CNN is betting that YouTube star Casey Neistat, who has 5.8 million followers, can help the company package news in a way that appeals to younger audiences.

On Monday, CNN announced it had bought Neistat's social-sharing app, Beme, for an undisclosed amount, and that all of Beme's employees would join CNN.

CNN will shut down Beme, and Neistat will get to work building a new startup inside CNN.

Neistat's new startup will try to tackle news, particularly through mobile video, but won't be a traditional news network.

"A huge part of my particular audience sees news and media as largely broken," Neistat told The New York Times. "My dad sees it as the word of God, but I think the young people definitely do not."

"The new company will be devoted to filling the world with excellent, timely and topical video and empowering content creators to use technology to find their voice," CNN said in a statement. "It won't be what most people think of as 'news,' but it will be relevant to the daily conversations that dominate our lives."

It's unclear exactly what form that will take, but Neistat is a superstar in the the vlog format, and has a knack for creating videos with a sense of authenticity. The app Beme, which will be shuttered, is focused on unedited, user-generated short videos.

The new venture will launch by summer 2017, and CNN says it's hiring "dozens of producers, builders, developers, designers, and content creators of every mold."

While Neistat's new startup will exist inside CNN, he will be given "full creative control" to build something different, according to The Times.

"Casey has tapped into nearly six million really powerful viewers, most of which do not tune in to CNN," Andrew Morse, CNN's digital boss, told The Times. "To build this audience authentically, we believe we need to build something new."

SEE ALSO: TV shows are getting smacked by big viewership drops

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Japan unveils the world’s biggest dinosaur robots — and they're terrifying

Warning: Spoilers ahead for HBO's "Westworld."

After an incredible, jaw-dropping, and theory-confirming ninth episode, HBO's "Westworld" set fans up for a wild first season finale.

The preview for next Sunday’s saga — appropriately titled "The Bicameral Mind," a reference to Arnold's theory on how the hosts can attain consciousness — features a voiceover from Doctor Ford with shots of Maeve taking on Delos, Dolores and the Man in Black’s confrontation, hosts fighting back, and Dolores with a gun to her head.

"Since I was a child, I’ve always loved a good story," Ford can be heard saying over the shots of action. "Stories can help us become the people we dreamed of being. Lies that told a deeper truth. I always thought I could play some small part in that grand tradition. And for my pains, I got this. My new narrative."

It sounds as though Ford’s narrative is finally complete at long last. The best part? This episode is going to be 91 minutes long.

Watch the preview below.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch the trailer for the new Martin Scorsese film that took over 20 years to make

The hosts in "Westworld" are designed to be indistinguishable from humans in the way they look, move and speak. But in the real world, we are far from this becoming a reality. Here's a look at the test created by computer scientist Alan Turing more than 50 years ago, which has become the widely accepted method for determining if a machine can pass as a human. 

Follow Tech Insider:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

Movie director Wes Anderson brought his trademark quirkiness to an H&M Christmas commercial starring Adrien Brody.

Brody plays the conductor of a train who discovers that "challenging weather" and "mechanical difficulties" ahead will delay the train from its destination on Christmas Day. To keep spirits up, he and a crewmember craftily set up a decorative Christmas brunch for the passengers, including an adorable little boy.

As delighful as it is, let's not forget this is a commercial; the passengers are wearing H&M clothing, of course.

The commercial reunites Anderson and Brody after they worked together on the films "Darjeeling Limited" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

Watch the festive film by Anderson for H&M below:

SEE ALSO: 'Die Hard' is definitely not a Christmas movie, according to most Americans

DON'T MISS: The unlikely history of the Charlie Brown Christmas special, 50 years later

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The new 'Kong: Skull Island' trailer looks incredible — and it's setting up a showdown with Godzilla

This story was delivered to BI Intelligence "Digital Media Briefing" subscribers. To learn more and subscribe, please click here.

Consumers are doubling down on streaming video subscriptions, and 53% of Americans will subscribe to at least two by 2018, according to a recent report by Activate.

