Quantcast
Channel: TV
Viewing all 9480 articles
Browse latest View live

Nick Lachey denies 'Dancing With the Stars' feud between wife Vanessa and Maks Chmerkovskiy: 'There's no conflict'

0
0

Nick Lachey Vanessa Maksim Chmerkovskiy dancing with the stars abcThe INSIDER Summary:

  • Vanessa Lachey had a different dance partner on "Dancing With the Stars" October 2.
  • Her regular professional dance partner Maksim (Maks) Chmerkovskiy was absent for "a personal issue."
  • Reports claimed Chmerkovskiy was absent because of a "chemistry issue" with Vanessa.
  • Vanessa's husband and "DWTS" contestant Nick Lachey tells INSIDER "there's no conflict" between the two.
  • Nick Lachey said he isn't sure what personal issues Chmerkovskiy needed to address.
  • Lachey added that Vanessa and Maks have "been fine every time" has has been around them and that he's excite Chmerkovskiy is back. 


Vanessa Lachey's last-minute partner change on "Dancing With the Stars" earlier this month fueled reports of growing tension between the contestant and professional dance partner Maksim (Maks) Chmerkovskiy from the season's start. But Vanessa's husband, singer, and fellow "DWTS" contestant Nick Lachey says not to believe everything you hear in the media. 

"There’s no personality issue, there’s no conflict," Lachey told INSIDER on Friday. "I don’t know what the press has been reporting in detail, but I can say that they’re fine and [dance partner] Peta [Murgatroyd] and I are fine. It's all good. I’m just excited he’s back and they were able to kind of pick up where they left off."

Vanessa competed without Maks on the October 2 episode of the season. Instead, she danced with recently-eliminated dancer Alan Bersten to"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." The only explanation given for Chmerkovskiy's absence was that he was dealing with "a personal issue."

vanessa lachey dwts

Afterwards, People magazine reported Chmerkovskiy skipped the show because of a "big chemistry issue." E! News reported a brewing tension between Chmerkovskiy and Lachey citing an unnamed source that claimed "their personalities have completely clashed and they really don't get along off set." 

Chmerkovskiy later took to Twitter October 4 to apologize for his absence on the show.

"As you are all aware, I had to leave the show last week to take care of some personal issues," Chmerkovskiy wrote. "I take full responsibility for my absence and want to apologize to my partner Vanessa. We are both looking forward to dancing for our fans next week!"

INSIDER asked Nick Lachey if he could clarify or clear up what exactly happened. Lachey said he couldn't comment on Chmerkovskiy's absence from the show the week before. 

"I’ll be honest, you’d have to ask Maks about that. He needed to deal with some stuff and, to the best of my knowledge did, and they came back and picked up right where they left off and had a beautiful dance," said Lachey of his wife's rumba with Chmerkovskiy during the October 9 show. "You know, we’ve all got stuff going on in our lives all the time and sometimes other things take priority."

Chmerkovskiy and Vanessa danced an emotional rumba to Nick Lachey's “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)." Nothing looked awry between the two during the show. 

maks vanessa dancing with the stars

Nick was clear that despite reports of personality clashes, he hasn't seen anything like that between the two.

"They’ve been fine every time I’ve been around them. It’s easy for people to speculate. Everyone wants to create a soap opera where there’s not necessarily always a soap opera," Lachey said of the media reports. "As far as I’ve seen, everything is great and as far as the dances are concerned, they’ve killed those. Whatever they’re doing, it’s working."

Lachey is certainly right there. His wife has been near the top of the leaderboard every week. Their latest dance scored them a 24 out of 30 points.

maks vanessa lachey dwts

Next week, the couple will hit the floor for Disney week. Nick and dance partner Peta Murgatroyd will perform a quickstep to "The Jungle Book" song "The Bare Necessities" while Vanessa and Chmerkovskiy will dance a waltz to "Un Jour Mon Prince Viendra" from "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."

nick lachey vanessa lachey

You can read more from our interview with Nick Lachey here.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what that square patch on your backpack is actually used for


The 'Fear the Walking Dead' finale gave a big hint about which character will be on the big crossover

0
0

fear the walking dead spinoff

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the "Fear the Walking Dead" season three finale.

"The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman told fans at New York Comic Con the hit AMC show will have a big crossover event with its spinoff series, "Fear the Walking Dead," fans have been trying to figure out how the two shows will connect. 

It looks like the season three finale may have just offered up a big clue.

Early on the episode, Proctor John (Ray McKinnon) tells Alicia (Alycia Debnam-Carey) he wants to start setting up a trading network in Texas. His plan is to head to Houston — or what's left of it anyway.

proctor john alicia ftwd

If you've been keeping tabs of the many locations mentioned throughout the years on "The Walking Dead," Texas should perk up the ears of any fan.

Fan favorite Abraham was in Houston, Texas during the early days of the zombie apocalypse.

abraham ford walking dead

When Abraham was first introduced on the show in the latter half of season four, he casually mentions that he, Rosita, and Eugene have been trucking along all the way from Texas. 

On the fifth episode of season five, we see flashbacks of Abraham's early life with his wife and two children in Texas. He was horrified to discover some members of his group raped his wife while out on a run. In response, he brutally killed the four men. In the process, he terrified his family after returning to them covered in blood. They eventually run off from him and Abraham discovers them all dead. He considers killing himself until he comes upon Eugene who gives him a renewed purpose for living. 

walking dead abraham texas

Eugene says he has an important mission in Washington, D.C. He knows the cure to the zombie virus! (Of course, we later learn that's a big lie.) But at the time, the two pair up with Rosita and start traveling to D.C. 

