Good morning! Here's what people will be chatting about on Wednesday. 

1. The international community is increasing efforts to help thousands of Yazadi refugees trapped on Mount Sinjar in Iraq by ISIS militants. The U.S sent more than 100 military advisors to the northern Iraq region on Tuesday, while Britain has dispatched Chinook helicopters to airlift some refugees. 

2. American actress Lauren Bacall died Tuesday at age 89. Bacall got her breakout role at age 19 in the 1944 film "To Have and Have Not," starring alongside legendary actor Humphrey Bogart, whom she later married. 

3. Canada said it will donate around 1,000 doses of an experimental Ebola vaccine to the World Health Organization. This comes after the health agency said it is ethical to offer "unproven interventions" as "potential treatment or prevention" of the Ebola virus outbreak.

4. The Ukraine government said it may block a Russian convoy of trucks carrying humanitarian aid to the country's eastern region."We will not allow any escort by the emergencies ministry of Russia or by the military (onto Ukrainian territory)," Ukraine deputy head Valery Chaly said, according to Reuters. "Everything will be under the control of the Ukrainian side," he added. 

5. Police said they will not release the name of the officer that shot and killed an unarmed teen in a suburb of St. Louis due to concers for the official's safety. Three nights of violent protests and looting in Ferguson, Missouri, have followed the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. 

6. The Japanese economy shrank 6.8% in the second quarter, the sharpest fall since the 2011 tsunami. The GDP decline is the result of a national sales tax that reduced consumer spending. 

7. Police have confirmed that Robin Williams' death was a suicide. The actor hanged himself in his California home. He was found dead on Monday at age 63. 

8. Egypt plans to broker a long-term cease-fire between Israel and Hamas as the second 72-hour truce is set to expire on Thursday. 

9. A 5.1-magnitude earthquake in Ecuador killed at least two people in the capital city of Quito. The quake set off landslides that blocked roads and trapped several people. 

10. An Iranian professor from Stanford University is the first woman to receive the Fields Medal— the "mathematics equivalent to the Nobel prize" according to Reuters — since the award was established in 1936. Prizes were handed out in Seoul on Wednesday by the International Congress of Mathematicians. 

And finally...

A China zoo showed off three new panda cubs for the first time. The world's longest-surviving panda triplets were born on July 29 and initially placed in incubators. Check them out. They're super cute. 

Join the conversation about this story »

Depending on your point of view, Robin Williams was either a wealthy man who made sure his children were properly provided for and could afford to pay his ex-wives generous alimony, or he was stressed by the way his vast fortune had been drained and was forced to take a TV role — which was then cancelled — to pay the bills.

We'll never know Williams' true feelings about his financial situation, following his death by suicide Aug. 11. Business Insider noted a few hours later that while the actor once had a net worth of $130 million, he had also complained about being on the brink of bankruptcy following two divorces that cost him $30 million. He was also trying unsuccessfully to sell a house once valued at $35 million.

"There are bills to pay. My life has downsized, in a good way," Williams told Parade magazine in 2013. "I'm selling the ranch up in Napa. I just can't afford it anymore."

Radar reported that Williams felt forced to take a role on the TV show "The Crazy Ones" because he needed the cashflow. That show was cancelled recently — an event that is a humiliation in any actor's career.

But the idea that he was pushed over the edge by impending poverty is false, according to a source who talked to Gossip Cop:

Gossip Cop spoke to a friend of Williams, who made it clear that any talk of financial woes are “inaccurate” and “not fair.”

Sure, Williams was generous with loved ones and lost a lot of cash in his divorces to Valerie Velardi and Marsha Garces, but he was still a very wealthy man, by all measures.

Williams’ longtime friend understood why the media would glom onto RadarOnline’s untrue report, stating, “Human nature is to say, ‘This is why,’” but that’s not the case.

It is probably not the case that Williams was close to bankruptcy — his vast back catalog of movies is still earning royalties that would have adequately provided for him for life. But while downscaling a bit might not have upset an ordinary person it may have loomed larger in Williams' troubled mind.

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams Set Up A 3-Part Trust Fund For His Kids Amid Money Troubles Before Death

Join the conversation about this story »

Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams, was forced to quit Twitter after internet trolls spammed her with gruesome Photoshopped images of her father, who was found dead in his California home on Monday. 

She originally asked her followers, most of whom were tweeting messages of love and support, to report the trolls. Soon after, she took back her request.

US Weekly reports Zelda, 25, tweeted: "I'm sorry. I should've risen above. Deleting this from my devices for a good long time, maybe forever. Time will tell. Goodbye."

Zelda, who is the second of the late actor's three children, was the first to take to social media following the public announcement of her dad's death. On Instagram, she posted the following quote from "The Little Prince" late Monday night:

Along with Twitter, she is also stepping away from Instagram, releasing the following statement:

I will be leaving this account for a bit while I heal and decide if I'll be deleting it or not. In this difficult time, please try to be respectful of the accounts of myself, my family and my friends. Mining our accounts for photos of dad, or judging me on the number of them is cruel and unnecessary. There are a couple throughout, but the real private moments I shared with him were precious, quiet, and believe it or not, not full of photos or 'selfies.' I shared him with a world where everyone was taking their photo with him, but I was lucky enough to spend time with him without cameras too. That was more than enough, and I'm grateful for what little time I had. My favorite photos of family are framed in my house, not posted on social media, and they 'll remain there. They would've wound up on the news or blogs then, and they certainly would now. That's not what I want for our memories together. Thank you for your respect and understanding in this difficult time. Goodbye. Xo

Join the conversation about this story »

Edelman, the world's largest public relations firm, published a post on its official blog Tuesday with advice for businesses and mental health organizations who might want to use actor Robin Williams' suicide to generate publicity.

