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/2010/05/25/showbiz-sandbox-55-i-want-my-google-tv/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/05/25/showbiz-sandbox-55-i-want-my-google-tv/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 05:02:34 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=840 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/05/25/showbiz-sandbox-55-i-want-my-google-tv/feed/ 0 "$#*! My Dad Says","Lost","Nightline","Shrek Forever After","Transformers 3",Best Buy,Bob Weinstein,Bret Michaels,Cannes Film Festival,Digital 3D,Google TV,Harvey Weinstein It's official. Google is getting into the television business with help from Sony and Logitech. Will making television searchable cause viewership to rise? On the other hand, movies have apparently found a way to shrink their audience - raise movie t... It's official. Google is getting into the television business with help from Sony and Logitech. Will making television searchable cause viewership to rise? On the other hand, movies have apparently found a way to shrink their audience - raise movie ticket prices. While "Shrek Forever After" may have topped the North American box office, it's $71 million debut was seen as a bit of a disappointment. Industry pundits are pointing to the rising cost of 3D movie tickets as part of the cause. And if you think movie tickets are getting too expensive just wait until cable companies start offering "home theater on demand". Movie studios are being pitched by cable operators on distributing their movies via video-on-demand just 30 days after they are released in theaters. However, the $20 to $30 price tag may turn potential customers away. We wrap up our coverage of the Cannes Film Festival, where an obscure "auteur" film from Thailand took the top prize. Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) tell us about all the films they liked (and hated) at this year's festival. The series finale of "Lost" aired over the weekend, though it received mixed reviews and mediocre ratings. During our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment we cover all the week's top entertainment news including Lindsay Lohan's court date, actress Megan Fox's sudden unemployment and U2's forced hiatus. We end with an update on the stalled sale of Miramax Films to former founders Weinstein brothers. Movie Theaters Retreat From $20 Tickets, Citing Mistake http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704852004575258.... (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704852004575258913119993990.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Lifestyle_5) Is The Novelty of 3D Wearing Thin As Ticket Prices Continue To Rise http://www.btigresearch.com/2010/05/24/is-the-novelty-of-3d-wearing-thin-.... (http://www.btigresearch.com/2010/05/24/is-the-novelty-of-3d-wearing-thin-as-ticket-prices-continue-to-rise/) Hollywood Eyes Shortcut To TV http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704167704.... (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704167704575258761968531140.html) Best Buy Debuts On Demand Video http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703957904.... (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703957904575252060338363120.html) Cannes 2010 Prizes: Thailand (and Monkey Ghosts) Win Palm d'Or http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/cannes-2010.... (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-giltz/cannes-2010-prizes-thaila_b_586502.html) Viewers of 'Lost' Finale Stay Tuned http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/ratings-for-lost-finale-are-sweet-dude/ (http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/24/ratings-for-lost-finale-are-sweet-dude/) Calling On Sony and Others, Google Makes A TV Move http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/technology/21google.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/21/technology/21google.html) http://www.google.com/tv/ (http://www.google.com/tv/) http://paidcontent.org/article/419-videos-schmidt.... (http://paidcontent.org/article/419-videos-schmidt-makes-the-tv-rounds-on-google-tv/) Newspapers Web Traffic On The Rise http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/magazines-newspapers.... (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/magazines-newspapers/e3i96c5acdd87b0c1d777b054bcd9ed2014) Iran Releases Detained Filmmaker http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/05/25/world/middleeast/AP-ML-Iran.... (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/05/25/world/middleeast/AP-ML-Iran-Filmmaker.html) Lindsay Lohan To Wear Alcohol Monitoring Bracelet, Weekly Drug Tests http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/05/24/2010-05-24_lindsay_lohan_will_have_to_wear_an_alcoholmonitoring.... (http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/05/24/2010-05-24_lindsay_lohan_will_have_to_wear_an_alcoholmonitoring_bracelet_have_weekly_drug_t.html) Paula Abdul Returning To Primetime on CBS J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 59:57 