With film festivals like Telluride, Venice, and Toronto behind us, and the New York Film Festival underway in October, award season is becoming clearer. Which means it's (already) time for Oscar predictions.

The 2017 Academy Awards will be filled with familiar faces like Martin Scorsese and Meryl Streep and newcomers to the season like Mahershala Ali (Remy from "House of Cards") and Ruth Negga (Tulip from "Preacher").

At least, that's how things seem to stand at the moment. 

Award-season bets are constantly changing, with "sure things" suddenly falling off the board once the movie starts making the rounds to voters. And underdogs can find their way in as we get to the Oscar voting deadline at the end of December.

Here's our first pass at the movies and talent that have a chance to take home Oscar gold:

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Best Picture

In the running:

“Arrival”
“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk”
“Jackie”
“La La Land”
“Manchester By The Sea”
“Moonlight”
“Silence”
“Sully”

If the Oscars were handed out today the winner would be: "La La Land." The movie is a love letter to the forgotten musical (remember, most of the Academy voters are on the older side), the creativity of the story by writer-director Damien Chazelle is incredible, and the performances by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are some of the best of the year. 

Best Director

In the running:

Damien Chazelle, “La La Land”
Garth Davis, “Lion”
Clint Eastwood, “Sully”
Barry Jenkins, “Moonlight”
Kenneth Lonergan, “Manchester By The Sea”
Nate Parker, “The Birth of a Nation”
Martin Scorsese, “Silence”
Denis Villeneuve, “Arrival”

If the Oscars were handed out today the winner would be: Damien Chazelle for "La La Land." Like I mentioned in best picture, Chazelle weaves a powerful story about love and loss. His creative eye and strong storytelling will make him hard to beat. Plus the Academy loved his previous movie "Whiplash."

Best Actor

In the running:

Casey Affleck, “Manchester By The Sea”
Ryan Gosling, “La La Land”
Tom Hanks, “Sully”
Michael Keaton, “The Founder”
Matthew McConaughey, “Gold”
Nate Parker, “The Birth of a Nation”
Dev Patel, “Lion”
Denzel Washington, “Fences”

If the Oscars were handed out today the winner would be: Casey Affleck. His performance in "Manchester By the Sea" is emotionally charged while being very subdued. Affleck has shown he's capable of carrying a film in the past, but in this one he is the film.

On Thursday, Discovery Communications poured $100 million into a new holding company called Group Nine Media, which ties together four media brands: Thrillist, NowThis, The Dodo, and Seeker (Discovery's digital network).

The impetus for Group Nine, according to Thrillist CEO Ben Lerer, who will run it, is a macro trend in digital media toward consolidation.

“Consolidation is coming to media,” he tells Business Insider, referencing big investments by NBC in Vox and BuzzFeed, as well as the pickup of Gawker’s assets by Univision, and the sale of Business Insider to Axel Springer.

This is just the start, according to Lerer.

The new TV

Here’s Lerer’s theory: There are a few digital media brands that are set up to take advantage of a world dominated by distributed video, meaning video that lives everywhere you are. They know how to make video for YouTube or Facebook or Snapchat or whatever is next.

But these companies can't get onto TV, which is a critical market, unless they have help from a big partner who knows the ropes (like Discovery).

“Linear TV isn’t dead yet,” Lerer says. And TV is a lucrative business, especially while a huge chunk of the ad dollars are still there. That’s why you see companies like Vice, Vox, Ozy, and others pushing onto traditional TV.

Lerer thinks Group Nine needs to get there.

“All of [The Group Nine] brands should be creating longform [video] content,” Lerer says. And Discovery agrees.

One big goal of the new holding company is to figure out how to bridge the gap between the video these companies are creating for the internet and traditional TV.

Lerer doesn’t claim to have the answer yet, but he says since the announcement of Group Nine, he’s gotten six notes from TV execs asking about creating something together. He's being taken more seriously as a partner for TV. That's what $100 million from Discovery will do for you.

The ideal outcome for all the Group Nine companies is creating a 360-degree product that spans both the world of social media and the world of TV. That’s what Discovery is betting $100 million on. (The company is a minority investor, but has the option to buy a controlling stake.)

The Lerer family

A big part of the creation of Group Nine comes down to Lerer’s family. Ben’s father Ken, who cofounded NowThis, has been instrumental in many New York digital media companies including The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and even Business Insider, where he was an investor and board member until the sale to Axel Springer. His sister Izzie founded The Dodo.

The family element “made [the deal] possible,” Ben Lerer says. “There was 1,000% transparency … No posturing or staredowns.” There was trust, and a frank discussion of whether the move would be best for Thrillist, NowThis, and The Dodo.

Goodbye to raising money all the time

Lerer sounds relieved at the prospect of freeing himself, at least partially, from raising money.

“You get to pick your head up from the grind of constant fundraising,” he says. “Of worrying where the next [metaphorical] meal is coming from.” He calls that process “exhausting,” “frustrating,” and “stressful.” Lerer last raised in late 2015, when he took in $54 million and split Thrillist and its e-commerce wing, JackThreads, into separate companies.

Lerer is honest about his alignment with Discovery, and the $100 million infusion, providing a certain sense of security. He can breathe a bit easier, for a moment.

