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Gwyneth Paltrow says Brad Pitt threatened to kill Harvey Weinstein after he allegedly sexually harassed her

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gwyneth paltrow harvey weinstein

  • Gwyneth Paltrow revealed more details about Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual harassment of her in an interview with Howard Stern on his Sirius XM radio show Wednesday.
  • Paltrow said Weinstein requested a massage in a hotel room in the 1990s, when Paltrow was the lead in the Weinstein-produced film "Emma."
  • She said her then-boyfriend Brad Pitt threatened Weinstein when he found out.
  • Dozens of women have come forward accusing Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault since October, when a New York Times report uncovered decades of allegations against Weinstein.

 

Gwyneth Paltrow has revealed more details about Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual harassment of her in the 1990s. This time, she said her then-boyfriend Brad Pitt threatened to kill the film producer when he found out.

Paltrow first accused Weinstein in an interview with The New York Times in October, after the Times uncovered decades of sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein.

Paltrow told Howard Stern, on his Sirius XM radio show Wednesday, that Weinstein once requested she give him a massage in a hotel room. At the time, Weinstein was an executive producer on the 1996 film "Emma," in which Paltrow was the lead.

"I was alone in a room with him," she said. "It was out of the blue. I was blind-sided. I was shocked."

Paltrow said she told Pitt right away, who confronted Weinstein one night at the opening of "Hamlet" on Broadway.

"It was like the equivalent of throwing him against the wall, energetically," Paltrow said. "He said, 'If you ever make her feel uncomfortable again, I’ll kill you.' Or something like that. It was so fantastic. He leveraged his fame and power to protect me at a time when I didn’t have fame or power yet.”

Weinstein was fired from The Weinstein Company, which he co-founded, in October. Federal prosecutors in New York have launched a criminal investigation into Weinstein.

SEE ALSO: The feds are investigating sexual misconduct allegations against Harvey Weinstein

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Samantha Bee calls for abolishing ICE: 'Let's shut it the f--- down'

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samantha bee

  • TBS' Samantha Bee on Wednesday joined the increasingly popular movement to abolish the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
  • Bee argued that ICE has grown emboldened and cruel under the Trump administration, and has split up families, deported non-criminal immigrants, and even detained American citizens.
  • "So no, let's not just reform ICE or fix it, or hope it gets better under a different president," she said, "let's shut it the f--- down."

Late night host Samantha Bee joined a growing chorus of largely left-wing voices calling for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the controversial law-enforcement agency that President Donald Trump has empowered to dramatically ramp up the pace of deportations from the US.

The proposal to abolish ICE has gained popularity in recent months, as heartrending stories of broken-up families and sweeping arrest operations have permeated the national news.

"Abolishing ICE shouldn't be controversial — despite what Fox News would have you believe, it doesn't mean we let immigrants who commit actual crimes go free," Bee said during her TBS show, "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee," Wednesday night. "We already have mechanisms to prosecute them through something called 'the law.'"

Bee seized upon a widely circulated clip of the acting ICE director, Thomas Homan, appearing to become emotional while speaking in California last week, railing against pundits and politicians who have condemned ICE agents for stoking fear throughout immigrant communities.

"I'm sick and tired of the constant vilification of these men and women who leave their homes every day and strap a gun to their hip, leave the safety and security of their families to defend this nation, and to defend their neighborhoods," Homan said.

ice director thomas homanSeveral media outlets had covered his impassioned remarks, mocking him for being upset by the criticism directed at ICE agents while the agency has made headlines over deporting children, arresting immigrants without criminal records, and even detaining American citizens.

But Bee offered up a solution on Wednesday.

"If that criticism of ICE makes you sad, here's a proposal: Let's shut it the f--- down," she said. "I'm serious, it's awful, and we don't need it."

Bee touched upon several arguments ICE opponents have made in recent months, particularly the fact that ICE has only existed since 2003 and has become a symbol of the US's emboldened and often overzealous national-security apparatus spurred on by the 9/11 attacks.

"By putting the anti-terrorism people in charge of immigration, the government signaled that immigrants are a threat, but ICE's own figures show that most of the immigrants in detention pose no threat to the public," Bee said.

She also argued that ICE's power has noticeably expanded under the Trump administration, emboldening racists and xenophobes across the country who are suspicious of immigrants in their own communities. Bee cited a viral video clip of New York City lawyer Aaron Schlossberg, who threatened to call ICE on people he overheard speaking Spanish in a restaurant last week.

"The US government should not be in the business of tearing happy families apart, it's disgusting. And it makes a--holes like this think they're being good citizens," Bee said. "So no, let's not just reform ICE or fix it, or hope it gets better under a different president, let's shut it the f--- down. If former ICE agents need a job, may I suggest the law office of Aaron Schlossberg — I think there's a vacancy."

Watch Bee's remarks below:

SEE ALSO: Trump threatens to take away aid from countries every time one of their citizens comes to the US illegally

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8 women accuse Morgan Freeman of inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment

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  • Eight women accused Morgan Freeman of inappropriate behavior in a CNN report published Thursday.
  • The accusers included Chloe Melas, a CNN reporter who cowrote Thursday's report. She accused Freeman of subjecting her to inappropriate comments about her appearance at a press junket.
  • Altogether, CNN said it spoke with 16 people who "described a pattern of inappropriate behavior by Freeman" on film sets, in his work at his production company, Revelations Entertainment, and in media interviews.

Eight women have accused Morgan Freeman of inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment.

In a report published Thursday, CNN said it spoke with 16 people in a "months-long reporting process" who "described a pattern of inappropriate behavior by Freeman" on the sets of several of his films, in his work at his production company, Revelations Entertainment, and in media interviews. Half of those people were women who said they had been subject to inappropriate behavior, while the rest said they had witnessed such behavior, according to CNN.

Freeman's representatives did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CNN before the story's publication. Following the report, Freeman apologized in a statement to CNN, saying, "Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy. I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent."

Three reporters, including CNN's Chloe Melas, who cowrote the report on the allegations, accused Freeman of making inappropriate comments about their appearance at press junkets.

Melas said Freeman told her during a 2017 interview when she was six months pregnant, among other comments, that "you are ripe."

Among the five other accusers, an unnamed production assistant who worked on the set of the 2017 movie "Going in Style" said she experienced several months of sexual harassment from Freeman on the film's set, including unwanted touching and comments.

The woman said Freeman "kept trying to lift up my skirt and asking if I was wearing underwear." She said Freeman stopped only when Alan Arkin, his costar on the film, "made a comment telling him to stop," after which, she said, "Morgan got freaked out and didn't know what to say."

Read CNN's full report here.

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All the TV shows that have been canceled in 2018

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jane the virgin

As the year flies by, the list of canceled TV shows piles up.