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/05/17/showbiz-sandbox-54-le-petit-cannes-downsizing-the-festival/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/05/17/showbiz-sandbox-54-le-petit-cannes-downsizing-the-festival/#comments Mon, 17 May 2010 13:26:39 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=825 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/05/17/showbiz-sandbox-54-le-petit-cannes-downsizing-the-festival/feed/ 0 "20,"Another Year","Flash Forward","Law & Order","Lost","Robin Hood","V",000 Leagues Under The Sea",ABC,Cannes Film Festival,Charice,Comcast Two of our co-hosts, Michael Giltz and J. Sperling Reich, are still at the Cannes Film Festival. Along with David Bourgeois, who is covering Cannes for Movieline, they discuss all the films they've seen, which ones they've liked, Two of our co-hosts, Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling), are still at the Cannes Film Festival. Along with David Bourgeois (http://www.davidbourgeois.com/), who is covering Cannes for Mov... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:05:48 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/#comments Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:32:14 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=677 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/15/showbiz-sandbox-42-tom-cruise-takes-a-pay-cut-and-other-indignities/feed/ 0 "24","Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","Clash of the Titans","How To Train Your Dragon","Lost","Mission Impossible IV","Superman",Bob Iger,Christopher Nolan,Disney,iPad We only talk about "Avatar" for a couple of seconds in this week’s podcast, thank goodness. Instead, we focus on actors campaigning for their Oscars (and a few who aren’t). We also discuss what we call “the 3D movie brouhaha” which has made Jeffrey Ka... We only talk about "Avatar" for a couple of seconds in this week’s podcast, thank goodness. Instead, we focus on actors campaigning for their Oscars (and a few who aren’t). We also discuss what we call “the 3D movie brouhaha” which has made Jeffrey Katzenberg irate. In TV news, co-hosts Karen Woodward (http://www.karenwoodwardonline.com) and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/) are passionate about the Olympics and the absurdity of “Lost” (even recaps are confusing!) And, after 28 years, MTV is changing its logo to reflect that the channel is no longer just about “music television”. They may be about 10 years too late. Co-host J. Sperling Reich (http://www.twitter.com/sperling) jumps into one of his favorite topics – new media – and reminds us that this guy named Steve Jobs sits on the board of Disney and is one of the top shareholders. No wonder Disney CEO Robert Igor called the underwhelming iPad “a really compelling device” that could be a game changer. We’ll hold off our thoughts on the new Apple product until we see if it really will change the way entertainment is distributed.  All the top entertainment news stories of the week are rehashed in our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment before we end with some Inside Baseball, and a heated debate over journalistic plagiarism. Programming Note: Sperling is on assignment next week, so we will not be recording a podcast. It’s a good time for you to download a few of our past episodes over on iTunes (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=315942437) or the Zune Marketplace (http://social.zune.net/podcast/Showbiz-Sandbox/106b3ff8-0b50-4577-8e9d-777626418d31)! Oscar Diva Smackdown http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-08/oscars-diva-smackdown/ (http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-02-08/oscars-diva-smackdown/) Alice Might Get Shorter Theatrical Run http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6c8a99.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i6c8a99484479c6fe23ff6a8804817a27) http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/02/are-movie-theater.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/the_big_picture/2010/02/are-movie-theater-owners-playing-the-heavy-in-alice-in-wonderland-dvd-controversy.html) Katzenberg Angry Over Warner Bros Clash Of The Titans release http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/katzenberg-.html (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2010/02/katzenberg-.html) Next Spider-Man Movie to be in 3-D http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/10/arts/AP-US-Film-Spider-Man-4.html (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/02/10/arts/AP-US-Film-Spider-Man-4.html) Tom Cruise and Paramount Reunite For Fourth Mission http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie48d97.