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Here’s What To Expect From Bud Light’s Super Bowl Ad

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bud light super bowl

Anheuser-Busch beer brand Bud Light has just released a teaser of its Super Bowl ad. It looks like it's going to be pretty fun (watch the video below.)

The brand has paid for a 60-second slot during the game, which airs on NBC on February 1. Broadcast slots cost anywhere between $4.4 million to $4.5 million per 30-second spot, depending on how much airtime the advertiser buys up overall. The brewer has three 60-second ads in the works.

The Bud Light ad, created by EnergyBBDO, sees a man (described by the brand as a "non-actor") whose normal night out turns into something far more exciting after he reads an "Up for Whatever" message on the label of his beer.

He ends up at the door of a massive party and plays inside a giant Pac-Man maze. You can just catch a glimpse of one of the Pac-Man ghosts at the end.

Bud Light's "Coin" Super Bowl ad is an extension of the "Perfect Beer For Whatever Happens" campaign, which launched at last year's big game.

Last year's Super Bowl spot starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Don Cheadle — so there may well be a celebrity surprise come February 1.

Here's a mini-teaser of what we can expect from the full ad at Super Bowl XLIX:

Anheuser-Busch is the exclusive Super Bowl XLIX beer advertiser and is airing a further two 60-second ads: Another for Bud Light and one for Bud.

Both the additional ads have been created by Anomaly.

The Bud Light ad is entitled "Lost Dog." It acts as a sequel to last year's much-loved "Puppy Love" spot and features the brand's famous Clydesdale horses. The Bud ad, on the other hand, will focus on how the beer is brewed. But that's all we really know so far about those.

SEE ALSO: Here Is Everything We Know About The 2015 Super Bowl Ads

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Twin YouTube Stars Come Out As Gay To Their Dad In Emotional Viral Video

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austin aaron rhodes bros youtube stars

Since joining YouTube just six months ago after moving to Los Angeles from a small town in Ohio, fraternal twins Aaron and Austin Rhodes already have millions of views on their videos.

While most of the Rhodes Bros videos are of lighter fare like "How To Take A Selfie" or "Pros & Cons Of Being Twins," their latest video took an emotional turn when they both decided to come out to their father as gay.

"Before this video is put out there, there is one more person who we need to tell," the visibly anxious brothers explain to viewers. "We've come out to our entire family, except for our dad." 

austin aaron rhodes twins youtube"So we're going to call him in this video. Since he lives in Ohio, we can't meet him face to face. We're going to let him know that we're gay."

The brothers dial their dad and stall for a few minutes, clearly nervous about the news they're about to share.

Aaron Austin Rhodes Bros youtube starsBoth boys become extremely emotional and can't seem to get the words out.

Austin Aaron Rodes twins youtubeAustin Aaron Rodes twins youtubeFinally, Aaron musters up the strength to come out with the purpose of the call: "I don't know how else to put it, but I'm gay... and Austin is too. And we just wanted to call and tell you."

Austin quickly chimes in: "I just didn’t want you to find out through YouTube and I just wanted to be able to have that conversation, because I feel like we’re close enough, and I finally feel like I’m at that point now where I’m able to tell you, and I just want to be able to have you behind us 100%. I just don’t want you to not love us anymore."

Austin Aaron Rodes twins youtubeThe Rhodes' father quickly eases their anxiety.

"It’s the way things are, you know," he tells them. "You’re growing people. You grew up in a much different generation than me. I just don’t really know what to say. You know I love you both, that will never change. You’ve gotta live your lives. You’ve gotta do what you gotta do."

The call ends on a positive note, with their dad accepting of the news and assuring he loves them no matter what.

"I've never been so nervous in my entire life," says Austin, breathing a sigh of relief after the call.

"I literally feel like ten million pounds have been lifted off my shoulders," adds Aaron.

Austin Aaron Rodes twins youtube

"Our message of this video is just to be yourself," says Aaron. "Do whatever makes you happy."

