Film & Television

When the NFL season ends in a few weeks, rumors are swirling that SNL producers will be scrambling to get Tim Tebow to host an upcoming show.Tim Tebow has rather miraculously emerged as the most talked about figure in sports over the past few months. Tebow has been a lightning rod for both criticism and praise among football fans for the better part of his life. But ever since he took over as the starting quarterback for the Denver Broncos and turned their season around over the course of 8 magical weeks, Tim Tebow has captured the attention and imagination of the entire nation.

Just last week, SNL dedicated its final piece of the night to Tebow, showing a locker room scene in which Jason Sudeikis plays Jesus and explains to the Broncos that he's responsible for their success. That sketch drew plenty of criticism from the religious right, including Tebow's pastor, and has only served to stoke the fires of the media frenzy surrounding young Tebow.

If Tebow is tapped to host SNL - and he accepts - he'll follow in the footsteps of legendary sports figures like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Michael Jordan and others who have hosted the show. The next live episode of the show will have Charles Barkley as the host in early January.

Outside making an improbable run through the NFL playoffs, Tim Tebow probably can't get any more popular or relevant than he is at the moment. SNL would be wise to scoop him up to host a show as soon as his NFL season ends. That should keep the Tebow fans and the Tebow haters talking throughout the majority of the off-season.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/21/2011Like This Article? Please Share!

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James Cameron is being taken to court by a science fiction fan who says that Avatar was actually his idea.James Cameron is best known for his larger-than-life films, including the super-popular science fiction movie "Avatar." Now, however, Cameron is drawing some headlines that he?d rather avoid. Apparently, an angry science-fiction fan is suing Cameron for allegedly taking his idea and making it into the Avatar film.

The man making the accusations once worked with Cameron?s production company and has noted that he originated the idea of an "environmentally-themed 3-D epic about a corporation?s colonization and plundering of a distant moon?s lush and wondrous natural setting." That?s a pretty specific claim, indeed.

The suit was filed in LA Country Superior Court, with Eric Ryder, the disgruntled former associate, claiming that his original movie idea was titled "KRZ 2068." He also claims to have pitched the idea to Cameron?s production company back in 1999, though he was turned down for his idea.

For his part, Cameron notes that he came up with the idea for "Avatar" long before that 1999 meeting, primarily because he had to wait for technology to catch up to the ideas he had for special effects. Says Cameron of the environmental theme, "I certainly feel a personal sense of responsibility because I made a movie on these issues. Why? Because they were personally important to me. It's not like the studio said, 'Jim we want you to make a movie about the environment.' No. They said, 'We really like the big epic science fiction story, but is there any way we can get this tree-hugging crap out of it?'"

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/12/2011Like This Article? Please Share!

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Will Smith and the woman who played his aunt on "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" have had a war of words of sorts, and it doesn?t appear they?ll make up anytime soon.It?s been a long time and millions of dollars in earnings since Will Smith graced the small screen on the television show "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," where he played a young man who grew up on the rough streets of Philadelphia only to later be transplanted to the up-class confines of his uncle?s mansion. Years later, however, even after Smith has starred in many movies and become a veritable icon in Hollywood, one of his former co-stars is holding a grudge against him.

Janet Hubert, who played his aunt, Vivian Banks, on the show from 1990 through 1993, was missing from a cast photo that was released last week because she still bears Smith much ill will from their time working together. Hubert apparently told TMZ recently, "There will never be a reunion, as I will never do anything with an a?hole like Will Smith."

Hubert apparently holds Smith responsible for being replaced by Daphne Reid for the final three years of the show and added, "This constant reunion thing will never ever happen in my lifetime unless there is an apology, which he doesn?t know the word." Smith did not comment on the vitriol that Hubert spewed in that interview, but one must wonder what transpired between the two of them. Smith did once tell a radio station in an interview, "Hubert said once, ?I?ve been in the business for 10 years and this snotty-nosed punk comes along and gets a show.? No matter what, to her I?m just the Anti-Christ."

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/29/2011Like This Article? Please Share!

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Axl Rose is still touring with a "version" of Guns N? Roses that doesn?t include any of the original band members but himself ? that may change when the band is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, 2012.It?s been a long time since Axl Rose and his original fellow bandmates formed Guns N? Roses and then came to prominence nationally with the release of "Appetite for Destruction." The band is still touring, which may be a surprise for some, and Rose is the only member of the current lineup that was part of that original group that included Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler.

