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The best Batman actor of all time had a major problem with 'Batman v Superman'

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Batman TAS and BvS

The best actor to ever play Batman wasn't Christian Bale, Ben Affleck, or Michael Keaton — it was Kevin Conroy, who voiced the Caped Crusader in the beloved cartoons "Batman: The Animated Series" and "Justice League." So when he has a problem with the way Batman's being portrayed, you know there's a problem. 

In a recent interview with IGN, the voice actor explained that he had one major problem with "Batman v Superman." 

"Personally I love the fact that Batman – in the stories I’ve done, and the way he’s been rendered by [animated series creators] Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, the people I’ve worked with most closely – he never kills anybody," Conroy said. "He doesn’t cross that line. Batman is not a killer."

Batman - Kevin Conroy

"In the most recent live action movie, that seems to have been a line that was crossed and it’s not one I’m particularly comfortable with," he continued. 

Batman brutally murders a bunch of goons in the Zack Snyder-directed film, which is certainly an interesting choice for Snyder to have made given that "not killing" is a major aspect of almost all modern, mainstream interpretations of the character. (Yes, Batman did kill in the earliest comics, but that was well before the character had really been established.)

Of course, Snyder also said that Batman could be "raped in prison" in one of his movies. Thankfully, it didn't happen in "BvS," though we assume Conroy would've also consider that crossing a line.

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NOW WATCH: This is the single worst part of 'Batman v Superman'


The 5 biggest winners and losers at the box office this summer

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suicide squad

With all the major releases having hit the big screen, the 2016 summer movie season has come to a close, and that means it's time to look back on what worked — and what didn't.

Though the lack of success by sequels was a big takeaway from this summer season, Disney was responsible for two that worked the best, "Finding Dory" and "Captain America: Civil War."

Then there were the titles that shocked us with surprising success and failure. "Cafe Society": good. "Suicide Squad": bad.

We broke down the five big winners and losers at the box office this summer:

SEE ALSO: 15 celebrities you didn't realize own business empires

WINNER: 'Finding Dory'

In a summer where long-gestated sequels turned out to be box office poison for studios (more on that below), the 13-year wait for the sequel to "Finding Nemo" didn't seem to hurt Disney/Pixar.

"Finding Dory" isn't just the top earner of the summer at the domestic box office, with over $476 million— it's the top earner of the entire year (so far).



LOSER: 'Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping'

It's sad to say, but no one wanted to see the comedy group The Lonely Island make a "This Is Spinal Tap" for millennials. Andy Samberg and his partners Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone created a hilarious look at a pop star's rise and fall, but the movie is one of the biggest bombs of the summer; "Popstar" took in a minuscule $9.5 million.

Mark my words: I expect this movie to become a cult hit in the years to come, just like The Lonely Island's "Hot Rod."



WINNER: Disney

Though not every title has been a hit this summer for Disney (remember "Alice Through the Looking Glass" and "The BFG"?), the big ones performed as they should.

Along with the success of "Finding Dory,""Captain America: Civil War" took in over $407 million domestically (over $1 billion worldwide), continuing the dominance that Disney's property Marvel has over the superhero genre.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Dumbledore won't appear in 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them'

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Michael Gambon as Dumbledore in Harry Potter

It's confirmed: Professor Albus Dumbledore won't appear in "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," the upcoming "Harry Potter" spinoff movie.

The Hogwarts headmaster was rumored to be in the movie. In the time the movie's set — 1926 New York — Dumbledore is 45 years old and a Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts. He's also known to be friendly with Newt Scamander, the main character of the movie. Scamander was expelled from Hogwarts after endangering someone else's life with a magical creature, and Dumbledore tried to defend him.

Dumbledore is also explicitly referred to in the voiceover for the movie's first full trailer. "What makes Albus Dumbledore so fond of you, Mr Scamander?" says someone speaking in the voiceover.

But though he's part of the backstory, Dumbledore won't show up in the movie itself, according to a long feature Jeff Jensen wrote in print issue of Entertainment Weekly's Fall Movie Preview.

It's too bad for Michael Gambon, the actor who played Dumbledore in most of the "Harry Potter" movies. He told Express he badly wants to be part of the movie: "I want to be in it, yes," he said. "They've got a Dumbledore. They'll have a young Dumbledore, won't they? But I could be his dad. They could flashback to me."

Given his age, Dumbledore is pretty much the only core character from the "Harry Potter" series that could have appeared in "Fantastic Beasts." But, as Jensen notes, the movie takes place in the year Voldemort is born, so that may become significant in the story.

"Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" will have at least two sequels, so there's still a chance Dumbledore will be part of J.K. Rowling's new narrative.

