I was lucky enough to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular last night for the first time. The show, of course, stars the Rockettes. It's alot of fun. I shot a video from my seat using the iPhone 6 new slo-mo feature. Take a look.
Produced by Justin Maiman. Edited by Sam Rega.
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Well, this is cool.
On what is the 35th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, the CIA is taking to its Twitter account to break down what's "real" vs. "reel" in the movie "Argo," which is about the events.
On Nov. 4, 1979, militants invaded the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 66 Americans hostage. Six of them managed to escape and found refuge in the home of a Canadian ambassador. Fifty-two of them stayed in captivity for 444 days. The CIA has also written about the Iran hostage crisis on its blog.
The 2012 film, which stars Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Bryan Cranston, and Alan Arkin, is a retelling of the historical events, highlighting one agent's work to get the hostages out of the country.
As with some historical films, "Argo" took a few liberties in the retelling of the story. So the CIA is straightening things out.
We love #Argo, @TheAcademy award winning film by @BenAffleck. Today we tell you what’s "reel" vs. "real". pic.twitter.com/QgFC014kUe
— CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014 Real #Argo: All involved in the operation were innovative, brave, & creative. Thank you @BenAffleck for making a film that reflects this.
— CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014 Reel #Argo: When the US Embassy is overtaken the 6 US diplomats go right to the Canadian ambassador's residence to live for the 3 months.
— CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014 Real #Argo: 5 of them went to many different places until they ended up at the homes of the Canadian Ambassador & the Dep. Chief of Mission.
— CIA (@CIA) November 7, 2014 Real #Argo: 1 American slept on the floor of the Swedish embassy before making his way to the Canadian Ambassador’s home after 2 weeks.
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Disney purchased YouTube content producer Maker Studios at the end of March for $500 million, a deal that could be worth up to $950 million if certain goals are met.
The multi-channel network, aimed mostly at millennials, is home to some of YouTube's biggest stars including Swedish video gamer PewDiePie whose YouTube channel has over 32 million subscribers.
During the company's Q4 earnings call Thursday, senior executive vice president and CFO Jay Rasulo was asked about the acquisition, its success so far, and how the Maker audience is being implemented by the Disney brand.
Rasulo would not comment on Maker's financials and whether the purchase is profitable so far, but hinted instead at how Disney is using the brand.
"They have engaged with every segment of the company and are beginning to mine the opportunities that each of those segments have whether it’s IP, whether it’s better distribution, whether it’s taking content and envisioning short form applications of that content," said Rasulo.
"They have also really put their shoulders to the wheel on the marketing front," adds Rasulo. "And I think that Guardians of the Galaxy and the fact that they are way out ahead of it in their space was a perfect example of the kind of marketing that you can have on distribution vehicles like maker.tv and YouTube, which are ubiquitous and really target the audience for a lot of our films. So, I think that so far we are extremely pleased with how integrated they have become into all of the thinking around the use of the platform that they are so predominant in and how their skill base both on the analytics side and as well as the content side in terms of short form, is showing real promise moving forward."
While the studio produced a Halloween show for the Disney Channel, here's what else Maker is currently working on:
- a Disney XD program featuring some of Maker's YouTube stars
- a short-form digital series with "America's Funniest Home Videos" featuring YouTube star Shay Carl Butler.
- Two series from "Super Size Me" documentary maker Morgan Spurlock
- A block of content for Fusion, a joint news venture between ABC News and Univision.
In May, CEO Bob Iger said the multi-channel network would also be used to help distribute brands like “Star Wars” and Marvel.
SEE ALSO: Disney announces "Toy Story 4" will come in 2017
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“Interstellar” is one of the year's most-anticipated films. It's expected to have a huge opening weekend making north of $50 million. So far reviews have been somewhat mixed and that may be because "Interstellar" is the sort of film that deserves to be watched twice, as is the case with many of director Christopher Nolan's complex films ("Inception," "The Dark Knight" trilogy).
The space voyage is easily one of Nolan’s most thought-provoking films yet. It’s definitely his most ambitious.
In the not-too-distant future, we’re not fearing for our lives from zombies or a virus, but rather a food shortage brought on by the adverse effects of Mother Nature. Devastating dust storms that leave piles of soot and cause lingering respiratory issues are our biggest concern.
Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former test pilot and engineer, is told his daughter’s generation will be the last to survive on Earth. Their only hope is for Cooper to head to the stars and traverse through a wormhole in search of a habitable planet along with five other companions.
At its best, "Interstellar" is a joyride through the great unknown while tearing at your heartstrings. The farther you get into the film the more abstract it becomes until you're floating, literally, into the bizarre unknown. There's a moment near the film's climax where you'll probably look at the screen, stop, gauge the audience's reaction, and then look back and wonder what the heck is going on because it's that out there.
The film's 2-hour and 47-minute runtime plays out in what I like to refer to as five acts. It builds as a slow crescendo from family film on Earth to space exploration with an unexpected twist to Kubrick-level crazy before coming back down to Earth for its final leg.
At the surface level, “Interstellar” is Steven Spielberg’s "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" meets Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey.” It has the innocence and mysteriousness of an other-worldly being’s presence in “Close Encounters,” while there are an endless amount of comparisons to be made to “2001.” Nolan has said both served as inspiration for the film, along with other sci-fi films including "Metropolis" and "Star Wars,” and it shows. Many visual cues in space are taken from “2001” and a scene toward the final act feels like it could have had a place in the 1968 film.
On a deeper level, Jessica Chastain may have said it best when telling Entertainment Weekly that “Interstellar” is a love letter from Nolan to his daughter, Flora. The film’s production title was “Flora’s Letter.” Underneath it all, that's what "Interstellar" really is — a father-daughter story reflected in the relationship between Cooper and his daughter, Murph (MacKenzie Foy), the two lead characters at the center of the film.
There's a line about half way into the film delivered by Anne Hathaway's character, Amelia Brand, in which she says "Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space." That quote is very much the heart of "Interstellar," as McConaughey fights to get back home to his family.
