A few months back, I made a major life change: I've been using Apple Music for about two years, but decided to make the switch to Spotify's premium service. 

It wasn't because I found an issue with Apple Music, but because I bought a few Google Home Mini devices for my new apartment. Apple Music doesn't work on any Google Home, or the Amazon Echo, for that matter — you need an Apple HomePod if you want an Apple Music-compatible smart speaker.

Google's smart speakers do allow you to play music from Apple Music, just as you would with a Bluetooth speaker — by pairing your phone and controlling everything on there. 

But if I was going to spend the money on Google Home Minis — which cost $50 apiece or $78 if you buy two, which I did — I wanted to get my money's worth. Plus, I've been using a Google Home Max at my house for the last six months. Altogether, I currently have a nice little Google Home ecosystem, and I wanted to get the most out of it. 

I naively thought that making the switch would be an easy one. Both apps offer access to a massive music library, provide personalized, curated playlists, and allow you to do things like listen to podcasts and radio. While Apple Music has gotten a few artist exclusives in the past, both apps currently offer most of the music I want to listen to. 

Now, two months into using Spotify, I'm longing for my old life as an Apple Music user. 

My issues with Spotify center around my personal preferences, and they're extremely specific to the way I use the app. Still, I can't help feeling like Spotify just isn't the app for me. 

Here are five reasons why:

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First and foremost, I'm not really a "dark mode" kind of gal.

Whenever possible, I like to leave my apps set to light mode — somehow, my brain seems to comprehend a white background better than a black one. Whenever I look at content on a black background, it's confusing for me and I have trouble knowing what to look at first.

But Spotify is only available with a black background, and that has been the No. 1 issue for me. Of course, the reverse could be true for people who prefer a dark mode, since Apple Music is only available with a white background. 

In general, I find that the interface is busier and more difficult to navigate than Apple Music.

Maybe it's Apple Music's big, bubbly headings and extra-large font, but I find the app more appealing and easier to use than Spotify. 

Don't get me wrong, Spotify is a beautiful app, particularly when it comes to the playlist covers. But it also feels cluttered and over-designed to my eye — the font is too small, and there are too many icons for my taste. 

When I was an Apple Music user, I felt as though I most often just scrolled up and down, or Force Touched on a song or album to pull up a menu of options. On Spotify, there are so many carousels and menus that I feel like I'm constantly swiping vertically, then horizontally, then vertically again every time I navigate the app. 

Of course, this is all about personal preference, and I've realized that I prefer a cleaner, more minimalist app.

My downloaded music isn't all stored in one place on Spotify.

I don't have an unlimited data plan, and I spend a good portion of my life underground on the subway. Therefore, being able to download music is very important to me — as is being able to easily access that downloaded music. 

While Apple Music makes that incredibly easy, Spotify...doesn't. Apple Music has a separate tab that houses all of the music you already have downloaded, while Spotify just mixes it in with the rest of your library.

Not only that, but the app places all this other stuff ahead of your list of music, like tabs for podcasts (I don't listen to them) and videos (I don't watch them on Spotify). Despite all those tabs, Spotify strangely doesn't have a "Downloaded Music" tab, and that's all I really want.

I should point out that if you click on the "Songs" tab, you should see your downloaded songs there. However, they're not organized by album like on Apple Music, they're just displayed in a long list. And for me, a few non-downloaded songs snuck in there as well.  

• Magic Leap's long-awaited smartglasses are finally available to order in the United States.
• They cost $2,295 and will start shipping Wednesday for people in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle.
• The product is called Magic Leap One Creator Edition and is intended for developers and other professionals who want to make content for the platform.

Now, 2,065 days after the multibillion-dollar augmented-reality startup Magic Leap was revealed to the world in a cryptic TED Talk, its first product — a pair of futuristic smart glasses — is available to order in select US cities.

Magic Leap announced Wednesday that its product, Magic Leap One Creator Edition, was available to order on its website. The company says it will first ship orders to customers in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle starting today. People outside those six cities can preorder their device now, and Magic Leap says it will eventually ship to additional locations, though it didn't specify a time frame for the wider rollout.

The system, which contains the Lightwear headset, a controller, and a battery and computer pack, known as Lightpack, that goes into your pocket, will cost $2,295.

For an extra $495, you can add a Professional Developer Package, which includes a hub that allows you to connect the headset to a computer and charge at the same time, as well as a resource that will provide a replacement Magic Leap One within 24 hours.

The prices and Creator Edition moniker suggest this device is for developers, who will create software and other experiences so there's a full set of content for the system when it launches more broadly.

"It's really for developers and creators to start to understand and start to engage with the power of spatial computing," Magic Leap's chief product officer, Omar Khan, who recently joined the company, said in an interview. "So they can take the experiences that they're developing for other platforms and really start to think about — I call it the word 'unshackling.'"

But the system won't be limited to handpicked developers. Anyone who has registered for Magic Leap's developer program, called Creator Portal, can order the smartglasses.

"I mean, obviously, Magic Leap One Creator Edition is for creators and developers," Khan said. "You know I do not put any limitation on who can be a creator or developer."

What does it do?

Magic Leap's glasses display the real world and integrate computer graphics so users can play games, videoconference with friends and family, and get work done.

Magic Leap is one of the most richly funded startups in the field of augmented reality, but Magic Leap prefers the term "spatial computing."

The buzz around Magic Leap's tech led the Florida-based startup to raise over $2.3 billion from investors including Google, Alibaba, top-tier Sand Hill Road venture capitalists, and Saudi Arabia's sovereign investment arm.

One early application shipping with the device is called Create, which enables people to virtually change the world around them — at least through the lenses of Magic Leap One.

"I love the color purple, I'm wearing purple today, and I may choose to put a purple hue on the world that I interact with," Khan said. "I can say I want to turn every mug into a vase and I can start to put flowers and cups around my room and around the physical spaces that I interact with."

"The spatial browser is an important part of launch from a Creator Edition perspective — there's communications, social, a lot of aspects to what we're launching," he continued.

The first device specifications

There's also a lot of advanced technology in the system: It runs off an Nvidia Parker processor, which includes six ARM cores. Its GPU is an Nvidia Pascal with 256 cores.

It also has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of built-in storage, of which about 33 GB is reserved for the operating system.

For connectivity, the device can connect to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. There isn't a cellular connection available on Magic Leap One.

All of that computing power needs electricity, and the rechargeable battery last for "up to three hours continuous use," Magic Leap said. "Power level will be sustained when connected to an AC outlet."

Here are few images of the user interface from the developer program:

Here are some pictures of a working device, via the FCC:

Here's a list of specs:

Lightwear glasses and Lightpack computer pack

CPU & GPU

• Nvidia Parker SOC
• CPU: Two Denver 2.0 64-bit cores and four ARM Cortex A57 64-bit cores (two A57s and one Denver accessible to applications)
• GPU: Nvidia Pascal, 256 CUDA cores
• Graphic APIs: OpenGL 4.5, Vulkan, OpenGL ES 3.1+AEP

RAM

• 8 GB

Storage Capacity

• 128 GB (actual available storage capacity 95 GB)

Power

• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery. Up to three hours continuous use. Battery life can vary based on use cases. Power level will be sustained when connected to an AC outlet.
• 45-watt USB-C Power Delivery (PD) charger

Audio Input/ Output

• Voice (speech to text) and real-world audio (ambient)
• Onboard speakers and 3.5 mm jack with audio spatialization processing

Connectivity

• Bluetooth 4.2
• Wi-Fi 802.11ac/b/g/n
• USB-C

Controller

Haptics

• LRA Haptic Device

Tracking

• 6DoF (position and orientation)

Touchpad

• Touch sensitive

LEDs

• 12-LED (RGB) ring with diffuser

Power

• Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery, up to 7 1/2 hours continuous use
• 15-watt USB-C charger

Other inputs

• 8-bit resolution Trigger Button
• Digital Bumper Button
• Digital Home Button

SEE ALSO: 2 days after raising $502 million, Magic Leap called the cops to say an employee had stolen $1 million

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• Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has responded to being duped by Sacha Baron Cohen on his satirical show "Who is America?"
• Arpaio was tricked into believing he was being interviewed by a famous Finnish YouTube (played by Baron Cohen).
• During the interview, Arpaio appeared to confirm claims that Donald Trump had ordered a golden shower, and also said that he would accept oral sex from the president.
• Speaking to the Washington Examiner, Arpaio said he made "a bad mistake security-wise" by allowing himself on the show.
• The former sheriff said the outrageous comments he made were a result of not being able to understand what Baron Cohen, who adopted a fatuous Finnish accent, was saying.
• He challenged the "Who is America?" host to another interview — this time, without a disguise.

