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Netflix Is Trying To Make It OK For People To Spoil TV Shows (NFLX)

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Netflix has launched a new site for a viral campaign that encourages spoiling TV shows.

The site encourages users to take a quiz about which type of "Spoiler" they are, such as a "Clueless Spoiler" who lives in bliss not realizing he or she has spoiled the ending of a movie or TV show for someone else. It also has a number of spoilers you can watch, like the end of Lost, Breaking Bad, Kill Bill, and The Hunger Games.

Netflix's model encourages spoilers because it puts an entire series online at once and users watch at their own paces, making it difficult for people to chat with one another about their favorite shows. This new site may be a way to encourage communication among fans who have all watched the same show and are excited to share in a safe place.

"At a certain point even spoilers become free for anyone and everyone to share," Netflix says on its site.

Here's what the spoiler campaign looks like:

netflix spoilers

You could be a power spoiler, a coded spoiler, or a clueless spoiler...netflix spoilersnetflix spoilers

Another section of the site allows you to watch some of the most epic, revealing scenes in a show's season.

netflix spoilers

Netflix spoilers breaking bad

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Reporter Quits On Live TV, Admits To Owning Cannabis Club

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local news reporter quitsCharlo Greene, a reporter for CBS affiliate KTVA-TV in Anchorage, Alaska, quit her job live on air Sunday night after announcing that she owned a medical marijuana business.

"F--- it, I quit," she said before walking off set.

According to the Alaska Dispatch News, Greene did a report on the Alaska Cannabis Club on the 10 p.m. news. At the end of the report, she revealed herself as the owner of the club and said she was quitting her job at the station to devote her time to legalizing marijuana in Alaska.

The broadcast cut back to the anchor, who was too stunned to speak.

Here's the video, which contains NSFW language (via @bomani_jones):


KTVA 11 apologized for the outburst on its Facebook page:

Dear Viewers,

We sincerely apologize for the inappropriate language used by a KTVA reporter during her live presentation on the air tonight. The employee has been terminated.

Bert Rudman

News Director - KTVA 11 News

After quitting, Greene posted an Indiegogo page to raise $5,000 to go toward campaigning for marijuana legislation. From the page:

I'm Charlo Greene, the president and CEO of the Alaska Cannabis Club — Alaska's only legal medical marijuana resource. I just quit my news reporting job on live TV to announce that I am redirecting all of my energy toward helping to end a failed drug policy that has ruined the lives of far too many Americans.

Ballot Measure 2, the initiative to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol in Alaska, isn't just about marijuana in the Last Frontier, it's about keeping the ball rolling on NATIONAL legalization. Imagine, if after Colorado and Washington have legalized recreational marijuana and are offering the rest of the world a positive outlook on what ending marijuana prohibition can do, Alaskan voters fail to continue moving our nation in the direction toward freedom and fairness. There's no doubt that will impact every other state, national and international marijuana reform effort. Americans with common sense don't want that.  

Help us to keep that from becoming a reality.


NOW WATCH: Marijuana Is More Addictive These Days — Here's Why

 

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Here's How Hacked Celebrities Are Responding To The Latest Round Of Nude Photos

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rihanna

A second round of hacked celebrity nude photos leaked Saturday, the second of its kind in less than a month.

The latest victims include Kim KardashianGabrielle UnionAmber HeardRihanna, Hope Solo, Vanessa Hudgens, Kate Bosworth, Scarlett Johansson, previously unseen pictures of Jennifer Lawrence, and many more.

And they're not taking the situation lightly.

In a joint statement to TMZ, actress Gabrielle Union and her NBA star husband Dwyane Wade said they plan to contact the FBI: 

"It has come to our attention that our private moments, that were shared and deleted solely between my husband and myself, have been leaked by some vultures. I can’t help but to be reminded that since the dawn of time women and children, specifically women of color, have been victimized, and the power over their own bodies taken from them. These atrocities against women and children continue worldwide. For anyone out there also being affected by these and other hacking and hate crimes - We send our love, support and prayers. We have done nothing wrong."

gabrielle union dwayne wade

Actress Meagan Good took to Instagram to blast people reposting the nude images:

"I'm definitely in shock... saddened for every one who is experiencing this... but I choose not to give the person responsible my power... At the end of the day, we all know these pictures were for my husband. And at the end of the day evidently we all know how I feel about my titties. That's all I've got folks. Oh yeah and for everyone who's reposting the leaked nudes? You should be ashamed of yourself... You have a blessed day now."

meagan good

Scarlett Johansson, who hasn't yet responded to her new leaked photos, did comment on a previous, similar situation after she was hacked in 2011:

"Who doesn't want to protect their own privacy? Just because you're in the spotlight or just because you're an actor or make films doesn't mean you're not entitled to your own personal privacy. No matter what the context, when that is sieged in some way it feels unjust, it feels wrong."

scarlett johansson

Kim Kardashian hasn't responded to the latest photo leak either, but did comment to BBC Radio after the first round of nude photos were released:

"I think it's a wake-up call for people to make sure they have every privacy setting. It seems like there are a lot of people that love to spend their time hacking peoples' information and that's just a scary thing."

Kim Kardashian

The first celebrities involved in the initial hack weren't laughing, either.

Jennifer Lawrence's rep released a statement saying: "This is a flagrant violation of privacy. The authorities have been contacted and will prosecute anyone who posts the stolen photos of Jennifer Lawrence."

