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Stephen Colbert imagines what an outrageous Trump convention could look like

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donald trump

Stephen Colbert thinks this could be the most exciting Republican presidential convention ever.

"Because terror is a kind of excitement, right?" the host joked on Thursday's "Late Show."

Political pundits and insiders are already talking about the "showbiz" event Trump plans for his presumed nomination at the convention in Cleveland, which starts July 18. His campaign is reportedly already lining up celebrities to support him there.

"This is the ultimate reality show," Trump aide Paul Manafort says of the campaign in a clip Colbert shows. Manafort goes on to say that Trump's team needs to make things entertaining but also "informative."

To which Colbert responds with a clip of Meatloaf freaking out on "Celebrity Apprentice."

Another Trump aide said that the nominee's vice-presidential pick would only come at the convention, because announcing it before would be "like announcing the winner of 'Celebrity Apprentice' before the final show is on the air."

"Because this year's Republican convention will be the series finale of America," Colbert said. Another grim joke.

So if we can expect this kind of reality show-style entertainment at the Republican convention, Colbert went ahead and created a TV ad imagining what the show will look like. It has a lot in common with Monster Jam ads.

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NOW WATCH: Here's what 'Game of Thrones' stars look like in real life


A day in the life of Jacob the Jeweler, the man behind the world's wildest jewels and watches

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Jacob the jeweler

For the biggest, boldest bling, A-listers and billionaires have turned to one man for the last 30 years. And for the most complicated watches in the game? Still the same man.

His name is Jacob Arabo, although you may have heard him referred to as "Jacob the Jeweler" in rap songs by Kanye West or 50 Cent. His clientele is a who's-who of the international elite and Hollywood stars, from Cristiano Ronaldo to Jay Z and Beyoncé. The story of his rise through the luxury jewelry industry is, like his designs, larger than life.

Business Insider spent an afternoon with Arabo to learn just how this entrepreneurial Soviet émigré scaled the heights of the over-the-top jewelry and watchmaking business. It's the story of a bold outsider becoming the ultimate insider — and it's filled with diamonds. 

SEE ALSO: How 6 startup execs dress for success

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The first thing you need to know about Arabo is that he lives the luxury life of his clients. But that's been a long time in the works. Born in Uzbekistan, he emigrated with his family to New York at the age of 14, settling down in Forest Hills, Queens.

With a struggling family to help support, Arabo made the decision to drop out of school at 16 and attend a jeweler's trade school in Brooklyn instead. The first piece he ever created was a brass jewelry box, which won him the class design competition.

The rest, as they say, is history. He finished the course in record time, and was quickly set up at a local Jewish wholesale jewelry factory that made mass-market pieces for department stores.

He lied about his age, pretending to be 18 so he could start earning a salary, which was just $125 a week.

"I was hungry to get a job," Arabo said.



But the repetitive factory experience didn't cut it for Arabo. "I knew that I had something in me, that I could do this," he said. He started crafting his own designs, and worked with a salesman to get them onto the market.

When he works on designing a piece, he typically creates a wax model of it first. Here are some recent examples of earring models, as well as a catalogue of early-stage sketches on photographs.



Soon, he was making more than $1,500 a week — more than 10 times his starting salary — and running a makeshift workspace out of his bedroom at his family home in Queens. He recruited some of his peers from jewelry school to assist in the fledgling business.



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EU video proposal could drastically affect Amazon and Netflix's margins (NFLX, AMZN)

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Netflix International

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

Europe could cause some changes for Netflix and Amazon in the near future.

The European Union (EU) is considering imposing a quota that would force streaming services to devote at least 20% of their catalogs to European content, according to the Financial Times. Details on this are not yet clear, but there would be several implications for Amazon and Netflix if the quota becomes a reality.

Firstly, it could level the playing field between new and incumbent streaming video companies, as well as between European and American players. The EU is changing its broadcasting rules, which currently mandate that national broadcasters allocate most of their programs to European content.

But that quota varies from 10% to 60% across the different EU nations, and it does not apply to streaming services. The new proposal would set one standard quota for everyone.

The important piece here is how the EU defines "European content." If it means that the programs must be only partially produced in any European country, then Amazon and Netflix would barely feel the effects, if at all. But if the shows must be totally or primarily produced in Europe, then Netflix would have to tweak its catalog in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, and the Czech Republic, according to Ampere Analysis.

But if the EU imposes an investment quota that mandates companies invest a specified percentage of their revenues into European productions, then the two streaming media giants could feel the effects even more. Broadcasters currently invest 20% in this regard, while streaming media companies only allocate 1%, according to EU data cited by the Financial Times.

Any regulation that requires streaming media companies to pour more money into European productions would likely tangibly affect Netflix and Amazon's margins.

This situation will bear watching, especially if it causes any ripple effects in the U.S., where Amazon and Netflix continue to grow the generation of cord-cutters that are moving away from traditional pay-TV.

Margaret Boland, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on subscription video on-demand services that examines how the growth of SVOD is coming at the expense of the pay-TV industry. The report analyzes the state of the pay-TV industry and maps out which demographics are more likely to stop buying traditional TV packages.

The report also discusses the user base, original content offerings, and subscription models of the major subscription streaming services available today, including Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Video. Finally, it looks at how traditional pay-TV companies and premium channels like HBO and Showtime are addressing the shift to digital viewing, as well as the implications of their response for advertisers.

