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This 'genius' playwright is giving free performances from the hottest show on Broadway

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VIDEO: This genius playwright is giving free performances from his expensive Broadway show. Miranda has been giving free performances for the people waiting to get tickets for "Hamilton." Miranda, an actor, writer, and playwright, received the MacArthur Genius Grant. Tickets are nearly impossible to get. But Miranda has been making it fun a little more fun for all.

He has made a splash with Broadway phenomenom "Hamilton." It's a unique, hip hop-infused historical musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton. "This is a story about America then, told by America now." His first musical, "In the Heights" earned him a few Tony Awards. He started writing it when he was 19-years-old and based it on his childhood in Upper Manhattan. The soundtrack is endlessly catchy. While some Hamilton tickets cost up to $1,000, Miranda wants to make Broadway for everyone. "I'm always thrilled when theater gets off the arts page and into our common conversation." Miranda said. 

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Jeremy Dreyfuss

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The directing duo behind 'The Lego Movie' will adapt the 'Serial' podcast for TV

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chris miller phil lord 22 jump street

The popular podcast from last fall, "Serial," is headed to the small screen. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, one of Hollywood's hottest writing-directing-producing duos Phil Lord and Chris Miller have optioned the rights to the podcast and plan to create a cable series based on the making of its successful first season which followed the case of Adnan Syed.

There aren't any details about the show just yet, THR is reporting, but "Serial" host Sarah Koening and the producers at "This American Life," which releases the popular podcast, were drawn to the pitch by Lord and Miller, who will begin pitching it to cable networks after getting a writing team in place.

This is just one more high profile project for Lord and Miller in television and movies.

Following their success as directors on films like "The Lego Movie" and the "21 Jump Street" franchise, the duo have jumped over to TV with the popular Fox show "Last Man on Earth," which they are executive producers on.

Their next directing project is the Untitled Han Solo Star Wars Anthology Film, which will be released in 2018. 

The second season of "Serial" will be out later this year on NPR.

SEE ALSO: The "22 Jump Street" directors have had a string of unexpected box office hits

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Hillary Clinton had 'talking points' prepared in case she ran into Ellen DeGeneres at a Hollywood party

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Hillary Clinton

In October 2011, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton went to a party at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California, for her husband's 65th birthday.

She came prepared with "talking points" for the star-studded bash that were written by her chief of staff, Cheryl Mills. 

Mills provided Clinton with a bullet-pointed memo that suggested what he should say if she met talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

"Should you see her and end up in conversation, it would be ideal for you to share the following points," Mills wrote to Clinton. 

Mills said she spoke with DeGeneres' manager about a plan the State Department's Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator came up with to have the host promote HIV and AIDS awareness. She provided Clinton with a memo titled, "Talking Points for Secretary Clinton: Hollywood Bowl Party and Ellen DeGeneres." 

"Spoke with Ellen DeGeneres' manager, David McGuire, today about Ellen serving as a Special Envoy for Global HIV/AID Awareness," Mills wrote. "OGAC is developing a concept paper for consideration, but David agreed that there will be some sort of arrangement for Ellen to ' promote both your speech and World AIDS Day through social media or perhaps you phoning into her show at some point."  

The message was sent by Mills on October 14, 2011, the day before the party, which was also a charity benefit for the Clinton family foundation. It was included in the new batch of emails from Clinton's private server that were released by the State Department on Wednesday.

Mills sent three "talking points" for Clinton to use if she met DeGeneres:

  • "I'm very excited about the possibility of your using your incredible platform to help us raise awareness about eliminating HIV/AIDS."
  • "I'm giving a speech in two weeks where I'm going to call upon the world to join the U.S. in creating an AIDS Free Generation."
  • "Thanks to the science, we are truly on the cusp of making this happen. And if you could help us raise awareness about this historic opportunity, it would be terrific." 

After the party, Clinton responded to Mills and said she spoke with DeGeneres.

"She said she would do whatever we asked and so full speed ahead!" Clinton wrote.

Check out Clinton's "talking points" for the party below. 

hillary ellen

SEE ALSO: Hillary Clinton went on an epic email rant while she was having a hard time convincing the White House who she was

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There have only been 2 episodes of ABC's 'The Muppets,' but people already seem to be losing interest

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The Muppets Josh Groban

"The Muppets" had a lot going for them going into their premiere last week and it paid off.

In its first week, it was the highest-rated new fall show of the season. What a difference a week makes. The show's audience fled in its second week to the tune of 36% of its total viewers (9 million vs. 5.1 viewers) and 30% of its hold on the audience most desired by advertisers, adults aged 18 to 49 (2.9 vs. 2.0).

