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10 famous movie and TV locations that locals say have been ruined by tourists

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full house house tourists

  • Some locations from famous shows and movies exist in real life, which means they can attract tons of tourists.
  • The couple who bought the "murder house" from FX's "American Horror Story" have described having to deal with lots of tourists crowding their home and sometimes trying to break into it.
  • Many of those who live near the New York City "Joker" stairs have been inconvenienced by tourists trying to pose for pictures on it.
  • Said to be the inspiration behind Arendelle in "Frozen," the Alpine village of Hallstatt, Austria, attracts tons of camera-wielding visitors each day.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Though it may seem like a fun idea to visit the spots where your favorite films and TV shows were made, overtourism is a growing problem around the world.

From the "American Horror Story" house in California to the "Joker" steps in New York City, here are 10 locations that have become swarmed with tourists in recent years.

The "Breaking Bad" house in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a private residence that now has super-tall fences to help ward off tourists.

The AMC series "Breaking Bad" featured Walter White (Bryan Cranston) making meth in a house in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and that spot has since become a must-see destination for fans.

And though the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau capitalizes on the show to bolster tourism, it notably does not list White's house on its website — primarily because it's a private residence.

In 2017, the homeowner's daughter Joanne Quintana told KOB4 News in Albuquerque that a ridiculous number of visitors would come to the house each week just to take photos — and would also do things like take rocks from the property or toss pizza at the roof (in a nod to a famous scene from the show).

According to the Chicago Tribune, the homeowners have installed a 6-foot wrought-iron fence around the property to deter selfie-happy tourists.

 



The titular abode from "Full House" has drawn in so many tourists that San Francisco's transit authority has had to intervene.

The sitcom "Full House" is set in San Francisco, and exterior shots of the titular abode were filmed at a property on Broderick Street.

The famous home has since been purchased by the show's producer, Jeff Franklin, and is on the market.

Though "Full House" originally aired in the 1990s, Netflix rebooted the series in 2016, and interest remains so high that San Francisco's transit authority passed a motion to bar tour buses from Broderick.

And not all residents in the area are pleased with tourist foot traffic. 

Natcher and Carla Hashagen, residents of Broderick Street, told Curbed in 2018 that they took time-lapse footage of the corridor and observed large masses of fans frequenting the area.

"We've counted 1,000 to 1,500 visitors or more on busy days. They come in buses, Ubers and Lyfts, Go Cars, bikes, motorcycles," Carla Hashagen said.



The couple who bought the "murder house" from "American Horror Story" described dealing with a lot of overcrowding and even a few break-ins.

The "murder house"from season one of FX's "American Horror Story" (aka the Rosenheim Mansion in Los Angeles) has also been a popular filming location for shows like "Buffy the Vampire Slayer,""Bones," and "Law & Order: SVU," according to Atlas Obscura.

Because of this, it's also a popular tourist spot — and Ernst Von Schwarz and Angela Oakenfold, the couple who own the home, said they were horrified when hordes of fans began to crowd their property shortly after they moved in.

The couple told CBS News that hundreds of people would flock to their house nearly every day, with some scaling fences and climbing walls to get a better look at the building.

Oakenfold also told the publication that once a group of teenagers were so dedicated to glancing inside the home that they had a garbage-truck driver hoist them up with his crane. 

Von Schwarz and Oakenfold told CBS News they weren't aware of how famous this home was before moving in and had called the police multiple times to report break-ins.

They said they were suing the former homeowner and their realtor for unspecified damages to build a permanent fence or hedge around the mansion.



The pink house from "Love, Actually" became so popular among Instagrammers and bloggers that the local council is telling tourists to stop visiting.

Located in London's Notting Hill neighborhood, the eye-catching pink house from "Love, Actually" has become a major draw for Instagrammers and bloggers.

It served as the backdrop for the iconic rom-com scene in which Mark (Andrew Lincoln) declares his love for Juliet (Keira Knightley) with cue cards, and fans of the rom-com can't resist posing in front of it. 

"I had no idea this house was in the film when I bought it before the Instagram craze and now I am living under a blanket of selfies, tour guides, and a queue of tourists lining up to take photos on weekends," the house's owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the Daily Mail

According to The Telegraph, to combat the problem, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea council has requested that tourists stop crowding outside the property.

The council is also highlighting alternative movie locations nearby, like the public Portobello Road area, which was featured in the film "Paddington."

In the meantime, the woman who owns the "Love Actually" house is making the best of the situation.

As The Telegraph reported, the homeowner has since placed a donation box outside the building and is giving the proceeds to local charities dedicated to helping those who are experiencing homelessness.



"Joker" fans who are visiting the stairs from the movie have seriously gotten in the way of some Bronx residents.

In "Joker," the supervillain played by Joaquin Phoenix dances down a stairwell in the Bronx borough of New York City.

Wedged between two apartment buildings, the #jokerstairs, as they're known on Instagram, are the latest trendy New York movie destination.

This seemingly mundane stairwell has become so popular that it's disrupting the lives of Bronx residents who climb it on their route to work or school.

Locals are naturally frustrated that fans are stopping to pose on the stairs and blocking foot traffic. In fact, Gothamist reported that someone taped up a poster advising visitors to be respectful of the neighborhood.



Tourists should perhaps wait until 2021 to visit the idyllic cove from "The Beach."

Maya Bay, a cove on the Thai island of Phi Phi Leh, was immortalized in Leonardo DiCaprio's 2000 drama-adventure flick "The Beach."

Characterized by its crystal-blue waters and limestone cliffs, this idyllic escape became a bit of a nightmare when 5,000 visitors descended on the beach daily, causing severe damage to the local coral population, the BBC reported.

In 2018, Thailand's National Parks Department temporarily shut down the beach because of the damage. It will reportedly reopen to the public in mid-2021.



"Game of Thrones" has contributed to some of the overcrowding at Iceland's Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon.

Iceland's Fjadrárgljúfur Canyon served as the backdrop for Justin Bieber's "I'll Show You" music video and for some episodes of "Game of Thrones."

Notably, it was the place Jon Snow (Kit Harington) flew his first dragon and where Jon battled the Night King's army on the episode "Beyond the Wall."

According to the Associated Press, the Environment Agency of Iceland estimates that more than 1 million people have visited the canyon since 2015.

And, as the Associated Press reported, the influx of visitors has damaged the area's delicate landscape.

In May, the publication reported that since the place was so overwhelmed by tourists, government officials had installed warning signs and stationed park rangers at the canyon's entrance to deter visitors.

The canyon has received some repairs, and it reopened in June 2019, but tourists should still be mindful of respecting their surroundings when trodding the popular spot.



"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" helped spur an increase in tourism to Skellig Michael, but this isn't an entirely good thing.

Sceilg Mhichíl, or Skellig Michael, an island in County Kerry, Ireland, was used as a filming location for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Though it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and received tourists even before "Force Awakens" was released, the sci-fi blockbuster helped spur a surge.

Unfortunately, overtourism could be putting the area's delicate early medieval monastic remains and its famous bird habitats at risk.

The Irish Independent reported that the site would need to reduce its tourist count by a third to maintain the "sustainable" level recommended by UNESCO.

According to reports, nearly 17,000 people frequented Skellig Michael in 2018, a figure well-exceeding the 11,000-visitor cap proposed by the World Heritage organization.

Ireland's Office of Public Works is working on a plan designed to better adjust tourism to the recommended, sustainable level while not drastically affecting the area's economy.



Dubrovnik, Croatia, proposed a ban on new restaurants to curb in the influx of "Game of Thrones" fans.

As of August, Dubrovnik, a Croatian city that was featured on "Game of Thrones," had a record of more than a million people visit the city in just a few months.

Recently, the area proposed a ban on new restaurants in an attempt to curtail the stream of tourists flocking to this scenic, seaside locale.

In an interview with CNN Travel, Dubrovnik's mayor, Mato Frankovic, noted that the law would mainly affect cafés with outdoor seating in the historic Old City section. 

"They can open inside, but knowing the Old City it's very hard to find a place where you can work inside," Frankovic said. "Ninety-nine percent of restaurants work mainly with outside tables."

This law could help combat the problems overtourism can cause, including environmental damage and surges in real estate that price out locals.



Said to be the basis of the Arendelle kingdom in "Frozen," Hallstatt, Austria, is a picturesque village that tourists frequently visit.

Hallstatt, a village with a population of fewer than 800 people, attracts upward of 10,000 tourists a day, according to CNN.

As Insider's Rachel Hosie reported, sightseers flood the village just to take photos, and many local homeowners have put up barriers and traffic cones to try to deter them from stepping on their property.

Though tourism drives up business, this UNESCO-designated destination is still figuring out how to handle the camera-wielding crowds in a way that will continue to boost local economy without angering residents and causing permanent damage.




I saw the controversial 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie, and it was a delightful kid's romp made far better by a classic Jim Carrey performance

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Sonic the Hedgehog (the movie)

  • A new movie starring one of gaming's most iconic characters debuts on Valentine's Day. "Sonic the Hedgehog" is the first-ever movie to star the speedy blue hedgehog, and it's a light, silly adventure that's clearly aimed at kids.
  • After an initially rocky debut with a creepy-looking Sonic, the movie was delayed for a massive visual-effects design overhaul. The final product is thankfully free of creepy-looking cartoon hedgehogs with human teeth.
  • More importantly: "Sonic the Hedgehog" enables Jim Carrey, as Sonic's perennial antagonist Dr. Robotnik, to embrace the infamously over-the-top comedy-acting style he's known for.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Hollywood may have finally — finally!— figured out how to turn iconic video game franchises into movies.

In "Sonic the Hedgehog," the new movie from Sega and Paramount that aims to set a foundation for a whole new series of Sonic films, little time is wasted.

The premise is simple, and presented immediately: Sonic is a speaking hedgehog who can run incredibly fast. His power is clearly unique, and that makes him a target for power-hungry villains. He's driven from his home dimension as a young hedgehog, and he escapes to Earth through a magical golden ring.

Do you need more explanation? I certainly didn't.

SEE ALSO: After a 'loud, clear' backlash, Sonic the Hedgehog got a major redesign for his upcoming film — here's how he looks now

How does Sonic get to Earth? Through a magical golden ring, of course.

Sonic is from another dimension where animals speak, and glittering golden rings open up portals to other universes. He's just a baby hedgehog, already imbued with unknown powers enabling him to — what else? — run super fast.

The movie expends virtually no time running through this brief origin story. The long and short is this: Sonic is on the run from forces looking to use his power for evil.

Unfortunately, after Sonic leaps through one of these magical golden-ring teleporters, he ends up in modern-day America — and the American military immediately learns about and begins seeking out the little hedgehog. 



Enter: Dr. Robotnik, as played by a throwback version of Jim Carrey.

Though Sonic is the namesake of the film, and he's portrayed hilariously by Ben Schwartz (of "Parks and Recreation" fame), the breakout role is Jim Carrey's portrayal of Sonic nemesis Dr. Robotnik.

Carrey channels the characters that lifted him to prominence so many years ago, from Ace Ventura to Stanley Ipkiss from "The Mask" to Fire Marshall Bill from "In Living Color," to turn Robotnik into an over-the-top, ultra-confident egomaniac.

What Will Ferrell's Mugatu was in "Zoolander," Carrey's Robotnik is in "Sonic the Hedgehog"— a megalomaniac with an aggressively silly sense of style. 

There's one particular scene where Carrey does lab experiments while garishly dancing around his facility that embodies the best aspects of the film: High-production quality lavished on very silly ends.



It is a miracle that Paramount went back and fixed Sonic's look — he's cute, cartoony, and endearing.

When the first trailer for "Sonic the Hedgehog" showed up last year, fans were horrified at how Sonic looked. He had human teeth! And tiny eyes! He looked, frankly, extremely creepy.

The reaction was so strong, in fact, that Paramount went back and re-did the film's visual effects for Sonic. "The message is loud and clear ... you aren't happy with the design and you want changes. It's going to happen,"director Jeff Fowler wrote on Twitter at the time.

That difference was critical, it turns out: The final version of Sonic is far cuter and furrier than the previous one. Instead of a humanoid Sonic, the movie has a version far closer to the rounded, animal-like Sonic we know from the original Sega Genesis game (and his many video game depictions since).

This is particularly meaningful when Sonic's cuteness is played for laughs, as it is repeatedly throughout the film. Those moments land, and he's genuinely cute — scenes that could've gone dramatically differently had Paramount stuck with the original, horrifying look.



"Sonic the Hedgehog" is largely an excuse for Ben Schwartz, who plays Sonic, and Jim Carrey, who plays Dr. Robotnik, to act silly.

If I have one complaint about "Sonic the Hedgehog," it's that the story takes far too long to introduce Sonic to Dr. Robotnik.

Schwartz and Carrey are clearly the driving forces of this movie, and it takes far too long for those two driving forces to begin interacting. Much of the movie's run-time has Sonic hanging out with a cop having a career crisis (James Marsden) while Robotnik torments his assistant (Lee Majdoub). 

Sonic's cop buddy and Robotnik's assistant are of course intended to act as the "straight men" to Sonic and Robotnik's over-the-top personalities, but the most interesting, hilarious interactions are between Schwartz' snarky Sonic and Carrey's egomaniacal Robotnik.



Though "Sonic the Hedgehog" is clearly aimed at kids, it incorporates enough old-school references and grown-up humor for parents to have a good time as well.

Chances are, lots of parents taking their kids to see "Sonic the Hedgehog" may come to the film with their own nostalgia for Sonic from childhood.

I'm 35, and I grew up playing the original "Sonic the Hedgehog" on Sega Genesis. I am here to tell you that, yes, the movie is rife with references to the game series. Sonic eats a chili dog. Someone, at some point, says "Gotta go fast." He does a spin dash to destroy something. There's even a special post-credits scene that people in my theater outright cheered at — a very specific reference to a very specific character that I won't spoil here.

But even if you come to the movie with zero nostalgia for the game series, "Sonic the Hedgehog" walks the line that the best kids movies do: There is humor that adults will appreciate alongside their kids, and there's humor that will go right over those same kids' heads that's intended for adults.



"Sonic the Hedgehog" launches on February 14. Check out the latest trailer right here:

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Popular movies inspired by video games, ranked from worst to best

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angry birds detective pikachu

  • There are many movies inspired by video games out there and a lot of them have not been well-received by critics.
  • A few video-game films have been praised by critics, including "Rampage" (2018), "The Angry Birds Movie 2" (2019), "Sonic the Hedgehog" (2020), and "Detective Pikachu" (2019).
  • On the other hand, critics panned movies like "Street Fighter" (1994) and "Assassin's Creed" (2016).
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Video-game film adaptations have long been derided by critics for being too noisy, violent, or nonsensical, but in the past few decades, a select number of films have set themselves apart from the rest.