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3ie48d97158d5e5659bbcad877a67320a9?imw=Y) MTV's New Logo http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=142017 (http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=142017) “Lost” Recap http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2010/02/lost-season-6-answers-answered-ep-2.html (http://www.mediafreakblog.com/2010/02/lost-season-6-answers-answered-ep-2.html) Disney's Iger Takes a Big Swig of iPad KoolAid http://paidcontent.org/article/419-disneys-iger-takes-big-swig-of-ipad-kool-aid/ (http://paidcontent.org/article/419-disneys-iger-takes-big-swig-of-ipad-kool-aid/) HBO Gets Kathryn Bigelow For Pilot http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i2fac53d5f65010f7.... (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i2fac53d5f65010f7c12bdd0489f96600) 24 Headed To The Big Screen http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014913.html?categoryId=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014913.html?categoryId=13&cs=1) USA Posts Sharp Drops for White Collar, Psych http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/news/cable-tv/e3ie4.... (http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:02:47 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/#comments Tue, 02 Feb 2010 04:54:35 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=646 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/02/01/showbiz-sandbox-40-taylor-aint-swift-at-the-grammys/feed/ 0 "Avatar","Catfish","Jersey Shore","Lost","Transformers 3",Alison Willmore,Beyonce,David Wild,Geoff Boucher,grammys,Jay Leno,Kathryn Bigelow The highlights of this week’s entertainment news were the Grammys and Sundance. First though, there was “Avatar”, “Avatar”, and more “Avatar”. The 3D wunderkind was number one at the box office again and has sold roughly 56 million tickets in North Am... The highlights of this week’s entertainment news were the Grammys and Sundance. First though, there was “Avatar”, “Avatar”, and more “Avatar”. The 3D wunderkind was number one at the box office again and has sold roughly 56 million tickets in North America so far. “Titanic” sold roughly 128 million admissions in North America, so if “Avatar” did that, it would gross about $1.2 billion in the U.S alone. But there is more going on in the entertainment world besides “Avatar”. The music world gathered for the Grammys on Sunday, January 31. Geoff Boucher (http://twitter.com/latherocomplex) from the Los Angeles Times (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/) and David Wild (http://twitter.com/wildaboutmusic), one of the writers on the Grammy telecast, join us to discuss the hits (Pink’s performance), the misses (Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks) and what was going on backstage (Alice Cooper hangs with Smokey Robinson). The Grammys weren’t the only prizes handed out over the weekend. Sundance announced its festival winners and Alison Willmore (http://twitter.com/alisonwillmore), a senior editor at IFC.com (http://www.ifc.com), stops by to talk about her favorite festival films and a few she recommends skipping. (Pause for J. Sperling Reich to geek out asking Alison about all the movies she didn’t manage to see in Park City this year.) Meanwhile, Michael Giltz and Karen Woodward are still arguing over the Jay Leno - Conan O’Brien debacle. This week they have Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Leno to debate. Was Jay able to do some damage control, or will America turn off their TV’s when he returns to “The Tonight Show”? Lastly, in Inside Baseball news, indie film great Miramax has officially shut its doors. Or more accurately, Miramax had their doors shut for them by Disney. The film company, named after the parents of co-founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Miriam and Max, will live on as a shell of its former self as Disney searches for a buyer. The closing of Miramax makes those of us who were around when “Pulp Fiction” was released feel very, very old. Avatar Ticket Sales in US http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/movies/awardsseason/27record.html?8dpc (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/movies/awardsseason/27record.html?8dpc) Is This A Box Office Record with an *? http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-bigpicture30-2010jan.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-bigpicture30-2010jan30,0,7457451.story) Avatar Plot FAIL. http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/ (http://failblog.org/2010/01/10/avatar-plot-fail/) Breakdown of Avatar Costs http://graphjam.com/2010/01/19/funny-graphs-avatar-costs/ (http://graphjam.com/2010/01/19/funny-graphs-avatar-costs/) Kathryn Bigelow Is First Woman To Win DGA Award http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/feb/01/kathryn-bigelow-first-woman-dga-award (http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/feb/01/kathryn-bigelow-first-woman-dga-award) IFC’s Sundance Coverage http://www.ifc.com/sundance/ (http://www.ifc.com/sundance/) Alison Willmore's Writing On IFC.com http://www.ifc.com/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=6 (http://www.ifc.com/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&id=6) "Winter's Bone", "Restrepo" Lead Sundance Award Winners http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance_10_awards_in_progress/ (http://www.indiewire.com/article/sundance_10_awards_in_progress/) Best & Worst of Sundance: "Gasland", "Giftshop" Lead Critics Polls http://www.indiewire.com/article/best_worst_of_sundance_gift_shop_gasland_lead_critics_poll/ (http://www.indiewire.com/article/best_worst_of_sundance_gift_shop_gasland_lead_critics_poll/) Sundance