Rose has always been the most outspoken of the group, and when the original lineup split, it was in a destructive fashion. The original (and most would say "real") band hasn?t performed together in almost 20 years. That may change, however, with the announcement that the band is going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on April 14. Any induction ceremony would, quite frankly, be something of a joke if Rose were to strut out onstage with his new bandmates. That?s not to detract from what the band has accomplished of late, or the talent of those new members. It?s just that the GNR that is going to be inducted in April consists of Slash and Stradlin on guitar, McKagan on bass and Adler on drums.

That aside, Rose is showing his roots when he complains about business concerns getting in the way of him having fun. Notes Rose of the constant call for him to reunite with the original band members, "All these managers, they all believe in one thing: sell a reunion tour and get their commission. It's just a phone call. It's a half a day's work, or however long they want to keep the bidding war going. They get their commission and they don't care if it falls on its face." Indeed, it remains to be seen if the induction ceremony will bring the band back together. Rose has steadfastly refused to reunite with his old chums, but it could be that the enormity of that honor changes his mind.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/22/2011Like This Article? Please Share!

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Stephen Glass is trying to rehabilitate himself and move from disgraced writer to lawyer ? the first part of the story is one that, all by itself, was so good that it?s already been made into a movie.Stephen Glass built his entire meteoric career ascension as a magazine writer on lies and fabrications, making up too-good-to-be-true stories that sold copies but, ultimately, led to his downfall. In 1998, Glass was exposed for his lies, but now he is asking for forgiveness as he tries to transition from life as a disgraced writer to?wait for it?a lawyer. That he wants to move from member of the press to lawyer is perhaps indicative of his character, with those two professions being among the more mistrusted in general. Or perhaps it?s just that his mind works in such a way that those professions work best for him.

Glass graduated from Georgetown Law School in 2000 and currently works as a paralegal for a law firm in Beverly Hills. He now wants to be a lawyer, but he won?t be able to unless he can be admitted to the bar. Given his checkered past, this could be a problem. Glass has already passed the bar exam in both New York and California, but he?ll have to place himself at the mercy of the bar to make his current dream come true.

Notes Arnold Siegel, an ethics professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, "Maybe there are certain types of behavior you never get over. The bar has a fairly compassionate view. They do believe in rehabilitation." Adam Penenberg, who first outed Glass back in 1998, had a different view, noting "When I first learned of Glass' quest to join the legal profession, I thought, Christ, it's been 13 years. And, since when does lying disqualify someone from being a lawyer? Let the guy earn a living. Leave it to Glass to disgrace himself in one mistrusted profession only to apply to another."

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/20/2011Like This Article? Please Share!

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ESPN knew of the allegations against Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine in 2003, and were also given a copy of the damning tape of Fine's accuser speaking to Fine's wife, but chose to do nothing with the information.Just when it appeared that the worst possible institutional corruption had been exposed at Penn State and possibly Syracuse, we now learn that the problem is even more horrific than we first imagined. In the Penn State scandal, the primary uproar outside the allegations against Jerry Sandusky was about the fact that so many people had knowledge of the allegations and did nothing. Now, we learn that the Syracuse situation is possibly even more disturbing. In the Syracuse incident, both law enforcement and at least two separate media outlets were contacted about the allegations against Bernie Fine as early as 2002 - and still nothing happened.

The original accuser provided ESPN and the Syracuse Post-Standard newspaper with both his personal account of his allegations and a damning taped conversation that he had with Laurie Fine, the accused's wife, during which Laurie Fine acknowledges that her husband has likely molested Bobby Davis and other young boys. And armed with all of that information, neither media outlet saw fit to do anything meaningful. To their credit, the Post-Standard did investigate the allegations for a time, but could not find enough evidence to publish a story.

Apparently, ESPN's only concern was whether or not they could corroborate the story enough to publish or air it. It turns out that the corroborating witnesses at the time would not speak to ESPN or changed their stories. But ESPN never went to authorities with the information because they were told by the accuser that he had spoken to local police and been told that the statute of limitations had expired on such potential charges. So, ESPN took the word of the accuser about his second-hand information regarding the statute of limitations on child sex crimes in the state of New York, but didn't bother to "corroborate" that information?

Let's hope that ESPN does as good a job covering its own egregious failure of character and morality as it did while tearing down Penn State and its corrupt institution.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/1/2011

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Giuliana Rancic, the 36-year-old host of E!, has decided to undergo a double mastectomy after a lumpectomy failed to remove her breast cancer entirely.E! host Giuliana Rancic, who has been battling breast cancer, has decided that she will undergo a double mastectomy to fully remove cancer from her body. She originally underwent a lumpectomy procedure to remove only the cancerous lumps, but found afterward that the procedure did not completely eradicate the cancer. Rancic announced her decision publicly on NBC?s Today show, where she appeared with her husband.