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How the star-powered movie studio behind the summer hit 'Bad Moms' is competing with the Hollywood establishment

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bad moms STX Entertainment final

To be successful in the movie studio system, the conventional wisdom is that you have to own incredible intellectual properties that have the potential of raking in billions of dollars over multiple platforms.

But there's a studio that has been holding its own for the last two years, without the help of superhero movies and franchises. Now they're looking to branch into other mediums with the hopes of becoming the one-stop-shop for stars when they want to develop a project.

STX Entertainment laid its foundation through its movie studio, which has released a remarkable six titles since its start in 2014 (it will be ten by the time 2016 ends), but with the recent news that the company has received significant strategic investments from two major players in Hong Hong, it has suddenly become a powerful mini-major that plans to spend as much yearly in the making and marketing of its content as the big conglomerates like Disney, Sony, and Warner Bros.

If you're not familiar with the company name, you've likely come across the titles it's released. First out of the gate was the thriller "The Gift" in August of 2015, which took in over $58 million worldwide at the box office (its budget was $5 million). What's followed has been continued success in the genre realm with "The Boy" (over $64 million worldwide) but there's also been disappointments like "Hardcore Henry" ($14.3 million worldwide) and "Free State of Jones" ($20.8 million).

However, the company believes it has hit its groove with its summer release "Bad Moms," which has become its most successful release thus far with over $85 million worldwide to date and only an 18% drop in domestic box office in its third weekend.

The decision-maker on the studio side is former head of Universal Adam Fogelson, who, before being let go in 2013, green lit the projects that would go on to give the studio its record-breaking box office in 2015 (including over $1 billion worldwide grosses from "Furious 7,""Jurassic World," and "Minions").

Adam Fogelson Alberto E Rodriguez GettyThe way Fogelson sees it, the STX model was tailor-made for what catches his eye.

"I was roughly at Universal for 15 years, and it's pretty much the only studio in town that could not rely on franchises and existing IP to drive its own slate," Fogelson told Business Insider. "So the very types of films STX was in the business to make, I knew from experience could be incredibly profitable."

STX founder Robert Simonds launched the company after a career producing memorable comedies that included the Adam Sandler classics, "The Waterboy,""The Wedding Singer," and "Happy Gilmore." Knowing that Fogelson had spent over a decade molding the releases of such unlikely hits for Universal like "American Pie,""Bring It On,""The Bourne Identity," and "The Fast and the Furious," he quickly snatched up Fogelson to run his movie studio in hopes of bringing those types of titles to STX.

In other words, the titles that big studios no longer want to make.

"The reality is in the franchise game there are only two options, meet the incredibly high bar of expectations and financial rewards or get killed," said Fogelson.

All but extinct are the star-driven movies, where a name alone can carry a title to box office glory. Taking their place are comic book characters and superheroes, however, STX hopes to fill that void in not just the feature film space, but on TV, the internet, and virtual reality.

"I hadn't anticipated the sheer demand for these mid-range movies with major stars," STX president Sophie Watts told Business Insider.

Fogelson agrees.

"The level of interest is even greater than I anticipated," he said, referring to the marquee actors and directors who want to develop projects through STX.

hardcore-henry-stillBut not all the projects have been home runs.

Their first major TV series, "State of Affairs," was canceled by NBC after just one season. It was a project Watts said they rushed into. Then there's the release of the first-person action movie "Hardcore Henry," which the studio released on an eye-popping 3,015 screens its opening weekend only to earn $5.1 million. Fogelson said not to expect any more big gambles like that on the feature film side anymore.

"['Hardcore Henry'] did not work at all the way we thought it might, and the fact that the type of storytelling was so experimental, I certainly think we are going to be very careful going forward to make sure that we are spending our time and energy on more down-the-middle propositions."

The company is using these growing pains to refine what makes the most sense to back.

Learning from their lackluster return on adult-themed "Free State of Jones," STX recently parted ways with the musical "Gypsy," which had Barbra Streisand attached, after a financier who was in for a third of the budget dropped out. Looking to be left with a bigger stake in a long gestated project with a budget north of $50 million, the company cut ties.

On the TV side, they have 22 non-scripted shows already secured at numerous networks.

sophiewattsapprovedAnd with her background working with the likes of Paul McCartney, Elton John, and U2, Watts said a music division at the company is "inevitable."

STX's initial backing came from Chinese private equity firm Hony Capital, a good partner to have as the Chinese entertainment market is skyrocketing. Now they have doubled-down on their relationship in the region with the news late last week that STX has received significant strategic investments from Hong Kong's largest pay-TV service, PCCW, and China's leading provider of online services, Tencent Holdings.

Though no figures were disclosed, a source close to the deal told Business Insider that this gives STX a valuation of $1.5 billion.