Fans of the two shows also thought the Texas mention all but confirmed Cudlitz's reappearance in "The Walking Dead" universe.

It also helped that Abraham actor Michael Cudlitz tweeted not too long after the crossover event announcement. 

"Crazy sh-- is about to go down. See y'all on the other side," he wrote. 

At New York Comic Con, Kirkman didn't offer much context on the "Fear TWD"/"Walking Dead" crossover event. He simply said a character from one of the two shows will appear on the other series at some point. One possibility he teased was that fans could see "an interesting backstory of a 'Walking Dead' character" on "Fear." With the way the ratings look for the spin-off series, that is most certainly the most logical idea to inject new life into the show.

Abraham was brutally killed off on the seventh season premiere of "The Walking Dead" after his head was smashed in with a bat. His and Glenn's deaths left many viewers rattled by the violent premiere. Bringing back at least one of the fan favorites, could be a way to service fans. 

abraham walking dead negan

If it is Abraham who appears on "Fear the Walking Dead," there is one big question on how that would work.

How would this even fit into the timeline of the two shows?

abraham the walking dead.JPG

It should fit pretty simply. When the series began, "Fear the Walking Dead" showrunner Dave Erickson told INSIDER the timelines of "The Walking Dead" and its sister show aren't that far apart. 

"Our starting points are similar. The first day of our show is around or about the day that Rick was shot and fell into his coma," Erickson told us in 2015"Robert has said for him, the coma, Rick was probably out four to five weeks. If you count the days of season one of our show, we’re probably around week three [by the end of the season]." 

Erickson is leaving the show after season three and Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg of "Once Upon a Time" will step in as coshowrunners. "The Walking Dead" showrunner Scott M. Gimple is also becoming an executive producer of the series.

Maybe Abraham will have a run in with the "Fear the Walking Dead" antagonist Proctor John. Any bets on how that would go down for John? Probably not great. 

 

We'll have to wait for now to learn more about the crossover event. Kirkman said more news should be coming in a few months. Until then, "The Walking Dead" will be starting its eighth season October 22. Perhaps it will offer up some clues. You can follow along with all of INSIDER's "Walking Dead" coverage here.

SEE ALSO: 'The Walking Dead' is going to have a big crossover with its spin-off show

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what that square patch on your backpack is actually used for

'Dancing With the Stars' just gave out its first perfect score of the season and it's a must-watch performance

0
0

dancing with the stars jordan fisher moana

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Monday was Disney Night on "Dancing With the Stars."
  • There were themed dances to "Snow White,""Pinocchio," and more, but the stand-out of the night was Jordan Fisher and Lindsay Arnold's Foxtrot to "You're Welcome." 
  • The song is featured in Disney's "Moana" and is also sung by Fisher along with Lin-Manuel Miranda. 
  • From the moment the music begun, Arnold and Fisher captivated through two minutes of an effortless Foxtrot.
  • The two moved as one across the dance floor twirling and clapping in perfect harmony. 
  • Fisher and Arnold received a 30/30 for their performance — the first perfect score of the show's 25th season.
  • It was well-deserved as the best performance of the night. If you have two minutes, watch it in its entirety below.

 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Animated map shows what would happen to Asia if all the Earth's ice melted

Nicole Kidman gets very frazzled while explaining that kiss with her 'Big Little Lies' costar at the Emmys

0
0

Nicole Kidman Graham Norton Show

The INSIDER Summary:

  • Nicole Kidman won an Emmy for her performance on "Big Little Lies."
  • When she won, she stood up and kissed her husband Keith Urban, then kissed her costar Alexander Skarsgård (who played her husband on the show).
  • A photo of the moment went viral the night of the Emmys.
  • People thought the moment was strange, while others saw it was a sign of how supportive Urban is of his wife.
  • On "The Graham Norton Show," the photo was shown to Kidman.
  • She became a little flustered and dismissive of Norton being "provocative."
  • "I've got an amazing, supportive, gorgeous husband who I love more than anything in the world," Kidman said. "I gave Alex a congratulatory kiss and he's like a mannequin."
  • Watch the full clip below to see how Norton and the other guests laughed along with Kidman at her slightly fumbled explanation.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 airline industry secrets that will help you fly like a pro

Kevin James finally explains why they killed off his TV wife on 'Kevin Can Wait'

0
0

kevin can wait

The INSIDER Summary:

  • "Kevin Can Wait" killed off actor Kevin James' TV wife before the premiere of the second season.
  • The CBS comedy star explained that they "were literally just running out of ideas."
  • He added that killing off Erinn Hayes' character "was needed for this show to drive forward."

"Kevin Can Wait"fans had a lot of feelings (and that's putting it mildly) about how the show killed off Erinn Hayes' character in the season two premiere. Showrunner Rob Long explained the decision prior to the episode in August, but the series' star, Kevin James, had yet to comment himself — until now. In a new interview, James revealed the real reason they said goodbye to his TV wife after just one season.

While it was pretty clear that the comedy was ditching Donna (Hayes) to bring in James' former "King of Queens" costar Leah Remini, the actor elaborated on the character swap while chatting with the New York Daily News, explaining that the folks behind the scenes "were literally just running out of ideas."

He added, "I get that people are like, 'Whoa, why would you do this?' But it really felt like a thing like this was needed for this show to drive forward."

He also revealed that his character was initially scripted as a single father, but that a change had been made before the show went to air and his fictional wife was written in. After the first season, they knew that they had to go back to their original plan.

"The plot of the show didn't have enough drive," James told the NYDN. "If we got through a second season, I wouldn't see us getting through a third one."

Executive producer Long previously told TVLine that the second season of "Kevin Can Wait" would not only give the lead character the motivation the story needed, but also do its best to respect the character (and actress) they said goodbye to.

