Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 103316 articles
Browse latest View live

JOB OF THE WEEK: Director, Engineering


Philip Seymour Hoffman's Cause Of Death Ruled As 'Toxic Mix' Of These Drugs

$
0
0

philip seymour hoffman

Phillip Seymour Hoffman's cause death has just been released:

The medical examiner just released Hoffman's official cause of death, listing "acute mixed drug intoxication" as the reason the 46-year-old actor died suddenly on February 2nd.

According to the medical examiner, the drugs in the actor's system at the time of his death were heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines (anti-anxiety) and amphetamines (uppers like Adderall).

Mixing heroin and cocaine is often termed "speedballing," reports TMZ, noting that "It's the same mixture that killed Chris Farley, River Phoenix, and John Belushi."

The death was ruled an accident.

SEE ALSO: Hollywood Reacts To Philip Seymour Hoffman's Shocking Death

Join the conversation about this story »


    






How Martin Scorsese Finally Signed On To 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' After It Bounced Around Hollywood For 7 Years

$
0
0

the wolf of wall street leonardo dicaprio martin scorseseFor "The Wolf of Wall Street," the road to Oscar was a bumpy one, to say the least.

In 2006, a fresh-out-of-prison Jordan Belfort chose Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese to option his book rights in a $330,000 deal based at Warner Bros.

Broke and indebted to his swindled victims — yet full of hope for the future  Belfort was sure his memoir being made into a movie would pull him out of financial ruin. But he never thought it would take seven years to see his life story come to life on the big screen.

As Belfort soon learned, "when Marty and Leo commit to something, it doesn't mean it's getting done. And then the problems start," he explained to The Hollywood Reporter in a new interview.

Here's where things first started to go wrong in 2006:

One, Marty is over at Paramount, which gives Paramount the right to co-finance. But Warners is like, "F--- you!" and they start butting heads. Marty was really concerned that the studio would make him tone it down. And then the writers strike hits and it falls apart: Marty and Leo go off and do Shutter Island, and I'm devastated.

After the project stalled for a few years, Belfort says there were many "false starts" with new people attached.

[After Warners renewed its initial option, in 2010] Leo's option expired a second time, and we had like five false starts. Ridley Scott commits, then Fox says, "We're going to make you do Prometheus." There were rumblings Warners wanted Ben Affleck to do it. And Megan Ellison offered to buy the whole thing  I had a celebratory dinner with her  then two days later it fell through.

Ultimately, it was DiCaprio's passion for the role that saved the entire film.

Leo just refused to let it die, and after the option expired, in 2011 Scott Lambert called a meeting with everybody  me, [DiCaprio's manager] Rick Yorn, Leo and Alexandra  at the Polo Lounge. And Leo goes, "We're going to get Marty." Then I start hearing about Red Granite. They buy it, they announce it in Cannes. They said, "Listen, we're going to make Marty an offer he can't refuse." 

Throughout the filmmaking process, DiCaprio took Belfort under his wing  while Scorsese remained aloof.

I spent hundreds of hours with Leo doing everything you could imagine, from hanging out socially to showing him what it's like to be on drugs. I took him through the stages [of taking Quaaludes] and I was rolling on the floor in his house as he was filming me. [But] I never met Marty till the end of the shoot. I did a cameo: I'm the MC that first introduces Leo.

And despite being "the whipping boy of the world" after the film's release, Belfort says he understands Scorsese's vision for the film and why he chose to end it the way he did.

It's laughable when people say [Scorsese is] glorifying my behavior, because the movie is so obviously an indictment. I could have easily been redeemed at the end of the film, because I am redeemed in real life, but [Scorsese] left all that out because he wanted to make a statement  and I respect that. Even though I'll be the whipping boy for the world.

Since its Christmas Day release, "The Wolf Of Wall Street" has raked in $338 million at the global box office and is up for five awards at Sunday's Academy Awards.

Check out Belfort talking "The Wolf Of Wall Street" success in his Hermosa Beach home:

To read Belfort's full interview with The Hollywood reporter, click here >

SEE ALSO: How Jordan Belfort's Prison Bunkmate — Tommy Chong — Inspired Him To Write 'Wolf Of Wall Street'

Join the conversation about this story »


    






Here's Who We Think Should Win The Oscars

$
0
0

The 86th annual Academy Awards take place this Sunday.