"The deal with Tencent and PCCW should give STX the financial backing to move into these other media in a significant way," Lindsay Conner, entertainment industry lawyer and partner in the firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, told Business Insider. "The deal makes a lot of sense on both sides of the Pacific — STX gets the funding it needs for a strategic expansion, and two valuable distribution partners in China; Tencent and PCCW get an investment in a top-notch Hollywood content production team, which should soon have the capacity to distribute television and digital content in the US and elsewhere."

Going forward, STX will continue to be aggressive. Fogelson plans to release between 12-15 movies in 2017, all ranging in budgets between $20 million and $80 million.

Anticipated titles include this year's Toronto International Film Festival closing night film, "The Edge of Seventeen" (opening November 18); their first Chinese co-production, the Jackie Chan movie "The Foreigner" (along to open in November), an Adam Sandler animated movie that's in the works, and the titles they purchased at Cannes: the Aaron Sorkin-directed "Molly's Game" (which starts production soon) and the highly anticipated Martin Scorsese movie "The Irishman," which is to star Robert D Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci.

This continues Watts' mission of being a home for the biggest stars.

"I think that we live in a very changed landscape and my belief is that the world's best storytellers, the world's biggest stars, spend too much time trying to move their ideas forward in what is typically a very frustrating and inefficient system," she said. "So what keeps my up at night is building a system where in a 21st century world you can access your stars in ways that practically are very very difficult to what a traditional studio can embrace."

"If you get it right it's something that will go down in the history of the business as a major achievement," adds Fogelson. "That's pretty rare to make that kind of impact."

SEE ALSO: 15 celebrities you didn't realize own major business empires

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NOW WATCH: The directors of 'Catfish' and 'Nerve' reveal how to make it in Hollywood without going to film school

A new ‘Rogue One’ trailer confirms a major plot detail in the ‘Star Wars’ movie

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Star Wars Rogue One Jyn Erso lightened

 The "Star Wars" movies can't seem to stop being about dads.

There's a new international trailer for "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," the new spinoff movie that's coming out this December. It takes place before the events of "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope" and it's about a few rebels embarking on a journey to steal the plans for the Death Star.

There isn't much new information in the trailer, but there is one important nugget.

One character appears to tell Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), the movie's main character, "the message was sent by your father." It's an apparent reference to a tip the Rebels (good guys) got about a "major weapons test" by the Empire (bad guys).

So what does that mean? Jyn Erso's dad, Galen, played by Mads Mikkelsen ("Hannibal"), is somehow embedded with the Empire.

mads mikkelsen

Maybe he's a bona-fide leader who wants to destroy the Rebels but keep his daughter safe, maybe he's a double-agent, maybe he's a prisoner who somehow got to leak a message. Whatever the case, Erso's daddy seems to be involved.

The "Star Wars" series, of course, is all about daddies and family complications. Darth Vader is (spoiler) Luke's father. In "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," Rey doesn't know where her parents are, Finn doesn't know who his family is, and Han Solo and General Leia Organa are Kylo Ren's parents. Absent parents are also a recurring issue in Steven Spielberg's movies, which inspired every modern "Star Wars" filmmaker. Now we're getting another epic father-child story.

SEE ALSO: Here's what we learned about 'Rogue One: A Star Wars Story' from the explosive new trailer

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NOW WATCH: Scientists just collected a mysterious 'purple orb' at the bottom of the ocean, but no one could anticipate what happened next

26 movies you have to see this fall

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Snowden trailer final

As we say goodbye to a summer-movie season full of slumps, it's time to get into the more serious fall titles that will bring powerful performances and, perhaps, some Oscar gold. 

This fall includes anticipated movies like the all-star cast in the reboot of "The Magnificent Seven," Oliver Stone's "Snowden," and Tom Hanks playing the Miracle on the Hudson pilot in the Clint Eastwood movie "Sully."

There are also smaller films that should have your attention like the Sundance hit "The Birth of a Nation" and the powerful "The Light Between Oceans."

Here are 26 movies coming out in the coming months that you should not miss.

SEE ALSO: This startup wants to make sure you never wait in line at the movies again

"The Light Between Oceans" - September 2

Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander prove they are two of the top actors working today as they play a couple whose lives crumble after rescuing a baby adrift in a rowboat. Based on the M.L. Stedman novel of the same name, the movie is a visually stunning look at sacrifice. 



"Max Rose" - September 2

This is Jerry Lewis' first leading movie role since Martin Scorsese's "The King of Comedy" in the 80s. The now-90-year-old legend delivers an emotionally charged dramatic performance as a jazz musician who struggles with the death of his wife and the possibility that she was unfaithful to him. 



"Morgan" - September 2

In this thriller Kate Mara ("Fantastic Four") plays a risk-management consultant who has to determine whether to terminate an artificial being who was created in a lab.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Even Matt Damon can't get his kids into this super exclusive private school in New York

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Matt Damon face

Everybody loves Matt Damon, but Saint Ann’s isn't giving him a break.