After the video was released late Wednesday, it already has over 5.5 million views and counting, by far the brothers' most-viewed video ever.

Watch the emotional coming out video below:

SEE ALSO: The 20 Most Popular YouTubers In The World

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John Boehner Just Trolled Obama With A Bunch Of Taylor Swift GIFs

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Taylor Swift

House Speaker John Boehner (R) sent out an article Friday that used GIFs of Taylor Swift to illustrate an argument against President Barack Obama's plan to offer students two years of free community college.

The article, which was written by Boehner's deputy communications director Michael Ricci and digital communications director Caleb Smith, highlighted the fact the college plan would cost $60 billion over the next decade. Ricci and Smith argued that this plan would most likely lead to "a tax increase on millions of Americans" that would actually harm young people.

Ricci and Smith also suggested it would be better if people "worked together to lower costs for folks across the board and improve our children's education." They punctuated this point with a link to Boehner's five point economic plan and a GIF in which Swift is clapping.

Business Insider reached out to Boehner's office to ask whether he was a Swift fan and, if so, which song was his favorite. Boehner spokesman Michael Steel responded with a statement that did not reveal the speaker's stance on Swift.

"We are always looking for fun, effective ways to communicate with the American people about President Obama's failed policies, and our better solutions. As Speaker Boehner says, 'you have to reach people where they are,'" Steel said.

Read Ricci and Smith's full article below. 

Exposing the truth about the President's 'free' college idea

1.  Last week, President Obama announced his latest idea to provide "free" community college to millions of Americans. It sounded exciting at first…

TSwift Excited


2.  But then, we got to thinking…

 TSwift Thinking 2


3.  Free?!  Is he using magic money?  Nothing is free.  So we did a little math.

 TSwift Studious 3


4.  Turns out…when President Obama said "free" what he meant was "60 Billion dollars over 10 years."  Not even all the Taylor Swift album sales in the world would cover that bill.

 TSwift Confused 4


5.  Still, 60 billion dollars is a lot of money...you can't just shake it off.

 TSwift Shaking 5


6.   And the president knows full well there’s no blank space in the taxpayers' checkbook. 

 TSwift Tree 6


7.  Does that mean he intends try to pay for his "free" plan with a tax increase on millions of Americans? 

 TSwift Bezerk 7


8.  Or does it mean he wants to pile up more debt on the very young people this idea is supposed to help?

 TSwift Basketball 8


9.  Even then: college STILL wouldn’t be free – there are all kinds of other fees and costs – not unlike all the higher costs we’re seeing in this tough economy.

 TSwift Crying 9


10.  Wait, wouldn’t it be better if we just worked together to lower costs for folks across the board and improve our children’s education?

 TSwift Applause 10


11. Looks like an apology is in order, Mr. President…

 TSwift Sorry 11


12. We're not mad.  We're just disappointed.

 Taylor Disappointed 12


BONUS GIF: Thank you for reading. 

 TSwift Thanks Final

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Why 'MythBusters' Adam Savage Is Way In To Cosplay

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The world of cosplay is a dedicated fan club to all things comics and entertainment.

Cosplay hobbyists will spend an exuberant amount of time and money on their costumes to portray their favorite characters.

MythBuster co-host Adam Savage is no different. Having become somewhat of a Comic Convention celebrity, Savage explains his love for the culture. 

Produced by Justin Gmoser

Follow BI Video: On Facebook

 

 

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George Lucas Explains Why He Stopped Making 'Star Wars' Movies To Make An Animated One Instead

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george lucas strange magic press conference

Next weekend George Lucas will be releasing a new film, but it won't be to a galaxy far, far away.

Instead, "Strange Magic," a fairytale musical about fairies, goblins, and elves, will be the "Star Wars" creator's first full-length animated feature. 

The film seemed to come out of nowhere when Disney announced its January release in November 2014; however, it's a project the "Star Wars" creator has been working on for at least 15 years.