Nolan’s movie isn’t just a letter to his daughter, it’s also one to the planet to make sure we don’t end up depleting our own resources foolishly. There are minor jabs to our heavy focus on gadgets and new devices consuming us.
Time serves as a constant antagonist of the film. Cooper and Brand frequently discuss how much time it will cost them to travel to X planet vs. Y planet. It will take eight months to get to Mars and two years to get to Saturn. An hour scouring one foreign planet will cost them seven Earth years.
We watch as time steals away precious moments Cooper has with his family while he fulfills a duty he feels obligated to do — save mankind. As he watches transmissions from his children over the years as they grow and he appears to stay the same, you can't help but want to tear up alongside the rough and tough McConaughey who is reduced to a puddle of tears onscreen.
And while this may not be another Oscar-winning role, McConaughey delivers again. He has this easy-going, rugged demeanor that can equally charm you while he's embracing his daughter close or joking casually with one of two military droids and disarm you when butting heads with Brand. At this point in his ongoing McConaissance, he just has to show up to win you over.
Michael Caine — a Nolan favorite now appearing in six of the director's films — and Jessica Chastain also deliver strong performances, but the real breakout star is 13-year-old MacKenzie Foy, who plays Cooper's young daughter.
You may recognize Foy from the "Twilight" franchise as a young vampire, but boy does she stand out here as a feisty and stubborn yet brilliant young girl who follows in her father's footsteps with a love for science.
Comedian Bill Irwin is also a welcome delight bringing to life TARS, a sarcastic giant military droid whose concrete slab appearance parallels Kubrick's mysterious monolith from "2001." You'll probably be taken aback when you first see him moving strangely around on screen but you'll be entranced when you see him scurry back and forth on a water-logged planet.
As cool as TARS and his counterpart CASE are, one of the best parts of the film happens about half-way through when a huge actor reveal occurs, shaking up Cooper’s mission. If you’ve been following along with casting announcements, you won’t be surprised, but a good many people should be shocked as the big star goes uncredited in the film.
You can't talk about "Interstellar" without mentioning the music. The two go hand in hand, really. Nolan's fifth collaboration with composer Hans Zimmer is dynamic. His soundtracks always breathe life into Nolan's films and this time is no different.
There's something about the ability of Zimmer's scores to make the film feel bigger than it really is and that's one perk of seeing it in IMAX. You can instantly be filled with an eerie sense of wonder of what it's like to be in space but at any second Zimmer can crank up the noise gradually or suddenly so that your heart tightens in your chest and your fingers clutch nervously at your sides.
Some of his darkest tunes in "Interstellar" bring to mind "Gotham's Reckoning" from "The Dark Knight Rises" soundtrack, another collaboration with Nolan.
You can sample a bit of what I'm talking about here:
I mentioned earlier there's a strange moment that may make you raise your eyebrow and wonder what's going on. Without spoiling much, there's a moment late into the film that screams Kubrick. It's so bizarre and wacky at first that you'll either embrace this moment as a brilliant risky move or dismiss it as jumping the shark in trying to tie together the film's vast plot. I'm still grappling with whether or not I liked this Kubrick-esque fourth act in the film. A second viewing may help me enjoy it more.
People over the next week will surely ask whether or not they should see “Interstellar” in IMAX 70mm or which of the other five formats I recommend. Before seeing the film, I was ready to tell everyone to see this movie on the largest screen possible. After viewing it in IMAX 70mm at AMC's Lincoln Square, I'm not so sure that's the case.
I know Nolan filmed the movie in both 65mm IMAX film and 35mm anamorphic film, but since the film goes back and forth between space and Earth and other planets in between, not every moment is filmed in IMAX. There were a handful of moments where I felt watching in IMAX was absolutely necessary: when you see the scale of the other planets being explored ranging from a water planet with waves cresting at what appear to be 100 ft tall or more to a tundra with clouds made of sharp ice.
There are two other moments in the fourth and fifth legs of the film, the latter housing an “Inception”-inducing moment from the collapsing dreams. (You’ll know it when you see it.)
There’s one must-see scene in IMAX about an hour into the film, when Nolan first takes us into space. When McConaughey, Hathaway, and the rest of their 6-team crew first shoot through the stars you feel like you’re right there with them, soaring through that wide expanse of space. And it’s such a strange and wonderful feeling because you’re not wearing 3D glasses or IMAX 3D glasses. You’re experiencing it all on screen with the naked eye. It’s a beautiful, mesmerizing depth perception trick that repeats when the crew heads through a wormhole soon afterward. Nolan says his main focus for the film was to try and put the audience in space and he succeeds in doing just that.
Will you get the best experience out of one of the IMAX screenings? Probably. Since Nolan filmed a large chunk of the movie that way you may as well pay to see it the way the director intended. It’s not like you’re shelling out the big bucks to see a post-converted 3D film. I just wasn't as blown away during my experience at the Lincoln Square theater as I was by last year's space epic "Gravity."
Early on, Cooper just happens to stumble upon NASA at the exact moment when they need a pilot to command a space shuttle leaving in search of a new planet to sustain life. The whole bit seems rather convenient and contrived. Even Cooper points this out; however, it’s something that makes a bit more sense by the end of the film.
Nolan consulted theoretical physicist Kip Thorne who serves as an executive producer on the film, but the science itself can be a bit dense and go over the average viewer's head as a NASA team tries to solve an equation about gravity and there are discussions about finding the shortest route to embark on their journey.
And while the many nods to Kubrick's filmmaking are there, I'm not sure if it works all the time. There's a particular scene where the camera cuts multiple times from no sound in space to sound onboard the shuttle with McConaughey, Hathaway, and others and it's a little bit jarring. Nolan says the scene is supposed to "emphasize the claustrophobia of the ships"; however, I'm not sure that completely works. Then again, there are some on Twitter suggesting the IMAX sound mix of the film may not be the best.
Recommend seeing INTERSTELLAR in 70mm at Ziegfeld in NYC. Several of us found sound mix at Lincoln Square IMAX obscures key dialogue.
— Lou Lumenick (@LouLumenick) November 3, 2014Perhaps, one of the biggest flaws in "Interstellar" is that it feels slightly formulaic.
