Filmmaker Alex Gibney's upcoming Steve Jobs documentary is reportedly "a blistering takedown" that is "deeply unflattering" of the late Apple CEO. So it's no surprise that Apple wanted no part of it.

"They didn’t give us any help whatsoever," Gibney told Variety of Apple's lack of involvement with the film. "When we reached out to them, they were somewhat hostile. They are brutal. People love their products, but they can be a ruthless company."

According to Gibney, Apple PR declined participation from the get-go, telling him, "We don't have the resources to help you on this project."

In "Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine," Gibney ("Going Clear," "Taxi to the Dark Side," "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room") takes a critical look at the personal and private life of Steve Jobs, tackling topics like his repeated denial of being the father of his daughter Lisa and the harsh way in which he treated many Apple employees. 

Former Apple engineer Bob Belleville, who had a love-hate relationship with Jobs, breaks down in the film as he reads a note he wrote after Jobs' death. Altogether, Gibney interviewed roughly 50 people who knew Jobs.

But many former and current Apple employees weren't as eager to be associated with the film.

After the doc's premiere last weekend at South by Southwest, several Apple employees in the audience reportedly walked out of the screening early.

Apple software and services chief Eddy Cue Tweeted after viewing the movie:

The film was also made without the participation of Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell. In a Q&A after the SXSW screening, Gibney said she was interested early on in engaging with the project but later declined.

Gibney's film is the first to be deeply critical of Jobs, who was also portrayed by Ashton Kutcher in "Jobs" in 2013 and by Michael Fassbender in the coming biopic "Steve Jobs," which is based on Walter Isaacson's biography. 

Gibney was not a fan of past films about Jobs, telling Variety: "After the Walter Isaacson book and so many other films, I didn’t really want to do a paint-by-the-numbers bio. I do think that Ashton Kutcher looks like a young Steve Jobs, but beyond that, I found it silly... it wasn’t interesting to me."

But Gibney's take is sure to be interesting.

"Behind the scenes, Jobs could be ruthless, deceitful, and cruel," the filmmaker says via voiceover early in the documentary. And apparently the sentiment doesn't stop there.

After the film's premiere at South by Southwest last Saturday, The Daily Beast called it "a blistering takedown" and "an all-out character assassination," while Variety wrote the film was a "coolly absorbing, deeply unflattering portrait" of Jobs.

Just one day after the premiere, Magnolia Pictures acquired the North American theatrical, video-on-demand, and home-entertainment rights to the documentary.

Gibney spent nearly three years on"Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine," which was financed by CNN Films. By the end of his experience, Gibney says he was disillusioned.

"When I went into it, I thought that Jobs was an inventor," Gibney tells Variety. "And I don’t really think he was an inventor now. I think he knew how to push people and he was a storyteller, and he became a storyteller for the computer age. But not all the stories that he told were true."

Gibney says working on the doc even affected his feelings about his once beloved iPhone: "I would say I’m no longer madly in love with my iPhone. It’s no longer blind faith."

While Gibney's Jobs film doesn't yet have a release date, "Going Clear," his explosive documentary on Scientology, premieres next weekend on HBO.

SEE ALSO: The new Steve Jobs documentary is a 'blistering takedown' that is 'deeply unflattering'

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NOW WATCH: 6 Crazy Things Revealed In HBO's Explosive New Scientology Documentary 'Going Clear'

Last September, "Shark Tank" investor Daymond John flew his mentee Moziah Bridges, the then 12-year-old founder and CEO of bow tie company Mo's Bows, to New York City for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

Besides taking him to events and making introductions to power players in the industry, John accompanied Bridges on a morning taping of CNBC's "Squawk Box."

Later that day, John got a call from Karen Katz, CEO and president of the Neiman Marcus Group.

He assumed the call was for him, he tells Business Insider, but it was for Bridges.

"I've never been in Neiman Marcus with any of my brands, and it takes the 12-year-old child to get Neiman Marcus to call me!" John says, laughing. "So that's the student teaching the teacher, you know?"

Today, the precocious CEO is 13. With the help of his mother Tramica Morris ("Mo is the CEO of the company, but I'm the CEO of Mo," she says), he's sold about $200,000 of his handmade bow ties and other men's fashion accessories. He has seven employees — including his mom and grandmother.

John became Bridges' mentor in 2013 after he and his mom appeared on "Shark Tank" in its fifth season. The mother-son entrepreneur duo from Memphis sought $50,000 in exchange for 20% equity in the company.

Bridges had the idea for Mo's Bows when he was just 9 years old. His grandmother, a retired seamstress, taught him early on the importance of dressing sharp. He asked her to teach him how to sew, and soon he was making bow ties and selling them online and to several stores in the South.

By the time he taped the "Shark Tank" segment, he'd sold 2,000 bow ties he made by hand with his grandmother, bringing in $55,000 in revenue. Kevin O'Leary offered a deal for the $50,000 in exchange for a $3 royalty per tie sold, which Mark Cuban and John advised Bridges not to take.

John says that when he saw Bridges up there with Morris, a single mother, he was reminded of his own situation growing up. He told Bridges that in 1989 he declined an offer of $10,000 for 40% of his hat company; 10 years later, that hat company had grown into FUBU and was valued at $100 million.

Saying it would be a mistake for Bridges to take an investment at that point in his business, John offered to be Bridges' mentor for free, which Bridges and Morris agreed to.

John reconnected with Bridges and Morris a few weeks later and has continued to be in touch. He says that he mentors several entrepreneurs, but that due to the unique "Shark Tank" situation, his mentorship of Bridges was the first to be formally agreed on. "I pay attention to them just as much as I pay attention to the ones I have investments in."