Subscription Video on Demand Report COver

  • Those abandoning pay-TV packages fall into three main groups: cord-nevers, cord-cutters, and cord-shavers. Whereas video streaming services have found favor with younger viewers in particular, an increasing portion of older subscribers also are leaving behind their pay-TV packages. Still, younger viewers watch four times as much video content online than older viewers.
  • Netflix is the largest SVOD service and will continue to dominate the industry with an impressive original content lineup and aggressive expansion plans.
  • Amazon is trying to compete with Netflix by investing significant resources in original content.
  • Hulu is the third-largest SVOD service, but the only one to offer ad-supported membership tiers. Hulu has been the slowest to roll out original and exclusive content, but it has inked numerous deals in the past year to boost its content library.
  • Pay-TV companies are responding to the rise of SVOD services by offering subscribers "skinny bundles" and their own streaming services.

In full, the report:

  • Illustrates the fall of the traditional TV package and the rise of broadband only cable subscriptions.
  • Lays out the different types of viewers that are leaving behind pay-TV: cord-cutters, cord-shavers, and cord-nevers.
  • Examines the leading SVOD services including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and premium channel offerings from HBO and Showtime.
  • Explains the various ways that pay-TV companies are responding to the rise of SVOD services, notably skinny bundles and standalone streaming services.
  • Considers what the migration to SVOD services means to marketers.

To get your copy of this invaluable guide, choose one of these options:

  1. Subscribe to an ALL-ACCESS Membership with BI Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report AND over 100 other expertly researched deep-dive reports, subscriptions to all of our daily newsletters, and much more. >> START A MEMBERSHIP
  2. Purchase the report and download it immediately from our research store. >> BUY THE REPORT

The choice is yours. But however you decide to acquire this report, you’ve given yourself a powerful advantage in your understanding of subscription video on-demand services.

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This woman trying on a Chewbacca mask is now the most watched video on Facebook Live (FB)

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payne_34Over 30 million people have watched the video of this woman trying on a Chewbacca mask from Kohl's, making it the most watched video stream on Facebook Live.

Candace Payne's "It's the simple joys in life" video had over 34 million views and over 1 million shares at the time of this post.

Payne bought a mask of the "Star Wars" character on Thursday and took to Facebook Live to try it on. I'll pause here to let you watch the entire video in full (with sound on):

The mask was no ordinary Chewbacca mask — it made the cry of a Wookiee when the mouth was opened. The sound made Payne laugh even harder, which in turn opened the mask's mouth wider and made the sound play again.

For a solid two minutes, Payne could not stop laughing.

"I’d like to say that I bought this for my son that would really, really want it," she said in the beginning of the live stream. "However, this is mine. At the end of the day, this is mine that I bought, and I'm going to keep it for my own!"

One viewer said he or she couldn't stop laughing, while another described the video as "pure inner joy."

And in the comments, Payne was still laughing:

candace payne

In addition to video-hosting sites like VidMe and YouTube, the video even found its way to Reddit, where Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the "Star Wars" films, responded:

chewbacca

Previously, the most watched video on Facebook Live was a BuzzFeed video about smashing watermelons, which received over 10 million views.

Tech Insider has reached out to both Payne and Facebook, and neither has responded at the time of this post.

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NOW WATCH: 2 millennials watched the original ‘Star Wars’ for the first time

The new Anthony Weiner doc is an incredibly revealing look at his public meltdown

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weiner IFC films

Anthony Weiner watches in horror from his living room as a TV news report shows him flipping off a reporter.

His wife, Huma Abedin, sits in the dining room eating a slice of pizza, trying to ignore it all.

The moment is caught on camera for a documentary about Weiner and his failed New York City mayoral candidacy.

“I can’t believe I gave a reporter the finger,” Weiner mumbles to himself.

The filmmaker, Josh Kriegman, asks him, “Why are you letting me film this?”

It’s one of those moments that make the new movie “Weiner” — which is out Friday and won the grand jury documentary prize this year at the Sundance Film Festival — a joy to watch.

In an era in which people of power attempt to keep everything about their lives hidden behind a veil of orchestrated social-media posts and safe appearances, Weiner allows so much access into his life for the movie that you wonder if the former congressman regrets any of it.

But while clearly a political miscalculation, the movie is perhaps Weiner’s self-inflicted penance for past transgressions.

Weiner came to notoriety thanks to the passion he brought to the floor of Congress on issues he appeared to care very deeply about, especially in 2010, when his displeasure with Republicans opposing the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act — which would provide funds for sick 9/11 first responders — went viral.

Less than a year later, Weiner's political career crumbled after he tweeted a sexually explicit photo of himself. After several days of denying he sent it, he admitted to posting the photo. In June 2011 he resigned from Congress.

But America loves a comeback story, and Weiner was ready to be its latest when in 2013 he ran for mayor of New York.

Directors Kreigman and Elyse Steinberg were there with cameras in hand to capture what would become “Weiner.” I imagine they sold it to Weiner as a way to show his underdog story. Think of the 2005 documentary “Street Fight,” director Marshall Curry’s look at the successful campaign of Cory Booker to become mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

lost in la mancha100Instead, "Weiner" is basically the political equivalent of the 2002 documentary “Lost in La Mancha,” in which filmmakers document Terry Gilliam making his passion project “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” with Johnny Depp, and instead the project is ruined by actor injuries, horrible weather, and fighter jets flying overhead.

