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Taylor Swift Crushes Expected Album Sales, Breaks Records

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taylor swiftTaylor Swift's new album "1989" sold a whopping 1.287 million copies in its first week, becoming the biggest-selling album released in 2014 and making Swift the first woman to have three albums sell more than 1 million copies in a single week.

The album did so well, in fact, that no other artist has had as large of sales since Eminem's "The Eminem Show" in 2002.

Swift's sales exceeded expectations, with industry insiders predicting sales of just 650,000 albums.

Swift celebrated her album's surprise success with an Instagram video post, captioned: "Industry experts predicted 1989 would sell 650k first week. You went and bought 1.287 million albums. AND IT'S GOT ME LIKE":

 

"1989" is Swift’s fifth studio album. It was released on October 27th and immediately shot to No.1 on the Billboard charts, making it her fourth No. 1 album.

The record is the second-largest selling of the year, only behind the "Frozen" soundtrack, which has sold 3.5 million units since its release last November.

Swift made headlines earlier this week when she pulled her entire music catalogue from Spotify in order to drive album sales on sites like iTunes.

In an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal earlier this year, Swift wrote that "piracy, file sharing and streaming have shrunk the numbers of paid album sales drastically."

Looks like Swift's plan worked.

SEE ALSO: SOURCE: Here's The REAL Reason Taylor Swift Pulled Her Songs From Spotify

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'The Babadook' Is Horror At Its Finest

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babadook sundance

"The Babadook" is not your average horror movie.  Imagine finding a book show up on your doorstep only to find it's more than what it seems, possessed by a ghoulish demon who will haunt whoever dares to read the innocent-looking pop-up book. 

While there are plenty of jump-scare moments, "The Babadook" is gripping on an emotional level. It's more psychologically horrifying than anything else, as the film poses serious questions about what it means to be a mother in a very complex and disturbing situation. 

The film opens with a horrific car accident scene that is so visceral and well put together that it's hard to believe first-time director Jennifer Kent pulled it off. This introduces us to Amelia and her husband, who are on their way to the hospital to deliver their first child when an awful crash occurs. Amelia's husband is killed, and we fast forward six years later as Amelia cares for her son Samuel alone. The young boy has quite the imagination, constructing homemade weapons to defeat a monster that appears in his dreams. When a mysterious children's pop-up book about a creature called Mister Babadook appears on their doorstep and Amelia reads the spooky dark tale to her son, the scares begin. 

babadook sundance

The Babadook is a creepy, crawly shadowy figure who lives not only in the pages of the book, but who comes out, mostly at night, to terrorize Amelia. He crawls on ceilings and floats menacingly in doorways and back seats of cars.

While "The Babadook" certainly exists in the world of the film, it's really just a manifestation of Amelia's fears of raising her son alone. The film spends most of its 94-minute run time showing us how difficult it is for Amelia to deal with her son, and the relationship between the two of them could not be more complex. She of course loves Samuel, as any mother would, but there's also resentment since her husband died while en route to deliver him. 

As Samuel becomes more of a handful for his mother, her visions and interactions with the mysterious Babadook creature grow more frequent. There's a direct coorelation between Amelia's psyche and the presence of the Babadook, so the horror can be interpreted as evidence of her deteriorating mental state. Amelia is overworked as is, so when she comes home to Samuel's antics, she's essentially pulling overtime — it never stops. 

Essie Davis is fantastic as Amelia. Davis can express volumes with simply a look, and it's impossible not to feel for her as she becomes possessed by the Babadook. A lead performance this captivating is hard to come by in the genre and really raises the stakes. 

babadook dinner tableTechnically speaking, "The Babadook" is incredibly well-shot and gorgeous to look at. Kent makes tons of intriguing stylistic choices throughout the film; her editing is lively and demands attention. There's a shot of Amelia lying in bed, haunted by her past, that perfectly conveys her mental state solely through the visual.

The expressionist feel makes the environment pop so that every creak and shadow is just as unsettling as the monster itself.  The horror elements work themselves into the film naturally and never feel out of place despite the fact that the film is more often than not an intense character study of a troubled single mother. 

"The Babadook" is an exceptional horror film that is scary enough to satisfy horror laymen and has plenty going on beneath the surface to appeal to the arthouse crowd as well. 

Watch the trailer below.

SEE ALSO: Jake Gyllenhaal Goes Psycho In His Dark New Movie 'Nightcrawler'

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A Huge Actor Has A Surprise Cameo In 'Interstellar'

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Warning: Huge spoilers for "Interstellar" follow.

Director Christopher Nolan's films are known for being shroud in secrecy. You usually know very little about the plot even after the first trailers are revealed and sometimes a few big names pop up in unexpected roles. 

So it should come as little shock that a huge actor makes a surprise appearance halfway through "Interstellar."

In fact, he's been hiding in the "Interstellar" trailers and no one has even realized it.

Last chance to head back before spoilers.

matt damon interstellar

Around the two hour mark in "Interstellar," Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway's characters, in search of a habitable planet to save mankind, land on a foreign planet covered in ice where another astronaut, Dr. Mann, has been stranded for an undetermined amount of time. 

Up until this point, viewers know little about the mysterious Dr. Mann other than he's a supposedly brave astronaut who set off on a similar mission in the past. 

When Cooper and Brand come across Mann, he's sealed in a cryogenic hibernation pod. As they awaken him, you have a feeling it's about to be a huge actor reveal.

Sitting up, staring us straight in the face is Matt Damon.

What??

This won’t be a surprise to everyone. The Playlist reported back in summer 2013 that Damon joined the cast in a small, secret role; however, no one really made a big deal out of it.

