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The best details from the new 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' trailer, from Donald Glover to a sarcastic new droid

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A new full-length trailer for "Solo: A Star Wars Story" dropped Sunday night, and it features plenty of new footage.

The trailer shows more of Alden Ehrenreich as the title character, a young Han Solo — a character made famous in the original "Star Wars" trilogy by Harrison Ford.

It also gives us more of Donald Glover as Lando Calrissian (who steals the show), and a better glimpse at the worlds and action audiences will witness during the movie (the Kessel Run, perhaps?). Also, there's probably a love interest for Chewbacca.

We've broken down the new trailer and highlighted its best moments and the questions it raises, from a sarcastic new droid to a look at Paul Bettany's villain.

"Solo" comes to theaters next month after a troubled production. Original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller were fired over creative differences and replaced by veteran director Ron Howard, who, according to an actor in the film, made filming run a lot smoother.

Despite the obstacles, "Solo" not only kept its May 25 release date, but it's premiering at the Cannes Film Festival on May 15.

Below is our breakdown of the new "Solo: A Star Wars Story" trailer:

SEE ALSO: An exec who helped start ESPN Films wants to use Marvel's digital content to tell real-world stories

Han always shoots first.

It looks like Han Solo's shooting skills are going to be put to the test in this scene early in the trailer (and maybe early in the movie, since it doesn't look like any of other characters are with him yet). The trailer alludes to the idea that Han might be after these guys for revenge. Revenge for what?



Any time Donald Glover shows up is worth mentioning.

We can already tell that Donald Glover — who plays a young Lando Calrissian — is going to be a highlight in "Solo," and might even overshadow the title character. Glover steals the show in this new trailer.



"Or is it something else?"

"You're after something. Is it revenge? Money? Or is it something else?"

Emilia Clarke's character Qi'ra tells this to Han, and the voiceover for that last part is during this shot of Han and Chewbacca staring up at the Millennium Falcon. It's a nice signal that Han may be a smuggler, but in his heart, he's in it for the adventure more than vengeance or money.



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People think Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is a robot — this excellent SNL parody of Zuck perfectly demonstrates why (FB)

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SNL (Mark Zuckerberg parody, Weekend Update)

  • "Saturday Night Live" parodied Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg this weekend in its regular "Weekend Update" segment.
  • The role of Zuck was played by "SNL" cast member Alex Moffat, who nailed the stilted, rehearsed cadence of the embattled Facebook CEO.
  • The parody is a great example of how the public views Zuckerberg at this crucial moment in the company's history.


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been on a public relations tear in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which revealed that as many as 87 million people had their Facebook data scraped— data that was used to target political ads and help sway elections, including the 2016 US presidential election.

Zuck's been doing interviews and making changes at Facebook, as part of the PR push. But many of his answers have come across as stilted, rehearsed, and impersonal — a recurring theme for a man sometimes referred to as "Zuckerborg" by critics. 

Simply put: Zuckerberg can come off as robotic when he's trying to portray himself as empathetic, and people notice. It's no wonder that Facebook is racing to coach Zuckerberg on how to be more charming ahead of his appearance on Capitol Hill this week.

This weekend's episode of "Saturday Night Live" highlighted that public perception of Zuck perfectly during a parody interview in the "Weekend Update" segment of the show. 

Saturday Night Live, Alex Moffat as Mark Zuckerberg (Weekend Update)

As fake Zuck is introduced, he says aloud, "Begin eye contact. Two, three — and away." — the kind of operating instructions a robot might follow. 

The entire, brief segment is pretty funny, but what it highlights about public perception of Facebook's CEO is crucial: many of Facebook's 2 billion-plus users (to say nothing of the other 5 billion people on the planet) see Zuckerberg as an unfeeling, robotic CEO who plays at apologizing while continuing the behavior that upset users in the first place.

And that's a real problem for Zuck, who runs Facebook as CEO, and who wields enough voting power that he can't be kicked out of his job. Reporters have begun asking if he's fit for the role of Facebook CEO, echoing calls from at least one major Facebook shareholder for Zuckerberg to step down as chairman of the company

Take a look at the full clip from "SNL" right here:

SEE ALSO: The #DeleteFacebook movement is a strong reminder that none of these 'free' services are truly free

DON'T MISS: Facebook is quickly coaching Mark Zuckerberg on how to be charming

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HBO's programming boss says Netflix's enormous TV spending feels like the 'irrational exuberance' of the 90s dot-com bubble

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Big Little Lies

  • HBO programming chief Casey Bloys had some criticism for the runaway spending of his network's streaming rivals, Netflix and Amazon, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
  • Bloys speculated that widespread, exorbitant TV spending could mean that the industry is "in a bubble."
  • He said that his rivals' spending feels like "irrational exuberance," in a reference to Alan Greenspan's label for the dot-com bubble of the 1990s.

HBO programming chief Casey Bloys had a degree of criticism for the big spending of his network's streaming-based rivals, Netflix and Amazon, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter

In a conversation centered on the million-dollar salaries HBO is paying stars Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon for a second season of its hit series "Big Little Lies," Bloys also discussed the record-breaking, nine-figure contracts Netflix has given to successful showrunners Ryan Murphy and Shonda Rhimes in the past year.

He said Netflix's runaway spending was emblematic of the fact that, in today's TV industry, "it's just a reality that doing a show will cost more."

Netflix has said it will spend roughly $8 billion on content this year, up from the $6 billion it spent in 2017, while HBO last year spent about $2 billion on content.

