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'Batman: Arkham Knight' has two huge twists and one is pretty disappointing

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Batman: Arkham Knight promo image

"Batman: Arkham Knight," has been out for a week.

If you're an avid player, you've probably gotten through a good chunk of the game. You may have even beaten the game, and are itching to discuss the story. That's good. Let's talk about the story, because there are some huge plot twists there.

The plot of "Batman: Arkham Knight" mostly deals with the machinations of Scarecrow, who threatens to blanket Gotham City in fear toxin a la "Batman Begins." There's also a strong undercurrent beneath that, revolving around one big mystery: Who is the titular Arkham Knight? 

But the game had another huge twist, one that was remarkably well-guarded for how early it occurs in the plot. We're going to talk about both. 

This means nothing but spoilers all the way down. You've been warned.  

So, first: How about the game's intro?

In a bit of a surprise, the opening moments of "Arkham Knight" don't put you in control of Batman or Bruce Wayne — rather, you're a Gotham City cop, and a very special one at that.

You're the guy who cremates the Joker. 

Some background: The Joker dies at the end of the previous game in the "Arkham" chronology, 2011's "Batman: Arkham City." It's not entirely obvious from the story cutscenes in either game, but there are a large number of people who believe Batman killed him (he did not). 

This is meant to hammer home one detail the developers at Rocksteady Games wanted to really get across to the public: The Joker is really, truly, dead and is not coming back. In a video interview with Game Informer, "Arkham Knight" creative director Sefton Hill stresses this, making it clear that the Rocksteady team wanted to explore a Gotham without Joker. It sounded like Rocksteady really wanted to make a Batman game that didn't rely on the Clown Prince of Crime.

That's a laudable goal — the Joker is something of a crutch in Batman stories, overused to the point where having him show up isn't nearly as unsettling as it should be. You get used to things the more you see them, and it's harder to have the Joker scare you when you see him all the time. 

Except it's all a fake-out. Mark Hamill's iconic Joker is in the entire game

"Fight Club," Batman-style

Rocksteady, however didn't really lie. In "Arkham Knight," the Joker is actually dead. The evil clown you encounter is in fact a hallucination, a consequence carrying over from the conclusion of "Arkham City," where Joker infected Batman with a toxic sample of his own blood. In "Arkham Knight," Batman discovers that there are four other people Joker exposed to his blood, and they all begin to exhibit aspects of the madman's personality — and it's finally happening to him, too.

Essentially, Rocksteady gave us the Joker as Tyler Durden, Brad Pitt's character in "Fight Club" who is suddenly revealed to be Edward Norton's repressed split personality. He taunts and makes fun of Batman throughout the entire game, eager to have full control over The Dark Knight. In a way, the game's actual struggle isn't the external war against Scarecrow and the Arkham Knight, but the internal one between Bruce Wayne and the Joker. BATMAN"_ ARKHAM KNIGHT_joker gagIt's certainly the only truly satisfying arc of the game — Hamill's performance is as fantastic as we've come to expect (Kevin Conroy returns as Batman, but sounds strangely wooden this time around. It's disappointing.). It builds to a dramatic, resounding climax that you actually get to play through instead of watch via in-game movie. It just has the unfortunate effect of negating every other conflict in the game. 

Scarecrow himself isn't really a psychological threat, his gas just makes it easier for Joker to take over (Scarecrow, meanwhile, has no idea what's going on in Batman's mind). Scarecrow isn't really a physical threat either — that comes from the army he enlisted via the Arkham Knight. His character isn't so much a villain as he is a leash, unwittingly giving slack to the Joker and deliberately holding the revenge-hungry Arkham Knight back from killing Batman. 

As for the Arkham Knight — how well the big reveal of his identity works for you will likely depend on how familiar you are with the Batman mythos. If you fancy yourself a Batman expert, you can probably see it coming a mile away. If all you know about Batman comes from the movies, it would be a nice surprise — if the game didn't have to do the necessary work of laying the groundwork for why it's a big deal beforehand, since the character hasn't been introduced in the "Arkham" games before. 

batman arkham knight army

A second fake-out

From the outset, all you know about the Arkham Knight is that he's working for Scarecrow for some reason, and he's out to kill Batman for revenge. What makes him deadly is that he seems to know everything there is to know about Batman, and is prepared for just about everything the hero has to throw at him.

In the leadup to the game's release, Rocksteady made a point of not saying anything about the Arkham Knight other than calling him a completely original character designed by Rocksteady in conjunction with DC Entertainment. But that's another fake-out.

Similar to their statements about the Joker, Rocksteady isn't really lying. There is no character in Batman's 75-year history named the Arkham Knight. But the character underneath the mask isn't original at all — in fact, he's a huge part of Batman history. 

He's Jason Todd, the second Robin. JasonTodd bioMost people know that Batman has a sidekick named Robin, but it's not quite common knowledge that several people have taken on that role. The first Robin, Dick Grayson, grows up to become Nightwing and operate independently of Batman in another city (You even get to meet him in "Arkham Knight"). There's also a Robin in this game that occasionally fights alongside and assists Batman — but he's Tim Drake, the third Robin.

What happened to the second Robin is gradually revealed to the player throughout the game. 