Networks are starting to make announcements in May, including Fox which canceled comedies "The Mick," "Brooklyn Nine Nine," and "The Last Man on Earth."

Amazon kicked off the year with a slew of cancellations, announcing the end of three quirky comedies, including the Golden Globe nominee "I Love Dick" and the comedian Tig Notaro's semi-autobiographical show, "One Mississippi." It canceled Golden Globe nominee "Mozart in the Jungle" in April, after four seasons, and recently canceled "Transparent," which will end after the upcoming fifth season.

Also in April, Netflix canceled the 90s coming-of-age comedy, "Everything Sucks," which came to the streaming service in February. 

There are many more cancellations to come, as networks announce the fate of newer shows as well as older ones.

We'll update this list as more are announced.

Here are all the shows that have been canceled this year, including those from networks and Netflix:

SEE ALSO: The worst TV show of every year since 2000, according to critics

Amazon



"Jean-Claude Van Johnson" — Amazon, one season



"I Love Dick" — Amazon, one season



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Netflix's IPO was 16 years ago Wednesday — here's how much you'd have made if you invested $1,000 back in the day (NFLX)

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Reed Hastings


Wednesday was the 16th anniversary of Netflix's initial public offering, and an investor buying in then would have made a very impressive return over the years.

After initially offering its stock at $15 per share on May 23, 2002, Netflix closed its first day of trading at $16.75, or $1.20 per present-day share after adjusting for stock splits, according to data from Yahoo Finance.

As of 12:25 p.m. ET on Thursday, Netflix was trading at an all-time high of $350.41 per share, with a market capitalization surpassing that of the entertainment mega-giant Disney.

The chart below shows the value of a $1,000 investment in Netflix stock made at the first day's split-adjusted closing price of $1.20 per share over the following 16 years. As of Thursday, that investment would be worth about $293,000, which is a pretty good return.

value of 1000 invested after netflix ipo

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An inside look at how MoviePass will make money distributing movies, and what will happen if the company goes bust (HMNY)

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  • MoviePass is getting in the movie distribution business with the Sundance hit, "American Animals," coming to theaters in June.
  • It is teaming with The Orchard to release the movie.
  • MoviePass is an equal partner in the release, paying for half the movie with The Orchard and will be splitting half of the box office, a source told Business Insider.
  • "American Animals" director Bart Layton told Business Insider that the movie would be released even if MoviePass were to go out of business.


At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, MoviePass announced the launch of a distribution arm of the company, called MoviePass Ventures. The plan was for the monthly movie-ticket subscription service to start teaming with film distributors to buy titles for theatrical release.

Days later at the festival, MoviePass announced it was working with The Orchard (“Cartel Land”) to buy North American rights to one of the festival’s acclaimed selections this year, "American Animals," a narrative/documentary hybrid that follows a group of friends who attempt to pull off an elaborate heist.

At the festival, Ted Farnsworth, CEO of MovePass’ parent company Helios and Matheson Analytics, told a room full of distributors and industry players, “We aren’t here at Sundance to compete with distributors, but rather to put skin in the game alongside them and to bring great films to the big screen across the country for our subscribers.”

But a lot has happened since Farnsworth made those remarks.

In April, his company filed its 10-K to the SEC and reported a loss of $150.8 million in 2017. That was followed by a new filing revealing that the company has been losing $20 million a month on average since September. Due to all of this, the company’s stock is down more than 98% since its high in October, but Farnsworth and MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe are adamant that everything is fine, stating that MoviePass can tap $300 million that will keep it going for over a year (though the company's access to that money is far from certain). 

Now “American Animals,” which will be the first release by MoviePass Ventures, is coming to theaters on June 1. And despite all these new developments, the movie’s director, Bart Layton, told Business Insider he had no regrets about taking the deal with MoviePass back at Sundance.

“I don’t have insight or understanding of their financial strategy, that’s for people more clever than I am, but they came in, they seemed very dynamic, they seemed to have a lot of enthusiasm,” Layton said on Wednesday. “As a filmmaker, your whole intention is for people to experience your movie in the theater, that was the thing that was very appealing to me. They are all about the theatrical experience.”

Bart Layton Nicholas Hunt Getty

Layton also said that if MoviePass were to shut down before or during the release of “American Animals,” it would not affect the movie’s theatrical release.

“The cinemas are booked, the movie will go out,” he said. “How it will affect us? I guess if it happened we would have a few less of their subscribers going to the movie. But hopefully at this stage those people are still engaged enough in the film that they want to see it badly enough that they would pay full price to see it.”

And it makes sense for distributors, especially the ones in the indie market, to be interested in teaming with MoviePass. With over 3 million subscribers, it’s not just a good tool for the movie’s promotion — it plans to plaster "American Animals" all over its app, and where it has partnerships — but the distributor its working with will have direct data from MoviePass on how the movie performed with its subscribers through the movie’s theatrical run (what day and time they went to see the movie, where they saw it, the ratio of males to females who saw the movie, and so on).

But how much skin does MoviePass really have in the game?

It turns out the answer is "a lot." For “American Animals,” specifically, according to a source familiar with the deal, the company is an equal partner with The Orchard in all costs related to the release, including prints and advertising (the physical delivery of the movie to the theaters and the advertising to promote it). In turn, it will split box office revenue with The Orchard down the middle.

If the company were to fold before or during the movie’s release, The Orchard would then have to cover the costs MoviePass was responsible for.

MoviePass Ventures has also signed on to release “Gotti,” starring John Travolta, which is coming out June 15. It will team with distributor Vertical Entertainment on the release.

MoviePass did not give an immediate response for this story.

Have a tip about MoviePass or anything else? Email jguerrasio@businessinsider.com.

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9 common words you probably didn't know came from movies

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  • Movies like "Star Wars," "Ghostbusters," and "Clueless" are celebrated as classics.
  • They also have made some surprising contributions to our vocabularies.
  • Common words popularized by movies include "catfish," "my bad," and even "toast."


Movies have long influenced the way people talk, and sometimes, it's in ways we don't even realize.

Movies from "Star Wars" to "Clueless" have contributed words and phrases to our vocabularies that we use every day. Linguists are always keeping tabs on the subtle ways cinema has crept into our lexicons.

Take the word "toast" as a synonym for "dead," like when someone says, "I'm toast." Surprisingly, the first known use of "toast" in that way came from Bill Murray in "Ghostbusters" — and he came up with the line on the spot.

Read on to learn about some popular and words and phrases for which we can thank the movies. 

SEE ALSO: 8 common words you probably didn't know came from TV shows

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Toast

When Bill Murray uttered "All right, this chick is toast!" in 1984's "Ghostbusters," few knew he was making linguistic history.

