• "Rampage" is not good, but it shows why Dwayne Johnson is a global action star.
• Outside of some amazing CGI, he's the only reason to go and see this movie.

In many ways the adaptation of the video game “Rampage” is the perfect example of a Hollywood studio trying too hard to make a tentpole movie.

Here's the playbook: Use a game that’s literally just about giant radioactive monsters destroying high-rise buildings and beef it up with CGI, sprinkle in a bare-bones plot to break up the action, and get a movie star who can get audiences worldwide to the theaters.

It’s worked before, and with Dwayne Johnson on the poster, Warner Bros. hopes it can work again. But I think it’s my duty to tell you that The Rock’s latest movie is really, really dumb.

Johnson plays Davis Okoye, a former anti-poacher who is now the primatologist at the San Diego Wildlife Sanctuary. He loves working with apes — in fact, he prefers spending time with them to most humans — but there’s one in particular he has the closest bond with. "George" is a rare albino Silverback gorilla that Okoye rescued as a baby when poachers killed his family. Okoye and George communicate through sign language, and have a good time busting each other’s chops. Okoye has even taught George how to give the finger.

But their wonderful bond is tested when George is infected by a mysterious chemical that mutates him into a raging beast and makes him grow to an enormous size. And George isn’t the only one. The same thing happened to a wolf in Wyoming and a crocodile in Florida. Turns out, they were all infected with a genetic editing substance created by the company CRISPR that crash landed on Earth (the chemicals were being tested in a space station … it’s a long story).

Okoye teams with Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris) to try to figure out what has happened to George and prevent him (as well as the wolf and croc) from causing damage throughout the country.

Brad Peyton, known best for directing Johnson’s previous box office hit disaster movie (“San Andreas”), is at the helm and that should tell you what you’re getting yourself into. Like that movie, “Rampage” is a CGI wonder with little plot and a whole lot of awful cliches and bad dialogue.

Unfortunately, it’s the great Jeffrey Dean Morgan who is responsible for a majority of the latter. Playing Agent Russell (from the OGA or “Other Government Agency”), he can’t stop reminding us that he’s just a good ol’ cowboy — and just in case you forget that little fact, he’s sporting a silver belt buckle and a gun with a pearl handle. And we have to suffer through this talented actor having to say lines like, “Us ass----s have to stick together” and, “Whelp, you saved the world!”

But what sticks out for me as the worst part of the movie is a dramatic moment that becomes a total dud. It's nothing major to the story, but just shows how lazy it is. Okoye is shot by the evil CRISPR owner (played by Malin Akerman), leaving Dr. Caldwell all alone trying to stop the onslaught of monsters. But suddenly Okoye reappears, and when asked how he’s still alive he literally says, “I guess it didn’t hit any major arteries.” And that's it! It's never addressed again, he goes on like he’s never been shot in the gut.

All that said, Dwayne Johnson proves why he’s making millions of dollars a movie.

Around all this awfulness — Oh, and Joe Manganiello is only in the movie for about five minutes — Johnson can still make you enjoy what you’re experiencing. He’s charismatic, funny, and gives a heartfelt performance across a CGI gorilla. Seriously, the best parts of this movie are when Okoye and George are on screen together. That’s a testament to the CGI, which is really top notch.

So, the movie may be mindless, but if you’re a fan of The Rock, “Rampage” is tolerable.

SEE ALSO: The director of HBO's Andre the Giant documentary explains how he debunked some major myths and got Vince McMahon to cry

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NOW WATCH: What living on Earth would be like without the moon

With the simplicity and convenience of keeping up to date on the biggest stories in the world through two earbuds, podcasts are becoming an increasingly popular medium for people to get their news.

Given the high interest level of the public into knowing everything that is going on with President Donald Trump's administration, news organizations that cover politics have plunged head-first into the audio space.

Here are 10 must-listen political podcasts to add to your list:

SEE ALSO: 13 documentaries on Netflix that will make you smarter about politics

DON'T MISS: 4 movies on Netflix that will help you understand American politics

"The Daily"

The political podcast setting the pace these days is "The Daily" from The New York Times.

After hosting its campaign podcast "The Run-Up" before the 2016 presidential election, political reporter-turned-audio man Michael Barbaro is the voice and managing editor behind the premier podcast.

For about 20 minutes every weekday, Barbaro dives deep into one or two stories and interviews Times reporters about the news stories making headlines around the world. This is the podcast to subscribe to if you're looking for a deep-dive on the biggest story of the day.

"Up First"

"The Daily" is not the only early morning podcast making waves; NPR's "Up First" has claimed its place in the ears of morning commuters and others going about their day.

Dubbed as "the news you need to start your day", "Up First" covers the biggest stories in politics and news for about 10 minutes every morning.

Hosted by NPR's "Morning Edition" team of Rachel Martin, David Greene, and Steve Inskeep, "Up First" brings on NPR reporters to discuss three or four of the biggest stories of the day.

While "The Daily" looks to do a deep-dive on one or two stories in longer segments, "Up First" is perfect for the individual looking to know several of the biggest news stories of the day in a shorter time frame.

"Political Gabfest"

Arguably the most popular political podcast is the most informal one: Slate's "Political Gabfest."

Hosted by Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz, iTunes listeners once voted it "Favorite Political Podcast". The trio, which has been together on the podcast since 2005, discusses the biggest political stories and news on a weekly basis for about an hour in a way that other podcasts do not.

Much of the conversation is reportedly off the cuff and unscripted, thus showing the chemistry that the three have with each other. This is the podcast for people looking for good political discussions in a light-hearted, free-flowing manner.

