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Spike Lee Says His Kickstarter Film Will Have 'A Lot Of Beautiful, Naked Bodies' In It

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Spike Lee

FORT GREENE — Hollywood won't be funding this "sexy blood-sucking" film.

Spike Lee has taken to Kickstarter to raise funds for his latest flick and he is giving little details about the plot of his new thriller. But he guarantees there will be nudity.

"The film will have a lot of beautiful, naked bodies," Lee said in a Wednesday morning sitdown with DNAinfo New York. "There’s nothing wrong with that, right?"

Lee wrote the script a while back — "It hasn't collected any dust," he said — and took it off the shelf when he decided to try his hand at crowdfunding because it was the only script low budget enough to work.

Encouraged by his NYU film students, the acclaimed director is asking his supporters to foot the bill at $1.25 million. Three days into his campaign he has already raised nearly $140,000 dollars.

Lee thinks fundraising from the public is ideal for this film because it will allow him artistic freedom.

"When your are hired gun you know what the deal is: they tell me what to put in it and what composers to use, etc." he told DNAinfo. "I want to put my vision on screen and I believe that there is a community out there that has supported me that will support me to get this film made."

Lee wants "The Way It Is" composer Bruce Hornsby, who also created works for Lee's recent film "Red Hook Summer," to do the music for his new movie.

Shooting will take place mostly in Brooklyn and he hopes the "intimate cast" will feature new talent. Lee was responsible for actors Larry Fishburne, Samuel L. Jackson, Giancarlo Esposito, Rosie Perez, and Halle Berry's big breaks. He is also hoping that more up-and-coming filmmakers will follow his lead and use Kickstarter to fund their films.

Filming is planned to start later this year with a possible release date of June 30, 2014 — the 20th anniversary of fan favorite "Do The Right Thing."

Lee would give no more details about his film saying "movie-goers are spoiled with trailers," but he did reveal that the plot is not based on anyone he has known in real life.

"I haven’t met any human bloodsuckers and I hope I don’t," he said. "Especially not in Fort Greene Park."

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This Indie Movie With An All-Star Cast Is Being Touted As The Film Of The Summer

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the way, way back movieFox Searchlight's "The Way, Way Back" was written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, the same two guys behind the screenplay adaptation for "The Descendants," which netted them Oscars in 2012.

This time, the duo added "Director" to their respective resumes -- and more kudos could almost certainly follow. "The Way, Way Back" is the story of 14-year-old Duncan (Liam James) as he spends a summer with his mom (Toni Collette), her new jerky boyfriend (Steve Carell) and his daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin). Duncan finds a job, and a mentor in the form of loudmouth Owen (an excellent Sam Rockwell) at the local waterpark. He also finds a home there, as he finally has a place to fit in among the wacky employees. Through the unlikely friendships, the shy Duncan begins to blossom and shares a summer he will never forget.

Critics are responding very favorably, now it is time for the audience and voting panels to decide. Here are some of the early reviews:

the way, way back movieTheWrap's Leah Rozen says "The Way, Way Back" is "delightful." She breaks down how the film works so well. It's simplistic, just like the story-telling. “Faxon and Rash concentrate on the specifics, Rozen noted. "They let us know exactly who each and every character is and what makes them special. They give viewers a spot-on sense of season and place. They’re telling this story, not any other, and yet it’s a story to which everyone can relate." Rozen closes by saying, “'The Way, Way Back' is way, way worth seeing." You can read Rozen's full review below.

A.O. Scott of the New York Times says “'The Way, Way Back” has the charm of timelessness but also more than a touch of triteness. Its situations and feelings seem drawn more from available, sentimental ideas about adolescence than from the perceptions of any particular adolescent." He says the film is "pleasantly watchable" in the way it underplays both comic moments and emotional explosions.  But he says the approach "also makes it feel small and anecdotal, a modest variation on something you’ve seen before."

Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times calls "The Way, Way Back" an "exceptional, realistic coming-of-age film." It feels both fresh and real, Sharkey says, and is "witty, heartwarming, hopeful, sentimental" with a "searing and relatable edge." Sharkey praises everyone involved with the film, including the "top-notch crew." She also calls Sam Rockwell a "comic revelation."

the way, way back movieStephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger also lauds Rockwell's performance. Whitty enjoyed the comedy in the film, though would have liked to seen it toned down at times, saying, "The comedy dial does occasionally creep past 11." Fortunately, Whitty says, the film does have it's quieter moments too, and Faxon and Rash nail those. Whitty gives "The Way, Way Back" three-and-a-half stars out of four.

Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune says the film is "not as good as its cast," but admits it "has its moments." Phillips says, "When Rash and Faxon allow their scenes to meander off the major plot points, this starts feeling and acting like a really good coming-of-age picture." But, "It's the big, awkwardly written confrontations that need work."

Andrew O'Hehir of Salon.com makes it his Pick of the Week, saying the indie comedy "gets adolescence and adulthood just right." He says the flick is " beautifully executed, loaded with sharp observational moments, and never cheats either its characters or its audience by descending into raunchy teen-movie cliché." He heaps praise on Rockwell too, saying he's never been better of funnier than he is in "The Way, Way Back.

SEE ALSO: Kevin Spacey Says 'House of Cards' Proves TV Is Smarter Than Music Industry

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Netflix Is Showing You The Wrong Version Of Some Movies

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planet of the apesIs Netflix ruining movies? The service that once performed the magical task of mailing DVDs directly to your house has expanded to the even more magical task of streaming movies directly to your screen, and in many, many ways they have completely transformed moviegoing for the good, allowing you to discover films you never would have seen before, giving you instant access to entire addictive seasons of "Breaking Bad," and inventing categories so insane they even made fun of them themselvesThey're even revolutionizing television!

But there's a darker side to Netflix, and it's on the margins that you can't even see.

The tumblr What Netflix Does has exposed what looks like a genuinely disturbing trend among Netflix's streaming options. Compare what "Planet of the Apes" is supposed to look like, based on the Blu-ray, to what you'll see on Netflix:

planet of the apes

planet of the apes crop

If it looks familiar, it's basically because it's a return to the bad old days of Pan-and-Scan, when VHS releases of films would be cropped or zoomed-in to make the picture fit the square ratio of a standard television set (that's the "this film has been formatted to fit this screen" warning you used to get).

These days most TVs are widescreen and avoid the issue, but when films are shot in Cinemascope — a.k.a. an aspect ratio that's more like 2.39:1 than the 1.85:1 that's more common in films-- you're going to see black bars at the top and bottom, so that the screen can accommodate the entire image. Or, in the case of some Netflix streaming titles, you're going to see the film cropped or otherwise altered to make it fill the whole screen. Look at this particularly egregious example from the Jim Carrey vehicle "Man on the Moon" (the Netflix version is second):

man on the moon jim carrey

man on the moon jim carrey

Before you start thinking that Netflix is just a dirty scheme to ruin movies forever, the company has spoken up for themselves over at The Verge and said that they're not the ones doing the cropping, but the people who provide them with the movies — namely the studios who made them — will deliver the wrong version.

When they notice this happening, Netflix says, "we work to replace that title as soon as possible." So far, "Man on the Moon" doesn't seem to have been replaced-- the aspect ratio when I checked this afternoon was the same 1.85:1. But that doesn't mean Netflix is the bad guys here.

Just as Blockbuster would carry some pan-and-scan titles back in the day, Netflix is going to get stuck with cropped versions as well. It's just that, in these "all the media in the world, right now!" times, we're not likely to hunt around to find the widescreen version if the cropped one is right there on Netflix. Proof that, while it's a wonderful thing for a single company to be able to provide you so much, it can severely limit your options too. 

SEE ALSO: Netflix Gets Its First Emmy Nominations

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Keanu Reeves' Long-Awaited Big-Budget, Samurai Movie '47 Ronin' Finally Gets A Trailer

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keanu reeves 47 ronin

After numerous push backs, we finally get to see a trailer for Keanu Reeves samurai movie "47 Ronin" and it doesn't look half bad.  

The film follows Kai (Reeves) as he leads a small army of 47 warriors to avenge the death of their master. 

Universal needs this film to be a big hit. 

Like Disney's "The Lone Ranger," this movie has been in the works for seemingly forever. As a result, its budget swirled massively out of control. 

"47 Ronin" was originally set for a November 2012 release before being pushed back to February of this year.

The Wrap reported back in September that the production for the film was a "nightmare" with the budget inflating to $225 million.

This is Reeves second film he has out this year.

After a long hiatus from the film circuit he'll also be seen in "Man of Tai Chi."(His last big blockbusters were 2003's "Something's Gotta Give" and "The Matrix: Revolutions."