But believe it or not, Murray's line — delivered right before the film's climactic showdown — is the first known instance of the word "toast" being used to mean dead, finished, or doomed.

That's according to the Oxford English Dictionary, which directly cited the film as the source of the slang term. Green's Dictionary of Slang also pegs the origins of "toast" to the 1980s.

Funnily enough, Murray's famous line wasn't even in the "Ghostbusters" script, which originally called for him to say, "I’m gonna turn this guy into toast." Murray was said to have ad-libbed the line that eventually appeared in the film, and the change was significant:

"In our opinion, Murray’s alteration made all the difference. There's a huge semantic gulf between 'I'm gonna turn you into toast' and 'You're toast,'" wrote the editors of the blog Grammarphobia.

Murray's coinage spread like wildfire, and is so widespread today that it's hard to believe it's less than 35 years old.



My bad

"Clueless" introduced millions of viewers to Valley Girl slang, including gems like "As if!" and "Whatever."

While both of those slang expressions enjoyed decades of documented use before "Clueless" came out in 1995, there's another popular phrase whose popularity is even more closely tied to the film: "My bad."

Despite its widespread popularity today, "my bad" was largely still a niche expression pre-"Clueless." The earliest print citations for "My bad" are from as recently as 1985, according to linguist Ben Zimmer, and it was used primarily in the world of playground basketball. By the end of the decade, the phrase was still uncommon enough that sportswriters felt the need to explain its meaning in newspaper columns.

"After making a bad pass, instead of saying 'my fault,' Manute Bol says, 'my bad.' Now all the other Warriors say it too," USA Today wrote in 1989.

While "Clueless" didn't invent "my bad," it was instrumental in bringing it into the mainstream, and provided many viewers with their first exposure to the phrase.



Bucket list

In 2007's "The Bucket List," two terminally ill strangers go to great lengths to fulfill each others' greatest wishes before they die, or "kick the bucket."

Many people incorrectly believe the phrase "bucket list" was in use before the film came out, but in reality, it was the film's screenwriter Justin Zackham who invented the term back in 1999, when he wrote up his own bucket list, according to linguist Ben Zimmer.

"The film’s release brought the phrase into common parlance, and, as a testament to how natural and idiomatic it sounds, many people assume the term must have long predated the movie," Zimmer wrote.

Once the phrase entered the English language, its meaning expanded to include a list of things to do before any deadline, such as the last day of school or the end of summer.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Fortnite' is getting a major new mode that will finally give players a chance to practice

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Fortnite (mobile)

  • Despite being absurdly popular, "Fortnite" is a tremendously difficult game to master.
  • Due to the nature of how the game works, there's little opportunity to practice without risk of death.
  • In an upcoming update, the game is getting a new mode that offers players a much better opportunity to practice the game in relative safety.


Tired of getting wiped out in "Fortnite" before you've even had a chance to try that shiny new weapon or build your dream fortress? 

So are tens of millions of other people, and there's no great way to remedy that in the current game — no practice mode, or test range, or unlimited building area. Such a mode could offer new players and veterans alike a chance to hone their skills before putting them to the test in live games of Battle Royale mode.

It sounds like the folks behind "Fortnite," Epic Games, agree. A new mode is coming in the game's next patch (4.3) that finally offers a chance to spend some time practicing.

Here's how Epic describes it in a blog post:

"Battle and build to your heart's content with an extended period of time to roam around the map as well as increased resource generation. All treasure chests and ammo crates will be spawned, try droppin’ in different spots and scope out the loot. Friendly fire is on so you can scrimmage with your squad (up to 4 friends per match), but fear not you’ll respawn immediately."

Of course, given the loose nature of this mode, Challenge progression and stats won't be tracked.

Epic likens the Playground mode to Creative Mode in "Minecraft," which offers unlimited resources and turns off survival systems — it essentially offers a risk-free version of the game's building mechanics. 

Similarly, in the new Playground mode for "Fortnite," it sounds like gathering resources and building will be much easier. Finally, a chance to master the art of rapid tower construction!

There's no release window given for the next "Fortnite" patch, but a safe bet would put it somewhere around mid-June when the video game industry holds the annual E3 convention in Los Angeles.

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Harvey Weinstein will reportedly turn himself in and face sexual assault charges in New York

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  • Harvey Weinstein is expected to surrender to authorities on Friday, according to The New York Daily News.
  • It's related to a probe by the Manhattan District Attorney's office and the NYPD into allegations of  sexual assault against Weinstein.
  • Weinstein has denied any wrongdoing in the Evans allegation and numerous others that have been reported.


Harvey Weinstein is expected to surrender to authorities on Friday in relation to a probe by the Manhattan District Attorney's office and the NYPD into allegations of sexual assault against him, according to The New York Daily News.

The disgraced Hollywood producer will face a sexual assault charge related to at least one accuser, Lucia Evans, according to the Daily News. Evans has alleged that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him, and though the allegation is from 2004, the statue of limitations does not apply here, The Daily News reported.

Evans was one of the women in an October New Yorker profile on Weinstein who accused him of sexual assault. A bombshell New York Times story that same month detailed three decades of sexual harassment allegations by women in Hollywood against the producer. These two news stories, and dozens of follow-ups, led Weinstein to leave the business and left his company, The Weinstein Company, in shambles.

Evans told The New Yorker that in 2004, when she was an aspiring actress and college student, she met Weinstein at the offices of Miramax during the day (the company he ran before The Weinstein Company), and that Weinstein forced her to perform oral sex on him despite her protests.

Weinstein has denied any wrongdoing in the Evans allegation and numerous others that have been reported.

Weinstein's attorney Benjamin Brafman declined to comment to Business Insider about Weinstein's possible surrender to authorities.

SEE ALSO: 8 women accuse Morgan Freeman of inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment

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Disney wants to kill Netflix, but Comcast has totally different reasons for wanting Fox

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Rupert Murdoch

  • Comcast is trying to outbid Disney for Fox, but the two companies' motivations are most likely very different.
  • Disney's move is about taking on Netflix, while Comcast's is about amassing power — and hedging its bets — in a media landscape that is set to be increasingly dominated by a handful of titans.
  • Besides power, Fox would bring Comcast more sports clout, more innovative advertising opportunities, and an important international presence.

Disney wants Fox to help it kill Netflix. But what exactly does Comcast want with Fox?

Late last year, when Disney made its bold attempt to acquire a suite of 21st Century Fox assets, its motivation seemed crystal clear: It wanted to bolster its collection of intellectual property for its coming direct-to-consumer streaming service (i.e., the would-be Netflix killer). Add the X-Men and "Avatar" to "Star Wars" and Mickey, and you've really got something, the thinking goes.