Here are some popular movies based on video games, ranked by critical scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

It's worth noting that the critic scores were up to date as of publication but are subject to change.

Many were dumbfounded by the lackluster "Street Fighter" (1994).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%

Summary: The Capcom arcade fighting game is brought to life in this action-packed adaptation starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raul Julia, and Ming-Na Wen.

The film follows a military commander (Van Damme) as he takes a fight against a malevolent dictator into his own hands. 

"While de Souza's arrested development makes him a likely suspect to adapt a video game for movies, the result ... is an empty exercise in hyper-stimulation," wrote film critic Jeff Shannon for the Seattle Times. "Or, to put it bluntly, a complete waste of time."



Some critics said that "Assassin’s Creed" (2016) suffered from an overstuffed plot.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 18%

Summary: Based on the Ubisoft video-game franchise, "Assassin's Creed" stars Michael Fassbender as Callum Lynch, a man who is able to access his genetic memories in order to usurp a secret guild of assassins that still exists today.

"'Assassin's Creed' is not the top-to-bottom disaster some of my peers have painted it as, nor is it bonkers enough to suggest a forthcoming critical re-evaluation," wrote film critic Scott Wampler for Birth, Movies, Death. "Either of those things would've been preferable to something this dour and repetitive."



Some reviewers felt that "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001) was an incoherent mess.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

Summary: Based on the Sega and PlayStation game of the same name, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" follows the titular heroine (Angelina Jolie) as she recovers lost artifacts and goes head to head with sinister members of the Illuminati.

In his Rolling Stone review, Peter Travers wrote: "In the department of numbing ineptitude, the pacing runs a neck-and-neck race with the dialogue."



Some critics said "Need for Speed" (2014) was stale and slow-moving.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 23%

Summary: Adapted from the popular Electronic Arts racing game, "Need for Speed" stars Aaron Paul as a working-class mechanic who must race for his life when a NASCAR driver falsely accuses him of manslaughter. 

"Neither fast nor furious, 'Need For Speed' isn't a car crash," wrote film reviewer Christopher Preston for One Room With A View. "It's a $66 million pile-up, with no survivors."



Some critics said the schmaltz-filled "Super Mario Bros" (1993) lacked substance.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 23%

Summary: Loosely based on the iconic platformer arcade game, "Super Mario Bros." follows Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) as they attempt to rescue a princess from the dastardly grip of a reptilian villain who lurks in the sewers beneath Manhattan.

Los Angeles Times critic Michael Wilmington reviewed the film in 1993 and wrote, "The movie knocks your eyes out, at the same time it dulls the mind's eye. Ultimately, it's one more stop in the arcade, beckoning, waiting to soak up time and money."



Despite its impressive visuals, "Warcraft" (2016) was dubbed a waste.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 28%

Summary: Adapted from the global phenomena "World of Warcraft," this movie centers around an orc shaman who opens up a portal to the human realm and threatens to attack humanity with a powerful army. 

"All sorts of people are calling themselves nerds nowadays, but ['Warcraft'] supplies an easy test," wrote critic Jake Wilson for The Age. "If you can sit through this bombastic epic fantasy — and can give a coherent plot synopsis afterwards — then you surely deserve the title."



"Silent Hill" (2006) was derided for being senseless.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 31%

Summary: Based on the chilling horror game made for PlayStation, "Silent Hill" follows a family who find themselves transported to the isolated town of Silent Hill, where residents battle a growing darkness. 

"There are worse adaptations of video games out there," wrote film critic Adam Smith for Radio Times. "But this one will probably leave the PlayStation generation itching for their consoles."



"Resident Evil" (2002) was dragged as a gory schlock-fest.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 36%

Summary: Adapted from Capcom's best-selling video-game franchise, "Resident Evil" would become a six-film series centering around Alice (Milla Jovovich) and her fight against an evil corporation and its zombie agenda.

"An already thin story boils down to surviving invaders seeking an existent anti-virus," wrote Mike Clark for USA Today. "If only there were one for this kind of movie."



Some found "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" (2010) shallow yet enjoyable.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 37%

Summary: Based on the action-adventure game series that follows the trials of a prince, "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Dastan, a prince gifted with a dagger than can turn back time. 

"As usual, the talent in Prince of Persia is generally top notch — from the cinematographer John Seale to parkour expert David Belle," wrote New York Times critic Manohla Dargis. "But the ingredients have been masticated so heavily the results are mush."



Critics and audiences mostly panned "The Angry Birds Movie" (2016).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 43%

Summary: Based on the puzzle game developed by Rovio Entertainment, "The Angry Birds Movie" follows birds and pigs as they unite to battle a common enemy. 

"There are far worse video game adaptations than 'The Angry Birds Movie,' but it commits the cardinal sin of animated films: it treats its young audience as an excuse for laziness," wrote critic Phil W. Bayles of One Room With A View.



Critics felt that "Mortal Kombat" (1995) was thin on plot but had plenty of fan-service.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 47%

Summary: Based on the fantasy fighting game of the same name, the action-adventure film "Mortal Kombat"  pits three reluctant fighters against deadly enemies in a martial-arts tournament for the ages. 

"The guys in the recording studio who made the 'ooofff! augghhhh!' sounds are the ones who really had all the fun," reviewer Lisa Schwarzbaum wrote for Entertainment Weekly.



Some critics called "Rampage" (2018) brainless, harmless fun.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 51%

Summary: Very loosely adapted from the 1986 Bally Midway arcade game, "Rampage" stars Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as Davis Okoye, a primatologist who is suddenly caught in a race against time to stop giant, mutated animals from destroying cities across the nation.

"'Rampage' was never going to be a movie one would take seriously, and director [Brad] Peyton and the unstoppable charisma that is the [Dwayne] Johnson know their brand and how to work it accordingly," wrote film critic Peter Gray for This is Film



Most critics appreciated "Sonic the Hedgehog" (2020).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%

Summary: Based on the Sega video-game franchise of the same name, "Sonic the Hedgehog" is a live-action comedy about super-fast blue hedgehog Sonic (Ben Schwartz) as he adjusts to life on Earth while also trying to take down a villain. 

"Sonic the Hedgehog is a genuinely delightful and fun adventure for all ages," wrote critic Nicolás Delgadillo for Cultured Vultures. 



Critics seemed to enjoy "Pokémon: Detective Pikachu" (2019).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 69%

Summary: Based on the beloved "Pokémon" anime and video-game series, "Detective Pikachu" takes place in a world where humans and Pokémon work side by side.

When Tim (Justice Smith) is told that his detective father is presumed dead, his dad's Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds) turns up out of the blue to aid him in solving his disappearance.

"There's something admirable about a film that isn't afraid to have some fun with a property so established — and beloved — by its core audience," wrote critic Vincent Acovino for NPR.



Critics seemed to enjoy "The Angry Birds Movie 2" (2019).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 73%

Summary: In this sequel film, a new threat puts Bird and Pig Island in danger and an unlikely group must team up to keep themselves and their friends safe. 

"The movie, directed by Thurop Van Orman, reminds us that finding a formula to appeal to both kids and parents for 90-odd minutes isn't rocket science," wrote critic Jocelyn Noveck for Associated Press.

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There is a post-credits scene in the new 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie that people are going to freak out about (SGAMY)

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Sonic the Hedgehog (movie)

  • A new movie starring one of gaming's most iconic characters debuts on Valentine's Day. 
  • "Sonic the Hedgehog" is the first-ever movie to star the speedy blue hedgehog, and it's a light, silly adventure that's clearly aimed at kids.
  • Though the film is for kids, it's chock full of references to the classic video game series it's based on, and that means fans of all ages will enjoy it.
  • Moreover: There's a post-credits scene that you can't miss if you're a fan of the series.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The new "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie is a light, goofy adventure that's great for kids

But Sonic isn't a new character. He's a classic video game character that went head-to-head with Nintendo's own Super Mario as one of the faces of the so-called "console wars," which pit Nintendo's Super Nintendo against Sega's Genesis in the '90s.

As such, Sonic has his own rich history to draw from. That rich history is referenced heavily through the new "Sonic the Hedgehog" film — and a post-credits scene that's worth watching.

Let's dive in:

SEE ALSO: I saw the controversial 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie, and it was a delightful kid's romp made far better by a classic Jim Carrey performance

The opening splash from Paramount? Instead of stars, there are golden rings.

Thankfully, the film isn't too heavy-handed with doling out references. 

Sonic eats a chili dog. He does a spin dash to destroy something. Someone, at some point, says "Gotta go fast."



And, of course, his main nemesis — played by Jim Carrey — looks an awful lot like the egg-shaped villain of the same name from the video games.

There's one particularly juicy reference that is held back as an Easter Egg until a post-credits scene.

It's so juicy, in fact, that I intentionally left it out of our review. So juicy, in fact, that I'm putting it below another image.

 



Spoilers ahead! This is your last warning!

After the end of the film and the credits roll, a new scene begins. 

Someone else has arrived on Earth through a portal, and they're looking for Sonic. Who could it be?!

In what will be a not-so-surprising twist to longtime fans, Sonic's co-star in "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" shows up for a very quick post-credits cameo.



Yes, of course, we're talking about Miles "Tails" Prower — most often known as just Tails, the twin-tailed fox:

The scene is brief, but hints at the future of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" movie franchise. Clearly, Tails plays a role in a forthcoming sequel. 

Notably, neither Paramount Pictures nor Sega has confirmed a sequel to the film just yet — but it's clear that potential plans are in place.



Netflix lost the best-picture Oscar for a second straight year. We talked to Academy voters and Hollywood insiders about why.

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marriage story netflix

  • Netflix had 24 nominations at this year's Oscars, but only came away with two wins.
  • It was also the second-straight year the streaming giant was nominated in the best-picture category but lost.
  • Business Insider spoke to several sources within the movie industry as well as Academy voters to figure out why Netflix hasn't won the big prize.
  • Some believe it's because a group of Academy voters will only vote for non-streaming titles. 
  • We spoke to one Academy voter who confirmed he wouldn't vote for a streaming title for best picture out of principle.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix navigated this past awards season to score 24 Oscar nominations, the most of any studio. But when the 92nd Academy Awards came to a close Sunday, the streaming giant had only collected two statues during the evening.

And neither were for best picture.

That's not a big return for a company that the Los Angeles Times reported likely spent $70 million or more on its award campaigns.

This year's Oscars marks the second consecutive year a Netflix title was nominated for best picture, only to lose out.

Last year, its chances rested on Alfonso Cuarón's semi-autobiographical, black-and-white movie "Roma," which was primarily in Spanish. The result was three wins for the movie (best director, best cinematography, and best foreign-language film), but no best picture. That went to Universal's "Green Book."

This year, Netflix had Martin Scorsese's epic, "The Irishman," and Noah Baumbach's drama, "Marriage Story" nominated. The best-picture win went to Neon's "Parasite" (ironically, a foreign-language movie). Netflix settled for a best supporting actress win for Laura Dern ("Marriage Story") and "American Factory" for best documentary feature.

So it's clear Netflix is producing (or acquiring) work that is strong enough to get Oscars attention. As one industry veteran Business Insider spoke to put it, "They have now become an artistic force to reckon with." But Netflix hasn't been able to score a best-picture win.

What is Netflix not doing?

It's certainly not a lack of working the circuit. Under the watchful eye of Lisa Taback, Netflix this year got 10 nominations for "The Irishman" and six for "Marriage Story." Taback is an awards season guru who, back in the Harvey Weinstein-led Miramax days (and later The Weinstein Company), played a huge role in getting best-picture wins for "The English Patient,""Shakespeare in Love,""Chicago,""The King's Speech," and "The Artist." She went on to do the campaign for best-picture winner "Moonlight."

The Irishman 2 Netflix finalAnd not reporting the box office for its movies has become an advantage. Several industry insiders that talked to Business Insider said if "The Irishman,""Marriage Story," or another Netflix Oscar-nominated title, "The Two Popes," opened traditionally with reported box office and any one of those were busts at the turnstile, those titles would have lost some Oscar buzz. But Netflix was able to feed off hype while not having to deal with a slew of box-office bomb stories. (To be considered for the Academy Awards, a movie is required to have a theatrical release in at least New York and Los Angeles for a designated amount of time. But studios are not required to report box-office figures.)

So it could easily be that Netflix is doing everything right, it's just really hard to win a best-picture Oscar. Paramount hasn't won a best picture since 2007 with "No Country for Old Men." And that was a team-up with Miramax through its defunct Paramount Vantage indie division.

But another factor could be that some Academy voters refuse to vote for streaming titles in the best-picture category.

"I think there's certainly a faction inside the Academy that feel the Oscars are set up for theatrical releases," one voter told Business Insider.

When the voter was asked if they set their criteria for voting based on if a title is from a streaming service or not, the person said they do.

"I'm looking at the future of the motion picture business," the voter said. "I'm not look at what it means for me but what does it means for the next generation. People want to make movies for audiences. What's the difference between 'Parasite' winning this year and 'Roma' not winning last year? One was released in theaters in a traditional way and one was not."

With more studios launching streaming services, the collective thought in Hollywood is that the theatrical window will eventually shorten. And with all that, the awards season landscape could also change.

If suddenly there is a more level playing field, it will be fascinating to watch if Netflix will thrive against the studios or end up in their wake.

Netflix declined to comment for this story.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Studios is cutting back its presence at Hollywood's biggest movie-theater convention, in another sign of its shifting film strategy

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NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

Every book adaptation coming to Netflix in 2020

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to all the boys i've loved before the last thing he wanted netflix

  • Netflix has dozens of new original movies and TV shows set to premiere in 2020.
  • Several of them, such as "To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" and "All the Bright Places," are based on existing novels that you can read now.
  • Here is every book adaptation that you can stream on Netflix in 2020.
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix has dozens of original movies and TV shows set to premiere in 2020, and many of them have literary origins.

From a sequel to the hit 2018 romance "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" to a new Shonda Rhimes series, keep reading to see all of the book adaptations coming to Netflix in 2020.

"Dracula" retells Bram Stoker's 1897 classic novel.

Based on: "Dracula" by Bram Stoker

Release date: January 4

Synopsis: "Dracula" is the latest retelling of the classic Gothic tale about a Transylvanian vampire plotting against Victorian London, this time from the creators of BBC's "Sherlock" (Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat).

 



The TV show "October Faction" was adapted from a comic about monster hunters.

Based on: The "October Faction" series by Steve Niles

Release date: January 23

Synopsis: Based on the comic series of the same name, "October Faction" follows the escapades of two retired monster hunters and their teenage twins.