But while Gilliam had the universe to blame for his failure, Weiner can only blame himself.

As the campaign for mayor looks to be going strong at the beginning of the movie, a few months into the election, news breaks that Weiner sent explicit photos of himself to a 22-year-old a year after he left Congress, under the alias "Carlos Danger."

You may remember the constant late-night TV jokes about the scandal during the summer of 2013, but reliving it behind the scenes of the campaign and seeing Weiner’s personal life with Abedin (who is a close adviser to Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton) provide a unique perspective.

Weiner allows cameras to show the damage control that attempts to extinguish the latest scandal. The biggest question: When did he send the photos? As cameras capture, he told most of the press at the beginning of the campaign that he had stopped sending sexual photos of himself after he left Congress.

In one scene, his publicist is reading him questions from a reporter. One asks if he thinks he is a sex addict.

The moments that made me cringe the most were conversations Weiner had with Huma. In some cases, Weiner asked cameras to be tuned off, but there are other times when the cameras are there, such as when they decide what Huma should say at the press conference addressing the latest photo scandal, and if she should continue going to campaign functions. In those instances, Huma says little, but her face and demeanor speak volumes.

In many of these cases, Weiner looks less like an understanding husband and more like a politician seeking votes and needing his supportive wife by his side to do so.

Then there’s the conclusion of the movie, which I won’t give away, but it’s on my top-five all-time documentary endings.

“Weiner” certainly proves that sometimes real life is stranger than fiction. But it also shows what it’s like to be on the wrong side of celebrity.

Weiner shrugs that he doesn’t know why he’s letting Josh film him react to the news report about him giving the finger. But it may be the same reason why, earlier in the movie, he lets Josh film him watching a video (with glee) of his appearance on a political show in which Weiner and the host engage in a screaming match. It seems like Weiner gets a kick out of the attention, good or bad.

The movie suggests the scary notion that many people who crave fame or power simply love it when people are always talking about them. Weiner takes that principle to a shocking level with his transparency in the movie.

But as with his scandals, he can't really cry foul. After all, he brought it on himself.

SEE ALSO: See the best-dressed celebrities hit the Cannes Film Festival red carpet

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NOW WATCH: 2 millennials watched the original ‘Star Wars’ for the first time

The man behind 'The Nice Guys' and 'Lethal Weapon' talks reviving the detective movie and forgiving Mel Gibson

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The Nice Guys Daniel McFadden Warner Bros final

Shane Black, the cowriter and director of the new buddy-cop comedy “The Nice Guys” (out Friday), knows a little something about the genre — because he helped create it.

Black launched his career writing “Lethal Weapon” in 1987. And since then he’s gone on to pen the three sequels and movies that mix hard action and comedy like “The Last Boy Scout” and “Last Action Hero.” (And in that time, he had a small role in a little Arnold Schwarzenegger movie called “Predator.”)

After tackling a substance abuse problem in the early 2000s, Black reemerged as one of Hollywood's most distinctive creative forces, making the funny caper “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” in 2005 (in which he cast buddy Robert Downey Jr., following the actor’s own drug problems). And thanks to Downey Jr., Black cowrote and directed “Iron Man 3.”

In “The Nice Guys,” starring Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as two '70s private eyes who team for a case, Black's brand of action and dark comedy is back at its height.

Black talked to Business Insider this week over the phone about the movie, his memories from the set of “Predator,” and why he wishes people would give Mel Gibson a break.

The Nice Guys Shane Black Daniel McFadden Warner BrosBusiness Insider: I think you guys are going to have a good opening weekend. Have you gotten the numbers for Thursday previews yet?

Shane Black: I just got off the plane.

BI:It was around $700,000 for Thursday. 

Black: Well, that's not bad. It's not staggering, but I would imagine it's solid.

BI: I think it's very solid. 

Black: I think it would be fantastic if we can carve a little niche. We have a lot of competition this weekend. We're having a great deal of fun, regardless. It's just nice to do something a little different from the last one, which was one ["Iron Man 3"] of these giant branded movies. Which was also fun. But look, they say get the next job before the last one comes about so I'm already on something else and I'm trying to stay out of the results business. The temptation is to be nervous how the movie will do, but I just have to stay out of this business. 

BI: But the reaction must be nice, since it's an original movie. Not an adaptation. That must feel good.

Black: It does because the one thing I can point to over the course of many years, 30 now I believe, of trying to do this... I've always managed to canoodle my way into something that someone ends up making into a film that didn't exist. That wasn't an assignment. So I'm pleased with that very much. 

BI: But is there a temptation to think about expanding the story and the characters and do a sequel to "The Nice Guys"?

Black: Again, staying out of the results business. There's a certain jinx factor, it's like planning the wrap party while you're still writing the script. We have to open this thing first. Should the demand be there, I'm certain we can do it. I know it will be fun if the two guys are onboard, and I think they would be, but it just has to generate the kind of interest that enables us to present to a studio a sequel that makes sense to them. 

the nice guys warner brosBI: Are you talking to Gosling and Crowe at all about what a sequel could look like?

Black: I’ve kind of put a moratorium on it. The guys and I know we've got something. If we have to, Anthony [Bagarozzi], my writing partner, we can always generate something. The great thing about detective stories in particular, the case can always be interesting as well as the characters. And you can always have another story and another case for a detective to solve. And they made a bunch of good "Pink Panther" movies back in the day, so we can model this after those. 