By 2020, that percentage will climb to 62%, with 43% opting for two subscriptions and 19% subscribing to three or more. Here are a few takeaways from the study:

• The general population is catching up to early adopters. An October survey conducted by BI Intelligence found that 54% of adults who use a paid streaming video service subscribe to at least two. BI respondents skew toward tech-savvy early adopters, while the Activate survey samples a more diverse pool, suggesting there is a two-year lag between the general population and early adopter subscriptions to multiple video services.
• Netflix is the foundation of bundles. For consumers using only one streaming service, 39% subscribed to Netflix, 20% to Amazon Instant Video and 9% opted for Hulu. Consumers place high value on Netflix as the must-have service, per the survey. Of consumers using Netflix in addition to another service, 75% used Amazon Instant Video and 84% used Hulu. Although dozens of niche video services are available today, only 3-4% of US SVOD users subscribe to a service other than Amazon, Hulu, HBO Now, or Netflix.    
• Original content is becoming more important to retain users. In 2016, 45% of survey respondents said that original content was extremely or quite important for keeping a Netflix subscription, an increase of nine percentage points from 2014. 

Nearly one-third of consumers in the US and Canada paid $9-$11 per month for subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) services in Q3 2016, according to Digitalsmith and TiVo’s quarterly video trends report. This is set to increase over the next two years as more consumers opt for multiple streaming services.

Growth of subscription-video-on-demand (SVOD) services in the US has slowed considerably over the last year as competition in the online video streaming space intensifies. Heavy hitters like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime are increasingly squeezed by new competitors with exclusive content and niche video offerings.  

International markets, and specifically, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region will be paramount for both established SVOD players and new entrants looking to establish themselves in the successful video space.

The SVOD market in the APAC region is poised for explosive growth over the next five years due to increased mobile adoption, amplified broadband expansion, and enhanced purchasing power.

Dylan Mortensen, senior research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on subscription video on-demand that explores how slowing SVOD growth in the US will lead to a surge in the APAC region.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

• While SVOD services are increasingly rooted among US households, growth is beginning slow. Growth in North American SVOD subscriptions is set to fall from 30% in 2014 to 4% by 2018.
• The best opportunity for continued growth lies in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. The region had nearly 42 million SVOD subscribers in 2015, but could have up to 158 million by 2021.
• The increasing adoption of smartphones and mobile data is propelling growth in mobile video viewing across APAC, which is poised to outpace the rest of the world.
• Rising purchasing power in APAC underlines the opportunity for online video services. China and emerging Asian economies represent nearly two-thirds (63%) of global economic growth.
• Content creators and marketers stand to gain from SVOD’s push into the APAC region. Content creators can benefit from the surge in short-form video, while marketers can capitalize on advanced product placements.

In full, the report: 

• Forecasts SVOD subscribers in the APAC region.
• Explores the factors behind SVOD’s slowing growth in the US.
• Breaks down reasons why APAC is ripe for massive online video growth.
• Discusses who will benefit from SVOD growth in APAC.

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

1. Subscribe to an All-Accesspass 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
2. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. » BUY THE REPORT

Join the conversation about this story »

The second to last episode of season 1 of "Westworld" had some big reveals for fans and hinted towards an even bigger reveal in the finale. There were several throwbacks to some scenes in the premiere and even a subtle reference to a popular Michael Crichton film that you might not have even noticed. Here's a look at some of the details you may have missed in episode 9.

Follow Tech Insider:On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »

"Star Wars" star Mark Hamill would definitely say that the force with President-elect Donald Trump is of the dark variety.

"I'm in total denial," Hamill told The Daily Beast of Trump's presidential win while promoting his new Comic Con HQ show "Pop Culture Quest," in which he highlights fans with massive memorabilia collections.

"I’m glad I have [the show] to take my mind off what’s going on," the actor who plays Luke Skywalker in the "Star Wars" film franchise continued. "Because if you look at what’s being assembled for our government it’s like, yikes. It’s a who’s who of really despicable people."

Several of the president-elect's cabinet appointments have invited criticism, especially his hire of former Breitbart News chairman Steve Bannon.

In fact, Bannon himself invited comparisons to "Star Wars" villains when he said "darkness is good" in an interview  with The Hollywood Reporter recently.

"Dick Cheney. Darth Vader. Satan. That’s power," the next white house chief strategist said.

Hamill, an outspoken Democrat and Trump critic, said that he hopes the the positive messages of "Star Wars" still resonate with young fans.

"It sounds corny, but the 'Star Wars' films were incredibly optimistic films,” he told The Daily Beast. “They talked about doing good just because it helps others and being selfless and understanding your place in the universe. Beyond being entertaining, I hope that’s a message that kids still respond to. Because I still believe that. I still believe all those tenets of ‘treat others the way you want to be treated’ and so forth."