ABC poured a lot of marketing money into the show. The network disguised ads as juicy stories about Miss Piggy and Kermit's romantic lives after breaking up with each other in Hollywood's celebrity magazines.

It dispatched its most major stars ("Scandal's" Kerry Washington, "Castle" leading man Nathan Fillion, and "The Middle's" Patricia Heaton, among others) to help sell the show in promos.

Even major names like "Hunger Games" stars Liam Hemsworth and Elizabeth Banks, Reese Witherspoon, and Topher Grace have signed on to guest star on the show.

So, what happened?

This may be a case where a big marketing budget, curiosity, and nostalgia created too high of expectations. While critics collectively average an extremely positive 96% on Rotton Tomatoes, the audience score came in at just 80%. Metacritic's score of 75% and IMDb's 7.2/10 score appear more like it.

We'll have to keep watching to see if "The Muppets" are able to stabilize their ratings next week.

Here are the mixed reactions people have had to the show so far on Twitter:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEE ALSO: Kermit the Frog trades Miss Piggy in for a hotter, younger girlfriend named Denise

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6 insane things celebrities have tried to buy, revealed by the most powerful business managers in Hollywood

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frustrated businessman

The Hollywood Reporter just released its list of "The 25 Most Powerful Business Managers" of 2015. It's full of people who are trusted with the money and assets of the biggest names in Hollywood, and they divulged how reckless their clients could be with their cash.

Here are six of the most shocking examples.

1. Paying for pets to fly on private jets ... by themselves

Jeff Bacon of Savitsky Satin & Bacon represents some of the biggest film producers, actors, and studio executives working today. And with those kind of power players come some interesting invoices. Bacon told THR that the oddest thing a client had spent money on was "transporting pets on a private jet … by themselves."

2. $50,000 on an investment in water that claims to be 'anti-stressful'

Barry Greenfield of Altman Greenfield & Selvaggi works with the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker, Kevin Spacey, Steve Martin, and Jimmy Fallon. All are amazing talents, but sometimes their investments are risky. "A client put maybe 50 grand into anti-stress water two years ago," he said. "I'm still waiting for it to hit the shelves at Whole Foods."

3. A diaper-wearing capuchin monkey and farm animals

goats butting heads headbuttMichael Kaplan of Miller Kaplan Arase, who prides himself on helping entertainers with their branding, can't forget the oddest purchase by a client: a capuchin monkey. "I was at their house," he said. "The monkey was wearing a diaper."

He's not the only one. Steves Rodriguez of Freemark Financial recalls purchases of unusual pets by clients. "A cow, a few goats, and a bunch of chickens," he said. "Nothing like receiving an invoice for a bunch of farm animals."

4. Investing in a Hard Rock Cafe

Hard Rock CafeChuck Shapiro of Shapiro & Co. has iconic figures like Tom Ford on his roster, but he still has to give them one basic piece of advice: Never invest in a restaurant. "Clients have stood in line to invest in restaurants, including Hard Rock Cafes," he told THR. "All of which, after thorough analysis, were discouraged."

5. Dog-massage-therapy school and $200,000 teeth

Lou Taylor of Tri Star Sports and Entertainment has helped Britney Spears get a two-year extension on her lucrative Las Vegas show and Gwen Stefani return as a judge on "The Voice." And she's not shy to say no to her clients.

She told THR she had gotten clients to reconsider investing in a school for dog-massage therapy to train people to soothe dogs; an Aston Martin (because the client already had six cars); and a "full grill of diamonds" for teeth, which would have cost $200,000. Of the dental work, she added: "It was the dumbest thing I ever heard. Sometimes this can be exhausting."

6. $50,000 to walk on hot coals for 30 minutes at a retreat

David Weise of David Weise & Associates calls himself an "outsourced chief financial officer" for artists including The Weeknd, Usher, and Coldplay. And like all great artists, they have unusual interests that Weise sometimes has to question.

"A client wanted $50,000 in cash to go to a retreat to walk on hot coals for 30 minutes," he said. "I told him that for $100 I'd burn some coals in the office and save him $49,900. He almost fired me."

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift reportedly dropped $25 million on this legendary Beverly Hills estate

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CNN's Don Lemon to Donald Trump: 'Some people may perceive you as racist'

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don lemon donald trump

CNN anchor Don Lemon held an extensive interview with Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Wednesday during which Lemon asked Trump whether he was prejudiced against any of several different minority groups.

