The Business

<p><em>Twilight</em> screenwriter <strong>Melissa Rosenberg</strong> talks about being a brand in Hollywood, and we look at how those with even tenuous links to the series earn fame and fortune. Also, Australian <strong>Mark Lewis</strong>, known for his humorous indie films on going 3-D with <em>Cane Toads: The Conquest</em> otherwise known as <em>Ava-Toad</em>.</p> <p> </p>

<p>As the HBO series <em>Entourage</em> begins its seventh season, we find out what goes on inside a real-life entourage with <strong>Jerry Schilling</strong>, a member of Elvis Presley's famed "Memphis Mafia." Like the fictional entourage, Elvis' inner circle of homeboys lived with "The King" and accompanied him everywhere as he negotiated life in the entertainment business.</p>

<p>What happens when indie filmmakers accustomed to shooting on a micro-budget with unknown actors and DV cameras get to work with stars and millions of studio dollars to spend?  Brothers <strong>Jay</strong> and <strong>Mark Duplass</strong> talk about hiding from their own crew, negotiating with Fox Searchlight execs and staying true to their Mumblecore ethos while making <em>Cyrus</em>.</p>

<p><strong>Joan Rivers</strong> may be best known for her off-color humor, working the red carpet, and her love of plastic surgery.  But in the new documentary, <em>Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work</em>, filmmakers Annie Sundberg and Ricki Stern reveal a woman who is an amazingly resilient industry pro, so committed to work that she won't let up even at the age of 77.</p>

<p>If a TV show isn't getting good ratings it goes "on the bubble."  So how do the writers cope with the threat of cancellation hanging over their heads, and what happens when the bubble pops? We talk with two TV producers <strong>Liz Heldens</strong> and <strong>Scott Rosenbaum</strong>, who know life on the bubble all too well. </p>

<p>A movie financier on the hunt for money finds an unlikely backer in Saadi Qaddafi, son of notorious Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. Plus, we sit down with actor <strong>Michael Sheen</strong>. </p>

<p>The Cannes Film Festival is full of big stars, yachts and artsy movies. But behind the scenes, at the Cannes film market, hundreds of independent producers look for money from foreign buyers to make their next movies. Jonathan Wolf, managing director of the American Film Market (AFM) gives us a report on what’s for sale and who’s buying at Cannes. Plus, the broadcast TV networks had their high stakes sales event last week--unveiling their fall shows for advertisers at the upfronts. Kim Masters was there. She and James Hibberd of The Hollywood Reporter talk about the presentations and what we’ll all be watching in the fall.</p>

<p>“Troll 2” Was An Infamous Turkey Of A Film That Haunted It's Child star Until It Became A Cult Phenomenon. Now He's Made A Documentary About The Weird Demise And Rise Of A Really Bad Movie It's Called "best Worst Movie." Plus George Romero -The Grandaddy Of The Zombie Film, Talks About His New Movie,"survival Of The Dead" And His Life In Development Hell.</p>

<p>Comedy Central Recently Censored An Episode Of "<strong>South Park</strong>" Over Threats Aimed At The Show's Creators On A Radical Muslim Website. We Ask The Questions: Was Comedy Central Right? How Should Hollywood Studios Weigh Creative Freedom Against Potential Security Risks? Plus One Hollywood Writer Stands Up To The Note "it's Not Edgy Enough!"</p>

<p>Hollywood’s hostile work environment goes under the microscope. When a former <em>Desperate Housewives</em> actress filed a lawsuit against the creator of the show for abuse, gender discrimination and wrongful termination, we began to wonder what you have to put up with if you want to work in Hollywood.</p>

<p>Fox TV chief <strong>Kevin Reilly </strong>tells it like it is about the high-stakes game that is pilot season: the chemistry of casting, going with your gut and the sweaty palms you get when trying to sell new shows to advertisers.</p>

<p><em>Battlefield Earth</em> recently won the Razzie for being the "worst picture of the decade."  The two credited screenwriters on that film -- <strong>J.D. Shapiro</strong> and <strong>Corey Mandell</strong> — say, "Don't blame us!"  We find out how their careers survived writing one of the most notorious movies ever.  <br /><br /></p>

<p>Three-D movies are all the craze, but is all 3-D movie-making created equal? Do movie-goers care? We talk to the producer of two of the biggest 3-D movies this year and a man who's training cameramen on the latest technology.</p>

