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Nintendo Is Stuck In The Mud Because Of The Wii U, And 'Mario Kart' Isn't Helping Much

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mario kart 8

Nintendo posted its third loss in four quarters on Wednesday. 

Even though Mario Kart 8, its big first-party game released in May, shipped more than 2.82 million copies by the end of June, the Mario-themed racing game was not enough to help Nintendo’s struggling Wii U console perform in this particular quarter. The company said it lost $97 million between March and June.

Nintendo shipped 510,000 units of the Wii U in the June quarter, bringing the total to 6.68 million consoles sold, according to Bloomberg. It’s a big jump from the 160,000 units it sold in the same quarter a year ago and a small improvement over the 310,000 units it sold in the March quarter, but the Wii U is still lagging behind the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. Nintendo must also contend with mobile games available on Apple and Google’s app stores, which cost but a fraction of a Nintendo game. 

Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo for America, said the company is working on multiple ways to improve the “software droughts” between Nintendo’s first-party game releases, namely by squeezing more games out of second- and third-party developers. But for now, Nintendo can only point to its back catalogue as it looks to achieve its “pace of product launch that we need to really drive momentum for Wii U,” as Fils-Aime put it to IGN’s Jose Otero.

Games like Mario Kart 8 will clearly help the Wii U achieve its goals. Consumers showed a 50% increase in “purchasing intent” for the console after the release of Mario Kart 8 and Nintendo’s successful showing at the E3 gaming conference in June, but it simply needs more games like Mario Kart 8. 

Super_Smash_Bros._U_ _new_charactersAs The Guardian’s Keith Stuart points out, Nintendo has a number of big games coming, including Mario Maker, Yoshi’s Woolly World, Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. But until those games release later this year and next year, the mainstream schedule is “a wasteland,” as Stuart described it.

As the Nintendo looks to bolster the Wii U with more titles, the company is already beginning to pivot towards a new health-related platform “that improves people’s quality of life in enjoyable ways,” according to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata. 

Amiibo_Group

Until that console comes around, however, Nintendo will keep pushing the Wii U, as well as the 3DS, its bestselling handheld console, and its new collectible figurines called “Amiibo,” which let gamers enter their purchased characters into Nintendo games with the Wii U’s GamePad controller. Nintendo hopes Amiibo can help drive revenue in the same way a similar, uber-successful platform called Infinity helped Disney

Mario Kart 8 will carry Nintendo for the next few months until the fall rolls around, which will see the release of two new Pokemon games for the 3DS and Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS in October. But if Nintendo wants to reverse its fortunes, it may want to embrace its immense back catalogue of games — even the simplest of 8-bit and 32-bit classics from the NES and SNES consoles — and make them available for mobile gamers. 

SEE ALSO: 10 Reasons To Buy A Wii U Right Now

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Toby Keith Makes A Stunning Amount As Country's Top Earner

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Toby Keith

For the second year in a row, Toby Keith claims the No.1 spot on Forbes' list of The World's Highest Paid Country Musicians of 2014.

Forbes estimates the 53-year-old singer made a whopping $65 million this year, thanks to his "I Love This Bar And Grill restaurants, a multimillion-dollar endorsement deal with Ford, his own Wild Shot mescal, and the acts he signs to his Show Dog label."

Keith says of the other musicians on his label and brand synergy: “I can put them on that 30-city tour. I don’t have to look for a place to play. It’s cost-effective as crap,” he explained. “They’re in Toby’s house. They’re drinking Toby’s liquor. That’s Toby’s act. And then we’re moving to the next town.”

Keith's $65 million just beat out country's most famous face, Taylor Swift, who raked in an estimated $64 million this year. 

Forbes explains, "Still only 24 years old, she fell just short of the top spot on this year’s list, but her $64 million total is the best of her young career, boosted by heavy touring and endorsements for Diet Coke, Keds and CoverGirl."

But Keith can be expected to reign supreme among all musical genres. In 2013's rankings, his $65 million slotted him at No. 4, behind Madonna ($125 million), Lady Gaga ($80 million) and Bon Jovi ($79 million).

This year, he even outpaced "masters of product extension" like Jay-Z ($42 million), Beyoncé ($53 million) and Jennifer Lopez ($45 million).

Check out the top 5 highest-earning country stars below:

1. Toby Keith, $65 million

2. Taylor Swift, $64 million

3. Kenny Chesney, $44 million

4. Jason Aldean, $37 million

5. Luke Bryan, $34 million

Read Forbes' full list here >

SEE ALSO: Robert Downey Jr. Is Once Again The Highest Earning Actor Of The Year

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71 Movies Are About To Disappear From Netflix (NFLX)

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the pianistCarve out some time this week to watch "The Pianist," "Airplane," and "Braveheart." They're among the 71 titles that will vanish from Netflix streaming on August 1.

We found the full list of what's expiring from Netflix on Friday over at Nerdiots. Prepare your Netflix queue and catch up on these movies before they're gone.

Don't freak out. This is normal for Netflix. The company routinely removes movies and adds new ones.

Expiring on August 1:

  • Airplane

  • Attack of the Crab Monster

  • Mia and the Migoo

  • Bounty Hunters

  • Clockers

  • Crazy for Christmas

  • The Hunted

  • Girls who like Boys who like Boys

  • Neil Young – Heart of Gold

  • Runaway Bride

  • Addams family

  • Rid of Me

  • Top Secret

  • Mel Brookes: To Be or Not to Be

  • Cocaine Unwrapped

  • Zach and Miri Make a Porno

  • Braveheart

  • Donnie Brasco

  • Easy Rider

  • Fido

  • Dinocroc

  • Forbidden World

  • The Incredible Melting Man

  • Death Stalker

  • House of the Dead 2

  • The Good Son

  • The Ghost and the Darkness

  • Somewhere in Time

  • Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life

  • Waking Ned Devine

  • Days of Thunder

  • The Pianist

  • Wake Up

  • Barbarian Queen

  • Night of the Cobra Woman

  • Lady Frankenstein

  • Christmas Carol: The Movie

  • Haunting of Hellhouse

  • The Haunting of Julia

  • The Rainmaker

  • Paper Moon

  • The City of Lost Children

  • She Done Him Wrong

  • Unstable Fables: 3 Pigs and a Baby

  • Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

  • Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

  • Valkrie

  • Piranha

  • Clay Pigeons

  • Thinner

  • Maximum Overdrive

  • Crime Zone

  • Breakdown

  • Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin

  • Fatherhood Dreams

  • The Dewey Bozella Story

  • 30 for 30: Once Brothers

  • 30 for 30: Winning Time Reggie Miller

  • 30 for 30: The Two Escobars

  • 30 for 30: Guru of Go

  • 30 for 30: Unguarded

  • Seven Minutes in Heaven

Expiring on August 2:

  • Outside the Law

Expiring on August 5:

  • Hobo with a shotgun

Expiring on August 6:

  • The Price of Gold

Expiring on August 7:

  • Spring 1941

Expiring on August 8:

  • John Wooden: Values, Victory and Peace of Mind

  • Headhunter

  • A Connecticut Yankee

Expiring on August 9:

  • Dream Home

  • Choose

In addition, here's a list of 19 movies that will be added to Netflix's streaming services on August 1, also courtesy of Nerdiots. Note that this may not be the complete list of incoming titles.