At a press conference for the film Friday afternoon, Business Insider asked Lucas why he would turn down working on more "Star Wars" movies to focus on an animated feature about fairies.

Lucas shared that the movie is really about his three daughters, Amanda, Katie, and newborn Everest, whereas "Star Wars" was about his sons.

He also explained that when he began working on the film, he hadn't sold his company Lucasfilm yet to Disney. After purchasing the company from Lucas in Oct. 2012 for $4 billion, Disney put up the rest of the money to finish Lucas's passion project while Disney took over the reigns on "Star Wars."

Here's Lucas's explanation in full to us. It has been slightly edited for clarity. 

Well, originally I had two daughters, and eventually, another daughter. ‘Star Wars’ was for 12-year-old boys. I figured I’d make one for 12-year-old girls. You know, the 12-year-old boy one worked for everybody from eight months to 88 and boys, girls, dogs, whatever. It really worked. So, I said, well, maybe I can do one like this, but it’s slightly more female-centric. [In ‘Strange Magic,’] we still have sword fighting, we still have things, but truly a story that hopefully will work for everybody. But, what’s really something, I said, well, maybe I’ll do this.

george lucas daughter katieamanda lucas george lucas daughter

And, I just wanted to have fun. I was directing 'Star Wars' while I was doing these. I’d go out and shoot and this movie we’d put it on the shelf for awhile, and the guys would kind of work. I had a little group of guys and girls that were working on this thing. 

It’s a project that I’ve been doing for a long time, and then, when it came to sell the company I realized that it wasn’t completely finished, but I said, well, I still want to retire. I’m not going to wait this out. I want to retire now. Time is more important to me than money. And, so, I just did it and hoped that Kathy [Kennedy] and everybody who has been working on the film and everything would follow through and Disney would put up the money to finish it. I mean, it was mostly done, so it wasn’t like they had to put up a whole bunch of money to finish it. It turned out extremely well. It’s what I envisioned, but, I know it’s been … maybe two years since I sold the company, but time moves very slow in animation. 

"Strange Magic" is in theaters Jan. 23. 

You can watch the trailer below.

 

SEE ALSO: George Lucas originally wanted to direct "Star Wars: Episode VII"

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How To Solve A Rubik's Cube Step By Step

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Step 1: White Cross
You should be able to complete this step just by playing around with the cube. Make sure that the edges of the cross match the center squares on the adjacent sides. 

Step 2: Finish First Layer

Step 3: Middle Layer
You may need to move some middle-layer edge pieces from the top layer. Follow the patterns below to get these pieces in the right places.  

Rubik's - Middle Layer

Step 4: Top Corners
To get the corners in the right place, you can use this pattern to swap corners until all four corners are in the right location. At this stage, they do not need to be facing the right way. 

Rubik's Swap Corners

To orient corners use a combination of the patterns below. The first will turn the faces of three corners clockwise. The next will turn the faces of three faces counter-clockwise. 

Rubik's Clockwise

Step 5: Top Layer Edges In The Right Place
Make sure all the edges are in the right location. Do not worry if they are facing the wrong way. Use a combination of the patterns below to move these edge pieces.

Rubik's Permute Edges 

Step 6: Top Layer Edges Facing The Right Way
Use either of the patterns below or a combination to orient these edge pieces correctly.

Rubik's Final Layer Edges

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Here's The Robot That Just Beat Jimmy Fallon In A Game Of Beer Pong On The Tonight Show

The 20 Most Famous Students In College This Semester

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Dakota Fanning

Winter break is over, and students are heading back to school for their second semesters.

And for the most famous students, a new semester brings more than just schoolwork as they balance Olympic training, political careers, and TV show filming.

Here's what celebrities and famous offspring are up to this semester, both inside the classroom and out.

Melia Robinson, Melissa Stanger, and Sara Bower contributed to this article.