"12 Years a Slave," "American Hustle," and "Gravity" lead the nominations. 

If you're finalizing your Oscar predictions, here's who we think will take home the biggest awards of the night.

Best Supporting Actor
oscars
The nominees: 

Barkhad Abdi in “Captain Phillips” 
Bradley Cooper in “American Hustle” 
Michael Fassbender in “12 Years a Slave” 
Jonah Hill in “The Wolf of Wall Street” 
Jared Leto in “Dallas Buyers Club”

Who will win: 

Kirsten Acuna, BI's Associate Entertainment Editor: Jared Leto

While Jonah Hill is up for his second Oscar, his comedic performance in "Wolf" was nothing compared to that of Barkhad Abdi's ship-stealing Somalian pirate in "Captain Phillips" and Jared Leto's turn as a transgender woman with HIV in "Dallas Buyers Club." So far, Leto has swept the awards including the Critics Choice and Golden Globes for his performance. He's a sure lock to win.

Who the critics say will win
Deadline: 
Jared Leto
Entertainment Weekly: 
Jared Leto
Gold Derby: 

Best Supporting Actress
best supporting actress oscars

The nominees:

Sally Hawkins in “Blue Jasmine”
Jennifer Lawrence in “American Hustle” 
Lupita Nyong’o in “12 Years a Slave” 
Julia Roberts in “August: Osage County” 
June Squibb in “Nebraska”

Who will win: 

Kirsten: Lupita Nyong'o

As much as I want to see stage actress June Squibb win an Oscar for her raw performance in "Nebraska" as a foul-mouthed, bossy pants of a wife, how could your heart not go out to Nyong'o? Though Lawrence won the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards, Nyong'o's performance as a distraught and raped cotton-picking slave outshined that of Lawrence's as a nagging, simple-minded housewife in "American Hustle." 

Who the critics say will win
Deadline: 
Jennifer Lawrence
Entertainment Weekly: Lupita Nyong'o
Gold Derby: Jennifer Lawrence
The Hollywood Reporter: Lupita Nyong'o
Vulture:
 Lupita Nyong'o

Best Actor
Oscars best actor nominations

The nominees:

Christian Bale in “American Hustle” 
Bruce Dern in “Nebraska” 
Leonardo DiCaprio in “The Wolf of Wall Street” 
Chiwetel Ejiofor in “12 Years a Slave” 
Matthew McConaughey in “Dallas Buyers Club”

Who will win:

Kirsten: Leonardo DiCaprio

DiCaprio's performance in "The Wolf of Wall Street" was one of his finest. He put his heart and soul into bringing an eccentric, cocaine and Quaalude-addicted Jordan Belfort to the big screen. Scenes of him riding and wrecking a Lamborghini and subsequently rolling around on a kitchen floor with Jonah Hill and a telephone cord were gold.

Did I weep, feel enraged, and have my heartstrings pulled at by Ejiofor's performance of a free man stolen, put into slavery, and forced to whip another slave in "12 Years a Slave"? Yes. May Ejiofor win the Oscar? Certainly. This is one of the most difficult Lead Actor races to call in years. Matthew McConaughey may very well take the win. After all, he already won the Golden Globe for playing Ron Woodroof, the persistant man who refused to accept a 30-day life sentence after being diagnosed with HIV. He completely transformed himself shedding 38 pounds for the role.

However, I wouldn't mind seeing Bruce Dern get the Oscar either for his performance of a stubborn man determined on claiming a lottery prize that doesn't exist. But after five nominations wouldn't it be nice to finally see DiCaprio get the Oscar?