  • Best Laid Plans

  • Blink

  • Blown Away

  • Becoming Jane

  • Blue Car

  • Bounce

  • Boys and Girls

  • Brian’s Song

  • Buffalo Soldiers

  • Caveman

  • Chinatown

  • Cleopatra

  • Chocolat

  • Corky Romano

  • Cypher

  • Deep Blue

  • Down To You

  • Elizabethtown

  • The Killing Season 4

SEE ALSO: Netflix Is Now Paying AT&T So Your Videos Stream Faster

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'Guardians Of The Galaxy' End-Credits Scene Leaks Online

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guardians of the galaxy the collector

"Guardians of the Galaxy" is in theaters Friday and everyone is buzzing about a possible appearance by Marvel sci-fi character Howard the Duck after his name appeared in the film's credits.

Earlier this week, director James Gunn confirmed to /Film Howard the Duck can be spotted the first time when Benicio del Toro's character, The Collector (a man who, you guessed it, collects things), appears on screen. 

It looks like the duck will also pop up more prominently in the movie's end-credits' scene again with The Collector.

Vulture discovered a clip of filmed footage uploaded onto social media site VK, essentially Russia's version of Facebook, that appears to be a post-credits sequence for the film.

Having seen "Guardians," the scene makes sense with what occurs in the movie. I won't spoil what was in the footage until the film's release, but Howard the Duck is prominently seen in the clip. 

The clip has since been pulled, but is currently still here if you want to watch.

If you want to see a screengrab of Howard, scroll down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

howard the duck guardians of the galaxy

Marvel decided to not air any end-credits scenes during press screenings in order for fans to be among the first to see the footage.

Don't expect that to be the only end-credits scene for "Guardians of the Galaxy." We wouldn't be surprised if there's also a mid-credits sequence hinting at the future of the Marvel universe as well.

"Guardians of the Galaxy" is expected to have a huge $70 million weekend at the box office. Disney and Marvel have already announced a sequel.

SEE ALSO: "Guardians of the Galaxy" is easily one of the summer's best movies

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17 Stunning Photos From A Bizarre Clown Conference In Guatemala

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clown makeup boy

The sixth annual Congress of Latin American clowns took place this week in Guatemala City, where more than 200 professional clowns gathered to exchange tricks of the trade.

The conference — which included clowns from El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, and the U.S. — was sponsored by the union representing workers in Guatemala's entertainment sector.

Much to coulrophobics' dismay, the event included both happy and sad clowns.

Clowns from all over the world gathered for four days this week in Guatemala City for the sixth annual Latin American Clown Congress.



More than 200 clowns attended to learn new skills, attend workshops, and network.

 



All ages and genders are welcome.

 



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Stephen Colbert Gave A Heartwarming, Geektastic Speech During 'The Hobbit' Panel At Comic-Con

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stephen colbert sdcc 2014When the "The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies" Comic-Con panel opened, there may have been no bigger fan in attendance than TV host Stephen Colbert.

Colbert — whose "Lord of the Rings" fanhood landed him a cameo in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" — opened the panel by giving a heartfelt and geektastic speech about his love of J.R.R. Tolkien's series.

Colbert detailed how much he treasured the stories and his hesitations over director Peter Jackson helming the series. 

It was great.

Read it in its entirety below:

"Hello. If I could only go back in time and show this to my 13-year-old self!

Welcome to today’s panel on The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, and a celebration of Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth: The Battle for Six Movies. My name is Stephen Colbert, and if you are anything like me, you don’t just love these stories — you treasure the world of J.R.R. Tolkien. Let me take you to a time long ago, an earlier age: the time of Clinton, the dark days of dial-up internet. A rumor came to us that director Peter Jackson would be making an adaptation of the trilogy. At the time, many of us knew him only from his movie Heavenly Creatures, and as great as that movie is, I wasn’t sure there was room for hysterical, murderous teenage girls in Middle-earth … other than, of course, Éowyn.

I was worried that somehow he would take away my treasure, my horde of precious Middle-earth stories. It was a very possessive, obsessive, very dragon-y feeling, so I found and followed everything I could about the progress of these movies. I remember seeing the first stills from the filming of Helm’s Deep. I looked at every casting announcement. I scoured the work of John Howe and Alan Lee. I read the online debates about fantasy versus fairy tales. And I began to have hope.

Not just hope the movies would be good … I was given hope that finally, finally people might not roll their eyes when I started talking about Middle-earth. That my head full of facts from Fëanor to Faramir might suddenly have some social value! That someone might say to me, “Hey Stephen, you know a lot about Tolkien. Can you explain something to me?” And I would say “Yes, oh God yes, I will!”

And then the movies broke upon the world, and to steal a line from C.S. Lewis, “Here were beauties that pierced like swords and burned like cold iron.” Here were movies that would break your heart, good beyond hope. And rather than take away our treasure, Peter and Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens and Richard Taylor and Grant Major and Dan Hennah and the cast and the crew and WETA Digital and the land and the people of New Zealand itself added to our stories, complemented our imagination. The only problem, as I saw it, was that at a total running time of eleven and a half hours, they were too damn short."

You can watch Colbert's speech and the entire "The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies" Comic-Con panel below:  

SEE ALSO: Watch The Eerie New Teaser Trailer For 'The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies'

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How An Oil Engineer Discovered Auto-Tune And Changed The Music Industry Forever

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Before inventing Auto-Tune, the software that would change the music industry forever, Andy Hildebrand was a research scientist in the oil industry.

Working for Exxon Production Research and then Landmark Graphics, a company he co-founded, Hildebrand developed software for processing data from reflection seismology, a method of estimating properties of Earth's subsurface using reflected seismic waves. His innovations were great for finding oil, and they reportedly made him a lot of money.

Here's a screenshot of Landmark's geophysical analysis software today:

landmark software autotuneBut reflection seismology was not his first love. A professionally trained flutist since a young age, Hildebrand really wanted to be involved in music, and he found a way to transfer his skills to that field in 1990 when he launched Antares Audio Technologies, a company originally focused on digital music processing and sampling software.

His breakthrough with Auto-Tune was inspired by a fluke comment in 1996 or 1997, when a distributor's wife mentioned how great it would be to have a device that kept her singing in tune, according to Greg Milner's "Perfecting Sound Forever."

Hildebrand thought this over and realized that the type of processing he used in the oil industry could also correct pitch. As he explained on PBS's NOVA years later: 

"Seismic data processing involves the manipulation of acoustic data in relation to a linear time varying, unknown system (the Earth model) for the purpose of determining and clarifying the influences involved to enhance geologic interpretation. Coincident (similar) technologies include correlation (statics determination), linear predictive coding (deconvolution), synthesis (forward modeling), formant analysis (spectral enhancement), and processing integrity to minimize artifacts. All of these technologies are shared amongst music and geophysical applications."