Alexander Ludwig is a member of one of USC's most sought-after fraternities.

Canadian actor Alexander Ludwig played the ruthless District 2 tribute Cato in the first "Hunger Games" movie — he's the one who fights Peeta and Katniss on top of the cornucopia in the final fight scene.

A senior, the Phi Kappa Psi brother and theater major belongs to one of USC's most exclusive fraternities, which has a reputation for throwing the year’s wildest parties.



Angus T. Jones left "Two and a Half Men" to pursue religion and his education at UC Boulder.

After starring on hit sitcom "Two and a Half Men" for 10 seasons — as the highest paid child actor at the time no less, making $350,000 an episode — Angus T. Jones left the show in order to fully dedicate himself to Christianity. 

Now a sophomore at the University of Colorado at Boulder, he also tours the country speaking at churches.



Chiara de Blasio still keeps up with her father's career in New York — even from school in California at Santa Clara University.

During her father Bill de Blasio's New York City mayoral campaign, Chiara starred in an advertisement and made a dramatic, surprise return from college to cast a vote for him.

The Santa Clara University senior and floral-headband-wearing hipster made headlines of her own with a powerfully candid video about her struggles with depression and history of drug and alcohol abuse.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider







Benedict Cumberbatch Couldn't Wait To Tell His Actor Parents About His First Oscar Nomination

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great image of benedict cumberbatch from the fifth estate premiere

Thursday was a big day for Benedict Cumberbatch.

The "Sherlock" star received his first Oscar nomination for his role as mathematician Alan Turing in "The Imitation Game."

The son of two actors, Wanda Ventham and Timothy Carlton, Cumberbatch said he was especially proud to be able to tell his actor parents of his nod.

Via ABC News:

"So excited and honoured to receive this recognition. It's wonderful to be included by the Academy in this exceptional year of performances. To ring my parents who are both actors and tell them that their only son has been nominated for an Oscar is one of the proudest moments of my life.”

Cumberbatch previously received a Best Actor nod at the Golden Globes for his role in the film, but lost out to fellow British actor Eddie Redmayne for his performance in "The Theory of Everything."

The actor has been on a roll in the past year in the awards circuit. Cumberbatch won his first Emmy for his role on BBC's miniseries "Sherlock" last August.

Naturally, Cumberbatch's fans, who refer to themselves as Cumberbitches, are thrilled.

http://bencdaily.tumblr.com/post/108164983741/congratulations-benedict-for-your-first-academy
http://whenisayrunrun.tumblr.com/post/108165270921/we-are-so-proud-of-you
http://myfanaticdomain.tumblr.com/post/108167417824/at-the-risk-of-repeating-last-years-joke

SEE ALSO: All the Oscar nomination surprises and snubs

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Patricia Arquette's Oscar-Nominated Role In 'Boyhood' Paid Surprisingly Little

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boyhood patricia arquette

Director Richard Linklater's "Boyhood"  which is the first movie to ever be shot over 12 yearsfilming the same actors as they aged  is receiving tons of Oscar buzz and just cleaned up at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards.

The film won three Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture  Drama, Best Director, and Patricia Arquette took home the statue for Best Supporting Actress.

Boyhood Golden GlobesSince the film's July 11 release, it has earned nearly $43.5 million worldwide on just a $4 million production budget.

But despite the film's box office and critical success, the stars of the movie aren't necessarily raking it in.

Following her Golden Globes win, Patricia Arquette revealed that "Boyhood" was more of a passion project than a lucrative gig.

"It’s important to me as an actor to be able to make a living, but I’m going to tell you something  I paid more money to my babysitter and my dog walker than I made on 'Boyhood,' and to be in 'Boyhood!'" the actress told WENN. 

Patricia Arquette BoyhoodArquette, who recently appeared on "Boardwalk Empire" and can currrently be seen on "CSI," says that TV  not film  is often more lucrative.

