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This is what Maury Povich is like in real life

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"Maury" has been on-air for over 20 years. Before that Maury Povich had a long career in journalism. His father worked for the Washington Post, and that inspired him to become a news anchor throughout the '80s. Now, as he nears 80 years of age, the 21st season of "Maury" has started, and the host has no plans of retiring. Take a look behind the scenes of the show. Following is a transcript of the video.

Maury Povich: I guess I was kind of born to journalism. My father was a sports columnist for the Washington Post for 75 years. And so I got very interested in the media, radio and television when I was very young. And then when I went to college at the University of Pennsylvania, I was the sports director of the college radio station. Then I anchored the news and reported the news and I did that all over the country.

And then in 1986, I was back in Washington and this kind of wild crazy Australian named Rupert Murdoch created Fox and brought me to New York and we started a show called A Current Affair, which was very successful. If you wanna see a story that answers the question, "No, he didn't do that, did he?" Watch "A Current Affair." And that led to the last 28 years of having my own talk show. Wow, I wrapped up my life that fast.

I tape two days a week, I tape three shows on Thursdays and two shows on Fridays. I come to the studio, probably I'm here around quarter of seven in the morning for the first taping, which is around 10 o'clock in the morning. And I study the stories again. Then I am briefed by my producers right before the show to find out how they wanna stage it. Doesn't take too long. We have an hour show, I guarantee it doesn't take more than about an hour and two minutes to do the show because we've been doing it for so long. So I get out of here maybe around 2:30 or three. At my age, I'm working enough.

Birdie's seven. He goes out and you'll see later on, he entertains my audience before we start the show. So Birdie is a very good dog.

You know, I'm very proud that my audience is built of a rainbow coalition. We have every kind of ethnicity in terms of our viewership and our guests as well. I'm proud of that because somehow, either through instinct or just through basic human considerations, my guests and my viewers have kind of felt that I was part of their family even though they know and I know that my experience in life is probably nothing that they've gone through.

I don't have any thoughts of retiring, I like to do it, I think we do some good. I think we bring families together. I know one thing. That when I leave this show, you won't see me on television ever again.

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Facebook just announced the $399 Oculus Quest, a new virtual reality headset that doesn't require a PC

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Oculus Quest

  • Facebook's Oculus Quest headset, a new standalone virtual reality system that doesn't require a PC to run, will launch in Spring 2019 for $399.
  • Mark Zuckerberg announced the Oculus Quest during the Oculus Connect 5 keynote and said it completes the first generation of Oculus products.
  • Oculus Quest will be compatible with some Oculus Rift software and comes with built-in audio and two controllers, and will offer full positional tracking.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg took the stage on Thursday and announced a new virtual reality system, the Oculus Quest, that will launch in Spring 2019 with a $399 price tag.

The stand-alone device, which evolved from Facebook's "Santa Cruz" prototype headset, will be compatible with existing Oculus software and looks to improve the portability and range of motion tracking for VR experiences.

Like the Oculus Go, the Oculus Quest doesn't require a computer, cell phone, or external tracking senors. But the key difference is that, unlike the Oculus Go, the Oculus Quest offers full positional tracking, utilizing what's called "inside-out tracking" to understand where a player is standing, crouching, or leaning. While the Oculus Go can track the rotation of your head, it lacks full positional tracking, which can increase the likelihood of motion sickness — full positional tracking decreases the chances of that.

Another difference? The Quest will feature two handheld controllers like the Oculus Rift, both of which can be tracked in real-time by the headset's sensors. Zuckerberg said the Quest completes the first generation of Oculus products, offering an option between the entry-level Oculus Go and the Oculus Rift, which is run by a computer for superior graphics.

The Oculus Quest matches the 1600x1440 per eye display resolution of the Oculus Go, has built-in audio and 64GB of storage.

 

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These are the 20 best soccer players in the world, as ranked by the new "FIFA 19" video game

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Argentina FIFA 19

Fans worldwide are anticipating the September 28 release of EA Sports' "FIFA 19," one of the top-rated soccer video game franchises. FIFA is celebrated for its attention to detail, featuring dozens of teams from leagues across the globe as well as the national men's and women's teams from the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

EA works to accurately recreate each player and their specific skill set for the new FIFA game each year, then provides weekly updates to reflect real-life performance. With the 2018 World Cup complete and European soccer leagues now underway, fans will soon be able to see how FIFA ranked the players on their favorite team. But for now, take a look at the game's top ranked players for the 2018-19 soccer season.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal/Juventus - 94 Overall

FIFA 19’s cover star is the world’s most popular player, and for good reason. He was the top goal scorer in Europe’s Champions League during 2018 and led Real Madrid to its fourth championship in five years. In July, Ronaldo joined the Italian squad Juventus for a $110 million transfer fee and will earn $35 million a year for the next four years.



2. Lionel Messi - Argentina/FC Barcelona - 94 Overall

Messi has long been considered Ronaldo’s top rival, and this year he became the first player to earn a fifth Europe Golden Shoe award, which is given to the top scorer in Europe’s national leagues. Messi recorded his 600th career goal in March and still holds the European Golden Shoe record for most goals in one season, with 50.



3. Neymar Jr - Brazil/Paris Saint-Germain - 92 Overall

Neymar is considered Brazil’s best player, carrying the legacy of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho in international competition. He is the ntional's team third-highest scoring player of all-time. After his debut season for Paris Saint-Germain in 2017-18 was cut short due to injury, Neymar started this season by leading the team to three straight wins.



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The 75 worst movies of all time, according to critics

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death of a nation

While moviegoers often flock to bad movies in large numbers (see: 2018's "The Nun" and "Fifty Shades Freed"), professional film critics will tend to pile condemnation on those same films.