Bridges tells Business Insider that John has advised him to continue to avoid investments as he builds his company, and to not grow too quickly. Rather than expand into denim, for example, John recommended that Mo's Bows expand into neckties.

John taught him to "not think about what everybody else is doing and stay true to my brand," Bridges says.

He also inspired the Mo's Bows team to acquire licensing deals with companies. It secured its first one with Cole Haan late last year.

It also secured a deal with Neiman Marcus. Mo's Bows are available on the store's online shop and in a limited brick-and-mortar release.

"It's playing out well," John says. "The product is moving."

Bridges says that his recent success has inspired his friends back home, and that John taught him that with success comes the responsibility to give to others. It's why Bridges decided to make an annual bow tie and use 100% of the proceeds to help underprivileged kids who want to attend summer camp.

Bridges plans on following in John's footsteps. "I want to have my own clothing line by the time I'm 20," he says.

John is confident he'll achieve what he sets out to accomplish, noting that when he met Bridges when he was 11 years old, Bridges had the vision and focus that John didn't have until his early 20s. Plus, Bridges has the support of his mother and grandmother.

"I'm just adding fuel to the fire, but they can't be stopped regardless," John says. "I don't want to pat myself on the back because they're amazing."

Here's the Mo's Bows update that recently ran on "Shark Tank":

SEE ALSO: Why 'Shark Tank' investor Robert Herjavec says this entrepreneur might be the best in the show's history

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If you've ever listened to StarTalk radio, then you'll know that its host, famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, definitely has a sense of humor.

His humor was not lost on Business Insider when we asked him in a recent interview about his favorite science joke.

DeGrasse Tyson first heard this joke first told by science comedian Brian Malow. 

Here's how it starts:

"A Higgs boson walks into a church."

If you're unfamiliar with the term "Higgs boson," you might know it by another name: the "God" particle.

(No self-respecting scientist would ever call it this, but that hasn't stopped media outlets from preserving the term.) 

In order to get the joke, you must first understand the Higgs.

A Higgs boson is a type of subatomic particle that's about 100 times smaller than a proton. Scientists used the world's most powerful particle accelerator to see it for the first time in 2012, and their discovery was awarded the Physics Nobel the following year.

The reason this discovery was Nobel-worthy is because Higgs bosons come with a special ability: They help give other subatomic particles their mass. Without the discovery of a Higgs boson, physicists would not understand how particles, like those that make up you, me, and the billions of galaxies in the universe, could exist.

Back to the joke, as told to Business Insider by Tyson: 

"Higgs boson walks into a church, and the priest says, 'I'm sorry we don't allow Higgs bosons to come to churches.' And [the Higgs] says, 'But without me, you can't have mass.'"

Just to make sure this joke is politically correct, deGrasse Tyson mentioned that he's tested this joke on a Jesuit priest. "He said it was cool, so that gives us total clearance," Tyson said with a laugh.

This joke is particularly timely because the machine that first detected a Higgs boson in 2012, the Large Hadron Collider, is scheduled to turn back on — after two years of heavy maintenance — by the end of this month.

By mid-summer the LHC should be at max power, which is twice the power it operated at during its first run from 2009 through 2012. Physicists hope to explore the properties of Higgs bosons in more detail as well as discover some more never-before-seen particles like those that physicists think make up the mysterious material called dark matter.

LEARN MORE: You'll never guess what Neil deGrasse Tyson's favorite equation of Einstein's is

CHECK OUT: Neil deGrasse Tyson's 'most astounding fact about the universe' may bring you to tears

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NOW WATCH: Neil deGrasse Tyson: Here are the nerdiest things I've ever done

Just moments after Suge Knight's bail was set at $25 million stemming from a February murder case, the rapper collapsed in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Friday morning.

Knight's attorney, Matthew Fletcher, said his 49-year-old client, who is reportedly diabetic and has a blood clot, has been kept in solitary confinement and hasn't received medication since Thursday.

Knight arrived in court Friday looking worse for the wear.

Knight’s left shoulder was twitching, and he appeared to tense up during the hearing, the LA Times reports.

Talking to NBC Los Angeles, Matthew Fletcher said that moments before his client's collapse, Knight appeared ill and said he had not been given his medication.

"He was dripping sweat, like someone poured a bucket of water on him," the lawyer said.

Drinking water didn't help ...

Knight fell while deputies were bringing him back into the courtroom.

"Just, bam," his attorney told the LA Times. "He's unconscious right now."

Knight was taken to a jail hospital ward where he was being evaluated, Nicole Nishida, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman, told the LA Times.

But Deputy Dist. Atty. Cynthia J. Barnes said she believed Knight “did it in front of the cameras.”

Knight has previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and could face 25 years to life in prison under California's so-called three-strikes law if he is convicted at trial.

In court, the LA Times reports that Knight's attorney argued for a lower bail amount, saying his client was not a flight risk because he was recognizable.

But Deputy Dist. Atty. Cynthia J. Barnes said she didn’t believe that even a $25 million bail was high enough.

“When I wrote this, I was appalled … he basically is above the law,” she said.

Check out the laundry list of revelations from the court documents at the LA Times.

SEE ALSO: Rap mogul Suge Knight has been charged with murder

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NOW WATCH: How to make it out of a free-falling elevator alive

Say hello to the Ili pika:

This furry ball of cuteness is an endangered mammal closely related to rabbits and hares. The species was first discovered in 1983 and individuals have rarely been seen since.