Former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio was one of the recent victims of Sacha Baron Cohen's satirical sensation "Who is America?," a show where the host attempts to dupe notable people and politicians.

In episode four, Arpaio, whom President Trump pardoned last year, told Baron Cohen, who was in character as a Finnish YouTuber, that he would accept oral sex from Trump.

Furthermore, the disgraced sheriff appeared to confirm claims made in the explosive Trump dossier that the president had ordered a golden shower while staying in Moscow in 2013, saying: "Wouldn't surprise me."

In an interview with the Washington Examiner last week, Arpaio admitted that he'd made a mistake by allowing himself to be tricked by Baron Cohen. "Quite frankly, I made a bad mistake security-wise," he said.

Arpaio said he was told that he was being profiled for a Showtime feature on the top 20 people in the United States — "It looked pretty nice [that] I made the top people," he said.

The former sheriff said his embarrassing statements about blowjobs and golden showers were made because he couldn't understand the host.

"So he's talking and I couldn't understand him. He's talking about golden showers. I thought he was talking about — the president has gold [in his shower].

"And then handjob," Arpaio continued. "What was that? He was talking about illegals coming over working with their hands on their job."

"Then the other thing — the only thing I got was that he would offer me a job. I didn't hear that little thing before that," Arpaio said. "I don't know where that came from."

Speaking to the Washington Examiner, Arpaio challenged Baron Cohen to interview him without a disguise.

"Get the guts, get out of your undercover role, come and interview me in English, of course, so I can understand him so we can go man-to-man. You can ask me anything you want. I'll be glad to deal with it," Arpaio said. "He won't have the guts to do that. Maybe he will, I don't know."

Arpaio is best known for illegally detaining Latinos and keeping inmates in brutal jail conditions during his 24-year tenure as sheriff of Arizona's Maricopa County. His aggressive tactics ultimately led to a criminal conviction after he violated a court order in a racial-profiling case. He was let off the hook when Trump issued his first presidential pardon to Arpaio last August.

SEE ALSO: All the notable people and politicians Sacha Baron Cohen has 'duped' for his new TV series, 'Who Is America?'

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Corey Lewandowski, the former manager of President Donald Trump's campaign, was the latest target on Sacha Baron Cohen's satirical prank show, "Who Is America?"
• Cohen posed as a conspiracy theorist to question Lewandowski about race relations and fascism on the one-year anniversary of the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
• Lewandowski said: "You don't have to agree with people. You have to respect them. You can't be attacking them."
• Lewandowski also said that Trump wasn't racist and that he had never heard the president "utter a racist word in his life."
• Unlike other guests on the show, Lewandowski managed to avoid Cohen's traps. 

Sacha Baron Cohen's satirical prank show "Who Is America?" is now well known for getting conservative figures to humiliate themselves with relatively little prodding.

But Corey Lewandowski, the former manager of President Donald Trump's campaign, largely managed to avoid implicating himself in his appearance on the latest episode of the show on Sunday.

Cohen posed as a conspiracy theorist named Billy Wayne Ruddick Jr. to question Lewandowski about whether Trump is racist and whether the president should choose a side between fascism and anti-fascism.

The episode aired on the one-year anniversary of the white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where violent clashes with counterprotesters left one woman dead.

"With Charlottesville, where people attacked our president, why should the president pick a side between anti-fascists and fascists?" Cohen said. "He's the president of all people."

Lewandowski responded: "There is a place and a time to disagree with people everywhere, OK? You don't have to agree with people. You have to respect them. You can't be attacking them."

"Exactly," Cohen said. "You can't be attacking honest, fascist people who just want to express their right to start a genocide. That is their right."

Lewandowski was more cautious in his reply.

"Look, I don't know about that, but what I do know is this: If the law says that people can do a peaceful protest, then they should be allowed to do that," he said.

Lewandowski later defended Trump against accusations of racism, saying race was "a non-issue to him."

"Never, ever, ever did I ever hear him utter a racist word in his life. Ever," Lewandowski said of Trump.

Cohen peppered the segment with sly digs — for instance, when he introduced Lewandowski, his name appeared on the screen with a Confederate flag background.

Lewandowski also wasn't fazed by Cohen's wild conspiracy theory that PBS is owned by the "Rastafarian lobby," which he claimed was behind "a lot of the major military decisions of the last 30 years," including the invasion of Iraq.

"The invasion of Iraq was because the Rastafarian lobby, their leader, Gen. Robert Marley, suggested that they had — they developed over 45,000 Buffalo soldiers, these dreadlocked Rastas who were marching through Africa into the heart of America, and then the plan was to take them into Iraq," Cohen said.

But Lewandowski wasn't convinced. "I don't know if that qualifies as conclusive evidence," he said. "I've never seen that before."

Previous guests on the show have been more amenable to going along with the antics of Cohen's characters. The Georgia state lawmaker Jason Spencer resigned after screaming the N-word and exposing himself in a segment, and former Vice President Dick Cheney autographed a "waterboard kit" for Cohen.

Join the conversation about this story »

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• HBO's limited series "Sharp Objects" uniquely features four songs from legendary 1970s rock and roll band, Led Zeppelin.
• The show's music supervisor, Susan Jacobs, tells Business Insider about the months-long process to gain the rights to the music.

For decades, countless filmmakers have abandoned the hope of featuring the music of rock gods Led Zeppelin in their work because the legend is true: It’s really, really hard to get the band to grant permission.

But Zeppelin continues to get requests because when the band does say "yes," the scenes can become iconic. Amy Heckerling’s 1982 classic “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” famously got the band’s okay to use “Kashmir” in one scene (it might have helped that the movie’s screenwriter, Cameron Crowe, used to cover the band for Rolling Stone). Recently, Adam McKay’s “The Big Short” was able to get “When the Levee Breaks” in its trailer and the movie’s end credits.

Because Zeppelin needle drops are so hard to come by, it makes the incredible use of the band’s music on the HBO limited series “Sharp Objects” so special. And you can thank the show's veteran music supervisor Susan Jacobs for pulling it off.

Jacobs is no stranger to clearing Zeppelin. She did it for two David O. Russell movies (“The Fighter” and “Silver Linings Playbook”) before her latest collaboration with “Sharp Objects” director Jean-Marc Vallée (“Big Little Lies”). But just because she did it before didn’t mean getting the songs for the show was easy.

Simply put: “You never go into Led Zeppelin assuming you’re getting Led Zeppelin,” Jacobs said.

Based on Gillian Flynn’s debut novel, “Sharp Objects” follows newspaper journalist Camille Preaker (played by Amy Adams) who returns to her hometown to report on a series of murders. However, the assignment brings memories of her troubled past, and matched with her dependency to alcohol, it leads her into a tailspin.

Vallée uses moody Zeppelin songs “In the Evening,” “What Is And What Should Never Be,” “Thank You,” and “I Can’t Quit You, Baby” as a way to delve into Camille’s psyche, but the songs are also her escape hatch when things are getting too out of hand, as she plays the music constantly through a beat-up iPhone.

The use of Zeppelin is one of the biggest additions Vallée made to his adaptation of Flynn’s novel, as the band is not mentioned at all in the book. However, the unique guitar sounds of Jimmy Page and howls of Robert Plant feel essential to the story.

Jacobs said that was the intention Vallée had when he asked her to try to clear Zeppelin long before production began on “Sharp Objects” (typically music supervisors begin working on movies and TV shows toward the end of production or the start of post production). He wanted the band specifically because Camille’s story needed an epic sound.