Hamill will return to play Luke Skywalker for "Star Wars: Episode VIII" due out in theaters in December 2017.

SEE ALSO: Watch the new trailer 'Trust' for 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'

DON'T MISS: Donald Glover's costar says he'll bring 'visibility' to Lando, who was 'kind of lost' in 'Star Wars'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Trump makes baseless claim that he lost the popular vote only because 'millions' voted illegally

Kanye West has an inspiring outlook on the future, and he’s got enough talent and drive — in music, fashion, film, and more — to make people listen. 

His new interview with Spencer Bailey at Surface is full of optimistic quotes.

On the new generation:

"There is currently a lack of people in power who are motivated by the idea of helping people, but thanks to the internet, there are people who would never have made it through a corporate system who are able to jump into positions of power in their twenties. They can collectively work on ideas for the new world.

On race:

"10 years from now to be black is going to be a completely different thing, because of what we’re doing now .… Through culture. And business. And interracial dating.

On inequality:

"When I’m under the gas at the dentist’s office, sometimes I think, One day, all the things that were only afforded to the rich …. that inspiration needs to be taken out of the box of luxury and given to all people. The world would be better. People would be happier.

"I will be a part of this because I don’t want to miss out. I don’t wanna be dead when the world starts getting good.

Check out much more at Surface.

SEE ALSO: Bill Gates explains why he's so optimistic about the future

DON'T MISS: Here's what life is like for the average family on Earth

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Watch the first trailer for Disney's live-action 'Beauty and the Beast' starring Emma Watson

Disney delights in hiding its most beloved characters in plain sight. The studio's latest masterpiece, "Moana," does not disappoint — it's jam-packed with Easter eggs.

The movie follows Moana, a 16-year-old chieftess-in-training who hails from the South Pacific. She sets out on a journey to deliver a demigod, Maui, across the sea. 

We rounded up the Disney character cameos in "Moana."

Did you catch them all?

SEE ALSO: 'Moana' throws adults a bone with an awesome 'Mad Max' homage

Flounder from "The Little Mermaid" makes a splashy cameo.

In a scene where Maui uses his magic to take Moana into a flat, 2D world, sea creatures swim across screen in a colorful and mesmerizing display. One of the fish pictured is Flounder, an animal sidekick from Disney's "The Little Mermaid."

MoviePilot.com says Flounder enters from the right, and if you blink, you might miss it.

Maui transforms into Sven from "Frozen."

Maui's magical fish hook gives him the ability to shape-shift, though Moana finds her traveling companion is a bit rusty using it. In a scene where Maui tries to become a giant bird, he shuffles through several transformations first.

For a split second, he turns into Sven, the beloved reindeer from Disney's "Frozen."

The House of Mouse announced that a "Frozen" sequel is in the works.

Olaf from "Frozen" was nowhere to be found, though he's allegedly in there.

In an interview with ComingSoon.net, the movie's co-director Ron Clements revealed that Sven was not alone in representing "Frozen" in "Moana." Olaf appears very briefly.

"Olaf is there, too, but he's much harder to find than Sven," Clements said. "In fact, we need to give a prize to anyone who finds him."

We didn't catch the Easter egg. Shoot us a tweet if you did!

Leah Remini is demanding the Church of Scientology pay her $1.5 million for allegedly trying to ruin her reputation and interfere with her upcoming A&E documentary series, "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath."

"I'm not going to get a dime," Remini said on the "Today" show Monday of her monetary demand from the Church of Scientology.

"I mean I've given millions to the church and they've amassed three billion dollars. So I think that speaks for itself," the actress continued. "I also think that it says a lot about the organization, how they respond to their critics. It's not just me. It's anyone who's spoken out. Everyone is called a liar. Everyone's called an apostate. Everyone's called the same thing and I'm in good company."

Previous reports state that the Church of Scientology has been trying to get Remini's series pulled from the air since August. It has allegedly issued letters to executives at A&E and parent company ABC attacking Remini.

In response, Remini's lawyer issued the $1.5 million demand to the organization for trying to damage Remini's reputation and her contract with A&E.

Scientology issued a statement to "Today" calling Remini's request "extortion."

An A&E spokeswoman told Business Insider it had no comment on the alleged attempts by Scientology to have the A&E series pulled from airing. At any rate, the show will go on: "Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath" premieres on Tuesday at 10 p.m.