The 36-year-old celebrity news commentator sat next to Bill Rancic, her husband, as she explained that they had considered another lumpectomy and radiation but then ultimately decided to go with the more aggressive approach of removing the breasts altogether. Rancic noted that her decision was based on a desire to ensure that the cancer is entirely removed from her body. Doctors have told her that the cancer would have less than a 1 percent chance of returning if she undergoes the mastectomy.

Noted Rancic, "For me, it was important to get the cancer out. That?s what I wanted to do, just get it out." Rancic also noted that part of the decision revolves around she and her husband?s desire to have children, and that the medication that would have followed the radiation would have meant waiting for a few years before having children. Rancic also said, "At the end, to be honest, all it came down to was just choosing to live, and not looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life." She added, "Bills aid to me, ?I just need you around for the next 50 years, kid.? He said, ?I don?t care what you look like, I don?t care about the physical portion of this. I just need you around for the next 50 years.? And that certainly helped me come to a decision."

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/7/2011Like This Article? Please Share!

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Are reality TV shows a bad influence? Most fans of these TV shows would disagree; for them reality TV is the coolest thing that hit TV screens and it only seems to get better and better. How? By showing instances which make people come back for more. These shows have the highest TRP ratings. Obviously, these guys must be doing something right or a lot of wrong.The concept of reality television is not new; in fact it has been in existence since the early years of television. It was around the year 1999-2000 that this genre of television shows experienced a boom and attracted a mass audience, which is still increasing. People enjoy watching such shows because creators claim that they are not scripted - these are real shows, real lives, real people, and real emotions. But are they real enough? Or is it just a high-profile drama with a brilliant story, presentable characters and scripted emotions which appeal to television viewers?

Is Reality TV a Bad Influence?

Fans would say, hell no! Whereas people who realize the impact of such TV shows believe that these shows are a waste of time. There was a time when TRP ratings were dominated by intelligent programs and channels like Discovery and National Geographic. But now, reality TV is all over the place. Almost every channel has a reality series on a celebrity's personal struggles or a group of people living together and bad-mouthing each other. It is not that all reality TV shows are a waste of time; shows like The Biggest Loser, MasterChef, Top Gear, America's Funniest Home Videos, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, etc. showcase interesting content, which is not offensive. And there are other shows like Big Brother, Teen Mom, Jersey Shore, The Bachelor, Wife Swap, Jon & Kate Plus 8, and Keeping Up with the Kardashians which promote reality TV in different manners. People are heavily influenced by both kinds of shows but parents are worried about all the negative traits that some shows highlight as they influence young adults and teens pretty easily.

Reality TV airs moments that were considered private at one point in time. Now, everything is public knowledge, and every show goes one step further to demolish the walls of privacy. Viewers watch reality TV contestants at their most vulnerable moments and become voyeurs who feed on their emotions, misery, and problems.

Lots of violence, profanity and performing publicity stunts is not always reality. Today, kids are witnessing the harsh realities of life at a very tender age. Fights, sexually explicit scenes, and uncontrollable drinking and usage of drugs are what makes the core of reality TV today. The truth is, some reality TV shows are a bad influence on young minds. These pure souls are just learning to disassociate reality from fantasy, and reality TV shows distort the differences and make it much more difficult to distinguish between the two.

Reality TV Shows that Generated Negative Publicity

Teen Mom
This television series focuses on teenage moms and their struggle to balance multiple responsibilities - being young full-time moms, completing education, pursuing a low-income job, and managing turbulent relationships with their peers and especially with the child's father. Many parents are unhappy with the bad influence of teen pregnancy shows as they promote the idea of being pregnant at a young age as a shortcut to enjoy TV fame.

Big Brother
This is the most popular reality TV show on television today; it has more than 10 different versions and is broadcast in various countries. People from all walks of life are locked inside a plush house for more than 3 months. Profanity, abuse, violence, and name-calling are common instances in the house of Big Brother. Sexual relations between inmates is also seen in the European and American versions of the series. These shows are broadcast at prime time, and are watched by people of all ages. Not only does this affect youngsters, the commotion and chaos in such a show has a negative impact on all its viewers.

In the Indian version of Big Brother, the introduction of Sunny Leone (a pornographic actress) has sparked various protests in India. This has also increased the traffic on websites featuring Leone's videos. This has nothing to do with adults surfing these websites but parents are more concerned about kids using the Internet. Many psychiatrists believe that in a way, reality TV is making people, especially teens and kids, more curious about Internet pornography.

Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Perhaps the most famous reality TV show in the US, the plot is about the famous Kardashian family and how they deal with everyday issues. The most popular member is of course Kim Kardashian who has been in the news for a while for the wrong decisions she has taken in her personal life - the marriage and the divorce which many of us thought as a publicity stunt to boost the TRPs of the show. The show is heavily panned by the critics but people love it and it enjoys a dedicated fan following. Many behavioral experts say that young minds (especially girls) are often influenced by what is shown in these shows, and they forget that most of the instances shown are scripted.

Jon & Kate Plus 8
This reality TV show is based on a couple and their 8 children. Jon and Kate Gosselin signed up for this show in 2007 and since then have been under the microscope. The show centers on the everyday struggles of this large family. Since it started airing, the show has received complaints from various non-profit organizations because of the use of children by the couple to gain popularity and earn money. Some have even questioned the authenticity of the show and feel that artificial sequences have been added to make the series more dramatic and appealing. The hardships of balancing 8 kids and a celebrity life caused the couple to split up, and the show was canceled after 5 seasons. Many viewers feel that such shows encourage couples to have more kids as it makes them a topic of discussion. The show was also criticized for exposing kids to the camera at such a tender age, and prevented them from having a normal childhood.

Why are television channels allowing such TV shows to air? According to statistics, the cost of producing an episode for a reality TV show is cheaper than an episode of a dramatic series. Also, the TRP factor plays an important role. Every network wants to have a reality TV show as this keeps people coming back for more. A kid or a teen may watch a reality TV show and may try to enact the same at home to see the consequences. Young minds like exploring things and they will not hesitate to try something that they are curious about. Each of these shows portray something which is unrealistic and unaccepted, but audiences don't realize the impact of these shows. Sure, there is entertainment but the viewers unknowingly have to pay a heavy price for it.

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Trust Hollywood to come up with the most bizarre plots with sensational performances. But sometimes, the bizarre element just stretches a little too far, making the whole plot implausible. These movies, perhaps, follow some entirely different science, unknown to the rest of mankind. Let us see which are some movies that have made it to the list of most scientifically inaccurate movies.As avid sci-fi movie lovers, we are used to leaving our scientific beliefs outside the theater. We know that cars can fly, ghosts can talk and that glass walls are permeable to certain humans. We do not flinch when a giant monster, a byproduct of radioactivity and genetic material, goes rampant in a city. We don't even bat an eyelid when green-headed aliens decide to march on Earth. What's more, we even nod in appreciation when a superhero slows down a charging bullet or turns the course of a projectile by a simple wave! But sometimes, there are moments when even a die-hard movie buff inside us yells, "Dude, that can't happen.. even in a sci-fi movie!"

Bad science is not new to Hollywood movies. In fact, tweaking laws of science has become a norm for sci-fi movie makers. Bending the known physics laws is pardonable to some extent. But what do you do, when the makers decide to invent a parallel science of their own! Some sci-fi movies revolve around absolutely ridiculous plots with completely absurd explanations for the antics shown on screen. Interestingly, most of the movies that have featured in our 'list of top 10 scientifically inaccurate movies' have done brilliantly at the box office. Needless to say, these movies had more to offer than an abysmally foolish plot. So, let us finally take a look at the most scientifically inaccurate plots ever!

List of Most Scientifically Inaccurate Movies

There is really no dearth of bad science movies in Hollywood. However, we have limited our research to only those films that have done very well and/or are globally acclaimed.

Plot
Earth is threatened of a collision with a fast-moving asteroid that is about the size of Texas. NASA comes up with a plan to drill a hole through the asteroid, plant a nuclear bomb inside it and rip it into two halves, both of which would miss Earth. A team of deep-sea oil drillers, led by Bruce Willis is summoned and trained for the space mission. After several failed attempts, the team finally succeeds in detonating the nuclear device and breaking the asteroid as per plan, though at the loss of few of its crew members, including Bruce.

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
Even if you ignore trivia such as, it is impossible to train a bunch of blue-collared drillers for space expeditions in a matter of days, or that meteor shower which precedes the asteroid collision and hits only cities but surprisingly misses 70% of Earth's area covered by oceans, the fact remains that, there exists an Texas-sized hole in the plot itself! Scientists have marked a whopping 168 scientific mistakes in the movie. The concept of destroying the asteroid with a nuclear device itself is flawed as we haven't yet invented a bomb that is half as powerful as that required to rip an asteroid into two. Besides, the entire plot is based on the assumption that it is possible to drill through an asteroid, as though its composition is identical to the Earth's composition.

