Prince Philip turned 97 this year — and it's been over a year since he announced his official retirement from public service.

According to The Telegraph, the Duke of Edinburgh has carried out 22,219 solo engagements and 637 solo visits overseas since he left active military service in 1952. 

In retirement, the Duke is reportedly enjoying more leisure time at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk — he is an avid carriage driver and enjoys oil painting.

His Royal Highness' career will be remembered equally for his sharp wit as he will be for his gaffes, which have often left the nation laughing or reeling. 

The Prince's prolonged service has won him support from both sides of Parliament — Jeremy Corbyn applauded his "clear sense of public duty" and Theresa May praised his "steadfast support" to the Queen. 

Philip's lengthy career, marked by hundreds of visits to far-flung corners of the British Empire, has unsurprisingly produced some remarkable royal photography.

Here are the best images from each of his years as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh:

SEE ALSO: The 23 best candid photos from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding

1947: Prince Philip began his journey as a British Royal when he married into the country's royal family after a five-month engagement to his distant cousin, Elizabeth. He was 26.

1948: The couple had their first child, Prince Charles, in 1948. In this picture, he sleeps in the arms of his mother, then Princess Elizabeth, after his Christening at Buckingham Palace.

1949: Philip spent many of his younger years in the Royal Navy meaning family time was precious. He spent much of 1949 stationed in Malta as the first lieutenant of the destroyer HMS Checkers, the lead ship of the 1st Destroyer Flotilla in the Mediterranean Fleet.

• China disappeared actress Fan Bingbing for three months earlier this year when she was accused of tax evasion.
• She reappeared last month with a groveling apology to the Chinese government.
• Over the weekend she published a post touting China's controversial claims to the South China Sea and Taiwan.
• It marks a striking conversion for Fan from pariah to effectively being a mouthpiece for China's geopolitical ambitions.

Actress Fan Bingbing wrote a post touting China's controversial territorial claims to the South China Sea, in her first appearance on social media since issuing a humiliating apology to Beijing for evading tax.

The actress disappeared from the public eye for three months earlier this year after she was accused of tax evasion. She broke her silence in early October with a groveling message to the Chinese government, which found that she signed a secret contract to avoid paying her taxes.

On Saturday the actress published her first post since the apology on popular microblogging site Weibo, which featured a map posted by China's Communist Youth League of the country's mainland, Taiwan, and a demarcated South China Sea with the Chinese flag imposed on it.

Fan added the caption: "China, without a bit missing!"

Read more:The humbling of Fan Bingbing is a warning shot from China to anyone who thinks they can defy them

China controversially claims to own both the South China Sea and the self-governing island of Taiwan.

China, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam all have claims in the South China Sea, many of which overlap. About $3 trillion of shipborne trade passes through the area every year, making it a major economic and strategic prize.

Beijing's claim to the South China Sea is marked by a dashed line, as can be seen in Fan's post above. The more complicated web of territorial claims can be seen in this map:

China is extremely defensive of its territorial claims in the sea. After a British warship sailed through waters claimed by China in September, the state-run China Daily warned that it could derail a future UK-China trade deal over the slight.

Last week US Vice President Mike Pence told Southeast Asian leaders that the South China Sea "doesn’t belong to any one nation," and reportedly flew through the area in a move that likely riled Beijing.

Beijing also insists that Taiwan is part of China, even though the island nation has been self-governing for decades and considers itself an independent nation.

Taiwan claims that China uses economic partnerships to pressure countries to cut off diplomatic ties with it. 

Read more:China is waging war against a cafe because it served coffee to Taiwan's president

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NOW WATCH: What serving in the military taught beauty YouTuber Jackie Aina

• Sylvester Stallone wanted to show the ghost of Apollo Creed in one scene of "Creed II."
• But director Steven Caple Jr. didn't know how to pull it off in a way that would work with the tone of the movie.
• Caple also wondered, would actor Carl Weathers reprise the role as the way he looks today, or would he have to be de-aged to look like he did in the "Rocky" movies?
• Instead, Caple tried to include the voice of Creed talking to his son at a dramatic point in the movie.
• Caple told Business Insider why he ended up scrapping the whole idea.

Warning: Minor "Creed II" spoilers ahead.

"Creed II" does an excellent job of paying homage to the original "Rocky" movies, but there's one aspect of the franchise both Sylvester Stallone and "Creed II" director Steven Caple Jr. wanted in the movie that sadly could not pull off in a way that satisfied them. 

When Caple signed on to direct the movie a year ago, Stallone, who plays Rocky Balboa in the movie and is also a co-screenwriter on it, told Caple about an idea to get Apollo Creed in the movie.

"Sly had a ghost version at one point," Caple told Business Insider.

The idea Stallone had was that while Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) is recovering in the hospital from his first fight with Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), for a brief moment while in and out of consciousness he would see his father, Apollo, standing in the corner of the room.

"In regards to tone, it wasn't on my level of where I was going with the film," Caple said. "Sly had it in just as an idea we could use, but I thought it might throw people off. And then I was thinking what does Apollo wear? Is it [actor] Carl Weathers today or from back in 'Rocky IV'?"

So Caple came up with another idea: Why not have Apollo's voice come up at an important moment in the movie?