Who the critics say will win
Deadline: 
Matthew McConaughey
Entertainment Weekly: Bruce Dern
Gold Derby: Matthew McConaughey
The Hollywood Reporter: Matthew McConaughey
Vulture: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Best Actress
oscars best actress
The nominees:

Amy Adams in “American Hustle” 
Cate Blanchett in “Blue Jasmine” 
Sandra Bullock in “Gravity” 
Judi Dench in “Philomena” 
Meryl Streep in “August: Osage County”

Who will win:

Kirsten: Sandra Bullock

Cate Blanchett won for "Blue Jasmine" at the Globes and BAFTA awards. However, it's tough to compare with the amount of preparation Bullock put into commandering the screen alone for the majority of "Gravity." Bullock spent up to 11 hours a day alone in a box filming Alfonso Cuaron's space odyssey. The result was a beautiful performance about survival and evolution. This would be Bullock's second Oscar after 2010's win for "The Blind Side."

Who the critics say will win
Deadline: 
Cate Blanchett
Entertainment Weekly: 
Cate Blanchett
Gold Derby: 
Cate Blanchett
The Hollywood Reporter: 
Cate Blanchett

Best Picture
gravity sandra bullock

The nominees:

“American Hustle”
“Captain Phillips” 
“Dallas Buyers Club”  
“Gravity” 
“Her”
“Nebraska” 
“Philomena” 
“12 Years a Slave” 
“The Wolf of Wall Street”

Who will win: 

Kirsten: "Gravity"

The difference between a good movie versus a great movie is that a great one stays with you long after you see it. It makes you feel something long after you walk out of the theater and reminds you why you pay to head to the theaters. They're a rarity — even among Oscar contenders. That movie was "Gravity." If you try to watch it at home on Blu-Ray or DVD, you will never have the same experience. Alfonso Cuaron spent more than four years waiting for the right technology to bring his film about an astronaut fighting to get back home to the big screen and it was well worth the wait.

"12 Years a Slave" may have swept awards season — with good reason, it's typical Oscar fodder — and "Her" has received critical acclaim, but there is only one movie that totally wowed me last year. Alexander Payne's black and white "Nebraska," which delivers a poignant story about family underneath its surface lottery winnings plotline, is a close second.

What the critics say will win
Deadline: "12 Years a Slave"
Entertainment Weekly: "12 Years a Slave"
Gold Derby: "American Hustle"
The Hollywood Reporter: "12 Years a Slave"
Vulture: "12 Years A Slave"

SEE ALSO: 22 Photos That Prove The Oscars Were Ridiculously Fun In The '70s

Join the conversation about this story »


    

22 Photos That Prove The Oscars Were Ridiculously Fun In The '70s

$
0
0

oscars 70s protest

In a golden decade for American film, the Oscars encompassed the gritty, unadulterated fun of the 1970s.

The red carpet fashion, the political statements, and the backstage romances stole the spotlight away from the actual Best Picture winners.

C-3PO worked the paparazzi like no other protocol droid could; Marlon Brando rejected a best actor award; and porn star Linda Lovelace walked among Hollywood's top starlets.

As we gear up for the 86th Academy Awards on March 2, let's take a moment to reminisce about a time when black tie attire was incomplete without a mustache.

The red carpet fashion was absurdly hip. The late "Charlie's Angels" actress Farrah Fawcett wore a slinky gold dress and her trademark, feathered "Farrah Fawcett hair." She was a presenter at the 50th Academy Awards.

April 3, 1978



Jack Nicholson, nominated for best actor for "The Last Detail" in '74, arrived at the Los Angeles Music Center rocking a pair of aviators. The following year he wore a beret.

April 2, 1974



In terms of Who Wore It Best, C-3PO blew away the Oscar statue. In '78, "Star Wars" swept the technical categories, snagging six out of its 10 nominations and a Special Achievement for sound effects editing.

April 3, 1978



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






Everyone Is Using Two Words To Describe Liam Neeson's New Movie 'Non-Stop'

$
0
0

liam neeson non stop

Everyone's favorite 61-year-old action star returns to theaters today in "Non-Stop."

Liam Neeson reteams with "Unknown" director Jaume Collet-Serra for another action thriller where he uses his "particular set of skills."

This time around Neeson stars as air marshall Bill Marks who is trying to stop a killer aboard a plane from offing a passenger every 20 minutes.

Reviews for the film are pretty mixedbut that doesn't matter.  

Fans love Neeson who has become a popular action star since his role in 2008's "Taken." The film is expected to top the box office this weekend with $28.5 million

Most critics are using two words to describe the movie: ludicrous and ridiculous.