The post, which was entitled "Carpe Diem," was written by Edelman executive vice president Lisa Kovitz. "Carpe Diem," which is Latin for "Seize The Day" and was part of a memorable quote from Williams' character in the movie "Dead Poets Society." While Kovitz claimed Williams' death created a " carpe diem moment" for organizations and businesses, she also acknowledged the need to avoid seeming "exploitive of a terrible situation."

"There’s a very careful line they need to walk so as to not seem exploitive of a terrible situation but at the same time, it is a national teachable moment that shouldn’t be ignored," Kovitz wrote, adding, "(We too are balancing that line with this post.)"

Kovitz urged mental health organizations and businesses to take a "visible and aggressive approach" and create content for their websites and social media pages tied to Williams' death.

"Some mental health organizations still have nothing on their websites or Twitter feeds regarding the situation and the need to seek out help. Perhaps they were trying to be non-exploitive or stay business as usual. While that approach may be the best for them, this event calls that strategy in to question," Kovitz wrote. "Since the issue of depression is clearly a continuing conversation, we would certainly want these organizations to consider another approach that is more visible and aggressive."

Kovitz also offered specific strategies for organizations to promote their experts and generate coverage including promoting their experts to TV bookers and seeing if they had a local connection to the story. 

In an email to Business Insider on Wednesday, Kovitz said Edelman believed "that this terrible event created the moment to have a real, serious and useful conversation about mental health." 

"This actually did begin as an internal memo -- we do this quite regularly on all kinds of topics related to media relations on a wide variety of topics.   We believed it was worth surfacing more broadly given how the news cycle was progressing," said Kovitz.

She also said she is aware companies need to be "careful" and "respectful" in how they choose to capitalize on a situation like Williams' death. 

"We were extremely careful to say that this is also a time when you need to be particularly careful on how you offer experts, research and information to be respectful but the fact  is those stories are going to happen," Kovitz said. "Many people are simply not prepared to act at the speed of news and it is important to have a plan in place so that you can be useful, as needed and as appropriate."

Join the conversation about this story »

Following his unexpected death Monday, Robin Williams’ three children and ex-wife of 19 years, Marsha, released heartbreaking statements late Tuesday evening.

Williams married Marsha Garces Williams in 1989 and had two children: daughter Zelda, 25, and son Cody, 22, before divorcing in 2008. Zak, 31, is the actor’s only child with Valerie Velardi, whom he was married to from 1978 to 1988. 

While Williams' actress-daughter, Zelda, previously posted a quote from "The Little Prince" to social media hours after her father's death, she recently wrote a more lengthy statement:

“My family has always been private about our time spent together. It was our way of keeping one thing that was ours, with a man we shared with an entire world. But now that’s gone, and I feel stripped bare. My last day with him was his birthday, and I will be forever grateful that my brothers and I got to spend that time alone with him, sharing gifts and laughter. He was always warm, even in his darkest moments.

While I’ll never, ever understand how he could be loved so deeply and not find it in his heart to stay, there’s minor comfort in knowing our grief and loss, in some small way, is shared with millions. It doesn’t help the pain, but at least it’s a burden countless others now know we carry, and so many have offered to help lighten the load. Thank you for that.

To those he touched who are sending kind words, know that one of his favorite things in the world was to make you all laugh. As for those who are sending negativity, know that some small, giggling part of him is sending a flock of pigeons to your house to poop on your car. Right after you’ve had it washed. After all, he loved to laugh, too. … Dad was, is and always will be one of the kindest, most generous, gentlest souls I’ve ever known, and while there are few things I know for certain right now, one of them is that not just my world, but the entire world is forever a little darker, less colorful and less full of laughter in his absence. We’ll just have to work twice as hard to fill it back up again.”

Zelda's brother, Cody, 22, released the following statement of his own:

“There are no words strong enough to describe the love and respect I have for my father. The world will never be the same without him. I will miss him and take him with me everywhere I go for the rest of my life, and will look forward, forever, to the moment when I get to see him again.”

Zelda and Cody's mother Marsha, who was married to Williams from 1989-2008, had kind words for her ex-husband:

“My heart is split wide open and scattered over the planet with all of you. Please remember the gentle, loving, generous — and yes, brilliant and funny — man that was Robin Williams. My arms are wrapped around our children as we attempt to grapple with celebrating the man we love, while dealing with this immeasurable loss.” 

Zak Williams, 31, is the actor's only son with his first wife, Valerie Velardi. He, too, was very close to his father and had these words to share:

“Yesterday, I lost my father and a best friend and the world got a little grayer. I will carry his heart with me every day. I would ask those that loved him to remember him by being as gentle, kind, and generous as he would be. Seek to bring joy to the world as he sought.”

Zak's mother is Robin's first wife, Valerie Velardi, to whom the actor was married for ten years from 1978-1988.

At the time of his death, Williams was married to Susan Schneider, whom he wed in 2011. Susan released a statement Monday immediately following her husband's death:

“This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. On behalf of Robin’s family, we are asking for privacy during our time of profound grief. As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.” 

