he uses the commercial time to multi-task. What will advertisers dream up for the rest of us who actually fast forward through brand messaging? We have some ideas. This week we also return to some old stories, such as Hulu (do they have a right to charge viewers?) and Letterman (is he a letch?); take a risk examining Scientology (thanks to filmmaker Paul Haggis); and ponder over why critics actually liked the latest Broadway revivalk of “Finian’s Rainbow.” Some of the stories we touch on in our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment include Anthony Hopkins starring in "Thor", U2's concert webcast getting 10 million streams on YouTube and Google coming up with a new way to search for music. During Inside Baseball, no we’re not talking the World Series, we’re talking the death of Miramax. What would Harvey do? 'This Is It' As His Personal Thriller http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-patterson3-2009nov03,0,5784621.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-patterson3-2009nov03,0,5784621.story) Avatar trailer #2 http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi531039513/ (http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi531039513/) The Audacity of Precious http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25precious-t.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/magazine/25precious-t.html) Katzenberg: A Front Row Seat At The Movies http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_45/b4154013688591.htm (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_45/b4154013688591.htm) Disney Touts A Way To Ditch The DVD http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703816204574485650026945222.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703816204574485650026945222.html) Once Again, DVR's Not Killing TV, But Helping It http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091101/2150456755.shtml (http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20091101/2150456755.shtml) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/business/media/02ratings.html?pagewanted=all (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/business/media/02ratings.html?pagewanted=all) Don't Touch That Dial http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_45/b4154030720509.htm (http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2009/10/pandora-hulu-what-happened-to-free.html) Hulu: What happened to free? http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2009/10/pandora-hulu-what-happened-to-free.html (http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2009/10/pandora-hulu-what-happened-to-free.html) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/26/showbiz-sandbox-26-hollywood-struggles-with-new-business-models/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/26/showbiz-sandbox-26-hollywood-struggles-with-new-business-models/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:30:06 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=452 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/26/showbiz-sandbox-26-hollywood-struggles-with-new-business-models/feed/ 0 "Glee","Melrose Place","Paranormal Activity","This Is It",Francis Ford Coppola,Hulu,Joss Whedon,Kanye West,Lil Wayne,Netflix,Paramount Pictures,Reed Hastings Freelance entertainment journalist Todd Gilchrist joins us this week to talk about movies, music, and journalism. (But he recused himself from discussing TV because he doesn’t watch a lot of it. [gasp!]) Fine. We’ll start with movies then. Freelance entertainment journalist Todd Gilchrist (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/author/author-8531/) joins us this week to talk about movies, music, and journalism. (But he recused himself from discussing TV because he doesn’t watch a lot of it. [gasp... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/19/showbiz-sandbox-episode-25-mr-television-grades-freshman-tv-shows-and-leno-flunks/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/19/showbiz-sandbox-episode-25-mr-television-grades-freshman-tv-shows-and-leno-flunks/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:44:10 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=442 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/19/showbiz-sandbox-episode-25-mr-television-grades-freshman-tv-shows-and-leno-flunks/feed/ 0 "Paranormal Activity","Where The Wild Things Are",Bob Iger,Dan Glickman,DVR,Jay Leno,Marc Berman,MediaWeek,MPAA,Nicolas Cage,The Programming Insider,Twitter Mr. Television himself is our guest this week, which means we talk a lot about TV. Marc Berman is the senior television editor at MediaWeek and creator/editor of The Programming Insider, a daily online bible focused on all things television that reache... Mr. Television himself is our guest this week, which means we talk a lot about TV. Marc Berman (http://marcberman.tv) is the senior television editor at MediaWeek (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/index.jsp) and creator/editor of The Programming Insider (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/community/programming-insider/newsletters/index.jsp), a daily online bible focused on all things television that reaches more than 50,000 readers per day. He even has a daily companion podcast to catch you up on all the latest television news. But first, “Where the Wild Things Are” and “Paranormal Activity” win box office kudos this week, earning the number 1 and number 3 spots, respectively (sandwiching “Law Abiding Citizen,” at number two, as if anyone cares). Motion Picture Association of America chief Dan Glickman will step down as Hollywood's top lobbyist next year. He claims that at the ripe old age of 65, it’s time for him to “move on back into the world of either academia, public service, or non profits….This is a very difficult job. From the outside world, this job has the perception of being very glamorous. People think Angelina Jolie goes home with me every night. It hasn't happened yet." Poor Dan. Maybe we know someone who knows someone who can work the Angelina thing out for him before he steps down next September.  Meanwhile, things are looking better for the home video business. The Digital Entertainment Group reported that rental revenue rose 9.9% in the third quarter. Digital distribution, which includes online downloads and streaming as well as cable video-on-demand, rose 18%, down slightly from 21% in the first six months. Things are not looking good however for Hollywood and social media. It seems that studios and networks are finally learning about this thing called the social networking. Apparently it’s this mass distribution tool that everyone uses to talk about movies and celebrities. And guess what? Word of mouth – like whether a movie is great or totally stinks – travels fast via Twitter and Facebook. But it’s not just the regular folk who are on Twitter. So are celebrities, and they’re getting themselves into trouble either arguing amongst themselves or revealing plot points from their TV series. Studios like Disney and Dreamworks are hoping to rein them in by adding specific "no-tweeting" clauses in their contracts. Marc Berman helps us review all the freshman television series that premiered this fall, giving grades to each of them based on their ratings and veiwership. Marc believes Jay Leno has killed NBC and fills us in on the importance of including DVR viewings in ratings. And someone might want to get Marc a barf bucket before we ask him about Jon and Kate Gosselin… Lastly, after our quick visit with Big Deal/Big Whoop news stories, we cover some Inside Baseball. This week, we mock. . . we mean discuss, Disney CEO Bob Iger who gave a keynote address at a business and entertainment conference sponsored by the USC Gould School of Law and the Beverly Hills Bar Association. Is a studio chief a creative leader or a brand manager? You decide. MPAA's Glickman To Exit Amid Grumbling He Never Did Fill Valenti's Shoes http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-glickman20-2009oct20,0,1921253.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-glickman20-2009oct20,0,1921253.story) http://www.politico.com/click/stories/0910/mpaa_chairman_to_step_down.html (http://www.politico.com/click/stories/0910/mpaa_chairman_to_step_down.html) Accelerating Rentals Prop Up Shrinking Home Entertainment Biz In Third Quarter http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/10/accelerating-rentals-prop-up-shrinking-home-entertainment-biz.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/10/accelerating-rentals-prop-up-shrinking-home-entertainment-biz.html) Movie Studios Open Their Ears to Online Buzz http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE59D5TK20091014? J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/16/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-are-bloggers-breaking-the-rules/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/16/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-are-bloggers-breaking-the-rules/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:20:27 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=436 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/16/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-are-bloggers-breaking-the-rules/feed/ 0 Anne Thompson,Bloggers,James Rocchi,Rocchi Report,Thompson On Hollywood When Anne Thompson posted a story on Thompson On Hollywood last week questioning whether entertainment bloggers follow journalistic rules she had no intention of opening a Pandora's box.  Nor did she mean to call out, or deride James Rocchi, When Anne Thompson (http://www.twitter.com/akstanwyck) posted a story on Thompson On Hollywood (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com) last week questioning whether entertainment bloggers follow journalistic rules she had no intention of opening a Pandora's box.  Nor did she mean to call out, or deride James Rocchi (http://www.rocchireport.com), a freelance entertainment writer and critic whose work appears on MSN and in Mother Jones magazine.  But, by suggesting that today's entertainment bloggers may not share the same journalistic ethics as their mainstream media counterparts, Anne highlighted an issue that few in the industry like to discuss. What happens when a studio or network pays for a journalist to travel to cover a film or show, especially when that trip is to an exotic location like Bora Bora?  Should the journalist disclose the means behind their coverage to readers, or are readers smart enough to figure it out on their own?  Does such activity influce the journalist's critical review? Based on the number of lengthy comments from well known journalists and industry influencers that appear on Anne's post, Full Disclosure: Bloggers Break Rules (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/10/07/bloggers_disclosure_rules/), it is safe to say that people have very strong and passionate opinions on thte topic.  That's why we asked Anne to join us along with James for a special episode of Showbiz Sandbox to talk about her post at length.  We discuss James' recent trip to Bora Bora to cover "Couple's Retreat" as well as the tradition of studios and networks to hold such lavish press events.  Freelance entertainment writer Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) firmly believes that participating in such trips comprimises any true journalist, whereas James (http://www.twitter.com/jamesrocchi) believes it is just a tool provided by the studio which assists him in completing the assignment he is paid for.  Coming from a background as a traditional journalist, Anne sees the issue living in a huge gray area.  Karen Woodward was so overwhelmed by the whole converation she hid behind her mute button. The debate that ensues is lively and at times quite heated (to put it mildly).  It's well worth listening to if only to learn what the Taco Bell Curve is all about and whether you should stop reading some of your favorite online media outlets. What are your own thoughts on the issue.? Please leave your comments below, email us or leave us a voicemail.  We'll read and listen to some of them on our next episode. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/12/showbiz-sandbox-episode-24-how-to-get-a-hero-complex/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/12/showbiz-sandbox-episode-24-how-to-get-a-hero-complex/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:04:41 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=425 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/12/showbiz-sandbox-episode-24-how-to-get-a-hero-complex/feed/ 0 "Couples Retreat","Fantastic Mr. Fox","Flash Forward","Pirates of the Caribbean","The Hobbit","Wes Anderson","Where The Wild Things Are","X-Men",Barbara Streisand,Geoff Boucher,Hero Complex,Jimmy Kimmel Our special guest this week is Geoff Boucher, full time entertainment writer for the Los Angeles Times and part time Wookiee. Geoff began the popular L.A. Times blog, Hero Complex, devoted to caped crusaders, zombies, wizards and all things superhero. Our special guest this week is Geoff Boucher (http://twitter.com/latherocomplex), full time entertainment writer for the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com) and part time Wookiee. Geoff began the popular L.A. Times blog, Hero Complex (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/), devoted to caped crusaders, zombies, wizards and all things superhero. With a tag line that reads "for your inner fanboy", Hero Complex has quietly become a huge hit and recently won the award for best online commentary among large websites from the Online News Association. Over the last week, Geoff wrote a series of posts on the blog that look at film franchises entering their fourth turn on the silver screen, including "Lord Of The Rings", "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Spider-Man", and "X-Men". (Check out the reader poll: 'The Hobbit' Will Triumph But 'X-Men' and 'Pirates' Franchises Should Quit Now (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/10/reader-poll-the-hobbit-will-triumph-but-xmen-and-pirates-should-quit-now.html)) Meanwhile, at this weekend's North American box office, moviegoers made "Couples Retreat" the number one film, followed by "Zombieland" and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs". The big surprise of the weekend was the little indie film "Paranormal Activity". Made for peanuts, the film is now raking in millions based solely off a social networking marketing campaign. That might be why Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and Karen Woodward (http://www.twitter.com/kwoody3939) are dying to see the movie. . . no pun intended. (See the movie, you'll get the joke).  In other movie news, the fur is flying at Fox (both the studio and its upcoming release "Fantastic Mr. Fox"). Writing about the film and its maker, Los Angeles Times writer Chris Lee notes, “To be clear, Wes Anderson did not set out to direct his new movie via email.” Does a filmmaker actually need to show up on set to get a director credit? Clearly that’s debatable. A little less unbelievable is director Mike Nichols being tapped by the American Film Institute to receive the AFI Life Achievement Award. Nor is the news that Roman Polanski is feeling “tired and depressed” in jail according to his lawyer. Swiss officials have said they believe there is a very high risk of Polanski fleeing if he is released on bail. Really?! What would ever give you that idea? Over in the land of TV, ABC has picked up "Flash Forward", "The Middle", "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town", proving that Karen and Michael are going strong in the “Hiatus or Back 9 (http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/28/showbiz-sandbox-22-the-trouble-with-indie-films-roman-polanski-and-hollywood-guilds/)” challenge.  