The Hollywood Reporter:

"A constant low boil of ridiculousness both mocks and sustains Non-Stop, a jerry-rigged terror-on-a-plane thriller with a premise so far-fetched as to create a degree of suspense over how the writers will wriggle out of the knot of their own making."

Film4:

Ludicrously entertaining. Wait, no, ludicrous and entertaining; a slice of sublime nonsense.”

NPR

"But if it works, it's because Neeson and Collet-Serra, as well as Julianne Moore as Neeson's business-class seatmate Jen, are all fully aware of how ludicrous this exercise is. Witness the wry joke Collet-Serra uses to obscure onscreen expletives in text messages that would have otherwise given the film an R-rating, or the way Moore's breezy nonchalance provides a counterbalance to Neeson's studied intensity."

Globe and Mail:

"The problem is that Non-Stop tries to be something it’s not. It has one too many scenes that border on ludicrous, and the big reveal barely makes sense."

Entertainment Weekly

"... its twist-a-minute script is patently ridiculous and its appeals to our post-9/11 anxieties are as subtle as a jackhammer."

The Guardian:

"The general rule seems to be that the amount of threat summoned in the first half of the movie is exactly equal to the ludicrousness of the explanation tying everything together in the second. "

How ridiculous is it, Grantland?

"The level of ridiculousness is equal to the care put into making the ridiculousness possible. It isn’t just the plotting (although the plot goes happily nuts). It’s the sense that a director actually directed, writers actually wrote, and a producer kept the movie together." 

Variety uses both.

"By its very design an exercise in claustrophobia, “Non-Stop” eventually runs out of places to go, and builds to a big third-act reveal that’s at once so ludicrous and heavy-handed that it sucks all the thrust out of the movie’s jet engines." 

"But even in the movie’s most ridiculous moments, Collet-Serra keeps the pacing brisk and knows how to divert our attention with a well-timed bit of comic relief."

But is it any good? 

Sure, as long as you don't take it seriously. 

Rolling Stone:

"This tense, terrific thriller starring Liam Neeson as Bill Marks, a boozy U.S. air marshal coping with a terrorist on a transatlantic flight from New York to London, isn't new. It's "Taken" on a Plane. Accept that and you'll have a high old time."

IGN:

"Non-Stop is what might happen if Agatha Christie was forced to pen her own version of Taken (which, in itself, would be a fun movie)."

We marked this down as our must-see guilty pleasure of the year.  Throw logic out the window and just enjoy this one if you're a fan of Neeson.

Check out a trailer for the film:

SEE ALSO: This is what movies would look like without visual effects

Join the conversation about this story »


    






Here's How Supermodel Adriana Lima Stays In Ridiculously Good Shape

$
0
0

 

 

Adriana Lima is a Victoria's Secret Angel who's been modeling for 17 years. She's also a mother of two and is one of the world's highest-paid models.

Despite all her accomplishments, Adriana Lima is still going strong in the modeling game. So, how does she stay in such ridiculous shape?

Produced by William Wei and Kevin Smith. Originally published in September 2013.

SEE ALSO: The Swimsuit Issue Turns 50 — Guess How Much Money It Makes

Follow BI Video: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »


    






Your Ultimate Guide To Streaming This Year's Academy Awards For Free

$
0
0

oscars

On Sunday, avid film buffs and fashion fans will be tuning in to watch the Academy Awards. Most networks will air red carpet coverage at 7 p.m. ET. Commedienne Ellen DeGeneres will kick of this year's festivities at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Typically, the Oscars air live on ABC but this year there will be a few streaming options that should satisfy chord-cutters.

These are the most important ones you need to know.

Watch ABC

For the first time, ABC will stream the ceremony directly to its Watch ABC app and its web services but there's a catch. The streams will only be available in select markets for certain cable subscribers according to Variety.

Here are the markets: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, Raleigh-Durham, N.C., and Fresno, Calif.

These are the cable providers working with ABC for the promotion: Comcast, Cablevision, Cox Communications, Charter Communications, Midcontinent Communications, Verizon FiOS, Google Fiber, and AT&T U-verse.