And here's a screenshot of Auto Tune's music software — note the similarities:

auto tuneAlthough there were ways to correct pitch before Auto-Tune, it wasn't easy. Auto-Tune was incredibly good and incredibly easy, among other things allowing users to set a key and then have the software automatically correct notes to hit the right pitch.

"People couldn't believe what they were hearing," Hildebrand told Milner about debuting the software in the late 90s. "I had trouble convincing several of them that I wasn't pulling wool over their eyes."

For Hildebrand creating the software was his way of allowing artist to worry about the emotion of the recording rather than the technical aspects of it.

"The singer's first take is often their best, it's full of vitality and emotion," Hildebrand told NPR in 2004. "After the take, their producer will announce 'great but the second phrase was pitchy so let's do it again.' Well, now the singer's worried about pitch and has to focus on the intonation and the vitality and emotion are gone from their performance. What Auto-Tune lets the producer do is fix the first take."

Auto-Tune caught on quickly but was treated as an industry secret until Cher brought it to the forefront with her 1998 smash "Believe," which used the software at its most aggressive setting for a strange, robotic effect.

"Most major studios were using this software for pitch correction. The studios didn't like to talk about what they were doing," Hildebrand told the Seattle Times. "They didn't advertise the fact they were fixing the singer's pitch, but they did... [Cher] was just the first to make it public."

And then it was off to the races, with producers everywhere embracing it.

"It's a great and totally acceptable tool," music producer Pat Dillett told Billboard in 2004. "We've been trying to fix pitch for years. Well before Auto-Tune, we've had tons of methods... to speed things up, slow them down, fly them back in [to the track] and get them right. It [was] really hard. So I'm glad it's easy."

"Since rising to fame as the weird techno-warble effect in the chorus of Cher’s 1998 song, 'Believe,' Auto-Tune has become bitchy shorthand for saying somebody can’t sing," wrote The Verge's Lessley Anderson. "But the diss isn’t fair, because everybody’s using it."

Of course, not everyone likes what Auto-Tune has done to music.

Time Magazine called it one of the 50 worst inventions while others have compared it to body modifications and plastic surgerySome artists have protested, too, like Jay Z, who released an "anti-Auto-Tune" album and a song called "D.O.A. (Death of Auto-Tune)."

But mostly, audiences have been happy to settle into ignorant bliss about how much our favorite songs, like women on magazine covers, are digitally enhanced. That's why people acted shocked, outraged, and disdainful when unedited tracks of Britney Spears' awful singing recently leaked to the internet (the version we posted is no longer online, but you can find it if you search).

But was any one really surprised that Britney sounded so bad? And will this actually hurt her career? Nah, let's just sit back and enjoy the wonders of Auto-Tune.

SEE ALSO: Here's what really killing the music industry

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Here's How Groot And Rocket Raccoon Look Without Visual Effects In 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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"Guardians of the Galaxy" hits theaters Friday and is expected to have a huge $70 million-plus opening weekend.

While Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, and Dave Bautista star, Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper will lend their voices to two scene-stealing characters, a larger than life, tree-like creature Groot and feisty raccoon Rocket.

You'll see the two in the film like this:guardians of the galaxy groot rocket

However, behind-the-scenes here's how Groot and Rocket actually look while filming:vin diesel motion capture groot

Polish actor Krystian Godlewski wore a motion capture suit to give the physical cues for Groot and provide a model for actors to look at while filming.

Yes, that is a bust of Groot's head atop a motion-capture suit.groot motion capture

Director James Gunn's brother Sean filled in for Rocket Racoon.motion capture groot rocket raccoonguardians of the galaxy james gunn sean gunn

You can also spot Sean Gunn in the film as Kraglin, the sidekick to Michael Rooker's character Yondu.guardians of the galaxy yondu kraglin

In the film's production notes, executive producer Nik Korda explains how the duo's motion capture performances helps the final CG versions of the characters come together.

“It’s very important for the animators to see a real-life person performing in the right lighting environment, on the right set, to see how they move, their reach, and so on," Korda says. "Even though it is Sean down on his haunches, it gives us all a sense of the attitude, and Krystian gives us a sense of Groot’s lumbering movements, which help create the animated performance.”

Special effects makeup designer David White also made two life-size versions of Rocket Raccoon along with a bust of Groot as aids for visual effects and lighting.guardians of the galaxy life size rocket

"The reason the filmmakers wanted these is because they take them onto the set and they put them in little chairs and they put them next to the doors and it gives them a good indication of where visual effects needs to pick up and whether Rocket can actually reach certain things or use certain devices," White says. "Also they offer them up to the camera at the end of the shot and it just gives them an extra little hint of the lighting because they’re actually painted exactly as they want.”

Where can we get one?guardians of the galaxy life size rocket

SEE ALSO: There is only one end-credits scene to "Guardians of the Galaxy" — Here's what it means

AND: Meet Oreo, the real-life raccoon who inspired Rocket in "Guardians of the Galaxy"

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The WWE Isn't Anywhere Close To Its Subscriber Goals, And Now It's Axing 7% Of Its Staff (WWE)

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Vince McMahon arrested

World Wrestling Entertainment's big bet on a streaming online video network is bleeding money, and now the company is scrambling to salvage it with major cost-cutting measures and a new pricing model.

The company announced in its second-quarter earnings release Thursday that the WWE Network had just 700,000 subscribers, well short of the 1 million subscribers the company has said it needs for the network to break even and even further from the 1.4 million users needed to replace the pay-per-view business the network is expected to supplant.

Though the company said in April that it was "well on its way" to hitting 1 million subscribers by the end of the year, the network has added just 33,000 new subscribers since then despite offering a free trial and launching an all-out marketing blitz.

Perhaps as a result, the company said Thursday that its projected 2015 operating profit improved by $30 million, primarily because of cost-cutting measures and a new plan to reduce total company staff by 7%.

The company now estimates that at its current subscription rate it would lose about $20 million in 2014, largely because of network startup costs.

The WWE will also offer a new pricing model for the Network, which has required a six-month commitment from customers in exchange for access to its monthly special events (previously available on pay-per-view for upward of $50) and other content at a price of $9.99 a month.

In August, when initial subscribers will first have the option to unsubscribe, it will debut an additional $19.99 option for customers who would prefer not to do the six-month commitment.

The company also announced plans to expand the network, currently available only in the U.S., to more than 170 countries and territories starting Aug. 12.

Still, the company has estimated that international demand for the network is only a fraction of the domestic audience. And even then, as wrestling business reporter Chris Harrington has pointed out, there's reason to believe many fans overseas have already found extralegal ways to buy the network.

On the bright side, the company announced it lost $0.18 per share in the second quarter, a better performance than the $0.22 loss analysts had been expecting. Revenues for the quarter came in at $156.3 million, beating analyst expectations of $155.5 million.

