After 30 years as a devout Scientologist, actress Leah Remini abruptly left the church in July 2013 and she didn't go quietly. After the recent release of HBO's explosive Scientology documentary "Going Clear," Remini's story is now more relevant than ever.

At the time of her exit from the church, Remini explained her departure was because "no one is going to tell me how I need to think, no one is going to tell me who I can, and cannot, talk to."

The "Old School" and "King of Queens" actress allegedly called it quits after years of questioning the religion's treatment of followers under the leadership of David Miscavige.

"It all began when Leah questioned the validity of excommunication of people," a source told PageSix of her decision at the time. "She is stepping back from a regime she thinks is corrupt. She thinks no religion should tear apart a family or abuse someone under the umbrella of 'religion.'"

Remini reportedly spoke out about the mysterious disappearance of Miscavige's wife, Shelly, who has reportedly only been seen once since 2006.

Another PageSix source explained, "Because Leah threatened to call the police to find Shelly, she was put through 'Security Checking,' her family was put through it, and her friends."

The Page Six source says that as a result of her outspoken questioning, the former co-host of "The Talk" "was put through 'thought modification' for five years," but, "When they tried this with her again earlier this year, she said, 'Enough.'"

Mike Rinder, a former Scientologist who was featured in "Going Clear" and runs a blog about the religion, said at the time that Remini "will no longer tolerate the squirreling and human rights abuses perpetrated in the church... As a result, the church has lost one of its most effective supporters — both in the public relations arena and their bank balances."

"I believe that people should be able to question things," the 44-year-old actress explained to People magazine at the time of her departure. "I believe that people should value family, and value friendships, and hold those things sacrosanct. That for me, that's what I'm about. It wouldn't matter what it was, simply because no one is going to tell me how I need to think, no one is going to tell me who I can, and cannot, talk to." 

Remini's mother, husband, and daughter were also practicing Scientologists. The actress had been a member of the church for three decades after her mother became a Scientologist in the 1970s, rising through Scientology's ranks to achieve Operating Thetan Level Five, with three more rungs to climb until reaching the highest spiritual rank, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"We went from a middle-class lifestyle [in Brooklyn, N.Y.] to living in a roach-infested motel with six other girls off a freeway in Clearwater," Remini recalled to BuzzFeed of her family’s transition to the Church’s compound in Florida, before her 10th birthday. "We were separated from our mother. We had to sign billion-year contracts we didn’t understand. And we kept saying, 'Why are you doing this to us? Why are we here?'"

Remini's mother had moved the family to Florida at the urging of her stepfather, who abandoned the family before they entered the Clearwater compound's gates.

"We were working from morning until night with barely any schooling," Remini told Buzzfeed. "There was no saying no. There was no being tired. There was no, 'I’m a little girl who just lost her father and everything I’ve ever known.' There was only, 'Get it done.' If the church needed a ballroom wall knocked down, you made it happen because there were heavy repercussions if you didn’t. And although that was horrendous for a child to deal with, at the same time, it gave me my work ethic."

Despite her history with the church, "I'm not about to shut up," Remini told People, adding, "We stand united, my family and I, and I think that says a lot about who we are, and what we're about."

But not all of Remini's famous Scientology friends were as supportive as her family during the transition.

Fellow church-member Kirstie Alley called Remini "repulsive" and "a bigot" during a 2013 interview on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show.

Alley, who told Stern that she recently reached the OT-7 level in the church's hierarchy of achievements, continued about Remini: "She left the religion and she was very critical. That's just sort of water under the bridge. I didn't shun her, but if a lot of people are rejecting you, at some point you gotta ask, 'What am I doing?' I mean, that's what I would have asked myself."

Others, however, were more supportive of the actress' decision to leave.

Oscar-winning writer/director Paul Haggis, a former Scientologist who is featured in "Going Clear" and has publicly criticized the church, wrote an open letter thanking the actress in The Hollywood Reporter:

"I read some things that really disturbed me. First was the way Leah was being attacked by her celebrity 'friends,' who were disparaging her character. What was new to me was the report that Leah had run afoul of the church by challenging Scientology’s leader, David Miscavige, who is held to be infallible...

I can’t express how much I admire Leah. Her parents, family and close friends were almost all Scientologists; the stakes for her were so much higher than for me. Her decision to leave was so much braver... I will forever be grateful to her."

Read the full letter here.

Following her difficult departure from the church, Remini released a statement thanking fans for their support:

"I wish to share my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for the overwhelming positive response I have received from the media, my colleagues, and from fans around the world. I am truly grateful and thankful for all your support."

After watching HBO Scientology documentary "Going Clear" for the first time on Sunday night, Remini tweeted:

She also gave an official quote to Scientology blogger Tony Ortega: 

"I wanted to thank the people who are in it and have worked so hard. You, Mike Rinder, Marty Rathbun, Marc Headley, Tom DeVocht, Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, and HBO. And Paul Haggis in particular for what he wrote on your website the other day. What Paul wrote is so exactly right."

Remini later tweeted links to her posts on Instagram:

Read Scientology's lengthy response to "Going Clear" here.

SEE ALSO: Read the moving letter director Paul Haggis sent Leah Remini after she left Scientology in 2013

SEE ALSO: The crazy story of how Scientology allegedly once groomed a girlfriend for Tom Cruise — and then tore them apart

Join the conversation about this story »

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

Seasoned Hollywood stunt coordinator Jack Gill organized the sort of automotive feats that earned the "Fast & Furious" franchise its name. For the upcoming "Furious 7," Gill was tasked with executing a scene involving multiple cars falling out of a moving airplane. Here's how he did it. 

Video courtesy of Universal Studios

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Ahead of an official announcement by Disney, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson announced on social media he’ll play the male lead in Disney’s 2016 animated musical, “Moana.” 

For an idea of what it’s like inside the Mouse House, Johnson shared an image of himself at Disney Studios where he said he had “an amazing 2hr presentation.”  

Johnson’s currently in the process of signing all his contracts for the film, in which he’ll be singing.  

If you’ve ever wondered how much paperwork an actor needs to go through to play a lead actor in a film, Johnson’s Instagram image gives you a pretty good idea. 

That’s a lot of paper.

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After 30 years as a devout Scientologist, actress Leah Remini abruptly left the church in July 2013, and she didn't go quietly. After the recent release of HBO's explosive Scientology documentary "Going Clear," Remini's story is now more relevant than ever.

At the time of her exit from the church, Remini explained her departure was because "no one is going to tell me how I need to think, no one is going to tell me who I can, and cannot, talk to."

The "Old School" and "King of Queens" actress allegedly called it quits after years of questioning the religion's treatment of followers under the leadership of David Miscavige.

"It all began when Leah questioned the validity of excommunication of people," a source told Page Six of her decision at the time. "She is stepping back from a regime she thinks is corrupt. She thinks no religion should tear apart a family or abuse someone under the umbrella of 'religion.'"

Remini reportedly spoke out about the mysterious disappearance of Miscavige's wife, Shelly, who has reportedly only been seen once since 2006.

Another Page Six source explained, "Because Leah threatened to call the police to find Shelly, she was put through 'Security Checking,' her family was put through it, and her friends."

The Page Six source says that as a result of her outspoken questioning, Remini "was put through 'thought modification' for five years," but, "When they tried this with her again earlier this year, she said, 'Enough.'"

Mike Rinder, a former Scientologist who was featured in "Going Clear" and runs a blog about the religion, said at the time that Remini "will no longer tolerate the squirreling and human rights abuses perpetrated in the church ... As a result, the church has lost one of its most effective supporters — both in the public relations arena and their bank balances."

"I believe that people should be able to question things," the 44-year-old actress explained to People magazine at the time of her departure. "I believe that people should value family, and value friendships, and hold those things sacrosanct. That for me, that's what I'm about. It wouldn't matter what it was, simply because no one is going to tell me how I need to think, no one is going to tell me who I can, and cannot, talk to." 