“It had to be a band very substantial to be felt across generations,” Jacobs told Business Insider. “It had to have that depth and honesty.”

No begging and pleading allowed

Jacobs has been working with Vallée since his 2014 movie “Wild,” and his love for meaty soundtracks in his work has only become more refined since, as evident in his previous HBO project, the 8-time Emmy-winning “Big Little Lies” (Jacobs won an Emmy for music supervision on the show). So she knew that Vallée’s Zeppelin ask clearly wasn’t just to play a song or two in the background of scenes. And that led to the first hurdle for Jacobs: how to start the conversation with Warner/Chappel, the publisher of the band’s songs.

“Crafting the pitch for me can be three weeks of solid trying to write the right letter,” she said.

A music supervisor’s role in trying to get music rights is partly keeping the filmmaker happy, but also the music publishers and artists. Jacobs called herself a “marriage broker” in the experience.

“I think it’s about putting in a lot of time and making really clear what you are asking for and why you’re asking for it, why is that song important?” she said.

And with Zeppelin it took months to pull off.

Jacobs said there were numerous pitches, which stated some specifics of what “Sharp Objects” was about and listing the key cast and director involved, as well as the songs they wanted (which were the ones that ended up in the show). And it wasn’t just one, she had to send pitches for each level of approvals she got through. After that, it became a waiting game.

“It wasn’t begging and pleading and banging on the doors, it took a long time,” said Jacobs, who declined to divulge how much it cost to clear the songs.

Jacobs said one of the big keys was that she was dealing with someone on the publishing side who knew Vallée’s work. Wendy Christiansen, the senior VP of film and TV music at Warner/Chappel, had direct contact with the band and made them understand that the music would be in good hands. Vallée and Jacobs needed a voice like that because there was nothing to show the band of how the music would be used.

Jacobs had started the talks so early on that much of the negotiations were going on during preproduction and the shooting of the show. It wasn’t until the editing of the episodes began that Zeppelin finally agreed to clear the songs.

Using Zeppelin to guide someone in pain

Jacobs said there are 23 uses of the four Led Zeppelin songs in “Sharp Objects,” but you’d have to have a good ear to catch them all.

In some episodes there may be a faint three-second sampling of a single song, in others there may be a few verses of multiple songs throughout. Vallée made Zeppelin almost another character in the story.

According to Jacobs, Vallée wanted Zeppelin in the show because the band’s music got him through the tough times of his youth. He felt many watching the show would relate.

“I can think of hundreds of others who I can put in a room and say the same thing,” Jacobs said. “For many of us, our teen years, without Led Zeppelin those years would have been a whole lot rougher.”

And as we learned in the “Fix” episode, the band’s music became an important part of Camille’s life in one of her low points. In flashback scenes, we learn that Camille went to rehab before going back to her hometown at the start of the series. There she became friends with her roommate Alice, who constantly played Zeppelin songs on her phone. Like Alice, Zeppelin became Camille’s escape from the world. At the end of the episode, Camille discovers Alice’s body after she has committed suicide. Camille moves forward with her life with the help of the Zeppelin songs Alice introduced to her. The songs would become as prevalent to her as the scars we see all over her body as the show evolves.

Jacobs said she never explained in her pitches to Zeppelin the way Vallée would use their music, though she did hint that the music would play a big part in the life of a character who is dealing with a lot of pain.

“They were on board with that,” she said. “They really understood the role music has in the guiding of someone who is in trouble.”

But what would have happened if Zeppelin didn’t give permission for the music to be used?

Jacobs said they would have had to move on to another substantial band, perhaps The Rolling Stones, she said. But she admits she and Vallée never had to have a serious talk about a plan B.

Though Jacobs has once again been successful in getting Zeppelin for a project, she admitted there’s still so much mystery every time she attempts it. She said she has no relationship with the band, in fact, she has no idea if the band members have seen “Sharp Objects,” or any of the movies where she’s used their music.

“I haven’t really asked and they aren’t ones to say,” Jacobs said with a laugh. “Jimmy [Page] lives off the grid, whether he’s got a TV set or whether he cares I don’t know. But I do think they care about young people being exposed to their music, and this did that.”

“Sharp Objects” airs Sundays on HBO.

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While most are keen to block out bad music from their lives, there exists another group who can approach hot garbage openly, with varying degrees of ironic appreciation.

And then there's that unfortunate, outlying enigma — genuine fans of Limp Bizkit.

With the latter two groups of listeners in mind, we turned to the reviews aggregator Metacritic to compile this list of the most critically panned albums in history. 

From the works of Kevin Federline to Limp Bizkit, to multiple entries from Chris Brown, these LPs drew the ire of critics and provoked the repulsion of many.

Here are the 41 worst albums of all time, according to critics:

Note: This list only includes albums with seven or more reviews.

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41. The Vines — "Melodia"

Critic score: 44/100

User score: 5.7/10

What critics said: "For an album called Melodia written by a self-confessed Beatles fanatic who once penned the gorgeous ‘Homesick’ and ‘Winning Days’, actual melodies are rare and most, like ‘Hey’ or the turgid ‘She Is Gone’, sound embryonic at best." — NME

Listen to it here.

40. The Entrance Band — "The Entrance Band"

Critic score: 44/100

User score: 7.0/10

What critics said: "He's only a middling guitar player, but insists on soloing and showboating endlessly, drawing out songs to unnecessary lengths." — Pitchfork

Listen to it here.

39. Sean Paul — "Imperial Blaze"

Critic score: 44/100

User score: 5.4/10

What critics said: "The audacity, the immaturity contained on 'Imperial Blaze' is enough to hang a dark cloud over music, if only for an hour as the album lulls needlessly along." — PopMatters

Listen to it here.

• The former Milwaukee sheriff David Clarke appeared on Sacha Baron Cohen's Showtime series, "Who Is America?," on Sunday.
• In a conversation about fascists and anti-fascists, which took place while Cohen's Finnish YouTuber character "unboxed" toys, Clarke ended up telling Cohen that "you don't want to take sides" regarding fascists in 1930s Germany. 

The former Milwaukee sheriff and avid Trump supporter David Clarke appeared in a segment with Sacha Baron Cohen's Finnish YouTuber character in Sunday's episode of the Showtime series, "Who Is America?"  

Cohen's character, OMGWhizzBoyOMG, first asked Clarke to describe anti-fascist protestors to him, and the conversation culminated with Clarke saying that "you don't want to take sides" over 1930s Nazism. 

"Let's talk bout the dangerous people who marched in Charlottesville, or as they're called, Antifa," Cohen's character said to Clarke at the start of the segment. "What are they like?"

"Antifa is an anarchist group," Clarke said. "They promote chaos. They come in — again, this is not protest. When you start trashing buildings–"

Cohen's character, who "unboxes" toys in a YouTube show, suddenly interrupted Clarke to show off an unboxed toy called "Mackenzie Maple Donut," to which he made Clarke explain why the toy shouldn't join Antifa.

Later in the segment, the conversation turned to 1930s Germany.

"So if you were the sheriff in the '30s in Germany, and the anti-fascists were marching, the Antifa were marching, what would you have done to stop them?" Cohen asked.

"Well, you have to act aggressively," Clarke said. "When I say that, you have to use force to disperse the crowd. You have to be willing to arrest people and take them to jail."

"It's a shame that there weren't brave sheriffs like you around in Germany in the '30s, because you could have protected the fascists and let them speak their mind a bit clearer, and then things could have been done a bit quicker," Cohen said.

“Well, you don't want to take sides,” Clarke replied, echoing President Trump's statement blaming "both sides" for the violence and death that resulted from last year's Charlottesville "Unite the Right" rally. 

“Of course, particularly not in Germany in the '30s,” Cohen said.

Watch the episode on Showtime.

SEE ALSO: All the notable people and politicians Sacha Baron Cohen has 'duped' for his new TV series, 'Who Is America?'

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Netflix CFO David Wells will be stepping down, according to a press release sent out by the company on Monday.
• Wells will be staying on until a successor takes his place.