Less clear, perhaps, is why the pay-TV titan Comcast wants Fox, whose assets include a TV studio and the FX cable network.

Business Insider talked to two media-industry experts to attempt to shed light on this would-be deal.

It's about Time Warner and being big

Looming over every big media deal these days is the pending AT&T-Time Warner deal. If that merger is approved (and the companies' court battle with the Department of Justice is set to be resolved by June 12), nearly everyone else in media will feel pressure to get bigger. So grabbing Fox ensures Comcast gets to play with the big kids.

Plus, even in a world dominated by Netflix and Facebook and Amazon, people still need to pay someone for broadband.

"Comcast could emerge with a soup-to-nuts portfolio," said Scott Rostan, a former analyst in Merrill Lynch's M&A department who is now CEO of the financial-education firm Training the Street. Besides owning a huge cable system, a slew of TV networks, production studios, and a film division, Rostan wondered whether Comcast might even want to get into the wireless business next.

Regardless, if future media offerings are dominated by a few giants, Comcast wants to be included. "At worst it gives them a seat at table," he said, "and at best it lets them dictate how things play out."

It's about the world

You may think of Fox in terms of "Deadpool" or the National Geographic cable network. But the company's secret strength is in international distribution, across Europe, Latin America, and other regions, said Mary Ann Halford, a former Fox International executive vice president who is now a senior adviser at the strategy consulting firm OC&C Strategy Consultants.

Halford noted that for Comcast, international business makes up about 9% of its revenue. "For their competitors it's a lot more."

"Disney clearly has a strong brand internationally, and Fox does too," she said. "Comcast — they just don't." For example, in her view, what Fox has built in Latin America versus NBC's smaller footprint, "It's night and day."

It's about streaming

Yes, Disney's motivation is more about amassing a library of shows, characters, and movies that could envy Netflix's massive content output. But that doesn't mean Comcast couldn't do something similar with the Universal library and Fox's assets. "Universal is not as big on the content side as Disney, but they could get bigger," Rostan said.

The Mummy 3 Universal final

It's about Sky

Disney CEO Bob Iger has called Sky, the UK-based satellite-TV service, a "crown jewel." But wait? Aren't people cutting the cord, even British people? Why does a legacy cable-TV player like Comcast want another pay-TV service when all the consumer trends seem to be going in the opposite direction?

Don't undervalue Sky, Halford said. The company, which Fox controls 39% of and Comcast is bidding for independently, has valuable exclusive sports rights in the UK. It also has innovated by offering a version of a skinny bundle and a direct-to-consumer streaming service, and it has dabbled in e-commerce.

It's about programmatic ads

Sky is also ahead of the US when it comes to delivering targeted advertising to consumers, Halford said. The company's addressable TV ad platform, Sky Adsmart, is being rolled out beyond the UK to Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Austria, The Drum reported. Comcast could theoretically borrow some best practices from Sky's ad-tech team.

It's about sports

With all the other pieces involved, it's easy to forgot that as part of its proposed deal, Fox is set to sell 22 regional sports networks to Disney. Even as people cut the cord and binge on streams, these local cable stations are extremely valuable. These stations are how fans in New York watch Yankees games and fans in Los Angeles watch Lakers games.

Even if Comcast would have to sell off some of these networks, they could easily piece together the company's sports portfolio ("Sunday Night Football," US rights to the English Premiere League) to be a that-much-more-powerful sports media and advertising player.

stanton yankees

It's about culture

According to Halford, there has been some worry over how the corporate cultures at Disney and Fox would mesh. The uber TV creator Ryan Murphy even cited this as part of his reasoning for agreeing to a massive Netflix deal.

In contrast, Halford says, Comcast and Fox executives — particularly the folks at Sky — have talked for years and get each other. "They share a worldview," she said. Plus, there's the added benefit that the deal isn't seen as anticompetitive. "British regulators have already said it's cool."

It's about blocking Disney

Media mergers and acquisitions are about big money, big power, and big egos. And Comcast CEO Brian Roberts is someone who doesn't like to be left out.

And beyond this immediate deal, there's the string of deals that could happen next that Comcast may want to steer toward.

"M&A is a chess game," Rostan said. "Deals give you future optionality. By making this move now, you get more access to content, more subscribers, etc. The future trends of media consumption are all uncertain, and uncertainty means risk. So future options gives you extra cards to play."

On the flip side, there is a lot of risk for Comcast, Rostan said. "Bidding wars tend to be long, protracted and high-profile. There is always a fear of overpaying due to the intense competition."

Join the conversation about this story »

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Old interview footage shows Morgan Freeman making creepy comments to female 'Entertainment Tonight' reporters

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  • Video from 2015 and 2016 showing Morgan Freeman commenting on the bodies of reporters has been republished.
  • "Entertainment Tonight" found the clips after CNN published accusations by eight women who said Freeman had harassed them or otherwise behaved inappropriately.
  • One of the "ET" clips shows Freeman asking the reporter Ashley Crossan whether she would "fool around with older guys."
  • In a second, Freeman strikes up a conversation about the correspondent Janet Mock's legs and gestures to them.
  • After the CNN story broke, Freeman issued an apology to "anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected."

Old video footage of Morgan Freeman making suspect comments to reporters has been republished after he was accused of sexual harassment.

"Entertainment Tonight" published footage of Freeman asking one correspondent whether she would "fool around with older guys" and commenting intently on a different interviewer's legs.

Here is a video showing the two encounters, which begin at about the 1-minute, 10-second mark.

Size the Player

CNN on Thursday issued a report in which eight women came forward to accuse Freeman of inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment. Freeman apologized in a statement, saying: "Anyone who knows me or has worked with me knows I am not someone who would intentionally offend or knowingly make anyone feel uneasy. I apologize to anyone who felt uncomfortable or disrespected — that was never my intent."

The first "ET" clip features a 2016 interview between the "Entertainment Tonight" reporter Ashley Crossan and Freeman to promote "London Has Fallen."

Morgan Freeman Ashley Crossan ET London Has Fallen

Here is their exchange:

Freeman: My goodness, are you married?

Crossan: No.

Freeman: Fool around with older guys?

[Crossan laughs nervously]

Freeman: I'm just askin'.

As the interview draws to an end they shake hands and Crossan tells him it was a pleasure, to which he says, "Mine. Look at yourself," and watches her from behind as she walks off.

The second clip shows a 2015 encounter in which the author and activist Janet Mock speaks with Freeman ahead of the film "5 Flights Up." In the exchange, Morgan points to her dress and comments about how it looks on her legs.

Morgan Freeman Janet Mock Entertainment Tonight interview

Janet Mock entertainment tonight Morgan Freeman.

Freeman: I don't know how you all manage to do that all the time.

