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/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/#comments Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:56:50 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=635 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2010/01/25/showbiz-sandbox-39-chez-sundance/feed/ 0 "Avatar","The Tonight Show",Aerosmith,Angelina Jolie,Brad Pitt,Conan O'Brien,Jay Leno,MPAA,NBC,Quincy Jones,Roman Polanski,SAG Awards Co-host Karen Woodward puts a moratorium on any more talk of “Avatar”, James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic which continues to break box office records. So instead, we skip straight to Sundance, where the atmosphere has gone from recession (last year) to de... Co-host Karen Woodward (http://www.karenwoodwardonline.com) puts a moratorium on any more talk of “Avatar”, James Cameron’s 3D sci-fi epic which continues to break box office records. So instead, we skip straight to Sundance, where the atmosphere has gone from recession (last year) to depression (this year). J. Sperling Reich is in the snowy, cold ski town and fills us in on the movies everyone in Park City is buzzing about. If you can’t make it to Sundance this year, no worries, you’ll be able to catch a few of the festival’s selections on YouTube. Also in movie news, anti-smoking activists are claiming that Sigourney Weaver’s line “Where’s my damn cigarette” in “Avatar” should have earned the film an R rating. What set of rules is the MPAA going by when they come up with some of their absurd ratings? After a brief fly by of the SAG Awards, we head over to television land.  Things have calmed down in the Conan vs. Leno vs. NBC war, but Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and Karen must not have gotten the memo. They argue over who was wronged more by the whole debacle. Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien hosted his last “Tonight Show” on Friday.  During our Big Deal or Big Whoop segment we learn that the rumors of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s split are indeed, just rumors, however the rumors that Aerosmith might be replacing lead singer Steven Tyler seem to be true. Also, Quincy Jones will revisit “We Are The World” and Roman Polanski will have to revisit the United States if he wants to be sentenced for his rape conviction. During Inside Baseball, Michael and Karen lock horns once again over “transmedia storytelling.” Don’t know what it is? Listen to this episode and you’ll learn all about it! Chez Betty http://www.chezbetty.com (http://www.chezbetty.com) YouTube to Sundance: Independent Filmmakers Wanted http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/01/youtube-to-sundance-independent.html (http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/01/youtube-to-sundance-independent.html) Johnny Depp Sets Sail On Fourth Pirate Movie http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-pirates-4.html (http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/movie-talk-pirates-4.html) This Article Is Not Yet Rated http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/movies/24scott.html?hpw (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/24/movies/24scott.html?hpw) ‘Clash of Titans’ 3D Decision Coming Soon http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/01/clash-of-titans-in-3d-decision.... (http://www.heatvisionblog.com/2010/01/clash-of-titans-in-3d-decision-coming-soon.html) Conan Gets A big Sendoff http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/01/conan-gets-a-big.... (http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2010/01/conan-gets-a-big-sendoff-his-tonight-farewell-) Jay Leno's Point of View http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/leno-deconstructs.... (http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/leno-deconstructs-his-own-predicament/?hp) Falling Late-Night Ad Prices Will Shape Conan's and Leno's Futures http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-fi-ct-latenight25.... (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-fi-ct-latenight25-2010jan25,0,879701.story) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Break-Up Rumors False http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/01/24/brad-pitt-and-angelina-jolie.... (http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/01/24/brad-pitt-and-angelina-jolie-break-up-rumors-false/) Joe Perry Says Aerosmith Is Auditioning New Lead Singer http://www.thewrap.com/article/joe-perry-says-aerosmith.... (http://www.thewrap.com/article/joe-perry-says-aerosmith-auditioning-lead-singers-13407) New Study: People Don’t Watch Commercials on DVRs http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/special-reports/digital-hot-list.... (http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/content_display/special-reports/digital-hot-list/e3id3e0b71b5f1a6df4adcce747dc0ee4d4) 8-18 year Olds Consuming More Media than Ever http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6715693.html?nid=2286&rid.... (http://www. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no 1:06:51 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/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/#comments Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:41:01 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=524 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/11/30/showbiz-sanbox-31-blind-sided-by-adam-lamberts-double-standard/feed/ 0 "Avatar","FlashForward","The Blind Side","Twilight Saga: New Moon","Up In The Air",Adam Lambert,Eminem,George Clooney,James Cameron,Jason Reitman,Jay Leno,Lachlan Murdoch While we all still may be sluggish from all the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, the North American box office sure wasn't. It set a record for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as once again "The Blind Side" surprises everyone. While we all still may be sluggish from all the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, the North American box office sure wasn't. It set a record for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend as once again "The Blind Side" surprises everyone. The Sandra Bullock m... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/26/showbiz-sandbox-26-hollywood-struggles-with-new-business-models/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/26/showbiz-sandbox-26-hollywood-struggles-with-new-business-models/#comments Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:30:06 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=452 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/26/showbiz-sandbox-26-hollywood-struggles-with-new-business-models/feed/ 0 "Glee","Melrose Place","Paranormal Activity","This Is It",Francis Ford Coppola,Hulu,Joss Whedon,Kanye West,Lil Wayne,Netflix,Paramount Pictures,Reed Hastings Freelance entertainment journalist Todd Gilchrist joins us this week to talk about movies, music, and journalism. (But he recused himself from discussing TV because he doesn’t watch a lot of it. [gasp!]) Fine. We’ll start with movies then. Freelance entertainment journalist Todd Gilchrist (http://www.rottentomatoes.com/author/author-8531/) joins us this week to talk about movies, music, and journalism. (But he recused himself from discussing TV because he doesn’t watch a lot of it. [gasp... J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/12/showbiz-sandbox-episode-24-how-to-get-a-hero-complex/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/12/showbiz-sandbox-episode-24-how-to-get-a-hero-complex/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 05:04:41 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=425 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/12/showbiz-sandbox-episode-24-how-to-get-a-hero-complex/feed/ 0 "Couples Retreat","Fantastic Mr. Fox","Flash Forward","Pirates of the Caribbean","The Hobbit","Wes Anderson","Where The Wild Things Are","X-Men",Barbara Streisand,Geoff Boucher,Hero Complex,Jimmy Kimmel Our special guest this week is Geoff Boucher, full time entertainment writer for the Los Angeles Times and part time Wookiee. Geoff began the popular L.A. Times blog, Hero Complex, devoted to caped crusaders, zombies, wizards and all things superhero. Our special guest this week is Geoff Boucher (http://twitter.com/latherocomplex), full time entertainment writer for the Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com) and part time Wookiee. Geoff began the popular L.A. Times blog, Hero Complex (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/), devoted to caped crusaders, zombies, wizards and all things superhero. With a tag line that reads "for your inner fanboy", Hero Complex has quietly become a huge hit and recently won the award for best online commentary among large websites from the Online News Association. Over the last week, Geoff wrote a series of posts on the blog that look at film franchises entering their fourth turn on the silver screen, including "Lord Of The Rings", "Pirates of the Caribbean", "Spider-Man", and "X-Men". (Check out the reader poll: 'The Hobbit' Will Triumph But 'X-Men' and 'Pirates' Franchises Should Quit Now (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/10/reader-poll-the-hobbit-will-triumph-but-xmen-and-pirates-should-quit-now.html)) Meanwhile, at this weekend's North American box office, moviegoers made "Couples Retreat" the number one film, followed by "Zombieland" and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs". The big surprise of the weekend was the little indie film "Paranormal Activity". Made for peanuts, the film is now raking in millions based solely off a social networking marketing campaign. That might be why Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) and Karen Woodward (http://www.twitter.com/kwoody3939) are dying to see the movie. . . no pun intended. (See the movie, you'll get the joke).  In other movie news, the fur is flying at Fox (both the studio and its upcoming release "Fantastic Mr. Fox"). Writing about the film and its maker, Los Angeles Times writer Chris Lee notes, “To be clear, Wes Anderson did not set out to direct his new movie via email.” Does a filmmaker actually need to show up on set to get a director credit? Clearly that’s debatable. A little less unbelievable is director Mike Nichols being tapped by the American Film Institute to receive the AFI Life Achievement Award. Nor is the news that Roman Polanski is feeling “tired and depressed” in jail according to his lawyer. Swiss officials have said they believe there is a very high risk of Polanski fleeing if he is released on bail. Really?! What would ever give you that idea? Over in the land of TV, ABC has picked up "Flash Forward", "The Middle", "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town", proving that Karen and Michael are going strong in the “Hiatus or Back 9 (http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/28/showbiz-sandbox-22-the-trouble-with-indie-films-roman-polanski-and-hollywood-guilds/)” challenge.  