Lights, Camera, Box Office! Rentrak's new podcast goes beyond the numbers for lively, insightful and entertaining conversations with the people shaping the theatrical movie business. Hosted by Paul Dergarabedian, Head of Marketplace Trends at Rentrak, and contributor Mike Polydoros of PaperAirplane Media, the podcast explores moviegoing, exhibition, distribution, filmmaking, marketing and the forces driving the box office. Each episode offers an informative and personal look at the movies, the business and the people who bring the big-screen experience to life.
Rentrak Halloween Special: Scaring Up Business with Rutgers Cinema’s Alex DelVecchio
Creepy twins, campus-wide scares and audiences who keep coming back for more. It’s the Halloween special of Lights, Camera, Box Office!, a Rentrak podcast.
Hosts Paul Dergarabedian and Mike Polydoros welcome Rutgers Cinema’s Alex DelVecchio for a spirited conversation about horror, Gen Z moviegoers and the creativity that turns a screening into an unforgettable experience.
Alex shares how Get Out helped him understand his audience, how two identical twin employees brought Smile 2’s unsettling grin to life, and why his college student staff is one of his best resources for discovering what audiences want next.
Mike also tells a hilarious story about The Boogens, his pick for the worst horror movie of all time, and an audience member whose perfectly timed commentary stole the show.
Plus, Paul shares Rentrak data showing horror closing in on another domestic box office record, and everyone weighs in on the movies that first terrified them, their all-time favorites and why horror works on the big screen all year long.
9 Oct 2026
Steve the Lizard Killer: Steven G. Smith on KLOS, Mark & Brian and the Los Angeles Radio Wars
KLOS, KMET, Mark & Brian and the days when Southern California rock radio ruled the airwaves. Paul Dergarabedian and Mike Polydoros welcome their friend Steven G. Smith, a.k.a. Steve the Lizard Killer, former Director of Advertising and Promotion at 95.5 KLOS, to Rentrak’s Lights, Camera, Box Office! podcast. With a career that included movie promotions for Back to the Future and Jurassic Park, Steven G. helped bring Hollywood and rock radio together through screenings, premieres and some wonderfully outrageous promotional ideas. From behind-the-scenes stories to a station rivalry that spilled into the parking lot at a Who concert, he takes us back to an extraordinary era of Los Angeles radio. Along the way, the conversation turns to In-N-Out Burger, old friendships and the people who made it all happen.
21 Sept 2026
Live from CineLATAM: The LATAM Box Office in 2026
Lights, Camera, Box Office! went live on Monday, September 21 from CineLATAM 2026 in Coral Gables, Florida.
Rentrak’s Luis Vargas joins Paul Dergarabedian and Lights, Camera, Box Office! co-host Mike Polydoros of Paper Airplane Media for a special conversation about the state of the theatrical marketplace across Latin America and Iberoamérica.
Following Luis' presentation of exclusive Rentrak data, the three dig into the strength of the 2026 box office, where momentum is building across the region, the impact of local films and global event movies, the growing importance of premium theatrical experiences, and what today’s audience behavior tells us about the future of moviegoing.
Recorded live from the floor of CineLATAM 2026.
Featuring:
Luis Vargas, Rentrak LATAM
Mike Polydoros, President, Paper Airplane Media
Paul Dergarabedian, Head of Marketplace Trends, Rentrak
17 Sept 2026
David Poland "Show Business Be Damned. We Care About Movies."
Veteran film journalist, critic and industry analyst David Poland joins Paul Dergarabedian for a conversation that quickly moves beyond the numbers and into something they both care deeply about: movies and the moviegoing experience.
They talk about the Cinerama Dome, ArcLight, VistaVision, cinematography, horror movies, filmmakers, actors, film history, audiences and the communal experience of seeing a great movie in a theater.
David also offers a sharp take on what he calls “abandoned weekends," release dates studios too often leave open because they assume audiences won’t show up. His view is simple: “Anything is a good date if you have a movie they want to see.”
The conversation also touches on box office tracking, marketing, studio economics and the need for more movies in theaters.
And David sums up the spirit of the episode perfectly:
“Show business be damned. We care about movies.”
Recorded before the official end of the 2026 summer movie season, so some box office figures discussed were still evolving.
16 Sept 2026
Behind the Screens at the TCL Chinese Theatre with Brett Fellman
On Episode 2 of Lights, Camera, Box Office!, Paul Dergarabedian and Mike Polydoros sit down with Brett Fellman, President, Film and Marketing at TCL Chinese Theatres, for a behind-the-scenes look at one of the world’s most iconic movie palaces. Brett shares the story behind the extraordinary run of The Odyssey at the Chinese, what it took to bring IMAX 70mm into the theatre, how great presentation can turn a movie into an event, and why the communal big-screen experience still matters. From premieres and footprint ceremonies to the theatre’s approaching 100th anniversary, it’s a conversation about moviegoing history, showmanship and where theatrical exhibition goes next. Hosted by Paul Dergarabedian, Head of Marketplace Trends at Rentrak, and contributor Mike Polydoros of Paper Airplane Media.
1 Sept 2026
A Sizzling Summer at the Movies with Cinema United’s Michael O’Leary
For the premiere episode of Rentrak’s Lights, Camera, Box Office!, host Paul Dergarabedian, Head of Marketplace Trends at Rentrak, and Mike Polydoros of Paper Airplane Media sit down with Michael O’Leary, President & CEO of Cinema United.
Michael shares his perspective on the state of theatrical moviegoing, the importance of collaboration across the industry, continued investment and innovation in cinemas, and the opportunities ahead for the big-screen experience.
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