"I hear Hispanics talking about you. I hear gay people talking about you. And they say, 'I like what he has to say, but I'm just concerned,'" Lemon said.

"If I ask you this question, will you answer directly? Do you think that you are homophobic?"

Trump directly said "no," and he started listing all of the people whom he said he loved and who loved him back.

"You know who loves me?" he said. "The Tea Party. The evangelicals. You know I'm leading with evangelicals? I love them. They love me. I'm Presbyterian — I'm Protestant — and they like me. But you know who else likes me? Democrats like me. Liberals like me. It's straight across the board, and people are amazed."

Lemon then asked Trump whether he was biased against African-Americans.

"You think you appeal to African-Americans," he said. "Some people may perceive you as racist. Answer that."

Trump responded by touting his recent speech at an African-American Chamber of Commerce event in South Carolina. But he said the media, including CNN, had unfairly showed all of the empty seats in the back of the room.

"I did it as a favor to a couple of friends of mine who happen to be African-American who asked me to go," Trump said. "The dais was packed with people — packed with people! They were all up front. I could hardly get into the room. It was a great event. And CNN in particular made me look bad."

Those questions followed a segment discussing whether Trump was biased against Muslims. The business mogul stirred another campaign-trail controversy last month when he declined to correct a supporter who declared that Muslims were a "problem" for the country and that President Barack Obama was a Muslim foreigner.

"Do you think Muslims are a problem?" Lemon asked Wednesday.

"Well, I think a certain segment are certainly a problem," Trump said, "and unless you want to be so politically correct where you want me to say, 'Oh, absolutely not.' I mean, you have ISIS. You have the migration. You have all of this stuff," he added, describing his many Muslim friends.

"You know, a lot of people think you're going to end up with World War III over the Middle East. I've heard that for 25 years."

Click here to watch the full exchange at Mediaite >

Or watch the segment on Muslims below:

SEE ALSO: MITT ROMNEY: Donald Trump won't win the GOP nomination

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What the coolest locations used in 'The Lord of the Rings' look like in real life

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hobbiton

J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" series takes place in an expansive and storied land called Middle Earth.

However, in Peter Jackson's films, Middle Earth is actually composed of dozens of incredible locations around New Zealand.

While they might not be full of elves and hobbits, the natural beauty of New Zealand's lush countryside and icy blue rivers is almost as magical as Tolkien's fictional world.

Tourists regularly flock to these sites, but if a trip to New Zealand isn't in the cards, you're in luck. Thanks to Instagram's location filter, it's easy to see photos from other LOTR fans. 

Check out some of the real-life places from "The Lord of the Rings" series.

 

In the opening scenes of "The Fellowship of the Ring," we see Samwise Gamgee gardening in front of his circular, yellow front door in the Shire.



On Instagram, you can find pictures of Sam's house, complete with yellow door, under the "Hobbiton" location filter. The set is in Matamata, New Zealand.

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The most famous home in the Shire belongs to Bilbo and Frodo Baggins.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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I got to try the new earbuds that don't play music but let you transform the sounds around you — and they've only gotten better

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Concert 2This summer Doppler Labs introduced the concept of an earbud that didn’t play music, but instead customized the sounds around you. These “Here” earbuds would let you turn the bass up during a concert, or mute the sound of a baby crying next to you on a plane.

The idea quickly captured people’s imagination.

Some 2,855 backers pledged $635,189 on the company’s Kickstarter, and many more inundated Doppler’s inbox with requests after the campaign had closed, CEO Noah Kraft tells Business Insider. Doppler was then able to raise $17 million from venture capitalists to make the concept a reality.

This outpouring of public interest wasn’t just a boost to Kraft’s ego, the intense interest also helped shape what “Here” would eventually become, he says.

When Doppler began to solicit feedback from its new community of Kickstarter backers, there was one message that came through clear. What people were most excited about wasn’t being able to mute the sound of an airplane. This might have been useful for grabbing the attention of the general public, but for the people who were willing to plunk down hard cash for a product they had never tested, the draw was always music.

“Our heritage as a company is in music,” Kraft told me when I recently visited Doppler's headquarters in SoHo. Kraft says he was excited that this was the element of the product that inspired early adopters. “It was great to get that validation and be able to continue [in that direction].” Since July, Doppler has doubled down on music, letting it guide the development as the team closed in on the final product.

“We could have focused on a lot of things,” Kraft says, but he, and early investors like composer Hans Zimmer and Tiesto, are thrilled that it’s music. "It proved our hypothesis. That there was a small but deeply passionate community that wanted to remix live music."