New DVR numbers show "Flash Forward" has picked up two million viewers including later playback. Raise your hand if you know what “Live + 7” is. (Hint: It’s the ratings for the number people who watched a show both when it aired and on DVR within a week of its original broadcast). In music news, Barbara Streisand's new album, "Love Is The Answer", tops the music charts both in the U.S. and U.K. Stop rolling your eyes. Yes, we don’t care that much about Babs either. Except she’s auctioning off some of her personal belongings on Saturday. See ya there. Nor do we care that much about the late Michael Jackson's posthumous song release, "This Is It". If you want to know what we do care about, we finish off with “Big Deal or Big Whoop”, our new weekly segment where we assess the entertainment world's top headlines. Do we care? Do we not care? Should we care but don’t? Finally, stay tuned later this week for a special installment of Showbiz Sandbox which expands on this episode's Inside Baseball topic; should bloggers be allowed to break journalistic rules. Indiewire's Anne Thompson (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com) and entertainment journalist James Rocchi (http://rocchireport.com/) join our hosts to argue (and we do mean argue) both sides of the issue. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/05/showbiz-sandbox-23-letterman-and-polanski-go-to-the-dogs/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/05/showbiz-sandbox-23-letterman-and-polanski-go-to-the-dogs/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:39:34 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=414 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/05/showbiz-sandbox-23-letterman-and-polanski-go-to-the-dogs/feed/ 0 "Fantasty Island","Kate Plus 8","Zombieland",Adam Fogelson,Comcast,David Letterman,DJ AM,Donna Langley,Hulu,Jay Leno,Lady Gaga,Miramax We had a bunch of dogs as our guests this week, also known as Famous Men Doing Bad Things. - First we take a look a the North American box office. “Zombieland” won the top spot this week, beating out “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, We had a bunch of dogs as our guests this week, also known as Famous Men Doing Bad Things. First we take a look a the North American box office. “Zombieland” won the top spot this week, beating out “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” “Toy Story/Toy Story 2,” “The Invention of Lying” (which could perhaps be the title of this podcast) and “Surrogates” rounding out the top five. Now, on to our dogs. David Letterman played the victim when revealing an extortion attempt against him. Allegedly a producer from the television news show “48 Hours” attempted to blackmail him with proof that Letterman had carried on several affairs with female staffers over the years. Karen Woodward (http://www.industrynexus.com) and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) debate whether Letterman is guilty of sexual harassment or was just being stupid. Roman Polanski is our next dog. Should he serve more time in prison for committing statutory rape in 1977? For fleeing the country? Or does he get a free pass because he’s a talented filmmaker?  At least Polanski’s arrest has people watching the news again, because Jay Leno certainly isn’t. Data from Nielsen's top five markets - New York, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas - show that NBC stations all saw their 11 p.m. newscasts drop by double digits during the first week of the 2009-10 season. Do networks have an obligation to keep their affiliates happy? And if so, will they have to yank Leno off the air? In movie news, Universal Pictures has tapped its head of marketing, Adam Fogelson as its new chairman and Donna Langley has been promoted to co-chairman of the studio, effective immediately. This means former co-chairmen Marc Shmuger and David Linde are out. In Disney news, the Mouse House is revamping film operations, including slashing Miramax Films’ staff to 20, and reducing releases to three a year. In other words, Disney is killing Miramax. Can Bob and Harvey buy it back? Speaking of buying, how much would you pay for a digital book? An avid reader, Michael explains some of the latest technologies coming out of the book market, and makes some suggestions of his own. (Pass the Vook!) We’re introducing a new segment this week: Big Deal or Big Whoop, which is really an excuse for us to touch on all the entertainment news stories of the week. If we think the story is important, it’s a Big Deal, if we don’t care, it’s a Big Whoop. This week we talk about Jon and “Kate plus 8,” introduce Sperling to Lady Gaga, ponder MTV’s decision to air DJ AM’s final reality show, and wish we were on Mark Burnett’s new reality series “Fantasy Island.” (Can’t he do “Love Boat” too?) Finally, we end with some Inside Baseball, our time to chat about insider-y entertainment topics that perhaps no one else cares about. This week we discuss Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, which is in talks to buy the entertainment giant NBC Universal from General Electric. Is this a big deal? Could it be? Does this mean Hulu will start charging to watch television shows online? Tune in and find out. Letterman Reveals Extortion Attempt http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009463.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009463.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) David Letterman Comes Clean Without Telling All http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-letterman-critic3-2009oct03,0,2491746.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-letterman-critic3-2009oct03,0,2491746.story) Jay At 10, Bad News At 11 http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/jay-10-bad-news-11-8117 (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/jay-10-bad-news-11-8117) Defense Strategies Could Keep Polanski Out of Prison http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-polanski-legal1-2009oct01,0,1100452.story?track=rss (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-polanski-legal1-2009oct01,0,1100452.story?track=rss) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/28/showbiz-sandbox-22-the-trouble-with-indie-films-roman-polanski-and-hollywood-guilds/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/28/showbiz-sandbox-22-the-trouble-with-indie-films-roman-polanski-and-hollywood-guilds/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:59:35 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=404 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/28/showbiz-sandbox-22-the-trouble-with-indie-films-roman-polanski-and-hollywood-guilds/feed/ 4 "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs","Fame",AFTRA,Christine Vachon,DGA,Jonathan Handel,Killer Films,Roman Polanski,SAG,Ted Hope,This Is That,WGA When the Toronto Film Festival concluded last week only one of its official selections had been picked up for distribution. This touched off a string of articles and blog posts from the likes of Anne Thompson and Roger Ebert on the state of the indep... When the Toronto Film Festival concluded last week only one of its official selections had been picked up for distribution. This touched off a string of articles and blog posts from the likes of Anne Thompson (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/09/19/toronto_film_festival_winners_and_losers/) and Roger Ebert (http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/09/indie_alert_level_severe.html) on the state of the independent film industry. One of the more interesting blog posts came from indie producer Ted Hope (http://twitter.com/tedhope) who has produced over 60 films in a career which spans three decades. He joins us on this week's episode with independent film producer Christine Vachon (http://twitter.com/kvpi). Hope has worked with such filmmaker as Ang Lee, Michel Gondry, Hal Hartly, Todd Solondz, Ed Burns, Todd Field and Tamara Jenkins while producing films like "In The Bedroom", "The Ice Storm", "Eat Drink Man Woman", "The Brother's McMullen", "American Splendor", "21 Grams", "Happiness" and "The Savages". His production company This Is That (http://www.thisisthatwebsite.com/) has produced more than 17 films since it was founded in 2002. Vachon has also produced an astounding number of indie films, including Todd Haynes' "Poison" and "Far From Heaven", Larry Clark's "Kids", John Cameron Mitchell's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", Todd Solondz's "Storytelling" and Kimberly Pierce's "Boys Don't Cry". Along with Pamela Koffler, Vachon has been running the production company Killer Films (http://www.killerfilms.com/) for the 14 years.  She has written two books; Shooting to Kill (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380798549?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0380798549)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0380798549) and A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyond (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0879103485?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0879103485)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0879103485). Recently she helped launch Massify.com (http://www.massify.com), a site which helps independent filmmakers collaborate on projects, organize their productions, share resources and knowledge. At this week's box office, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is still seeing sunny days, but Bruce Willis's "Surrogates" and the remake of "Fame" were disappointments. Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) saw all three, and he tells us what to see and what to skip (here's a hint. . . "Fame" is not going to live forever). The breaking news of the week was the arrest of director Roman Polanski for his 30-year-old child rape conviction. Much to everyone's surprise, including Polanski's, he was arrested when he arrived in Switzerland to accept an award at the Zurich Film Festival. After 30 years, why was he arrested now? We already know what’s happening with some of the new fall TV shows – they’re being cancelled. Or at least one is – the CW’s “The Beautiful Life.” So we decided to play the game “Hiatus or Back 9”. Or, to put it bluntly; which shows will be cancelled, and what shows won’t (at least not yet)? It may be a moot point if the Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA, the Director's Guild and the Writers Guild strike in 2011. Entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel (http://digitalmedialaw.blogspot.com/) of TroyGould (http://www.troygould.com) joins us to explain what the recent guild elections mean and whether their new leaders will help prevent work stoppages in Hollywood. 18 Actions Towards a Sustainable Truly Free Film Community http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/2009/09/18-actions-towards-sustainable-truly.html (http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/2009/09/18-actions-towards-sustainable-truly.html) After Several Tries, U.S. Officials Finally Nab Roman Polanski In 1970s Rape Case J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/21/showbiz-sandbox-21-name-dropping-at-the-emmys-and-toronto/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/21/showbiz-sandbox-21-name-dropping-at-the-emmys-and-toronto/#comments Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:02:57 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=397 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/21/showbiz-sandbox-21-name-dropping-at-the-emmys-and-toronto/feed/ 0 "30 Rock","Capitalism: A Love Story","Mad Men","Precious","The Informant",Brill Bundy,David Poland,Dick Cook,Disney,Emmys,Jay Leno,Kanye West Three very special guests join us on this episode to discuss the Emmy Awards and the Toronto International Film Festival, including Brill Bundy from Zap2it.com, Noel Murray from the Onion's AV Club and David Poland from The Hot Blog and Movie City News. Three very special guests join us on this episode to discuss the Emmy Awards and the Toronto International Film Festival, including Brill Bundy (http://twitter.com/Zap2itBrill) from Zap2it.com (http://www.zap2it.com), Noel Murray (http://twitter.com/noelmu) from the Onion's AV Club (http://www.avclub.com/) and David Poland (http://twitter.com/davidpoland) from The Hot Blog (http://www.thehotblog.com/) and Movie City News (http://www.moviecietynews.com). Before we get into either of those hot topics Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) duke it out over 3D movies while discussing this week's North American box office topper, "Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs". Karen Woodward (http://www.industrynexus.com) still isn't convinced to see animated content, whether it's 3D or not. Brill wasn't all that suprised by any of the Emmy Awards handed out on Sunday, except for maybe Jon Cryer's trophy for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Like last year, Both "Mad Men" and "30 Rock" repeated their wins for Best Drama and Best Comedy. In the end, it was host Neil Patrick Harris who stole the show, if not an Emmy for himself, by winning rave reviews for keeping the awards program light and fast paced (even at three hours). Jay Leno began his new primetime talk show last week with enormous ratings, though Brill says it will take a few months, if not a year, before the show's success can be determined. Certainly, having Kanye West as a guest, fresh from his stage storming moment at MTV's Video Music Awards, was a major coup.     David and Noel drop by to chat about their experiences at this year's Toronto Film Festival, which Michael also attended. "Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire" took home the festival's top prize, much like it did at Sundance earlier in the year. (Is there a festival, this film isn't going to be invited to?) Noel, enjoyed the film but David and Michael think it's overrated. Speaking of overrated, that seems to be the general consensus regarding Michael Moore's latest documentary, "Capitalism: A Love Story". And, while not the concert film Noel had been hoping for "The White Stripes Under Great White Northern Lights" seemed to please everyone, as did Steven Soderbergh's "The Informant". Hopefully next year the festival won't front load the first few days with all the big films so David, Michael and Noel can see even more great movies. Back in Los Angeles, Walt Disney Studios surprised the industry on Friday by announcing topper Dick Cook would be resigning after 38 years with the company, effective immediately (read: fired). Cook was a much beloved executive and responsible for such hits as the "Pirates of the Carribean" franchise. It is believed he clashed with Disney CEO Robert Iger which led to his departure. "Mad Men" and "30 Rock" Repeat At Emmys http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/arts/television/21emmy.html?_r=1&hp (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/21/arts/television/21emmy.html?_r=1&hp) Zap2it's Emmy Coverage http://www.zap2it.com/tv/emmys/zap-emmys,0,6586641.htmlstory (http://www.zap2it.com/tv/emmys/zap-emmys,0,6586641.htmlstory) Jay Leno Bow brings in 17.7 million http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118008651.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=4749 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118008651.html?categoryid=14&cs=1&nid=4749) Jay Leno Week 1 Ratings As Good As Could've Reasonably Been Expected http://bit.ly/3N3Cx9 (http://bit.ly/3N3Cx9) Jay Leno Brings EVs Into America's Living Rooms http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/leno_green_car_challenge/ (http://www.wired.com/autopia/2009/09/leno_green_car_challenge/) The Ten Biggest Buzz Films At The Toronto Film Festival http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2009/09/03/f-toronto-film-fest-buzz-films.html (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/film/story/2009/09/03/f-toronto-film-fest-buzz-films.html) Toronto: Winners, Losers, Oscar Contenders http://blogs.indiewire. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/14/showbiz-sandbox-20-judging-ellen-degeneres-and-3d-tv/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/14/showbiz-sandbox-20-judging-ellen-degeneres-and-3d-tv/#comments Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:06:06 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=387 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/14/showbiz-sandbox-20-judging-ellen-degeneres-and-3d-tv/feed/ 0 3D,Academy Awards,American Idol,Army Archerd,Ellen DeGeneres,Gorden Willis,LACMA,Luaren Bacall,Meryl Streep,Roger Corman,Toronto Film Festival Getting everyone’s schedules in sync was a challenge this week given that all of our hosts were in different cities. It certainly didn’t help the audio quality either. Michael Giltz reports in from Toronto where he is covering the Toronto Film Festival. Getting everyone’s schedules in sync was a challenge this week given that all of our hosts were in different cities. It certainly didn’t help the audio quality either. Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) reports in from Toronto where he is covering the Toronto Film Festival. If you’re following Michael on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz.com) then you already know what movies he’s seen and what he thought of them (he loved “Up In The Air” and “A Serious Man” and wasn’t so keen on “Men Who Stare At Goats”). Michael tells us all about the Coen Brothers latest movie and the start of George Clooney’s run for another Oscar. On the other side of the world in J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) was in Amsterdam, Holland speaking at the International Broadcaster’s Convention. The big news from the trade show is all the buzz about 3D content in the home. Karen Woodward (http://www.industrynexus.com) and Michael agree, the world isn’t ready for 3D television. . . or is it? When he wasn’t wandering through the convention filled with billions of dollars of electronics equipment, he was standing aghast at the booth babes hired to stand in front of the latest and greatest high definition television cameras. Sperling thinks they probably should have hired Meryl Streep instead. After all, the Los Angeles Times agrees with Michael in reporting the actress, or at least her films, have had legs recently. Back in the United States, actress and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is taking over the 3rd judge slot on “American Idol” (as Michael says, Kara DioGuardi will always be “the 4th judge”) – and Karen and Michael vehemently disagree over whether this is a good thing or not. In movie news, Lauren Bacall, Roger Corman, and Gordon Willis will receive honorary Oscars in a ceremony to be held separate from the official Academy Awards ceremony. Sadly, Variety columnist Army Archerd passed away this week at the age of 87. His column ran in the industry trade paper for more than fifty years and he is remembered fondly by many. Finally, Ian Birnie, the curator for the film program at the Los Angeles County Museum’s endangered film program breaks his silence in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. Michael Giltz's Toronto Film Festival Coverage http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/toronto-film-fest-day-1-p_b_283085.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/toronto-film-fest-day-1-p_b_283085.html) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/toronto-film-fest-day-2-t_b_284256.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/toronto-film-fest-day-2-t_b_284256.html) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/toronto-film-fest-day-3-c_b_284743.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/toronto-film-fest-day-3-c_b_284743.html) Meryl Streep's Got Legs http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-et-streep12-2009sep12,0,3927715.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-et-streep12-2009sep12,0,3927715.story) Mike Darnell: Why Ellen DeGeneres Is Ideal For "Idol" http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/09/darnell-why-ellen-degeneres-is-ideal-for-idol.html (http://www.thrfeed.com/2009/09/darnell-why-ellen-degeneres-is-ideal-for-idol.html) Beatles Sell 235,000 CDs in two Days http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/09/beatles-cds-235000-in-2-days.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/09/beatles-cds-235000-in-2-days.html) Bacall, Corman, Willis To Get Honorary Oscars http://bit.ly/zx3VY (http://bit.ly/zx3VY) Maura Tierney drops out of 'Parenthood' http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i050aed23d9fdf6b33e004bad4fe3c0da (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i050aed23d9fdf6b33e004bad4fe3c0da) Variety's Army Archerd Dies At 87 http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118008272.html?categoryid=25&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118008272.html?categoryid=25&cs=1) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/07/showbiz-sandbox-19-the-beatles-get-mono-and-stereo/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/07/showbiz-sandbox-19-the-beatles-get-mono-and-stereo/#comments Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:09:08 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=377 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/07/showbiz-sandbox-19-the-beatles-get-mono-and-stereo/feed/ 0 All Songs Considered,Ben Stiller,Bob Boilen,Bud Schulberg,Jerry Stahl,New Line Cinema,Nick Cassavetes,PopSurfing,Sal Nunziato,Telluride Film Festival,The Beatles,Twitter The focus is on music this week, with guests Bob Bolien of NPR’s All Songs blog and Sal Nunziato, former independent record store owner, and now freelance writer and blogger. Bob and Sal talk about the new Beatles box sets, how they find new music, The focus is on music this week, with guests Bob Bolien (http://www.bobboilen.info) of NPR’s All Songs (http://www.npr.org/allsongs) blog and Sal Nunziato (http://burnwoodtonite.blogspot.com/), former independent record store owner, and now freelance writer and blogger. Bob and Sal talk about the new Beatles box sets, how they find new music, and how the music industry is changing. . . or not changing enough. Boilen can also be found on twitter at twitter.com/allsongs (http://www.twitter.com/allsongs). You can find Nunziato's writing on the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sal-nunziato) on a regular basis. In movie news, the Telluride Film Festival is under way. This festival is the charming little sister to the major film festivals and is where such films as “Slumdog Millionaire,” "Brokeback Mountain," and "Capote," first launched their extended Academy Award campaigns. Back in California, writer/director Nick Cassavetes is suing New Line Cinema (the studio that produced “The Notebook,” which Cassavetes helmed) claiming that the studio owes him money for writing a draft of a script that he was attached to direct. New Line had no comment… and that’s all we know, because trade paper Variety didn’t report anything other than a few basic facts. The Los Angeles Times' Patrick Goldstein wants to know what happened to in-depth reporting? Television viewers were heard loud and clear this week, and they said to keep new media off their television screens. Fox decided to overlay moderated Twitter posts on top of re-runs of “Glee” and “Fringe.” It what was probably pitched as “Pop Up Video for the Internet Generation!” The result was far from forward-thinking cool; the massive overlay ended up just annoying viewers. Whoops! Lastly, when we talked about Bud Schulberg on Episode 15 (http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/10/showbiz-sandbox-15-ferris-bueller-is-a-jerk/), we wondered what ever happened to Ben Stiller’s movie version of the writer's “What Makes Sammy Run?” Clearly we aren’t the only ones wondering since Stiller and screenwriter Jerry Stahl decided to do a mock-interview explaining the ups-and-downs of the on-again-off-again project. One last thing: Congratulations to our own Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/) with the debut of his PopSurfing (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=330449659) podcast. Check out his interview with Matthew Sweet (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=59646778&id=330449659). Sal Nunziato's New York Times Op-Ed Piece http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/opinion/05sachsnunziato.html?_r=1 (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/opinion/05sachsnunziato.html?_r=1) Sal Nunziato's Newsweek Feature Story http://www.newsweek.com/id/143754 (http://www.newsweek.com/id/143754) Telluride Film Festival Reveals Slate of Oscar Hopefuls http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-11-awards-campaign-2009/posts/telluride-film-festival-reveals-its-slate-full-of-oscar-hopefuls (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-11-awards-campaign-2009/posts/telluride-film-festival-reveals-its-slate-full-of-oscar-hopefuls) Paranormal Activity Spooks Telluride http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/09/paranormal-activity-spooks-telluride.html. (http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/09/paranormal-activity-spooks-telluride.html.) Nick Cassavetes Sues New Line: What's The Real BackStory http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/09/nick-cassavetes-sues-new-line-whats-the-real-back-story.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/09/nick-cassavetes-sues-new-line-whats-the-real-back-story.html) Fox's Twitter TV Experiment Tweets Its Way To Epic Failure http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/foxs-twitter-tv-overlays-tweet-their-way-epic-failure (http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/kit-eaton/technomix/foxs-twitter-tv-overlays-tweet-their-way-epic-failure) 'American Idol' Guest Judges So Far J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/03/showbiz-sandbox-18-its-all-fun-and-games-until-celebrities-start-dyin/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/03/showbiz-sandbox-18-its-all-fun-and-games-until-celebrities-start-dyin/#comments Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:12:41 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=370 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/03/showbiz-sandbox-18-its-all-fun-and-games-until-celebrities-start-dyin/feed/ 0 "Duplicity","Halloween II","The Blob",Adam Lambert,American Idol,Disney,DJ AM,Jay Leno,Kris Allen,LACMA,Marvel Comics,Megan Fox Landing at the top of the North American box office this weekend was “The Final Destination” with “Halloween 2,” directed by Rob Zombie, coming in third. Zombie may not be part of that Old White Male club of directors that the New York Times highlighte... Landing at the top of the North American box office this weekend was “The Final Destination” with “Halloween 2,” directed by Rob Zombie, coming in third. Zombie may not be part of that Old White Male club of directors that the New York Times highlighted this week, but apparently he can make a successful film. After reviving the "Halloween" franchise, Rob Zombie will continue to advance the horror porn genre with a remake of the 1958 classic, "The Blob." The biggest story of the week was Disney’s purchase of Marvel Comics. What will this mean for "Iron Man", "Spider-Man", the "X-Men", and "Fantastic Four"? Maybe we’ll find out when Disney continues its takeover of the world with their own version of Comic-Con; the D23 Expo in Anaheim. The four day event will celebrate -- and sell -- all things Disney with celebrity appearances and slick sneak previews of upcoming films, television shows and theme park attractions. Speaking of theme park attractions, Michael Jackson’s death was ruled a homicide. (Okay it only feels like it’s becoming a theme park attraction.) What will happen now? Maybe we’ll find out if we watch the new reality show on A&E featuring the Jackson family. You read that right; the cable network will air a reality series which documents the Jackson family and how they deal with the death of their most famous member. Says Executive Producer Jodi Gomes: "Everybody wants to do a show that's very genuine. They're not shy about talking about their brother, they just want to find it a way to do it honestly." If you’re looking to escape from Michael Jackson news, try “Duplicity,” now out on DVD. Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) thought it was one of the the best movies of the year so far, do you? Or are you more like Karen Woodward (http://www.industrynexus.com), who would rather watch a Jackson reality show over a Julia Roberts movie? Filed under “Is that really news?”, VH1 wants less unscripted shows about love relationships after a reality show participant on one of their shows, Ryan Jenkins, apparently killed himself after becoming the lead suspect in the murder of his ex-wife. There was plenty of geek love last Sunday when actress (and current Hollywood "It" girl) Megan Fox jumped onto Xbox Live to promote the release of the latest "Transformers" video game, which is based on the recent film she starred in. This was part of Microsoft’s ongoing “Game With Fame” promotion. More breaking news: Noel Gallagher decided to quit Oasis. We’ll report this again in two months after he's rejoined and requit the band for the umpteenth time. In music news you might actually care about, “American Idol” winner Kris Allen and runner up Adam Lambert will release their albums on the same day; November 17th. Let the stampede begin! Maybe Paula Abdul can convince them to perform on “VH1 Divas” which she is hosting on September 17th. Abdul won’t be guesting on “Ugly Betty” however, allegedly because she was too much of a diva to fly commercial. Kristen “Poor Man’s Paula Abdul” Johnston will take the role instead. Of course, no episode of Showbiz Sandbox is complete if we don’t talk about Jay Leno’s new show. (Hey did you hear that Jay Leno has his own show in primetime?) He announced the guests for his first: Tom Cruise (who will introduce a new segment called “10 at 10”, presumably while jumping off a couch), Robin Williams, Halle Berry, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, Kanye West, and Eric Clapton. And lastly, they listened! The Hollywood Foreign Press Association (which organizes the annual Golden Globe Awards) and Time Warner Cable, in association with Ovation TV, have each agreed to put up $75,000 toward the Los Angeles County Musuem of Art's film program, which had been scheduled to close in October. The funds are enough to keep the repratoiry program alive until next June. Disney To Buy Marvel comics http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/01/business/media/01disney.html?_r=1&hp (http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:36:52 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=329 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Dancing With The Stars","Dirty Dancing","Inglorious Basterds","Shutter Island","Yellow Submarine",Anne Thompson,IndieWire,Paramount Pictures,Radiohead,Redbox,Thom Yorke Anne Thompson of “Thompson On Hollywood” joins us again this week, with big news of her own: Her blog is now a part of the indieWire network, where she will shine the Hollywood light on outlet which has traditionally covered the indie scene. Anne Thompson of “Thompson On Hollywood” joins us again this week, with big news of her own: Her blog is now a part of the indieWire network, where she will shine the Hollywood light on outlet which has traditionally covered the indie scene. Thompson can now be read at http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood), and you can always follow her on twitter at twitter.com/akstanwyck (http://www.twitter.com/akstanwyck). Speaking of Twitter, is the social media platform responsible for the successful opening weekend of “Inglorious Basterds”? “Bruno” and “GI Joe” plummeted at the box office within their opening weekends, and box office watchers posit that social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have a lot to do with it. Bad news travels fast. Obviously so does good news – and the best news is that studios may have to start making – gasp – watchable movies! Friday, August 21st was Avatar Day, when fans could hustle over to their nearest IMAX theatre to watch 16 minutes of 3D footage from James Cameron’s “Avatar.” The web site on which people could reserve tickets crashed on the first day because demand was so high, but apparently many theaters were near empty. Could that have anything to do with the trailer being available online beforehand? Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz (http://www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz) saw both versions of the trailer and didn't think either were engaging. Paramount is pushing “Shutter Island,” the Leonardo DiCaprio movie directed by Martin Scorsese, to February. This may be a sign that the film isn’t Oscar worthy, or perhaps it’s not meant to be Oscar worthy. It's certainly ture that Paramount doesn’t have the budget to both market the movie's release and promote an Oscar campaign. Paramount seems to be doing a lot of dumping these days following the shuttering of Paramount Vantage. Of course when one of those movies is “The Goods” starring Jeremy Piven, it probably deserves to be dumped. Studios are clearly looking at the bottom line these days, as the recent hulabalu over Redbox demonstrates. TimeWarner chairman Jeff Bewkes compared Redbox to second-run movie theatres. According to Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times, by trying to keep their product away from Redbox for as long as possible, the studios are doing what all businesses do when threatened by dramatic change -- they're trying to hang on to their business model for as long as possible. Meanwhile, the Redbox antitrust suit against Universal was upheld… This is starting to sound like a movie that should star George Clooney. And we start our remake watch in this episode! Disney is in negotiations with Bob Zemeckis to direct a remake of the Beatles’ animated movie “Yellow Submarine,” Lionsgate is putting Baby back in the corner again (“Dirty Dancing”), and Bryan Singer is developing an “Excalibur” remake. Meanwhile in television is giving us plenty of reality shows, such as “Dancing with Stars,” which announced the line up for its ninth season, a list that included disgraced Congressman Tom Delay. In music news, Radiohead’s Thom York dissed the album format but that doesn’t mean free business models don't work…just ask, well, Radiohead and Thom York. Turns out they leaked their latest song on bittorrent. Someone who still believes in records is Willie Nelson, who is now following Giltz on Twitter. Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) thinks Nelson's new record "American Classic" is one of his best. And our Inside Baseball news this week focuses on the Hollywood Health Report. When this many deck chairs are about to be rearranged, folks in Hollywood start speculating which studios are on the rise and which might be in trouble. Anne Thompson helps us sort it all out. Twittering May Have Impact At The Box Office http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081904279.html?hpid=artsliving (http://www.washingtonpost. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/17/showbiz-sandbox-16-hollywood-thinks-outside-the-redbox/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/17/showbiz-sandbox-16-hollywood-thinks-outside-the-redbox/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:09:45 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=315 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/17/showbiz-sandbox-16-hollywood-thinks-outside-the-redbox/feed/ 0 "Battlestar Galactica","District 9","Inglorious Basterds","Saving Grace",Aaron Sorkin,David Poland,Jay Leno,LACMA,Martin Scorsese,Movie City News,Redbox,Weinstein Company David Poland of Movie City News joins us this week.  You might know Poland from his days at the Chicago Tribune, Entertainment Weekly or Roughcut, but he is most known as the columnist behind The Hot Button which has morphed into his blog, The Hot Blog. David Poland of Movie City News (http://www.moviecitynews.com) joins us this week.  You might know Poland from his days at the Chicago Tribune, Entertainment Weekly or Roughcut, but he is most known as the columnist behind The Hot Button which has morphed into his blog, The Hot Blog.  He can also be seen on DP30 (http://davidpoland.typepad.com/dp30/) or his new video podcast Super Movie Friends.  You can follow Poland on Twitter by visiting twitter.com/davidpoland (http://www.twitter.com/davidpoland). “District 9” topped the box office in North America over the weekend with $37 million, but will it have legs?  Warner Bros saved a New Line movie once again with “The Time Traveler’s Wife,” which had been sitting on the shelf since last year.  It made a respectable showing with $19.2 million. Some interesting/baffling/exciting movie news this week. Aaron Sorkin uh, is writing, uh, a draft of the Facebook movie, which, um, is a movie about social networking.  (Listen to the episode to, ah, get the joke).  And if you think that’s crazy, Warner Bros is putting together a movie based on the Legos toys, and Bryan Singer is directing a big screen version of “Battlestar Gallactica.” Will Starbuck still be dead? Does anyone care? Harvey and Bob Weinstein are hoping people will care about “Inglorious Basterds,” their Quentin Tarantino-directed, Brad Pitt-starring (well, sort of) WWII movie. The Weinstein Company is in serious need of a hit and some friends -- half the movie industry seems to be hoping the brothers’ new mini-major fails according to the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times. Speaking of failure, Fox Television Studios has pulled the plug on “Saving Grace,” the TNT drama starring Holly Hunter.  Why? Because it was too costly to produce and not making enough money in DVD sales. Which brings us to Redbox, those movie kiosks at grocery stores and fast food restaurants which are “proving the power of in-between technology.” Or are they screwing the studios by undervaluing their product? Poland believes studios start undervalued their product first with their greedy desire to get as much money as fast as possible by shortening the theatrical release window. Finally, if studios and the city of Los Angeles are supposed to be such lovers of film, why is the film program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art is being shuttered? Hey filmmakers, if you care enough to write a letter to LACMA, you can care enough to open your wallet.  (Yes, that means you Mr. Scorsese). In a special update this week, our co-host Michael Giltz has finally caved in and set up a Twitter account.  He can be found at at twitter.com/michaelgiltz (http://www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz). Humans Welcome ‘District 9’ http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2610&p=.htm (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2610&p=.htm) Warner Builds Pic with Lego http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007162.html?categoryId=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007162.html?categoryId=13&cs=1) Aaron Sorkin Talks Facebook Movie http://makingof.com/filming_now/media/the-social-network/aaron-sorkin-on-the-social-network/86/290 (http://makingof.com/filming_now/media/the-social-network/aaron-sorkin-on-the-social-network/86/290) Bryan Singer To Direct Battlestar Movie http://screencrave.com/2009-08-13/bryan-singer-battlestar/ (http://screencrave.com/2009-08-13/bryan-singer-battlestar/) Weinstein Co. Has A Lot Riding On Tarantino's Campy WWII Movie http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-weinstein15-2009aug15,0,4803745.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-weinstein15-2009aug15,0,4803745.story) Weinsteins Struggle To Regain Their Touch http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/business/media/16wein.html?scp=1&sq=weinstein%20company&st=cse (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/16/business/media/16wein.html?scp=1&sq=weinstein%20company&st=cse) Leno Books Seinfeld As First Guest http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118007287.html? J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/10/showbiz-sandbox-15-ferris-bueller-is-a-jerk/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/10/showbiz-sandbox-15-ferris-bueller-is-a-jerk/#comments Tue, 11 Aug 2009 01:36:22 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=307 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/10/showbiz-sandbox-15-ferris-bueller-is-a-jerk/feed/ 0 "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra","So You Think You Can Dance",American Idol,Bud Schulberg,Joe Morgenstern,John Hughes,Korbi Ghosh,Korbi TV,Paula Abdul,William Morris Agency Korbi Ghosh of Zap2it's Korbi TV blog joins us again to discuss Paula Adbul leaving “American Idol,” Jeanine Mason winning “So You Think You Can Dance,” and this past week's Television Critics Association press tour. Korbi Ghosh (http://www.twitter.com/korbigirl) of Zap2it's Korbi TV blog (http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/) joins us again to discuss Paula Adbul leaving “American Idol,” Jeanine Mason winning “So You Think You Can Dance,” and this past week's Television Critics Association press tour. But we begin with Box Office News:  “G.I Joe” won the weekend with over $56 million, although bad word of mouth will probably result in a steep drop by next weekend. Co-host Michael Giltz (http://michaelgiltz.com/) watched the movie in a packed theater and gives his review of both the movie and actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum. “G.I. Joe” was not screened for critics (never a good sign) but that didn’t stop Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal from reviewing it based on the trailer alone.  Morgenstern writes, “At first I felt shut out, but then I realized I was missing the point of a double blessing. Paramount has spared me the pain of sitting through another military-toy epic (the recent “Transformers” sequel having been a near-death experience), and the studio has set me free to reach my own conclusions—not quite groundless but close—on the basis of the ‘G.I. Joe’ trailer.”  Should Morgenstern have written a review for a movie he hadn't seen?  Was what he wrote actually a review? Meanwhile, Paula Abdul let everyone know that she won’t be returning to “American Idol” via a Twitter post.  What was Fox thinking?  What was Paula thinking?  And what is “So You Think You Can Dance” producer Nigel Lythgoe thinking?  Perhaps he’ll bring Abdul on as a full time or guest judge on “So You Think You Can Dance,” which crowned Jeanine Mason “America’s Favorite Dancer” on this past Thursday’s finale. Was Kayla robbed?  Was Janette voted off too early?  And what the heck happens to SYTYCD winners after the show anyway? The death of John Hughes raises some questions as well. Is it possible to live a normal life in Hollywood’s glare? Was he truly a great filmmaker? Is Ferris Bueller a jerk? Screenwriter Bud Schulberg also passed away this week. Unfortunately, most kids today probably have no idea who he is. Listen to the podcast to find out What Makes Sammy Run, and why today’s Hollywood assistants should pay attention. 'G.I. Joe' Doesn't Roll Snake Eyes http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2609&p=.htm (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2609&p=.htm) Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal Reviews 'G.I. Joe' Without Seeing It http://online.wsj.com/article/film_review.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/film_review.html) Paula Abdul won't return to Idol http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006911.html?categoryId=2848&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006911.html?categoryId=2848&cs=1) Paula Abdul Got Shafted http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/2009/08/05/paula-abdul-got-shafted.aspx (http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/browbeat/archive/2009/08/05/paula-abdul-got-shafted.aspx) Jeanine Mason wins ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ http://www.fox.com/dance/ (http://www.fox.com/dance/) http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2009/08/speak-up-on-so-you-think-you-can-dances-season-5-winner.html (http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2009/08/speak-up-on-so-you-think-you-can-dances-season-5-winner.html) http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/08/07/2009-08-07_jeanine_mason_.html (http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/08/07/2009-08-07_jeanine_mason_.html) John Hughes, Director of '80s Comedies, Dies at 59 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/movies/07hughesobit.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/07/movies/07hughesobit.html) John Hughes Secret Pen Pal Reveals Why He Left Hollywood Behind http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/08/john-hughes-secret-pen-pal-reveals-why-he-left-hollywood-behind.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2009/08/john-hughes-secret-pen-pal-reveals-why-he-left-hollywood-behind.html) Bud Schulberg, Screenwriter, Dies At 95 http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/03/showbiz-sandbox-14-zooey-deschanel-proves-its-twee-to-be-you-and-me/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/03/showbiz-sandbox-14-zooey-deschanel-proves-its-twee-to-be-you-and-me/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2009 06:28:01 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=278 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/03/showbiz-sandbox-14-zooey-deschanel-proves-its-twee-to-be-you-and-me/feed/ 0 "(500) Days Of Summer","101 Must-See Movies For Gay Men","Harvey","Pirates of the Caribbean",Alonso Duralde,American Idol,Amy Winehouse,Ben Stiller,Emmys,Michael Jackson,Paula Abdul,Ridley Scott First off, we took care of a little internal business by welcoming entertainment journalist Michael Giltz as an official co-host. - Alonso Duralde joins us this week. Alonso is the film critic at MSNBC.com and the author of "101 Must-See Movies for Gay... First off, we took care of a little internal business by welcoming entertainment journalist Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/) as an official co-host. Alonso Duralde (http://www.alonsoduralde.com/) joins us this week. Alonso is the film critic at MSNBC.com and the author of "101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1555838669?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1555838669)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1555838669)". His reviews are featured regularly on The Rotten Tomatoes Show. A member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, Alonso spent six years as Arts & Entertainment editor at The Advocate where he is still a contributing writer. His work has also appeared in such publications as the Village Voice, Movieline, Detour among many others. This month Alonso will be curating a the series "So Bad They're Brilliant (http://www.americancinematheque.com/archive1999/2009/Egyptian/So_Bad_ET2009.htm)" at the American Cinematheque (http://www.americancinematheque.com/). You can follow him on Twitter at @MSNBCalonso (http://www.twitter.com/MSNBCalonso). We asked Alonso to join us because of a story he wrote for msnbc.com called "Do You See What I Twee?", as it related to the latest movies. He described the essence of twee as "avoiding the fashionable, the obvious, the predictable, the mundane in an attempt to be, for lack of a better phrase, showily unshowy...It’s about replacing one calculated technique of visual and cultural cues with another." It's an apt description of one of the more popular movies out this summer, "(500) Days of Summer," and its lead, Zooey Deschanel. We also just love saying the word "twee."There was some interesting movie news this week, including the recasting of Rachelle LeFevre in "Twilight: Eclipse" - was she wronged, or is she an uncooperative diva? (A correction from the podcast: the actress' name is pronounced "Rashelle LeFevv.") Ridley Scott is set to direct a prequel to his hit 1979 film "Alien", but without Sigourney Weaver, will anyone care? It looks as if Disney is chasing Rob Marshall ("Chicago," "Nine,") to direct the fourth installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean," which leads us to wonder if there will be singing and dancing in this one! And Steven Spielberg is hopping on the remake wagon with an adaptation of the 1950 film "Harvey," which originally starred Jimmy Stewart. (Quick - get Tom Hanks's agent on the phone!) In television news, the Emmys will be revamped to show almost no Emmys, Kara DioGuardi will definitely return to "American Idol," but Paula Adbul will only return "if a deal is fair" (e.g. she gets the $20 million contract she's looking for). A cute wedding video viewed more than 15 million times on YouTube is making money for singer Chris Brown, his record label, and iTunes. Who said YouTube would never find a way to monetize itself? In Michael Jackson news, Sony has purchased his concert rehearsal footage for $60 Million. The next question is, will it be worth it? It was certainly worth it for Amy Winehouse's father to fake a heart attack to help get the young singer off drugs. Her father reports Winehouse has been drug free since December. . . that is if you don't count all the alcohol she now seems to consume. Finally, Ben Stiller put together a "secret" short film that pokes fun at Twentieth Century Fox, it's chairman Tom Rothman and mogul Rupert Murdoch. No, Stiller isn't not angry with them, in fact he just moved his production company to Fox, though we'd hate to see the video the multi-hyphenate would make if he were upset. Do You See What I Twee? http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31048866/ns/entertainment-movies/ (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31048866/ns/entertainment-movies/) Twilight Saga - Rachelle Lefevre: Wronged or uncooperative? http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006674.html?categoryId=3565&cs=1 (http://www.variety. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:09:42 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=216 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/feed/ 0 "Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","District 9","Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince","Iron Man 2","Kick Ass","Lost","Sherlock Holmes","Twilight: New Moon",Ben Silverman,Beth Accomando,Chris Weitz We had a plethora of panelists this week, all of whom were in San Diego over the weekend to experience Comic-Con first hand. KPBS' Cinema Junkie blogger Beth Accomando covered the event for National Public Radio, Todd Gilchrist was there for Cinematical, We had a plethora of panelists this week, all of whom were in San Diego over the weekend to experience Comic-Con first hand. KPBS' Cinema Junkie (http://www.kpbs.org/news/blogs/cinema-junkie/) blogger Beth Accomando covered the event for National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106989064), Todd Gilchrist (http://twitter.com/mtgilchrist) was there for Cinematical (http://www.cinematical.com/bloggers/todd-gilchrist/), SciFi Wire (http://scifiwire.com/)'s news editor Patrick Lee (http://twitter.com/ripleycal) made the trip, as did Phillip Nakov (http://twitter.com/VoyagerOne) from MovieSet.com (http://movieset.com/) and Harry Medved (http://twitter.com/FandangoNews), who helped out with Fandango's coverage (http://www.fandango.com/commentator_comicconcentral_255) of the event as their director of public relations.  Also joining in on this week's fun is New York Daily News writer and Huffington Post blogger, Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/). If you weren’t one of the 126,000 people attending Comic-Con, this episode will fill you in on what you missed.  There was whole day devoted to 3D movies, which apparently isn't just a gimmick anymore.  The big hits of Comic-Con were "District 9", "Avatar", "Kick Ass" and "Iron Man 2" and the biggest miss was Roland Emerich's next movie "2012" which is either so bad it's good, or so bad it's just plain bad.  Irrelevant whether it wowed people at the convention or not was "Twilight: New Moon", because fans just wanted to see Robert Pattinson .  Hundreds of young girls, their moms and a bunch of sensitive men camped out overnight to get into a jam packed "Twilight" panel. The festival was “the redemption of "New Moon" director Chris Weitz, who was clearly adored by his cast. It was definitely the panel with the most security. This year marked the first appearance by Tim Burton (as a presenter), Peter Jackson and Terry Gilliam. Johnny Depp stopped by to say two words (literally) in promotion of Burton's “Alice in Wonderland."  Robert Downey Jr. also made an appearance to help tout "Iron Man 2" and "Sherlock Holmes".  "Sherlock Holmes" reminded some of our panelists of "Wild Wild West", the movie, not the television show. Speaking of television, Comic-Con had panels for several TV shows, both old and new.  The panel for "Lost" was the big draw at this year's confab. Meanwhile, back in the regular world, a bunch of guinea pigs stole Harry Potter's thunder at the box office.  "G-Force" made $32 million beating out "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" which was in its second week.  Finally, the other shoe dropped at NBC, as the embattled chairman Ben Silverman jumped ship to form a new company with mogul Barry Diller. Studios Bring Another Dimension To Comic-Con http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/business/24avatar.html?_r=1&th&emc=th (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/business/24avatar.html?_r=1&th&emc=th) Comic-Con Wows Audiences, Studios http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006516.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006516.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Comic-Con's Buzz Makers http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-comicwrap27-2009jul27,0,310594.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-comicwrap27-2009jul27,0,310594.story) 3-D Wins The Day At Comic-Con http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006429.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006429.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Comic-Con: Visionaries Jackson, Cameron Talk Future http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/comiccon-visionaries-jackson-cameron-talk-future.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/comiccon-visionaries-jackson-cameron-talk-future.html) The Disney 3D Panel: Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton and Special Guest Johnny Depp http://tv.msn.com/superfans/comic-con/blog/the-disney-3d-panel-zemeckis-burton-torn-and-special-guest-johnny-depp/ (http://tv.msn. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/24/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-a-look-inside-tmzs-michael-jackson-scoop/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/24/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-a-look-inside-tmzs-michael-jackson-scoop/#comments Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:02:21 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=208 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/24/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-a-look-inside-tmzs-michael-jackson-scoop/feed/ 0 Guardian,MediaGuardian,Michael Jackson,Stephen Brook,TMZ When pop singer Michael Jackson died unexpectedly at the end of June news organizations all over the world frantically tried to keep up with the story. What was noteworthy, and what will surely be a historical footnote to Jackson's death, When pop singer Michael Jackson died unexpectedly at the end of June news organizations all over the world frantically tried to keep up with the story. What was noteworthy, and what will surely be a historical footnote to Jackson's death, is that mainstream media such as newspapers and cable news networks were not the outlets breaking the story. That privilege belonged to the upstart celebrity news site TMZ.com (http://www.tmz.com). Before it broke the Jackson story, TMZ was primarily thought of as an online version of the National Enquirer and was better known for running stories about Christian Bale's profanity laden temper tantrums. However Stephen Brook (http://twitter.com/sdbrook), a press correspondent for London's Guardian newspaper and deputy editor MediaGuardian, believes that it is precisely the salacious content TMZ has a reputation for running that gives the site its power. Less than 24 hours after the event, Brook wrote an article for the Guardian which detailed how TMZ managed to be the first media outlet to correctly report the story of Jackson's death, possibly six minutes before he was officially pronounced dead. Brook's article was reprinted all over the world in dozens of newspapers and websites. In this special episode of Showbiz Sandbox, Brook explains how he put the story together and discusses some of the highlights from his piece. For instance, Brook learned that media behemoth TimeWarner is part owner of TMZ, though does not interfere when the site runs negative stories that could adversly affect Warner Bros.' films or television shows. Brook's story is a fascinating read and a rare peak into the inner-workings of TMZ at a moment when the site, once considered the scource of Hollywood, is becoming a trusted source of entertainment news. Michael Jackson: How Celebrity Gossip Site TMZ Got Scoop Of The Decade http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/26/michael-jackson-tmz-scoop (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jun/26/michael-jackson-tmz-scoop) Stephen Brook's Articles http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/stephenbrook (http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/stephenbrook) Media Guardian 100 2009 http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediaguardian-100-2009 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediaguardian-100-2009) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/20/episdoe-12-i-want-to-be-korbi/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/20/episdoe-12-i-want-to-be-korbi/#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:30:05 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=201 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/20/episdoe-12-i-want-to-be-korbi/feed/ 0 "30 Rock","Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince",Anne Thompson,Comcast,Deadline Hollywood Daily,Emmys,IndieWire,James Rainey,Korbi Ghosh,Korbi TV,Nikki Finke,Thompson On Hollywood Korbi Ghosh of Zap2it's Korbi TV blog joins us this week to discuss a bunch of television news including the Emmy nominations.  Korbi's blog shares scoops, spoilers and breaking news with a community of fellow TV fanatics. Korbi Ghosh of Zap2it's Korbi TV (http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/) blog joins us this week to discuss a bunch of television news including the Emmy nominations.  Korbi (http://www.twitter.com/korbigirl)'s blog shares scoops, spoilers and breaking news with a community of fellow TV fanatics. She often appears on the TV Guide Channel, delivering her expert opinion on the television topic of the day and has filmed guest spot appearances on series such as "Scrubs" and "Greek."  Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com), whose writing appears in the New York Daily News, the Huffington Post and the Advocate also joins us this week. The Emmy nominations were led by “30 Rock” which garnered a total of 22 (plus, noms for supporting cast Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer and Tracy Morgan!) A surprise nomination for Jim Parsons for Actor in a Comedy Series (the the underrated “Big Bang Theory”), Simon Baker (“The Mentalist”),  and Farrah Fawcett, nominated posthumously for “Farrah’s Story.”  Snubbed one again were “Friday Night Lights,”  “Battlestar Galactica,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and that show’s host, Cat Deeley. A big nod to Twitter, the technology microblogging platform, that allowed nominees to make their own statements instead of issuing a standard press release written by their publicists. In other entertainment news, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” won the weekly box office war, Paul Adbul fights for a larger salary, more networks are joining Comcast Corp.'s nationwide test of an online-video subscription offering (do you watch television online?) and “Being Relentless and Sharp Pays Off  For Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikki Finke. '30 Rock' Gets Record 22 Emmy Nominations http://theenvelope.latimes.com/la-et-emmys-main17-2009jul17,0,4737929.story (http://theenvelope.latimes.com/la-et-emmys-main17-2009jul17,0,4737929.story) Full List of 2009 Emmy Nominations http://www.zap2it.com/news/env-09-emmy-list16-2009jul16-html,0,2217888.htmlstory (http://www.zap2it.com/news/env-09-emmy-list16-2009jul16-html,0,2217888.htmlstory) Emmy Noms 2009: Who Was Robbed & Who Will You Be Rooting For http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2009/07/emmy-noms-2009-who-was-robbed-who-will-you-be-rooting-for.html (http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2009/07/emmy-noms-2009-who-was-robbed-who-will-you-be-rooting-for.html) Emmy Nominees Slow To Share On Twitter http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/07/emmy-nominees-slow-to-share-on-twitter.html (http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/07/emmy-nominees-slow-to-share-on-twitter.html) Farrah Fawcett Receives Posthumous Emmy Award Nomination For 'Farrahs Story' http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/07/farrah-fawcett-receives-posthumous-emmy-award-nomination-for-farrahs-story-tv-news-1357986.htm (http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/07/farrah-fawcett-receives-posthumous-emmy-award-nomination-for-farrahs-story-tv-news-1357986.htm) 'Idol' Might Lose Paula Abdul If Producers Don't Step Up With New Deal http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/07/paula-abduls-manager-shell-leave-idol-if-producers-dont-step-up-new-deal.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/07/paula-abduls-manager-shell-leave-idol-if-producers-dont-step-up-new-deal.html) TV Networks Join Comcast Web Test http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124760866232541453.html?mod=googlenews_wsj (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124760866232541453.html?mod=googlenews_wsj) Tony Hale In 'CTRL' of NBC Digital's New Series http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009/07/15/tony-hale-in-ctrl-of-nbc-digitals-new-series/ (http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009/07/15/tony-hale-in-ctrl-of-nbc-digitals-new-series/) 'Harry Potter' Breaks Hollywood Midnight Ticket Sales Record http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/07/harry-potter-midnight-ticket-sales.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/07/harry-potter-midnight-ticket-sales.html) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/13/wild-about-michael-jackson-and-neil-diamond/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/13/wild-about-michael-jackson-and-neil-diamond/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:02:03 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=184 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/13/wild-about-michael-jackson-and-neil-diamond/feed/ 0 "Parenthood","The Green Lantern",Anne Thompson,David Wild,Maura Tierney,Michael Giltz,Michael Jackson,Neil Diamond,Nikki Finke,Ryan Reynolds Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild joins us this week to discuss the Michael Jackson memorial.  Wild is an Emmy-nominated television writer and a best selling author. on top of his work with Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild joins us this week to discuss the Michael Jackson memorial.  Wild is an Emmy-nominated television writer and a best selling author. on top of his work with Rolling Stone.  He recently worked on the magazine's Michael Jackson tribute, and was also instrumental in putting together the pop star's memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  He explains some of the realities and feelings taking place behind the scenes at the event.  He also has a new book out titled He Is... I Say: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Neil Diamond (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHe-Say-Learned-Worrying-Diamond%2Fdp%2F0306817845%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1247441520%26sr%3D1-1&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=ur2&o=1), currently available on Amazon and other retailers.  