Damon's role is so secretive that he isn't mentioned anywhere in Paramount's lengthy production notes for the film handed out to press at screenings. In fact, he's listed as an uncredited actor in the film.

It's surprising more people haven't been discussing it online yet, because if you've steered clear of trailers and news, you'll be genuinely shocked. It's surely one thing people will be talking about after seeing the film.

The best part? Damon's been staring at us in the trailers.

Sort of. 

There are at least two instances of his character I've managed to spot after going back and re-watching the trailers.

Here on the icy planet you can spot four astronauts. There's McConaughey and Hathaway's characters, along with another astronaut played by David Gyasi. If memory serves correct, Damon is in the lead as he shows off the planet to the others.

interstellar matt damon

In another more prominent scene that stands out in multiple trailers, you can see his figure as he reacts to an explosion.matt damon interstellar

I won't give too much more away about Damon's role, but I will say there is a scene where Damon and McConaughey fight in their astronaut suits and for some reason all I could think was that two of People magazine's former Sexiest Men Alive were having it out. 

It wasn't too long ago that Matt Damon was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, starring in everything from "Invictus" and "Informant!" to "True Grit." Now, McConaughey has sort of taken that crown from him during an age that has been coined the McConnaissance, so to watch the two duel it out in a battle royale of sorts is kind of fitting.

Of course, I'm sure this isn't what Nolan intended. But now you’re going to think about it, too.

I wouldn't be surprised if we start to see more of Damon in marketing after the film's nationwide release in theaters this Friday, Nov. 7.

SEE ALSO: Our review of "Interstellar"

AND: Why you won't see "Interstellar" or any other Christopher Nolan movie in 3D

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Taylor Swift Was 12 The Last Time An Album Sold This Much — Here's What She Looked Like Then

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Taylor Swift is celebrating her record-shattering album sales with a goofy photo of herself from 2002 when she was 12 years old.

June 2002 was the last time a record (Eminem's "The Eminem Show") sold as many copies in one week as Swift's "1989" just did.

The former country singer's first pop album 1.287 million copies in its first week on sale. It's now the biggest-selling album released in 2014.

Here's the photo of 12-year-old Swift:

She looks quite different now:

Taylor Swift

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift Crushes Expected Album Sales, Breaks Records

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Why 'Interstellar' May Have A Bigger Opening Weekend Than 'Gravity'

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interstellar matthew mcconaughey cooper

This weekend is going to be one of the biggest we've seen at the box office in a while.

Christopher Nolan's highly anticipated "Interstellar" will be going head-to-head with Disney's next animated movie, "Big Hero 6," and box-office estimates are calling for both to make over $50 million opening weekend.

How big is that?

There hasn't been a weekend yet this year where two films have grossed over $50 million in their first weekend. The closest we came was back when in June when "22 Jump Street" was released opposite "How to Train Your Dragon 2."

Analysts appear very uncertain as to how Nolan's latest film will perform. We've seen tracking range from $50 million all the way to $76 million for the weekend.

Fandango reports weekend ticket sales for Nolan's film are outpacing not only last year's "Gravity" but also Nolan's "Inception" and "Prometheus." "Gravity" made $55.8 million opening weekend last year.

Here's how each of those movies performed opening weekend. 

MovieOpening WeekendWorldwideEstimated Budget
"Inception" (2010)$63 million$825.5 million$160 million
"Prometheus" (2012)$51 million$403 million$130 million
"Gravity" (2013)$55.8 million$716 million$100 million
"Interstellar"n/an/a$160 million

In comparison, Fandango says "Big Hero 6," an adaptation of a comic, is outselling Disney's previous hits "Wreck-It Ralph" and "Tangled." Neither of those films hit $50 million opening weekend.

Missing from that list is Disney's most recent flick "Frozen" which brought in $67 million opening weekend.

According to a Fandango survey of more than 1,000 advance ticket-buyers for "Interstellar," 78% are Christopher Nolan fans.

In a separate stat given to Business Insider by Fandango, 64% say Nolan is the main reason people are seeing the film.

christopher nolan interstellarThat could be troublesome if Nolan fanboys are coming out early to see the film. However, since 2010's "Inception" and "The Dark Knight" trilogy, the director has built up a respectable reputation that may transcend diehard Nolan fanboys to appeal to a larger general audience. A big factor with "Interstellar" will be to see how it holds after early showings into the weekend.

Another big test for the film will be how it holds up against less than stellar reviews overall. Some of the film's "too big" concepts could drive audiences away. Word of mouth could swing people one way or another affect it as the weekend progresses. Fans are already torn apart over the film on Reddit.

And then there's Disney's "Big Hero 6."

It's been a while since audiences have had a big family film to head out and see, and while the film's reviews aren't perfect, kids are going to definitely want to head out to see the Mouse House's cuddly-looking white robot, Baymax. Unlike "Interstellar," "Big Hero 6" also has the addition of 3D ticket sales on its side and families heading out to see the film together.

In short, it's going to be a very close and exciting weekend at the box office.

SEE ALSO: A huge star has a surprise cameo in "Interstellar"

More on "Interstellar": Check out our review

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Here's The Crazy Physics You Need To Know To Understand 'Interstellar'

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interstellar matthew mcconaughey

Christopher Nolan's latest mind-trip "Interstellar" will be premiering in theaters across the country on Friday, Nov. 7. No doubt, the film is the strangest cinematic experience you will have had since Nolan's "Inception."

But unlike "Inception," the visually-gripping film "Interstellar" is based on real, scientific concepts like neutron stars, spinning black holes, and time dilation. And if you're not at least semi-familiar with these terms, you might end up feeling a little lost during the movie.

