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Super Realistic-Looking Apes Are The Only Reason To See 'Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes'

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dawn of the planet of the apes

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” is out in theaters this weekend. 

The film is the sequel to 2011’s reboot which featured James Franco. This time around Gary Oldman, Keri Russell, and Jason Clarke ("Zero Dark Thirty") join a new cast in what is surprisingly sounding like one of the better summer movies in a pretty lackluster season.

Currently, the movie sits at at 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. It's not a feat many summer blockbusters have accomplished joining "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and "Edge of Tomorrow."

"Apes" is expected to make at least $50 million this weekend matching the amount of its predecessor. The 20th Century Fox movie cost an estimated $170 million to make.

And while the film isn’t being heralded by everyone as an overall masterpiece, there is one overwhelmingly positive reason to go out to see the film.

Critics are absolutely entranced by motion-capture wizard Andy Serkis and the apes on screen. serkis planet of the apes

L.A. Times:

"The film is so fortunate to have Serkis, whose work here and as Gollum in the 'Lord of the Rings' and 'Hobbit' films turns motion capture into an art form all by himself. He and his fellow mo-cap actors truly make us believe we are watching intelligent apes in action, and that is not something you see every day."

Time:

"Splendidly realized by actors transformed by visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri, the simians are creatures of remarkable power and nuance. Serkis, who brought Peter Jackson’s Gollum and King Kong to pulsing life, and who deservedly gets top billing in Dawn, plays Caesar as a wise, wizened leader stooped by the burden of wielding power judiciously."

Indiewire:

"'Dawn' gives Serkis a bonafide performance that's like an organic special effect. Even James Cameron's blue-faced 'Avatar' creations didn't contain such facial nuances."

The Washington Post: 

“All of the apes are incredibly enjoyable to watch on screen. The apes’ feelings are conveyed beautifully, mainly through facial animation and sign language. Though only one or two of them actually speak, they are remarkably expressive characters.”

Associated Press:

"To a surprising degree, 'Dawn of the Planet of the Apes' belongs to the monkeys. In the uncommonly sure-handed fusion of computer-generated and live-action images, apes are the more fully realized, expressive characters. Given that the apes communicate in sign language and spurts of English, this may be the biggest summer movie with so many subtitles.”

AV Club:

"The undisputed king of motion-capture performance, Serkis makes this older, wiser Caesar both physically and emotionally convincing. A scene of him watching footage of his old “master” is a triumph of collaboration, the CGI animators capturing the small waves of sadness and affection dancing across Serkis’ digitally scanned face."

New York Times:

"His facial expressions and body language are so evocatively and precisely rendered that it is impossible to say where his art ends and the exquisite artifice of Weta Digital, the special-effects company, begins."

The biggest complaints pick at the film for feeling like a franchise vehicle and for offering bland human characters alongside such charismatic computer-animated apes.

Associated Press

"A failing of 'Apes," it's that it feels like yet another manufactured franchise. Talented people like Reeves and Serkis are brought in like HGTV fixer-uppers to restore mossy pop-culture properties."

EW:

If only as much care were put into the film's human characters. Oldman nearly pops a hernia from hamming it up so hard, and Clarke's melancholy eyes are so perpetually moist in his admiration of the apes, you want to offer a tissue.”

However, if you're to believe the New York Post, you would think it's one of the best movies you'll ever see.

"The eighth “Planet of the Apes” movie is easily the best, suspenseful and scary and cured of the silliness that infused all previous iterations, even the 1968 original — a fun kids’ movie oddly anointed a classic when those kids grew up while retaining their childish tastes.”

Check out a trailer for the film below:

SEE ALSO: How the apes in the sequel look without CGI

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Colin Farrell Is In Talks To Star In 'True Detective' Season 2

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colin farrell swat

YesterdayTrue Detective creator Nic Pizzolatto revealed plenty of new information about Season 2, including the fact that it will feature 4 main leads. Today, it looks like one of those central characters will be portrayed by Colin Farrell.

Colin Farrell is currently in deep negotiations to portray one of the main characters, in a storyline that takes place in the lesser known areas of California. The story may also deal with the little known occult history of the U.S. transportation system, but Nic Pizzolatto doesn't want to confirm that just yet.

Colin Farrell will follow in the footsteps of Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, who both earned Emmy nominations for their roles in True Detective Season 1Colin Farrell will continue the HBO series' tradition of bringing in high caliber talent for just one 8 episode season. Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain were previously rumored to be up for roles in True Detective Season 2, but that was never confirmed and said to be false by Nic Pizzolatto.