To find out which movies film critics have collectively hated the most, we turned to the reviews aggregator Metacritic to compile this list of the most critically panned movies in history. 

From ill-advised sequels like "Scary Movie 5" and "Caddyshack II," to two dubious political documentaries by conservative filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, these films drew the ire of critics and provoked the repulsion of many.

Here are the 75 worst movies of all time, according to critics:

Note: Only movies with seven or more online reviews appear in the ranking, so it skews toward more recent films.

SEE ALSO: 34 movies you have to see this fall — including 'Justice League,' 'It,' and 'Blade Runner 2049'

75. "Evidence" (2013)

Criticscore: 14/100

User score: 5.3/10

What critics said: "There have been a lot of shoddy found-footage flicks over the past few years, but maybe none quite so shoddy as this." — The AV Club



74. "What Love Is" (2008)

Criticscore: 14/100

User score: 7.3/10

What critics said: "A shrill cacophony of puerile clichés about men and women and sex, delivered in adrenaline-driven harangues and arrogant lectures. When the stage clears, all that's left is the unpleasant odor of all that hot air." — Los Angeles Times



73. "Mixed Nuts" (1994)

Criticscore: 14/100

User score: 6.0/10

What critics said: "A farcical whirligig that doesn't whirl. It's energetically unfunny." — Los Angeles Times



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MoviePass' parent company has boosted its share count by an unbelievable 80,000% since July — but it's run out of room to issue new stock (HMNY)

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MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe and Helios and Matheson Chief Executive Ted Farnsworth.

  • Helios & Matheson, which owns MoviePass, has more than doubled its share count in the last month.
  • The massive increase in shares helps to explain why its stock price has plunged — and why it's seeking to reverse split its stock for a second time in three months.
  • The company's share count has increased an amazing 80,368% just since its reverse split in July.
  • Thanks to that and its plunging share price, it's basically run out of room to issue new shares.

The parent company of MoviePass revealed Wednesday that it continues to rely on one of the oldest tricks it's used to stay in business — issuing new shares of stock.

Unfortunately for Helios & Matheson, that trick has now put it in a tight bind, one that's forcing it to seek shareholder approval for a second reverse split of its stock just less than two months after going through with a 250-1 reverse swap. Thanks to all the shares it's issued lately — and the ones it's agreed to set aside for creditors who hold convertible notes it issued — the company has effectively run out of room to issue or sell new stock.

"We do not have enough authorized, unissued and unreserved shares to fulfill the current reserve requirements under the notes or to meet the company’s needs for future equity financing or acquisitions," Helios & Matheson said in a document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday.

Just in the last month, the company, which took a controlling stake in MoviePass last year, has more than doubled its share count. Its total outstanding shares stood at 1.36 billion on September 14, according to the regulatory document. That was up from 636.9 million on August 14.

The company didn't explain how it managed to increase its share count by 719 million shares over that time period. But it had prior approval from shareholders to raise hundreds of millions of dollars by selling shares on the open market — something it's done repeatedly over the last year.

Helios & Matheson has massively diluted shareholders

The share increase just over the last month mean that Helios & Matheson's total share count has increased an unbelievable 80,368% just since its first reverse split in July. Adjusting for that split, the company's number of outstanding shares has increased by more than 3,800,000% in the last year.

All that dilution has weighed heavily on the company's shares. In May, Helios & Matheson's stock fell below $1 a share, the minimum threshold to be listed on the Nasdaq market. After the Nasdaq sent the company a delisting warning, Helios & Matheson officials urged shareholders to approve its first reverse split in an effort to boost its stock price.

That worked, but only temporarily. Less than a week later the company's stock was trading below $1 again, before plunging even more. In recent weeks, Helios & Matheson's stock has hovered around 2 cents a share. That means it's still in danger of being delisted by the Nasdaq, which requires a company's stock to trade above a $1 a share for at least 10 consecutive trading days to avoid such a sanction.

The company's stock price has fallen largely in tandem with its issuance of new shares. A month ago, when it had fewer than half as many shares outstanding, its stock was priced at 5 cents a share. Immediately after its reverse split — and before it issued hundreds of millions of new shares — it was trading at more than $20 a share.

The company has to set aside more shares than it's authorized to issue

In addition to sinking Helios & Matheson's stock, the issuance of all those new shares has had another consequence. The company has basically run out of room to issue new shares.

Besides approving the reverse stock split in July, shareholders upped the number of shares that Helios & Matheson could issue to 5 billion shares. Although only 1.36 billion are now outstanding, it has to set aside some 5.3 billion shares for its creditors.

The company issued convertible notes in November, January, and June to fund its operations. Should its creditors decide to do so, they can exchange those notes for shares. 

But the November and January notes have a provision in them in which the price at which they can be converted gets reduced to the lowest price at which the company has sold shares on the public market. At the same time, the number of shares that Helios & Matheson would have to issue at that price to the creditors goes up proportionately.

Both of those sets of notes can now be converted at a price of 2 cents a share, the company said in its filing, indicating that the company has sold stock on the open market recently at just that price. The result of the lowering of the conversion price is that Helios & Matheson now has to set aside more shares for those notes than it can issue in total.

Now the company is seeking approval to reverse split its stock again by as much as a 500-to-1 ratio. Such a move could potentially address both problems, by raising its share price above $1 a share and by giving it again extra headroom to cover conversion or issue new stock. The number of shares Helios & Matheson would have to issue to cover the convertible notes would be reduced by the same ratio by which it reduced its total share count.

Of course, if the company's stock fell again after a second reverse split — due to the issuance of yet more shares or for some other reason — it could soon find itself in the same bind, under threat of delisting and running out of room to issue new shares for its creditors.

