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Industry pros J. Sperling Reich and Michael Giltz provide insightful analysis, humorous viewpoints and insider opinions on the latest entertainment news headlines. The weekly podcast features panel discussions with 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.
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Showbiz Sandbox 590: New Warner Bros. Discovery Strategy Is A Little Batty
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The newly merged Warner Bros. Discovery held its first earnings call last week making so many headlines it was all anyone in the entertainment industry could talk about. The company has a ton of debt, but a plan to get into better financial shape; stop producing expensive scripted shows, shelve pricey projects and layoff thousands […] The post Show…
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Showbiz Sandbox 589: Should Music Be Produced and Sold Like Fine Art?
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In an effort to make music valuable again, producer T Bone Burnett is getting behind a technology that allowed him and Bob Dylan to create a one-off re-recording of “Blowin’ In The Wind” and then auction it off for $1.8 million. But can recordings be treated the same way as paintings are in the art […] The post Showbiz Sandbox 589: Should Music Be …
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Showbiz Sandbox 588: Keeping Track of Ever-Shifting Streaming Strategies
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Though the entertainment industry may be infatuated infatuated with streaming, the legacy media companies behind all the new subscription services haven’t quite found the right way to profit from them. NBC/Universal earned nearly a billion dollars in committed ad revenue with Peacock this year, causing them to take a hard look at all of their […] T…
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Showbiz Sandbox 587: How To Succeed on Broadway After a Global Pandemic
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With this year’s Tony Awards having been doled out, the 29 shows currently running on Broadway are taking stock of what’s working, which ones should stick around and which should stop raising their curtains. At least 14 have announced closing dates or are expected to soon, including some big musical productions. Others are recasting their […] The p…
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Showbiz Sandbox 586: Tony Awards Help Broadway Get Its Groove Back
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After all of the obstacles the pandemic forced plays and musicals to deal with, this year’s Tony Awards looked to raise the curtain on a revived Broadway. The ceremony managed to honor some of the best productions and performances from last season while celebrating the efforts the Broadway community made just to stay in business. […] The post Showb…
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Showbiz Sandbox 585: Entertainment Industry Stumble Into Sociopolitical Pitfalls
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Social justice and political issues have been making life complicated for movie studios, record labels and concert promoters. Whether you’re casting a movie, choosing a director, booking a live performance or releasing a new album, you’ll also be having to deal with their past, present and sometimes even future behavior. Just ask Johnny Depp, filmm…
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Showbiz Sandbox: Movies Were the Stars at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival
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After the COVID pandemic hampered the Cannes Film Festival over the last two years, the 2022 edition moved back to its usual May time frame with all the glamor and artistry that has made it one of the most important annual cinematic events in the world. Despite critics’ complaints about what was deemed a weak […] The post Showbiz Sandbox: Movies We…
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Showbiz Sandbox 584: Cannes Film Festival Showcases Industry Revival
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Unlike some years, there was no frontrunner or obvious favorite to win the Palme d’Or at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival which concluded over the weekend. Instead, the social satire “Triangle of Sadness” from Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund took the festival’s top prize, the second time he has won the award. We discuss the […] The post Showbiz…
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Showbiz Sandbox 583: The Long and Winding Road to Box Office Recovery
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With each new superhero blockbuster that hits multiplexes it is clear that big well-done movies can score big at the box office. However it is a huge mistake to treat every new release as the barometer of whether cinema is back. Especially when smaller films like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and family movies like […] The post Showbiz Sandbo…
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Showbiz Sandbox 582: Movie Theaters Come Roaring Back at CinemaCon
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When cinema operators from around the world gathered in Las Vegas for CinemaCon last week, it quickly became obvious that movie theaters ain’t dead yet. Though a global pandemic may have decimated their business model for several years, audiences seem to slowly be returning to movie theaters. So have Hollywood studios who are starting to […] The po…
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Showbiz Sandbox 581: Streamers Double Down On Original Programming
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A new industry study claims the five largest producers of original content in the United States also happen to be some of the biggest streamers in the world. Nearly half the content offered by Discovery, Disney, Paramount, the former WarnerMedia and Comcast are original productions which increasingly premiere on their subscription streaming service…
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Showbiz Sandbox 580: Warner Bros. Enters Its Discovery Phase
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Last week Discovery closed its $43 billion deal to acquire WarnerMedia from telecom giant AT&T. Discovery topper David Zaslav immediately installed his own executive team to run Warner Bros. Discovery forcing the existing management team to head for the door. We discuss the fallout from the merger and the what the future may look like […] The post …
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Showbiz Sandbox 579: The Award For Best Awards Show Goes To The Grammys!
