Quantcast
Channel: Business Insider
Viewing all 103316 articles
Browse latest View live

Mark Hamill is protecting fans from fake signed 'Star Wars' merchandise on Twitter

$
0
0

mickey mouse mark hamill

Mark Hamill has taken to Twitter in an effort to save "Star Wars" fans from spending money on items with fake autographs.

Fans have been sending the actor who plays Luke Skywalker photos of signed memorabilia, asking about their authenticity, and he's individually verifying or refuting the signatures. 

On Saturday, December 26, he verified a fan's question.

But on the 27th, he let a fan know that fake signatures are all too common.

He apologized to fans who have spent money on fraudulent items and urged them to look at real copies to learn how to confirm his signature on their own. When asked why he wasn't tired of responding to people, he said, "Because I owe it to all true fans to protect them from being victimized by dishonest dealers!"

Below is a series of some of his tweets: 

He finished responding to folks saying he would instead "like" a tweet if the signed item was real.

SEE ALSO: 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is the fastest movie to earn $1 billion at the box office

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 2 Millennials watched the original ‘Star Wars’ for the first time


Tons of people got hoverboards for Christmas, and immediately hurt themselves

$
0
0

Hoverboards are dangerous: besides exploding everywhere, they're tricky to ride.

Some new hoverboard owners had a bit of trouble mastering their devices over the holidays. There are videos all over the internet of people trying and failing to successfully ride their hoverboards for the first time. Some of those falls resulted in injuries (including one by a congressman), while others are merely hilarious.

If you were among those who struggled with one of the hottest gifts of the holiday season, don't fret, even professional baseball player Dan Uggla couldn't stay upright.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Stephen Parkhurst

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

INSIDER is on YouTube:  Subscribe here

SEE ALSO: Those popular hoverboards are exploding everywhere, officials warn

Join the conversation about this story »

Hacker group Anonymous is helping the 'Making a Murderer' convict and says it'll release critical new documents

$
0
0

making murderer netflix

It appears that hacking group Anonymous is trying to help Steven Avery, the subject of the new Netflix documentary series "Making a Murderer."

On Twitter, people believed to be part of the secretive hacking group have been attacking the veracity of the evidence pointing to Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey's guilt in the murder of Teresa Halbach, a photographer.

She was last seen on the Avery family's property in 2005 shooting photos of a car. Avery was later convicted of killing her and Dassey of helping him, and his case and its complications are investigated by "Making a Murderer."

The tweets — see below — show Manitowoc County Sheriff's Department's Sgt. Andrew Colborn during the trial and claim that the group will release documents on Tuesday, including an alleged evidence list and telephone records between Colborn and Sheriff's Department Lt. James Lenk.

Lenk and Colborn were suspected of discovering evidence that would have cleared Avery of the 1985 sexual assault and attempted murder of a female jogger. Avery spent 18 years in prison before being exonerated for the rape by DNA testing. Lenk and Colborn were named in Avery's subsequent $36 million civil suit against Manitowoc County.

The two officers were also instrumental in the investigation into the 2005 murder of Halbach with a focus on Avery, at the same time his civil suit was ongoing. Lenk would later find Halbach's car keys in Avery's room in plain view, despite being missed in previous searches.

Anonymous' alleged evidence list and phone records could shed some light on the officers' conduct during the Halbach investigation and trial that sent Avery back to prison with a life sentence. Dassey, who was 16 at the time of the trial, was tried as an adult and is also serving a life sentence.

SEE ALSO: Chelsea Handler is puzzled by Silicon Valley and streaming in new Netflix doc series trailer

DON'T MISS: 'Game of Thrones' star Momoa is getting his own action show on Netflix

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'House of Cards' ran a realistic-looking political ad during the Republican presidential debate

It would cost $900 billion in real life to save Matt Damon in all of his movies

$
0
0

The Martian

Rescuing Matt Damon isn't cheap.

Quora user posted on the question-and-answer site asking, "How much money has been spent attempting to bring Matt Damon back from distant places?"

