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/2010/07/26/showbiz-sandbox-64-buzzing-about-comic-con-digital-comics-and-e-books/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/07/26/showbiz-sandbox-64-buzzing-about-comic-con-digital-comics-and-e-books/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:32:52 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=938 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/07/26/showbiz-sandbox-64-buzzing-about-comic-con-digital-comics-and-e-books/feed/ 0 "Animal Farm","Batman 3","Catfish","Green Hornet","Inception","Salt","Scott Pilgrim vs. The World","The Avengers","The Walking Dead",Alex Billington,Alex Pham,Amazon Geoff Boucher of the Los Angeles Times, Alex Billington of First Showing and Anne Thompson of indieWIRE all attended the 41st annual Comic-Con. They stop by to fill us in on all the the movies and television shows that managed to generate a lot of buz... Geoff Boucher (http://twitter.com/LATherocomplex) of the Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/), Alex Billington (http://twitter.com/firstshowing) of First Showing (http://twitter.com/firstshowing) and Anne Thompson (http://twitter.com/akstanwyck) of indieWIRE (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/) all attended the 41st annual Comic-Con (http://www.comic-con.org/). They stop by to fill us in on all the the movies and television shows that managed to generate a lot of buzz (as well as a few that fizzled). We recap the pop-culture convention's highlights and breaking news items. Of course, before Comic-Con invited movies and television shows to the party, it used to be about buying and selling comic books. However, as Alex Pham (http://twitter.com/alexpham) of the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/news/la-fiw-0718-reading-20100718,0,1216316,full.story) informs us, physical comic books may be an endangered item thanks to the growing popularity of digital comics. These newfangled comics have animation, sound effects and narration. Pham also explains how e-books are changing the future of how and what we read. E-books were the source of major controversy in the publishing world this past week. Literary agent Andrew Wylie announced he would bypass traditional publishing firms and form his own digital publishing company to release e-book versions of his client's work, including out of print work from the likes of John Updike and and Philip Roth. Rachel Deahl (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/rachel-deahl/1/b13/a16), senior news editor at Publishers Weekly (http://www.publishersweekly.com), tells us why this move was so controversial within the publishing industry. During Big Deal or Big Whoop we rant about the week's top entertainment headlines, including Justin Bieber's acting debut, Netflix's Canadian venture as well as some jail time for Lindsey Lohan and Wesley Snipes. Comical voicemail messages from Viacom head Sumner Redstone are the topic of this week's Inside Baseball segment. Comic-Con 2010: The Hero Complex Version http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/07/comiccon-2010-the.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/07/comiccon-2010-the-hero-complex-collection.html) First Showing's Comic-Con Coverage http://www.firstshowing.net/category/comic-con10/ (http://www.firstshowing.net/category/comic-con10/) Thompson On Hollywood's Comic-Con Coverage http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/category/comic-con/ (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/category/comic-con/) Digital Comics: Nemesis Or Sidekick To Comic Book Culture? http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-digital-comics-20100723,0,3873557.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-digital-comics-20100723,0,3873557.story) Electronic Reading Devices Transforming The Concept Of A Book http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/18/business/la-fiw-0718-reading-20100718 (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/jul/18/business/la-fiw-0718-reading-20100718) Literary Agency Plans E-Book Editions http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/books/22odyssey.html?_r=1 (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/books/22odyssey.html?_r=1) Agency Publishes 20 'Modern Classics' On Kindle, Cutting Out Publishers http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20011313-1.html (http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20011313-1.html) Random House Prepared To Challenge Wylie Agency's New Publishing Biz http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content.... (http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/43925-random-house-prepared-to-challenge-wylie-agency-s-new-publishing-biz.html) Stampede At German Love Parade Festival Kills 19 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10751899 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-10751899) After Media Frenzy Lindsay Lohan Begins Life In Jail http://insession.blogs.cnn.com/2010/07/22/after-media-frenzy.... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:09:32 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/15/showbiz-sandbox-45-changing-faces-at-variety/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/15/showbiz-sandbox-45-changing-faces-at-variety/#comments Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:03:26 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=729 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/03/15/showbiz-sandbox-45-changing-faces-at-variety/feed/ 0 "Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","Glee",AC/DC,Anne Thompson,Billboard,Corey Haim,David Letterman,Jay Leno,Katherine Heigl,Mel Gibson,OK Go Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” took the top spot at the box office again this week, which might be why 3D is causing quite a stir at ShoWest this year in Las Vegas. J. Sperling Reich fills us in on what theatre owners are talking about at the annu... Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland” took the top spot at the box office again this week, which might be why 3D is causing quite a stir at ShoWest this year in Las Vegas. J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) fills us in on what theatre owners are talking about at the annual convention. This week Hollywood suffered another untimely death, this time it was actor Corey Haim at age 38. In happier news (for some), Jay Leno seems to be doing quite well back in his old time slot. The late night funnyman went back to “The Tonight Show” and ratings soared. What does this mean for Conan O’Brien and his chances for launching a competing late night talk show? In music news, Billboard published a list of the Top 40 Moneymakers of 2009. Its well worth checking out as you might be surprised who makes the list. (Although it’s no surprise that U2 tops the list.) Finally, we are joined by indieWIRE’s Anne Thompson (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com) during our Inside Baseball segment to talk about why Variety, the industry’s top trade paper is laying off staff members, including Todd McCarthy, their top film critic. Is this a sign of impending doom for the daily?  Panavision Heads Into Theatres With Hybrid 3D System http://celluloidjunkie.com/2010/03/14/panavision-heads-into-theatres-with-hybrid.... (http://celluloidjunkie.com/2010/03/14/panavision-heads-into-theatres-with-hybrid-3d-system/) Corey Haim Dies At 38 http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/10/local/la-me-corey-haim11-2010mar11 (http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/10/local/la-me-corey-haim11-2010mar11) Fox Mulling Summer “Avatar” Re-Release http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i474fda2d02866bfd711a3d89a21b17a7) Letterman Harasser Pleads Guilty Gets Six Months In Jail http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/03/letterman.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/03/letterman-harasser-pleads-guilty-gets-six-months.html) Billboard lists the Top 40 Moneymakers of 2009 http://www.billboard.com/news/2010-money-makers-list-1004071338.story.... (http://www.billboard.com/news/2010-money-makers-list-1004071338.story#/news/2010-money-makers-list-1004071338.story) Katherine Heigl's "Greys Anatomy" Days Are Done http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/03/report-katherine-heigls.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/03/report-katherine-heigls-greys-anatomy-days-are-done.html) Mel Gibson Says Viking Movie May Be His Last http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/03/mel-gibson-says-vikings.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/03/mel-gibson-says-vikings-movie-with-leonardo-dicaprio-may-be-his-last.html/) OK Go Have Done It Again http://www.sugarscape.com/node/474870 (http://www.sugarscape.com/node/474870) Glee Tour Adds More Dates and Cities http://www.gleetour2010.com/ (http://www.gleetour2010.com/) Variety Sued Over "Iron Cross" http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/variety-sued-over-movie-promotion-gone.... (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/variety-sued-over-movie-promotion-gone-wrong-15111) Variety Follows Oscars By Cutting 8, Including Chief Film Critic http://paidcontent.org/article/419-variety-follows-oscars-by-cutting-8-including-chief.... (http://paidcontent.org/article/419-variety-follows-oscars-by-cutting-8-including-chief-film-critic/) Variety Editor’s Memo http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=179168 (http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&aid=179168) Variety Cuts Its Life Blood: Critics McCarthy and Rooney http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/08/variety_lays_off_its.... (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2010/03/08/variety_lays_off_its_lifes_blood_critics_mccarthy_and_rooney/) Facebook Group: We'll Pay To Read Todd McCarthy http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/facebook-group-well-pay-read-todd.... (http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:01:48 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/16/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-are-bloggers-breaking-the-rules/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/16/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-are-bloggers-breaking-the-rules/#comments Sat, 17 Oct 2009 03:20:27 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=436 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/16/showbiz-sandbox-special-episode-are-bloggers-breaking-the-rules/feed/ 0 Anne Thompson,Bloggers,James Rocchi,Rocchi Report,Thompson On Hollywood When Anne Thompson posted a story on Thompson On Hollywood last week questioning whether entertainment bloggers follow journalistic rules she had no intention of opening a Pandora's box.  Nor did she mean to call out, or deride James Rocchi, When Anne Thompson (http://www.twitter.com/akstanwyck) posted a story on Thompson On Hollywood (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com) last week questioning whether entertainment bloggers follow journalistic rules she had no intention of opening a Pandora's box.  