The stock is at $13.17, up $1.08 from its $12.09 close the previous evening. Still, that's down considerably from the $19.93 price it was trading at prior to a May crash on news of a disappointing new television contract. 

SEE ALSO: Vince McMahon's Plan To Turn Around The WWE Is Blowing Up In His Face

SEE ALSO: The Money-Losing WWE Network Is Making Another Big Push For Subscribers

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Why FX Gives Louis CK Way More Freedom Than HBO Ever Would

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Louie season 4 stand up comedian comic Louis CKIn 2006, comedian Louis C.K. had an ill-fated HBO sitcom titled "Lucky Louie."

It was the network's first (and last) show to be filmed before a live studio audience with a multiple-camera setup. 

So it wasn't exactly surprising when, a few years later, Louis C.K. shot a half-hour sketch comedy pilot for HBO, but the network decided not to pick up.

louie director directing Louis CKShortly after, FX — the Fox-owned network that is home to "Sons of Anarchy" and "American Horror Story" — green-lighted "Louie," a dark half-hour comedy about a divorced comedian with two kids living in New York. The show is written, directed, edited, and produced by the show's creator, Louis C.K.

After premiering in 2010, "Louie" slowly picked up steam, won over fans and critics, and will soon be headed into a fifth season.

"Louie" casting director Gayle Keller, who has collaborated with Louis C.K. on the majority of his projects since 2001, tells Business Insider that working on an FX show (which is basic cable) has been so different from their short-lived life at premium cable network, HBO.

"HBO is a little bit more involved, just like any other network I’ve worked for ABC, CBS, NBC  and everyone’s just more involved in the scripts and the casting. But in 'Louie,' it’s really just Louis C.K..

At FX, Louis has such a special relationship with John Langraf [FX president]. They just worked out this really nice deal for him that Louis can kind of have anonymity, write the scripts, direct them, and edit them without really any involvement from the network."

Having no involvement from a network is "unusual," adds Keller. "Because Louis produces the show with his production company, Pig Newton, we’re our own entity. We kind of just do our thing, and then just hand it over to FX."

Keller thinks the network's hands-off approach is a good one.

"Creatively, it’s very productive and it’s proven successful for this show. It allows for a creative connection with the director and the writers and executive producer because we’re such a small group of people working together. Now that we’ve been doing it for four years together, we just know the flow and we know what Louis wants, what he likes, and it’s so much more productive. 

Louis is just so clear of his vision. He knows exactly what he wants 95% of the time, so we all manage to find people who work well together and can make that happen."

SEE ALSO: Here's How 'Louie' Lands Such Amazing Guest Stars

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Here's How TMZ Got The Name TMZ

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TMZ

In November 2005, lawyer-turned-journalist Harvey Levin debuted his celebrity news website, TMZ.

While the letters "TMZ" have become a part of the common lexicon, few know what it actually stands for. 

"TMZ" is short for "Thirty-Mile Zone," in reference to the historic "studio zone" within a 30-mile radius in Los Angeles, California.

TMZ thirty mile zone map

The California Film Commission defines the zone as a "30 mile radius used by union film projects to determine per diem rates and driving distances for crew members. The center of the studio zone is located at the southeast corner of Beverly and La Cienega in Los Angeles California. More than 90 cities and parts of three counties including Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties fall within the 30-mile studio zone."

BuzzFeed's Anne Helen Petersen recently profiled TMZ at length and further explained that after the initial idea of naming the site "Crushed Candy" was nixed for being "too girly," Levin searched for something that was most importantly short, "so as to better facilitate views via the burgeoning mobile market."

TMZ was chosen, Petersen writes, because "Thirty Mile Zone," "which historically delineated the boundaries for union-related rates within the industry and, in branding terms, connoted a mysterious sort of insider knowledge."

Today, a map of the Thirty-Mile Zone is proudly displayed on a wall in TMZ's Los Angeles office — but it wasn't exactly easy to get the name.

"The URL was already taken by an electronics company that went by the name of Team Minus Zero," explains Petersen, who spoke to nearly two dozen former TMZ employees for the profile.

Here's how Levin eventually persuaded the company to give up their URL:

"According to a staffer from that time, Levin called the owner up and offered $5,000 for the URL — but without revealing who he was or what, exactly, the URL was for. The guy jumped at the offer, but Levin, according to a source, also knew that if he showed up with the cash in his Porsche, the URL owner would immediately up the asking price. His solution: Borrow a staff member’s totally average car. Hand over $5,000 in cash. The URL — and the brand — was theirs."

SEE ALSO: Here's TMZ's Secret To Getting Celebrity Court Documents So Quickly

MORE: Inside TMZ's Awesome Office Space And TV Studio

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Meet The Real-Life Raccoon Who Inspired 'Rocket' In 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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rocket raccoon guardians of the galaxy

When "Guardians of the Galaxy" comes to theaters Friday, one of the characters everyone will be talking about is Rocket Raccoon, a gun-toting rascal with a lot of spunk voiced by Bradley Cooper.

But before he was voiced by Cooper, and brought to life with the help of motion capture, animators drew inspiration for the character from a real-life raccoon named Oreo.

Raised since he was two days old by Sallie Rainbow and the people at Oreo and Friendsa UK-based group that describes itself as an animal encounters company that helps raise awareness of exotic animals, the now five-year-old raccoon was invited by director James Gunn to model for Rocket in "Guardians."

Gunn recently spoke with British magazine Small Furry Pets detailing all of the moving parts that went into creating Rocket.

Via ComicBookMovie:

“We needed a raccoon to study how he looked and his behavior, so that our on-screen raccoon, which is generated through CGI will be realistic," said Gunn. "Our Rocket is based on a combination of our voice actor, Bradley Cooper, our on-set actor, my brother Sean Gunn, the movements and behavior and look of Oreo [the raccoon], as well as my own animation.”oreo rocket raccoon guardians of the galaxy

Oreo most recently headed out to the “Guardians of the Galaxy” premiere in London where the mini star lounged in his own hotel suite ... 

... before heading out to the red carpet to greet fans ...

... and reunite with Gunn.

james gunn rocket raccoon oreo

SEE ALSO: How Groot and Rocket Raccoon look in "Guardians of the Galaxy" without visual effects

AND: The "Guardians of the Galaxy" end-credits scene leaks online

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Luxurious Park Avenue Duplex Of Late '60 Minutes' Journalist Mike Wallace Sells For $13 Million

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The Park Avenue apartment of late "60 Minutes" journalist Mike Wallace, who passed away April 2012, has sold for $13 million, according to The Real Deal.

The home was originally listed October 2012 for $20 million by Wallace's heirs, after his wife Mary Yates died in September 2012. It was purchased through an LLC.

Wallace is known for his 21 Emmy awards, including one that he won for an interview with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2006.

Take a look inside his apartment:

The Upper East Side home has four bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms. It takes up the 15th and 16th floors of the co-op at 730 Park Ave. This is the 33-foot living room with a marble, wood burning fireplace.