Caple felt at a key point in the final fight, while Creed is trying to get up off the canvas, he would hear his father's voice say, "Get up, son."

"I felt that was going to be the moment," Caple said. He was going to have Weathers come in to deliver the dramatic line. But when he edited the scene and included the line (which at that point was recorded by someone else as temporary dialogue) it didn't work.

Read more:The director of "Creed II" describes the conversation with Sylvester Stallone that convinced him he'd have the freedom to make his mark on the franchise

"It just felt like it came out of nowhere," Caple said. "At that point it's his own family that's making him get up, not his father anymore."

During "Creed II," Adonis and his now fiancée Bianca (Tessa Thompson) have a baby.

As a fan of the franchise, Caple was disappointed he couldn't get Weathers in the movie. He admitted that he even wondered if there was a clever way to get Mr. T (who was in "Rocky III") in "Creed II." But when it was time to lock picture, the best way to celebrate the myth of Apollo Creed was through pictures and old "Rocky IV" footage. 

But you can't say Caple didn't try.

"Creed II" opens in theaters on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: How the directors of "Ralph Breaks the Internet" explored the toxic parts of being online without losing the Disney fun

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NOW WATCH: Everything you need to know about 'Red Dead Redemption 2' — 2018's most anticipated video game

• Stephen King gave his stamp of approval to Netflix and Blumhouse's new thriller, "Cam," on Monday.
• "Loved CAM, on Netflix. Great lead performance by Madeline Brewer," King tweeted.
• Critics also love the movie, which has a 95% Rotten Tomatoes critic score.

"Cam," a new psychological thriller from Blumhouse — the production company behind the latest "Halloween" and "Get Out" — dropped on Netflix on Friday. Not only has it received glowing reviews, but horror master Stephen King praised it, as well.

King tweeted on Monday, "Loved CAM, on Netflix. Great lead performance by Madeline Brewer."

Blumhouse responded to the tweet with, "Huge compliment from you!!"

Here's Netflix's description for the film: "When an impersonator takes over her profile, cam girl Alice sets out to solve her own identity theft and regain control of her online persona."

"Cam," directed by Daniel Goldhaber, has a 95% Rotten Tomatoes critic score, and reviews have also praised Brewer's performance. Brian Tallerico wrote for RogerEbert.com that the film "has two things going for it that instantly elevate it above a lot of genre product: a great concept and an even better performance."

Slate's Inkoo Kang compared the movie to Netflix's sci-fi anthology series, "Black Mirror."

"If the first half of 'Cam' is pleasantly episodic and purringly tense, the latter half—in which Alice searches for her hacker—is clever, inventive, and wonderfully evocative," Kang wrote. "A kind of 'Black Mirror' for cam girls, its frights are limited to this tiny slice of the web, but no less resonant for that."

The movie follows another recent horror hit from Netflix, TV series "The Haunting of Hill House," which King also loved. "Hill House" has generated praise from horror fans and critics alike, and currently has a 90% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Between that, "Cam," "Chilling Adventures of Sabrina," and more, Netflix has delivered quality content for horror fans this season.

"Cam" is now streaming on Netflix and playing in select theaters.

SEE ALSO: Stephen King loves Netflix's new horror series, 'The Haunting of Hill House,' and called it 'close to a work of genius'

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NOW WATCH: How 'The Price Is Right' is made

• "Widows," a heist movie from the "12 Years a Slave" director, Steve McQueen, that stars Viola Davis, disappointed at the box office in its opening weekend with just $12 million.
• Box-office experts agree that the movie should have been released outside the busy November schedule.
• A social-media analysis from Crimson Hexagon showed that online buzz around the movie had decreased dramatically since its first trailer debuted.

A studio heist thriller from an acclaimed director with a powerhouse diverse cast, Steve McQueen's "Widows" is the kind of movie that audiences who clamor for original, well-made films might have been lining up to see at the theater.

But the movie fell flat at the box office in its opening weekend with just $12 million (it cost $42 million to make). Predictably, it came in behind the latest movie in the blockbuster "Harry Potter" universe, "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald."

Less predictable, though, was that it came in fifth overall, falling short of the weekend's other major new release, the Mark Wahlberg-starring comedy "Instant Family," as well as the Freddie Mercury biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "The Grinch," which held strong in their third and second weekends.

Read more:  How 'Venom' scored one of the biggest superhero-movie openings ever in China

So what went wrong with "Widows"? It stars the Oscar winner Viola Davis and the audience favorite Liam Neeson, along with Colin Farrell, the "Get Out" star Daniel Kaluuya, and more. It's an action movie wrapped in a tale of corruption that's politically and socially relevant. And yet, it didn't find an audience.

A social-media analysis conducted by the consumer-insights company Crimson Hexagon for Business Insider found that social-media buzz around the film during its opening weekend was subpar, especially compared with that surrounding the debut of its first trailer on June 4. The movie generated more than 26,000 posts on Twitter and Instagram at that time, according to Crimson Hexagon, compared with fewer than 10,000 posts Friday.

A chart from Crimson Hexagon showing the data is below:

Declining interest in the film could be attributed to a marketing problem. BoxOfficeAnalyst.com's Doug Stone said the movie was primarily marketed toward African-American audiences even though the film was "really not ethnically unidirectional."