Remini has been no stranger to battling Scientology. She has been very outspoken about her time with the religion for years now, including on her TLC reality series "It's All Relative" and her highly rated "20/20" special last year on ABC.

Watch Remini's interview on "Today" below:

SEE ALSO: How Tom Cruise's family labeled Nicole Kidman an enemy of Scientology, according to Leah Remini

DON'T MISS: The 'Going Clear' director says he might make a follow-up to the revealing Scientology documentary

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 famous people reveal why they are Scientologists

There’s a lot to dive into on your preferred streaming service in December.

From “Sully,” “Magnificent 7,” and indie hit “American Honey” on iTunes to Amazon original series “Mozart in the Jungle” and “The Man in the High Castle” returning, you have to add binge-watching to your things to do this holiday season.

Below are all the titles that will be available and we've highlighted some in bold we think you should definitely check out.

SEE ALSO: CNN is betting a YouTube star with 5.8 million followers can snag younger viewers

iTunes

Available December 1

Incorporated
Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love 
Vikings Season 4

Available December 2

“Top Chef” (Season 14)
“Man Down” (In theaters now) 
“Always Shine” (In theaters now) 

Available December 5

“Mariah’s World” (Free Series Premiere)
“Paw Patrol: Winter Rescues”  
“The Royals” (Season 3; Free Season Premiere) 

Available December 6

“Sully” 
“Storks” 
“Magnificent 7” 
“Slash”
“Demon” 
“The Hollars”
“Pete’s Dragon” 
“The Music of Strangers” 
“The JT LeRoy Story” 
“Timber Creek Lodge”

Available December 7 

“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” (Season 7)

Available December 8

“Hairspray Live!”

Available December 9

“Burn Country: (In theaters now) 
“Beyond The Gates” (In theaters now) 
 
Available December 10

“Duck the Halls: A Mickey Mouse Christmas”
“Albert” 

Available December 13

“American Honey”
“Before I Wake” 
“Snowden” 
“Equity”
“When The Bough Breaks” 
“Little Men” 

Available December 15

“The Bureau” (Season 2)  
“Star” (Free Series Premiere)

Available December 16

“A Kind Of Murder” (In theaters now) 
“Solace” (In theaters now) 

Available December 20

“The Dressmaker” 
“Deepwater Horizon” 
“Birth of a Nation” 
“Middle School: The Worst Years” 
“We Love You” 

Available December 26

“When the Heart Calls” (Season 4)
“Doctor Who Christmas Special: The Return of Doctor Mysterio”

Available December 27

“Denial” 

Amazon Prime

Available December 1

“6 Souls”
“Blood Diamond”
“Caddyshack”
“Choices of the Heart”
“Cobra”
“Color Me Perfect”
“Corregidor”
“Custer’s Last Stand”
“The Day of the Wolves”
“Devil’s Cargo”
“Devil’s Playground”
“Diamond Trail”
“Dixie Jamboree”
“Down to the Sea”
“Elizabeth: The Golden Age”
“Ferocious Pal”
“The Fighter”
“Fire Alarm”
“Fisherman’s Wharf”
“Flaming Lead”
“Flying Blind” (What Version)
“Forbidden Jungle”
“Getting Up and Going Home”
“Green Eyes”
“Half Shot at Sunrise”
“Hearts of Humanity”
“High Powered”
“Identity Unknown”
“If You Believe”
“In Old Santa Fe”
“Invisible Germany”
“The Irish Gringo”
“Journey to Freedom”
“Kept Husbands”
“King of the Sierras”
“Lars and the Real Girl”
“Law of the 45’s”
“Law of the Jungle”
“Lost in the Stratosphere”
“Love is Strange”
“Love Island”
“Mad Youth”
“Man with Two Lives”
“Navigating the Heart”
“Paperman”
“Passion’s Way”
“Peck’s Bad Boy”
“Phantom Rancher”
“Range of Motion”
“Range War”
“Renegade Trail”
“Riddle Ranch”
“Rob Roy”
“Simba: King of the Beasts”
“Six Shootin’ Sheriff”
“Skyway”
“Take My Advice”
“The Care and Handling of Roses”
“They Call It Murder”
“Tough Kid”
“When a Man’s a Man”
“Wrangler’s Roost”

Available December 2

“Lost in Oz” (Season 1; Amazon Original)
“Clarence” (Season 10)