Kate Upton's rep had a similar response, calling it "an outrageous violation of Upton's privacy" and promising "to pursue anyone disseminating or duplicating these illegally obtained images to the fullest extent possible."

Actress Kaley Cuoco took a somewhat lighter approach, telling Jimmy Kimmel last week: "It was disturbing... it was a really bad situation," but she decided to "take it into my own hands and made a joke about it, because what else are you going to do?"

Cuoco used an app called "Nudify" to release her own blurred out nude photos.Kaley Cuoco

Hackers first released hundreds of nude celebrities' photos on September 1, after gaining access to them through iCloud.

Apple has denied its cloud storage system was breached, but says it was a "targeted attack."

CEO Tim Cook said the celebrity victims may have been the target of phishing scams or had picked easy security questions for their personal accounts that hackers were able to guess.

A rep for the FBI previously told the Associated Press the agency was "aware of the allegations concerning computer intrusions and the unlawful release of material involving high profile individuals, and is addressing the matter." 

SEE ALSO: Kaley Cuoco Had A Great Reaction After Being Part Of The Nude Photo Leak

MORE: Here's How The First Round Of Hacked Celebrities Responded To Their Nude Photo Leaks

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Art Galleries Have Been Doing This One Thing Wrong For Decades

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Red Hot

I recently headed to New York City's Lower East Side to see the "Red Hot" exhibition, a collection of strikingly attractive redheads shot by British photographer (and natural redhead) Thomas Knights. 

Among the redheads on the walls, one thing stood out — the exhibition's unusual photo policy. 

Take a look at the image below, one which I was encouraged to take:

Red Hot Photo Gallery

In the hundreds of galleries and museums I've visited to around the world, I've never seen a photo policy quite like it. But why is that?

Surely in the age of selfies and social media, there's no better way to promote a venue than by encouraging people to share their experiences. "The Daily Show" live taping is another venue which seems to have gotten the message. Rather than banning cameras as they once did, they encourage the audience to take selfies before the show.

But hundreds of galleries and museums around the world still ban photography inside the buildings. Eagle-eyed and sharp-tongued attendants enforce this policy.

It's possible these galleries fear people won't visit if they can see the images online, or that photos will harm the sales of postcards and souvenirs. Or they might think photography will disturb other visitors.

Surely each of these reasons is a little outmoded, especially given the cries of "No Photo!" from attendants is invariably more disturbing than the silent tap of a camera-phone. And if galleries are leaning too heavily on their often over-priced store sales, then maybe they need to examine their business models rather than turn themselves into the photo police.

Daily Show StudioTo me, the photo bans reek of cultural snobbery and outdated thinking. I don't want to view a gallery through the lens of a camera or the screen of an iPhone — but why should I care what others are doing? And if I want a photo to remember my visit, who exactly am I harming?

Some galleries with historic art claim the restrictions are about protecting aging paint from flashing bulbs, but that's an argument against flash, not photography altogether. In any case, the truth of the claim is apparently a point of contention among curators.

For those who do find photography too distracting, Sir Peter Bazalgette, chairman of the British Arts Council, suggested an hour each day when photos are prohibited. It sounds reasonable, and he's otherwise completely in favor of photography. 

Musee d'Orsay ParisNina Simon, director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, told Art News“You are fighting an uphill battle if you restrict ... Even in the most locked-down spaces, people will still take pictures and you’ll still find a million of these images online. So why not support it in an open way that’s constructive and embraces the public?”

Alisa Martin, senior manager of visitor services at the Brooklyn Museum, told Art News that enforcing the policies was a waste of resources. “Guards are spending so much time focusing on someone holding a device that they might not see the person next to them touching the art,” she said.

As Thomas Knights and his extraordinarily successful "Red Hot" global PR campaign has shown, there's far more to be gained from users sharing their images than museums and galleries restricting them.

SEE ALSO: Discovery Is Becoming More And More Ridiculous With Its Fake Documentaries

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The Only 10 New TV Shows Worth Watching This Fall

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the affair poster showtime

There are 24 new fall shows coming to network TV this fall and even more coming to cable.

It can be overwhelming to decide what's worth watching, so we narrowed down the picks to ten shows worth checking out across the networks, cable, and online.

Here's what you should tune into.

"Madam Secretary" (CBS)

Premieres: Sun., Sept. 21 at 8:30 p.m.

What it's about: Téa Leoni stars as the new White House Secretary of State who steps in after the previous one died in a suspicious plane crash.

Why you should watch: Initialreviews have been mixed; however, it sounds like there's potential for the series to be a mix between "The West Wing" and "The Good Wife" mixed with "Scandal." Writer Barbara Hall has previously worked on "Judging Amy."

Watch the trailer.



"Selfie" (ABC)

Premieres: Tues., Sept. 30 at 8 p.m.

What it's about: The modern version of "My Fair Lady," follows Karen Gillan ("Doctor Who") as a self-absorbed social media addict, Eliza Dooley, who asks a co-worker, Henry (John Cho), to rebrand her after she realizes she has no friends in real life.

Why you should watch: While the concept sounds gag inducing and a little outdated (Time considered the term a buzzword two years ago) the ABC comedy is actually good. We previewed the show at an event with an audience where it was well received. The chemistry between Cho and Gillan makes this show worthwhile. Everything that perturbs you about Gillan's character is reflected by Henry and it turns out he has a few quirks that could be straightened out by Dooley as well.