"Television actually allows you to make a living, feed your children, send them to college. And to have the luxury to make the choices of doing what it is you think that matters," the actress told WENN.

"It blows my mind (we won) because we didn’t even know if people would even accept this movie and then to find that people were moved by the movie," Arquette continued. "Winning totally blew our minds. I’m so happy for Rick (Linklater) and so happy for the producers, because they gave $4 million dollars. They gambled on a movie with no safety net, no contracts past seven years… You could’ve ended up with nothing."

For "Boyhood," 54-year-old director Richard Linklater insisted that financier IFC Films give him part ownership of the movie's copyright.

The Hollywood Reporter explains of the rare deal:

Richard Linklater golden globe award

Unlike a typical deal that offers a percentage of profits  or "points"  so a director shares in the success but has no control over the movie's future, Linklater's pact gave him a say in where and how the film is released. 

... As an owner, he can join in marketing decisions, touch each part of the revenue stream and eventually sell his stake to a library (by contrast, many directors still are paid for home video on a "royalties" basis that is much lower than theatrical gross).

While exact financial details have not been released, Linklater's ownership is apparently "substantial," his lawyer told THR in June.

But most directors don't take this kind of deal because it forces them to give up a big part of an upfront fee, which is usually estimated to be in the low-seven figures.

"And that's precisely why most directors haven't taken this route," notes THR. "They stick to Hollywood's oldest adage: Take the money and run."

SEE ALSO: This Must-See Summer Movie Took 12 Years To Make And Has 100% On Rotten Tomatoes

MORE: Charlize Theron Reportedly Negotiated A $10 Million Paycheck After Sony Hack Revealed Unequal Pay

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Twitter Had An Incredible Reaction To This Year's All-White Oscar Nominees

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The 87th annual Oscar nominations were announced early Thursday morning.

Take a look at the light-skinned faces of this year's Best Actress nominees:

Best Actress Oscars nominees

 Now look at the Best Actor nominees:

Oscars Best Actors nominees

And the Best Director noms:

Oscars Best Director NomineesOne thing all of the nominees have in common? The color of their skin  white.

And it doesn't stop there. The Best Supporting Actor/Actress categories both look like the same 50 shades of white:

Oscars Best Supporting Actors Nomsoscars best supporting actress nomineesAfter the nominations were announced, people immediately noticed the lack of diversity among the nominees.

On Twitter, the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite quickly blew up with people making "yo mama"-like jokes:

A few pointed out that Academy President, Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who announced the noms, is actually black:

Isaacs was forced to respond to the nominations' lack of diversity shortly after they were announced.

When Vulture asked Isaacs whether the organization has a problem with recognizing diversity, she replied, "Not at all. Not at all."

cheryl boone isaacs chris pineWhile last year's Oscars were more diverse than past years ("12 Years A Slave" won Best Picture and Lupita Nyong'o Best Supporting Actress), many found this year's lack of color especially troubling because there was a film worthy of the accolades  "Selma," about Martin Luther King Jr.'s monumental Civil Rights March in Selma, Alabama.

Many expected "Selma" director, Ava DuVernay, would make history this year as the first black woman nominated for Best Director. She was snubbed. The film did earn a Best Picture nomination, but "Selma" breakout star David Oyelowo also failed to receive a Best Actor nod.

Vulture asked Isaacs about the seeming "Selma" snub:

"Well, it's a terrific motion picture, and that we can never and should not take away from it, the fact that it is a terrific motion picture," she said. "There are a lot of terrific motion pictures, it's a very competitive time, and there's a lot of great work that has been done. I am very happy that Selma is included in our eight terrific motion-picture [nominations]."

There's clearly a diversity and gender divide within the Academy. According to one report, Oscar voters are nearly 94% Caucasian and 77% male.