Mock, gesturing to her make-up: All of this?

Freeman: No. You got a dress that's halfway between your knee and your... hips, and you sit down right across from me and you cross your legs ...

[Mock laughs the comment off]

Mock gave a statement to "ET" about the encounter before they republished the video.

It said: "I was deeply disappointed that someone who was seen as America's grandfather was susceptible to such disturbing behavior and felt comfortable enough to do that as cameras were rolling, and that he could take claim of my body and look at it before even looking into my eyes."

SEE ALSO: 8 women accuse Morgan Freeman of inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment

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Harvey Weinstein charged with 4 sex offenses, ordered not to leave New York or Connecticut

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Harvey Weinstein police station Manhattan May 25

  • Harvey Weinstein turned himself in to the New York police on Friday.
  • He has been charged with rape, criminal sex conduct act, sex abuse, and sexual misconduct against two women, the New York Police Department said.
  • A judge has ordered him to pay $1 million in cash, wear a electronic monitor, and surrender his passport.
  • Weinstein appeared to be smiling as he entered and left the police precinct.
  • The Hollywood producer stands accused by more than 70 women of sexual misconduct, including rape, with some of the accusations going back decades.
  • The accusations gave rise to the #MeToo movement in which hundreds of women have publicly accused powerful men of misconduct.

Harvey Weinstein has been charged with at least four sex-related offenses after turning himself in to the New York police on Friday.

The Hollywood producer was charged with rape, criminal sex conduct act, sex abuse, and sexual misconduct in relation to incidents involving two women, a New York Police Department spokesman told Business Insider.

He agreed to pay $1 million in cash as part of a prenegotiated bail package, with a Manhattan judge also ordering him to wear an electronic monitor and surrender his passport. He is allowed only in the states of New York and Connecticut.

He turned himself in at a police precinct in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan early Friday morning, carrying books including "Something Wonderful: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway Revolution."

He left in handcuffs to go to court about an hour later, appearing to be smiling. He did not respond when a woman shouted: "Why are you smiling, Harvey?"

Weinstein stands accused by more than 70 women of sexual misconduct, including rape, with some of the accusations going back decades.

The accusations, first reported by The New York Times and The New Yorker last year, gave rise to the #MeToo movement in which hundreds of women have publicly accused powerful men in business, government, and entertainment of misconduct.

The New York police said in its statement: "The NYPD thanks these brave survivors for their courage to come forward and seek justice."

This is the first criminal case brought against him since the accusations surfaced in October.

Weinstein has previously denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex. His attorney told reporters outside court that Weinstein intended to plead not guilty to all four charges announced Friday.

Reuters contributed reporting.

SEE ALSO: Gwyneth Paltrow says Brad Pitt threatened to kill Harvey Weinstein after she told him Weinstein sexually harassed her

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All the 'Star Wars' movies, ranked from worst to best

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With "Solo: A Star Wars Story" now in theaters, it's time to see where it stands in the beloved franchise. 

From the recent "The Last Jedi" to those polarizing prequels, here's where the movie that looks at a young Han Solo stands in our list of best to worst in the saga.

SEE ALSO: An inside look at how MoviePass will make money distributing movies, and what will happen if the company goes bust

10. "Attack of the Clones" (2002)

It's a movie I struggle with ranking every year. I watched it again recently and I'm back on the disapprove side. There's a lot to enjoy about the second episode in the prequels — mainly, how Ewan McGregor has fit into the Obi-Wan Kenobi role nicely. The movie focuses heavily on his storyline as he encounters Jango and Boba Fett as well as Count Dooku. From a nostalgic standpoint, the last third of the movie brings to life dreams you've had for decades, as Lucas gives us the start of the Clone Wars as well as Yoda having a lightsaber battle. But the agony of watching the Anakin Skywalker/Padmé Amidala storyline was just too much for me in this latest viewing. (I'm sure I'll change the placement of this title again next year.)



9. "The Phantom Menace" (1999)

George Lucas has said from the beginning that "Star Wars" was made for kids, and he really took that to heart when he unveiled "Episode I: The Phantom Menace," 16 years after finishing the groundbreaking original trilogy. Introducing us to Anakin at the age of 9 as he's plucked by Qui-Gon Jinn as the "chosen one" who will bring balance to the Force, the first prequel gives us a lot of tame action and unlikely scenarios for Anakin to be in, even in a galaxy far, far away.

The best part of the movie is its villain, Darth Maul, who has an incredible duel with the Jedi at the end of the movie. It's one of the only goose-bump moments in the whole movie — heightened by John Williams' score — and, sadly, you have to wait over an hour to get to it.

Yes, this is the movie that introduced us to Jar Jar Binks. That is all I'll say about that.



8. "Revenge of the Sith" (2005)

The conclusion of the prequel trilogy is one of the saga's darkest. A grown Anakin is seduced by the dark side of the Force and wipes out the Jedi, including the younglings (!). Padmé dies, but not before giving birth to their twins, Luke and Leia.

The most agonizing part of this movie to sit through is Hayden Christensen's performance as Skywalker conflicted with the dark side — more a sniveling 20-something than a disillusioned "chosen one." We don't get a good performance of that pull to the dark side until Adam Driver comes along to play Kylo Ren in "The Force Awakens." We can only partly blame Christensen: Lucas was never big on giving actors instructions, which proved here to be costly.

On the bright side: Another excellent performance by McGregor as Kenobi, and the duel at the end of the move between Skywalker and Kenobi is worth the wait.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

7 great movies you can watch on Netflix this weekend

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No plans over the holiday weekend?

With an extra day off, you'll have plenty of time to stay inside to watch movies.

To make your decisions on what to watch a lot faster, we look through Netflix's selection each week and and pick seven movies you should watch.

We select a few that have come on the service recently and mix in a couple available movies that you might have missed. We also tell you why you should watch them, and provide the Netflix synopsis and Rotten Tomatoes scores.

From the hilarious female-led Netflix original "Ibiza" to the historical thriller "The Imitation Game," these are wonderful movies on Netflix that you can watch over the weekend.

Here are seven movies on Netflix you should check out:

SEE ALSO: An inside look at how MoviePass will make money distributing movies, and what will happen if the company goes bust

"Ibiza" (2018) — a Netflix original

Netflix description: When Harper’s two best friends tag along on her work trip to Barcelona, they ditch work and fly to Ibiza for Harper, who against her better judgment, falls for a hot DJ.

Critic score: 83%

Audience score: N/A

"Ibiza" is a hilarious movie that takes advantage of gross-out comedy cliches rather than shying away from them, and that's what makes it so great. The three female leads (Gillian Jacobs, Phoebe Robinson, and Vanessa Bayer) are excellently cast as quirky but somehow relatable characters, and Richard Madden (AKA Robb Stark, RIP) plays an EDM DJ. 