SEE ALSO: Even after massively diluting its stock, MoviePass' parent company could issue billions of more shares, and there's little investors can do about it

SEE ALSO: MoviePass' parent company increased its share count by an incredible 9,000% in less than two weeks — and just after reverse splitting its stock to combat dilution

SEE ALSO: MoviePass has less than 3 months left before it runs out of cash — and its latest changes won't save it

SEE ALSO: The owner of MoviePass keeps repeating the same move to raise the cash it needs to stay alive — and it’s getting absurd

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Facebook is walking a tricky tightrope with its big bet on the next frontier in human interaction, and the future of the company could be at stake (FB)

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facebook mark zuckerberg virtual reality oculus samsung

  • Virtual reality is the next big thing, Facebook promises — but just not yet.
  • At its annual Oculus Connect conference, the tech giant simultaneously hyped up the potential of VR while downplaying the (limited) inroads the tech has made so far. 
  • The social network needs to convince developers — and investors — to get on board, but without over-promising and disillusioning potential customers.

SAN JOSE, California — Facebook's virtual reality ambitions are moving forward, sure, but they're walking across a tightrope as they go. 

On the one hand, the social network is extraordinary ambitious about the potential of the technology, promising it will reshape entire industries and human interaction itself — but it is also quick to caution that the tech is barely in its infancy, and may not mature for years.

It's a fine line for the company, trying maintain excitement about the nascent platform while not over-hyping and subsequently disillusioning would-be users and developers — and these conflicting messages were on display at the company's Oculus Connec virtual reality conference in Silicon Valley on Wednesday morning.

Andrew Bosworth, the firm's VP of VR and AR (augmented reality), who is universally referred to as "Boz," took to the stage during the event's opening keynote to promise that virtual reality is a revolutionary technology on a par with the domestication of horses and the rise of heavier-than-air flight, claiming that it has the potential to disrupt "real estate" and reshape entire cities.

"I expect virtual reality to be a platform primarily centered around human connection ... [that] could have a profound impact on the fabric of society," he proclaimed. 

But, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg cautioned, the technology is not even 1% of the way there yet.

New technologies are notoriously prone to cycles of extreme hype and subsequent disillusionment. If Facebook wants to see virtual reality become mainstream — and for its Oculus platform to be at a forefront of that shift — it needs to persuade both consumers and developers that it's the Next Big Thing. But at the same time, it can't over-promise and risk under-delivering and putting off users for good. 

Hence a keynote speech from Oculus chief scientist Michael Abrash, who spent his time on stage listing wild new experimental VR technologies — foviated rendering! Waveguide screens! Motion-tracking gloves! — before saying just these products are still many years away from making it into a consumer product.

Facebook is making progress, to be sure. On Wednesday, it formally announced the Oculus Quest — the first major virtual reality headset that can monitor a user's position in a room without relying on any external computers. It's "the all-in-one VR experience we have been waiting for," Zuckerberg said — but still emphasised it is part of "our first generation of VR products," and that looking forward, "the next few years are going to be a really exciting time for VR and AR."

These grand declarations of intent also serve another purpose. Amid faltering revenue and profit growth, investors are cooling on Facebook, and its stock plummeted 25% after its last earnings call. Painting a bold vision of the future with Facebook at the centre signals to investors that there are still vast new untapped markets Facebook can conquer — and fill with precisely targeted advertisements. 

Got a tip? Contact this reporter via Signal or WhatsApp at +1 (650) 636-6268 using a non-work phone, email at rprice@businessinsider.com, WeChat at robaeprice, or Twitter DM at @robaeprice. (PR pitches by email only, please.) You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

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I played 2018's most anticipated game, 'Red Dead Redemption 2' — here are the 12 most interesting things I learned

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Red Dead Redemption 2

In a few weeks, on October 26, the most anticipated game of the year arrives.

"Red Dead Redemption 2" is the next blockbuster game from the folks at Rockstar Games, the company that created "Grand Theft Auto" — which is exactly as big of a deal as it sounds.

"Grand Theft Auto 5" launched over five years ago. "Red Dead Redemption 2" is the first game from Rockstar since "GTA V." It's being billed as Rockstar's biggest, most ambitious game ever made. No pressure!

It was with all this context that I excitedly approached a recent opportunity to play "Red Dead Redemption 2" at Rockstar's Manhattan offices. I came away from the experience with a lot to say.

SEE ALSO: Here are the 16 biggest video games launching this fall, from an all-new ‘Fallout’ to the hotly-anticipated ‘Red Dead Redemption 2'

DON'T MISS: We probably won’t see the next major ‘Grand Theft Auto’ game until at least 2020, after the new PlayStation and Xbox consoles launch — here’s why

1. "Red Dead Redemption 2" is an attempt at something entirely new for Rockstar Games, despite looking familiar.

When "Grand Theft Auto 3" arrived on PlayStation 2 in 2001, it was a precedent-setting game. It created and popularized the concept of "open-world" games — games where players could go anywhere in a massive, open environment ("GTA 3" had a New York City-esque open-world named "Liberty City"). It was a smash hit, inspiring copy-cats (remember the "True Crime" series?) and nearly two decades worth of sequels. 

Since "GTA 3," subsequent Rockstar projects have been iterations on that original concept: Narrative-driven, single-player games set in elaborate open-world environments. Sometimes it's a 1980s-flavored version of Miami, and sometimes it's a turn of the century American Frontier, but it's always a third-person action game set in an open world.

"Grand Theft Auto 5" is the most recent example, from 2013: A beautiful third- and first-person action game set in a contemporary version of Los Angeles (in-game as "Los Santos") and the surrounding area. "GTA 5" added a robust online multiplayer mode to the concept of open-world gaming — a similar mode is coming to "Red Dead Redemption 2," albeit a bit after launch— but was otherwise another iteration of the formula Rockstar has been following for almost 20 years now.

"Red Dead Redemption 2" aims to break that tradition.