Remini's mother, husband, and daughter were also practicing Scientologists. The actress had been a member of the church for three decades after her mother became a Scientologist in the 1970s and rose through Scientology's ranks to achieve Operating Thetan Level Five, with three more rungs to climb until reaching the highest spiritual rank, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"We went from a middle-class lifestyle [in Brooklyn, N.Y.] to living in a roach-infested motel with six other girls off a freeway in Clearwater," Remini recalled to BuzzFeed of her family’s transition to the church’s compound in Florida, before her 10th birthday. "We were separated from our mother. We had to sign billion-year contracts we didn’t understand. And we kept saying, 'Why are you doing this to us? Why are we here?'"

Remini's mother had moved the family to Florida at the urging of the actress' stepfather, who abandoned the family before they entered the Clearwater compound's gates.

"We were working from morning until night with barely any schooling," Remini told Buzzfeed. "There was no saying no. There was no being tired. There was no, 'I’m a little girl who just lost her father and everything I’ve ever known.' There was only, 'Get it done.' If the church needed a ballroom wall knocked down, you made it happen because there were heavy repercussions if you didn’t. And although that was horrendous for a child to deal with, at the same time, it gave me my work ethic."

Despite her history with the church, "I'm not about to shut up," Remini told People, adding, "We stand united, my family and I, and I think that says a lot about who we are, and what we're about."

Not all of Remini's famous Scientology friends were as supportive as her family during the transition.

Fellow church member Kirstie Alley called Remini "repulsive" and "a bigot" during a 2013 interview on Howard Stern’s SiriusXM radio show.

Alley, who told Stern that she recently reached the OT-7 level in the church's hierarchy of achievements, continued about Remini: "She left the religion and she was very critical. That's just sort of water under the bridge. I didn't shun her, but if a lot of people are rejecting you, at some point you gotta ask, 'What am I doing?' I mean, that's what I would have asked myself."

Others, however, were more supportive of the actress' decision to leave.

Oscar-winning writer/director Paul Haggis, a former Scientologist who is featured in "Going Clear" and has publicly criticized the church, wrote an open letter thanking the actress in The Hollywood Reporter:

"I read some things that really disturbed me. First was the way Leah was being attacked by her celebrity 'friends,' who were disparaging her character. What was new to me was the report that Leah had run afoul of the church by challenging Scientology’s leader, David Miscavige, who is held to be infallible ...

I can’t express how much I admire Leah. Her parents, family and close friends were almost all Scientologists; the stakes for her were so much higher than for me. Her decision to leave was so much braver ... I will forever be grateful to her."

Read the full letter here.

Following her difficult departure from the church, Remini released a statement thanking fans for their support:

"I wish to share my sincere and heartfelt appreciation for the overwhelming positive response I have received from the media, my colleagues, and from fans around the world. I am truly grateful and thankful for all your support."

After watching HBO Scientology documentary "Going Clear" for the first time on Sunday night, Remini tweeted:

She also gave an official quote to Scientology blogger Tony Ortega: 

"I wanted to thank the people who are in it and have worked so hard. You, Mike Rinder, Marty Rathbun, Marc Headley, Tom DeVocht, Lawrence Wright, Alex Gibney, and HBO. And Paul Haggis in particular for what he wrote on your website the other day. What Paul wrote is so exactly right."

Remini later tweeted links to her posts on Instagram:

Read Scientology's lengthy response to "Going Clear" here.

SEE ALSO: Read the moving letter director Paul Haggis sent Leah Remini after she left Scientology in 2013

SEE ALSO: The crazy story of how Scientology allegedly once groomed a girlfriend for Tom Cruise — and then tore them apart

Join the conversation about this story »

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

The seventh installment of the successful "Fast and Furious" franchise is in theaters this weekend. 

Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese, and Ludacris return along with the late Paul Walker for another sequel to the epic car saga which started over a decade ago.

However, you may not realize that at the heart of the globe-spanning, physics-defying films lies a real-life story about street racing in New York City.

The movies, which have earned well over $2.3 billion globally, were inspired by an article from Ken Li in the May 1998 issue of Vibe.

"Racer X" tells the story of street racer Rafael Estevez from Washington Heights and how he transitioned into the sport of drag racing.  

The article also divulges on the popularity of Japanese import car customization and the operations in place to crack down on New York City street racing.

"Racer X" was a featurette available on a "Fast and the Furious" disc release that came out in 2002. 

In the feature, director Rob Cohen reveals he was inspired to make the film after hearing about the article and subsequently watching a race in Los Angeles.

As a result, Cohen convinced Universal to make the film and the studio bought the rights to the film from Li. 

2001's "The Fast and the Furious" was a film featuring an LAPD officer (Paul Walker) who went undercover into the world of illegal street racing to join the ranks with a well-established racer (Vin Diesel). 

The film, produced on an estimated $38 million budget, went on to make $207.3 million worldwide.

Watching the film now, it's easy to see the article's influence in the movie. 

Here are excerpts from "Racer X": 

A black Nissan 300ZX and a white Mitsubishi Starion pull out of the pack and creep up to the starting line. As the sun dances on the nearby river, the sound of honking horns and screaming drivers is drowned out by the sonic blast of the two engines revving for takeoff. A stocky Latino dude in a blinding yellow shirt stands in the middle of the highway and raises his hands. Both cars lurch and halt like chained pit bulls, their wheels spitting out black smoke. The hands drop.

Young men have been fascinated with tweaking and tuning big block Chevys and Mustangs since the days of Rebel Without a Cause. But the new guys wouldn’t be caught dead driving the gaudy muscular beasts of yesteryear. Instead, they’re tricking out low-buck Japanese imports like Honda Civics and Acura Integras and tattooing them like skateboards with Neuspeed and Greddy car parts stickers. By stroking the engine, adding a supercharger, and hitting the “juice” (nitrous oxide: a gaseous liquid once used to boost bomber planes in WWII), they can smoke the herb in the Iroc at the stoplight.

Read the full piece HERE.

"Furious 7" is in theaters April 3. 

Relive the trailer for the original film below which has a drastically different feel from the heart of the more recent additions to the franchise.

SEE ALSO: The cars that will be in "Furious 7"

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Rapper Common has been pulled as the 2015 commencement speaker for Kean University in New Jersey following an outcry from the state's police officers, according to Bergen County newspaper The Record.

Common — who recently won an Academy Award for his song "Glory" from the movie Selma— was announced as Kean's commencement speaker through the college's Twitter account Monday night, The Record reports. However, on Tuesday a Kean spokesperson told the newspaper that the announcement was premature.

"The students expressed interest in Common because he composed the Oscar-winning song 'Glory' with our prior commencement speaker John Legend," Kean spokeswoman Susan Kayne said. "While we respect his talent, Kean is pursuing other speaker options."

Well known for his socially conscious lyrics, Common has been the subject of controversy for his 2000 track "A Song for Assata."

The song supposedly portrays Joanne Chesimard — also known as Assata Shakur — as a victim, following her 1973 killing of New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster. Convicted of Foerster's murder in 1977, Shakur escaped from prison and fled to Cuba, where she reportedly still lives.

New Jersey law enforcement representatives were quick to denounce Kean's choice of Common as this year's commencement speaker, drawing attention to Kean as a public university.

"We can't control who the university invites to speak. However, we will continue our efforts to make the public aware of Joanne Chesimard's escape and life on the lam and continue to seek her return to New Jersey and justice," Steve Jones, spokesman for the New Jersey state police, told The Record.

Another New Jersey law enforcement union representative told Vibe that Common speaking at Kean's graduation would be a "slap in the face."

This is not the first time the rapper has faced controversy over his lyrics. In 2011, Common was invited to perform at the White House, prompting criticism from Fox News and several Republican commentators.