New DVR numbers show "Flash Forward" has picked up two million viewers including later playback. Raise your hand if you know what “Live + 7” is. (Hint: It’s the ratings for the number people who watched a show both when it aired and on DVR within a week of its original broadcast). In music news, Barbara Streisand's new album, "Love Is The Answer", tops the music charts both in the U.S. and U.K. Stop rolling your eyes. Yes, we don’t care that much about Babs either. Except she’s auctioning off some of her personal belongings on Saturday. See ya there. Nor do we care that much about the late Michael Jackson's posthumous song release, "This Is It". If you want to know what we do care about, we finish off with “Big Deal or Big Whoop”, our new weekly segment where we assess the entertainment world's top headlines. Do we care? Do we not care? Should we care but don’t? Finally, stay tuned later this week for a special installment of Showbiz Sandbox which expands on this episode's Inside Baseball topic; should bloggers be allowed to break journalistic rules. Indiewire's Anne Thompson (http://www.thompsononhollywood.com) and entertainment journalist James Rocchi (http://rocchireport.com/) join our hosts to argue (and we do mean argue) both sides of the issue. J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/05/showbiz-sandbox-23-letterman-and-polanski-go-to-the-dogs/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/05/showbiz-sandbox-23-letterman-and-polanski-go-to-the-dogs/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:39:34 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=414 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/10/05/showbiz-sandbox-23-letterman-and-polanski-go-to-the-dogs/feed/ 0 "Fantasty Island","Kate Plus 8","Zombieland",Adam Fogelson,Comcast,David Letterman,DJ AM,Donna Langley,Hulu,Jay Leno,Lady Gaga,Miramax We had a bunch of dogs as our guests this week, also known as Famous Men Doing Bad Things. - First we take a look a the North American box office. “Zombieland” won the top spot this week, beating out “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, We had a bunch of dogs as our guests this week, also known as Famous Men Doing Bad Things. First we take a look a the North American box office. “Zombieland” won the top spot this week, beating out “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,” “Toy Story/Toy Story 2,” “The Invention of Lying” (which could perhaps be the title of this podcast) and “Surrogates” rounding out the top five. Now, on to our dogs. David Letterman played the victim when revealing an extortion attempt against him. Allegedly a producer from the television news show “48 Hours” attempted to blackmail him with proof that Letterman had carried on several affairs with female staffers over the years. Karen Woodward (http://www.industrynexus.com) and Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) debate whether Letterman is guilty of sexual harassment or was just being stupid. Roman Polanski is our next dog. Should he serve more time in prison for committing statutory rape in 1977? For fleeing the country? Or does he get a free pass because he’s a talented filmmaker?  At least Polanski’s arrest has people watching the news again, because Jay Leno certainly isn’t. Data from Nielsen's top five markets - New York, LA, Chicago, Philadelphia and Dallas - show that NBC stations all saw their 11 p.m. newscasts drop by double digits during the first week of the 2009-10 season. Do networks have an obligation to keep their affiliates happy? And if so, will they have to yank Leno off the air? In movie news, Universal Pictures has tapped its head of marketing, Adam Fogelson as its new chairman and Donna Langley has been promoted to co-chairman of the studio, effective immediately. This means former co-chairmen Marc Shmuger and David Linde are out. In Disney news, the Mouse House is revamping film operations, including slashing Miramax Films’ staff to 20, and reducing releases to three a year. In other words, Disney is killing Miramax. Can Bob and Harvey buy it back? Speaking of buying, how much would you pay for a digital book? An avid reader, Michael explains some of the latest technologies coming out of the book market, and makes some suggestions of his own. (Pass the Vook!) We’re introducing a new segment this week: Big Deal or Big Whoop, which is really an excuse for us to touch on all the entertainment news stories of the week. If we think the story is important, it’s a Big Deal, if we don’t care, it’s a Big Whoop. This week we talk about Jon and “Kate plus 8,” introduce Sperling to Lady Gaga, ponder MTV’s decision to air DJ AM’s final reality show, and wish we were on Mark Burnett’s new reality series “Fantasy Island.” (Can’t he do “Love Boat” too?) Finally, we end with some Inside Baseball, our time to chat about insider-y entertainment topics that perhaps no one else cares about. This week we discuss Comcast, the nation’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services, which is in talks to buy the entertainment giant NBC Universal from General Electric. Is this a big deal? Could it be? Does this mean Hulu will start charging to watch television shows online? Tune in and find out. Letterman Reveals Extortion Attempt http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009463.