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/2010/07/12/showbiz-sandbox-62-the-secret-behind-hollywoods-accounting-practices/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/07/12/showbiz-sandbox-62-the-secret-behind-hollywoods-accounting-practices/#comments Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:55:49 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=919 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/07/12/showbiz-sandbox-62-the-secret-behind-hollywoods-accounting-practices/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Nash Bridges","Nightline","The Avengers","The Little Mermaid","Who Wants To Be A Millionaire",American Idol,Carl Icahn,Conan O'Brien,Daniel Craig,David Letterman,Disney How is it the last Harry Potter film can gross $938 million but still lose $130 million? Journalist and author Edward Jay Epstein joins us to unravel some of Hollywood’s quirky accounting practices. He’s written two books on the subject; The Hollywoo... How is it the last Harry Potter film can gross $938 million but still lose $130 million? Journalist and author Edward Jay Epstein (http://www.edwardjayepstein.com/) joins us to unravel some of Hollywood’s quirky accounting practices. He’s written two books on the subject; The Hollywood Economist: The Hidden Financial Reality Behind the Movies (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1933633840?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1933633840)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1933633840) and The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812973828?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0812973828)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0812973828). “Despicable Me” topped the box office though the amount it took in from 3D screens was rather low. Could audiences be tiring of paying exorbitant 3D ticket prices? Meanwhile, Miramax finally seems to have found a buyer and Lions Gate is trying to make piece with activist investor Carl Icahn. The Emmy nominations were announced last week and we’ll fill you in on whose up for the television’s big awards. Over in the world of music Pollstar announced that concert ticket sales are down 15% for the first half of the year. During our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment we race through a number of top entertainment headlines, including Roman Polanski’s release, Lindsay Lohan’s jail time and Mel Gibson getting dumped by his agency. Maybe Gibson can find some work on YouTube, which plans to offer $5 million in grants to select content partners. ‘Despicable Me’ Dominates http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2858&p=.htm (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=2858&p=.htm) Lions Gate and Icahn Sign 10-Day Truce To Work On Deals http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/07/lions-gate.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/07/lions-gate-and-icahn-sign-10-day-truce-to-work-on-acquisitions.html) Miramax Sold To Ronald Tutor, Colony Capital http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i76b4.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i76b408899045994dd63fe6c004c2c183) Emmy Nominations 2010: Your Water Cooler Cheat Sheet http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/07/08/emmy-nominations-2010-snubs-trends-facts/ (http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/07/08/emmy-nominations-2010-snubs-trends-facts/) Emmy Snubs! Master Grouse List http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/emmy-snubs-master-grouse-list.htm (http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/07/emmy-snubs-master-grouse-list.htm) ABC News Nightline Is #1 Among Total Viewers http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/09/abc-news-nightline-is-1-among.... (http://tvbythenumbers.com/2010/07/09/abc-news-nightline-is-1-among-total-viewers/56634) Saturday Night Live Breaks An Emmy Record http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/saturday-night-live-breaks.... (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/08/saturday-night-live-breaks-an-emmy-record-and-lorne-michaels-is-cool-with-that/) Concert Tickets Down 15% in First Half of 2010 http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/07/09/731238.aspx (http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/07/09/731238.aspx) ‘American Idol’ Eliminates Seven Tour Dates and Reshuffles Others http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/american.... (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-the-beat-goes-on/posts/american-idol-eliminates-seven-tour-dates-and-reshuffles-others) YouTube Announces Partner Grants Program, Support For 4K Video Resolution http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/09/youtube-partner-program-4k (http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/09/youtube-partner-program-4k) YouTube Leanback Launches, Takes Aim At Your Television Set http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/07/youtube-leanback-tv/ (http://techcrunch.com/2010/07/07/youtube-leanback-tv/) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:05:16 