"While this type of marketing thrust isn't a bad thing in and of itself for the appropriate product, the film perhaps should have been marketed to cross over to a broader audience," Stone told Business Insider.

Jeff Bock, a senior box-office analyst for Exhibitor Relations, said that Fox, the studio behind the movie, didn't make a smart call opening "Widows" against Warner Bros.' "Fantastic Beasts" (Fox's "Bohemian Rhapsody" fared better earlier this month, having made over $380 million worldwide). "Fantastic Beasts" overshadowed "Widows" online, as well. According to Crimson Hexagon's analysis, "Fantastic Beasts" generated more than 157,000 Twitter and Instagram posts over the weekend.

Stone agreed that the film's release date in the midst of a jam-packed schedule wasn't favorable and said it would have fared better opening later in the year.

"The consensus among theatre exhibitors is that the 11/2 – 11/21 period is very much overloaded with product," Stone said.

Its mature themes and R rating most likely limited its appeal, too, and Stone said "that may have been a detriment during this particular time frame" when more family-friendly options are in theaters.

Read more: The American-flag controversy surrounding 'First Man' isn't the reason it's struggling at the box office

"Widows" also highlights a trend in recent months of audiences ignoring critical reviews. Poorly reviewed films, including "The Nun," "Venom," and "Bohemian Rhapsody," have exceeded expectations at the box office despite subpar or even abysmal reviews. On the flip side, audiences ignored "Widows" despite its impressive 91% critic score on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Similar issues plagued critically acclaimed films like "First Man" and "Suspiria," which failed to generate excitement among general moviegoers.

All of this is why a rebound for "Widows" is hard to predict. Oscar buzz and good word of mouth could benefit the movie in the long run, as well as this weekend's holiday, according to Stone. But a lack of interest now despite plenty of critical buzz may not bode well for that prospect, either.

"User ratings were not stellar with it showing 66% on Rotten Tomatoes," Stone said. "The Metacritic response was somewhat better, but the Cinemascore was a B. That is not a great result. IMDb responses put it as above average but not in the good category."

"We'll have to wait and see how it performs this week before we make any long-term judgments," Bock said.

SEE ALSO: The 100 highest-grossing movies of all time at the worldwide box office

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NOW WATCH: The inside story behind the Marvel movie you were never supposed to see

A slew of TV shows were canceled in 2017, and the list of shows canceled in 2018 has grown rapidly since May as networks decide their schedules of new and returning shows, and figure out what they're doing in 2019.

The most recent cancelation comes from CBS, which canceled summer series "Salvation" after two seasons. 

Despite slightly better reception for its second season that dropped in September, Netflix has canceled "Iron Fist" after two seasons, a show that wasn't a hit with critics. Days later, Netflix canceled Marvel's "Luke Cage," leaving many wondering why these seemingly successful superhero shows are getting the axe. And the week after that it, canceled satire series "American Vandal."

So far in 2018, networks have canceled fan favorites like "The Last Man on Earth" and "Quantico." Fox also canceled its quirky cop comedy "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," but NBC picked it up for another season less than two days later.

ABC also canceled the previously renewed "Roseanne" revival, after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. However, ABC announced a spin-off called "The Conners" without Barr that premiered in October.

In 2018, the streaming giants are canceling more shows than ever as well, with many getting cut on Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix. 

So if you're wondering why a show you love hasn't returned in 2018, it might have been canceled. (You can also use this list to see what shows are not returning in the fall or in 2019.)

Here are all the shows that were canceled in 2017 and 2018, including those from networks and streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon:

SEE ALSO: All the confirmed original shows coming to Netflix in 2018

Canceled in 2018:

"The Mayor" — ABC, one season

"Chance" — Hulu, two seasons

• Facebook and Instagram were reportedly down for some users Tuesday morning.
• Facebook confirmed via Twitter that it was aware of the issues with its "family of apps" and said it was looking into the matter.

Users of Facebook and Instagram have both reported issues with accessing their accounts Tuesday morning.

Facebook, the parent company to Instagram, posted on Twitter that it was aware of issues involving "the Facebook family of apps" and was looking into it.

A spike in outages on both Facebook and Instagram were reported Monday, according to the website Down Detector. Users took to Twitter to express their frustrations, using the hashtags #FacebookDown and #InstagramDown.

Business Insider has reached out to Facebook and Instagram for additional comment.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Review: Google Pixel 3 and 3 XL are the best smartphones you can buy right now

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

While there's been somewhat of a quiet period since May, some networks have cut shows throughout the summer and fall.

CBS recently canceled "Salvation," a summer series that aired for two seasons. 

Other recent cancelations come from Netflix. Netflix recently canceled "Iron Fist" after two seasons, and announced that "Orange is the New Black" will end with its upcoming seventh season. Netflix also canceled the excellent satire series "American Vandal" after two seasons. 

ABC canceled the previously renewed "Roseanne" revival in late May, after Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett. However, ABC debuted a spin-off called "The Conners" without Barr.

In other notable cancellations, USA's critically acclaimed "Mr. Robot" will end with its upcoming fourth season, and CBS' "The Big Bang Theory" is ending after 12 seasons. 

We'll update this list as more are announced.

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

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

Amazon

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

"I Love Dick" — Amazon, one season

As much as technology simplifies our lives, it can simultaneously introduce plenty of unique complications.

