The film industry is facing an existential crisis due to the COVID pandemic; film productions are struggling to continue, cinema chains have become burdened with debt and studios are sending their blockbuster releases directly to streaming services. In fact, last week Warner Bros. announced that its entire 2021 slate of movies would be released both in theatres and on their streaming service HBO Max, at least in the United States.
Brooks Barnes, a reporter for the New York Times, recently wrote a feature story detailing the death of Hollywood…again. Literally the headline used the word obituary. Barnes joins us to discuss the unprecedented challenges and disruption the industry is facing and helps us understand their overall ramifications.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why Disney is putting the Fox film library back in its vault, Bob Dylan sells the publishing rights to all of his songs and an all-Spanish album tops the Billboard charts for the first time in its 64 year history.

Hollywood’s Obituary, the Sequel. Now Streaming.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/28/business/media/hollywood-coronavirus-streaming.html
Michael’s Holiday Music Playlists, Favorite Christmas Albums and More
https://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2020/11/christmas-music-mindspace-discussion.html
Geoff Boucher’s Mindspace Podcast
https://www.heavymetal.com/mindspace/
Jefferson May’s “A Christmas Carol”
https://www.achristmascarollive.com
China Box Office: ‘Monster Hunter’ Opens Fifth Despite Being Pulled From Theaters
https://variety.com/2020/film/news/monster-hunter-china-box-office-1234848295/
Universal Continues To Dominate Paltry Pandemic Post-Thanksgiving B.O.
https://deadline.com/2020/12/universal-continues-to-dominate-paltry-pandemic-post-thanksgiving-b-o-as-town-reels-from-warner-hbo-max-windows-bombshell-1234651156/
The “Queen’s Gambit” Stays Atop Nielsen Streaming Chart
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/the-queens-gambit-stays-atop-nielsen-streaming-chart
South Korean Government Eases Rule On Mandatory Military Service
https://deadline.com/2020/12/bts-lives-as-south-korean-government-eases-rule-for-mandatory-military-service-1234636950/
Disney Is Quietly Placing Classic Fox Movies Into Its Vault, and That’s Worrying
https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/disney-is-quietly-placing-classic-fox-movies-into-its-vault.html
Publishers Would Back a Reinvented BookExpo