730 park mike wallace

The apartment is entered from a semi-private elevator landing. There is a 20-foot gallery that opens into the rooms on the first floor. 

mike wallace $20 million apartment

A six-person formal dining room opens off the gallery and has original wide-plank peg and grove flooring.

730 park mike wallace

The home is perfect for entertaining with charming, old-world touches.

730 park mike wallace

The library has vintage French doors leading onto an East-facing terrace.

730 park ave mike wallaceFloorplan:

 mike wallace $20 million apartment

 Meredith Galante contributed to this story.

SEE ALSO: Billy Joel's $20 Million Hamptons Home Finally Sells After 5 Years

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Samuel L. Jackson Had Only One Request For 'The Avengers' — And He Was Denied

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nick fury the avengers

Director and writer Joss Whedon radically changed the script for "Marvel's The Avengers" when he took over the project. Many cast members loved his version, in part because he asked for their insight, particularly with their characters. 

Samuel L. Jackson, playing spy Nick Fury, was pleased to be involved in the writing process but had one request, as Whedon recalls in "Joss Whedon: The Biography," out Aug. 1:

"I don’t want to run," the then-62-year-old actor said. "Don’t make me run a lot."

After reading the script, however, he confronted the director over a stage direction.

"It says, 'Fury run,'" Jackson said.

"I know, it’s just this one time," Whedon said.

Nick Fury running

This isn't the first time Jackson has had a request on set of a major motion picture.

While filming "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack Of The Clones," Jackson requested a purple lightsaber for his character Jedi Master Mace Windu so he could find himself in a big action-sequence of around 300 lightsabers.

Jackson recounted that George Lucas originally tried to tell him lightsabers only came in three colors but eventually relented.star wars episode 2 attack of the clones samuel l jackson

SEE ALSO: Tom Hiddleston sent an amazing email to director Joss Whedon after reading "The Avengers" script for the first time

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There Is Only One End-Credit Scene After 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' — Here's What It Means

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guardians of the galaxy benicio del toroWarning: If you have not seen "Guardians of the Galaxy," there are major spoilers below!

You know the drill by now. 

Don't head out as soon as "Guardians of the Galaxy" is over. Stick around after the credits for an extra scene.

Marvel loves adding extra scenes often teasing future movies during and after its end credits.

For the past few movies, Marvel Studios has given viewers two extra scenes to watch. One scene will tease a future film in the larger Marvel universe. The other will expand on a moment from the current film.

If you left the studio early and missed what happened, we have you covered.

Last chance to head back before spoilers!

What happens:the collector guardians of the galaxyThe scene pans down over the wrecked ruins of The Collector's (Benicio del Toro) trophy room after it was destroyed earlier in the film. We see The Collector, a man who collects rare and exotic items across galaxies, beleaguered and injured while sipping a beverage out of a green cup. A dog dressed in an astronaut suit comes up to him and licks his face.

All of a sudden a voice off screen asks, "What do you let him lick you like that for?" The camera then cuts to none other than Howard the Duck, a sci-fi creature from Marvel, who says "Gross" before sipping from his own bright green cup.

After the scene the words, "Howard the Duck created by Steve Gerber and Val Mayerik" appear.howard the duck guardians of the galaxy

If this scene sounds familiar, it's because it leaked online earlier this week ahead of the film's release before quickly being pulled down.

Fans have been freaking out trying to uncover where the duck appears in the film after the fowl's name was spotted in the credits by site Stitch Kingdom.

It's not the only time we see Howard in "Guardians." Director James Gunn recently told /Film you can catch a glimpse of the fair-feathered friend when The Collector first appears on screen.

Upon a second watch, we did spot Howard near the upper right hand corner of the screen in his own tiny cell when Del Toro first turns to face the audience in the film.

Who's Howard the Duck and why is he in "Guardians of the Galaxy"?

As we mentioned, Howard was a Marvel comic character first introduced in 1973, so he's fair game for Disney to use in one of its movies since acquiring Marvel for $4 billion in 2009.

In 1986, Howard was the focus of a live-action Universal movie, "Howard the Duck," produced by George Lucas — yes, that George Lucas. This is how most audiences are familiar with the character.howard the duck 1986 movie

However, it's really interesting that he appeared in "Guardians" if you know anything about the character's history with Disney.

Shortly after his creation in '73, Disney threatened Marvel with legal action claiming Howard the Duck's satirical design bore a striking resemblance to Donald Duck.howard the duck comics

According to an archived Silver Bullet Comics interview — now known as Comics Bulletin — with Howard the Duck co-creator Stever Gerber, Marvel came to a bizarre deal with Disney that virtually allowed the Mouse House to redesign the character.

"To avoid litigation, Marvel's old management signed an incredibly stupid agreement with Disney. Under its terms, all future appearances of Howard must conform to a set of designs that Disney provided for the character. You've seen this design. It's the one from the black-and-white HTD magazine, with the ghastly swollen beak, the beady eyes, and the baggy trousers that make the duck look like a derelict. What's absolutely astonishing, though, is that the Disney agreement is worded in such a way that Marvel isn't even permitted to create a new, alternative design for the character, even if that design bears no resemblance to Donald."

Here's how Howard looked after the redesign in the comics. howard the duck

You can take a look at the sheet calling for redesigns to Howard, here.

It's worth noting the version of the character in "Guardians" appeared more like his original self, and without pants.

SEE ALSO: How Groot and Rocket Raccoon look without visual effects

AND: The real-life raccoon who inspired Rocket Raccoon in "Guardians of the Galaxy"

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Here's How Chris Pratt Got Ripped For Marvel's 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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chris pratt guardians of the galaxy lighter

Actor Chris Pratt shows off a slimmed down, buff body in "Guardians of the Galaxy," which opened Friday.

But it's been a long road to losing 60 pounds in six months.

Last July, Pratt posted a photo to his Instagram account showing off his dramatic weight loss and newfound six-pack.

How did he do it? "Six months no beer. #GOTG Kinda douchey to post this but my brother made me," Pratt wrote alongside the below photo.

Chris Pratt ripped

In reality, the process of losing pounds was a bit tougher.

"Three or four hours a day of just consistent, ass-kicking hard work," the 35-year-old actor told Men's Fitness.

Pratt's workouts included P90X , running, swimming, boxing, and kickboxing, and he even completed a triathlon.

With the help of a personal trainer and nutritionist, the actor increased his caloric intake to 4,000 calories a day and drank tons of water. "I was peeing all day long, every day. That part was a nightmare," Pratt told the magazine.

But the actor was happy to learn he could still eat on the intense weight-loss program.

"I actually lost weight by eating more food, but eating the right food, eating healthy foods, and so when I was done with the movie my body hadn't been in starvation mode," Pratt told People magazine. "It wasn't like I was triggered to just gorge myself and get really fat again." 

Now, he says: "It's something that I think I can maintain because I don't spend four hours in the gym each day. I do maybe one hour in the gym maybe four days a week, and that's it." 