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The coronavirus pandemic once again nearly foiled the Grammy Awards, delaying the ceremony and forcing the event to relocate to Las Vegas. Yet once again, the show’s producers managed to do a stellar job of putting together all-star performances that helped promote and celebrate music. We discuss our thoughts on the telecast and all the […] The pos…
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Showbiz Sandbox 578: The Oscars Get Slappy With It
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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) […] The post Showbiz Sandbox 578: The Oscars Get Slap…
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Showbiz Sandbox 577: Why The Biggest Japanese Game Is Actually Chinese
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Over the last year the mobile video game “Genshin Impact” has earned over $2 billion. From its anime-like visuals to its bug-eyed characters the role-playing game appears to be Japanese in every way. However, while Japan may have a reputation as the world’s leading video game developer, “Ghensin Impact” was made in China. We explain […] The post Sh…
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Showbiz Sandbox 576: Director Frank Marshall Strikes A New Note With Jazz Fest
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Frank Marshall is probably best known as a producer of some of Hollywood’s biggest films, but he has also directed four successful narrative features throughout his career. More recently he has turned to directing documentaries, including “Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story,” which he co-directs with Ryan Suffern. Marshall joins us to discuss the film,…
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Showbiz Sandbox 575: Should Movie Theaters Charge More For Blockbusters?
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The opening weekend of “The Batman” was the anticipated blockbuster everyone was expecting, though an ongoing pandemic and a political crisis in Europe softened its global take. AMC Theatres on the other hand saw an opportunity to raise ticket prices, but only for the latest entrant to the Batman franchise. Is this a strategy that […] The post Show…
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Showbiz Sandbox 574: Entertainment Industry Shuns Russia
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After Russia invaded Ukraine it didn’t take long for various sectors of the global entertainment industry to respond by canceling concerts, sporting events and film releases in the territory. While this is insignificant in comparison to the loss of life and liberty currently taking place in Ukraine, it still serves to show how art, culture […] The …
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Showbiz Sandbox 573: Paramount Takes A Global Approach to Streaming
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During its most recent earnings call ViacomCBS outlined how they plan on reorganizing the media giant to compete with streaming leaders such as Netflix. First they are bringing content from all of their current services into Paramount+ and retaining the rights to popular programming such as “South Park.” They announced a glut of new projects […] Th…
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Showbiz Sandbox 572: Picking The Best Music From The Past Year
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In an age when everyone with GarageBand and a kazoo is releasing a record, finding good new music isn’t always easy. Sal Nunziato, the curator of the Burning Wood music blog and the drummer for The John Sally Ride, tells us about some of the best music he’s discovered over the past year. Nunziato listened […] The post Showbiz Sandbox 572: Picking T…
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Showbiz Sandbox 571: Want Ratings? Get Joe Rogan To Host The Oscars!
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences brought an end to the endless speculation of countless awards pundits by announcing this year’s Oscars nominations. Now we’ll all have to deal with the griping about who was snubbed along with seven weeks of incessant reports about which Best Picture nominee is gaining momentum with Oscar […] The post…
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Showbiz Sandbox: Streaming Through the 2022 Sundance Film Festival
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For the second straight year the COVID pandemic forced the Sundance Film Festival to move its 2022 event online. Even so, its organizers did a great job of putting on a virtual festival programmed with movies from emerging filmmakers and important documentaries on timely subjects. Joining us to discuss the 2022 Sundance Film Festival is […] The pos…
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Showbiz Sandbox 570: The Realistic Future of a Mature Netflix
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When Netflix was just shy of meeting its estimated new subscriber growth during the last financial quarter it faced immediate repercussions as its stock price plummeted over 20% in a single day. We explain why Netflix is not suddenly a failing company, it’s just one in a mature market of its own making. Even so, […] The post Showbiz Sandbox 570: Th…
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Showbiz Sandbox 569: Are Music Catalog Deals Overvalued?
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Every week it seems another aging artist is selling off their music publishing rights for exorbitant amounts. Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Tina Turner, ZZ Top, David Bowie’s estate and recently Bruce Springsteen. Why are so many back catalogs for sale and are they really worth hundreds of millions of dollars? Ryan Faughnder, a staff writer […] The post S…
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Showbiz Sandbox 568: Catalog Music Dominates Consumption on Streaming Services
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Last year consumers listened to more music than ever before. However, according to a report from the analytics firm MRC Data, catalog music, albums and songs at least 18 months old accounted for 75% of music listening on streaming services. When it came to new music, artists such as Morgan Wallen, Olivia Rodrigo, Drake and […] The post Showbiz Sand…
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Showbiz Sandbox 567: That Time Everyone In Hollywood Got COVID
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It’s a new year but the entertainment industry is contending with the same coronavirus pandemic that has decimated theatrical box office, shuttered Broadway productions and stalled concert tours. The news wasn’t all bad however, with global box office in 2021 creeping halfway back to its once record level. China remains the top market in that […] T…
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Showbiz Sandbox 566: Spider-Man Saves The Annual Box Office From Omicron
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The opening of “Spider-Man: No Way Home” toppled box office records around the world on its way to a $600 million debut. And this is without China and Japan where the film has yet to bow. This is just what the industry needed to help pump up 2021 grosses. Especially as surges of a new […] The post Showbiz Sandbox 566: Spider-Man Saves The Annual Bo…
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Showbiz Sandbox 565: Are COVID Rules Unfairly Targeting Movie Theaters?