Whenever I watch a Christopher Nolan film I’ve grown accustomed to obsessively looking for clues in the beginning of the film that will tell me something about its end. If you’ve seen the brilliant mind-boggling 2001 indie “Memento” or equally mind-bending “Inception,” you know how a Nolan film works. You need to go back and watch the film a second and possibly third time because there’s always something at the start of the film which may allude to the end. This is true of "Interstellar." I won't give anything away, but pay close attention to the start. *mini-spoiler*If you do, you won't be completely surprised by its end.*mini-spoiler* This common element makes Nolan's filmmaking process a bit predictable. Stick a hint about the end of the film at its start. Where's the fun in that for his biggest fans?
Overall, “Interstellar” makes you think a lot about survival, the future of the human race, and the lengths we’ll go in order to ensure that future.
You'll leave the film thinking about it long after you've seen it. You may not even want to leave the theater right away. That may be why Nolan's credits are simple white text on black to let you ruminate on everything you just saw.
Is it Oscar gold? In the visual department, sure. It makes for one of the best cinematic experiences you'll see all year; however, in having so much occur in a nearly 3-hour film, Nolan's ambitious space film may have attempted too much.
"Interstellar" is being released in in 70mm IMAX film, 70mm film, and 35mm film Nov. 5. It's everywhere Nov. 7.
SEE ALSO: Early "Interstellar" reactions are hailing it as the must-see event of the fall
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On Wednesday, it was announced that a new company led by Jay Z had acquired Armand de Brignac Champagne — a celebrity favorite — from Sovereign Brands for an undisclosed amount.
The luxury champagne brand, more commonly name-checked in rap lyrics as "Ace of Spades" because of its logo, sells bottles for $300 and up. A 30-liter bottle, which weighs 100 pounds and is equivalent to 40 regular bottles, can sell for over $200,000, according to the New York Times.
But Jay Z's involvement with the company goes back much further than this week — to May 2006, to be exact — when Frederic Rouzaud, the manager of the company that makes Cristal champagne, made an unsavory comment about his brand's clientele.
“What can we do?” Rouzaud replied when a reporter from the Economist asked his thoughts about the popularity of Cristal among rappers. "We can’t forbid people from buying it. I'm sure Dom Pérignon or Krug would be delighted to have their business."
Jay Z, a major Cristal client who had given the brand shoutouts in songs, didn't appreciate the comment.
Many in the hip-hop industry viewed the comments as racist, so Jay Z called for a boycott of the brand.
Later that year, a gold bottle appeared in Jay Z's music video for “Show Me What You Got” and with that, the ever-present Cristal was officially replaced with Ace of Spades — despite Cristal being more highly regarded among wine critics.
In "Show Me What You Got," Jay Z sings the lyrics, "H.O.V.A., gold bottles of that Ace of Spade/Why even fool with these other guys" and in the video is seen rejecting a bottle of Cristal in favor of Ace of Spades.
Jay Z and his attractive friends then party with buckets full of the gold bottle. The entire music video reads like an advertisement for Ace of Spades.
The product placement wasn't an accident.
As Zack O'Malley Greenburg reported in his 2012 Jay Z biography "Empire State of Mind" and later wrote on Forbes, the rapper "had a financial interest in Armand de Brignac since its inception — helping boost his net worth to $520 million, by Forbes’ latest estimate — as the $300-per-bottle champagne has become one of hip-hop’s favorite brands."
In a new Forbes story on Jay Z's champagne deal, O'Malley Greenburg writes that one of his sources previously pegged the value of the rapper's stake in the company at $50 million.
So what was this week's big acquisition announcement all about?
Essentially, O'Malley Greenburg presumes, "Jay Z added to his existing share in the Armand de Brignac brand by buying out Sovereign’s stake."
He adds, "As one source with knowledge of the situation told me, Jay Z saw a chance to purchase more of something he thought would be worth more in the future than it is today, so he did. He was investing, essentially, in himself."
And it appears the Jay Z brand synergy is already working, with Ace of Spades now infiltrating the sports world, as well, in part thanks to his sports agency, Roc Nation Sports.
"Various sports teams, including the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Bruins, have celebrated championships by taking big gulps from enormous metallic bottles of Armand de Brignac," reports the NY Times. "David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox popped a 15-liter bottle of the Champagne after his team won the World Series in 2013."
SEE ALSO: JAY Z: How The Hottest Agent In Sports Makes And Spends His $500 Million
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Yay!
Pro skater Tony Hawk announced on Twitter Friday that he's working with Activision on a new addition to to his awesome skateboarding video game franchise, "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater," for the latest-gen living room consoles. He's also working on a mobile game.
Hawk had been working on a mobile game, called "Shred Session," which was announced in January. According to TouchArcade, the game soft launched but was pulled entirely from the App Store last month.
Hawk said on Friday that it's been put on hold indefinitely, presumably so he could focus work on a console game.
I’m currently working with Activision on a console game for 2015 (along with a new mobile game). I think fans of THPS series will be hyped.
— Tony Hawk (@tonyhawk) November 7, 2014SEE ALSO: The Maker Of The Game 'Destiny' Gave A Man Recovering From Brain Surgery A Rare Gift
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For middle-aged women across the country, it’s their favorite time of year — Oprah’s Favorite Things is finally out for 2014.
The huge list of 72 Oprah-approved items would cost you $13,407 if you bought every single thing on it**. Among some of the pricier items are a Beats by Dr. Dre headphones set for $700 and a trio of Swiss Army luggage for $1,160.
Of course, it wouldn’t be an Oprah’s Favorite Things list without a little self promotion. Oprah’s book, a movie she co-produced, a shirt she designed for the Peace Love Oprah collection, an Oprah Teavana set, a meditation transformation trilogy she helped create, and a membership to the Oprah ‘Circle Of Friends’ club all make appearances.
But probably my favorite item on the list this year is an $85 “365 Gathered Truths Box” which is literally just a box filled with sayings printed on handmade paper. “I like to read as many as I can while I'm waiting five minutes for my [Oprah] chai to steep,” she says. “If you get only one of my Favorite Things this year, I'd want this to be it."