Here's the controversial track, "A Song for Assata":

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Forget watching all seven seasons "Mad Men" (the final season premieres this weekend) Ginny Bahr, JWT's longest-serving employee, worked through the entire Madison Avenue era — and she's still working at the agency now.

Bahr has been walking the ad agency's Madison Avenue and Lexington Avenue halls for more than 60 years—57 of them in high heels. 

"JWT used to have a dress code where you had to wear a skirt," Bahr told Business Insider back in 2012 (we confirmed with JWT that she's still working there in 2015) over a cup of decaf in JWT's sprawling cafeteria in its New York HQ. "I've been here for 60 years, and three years ago I wore my first pair of pants to work."

Although broken metatarsals from almost six decades of wearing pumps has slowed her gait, Bahr (who takes the phrase "a lady never reveals her age" seriously) presses on enthusiastically in her career.

First day at work

Bahr's first day of work as a secretary pre-dated the "Mad Men" era of advertising. (She had never heard of the  show until her niece asked for "Mad Men" DVDs for Christmas). Bahr began typing correspondences for an executive in the PR department on December 17, 1951. "I had just finished business school across the street and wanted an income before Christmas," she said.

Since then, she has worked in almost every department and on every account, including Ford, Pan Am, Rolex, and Shell Oil.

Oh, and former JWT president Stanley Resor threw her the yellow rose in his lapel twice.

"I always got the men, which was very nice," she said.

Sex in the office

But not for the reasons that Don Draper would have you think. Call her naïve, but Bahr — who blushes at questions about sex in the office, a popular inquiry since people have realized she's a real live "Mad Woman" —states emphatically that "all that stuff went on without my knowing it," and then, trailing off, "maybe it happened on the trips to Chicago …"

Sex and advertising went hand in hand during the 1950s and on through the era of free love. Sources told Business Insider about a hotel that rented by the hour near Young & Rubicam in the 1960s that was a revolving door of Y&R employees during long lunch breaks.

Jerry Della Femina's agency had a frat house mentality, going so far as to hold a sex contest at the end of every year in which employees would go to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant, vote on the person they wanted to sleep with, and then the winning couple got a weekend at the Plaza hotel. Second place was rewarded with one night at the Plaza, and third got a romantic evening on supervisor Ron Travisano's office couch. (This contest went on for 15 years).

JWT, however, had a less raucous vibe. Jane Maas, who was a prominent copywriter at Ogilvy during the 1960s, told Business Insider that the rumor on Madison Avenue was that Helen Lansdowne Resor, a JWT advertising exec and creative force to be reckoned with, took all of the doors off the offices to prevent inappropriate canoodling. Resor also happened to be married to agency's president.

Bahr said she didn't realize people had office affairs until the 1990s, when she was already into her 60s. "Just because they were married doesn't mean they were pure."

They dressed better, too

Instead of inappropriate dalliances, Bahr, who never married, was active in JWT's now disbanded choir, chaired its blood drive, and knitted with "the girls" in the old building's cafeteria, which served $3 hot meals— about the cost of the Starbucks coffee that she drank with Business Insider.

Some stereotypes did hold. Whenever representatives from Lark cigarettes, a client, came in, committees would put packages of the product around the office, which would become even more smoke-filled than usual.

Bahr has experienced the evolution of the advertising industry: Most bosses now sit in open areas with the rest of the staff; secretaries are now executive assistants; and female copywriters (who used to wear "fancy hats and gloves to stand apart from the secretaries") are now more prevalent.

"We were of a different class"

Now an expense report processor, Bahr has outlasted most colleagues from the early part of her career, although she still gets to work on the Johnson & Johnson account to see familiar faces.

When Bahr walked from the cafeteria back to her desk, she stopped to greet young colleagues passing by.

"There are always so many new people here," she said. "You get emails that all these new people get hired and you never see who they are — it's different from how it was."

Bahr looks back fondly on the warmer and more intimate "Mad Men" era, even though she was not aware of its more salacious underbelly at the time.

"I think it must have been those time buyers!" Bahr speculated. "Or maybe the media people were more 'active'."

But in her mind, the secretaries were pure. "We were of a different class, I think."

Laura Stampler originally authored this post.

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Rihanna turned the tables on prankster Jimmy Kimmel as part of an amazing April Fools' gag.

With the help of Kimmel's wife, Molly McNearney, Rihanna sneaked into Kimmel's bedroom and woke him up by performing her new single "B---h Better Have My Money."

The performance was complete with backup dancers, confetti, flashing lights, giant speakers, jumping on the bed, and pillow-throwing.

Kimmel, who was confused at first and then clearly surprised, can even be seen removing his mouthgear at 2:06.

Watch the full, funny clip below:

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If "Mad Men" is anything to go by, working in the ad industry back in the 1960s looked like an awful lot of fun.

There's the drinking, the sex, the fashionable clothes, the fancy restaurants, the big creative ideas (that often look as though they were made up on the spot), and the exciting inter-office dramas.

The advertising industry would probably like to portray that the darker side of its "Mad Men" history — the alcoholism, misogyny, and bitter rifts between co-workers and competitors — are just that: Legacy of a bygone era.

But what's it really like? Are there still the three Martini lunches, sex in the supply closet, big macho pitches? With the seventh and final season of "Mad Men" just around the corner, we decided to ask.

Is there still a drinking culture?

The short answer is yes.

Amir Kassaei, chief creative officer of DDB Worldwide tells us: "Big, wild holiday parties back in the 90s with sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll still stand out. Cannes [the big annual advertising festival and awards show,] for one week every year, is still 'Mad Men' at its best. I had a barkeeper at the Martinez Bar tell me that the ad executives drink 10 times the amount of alcohol in one week than the film executives during their week in Cannes."

We're not sure if he's joking, but Steve Red, the partner and chief creative officer at Red Tettemer O'Connell + Partners, tells us that drinking is a way of life for the modern era "Mad Men": "Martini lunches are for amateurs. Our Kegregator goes 24/7, and I wouldn't trust an agency without a bar. Industry parties? Yes."

The episode in season four where the team at Sterling Cooper win a CLIO and disappear for three days is one that "rings true" for, Jared Gutstadt, the CEO and founder of music marketing agency Jingle Punks: "The Jingle Punks work hard but we also celebrate hard too and our appearance at industry events has become nothing short of legendary. We built an Airstream at this year’s SXSW where we took client meetings by day, transforming it into a whiskey bar on wheels by night, smack bang in the heart of downtown Austin."

However, most of the execs we spoke to said that alcohol intake is mostly reserved for after office hours, not like Draper with his fully-stocked drinks cabinet in his office always readily available to dip into.

How are women treated in advertising now?

Better. But not well enough.

Leeanne Leahy, president of the VIA Agency, said the industry still has a long way to go: "Today the culture is more tolerant and accepting of women, but it isn't inviting enough. The industry talks about having women at the helm, and there are more women leading agencies. However, as an industry, we've created an environment that is accepting of women's success but doesn't actively invite it."

DDB Worldwide's Kassaei agrees. "I believe that we still have to work on gender equality in the industry. We need more women as creative leaders," Kassaei said.

The ads targeting women have taken a more realistic approach, however, according to Lou Aversano, CEO of Ogilvy & Mather New York: "We've gone from ads that told women how they could be better wives if they used a certain product to creative work that inspires women to be confident in who they are. Ogilvy's 'Real Beauty' campaign for Dove is a great example of this."

How have those big pitches changed?

Mad Men: The Carousel from ray3c on Vimeo.

They're still as bombastic as ever. DDB Worldwide's Kassaei says you still have to "wow" the room.

Tor Myhren, worldwide chief creative officer at Grey, told us: "Pitches haven't really changed. They're like our version of the Olympics. You work day and night for weeks or months, all for the chance to get on that high-pressure stage for two hours and sell your idea. They're competitive as hell, and in my opinion, the best part of the job."