The main problem here is that the show’s marketing could use some rebranding. The initial trailer is alienating to a general audience who may get offended by a "vapid, social media obsessed narcissist." ABC pulled it from public viewing on YouTube after it was first released. 

Watch the trailer.



"The Flash" (The CW)

Premieres: Tues., Oct. 7 at 8 p.m. 

What it's about: The series will focus on the origin story of how Barry Allen turns into the Flash, the DC superhero with lightning speed.

Why you should watch: The series received a lot of praise from fans when it debuted earlier this year at San Diego Comic-Con. If you're a fan of the CW's other comic book series, "Arrow," you'll enjoy crossover moments between both shows along with a hint of the Flash's main villain in the season premiere.

Watch the trailer.



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Here's How 'Gotham' Is Adapting Some Of Batman's Most Iconic Characters For TV

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gotham characters

Fox's new Batman origin story "Gotham" premieres Monday night.

One thing that may have fans worried is how much some of their favorite characters may deviate from the source material.

During a recent conference call, showrunner and executive producer Bruno Heller discussed how the "Gotham" crew is adapting the famous Batman characters for television.

"It’s a tricky balance, because obviously you don’t want to simply create a new character," said Heller. "You have to create a character that is that iconic character ... and they have to have their iconic characteristics.  But on the other hand, if we just deliver the character that people have seen before, than we’re failing the audience.  There is so much – the Batman world is such a vast world full of so many great iterations of these characters that you can’t simply take those elements and regurgitate them.  You have to give the audience a fresh look."

Heller expanded specifically on how the Penguin's character was adapted for television.

penguin gotham robin lord taylor

"For me, with Penguin, it was important to be true to the psychology of that kind of person," added Heller. "This is a sort of graphic novel version of the character, as opposed to a comic book version of the character. In the comic books, he’s … I wouldn’t say he’s more comedic, but he’s not – it’s hard to distil it down to an essence."

"Right now, he’s that hungry, violent, scrabbling character," he added. 

Heller expects there there may be some controversy with the interpretation of some of the characters, but he believes that's a good thing. 

"All I can promise is we work very closely with Geoff Johns [Chief Creative Officer at DC Comics] to make sure we’re not betraying the essence of who these people are, because that would be pointless," said Heller. " We’re never going to sort of change up the characters simply for the shock value of changing them."

SEE ALSO: 'Gotham' executive producer hints at which villains will appear on the show

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The Weirdest Thing You'll See Today Is This New Guinness World Record

Professional Partier Andrew WK Explains The Key To Success

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andrew wk concert

It's hard to pick a title for Andrew WK.

He's a rock star, as his chart-topping first album "I Get Wet" suggests, and he's a small-business owner, with his beloved club Santos Party House. Then there's his regular column for the Village Voice, making him one part advice columnist, and his new educational web series "Meet Me At The Reck," making him another part educator. 

Maybe it's just this: Andrew WK is a professional partier.

Andrew Fetterly Wilkes-Krier has made his rock star dreams come true, twice cracking the Billboard Top 200 charts, winning a dedicated (and white-denimed) fan base, and turning his love of partying into a successful career.

The Michigan native hit the big time with "Party Hard," a simple anthem with a chorus of "When it's time to party we will always party hard." His mission: to help people feel good about feeling good. So far, it's worked. As the music publication Pitchfork said in its review of "I Get Wet," he "treats euphoria as an actual musical genre." 

We talked with WK about how he's gotten this far, what keeps him going, and his upcoming book for Simon & Schuster — "The Party Bible," a treatise about how the "philosophy of partying" is a pursuit of personal joy. 

This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.

Business Insider: When did it become clear to you that this — making music, running rock clubs, helping people with the riddles of life in your column — was what you wanted to do?

Andrew WK: When I moved to New York, that was a turning point.

I wanted to do something big. More than anything, I wanted to have a thing that I could put all of my energy into, something that was big enough that all the interests I could ever have could be included in it. It just wasn't clear what that was going to be at first. 

I do feel like I have a real clear purpose, and if someone would have told me that I was going to be doing this, I probably would have passed out or puked or something. It would have been too much to take in.

BI: You're known for your dedication to a positive lifestyle. How is that reflected in the work you do? 

AWK: The core of all of it is the same thing — that good feeling, whether you call it joy or positive energy or just being cheered up. To me it's a real physical sensation that confirms that you're meant to be alive. Not even that it's just good to be alive, but that you're meant to be alive. I want to feel that myself and feel it with as many people as possible. 

andrew wk pizza guitarBI: You've talked about how your dreams have come true. What's the secret?

AWK: When I look back and see how things were realized, it seems like my actions had very little to do with it.

Of course I had to record an album or play a show, there was physical effort involved in that. But I could have played a show or recorded an album, and that doesn't mean that all these things would necessarily happen.  

It seemed to me more that what I thought were dreams that had come true, now I think were predictions that came true, or a preview that I was being shown. Like: "OK, get ready, because you're going to end up doing this." 

It seems like your dreams are your own spirit, your own soul, telling you what you're meant to do and getting you psyched up with the idea of thinking that it was your idea all along. 

There's been some events that were just so unlikely, there was no logical reason that they happened — the synchronicities and good fortune. 

BI: What's an example?

Being able to move to New York, that was a dream come true.

Visiting with my dad, when my sister lived here, seeing it on TV and the movies — there was never a doubt in my mind from age 7 or 8 that New York isn't just where I wanted to go, but that's where you go. That's the story of so many people, that's almost the defining characteristic of this city. Now, it doesn't feel so much like "I want to go to New York," but "I was meant to go to New York." 