 



Yangsze Choo's 2014 book "The Ghost Bride: A Novel" inspired a new Netflix drama.

Based on:"The Ghost Bride: A Novel" by Yangsze Choo

Release date: January 23

Synopsis: A young Chinese woman in colonial Malaysia whose father has recently lost his fortune becomes the "ghost bride" of a wealthy family's recently deceased son in an attempt to calm his spirit. She is soon drawn into the parallel universe of the afterlife, where she learns secrets about her own family.

 



"Locke & Key" was adapted from a fantasy comic series that was published between 2008 and 2013.

Based on: The "Locke and Key Series" by Joe Hill

Release date: February 7

Synopsis: Three siblings move to their father's ancestral estate after his murder, where they discover magical keys and an evil otherworldly creature.

You can read our coverage of season one here.

 

 



"To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You" is a sequel to "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," and is based on Jenny Han's 2015 YA romance novel of the same name.

Based on:"P.S. I Still Love You" by Jenny Han

Release date: February 12

Synopsis: In the followup to Netflix's popular 2018 film, "To All the Boys I've Loved Before," Lara Jean (Lara Condor) and Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo) have just become a real couple when another recipient of Lara Jean's old love letters shows up and establishes a love triangle.

You can read our coverage of the movie here.



Anne Hathaway stars in the upcoming thriller "The Last Thing He Wanted," which is based on Joan Didion's 1996 novel.

Based on:"The Last Thing He Wanted" by Joan Didion

Release date: February 21

Synopsis: A veteran DC journalist (Anne Hathaway) investigates an international arms dealer in which her father (Willem Dafoe) is involved. In the meantime, a US government official (Ben Affleck) begins trailing her work.

You can watch the trailer here.



The new teen dramedy "I Am Not Okay With This" was originally a 2017 graphic novel.

Based on:"I Am Not Okay With This" by Charles Sanford Forsman

Release date: February 26

Synopsis:"It: Chapter 2" costars Sophia Lillis and Wyatt Oleff reunite in a TV series about a teenage girl named Sydney (Lillis), who navigates high school as she begins to exhibit superpowers.



The popular 2015 young adult book "All the Bright Places" is now a movie starring Elle Fanning and Justice Smith.

Based on:"All the Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven

Release date: February 28

Synopsis: High school outcasts Violet (Elle Fanning) and Theodore (Justice Smith) fall for each other while dealing with past physical and psychological traumas.



Amy Adams and Glenn Close will costar in an adaptation of the 2016 memoir "Hillbilly Elegy."

Based on: "Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis" by J.D. Vance

Release date: November 2020

Synopsis: A Yale Law School graduate and former marine recalls his life growing up in rural Appalachian Kentucky, and how the Midwestern white working class is declining.



"The Umbrella Academy" season 2 will premiere on Netflix in 2020, and the show was originally a series of graphic novels.

Based on: "The Umbrella Academy Series" by Gerard Way

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: Seven children born in 1989 to unconnected women who showed no signs of pregnancy the day before were adopted by mysterious billionaire Reginald Hargreeves (Colm Feore) and developed superpowers.

After growing apart, they come together again after their father's death to deal with a potential global apocalypse.



Lily James and Armie Hammer will star in a film based on Daphne Du Maurier's 1938 Gothic romance "Rebecca."

Based on: "Rebecca" by Daphne Du Maurier

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: In the 1930s, the new wife (Lily James) of a British aristocrat (Armie Hammer) finds their new home haunted by the presence of his deceased previous wife, Rebecca.

The previous film adaptation of Du Maurier's book (released in 1940) was directed by Alfred Hitchock and won best picture at the Oscars.



The most recent book to inspire a Netflix series is Thomas Wheeler's fantasy novel "Cursed," which was published in October 2019.

Based on: "Cursed" by Thomas Wheeler 

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: In a retelling of the classic Arthurian myth, "13 Reasons Why" star Katherine Langford plays Nimue, a teenage sorceress who crosses paths with Arthur as he attempts to find the wizard Merlin.



The upcoming drama series "Warrior Nun" is based on a manga-style comic that ran from 1994 to 2002.

Based on: "Warrior Nun Aralea" by Ben Dunn

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: A young woman named Ava (Alba Baptisa) wakes up in a morgue and discovers that she is now part of an ancient order that fights demons on Earth.



The "Shadow and Bone" TV series will explore the magical intrigue of author Leigh Bardugo's "Grishaverse."

Based on: The "Shadow and Bone" and "Six of Crows" series by Leigh Bardugo 

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: Leigh Bardugo's popular YA "Grishaverse" (a fictional world that is explored in her "Shadow and Bone" trilogy and "Six of Crows" duology) is inspired by Russian mythology. The Grisha are a magical milita who are able to control the elements.

The "Shadow and Bone" TV series will merge the events of her two series, following a teenage orphan named Alina (Jessie Mei Li), who joins the Grisha after uncovering a rare ability to summon light.

 



Shonda Rhimes' next project is a TV adaption of the eight-book "Bridgerton" series.

Based on: The "Bridgerton" series by Julia Quinn 

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: In Regency Era England, the wealthy Bridgerton family contend with lust and betrayal in British high society.

"Bridgerton" is the first product of Shonda Rhimes' $150 million 2017 deal with Netflix, and will differentiate itself from other prominent period dramas with race-blind casting.



Nick Jonas is executive-producing "Dash and Lily," a TV adaptation of a 2011 holiday romance book.

Based on: "Dash and Lily's Book of Dares" by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: During the holidays, romance grows between the cynical Dash ("Euphoria" star Austin Abrams) and idealistic Lily (Midori Francis), who begin passing a notebook back and forth at different locations in New York City.



Netflix's new film "Unorthodox" will dramatically recount Deborah Feldman's 2012 memoir about leaving the strict religious society in which she grew up.

Based on:"Unorthodox: The Scandalous Rejection of My Hasidic Roots" by Deborah Feldman

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: A young woman named Deborah leaves her strict Orthodox Jewish community and an arranged marriage in New York City to live a secular life in Berlin.



"Behind Your Eyes" will turn author Sarah Pinborough's 2017 psychological drama of the same name into a film.

Based on:"Behind Her Eyes" by Sarah Pinborough 

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: After single mom Louise (Simona Brown) enters an affair with her new boss, she also becomes friends with his wife. Soon, Louise begins to learn unsettling secrets about their marriage.



"Alice in Borderland" will bring a 2013 Japanese manga about a man who enters a video game to the screen.

Based on: The "Alice in Borderland" series by ASO-H 

Release date: TBA

Synopsis: Tokyo videogamer Ryohei Alice is placed inside of a high-stakes survival game with his two best friends.



'Sonic the Hedgehog' has the biggest opening weekend ever for a video game movie with $57 million

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Sonic the Hedgehog (movie)

  • Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog" won the domestic box office with an estimated $57 million ($68 million over by Monday).
  • The movie performed higher than the studio's projection of $40 million.
  • $57 million is the biggest opening ever for a video game movie, besting the $54.3 million opening by "Pokémon Detective Pikachu."
  • Best picture Oscar-winner "Parasite" took in $5.5 million over the weekend, after Neon expanded it to 2,000 screens. Its biggest weekend to date.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Paramount finally has a box office winner, and it's thanks to a video game character and Jim Carrey wearing a silly mustache.

Following duds like "Gemini Man,""Terminator: Dark Fate," and most recently "The Rhythm Section," the studio is atop the domestic box office this Presidents' Day weekend with "Sonic the Hedgehog."

The family-friendly movie brought in an estimated $57 million on over 4,100 screens ($68 million by Monday). That's quiet a performance for a movie that Paramount only projected in the low $40 million range for the weekend.

It also is a nice rebound for a title that out of the gate was bashed for its portrayal of the iconic gold ring-loving character, Sonic. The CGI blue speedster had a different facial look in the movie's original trailer which led to an uproar online. The visual effects artists went back to the drawing board and created a version more true to how Sonic looks in his video games, which Sega launched in the early 1990s (Jim Carrey portrays the game's villain, Dr. Ivo Robotnik). The movie was pushed from a November 2019 release to this weekend so the team had enough time to redo Sonic.

With the $57 million opening, the $85 million-budgeted"Sonic" has the best opening weekend ever for a video game adaptation, passing Warner Bros.' "Pokémon Detective Pikachu," which had a $54.3 million opening in May of 2019.

parasite neon

Box-office highlights:

  • Coming off its big Oscar night, including becoming the first-ever foreign language movie to win best picture, "Parasite" brought in a hefty $5.5 million in 2,000 screens. Its biggest weekend to date.
  • Warner Bros.' "Birds of Prey" dropped a steep 49% from its opening weekend, taking in $17 million.

SEE ALSO: Netflix lost the best-picture Oscar for a second straight year. We talked to Academy voters and Hollywood insiders about why.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

An ex-mob boss breaks down depictions of the mafia in movies and TV shows

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  • The US mafia has featured in many classic movies from the 1920s onwards.
  • We sat down with Michael Franzese, a former New York mobster. Michael is now a motivational speaker traveling all over the world.
  • We discuss the cultural significance and accuracy of famous crime scenes in movies and TV shows, such as "The Godfather" and "The Sopranos."
  • Michael also points out inaccuracies in scenes from mob comedies such as "Analyze This."
  • We also discuss true stories and real-life characters featured in "Goodfellas,""The Irishman" and "Casino." 
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Below is a transcript of the video. 

Michael Franzese: If a mob boss was ever visiting a psychiatrist, he'd be in the trunk of his car by the end of the week. Along with the psychiatrist. That would never happen.

My name is Michael Franzese, and I was a former capo in the Colombo crime family, one of the five New York Mafia La Cosa Nostra families. I'm now residing in the Los Angeles area, and I'm here to be a movie critic.

"The Godfather" (1972)

This would never happen. First of all, it's too much work involved in this, you know? You've got so many guys. Usually mob hits are not done like that. I mean, they're normally done at close range, small-caliber guns and shotguns being used. I never saw anything like this before. I know back in the '20s they used machine guns. "Tommy guns" was the term back then. But, to me, this scene seems to be unrealistic.

Rating: 4/10

"Analyze This" (1999)

There was always a guy of that size. In every crew and every family there was always somebody that big that was around. Italians eat a lot, and some of them get real big. You know, I doubt you'd ever see this many people. The last time something like this occurred was Appalachia, back in New York, when guys from all over the country came in. I think they probably modeled this scene after that. You know, ever since law enforcement invaded that meeting, it never happened again. And that I know for a fact.

Rating: 4/10

"The Godfather: Part II" (1974)

We infiltrated society on every level, from the guy on the street, the numbers business, right up to the White House. And you would never see a politician talk to us like that because most of them we supported. And I'm wondering if I would've been able to stay calm. Which was the right thing to do

This kiss of death, that was a Sicilian thing, I believe, and certainly something that might've happened in Italy. This is a scene that, you know, that became close to me because I had a brother, I have a brother that actually turned informant. Testified against my dad, and actually tried to hurt me, and went into the Witness Protection Program. Haven't seen him in 10 years. It's very hard to bear, hard to deal with. Since I walked away from that life and basically, you know, violated my oath just by walking away, not that I ever hurt anybody, but just by walking away, contract on my life, the whole bit. Did you ever worry about your family? And my answer is no. We didn't go after law enforcement. We didn't bother anybody's family, that was hands off. In Italy, you know, they go after your family, law enforcement, I mean, you know, there's no rules when it comes to stuff like that.

Rating: 9/10

"Casino" (1995)

I can tell you this scene is not unrealistic, because, you know, in a mob-run casino, we certainly wouldn't have tolerated anybody cheating like that. So it could've been this, I mean, you break somebody's legs, put them in a hospital. Even though this is Lefty Rosenthal, he wasn't a made member, but he was an associate, but he dressed the part. De Niro and Gotti, and, you know, even myself, we dressed up pretty good. At every weekend, I was at weddings and funerals. Half the time I didn't know who died or who was getting married, but we had to go as a matter of respect. So we had to dress up quite a bit. I mean, I probably had 50 suits at that time.

Rating: 7/10

"Donnie Brasco" (1997)

All right, I gotta tell you this. This is probably one of the most realistic scenes in all of mob moviedom. You know, it's funny. I'm a speaker now, and every time I say, "fuggedaboutit," which I say by habit, people laugh, you know. This scene made that word famous. It applies to everything. Just like the sit-down. Anytime you had any kind of meeting, it was always at a sit-down. Had a sit-down, and discuss, you know, a life-and-death matter. We had a sit-down just to have dinner. Everything was done at a sit-down.

Rating: 10.10

"Get Shorty" (1995)

 It's, No. 1, it's the perception that this person is a serious guy, that can, you know, maybe hurt you, and that intensifies that look. 'Cause I know a lot of times, you know, people said, "Hey, all you've got to do is look at somebody, and they get nervous." Travolta, I thought, killed this role. You know, a lot of mob guys, I mean, myself being one of them, got involved in entertainment. Travolta took it to another level, wanting to be a director and whatever it was. We were more or less behind the scenes, you know, financing some of these things, getting to know some of the people, some of the perks involved with it. Really, that was it.

Rating: 6/10

"Goodfellas" (1990)

Yeah, no, I don't think he really looked like me. I'll be honest with you, I was in the theater. I had just gotten out of prison, and I went to see this with my wife. And after a few minutes she looked at me and she said, you know: "Is this really what you guys did? Is that what your life was all about?" And I said: "Honey, c'mon, it's a movie. They make things up." You know, "Don't pay attention." No sooner do I say that than they introduce my character, and she looks at me, and I say, "C'mon, we gotta go." And I walked out, 'cause I didn't know why they put me in. It was a different crew.

People say, "Well, how did you come up with those nicknames?" You know, like, there was a guy that we called Chicken Head. And the reason we called him that because he used to shoot the head off of chickens when he was practicing his marksmanship. You know, we had Benny Eggs. "Well, why'd you call him Benny Eggs?" Well, he liked eggs. He ate them all the time. So we weren't really original with the names. We had Fat Tony Salerno. "Why'd you call him Fat Tony?" Well, he was fat.

You know, they made Henry out to be a lot more significant in the life than he really was. He was just a lost soul. He always had a drug problem, alcohol problem. For me, Joe Pesci is the best portrayer of any mob guy. You know, he was around street guys, he knew guys out on the street. And he just had it down so perfectly.

Rating: 8/10

"A Bronx Tale" (1993)

You know, most of the local police, they didn't bother us. You know, it was really the FBI and, you know, investigative agencies like that, especially the feds. I doubt if anybody, even though he was protecting his son, would ever come right out front like that and look to put people on front street, so to speak. Front street, in other words, you're telling the police that, you know, one of these guys might be guilty of doing something. So you're actually, you know, in mob terms, you're becoming a rat or a snitch. And, you know, you pay a price for that.