In the movie, a crew of space explorers embark on an extra-galactic journey through a wormhole. What awaits them on the other side is another solar system with a spinning black hole for a sun.

They must race against space and time to complete their mission. All this space travel can get a little confusing, but it relies on some basic physics principles. And if you understand these principles, then you'll spend less time guessing and more time enjoying.

Here's a brief guide to the five physics concepts you need to know in order to understand "Interstellar."

Artificial Gravity

interstellar spaceship

A big problem we, as humans, face with long-term space travel is the affects of zero gravity in space. We were born on Earth and therefore our bodies are adapted to thrive under certain gravitational conditions, but when we're in space for long period of time, our muscles degrade.

This is an issue for the travelers in "Interstellar," too.

To combat this, scientists have conceived different designs of installing artificial gravity on spaceships. One way is to rotate the spacecraft, like in the film. The rotation creates a force, called centrifugal force, that pushes objects to the outer walls of the spacecraft. This push acts similar to how gravity would, but just in an opposite direction.

You experience this same form of artificial gravity when you're driving around a tight curve and feel like you're being pushed outward, away from the central point of the curve. For a spinning spacecraft, your wall becomes the floor on which walk.

Spinning Black Holes

black hole from interstellar

Astronomers have observed, albeit indirectly, spinning black hole in our universe. No one really knows what lies at the center of a black hole, but scientists have at least a name for it: singularity.

What you need to know about spinning black holes is that they warp the space around them differently than stationary black holes.

This warping process is called frame dragging, and it affects the way a black hole will look and distort the space and, more importantly, the spacetime around it. The spinning black hole you see in the film is surprisingly scientifically accurate.

Wormholes

wormhole interstellar

Wormholes — like the one the "Interstellar" crew use — are one of the only physical phenomenon in the film that don't have any observational evidence to support their existence. They are purely theoretical but an incredibly handy plot device for any science fiction story looking to traverse cosmic distances.

This is because wormholes are essentially shortcuts through space. Any object with mass will create a divot in space, meaning space can be stretched, distorted, or even folded. A wormhole is a fold in the fabric of space (and time) that connects two, otherwise extremely distant, regions in space, which enables space explorers to travel long distances over a short period of time.

The official term for a wormhole is an Einstein-Rosen bridge because they were first theorized by Albert Einstein and his colleague Nathan Rosen in 1935.

Gravitational Time Dilation

shot from interstellar

Gravitational time dilation is a real phenomenon that has been observed on Earth. It occurs because time is relative, meaning time runs at different rates for different reference frames. When you're in a strong gravitational environment time runs slower for you relative to people in a weak gravitational environment.

If you are near a black hole, like the one in the film, your gravitational reference frame, and therefore your perception of time, is different than someone standing on Earth. This is because the gravitational pull from the black hole is stronger the closer you are to it.

For you, a minute near a black hole will still last 60 seconds, but if you could look at a clock on Earth, a minute will appear to last less than 60 seconds. This means you will age more slowly than the people on Earth. And the stronger the gravitational field you're in, the more extreme the time dilation.

This plays an important role in the film when the explorers encounter a black hole at the center of another solar system.

Five-Dimensional Reality

shot from interstellar

Albert Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life working out what physicists call a unified theory— which would combine the mathematical concept of gravity with the other three fundamental forces of nature: the strong force, weak force, and electromagnetic force. He failed to find one, as have countless physicists since Einstein.

Gravity refuses to cooperate, and some physicists think that one way to solve this outstanding mystery is to treat our universe as if it actually functioned in five dimensions, instead of the four-dimensional universe Einstein developed in his theory of relativity, which couples three-dimensional space with one-dimensional time, a.k.a. spacetime.

Nolan toys with this idea that our universe has five dimensions in the film and gravity's important role in it all.

Movie Time

That wasn't too bad, right? Now it's time to test what you've learned and go see the movie. Let us know in the comments below if this post was helpful.

Here's the official movie trailer from Paramount.

SEE ALSO: 'Interstellar' Animators Made A Physics Breakthrough While Creating A Black Hole For The Movie

SEE ALSO: What Is The Most Powerful Thing In The Universe?

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YouTube Multimillionaire PewDiePie Says He's Happier Now That He's Disabled Comments On His Channel

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pewdiepie Felix Kjellberg YouTube

Felix "PewDiePie" Kjellberg is one of YouTube's biggest stars, with more than 31 million subscribers and hundreds of millions of video views. 

Although he makes a ton of money from making videos for his fans — in 2013 he made around $4 million from ad revenue— he said in a video today that turning off comments on his videos has made him very happy. 

"Before I turned off my comments, I think things were going downhill, I would say," Kjellberg said in the video. "So making that change, I feel like we've been going back up. It's been making me really happy, and it's been making me really enjoy what I do. Which is really important to me."

Kjellberg turned off comments on his YouTube channel back in September, citing spam and trolling as the reason. At the time, he said, "It's been bothering me for so long now, I've been trying to find solutions to it. I was hoping that it would get better, I was hoping YouTube would try and figure a way out, but it doesn't seem like it. I'm just sick of it, so I'm going to turn off the comments forever, they're not coming back."

The comments section on YouTube (and elsewhere) has long been a point of contention for content providers, as well as viewers and readers. YouTube tried to implement a fix for trolling comments by forcing people to connect their real names and integrating their Google+ accounts. Google later removed YouTube username restrictions.

Some publications have even opted to turn off their comments sections altogether. Others have changed policies on how comments are handled. In fact, the author of this post is no stranger to trolling comments on YouTube.

As Kotaku points out, Kjellberg did not shut off communication with his fans completely. They can still chat with him or about him elsewhere. 