"47 Ronin" comes to theaters December 25.

One takeaway.

When seeing this image in the above trailer ... 

samurai 47 ronin

We can't help but think of the Silver Samurai from "The Wolverine." 

the wolverine silver samurai

SEE ALSO: The potential titles for the Batman/Superman movie are awful

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HOUSE OF THE DAY: Richard Gere Lists His Hamptons Mansion For An Insane $65 Million

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Richard Gere Hamptons Mansion $65 million

Real estate blog Curbed Hamptons is reporting that Richard Gere has listed his North Haven home for a whopping $65 million.

The 6.3-acre estate, known as Strongheart Manor ,was built in 1902, and comes with two guest houses, an outdoor fireplace pavilion, and a dock that looks out on the water.

It's been renovated and expanded to include twelve bedrooms and over 12,000 square feet of space, and is currently available through Sotheby's International Realty.

And though the home is nice, we can't help but agree with Curbed Hamptons that the house is rather normal looking, and not worth the outrageous $65 million price tag.

Welcome to Richard Gere's $65 million Strongheart Manor.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



It has over 12,000 square feet of space inside with three fireplaces.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



Here's a look at one of the guest bedrooms with views of the ocean. There's also two additional guesthouses if you feel cramped.

Source: Sotheby's International Realty



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    


Aimee Mann's Lawsuit Exposes The Shadowy Underbelly Of Streaming Music

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Aimee Mann

Those familiar with Spotify and its discontents, as well as the Pink Floyd-led backlash against Pandora, may be baffled by the name MediaNet, the media distribution company at the center of a major copyright lawsuit recently filed by singer-songwriter Aimee Mann.

Mann, in brief, is claiming the company has infringed on the copyright of more than 100 of her songs and asking for what could amount to $18 million in statutory damages, according to The Hollywood Reporter. But what is MediaNet, and why is it being described as "one of the world's largest but least known providers of online music"? 

Despite the size and breadth of its content delivery operations, MediaNet has remained all but invisible—before now—in the music streaming debate.

In brief, while Thom Yorke, Nigel Godrich, Pink Floyd, and other high-profile artists have leveled their outrage at the online radio services providing their music for free streaming while offering measly royalties in return, Mann is tracing the system to its source. Founded in 1999 by EMI, AOL, BMG, and RealNetworks and launched two years alter, MediaNet (formerly known as MusicNet) was acquired by a venture capital firm in 2005 and today provides millions of songs to an impressive roster of online music services that includes MTV, Songza, Yahoo Music, and eBay. (Spotify and Pandora are not among them.) The name change, according to its website, was meant "to better represent its expanded offering of digital video, eBooks and other media types."

Mann stepped into the picture when she entered into a three-year licensing agreement with MediaNet in 2003, she claims in her complaint. The agreement had an automatic two-year extension provision unless either party chose to terminate it—which is precisely what Mann says she did:

 Mann's representative is said to have sent a termination notice in 2005, but nevertheless, "MediaNet continued after the Termination Date to transmit, perform, reproduce and distribute the Compositions as part of MediaNet's service, despite having no right or license to do so."

Mann says the only royalties she has received since 2005 was a $20 advance. Not so, claims MediaNet in a statement provided to The Atlantic Wire.

"This claim on behalf of Aimee Mann is without merit," reads the statement from CEO Frank Johnson. "MediaNet has had a license for her music since December 2003. We have been paying royalties regularly to her agents on her behalf. MediaNet is a supporter of artist rights and copyright and has been since we launched in 2001."

But the company already has a bit of a rocky legal history, Billboard points out, having been sued by the Harry Fox Agency in 2008 and by a group of song publishers in 2011, who claimed that as of last year, "23 percent of MediaNet's catalog remain[ed] unlicensed."

The Spotify hubbub revealed that just because a music-streaming agreement is legal doesn't mean that it's even remotely profitable for musicians. Mann's tribulations remind us that just because a distribution setup is entirely unprofitable doesn't mean it's legal.

Click here to follow The Atlantic Wire.