Provide proof you subscribe to one of these providers in those markets and you'll be able to watch the Oscars from your smartphone, TV, or tablet.

Verified viewers can watch the show for up to three days after it airs.

You can download Watch ABC for iOS, Android, Kindle, and Windows.

Aereo

The Academy Awards classify as a live event so Aereo will be a great service to use to view it. With Aereo, viewers pay $8 a month to stream an unlimited amount of over-the-air TV to their smartphones, PC's, and tablets. They can also use Aereo's DVR to record shows.

Unfortunately, Aereo is only available in select cities. You can sign up here.

CTV Go

The best international coverage is going to be in Canada. The CTV Go app will stream 10 hours of Oscar programming including the award ceremony hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. You'll have to prove you have a cable account to watch the broadcast on the app but you can view the show on CTV's website as well.

You can download the app for iOS and Android.

Oscars.org

This may not be ideal for viewers who want the full Oscar experience but the main website of the Academy Awards will post video highlights during the telecast. Clips of the various musical performances and presentations will appear on the website five-10 minutes after they air on TV. You can watch these clips on here.

Hola

From anywhere in the world, you can use the Hola app to access one of the numerous channels broadcasting the Academy awards. Internet users have deployed this tool in accessing streaming sites like Hulu that could be blocked in certain countries and this could be used to watch any of the channels the Oscars are airing on all around the world.

The app is available for free on Google ChromeFirefoxAndroidiPhone and Windows.

Other options

Aereo's direct competitor FilmOn gives you access to 500 live streaming TV channels in multiple languages which would include the Oscar broadcast.

Customers can also purchase a Slingbox to stream the ceremonies to phones and tablets from your own cable subscription.

Sites like Sidereel could have a livestream of the show but the better bet for new videos would be YouTube. The quality might not be great but people may take videos with their phones and upload it to the site so periodically check this video hub throughout the night.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Is Working On A Spotify Killer

Join the conversation about this story »


    







Here's What The Inside Of An Oscar Envelope Looks Like

$
0
0

natalie portman 2012 Oscars

When the 86th Academy Awards air this Sunday, you’ll tune in to watch presenters tear open 24 little envelopes to deliver the night’s Oscar trophies.  

While we only get to see the outside of a golden envelope, presenters get to see much more than just a winner's name.

The envelope and inside nominee card were simply cream up until four years ago when the Academy hired Marc Friedland, CEO of Couture Communications, to liven up the stationery.

Since then, the winner's names are housed inside a golden envelope. We spoke with Friedland to find out more about the creation of the envelopes.

3 sets of 24 envelopes and 121 nominee cards will be made for this year’s Academy Awards.



Here's how we'll see the envelope Oscar night.



And here are what this year's award envelopes will look like from presenters' points-of-view:



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






Oscar Winners Live Longer Than Nominees

$
0
0

jennifer lawrence anne hathaway oscars

Oscar winners tend to be glamorous, successful, and celebrated. But the icing on the cake, University of Toronto epidemiologist Donald A. Redelmeier, is that winners also live an average of four years longer than mere nominees.

Before you feel bad for Oscar night losers, consider: This doesn't necessarily mean what you think it might.

Do winners live longer because they are basking in the healing glow of their statuette — or is it that actors who live more years will simply have more chances to win an Oscar.

The claim

In his 2001 study — which got plenty of press at the time — Redelmeier analyzed the lifespans of all the actors and actresses who had ever received an Academy Award or nomination. He also compared this group to 887 other actors and actresses, who matched up with the nominees according to age and sex and had appeared in the same films without being nominated.

The average life expectancy of the Oscar winners was about 80 years, compared to about 76 years among the runners-up and the controls. To put those extra four years in perspective: "The absolute difference in life expectancy," Redelmeier wrote, "is about equal to the societal consequence of curing all cancers in all people for all time."

That's no blip. The real question is whether winning an Oscar had anything to do with it.

Redelmeier pointed out that a large body of research equates higher status with longer lives, suggesting that this result, while striking, is just a logical extension of that conclusion. In other words, status differences matter not only between millionaires and the working class, but between the very successful and the very, very successful.