THR's Lacey Rose then asked, "At some point, there’s a ceiling, no?," regarding spending in TV. 

"A lot of people speculate about that. Are we in a bubble? Is there too much?" Bloys said. "It certainly does feel like, as Alan Greenspan called it [in reference to the dot-com bubble of the 1990s], irrational exuberance. But just like any market, nobody really knows when you're at the top."

When asked to comment specifically on the $1 billion that Amazon is expected to spend on a series adaption of "The Lord of the Rings," Bloys deflected and instead spoke to HBO's more selective strategy of "curating excellent content."

"[HBO CEO Richard Plepler] and I talk about that, too, [and it’s,] ‘Eyes on your own paper,’" Bloys said. "And it's true: we’ve got to stay focused on our goal, which is curating excellent content -- not ignoring the outside world because you can’t but also trying not to get too distracted by Amazon has this money or Apple has that money. Money is obviously very nice but it doesn't automatically mean quality. It's very hard to curate content and it matters how you engage with talent and how you treat them. And it's the game we've been playing for a long time. "

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 34 original drama series, ranked from worst to best

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The funny reason the audience wasn't scared during the test screening of 'A Quiet Place,' the latest hit horror movie

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  • "A Quiet Place" had one test screening, and audiences were very confused while watching it.
  • According to the producers behind the movie, Platinum Dunes' Bradley Fuller and Andrew Form, the CGI wasn't ready yet to have the scary monsters in the screening.
  • In fact, some of the footage the audience saw was director John Krasinski in a motion-capture suit playing a monster.

Warning: Minor spoiler below if you haven't seen "A Quiet Place."

John Krasinski's latest directing effort, "A Quiet Place," scored a huge $50 million opening weekend for Paramount over the weekend thanks to its frightening premise: monsters that kill anything that makes a sound.

But how would the movie be if the monsters never appeared on-screen? That's what a test-screening audience had to endure.

According to the Platinum Dunes heads Andrew Form and Bradley Fuller, the producers behind the hit movie, the test screening of "A Quiet Place" was more excruciating than usual because the computer-generated monsters from the special-effects house Industrial Light & Magic weren't ready.

In their place were basic plate graphics of the monsters or footage in which someone dressed in a motion-capture suit would perform a monster's movements in the scene.

In fact, Krasinski himself played the monster in some scenes.

"Sometimes John was in the motion-capture suit playing the monster," Form said. "In that basement scene he was the creature down there."

Bradley Fuller Andrew Form Nicholas Hunt GettyForm and Fuller are no strangers to having to show a test screening with little to no computer-generated imagery. Platinum Dunes also produces Paramount's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movies, and they said it's always weird to test those movies without the CGI turtles finished. But for "A Quiet Place," they acknowledged it was a little more confusing for audiences to understand what was going on.

Take, for instance, the pinnacle scene in the movie in which one of the monsters runs away from Regan (Millicent Simmonds) because her hearing aid hurts its sensitive ears.

"When her hearing aid goes off in the cornfield, you have her in the shot but there was nothing behind her, so the audience did not understand that a creature came up behind her," Form said.

So the movie went into its world premiere at the sci-fi/horror-loving South by Southwest Film Festival a month ago coming off a test screening that confused audiences and most likely wasn't very scary because there wasn't much monster footage.

Thankfully, ILM delivered the monster CGI in time and the audience loved the movie. The movie eventually received a 100% rating on the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes before the movie's theatrical release.

"If there was optimism, it was self-created," Fuller said of the lead-up to the SXSW screening. "Usually when you go into a screening like that you know what you have — this was totally blind. It was crazy. We were all very apprehensive. When the movie ended and the people started cheering I put my head on my wife's shoulder and cried because it was so fraught with tension and emotion. Because we had no idea."

"A Quiet Place" is playing in theaters.

More on "A Quiet Place":

SEE ALSO: The best details from the new "Solo: A Star Wars Story" trailer, from Donald Glover to a sarcastic new droid

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'Avengers: Infinity War' star Zoe Saldana slams 'elitists' who look down on Marvel movies

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Zoe-Saldana

  • Actress Zoe Saldana took aim at "elitists" who look down on Marvel and sci-fi movies, in an interview with Net-A-Porter.
  • Saldana said they should be "cognizant about what playing a superhero means to a young child."
  • "You're not just dissing me, you're dissing what that child considers important in their world," she said.
  • Saldana has starred in numerous sci-fi movies, and will return to her "Guardians of the Galaxy" character in this month's "Avengers: Infinity War."

 

Actress Zoe Saldana is no stranger to superhero and sci-fi films, and she thinks "elitists" who look down on them should consider what those movies mean to young children. 

In an interview with Net-A-Porter, Saldana called out people in Hollywood who think actors in Marvel movies and other sci-fi films are "selling out."

She said the characters these actors play inspire young children, and that these "elitists" should be a "little more cognizant about what playing a superhero means to a young child."

"It’s these actors that understand the role that they play inspires a five year old who has one dying wish to meet a superhero," Saldana said. "That actor takes time out of their life and sits down with that five year old and says, ‘I see you, I hear you, and you matter.'"

She continued: "You’re not just dissing me, you’re dissing what that child considers important in their world. I feel so proud to be living in space, to be playing green and blue aliens, to inspire, primarily, the younger generations. I remember what it was like to be young and to feel completely excluded out of the mainstream conversation of life because I was just little and unimportant and 'other.'"

Saldana has played the Marvel character Gamora in both "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies, and she's returning to the role in this month's "Avengers: Infinity War."