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams' Daughter Releases First Heartbreaking Statement

MORE: Robin Williams Set Up A 3-Part Trust Fund For His Kids Amid Money Troubles Before Death

Join the conversation about this story »

As Hollywood grieves the loss of Robin Williams, late-night host Jimmy Fallon opened “The Tonight Show” with a tribute to the comedian.

Fallon fought through tears and had to take a few pauses while discussing Williams’ life and encouraging his audience to view Williams’ stand up.

"You would watch him and you would cry laughing. And you would think, 'I am never going to see anyone like this human ever,'" said Fallon. "It's just amazing. His brain was always thinking 10 steps ahead of what he was saying. He was like the Muhammad Ali of comedy."

To show what he meant, Fallon shared a clip of Williams' first appearance on "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson where the comedian got up from his chair, dodged cameras, and ran up to the audience.

The moment shows just how easily Williams could light up a room.

Everyone is smiling. Everyone is laughing. 

Even the security guard with his arms crossed in the background is wearing a slight smile.

After the clip, Fallon ended his tribute by getting on top of his late-night desk and saluting Williams with an, "Oh Captain, my Captain, you will be missed," a nod to the actor's Oscar-nominated performance in 1989's "Dead Poet's Society."

Check it out below:

SEE ALSO: Norm MacDonald Tweets Amazing Robin Williams Story About His First Encounter With 'The Funniest Man In The World'

AND: Robin Williams' ex-wife and 3 children release heartbreaking statements

Join the conversation about this story »

This infographic comes from the folks at Financesonline.com and contains the following insight: Celebrities love their Bugatti Veyrons!

There's over $10 million in Veyrons on the list. Until recently, Bugatti's Veyron Super Sports was the fastest car in the world, but it was dethroned by Hennessey's Venom GT.

Still, with a top speed of 250mph-plus, the Veyron isn't going to strike any of its celebrity owners as sluggish.

SEE ALSO: With 300 MPH In Its Sights, The Fastest Car In The World Just Got A Lot Faster

SEE ALSO: There Are Only 50 Bugatti Veyrons Left For Sale

Join the conversation about this story »

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are the latest celebrities to pay tribute to the late Robin Williams.

Except that Affleck and Damon have a special connection to Williams, who starred in the then-unknown young actor-writers' first, Oscar-winning film, "Good Will Hunting," for which Williams won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1998. "Good Will Hunting" went on to rake in nearly $226 million worldwide, and was a huge critical success.

Affleck posted a great statement on Williams' passing to his Facebook page:

"Heartbroken. Thanks chief - for your friendship and for what you gave the world. Robin had a ton of love in him. He personally did so much for so many people. He made Matt and my dreams come true. 

What do you owe a guy who does that? Everything. 

May you find peace my friend. #RobinWilliams"

Damon released the following statement of his own:

“Robin brought so much joy into my life and I will carry that joy with me forever. He was such a beautiful man. I was lucky to know him and I will never, ever forget him.

I truly hope the people in the media can find it within themselves to give his family some privacy during this horrible time.” 

In one scene between Damon and Williams in "Good Will Hunting," Williams' improv is so fantastic that you can even catch the camera shaking after catching the cameraman so off-guard with laughter.

According to Matt Damon's commentary on the DVD, Williams improvised the line about his character's wife farting in bed. Watch the great scene below:

When accepting his Best Supporting Actor Oscar for "Good Will Hunting" in 1998, Williams said to the young stars: "Thank you, Ben and Matt. I still wanna see some ID!" 

He ended the speech with, "Most of all, I want to thank my father, up there (pointing to the sky). The man who, when I said I wanted to be an actor, he said, 'Wonderful! Just have a backup profession, like welding.' Thank you."

(Williams' acceptance speech begins at 1:00)

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams' Ex-Wife And 3 Children Release Heartbreaking Statements

MORE: Hollywood Reacts To The Death Of Robin Williams

Join the conversation about this story »

The majority of the "Guardians of the Galaxy" cast had to undergo extensive makeup transformations for Marvel's latest blockbuster.

One of the most unrecognizable actors in the film may be Lee Pace who goes completely blue to play villainous tyrant Ronan the Accuser.

Pace is no stranger to the makeup chair. He has played Thrandull, the Elevenking of Mirkwood, in the "Hobbit" trilogy. The 35-year-old actor also appeared in AMC's new series "Halt and Catch Fire." 

Disney and Marvel shared a lot of behind-the-scenes photos of Pace's transformation with Business Insider courtesy of makeup designer Lizzie Georgiou.

In addition to designing the look for Ronan, Georgiou also oversaw makeup for Peter Quill (Chris Pratt), Yondu (Michael Rooker), and The Collector (Benicio del Toro) along with all of the different alien races seen in the film.

See how Pace became Ronan below.

First, Pace had his face, lips, and head painted a soft periwinkle.

Darker veins were added throughout his face.

The Ronan we know is more blue, but he's still missing something.

A few added black accents add to Pace's piercing stare.

The headdress and purple contacts complete the look.

Here's a before and after of the actor: 

SEE ALSO: Awesome photos of Dave Bautista's 5-hour "Guardians of the Galaxy" makeup process

AND: It took 3 hours to do Zoe Saldana's makeup every day for "Guardians of the Galaxy"

Join the conversation about this story »

Robin Williams made four United Service Organization (USO) tours to bases throughout the Middle East during the American campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.

On each occasion, according to Thom Shanker of The New York Times, Williams did his best to mingle with soldiers and commanders to get a flavor of the bases he was entertaining. 