Plot
A large geostationary alien mothership enters the Earth's orbit on July 2, 1999 and stations 36 alien spaceships on major cities of the world. These spaceships are about 15 miles wide and equipped with energy weapons for attack. As these spaceships go on a destruction spree all over the world, a coordinated counterattack is planned by all nations. This attack is planned for July 4 or Independence Day and targeted at sabotaging the mothership itself by uploading a virus. After several challenges and failed attempts, the team finally succeeds in its mission and destroys the mothership by planting a nuclear bomb.

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
The size of mothership is shown to be 1/4th the size of moon. With such humongous mass and closer proximity to Earth, the mothership should have been capable of wreaking havoc on Earth, simply by its gravitational pull. Unusually high tides, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions should have been rampant all over the world. However, nothing of this sort happens, as the world population continues to gawk at the mammoth spaceship and prays silently.

3. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

Plot
A classic example of how a stupid plot can ruin what could have been a great climate disaster movie. One fine day, the ocean temperature shows a considerable drop, which scientists attribute to melting of polar ice. As the ocean level swells, major cities of the world are drowned. A cold wave strikes New York City (NYC) and freezes everything that comes in its way, while a violent tornado destructs Los Angeles. The plot also revolves around paleoclimatologist, Denis Quaid's search for his son Sam (Jake Gyllenhaal), who is stuck in NYC with his friends.

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
The biggest flaw of the film is that the weather changes happen a little too abruptly. Practically, it would take about hundreds of years for the climate to worsen to a point where it actually threatens the life on Earth. It would take about 2.5 years to melt all the ice on the South Pole, even when all the sunrays are targeted on this region. Meaning, it would take several more years for polar ice to melt, considering the current rate of global warming. Besides, the entire continent of Antarctica needs to be melted to sufficiently elevate the ocean levels to drown the NYC. All of this, happening overnight sounds simply implausible.

Plot
Millionaire John Hammond and his buddies think it is a cool idea to have a park full of cloned dinosaurs. They extract dinosaur's DNA from the gut of a 25-million year old fossil of a mosquito and breed it. However, dinosaurs do not think it's cool enough an idea to come back on Earth, hence go on an attacking spree. The research crew, while fleeing the attack also tries to put the sabotaged security system of the park in order. Meanwhile, they discover that the dinosaurs have now started breeding on their own! Perfect.

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
The theory of reviving the monsters of bygone era, by simply extracting and cloning the DNA from a 25-million-year old mosquito is simply implausible. The double helix of dinosaur's DNA is unlikely to remain intact after these many years. It would break down to pieces and fuse with genetic material of a mosquito itself as well as with other organisms that it devoured. The genetic wonder resulting from this mess wouldn't look anything like T. rex for sure.

5. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (2008)

Plot
During the cold war, Prof. Henry Jones receives a coded message from demented colleague, Henry Oxley, which is intercepted by Soviet agents led by an intelligent woman named Irina Spalko. The Soviets chase Jones and his young son to Peru where they decode Oxley's message and find a crystal skull made of single quartz piece. Jones has to protect it from Soviets and return it to its rightful place. The father-son duo combat the Soviets and supernatural forces in their endeavor.

Why is It Scientifically Inaccurate
There are just too many things that are scientifically inaccurate about this movie. Even the previous Indiana Jones movies were full of improbable adventures of Jones. However, the highlight of absolute retardation has to be the scene in which Indiana Jones locks himself up in a lead-lined refrigerator to protect himself from nuclear explosion and comes out unscathed. Although, it is believable that the legendary Indiana Jones survived the crash when his refrigerator gets thrown off in an explosion, the effect of radioactivity is something even Indy cannot escape.

Plot
After several strange incidents involving instability in Earth's electromagnetic field, scientists discover that Earth's core, a nickel-iron mass of about 1500 miles in diameter has stopped rotating for some reason; the effects of which could lead to collapse of electromagnetic field on Earth and microwave radiation from space to enter the Earth's atmosphere. They devise a plan to kick-start the rotation by boring the core and planting a series of nuclear charges at precise points. A team is elected for the mission and a special multi-compartment vessel Virgil is built for the task. The team encounters numerous challenges while inside the Earth's core but finally succeeds in its mission.

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
Even if we assume that it is possible for the core to stop rotating on its own accord or by external trigger, there are still some questions that are unanswered. For one, what would happen to the tremendous amount of energy that is stored in the core? If the core stops rotating, this energy has to go somewhere. It would most likely erupt through the surface causing an explosion equivalent to 5 trillion nuclear bombs going off at once. Hence, the collapse of electromagnetic field on the Earth should have not been so much of a worry. Besides, the radiation through space is not strong enough to cause substantial damage to the life on Earth.

