Eagle-eyed Australian readers appear to have found a secret message in the children's Funday puzzle section of Rupert Murdoch's Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

The hidden message appeared in a word search about the animals of Indonesia, but it doesn't appear to be one of the answers:

Can you see it?

"LIVESIHCODRUM" is the word here. Mysteriously, that reads "MURDOCH IS EVIL" backward.

According to the Guardian, the Telegraph has refused to comment on the puzzle, but Twitter is full of theories about this secret message.

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The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show aired last night on CBS. 

In case you missed it, we took photos from the production.

The show started with a British theme and ended in a flurry of snow. Taylor Swift and Fall Out Boy performed. 

Despite the huge production, the focus was on the gorgeous models who walked the runway.

Candice Swanepoel sizzled in red, while Karlie Kloss rocked her controversial haircut. 

Photography by Daniel Goodman. 

The show takes place at the Armory on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan.

It's known for its outrageous sets and special effects.

This year's edition began with a marching band dressed as British guards.

We've been waiting to hear more about "Jupiter Ascending" for a while.  

The space film comes from "The Matrix" directors Andy and Lana Wachowski. 

Warner Bros. released the first trailer for the film starring Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum last night.  

Here's the plot synopsis for the film: 

Jupiter Jones (Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning other people's houses and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos. 

"Jupiter Ascending" comes to theaters July 25, 2014.

SEE ALSO: What movies you should see Christmas day

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Willie Nelson, Barenaked Ladies, and Heart have all canceled shows at SeaWorld after seeing "Blackfish" — a chilling new documentary about the mistreatment of whales that has turned them into 'serial' killer whales. 

"I don't agree with the way they treat their animals," Nelson told CNN's Brooke Baldwin. "It wasn't that hard a deal for me."

"I understand that there are some natural-habitat zoos out there, which is probably OK," Nelson added. "But what they do at SeaWorld is not OK."

The country legend's comments came one day after a SeaWorld Orlando spokesman said the Nelson would not be part of next year Bands, Brew & BBQ events "due to scheduling conflicts."

After "Blackfish" aired on CNN, many now share Nelson's sentiments.

Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies also pulled out of a Florida gig at SeaWorld, explaining on their Facebook Page: "This is a complicated issue, and we don't claim to understand all of it, but we don't feel comfortable proceeding with the gig at this time."

Most recently, the band Heart also canceled an Orlando performance.

In response, SeaWorld spokesman Nick Gollattscheck told CNN: "While we're disappointed a small group of misinformed individuals was able to deny fans what would have been great concerts at SeaWorld ... we respect the bands' decisions."

REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick, Justin Moore, Scotty McCreery, Martina McBride and 38 Special are still scheduled to perform — despite Change.org petitions asking the musicians to re-think the shows.

SEE ALSO: How Aquariums Allegedly Turned A Whale Into A Killing Machine

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Jason Bateman's directorial debut is a dark comedy titled "Bad Words" about a bitter, foul-mouthed adult who finds a loophole to compete against children in a national spelling bee.

Bateman's character finds a nemesis-turned-friend in an awkward 10-year-old speller played by the adorable Rohan Chand.

The film opens in March. Watch the explicit NSFW red-band trailer below:

SEE ALSO: The First Trailer For 'Jupiter Ascending' — The Next Movie From 'The Matrix' Creators

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It isn't a flattering portrayal, necessarily.

In "The Wolf of Wall Street," Martin Scorsese's upcoming adaptation of a book about criminal excess in finance, Daniel Porush is an executive at Stratton Oakmont. It's a hedonistic, morally bankrupt business, and in the book and the movie, Porush (played by Jonah Hill in the movie) is a ringleader.

The real Daniel Porush told Mother Jones that he takes issue with some of "Wolf of Wall Street's" scenes — namely that they didn't happen.

From Mother Jones:

Porush says he never heard anyone at the firm refer to Belfort as the "wolf." And while sex was nearly as integrated into office life as the scams that made the firm's owners millions, Porush strongly denies a long-established piece of Stratton lore detailed in the book, and dramatized in the film adaptation: that brokers became so debauched that Belfort was forced to issue a memo declaring the office a "f**k-free zone" from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on workdays.

Porush also takes issue with the massive office party, complete with dwarf throwing and a monkey on roller skates:

"There was never a chimpanzee in the office," Porush maintains. "There were no animals in the office ... I would also never abuse an animal in any way." And while Porush admits the firm hired little people to attend and mingle at at least one party, "we never abused [or threw] the midgets in the office; we were friendly to them," he emphasizes. "There was no physical abuse."

Porush did, however, once tell a trader to shape up, or he'd eat the trader's goldfish. When the trader's performance wasn't up to snuff, Porush ate the goldfish as promised.

So there's that.

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It's been a while since we've heard about Tila Tequila, the television personality who was also once the highest-ranked female artist on MySpace. But now she's made her way back into the spotlight.

According to Animal New York, the former reality star took to her Facebook to share a series of pro-Hitler posts.

She also uploaded a photo of herself dressed in a Nazi uniform standing in front of  what looks like a green screen of Auschwitz (shown here).