Media Diversified posted this graphic showing even more scary stats:

SEE ALSO: Oscar Nominations Revealed: Here's The Full List

MORE: The 13 Biggest Snubs And Surprises From The Oscar Nominations

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'American Sniper' Breaks Box-Office Records With Highest January Opening Weekend Ever

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american sniper bradley coooper

"American Sniper" had a record-breaking opening weekend.

Based on the true-life story of US Navy Seal Chris Kyle, the Oscar-nominated film starring Bradley Cooper made an estimated $93.6 million at the box office over the course of three days. That makes it the highest-grossing opening weekend ever in January at the box office

Director Clint Eastwood's movie, nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor, is expected to hit north of $100 million after the MLK holiday Monday. 

"American Sniper" has more than doubled the previous record set for the month of Jan. by Kevin Hart's "Ride Along," which debuted to $41.5 million last year.

Here's a quick look at the highest-opening weekends in Jan.

MovieRelease DateOpening WeekendWorldwide GrossEstimated Budget
"American Sniper"1/16/2015$93.6 million $109.9 million (so far)$58.8 million
"Ride Along"1/17/2014$41.5 million$154 million$25 million
"Cloverfield"1/18/2008$40 million$170.7 million$25 million
"Taken 3"1/9/2015$39.2 million$127.5 million$48 million
"Lone Survivor"1/10/2014$37.8 million$149.3 million$40 million
"Star Wars" (Special Edition)1/31/1997$35.9 million$579.6 millionn/a

SEE ALSO: All the Oscar nominees

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Here's The Painting That Inspired The Entire Look Of 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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james gunn rocket raccoon oreo

If you’re not following “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn on Facebook or Instagram, you should.

The director puts out behind-the-scenes photos from the film, shares lists of his favorite films, fan art, and videointerviews, while taking the time to respond to a lot of fan comments.  

Earlier this week, Gunn posted an image of a painting from artist Chris Foss which the director said inspired his “Guardians of the Galaxy” team the most.

Gunn said he presented this piece of art and other Foss works during a pitch meeting with Marvel to direct “Guardians of the Galaxy.” chris foss

Here’s how he explains the painting’s inspiration and what happened during that meeting:

Yellow is an underused color in films, especially science-fiction and fantasy films. In Guardians, I used it as a signifier of change, rebirth, and redemption - the yellow prison uniforms, Drax drowning in the yellow spinal fluid, the yellow Groot spores, and the yellow interlocking Nova Corps net... I believe color is a part of what made Guardians successful. When so many huge, spectacle films have the beige color palette of Saw, the brain becomes thirsty for color. We were that technicolor pitcher of water at the edge of the summer desert.

guardians of the galaxy groot

This doesn't mean all movies should be colorful, just that color in general is important, and too much of one thing is boring. If, over the next few years, films become oversaturated with bright colors, brains will be relieved by a film entirely hazel and gray. 

Anyway, this painting, along with other Chris Foss works, was a part of my original presentation to Marvel when I pitched myself as director and I explained the visual direction I was going to take with the film. They were immediately on board, and we ended up hiring Chris Foss to help design some of the spaceships in the film. He was, of everyone, my biggest visual inspiration on Guardians.

SEE ALSO: The real-life raccoon who inspired Rocket in "Guardians of the Galaxy"

MORE: Director Steven Soderbergh's Epic List Of Everything He Read And Watched In 2014

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10 Bond Cars For the Ages

Mark Cuban Negotiated A New 'Shark Tank' Deal With Sony Entirely Over An App That Deletes All Messages

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mark cuban

Amid the long list of leaked emails from December's massive Sony hack was an exchange involving billionaire investor Mark Cuban, Mark Cuban Companies general counsel Robert Hart, and Sony Pictures Television president Steve Mosko regarding a "Shark Tank" contract Cuban deemed "beyond an insult" and had him threaten to leave the show. 

After the leak, Cuban told Business Insider, the billionaire investor decided to handle negotiations of a new deal over his free texting app Cyber Dust, which features texts that disappear after 20-100 seconds, depending on length.