Hopefully by Kjellberg not just turning off his comments, but also speaking out about how happy he is to have done so, YouTube can take a look at how it handles the comments section of its site and figure out a way to get rid of the trolls once and for all. 

Check out Kjellberg speaking about his happiness in the video below:

 

SEE ALSO: Here's How To Play More Than 900 Classic Arcade Games Without Spending A Single Quarter

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AC/DC's Drummer Is Being Accused Of Trying To Get Two Men Killed

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Phil Rudd

Phil Rudd, the drummer for legendary rock band AC/DC, is being charged in New Zealand with attempting to procure murder, according to the Associated Press.

They say he made a short court appearance Thursday before being released on bail. He's also been charged with threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and marijuana. He's scheduled to make his next court appearance on November 27th.

The publication "Stuff" in New Zealand reports that he allegedly tried to have two men killed, and that the judge suppressed the names of the men and the supposed hitman.

AC/DC was inducted into the Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame in 2003.

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A Man Who Used To Be The 'Kremlin's Banker' Says Putin Is Completely Winging It

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Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has left his mark in the international community over the past few months, but his motives remain unclear.

There is ongoing debate over whether Putin's moves are part of a larger master plan, or whether he is just acting impulsively day by day.

One former aid who was known as "Kremlin's Banker" firmly believes that the world's "most powerful" person is just winging it.

"Putin is not someone who sets strategic plans; he lives today," Sergei Pugachev said in an interview with Time.

Pugachev was a big player in Moscow until recent years. He founded Mozhprombank (International Industrial Bank) in Moscow in 1992, and within four years was a "Kremlin powerbroker," helping politicians win elections. Things went sour in 2010, and then the Kremlin started aggressively buying up his business.

Pugachev fled to London in 2011.

While Pugachev was a Kremlin favorite, he spent plenty of time with Putin. In fact, he "spoke to him almost every day probably" when Putin was St. Petersburg's mayor and Pugachev served as an adviser.

The former aide believes that Putin didn't have any master plan for his career. He just sort of ended up as president because "there weren't any other options," and his former boss was a democratic ex-mayor of St. Petersburg, according to the report by Oliver Bullough.

"He had no plans; he didn't aim to become president. He hadn't thought of that. He didn't plan to remain in the government at all," he added. 

Pugachev suggests that the Russian leader might not be making economic decisions strategically.

"Vladimir Putin does not understand economics. He does not like it. It is dry. It's boring to hear these reports, to read them," Pugachev says. "He likes clear things: Russia's moving ahead, how great everything is. He does not have a deep understanding of what is happening."

Right now, Russia is facing serious economic problems. Not to mention the rouble keeps plunging. Pugachev says Putin doesn't care.

"Putin's close circle understands that he likes good news, so they always bring him good news. Whatever is happening, it's good. For him, it's enough to be in a good mood," Pugachev told Time.

Check out the interview at Time >>


NOW WATCH: 11 Facts That Show How Different Russia Is From The Rest Of The World

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Stephen Colbert Has A Cringeworthy Interview With A California Congresswoman

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barbara lee comedy central

Comedian Stephen Colbert took his "Better Know a District" series to California's Oakland-based 13th Congressional District on Wednesday night — and it was awkward.

For most of the eight-minute interview with Rep. Barbara Lee (D-California), Colbert asked one inappropriate question after another. His favorite topics involved race, sex, and lesbians.

At one point, Colbert asked Lee to translate a "local expression" filled with drug references: "Imma hit a bleezy and some yay, start perkin', get hella hyphy and ghost ride my whip."

The race issues were also cringe-inducing.

"You're on the Urban Caucus. Aren't you a lifetime member of the 'urban caucus'?" Colbert asked. "Am I right? Aren't you kind of grandfathered into the 'urban caucus'? Right, OK. You know what I mean when I say 'urban.' Urban. Urban. You know, 'urban' people. I don't see race, but I do see 'urban.' Are you urban?"

When Colbert asked her about the Black Panthers, Lee retorted: "That's a question I can't even answer because it's so stupid."

Eventually Colbert started demonstrating sex positions with his hand and propositioned Lee.

"I'm practicing abstinence right now, as we speak," he said, "but that could change if you play your cards right. I'm just saying. Am I the only one? I can't only be the only one feeling this right now. Turn the camera off I want to give her some privacy."

Watch the full segment below.

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'South Park' Just Pointed Out Everything I Hate About Mobile Games

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stan south park gaming

As someone who plays video game consoles somewhat regularly, I'll occasionally get asked what I think of mobile games.

I usually try to avoid answering, because if I'm perfectly honest, I'm not that fond of them. While I enjoy a limited few, I find most to be time-sucking procrastination machines that are hastily engineered ripoffs of games I played long ago on consoles and PC. 

The purpose of the majority of them appears to be to try to get me addicted and to shell out money for silly upgrades to keep me coming back for more. No thanks. 

I've never known how to articulate my feelings about mobile games out loud, though. Just about everyone I know seems to be hooked on some version of "Flappy Bird," "Dots," "Candy Crush," or whatever new game is hot at the moment. 

So I was exhilarated when the latest episode of "South Park" Wednesday evening centered around the addictiveness of free mobile games and the thought process that goes into developing one.

It basically summed up everything I feel about mobile gaming: the games are overly simple and repetitive, the gameplay itself isn't long, players are pressured into making trivial purchases, and the games aren't even that fun.

It all starts out when Kyle and a few of his friends are introduced to a new game based on their favorite Canadian cartoon characters Terrence and Phillip.

kyle south park terrance phillip game

They all hear about the mobile game from their school friend Jimmy who pressures them into downloading the free game because "If it's free, why wouldn't you?" Sounds promising.