Although Williams was personally opposed to the war in Iraq, the actor and comedian never let politics lessen his dedication to entertaining American soldiers during their deployments. 

"No one was more supportive of the troops," Rear Admiral Frank Thorp IV told Shanker. "And none of them knew that he was against the war. He was so very human and humble.”

Whereas other entertainers on U.S.O. tours would generally relax in climate-controlled tents on bases before their shows, Williams would make an effort to meet the troops before his set, and work them into his act. 

Shanker noted: 

Long before his stand-up set was scheduled, [Williams] would quietly wander the audience starting with the very back rows, immediately recognizable, of course, and always agreeable to posing for selfies and signing autographs ...

But he was really working the crowd to pick up the flavor and the vibe — and even the commanders’ personalities and quirks — of every desert outpost to produce a personalized routine for each location.

Although each of his stand-up sets was specific to the base he was entertaining, Williams would always start each U.S.O. show with the familiar opening of "Good morning, Iraq," or Afghanistan, in reference to his portrayal of Air Force officer and radio broadcaster Adrian Cronauer in the 1987 film "Good Morning, Vietnam." 

Williams died on Monday in a suspected suicide. 

H/t Mark Landler 

SEE ALSO: The Air Force sergeant brilliantly played by Robin Williams is 'gobsmacked' by his death

Join the conversation about this story »

Kim Kardashian has faced a lot of backlash over her wildly popular new video game “Kim Kardashian: Hollywood,” with many parents complaining that their children are spending hundreds of dollars on in-app purchases.

New York Times best-selling author Ayelet Waldman lashed out on Twitter last week, calling Kardashian an "evil scumbag" after finding out her son spent $120 on in-app purchases like more playing time, virtual clothing, and other material goods after Waldman claimed, "Kardashian Hollywood bypassed our in-app purchase controls."

But Kardashian, who is set to make a whopping $85 million this year from the app alone, is defending her addictive video game.

“You just have to make sure that your parental controls are all set,” the reality star told Matt Lauer on Monday's "Today Show."“I think you just have to be responsible, and don’t have your credit card linked to where your kid can just spend if they want to, or ask permission."

It's “just a fun little game," Kardashian added, "Kind of like when people get into Candy Crush so much. Like, is it good to be obsessed with Candy? It’s just something fun to do. All games, I think, are just entertaining.”

But now, "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood" is even crushing King Digital Entertainment, the maker of the popular game "Candy Crush."

Deutsche Bank downgraded the media company Wednesday, in part because "Competition within casual gaming is intense, with Kim Kardashian: Hollywood and 2048 going after the same demographics."

Kardashian told Lauer that the company behind the app, Glu Mobile, has been “very pleased with their numbers.”

Within its first week of release, Bloomberg News reported Kardashian's first iOS game was already on track to earn over $200 million.

“I didn’t think it would do this well, and I wasn’t underestimating it at all, but I’m really pleasantly surprised with how it’s turned out," she said.

Kardashian's personal payday will reportedly be $85 million this year — three times what she earned in 2013, according to Forbes.

“It might be our biggest game of the year,” Glu Mobile CEO Niccolo de Masi previously said in an interview. “We’re not surprised. Kim is a one-of-a-kind talent with an incredibly precise fit to the game engine that we tailored but already had in the company.”

Watch Kardashian defend the video game to Matt Lauer below:

SEE ALSO: Famous Author Rages Against The Kardashians After Her Son Spends A Fortune Playing Kim's New Game

MORE: ANALYST: Kim Kardashian Is Killing 'Candy Crush'

Join the conversation about this story »

Robin Williams reportedly suffered from severe depression, addiction, and alcoholism before he killed himself at his California home Monday.

We may never know exactly when and how Williams arrived at the decision to commit suicide, but one of the saddest realities about suicide is that it often results from impulsive decisions that might have never occurred again if the person had survived or backed out. 

Anywhere from one-third to 80% of all suicide attempts are impulsive acts, according to The New England Journal of Medicine. 24% of those who made near-lethal suicide attempts decided to kill themselves less than five minutes before the attempt, and 70% made the decision within an hour of the attempt.

Suicidal urges are sometimes caused by immediate stressors, such as a break-up or job loss, that go away with the passage of time. 90% of people who survive suicide attempts, including the most lethal types like shooting one's self in the head, don't end up killing themselves later. That statistic reflects the "temporary nature and fleeting sway of many suicidal crises," reports The New England Journal of Medicine.

A 1978 study of 515 people who were prevented from attempting suicide on the Golden Gate Bridge between 1937 and 1971 found after more than 26 years 94% were still alive or had died of natural causes. 

Many rare survivors of Golden Gate Bridge suicide attempts recall regretting their impulsive decisions instantly — even as they were falling. A couple survivors who jumped from the Golden Gate Bridge told their stories to The New Yorker back in 2003, like then-18-year-old Kevin Hines who jumped in 2000 after pacing on the bridge for a half hour while passersby ignored him.

He finally jumped based on the thought that "nobody cares." 

"My first thought was, 'What the hell did I just do? I don't want to die,'" Hines told The New Yorker.

Then-28-year-old Ken Baldwin, like Hines, chose to hurdle over the bridge's railing rather than stand on it first because he didn't want to lose his courage to jump. Although he was severely depressed on that day in 1985, he changed his mind the moment after his leap. "I instantly realized that everything in my life that I'd thought was unfixable was totally fixable — except for having just jumped," he said.