 

 



"The Imitation Game" (2014)

Netflix description: During World War II, a gay mathematician leads a team of cryptanalysts as they work feverishly to break the Germans' notorious Enigma code.

Critic score: 91%

Audience score: 91%

This important and not-often-told story is one everyone should know. It's very well-paced for a historical drama, and Benedict Cumberbatch (who earned his first Oscar nomination for the role) is fantastic, as is Keira Knightley. 



"Cargo" (2018) — a Netflix original

Netflix description: Amid a terrifying pandemic, a father searches the wilds of Australia for someone willing to protect and care for his infant daughter.

Critic score: 81%

Audience score: 71%

Critics are praising "Cargo" for inserting some solid and quite unexpected character-driven drama into a zombie movie, a genre that's been slightly overdone throughout the years. Martin Freeman is great in it, and it's one of the best and most exciting original movies Netflix has released. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Every 'Star Wars' movie and TV show currently in the works, including a Boba Fett spin-off

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It's a good week to be a "Star Wars" fan.

Not only is "Solo: A Star Wars Story" now in theaters, but according to The Hollywood Reporter, Lucasfilm is "developing movies on a slew of characters," including fan favorites Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

That's just the icing on the cake, though. Multiple other projects have already been announced, and it might be hard to keep track of them all.

The creators of "Game of Thrones" and the director of "Iron Man" are all signed on for separate projects, just to name a couple. 

Details are scarce for these movies and TV shows, but we know Disney and Lucasfilm might even have more up their sleeves. 

Apart from what we already know, Disney CEO Bob Iger said in February that "a few 'Star Wars' series specifically for" the upcoming Disney streaming service are in development.

Below is every "Star Wars" project currently in development that has been reported or announced:

SEE ALSO: The 30 most important 'Star Wars' movie villains, ranked from worst to best

Episode IX

It was announced in September that "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams would direct Episode IX and finish the trilogy he started. Abrams replaced "Jurassic World" director Colin Trevorrow, who left the movie over creative differences. The movie comes to theaters December 20, 2019.



Rian Johnson's trilogy

A new "Star Wars" trilogy from "The Last Jedi" director Rian Johnson was announced in November. Johnson will write and direct the trilogy, which will be separate from the main saga and standalone films.



David Benioff and D.B. Weiss' films

Lucasfilm announced in February that "Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss will write and produce a new series of "Star Wars" films. It's unknown how many movies they will develop, but they will be separate from Johnson's trilogy and the main Skywalker saga.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

11 villains who should be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

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Jake Gyllenhaal is in talks to join the "Spider-Man: Homecoming" sequel as the villain Mysterio. That's great news, but there are plenty of other villains, both for Spider-Man and beyond, who could be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

We've thought about the superheroes who should be introduced after the fourth "Avengers" movie next year, but villains are an integral part of the MCU as well — or at least they should be.

The franchise didn't really start hitting its stride with villains until recently. Vulture in "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Hela in "Thor: Ragnarok," Killmonger in "Black Panther," and Thanos in "Avengers: Infinity War" were all compelling villains who proved how engaging a well-written bad guy could be.

We're hopeful that the MCU can continue this trend. A Disney-Fox deal could open up a world of possibilities with Fantastic Four and X-Men villains and set the stage for franchise-altering events similar to "Infinity War."

Here are 11 villains who should be introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

SEE ALSO: 'Deadpool 2' relies on a sexist cliché that has been a problem in superhero stories for decades

Annihilus

Enemy of: The Fantastic Four

Annihilus, the ruler of Marvel's Negative Zone, is just one of many villains who could be introduced into the Marvel Cinematic Universe if the Disney-Fox deal is finalized and would factor into a potential cosmic war reminiscent of the "Annihilation" storyline, which pits Marvel's space-based characters against one another in an all-out war.

The Fantastic Four discovered the Negative Zone, which has put them in frequent conflict with Annihilus, who often tries to invade Earth but is thwarted.



Chameleon

Enemy of: Spider-Man

Chameleon, who poses as other people to commit crimes, was the first villain Spider-Man encountered, way back in 1963, so it's a wonder he hasn't made his big-screen debut yet. Maybe it's because he's not as "cinematic" as the likes of Doctor Octopus or Lizard, but in the comics he is the brother of another Spider-Man foe, Kraven the Hunter — something that could make for an interesting dynamic in a third MCU "Spider-Man" movie.



Doctor Doom

Enemy of: The Fantastic Four

Doom, the leader of the fictional nation Latveria, would not only be the main enemy of the MCU's Fantastic Four — he could be a worthy enemy for the entire MCU.

Perhaps the problem with the "Fantastic Four" movies is that Doom is too formidable a villain and too complex a character to be confined to only them. But imagine Doom, a master of sorcery, going toe to toe with Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme, and his purpose becomes clearer.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Solo' is already breaking records at the box office, but it's nowhere close to previous 'Star Wars' movies (DIS)

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  • "Solo: A Star Wars Story" earned a record-breaking $14.1 million at its Thursday night preview screening.
  • It's projected to earn around $140 million during the Memorial Day weekend, which would also be a record.
  • But that would make "Solo" the lowest-grossing opening ever for a "Star Wars" movie since Disney took over the franchise.
  • Even "Rogue One" had a better opening weekend ($155 million).


"Solo: A Star Wars Story" is starting off strong by breaking the Thursday preview box-office record going into Memorial Day. But it's still up in the air if this latest release in the beloved franchise will perform like the previous titles since Disney took over the reins.

"Solo," which looks at the origin story of Han Solo, took in $14.1 million on Thursday night, according to The Wrap. That beats the previous record holder, 2007's "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," which took in $13.2 million.

With the movie being released on 4,381 screens, Disney is setting the stage for a typical huge release for a "Star Wars" movie. But it's going to be a big test for the franchise. 

"Solo" comes out just five months after "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" opened. So for the first time ever in the storied saga, fans could be suffering franchise fatigue. Also, the movie has received mixed reviews. It's sporting a 70% rating going into the holiday weekend. That is low for "Star Wars" (the lowest since "Attack of the Clones"). And Memorial Day weekend is one of the few holidays when audiences don't flock to the theaters.

Disney is certainly rolling the dice. 

Though industry projections have "Solo" breaking the Memorial Day weekend box-office record ("At World's End," $139.8 million), it still will be the lowest opening ever for a Disney-era "Star Wars" movie. In fact, it probably won't earn as much as the previous "A Star Wars Story" movie, "Rogue One," which had a $155 million opening.