Nor did she mean to call out, or deride James Rocchi (http://www.rocchireport.com), a freelance entertainment writer and critic whose work appears on MSN and in Mother Jones magazine.  But, by suggesting that today's entertainment bloggers may not share the same journalistic ethics as their mainstream media counterparts, Anne highlighted an issue that few in the industry like to discuss. What happens when a studio or network pays for a journalist to travel to cover a film or show, especially when that trip is to an exotic location like Bora Bora?  Should the journalist disclose the means behind their coverage to readers, or are readers smart enough to figure it out on their own?  Does such activity influce the journalist's critical review? Based on the number of lengthy comments from well known journalists and industry influencers that appear on Anne's post, Full Disclosure: Bloggers Break Rules (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/10/07/bloggers_disclosure_rules/), it is safe to say that people have very strong and passionate opinions on thte topic.  That's why we asked Anne to join us along with James for a special episode of Showbiz Sandbox to talk about her post at length.  We discuss James' recent trip to Bora Bora to cover "Couple's Retreat" as well as the tradition of studios and networks to hold such lavish press events.  Freelance entertainment writer Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) firmly believes that participating in such trips comprimises any true journalist, whereas James (http://www.twitter.com/jamesrocchi) believes it is just a tool provided by the studio which assists him in completing the assignment he is paid for.  Coming from a background as a traditional journalist, Anne sees the issue living in a huge gray area.  Karen Woodward was so overwhelmed by the whole converation she hid behind her mute button. The debate that ensues is lively and at times quite heated (to put it mildly).  It's well worth listening to if only to learn what the Taco Bell Curve is all about and whether you should stop reading some of your favorite online media outlets. What are your own thoughts on the issue.? Please leave your comments below, email us or leave us a voicemail.  We'll read and listen to some of them on our next episode. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:36:52 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=329 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/08/24/showbiz-sandbox-17-twitter-makes-movie-critics-important-again/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Dancing With The Stars","Dirty Dancing","Inglorious Basterds","Shutter Island","Yellow Submarine",Anne Thompson,IndieWire,Paramount Pictures,Radiohead,Redbox,Thom Yorke Anne Thompson of “Thompson On Hollywood” joins us again this week, with big news of her own: Her blog is now a part of the indieWire network, where she will shine the Hollywood light on outlet which has traditionally covered the indie scene. Anne Thompson of “Thompson On Hollywood” joins us again this week, with big news of her own: Her blog is now a part of the indieWire network, where she will shine the Hollywood light on outlet which has traditionally covered the indie scene. Thompson can now be read at http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood), and you can always follow her on twitter at twitter.com/akstanwyck (http://www.twitter.com/akstanwyck). Speaking of Twitter, is the social media platform responsible for the successful opening weekend of “Inglorious Basterds”? “Bruno” and “GI Joe” plummeted at the box office within their opening weekends, and box office watchers posit that social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook have a lot to do with it. Bad news travels fast. Obviously so does good news – and the best news is that studios may have to start making – gasp – watchable movies! Friday, August 21st was Avatar Day, when fans could hustle over to their nearest IMAX theatre to watch 16 minutes of 3D footage from James Cameron’s “Avatar.” The web site on which people could reserve tickets crashed on the first day because demand was so high, but apparently many theaters were near empty. Could that have anything to do with the trailer being available online beforehand? Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz (http://www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz) saw both versions of the trailer and didn't think either were engaging. Paramount is pushing “Shutter Island,” the Leonardo DiCaprio movie directed by Martin Scorsese, to February. This may be a sign that the film isn’t Oscar worthy, or perhaps it’s not meant to be Oscar worthy. It's certainly ture that Paramount doesn’t have the budget to both market the movie's release and promote an Oscar campaign. Paramount seems to be doing a lot of dumping these days following the shuttering of Paramount Vantage. Of course when one of those movies is “The Goods” starring Jeremy Piven, it probably deserves to be dumped. Studios are clearly looking at the bottom line these days, as the recent hulabalu over Redbox demonstrates. TimeWarner chairman Jeff Bewkes compared Redbox to second-run movie theatres. According to Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times, by trying to keep their product away from Redbox for as long as possible, the studios are doing what all businesses do when threatened by dramatic change -- they're trying to hang on to