Then he has to figure out how to create that 360 product Discovery, and his family, are counting on.

SEE ALSO: Netflix is 12 times as popular as its streaming competitors among younger viewers

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"Westworld" might be HBO's hottest new property, and its best bet at a drama hit in a while, but the bones of the sci-series are old.

In addition to being based on the 1973 film of the same name, which was written and directed by legendary author Michael Crichton, HBO's adaptation tips its hat to a number of other influences — from video games to another Crichton classic.

"Westworld" the show focuses on androids in a futuristic Western theme park where guests can enjoy all the sex and killing they want. But slowly we notice malfunctions in the robots that lead to interesting questions about AI and humanity itself.

Here are the biggest influences on "Westworld":

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"Jurassic Park"

"Jurassic Park," the movie version of Crichton's novel, is an obvious touchstone in HBO's "Westworld," where lifelike robots seemingly made out of dead humans have been programmed for the amusement of humans... until it all starts to go very, very wrong.

Yeah, it's basically "Jurassic Park" but with robots.

"Park" and "Westworld" both question the motivations of futuristic science that meddles with the natural state of things.

"A.I."

If you're at all familiar with the Steven Spielberg sci-fi epic, it's hard to watch "Westworld" without thinking of it. Though completely different in style, "A.I." proposed a question that echoes "Westworld": What happens when you program a boy-robot to love?

In "Westworld," the robots are so lifelike it's hard to distinguish them from the real thing. As one android says, "If you can't tell, does it matter?" Certain robots have become infected with "reveries" that resemble memories. They seem more real with every passing day.

And like Haley Joel Osment's David, the "Westworld" 'bots just seem kind of... sad all the time.

"Lost"

In addition to the deep philosophy, there's a grand mythology at work in HBO's "Westworld." After all, this is the show meant to follow up the success of "Game of Thrones." But the mythology here more closely mirrors "Lost," on which the survivors bumped into one puzzle after another on an island. (Reddit has even branded "Westworld" "the new 'Lost.'") Like that island, the Westworld park seems to have a deeper level that the Man in Black is trying to access. What is hiding there?

Let's just hope the whole mystery doesn't fall off the rails this time.

Raids are, by far, the best activities in "Destiny," the first-person shooting game from the original makers of "Halo."

They require six players (but can be accomplished with fewer), lots of coordination, lots of time, and lots of shooting and puzzle-solving. They're challenging, thrilling, and reward you with some of the best loot in the game.

Now, I've played over 1,000 hours of "Destiny" since its 2014 launch, but on Wednesday night I finally tried (and beat) the latest raid in "Destiny," called "Wrath of the Machine." You can play this new raid if you've purchased the latest "Rise of Iron" expansion, which launched in September.

With Wrath of the Machine, "Destiny" now has four completely different raids, so I thought it'd be fun to rank them all. I've rated these raids based on their difficulty, their rewards, and the overall experience. You might have different opinions based on your own personal experiences — and I'd love to hear them! — but here's what I came up with.

4. KING'S FALL

What is it?

King's Fall was the raid exclusive to "The Taken King" expansion, which launched last September.

What's the goal?

Your goal in King's Fall is to storm the Dreadnaught, a massive alien warship, and kill its leader: Oryx, a.k.a. "The Taken King."

What's it like?

The King's Fall raid has nine separate areas — some platforming areas, some puzzles, and lots of shooting — and four bosses. All the bosses, and many of the other activities as well, require a great deal of coordination. It's not for the faint of heart.

NBC's "Saturday Night Live" mocked the highs and lows of last Sunday's presidential debate on this weekend's episode.

At the top of the sketch that opened Saturday's episode, moderator Martha Raddatz (played by Cecily Strong) welcomed the viewing audience to "the second and worst ever presidential debate." Before starting, she and Anderson Cooper (Alex Moffat) took shots.

"Now let's get this nightmare started," "Raddatz" said.

Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon – in the roles of Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, respectively – took the stage and circled each other in a sort of war dance.

Of course, Trump would have to answer to the vulgar tape leaked from a 2005 appearance on "Access Hollywood." But as we all know, he had a trick up his sleeve.

"Listen, what I said is nothing compared to Bill Clinton has done, OK. He has abused women," he answered. "Anderson, Martha, hold on to your nips and your nuts, because four of them are here tonight."

In response, "Clinton" feigned sadness before saying, "Get real. I'm made of steel, this is nothing. Hi girls!"

"Trump" then jumped in and accused his opponent of trying to silence the women. But when asked about the women who are accusing him of sexual misconduct, he answered, "They need to shut the hell up."

The rest of the debate captured Trump's stalking of Clinton around the stage, and the surprise star from the audience, Ken Bone.

Watch the sketch below:

SEE ALSO: How the vulgar Donald Trump tape from 2005 was discovered at NBC and leaked to the public

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Donald Trump on Sunday ripped Alec Baldwin's impression of the Republican presidential nominee on "Saturday Night Live" and called for the show to be canceled.

"Watched Saturday Night Live hit job on me. Time to retire the boring and unfunny show. Alec Baldwin portrayal stinks. Media rigging election!" Trump wrote on Sunday.