Whether you chalk it up to "Star Wars" fatigue or mistakenly releasing this movie in the summer instead of in December, which has been the home for the franchise since "The Force Awakens," this weekend will be the first time Disney and Lucasfilm executives will feel a little uncomfortable.  

SEE ALSO: All the "Star Wars" movies ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

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The owner of MoviePass tumbles to new low of $0.40 (HMNY)

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MoviePass owner Helios & Matheson was down more than 10% Friday, hitting a fresh record low of $0.40 a share.    

The recent turbulence for Helios & Matheson began in mid-April when its internal auditor said there was "substantial doubt" the company would be able to stay in business. A few weeks later, the company said it burns about $21.7 million a month, and that its shrinking cash pile is down to $15.5 million. 

MoviePass' leadership has suggested the company will climb its way out of the hole by using its $300 million "equity line of credit."

Helios & Matheson shares are more than 98% below their October all-time high of $32.90, hit shortly after the company acquired MoviePass.

 

SEE ALSO: Herbalife sinks after largest shareholder Carl Icahn cashes out a chunk of his holdings

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NFL cheerleaders reveal the best and worst parts of their job

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After a deluge of negative headlines about the treatment of NFL cheerleaders, we wanted to hear from the women who have actually done the job. In 2014, the Oakland Raiders settled a class-action lawsuit alleging wage theft for $1.25 million. 

This year, the New York Times has released myriad reports of alleged harassment and discrimination among the NFL cheerleading ranks, including an alarming account from a group of Washington Redskins cheerleaders who described a trip to Costa Rica where they were allegedly ordered to be "personal escorts" for a group of V.I.P. sponsors and fans at a local nightclub.

We talked to four former NFL cheerleaders about the recent headlines alleging discrimination, harassment, and lack of proper compensation. The women we talked to appear to have had overwhelmingly positive experiences during their time as cheerleaders, and they spoke candidly about the questions surrounding compensation, social media, and rules about interacting with players causing controversy throughout the league.

If you have worked as an NFL cheerleader and you want to share your story, please email gflanagan@businessinsider.com.  Following is a transcript of the video. 

Narrator: Most NFL teams have cheerleaders. You see them on the sidelines during games, and sometimes during half time. Looks like they're having fun, right? But recent reports of harassment, lack of compensation, and gender discrimination has shined a light on the treatment of cheerleaders in the NFL. The New York Times reported on some alleged details of the job that are sketchy to say the least.

We talked to four former NFL cheerleaders who shared their experiences.

Rachel Swartz: My experience was very positive. I really felt empowered by the entire experience.

Narrator: The first team to have cheerleaders was the Baltimore Colts in 1954. Since then, getting a highly-coveted spot on the squad has become super competitive. Every year, thousands of women try out for the job. That's right, it's a paid position, which is officially considered to be part-time, and each team sets the guidelines and pay scale for it's respective squad. Not only do the cheerleaders have to be on-hand for games, they also have mandatory practices and appearances. But as it turns out, they're not always getting properly compensated for their time. In 2014, the Oakland Raiders paid a $1.25 million dollar settlement to former cheerleaders after a class action lawsuit alleging wage theft.

Sharon Vinick: I think that the women are intimidated.

Narrator: Sharon Vinick is an attorney who worked on the 2014 class action lawsuit against the Raiders.

Sharon Vinick: The women are told that they're really really fortunate to be dancing, and if they don't want to dance, they don't have to. And they should be grateful for whatever opportunity they have. But compare that to the guys who are the quarterbacks. I mean, they're very lucky to be quarterbacks, but they're still paid millions of dollars. And there's this sense of equity that some of the women just don't perceive.

Narrator: But this spring, thousands of women still showed up to try to make the cut for next season. We wanted to find out what the job is really like, from the women who'd actually done it. Twin sisters Dresdynn and Schuyler Warnell cheered for the Houston Texans from 2010 to 2014.

Schuyler Warnell: If I do have a daughter in the future, I would definitely allow her to cheer for the Houston Texans. -

Narrator: Jennifer Omohundro cheered for two teams over the course of six seasons. She started with the Tennessee Titans in 1999, and finished with the Atlanta Falcons in 2005.

Jennifer Omohundro: I'm sad to hear that there's actually this really negative press that's going around. It's a wonderful experience, I think it's for everyone, kind of how you treat it and how you take it.

Rachel Swartz: These are my pom poms. 

Narrator: Rachel Swartz cheered for the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.

Rachel Swartz: My experience was very positive, I really felt empowered by the entire experience. It is really unfortunate to hear a lot of the other stories about women who have not had the same positive experience I had.

Narrator: We asked these former cheerleaders to address the issues raised in the recent headlines, and we started with compensation. 

Graham Flanagan: Can you give me an idea of what you were paid, or what you could take home in a season on average? 

Rachel Swartz: I mean, would you feel as if it were appropriate if I asked you how much you made? So, no. We were paid for every hour we were in uniform, or in practice.

Jennifer Omohundro: It would not be something that you would live off of. It's been a long time, I don't remember. But I can tell you it was definitely minimal.

Dresdynn Warnell: I think we got $200 a game?

Schuyler Warnell: Yeah, $200 a game, so, with that $200 a game, plus practicing, plus the appearances, we got paid for practicing, we got paid for appearances, if we had to drive to the appearance, we got reimbursed for.  They paid our mileage. I read articles about like, the Oakland Raiders, and I'm just like, in shock, I'm like, how does this happen?

Sharon Vinick: The cheerleaders for the Oakland Raiders, for example, got $1,250 per season. We understand from reports that mascots get paid between $40-$60,000 per season, plus benefits. And the least played NFL player, someone who's a benchwarmer and doesn't play in a game gets paid $100,000. So $1,250 is less money than someone who's selling hot dogs in the stands gets paid.

Narrator: NFL cheerleading squads have strict social media restrictions. So strict, in fact, that a former New Orleans Saints cheerleader was fired over an Instagram post. She's currently suing for discrimination. According to the former cheerleaders we talked to, these restrictions are common.

Rachel Swartz: I know it's a bit different in other organizations, but we did not have Instagram, Twitter, Facebook. We weren't allowed to have any of those, and that was mainly for our protection. I think there had been situations in the past where security measures had to be taken, and I think this was just one of them, and this was just one of the rules they had in order to make sure everyone felt safe and protected. 

Dresdynn Warnell: Personally, I always thought the rule was kinda stupid. I mean, to be quite frank, you know, it's just like, how are you going to tell me that I can't post part of my life? - Like, it consumes your life. - It consumes your life for the most part, so for the organizations telling, you know, you personally, that you can't post what you do most of your days, I thought was really, really dumb.

Schuyler Warnell: But I think it's so funny when people like kind of, retire, we'd say, or don't make the team, and you see their Instagram or Facebook and it's like, pictures.