their business model for as long as possible. Meanwhile, the Redbox antitrust suit against Universal was upheld… This is starting to sound like a movie that should star George Clooney. And we start our remake watch in this episode! Disney is in negotiations with Bob Zemeckis to direct a remake of the Beatles’ animated movie “Yellow Submarine,” Lionsgate is putting Baby back in the corner again (“Dirty Dancing”), and Bryan Singer is developing an “Excalibur” remake. Meanwhile in television is giving us plenty of reality shows, such as “Dancing with Stars,” which announced the line up for its ninth season, a list that included disgraced Congressman Tom Delay. In music news, Radiohead’s Thom York dissed the album format but that doesn’t mean free business models don't work…just ask, well, Radiohead and Thom York. Turns out they leaked their latest song on bittorrent. Someone who still believes in records is Willie Nelson, who is now following Giltz on Twitter. Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) thinks Nelson's new record "American Classic" is one of his best. And our Inside Baseball news this week focuses on the Hollywood Health Report. When this many deck chairs are about to be rearranged, folks in Hollywood start speculating which studios are on the rise and which might be in trouble. Anne Thompson helps us sort it all out. Twittering May Have Impact At The Box Office http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/19/AR2009081904279.html?hpid=artsliving (http://www.washingtonpost. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/20/episdoe-12-i-want-to-be-korbi/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/20/episdoe-12-i-want-to-be-korbi/#comments Mon, 20 Jul 2009 23:30:05 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=201 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/20/episdoe-12-i-want-to-be-korbi/feed/ 0 "30 Rock","Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince",Anne Thompson,Comcast,Deadline Hollywood Daily,Emmys,IndieWire,James Rainey,Korbi Ghosh,Korbi TV,Nikki Finke,Thompson On Hollywood Korbi Ghosh of Zap2it's Korbi TV blog joins us this week to discuss a bunch of television news including the Emmy nominations.  Korbi's blog shares scoops, spoilers and breaking news with a community of fellow TV fanatics. Korbi Ghosh of Zap2it's Korbi TV (http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/) blog joins us this week to discuss a bunch of television news including the Emmy nominations.  Korbi (http://www.twitter.com/korbigirl)'s blog shares scoops, spoilers and breaking news with a community of fellow TV fanatics. She often appears on the TV Guide Channel, delivering her expert opinion on the television topic of the day and has filmed guest spot appearances on series such as "Scrubs" and "Greek."  Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com), whose writing appears in the New York Daily News, the Huffington Post and the Advocate also joins us this week. The Emmy nominations were led by “30 Rock” which garnered a total of 22 (plus, noms for supporting cast Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer and Tracy Morgan!) A surprise nomination for Jim Parsons for Actor in a Comedy Series (the the underrated “Big Bang Theory”), Simon Baker (“The Mentalist”),  and Farrah Fawcett, nominated posthumously for “Farrah’s Story.”  Snubbed one again were “Friday Night Lights,”  “Battlestar Galactica,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” and that show’s host, Cat Deeley. A big nod to Twitter, the technology microblogging platform, that allowed nominees to make their own statements instead of issuing a standard press release written by their publicists. In other entertainment news, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” won the weekly box office war, Paul Adbul fights for a larger salary, more networks are joining Comcast Corp.'s nationwide test of an online-video subscription offering (do you watch television online?) and “Being Relentless and Sharp Pays Off  For Deadline Hollywood Daily's Nikki Finke. '30 Rock' Gets Record 22 Emmy Nominations http://theenvelope.latimes.com/la-et-emmys-main17-2009jul17,0,4737929.story (http://theenvelope.latimes.com/la-et-emmys-main17-2009jul17,0,4737929.story) Full List of 2009 Emmy Nominations http://www.zap2it.com/news/env-09-emmy-list16-2009jul16-html,0,2217888.htmlstory (http://www.zap2it.com/news/env-09-emmy-list16-2009jul16-html,0,2217888.htmlstory) Emmy Noms 2009: Who Was Robbed & Who Will You Be Rooting For http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2009/07/emmy-noms-2009-who-was-robbed-who-will-you-be-rooting-for.html (http://blog.zap2it.com/korbitv/2009/07/emmy-noms-2009-who-was-robbed-who-will-you-be-rooting-for.html) Emmy Nominees Slow To Share On Twitter http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/07/emmy-nominees-slow-to-share-on-twitter.html (http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/07/emmy-nominees-slow-to-share-on-twitter.html) Farrah Fawcett Receives Posthumous Emmy Award Nomination For 'Farrahs Story' http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/07/farrah-fawcett-receives-posthumous-emmy-award-nomination-for-farrahs-story-tv-news-1357986.htm (http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2009/07/farrah-fawcett-receives-posthumous-emmy-award-nomination-for-farrahs-story-tv-news-1357986.htm) 'Idol' Might Lose Paula Abdul If Producers Don't Step Up With New Deal http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/07/paula-abduls-manager-shell-leave-idol-if-producers-dont-step-up-new-deal.