She has also played a member of an alien race called the Na'vi in James Cameron's "Avatar," and Uhura in the "Star Trek" reboot. So she has plenty of experience acting in sci-fi movies.

More on Marvel:

SEE ALSO: The best details from the new 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' trailer, from Donald Glover to a sarcastic new droid

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Marvel's 'Avengers: Infinity War' directors changed their Twitter profile picture, and fans think it's a clue to Captain America's fate

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winter soldier captain america

  • The Russo Brothers, the directors of Marvel's "Avengers: Infinity War," changed their Twitter profile picture to Bucky Barnes holding Captain America's shield.
  • Fans are speculating what this could mean for Captain America, who's played by Chris Evans.
  • The Russos could be misleading fans, but there's also reason to believe Marvel might kill off the character.

 

The Russo Brothers, the directors of "Avengers: Infinity War," changed their Twitter profile picture on Monday, and fans think it could mean bad things for Chris Evans as Captain America.

The picture is a piece of art depicting Captain America's best friend Bucky Barnes — played by Sebastian Stan in the movie — holding Captain America's shield, rather than Captain America himself, Steve Rogers (played by Evans).

The only caption is "#NewProfilePic," leaving fans to speculate on Twitter what this could mean for Captain America's fate in "Avengers: Infinity War" — and also panic.

The tweet has over 1,000 comments ranging in emotions, from scared to sad. Many fans are afraid that the picture means doom for Captain America; some think if Captain America dies, then Sam Wilson/The Falcon (played by Anthony Mackie) should replace him; and some are just upset about potential spoilers.

 

Considering the Russo Brothers recently posted a message to fans on Twitter asking them to refrain from spoiling the movie after they see it, it's hard to believe they would so heavily tease such a huge spoiler like Captain America's death in "Avengers: Infinity War." So this new profile picture could just be a fun misdirection on their part. 

But it wouldn't be a stretch for Captain America to die, either. 

Evans has implied that he's ready to retire from the role and there's good reason to believe Marvel might kill him off. After Marvel's "Civil War" comic-event, Captain America died and Barnes took his place until Rogers returned (because nobody stays dead in comics).

The trailers for "Avengers: Infinity War" have certainly been ominous, and its characters look like they're in plenty of trouble. But Captain America's fate will be revealed later this month when the movie hits theaters on April 27.

More on Marvel:

SEE ALSO: The best details from the new 'Solo: A Star Wars Story' trailer, from Donald Glover to a sarcastic new droid

Join the conversation about this story »

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Actor Jim Carrey dumped his Facebook stock at exactly the right time (FB)

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Jim-Carrey

  • The actor Jim Carrey tweeted on February 6 that he was dumping his Facebook shares because the company profited from Russian interference in US elections.
  • Facebook shares have fallen 14% after news surfaced that Cambridge Analytica accessed data of more than 50 million users without their permission.
  • Follow Facebook's stock in real time here.

The actor Jim Carrey dumped his Facebook shares at exactly the right time.

"I'm dumping my @facebook stock and deleting my page because @facebook profited from Russian interference in our elections and they're still not doing enough to stop it," Carrey tweeted on February 6. "I encourage all other investors who care about our future to do the same. #unfriendfacebook."

Facebook shares closed at $185.31 on February 6, but have fallen more than 14% to their lowest level since September following news that Cambridge Analytica accessed data from 50 million users without their permission. The stock closed at $157.93 Monday.

The sell-off in Facebook shares was fast and furious. They shed as much as 20% in the days following the scandal, erasing roughly $73 billion in market cap. During the sell-off, Facebook has slipped one place in the rankings of the most valuable US companies, to sixth from fifth, and is now behind Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway.

Facebook shares are up almost 0.4% ahead of Tuesday's opening bell.

Facebook

SEE ALSO: A bubble you didn't even know existed could be bursting

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Bill Simmons' new HBO documentary about Andre the Giant is an emotionally powerful look at the man behind the myth

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Andre the Giant 3 WWE

  • Bill Simmons' dream of making a documentary about pro wrestling great Andre the Giant has finally become a reality thanks to director Jason Hehir.
  • The movie is a powerful look at the legend that explores the man as well as the mythology around him, which has grown for decades.
  • Both wrestling fans and general audiences will enjoy this one.


When Bill Simmons launched the ESPN documentary series “30 for 30,” one of his dream movies was telling the life story of Andre the Giant.

Simmons has since left ESPN, but nine years later at HBO, he’s executive producing his first movie (from his The Ringer brand) at the network — and it's about Andre. All we can say is good things come to those who wait. 

Even if you aren’t a professional wrestling fan, you’ve likely heard of Andre the Giant. At 7’ 4” and weighing 500 pounds, before Hulk Hogan it was Andre who was the face of wrestling. And if you really have no clue who I’m taking about, then maybe Fezzik (“Anybody want a peanut?”) from “The Princess Bride” rings a bell? Yes, that's Andre, too.  

The life of Andre Roussimoff is a myth built from years traveling the globe on the wrestling circuit (and has only increased since his death in 1993), and Simmons enlisted director Jason Hehir to uncover the truth about the legendary figure. He succeeded with flying colors. 

Andre the Giant 2 WWEHehir’s HBO documentary “Andre the Giant” (airing on HBO on Tuesday at 10 p.m.) is not the typical documentary on a pro wrestler that celebrates career highlights. Though there’s a lot of that, Hehir pulls no punches in finding some truth about who Andre was, and what it was like to be touted as the 8th Wonder of the World. 