Oprah, never change.
Below, a comprehensive list of all of Oprah’s favorite things this year for those curious, from least expensive to most expensive.
*Blackberry Patch Premium Fruit Syrups, $7 each
*Emi-jay Infinity Soft Headbands, $10
*May Designs Customizable Notebooks, $14-$22
Nate Berkus At Target Dessert Plate Set, $20
"What I Know For Sure" by Oprah Winfrey, $25
*Sweet Lady Jane Holiday Cakes, $30
Kate Spade Ballpoint Pens, $36
*Bantam Bagels Mini Filled Bagel Balls (36 in six flavors), $36
Garnet Hill Kids Character Hats, $40
“The Hundred-Foot Journey” Blue-Ray Combo Pack, $40
*Anastasia Beverly Hills Beauty Express Brow Kit, $40
Heart Snapshot Mix Photo Art, $42
Remarkable Bark Holiday Tins (set of two), $42
Tatte Bakery Petit Quiche Assortment, $42
*Astrological Star Map Necklaces, $48
*Annie B’s Candy Handcrafted Caramel Mixed Assortment Box, $49
*Olympic Provisions European Salami Sampler, $50
*Eat This Local Jams And Marmalades Sampler Gift Set (six jams), $55
*Sabatino Truffles Truffle Oil Holiday Set, $59
Cowgirl Creamery Cheese Holiday Collection, $60
*Petal Lane “Be Bright” And “Surprise And Delight” Magnet Boards, $65 each
Vineyard Cuff Links, $68
*Maggie Louise Confections Holiday Statement Chocolate Box, $70
Tequila Casa Dragones Blanco, $70
Sfoglini Pasta Of The Month Club (three months), $75
Edward Bess Black Sea Precious Pearl Perfector Lotion, $78
Echo Touch Quilted Cuff Glove, $78
O Circle Of Friends Gift Tier Membership, $79/year
Nine West Hadley Tote, $79
*No Matchy-Matchy Initial Stud Earrings, $80, or $150 with diamonds
*Sheepy Fleece Robe, $84
*365 Gathered Truths Box,$85
*Teavana Oprah Chai Holiday Collection, $90
*Doo Bop Butter Trio, $93
Warby Parker Eyeglasses And Sunglasses, $95-$395
Peace Love Oprah ‘I Love Sundays’ Collection Shirt, $98
*Oprah And Deepak’s Meditation Transformation Trilogy, $100
UGG Australia Alena Waterproof Suede Slippers, $120
Big O Key Rings and Ossential and Big Ossential Card Cases, $120-$130
*Set of Four French Bistro Coffee Mug, $120
*Burt’s Bees Baby Ultimate Take Me Home Basket, $125
*Hampton Forge Forte 13-Piece Cutlery Block Set, $130
Williams-Sonoma Waring Popcorn Maker With Melting Pot, $130
GoPro Hero Camera, $130
Morelle & Co. Pullout Jewelry Box, $135
*Côte 9 Nail Polish Gift Set, $144
*Foot Cream and Sock Gift Set, $144
Eliza Bar Happy Holiday Loaf, $150
Suzanna Dai Khepri Large Drop Earrings, $155
*Lurin Long Pajama Set, $155
Charter Club Cashmere Zip Hoodie, $169
*Deluxe Vine and Bloom Box, $189
*The Smokehouse NY Smoked Salmon Sampler Gift Box, $195
*Naked Undies Charlie V-Neck (set of three), $214
*Lafco Complete Holiday Candle Collection (set of four), $240
La Cienega Wedge Boots, $245
*Oyo Box Eyewear Case, $250
*Ginger Beauty and Wellness Collection, $265
*Classic Plain Travel Collection, $289
*Copper Tray And Mug Set, $365
Tory Burch Double-Wrap-Strap Reva Watch, $395
Le Creuset Baking Dishes, $405
Vitamix S30 Blender, $409
VertuoLine Single Serve Brewer And Espresso Maker, $430
*Cushy Dog Beds, $445-$710
Samsung NX Mini Camera, $450
*Donna Salyers’ Faux-Fur Coat, $499
*Chamilia12 Days Of Christmas Gift Set, $500
*Yoga Tablet 2 Pro, $500
Electra Loft 7-Speed Ladies’ Bike, $550
Beats By Dr. Dre Golden Beats On-Ear Headphones & Pill Speak, $700
Swiss Army Luggage Set (Carry-on, Duffel, Upright), $1,160
*Special discounts or promotions with the code OPRAH. You can see the entire list here.
**Assuming you bought the most expensive variation.
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"Grand Theft Auto IV" has been out since 2008.
Since then, PC enthusiasts have tested the limits of the game, installing their own modifications to increase the game's level of detail.
Photographer and game enthusiast Raphael Smith has installed a handful of these mods on a PC that only cost him $950 a few years ago.
The resulting screenshots are so realistic and lifelike that they can easily be mistaken for photographs, and that's not an exaggeration.
You've never seen game graphics look this good.
Note: All screenshots used with permission.
Blizzard, the developer behind some of the biggest game franchises ever, including "World Of Warcraft," "Diablo," and "StarCraft," just announced its first new property in 17 years.
It's called "Overwatch."
At BlizzCon, the company's annual convention, Blizzard described "Overwatch" as a team-based multiplayer shooter, which features cartoonish but extremely stylized characters with a wide variety of looks, skills, and weapons at their disposal.
The best way to get to know what "Overwatch" might be is to check out Blizzard's first trailer for the game.
Conflict. As the world teetered on the brink of anarchy, a new hope arose. An elite international task force charged with ending the war and restoring liberty to all nations: Overwatch. Soldiers, scientists, adventurers, oddities, guardians who secured global peace for generation. Under its steadfast protection, the world recovered. And today, though its watch has ended, its soaring ideals of freedom and equality will never be forgotten.
The game will be available for PC, but there's no word yet on other consoles and platforms that will support "Overwatch." However, the company says the game is coming "sooner than you'd think," and there will be a beta coming sometime next year.