More from The Atlantic Wire:

Sexting, Lying, And Press Conferences: A Timeline Of Weiner In His Own Words

George H. W. Bush Becomes The Most Punk President In History

Hooking Up Isn't Going To Ruin The Nation's Progress On Gay Rights

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Why Chase Is Partnering Up With Reality TV

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curtis stone david burke bravo chase

Before tonight's premiere of "Top Chef Masters," foodies had a chance to try David Burke and other nationally renowned chefs' first meals at an intimate underground event in Soho. Fifty VIP guests were Chase Sapphire Preferred card holders.

Chase threw the event to celebrate its first-time partnership with the reality show.

Reality TV doesn't necessarily have the best reputation, but Chase Sapphire Preferred marketing director Jeff Bedard thinks the "Top Chef" franchise is the perfect match.

"We are excited to work on reality television when it's reality television around the culinary world because that's a great slice of our life, being involved in the dining experience" Bedard said. "So we weren't worried about that at all. We were actually pretty excited, particularly with a network like Bravo because they're so strong."

Last year, Chase partnered with Bravo on Top Chef Masters judge Curtis Stone's other show, "Around the World in 80 Plates." 

A 2011 survey of Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders stated that they are most interested in travel and dining experiences. Thus, Chase Sapphire Preferred has also formed culinary partnerships with Bon Appetite magazine and the James Beard Foundation.

Chase worked with Bravo to create other, brand appropriate perks.

On top of being able to attend the pre-premiere event, cardholders had the chance to attend this season's infamous "Restaurant Wars" episode, in which the master chefs create a restaurant from scratch usually in only 24 hours.

"We are also creating some custom online content with Bravo," Bedard said.

Chase teamed up with chef Art Smith to create a video series in which he recreated some of "Top Chef's" most memorable dishes. The company is also creating an interactive map of the U.S. so that customers can find their favorite chefs' restaurants.

"The chefs that are part of the Top Chef series are really the best chefs in the United States," Bedard said. "We want to make sure we are partnering with the marquis chefs that are out there because that is what are members are the most interested in." 

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Jennifer Lawrence's Most Outrageous Comments At Comic-Con

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comic-con hunger games catching fire josh hutchinson jennifer lawrence

Sweeping generalization: America loves Jennifer Lawrence because she acts human.

J-Law tripped walking up the stage to accept her Academy Award for Best Actress. Then she admitted to doing a shot before talking to reporters, and flipped the bird.

At Comic-Con last week, the "Hunger Games: Catching Fire" star interrupted Jeff Bridge's interview with Extra because she's his number one fan.

Her media circuit missteps have made her one of America's most loved, and relatable, young actresses.

Here are the best goofs she made during her first Comic-Con tour:

MTV's San Diego Comic-Con Live!:

  • Josh Horowitz: Do you want to say something inappropriate right now just to start us off, or should we do it organically? No, no, no, I don't want you to expect it. It could come at any second, right? Yeah, yeah. I'm actually probably going to finish the interview, and then right as you're packing up, I'm gonna' [gooses him] ugh!
  • So "Catching Fire," is this the one where you're in blue paint or is this the one where you a hunt a squirrel? I thought you said "hump squirrels." This is the one where I hump squirrels, yes.
  • On the steamy scenes with Sam Claflin as Finnick Odair: "I can't wait to see how I flirt." 
  • On prepping for the third installment, "Mockingjay": "I'm about to read the third book again. I'd like to refresh. Or, I've just never read it. I'm going to get the audio tapes." 

Clevver TV:

  • Talk to us about the evolution of the relationship between Katniss and Peeta, because it is complicated to say the least. "It's complicated." That is her Facebook status.
  • You won an Oscar. Did you use it to settle arguments on set? Did you take it with you? I used it to create arguments on set. After I got back I was a b---- that came on set and was like, 'Things are going to be a lot different around here, everybody.' I just carried [the award] around. Made sure nobody forgot. Did it change anything for you in a way? Yeah, it changed my personality and my value system, absolutely. Why wouldn't it?

HitFix:

  • On the skintight wetsuits they wore in the arena: "Onesies are an issue when you're hot."
  • On how she will spend her one-month break before "Mockingjay" production begins: "Maybe I'll try to share a bag of Cheetos with a cheetah."

Comic-Con Panel (via YouTube user magicinthenumbers): 

  • At any point did the Victory Tour feel like the Oscar season? I see some similarities. I mean, the stakes weren't as high.
  • "Wearing [the wedding dress] was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life. It was huge. It was 5 feet in circumference. And, I'm not good at walking in giant dresses, as you know."
  • Audience member: Jennifer, I love you! Thank you. You're a very secure woman.
  • "I had to have running training because I'm not a very good runner. I run weird. ... The hardest stunt is probably basic running. And trying not to hit myself in the face with my bow, are my two greatest challenges."