"The goal was to give Kevin's character a real drive and a real predicament [involving] how a family comes back together [after tragedy]. Also, out of respect for the character of Donna — and certainly the way that Erinn Hayes portrayed her — it seemed like the only right and fair way to treat her character," he said in August.

We'll have to see if fans agree as the second season of "Kevin Can Wait" continues to air Mondays at 9pm ET/8pm CT on CBS.

What do you think about Kevin James' explanation for killing off Erinn Hayes' character on "Kevin Can Wait?" Let us know @BritandCo.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: All blue-eyed people have a single ancestor in common

As Netflix hits an all-time high, CEO Reed Hastings joins Forbes list of the richest Americans for the first time

0
0

Reed Hastings

Reed Hastings, with a current net worth of about $2.3 billion, has been named to the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans for the first time.

Hastings, chairman and CEO of Netflix, co-founded the company in 1997 as a DVD-by-mail provider. His fortune is tied to Netflix stock, which has exploded over the past year as the company continues to its global expansion. Shares of Netflix have more than doubled since September 2016.

To make the Forbes 400 list this year, individuals needed a net worth of $2 billion or more — up $300 million from $1.7 billion in 2016. The 2017 list was published Tuesday.

Netflix on Monday reported another solid quarter: It beat forecasts for subscriber growth with 5.3 million net adds — its biggest Q3 gain to date — to stand at more than 109 million streaming subscribers worldwide. The company expects torelease about 80 original films next year (up from around 50 this year) and is still spending like crazy, projecting content expenditures to be up to $8 billion in 2018 (versus $6 billion this year).

Hastings is among 22 newbies on the Forbes 400 this year. Others include Rocco Commisso, founder of Mediacom Communications (with a net worth estimated at $4.5 billion); the four daughters of the late Forrest Mars Jr., co-owner of candy giant Mars Inc. ($6.3 billion each); and Jane Lauder, granddaughter of cosmetics mogul Estée Lauder ($2 billion).

The top 10 wealthiest U.S. individuals, per Forbes’ estimates as of Tuesday, are Bill Gates (net worth: $86 billion); Warren Buffett ($75.6 billion); Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos ($72.8 billion); Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg ($56 billion); Larry Ellison ($52.2 billion); Charles and David Koch ($48.3 billion each); Michael Bloomberg ($47.5 billion); and Google co-founders Larry Page ($40.7 billion) and Sergey Brin ($39.8 billion).

In media and entertainment, billionaires on the Forbes 400 list this year include: Dish Network’s Charlie Ergen ($15.8 billion); Advance Publications’ Donald Newhouse ($12.3 billion); Rupert Murdoch ($12 billion); Cox Enterprises chairman Jim Kennedy ($12 billion); John Malone ($8.2 billion); David Geffen ($7.8 billion); Sumner Redstone ($5.1 billion); Charles Dolan ($5 billion); George Lucas ($5 billion); Ike Perlmutter, CEO of Marvel Entertainment ($3.9 billion); Steven Spielberg ($3.6 billion); and Mark Cuban ($3.3 billion).

SEE ALSO: Netflix plans to release 80 original films in 2018 — and some huge names are on board

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 6 airline industry secrets that will help you fly like a pro

RANKED: The 10 most popular original TV shows on Amazon Prime right now

0
0

the tick amazon

Ever wonder if you're getting the most out of your Amazon Prime Video membership?

Amazon has been in the original television show game since 2013. It also democratized the process for choosing many of its series by allowing users to vote on the pilot episodes they would like to see produced into full series.

In the years since, Amazon has had some critical hits like "Transparent,""Mozart in the Jungle," and "One Mississippi." It has also attracted some stinkers, such as "Mad Dogs" and Woody Allen's "Crisis in Six Scenes."

INSIDER teamed up with Parrot Analytics to bring you a ranking of Amazon's most popular original TV shows right now. The company analyzes ratings data (where available), social media chatter, blogging, and illegal pirating, among other factors, to figure out the viewer demand for shows. 

In ranking the popularity of these shows, Parrot assigned them an expressions total that reflects average daily audience demand in the US from September 5 to October 4, 2017.

Here are the 10 most popular Amazon original TV shows right now, according to Parrot Analytics:

10. "Ripper Street"

Originally canceled by BBC after two seasons, Amazon picked up the crime drama for another three seasons. The series is set in the 1880s – the same time Jack the Ripper terrorized London.

Average demand expressions: 1.05 million



9. "Sneaky Pete"

Giovanni Ribisi plays a conman who assumes his prison cellmate's identity to escape the mob, only to find out that his new life could be even worse.

Average demand expressions: 1.07 million



8. "Bosch"

The police procedural set in Los Angeles revolves around Harry Bosch, who's trying to solve the murder of young boy while standing trial for killing a man while on-duty.

Average demand expressions: 1.08 million



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 20 shows on UK Netflix that people are most likely to start and finish within 24 hours

0
0

OITNB 2

As more people turn to on-demand TV and online-exclusive series instead of one-episode-a-week shows on mainstream channels, it's becoming increasingly difficult to resist watching back-to-back episodes of your favourite show for hours straight.

There's one group of online streamers who take this to the next level: "binge-racers."

Accomplishing in just 24 hours what it takes the average person weeks to achieve, these speedy individuals rush through an entire series in just a single day — and according to Netflix, there are some series they're more likely to power through than others.

Although it may sound like a past-time reserved for students, the ill, and the unemployed, over 8.4 million Netflix users have "binge-raced" a series in their lifetime. And this figure is only set to rise — the number of "binge-racers" has increased 20 times over since Netflix launched in 2013, according to the company.