BI: And I can't help but think Crowe and Gosling have some Abbott and Costello in their characters, too.

Black: [Laughs] Yeah, there are any number of influences that we kind of channel in terms of plucking from our comedian legacy. But what surprises me and gratifies me most is when we started out, we deliberately made a choice to not use two comedians. For me, it wouldn't be worth doing if it weren't true to the legacy of a private-eye story. So it had to be two tough guys. Two real men in the spirit of John Cassavetes or Lee Marvin. And if it wasn't that cool and slick and edgy then the idea of just doing a comedy, a buddy comedy, it wouldn't be worth it.

BI: And then you and Anthony go and turn the genre on its ear. The usual detective tricks don't work. Did you ever question if the audience would like that?

Black: I think people are so smart these days that they're just waiting to have the trope stood on its head. And I already had experience with it in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang." There's a scene where someone spins a bullet, a single bullet in a revolver, and then you usually hear "click" when the person pulls the trigger, but instead it's bang, it's the bullet. He's dead. So those are fun things to do. It makes the audience feel they are in on the joke. 

BI: "The Nice Guys" script has been around for 13 years and has gone through a lot of changes. Originally it wasn't as funny as it turned out to be. How did that evolve?

Black: Believability is essential and once we had these great actors who could play these cool parts and know they could be funny, it felt like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." That was my model. There's a lot of funny stuff in there, but there's a heart to that movie, it's about the death of the West. The mythology of the gunslinger. But I just had a hunch that these two guys would be funny. Good actors like these just know how to do almost anything. Russell has said, "We just listened to each other." That's what chemistry is. And I watched it. It just took a few nights of them together in a hotel suite for them to know each other. 

I think [Mel Gibson] has essentially been blacklisted in the industry.

BI: Are you shocked by the likability of Russell in this role?

Black: I think in "Gladiator" he's likable. I wanted him to succeed more than I want most heroes to in those movies. There was a selflessness that he portrayed. In this particular film, he's got this face that has a sense of being lived in. It portrays a world of remorse but with a flick of the eyebrow this guy can convey so much that the camera loves him. 

BI: You said in an interview that Robert Downey Jr. wants Mel Gibson to direct an "Iron Man" movie, if there were ever another one. Were you serious about that?

Black: I just heard him say that once, but that was years ago. As far as I know, it's nothing serious. I was just repeating what I heard.

Robert Downey Jr Mel Gibson Alberto E. Rodriguez GettyBI: What fascinated me about that was it seems you, Mel, and Robert have a connection to one another. You put Robert in "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" when his career had flatlined. Robert helped you get the "Iron Man 3" job, and since Mel's troubles, you — and it now sounds like Robert — have tried to help out Mel.

Black: I think that everyone knows there's a special relationship with Robert and Mel. Robert stepped up for me. And I've always been a tremendous fan of Mel Gibson not just as an actor but I think he's a good guy. I've said it before, but on the record I just don't believe in holding anyone accountable for something that they say while they're drunk, because if I'm drunk I'm going to be deliberately belligerent, first off. I'm going to say something that I know will piss you off and will delight in the fact that I'm destroying the house and burning it down. That's what drunk people do. So the idea that that's truly who a person is when he's had a few, I don't believe that at all. I just think that's wrong. I know a lot of great people and they are not necessarily great when they're drunk. So I don't trust that. 

BI: Do you think Mel has gotten a bad rap?

Black: I think he's essentially been blacklisted in the industry. I think people don't want to work with him. Now they are starting to come around, but there was certainly a period where it just seemed like no one would hire him. Don't you think so?

BI: I would agree. But I'm asking you because you have a different vantage point than me. You've tried to get projects off the ground with him.

Black: Yeah. I think there's definite sentiment and I understand the point of view. He said some nasty things. But like I said, if you're drunk, you're going to say nasty things. I haven't spoken to Mel in over a year now. I hear things more secondhand about him. And I haven't spoken to Downey really either. I've been so busy the last few years I haven't had time. 

BI: But I would imagine if you and Mel connected, you two would start back up to get a project going.

Black: Yeah. If there was something that he had or I had, but once again, at this point he's directing and I'm directing so we're both busy.

Shane Black Predator 20th Century FoxBI: You starred in the original "Predator" movie and you're now working on directing the latest movie in the franchise. What's your favorite memory from making the original?

Black: Oh gosh. It's so damn long ago. What strikes me as memorable about "Predator" was a lot of the decisions that were made so quickly turned out to be so iconic. Jean-Claude Van Damme was the first Predator and he was having trouble wearing the suit, it was too clumsy for him. Here's a guy with this incredible physicality and can't do any of his kicks and moves. So we basically scrapped the suit all together and built something brand new. It was thrown together by Stan Winston in just a few weeks and now it's this iconic monster. The title was originally "Hunter" and that didn't get through copyright clearance because of the TV show "Hunter" with Fred Dryer. So we said, "F--- it, let's just call it 'Predator,'" and it has now become a huge brand. So the things you arrive at very quickly on the spur of the moment can sometimes have this amazing longevity.