Trump's criticism came after Saturday's episode spoofed his performance during the second presidential debate.

The sketch highlighted his 2005 comments boasting about groping women and kissing them without their consent, and it mocked how he appeared to lurk onstage behind Clinton during the debate.

The real-estate mogul wasn't the only one who has noticed a shift in how Trump has been portrayed on SNL.

Television critics have noted that the depiction of the real-estate magnate has taken a darker turn since Baldwin stepped into the role at the beginning of the season. 

Trump has appeared on the show multiple times and hosted on the show in November, even at one point standing alongside previous Trump impersonators Darrell Hammond and Taran Killam.

SEE ALSO: A top group supporting Hillary Clinton is unleashing an ad blitz aimed at millennials

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NOW WATCH: Here's how Paul Ryan can become the next president

When Rockstar Games isn't busy making new entries in the outrageously popular "Grand Theft Auto" game series, it's got a few other blockbusters up its sleeves. 

Perhaps you remember 2012's "Max Payne 3," which took players on a booze-fueled, bullet-riddled, pulp action-adventure journey through Brazil? Or maybe, like millions of other people, you helped John Marston deliver frontier justice in 2010's Western epic "Red Dead Redemption"? 

Point is: Rockstar Games, with few exceptions, only makes bangers — huge, blockbuster hits. And Rockstar Games just started teasing its next big game.

The image above appeared on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. ET on Rockstar's blog and the company's social media channels. But what could it mean?

Well, it almost certainly teases an imminent game announcement, and we're betting that game announcement is a (long-awaited) sequel to "Red Dead Redemption." Beyond the red Rockstar logo and slightly faded outline around it — it's red! and it's faded/worn, just like the old west! — Rockstar's not giving us much to go on.

But we do have a working knowledge of recent leaks and historical precedent to helps us out.

First and most prominently, an image of a map made the rounds back in April that was supposedly from "Red Dead Redemption 2"; TechRadar says it confirmed the map as tied to a "Red Dead" sequel. Based on information in that leak, it looks like the sequel to "Red Dead Redemption" may be a prequel story. 

So, what else is pointing to a new "Red Dead" game being in the works? The sales history of "Red Dead Redemption" certainly doesn't hurt: over 14 million copies sold as of August 2015. 

And that's before taking into account Rockstar's more recent history with the game — it just recently got added to the Xbox One through backwards compatibility. That's no small feat: work has to be done by both Rockstar and Microsoft to get that game up and running on the Xbox One. It's almost like, I don't know, Rockstar is trying to prime fans of the first game to get excited for a sequel. Imagine that!

Rockstar Games hasn't responded to a request for comment on the tease. It's not clear when we'll learn more, but we'd expect to hear something sooner than later.

SEE ALSO: No 'Grand Theft Auto' game has ever looked this good

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NOW WATCH: Here's your first look at the newest PlayStations

The Mar-a-Lago Club is Donald Trump's Florida resort and home base outside Manhattan.

It's the top-ranked spa in Palm Beach on TripAdvisor, and gets four full stars on Yelp. But what's it really like to stay there?

James Taylor, the famous singer-songwriter, spent a week there with his wife and children to perform at a charity gala on the property. His wife, Caroline, penned an account of their stay at the Mar-a-Lago for Vanity Fair.

Calling herself and her husband "dyed-in-the-wool, yellow dog Democrats," Caroline Taylor still attempts to offer an unbiased review of the hotel.

See what it's like to stay at the ultimate in lavish Trump real estate below.

Raisa Bruner wrote an earlier version of this post.

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump's empire is under siege as his glamorous image fades

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Mar-a-Lago is a beach and pool club and spa, with rooms, suites, and cottages spread over 20 acres. The club has been the site of everything from Trump's most recent wedding to Maya Angelou's 80th birthday party, hosted by Oprah Winfrey.

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Source: Mar-a-Lago Club

It's one of the most "exotic, larger-than-life" hotels Taylor says she's ever visited. The 118-room resort was built in the 1920s by Marjorie Merriweather Post, America's richest woman, until she bequeathed it to the US government and it fell into disrepair.

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Source: The New York Times

Trump scooped it up in 1985 for less than $10 million, renovated it, and ultimately turned it into the society destination it is today. Taylor describes the clientele as "lacquered blondes" wearing "five-inch Louboutins."

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Sources: The New York Times, Vanity Fair

In the HBO series "Westworld," Ed Harris plays a mysterious "man in black" who gets extremely violent with the hosts in the theme park. Aside from the fact that he is a "VIP" guest, we know very little about his character. But some eagle-eyed fans of the show on Reddit have picked up on some clues in the first few episodes that possibly explain who he really is. WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

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Anthony Bourdain spent decades in the restaurant industry, first as an executive chef before becoming a celebrity travel guide 16 years ago.

Over that time, he's seen the American food industry change drastically for the better, but an uptick in snobbery is the other side of the double-edged sword, he said.

"I don't need a 10-minute description of my food," he told Business Insider earlier this year, ahead of Season 7 of his Emmy-winning CNN show "Parts Unknown." It returns for its eighth season on October 16.