Plot
It's the year 2084 and humans have successfully colonized Mars. Arnie is a construction worker who is tormented by a series of dreams about Mars. He decides to go for a memory implant about Mars vacation at Rekall.Inc, which specializes in implanting fake vacation memories. However, something seriously goes wrong and Arnie finds himself at the hands of hostile forces, including his beloved wife. While he tries to make sense out of the chaos, he discovers that he was a secret agent on Mars working against corrupt administrator, Cohaagen. Finally, Arnie ends up on Mars where he uncovers many truths about his identity. The only problem here is that he cannot understand if this is happening in reality or in his head!

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
The film does not take into account the significant variation in the environment of the two planets. Arnie and company walk into the red planet as if it were another Earth. The fact is, Mars' gravitational pull is only 1/3rd that of Earth. Thus, it should have made even the muscular Arnie bound across the room. Besides, when exposed to Mars' thin atmosphere, humans may have a severe case of asphyxiation. However, their heads certainly wouldn't explode like the one shown in the climax scene, which is almost comical.

Plot
In 1967, Motaba, a deadly hemorrhagic fever virus is found in a camp in Zaire. The camp is destroyed in a secret operation to prevent the virus from spreading. The virus resurfaces in 1997 in Zaire, after which virologist, Dustin Hoffman asks his superiors to alert the world. However, the information is withheld due to the potential of virus as a bioweapon. The virus accidentally spreads to a small town in California when an infected monkey is smuggled from Zaire. Meanwhile, the virus mutates, making the serum E-1101 (which was earlier used to kill the virus) useless. As the disease goes viral, military decides to bomb the town. However, Hoffman and his team manage to capture the host monkey just in time and prepare a new serum from its antibodies and thus, save the town.

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
A disease that is so virulent would not give its host enough time to infect others. Thus, the pace at which the disease spreads is implausible. Besides, formulating a serum against such a deadly virus needs more than a few hours. However, Hoffman and friends seem to accomplish the task in less time than that is required to make a cup of coffee.

Plot
Certain ancient sciences forecast that Earth will come to an end following a series of cataclysmic events. Neutrinos from the Sun are likely to increase the temperature of Earth's core and cause climatic disturbances of great magnitude. A secret rescue operation begins to protect as much of the world population as possible. By 2011, arks are built to safely transport people away from the danger. The onset of year 2012 is marked by apocalyptic events such as earthquakes, floods all over the world. Protagonist John Cusack flies his family along with other people to China, from where he intends to board an ark. Several people die during an eventful journey. In the end, the swelling ocean submerges Mt. Everest, while the continent of Africa stays above sea level.

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
The theory of neutrinos causing an increase in Earth's core is ridiculous. Neutrinos do not react with ordinary matter. Hence, there is no way they can change the core temperature. Besides, there are several other scenes based on flawed science. For instance, a tsunami upturns a ship in the middle of the ocean. This is not possible as tsunami only strengthens upon touching the shore.

Plot
Set in the year 2058, when Earth becomes uninhabitable, a mission is undertaken to relocate the inhabitants of Earth to a nearby planet. This mission is led by Dr. Robinson who is entrusted with the responsibility of constructing hypergates in the orbit. Hypergates on Earth and planet Alpha Prime offer stable points for arrival and departure. Robinson's family travels in Jupiter 2, a spaceship equipped with a hyperdrive, which allows them to travel at a speed faster than light. However, the mission is sabotaged by a terrorist attack and the spaceship is thrown off the course. Robinson's family then wanders in space, travels back and forth in time and encounters vicious extraterrestrial forms including cannibalistic space spiders.

Why is it Scientifically Inaccurate
There are several things about this movie that depict retarded science. For one, it is not possible to get lost in space for so long and still stay alive. Secondly, it is not possible to travel 'through' the sun, no matter at what speed it may be and not get burnt. Thirdly, the whole time travel theory is baseless and absolutely ridiculous and lastly, one cannot 'get lost' in the universe as the concept of 'direction' exists only on Earth; space is space without any east or west.

These were only a few films from the sea of movies that showed distorted science. Barring the implausible, ridiculous and in some cases, highly ludicrous science base, these movies really turned out to be good entertainers. Besides, who would want to see a dull movie with each frame faithful to science. In fact, such a movie would be as entertaining as a physics class. So, while we take a dig at bad science in these movies, there is no point denying that these films indeed gave us a jolt of adrenaline.

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Rosie O'Donnell confirmed via Twitter that she is engaged to Michelle Rounds, just a few months after the couple went public with their relationship.Rosie O'Donnell confirmed her engagement by Tweeting a picture of the engagement ring that she gave to Michelle Rounds, her girlfriend of just a few months. Apparently, the couple has enjoyed quite a whirlwind romance after meeting randomly at a Starbucks in NYC. O'Donnell claims that she approached Rounds after seeing her with a new puppy and noted that new puppies mean that people are often about to have a baby. Rounds noted that she had been trying to get pregnant and Rosie assumed that meant with her husband.