Damon and his wife tried to get their three kids enrolled into the exclusive Brooklyn Heights school for next year, but they were turned down, according to the New York Post.

Saint Ann's is one of the most exclusive schools in New York City.

It has countless famous alumni, including Lena Dunham, artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, and fashion designer Zac Posen.

They offer classes from pre-K through high school, and are known for their personal, creative touch with students, eschewing "grades, rankings, and prizes in favor of ongoing dialogue and teacher reports," according to their website.

The Bosworth Building on a beautiful day in Brooklyn Heights ☀️

A photo posted by Saint Ann's School (@saintannsschool) on Sep 10, 2015 at 1:34pm PDT on

It's also not cheap — tuition ranges from a startling $36,000 to over $42,000 per year, according to the school's website.

The Damons can afford it, of course, but the school is completely booked.

"A lot of schools will bend the rules very happily; they’ll bring celebrities’ kids in midway through the year or do whatever they want,"a mysterious-sounding "insider" told the Post. "St. Ann’s just isn’t doing it."

We're sure Matt Damon's children will be just fine.

SEE ALSO: New York's hottest public elementary school is harder to get into than Harvard

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Here's everything we know about the upcoming 'Star Wars' movie, 'Rogue One'

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darth vader rogue one

We're exactly four months away from the premiere of "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," and it's building up to excitement levels we haven't seen since, well, "The Force Awakens" last year.

Disney offered a first glimpse at the movie with the first official teaser trailer for the standalone film back in April, but since then, the film has undergone some reshoots. Now, we finally have the first official trailer and a slightly different international trailer to gawk at and analyze every frame of.

Taking place before the events of the 1977 original film, "Rogue One" follows Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) and a group of Rebel fighters on a mission to steal plans for the Empire's new weapon, the Death Star. The movie hits theaters December 16.

Here is everything we know about "Rogue One" so far:

SEE ALSO: 100 movies on Netflix that everyone needs to watch in their lifetime

The film is the first in the "Star Wars Anthology," a series of standalone films, which will include movies dedicated to Han Solo and bounty hunter Boba Fett.



Gareth Edwards, known for the 2014 "Godzilla" reboot, directed the film.



The script was written by Chris Weitz ("About a Boy"), based on an idea from visual-effects supervisor John Knoll. Gary Whitta ("After Earth") was originally hired to write the screenplay, but he left the project after writing the first draft.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Seth Rogen's hit 'Sausage Party' allegedly didn't pay animators for overtime hours

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sausage party sony

The Seth Rogen animated comedy "Sausage Party" hit theaters over the weekend and was the brightest spot for Sony this summer, as the movie took in $34.2 million domestically, higher than projections for the raunchy R-rated tale about food rebelling against humans.

Throughout press for the movie, Rogen and the film's directors, Greg Tiernan and Conrad Vernon, boasted about how they made the movie for much cheaper than the usual animated movie. Sony has said the budget of the film was less than $20 million. 

But now word is coming out that the animators behind the movie were allegedly not paid properly for the work they put in.

In an interview with Cartoon Brew, Tiernan boasted that "we knew damn well that we could deliver a movie that looks like a $150 million movie for a fraction of the cost."

"After working in the L.A. industry for many years, I could see so much money just needlessly thrown down the toilet in making a lot of these movies," he went on to say. "It doesn’t have to cost that much money when you’re well-organized, and you have your mind set on the goal of what you want to do, and you get the job done with a small, determined crew."

However, since that interview went live, the site's comment section has been flooded with anonymous commenters stating that that was not the case.

Allegations have surfaced that animators on the movie feuded with the Canadian animation company Nitrogen Studios during production over being pressured to work overtime for free. 

The Hollywood Reporter obtained the final draft of a letter on Monday that was supposedly signed by an estimated 30 animators on the film and sent in December to Nitrogen management, which alleges "unfair pressure tactics" were "used against the team: intimidating staff into working past official studio hours, disciplinary measures utilizing fear tactics that demotivate and cause distress (such as threatening to terminate employment), implying that other departments are working overtime 'voluntarily' as a reason to deny compensation."

Nitrogen Studios chief executive Nicole Stinn responded to the dispute with the following statement to the Los Angeles Times:

“These claims are without merit. Our production adhered to all overtime laws and regulations, as well as our contractual obligations with our artists.”

According to the THR story, after the letter was sent, "Sausage Party" production company Annapurna Pictures stepped in to ensure that overtime rates were paid and that meals were provided for people who stayed late to work on the film. However, sources say back pay has never been paid for the overtime worked prior to the letter being sent.

Business Insider contacted Annapurna for comment but did not receive an immediate response. 