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As COVID cases rise in various parts of the world, local governments are quick to restrict movie theater attendance, while at the same time allowing restaurants and pubs to operate normally. Patrick von Sychowski, editor of Celluloid Junkie, explains why these rules unfairly target movie theaters and discusses a new study that highlights which movi…
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Showbiz Sandbox 564: Film Critics Start Selecting the Best Movies of 2021
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It’s that time of year when Film Critics Start Selecting the Best Movies of 2021 for newspapers, magazines and websites begin naming their favorite movie releases. The National Board of Review named its favorite film of the 2021, then proceeded to name 32 more in various categories. The New York Film Critics were tougher however, […] The post Showb…
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Showbiz Sandbox 563: The Grammy Nominations Are Bigger and More Baffling Than Ever
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When this year’s Grammy nominations were announced last week the Recording Academy made a last minute decision to expand some of its biggest categories from eight to 10 nominees. This allowed popular artists like Taylor Swift, Kanye West and Lil Nas X to be included in this year’s list. While this generates a small amount […] The post Showbiz Sandb…
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Showbiz Sandbox 562: The Death of Network Television Is Greatly Exaggerated
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While the entertainment industry and Wall Street may be distracted by the growth of streaming services and their subscriber numbers, senior network television executives are reminding everyone that linear TV is far from dead. In fact, according to the latest viewing metrics, more audiences are tuning into network television programs on a consistent…
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Showbiz Sandbox 561: After “Squid Game,” Korea Wants Netflix to Pay Up
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Though Netflix’s expensive blockbuster “Red Notice” is getting little notice in movie theatres, the company’s signature streaming service is thriving. In fact, its series “Squid Game” is so popular around the world that in Korea Netflix is being barraged with questions about paying for the cost of the increased streaming traffic it continues to gen…
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Showbiz Sandbox 560: Should Hollywood Get Rid of the (Real) Guns?
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In European film and television productions, real guns with either live or blank rounds are rare to non-existent. Instead, plastic replicas or airsoft blowback guns are used with muzzle flashes added during post-production. So why do Hollywood productions continue to rely on working firearms when it would be cheaper and safer for them not to? […] T…
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Showbiz Sandbox 559: Dune Survives The Streaming Desert
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Despite being available to stream day-and-date with its theatrical release, Denis Villeneuve’s epic film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel “Dune” opened to strong box office around the world. While we don’t know, and may never know, how many people viewed the movie on HBO Max, it’s availability on the service has surely cut […] Th…
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Showbiz Sandbox 558: Hollywood Workers Scrutinize Gains In New Contract
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At the eleventh hour the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the union representing film and television production workers, negotiated a new contract with studios and networks. What is still unclear is whether workers are grateful about averting a strike or upset they didn’t gain more. Besides gaining wage increases, the u…
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Showbiz Sandbox 557: Talent Agents Strike A Deal… for Themselves
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In yet another sign that the entertainment industry is consolidating, Creative Artists Agency, one of Hollywood’s most powerful talent agencies, announced it would acquire ICM Partners, the fourth largest player in the space. Is the move meant to help CAA gain leverage when negotiating with streaming giants like Netflix, or is it all about ensuring…
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Showbiz Sandbox 556: The Emmys Crown the Streaming Era
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When “The Crown” took home the prize for best drama at the 73rd Emmy Awards on Sunday it capped a years-long campaign mounted by Netflix to win one of television’s top awards. The streamer picked up a record-tying 44 Emmys including best limited series for “The Queen’s Gambit.” With the Apple+ series “Ted Lasso” winning […] The post Showbiz Sandbox…
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Showbiz Sandbox 555: Modern Media Consumption Metrics Are A Big Mess
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Keeping track of television ratings, streaming viewership and music revenue has become a hopeless task in the digital age. Everyone is mad at Nielsen though how can they realistically capture all the eyeballs content on TVs, phones, laptops and tablets? Meanwhile, Billboard keeps changing the formula they use to count album sales by working in […] …
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Showbiz Sandbox 554: China’s Love Affair With Hollywood May Be Over
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For years analysts have breathlessly insisted China would become the largest movie market in the very near future. Well, last year after North American movie theatres spent most of 2020 shuttered, China did manage to become the top earner and did so primarily with local content. However, after COVID gave it a win with an […] The post Showbiz Sandbo…