Rating: 4/10

"Mean Streets" (1973)

You know, this whole shylocking scene, you know, very accurate. Shylocking, loan sharking, you know, basically lending money at usurious rates. And everybody that was in that life was in that business. That had any money. You know, he plays these roles good. I think, today, you know, the way De Niro's acting, he thinks he really is a mob guy, you know.  It's kinda permeated his whole being and his character.

Rating: 7/10

"The Simpsons" (2006)

A lot of things fell off a truck. I mean, that was the expression that we used. Whether it be clothing, a suit, you know, electronics, cars, whatever. You know, hijacking was a big thing back in the day, no question about it. And there was some guys that were professional hijackers. Today, it's very difficult, but it was a lot easier to change the serial numbers and make a new car out of it, and nobody could ever find it, so.

Rating: 6/10

"The Irishman" (2020)

You know, I'm a little bit jaded when I look at this film, only because I know that the Sheeran story is fiction. I mean, he didn't kill Hoffa. I didn't know Jimmy Hoffa personally, but it was during my time. But I do have insight into, you know, what really happened there. He was a hot-headed guy, and he was one of the most powerful guys in the country at that point. Remember this, you control the teamsters, in a big way, you control the country. You know, No. 1, you got zillions of dollars in your pension funds. You call a strike as a teamster, you know, you've got 2 1/2 million people stopping, nothing gets delivered, everything stops, and that's a tremendous amount of power.

The Joey Gallo killing, that was, 'cause I know, you know, for a fact, what happened there. Like I said, that was our time. And, you know, I was in the middle of that. I wasn't the shooter, don't get me wrong, but I knew it was our family. For him to be so, you know, outspoken about doing that, it was just so wrong. I mean, the scene was accurate. I mean, he did get killed in that way. He did get out into the street, and they did get him there, and his family was there, the whole thing. But Sheeran wasn't the shooter.

Rating: 6/10

"The Untouchables" (1987)

I mean, he certainly looked the part. You know, everybody looks at Capone like he was a 40, 50-year-old guy. He was, like, 29 years old. He was in his 30s when he passed away, I think.

You know, Capone was bigger than life in the movies. He wasn't bigger than life with us. I mean, nobody really regarded him. You know, even my father said, you know: "We chased him out of Brooklyn. He went to Chicago." And my father's 103, so he was around all of these guys.

You know, unfortunately, I get asked about all the time is about murder in that life. And I will tell you this. Murder was taken very seriously, OK? It can only be approved by the boss. So I've been very, very fortunate to be here, where I am now, and not dead or in prison, like just about all of my associates.

Rating: 5/10

"The Sopranos" (1999-2007)

If a mob boss was ever visiting a psychiatrist, he'd be in the trunk of his car by the end of the week, along with the psychiatrist. That would never happen.

There's no way in the world if a mob boss hit anybody that that guy would come back at him. No way. Especially in front of audience. If he did, you don't ever raise your hand to a made guy. No matter who you are, you raise your hand to a made guy, you're dead, and so, and they know that. So this is not a realistic scene.

So David Chase gets in touch with me through a friend of mine, Jack Gilardi at ICM, and he says: "Look, I'm doing this series for Fox. And we want you to be involved as a consultant." And I said, "You know, I'm on parole and all this stuff." So I turned it down. That's how smart I am, right? "The Sopranos." But I always wondered why he contacted me. In my house, back in the '60s when it was being built, the government, the FBI, installed a bugging device. They had it in the kitchen of our house, and they picked up a lot of the conversation on a daily basis. And I am telling you that Tony Soprano's mother was so much like my mother. You know, maybe he got the Freedom of Information Act, maybe he did something, but he got a hold of that surveillance tapes, and he patterned that woman on my mother. And I said, I would, I tell you, I would almost stake my life. I've never had a chance to talk to him about it.

That's not true at all. I mean, I saw...[scoffs] you know, on a hot summer day in Harlem, you know, guys would sit out in front of their social clubs, and they'd be in shorts. Even the boss. I mean, you know, that's not true. I mean, you go on a boat, you're in shorts. Or maybe somebody told them that that, you know, didn't know what they were talking about. But that's not true.

Rating: 7/10

 

You can find out more about Michael here. His show A Mob Story premiers in April 2020.

Produced by Ju Shardlow

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The best 4K Blu-ray players

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  • To play the best-quality movies on a 4K TV, you need a 4K Blu-ray player that supports 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.
  • 4K Blu-ray players are also capable of high dynamic range (HDR) technology for enhanced contrast and colors.
  • The Sony UBP-X700 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player balances price and performance better than any other player on the market, making it the best fit for most buyers.

Streaming services might offer the most convenient way to watch movies at home, but if you want the very best video and audio quality, there's still no real substitute for a disc format. Yes, you do actually have to get up from the couch to pop in a movie, but the performance benefits of discs are clear — especially when watching 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays.

4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is the latest and greatest disc format for movies and TV shows. Without internet bandwidth limitations and buffer times to worry about, 4K Blu-ray allows studios to present content with less compression than streaming services. Less compression means you'll get more accurate images with more detail, along with lossless sound for a greater range of frequencies.

For instance, you might sometimes notice your videos becoming blocky or fuzzy when streaming movies on Netflix. If you watch the same video on a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc, those issues will be virtually eliminated. This is because videos on a disc can be encoded with more data and presented at higher and more consistent bitrates. In other words, the video never needs to buffer and it will always look consistently good. 

Expanding upon the previous Blu-ray format, 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays can hold up to 100 GB of information, allowing them to store movies and TV shows in 4K resolution. 4K offers four-times the number of total pixels compared to the Full HD resolution previously used on standard Blu-rays. This enables 4K Blu-ray movies to offer more detail than ever. 

In addition to including more pixels, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs also add support for high dynamic range (HDR). This process allows for a wider range of colors, contrast, and brightness compared to standard Blu-rays. You'll need a compatible 4K HDR TV to take advantage of this feature, but the improvements can be dramatic.  

When it comes to audio, 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray supports lossless Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. If you have the right audio gear, this means you'll get to hear movies soundtracks bit for bit as they were meant to be heard with surround effects in all directions — even from above. 

Of course, to watch 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays you'll need a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player. 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players are also backward compatible with regular Blu-rays and DVDs, so even if your 4K disc collection is just getting started, you'll still be able to watch all of your old discs, too. Most players include advanced upscaling capabilities as well. This feature can make lower-quality videos, like Full HD (1080p), look better on 4K TVs.  

When shopping for a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, there are a few key factors you should pay especially close attention to:

  • HDR support: Though all 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs and players support the standard HDR10 format, only specific models add support for more advanced HDR formats, like Dolby Vision and HDR10+. If you have a TV that's compatible with Dolby Vision or HDR10+, and you want the very best picture performance, it's worth seeking out a player that can output those formats.
  • Advanced video options: Since all 4K Blu-ray players can simply pass the data contained on a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc directly to a TV, default image quality is nearly identical on all models. With that said, certain players include advanced enhancement features, like chroma upsampling and specialized tone mapping, that can help improve 4K HDR contrast and gradient performance. Most buyers will be fine simply letting their TV handle all the work, but enthusiasts might prefer the enhancements a high-end player can provide.
  • Audio capabilities: When it comes to general home theater playback, all 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays include support for outputting Dolby Atmos and DTS:X audio over HDMI. Some players also include a digital optical connection for transmitting audio if you can't use HDMI. On top of that, certain models offer added support for more advanced audio processing and features, including high resolution music playback, multi-channel analog outputs, and support for SACD and DVD-Audio discs.
  • Smart features and connectivity: Ethernet and Wi-Fi are common on many players for keeping your device current via firmware updates. Bluetooth connectivity is also featured on certain models for connecting to separate devices, like wireless Bluetooth headphones.

Though app selection on most Blu-ray players is rather limited, certain models include access to streaming services, like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. More expensive models even offer compatibility with voice assistants. This feature may be redundant if you already own a smart TV or streaming box (Roku, Apple TV, etc.), but it's convenient if you don't like to switch between devices in order to access Netflix.

There are several worthwhile 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player models available from companies like Sony, LG, and Panasonic. Some gaming consoles even include 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drives as well.

I've been covering the consumer electronics industry for seven years, and during that time I've demoed and reviewed numerous media devices and Blu-ray players. Through hands-on testing and expert reviews, we've picked the best 4K Blu-ray players you can buy for a variety of needs and budget levels.

Here are the best 4K Blu-ray players in 2020:

Updated on 02/18/2020: Added LG UBK90. Updated copy for the Sony UBP-X700, Panasonic DP-UB820, and Xbox One X. Updated buying advice and formatting. Jacob Roach contributed to this guide.

The best 4K Blu-ray player overall

Thanks to its affordable pricing, excellent media support, and solid build quality, the Sony UBP-X700 is the best 4K Blu-ray player for most people.

When it comes to covering all of the basic features most buyers will need from a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player, the Sony UBP-X700 essentially checks every box — and it offers all of those capabilities for a surprisingly low price.

The device provides 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc playback with support for both HDR10 and the more advanced Dolby Vision HDR format. Like competing models, the UBP-X700 also features backward compatibility with standard Blu-rays and DVDs, along with 4K upscaling to make those older discs look better on modern Ultra HD TVs. 

Connectivity options are also solid thanks to dual HDMI connections — the extra HDMI port can be used for dedicated audio output to an AV receiver if you want to bypass having to also transmit the video signal through a receiver. A coaxial digital out is included as well, but the player is missing a digital optical port. The lack of an optical connection shouldn't be an issue for most modern TVs and audio systems, but it could be a problem if you want to plug the player into certain soundbar models.

The X700 doesn't include all of the audiophile bells and whistles that are integrated into more expensive players, but it will still output lossless Dolby Atmos and DTS:X from compatible discs just fine. You can also play high-resolution audio files up to 24bit/192kHz in multiple formats, including FLAC.

Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity are included as well for access to select apps, like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hulu. The X700 actually has greater support for streaming services than most Blu-ray players, but it's still lacking compared to a smart TV or a dedicated streaming box

As great as overall performance is on the X700, there are a couple of noteworthy drawbacks worth mentioning. Unlike Sony's step-up UBP-X800M2 and UBP-X1100ES, the X700 does not include Bluetooth support, so you can't connect wireless headphones for private listening. 

The player's Dolby Vision playback is also hindered by an odd design choice on Sony's part. Instead of automatically detecting when a Dolby Vision disc is being played and then automatically switching to Dolby Vision output, you have to manually select Dolby Vision in the settings menu. Sadly, if you leave Dolby Vision selected, the player then incorrectly forces Dolby Vision output for any disc you put in — even if it doesn't support Dolby Vision. This results in an inaccurate image. 

For buyers who don't have a Dolby Vision TV or who really don't care about the differences between HDR10 and Dolby Vision, this really shouldn't be an issue. Just disable Dolby Vision and forget about it. If you're buying a 4K Blu-ray player with Dolby Vision in mind, however, having to manually turn the setting on and off could prove to be very annoying. With that in mind, we recommend the more expensive LG UBK90 as a better player for Dolby Vision.     

Despite these flaws, there's no denying the value of the X700. Home-theater enthusiasts who want more advanced features and connections will have to opt for a more expensive player, but most buyers who simply want to watch 4K Blu-rays on their 4K TV should be more than satisfied with what the Sony UBP-X700 has to offer.

Pros: Affordable price, HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, access to some streaming apps

Cons: No optical audio output, lacks Bluetooth, Dolby Vision has to be manually activated, missing some advanced video and audio features, no HDR10+ support



The best 4K Blu-ray player for Dolby Vision

The LG UBK90 offers a solid assortment of features for a mid-range 4K Blu-ray player, along with support for automatically detecting Dolby Vision discs.

Though it's more expensive than Sony's X700, the LG UBK90 is a more convenient player for buyers who are specifically looking for a reliable Dolby Vision 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player.

The device offers all of the same basic features you'll find on all players, including 4K disc playback and backward compatibility with Blu-rays and DVDs. The UBK90 also supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision playback from compatible 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. Unlike the more affordable Sony X700, however, the LG has no issues automatically activating or deactivating Dolby Vision playback when it needs to. No matter what 4K disc you put in, the player will be able to recognize if it should output in HDR10 or Dolby Vision, and then adjust accordingly.

Dual HDMI outputs are included for easy video and audio connectivity. There is one digital optical output, but no digital coaxial output — the latter is commonly found on many soundbars. Wi-Fi and Ethernet are also supported, and you can play high-resolution audio in the FLAC format. When it comes to apps, however, the player only includes access to Netflix and YouTube. In other words, if you're looking for a device to stream movies on, this isn't it. 

You won't get any advanced tone mapping features, chroma upscaling, Bluetooth connectivity, or multi-channel analog audio ports, but for buyers who want a straightforward 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player with convenient automatic Dolby Vision playback, The LG UBK90 is one of the most affordable options. 

Pros: HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, Dolby Vision playback is automatically detected, Wi-Fi and Ethernet, optical audio connection

Cons: No Bluetooth support, lacks advanced video and audio features, very limited library of apps, doesn't support HDR10+



The best high-end 4K Blu-ray player

The Panasonic DP-UB820 is pricier than a lot of other 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray players, but it offers comprehensive HDR format support and advanced processing. 

As an all-around great 4K Blu-ray player, it doesn't get much better than the Panasonic DP-UB820. While it's on the expensive side, its performance is basically unmatched by any other model in its price range.

Unlike most 4K Blu-ray players, which only support one or two HDR formats, the DP-UB820 supports all four HDR types: HDR10+, HDR10, Dolby Vision, and Hybrid Log-Gamma. The player also has no issues automatically selecting the proper format that should be played. This means you never have to worry about manually selecting Dolby Vision or researching which HDR version a 4K Blu-ray disc supports. As long as all of the HDR formats are enabled in the settings, the player will simply activate the best format supported by each disc.   

It's also a network connected player, meaning you can stream (from the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet) Netflix, YouTube, and a few other apps. With that said, the app selection is not as wide as most standalone streaming media players, like a Roku or Fire TV Stick. Wirelessly streaming videos from a connected DLNA-compatible device, such as a computer or media-enabled hard drive, is also supported.

Powering the DP-UB820 is Panasonic's HCX processor, which is the same chip found in the company's much more expensive DP-UB9000. With it, the DP-UB820 is able to interpolate 4:2:0 color signals into 4:4:4, which refers to a ratio in something known as chroma sample. To spare you the technical details, higher numbers can result in more defined colors in individual pixels and an overall higher-quality image with smoother gradients.