With a powerful score, incredible archival video and photos, and interview clips from almost everyone you would want to hear speak about Andre, the movie shows a man living in a world not made for him — and the good, bad, and ugly that came with it. 

Hehir paints a moving picture of Andre coming up the wrestling ranks in France during the 1960s as the character of a lumberjack called the “Great Fairy.” He catches the eye of wrestling promoters in America and quickly begins to bounce around the circuit, now being called Andre the Giant (as well as traveling to Japan, Canada, and Australia).

Through the 1970s, Andre is the main attraction in wrestling and his antics out of the ring become legendary. There are the "fun" antics, like drinking over 100 beers in a single night; and the less attractive ones, like how uncomfortable it is for him to travel, and how he has a daughter who he never sees because he is on the road so much.

There’s also the hilarious recollections of the wrestlers he didn’t respect. Those include Big John Stud, who Andre didn't like because he would walk over the top rope to get into the ring, using the move that was known to be Andre’s. They also include "Macho Man" Randy Savage, who according to Hulk Hogan would get yelled at by Andre because Savage would always have on too much baby oil.

Andre The Giant WWEThen we get to the early 1980s and the Hulk Hogan era begins, as well as the Vince McMahon era, in which his WWF (now WWE) becomes the first nationwide wrestling outfit. Though Andre is beginning to wear down physically, McMahon convinces him to fight Hogan for the title at WrestleMania III. 

For wrestling fans, the insight Hehir provides for this section of the film is the holy grail. Hogan, McMahon, and others close to Andre and the event (like legendary WWF announcer “Mean” Gene Okerlund) are on camera in the movie laying out what happened behind-the-scenes leading up to WrestleMania III, Hogan vs The Giant — the irresistible force against the immovable object. It was the moment when professional wrestling went mainstream. 

Hehir tells with vivid detail how little Hogan really knew about the match’s outcome and how much physical pain Andre was in at that point in his life.

Pain in Andre’s life is a major theme throughout the doc. Whether it’s talking about “The Princess Bride,” traveling the globe, or the sad final days of his life, Andre lived with a lot of discomfort but wouldn’t show it. And that might be the biggest takeaway from the movie — Andre the Giant really was a gentle giant who was more concerned about making others comfortable around him than worrying about himself.

Simmons found the right person in Hehir to take on one of his dream projects. The director successfully pulls away the layer of legend surrounding a literal giant to reveal the man who amazed so many.

SEE ALSO: Inside the surprise success of "A Quiet Place" — from a worrisome test screening to a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score

Join the conversation about this story »

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Where you can watch all 18 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before you see 'Infinity War'

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Not interested in a daylong Marvel Cinematic Universe marathon right before seeing "Avengers: Infinity War"?

We figured most people aren't but commend the brave souls who stick it out for every "Avengers" premiere.

To accommodate MCU fans who want to catch up at a more leisurely pace, we found out where all 18 movies in the MCU are streaming online so you can play catch-up before seeing "Infinity War," which is scheduled for release April 27.

Most movies in the MCU are available to rent on Amazon or iTunes, while a select few are on Netflix including "Doctor Strange" and "Captain America: Civil War," which is probably the most important movie to watch before seeing "Infinity War."

Here's where you can stream all 18 MCU movies before seeing "Infinity War":

SEE ALSO: All 53 movie and TV sequels or reboots coming out in 2018

Here are the titles available on Netflix:

"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"

"Doctor Strange"

"Captain America: Civil War"



And here's a title-by-title breakdown for the whole MCU. First up: Phase I



"Iron Man" — released May 2, 2008

Available to rent or purchase on iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, and Google Play.



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Stephen Colbert gleefully jokes about the FBI's raid of Trump attorney Michael Cohen: 'They got everything'

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  • Stephen Colbert joked about the FBI's raid of President Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen's Manhattan office on Monday night's "Late Show."
  • Colbert referenced the New York Times article that broke the story of the raid, which reported that the FBI had seized records related to Cohen's $130,000 payment to the pornographic actress Stormy Daniels, who alleges she had an affair with Trump in 2006.
  •  "They got everything," Colbert said of the FBI. "They got all of his information about porn in a folder marked 'finances' and all of his information about finances in a folder marked 'porn.'"

Stephen Colbert opened his "Late Show" on Monday night with a series of spirited jokes on the FBI's raid of President Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen's Manhattan office.

Colbert started the monologue by playing a clip of Trump speaking with reporters on Air Force One last week about the $130,000 payment Cohen made to the pornographic film actress Stormy Daniels in October 2016. (Daniels has alleged that she said had an affair with Trump in 2006.)

Trump told reporters of the payment: "You’ll have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. You’ll have to ask Michael."

"Well, guess who watches TV?" Colbert said in response to the clip. "Robert Mueller."

The "Late Show" host then cited the New York Times article that broke the story of the raid, which reported that the FBI had seized records from Cohen "related to several topics including payments to a pornographic film actress."

"They got everything," Colbert said of the FBI. "They got all of his information about porn in a folder marked 'finances' and all of his information about finances in a folder marked 'porn.'"

"And remember, Michael Cohen said he paid Stormy Daniels out of his own pocket, which is crazy," Colbert continued. "Who pays for porn?"

Watch the clip below:

SEE ALSO: Why the FBI's raid on Michael Cohen's office could spell trouble for Trump

Join the conversation about this story »

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The 50 best video games of all time, according to critics

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There are dozens of ways you could put together a list of the best video games ever made. You could look to classics, like "Super Mario Bros." here.