On Facebook, she writes a fairytale about Hitler, to whom Tequila compares herself:

Once upon a time in a land far away there was a special and sweet kid who had a dream to become a painter. He was a brilliant artist and was ahead of his time. He had hopes, and dreams just like we all do.

Unfortunately, the art schools did not feel the same as he and they rejected him. Fast forward a few years later he was roughed up and bullied on top of that by the same people he once loved. His Name was Hitler.

Interestingly enough, two years ago Tequila converted to Judaism, but said her choice made people laugh at her when all she ever wanted to do was "show Jews love."

Animal New York says she has since removed the posts and the photo.

Tequila has also taken to the Internet to share her theory that Paul Walker, the "Fast and Furious" star who was killed the day after Thanksgiving in a car crash, had been "ritualistically murdered."

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Reviews for the "Hobbit" sequel, "The Desolation of Smaug" are trickling out and if you were among those upset by the first prequel installment than you'll be happy to learn that most critics thoroughly enjoy director Peter Jackson's return Middle Earth.

Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) returns on his journey with Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and a pack of 13 dwarves to reclaim their treasure from the dragon Smaug.

Despite the groans of turning a singular book that doesn't cross 300 pages into a three-part film, "The Hobbit" is a cash cow for MGM and Warner Bros. Last year's "An Unexpected Journey" made more than $1 billion at theaters.

(Of course, fans will know Jackson is also using material from unfinished J.R.R. Tolkien tales to supplement the movies.)

And if you're wondering, yes, it will still be shown in the high-frame rate, meaning you'll see double the images on screen as you normally would at once (48 frames per second vs. 24).

We're seeing the film tonight and will offer up our initial thoughts afterward. 

For now, here's what you should know before seeing the film:

Everyone agrees — it's better than the first. 

The Hollywood Reporter (THR):

"Nearly everything about The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug represents an improvement over the first installment of Peter Jackson's three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's beloved creation." 

The Wrap: 

"Clearer and more engaging than its predecessor, this second installation in the “Hobbit” trilogy deftly brings out the human side of dwarves and elves while upping the action quotient." 

Associated Press (AP):

‘‘'The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug'’ is not much shorter — 8 minutes, to be exact — but it feels brisker, lighter, funnier." 

The film is again being shown in 48 frames per second, but this time around, it's not such a dizzying experience. 

THR:

"The distractingly vivid images provided by the 48 frames-per-second in the first film appear to have been massaged properly this time, and there is a notably lower-than-average reduction in image brightness when using the 3D glasses." 

Benedict Cumberbatch is great as not one, but two villains.

(AP):

"It’s fun to hear Benedict Cumberbatch, as Smaug, hurl seething epithets at Bilbo, and Freeman is at his most pluckily adorable." 

Total Film:

"He’s easily the year’s most magnificent beast. He has a way with a fearsome one-liner too, and Benedict Cumberbatch hisses out his words with cold-blooded vitriol." 

But his performance doesn't please everyone ... 

THR:

"Too unnaturally deepened and electronically modified to afford pure enjoyment of the actor's menacing readings." 

Apparently, the big bad dragon's arrival isn't even the best part of the film. Critics are raving about a scene involving the dwarves in barrels which sets Jackson apart as a visionary.

Variety:

"In pure action terms, the picture’s indisputable high point arrives when Bilbo leads the dwarfs on a daring escape from Mirkwood, floating downriver in barrels while fending off some particularly vicious orcs."   

Indiewire: 

"One involved set-piece with dwarves in wine barrels spilling down a river while Orcs and elves chase them is positively thrilling, matching and surpassing the visually dazzling sequences in Steven Spielberg’s panoramic “The Adventures of Tintin.” 

However, if you don't know them all by now, you'll still be confused by the many dwarves in the film. 

Empire:

"More screentime might have been usefully given to the dwarves, who remain largely anonymous. Besides Thorin (Richard Armitage), whose facade of nobility is beginning to crumble, revealing baser motives beneath, the only one who gets much attention is Kili (Aidan Turner)." 

Total Film:

"The Dwarves fall victim to their numerousness again, with the majority of the 13 falling by the wayside, and even Bilbo and Thorin lack arcs." 

The addition of a new female elf, Tauriel, played by "Lost" alum Evangeline Lilly adds a needed bit of estrogen to this film. The Wrap:

"As it turns out, Tauriel gives the film an emotional core that reminds the audience that, even among dragons and elves and Orcs and dwarves, all of their feelings are completely human." 

Indiewire:

"The one character of any substance in the picture ... Tauriel actually cares about people in need of help (including dwarves, the sworn rivals of elves), so it’s her internal conflict that gives the movie its only shallow of humanistic depth." 

It's not all good ... the dangers that come with making this a three-part film: It feels like more of a setup than a singular movie in itself.Indiewire:

"‘Smaug’ is about almost absolutely nothing. 'The Further Adventures Of Chasing Gemstones That Mean Something Or Other To The Dwarves' might be a better suited subtitle as it is simply designed to keep this behemoth franchise moving forward and nothing more …  it’s all narrative teases that amounts to TUNE INTO THE NEXT EPISODE TO FIND OUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENS." 