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/americanidoltracker/2009/07/paula-abduls-manager-shell-leave-idol-if-producers-dont-step-up-new-deal.html) TV Networks Join Comcast Web Test http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124760866232541453.html?mod=googlenews_wsj (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124760866232541453.html?mod=googlenews_wsj) Tony Hale In 'CTRL' of NBC Digital's New Series http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009/07/15/tony-hale-in-ctrl-of-nbc-digitals-new-series/ (http://news.tubefilter.tv/2009/07/15/tony-hale-in-ctrl-of-nbc-digitals-new-series/) 'Harry Potter' Breaks Hollywood Midnight Ticket Sales Record http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/07/harry-potter-midnight-ticket-sales.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/07/harry-potter-midnight-ticket-sales.html) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/13/wild-about-michael-jackson-and-neil-diamond/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/13/wild-about-michael-jackson-and-neil-diamond/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:02:03 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=184 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/13/wild-about-michael-jackson-and-neil-diamond/feed/ 0 "Parenthood","The Green Lantern",Anne Thompson,David Wild,Maura Tierney,Michael Giltz,Michael Jackson,Neil Diamond,Nikki Finke,Ryan Reynolds Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild joins us this week to discuss the Michael Jackson memorial.  Wild is an Emmy-nominated television writer and a best selling author. on top of his work with Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone contributing editor David Wild joins us this week to discuss the Michael Jackson memorial.  Wild is an Emmy-nominated television writer and a best selling author. on top of his work with Rolling Stone.  He recently worked on the magazine's Michael Jackson tribute, and was also instrumental in putting together the pop star's memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.  He explains some of the realities and feelings taking place behind the scenes at the event.  He also has a new book out titled He Is... I Say: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love Neil Diamond (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHe-Say-Learned-Worrying-Diamond%2Fdp%2F0306817845%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1247441520%26sr%3D1-1&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=ur2&o=1), currently available on Amazon and other retailers.  You can follow David on Twitter at twitter.com/wildaboutmusic (http://www.twitter.com/wildaboutmusic). Audiences weren't wild about "Bruno," which won the weekend box office race, but didn't perform as expected. Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock's "The Proposal" continues to perform well - well enough that Reynolds has been offered the role of The Green Lantern in Warner Bros's upcoming movie. Was he a better choice over Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake?  Does anyone even care about "The Green Lantern"?  Anne Thompson addresses that, and the future of film criticism in her blog Thompson On Hollywood (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com). Also joining us this week is Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com), freelance writer for The Huffington Post, New York Daily News, and The Advocate, among other publications. Michael is becoming a series regular at Showbiz Sandbox, and we always welcome his insight into the week's top entertaiment news. Remembering Michael Jackson: The Service Is A Thriller http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/07/remembering-michael-jackson-the-service-is-a-thriller.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/music_blog/2009/07/remembering-michael-jackson-the-service-is-a-thriller.html) Sending Off Somebody's Brother - Thoughts From Backstage At The Staples Center http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wild/sending-off-somebodys-bro_b_227372.html (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wild/sending-off-somebodys-bro_b_227372.html) Michael Jackson: The Wounds The Broken Heart http://theenvelope.latimes.com/news/la-me-jackson-hilburn27-2009jun27,0,3030811.story (http://theenvelope.latimes.com/news/la-me-jackson-hilburn27-2009jun27,0,3030811.story) Nikki Finke Says Enough! http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/enough/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/enough/) Neil Diamond's Hot August Night Tour Telecast http://neildiamond.com/pages/news/684 (http://neildiamond.com/pages/news/684) Ryan Reynolds Is 'The Green Lantern' http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-read-green-lantern-3-moneyball-2.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-read-green-lantern-3-moneyball-2.html) Anne Thompson On The Green Lantern And Film Criticism http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-read-green-lantern-3-moneyball-2.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/weekend-read-green-lantern-3-moneyball-2.html) Maura Tierney Illness Delays 'Parenthood' http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4c5798b5271bede48df96f089f507be5 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i4c5798b5271bede48df96f089f507be5) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/06/01/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