Our smart TVs are separate from our smart speakers, which are separate from our smartphones. We have multiple TV streaming accounts and multiple music streaming accounts, and no easy way to access them all at once. 

This is where Amazon's new Fire TV Cube comes in. 

The device — which regularly costs $120, but is on sale for $60 for Black Friday — seems aimed at becoming something of a hub, a place where your home technology and your entertainment technology live together in harmony. 

In theory, this is a solid premise. When I first heard about all the Fire TV Cube would be able to do, and got a demo of the device, I was blown away. This product, I thought, would solve any and all of my smart home woes.

But in practice, the Fire TV is more complicated than that. While it simplified my life in a lot of ways, it also created new, unforeseen issues. Even after nearly two weeks of using it, I'm still not sure how to feel about it. 

Here's everything I love and hate about using the Amazon Fire TV Cube:

SEE ALSO: What it's like to use Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's new $250 wireless workout headphones

Love: The general look and feel of the Fire TV Cube.

Now, I know the Fire TV Cube doesn't look like anything special at first glance — it's just a shiny black cube with the same buttons as a regular Echo device and a light strip on the front. 

But that actually became a huge selling point as time went on. 

The Fire TV Cube is designed to blend in with the rest of your home entertainment system, and it does. I placed it on my TV stand next to my TV and could pretty much forget it was there. 

In this case, boring actually is better. 

Hate: The Fire TV Cube doesn't come with an HDMI cord.

One of the most important things you need to know about the Fire TV Cube is that it doesn't come with an HDMI cord. 

No HDMI cord means you can't actually plug the Fire TV Cube into your TV right out of the box. If you're lucky enough to have one lying around the house, you'll be good to go — otherwise, it'll set you back another $7 or so. 

While frustrating, this isn't unusual — Apple TVs don't come with HDMI cords in the box, either. 

Love: The remote is easier to use than the Apple TV remote.

The Fire TV Cube remote control has its flaws (we'll get to that in a minute) but it has one major advantage over one of its main competitors, Apple TV. 

I use an Apple TV in my daily life, and I have no main complaints about it except for the terrible remote. Its touchpad is wonky — sometimes it's too sensitive, while other times I can't get it to work no matter how much I swipe, tap, and press. 

Thankfully, Amazon included the same remote it's used with past Fire TVs. It's sort of a no-muss, no-fuss TV remote that's easy to use and won't unexpectedly fast forward through an entire episode (which has happened to me several times with the Apple TV remote). 

• According to a new Morning Consult and Hollywood Reporter survey, "Back to the Future" is the film franchise that Americans would most likely watch another installment of, followed by "Toy Story."
• "Back to the Future" was also the franchise that most people surveyed said they had seen every film of. By contrast, only 36% said they had seen every "Star Wars" movie.
• Other top franchises included "Indiana Jones," "Jurassic Park," and "Shrek."

Audiences want to go "Back to the Future."

According to a new Morning Consult and Hollywood Reporter survey, that's the film franchise that Americans most want to see a new movie from. The survey polled 2,201 adults in the US, and 71% of them said that they want to see Michael J. Fox's Marty McFly on the big screen again.

The next top franchise was "Toy Story," which 69% of people said they'd likely watch another film from the series. The good news for "Toy Story" fans is that the fourth film is coming to theaters next year, and Pixar released the first teaser trailer for it last week.

A new installment in the "Back to the Future" series from Universal is less likely. Robert Zemeckis, the director of the original 1980s trilogy, said in 2016, "There will never, ever be, in the most absolutely way, a 'Back to the Future 4.' There will be no more Back to the Future."

READ MORE: The new 'Halloween' movie used nostalgia to dominate the box office

But in an age when everything from "Jumanji" to "Mary Poppins" has been rebooted, anything can happen. "Back to the Future" was also the franchise that the most people said they had seen every installment of, at 54%. 

Other franchises that Americans want to see more of are "Indiana Jones" (68%), which already includes four movies; "Jurassic Park" (67%), which includes five movies; and "Shrek" (65%), which includes four movies. This suggests that audiences haven't gotten sick of long-lasting franchises, but it also indicates that people are more eager to see the next installments of franchises they haven't seen in theaters in a while. 

It's been 28 years since "Back to the Future Part III" and eight years since "Shrek Forever After." It will be nine years between "Toy Story 3" and "Toy Story 4," and will be 13 years between 2008's "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and when the next movie is released.

"Indiana Jones 5" was pushed back to 2021, which is also when the next "Jurassic World" movie is expected to hit theaters.

Nostalgia plays a large role in what audiences are willing to see. Last month's "Halloween" movie capitalized on that, acting as a direct sequel to the 1978 original, with Jamie Lee Curtis reprising her role as Laurie Strode. 

Only 40% would want to see another "Twilight" movie, according to the survey.

And surprisingly, only 36% of those surveyed said they had seen all 10 "Star Wars" movies.

SEE ALSO: Why 'Widows' has flopped at the box office despite stellar reviews and a powerhouse cast including Viola Davis and Liam Neeson

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NOW WATCH: Everything you need to know about 'Red Dead Redemption 2' — 2018's most anticipated video game

Ivanka Trump has lived her life in the public eye.