Trendiest, most hipster-friendly cities in the world are mostly American, according to a new ranking — but they call got beaten to the top spot by a city in England.

The ranking, known as the , The International Hipster Index,  comes from relocation company MoveHub. It compared 446 cities based on the prevalence of hipster touchstones including vegan eateries, coffee shops, tattoo studios, vintage boutiques and record stores.

Based on this, each city was given a Hipster Index score out of 10.

Scroll down to see the 22 most hipster cities in the world, ranked by their MoveHub score in ascending order.

Cities with populations under 150,000 were not included in the study.

SEE ALSO: The 29 coolest small US cities to visit in 2018

SEE ALSO: The 32 most fun, friendly, and affordable cities in the world

22. New Orleans, Louisiana, US — 6.14.

There are 86 coffee shops per 100,000 residents in New Orleans — so it's a great place for remote working.

21. Oakland, California, US — 6.17.

Oakland has plenty of vintage stores — 173, to be exact — so it's a fashion lover's dream.

20. Richmond, Virginia, US — 6.18.

The capital of Virginia may be one of the oldest major US cities, but it's remained pretty modern — and has plenty of tattoo parlours.

• The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, killing over 1,500 people.

• Ever since, conspiracy theories have bounced around regarding the nature of the maritime disaster.

• Some of the allegations are pretty out there — like the idea that an ancient Egyptian curse doomed the ocean liner.

The Titanic remains one of the most famous disasters in history.

On its maiden voyage to New York city, the ocean liner hit an iceberg off the coast of Newfoundland, resulting in severe damage to its hull. The Titanic slipped beneath the dark waves of the North Atlantic in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912. Over 1,500 people lost their lives, and the luxury passenger ship became an emblem of disaster.

The sinking of the Titanic prompted a media frenzy, an overhaul of maritime safety practices, and plenty of fictional depictions of what happened on that cold April night over a hundred years ago.

Given the level of public interest and scrutiny, it's not surprising that a handful of conspiracy theories have cropped up about the ship's fate. Some are almost entirely fictional — like the idea that a cursed mummy was onboard the ship. Others allege that the tragedy was a result of insurance fraud, or an attempt by JP Morgan to rid himself of some powerful rivals.

Here are five conspiracy theories about the sinking of the Titanic:

SEE ALSO: http://www.businessinsider.com/titanic-film-residuals-2018-1

DON'T MISS: It might not have been an iceberg that sunk the Titanic after all

The Titanic was marked by a controversial secret message

One conspiracy theory about the Titanic has been floating around for years.

First, it's important to note that the Titanic was constructed in the city of Belfast by the shipbuilding firm Harland and Wolff.

The conspiracy theory is that Catholic workers reacted in horror when the new ship's hull number — 3909 04 — was unveiled.

The reason? If you flip 3909 04 upside down, it kind of looks like "NO POPE." As far as the theory goes, the Catholic workers saw this as blasphemy, and worried that harm would come to the ship.

But there are a number of big problems with this conspiracy theory, which Snopes has also debunked.

To start, Harland and Wollff assigned the Titanic a yard number of 401. The 3909 04 number is completely made up.

What's more, there would have been no Catholic workers on hand to warn their Protestant colleagues of the problematic hull number.

In 1886, Protestant Harland and Wolff employees launched a large-scale attack on their Catholic coworkers, according to the book "The Invention of the White Race." The result was an exodus of Catholic workers from the shipbuilder, which was Belfast's largest employer at the time.

In "Irish Blood, English Heart, Ulster Fry: Return Journeys to Ireland," Annie Caulfield writes that, "by the twentieth century, Harland and Wolff had a reputation for only employing Protestants."

The Titanic was doomed due to a mummy's curse

Did an ancient mummy seal the Titanic's fate?

No. Human error and a lifeboat shortage brought about the maritime catastrophe.

Still, the idea that an ancient curse sunk the ship is one of the more fanciful conspiracy theories that cropped up in the wake of the disaster.

According to the legend, an ancient, mummified princess left a trail of death and devastation across England in the early 1900s after being excavated and removed from Egypt.

Once the beleaguered community of British art collectors and museum professionals had enough of the haunted mummy, an American archaeologist swooped in to purchase it. Ignoring his colleagues' warnings, he headed back to New York with his new acquisition.

But the unfortunate scholar and the mummy never made to the States. Because, lo and behold, the name of the ship that they sailed off on was the HMS Titanic!

The tale is popular, but also completely fictional. Snopes debunked the story, noting that, even disregarding the tale's fantastical elements, there was no mummy onboard the ship.

That hasn't stopped the British Museum's so-called "unlucky mummy" from getting blamed for the ship's sinking, though.

The ship was attacked by a U-boat

The Titanic is known as one of the biggest peacetime maritime disasters in history. The tragedy missed the onset of the First World War by two years.

But some still speculate that a German U-boat was really behind the ship's sinking.

If such a theory panned out, that'd make the Titanic's sinking a precursor to that of the Lusitania. In 1915, a German U-boat torpedoed the British ocean liner off the coast of Ireland, killing 1,198 people.

While the theory lacks an abundance of evidence, it's certainly not outside the realm of possibility.

A number of Titanic survivors reported to have noticed "an unidentified vessel approximately five to six miles away" from the sinking ship, which reportedly lingered until 2 a.m., according to Dr. Franklin Ruehl's piece in The Huffington Post. Ruehl speculated that the craft was possibly "a submarine that had surfaced to assess the damage it had caused, after which time it skulked off," and also cited survivor testimony about a number of explosions that seemed to go off deep with the ship.

"The sub may have deliberately targeted the luxury liner or possibly accidentally collided with it," Ruehl wrote.