Variety:

"Even the staunchest Tolkien loyalists may feel they’re on an overly protracted journey to an inevitably less exciting destination."

Overall consensus: See it!

If you were disappointed by "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" — we'll admit, it dragged a bit — think back. "The Fellowship of the Rings" — the first "Lord of the Rings" installment — was pretty slow, too. The whole entire point of "The Hobbit" book is to arrive at the dragon in the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo's big confrontation with the dragon Smaug will happen in this film. For "Sherlock" fans, it's a nice little onscreen reunion for stars Martin Lawrence and Benedict Cumberbatch before the series return in January.

It may not be "The Two Towers" — the second film in "The Lord of the Rings" franchise — but the return of Legolas (Orlando Bloom) and the addition of eye candy in Evangeline Lilly ("Lost") make it worth giving the franchise another go.

Check out a trailer for the film:

SEE ALSO: Which movies you should see Christmas Day

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Amy Poehler may have a Youtube web series "Ask Amy" in which she answers young women's questions on how to survive their teenage years, but that doesn't mean the "Parks and Recreation" star is a fan of social media.

"I'm not a real social-media person. I'm not on Twitter," she tells Paper Magazine in a new interview. "I try not to read too much online because I always get my feelings hurt, even if someone's flattering you."

Poehler went on to give a few funny examples: "Like somebody tweeting, 'Call me crazy, but I think Amy Poehler's attractive.' And you're like, 'OK? Thank you?' Or like someone writing, 'I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that I'd have sex with Amy Poehler.'"

But one particular part of social media that the former "SNL" star takes issue with: selfies.

"The amount of Instagram selfies seems crazy out-of-control. The idea of, 'This is my face and everyone needs to see it all the time,' is so far from the privacy that people used to seek. Now everyone acts the way '80s performance artists used to act. Everybody's Karen Finley. Everybody's like, 'I'm gonna put s--- all over me and take pictures!'"

Poehler recalled the good old days when cameras captured experiences, not became them.

"When I was a kid, you'd go to a party or a punk rock show and you'd have fun, and you'd bring a camera, and you'd take pictures, and those pictures would stay inside the camera. Pictures were an addition to the experience. Now the picture is the experience. If I'm hanging out with a friend, and they take a picture of me, it's like 'Ugh.' I mean, I hate looking at pictures of myself. It immediately takes me out of the experience."

SEE ALSO: The Craziest Moments Captured In Selfies

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Yes, "Godzilla" is getting a mega-sized reboot next summer with one of television's biggest stars.

The studio released the first trailer for the film starring Bryan Cranston ("Breaking Bad") after launching a viral site for the movie.

We don't get a good look at the monster, but we do see a few shots of Cranston along with a harrowing look at the path of the monster's destruction.

Gareth Edwards ("Monsters") is directing the film which will also star Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. (Coincidentally, the two will also be starring side by side in 2015's "Avengers" sequel as well.)

"Godzilla" will be in theaters May 16, 2014.

Here are our takeaways from the trailer:
Everyone is trying to prevent the monster from escaping.

It doesn't look like that went over so well.Is that Cranston running around?Everyone seen in the trailer basically wears this same expression seen on Olsen's face:And with good reason. Finally, the brief look at the monster that leaked online earlier this year.

Here's the first poster for the film that has since been released.And a new image of Cranston:

SEE ALSO: Creepy teaser trailers for the "Godzilla" remake

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Funny man Adam Sandler knabbed the number one spot on Forbes' list of the 10 Most Overpaid Actors of 2013.

To compile the rankings, Forbes compared actors' salaries from their last three films with movie earnings and studio budgets.

Sandler had two big movie flops this year — "Jack and Jill" and "That's My Boy" — the former of which cost $80 million to make and grossed $150 million, while the latter cost $70 million to make but only grossed $57 million.

Forbes estimates that for every $1 Sandler made for his last three movies, the films themselves earned an average of $3.40.

Sandler swiped the top spot from last year's front-runner, Eddie Murphy, while Katherine Heigel remains in second place for the second year in a row — thanks to the lackluster "One For the Money" and "Killers."

Forbes' list is compiled from numbers between June 2012 and 2013.

Here's the complete list of Overpaid Actors: 

1. Adam Sandler: Returns $3.40 for every $1 paid.

2. Katherine Heigl: Returns $3.50 for every $1 paid.

3. Reese Witherspoon: Returns $3.90 for every $1 paid

4. Nicolas Cage: Returns $6 for every $1 paid.

5. Kevin James: Returns $6.10 for every $1 paid.

6. Denzel Washington: Returns $8.30 for every $1 paid.

7. Steve Carell: Returns $10 for every $1 paid.

8. Jennifer Aniston: Returns $10.60 for every $1 paid.

9. Matt Damon: Returns $10.60 for every $1 paid.

10. Ryan Reynolds: Returns $10.70 for every $1 paid.

SEE ALSO: Michael Jackson Earned More This Year Than The Highest-Earning Living Celebrity

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Kim Kardashian is fighting back against negative press surrounding a recent eBay auction in which she donated just 10% of proceeds to typhoon disaster relief in the Philippines.