Available December 6

“Pete’s Dragon”
“The BFG”
“Howards End”
“Oddball” (What Version)
“Millionaire Dog”
“Dead Rising: Endgame”
“The Secret Agent”

Available December 7

“Therapy for a Vampire”

Available December 9

“Mozart in the Jungle” (Season 3; Amazon Original)

Available December 10

“Daddy’s Home”

Available December 13

“800 Words”
“Britain’s Bloodiest Crown”
“Close to the Enemy”
“Jericho of Scotland Yard”
“Shelley”

Available December 14

“The Expanse” (Season 1)

Available December 16

“The Man in the High Castle” (Season 2, Amazon Original)

Available December 17

“Anomalisa”

Available December 22

“Cafe Society” (Amazon Original)

Available December 30

“Homeland” (Season 6)

HBO Go/Now

Available December 1

“Any Given Sunday”
“Assassins”
“Cop Land”
“The Family Man”
“Gentleman Broncos”
“The Green Mile”
“High Anxiety”
“License to Wed”
“Mr. Baseball”
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”
“My Blue Heaven”
“P.S. I Love You”
“Redemption”
“A Serious Man”
“Singles”
“The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2”
“They Live”
“Wildcats”

Available December 2

“Tracey Ullman’s Show” (Season Finale)

Available December 3

"Keanu"
“Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds”

Available December 4

"Westworld" (Season Finale)

Available December 5

“The Trans List”

Available December 9

"Self/Less"
“Vice Special Report: A House Divided”

Available December 10

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2"

Available December 11

“Divorce” (Season Finale)

Available December 17

"Midnight Special"

Available December 19

“Risky Drinking”

Available December 23

"Puerto Ricans in Paris"

Available December 24

"Hail, Caesar!"

Available December 26

“Every Brilliant Thing”

Available December 31

"Criminal"

Despite being the pet project of a dozen or so game developers working out of Guildford, England, "No Man's Sky" was pitched to millions of people as a major, blockbuster game.

Explore the vast reaches of space! Discover unexplored planets and meet aliens! Mine resources! Build stuff! 

But some folks who bought the game when it launched in August felt jilted by what they saw as a difference between what the game was supposed to be and what it turned out to be.

They accused Hello Games, the small British studio behind the game, of false advertising; they lambasted it in user reviews, and someone even hacked the studio's creative director.

It was, in short, a mess.

As a result, Hello Games went radio silent. No tweets, no blog posts, etc. That is, until last week, when the studio announced its first major update to "No Man's Sky." The update, called the "Foundation Update," adds a ton of new content to the game while also improving much of its already-existing systems. And it's out now!

Here's everything that's in it:

Establish a home planet and build structures there!

Got a ton of space bucks burning a hole in your space pants? Buy yourself a massive space freighter!

And then recruit these sweet-looking aliens to hang out in your freighter and make stuff for you!

When Amazon burst onto the crowded music-streaming market in October with its own competitor to Spotify and Apple Music, the question was how it would set itself apart.

The first crucial point it landed was on price. For Prime members, Amazon's Music Unlimited service costs just $6.58 a month if you commit for a year ($79), versus the standard industry price of $9.99 — though $9.99 is what non-Prime members pay.

But another area Amazon wants to set itself apart in is its curation, which it has been developing since it launched its less-comprehensive Prime Music product in 2014. And Amazon's approach to recommending songs you'll like takes the form of the company's general philosophy: approachability mixed with a ton of data and selection.

Massive selection

When you open Amazon Music Unlimited, thousands of playlists Amazon has created for you are sitting there — some generated by algorithms, others by its editorial team.

There's not an infinite selection, but it would be a tall order to find the bottom of the well.

That's by design, Dave Dederer, head of programming and editorial, tells Business Insider. Amazon's position is that having as big a selection as possible benefits the customer. And having more playlists gives Amazon more granular data on what people respond to, which in turn makes the algorithms better over time, Dederer says.

When you scroll down a practically never-ending list of playlists and choose among "Awesome '80s Country Songs," "Honky Tonk Heroes," "Alabama and More," or even "Tear in My Beer: Sad Country," Amazon knows a bit more about the kind of country you are into.

Enter the humans

But Amazon's algorithms aren't the only things contributing to the company's catalog of thousands of playlists. A bunch are produced by Amazon's editorial team, which looks to fill in gaps a computer might not be good at.

An example is "Daily Digs," which surfaces hidden gems both new and old. "Songs not enough people have heard," according to Amazon's Jeff Reguilon, whose team makes "Daily Digs."