We can't wait.
SEE ALSO: The Darkest 'Zelda' Game Ever Made Is Coming To Nintendo's Portable Console
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At its BlizzCon conference on Friday, Blizzard — the developer behind some of the biggest game franchises ever, including "World Of Warcraft," "Diablo," and "StarCraft" — announced "Overwatch," its first new franchise in 17 years.
The game will come out "sooner than you think," the company says, but a beta version will be available next year. Blizzard describes the game as a team-based multiplayer shooter. It features a bunch of stylized characters who all have a variety of looks and skills.
During a panel for the game, director Jeff Kaplan Chris Metzen, Blizzard senior vice president of story and franchise development, said that they're not sure yet whether it will be a free or pay-to-play model, GameSpot reports. And whether the game comes to other consoles is also still up in the air. Right now it's just confirmed for PC.
"We would love to see Overwatch played on whatever it could be played on," Kaplan said.
So if you're a PC user and you're interested in signing up for the beta, it's really easy.
First, go to the official page for "Overwatch."
At the top of the page, click on the yellow button that says "Beta."
You then have to enter your Battle.net account, or create one if you don't have one already.
Once you're signed in, click on the "sign up for beta" button.
And that's it. It's not a guarantee that you'll be invited to play the beta, but it's worth a shot.
SEE ALSO: Watch The Trailer For Blizzard's New Game
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"Interstellar" is in theaters and if you head out to see it, you'll have a total of six different ways to view the film.
None of them will be in 3D, since director Christopher Nolan isn't a huge fan of the format. Rather, Nolan's a big advocate of IMAX and traditional film, making the movie on both 35mm film and 65mm IMAX.
You'll be able to view the film in 70mm IMAX, traditional 70mm, traditional IMAX, 35mm, 4K digital, and standard digital.
If none of that means anything to you, here's a graphic Paramount recently released breaking down slight differences between each format.
A lot of that is going to depend on where you live and what format is actually available to you.
If you want to see it on 70mm film, it's only playing in that format in five states in addition to Toronto, Canada.
There are 11 theaters in total showing "Interstellar" in 70mm.
Here are the California and New York locations.
California
Hollywood: Arclight Hollywood
Oakland: Renaissance Grand Lake Theatre
New York City
Bow Tie Ziegfeld Theater
City Cinema 1, 2 & IMAX 3
Average ticket price in NY: $15
Here's the full list of theaters showing "Interstellar" in 70mm.
42 theaters in 20 states and Canada are showing the film in full-blown 70mm IMAX.
This is how we saw the movie. We were definitely blown away by the IMAX scenes. Nolan shot a large portion of the film in IMAX so while tickets may be a bit pricier, you're getting your money's worth.
If you're in California and New York, here's where you can catch it.
California
Dublin: Regal Hacienda Crossings Stadium 21 & IMAX
Hollywood: TCL Chinese Theatres IMAX
Irvine: Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21 IMAX & RPX
Sacramento: Esquire IMAX
San Francisco: AMC Meteon 16 & IMAX
San Jose: Hackworth IMAX Dome, The Tech Museum
Universal City: AMC Universal Citywalk Stadium 19 & IMAX
New York
New Rochelle: Regal New Roc Stadium 18 & IMAX
New York City: AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 & IMAX
Rochester: Cinemark Tinseltown USA & IMAX
West Nyack: AMC Loews Palisades 21 & IMAX
Average ticket price in NY: $20.99
Here's the full list of theaters showing the film in 70mm IMAX.
If you want to go old school, just under 200 theaters are showing the film in 35mm. Paramount's website clocks the number in at 198 screens.
Since the movie is heavily influenced by Stanley Kubrick's 1968 "2001: A Space Odyssey," and Nolan filmed much of the movie in this format, there's something nostalgic about seeing the movie on original film.
If you're in NYC, and are a Nolan fan, you may want to head to Chelsea's Bow Tie Cinema where the director himself tested the film out.
Average ticket price in NY: $15
Here's the full list of theaters showing the film in 35mm.
313 theaters are showing the film in regular IMAX. These showings are more easily available to the public, but honestly, you're better off seeing it in the 70mm IMAX.
Most "IMAX" theaters across the country aren't real IMAX sizes so if you want to see "Interstellar" in all of its IMAX glory, it's probably best to watch it on the largest screens possible. In NYC, that's the AMC Lincoln Square theater. In California, the TLC Chinese Theatre in Hollywood and AMC Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles offer large IMAX screens.
Average ticket price in NY: $19.99
Here's the full list of IMAX theaters.
This is how the movie is widely being distributed where it's not avaialable on film and/or IMAX. Again, since Nolan put the effort into making the movie both in film and in IMAX to be viewed in those formats, it feels like you're losing something by seeing "Interstellar" in digital.
The average ticket price in New York for digital is $14.99 which is essentially the same price as a 35mm ticket ($15.00).
SEE ALSO: Our "Interstellar" review
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When asked questions about climate change, many Republicans are in a tough spot.
If they say they know the scientific consensus is that human-caused climate change is real, they run the risk of alienating members of their base who don't believe that. But seeing as most Americans actually do recognize that climate change is occurring and is an issue, not all Republicans are willing to claim, like Oklahoma Sen. James Inhoffe, that facts generally accepted as true are a hoax.
So many default to what they must think of as a middle ground. They point out that they aren't scientists.
Of course, some have noted that this is absurd. As David Shiffman writes, lawmakers are willing to weigh in on all kinds of issues that aren't their personal area of expertise:
Do they have opinions on how to best maintain our nation's highways, bridges, and tunnels—or do they not because they're not civil engineers? Do they refuse to talk about agriculture policy on the grounds that they're not farmers? How do they think we should be addressing the threat of ISIS? They wouldn't know, of course; they're not military generals.
No one would ever say these things, because they're ridiculous.
Yet, when it comes to climate change, the "I'm not a scientist" line somehow persists.
Stephen Colbert provided a whole montage of prominent Republicans making the claim during the Nov. 6 episode of the Colbert Report.