It's the first game from Rockstar that's intended to move the entire genre forward — the genre that Rockstar created in the first place. And it's doing that by making everything in its vast world interactive, however banal that thing might be in another game.



2. Everyone is a potential interaction.

In "Red Dead Redemption 2," you can interact with every person. Really!

And I'm not just talking about punching and kicking and horse trampling — you can greet, cajole, or soothe every person in the world. From the moment your character sees anyone in the world, they're a potential interaction.

Maybe you just want to say hi? Go right ahead. They may respond by telling you to go straight to hell. Or maybe they'll just wave! 

Worse, the people you see may have feelings about you from the jump. As I walked through a small town as Arthur Morgan, a man standing alongside a saloon yelled out after me. Turns out I'd been in a recent bar fight and done something less than honorable. This man — a complete stranger — is now yelling at me, alerting everyone around that I did something less than honorable. 

I had a few options: I could try to placate him ("diffuse"); I could ignore him; or I could get aggressive. Turns out, the stranger with the loud mouth didn't have a lot to say when Arthur pointed his gun in said man's face.

But even that act had consequences, as I'd intimidated someone with a weapon and lots of people saw. The law was after me, so I headed out of town.



3. Your gun isn't always the solution.

I didn't need to pull my gun on that stranger, but just the act of pulling it out in aggression and pointing it — no bullets fired — was enough to end the potential altercation. 

There's a whole mechanic dedicated to holstering and unholstering your weapon, and there's a good reason for that: People react to you differently based on whether or not your gun is loose. 

Rather than pulling your gun, you're able to focus on individuals, which then offers a few different options. You could also just pull your gun and see what happens, but, like real life, it's a pretty bad way to say hello.

It's a novel addition, but the implications are what matters most: Interaction with the world of "Red Dead Redemption 2" becomes less binary as a result. Rather than choose between "do I kill this person or not?", you've got a wider range of ways to interact.

And that's meaningful! It helps to make the world feel alive.



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Critics are calling ABC's 'A Million Little Things' a clone of NBC's 'This Is Us,' and some people aren't happy about the way the show approaches a suicide

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A Million Little Things ABC

  • Critics are not loving ABC's new ensemble drama "A Million Little Things," which centers on a group of friends who change the way they live after a close friend dies by suicide. 
  • Critics agree that ABC is trying to compete with NBC's "This Is Us" with an incredibly emotional drama.
  • Some people have issues with the show and think it "glorifies" suicide, but others say it brings an important conversation to network TV.

Critics do not like "A Million Little Things," ABC's answer to "This Is Us," and some people have called it "garbage" because they believe that it "glorifies" suicide.  

"This Is Us," which premiered in 2016, is one of the most popular shows on television. It gets nominated for Emmys and wins some of them, and a lot of people tune in to NBC to watch it every week. 

In its new show "A Million Little Things" which premiered on ABC Wednesday night, the network seems to be looking for its own "This Is Us." But critics hate it, and its premise has caused some controversy. The show currently has a measly 40% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

"A Million Little Things" is drama series that follows a group of friends who unite and decide to start living their lives more fully after a friend dies by suicide. It stars an ensemble cast that includes Ron Livingston, James Roday, Romany Malco, Allison Miller, and Grace Park. Like "This Is Us," it intertwines stories in the past with the present. 

But critics aren't buying the emotionally manipulative story. Verne Gay of Newsday wrote that the series is "a weepy wannabe from the 'This Is Us' playbook that doesn't build much of a case for caring about the characters, much less weeping over them."

And Kevin Fallon of The Daily Beast said, "there is a fine line between emotional storytelling and trauma porn..."

While the show has a high audience score of 91%, not everyone is a fan. When the show aired last night, some people on Twitter expressed their problems with the premise, which puts a positive spin on a tragic suicide.

But some people appreciate what the show is doing:

 

 

SEE ALSO: The 6 worst new network TV shows this fall, from 'FBI' to 'New Amsterdam'

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All the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

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mystery science theater 3000Netflix still has a good deal of original content in store for the rest of this year.

2018 has already seen the release of a long list of new original shows, including the sci-fi reboot "Lost In Space," the dark comedy "Maniac," and Matt Groening's animated series "Disenchantment."

Among the shows still to come are new seasons of Netflix originals like "Making a Murderer," "Big Mouth," and "House of Cards."

This week, the service announced that its acclaimed reboot of the comedy series "Mystery Science Theater 3000" will premiere its second season on November 22. 

Netflix has said it will spend $8 billion on shows and movies by the end of 2018 — up from the $6 billion it spent in 2017. 

To help you sort through the service's released and upcoming content, we've compiled a list of original shows that Netflix has confirmed are coming out in 2018. This excludes movies, kids' shows, and series that might not come out until 2019 or later.

Here are all the shows we know Netflix is for sure putting out this year, along with their release date if available:

SEE ALSO: All 73 of Netflix's notable original shows, ranked from worst to best

"Lovesick" (Season 3) — Released January 1

Netflix description: "In his quest for true love, Dylan found chlamydia. Joined by friends Evie and Luke, he relives past encounters as he notifies all his former partners."



"The End of the F***ing World" (Season 1) — Released January 5

Netflix description: "A budding teen psychopath and a rebel hungry for adventure embark on a star-crossed road trip in this darkly comic series based on a graphic novel.



"Disjointed" (Season 1 - Part 2) — Released January 12

Netflix description: "Pot activist Ruth Whitefeather Feldman runs a medical marijuana dispensary while encouraging her loyal patients to chill out and enjoy the high life."