While "Daily Digs" is curated by Reguilon's team, it doesn't have a particular genre or demographic in mind. The idea is to be welcoming and not alienate anyone, Reguilon says. Generally, the Amazon team that puts the playlists together wants to steer away from imposing a particular musical vision on anyone. The goal isn't to be a musical authority or tastemaker.

That doesn't mean the team isn't obsessed with minute detail. Reguilon tells a story of trying to decide which version of "When a Man Loves a Woman" to put on a playlist. He sat for three hours straight parsing dozens of options to find the right one.

The future

In all, Amazon's approach to music curation fits snugly into the company's broad approach. Reguilon talks about "super-serving" customers. Amazon wants to give you it all — every variation of playlist you could want, plus some human touch.

But versions of that vision exist at Spotify, Apple Music, and so on.

What Amazon could still benefit from is a blockbuster feature users latch onto as a reason to switch — or to stay. Spotify found it with "Discover Weekly," its hyper-personalized playlist that gives you a new set of tunes each week. As Amazon builds its trove of data and sees what users respond to, that feature could certainly emerge. For now, Amazon can use the low price point and approachability to snag new users.

SEE ALSO: CNN is betting a YouTube star with 5.8 million followers can snag younger viewers

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 details you may have missed on episode 9 of 'Westworld'

Comedian Adam Carolla is a huge car buff and has been putting his talent where his passion is by co-directing documentaries about motorsports.

With his partner Nate Adams and a production company called Chassy Media, he directed last year's "The Racing Life of Paul Newman," about the late actor's enthusiasm for fast cars and the race track.

Now, Carolla and Adams have brought fans "The 24 Hour War," a recounting of one of the most famous stories in motorsports: the clash between Ford and Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in the 1960s.

The title comes from the length of the race, which is run every spring, starting on Saturday and concluding 24 hours later. In between, men and machines are broken.

The Ford-Ferrari rivalry is well-known and has been covered extensively on various media. Ford's legendary 1-2-3 victory in 1966, after Ferrari rebuffed efforts by Henry Ford II to buy the Italian Le Mans stalwart, took on new significance in 2016, when Ford returned to Le Mans with a new car, the Ford GT, and celebrates the 50th anniversary of the '66 victory with a new win, once again besting Ferrari.

Corolla and Adams explore that outcome, but "The 24 Hour War" is really about racing in the sixties, a time when the sport had just found a global following thanks to television — but was still spectacularly dangerous by today's standards.

"It was a crazier time, a more interesting time," Carolla said in an interview with Business Insider. "Great risk and possible death ups the ante. Tennis may be exciting, but nobody dies during the matches."

That's one of the biggest takeways from the film, which contains horrifying crash footage, as well as interviews with current Ford executives (including Henry Ford III, the founder's great-grandson, now the head of marketing for Ford Performance), iconic drivers such as Mario Andretti, Dan Gurney, as well as Piero Ferrari, who is the only surviving offspring of Enzo Ferrari. 

One of the big challenges with documenting the history of a race as storied and bloody as Le Mans is dealing with the allure that all the danger provided 50 years ago while acknowledging how much safer the sport has become, after the efforts of fed-up drivers like Jackie Stewart.

"We’ll never go back to those days," Carolla said, comparing mid-century motorsports to World War II-style military aerial dogfights.

He called the Le Mans racing of the sixties something that's "forever locked in history" — but "much more exciting" because of it.

He noted that when you check out the race cars of the periods, the Fords and Ferrari's that battled at Le Mans, you're struck by "little to no time was spent on safety."

"It was all speed," Carolla said.

I spent a year following endurance racing in 2015-2016 and watched Ford win Le Mans this past June. For me, the spectacle of gas-engined race cars roaring around a circuit in rural France, with actual drivers at the wheel, represented a pushback against some of the high-tech enthusiasm for all-electric cars that can drive themselves.

That could be why the 50th anniversary of Ford's 1966 win attracted so much attention this year — because even the much safer version of men (and women) and machines pitted against each other at terrifying velocities might be entering an end-phase.

Nate Adams considered that possibility when we spoke, recollecting the hardcore American hotrodding culture that provided much of the engineering talent for Ford in the sixties, including the legendary Carroll Shelby, the crusty Texan who oversaw Ford's 1966 victory.