SEE ALSO: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg talk making movies their way, and how life blew up after the Sony Hacks

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NOW WATCH: 2 millennials watched the original ‘Star Wars’ for the first time

'Shark Tank' investor Robert Herjavec reveals how deals are affected by what happens behind the scenes

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robert herjavec

Millions of Americans watch "Shark Tank" each week because it's a reality show that has genuinely real stakes, with entrepreneurs pitching their companies to a panel of investors who can potentially change their lives.

The series has been huge for the personal brands of each of the six investors and has yielded investments that have made them millions of dollars, but they need to spend as little time as possible in the Los Angeles studio because their businesses are still their primary responsibilities.

To compromise, the show's producers have worked out a schedule that allows an entire season of about 30 episodes to be shot over 17 days. The current, seventh season was split into a session early last summer and then early last fall. Each day on set lasts 12 hours, beginning at 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., and shooting is done in three-day splits separated by an off-day.

In his new book "You Don't Have to be a Shark," investor Robert Herjavec reveals that each of these three days has a distinct atmosphere, and the day an entrepreneur pitches to them on affects their chances of getting a deal — as well as how the Sharks interact with each other.

Day 1

"The first day is generally a good one," Herjavec writes. "We reacquaint ourselves with each other and get a buzz from routine preparations, trading gossip, catching up on each other's careers, and talking with crew members in the studio.

Herjavec notes that the nature of the show requires their full attention, and that at the start of each three-day cycle they are rewiring their brains to forget about whatever is happening back at their companies or even their personal lives.

To help get into this mindset, the Sharks deliberately play up their personas, Herjavec explains. "For the first few hours of day one Kevin [O'Leary] snarls a little more, Mark [Cuban] is pushier, Lori [Greiner] sharpens her TV smarts, Barbara [Corcoran] plays her strict den mother role with greater relish, and Daymond [John] seems to rise even farther above it all," he writes. "I tend to smile more easily, finding it all entertaining and refreshing."

So, depending on which of the Sharks connects to an entrepreneur's pitch, either with enthusiasm or distaste, landing a Day 1 spot can result in a slightly exaggerated reception.

Day 2

"Day two is inevitably the best," Herjavec says. The Sharks aren't distracted by what's happening back at their office and they're not concerned about hamming it up. They're acutely focused on making good deals.

"Those twelve-hour studio sessions have become our reality, and nothing intrudes on our assessment of the pitches (and the people making them)," he writes.

Day 3

Day three presents the biggest challenge to entrepreneurs because it's the least enjoyable for the Sharks.

shark tank schollyAs the day progresses, Herjavec says, "it becomes difficult to keep our minds off whatever we hope or fear is happening back at the office. It also becomes trickier to overlook little annoyances that were easy to shrug off a day or two earlier, when they might have earned a smile or a joke tossed between us for a laugh."

The investors start to itch to get back to their companies, and they're more likely to think about how cold, hungry, and miserable they are in the studio, Herjavec says. The producers enjoy the third day, he argues, because the ways the Sharks either attack an entrepreneur giving a weak pitch or attack each other over a deal when they're in this mood makes for great television.

That's what happened in Season 6, for example, when Herjavec yelled at Greiner and John for giving a "handout" to an entrepreneur he determined they felt sorry for, before storming off the set, with similarly disgusted Cuban and O'Leary not far behind him.

"Three days don't represent just the maximum number of days we can stay away from our businesses; it's the maximum number of days we can do our jobs as Sharks and still remain functional," Herjavec writes. "Not to mention amiable and courteous with each other."

SEE ALSO: 14 behind-the-scenes secrets you didn't know about 'Shark Tank'

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NOW WATCH: 'Shark Tank' star Robert Herjavec knows what to do when everything is against you

The 'Lethal Weapon' writer says Mel Gibson is 'blacklisted' in Hollywood

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mel gibson

It's been 10 years since Mel Gibson was arrested on DUI charges on the Pacific Coast Highway in California.

And while police officers took him out of his car, the Oscar winner said the infamous words:

"F---ing Jews ... the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."

After the public recoiled in disgust, Gibson did the revealing interview apologizing for the comments and met with Jewish leaders.

In 2007, a judge even praised him for his progress in his alcohol rehab.

But the actor who was a sex symbol in the '80s and went on to direct in the '90s — and make one of the most profitable movies of all time, "The Passion of the Christ" — has never rebounded since that summer evening.

Gibson has starred in only six films since 2006 — including one that's coming out this summer, "Blood Father." And not one had a big studio backing it.

Shane Black — director of the new movie "The Nice Guys" and who wrote one of Gibson's most legendary films, "Lethal Weapon" — thinks that he knows why the actor has had a lack of work.

"I think he's essentially been blacklisted in the industry," Black told Business Insider in a new interview. "I think people don't want to work with him."

Shane Black Pascal Le Segretain GettyGibson has had some big players in the industry try to revive his career, including friend Jodie Foster, who cast him in her 2011 directing effort, "The Beaver."

But Gibson hasn't had near the revival of another of his buddies, Robert Downey Jr., whose substance-abuse problems in the late '90s led him to go to prison.

In fact, Downey told Black a while back that he'd like Gibson to direct an "Iron Man" movie if another one happens. Black directed "Iron Man 3."

But Black says that there's been no word since, and, as far as he knows, the idea of Gibson helming "Iron Man" is "nothing serious."

Black is no stranger to substance abuse, either. He's been open about his hard-partying ways in the '90s and his battle to get sober in 2008.

And as someone with his own struggles, Black believes that Gibson needs to be forgiven.