Here's a look at the game aptly titled: "Terrance & Phillip: Give Us Your Money." 

It looks like a generic clone of your run-of-the-mill free mobile game app.

terrance phillip south park game

The goal of the game is ridiculously simple. All players need to do is collect coins on a screen simply by tapping them. This shouldn't be a toughy.

south park game terrance phillip

Kyle starts collecting coins. As he plays, he's encouraged by the game to keep playing with prompts like, "That's one coin. Can you collect all?"

south park terrance phillip game

After he collects 10 coins, he's given a small reward on screen telling him how well he did and encouraging him to keep playing.  

south park mobile game

But before he can continue, Kyle's given an offer to purchase "Canadough Coins" to buy stuff in the game. A screen pops up prompting Kyle to buy something similar to any regular mobile-based free game app.

south park mobile game

Kyle immediately thinks it's "stupid"; however, his friend Butters points out it only costs $0.49 to purchase the smallest amount of Canadough coins. What could it hurt?

south park kyle butters phone

His small purchase lets him click on a piece of land to buy and place a hospital.

south park mobile game

I'm glad Terrance and Phillip look happy, but, that's it?!

Kyle soon realizes the game isn't all it's cracked up to be and wonders what kind of people are behind the game. 

We're then introduced to the Canadian Department of Mobile Gaming. The company is bombarded by Terrance and Phillip who are frustrated their likenesses are being used in a free, popular app they consider "the dumbest game ever" because if people are paying for upgrades then the game isn't actually "free."

The company's response? They tell Terrance and Phillip they know the game isn't great and lay out "the science" behind "freemium gaming."

compliments south park freemium app

According to "South Park," a successful freemium game is based on five principles:

1. Simplicity: A player must be enticed with a simple game loop.
2. Compliments: Make sure you're making the gamer feel special and good about themselves.
3. Fake Currency: Train the players to spend your fake currency.
4. Switcheroo: Offer the customers a way to spend their real money for fake, virtual dollars, so they'll forget they're spending money.
5. Waiting Game: "Make the game about waiting, but make the player pay not to wait."

In addition, the game needs to be "just barely fun" because if it is too fun then there would be "no reason to micropay in order to make it more fun."

south park five principles freemium success

"South Park" added a few other funny tips for the success of freemium games in the background.

south park micro pay

However, the majority of "freemium" users won't pay for anything on the app. Instead, "South Park" lays out one more simple two-step strategy in which "freemium" games make money:

1. Find the heaviest users (addicts).
2. Extract the most amount of cash from them.

This is exactly what I've found in my personal experience. Friends, family, and colleagues will become so engrossed in their mobile games that they're addicted to them. In some instances they'll shell out hundreds of dollars to play something like "Candy Crush."

I don't understand it.

This is what happens in "South Park" when one of the kids, Stan, can't stop playing the "Terrence & Phillip" mobile game. He skips school to play the game for hours on end and winds up spending upwards of $26,000 (a rather exorbitant amount), justifiably freaking out his parents. 

south park mobile app freemium

"South Park" likens this new mobile gaming addiction to other diseases like gambling and drinking.

And this is why I will not play mobile games. I think I've paid small fees twice in "freemium" games. The first time was in a "Despicable Me" temple run game (I will admit, that was totally worth it). The other time was while testing out the Kim Kardashian app (had to get that A-list celeb status). That was two times too much.

You can watch the full episode of "South Park" on Hulu

NOW WATCH: Confessions Of A Candy Crush Addict

 

 

SEE ALSO: We tried out "Evolve," the first big game of next year, and had a blast

AND: How "Alien: Isolation" reunited the original film cast 35 years later

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How Jimmy Fallon Made It To 'The Tonight Show' Through Exceptional Networking

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jimmy fallon

In the span of about five years, Jimmy Fallon went from a "Saturday Night Live" alum unsuccessfully navigating Hollywood to a late night star to the host of NBC's "The Tonight Show," one of the most respected franchises in entertainment. It's not by accident.

Fallon's meteoric rise is partly due to his intense focus on developing relationships with people who could advance his career, according to Shane Snow's book "Smartcuts" and a recent interview with the comedian

And he proves that this type of networking doesn't have to be some kind of Machiavellian manipulation, but rather can be based on a genuine interest in personally connecting with influencers.

Fallon's career began with this drive. While still a computer science major at Albany's College of Saint Rose, he performed comedy at small clubs and obsessed about the comedy industry.

Fallon had interned at a New York alt-weekly, and his former boss Peter Iselin passed on his audition tape to one of his new colleagues in Los Angeles, entertainment agent Randi Siegel. Siegel was only 26 but managed to make her way into the SNL crowd with clients like David Spade and Adam Sandler.

Siegel found 21-year-old Fallon's performance to be charmingly amateur, she tells Snow in his book, but she could see that he was naturally talented. She gave him a call and was surprised to hear after introducing herself, "Randi Siegel! I know who you are!"

Siegel was impressed by his knowledge of the comedy industry coupled with his enthusiasm and agreed to take him on as a client. He was so dead-set on joining SNL that he dropped out of school one semester shy of graduating.

Due to Siegel's connections, Fallon was able to eventually get two SNL auditions even after bombing the first one. He was hired as a cast member in 1998.

At SNL, Fallon developed the relationship that would come to define his career. The show's creator, Lorne Michaels, is so powerful and respected in the industry that he often intimidates cast members. As a rookie, Fallon was no different, but he wanted to let Michaels know how much being part of the show meant to him. SNL producer Marci Klein took a liking to Fallon and recommended that he make his way into Michaels' exclusive SNL after parties.