Just like in the comics, he appears to be tortured and killed by the Joker. Just like in the comics, this is revealed to be untrue, and he comes back with a mysterious new identity in order to take revenge on Batman for his failure to save him. In the comics, he comes back as The Red Hood. In the game, he returns as The Arkham Knight, and later adopts the identity of The Red Hood. 

 This particular fake-out makes more sense than the Joker one, but it also highlights one of the narrative failures of "Arkham Knight." Jason Todd is a great character to have when you're trying to tell a Batman story like the one "Arkham Knight" tells, about what happens to people when they're drawn into Batman's world — and giving him another alter ego is a good strategy when countless Bat-fans already know your big twist. 

Why the game's biggest reveal just doesn't work

Unfortunately, the "Arkham" games don't really have the established history to make the reveal have the necessary impact. This comes from the "Arkham" trilogy's reluctance to use any of Batman's costumed allies — Robin is barely mentioned in "Arkham Asylum" and makes the briefest of appearances in "Arkham City."

Even in "Arkham Knight," a game that is at least partly about Batman's relationship with his allies, those allies barely even show up. Because of all this, the story of "Arkham Knight" comes to the entirely wrong conclusion about Batman and his allies — which is they're better off without him. 

This, of course, is nonsense — Batman needs his friends, and they also function as living proof that his mission is working, that it means something. Choosing to leave them all behind just proves the Joker right. 

Once again, "Arkham Knight" is all about the Joker. 

That's not to say the Joker is poorly handled in the game — it's just that everything else suffers in comparison. Like "Arkham City," "Arkham Knight" is an exhilarating story to play through and a confounding one to think about, making very little sense at times and kind of appalling in how dark it is. I don't wish that the Joker wasn't in this game, but it would have been nice to see Rocksteady stick to their guns and really make a Batman game without Joker. 

That would require a game quite different than the one we have now, though. As it stands, "Arkham Knight" would be pretty dull without him. 

SEE ALSO: 'Arkham Knight' is a fun video game that often forgets it's a Batman game

AND: The one thing 'Arkham Knight' borrows from the worst Batman movies

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's the best look yet at the next big game starring Batman











The office of the evil corporation in 'Terminator Genisys' is based on a real Silicon Valley tech company

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Here's a fun piece of trivia if you're heading out to see the new "Terminator" movie this weekend.

Pay close attention to Cyberdyne Systems, the fictional defense company responsible for the creation of the evil AI Skynet, while watching the film. 

If you're familiar with the San Francisco tech scene, the architecture of the company's buildings should give you a sense of déjà vu. 

Here's how Cyberdyne looks in "Terminator: Genisys" at night:

cyberdyne terminator genisysLook familiar?

According to "Terminator Genisys: Resetting the Future," the Cyberdyne offices are based on the Oracle corporate offices located in Redwood City.

Oracle HQ from sky2oracle buildingWhy Oracle? 

The new film, "Genisys," is produced by brother and sister duo David and Megan Ellison.

Their father just happens to be Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle.

larry megan david ellison terminator genisys premiere

SEE ALSO: Our review of "Terminator Genisys"

AND: Why the new Terminator movie had to come out this year

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the first two 'Terminator' films










James Cameron sold the rights to 'Terminator' back in the '80s for $1 — and it's one of his biggest regrets

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James Cameron Terminator

There was a time when James Cameron, who now has both "Titanic" and "Aliens" to his name, was an unknown Canadian director.

"Pirahna Part Two: The Spawning" was the only film credit to his name. 

Because he wasn't an established name, nobody trusted him to direct "The Terminator," a crazy time travel story involving robots that he literally dreamed up. 

In order to bring his own idea to life, Cameron had to sell the rights to it for an incredibly low amount of money.

Cameron told the Toronto Sun back in 2009, he sold the rights to the original film for $1 to producer Gale Anne Hurd. The stipulation of this agreement was that Cameron would be allowed to direct "The Terminator."

James Cameron Terminator"The Terminator" went on to make $78.4 million worldwide on a reported $6.4 million budget and launch a TV series and four sequels. The most recent sequel, "Terminator Genisys," opens on July 1. 

Cameron isn't doing too badly right now, but he still deeply regrets this decision.

“I wish I hadn’t sold the rights for one dollar,” Cameron told the Toronto Sun. “If I had a little time machine and I could only send back something the length of a tweet, it’d be — ‘Don’t sell.’ ”

Since the release of "The Terminator" in 1984, the franchise has grossed a total of $1.4 billion worldwide.

arnold schwarzenegger old terminator genisysCameron's decision also had major consequences on the future of the franchise. Because Cameron didn't own the rights, they bounced around from company to company over the years. A new trilogy, starting with "Genisys" was launched in a hurry.

However, James Cameron gets the "Terminator" rights back in 2019.

It has been 24 years since "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," but fans could see Cameron's fingerprints on the beloved franchise again very soon.

SEE ALSO: Why the new Terminator movie had to come out this year

AND: Arnold Schwarzenegger fought with James Cameron over one deleted scene in 'Terminator 2'

AND: A messy story stops 'Terminator Genisys' from being a great sequel

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NOW WATCH: Here's the 'Terminator' trailer that just aired during the Super Bowl










This moving trailer shows why comedian Tig Notaro is worthy of her own awesome documentary

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In 2012, comedian Tig Notaro took the stage at Largo in Los Angeles and announced to the world that she had been diagnosed with cancer.