Black said:

I've always been a tremendous fan of Mel Gibson, not just as an actor, but I think he's a good guy. I just don't believe in holding anyone accountable for something that they say while they're drunk because if I'm drunk I'm going to be deliberately belligerent, first off. I'm going to say something that I know will piss you off and will delight in the fact that I'm destroying the house and burning it down. That's what drunk people do. So the idea that that's truly who a person is when he's had a few, I don't believe that at all. I just think that's wrong. I know a lot of great people and they are not necessarily great when they're drunk. So I don't trust that.

Gibson is in postproduction on his first directing effort in a decade, the World War II drama "Hacksaw Ridge" starring Andrew Garfield.

The Gibson we knew may never get his full comeback, thanks to the "nasty things" he said that night with the cops, as Black puts it. But he's getting somewhere.

SEE ALSO: Amazon just won over this year's biggest film festival with these 6 movies

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NOW WATCH: Before you see ‘Fury Road,’ watch the 1979 trailer for ‘Mad Max’ that started it all


Ashton Kutcher on his scariest financial decision: 'I don't sleep well when I owe people money'

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Ashton Kutcher

In the past few years, actor-turned-entrepreneur and investor Ashton Kutcher has cofounded a viral-media site and a human-rights organizationappeared on "Shark Tank," and invested in buzzy tech companies such as Spotify, Airbnb, Uber, and Meerkat.

In Grow, the new digital magazine from investing app Acorns, another of his investments, Kutcher talks about everything from why he got started investing to the scariest thing he's ever done with his money — and it wasn't investing in a startup.

When asked about the scariest financial decision he's ever made, Kutcher told Grow:

The purchase of my first home. I was scared because I took on debt greater than my cash on hand. I don't sleep well when I owe people money. I believe freedom is a product of flexibility of choice, and debt leaves you beholden to practical choices.

Kutcher isn't alone in feeling conflicted over buying a home. Home ownership, traditionally a cornerstone of the American Dream, is a stressful undertaking that some people argue isn't always the right choice.

On MyBankTracker, David Incandenza suggests that it's possible for renters to grow more wealth than homeowners, and James Altucher writes on The Altucher Confidential that he'll never own a home again — chiefly because it absorbs cash and makes a huge part of his portfolio illiquid.

Not to mention that buying a home can be awfully expensive.

Read the full interview in Grow.

SEE ALSO: Ashton Kutcher says the best investment he's ever made is something anyone can afford

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NOW WATCH: 4 lottery winners who lost it all

Here are all the jaw-dropping looks from the Cannes Film Festival red carpet

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Bella Hadid Andreas thumb Rentz Getty thumb

It's Cannes time again.

That is, when Hollywood's elite travel to the French Riviera for the industry's most glamorous event of the year: the Cannes Film Festival.

This year, things kicked off with the latest movie from Woody Allen, "Cafe Society," which stars Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, and Blake Lively, among others. The premiere also put the sex-abuse allegations against Allen back in the spotlight.

The latest Jodie Foster-directed movie, "Money Monster," starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts, is also in the festival, as is the animated family movie "Trolls," with Justin Timberlake and Anna Kendrick lending their voices.

Below, see the stars as they walk the historic Cannes red carpet, and how they enjoy their time basking in the French Riviera:

SEE ALSO: The 22 most exciting TV shows this summer you need to see

Model Bella Hadid set the red carpet on fire with this revealing dress that can be pulled off only at Cannes.



The photographers were on their game when she arrived.



Robert De Niro stopped by for the "Hands of Stone" premiere.



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Here's an introduction to the new characters joining 'Thor: Ragnarok'

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More Asgardians are joining Marvel's cinematic universe.

The studio just announced new cast members who will be joining "Thor: Ragnarok," the third "Thor" film.

Those announced were Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, and Karl Urban. 

"The sheer, raw talent each of these actors brings to the screen can't be quantified," Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige said in a statement. "Having any one of them join the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be an honor, and having all of them is incredible."

The film is set for release November 3rd, 2017.

Here's a quick introduction to the new characters:

SEE ALSO: 47 new TV shows coming in the next year that just got announced

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Two time-Oscar winner Cate Blanchett ("The Aviator," "Blue Jasmine") will play villain Hela, the Asgardian goddess of death, and the daughter of Loki.



She rules over the dead in the realms of Hel and Niffleheim.



Jeff Goldblum ("Jurassic Park") was cast as Grandmaster.



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One of the most important execs at HBO is leaving after 33 years

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Michael Lombardo HBOMichael Lombardo, president of programming at HBO, is leaving the company, industry sources tell Variety.

Lombardo had spent 33 years at HBO and has been at his current job since 2007. It is his own decision to leave HBO, and he was not forced out, according to Variety.

Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter have confirmed the news.

Lombardo was the head of programming at HBO, Cinemax, and HBO's related properties — Films, Documentaries, Family, and Sports.

It's unclear who will take over his responsibilities.

Lombardo oversaw HBO's recent hits like "Game of Thrones," "Silicon Valley," and "Veep." But the network has faced criticism recently for the tepid reception for "Vinyl" and the second season of "True Detective" — though the first was a smash-hit.

HBO was not immediately available for comment.