Another example: In junior high school, a young man brought these CDs to class. He brought a Cannibal Corpse CD, an Autopsy CD, and he brought a CD by a band called Obituary. He lent them to me, and I was really into all of them, especially this Obituary CD. I ended up getting more of their albums over the coming years, and ended up listening to that music and a few others all day, every day, for hours and hours. 

andrew wk drumathonSteps are taken, experiences are had, roads are gone down. That experience led to me meeting someone who happened to work in the office with someone who grew up with the drummer and singer of Obituary in Florida. I said, "Oh well, I'm a huge fan. Do you have their address?" 

I said, "I'm going to write them a letter and ask them to be in my band." Why would I ever have the nerve to think that my favorite drummer would ever join my band? Yet I wrote him a letter and sent it to his address, which as far as his friend knew was an old address.  

And then one day I come home and there's a voicemail on my answering machine saying, "Yeah, this is Donald Tardy, the drummer of Obituary. I got your CD. This is cool; let's do it." A few weeks later we're in Hollywood and he joins my band. Not only joins my band, forms my band. Finds our sound man, brings his whole crew together to make this thing happen.

That doesn't make any sense. It's a totally different kind of music. There's no connections beyond this one random friend.

BI: Was this for "I Get Wet"?

AWK: Yeah. That was the first time when I could really say that a dream came true. If someone said, what was anything you could wish for, it would have been to have Donald Tardy in my band as my drummer. 

It seemed so unlikely I didn't even think that it would happen. Everything since then has been a variation on that same feeling.

andrew wkBI: What's this book you're working on? 

AWK: It's "The Party Bible." It's about life, but it's not autobiographical; I don't feel like it's time for that. I'm trying to make it as non-anecdotal as possible. Writing the Village Voice column every week has really helped me practice how to do that. 

It's about the philosophy of partying, everything we're talking about now. It's really the culmination of everything I've done. I figure it might be my only chance to write any book, and even if that is a dramatic way to approach it, I want that to be this book. If I only get to write one book, I want it to be the best it can.

BI: Also, I need to thank you for "I Get Wet," an album that I've been headbanging to since I was 14 years old.

AWK: I'm happy to hear that it worked for you. 

The music is forceful, and it's easy when that hand of feeling is coming toward you, it can be tricky to tell if it's balled up into a fist or whether it's open as a high five. A high five is a very open kind of hand, but it can still smack you. 

I really hope that people got not only the concepts or the songs or even what I was singing about, but just the feeling of the music.

 

SEE ALSO: 'I Won A Genetic Lottery': What It's Like To Become A Supermodel

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It's Amazing How Badly Fox Screwed Up Joss Whedon's 'Firefly'

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fireflyThe cancelation of "Firefly" after only one season in 2002 has been held up as one of the greatest tragedies in science-fiction TV. A compelling account and new insight on what went wrong appears in the recently published "Joss Whedon: The Biography" by Amy Pascale.

"I've never seen him so mad," actor Adam Baldwin told Pascale about when Whedon showed up on set to announce the cancelation. "He looked at me and said 'I don't have good news. They pulled the plug and this is the last episode. And I want you all to know immediately.'"

Whedon, who earned a cult following with "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and later went mainstream by writing and directing megahit "The Avengers,"  conceived of "Firefly" as show about a ragtag group living on the frontier of a space-age civilization, a sci-fi ensemble show with a Western feel and "a gritty realism that wasn't an 'Alien' ripoff."

While the spirit and originality of "Firefly" would win many diehard fans, however, the show's quirks met with resistance at Fox.

zoe and wash fireflyIn fact the whole production was almost derailed before it started by a disagreement over a basic plot point. Fox executives didn't like that Serenity spaceship second-in-command Zoe (Gina Torres) was happily married to pilot Wash (Alan Tudyk), with no romance between her and Captain Malcolm Reynold's (Nathon Fillion).

"The last thing that Fox said was, 'We will pick up the show, but they can’t be married.' And I said, 'Then don’t pick up the show, because in my show, these people are married. And it’s important to the show,'" Whedon said in "Serenity: The Official Visual Companion.

Once "Firefly" was picked up, it was an ominous sign when the network almost held the show to be a midseason replacement in 2003, and it was a likewise disadvantageous when the show was placed instead in the "Friday night death slot" for fall 2002, a time with historically low ratings.

Fox also created problems by airing episodes out of order. To start, network executives asked for a new pilot episode to replace the two-hour "Serenity," which introduced characters with an "admirably relaxed (but TV-lethal) pace," as noted by A.V. Club. Whedon and co-writer Tim Minear whipped together an alternative in "The Train Job" that was snappier but left out important exposition. The network continued to delay and move episodes, in part due to conflict from the Major League Baseball playoffs, and inexplicably held the original pilot to air at the end of the season.

The whole time Fox fought Whedon on plot points large and small.