It was first spotted in the Tian Shan Mountains in China, where it makes the holes and cracks of the cliffs its home. Despite other family of pika living across the Northern Hemisphere, these mountains are the only place this Ewok lookalike seems to feel at home.

Although scientists know where to find the Ili pika, it's still extremely hard to get on camera. For example, between 2002 and 2003 two researchers, Andrew Smith at Arizona State University and Li Wei-Dong at the Xinjiang Academy of Environmental Protection in Beijing, completed seven trips to twelve different sites to study population status of the animal. After 37 total days of attempted spottings, the two men came up completely empty handed.

Then, last summer, the man who originally discovered the species in '83, Weidong Li, had a chance encounter with the elusive creature. He and a group of researchers were out in the Tianshan Mountains for, what else, pika spotting, when around noon they saw one and snapped the iconic picture above.

Only 29 of these individual animals have been seen alive. A rare find, indeed!

The Ili pika was not always endangered.

In the early '90s scientists estimated that about 2000 Ili pikas thrived in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Although Smith and Wei-Dong did not see a live Ili pika during their expedition, they found the animal's characteristic fecal deposits and distinctive snow tracks.

From this, they concluded that the population is not nearly as robust as it used to be. In their paper, published in 2005 in the journal Oryx, Smith and Wei-Dong, suggested the animal be added to the endangered species list.

"We recommend that the Ili pika's Red List status be changed from Vulnerable to Endangered," they wrote in the paper.

Recent years have not shown any improvement. Over the last decade, the Ili pika population has continued to decline by an estimated 55%.

The reason for their dwindling numbers isn't clear, but Smith suspects it's related to disease, increased nearby human activity, and/or climate change.

CHECK OUT: Super-rare, beautiful photos of mountain lion cubs caught by camera trap in LA county

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A non-profit organization isn't too happy with Netflix, or its award-winning series "House of Cards."

America Works, the non-profit lashed out Friday at the show because it borrows the organization's name for the title of a controversial (again, totally fictional) piece of legislation being proposed by President Frank Underwood, played by Kevin Spacey.

"House of Cards not only used the trademarked name without authorization from the actual firm, but also pulled elements from the real America Works’ mission and history," a spokesperson said in a statement. "The ideology behind the House of Cards ‘America Works,’ however, confuses the philosophy underpinning the real America Works."

This is about more than trademarks and branding. It's also about inconvenience being created.

"America Works and its principals have received many calls and emails asking why America Works is offering programs that divert Social Security funds (or hurricane relief funds) to pay for its job placements and whether America Works is trying to eliminate Social Security," the non-profit said through a spokesperson. "To the contrary, the real America Works does nothing of the kind."

It sounds like some of President Underwood's biggest fans are having a little trouble discerning reality from fiction, and this is clearly agitating the 30-year-old non-profit. 

 The real America Works is also based in Washington D.C., and helps people find jobs — although, as they specify, they have nothing to do with a fictional plan to cut entitlement spending to put more Americans to work. In a statement, the non-profit says, it has gotten "500,000 hard-to-place individuals" into new jobs.

Business Insider has put in a call to the real America Works, and will update this post if they comment. 

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NOW WATCH: A lawyer in Florida has come up with an ingenious way for drivers to evade drunken-driving checkpoints

This incredible short film by director Paul Trillo shows a look at the infinite possibilities within the everyday. The film follows a day in the life of Vincent, "Subject X" and the many variations that exist throughout his universe.

Video courtesy of Paul Trillo

See more of Paul Trillo's work at paultrillo.com

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Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker who just tackled Scientology in HBO's explosive "Going Clear," is already making news again for his next project, a documentary about Steve Jobs.

In "Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine," the director Gibney ("Taxi to the Dark Side," "Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room") takes a critical look at the personal and private life of the late Apple CEO, tackling topics like his repeated denial of being the father of his daughter Lisa and the harsh way in which he treated many Apple employees.

After the film's premiere at South by Southwest on Saturday, The Daily Beast called it "a blistering takedown" and "an all-out character assassination," while Variety wrote the film was a "coolly absorbing, deeply unflattering portrait" of Jobs.

Just one day after the premiere, Magnolia Pictures acquired North American theatrical, video-on-demand, and home-entertainment rights to the documentary, which was backed by CNN Films. While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Variety notes: "There's a comfort level between filmmaker and distributor. This is the seventh film directed by Gibney to be distributed by Magnolia."

Gibney's film is the first to be deeply critical of Jobs, who was also portrayed by Ashton Kutcher in "Jobs" in 2013 and by Michael Fassbender in the coming biopic "Steve Jobs," which is based on Walter Isaacson's biography.

"Behind the scenes, Jobs could be ruthless, deceitful, and cruel," Gibney says via voiceover early in the film. And apparently the sentiment doesn't stop there.

Here's what five reviewers of the film have to say about "Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine":

Mashable's Chris Taylor:

The focus (of Steve Jobs: The Man Inside the Machine) is on the shadows created by the light and the dark of Jobs' personality, as told by the people who knew him. Early on, we meet a Macintosh engineer who breaks down in tears remembering the agony and ecstasy working with Jobs, who drove his staff so hard, worked them so late, to the point where the engineer lost his wife and kids. And yet, the result was genius.

The Daily Beast's Marlow Stern:

The entire final hour of Gibney's 127-minute film is an all-out character assassination. It questions the inherent value of Apple products — and by extension, Jobs's legacy. It smears him for not informing his company of his illness earlier, saying he was "obligated" to shareholders, and criticizes him for pursuing avenues of alternative medicine instead of immediately having surgery on his pancreatic cancer. It even chastises him for driving a silver Mercedes convertible with no plates and parking in handicapped spots.