Speaking yesterday, Nic Pizzolatto did also confirm that True Detective Season 2 will have multiple directors, as opposed to Cary Fukunaga directing all of them, as he did for the first run of episodes. The Exorcist and The French Connection director William Friedkin will likely helm at least one of the new episodes.

HBO programming president Michael Lombardo also announced yesterday that the full cast would be revealed soon. So expect Colin Farrell to be officially confirmed sometime next week.

SEE ALSO: 'True Detective' May End After Season 3

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People Are Outraged On Facebook Thinking Steven Spielberg Actually Killed A Dinosaur

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Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park

There's been a lot of outrage on Facebook lately about people posting photos of hunting and killing animals.

There was Texas cheerleader Kendall Jones who had her hunting photos taken down by Facebook, 17-year-old Belgian soccer fan Axelle Despiegelaere whose hunting photos caused her to lose her L'Oreal modeling contract, and now Steven Spielberg for hunting... a dinosaur.

Obviously Steven Spielberg didn't kill a dinosaur for sport because, well, dinosaurs are extinct. But that didn't stop a whole lot of people on Facebook from thinking he did and being completely outraged by it.

A post by Jay Branscomb caused a huge stir on Facebook when the satirist posted a photo making Steven Spielberg look as if he had a "trophy kill" while sitting in front of a robotic Triceratops on the set of his 1993 blockbuster, "Jurassic Park."

"Disgraceful photo of recreational hunter happily posing next to a Triceratops he just slaughtered. Please share so the world can name and shame this despicable man," Branscomb jokingly wrote as the photo's caption.

steven spielberg dinosaur

A lot of people on Facebook didn't think it was a joke.

The post went viral with 32,000 shares and 5,700 comments, which varied from people in on the joke and many others who may not have been.

"That's Steven Spielberg, director of Jurassic Park!" one commenter wrote. This got a response of "I dont care who he is he should have not shot that animal."

Other commenters called Spielberg "inhumane" and "disgusting" and proclaimed they'd never watch his movies again because he's an "animal killer."

After the huge reaction to the photo, Branscomb posted another picture of Spielberg riding the shark from 1975's "Jaws," sarcastically asking for help to indentify this "vicious shark-killer shown posing with his illegal prey."

Steven Spielberg jaws hunter

Now, we can't tell which commenters were joking and which were serious, but regardless many had fun with all of the insanity.

"Seriously, those poor Triceratops," a commenter wrote. "If we don't stop this, they are gonna become extinct." 

SEE ALSO: 'Jurassic Park' Animator Shares How CGI Brought Dinosaurs To Life

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The Must-See Movie This Weekend Took 12 Years To Make And Has 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

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Boyhood

If you're considering seeing "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" this weekend, you may want to hold off. While the movie is receiving good reviews, you should definitely turn your attention to indie "Boyhood." 

Director Richard Linklater has been working on the movie for the past 12 years filming the same actors as they aged for over a decade. Between 2002 and 2013, Linklater met up with the cast for a few days a year to film a several scenes with Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette, and then 6-year-old child actor Ellar Coltrane.

As viewers, we literally watch Coltrane grow up on screen as his character Mason deals with the pain of divorce, the awkward phase of puberty, and his first love.

Boyhood

The result is a work critics are calling an "epic masterpiece" unlike anything they've ever seen before. 

Wall Street Journal:

"This quietly gorgeous film—shot on 35 mm film by Lee Daniel and Shane Kelly—lets us feel stuff that many features try to reach, but few celebrate so stirringly: the sweetness and pain of family life, the joy of the now, the evolving wonder of personhood."

The New York Times

"The realism is jolting, and so brilliantly realized and understated that it would be easy to overlook."

Total Film:

"There’s no denying it’s a work of unprecedented scope and sensitivity, and to watch it is to be totally overwhelmed. Sometimes you feel, in a good way, like it’ll never end – in a sense it won’t."

The film has a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 86 positive reviews and counting for it's unprecented filmmaking process.

boyhood rotten tomatoes

The movie, which cost an estimated $2.4 million to make, will only be in five theaters this weekend before expanding its release.

If you want to check it out this weekend, the film can be seen in New York at the IFC Center, Lincoln Plaza, and Bam Rose Cinemas. 

In Los Angeles, “Boyhood” is showing at the Arclight Hollywood and The Landmark theater.

Watch a trailer for the film below:

SEE ALSO: What reviews are saying about "Dawn of Planet of the Apes'

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Unreleased Bill Murray Movie From 1984 Is Now On YouTube

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bill murray nothing lasts forever

Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd are known for their 1984 hit "Ghostbusters," but the two also starred in another less well known sci-fi comedy the same year that was never released to the public.

"Nothing Lasts Forever" was directed by "Saturday Night Live" writer Tom Schiller and also starred Zach Galligan of "Gremlins."