As for this emphasis on buzzwords like "artisanal" and "farm to table" and the ensuing descriptions about product sourcing, Bourdain said, "Look, it's annoying but not the worst thing in the world. At least people are interested enough to want to know the details."

He said he's glad chefs want to emphasize fresh ingredients and that customers are savvy enough to embrace them, but he doesn't want snobbery to overtake the restaurant scene to the point where no one is having fun.

"You can't be a great food writer and a snob about food and just want fancy, expensive ingredients," he said. "You have to appreciate the qualities of a properly greasy fast-food burger."

This applies for the grocery store as well. He's also sick of what can seem like people's obsession with overpriced organic food.

"A couple years ago, I'm holding my daughter's hand and I walk into the supermarket in my neighborhood — I live in the Upper East Side," he said of grocery shopping in New York City. "We're there to buy oranges and lemons, right? And there's the organic produce and the nonorganic sections. And I automatically head over to the nonorganic and I look around and there are all these Upper East Side housewives looking at me like I'm a f---ing war criminal and they're about to call child-protective services. It was so bad that I slump over to the organic section just so these ladies wouldn't hate me."

SEE ALSO: Anthony Bourdain discusses the new season of 'Parts Unknown,' his favorite restaurants, and how he went from outsider chef to the top of the food world

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NOW WATCH: Truffle oil is not made from truffles and world-famous chefs are refusing to use it

Subscription services that deliver a themed box of goods to your door have exploded in popularity in recent years. Now the industry is full of successful start-ups like Loot Crate, which delivers geek items and apparel to your door. Loot Crate founder Chris Davis came by to tell us how the idea of delivering "Comic Con in a box" became a $160 million business.

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For over five decades and 70-plus movies, German director Werner Herzog has given us some of the most powerful stories ever put on-screen. At 74 years old, he has no plans to slow down.

Known for his on-the-fringes tales ranging from the fictional ("Fitzcarraldo") to the documentary ("Grizzly Man"), Herzog's latest is no different. In "Into the Inferno" (available on Netflix October 28), teaming with volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer, Herzog travels the globe to look at the majesty of active volcanoes. His journey leads him even to North Korea, where he's able to capture visuals of the country that have never been shown to the Western world before.

Business Insider talked to Herzog about getting into North Korea, his attempt to interview Kim Jong-un, his desire to be a Bond villain, and why he believes he's the only director in the industry who is "clinically sane."

Jason Guerrasio: With the backdrop of the US election and conflicts among countries and religions, it's fascinating that something like a movie on volcanoes can be so powerful. Did you get that sense?

Werner Herzog: No. [Laughs] I wouldn't make a connection between the daily news and volcanoes. It was a subject that was dormant in me for a long time and it popped up 40 years ago when I made a [short] film on the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe about a volcano that was about to explode and a single farmer refused to leave ["La Soufrière"]. Ten years ago in Antarctica shooting "Encounters at the End of the World," I met a very fine volcanologist from Cambridge University [Clive Oppenheimer] and we kept talking about doing a film and all of a sudden it became serious when he hinted at the possibility to film in North Korea. That was actually our very first shoot and it's almost impossible to enter North Korea with a camera as a professional. It was an extraordinary coincidence and an extraordinary chance that I wouldn't like to let pass.

We actually started filming in North Korea when no financing was secured at all. We just went out and did it.

Everything you see in North Korea, it's all propaganda, but it's all connected to the volcano.

Guerrasio: In some ways, was being able to shoot in North Korea more interesting than the volcanoes angle? 

Herzog: Well, it had to be about the stories and the people who live under the volcano, what kind of new gods do they create? What sort of demons? And of course North Korea falls clearly into this category since the socialist revolution at the end of the Second World War. Somehow they adopted the myth of the power and dynamics of their volcano [Mt. Paektu] at the boarder with China and somehow transferred it to the leadership and the dynamics of their revolution. So everything you see in North Korea, it's all propaganda, but it's all connected to the volcano. Public life is constantly aware of the volcano.

Guerrasio: Did you try to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong-un?

Herzog: Yes. There are photos of Kim Jong-un right up atop the volcano. I actually wrote a letter to him asking if I could speak on camera. I never got an answer. But what was interesting was the people who were responsible for us, our "guards," it took them two days to figure out how I should address him. "President? No, you can't because there's a president for eternity." And it was a time when his status was still in flux. Only a few months later there was this party congress which assigned an official title to him, but that was after we did our film.

Guerrasio: So what did you end up addressing him as in the letter?

Herzog: I do not recall, but it was complex. "Dear young leader of the people and chairman of the joint military commission" or something like that.

Guerrasio: What would have been the major question you would have wanted to ask him?

Herzog: I don't know, but it would have been fascinating. And nobody has been able to do it so if he invites me to do some appendix for the film I will fly to North Korea and of course speak to him on camera. But it's an illusion, it's not going to happen.

Guerrasio: What was the biggest highlight of your time in North Korea?

Herzog: I was able to persuade them to let me shoot in areas that were beyond the volcano itself. Beyond the joint scientific program between Cambridge University and North Korean scientists. I was able to film in a kindergarten, subway, other things you would not normally be allowed to do.

Guerrasio: Did they need to see your footage before you left the country?

