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Mosquito Expert Calls Out A Big Problem In The Plot Of Jurassic Park

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Jurassic Park mosquito in amber cane

There's a glaring mistake in the 1993 dinosaur classic Jurassic Park that any good entomologist would know. The mosquito used in the film is completely the wrong species.

In the film, scientists extract dinosaur blood from the gut of a prehistoric mosquito, preserved in amber. They then use the DNA in the dinosaur blood to create the terrifying creatures that roam the island and eventually maim and kill many of the characters.

Yes, retired Navy entomologist Joe Conlon confirmed, mosquitoes did indeed buzz around during the time of dinosaurs feeding on their blood.

"They've been around for about 170 million years," Conlon, who now works for the American Mosquito Control Association, told us. Unfortunately, the species portrayed in Jurassic Park — Toxorhynchites rutilus — doesn't feed on blood. It's actually the only type of mosquito that doesn't.

T. rutilus is also the largest species of mosquito that scientists know of, even beating the recently infamous gallinipper.

Another problem with the movie: DNA couldn't have possibly stayed intact for 80 million years. Scientists are trying to resurrect some more recently extinct creatures, though. 

Sorry, Michael Crichton, but thanks for all the nightmares.

SEE ALSO: Scientists Want To Bring 24 Animals Back From Extinction

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Peter Sarsgaard Shot A Sex Scene With Dakota Fanning Directed By His Mother-In-Law

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Peter Sarsgaard Maggie Gyllenhaal

The awkwardness of this situation is pretty cringe-worthy so we're going to break it down for you:

Peter Sarsgaard is married to Maggie Gyllenhaal. Maggie (and Jake) Gyllenhaal's mom is Naomi Foner. Naomi Foner made her directorial debut with a recent indie called "Very Good Girls" starring Dakota Fanning and Elizabeth Olsen. The film is about two New York City girls who make a pact to lose their virginity during their first summer out of high school. Sarsgaard is tasked with stealing Dakota Fanning's V-card. Fanning is 19. Sarsgaard is a 42-year-old father of two. 

But Sargaard didn't quite realize what he was getting into when signing onto the script.

"My mother-in-law's asking me to be in a movie that she's directing, I didn't have the same scrutiny about the project I would have with something else," Sarsgaard told E! Online on the red carpet for his latest film, Woody Allen's "Blue Jasmine." "So I missed that part, and also the fact that it was with Dakota Fanning."

"I hadn't read it that carefully, so I didn't realize I was going to be doing a sex scene," he continued. "So that was the real surprise. Maggie and I kind of realized it at about the same time that I would be doing that."

When it came time to shoot the scene, Sarsgaard recalls "I said [to Dakota], 'You're going to lay down and I'm going to disappear out of frame and you're going to make a face. And I'm not going to be there while you're pretending I'm having sex with you. We're going to be on a closeup on you."

Despite the precautions, Sarsgaard said the whole thing was "Bizarre, totally bizarre."

SEE ALSO: 'The Sandlot' Is 20 Years Old: Where Is The Cast Now [PHOTOS]

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The First Teaser Trailer For 'Homeland' Season 3 Is Just A Confusing Black Screen

Christina Aguilera Shows Off Weight Loss As She Returns To 'The Voice' Season 3

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The "Voice" judge Christina Aguilera debuted a much slimmer frame at the Television Critics’ Association’s summer press tour in Beverly Hills on Saturday.

After reuniting with fellow judges Adam Levine and Cee-Lo Green and host Carson Daly  Aguilera told reporters, "I needed a moment to step away. Thank god for Shakira. She did a beautiful job.”

Christina Aguilera Adam Levine The Voice Carson Daly Ceelo Green

"I'm the type of person that I cannot live in front of a camera 24 hours a day," the 32-year-old singer continued. "I have to take breaks and stay connected with myself, and I think it's important so that you can then be your best on-camera and find your own happiness with it."