<p>Producer David Bergstein seems to have pulled the financial wool over Hollywood's eyes. We get answers to the question "how does this keep happening?" with prolific producer <strong>Art Linson</strong>. He worked with the last David Bergstein, bigger-than-life financier Elie Samaha.</p>

<p>Netflix, Redbox, Hulu, iTunes…they're all competing to win the digital horse race.  And, we go on a tour of the video store, that old gray mare they're helping to put out to pasture. Plus, producer John Wells goes to Washington to protest the NBC-Comcast merger. <strong>Matt Holzman</strong> guest hosts.</p>

<p>It's a gamble every time you buy a movie ticket. But a new financial market will make it possible to actually bet on the box office. Plus, making movie music with Oscar-winning composer <strong>Michael Giacchino</strong>.</p>

<p>This week, the Academy Awards…and the thankless job of producing the Oscar telecast. We talk to the co-producer of this year's show, film producer and former Fox Chairman Bill Mechanic.</p>

<p>It's tough to get distribution for indie movies these days. But just what is distribution, and what can you do if you have a great little movie without it?</p>

<p>It's a big awards weekend in Hollywood. We hear what it's like for a movie executive whose company has three of the five films in Oscar’s Foreign Language category and he still doesn't feel like a front-runner. But before the Academy Awards on Sunday, folks in the indie world are heading to their annual awards bash on Friday.  We hear from indie film panelist <strong>John Waters</strong> and others about how they're going to roll at the Spirit Awards.</p>

<p>Peter Pan's not just a fairy tale character. He could be the mascot of an industry obsessed by youth. This week, we talk to two TV writers involved in an age discrimination suit against the studios.</p>

<p>A hefty new book conceived by director George Lucas examines the DNA of 300 American blockbusters. We examine how the book was made and what we can learn from it. Plus, how far will you go to become a successful screenwriter? <em>The Hurt Locker</em>'s <strong>Mark Boal</strong> went to Iraq.</p>

<p>New music from pop star Ben Folds, popular novelist Nick Hornby and William Shatner.  Plus, we check out those star maps that point out houses of the rich and famous. And what can we learn about today's shrinking A-list from a book about one of yesterday's biggest stars?</p>

<p>We go behind the scenes and into the control room of <em>American Idol</em>.</p>

<p>If we've learned anything from the Leno/Conan debacle, it's the value of a well written contract.  We talk to one entertainment lawyer and find out exactly what he does to earn his 5 percent.  Plus, the author of <em>About a Boy</em> and <em>High Fidelity</em> didn't write the movies based on his novels, but he did write the script to <em>An Education</em>.  <strong>Nick Hornby</strong> tells us why.<br /><br /></p>

<p>The television business is crazier than ever. We try to make sense of it all with two veteran TV journalists. Plus, a look at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival with the fest's new director, <strong>John Cooper</strong>.<br /><br /></p>

<p>It's a new year and the Oscar race is in the final stretch. We go behind the horse race with two industry veterans.</p>

<p>The year 2009 was a crazy year for the business, and 2010 should top it. This week, its the Hollywood year to be with <strong>Cynthia Littleton</strong> of Variety and <strong>John Horn</strong> of the Los Angeles Times.</p>

<p>We look at the ups, the downs, the all-arounds of the Hollywood year that was with <strong>Cynthia Littleton</strong> of Variety and <strong>John Horn</strong> of the Los Angeles Times.</p>

<p>Pixar scored big with <em>Up!</em> this year, and now they're seven for seven. We chat with a member of the company's original brain trust and the director of <em>Up!</em> about Oscars, 3-D and making movies that almost everyone loves.  Plus, James Cameron's <em>Avatar</em> cost hundreds of millions to make.  How much green does it need to earn to put Fox in the black?</p>

<p>We look at the crazy story behind the new movie <em>Crazy Heart</em>.  It's got Oscar buzz now, but it almost didn't make it into theaters. Plus, <em>Twilight</em> has made hundreds of millions at the box office, but a lot of other people have been riding on the cape tails of everybody's favorite vampire movie.<br /><br /></p>

<p>James Cameron's <em>Avatar</em> isn't just a hugely expensive sci-fi adventure – it's a titanic bid to transform movies. We get inside the mind of one of Hollywood's biggest players with <strong>Rebecca Keegan</strong>, author of the new book <em>The Futurist: The Life and Films of James Cameron</em>.</p>

<p>Did the Academy's documentary short list short some docs? Plus, Hugo Chavez takes on Hollywood.</p>