According to the Telegraph, Schiller said he believed the film never made it to screen because "the film wasn’t 'commercial' enough" or that it used too many clips from old films that caused copyright issues, so it was ultimately shelved.

That hasn't stopped the cast and crew from putting on screenings of the film over the years in both New York and California. 

The movie itself skips back and forth between color and is made to look like an older movie.

Check it out below in its entirety before it's removed.

SEE ALSO: The must-see movie this weekend took 12 years to make and has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes

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'Orange Is The New Black' Author Explains Why Abusive Guards Didn't Target Her

'Walking Dead' Creator Has Figured Out How To Stay Productive While His Series Explodes Into A Multimedia Megahit

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robert kirkman new zombies

Robert Kirkman's post-apocalyptic zombie thriller "The Walking Dead" is a hugely popular and acclaimed entertainment franchise.

The television show's most recent season averaged 18.4 million viewers per episode (including DVR views and re-runs in the first week), according to AMC. The award-winning, monthly comic book series, which the TV show is based on, is consistently a top seller.

In addition to being the executive producer of "The Walking Dead" show and the writer of the comic, Kirkman writes the superhero comic "Invincible" and his spin on the exorcism genre, "Outcast."

He's also developing a "Walking Dead" spinoff for television, an "Outcast" TV show, and his first film, "Air," which is scheduled to be released next year by Sony Pictures Worldwide. All of these projects are housed under his growing company, Skybound Entertainment.

He tells Business Insider that he's able to balance all of these projects by always having an outlet for his ideas, staying focused, setting difficult deadlines, and keeping things interesting for himself.

Here are the fundamentals of his creative process:

He avoids multitasking and doesn't let his ideas drift away.

Kirkman says that sometimes he doesn't even know how he keeps so many characters and plotlines floating around in his head, but that it helps that he only focuses on one of his titles at a time and always takes extensive notes.

"I have a notepad in my phone that I'm always pulling out when I'm pretty much anywhere," Kirkman says. He'll jot down a line of dialogue or a scene if it comes to him.

Since the "Walking Dead" show and comic have significant discrepancies, he treats them like two entirely different projects.

Kirkman explains what it's like to juggle the two versions of Rick Grimes, the series' protagonist:

The Rick Grimes that's in the show, he hasn't quite developed to the point that the Rick in the comic book has. He eventually will, but by the time he does that, the Rick in the comic book will be completely different and on another track — or he'll be dead. If there's ever a case where I go, "Oh, that would be a really cool thing to do with Rick," okay, now I need to decide if that's going to go into the comic or the show.

rick grimes walking dead andrew lincolnHe plans years into the future.

Kirkman ensures that he'll never run out of ideas by creating "road maps" for each of his series.

He's got a five- or six-page road map for "The Walking Dead" comic series, for example. This document is filled with blocks of one or two paragraphs representing 20-50 issues — that means a couple quick paragraphs can represent four years' worth of storyline.

Kirkman says he'll update this road map two to five times a year, but doesn't spend too much time working out the details.

"Looking at the past of the comic, that document at some point would've said, you know, 'Live in a prison for awhile,' 'Encounter Woodbury,' and 'Fight a guy called The Governor.' That is enough to remind me of all the other stuff I was thinking of," he says.

He adds that everything is subject to change, but the road maps keep him from taking on more than he can handle. Before "Outcast" launched last month, he developed it for three years.

He sets unrealistic deadlines for himself.

"I kind of thrive in chaos," Kirkman says. He likes to maintain this feeling of urgency by giving himself "completely and utterly unrealistic goals."

He explains:

I'll be like "I want to write 12 pages today," but I really only need to write like four or five. But if I try to write 12, I might write six or seven. What that does though, is it gives me a crushing sense of failure at the end of every day. So I'm like, "Oh my God, I didn't get those 12 pages done. I suck! What is wrong with me?" and the next day I work harder because I have to make up for that unrealistic deadline I didn't make. And so it's probably not too good for my psyche, but as far as productivity goes, it seems to help.

A typical comic issue takes anywhere from two to seven days to write Kirkman says, depending on how much time is available. But if it takes him longer than a week to finish, the work goes from being fun to being a chore.

He focuses on his work, not his success.

Kirkman has been writing comics for the past 14 years, but his work entered the mainstream when "The Walking Dead" TV show launched in 2010 and quickly became a hit.

"If I actually sat and considered the number of people that are looking 'The Walking Dead' and scrutinizing 'The Walking Dead' at this point, I would probably get a little nervous, get stage fright, and have trouble writing. But when I'm doing my thing, I pretty much ignore the fact that it has grown into this enormous, worldwide thing," Kirkman says.

the walking dead comic

He uses the success of his television show to open up new opportunities he otherwise would not have had, he explains, but he does everything he can to keep the weight of an increasingly larger audience from affecting his work.