Looks like "stepping away" did a body good for Aguilera, who showed off her svelter figure in a tight pink dress at the NBC press event over the weekend:

Christina Aguilera

Aguilera gave fans a peek at her weight loss in May, tweeting the below photo from the set of her "Hoy Tengo Ganas De Ti" music video shoot.

Christina Aguilera

 Aguilera had a fuller frame during her first season as a judge on "The Voice" in 2011.

Christina Aguilera

But that never stopped her from ruling the red carpet, here at the Alma Awards in 2012.

Christina Aguilera

Or rocking out on-stage, like at the American Music Awards in 2012.

Christina Aguilera

She's had quite a few transformations since her "Dirrty" days in 2002. All for the better!

Christina Aguilera

SEE ALSO: Model Adrianne Curry Geeked Out In Eye-Popping Costumes At Comic Comic-Con

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Time Warner Cable Drops CBS, Channels To Go Dark In LA, NY Dallas

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Les Moonves CEO CBS Corp

After a multiple deadline delay, CBS and Time Warner Cable have failed to reach an agreement in their retransmission dispute, and CBS will go dark in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas.

"The outrageous demands for fees by CBS Corporation have forced Time Warner Cable to remove several of its networks and broadcast stations from our customers’ lineups," Time Warner Cable said in a statement Monday night. "As of midnight ET, Time Warner Cable customers in New York City, Dallas and Los Angeles will no longer receive their local CBS broadcast stations. In addition, we have been forced to remove Showtime, TMC, Flix and Smithsonian from our lineups across the country. We offered to pay reasonable increases, but CBS’s demands are out of line and unfair – and they want Time Warner Cable to pay more than others pay for the same programming."

The blackout will affect 3.5 million homes -- roughly 29 percent of Time Warner Cable's video subscriptions.

It will also mark the first time that CBS has allowed its signal to go dark in a retransmission dispute.

The original 2009 agreement expired at the end of June.

Also read: CBS and TWC Push Negotiations Deadline Back to 8 p.m. ET

CBS declined to disclose the rates it is seeking, but analysts say that the network is seeking about $2 per subscriber, from an estimated 75 cents to $1.

CBS previously told TheWrap in a statement that the company "remains committed to working towards a mutually agreeable contract," and accused TWC of being unwilling to negotiate the same type of deals as other transmitters.

Time Warner Cable claimed that CBS is asking for 600 percent more in the potentially affected markets -- primarily, New York, Los Angeles and Dallas -- than TWC pays for the content in other areas. TWC calls that request "unprecedented."

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Time Warner Cable Drops CBS; Channels To Go Dark In LA, NY Dallas

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Les Moonves CEO CBS Corp

After a multiple deadline delay, CBS and Time Warner Cable have failed to reach an agreement in their retransmission dispute, and CBS will go dark in Los Angeles, New York and Dallas.

"The outrageous demands for fees by CBS Corporation have forced Time Warner Cable to remove several of its networks and broadcast stations from our customers’ lineups," Time Warner Cable said in a statement Monday night. "As of midnight ET, Time Warner Cable customers in New York City, Dallas and Los Angeles will no longer receive their local CBS broadcast stations. In addition, we have been forced to remove Showtime, TMC, Flix and Smithsonian from our lineups across the country. We offered to pay reasonable increases, but CBS’s demands are out of line and unfair – and they want Time Warner Cable to pay more than others pay for the same programming."

The blackout will affect 3.5 million homes -- roughly 29 percent of Time Warner Cable's video subscriptions.

It will also mark the first time that CBS has allowed its signal to go dark in a retransmission dispute.

The original 2009 agreement expired at the end of June.

Also read: CBS and TWC Push Negotiations Deadline Back to 8 p.m. ET

CBS declined to disclose the rates it is seeking, but analysts say that the network is seeking about $2 per subscriber, from an estimated 75 cents to $1.