After the panel, everyone was talking about an exchange between the movie's stars Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence. The pair spilled about a particularly steamy — and somewhat gross — kissing scene:

Moderator: How hot are the kissing scenes going to be?

Josh Hutcherson: So hot.

Jennifer Lawrence: Super hot. Oh! We should've brought the clip with the snot.

JH: We had one take—

JL: There was a lot of slobber. It was a resuscitation.

JH: When there was the resuscitation there was a kiss and there was slobber and it got connected to my face—

JL: There was slobber in the kiss, and I was crying, and there's a huge string of snot.

JH: It'll be very hot. If you're into snot and slobber.

JL: I want to show you. I'll put it on YouTube or something because you've got to see it. There's all this snot coming out of my nose, and when I go to kiss Josh, it connects to his mouth, and then there's a huge string of it and I go [coughs] and I try to wobble it. It's awesome. So yes, it's going to be very hot.

Watch the entire panel:

J-Law also appeared in the massive "X-Men: Days of Future Past" panel.

A member of the audience asked about the costumes — how Halle Berry felt being pregnant in Storm's outfit and how Lawrence enjoyed wearing body paint and 70s wardrobe.

  • "She's pregnant, I'm naked, come see the movie! [Laughs] I personally loved the 70s, the moments where I do get to wear the 70s clothes, because I like that time and I like wearing clothes, when I can."

Watch a mash-up of her best answers:

SEE ALSO: Jennifer Lawrence Crashes Jeff Bridges Interview, Gets Totally Starstruck

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Steve Case's Venture Fund Leads $40 Million Funding Round For Austalia-Based E-Commerce Startup

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Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper

Australian-born e-commerce platform Bigcommerce has raised a whopping $40 million from US venture fund Revolution Growth to fund technology improvements and a hiring spree in Sydney and Austin, Texas.

The Series C funding round brings Bigcommerce’s total amount of funding to $75 million and sees Revolution Growth founder and former AOL CEO Steve Case join the board with a minority stake.

Bigcommerce was founded in 2009 by Eddie Machaalani and Mitchell Harper. It allows businesses to build and manage e-commerce websites for $25-$300 a month and has about 36,000 clients currently.

“We bootstrapped the business ourselves off the back of credit cards,” Machaalani told Business Insider.

“In 2011 we raised $15 million in a Series A funding round from General Catalyst. In 2012 General Catalyst led a $20 million Series B investment round, which also included Mike Maples of Floodgate and one of the early investors in Twitter.

“We keep close relationships with investors we feel will add value to the business regardless of whether we’re raising or not. When we decided to raise another round of financing, we had spent a lot of time with Steve Case and the Revolution family and knew there would be a great fit.

“Revolution Growth offers a lot more than just the capital – there is experience, advice and also a great network we can leverage to build the business even faster.”

With the $40 million investment, announced tonight, Machaalani and Harper plan to grow from 260 to 400 staff by mid-2014 and build new features that will allow clients to integrate their Bigcommerce stores with existing marketing, inventory, analytics and order management software.

While more than 65% of Bigcommerce clients are located in North America, Harper told Business Insider that the founders “love being a part of [the Australian startup scene], where we’re always meeting great entrepreneurs”.

“There is also a thriving investment scene, but it tends to be at the earlier (seed and series A) stages,” he noted.

“For bigger fundraising at later rounds, the market in the US is significantly larger. The larger venture capitalists in the US, like Revolution Growth, have great experience in taking B2B software businesses from helping tens of thousands of small businesses, to helping hundreds of thousands, and even millions of customers.”

Forbes reported earlier this month that Bigcommerce claims to have facilitated some $2 billion of online sales by clients since 2009, and expects to facilitate $3 billion by the beginning of 2014.

Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook and Twitter

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Ashton Kutcher Passed Up A Chance To Meet Steve Jobs

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Ashton Kutcher was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno yesterday promoting his upcoming Steve Jobs film, "Jobs."

While on the program, Kutcher revealed that he passed up an opportunity to meet the co-founder of Apple, who he called "The Leonardo da Vinci of our generation." Kutcher had a work conflict, he explains, and six months later Jobs died.