Born to then real-estate mogul Donald Trump and model Ivana Trump, his first wife, she is now the president's oldest (and favorite) daughter.

The 37-year-old has been a business executive, runway model, socialite, doting mother, and now key adviser in her father's White House.

Here's a look back at her life:

SEE ALSO: Ivanka Trump describes her life as the daughter of a US president, running the Trump empire, and building her own brand

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Ivana Trump was born in Manhattan on October 30, 1981. "Ivanka" is actually a nickname for her real name, which is the same as her mother's.

Source: Business Insider, Ivanka Trump

She is the middle child of Donald's first wife, Ivana, who was born in Czechoslovakia.

Her mother and father divorced in 1992 after a very public breakup when he cheated with Marla Maples, who would become his second wife. Ivanka was 11 years old.

I want to like the new "Fallout" game, but I can't. I want to tell you about all the environmental storytelling and quiet exploration, but so much of that is marred by a vast emptiness.

"Fallout 76" is a jumble of disparate video game elements set loose in an online world, held together by a string of pointless fetch quests and experience points. It is a bad game — full stop.

It is a "Fallout" game without a main story, without major characters, and without a memorable, iconic city. Previous "Fallout" games offer players a rich world full of interesting characters, bizarro sidequests, and distinct, memorable experiences. 

To that end, "Fallout 76" feels like a "Fallout" game in name and theme alone. Let's say you're willing to look past all of that — here's why you shouldn't:

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

What is "Fallout 76"?

"Fallout 76" is an online-only successor to single-player predecessors including "Fallout 3," "Fallout: New Vegas," and "Fallout 4." You control a character of your creation in a massive, open-world environment, either from a first- or third-person perspective. 

The environment is the star of the show: A post-apocalyptic wasteland full of mutated animals and people. There are "radroaches" and "supermutants" and all manner of other irradiated nightmares.

In the case of "Fallout 76," you're exploring the post-apocalyptic America as one of the first survivors out of a protective vault. To that end, the game is a bit of a prequel to the last few "Fallout" games, which take place later in the fictional timeline. 

What makes it different from previous "Fallout" games?

What "Fallout 76" adds in an online-only world — the ability to play with other people — it loses in nearly every other way.

Gone are the myriad characters that make "Fallout" so memorable. Gone is the main narrative thread leading through the game. Gone is any semblance of cohesion — this is a game about taking on fetch quests, completing those fetch quests, and then maybe listening to an audio log that's supposed to stand in for an actual story with written characters. 

Let me be completely clear: In the 20-ish hours I spent with "Fallout 76," I encountered one non-player character in the big open world. He was a supermutant merchant named "Grahm," and he said almost nothing. Every other character I encountered was through leftover audio logs and notes. 

Where do quests come from? A computer. What do you do when the quest is done? You report back to the computer and check it off from a list. Literally every quest I've completed in "Fallout 76" feels like exactly that: Checking off a task from a list. 

As Jean-Paul Sartre famously said, "Hell is other people."

It makes sense that the world of "Fallout 76" would be empty based on the premise of the game:  You're one of the first people out of the vaults — the apocalypse-resistant bunkers built by Vault-Tec, according to the franchise's story — and as such you're one of the first people exploring the post-apocalyptic world.

That feeling of isolation might be effective if it weren't for the fact that "Fallout 76" is an online game. There are loads of people in the world — instead of written characters, they're just random people like me. And yes, they're almost always leaping around, as people do in online games. If you're looking for a feeling of desolate isolation, look elsewhere; the world of "Fallout 76" is populated by people acting as silly as possible.

• Movie-ticket subscription services have been the hottest topic in the movie-theater business this year, as MoviePass has sparked a surge in customer interest.
• But both leaders among the services that aren't tied to specific chains, MoviePass and Sinemia, have "F" ratings from the Better Business Bureau.
• They have also both been hit with class-action lawsuits that are ongoing.
• Since I began to report on the subscription services, I have received hundreds of angry complaints from customers, especially in recent months.

Over the last year, the rise of MoviePass has helped stoke widespread interest in movie-ticketing subscription services. But the Better Business Bureau has a message for potential customers: buyer beware.

In general, there are two main types of subscription services on the market in the US: those tied to a specific theater chain like AMC Stubs A-List (AMC Theatres), and those that can be more widely used (like MoviePass and Sinemia).

The services that offer theater flexibility can feel like the more attractive option for many consumers. But the two main competitors in movie-ticket subscription services, MoviePass and Sinemia, both sport an “F” rating from the Better Business Bureau.

MoviePass has had a whopping 2,461 complaints filed against it, while smaller Sinemia has had 169.

Both also have had class-action lawsuits filed against them that are still ongoing.

MoviePass’ parent company, Helios and Matheson Analytics, had two class-action suits filed by shareholders in August, one of which alleged that some of Helios’“statements to the market were materially false or misleading.” It had a further lawsuit filed against it by a shareholder in September, alleging "breach of fiduciary duty" and "unjust enrichment" by some officers of the company.

Sinemia was hit with a class-action lawsuit this month from customers, primarily over the introduction of a new $1.80 processing fee. The lawsuit claims Sinemia "lures consumers in by convincing them to purchase a purportedly cheaper movie subscription, and then adds undisclosed fees that make such purchases no bargain at all."