Scroll on to discover the 20 most "binge-raced" shows on UK Netflix, ranked in ascending order.

20. Marvel's "Daredevil"

Watch the Season One trailer here.



19. "Grace and Frankie"

Watch the Season One trailer here.



18. "GLOW"

Watch the trailer here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Netflix has a special word for people who binge watch an entire season of TV right after it drops

0
0

gilmore girls year in the life

The INSIDER Summary:

  • "Binge racers" is Netflix's term for people who watch a season of a show within 24 hours of its release.
  • Around 8.4 million of its subscribers have the habit.
  • The most binge-raced show is "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life."


You know that proud but also slightly shameful feeling you have when you've binge-watched a Netflix series in under a day? Netflix now has a name for the people who do that: "binge racers."

The technical definition of the term, according to Netflix, is "members who completed a season of a TV show within 24 hours of its release on Netflix." Brian Wright, Netflix’s vice president of Original Series, told the Associated Press that the term arose organically.

"We wanted language for that superfan who watched it all in one sitting," Wright said. "'Binge racing' was bubbling up on social media." (A Twitter search of the term did not confirm this.)

Netflix says 8.4 million of its more than 100 million subscribers have binge-raced at one point or another, and that the number is growing. Five users have watched all five seasons of "House of Cards" in the first 24 hours of each season's release, which I don't advise.

Netflix also notes that, contrary to expectations, the top shows aren't all half-hour comedies like "GLOW" and "Master of None." People are happy to race through hour-long thrillers and dramas.

Here are the top 10 most binge-raced Netflix shows:

  1. "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life"
  2. "Fuller House"
  3. "Marvel's The Defenders"
  4. "The Seven Deadly Sins"
  5. "The Ranch"
  6. "Santa Clarita Diet"
  7. "Trailer Park Boys"
  8. "F is for Family"
  9. "Orange Is the New Black"
  10. "Stranger Things"

SEE ALSO: Nielsen says it can finally tell us how many people are watching Netflix shows

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: All blue-eyed people have a single ancestor in common

Amazon reportedly wasted $40 million on a Robert De Niro show it killed after the Harvey Weinstein scandal

0
0

robert de niro

  • Amazon scrapped an untitled, Robert De Niro-led series that would have cost $160 million.
  • The company cancelled it following the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, a producer on the show, and Amazon Studios boss Roy Price.
  • The streaming service already spent $40 million on the series, according to a new report.

 

Amazon announced Friday that it had scrapped a reported $160 million series starring Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore, in light of the sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, who was a producer on the untitled series.

And according to a new Hollywood Reporter article on the downfall of Amazon Studios boss Roy Price — who picked up the expensive, David O. Russell-directed series — the streaming service already wasted $40 million in pre-production costs for the show. 

Amazon killed the show one day after putting Price on an extended leave of absence, following the sexual harassment allegations made against him by Isa Hackett, the executive producer of Amazon's "The Man in the High Castle." (Price resigned from his job on Tuesday.)

According to THR, Price helped Weinstein bring the David O. Russell show to fruition in its early stages, after Weinstein insisted that he could keep Russell, who he has previously worked with, and the costly show on track. 

Early work on the show was reportedly "chaotic," and now, in the aftermath of Price's resignation, Amazon will have to deal with sending $40 million down the drain for an ill-fated series.

The show's high price tag, including a requested $1 million per episode salary for De Niro, led other networks like HBO to reject an offer for it, according to Indiewire. The series was set for a two-season, 20-episode production with Amazon. 

Following Amazon's decision to cancel the show on Friday, Russell, De Niro, and Moore gave the following combined statement"We support Amazon’s decision as in light of recent news and out of respect for all those affected we have decided together that it is best to not move forward with this show."

SEE ALSO: The best movie of every year since 2000, according to critics

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: An undercover investigation reveals air quality on a cruise ship deck could be worse than the world’s most polluted cities

'Jeopardy' winner takes home just $1 after everyone blows the final question in historic ending

0
0

Jeopardy winner $1 ABC

  • During the final "Jeopardy" question on Tuesday night, all three contestants got the question wrong.
  • But two people had bet all of their money, and were left with nothing.
  • Returning champ Manny Abel bet $999 of his $1000, leaving him as the winner with $1.
  • The question was: "It's the only country that borders both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf." (Answer: Iran).


"Jeopardy" fans were surprised to watch the winner of Tuesday's game take home just $1. According to the "Jeopardy" archives, a $1 winner has only happened one other time in the show's history.

We first spotted a screenshot of the episode on Reddit, and it was almost hard to believe it was real.

The "Jeopardy" prompt was: "It's the only country that borders both the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf." 

The correct answer is Iran. But returning champ Manny Abell guessed "What is Iraq?" on a $999 bet, and with only $1000 left. That meant his total was brought down to $1, and his odds of winning weren't looking good.

But Abells's competitors, Alex and Fran, bet every penny they had on "What is Azerbaijan?" and "What is Tibet?"— leaving them with nothing. Abell won, but only took home $1.

Watch the full video below:

SEE ALSO: A 'Jeopardy!' fan favorite explains how he's won over $300,000 in an 8-day streak without really knowing the answers

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what that square patch on your backpack is actually used for

All the real serial killers featured on Netflix's new drama 'Mindhunter'

0
0

Ed Kemper Mindhunter real life serial killer Netflix show

Warning: Spoilers ahead for the first season of "Mindhunter."

Netflix's new true-crime centric thriller series "Mindhunter" was inspired by the true story of how the FBI's Behavioral Science Unit began studying psychopaths and serial killers in the late 1970s. While the names of the special agents involved were changed, several of the convicted murderers they interview are pulled straight from history. 