• Awkward small talk is now being banned at parties around the world.
• Instead, hosts are providing guests with prompts for "meaningful" discussion topics.
• Some research suggests that people who have more substantive conversations are happier.

We'd just left a crowded birthday party when a friend told me he admired the way I made small talk.

It's painful for him, he said, to do the idle chit-chat thing with every new and old acquaintance he meets.

Well, thanks, I wanted to respond. I've been watching the Weather Channel all week?

I should have been more sympathetic to his plight. The prospect of making small talk is paralyzing for many people — which is why parties outright banning it are sprouting up across the globe.

The inspiration in many cases appears to be a 2016 article in Wired, in which behavioral scientists Kristen Berman and Dan Ariely write about a dinner party they hosted in this vein. The hosts provided guests with index cards featuring examples of meaningful conversation starters, like suicide prevention and dominatrixes.

According to the authors, "everyone was happier" without the obligation of talking about such trivial topics as the weather or the latest sports game. (The party apparently led to two dates as well.)

A recent article in the Hong Kong Free Press profiles Carolina Gawroński, founder of No Small Talk dinners. No Small Talk launched in Hong Kong in March, and is spreading to cities around the world.

At No Small Talk dinners, the only rules are no phones and no small talk, which includes the questions, "What do you do?" "Where are you from?" and "How long have you been in Hong Kong?" Guests at this party also receive cards with meaningful-conversation prompts. (The website suggests: "Who is your favorite parent?")

Meanwhile, other hosts are organizing dinner parties modeled after Thomas Jefferson's, in which one of the main rules is — you guessed it — no small talk. One such host asks guests to write down potential conversation topics, then puts them in a bowl and passes them around to get things started.

To avoid making small talk, assume the other person has deep thoughts too

Small-talk-free party organizers often cite a 2010 study as evidence that their method is preferable. The (small) study, published in the journal Psychological Science, found that college students who held more meaningful conversations were happier than those who engaged in more small talk.

To be sure, it would take considerable energy — and gumption — to eliminate small talk from daily life. ("How are you doing?" "Oh, I'm fine. Do you believe in heaven and hell?")

But if you're looking to cut through the chit-chat and get to the real stuff, we do have some tips. Namely, assume the other person has deep thoughts and that they too want to avoid discussing the weather.

And if you do wind up in a situation where small talk is unavoidable, the best thing you can do is stop worrying about yourself and focus on how the other person is feeling instead.

SEE ALSO: 15 ways to get better at small talk

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NOW WATCH: Here's a polite way to end a conversation with someone you don't want to talk to

• The Stelvio is Alfa Romeo's first crack at an SUV since returning to the US market.
• Luxury SUVs are a mission-critical segment for the Italian brand.
• We enjoyed the Alfa Romeo's styling and driving dynamics, but it fell short on infotainment and interior quality.

Alfa Romeo exited the US market back in the mid-1990s, and if you had told me prior to the financial crisis that the legendary Italian brand would be back, I'd have scoffed.

By the bailout and bankruptcy of Chrysler in 2009 set the stage for an unlikely return, as Fiat — Alfa's owner — acquired Chrysler and formed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. CEO Sergio Marchionne was keen to restore Alfa in the lucrative US luxury market. So first we got the offbeat 4C sports car, followed by the marvelous Giulia sedan.

Now the most unlikely Alfa of all has arrived, the Stelvio SUV. Luxury SUVs are a big segment in ute-mad America, with pretty much every major brand supporting a lineup. Alfa had to get in on the action.

The Stelvio landed in 2017, and we got our hands on a $53,000 Sport-trim example (the base model is $42,000). The car was mega-sharp, with its quintessentially Italian styling. A Range Rover this definitely isn't. But what was it like to live with?

Photos by Hollis Johnson.

FOLLOW US: On Facebook for more car and transportation content!

Our Stelvio tester arrived in a Rosso Red paint job with an all-black interior.

The Alfa front end is utterly distinctive. You can't mistake it for anything else, with that dashing shield grille, those saber-like headlights, and the gorgeous Alfa badge. As front fascias go, it's amazing.

The Rosso Red exterior was luminous. We seen Alfas in black and we've seen them in red. And red is better.

Of course, because the design is so Alfa, it's bound to be polarizing.

The obvious question is whether you want your rugged SUV to look like something that's dressed for men's fashion week in Milan. From my perspective, SUVs have exuded rough-and-tumble cred for so long that the arrival of panache with the Stelvio and the Maserati Levante is a good thing.

The Stelvio is symmetrical and sleek.

To be honest, apart from the glorious color, we weren't 100% convinced by the Stelvio's beauty. 

The rest of the world didn't share our skepticism. There was no shortage of admiring glances, rapt stares, thumbs up, and questions from total strangers for the week that we spent driving the SUV around New York and New Jersey.

• There are ways of legally bringing — and drinking — your own booze on a flight, according to frequent flier Gilbert Ott.
• On his blog God Save the Points, Ott provides the do's and don'ts of making it happen.
• Whatever you do, never try and serve yourself.

Unless you're flying first class, chances are you're used to only getting one or two complimentary drinks on a flight — or at least having to pay for alcohol, even if it is just those mini bottles of wine available.

But, according to frequent traveller and air miles guru Gilbert Ott of God Save the Points, it's actually possible to legally bring – and drink — your own booze on board. Here's what you need to know:

You can make good use of the 100ml bottle rule...

While an entire bottle of whiskey won't make it through security, there's an easy way to get a smaller amount of your favourite tipple through.

"You’re probably aware that liquid containers may not exceed 100ml," Ott writes. "Same goes for perfume, cosmetics, etc.