That special, entitled "Live," has since become legendary.

This new documentary explores the comedian's life both on and off stage, from the tumultous year that led to "Live," to the career renaissance that followed the special.

Produced By Ian Phillips. Video courtesy of Netflix.
 
Follow BI Video: On Facebook

 

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Here's what it means to be the weapons master on a 'Terminator' movie

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Arnold Terminator Genisys Melinda Sue Gordon final

A film set is home to numerous departments, whose workers all strive to make the best movie possible — and the weapons master may be one of the most intense positions of them all. Especially on a "Terminator" movie.

Any movie you see that features a weapon, whether a knife or a rocket launcher, has someone behind the scenes who is responsible for its safekeeping at all times.

That person is often called a weapons master but sometimes goes by the title armorer, weapons specialist, or weapons handler. 

The position is a fairly new one in the over 100-year history of cinema.

For decades, prop masters were responsible for the dummy weapons used on movie sets. But around the 1980s prop departments began to hire people who not only would focus on the fake weapons (which either fire blanks or don't fire at all) and the safety of the cast/crew, but also have encyclopedic knowledge of the weapons used for the film.

Harry Lu, a 25-year vet of the movie business, was one of the first people given the title of weapons master. Director James Cameron pegged him with the title during the making of 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day."

harry lu 2Since then, Lu has worked on some of the biggest action movies of the past few decades, including "Armageddon," the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, and the two most recent "Mission: Impossible" movies, among others.

Lu's most recent work can be seen in "Terminator Genisys," in theaters now. And as he told Business Insider, one of the biggest challenges on the film was finding a suitable gun for the film's female lead, Emilia Clarke, who plays heroine Sarah Connor.

"The original script called for a gun that," realistically, "would be way too big for Sarah Connor to be lugging around," Lu told Business Insider. "We ended up giving her a gun that by the time shooting started she would be able to handle with no problem."

To get Clarke prepared to use guns in the film, Lu had Clarke go on a training regimen similar to the one he gave Linda Hamilton (who originally played Sarah Connor) in "Terminator 2."

Terminator Genisys Emilia ClarkeAlong with weight training for months before production began, Lu would take Clarke out to the gun range once a week for two hours using real ammunition. Lu said this is done so actors can feel the weight and real force of the firearm in order to replicate the actions when on set. Clarke was also taught how to take apart the rifles and handguns she used for target practice and reassemble them.

As "Terminator Genisys" varies in time — traveling back to 1984 when the franchise's original film, "The Terminator," was set, as well as taking place in 2017 and 2029 — Lu also had to go over the script before shooting began to make sure the weapons were authentic to the era in which they were seen being used. Especially in regard to the past.

Terminator Genisys Melinda Sue Gordon"In the script, the 1984-era police were using Beretta M9 handguns," Lu said. "Having owned a gun shop in LA during the '80s, I've sent a lot of cadets to the police academy, so I know all the equipment from that era. In the case of the Beretta, I knew the academy didn't get that until 1988 or '89, so we used revolvers instead for those scenes."

Lu estimates that around 700 weapons were used on "Terminator Genisys." And though there is plenty of danger and excitement that goes into making sure all of those are used safely and properly on set, there are times when being a weapons master requires just making sure the weapons look their best.

"In the armory scene," said Lu, recalling a scene in which the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) brings Connor and Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) to a large bunker of guns he has amassed, "that alone had 200 weapons. And me, my son, and another person had to wipe them down every day."

SEE ALSO: Awesome photos of Arnold Schwarzenegger's makeup transformation for "Terminator Genisys"

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NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the first two 'Terminator' films










Stephen Colbert hosted a public-access TV show in a small town in Michigan, and it was great

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Stephen Colbert has been off the air for almost seven months, and he's getting antsy.

He hosted his last show on Comedy Central last December. His new show for CBS isn't going to start until September. 

As a way to keep himself in the flow of performing, Colbert hosted a public-access show in Monroe, Michigan, (via The Verge). He had Eminem on as a guest. We've watched the first 12:41 and it's pretty great.

This isn't the only thing Colbert has been doing to keep busy. He's also hosting a podcast that talks through some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that's happening as he prepares his show. 

Colbert's new show will be a change of pace from his previous show, "The Colbert Report." For "The Colbert Report," he played a pompous right-wing pundit. 

For the new show, he's just going to be himself. It turns out Colbert as himself might be an even weirder and more subversive character than the Colbert from the Colbert Report.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here’s the first trailer for Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks' next movie ‘Bridge of Spies’










Let's take a minute to talk about how crazy it is that 'Power Rangers' even exists

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power rangers

Twenty years ago this week, "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" premiered in theaters across America. For boys and girls of a certain age, this was a very big deal. "Power Rangers" was huge, premiering in 1993 and immediately making headlines like "The Mighty Nielson Power Rangers" thanks to it's overnight success.

Of course, those news stories would also berate the series for "silly, non-menacing, obviously fake monsters, cheesy production, low-tech special effects and sometimes hokey stories." But it was a hit, because it was all about teens who beat up monsters and pilot giant dinosaur-shaped robots, two things every kid wants to do the second they get out of school (which was, by design, when the series aired). 