Live EQ

So what was the updated version like? I tested the (almost) final prototype during my latest visit to Doppler Labs.

The first thing I noticed was the form factor, which is the version that will ship to Kickstarter backers in mid-December. The buds fit well, and Kraft says the company’s goal is a 98% fit rate by the time they ship. Doppler’s last product, the futuristic earplugs named “Dubs,” had a 92% fit rate.

But on to the music.

The “effects” are Here’s main selling point, and they are an audio geek’s dream. These effects allow you to bass boost live music, or mess with things like reverb and flange. And of course, you can also turn the volume up or down.

For the Kickstarter release, the focus for these effects is on complete customization. Kraft says that when the buds hit the general market early next year, there will be a lot more “presets” available. But for the Kickstarter backers, the focus is control. This means you don’t just turn on or off an effect, but are also able to manipulate the way it works on high or low frequencies — fine tuning the entire experience.

In fact, Here’s “live eq” (equalizer) function, is something Kraft is particularly proud of. This feature lets you alter different frequencies of sound — like bass, mids, and trebs — and allows you to easily remix live audio.

The “eq” and effects are crisper than when I tested the product in July, and still feel a bit like magic when you remember that this music isn’t coming from your headphones. My first time with Here buds reminded me of my first time using the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift. There was a strange feeling of it being real and not real at the same time.

One final difference from the early prototype I tried is that Doppler has finalized “zero latency,” meaning there is no discernible disconnect between the sounds around you and the ones coming into your ears through the earbuds.

Doppler in office shoot (6 of 90)Doppler will supplement its mid-December Kickstarter rollout with live events that showcase its tech. For its first product, Dubs, Doppler partnered with Coachella to bring the high-tech earplugs to every concertgoer. Look for similar events to come early next year.

Kraft also hinted at potential Apple Watch integration in the final version.

If you are interested in how to snag some Here buds, you can get on the waitlist at Doppler’s newly revamped website.   

SEE ALSO: Amazon just made a big move to compete with Spotify and Apple Music

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The director of 'Scarface' and 'The Untouchables' gives a movie-by-movie rundown of his legendary career in new documentary

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For lovers of cinema, "De Palma" is about as close to cinematic bliss as it gets. 

Jake Paltrow & Noah Baumbach's intimate documentary is essentially an autobiography of legendary filmmaker Brian De Palma, the director responsible for classics like "Scarface," "The Untouchables," and "Carrie" as well as the less successful "Mission to Mars," "Snake Eyes" and many more in between.

The beauty of the film is its simplicity.

"De Palma" is a guided walk-through of the filmmaker's prolific career, from the early classics to his more recent misfires. De Palma literally does all the talking and is the only figure on screen besides all the characters featured in clips from other films. 

Brian De Palma himself is delightfully candid as he takes us through what worked, what absolutely didn't work, and shares a myriad of fascinating on-set stories that offer a new perspective on his films.

mission impossible 1Cinephiles will be thrilled to hear the untold details about De Palma's many conflicts over the years, like what a debacle filming the first "Mission: Impossible" movie was in 1996 when he clashed with screenwriter Robert Towne over the final sequence.

One of the more interesting reveals is that Steven Spielberg visited the set of "Scarface" to help shoot the infamous shootout sequence because Al Pacino was out for two weeks with a hand injury and they had nothing better to do. There's also some great home-movie (Super 8!) footage of Spielberg calling De Palma on his car phone in 1976.

The film is full of wonderful primary-source insights like these.

We learn that the on-screen hostility between Sean Penn & Michael J. Fox in "Casualties of War" was actually very real, and during the scene in which Penn whispers something in his ear that ignites a fight, he actually berated Fox by calling him a "TV actor."

We also get to see how difficult it was to shoot the train sequence in "Carlito's Way," as Pacino was running around the sweltering hot NYC subway in a leather jacket.

Though "De Palma" certainly has the aesthetic of a DVD bonus feature or commentary track, its brisk pace and efficient editing ensure not a second is wasted. It never dwells on one sequence long enough to get boring, and his insights are equally enlightening whether he's talking about a well-regarded film like "Scarface" or a critically-maligned one like "Snake Eyes" or "The Black Dahlia." 

scarface pacinoThe biggest surprise of the film is how funny it, or rather Brian De Palma, is. He has a terrific sense of humor about his filmography, warts and all. The film's tagline could be "Holy mackerel," as De Palma proclaims this throughout a number of times as he waxes poetic. 

While he never lingers too long on the subject of his alleged misogyny that permeates through a number of his films, he's very sincere when discussing his "failures." It's all incredibly compelling, and those most familiar with his body of work will get the most out of it.