Los Angeles Times' Amy Kaufman:

Certainly Gibney's portrayal of Jobs is far less flattering than Isaacson's. As the film makes its way through Jobs' story chronologically, Gibney highlights moments in which Jobs was unkind. The documentary says that when he and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak worked at Atari, Jobs once gave Wozniak only $350 of a $7,000 check meant to be split between them.

The film suggests he may have been downright greedy. The Chinese workers who were putting together iPhone 4s were making $12 per unit, while the company was profiting $300 per phone.

Variety's Justin Chang:

Gibney duly acknowledges Jobs's artistry, innovation and technological showmanship while making plain just how "ruthless, deceitful and cruel" the man could be ...

On a certain level, "The Man in the Machine" functions as a corrective and a tribute to the many brilliant men and women Jobs surrounded himself with but didn't necessarily give their due; many here attest to his sharp way with a jab and his monomaniacal need for control, particularly with regard to staff retention ...

Considerable screen time is devoted to an older episode in which the young Jobs disputed the paternity of his daughter Lisa (with his high-school girlfriend, Chrisann Brennan) and balked at paying child support — callous and ironic behavior, coming from someone who was always painfully aware of having been given up for adoption. As a still-wounded Brennan understandably concludes: "He didn't know what real connection was."

9to5mac highlighted a few interesting points featured in the film:

On the paternity debacle: "Jobs' cruelty regarding Chrisann and Lisa is highlighted in the film. You learn that he had lied in a sworn testimony, falsely claiming Brennan had multiple sex partners and that he was sterile and could therefore not be Lisa's father. Only after a paternity test proved that he was did he finally accept responsibility. And though Apple went public in 1980, increasing Jobs' net worth from $20 million to $200 million, he agreed to pay Brennan just $500 per month in child support."

Gizmodo and the iPhone 4: The film spends a significant amount of time revisiting the time when Jobs went to war with Gizmodo, after the tech website had gotten its hands on a prototype of an iPhone 4 that an Apple employee had carelessly left at a bar. All the key figures are interviewed, including editor Jason Chen, whose home was forcibly entered and computers seized by Silicon Valley police, and Nick Denton, who approved a payment of $5,000 for the phone. Jobs, who pledged not to stop until Gizmodo's editors were in jail, died one year later.

In every review we've read of the film, the following clip is seen as the most emotional moment. Former Apple engineer Bob Belleville breaks down reading a note he wrote after Jobs' death.

Despite being in the midst of heavy promotion for his Scientology documentary, "Going Clear," Gibney flew to Austin, Texas, this weekend for the movie's world premiere at SXSW. 

During a Q&A after the screening, Gibney defended his film and portrayal of Jobs.

"Zen was superficial — a formal elegance," Gibney said of trying to understand Jobs' spiritual values. "He believed in making the world a better place by making better products, and that's it."

Gibney also defended his film to Variety, saying, "There are critical elements that people haven't seen about Jobs or understood."

"I would say I'm no longer madly in love with my iPhone," the director added. "It’s no longer blind faith."

Watch Gibney's full Q&A at SXSW below.

SEE ALSO: How filmmaker Alex Gibney finally infiltrated Scientology for HBO's explosive new documentary

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NOW WATCH: Steve Jobs' biographer reveals the childhood moment that defined the Apple founder

The runaway success of "Dragon Blade," a Chinese film starring Adrien Brody and John Cusack, proved that two actors with middling success in their home country could find success overseas.

In fact, it feels like reaching out abroad is the best bet for many entertainers right now.

Today, studios count on a film's foreign box office even more than its domestic gross.

Stars who struggled in the United States can find a new life in unexpected places. Sometimes, they can do it by exploring a new medium, whether it be music or painting.

Here are eight American actors who have found surprising success overseas.

Nicolas Cage — China

In America, Nicolas Cage's over-the-top performances have made him both a punchline and a meme. China, however, takes the Oscar-winning actor a lot more seriously. It might have to do with the fact that many of his films, including "The Croods," "Ghost Rider," and "National Treasure: Book of Secrets" were just three of a handful of American films to make it past Chinese censors.

In fact, Cage is so well-liked in China that in 2013, he received the "Best Global Actor in Motion Pictures" Award at the Huading Awards Show.

He also stars in a car ad for Beijing Automotive.

His upcoming "Outlander," an American-Chinese-Canadian co-production, will be released in China on April 3.

Here's the trailer:

David Hasselhoff — Germany 

In America, Hasselhoff fame has gone up and down multiple times. In the 1980s and '90s, he starred in hit shows "Knight Rider" and "Baywatch." Lately, he is probably best known for an infamous YouTube video in which he drunkenly eats a cheeseburger.

But even when he was down stateside, he maintained a loyal following in Germany.  

On New Year's Eve in 1989, Hasselhoff performed a tune called "Looking for Freedom" for a newly reunited Berlin. That year, the song became Germany's top selling single, and Haselhoff proved that if its not working as an actor, you can always try and write a pop song. 

Here is Haselhoff singing at the Berlin Wall:

Halle Berry — China

Similar to Adrien Brody, an Oscar win unfortunately didn't bolster Halle Berry's career for long. While she does star in a few of the "X-Men" movies, she also won a Razzie for her performance in 2004's "Catwoman."

Berry was up for a much more prestigious award in 2014: she won a Global Icon award at China's Huading Film Awards. When she got onstage, she said she felt like "an original Beatle" in China.  

This could be perplexing to some, given that a few of her recent starring vehicles ("Catwoman," "The Call," "Perfect Stranger") didn't even play in China. Yet, "Cloud Atlas" made the bulk of its $103 million foreign box office gross in China.