Read more: MoviePass competitor Sinemia is being sued by angry customers who say it ripped them off with new fees

This year, throughout the course of reporting on both companies, I received hundreds of complaints from angry customers, and, in the case of MoviePass, angry investors as well.

The common gripes about both services have been a lack of customer service and technical glitches that prevent them from seeing movies.

Specifically for MoviePass, some customers have also felt cheated by the severe restrictions on movies and showtimes, which some said makes the app effectively unusable.

For Sinemia, dozens complained of hidden fees, and multiple customers said they'd had trouble getting partial refunds for yearlong prepaid accounts after they attempted to cancel because of major service changes (the new processing fee, for example, which is the subject of the lawsuit).

Since the summer, when MoviePass introduced unpopular restrictions and Sinemia saw a surge in new subscribers, the vast majority of people who have contacted me have had very negative experiences with both apps. Those sentiments are reflected in MoviePass and Sinemia’s abysmal ratings from the Better Business Bureau.

The takeaway I’ve had, as both a reporter and as a subscriber to both services, is that when the deal sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

MoviePass and Sinemia did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

SEE ALSO: Low morale, staff firings, and new pricing plans coming: Inside the walls of MoviePass

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The inside story behind the Marvel movie you were never supposed to see

The best time to realize you need a new TV is in early November, when Black Friday is right around the corner. 

Indeed, stores like BestBuy, Walmart, and Target have offered up some pretty tempting deals for Black Friday. (You have no idea how difficult it is to resist temptation when compiling a list like this.) 

Below you'll find TVs sorted by size, premium, ultra-premium, and the holy grail of TV tech — OLED, a type of screen that offers superior color.

Some models with the same screen may cost a little more than others. That's usually attributed to a better design and sometimes a slightly better quality of TV panel, even though all these TVs have 4K resolution, and many have HDR capabilities (technology that offers better colors and detail in darker scenes).

Either way, sift through here to check out the most tempting TV deals:

SEE ALSO: 11 insider facts most Black Friday workers know — and you probably don't

43-inch TVs

LG 4K HDR (UK6090) — $270 at BestBuy. Usually $400.

Samsung 4K HDR (NU6900)— $280 at BestBuy, Target, Walmart, and B&H Photo. Usually $380.

50-inch TVs

Samsung 4K HDR (NU6900)— $330 at BestBuy, Target, and Walmart. Usually $450.

LG 4K HDR (UK6090) — $330 at BestBuy. Usually $500.

55-inch TVs

Sharp 4K HDR (LC-55Q7030U)— $320 at Walmart. Usually $500.

TCL 4K HDR 4-series Roku TV — $350 at BestBuy, Target, and Walmart. Usually around $450-$500.

Samsung 4K HDR (NU6900)— $400 at BestBuy, Target, and Walmart. Usually $500.

LG 4K HDR (UK6090) — $400 at BestBuy. Usually $550.

• Many stores have already launched their Xbox sales for Black Friday and the holiday season.
• Microsoft is offering big deals on the Xbox One X and Xbox One S this year, dropping the cheapest bundle down to $199.
• There's a wide variety of bundles depending on what games you prefer, but eBay's deals currently offer the most value for the Xbox One X.
• The holiday season will also be a great opportunity to start building your Xbox library with plenty of games on sale and a special discount on the Xbox Game Pass.

With Black Friday just a few days away, early video game sales have begun.

Microsoft got a head start on some of its Xbox holiday offerings during the X018 conference held earlier this month, revealing discounts on the Xbox One S and Xbox One X consoles.

Now, those deals are live with major retailers offering several different Xbox One bundles starting at $199, with a wide selection of games on sale to help sweeten the deal.

Here are the lowest prices for Xbox One consoles and games this holiday season:

SEE ALSO: These are the 7 best Black Friday gaming deals you'll find in stores

NOW READ: The 3 biggest games on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch this holiday season

The cheapest Xbox One bundle is $199, and sales are already live.

The cheapest possible Xbox One you can buy during Black Friday — and the rest of the 2018 holiday season — is the Minecraft Creators Bundle.

This bundle includes an Xbox One S and a digital copy of "Minecraft," along with the Starter Pack and Creator Pack expansions for the game and 1,000 Minecoins. 

Though the Xbox One S is slightly less powerful than the Xbox One X, it's still capable of playing 4K video and will run all of the same games.

The Minecraft Creators Bundle can be found in stores like GameStop, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy, or online at Amazon, eBay, and NewEgg.

More Xbox One S bundles with some of this year's best games start at $229.99.

If you're willing to pay a bit more to start building your game library on the Xbox One, you can choose from a few more expensive Xbox One S bundles that come with popular titles:

• Xbox One S with "Battlefield V," "Battlefield 1 Revolution," and "Battlefield 1943," — $229.99 at Amazon, GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target
• Xbox One S with "NBA 2K19" — $229.99 at Amazon, GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target

There are other bundles that contain "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" and "Forza Horizon 4," too, but those games will be on sale during the holidays and can be played with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, lowering the value of those bundles.

Bundles for the more powerful Xbox One X start at $399.99.

The Xbox One X is the most powerful video game console on the market, featuring enhanced graphics for a number of games.