"Fortunately, mini alcohol bottles fit into the sizing requirements, and you can bring multiple mini bottles through security. It’s absolutely fine. Just put them in a clear plastic bag, just as you would any other liquid items."

...or go shopping at duty-free.

Your second option is shopping for booze once you get into the airport lounge — as long as you're flying direct.

"If you’re travelling internationally, you could absolutely buy a bottle of wine or Champagne (anything you’ll consume entirely on the plane) on your next flight," Ott writes, warning: "Don’t buy from duty-free if you have a connection where you’ll need to re-clear security before consuming. You’ll lose it!"

Whatever you do, don't try to serve yourself

"You CANNOT serve yourself on the plane. Any plane. No. You can’t," Ott stresses. "You CAN however politely ask a member of the cabin crew if they would not mind serving you the liquor you brought on board.

"JetBlue famously made light of this policy last year — and we know many have successfully done this on other airlines around the world. There are no guarantees a crew will say YES — but this is real — and this happens."

Be prepared to drink the whole bottle

While you might get a nice flight attendant willing to open your own bottle for you, you better be ready to drink the whole thing.

"Don’t ask the crew to open anything which will not be finished on board. And please, be discrete," Ott writes. "The crew must dispose of anything open and unconsumed at the end of the flight. For that reason, it’s best to keep things simple."

Don't overdo it

According to Ott, the crew have final say on your ability to consume alcohol — so be wise in your consumption.

"If they decide you look far too ready for midnight karaoke — they have full right to cut you off," he writes. "In each and every circumstance — arguing with them is going to go poorly for you, so just don’t. Just sit back relax, enjoy the flight and politely persuade someone to pour you a lovely drink. You’ll be on the ground before you know it."

SEE ALSO: Everything flight attendants notice about you when you board a plane — and how their tips could help you get a free upgrade

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NOW WATCH: Facebook can still track you even if you delete your account — here's how to stop it

Hollywood has long been in the business of pursuing sequels to successful movies, and the results have often been disastrous in the eyes of film critics. 

From bad sequels to classic movies like "Jaws" and "Caddyshack," to some even more terrible follow-ups to films that were already panned, the sequels on this list are all historically awful.

We compiled this list by referencing an extensive, crowd-sourced Ranker community list of the all-time "worst sequels." We then chose the worst films and ranked them by their critical scores on the reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes (we used audience scores to break any ties).

Here are 45 of the worst movie sequels of all time, ranked from bad to worse, according to critics:

SEE ALSO: The 44 worst movies made by iconic directors — from Spielberg to Scorsese

45. "Home Alone 3" (1997)

Critic score: 30%

Audience score: 27%

Sequel to: "Home Alone" (1990)

What critics said: "Twice the bad guys, half the laughs." — USA Today

44. "Dumb and Dumber To" (2014)

Critic score: 29%

Audience score: 35%

Sequel to: "Dumb and Dumber" (1994)

What critics said: "I wish I could put as little thought into writing about 'Dumb and Dumber To' as the Farrelly brothers did in making it." — Time

43. "The Final Destination" (2009)

Critic score: 28%

Audience score: 35%

Sequel to: "Final Destination" (2000)

What critics said: "Since not even 3-D can put your eyes out, our only hope is that this time, the title is a promise and not a tease." — The New York Times

• Wawa is giving away free coffee to celebrate Wawa Day 2018. 
• The convenience-store chain with a cult following is celebrating its 54th anniversary. 
• We recently visited Wawa to see if it measures up to the hype. 

Any Pennsylvanian knows the magnetic allure of Wawa.

The convenience-store chain has recruited an army of steadfast shoppers; however, many Americans don't know much about Wawa, as its locations are limited to six states on the East Coast. On Thursday, it's giving away free, unlimited coffee to celebrate its 54th year in business.

Recently, we ventured into Wawa country to get an idea of what the fuss is all about at the convenience chain and its rival, Sheetz.

We came away with a new understanding of Wawa and its fiercely loyal fans.  

Here's how Wawa won us over:

SEE ALSO: Applebee's, TGI Fridays, and Chili's are trying to claw their way out of a restaurant death trap

Our quest started off in the parking lot of a Wawa in south Phillipsburg, New Jersey, off Route 22. The gas pumps were plentiful and bustling with activity, but we were more interested in what waited within.

Wawa, with more than 720 locations in six states on the East Coast, is renowned for its high-quality, inexpensive food. The vibe is clean and professional, yet unassuming. Muted yellows and browns are the key colors, leading to a relaxed but often bland visual landscape.

It takes a few minutes to even comprehend the array of food options available at Wawa. The well-stocked prepackaged section is ambitious and diverse in scope. Even packaged food appears fresh — not as though it has been abandoned on the shelf for untold lengths.

ESPN released its first direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, ESPN+, on Thursday.

The service is now available for $4.99 per month or an annual fee of $49.99.

ESPN+ has been conceived as an add-on to ESPN's current cable coverage, so its service lacks access to any of the content on ESPN's core channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2, and ESPN Classic.

ESPN said in a release that ESPN+ includes "thousands" of live games from a wide variety of sports, as well as a library of original shows, films, and other on-demand content. The service also features limited ads on its app, with the exception of traditional ad breaks on live sports broadcasts. 

ESPN+ is available now through an update to the ESPN app, which the company's president James Pitaro has described as "completely re-imagined" and "increasingly personalized."

As part of Pitaro's emphasis on original content, the service also launched with a new "30 for 30" documentary, "The Last Days of Knight," about the career of the controversial Indiana men's college basketball coach Bob Knight.