But Myhren says some of the antics Don Draper pulls in his presentations would be "laughed at" today: "We're past the whole 'dramatic delivery' thing. Just get to your idea, make it relevant, and make it crystal clear. Never mind the drama."

There's still an element of Draper, but there's more sophistication to pitches now, VIA Agency's Leahy told us. "'Mad Men' always showed Don Draper capturing the imagination of a client, which hasn't changed; our job is still to show them what's possible. That said, there are more rational components to pitches than there once were. We’re more involved with non-emotional components, such as procurement and the competitive nature of the pitch. Instead of working in a vacuum, we prefer to work with clients when possible."

And what about the day-to-day? Is it still as high-octane is it looks in "Mad Men?"

"There is no day to day," RTO+P's Red says. "It's more like day and night."

DDB Worldwide's Kassaei described his average day: "My day starts at 5am with conference calls to DDB’s Australian and Asian markets. I arrive to the office at 7:30am, but I don’t have time for 'Mad Men'-style 'lunch meetings' or breaks. If I am not in the office, I am flying. Last year, I was on a plane for 300 days out of the year. I am still smoking, but outside the building."

Not only have days got longer, but they're more intense, Ogilvy's Aversano told us: "You have to factor in digital, the use of data, media channels. There are more players and more ideas on the table. We have so many more channels and platforms to consider – so much more than Don Draper and his team had to think about."

Advertising looked like it was revered as a career back in the 1960s. What are perceptions of the industry like now?

Views here we split down the middle. 

We'll start with the middle. Ogilvy's Aversano told us: "In some ways, the perception hasn't changed at all. it is still viewed as an art practiced by the experienced few but in many ways with the advent of digital and the rise of the Super Bowl as advertising's day in the sun it has become the sport of many. There is far more scrutiny, awareness and thought put into what we do and how we do it."

VIA Agency's Leahy said: "Back then, the industry was deemed much more glamorous, like it was covered in fairy dust. It was the rock and roll of the business world. Today, it’s viewed as less sexy ... However, companies used to think of advertising as a sales tool; today, they regard advertising as a true strategic imperative for business development. Advertising is now seen as a component for driving business growth, not just communication."

But with a polar opposite view, Myhren said: "Oddly, despite its horribly depressing plot lines and despicable characters, Mad Men has made advertising sexy again. Go figure.”

RTO+P's Red added: "People still don't trust us, but they still want to be us."

SEE ALSO: Meet Ginny Bahr: She's worked at ad agency JWT since the 'Mad Men' era — and she's not quitting yet

SEE ALSO: Forget 'Mad Men', here's what the women of Madison Avenue really looked like in the 1960s

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How the stars of AMC's blockbuster 'Mad Men' have changed over the years

"Game of Thrones" author George R.R. Martin gave fans of the book a treat Thursday.

He released a new preview chapter of the next book in the series, "The Winds of Winter," on his official website.

It's not just a few graphs, either. The excerpt is pretty long, and is told from Sansa Stark's point of view.

Martin has been busy working on the sixth book in the series for a while now.

The author, who usually writes at least one episode of the hit HBO series per season, did not contribute to any of the episodes for season 5 of "Game of Thrones." Martin also recently announced he won't write any episodes in season 6 of the series either to focus his efforts on his next book.

You can read the full teaser, here.

"Game of Thrones" season 5 airs on HBO April 12, 2015.

While there is no set release date for "The Winds of Winter," the rumor is that it could come out late 2015.

SEE ALSO: Why Emilia Clarke turned down the lead in "Fifty Shades of Grey"

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NOW WATCH: HBO just released another new trailer for 'Game of Thrones'

"Furious 7" kicks off the summer blockbuster season this weekend.

The film already has rave reviews, and analysts are predicting it will top $115 million at the box office opening weekend; however, it may come as a shock to learn that most of this hugely successful franchise almost never made it to the multiplex. 

According to TheWrap, the franchise stalled creatively after the second film in the series, "2 Fast 2 Furious."

2001's original "Fast and the Furious" movie with Diesel, Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez made $207.3 million worldwide. 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious" improved upon that slightly making $236.4 million worldwide with Walker returning as a co-lead and introducing fan favorites, Ludacris and Tyrese.

The third movie, 2006's "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift," revolved around a completely new character played by Lucas Black ("NCIS: New Orleans"). Without recognizable stars or a real connection to the first two films, it had the worst performance of the franchise with a $158 million worldwide gross.

As a result, Universal, the studio behind the franchise, came close to releasing sequels directly to DVD. 

"The talk internally was that the franchise was played out," Jeffrey Kirschenbaum, Universal Pictures co-president of production, told TheWrap. "At that point we were weighing whether to go straight to video or not for future sequels. We weren't sure what we were going to do."

What saved the franchise from direct-to-DVD purgatory?

Universal convinced Diesel to come back for a small, surprise cameo in "Tokyo Drift." (In return for an appearance, Diesel the rights to the actor's "Riddick" franchise.) After seeing the ecstatic audience response with Diesel in the picture, the studio decided to hand a large amount of creative control over to the actor.

Diesel is not just a producer; he considers himself to be the "saga visionary," as he does everything from structuring story to selecting songs for the soundtrack. Diesel has become the undeniable face of the series, and Universal knew that based off the huge amount of excitement over his surprise cameo in "Tokyo Drift." 

With Diesel back on board, Universal returned the franchise to its roots, focusing more on heists than underground street racing. Making the friendship between Diesel and Paul Walker the focus of the fourth film helped, given that the absence of one or the other in the second and third films didn't benefit the franchise. 

Another big factor in the franchise's comeback was its budding global appeal.

Even though "Tokyo Drift" flopped stateside ($62.5 million), its Japanese setting helped it picked up an extra $95 million worldwide, enough to help it recoup its estimated $105 million budget. So, Universal strung together a multi-ethnic cast to better reflect its diverse audience, from half-Samoan The Rock to Israeli actress Gal Gadot. Diesel even fought to bring back Michelle Rodriguez who appeared in the first film. 

Then, it took the crew all over the world, from Brazil in "Fast 5" to Russia, Spain, and England in "Fast & Furious 6." Its global ambitions have helped it gross over $2 billion worldwide.

The "Fast and Furious" franchise is now one of the 20 highest-grossing movie franchises of all time, even managing to beat out both the "Toy Story" and "Mission: Impossible" series. Since implementing many of these changes, the last three films grossed a combined total of $1.8 billion worldwide, constituting more than half of the franchise's total $2.3 billion gross.

Universal also embraced social media. They gave "Fast & Furious 6" the largest social media campaign in the studio's history, leading to a Facebook following of 34 million.

"Furious 7," meanwhile, has amassed a fan following of 53 million on its official Facebook page. This is impressive, especially when compared to the pages for upcoming anticipated blockbusters like "Avengers: Age of Ultron" (13.4 million likes) and "Star Wars" (13 million likes). It also helps that Vin Diesel has the biggest Facebook following in Hollywood, with nearly 90 million followers.

The best lesson Universal learned is that before sending your franchise to the $5 bin, listen to your fanbase, whether that be at test screenings or on social media. Having Vin Diesel onboard doesn't hurt, either.

SEE ALSO: The true street-racing story that inspired the 'Fast and Furious' movies

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NOW WATCH: The new 'Furious 7' trailer is packed full of cars, explosions, and ridiculous stunts

Soon you'll be able to turn your iPhone 6 into a functioning Game Boy thanks to gaming hardware company Hyperkin.

When Hyperkin first teased the design for the device on Reddit, most thought it was an April Fools' Day prank — and it was — but Hyperkin has since decided to create and sell the device, and it's calling it the "Smart Boy."