On Monday, Netflix announced that its longtime CFO, David Wells, would be stepping down. The split appears to be a friendly one, with Wells mentioning a desire to focus more on philanthropy.

Wells joined the company in 2004 and has served as the CFO since 2010, helping the company become the streaming giant that it is today.

“It’s been 14 wonderful years at Netflix, and I’m very proud of everything we’ve accomplished,” Wells said in a statement. “After discussing my desire to make a change with [Netflix CEO] Reed [Hastings], we agreed that with Netflix’s strong financial position and exciting growth plans, this is the right time for us to help identify the next financial leader for the company. Personally, I intend my next chapter to focus more on philanthropy and I like big challenges but I’m not sure yet what that looks like.”

“David has been a valuable partner to Netflix and to me," Hastings said in a statement. "He skillfully managed our finances during a phase of dramatic growth that has allowed us to create and bring amazing entertainment to our members all over the world while also delivering outstanding returns to our investors. I look forward to working with him during the transition as we identify a new CFO who will help us continue to pursue our ambitious goals.”

Wells plans to stay on until a successor takes his place, he said.

Though historically there's been low executive turnover at Netflix, there have been a few of note. Last summer, chief product officer Neil Hunt stepped down after 18 years. And in June, chief communications officer Jonathan Friedland was fired for making insensitive remarks during a company meeting.

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• Andreessen Horowitz is launching a new $15 million venture fund backed by black celebrities, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• Will Smith, Kevin Durant, and Sundial Brands CEO Richelieu Dennis have reportedly already signed on as limited partners to the fund. 
• Andreeseen Horowitz will reportedly donate investment returns toward nonprofits that aim to spur the black community's engagement in tech. 

Silicon Valley venture firm Andreessen Horowitz has launched a new fund that will partner exclusively with black celebrities, athletes, and media figures, according to the Wall Street Journal. 

Already, the firm has secured high-profile backing from actor Will Smith, NBA star Kevin Durant, and the founder of beauty line Sundial Richelieu Dennis, the Journal reports.

The $15 million fund, which will reportedly operate alongside Andreessen Horowitz's $1.5 billion fund, won't function like a traditional venture fund; instead, investment returns will go towards nonprofits that aim to spur the black community's engagement in tech. 

Andreessen Horowitz's new fund is just one among a growing movement in venture capital to diversify the industry's overwhelming white and male demographic. In May, Backstage Capital launched a $36 million fund to invest exclusively in businesses backed by black female founders.  

Read the full story over at the Wall Street Journal.    

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• Data from research firm Ampere Analysis shows that major TV networks are starting to order shows straight to series without a pilot.
• Netflix has been doing this all along.
• Between 2015 and 2018, the number of pilots ordered by major US networks decreased by 33%. 
• This has some major upsides that could change the television industry, but also downsides.

As streaming services take over the TV landscape, networks are following their lead and picking up shows "straight to series" without going through the "pilot" stage.

Pilot episodes are meant to show networks the tone of the show, and the chemistry of the cast, to help influence its decision to order a season to air (or not). Pilot episodes can also change a network's mind on casting decisions, like HBO's infamous and unaired "Game of Thrones" pilot, which convinced HBO to recast several major roles including Catelyn Stark and Daenerys Targaryen. On average, 43% of pilot episodes progress to a series order.

But at Netflix, it has been the norm to order an entire season, completely skipping the pilot stage. 

And networks seem to be following suit. According to Ampere Analysis, pilots are no longer a mainstay in broadcast network’s commissioning culture — and could be on their way out. Ampere reports that between 2015-2018, the number of pilots ordered by major US networks decreased by 33%. 

In 2015, the major networks — which include ABC, CBS, The CW, Fox and NBC — ordered 106 pilots total. In 2017, that number reduced to 73.

Ampere’s analysis shows that a pilot did not determine the success of a show in surviving its first season. Between 2015 and 2018, 64% of all series that did not have a pilot episode were cancelled after only one season. 56% of series that had a pilot episode were also cancelled after one season.

While picking up a show straight to series has its benefits — there is no stage where creators, actors, and crew are waiting to see if they have a long-term gig — it also has its downsides. One downside is that a show could turn out to be a complete mess, like Netflix's most recent release "Insatiable," a clumsy social commentary that received heated backlash for fat-shaming. It has a measly 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and its many flaws are all on display in the first episode.

Another downside directly affects actors. Pilot season is an important time for actors who are trying to get cast on TV shows. Actors from New York City and all over the country come to Los Angeles every year to audition for pilots. Even if one they star in doesn't get picked up, it can help them get noticed by a network in hopes for casting on another project in the near future.

SEE ALSO: Inside the long process of getting Led Zeppelin's music in HBO's 'Sharp Objects,' which has defined the mood of the show

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How a black cop infiltrated the KKK — the true story behind Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'

• MoviePass tweeted on Sunday encouraging customers to see "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" with the service, but many users still couldn't access the movie.
• MoviePass deleted the tweet.
• Starting August 15, MoviePass is expected to fully implement new changes to the service, in which users can see any movie, but only three a month.
• MoviePass sent an email to customers later Sunday implying that subscribers would be able to see the movie starting Tuesday night.
• It seems even MoviePass employees are confused as to what movies are currently available on the service.

MoviePass once again confused and angered customers over the weekend when it posted a tweet encouraging them to use the service to see a movie that most subscribers couldn't access through the app. 

The movie-theater subscription service urged customers to see "Mission: Impossible — Fallout" on Sunday, a movie that it had recently restricted. Late last month, MoviePass announced that it would limit big movies within their first couple weeks of release in an effort to bounce back from a series of setbacks. MoviePass recently said it would undo those changes by August 15, but it seems like even its social-media team isn't quite sure what movies are currently available on the platform.

The Sunday tweet said "Experience #MissionImpossible Fallout with your MoviePass today." It has since been deleted.

MoviePass was not immediately available to comment.

MoviePass sent an email to customers later on Sunday about "Mission: Impossible," this time implying that users would be able to see the movie starting Tuesday night. The email heading read "Tuesday night's mission...(Impossible)."

This week could be a make-it or break-it situation for MoviePass, as it will have to prove to its customers that the changes will work on the service. If people still can't see "Mission: Impossible," or other movies, by August 15, it may lead to a user exodus from the service.

More on MoviePass:

• 2 Wall Street banks made millions selling the collapsing shares of MoviePass' parent company
• Why Cinemark's unsexy movie-theater subscription plan may actually be the one that survives
• MoviePass' CEO claims 'very big media companies' have offered to acquire the service
• MoviePass is making its first film, a crime thriller starring Bruce Willis

SEE ALSO: MoviePass' e-ticketing feature still lets you see big movies like 'Mission: Impossible' that are otherwise banned

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How a black cop infiltrated the KKK — the true story behind Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'

Stuck on what to watch next? Look no further. We're here to make it easier to pick what shows you watch on Netflix this week.

We know what it's like to spend way too much free time choosing what to watch on Netflix, so every week we put together a list of three shows you can watch right now.

We pick shows you can finish in a day, and some you can just get started on binge-watching. We mix shows that have recently come onto the service with some old favorites you might have missed.

From The CW's sci-fi series "The 100" to NBC's "The Office," here are three great TV shows you can binge-watch on Netflix this week:

SEE ALSO: TV networks are copying Netflix by ditching pilots, but it can lead to disasters like 'Insatiable'

"Sugar Rush" — A Netflix Original

Seasons: 1

Episodes: 8

Netflix is taking full advantage of the streaming success for shows like "The Great British Baking Show," "Chef's Table," and "Nailed It" with its latest food show, "Sugar Rush." On this baking competition show, time is of the essence. Teams of four expert bakers have very limited time to bake a masterpiece. The show is lively, colorful, and doesn't require your full attention. 

"The 100"

Seasons: 5

Episodes: 71

This post-apocalyptic sci-fi teen drama doesn't get the buzz that it deserves. Set 97 years after a devastating nuclear apocalypse, 100 juveniles are sent back to Earth to determine whether or not it's habitable. Along the way, they discover a lot that they didn't know, including that there were survivors who have been on Earth all this time. 