You could look at impact on the medium, or highest sales. You could write down your personal favorites on pieces of paper, then throw them into the air. Where the pieces land? That's your list!

But what we've got here is something slightly more scientific. Reviews aggregation site Metacritic compiles all reviews of games, then it averages those scores into an overall average. What you'll find below is the top 50 highest-rated games of all time, based on the averages obtained by Metacritic. We made one small change: Since there are a handful of duplicates on the list (multiple versions of the same game, released on multiple platforms), we've just taken the highest-ranked version of the game to make room for a handful of games that wouldn't have otherwise made the list.

Without further ado, these are the 50 best video games of all time:

SEE ALSO: The 50 best movies of all time, according to critics on Metacritic

50. "Devil May Cry"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 8.6/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In a large American metropolis, a man named Dante, a private investigator of the supernatural, is seeking revenge for the death of his mother and brother. The world is waiting, for Dante is no ordinary man, and with his father's sword in hand, he must enter the demon realm and avenge mankind."

Platforms: PC, iOS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One



49. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 8.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Build your skills, earn respect, and show that you've got what it takes to Go Pro. 190 progressively harder goals. No time clock, no constraints. Pro-specific challenges. Evolving levels. Interact with other skaters. Multi-player modes. Customize your game...Your career is what you make of it."

Platforms: GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Game Boy Advance, Tapwave Zodiac, OS X, PC



48. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 6.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'Modern Warfare 2' continues the gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse. An entirely new gameplay mode which supports 2-player co-operative play online that is unique from the single player story campaign. Special Ops pits players into a gauntlet of time-trial and objective-based missions. Rank-up as players unlock new Special Ops missions, each more difficult. Missions include highlights from the single player campaign, fan favorites from 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' and all new, exclusive missions. Setting a new bar for online multiplayer, 'Modern Warfare 2' multiplayer delivers new capabilities, customization, game states and modes, including: Create-a-Class Evolved. Secondary Weapons - Machine Pistols, Shotguns, Handguns, Launchers. Riot Shields. Equipment - Throwing Knives, Blast Shield, Tactical Insertion. Perk Upgrades. Bling (Dual Attachments). Customizable Killstreaks - AC130, Sentry Gun, Predator Missile, Counter-UAV, Care Package. Accolades (Post match reports)."

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, OS X



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A new TV show will send a self-made billionaire 'undercover' to see if he can build a million-dollar company from nothing in 90 days

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  • Discovery is about to begin production on a new show called "Undercover Billionaire."
  • In the show, an unnamed self-made billionaire will try to create a million-dollar company from scratch in 90 days.
  • They will not be allowed to access his previous contacts or wealth, and will be sent to an unfamiliar city.
  • Succeed or fail, the show will be a commentary on the American Dream.


If you dropped a self-made billionaire off in a random city, with just a few dollars and the drive to build something, could they make a million-dollar business in only a few months?

That’s the question Discovery is trying to answer with its new show, “Undercover Billionaire,” which is about to begin production on a 90-day shoot.

“The billionaire came to us with the idea of wanting to test himself,” Discovery’s Chief Brand Officer, Nancy Daniels, told Business Insider in an interview. He was someone who had come from “nothing” before making it big, and was “100% confident” he could do it again, she said.

Here's the test they devised: He'll be given three months to build a million-dollar company from scratch in an unfamiliar mid-sized city, without the benefit of his past contacts, and something like $200 dollars in his pocket (the exact amount is still being worked out).

Daniels wouldn’t reveal the billionaire’s name or industry — due to concerns about spoiling the shoot — but said he wouldn’t be recognizable to the average person. In the show, while the audience will know who he is from the start, the people he’s working with won’t know until the end, when he will gift them whatever business he ends up creating (they’ll have a cover story to explain the cameras).

“We truly are following him do this,” Daniels said.

He could succeed or he could fail spectacularly. But whatever happens, good or bad, will be a commentary on American capitalism and the idea of the self-made man. How much of his initial success was luck, and how much was his innate drive and ability? Can entrepreneurial lightning strike twice for someone without huge financial backing?

The show is fundamentally about “taking your own life into your own hands,” Daniels said. And the results will say a lot about the extent to which that is possible. 

The billionaire has explained to the producers a few business avenues or industries he thinks he could explore in the show, and none are in his previous wheelhouse, Daniels said. He’s really trying to get back to his own origin story: no contacts, no expertise, no money.

“Before I met him, I was suspicious [of his chances],” Daniels said. But after meeting him, she thinks he just might be able to pull it off. He'll have 90 days to prove her right.

SEE ALSO: Netflix’s ‘Wild Wild Country’ directors explain how they unraveled the story of a cult famous for sex, Rolls Royces, and bioterrorism

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Fans are rallying to save Netflix's 'Everything Sucks' after it was canceled

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  • Netflix recently canceled the coming-of-age comedy set in the 90s, "Everything Sucks."
  • The show's main character is a lesbian teenager, which a lot of fans loved and found relatable.
  • Fans are rallying to get the show renewed, and have created a Change.org petition. 
  • One fan of the series who wants Netflix to save it is "House of Cards" creator Beau Willimon. 

Since 2017, Netflix has been on a canceling spree, cutting more original shows than ever before.

The most recent show to get the axe is the 90s-set, coming-of-age comedy "Everything Sucks," which made its debut in February. But many people are disappointed that the show has been cut, including the Beau Willimon, the creator of Netflix's "House of Cards."