After being called "selfish" and "greedy," Kardashian finally broke her silence on her blog Tuesday, explaining the actual breakdown of costs from the auction.

In a post titled “Giving Comes From The Heart,” Kardashian reveals:

In regards to these eBay auctions, when the eBay numbers get broken down, the auction management agency that posts for me gets a percentage for all of their hard work, then eBay listing fees, end of auction fees, eBay Store fees, Paypal fees, etc., all add up to about half of the sale. Then I give 10% to a charity.

Read the reality star's full blog post below (via Celebuzz):

I feel compelled to speak about something that is in my head and my heart. Over the years, I’ve had to grow a thick skin. Being in the public eye, there are times I feel like I get criticized for any and everything I do. I’m used to it now. I just choose not to feed into negativity or become consumed by it.

The problem comes in when I get attacked for giving and trying to help people. My dad always taught me the importance of giving back. I don’t publicize everything I do to help charities and people all over the world. I do it because I want to. I do it because my dad taught me to. I do it because it’s the right thing to do. So for people to attack me for giving 10% of my eBay auction sales to the people of the Philippines, that hurts.

I do eBay auctions monthly and change the charity or church from time to time. I give 10% of all my earnings to charities, not just these eBay auctions. This month it’s for the people of the Philippines, last month was Life Change Community Church.

In regards to these eBay auctions, when the eBay numbers get broken down, the auction management agency that posts for me gets a percentage for all of their hard work, then eBay listing fees, end of auction fees, eBay Store fees, Paypal fees, etc., all add up to about half of the sale. Then I give 10% to a charity.

Truth is how the # is broken down, is neither here nor there. The people of the Philippines need all of our help, no matter how big or small.

Over the last 5+ years, I have listed thousands of items on eBay Giving Works for various causes. I will continue to do what is in my heart and am happy to know many others have enjoyed purchasing from me, as they too are giving with me.

Giving comes from the heart. We all need to be reminded of this as we celebrate the holiday season this year.

SEE ALSO: Kim Kardashian Under Fire For Only Donating 10% Of Her eBay Charity Sale

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Millions of people are expected to watch the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show tonight. 

Models like Candice Swanepoel, Adriana Lima, and Miranda Kerr walked in the show, while Taylor Swift performed.

The show, which airs on CBS at 10 p.m., is also known for the outrageous costumes models  wear.

We went to a taping of the fashion show last month, and selected the five best outfits. 

1. Lindsay Ellingson's 3D-printed wings. 

The company collaborated with 3D-printing company Shapeways, architect Bradley Rothenberg, and Swarovski to make the outfit.

 
2. Karlie Kloss' psychedelic Angel outfit. 

This outfit was one of the most memorable from the show. The brightly-colored wings really make it pop. 

3. Erin Heatherton's feathered cape. 

This cape was intricately woven with red feathers on the outside and pink feathers on the inside. Her shoes matched perfectly. 

4. Candice Swanepoel's Fantasy Bra. 

Swanepoel's bra cost a whopping $10 billion thanks to that giant ruby. It even had its own security guard. 

5. Taylor Swift's Union Jack get-up. 

Even though Taylor wasn't a model, we thought her outfit was incredibly eye-catching. 

You've seen the coolest outfits... Now check out our 51 photos from the event

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Television history is chock full of spin-offs that completely flunked.

Last month, we took a look at some of the best spin-off shows of all time — but let's face it, not all spinoffs are met with success. 

After all, who can forget "Joey," the heavily promoted yet unsuccessful NBC show that followed Matt LeBlanc's character in a post-"Friends" world?

With networks gearing up for a bunch of newspinoffs, here are the shows that had a brief shelf life.

"Joey" (2004-2006)

Spin-off of: "Friends" (1994-2004) 

NBC's hit series "Friends" found so much success in its 10-year run, it's not that surprising a spin-off didn't live up to the same glory.

"Joey" followed the main character Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) in his move to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career. Despite heavy promotion, the show failed to win over viewers, leading it to cancellation after two seasons.

In response to the show's lackluster performance, LeBlanc later said he would do it again. 

“I thought that it was a good show. I just think that we were telling stories that emasculated the character," LeBlanc told the Guardian. "They wrote a guy who became very doubtful of himself in this new place, in Hollywood, no friends, can’t meet girls – and that’s not who Joey was. He was always, always, always, the consummate optimist. Always. And that’s not who they wrote. That was very frustrating for me.”

"The Lone Gunmen" (2001)

Spin-off of: "The X-Files" (1993-2002)

"The Lone Gunmen," which premiered during a brief "The X-Files" broadcast hiatus, revolved around characters Melvin Frohike, John Fitzgerald Byers, and Richard Langly, who all ran a conspiracy theory magazine.

"The Lone Gunmen" was cancelled after thirteen episodes.

"Top of the Heap" (1991)

Spin-off of: "Married... with Children" (1987-1997)

"Joey" wasn't Matt LeBlanc's only unsuccessful spin-off. 