Here's a rundown of all the live sporting events that ESPN+ includes: 

SEE ALSO: ESPN is making more money than ever off of subscribers despite its dwindling subscriber base

MLB — "More than 180 games"

ESPN said the service will feature an MLB game "each day, seven days per week" throughout the season, including every MLB team. 

NHL — "More than 180 games"

ESPN said the service will include "a daily NHL game" starting with the 2018-2019 NHL season.

Boxing — "Year-round schedule"

ESPN+ will feature "exclusive main event fights," including the match between Amir Khan vs. Phil Lo Greco on April 21, as well as "an unmatched library of legendary fights." 

• Nine percent of Americans in a new survey said they had deleted their Facebook account over privacy concerns.
• Thirty-five percent said they were using Facebook less than they used to.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in his testimony this week in Washington that there was not a "meaningful" number of people who had deleted their Facebook account following revelations that data firms were able to steal personal information from millions of users.

At the same time, the hashtag "#DeleteFacebook" has trended following the Cambridge Analytica, and you may even personally know people who zapped their Facebook account.

So Carolina Milanesi and the technology research group Techpinions decided to survey 1,000 Americans, representative of the country in age and gender, about their feelings regarding the social-networking giant.

Here are the big takeaways:

• 17% of respondents said they deleted the Facebook app from their phone over privacy concerns.
• 35% said they were using Facebook less than they used to over the privacy issue.
• 9% reported deleting their Facebook account altogether.
• 39% said they were "very aware" of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, while 37% said they were "somewhat aware."

Of course, there may be a gap between people who say they deleted their Facebook and those who actually did. And Americans account for only a fraction of Facebook's user base.

Either way, Milanesi writes that lower engagement is actually the real risk for Facebook, not necessarily people deleting their accounts.

According to the study, two out of five people surveyed who had been on Facebook for over seven years wanted it to "go back to how it was." Facebook's main product hasn't changed that much in recent years, so perhaps, like Zuckerberg, they're reminiscing about a time when the company was run out of a Harvard dorm room and the key feature was the "poke."

You can read the entire Techpinions write-up of the survey here.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Google, Apple, and Amazon are in a war that no one will win

• SyFy's "The Expanse" is one of the best sci-fi shows on TV.
• It just premiered its third season and critics love it.
• The show is set 200 years in the future, when the entire Solar System has been colonized, and it's on the brink of war. 

Three seasons in, SyFy's "The Expanse" is finally getting the recognition it deserves as one of the best sci-fi shows on TV. And thankfully, you can catch up with the first two seasons on Amazon Prime. 

The show, based on the series of novels by Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck (pen name James S. A. Corey), is set 200 years in the future when humanity has colonized the Solar System. But the Solar System is divided and on the brink of war.  It deals with the rocky relationship between Earth, Mars, and the Outer Planets Alliance (OPA). The OPA fights for the interests of inhabitants of the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter. The series stars Thomas Jane, Steven Strait and Shohreh Aghdashloo.

The show was created by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, whose writing credits include Alfonso Cuarón's "Children of Men" (2006) and "Iron Man" (2006). 

Sounds cool, right? But the show has mostly lived under the radar until now. It premiered on demand in November 2015, and made its live debut in December 2015 on SyFy. The first season received mostly good reviews from critics with a 76% Rotten Tomatoes score, but it didn't generate much buzz. However, the second season has a 95% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was when the show started to pick up steam. The third season premiered on Wednesday night to glowing reviews from critics. 

During season two, The Stranger called "The Expanse" the best sci-fi show since "Battlestar Galactica," and put the show in its top 20 best TV of 2017. Ahead of the season three premiere, Miles Surrey of The Ringer wrote, "The show has quickly become one of the most compelling small-screen sci-fi shows in the past decade." 

Watch the trailer for season three of "The Expanse" below:

SEE ALSO: If you miss 'Game of Thrones,' you should watch AMC's 'The Terror' — a historical horror series critics are calling a '10-episode nightmare'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How all-you-can-eat restaurants don't go bankrupt

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's new monster movie "Rampage," based on the 1980s arcade game, crashes into theaters this weekend, but it will have to fight off some dismal (and hilarious) reviews if it wants to succeed.

Critics aren't being kind to the movie, in which Johnson plays a primatologist named Davis Okoye who has a strong bond with George, an albino silverback gorilla whom Okoye rescued as an infant from poachers.

It sounds like a cute friendship — until George is mutated by a chemical and goes on a (you guessed it) rampage. There are also a giant wolf and a giant crocodile.

Business Insider's own Jason Guerrasio said in his review that the movie was "a CGI wonder with little plot and a whole lot of awful clichés and bad dialogue" but that Johnson's charisma "proves why he's making millions of dollars a movie."

Johnson and his costar Jeffrey Dean Morgan seem to be the only silver lining in the movie among critics, but not even they can save what most have called a surprisingly bland monster movie with a horrible, unfocused script.

Check out some of the most scathing "Rampage" reviews below:

SEE ALSO: The director of HBO's Andre the Giant documentary explains how he debunked some major myths and got Vince McMahon to cry

"I think it's my duty to tell you that The Rock's latest movie is really, really dumb."

Jason Guerrasio, Business Insider

"It's an empty golem of multiplex entertainment so bland it will make you beg for Michael Bay to direct the sequel."

David Ehrlich, IndieWire

"The objective of the original 8-bit video game was to, while controlling one of three giant monsters (a gorilla, dinosaur or werewolf), reduce a city to rubble. Naturally, a story of such pathos and originality brought Hollywood rushing with a check for millions."

Jake Coyle, Associated Press

• Fast food isn't some new-fangled invention. It's been around for centuries, albeit in different forms.