He hypothesized that winners would have more pressure to keep up appearances as well as more resources (money, personal trainers, chefs, etc.) than the nominees, prompting better self-care and, subsequently, longer lives. But he acknowledged that there could be underlying factors — things like resilience and social support — that contributed to both longer lives and better Oscar odds.

The blow back

While the narrative is pretty irresistible — Oscar winners get not only prestige and worldwide fame but years added to their lives! — epidemiological studies rarely give us such tidy results.

In a 2006 re-analysis of Redelmeier's data, James A. Hanley, a biostatician at McGill University, came to a totally different conclusion. The original paper, he argued, suffered from something called "immortal time bias."

In other words, Matthew Herper explained in Forbes, "those actors who live longer just have more time to win an Oscar." After all, Redelmeier observed, the mean age of Oscar winners (39) is higher than the mean age of nominees (35).

Hanley noted that a fair match-up would analyze not how long winners had lived since an arbitrary point (such as birth or turning 50), but how many additional years they had lived since winning. When Hanley did just that, he found the winners' longevity advantage vanished.

The upshot

As far back as 1843, British epidemiologist William Farr warned against analyzing people from birth as if they had been in certain categories all along. You could easily conclude, for example, that generals live longer than lieutenants — but that's probably because many lieutenants die before they have a chance to advance to the rank of general.

Similarly, another 2011 study argued, healthy people will have the chance to act in more movies, giving them more chances to win acting prizes. Oscar winners do live longer, the statisticians concluded, but "there is not strong evidence that winning an Oscar increases life expectancy."

So don't cry too hard for the losers — they just might be the winners the next time around.

SEE ALSO: Mom's Stress Levels Have Long-Lasting Effects On Baby

Join the conversation about this story »


    






'SNL' Cold Open Parodies Johnny Weir On 'Ellen'

$
0
0

"Saturday Night Live" returned from a nearly month-long hiatus this weekend with "Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons as host and Beck as musical guest.

The “Ellen DeGeneres Show” was spoofed during the show's cold open, with “DeGeneres” talking about hosting Sunday's Oscars.

Ellen's first guest was "Johnny Weir," played by Parsons, who changed his outfit three times throughout the segment. Watch below:



SEE ALSO: Jim Parsons Mocks Classic TV Characters In 'SNL' Opening Monologue

MORE: 1860s Movie Critic Jebidiah Atkinson Slams Oscars During Colin Jost's 'Weekend Update' Debut

Join the conversation about this story »


    






Jim Parsons Mocks Classic TV Characters In 'SNL' Opening Monologue

$
0
0

"Big Bang Theory" star Jim Parsons opened "Saturday Night Live" with a song about how actors  in real life  are nothing like the famous TV characters they portray on-screen.

"People have a hard time separating you from your character," explained Parsons. "I am not like Sheldon. I am not a scientist. I do not speak Klingon. I do have a male roommate, but I assure you it's a vastly different arrangement."

Parsons then broke out into a song titled "I'm Not That Guy," referencing iconic TV characters from the past and the actors who played them.

"In the 90s there was Urkel, he made Friday nights a blast, but Jaleel White  he's a full grown man who could probably kick your a--."

SNL Jim Parsons Steve Urkel

"Jason Alexander, now and always George Costanza, but did you know he won a Tony because he can sing and dance-a?"SNL Jim Parsons George Costanza

"Henry Winkler as The Fonz, the epitome of cool  but in real life, he was a nice Jewish boy who went to Yale drama school."SNL Jim Parsons The Fonz

"Billy Cosby on 'The Cosby Show,' he had bright sweaters galore. But there's a real Bill Cosby  and he likes sweaters even more."SNL Jim Parsons Bill Cosby

"Her role on 'Murder She Wrote' was sweet old Jessica Fletcher, but Angela Lansbury, she robbed 50 banks  and nobody could catch her."SNL Jim Parsons Angela Lansbury

Watch Parson's opening monologue in its entirety below:


SEE ALSO: 'SNL' Cold Open Mocks Johnny Weir On 'Ellen'

MORE: 1860s Movie Critic Jebidiah Atkinson Slams Oscars During Colin Jost's 'Weekend Update' Debut

Join the conversation about this story »


    






1860s Movie Critic Jebidiah Atkinson Slams Oscars During Colin Jost's 'Weekend Update' Debut

$
0
0

Weekend Update colonial"Saturday Night Live" cast member Taran Killam resumed his harsh, 1860s newspaper critic character "Jebidiah Atkinson" on "Weekend Update," just in time to slam Oscar-nominated films.