Narrator: While the no social media rule is common, some teams, like the Denver Broncos, allow their cheerleaders to post from social media accounts officially affiliated with the team. One of the most common rules for NFL cheerleaders is that interaction with players is strictly prohibited, and violation of this rule can result in immediate termination.

Jennifer Omohundro: There were general rules of no fraternization, meaning like, no dating the players. Even though they run passes on the field, sometimes that would be the only time we were really around them. I mean, they're professionals, they're doing their thing as athletes, and we were doing ours.

Dresdynn Warnell: They make it very clear. Once you make the team, you know, they give this big speech, that you cannot be associated with a player.

Schuyler Warnell: Because we will get fired and they won't.

Dresdynn Warnell: Yes. They would even go as far as saying if, say you're at a restaurant, and a couple of the players come in. You know, we would have to leave, because they don't even want us in the same room. 

Rachel Swartz: I think it's sort of like a rule that you would see in any other business, don't date your co-workers. I think it's the same type of principle.

Dresdynn Warnell: There's still some players that reach out to cheerleaders and the cheerleaders reach out to them, so obviously we signed these contracts, but not everyone abides by the rules, it's just, I think, human nature.

Rachel Swartz: I would say there were some uncomfortable situations, but the organization did everything to really protect us and you know, really preempt any of those situations, whether that's by having security with us at all appearances, or you know, when you're in the suites taking pictures, having somebody hold a football instead of putting their arms around us. I do think again, as these situations come up, the organization really took the right steps in making sure we felt safe at all times.

Dresdynn Warnell: I think that comes with the territory, you know, with anything, if you're gonna put a bunch of girls together, there's gonna be some, mostly male interaction, or male attention that you really don't want. So because of that, we always had a police escort that would walk.

Schuyler Warnell: Yes, the Texans are very good at security.

Dresdynn Warnell: Yeah, they were good at making sure that we felt safe. Our second year, a few girls had like, stalkers. 

Schuyler Warnell: The Texans organization was like, right on it. They never had us worry or question our safety. Every time we practiced, we had a police officer with us. We never were like, alone. 

Narrator: So, the women we talked to seemed to have experiences that were overwhelmingly positive. But every team is different, and only time will tell if the ones under scrutiny will actually change for the better.

Graham Flanagan: What would be your advice to a cheerleader, an NFL cheerleader who is on the fence about seeking further help about a possible injustice?

Sharon Vinick: My advice would be that you should think hard about whether you want to be part of a system that allows this to happen, or whether you wanna change that system, because it's only by women like our brave clients Lacy and Sarah standing up and advocating for a change that you're gonna see differences as you go forward. So I encourage all women to stand up for the world they'd like to see. 

Join the conversation about this story »

'Solo' has exciting thrills and lush photography, but it's the first 'Star Wars' movie to make me worried about franchise fatigue

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  • "Solo: A Star Wars Story" has some great moments, but as a whole is a flawed movie.
  • The third act of the movie has major problems and feels uninspired.
  • However, Alden Ehrenreich gives a worthy Solo performance, Donald Glover's Lando is fantastic, and the movie beautifully shot. 


Warning: Minor spoilers below.

The moment I realized “Solo: A Star Wars Movie” wasn’t for me was toward the two-hour mark of the movie, when I realized we were nowhere near the end. 

Granted, there was about only 15 minutes left in the movie, but it felt like an eternity. I’ve had that feeling in many movies in my life — when it just won’t end. But never for a “Star Wars” movie. 

“Solo” is not an awful movie, it just has a few awful parts that feel uninspired. This is particularly true in the third act of the movie. 

In “Solo” (opening May 25), we follow the progression of Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) from a small-time hood on his home planet of Corellia, with dreams of being a great pilot cruising through the galaxy, to eventually becoming a space pirate.

There are thrilling action sequences, cinematographer Bradford Young (“Arrival”) gives the movie a beautiful look, there are fantastic performances by Ehrenreich and Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, and Donald Glover completely knocks it out of the park as Lando Calrissian. 

But the movie crumbles following Han and the gang's thrilling completion of the legendary Kessel Run. The conclusion of the movie is stale, filled with cliches, and tries too hard to set the foundation for future “Solo” movies by featuring one of the most random cameos you’ll ever see in a movie (more on that in a sec, but don’t worry, no spoilers). 

That’s certainly not my only issue with the movie. 

It starts with some really lame opening text that sets the stage. The worst piece is the use of the words “mean streets” in describing the planet Solo grew up on. And the movie at times tries a little too hard to make Han an idealistic jokester. Personally, I think this is less the leftover effect of Chris Miller and Phil Lord’s involvement in the movie as one-time directors, and more on eventual director Ron Howard’s vanilla style.  
 
lando calrissian han solo movieHowever, there are some great elements to the story, as well. 

Young’s photography goes from smoky original “Blade Runner” vibe in the beginning to wide epic shots by the end. Glover’s Calrissian sounds like the actor who originally played him, Billy Dee Williams, and has a flawless style. He’s also paired with a sassy robot co-pilot, L3-37 (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) that is a total scene stealer. And Ehrenreich actually pulls off playing Solo, not so much by doing his best Harrison Ford impression, but instead showing us a different side of the character. This is how Solo was before the galaxy chewed up all the youthful optimism he had about life and spit him back out.

And we see the Millennium Falcon at its one-time pristine condition, which is a thrill to take in.

The biggest issue the movie has is that the screenwriters Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan try to shoe-horn a plot twist at the end that is so unnecessary. In teasing a potential villain path for Han’s love interest in the movie, Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke), they bring back a character from the “Star Wars” saga that is a fan favorite, but is a bizarre choice to be included in this story. It certainly is going to make an uproar when general audiences see the movie, primarily because it feels so blatantly force fed. 

Like all “Star Wars” movies, there will be those who will absolutely love this movie, and there are certainly things to enjoy about it. The supporting cast — filled with veterans like Woody Harrelson, Paul Bettany, Thandie Newton, and one character voiced by Jon Favreau — are all great and mesh perfectly with the leads.

But my fear is “Solo” shows signs that Disney/Lucasfilm are hitting a point where the beloved “Star Wars” universe could be headed to a watered-down moment. Is there a need to have a “Star Wars” movie released every single year, especially with multiple “Star Wars” series coming to Disney’s streaming service in the coming years?

To this point, all the movies released so far since Disney took over Lucasfilm have been enormous money makers, so obviously the studio won’t want to slow down. But “Solo” may be the first indication that it might be time to pump the brakes and take more time to focus on the stories, and make sure everything is right (especially the creatives involved) before making a movie.

SEE ALSO: "Deadpool 2" is has even more crude jokes and graphic violence than the original, and is a worthy follow-up

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