That's not to say it's for aficionados only — it also works as a decent introduction to his oeuvre that will inspire new fans to seek out the material.

"De Palma" may be a little rough around the edges and not as polished as most festival-bound documentaries, but it's hardly a detriment. The film skates by purely on the joy associated with letting its subject do all the talking. 

With its countless revelations — amusing, insightful, or otherwise — "De Palma" is a movie-lover's paradise. 

SEE ALSO: 'The Walk' really wants you to know how impressive it is

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How losing his dad on 9/11 at age 7 helped Pete Davidson become an 'SNL' star

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Getty Images pette davidson justin bieber roast

In March, "Saturday Night Live" star Pete Davidson shocked viewers with a twisted joke during the Comedy Central roast of Justin Bieber.

"I lost my dad on 9/11, and I always regretted growing up without a dad," he told the pop singer, "until I met your dad, Justin. Now I'm glad mine's dead."

The reaction to that joke included laughs, awkward silence, and groans. Everyone, though, paid attention.

 

"I like doing that," Davidson, 21, told The New York Times. "I like making things that are dark, awkward, weird things that you don't really find funny, funny."

He said a lot of that had to do with his father's death. Davidson, the youngest cast member of "SNL" last year, was 7 years old when his father died in the terrorist attack at the World Trade Center in 2001.

Pete DavidsonDavidson began doing stand-up at age 16. He had a hard time in high school and began to feel acceptance in the Manhattan comedy clubs his mother would drive him to from their home in Staten Island.

"I just blended in perfectly," he told The Times. "I feel very safe — you can say whatever you want."

It was here that he honed his craft and realized why he liked to bring humor from dark places. Much of it stems from what he went through after his father died.

"There's nothing I won't joke about, and I think it's because of what happened to me," he said. "That's the worst thing that could ever happen to somebody. Now it's just like, 'Who cares, man?'"

Davidson returns for a new season of "SNL" starting Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on NBC.

SEE ALSO: 'SNL' star Pete Davidson gives touching tribute to firefighter dad who died on 9/11

MORE: Meet Jon Rudnitsky, your newest 'SNL' featured player

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'Girls' actress Lena Dunham is still writing her own tweets, but won't check Twitter because it's not 'a safe space'

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"Girls" actress Lena Dunham and Twitter are over — or at least that's Dunham's vow.

On Monday, Dunham told Kara Swisher in a Re/code podcast that she had quit engaging with other users on Twitter. The reason why? One too many nasty encounters on social media. 

"It really, truly wasn't a safe space for me," she said.

Dunham says the issue isn't only with Twitter. On Instagram, she was attacked by some commenters when she uploaded a picture of herself in her boyfriend's boxers after she said her dog ate all of her underwear. A "rabid, disgusting debate" ensued about women's bodies and some scalding comments criticized the star's body.

"My Instagram page was somehow the hub for misogynists for the afternoon," she recalls.

lena dunham boyfriend's underwear

The caption for the picture above reads:

"TBH this was a rough week. It felt like my body, my hormones, my general sense of well-being were betraying me. I wanted to crumple into a pile or hide like a sweatshirt in the lost and found. And I felt as though there wasn't a way to ask for the space and time I needed without hurting someone else. What a shitty feeling, but isn't that the reality for so many of us? I am certainly no self-help guru but here is what I know tonight: when you take the time and space you need, kindly and responsibly, you're suddenly available to the people you love in a whole new way. There is no other answer (except Calvins... Nothing gets between us.)"

Dunham said this is part of the reason she no longer reads Gawker blog Jezbel, which she says is now "almost entirely full of  snark and cynicism." This is also why there isn't a comments section on Lenny, her new email newsletter which debuted in September. For her publication, she wants to create "snark-free" space that her readers still find funny. 

Three days after her interview with Swisher, Dunham wrote this tweet clarifying that she still does compose her own tweets, even if she doesn't read other people's:

Screen Shot 2015 10 01 at 9.44.05 AM

Dunham joins a long list of celebrities John Mayer, Jaden Smith, and Louis C.K., who all at some point vowed to ditch the social media platform in one form or another, according to The New York Times.

Join the conversation about this story »

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Neil deGrasse Tyson thinks 'Star Trek' is better than 'Star Wars' — but he prefers this show over them both

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Neil deGrasse Tyson is choosing sides in entertainment's space race between "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" – on scientific grounds, of course.

"I'm 'Star Wars' fluent, but I'm a bigger 'Trek' fan," Tyson, 56, told Rolling Stone as excitement around the next "Star Wars" chapter, "The Force Awakens," climbs.