Sales Pick Up http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014532.html (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118014532.html) Karina Longworth’s Sundance Coverage http://www.voicefilm.com/search.php?tag=sundance&blog_id=175 (http://www.voicefilm.com/search.php?tag=sundance&blog_id=175) Not Even Oprah Can Keep America From Hating Jay J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:03:56 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/11/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/2009/11/23/showbiz-sandbox-30-modern-warfare-stuns-hollywood/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/23/showbiz-sandbox-30-modern-warfare-stuns-hollywood/#comments Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:08:57 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=513 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/23/showbiz-sandbox-30-modern-warfare-stuns-hollywood/feed/ 0 "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2","Lost","Soapdish","The Blind Side","Twilight: New Moon",Academy Awards,Adam Lambert,Ben Fritz,Disney,Documentaries,Hulu,Jessica Bendinger As predicted, the teen vampire romance “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” opened this week and earned record breaking box office. The second installment of the "Twilight" franchise made $140 million in North America, As predicted, the teen vampire romance “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” opened this week and earned record breaking box office. The second installment of the "Twilight" franchise made $140 million in North America, making it one of the largest openings in history. The film did manage to break the record for highest grossing midnight screening when it opened Friday morning. What might be more amazing is that the Sandra Bullock vehicle "The Blind Side" came in second with an impressive $34 million. Opening so strongly against a powerhouse tent pole like "Twilight" makes Bullock one of the more bankable stars in Hollywood these days. Of course, even "Twilight's" $258 million worldwide opening pales in comparison to what the new video game "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" raked in during its first five days in stores. Ben Fritz (http://www.twitter.com/benfritz) an entertainment business reporter for the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com) joins us to talk about the wild success of the video game. Actually, calling it a video game is almost an insult - it’s more like an interactive action movie, and one that made $550 million within five days of its November 19th launch. Fritz is a prolific journalist who this past week wrote tons of stories for the L.A. Times Company Town (http://www.latimes.com/companytown) column and blog. One such story was on the controversy over the Academy Awards’ Documentary short list. Specifically, everyone wants to know why all the documentaries people actually saw, like “Capitalism: A Love Story” and “The September Issue” were left out of the 19 films still in contention for Best Feature Documentary? Who picked the short list docs anyway? Meanwhile over in the land of television talk show host Oprah Winfrey has decided to end her successful daytime show after it's 25th season in 2011. year Maybe it could air on Oprah’s new network. After much prayer and thought, Winfrey is making the decision that she can make more money and build her brand better by launching her own cable network. The next season of “Oprah” will be her last and she will shift her focus to her new network OWN which will debut in 2011. Smart move? Who wins and who loses with Oprah's decision? Speaking of questionable moves, remember the 1991 movie “Soapdish”? Well, it’s coming to a theatre not near you. It’s headed to Broadway instead, where Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) believes it will probably meet a quick death before being relegated to high school musicals. As usual our popular segment Big Deal or Big Whoop stirs lots of debate on subjects ranging from the nutritional value of movie theatre popcorn to the entertainment value of Adam Lambert’s performance at the American Music Awards (speaking of high school musicals!). Finally, we finish off by discussing Disney's new chief Rich Ross during Inside Baseball. Ross has begun to put is own plans in place at the Mouse House, and he started by ending the remake of "Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea", which had already begun preproduction. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Video Game Gets Hollywood-Scale Launch http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-duty18-2009nov18,0,5238209.story (http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-duty18-2009nov18,0,5238209.story) Oprah Winfrey Announces 2011 End To Her Show http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704888404574546331059957374.html?.... (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704888404574546331059957374.