Take newly elected Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush, nephew of George W. Bush. He admits that the Texas coastline is affected by rising sea levels, but when asked about whether or not human activity contributes to climate change, he responds "I'll leave that to the scientists..." He thinks human influence on climate ranges "everywhere from no impact at all to 100%."
Colbert also includes news clips of John Boehner, Mitt Romney, Mitch McConnell, and others uttering the same line.
So what does this really mean?
Colbert's translation is that "everyone who denies man-made climate change has the same stirring message. 'We don't know what the f*ck we're talking about.'"
And with the actual global warming denier James Inhofe very likely taking over the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, Colbert has one more message for the young members of the audience.
"Remember kids, if you get unhooked on science early, maybe someday you could completely lack any understanding of science, and then grow up to be the Chairman of the Senate Environmental Committee."
Watch the full video below for a great demonstration of Florida sinking under rising water levels for a completely inexplicable reason.
READ MORE: John Oliver Hosts A 'Statistically Representative' Climate Debate
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How could we forget.
Charlo Greene quit her job in the most histrionic of ways. A TV reporter in Alaska, Greene used her airtime in September to pull of a crazy stunt. She stated that she's the owner of the Alaska Cannabis Club, and wants to legalize marijuana in the state. To top it off, she said, "F--- it, I quit."
Her new aim is to make the Alaska Cannabis Club a physical reality. She's trying to open a bricks-and-mortar club in Anchorage before turning it into a seed-to-sale business, according to Reuters.
Voters in Alaska voted to legalize recreational marijuana this week. That, of course will lead to regulated pot retail stores such as the ones already in Colorado and Washington State.
Greene is already the owner of the Alaska Cannabis Club, a network of users that share medical pot they grow at home under existing law. She plans a December re-launch that will create a physical location at a downtown Anchorage building where members can attend grow-it-yourself classes, events, and get high, according to Reuters.
If you missed her legendary self-send-off, check it out right here:
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Beyonce hasn't tweeted since August of 2013, but that hasn't stopped her fans from following the account, hoping she'll break her silence.
Unfortunately, it's time to give up on that hope, Beyonce's team says, because there's a real reason the star isn't a fan of the social platform.
Musically.com interviewed Lauren Wirtzer-Seawood, the woman who handles digital strategy for Beyonce's company: Parkwood Entertainment.
Wirtzer-Seawood gave musically the scoop on how Beyonce feels about all social networks, and why she's ditched Twitter for other mediums.
“Currently, we don’t use Twitter at all. It is a personal choice. I think as an artist, Beyoncé really prefers to communicate in images. It’s very hard to say what you want to say in 140 characters,” said Wirtzer-Seawood.
So Instagram? Facebook? What does the star (and her team) prefer? Wirtzer-Seawood says Beyonce loves Instagram, and you can bet that most of the time, Queen Bey herself is the one posting the shots.
And as far as social media pet peeves go, Beyonce won't join a social network just to leave it behind when the platform gets stale. Musically.com reports Wirtzer-Seawood says that,
Beyoncé is a bit of a fringe case, and it’s not the same for all artists, celebrities or brands. But I find it really frustrating and annoying to see when somebody launches something new, whether it’s a new Facebook account or a new Snapchat account, and they do it for a period of time, then they go away for six months. It’s frustrating as a fan. I want to make sure if we use them, we use them well, and we use them strategically and we continue to fill the channel for a long time.
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"Birdman" could have easily fallen victim to its own gimmicks and wild ambitions. For starters, it's an incredibly self-aware film that stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up actor best known for portraying a superhero, which sounds a bit too on-the-nose on paper for the "Batman" star.
The film is shot in such a way that it's meant to appear as one continuous shot, and the score is essentially just one really long drum solo. Additionally, the film's full title is "Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)," which reeks of pretension but actually makes perfect sense by the end credits. In the hands of a less assured director, "Birdman" would surely fail, but with Alejandro González Iñárritu at the helm, the movie is pure cinematic bliss.
We first meet Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) as he levitates (yes, levitates) in his dressing room with only the gruff voice that exists within his head to keep him company. Thomson is a movie star who seems to have vanished from the public eye since the wildly popular "Birdman" series was released some years ago. In an attempt to win back his spotlight or just prove something to himself, he stages an elaborate Broadway production based on a Raymond Carver short story that he plans to produce, direct, and star in.
Keaton's performance is bold, unapologetic and, best of all, just plain entertaining. The role is quite complex, as Thomson seems to fade in and out of reality. His "Birdman" character seems to have crossed over into his real life and manifests itself in stressful moments. It's an alter ego of sorts; Birdman's voice acts as an entirely unique personality that exists within him. Is Thomson schizophrenic, or is Birdman simply a manifestation of the mind caused by Thomson's overwhelming audacity?
Besides Keaton, the supporting cast is arguably the film's next greatest asset. Emma Stone, Zach Galifianakis, and Naomi Watts all turn in terrific performances, but Edward Norton steals the show. Norton's take on an over-the-top method stage actor is a breath of fresh air and probably the best performance of his career. The playful exchanges between him and Keaton as they rehearse had me and the audience in stitches.
During the press conference following the screening, I asked Norton if he had any particular inspiration for the character, to which he replied, "I basically just looked 4 feet to my left at Alejandro ... I'm wearing his scarf in the movie, I'm wearing his jacket, everything I say in the movie I've heard him say or I know he wants to say."
This led Iñárritu to interject with his favorite on-set moment, which occurred during the scene where Norton questions Keaton's direction choices: "I was explaining to Edward how the movement of the camera works and everything and he began to question me about it ... so suddenly he was basically directing me saying what the actor was saying and I was looking at the page saying 'oh my god this is a mirror in a mirror in a mirror.'"
Some of the film's best moments are when it leaves our world and veers off into the weird and wild unknown. The scenes that feature Keaton battling the voices in his head are full of magical realism. At one point, Iñárritu chooses to break the fourth wall and create a diegetic moment in which the film's drummer actually appears on screen. This interruption could have taken the viewer out of the film, but in context it works and adds to the meticulously orchestrated madness.