Power Ranger Zords

But when you consider how it was made, it's absolutely crazy that the "Power Rangers" TV series succeeded to spawn a franchise that's still going strong to this very day, with roughly 20 iterations on the classic formula so far. Or that enough people in charge of various companies saw it and said "Yes, this is a great idea, let's do it! Teenagers with attitude!"

In case you aren't someone who compulsively googles the history of children's television shows, what makes "Power Rangers" an unlikely success story isn't that its premise is absurd (it totally is) but that its production was. 

Essentially, what we call "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" was in fact two separate productions. The meat of "Power Rangers" comes from Japanese Super Sentai series — shows about color-coordinated superhero teams using martial arts to take on rubber monsters. What "Power Rangers" did was take footage from these Super Sentai shows, film completely new footage with an American cast and crew, and splice them together to make a half-hour action series for children.

The costumed fight scenes and giant robot confrontations were almost always dubbed Japanese footage, while the "Saved By the Bell" style high school cheesiness was used to weld a crude story arc to each episode and season.

It was the kid's TV equivalent of Frankenstein's Monster, given life by a mad TV executive to become something big enough to spawn a Hollywood movie.  

And what a movie.

"Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" is, objectively, terrible. It has terrible acting, terrible special effects, terrible writing and terrible music on its soundtrack. 

 But "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie" is also kind of amazing. Just look at this making-of featurette!

Look at those goofy bird monsters!

Power Rangers goofy bird monstersThose goofy ooze monsters!

Power Rangers goofy ooze monstersThe awful CGI that looks like "Beast Wars" in a miniature city! How excited Jason David Frank (the White Ranger) is to talk about anything! And They Might Be Giants was on the soundtrack!

On its twentieth anniversary, I probably will not watch "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie." But I will definitely think about it a lot. Take a moment to think about it with me.

Lol.

SEE ALSO: 'Breaking Bad' actor Bryan Cranston on the time he voiced a 'Power Rangers' monster

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NOW WATCH: This classic '90s video game is getting a major overhaul and we just saw it in action for the first time










What Tour de France cyclists eat for breakfast might surprise you

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fans at Tour de France cheer climbing rider

How does a bowl of porridge, plate of pasta, piece of cake, cup of coffee, and glass of juice sound to start off your day?

While that might seem like a lot to eat for breakfast for the average person, it's exactly what sports nutritionist Judith Haudum orders for cyclists competing in intense races like the Tour de France.

"You could have the best massage or have the best bike, but if your body doesn't get the fuel it needs – you can't perform," Haudum told Men's Journal.

The average person burns about 2,000 calories a day, which means we need to eat that many calories to survive. When you bump up your heart rate for long periods of time during exercise routines, you burn more calories.

If you don't consume extra calories to make up for the burn, you lose weight. If you lose too much weight, you will also lose energy — bad news if you're competing against the world's best cyclists.

Cyclists in races like the Tour de France need to consume about 8,000 calories a day to compete, according to Haudum.

To stay on their game, cyclists follow a carb-heavy, high-calorie diet. Haudum told Men's Journal what she recommends, which consists of seven meals throughout the day, the first two of which happen before the cyclists even begin each day's race.

Here's the full recommended breakfast menu:

  • 1 bowl of porridge (150 calories per cup, cooked) with banana (105 calories per banana), and some nuts (529 calories per cup of almonds)
  • 1 big plate of pasta (174 calories per cup)
  • 1 piece of cake (roughly 225 calories)
  • Coffee (1 calorie per cup)
  • Fruit juice (122 calories per serving)

To see a full day's menu, check it out on Men's Journal >>

Now, check this out:

tour de france calories graphic

SEE ALSO: The cycling world can't stop talking about this new super-fast bike going into the Tour de France

DON'T MISS: All 2015 Tour de France coverage

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NOW WATCH: The cycling world can't stop talking about this new superfast bike going into the Tour de France











Donald Trump fires back at 2016 rival: You 'couldn’t be elected dog catcher'

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donald trump

Real-estate magnate Donald Trump fired off angry tweets at one of his GOP rivals in the presidential race Wednesday, accusing him of being a has-been who couldn't get elected to office again.

The rival, former New York Gov. George Pataki (R), has recently been criticizing Trump's controversial comments about illegal immigration.

Pataki told Business Insider on Tuesday that Trump was "disrespectful" and subsequently wrote a letter to the Republican field urging them to join him in denouncing Trump. 

Trump, as is his wont, responded by trashing Pataki on Twitter:

Trump is being heavily criticized by businesses, celebrities, and others after he used harsh rhetoric to describe Mexican migrants during his campaign launch last month. Among other things, Trump accused Mexico of sending its "rapists" and drug runners to the US.

"When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best; they're not sending you," Trump said then, according to a transcript. "They're sending people that have lots of problems, and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

Earlier in the day Wednesday, Macy's said it was snubbing Trump because of the "disparaging characterizations" he made during his campaign launch. NBC, Univision, and the Mexican media company Televisa all similarly announced they would not show Trump's Miss Universe Organization beauty pageants.

For his part, Pataki told his fellow Republicans rivals that condemning Trump's remarks would represent true leadership on their part.

"As Donald Trump doubles down, I’m asking you to join me in standing up.  Stand up for our party, for the ideals that made America great, and stand for the basic decency and integrity entitled to every American, no matter their heritage or nationality," Pataki wrote in the letter. "Join me. Stand up now. Denounce his comments today."