We first heard about it over at 9To5Mac:

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Jeff Zucker On Fixing 'Today': It's All About The Talent

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Jeff Zucker Ann Curry Matt Lauer Today Show NBC

Don’t tinker with the Today Show lineup — fix the talent non-chemistry, the franchise’s former exec producer Jeff Zucker advised NBC today.

“The key to all of those programs, and we had a tremendous amount of success for many years, is obviously the chemistry between the people who are on the show…That’s what makes or breaks these shows,” Zucker, who EP’d the show during its glory days, said while speaking at the Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech 2013 confab about his latest undertaking – CNN.

“The Today Show, obviously has had a difficult year and a half – brought a lot of it [on] itself, and those are the worst kind of mistakes,” Zucker said.

“You have to have folks who people want to watch, day in and day out. I’d probably start by taking a look at that… It’s not about tinkering with the rundown, or which story you do first, or second. Those shows are about: are there people you want to watch?”

Asked how to come up with the right on-air talent lineup, Zucker explained, “a lot of this is your own judgment, your gut.” The Matt Lauer/Katie Couric pairing was “something very special,” Zucker said; after Katie left, the pairing of Matt and Meredith Vieira was also “very fortunate,” he added.

SEE ALSO: Here's How Much 'Today' Show Ratings Have Dropped Since Savannah Guthrie Replaced Ann Curry

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Why Google's New Chromecast Is Going To Annoy TV Executives

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Google ChromecastThe most exciting reveal from Google's event yesterday was its new streaming device, the Chromecast.

The Chromecast is a little "dongle" that plugs into the back of a TV's HDMI port, giving users the ability to wirelessly stream content from their computers and devices to their TV.

While its primary use will likely be with apps integrated with a Chromecast "cast" button, Google also announced that users can mirror anything playing in its Chrome browser, too.

This opens up the floodgates, allowing anything viewable on the web to be ported over to a user's television set.

And TV executives, who are notorious for drawing a line in the sand dividing web content and television content, can't be happy the Chromecast blends the two mediums together.

Peter Kafka of AllThingsD gives Hulu Plus as a prime example.

Right now, Hulu differentiates between its web streaming service and its TV streaming service. While you can watch plenty of Hulu's content for free online, the ability to watch Hulu content on a TV requires a Hulu Plus subscription.

Hulu says they are developing an app for the Chromecast, but it's a practically useless endeavor.

The Chromecast merges the two media, sidestepping the need for standalone apps, and this could quickly cause content providers and the TV executives they work with to become angry.

And if they get mad enough, Kafka writes, content providers could bar their websites from working with the Chrome browser.

Highly unlikely, but possible.

If enough fuss is made over the device, the Chromecast could potentially hamper Google's relationship with TV executives, a risky move if Google wants to compete with Apple's rumored television set.

Time will tell if the Chromecast truly has the power to affect change in the streaming industry, but it certainly has the potential.

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Jimmy Fallon's 46-Year-Old Wife Delivers Baby Girl

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jimmy fallon Nancy Juvonen late night

"Welcome, everybody, to 'Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.' I'm your host, Dada," Jimmy Fallon joked on Wednesday. He and wife Nancy Juvonen welcomed a baby girl, Winnie Rose Fallon.

The couple's first child was born Tuesday, weighing 5 pounds, 9 ounces and looking "so cute," Fallon gushed.

Fallon, 38, and Juvonen, 46, married in 2007 after meeting through mutual friend Drew Barrymore, who co-produced "Charlie's Angels" and "50 First Dates" with Juvonen through their company Flower Films.

Fallon thanked his fans for the well-wishes and said he's already addicted to showing people pictures of his baby.

"Thank you so much, I hope I don't screw this up," he said. "I'm just so happy."

The comedian also quipped about the "other baby" making headlines this week.

"We haven't had time to respond to everyone's calls and messages but, yes, William and Kate, we'll definitely set up a playdate — stop bothering me!" Fallon said. "I saw the invitation on the easel, yes!"

Here's the announcement:

SEE ALSO: Kristen Wiig Went On Jimmy Fallon As Michael Jordan And It Was Amazing

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Joss Whedon Reveals 'Avengers' Sequel Will Be Much Darker

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age of ultronAt San Diego Comic-Con, fans received a taste of what to expect in the anticipated "Avengers" sequel when director Joss Whedon presented the name of the next film: "Avengers: Age of Ultron."