He also appeared in "Top of the Heap," a show spun off from a "Married... with Children" episode of the same name. Featuring characters Charlie Verducci and his son Vinnie, the spin-off only lasted a total of seven episodes. 

Good news, music lovers.

Spotify announced this morning that it's making mobile streaming free for all users on any device.

Previously, only paid, premium users could listen to their playlists on smartphones or tablets.

Users will also be able to shuffle through entire catalogues of any artist, and create playlists on their phones. The free mobile streaming will be ad-supported, just like it is on desktops.

CEO Daniel Ek also revealed  that users can now stream Led Zeppelin's entire catalogue on Spotify. Before now, the band refused to partner with any streaming services, and Spotify now has exclusive streaming rights.

Ek announced that in the past five years, people have created 1.5 billion playlists on Spotify, and that the service has expanded into 35 markets, and is adding 25 new countries today.

"I believe that we're giving people the best music experience ever in the history of the smartphone,"
Ek said.

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With a $30 million salary, "Modern Family" star Sofia Vergara was recently named Forbes' highest paid actress on TV for the second year in a row.

But the 41-year-old Colombian beauty didn't get there on her looks alone.

"I think that the concept of being sexy and smart is difficult for many to grasp," Vergara says in the new issue of Glam Belleza Latina. "Most people are more comfortable with the notion of 'sexy bimbo.' And I have to admit that I've capitalized on that to negotiate a couple of times, when the 'smart ones' think I have no idea what I can deliver, and I end up costing them more." 

Vergara also boasts big endorsement deals with Diet Pepsi, CoverGirl, Kmart, Comcast, and State Farm insurance.

"I'm not ashamed to say I love making money," the actress admits. "I like business, and the truth is I save way more than I spend. I invest. I plan for the future. I have a special eye for opportunities and work harder than anyone might expect. It is fun to shock people with my business ideas. Most people just see me as [her 'Modern Family' character] Gloria." 

Vergara says that her now 21-year-old son motivated her to work hard and make money "because I had a child to support" — even if that meant dying her once blonde hair dark.

"I wasn't getting roles because I didn't look, according to many casting directors and producers, 'Latina enough.' The reality is Latinos come in all colors, heights and flavors, but who was I to preach this stuff when I needed a job?" she says. "My team and I decided to darken my hair to make it more in tune with my accent, and it worked." 

Clearly.

SEE ALSO: Sofia Vergara Is The Highest-Earning TV Actress By A Landslide

MORE: Kim Kardashian Defends Donating Small Amount To Charity By Explaining Funds Breakdown

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Eight years ago, I sold my PlayStation 2. 

I sold it because it was a time suck on my evenings away from work I hated.  My life was becoming a blur. Also, I was spending hours each night losing to strangers in a football videog ame called "Madden," and it was making me go to bed angry.

In the years since I sold my PS2, I've owned only one game console: a Wii. I played it for a few months before disuse allowed all of the batteries in the controllers to die. Now it's stuffed in a closet somewhere.

Otherwise, I've been console free. I skipped the whole PS3 and Xbox 360 generation.

Then, last weekend, my wife flew out of town on business and my college roommate was coming to town for a visit. He and I used to play a lot of "Madden" in college, and I thought it would be a fun way to hang out.

I asked Business Insider's console expert, Kirsten Acuna, if it would be possible for me to buy a PS4 or Xbox One before the weekend.

She laughed at me.

Apparently to get either console, the rule is you have to stand in front of a video game store in cold rain, waiting for delivery trucks to arrive with more stock. Then you get trampled and have to do it again. And it never works.

That sounded terrible.

But then Kirsten made a generous, genius suggestion: Why don't I borrow her PlayStation 4 for the weekend?

Sold!

So I spent Saturday and Sunday playing "Madden" with my college buddy. Then my wife came home, and on Monday night we played "Just Dance 2014." Then last night, I spent a couple hours playing a racing game called "Need For Speed" and a first person shooter called "Killzone."

Here's what I learned playing with the latest Playstation after having been away for years:

The graphics are as incredible as I imagined. When you buy a new game console, you expect the video game animations to look more like the real world than they did in the past – more like live-action film. On this count, the PS4 totally delivers. Human faces still look stiff and fake, but objects and limbs are now practically photo-realistic. The realism is enhanced in the football game I played all weekend, "Madden," because all its maker, EA, had to do was make it look like you're watching a telecast. So players helmets go in out of focus. The camera shakes a little. In "Killzone," the world look as good or better than what you'd see in a big budget sci-fi movie.

The load times are incredibly long. I use a MacBook air, which boots up in under 20 seconds. The apps I load on my iPhone or iPad just pop open. So I'd forgotten that it can take computers a while to load really complicated programs. That's the reality you encounter with the PS4. Playing "Madden 25," you have to sit there and watch still screens for a few minutes between each game.

Supposedly, the PS4 can be controlled by your voice. I didn't notice.