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/14/showbiz-sandbox-58-celebrities-take-over-broadway/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/14/showbiz-sandbox-58-celebrities-take-over-broadway/#comments Tue, 15 Jun 2010 06:41:39 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=876 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/14/showbiz-sandbox-58-celebrities-take-over-broadway/feed/ 0 "Cleopatra","Don Quixote","The A Team","The Human Centipede","The Karate Kid",American Idol,Angelina Jolie,Brian Scott Lipton,Carl Icahn,Donald Trump,Geoffrey Rush,Golden Trailer Awards The Tony Awards were held on Sunday evening honoring the year's best Broadway productions and performances. Brian Scott Lipton the editor-in-chief of TheaterMania.com was there and he stops by to fill us in on all the big winners, The Tony Awards were held on Sunday evening honoring the year's best Broadway productions and performances. Brian Scott Lipton the editor-in-chief of TheaterMania.com (http://www.theatermania.com) was there and he stops by to fill us in on all the big winners, memorable moments and why so many movie stars are currently working in theater. The 11th Annual Golden Trailer Awards also took place this past week and Stephen Garrett of Kinetic Trailers (http://www.kinetictrailers.com/) won two big prizes. He joins us to discuss the current state of movie promos and what its like to win the award for Trashiest Trailer. At the box office "The Karate Kid" knocked "Shrek Forever After" out of first place after three weeks and provided a little hope for this summer's poor ticket sales. "The A Team" on the other hand opened to poor reviews and even worse box office receipts. In television news, the final ratings for this past season's television shows have been released. We'll fill you in on which shows finished on top as well as the ones nobody cared to watch. You'll never guess where "The Jay Leno Show" came in (hint: it's not in the top 100). All of the week's major entertainment news is covered during Big Deal or Big Whoop including Kevin Costner's plan for the Gulf oil spill, why Donald Trump is wooing Lindsay Lohan for "The Apprentice and whether "Don Quixote" would make a good action film. Television's ethnic and racial diversity, or the lack of it, is the topic this week's Inside Baseball segment. TheaterMania's 2010 Tony Award Coverage http://www.theatermania.com/feature/tony-awards-2010/ (http://www.theatermania.com/feature/tony-awards-2010/) Tony's Celebrate Commerce, Not Art http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-tonysnotebook-2-20.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-tonysnotebook-2-20100614,0,5153296.story) 2010 Tony Award Winners http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/theater/theaterspecial/04tonyslist.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/theater/theaterspecial/04tonyslist.html) "The Cove" Wins Top Prize At Golden Trailer Awards http://celluloidjunkie.com/2010/06/11/the-cove-wins-top-prize-at-golden.... (http://celluloidjunkie.com/2010/06/11/the-cove-wins-top-prize-at-golden-trailer-awards/) Full Series Rankings For The 2009/10 Broadcast Season http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/full-series-rankings-for-the-2009-10.... (http://www.deadline.com/2010/05/full-series-rankings-for-the-2009-10-broadcast-season/) Kevin Costner Tells Congress He's got An Oil Spill Solution http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/deepwaterhorizon.... (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/deepwaterhorizon/7045250.html) Whitney Houston Croons Audience Away http://www.cphpost.dk/component/content/49148.html (http://www.cphpost.dk/component/content/49148.html) Tom Cruise Les Grossman Film In The Works http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/09/tom-cruise-les-grossman.... (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/09/tom-cruise-les-grossman-f_n_606802.html) National, Regional Ads Help Cinema Get A Win http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/media-agencies.... (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/media-agencies-research/e3ib36f6aee9fd639721e6fbfa6e01bada2) Angelina Jolie Signed To Play Cleopatra http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/confirmed-angelina.... (http://www.usmagazine.com/moviestvmusic/news/confirmed-angelina-jolie-signed-on-to-play-cleopatra-2010116) Trump Wooing Lindsay Lohan http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/apprentice_wooing_lindsay_CE6z.... (http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/apprentice_wooing_lindsay_CE6z4bb3D2kEJ1y1ljHTbL) Warner Bros. and Joel Silver Developing Tentpole Version of Don Quixote http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/06/11/warner-bros-and-joel-silver.... (http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/06/11/warner-bros-and-joel-silver-reportedly-developing-tentpole-version-of-don-quixote/) Geoffrey Rush Sails With Pirates J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:09:13 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/07/showbiz-sandbox-57-a-memo-from-james-cameron/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/07/showbiz-sandbox-57-a-memo-from-james-cameron/#comments Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:37:49 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=867 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/07/showbiz-sandbox-57-a-memo-from-james-cameron/feed/ 0 "Avengers","Big Bang Theory","Eat Pray Love","Inception","The Real Housewives of New York",American Idol,Bethenny Frankel,Box Office,Bravo,Carl DiOrio,David Bergstein,Don Cheadle It was kind of a slow news week in the entertainment world, especially when it comes to the North American box office.  