The Smart Boy will allow people to insert their iPhone 6 into the device, giving them access to physical controls such as an 8-way D pad and four buttons designed to mimic the A, B, select, and start buttons found on the original Game Boy.

The coolest feature? The Smart Boy will also work with original Game Boy and Game Boy Color game cartridges, which will slot into the back of the device.

"We wanted to create a retro device that can be easily adapted into any modern gamer's arsenal of devices," said Hyperkin's product developer, Chris Gallizzi, in a press release.

The Smart Boy will also include its own battery to help extend playing time, and since the device uses the iPhone 6 Plus' screen instead of its own, you'll be able to enjoy your favorite Game Boy games with a backlit screen that features "noticeable upscaling" — so you won't have to squint.

On the software side, the Smart Boy will talk to your iPhone through its own dedicated app that will take care of saving games and offer a cheat database.

It's entirely possible that Nintendo could attempt to shut this project down — they have a history of pulling the plug on any infringing ideas. But, since the Smart Boy doesn't feature any Nintendo branding and Nintendo's hardware patents have expired, there's a good chance it will survive.

The Smart Boy will launch with an "80s Grey" color, but Hyperkin says more colors could be available in the future. Android users will have to wait a little longer for their own version, but Gallizzi revealed that Hyperkin is "working on an open side-panel version for Android phones" in his original Reddit post.

There's no release date yet for the Smart Boy, but you can follow Hyperkin on Twitter for the latest update to the project.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo pulls the plug on fan project that let you play Super Mario 64 right from your web browser

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NOW WATCH: Facebook's new virtual reality game will make you feel like you're in 'Star Wars'

As a longtime fan of "House of Cards," President Obama just demonstrated his love for the Netflix series in the most genuine way possible — with a terrible impression of Frank Underwood.

Looking straight at the camera, Obama puts on a bad Southern accent to imitate Kevin Spacey's Emmy-award-winning character to say, "Hello everybody, this is not Frank Underwood, this is Barack Obama. Happy April Fool's Day. Frank learned it from me."

The clip is tucked into the most recent "West Wing Week" video released by the White House.

The president has often cited his love of the series, once joking before a meeting with Netflix CEO Reed Hastings that he hoped the executive brought advance copies of the show. And he's envied Underwood, once telling reporters, “I wish things were that ruthlessly efficient. It’s true. It’s like Kevin Spacey, man this guy’s getting a lot of stuff done.”

Watch the video:

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NOW WATCH: Here's what it takes to be President Obama's right-hand man

One of the most common misconceptions about the Church of Scientology is that it doesn't get truly strange for new members until you go deep inside the religion and reach its higher levels after decades of faithful attendance. 

I put myself through an introduction to the controversial church by watching over five hours of the promotional DVDs it shows to people who express an interest in joining.

In my opinion, it didn't take that long to get strange. During my brief exploration of the religion, I heard many outlandish claims and received a number of emails from church members. 

'Madness' 

Scientology has been in the spotlight this week following the release of the HBO documentary "Going Clear," which details allegations that the church has mistreated its followers by physically abusing some of them and charging exorbitant sums for courses required to advance through the religion.

The Church of Scientology has disputed many of the claims made in the HBO documentary and by Lawrence Wright, who wrote the book that inspired the documentary. The church has released detailed rebuttals in response to both the movie and Wright's book. A church spokesperson pointed to some of these past statements in response to a request for comment on this story. 

My experience with the church is influenced by the time in 2010 and 2011 that I spent reporting on it in Los Angeles, one of Scientology's strongholds. During that time, I spoke to many people about their experiences in the church including high-ranking defectors, members, and even some high-profile celebrity adherents, including Travolta's wife, Kelly Preston, Kirstie Alley, and Leah Remini, who has since left the religion.

This background made me well aware of the controversies surrounding Scientology. Even so, immersing myself in what is basically the church's DVD starter kit was stranger than I imagined.

Flag Base

I first stepped inside a Scientology church last year near the religion's spiritual headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. I was in town to catch some spring training baseball. While there, I did some sightseeing around Scientology's massive "Flag Base" in downtown Clearwater. On my way out of town, I had a few hours to kill and found myself nearby the church's facility in Tampa. A sign outside encouraged visitors to come in. I went for it.

Watching DVDs is the main activity for new visitors to the Church of Scientology. Inside the Tampa facility, I was brought into a main room. There were several stations to watch videos. Tables offered cookies, drinks, and copies of the DVDs to take home. I was also shown an empty office maintained for the church's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, who died in 1986. The church publicly says this tradition is done merely to "honor" Hubbard, though there have been reports that the facilities are kept in case the founder is ever somehow resurrected.

One of the first films I watched in Tampa was a biography of Hubbard. It included many claims of Hubbard's military exploits, international explorations, and almost miraculous achievements that have been questioned by Wright's reporting. 

Other videos dealt with the church's social programs. After a few minutes of watching, I went to leave and a uniformed Scientologist who had shown me around the facility encouraged me to take a "personality test" in an an adjacent room. I politely declined, took copies of the DVDs, and signed a guest book. As a result of giving them my email address, I received at least five emails from the man who I spoke to over the course of the next year.

The first message came after three months. The subject line was "Long time no talk."

"It has been a while and I don't think i ever heard back from you," he wrote before inquiring whether I visited a Scientology church after leaving Florida.

I never responded, but a month later, there was another email. 

"What do you think of Scientology?" he asked. "Does it interest you?"

Once again, I didn't write back. A subsequent message two weeks later simply asked, "Do you get my emails?" After almost two more weeks without me responding, he wrote again and encouraged me to come visit a church for "a film or a personality test."

Perhaps this persistent Scientologist would be happy to know I finally watched the movies this week, although I definitely didn't have the reaction he was hoping for. 

'A Dynamic Principle Of Existence' 

I started with a two-disc DVD set titled "SCIENTOLOGY AN OVERVIEW." It began with a 10-minute biography of Hubbard that I had seen in Tampa. The narrator outlined a series of claims about Hubbard's life.

"He spent his formative years in a rough and tumble Helena, Montana where he rode barely broken range broncs at the age of three-and-a-half," the narrator said.

The film went on to describe Hubbard as a record-setting Boy Scout who developed an "enduring interest in unraveling the mysteries of the human mind" after meeting a naval officer "who had studied under Sigmund Freud." According to the narrator, as a young man Hubbard trekked more than a quarter of a million miles through Asia, India, and other exotic locales "pursuing very fundamental questions on the origins of man and the ultimate source of life." On this journey, the movie says Hubbard "witnessed wonders beyond any known scientific explanation."

According to the narrator, Hubbard returned to America in 1929 when he would have been about 18. The movie said he then went on to college and went on several expeditions and adventures designed for him to "fathom life."

"The first decisive breakthrough came in 1937 when he isolated the single common denominator between all living things, a dynamic principle of existence," the narrator said.

This incredible revelation was not detailed in the movie, but it went on to make even more dramatic claims about Hubbard's research and the power of his ideas.

It described his time in a naval hospital during World War II as the start of his "final road to discovery." While there, the film said Hubbard worked with "injured servicemen who had failed to recover despite intensive medical treatment" and found "mental blocks" that were "inhibiting recovery." The movie claimed Hubbard helped eliminate these blocks and that, after the war, he "continued refining procedures on people from all walks of life" including "actors and writers in Hollywood's film community" and "street gang members."

"So it was, having developed a workable technology of the mind, he authored a definitive text on the subject," the narrator said before introducing Hubbard's main book, "Dianetics."

At this point, the movie began to allude to the sci-fi mysticism that's reportedly contained in the materials given to believers who reach Scientology's upper levels.

"Contained within ['Dianetics'] was the discovery of the reactive mind, the hidden source of nightmares, unreasonable fears, upsets, and insecurity," the narrator said. "The techniques of 'Dianetics' provided the means by which practitioners soon began discovering past lives."