"The Office"

Seasons: 9

Episodes: 201

"The Office" is a great escape from your own office life ... hopefully. The first few seasons contain some of the most well-written comedy in history and, of course, feature Steve Carell's outstanding performance as Michael Scott. A rewatch of "The Office" is easy to burn through, and it will have you screaming about how Carell never won an Emmy.

With so many superhero films dominating the box office, the so-called "superhero fatigue" has begun setting in. Is this simply because there are so many of them or is there a problem in how these stories are told? Surprisingly, there is one film that could possibly solve most of the problems in the modern superhero genre, the 1999 sci-fi masterpiece "The Matrix" by the Wachowskis. Using a narrative theory known as "The Hero's Journey", let's take a look at what made "The Matrix" such a success and has let it stand the test of time. Following is a transcript of the video.

Narrator: What makes a great superhero movie? It's the million dollar question in Hollywood right now, or more accurately six billion, with Marvel creating what is now the most successful film franchise in film history based solely on superheroes. And after decades of this superhero craze, we've essentially seen every possible iterations or versions of the genre.

Some are excellent, pushing boundaries, and attempting to redefine the genre. While others, well... Marvel and DC movies can be fun and enjoyable, but there's one film that really exemplifies a great superhero movie. Let's go all the way back to 1999, the year Wachowskis released their cyberpunk masterpiece - The Matrix.

Despite its heavy sci-fi undertones, The Matrix, at its core, is a superhero movie. I mean look at it. An unlikely hero develops unique powers to protect the world from evil. Now add an iconic look, a few memorable set pieces, and this. That's right, Marvel and DC have The Matrix to thank for this iconic three-point hero landing that has become the staple of the genre. Put all of this together and you've got the classic formula for a superhero film.

But what makes The Matrix shine is in its narrative structure, specifically the journey the Keanu Reaves' character Thomas Anderson goes through to become Neo, the chosen one. To better understand this, let's take a look at a narrative structure called the hero's journey, by Joseph Campbell. Campbell believed that every piece of fiction regarding a hero goes through a very specific set of stages, 17, to be precise. Later screenwriter Christopher Vogler would simplify these 17 stages down to 12. These stages then can be broken into three distinct acts, departure, initiation, and return. Every film about a hero follows this distinct pattern. The hero sets on a journey, faces a series of challenges, and then returns home after a triumphant victory. Most superhero blockbusters focus on this second act, the initiation, often characterized by these big final boss battles. It's what also makes these films so entertaining to watch, as everything builds up to one final, climactic battle, that Vogler names The Ordeal, where our hero faces the most difficult challenge yet.

But what happens afterwards? Is this part of the movie as memorable to you? Probably not. Which is a shame, because this final act, the return, is perhaps the most important part of any hero's journey. And this is where The Matrix truly shines. Let's step back and look at The Ordeal. It occurs in The Matrix when Neo and Trinity set out on an impossible mission to rescue Morpheus from the clutches of the evil agents. Our heroes are successful and for a second it seems as though things are starting to wrap up. But that's not quite what happens here. As they return to the real world one by one, they are compromised and Neo is left to face the agents alone for the first time.

This stage is referred to as the road back by Vogler where the hero "begins to deal with the consequences "of confronting the dark forces of The Ordeal "and is pursued by the vengeful forces he has disturbed." That's exactly what happens, a chase between Neo and the agents as he searches for a way back. Neo is eventually cornered, and then something truly unique happens. This scene came as a shock to a lot of the people watching The Matrix for the first time and it's a shock that is well deserved by the Wachowskis. The film is riddled with uncertainties about whether Thomas is truly Neo, the prophesized chosen one. At one point we even hear that he isn't, from the prophet herself. Ironically, and symbolically, the person who has the most trouble believing is none other than Thomas himself. This is beautifully visualized when Neo fails to make a seemingly impossible jump, a metaphorical leap of faith. And that's why perhaps the best cinematic moment in The Matrix happens in this scene.

How do you visualize faith? To the Wachowskis, that answer is choice. Upon further viewing, it's surprising to see just how many times choices are visualized throughout the film. But it asks the same question every time. Do you choose to escape and avoid the harsh reality of truth, or do you choose to confront and believe it. When all odds are against Thomas, he chooses to believe in himself. That's when we witness a transformation, a moment in which a simple man becomes a hero. And when our faith for the hero is finally proven right, it feels well deserved. This stage, by the way, is actually called resurrection, where the hero is "purified and transformed "through the most dangerous meeting with death."

And perhaps this is where a lot of superhero films today fall short. Most of them choose to follow a safe, proven formula that neither raises the stakes, nor truly tests our hero. We're supposed to simply accept them as heroes without knowing why it is that they deserve it. It makes for an easy viewing, but also a highly predictable one. There are of course a few exceptions, most notably in films like The Dark Knight, or recently, Black Panther. But it seems that many still fail to understand why it is that we love superheroes so much. As much as we love watching our heroes fight and win, it's the side of them that makes them human, their vulnerability, but still the willingness to fight against all odds, that keeps us coming back. Because it's only after moments like these, after a truly harrowing journey, that a real hero is born.

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It all started with 2008's "Iron Man," but the Marvel Cinematic Universe actually stretches back millions of years.

The history includes far more than what we see on the screen. Thankfully, there's plenty of context within the 20 movies so far to give us a sense of just how far back it goes and when important events not seen in the movies take place.

We've put together a timeline that details the entirety of the MCU, based on the movies (we excluded events from television shows, like the Marvel Netflix series). The timeline can be confusing and isn't entirely concrete. We've included year ranges with each slide below to give a decent understanding of when events took place. Specific years that we know for sure are noted, as well.

From the birth of the Infinity Stones to the Thanos snap, the MCU has built an impressive timeline of events. We hope this timeline, which puts all major events (including ones you forgot about) together will help you better understand some characters' backstories and how specific events have shaped the universe so far.

Check out our in-depth MCU timeline below:

The icons in this key represent the movie that each event on the timeline occurs during or is mentioned in. The Infinity Stones are color coded to match the color they are in the movies.

Big Bang – 1939: Poignant events in the MCU, such as the birth of the Infinity Stones and vibranium landing on Earth, occur long before any of the movies in the MCU actually take place. But they have a lasting impact on overarching stories and events that take place in individual films.

1940 – 1950: Steve Rogers becomes Captain America, an event that jumpstarts the formation of the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.) and, eventually, the Avengers.

• A car is not usually the first thing that comes to mind when you think “movie star,” but there are a select few that have become Hollywood legends.
• Batman simply wouldn't be the same without his Batmobile. Neither would James Bond without his 1964 Aston Martin DB5.
• Here's a look at our list of the 10 most famous movie cars of all time.

While cars are rarely the stars of movies, except perhaps in the Pixar film "Cars," motor vehicles often play critical roles in films. James Bond's globe-trotting adventures would be a lot less exciting without his fleet of heavily armed and armored cars prepared by Q. And the Caped Crusader would be considerably less impressive if he had to spend all his time running around on foot.

Steve McQueen's "Bullitt" wouldn't have been nearly as memorable without the now-iconic car chase featuring a  menacing Dodge Charger on the hunt for the hero's 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback.

The cars on this list so greatly enhanced the films in which they were featured that they transcend the individual movie, becoming part of the greater cultural landscape.

Certain star cars like General Lee from "The Dukes of Hazzard," KITT from Knightrider, and the A-Team van were left off the list. Even though many of them have taken their turn on the big screen, their fame is mostly centered around their time on TV.

Without further ado, here is our list of the most iconic cars in cinematic history:

SEE ALSO: I flew Virgin Atlantic from London to New York to see if Richard Branson's airline is still one of the world's best — here's the verdict

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10. 1963 Volkswagen Beetle Herbie

The 1968 American comedy "The Love Bug" put a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle front and center as the main character of the film. But this was no ordinary punch buggy — It was a sentient VW named Herbie who sported red, white, and blue racing stripes and would, perhaps surprisingly, be featured in a half-dozen films over the decades following the release of the original.