Following the leak, Cuban told Business Insider his future online interactions with Mosko would be done over Cyber Dust.

Last week Cuban sent a message to all of his Cyber Dust contacts, including BI, that he handled the negotiation of a new contract with Mosko exclusively over Cyber Dust.

We followed up with Cuban over email about the specifics of the deal and his decision to use the app. Here's our full back-and-forth, edited for format:

Business Insider: Was there any reluctance from Sony to negotiate over CyberDust?

Mark Cuban: No, they were wide open to it. My lawyer and I communicate almost exclusively in CD so she was able to communicate the benefits to Sony. It was simple to get them using.

BI: Are there any details surrounding the deal that you can share?

MC: Once Sony was back to business, it went pretty quickly. Despite what was reported about the one email the primary negotiating issues were about how closed deals could use Shark Tank IP in their marketing.

ABC and Sony have really come a long way in their understanding of the needs of the entrepreneurs. We were able to get through a checklist pretty quickly and get the deal closed.

BI: Is this a practice you will repeat in the future?

MC: I've been using it since we started Cyber Dust.

Interestingly, the leaked emails didn't tell the full story behind his anger.

The older proposed deal called for a salary of around $30,000 per episode from seasons 5-7, required he promote the show on any channel it was syndicated on, and even suggested that Sony could copyright Cuban's "catchphrases" and gestures. Much more importantly, according to our interview with Cuban, was the way that Sony wanted to restrict entrepreneurs' use of the "Shark Tank" brand in their marketing.

It's not the first time Cuban threatened to leave "Shark Tank" due in part to how entrepreneurs were treated. In late 2013, his threat forced the show's production company Finnmax to remove retroactively a clause that required every "Shark Tank" contestant to give it either 2% of their profits or 5% equity of their company.

From what he told us, however, it looks like he's happy with where all the forces behind "Shark Tank" are right now.

SEE ALSO: Mark Cuban Threatened To Leave Shark Tank Over Sony's 'Insulting' Offer Of $30,000 Per Episode

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Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Model Molly Sims Describes Her Perfect Man

Chris Hemsworth's New Hacker Movie 'Blackhat' Bombs At The Box Office

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chris hemsworth blackhat

It looks like we have our first box-office bomb of 2015.

Chris Hemsworth's new movie, "Blackhat," about hunting down cyberterrorists, made just $4 million over the holiday weekend so far.

The Universal film, from director Michael Mann, cost an estimated $70 million to produce.

What went wrong? 

For one thing, the R-rated movie was competing against Oscar-nominated film "American Sniper." Director Clint Eastwood's film about the deadliest US Navy Seal sniper debuted to a huge $90 million at theaters.

It broke a few records, becoming both the largest January opening weekend ever and Eastwood's biggest debut for a movie.

There were also a few other male-centric films competing for viewers including Liam Neeson's "Taken 3," which debuted to a $40 million opening the weekend prior, and Kevin Hart's "The Wedding Ringer" featuring "The Big Bang Theory" actress Kaley Cuoco. The comedy made $21 million opening weekend.

"Blackhat" reviews have also been less than stellar. The Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan says the film is "visually unattractive," and filled with "lame dialogue." Chris Nashawaty over at Entertainment Weekly calls the film a dud with Hemsworth miscast in the lead

The film still has the opportunity of performing well overseas since it not only features Chinese actors including Leeholm Tang and Wei Tang, but also includes many scenes in Hong Kong. 

SEE ALSO: "American Sniper" has a monster weekend at the box office

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The Surprising Real Names Of 30 Celebrities

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golden globes michael keatonSometimes you need to change your name to make it as a star in Hollywood or the music business.

When Michael Keaton accepted his best actor Golden Globe for "Birdman," he told the crowd his birth name was actually Michael Douglas.