Keep reading for a look at the five major criminals featured in the show to see how their fictional versions stack up to the real people.

Warning: The below article contains descriptions of graphic violence.

SEE ALSO: The 27 best scary movies on Netflix

Edmund Kemper, the "Co-Ed Killer," was found guilty of ten counts of murder, as well as dismemberment and necrophilia.

Kemper is the first accused murderer Special Agent Holden, who's played by Jonathan Groff, interviews on the show. While the show doesn't go into much detail, all the information presented about Kemper stays true to the real story behind the "Co-Ed Killer."

Kemper, who was six-foot-nine and weighed 280 pounds, was found guilty of 10 total counts of murder between 1964 and 1973. He confessed to killing his paternal grandparents at age 15. After being incarcerated for those murders and released at 21, Kemper continued to kill.

Kemper kidnapped and murdered six young women, all students, in the Santa Cruz area in addition to killing his mother and her friend. 

His victims were killed using various methods — shooting, stabbing, or choking — but Kemper confessed to practicing necrophilia with eight of the victim's corpses after separating their heads from the body. 

The show goes into Kemper's childhood and abusive mother, but leaves out a couple details from his past. He also killed two cats (one of which he dismembered) when he was a young boy, and also had two near-death experiences at the hands of one of his sisters. 

Kemper is still alive and incarcerated in California. 



Monte Rissell raped 12 women and murdered five before he was arrested at age 19 and sent to a correctional facility.

Though "Mindhunter" goes into detail about Rissell's victims, identifying the first as a prostitute, there isn't as much about him on public record as is the case with the other killers interviewed. 

According to reporting from the Washington Post, Rissell raped and killed five women over a nine month period in the fall of 1976 before he was arrested and charged. He was 18 at the time, and had already been convicted of robbery and rape once before at age 16.

Rissell was eligible for parole beginning in 1995, but is still currently imprisoned at the Pocahontas State Correctional Center in Virginia. He is 59 years old.



Jerry Brudos strangled four women in the 1960s. He was known as the "Lust Killer" or the "Salem shoe-fetish killer."

As "Mindhunter" reveals, Brudos developed a fetish with women's shoes at a very young age. He was incarcerated for nine months at age 17 for sexually assaulting a woman, but was released after evaluations concluded he was not psychotic.

Between 1968 and 1969, when Brudos was 28, he allegedly killed at least five women. Each of his victims were strangers, all young women, who he would bring to his private garage and assault. He dismembered several of the bodies, and dressed them in high heels or other clothing.

Brudos allegedly had sex with at least one of the corpses before disposing of it. He also amputated the breasts of two victims and made molds from the body parts to keep as trophies.

Brudos initially confessed to the murders, but recanted the confession. He was convicted for three of the murders and imprisoned at the Oregon Department of Corrections from 1969 until he died of liver cancer in 2006.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Netflix's 'Mindhunter' is a thrilling look at famous serial killers that reinvents the crime procedural

0
0

Mindhunter netflix

  • Netflix's "Mindhunter" is a thrilling origin story of the team that studied the psychology of serial killers.
  • The series includes real-life serial killers like Jerry Brudos, Ed Kemper, and Richard Speck.
  • It is reminiscent of executive producer David Fincher's 2007 film "Zodiac."
  • The show never shows an actual murder or crime scene.
  • Within ten episodes, it successfully reinvents what a crime procedural can be.

You probably think you know what Netflix's "Mindhunter" is like — but you're wrong.

The new drama, whose executive producers include David Fincher and Charlize Theron, is set in the late 70s and follows the FBI team that studied the psychology of serial killers and murderers, and even came up with the term "serial killer." Playwright Joe Penhall adapted the series from the non-fiction book co-written by John E. Douglas, the FBI agent who helped invent modern criminal profiling.

"Mindhunter" is, probably not coincidentally, similar in tone, pacing, and look to Fincher's excellent 2007 film "Zodiac."

Essentially, "Mindhunter" is an origin story of the team who figured out that serial killers are likely to harm animals, wet the bed over the age of 12, and have terrible relationships with their mothers — and by default, hatred toward women, who are usually their victims. 

"Mindhunter," like 2016's "Stranger Things," seemingly came out of nowhere.

Screeners of the first season were not available to the press, which is quite rare especially for new shows. Besides the usual teaser trailer and full trailer, there wasn't much marketing for the show. I live in New York City, where ads for TV shows haunt me for months on my commute. Usually light marketing and no screeners is a sign that a show is really, really bad.

So I, and many TV critics, were surprised to find that "Mindhunter" is incredible.

327_Mindhunter_101_Unit_15963R7

In ten episodes, you'll never actually see a murder, and you'll barely even get a glimpse of crime scenes. You might see, for example, some episodes begin or end with The BTK killer, Dennis Rader — who wasn't caught until the early 2000s — leave or arrive at a crime scene. But you don't see him kill. The violence is depicted and evident in photos, dialogue, and the tension in every scene with one of the killers in prison. 

FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) travel around the country educating law enforcement about the psychology of criminals, in hopes that it can help them catch a killer or a criminal. They call this "road school." While they're on the road, Holden and Bill visit high-profile killers in prison. Holden and Bill visit Richard Speck (Jack Erdie) in one of the show's most chilling scenes at a grotesque prison in Joliet, Illinois. In 1966, Speck murdered eight nursing students in Chicago in one night. 

508_Mindhunter_108_unit_05415R4

At first, their visits are unknown to their boss at the FBI. But after their research helps solve a few murders, their boss gets the project approved, adds Boston University professor Dr. Wendy Carr (a very excellent and underused Anna Torv) to the team, and gets them funding.