"Everything Sucks" tells the story of Kate Messner, a high school sophomore, who's coming to terms with her sexuality (she thinks she's a lesbian). Her journey showcases how hard it is to be an LGBTQ+ teen, especially two decades ago. The season also follows a lovely romance between Kate's dad and her friend Luke's mom, which is one of the few "parent" stories on a teen show that's not a complete waste of screen time. 

While the show started off on a bit of a lazy note, and was a little too reminiscent of "Freaks and Geeks," by the end of the season the show became something truly special, making many (including me) excited for a second season. 

"Everything Sucks" received mixed reviews, with a 69% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes. But the people who were fans really loved it, and are rallying to save it from cancellation. Judging by how quick Netflix was to cancel the show, it seems like it didn't get a lot of viewers, but the people who did watch it are very passionate. There's even a Change.org petition begging Netflix to bring the show back.

It's evident from the production quality and the cast, which was filled with up-and-comers, that the show didn't cost Netflix much. The creators confirmed this to Business Insider when we spoke in February. So maybe the show's budget is small enough that it could be saved. But the cancellation also confirms that "Everything Sucks" didn't become the "sleeper hit" that Netflix programming boss Ted Sarandos expected.

That doesn't mean it didn't find a fan base, though.

Here are some of the most passionate tweets from "Everything Sucks" fans: 

SEE ALSO: Where you can watch all 18 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe before you see 'Infinity War'

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YouTube's most viewed video of all time was defaced by hackers — and one person claiming responsibility says they've also hacked the account of YouTube's CEO

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YouTube Hack

  • YouTube's most-watched video was recently hacked, defaced, and then removed from the web for a short time.
  • Other music videos including those from artists like Katy Perry, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Shakira were briefly defaced and altered as well.
  • Although there's still a great deal of mystery surrounding the matter, many users on Twitter and YouTube are pointing to the Twitter users @Kuroi'SH and @Prosox, both of whom have claimed responsibility for the hack on Twitter.
  • YouTube say that "after seeing unusual upload activity on a handful of VEVO channels, we worked quickly with our partner to disable access while they investigate the issue.”

Something weird is happening on YouTube. The site's most popular video of all time was defaced and other popular music videos from artists like Shakira, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, and Rihanna were briefly defaced and altered.

For a short time, YouTube's most popular video, a music video called "Despacito" by the artist Luis Fonsi with more than 5 billion views, was altered to feature imagery of a masked, gun-wielding gang from the Netflix show Casa de Papel. The video has since been restored to its original state. 

The videos all appear to be official VEVO music videos, a video hosting platform partnered with YouTube and music labels, which could point to a hack that was specifically aimed at compromising VEVO.

In a statement to Business Insider, VEVO confirmed that a number of its videos were subject to a security breach, but said that the breach had since been contained.

"We are working to reinstate all videos affected in our catalogue to be restored to full working order. We are continuing to investigate the source of the breach," the statement read.

At the moment, details are still unclear and neither YouTube or Vevo have confirmed what was behind the hack, although multiple people are pointing to two Twitter users with the handles @Kuroi'SH and @Prosox, who have both claimed responsibility.

Twitter user who goes by the handle @sh_kuroi and describes themself as a "security researcher" from Western Sahara "acting to support the freedom of my country" tweeted out that they had accessed YouTube CEO's Susan Wojcicki's account as well as that of Shakira's.  

The account has also said its new targets are YouTubers Jake and Logan Paul.

A Twitter user called Prosox, who also identifies as hacker, claimed to have taken part in the hack as well, tweeting out, "Its [sic] just for fun."

It's important to keep in mind that neither of those two accounts claiming responsibility have been proven in any way to be behind the alterations of the music videos, and neither YouTube nor VEVO have said anything about any parties responsible.

YouTube is aware of the issue, and said in a statement to Business Insider that VEVO is investigating the issue.

“After seeing unusual upload activity on a handful of VEVO channels, we worked quickly with our partner to disable access while they investigate the issue," a YouTube spokesperson told Business Insider.

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Instagram is gaining on Snapchat in one critical area: teenagers (FB, SNAP)

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Teenagers Harvard

  • Virtually the same percentage of American teenagers use Snapchat and Instagram.
  • But teenagers deeply prefer Snapchat, with 45% of teens surveyed calling it their favorite social network.

Snapchat and Instagram are in a battle for the homescreen of young consumers, with the two platforms looking more similar by the week. 

Right now, they're just about tied, according to Piper Jaffray's "Teens Survey," which questions thousands of American kids across 40 states with an average age of 16.

Turns out, virtually the same percentage of teens open Snapchat and Instagram once a month. Snapchat has a slight advantage with 83% of teens opening the app monthly, whereas 82% of teens are monthly active Instagram users. 

However, the teens surveyed deeply prefer Snapchat to Instagram. 45% say that Snapchat is their favorite social platform, blowing away Facebook-owned Instagram, with 26%.

Ultimately, to advertisers, it might not matter. The analysts write that Instagram has largely the same user base as Snapchat, but it has better tools for advertisers. 

Facebook is pretty unpopular in American high schools, but there's a silver lining. Piper analysts write that "current 18 year olds who adopted Facebook when they were 13 are not abandoning Facebook."

Only 9% of teens say Twitter is their favorite, but it's resurgent in the most recent survey — 53% percent of teens use it once a month, up from 50% last fall. 