The 63-year-old actor changed his name early in his career to avoid confusion with the actor of the same name and TV host Mike Douglas. It's believed he chose Keaton because of comedian Buster Keaton. 

Plenty of today's biggest stars don't go by their birth names — Reese Witherspoon, Mila Kunis, and Natalie Portman. 

However, you probably aren't familiar with how they ended up with their current monikers.

Mila Kunis — Milena Markovna Kunis

At the age of seven, Milena Markovna Kunis and her family moved from Ukraine to Los Angeles, Calif.

Mila's mother, Elvira, and father, Mark, soon enrolled her in acting classes and allowed Mila to shorten her name when she started booking her first roles on "Days of our Lives," "7th Heaven," and playing a young Angelina Jolie in "Gia."



Joaquin Phoenix — Joaquin Rafael Bottom/Leaf Phoenix

Joaquin Rafael Bottom is the third of five children, all with equally interesting names, including River (1970–1993), Rain (1973), Liberty (1976), Summer, and a half-sister Jodean.

After Joaquin's parents, John Lee and Arlyn Bottom, married in 1969, the couple joined the religious cult the Children of God and traveled around South America. But they soon became disenchanted with the cult and moved back to the U.S. in 1978, where they changed their last name to "Phoenix" to symbolize "new beginning."

Around this same time, a young Joaquin began calling himself "Leaf," desiring to have a similar nature-related name like his siblings. In a past Jay Leno interview, Joaquin said he had originally called himself "Antleaf" as a child.

Leaf would become the name he would use as a child actor until, at age 15, he changed it back to Joaquin.



Reese Witherspoon — Laura Jeanne

The Oscar nominee traded her first and middle name in for her mother's maiden name, "Reese."



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Watch That Dash Cam Video Tribute Of A Police Officer Singing Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off'

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This viral video of a Dover Police Officer singing Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" has racked in over 400,000 views in 24 hours. The Dover Police Department has admitted the video is not legitimate dash cam footage but a produced tribute to Taylor Swift. The video is being used by the department to celebrate the success of its Facebook page

Video courtesy of Dover Police Department.

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Amazon Is Going To Make Movies

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movie theatre cinema

Amazon intends to make full-length films and release them in movie theatres, the company announced on Monday.

The technology giant says it intends to produce 12 movies a year, which will enjoy traditional theatrical releases, before becoming available to stream on Amazon Prime 4 to 8 weeks later. Amazon Studios, the company's media production arm, has already enjoyed multiple successes, including the Golden Globe-winning "Transparent." But this is the company's first foray into feature films.

The company says the service, called Amazon Original Movies," will focus on unique stories, voices, and characters from top and up-and-coming creators." It has yet to name any planned features.

The news comes as competition between Amazon Prime and Netflix intensifies. The rival streaming service is due to debut the sequel to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" in August at the same time as it opens in cinemas, in what CNN described as "the realization of Netflix's long-held goal to let subscribers see films at the same time they've in movie theatres." In October, Netflix also signed a deal to bring 4 original Adam Sandler movies to their platform.

"Our goal is to create close to twelve movies a year with production starting this year," VP of Amazon Studios Roy Price said in a statement about Amazon Original Movies. "“Not only will we bring Prime Instant Video customers exciting, unique, and exclusive films soon after a movie’s theatrical run, but we hope this program will also benefit filmmakers, who too often struggle to mount fresh and daring stories that deserve an audience.”

The project will be spearheaded by Ted Hope, whose production company Good Machine was responsible for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and "Eat Drink Man Woman."

“Audiences already recognise that Amazon has raised the bar with productions in the episodic realm, tackling bold material in unique ways and collaborating with top talent, both established and emerging," said Hope. "To help carry the torch into the feature film world for such an innovative company is a tremendous opportunity and responsibility.”

As The Next Web notes, Amazon is currently doubling down on its original content. Just last week the company announced it had signed Woody Allen to produce his first-ever television show, which will be streamed exclusively over Amazon Prime.

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