John Cusack — China

As mentioned earlier, Cusack has found surprise stardom in China, thanks to his starring role in "Dragon Blade." In recent years, Cusack has starred in a wide array of projects, ranging from blockbusters to independent films, that have been met with mixed box office and critical success in America.

Part of Cusack's viability overseas may be because he is already a proven box office draw in China: "2012" was a big hit when it was released there back in 2009.

Perhaps Cusack's collaboration with Jackie Chan was inevitable. After all, Cusack has been an admirer of martial arts and has used it in his movies since the days of "Grosse Pointe Blank":

Jerry Lewis — France

France's love of Jerry Lewis is like folklore at this point, but it is no myth. Lewis has been a fixture in French culture since the 1960s, where many French critics and historians have praised his work, with some saying they prefer him over Woody Allen. His popularity hasn't wained there: an annual Jerry Lewis film festival is held every year in Paris.   

Here is Jerry entertaining paparazzi (who are clearly huge fans) in Paris:

Kevin James — Germany

Haselhoff isn't the only one who's big in Germany. Comedian Kevin James has been a fixture in Germany since "The King of Queens" became one of the few American sitcoms to truly succeed there.

His movies such as "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" (which was promoted more heavily on James than Adam Sandler) and "Zookeeper" (where it made its highest foreign gross) attract big audiences in Germany, based on his name alone. American humor tends to get lost in translation when crossing overseas, and while James is much maligned in America, his brand of slapstick doesn't require a translator.

Here is Kevin James making an appearance on the popular German TV show "Wetten, dass..?" ("Wanna Bet?") alongside Cameron Diaz:

Clint Eastwood — Italy 

Clint Eastwood is currently having a career renaissance behind the camera with "American Sniper," which recently became the 

highest-grossing film in the US in 2014. It also opened to big numbers in Italy.

It may be because Eastwood has been a huge star over there since the 1960s, when Sergio Leone's "The Dollars Trilogy" first cemented him as a movie star. Eastwood is the rare actor who went abroad in order to become a star in his home country.

Sylvester Stallone — Russia

Sure, the Soviet Union might have once been Rocky Balboa's enemy, but in recent years, Stallone's films have gained something of a following in Russia.

Outside of the "Expendables" franchise, his "Grudge Match" earned its highest overseas total there (at just $2.8 million, though) while his 2013 film "Escape Plan" trailed China for second place. Russians also saw a side of Stallone that Americans never get to witness: a 2013 exhibit in St. Petersburg displayed paintings by Stallone.

His artwork might not have received positive reviews, but Russians from all across the country still came to see it.

Check out some of Stallone's art below:

SEE ALSO: This movie starring Jackie Chan, Adrien Brody, and John Cusack is huge in China right now

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NOW WATCH: Forget IMAX — The Next Big Thing For Movie Theaters Is 4DX

When “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace” opened in theaters May 19, 1999 the anticipation for the continuation of the saga was palpable. Fans would finally get the first three installments leading up to “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.” All those hours of discussing what led Obi-Wan Kenobi to live in seclusion on Tatooine or why Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side to become Darth Vader would finally be revealed.

Though the film earned over $1 billion dollars worldwide in its theatrical run, many critics and loyal fans weren’t that impressed by George Lucas’ return to his galaxy far, far away. From the strange sexual connection between 9-year-old Anakin (Jake Lloyd) and 14-year-old Queen Padmé Amidala (Natalie Portman) to Jar Jar Binks, there was a lot to pick on Lucas about.

But one exception — and watching it 16 years later still gives me goosebumps — is the fight at the end of the movie between Jedi Knights Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) versus the Sith Lord Darth Maul (Ray Park) during the Battle of Naboo.

Doing a deep-dive of the scene, it's shocking to see what George Lucas and his team needed to use to pull off one of the pinnacle shots in the duel.

But first, let's get ourselves familiar again with the scene. 

Accompanied by a new piece of music from John Williams, who has been responsible for all of the iconic scores in the “Star Wars” saga, the scene shows that Lucas was prepared to elevate the lightsaber battles from episodes IV-VI. Faster, more complex moves and the inclusion of a new-style lightsaber sported by Maul, which had double blades, the scene gives the movie the jolt it needed following a drawn out podrace on Tatooine earlier and heavy dialogue-driven diplomatic scenes.

Lucas pushed his stunt team to create a fighting style different from the previous films as this is the era of Jedi in their prime. And in casting Maul he turned to Park, who was already doing stunts on the film. When Lucas saw a tape of him doing moves with the double-bladed lightsaber he gave him the role.

As per Lucas’ style, the Jinn/Kenobi/Maul fight is one of four battles going on simultaneously. There’s also Queen Padmé and her guard detail trying to retake the palace from Federation Viceroy Gunray; Jar Jar Binks and the rest of the Gungan army going up against the Federation’s droid army; and Anakin has found himself in space battling the Federation’s droid control ship after accidentally starting the starfighter he was hiding in. Lucas uses this method to keep the action from getting stale and extending the battles in running time.

Specifically focusing on the lightsaber battle, you have the intimidating figure of Maul — which up to this moment we had only seen mostly standing around looking sinister and for a brief moment battling Jinn on Tatooine — holding his own against two Jedi.

During the fighting, Kenobi is kicked by Maul and falls down a lower level of the room and finds himself hanging from one of the catwalks in the generator room.

With Jinn fighting Maul one-on-one, Maul leads him towards a narrow hall with laser fields.