SEE ALSO: TRUMP ON FIRE: Dominating headlines, rocketing up in polls

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NOW WATCH: Forget the Apple Watch — here's the new watch everyone on Wall Street wants










If you weren’t convinced Hollywood has run out of ideas — here's your proof

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Lionsgate and Hasbro are partnering to bring a movie based on the beloved Monopoly board game to the big screen. 

Yes, this Monopoly:

monopoly money board gameWhat’s crazier than the idea of a Monopoly movie is the proposed plot for the movie.  

Via the press release: 

The story centers on a boy from Baltic Avenue who uses both Chance and Community in a quest to make his fortune, taking him on a fun, adventure-filled journey. It's about making your own luck, what makes you truly rich and, of course, avoiding Jail time! 

Andrew Niccol ("The Truman Show") is writing the screenplay.

The film idea has been tossed around since 2008. Back then, Ridley Scott was in talks to direct.

It’s one of several board game adaptations which has been in the works for awhile. (We're still waiting on that "Candy Land" movie, too.)

Board game adaptations have been pretty hit or miss. 2012's "Battleship" was a miss for Universal and Hasbro.

2014's adaptation of "Ouija," also from Hasbro, ended up grossing over $102 million worldwide. The film had an estimated $5 million budget.

No release date has been announced yet for the film.

SEE ALSO: This is what a $1500 Monopoly game board looks like

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's the best look yet at the next big game starring Batman










It took seeing 'Inside Out' to finally understand the one thing my therapist has been trying to teach me for 15 years

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Inside Out

Pixar's new movie "Inside Out" helped me to understand something my therapist has been trying to convince me of since I was a teenager: It is okay to feel sad.

For those who haven't seen it or read much about it, here's a basic premise: A little girl named Riley moves from Minnesota to San Francisco with her parents, and has a hard time internalizing how she's supposed to feel about it. But the movie isn't about the move, or even about Riley herself. It's about her feelings— each of them assigned its own quirky character.

The feelings belong to an eleven-year-old, so they're simple and easy to comprehend: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust. We meet them, we recognize them, and we watch them interact with each other and with Riley's memories — tangible orbs each assigned with an overwhelming feeling (happy memories, sad memories, angry memories.) Some of these memories are "core memories" and they're the ones that contribute to Riley's core: an honest, hockey-loving, goofy girl who loves her family and friends.

Therapy would have been much easier had "Inside Out" been produced when I was Riley's age.

inside out rileyA little more than a decade ago, I sat down in my therapist's office and declared that I didn't want to be sad anymore.

You see, several years prior I had been diagnosed with depression; the genetic gift that keeps on giving. I struggled with the diagnosis for awhile — being eleven was hard enough. My therapist would constantly explain I was wired to be this way. My brain, he explained, processed things differently than it was supposed to. The reason that for weeks at a time I felt no ambition to eat, sleep, go to school, do my work, or hang out with my friends, was because of a mental chemical imbalance, not because I wasn't smart or pretty or fun to be around. And I am not alone — an estimated 350 million people have been diagnosed with depression. 

Well, chemical imbalance or not, it sucks, I would tell him. 

It does suck, he would agree.

After I had emerged from puberty relatively unscathed and my hormones somewhat regulated themselves, I told my doctor I wanted to try going on an anti-depressant. He did me one better, throwing in an anti-anxiety medication after I asked him if it was normal that on a near-daily basis I became consumed with the understanding that everyone in my life would one day die.

I do not want to be sad anymore, I would stress to him. 

He handed me the prescriptions, assuring me they would help.

You do not have to be sad anymore, he told me.

inside out happinessIn "Inside Out," the emotion 'Joy' (voiced by Amy Poehler) is so obsessed with keeping Riley happy (and the rest of the feelings calm and collected) during the big move, that she all too quickly pushes the emotion 'Sadness' (voiced by Phyllis Smith) out of the way. It's clear that if Sadness is let loose inside Riley's head, Riley won't have a chance at making the best of her move to San Francisco. So Joy works overtime, making sure every one of Riley's memory orbs glows with a golden happiness.

After all, who wants to be sad?

When Joy comically puts Sadness in the "circle of Sadness" (a chalk circle that Sadness must not step out of under any circumstance) I was reminded of the years I spent taking medication in an attempt to rid myself of my own sadness.

For a while, my efforts worked. Anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications take bodies and brains on differently than most meds — you have to build up a routine of taking them every day and then — boom! All of a sudden it's a month later and you realize you're having an easier time getting up in the morning. And if you don't get invited to a party your world doesn't seem like it's crashing down around you. 

I felt like things were getting better! I was getting rid of my Sadness, the ultimate enemy. It was my understanding that to always be happy was the best possible way to live. Now I had a way to find that oasis; I had magic pills to kick my Sadness to the curb.

Yet...the pills weren't happy pills, and I noticed almost immediately that medication wasn't replacing being sad with being happy. It was just providing me with a cast I could plaster over any overwhelming emotion. 

For months, even years, my doctor encouraged me to ween myself off the pills, but I refused.

You don't want to be in the position where you feel neutral about everything, he'd say. That's not good.

But I don't want to feel sad again, I'd say. 