"I've been witness to every motion picture since the dawn of cinema and I'm not impressed," Atkinson began.

Here's his critiques of some of this year's Best Picture nominees:

  • "Her": "Guess who was bored by this movie? Him! [points to himself] Even the main character spent the whole movie texting."
  • "Dallas Buyer's Club": "Sell! The only thing thinner than Matthew McConaughey is the plot."
  • "Gravity": "If I wanted to watch a depressed middle-ages woman float around for 90 minutes, I'd go to the YMCA pool."

And some reviews of older, Oscar-nominated films:

  • "The Godfather": "This film left me thinking one thing: I wish I was that horse."
  • "Annie Hall": "I'd rather let Woody Allen watch my kids than watch this movie again."
  • "Schindler's List": "You know what wasn't on Schindler's list? An editor."
  • "Forrest Gump": "You know which character in Forrest Gump I envy? Lieutenant Dan's legs. Because they got to leave early."

Watch the full, funny segment below:

The show also marked cast member Colin Jost's debut as the new "Weekend Update" co-anchor, alongside Cecily Strong. Jost assumes the role after Seth Meyers left to host "The Late Show."

In his debut segment, Jost rifts on everything from Pop Tarts being a symbol of lack of parenting skills to comparing Piers Morgan to a potato. Watch below:

SEE ALSO: Jim Parsons Mocks Classic TV Characters In 'SNL' Opening Monologue

MORE: 'SNL' Cold Open Parodies Johnny Weir On 'Ellen'

Join the conversation about this story »


    






Nervous White Actors Audition For '12 Years A Slave' On 'SNL'

$
0
0

This weekend's "Saturday Night Live" took the liberty of re-imagining what the uncomfortable "12 Years A Slave" audition process may have been like.

"We sought out to discover raw talent through open calls," director Steve McQueen (played by Kenan Thompson) explained. "It was not always easy."

Awkwardness ensued. Watch below:

SEE ALSO: 1860s Movie Critic Jebidiah Atkinson Slams Oscars During Colin Jost's 'Weekend Update' Debut

MORE: Jim Parsons Mocks Classic TV Characters In 'SNL' Opening Monologue

Join the conversation about this story »


    






Movies Of The Past That Correctly Predicted The Technology We Have Today

$
0
0

 

 

Movie makers have been creating visions of the future that include incredible technology and scientific breakthroughs seemingly far ahead of their time.

But in today's world, many of the advanced tech gadgets we saw on the big screen can actually be seen in real life. Watch below for a quick guide to movies that have correctly predicted the future.

Produced by Daniel Goodman. Originally published in August 2013.

NOW WATCH: Here's The Dirty Little Secret IMAX Doesn't Want You To Know

Follow BI Video: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »


    







Here's Everything Inside The $85,000 Oscar Nominee Swag Bag

$
0
0

oscar gift bag 2014

Don't feel sorry for the Oscar nominees who go home without a gold statuette Sunday night.

All the nominees head home with more than $85,000 worth of goodies after the ceremony. 

For the past 12 years, Distinctive Assets has been putting together the "Everyone Wins at the Oscars Nominee Gift Bag." 

This year's basket costs nearly double the price of last year's with more than 50 gifts ranging in price from $6.50 to $16,000. 

A spokesperson for Distinctive Assets tells Business Insider they saw a spike in companies interested in participating after gaining popularity among celebrities and in the press.

"This year we had so many vendors approach the team at Distinctive Assets wanting to be a part of the gift bag. There are also several luxury items included which really boost up the value."

Two of those items include a $15,000 walking tour of Japan and a $16,000 hair transplant offer. 

We've organzied everything the nominees will take home from designer lollipops to luxurious trips to Las Vegas and Hawaii.

A $6.49 DrainWig that prevents hair clogs in your shower drain.