Kenobi finds the strength to force-jump back on the catwalk. He jumps once more to the level Jinn and Maul are on and races back to the action. But is held up when the laser fields turns on. Jinn and Maul are also separated by the fields, leading to a pause in the action.

When we return after checking in on Anakin, Jar Jar and Padmé’s progress, we find Jinn, Kenobi and Maul preparing for the fields to open.

Using The Force they are prepared before the fields are opened with Jinn and Maul instantly going back at it. Kenobi is still racing to assist his Master.

The fields close just before Kenobi can enter the fray and he is forced to watch as Maul kills Jinn.

Once you get over the shock of seeing a lightsaber go through someone, you can't help but find the reaction of Kenobi eerily similar to Luke Skywalker watching Kenobi’s death by the hand of Darth Vader in “A New Hope.”

In the commentary track of “The Phantom Menace” Blu-ray, Lucas explained the challenges of this portion of the scene.

“One of the most difficult parts of this sequence was figuring out a way to separate Obi-Wan from Qui-Gon,” he said. “I had to have a situation where Qui-Gon could get trapped and Obi-Wan would have to look and watch him get killed and not be able to do anything about it.” 

Kenobi finally gets his chance to avenge Jinn’s death as the final laser field opens.

Lucas remarked on McGregor and Park’s intensity in this duel.

“This was a fun sword fight between Ewan and Ray because they were really into it and they were very much out to prove who was the better swordsman,” he said in the commentary. “They were very much challenging each other, which made for a challenging shoot but very exciting. They finished this and their swords were almost bent in half they were hitting each other so hard.” 

But things don’t go well when Maul force-pushes Kenobi into a pit, leaving him hanging for his life as Maul kicks his lightsaber into the dark void.

Lucas notes that this moment is a theme in the saga.

“[Obi-Wan] falls over the ridge earlier [in the battle], falls over here. Copying kind of what happens in ‘Empire Strikes Back’ with Luke in the same kind of sword fight with a Sith and falling over the edge.”

But in a move that surprises Maul, Kenobi force-jumps out of the pit while using The Force to get Jinn’s lightsaber, flips over Maul, and slices him in half.

Lucas says the four battles were switched around in the way they ended numerous times in post production. But he finally settled on the Kenobi/Maul battle to conclude them all.

“When you have four endings basically you have to figure out which is the most important and save it for last and the most shocking,” he said. “Which is Darth Maul being cut in half, and you make it the last one.” 

In looking back on "The Beginning" documentary we also get a glimpse into the making of the Jinn/Kenobi/Maul duel.

Here's Park getting his Darth Maul makeup applied.

Though the generator room looks like a giant section of Padmé’s palace, it actually was a portion of a soundstage the first three films were all shot on in London. Most of the vast space created in post production.

"The Beginning" shows the section of filming where Kenobi pulls himself from the catwalk to get back into the fight. Here McGregor is shown a model of the generator room and where the catwalk he's hanging from is located. 

A challenge making that sequence was finding a way for McGregor to leap back onto the catwalk in a "graceful, Jedi-like move." 

First they tried a trampoline.

That didn't work.

After the shot, Lucas came over to say that from his monitor "you can see that he's bouncing on something."

This leads to a practical solution, but one that's surprising to see on the set of a "Star Wars" film. The stunt team decided to lift McGregor up while he's standing on a wooden plank.

That turned out to be successful. 

Pretty incredible that even on a $115 million budgeted movie sometimes what works best is some basic DIY ingenuity. 

Though it's hard to justify many things in “The Phantom Menace,” the Jinn/Kenobi/Maul duel shows the strength of the "Star Wars" saga. Unique battles with a thrilling score is the hallmark of “Star Wars” and this one especially stands out as it highlights the beauty of the lightsaber duels and its ferocity.

It brings us some hope that all those years of waiting for the prequel wasn’t all in vain.

Watch a portion of the fight below.

SEE ALSO: 2017 is going to be an absolutely huge year for Disney

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The second season of 'Silicon Valley,' Mike Judge's comedy about the tech industry, debuts on Sunday Apr. 12 on HBO. 

The network just released this new trailer, which features Valley buzzwords like "synergy," investor Peter Gregory in panic mode, and a new character who wants to give Hooli more money to burn. Check it out:

SEE ALSO: How 2 Georgia fraternity brothers created Yik Yak, a controversial app that became a ~$400 million business in 365 days

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US video game makers brought in about $2.6 billion in revenue back in 1996, but that number had skyrocketed to $21 billion by 2013.

The video game industry has obviously seen explosive growth, and an ex-professional StarCraft player and current Twitch star named Sean Plott has a theory about why.

It all starts with accessibility.

In many ways, video games have democratized sports. Anyone, big or small, can join in and, with enough practice, compete with the best of them. That accessibility, Plott told Business Insider, is going to push video games and e-sports to become one of, if not "the predominant hobby in the world."

"It is only natural for [the industry] to grow from here," Plott said. "Accessibility drives traffic and growth in technology. That's a proven trend in technology."

For many kids, video games today are just more accessible than traditional sports.

"If you want to play soccer, you need a huge field," Plott said. "If you want to play football, you need armor! If you want to play squash, you need a court. If you want to play a video game, all you need is a computer and an internet connection."

Let's say you like basketball, Plott explained. One day, you decide to watch one of the few games that makes it to national television. One of the more popular teams is on — the Cleveland Cavaliers — and you see Lebron James do an incredible dunk.

His dunk inspires you to play a game of pick-up basketball. To act on that desire, you must first find a basketball court at a park, change into gym clothes and sneakers, get a basketball, and, finally, convince a few friends to play.

If any of those things fall through — say your friends don't want to play or the court at the park is occupied — you are out of luck, according to Plott.