Every actor playing the real-life killers is so haunting that the performances will stay with you. And though their performances are terrifying, killers like Brudos and Kemper are so charming and empathetic when they share their troubled childhood that you might end up feeling bad for them, just like special agent Holden eventually does.

What separates "Mindhunter" from other crime dramas is the way it intertwines the agents' personal lives into the story. A lot of crime shows, particularly on network TV, have a heavy-handed approach to applying a law enforcement character's personal life in to their work life, and vice versa. "Mindhunter" is different.

Holden is a weird guy, but he's a good one — or so we think. We watch his first real relationship with grad student Debbie Mitford (Hannah Gross) blossom, and slowly unravel. As Holden continues his research and casual, explicit, and disturbing conversations with murderers, the sympathetic character established in the first episode shifts completely.

725_Mindhunter_108_unit_08151R5 (1)

Throughout the season we learn more about Bill, who is at first reluctant to do personal interviews with killers. Bill has a wife and an adopted son, who's not adjusting well after three years — and ironically, might exhibit some of the personality traits they're finding in the killers they're studying.

Dr. Carr, who unfortunately doesn't get as much alone screen time as she deserves (she likely will in season two), establishes her past and personal life in quick scenes that don't need to explain anything to the viewer beyond what we see. 

The show's showcase (or lack thereof) of its female characters is its primary flaw, with Dr. Carr — an educated, intelligent closeted lesbian who doesn't answer to anybody — losing screen time to her partners, Holden and Bill, despite the fact that she's one of the reasons their department exists. Holden's girlfriend, Debbie, only seems to exist so we are aware that Holden has a sex life. Her only thing, really, is that she is a grad student. Bill's wife, Nancy, is arguably the most developed female character. She only appears in three episodes, usually to support her husband, and demonstrates her struggle to parent their adopted son, Brian.  

In just ten episodes, "Mindhunter" packs significant character development, mystery, subtle-yet-powerful performances, and beautiful (but creepy) cinematography, in what turns out to be a thrilling and educational psychological drama that you should be watching right now.

You can watch the trailer for "Mindhunter" below:

SEE ALSO: The 20 most notable new TV shows this fall, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The latest 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' trailer is here and it looks epic

Why this 'Stranger Things' character's mysterious daughter could be important on season 2

0
0

Chief Jim Hopper Stranger Things season one Jonathan

Warning: Spoilers ahead for "Stranger Things," including speculation of future events.

One of the biggest questions we had after watching the first season of Netflix's "Stranger Things" was the cause of death for Chief Jim Hopper's daughter, Sarah. Though it might seem like a small detail, the actor who plays Hopper hinted last year that it might have a big impact.

"Do you know what specifically Jim's daughter died of in the show?" Redditor hardycoreman asked during an AMA with David Harbour (Hopper).

"Yes, but it's a secret we may explore in [season two], so don't wanna say right now," Harbour replied.

One reason we believe Sarah's cause of death is a secret has to do with a stuffed animal seen in a shot of Hopper and Sarah in a hospital together. It's very similar to a stuffed animal Will Byers kept in his hideout and one Eleven had in her room at Hawkins Lab.

stuff animals on Stranger Things Netflix

Since Sarah's animal looks more like a tiger, and Eleven's is definitely a Lion, it's of course possible that these toys are just meant to be a symbolic link between the three children. "Stranger Things" creators the Duffer Brothers might have just wanted viewers to make a subtle connection between the tragic backgrounds of Will, Sarah, and Eleven.

Hopper certainly seems to find meaning in rescuing Will when he was unable to save his daughter, but again Harbour's comments make us wonder if there isn't a stronger connection between the three children. What if Sarah was also involved with Hawkins Lab experiments? Or perhaps Hopper's family got caught up in a different government project?

Hopper and Dr. Brenner agreement Stranger Things

On the first season, we learn that Hopper used to be a "big city cop," but he's cagey about revealing details regarding his past. He also gets into an unmarked car after rescuing Will, which made us suspicious about his possible involvement with government conspiracies that could be related to Hawkins Lab. What isn't he telling us? Why did David Harbour say Sarah's cause of death was a secret? 

"Stranger Things 2"arrives on Netflix October 27, so fingers crossed that we'll finally get answers about Sarah and Hopper's mysterious past.

SEE ALSO: 7 important details you might have missed in the 'Stranger Things' season 2 trailer

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what that square patch on your backpack is actually used for

The fired 'Kevin Can Wait' star is liking angry fan tweets about the show killing her character

0
0

erinn hayes kevin can wait

  • Erinn Hayes played Kevin James' wife on the first season of "Kevin Can Wait."
  • Her character was killed off.
  • She has been liking angry fan tweets on Twitter. 

 

"Kevin Can Wait" fans were not happy when the second season of the sitcom returned without Erinn Hayes, and the actress appears to appreciate their reactions.

People magazine noticed that Hayes, who played the wife of Kevin James' character on the show's first season before her off-screen death, has been liking fan's angry tweets about her character's departure. 

"My family and I have tuned out. If Kevin Can Wait, so can we — for you to have a bigger career than him!!!"read one of the tweets the 41-year-old actress hit the like button on. 

"'We were literally just running out of ideas' — Kevin James. Based off this I don't expect your show to last very long. [Hayes] is better off,"read another

hayes likes

Another one said, "Guess who isn't watching a certain show on TV anymore? And who wants to know the minute you get a better gig?"

After being let go from her role, Hayes tweeted, "True, I've been let go from the show. Very sad, I had a great experience season 1. Thank you for all the support from our wonderful fans."

James, 52, told the New York Daily News in October that they "were literally just running out of ideas" and that the show was originally supposed to center on a single father. 

kevin can wait

"The plot of the show didn't have enough drive," James told the New York Daily News. "If we got through a second season, I wouldn't see us getting through a third one."