Setting up "profiles" and entering any kind of alpha-numeric data takes way too long. One of the cool aspects of the PS4 is that you can set up a profile for every gamer who uses it. This allows you to keep track of your progress in lots of games, share clips from the games online, and play other people over the Internet. The problem is that setting up your profile takes a good half hour if not longer. The reason: typing using a game controller sucks. You mouse over letters and numbers and then click them out. My email address has 28 characters in it. Entering it three or four times takes a while. The easy solution for this would be for Sony to have a smartphone app where you can set up your profile, and than have you sync it to your PS4 by scanning a QR code off your TV screen.

I'm still good at beating my friend Zach in "Madden." We played 10 games on Saturday and Sunday. I won seven times, lost twice, and tied him once. In other words, I smoked him. In other words, it was like good old times. (Hi, Zach.) The take-away here is that even though these consoles are much fancier than they used to be, the way you hit the buttons to play the actual games hasn't changed much yet. 

The motion-sensing camera/controller broadens the console's appeal. When my wife, Anna, got back in town on Monday, she wasn't thrilled that there was a PS4 attached to our TV, and that I was (for work!) going to play it for a couple hours that night. Then I told her that one of the games Kirsten lent me was "Just Dance 2014." "Just Dance" is one of those games where you try to do what the dancing figures on the screen are doing. Through a camera, the PS4 sees how close you are and gives you points. Anna and I played it for a two hours or so and we had a lot of fun. Mostly this was because we are excellent dancers. See for yourself.

Here's me:

Here's us together:

The PS4 is more than just a machine for shooting people on screen or scoring lots of touchdowns on your friend. Thanks to the camera you can buy for it, it has physical, social games that active people will like.

I didn't use the PS4's built-in tools for "sharing" clips of your gameplay over the Web, but I can see why they are there.  Entering letters and numbers through the controller takes a long time and is very boring to do. So, after I turned on the PS4, I got tired of setting it up, and never got around to hooking it up to my Facebook account. If I had, I would have been able to clip some of my gameplay and share it with my friends as Web video. At first, I thought this was a silly feature. Who wants to watch what I did in a video game? But then my wife and I used Vine and Instagram to record the videos of our excellent dancing, and we got lots of feedback from some very impressed friends. So now I get it.

The storytelling in video games is now a form of art. The last first-person shooter I was really into was the "Star Wars" computer game "Dark Forces" from the 1990s. That game did a great job of bring the world of "Star Wars" to life. But it didn't' feel like I was a character living in a story. Playing "Killzone" for a couple hours last night felt much different. You start the game as a little boy refugee, trying to escape a war zone with your father. You're creeping through a city being patrolled by enemy soldiers. He runs ahead and tells you to follow him. He tells you to be brave. Then he gets shot, and it's a painful moment actually – just like it would be in a good movie. Some people say that video games are a higher art form than movies, and I can see why they say that. In a movie, you can't pull the trigger to take sweet revenge. Also, you can't walk around the set.

You can use the PS4 as a Web TV box to play Netflix and other video. I didn't, because I have a Mac Mini hooked up to my TV and, again, setting anything up on the PS4 is a dreadful experience.

I'd forgotten how, unlike TV, gaming requires total focus. Like most people, I watch TV with my iPhone on and in my right hand. I'm looking at Twitter or Instagram the whole time. Or I'm eating. I'd forgotten that you can't do that with videogames. You can't hold your controller with one hand and pay half attention. Not if you don't want to keep getting blasted by soldiers with glowing red eyes.

Despite the realistic graphics and sophisticated story-telling, video game "worlds" still seem lonely and creepy. If you take a philosophy course in college, they teach you that you can't actually prove that other people in the world aren't robots, or that you're not living in some sort of computer simulation. It's a creepy thought, but easily forgotten because other people are so obviously real. In video game worlds, however, the other characters remain very flat and obviously programmed. They are virtual animatronics – as life-less as the robots you glide past on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" ride at Disney. What happens to me when I play games like "Killzone" is that the graphics look real enough that it feels like I'm in a movie, but the characters are so obviously fake that I feel lonely. What'll be amazing – and kind of scary – is when, someday, you'll be able to play a game where the characters seem real. We're not there yet.

I realized that I actually have owned a game console for the past few years – my iPhone and iPad. When I put in the disc for "Need For Speed," I remembered that I spent most of a winter month earlier this year already playing a version of the game for my iPhone on the subway. I actually play a ton of video games on my phone. I love the Infinity Blade series and tower defense games on my iPhone, and games like Pirates! for my iPad. One advantage of iOS gadgets-as-game-consoles  is that they don't take over your TV and make it so your wife can't watch The Mindy Project.

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Alessandra Ambrosio was one of the most famous models walking down the runway during last night's annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on CBS.

At age 32, the married mother of two is a seasoned model who has learned how to turn her good looks into a business.

Born in the Brazilian city of Erechim, to gas station-owning parents, Ambrosio has been a Victoria's Secret Angel for the past ten years and appeared on over 70 international magazine covers, making her the sixth wealthiest model in the world last year.

While Ambrosio dropped off this year's list of the 10 wealthiest models, Forbes calls her a "likely candidate to make the list next year" and she still has a reported net worth of $40 million.

April 11, 1981: Alessandra Corine Ambrosio was born in Erechim, Brazil. Her parents, who are of Italian and Polish Brazilian descent, owned a gas station.