9. 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance Ecto-1

Ecto-1 is the name the "Ghostbusters" gave their odd, now-iconic Cadillac featured in the 1984 film.

The car, heavily modified for the movie, was strange enough looking even without the added lights, sirens, and fantastical detection hardware on the roof — the 20-foot long, 6,500-pound 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance had huge tail fins and a massive front end bearing multiple lights and a big, shiny grill.

8. Lotus Esprit S1 Wet Nellie

The Lotus Esprit S1 featured in the 1977 James Bond film "The Spy Who Loved Me" was part car, part submarine, and completely awesome. So much so, in fact, that none other than Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk purchased the original submersible vehicle a few years ago and says he plans to restore it into a working submarine once again.

Of course the movie featured two different vehicles, one a regular road-ready car, the other a unit created specifically for the underwater scenes. But “Wet Nellie,” as the movie car was known, looked great above or below the waves.

• Microsoft and Sony directly compete in the video game market, where the PlayStation 4 has a commanding lead over the Xbox One in hardware sales numbers.
• Starting in 2017, Microsoft has been pushing the concept of "cross-platform" play — the ability to play games like "Minecraft," "Fortnite" and more with friends on PC, smartphone, and even Nintendo's Switch.
• Sony refuses to allow games on the PlayStation 4 to work with games on Microsoft's Xbox One and Nintendo's Switch.
• Both video game fans and game makers are publicly pushing back on Sony's stance — and now, "The Elder Scrolls: Legends" publisher Bethesda Softworks has issued an ultimatum.

The massive video game publisher Bethesda Softworks — the company behind franchises like "Fallout," "The Elder Scrolls," and "DOOM" — just issued a major ultimatum to Sony.

The issue at hand is seemingly simple: Bethesda has a game coming to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch called "The Elder Scrolls: Legends." Bethesda wants "Legends" players on all consoles to be able to play the game with each other, and for their progress to carry over if they change platforms. 

"The Elder Scrolls: Legends" is a competitive card game, similar to Blizzard's "Hearthstone" — it's the same game across all platforms, visually and gameplay-wise, whether you're playing it on an iPhone or on a PC. The game is turn-based, so it doesn't require precise, reaction-based controls.

In so many words: There's no technical reason it couldn't work across competing platforms, like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4. 

"The way the game works right now on Apple, Google, Steam, and Bethesda.net, it doesn't matter where you buy your stuff, if you play it on another platform that stuff is there. It doesn't matter what platform you play on, you play against everyone else who is playing at that moment," Bethesda senior VP Pete Hines said in a recent interview with Game Informer.

Sony, however, won't allow publishers like Bethesda Softworks to enable this type of functionality in their games.

Even "Fortnite" publisher Epic Games isn't allowed to enable cross-platform play between Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One (let alone Nintendo's Switch). 

If the biggest game in the world isn't getting around Sony's blockade, how will "The Elder Scrolls: Legends"? Potentially by skipping Sony's PlayStation 4 altogether.

"It is our intention in order for the game to come out, it has to be those things on any system," Hines said. "We cannot have a game that works one way across everywhere else except for on this one thing." 

By saying as much, Hines and Bethesda drew a line in the sand with Sony's cross-platform policy: Allow cross-platform play and progress, or we'll skip the PS4 altogether.

It's a small move in the short term, but it's part of a growing wave of backlash to a long-held policy in the video game business.

It all started with "Minecraft"

The Microsoft-owned blockbuster is available on pretty much everything that plays games, from consoles to phones to handhelds.

Microsoft — maker of the Xbox One, and direct competitor to Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Switch — publishes "Minecraft" on Sony and Nintendo (and Apple and Google) platforms in addition to its own Xbox consoles.

More importantly, even though Microsoft owns "Minecraft," the game can be played across competing devices. "Minecraft" players on Xbox One can join up with players on iPhone, Nintendo Switch, Android, and PC/Mac — even if you're playing in a virtual reality headset! But Xbox One can't play with PlayStation 4, and vice versa.

That same situation applies to "Fortnite," which launched on Nintendo Switch earlier this summer. Xbox One players are able to play with iPhone/iPad, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac players — but not with PlayStation 4.

Worse: If you're a PlayStation 4 "Fortnite" player, your "Fortnite" account is locked to the PlayStation 4 platform.

Any of the stuff you've unlocked, and the Battle Pass you paid for? None of that shows up on other platforms if you unlocked it on a PlayStation 4, despite the fact that the game uses an Epic Games account separate from your PlayStation Network ID.

That isn't the case for players on other platforms, and it's the latest example of Sony's PlayStation 4 taking a surprisingly exclusionary stance with multiplayer gaming.

When Microsoft announced the "Better Together" update to "Minecraft" — uniting "Minecraft" players across all platforms — it seemed for the first time ever that there was hope for competing game platforms finally playing nice together.

"Sony is a good partner, and they are working with us on this," head of Microsoft Studios Matt Booty told Business Insider in an interview at the time.

In the perfect world scenario Microsoft was trying to create,"Call of Duty" players on PlayStation 4 could play with "Call of Duty" players on Xbox One, for example, — something that's still not the norm even if it makes perfect sense. Why can't "Call of Duty" players on any console play together? Not for a good reason.

It's because Sony and Microsoft are competitors with the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Unfortunately, nearly a year later and there's been no movement on the plan to unify multiplayer gaming across the Xbox and PlayStation platforms, despite the number of parties that want it to happen. That's what Xbox lead Phil Spencer told Business Insider in an interview this past June at the annual E3 video game trade show in Los Angeles.

"It's impossible to answer this question without saying the name of a competitor. And as soon as I do that — I don't want to throw stones at anybody," Spencer said in a clear reference to Sony's PlayStation 4.

Instead of directly speaking to Microsoft and Sony's respective consoles, Spencer offered an example:

"Say you're not into gaming, and it's your kid's birthday. You buy them a console. I buy my kid a console. We happen to buy consoles of different colors — you bought the blue one, I bought the green one. Now those kids want to play a game together and they can't because their parents bought different consoles.

I don't know who that helps. It doesn't help the developer. The developer just wants more people to play their game. It doesn't help the player. The players just want to play with their friends who also play games on console. So, I just get stuck in who this is helping."

When asked directly if there's been any progress, Spencer offered only, "No, no."

But with publishers like Bethesda pushing back on Sony's policy in such a direct way, perhaps progress can begin again. 

Competing home video game consoles have never been able to play with each other, going back to the days of Nintendo versus Sega, but that makes less sense as they've become more alike. The current Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are very similar consoles capable of outputting very similar results. They even offer similar services, and the world's biggest games are identical on both — look no further than "Minecraft" and "Fortnite" to see that. 

And that's before we start talking about smartphones, which are increasingly capable of running the same games that home game consoles can.

"The Elder Scrolls: Legends" is just the latest example of the entire gaming medium becoming more accessible across devices.

Whether you're on a phone, or on a home game console, you're playing the same game. You play against people on other platforms, and your progress carries over from your phone to your home conosle or PC. "There's no 'Oh, it's easier to control, or it has a better framerate on this system.' It's a strategy card game. It doesn't matter," Hines told Game Informer.

There's a sense of inevitability to the concept of cross-platform play and progress tracking, as Sony continues to look like the bad guy for keeping the PS4 siloed off and even third-party game publishers pubicly push back. The company has only made a few statements on the matter, most recently saying, "We're hearing it."

Sony representatives didn't respond to a request for comment on this story.

SEE ALSO: Sony finally responds to the backlash over its exclusionary PlayStation 4 policy: 'We're hearing it'

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• Robinhood is suspending new purchases of Helios & Matheson, the parent company of MoviePass, after the stock's drastic 99.99% crash.
• "In order to protect our customers from the risks associated with some low-priced stocks, we remove the buy option for stocks like HMNY that consistently trade under $0.10," the company said in an email to customers.
• Follow HMNY's stock price in real-time here. 

Helios & Matheson, the parent company of MoviePass', won't be getting any new investors on Robinhood.