Herzog: Yes. The deal was we had to have people accompanying us and they would ask us not to film something. For example, we wanted to film at a certain place and there happened to be a building under construction and it didn't look as fancy as the other buildings, so they wanted us to shoot where everything looked finished and made a good impression of the cityscape. It wasn't that important so I agreed. And I couldn't roam wildly and speak secretly with villagers. No way you could do that. And honestly, I didn't even try. I was realistic of what I could do and yet persuaded them into accepting numerous things that I shouldn't have filmed.

Guerrasio: You have said that looking inside a volcano gives you a sense of awe. Did it become hypnotic? Were you interested in getting closer to the lava?

Herzog: Not for me because I think I'm a prudent filmmaker and Clive and I figured out that I'm the only one probably in the film industry who is clinically sane. I say that as a joke, but there's a grain of truth to it. I'm not a stupid daredevil who jumps into the crater of the volcano to get the closest close-up, I'm not one of those. And you have to be aware that you have a crew with you and you are responsible.

Guerrasio: Do you feel you've always been like that as a filmmaker?

Herzog: Yes.

Guerrasio: Even making "Fitzcarraldo"? "Burden of Dreams," the documentary that shows the making of the movie, shows you as a maverick filmmaker who took chances — some would call them careless.

Herzog: The daredevil aspect to what I did there is moving a monstrously big ship over a mountain in the jungle of Peru with 800 or 900 or so native people from the area. So that idea was wild but the way it was executed was prudent. Nobody was ever hurt and when it became clear that we had to be more secure with the posts that would hold the ship, I spent 12 days having a post built that would have withstood the force of 10 times the weight of my ship.

Guerrasio: Do you regret doing the rapids scene on the boat in which your cameraman was injured?

Herzog: My crew actually said, "We have filmed it from outside on the rocks of the shore. We should be on board [the ship]," and I said it's dangerous, I only do it if you cinematographer Thomas Mauch and you actor [Klaus] Kinski decide on your own. If you really want to do it, I'm going to do it. And of course in this case the cinematographer injured his hand, it was badly cut, but you have to see my work as a whole. I have made 70 or so films. In all my films not a single actor, a single extra, was hurt. Not one. So statistics are on my side when I say I'm clinically sane.

Guerrasio: How was it working with Netflix. Did they give notes?

Herzog: No, I had complete freedom. They knew roughly what I was doing. They knew I was going to North Korea and Ethiopia and Iceland. They saw the film and liked it and that was that. They trusted me in a way that was very, very pleasant. The beauty of Netflix is on the 28th of October they push a button and the film will be in 190 countries at the same moment in 17 languages.

Guerrasio: I know you still dabble in acting —

I think I would be a good villain in a James Bond movie.

Herzog: I don't dabble, I'm good at acting.

Guerrasio: Oh. My apologies.

Herzog: As long as I have to play a villain. No, I'm joking.

Guerrasio: But have you been interested in doing a studio role since "Jack Reacher," in which you played the villain Zec?

Herzog: If the part is really good of course I would like to do it. I love everything that has to do with cinema: writing a screenplay, directing, editing, acting, you just name it. I think I would be a good villain in a James Bond movie. They were fairly weak, the last half-dozen of villains in James Bond movies were not that convincing. [Laughs]

Guerrasio: Did you get any big offers for roles after "Jack Reacher"?

Herzog: Yes, but the parts I didn't like, most of it was silly.

Guerrasio: Can you reveal any?

Herzog: No, they were silly stuff. But "Jack Reacher" was easy because the function of the villain was just to spread fear and horror.

Guerrasio: You were very good at it.

Herzog: Yes, on-screen. In private I'm not. You will have to ask my wife. She maintains I'm a fluffy husband.

Guerrasio: You live in LA. I don't know if you watched any of the last debate, but has our election interested you at all?

Herzog: [Laughs] I'm not a citizen of America, I cannot vote. But it is fascinating because there's a new kind of protagonist out there that we didn't expect. By the way, I'm not in any panic at all.

Guerrasio: Would you ever want to make a documentary about this election?

Herzog: No. The elections have a different platform, the town hall is the platform for it. But the other question behind all this is should I run for president? [Laughs]

Guerrasio: Are you announcing something right now?

Herzog: No, I'm just joking. I wanted to end this on a funny note.

SEE ALSO: 29 celebrities who love and endorse Donald Trump

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The late-night ground is shifting, and with the 2016 election less than a month away — and wilder than ever — the shows are particularly relevant.

Now that legends of late night like David Letterman and Jay Leno have moved on, others are quickly rising or trying to figure out their place: Stephen Colbert, in a move from Comedy Central to Letterman's CBS spot; Trevor Noah, the still-newish millennial face of "The Daily Show"; and perhaps most notably, Samantha Bee, whose acerbic, bawdy, and pointedly feminist weekly take on the news on TBS feels connected to Jon Stewart's "Daily Show" tenure. Larry Wilmore, after struggling to find his audience, was sadly canceled by Comedy Central.

There are the other hosts of course, like Jimmy Fallon and James Corden, whose work only occasionally touches on political satire, yet they've amassed passionate followings for their antics like "Carpool Karaoke" and "Lip Sync Battle."