1992: Alessandra, who was always insecure about her large ears, had cosmetic surgery at age 11 to get her ears pinned back.

1993: At age 12, she enrolled in modeling class and by age 14, she was one of 20 finalists for an Elite modeling competition in Brazil.

Warning: There are some spoilers ahead.

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" is out in theaters Friday.

We saw the second installment to Peter Jackson's "Hobbit" trilogy Tuesday night in 3D and enjoyed it a lot. 

The film by no means is perfect, but it is a vast improvement upon the first. (The second time around there aren't any musical numbers by the dwarves, so that's a plus.)

It's faster paced with a new threat around every bend whether from spiders, elves, Orcs, or a deadly dragon and should be a solid box-office win for Warner Bros. come this weekend.

"The Desolation of Smaug" wastes no time picking up right where the first film ended with hobbit Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) continuing his perilous journey with 13 dwarves and the wizard Gandalf (Sir Ian McKellen) to the Lonely Mountain to recover the lost dwarf treasure from a dragon.

And it's clear to say that of all the characters, Freeman masterfully delivers in his return as Bilbo.  

For a small hobbit, he’s a ball of fire on screen. Having seen all of the “Lord of the Rings” (LOTR) films, Bilbo manages to be more courageous and do more in one scene at the beginning of the film than Frodo (Elijah Wood) did in three. (If you think about it, someone else was always saving his life — Sam — and in the third film, he was getting dragged and carried through most of it.) 

However, other than the dwarves and Gandalf — who by now feels like a dear old friend welcomed into your home as the old wizard — the film has a lot of new faces (along with one old). 

Here's a quick rundown of who you need to know:

Orlando Bloom returns as LOTR favorite Legolas
Lee Pace plays Legolas' father, King of the wood-elves, Thranduil
Evangeline Lilly ("Lost") joins as a female elf, Tauriel, who Legolas has his eyes set on.
Stephen Fry (“V for Vendetta”) joins as a conniving and corrupt politician, the Master of Lake-town
Luke Evans (“Fast & Furious 6”) plays a widowed father of three children who helps the dwarves on their quest.
Benedict Cumberbatch is not one, but two villains — the menacing dragon Smaug — and the less-physical, but even more threatening, Necromancer. 

Because there are so many characters, you often feel like you’re watching not one movie, but three, or at the least three to four different mini-sodes as the story shifts back and forth between Bilbo and the dwarves, Bilbo and the ring, elves Legolas and Tauriel, and Gandalf’s side adventure having to do with a big tie-in to the “Lord of the Rings.”  

However, some of the characters are welcome. 

Sure, Legolas wasn’t in “The Hobbit,” but it gives fans a reason to see the film while also creating another bridge between the prequel and sequel. True to form, Legolas is a master with a bow and arrow and he delivers some of the best action sequences to see on screen. Prime example: At one point he’s hobbling around on dwarf heads shooting arrows at Orcs.   

He’s still a bit rough around the edges at this point, but we’re watching the makings of a great warrior and he does NOT disappoint every time he's on screen. 

We soon learn Katniss Everdeen of “The Hunger Games” isn’t the only arrow slinger on screen worth rooting for with the entry of Tauriel (Lilly). The “she-elf,” as she’s called in the film, is a new character director Peter Jackson invented for the film who gives girls an added reason to see the film. One of my biggest issues watching this film is despite all these characters, there aren’t a lot of redeeming ones who I want to rally behind. The viewer isn’t really sure who they’re supposed to side with as a protagonist, mainly because they’re kind of a bunch of selfish jerks.  

You have Bilbo, who despite selflessly pledging his allegiance to the dwarves, is a liar and a thief (having stole the “One” ring from Gollum and mischievously hiding it from Gandalf). While it’s a pleasure watching him take a sword to spiders in the film’s first leg, unlike the dwarves, he’s fighting them not to save his crew, nor to really save his own skin, but to save the ring — his ever-growing precious — from the wretched snare of the spider.

Though Bilbo’s character grows as the movie progresses — he saves the dwarves a few times — you’re never really sure if he is doing these acts selflessly or if he’s just helping the elves for a share of the treasure Smaug the dragon is guarding. 

Then there’s Thorin Oakenshield the leader of the dwarves who multiple times is warned numerous times of dwarf greed and what it can do to a person. There’s a part of the film where his true allegiance comes into question when he just sits back and let’s Bilbo risk his life for his clan without lifting a finger to help him (you can see it in the trailers when one of the other dwarfs defiantly defends the hobbit briefly saying, “His name is Bilbo”). 

Though Thorin sort of comes to his senses (it’s clear he still doesn’t completely trust Bilbo) and the dwarves and Bilbo all work together in the end against the big bad dragon, it really all seems like a means to an end for everyone involved — especially Thorin.  

After *mini-spoiler* seeing him side with the weasel Master of Lake-town *mini-spoiler*, I’m not sure that’s a dwarf I’d want to align myself with. 

At this point, you’re not really sure what to make of Gandalf. Forget what you know about him from “LOTR.” Like the first film, he’s with the crew for a few moments before he disappears on his own adventure in Dol Guldur after being whisked away from a vision.  