Pratt joked to Vulture of his weight loss and gain for roles: "I just like to gain weight and lose weight. It’s a rollercoaster. I just want to do this. I want to touch God."

Before beefing up, Pratt was most well known for playing the bumbling Andy on NBC's "Parks and Recreation."chris pratt parks and rec

Pratt says he packed on 60 pounds for his role as a lawyer in 2013's "Delivery Man," in which he costarred alongside Vince Vaughn.

"The first 20 pounds was sympathy weight because my wife was pregnant," Pratt told SheKnows. "I was gaining weight as she was gaining weight ... The other 35 pounds I did just by declaring that I was going to do it. And then my rule of thumb became: 'If it's there, eat it.' And then I would order two entrees at every meal. I would always have dessert, and I would drink the darkest beer on the menu."

Chris Pratt Vince Vaughn Delivery ManBut before that, in 2012, he got into tip-top shape for the Oscar-winning film, "Zero Dark Thirty." 

To play a Navy Seal, Pratt told People he "was doing 500 push-ups a day, working out at the gym, running five miles a day, but with no food, and I tore my body apart ... I felt terrible afterwards, had to get shoulder surgery, and I wore myself down doing that because I didn't have the proper coaching." 

At the film's premiere months later, Pratt told E! Online: "I was about 50 pounds or 40 pounds lighter than I am now. I worked out really hard and I cut out everything bad for me for a long time and I just focused on trying to become a believable Navy SEAL." 

The actor shared the below photo of his physique while filming during an appearance on "Conan."

Chris Pratt Zero Dark ThirtyIn 2011, Pratt played real-life Oakland A’s baseball player, Scott Hatteberg, opposite Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman in “Moneyball.”

Chris Pratt "MoneyBall"Before that, Pratt appeared as Anne Hathaway’s ill-fated fiancé in the 2009 comedy, “Bride Wars."

Chris Pratt That same year, he married his real-life love, actress Anna Faris. Chris Pratt Anna Faris

The comedy couple, who welcomed their first child in 2012, are currently promoting "Guardians of the Galaxy."Chris Pratt Anna Faris

Next up, Pratt stars in the "Jurassic Park" sequel, "Jurassic World."jurassic world chris prattDespite his A-list looks these days, let's not forget a lighter-haired Pratt starred as Bright Abbott on the WB's "Everwood" way back in 2002.

Chris Pratt Everwood

SEE ALSO: 'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Is Easily One Of The Summer's Best Movies

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It Took 3 Hours To Do Zoe Saldana's Makeup Every Day For 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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guardians of the galaxy zoe saldana

"Guardians of the Galaxy" is out this weekend and is expected to be a huge hit.

A big part of the $170 million sci-fi film is the extensive makeup process actors underwent to transform into a colorful cast of aliens spanning different galaxies.

According to Disney and Marvel Studios, a team of 50 special-effects makeup artists were on hand to do prosthetics for 22 cast members and dozens of supporting cast during filming. 

We asked the film's special makeup-effects designer, David White, to take us through the process of transforming some of the movie's actors into their roles. Over the next few days, we'll reveal what went into creating some of the different looks in "Guardians of the Galaxy." 

White tells Business Insider by email it took roughly two to three hours daily to prep Zoe Saldana for her role as a deadly, green assassin, Gamora.

Compared to some of the other actors, White says Saldana's character required minimal prosthetics with small enhancements to the cheeks and forehead, which you'll notice as lines drawn into the skin. 

"Templates were offered up to Zoe’s face and an outline of Mac ivory base was drawn around the outline with a fine brush. The forehead pieces were then applied using medical adhesive pros-aide.

Then the cheeks and the skin around the prosthetics were brush painted with a MAC yellow primer and INKZ primer and, when dry, a green MAC base was applied. Beyond this base coverage three more layers of variable green tones are air brushed on, including an AQUA mix highlight and eye shadow mix."

According to White, it took a while to perfect Gamora's green alien skin color. In addition, the actress' eyebrows were replaced with a "sculpted little slick eyebrow shape."

Here's how Saldana looks before and after her transformation:zoe saldana gamora guardians of the galaxy

SEE ALSO: There is only one end-credit scene after "Guardians of the Galaxy" — Here's what it means

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'Guardians Of The Galaxy' Is Easily One Of The Summer's Best Movies

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guardians of the galaxy gamora star lord

Marvel Studios’ head Kevin Feige said making “Guardians of the Galaxy” was “the riskiest movie” the studio has attempted since 2008's “Iron Man”  and he’s right.

Compared to Tony Stark, Captain America, and the Hulk, you probably haven’t heard of the alien team that was first introduced to Marvel comics in 1969 until recently. 

Business Insider attended a screening of the new movie Wednesday before its in theaters next month, and it’s safe to say that risk is going to pay off in a big way.

Not only does the film finally reward viewers for patiently sitting through countless Marvel end-credits scenes over the years, but “Guardians” is brash, it’s bold, and it’s not afraid to stray from what you typically expect from Marvel in terms of superheroes.  

Warning: Some minor spoilers follow.

"Guardians" isn't trying to be another Avengers — and that’s a good thing. guardians of the galaxyThis time around we're not following people who are supposed to be idolized. The team that makes up the group of Guardians are a bunch of self-absorbed misfit miscreants who would probably make good candidates for therapy.

We meet two bounty hunters in the form of a feisty, gun-toting Raccoon named Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and his faithful giant tree-like companion Groot (Vin Diesel). Rocket has some real anger issues and a slightly all-too-eager trigger happy finger. Groot can only utter one sentence (“I am Groot.”). Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) takes everything you say literally and wants to avenge a slain family. Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a deadly assassin, has some serious daddy issues. Then there's Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) who was abducted by aliens when he was 8-years-old and is now a womanizer traveling around space calling himself Star-Lord.

In many ways, they're the anti-Avengers and it works. The group's quirky personalities are a refreshing change that allows them to stand out in what is soon to become a very crowded Marvel cinematic universe.  

Those end-credits scenes are finally making sense benecio del toro guardians of the galaxyThis is probably the single-most important film to watch in terms of knowing the trajectory for future Marvel movies.   

“Guardians” is essentially the culmination of many previous teasers we’ve seen in end-credits sequences for Marvel films. Remember all of those teasers with Thanos, the Collector, and hints at the Infinity Stones? Well, prepare for them to come to life on screen. 

The five end up in cahoots after Quill stumbles upon an Orb that ends up housing a powerful gem known as an Infinity Stone. It’s a very in-demand item that many different people in the film are after. It’s such a hot-ticket item that one man, The Collector, who we’ve seen briefly beforeis willing to pay a space currency of 4 billion units (a possible subtle nod to how much Disney paid to acquire Marvel in 2009). 

Chris Pratt’s reign at theaters continues guardians of the galaxyPratt hooks the viewer from the moment you see him enter the screen throwing on a retro set of headphones, putting on an old school Sony Walkman, and freely dancing to Redbone’s “Come and Get Your Love” across a wide open set like a goofball. It's one of the most satisfying, feel-good openings to a film I've seen in a while. The scene takes an unexpected turn quickly that I guarantee will have you laughing.   