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X-Men fans think the first 'Dark Phoenix' trailer is too similar to the disappointing 'X-Men: The Last Stand'

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xmen dark phoenix

  • The first trailer for the next "X-Men" movie, "Dark Phoenix," is here.
  • It's an ominous trailer that teases an end for the X-Men, and pits the team against one of their own: Jean Grey, played by "Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner. 
  • Fans have mixed reactions to the footage.
  • Some are excited, while others feel it looks too similar to 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand," which also attempted to adapt the "Dark Phoenix Saga" comic book storyline.

The first trailer for the next "X-Men" movie, "Dark Phoenix," debuted on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" on Wednesday, and it pits the mutant superhero team against one of their own: Jean Grey, played by "Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner, who is consumed by a powerful, cosmic force.

If that premise sounds familiar, that's because it is. It's based on the acclaimed X-Men comic book storyline "The Dark Phoenix Saga," which was loosely adapted in 2006's "X-Men: The Last Stand" with disappointing results. Fox, the film studio behind the "X-Men" franchise, is taking another swing at it, though, with "Dark Phoenix." 

This time, longtime "X-Men"-franchise writer and producer Simon Kinberg is behind the camera for his directorial debut. 

The footage puts the "dark" in "Dark Phoenix" — it's an ominous trailer that appropriately teases an end for the X-Men with a cover of The Doors' "The End." We hear an exchange between Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique and James McAvoy's Charles Xavier over a flashback to Grey's youth, where she causes a car her parents are driving to crash and flip. "I was protecting her," Xavier says.

We get a glimpse of actress Jessica Chastain, who is new to the franchise, in a mysterious role. She tells Grey that the X-Men "can't begin to comprehend what you are." We also see Grey approach Michael Fassbender's Magneto in her search for answers, and it appears that Beast, played by Nicholas Hoult, may betray Xavier to join Magneto as Grey loses control of her powers. 

Online reaction to the trailer has been mixed. Some fans are excited to see Kinberg's take on the classic story while others feel it looks too similar to "The Last Stand" and already want Disney to take over the franchise with the Disney/Fox merger.

"It's actually DARK! I can't wait for it," said one YouTube user.

"Looks promising, seems like it will have some intense, emotional and dramatic story elements. I'm excited!," said another.

Some Twitter reaction was a tad more harsh, though. Check out some reactions below:

The movie has reportedly gone through some production trouble. It was moved back from this November to a February release date, and has reportedly been going through extensive reshoots, according to Montreal newspaper La Presse.

"Dark Phoenix" comes to theaters February 14, 2019.

Watch the full trailer below:

 

SEE ALSO: The next 'X-Men' movie's official title has been revealed, and there's no 'X-Men' in it

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Netflix and Amazon are neck-and-neck in offering the best value to film buffs

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Black Panther

  • A new study from online-streaming guide Reelgood shows how close Netflix and Amazon are in the streaming race.
  • The two services are neck-in-neck in having the most "quality" movies for how much subscribers pay, and there's no clear winner.

 

If you love movies, it may be hard to choose between streaming services, but a new study at least breaks it down to two you should definitely consider: Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

The study, from online-streaming guide Reelgood, looked at the size of five streaming service movie catalogs: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, and Showtime. To help determine the overall value of each streaming service for movie buffs, the study then examined which service offered the most movies for the amount users pay, as well as the amount of "quality" movies compared to what you pay — and it turns out Netflix and Amazon are neck-and-neck.

Reelgood found that Amazon Prime has the most total movies, at over 10,000. It characterized "quality" movies as being in the top 20,000 most popular titles on Reelgood, and having IMDb scores of 6 or higher.

Amazon has the most quality movies, according to the study, at around 1,100, but Netflix is not far behind.

reelgood amazon netflix movies

But then the study went a step further to categorize high-quality movies, which it defined the same as "quality," but with a 7.5 or higher score on IMDb.

In this instance, Netflix and Prime were tied at a little over 100 titles each.

netflix amazon reelgood movies study

The study also found which service gets you the most movies for your buck, which looked at the total number of movies you get for each dollar spent with a subscription. The clear winner was Amazon Prime at nearly 1,300 movies, while Netflix trailed at less than 500.

Users pay $99 a year for Prime Video (which translates to roughly $8 a month), while Netflix subscribers pay $10.99.

Reelgood broke that down to look at quality and high-quality movies for your buck, too. Amazon beat out Netflix for having the most quality movies for dollars spent but Netflix led in high-quality movies. 

reelgood netflix amazon

reelgood amazon netflix

The study doesn't present a clear winner for film buffs looking to get the most out of their streaming-subscription plans, but it does show just how heated the streaming wars are becoming. One thing is clear, though: Showtime has some catching up to do.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'The Haunting of Hill House' has been called the 'first great horror TV show' and has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

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The 75 celebrities and influencers who make the most money per Instagram post, ranked

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  • Influencer marketing is projected to be worth between $5 billion and $10 billion by 2020.
  • Hopper HQ created an Instagram Rich List of 2018 to highlight the top influencers on the social media app and how much they charge per sponsored post.  
  • Hopper HQ compiled the list using public and private data and contacted every account listed — through a manager, agent, or directly — and requested their fee for sponsored posts.  
  • The Kardashian-Jenner family reigns — four of the sisters made the top 10. Kylie Jenner took the No. 1 spot with a fee of $1 million per post.

Influencer marketing is projected to be worth between $5 and $10 billion by 2020. To determine how much to charge per-post, you need to take into account followers, engagement, status, and audience. 

Hopper HQ created an Instagram Rich List of 2018 to highlight the top influencers on the social media app — and how much they charge per sponsored post.  

Luckily, the world's biggest celebrities don't have to put in much work building an audience — they can charge six-figure sums from the get-go. Still people who built loyal followings from the ground up — social media influencers — have become celebrities in their own right, commanding anywhere from $1,500 to $33,000 per post.

Hopper HQ categorized influencers in eight core verticals: Celebrity, lifestyle, fitness, sports, beauty, fashion, food, and travel. Hopper HQ compiled the list using public and private data and contacted every account listed — through a manager, agent, or directly — and requested their fee for sponsored posts.  