<p>In an industry where honesty is such a lonely word, the creator of a hit TV show says what he thinks on line. We talk to <strong>Kurt Sutter</strong> of <em>Sons of Anarchy</em> about his blog, Sutterink.  Plus an Academy Award-winning writer on how show business is like every other business we know.</p>

<p>A Hollywood rags-to-riches-to-rags story might have a happy ending after all. We talk to <strong>Troy Duffy</strong>, the controversial director of <em>The Boondock Saints</em>.  Plus, a not-so-fresh report from the American Film Market with Troma’s <strong>Lloyd Kaufman</strong>.<br /><br /></p>

<p>The Motion Picture Academy hands out the first Thalberg Memorial Award since 2000, but what exactly it?  Plus, DVD's are dying. What will take their place, and how will it change the way we watch – and pay for – movies?<br /><br /></p>

<p>Writer/actor/producer <strong>Grant Heslov</strong> moves to the director's chair on the new George Clooney movie, <em>The Men Who Stare at Goats</em>. Plus, "I'll make you a star! - for 5,000 bucks."</p>

<p>This week, how Warner Brothers used interactive tricks to power a surprisingly strong opening weekend for<em> Where the Wild Things Are</em>. Plus television writer/producer <strong>Dan Harmon</strong> toiled in basic cable on Comedy Central and VH1.  Now, as creator of NBC's <em>Community</em> he tells us how the game is different on a big broadcast network. And, as always, the Hollywood news banter.</p>

<p>A new book argues that media moguls act like spoiled brats, squandering the shareholders' money on toys that they don't really need. Plus, how do you create a TV spin-off that's original but not too original? We ask the producer of the CBS shows NCIS and the brand new NCIS: Los Angeles.</p>

<p>This week, how the recession and major changes in the entertainment industry are impacting the lives of film and TV writers. Plus, Disney and Universal are the latest studios to shake up the executives suites and send a tremor through the industry.<br /><br /></p>

<p>A producer who was haunted by passing on the <em>Blair Witch Project</em> produces a low-budget horror film with big hopes of redemption.  Plus Irving Thalberg changed the studio system. Now his life is on display.<br /><br /></p>

<p>This week, fans came out in full force to a recent celebration of all things Disney. But major changes are afoot in the Magic Kingdom. Plus, was the Toronto Film Festival a bloodbath for indie filmmakers or just a shift in the life cycle of independent film?</p>

<p>Does winning an Emmy matter to you, to me, to the business?  And, the Television Academy puts TV legends on-line.  Plus after 72 years, <em>Guiding Light</em> gets snuffed.</p>

<p>The summer box office broke records, but was blockbuster season really all that? Plus, what does the Leno prime-time experiment mean for the TV business?</p>

<p>Disney buys Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. Is it a super deal or super dud?  Plus, the division and drama continues in Hollywood's labor unions, and two top TV producers and their money-making program they call the "total engagement experience."</p> <p><strong>Programming note</strong>: This program will be not air on KCRW as it will be pre-empted by special Labor Day programming. It will be available as a podcast and on demand, and will be archived online.<br /><br /></p>

<p>The producers of the hit show <em>Ghost Whisperer</em> on making great TV…and a successful marriage.  Plus, we talk to the newly-elected president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.<br /><br /></p>

<p>India's Reliance Big just made a major investment in Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks. Has another sucker landed on our shores, or has Hollywood finally met its match? And while India is coming to Hollywood, one Hollywood production went to India –  tales from Bombay with the producers of <em>Bollywood Hero</em>.<br /><br /></p>

<p>Documentaries used to be relegated to PBS and college classrooms, but these days, they're just as liable to come to theater near you.  We talk to <strong>Sheila Nevins</strong>, who's had a big part in growing of the nonfiction business as head of HBO Docs for the past three decades. Plus, we revisit our session with Hollywood therapist <strong>Dennis Palumbo</strong>.</p>

<p>This week, we look at the arcane, historical, fantastical and off-color jargon of the movie set.  Plus, when good executives recut bad films...inside the mind of a cinematic <em>scissorhands</em>. </p>

<p>This week, <em>The Business</em> goes to "The Con," the annual nerd-fest know as Comic-Con that’s become a major marketing stop for Hollywood.  Plus, a new documentary looks at Ozploitation...<br /><br /></p>

<p><em>Twilight</em> gave a faltering new movie studio an extreme makeover. We talk with <strong>Rob Friedman</strong>, the chief of Summit Entertainment.</p>