That indecisiveness is explained by suicidologist Edwin S. Shneidman, according to a review of his works by Antoon Leenaars:

The prototypical psychological picture of a person on the brink of suicide is one who wants to and does not want to. He makes plans for self-destruction and at the same time entertains fantasies of rescue and intervention. It is possible — indeed probably prototypical — for a suicidal individual to cut his throat and to cry for help at the same time.

The period where the chance of lethal suicide is at its highest and most dangerous is relatively short, typically just hours or days rather than months, according to Shneidman.

Of course, not all suicides are impulsive, as some are the result of extensive planning and conviction. Impulsive suicide involving decisions made in as little as five minutes is one of two types generally seen among patients suffering from depression, according to Dr. Charles Nemeroff.

The other type involves "the sort of classic notion that, I've been hopeless and helpless for so long. I'm hopeless that I'll ever be better, and I'm helpless to do anything about it," Nemeroff said. That type often includes planning, notes, and goodbyes. 

SEE ALSO: Here's One Way Of Understanding Why Some People Kill Themselves

Join the conversation about this story »

Since Robin Williams' death Monday, many are recalling his most memorable roles in Oscar-nominated films "Good Will Hunting" and "Dead Poets Society," along with Disney's "Aladdin." 

While plenty of Robin's most well-known comedy bits, movie scenes, and inspirational speeches have been making the rounds, there are many wonderful performances of his that seem to have fallen by the wayside.

Williams was an incredibly versatile actor whose on-screen presence always elevated the material no matter how small or large the role.

Here are five examples of Robin's lesser-known films in which his performance stood out.

5. "Deconstructing Harry" (1997)

Robin may have only been on-screen for a couple of minutes, but his cameo in Woody Allen's "Deconstructing Harry" as a man who is permanently "out-of-focus" is so delightfully silly that it may be the most memorable scene in the entire film.

4. "One Hour Photo" (2002)

Mark Romanek's unsettling debut feature stars Robin Williams in what has to be the darkest, creepiest, and least comedic role of his career. Robin plays a pharmacy photo lab clerk who becomes obsessed with a family whose photos he's been developing for years, and his performance totally anchors what is essentially a one-man-show. "One Hour Photo" is a bleak character study of a very disturbed individual, and while that fact may now hit too close to home, it doesn't take away from his extraordinary performance.

3. "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest" (1992)

Everyone seems to remember William as the genie in Disney's "Aladdin," but Robin also voiced a role in the cult favorite animated film "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest." Much like "Aladdin," Williams acts as the film's comic relief, this time playing a witty, rapping fruitbat named Batty. The environmentally concious, kid-friendly film has since become a cult classic and many claim it inspired James Cameron's "Avatar," though Cameron himself would disagree.

2. "Death to Smoochy" (2002)

This 2002 box-office bomb gets a bad wrap — it's actually a gleefully twisted satire that just may have been a little too over-the-top for its own good. The film (directed by Danny DeVito) cost a reported $50 million to produce and barely managed to gross $8 million during its entire theatrical run. Williams plays a publicly disgraced children's TV show host named Rainbow Randolph who gets replaced by a Barney-esque character named Smoochy (played by Edward Norton). As the title indicates, Rainbow Randolph doesn't take this career change lightly. The film may be crass and mean-spirited, but there's so many talented and funny people involved that it manages to remain engaging and fun. 

1. "World's Greatest Dad" (2009)

Robin Williams' performance in Bobcat Goldthwait's "World's Greatest Dad" is easily one of the best performances of his career. The underseen film suffered from a very limited release (during its widest theatrical release it was playing on just 30 screens) but has since found a second-life thanks to home video and streaming services.  

This film in particular will be quite difficult to revisit now, as suicide is a major theme, but the overall message will only be more relevant and profound. Williams plays the father of a child who can only be described as "the absolute worst." After the boy accidentally kills himself, his father stages the scene as if it were a suicide and pens a fake suicide note that winds up making him universally loved posthumously. I won't spoil anything, but the rest of the film depicts how Williams handles his son's newfound status and deals with the fallout.

Goldthwait strikes the perfect balance between "dark" and "heartfelt" here, and Williams performance is absolutely outstanding. While a dark comedy may not seem like the best recommendation, the film has its heart in the right place and will only be more affecting and powerful given the recent news of Williams' passing. 

SEE ALSO: Norm Macdonald Tweets Amazing Robin Williams Story

Join the conversation about this story »

“Silent Hill” is one of the creepiest, pants-wettingest game franchises ever created. But after a two-year hiatus, Sony is bringing back the nightmare fuel with a new “Silent Hill” game, which was announced at the company's Gamescom press conference Tuesday night, according to Polygon's Michael McWhertor.

Gamers got a sneak peak but didn't know it at the time. Sony released the game to the PlayStation Store as a downloadable game called “P.T.," short for "Playable Trailer," built by a completely unknown developer called 7780s Studio. The game came with an unusual warning: "Avoid playing if you have a heart condition."

Only if you got to the end of the demo would you learn its true nature: that "P.T." was basically a long, interactive teaser for the next "Silent Hill" game.

The game — likely called "Silent Hills," according to the title card at the end of the teaser — has a talented roster so far: Hideo Kojima, the legendary creator of the “Metal Gear” franchise, will likely be involved with the game's script, and the production team will also involve Guillermo del Toro, the famous film director behind “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “Hellboy.”