Fans initially thought the film would follow the "Age of Ultron" comic series that came out earlier this year.

The comic is pretty dark. 

Spoilers: 

Tony Stark becomes part cyborg, Captain America loses an eye, and near the end most of the Avengers perish to a menacing, homicidal robot named Ultron.

Shortly after the announcement, Whedon spoke with Marvel to drive home that "Avengers: Age of Ultron" won't be a direct adaptation of the comic.

"A lot of people, because we called it 'Age of Ultron,' and there was a book 'Age of Ultron' just recently, assumed that was the storyline we're doing, which is not the case," says Whedon. "We're doing our own version of the origin story of Ultron."

ant man marvelWhedon also confirmed that one fan favorite Hank Pym the creator of the Avengers' main foe won't be in the sequel. Instead, Pym will have his own role in "Ant-Man," the film following the next Avengers movie.

"We're sort of crafting our own version of it where his origin comes more directly from the Avengers we already know about."

Whedon adds that the sequel will also be a bit darker, though we're sure it won't be Ultron comics dark.

In addition, Whedon says "Age of Ultron" will be globally-spanning with shooting taking place in London early of next year.

This isn't a surprise considering the added boost that the foreign box office can have on a film

Since Pym won't be in the film, speculation has been that Tony Stark will be the creator of Ultron.

Could be possible. 

Whedon revealed in the video interview that when the sequel title appeared on screen at Comic-Con it showed Tony Stark's "Iron Man" mask clash with that of Ultron's. 

"Avengers: Age of Ultron" opens in theaters May 1, 2015.

Watch the interview below:

More Avengers 2: Check out the logo for the film that debuted at Comic-Con

Read about the DC film that will go up against the Avengers sequel: A Batman / Superman film is coming in 2015

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Jason Sudeikis Confirms He's Leaving 'Saturday Night Live' On 'Letterman'

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It's been rumored for months now, but Jason Sudeikis finally confirmed that he will not be returning for the upcoming season of "Saturday Night Live" after 10 years with the show.

The 37-year-old comedian made the announcement while appearing on last night's "Late Night" with David Letterman, saying "I'm definitely done."

Sudeikis, who worked as a writer for two years on the show before appearing on camera for eight, wants to start focusing on his film career. And his sex life with fiancé Olivia Wilde.

"It's not weird now," he admitted of leaving the NBC sketch comedy show, "but you start to get that itch in August when all these sketch ideas will show up and I'll be like, 'Can I make this sketch last 90 minutes and turn it into a movie?'"

Watch the official announcement below:

SEE ALSO: Jason Sudeikis Credits His Recent Weight Loss To Sex With Fiancé Olivia Wilde

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Paula Deen Allegedly Asked Black Staffers to Dress Like Aunt Jemima

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paula deen

The Paula Deen racism scandal just got reignited thanks to a blockbuster New York Times story Thursday that claims the former Food Network star asked black employees to dress like Aunt Jemima.

The profile of Deen's cook Dora Charles overflows with allegations of racist behavior. Deen allegedly paid black employees less than white ones and used racial slurs.

But it is Deen's idea of Confederate-tinged dinner theater that may be the most unseemly element of the story. Charles tells the Times that she refused Deen's requests to ring a dinner bell in front of her Savannah, Ga. restaurant The Lady and Sons and, in the words of the paper, holler for  "people to come and get it."

"I said,'I'm not ringing no bell,'" Charles told the paper. "That’s a symbol to me of what we used to do back in the day."

Deen finally found an African-American employee willing to perform this throwback to plantation life in Charles' friend and colleague Ineata Jones, who the Times reports is nicknamed Jellyroll. The paper says that postcards of Jones ringing a dinner bell are for sale at her stores (pictured left).

paula deen restaurant the lady and sons jellyroll

Jones drew the line at dressing like Aunt Jemima, the Quaker Oats spokeswoman with origins in minstrel shows.

"Jellyroll didn’t want to hear that,” Charles said. "She didn’t want to do that.”

A spokeswoman for Deen did not respond to TheWrap's request for comment, but did deny the allegations to the New York Times.

Charles, who claims she was not adequately compensated for her role developing Deen's Southern-style cooking, has filed complaints with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The article seems likely to tarnish Deen's already damaged reputation following her admission last month that she had used the N-word. The chef was forced to open up about her use of slurs during a deposition related to allegations of racism and sexual harassment brought against Deen by a former employee, Lisa T. Jackson.