The free stock-trading app said Monday that it would not allow users to buy shares of the company, but that they would still be able to hold and sell shares currently owned.

"In order to protect our customers from the risks associated with some low-priced stocks, we remove the buy option for stocks like HMNY that consistently trade under $0.10," the brokerage said in an email to customers.

Business Insider has reached out to Robinhood for more information about its policy for so-called "penny stocks" like HMNY, and will update this post if comment is received.

HMNY has been wildly popular among Robinhood investors in recent months. More than 74,000 users currently hold the stock, the firm's website shows, and it has consistently been one of the app's most popular names since Business Insider first started tracking the data in June.

It's not clear when exactly the suspension will occur. An order for one share of HMNY was successfully placed via Robinhood by Business Insider shortly before the closing bell Monday.

Despite a massive 1-for-250 reverse stock split in July, HMNY has declined by more than 99.99% in the past month and was trading at just $0.05 on Monday. Adjusted for the reverse split, the stock was trading as high as $8,200 when it first acquired MoviePass in the fall of 2017.

SEE ALSO: 2 Wall Street banks made millions selling the collapsing shares of MoviePass' parent company, as their analysts kept 'buy' ratings on the cratering stock

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NOW WATCH: How movie theaters are ruining your movie

• The rapper Azealia Banks claimed that she spent the weekend at Elon Musk's house, setting social media ablaze.
• Banks told Business Insider she saw the Tesla CEO at home "scrounging for investors" after tweeting last week about plans to take Tesla private.
• Banks also said that she was not trying to eavesdrop but that she "could hear that he was scrambling because he in fact didn't have any funding secured."
• Musk's representative told Business Insider he could not comment on funding. Tesla declined to comment. 

Azealia Banks lit up the internet after saying in her Instagram Stories that she was at Elon Musk's house for the weekend.

On Sunday, the rapper posted on Instagram: "I waited around all weekend while grimes coddled her boyfriend." In another story, she wrote that "staying in Elon musks house has been like a real like episode of 'Get Out.'"

Grimes, the singer and songwriter whose real name is Claire Boucher, has been dating Musk, the founder and CEO of Tesla, since earlier this year.

When Business Insider reached out to Banks via Instagram direct message, Banks shared further details. She said she arrived at one of Musk's homes in Los Angeles early on Friday and left on Sunday night. An independent secondary source confirmed that Banks was at one of Musk's properties over the weekend.

Over the course of the weekend, Banks said, the couple essentially went into hiding as Musk — who had tweeted earlier in the week about plans to take Tesla private and said funding was "secured" — sought funding. But Banks said the couple kept stringing her along with the promise of collaborating on music.

"They bring me out there on the premise that we would hang and make music," Banks said in a DM. "But his dumbass kept tweeting and tucked his dick in between his ass cheeks once shit hit the fan."

Banks said Musk seemed distracted over the weekend.

"I saw him in the kitchen tucking his tail in between his legs scrounging for investors to cover his ass after that tweet," she said. "He was stressed and red in the face."

Banks added: "He's not cute at all in person."

A spokesperson for Musk told Business Insider in an email that "Elon has never even met Ms. Banks or communicated with her in any way," but did not deny that Banks had stayed at one of Musk's properties over the weekend. 

Tesla declined to comment on Banks' claims about Musk looking for investors.

Banks also said that she was not trying to eavesdrop but that Musk seemed to be scrambling.

On Monday, Musk said in a statement on Tesla's website that he used the phrase "funding secured" to indicate that he believes there was "no question" that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund would provide funding to convert Tesla into a private company.

A representative for Musk referred questions about Tesla's funding to the company, which declined to comment. Boucher also did not respond to a request for comment, and neither Musk nor Boucher responded to Banks' claims on social media.

Banks' Instagram posts also caused a stir because she alluded to drug use and Twitter. Musk's representative said such claims were "utter nonsense."

Banks has a history of making bold and sometimes unverified claims. In 2016, she slammed Beyoncé on Twitter and accused her of stealing from other artists.

Banks' Twitter account was deactivated in June after she graphically insulted Monet X Change, a competitor on the most recent season of "RuPaul's Drag Race." Earlier this year, Banks started a GoFundMe asking for help to fund a lawsuit against the actor Russell Crowe, who she claimed spit on her, choked her, and called her the N-word at a party in 2016. (The producer RZA later confirmed that Crowe spit on Banks.)

"I could run Tesla better than he does," Banks told Business Insider of Musk.

"They're so pitiful," she added. "And it's honestly stupid of them to think another performative 'angry/crazy black girl hit piece' will do anything to bring me down."

If you have a Tesla or Elon Musk story to share, contact ktaylor@businessinsider.com.

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk reveals new details about taking Tesla private, says he thought tweeting announcement was 'the right and fair thing to do'

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NOW WATCH: We tried Burger King in Japan — where you can order hot dogs and beer

• MoviePass is enrolling some subscribers who had previously canceled the service into its new plan, which is expected to be implemented this week.
• Some subscribers received an email that they had "confirmed" their new MoviePass plan, even after canceling, with a note at the bottom of the email that said their "opt-in to the new plan will take priority" over the cancellation.
• Many of these users are complaining that they can't re-cancel MoviePass, and receive an error message when they attempt to do so.

MoviePass is rolling out a new plan this week, and wants its users to experience it — so much so that it's re-enrolling some users who had previously canceled the service.

MoviePass users have taken to Twitter to voice their displeasure with the service, and several have emailed Business Insider about their frustrations. MoviePass is expected to implement a new plan by Wednesday in which users will once again be able to see any movie they want, but will be limited to three movies a month for $9.95. 

But there are MoviePass subscribers who had already jumped ship, and some who had canceled the service recently have found themselves re-enrolled into this new plan, they said. Several of these users received an email from MoviePass that they were signed back up, with a note at the bottom that reads, "Please note: if you had previously requested cancellation prior to opting-in, your opt-in to the new plan will take priority and your account will not be canceled."

Below is an example of the email, provided to Business Insider by a MoviePass subscriber who had canceled the service:

One MoviePass user told Business Insider, "I actually canceled the other day (or so I thought), but then I got an email from MoviePass saying they had taken the liberty of signing me up again."

Another said, "Cancelled my MoviePass two weeks ago. Today I received an email from MoviePass updating my membership to 9.99 [note: it's $9.95] for 3 movies per month. Went into my account to find that no, my account is not cancelled. So I went through the steps to cancel AGAIN, and am receiving an error message."

Not only is MoviePass enrolling users who had cancelled into the new plan, but it's making it difficult to cancel again, several subscribers said. Many on Twitter have complained that they receive an error message when they attempt to re-cancel. 

MoviePass did not immediately return a request for comment.

Below are more subscribers who tweeted about their frustrations:

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• Business Insider spoke to "Crazy Rich Asians" author and executive producer Kevin Kwan about the film's historical significance, the rom-com comeback, and how his book series can become a movie franchise.
• Kwan also told us why he chose someone else to write the screenplay.
• The book "Crazy Rich Asians" came out in 2013 and was a best-seller. 
• The film, which comes out August 15, stars Constance Wu and Henry Golding. 

With a 100% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, "Crazy Rich Asians" is on its way to an epic opening when it comes out August 15.

But it was a long time coming. The last big movie that told a story about Asian Americans, "The Joy Luck Club," came to theaters in 1993. 25 years later, "Crazy Rich Asians," which is based on the 2013 novel by Kevin Kwan, is the first ever all-Asian romantic comedy made by a major studio.

Kwan is from Singapore, where the film takes place, and said that everything described in his books — including a fish getting cosmetic surgery — is completely real. Business Insider spoke to Kwan about the pressures of this historic achievement, how his book series can become multiple movies, and his love for the romantic comedy.

Carrie Wittmer: What was it like to see the movie for the first time?