Del Toro is famous for creating great-looking monsters, so that's most likely what he'll be doing for the latest iteration of the "Silent Hill" franchise.

The new game will also star Norman Reedus from “The Walking Dead” as the main character, who looks like he does in real life thanks to the latest in motion capture technology.

PlayStation 4 owners can still play the demo through the PlayStation Store. If you’re too creeped out to play it yourself, check out this gamer play through the end of the playable demo, which includes the trailer for “Silent Hills.” Try not to bite your nails off.

And if you want the full experience — c'mon, who doesn't want that — we've embedded an entire demo's worth of gameplay right here for your convenience, courtesy of YouTube user DualShockers, who managed to play this game for an hour without changing his pants once.

"Silent Hill" has been a staple of Sony’s gaming consoles for over a decade, even though some of the more recent  titles have been less favorably reviewed. Still, the original games released on the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 were instant classics, critically acclaimed for their “immerse, frightful and compelling storyline[s].” The psychological horror series is particularly known for its monsters, which have been carefully designed over the years to symbolize some of your most paralyzing, inescapable fears. (Here, we saved you a Google search.)

The resurgence of "Silence Hill" would obviously benefit Sony and its PlayStation 4, which is getting ready to celebrate its one-year anniversary on the market in just a few months' time. But fans of the series, and newcomers as well, should certainly feel confident in Kojima's storytelling ability paired with del Toro's mastery of monsters. This series — and frankly, the survival horror genre — desperately needs an injection of adrenaline. 

“Silent Hills” has no set release date.

SEE ALSO: Robin Williams Will Be Memorialized In ‘World Of Warcraft,’ One Of His Favorite Games

Join the conversation about this story »

Hello! Here's what people will be chatting about on Thursday. 

1. The U.S. said a rescue mission of Yazidi refugees from Mount Sinjar is less likely after a small special forces team dispatched to the mountain found fewer people than expected. The U.S. has been air-dropping food, water, and other supplies to the trapped refugees for the last several days. 

2. Israel and Palestine officials agreed on Wednesday to extend a 72-hour ceasefire in Gaza for another five days. Earlier, Israel said a rocket from the Gaza Strip landed in Israel two hours before the original truce was set to expire, although Hamas denies the claim. 

3. Pope Francis arrived in South Korea on Thursday to begin a 5-day trip to the country. North Korea fired three projectiles shortly before what marks the first papal visit to South Korea in 25 years.

4. Protests in Ferguson, Missouri, where an unarmed teen was fatally shot by a police officer last week, have intensified in the fifth day with police unleashing tear gas and rubber bullets on demonstrators. Two journalists were also arrested Wednesday, though later released without any charges. 

5. Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos was killed in a plane crash on Wednesday. His private jet crashed in São Paulo amid bad weather. 

6. The Canadian scientists behind an experimental Ebola vaccine said they would be able to produce "tens of thousands of vaccine doses" within the next two months, Reuters reported. There is currently no registered drug for the treatment of Ebola. The virus has claimed more than 1,000 lives in West Africa. 

7. Cisco announced it will cut 6,000 jobs, or 8% of its workforce. This marks the third major round of layoffs in three years. 

8. The Bank of England cut its forecast for wage growth, halving it from 2.5% to 1.25%, after data showed wages are growing more slowly than expected. The bank increased its forecast of economic growth in the U.K. from 3.4% to 3.5%.

9. The Russian-language Twitter account of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev was hacked early Thursday morning. The first tweet from @MedvedevRussia that raised suspicion read: "Resign. Ashamed of the actions of the government. I'm sorry."

10. A Russian convoy of trucks carrying food, generators, and other aid continues to head toward a region of Ukraine largely controlled by pro-Russian militants. Ukraine officials "say they fear the mission may be a cover for an invasion," the Associated Press said. 

And finally..

In unfortunate news, a new study said the biggest fish in the Amazon is on the brink of extinction. The arapaima can weigh more than 400 pounds and grow up to 10 feet in length. 

Join the conversation about this story »

Weeks prior to its theatrical release this coming Friday, a DVD-quality rip of "The Expendables 3" found its way onto torrent sites and spread like wildfire. 

As of today, over 2.2 million people have downloaded (and likely viewed) the illegal copy, and Lionsgate, the film's distributor, isn't taking the offense lightly.

On July 31, the studio filed a temporary restraining order against six illegal torrent sites and 10 "anonymous users" associated with those domains in an attempt to halt further distribution of the film. Lionsgate was granted its restraining order and US District Judge Margaret Morrow barred the accused websites (as well as "any third party") from “taking any action that induces, causes or materially contributes to” the infringement of Lionsgate's copyright. 

The offending sites were ordered to stop “hosting, linking to, distributing, reproducing, performing, selling, offering for sale, making available for download, streaming or making any other use of any copy or copies" of the film. The temporary restraining order lasted until Friday August 8th and Lionsgate was granted a preliminary injunction that same day. Lionsgate ensures that an investigation of the leak is "ongoing" and says the copy of the film was obtained through "fraudulent or otherwise unlawful means." 

After the leak, entertainment blogs lit up with speculation over how the piracy would affect the film's theatrical box office. While there are multiple studies that indicate piracy has a negative effect on revenue, proving this is a fool's errand. There are just as many articles citing the exact opposite as being true. 