In the wake of Deen's admission, the celebrity chef was dropped by Food Network and dumped by retailers like Walmart and Target and the drug maker Novo Nordisk, with whom she had endorsement deals.

 

SEE ALSO: Here Are The Companies That Are Supporting Paula Deen

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'Breaking Bad' Star Aaron Paul Shares His Favorite Curse Word Lines From The Show

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aaron paul conan

Aaron Paul appeared on "Conan" to discuss the long-awaited return of popular AMC show "Breaking Bad." 

Fans of the show know his character Jesse Pinkman has a favorite word.  

"B----."  

Naturally, host Conan O'Brien asked the star to share a few of his favorite uses of the word from the show's five seasons.  

Paul found the task a little difficult joking "there's so many great 'b------,'" but managed to narrow it down to three: 

1. "Gatorade me, b----!" (season 3, episode 10) 
2. "This is my own private domicile, b----!" (season 3, episode 5)
3. "Yeah, b----! Magnets!" (season 5, episode 1) 

When asked if he comes up with the lines, Paul said that all of them are scripted, but he may have improved one or two. 

Previously Paul has said that the best one hasn't even aired yet. 

Since the phase became a popular tagline for his character, Paul told Conan he can't go out in public without people either yelling the word to him or begging for him to say it to them. 

"So many people will go, 'Hey, will you please call my wife a b----?' It will make her so happy.' It's ridiculous." 

However, the funniest bit is that Paul reveals he never swore until his mid-20s growing up the son of a minister. 

The final episodes of "Breaking Bad" begin August 11. 

Watch the interview below: 

Now, watch a compilation of Pinkman's best uses of the word below:

More "Breaking Bad": Take a look at photos from the new episodes

SEE ALSO: Bryan Cranston went around Comic-Con dressed as his "Breaking Bad" character and no one knew

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Netflix's Newest Original Series — About Mermaids! — Is Beyond Weird (NFLX)

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mako mermaids netflix

Fresh off of a lukewarm Q2 2013 earnings report, Netflix's official Twitter account just posted a trailer for its upcoming original series, "Mako Mermaids". 

The show is targeted at children, pre-teens, and teenagers. The premise is that a group of mermaids abandon life underwater and have adventures on land. 

Starting tomorrow, you can stream all 13 episodes of "Mako Mermaids" exclusively on Netflix. 

Here's Netflix synopsis of the series:

Picking up where "H20 -- Just Add Water" left off, mischievous teen mermaids Lyla, Nixie and Sirena, guardians of Mako Island, fail to stop 16 year old Zac from becoming a Merman. At risk of being cast out their home forever, the mermaids must get legs, venture onto land and take back Zac's new powers.

We watched the trailer and the series looks beyond bizarre.

The new show wasn't on our radar but if Netflix wants to continue to say that "each series performs better than the last" we suggest it try harder and become a little better at curating its original series.

See the trailer for yourself:

SEE ALSO: If Netflix Can Continue To Make Awesome Original Series It Should Be Able To Satisfy Wall Street's Thirst For More Subscribers

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Here's Why Kanye West Won't Be Prosecuted For Attacking A Photographer Last Week

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kanye west paparazziKanye West got into another ugly scuffle with a paparazzo at LAX last week, but looks like the law will be on his side for this go-around. TMZ reports that the new dad won't be charged with any crimes in connection with the beat-down. 


Apparently there's no proof that Yeezy tried to steal the photographer's camera in the scuffle, so the D.A. would never file felony attempted robbery charges. The report will be filed regardless, but it's expected to be thrown out within days.

The possible misdemeanor criminal battery charges will then go to the L.A. City Attorney, but those will likely go away too. All Kanye has to do is pony up some cash to make the case disappear. This sort of thing happens all of the time — it's called civil compromise. Luckily, money ain't a thing to Mr. West.

Anyway, looks like Kanye called the whole thing. Right before he went after the photographer, he said: "What you're trying to do is get me in trouble, so I'll... have to pay you like 250 thousand." We'll report back about whether the figure is actually more or less than that. 

If you need a refresher, here's the video of what went down at LAX:

SEE ALSO: Kanye West Flips Out At Paparazzi: 'Don't Talk To Me Or Anyone I Know!'

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