SEE ALSO: 26 movies you have to see this fall

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A list of rumored cut scenes from 'Suicide Squad' reveals a much darker original movie

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suicide squad the joker

The debut of "Suicide Squad" came and went, and it wasn't only the critics who hated it.

Many are saying the highly anticipated supervillain film from DC Comics and Warner Bros. is a muddled mess, and possibly worse for those baited by the marketing, it doesn't live up to what the trailers hyped.

While we saw a lot of the Joker in those initial clips, it feels like he's hardly in the final movie at all.

Reports have confirmed that the studio ordered major tweaks after filming in response to the negative backlash to "Batman v Superman," notable for its dark tone.

And director David Ayer and the cast have said that many, many scenes didn't make the final cut of "Suicide Squad."

Now what's rumored to be a list of scenes that were cut from the film has surfaced on Reddit, and it teases a darker "Suicide Squad" that explains more of the Joker's (Jared Leto) backstory with his love interest Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and has a completely different beginning.

Note: Business Insider cannot confirm if these are real scenes cut from the film. Warner Bros. did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Here's the rumored list of scenes that were cut from "Suicide Squad" (which sound a lot like what we saw in those early trailers):

SEE ALSO: Every character in 'Suicide Squad,' ranked

"In early cuts, the movie's opening detailed June Moon's posession by Enchantress in real tome. Reshoots reshuffled the scene to be later in the movie in flashback form in favour of a new opening centered on Deadshot."



"Deadshot in the prison cell, watching the rain fall and thinking about his daughter."



"El Diablo observing the flame of a lit match, before putting it out due to his vow to no longer use his powers."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga are starring in a remake of a famous musical

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bradley cooper

Bradley Cooper is getting his first directing job, and Lady Gaga is stepping up as an actress.

The two will star in a remake of the musical "A Star Is Born," with Cooper directing. Warner Bros. gave the green light to the production, which will start in early 2017, Deadline reports.

"A Star Is Born" has been made as a movie several times. In the 1976 film, Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson starred in the story of a young woman who finds her star rising as her mentor's declines.

Cooper has been eyeing the project as his first directing project since working with Warner Bros. on 2014's "American Sniper," and the studio was apparently won over by a chemistry test between Cooper and Gaga, who recently starred on FX's American Horror Story."

Gaga will compose and perform new music for the film.

“For those of us lucky enough to watch him work as an actor and producer, it has been clear that Bradley would make this transition to director,” Warner Bros. president Greg Silverman said, according to Deadline. “We are honored that he is doing it, here, at his home — Warner Bros. — and with Lady Gaga as a collaborator and costar. The world is in for a treat as these great artists craft an all-new vision of 'A Star Is Born.'”

SEE ALSO: 26 movies you have to see this fall

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Nobody wants to buy 50 Cent's massive $6 million mansion

Donald Trump's surprising list of favorite movies, TV shows, and music

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Donald Trump

Donald Trump has been both an avid producer and consumer of popular culture for decades, long before the Republican presidential nominee made his political ambitions clear.

Aside from his former hosting gigs on NBC reality shows "The Apprentice" and "The Celebrity Apprentice," Trump has also taken on a number of cameo roles in films, TV shows, and commercials, often playing a version of himself. 

Outside of his own appearances, though, Trump has made sure to make his pop-culture interests well-documented. 

As it turns out, Trump appreciates a variety of great films, musicians, and TV shows, as well as a few not-so-great ones. And he reads more than just "The Art of the Deal." You'll probably be surprised by the mix.

Read on to see Donald Trump's favorite things in popular culture:

SEE ALSO: 28 celebrities who are taking a strong stand against Donald Trump

FILM: "Citizen Kane"

Orsen Welles' classic fictional take on the life of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst is reportedly one of Trump's favorite films. 

"I think you learn in 'Kane' that maybe wealth isn't everything," Trump once said of the film in an unreleased documentary. "Because he had the wealth, but he didn't have the happiness." 

It's a remarkably self-aware comment, given Trump's frequent boasting of his wealth.



"Bloodsport"

A 1997 New Yorker profile of Trump details how the businessman liked to play Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1988 martial-arts film "Bloodsport" as an in-flight movie on his private jet, calling it "an incredible, fantastic movie" and an old favorite.



"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"

Trump included Sergio Leone's 1966 spaghetti western in his list of favorite movies, as published by the BBC



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 17 best Netflix movies for when you just want to be alone

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Jane Eyre movie image Michael Fassbender Mia Wasikowska

At any given moment, on any given day, I can guarantee you that I am thinking one of two things: either "I'm hungry," or "I wish I was in my bed watching a movie right now." And right now, you're thinking the exact same thing. How do I know? There's a reason Netflix and chill is a thing — because everyone loves movies, and everyone loves "chill." And at any given moment, we're all wishing we were watching a movie instead of doing whatever it is we're doing.