But which of the late-night shows is most worth your time? We watched all of today's major players, focusing on the comedy-centric programs, and assessed the best and worst.

Here are the best and worst in late night, ranked:

SEE ALSO: Here are the must-see movies most likely to win Oscars in 2017

13. "Last Call with Carson Daly" (NBC)

Carson Daly's very late offering, "Last Call," feels like the gig that best fits the former '90s MTV veejay. He's come out of his shell on "The Voice" and shows his chipper side in the morning for the "Today" show's Orange Room. But "Last Call" allows him to use strange camera angles, don his leather jacket, and give bands some exposure. From performances to interviews, the show plays with artsy technique and effects. It's not for everyone, but that's probably why it's at 1:35 a.m.

12. "@midnight with Chris Hardwick" (Comedy Central)

Perhaps the first late-night show catering to millennials, "@midnight" combines the internet's most trending topics with comedians to create a hilarious half-hour of television. Chris Hardwick is the perfect mix of geek and jokester as the host, not overshadowing the comics but also holding his own. If you are tired of the traditional late-night format, give this a try.

11. "Real Time With Bill Maher" (HBO)

Sometimes on a Friday night you need to vent, and over on HBO there's no one better to give you that release than Bill Maher. His venom is usually directed toward the Republicans, but in this current climate of gun violence and presidential hopefuls he has enough contempt for everyone. Sometimes his guests can't get a word in, but on the right night when there's a good mix of topics to discuss and guests who aren't scared by Bill, it can be a lot of fun.

If you were a die-hard "Star Wars" fan and loved "Force Awakens," chances are you're hungry for updates on the next episode in the saga, 'Star Wars: Episode VIII."

Star Wars Celebration Europe, which took place in London in July, revealed some interesting information about the film. Since then, others from the cast (and a few rumors) have given us a further idea of the movie, which is currently in post production.

Below is everything we know so far about the movie (which comes out December 15, 2017), from the mouths of stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, and writer/director Rian Johnson.

Warning: spoilers ahead.

SEE ALSO: Everything you nee to know about the next "Star Wars" movie, "Rogue One"

Not familiar with Rian Johnson? He directed the hit sci-fi movie "Looper."

Get ready to hear the name Rian Johnson a lot throughout the next year. Though he's only made three feature films going into "Episode VIII," those movies include stunning works like the modern-day film noir "Brick" and sci-fi mobster movie "Looper," which have shown he's ready for the largest stage in filmmaking.

Johnson also directed some of the most memorable "Breaking Bad" episodes, including "Fly" and "Ozymandias" (arguably the greatest episode of the series).

Looking to take a deeper dive? Here's more about Johnson you need to know.

Johnson spent six weeks at the Lucasfilm headquarters, Skywalker Ranch, figuring out the "Episode VIII" story.

At Star Wars Celebration, Johnson revealed that while writing the script for "Episode VIII," he spent six weeks at Skywalker Ranch. But he wasn't just taking inspiration from the grounds that "Star Wars" creator George Lucas walks. He also had an eye on "The Force Awakens."

"We would watch dailies come in from 'VII,'" Johnson told the Celebration crowd. "It was probably really healthy creating the story based on our reactions to the footage rather than the cultural reactions. It was a unique experience."

The movie will start right where "The Force Awakens" ended.

Before principal photography began in London on "Episode VIII," Johnson and his crew took actors Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) and Daisy Ridley (Rey) to Skellig Michael, the island where the final scene of "The Force Awakens" took place, to shoot an extension of the scene. 

That will be the opening of "Episode VIII," according to Johnson.

"I don't want to skip ahead [after] that last moment of 'Episode VII.' I want to see what happens next," Johnson said.

This has sparked an interesting conversation among fans. Will there be an opening crawl in "Episode VIII"? There are typically months to years between "Star Wars" episodes, so the crawl brings the audience up to speed. Johnson did not say if there will or will not be a crawl in the new movie. 

Since announcing his bid for the presidency in June 2015, Donald Trump has steadily accrued (and lost) a number of endorsements from celebrities — some of whom are more notable than others. 

At this year's boisterous Republican National Convention in July, Trump trotted out three of his lesser-known supporters — actor Scott Baio and reality TV stars Antonio Sabato Jr. and Willie Robertson — as speakers for the event.

Recently, in the aftermath of his lewd comments from a leaked 2005 "Access Hollywood" video, Trump lost the support of a few entertainers, including singer Aaron Carter, rapper Azealia Banks, and actress Kirstie Alley. 

Nonetheless, the Republican presidential nominee has retained a variety of endorsements in the entertainment world, from former sports stars Mike Tyson and Dennis Rodman to major musicians like Kid Rock and Kiss's Gene Simmons. 

Check out the 29 celebrities who are still endorsing Donald Trump for president:

DON'T MISS: 28 celebrities who are taking a strong stand against Donald Trump

Jon Voight

In a statement to Breitbart, the actor said that he is supporting Donald Trump because "he's an answer to our problems." Voight also called Trump "funny, playful, and colorful, but most of all, he is honest."

He added, "There are many Republicans fighting to keep him from winning the Republican nomination. You know why? Because he has no bull to sell, and everyone will discover the bull most politicians spew out is for their own causes and benefits."