The list was sorted by price for the top-ten influencers in each of the core categories. Travel accounts that exchange posts for free travel instead of a financial return did not make the list.

The 75 influencers below all have one million followers or more and charge $1,300 and up for a sponsored post. Since Hopper HQ released the list, many influencers gained more followers. The follower count on Business Insider's list is as of September 2018. 

SEE ALSO: A woman who pays Instagrammers and YouTubers for brands like Cosmo and Esquire says influencers can earn anywhere from $500 to $30,000 for a single post

DON'T MISS: I asked 3 social-media influencers what it takes to make real money on Instagram, and they all pointed to the same trait

75. David Chang

Instagram handle: @davidchang

Niche: Food

Followers: 1 million

Cost per-post: $1,300



74. Kevin Curry

Instagram handle:  @fitmencook

Niche: Food

Followers: 1.2 million

Cost per-post: $1,500



73. Ella Mills

Instagram handle: @deliciouslyella

Niche: Food

Followers: 1.4 million 

Cost per-post: $1,600



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Fortnite' Season 6 launches today — here's everything you need to know about the new update

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Fortnite Season 6

"Fortnite" Season 6 has arrived, introducing pets and Halloween-themed content, along with some quality of life improvements for the game.

Titled "Darkness Rises," the season 6 update adds new locations to the map, including a floating island, a haunted castle, corrupted areas, and corn fields.

Epic has also teased some smaller hidden changes for players to find on their own.

Here's everything that's new:

SEE ALSO: Sony is finally allowing 'Fortnite' players on PlayStation 4 to play with people on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch

The Season 6 battle pass is the key to new content

The new content can be unlocked via the season 6 battle pass, which gives owners access to more than 100 new cosmetic rewards.

The battle pass is now available for purchase for 950 V-Bucks, the game's currency. Newcomers can purchase 1,000 V-Bucks for $9.99. Players earn rewards by leveling up their battle pass, either through gameplay or by purchasing levels for 150 V-Bucks each. Rewards include costumes, sprays, and special gliders, all of which are purely cosmetic.

"Fortnite" seasons last approximately two months, and battle pass rewards can only be earned during the season. However, players will retain whatever rewards they earn after the season ends.



Players can level their battle pass to unlock seven new costumes during season 6.

Buying the battle pass will give players immediate access to two new outfits: DJ Yonder and Calamity. Five more Halloween-themed costumes can be unlocked by leveling up the battle pass.

Calamity, the masked cowgirl outfit, is one of two legendary outfits included in the battle pass; the other is a werewolf outfit called Dire. The Dire costume is unlocked by maxing out the battle pass at level 100.

Legendary outfits gain new effects over time as players use them more often in game.



"Fortnite" Season 6 introduces pets — meet Scales, Bonesy, and Camo.

The battle pass also allows players to unlock new pets to carry with them into the Battle Royale. Players can choose between three pets: Bonesy, Scales, and Camo.

Each animal will react to the action during the game, but like other rewards, they won't have any impact on gameplay.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tells Stephen Colbert about Trump's laughter-inducing UN speech and her failed 'Lord of the Rings' audition

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  • New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern appeared on the "Late Show with Stephen Colbert" on Wednesday, while she was in New York City for the UN General Assembly.
  • During the interview, Ardern gave her take on US President Trump's UN address, which caused widespread laughter when he claimed to have accomplished more than any other administration.
  • She also spoke about her one-on-one talk with Trump, which she said was hampered when her partner Clarke accidentally toppled a flagpole.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took a break from meetings at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to appear on the "Late Show with Stephen Colbert", where she charmed the audience with her take on President Donald Trump's address, her partner's gaffs, and her unsuccessful audition for "The Lord of the Rings."

Ardern, the youngest female world leader at 38, made history on Monday when she brought her three-month-old daughter Neve to the floor of the UN General Assembly, to take in Trump's speech.

Trump's address made headlines when he caused the dignitaries to erupt in laughter for claiming he had gotten more done than any prior administration. He later claimed that the audience was laughing with him.

When asked whether this was true, Ardern smiled and asked Colbert if he was "trying to create a diplomatic incident."

She then went on to say that there was a "little laugh" in response to Trump's claim, at which point the US president said, "I didn't expect that response." His comment caused a "bigger laugh," at which point people were laughing with him, Ardern clarified.

Trump UN

Ardern described the first laugh as a "spontaneous murmur amongst ... some people."

"And you joined in?" Colbert asked.

"I observed," Ardern responded, causing the audience to break out into laughter.

Ardern also spoke about her one-on-one talk with Trump later on, when she asked him about getting an exception to his newly imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum.

But she said there was a "slight distraction" when her partner, Clarke Gayford, "knocked over a flag pole."

"As I turned around he was holding this — what I can only describe as a long metal prong, which I think was the device that splays the flag," she said. "And I'm surprised no one leapt on him at that point, because it looked like a weapon."

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At another point in the conversation, Colbert, a fan of "The Lord of the Rings" books, pointed out that Ardern comes from a town near the "Hobbiton" set for Peter Jackson's films on the books.

"I did, but I do find it slightly offensive that everyone thinks every New Zealander starred in either 'Lord of the Rings' or 'The Hobbit,'" Ardern joked.

"Were you in 'Lord of the Rings' or 'The Hobbit'?" Colbert asked.

"Some of us auditioned but weren't successful, okay? That's all I'm going to say," she responded.

"Did you really audition?" Colbert asked.

"I did, I did," she said.

Ardern said New Zealand is so casual that people actually do come up to her all the time, and she's usually referred to just by her first name.

"In fact I've had conversations in the most awkward situations, maternity bra shopping, grocery store," Ardern said.