He embraces others' creativity.

Kirkman writes his comics' scripts, but lets his artists use their unique styles to bring his stories to life. He says he also refrains from being overprotective of his work when he adapts the "Walking Dead" comic into the TV show, even though he has complete control of the "Walking Dead" intellectual property.

He sits in the writers' room for the show "pretty much full time from January to June" before the season goes into production. He enjoys the opportunity to tell a new story.

"I don't really sit back in my chair and say, 'No, not that!' We're all in it together, and I look at us as equals when we're working on the show," he says.

He always has new projects to work on.

"If I'm not working on something new, I just don't feel good about what I'm doing," Kirkman says.

In addition to his comics, shows, and movie, he says he's also thinking about and taking notes on "a couple of other projects that probably won't see the light of day for another four or five years."

Right now, he's got enough to keep him from getting bored.

"I'm pretty much at my capacity right now, but I'll figure out how to do something new at some point," he tells us.

SEE ALSO: 'Game Of Thrones' Creator George R.R. Martin Shares His Creative Process

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Skylar Grey Made The Perfect New Version Of 'Coming Home' For LeBron's Return To Cleveland

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Once again, an NBA player has come "home" and that means Diddy and Skylar Grey's song "Coming Home" is being played everywhere across radio and TV.

LeBron James has announced he's going to become a Cleveland Cavalier once again, and Skylar Grey decided yesterday was a perfect time to give her popular hit a new version.

She hopped on YouTube yesterday to perform the song with new lyrics to reflect LeBron's return to Ohio.

 

In this version she says "I know that Cleveland awaits, and they've forgiven my mistakes." Given the enormous debacle of "the decision," most NBA fans and Cleveland sports fans would probably agree with this sentiment. It perfectly describes what this moment is all about for Cavs fans.

This is not the first time this song has been featured prominently in a huge NBA move. When Carmelo Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks a few years ago, MSG Network decided to use the same song to welcome the superstar and drum up some hype.

Here's the commercial they aired for Carmelo:

  

SEE ALSO: LeBron James Didn't Mention A Major Factor In His Decision To Return To Cleveland

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Why ABBA Turned Down $1 Billion To Reunite In 2000

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ABBASwedish pop group ABBA is responsible for hit songs like "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," and "Money, Money, Money."

Made up of two sets of then couples — Agnetha Fältskog and Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid Lyngstad — ABBA has sold over 380 million albums and singles worldwide and is the third-best-selling group of all time, behind the Beatles and Queen and ahead of the Rolling Stones.

But in 1979, at the height of their success, Fältskog and Ulvaeus divorced while Lyngstad and Andersson called it quits soon after in 1981. By 1982, the group was broken up.

AbbaIn 2000, amid a revival of several of their hits, an American-British consortium offered the group $1 billion to reunite for 100 shows, but they declined the offer, according to E! Online.

To put that into perspective, the group was offered more than the value of 25 different Major League Baseball teams and the GDPs of some countries. That's potentially $250 million that each member of the group refused.

"It's a hell of a lot of money to say no to, but we decided it wasn't for us," Andersson told Swedish tabloid Aftonbladet in 2000.

ABBA

Andersson and bandmate Bjorn Ulvaeus both argue that popular reincarnations of their songs (many by teen group S Club 7) have been successful because the group never reunited.

"We have never made a comeback," Ulvaeus told the paper. "Almost everyone else has. I think there's a message in that."

Fältskog explained to Radio Times last year: "We said no because they wanted 250 shows or something, it was incredible. No chance. We had done it.

Lyngstad also confirmed this year to Ireland's RTE that "no amount of money would change our minds. Maybe we sometimes say it would be good to do a song together again, just a recording and nothing else, but I don’t know if that will happen  so don’t say that we will!"

Despite the fact that the foursome recently reunited — the "chemistry was still there" — all members said they were not tempted to reunite.

The four founding members are doing just fine since the group's break-up 32 years ago.

Last March, "Mamma Mia," a stage musical based on ABBA's music, became the ninth-longest-running show in Broadway historyOver the show's 13-year run, it has been seen by 50 million people worldwide and raked in over $2 billion.

A star-studded film based on the musical was released in 2008 and went on to be a $609 million hit at the box office.

In 2010, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

SEE ALSO: Here's Why 'Jersey Boys' Bombed At Theaters

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3 Things To Know About The Thrill-Seeking Actor Just Cast In 'Star Wars: Episode VII'

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pip andersen Pip Andersen just landed the role of a lifetime as one of two actors cast in "Star Wars: Episode VII."