You can follow David on Twitter at twitter.com/wildaboutmusic (http://www.twitter.com/wildaboutmusic). Audiences weren't wild about "Bruno," which won the weekend box office race, but didn't perform as expected. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock's "The Proposal" continues to perform well - well enough that Reynolds has been offered the role of The Green Lantern in Warner Bros's upcoming movie. Was he a better choice over Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake?  Does anyone even care about "The Green Lantern"?  Anne Thompson addresses that, and the future of film criticism in her blog Thompson On Hollywood (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com). Also joining us this week is Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com), freelance writer for The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, and The Advocate, among other publications. Michael is becoming a series regular at Showbiz Sandbox, and we always welcome his insight into the week's top entertaiment news. Remembering Michael Jackson: The Service Is A Thriller http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/07/remembering-michael-jackson-the-service-is-a-thriller.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/07/remembering-michael-jackson-the-service-is-a-thriller.html) Sending Off Somebody's Brother - Thoughts From Backstage At The Staples Center http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wild/sending-off-somebodys-bro_b_227372.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wild/sending-off-somebodys-bro_b_227372.html) Michael Jackson: The Wounds The Broken Heart http://theenvelope.latimes.com/news/la-me-jackson-hilburn27-2009jun27,0,3030811.story (http://theenvelope.latimes.com/news/la-me-jackson-hilburn27-2009jun27,0,3030811.story) Nikki Finke Says Enough! http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/enough/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/enough/) Neil Diamond's Hot August Night Tour Telecast http://neildiamond.com/pages/news/684 (http://neildiamond.com/pages/news/684) Ryan Reynolds Is 'The Green Lantern' http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-read-green-lantern-3-moneyball-2.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-read-green-lantern-3-moneyball-2.html) Anne Thompson On The Green Lantern And Film Criticism http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-read-green-lantern-3-moneyball-2.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-read-green-lantern-3-moneyball-2.html) Maura Tierney Illness Delays 'Parenthood' http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4c5798b5271bede48df96f089f507be5 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4c5798b5271bede48df96f089f507be5) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/29/showbiz-sandbox-10-the-death-of-pop-pinup-girls-and-possibly-2d-movies/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/29/showbiz-sandbox-10-the-death-of-pop-pinup-girls-and-possibly-2d-movies/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 03:54:24 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=177 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/29/showbiz-sandbox-10-the-death-of-pop-pinup-girls-and-possibly-2d-movies/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen",Academy Awards,Farah Fawcett,James Cameron,Michael Giltz,Michael Jackson,Oscars,Roger Friedman,Showbiz 411,TMZ Roger Friedman, senior columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, and Showbiz411.com joins us along with writer Michael Giltz to discuss the death of Michael Jackson. Friedman has been covering Jackson since his first child molestation trial and is one of t... Roger Friedman, senior columnist for The Hollywood Reporter, and Showbiz411.com (http://www.showbiz411.com) joins us along with writer Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) to discuss the death of Michael Jackson. Friedman has been covering Jackson since his first child molestation trial and is one of the trusted reporters covering the pop star’s life and death. The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences announced this week that the Academy Awards would now nominate ten films in the Best Picture instead of the usual five. Will this allow more deserving movies a shot at the big prize, or is this blatant pandering for higher Nielsen ratings? "Transformers 2" stormed the world-wide box office over the weekend, but that still doesn’t make it a good movie. J. Sperling Reich was lucky enough to get a peak at footage of James Cameron’s new 3D movie “Avatar” and shares as much as he thinks the studio will allow. And finally, the death of Michael Jackson promptly kicked Farrah Fawcett’s death into the sidebar. But whose death affected us more? Write to us at dirt@showbizsandbox.com (http://mailto:dirt@showbizsandbox.com) or call us at (888) 567-SAND (7263). A Star Idolized And Haunted, Michael Jackson Dies At 50 http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/arts/music/26jackson.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=michael%20jackson&st=cse (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/arts/music/26jackson.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=michael%20jackson&st=cse) Roger Friedman’s Michael Jackson Coverage On Showbiz 411 http://www.showbiz411.com/tag/michael-jackson (http://www.showbiz411.com/tag/michael-jackson) TV Misses Out As Gossip Website TMZ Reports Michael Jackson’s Death First http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jackson-media26-2009jun26,0,1993773.story (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jackson-media26-2009jun26,0,1993773.story) Oscar Expands Best Pic Noms To 10 http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005322.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005322.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Two More Oscar Tweaks http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005473.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005473.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Hollywood Studios Not Entirely Enamored With New Oscar Plan http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/hollywood-studios-not-entirely-enamored-with-new-oscar-plan/ (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/hollywood-studios-not-entirely-enamored-with-new-oscar-plan/) “Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen” Rises With Optimal Debut http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2601&p=.htm (http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2601&p=.htm) “Avatar” Footage In Action At Cinema Expo http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0849a35b3cfeb85952ed517dddd406bf (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0849a35b3cfeb85952ed517dddd406bf) “Avatar” Footage Impressions – “Everybody Just Gasped” http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/exclusive-avatar-footage-impressions.html (http://marketsaw.blogspot.com/2009/06/exclusive-avatar-footage-impressions.html) Farah Fawcett Dies At 62 http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-farrah-fawcett26-2009jun26,0,4388762.story?track=rss (http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-farrah-fawcett26-2009jun26,0,4388762.story?track=rss) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/22/showbiz-sandbox-9-i-loves-me-a-good-ouster-story/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/22/showbiz-sandbox-9-i-loves-me-a-good-ouster-story/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 23:50:25 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=152 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/22/showbiz-sandbox-9-i-loves-me-a-good-ouster-story/feed/ 0 "Middlemarch","Moneyball","Public Enemies","The Proposal","The Three Stooges",Adam Goodman,Brad Pitt,David Letterman,Jon Lesher,Lou Lumenick,Michael Giltz,Paramount Pictures Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz provides his insight and wit again this week. - “The Proposal” topped the box office, and was Sandra Bullock’s biggest movie opening ever. Which begs the question, why is this not also “a Ryan Reynolds movie”? Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz (http://michaelgiltz.com/ ) provides his insight and wit again this week. “The Proposal” topped the box office, and was Sandra Bullock’s biggest movie opening ever. Which begs the question, why is this not also “a Ryan Reynolds movie”? Sean Penn is taking a year off for some “personal time,” or perhaps he just wants to get out of “The Three Stooges.” Other people taking time off are Steven Soderbergh and Brad Pitt, after Colombia Pictures President Amy Pascal pulled the plug on the Steven Zallian-scripted “Moneyball” which was set to shoot on Monday, June 22. Sam Mendes is having better luck, having just signed a two year deal with Focus Features, and he will direct the film adaptation of George Eliot’s classic “Middlemarch.” It was a shoot ‘em up between NY Post Critic Lou Lumenick and Universal over Lumeneck’s early review of “Public Enemies.” Turns out there was an embargo on when the reviews could be published. Lumenick claims he didn’t know that, but according to Michael Giltz, it’s a rule of thumb that all reviewers know. Is the Weinstein Company going out of business, or is all the gossip surrounding Harvey and Bob Weinstein’s production company just a lot of hot air meant to bring down the brothers W? They’ve hired a company that specializes in bankruptcy, so things don’t look good. Speidi – that’s Spencer and Heidi Pratt for the uninitiated – allowed themselves to be bullied by a weatherman on “The Today Show” this week. Who knew Al Roker was such a relentless interviewer? David Letterman apologized for his off-color joke about Sarah Palin’s daughter. David Letterman apologized again for his off-color joke about Sarah Palin’s daughter. And….David Letterman apologized for his off-color joke about Sarah Palin’s daughter. Texas Instruments produces a bombshell for the motion picture exhibition industry by announcing they will be releasing a digital cinema chip with twice the resolution as what’s on the market today. But what do theatre owners do with the equipment they’ve already installed and how long will they have to wait for the new technology to be ready? In Inside Baseball news: Paramount is “streamlining” - i.e. firing Jon Lesher and promoting Adam Goodman. 'Proposal' Accepted At The Box office http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i34e2ede5adb7e1e8aad375728197fb9e (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i34e2ede5adb7e1e8aad375728197fb9e) Sean Penn Taking Year Off http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/sean-penn-is-taking-next-year-off/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/sean-penn-is-taking-next-year-off/) Sony Scraps Soderbergh's Moneyball http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005208.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2854 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118005208.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2854) Sam Mendes Inks Two Year Deal With Focus Features http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130401-Mendes_Inks_Two-Year_Deal_with_Focus_Features (http://www.playbill.com/news/article/130401-Mendes_Inks_Two-Year_Deal_with_Focus_Features) Sorry Public Enemies Is Shooting Blanks http://blogs.nypost.com/movies/archives/2009/06/oscar_watch_pub.html (http://blogs.nypost.com/movies/archives/2009/06/oscar_watch_pub.html) Media Buzzards Circle Weinstein Co http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/media-buzzards-circle-weinstein-co_3523 (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/media-buzzards-circle-weinstein-co_3523) Weinstein Company May Not Have The Cash To Market Inglorious Basterds http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/06/weinstein-company-may-not-have-the-cash-to-market.html (http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/06/weinstein-company-may-not-have-the-cash-to-market.html) Weinsteins Try To Rebuild A Film Studio http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/business/media/08weinstein.html?_r=1&ref=media (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/08/business/media/08weinstein.html?_r=1&ref=media) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/15/showbiz-sandbox-8-everybodys-a-critic-on-the-internet/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/15/showbiz-sandbox-8-everybodys-a-critic-on-the-internet/#comments Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:42:41 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=140 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/15/showbiz-sandbox-8-everybodys-a-critic-on-the-internet/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Conan The Barbarian","G.I. Joe","The Hangover","The Taking of Pelham 123",Adam Lambert,Danny Boyle,DVDs,James Cameron,Jay Leno,Marcus Nispel,Michael Cieply This week “The Hangover” hung around, and “The Taking of Pelham 123” opened at lower numbers than expected. Was the film miscast? - James Cameron proves he’s King of the World, or at least of the digital age, This week “The Hangover” hung around, and “The Taking of Pelham 123” opened at lower numbers than expected. Was the film miscast? James Cameron proves he’s King of the World, or at least of the digital age, by pushing game publisher Ubisoft to create the videogame industry's first stereoscopic title. What does this mean for future relationships between films and videogames? In other film news, “Slumdog Millionaire” director Danny Boyle signed a three year deal with Fox Searchlight; the quasi-classic “Conan The Barbarian” will be remade; and rumors abound that the director of the summer action film “G.I. Joe” was fired. Plus, DVD fans may have to wait a little longer until movies they didn’t bother seeing in the theaters are available for viewing on the couch. Despite repeated warnings, chaos still ensued when the switch to digital TV finally happened in the United States. And though there were obvious clues about his sexual orientation, “American Idol” runner up Adam Lambert finally came out to Rolling Stone magazine. Plus, the debate rages on: Can Jay Leno survive at 10pm? Advertisers sure aren’t happy about his new time slot. And finally: How important are film critics anyway? Just ask the new online movie review aggregator Movie Review Intelligence. "Hangover", "Up" Lead Box Office Again http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie636164bd8df42b4e99a0ad58738f98b (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie636164bd8df42b4e99a0ad58738f98b) James Cameron's Game Changer? http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004911.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004911.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Danny Boyle Signs 3-Year Deal http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004862.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118004862.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Marcus Nispel To Remake Conan http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/12/marcus-nispel-directing-conan-the-barbarian/ (http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/12/marcus-nispel-directing-conan-the-barbarian/) DVD Fans Wait A Little Longer http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/994/994433p1.html (http://uk.dvd.ign.com/articles/994/994433p1.html) G.I. Joe Fracas http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/06/gi-joe-fracas-2.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/06/gi-joe-fracas-2.html) The Liberation Of Adam Lambert http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/06/09/the-new-issue-of-rolling-stone-the-liberation-of-adam-lambert/ (http://www.rollingstone.com/rockdaily/index.php/2009/06/09/the-new-issue-of-rolling-stone-the-liberation-of-adam-lambert/) Adam Lambert Has Come Out To Rolling Stone, And Change Has Come Indeed http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/06/the-days-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-are-over-for-adam-lambert-actually-this-seasons-groundbreaking-idol-never-really-subscribed.