Leah Remini, James' former "King of Queens" costar and guest on the first season of "Kevin Can Wait," took her spot as a series regular.

"Kevin Can Wait" airs Mondays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

SEE ALSO: ‘Kevin Can Wait’ killed off its wife character with no explanation — and fans are really disappointed about how it was handled

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: This is what separates the Excel masters from the wannabes


Dilton Doiley is back on 'Riverdale' — here's what you need to know about him

0
0

dilton doiley

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Wednesday's episode of "Riverdale," titled, "Nighthawks."

Dilton Doiley is back on "Riverdale."

First introduced on the first season, Dilton is one of Archie's classmates at Riverdale High School. On Wednesday's episode of the hit CW series, Dilton provides Archie with a gun. 

While at Pop's Diner, Archie spots Dilton hanging around outside. And later that evening, the two meet on Sweetwater Bridge.

"Got what you asked for," Dilton says, handing over a backpack.

"I'm not crazy," Archie says, opening the bag and pulling out a gun. "The guy's still out there. It's just for protection." 

If you don't remember exactly who Dilton Doiley is, here's a quick refresher. 

Dilton is the leader of the local scout troop. 

dilton doiley riverdale

Dilton was at the river with his scouts the day Jason Blossom went missing and saw Cheryl by the river. 

While in the woods with his troop one day, Jughead approached him and asked if he heard a gunshot like Cheryl and Archie had heard, but he told Jughead that he didn't. He also lied about seeing Cheryl that morning. 

Jughead later confronted him again, and Dilton finally admitted to hearing the gun because he fired it. He said he wanted to teach the troop how to protect themselves, but if anyone found out, he'd lose his position as a troop leader. Jughead presented him with two options: Confess to Sheriff Keller or tell him and Betty everything. 

Dilton told Jughead and Betty that he had some information that no one else knew about: He saw Ms. Grundy's car at the river the day Jason went missing. 

Dilton is full of secrets.

dilton doiley riverdale

Dilton appeared later on the season as a DJ at the party at Archie's house. During a game called "Secrets & Sins," Dilton told all of the guests about seeing Ms. Grundy's car on July 1. He also mentioned Archie's presence at the river on the same day, leading everyone to assume that Archie and Grundy were there together. 

With Dilton's return on the second season, it appears that his fascination with guns hasn't faltered. He's sure to have more secrets to share.   

"Riverdale" airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: All blue-eyed people have a single ancestor in common

Watch the touching tribute to the Las Vegas shooting victims that closed out CMT's Artists of the Year special

0
0

jason aldean keith urban cmt arstists of the year

  • The 2017 CMT Artists of the Year special took place Wednesday night.
  • The show featured numerous tributes to the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
  • Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Chris Stapleton, and Little Big Town closed the show with a cover performance of Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down" in honor of the victims. 
  • The show also opened with artists, including Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, speaking about the devastation left by recent hurricanes and the Las Vegas tragedy and dedicating the show to the victims. 
  • Watch the cover performance below.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 5 most annoying changes in the new iPhone update — and how to fix them

Netflix's new 'Punisher' trailer teases a violent tale of revenge and war on crime

0
0

Frank Castle The Punisher Netflix Marvel TV show

  • "Marvel's The Punisher" is a new Netflix original TV series arriving on November 17.
  • John Bernthal stars as Frank Castle, a war veteran turned violent vigilante.
  • Netflix released a final full-length trailer when it finally announced the premiere date.
  • A New York Comic Con panel for the series was canceled following the deadly Las Vegas shooting earlier this month.
  • The trailer shows Castle going from being in the army to waging a war against crime and government agents.
  • Castle will set out to get revenge on the people who killed his family.
  • Watch the full trailer below:

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'Mindhunter' is a thrilling look at famous serial killers that reinvents the crime procedural

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 5 most annoying changes in the new iPhone update — and how to fix them

Netflix's 'Ozark' was the most popular streaming show this summer, according to a new audience metric

0
0

Ozark Netflix

  • Netflix is secretive about its ratings, but some firms have new metrics that claim to track a portion of the streaming service's audience.
  • Parrot Analytics measures a show's popularity by a variety of figures.
  • Netflix's "Ozark" was the most popular show of the summer, according to Parrot Analytics.
  • Nielsen claims its "people meter box" measurements can track streaming ratings.
  • Netflix has denied that Nielsen has accurate numbers.

 

A few months ago, a Netflix exec mused to IndieWire that he was actually surprised that the streaming service’s viewership data hadn’t leaked out. Plenty of Netflix insiders know exactly who’s watching what, and when.

Yet, the streaming giant has managed to keep its ratings under lock and key. Accurate data remains a mystery to even top-level Hollywood execs outside of the Netflix bubble.

That’s starting to change, as more services chip away at the facade of Netflix ratings. Parrot Analytics has made headlines recently with its proprietary “Demand Expressions” metric, which looks at a variety of factors in determining a digital program’s popularity. And according to a new study revealed exclusively to IndieWire, the Jason Bateman drama “Ozark” led the pack among all streaming shows over the past 90 days.

“Demand Expressions” measures audience demand for a title — including streaming, social media, blogging, file sharing, blogging, comments and other sources. The measurement is weighed by importance, which means a stream or download take precedence.

Meanwhile, Nielsen, the grandaddy of all ratings services, has been working on streaming viewership data for some time, and finally revealed some of that information this week.

defenders elevatorAccording to Nielsen, which handed out just a few morsels of viewership info to reporters, the first episode of Marvel series “The Defenders” averaged 6.1 million viewers during the first week it was released, between August 18 and August 25. The first episode of “Fuller House” Season 3 posted 4.6 million viewers between September 22 and September 29. And the premiere episode of Season 5 of “House of Cards” also averaged 4.6 million viewers, from May 30 to June 6.