The 23-year-old British actor was selected from an open casting call for an unspecified role in the sequel out next year.

While you may not know him, Andersen already has some fans.

Here's what you should about the young actor.

1. He’s a professional freerunner and parkour artist.pip andersen parkour

The 23-year-old has been a professional parkour artist and freerunner for five-and-a-half years. Andersen got involved with the sport seven years ago and is considered one of the best freerunners in the world.

Known as Piptrix in the parkour community, he’s currently part of Storm Freerun, a professional London-based freerunning team started in 2010.

Together, Andersen and five other members perform in TV ads, movies, music videos, and stunt work.

Not familiar with Parkour?

One of the easiest explanations for the sport was offered on NBC's comedy "The Office" when Jim Halpert's character described it as getting "from point A to point B as creatively as possible."

To do achieve this, people will launch themselves over objects and scale walls among other practices often incorporating gymnastics with only their bare hands.

It's much easier to be see for yourself.

parkour pip andersen 2011
Andersen has been doing parkour for the past seven years. 
pip andersen parkour

The sport requires an incredible amount of upper body strength.parkour pip anderson sign

... and takes a lot of practice to perfect. parkour practice

Parkour and freerunning have become so popular that they have inspired international events. Here, Andersen's performing in the 2011 Red Bull Art of Motion freerunning competition in London.

pip andersen jumping parkour 2008

Even though he offers some tutorials, it's definitely not something you should just try at home.

You can check out full video of Andersen performing stunts on his YouTube channel, Piptrix, here.

2. He has appeared as Spider-Man and Peter Parker in an ad for Sony.

Andersen’s parkour abilities help him look like a natural Spider-Man. Sony noticed this and placed him in an ad where he played the webslinger.

He has also worked with Adidas, Nike, Microsoft, Mountain Dew, and Red Bull among other brands. 

3. He’s married.

Sorry ladies. The future “Star Wars” actor has been married to his wife Becky from Somerset, England since 2009.

SEE ALSO: 2 young actors were cast in "Star Wars: Episode VII"

AND: Meet the rest of the film's cast

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Marvel Debuted 17 Minutes Of 'Guardians of The Galaxy' Free For Fans And They Loved It

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guardians of the galaxy chris pratt

It looks like Marvel has another hit on its hands.

Disney premiered 17 minutes of unseen footage from its next film, "Guardians of the Galaxy," in theaters across the U.S. Monday evening. 

We won't give any spoilers, but we watched an action-heavy prison sequence followed by an extended trailer for the James Gunn-directed movie that didn't disappoint.

Unlike previous Marvel movies, "Guardians of the Galaxy" will follow a new roster of characters — Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), and tree creature Groot (Vin Diesel) — who come in contact with one of the powerful Infinity gemstones that has been teased throughout Disney's Marvel cinematic universe.

Before the screening began, fans were asked to share their thoughts on the footage afterward using the hashtag #GuardiansoftheGalaxy.

Fans loved it.

From the small teaser, it's already clear Rocket Raccoon and Groot should be fan favorites. 

The chemistry between the quirky characters works and the entire scene we saw was a lot of fun. Focusing the film on an entire ensemble gives "Guardians of the Galaxy" an almost Avengers-like appeal that feels bigger in some ways than the singular "Iron Man," "Captain America," and "Thor," movies. 

guardians of the galaxy posterMinor details about the film follow.

A few non-Disney friendly moments may not make the film's final cut. Chris Pratt's middle finger, which was extensively blurred in trailers, was front and center for viewing. At another point, Pratt's character calls someone a bastard.

There is also one gimmick that could work in the film's favor or against it depending on usage. 

Diesel's tree-like character can only utter one sentence — "I am Groot." Cleverly placed, the catchphrase will work. One too many deliveries and it could become old real fast. 

However, we trust Gunn knows to use it both smartly and sparingly. 

Our audience loved it every time it was said.

Marvel has since released part of the extended footage shown at the screening.

Check it out below. 

"Guardians of the Galaxy" is in theaters August 1.

SEE ALSO: Disney has Marvel movies planned throughout 2028

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The Most Expensive Celebrity Homes In New York City

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hugh jackman house apartment nyc

For all of us normals, living in New York City isn't exactly easy on the wallet. But when the sky's the limit, as it is for many celebrities, you'd expect that they'd have the best homes money can buy.

Our friends at apartment data website AddressReport helped us hunt down the priciest places owned by celebs in the Big Apple.

From the Flatiron district to Williamsburg to the Village, these celebrities' homes will put your 500-square-foot studio to shame.