Kevin Kwan: The first time I saw the movie they did a private screening just for me, and I was blown away. I sat there in a darkened room by myself and was just in absolute awe of what [director] Jon Chu achieved. It was amazing, and it's been this five-year-long adventure. It's been climbing Everest to get this movie made, in a good way. Because we really, really wanted to take our time and get it done right. We knew how important this was becoming so we wanted everything to fall into place perfectly, from finding the best director, to finding the amazing cast that we've assembled, to filming on location in Singapore and Hong Kong and Malaysia. We waited five extra months so that Constance Wu could be in the film.

Wittmer: Right, because she had to film "Fresh Off the Boat." It was worth the wait. She’s stunning.

Kwan: It was all just a Herculean effort to make this happen, and I'm so glad we did. We took our time and you see the results on the screen. It's a fabulous, fabulous movie, which I really think will be an enduring classic.

Wittmer: I think so too. With this movie and "Set it Up" on Netflix, I just hope rom-coms come back in a really dramatic way.

Kwan: I hope so, because that's my favorite genre. I love romantic comedies more than anything. It's been funny because I keep going back to watch all the classics that I love because they haven't been on the big screen anymore. From "Pretty Woman," to "Four Weddings and a Funeral," movies like that ... "Love Actually." That's my favorite genre, so I'm hoping we've created a movie that people want to see over and over again and will be timeless.

Wittmer: It appears like you were super involved in this entire process. So what were you involved with and what was out of your control?

Kwan: I was involved in everything from day one as an executive producer. Part of the deal was that I got to have a vote. I got to be part of the round table that made every creative decision. So there were really no surprises for me. I got to help look for the screenwriter, all the actors, the director, and then once we went into production, I got even more involved.

Wittmer: How so?

Kwan: I was basically texting and calling and speaking to Jon Chu, the director, every day. I was dealing directly with the fashion costume designers. I was talking to fashion schools. I was getting them to lend stuff for the movie. I was really up to my eyeballs involved in the film in a way that I think no author ever has. 

Wittmer: Every description in your novel is reflected so well in the movie — even scenes where they're eating. Just the costumes and the sets really represent all of your descriptions in the book. It's amazing.

Kwan: We wanted it to be like food porn and fashion porn and décor porn, you know what I mean?

Wittmer: Absolutely.

Kwan: We just wanted it to be so luscious in every possible way that people would want to come back and see again and again and again. If people start Pinteresting scenes of the fashion and the décor, that to me is success.

Wittmer: Was there anything that was cut from the book that you kind of wish was in the movie?

Kwan: I mean, so much. My book was over 500 pages long, and there were so many characters, so many plot lines that we really had to leave out because we're really focused on, "How can we take this book which is kind of esoteric, and really make it a movie that is going to be enjoyed by the most amount of people around the world?" So we had to streamline the story, really simplify a lot of the plot lines. But I think it really still captures the essence of my book, and hopefully if the movie is successful, we can make more movies. Who's to say we can't do three movies out of just book one before we even get to book two? There's so many storylines that are worth exploring. I think Warner Bros. is so excited to really  — if it works — keep going into the world of "Crazy Rich Asians" by doing more and more movies.

Wittmer: You made a huge decision to not go with Netflix despite a huge offer. Why did you go with Warner Bros.?

Kwan: Out of all the film studios — traditional film studios — they were the most excited to make this movie. Warner Bros. is just this amazing historic studio that does great movies. So that was a no-brainer. The essential thing we were struggling with was we wanted this movie to be able to prove to the industry that movies with independent stories, diverse stories, new voices, new faces can succeed. With Netflix, you don't know really what is a true success because, unfortunately, we're still working in an entertainment industry where success is measured by box offices. How Netflix measures success is totally different. Their metrics and their numbers are kept very proprietary and very secret. So they couldn't tell us. How can they put a stamp on this and say, "This is a success," in a way that having a movie come out in wide release in a theater that has proven box office numbers shows the world that this can work? You know?

Wittmer: Yeah, makes sense. Netflix is really shady about their numbers. 

Kwan: And also, I think it was essential for both Jon and I to really see this movie as a community experience. We see families going, generations of families going, grandparents, parents, children. This is a movie to enjoy at the theater with your friends, with your loved ones, with your boyfriend or girlfriend, with a whole group of girls. That's kind of how Jon and I grew up enjoying the movies. We went to the theater. We didn't just sit on our couch and click a button and wait for a movie to come on. We love doing that, don't get me wrong. I love Netflix and Amazon and watching movies on streamers as much as the next person. But you know, for this movie, we felt it was important to start it out in the theater and give it a chance in the cinema.

Wittmer: Especially because it's the first movie that tells an Asian American story with all Asian actors, I think, since 1993.

Kwan: 25 years. Yeah, totally. It's also the first Hollywood studio rom-com ever to have Asian leads.

Wittmer: Wow.

Kwan: Ever. That, to me, is even huger of a breakthrough.

Wittmer: Did that historical significance make you feel a little nervous about getting it right?

Kwan: Absolutely. Yeah. When I realized that this movie had the potential of actually being made, I decided to step aside. I didn't want to adapt the screenplay because I knew we needed the best damn screenwriter possible to adapt this. We needed to create the best team possible in every sense of the word to make this movie come alive. And we did, we achieved that.

Wittmer: And it shows. I could tell how hard everyone worked on this movie, and how happy they were doing it.

Kwan: We had an incredible director, Jon Chu. We had an incredible cast. We got the best cinematographer we could possibly find. This is a watershed moment, especially for my readers. There's a whole generation of my readers who did not grow up reading "Joy Luck Club" like I did when I was a teenager. So for them, this is their "Joy Luck Club." This is their moment to see themselves reflected back in a modern, contemporary, real way. For them, it's so important that we got it right.

Wittmer: Does the box office success of movies like, "Wonder Woman," "Get Out," and "Black Panther " make you feel confident "Crazy Rich Asians" will be a hit, too?

Kwan: Knock on wood.

Wittmer: I just knocked the coffee table right in front of me. I promise it's wood. 

Kwan: Thank you. 

Wittmer: Obviously those movies I mentioned aren’t comparable in content, but I know "Wonder Woman" really surprised the industry because, wow, a movie with a female lead did super well! And similarly with "Black Panther." Do you think that "Crazy Rich Asians" can mark a cultural shift for Asian stories?

Kwan: I really hope so. I really, really hope so. And I think the proof is the movie. I mean, when you see that, you see it's possible, right?

Wittmer: Absolutely. 

Kwan: You see the vast potential of all these amazing actors in other roles that don't have to be about just being Asian. I think that's what's so liberating about this movie. It was a full Asian cast so they didn't have to be that Asian actor doing their Asian thing. They could just be great actors telling a great story, being part of a great project. And so that's my hope, is that this movie transcends race. You know? I want people to forget that this is a historic movie with an all-Asian cast. I just want them to get into the story and get into the movie and realize that this is, no matter what color skin these actors have, amazing. 

Wittmer: I certainly got that feeling. I'm a not-rich straight white lady, but I'm still relating deeply on an emotional level with Rachel and all of these different characters, even Astrid. Even Nick in some ways.

Kwan: Absolutely. Asian Americans and Asians all over the world — since the history of the beginning of cinema — they have looked to Hollywood. They've fallen in love through "Casablanca." They've fallen in love through the "Sound of Music," to all of the great movies and they don't think, oh, I can be just ... it's automatic for them. They don't think, oh, I can relate to this. They do relate to it. Now it's going the other way around. It's long overdue.

Wittmer: I know you've talked about how there are some things that were left out of the book because they were too crazy. Is there an example of something like that?

Kwan: A lot of times it was descriptions of houses and places that just were so decadent they were beyond belief. In the first book, I had to leave a lot of things out because my editor thought it would jump the shark. People wouldn't believe it was possible. But once the books worked, then people wanted more of it. That's when I could finally come out and write about the fish that went for plastic surgery because it's all true. But when you're first introducing someone to that world, and they've never heard of it, you've got to prime them for it. You've got to prepare them for it. Book one did well so I could go even more extreme in book two with all real stories. There's nothing in any of my books that's made up. It's all based on true people, true stories, true worlds, places I've seen, planes with yoga studios in them, things like that.

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NOW WATCH: How a black cop infiltrated the KKK — the true story behind Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'