Among other things, network executives paradoxically insisted that the show be less dark and that Reynolds shoot more people. And they definitely weren't having Whedon's idea of having high-end escort Inara Serra (Morena Baccarin) inject herself with a serum that causes anyone who rapes her to die a horrible death and then having her get kidnapped and gang-raped, with that horrific scene only hinted at by the discovery of her dead kidnappers. There's nothing that dark in the show that aired, but there are plenty of disturbing moments that must have made the network nervous.

firefly falcolm reynoldsAbove all, Fox bungled its marketing. Pascale got the details on how bad it was from producer Chris Buchanan, as she describes in a passage that will make fans of the show cringe:

Instead of advertising "Firefly" as a space western or a gritty sci-fi show, the promotional campaign suggested that it was a wacky genre comedy— “the most twisted new show on television.” Several promos strung together jokes about a “flighty pilot” (Wash), a “space cowboy” (Mal), a “cosmic hooker” (Inara), and a “girl in a box” (River, referencing a plot point from the pilot episode the network refused to air), tied together with the tag line “Out there? Oh, it’s out there!” ...

“We knew we were in real trouble before the show debuted,” Chris Buchanan says. Fox sent them a promo reel of the spots they’d cut for the show, and the first opened with Smashmouth’s hit song “Walkin’ on the Sun.” They first thought that the promo was for Fastlane, Fox’s highly stylized police action drama. “Then all of a sudden it was like ‘Firefly, the cosmic hooker and a whacked out space cowboy.’ ” Buchanan recalls, horrified. “My mouth just dropped open. When the marketing guy called back to ask what they thought, I said, ‘Well, it’s really great, but that’s not what our show is.'"

As Pascale observes, the promos would have turned off anyone who would actually have liked the show, while anyone who liked the promos would have been disappointed by the real thing.

Whatever the reason, "Firefly" didn't get high enough ratings, and even a concerted fan campaign wasn't enough to keep it on the air. Although fans would get something of a sequel in the 2005 movie "Serenity" and a series of comic books, many would never forgive Fox.

nathan fillion joss whedon summer glau firefly conventionTake it from Whedon's mentor, film professor Jeanine Basinger, whose comments were recounted by blogger Nikki Stafford: "[S]he calls it the biggest screwup in television, and if she could kill television execs, she'd kill these guys. She apparently chews them out every time she sees them. She was in on the ground floor on this one, leading him to noir westerns to help him out with his idea. "

Whedon himself has said "Firefly" remains his favorite show, as he told Hero Complex's Noelene Clark"You know, I love all my raggedy children. But if I could be anywhere, I’d be on board Serenity.”

DON'T MISS: 'Joss Whedon: The Biography'

SEE ALSO: Tom Hiddleston reveals why people love working with Joss Whedon

Join the conversation about this story »








HOUSE OF THE DAY: Kelly Ripa And Mark Consuelos Finally Sold Their SoHo Penthouse For $20 Million

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Kelly Ripa 76 Crosby

TV host Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelos have finally sold their gorgeous New York loft for $20 million, according to The New York Daily News.

The couple put their 76 Crosby Street penthouse on the market with The Modlin Group for $24.5 million back in January 2013. They had previously spent two years renovating the home after originally paying $9.5 million for it in 2005.

The buyer of the 6,800-square-foot loft is real estate tycoon Alex Adjmi. Brokers for Adjmi told the Daily News that he bought the place as an investment, which Curbed NY believes implies that Adjmi wants to reconfigure and re-list the home himself.

The pad has five bedrooms and tall 12-foot ceilings. It was outfitted with a fully vented six-burner Wolf stove in the kitchen, a Jacuzzi in the master suite, and a private roof deck with outdoor fireplace and hot tub.

This is 76 Crosby Street. It has a full-time doorman and easy access to SoHo's main shops on Broadway.

Source: The Modlin Group and Google Maps



The grand living room has tall 12-foot ceilings and seven large windows that let in ample natural light.

Source: The Modlin Group



A dramatic staircase leads from the foyer to the upper bedrooms.

Source: The Modlin Group



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You Can Now Preorder Sony's Apple TV Killer

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PlayStation TV

Sony announced on Monday that the PlayStation TV will be available on Oct. 14, and will launch with 700 games. 

We got our first look at the set-top box at the E3 video game conference in June. The PlayStation TV will allow you to play PS3, PlayStation One, and PSP classic games through Sony's streaming-game service, PlayStation Now. It will also give you access to music and video-streaming services, much like Amazon's Fire TV or the Apple TV. 

It will also connect with a PlayStation 4, allowing you to play PS4 games on another TV in your house, using what it calls Remote Play. The only caveat is that a wired internet network connection is necessary. 

The PlayStation TV will be $99 for the system itself. You'll also need to buy a DualShock 3 controller, which must be purchased separately and costs about $40. Or for $139, you can a bundle that includes a controller and a Lego game, as well as an 8GB memory card. 

The device has been out in Japan for nearly a year under the name Vita TV, but was marred by a fairly limited library of games and mediocre streaming services.

It'll be interesting to see what Sony has in mind for the future of the set-top box, or if it's just trying to throw its hat into an already crowded ring full of Apple TVs and Rokus. The Fire TV launched with more than 100 games back when it debuted earlier this year. And Microsoft doesn't offer a set-top box or any sort of "remote" play functionality with its Xbox console.  

According to Business Insider Intelligence, video game consoles are the most popular streaming devices, with 54% of the market. 

bii_newdeviceshare

Perhaps with a launch library full of 700 games and the promise of Remote Play, the PlayStation TV will offer people an alternative to a standalone streaming device, which costs way less than a full gaming console. 

You can preorder a PlayStation TV now

SEE ALSO: Here's Why Microsoft Might Spend $2 Billion On A Video Game With No Ending

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'Gotham' Executive Producer Hints Which Types Of Villains Will Be On The Show

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gotham jada pinkett smithFox's most-anticipated new show of the fall season is definitely Batman prequel series, "Gotham."