To estimate the approximate current value of the homes, we spoke to expert source AddressReport, which keeps data in these homes' markets.

30. Daniel Radcliffe's riverside apartment

Estimated value: $5.2 million

"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe majorly upgraded from the cupboard under the stairs. He purchased the three-bedroom corner apartment at 1 Morton Square for $4.9 million in 2008.

"The boy who lived" lives in luxury, enjoying sunset views of New York Harbor from the curved windows, marble and granite counters, and a 500-bottle wine cellar.

Co-star Alan Rickman, who played Professor Snape, is rumored to live in the building as well.

To estimate the approximate current value of the homes, we spoke to expert source AddressReport, which keeps data in these homes' markets.



29. Nate Berkus' impeccably decorated West Village home

Estimated value: $5.25 million

When he's not buddying up to Oprah or making over homes across the country, Nate Berkus has a six-room co-op in Greenwich Village he can fix up over and over again, according to AddressReport. The celebrity design guru purchased the unit, down the street from his previous co-op, in 2013.

The duplex apartment has a wraparound rooftop terrace, a chef's kitchen with a custom-fabricated greenhouse, and wood-burning fireplaces in the living room and dining room.

To estimate the approximate current value of the homes, we spoke to expert source AddressReport, which keeps data in these homes' markets.



28. Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy's Greek revival townhouse

Estimated value: $6.9 million

This red carpet power couple owns a single famous townhouse in the West Village, decked out with 12-foot ceilings, antique floor boards, a courtyard, and tin ceilings throughout the house.

Built in the 1880s, the Greek revival unit was previously owned by David Shaffer, a famous psychiatrist and Anna Wintour's ex-husband.

To estimate the approximate current value of the homes, we spoke to expert source AddressReport, which keeps data in these homes' markets.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






This Low-Budget Movie That Took Over A Decade To Make Crushed It At The Box Office

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Boyhood Sundance

Audiences went out in droves to see the little indie movie "Boyhood" this weekend. 

The IFC film, which cost $2.4 million and took director Richard Linklater 12 years to makemade $359,000 upon debut.

While that may not sound like a lot, the movie only played in five movie theaters over the weekend in both New York City and Los Angeles putting its intake per theater at $71,800.

In comparison, "Snowpiercer," another indie film we recently wrote about, performed opening weekend. That film debuted in eight theaters earning $171,187 or approximately $21,398 per theater.

The only other indie film to have a better opening weekend this year was Wes Andersen's brilliant "The Grand Budapest Hotel." That movie, starring Ralph Fiennes, took in a massive $811,166 opening weekend from four theaters. That's an average of $202,792 per screen.

"Boyhood" will expand into more theaters over the next few weeks.

SEE ALSO: Why you should see "Boyhood"

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Here's The First 'Homeland' Season 4 Teaser Trailer

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Showtime just released the first teaser trailer for season 4.

When we last left Carrie (Claire Danes) she was pregnant with Brody's child and appointed Station Chief of the CIA in Istanbul.

Showrunner Alex Gansa has said there will be some big changes next season. The show will start out six months after the season 3 finale and will welcome a new cast of characters.

The new season will closely follow Carrie as an officer overseas.

"Homeland" will return to TV this fall.

Watch the trailer below:

SEE ALSO: HBO completely blew its chance to air "Breaking Bad"

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A Ridiculous Rule Is Allowing 'True Detective' To Go Up Against 'Breaking Bad' At The Emmys

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true detective matthew mcconaughey woody harrelson

HBO's hit series "True Detective" will be going head-to-head with AMC's "Breaking Bad" at the Emmys this year.

Among its 12 nominations, the series received nods for both Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson for Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series and Outstanding Drama Series.

While that sounds fair, both shows were incredibly talked about in the past year receiving high praise from critics and fans alike, some say it makes little sense for the HBO series to be sitting alongside "Breaking Bad" during its final season. 

Back in March, HBO announced "True Detective" would compete as a drama series. The news was met with surprise since the show fits the Emmys' definition of a miniseries

A miniseries is based on a single theme or story line, which is resolved within the piece. In a single awards year all of the parts must be presented under the same title and have continuity of production supervision.

A miniseries consists of two or more episodes with a total running time of at least four
broadcast hours (at least 150 program minutes).

It also fits the definition of a drama series: 

Comedy and drama series are defined as programs with multiple episodes (minimum of six), where the majority of the running time of at least six of the total eligible episodes are primarily comedic for comedy series entries, or primarily dramatic for dramatic series entries, in which the ongoing theme, storyline and main characters are presented under the same title and have continuity of production supervision.