When Rounds corrected her by telling her that she was a lesbian, Rosie said that she was taken aback. She said she asked Rounds if she was 28 and Rounds replied that she was 40. O'Donnell was apparently all-in at that point, and few could argue with the decision given how traditionally attractive and young-for-her-age that Rounds appears to be.

O'Donnell has four children from a previous marriage to Kelli Carpenter and she recently split from Tracy Kachtick-Anders after dating for about a year. O'Donnell is once again carrying her own talk show on the O Network and early reviews are mixed. She broke the news to her studio audience on Friday, even though the show has yet to air.

It is unclear at this point whether Rounds intends to continue working as an IT recruiter or if she will devote her time to helping with Rosie's kids and her career. So far, the couple appear to be very happy together and thoroughly enjoying the aptly-named Honeymoon Phase.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/6/2011Like This Article? Please Share!

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Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds have made plenty of headlines even after their split, and now the young actress is opening up even more about her failed marriage.Cosmopolitan magazine is certainly a popular one among the female youth of the nation, but it can hardly be viewed as a legitimate purveyor of reasonable relationship advice. Despite that, it appears that the magazine functions in exactly that role for many young female Americans. Recently, no less a celebrity dignitary than Scarlett Johansson appeared on the cover of the magazine, with that cover promising to offer the reader the "Love Rule She Now Swears By."

In the interview inside, Johansson opens up a bit more about her split from ex-husband Ryan Reynolds. The two were married for two years but eventually split last year. According to Johansson, "It [marriage] seemed like a very romantic thing to do, and it was. It was the best thing that I ever did." Of course, that begs the question of exactly what went wrong.

Notes the bombshell, "Relationships are complicated, and being married is a living, breathing process. I think I was not fully aware of the peaks and the valleys. I wasn't prepared to hunker down and do the work. Both of us were extremely busy. We spent so much time apart. It's very difficult. It's bad."

Johansson continued, "I'm a big believer that when something feels right, you should do it. I'm a big believer in instinct. Getting married was the right thing to do because it was natural. It grew out of a romance and love and a desire to have a future with somebody and I was very fortunate that I married somebody who turned out to be the person I thought he would be." Ultimately, the two split because they rarely saw each other and it wore on their relationship, but Johansson notes this as her most important lesson: "You have to be very confident and solid within yourself to have a successful marriage."

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 12/5/2011Like This Article? Please Share!

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Turns out that when your parents scolded you for playing video games too long were right to do so. You know smoking can be addictive, deal with video games being addictive now! You no more need to consume a substance to have an addiction. Wonder how an entertainment can be addictive? Find out here.Although video game addiction has not been classified as a mental disorder by the American Psychological Association (APA), it has nevertheless caused severe health problems amongst those hooked on to the recreational activity. In fact, it is responsible for the death of a 26-year-old obese man in China who engaged in 50 hour-long video gaming marathon! Well, according to any non-video gaming addict, this would definitely classify as a form of addiction. The statistics of a Harris Poll conducted in 2007 revealed that as much 8.5% youth in the United States fall under the category of video-gaming addicts. However, about 23% respondents of the same poll thought of themselves to be addicted to video gaming. Stanford University concluded in a separate study that video gaming is indeed addictive in nature. Alarmingly, the average video gaming addict is now a 30-year-old male! Do you wonder how a recreational activity aimed to entertain children can be addictive? Parents, move on from the fear of your children getting addicted to smoking, drinking or taking drugs! You now need to worry if your prepubescent child or adolescent is getting addicted to video games. This is addiction of technology at its earliest in human life. For so long, many people have wondered what makes a video game addictive? What is it that makes young people prefer the virtual world over reality? Let's throw some light on the reasons for addiction to the video games.

Why are Video Games Addictive?

We know about the aftermath of a video game addiction on the health, personal life, social and even professional life of an addict. However, the addiction starts with the two-fold effect of a video game on the gamer. It causes a chemical reaction in the brain of any person indulging in the activity and also has a psychological influence. Both these negative effects of video games lead to the development of an addiction. Here is a detailed understanding of the same.