Though at the time I couldn't tell you the last time I felt super happy, I was pleased to report I also couldn't tell you the last time I felt super sad. We'd have the same conversation every few months for years. I continued to take the medication, and he'd continue to write me prescriptions. 

Here's some basic feelings math: If you don't feel happy and you don't feel sad, you don't feel very much.

inside out Without too many spoilers, it becomes clear to Joy that she cannot help Riley be happy about moving to San Francisco without letting Sadness help Riley accept that she is sad. She misses her friends. Her new school is overwhelming.

As she's growing up, she struggles with feeling vulnerable in front of her parents, but now her parents are her only support system. Riley needs them. All of this stems from Sadness, and facing it head-on helps her to grow. And then when it's Joy's turn to take over, because Sadness doesn't last forever, it's easier to appreciate being happy.

Duh. What an incredibly simple concept.

I realize there are some important differences here: People who feel sad sometimes (all humans) are not feeling the same things as those who are clinically depressed. I have always believed taking anti-depressants is the right thing for me to do. I still do.

But my reasoning behind why I was taking them — or my reasoning behind why I was afraid to stop taking them — was majorly flawed. 

My biggest fear was always feeling sad. But feeling sad is healthy, normal, human.

It took a Pixar movie to teach me this.

To my therapist, if you're out there reading this, I'm invoicing you for the last fifteen years of appointments.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Forget the Apple Watch — here's the new watch everyone on Wall Street wants










Here's the incredibly detailed 'Star Wars Episode VII' Stormtrooper toy fans will be going crazy over at San Diego Comic-Con

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star wars black series stormtrooper

San Diego Comic-Con is fast approaching.

The annual event, held at the San Diego Convention Center, will be held from July 9-12. 

Costumed fans will head out for a chance to see some of their favorite stars from film and TV, but also for the exclusive toys and items that can only be bought on the convention floor.

Hasbro will be among those to have a few special edition items at the Con, including the company's first toy for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," out in theaters December.

The 6-inch First Order Stormtrooper will be a part of the "Star Wars: The Black Series," and will be available for $25.99 at booth #3329 at SDCC.

If you're not heading to Comic-Con, you'll also be able to order the new "Star Wars" stormtrooper through HasbroToyShop.com.

The folks over at Hasbro sent over one of the new Stormtroopers. 

Let's take a look at what you can expect!

The packaging on the box is pretty impressive.

star wars black series.JPGDisney and Hasbro aren't messing around.

star wars force awakens black series.JPGHere's a look at the back of the box:

star wars the force awakens stormtrooper.JPGA look at the side panel tells us a little more on our friend inside!

star wars the force awakens first order storm trooper box

Here's the text so you don't have to squint. It provides some excellent background on how the Clone Troopers went from a symbol for peace to one that was eventually feared in the galaxy.

Shock troopers clad in white armor first appeared on the Galactic stage during the opening battles of the Clone Wars. Clone Trooper armor became iconic almost immediately: its stark white design stood for hope that peace and stability might be restored to a galaxy at war. But this dream of peace died with the republic, and the empire that rose to take its place imposed order by any means necessary. Soldiers within the grand army of the republic were given a new name: Stormtroopers. as these former protectors of galactic peace mercilessly crushed resistance across the galaxy, their white armor came to symbolize oppression and the indomitable power of the Emperor's will. Yet the tyranny of imperial rule sparked rebellion, and the Stormtrooper legions were scattered in the aftermath of the Empire's fall. Now, the rise of the First Order ushers in the next chapter in the Stormtrooper's legacy as a new era of ruthless brutality begins.

Okay. Enough of staring at the package. Let's open this up and see the actual figure.

star wars black series first order stormtrooperstar wars first order stormtrooper toy.JPGstar wars black series first order troop.JPGThough the box says ages four and up, the guns are a bit tiny. I'd be wary of giving them to a four-year old.

star wars the black series stormtrooper first orderHeading back to the box for a second, you'll find there's a booklet in the backside. Let's take her out.

star wars first order stormtrooper bookletAs the box suggests, the booklet tells the evolution of the Stormtrooper with simple drawings and text showing how it has changed over the years of "Star Wars" mythos.

sdcc hasbro star wars bookletclone trooper star wars black series sdccThe text reads:

From its earliest appearance during the Clone Wars, the iconic white armor of the Clone Trooper symbolized galactic peace and stability. Its design reflected the stark aesthetic of its Kaminoan creators, but it also drew inspiration from the Mandalorian shock trooper armor worn by clone template Jango Fett. Although Phase I armor offered superior protection in combat, it was uncomfortable to wear, particularly while seated.

There are only four phases, so let's go through them all real quick.

stormtrooper star wars phase 2The Phase II armor was "significantly more comfortable." It was also significantly cooler.

stormtrooper phase 2Phase 3 consists of the classic Stormtrooper look from the original trilogy —a "symbol for terror and oppression."

star wars stormtrooper phase 3stormtrooper phase 3And here's the fourth phase, the First Order Stormtrooper. Details on the new Stormtroopers are scarce. We're not surprised. Disney has been keeping everything "Episode VII" related under lock in key until the film's release — especially when it comes to merchandising.

We're sure we'll learn more about these Stormtroopers as the film's December release draws near.stormtrooper first order star warsfirst order stormtrooper drawing.JPGHere are all the helmets lined up side by side:

stormtrooper evolutionAll right. Now back to the toy.