Fallon tells Men's Journal, "Marci gave me a bit of advice: 'After every show, go over to Lorne and you thank him for the show.' And I did. I thanked him every single show." After a few weeks of this, Michaels invited him to sit down and have a drink with him and a coterie of celebrities. Within a few seasons, Fallon habitually joined Michaels after every show to go over the night's performance.

Michaels developed a rare friendship with Fallon. "There's some kind of very strong connection. I can't really describe it beyond that. But it just has always been there," Michaels tells Men's Journal.

Fallon left SNL in 2004 to pursue a movie career, and after a few flops, he felt stuck. When the late night world started to shift, Michaels convinced Fallon to take Conan O'Brien's vacated seat on NBC's "Late Night" in 2009.

After "The Tonight Show" drama of O'Brien's short stint as host and Jay Leno's return, Michaels decided that his trusted Fallon would take the renowned position.

Fallon made a point of connecting with Leno while he was host of "Late Night," and would call him to ask for advice. Leno says their conversations gave him insight into what made Fallon so successful in such a relatively short time.

"Most people in show business think they know everything. They don't really listen to the other person. They just wait for the other person to stop talking. Respectful is the best word I can use for Jimmy," Leno tells Men's Journal.

Fallon sees no need for bad blood with anyone. He speaks highly of his competitors Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, and he broke Johnny Carson's decades-old "Tonight Show" ban of the late Joan Rivers due to a perceived betrayal.

His approach has worked. Since starting in February 2014, Fallon has attracted around 4 million viewers each night, with a much higher share of the 18-49 demographic than his predecessor, helped by many of his skits going viral on YouTube.

Fallon doesn't see his ascension to the coveted late-night seat as the result of careful strategizing. "I just kind of did what I do. Maybe Lorne was playing the chess game more than I am. I could be just a piece that he's playing. But if he is, it's a great move for me. We're both winning," Fallon tells Men's Journal.

SEE ALSO: Billionaire Investor Ray Dalio's Top 20 Management Principles

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How A Billionaire Heiress Ended Up Joining 'Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills'

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Rich Kids of Beverly Hills"The #RichKids of Beverly Hills" became the E! network's breakout reality show of 2014 and recently wrapped its second season on the air.

Made up of six wealthy best friends from the 90210 zip code, "Rich Kids" was inspired by the popular and outrageous Tumblr "Rich Kids of Instagram," in which offspring of the super rich flaunt their yachts, diamonds, magnums of champagne, and more.

Dorothy Wang Forbes

It was through this Tumblr that E! producers and casting directors found Dorothy Wang, the 26-year-old "funemployed" heiress to her father's $4 billion retail real estate fortune. Dorothy's dad, Roger Wang, founded the Golden Eagle International Group in Nanjing and turned it into one of the country's largest mall chains, with stores in 15 cities, according to Forbes.

"When Rich Kids Of Instagram launched, I was one of the main people they featured on the site," Wang told Business Insider over the phone as she was sitting in L.A. traffic. "I was one of the first people they put on the Tumblr and then they kept putting me on it. So I was approached after producers at the network saw me on the Tumblr page and from there they asked me, 'Would you ever want to do a reality show?' and I responded, 'Honestly, I thought I was living a reality show the last seven years of my life. Thank God cameras are going to be there so I’m not just posing into thin air for myself.'"

Dorothy Wang private jet

Casting Dorothy — who says she had no idea of her family's wealth "until it was printed in Forbes" despite her collection of $10,000 Hermés Birkin bags so large she "lost count"— was easy, but E! needed a whole cast of people just as outgoing and unabashedly outrageous as the self-described "fabuluxe" University of Southern California graduate.

rich kids of beverly hills"We went through the process of like, 'Who’s in your life? Do you have any friends who are really outgoing?'" Dorothy explains of the reality show casting process. "I immediately thought of my friend Morgan Stewart. Morgan and I literally used to have pow-wows together after spin class being like, 'We’re meant to be on TV! We know it’s going to happen.' And then one day it did. I went in, we brought in other relevant people in our lives... It was called 'The Morgan and Dorothy Project' for the longest time."

In order to round out the cast, Dorothy says, "There wasn’t an open call or a casting for the show at all. They wanted Morgan and I to do a show so we brought in our friends and they picked the ones who are on the show now. So, all of these people who are coming out of the woodwork saying they auditioned for the show, I’m like, 'I was there, that’s not what happened.'"

Rich Kids of Beverly HillsThe cast is currently made up of six Beverly Hills natives, including Magic Johnson's flamboyant son, a self-described "Persian Princess" interior designer, a successful young real estate agent, and a songwriter.

As with any reality show, the cast has conflicts with each other, but it's clear these friendships are real and have history that goes back further than when the cameras started rolling last year. The on-air conflicts haven't been enough to tear the group apart just yet.

"I think we’ve all gotten a lot closer because it’s such a unique experience that has really taken over our lives and is our lives at the same time," explains Dorothy. "I have a lot of friends outside of the show, but sometimes I don’t want to put them through an hour of me talking about the show so I just hang out with Morgan and Roxy so we can talk about what’s going on."

While Dorothy was on board to showcase her life for the public, adjusting to people's hateful comments online has taken some getting used to. 

"I spent the first two weeks before and after the first episode aired basically crying and having anxiety attacks because it was so new to me," Dorothy admits. "But once the show progressed, we really saw a shift. People were like, 'Wait, we actually don’t hate you, we like you. You’re not annoying anymore.'"

Before the show aired, Dorothy had 26,000 followers on Instagram. Today she has 561,000 followers and counting, as well as a new outlook on her haters.