There are an impossible number of factors to consider when looking at a movie's box office. In addition to the obvious factors, like star power, brand recognizability, critical response, overall quality, and advertising, other seemingly unimportant factors like the weather in certain parts of the country, for example, do come into play.

There is so much variance here that any speculation as to how the leak will impact "The Expendables 3" box office is simply that — speculation.

Indie movie "Snowpiercer" was readily available for illegal download months prior to its domestic theatrical release this year, and the film still managed to thrive.

"Snowpiercer" may have been released in just eight theaters during its opening weekend, but its per theater average was a staggering $21,398. That gives "Snowpiercer," a movie that barely managed to make $4 million in the US theatrically, a per-theater-average that sizes up to wildly succesful blockbusters like "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" or Michael Bay's latest assault on the senses, "Transformers: Age of Extinction." This may seem like peanuts comparatively, but it's an impressive feat given The Weinstein Company's limited release strategy for the film. 

David Pierce wrote a piece at The Verge in which he admitted to illegally watching "The Expendables 3" and came to the conclusion that the movie may do better because of the leak. He posits that the film begs to be seen on a big screen and the leak will only put more people in seats because it's "fun" and moviegoers (according to a brief Twitter poll) prefer the theatrical experience. While I may not 100% agree with his logic, I do believe that the leak will not hurt the film in the long run.

After a workprint copy of 2009's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" leaked online a full month prior to its release, the powers-that-be over at Twentieth Century Fox were rightfully up-in-arms and did their best to control the damage. Just as with "The Expendables 3" now, there were tons of online posts about the leak's effect on its box office figures. However, the film wound up having one of the biggest opening weekends of the year (just over $85 million) and topped out at just under $180 domestic. 

The people who illegally download movies are not the general movie going public. There are plenty of exceptions, but for the most part, torrent users are opportunists who watch what they watch simply because it's available and free. If "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" leaked early, it would get millions of downloads, too, and it would have little to no effect on its box-office intake, since the primary audience for that film skews slightly older among those who do not actively pirate movies.

The audience for "The Expendables 3" is broad enough that this admittedly major snafu shouldn't hold much weight in the long run. Since the franchise has never delivered outstanding box-office numbers domestically ("The Expendables 2" made $85 million stateside), the leak is all the more irrelevant.

Prepare for the onslaught of entertainment blog guesswork this weekend as "The Expendables 3" box-office figures start rolling in, and be sure to take it all with a grain of salt.

Analysts are expecting the film to open around $23 million this weekend, and with a reported budget of $90 million, it would need to do well internationally to turn a profit. Fortunately for Lionsgate, foreign markets made up 72% of the original film's $305 million box office intake and 62.4% of "The Expendables 2" slightly less impressive $274 million. 

SEE ALSO: Why You Should See "Snowpiercer"

Join the conversation about this story »

Nicky Hilton, younger sister of Paris Hilton, is engaged to her boyfriend James Rothschild. He proposed while the two were vacationing in Lake Como.

The Daily Mail reports that the two met at Petra Ecclestone and James Stunt's wedding in Italy in 2011. 

Hilton is an heiress to the Hilton Hotel empire and is a great-granddaughter of the founder, Conrad Hilton.

This will be Hilton's second marriage. She was previously married to Todd Meister, a hedge fund manager.

Rothschild is an heir to the European banking Rothschild dynasty. The family is considered to be a pioneer of international finance and traces back to the original engineer of the family's fortune, Mayer Amschel Rothschild, in the 18th century.

Because of the family's wealth and secrecy, it has been targeted by many conspiracy theories.

SEE ALSO: How The Rothschilds Created Modern Finance And A Vast Fortune That Has Lasted For Centuries

Join the conversation about this story »

Charitybuzz is currently auctioning off a three-month internship at The Weinstein Company, a production and distribution company launched in 2005 by brothers Bob and Harvey Weinstein.

Responsible for Oscar-winning films like "The King's Speech" and "The Artist," TWC clearly thinks it's an honor to work at the company.

In fact, the Weinsteins think an internship at their company is worth an "estimated value" of $50,000. That estimated value is not the starting salary for the position, but what they expect the future intern to pay for such a golden opportunity.

The bidding is currently at $13,000. 

Hollywood internships are certainly hard to come by, but this opportunity is not meant to help the average, Ramen-eating college student.

This cash-grab is aimed solely at those with deep pockets who prefer to fast-track their way up the Hollywood food chain rather than actually earn it. The proceeds support the American Repertory Theater, but that doesn't change the fact that this bizarre stunt favors silver spoons over quality workmanship. 

A current TWC assistant, which is the position ideally next in line for an intern, told The Daily Dot that the starting salary at the company was only $31,000 — making the "estimated value" appear even more trivial.

According to a 2013 study conducted by the National Association of College and Employers, only 37% of unpaid interns actually wind up working for their employer, and these numbers are certainly lower within the bizarro world of Hollywood. Compare that with the 35.2% who receive job offers without any internship whatsoever and it's near impossible to defend the unpaid internship infrastructure.

The now infamous "Black Swan" lawsuit was originally thought to be game changer for the industry, but nothing has changed.

Most production companies are still using this system, and the real victims are the overworked and (severely) underpaid interns themselves. For those with the "thick skin" required for the job, bidding is still live for a few more hours.

SEE ALSO: Why The 'Expendables 3' Leak Won't Hurt Lionsgate At The Box Office

Join the conversation about this story »

Pixar cofounder Ed Catmull's life changed in 1995. His company went public a week before its first movie, "Toy Story," became an instant hit.