• Ancient Roman fast food joints were called "thermopolia."

• These restaurants had a bad reputation, but they provided fast and cheap meals to the poor of ancient Rome.

Fast food has been around for quite some time.

Even ancient people hankered for a spot where they could swing by and grab a hot meal. For the ancient Romans, that's where thermopolia came in. The word translates to "places where hot drinks are sold."

Historian and "Food and Drink in Antiquity: A Sourcebook: Readings from the Graeco-Roman World" author John Donahue wrote that these restaurants hawked the "ancient equivalent of modern fast food."

Most of the restaurants operated out of small rooms, fronted by large countertops. Some spots also featured small dining areas, but the primary function of the thermopolium (that's the singular version of "thermapolia," if you were wondering) was to sell take-out food

Many Romans didn't have the time or means to prepare meals at home, and came to rely on these ubiquitous eateries.

Take a look at these ancient fast food joints:

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The store's countertops were embedded with jars known as "dolia." These stored dried and cold foods that could be distributed to customers or taken out and heated up. Hot meals were served and stored in smaller pots.

Source: "The World of Ancient Rome," "Food and Drink in Antiquity: A Sourcebook: Readings from the Graeco-Roman World"

Some of the fast food joints were fancier than others. BBC reported that a number of the thermopolia were found to "have decorated back rooms, which may have functioned as dining-rooms."

Source: BBC

But historian James Ermatinger wrote that most thermopolia sold food that was "prepared to be eaten on the run rather than sitting down."

Source: "The World of Ancient Rome" 

• On Wednesday, Netflix's Ted Sarandos announced that no Netflix movies would be shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
• One of those movies is the infamous final movie by Orson Welles, "The Other Side of the Wind."
• Welles' daughter, Beatrice, pleaded to Sarandos via an email to reconsider his decision, according to Vanity Fair.

For fans of famed filmmaker and actor Orson Welles, the news on Wednesday that Netflix would be pulling the movies it planned to show at this year's Cannes Film Festival — including the world premiere of Welles' infamous final movie — followed the narrative of the legend's complicated career.

His unfinished final movie, "The Other Side of the Wind," which many have tried to complete since his death in 1985, looked to finally be at the finish line when Netflix announced last year that it was taking the global rights and would finance the completion of the movie. This seemingly put a coda on one of the most insane tales of any movie ever made.

But like many projects Welles tried to complete in his career — which were delayed or watered-down due to lack of money or outside interference — showing "The Other Side of the Wind" at the most famous film festival in the world has been halted. And Welles' daughter, Beatrice, is pleading that the streaming giant reconsider.

“I was very upset and troubled to read in the trade papers about the conflict with the Cannes Film Festival,” Beatrice wrote in an email sent to Netflix head of content Ted Sarandos on Sunday, according to Vanity Fair. “I have to speak out for my father.”

“I saw how the big production companies destroyed his life, his work, and in so doing a little bit of the man I loved so much,” Beatrice continued. “I would so hate to see Netflix be yet another one of these companies.”

She also wrote how much the festival supported her father: “Please reconsider and let my father’s work be the movie that bridges the gap between Netflix and Cannes,” she wrote.

However, in an interview with Variety on Wednesday, Sarandos confirmed that Netflix titles would not be at Cannes.

"We want our films to be on fair ground with every other filmmaker," Sarandos told the trade. "There's a risk in us going in this way and having our films and filmmakers treated disrespectfully at the festival. They've set the tone. I don't think it would be good for us to be there."

After last year's Cannes, in which Netflix had two titles in competition — Bong Joon-ho's "Okja" and Noah Baumbach's "The Meyerowitz Stories" — the festival announced that films with no plans to be released theatrically in France would no longer be considered for placement in the competition section of the festival.

On Wednesday, "The Other Side of the Wind" producer Filip Jan Rymsza reacted to the news on the movie's IndieGoGo page:

"I’d like to let you know that we fought long and hard to persuade Netflix to keep 'The Other Side of the Wind' in the festival. Our film was selected to screen Out of Competition, as an Official Selection in the Grand Théâtre Lumière, so it was not directly effected by the ban.

What’s sad and most difficult to come to terms with is that everyone loses in this decision — Cannes, Netflix, film lovers and all of us who worked so hard on this historic endeavor.

The film is a marvel. Cannes Festival Director Thierry Frémaux deemed it 'an extraordinary film, much more than a historical film … a message from [Orson Welles] to the world of cinema today.' No other festival premiere will rival what Cannes intended for the films. Their placement and reception will live only in our collective imagination.

Granted, I’m conflicted in my emotions. There would be no 'The Other Side of the Wind' without Netflix, but that doesn’t lessen my disappointment and heartbreak."

"The Other Side of the Wind" stars John Huston as a director who returns to Hollywood with hopes of a comeback after years of living in Europe.

Netflix has not officially announced when it will make the movie available to stream. It will also stream a documentary on the making of the movie.

Netflix declined to comment for this story.

SEE ALSO: The new book on iconic filmmaker Orson Welles looks at his infamous final movie

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• I visited a Tesla showroom and Mercedes-Benz dealership in New York City to observe the differences between their sales models.
• Tesla's store used innovative design strategies and revealed an eagerness to sell a vision of the brand beyond its vehicles.
• The Mercedes-Benz dealership took a more traditional, less expansive approach to selling cars and its brand.

As established automakers move toward electrification, Tesla will compete more directly with traditional luxury brands like Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. 

Until now, Tesla has had limited competition in the fully-electric luxury space, but that will change in the next decade as auto companies plan to electrify a larger percentage of their offerings. As that happens, Tesla will have new challenges to face, and the viability of its unique sales model will become clearer.