His role is exactly like that in LOTR. Show up in the beginning of the series, disappear for a long time, come back magically as a brand new wizard to save the day. At least, that’s how we predict it will turn out for movie three: Gandalf saves the day. 

Perhaps the only real likable character — other than Legolas, Tauriel, and (sure, why not?) Gandalf — is mysterious secondary character Bard. Maybe it’s the added family element, but compared to all of the other characters, he’s the only one who seems completely trustworthy, selfless, and righteous. There’s plenty more to his story we don’t know that I’m sure will be shared in the final installment.Enough about the characters because there is a lot of non-stop action in the sequel that lends itself to great cinematography.

The spider scene early on in the film was a fantastic use of Freeman that I won't give away but that shows once-again Bilbo is quite the asset to the dwarves despite his small size.

One that many reviews touched upon, is the epic waterfall barrel scene that pits the elves vs. the dwarves, the Orcs vs. the dwarves, and the elves vs. the Orcs. It’s one of the most imaginatively shot and orchestrated fight sequences I’ve seen in a long time.  

The creative use of barrels brings to mind playing Donkey Kong on the Nintendo 64. And its fun to watch Legolas prancing around on the heads of dwarves to take effortless shots at Orcs. 

The most aggravating and absolutely frustrating scene to watch comes near the end of the film *mini-spoilers* when the dwarves finally do arrive at the Lonely Mountain and they can’t figure out how to get inside. Rather than take a minute to think it through they try a few mindless ways to break down a wall that ultimately prove futile. Just like that, they give up on their mission and decide to head home.  

What? You’re telling me that after months of traveling and risking your lives countless times that once you’re so close to getting what you want, you’re going to let a little wall stop you? Sorry. I’m just not buying it. 

Of course, they eventually get inside, but at this point, you feel like these people may not even deserve the riches inside for being so stubborn.*mini-spoiler* 

That aside, the best may be the final half hour or so while Bilbo encounters the dragon Smaug and Gandalf goes toe-to-toe with the shadowy Necromancer. 

The funny part is that both Bilbo and Gandalf are fighting different villains played by the same man at the same time. Yes, you probably wouldn’t realize unless you were told but Benedict Cumberbatch not only delivers the sly, velvety allure of the monstrous dragon Smaug, but also the chilling monologues of the shadowy Necromancer the wizard faces. 

If you’re a fan of the book, there’s a big twist with what happens in the Smaug encounter that I won’t spoil here since the film isn’t out yet. It’s a lot longer and more drawn out than in the novel. Bilbo’s altercation with the dragon in the Lonely Mountain becomes MUCH much more complicated.  

What Jackson does is unexpected going in to the film but makes sense as you’re watching. Otherwise, a third film really would have felt unnecessary for this prequel series. 

Both instances of Cumberbatch’s vocals are quite grand and for “Sherlock” fans its a pleasure to see him reunited with Freeman on screen in different form before the show’s January return. 

The reveal of the dragon is ultimately satisfying as well. Bringing Smaug to life has never been an easy feat for anyone. (Look at the cartoon version.) This interpretation is definitely worthy of Tolkien’s character. 

In many ways, “The Desolation of Smaug” is like the second “Lord of the Rings” installment, “The Two Towers.”  

Both have multiple story arcs that are setting up for big showdowns in their respective third films. We see growing Orc armies, *spoiler* the eye of Sauron *spoiler*, the Necromancer, and a giant nuisance that just won’t go away in the forms of Gollum and Smaug (except one is frightfully more scary, breaths fire, and is actually a threat to humanity).  

Overall, the film was much more captivating then the first to watch and didn’t feel nearly as long as it was (2 hours 41 mins). 

We saw it in 3D at what I believe was normal frame rate. That felt kind of unfair, since most of the showings are supposed to be in the higher-frame rate. So I can’t comment on whether it was too much on the eyes. Though there were times the screen did get too bright — any time Smaug breathed fire toward the screen — and I had to look away. 

A few other quick notes: 

Funniest part of the film that’s not meant to be funny: 

Maybe it’s just me, but look out for the scene when the Bilbo and co. are entering the wood-elves home. The introduction of the elf King Thranduil plays out like a perfume / shampoo ad. 

Best line of the film: 
Delivered by one of Bard’s little girls: “Why are there dwarves coming out of our toilet? Will they bring us luck?”

Oh yes, and for those looking, keep a watchful eye out for director Peter Jackson at the very start of the film. It’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment.

SEE ALSO: What everyone else is saying about the film

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Tom Cruise stars in the new trailer for "Edge of Tomorrow" — director Doug Liman's sci-fi flick about an officer in an alien war who becomes stuck in a time loop, forced to re-live the same brutal mission over and over á la "Groundhog Day."

Emily Blunt plays a soldier who helps Cruise train to become a warrior and weapon to kill the aliens.

The film, formerly known as "All You Need Is Kill," hits theaters June 6. Watch the trailer below:

SEE ALSO: 'The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug' Is A Vast Improvement Over The Original

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