He continued, "There's a promise of actual science going on in 'Star Trek' — but not so much in 'Star Wars.' I won't be first in line to see the new 'Star Wars.' I can wait until it's on video! But I applaud the fact that it has people thinking about space."

Tyson, who hosts National Geographic Channel's "Star Talk," also explained which TV shows he preferred during his youth. This time, "Star Trek" doesn't fare as well.

"I was a mild 'Star Trek' fan, but my favorite show then and now is 'The Twilight Zone,' especially the episode called 'The Invaders,'" he said.

Watch highlights from Tyson's favorite "Twilight Zone" episode below:

SEE ALSO: Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals the biggest misconceptions about the universe

MORE: An emotional robot just met Neil deGrasse Tyson and the results were adorably strange

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Spotify told us the top 20 songs people listen to in the shower — here they are

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ferris bueller singing in the shower

Spotify users like to sing along in the shower — or at least that's the implication of a fun fact shared recently by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek.

At a conference earlier this week, Ek revealed that there are 39,000 active playlists named "Shower." And these playlists get 550,000 streams every day. (No pun intended).

But what songs are these people listening to in the shower?

Business Insider reached out to Spotify to find out which songs go best with suds. Spotify's data team crunched the numbers for us, and came up with a playlist of the top 20 songs from users' shower mixes.

These are the 20 jams people like to play most when they are in the shower.

 

SEE ALSO: Amazon just made a big move to compete with Spotify and Apple Music

20. Maroon 5 - “Unkiss Me"

I lied to my heart 'cause I thought you felt it
You can't light a fire, if the candle's melted
No, you don't have to love me if you don't wanna
Don't act like I mean nothing
But if you're gonna, well, then you better



19. Bon Iver - “Skinny Love”

I told you to be patient
I told you to be fine
I told you to be balanced
I told you to be kind
Now all your love is wasted?
Then who the hell was I?



18. Earth, Wind & Fire - “September”

Do you remember the 21st night of September?
Love was changing the minds of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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'The Walking Dead' season 6 premiere is one of the show's most ambitious episodes

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the walking dead rick morgan

Thirty seconds into season six of “The Walking Dead” you’ll be asking yourself, “What is going on?”

Within a minute, you’re sure to be grinning.

This is what fans have been waiting for.

Tech Insider has seen the first new episode of “The Walking Dead,” returning to AMC Oct. 11, and season six wastes no time launching into a huge action sequence which plays across the entirety of the premiere.

I can't say much, but back in March, at the end of season 5, “The Walking Dead” showrunner Scott Gimple told fans, “for a good while now, humans have been the bigger threat. At the start of our next season, that will change.

Gimple delivers on that promise.

If you’re up to speed with Robert Kirkman’s comic series, you know what’s coming, and the season six premiere sets things in motion perfectly. (To be honest, it’s moving things along quicker than anticipated.)

Executive producer Greg Nicotero, who’s also responsible for the ever-decaying look of the zombies on the show, returns to the director’s chair for the premiere, so you know you’re in for a good ride. He’s delivered some of the series' best episodes. Season 3's "This Sorrowful Life" and season 5’s premiere “No Sanctuary” stand out.

the walking dead season 6 zombie

This is Nicotero’s 12th episode directing. He and Gimple have worked together on the previous two season openers, which have both been positively received.

While the season six premiere doesn't top the anxiety-ridden drama of the season five opener (seriously, how do you compete with an escape from murderous cannibals?), it certainly goes bigger.

I can’t divulge too much more about the episode without giving much away.

So what can we tell you?

The Ricktatorship is back!

the walking dead rick

You don’t want to mess with Rick. The fan-given moniker alluding to the way Rick governs over his group — generally it’s Rick’s way or the highway — lives up to its name in episode one. There's a scene with him where he gives a speech which may make fans of the series shiver in glee.

If you've seen the lengthy San Diego Comic-Con trailer, you've seen a hint: 

And while you're excited and rooting for Rick, there's a part of you that may start wondering whether you're still rooting for the right side. It's slightly reminiscent of how fans binge-watching AMC's other hit, "Breaking Bad," began to struggle with justifying Walter White's decisions toward the end of the series.

However, unlike Walt, Rick has a few voices of reason on his side.

Morgan!

the walking dead morgan reunites rick

What a sight it was to see Morgan (Lennie James) reunite with Rick during the season five finale … at quite possibly the worst moment he could reunite with Rick: Rick had just killed a guy, RIGHT after Morgan gave an entire speech about all life being precious. Talk about awkward.