Whether it's because life is too dull, hard, or muggle-heavy, there's always a good reason to escape the world for a few hours with a good film. In the spirit of this desperate desire and need, I have put together a list of the best movies to watch on Netflix when you just want to be alone and escape the world.

Whenever I get the urge to lock myself up in my room and watch a movie by myself, I tend to gravitate towards a few types of movies: the heartwarming, cry your heart out kind, the intellectual documentary kind, or the kind that will completely transport me into another reality (preferably one with magic). These 17 best movies to watch on Netflix when you just want to be alone are a mixture of both.

1. "Batkid Begins"

This documentary will make you feel all of the emotions and probably make you cry all of the tears. In a good way.



2. "Stardust"

Stardust is a rare gem that will transport you from your tiny bedroom to a fairytale land where shooting stars are magical and Robert De Niro is a crossdressing pirate.



3. "Jane Eyre"

Period films are always great to watch solo — mostly because they tend to be about pretty lonely, independent characters. Jane Eyre is really the story of one woman finding her place in a lonely world, making it a perfect accompaniment to a lonely evening. Plus there's Michael Fassbender.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A new 'Star Wars' theme park might have found a way to make lightsaber fighting a reality

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star wars jedi training lucasfilm

The concept art that Disney has released of its "Star Wars"-themed, 14-acre park that will be at Disneyland and Disney World looks pretty amazing.

But it's possible the "Star Wars" park will give you something else you didn't expect: the ability to truly act like a Jedi knight.

io9 got a tip from the site PatentYogi that Disney has filed a patent for an "audience interaction projection system." Basically, if it were to be installed in the park, it would enable guests to deflect laser beams in real time as they walk around.

Kind of like how Luke Skywalker trained on the Millennium Falcon in "A New Hope":

The patent explains that it would be possible for guests to do what Luke did in "A New Hope" through a combination of LEDs and flying drones:

"An entertainment environment has a user with a faux light saber that interacts with a drone flying through the air or operated with hidden rods to appear as if its flying through the air. The faux light saber has LEDs attached thereto to provide IR light to the drone.

"As an LED is turned on, an invisible light sensor built into the drone captures an image of the field of view with a bright spot at the position of the activated LED. A visible light source built into the drone then projects light through particulate matter toward the faux light saber.

"As a result, the uses is provided with the illusion that the faux light saber has deflected a laser beam. Multiple LEDs can be activated in sequence at various times to give user the impression that the movement by the users of the faux light saber is deflecting multiple laser beams."

So it sounds as if guests at the "Star Wars" park could be running around with LED lightsabers deflecting laser-beam-shooting drones if all this comes through.

Here's an illustration from the patent of what the contraption would look like:

lightsaber patent

Excited yet?

At the moment, there's no word on if this is really a feature for the park, which is currently under construction.

"We continuously innovate and file hundreds of patents that may or may not have any business unit application," a Disney Parks representative told io9. "We have nothing to announce about this at this time."

But if this is the kind of thing Disney is thinking about for the "Star Wars" park, the company is going in the right direction.

SEE ALSO: 100 movies on Netflix that everyone needs to watch in their lifetime

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NOW WATCH: 7 things you missed in the new Star Wars Rogue One trailer

Superman actor teases a new dark look for the hero in 'Justice League'

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Black Suit Superman in Justice League

There's a saying among superhero fans: Nobody stays dead in comics. That must go for superhero movies too, because even though Superman died at the end of "Batman v Superman," he's going to come back to life for "Justice League"— and he might wear a new costume. 

Henry Cavill, the actor who has played the iconic superhero since 2013's "Man of Steel," shared a photo on Instagram that appears to be a close-up of Superman's costume in the upcoming movie. 

The picture is probably black and white to start with, but even then you can see that there's no real color difference between the Superman "S" shield and the surrounding fabric, meaning it's probably all dark. It's also a nice look at just how detailed the suit is — unnecessarily busy, even. 

#Superman

A photo posted by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) on Aug 15, 2016 at 11:58am PDT on

The DC movies have been widely criticized for being "darker and edgier" just for the sake of being, well, dark and edgy, but there's actually a comic precedent for the new, literally darker costume. 

In 1992, DC Comics killed off their flagship hero in a published a landmark series called "Death of Superman." The Man of Steel dies while defending Metropolis from the rampaging monster Doomsday, just like he does in "Batman v Superman." 

In the wake of his death, four replacement Supermen compete to inherit his mantle, but the classic hero eventually came back to life thanks to a Kryptonian regeneration matrix, because sure. After he came back, Supergirl fashioned a new costume for him out of remnants of a black Kryptonian suit. 