"Now when I do read the comments, I laugh at them," she says. "It’s crazy stuff like a person wanting to stab me in a back alley with a turkey leg. Sometimes they say the funniest things, we literally just read them out loud to each other. It’s funny to us now. I think we’ve all developed a much thicker skin."

So what does Dorothy's influential dad think about his daughter's newfound reality show fame?

"I literally waited until we had to sign our contracts to tell my family ... but when I told my dad he was the most supportive. He said, ‘I would never do it, but for someone like you, I think it’s something you will enjoy and be good at, and it’s something you can do a lot of things with. You have an interesting story to tell. Yes, you’re a rich kid, but you are also so much more and this would allow you to show that to the world.'"


NOW WATCH: The Walking Dead' Creator Answers Our Burning Questions About The Future

 

SEE ALSO: Here's The Definition Of 'Funemployed,' According To A 'Rich Kid Of Beverly Hills'

MORE: Meet The Six 'Rich Kids Of Beverly Hills'

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New 'Star Wars' Movie Will Be Called 'The Force Awakens'

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star wars episode VII cast

Disney has announced the official name for "Star Wars: Episode VII"!

The "Star Wars" Twitter account tweeted out the official name for the seventh installment of the franchise.

It will be called "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens."

"Star Wars: Episode VII" wrapped up filming earlier this week. 

The cast and crew received "Episode VII" hats and notes signed by director J.J. Abrams, Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy, and producer Bryan Burk.

star wars cast crew note

Here's a look at the hat from actress Lupita Nyong'o.

Geeking out! #SWVII

Une photo publiée par Lupita Nyong'o (@lupitanyongo) le Oct. 10, 2014 at 11:47 PDT

The news of the "Star Wars" title comes ahead of Disney's Q4 earnings Thursday.

"Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" will be in theaters Dec. 18, 2015.


NOW WATCH: The Walking Dead' Creator Answers Our Burning Questions About The Future

 

SEE ALSO: Here's The Note "Star Wars: Episode VII" Cast And Crew Received After Filming

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Why Christopher Nolan Insisted On Making 'Interstellar' Available On Old-School Film

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interstellar matthew mcconaughey

Christopher Nolan's "Interstellar" is in theaters Friday, Nov. 7, and when it comes out, you'll be able to see it in six different formats including 35mm.

Despite the fact the format is almost dead, Nolan, along with directors like Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, J.J. Abrams, and a few others, vow to keep the format alive by continuing to shoot on film the old-fashioned way. 

Nolan's campaign to save the ailing format picked up steam when Paramount announced last month theaters equipped with 35mm and 70mm projectors will get the film two days early.

"We are taking a moment to acknowledge the huge heritage of film ... filmmakers like Chris and J.J. want to make sure that film is a part of the business going forward," Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore told The Hollywood Reporter.

35mm and 70mm film can look brighter and clearer than digital projection, though the latest IMAX and 4K digital projection technology comes close. Digital projection has caught on because it's cheaper to distribute, among other reasons.

In an interview with the Director's Guild of America magazine, Christopher Nolan himself outlined why he prefers film:

"For the last 10 years, I’ve felt increasing pressure to stop shooting film and start shooting video, but I’ve never understood why. It’s cheaper to work on film, it’s far better looking, it’s the technology that’s been known and understood for a hundred years, and it’s extremely reliable. I think, truthfully, it boils down to the economic interest of manufacturers and [a production] industry that makes more money through change rather than through maintaining the status quo. We save a lot of money shooting on film and projecting film and not doing digital intermediates. In fact, I’ve never done a digital intermediate. Photochemically, you can time film with a good timer in three or four passes, which takes about 12 to 14 hours as opposed to seven or eight weeks in a DI suite. That’s the way everyone was doing it 10 years ago, and I’ve just carried on making films in the way that works best and waiting until there’s a good reason to change. But I haven’t seen that reason yet."

SEE ALSO: A huge actor has a surprise cameo in "Interstellar"

AND: "Interstellar" is a beautifully ambitious and wacky adventure into space

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Disney Earnings Beat Expectations (DIS)

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Walt Disney statue, Walt Disney World

Disney just reported Q4 earnings that beat expectations by a penny.

The entertainment giant reported earnings per share, excluding certain items, of $0.89 against expectations for $0.88.

Revenue totaled $12.38 billion against expectations for $12.37 billion. 

In a release, Disney said the increase in diluted EPS was, "due to improved performance at all of our operating segments, a decrease in the weighted average shares outstanding as a result of our share repurchase program and higher investment gains."

In the fourth quarter, operating income in Disney's cable networks unit fell $10 million, which Disney said was attributable to higher programming costs at ESPN which was partially offset by affiliate revenue and ad revenue.

Studio entertainment revenue in the fourth quarter rose 18% to $1.8 billion, and the company said higher worldwide theatrical distribution results were due to the success of Guardians of the Galaxy and Maleficent in the current quarter compared to Monsters University and The Lone Ranger in the prior-year quarter.

Disney also reported its full-year results, with earnings per share that came in at $4.26 against $3.38 for the prior year on sales of $48.8 billion against $45 billion a year ago. 

In after hours trade following the results, Disney shares were down about 1%.

You can read Disney's full release here »

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Disney Announces 'Toy Story 4' Is Coming June 2017

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toy story buzz lightyear

Another "Toy Story" sequel is coming!

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced "Toy Story 4" will be released June 2017 during the company's Q4 earnings call Thursday.

The Disney and Pixar sequel will be directed by John Lasseter, Walt Disney Studios Animation's chief creative officer who created the franchise.

2010's "Toy Story 3" made more than $1 billion worldwide at theaters.