Unlike most auto companies, Tesla sells its cars to consumers directly, rather than licensing its brand to independent dealerships. That gives Tesla more control over how it presents its vehicles and interacts with customers over time, but it would also make it more difficult and costly to achieve the kind of scale some of its competitors have. And Tesla has fought legal battles for the right to sell its vehicles directly to consumers in some states, like Connecticut and New Mexico, where it's currently prohibited from doing so. 

Tesla's stores also look different than traditional car dealerships, using minimalist designs that echo innovative retail companies like Apple and Warby Parker. Tesla's stores could end up influencing how other auto companies sell their cars — or remain high-profile outliers.

I visited a Tesla showroom and Mercedes-Benz dealership in New York City to see the differences between how a relatively new and established luxury brand sell their cars. My time in each revealed contrasting sales models that spoke to the fundamental differences between Tesla and some of its competitors.

Here's what I saw.

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I started at Tesla's store in Manhattan's Meatpacking District.

The first thing I noticed was the store's minimalist design philosophy. Like Tesla's cars, the store seemed to emphasize the removal of non-essential visual information.

Because Tesla sells its vehicles directly to customers instead of using independent dealerships, the company has more control over its stores and the way they present the brand to consumers than other automakers do.

• Meghan Markle will become a member of the British royal family, which commands a fortune over $500 million, on May 19.
• Markle will remain a US citizen for at least five years and will still have to pay taxes to the IRS on any income earned.
• If Markle accepts an allowance or other form of "income" in the UK exceeding $104,100, she will have to pay US taxes on that money.

Meghan Markle will soon become the newest member of the British royal family, which commands a fortune over $500 million. But romping in their riches may cost her extra.

Markle and Prince Harry will wed on May 19 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor and begin a carriage procession immediately after the ceremony. Though Markle will likely obtain the title of Duchess, she won't become a UK citizen for years.

As the Washington Post first reported back in November, Markle could "cause tax headaches" and create some "mundane hurdles" for the royal family.

Markle is a citizen of the United States and is purportedly living in the UK on a family visa, according to the BBC. As the fiancée of a British citizen — Prince Harry — Markle will have to marry within six months of obtaining the visa to maintain her status.

Markle's family visa will be effective in 2.5-year increments and she won't be granted permanent residency until she's lived in the UK for five years. After that, she can finally apply for UK citizenship and potentially become a dual citizen of the US and the UK.

If she becomes a dual US/UK citizen, Markle will have to continue filing her taxes each year with the IRS. If she has more than $300,000 in assets at any point during the year, she will have to file a specific form that details foreign assets, which could include foreign trusts, subjecting the royal family "to outside scrutiny," according to the Post.

All the while, the "Suits" actress will be paying taxes to the IRS on any income she makes — regardless of where she earns it.

"US citizens, green card holders, and permanent residents are required to file tax returns with the IRS every year no matter where they reside," Avani Ramnani, director of financial planning and wealth management at Francis Financial, told Business Insider.

"This is a special tax return called the expatriate tax return," she said. "US citizens, including Meghan Markle, get taxed on international income earned outside the US." 

But Markle may qualify for the foreign earned income exclusion, Ramnani said, which in 2018 waives taxes on the first $104,100 of income earned in the residing country. But that doesn't include income from investments.

Since the age of 21, Prince Harry and Prince William have been receiving a $450,000 a year investment profit from their late mother's estate, which they pay taxes on to the UK government. They, and Kate Middleton, also receive an annual seven-figure allowance from their father, Prince Charles, which is used to cover expenses like travel and wardrobe.

"The key for Meghan and her advisors would be to figure out what type of income she will be getting," Ramnani said. "Will this income be from the investments of a trust, or 'wages' for any work that she does, or any other type of income? Sometimes, getting one form of income is more advantageous than another."

Markle may also qualify for a foreign tax credit, which allows tax on any income exceeding $104,100 to be reduced depending on the amount of taxes paid in the expat's country of residence. But, Ramnani said, "this credit may not be dollar-for-dollar as there are a lot of factors that come into play."

There's another US tax provision called the foreign housing exclusion, which gives the taxpayer an additional deduction or credit for living expenses abroad. It does not include "expenses that are lavish or extravagant under the circumstances."

Nottingham Cottage, the future homestead of Markle and Prince Harry, is located on the sprawling grounds of Kensington Palace, and would probably be considered lavish.

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• Costco jobs can be rough sometimes — especially when employees find themselves dealing with difficult members and annoying habits.

• Some customers are egregiously rude, while others have habits that are just quietly aggravating.

• Blocking the front entrance, leaving out perishables around the store, and trying to start fights over warehouse policies are all sure to annoy Costco employees.

Costco jobs aren't always a cakewalk.

Sometimes, that's due to the behaviors of Costco members.

A 2018 study from the University of British Columbia found that the promise of deals can "lead consumers away from fully recognizing the human qualities of employees."

The finding doesn't exactly bode well for workers at Costco, which is known for touting bargains through buying in bulk, as well as cheap eats.

While the retail chain made Glassdoor's list of best places to work in 2017, employees have still occasionally taken to social media to complain about bad behavior from shoppers.

"There are some really pleasant regulars that come in, but the negative ones outweigh the good for sure," wrote one seven-year Costco employee in a 2013 Reddit AMA.

However, one California-based Costco worker told Business Insider that they haven't had too many problems with members. "We get paid incredibly well to deal with the members, so unless they're being crazy — admitting to stalking you, being racist — we'll deal with it," the employee said.