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NOW WATCH: 14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do

Paramount released the first trailer for the next "Mission: Impossible" movie.

The fifth film in the franchise will be called "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation." Tom Cruise will reprise his role as IMF agent Ethan Hunt and join Jeremy Renner who starred in 2011's "Ghost Protocol."

Together, their team will work together to take out an international rogue organization called the Syndicate that is trying to take out the IMF.

The best scene in the trailer shows Cruise dangling from the side of a military plane, a stunt which the actor performed on his own.

The film also stars Alec Baldwin, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rhames.

"Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" will be released July 31, 2015.

Watch the trailer below:

Here's the first teaser poster for the film:

SEE ALSO: 20 books you should read before they become movies this year

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Netflix is currently working with Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris (“The Fog of War”) on a six-part docu-series.

Though details on the project have been kept mum, in a conversation with Morris about the Blu-ray release of his seminal documentary “The Thin Blue Line” out next Tuesday, he gave a little insight to Business Insider exclusively on what the series will be about.

"[It] has an element of true crime in it," he told BI over the phone from Los Angeles.

Morris brought the true-crime film genre to prominence with the release of “The Thin Blue Line” in 1988, which looked at the wrongful conviction of Randall Dale Adams. The findings in the film helped eventually get Adams released.

The 67-year-old filmmaker says true crime is a subject he's still very interested in.

"I wrote a book about true crime, 'A Wilderness of Error,' it sold and will be made into a feature film," he said. "'Tabloid' is true crime. A number of projects I'm working on as we speak are true crime."

When asked if the current six-part Netflix series he's making was one of them he replied, "That, yes, has an element of true crime in it. Yes indeed it does."

He would not go into detail about the series, only to say that an announcement was forthcoming.

The interest in true crime is at its peak at the moment, most recently with the arrest of real estate heir Robert Durst coinciding with the finale of the popular HBO documentary “The Jinx,” which examines the three murders Durst is suspected of carrying out and then presumably admitted to committing in the final episode of the series.

The documentary follows the success of the podcast series “Serial” and the fictitious true crime series on HBO, “True Detective.”

Most recently, Morris directed six short films for ESPN titled, "It's Not Crazy, It's Sports." 

Along with the Netflix series he's also prepping his first narrative feature in 24 years, “Holland, Michigan,” which he says will begin shooting in the fall.

"'Holland, Michigan' is not true crime," he pointed out with a chuckle.

SEE ALSO: HBO filmmakers cancel all press; could be key witness against alleged murderer Robert Durst

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It's that time again.

Netflix has announced the titles leaving the streaming site next month, and we're sad to see some of these go.

Two very different comedies, each with a big cult following, will be taken down April 1: "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and "Clue: The Movie."

If you're a horror fan, make sure to watch the original "Friday the 13th."

There's also Robin Williams' Oscar-nominated performance as a crazed DJ trying to bring some laughter to the troops during the Vietnam War, "Good Morning, Vietnam."

And, sadly, Netflix has swept the leg of the original "The Karate Kid."

Here's everything that’s leaving. We've highlighted some favorites.

Leaving 4/1

"28 Hotel Rooms"
"Annie" (1982)
"Astonishing X-Men: Dangerous"
"Astonishing X-Men: Torn"
“Astonishing X-Men: Unstoppable"
"Baby Genius: A Trip to the San Diego Zoo"
"Baby Genius: Animal Adventures"
"Chalet Girl"
"Clue: The Movie"
"Coneheads"
"Friday The 13th" (1980)

"Friday the 13th: Part 2"
"Friday the 13th: Part 3"
"Friday the 13th: Part 4: The Final Chapter"
"Friday the 13th: Part 6: Jason Lives"
"Friday the 13th: Part 8: Jason Takes Manhattan"
"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
"Get Shorty"
"Good Morning, Vietnam"
"Guess Who"
"Inventing the Abbotts"
"Jane Eyre"
"Jeepers Creepers 2"
"Les Miserables" (1935)
"Madeline"
"Miral"
"Mystic Pizza"

"Mystic River"
"Pee-Wee's Big Adventure"
"Philadelphia"
"Reindeer Games"
"Sense and Sensibility" (1995)
"Shadow of the Vampire"
"Taking Lives"
"The Amityville Horror" (1979)
"The Cable Guy"
"The Karate Kid" (1984)
"The Karate Kid Part II"
"The Karate Kid Part III"
"The Quick and the Dead"
“The Whole Nine Yards”

Leaving 4/10

"Sleeping Beauty" (2011)

Leaving 4/12

"Paranormal Activity 4: Unrated Edition"

Leaving 4/16

"The Woman Who Wasn't There" 

NOW SEE: What's coming to Netflix in April

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"The Jinx" star Robert Durst's recent arrest is just the latest in a series of legal troubles for the 71-year-old real-estate heir accused of murdering three people.

In 2003, Durst went on trial for the murder and dismemberment of his Galveston, Texas, neighbor, Morris Black. While many considered the case a slam dunk in finally putting Durst behind bars after the murder of his best friend, Susan Berman, and disappearance of his wife 21 years prior, Durst's high-powered defense attorney claimed self-defense and he was acquitted of murder.

Those who had been following the high-profile case went nuts after the verdict, which was covered on every major news outlet.

Even "Saturday Night Live" mocked the shocking verdict.

In the November 13, 2003, episode of "Saturday Night Live," Fred Armisen played Robert Durst ...

... being interviewed by Tony Bennett, played by host Alec Baldwin.

While video of the sketch is not available online, HBO's "The Jinx" plays a clip from it in episode five.