The player also has Panasonic's HDR Optimizer feature, which uses tone mapping to better scale HDR performance to your TV's particular capabilities (HDR10 only). Your HDR display will use its own tone mapping by default, but you may find better results relying on Panasonic's process instead of your TV's.

If you have an extensive collection of DVD and regular Blu-ray movies, the DP-UB820 can upsample them to 4K. While they still technically won't be true 4K, upscaling can make movies in Full HD or standard definition look a lot better on a 4K TV.

As for sound, the DP-UB820 leaves nothing to be desired. The built-in 192-kHz/32-bit 4-DAC produces excellent audio quality. Panasonic gives you ample connectivity to take advantage of it, too. The DP-UB820 supports digital and optical outputs, as well as HDMI and, most impressively, 7.1-channel analog output for surround sound. The DP-UB820 also supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, and high-resolution digital audio file formats.

Panasonic also integrated Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, so you can control playback with your voice if you have a compatible smart speaker at home. 

Kris Heering of Sound and Vision gave the player a "top pick" award, saying it "offers reference-level video performance and also sets a new bar for HDR playback with both HDR flat-panel TVs and projectors."

On the downside, the player doesn't include support for SACD or DVD-Audio discs, but those formats aren't exactly popular, so this is unlikely to be a deal-breaker. For a sturdier build and even more advanced audio connections, you could opt for the more expensive DP-UB9000, but in general, the DP-UB820 really is the high-end 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player to beat right now.  

Pros: Support for all of the major HDR formats, high-end audio processing, advanced tone mapping and chroma upsampling, compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant devices

Cons: Remote seems flimsy compared to the main unit, no support for SACD or DVD-Audio, pricier than many competing players



The best 4K Blu-ray player for gamers

As a gaming console that doubles as a solid Ultra HD Blu-ray player,Microsoft's Xbox One X is a versatile 4K HDR entertainment hub.

While both the Sony PlayStation 4 Pro and Microsoft Xbox One X support 4K output, only the latter can play 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs. If you're a gamer who wants to watch 4K Blu-ray movies, then the Xbox One X is the perfect console.

As Microsoft's flagship console (until the Xbox Series X is released later this year), the Xbox One X supports many popular games and can even output select titles in 4K HDR. Of course, when you need a break from gaming, you can simply pop in an Ultra HD Blu-ray movie to watch instead.

While the Xbox One X originally had some issues with 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray black levels and color output, Microsoft has since fixed these problems with firmware updates. Now, the Xbox One X offers 4K Blu-ray video quality that's comparable to most standalone players. With that said, the console only supports HDR10 for disc playback and does not offer Dolby Vision or HDR10+ (Dolby Vision is supported for Netflix streaming).

There's also another potential downside related to the device's disc tray. Since the Xbox One X is designed to be a gaming console first, it's noisier than a typical Blu-ray player when it's reading a disc. This could affect your movie-watching experience. Whether the extra noise outweighs the added gaming benefits the console provides, will ultimately depend on your preferences as a buyer.

For those who want to pay a bit less but still want gaming support with their 4K Blu-ray player, it's also worth considering Microsoft's less expensive Xbox One S console. This model can play 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray discs with HDR10 support as well, but when it comes to gaming, it's only capable of upscaling to 4K rather than outputting compatible games in native 4K.

Pros: 4K HDR10 support for 4K Blu-ray discs, Dolby Vision support for Netflix, true 4K HDR gaming capabilities, excellent user interface

Cons: Disc reader is loud, no Dolby Vision or HDR10+ support for discs



Sonic the Hedgehog got a major redesign for his film debut — here's what he used to look like

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Old Sonic vs New Sonic (movie)

  • "Sonic the Hedgehog," a new live-action movie starring the world's most popular blue hedgehog, was originally scheduled to hit theaters last November.
  • But the first trailer for the movie sparked major criticism on the internet over the way Sonic looked.
  • The movie's director, Jeff Fowler, responded with a vow to change Sonic's look. "You aren't happy with the design & you want changes. It's going to happen," he wrote on Twitter.
  • After a major redesign, "Sonic the Hedgehog" looks much more cartoonish — he no longer has humanoid teeth, and he's got his characteristic white gloves on. The movie went on to great success at the box office,the biggest debut for any movie based on a video game.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

After decades of appearances in video games, cartoons, plush figurines, and all other manner of merchandising, Sonic the Hedgehog finally has his own live-action film.

That film — titled "Sonic the Hedgehog"— debuted on February 14, and has gone on to great success at the box office: It had the biggest debut for any video game-based movie ever. But it almost completely flopped.

"Sonic" was originally scheduled to debut last November. When the first trailer for it landed, the reaction was strong to say the least. Strongly negative, that is.

The issue mostly centered on the look of Sonic:

Sonic the Hedgehog (movie)

After years of cartoon depictions of the speedy blue hedgehog, the pseudo-real version of Sonic had some people freaking out. So much so, in fact, that the film's director vowed to change the look of Sonic ahead of the movie's release.

"You aren't happy with the design, and you want changes. It's going to happen," director Jeff Fowler wrote on Twitter. Moreover, the movie was delayed to re-work Sonic's look — untold millions were lavished on a major re-do of the film's visual effects. His eyes were made larger, and his features were rounded.

Here's the much, much less weird-looking Sonic seen in the movie:

Sonic the Hedgehog (movie, new version of Sonic)

That difference was critical, it turns out: The final version of Sonic is far cuter and furrier than the previous one. Instead of a humanoid Sonic, the movie has a version far closer to the rounded, animal-like Sonic we know from the original Sega Genesis game (and his many video game depictions since).

Take a look at the launch trailer for "Sonic the Hedgehog" right here:

SEE ALSO: I saw the controversial 'Sonic the Hedgehog' movie, and it was a delightful kid's romp made far better by a classic Jim Carrey performance

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NOW WATCH: 8 weird robots NASA wants to send to space

The 27 greatest movie franchises of all time, according to critics

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lord of the rings

Over the past decade, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has built an expansive set of films while raising the critical and commercial expectations for ongoing movie series.

But extensive film franchises have been around for awhile, and several older series, like the film adaptations from J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, have received more positive critical acclaim on average than Marvel's. And some are only getting better as time goes on, like "Mission: Impossible," which reached its critical zenith with "Fallout."

Stretching from the first James Bond film, 1962's "Dr. No," to the latest MCU and "Star Wars" entries, this list we compiled from Metacritic data ranks prominent film franchises by their average critical reception (derived from the critical scores for each movie in a franchise).

Metacritic only included franchises that had more than four films with scores on its site and it excluded horror films and animated series.

Here are the 27 greatest movie franchises of all time, according to critics:

This post has been updated from its original version. John Lynch contributed to a previous version of this post.

SEE ALSO: All 92 Oscar best-picture winners, ranked from worst to best by movie critics

27. "Die Hard"— 58.4%

"Die Hard" (1988) — 70%

"Die Hard 2: Die Harder" (1990) — 67%

"Die Hard: With a Vengeance" (1995) — 58%

"Live Free or Die Hard" (2007)  — 69%

"A Good Day to Die Hard" (2013) — 28%



26. "Alien"— 59.5%

"Alien" (1979) — 83%

"Aliens" (1986) — 84%

"Alien 3" (1992) — 59%

"Alien Resurrection" (1997) — 63%

"Alien vs. Predator" (2004) — 29%

"Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem" (2007) — 29%

"Prometheus" (2012) — 64%

"Alien: Covenant" (2017) — 65%



25. Jack Ryan — 59.6%

"The Hunt for Red October" (1990) — 58%

"Patriot Games" (1992) — 64%

"Clear and Present Danger" (1994) — 74%

"The Sum of All Fears" (2002) — 45%

"Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" (2014) — 57%



24. View Askewniverse — 60.0%

"Clerks" (1994) — 70%

"Mallrats" (1995) — 41%

"Chasing Amy" (1997) — 71%

"Dogma" (1999) — 62%

"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" (2001) — 51%

"Clerks II" (2006) — 65%



23. "Dirty Harry"— 60.8%

"Dirty Harry" (1971) — 90%

"Magnum Force" (1973) — 58%

"The Enforcer" (1976) — 58%

"Sudden Impact" (1983) — 52%

"The Dead Pool" (1988) — 46%



22. "Terminator"— 61%

"The Terminator" (1984) — 84%

"Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) — 75%

"Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003) — 66%

"Terminator Salvation" (2009) — 49%

"Terminator Genisys" (2015) — 38%

"Terminator: Dark Fate" (2019) — 54%



21. "X-Men"— 61.2%

"X-Men" (2000) — 64%

"X2: X-Men United" (2003) — 68%

"X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006) — 58%

"X-Men Origins: Wolverine" (2009) — 40%

"X-Men: First Class" (2011) — 65%

"The Wolverine" (2013) — 61%

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014) — 75%

"Deadpool" (2016) — 65%

"X-Men: Apocalypse" (2016) — 52%

"Logan" (2017) — 77%

"Deadpool 2" (2018) — 66%

"Dark Phoenix" (2019) — 43% 



20. "Barbershop"— 61.3%

"Barbershop" (2002) — 66%

"Barbershop 2: Back in Business" (2004) — 59%

"Beauty Shop" (2005) — 53%

"Barbershop: The Next Cut" (2016) — 67% 



19. "Rocky"— 61.7%

"Rocky" (1976) — 70%

"Rocky II" (1979) — 61%

"Rocky III" (1982) — 57%

"Rocky IV" (1985) — 40%

"Rocky V" (1990) — 55%

"Rocky Balboa" (2006) — 63%

"Creed" (2015) — 82%

"Creed II" (2018) — 66%



18. James Bond — 62.1%

"Dr. No" (1962) — 78% 
"From Russia With Love" (1963) — 85%
"Goldfinger" (1964) — 87%
"Thunderball" (1965) — 64%
"Casino Royale" (1967) — 48%
"You Only Live Twice" (1967) — 61%
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969) — 61%
"Diamonds Are Forever" (1971) — 59%
"Live and Let Die" (1973) — 55%
"The Man With the Golden Gun" (1974) — 43%
"The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977) — 55%
"Moonraker" (1979) — 66%
"For Your Eyes Only" (1981) — 54%
"Octopussy" (1983) — 63%
"Never Say Never Again" (1983) — 68%
"A View to a Kill" (1985) — 40%
"The Living Daylights" (1987) — 60%
"Licence to Kill" (1989) — 58%
"GoldenEye" (1995) — 65%
"Tomorrow Never Dies" (1997) — 52%
"The World Is Not Enough" (1999) — 57%
"Die Another Day" (2002) — 56%
"Casino Royale" (2006) — 80%
"Quantum of Solace" (2008) — 58%
"Skyfall" (2012) — 81%
"Spectre" (2015) — 60%



17. "Batman"— 62.3%

"Batman" (1966) — 71%

"Batman" (1989) — 69%

"Batman Returns" (1992) — 68%

"Batman Forever" (1995) — 51%

"Batman and Robin" (1997) — 28%

"Batman Begins" (2005) — 70%

"The Dark Knight" (2008) — 82% 

"The Dark Knight Rises" (2012) — 78%

"Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016) — 44%



16 (tie). Hannibal Lecter — 62.4%

"Manhunter" (1986) — 75%

"The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) — 85%

"Hannibal" (2001) — 57%

"Red Dragon" (2002) — 60%

"Hannibal Rising" (2007) — 35%



16 (tie). "Planet of the Apes"— 62.4%

"Planet of the Apes" (1968) — 79%

"Beneath the Planet of the Apes" (1970) — 46%

"Escape from the Planet of the Apes" (1971) — 69% 

"Conquest of the Planet of the Apes" (1972) — 49%

"Battle for the Planet of the Apes" (1973) — 40%

"Planet of the Apes" (2001) — 50%

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (2011) — 68%

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" (2014) — 79%

"War for the Planet of the Apes" (2017) — 82%



14. "Star Trek"— 62.5%

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (1979) — 48%
"Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" (1982) — 66%
"Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984) — 56%
"Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" (1986) — 71%
"Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" (1989) — 43%
"Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" (1991) — 65%
"Star Trek Generations" (1994) — 55%
"Star Trek: First Contact" (1996) — 71%
"Star Trek: Insurrection" (1998) —  64%
"Star Trek: Nemesis" (2002) — 51%
"Star Trek" (2009) — 82%
"Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013) — 72%
"Star Trek Beyond" (2016) — 68%



13. Millennium Series — 63.2%

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (2009) — 76%

"The Girl Who Played with Fire" (2010) — 66%

"The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" (2010) — 60%

"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (2011) — 71%

"The Girl in the Spider's Web" (2019) — 43%



12. "Ocean's Eleven"— 63.8%

"Ocean's Eleven" (2001) — 74%

"Ocean's Twelve" (2004) — 58%

"Ocean's Thirteen" (2007) — 62%

"Ocean's 8" (2018) — 61%



11. "The Muppets"— 62.5%

"The Muppet Movie" (1979) — 74%

"The Great Muppet Caper" (1981) — 70%

"The Muppets Take Manhattan" (1984) — 64%

"The Muppet Christmas Carol" (1992) — 64% 

"Muppet Treasure Island" (1996) — 64%

"Muppets from Space" (1999) — 53%

"The Muppets" (2011) — 75%

"Muppets Most Wanted" (2014) — 61%



10 (tie). "Spider-Man"— 68%

"Spider-Man" (2002) — 73%

"Spider-Man 2" (2004) — 83%

"Spider-Man 3" (2007) — 59%

"The Amazing Spider-Man" (2012) — 66%

"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" (2014) — 53%

"Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017) — 73%

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019) — 69%



10 (tie). "Indiana Jones"— 68.0%

"Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981) — 85%

"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (1984) — 57%

"Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) — 65%

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (2008) — 65%



8. "Star Wars"— 68.1%

"Star Wars" (1977) — 90%

"The Empire Strikes Back" (1980) — 82%

"Return of the Jedi" (1983) — 58%

"Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" (1999) — 51%

"Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones" (2002) — 54%

"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" (2005) — 68%

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" (2015) — 81% 

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (2016) — 65%

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" (2017) — 85%

"Solo: A Star Wars Story" (2018) — 62%

"Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" (2019) — 53%



7. "The Hunger Games"— 68.3%

"The Hunger Games" (2012) — 68%

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (2013) — 76%

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1" (2014) — 64% 

"The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2" (2015) — 65%



6. Marvel Cinematic Universe — 68.6%

"Iron Man" (2008) — 79%
"The Incredible Hulk" (2008) — 61%
"Iron Man 2" (2010) — 57%
"Thor" (2011) — 57%
"Captain America: The First Avenger" (2011) — 66%
"Marvel's The Avengers" (2012) — 69%
"Iron Man 3" (2013) — 62%
"Thor: The Dark World" (2013) — 54%
"Captain America: The Winter Soldier" (2014) — 70%
"Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014) — 76%
"Avengers: Age of Ultron" (2015) — 66%
"Ant-Man" (2015) — 64%
"Captain America: Civil War" (2016) — 75%
"Doctor Strange" (2016) — 72%
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" (2017) — 67%
"Spider-Man: Homecoming" (2017) — 73%
"Thor: Ragnarok" (2017) — 74%
"Black Panther" (2018) — 88%
"Avengers: Infinity War" (2018) — 68%
"Ant-Man and the Wasp" (2018) — 70%