After just 10 minutes of Scientology's introductory DVDs, it became clear to me that the church views Hubbard as a miraculous, almost messianic figure. However, I hadn't seen much concrete evidence to back up the incredible claims about the religion's leader. It also was apparent to me that diving deeper into Scientology doctrine would involve some rather unorthodox mystical concepts.

Between the Hubbard biography and the repeated emails I got from the Scientologist in Tampa, I was personally turned off after barley dipping my toe into the water. 

'You have a mind. You are a Thetan.'

Part two of the DVD was an overview of the religion's "beliefs and practices." It began with the claim, "Scientology is a religion that contains tools and methods to assist you in finding your own answers to life's questions."

The movie then went on to introduce a series of concepts and questions that seemed like they were designed to dazzle. 

"Who are you? Are you a body? Well, let me ask you this, if you have your appendix removed does your personality change?" a narrator asked before adding, "You instinctively know that your body is something you have, not what you are. Your body is something you use. So, if you're not your body, what are you?"

As stock footage of people that appeared to be from the 1990s rolled across the screen, the narrator defined the mind as having "a memory bank containing pictures." The filmmakers broke out some computerized graphics as they introduced one of Scientology's core concepts, the "Thetan."

"What is it that's looking at the pictures?" the narrator asked. "It's you, you are a being, an intelligence, a consciousness. That part of you that's aware of being aware, in Scientology we use the word Thetan."

Diagrams illustrated with sparkles, shadows, and Greek letters flew by as the narrator continued to explain.

"We use the Thetan to avoid confusions with other concepts and beliefs regarding the soul or spirit. It isn't something you have. You wouldn't say 'my Thetan.' You'd simply say 'me,''" the narrator said. "You have a body, you have a mind, you are a Thetan."

'My reaction time is night and day better.'

The overview DVD went on to outline more of the religion's main concepts. It detailed how Scientologists believe life can be "subdivided into eight parts" or "dynamics." It also described how all human emotions fall within a "tone scale." The movie claimed mastering these concepts can aid with "handling" life by "taking the mystery out of human behavior." 

After presenting these concepts, the DVD took me inside the church. It showed glimpses of the Scientology "auditing" process, which involves believers being asked questions about their lives while holding a Hubbard-designed device called an "e-meter." Critics have alleged the e-meter is non-functional and that information gained during auditing sessions has been used to blackmail people who try to leave the church. The DVD included claims that Scientology auditing helps "bring an individual from a condition of spiritual blindness to the joy of spiritual enlightenment and freedom."

Another scene in the DVD showed Scientology's "purification rundown." People are seen running on treadmills in a facility identified as a "purification center." Over the years, there have been allegations that the controversial practice has caused injuries and even death. The church disputes many of these accusations and claims the procedure has helped "hundreds of thousands" of people. 

The purification rundown involves believers supposedly detoxifying by taking copious amounts of vitamins and being encouraged to sweat through saunas and exercise. The movie described it as "an all-natural regimen" that "frees one from the harmful effects of drugs and toxins."

"You sweat all these things out of your system," said a speaker in the movie.

Church spokeswoman Karin Pouw provided Business Insider with a statement defending the purification rundown wherein she reiterated the claim it has helped "hundreds of thousands" of people.

"As to the Purification Rundown, it is important to note as we do on our website that the Purification Rundown is a tightly supervised regimen of exercise, sauna and nutrition. It is conducted in a properly ordered schedule to include sufficient rest," Pouw said.

Pouw also pointed to a website that offered what she described as scientific research into the purification rundown.

"The program has been being delivered steadily for 35 years. As used in the Church, it is a spiritual program, but its use in other detoxification contexts has been researched extensively and there are numerous scientific papers about its safety and effectiveness," she said. 

The longest portion of the overview DVD featured 50 testimonials from church members claiming Scientology has helped them. None of the major celebrities involved with the church like John Travolta or Tom Cruise were included. The people were identified via their job titles including "a rapper," a "safari leader," and a "fashion designer." There were also two testimonials that seemed clearly designed to show Scientology can supposedly work in concert with other religious practice. One showed a "Buddhist monk" explaining how the church's teachings have helped him and the other featured a "Pentecostal minister."

Many of the Scientologists shown in the testimonials claimed to have experienced almost superhuman benefits from the church.

"My reaction time is night and day better," race car driver Kenton Gray said.  

In total, I got four Scientology DVDs on my visit to the church in Tampa. In addition to the overview, there was a film about Hubbard that contained his ten-minute biography as well as several "vignettes" depicting scenes from his life. The second disc of the overview, which was titled "How We Help," and the two other movies depicted the church's social programs including their "Citizens Commission on Human Rights," which is dedicated to fighting psychiatry.

In the movie, there were scenes shot at CCHR's Los Angeles museum, "Psychiatry: An Industry of Death." It noted the group is dedicated to "investigating and exposing psychiatry's inhumane and often lethal practices."

Wright's book notes that Hubbard and "Dianetics" faced early opposition from psychiatrists. He describes this as the root of Hubbard's opposition to the profession.

"Whenever 'Dianetics' or Scientology was attacked in the press or by governments, Hubbard saw the hand of psychiatrists," Wright wrote.

The other social programs shown in the DVDs are more conventional: disaster relief, anti-drug programs, criminal rehabilitation, and efforts to promote religious freedom.

Mike Rinder is a former high-ranking Scientologist who oversaw some of the church's public relations operations prior to leaving the religion in 2007. Since then, Rinder has become a prominent critic of the church and he figures prominently in both the movie and book versions of "Going Clear."

I spoke to Rinder about the church's humanitarian programs shown in the DVD's. He emphasized that "certain individuals who involve themselves in those activities" may be doing good work. But Rinder dismissed the majority of Scientology's claims about its social programs as "strictly P.R." 

"You step back and take the overview and the church promoting itself at the largest humanitarian organization on Earth ... those things are all bullshit," Rinder said. "They do as much as they need to in order to be able to shoot a video to then have videos to show."

Scientology has responded to Rinder's claims in the past with statements describing him as a "known liar" and "rabid anti-Scientologist who was removed in disgrace" from the church. Karin Pouw, the Scientology spokeswoman, highlighted a video the church made about Rinder when asked for a comment on his claims. She also pointed to a website featuring some of the same footage about the social programs that was included on "SCIENTOLOGY AN OVERVIEW." 

"On Mike Rinder’s claims about our humanitarian efforts, you can see for yourself on our website the tremendous responses we receive from people we help through these programs: families who have their children back; towns and villages rebuilt; students who can read and on an on," Pouw said. Forget what we say. Look at the videos from these people. They are real. Mike Rinder’s cynicism prevents him from seeing what is before his eyes. He is has long since lost any hope himself and tries to pretend everybody else shares that attitude." 

Whether or not you believe Rinder's claims about the church's social programs, there was one scene in their "How We Help" DVD that I personally found crass. In a segment outlining Scientology's "volunteer minister" programs, there was footage praising the church's work during the immediate aftermath of the September 11th attacks in  New York City. A man identified as an FDNY lieutenant said the presence of the church's aid workers at ground zero was vital.

"When the Scientologists arrived, an air of order like entered in," the fireman said, adding, "There was something that was being organized and run very, very efficiently."

While the man spoke, the smoldering wreckage of the Twin Towers was visible on the screen behind him. 

The final email I received from the Scientologist I met when I got the DVDs in Tampa came last August. I had totally ignored all of his previous entreaties.

"Hi Hunter, What happene [sic] to you?" he wrote.

After watching over five hours of Scientology DVDs, I think I'm finally ready to respond. I'm not interested.

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The "Fast and Furious" franchise has evolved from films featuring hot cars and hot babes to having some of the most heart-stopping stunts you'll find at theaters.