Piper Jaffray snapchat instagram chart

 

SEE ALSO: Over 80% of teenagers prefer iPhone to Android — and that’s great news for Apple

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The 32 movies coming out this summer you can’t miss — from 'Infinity War' to 'Incredibles 2'

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This might come as a shock for those in the Northeast, but summer is just around the corner.

That means we're coming up on the multiplexes being filled with Hollywood's big blockbusters. 

In the coming months that includes titles like "Deadpool 2," "Solo: A Star Wars Story," and "Incredibles 2."

And we can't leave out the movie a decade in the making: "Avengers: Infinity War."

Here are 32 movies we think you should go out and see this summer:

SEE ALSO: 12 of the worst TV reboots of all time, ranked from bad to unbearable

April 27 - “Avengers: Infinity War”

You might have heard about this little movie. It has a few superheroes in it and they finally battle a big purple guy. Yes, it’s going to make a couple of dollars at the movie theaters. Get ready for the most ambitious crossover event in history.



May 4 - “Overboard”

The classic Goldie Hawn/Kurt Russell 1987 romantic comedy gets a gender swap for its reboot, as Anna Faris plays the overworked employee of a spoiled Mexican playboy (Eugenio Derbez) who gets some payback when he gets amnesia after falling off his yacht.



May 4 - “Tully”

Jason Reitman reteams with "Young Adult" screenwriter Diablo Cody (“Juno”) and star Charlize Theron for his latest movie about a mother (Theron) who forms a unique bond with her nanny (played by Mackenzie Davis).



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Comedian TJ Miller was arrested on suspicion of calling in a fake bomb threat from an Amtrak train

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  • Former "Silicon Valley" actor TJ Miller has been arrested on suspicion of calling in a fake bomb threat to authorities from an Amtrak train.
  • Miller was taken into custody Monday night at LaGuardia Airport in New York City for what prosecutors say is "intentionally conveying to law enforcement false information about an explosive device on a train traveling to Connecticut."
  • Miller appeared before the US district judge in New Haven, Connecticut, on Tuesday, and was released on a $100,000 bond. 
  • His charge "carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years," according to the Justice Department.

The comedian and former "Silicon Valley" actor TJ Miller has been arrested on suspicion of calling in a fake bomb threat to authorities from an Amtrak train.

Miller was taken into custody Monday night at LaGuardia Airport in New York City for "intentionally conveying to law enforcement false information about an explosive device on a train traveling to Connecticut" on March 18, the US Attorney for the District of Connecticut said in a statement

The Hollywood Reporter first reported the news.

Miller appeared before the US district judge in New Haven, Connecticut, on Tuesday, and he was released on a $100,000 bond. 

His charge "carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years," the US attorney's office in Connecticut said.

The criminal complaint alleges that Miller called a 911 dispatcher and said a female passenger had "a bomb in her bag." According to the complaint, the responding officer is said to have detected that Miller was slurring his speech and asked if he had consumed alcohol. Miller replied that he had "one glass of red wine," the complaint said.

When asked if he suffered from mental illness, Miller allegedly replied, "No, absolutely not. This is the first time I’ve ever made a call like this before. I am worried for everyone on that train. Someone has to check that lady out." 

No evidence of an explosive device or materials were recovered from the train, according to the US attorney's office.

Miller left the hit HBO series "Silicon Valley" after the show's fourth season aired in 2017. He does not appear in the show's fifth season, which premiered last month. Miller said that he left the show to "have the time to develop animated features," after the release of his critically panned "The Emoji Movie," which he starred in in 2017.

This is not the first time Miller has run into legal trouble.

In March, Miller reached a settlement with a driver who accused him of physical assault in 2016, according to TMZ. Miller was arrested and released for the charge in December 2016, and his attorney told THR last year that the driver's complaint was part of "a plan to try and extort money" from the actor.

In December 2017, allegations that Miller sexually assaulted a woman in college resurfaced in a report from The Daily Beast. Miller and his wife denied the allegations in a joint statement to the outlet.

Miller's representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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People are furious after a millionaire vegan musician wrote an op-ed arguing people shouldn't be allowed to use food stamps to buy candy

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Moby

  • Moby, a famous musician and outspoken vegan, penned an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, arguing "Food Stamps Shouldn't Pay for Junk." 
  • There was swift backlash against the article and its author.
  • Experts are divided on how best to address factors that contribute to poverty, obesity, and food insecurity in the US. 

 

Moby, a famous musician, DJ, and avowed vegan, is under fire for an op-ed he published in The Wall Street Journal. 

In the article, under the headline "Food Stamps Shouldn't Pay for Junk," Moby argues that the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) should cut costs by restricting offerings to emphasize less expensive, more nutritious items instead of less-healthy processed foods.

"Selling soda, candy and heavily processed meats is easy when the government picks up the tab," he writes. "Under SNAP, the big food conglomerates go to the bank while the poor end up in the emergency room." 

Instead, Moby argues that the government should push for a program that focuses on "cheap, healthy foods like beans, vegetables, fruit and whole grains."

Researchers are split on how best to address the factors that contribute to poverty, obesity, and food insecurity in the US. However, Moby — who, despite his humble beginnings, is today a celebrity who has purchased and sold millions of dollars in real estate — taking on the position of an expert on poverty and nutrition rubbed many the wrong way. 

"Will Moby provide refrigeration and kitchens?" Melissa Morabito, an associate professor at UMass Lowell, tweeted.

Moby isn't without his supporters. The Scaramucci Post, a media venture backed by former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, tweeted the "important" article. 

Experts are split on how SNAP should be structured to best serve people living in poverty.

