Showbiz Sandbox 644: The Golden Globes Lose Their Luster

January 11, 2024

The Hollywood Foreign Press Association held its first Golden Globes awards ceremony under a new and supposedly improved organization under new ownership. Organizers scrambled to find both a network to broadcast this year’s show, not to mention a host. In the end, the winners weren’t surprising with “Oppenheimer” and “Succession” each taking home five, but the show itself was incredibly bland.

Realistically, neither the Golden Globes or groups like the National Society of Film Critics are good predictors of which films will be favorites at this year’s Academy Awards.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment headlines including the best selling books of 2023, a major radio station operator files for bankruptcy and Prince’s “Purple Rain” heads to Broadway.

Read more

Showbiz Sandbox 266: Sundance Becomes A Little More International

January 28, 2015

Though the Sundance Film Festival has long been one of the more important festivals held each year, it was primarily known as a launching pad for American independent films and as such international attendance was minimal. That seems to have changed over the past few years as Sundance selections started receiving Oscar nominations. Now industry professionals from all over the world show up at the festival to find the next “Whiplash”, “Precious” or “Beasts of the Southern Wild”.

We didn’t have to travel from halfway around the world to attend this year’s Sundance, but we are in Park City and will fill you in on all the buzzworthy films, major acquisitions and festival news.

Meanwhile, the Producer’s Guild Awards muddied the waters in the current race for the Best Picture Academy Award. While everyone assumed “Boyhood” would walk off with the prize on its way to Oscar victory, “Birdman” swept in and unexpectedly stole it. Whether this is any indication as to how Oscar voters will cast their ballots is questionable.

Of course, we also cover the week’s top entertainment news stories including why American Idol winner Phillip Phillips is headed to court over his record contract, how James Patterson is promoting his new book and Mrs. Doubtfire is headed to Broadway.

Read more

Showbiz Sandbox 15: Ferris Bueller Is A Jerk!

August 10, 2009

Korbi Ghosh of Zap2it’s Korbi TV blog joins us again to discuss Paula Adbul leaving “American Idol,” Jeanine Mason winning “So You Think You Can Dance,” and this past week’s Television Critics Association press tour. But we begin with Box Office News:  “G.I Joe” won the weekend with over $56 million, although bad word of mouth will probably result in a steep drop by next weekend. Co-host Michael Giltz watched the movie in a packed theater and gives his review of both the movie and actors Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Channing Tatum.

“G.I. Joe” was not screened for critics (never a good sign) but that didn’t stop Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal from reviewing it based on the trailer alone.  Morgenstern writes, “At first I felt shut out, but then I realized I was missing the point of a double blessing. Paramount has spared me the pain of sitting through another military-toy epic (the recent “Transformers” sequel having been a near-death experience), Read more