Creator Robert Kirkman has already said Rick and Morgan’s interactions will be integral to the story this season and that’s extremely evident in the premiere.

The return of Morgan from seasons one and three adds a somber voice of reason to the group which may have started to disappear the longer Rick and his crew were on the road, living off of instinct. His scenes with Rick (Andrew Lincoln) have always been some of the series’ best. Fans have a lot to look forward to from his interactions with the rest of the gang, particularly Michonne (Danai Gurira).

morgan the walking dead lennie james

For viewers, the return helps show the group from an outsider’s perspective. Morgan is someone who has survived the apocalypse, and on his own nonetheless. The guy has a zen-like vibe. Now, that he’s in contact with the two very different groups — the laid-back, inexperienced Alexandrians and Rick’s ragtag supergroup of trained zombie warriors — he’s perhaps the most reliable narrator on the show.

Eugene is so awkward, it's hilarious.  

the walking dead eugene

There’s really not much else to say about Josh McDermitt's character. His scenes really stick out in the premiere.

A few new characters are also added to the bunch.

the walking dead heath

Be on the lookout for Heath (Corey Hawkins, “Straight Outta Compton”), another big character from the comics whose casting was announced back in June.

Yes, Daryl will be there.

the walking dead daryl

“The Walking Dead” has a habit of focusing more intently on select characters in single episodes due to the large ensemble. That’s not the case here. You’ll get a nice amount of screen time with most of the characters.

To be clear, the season six premiere is not the series’ finest. It gets a bit predictable.

There's a particular style in which the episode is done which adds intrigue and mystery to the set up of the premiere. (Again, spoilers, so I can’t say more.) It's brilliant for the episode’s first half, but once viewers figure out what exactly is going on, the allure starts to fade after the 30-minute mark.

Despite that, the episode, titled “"First Time Again," has some great moments and will get you excited for where the season is heading over the course of the first eight episodes.

We’ll leave you with this: Fans, this is a good time to go back and get reacquainted with the "No Way Out" volume — issues 79-84. In fact, be on the lookout for a verbal wink to it in the season premiere.

“The Walking Dead” returns to AMC Sunday, October 11 at 9 p.m.

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Forget CDs — streaming music now makes more money for the U.S. record industry

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Streaming is no longer the future of the music industry. It's the present.

According to RIAA statistics compiled here by Statista, streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music generated $1.028 billion in sales for the U.S. music industry in the first half of 2014, up 23% from last year. That's still behind digital downloads, but that portion of the industry is shrinking — down 4% from the first half of last year, to $1.268 million. 

As far as physical formats like CDs go? That segment is continuing its long plunge, with revenues dropping 17% from the first half of last year, and is now in third place behind downloads and streams.

20151001_Music_industry_BI

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Amazon plans to ban Apple and Google video-streaming devices (AMZN, AAPL, GOOG)

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Jeff Bezos

Amazon plans to stop selling Apple and Google video-streaming devices on its site, Bloomberg reports.

Amazon sent an email to its marketplace sellers declaring that on October 29, it will stop allowing new listings for Apple or Google video-streaming products, like Chromecast or the new Apple TV, because they don't work well with Amazon's own video-streaming service, Prime Video.

It will also take down old listings.

The move ratchets up the growing competition between Amazon, Google, and Apple.

Other popular video-streaming hardware that does "interact well" with Prime Video, like Roku and the Playstation, will still be sold on Amazon.

"Over the last three years, Prime Video has become an important part of Prime," Amazon said in the email, according to Bloomberg. "It’s important that the streaming media players we sell interact well with Prime Video in order to avoid customer confusion."

Google's Chromecast streaming stick could actually support the Amazon Prime Video app, because Google makes its software-development kit (SDK) openly available to all developers. Apple makes a beta version of its new tvOS SDK available.

In an email to Business Insider, an Amazon spokesperson added: "Roku, XBOX, PlayStation and Fire TV are excellent choices."

In the last few years, Amazon has made a huge investment in TV streaming, including releasing original shows and signing exclusive licensing agreements with networks like CBS.

By overtly removing the listings of two of its top TV-streaming-hardware competitors, Amazon highlights its own recently revamped devices — the $99 Fire TV and the $30 Fire Stick.

SEE ALSO: Amazon wants you to buy tablets like you would buy your beer

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Take a tour of the ultra-modern estate of 'Simpsons' co-creator Sam Simon, which you can buy for $18 million

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simpson's house interior

A sprawling Los Angeles estate that formerly belonged to Sam Simon, the late co-creator of "The Simpsons," has hit the market for $18 million.  

