Showbiz Sandbox 578: The Oscars Get Slappy With It
March 29, 2022
If there was ever a year to speak with Indiewire Editor-at-Large Anne Thompson the day after the Oscars it would be this one. In what should have been a celebration of first’s; from the first deaf actor to win an Oscar (Troy Kotsur), to the first openly gay actress to win a prize (Ariana DeBose) to the first streaming film to win Best Picture (CODA). Instead, all of this was overshadowed by Will Smith taking the stage to assault comedian Chris Rock over a joke about his wife.
Thompson tells us what it was like to be in the room where it happened (she was), the industry’s response to Smith’s actions and what the incident means for the future of the Academy Awards.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including audiences (and profits) returning to Broadway, the music industry pulls in $26 billion in 2021 and an Indian Telugu language action film nearly tops the worldwide box office.
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Showbiz Sandbox 442: Apple Finally Unveils Their Content Plans
March 26, 2019
After years of anticipation and endless speculation, the technology giant Apple finally announced its plans for its video streaming service. Not only will Apple TV now be available on all smart televisions and integrate with existing cable providers, it will offer a la carte over the top services. What’s more, Apple revealed a slate of six homegrown series marking its first foray into original content.
Apple is not starting small either, launching their service with shows from some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Steven Spielberg, J.J. Abrams, Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, to name just a few. The only thing they didn’t make public about Apple TV+ is its subscription price.
And while new digital streaming platforms are all the rage, there is still plenty of money to be earned at the theatrical box office. Official numbers for 2018 have now been finalized, with North American box office rising 7%, helping boost worldwide receipts 2% to over $41 billion.
Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the contentious talks between the WGA and talent agencies over packaging fees, Disney officially acquires Fox and the Library of Congress adds 25 new sound recordings to the National Recording Registry.
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Showbiz Sandbox 19: The Beatles Get Mono (and Stereo!)
September 7, 2009
The focus is on music this week, with guests Bob Bolien of NPR’s All Songs blog and Sal Nunziato, former independent record store owner, and now freelance writer and blogger. Bob and Sal talk about the new Beatles box sets, how they find new music, and how the music industry is changing. . . or not changing enough. Boilen can also be found on twitter at twitter.com/allsongs. You can find Nunziato’s writing on the Huffington Post on a regular basis.
In movie news, the Telluride Film Festival is under way. This festival is the charming little sister to the major film festivals and is where such films as “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Brokeback Mountain,” and “Capote,” first launched their extended Academy Award campaigns. Back in California, writer/director Nick Cassavetes is suing New Line Cinema (the studio that produced “The Notebook,” which Cassavetes helmed) claiming that the studio owes him money for writing a draft of a script that he was attached to direct. New Line had no comment… Read more
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