Black Suit Superman comics

Superman rocked the black suit (and a dope mullet) for a while. The darker colors helped note the change in his return, but they were also a show of mourning, in a way. While he was dead, another supervillain destroyed the hometown of the hero Green Lantern. It was kind of a big deal.

Chances are "Justice League" isn't going to borrow all those details, but Cavill's tease of a black suit is yet another sign that story beats from "The Death of Superman" are going to be all over "Justice League."

Still, you can't help but notice that the comic book black suit has a big silver "S" shield, while the movie is all black everything because there can be no color in Zack Snyder's world. 

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The first photo of the clown from the 'It' remake is here and it isn't scary at all

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Old and new Pennywise the Clown It

Horror fans who have read Stephen King's massive book "It" or watched the miniseries adaptation from the '90s know that the evil creature at the center of it is one of the scariest monsters of all time. The titular It is a shape-changing entity that takes the form of children's greatest fears, but usually appears as Pennywise the Dancing Clown. 

The evil clown is incredibly unsettling, but Warner Bros. just revealed what Pennywise is going to look like in the upcoming film adaptation of "It," as played by Bill Skarsgård, and It is not nearly as scary because it tries too hard. 

The new Pennywise debuted via Entertainment Weekly, and instead of a colorful goon, he's a drab, dirty creature with a demonic expression and Victorian-era clothes. He is clearly evil.

“He is definitely a clown from a different time,” costume designer Janie Bryant told EW.

A lot of thought clearly went into the costume, and the decision to play up the ageless aspect of the monster is interesting, but it's not as effective as the colorful clown Tim Curry played in the 1990 miniseries. 

Clowns are scary. Ronald McDonald should be feared, and the Hamburglar should be praised for trying to take him down. But the new Pennywise misses the point about why they're scary. 

Clowns are full of bright, radiating bold, attention-grabbing colors so it's hard to ignore them. Their painted faces place them somewhere in the uncanny valley where they almost look human but something is... off. It's creepy. There's something behind that big red smile, and their cheerful motives seem like they just have to be sinister under the surface. The new Pennywise has no under the surface. It's already malicious. 

Pennywise the Clown 1990s It miniseries

The original Pennywise is unsettling in his normal form, but for the most part he just looks like a normal, slightly creepy clown. It makes it all the scarier when his eyes glow yellow or his teeth suddenly turn into misshapen fangs. The new Pennywise is already starting from a place that's trying to scare you. There's no suspense, no time for your fears and suspicions to run amok and build on themselves — you're just confronted with them. 

The new "It" is scheduled for a September 8 release. Maybe it'll be really good, although the production has already run into some trouble. "True Detective" director Cary Fukunaga was originally supposed to helm the picture, but he quit and was replaced by Andy Muschietti after he claimed the studio wanted to force him into making a "conventional" horror movie.

A lot of conventional horror movies these days aren't exactly subtle, and neither is the new — say it with me — darker and edgier Pennywise the Dancing Clown.

Pennywise the clown

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How that insane chariot race in the new 'Ben-Hur' was shot with almost no CGI

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Ben Hur Paramount Pictures

In March, Paramount released the first trailer for its summer blockbuster, “Ben-Hur,” a remake of the Charlton Heston Oscar-winning classic, which follows the journey of a Jewish prince, named Judah Ben-Hur, who is betrayed, sent into slavery, and then seeks vengeance.

Like the Heston movie, the latest adaptation of the Lew Wallace novel, out Friday, hinges on a thrilling chariot race in which Ben-Hur (played in the latest film by Jack Huston) battles the person who betrayed him, his adoptive brother, Messala (Toby Kebbel).

Based on what you see in the trailer, you'd probably assume the race was shot in a Los Angeles soundstage with full green screen.

But the film's director Timur Bekmambetov (“Wanted,” “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”) revealed to Business Insider that much of the sequence was done without computer graphics.

“Those are real horses, real actors driving real chariots on the track,” Bekmambetov told Business Insider. “That’s 42 horses driving neck-and-neck.”

ben hur 2

According to Bekmambetov, the sequence, which lasts 10 minutes in the movie, took 45 days to shoot on location in Italy.

“It was a very intense experience,” said Bekmambetov, who noted that the actors spent over three months training for the chariot race, which includes 90 horses on a 1,000-foot-long set.

That's not to say CGI is entirely absent from the sequence.

Many of the wide shots of the crowd were enhanced with computer graphics, and there's a shot in the trailer of a horse that gallops into the crowd — done with, yes, CGI magic. (The shot is also in the movie.)

But Bekmambetov said the "goal was to do as much in-camera as possible." 

ben hur 1 copyThe lack of computer graphics in the sequence was something Bekmambetov pushed for. And the inspiration for it came from a project he produced, “Hardcore Henry.” 