Studies suggest a significant portion of SNAP benefits are being spent on soda, candy, and other junk food that has been proven to have a negative impact on people's health. However, others argue that food restrictions would increase stigma, drive up costs, and fail to address deeper issues — especially if people receiving SNAP benefits are shopping in areas without high-quality, fresh food and lack the time or resources to prepare it. 

"This issue has pitted anti-obesity and public health groups against the anti-hunger community," Dr. Kelly Brownell, dean of Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, told the website Civil Eats in 2017.

"On the one hand," Brownell continued, "the public health community says these beverages are contributing to ill health through obesity and diabetes. On the other hand, the hunger community says people are already stigmatized for using these benefits, and that to take something away would further stigmatize them." 

SEE ALSO: Teens have a new favorite fast-food chain

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During his Senate hearing, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was asked about an infamous ex-employee: Palmer Luckey (FB)

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Oculus founder Palmer Luckey

  • During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Senator Ted Cruz questioned Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about hiring and firing decisions based on political affiliation.
  • Among the questions, Cruz asked Zuckerberg about the case of Palmer Luckey — the Oculus VR co-founder and Oculus Rift creator who no longer works at Facebook.
  • Luckey was outed as having funded an anti-Hillary Clinton meme group, and he left Facebook with little explanation about six months later.
  • Zuckerberg didn't comment on specifics of Luckey's firing, but did say that it wasn't due "to a political view."


Who is Palmer Luckey? And why is his name coming up during a Senate hearing with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg over privacy concerns in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal?

In case you've already forgotten, Luckey is the charismatic entrepreneur who once graced the cover of Time Magazine — the poster boy for the future of virtual reality, made real by his invention: The "Oculus Rift." Facebook liked the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset so much that it bought the company that Luckey co-founded, Oculus VR, in 2014 for $2 billion

Luckey was in his early-20s at the time. 

palmer luckey time magazine cover

Facebook still owns Oculus VR, and is working on new versions of the Oculus Rift headset. Luckey, however, was ushered out of Facebook in March 2017 — at the time, Facebook didn't say whether he was fired or if he quit. 

What was clear, however, was that he left Facebook about six months after news surfaced of his bankrolling of a bizarre, meme-focused anti-Hillary Clinton group (The Daily Beast has the original report, which goes into much more detail).

So why's his name coming up over a year after his firing, from Senator Ted Cruz of all people?

Because Cruz seemingly believes that Luckey's firing was politically motivated. It certainly doesn't hurt that Luckey hosted a fundraiser for Senator Cruz last April

Senator Ted Cruz and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (April 10, 2018)

Here's the full exchange:

SENATOR CRUZ: "In your testimony, you say that you have 15 to 20 thousand people working on security and content review. Do you know the political orientation of those 15 to 20 thousand people engaged in content review?

FACEBOOK CEO MARK ZUCKERBERG: "We do not generally ask people about their political orientation when they're joining the company."

CRUZ: "Have you ever made hiring/firing decisions based on political positions and what candidates they support?"

ZUCKERBERG: "No."

CRUZ: "Why was Palmer Luckey fired?"

ZUCKERBERG: "That is a specific personnel matter that seems like it would be inappropriate to speak to here."

CRUZ: "You just made a specific representation that you didn't make decisions based on political views."

ZUCKERBERG: "Well I can commit that it wasn't because of a political view."

Read more on Zuckerberg's blockbuster Senate hearing:

SEE ALSO: How Palmer Luckey, the tech CEO who sold his startup to Facebook for $2 billion, became the company's black sheep

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Instagram stars are reportedly among the 6 people dead after a plane headed for Las Vegas crashed in Arizona

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  • All six passengers were reportedly killed when a plane crashed at a golf course in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday night.
  • A video posted to Facebook seems to show the passengers entering the plane before takeoff.
  • While the police have not yet officially identified the victims, friends and relatives appear to have begun doing so on social media.

The identities of those killed in a plane crash in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Monday night are becoming clearer, with one passenger apparently posting a video to social media before takeoff.

A Federal Aviation Administration notice posted Tuesday said a Piper PA-24, which local reports indicated was headed for Las Vegas, crashed at the TPC Scottsdale golf course under "unknown circumstances" during takeoff.

A representative of the Scottsdale Police Department told The New York Times that all six people aboard the plane were killed.

A video posted to Twitter, seen below, appeared to show the fiery crash:

While the names of the victims have not yet been officially released, friends and family members appear to have identified them on social media.

The Arizona Republic said it had verified the identities of three of the victims through friends and relatives.

On Tuesday, a Facebook user named Jeremy Gail posted a tribute to some of the victims in which he identified four of the people traveling as Anand Patel, Mariah Coogan, Helena L, and James Pedroza, whom he said owned the aircraft and was piloting it.

The video in his post, shown above, appears to show people entering the back of the plane, laughing and looking into the camera.

Gail's post has been commented on and shared hundreds of times.

Tributes have also been pouring in via comments on Instagram profiles that appear to belong to Pedroza and Coogan.

Gail believes Pedroza, who had nearly 12,000 followers on Instagram, had recently purchased the plane.

First cross country! Lake Tahoe for some snowboarding with @tatted4lyf #AV8

A post shared by James pedroza (@itsactuallyprettydope) on Mar 21, 2018 at 12:58pm PDT on

Coogan, who had nearly 28,000 followers, was reportedly an aspiring model.

Gail also shared the Facebook profile of Anand "Happy" Patel.

Business Insider has contacted the Scottsdale Police Department for information on when the victims' identities will be officially released.

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