CBS previously told TheWrap in a statement that the company "remains committed to working towards a mutually agreeable contract," and accused TWC of being unwilling to negotiate the same type of deals as other transmitters.

Time Warner Cable claimed that CBS is asking for 600 percent more in the potentially affected markets -- primarily, New York, Los Angeles and Dallas -- than TWC pays for the content in other areas. TWC calls that request "unprecedented."

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Bryan Cranston Reads An Ominous Poem In A New 'Breaking Bad' Teaser Trailer

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AMC has released yet another promo for the final episodes of "Breaking Bad."

While keeping mum on footage from the series, this teaser trailer features Walter White (Bryan Cranston) eerily reading the poem Ozymandias as visuals of the desert and his hometown in New Mexico.

Ozymandias is the title of one of the final episodes of the series.

"Breaking Bad" returns August 11 on AMC.

The poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley is about the decline of leaders. It's an ominous foreshadowing that fits in line with the promotion of the final episodes of the series that has said all bad things must come to an end.

Here it is in full below:

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said:
"Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert."
Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear —
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

More "Breaking Bad"  Photos of Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston from the premiere

SEE ALSO: Photos from the new episodes

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Meet Shailene Woodley: The Next Blockbuster 'It Girl' About To Make Hollywood A Lot Of Money

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Shailene Woodley is quickly going from small-screen actress to one of the silver screen's most-wanted young stars.

In little more than a year, the 21-year-old actress has grown up from playing a teen mom on ABC Family's "Secret Life of the American Teenager" to being nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as George Clooney's daughter in "The Descendants." Currently starring in the critically acclaimed indie "Spectacular Now," Woodley's next gig is leading actress in the upcoming "Divergent."

Lionsgate is hoping the popular book series is the next "Hunger Games" franchise, which catapulted Jennifer Lawrence's career. When "Hunger Games" debuted last year it led the box office for four weeks, earning more than $150 million opening weekend alone.

See how Woodley went from being the girl-next-door on ABC Family to the star of the next possible "Hunger Games":

 

Produced and edited by Justin Gmoser

SEE ALSO: How Jennifer Lawrence Became The Most-Loved Actress In Hollywood

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Katy Perry Announced Her New Album By Parking A Huge Gold Truck In Hollywood

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Katy Perry got creative when announcing her upcoming new album Monday night.

The singer had a gold plated semi-trailer truck drive through the middle of Hollywood.

In bold, black lettering on the side of the truck it revealed what all Katy Perry fans have been waiting for: KATY PERRY •  PRISM • 10•22•13.

Prism will be Perry's fourth studio album and is set for an October 22 release date.

The truck is expected to make its way across the country, with Perry tweeting after its initial departure:

Check out some snaps people got of the truck in Los Angeles, from both fans and fellow celebs:

Katy Perry gold prism truck

Katy Perry Gold Prism Bus

Katy Perry Gold Prism Bus

Katy Perry Gold Prism Bus

SEE ALSO: Jay-Z Surprised Beyoncé By Running On Stage And Giving Her A Kiss During Concert

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8 Superhero Comic Storylines That Need To Be Made Into Movies

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marvel civil war

How many times are we going to have to see Peter Parker watch his Uncle Ben die, become Spider-Man, and face the Green Goblin?

Or Batman face the Joker for the "first" time?

Or Superman fight Zod?

Superhero movies are getting stale because Hollywood is afraid to deviate from the stories that we all know. It's certainly not because of a lack of stories to draw inspiration from - the characters that studios focus their $200 million blockbusters on have decades worth of material to use.

Would using more obscure plot lines lead to better superhero films? It worked for The Wolverine, which was heavily inspired by a storyline from 1982 and is considered by many to be the best superhero movie this year (and is a success at the box office).

Old Man Logan - Decades after the world's supervillians united and killed all heroes, a series of betrayals convinces an aged Wolverine to forgive himself for his past transgressions and work to put an end to the reign of the villains.