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NOW WATCH: Here's what real NFL agents think about HBO's 'Ballers'

Trevor Noah rails against 'bathroom laws' and compares them to segregation

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With the 24-hour news channels spending a lot of time bringing on talking heads who are for or against the anti-transgender bathroom laws, Trevor Noah over at “The Daily Show” took it upon himself to address the debate. He went on a spirited rant for eight minutes on why the whole thing is absurd.

He touched on the argument that allowing transgender people into bathrooms not corresponding to the sex they were assigned at birth would invite more sexual predators into public restrooms.

He's not convinced, to say the least.

“That’s what perverts have been waiting for, loopholes,” Noah said. “Guys out there are like, ‘Man, I want to flash people in the bathroom so badly, when are they going to change the laws?’”

And on the expectation of privacy when you go into the bathroom and being around people just like you, Noah said:

“The transgender population in America is closer to zero percent than one percent. So the chances of you bumping into a transgender person in the bathroom is almost zero percent, but the chances of a transgender person needing the bathroom is 100 percent.”

Noah argues that the the transgender bathroom issue has come up in the past, just with different window dressing, from segregated bathrooms for white and black people to panic over gay people using the same facilities as straight people. In each case, the argument against change is that it's not "natural."

“We’ve got to remember this is about progress,” Noah said. “You move forward even when it frightens you.”

Watch the full clip below:

SEE ALSO: Kanye West gave his most passionate defense of himself yet — and it might change your mind

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NOW WATCH: 4 important things you probably missed on this week's 'Game of Thrones'

How actor, tech entrepreneur, and 'Shark Tank' investor Ashton Kutcher spends his millions

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Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher wears many hats.

If you know him primarily from films and television, including "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "That '70s Show," it may surprise you to hear that the 38-year-old actor has also become an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and successful venture capitalist in the tech space. He has even appeared on ABC's "Shark Tank."

Read on to see what else the successful former star of the MTV prank show "Punk'd" is up to — and what he's doing with his millions.

SEE ALSO: Ashton Kutcher says the best investment he's ever made is something anyone can afford

Born in downtown Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 1978 — minutes ahead of his fraternal twin, Michael — Kutcher comes from humble beginnings. His parents, Larry and Diane, were both factory workers and raised their three kids on a farm.

Source: Biography.com



Kutcher started earning and saving from a young age. His odd jobs included mowing lawns and roofing as well as skinning deer at a meat locker and baling hay. "When I was 13, I saved $1,400 for a snowmobile," he tells Grow. "I worked after school and on weekends for one and a half years, and put every cent into a savings account."

Source: Grow



Kutcher continued working a variety of jobs to pay his tuition at the University of Iowa, where he enrolled in 1997 and planned to major in biochemical engineering. He dropped out and ended up going the modeling and acting route, but his interest in science and technology would resurface years later when he started investing in tech companies.

Source: TechCrunch and Biography.com



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Jimmy Kimmel lost a ton of weight on this radical diet

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Growing up in a big Italian family, Jimmy Kimmel says he has always struggled with portion control.

By 2010, Kimmel's 6'1 physique had ballooned to 208 pounds, and he wasn't happy.

The late night host decided to take control by going on an extreme diet called 5:2. Essentially, he gets to eat whatever he wants five days a week, but must eat less than 500 calories for the remaining two days.

"Something I've been doing for a couple of years now is starving myself two days a week," Kimmel recently revealed to Men's Journal. "On Monday and Thursday, I eat fewer than 500 calories a day, then I eat like a pig for the other five days. You 'surprise' the body, keep it guessing."

"On fasting days I'm pretty unpleasant to be around," Kimmel admitted to the magazine. "I mostly just drink coffee and eat pickles endlessly. For 'meals' I'll have some peanut butter and an apple, or the whites of hard-boiled eggs, or if I'm really hungry, a bowl of oatmeal. The rest of the week I'm a glutton — pizza and pasta and steak."

While some professionals like Dr. Oz dispute the diet, it has worked for Kimmel. The 48-year-old lost over 25 pounds, and now maintains a weight of around 182 pounds.

Just don't ask Kimmel about his exercise routine because it's pretty nonexistent: "I just hate it," he told Men's Journal.

Story by Aly Weisman and editing by Kristen Griffin

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We tried the electronic Chewbacca mask that became the most viral Facebook Live video ever — here's what it's like

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chewbacca kim

A woman named Candace Payne became an Internet sensation on Friday morning when she posted a Facebook Live video that attracted more than 50 million viewers— the most popular video so far on Facebook Live ever.

Payne went to Kohl's and purchased an electronic Star Wars Chewbacca mask that growls and whimpers when you open your mouth. For nearly four minutes, she cackled with pure joy.

Naturally we had to get our hands on Payne's mask.

With some Googling, we found the mask was available at a local Toys R Us in Manhattan for $28. We purchased it for in-store pickup and used Task Rabbit, a startup that lets you hire local people to run local errands, to pick up our Chewie toy and deliver it to Tech Insider's headquarters in Flatiron.

Culture reporter Kim Renfro unboxed the mask and put it on.

Turns out, Payne was right in her video — the mask is worth every penny.

The Chewbacca mask costs just under $30. You can get it at local toy stores like Toys R Us. Ours cost $24.99

It's sold out nearly everywhere, but there are also some masks floating around on Amazon.



To get our mask to the office, we paid about $30 more for TaskRabbit, a startup that hires local people to run errands for you, to bring it to us. Our Task Rabbit, Kyle, picked up our mask from Toys R Us and delivered it to Tech Insider within an hour.