"Captain Marvel" (2019) — 64%

"Avengers: Endgame" (2019) — 78%

"Spider-Man: Far From Home" (2019) — 69%



5. "Bourne"— 69.0%

"The Bourne Identity" (2002) — 68%

"The Bourne Supremacy" (2004) — 73%

"The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007) — 85%

"The Bourne Legacy" (2012) — 61%

"Jason Bourne" (2016) — 58%



4. "Mission: Impossible"— 69.7%

"Mission: Impossible" (1996) — 59%

"Mission: Impossible 2" (2000) — 59%

"Mission: Impossible III" (2006) — 66%

"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" (2011) — 73% 

"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" (2015) — 75%

"Mission: Impossible - Fallout" (2018) — 86%



3. "Harry Potter"— 70.9%

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001) — 64%

"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002) — 63%

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004) — 82%

"Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005) — 81%

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" (2007) — 71%

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009) — 78%

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1" (2010) — 65%

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2" (2011) — 87%

"Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them" (2016) — 66%

"Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" (2018) — 52%



2. Middle-earth — 76.0%

"The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001) — 92%

"The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" (2002) — 87%

"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003) — 94%

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" (2012) — 58%

"The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" (2013) — 66%

"The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" (2014) — 59%



1. "Mad Max"— 77.8%

"Mad Max" (1979) — 73%

"The Road Warrior" (1981) — 77%

"Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" (1985) — 71%

"Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015) — 90%



'Sonic the Hedgehog' edges out 'The Call of the Wild' for 1st place at the weekend box office

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sonic the hedgehog paramount

  • "Sonic the Hedgehog" narrowly topped "The Call of the Wild" to win the weekend domestic box office.
  • "Sonic" brought in an estimated $26.3 million while "Wild" earned $24.8 million.
  • "Sonic the Hedgehog" has been number one at the box office for two straight weeks.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

It's very rare that Disney has to duke it out with any other studio for box office supremacy, but that's what happened this weekend with its 20th Century title "The Call of the Wild" against Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog."

The adaptation of Jack London's classic novel starring Harrison Ford and a CGI dog brought in an estimated $24.8 million its opening weekend at the domestic box office. But "Sonic," the classic video game adaptation, topped that with a $26.3 million take in its second weekend in theaters (its domestic total is now over $100 million).

the call of the wildThe two movies have been trading blows the whole weekend. On Friday, "Call of the Wild" brought in $7 million to top "Sonic," which brought in $6.2 million. By Saturday night, the hedgehog had passed the gruff Ford movie as it took in $12 million on the day versus $9.9 million. Sunday estimates have "Sonic" edging out "Wild" once the weekend ends.

Many believed "Sonic the Hedgehog" would easily win the box office for a second-straight weekend, but the $25 million take by "The Call of the Wild" is better than industry projections (though it does have a hefty $135 million budget) as Ford's name above the poster seems to have motivated families to check out the movie. And it probably didn't hurt that "Wild" had the Disney marketing muscle behind it.

However, Paramount gets the rare two weekends in a row above the box office heap with "Sonic." The movie scored a rare box office win last weekend for the studio, and to win again is much-needed fuel for Hollywood's oldest studio that only shines these days when it's releasing Tom Cruise's "Mission: Impossible" titles.

brahms the boy 2 stxfilms

Box-office highlights:

  • STXfilms/Lakeshore Entertainment's "Brahms: The Boy II" brought in $5.9 million. The horror starring Katie Holmes hit its projections and is a solid win for STXfilms.
  • But not all horrors are working in theaters. Sony's "Blumhouse's Fantasy Island" took in a minuscule $4.2 million in its second weekend out. Its domestic cume is now at $20.17 million. Thankfully for all involved, the movie was only made for $7 million.

SEE ALSO: The creator of "Hunters" caught the attention of Amazon and Jordan Peele with an 80-page series bible and enough ideas for 5 seasons

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All of Emily Blunt's movies, ranked by critics

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  • Emily Blunt is an actress who is perhaps best known for her roles in films like "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006) and "Edge of Tomorrow" (2014). 
  • Blunt's best-rated films include "A Quiet Place" (2018) and "The Muppets" (2011).
  • She also starred in critical misfires like "The Huntsman: Winter's War" (2016) and "Gulliver's Travels" (2010). 
  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Emily Blunt is a Golden Globe-award winning actress who has gone from playing supporting roles in films like "The Devil Wears Prada" to leading blockbusters like "Mary Poppins Returns" (2018). 

The British-American actress has earned acclaim through the years and has mastered a variety of genres from action thrillers to independent dramas.

But with around 30 films under her belt, not all of them have been evenly praised by critics. 

Here's a ranking of Blunt's movies, according to critical ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.

Note: All scores were current on the date of publication and are subject to change. Films without critical scores and roles where Blunt was uncredited were not included.

Blunt's lowest-rated film is "The Huntsman: Winter's War" (2016).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 18%

Summary: In the sequel to "Snow White and The Huntsman" (2012), Ice Queen Freya (Blunt) brings her villainous sister Ravenna (Charlize Theron) back from the brink of death.

As they proclaim a new reign over the Enchanted Forest, the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) and his love Sara (Jessica Chastain) rise to defeat them. 



She was Princess Mary in "Gulliver's Travels" (2010).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

Summary: Based on the story by Jonathan Swift, "Gulliver's Travels" follows loud-mouthed Gulliver (Jack Black) to a lost island in the Bermuda Triangle where he discovers a civilization of minuscule people.

A giant among them, Gulliver gains favor with the islanders and their ruler Princess Mary (Blunt). 



In "Arthur Newman" (2012) she played Michaela "Mike" Fitzgerald.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%

Summary: In the comedic drama "Arthur Newman," Colin Firth played Wallace Avery, a divorced middle-aged man who tries to reinvent himself under a new identity: golf pro Arthur Newman.

But on the road to his new life he runs into Michaela "Mike" Fitzgerald (Blunt), a woman with her own troubled past, and they find solace in each other. 



The actress voiced Juliet in "Sherlock Gnomes" (2018).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 27%

Summary: In this sequel to "Gnomeo and Juliet" (2011), Blunt returned as Juliet.

When garden gnomes begin disappearing all over London, Gnomeo and Juliet recruit the help of detective Sherlock Gnomes (Johnny Depp) and Dr. Watson (Chiwetel Ejiofor). 



Blunt played Rose in "Wild Target" (2010).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 33%

Summary: In the action-comedy "Wild Target," Europe's most sought-after assassin Victor Maynard (Bill Nighy) hesitates before he takes out an art thief named Rose (Blunt) and he ends up protecting her instead.

On the run, Victor surprises himself by taking on a protegee named Tony (Rupert Grint) as well. 



In the horror thriller "The Wolfman" (2010) she was Gwen Conliffe.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 34%

Summary: In the suspense-filled horror movie "The Wolfman," Lawrence Talbot (Benicio Del Toro), a man of science and rational thought, grapples with a monstrous new identity after he is attacked by a werewolf and he starts to transform. 

Blunt had a supporting role in the film as Gwen Conliffe, the fiancée of the creature's first victim. 



Blunt starred as Rachel Watson in "The Girl on the Train" (2016).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 44%

Summary: Based on the novel by Paula Hawkins, "The Girl on the Train" centers around Rachel Watson (Blunt), a woman reeling from her recent divorce who uses alcohol as a coping mechanism.

One day, on a passing train, Rachel witnesses something awful and becomes entangled in a mystery larger than herself. 



In "Wind Chill" (2007) she played the Girl.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 46%

Summary: In the suspense thriller "Wind Chill" a Guy (Ashton Holmes) and Girl (Blunt) meet on a wintry night and find themselves run off a country road by an unknown vehicle. As they try to survive the freezing conditions, they unravel a sinister local legend. 



The actress voiced Tempest Shadow in "My Little Pony: The Movie" (2017).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 48%

Summary: In the family-oriented animated adventure "My Little Pony: The Movie," Twilight Sparkle (Tara Strong) and her friends defend Ponyville from the evil Tempest Shadow (Blunt) and Storm King (Liev Schreiber) by departing on a journey beyond the bounds of Equestria.



Blunt voiced Juliet in the animated comedy "Gnomeo and Juliet" (2011).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 56%

Summary: In the animated comedy "Gnomeo and Juliet," Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Blunt) are two star-crossed garden gnomes who fall in love despite an ongoing feud between their respective neighbors.



In "The Five-Year Engagement" (2012) she was Violet Barnes.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 63%

Summary: In the unconventional comedy "The Five-Year Engagement," Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) and Violet Barnes (Blunt) face a variety of unexpected obstacles on the road towards matrimony. 



Blunt appeared as Ruthie Draper in "Dan in Real Life" (2007).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 64%

Summary: After losing his wife, advice columnist Dan Burns (Steve Carell) struggles to regain normalcy in his life when he takes his three daughters to Rhode Island for an annual family reunion.

But straight-laced Dan surprises himself when he falls for his brother's new girlfriend Marie (Juliette Binoche) and she develops feelings for him in return. 

Blunt had a supporting role in the film as Ruthie Draper, Dan's childhood friend. 



In "The Jane Austen Book Club" (2007) she played Prudie.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 66%

Summary: In the romantic comedy "The Jane Austen Book Club," a group of five women and one man meet to discuss the varied works of Jane Austen and realize that life imitates art as the themes of the books impact their romantic lives. 

Blunt had a leading role as Prudie, a married French teacher who finds herself falling for a younger man. 



The actress was Harriet in "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" (2011).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%

Summary: At the behest of her client Yemeni Sheikh (Amr Waked), consultant Harriet (Blunt) approaches a fisheries expert named Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) with the seemingly impossible task of introducing salmon fishing to the waters of Yemen.



Blunt played Valerie in "The Great Buck Howard" (2008).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

Summary: In the dramatic comedy "The Great Buck Howard," an aging mentalist and fading star named Buck Howard (John Malkovich) hopes to revitalize his career in its third act by taking on new road manager Troy Gable (Colin Hanks) and fiery publicist Valerie Brennan (Blunt). 



She starred opposite Matt Damon in "The Adjustment Bureau" (2011).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 71%

Summary: In a romance film with a science-fiction twist, politician David Norris (Matt Damon) falls for a ballet dancer named Elise Sellas (Blunt) before realizing that mysterious men from a shadowy organization called the Adjustment Bureau are doing everything in their power to keep them apart. 



Blunt starred as the Baker's Wife in "Into the Woods" (2014).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 72%

Summary: Based on a Broadway musical of the same name, "Into the Woods" follows a Baker (James Corden) and his wife (Blunt) as a Witch (Meryl Streep) tasks them with finding a cow, a cape, a lock of hair, and a golden slipper.

Their quest introduces them to an array of fairytale characters, from Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) to Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford). 



The actress was Norah in the drama "Sunshine Cleaning" (2009).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 74%

Summary: In the dark dramatic comedy "Sunshine Cleaning," sisters Rose (Amy Adams) and Norah Lorkowski (Blunt) scrape by with a new family business: cleaning up crime scenes.

As Rose and Norah help families in the aftermath of horrific losses, they find their own relationship changing for the better.



In "The Devil Wears Prada" (2006) she played Emily.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 75%

Summary: In the fashion comedy "The Devil Wears Prada," Andrea (Anne Hathaway) tries to climb the corporate ladder of the fashion-magazine world as she competes with fellow assistant Emily (Blunt) for the attention of their demanding boss Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). 



Blunt played Queen Victoria in "The Young Victoria" (2009).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 76%

Summary: As she turns 18, Princess Victoria (Blunt) finds herself caught between love for Prince Albert (Rupert Friend) and duty to her country in the royal drama "The Young Victoria." 



Blunt starred as Mary Poppins in "Mary Poppins Returns" (2018).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 79%

Summary: In a follow-up to the classic Disney film"Mary Poppins" (1964), Blunt filled in for Julie Andrews as the inimitable Mary Poppins.

Set in 1930s London, Mary returns to aid the Banks family with the help of a charming lamplighter named Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda). 



She was Jane Liddle in "Charlie Wilson's War" (2007).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 82%

Summary: Based on a true story, the dramatic comedy "Charlie Wilson's War" follows US Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks) and CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman) in their efforts to privately fund and aid Afghan soldiers during the Soviet-Afghan War. 

Blunt had a supporting role in the film as Jane Liddle, Charlie's love interest. 



In "Your Sister's Sister" (2011) she played Iris.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 83%

Summary: The drama "Your Sister's Sister" centers around Jack (Mark Duplass) and his best friend Iris (Blunt). Trying to help Jack gain distance from a recent loss, Iris offers up her family's cabin for solitude.

But when he arrives, he finds Iris' sister Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt) there instead.



The actress voiced Nahoko Satomi in "The Wind Rises" (2014).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%

Summary: The Hayao Miyazaki film "The Wind Rises" tracks the life of Jiro (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the English language version) from young boy to genius aircraft designer.

The film weaves in and out of prominent years of his life, as he meets his best friend Kiro Honjo (John Krasinski) and falls in love with Naoko Satomi (Blunt). 



Blunt played Tamsin in "My Summer of Love" (2004).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

Summary: In the romantic drama "My Summer of Love," two 16-year-olds who couldn't be more different — Mona (Natalie Press) and Tamsin (Blunt) ⁠— grow incredibly close throughout a boiling hot summer in Yorkshire, England. 



In the action-thriller "Edge of Tomorrow" (2014) she was Rita Vrataski.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%

Summary: After Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is dropped into a dangerous mission and killed within minutes, Cage wakes up a day prior with the ability to time travel every time he dies.

His only hope of unraveling the mystery of his new power lies with officer Rita Vrataski (Blunt).



Blunt starred as Kate Macy in "Sicario" (2015).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%

Summary: "Sicario" is a tightly-wound dramatic thriller that centers around FBI agent Kate Macy (Blunt) and her induction into a high-profile drug case set on the border of the United States and Mexico.