Movie attendance is down 10% over last year's summer blockbuster season.  Hollywood Reporter deputy film editor Carl DiOrio stops by... It was kind of a slow news week in the entertainment world, especially when it comes to the North American box office.  Movie attendance is down 10% over last year's summer blockbuster season.  Hollywood Reporter deputy film editor Carl DiOrio stops by with his theories as to why audiences are staying away from this year's crop of Hollywood offerings. The MTV Movie Awards were held last weekend and the telecast was filled with so much profanity half of it was bleeped out. Though few take the awards seriously, we'll still fill you in on all the winners and Tom Cruise's outstanding dance performance. Over in television Bravo has been making a name for itself with a string of successful reality television shows including "The Real Housewives of New York".  The network is not shy about letting the New York Times know that they use social media and the Internet to decide which shows are working, popular storylines and which cast members are break out stars deserving their own show.  Speaking of break out stars, the cast of the popular "Big Bang Theory" wants a 285% pay raise and are presenting a unified front when negotiating with the network. In Big Deal or Big Whoop this week we discuss whether James Cameron's ideas hold any water.  We also cover a number of other top headlines including whether Ellen Degeneres' sexuality had anything to do with "American Idol's' rating slip.  Finally, during Inside Baseball we provide updates on the ownership struggles at Lions Gate Entertainment and the sale of Miramax. Are Moviegoers Tiring Of Sequels http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i4811cd.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i4811cd742d860d93d101a0eb6ca4b9cb) 2010 MTV Movie Award Winners http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2010-6-6-2010-mtv-movie-awards-winners (http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2010-6-6-2010-mtv-movie-awards-winners) We'll Make You A Star (If The Web Agrees) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/business/06bravo.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/business/06bravo.html) 'Big Bang Theory' Stars Want A 285% Raise http://blogs.forbes.com/bizblog/2010/06/03/big-bang-theory-stars-want.... (http://blogs.forbes.com/bizblog/2010/06/03/big-bang-theory-stars-want-a-285-raise/) Why James Cameron Is Diving Deep On Gulf Oil http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/why-cameron-is-diving.... (http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/04/why-cameron-is-diving-deep-on-gulf-oil/) Mariah Carey drops out of the new Tyler Perry movie. http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/06/04/tyler.... (http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/celebrity.news.gossip/06/04/tyler.perry.mariah.carey.ppl/) Producer Herskovitz Warns Of Devaluing Content http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/06/producer.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/06/producer-herskovitz-warns-of-devaluing-content.html) Don Cheadle Named UN Spokesman http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6a08.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6a088b54b00be8685f95ef5abf125075) Jeremy Renner Near Deal To Join Marvels 'Avengers' http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/06/jeremy-renner-poised-to-join.... (http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/06/jeremy-renner-poised-to-join-marvels-avengers.html) Claim: Ellen Being Gay Hurt 'Idol' Ratings http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/06/ellen-gay-idol-ratings.html (http://livefeed.hollywoodreporter.com/2010/06/ellen-gay-idol-ratings.html) Julia Roberts' "Eat Pray Love" Gets Gentler PG-13 Rating http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ie1YNKQhBsQgLU.... (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ie1YNKQhBsQgLUCHCi0hNjNVlOSAD9G40QU02) No More Costumed Superheroes In Hollywood http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/06/04/no-more-costumed-superheroes.... (http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/06/04/no-more-costumed-superheroes-in-hollywood/) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 55:06 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/01/showbiz-sandbox-56-what-you-talkin-bout-guillermo/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/01/showbiz-sandbox-56-what-you-talkin-bout-guillermo/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:11:21 