Ardern is expected to address the UN General Assembly herself on Thursday.

Watch Arden's appearance on 'The Late Show' below:

SEE ALSO: The New Zealand prime minister is the first world leader to bring her baby to the UN — and the internet can't get enough

DON'T MISS: World leaders laugh as Trump claims his administration has accomplished more than any other in US history

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A new study suggests that Hulu, not Netflix, is the dominant streaming service for TV shows

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  • A recent study found that Hulu is the dominant streaming service when it comes to television.
  • Netflix isn't far behind, but Hulu has the most shows and offers the most "quality" shows at the best value, according to the study.

 

Despite Netflix's efforts to bombard its subscribers with content — it wants to have 1,000 original shows and movies by year's end — a new study suggests it's not the leading streaming service in quality television.

According to the study from online-streaming guide Reelgood, that designation goes to Hulu. Reelgood examined which streaming service out of five — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, HBO, and Showtime — offered the most television shows, and then broke it down to which offers the most "quality" television for what users pay.

Reelgood found that Hulu's full television catalog offers the most shows at around 1,800. So it leads in quantity, but what about quality?

The study defined a "quality" show as being in the top 20,000 most popular titles on Reelgood, along with having a 6.5 score or higher with a minimum of 300 votes on IMDb. It went a step further, too, and characterized a high-quality show as the same, but with an IMDB score of at least 8. 

It found that Hulu has both the most quality and high-quality shows. Hulu easily came out on top with nearly 800 quality shows compared to Netflix's 500, but it barely edged out Netflix in the latter category.

tv reelgood hulu

tv hulu reelgood study

Reelgood also looked at what service provides the most quality television at the best value for subscribers. 

Hulu costs $12 a month while Netflix costs $10.99. But according to the study, subscribers get the most bang for their buck with Hulu when looking at the total number of shows available for each dollar spent.

When it comes to quality and high-quality shows for the best value, Hulu wins the former, while Hulu and Netflix tie for the latter. 

tv hulu reelgood

tv reelgood hulu study

So while Netflix isn't exactly out of the race, Hulu comes out on top in the end. There is a clear loser, though, as was the case with Reelgood's film study: Showtime came in last in each area of the study.

SEE ALSO: Netflix and Amazon are neck-and-neck in offering the best value to film buffs

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'If she's an actress, she's really good ... the alternative is she's telling the truth': Megyn Kelly reacts to Christine Blasey Ford's testimony

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  • Megyn Kelly weighed in on Christine Blasey Ford's testimony during "Today" show coverage of Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination hearing on Thursday.
  • Kelly said Ford's recollections to the Senate Judiciary Committee were "emotional" and could prove "deeply problematic" for Kavanaugh.
  • "If she's an actress, she's really good," Kelly said.

Megyn Kelly seems to find Christine Blasey Ford's testimony compelling.

The NBC News anchor was part of a panel covering the psychology professor's appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, as Ford recollected the alleged 1982 sexual assault by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh.

When the committee took its first break of the morning, Kelly weighed in on Ford, saying she found one part of her story especially moving.

"The moment that will stay with me was when she described having a memory of being in that room, and looking over at Mark Judge, and having eye contact with him, and asking herself 'Will he save me?' And he didn't. It was emotional," Kelly said.

"Look if she's an actress, she's really good,' Kelly later added. "The alternative is she's telling the truth and it's deeply problematic for [Kavanaugh]."

Ford has alleged that a "stumbling drunk" 17-year-old Kavanaugh pinned her down, put his hand over her mouth, and groped her while his friend watched at a high school party.

Kavanaugh is expected to respond to Ford's allegations to the committee later on Thursday.

Read Business Insider's full coverage of the Ford-Kavanaugh hearing:

SEE ALSO: Fox News host Chris Wallace on Christine Ford testimony: 'This is a disaster for the Republicans'

DON'T MISS: Christine Blasey Ford says she decided to come forward after reporters were sitting outside of her house and showing up in her classroom where she taught

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The first full song from 'A Star is Born' is finally available to listen to — it's out a day early

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A Star Is Born Warner Bros

  • You can finally listen to a full song from Bradley Cooper's directorial debut, "A Star Is Born."
  • "Shallow," the ballad prominently featured in the "A Star is Born," dropped a day early.
  • The song is an epic duet with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper doing vocals.
  • The soundtrack and the film come out October 5.

How many times have you watched the trailer for "A Star is Born" just to hear the music? Now you can actually listen to one full song.

"A Star is Born," directed by and starring Bradley Cooper alongside Lady Gaga in her first major role in a feature film, is one of the most anticipated movies of the year. But the soundtrack isn't coming out until the film's release date, so all for months was the film's trailer, which features a clip of the epic ballad "Shallow."

"Shallow," performed by Cooper and Lady Gaga, was expected to premiere Friday. But it dropped Thursday at 12:30 PM Eastern time on Apple Music’s Beats 1 Radio with DJ Zane Lowe. It's available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. 

The song is as good as expected, with Cooper's Eddie Veder-influenced vocals a perfect complement to Lady Gaga's empowering and distinct voice. 

Cooper and Lady gaga collaborated on the soundtrack with an assortment of country musicians including Lukas Nelson, who also appears in the movie. The soundtrack also features contributions from Jason Isbell, Mark Ronson, Diane Warren, and Andrew Wyatt of Miike Snow. DJ White Shadow collaborated with Lady Gaga for the pop songs on the soundtrack. 

On Tuesday, Lady Gaga released a condensed clip of another song on the soundtrack, called "Is That Alright?"

"A Star is Born" is a favorite for all major categories at the 2019 Oscars, and it's the third time the movie has been re-made. The first film came out in 1937, another starring Judy Garland followed in 1954, and another in 1976 starred Barbara Streisand.