Since day one, it's been known "True Detective" would have a different cast and storyline every season

It's an unusual television format that FX's "American Horror Story" adopted when it first aired in 2011. It's also one that the network's new show "Fargo," nominated for 18 Emmys, also shares.

american horror story

However, both of those shows are dueling it out in the TV movie/miniseries category.

What gives? Is HBO's drama getting special treatment?

Not exactly.

Vulture pointed out a closer read of the Emmy's rules shows exactly why "True Detective" never would have been put into the miniseries category unless producers went out of their way to receive permission to run in either category.

A limited-run series with a "created by" credit CANNOT enter as a miniseries
unless the producer for the limited run series applies for and receives entitlement to dual
qualification, i.e. qualification in more than one category, because of an affirmative
determination by the Awards Committee that the limited run series has elements of both
drama series and miniseries categories.

The jarring line there is the fact that any miniseries that conveniently has a "created by" credit can't be labeled a miniseries unless a petition is submitted.

It's a rule that has allowed "American Horror Story" to be nominated as a drama a miniseries after it lost to "Homeland" at the 2012 Golden Globes in the drama category

The move was met with a lot of backlash from critics who claimed the show thought it had a better chance of winning in the Outstanding TV movie or miniseries category. But honestly it seems kind of weird for a show with a revolving cast and storyline to receive the same treatment as longer dramas.

Vulture reports the only reason "Fargo" didn't have the same issue this year is because the FX series cleverly made the decision to phrase its credit as "created for television by" instead of "created by."bob odenkirk fargo

It's a very unclear and murky way for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences to deal with the nomination categories for shows.

It's not just "True Detective" that was placed into a category that may not correctly define it. "Orange is the New Black" is being labeled as a comedy so it doesn't go up against fellow Netflix series "House of Cards." Showtime's "Shameless" is also in the category after being considered a drama for three years now that award-winning "30 Rock" is over.

What's worse is that we could very likely see "True Detective" in the miniseries category next year if there isn't as much buzz about season 2 and it doesn't want to go toe to toe with AMC's "Mad Men." 

The "created by" loophole, if you will call it this, allows HBO to take advantage of a brilliant opportunity to try and take down TV favorite "Breaking Bad" during its final Emmy run.

Think of the headlines if "True Detective" shut out "Breaking Bad" from the biggest awards of the night.

Yes, "True Detective" certainly has the legs to possibly upset the AMC show, but the bigger win for HBO may be knowing it beat out a show it passed on so many years ago all because an exec thought the series' premise was too boring during a pitch meeting. 

SEE ALSO: How HBO blew its chance to air "Breaking Bad"

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Jenny McCarthy Gets 'Dirty, Sexy, Funny' SiriusXM Radio Show

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sherri shepherd jenny mccarthy

After announcing last week that she is leaving "The View" after just one tumultuous season as co-host, Jenny McCarthy has already landed her next gig.

McCarthy, 41, will be joining SiriusXM to host a weekly satellite radio show, titled ”Dirty, Sexy, Funny with Jenny McCarthy," where she will take on topics such as parenting, sex, dating, and marriage.

Airing Wednesdays starting July 16, the show will feature guests such as Chelsea Handler, Perez Hilton, McCarthy's fiancé Donnie Wahlberg, along with “many others” yet to be named.

“It's no secret that I love to talk. I'm excited to do it on SiriusXM without having to interrupt anyone or keep things clean. You can bet your sweet ass this show will live up to its title,” McCarthy said in a statement Monday.

SEE ALSO: Jenny McCarthy And Sherri Shepherd Are Out At 'The View'

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'Transformers: Age Of Extinction' Is Now The Highest-Grossing Movie Of 2014 After Just 2 Weeks

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optimus prime transformers 4

Poor reviews haven't hurt "Transformers: Age of Extinction."

The Paramount film may sit at 17% on film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, but the sequel is now the highest-grossing movie of the year after being at the box office for little more than two weeks.

That's due in large part to the film's phenomenal performance overseas in China.

While the movie has made $209 million domestically, the film has soared in the foreign country making more than $262 million

The film continues to slow down stateside while it has picked up in China.

transformers age of extinction box office

Paramount focused a lot of the film's marketing toward China. Not only was the film primarily made in the country, it also included Chinese actress Fan Bingbing in the sequel, and held a contest to include Chinese fans in the movie.

Here are the top movies of the year so far at the box office via Box Office Mojo:

MovieReleaseWorldwide Gross
"Transformers: Age of Extinction"6/27/2014$752.5 million
"X-Men: Days of Future Past"5/23/2014$731.4 million
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier"4/4/2014$712.4 million
"The Amazing Spider-Man 2"5/2/2014$705 million
"Maleficent"5/30/2014$669 million

SEE ALSO: "Age of Extinction" was the most difficult "Transformers" movie to make

AND: The most difficult "Transformer" in the movie to make

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Here's How The Apes In 'The Planet Of The Apes' Sequel Look Without CGI

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"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" came out this weekend and was a massive hit making more than $70 million. 