But after achieving the biggest goal he had ever set for himself, creating a revered and successful film, he was filled with doubt.

In the latest episode of business guru Tim Ferriss' podcast, Catmull — who is now the president of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and DisneyToon Studios — tells Ferriss that he now realizes the question he was asking himself at that time is a common but dangerous one for those who become successful.

That question is: "How much of it was me?" That is to say, how much of this achievement was I directly responsible for, as opposed to the efforts of my teammates or the effects of external factors?

In Catmull's case, he was comparing his contributions with those of his highly talented team, which included Steve Jobs and John Lasseter.

Years later, he says, he "realized that the question was not a useful question. And that in somehow trying to do that, I was actually misleading myself."

Catmull tells Ferriss that successful people should dismiss this question if it pops into their heads because it becomes isolating and distracting.

"This desire to separate oneself out is like asking for a clean answer to a question when there is no clean answer," he says. "It is true of most of the things in our lives, whether it's personal or business. The inner connection between them and the way they're all mixed together is inherently messy, confusing, and there aren't clear boundaries. And the desire for complete clarity actually leads one away from addressing the mess that's in the middle."

So the next time you achieve something that you have been working tirelessly for, don't slow yourself down by second-guessing your abilities and contributions. Leaders know how to accept both success and failure without letting either keep them from moving forward or overly swaying their emotions.

Catmull, the author of "Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration," shares plenty more wisdom in the podcast, which you can find on Ferriss' site.

SEE ALSO: 15 Things You Didn't Know About Pixar

Join the conversation about this story »

Warning: do not read on if you have not completed the entire "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. This post is full of spoilers.

Earlier this week at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, "Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin sent fan forums into a frenzy when he acknowledged that some readers had figured out the ending to the series.

"So many readers were reading the books with so much attention that they were throwing up some theories, and while some of those theories were amusing bulls--- and creative, some of the theories are right," Martin said, according to The Telegraph. "At least one or two readers had put together the extremely subtle and obscure clues that I'd planted in the books and came to the right solution."

But with thousands of researched speculations out there, via sites like Westeros.org and the r/asoiaf ("A Song of Ice and Fire") subreddit, it's tough to be sure which ones Martin is referring to. 

Our best guess lies with a well-written analysis by Reddit user c_forrester_thorne, which outlines the motivation of the mysterious Others, the deadly cold humanoid creatures also known as White Walkers, and the bittersweet ending that Martin is likely headed toward. This theory draws upon the fact that Martin, though a huge fan of Tolkien's, is aiming for a narrative that transcends the "cartoon" trope of pure good versus pure evil that was seen in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. As he said back in 2011, "a villain is a hero of the other side ... and I think there’s a great deal of truth to that, and that’s the interesting thing."

In the five published books so far, we haven't seen a nuanced version of the Others; just a lot of killing and horror. But there must be more to it, if Martin is holding onto his values of writing complex, "gray-area" characters. 

This is what c_forrester_thorne helps explain through the theory, which is now the top post of all time on the r/asoiaf subreddit. Here's what it says:

In the books, characters tell legends about The Long Night, a winter that lasted a generation and brought the Others from the north. They advanced south, killing and laying waste to the land, only to be stopped by the Last Hero. Then the great Wall was built, keeping the Others out of the realm of Westeros. Until now.

But here's the thing: We never hear exactly how this hero won the war. The theory presented is that this Last Hero was a diplomat, not a warrior, and bargained a peace with the Others by marrying the Queen of the Others — which merges the Last Hero with the story of the Night's King. And then it was the Others themselves who built the Wall as a territorial marker, and they fulfilled their side of the agreement by staying in the far north and leaving men alone. 

It was men who did not hold up their end of the bargain. Wildlings have settled north of the Wall, and the Night's Watch rangers regularly ride in this marked territory, and they engage in "fire-magic" (Daenerys in particular, with her dragons that are threatening to destabilize the world). This has sparked the re-invasion of the Others, not because they are ruthlessly evil mystical beings, but because they have been threatened by the actions of men. They no longer trust that men can be left to their own devices without endangering everyone. 

So how will the conflict play out? The hero of this age will be Jon Snow, whose parents have long been theorized to be Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. Jon is the Song of Ice and Fire, a combination of Stark (northern lords, possibly descended from the Night's King himself) and Targaryen (dragon lords, whose motto is "Fire and Blood"). Rhaegar notably believed in several prophecies; he seemed to understand that a balance between Ice and Fire was the key to preserving the human race. 

So it stands that Jon could become King on the Wall and restore peace, maybe even by taking an Other as a bride just like the legendary Last Hero/Night's King. Daenerys, often thought to be the answer to defeating the icy cold Others with her fire-breathing dragons, could very well be on her way to a tragic demise. As her ambition and dragons grow more unstable and dangerous, Jon Snow will rise as the only one who can truly rule Westoros and bring peace.

This conclusion follows with Martin's intentions of avoiding clear-cut lines between good and evil. Dany isn't the fire-wielding hero that we think, and the Others have a more practical motivation for moving south and attacking the kingdoms of men. Jon will not sit the Iron Throne or ride on the back of a dragon, as so many have envisioned, but instead remain on the Wall to uphold the truce. 

To read the full theory on r/asoiaf, click here.

SEE ALSO: Fans have a crazy "Game of Thrones" theory about Jon Snow's real parents

Join the conversation about this story »