The unique action movie feels like a video game, with a point of view that comes entirely from a man who's trying to save his wife from a warlord.

Ben Hur 4

“You really feel you’re in that chariot driving it,” Bekmambetov said of the “Ben-Hur” scene.

ben hur 3

Having seen it, we can tell you it's one of the most thrilling parts of the movie.

Watch the “Ben-Hur” trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Producers behind hit reality TV-shows reveal the secret tricks they used to orchestrate crazy drama

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Natalie Portman says she is 'done' with making Marvel movies

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thor natalie portman

It seems that Thor won't be reunited with his love, Jane, anytime soon.

In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Natalie Portman, who has played the physicist Jane Foster in "Thor" and "Thor: The Dark World," said that she doesn't believe she will be returning to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"As far as I know, I'm done," Portman told WSJ. "I don't know if maybe one day they'll ask for an 'Avengers 7' or whatever, I have no idea. But as far as I know, I'm done."

So it's safe to say that Jane won't be popping up in 2017's "Thor: Ragnarok."

In "Avengers: Age of Ultron," Jane Foster — along with Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts — was mentioned but not seen, an example of how the sequel crammed many Marvel characters into the running time.

In the meantime, Portman can be seen in the upcoming Jackie Kennedy biopic, "Jackie," and her directorial debut, "A Tale of Love and Darkness," opens in select theaters on Friday.

Watch The Wall Street Journal interview below:

SEE ALSO: Natalie Portman talks directing her first movie and why you'll never see her on social media

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Amazon has a job listing for somebody to make movies and TV shows for virtual reality (AMZN)

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An Amazon job posting first spotted by Variety reveals that the company is looking to produce its own original movies and TV shows that can be watched in virtual and augmented reality.

In case you’re wondering, virtual reality (VR) is where you’re immersed in a completely virtual world, like so:

VRthBlu_encounter

In contrast, augmented reality (AR), also known as “mixed reality,” lets you see digital elements in the real world, like so:

You need some kind of special hardware, like a headset or glasses, to achieve either of these experiences.

It’s interesting that Amazon is looking to produce content for AR and VR headsets, considering there haven't been any reports of Amazon working on such a device. But it's quite possible, as many other big name tech companies are investing in the space, including Microsoft, Google/Alphabet, Facebook, and Apple.

We did hear about Amazon looking to build a virtual reality app several months ago, so it looks like Amazon is indeed serious about making content for those devices, even though they haven’t truly become mainstream just yet.

According to the job posting, Amazon Studios, which launched in 2010 to develop original movies and TV shows, is looking for a candidate that’s overseen TV, film, or game production, “and has some experience with virtual reality technology,” including extensive knowledge of AR and VR technologies and plenty of experience with TV and movies. You can read the full job posting right here.

We’ve reached out to Amazon for comment and we’ll update this post if we hear back.

SEE ALSO: 19 surprisingly useful things Amazon Echo can do

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Here are the surprising first movie roles of 27 A-list actors

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First Films

It's hard to take notice of every side character who wanders into a movie. It would ruin the experience if you did.

So it's pretty easy to miss certain stars. But you never know, that random nurse in two minutes of a film could become the first black woman to win an Emmy for best lead actress.

Or the random guy killed in a slasher movie could become the "Sexiest Man Alive."

Or maybe they lucked out and landed a significant role in their first film and even scored an Oscar nomination, or, in another case, an Oscar win.

From Kerry Washington to Jennifer Lawrence, George Clooney to Cuba Gooding Jr., see some of your favorite A-list actors in their first credited role in a feature film:

SEE ALSO: 100 movies on Netflix that everyone needs to watch in their lifetime

George Clooney: 'Grizzly II: The Concert' (1983)

The "Ocean's Eleven" star did not have the most auspicious start. "Grizzly II" was the sequel to the 1976 film about a giant, man-eating bear.

The film, which also features a young Charlie Sheen, was never released but features Clooney in a nameless role that has him camping out with a lover before being mauled by the monster. It's a scene worth watching.

Clooney's released-film debut came in 1987's "Return to Horror High." He seemed to have an affection for horror films.



Johnny Depp: 'A Nightmare on Elm Street' (1984)

Poor Glen. Depp's film debut and first role ever saw him mutilated by Freddy Krueger in his bed while he was wearing a belly shirt.

Watch the unsettling death and thank the heavens Depp evolved into better — though equally strange — roles.



Leonardo DiCaprio: 'Critters 3' (1991)

There's apparently a trend of ultrafamous male actors starting in horror films.

In "Critters 3," DiCaprio plays Josh, who has a memorable scene as he watches the critters kill his stepdad.

DiCaprio actually joined the TV show "Growing Pains" in the same year, and it's obvious TV fared better for him at the time.



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