By far, one of the best parts of the movie was the incredible motion capture work used in the sequel.

Motion capture guru Andy Serkis, who is known for his work as Gollum / Smeagol in both "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "The Hobbit,reprised his role of Caesar the ape from the first film. 

andy serkis gollum

However, he's not just voicing an ape. Serkis acts out the entire role, crawling around and making very specific facial expressions to translate on screen. 

Everything the ape does, Serkis does along with the team of actors who lend their talents to the other apes in the film.

Back in May, 20th Century Fox released a splitscreen video that shows exactly how Serkis and actors Toby Kebbell, Larramie Doc Shaw, Terry Notary, and Karin Konoval bring the apes to life on screen.

It's pretty cool.

First, the actors get into full body motion capture suits. The white markers on the actor's faces help track their movement on the digital animal. The tracking picks up everything from spoken words ... 

andy serkis planet of the apes

... to movements ... Andy Serkis caesar planet of the apes

dawn of the planet of the apes motion capture

... and facial expressions.andy serkis caesardawn of the planet of the apes planet of the apes motion capturedawn of the planet of the apes motion capture

Watch the video below:

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" is in theaters July 11. 

SEE ALSO: A trailer for the movie

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Warren Buffett And Paul McCartney Met In Omaha And Had An Epic Bro-Down

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By now you may have seen the latest selfie posted by Omaha kid Tom White. If you haven't, here it is again: It shows White posing in front of — not exactly with — Paul McCartney and Warren Buffett. 

It looks too weird to be real. But it is: a bunch of people took with Omaha's noted oracle and McCartney, who was scheduled to perform in Lincoln Sunday. There were others.

Omaha ice cream joint eCreamery later posted some photos of the duo on their Facebook page.

ecreamery omaha1910229_10152496930852226_870270032144710275_nThe Omaha World Herald has the full report, which also notes McCartney dined on gluten-free pasta at an Italian restaurant for dinner. They did not report what Buffett ate. Click here to read their full story »

 

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5 Major Things We Know About 'Breaking Bad' Spinoff 'Better Call Saul'

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better call saul

More news about "Breaking Bad" spinoff "Better Call Saul" came out over the weekend after creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould spoke at the Television Critics' Association (TCA) Press Tour.

We now know exactly when the show will take place and who will star in the series alongside Bob Odenkirk.

AMC also revealed two new images for the show.

Here's everything we know about "Better Call Saul."

1. What will it be about:better call saul goodman

According to AMC, the show will be a prequel that watches Saul's transformation from Jimmy McGill to the lawyer we know. Here's the official synopsis:

"The series is set six years before Saul Goodman (Odenkirk) meets Walter White. When we meet him, the man who will become Saul Goodman is known as Jimmy McGill, a small-time lawyer searching for his destiny, and, more immediately, hustling to make ends meet. Working alongside, and often against, Jimmy is “fixer” Mike Erhmantraut (Banks), a beloved character introduced in Breaking Bad. The series will track Jimmy’s transformation into Saul Goodman, the man who puts “criminal” in “criminal lawyer.” The series’ tone is dramatic, woven through with dark humor."

2. When will it take place:saul goodman better call saul

The series will take place around 2002. Since AMC's strict definition of the series as a prequel goes against what Gould recently said about "Better Call Saul." 

Gould told the New York Post the timeline will be flexible allowing it to go back and forth between different time periods to possibly bring back old "Breaking Bad" characters.

Odenkirk also told us he'd love for the show to be a prequel and sequel.

3. Who will be in the cast:

Joining Odenkirk will be "Breaking Bad" star Jonathan Banks reprising his role of Mike Erhmantraut.

jonathan banks breaking bad

Michael McKean ("This is Spinal Tap") will play Saul's brother Chuck.michael mckean

Rhea Seehorn ("Whitney") will play Kim.rhea seehorn

Patrick Fabian ("The Last Exorcism") will be Hamlin.patrick fabian

Michael Mando ("Orphan Black") has been cast as Nacho.michael mando

4. How many episodes will it be?

Season one will have 10 episodes while season 2 (yes, it was already renewed!) will consist of 13.

5. When will it premiere?

Although no set date has been confirmed yet, AMC has said "Better Call Saul" will be released early 2015.

SEE ALSO: HBO completely blew its chance to air "Breaking Bad"

AND: A ridiculous rule is allowing "True Detective" to go up against "Breaking Bad" at the Emmys

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