With wild-card consultant Alejandro (Benicio Del Toro) helming the investigation, Kate tries to stay on top of the explosive case. 



In the mind-bending thriller "Looper" (2012) she played Sara.

Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%

Summary: In the science-fiction thriller "Looper," hitman Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) uses time travel to take down targets for the mob. But when his latest victim escapes, he realizes that the mob has sent the older version of himself (Bruce Willis) back in time for him to kill. 

Blunt had a supporting role in the film as Sara, the mother of a powerful telekinetic child. 



The actress was Miss Piggy's receptionist in "The Muppets" (2011).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Summary: On a vacation to Los Angeles, Muppet super fan Walter (Peter Linz) and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) uncover a villainous plot to turn the Muppet Theater into an oil-drilling operation.

The trio hits the road in an effort to get the Muppets back together and put on one last show. 

Blunt had a cameo appearance in the film as Miss Piggy's receptionist, which seemed to be a nod to her character Emily from "The Devil Wears Prada." 



Critics loved her as Evelyn Abbott in "A Quiet Place" (2018).

Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%

Summary: Directed by John Krasinski, the horror-thriller "A Quiet Place" centers around a family of four trying to survive an invasion from creatures who hunt by sound.

As Evelyn (Blunt) and Lee Abbott (Krasinski) raise their children in silence, they also prepare for the birth of their next child. 

Read More:



'Knives Out' director reveals Apple won't allow the bad guys in movies to have iPhones

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  • Rian Johnson, the director of hit whodunit movie "Knives Out," recently sat down for an interview with Vanity Fair to break down a scene from the film.
  • Johnson says that while Apple allowed the movie to feature an iPhone in the scene, the company doesn't allow "bad guys" to have the phone on camera.
  • As part of Apple's guidelines, third parties can only show products "in the best light" and "in a manner or context that reflects favorably" on the company.
  • TV viewers have noticed that Apple products often are only seen in the hands of good guys on screen, notably in the once-popular TV drama "24."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A rule Apple enforces for iPhone cameos in movies and TV shows may be the key in spoiling whether your favorite character is a hero or a villain.

Apple has strict rules for on-screen appearances of its products, according to Rian Johnson, the director of modern mystery film "Knives Out." Johnson told Vanity Fair in a recent interview that while Apple allows for product placement of Macs and iPhones in movies, the company has a golden rule: bad guys can't have Apple products.

"I don't know if i should say this or not. Not because it's like lascivious or something, but because it's going to screw me on the next mystery movie that I write," Johnson said in the interview. "Apple, they let you use iPhones in movies, but — and this is very pivotal if you're ever watching a mystery movie — bad guys cannot have iPhones on camera." Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Johnson's remarks.

Mild "Knives Out" spoiler ahead.

Johnson's "Knives Out" featured an Apple product in at least one scene, in the hands of Linda Drysdale, played by Jamie Lee Curtis. We won't spoil the movie for you, but you can make your own conclusions about Curtis' character in the whodunit, murder mystery movie.

This association has been repeatedly reinforced and depicted over years of movies and TV shows: good guys own iPhones and Macs, the bad guys have PCs and Androids. Viewers have long speculated about this, and have pointed it out in "24," the wildly popular 2000s show starring protagonist Jack Bauer.

Revered movie critic Roger Ebert even remarked on the phenomenon back in 2003.

"Since many Windows machines look alike, Apple is one of the few manufacturers that can gain by product placement," Ebert wrote in a column for the Chicago Sun-Times.

The requirement to depict Apple positively is written right into the company's legal guidelines for third parties using Apple trademarks and copyrights. Apple states that its products must be shown "only in the best light, in a manner or context that reflects favorably on the Apple products and on Apple Inc."

Apple's strict oversight of movie and TV shows is something that's also been noticed in production of content for the company's new streaming service, Apple TV+. Apple executives were reportedly "intrusive" when it came to content, encouraging producers to exclude explicit or mature content in favor of more "family-friendly" content.

SEE ALSO: Inside Mike Bloomberg's bizarre strategy to dominate social media that's dwarfed Trump's 2016 efforts by millions of dollars

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 62 new emoji and emoji variations were just finalized, including a bubble tea emoji and a transgender flag. Here's how everyday people submit their own emoji.

'Contagion' is one of the most popular thrillers on iTunes because of the coronavirus outbreak. Here's how the film compares to reality.

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  • The coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China, has killed at least 2,800 people and infected more than 84,000 since December.
  • In the two month since public-health officials reported the first coronavirus case, many people have streamed the 2011 movie "Contagion."
  • The film depicts a fictional pandemic that spreads from animals to people in Hong Kong, then kills tens of millions worldwide.
  • Here's how the pandemic from the movie differs from the coronavirus outbreak.
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The 2011 film "Contagion" opens to the sound of a woman coughing.

The universal sound of sickness, the cough is heavy and full of mucous. It comes from Beth Emhoff, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, who is patient zero in a pandemic that kills at least 26 million people worldwide in less than a month. 

The fictional pandemic in "Contagion," called MEV-1, is a portrayed as a hybrid of influenza and the deadly Nipah virus that emerged in Malaysia in the late 1990s. 

At the end of January, because of the current coronavirus outbreak, Google searches for "Contagion" skyrocketed, as did the number of Twitter users mentioning the movie. "Contagion" is currently one of the top thrillers on iTunes.

The spread of MEV-1 in the movie and the coronavirus epidemic differ in many ways. Importantly, the World Health Organization (WHO) doesn't consider the coronavirus a pandemic yet. Since December 31, the virus has killed at least 2,800 people and infected more than 84,000, mostly in China. It has spread to 56 other countries.

Still, there are some notable parallels between the scenario in "Contagion" and current events. For one, the movie's MEV-1 virus is a zoonotic disease, meaning it jumped from animals to people. In the film, it spreads from a bat to a pig sold at an outdoor Chinese market, before hopping to Emhoff. According to experts, the new coronavirus is also zoonotic disease that started in bats. It likely jumped to people via an intermediary species

Here are all the ways "Contagion" differs from reality.

The movie's ending scene is revealed to be "day one" of the MEV-1 outbreak. It shows a logging company disturbing a bat, which flies out of the forest and into a pig farm, carrying a piece of banana.

The bat drops the fruit (presumably infected with the virus), and a piglet eats it. The pig is later sold to a market vendor, who then sells the butchered swine to a casino restaurant in Hong Kong. The chef prepares the pork before shaking hands with Emhoff, infecting her and kick-starting the pandemic.

This is akin to the way the Nipah virus spread to people in Malaysia and India. 



The 2003 SARS epidemic, which killed 774 people, started in a similar manner. Chinese horseshoe bats passed the virus to civets. People then caught it from civets sold at a wet market.

In the case of the new coronavirus, the process was likely similar.

Genetic studies have all but confirmed that the coronavirus originated in bats. Experts aren't sure which animal species served as the virus' intermediary between bats and people, but pigs, civets, and pangolins are the most likely.



The opening scenes of "Contagion" depict day two of the virus' spread. A man in Hong Kong, China is the first to die from the illness, but a man in Tokyo and a woman in London die, too.

The first person to die of the new coronavirus, a 61-year-old Wuhan resident, died 11 days after the first case was reported. The virus didn't spread outside of China until January 13, two weeks into the outbreak. 

Cases have since been documented in 56 countries beyond China.



By day 29 of the pandemic in the movie, 26 million people worldwide were dead. January 30 was day 29 of the coronavirus outbreak, and more than 210 people had died at that point.

In the last month, the coronavirus death toll has jumped to more than 2,800.



In "Contagion," Emhoff's husband, played by Matt Damon, survives the pandemic because he is immune to the fictional virus.

The concept of individual immunity doesn't apply in the case of coronaviruses, Neil Ferguson, a disease outbreak scientist at Imperial College London, told The Telegraph

"[With the] flu virus you become immune, but there are lots of different viruses circulating," he said. "Coronaviruses don't evolve in the same way as flu with lots of different strains, but equally our body doesn't generate very good immunity."

According to Chinese health authorities, even people who have gotten the new coronavirus and recovered can get it again in the future — the body does not necessarily become permanently immune after infection.

 



In the movie, the MEV-1 virus spreads via close contact and surfaces touched by infected patients.

Paltrow's character infects the Tokyo man who died on day two after blowing on dice he holds in his hands at a casino. She also passes it to a person who cleans up a glass she'd used and another who picks up her phone.

In the case of coronaviruses, viral particles can't survive for long on surfaces. According to the WHO, packages and letters from countries with high case totals are safe.

"There is likely very low risk of spread from products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures,"the CDC said

Instead, the coronavirus spreads via droplets passed when infected people cough or sneeze. 



In "Contagion," many infected patients experience seizures before dying. Coronavirus patients, by contrast, get fever, coughs, and pneumonialike symptoms.

MEV-1 affects everyone equally in the movie — it kills the Emhoffs' son as quickly as it kills Beth.

But about 80% of people who died of the new virus in China were older than 60, and 75% had other medical issues, according to a recent report from China's National Health Commission. A study of 17 patients who died from coronavirus complications reported that their median age was around 75. Many had health problems like high blood pressure and Parkinson's disease.

Other studies have estimated the average ages of infected patients to be between 47 and 55. The largest coronavirus study to date, which examined 72,000 cases in China, revealed that more than 75% of infected patients were between 30 and 69.

 



An average person with the new coronavirus passes it to two to three others — a statistic called the virus' R0 value.

On day six of the movie's MEV-1 pandemic, doctors discuss what the virus' R0 value might be.



Fictional officials at the CDC and WHO in the movie are able to identify Emhoff as patient zero of the MEV-1 pandemic. But patient zero of the coronavirus outbreak has yet to be identified.

On December 31, Chinese officials alerted the WHO to several cases of an unknown pneumonia-like virus in Wuhan. By the next day, the number of cases had jumped to 41, so it's unclear which patient first contracted the virus.

 



No infected patients in "Contagion" recover from the disease. But so far, 36,688 people in at least 25 countries have recovered from the coronavirus.

According to Todd Ellerin, a doctor and contributing writer at Harvard Health Publishing, "many people recover within a few days" from the coronavirus.



A fictional blogger in the movie, played by Jude Law, spreads misinformation, claiming that the MEV-1 virus was manufactured by drug companies to turn a profit.

One homeland-security agent in the movie also wonders whether the virus is a terrorist weapon. Neither of those theories turn out to hold water.

Misinformation has spread during the current outbreak as well — oregano oil will not cure it, nor will drinking bleach

Republican senator Tom Cotten has persistently resurfaced a debunked conspiracy theory that the coronavirus came from Chinese scientists at a secret Wuhan lab for biological warfare.

Scientists were quick to shut Cotten down.

"There's absolutely nothing in the genome sequence of this virus that indicates the virus was engineered," Richard Ebright, a professor of chemical biology at Rutgers University, told The Washington Post on February 16.

 



The scenes in "Contagion" in which doctors identify similarities between the MEV-1 virus' genetic code and DNA from bats and pigs are pretty realistic.

The genetic code of the new coronavirus has been mapped by scientists in multiple countries. It shares 80% of its genome with the coronavirus that caused SARS and also has overlaps with other coronaviruses found in bats and pangolins. 

Chinese public-health experts worked to quickly share that genetic information with researchers around the globe.



Doctors in the movie say a mutated strain of the MEV-1 virus killed hundreds of thousands of people on the African continent.

So far, the new coronavirus has not mutated like that.

Coronaviruses, on the whole, are "somewhat less prone to mutation than flu," Stephen Morse, an epidemiologist at Columbia University, previously told Business Insider



At least 50 million people in China's Hubei province, where the coronavirus originated, are under lockdown.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, said efforts to quarantine Chinese cities could help authorities control the virus' spread.

In "Contagion," the CDC attempts to quarantine the city of Chicago; the Emhoffs' home town of Edina, Minnesota; the Minnesota-Wisconsin border; and other places in the US.



In "Contagion," public-health officials trace the virus' movement between infected people and those with whom they had close contact. This method, called contact tracing, is real and used by epidemiologists to trace outbreaks.

The WHO defines contact tracing as the identification and follow-up of people who may have come into contact with a person infected with a virus. 

According to Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, health officials have used contact tracing to monitor potential coronavirus cases in the US.



The biggest inaccuracy in the movie "Contagion" is how quickly scientists are able to develop and produce a vaccine.

Researchers in "Contagion" are able to produce and distribute a small quantity of a vaccine in just 90 days.

But getting a vaccine to market has historically been an arduous, multiyear process. (The Ebola vaccine, for example, took 20 years to make.) Biotech company Moderna has rapidly developed a vaccine candidate and shipped it for clinical trials in people, but it will likely take another year to determine whether the vaccine is safe and effective.




'The Invisible Man' brings in an impressive $29 million, and is another win for Blumhouse Productions

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  • Universal/Blumhouse Production's "The Invisible Man" brought in an estimated $29 million to win the domestic box office this weekend.
  • The movie is another overachiever for Blumhouse. The horror company only made it for $7 million.
  • The project was originally supposed to be a Johnny Depp-starrer to fall under Universal's Dark Universe franchise, a collection of titles that would have featured classic horror IP.
  • But after the box office failure of Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" in 2017, the Depp project was scrapped (along with the Dark Universe).
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The buildup and release for "The Invisible Man" was text book Blumhouse Productions.

Landing on a February release date, which meant low competition as most in Hollywood historically use the month to open its duds. Teaming with its longtime studio, Universal, to release an effective trailer (it has close to 7 million views since it launched in November). And then paying off with an edge-of-your-seat thriller that earned loads more at the box office than what Blumhouse put into making it. A lot more.

Over the weekend "The Invisible Man," which was made for $7 million, brought in an estimated $29 million to top the domestic box office.

It's just another success story from Jason Blum's production company and a glimpse at what could have been if Universal went in another direction with its monster franchise, Dark Universe.

At one time, "The Invisible Man" was to be the latest big-budget retelling of the classic H. G. Wells novel with Johnny Depp in the lead role. But the brakes were slammed on that after the release of Tom Cruise's "The Mummy" (with Russell Crowe also starring as Dr. Jekyll) was a bust at the box office in 2017 (made for $125 million, it only made $80 million domestically). Not only was the Depp project scrapped but future projects, like Javier Bardem as the Frankenstein monster.

Instead, Blumhouse took over "The Invisible Man" and turned it into a grounded tale that touches on the #MeToo era, as Elizabeth Moss plays a woman being terrorized by her abusive husband (who is now invisible) that everyone believes died due to suicide.

The success of Blumhouse's version (it has a 90% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) perhaps shows a new pathway for the Universal monsters (that also include Dracula, The Wolfman, and Creature from the Black Lagoon), which have been earning box office coin for the studio since the 1930s. That theory built momentum over the weekend when "Invisible Man" director Leigh Whannell ("Upgrade" and cocreator of "Saw") signed a first-look deal with Blumhouse.