The price of the base console has been reduced by $100 for the holidays, and stores are extending those savings to several Xbox One X bundles. eBay's deals are the best in this category, offering multiple games at a deep discount:

• Xbox One X console — $399.99 at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and NewEgg
• Xbox One X "For Honor Marching Fire Edition" bundle — $399 at eBay
• Xbox One X 1 TB console with "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4" and "Fallout 76" — $429.99 at eBay
• Xbox One X 1 TB console with "Assassin's Creed Odyssey" and "NBA 2K19" — $429.99 at eBay
• Xbox One X with your choice of one game: "NBA 2K19," "Shadow of the Tomb Raider," "Battlefield V," or "Fallout 76" — $429.99 at Amazon, GameStop, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and NewEgg.

• Microsoft is offering a major holiday sale on the Xbox Game Pass, the Netflix-style subscription service that lets users play more than 100 games on Xbox One and PC.
• While Xbox Game Pass is usually $9.99 a month, or about $120 per year, Microsoft will start selling 12-month subscription codes for $69.99 on Thanksgiving Day — a discount of more than 40 percent.
• The codes will be carried by at least Best Buy and the Microsoft Store, but it's unclear if other retailers will participate, as well.
• Microsoft is constantly adding more titles to Xbox Game Pass library, including exclusives like "Forza Horizon 4," "State of Decay 2," and the forthcoming "Crackdown 3," giving subscribers access to new games for no extra cost.

While lots of shoppers are looking to make major purchases during the sales of the holiday season, one of the best video game deals of the year will cost about as much as a single game.

Starting on Thanksgiving Day, November 22nd, Microsoft will offer a one-year subscription to Xbox Game Pass for $69.99 a year — a discount of more than 40 percent from the $120 you'd pay for a year, billed at the normal monthly rate of $10. 

You'll be able to snap up the codes at Best Buy and the physical and online Microsoft Store, though it's unclear if other retailers will also participate. We first spotted a listing for this deal on Best Buy, though it was unavailable for shipping until Thursday. Microsoft confirmed to Business Insider that this deal is coming.

Xbox Game Pass is a Netflix-style service that lets subscribers download and play more than 100 different video games on their Xbox or PC. The service is normally $9.99 a month, with a full year costing just under $120.

Now for about the same price of a new game, Xbox owners can invest in a massive library of games to play for the next year. The deal is also a great way for those who pick up their first Xbox during the holiday season to catch up on classic titles without spending a ton on extra games. The Game Pass library includes backwards compatible Xbox 360, games as well as newer Xbox One titles.

Game Pass subscribers have no limitations on how many games they can download, and are eligible for discounts if they decide to purchase downloadable content for Game Pass titles. This year Microsoft began launching some of its own first party titles on Game Pass too, giving subscribers a cheap way to get access to brand new titles like "Forza Horizon 4," "Sea of Thieves," and "State of Decay 2." Microsoft has confirmed that the long-awaited "Crackdown 3" will launch on Xbox Game Pass the same day as its general release on February 15th, 2019.

Read more:Xbox announced a bunch of new stuff over the weekend — here are the 8 things to get excited about

With Microsoft rolling out more new games via Game Pass, and adding hits like "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds" to the library shortly, the value of the Xbox Game Pass will only grow from here.

Beyond this deal, Microsoft is also letting new Game Pass subscribers pay just $1 for their first month until the end of the year — meaning it may be best to pay the $1 and wait until December to snap up one of these cards and pre-pay a whole year. 

SEE ALSO: Xbox announced a bunch of new stuff over the weekend — here are the 8 things to get excited about

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Amazon wants to open 3,000 cashier-less grocery stores — and they'll have a major advantage over their competitors

• The comedian Michelle Wolf responded to President Donald Trump's criticism of her by delivering a gibe about his response to the killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
• Trump pummeled her performance at last year's White House Correspondents' Dinner as he welcomed the news that a comedian would not perform at the next event, ending a years-long tradition.
• Trump said the convention ended because "Michelle Wolf bombed so badly last year."
• In response, Wolf mocked the president for standing by Saudi Arabia despite Khashoggi's death. "I bet you'd be on my side if I had killed a journalist," she said.

The comedian Michelle Wolf has responded to President Donald Trump after he criticized her performance at the most recent White House Correspondents' Dinner, taunting him over his response to the killing of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Trump celebrated the end of a long tradition of having a comedian perform at the event by saying the convention was broken because "Michelle Wolf bombed so badly last year."

In response, Wolf wrote: "I bet you'd be on my side if I had killed a journalist. #BeBest," appearing to use the slogan for first lady Melania Trump's anti-bullying campaign.

Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist who lived in the US and wrote for The Washington Post, was killed inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul last month.

Trump has stood with Saudi Arabia even as evidence seemed to link top Saudi leadership to the killing. The CIA has reportedly concluded with "high confidence" that the killing was ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the de facto Saudi leader.

In a written statement Tuesday, Trump refused to blame the crown prince for the death, saying: "Our intelligence agencies continue to assess all information, but it could very well be that the Crown Prince had knowledge of this tragic event — maybe he did and maybe he didn't!"

Top GOP allies criticized Trump in response.

Read more: Analysis: Trump's manic statement letting Saudi Arabia off the hook for Khashoggi reveals a dark US secret

Instead of a comedian, the biographer Ron Chernow will headline the next dinner. He wrote the book on Alexander Hamilton that was adapted into the musical "Hamilton."