Superman: Red Son - A "what if?" story, Red Son shows what might have happened if the Man of Steel had landed in Soviet Russia as a baby and not a farm in Kansas. Co-stars Batman as a pro-capitalist terrorist.



Planet Hulk - After a group of superheroes decides that the Hulk is too dangerous to stay on Earth, he is shipped to an alien world where he is enslaved and forced to become a gladiator. Bonding with his competitors, he overthrows the planet's tyrannical government.



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Jennifer Aniston Ate A Lot Of Kale To Get In Shape For Her Upcoming Stripper Role

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Jennifer Aniston We're The Millers stripper

In order to get into fighting weight for her role as a stripper in the upcoming comedy "We're The Millers," Jennifer Aniston says she put herself on a strict diet.

"I was on a very like, greens and vegetables and lean proteins and kale,” she told "Access Hollywoodof what she ate while prepping to bare her body in the film, which co-stars Jason Sudeikis and Emma Roberts.

“But I did eat that day," says the 44-year-old actress of the scene in which she wears nothing but a bra and underwear.

But when Aniston needed a cheat day while prepping for the role, she didn't turn to baked goods or fried foods, instead she says she treated herself to a get this — kale chip.

“When I really wanted to have a cheat day. I had to have a kale chip,” she told "Access" at the movie’s junket last weekend.

And when she did finally strip down, Aniston made sure that her "kibbles and bits" were covered and secured.

"There was some major strapping and organizing," she admits. "I had no taping. I really just doubled my bras. I had a thong and then two pairs of underwear. Why I thought that was going to help protect anything is beyond me."  

"We're The Millers" opens in theaters August 7. Watch Aniston's new moves in the trailer below.

SEE ALSO: Christina Aguilera Shows Off Weight Loss As She Returns To 'The Voice' Season 5

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The Sports Betting World Says The Star Of CNBC's New Reality Show Is A Total Fraud

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steve stevens cnbc star

Steve Stevens, the star of an upcoming CNBC reality show called "Money Talks," is being called a fraud and an ex-convict by some of the most prominent people in the sports betting world today.

Stevens has a business where he sells sports betting picks called VIP Sports Las Vegas.

The CNBC press release for the show calls him "a well-known handicapper," and a promo video on his company's website claims he has a winning percentage of 71.5%. The show is a "docu-soap," and it's set to air Sept. 10.

But apparently no one in Vegas has heard of Stevens, and his 70% winning percentage is considered impossible.

steve stevens handicapperEven worse, a damning report from WagerMinds lays out evidence alleging that his name is actually Darin Notaro, and he has been arrested multiple times for telemarketing fraud.

Todd Fuhrman, a former oddsmaker at Caesar's Palace, wrote in a blog post yesterday, "No one, and I mean no one, in the sports betting community I speak with daily knows who this guy is."

Bob Voulgaris, a popular sharp NBA bettor, said on Twitter last night that he'd never heard of Stevens either, calling him "a complete scam artist" for the 70% claim.

WagerMinds — a sports betting website that is focused on transparency in the industry — also said they've never heard of him in their article.

The 70% claim was a red flag for a lot of sports betting folks. Voulgaris, whom Nate Silver called the best sports bettor in the world, only wins about 57% of his NBA bets. SportsInsights ran the numbers in June and found that your chances of winning 70% of bets against the spread are about one in one trillion.

It's basically impossible to win 70%, but the VIP Sports Las Vegas website is using that claim to sell its picks to customers. Here's the promo video from the website (with NSFW language):

A CNBC spokesman told us in a statement that viewers will have to draw their own conclusions about Stevens' business, adding, "We are merely betting that viewers will be interested in the world of touts and handicappers and in no way endorse either Stevens’ picks or his business model."

While CNBC says it doesn't endorse his business, there's a website called CNBCvipsports.com that directs readers to the VIP Sports Las Vegas site and asks readers for their email addresses and phone numbers.