With a property that totals about 1.5 acres, the residence actually includes two homes: a chic modern residence and a second, more historic home designed by architect Richard Neutra in 1948. The house was part of Arts & Architecture magazine's postwar Case Study House Program, which commissioned architects to build affordable and modern homes.

Simon died in March 2015, after a battle with colon cancer. According to the Wall Street Journal, the property is being sold by Simon's estate, and the proceeds will be donated to charity.

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Both the home designed by Neutra (right) and the contemporary main house (left) sit in stunningly green surroundings in Pacific Palisades, California.

 

 

 



Neutra's 2,000-square-foot 1948 home was one of 34 designed as part of the Case Study House Program. Today, only 21 of the original homes remain standing.



At the time, Neutra built the residence for Stuart and Lucia Bailey, creating a clean and crisp living room that includes floor-to-ceiling glass.



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'How to Get Away With Murder' boss explains why he suddenly decided to make Viola Davis' character bisexual

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htgawm lesbian kissWarning: Spoilers ahead!

"How to Get Away With Murder" fans learned last week that Annalise Keating (Viola Davis) swings both ways.

"X-Men" actress Famke Jennsen is currently guest-starring as Eve Rothlow, a defense attorney and Annalise's former lesbian lover.

Meeting Eve has been a season in the making. If you recall, Annalise slipped a note to Nate (Billy Brown) after she framed him for her husband's murder on Season 1. It told him to fire his lawyer and call the number in the note. That would lead to Eve.

A former lesbian relationship may feel complicated, but "How to Get Away With Murder" creator Pete Nowalk hoped it would actually illuminate some things about Annalise.

"Her husband was having an affair and was possibly a murderer, and it was a very dark version of Annalise," he told Business Insider.

"I kept thinking, 'I wonder what Annalise was like before all of this happened ... She wasn’t always feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.' So that’s where the instinct came. I wanted to get a glimpse of who she was when she was our students’ age. From there, came the character of Eve."

htgawm lesbian kissing gifIn Nowalk's opinion, it worked.

"[Viola Davis] is one of the nicest, sweetest, joyful people I’ve ever met, and I wanted to give her a chance to show that side of Annalise as well," he said. "And what better way to do that than with your ex-girlfriend, who you might not be in contact with but when you see her. I think Annalise lightened up in a way that reminds us of who she used to be. It’s like when you see your old friends, you just become a college student again and that’s the kind of energy we wanted to bring on the show."

We may have seen a glimpse of that when Annalise took the college students to a club, so that they can all just loosen up and have some fun.

Although Jennsen was originally booked for two episodes, Nowalk told Business Insider "there’s a very good chance she’ll come back."

"I think Famke Janssen plays Eve wonderfully, because she brings the lighter and less heavy energy to the show," he said.

"How to Get Away With Murder" airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC.

SEE ALSO: Viola Davis used a Harriet Tubman quote from the 1800s to deliver an incredible speech after she made history at the Emmys

MORE: Viola Davis 'woman-ed up' for that unforgettable 'How to Get Away With Murder' vanity scene

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The stylish actors of the James Bond films, ranked

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All the actors who've played James Bond left a stylish footprint on the franchise.

Dressed in the prevailing fashions of their day, they set the benchmark for sharp style in their respective decades.

It's nearly impossible to judge which Bond has the most sartorial swagger.

But we did it anyway.

We decided to rank the most stylish Bonds in a modern context, to see which 007 stands up to fashion's tricky test of time.

Automatically, this 21st-century approach is supremely unfair to George Lazenby's ruffled dress shirt. But here we go ...

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6. Roger Moore

By putting Roger Moore in sixth place, we're by no means saying his Bond had no style. Again, all Bonds are stylish — and products of their time.

Unfortunately, Moore's 1970s style is a bit grandfatherly. Wide, patterned ties and gray, patterned sport coats do not make a very debonair James Bond.



5. Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton's Bond wore all the right clothes, from tuxedos to high-collared suits. But he didn't wear them convincingly.

He looked out of place in every suited-up scene, as if he much preferred combat gear. Dalton treated formal threads like a uniform he couldn't wait to take off. 



4. Pierce Brosnan

Pierce Brosnan's Bond knew how to rock a suit. Unfortunately, they made him look more like an international mogul than a slightly unhinged British secret agent.

He was a bit more convincing in a tuxedo — but he still looked like an executive at a charity gala, rather than an undercover spy.



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Hillary Clinton is set to appear on the 'Saturday Night Live' premiere

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