Between "Guardians" and “The Lego Movie,” this is really Pratt’s year and it’s easy to see why. The “Parks and Recreation” star is magnetizing every time he’s on screen much in the same way Tom Hiddleston is with Loki in “Thor” and Robert Downey, Jr. is with Tony Stark in “Iron Man.”  

Whether he’s dangling a man’s robotic leg casually over his shoulder, trying to channel Kevin Bacon in "Footloose" (more on that in a bit), or unsuccessfully hitting on women, he always has your attention on screen. 

There are a lot of fun action sequencesdrax guardians of the galaxy

Many people, ourselves included, weren’t really sure what to expect going into “Guardians.” Is it a comedy? An action film? A drama?

First and foremost it’s an action film. "Guardians" probably has some of the most fight scenes we’ve seen all summer in a film other than “X-Men: Days of Future Past” or “Transformers.”  

If you’re looking for action scenes that aren’t completely made up of explosions, “Guardians” offers a lot of fight scenes. It's as if everyone gets a chance to beat up nearly everyone else in this film.  Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) vs. the Guardians, Gamura vs.  Nebula (Karen Gillan), Rocket vs. the world, and even the Guardians vs. themselves. 

While I’m not sure that they top scenes from Disney’s earlier release this year “Captain America: The Winter Solider,” there’s a satisfying prison sequence and an amusing fight between some of the Guardians early on. 

A scene with Benicio del Toro and the gang is also one that should have audiences talking.  

But there's one moment that will leave Marvel fanboys reeling.

As we said, the film brings together what we've seen in a lot of end-credits scenes. Knowing that, we won't say what the big reveal is yet — you'll know it when you see it— but there is a very satisfying cameo that has been in the works at Marvel for some time that we were ecstatic to see on screen.

Groot is handled perfectly in the film guardians of the galaxy grootEarlier in July, we saw a screening of 17 minutes from the film. One of the few things we were concerned about was how Groot would be handled since he only has one line of spoken dialogue, “I am Groot.” During that screening it felt like we were hearing “I am Groot” every few minutes — something that easily become distracting while watching the film. This isn’t a problem throughout the movie at all. We ended up seeing different parts of the movie edited together where Diesel’s character happened to say the lines a lot.  

(In case you’re wondering, he says the line approximately 10 times throughout the more than two-hour runtime.) 

This movie was made for fans groot rocket guardians of the galaxyIf you’re familiar with the family-friendly Disney brand, its easy to see the Mouse House gave Marvel Studios a lot of leeway in making “Guardians” its own without overstepping the bounds of a PG-13 film.  

This is good for comic fans who don’t want a dumbed-down Disney flick, but questionable for parents who may be looking for a family film that freely uses a bit of raunchier humor.  

There are definitely a few awkward conversations that could possibly arise. Parents will have to tell kids to not repeat Star-Lord when he flips off a crew.   

Pratt later makes a backlight joke referencing how his ship would compare to the likes of a Jackson Pollock painting 

When we previewed the film at the start of July, we noted there was a line in the film where Quill additionally referred to someone as a bastard. That appeared to be missing in the final cut. 

It has a superb soundtrackguardians of the galaxy awesome mix 1

I cannot recommend the tunes from "Guardians of the Galaxy" enough. You'll want to jam to the '70s setlist after you leave the theater.

Music has such a big role in this film from the movie's opening to it's final moment. It served as such a big inspiration on set of the film that director James Gunn often played the soundtrack while the crew was on set along with other '70s tunes. You can check out all of the songs here.

Be on the look out for pop culture references ninja turtlesSince Quill was kidnapped from Earth in 1988, there are many pop cultural nods ranging from Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree” to Kevin Bacon and "Footloose" to a well-placed Ninja Turtles name drop that may be a very subtle jab to Paramount’s reboot of the ’80s franchise also coming out in August. 

Everyone’s been going crazy about some possible Howard the Duck reference in the film. Unless there’s a comic or image hidden obscurely in the background, we didn’t see anything (and there were two of us keeping our eyes out during the screening).

The only problems with the filmguardians of the galaxy orb"Guardians" partially feels like a filler movie necessary to lay the groundwork for Marvel's continuing expanding universe on screen. 

The entire film focuses entirely on one of six power-wielding stones and the different groups of people trying to ascertain it for their own personal gain. While, yes, the movie is certainly about the five Guardians Disney and Marvel have been showing off in trailer after trailer, the film's bigger purpose is presenting the large scope of the Marvel universe and that there's much more at stake and in play than what we have seen with the Avengers up until now.

Though the film does a good job explaining these powerful gem stones, people will definitely leave the theater looking for more information unless they have a Marvel comic lord beside them in theater. 

Expect to see a lot of explainers about "Guardians of the Galaxy" start to make their way online as the film comes closer to its release or soon afterward.

The only scene that felt slightly jarring was an opening sequence which asks viewers to devote a lot of emotional investment in characters you have just met. It may be a scene that's appreciated more when giving the film a second viewing.

Overall, "Guardians" is probably the edgiest movie Marvel Studios has put out yet. It’s a very enjoyable film during a summer that hasn’t produced a lot of must-see blockbusters aside from Fox’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past” and “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.” 

In case you’re wondering, yes, there will be an end-credits scene. No, we have not seen it yet. Marvel made the decision to not air in during press screenings ahead of the film's release. In other words, we’ll be seeing it along with all of you! 

“Guardians of the Galaxy” is in theaters Friday, August 1. Check out a trailer for the film below: 

SEE ALSO: Fans reactions to early previews of "Guardians of the Galaxy" were overwhelmingly positive

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This New Book Reveals That War Is Much More Than Combat

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marine fallujah iraq"We shot dogs."

So begins "Redeployment," author Phil Klay's gripping collection of short stories that The New Yorker has referred to as "the best literary work thus far written by a veteran of America's recent wars." With a tiny three word sentence, Klay, a Marine veteran of the Iraq War, signals to the reader that this will be more than just a war book about victories and defeat, heroism and cowardice, but about the "times that try men's souls" and the repercussions that war has on those people for years to come.

"The first sentence I wrote was 'we shot dogs,'" Klay told me in phone interview. "I knew a Marine who had talked about the experience of shooting dogs. I’m a dog lover myself, so it seemed like something that crystallized the weirdness of some of the things people experience and try to make sense of, and that difference between the things that you do overseas and what constitutes normal life for everybody back home."

Returning after a deployment is one of the hardest experiences a veteran faces, and Klay captures that in his first story, "Redeployment," in which the narrator returns from Iraq and struggles with reconciling his experiences at war with life at home.