As it does every time another company claims to have cracked the Netflix ratings mystery, the service was quick to dismiss the numbers. “The data that Nielsen is reporting is not accurate, not even close, and does not reflect the viewing of these shows on Netflix,” a spokesperson said.

Netflix, of course, could be right. Past numbers, including well-publicized ratings information from the now-defunct Symphony Advanced Media service, have been considered wildly inconsistent. But until it finally releases actual data, and not just press releases on quirky user habits that ultimately don’t reveal much information, this is the closest thing we’ve got.

Netflix, Amazon, Hulu and now CBS All Access remain stubbornly resistant to sharing viewership info, yet studios need that information to assess the value of their content and set license fees. Actors and creators also need that information in order to negotiate and renegotiate their deals. The business as a whole could use more information on the value of placing content on streaming services. And the media would like to know, in order to gauge audience interest. At some point, that Netflix exec will be right, and someone will intentionally or accidentally release real numbers — so it behooves those services to get out in front of it.

Nielsen has been working on its streaming ratings methodology for some time, and was originally expected to launch a new streaming ratings service months ago. But it got caught up in a few hiccups, including coding issues.

Nielsen is using its people meter boxes, the same ones that measure broadcast and cable ratings, for Netflix measurement. For streaming programming, it relies on an audio code embedded inside the shows, in order to track viewership. Because there’s such a big rush of viewership for Netflix shows on the first day of viewing, Nielsen has to make sure that studios are sharing those audio cues from the very beginning.

Nielsen’s reveal of Netflix stats also came following months of hardball negotiations with networks and studios to start buying that data. Nielsen knows the traditional Hollywood studios are hungry for those ratings, and insiders said the company has been looking to charge networks as much as four to five times more than what they now pay for broadcast and cable ratings. Companies initially signing on include Disney/ABC, NBCUniversal, A&E Networks and Warner Bros.

As for the Parrot Analytics data, the company shared the top 10 digital originals in the United States over the past 90 days, and Netflix easily dominates the roster. The sleeper hit “Ozark” actually topped the charts, while CBS All Access’ “Star Trek: Discovery” was No. 2, followed by Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” which remains popular even before the launch of Season 2. Hulu makes an appearance with Emmy winner “The Handmaid’s Tale,” but as has been discussed recently about the lack of buzz surrounding Amazon Prime’s programming, none of that service’s shows make the top 10.

Here’s the full chart:

streaming data indiewire contrib

Meanwhile, for the week of October 5 through 11, “Star Trek: Discovery” was actually No. 1, perhaps helped by the fact that new episodes are being released on a weekly basis. In No. 2 was new animated series “Big Mouth”:

Indiewire contrib

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 24 original drama series, ranked from worst to best

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Trump once won a lawsuit against the NFL — but the result was an embarrassment

Watch the real-life interviews with serial killer Ed Kemper that were recreated on 'Mindhunter'

0
0

Ed Kemper Mindhunter real life serial killer Netflix show

  • Netflix's new series "Mindhunter" was inspired by the real story of the FBI studying serial killers and psychopaths.
  • One convicted murderer depicted is Edmund Kemper, the "Co-ed Killer."
  • Cameron Britton, who plays Kemper, based his performance on real interviews taped of the killer.
  • You can watch the videos below.

 

If you've finished watching Netflix's "Mindhunter", you've seen one of the year's most chilling and unforgettable TV performances: Edmund "Big Ed" Kemper, as played by actor Cameron Britton. But the infamous "co-ed killer" is no mere writer's concoction.

Edmund Kemper is a real serial killer, and the fictional version of him is disturbingly close to the real thing. "Mindhunter" even lifted some of Kemper's dialogue directly from video interviews conducted in 1984 and 1991, which you can watch below.

Who was Edmund Kemper?

The "Mindhunter" version of the man hews pretty closely to the truth, even down to Britton's unique speaking pattern and immense size. Kemper is six-foot-nine and reportedly has an IQ of 145. When he was 15, he murdered both of his grandparents and was sent to the criminally insane unit of the Atascadero State Hospital, where he was held until his release at age 21.

If you've seen "Mindhunter," you know what happened next: From May 1972 to April 1973, Kemper kidnapped and killed at least eight more people — including six college students, his abusive mother, and his mother's friend — dismembering and defiling their bodies in ways too horrible to mention here.

During his 1973 trial, Kemper requested "death by torture" as punishment for his crimes; he was ultimately convicted for eight counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in the California Medical Facility.

In the world of "Mindhunter," Kemper's intelligence and eloquence help FBI agents Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and Bill Tench (Holt McCallany) to better understand the way serial killers think. This isn't the first time Kemper has been depicted in pop culture — he was reportedly an inspiration for Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs and Edgler Vess in Dean Koontz's Intensity — but he's never been this terrifyingly captivating.

In a particularly striking moment in "Mindhunter," Ford and Tench laugh with him over pizza, and it's clear they've almost forgotten just how horrifying he is, which is part of what makes Kemper so scary.

As for his current whereabouts, Edmund Kemper was denied parole four consecutive times from 1979 to 1982, and then gave up on even trying, reportedly telling people that he wasn't fit to return to society. He is still imprisoned at the California Medical Facility, a prison in Vacaville that also held Charles Manson in the late '70s and early '80s.

SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'Mindhunter' is a thrilling look at famous serial killers that reinvents the crime procedural

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The 5 most annoying changes in the new iPhone update — and how to fix them

Viewing all 9480 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images