A CNBC spokesman told us, "He is not authorized to use the CNBC name or logo." CNBC declined comment on whether or not they're taking steps to remove the association on the website.

The website boasts, "You may have seen VIP Sports on the new CNBC show Money Talks. If so you know Steve Stevens is the real deal."

Before we jump on CNBC, there's a big difference between Stevens being a fraud and the show itself being a fraud. We'll have to wait to see how he is portrayed.

But that's not all.

This morning, WagerMinds reported that the domain name for Stevens' business VIP Sports Las Vegas was only registered eight months ago. It was registered under the name Darin Notaro.

According to WagerMinds, Notaro has been arrested and convicted in telemarketing scams going back to 1999. He was sentenced to a year in prison at age 25 for a scheme that "bilked elderly citizens across the nation out of at least $234,000," according to the Las Vegas Sun.

Judging by this screenshot from WagerMinds, they look alike:

stevens notaro

According to WagerMinds, it appears that Notaro also rents the office space where VIP Sports Las Vegas is housed.

A CNBC spokesman said they are aware of the 1999 conviction. Here's the full statement:

"We are aware of Steve Stevens’ 1999 conviction and while we are very clear in the press release that VIP Sports clients risk big dollars in the hopes that Stevens and his agents have the expertise to consistently deliver winners, viewers should tune in on September 10th at 10pm ET/PT to draw their own conclusions about VIP Sports. We are merely betting that viewers will be interested in the world of touts and handicappers and in no way endorse either Stevens’ picks or his business model."

We called the number provided on the VIP Sports Las Vegas website and left a message. We are waiting a response.

Again, we'll have to wait until the show airs to see if he is portrayed as what he claims to be (a big-shot sports bettor) or what many in the betting community see him as (a shady figure).

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What It's Like On The Set Of Peter Jackson's Hectic 20-Hour 'Hobbit' Shoot

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peter jackson aidan turner dean o'gorman the hobbit

If you have ever wondered what it's like on set of a big-budget movie, director Peter Jackson liveblogged his final day of filming "The Hobbit" trilogy.

Jackson is no stranger to sharing behind-the-scenes images and video diaries from the set, but this was the first time he posted so much in one day.

From 8:20 in the morning until after 1 a.m. the following day, he shared photos and narrated the hectic — and fun — day of a director on his Facebook page.

"Ever since starting these blogs, there's been something I thought I'd like to try one day (as well as answering the other 19 questions I owe you!) - blogging throughout a shoot day in real time. Try to give you all a feeling for what we deal with on an average day." 

"So here goes ... I'll try to update as much as I can during the day. At least with a quick photo. Text will depend a little on how busy it gets."

8:20 a.m.: Jackson lives a mere five minutes from the studio. He says sometimes he heads to the set without a plan for the day. He wings it.

"100 people are about to look to me to find out what our first shot is, what lens I want to use, and how many set-ups it's going to take to get the scene finished. Some of the time I have a plan, and some of the time I wing it. It helps to rehearse with the actors, and the ideas (hopefully good ones) start flowing."



9:15 a.m.: It takes a while to prep filming. Jackson says they actually filmed these two people in penguin suits.

"Should be shooting soon. Two cameras, both with 16 mm lenses. Two huge wide shots of a fight happening on an enormous set that filling most of K Stage ... The photo: yes, we did actually just film this. Please don't ask me to explain!"



10:30 a.m: There's a lot of racing back and forth between sets and stages.

"Had to race to A Stage to try and explain to Graham (left) and Christian (right) why they were shooting their Dwalin fight against green screen, and not our beautiful expensive set as planned."



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Angelina Jolie Tops Forbes' Highest Paid Actress List

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Angelina Jolie red carpet

Angelina Jolie is back in action, topping Forbes' list of Hollywood's Highest Paid Actresses.

Despite not appearing in a major motion picture since "The Tourist," almost three years ago, Jolie racked up $33 million between June 2012 and June 2013.