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118009463.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) David Letterman Comes Clean Without Telling All http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-letterman-critic3-2009oct03,0,2491746.story (http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-letterman-critic3-2009oct03,0,2491746.story) Jay At 10, Bad News At 11 http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/jay-10-bad-news-11-8117 (http://www.thewrap.com/ind-column/jay-10-bad-news-11-8117) Defense Strategies Could Keep Polanski Out of Prison http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-polanski-legal1-2009oct01,0,1100452.story?track=rss (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-polanski-legal1-2009oct01,0,1100452.story?track=rss) J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/28/showbiz-sandbox-22-the-trouble-with-indie-films-roman-polanski-and-hollywood-guilds/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/28/showbiz-sandbox-22-the-trouble-with-indie-films-roman-polanski-and-hollywood-guilds/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:59:35 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=404 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/09/28/showbiz-sandbox-22-the-trouble-with-indie-films-roman-polanski-and-hollywood-guilds/feed/ 4 "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs","Fame",AFTRA,Christine Vachon,DGA,Jonathan Handel,Killer Films,Roman Polanski,SAG,Ted Hope,This Is That,WGA When the Toronto Film Festival concluded last week only one of its official selections had been picked up for distribution. This touched off a string of articles and blog posts from the likes of Anne Thompson and Roger Ebert on the state of the indep... When the Toronto Film Festival concluded last week only one of its official selections had been picked up for distribution. This touched off a string of articles and blog posts from the likes of Anne Thompson (http://blogs.indiewire.com/thompsononhollywood/2009/09/19/toronto_film_festival_winners_and_losers/) and Roger Ebert (http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2009/09/indie_alert_level_severe.html) on the state of the independent film industry. One of the more interesting blog posts came from indie producer Ted Hope (http://twitter.com/tedhope) who has produced over 60 films in a career which spans three decades. He joins us on this week's episode with independent film producer Christine Vachon (http://twitter.com/kvpi). Hope has worked with such filmmaker as Ang Lee, Michel Gondry, Hal Hartly, Todd Solondz, Ed Burns, Todd Field and Tamara Jenkins while producing films like "In The Bedroom", "The Ice Storm", "Eat Drink Man Woman", "The Brother's McMullen", "American Splendor", "21 Grams", "Happiness" and "The Savages". His production company This Is That (http://www.thisisthatwebsite.com/) has produced more than 17 films since it was founded in 2002. Vachon has also produced an astounding number of indie films, including Todd Haynes' "Poison" and "Far From Heaven", Larry Clark's "Kids", John Cameron Mitchell's "Hedwig and the Angry Inch", Todd Solondz's "Storytelling" and Kimberly Pierce's "Boys Don't Cry". Along with Pamela Koffler, Vachon has been running the production company Killer Films (http://www.killerfilms.com/) for the 14 years.  She has written two books; Shooting to Kill (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0380798549?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0380798549)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0380798549) and A Killer Life: How an Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyond (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0879103485?ie=UTF8&tag=showbsandb-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0879103485)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=showbsandb-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0879103485). Recently she helped launch Massify.com (http://www.massify.com), a site which helps independent filmmakers collaborate on projects, organize their productions, share resources and knowledge. At this week's box office, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is still seeing sunny days, but Bruce Willis's "Surrogates" and the remake of "Fame" were disappointments. Entertainment journalist Michael Giltz (http://www.michaelgiltz.com) saw all three, and he tells us what to see and what to skip (here's a hint. . . "Fame" is not going to live forever). The breaking news of the week was the arrest of director Roman Polanski for his 30-year-old child rape conviction. Much to everyone's surprise, including Polanski's, he was arrested when he arrived in Switzerland to accept an award at the Zurich Film Festival. After 30 years, why was he arrested now? We already know what’s happening with some of the new fall TV shows – they’re being cancelled. Or at least one is – the CW’s “The Beautiful Life.” So we decided to play the game “Hiatus or Back 9”. Or, to put it bluntly; which shows will be cancelled, and what shows won’t (at least not yet)? It may be a moot point if the Screen Actors Guild, AFTRA, the Director's Guild and the Writers Guild strike in 2011. Entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel (http://digitalmedialaw.blogspot.com/) of TroyGould (http://www.troygould.com) joins us to explain what the recent guild elections mean and whether their new leaders will help prevent work stoppages in Hollywood. 