Learn more about it here.

 



$23 in reuseable 3-in-1 dry-cleaning bags from Green Garmento.

The bag goes from hamper, to duffle bag, to garment bag. And, yes, this was on "Shark Tank." 



A $35 six-pack of herbal tea-based lollipops from Dosha Pops.

Flavors include Chai Me Up (chai tea), Head Over Hibiscus (hibiscus), Inner Glow (lemon & turmeric), Mytea Pomegranate (pomegranate & rooibos), Velvet Rope (chicory), and Wishful Pinking (pink rose).

Check them out here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






12 Documentaries On Netflix That Will Make You Smarter About Business

$
0
0

Freakonomics documentary

Here's a quick and fun way to enrich your business knowledge: streaming documentaries on Netflix.

The online movie and TV service has a vast cache of business and tech documentaries that anyone with a subscription can watch instantly. The topics range from profiles of great tech innovators like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk to deep dives into industrial design.

Each of these 12 documentaries offers an entertaining storyline, as well as valuable insights into business success. 

How to create a culture that fosters creativity and great ideas

"Inside: Pixar," a 2013 film by Bloomberg, takes viewers behind the scenes at Pixar to show the zany corporate campus and key personalities that drive this multi-billion-dollar business. Chronicling the animation company from the Steve Jobs days when it was trying to make a name for itself to the more recent integration with Disney, the film shows viewers how Pixar leaders cultivate creativity and maintain a fun-loving culture where great ideas can spark.



How to become a millionaire before turning 30

"Elon Musk: Bloomberg Risk Takers" brings the viewer back to Musk's childhood in South Africa and chronicles his journey to stunning entrepreneurial success. The serial entrepreneur sold his software company Zip2 to Compaq for $307 million in cash and $34 million in stock options at age 28. Now age 42, he's a co-founder of PayPal and the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla Motors. 



How lifelong dedication and obsession with quality can pay off

"Jiro Dreams Of Sushi" profiles Jiro Ono, a Japanese sushi chef and restaurant owner who is widely revered for his skill and $300-a-plate dinners. It follows the 85-year-old master as he works with vendors to secure the finest ingredients, manages and mentors his staff, and prepares his son to succeed him when he retires. The movie brings viewers inside the dedication, obsession, and decades of hard work it takes to achieve perfection.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






Watch The Oscars Red Carpet Streaming Live

The Oscar Red Carpet Was A Rain-Soaked Disaster Hours Before The Show

$
0
0

While the Oscar red carpet is prepped and ready for stars to descend onto Hollywood Boulevard tonight, earlier today it looked like a complete disaster.

Los Angeles was worried about the impending rain earlier this week ahead of the 86th Academy Awards tonight. 

Here's how the red carpet looked: 

There were plenty of umbrellas and Oscar statuettes were wrapped in plastic.umbrellas oscars red carpetA lot of the carpet was covered in plastic, too.oscar carpet covered plastic

Workers had to furiously squeegee water off of it.oscar red carpet wet
... or vacuuming the water up.

vaccuum red carpet

But now the covers are off ...

oscar statuette

... the carpet is good to go ...

red carpet oscars 2014

... and the stars are on their way. 

maria menunos oscars

Join the conversation about this story »


    






The Best And Worst Dressed At The Academy Awards

$
0
0

Kate Hudson Will Smith Jada Pinkett Smith oscars red carpet 2014Before celebrities enter the Dolby Theater for tonight's 86th annual Academy Awards, they first had to brave the rain outside on the red carpet. 

Jennifer Lawrence, Angelina Jolie, Leonardo DiCaprio, and many more wowed despite the weather.

So far, white seems to be the color of the night.

See who brought the glitz and glamour, and who maybe should have stayed off the red carpet.

"12 Years A Slave" actor-producer Brad Pitt with Angelina Jolie in a gold Ellie Saab gown.



"12 Years A Slave" Best Supporting Actress nominee Lupita Nyong'o in custom-made Prada. She says she chose blue because "it reminds me of Nairobi so I wanted to have a little bit of home with me."



"American Hustle" Best Supporting Actress nominee Jennifer Lawrence in Dior.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
    






Viewing all 103316 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images