The user cited "Saving Private Ryan," "Interstellar," and this year's "The Martian" as examples of films in which Damon's character must be rescued.

It turns out there are quite a few more.

Another user, Kynan Eng, calculated how much it would've actually cost to retrieve Damon from faraway places in his films, using 2015 currency rates. Eng also tallied the budgets of the movies in which he's rescued, all of which come to $729 million.

But to save Damon? Eng estimates it would reach a whopping $900 billion, with the space mission of "Interstellar" costing the most.

The breakdown is as follows:

Movie Budgets
"Courage under Fire": $46m
"Saving Private Ryan": $70m
"Titan AE": $75m
"Syriana": $50m
"Green Zone": $100m
"Elysium": $115m
"Interstellar": $165m
"The Martian": $108m
TOTAL: $729m

Fictional Costs of Saving Matt Damon
(costs are in 2015 currency)
"Courage Under Fire" (Gulf War 1 helicopter rescue): $300k
"Saving Private Ryan" (WW2 Europe search party): $100k
"Titan AE" (Earth evacuation spaceship): $200B
"Syriana" (Middle East private security return flight): $50k
"Green Zone" (US Army transport from Middle East): $50k
"Elysium" (Space station security deployment and damages): $100m
"Interstellar" (Interstellar spaceship): $500B
"The Martian" (Mars mission): $200B
TOTAL: $900B plus change 

SEE ALSO: These were the top 14 illegally downloaded movies in 2015

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'SNL' produced a perfect spoof ad making fun of adult 'Star Wars' nerds

CNN anchor passes out live on the air

$
0
0

poppy harlow fainted on CNN

CNN anchor Poppy Harlow showed true dedication to her work after fainting live on-air Monday. The pregnant broadcaster then recovered and said she and her baby were "fine."

The incident occurred as Harlow began a story about US President Barack Obama and a CNN/ORC poll that found that 74% of respondents didn't approve of how he's handling the fight on terrorism.

Then, while an on-air graphic filled the screen, Harlow began slurring her words, breathing irregularly, and then fell silent.

Viewers immediately noticed and began tweeting about what happened.

Later, the newswoman returned on-air and addressed the incident.

"For all of you on Twitter asking if I'm OK, thank you so much," Harlow said. "I got a little hot and I passed out for a moment. I am fine."

Afterward, the anchor went to the hospital and tweeted how she was doing to fans:

Watch the video in which Poppy Harlow faints and her amazing recovery below:

SEE ALSO: Republican presidential debate was CNN's highest-rated program ever with around 20 million viewers

DON'T MISS: Chaotic video shows cop pushing CNN reporter while the cameras were rolling

Join the conversation about this story »

Netflix devised the ultimate way to get your kids to go to bed early on New Year's Eve

$
0
0

netflix new years eve countdown video

Do you wish you could spend New Year's Eve with your kids — and then with your partying adult friends? Netflix has a solution.

It has developed a series of New Year's Eve countdowns that can be played for kids at whatever time parents want, according to a press release.

Are the kids supposed to be in bed by 9 p.m.? Well, that's just as good as midnight with these new videos, if you don't mind tricking your little ones a bit.

Kids can choose their favorite New Year's Eve countdown hosts from a selection of their favorite cartoon characters. They include characters from "Care Bears & Cousins," "Inspector Gadget," and "Mr. Peabody & Sherman" among many others.

"And we won't tell them it's not midnight if you don't," the countdowns' trailer promises.

netflix new years eve video

Clearly, Netflix is in the business of giving its members what they want and when they want it. According to the company's research, 49% of parents in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia would do the countdown with their kids by 9 p.m.

In fact, Netflix says 41% of American parents already have or plan to use some kind of fake New Year's Eve countdown with their kids. Sneaky.

Just go to Netflix on December 31 and play any one of the fun 10-second countdowns at whatever time you want your kids to say hello to 2016.

And if a quiet, relaxing New Year's Eve is more your speed, you can always get comfy on the couch and switch over to Netflix's fake-fireplace video.