"I do see there being a stitch of that fabric going away," Adams said. "That part of the society that wanted to build and rebuild their own vehicle. I'm not sure if a lot of millennials doing that."

Adams, like anyone else who has followed the history of fast cars in competition, understands that the biggest change in a century could be upon us. "We are moving to a brand new place in autos where there aren’t gonna be drivers in ten years," he said.

But for now, there are still drivers, and there are still fast cars. 

And there are movies like "The 24 Hours War," to remind us of what that combination was all about, at its peak.

The documentary is available at Chassy.com and on iTunes. Check out the trailer:

SEE ALSO: Ford just did something amazing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The cheapest new Ferrari money can buy is absolutely gorgeous

Over the years, 17 women have lent their voices to bring Cinderella, Belle, Mulan, and the other Disney princesses to life.

Disney's new masterpiece "Moana" introduces the studio's strongest female role model yet. The Polynesian teen is played by 16-year-old newcomer Auli'i Cravalho, from Hawaii.

"Moana" this past weekend became the second-biggest box-office opening ever on Thanksgiving weekend, second to "Frozen."

Here's a little background on Cravalho and the leading ladies who came before her.

SEE ALSO: 7 amazing Easter eggs you probably missed in Disney's 'Moana'

Snow White befriends small forest creatures and takes a long, curse-induced nap in 1937's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

In real life, Adriana Caselotti was a convent-educated teenager who beat out 150 actresses.

Walt Disney personally hired 18-year-old Caselotti for the role of Snow White in his first feature-length cartoon. She made $20 a day reciting lines and singing, which is reportedly less than for one of the actors who voiced a dwarf.

After "Snow White," Caselotti sang opera, worked briefly in real estate and the stock market, and wrote a book on singing.

In 1950's "Cinderella," the princess made an unforgettable appearance at a ball.

Wes Anderson has directed a short film for H&M starring Adrian Brody, who plays the character Dmitri in Anderson's 2014 film "The Grand Budapest Hotel."

The short comes as Anderson fans wait for his next (currently untitled) film to come in 2018, which IMDB simply describes as "a stop-motion film about dogs." It will star Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, and Bill Murray. 

Follow BI Video: On Twitter

Join the conversation about this story »

Netflix's "Gilmore Girls" revival, "A Year in the Life," was meant to give the cult TV show the ending it never quite got in its last season when its creator, Amy Sherman-Palladino, was no longer on the show. But one actor says that his character's storyline was shortchanged.

In one major storyline, Michel (Yanic Truesdale) was considering leaving Lorelai's (Lauren Graham) Stars Hollow hotel, the Dragonfly Inn, for greener pastures in New York City. In a bid to keep him and realize her own dreams of expanding the business, Lorelai repeated a move she made in the original series when she needed money to send Rory (Alexis Bledel) to a private high school and asked her mother for another loan.

Producers probably felt fans would assume that meant Michel would stay, but it was never addressed again on the Netflix series. But according to Truesdale, he and Graham did shoot a scene that wrapped up the story.

"There was this scene that got cut because the show was too long," Truesdale told Business Insider recently. "That was a big moment for Michel and Lorelai where they go and they buy that other place to do the spa."

It should be noted that Truesdale hadn't seen the completed series when he spoke to us, so he was unsure about how the plot would play out.

"Now that that scene is not there, I don’t know what you are left with with that storyline," Truesdale said. "That’s very unfortunate because that scene was very pivotal to all of that."

But fans may be able to see the scene in the future. Truesdale said producer Warner Bros. has plans to make it a bonus on the revival's potential DVD release.

"Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life" is currently streaming on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: How 'Gilmore Girls' finally landed its Netflix revival after one star had 'given up hope'

DON'T MISS: REVIEW: Netflix's 'Gilmore Girls' revival is almost everything fans wanted from it

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 7 best TV shows on Netflix you've probably never heard of

Ten-year-old music streaming giant Spotify is the veritable veteran in the digital music wars.

With more than 100 million users — 30 million of which pay $10 per month for the service's premium, ad-free version — Spotify continues to dominate despite the arrival of formidable competitors like Apple Music.

The Stockholm, Sweden-based company is expected to go public some time in 2017. Last year, Spotify sales reached $2.2 billion, about $1.8 billion of which went to record labels and talent, reports Bloomberg. Nonetheless, the company is growing rapidly with a focus on research and product development, including video experimentation.

Business Insider was recently invited to tour the company's US headquarters in New York City. Check out the highlights from our visit below.