In that time, she privately battled a major health issue. She had a preventive double mastectomy after learning she carried a gene that made it 87% likely she would get breast cancer.

The Oscar-winning actress and philanthropist is up $13 million from last year.

Actress Kristen Stewart landed on the top spot in 2012, thanks to the "Twilight" franchise, which ended its theater run in November. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2" raked in more than $800 million worldwide.

Forbes predicts the vamp actress will slide off the list entirely next year, with the "Snow White and the Huntsman" sequel a ways away.

New to the list: Mila Kunis, who earned a combined $1 billion from "Ted" and "Oz: The Great and Powerful."

Here's the complete list of Hollywood's Highest Paid Actresses:

1. Angelina Jolie — $33 million

2. Jennifer Lawrence — $26 million

3. Kristen Stewart — $22 million

4. Jennifer Aniston — $20 million

5. Emma Roberts — $16 million

6. Charlize Theron — $15 million

7. Sandra Bullock — $14 million

8. Natalie Portman — $14 million

9. Mila Kunis — $11 million

10. Julia Roberts — $11 million

SEE ALSO: Lady Gaga Dominates On Forbes' Top-Earning Celebs Under 30 List

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Rapper DMX Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

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DMXEveryone's favorite "Ruff Ryder," rapper DMX, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Despite a once-lucrative career, DMX (nee Earl Simmons) is blaming past money managers for making a mess of his finances. 

According to court filings posted by the WSJ, he owes more than $1.2 million in child support and has less than $50,000 in assets. A spokesperson said in a statement that his financial managers allegedly failed to send his payments. And because the government blocks anyone owning more than $2,500 in child support from obtaining a passport, Simmons hasn't been able to travel overseas for work. 

This all comes just a few days after he was arrested in South Carolina on suspicions of driving under the influence. 

Businesses have been after Simmons for years for allegedly failing to make due on financial promises. About a year ago, he was ordered to pay a dog clothing line $281,545 in 2007 after allegedly failing to promote his line of dogwear with the company.

Here's the full statement his rep sent to the WSJ: 

“DMX’s financial strains have been inhibiting his career for several years. Poor financial management by prior representation have caused him to be ineligible to retain a passport. The purpose of this bankruptcy filing is for reorganization so he can perform for his fans oversees [sic]. We are currently planning a tour in Europe and Africa for the fall of 2013.”

This whole "my money managers  did it" line is run-of-the-mill among entertainers gone broke. When Grammy-award winning Dionne Warwick filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, she also pinned it on years of financial mismanagement. 

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'Sherlock' Producer Reveals Next Season's Main Villain

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Warning: If you're not caught up with "Sherlock," spoilers follow.

It was a shock when major villain Jim Moriarty (Andrew Scott) was [spoiler] killed off [spoiler] at the end of season 2.

We could have seen Moriarty and Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) going head-to-head  for some time on screen.

Any speculation that he may still be alive was dispelled at the show's first-ever Comic-Con appearance when show creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat confirmed Moriarty is definitely dead.

With Scott gone, who will Sherlock be up against next?

Producer Sue Vertue revealed the new antagonist on TwitterLars Mikkelson will join the cast as Charles Augustus Magnussen.

You most likely recognize Mikkelsen from AMC's show "The Killing."

Who is Magnussen? Well, there's a similar character in the Sherlock Holmes' series "The Adventure of Charles Augustus" who is described as the "king of blackmailers."

PBS has confirmed season 3 of "Sherlock" will air in the U.S. early 2014.

Episode 1 will be called "The Empty Hearse."

Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes, Lars is the brother of Mads Mikkelsen who stars on NBC's "Hannibal."

Hannibal NBC

SEE ALSO: "Sherlock" Creators Discuss The Huge Season 2 Cliffhanger At Comic-Con

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Dan Loeb Is Fed Up With Sony Entertainment's Sloppy Attempts At Making Summer Blockbusters

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Dan LoebIt’s no more Mr. Nice Guy for the founder of hedge fund Third Point, a major investor in Sony.

In a letter to his investors today, Daniel Loeb says he’s fed up with the performance of the electronics giant’s movie, TV, and music businesses — which he wants Sony to package in a separate stock, with a minority stake sold to the public. 

“We were surprised that after Entertainment’s highly touted big budget summer releases — After Earth and White House Down — bombed spectacularly at the box office, CEO [Kazuo] Hirai, speaking at the Allen & Co. Sun Valley conferences a few weeks ago, brushed off these failures saying: ‘I don’t worry about the Entertainment business, it’s doing just fine’,” Loeb says.

Calling the films “2013′s versions of Waterworld and Ishtar,” Loeb says it’s “perplexing” that Hirai gave “free passes” to Sony Pictures Entertainment Co-CEOs Michael Lynton and Amy Pascal, who he called “the executives responsible for these debacles.” Loeb adds that he’s concerned about the studio’s pipeline, which he describes as “bleak, despite overspending on numerous projects.” And the television business “relies on old Merv Griffin Production workhorses like Jeopardy! and Wheel Of Fortune” but “has no hit network television shows, only one major syndicated network show, the Dr. Oz Show, and has missed the market for unscripted television.”

Loeb says a stock offering would make the operation more transparent and accountable. “While CEO Hirai focuses on Electronics, Entertainment is in desperate need of proper supervision,” the letter says. “We believe Sony’s Board, which we understand continues to consider our suggestions, has plenty of reasons to worry about Entertainment and should enact our partial listing proposal quickly.” Loeb is an investor in Variety with Deadline’s parent company PMC.

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Is Your Vocal Style Hurting Your Career?

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Kim Kardashian Paris HiltonActress and director Lake Bell recently told New York magazine that when a woman uses what she calls ”sexy baby voice” or “squeaky-toy voice,” it’s a major friendship deal breaker.

What is this voice, you ask? It’s when a woman employs the vocal fry — a low, staccato vibration during speech produced by a slow fluttering of the vocal cordspeaking in a creaky low register— in combination with other bad vocal habits.

The vocal fry is a linguistics phenomena made popular in the last few years mostly by younger women (I’m looking at you, Kardashian Klan). 

Bell said she has been ”personally ruptured and unsettled” by this language trend. “Not only is it pitch, so really high up, but it’s also a dialect, it’s like a speech pattern that includes uptalking and fry, so it’s this amalgamation of really unsavory sounds that many young women have adopted,” she said.

Ending a sentence on a higher note, typically done when asking a question, does connote insecurity and women do often use it.

“If women do something like uptalk or vocal fry, it’s immediately interpreted as insecure, emotional, or even stupid,” said Carmen Fought, a professor of linguistics at Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif.

But, I have to ask, is the vocal fry really all that bad?

The vocal fry can sometimes be strategic.

“The truth is,” Fought said, “Young women take linguistic features and use them as power tools for building relationships.”

CNBC Senior Editor John Carney claims that Wall Street women should actually get the credit for inventing the vocal fry. “It’s ubiquitous among senior and mid-level women, and less common with junior staff,” he wrote.

New York Times Managing Editor Jill Abramson is supposedly a prime example of this vocal tick.

In 2011, University of Iowa Assistant Professor of Japanese Sociolinguistics Ikuko Patricia Yuasa published a study in American Speech that looked at women’s use of “creaky voice.” She cited past studies that have linked creaky voice to men and higher status; some researchers in the 1980s even deemed it “hyper-masculine” and a “robust marker of male speech.” Yuasa suggested that it could be a way to compete with men by taking advantage of the attributes associated with a lower-pitched voice. “Creaky voice may provide a growing number of American women with a way to project an image of accomplishment,” she said.

The vocal fry may be the way to go, but, be advised, there are those who find it quite annoying and continue to criticize women for raising the pitch of their voice and lowering it. The one rule that should always be followed? Do not, under any circumstances ever, use a baby voice. This has always been, and will always be, a no-no. Instead of altering your voice in a manner that might not be well-perceived, try these quick tips for effective communication at work:

1) Speak up: Increase your volume, but not your pitch. Speak both loudly and firmly when you want to be heard. Don’t wait to be called upon. This isn’t school. This is your career.

2) Don’t say “Yes, but”: This completely undermines whatever you’re saying.

3) Watch your body language: Don’t tilt your head and use your hands too much. It takes away from your message. Also, make very solid eye contact with the person to whom you are speaking. You can read about more tips on body language here. 

4) Get to the point: Don’t skirt around the issue with weak words and constantly asking everyone what they are thinking. Make your point known at both the opening and the conclusion of the conversation and presentation.

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Ben Stiller's Next Movie 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' Looks Really Strange

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We don't know what to make of Ben Stiller 's next movie "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

20th Century Fox has released the first trailer for the film out Christmas day and it plays like a bunch of wacky dream sequences.

There's a moving Sean Penn photograph, Stiller appearing as a long-haired mountain climber, and later throwing a man out of a window.

First watch the trailer:

Confused? Here's the description for the film:

"A timid magazine photo manager who lives life vicariously through daydreams embarks on a true-life adventure when a negative goes missing."

Stiller's film is actually a remake of the 1947 original starring Danny Kaye as the titular character.

Kristen Wiig also stars in the film which actually looks Oscar worthy.

If you went to theaters this weekend, you may have seen a slightly different version of the trailer with more of Wiig.

SEE ALSO: A new teaser trailer for "Breaking Bad"

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Heidi Klum Is Already Working On An Epic Halloween Costume [PHOTOS]

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Heidi Klum takes Halloween very seriously.

It's still July but the model is already prepping for October 31st — her favorite holiday in which every year she one-ups herself with more elaborate, crazy costumes at her annual Halloween party.

This year will mark the party's 14th anniversary.

On Monday, Klum tweeted to her nearly 1.7 million followers: "Started working on my Halloween costume! " with the below frightening photo:

Heidi Klum Halloween mask

Klum has yet to reveal this year's costume, but judging by her past looks, we're in for a real treat (or trick).

Last year, the model covered her face in Swarovski crystals in costume as Cleopatra for her 13th annual Halloween party in New York City.

heidi klum swarovski face

In 2011, Klum and her then-husband Seal were unrecognizable at the model's 12th annual Halloween party at the PH-D Rooftop Lounge at Dream Downtown in NYC:

Heidi Klum Halloween costume

In 2010, she wnt all out in this crazy robot costume on elevated shoes.

Heidi Klum Halloween costume

In 2009, she dressed as a black crow.

Heidi Klum Halloween costume

In 2008, Klum went with an Indian theme for her party at NYC night club 1 OAK.

Heidi Klum halloween costume

In 2007, she gave a mean meow as a scary cat:

Heidi Klum halloween costume

In 2006, Klum's celebrated at Privilege night club in Los Angeles with her ex-husband, Seal.  The two went as Eve and the forbidden fruit.

Heidi Klum seal halloween costume

In 2005, Klum kept it scary with makeup that made her eyes look bloodshot.

Heidi Klum Halloween costume

In 2004, she was red hot at her 5th Annual Halloween party at Marquee in NYC:

Heidi Klum halloween costume

In 2003, she hosted her Haunted Halloween Bash in NYC dressed as a gold creature.

Heidi Klum Halloween costume

And in 2002 Klum and her first husband, Ric Pipino, attended her 3rd annual Halloween Party at Capitale in NYC dressed as Betty Boop and Elvis.

Heidi Klum halloween costume

SEE ALSO: Model Adrianne Curry Geeked Out In Eye-Popping Costumes At Comic Comic-Con

More Heidi Klum: Topless Protestors Ambush Heidi Klum On 'Top Model' Finale

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