Watch the trailer for the New Year's Eve countdowns below:

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'Fuller House' gets its first teaser welcoming back the Tanner family

MORE: Chelsea Handler is puzzled by Silicon Valley and streaming in new Netflix doc series trailer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 'House of Cards' ran a realistic-looking political ad during the Republican presidential debate

A grandma had the best reaction ever to virtual reality

$
0
0

On Christmas morning, an 88-year-old grandmother named Marie experienced virtual reality for the first time, using a Google Cardboard headset.

The video of her deliriously happy reaction is a reminder that new technology has the ability to thrill every one of us.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Stephen Parkhurst

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

INSIDER is on YouTube: Subscribe here

SEE ALSO: Tons of people got hoverboards for Christmas, and immediately hurt themselves

Join the conversation about this story »

This 14-year-old makes up to $1,500 a night eating dinner in front of a webcam in South Korea


What the 'Spectre' credits would've been like with a Radiohead song that was never used

$
0
0

thom yorke radiohead spotify

Radiohead lead singer Thom Yorke gave his Twitter followers a nice present when, on Christmas Day, he tweeted a song that he says was originally going to be in the opening for the latest James Bond movie, “Spectre.”

 

 

The film went with Sam Smith’s "Writing's on the Wall" instead, but thanks to the internet we can now see how the Radiohead song would play in the opening credits.

It fits surprisingly well. In fact, we kind of like this one more.

SEE ALSO: These were the top 10 illegally downloaded TV shows in 2015

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's why people are obsessed with 'Minecraft'

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker was originally supposed to be in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

$
0
0

tumblr_mcxqo0EQoB1qzx58yo1_1280

It sounds like Ewan McGregor wasn’t the only person from the “Star Wars” prequels who was supposed to appear in “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Not long after director J.J. Abrams revealed that McGregor came in and lent his voice for Rey’s dream sequence in the new movie, it turns out the film’s concept artist, Iain McCaig, had Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in two of the prequels, in mind when sketching one particular scene, which would've involved the ghost of Anakin.

According to ScreenCrush, this is how McCaig came up with the idea, as featured in the "Art of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'" book:

“‘When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.’ That inspired me to propose, for the first time, that Anakin’s ghost could come back […] If we see Anakin Skywalker, because he does flow back and forth between Darth Vader and Anakin, let’s see him as a character with a dark and light side. The reason Luke is this whole new entity is because he was the first to acknowledge his own dark side — that it was not separate from him.”

If you’ve seen the movie, you know that Anakin (as Christensen or Darth Vader) doesn’t appear in the movie, though Darth Vader's mask does make a cameo.

Which makes you wonder if this might be an option in future films.

SEE ALSO: Mark Hamill is protecting fans from faked signed "Star Wars" merchandise on Twitter

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Americans try saying the 58-letter town name that mesmerized the internet in 2015

Here's the first photo of Bran Stark's grownup return on 'Game of Thrones'

$
0
0

Once in a while, it's nice to know someone is returning to "Game of Thrones" for sure.

In July, Business Insider reported that actor Isaac Hempstead-Wright, who plays Bran Stark, was returning that month to work on season six. And today, Entertainment Weekly shared the first photo of the older handicapped prince with the special powers.

bran star season 6 hbo isaac hempstead wright

Missing in action since the end of season four, Bran has let go of the long locks, baby fat, and stands at about six feet tall. And he's ready to bring some twists to the next season of the hit HBO fantasy drama.

“It’s going to get particularly interesting with Bran. He has some interesting visions,” Isaac Hempstead-Wright told the Irish Examiner earlier this year.

Game Thrones Jon Snow Bran Rob StarkBelieved dead by most of those gaming for the throne, Bran was most recently seen surviving an attack by wights (the White Walkers' reanimated minions). Since then, viewers have assumed he's been working on his powers away from the chess play around the throne. As a "warg," Bran has the ability to enter the minds of animals and humans. He also has prophetic visions or "greensight."