Trump said in response that he might attend the event, which he has shunned since taking office. "Good first step in comeback of a dying evening and tradition!" he tweeted on Tuesday. "Maybe I will go?"

Wolf, however, responded to the news that a comedian would not be performing by calling the White House Correspondents' Association — the organization of journalists who cover the White House — "cowards."

"The media is complicit," she wrote on Twitter. "And I couldn't be prouder."

Wolf's performance last year, which included jokes about the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, elicited mixed reactions.

Some journalists and the White House Correspondents' Association itself criticized her performance, while others applauded the biting humor and defended free speech.

The next White House Correspondents' Dinner is scheduled for April 27.

Read more:Michelle Wolf's monologue at the White House Correspondents' Dinner elicited mixed reactions across media and politics

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: A famous Egyptian comedian explains what the Arab world thinks of Donald Trump

• There are still a lot of great movies coming to a theater near you before 2018 ends.
• Here we highlight 22 that are worth your time.

We've made it to the holidays! That means it's time for a mix of Oscar bait and blockbusters to hit your local multiplex.

And if the 2018 box office is any indication — audiences are going to the movies at a record pace— you're going to see some of these movies.

From Disney's "Mary Poppins Returns" to Christian Bale transforming into Dick Cheney for "Vice" to Warner Bros. hoping that "Aquaman" will put its DC Comics universe back on track, there's quite an assortment on the horizon.

Here are the 22 movies opening by the end of the year that we think you shouldn't miss:

"Creed 2" — in theaters

Picking up where Ryan Coogler left off in the first movie, the director Steven Caple Jr. delves deeper into the life of Adonis Creed (Michael B. Jordan) and the legacy he's trying to build both in and out of the ring. Oh, yeah, and he and Ivan Drago's son beat the heck out of each other.

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" — in theaters

The gang is all back — plus more Johnny Depp — for the continuation of the "Harry Potter" prequel. If you're a "Potter" fanatic, you've probably already seen the movie multiple times. Maybe take the family with you when you see it again over the holidays.

"The Favourite" — in theaters

The latest from the director Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Lobster," "The Killing of a Sacred Deer"), "The Favourite" stars Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz as cousins fighting for the attention of Queen Anne in early-18th-century England. But this is far from a stuffy period drama. Stone, Weisz, and Olivia Colman as Queen Anne give amazing performances as they scheme and sabotage one another in this great dark comedy.

Reddit.com, to most people, might look totally alien and drab. But if you're familiar with Reddit, you know what an incredible tool it can be.

At first glance, Reddit just looks like a list of seemingly random links. But Reddit's front page is actually comprised of posts that thousands of people recently voted to the top of their respective communities, or "subreddits," which are areas of Reddit dedicated to a topic or idea.

There are subreddits for just about everything. If you have a particular hobby or interest, there's a good chance there's a subreddit for it. Just type www.reddit.com/r/____ , and fill in that blank. No, really. It works most of the time.

You'll find subreddits for advice (like r/AskReddit, or r/PersonalFinance), for movie lovers (r/Movies and r/MovieDetails), and even subreddits for your favorite TV shows (like r/TheBachelor, or r/FreeFolk for "Game of Thrones" fans).

But if you're new to Reddit, where should you start?

Here are the 41 essential subreddits everyone should follow:

1. r/EyeBleach

For when you need to get a terrifying or disgusting image out of your mind.

2. r/ShowerThoughts

Because the best and funniest ideas always happen in the shower.

3. r/NeverTellMeTheOdds

For proof that nothing is impossible.

Black Friday is fast approaching and it's the season for holiday deals on video games.

As the current generation of consoles reaches the end of its life span, now is a great time to invest in an Xbox One or PlayStation 4 for cheap and start building a library of great games.

This year seems to have surprisingly few exclusive deals, with gaming products from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo carrying nearly identical discounts across major retailers. We scrubbed early Black Friday ads from Best Buy, Target, Walmart, Newegg and more to find the most essential video game deals for the holiday.

SEE ALSO: The 3 biggest games on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch this holiday season

PlayStation 4 Slim with "Marvel's Spider-Man" - $200

The PlayStation 4 is the most popular video game console on the market and Sony is offering the slim redesigned model with the year's most popular PS4 exclusive. "Marvel's Spider-Man" broke sales records with a massive launch in September and the PlayStation 4 recently reached 86 million unites sold worldwide.

$100 off PlayStation VR Bundles

The PlayStation VR is one of the most well-received virtual reality headsets, and it's reached its lowest price point so far. There are a few PSVR bundles out there offering different games, but I'd recommend the "Astrobot: Rescue Mission" and Moss" bundle pictured above. Both games came out this year and offer a wonderfully immersive VR experience. Keep in mind that the headset must be hooked up to a PlayStation 4 to work.

Xbox One S Minecraft Creators Bundle - $200

While the Xbox One is a bit behind the PlayStation 4 in sales, it's still one of the best home-theater devices on the market. Unlike the standard PS4, the Xbox One S offers 4K playback and added compatibility with smart home devices and cable boxes.

If you're looking for added power, the Xbox One X is actually stronger than the premium PlayStation 4 Pro, and will also be on sale for $399, a $100 discount.