Showbiz Sandbox 346: Critics Are Mixed Up About This Year’s Best Movies

With 2016 coming to an end movie critics have begun announcing their picks for the year’s noteworthy releases. As in recent years, critics groups from New York to Los Angeles differ slightly on what the top movie should be. The New York critics group went with the musical “La La Land”, while The L.A. group chose the drama “Moonlight”. To really confuse things the National Board of Review selected “Manchester by the Sea”. What this breadth of selections means is there were plenty of great films to see this year.

Where you see these movies, on the other hand, continues to be a debate, at least for the heads of movie studios. Kevin Tsujihara, the head of Warner Bros., made it known his company would like to release films into the home market soon after their release in movie theaters. He says the studio is having “constructive conversations” with a few cinema operators to make this a reality, but what that really means is anybody’s guess.

There seems to be no confusion however over whether TV networks want to attend the winter press gathering of the Television Critics Association; they don’t. These annual events allow networks to promote new shows while giving journalists a chance to grill the creatives and executive behind them. It looks as if many networks are skipping out on this January’s press tour as the top executives from ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC declining their invites.

Of course we also cover the week’s top entertainment news including DirecTV’s plans to go over the top, Netflix allows users to download movies for offline viewing and the Bee Gees get a new record deal.

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comScore Announces Official Worldwide Box Office Results for Weekend of December 4, 2016
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/comscore-announces-official-worldwide-box-office-results-for-weekend-of-december-4-2016-300372569.html

Japan’s ‘Your Name’ Poised to Win China Box Office Weekend
https://variety.com/2016/film/asia/japan-your-name-to-win-china-box-office-weekend-1201932734/

The Anime Master of Missed Connections Makes Strong Contact in Japan
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/04/movies/the-anime-master-of-missed-connections-makes-strong-contact-in-japan.html

Box Office: ‘Moana’ Sails to No. 1 for Second Weekend With $28.4 Million
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-moana-sails-no-1-second-week-284-million-952517

Universal, Warner Bros. Talking to Theater Owners About Offering Films in Homes Early
https://variety.com/2016/film/news/universal-warner-bros-theater-owners-early-windows-1201931478/

Oscars: Jimmy Kimmel to Host This Year’s Ceremony
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/oscars-jimmy-kimmel-host-years-ceremony-952662

‘La La Land’ Named Best Film by New York Film Critics Circle
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/ny-film-critics-circle-winners-2016-951751

L.A. Film Critics Name ‘Moonlight’ Best Picture
http://variety.com/2016/film/news/los-angeles-film-critics-2016-winners-lafca-awards-1201933288/

‘Manchester By The Sea’ Named Best Film By National Board Of Review
http://deadline.com/2016/11/nationa-board-of-review-winners-2016-manchester-by-the-sea-moonlight-1201861267/

The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/06/08/the-undoing-project/

Krazy by Michael Tisserand – BookFilter
http://bookfilter.com/2016/02/17/krazy/

AT&T Unveils DirecTV Now and Sets Channel Pacts With Taylor Swift, Reese Witherspoon
https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/att-taylor-swift-reese-witherspoon-directv-now-1201927902/

Netflix’s New Offline Mode Lets You Download Shows
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/11/netflixs-new-offline-mode-lets-you-download-shows-watch-them-offline/

Inside Steven Mnuchin’s Hit-and-Miss Path From Hollywood to Treasury Secretary Pick
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/inside-steven-mnuchin-s-hit-miss-path-hollywood-treasury-secretary-pick-951232

Trump Appoints Third Net Neutrality Critic to FCC Advisory Team
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Trump-Appoints-Third-Net-Neutrality-Critic-to-FCC-Advisory-Team-138420

MTV Original Programming Head Michael Klein Departs After 6 Months
https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/mtv-original-programming-head-michael-klein-departs-after-6-months-1201927828/

MTV Original Programming Head Michael Klein Departs After 6 Months
https://variety.com/2016/film/news/last-tango-in-paris-rape-scene-consensual-bernardo-bertolucci-1201933117/

Bernardo Bertolucci Responds to ‘Last Tango in Paris’ Backlash Over Rape Scene
https://variety.com/2016/film/global/bernardo-bertolucci-responds-to-last-tango-in-paris-backlash-1201933605/

Matt Lauer Extends Deal Through 2018
https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/matt-lauer-contract-today-show-2018-1201929462/

Savannah Guthrie Talks TV News in Trump Era
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/savannah-guthrie-talks-tv-news-trump-era-952405

‘Hamilton’ Hits a New High: The Most Money Grossed in a Week on Broadway
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/28/theater/hamilton-hits-a-new-high-the-most-money-grossed-in-a-week-on-broadway.html

Creators Of ‘Jersey Boys’ Found Guilty Of Copyright Infringement
http://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2016/11/29/jury-reaches-verdict-in-jersey-boys-copyright-case/

MGM Sues ‘Buckaroo Banzai’ Writer and Director Over Right to Make New TV Series
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/mgm-sues-buckaroo-banzai-writer-director-right-make-new-tv-series-950671

The Bee Gees Ink Worldwide Deal With Capitol Records
http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7595842/bee-gees-capitol-records-deal

Chris Noth Procedural ‘Gone’ Gets First Series Order Under NBCU’s European Drama Pact
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chris-noth-starrer-gone-gets-series-order-under-nbcunis-european-drama-pact-951359

Broadway Home Looks Likely for ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/01/theater/broadway-home-looks-likely-for-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child.html

Amazon and Execs From NBC, ABC, Fox, CBS to Skip January TCA Press Tour
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/amazon-execs-nbc-abc-fox-cbs-skip-january-tca-press-tour-951022

Fox Backtracks on Skipping January TCA
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/fox-backtracks-skipping-january-tca-952218

Critic’s Notebook: Network Chiefs Opt for Cowardly Collusion in Skipping TCA
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/by-skipping-tca-network-chiefs-opt-cowardly-collusion-951378

Warner Bros. Boss Talks ‘Game of Thrones’-Sized Dreams for ‘Westworld,’ Growing Franchises
https://variety.com/2016/film/news/warner-bros-westworld-dc-comics-fantastic-beasts-franchises-1201929080/

Influential Media Buyer GroupM Seeks Big Changes in TV Measurement for 2017 Upfront
https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/tv-advertising-upfront-lyle-schwartz-groupm-1201928716/

Grant Tinker, Former Chairman of NBC, Dies at 90; Made Network a Ratings Powerhouse
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/30/arts/television/grant-tinker-former-chairman-of-nbc-dies-at-90.html