Following Durst's weekend arrest and everyone's fascination with the case following Sunday's explosive "The Jinx" finale, the sketch is now more relevant than ever.

Read the funny transcript below:

Tony Bennett/Alec Baldwin: I guess you're right. I'm glad you're here anyway. I'd like to bring out my first guest. He's a millionaire who chopped up his neighbor in their apartment complex. Some people seem to have a beef with that. He just won the big court case, so I bet he's got some pep in his step. Please welcome Robert Durst. [Creepy white-haired dude comes in, sits.] Thank you for coming, Robert. You look great. Hey, that's a real top-notch sport coat. James Garner — I mean, eat your heart out!

Robert Durst/Fred Armisen: Oh why thank you!

So how's it going?

Well, better now. I was a little scared there for a while.

Now, uh, you chopped up your neighbor! Tell us about that.

Well, he raged at me. And as I was defending myself, I fell and accidentally ... chopped him up.

Man, that's outta sight. Now, I'm a pretty laid-back kind of guy. But I've had my own gripes with my neighbors over the years. You know, one summer I lived next door to Richie Sambora at Big Bear Lake. And this dude had a tropical bird the size of Chita Rivera that just wouldn't stop squawking.

Oh, that would wear me out.

You telling me, Robert. Now, what's the scoop on this first wife of yours that went missing? Did you chop her up, too?

I had absolutely nothing to do with that ...

Hey, Robert. hold that thought on the chopping-up-your-missing-wife business. I gotta mention one of our sponsors. [Holds up a maxi-pad package.] Stayfree Super Maxi Pads with four-wall protection. Robert, do you mind? [Robert holds the maxi-pads.]

In my book, all ladies should look like Angie Dickinson. That's why it's a shame when their monthlies keep them from wearing cream-colored pantsuits. You know, I once made love to Angie Dickinson for seven hours! Then a security guard came in and said, "Mr. Bennett, Madame Tussauds is closing."[Throws maxi pads away.]

Anyway, we're back with Robert Durst. Now, they also say that you're something of a cross-dresser.

Well, you know, on occasion. I have dressed in women's clothing ... accidentally, yes.

Well, I think it's just great when you can put on women's clothes, have a fight with a neighbor who rages at you, chop him up, and then you both just say "uncle." You know, I still regret not clearing things up with Richie Sambora. Sometimes I think that's why I have trouble sleeping. In fact, I'll just call him up right now and try to get the whole thing over with. [Picks up phone.] Our friends at AT&T will connect me. [Phone rings.]

Richie Sambora [over the phone]: Yeah? Yeah?

Tony Bennett/Alec Baldwin: Is this Richie Sambora?

Sambora: Yeah. Who is this?

Tony Bennett/Alec Baldwin: This is your neighbor, Tony Bennett. I got a beef with your bird.

Sambora:
Tony Bennett/Alec Baldwin: [Hangs up phone.] I heard it. He said, "I'm sorry." That's what I've been waiting for 12 years. A simple apology from Richie Sambora. Isn't it great, Robert, when it all works out in the end?

Robert Durst/Fred Armisen: It's so great. It really is the best.

Tony Bennett/Alec Baldwin: Fat Joe, I'm gonna have to catch you on the flipside. I wanna say thanks to my guests, Robert the neighbor chopper, Angie Dickinson, Richie Sambora, those maxi-pads with four-wall protection, and crazy Pat, the rooster sucker!

SEE ALSO: The LAPD insists Robert Durst's arrest was actually not connected to HBO's 'The Jinx'

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While watching "House of Cards," which brands do you notice the most?

Claire Underwood (Robin Wright) can usually be spotted on her Apple iPhone. Remy Denton (Mahershala Ali) is usually around a Buick. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is always wearing his IWC watch.

In total, 105 real-world brands appear in season three of "House of Cards." 

That may sound like a lot, but it is actually a decline from the 129 brands and the 134 brands that appear in seasons one and two, respectively, of the Netflix political series.

Concave, a market research company that tracks and analyzes brand presence in entertainment content including TV and film, tracked the branded companies in all three seasons of the show.

Concave provided Business Insider with a list of all the brands it found in "House of Cards."

Here are the top 10 featured in season three:

Apple
IWC
Chevrolet
Washington Nationals
Avaya
Cartier
Nokia
Samsung
Blackberry
Dell

Below you can see the top 20 brands across all three seasons:

The list of most visible brands across seasons differs slightly. Samsung moves up the list, while CNN and NBC also appear in the top 10.

Here are the top five brands used by the different characters in the show. 

As noted in the slide above, Apple is among the top five brands of four actors, while Samsung is associated in the top five brands for seven actors. 

Nokia, Dell, and Samsung are brands used by secondary characters including Heather Dunbar (Elizabeth Marvel) and Seth Grayson (Derek Cecil).

How long are you seeing all of these brands on screen?

According to Concave, brands are visible for nearly four hours in season three. That's more screen time than in season one but less than in season two. 

But you probably wouldn't notice most of the brands.

Under 10% of the brands seen on screen across each season are close-ups.

Here's the difference in how Concave discerns the different categories of visibility.

The brands you'll most likely recognize are the ones with close-up or obvious appearances. In season three, those are Apple, Louboutin, Samsung, and Dell.

While Apple may be the brand with the overall most visibility across seasons, as Concave notes, 24% of Samsung's screen time is in the form of close-ups.

Below is the full list of 105 brands seen in season three. 

How many did you spot?

You can view the full study from Concave here.

SEE ALSO: A 'House of Cards' actor lied to keep one of the biggest secrets of season 3

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