Voight doubled down on his support of the Republican nominee recently by calling for Trump supporters to express their outrage over Robert DeNiro's rebuke of Trump. 

Scott Baio

The "Happy Days" and "Joanie Loves Chachi" star has previously said he likes how Trump communicates. ("He speaks like I speak," he told FoxNews’ Judge Jeanine Pirro.)

In his speech at the RNC in July, Baio said, "We need Donald Trump to fix this. Is Donald Trump a messiah? No, he’s just a man, a man who wants to give back to his country, America, the country that has given him everything.

"Hillary Clinton wants to be president for Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump wants to be president for all of us,” he added. “So, of course, let’s make America great again, but let’s make America, America again."

Omarosa Manigault

One of the most famous "Apprentice" alums is not only a supporter of her former reality-show host, but she has also been named Trump's director of African-American outreach.

In an interview for a recent PBS documentary, Omarosa Manigault said that Trump's detractors will have to "bow down" to him when he becomes president.  

Omarosa has also been vocal in defending Trump's stance on women, telling CNN, "Donald Trump does not have a woman problem... Yes, he's said things off the cuff, but to take them and use them and try to apply them to all women, just because he doesn't like Rosie O'Donnell, doesn't mean he hates all women."

John Oliver had a lot to recap on Sunday's "Last Week Tonight" following Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's interesting week.

After numerous women emerged to accuse Trump of sexual misconduct after the October 7 release of 2005 "Access Hollywood" footage of Trump bragging about sexually assaulting women, the GOP candidate doubled down on suggestions that the election was "rigged."

"Telling your supporters the election is being rigged is legitimately dangerous because faith in fair elections and in peaceful transfer of power are essential foundations for a democracy," Oliver said.

Though a major-party nominee calling the presidential election rigged is unheard-of in modern American history, it's only the latest first in a Trump candidacy that now has the shackles "off," as Trump tweeted:

"Just to recap this week," Oliver said, "Trump has declared war on his political opponents, the media, his own party, his own campaign, and the concept of democracy itself."

Watch Oliver talk about Trump on Sunday's episode below:

SEE ALSO: "SNL" spoofs the "second and worst ever" presidential debate

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Facebook users can now watch videos posted on the social platform on their TVs through Apple TV or Google Chromecast, the company announced last week.

This feature strengthens Facebook’s position in the evolving TV ecosystem, and will help the company attract more ad spending relative to traditional TV. Digital ad spend is expected to match linear TV for the first time this year at $68 billion, according to Magna.

Porting Facebook videos onto TV will help the platform siphon even more ad spend from TV budgets by:

• Redefining Facebook videos as content fit for TV. Facebook videos can now exist on a TV screen in a communal viewing context, and the company wasn't coy about drawing attention to this aspect. Its own promotional video for this new feature shows a group of five people on a sofa enjoying Facebook videos on a TV. Being able to exhibit creative on large screens and potentially reach multiple people at once makes Facebook more attractive to TV advertisers.
• Unlocking ad inventory, especially around Live. Facebook's main video ad product is right now a unit that appears in between suggested videos, after users have watched two or three videos in a row. Revenue from this unit will increase as users spend more time watching Facebook videos on TV. The company is also experimenting with mid-roll ads that closely resemble traditional TV ads, allowing publishers to pause programming for an ad break.
• Capitalizing on double-screening behavior. When watching Facebook videos on TV, users will be able to use the device that they’re streaming from to check their News Feed and comment on content. According to Nielsen, 62% of North Americans browse the internet while watching videos, and 58% of people do so worldwide. Facilitating this two-screen experience drives audience engagement, and encourages users to stay within Facebook's platform.
• Helping Facebook to attract high quality video. Facebook is looking to be a new kind of video platform, where its users and Pages take on a similar role to TV channels. We’re already seeing this happen. Facebook collaborated with multiple news channels to stream the Democratic and Republican conventions and ongoing US presidential debates. Just last week, Facebook collaborated with UK TV channel Alibi to live stream an interactive escape room drama.
• Positioning Facebook for the future of TV apps. Over-the-top platforms are causing TV apps to grow in prominence relative to traditional TV channels. If it passes, the FCC set-top-box proposal will accelerate this process by forcing pay-TV providers to allow third-party TV apps on their set-top boxes. Apple TV is also charting a future where video apps replace TV channels. Adding support for Apple TV and Chromecast gives Facebook more of a winning position in this emerging future.

Over the last few years, there’s been much talk about the “death of TV.” However, television is not dying so much as it's evolving: extending beyond the traditional television screen and broadening to include programming from new sources accessed in new ways.

It's strikingly evident that more consumers are shifting their media time away from live TV, while opting for services that allow them to watch what they want, when they want. Indeed, we are seeing a migration toward original digital video such as YouTube Originals, SVOD services such as Netflix, and live streaming on social platforms.

However, not all is lost for legacy media companies. Amid this rapidly shifting TV landscape, traditional media companies are making moves across a number of different fronts — trying out new distribution channels, creating new types of programming aimed at a mobile-first audience, and partnering with innovate digital media companies. In addition, cable providers have begun offering alternatives for consumers who may no longer be willing to pay for a full TV package.