The camerawork throughout the film is breathtaking. Every sequence drips with chaos and energy, as the camera forces its way into the action. The smooth, sprawling transitions from one scene to the next are visually impressive and fit the tone set by the frenetic score. These elements combine to form a style that is unique and a technical marvel.
In addition to the chaotic structure, the sharp, funny, and occasionally revelatory dialogue keeps the film moving fast. We learn what we know about Thomson and those who inhabit his life through meaningful exchanges, which is how filmmaking is supposed to work but has become rare and worthy of praise in a market saturated with big budget blockbusters and their sequels.
"Birdman" is very much about these topics without ever explicitly stating it; it's about as meta as it gets and functions as a send-up of the very idea of criticism. In the bottom right corner of the mirror in Thomson's dressing room, there is a note visible throughout the film that says, "A thing is a thing, not what is said of that thing," which would be the film's thesis, if it had one. At the press conference, Iñárritu further commented on this notion by stating that "the film is what it is" and no amount of criticism can change that. At times, the film plays like catharsis for the director, and while that's true to an extent, there's much more to it than that.
In the case of "Birdman," this critic can't recommend it enough.
"Birdman" opens nationwide on Oct. 17.
SEE ALSO: Steve Carell And Channing Tatum Give Their Best Performances Yet In Thought-Provoking 'Foxcatcher'
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Get ready for "Overwatch."
It's the first new property in 17 years for Blizzard, the highly esteemed maker of some of the bestselling games of all time, including "World Of Warcraft," "Starcraft," and "Diablo."
This time, you'll be playing as one of several superheroes, "an elite international task force charged with ending the war and restoring liberty to all nations." Based on the game's trailer, "Overwatch" features Pixar-looking superheroes with wild abilities and powers going at it with one another. Here's the noteworthy exposition from the trailer:
As the world teetered on the brink of anarchy, a new hope arose: Overwatch. Under its steadfast protection, the world recovered. And today, though its watch has ended, its soaring ideals of freedom and equality will never be forgotten.
The game won't be out until some time in 2015 (you can sign up for the beta right now), but we can't wait to dive into "Overwatch." To get an idea of the mayhem that can ensue, it's best to familiarize yourself with the heroes themselves.
Three months ago, a free downloadable game called “P.T.” showed up on the PlayStation Store — and the horror genre has never been the same.
People didn’t know it at the time, but the game, seemingly built by a completely unknown developer called “7780s Studios” (it's actually from Konami, more on that in a bit), is one of the most masterfully created, simple but effective horror games ever released.
The game thrusts you into an empty room with a door. Once you open it, you are presented with a simple but eerie and photorealistic L-shaped hallway. There’s a bathroom, a clock, a radio, and a phone. There are also torn up pieces of a photo lying around. As you pick up clues from the environment, you learn that you’re walking through a house where a man lost his mind and killed his wife and children.
Every time you leave the hallway through the basement door, you end up back in the same hallway. It’s your job to figure out the puzzle and escape the loop.
The demo, which I’ve played twice now, is a true terror. And that’s because it’s consistently unsettling, rather than flat-out scary. Granted, there are one or two memorable “jump scares,” which have inspired countless YouTube reaction videos. But the true appeal to “P.T.” lies in the ambiance: chandeliers slowly sway back and forth, there’s incessant creaking, and occasionally, a baby cries, a woman moans, and a radio announcer offers chilling details about the house in which you’re standing. On a few occasions, he’ll tell you to look behind you. It’s extremely unnerving.
We have no idea what to expect from “Silent Hills,” which comes out next year, but Konami, the maker of the franchise, says “P.T.” has zero relation to the main title, in both characters and premise.
Here’s the thing: “P.T.” has become an instant cult classic. Some of the puzzles are just flat-out brilliant — one of them has you collecting clues in different languages, so you need to translate them all and then put the phrases in the correct order to figure out what to do next. And it's so effective because there's no exposition, no introduction to familiarize yourself with the characters or the situation; you must learn as you go along.
Many wonder what the final game, "Silent Hills," will be. But if Konami wants a success like "P.T.," here’s one idea: Make “Silent Hills” into an episodic game, where gamers play a series of small, standalone games in the same vein as “P.T.,” which can all be loosely tied together since they're set in the same town of Silent Hill.
Voidburger, one half of the YouTube team that successfully deciphered the difficult-to-solve final puzzle in “P.T.,” is all about this idea.
“There’s some talk of ‘Silent Hills’ being episodic,” she told Polygon. “My biggest hope for the game — and this is something I’ve been craving for years — is that it’s episodic [in the same way] ‘The Twilight Zone’ was. Different writers with different stories being told in the same format, in the same weird universe, tied together by a sense of creepy wrongness. That’d be a nightmare come true!”
This might be the best way to address “Silent Hills”: By offering variety without any real overarching plot, the game would deprive players of knowledge about the creepy events that are happening around them, in the same way that “P.T.” forces you to piece together the plot puzzle one little clue at a time.
As Voidburger points out, not knowing the plot “makes you really think about what’s going on by obscuring the big picture and providing only little breadcrumbs to follow."
"It heightens curiosity, which goes hand-in-hand with horror, in my opinion… It’s beneficial to keep the audience confused, because it amplifies their fear. And nothing destroys fear like knowledge, so it makes sense to keep the facts few and far between in the horror genre, and make the player work for their plot fix."
“P.T.” is a true example of how simplicity and withholding information can create a truly memorable experience that feeds on your imagination. Hopefully Kojima’s team at Konami can deliver an equally puzzling but deeply genuine feature-length game that lives up to its sterling playable teaser.
SEE ALSO: Don't Watch This Footage From The Next 'Silent Hill' Game Before You Go To Sleep
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Will Cruz was working at a call center in his home state of Utah when he got the news that he just won Ubisoft's "Quest for Everest" contest.
"I was on the phone with a new hire at my company," he said. "My phone beeped, and I looked at it, and I got this email saying 'Congratulations, you won,' and immediately I checked out," he tells Business Insider. "Like, I couldn't understand one thing the guy was saying anymore. I just held my hand in the air and was like, 'F--- this conversation!'"