The show will serve as an origin story telling not only how the billionaire Bruce Wayne eventually becomes the Dark Knight, but also how his most compelling foes transformed into some of the Caped Crusader's most dangerous villains.

Fox has already revealed a few of the characters from Batman's Rogue's Gallery who will appear on the show: Selina Kyle (the future Catwoman), Edward Nygma (the future Riddler), and Oswald Cobblepot (the future Penguin).

So far, there hasn't been any mention of Batman's biggest future nemesis on the show, the Joker, but that could change.

During a recent media conference call with "Gotham" executive producer and writer Bruno Heller ("The Mentalist") explained there's no limit to the potential villains who could appear on the show in the future.

"The simple answer is: No. We're ready to go with any of them [Batman's villains]," said Heller.

riddler penguin gotham

"We haven't excluded anyone from the mix potentially, but generally what we're looking at is characters where there is some drama or a story behind how they got to be the way they are," added Heller. "We're looking for characters who live in the real world of Gotham as opposed to the even more super real world of Metropolis if you like. It's not about super powers, it's about super will, if you like. We veer towards those characters who are interesting as people, rather than interesting for their particular power or their particular gimmick or their costume."

Heller hinted you may not see every favorite on screen. Some are just simply harder to adapt.

"There are certainly characters that would be very difficult to put on the screen. That crocodile guy is a tough one — although we may go there," Heller explained.

The "crocodile guy" he refers to is Killer Croc, a man born with a condition that caused him to slowly transform into a crocodile. (For those not familiar with Batman mythology it sounds a bit silly.) 

Here's how the character appeared in the Emmy-winning "Batman: The Animated Series."killer croc batman the animated series

It's also interesting that he dropped the Metropolis line. While that could certainly mean nothing, could we be seeing a young Clark Kent wandering around, too?

"Gotham" premieres on Fox Monday, Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. 

Watch a trailer for the series below.

SEE ALSO: The new Batmobile makes a mockery of Batman's no gun rule

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Reporter Explains Why She Quit Her Job On Live TV To Dedicate Her Life To Legalizing Marijuana

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charlo greeneCharlo Greene, the reporter for the CBS affiliate in Anchorage who quit on the 10 o'clock news on Sunday night, explained her decision in a passionate YouTube video.

Greene runs the Alaska Cannabis Club, a resource for Alaskans with medical marijuana cards. She quit her job to focus on ending the prohibition of marijuana, declaring, "F--- it, I quit," before walking off set.

Her YouTube video, titled "Why I Quit," is a call to action. She says she's standing up for what she believes in and will make "advocating for freedom and fairness" her life's work.

"There comes a time in each and every one of our lives where we must choose to continue to spectate or stand up for what's right," she begins.

"To question what they said was wrong, why they were given authority, and where their claims of peril and danger come from. Why are Americans arrested every 37 seconds? Alaskans every 4.3 hours? Why should an aspiring someone lose their ability to earn a higher education to become that someone they were meant to be? And why should you lose the ability to get public assistance in times of struggle and need?"

Here's the video:

She goes after those who want to keep marijuana illegal, saying, "A simple Google search will show prohibitionists don't know how to use Google."

The Alaska Cannabis Club has raised more than $5,000 in support of Ballot Measure 2, an initiative to legalize marijuana in Alaska, since Greene's video went viral.

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Fox's Most Anticipated Fall Show 'Gotham' Is Good, But A Bit Overrated

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gotham alfred jim gordonWarning: There are spoilers ahead.

In the first few minutes of "Gotham," you see Batman's familiar heart wrenching origin story played out. Martha and Thomas Wayne get gunned in an alleyway by a man in a ski mask. A string of pearls break and fall dramatically to the concrete.

pearls dropping gotham

The couple's son Bruce is spared, left screaming in the alleyway left screaming in two pools of blood.

gotham bruce parents

It's a scene played out so many times throughout Batman adaptations that you could picture it with your eyes closed. This one feels no more special than the rest. It's entirely predictable — a series just going through the motions. Thankfully the rest of Batman prequel "Gotham" isn't as predictable; however, it is campy enough to be jarring at moments.

Every few minutes it feels like the show drops references to another future iconic Batman character solely to keep fans interested.

In episode one, we meet not only the future Catwoman, but also the future Penguin, the future Poison Ivy, and the future Riddler. It's fine that these characters are introduced and established, but the manner in which they're introduced will make any Batfan cringe. The show lays it on a little thick so that it's like watching Batman for Dummies.

Edward Nygma's on screen? We better make sure he only speaks in riddles so you get the hint he's the future Riddler. If you're somehow unfamiliar with Catwoman, we'll make sure a young Selina Kyle feeds some alley cats milk out of a saucer.

gotham cat

Not sure if that guy with the umbrella is the future Penguin? Let's have a few characters namedrop the moniker so you get the point.the penguin gotham

Yes, that's little Poison Ivy. Every time she appears on screen she pops up behind a plant.poison ivy gotham

Perhaps the most cheesy moment of the opening episode is when Mayor Aubrey James shows up on a television screen after the Wayne's death blurting out, "The perpetrators of this heinous crime will be punished."gotham mayor

Campiness aside, there are certainly bright spots to the series. 

Ben McKenzie is great as a young, up and coming Detective James Gordon trying to stand up to a corrupt Gotham Police Department. His energy with young Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz) is magnetic. From their first moment on screen to their final scene together near the episode's end, you want to see more of Gordon's relationship with the young Wayne on screen. When Gordon promises he'll find the man who gunned down his parents, you want to believe him.

gotham tv show

The only stars who outshine McKenzie are Jada Pinkett Smith and Robin Lord Taylor. Pinkett Smith brings it as a devilishly coy and cunning new villainness, Fish Mooney, with a flair for dramatics and style. Mooney has no problem taking a bat to another without breaking a nail or messing up her hair.

The best part of the episode; however, is the dismantling of Oswald Cobblepot (Taylor) and the rise of his eventual alter ego, The Penguin, which comes in the final 10 minutes. 

gotham penguin jim gordon

The episode brings up the question of whether heroes create villains or society itself creates them as we watch Cobblepot descend slowly into madness after being mistreated by those he hangs around and even our future Commissioner Gordon. It's that lure of finding out how each iconic villain transforms into one of Batman's arch nemeses  which gives us hope for the series. 

"Gotham" marks the third recent live action DC comic adapted to TV along with The CW's "Arrow" and "The Flash." 

The last time a network tried to do some sort of live action Batman origin story we received "Birds of Prey," a 2002 series cancelled after just seven episodes aired on the WB (the predecessor to the CW). Of course, that show didn't star the Dark Knight either. It focused on Batman and Catwoman's daughter.

That's not saying "Gotham" will end up like "Birds of Prey." This show does have Batman, just a young one at that. In some ways, "Gotham" feels similar to the set up of ABC's successful "Once Upon a Time" which showcases the origin stories of fairytale characters and villains. The Batman prequel definitely has promise. Netflix must think so anyway. The streaming unit dished out a reported $1.75 million per episode to secure streaming rights to the show before it even aired on Fox.

However, If DC really wanted to one-up Marvel's Cinematic Universe which will comprise of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.", new series "Agent Carter" in the spring, and a future Netflix "Daredevil" series, they would try to connect all of the shows to build a monopoly of potentially successful series on television.

SEE ALSO: Here's how "Gotham is adapting some of Batman's most iconic characters for TV

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How The 'Avengers' Director Saved 'Toy Story' From An Unwatchable Early Script

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toy story disney buzz lightyear

Pixar's iconic "Toy Story" might never have happened if not for help from future "Avengers" writer and director Joss Whedon.

Based on original Pixar short "Tin Toy," an early rough draft of "Toy Story" was a disaster.

Here's how it was described by Amy Pascale in the recent "Joss Whedon: The Biography": [T]he movie was unwatchable. The story had lost the heart that Tin Toy had; the leads, Woody the cowboy and Buzz Lightyear the astronaut, were sarcastic and unlikeable—not exactly ideal heroes for a children’s movie." Notably, the lead character of cowboy Woody was "a bitter toy who berated and insulted all the other toys and was bound and determined to destroy Buzz."

It wasn’t until Whedon, who had recently created "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," was asked to step in and help refocus the entire script that the film started to look more like the version of "Toy Story" we know.

"They sent me the script and it was a shambles," Whedon recalled in "Joss Whedon: Conversations." "But the story that [John] Lasseter had come up with was, you know, the toys are alive and they conflict. The concept was gold."

What was originally planned to be a three-week job turned into more than six months of working with Pixar. 

One big decision was whether or not the movie should be a musical like recent Disney hits such as  "The Little Mermaid," "The Lion King," and "Beauty and the Beast." Whedon, like Pixar head John Lasseter, decided that wasn’t a good idea.

“It would have been a really bad musical, because it’s a buddy movie,” Whedon told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s about people who won’t admit what they want, much less sing about it. Woody can't do an 'I want' number--he's cynical and selfish, he doesn't know himself. Buddy movies are about sublimating, punching an arm, 'I hate you.' It's not about open emotion."

One of Whedon's biggest contributions was an insight about astronaut Buzz, according to Pascale:

Joss worked closely with Pixar’s team as everyone got their heads around the idea of Toy Story as a buddy picture. Buzz Lightyear had always been conceived as a Dudley Do-Right: dim-witted but cheerful and self-aware. Joss helped them reenvision the character as an action figure who isn’t aware that he’s a toy, and who therefore takes his job as an Intergalactic Space Ranger quite seriously. It was a huge epiphany that turned the whole movie around and created the chemistry in Toy Story.

toy story buzz lightyear

One Whedon change that didn't make the final cut involved Mattel's Barbie. According to EW, the writer, known for strong female characters, wanted the doll to swoop in and save both Woody and Buzz from the film's antagonist, Sid. However, Mattel wouldn't give permission for Barbie to appear.

The animated movie was finally given the greenlight to be filmed in April 1994 and after several more rewrites with Whedon, the film became the first full-length computer animated movie, ushering in a new age for other animated pictures.

"Toy Story" went on to make $361.9 million at the box office and was nominated for three Oscars.

Subsequent sequels performed even better at theaters, with 2010’s “Toy Story 3” grossing over $1 billion worldwide.

SEE ALSO: 2 reasons Disney movies often don't have moms

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

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Watch Leonardo DiCaprio Rip Into Big Oil On The Floor Of The United Nations

The 12 Worst 'Shark Tank' Pitches Of All Time

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Mark Cuban

In five seasons of ABC's reality pitch show "Shark Tank," we've seen some doozies. Hopefuls have pitched products including an energy drink for Cougars, a vortex chamber that generates gold, and flatulence-scented candles.