Dylan Mortensen, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, has compiled a detailed report on the future of TV that looks at how TV viewer, subscriber, and advertising trends are shifting, and where and what audiences are watching as they turn away from traditional TV. 

Here are some key points from the report:

• Increased competition from digital services like Netflix and Hulu as well as new hardware to access content are shifting consumers' attention away from live TV programming.
• Across the board, the numbers for live TV are bad. US adults are watching traditional TV on average 18 minutes fewer per day versus two years ago, a drop of 6%. In keeping with this, cable subscriptions are down, and TV ad revenue is stagnant.
• People are consuming more media content than ever before, but how they're doing so is changing. Half of US TV households now subscribe to SVOD services, like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, and viewing of original digital video content is on the rise.
• Legacy TV companies are recognizing these shifts and beginning to pivot their business models to keep pace with the changes. They are launching branded apps and sites to move their programming beyond the TV glass, distributing on social platforms to reach massive, young audiences, and forming partnerships with digital media brands to create new content.
• The TV ad industry is also taking a cue from digital. Programmatic TV ad buying represented just 4% (or $2.5 billion) of US TV ad budgets in 2015 but is expected to grow to 17% ($10 billion) by 2019. Meanwhile, networks are also developing branded TV content, similar to publishers' push into sponsored content.

In full, the report: 

• Outlines the shift in consumer viewing habits, specifically the younger generation.
• Explores the rise of subscription streaming services and the importance of original digital video content.
• Breaks down ways in which legacy media companies are shifting their content and advertising strategies.
• And Discusses new technology that will more effectively measure audiences across screens and platforms. 

Interested in getting the full report? Here are two ways to access it:

1. Subscribe to an All-Access pass to BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and over 100 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. » START A MEMBERSHIP
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Apparently, when Maroon 5 saw the Pokémon Go craze in full swing, all they felt was a grim sense of empathy for their fellow celebrities — I'm referring, of course, to the Pokémon themselves. Being an object of the public's affection isn't easy, regardless of whether you're Pikachu or Adam Levine.

That's the jumping-off point for Maroon 5's latest music video, which re-imagines Adam Levine, his bandmates, and his fellow celebrity pals — including Shaq, Sarah Silverman, Vince Vaughn, and Ed Helms — as Pokémon-like creatures, constantly chased down and captured by hordes of smartphone-wielding teens.

When one of them hops Adam Levine's fence, he just zaps him into oblivion with a laser beam from his poolside recliner before taking a swig of whiskey. That's probably not something the actual Adam Levine can do to trespassing paparazzi, but it definitely feels like some kind of power fantasy wish fulfillment.

It's a goofy take on what it feels like to be famous, all wrapped up in a decidedly topical package.

Check out the full video below:

SEE ALSO: It's official: The Pokémon Go craze has a big impact on Americans' physical activity

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Hillary Clinton's campaign released a new ad on Monday comparing Donald Trump to famous movie bullies.

Set to air in swing states in the final weeks of the campaign, the ad spliced together some of the Republican presidential nominee's most noteworthy insults with similar insults uttered by the bullies.

The ad contrasted a famous scene from "Back to the Future" in which Biff ordered George McFly to leave the diner with Trump's enthusiastic order for protesters to leave one of his campaign rallies, and compared "Mean Girls" bully Regina George's declaration that her friends are stupid with Trump's question about how stupid Iowa voters would be if they didn't support him during the Republican presidential caucus.

Movie villains such as Johnny from "The Karate Kid," Nurse Ratched from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and one of the bullies from "A Christmas Story" were also depicted side-by-side with Trump.

The ad concluded with Clinton responding to a question from a town hall audience member who lamented being bullied in school.

"That's why it's important to stand up to bullies wherever they are, and why we shouldn't let anyone bully his way into the presidency," Clinton said.

Monday's video came at a moment when both candidates have unleashed brutal ads taking aim at their opponents personally.

Last week, Trump released a TV ad mocking Clinton's recent pneumonia diagnosis, saying the former secretary of state "doesn't have the fortitude, strengths, or stamina" to serve as president.

The Clinton campaign's large cash advantage and its decision to purchase ad space early has forced the notoriously frugal Trump to spend more for the same type of ad space.

Watch the ad below:

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump and his surrogates are openly predicting the election will be 'rigged'

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Werner Herzog has tackled some fascinating subjects over his five decades as a filmmaker, but his latest documentary is one of his most breathtaking.

"Into the Inferno" follows Herzog as he travels the globe to examine the power of volcanoes. In some regions, their majesty has become a symbol for political leadership, as in North Korea, while in others volcanoes are worshiped as higher powers. 

The legendary filmmaker recently told Business Insider of choosing where he would film, "It had to be about the stories and the people who live under the volcano, what kind of new gods do they create? What sort of demons?"

Here's the first trailer for "Into the Inferno," which is brimming with insane visuals. The movie will premiere on Netflix October 28.

SEE ALSO: Werner Herzog talks infiltrating North Korea for his new Netflix movie and the Bond role he wants

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NOW WATCH: Letterman rips Trump, calls him a 'damaged human' who should be 'shunned'