The contest was to promote the game "Far Cry 4," which comes out Nov. 18. The contest was announced over the summer. To enter, people had to make 2-minute videos showing why they were the most qualified.
"Far Cry" is a first-person shooter that places its players in some wild locations. In "Far Cry 2," players found themselves in Africa. "Far Cry 3" was set in the wild jungles of an island in the Pacific.
"Far Cry 4" takes place in the Himalayas. So it makes sense for the company to promote the game with a trip there. And it doesn't hurt to get a world record in the process.
To earn the record, Cruz had to play the game for more than an hour. And he did that at 18,569 feet, climbing to the summit of Kala Patthar. Yikes.
"The game ran just fine up there. I was pretty amazed," he says. "The system was running better than I was at that altitude."
Ubisoft was prepared for the trip, however. They needed to figure out what kind of TV to bring up there so the LCD wouldn't freeze. They also needed to determine whether it would be OK to take a PlayStation up there that has a CD drive.
They didn't have to worry about that part, though. The build that they used of the game was burned onto the hard drive of the console.
Cruz also had to leave his wife of two years behind. "She's a little taken aback about the whole thing, but she's been a great sport," Cruz says.
Before climbing in the Himalayas, Cruz had never been outside the country. But he's no stranger to hiking, often going on some "risky" hikes in his home state, he says. In fact for his submission video for the contest, he climbed the highest peak in Utah.
Because of weather conditions and work schedule, he had a fairly limited amount of time to do it. He also needed to learn how to use his equipment. "I went and hiked it all by myself. It was a 26-mile hike, and it was pretty rough," he said. "I also had to learn how to use a GoPro ... and then I had to borrow a laptop to do the editing for the video, and had to ask a friend how to do it."
A trip such as this one couldn't be done alone. He had the help of 15 people, including sherpas and a video crew, as well as the pros at Berg Adventures, to help him on his journey.
Ubisoft's Scott Fry said they had extra people onhand to make sure that Cruz was both comfortable and safe throughout his visit.
"We had many conversations with Wally Berg, who owns Berg Adventures International, in advance of the contest and the trip, to really go through the logistics of everything that we would need to concern ourselves with, what we would have to have there to make sure Will was comfortable, and that everything would go according to plan," Fry says.
That means they had, for example, extra oxygen and more people forecasting the weather. They also had satellite access, so they could contact Cruz and his team if they needed to.
"We really planned everything out long and far in advance and with an expert team of people so that we could ensure everything was as safe as possible," Fry says.
Cruz still had to sign a waiver.
And even with a team of experts helping out, the trek up to 18,569 feet was not easy. The group had to deal with the elements, such as high wind gusts that claimed one of their tents. Cruz also had to get acclimated to the high altitudes.
"The altitude made it hard to sleep, it made it hard to keep an appetite," Cruz says.
Now that he's back, Cruz says that he's going to go back to work and settle back into normal life. But he can't wait to go back and go on a new adventure.
And to everyone who's thinking of trekking through the Himalayas, Cruz has one piece of advice: "Take a good guide."
You can check out Cruz's video diary of his journey on YouTube.
SEE ALSO: The Maker Of The Game 'Destiny' Gave A Man Recovering From Brain Surgery A Rare Gift
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Jake Gyllenhaal's creepy new indie movie "Nightcrawler" opened in theaters Oct. 31, and has already raked in over $17 million at the box office.
In the film, Gyllenhaal appears gaunt and as a much slimmer version of his usually more buff self.
For the majority of this year, Gyllenhaal was sporting a much leaner look while he shot "Nightcrawler."
"Nightcrawler," in which Gyllenhaal both stars and is a producer, is the story of a career-hungry young man who stumbles upon the underground world of L.A. freelance crime photojournalism.
Gyllenhaal spent three months in pre-production brainstorming with screenwriter and first-time director Dan Gilroy on the appearance of his character, Lou.
“I knew that [Lou] was literally and figuratively hungry,” Gyllenhaal told Us Weekly, adding that he got into character by transitioning into a "mode where I was always a bit hungry."
In order to drop 30 pounds from his 180-pound frame, Gyllenhaal told Variety: “I would try to eat as few calories as possible. I knew if I was hungry that I was in the right spot. Physically, it showed itself, but chemically and mentally, I think it was even a more fascinating journey. It became a struggle for me.”
"He'd have a bowl of luxury chewing (gum) and they were, like, really elaborately flavored, to trick his brain into thinking he was having a meal," Gyllenhaal's co-star Riz Ahmed told The Canadian Press at the Toronto Film Festival this week. "So he was on his exercise bike having chewing gum and, like, almond tea with one calorie."
He also said Gyllenhaal was aware and apologetic about his sometimes-sour demeanor, "So he was like: 'Sorry I'm grumpy, I haven't eaten."'
On some nights during shooting, Gyllenhaal told Variety he wouldn’t eat at all, or he’d only take small bites of meat, crackers, or kale salad. To stay lean and fit, he would run 15 miles from his house to the film's set.
“There was a general sense that he was a coyote,” Gyllenhaal says. “I just wanted to live that way.”
Gilroy adds: “When you watch the film and see the angularity of his face, the hollow cheeks, the way that his eyes become prominent — it’s such a haunting look for a night shoot.”
Gyllenhaal's co-star and Gilroy's wife, Rene Russo, told E! Online, "It's incredible what he put his body through. I actually was worried."
But this isn't Gyllenhaal's first physical transformation for a film.
In 2010, the Oscar nominee added major muscle to his physique for "Prince of Persia." The actor told UsWeekly at the time that he would eat six small meals loaded with protein, carbs, and fats.
Gyllenhaal, however, says there was no special diet to shed pounds for "Nightcrawler."
"I just love this movie," he said. "That’s how I did it. There really was no technique."
Watch the "Nightcrawler" trailer below. Gyllenhaal's performance is already being called "stunning":
SEE ALSO: Jake Gyllenhaal Goes Psycho In His Dark New Movie 'Nightcrawler'
MORE: Here's How Chris Pratt Got Ripped For Marvel's 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'
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