Lasseter directed the first two "Toy Story" films. 

“We love these characters so much; they are like family to us,” said Lasseter in a statement. “We don’t want to do anything with them unless it lives up to or surpasses what’s gone before."

disney john lasseter

"‘Toy Story 3’ ended Woody and Buzz’s story with Andy so perfectly that for a long time, we never even talked about doing another ‘Toy Story’ movie," Lasseter added. "But when Andrew, Pete, Lee and I came up with this new idea, I just could not stop thinking about it. It was so exciting to me, I knew we had to make this movie—and I wanted to direct it myself.”

Disney announced the film will come to theaters June 16, 2017 and confirmed Woody and Buzz Lightyear will return. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen have voiced both characters on screen, respectively.

The "Toy Story" franchise has grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide combined.

SEE ALSO: "Star Wars: Episode VII" will be called "The Force Awakens"

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'Frozen' Is Still A Huge Hit For Disney

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elsa disney

Disney announced its Q4 earnings Thursday and "Frozen" continues to be a big driving force.

Operating income for the studio more than doubled, a figure the Mouse House attributed to both home entertainment sales and the theatrical run of "Frozen."

The film has grossed more than $1 billion worldwide becoming the highest-grossing animated movie ever.

The worldwide success of the film has also helped consumer products, and Disney's interactive gaming segment.

Disney recently announced sales of more than $3 million "Frozen" dresses. "Frozen" toys are expected to be a huge hit this holiday

In addition to the company's successful "Disney Infinity" video game, growth was also attributed to a "Frozen Free Fall" mobile game.

Figurines for "Frozen" characters were also recently released for "Disney Infinity."

Next year, Disney will release an animated "Frozen" short called "Frozen Frenzy."

SEE ALSO: Disney Earnings Beat Expectations

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16 Hidden Secrets In Pixar And Disney Movies That Actually Exist In Real Life

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big hero 6 baymax hiro

Disney's newest film, "Big Hero 6," opens this week. 

And some eagle-eyed viewers have already spotted some Easter eggs in the trailer that was released over the summer. 

An Easter egg, as it relates to movies, is when the movie's creators hide something in the film that's an intentional inside joke. 

John Lasseter, cofounder of Pixar and now overseer of all animation projects at Disney, is no stranger to the Easter egg world. Both of the companies he's led, particularly Pixar, have included dozens of Easter eggs in their movies. There's even something called the Pixar Theory, where all the Pixar characters live in the same universe. 

Some Easter eggs are based on real-world locations. There are obvious ones — in the beginning of the 2006 movie "Cars," the announcer says the entire town of Emeryville will be closed for the race; Pixar Studios is in Emeryville, California — but some Easter eggs aren't so obvious. 

Pixar just announced another sequel to "Toy Story" during Disney's Q4 conference call. It'll come out in June 2017, so it's a sure bet that even more Easter eggs are on their way. 

References to A113.

Perhaps the most famous of all the Pixar Easter eggs are references to A113. References to A113 can be found in all Pixar movies, some Disney movies, and even in "The Simpsons" and other animated shows and films. References to A113 can also be found in video games. Chances are, if an alum from the California Institute of the Arts is somehow involved, A113 will be included in the animation. 

That's because A113 is the classrooms used by the graphic design and animation students at the school, including John Lasseter. 



The real CalArts is located in Southern California.



Fenton's Creamery in Disney-Pixar's "Up" is located in Oakland, California.

At the end of the movie, Russell and Carl can be seen eating an ice cream cone on the sidewalk in front of Fenton's Creamery



See the rest of the story at Business Insider






The Maker Of The Game 'Destiny' Gave A Man Recovering From Brain Surgery A Rare Gift

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Fate Of All Fools

Bungie, the developer behind one of the hottest games of the year, gave a man recovering from brain surgery a rare gift: The Fate Of All Fools. 

That may not sound like much. But to fans of the game, it's huge. It's a rare weapon that actually doesn't exist yet; it will be offered as a reward for a mission in future content. (Learn more about the Fate Of All Fools on DestinyDB.)

According to Reddit user Bkbunny87, her husband's doctor recommended that he play the game "to serve as a form of physical therapy for him, following several brain surgeries."

"... his neurologist told us that video games have been showing tremendous use as a PT tool for brain and memory damage," Bkbunny87 wrote. "He even brought 'Destiny' up on his computer and after some speed reading he was all but jumping at the opportunity the game could pose for someone in my husband's position."

She says that not only was the "Destiny" Reddit community supportive, but that Bungie Community Manager Deej reached out and said that a care package is on its way.

The entire post reads:

Yesterday I had a post talking about my husband and his Doctor recommending Destiny to serve as a form of physical therapy for him following several brain surgeries. This community was amazing, and raid groups are being organized for him out of all the people who offered to help him.

But just as amazing, Deej contacted me and has sent my husband a care package from Bungie that is on the way. Then this morning, a message from Deej told us to have my husband check with Tess the Post Master in the tower. Lots of screaming ensued.

He has been sent the exotic gun Fate Of All Fools, a solar primary that looks like it will be available in future content.

Vision of Confluence had been my husbands dream weapon, as scout is his favorite and he wanted that solar damage. A more perfect weapon could not have been chosen. I'm so jealous, but mostly so damn happy for him. As for him-- well, you can imagine :)

Thank you guys for being such a caring community. Thank you Deej and the crew at Bungie, you've made him ecstatic.

That makes her husband the only player in the world to hold such a rare gift. 

(Via Gameranx)

SEE ALSO: Here's How To Play More Than 900 Classic Arcade Games Without Spending A Single Quarter

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