One of the men responsible for making those scenes look as realistic as possible is 30-year stunt veteran Spiro Razatos.

"For the fourth film ("Fast & Furious") they kind of relied too much on CGI," Razatos told Business Insider. "So they realized they wanted to do less. That's what I do."

Razatos is responsible for some of the most jaw-dropping sequences from the franchise including when Dom (Vin Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker), and the rest of the crew dragged a giant bank vault through the busy streets of Rio de Janeiro in "Fast Five."

He also worked on the duel with a tank in "Fast and Furious 6."

In both sequences, very little CGI was included, using real vaults and tanks to pull it off.

With fans starving for more, "Furious 7" director James Wan and the producers once again came to Razatos to take on the franchise's most insane sequence yet.

They called it the "air drop."

The idea was to have a sequence in the film in which Dom and company in their souped-up cars drop from a plane high above Colorado and parachute into the mountains below.

"When I first read [the script] it was, 'cars drop and they kidnap this girl and they get away on the road,' that was it," Razatos recalls.

The producers assumed the sequence would have to rely heavily on special effects, but Razatos had other plans.

"I said let's really go for it and make the effort because I want this whole sequence to feel real, that's what the audience expects," he said.

The stunt took months of prep time to solve problems. Cameras needed to be mounted onto cars in a way that they wouldn't be destroyed when the cars landed, and the crew needed a safe way to get the cars out of the plane.

"What if one of them gets stuck coming out of the plane?" said Razatos. "How is the plane going to land when you have a car dangling outside of it?"

They finally were able to do a "dry run," with a single car falling out of a plane. But some on the film weren't impressed by the raw footage.

"It was 20 minutes and the cameras weren't placed where they should be," Razatos recalls. "I remember telling the guys, 'ignore this, this is just a test.'"

With a green light, shooting took place in Colorado with two airplane runs, flying at 12,000 feet, that would drop two cars apiece.

Over 10 cameras were used for the sequence. In addition to cameras on the ground, there were cameras remotely operated inside the plane and another three mounted outside each car. Additional cameras were on a helicopter where Razatos was stationed watching monitors and listening to the radio chatter. Three skydivers used in the shoot wore helmet cams.

Skydivers would either jump out before cars or after them.

"I didn't realize how intense it would be," Razatos admits now.

"Sometimes a piece of debris would come off the car, so skydivers had to watch out for that," he added. "I'm in a helicopter and I want to get in close for the shots but you have to watch out because of the helicopter blades."

There were also spotters keeping an eye on how close the cars were getting to the skydivers. "On the radio you'd hear people say, 'Skydiver, 200 feet you have a car gaining on your two o'clock,'" Razatos said.

Regardless of all the safety precautions, accidents can happen. Razatos says in one of the runs a skydiver lost his footing getting out of the plane and bounced off the rear exit hatch on his way out of the plane. Not the most graceful of jumps, but Razatos said he was fine.

When one car landed, its parachute caught an air pocket and was carrying the car to the freeway. "I'm hearing on the radio the car is being dragged and it can't stop," said Razatos. "People were on motorcycles to get to the car; jumping on the car with knives to cut the parachute."  

And then there's the one car of the four that didn't make it because its parachute didn't deploy. "That car got demolished," said Razatos. "You got to see what would happen if a car really dropped from that height."

Much of what Razatos and his 2nd unit team did on the day made it into the final cut of the movie. Some of it was enhanced to increase the look of the speed at which cars were diving. Shots of the actors in the cars were put in later. But, for the most part, Razatos' mission to do the scene as realistically as possible was a success.

"I started doing stunts when I was 10 years old making Super 8 movies. This feels like I'm back in those days," Razatos said about working on the "Fast and Furious" films.

Thinking back on the "air drop" sequence he admits, "That's going to be hard to top."

Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how the sequence was done:

 And here's how it looks in the film:

SEE ALSO: Meet the sexy $3 million hypercar featured in 'Fast and Furious 7'

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Since it's release in November 2013, Disney's "Frozen" has become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time.

The kid-friendly flick, which cost $150 million to make, has raked in over $1.2 billion worldwide.

Disney saw record earnings as a result, and announced sales of more than $3 million in "Frozen" dresses, toys, and related merchandise.

But actors who voiced the characters in the film didn't see as much of a return as the film studio.

Josh Gad, who voices fan favorite snowman "Olaf," was a guest on the "Late Show with David Letterman" this week and revealed: "The thing made a couple of billion, I made a couple of thousand."

"No, they actually paid me really well," Gad said sarcastically as he shook his head back and forth to imply he was lying.

"No, I love you Disney, I really do," Gad backtracked. "They actually really took care of us and the luxury of this thing is that now we're all in the theme parks and get to see it all come to fruition."

"It was a blast, Gad added of his time shooting the movie. "They spread it out over the course of two years, so in total I did about ten [voiceover] sessions."

Regardless of any drama, Gad recently told E! Online he is "excited" to return for a "Frozen" sequel, adding, "I have complete faith in the creative team and I'm excited to hear that it's happening at this point."

But Gad isn't the only one not to profit as much as expected off the first film's success.

Actress Spencer Lacey Ganus, the 15-year-old who voiced teenage Elsa, received just a one-day guaranteed payment of $926.20, reports TMZ, who obtained a copy of Ganus' contract because it has to be filed with the courts since she is still a minor.

Ganus will, however, earn a pretty penny thanks to residual checks.

"She's collected more than $10,000 in residuals," the actress' rep told TMZ, adding that the money is being put into a college fund.

But Disney is no stranger to controversy over how much they pay their voice talent.

In 1992, Robin Williams was paid scale of $75,000 for his work on "Aladdin," which went on to gross more than $504 million worldwide.

Williams agreed to the fee "for my children," but told Disney, "I just don't want to sell anything — as in Burger King, as in toys, as in stuff."

After Disney proceeded to use Williams' voice in promo materials leading to a decade-long feud, the actor snarked, "You realize now when you work for Disney why the mouse has only four fingers — because he can't pick up a check." 

Watch Gad discuss his "Frozen" paycheck on Letterman below:

SEE ALSO: There are only 6 Hollywood actors who can command $20 million per film

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What we all thought was a late April Fool's joke...

...turned out to be true. "Full House" will reportedly be coming back to Netflix for a 13 episode reunion series. Twitter was a mix of nostalgia and confusion. 

Here are some of the highlights: 

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There's no question the seventh installment to the "Fast and the Furious" franchise, "Furious 7," is going to have a massive opening weekend.

It is poised to make about $120 million over the Easter holiday.

That would easily give "Furious 7" the highest-grossing opening weekend for April, surpassing 2014's $95 million opening of "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."

According to Fandango, the film's ticket sales are outpacing those of the "Captain America" sequel.

Ahead of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which arrives to theaters in May, "Furious 7" has a good shot at being the year's first billion-dollar movie.

"This is definitely shaping up to be massive," Phil Contrino, the vice president and chief analyst of BoxOffice.com, told Business Insider. "With a movie like this, it's important not to get too carried away with expectations because ... in the lead-up to a big movie, that's all people are talking about, and it's easy to keep saying, 'It's going to be bigger, and bigger, and bigger.' That said, I think it has a legitimate shot at becoming the next member of the $1 billion global club."

Contrino noted that would be a huge accomplishment.

Look at the box-office numbers for "Fast and Furious 6," and it's not difficult to make that case. The 2013 film made $788 million worldwide ($238 million domestic versus $550 million overseas).

Boxoffice.com is tracking "Furious 7" to make somewhere between $275 million and $280 million stateside during its run in theaters.

"That's a $42 million increase right there," Contrino said. "The last one did about $550 million overseas. I think that number's going to go up exponentially. If there's a $40 million increase in North America alone, even if there's a $10 or $15 million increase in a bunch of key markets like UK, China, Brazil ... that's going to add up really fast. That $550 million number is going to increase quite a bit. [If] you look at it that way and we're not too far from being in the ballpark of $1 billion globally."