This could all just be wishful thinking, but what's certain is that Blumhouse has once more shown that its formula works perfectly for today's moviegoing audience. And in a few weeks that model will once more examined when perhaps its most controversial movie in its history opens in theaters: "The Hunt" opens on March 13.

bad boys for life sony

Box-office highlights:

  • Sony's "Bad Boys For Life" has passed $400 million at the worldwide box office. An incredible feat for a franchise thought to be D.O.A. (the movie was only made for $90 million).
  • Paramount's "Sonic the Hedgehog" continues to impress as it dipped only 39% this weekend with a $16 million take. It has made over $120 million domestically.

SEE ALSO: How movie theaters are approaching subscription plans after the death of MoviePass, and 7 services battling for US market share

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns explains why country music is universal

Pandemic movie 'Contagion' is surging in popularity due to the coronavirus and has hit the No. 7 spot on iTunes

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  • The 2011 movie "Contagion," about a pandemic, is increasing in popularity due to the coronavirus, which has spread to at least 88 countries and killed more than 3,300 people. 
  • "Contagion" was the seventh most popular movie on iTunes on Friday. 
  • Visits to piracy websites for the movie rapidly increased in January, according to the piracy analytics company MUSO.
  • Rebecca Katz, director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, told NPR last month that she shows the movie's ending to students "to show the interconnectedness between animals, the environment, and humans."
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The movie "Contagion" was released in 2011, but it's rising in popularity above films released this year.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Matt Damon, Jude Law, and more, "Contagion" is about a pandemic that threatens humanity. In recent weeks, it's raced up the iTunes charts and has increased in piracy because of the coronavirus, which has spread to at least 88 countries and killed more than 3,300 people

On Friday, "Contagion" was the seventh most popular movie on iTunes. Every other movie in the top 20 was released in 2019.

According to the piracy analytics company MUSO, "Contagion" increased from 546 visits to piracy streaming sites on January 7 to a whopping 30,418 visits on January 30, when coronavirus concerns had reached a high level.

"Although not an especially high number compared to the piracy numbers for blockbuster titles, the average daily visits for 'Contagion' increased by an astonishing 5,609% in January 2020 compared to December 2019," MUSO CEO Andy Chatterley wrote for Forbes.

"Contagion" isn't currently available on Netflix or other streamers, but is available to rent or buy from iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu, and more.

Not all of the science of the movie is plausible. In 2011, after the movie's release, experts from the Centers for Disease Control shot down some of the movie's fictional scenarios for PBS NewsHour, including developing a vaccine so quickly.

But experts did say that the depiction of the movie's virus reaching humans through animal encounters is a likely scenario.

"Contact with bats (or contact with intermediate animal hosts that acquired infection from bats) is a common theme among some recent emerging human infections," the CDC told NewsHour.

Rebecca Katz, director of the Center for Global Health Science and Security at Georgetown University, told NPR last month that she shows the movie's ending to students "to show the interconnectedness between animals, the environment, and humans."

The movie's writer, Scott Burns, told The New York Times that people have been asking him questions about the coronavirus on social media.

"I'm alarmed when people choose to ask a screenwriter for advice, rather than a doctor," he told The Times.

SEE ALSO: 'The Banker,' Apple's first major movie, is getting bad reviews as it hits theaters after a delayed release

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Popcorn Time, the infamous 'Netflix for piracy' app, has made its return amid the coronavirus pandemic

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Popcorn Time

  • Popcorn Time is a notorious application that was wildly popular in 2014 for allowing users to illegally stream movies and TV shows for free.
  • The software, which was shut down in 2014, appears to have made a comeback with a new version that's available to download on Mac computers and PCs, as well as Android devices.
  • Popcorn Time's relaunch comes at a time when more people are working from home and spending more time indoors amid the coronavirus pandemic. 
  • Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A notorious app for illegally streaming the latest movies and TV shows has relaunched during a time when millions of people are spending more time at home amid the coronavirus outbreak, earlier reported by Motherboard.

The app, Popcorn Time, became an instant hit when it launched in 2014 as a free — albeit, illegal — alternative to streaming services like Netflix. Dubbed the "Netflix of Piracy," Popcorn Time debuted at a time when most online pirating was done through torrenting; its focus on streaming made it easier to use and instantly popular among some corners of the internet.

The app was immediately derided by the film and TV industries when it launched. Movie executives, government authorities, industry lawyers, and federal courtsattempted to shut down Popcorn Time and its hosting services multiple times. The app's founder then shut it down in 2014 amid growing pressure.

Proponents of Popcorn Time argued that the site was an easy and convenient way to access public-domain films, but the service was also host to illegally downloaded or pirated movies and TV shows.

Several sites emerged after Popcorn Time first shut down using the app's open-source software, but the original service has been unavailable to download for many years. Now, Popcorn Time has returned at a time when many are staying indoors because of the coronavirus pandemic, through quarantine, lockdown, or remote-work order

The newest iteration of Popcorn Time is version 0.4, and remains free to download.

More than 200,000 cases have been reported worldwide of COVID-19, the coronavirus disease. Over 8,000 people have died, and many more are expected to come. Cities around the world are under orders for its citizens to shelter in-place and quarantine in their homes to stymie the disease's spread.

SEE ALSO: YouTube warns more videos than usual could be removed as content moderation is automated amid coronavirus outbreak

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The 15 best movies on Hulu that you can stream right now

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hulu

  • For $5.99 a month (ad-supported) or $11.99 a month (ad-free), you'll gain access toHulu's entire streaming catalog of TV shows, original series, and movies.
  • While movies often aren't the main draw ofHulu, its collection of over 2,500 titles is nothing to sneeze at.
  • Standout new releases include "Booksmart", "Mission: Impossible - Fallout," and "A Quiet Place."
  • Classics like "Vacation", "When Harry Met Sally," and "Good Will Hunting," also make our list of top picks.
  • If you're looking for a reliable device to stream Hulu on, check out our guides to the best 4K TVs and the best streaming players.

 

Though Hulu originally launched as a platform aimed at bringing TV series to streamers, over the years it's built a sizable movie catalog, with over 2,500 titles across genres. I've often viewed it as a nice supplement to my Hulu subscription rather than what drives me to the platform, which is still its collection of my favorite shows and its host of original content

But as I was browsing their film selection, I kept finding myself saying, "I didn't know Hulu had this," and adding it to my watch list. It's become clear to me that I have to turn my attention away from watching "30 Rock" over and over again and start streaming some of Hulu's vast movie collection. Clearly, I have a lot of content to catch up on.

If you don't yet have a Hulu subscription, the ad-supported option remains one of the most affordable streaming services on the market at $5.99 a month, or you can upgrade to the ad-free option — which I think is well worth it— for $11.99 a month. For those who want even more content, the ad-supported Hulu is also available as a bundle with Disney Plus and ESPN+ for $12.99 a month ($5/month less than buying each separately). 

Each tier gives you access to Hulu's entire movie catalog as well as the platform's entire collection of shows and Hulu Originals. And it couldn't be easier to stream. The Hulu app already comes installed on most smart TVs, so all you have to do is log in and start streaming. If you don't have a smart TV, any streaming box or stick will have Hulu available as an app as well. Or you can always stream on your phone or laptop.

Once you get set up, here's our list of the best movies available for streaming on Hulu. Our selection features a mix of recent releases and classic titles across multiple genres, ensuring that all viewing needs are accounted for. All of the movies we've selected are categorized as fresh by critics and audience members on the review-aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes

Updated on 03/20/2020 by Steven Cohen: Removed films no longer available on Hulu and added new picks that you can stream right now. Updated formatting and added links to related guides and services to provide more home entertainment recommendations in light of current events. 

'A Quiet Place'

John Krasinski is most prominently known as Jim from "The Office," but "The Quiet Place"— which he co-wrote, directed, and starred in — is one of the films that helped him break away from his lovable goofball sitcom persona. This critically acclaimed thriller sees him alongside his real-life spouse Emily Blunt trying to survive in a world where monsters with ultrasensitive hearing attack anything that makes noise. Watch this one now before checking out the recently released sequel.



'When Harry Met Sally'

More than 30 years after its original release in 1989, "When Harry Met Sally" remains one of the most entertaining and perceptive romantic comedies ever made. Director Rob Reiner and screenwriter Nora Ephron tap into the collective unconscious of the dating world, turning a classic tale of "boy meets girl" into a uniquely insightful and funny story about two people, Harry and Sally, who gradually fall in love over the span of several years. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan star as the iconic duo, turning in memorable performances that are sure to delight viewers.



'RBG'

In the past several years, Ruth Bader Ginsburg has undergone a transformation from legal expert and Supreme Court Justice to the Notorious R.B.G. — an unlikely pop culture icon and feminist superstar. This critically acclaimed documentary tracks the groundbreaking, revolutionary career of a political powerhouse and her rise to prominence as the second-ever female Supreme Court Justice.



'Mission: Impossible - Fallout'

Paramount's Mission: Impossible franchise has been going strong since 1996, and the latest installment in the series just might be the best yet. "Mission: Impossible – Fallout" picks up after the events of the last film, and focuses on Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) as he and his team of spies attempt to track down a criminal who has stolen plutonium. Filled with thrilling visuals, the movie is a perfect fit for action junkies.  



'Good Will Hunting'

This Academy Award-winning film put Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on the map. Damon stars as the title character, Will Hunting, who works as a janitor at MIT but also happens to be a genius. Though a stereotypical underachiever, Will's life is changed when he meets a therapist played by Robin Williams. Ben Affleck, Stellan Skarsgard, and Minnie Driver round out the cast.



'How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World'

If you're looking for an entertaining family film on Hulu, then Dreamworks' "How to Train your Dragon: The Hidden World" is a great fit. The third film in the animated trilogy finds Hiccup and Toothless embarking on a journey to find a secret land where dragons live in peace. The movie stars the vocal talents of Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, Craig Ferguson, and F. Murray Abraham. 



'Annihilation'

The Shimmer, a quarantined zone where all life inside it is violently mutating, is expanding, and scientist Lena is tasked with determining why. But her secondary mission might be more pressing: discover what happened to her husband inside the mysterious area. This sci-fi thriller starring Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac is a visual and auditory intellectual roller-coaster ride.



'I, Tonya'

This dark comedy mockumentary follows the infamous scandal in which Tonya Harding's ex-husband hired a goon to attack and injure rival ice skater Nancy Kerrigan prior to the 1994 Olympics. Harding's involvement in the plot ruined her career and got her banned from ice skating competitions for life. Margot Robbie earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Harding, and the great Allison Janney took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Harding's mother



'Sorry to Bother You'

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Cash is finding his job as a telemarketer to be nearly impossible until his coworker lets him in on the secret to success: "white voice." When he excels at the skill, he rises quickly through the ranks only to discover the company he's working for has a freakish dark side. This sci-fi satire takes on race, class, and labor themes in a truly unique way.



'Three Identical Strangers'

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the documentary film "Three Identical Strangers" presents a classic instance of "truth is stranger than fiction." This unlikely true story examines the peculiar case of identical triplets who meet each other as young adults after being separated at birth. As the three brothers attempt to piece together how this could have happened, they discover surprising twists and turns that gradually expose a complex mystery.  



'The Cabin in the Woods'

More than just a typical horror flick, director Drew Goddard's "The Cabin in the Woods" acts as a clever satire on typical horror movie tropes and clichés. The film starts off with a standard premise as five friends encounter a deadly threat in a secluded cabin – but as the story develops, the movie playfully turns that common plot on its head. Funny and thrilling, this is a slasher with some genuine smarts and laughs on top of a healthy helping of scares.



'Big Fish'

Based on the novel written by Daniel Wallace, director Tim Burton's "Big Fish" is a cinematic love letter to storytelling. The plot focuses on the whimsical tall tales of a dying father (Albert Finney) as he tries to reconnect with his adult son (Billy Crudup). Ewan McGregor plays the father as a young man during fanciful flashbacks that recount his youth and romantic adventures. Examining the sometimes precarious relationship between truth and fiction, the movie weaves an emotional narrative about love and reconciliation.  



'Booksmart'

Following in the footsteps of similar coming-of-age teen comedies, "Booksmart" offers ample laughs and heartfelt insights in equal measure. Kaitlyn Dever and Beanie Feldstein star as a pair of high school seniors who suddenly realize they've spent their entire lives focusing on grades without having any fun. Before their graduation, they attempt to make up for lost time with a night of partying they'll never forget.  



'Missing Link'

Winner of the 2020 Golden Globe for Best Animated Motion Picture, "Missing Link" is a beautiful stop-motion film from the same studio who produced "Coraline" and "Kubo and the Two Strings." The story follows a Sasquatch named Mr. Link who seeks the help of an explorer to help him find his Yeti relatives. Hugh Jackman, Zoe Saldana, and Zach Galifianakis all lend their voices to the cast.



'Vacation'

Director Harold Ramis' "Vacation" is a classic comedy that anyone who's ever been on a family road trip can relate to. As the Griswold family sets off on a journey to Walley World, the unlucky group runs into one hilarious setback after another. The movie stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Anthony Michael Hall, and Dana Barron. Several sequels are also available to watch on Hulu, including the holiday staple "Christmas Vacation."

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Cannes, the world's most glamorous film festival, has been postponed until further notice because of the coronavirus

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Bong Joon-Ho with Kang-Ho Song Cannes

On Thursday, Cannes Film Festival announced it would be postponed until further notice amid the coronavirus pandemic. The festival organizers said they were looking at other options for future festival dates, and considering having the festival at the end of June or in the beginning of July instead.

"At this time of global health crisis, our thoughts go to the victims of the COVID-19 and we express our solidarity with all of those who are fighting the disease,"festival representatives said in a press statement released on its website.

"As soon as the development of the French and international health situation will allow us to assess the real possibility, we will make our decision known, in accordance with our ongoing consultation with the French Government and Cannes' City Hall as well as with the Festival's Board Members, film industry professionals, and all the partners of the event."

The festival, which was originally set to take place from May 12 to 23, is one of many events disrupted amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Monday, Business Insider reported that The Met Gala, supposed to be held May 4, has been postponed "indefinitely" while South by Southwest was canceled on March 6. 

Business Insider's Travis Clark previously reported that Cannes had declined to buy insurance that covers epidemics and pandemics, because it would only cover $2.3 million out of its massive $36 million budget. France has 10,995 reported cases of the virus and 372 deaths, according to the latest available estimates.

SEE ALSO: The Cannes Film Festival won't be insured if it is canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak

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