His return might turn out to be a game-changer as Stark loyalists could rally around him (especially after what happened to Jon Snow). There could also be some revenge to be had against the Lannisters. Bran lost the use of his legs after being pushed out of a tower window by Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in a bid to keep his incestuous relationship with his sister, Cersei (Lena Headey), a secret (Bran had seen them together).

There could also be some revenge to be had against the Lannisters. Bran lost the use of his legs after being pushed out of a tower window by Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) in a bid to keep his incestuous relationship with his sister, Cersei (Lena Headey), a secret (Bran had seen them together).

Whatever occurs with his return, it will definitely change the course of events when "Game of Thrones" returns in April.

SEE ALSO: Fans were so outspoken about this disturbing 'Game of Thrones' scene that parts of the upcoming season were actually changed

MORE: These photos provide even more evidence Jon Snow is coming back on 'Game of Thrones'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How the 'Game of Thrones' cast reacted when a Comic Con audience member shouted about Jon Snow

How Taylor Swift and other celebrities showed off their holiday vacations on Instagram

$
0
0

Taylor Swift

If you ever wondered how wealthy, connected celebrities enjoy Christmas and the time off it affords, Instagram offers a porthole — as was proved this year when Taylor Swift posted a picture of herself dressed in an elf onesie.

From celebrating babies' first Christmases to sharing vacation pictures, check out how some stars took in the holidays below:

SEE ALSO: Here's the lavish way the 'Rich Kids of Instagram' spent their holidays

Taylor Swift

Swift dressed like an elf to show her Christmas spirit and added a holiday twist to a lyric from Drake's "Hotline Bling."

You used to call me on my elf phone.

A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on



She also spent the holiday with boyfriend Calvin Harris. They built a snowman along with her brother, Austin.

Really proud of ourselves over here.

A photo posted by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on



Mindy Kaling

Kaling spent her Christmas in Hawaii, sharing a number of selfies and pictures of beautiful scenery. She couldn't avoid using a pun and wished everyone a "Maui Christmas."

Maui Christmas heh heh. Do you see the rainbow?

A photo posted by Mindy Kaling (@mindykaling) on



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' is now officially the highest-grossing 'Star Wars' movie

$
0
0

the force awakens disney

After earning $31.4 million in North America on Monday, "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" now has a domestic total of $571.4 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter

That now makes it the highest-grossing movie in the "Star Wars" franchise, not adjusting for inflation.

"The Phantom Menace" previously had the highest gross in the series with $431 million at the domestic box office over its lifetime and $1 billion worldwide, which "Force Awakens" has also beaten.

It is just the latest in mind-blowing records the film has broken since it was released on December 18.

The next will come in the next few days when it hits the $600 million mark at the domestic box office, making it the fifth film in history to cross the mark after "The Avengers" ($623.4 million), "Jurassic World" ($652.3 million), "Titanic" (658.7 million), and "Avatar" (760.5 million). And THR is projecting that the film could pass "Avatar" by this weekend.

Worldwide, "The Force Awakens" has earned $1.16 billion, now placing it in 10th place all-time

SEE ALSO: 8 burning questions everyone has about "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and the most logical answers

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 incredible things ‘Back to the Future Part II’ got right about 2015

The top illegally downloaded movies of 2015

This news bulletin from the 1978 'Star Wars Holiday Special' shows how the world is pretty much the same

$
0
0

In honor of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" we watched the 1978 "Star Wars Holiday Special," which focused on Chewbacca and the wookie's other family members. As bizarre as the televised holiday special was, the commercial breaks were equally captivating, highlighting technology that is no longer widely used, and illustrating just how different life seems nowadays.

For example, during one of the breaks, CBS aired a 45-second news bulletin, which shows how little things have changed since 1978. From US tensions with Russia, to former government employees revealing national secrets, and the broadcast news obsession with winter weather updates, some things will never change.

And of course, this holiday season many people around the globe are watching the latest "Star Wars" canon, just like they were back in 1978.