"Furious 7" has already opened as No. 1 in 12 markets overseas.

The film will also be Universal Studios' largest film release ever and the widest Imax release ever, showing on 810 Imax screens worldwide. It will open in more than 4,000 theaters Friday in the US and more than 10,500 theaters around the world.

In addition to the high-adrenaline, action-packed storyline, which has received great reviews, the seventh installment serves as a bittersweet send-off to franchise lead Paul Walker, who died in 2013.

Walker's death will be one reason audiences will head out to see "Furious 7."

"This isn't just another entry into a franchise," Contrino said. "It's got more significance to it. Its success at the box office, many people are going to see that as a tribute to Paul Walker and what he brought to the franchise."

"They're going to show up for that reason," he added. "Even if they maybe have skipped some of the other movies, they'll show up for this one."

SEE ALSO: How 'Furious 7' dropped real cars from planes in its most ridiculous stunt yet

AND: The street-racing story that inspired the "Fast and the Furious" movies

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NOW WATCH: The new 'Furious 7' trailer is packed full of cars, explosions, and ridiculous stunts

HBO is coming out with HBO Now, a $15/month subscription service, and it wants everyone to know.

Especially the people who three years ago said they'd pay a monthly fee to access HBO GO (which still requires you to have HBO, or, let's be honest, it requires your parents to have HBO.)

So the community team behind the company's Twitter account has been tweeting up a storm, replying to all of those tweets from 2012 sent by people who said they'd definitely pay for something like HBO Now.

HBO Now is slated to premiere "Game of Thrones" on April 12. 

[H/T @ZachSeward)

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The seventh installment of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, aptly titled "Furious 7," is probably one of the most ridiculous non-stop action rides you'll see this year. 

It's also probably one of the few action films which will also reduce you to tears by its end. 

We attended one of seven fan screenings for the film held Monday night and reception for the film was overwhelmingly positive. 

The film, which was originally set to debut summer 2014, was put on hold after the death of lead costar Paul Walker in November 2013.  

For a while, it wasn't certain whether the cast and crew would move forward with the next installment. Fans are definitely happy they did. 

Applause opened and closed the film. 

Walker’s first appearance on screen was met with wild enthusiasm. While, yes, we were at a fan screening, this is something I expect will occur in most screenings of the film opening weekend. The "Fast and Furious" films have built up a big social presence across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Unlike other films, the "Furious 7" team and cast update their accounts regularly and don't quit once the movie stops airing. 

Starring a huge returning cast of Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese, Ludacris, and the late Walker for one last ride, the film starts off tying the previous films in the saga together by merging the end of “Fast and Furious 3” (aka “Tokyo Drift”) with the end of “six.” That may sound confusing to outsiders of the franchise, but the film does it immensely well. 

Don’t worry. There's no need to go back and bingewatch the older films. "Furious 7" does a nice job of catching you up to speed if you haven't been keeping up with the story.

“Furious 7” kicks off with Jason Statham joining the cast as villain Deckard Shaw.

He's trying to hunt down all of Dominic Toretto's (Diesel) crew to avenge his brother, the villain from "Fast and Furious 6," who was left for dead in the last film. Before Shaw can do that, Dom plans to take him out first with help from Brian (Walker), Ronan (Tyrese), Tej (Ludascris), and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez).

From the start, the two-hour and 20 minute movie kicks it in to overdrive and never really stops. 

Highlights include big fight sequences between Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Shaw as well as showdowns between the latter and Dom that have been teased in marketing.

Rodriguez also has a memorable brawl going toe to toe with MMA fighter Ronda Rousey.

A part near the end of the film may remind fans of Johnson's next summer action flick, "San Andreas," about earthquakes shattering Los Angeles.

Of course the cars are the big scene stealers here.

If you've seen the trailers, you already know what's in store.

Muscle cars parachute out of airplanes and a $3 million hypercar gets sent flying through buildings. 

That doesn't make them any less fun. They look even better on the big screen.

After binge-watching the six previous films ahead of "Furious 7," I'd dare to say "Fast Five" and "Six" are better plotwise than the latest installment.

Without getting into it too much, the main point of the film is for Diesel to get revenge and take down Shaw before he can harm his extended family. The mission gets sidetracked pretty fast when Diesel and his team get wrangled into a wacky chase around the world by the FBI (headed by another addition, Kurt Russell) for a valuable tech prototype before they can continue hunting Shaw. (Think CBS' "The Amazing Race.")

From there, the plot becomes slightly bloated with drones and hackers thrown in the mix, too.

But let's be realistic.

You don't go to a "Fast and the Furious" film for a serious plot. You head in to see the fast cars, Dom and Brian racing, and what ridiculous punchlines the Rock is going to deliver. 

These films know their audience and what they're doing.

Each film tries to top the last with even more ridiculous stunts. In 2001's first film, Dom and Brian tried to outrace a train. In "2 Fast 2 Furious," Brian jumped a car onto a yacht. The last film introduced a military tank to the mix and a wild scene with Vin Diesel diving out of his vehicle and across a highway. "Furious 7" more than upped the ante. 

Those who have been fans from its start in 2001 will be rewarded. 

Not only do actors from previous films — going back to the first release in 2001 — make short cameos, but diehard fans will notice specific references and nods to earlier installments. (One to be on the lookout for is *spoiler* that infamous wrench we learned Dom used to cripple a man in the first film. That sent him to the slammer for two years. *spoiler*)

More than anything, "Furious 7" is a tribute to Walker. 

Walker's brothers Caleb and Cody filled in to help complete parts of the movie that went unfilmed by Paul. In some brief moments, you may wonder if it's Paul or his siblings on screen, but you'd be hard pressed to think you're looking at anyone but Paul anywhere but in a few select scenes where the screen attention is taken off his face. For those worried that Walker may be lacking in the film, he's in the film nearly as much as Diesel. If anything, the Rock is in the film less than Walker.

The final 15-20 minutes of "Seven" definitely pull at your heart strings more than any of the other films in the ongoing series.

There's a scene in 2011's "Fast Five" where Dom gives a toast after everyone learns his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster) is pregnant. He says, "Money will come and go. We know that. But the most important thing in life will always be the people in this room. Right here. Right now. Salud mi familia."

Take away the flashy cars, the explosions, the scantily clad women, and the quirky asides and one-liners from Ludacris and Tyrese, and the "Fast and the Furious" series has always been about family.

That's one reason this franchise was able to rise back up in popularity after the fourth film when Diesel and the original cast returned. It modeled itself around the one thing his character Dom valued more than anything.

Behind the silliness and the action of the franchise, at the end of the day, the films are about Dom's extended family, an incredibly diverse one full of different races and cultures. Everyone can relate to that. Everyone has family.

I won't take away the ending of "Furious 7" from you. That's something that should be experienced on the big screen, but it is a fitting tribute to the late Walker.

Bring a tissue or two, because you're most likely going to cry. There's just no way around that. 

By the time you leave, you'll want to know the name of the Wiz Khalifa track responsible for your tears. Don't click the link to the song for now if you want to be surprised come April. 

Estimates are saying the film will make $100 million opening weekend. "Fast and Furious 6" made $97 million in three days. Over Memorial Day weekend 2013, it made $120 million. Since then, Vin Diesel has become one of the most followed celebrities on Facebook with over 90 million fans. There's also a big audience who wants to bid adieu to Walker's character on screen. That was evident from the screening we attended. We wouldn't be surprised if it made plenty more than that.

"Furious 7" is in theaters April 3.

SEE ALSO: The 'Fast and Furious' cast surprised fans at early screenings for the next film

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NOW WATCH: The new 'Furious 7' trailer is packed full of cars, explosions, and ridiculous stunts