I'm about to do something that's going to make some toy collectors very upset.

stormtrooper force awakens black series hasbroYes! I took him out of the box. 

star wars the force awakens first order stromtrooper.JPGThe best thing about this Black Series First Order Stormtrooper is how remarkably poseable he is. Every joint — his hands, his knees, and even his ankles move.

The detail put into the actual figurine is incredible, too. 

The gun slips right into the Stormtroopers' hand with his finger steady on the trigger.

stormtrooper force awakens.JPGSee that spot right there?

gun holster star warsYou can pop the little blaster right in there!

stormtrooper star warsMost important, you can pose him to look exactly how he does on the box.

first order stormtrooper.JPGNext stop Comic-Con!

first order stormtrooper star wars force awakens.JPG

SEE ALSO: Marvel's "Star Wars" comic made a huge change to Han Solo

AND: Why the costumes in "The Force Awakens" will be different than the original trilogy

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NOW WATCH: The new 'Star Wars' game is a love letter to 'Star Wars' superfans










9 gorgeous pieces of concept art from 'Terminator Genisys'

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terminator genisys sarah connor emilia clarke"Terminator Genisys" is out in theaters this weekend. 

In conjunction with the film's release publisher Insight Editions released a making-of book, "Teminator Genisys: Resetting the Future," filled with gorgeous concept artwork, storyboards, and interviews with the cast and crew of the film.

Insight Editions shared a few pieces of art from the new release, along with a few exclusive images, with Business Insider.

Check them out below.

"Terminator Genisys" kicks off in the year 2029 as a war between machine and man rages onward.

 

 

 



Los Angeles lay in ruins after the fallout from Judgment Day — the day the AI Skynet became self-aware and saw humanity as a threat.



We get a better look at the apocalyptic desolation first described to us in James Cameron's 1984 introduction to the Terminator franchise.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider








This iPhone game looks as good as anything on your PlayStation 4

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If you want to impress people with video game graphics, one of the best ways to do that is with cars. Look no further than the likes of "Gran Turismo" and "Forza Motorsport" for representative examples – not only are these games full of "car porn" for car enthusiasts, but also some of the prettiest graphics you'll see in any game. 

Such is also the case with the trailer above for "CSR2." The difference in this case, of course, is that "CSR2" is running on an iPhone 6, with graphics that look straight out of a home game console. This is apparently the magic of Apple's "Metal" game engine, which enables developers to squeeze as much horsepower as possible out of the iPhone 6's A8 processor. 

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What the stars of the 'Terminator' movies look like 31 years later


Here’s the story behind Arnold Schwarzenegger's famous flip shotgun from ‘Terminator 2’

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terminator 2 judgment day

One of the indelible images from the 1991 blockbuster hit“Terminator 2: Judgement Day” is the Terminator’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) trusty shotgun he uses throughout the movie.

And what made it iconic was how he used it — flipping it to reload. A move that had never been seen attempted with that gun before (or since) in movies.

terminator shotgun flip 1According to Harry Lu, who was weapons master on the film (he also has the same role in “Terminator Genisys,” currently in theaters), the idea of the fancy way to reload the gun came from director James Cameron.

“James was looking at ‘The Rifleman’ and some other old westerns,” Lu recalls. The director told Lu he wanted Schwarzenegger’s shotgun to be able to twirl like how a cowboy on the shows did with their six-shooters.

gun flipLu decided the sawed-off 1887 Winchester 12-gauge shotgun would make the most sense, but he recalls, “After I opened my mouth, I kicked myself in the butt.”

He said the custom work on the gun for the purposes of the film meant he had to play with weight distribution, balance, and especially the internal mechanism.

“It’s one of those things the audience doesn't think about, but the shotgun shell worked with a pull cable and every time the gate opened the shell wants to fly out,” Lu said. “So I finally found a way to correct that.”

Lu also had to create a larger loop on the gun so Schwarzenegger could flip it successfully.

Lu spent a month and a half before the film began production finishing all of the custom work on the shotgun. Then he had to train Schwarzenegger how to use it.

“I went to his house and showed him how to use it and we practiced constantly,” he recalls. “He was actually able to take it on pretty fast.”

Schwarzenegger put his skills on display in the movie when the Terminator, while on a motorcycle, shoots at the rival Terminator, the T-1000 (Robert Patrick), and flip-cocks it while riding.

terminator shotgun flip 2As Schwarzenegger once famously saidI have a love interest in every one of my films  a gun.

SEE ALSO: Here's what it means to be the weapons master on a 'Terminator' movie

MORE: THEN & NOW: The cast of the original 'Terminator' movies

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NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The casts of the first two 'Terminator' films










There's no other way to put it — the trailer for Netflix's 'Wet Hot American Summer' reboot is INCREDIBLE

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The first official trailer for "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" is here and it looks like our feelings of nostalgia have not been misplaced.

All of your old favorites from the original "Wet Hot American Summer," who have now become huge stars (Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Paul Rudd) are back. Luckily, "First Day of Camp" doesn't just look like a series of callbacks, as it looks like it wants to make something new out of Camp Firewood. A slew of guest stars including Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, and John Slattery will be joining an already packed cast.

"Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" debuts on Netflix on July 31 for eight episodes.