At times, contestants show up unable to even explain why anyone would want to buy their product.

With an average viewership of seven million and airtime that's worth about half a million dollars to the aspiring entrepreneurs who make it on, you'd think every pitch would be thoughtful, well-rehearsed, and airtight. But you'd be wrong.

Andrew Figgins, a Chicago-based entrepreneur and owner of the fan site InTheSharkTank.com, says nearly half of the hundreds of pitches that have been made on the show have been awful. The most common problems? Far-fetched ideas, wacky personalities, and a lack of basic business knowledge. "The people who have gone on the show and don't know their numbers get chewed up and spit out," Figgins says.

In anticipation of the sixth season's two-hour premiere on Friday, we take a look at some of the biggest duds in the history of the hit pitch show.

Jason Woods pitches the Kymera jet-propelled boogie board.

Episode 507: "Kymera"

In the most recent season, Woods asks for $250,000 for a 20% stake in his company, which he's been developing for 10 years. The problem is he doesn't have a business plan. Oh, and he's never sold a single one in a decade.



Mark Cuban calls Woods a "wantrepreneur," someone who's got ideas but not a shred of business acumen.

Episode 507: "Kymera"

Because Woods couldn't figure out how to finalize a product and sell even a few with the $130,000 he spent on development over the past decade, the Sharks conclude an injection of capital won't save him.



Brothers Richard and Albert Amini pitch a social media app for doctors.

Episode 501: "Rolodoc"

It would function as a secure platform for medical professionals to upload their medical records and put each other in contact, they say. They want $50,000 in exchange for a 20% stake. Sounds like there may be an idea there, right?



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






Apple Might Unveil A New Streaming Service At The Grammys (AAPL)

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dr. dre and snoop dogg perform at coachella 2012

On Monday Apple denied reports that it was shuttering Beats Music, the subscription-based streaming arm of Beats Audio, and Apple's largest acquisition to date.

It's now clear Beats Music will be rebranded, probably with an eye toward inclusion in a future version of iTunes.

When might that rebrand happen? Re/code's John Paczkowski has an educated guess: in February, alongside the Grammy Awards.

"Here’s a guess backed up by some industry scuttlebutt: February — presumably timed to the Grammy Awards, which will be held Feb. 8," he wrote.

Even if it gets a new name, Beats Music isn't going anywhere. Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told Charlie Rose he "couldn't sleep" after using the service. 

SEE ALSO: Bono Once Told Steve Jobs He Thought iTunes Looked Ugly

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Vince Vaughn And Colin Farrell Confirmed For 'True Detective' Season 2

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Vince Vaughn

It's official: Colin Farrell and Vince Vaughn have been cast in HBO's “True Detective” Season 2.

Vince Vaughn will play Frank Semyon, a career criminal in danger of losing his empire when his move into legitimate enterprise is upended by the murder of a business partner.

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell will play Ray Velcoro, a compromised detective whose allegiances are torn between his masters in a corrupt police department and the mobster who owns him.

The story will center around three police officers and a career criminal who must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.

The eight-episode hour-long drama is set to begin production later this fall in California, with "Fast and Furious 6" director Justin Lin directing the first two episodes. The series is created and written by Nic Pizzolatto.

HBO confirmed the news on Tuesday in a press release.

Who the third lead police officer will be is not yet known, but rumors have been swirling about actresses Rachel McAdams and "Mad Men" star Elisabeth Moss.

"True Detective" Season 1 starred Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson, both of whom were nominated for Emmys for their roles.

SEE ALSO: 'True Detective' Season 2 Eyes Rachel McAdams For Female Lead

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Everything We Know So Far About 'Taken 3'

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taken 3 liam neeson

Liam Neeson may not have made a big splash at theaters with his latest film, "A Walk Among the Tombstones;" however, that will change when the 62-year-old action star's next movie hits theaters. 

USA Today revealed a first look at "Taken 3," the sequel to Neeson's 2009 film in which he plays a retired CIA agent seeking revenge on the men who kidnapped his daughter. 

While we can't wait for Neeson's next action flick, it doesn't hit theaters until January.

Until then, here's everything we know about the film.

1. What it's called:

"Tak3n." Yes, the number will be worked into the tile.

2. What it's about:

This time it doesn't sound like anyone in particular is kidnapped. Instead, someone's life is literally "taken."

Via USA Today:

This time, he's the hunted prey after he's framed for the murder of someone close to him.

"I have to go on the run, I'll put it that way, from the not-so-lawful types and the lawful authorities," says Neeson, choosing his words carefully. "Bryan Mills served his country faithfully, but now even they are after him. They must not like me."

Unlike previous films, "Tak3n" will not involve any overseas traveling. "Taken 2" director, Olivier Megaton will return while Forest Whittaker will join the cast as an officer hunting Mills down.

3. How much Liam Neeson is reportedly making:

According to Deadline, Neeson signed a deal "in the vicinity of $20 million" for the sequel. That's a giant leap from his reported $1 million salary for "Taken."

4. When it will be released:

20th Century Fox will release "Tak3n" January 9, 2015.

5. Will there be a "Taken 4"?

Don't count on it. Neeson has said this third film will close out the franchise.

"It's a rollicking good story," Neeson told USA Today. "But I think this is the end."

However, Neeson was adamant a third film wasn't happening for some time, too.

SEE ALSO: How Liam Neeson became an accidental action star at 61

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