By 2 p.m., we had Chewbacca's mask in our hands.



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47 new TV shows coming in the next year that just got announced

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Right now in network TV it's time to kick out the old and pray that the new catches on.

The broadcast networks are unveiling their new series for the 2016-2017 seasons this week in an annual event known as upfronts.

At upfronts, the networks present their fall schedules and upcoming new shows to advertisers in order to entice them to spend their commercial dollars.

This year's fleet of new shows has several name actors attached, including Geena Davis, Kiefer Sutherland, Queen Latifah, Dermot Mulroney, and Jennifer Beals.

There's also a host of remakes, sequels, and spin-offs, ranging from Fox's "The Exorcist" and "Lethal Weapon" to CBS's "MacGyver" and NBC's "Emerald City."

Here are the new shows that have just been picked up by the networks:

Note: updated as networks announce decisions and release photos and trailers.

SEE ALSO: Here are your favorite TV shows that are getting renewed for another season

DON'T MISS: 19 TV shows that were just canceled

"24: Legacy" (Fox)

Stars:Corey Hawkins, Miranda Otto, Jimmy Smits, Teddy Sears, Dan Bucatinsky, Anna Diop, Ashley Thomas, Charlie Hofheimer, Coral Pena, and Sheila Vand.

Network synopsis:The series chronicles an adrenaline-fueled race against the clock to stop a devastating terrorist attack on US soil — in the same real-time format that has propelled this genre-defining series.

Expected premiere: After the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 5, then at its normal time Mondays at 8 p.m., midseason 2017

Watch the trailer:

Youtube Embed:
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"APB" (Fox)

Stars:Justin Kirk, Natalie Martinez, Ernie Hudson, Taylor Handley, Caitlin Stasey, Tamberla Perry, and Eric Winter.

Network synopsis: After billionaire engineer Gideon Reeves (Emmy Award and Golden Globe nominee Justin Kirk, "Tyrant," "Weeds") witnesses his best friend's murder, he takes over Chicago's troubled 13th District and reboots it as a private police force, challenging the district — including an ambitious, street-smart cop (Natalie Martinez, "Kingdom," "Under the Dome") — to rethink everything about the way they fight crime.

Expected premiere: Mondays at 9 p.m., midseason

Watch the trailer:

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"Lethal Weapon" (Fox)

Stars:Damon Wayans, Clayne Crawford, Jordana Brewster, Kevin Rahm, and Keesha Sharp.

Network synopsis:Based on the hit movie franchise of the same name, "Lethal Weapon" follows iconic cop duo Riggs and Murtaugh as they work a crime-ridden beat in modern-day Los Angeles. From the moment the brash and impulsive Martin Riggs (Clayne Crawford, "Rectify") meets prudent, by-the-book Roger Murtaugh (Emmy Award nominee Damon Wayans, Sr., "My Wife and Kids," "In Living Color"), it seems as if this partnership is doomed. But after their first case together, both realize this arrangement might just work out after all — but only if Riggs doesn't get them killed first.

Expected premiere: Wednesdays at 8 p.m., fall 2016

Watch the trailer:

Youtube Embed:
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The 18 best movie sequels that never happened

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We've jumped into the summer blockbuster movie season, and that means a whole lot of sequels to be seen.

In an era when it seems every idea in Hollywood has been made into a franchise or rebooted for one, several famous titles missed the boat.

In some cases, the filmmaker moved on to other projects (including franchises). But rumors about potential sequels for a number of these titles are spreading.

Here we rank the 18 movies that we think deserve a sequel.

SEE ALSO: Here are the best-dressed celebrities hitting the Cannes Film Festival red carpet

18. “Unbreakable” (2000)

Following the huge success of "The Sixth Sense," director M. Night Shyamalan combined comic books with the supernatural with this story in which Bruce Willis plays a man who after an accident slowly realizes that he has superhuman powers. 

Though the movie had a poor box-office performance, over the years there have been rumors of a sequel, but they seem to be just that. However, it would be great to see Samuel L. Jackson's character from the movie, Elijah Price (aka "Mr. Glass") fleshed out in a sequel as a villain.

Likelihood of a sequel: Probably not going to happen. Now with the superhero craze studios are looking for ways to bring existing comic book characters to the screen, not ones from an underperforming movie.  



17. “Good Will Hunting” (1997)

Alright, give this one a second to sink in. A sequel to the movie that made Matt Damon and Ben Affleck stars (and Oscar winners) could work.

Have Damon's Will Hunting character return to South Boston and be the one who is the mentor of a troubled teen, while reconnecting with his buddy Chuckie (Affleck). Or we can always go with the idea Kevin Smith teased in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back."  

Likelihood of a sequel: Never. Damon and Affleck are on bigger projects and heading franchises like Jason Bourne and Batman to worry about what Will and Chuckie are up to.



16. “True Lies” (1994)

Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a suave secret agent searching for a terrorist while also dealing with the idea that his wife (Jamie Lee Curtis) might be cheating on him had all the makings of a franchise. 

But as the years went on, director James Cameron found less interest, and then the idea finally deflated after the attacks of September 11, 2001. 

Likelihood of a sequel: You can never say never when it comes to Schwarzenegger and Cameron. But with Cameron focused on his "Avatar" franchise, it's unlikely. 



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