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=854 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/06/01/showbiz-sandbox-56-what-you-talkin-bout-guillermo/feed/ 0 "Ghost Whisperer","Nightline","Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles","The Hobbit","The Karate Kid","X Men: First Class",American Idol,Dennis Hopper,Ellen DeGeneres,Eurovision,Gary Coleman,Gorillaz The past week's entertainment news was filled with surprises. First Gary Coleman, star of the hit 80's sitcom unexpectedly died at the age of 42 from a brain hemorrhage. Then, after more than two years of work, The past week's entertainment news was filled with surprises. First Gary Coleman, star of the hit 80's sitcom unexpectedly died at the age of 42 from a brain hemorrhage. Then, after more than two years of work, the ongoing turmoil at MGM causes director Guillermo del Toro call it quits on the film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Hobbit". A question lingers over whether Peter Jackson will step in to helm the film himself? Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter, one of the industry's big trade papers, left many mouths agape when they hired former Us Weekly editor Janice Min to transform the film into a broader weekly publication. Maybe not such a surprise was the tepid box office results over the North American Memorial Day Weekend. Customarily the start of the summer blockbuster season, this year audiences stayed away from theaters, probably because they don't find any of the new releases, including "Sex and The City 2" and "Prince of Persia" all that interesting. Another expected, though sad, turn of events was the passing of actor Dennis Hopper, who had been battling prostate cancer since last October. Over in the music world, Germany's Lena Meyer-Landrut won the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest with her catchy pop song "Satellite".  Hip-hop pop star M.I.A was also making news, though not necessarily in a good way. After the New York Times Magazine published a less than flattering profile of her she posted the writer's phone number on Twitter claiming it was her own. We go through a ton of entertainment headlines during Big Deal or Big Whoop this week including a casting update for the "X-Men" prequel, Megan Fox's replacement on "Transformers 3", Ellen DeGeneres' new record label and the cancellation of "Ghost Whisperer". 'Different Strokes' Star Gary Coleman Dies http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_gary_coleman (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_gary_coleman) Actor/Director Dennis Hopper Dies At 74 http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-hopper-20100530.... (http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-hopper-20100530,0,7084927,full.story) Guillermo Del Toro Leaves The Hobbit http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/05/guillermo-del-toro-leaves-the-hobbit.html (http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/05/guillermo-del-toro-leaves-the-hobbit.html) Sir Peter Jackson Says He May Step In http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/3760135/Sir-Peter-Jackson.... (http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/national/3760135/Sir-Peter-Jackson-says-he-may-step-in/) The Karate Kid Update Breaks Down Some Chinese Walls http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-karatekid-20100530,0.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-karatekid-20100530,0,6554858.story) Germany Wins Eurovision Song Contest http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/05/30/725243.aspx (http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/05/30/725243.aspx) Priests Become Hit Making Trinity In Brazil http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100529/music_nm/us_brazil (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100529/music_nm/us_brazil) M.I.A.'s Agitprop Pop http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/magazine/30mia-t.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/magazine/30mia-t.html) Lynn Hirschberg's Response To M.I.A. Tweet in which Hirschberg's personal number was given out as if it were M.I.A.'s http://www.observer.com/2010/media/lynn-hirschbergs-response-mia.... (http://www.observer.com/2010/media/lynn-hirschbergs-response-mia-tweet-fairly-unethical-and-infuriating) Disney Dumps SoapNet To Make Way For Kids Network http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64Q00T20100527 (http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64Q00T20100527) James McAvoy is Playing Professor X in "X-Men: First Class" http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/05/james-mcavoy-playing-professor.... (http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/05/james-mcavoy-playing-professor-x-in-xmen-first-class.html) New Role for EllenDegeneres: Record Company Mogul http://www.nytimes. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:01:13 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-53-im-sleeping-with-richard-dreyfuss/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-53-im-sleeping-with-richard-dreyfuss/#comments Tue, 11 May 2010 13:14:23 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=814 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-53-im-sleeping-with-richard-dreyfuss/feed/ 0 Air France,American Idol,Bret Michaels,Cannes Film Festival,FCC,IndieWire,Julia Louis-Dreyfus,Lena Horne,Lindsey Lohan,MetroLyrics,Newsweek,Slate The Cannes Film Festival kicks off in France this week and our very own Michael Giltz and J. Sperling Reich are on the Croisette to cover all the news. When they're not sharing a bed they'll be seeing all the big movies and speaking with all the filmm... The Cannes Film Festival kicks off in France this week and our very own Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/) and J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) are on the Croisette to cover all the news. When they're not sharing a bed they'll be seeing all the big movies and speaking with all the filmmakers. Back in North America "Iron Man 2" opened to huge numbers, earning $128 million over the weekend, giving it the fifth biggest opening of all time. Meanwhile, the Washington Post is struggling with it's own numbers. The media company has decided to put Newsweek magazine up for sale as its profit has declined 30%. On the other hand, their online property Slate.com has seen ad revenue increase 30%. Another group looking to make money online are music publishers. They're going after websites that publish music lyrics without permission. Even though song lyrics are copyrighted, how much money could there possibly be in such sites? On television, 88-year-old actress Betty White continued her improbable comeback by scoring huge ratings when she hosted last week's "Saturday Night Live". Another actress making a comeback is Lindsay Lohan who was just cast in a porn film. . . sort of. She'll be playing Linda Lovelace in a biopic about the porn star. During Inside Baseball we discuss the recent FCC ruling allowing movie studios to prevent home viewers from recording their video-on-demand purchases. On paper, the wavier granted to the studios is meant to prevent piracy, though what it will really allow is movies to be released in theatres and on VOD at the same time. Legendary Jazz Singer Lena Horne Dies At 92 http://www.billboard.com/news/legendary-jazz-singer-lena-horne-dies-at.... (http://www.billboard.com/news/legendary-jazz-singer-lena-horne-dies-at-1004089663.story) Cannes Film Festival Makes Do With A Lighter Lineup http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126720373&ft=1&f=1045 (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126720373&ft=1&f=1045) Newsweek For Sale http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/magazines.... (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/magazines-newspapers/e3ia9f1b586d3151064e15aed4076b56491) Slate Reports 30% Ad Revenue Increase http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/50980/slate-reports-30.... (http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/50980/slate-reports-30-ad-revenue-increase-while-slate-group-jumps-52/) Indiewire Blog Network Grows http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/05/10/cannes.... (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/05/10/cannes_veteran_sydney_levine_joins_indiewire_blog_network/) Lyrics Sites At Center of Fight Over Royalties http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/business/media/10lyrics.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/10/business/media/10lyrics.html) 'Idol' Builds Heading Into Season Finale http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights.... (http://www.medialifemagazine.com/artman2/publish/Overnights_50/-Idol-builds-heading-into-season-finale.asp) http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/.... (http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/news/media/e3i0b2233969ec82f2c9e9a02a5cd17cc13) Julia Louis-Dreyfus Gets Walk of Fame Typo http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/.... (http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/05/julia-louis-dreyfus-gets-walk-of-fame-typo/1) Betty White Hosts SNL and Pulls In Huge Ratings http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/comments_blog/2010/05/.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/comments_blog/2010/05/facebook-betty-white-snl-ratings-tina-fey.html) Glam Metal Star Bret Michaels Reveals I'm Lucky To Be Alive http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1553767.php.... (http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/news/article_1553767.php/Glam-metal-star-Bret-Michaels-reveals-Im-lucky-to-be-alive) Taylor Swift To Receive Award At Songwriter's Hall Of Fame http://news. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 59:56 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/2010/01/11/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/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/2009/09/14/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/2009/09/03/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/2009/08/10/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/2009/06/01/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/2009/05/18/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