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/06/the-days-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-are-over-for-adam-lambert-actually-this-seasons-groundbreaking-idol-never-really-subscribed.html) Jay Leno As Adman? http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/whats-nbcus-zucker-gonna-do-now-david-letterman-tops-conan-obrien-in-last-nights-ratings/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/whats-nbcus-zucker-gonna-do-now-david-letterman-tops-conan-obrien-in-last-nights-ratings/) Everybody’s a Movie Critic: New Websites and Online Readers Chime In http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/movies/13critics.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=michael%20cieply%20+%20rottentomatoes&st=cse (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/movies/13critics.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=michael%20cieply%20+%20rottentomatoes&st=cse) Movie Review Intelligence http://moviereviewintelligence.com (http://moviereviewintelligence.com/) Homework: Michael Cieply Reading List Will Warner Grow Tired of New Line, It’s Pet Indie? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/business/media/07newline.html (http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/12/showbiz-sandbox-7-talkin-tonys-and-trailers/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/12/showbiz-sandbox-7-talkin-tonys-and-trailers/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 08:59:26 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=131 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/12/showbiz-sandbox-7-talkin-tonys-and-trailers/feed/ 0 "The Tonight Show","Up",Conan O'Brien,David Carradine,Eminem,Golden Trailer Awards,Grizzly Bear,Hulu,Michael Giltz,MTV,Rupert Murdoch,Sacha Baron Cohen Michael Giltz of the New York Daily News, Huffington Post and The Advocate joins us to discuss all the winners (and losers) of this year's Tony Awards. Stephen Garrett, the co-founder of Kinetic Trailerworks also shows up to talk about picking up a fe... Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) of the New York Daily News, Huffington Post and The Advocate joins us to discuss all the winners (and losers) of this year's Tony Awards. Stephen Garrett (http://www.kinetictrailers.com), the co-founder of K... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/01/showbiz-sandbox-6-down-with-up-and-other-contrarian-opinions/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/01/showbiz-sandbox-6-down-with-up-and-other-contrarian-opinions/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:36:57 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=113 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/01/showbiz-sandbox-6-down-with-up-and-other-contrarian-opinions/feed/ 0 "A Christmas Carol","Reel Talk","The Hangover","The Tonight Show","Up",American Idol,Anne Thompson,AOL,Ashton Kutcher,Conan O'Brien,Jay Leno,Jim Carrey We are excited to be joined by journalist Anne Thompson of Thompson On Hollywood who recently returned to the United States after covering the Cannes Film Festival. You may remember Anne as the West Coast Editor for Premiere Magazine and Film Comment, We are excited to be joined by journalist Anne Thompson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Thompson) of Thompson On Hollywood (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com) who recently returned to the United States after covering the Cannes Film Festival. You may remember Anne as the West Coast Editor for Premiere Magazine and Film Comment, not to mention her stint as the Deputy Film Editor at The Hollywood Reporter. She's also written for a plethora of media outlets including, The New York Times, Washington Post, Wired and LA Weekly. Anne fills us in on who scored big at this past year's festival and who wound up spinning their wheels. There was plenty to talk about this week with Pixar's tenth animated film "Up" winning praise from both critics and audiences. The film earned $68.2 million during it's opening weekend in North America, but not a dime from Karen Woodward who's not a fan of animated films (or as she calls them. . . cartoons). "Up" may just give "The Hangover" a run for its money when it opens next week. The comedy flick from director Todd Philips has been receiving a lot of buzz as a potential sleeper hit. Another animated film trying to capture people's attention is Robert Zemeckis' take on "A Christmas Carol". Though it's not due out until November of this year, Disney has launched a promotional tour which will have clips of the film visiting 40 cities over the next six months by train.  Actor Jim Carrey tells us why another version of the classic tale is being made. The Fox Network's "American Idol" stayed in the news thanks to a potential controversy that AT&T may have skewed the votes for winner Kris Allen. Runner-up Adam Lambert doesn't seem phased by the flap over the voting or by criticism from singer Clay Aiken. In the United Kingdom, YouTube sensation Susan Boyle lost her temper and reality show "Britain's Got Talent", but she'll probably still have a career in showbiz. Reality star Kate Gosselin has also been making headlines, but J. Sperling Reich wants to know who she is and what show she's on. Jay Leno's final episode as host of "The Tonight Show" is now over, but did anybody really care. All eyes are now on Conan O'Brien who takes over hosting duties, but may be too good to be popular according to Variety columnist Brian Lowry. Ashton Kutcher may stop using Twitter over a proposed show based on the social networking phenomenon and NBC cancels movie review program "Reel Talk". Finally Time Warner and AOL are going their separate ways as are some of the William Morris Agency's clients who have been let go by the firm in preparation for their merger with Endeavor. You can follow Anne Thompson on Twitter @akstanwyck (http://twitter.com/akstanwyck). Cannes: Winners & Losers http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/05/cannes-winners-and-losers-.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/05/cannes-winners-and-losers-.html) "Up" Rises Above http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ic0507728e66c92e383679d2a60a0bc5f (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ic0507728e66c92e383679d2a60a0bc5f) Dreamworks Plans To Boost Its Picture Production (Five Films Every Two Years) http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/dreamworks-boosts-its-pic-production-plans-to-release-5-films-every-2-years/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/dreamworks-boosts-its-pic-production-plans-to-release-5-films-every-2-years/) The Hangover Isn't Any Headache For Warner Bros. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-word28-2009may28,0,27759.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-word28-2009may28,0,27759.story) http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/05/the-hangover-red-band-trailer.html?ref=ssp (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/05/the-hangover-red-band-trailer.html?ref=ssp) All Aboard For "Carol" http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-train25-2009may25,0,4987790. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/25/showbiz-sandbox-5-a-travesty-of-american-idol-justice/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/25/showbiz-sandbox-5-a-travesty-of-american-idol-justice/#comments Tue, 26 May 2009 03:57:25 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=85 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/25/showbiz-sandbox-5-a-travesty-of-american-idol-justice/feed/ 0 "Bones","Chuck","Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian","Terminator: Salvation",ABC,Adam Lambert,Cannes Film Festival,CBS,Fox,Jimmy Kimmel,Jon Peters,Kris Allen The week leading up to Memorial Day was chock full of juicy entertainment news. - The Cannes Film Festival wrapped up in France awarding Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke it's top prize, the Palme d'Or. Karen Woodward and J. (http://www.showbizsandbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/kris-allen-and-adam-lambert.jpg) The week leading up to Memorial Day was chock full of juicy entertainment news. The Cannes Film Festival wrapped up in France awarding Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke it's top prize, the Palme d'Or. Karen Woodward and J. Sperling Reich recap all the festival winners. In North America the Ben Stiller starrer "Night At The Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" opened with $70 million against "Terminator: Salvation". McG's attempt to reboot the "Terminator" franchise came in second at the box office with $53.8 million. "Star Trek" continued to rake in the dough with an additional $29.4 million and a cumulative $191 million in North America. Television ratings were also bolstered by the star studded finale of the Fox network's musical reality show "American Idol". Kris Allen beat out Adam Lambert during a telecast that an estimated 28.84 million Americans tuned into. That ties the record for least-watched finale in recent "American Idol" memory, though nmore than 100 million votes were cast, a new record for the show. While Karen believes the results were a travesty of justice, Lambert may not be walking away empty handed after all; Billboard reports the rock group Queen may be interested in the young singer to front the band. Musical pop star Pink wasn't happy with "American Idol" either, though more because she says they butchered one of her songs. Social networking sensation Twitter is working on a reality television series. The web hasn't been as rewarding to "Britain's Got Talent" whose viral video of Susan Boyle has generated more than 70 million views on YouTube, though the New York Times reports that producers can't quite seem to capitalize on the surprise success. "Gossip Girl" star Chace Crawford takes the place of Zac Effron in the remake of "Footloose". Effron is mentioned in an fascinating Entertainment Weekly story about what happens to Disney's teen sensations once they are all grown up and move out of the mouse house. In New York this past week the major television networks held their "upfronts" with potential advertisers. Fox renewed "Bones" and "Dollhouse", NBC renews "Chuck" after an online protest, CBS steals "Medium" away from NBC and Jimmy Kimmel bashes his own network during a presentation to advertisers. Blogger Nikki Finke has all the details. Former Hollywood mogul Jon Peters has to scrap the idea of writing a tell all book once the proposal he sold to HarperCollins leaks. With tons of kiss-and-tell stories about former girlfriends including Barbara Striesand, Pamela Anderson and Catherine Zeta Jones, the once venerable producer sold his book "Studio Head" for $700,000 upfront. However, threatened by lawsuits from some of those mentioned in the book's outline, Peters took it off the market. Journalist Roger Friedman is back on the market. Friedman most recently made headlines after he was fired by Fox News for downloading and writing about the pirated version of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine", released by sister company Twentieth Century Fox. The columnist was picked up by The Hollywood Reporter where his blog Showbiz411 will now be published. Finally, the William Morris Agency laid off 100 agents and employees this week in preparation for the merger with Endeavor. In addition, uber-agent and WMA head Jim Wiatt is rumored to be on his way out. Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon" Triumphs In Cannes http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/cannes-2009-day-twelve-ha_b_207204.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/cannes-2009-day-twelve-ha_b_207204.html) http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0525-cannes-winnersmay25,0,3607116.story (http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/chi-0525-cannes-winnersmay25,0,3607116.story) http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/movies/25cannes.html?hp (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/25/movies/25cannes.html?hp) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/18/showbiz-sandbox-4-yes-we-cannes/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/18/showbiz-sandbox-4-yes-we-cannes/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 16:08:47 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=69 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/18/showbiz-sandbox-4-yes-we-cannes/feed/ 0 "A Prophet","Angels & Demons","Antichrist","Bones","Gossip Girl","Precious",ABC,American Idol,Ben Silverman,Cannes Film Festival,Elizabeth Edwards,Farah Fawcett Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz joins the conversation to discuss everything from the Cannes Film Festival to who might win American Idol (he's voting for Kris Allen). - Many members of the press, as well as festival-goers, Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz (http://michaelgiltz.com/) joins the conversation to discuss everything from the Cannes Film Festival to who might win American Idol (he's voting for Kris Allen). Many members of the press, as well as festival-goers, took a pass on Cannes this year, but we recap some of the films that have screened thus far. Mariah Carey showed up in Cannes with a body double to confuse the paparazzi. Carey and Lenny Kravitz personally tell us about their festival film "Precious". Meanwhile Lars Von Trier shocks the festival with his misogynistic "Antichrist". The good news is Roger Ebert is back in Cannes. "Angels & Demons" makes $48 million domestically and $104 million internationally in it's first weekend. MGM is fighting for it's life, but the remake of "Fame" may just save it. This week in New York the television networks hold their upfront and we take a quick look at what is rumored to be on the fall TV schedule. ABC has already announced they have picked up another season of "Scrubs" though Zach Braff will only show up for six episodes. Fox has said yes to another season of "Bones". It also looks like the "Gossip Girl" spinoff may be picked up. The New York Times throws a few punches at NBC programming head Ben Silverman and but in the end it may not matter since the website Hulu is making most networks question their business model. Speaking of Hulu, they're going to start showing Bollywood films. Elizabeth Edwards writes a tell all book about her breast cancer and her husband Senator John Edwards' romantic affair. Farah Fawcett discusses her own bout with cancer s well as fighting the tabloids in a stark interview which appeared in the Los Angeles Times. Finally, Jerry Lewis is planning a comeback. . . at 83-years old! Trade Journos No Shows At Cannes http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rex-weiner/trade-journos-no-shows-at_b_201908.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rex-weiner/trade-journos-no-shows-at_b_201908.html) MGM Fights To Survive http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/can-mgm-survive-studio-desperate-to-restructure-debt-hires-financial-adviser-to-help/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/can-mgm-survive-studio-desperate-to-restructure-debt-hires-financial-adviser-to-help/) A Lot At Stake At TV Upfronts http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003685.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003685.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) ABC Renews Scrubs http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i505437152ed71367b14b89a4b157dea2 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i505437152ed71367b14b89a4b157dea2) Bones Renewed For Fall http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003809.html?categoryid=14&ref=ra&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003809.html?categoryid=14&ref=ra&cs=1) Is the Gossip Girl spin off back on? http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/05/gossip_girl_spinoff_will_run_f.html?f=most-commented-24h-10 (http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2009/05/gossip_girl_spinoff_will_run_f.html?f=most-commented-24h-10) NBC Hired A Hitmaker. It's Still Waiting http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/business/media/17silver.html?