Produced By Ian Phillips. Video courtesy of Netflix.

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58-year-old actress Frances McDormand has an amazing outlook on aging

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Frances McDormand

Actress Frances McDormand is 58-years-old and unlike most of her Hollywood peers, she has decided to age naturally and gracefully without the help of a plastic surgeon.

In a new Yahoo interview with Katie Couric, the "Fargo" and "Almost Famous" star says it's hard to watch her colleagues alter their faces to look younger because "it erases everything."

Frances McDormand Katie Couric
McDormand, who has been married to director Joel Cohen for 32 years, says aging in Hollywood is a topic she often discusses with her husband.

Joel Coen Frances McDormand"We have a lot of conversations about aging and how difficult it is in our culture," McDormand tells Couric. "I go on rants about it, I get a little too zealous about it and he cautions me to remember that not everyone ages the same way and I've been fortunate that I'm happy with the way I look and how I age."

McDormand explained to Couric that her face tells a story she is proud of:

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After not doing any press or promotion for her films for ten years, McDormand is finally putting herself back in the spotlight because of a message she wants to send younger women.

"A friend of mine said, 'younger women need you, they need your image and they need your voice, it's a selfish thing you're doing [by not speaking out],'" McDormand said during the Yahoo interview. 

In a 2014 New York Times profile, McDormand elaborated on our culture's "desire not to be an adult":

We are on red alert when it comes to how we are perceiving ourselves as a species. There's no desire to be an adult. Adulthood is not a goal. It's not seen as a gift. Something happened culturally: No one is supposed to age past 45 — sartorially, cosmetically, attitudinally. Everybody dresses like a teenager. Everybody dyes their hair. Everybody is concerned about a smooth face.

"I feel nostalgic for a time I didn't even have," she added. "The time before we regarded ourselves with such criticism."

Watch McDormand's full interview with Katie Couric about aging below:

SEE ALSO: Director Kevin Smith just lost 85 pounds by making 2 simple lifestyle changes

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NOW WATCH: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The original 1993 'Jurassic Park' cast today










This gorgeous trailer for Playstation's flagship game shows why millions are in love with the franchise

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The "Indiana Jones" film series helped millions of kids envision themselves as world-traveling explorers, overcoming Nazis and uncovering ancient secrets. The "Uncharted" video games series is to gaming as "Indiana Jones" is to film: it stars a brash, jokey explorer named Nathan Drake, and follows him as he...does basically the same stuff as Dr. Jones. The difference? You get to experience Drake's adventures yourself in "Uncharted."

The next entry in the series, "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End," is planned for a 2016 launch, but Sony's released a gorgeous 15 minute playthrough for us to enjoy in the meantime.

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Magic Mike XXL is unapologetically feminist and we're surprised it even exists

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joe manganiello magic mike

Last night I went to see the movie "Magic Mike XXL."

It surprised me, because it ended up being one of the most feminist films I've ever seen, and it represents a side of the industry I wasn't sure would ever exist.

Yes, a film about male strippers that just barely passes the Bechdel test (which asks whether any two female characters have a conversation between them that isn't about a man) is massively, unapologetically feminist.

Ostensibly this is about a bunch of bros going on a road trip to a stripper convention. The plot is irrelevant, though, because the point of the film is really female pleasure. And it's not just in the visuals — a nontrivial amount of the dialogue is about figuring out what women want and finding ways to give it to them.

magic mike tatum manganiello

Magic Mike Lane (Channing Tatum), at one point, explains that the inspiration for his memorable solo dance from the previous movie (a reason for a rewatch!) was a woman he saw at a club. He says he just thought about what he would do to her and did it on stage.

At another moment, Lane is standing in a kitchen, talking to a woman eating an entire red-velvet cake while sitting on the counter (hero), and he says to her, "My god is a woman." This makes up for the fact that he declines her invite to share the cake.

She is dumbfounded. She continues eating her cake (red velvet). Tatum walks out into the living room, where one of his friends is giving a lap dance to a middle-aged woman who has just revealed that she and her husband have never had sex with the lights on.

Magic Mike

This is possibly the first movie I've ever seen coming from a heterosexual-male perspective that recognizes that women are independent beings with preferences, and attending to those preferences is sexier than any sculpted abs — though those don't hurt.

In another scene, at a members-only male strip club owned by the fabulous Jada Pinkett Smith, singer-dancer Andre (Donald Glover) asks one of the patrons about herself. On the spot, he makes up a song about her. All of the women in the crowd go crazy for him.

In this movie there are drag queens. There are women, referred to as queens. There are bodies of all sizes and races and ages, all getting properly turned on by men who tell them they deserve it and really mean it. This is a nearly unprecedented recognition by a major movie studio that women — normal women, half of the population — are sexual beings. And that's totally cool and normal.

Magic Mike XXL still

I feel as if I grew up in a world that told me sex was scary, and nasty, and should be secret. I mostly got this impression from watching movies, and it took me years to rethink that framework.

"Magic Mike" isn't perfect (see: Bechdel test above), but it represents a huge turn for the industry on this front, and I can only hope it's not a one-off.

SEE ALSO: Forget 'Terminator Genisys' — 'Magic Mike XXL' is the best sequel of the summer

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NOW WATCH: The new trailer for 'Magic Mike XXL' promises a guaranteed box office smash










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