"A Star Is Born" comes to theaters October 5. Listen to the full "Shallow" track here:

 

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HBO is 'pivoting away' from professional boxing, 45 years after broadcasting its first match

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  • HBO will be "pivoting away" from broadcasting live professional boxing this year, 45 years after its first televised match, the company said in a statement on Thursday.
  • "Our audience research informs us that boxing is no longer a determinant factor for subscribing to HBO," Peter Nelson, the executive vice president of HBO Sports, told The New York Times.
  • The network reportedly has no fights scheduled after a middleweight title fight that is set to take place on October 27, according to The Times.

 

HBO announced on Thursday that it will be "pivoting away" from its live broadcasting of professional boxing matches, 45 years after the cable network televised its first fight.

Peter Nelson, the executive vice president of HBO Sports, made the announcement in a meeting with the HBO Boxing staff on Thursday, according to The New York Times, which first reported the news.

"This is not a subjective decision," Nelson told The Times. "Our audience research informs us that boxing is no longer a determinant factor for subscribing to HBO."

"Going forward in 2019, we will be pivoting away from programming live boxing on HBO," HBO said in a statement to CBS Sports. "As always, we will remain open to looking at events that fit our programming mix. This could include boxing, just not for the foreseeable future."

HBO broadcasted its first fight in 1973 with George Foreman's iconic knockout of Joe Frazier. According to The Times, the network has no fights scheduled after a middleweight title fight that is set to take place on October 27 at Madison Square Garden. 

The Times reported a Nielsen measurement that said HBO boxing matches averaged about 820,000 viewers in 2018, or only about 2 percent of the network's subscriber base of 40 million viewers. This figure is down significantly from when major fights on HBO attracted as much as one-third of the network's domestic subscriber base in the 1980s and '90s, according to The Times.

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7 great movies you can watch on Netflix this weekend

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Picking a movie to watch on Netflix shouldn't be a hard decision — but sometimes it is. So we're here to make it easier for you.

Every week, we look through what's available on the streaming service and recommend seven movies you can watch over the weekend. Some of our selections recently came to Netflix and some have been available for a while. You just might have missed them because Netflix's algorithm didn't know you as well as it thought it did.

From "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (the only good movie in the series) to Stanley Kubrick's "Full metal Jacket," there are some awesome movies on Netflix you can watch this weekend.

Here are seven movies on Netflix you should check out (along with their scores from Rotten Tomatoes).

Note: Not all of these films are available in countries outside the United States. Apologies!

SEE ALSO: The 6 worst new network TV shows this fall, from 'FBI' to 'New Amsterdam'

"Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (2003)

Netflix description: When a young swain recruits pirate Capt. Jack Sparrow to help rescue a maiden from rival buccaneers, he finds he's up against supernatural forces.

Critic score: 79%

Audience score: 86%

Although the sequels are lengthy disappointments, "The Curse of the Black Pearl" is a tight, exciting, and well-written blockbuster that surprises you every time, no matter how many times you've seen it.  



"A Wrinkle in Time" (2018)

Netflix description: Years after their father disappears, Meg and her younger brother Charles Wallace cross galaxies on a quest to save him from the heart of darkness.

Critic score: 42%

Audience score: 29%

While it got poor reviews and isn't a great movie, it has stunning visuals and a great cast that did their best with the clunky screenplay. 



"Doctor Strange" (2016)

Netflix description: After a debilitating accident, a brilliant but arrogant neurosurgeon hopes to heal by learning the magical arts from ancient mystic. 

Critic score: 89%

Audience score: 86%

Exciting visuals, compelling source material, and Benedict Cumberbatch's performance help "Doctor Strange" stand out among superhero origin stories and other movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It might also help you come up with some "Avengers 4" theories. 



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'The Sisters Brothers' is a rare Western that's filled with incredible performances and keeps you guessing what will happen next

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  • John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix make "The Sisters Brothers" one of the most unique Westerns you'll ever see.
  • Though there are great gun fights and beautiful images, it's the unique story that will grab you.

 

Every weekend we pick an indie movie currently playing in theaters we think is definitely worth your time and money, and this week's is "The Sisters Brothers."

The Western genre has been around for so long that, if you're a fan, it can be easy to feel like you've seen it all. But then a movie like "The Sisters Brothers" comes along and it makes you realize that's not the case.

In the first film with spoken English by French director Jacques Audiard ("Rust and Bone," "A Prophet"), this adaptation of the Patrick DeWitt book is a beautifully shot and incredibly acted story that goes beyond most Westerns of this era. Set around the gold rush, the film deeply explores its two main characters as well as the hope for a better future.

That may sound on the surface like dozens of other Westerns, but it's the tone Audiard brings and the performances by John C. Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix playing the brothers (along with Riz Ahmed and Jake Gyllenhaal in supporting roles) that elevates this work.

Eli (Reilly) and Charlie (Phoenix) may be two of the deadliest killers of the 1850s, and when they are tasked with taking out a gold prospector (Ahmed), their success is believed to be a forgone conclusion. But it's the way the brothers see the world and feel there's more out there for them that truly fuels the movie, taking you to places you never thought it would go.

There's beautiful cinematography (including the opening sequence which is lit mainly by the flashes of gunfire between the brothers and the men they have been hired to take out), thrilling gunfights, and incredible attention to detail through the production design. But this is a movie that's looking at men at the cusp of progress in America, men who want to be a part of it and find wealth from it — well, at least until things go horribly wrong.

Even if you're not a Western fan, if you enjoy great storytelling, don't miss this one.

See where "The Sisters Brothers" is playing near you.

Our indie movie picks from previous weekends:

SEE ALSO: John C. Reilly on long silent walks with Joaquin Phoenix, a tearful farewell to a horse, and almost losing the part he wanted in "The Sisters Brothers"

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