_r=1&hpw (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/business/media/17silver.html?_r=1&hpw) Hulu's Tug of War With TV http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-hulu11-2009may11,0,5771665.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-hulu11-2009may11,0,5771665.story) Bollywood Goes Hulu http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/05/bollywood-goes-hulu.html (http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2009/05/bollywood-goes-hulu.html) Elizabeth Edwards: John "Made One Mistake" http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30681150/ (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/30681150/) Farah Fawcett: "Under A Microscope" And Holding Onto Hope http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-fawcett-interview11-2009may11,0,5790379.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-fawcett-interview11-2009may11,0,5790379.story) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-3-award-season-redux-2/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-3-award-season-redux-2/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 20:02:35 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=58 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-3-award-season-redux-2/feed/ 0 "Billy Elliot","Phantom of the Opera","Spider-Man","Star Trek","Wolverine",Andrew Lloyd Weber,Bob Iger,Bono,CBS,CW,Disney,Endeavor "Star Trek" cleans up at the box office earning $76 million in North America over the weekend while "Wolverine" pulled in another $27 million. Fox sets release dates for its blockbusters in Mexico, though actors may not start kissing on telenovelas f... (http://www.showbizsandbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/star-trek-cropped.jpg) "Star Trek" cleans up at the box office earning $76 million in North America over the weekend while "Wolverine" pulled in another $27 million. Fox sets release dates for its blockbusters in Mexico, though actors may not start kissing on telenovelas for a while. "Billy Elliot" heads up the Tony Award nominations. Bono and the Edge are headed to Broadway with a Spider-Man musical, but Andrew Lloyd Weber is falling behind on his sequel to "Phantom of the Opera". "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Twilight" lead the MTV Movie Award nominations, but does anyone care. Big media and celebrities top the Webby awards. NBC announces its primetime schedule and there are rumors about a few CW shows. Looks like the "Gossip Girl" spinoff is a no-go. As scripted television looks to shrink their writing staffs, CBS debates whether they should bring back such game shows as "The Dating Game" and "Let's Make A Deal". A computer bug delayed nearly three days of Nielsen television ratings, however advertisers may want to start using more effective "engagement" ratings anyway. Disney CEO Bob Iger discusses Hulu and informs everyone that new media is here to stay. The MPAA teaches everyone how to pirate DVD's using a camcorder, in fact they prefer the method over the ripping of content off DVD's. Revenue at Warner Music plumets as do satellite radio subscribers at Sirius XM. Looks like Roman Polanski isn't going to return to see if a court will drop his 30-year-old rape charges. Finally, now that the William Morris/Endeavor merger has been announced, clients have started jumping ship in all directions. "Star Trek" Draws $72.5 Million http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003414.html?categoryid=19&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003414.html?categoryid=19&cs=1) Swine Flu Curbs Telenovela Kissing http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003390.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003390.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Billy Elliot Leads Tony Nominations http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/theater/theaterspecial/06tony.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/theater/theaterspecial/06tony.html) Bono, The Edge Team Up For "Spider-Man" Musicalhttp://www.spin.com/articles/bono-edge-team-spider-man-musical (http://www.spin.com/articles/bono-edge-team-spider-man-musical) "Phantom" Sequel Delayed Until 2010 http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003402.html?categoryid=15&cs=1 (http://www.spin.com/articles/bono-edge-team-spider-man-musical) "Twilight", "Slumdog" Lead MTV Kudos http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003151.html?categoryid=16&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003151.html?categoryid=16&cs=1) MTV Movie Awards Ballot http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2009/ (http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2009/) Celebrities Win Madeup Webbys, Big Media Wins Some Real Ones http://weblogs.variety.com/technotainment/2009/05/celebrities-win-madeup-webbys-big-media-wins-some-real-ones.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/technotainment/2009/05/celebrities-win-madeup-webbys-big-media-wins-some-real-ones.html) NBC Announces 2009/2010 Primetime Schedule http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/nbc-announces-20092010-primetime-sked/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/nbc-announces-20092010-primetime-sked/) Fox Orders Second Season of Fringe http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003158.html?categoryId=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003158.html?categoryId=14&cs=1) Nikki Finke On CW Upfront Rumors http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/that-gossip-girl-spinoff-dead-at-cw/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/that-gossip-girl-spinoff-dead-at-cw/) Shows To Scrimp On Scribes http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003411.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003411.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Networks Fume Over Nielsen Delay (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003280.html? J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/04/showbiz-sandbox-2-disney-hearts-hulu-endeavor-hearts-william-morris/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/04/showbiz-sandbox-2-disney-hearts-hulu-endeavor-hearts-william-morris/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 23:05:17 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=43 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/04/showbiz-sandbox-2-disney-hearts-hulu-endeavor-hearts-william-morris/feed/ 0 "Drop Dead Fred","Sex and the City 2","Wall Street 2","Wolverine",Chris Noth,Crackle.com,Digital 3D,Discovery,Disney,Don Johnson,Endeavor,Hasbro "Wolverine" opens big with $87 million in North American box office, Disney joins online video site Hulu.com, meanwhile Sony streams movies on Crackle.com.  An advance look at NBC's uprfront announcement about which of their television shows are being ... (http://www.showbizsandbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/disney-hulu.jpg)"Wolverine" opens big with $87 million in North American box office, Disney joins online video site Hulu.com, meanwhile Sony streams movies on Crackle.com.  An advance look at NBC's uprfront announcement about which of their television shows are being picked up and which are dumped.  Scrubs may be back on ABC next season after all.  Hasbro and Discovery are putting together a cable network. Obama's ratings drop and McCain hosts a movie marathon.  Oliver Stone will make "Wall Street 2" with Shia LeBeouf, Chris Noth signs on to "Sex and the City 2", Universal remakes "Drop Dead Fred" and Don Johnson will play a porn director.  Theatre chain National Amusements is up for sale and studios stop paying for 3D glasses.  Finally, it's official - talent agencies Endeavor and William Morris will be merging. "Wolverine" A Hero At The Box Office http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i06056b3e434534846b7ff5e99f2211b9 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i06056b3e434534846b7ff5e99f2211b9) Disney's Anne Sweeney Talks Hulu: It's All About Casual Viewers http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/01/AR2009050100374.html (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/01/AR2009050100374.html) Disney's Hulu Deal Raises Question About YouTube Model http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090430-726930.html (http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090430-726930.html) Denis Leary goes Hulu, mocks your 'Tweety-pages' and your 'Faceyspaces' http://watching-tv.ew.com/2009/05/denis-leary-goe.html (http://watching-tv.ew.com/2009/05/denis-leary-goe.html) "TV Everywhere": Pay your cable bill, watch Entorage online http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/03/tv-everywhere-pay-your-cable-bill-watch-entourage-online.ars (http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/03/tv-everywhere-pay-your-cable-bill-watch-entourage-online.ars) Sony Offers Free Films On Crackle http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002988.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002988.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) NBC Gets Rolling Before Its Upfronts http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i06056b3e43453484c9327754ccee4248 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i06056b3e43453484c9327754ccee4248) NBC Exec Dies On "Parenthood" Set http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003057.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003057.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Chuck Decision Delayed For A Week Or More http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b121695_chuck_decision_delayed_week_more.html (http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/watch_with_kristin/b121695_chuck_decision_delayed_week_more.html) Talks Continue For "Scrubs" Return http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002915.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002915.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Hasbro and Discovery Plan Channel Based On Toy Brands http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/business/media/01hasbro.html?ref=business (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/business/media/01hasbro.html?ref=business) Full Orchestra Puts "Lost" Audience On Edge http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002951.html?categoryid=16&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002951.html?categoryid=16&cs=1) Obama Presser Audience Slides But Still Beats Idol http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/05/01/ratings-slide-for-obama-s-presser-but-he-still-beats-idol.aspx (http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/thegaggle/archive/2009/05/01/ratings-slide-for-obama-s-presser-but-he-still-beats-idol.aspx) McCain To Host AMC Movie Marathon http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003028.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003028.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Stone To Walk "Wall Street" Again http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002934.html?categoryId=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/04/27/showbiz-sandbox-1-the-replicability-podcast/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/04/27/showbiz-sandbox-1-the-replicability-podcast/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 21:10:15 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=30 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/04/27/showbiz-sandbox-1-the-replicability-podcast/feed/ 0 "Twilight",AMPTP,Angelina Jolie,Cannes Film Festival,David Slade,Endeavor,Francis Coppola,Jay Leno,MPAA,Oprah Winfrey,PBS,Pedro Almodovar Talks to merge the William Morris and Endeavor talent agencies continue, while the Screen Actors Guild and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers may have finally reached an agreement on a new contract. (http://www.showbizsandbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/alan-rosenberg-large.png) Talks to merge the William Morris and Endeavor talent agencies continue, while the Screen Actors Guild and the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers may have finally reached an agreement on a new contract.  Critically acclaimed movies tank at the box office.  Fox closes Atomic, reshuffles release dates and hires Angelina Jolie for a biopic.  David Slade is selected for the third "Twilight" film. MPAA visits Washington D.C., script doctors are kept busy writing for Tom Cruise.  Cannes unveils it's festival lineup and Francis Ford Coppola is not in it (though he is down the street at the Fortnight).  Jay Leno visits the hospital and Rod Blagojevich visits Hollywood (but not Costa Rica like he wanted). A classic Pedro Almodovar film gets remade for the small screen, PBS goes online with its content and Oprah learns Twitter etiquette. WMA Finds Devil In The Details http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002694.html?categoryid=29&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002694.html?categoryid=29&cs=1) SAG National Board of Directors Approves Tentative Television and Motion Picture Contacts http://www.sag.org/press-releases/april-19-2009/sag-national-board-of-directors-approves-tentative-television-and-motio (http://www.sag.org/press-releases/april-19-2009/sag-national-board-of-directors-approves-tentative-television-and-motio) Flush times for theatrical movies? Don't tell A.O. Scott http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/04/good-movies-struggle-at-box-office.html (http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/04/good-movies-struggle-at-box-office.html) Down Economy = Dumbed Down Movies/TV? Stop the Inanity! http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20269754,00.html (http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20269754,00.html) Fox Folding Atomic Label http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002584.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002584.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/exclusive-fox-atomic-shutting-down/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/exclusive-fox-atomic-shutting-down/) Fox Shuffles Film Schedule http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002645.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002645.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Angelina Jolie Teams With Fox 2000 http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002704.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002704.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1) Slade Slated For Third Twilight http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002751 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002751) MPAA Reaches Out To Lawmakers http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002688.html?categoryid=18&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002688.html?categoryid=18&cs=1) Script Doctor's In For Tom Cruise http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002702.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002702.html?categoryid=1236&cs=1) Digital Governator Set For Termininator http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002743.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002743.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Robert Rodriguez Wields "Machete" http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002792.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118002792.html?categoryid=1237&cs=1) Cannes Unveils Lineup http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1118002762&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=festivals&jump=story&id=1061&articleid=VR1118002762&cs=1) Coppola's Thinking Outside The Cannes http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/04/by-steven-zeitchik-we-remember-interviewing-francis-ford-coppola-last-year-upon-the-release-of-his-slightly-lugubrious-you.html (http://www.riskybusinessblog.com/2009/04/by-steven-zeitchik-we-remember-interviewing-francis-ford-coppola-last-year-upon-the-release-of-his-slightly-lugubrious-you.html) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no