Here are 20 annoying behaviors that are sure to irk Costco employees:

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Treating employees poorly — then expecting them to 'bend over backwards' for you

Rude customers are a problem that most retail workers come up against. Costco employees are no exception.

In a 2013 Reddit AMA, a Reddit user who said they'd worked at Costco for seven years estimated that they hated 80% of the members that visited the store.

"Because people pay a membership fee to shop there, they feel entitled to treat us like s--- and expect us to bend over backwards for them," the employee wrote.

A Costco food court employee wrote in a 2014 Reddit AMA, "I'm not some indentured servant. I'm a person that has lived a life just as full as yours. I just so happened to end up on the other side of the counter today."

A Costco employee based in Ontario told Business Insider that members "pay a small fee for amazing deals — not a bunch of slaves."

A Costco employee in Texas, as well as a Costco optical department employee, also reached out to Business Insider to say that they wished some customers would drop their "belittling" and "entitled" attitudes.

Trying to shop at Costco without a membership

Costco employees are sometimes forced to deal with non-members trying to shop at the warehouse.

In a 2016 Reddit thread, a Reddit user who said they'd worked at Costco for eight years wrote that their go-to response to indignant non-members was, "I do apologize, but it is Costco's policy. It is a membership-based warehouse, and if you are not a member then you cannot shop here."

Causing problems at the front of the store

Costco members can easily make life difficult for employees monitoring the front entrance of the store. 

A Reddit user who said they'd worked at Costco for eight years as of 2016 wrote that annoying behaviors include customers failing to show their Costco member card, blocking the front entrance, and "pulling the 'but I've shopped here for year' excuse' in lieu of a card.

A California-based Costco employee told Business Insider that they wished members would stop "giving attitude when asked to see their membership card."

• Vacations can go awry if you don't put in the research beforehand.
• Avoid uncomfortable situations like not knowing how much to tip or what the exchange rate is by doing some basic googling.
• It's helpful to have a running checklist of things to look up before you arrive.

Traveling to a new country is an exciting experience, but your vacation can easily go awry if you haven't properly prepared yourself.

As a seasoned traveler, I've found myself in plenty of uncomfortable situations abroad, like not knowing how much to tip at a restaurant, or finding that my smartphone charger doesn't fit the local outlets, or assuming there would be taxicabs waiting for me at the airport.

Luckily, Google is our friend, and I now have a running checklist of things I research online before I go to any country for the first time.

Here are 11 things you should Google before any international vacation.

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What are the country's visa requirements?

The US has one of the strongest passports in the world, as Americans can travel to 173 countries with visa-free entry or visa on arrival.

But the few dozen countries that require visas in advance are some of the most popular for Americans to visit — they include tourist hot spots like Brazil, China, India, and Vietnam.

The first thing you should do after you decide on your travel destination is research its visa requirements. Some countries can take weeks to process visa applications, so it's important to jump on it early.

What's the weather going to be like?

Once you've settled on a destination, you'll want to get a feel for what type of weather to prepare for.

Hopefully, you've done some of this research in advance, so you didn't accidentally plan a beach getaway during a country's rainy season. But you should continue to check on the weather in the days leading up to your trip — luggage space is precious, and you don't want to waste room packing heavy clothing or weather-specific items you won't end up needing.

What's the exchange rate?

Currency exchange rates are constantly fluctuating. By researching the exchange rate of your destination country before you go, you can save yourself from overpaying and ensure you're getting the best deal from currency exchangers.

• CBS CEO Leslie Moonves could reportedly make up to $280 million if he is fired over an embattled potential merger between CBS and Viacom, Bloomberg reported.
• CNBC reported on Wednesday that Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of CBS and Viacom, was "likely" to remove Moonves as the head of CBS if merger negotiations between CBS and Viacom fell through. 
• Moonves' contract entitles him to $150 million if he is fired before its expiration in 2021, Bloomberg reported.
• But his payout figure could reportedly balloon to $280 million when taking into account CBS' stock and potential performance over the next few years.

CBS CEO Leslie Moonves could make up to $280 million if Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder of CBS and Viacom through her company National Amusements, fires him over the embattled potential merger between the two TV companies, according to a Bloomberg report.

CNBC reported on Wednesday that Redstone was "likely" to remove Moonves as the CEO of CBS if merger negotiations between CBS and Viacom fell through, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Moonves' contract entitles him to $150 million if he is fired before his contract expires in June 2021, Bloomberg reported. But his payout figure could reach up to $280 million when taking into account CBS' stock and potential performance over the next few years, according to Bloomberg.

CBS is expected to make a new offer for the purchase of Viacom, but the network's bid is expected to be an insufficient price on Viacom's side of the deal, CNBC reported Wednesday.

CBS originally made a "lowball offer" of about $11.9 billion for Viacom (below market value), which was countered by Viacom with an offer of about $14.7 billion, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

In a recent profile of the embattled potential merger, THR reported that Viacom's struggling assets like MTV and Nickelodeon have made a merger plan "repellent to Moonves." CBS and Viacom were previously part of the same company from 2000 to 2006, under the ownership of National Amusements, before Viacom spun-off as a separate company in 2006.

Redstone is expected to not only replace Moonves but the entire CBS board if a merger isn't reached between the two companies, according to CNBC. But Bloomberg's report would suggest that Moonves' massive payout could throw a kink into that plan. 

In a statement to Business Insider on Wednesday, a CBS representative touted Moonves' track record, which is well-regarded by shareholders and the industry. "The industry and the marketplace know Leslie Moonves' record and we think it speaks for itself," the CBS representative said.

SEE ALSO: Shari Redstone is reportedly 'likely' to fire Les Moonves as CEO of CBS if the Viacom merger falls through

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