Klay illustrates this dilemma through simple actions like turning in a weapon — "I didn't know where to rest my hands," he said. "First I put them in my pockets, then I took them out and crossed my arms, and then I just let them hang, useless, at my sides" — to introspective moments such as trying to readjust to life after war, writing:

"And glad as I was to be in the States, and even though I hated the past seven months and the only thing that kept me going was the Marines I served with and the thought of coming home, I started feeling like I wanted to go back. Because f--- all of this."

"Outside there's people walking around by the windows like it's no big deal."

There is sense of alienation that many veterans feel. Military service profoundly changes people, and that change makes it difficult for veterans to relate to those who haven't served. Being at home can suddenly feel foreign.

Commonly referred to as the civilian-military divide, Klay's writing is so powerful because it helps the reader bridge that gap.

"Prayer in the Furnace," a gripping account of a chaplain who struggles to minister to a battalion of infantry Marines who face mounting casualties, captures the divide in the thoughts of the religious leader as he contemplates a conversation with a young Marine dealing with death and killing and an insidious command environment:

"And yet I have a sense that this place is holier than back home. Gluttonous, fat, oversexed, overconsuming, materialist home, where we're too lazy to see our own faults. At least here, Rodriguez has the decency to worry about hell."

"You're talking about the civilian-military divide," Klay told me, "that was my entry point. I think for our generation of veterans that divide is a major aspect of the experience because it’s an all volunteer military. You get the sense that most Americans are not paying a lot of attention to our military policy despite the fact that this is the country that has sent you over and that civilians are ultimately responsible for the conduct of our military policy."

"I'm not confessing sh--. I ain't sorry for sh--. You can tell anybody you want."

soldiers 173rd Airborne BrigadeAs a book dealing with the Iraq war, "Redeployment" invests the reader emotionally into the stories, and there aren't many happy endings. "Yes, it's a dark book, no question," Klay admits. "But is it an honest book? I think that it is."

Of course honesty can mean being misunderstood, and although there are acts of heroism and sympathetic characters, Klay isn't scared to delve into uglier aspects of war and service. The story "In Vietnam We Had Whores" deals with prostitutes, loneliness and a unit that contracts sexually-transmitted diseases from sharing an artificial vagina. 

But that's what makes Klay's stories a must-read. His stories delve far past war into the changes it produces in myriad aspects of life. In "Psychological Operations," a former soldier who is now an Amherst student discusses his life in the military with a fellow student, and the story veers into subjects ranging from race to religion to the immigrant experience. It also pulls no punches in the dialogue between the veteran and the female student that catches his interest:

"I laughed. 'I pray,' I said, 'But not to Allah.'

She frowned and gave me a look that let me know I was never going to sleep with her.

'So you see, I can kill Muslims as much as I like,' I said smiling. 'Sh--, in my religion, that's how you help an angel get its wings.'"

I asked Klay if he was worried that his realism might cause readers to misunderstand veterans. "It was certainly something that was on my mind," he said.  "I don’t know if anybody has a right to tell a story. The only thing that can justify it is whether or not it is good, so I needed to write as honestly as I possibly could. I didn't think I could justify it any other way."

"Yo son. You signed your enlistment papers. Don't act like you ain't have a taste."

The above quote, from the story "After Action Report," is part of the joking banter that is always ongoing for people in the service:

"I'd been joking with Mac. He got a care package with the sh--iest candy known to man, stale Peeps and chocolate Pez, which Mac said tastes like Satan's a--hole. Harvey asked how he knew what Satan's a--hole tasted like and Mac said, 'Yo son. You signed your enlistment papers. Don't act like you ain't have a taste.'"

While "Redeployment" can seem dark at times, much like the veterans Klay writes about, the humor of the novel keeps it from sinking into despair. "Marines are funny," Klay told me, "and they tend to be attached to dark humor for obvious reasons, but they are extremely funny."

"Prayer in the Furnace" is quite possibly Klay's best writing, but it is also some of the most emotionally draining. Readers are taken to agonizing places where they face the loss of friends, killing, death, suicide and questions about God.

This is followed up by the frustratingly hilarious "Money as a Weapon's System," where a civilian with the State Department has to navigate mind numbing bureaucracy as he struggles to make a difference in the lives of the Iraqi people. Klay's sense for pacing keeps the individual stories moving and helps them function as a whole. 

It was a goal Klay set for himself and one that he accomplished. "It was important to me that the book had a structure. I wanted the stories to function together and be read in order."

"In a war like this, there's no easy answer."

One of the reasons that Klay's book works as a whole is the variety of perspectives. There are stories from the officer and enlisted perspective, military and civilian, and a host of backgrounds, specialties, and viewpoints.

"You come back from overseas and people ask what's going on and what's it like," Klay said. "And you have the sense that you can answer them. But the thing is, every person's experience of Iraq is a tiny piece of the puzzle."

dark horse marinesThere's the perspective of an activist college student — "Who cares what the soldiers believe? It doesn't matter what the pawns on a chessboard think about how and why they're being played." And even the perspective of a former Iraqi professor — "You have baked Iraq like a cake," he said, "and given it to Iran to eat."

But between the many differing voices and experiences, the reader will find little condemnation. " I didn't want to write an 'I was there, this is what it was' book," Klay explained to me. "I wanted voices that would, hopefully, argue with each other." 

Indeed, there are a host of voices, but this is a book focused on the American experience of the Iraq War. And while the civilian-military divide remains, Klay bridges the gap and takes the reader from war back to home back to war and back home again in startling fashion and reminds the reader that the war has consequences for the whole nation:

"He would have gathered all the personal effects and prepared the body for transport. Then it would have gone by air to TQ. And as it was unloaded off the bird, the Marines would have stood silent and still, just as we had in Fallujah. And they would have put it on a C-130 to Kuwait. And they would have stood silent and still in Kuwait. And they would have stood silent and still in Germany, and silent and still at Dover Air Force Base. Everywhere it went, Marines and sailors and soldiers and airmen would have stood at attention as it traveled to the family of the fallen, where the silence, the stillness, would end."

"Redeployment" by Phil Klay is available at Amazon.

SEE ALSO: The 12 Best Books The Marine Corps Wants Its Leaders To Read

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Meet The Six 'Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills' Before Sunday's Season 2 Premiere

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rich kids of beverly hills

This Sunday, E!'s hit reality show "#RichKids of Beverly Hills" will return for a second season.

The hour-long, "Rich Kids Of Instagram" Tumblr-inspired show features six friends from 90210 who drop thousands of dollars on clothes, shoes, cars, and partying like it's their job  because that's exactly what it is for some of these "funemployed" 20-somethings. 

Get to know the cast and catch up on season 1 here before this weekend's season 2 premiere, which takes the "Rich Kids" to China.

Season 2 of "#RichKids of Beverly Hills" premieres this Sunday at 10/9c on E!

Meet 25-year-old Dorothy Wang, who was born and raised in Beverly Hills — "The best city in the world."

 

 

 



Dorothy says "Growing up, my parents never talked about money. It wasn't until it was printed in Forbes that I knew how much money we had."



Dorothy is currently "funemployed and fabuluxe," but "when I grow up I want to be the Asian sensation of the world."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






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