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. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:48:02 +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/2010/06/28/showbiz-sandbox-60-reality-tv-doesnt-kid-around/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/28/showbiz-sandbox-60-reality-tv-doesnt-kid-around/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:00:34 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=896 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/28/showbiz-sandbox-60-reality-tv-doesnt-kid-around/feed/ 0 "All Quiet On The Western Front","Cars 2","Catcher In The Rye","Eat Pray Love","Knight & Day","The Hobbit","The Office","The Tonight Show","Toy Story 3",Academy Awards,Box Office Futures,Bruce Cohen If you are a minor working on a reality television series it turns out there are no child labor laws that protect you. A month long investigation by the Los Angeles Times found  dozens of kids appearing on reality programs without legal safeguards due... If you are a minor working on a reality television series it turns out there are no child labor laws that protect you. A month long investigation by the Los Angeles Times found  dozens of kids appearing on reality programs without legal safeguards due to widespread uncertainty about how to classify the shows. Times staff writers Matea Gold (http://www.twitter.com/mateagold) and Richard Verrier reveal that most of the popular shows had not obtained work permits to employ minors. Gold joins us this week to provide all the details. It was good news and bad news at the box office. Good news for "Toy Story 3", which finished in first place for the second week and bad news for Tom Cruise, whose latest movie, "Knight and Day" didn't open to boffo numbers. If you'd like to place a bet on how much Cruise's next movie might make, you might never get the chance. The U.S. Congress is set to pass a financial reform bill that would prevent two box office futures exchanges from operating. The government is also getting involved in the annual Lollapalooza festival in Chicago, and not in a good way. The events promoters was subpoenaed last week for an anti-trust investigation. Turns out the "radius clause" in Lollapalooza's contract is preventing Chicago night clubs from booking musical acts. Maybe Coachella's booking rules aren't so bad after all. Google got some good legal news last week when Viacom's $1 billion lawsuit against YouTube for copyright infringement was dismissed. Of course, Viacom will appeal the decision. During Big Deal or Big Whoop we argue about all the week's top entertainment headlines, including whether Peter Jackson will direct "The Hobbit" films, the Library of Congress National Recording Registry adds some hip-hop to its archives and Sylvester Stallone as mobster John Gotti. Reality TV Kids Don't Have A Safety Net http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-reality-kids-20100627.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-et-reality-kids-20100627,0,939452.story) 3D's Diminishing Box Office Returns http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118020899.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118020899.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) House Adds Movie Futures Trading Ban To Financial Reform Bill http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/congress-keeps-movie-futures.... (http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/congress-keeps-movie-futures-trading-ban-financial-reform-bil-18760) Bruce Cohen and Don Mischer to Produce 83rd Academy Awards Telecast http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2010/20100622a.html (http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2010/20100622a.html) Date Of Academy Awards Changing To January? http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2010/06/date-of-academy-awards-changing-to.... (http://wearemoviegeeks.com/2010/06/date-of-academy-awards-changing-to-january/) Academy Invites 135 To Membership http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2010/20100625.html (http://www.oscars.org/press/pressreleases/2010/20100625.html) Leno's 'Tonight Show' Ratings Stay Below Conan's http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/24/lenos-tonight-show-ratings-stay.... (http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/06/24/lenos-tonight-show-ratings-stay-below-conan%E2%80%99s-will-they-top-them/) Is Lollapalooza A Monopalooza? Subpoenas Issued For Anti-Trust Investigation http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/immaculate-noise/posts/monopolooza.... (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/immaculate-noise/posts/monopolooza-subpoenas-issued-for-lollapalooza-anti-trust-investigation) So Maybe Coachella's Booking Rules Aren't So Egregious After All http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/06/so-maybe-coachellas.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2010/06/so-maybe-coachellas-booking-rules-arent-so-egregious-after-all.html) Illinois Attorney General Investigating Lollapalooza For Anti-trust http://blogs.vocalo.org/jderogatis/2010/06/breaking-illinois-attorney-general.... (http://blogs.vocalo. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:04:00 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/2010/02/03/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/2010/01/18/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/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/2009/11/23/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/2009/11/09/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/2009/09/14/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/2009/06/29/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