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Showbiz Sandbox 553: CinemaCon Makes A Case for the Big Screen
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After more than a year in which most blockbuster releases headed to streaming services, movie theater operators gathered in Las Vegas last week for CinemaCon, their annual convention. Ryan Faughnder of the Los Angeles Times moderated a panel discussion at the event featuring the heads of major movie chains, distribution executives and director Patt…
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Showbiz Sandbox 552: Disney and the Great “Shang-Chi” Experiment
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First Disney tried to shame Scarlett Johansson for daring to sue them over the studios distribution strategy on “Black Widow.” Then during an earnings call the company’s CEO described the upcoming Marvel “Shang-Chi and the Legend Of The Ten Rings” as an “interesting experiment.” Simu Liu, the star of “Shang-Chi,” was quick to push back […] The post…
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Showbiz Sandbox 551: The Significance of the Scarlett Johansson vs. Disney Lawsuit
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Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney for breach of contract after the studio released “Black Widow” both in movie theaters and its own streaming service at the same time. The actress believes Disney’s distribution strategy is preventing her from earning millions in box office bonuses but instead enriches the company’s top executives. The outcome of t…
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Showbiz Sandbox 550: The Olympics Win A Streaming Gold Medal
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Like music, movies and television, the Olympics have put streaming front and center during the summer games. It’s easier than ever to watch the hundreds of events taking place in Tokyo over the next two weeks. However, it can be torture figuring out what sport is playing on what channel or streaming service and when. […] The post Showbiz Sandbox 55…
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Showbiz Sandbox 549: Second Guessing Disney’s “Black Widow” Distribution Strategy
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In its second weekend the latest Marvel movie “Black Widow” dropped over 67% at the box office; the largest decline for any film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Could it be that the movie’s availability via premium video on demand cannibalized its theatrical returns? The ongoing pandemic makes it difficult to draw any conclusions, though […] The …
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Showbiz Sandbox 548: The Cannes Film Festival in the Age of COVID
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After COVID canceled the festival in 2020, the Cannes Film Festival is going ahead this year, albeit two months later than usual. Still, it’s remarkable that organizers were able to pull off the world’s largest film festival amid these uncertain times. We’ll tell you about all the COVID protocols at this year’s festival, not to […] The post Showbiz…
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Showbiz Sandbox 547: Is Netflix The New Kleenex?
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With exclusive theatrical release windows having disintegrated during the COVID pandemic, new movies are being released through so many methods and on so many platforms that it has inevitably confused audiences how and where they can watch a film. Initially, most movie watchers turn to Netflix, assuming most or all titles will be available on […] T…
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Showbiz Sandbox 546: The Best Music You’ve Never Heard — 100 Flop Albums
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Musician Sal Maida and music writer Mitchell Cohen have been thumbing through record store bins for decades looking for great albums. Now they’ve teamed up to write “The White Label Promo Preservation Society: 100 Flop Albums You Oughta Know,” a book that dives deep into great music which doesn’t make the usual “best of” lists […] The post Showbiz …
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Showbiz Sandbox 545: Writer Paul Rudnick On The Royals, Romance And Rudin
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When multi-hyphenate Paul Rudnick isn’t writing hit movies or award winning plays he is working on Broadway musicals with the likes of Elton John or busy writing novels. Rudnick joins us for a detailed and humorous conversation about his work and his latest novel, “Playing the Palace.” We’ll also take a look at the final […] The post Showbiz Sandbo…
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Showbiz Sandbox 544: The Existential Crisis Facing Theatrical Movie Releases
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Anne Thompson, the editor at large at IndieWire, believes “a lot of things have to go right for the two-hour movie theatrical release to endure.” Thompson said as much in an opinion column she recently wrote for the New York Times. In a detailed opinion column for the New York Times. In a detailed conversation […] The post Showbiz Sandbox 544: The …
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Showbiz Sandbox 543: Amazon Grabs a Lion’s Share of MGM
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In a move that had been rumored for weeks, Amazon became the first tech company to purchase a Hollywood movie studio in an $8.45 million deal. The acquisition will arm Amazon with over 4,000 movies like the Bond Franchise, “The Pink Panther” and “Robocop,” not to mention upwards of 17,000 television episodes. The real question […] The post Showbiz …