18 Actions Towards a Sustainable Truly Free Film Community http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/2009/09/18-actions-towards-sustainable-truly.html (http://trulyfreefilm.blogspot.com/2009/09/18-actions-towards-sustainable-truly.html) After Several Tries, U.S. Officials Finally Nab Roman Polanski In 1970s Rape Case J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-3-award-season-redux-2/ http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-3-award-season-redux-2/#comments Mon, 11 May 2009 20:02:35 +0000 J. Sperling Reich http://www.showbizsandbox.com/?p=58 http://www.showbizsandbox.com/2009/05/11/showbiz-sandbox-3-award-season-redux-2/feed/ 0 "Billy Elliot","Phantom of the Opera","Spider-Man","Star Trek","Wolverine",Andrew Lloyd Weber,Bob Iger,Bono,CBS,CW,Disney,Endeavor "Star Trek" cleans up at the box office earning $76 million in North America over the weekend while "Wolverine" pulled in another $27 million. Fox sets release dates for its blockbusters in Mexico, though actors may not start kissing on telenovelas f... (http://www.showbizsandbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/star-trek-cropped.jpg) "Star Trek" cleans up at the box office earning $76 million in North America over the weekend while "Wolverine" pulled in another $27 million. Fox sets release dates for its blockbusters in Mexico, though actors may not start kissing on telenovelas for a while. "Billy Elliot" heads up the Tony Award nominations. Bono and the Edge are headed to Broadway with a Spider-Man musical, but Andrew Lloyd Weber is falling behind on his sequel to "Phantom of the Opera". "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Twilight" lead the MTV Movie Award nominations, but does anyone care. Big media and celebrities top the Webby awards. NBC announces its primetime schedule and there are rumors about a few CW shows. Looks like the "Gossip Girl" spinoff is a no-go. As scripted television looks to shrink their writing staffs, CBS debates whether they should bring back such game shows as "The Dating Game" and "Let's Make A Deal". A computer bug delayed nearly three days of Nielsen television ratings, however advertisers may want to start using more effective "engagement" ratings anyway. Disney CEO Bob Iger discusses Hulu and informs everyone that new media is here to stay. The MPAA teaches everyone how to pirate DVD's using a camcorder, in fact they prefer the method over the ripping of content off DVD's. Revenue at Warner Music plumets as do satellite radio subscribers at Sirius XM. Looks like Roman Polanski isn't going to return to see if a court will drop his 30-year-old rape charges. Finally, now that the William Morris/Endeavor merger has been announced, clients have started jumping ship in all directions. "Star Trek" Draws $72.5 Million http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003414.html?categoryid=19&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003414.html?categoryid=19&cs=1) Swine Flu Curbs Telenovela Kissing http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003390.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003390.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Billy Elliot Leads Tony Nominations http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/theater/theaterspecial/06tony.html (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/06/theater/theaterspecial/06tony.html) Bono, The Edge Team Up For "Spider-Man" Musicalhttp://www.spin.com/articles/bono-edge-team-spider-man-musical (http://www.spin.com/articles/bono-edge-team-spider-man-musical) "Phantom" Sequel Delayed Until 2010 http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003402.html?categoryid=15&cs=1 (http://www.spin.com/articles/bono-edge-team-spider-man-musical) "Twilight", "Slumdog" Lead MTV Kudos http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003151.html?categoryid=16&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003151.html?categoryid=16&cs=1) MTV Movie Awards Ballot http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2009/ (http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2009/) Celebrities Win Madeup Webbys, Big Media Wins Some Real Ones http://weblogs.variety.com/technotainment/2009/05/celebrities-win-madeup-webbys-big-media-wins-some-real-ones.html (http://weblogs.variety.com/technotainment/2009/05/celebrities-win-madeup-webbys-big-media-wins-some-real-ones.html) NBC Announces 2009/2010 Primetime Schedule http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/nbc-announces-20092010-primetime-sked/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/nbc-announces-20092010-primetime-sked/) Fox Orders Second Season of Fringe http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003158.html?categoryId=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003158.html?categoryId=14&cs=1) Nikki Finke On CW Upfront Rumors http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/that-gossip-girl-spinoff-dead-at-cw/ (http://www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/that-gossip-girl-spinoff-dead-at-cw/) Shows To Scrimp On Scribes http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003411.html?categoryid=14&cs=1 (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003411.html?categoryid=14&cs=1) Networks Fume Over Nielsen Delay (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118003280.html? J. Sperling Reich, Karen Woodward & Michael Giltz no