Story and editing by Andrew Fowler

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

SEE ALSO: A church took the 'Star Wars' frenzy as an opportunity to teach a biblical lesson

Join the conversation about this story »


Jennifer Lawrence turned Hollywood upside down in 2015

$
0
0

Jennifer Lawrence had an amazing year. She had another hit with the final "Hunger Games" movie, and she could get another Oscar nomination for "Joy."

But it wasn't just her acting that rocked Hollywood. 

She also wrote a letter that shook the movie industry. In the letter, she outlines how she got paid less than her male co-stars on "American Hustle," and goes on to say that she's done "trying to find the 'adorable' way to state [her] opinion and still be likable."

This led to a broader conversation about the wage gap in Hollywood, and inspired other actors, such as Sandra Bullock, to speak out.

"Why are women thought of as less than? Why do we allow that thought? Thank god for Jennifer Lawrence and her ability to point the finger at herself..." Bullock said in an interview.

Later this year, Hollywood's highest-ranking executives met to create more opportunities for women in entertainment.

"I felt like I had to say something because we need to talk about it. We can ask for the same exact thing that men do. And we do face the reality that we do get judged more. It's just something that is intrinsic. And I would love to see change," Lawrence told Diane Sawyer in an interview.

Lawrence is currently the highest-paid actress in the world. According to Forbes, she made $52 million in 2015.

Story and editing by Andrew Fowler

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

SEE ALSO: Jennifer Lawrence was told she was 'too pretty' for the role that made her famous

Join the conversation about this story »

One Wall Street analyst thinks the WWE's 2 biggest stars have peaked (WWE)

$
0
0

john cena

John Cena and Brock Lesnar have been fixtures of the World Wrestling Entertainment scene for years.

Drawing viewers and attention, they contributed to bringing in the record $540 million in revenue for WWE in 2014. Cena alone was estimated to be worth over $100 million for WWE in 2013.

According to one Wall Street analyst, however, that's all topping out.

James Clement at Macquarie Capital tracks the WWE in monthly research notes on the company. As an entertainment company, the WWE is focused on using stars to draw bigger crowds and more pay-per-view subscribers to its events.

Clement wrote in a note Tuesday that Cena and Lesnar have peaked as draws.

"[Cena and Lesnar] are, in our opinion, WWE’s most popular stars but both have probably reached their popularity ceiling," said Clement. "In other words, we don’t see either taking WWE’s popularity to the next level, particularly among some of WWE’s younger, newer fans."

This also presents a problem as the WWE has launched its own over-the-top subscriber network and driving new customers to the year-and-a-half old network is key, even according CEO Vince McMahon

brock lesnar wwe summerslam

After an initial uptick, the number of subscribers stagnated in the second half of 2015. The network went from 1.156 million subscribers at the end of June to 1.173 million at the end of September according to company financial releases. Estimates had pegged the total before 3Q earnings somewhere between 1.275-1.325 million according to Clement.

Clement described this as a "pause" in new subscribers and emphasized the need to invest in new stars.

roman reigns dean ambrose wwe summerslam"In [Roman] Reigns and [Dean] Ambrose, WWE can build consolidated brand value by continuing to hone their personalities both in the ring and on the microphone and create a deeper talent roster at the main event level," wrote Clement.

Without those draws, there could be worries over continued subscriber weakness, which would be bad news for WWE's stock.

"If WWE can’t resume building its Network subscriber base on a year-over-year basis during [WrestleMania] season, the stock will likely see some weakness."

In order for the WWE to succeed it needs big stars, and at least according to Clement those stars may not be Cena and Lesnar.

SEE ALSO: A professor has calculated how much blowing up the Death Star in 'Star Wars' would set back gross galactic product

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Jim Cramer blasts the Fed’s Bullard and Lockhart for ‘not caring about the facts'

There was a 'Star Wars' made-for-TV movie you've never heard of — starring only Ewoks

$
0
0

In 1984, the world got a "Star Wars" TV movie called "Caravan of Courage." It was a year after "Return of the Jedi," and long before the prequel trilogy and this year's "The Force Awakens."