Physical Addiction

Almost all video games offer an opportunity for exploration of new and unknown, and give rewards for it. You'd never know what's hidden in their world unless you have a first hand experience. And, there is the thrill of defeating the bad guys, saving your life and winning the game. It is a virtual 'near death experience'. Playing video games causes excitement among gamers by significantly elevating the heart's pulse rate by increasing the release of dopamine, a catecholamine (neurotransmitter and hormone) that aids in learning new behavior and produces the feelings of pleasure and motivation. Hence, gamers start associating video games with the feeling of 'adrenaline rush' and thrills. Since this emotional and mental state can be addictive, a video gamer looks forward to these feelings more and more which leads to the increase in the duration video games are played. In simple words, a gamer gets hooked on to the feelings created by video games. The same phenomenon can be noted in the case of addiction to smoking, alcohol or drug addiction. The release of dopamine is greater while playing violent games that include blood and gore.

Psychological Addiction

? Another Level, Another Reward: The basic design of most video games is based on the objective of completing one level, in order to move on to the next level. Since these levels are possible to finish in a short span of time with the reward of being promoted to a higher level, it creates a false sense of achievement and superiority complex amongst children and youth. The feeling of achievement and/or setting a record gives a euphoric sensation. Now, every one likes to feel accomplished and the majority of the video gamers fall in the age group of 8 to 18 years, which is a very vulnerable period in a person's life, as he/she goes through physical, emotional and psychological changes. Hence, they develop an addiction to the happy feelings. Since these are only temporary, they are lured in to keeping them up by prolonging period of gaming.

? New Way of Socializing: Suddenly video games have become a new form of socializing, which takes place between the characters that the gamers are role playing. Multi-player games or MMORPG often give off a delusive sense of interaction with others. As a person interacts less with the real world due to increased gaming, they seek to forge unreal friendships through video games to fulfill their need to interact with other people and have social relationships. Simulation games have become a new fad among gamers, and mimics real life settings with fictitious set-up and allows gamers to live an alternate reality.

? Escapism: Video games bring out the competitive streak in young adults. This is also the cause of aggressive behavior in real life situations among gamers. The line between the world of video games and reality starts to blur. Being able to outdo oneself and others by breaking records, setting new ones, achieving a higher ranking gives gaming addicts the boost to stay engaged in this activity for hours at a stretch. This is a great way for them to ignore problems in their real lives. In fact, video games provide an outlet to transport to a different world full of opportunities to explore new things and leave the real one behind. Those who do not fit in with their peers, often seek solace in such activities to fulfill their need for real relationships.

? Attraction: The bright and colorful graphics of video games often leave an impression on the mind of the gamer. The video game developers keep coming up with newer or upgraded versions of games so fans are impelled to keep buying and playing them. Also, the ability to fight ruthless monsters from the comfort of your own home, and whilst being in a safe environment can also lead to the development of an obsessive compulsive behavior, which becomes an addiction to video games.

? Make it Worth Every Dime: Many video-gaming companies limit the usage of video games unless gamers pay a certain fee which may be the price of purchase or a monthly subscription fee in order to fully access the video games and play all levels. This encourages gamers to keep playing for long hours in order to take full benefit of the price paid for the video game, and play it as much as possible.

Watch out for signs of video gaming addiction, if your child spends most of his summer vacations indulging in playing them. Yes, boys are more prone to it than girls because the sense of reward is greater on male psychology because of the chemical make-up in men's brain. This fact was also noted in the Stanford University's study. It is best to control video gaming addiction in your children from the beginning than to wait for it to fade away with time. If your child has already developed a severe addiction to video games, you can send them to rehabilitation centers already devoted to the cause.

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After issuing a new round of stock to raise $400 million, Netflix acknowledged in an SEC filing that it projects losing money in 2012.Netflix continues to struggle to stabilize after it rocketed to darling status following its IPO. The stock is now down nearly 70% from its highs and is headed down again today after issuing new stock to raise approximately $400 million. In addition to the new offering, the company also acknowledged in a filing with the SEC that it projects to lose money for the full operating year of 2012.

Apparently, international expansion costs have been higher than anticipated and the backlash and subscriber loss from its US customer base has also been greater than the company projected. Although it now appears as though Netflix will continue to operate in a manner that is familiar to its once-loyal subscriber base, the company is being challenged on all sides as it tries to re-establish itself as the dominant player in streaming and rental video content.

The costs to license the content from major production companies is only going to get higher as more services like Netflix gain traction. Already, Amazon is offering a competing streaming video service that it bundles with its premium Prime package for its online consumer base. With Apple, Hulu and the content producers themselves lurking in the shadows, it may only be a matter of time before Netflix becomes a ripe target to be acquired by a company who can provide and control all the content - and then use Netflix sales channels to dominate a market segment.

The company is safe for the moment, but this latest round of stock issuance raises concerns about its liquidity, and whether or not it is well-positioned to endure the long slog that appears to be ahead of it as it tries to return to a position of strength.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies
Published: 11/22/2011

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