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLETopStories) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/ap_on_en_tv/us_winfrey_show_ending (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/ap_on_en_tv/us_winfrey_show_ending) The Oprah Effect: Winners and Losers http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/11/the-oprah-effect.... (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/11/the-oprah-effect-winners-and-losers.html) Frustration Over Oscars' Documentary Short List J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 05:09:42 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=216 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/07/28/showbiz-sandbox-13-hooliganism-at-comic-con-or-lack-thereof/feed/ 0 "Alice In Wonderland","Avatar","District 9","Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince","Iron Man 2","Kick Ass","Lost","Sherlock Holmes","Twilight: New Moon",Ben Silverman,Beth Accomando,Chris Weitz We had a plethora of panelists this week, all of whom were in San Diego over the weekend to experience Comic-Con first hand. KPBS' Cinema Junkie blogger Beth Accomando covered the event for National Public Radio, Todd Gilchrist was there for Cinematical, We had a plethora of panelists this week, all of whom were in San Diego over the weekend to experience Comic-Con first hand. KPBS' Cinema Junkie (http://www.kpbs.org/news/blogs/cinema-junkie/) blogger Beth Accomando covered the event for National Public Radio (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106989064), Todd Gilchrist (http://twitter.com/mtgilchrist) was there for Cinematical (http://www.cinematical.com/bloggers/todd-gilchrist/), SciFi Wire (http://scifiwire.com/)'s news editor Patrick Lee (http://twitter.com/ripleycal) made the trip, as did Phillip Nakov (http://twitter.com/VoyagerOne) from MovieSet.com (http://movieset.com/) and Harry Medved (http://twitter.com/FandangoNews), who helped out with Fandango's coverage (http://www.fandango.com/commentator_comicconcentral_255) of the event as their director of public relations.  Also joining in on this week's fun is New York Daily News writer and Huffington Post blogger, Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com/). If you weren’t one of the 126,000 people attending Comic-Con, this episode will fill you in on what you missed.  There was whole day devoted to 3D movies, which apparently isn't just a gimmick anymore.  The big hits of Comic-Con were "District 9", "Avatar", "Kick Ass" and "Iron Man 2" and the biggest miss was Roland Emerich's next movie "2012" which is either so bad it's good, or so bad it's just plain bad.  Irrelevant whether it wowed people at the convention or not was "Twilight: New Moon", because fans just wanted to see Robert Pattinson .  Hundreds of young girls, their moms and a bunch of sensitive men camped out overnight to get into a jam packed "Twilight" panel. The festival was “the redemption of "New Moon" director Chris Weitz, who was clearly adored by his cast. It was definitely the panel with the most security. This year marked the first appearance by Tim Burton (as a presenter), Peter Jackson and Terry Gilliam. Johnny Depp stopped by to say two words (literally) in promotion of Burton's “Alice in Wonderland."  Robert Downey Jr. also made an appearance to help tout "Iron Man 2" and "Sherlock Holmes".  "Sherlock Holmes" reminded some of our panelists of "Wild Wild West", the movie, not the television show. Speaking of television, Comic-Con had panels for several TV shows, both old and new.  The panel for "Lost" was the big draw at this year's confab. Meanwhile, back in the regular world, a bunch of guinea pigs stole Harry Potter's thunder at the box office.  "G-Force" made $32 million beating out "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" which was in its second week.  Finally, the other shoe dropped at NBC, as the embattled chairman Ben Silverman jumped ship to form a new company with mogul Barry Diller. Studios Bring Another Dimension To Comic-Con http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/business/24avatar.html?_r=1&th&emc=th (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/business/24avatar.html?_r=1&th&emc=th) Comic-Con Wows Audiences, Studios http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006516.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006516.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Comic-Con's Buzz Makers http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-comicwrap27-2009jul27,0,310594.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-comicwrap27-2009jul27,0,310594.story) 3-D Wins The Day At Comic-Con http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006429.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118006429.html?categoryid=13&cs=1) Comic-Con: Visionaries Jackson, Cameron Talk Future http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/comiccon-visionaries-jackson-cameron-talk-future.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/07/comiccon-visionaries-jackson-cameron-talk-future.html) The Disney 3D Panel: Robert Zemeckis, Tim Burton and Special Guest Johnny Depp http://tv.msn.com/superfans/comic-con/blog/the-disney-3d-panel-zemeckis-burton-torn-and-special-guest-johnny-depp/ (http://tv.msn. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no