"Caravan of Courage" focused almost entirely on Ewoks, and even seemed like a nature documentary on them at times.

Ewoks are one of the most controversial creations in the "Star Wars" universe. When they were first introduced in "Return of the Jedi," many fans didn't find it plausible that an army of teddy bears could help defeat the Empire. Originally, Endor was going to be made up of Wookies, but, as many claim, George Lucas may have had toy sales in mind when he replaced them with Ewoks.

Somehow, these Ewoks ended up with their own movie. It's cheesy, feels like it's aimed at children, and it certainly lacks the budget of the original films. Yet, it spawned a sequel.

Either way, it's better than the infamous holiday special

Story by Ian Phillips and editing by Stephen Parkhurst

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

INSIDER is on YouTube: Subscribe here

SEE ALSO: This news bulletin from the 1978 'Star Wars Holiday Special' shows how the world is pretty much the same

Join the conversation about this story »

Michael Moore says Donald Trump will 'absolutely' be the Republican candidate

$
0
0

Michael Moore Kevin Winter Getty

Michael Moore has never been one to hold back his opinions, so when the Oscar-winning filmmaker airs his thoughts about Donald Trump, it tends to make news.

In a recent conversation with Business Insider to talk about his new movie “Where to Invade Next,” he made a bold prediction when discussing the polarizing presidential hopeful.

“Donald Trump is absolutely going to be the Republican candidate for president of the United States,” Moore told BI. “It’s going from being a joke to being a serious reality.”

Moore elaborated by saying that "people are feeling more and more that we've moved back into a darker time."

But the progressive documentary director thinks it's impossible that Trump will become president, because, as he puts it, “81 percent of the country is either women, people of color, or youth between the ages of 18 to 31,” groups that he says Trump has alienated.

donald trumpMoore believes the selection of the next president will come down to the voter turnout by the Democrats.

“My side of of the political fence is the slacker side of the fence,” Moore said. “When people ask me, 'Who should we vote in the primaries?' I say, ‘You should vote for who you think should be president.’ Don't vote for who has a better chance, because whoever has a ‘D’ by their name on the ballot is going to win, assuming we get the vote out.”

And right now, he sees Bernie Sanders having the edge over Hillary Clinton.

“My biggest concern about Hillary right now is her lack of inspiration," Moore said. “She doesn't get big crowds. There's not a lot of excitement about her. Too many young people see her as the same-old, same-old politics. So she is going to have to have a bit of what Obama had and a bit of what Bernie has if she's going to be the candidate. I honestly believe that Bernie Sanders could be elected president of the United States. I think people will pour out in droves to elect him and there's just not enough angry white guys anymore over the age of 35 to put Trump in office.”

SEE ALSO: We asked Michael Moore about the gun-violence epidemic, his new movie, and why Donald Trump will get the Republican nomination

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Donald Trump on the Lewinsky scandal: It's 'fair game'

George Lucas wanted Leonardo DiCaprio to play Anakin Skywalker in 'Star Wars' but he passed on the role

$
0
0

leonardo dicaprio

Ah, what could have been.

Leonardo DiCaprio got the look from George Lucas to play Anakin Skywalker in the "Star Wars" prequels, but the young actor says he passed.

(Foolish, Leo!)

DiCaprio, Cinemablend explains, had just become a household name after starring in "Titanic" in 1997 when Lucas came calling. DiCaprio was considered for the role of Skywalker, Luke's father, who later turns into Darth Vader. 

In an interview with Short List, DiCaprio said he had "talks" with Lucas about the role but ultimately decided he "just didn’t feel ready to take that dive at that point."

Instead the role was snagged by Hayden Christensen.

We don't feel too badly for DiCaprio. He's made a lot of smart movie choices and had a heck of a career. Between his new hit movie The Revenant, The Departed, Wolf of Wall Street and Inception, he's done just fine.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The only person who kept their composure after the Miss Universe disaster was Miss Colombia

Viewing all 103316 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images