DON'T MISS: Take a tour of the Mars Chocolate office, where life-size M&M's greet you at the door with free candy

SEE ALSO: Take a tour of the New York City subscription startup where you'll find swings, sneakers, and gnomes

Welcome to Spotify's US headquarters in New York City's Flatiron District. The streaming giant occupies two floors covering a total of 140,000 square feet. Three years ago, the company renovated the 90,000 square-foot 7th floor.

A door on the 7th floor leads to the wifi-enabled roof deck, a favorite common space among employees.

Our tour guide and the company's interior designer Cecilia Vigil said she decorated the rooftop with plants and flowers reminiscent of her native Sweden (the company's cofounder and CEO Daniel Ek is also Swedish).

AT&T is giving away free Apple TVs and Amazon Fire TV Sticks with its new streaming TV service, DirecTV Now.

DirecTV's new service comes in several packages, starting at 60 channels for $35 per month, and going up to a $70 per month package with 120 channels, the company announced on Monday.

Currently, DirecTV is offering a 100 channel tier for $35 per month, although it said that offer is available for a limited time.

Make no mistake: This is a monster giveaway.

Users who pay ahead of time for three months of DirecTV Now can receive the latest Apple TV for free, which retails for $149. 

AT&T will also give away an Amazon Fire TV Stick for free if customers pay for 1 month of DirecTV Now, AT&T said in a press release. 

DirecTV Now's least expensive package is only $35 a month, which means AT&T is asking for just a $105 commitment. An Apple TV alone costs $150 at retail. And if you don't want to commit to three months of DirecTV Now, you can sign up for one month ($35) and get a free Amazon Fire TV Stick. That would cost you about $40 at retail.

Making waves 

AT&T made waves in the industry earlier this year when it announced that DirecTV Now would provide more than 100 channels for a mere $35 a month, undercutting many rivals on price. (Wall Street was expecting it to cost about $50 a month, according to analysts at Macquarie.)

AT&T says it will be able to make the economics work at that price in part by cutting out legacy equipment like satellite dishes. DirecTV Now will be delivered over the internet, eliminating the need for cable or satellite but, to watch it on a TV, requiring a streaming box (like an Apple TV) or a smart TV.

Not everyone, however, has a streaming box ready to go. With this promotion, it seems as if AT&T is trying to bridge the "streaming gap" for customers by simply giving them a free streaming box.

The best channels 

DirecTV now will have a lot of commonly-requested channels. AT&T has already signed deals with HBO, Discovery, NBCUniversal, Turner, Viacom, Disney, AMC, Scripps, Starz, and more. So it seems as if all the big guns will be signed up for launch, except for CBS, which will not be included.. HBO will cost an additional $5 per month. 

The company has not yet revealed which channels are in which packages. 

Another major advantage to DirecTV Now is that it will have a "72-hour catch-up window," according to Variety, which will let you watch shows on-demand for three days after they air. But there may be limitations on this feature — ESPN isn't on that catch-up list, for instance. DirecTV Now will also have an on-demand library of "up to 14,000 titles," according to Variety.

For those who don't want to start paying before testing it out, DirecTV Now will let you have a seven-day free trial, AT&T said on Monday. 

The future is streaming

AT&T has big plans for DirecTV Now and thinks it will be the company's primary TV platform by 2020, according to Bloomberg.

In the immediate time period, a recent report from MoffettNathanson estimated that DirecTV Now could snag 11 million subscribers.

Here's the potential breakdown: 2 million cannibalized from DirecTV, 6 million from other pay TV, and 3 million "cord-cutters."

The 2 million subscribers transferred from DirecTV's traditional packages would be of concern to AT&T. Eleven million is a huge number, however, especially considering Sling TV is the market leader after only recently reaching 1 million subscribers, according to Bloomberg.

If you're ready to cut the cord, DirecTV is offering a 100 channel tier for $35 per month, although it said that offer is available for a limited time. But if you sign up now, you can have the deal grandfathered, the company said on Monday. 

SEE ALSO: This news startup is dominating Facebook, and it just snagged an interview with President Obama

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: France will trial a flying water taxi which surfs two feet above water

 AT&T just unveiled its internet-only cable TV streaming service. Starting at $35/month, the service is set to go live on November 30th and will consist of 100+ channels. AT&T showed off a demo of the service — here's what it's like.

Follow Tech Insider: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »