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The 'Tinder for Elites' is hosting a $3,000, weeklong cruise in France this summer, and it points to a rising trend in dating apps

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couple date paris france

  • The League is one of the more selective dating apps out there.
  • This summer, The League is hosting a cruise in France. About 80 of its users will attend — and hopefully, find love.
  • Dating apps are increasingly offering "offline" events.


At least one representative from The League is calling it "the death of the first date."

"A lot of our users on the app are saying that they're really sick of the first date," said Brianna Haag, The League's head of events and partnerships. "People want different types of experiences. They don't want the interview plus cocktail at a bar."

To that end, this August, dating app The League is hosting a weeklong cruise in France, in conjunction with U by Uniworld. About 80 users will mix and mingle in the hopes of finding love; the itinerary includes touring the Palace of Versailles and biking along the Seine (sigh).

So far, nearly 2,600 League users have applied, the company said. Depending on the type of accommodations you choose, the price of a flight and a room is around $3,000.

This isn't The League's first foray into "offline" events. Earlier this year, the company hosted two ski weeks in Telluride and Vail, Colorado. According to The League, two relationships (that are still intact) resulted from each ski trip.

In-person events are becoming a trend among dating apps

The League is known for its selectivity: To join the app, you have to submit your LinkedIn profile for verification and get vetted. (The app's motto is "date intelligently.") As for the cruise, The League says the guest list is carefully curated to maximize the chance of romance blossoming.

Everyone's preferences for a date should be "loosely" met, said Meredith Davis, head of the communications at The League. (Apparently, multiple 21-year-old men applied for the trip, but were turned down because the women attending prefer men who are older than that.) Guests will also have similar interests, as listed on their profiles.

The League isn't the only dating app to expand into offline events. For example, Business Insider's Tanya Dua recently attended a weekend-long "sleep-away camp for singles" hosted by Coffee Meets Bagel. It could be a sign that apps are starting to recognize people's growing fatigue with online dating — and making sure they don't lose their user base.

As for those who don't succeed in finding The One during the week on the boat, fear not. On the last night of the trip, The League is hosting a party to celebrate their plans to launch in Paris in September. Many new League users will be there.

Should the cruise guests be prepared to navigate a long-distance relationship with a Parisian?

As Davis said, "You never know."

SEE ALSO: The cofounder of Coffee Meets Bagel says there's a big difference between how men and women date online

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NOW WATCH: London's riverside pods have been revamped for summer — and they received 9,000 bookings in a single day


The 100 best horror movies of all time, according to critics

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Any great horror movie will leave both fans and film critics unsettled and with a fresh and lasting impression. 

Critics frequently gravitate toward horror films that produce what they deem to be noteworthy innovations on the well-established tropes of the genre.

The Rotten Tomatoes' list we compiled here from the site's most critically heralded horror movies includes all acclaimed films that feature a "horror" tag. This resulted in a list that spans traditional horror films, horror-comedies, and outright horror parodies.

The list ranks the movies by an adjusted critical score that Rotten Tomatoes derived from a weighted formula to account for the variation in number of reviews for each film. 

The list includes classic horror-thrillers like "Silence of the Lambs" and "Psycho," along with recent titles like the Oscar-winning "Get Out" and the acclaimed 2015 film "It Follows."

Here are the 100 best horror-related movies of all time, according to critics:

SEE ALSO: Rapper XXXTentacion fights his own corpse in a new video for his No. 1 single 'SAD!' released after he was fatally shot

100. "Willow Creek" (2014)

Critic score: 86%

Audience score: 33%

What critics said: "A found-footage horror cheapie that turns out to be its creator's warmest, most satisfying work." — The Village Voice



99. "Split" (2017)

Critic score: 76%

Audience score: 78%

What critics said: "A rare, straight-up horror film from Shyamalan, Split is a thrilling reminder of what a technical master he can be." — RogerEbert.com



98. "Santa Sangre" (1989)

Critic score: 85%

Audience score: 87%

What critics said: "Visionary and haunting, 'Santa Sangre' is a mixture of blood poetry and gobbledygook that keeps springing astonishingly to life." — Rolling Stone



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'Sicario' sequel director explains how the shocking moment with Benicio Del Toro's character at the end of the movie could happen in real life

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  • Benicio Del Toro's hitman character Alejandro in "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" gets in quite the jam at the end of the movie. 
  • You may have left the theater after seeing the movie with a big question. 
  • We talked to the movie's director, Stefano Sollima, about how realistic the most shocking moment of the movie is.


Warning: Major spoiler below if you haven't seen "Sicario: Day of the Soldado."

If you saw "Sicario: Day of the Soldado," you may have left the movie theater with one major question: "How the heck did Benicio Del Toro survive that gun shot to the face?"

We certainly thought the same thing. 

In the sequel to the critically acclaimed thriller about the drug battle on the US/Mexico border, we are taken deeper and learn that it's now more profitable to smuggle people across the border than drugs.

Toward the end of the movie, Alejandro (Del Toro) and Isabel (Isabela Moner) try to get back into the US by paying a gang that sneaks illegal immigrants cross the border. However, one of the gang members spots Alejandro and realizes he works with the American authorities. This leads to one of the movie's most dramatic moments, as Alejandro is tied up, has his face covered, and is brought out to a secluded location to be executed. 

After a little back and forth on who will do the deed, the young gang member who originally spotted Alejandro takes the gun and shoots him in the face. The audience thinks Alejandro is definitely dead. However, a few scenes later, we come back to Alejandro the morning after, and suddenly he's moving.

With blood pouring from his face, he gets himself untied and takes off the cover over his face to reveal that the gunshot had gone into one cheek and out the other side. He's in some serious pain but not dead.

Is this just movie magic, or could this have really happened?

"Soldado" director Stefano Sollima said they put a lot of research into finding out if it was possible to survive that. 

"I approached that scene realistically," Sollima told Business Insider, noting that it's shot exactly how screenwriter Taylor Sheridan ("Sicario," "Hell or High Water") wrote it. "We used a caliber of gun where it's possible that you are going to survive. Then we did an analysis of what can happen. We discussed with consultants and it was really important to be sure that the camera angle showed where exactly he was shot. You can survive if you're really lucky." 

Turns out even for the most skilled sicario sometimes it's better to be lucky than good. 

"Sicario: Day of the Soldado" is currently playing in theaters.

SEE ALSO: "Sicario" sequel director says not having Emily Blunt led to a movie with no morals

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The 8 movies coming to Netflix in July that are worth watching

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There's a lot to choose from on Netflix these days. But honestly, it's not all great.

Even with all the TV series, cartoons, and movies (some original and some from studio libraries), it can sometimes be hard to find something you can sit all the way through. We're here to help.

With July here, there's a new crop of titles on the streaming giant. Here are eight movies we think won't disappoint you:

  • "Interview With the Vampire" (available July 1)
  • "Jurassic Park" (July 1)
  • "Menace II Society" (July 1)
  • "The Princess Diaries" (July 1)
  • "Spanglish" (July 1)
  • "Blue Valentine" (July 5)
  • "Gone Baby Gone" (July 12)
  • "Her" (July 29)

SEE ALSO: The 100 best horror movies of all time, according to critics

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NOW WATCH: Why the World Cup soccer ball looks so different

The 5 songs on Drake's new, 25-track album 'Scorpion' that are actually worth listening to

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With 25 tracks and a run time that reaches nearly 90 minutes, Drake's latest album, "Scorpion," is a slog.

The double-sided LP has received mixed early reviews from music critics, most of whom bemoan the album's length and the filler tracks that populate it. 

For the listener who is put off by the prospect of digging into 25 songs, we've highlighted a few of the essential tracks from "Scorpion" to expedite your listening process. 

We excluded the ubiqutous singles "God's Plan" and "Nice For What," which combined to hold the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for 19 consecutive weeks prior to the album's release.

Here are the 5 songs on Drake's 25-track album that are actually worth listening to:

SEE ALSO: Drake's new album 'Scorpion' is his longest yet, and this chart shows how it compares to his others

"Nonstop"

The first quality track on "Scorpion"'s rap-centric Side A, "Nonstop" interpolates an unreleased song from Memphis rapper Mack Daddy Ju over a bass-heavy beat. The track finds Drake unleashing the sharpest possible version of his uniquely corny bravado, boasting about his wealth with lines like "Bills so big I call 'em Williams, for real."



"Emotionless"

The first in a series of tracks responding to Pusha-T's ruthless diss track, "The Story of Adidon," "Emotionless" finds Drake addressing the Pusha-initiated rumors that he was "hiding a child." The song chops up a sample from Mariah Carey's 1991 song "Emotions" for a moving instrumental that backs some first-rate, introspective bars, as the 31-year-old rapper confirms the existence of his first child and ponders the consquences.



"8 Out of 10"

On the jubilant "8 Out of 10," Drake boasts of his successes while an unnamed woman's voice acts as his nonchalant hype woman, endorsing each of his stanzas with the word "true." The song serves as another response to Pusha-T's diss-track claim that he's a "deadbeat" father ("The only deadbeats is whatever I been rapping to"), and it features a comical outro from rapper Plies, who mocks Drake for seemingly being "big mad" over his latest rap beef.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

MoviePass filed paperwork to raise up to $1.2 billion to keep it afloat as it fights AMC (HMNY)

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  • On Monday, Helios and Matheson Analytics, the majority owner of MoviePass, filed a shelf registration to allow it to raise more money to help keep MoviePass afloat.
  • The company hopes to raise up to $1.2 billion in equity and debt.


MoviePass' majority owner, Helios and Matheson Analytics (HMNY), filed a shelf registration on Monday in the hopes of keeping the company running for the next few years. 

According to the SEC filing, HMNY wants to raise up to $1.2 billion by offering institutional investors equity and debt.   

HMNY CEO Ted Farnsworth told The Hollywood Reporter the money raised would be also be used to make more acquisitions, and he told the trade he's already in negotiations on a few. Farnsworth also said MoviePass would have 5 million subscribers by the end of the year, and would generate $600 million in annual revenue.

But increased revenue has also meant increased losses for HMNY.

In June, HMNY said in an SEC filing that MoviePass' monthly losses soared to $40 million in May due to rapid increases in subscriber growth. The company also said it expected its cash deficit to reach $45 million in June. That's up from nearly $23 million per month in the first quarter of this year.

That explains the need for extra money — to the tune of $1.2 billion. Though HMNY is not required to use all the shelf registration, HMNY noted in the June filing that it would "require a significant amount of additional capital for MoviePass" that could potentially exceed $1.2 billion.

The shelf registration comes at a time when Wall Street doesn't have a lot of confidence in HMNY and its ability to be sustainable in the long term. 

As of Monday morning, HMNY was trading at $0.26 per share, on the heels of the unpopular news recently that MoviePass will begin to implement "high demand" charges on popular titles beginning this month (essentially surge pricing), and AMC Theatres introducing its own subscription plan.

SEE ALSO: 8 movies coming to Netflix in July that are worth watching

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why the World Cup soccer ball looks so different

Inside the marriage of LeBron and Savannah James, who met in high school, had their first date at Outback Steakhouse, and are now worth $275 million

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  • LeBron James and his wife Savannah met in high school and have been together ever since.
  • They became engaged at a star-studded New Year's Eve bash in 2011, and tied the knot in 2013.
  • The couple has three children, and James is the one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.


In 2013, LeBron James married his longtime girlfriend Savannah Brinson. Their lavish wedding included a performance of "Crazy in Love" from Beyonce and Jay-Z, according to Deadspin. The three days of festivities also featured plenty of celebrity cameos, from family friend and fellow NBA star Dwayne Wade to singer Neyo, wrote The Hollywood Reporter.

The couple started off as high school sweethearts, who grabbed dinner at Outback Steakhouse on their first date and stuck together through James' meteoric rise through the NBA.

Today, they have three children and two sprawling mansions: a $21 million mansion in Los Angeles, and a $9.2 million one in Akron, Ohio. The three-time NBA champion is worth $275 million as of 2016 and is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, according to Forbes.

Here's a look inside their 16-year-relationship:

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk has finally spoken out about his personal life — here's his complicated history of marriages, divorces, and dating

DON'T MISS: LEBRON JAMES: How the king of the NBA spends his millions

James and Savannah both grew up in Akron, Ohio and attended rival high schools. He was a sports prodigy, excelling at basketball and football. She was a cheerleader and softball player.

Source: Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Sports Illustrated



They met at a football game. She told Harper's Bazaar she wasn't aware of his athletic prowess when she accepted his invitation to a basketball game: "I had no idea who he was."

Source: Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Sports Illustrated



Later, Savannah joked to Vogue, "He met me! I didn't meet him!"

Source: Vogue



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A look at the daily routine of Thomas Jefferson, who rose early, drank coffee, and wrote a lot

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Thomas Jefferson helped draft the Declaration of Independence about 242 years ago. He was 33-year-old at the time.

Over the course of his career, he would go on to serve the fledgling United States as governor of Virginia, minister to France, secretary of state, vice president, and, finally, the country's third president.

Despite wearing so many hats in the government, Jefferson adhered to a relatively well-defined schedule throughout his life.

Here's a look at the Founding Father's daily routine:

SEE ALSO: A look at the daily routine of John Adams, who woke before dawn, walked 5 miles at a time, and drank hard cider at breakfast

DON'T MISS: 5 famous 'facts' about the Fourth of July that aren't true

SEE ALSO: A look at the daily routine of Alexander Hamilton, who loved coffee and worked for marathon stretches of time

Jefferson didn't wake up at a set time every day. Instead, he wrote that, "Whether I retire to bed early or late, I rise with the sun." Typically, he would get out of bed whenever there was enough light for him to read the clock next to his bed.

Source: Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Monticello



He once boasted that he hadn't slept late in 50 years, according to Colonial Williamsburg's official blog.

Source: Colonial Williamsburg



Before breakfast, the Founding Father would tend to his correspondence. Over the course of his life, he wrote somewhere around 20,000 letters.

Source: Colonial Williamsburg, Early to Rise



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here’s why certain sunscreens are so dangerous for coral that Hawaii plans to ban them — and what you should use instead

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  • Hawaii is likely to ban the sale of sunscreens that contain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, which can kill reefs.
  • These chemicals disrupt the development of reefs and make them more likely to undergo bleaching, which causes coral to lose color and become vulnerable to disease and death.
  • Mineral sunscreens containing zinc and titanium are a good alternative to chemical sunscreens.
  • But there are still questions about whether banning these sunscreens will do enough to save reefs.


This week, Hawaii Governor David Ige is expected to sign a bill that will ban the sale of certain popular sunscreens containing chemicals that can damage and kill coral reefs.

Banning popular sunscreens in a place where most tourists travel to get sun — and where the visitor sector, which includes tourism and related businesses, is the largest part of the economy— might seem shocking.

But the coral reefs that surround Hawaii are incredibly valuable, providing coastal protection from storm surges and erosion, protecting valuable fish and marine life habitats that make the Hawaiian waters vibrant, and drawing tourists who want to see the colorful underwater wonderland.

According to one study commissioned by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hawaii's coral reefs are worth $33.57 billion.

Hawaiians hope to protect all that value by banning the sale of sunscreens containing the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, which research has shown can kill coral.

The question is whether doing so is enough to protect reefs.

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What chemical sunscreens do to reefs — and what you can use instead

Sunscreens in general fall into two categories. Chemical sunscreens, like those that contain oxybenzone (which is found in 70% of sunscreens) convert ultraviolet rays into less harmful rays. Mineral sunscreens, on the other hand, physically block light from your skin. The most common mineral ingredients used for these sunscreens are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.

Researchers have long known chemicals in that first class of sunscreens can damage corals.

As a 2018 briefing from the International Coral Reef Initiative explains,"[s]ome sunscreen chemicals, in certain situations, cause coral larvae to stop swimming, change shape, and ultimately die."

Oxybenzone in particular disrupts the development of coral, according to that briefing: "Oxybenzone has been shown to be an endocrine disrupter, causing the outer epidermal cells of coral larvae to turn into skeleton at the wrong stage in their development."

Corals that are stressed by heat or carbon dioxide — or chemicals like sunscreen — lose the colorful algae that help them derive nutrition from photosynthesis. This process is known as bleaching, and as bleached corals turn white, it makes them vulnerable to disease, harmful forms of algae, and death. 

It's possible that some mineral sunscreens could have a negative environmental impact as well, but in general, most experts think they are a safer choice for reefs. Some experts say they can be better choices for people, too.

"I typically recommend those [mineral blockers] to my patients because they have much less risk of being irritating to the skin, and you're getting that broad-spectrum coverage," dermatologist Kathleen Suozzi from the Yale School of Medicine recently told my colleague Hilary Brueck.

People have shied away from zinc- and titanium-based sunscreens in the past because of the white sheen many products can leave on top of skin. However, sunscreen technology has improved, and many products now are easier to apply and don't leave a white coating on skin. In general, if you want a more environmentally-friendly choice, look for a titanium- or zinc-based product.

sunscreen

Will a sunscreen ban protect reefs?

One of the biggest questions is how much of an impact sunscreen use has on reefs in the first place. After all, the ocean is a vast place, where anything is rapidly diluted in the water.

But while much of the research on sunscreen and corals comes from lab studies, there is real-world data indicating that in places with a lot of tourists, enough sunscreen gets into the water to cause harm.

According to one 2016 study of the effects of sunscreen on reefs in the Virgin Islands and Hawaii, it only takes a tiny bit of oxybenzone to start damaging the DNA of coral and trigger harmful effects. That study found oxybenzone levels in Hawaii were lower than those around the Virgin Islands, but still high enough to cause harm.

That's good reason to try to steer clear of chemical sunscreens if you're going to be near coral reefs. But it doesn't mean avoiding sunscreen will be enough to save these valuable assets.

For one thing, the ban itself may have limited effect. When it goes into effect, it'll ban the sale of these sunscreens on the island, but that doesn't mean travelers can't bring them along in their baggage. Plus, a huge number of cosmetic products contain oxybenzone, as do prescription sunscreens — neither of these will be affected by the ban. When people use these products and shower, that oxybenzone-contaminated wastewater makes its way into nearby oceans, even if you don't swim while coated in these products.

And while it's worth doing anything possible to protect reefs on a local level, like avoiding harmful chemicals, that alone won't be enough to save them all. Research indicates that reefs around the world are largely suffering because of climate change, which raises ocean temperatures and makes waters more acidic. Chemicals just compound that damage.

According to some estimates, the combined effects of climate change and other human activity have killed about half the world's reefs in the past 30 years, and it's possible that by 2030, 98% of the world's reefs will be exposed to conditions that can kill them every year.

Avoiding harmful sunscreen could be a helpful step. But without action on climate change, it won't be enough.

SEE ALSO: Coral reefs provide crucial protection for coastal cities — without them, flood damage could double, a new study finds

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What happens when you hold in your pee for too long

19 US presidents' surprising first jobs

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First jobs are usually a mixed bag; they can be disastrous failures, great learning experiences, or somewhere in between.

• That's the case even for people who go on to become the president of the US.

• American presidents had some memorable first roles across history.



The road to the White House isn't always glamorous.

Sure, most US presidents throughout our history have had experience in law, politics, or the military— or some combination thereof.

But many future presidents had rather unconventional first gigs— from plucking chickens to working at a circus to selling comic books at a grocery store.

It's definitely encouraging for anyone who suffered through a weird start to their career.

Here are the surprising first jobs held by Washington, Lincoln, Obama, and 15 other US presidents:

SEE ALSO: 29 American presidents who served in the military

George Washington started working as a surveyor in Shenandoah Valley at age 16

When Washington, the first US president, was 16, Lord Thomas Fairfax gave him his first job surveying Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and West Virginia, according to the official site of Historic Kenmore, his sister's plantation.

Surveyors measure land, airspace, and water, and explain what it looks like and how much there is for legal records.

The next year, at age 17, Washington was appointed the official surveyor of Culpeper County. By the time he was 21, he owned more than 1,500 acres of land, according to American Studies department at UVA.



John Adams was a schoolmaster

After graduating from a class of 24 students, Adams took his first job as as a schoolmaster in Worcester, Massachusetts, according to the University of Groningen's biography of the second US president.

However, the career was not fulfilling for Adams and he was often filled with self doubt, as evidenced by the personal entries in his famous journal, which the Massachusetts Historical Society has posted online. To keep up with his own reading and writing, Adams would sometimes ask the smartest student to lead class.



Thomas Jefferson was a lawyer

Before he became the third president of the US, Jefferson handled 900 matters while specializing in land cases as a lawyer in the General Court in Williamsburg, Virginia, according to Encyclopedia Virginia.

Influenced by his political ideology, Jefferson served clients from all classes. As he wrote in his "Autobiography" in 1821, he wanted to create a "system by which every fibre would be eradicated of ancient or future aristocracy; and a foundation laid for a government truly republican."



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Many people incorrectly think that the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4 — here's the REAL reason the US celebrates that day

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In the US, Independence Day is all about getting decked out in red, white, and blue, throwing some meat on the barbecue, and shooting off fireworks.

That's just America's way of commemorating the 13 colonies' decision to rebel against King George III and declare their independence in 1776.

Representatives from the 13 colonies debated the breakaway from Britain over the course of a number of hot summer days in Philadelphia.

But, while the Fourth of July is currently the US's national holiday, the Declaration Independence was issued as an initial resolution on July 2.

On that day, Massachusetts delegate and future US president John Adams was certain that he'd witnessed history — and that the date would live on in memory.

"The Second Day of July 1776, will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America," wrote Adams, in a July 3, 1776 letter to his wife, Abigail.

Adams ended up being off by two days. The Declaration ended up going through some revisions and was finalized on July 4.

But historians believe that the document wasn't actually signed until about a month later.

Emily Sneff, research manager of the Declaration Resources Project at Harvard University, wrote that 49 of the 56 signers didn't even add their signatures to the declaration until August 2, 1776: "It took several months, if not years, for all of the signatures to be added."

She cited the Journals of the Continental Congress, which include this August 2 entry: "The declaration of independence being engrossed and compared at the table was signed."

So, why do we gather together to blow things up and overeat on the Fourth?

The Declaration was technically approved on that day, and the copies distributed throughout the colonies were dated July 4, 1776.

As a result, that was the date that stuck in people's minds.

SEE ALSO: 5 famous 'facts' about the Fourth of July that aren't true — and what actually happened instead

DON'T MISS: What the Founding Fathers were doing before their act of rebellion made them famous

SEE ALSO: A look at the daily routine of Benjamin Franklin, who didn't always follow his own 'early to bed, early to rise' advice

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Macy’s will set off 60,000 fireworks this 4th of July — here’s how they set it all up

13 places to travel in July for every type of traveler

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  • The best places to visit in July are already on savvy travelers' lists.
  • Business Insider looked at airfare trends, climate data, and peak travel times to find the best places to visit in July 2018.
  • The destinations include tropical getaways, natural wonders, and America's oldest Independence Day celebration.


July is peak travel season for Americans, and if you're a savvy traveler, you're already thinking about where you'll escape.

Choosing the right destination isn't always easy — the summer months bring unrelenting heat in some places, and the threat of monsoon season in others. On top of that, travelers must contend with the throngs of other people who picked the same place for their summer getaways.

We looked at airfare trends, climate data, and cultural calendars to select 13 vacation spots that are some of the best places to visit this July. They include spiritual temple sites in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the stunning Iguazu Falls in South America, and the charming town of Bristol, Rhode Island — the site of America's longest-running Fourth of July celebration.

Read on to find the 13 best places to visit in July.

SEE ALSO: The 13 best places to travel in June for every type of traveler

DON'T MISS: 13 places to visit in May for every type of traveler

Chicago, Illinois

July is the hottest month of the year in Chicago, so if cold weather turns you off, now's your chance to visit the Windy City.

Timeless tourist classics that are perfect for the warm weather include Millennium Park, Wrigley Field, and the shores of Lake Michigan, and you could spend hours and hours at renowned museums like the Chicago Institute of Art and the Field Museum.

Outdoor festivals abound in July, too, from the Irish American Heritage Festival to the Chinatown Summer Fair. And of course, it wouldn't be the Fourth of July without a robust lineup of fireworks displays at several points throughout the city.
 



Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon, is blessed with natural beauty — an "almost unfair abundance" of it, according to Lonely Planet— and summer is the perfect time to explore it.

Popular activities for visitors in July include bike tours through the scenic Willamette Valley wine region and hikes through the winding trails of Forest Park.

Beer lovers will appreciate the many, many breweries that call the City of Roses their home, and the area is well-established as a haven for local music, food, and art. 



Bristol, Rhode Island

Don't have plans for the Fourth of July? Take a trip to Bristol, Rhode Island, to witness America's longest-running Independence Day celebration.

The Fourth of July festivities in this small seaside town date back to 1785. And one month isn't enough to contain the party — it actually starts midway through June, and includes several nights of concerts, carnivals, dances, and other entertainment.

Apart from the patriotic celebration, there are plenty of other activities to do in Bristol, including boating, bicycling, and indulging in some delicious New England seafood.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

9 things you should know about when the new iPhones will probably come out — and what to expect (AAPL)

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The most common questions most people have about the upcoming iPhone are as follows:

  1. When is it coming out?
  2. What's going to be new?

Apple doesn't give release dates or details about upcoming products before they're officially announced. The company usually reveals new features as well as when you can a new product at one of its annual launch events.

But based on previous years, you can predict pretty closely when you can buy the latest iPhone model.

And based on analysts and reports, we have an idea what Apple could be launching this fall.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2018 iPhone lineup: 

1. You will almost certainly be able to buy it this September.

Since 2012, Apple has unveiled its latest iPhone in September. Typically, the new iPhone is available to preorder a few days after Apple's announcement. 

Here's the recent history:

2012: iPhone 5 was announced on Wednesday, September 12, and started shipping on Friday, September 21.

2013: iPhone 5S was announced on Wednesday, September 10, and started shipping on Friday, September 20.

2014: iPhone 6 was announced on Tuesday, September 9, and started shipping on Friday, September 19.

2015: iPhone 6S was announced on Wednesday, September 9, and started shipping on Friday, September 25.

2016: iPhone 7 was announced on Wednesday, September 7, and started shipping on September 16. 

2017: iPhone 8 and iPhone X were announced together on Tuesday, September 12. The iPhone 8 started shipping on September 22. In a change from previous years, iPhone X started shipping on November 3, almost two months after the announcement.



2. Reliable analysts and journalists have predicted Apple will release three new iPhones.

The short answer to what to expect from the new iPhones is more Face ID, Apple's facial recognition software that replaced the fingerprint sensor on the iPhone X. Signs are pointing to it becoming a default feature on this year's models. 

Apple watchers are expecting three new iPhones this year: One that looks like the iPhone X but with updated components, a super-sized version of the iPhone X, and a less expensive iPhone with an edge-to-edge LCD screen and facial recognition that costs between $649 and $749.



3. The two higher-end iPhones could be pricey. This year's iPhone X started at $999. A "plus" version could be even more expensive.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

A craft marijuana brand has raised a total of $50 million from VCs including an early Facebook investor — here's why it's a big deal for the industry

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  • Craft marijuana brand Flow Kana has raised a new investment round of $22 million, bringing its funding total to $50 million.
  • Its latest financing is one of the largest Series A rounds for a cannabis company to date, though deals of this size are becoming more common.
  • Hundreds of millions of VC dollars flow into the marijuana sector every year, as fledgling startups chase funding to become the giants of their industry.

 

Tech investors are seeing green in the marijuana industry.

Flow Kana, a craft marijuana brand based in San Francisco, has closed a $22 million round of financing to scale the supply chain across California. Combined with earlier funding from notable angel Roger McNamee, an early Facebook investor who served as an advisor to Mark Zuckerberg, the raise brings its total funding to $50 million.

It's one of the largest Series A rounds for a cannabis company to date, according to data and research firm Pitchbook, though deals of this size are becoming less rare.

Big money is coming for the emerging marijuana sector, which analysts say could eclipse soda sales by 2030. Marijuana is legal in nine states and Washington, DC.

Flow Kana was founded as a boutique delivery service in 2014. The company sources its marijuana from small farmers who grow outdoors without using pesticides, and is aimed at helping those farmers compete with Big Cannabis in the era of legalization.

This year the company opened a massive marijuana processing manufacturing hub on the site of a former winery in Northern California. Much like a winery that hosts tours and tastings, the Flow Cannabis Institute will eventually build experiences around the operation. Visitors will be able to tour the facilities where workers test, trim, process, and package marijuana for distribution; learn about the plant in seminars and pairing dinners; and stay on-site at a pot-friendly bed and breakfast.

Hundreds of millions of venture dollars flow into the marijuana sector every year, as fledgling startups chase funding to become the giants of their industry.

Michael Steinmetz Flow Kana Headshot

Mike Steinmetz, founder and CEO of Flow Kana, said when he started raising seed money back in 2015, an investor writing a check for $50,000 seemed like "a big win." As investors warm to the marijuana industry, those check sizes are growing bigger.

Still, Flow Kana hasn't raised from any big-name firms on Sand Hill Road. While many VC funds may want to invest in the marijuana industry, their limited partners (LPs) — typically large, institutional pension funds or insurance companies — won't take the risk because cannabis is still considered illegal by the US federal government.

Steinmetz focused his fundraising efforts on marijuana-specific funds, family offices, and angel investors, though he would have liked to raise from Silicon Valley firms.

"Most VCs were locked behind their LPs," Steinmetz said.

Gotham Green Partners, a New York-based private equity firm focused on deploying capital into promising marijuana startups, led the Series A round with a $15 million investment. Poseidon Asset Management and Salveo Capital also participated.

Big money is coming for the marijuana industry

American venture capital put $303 million into 79 marijuana industry deals in 2017, and 2018 is on pace to break last year's record. Most of the top venture-backed companies in the space are working on biotech solutions or ancillary services, like software platforms and payroll management. These deals are generally considered safer bets for investors, because the companies don't touch the marijuana plant.

In April, Tiger Global Management, a New York City-based investment firm with $22 billion under management, led a $17 million investment into software maker Green Bits. The firm's involvement was considered by some as a sign that big money is starting to take the marijuana sector seriously, in spite of the federal government's stance.

It may take longer for institutional dollars to reach Flow Kana, which handles the plant but does not grow it. The company plans to use the latest round of financing to increase production at the Flow Cannabis Institute and build distribution hubs.

SEE ALSO: The rising stars of marijuana's investment scene that everyone from Wall Street to Silicon Valley should know

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The racist origins of marijuana prohibition

Lonely millennials are at a greater risk of developing anxiety and depression — but the reasons for their isolation are unclear

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  • A new study has shown how millennials have a higher risk of mental health problems if they are lonely.
  • Young adults and teenagers are at the highest risk of loneliness, according to some research.
  • Some people blame the rise of social media use, but the reasons are likely to be more nuanced than that.


You might not know why you're lonely. After all, being alone doesn't mean you have to be lonely, and being lonely doesn't necessarily mean you're on your own.

But if you're feeling isolated from other people, it can be completely debilitating to your life. It's bad for stress, can make women feel hungrier, and even increases the risk of early death by 26%.

According to a new study published in the journal Psychological Medicine, lonely millennials have twice the rick of developing mental health problems like depression and anxiety, compared to those who are connected to others.

In the study, researchers from King's College London analysed 2,066 millennial twins in England and Wales. They were asked about their experiences at different stages of life, their relationships, how lonely they were, and how their mental and physical health was.

The most recent data was taken while the twins were 18. Results showed that 7% of participants said they often felt lonely, while 23-31% said they felt left out or lacked companionship.

Overall, being lonely was associated with double the chance of a mental health problem, and a 38% increased risk of being unemployed. Also, lonely individuals were more likely to engage in risky behaviours like smoking and not exercising.

"If somebody discloses to their friends or family, or a GP, that they feel lonely a lot of the time, that could be a warning sign that they are struggling in other areas of life," Timothy Matthews, co-author of the study from King's College London, told the Guardian.

Younger people are the loneliest

Last year, a study found that, contrary to popular belief, older people aren't necessarily at the highest risk of being lonely. In fact, loneliness is greatest among teenagers and young adults.

Some link the loneliness of the millennial generation back to social media. However, while some research does show that using sites like Facebook and Instagram can be isolating, they probably aren't as bad as we think.

It ultimately comes down to how you use them. For example, many people use social media platforms as a way to make friends, especially those who struggle in real-life social situations.

If you're using them to keep in contact, it's less likely to be a problem. But if you spend most of your time scrolling aimlessly and feeling jealous about what everyone else is doing, you're more likely to get FOMO and feel lonely.

In an article for Forbes, Caroline Beaton discussed another possible reason that millennials are so lonely, in addition to spending more time on the internet.

Loneliness, she said, can be contagious. A study from 2009 showed how people are 52% more likely to be lonely if they are connected to someone who is lonely. Also, people who aren't lonely tend to become lonelier around someone who is.

"Lonely people are less able to pick up on positive social stimuli, like others' attention and commitment signals, so they withdraw prematurely — in many cases before they're actually socially isolated," she wrote. "Their inexplicable withdrawal may, in turn, make their close connections feel lonely too."

The lonely can also act a little hostile, possibly as a defence mechanism. This further severs their social ties and perpetuates their loneliness.

The researchers said this new study's findings could help "underscore the importance of early intervention to prevent lonely young adults from being trapped in loneliness as they age."

The participants were only 18, and it's very possible their loneliness levels will change when they grow up. But for those who struggle until later on in life, further research could help them figure out why it is.

"Feeling lonely isn't in itself a mental health problem, but the two are strongly connected," Stephen Buckley from the mental health charity Mind told The Guardian.

"Being sociable and connecting with other people is rewarding in its own right and can help significantly improve your mental well-being, especially if you're not feeling so good."

SEE ALSO: People can be lonely even if they're married or have a ton of friends — and the ones we worry about probably aren't those most at risk

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We're learning more about how social isolation damages your brain and body — here are the biggest effects

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  • Social isolation, which happens when a person has little or no contact with others, is a dangerous condition.
  • The form of extreme self-exile has been linked to a host of debilitating health problems, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and smoking. 
  • New research suggests social isolation can make heart failure patients three and a half times more likely to die than their well-connected peers.
  • There's growing evidence that a simple, intuitive way to combat social isolation could also make just about anyone happier.

 

Going without human contact for too long can literally break your heart. 

That's according to a new study of social isolation published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in May, which tracked more than 1,600 people living with heart failure. 

We've known for a while that being alone is a deadly dangerous condition. Other scholars have estimated that regardless of your heart health, social isolation can increase risk of death anywhere from 50-90%. Being socially disconnected can also up your risk of developing high blood pressure or inflammation, and make people more aggressive

But for the new study, researchers looked at a group of patients from rural parts of Minnesota, all dealing with heart failure. They found that those Minnesotans who described their lives as highly socially isolated, seeing virtually no one else on a daily basis, were three and a half times more likely to die than people who were suffering from some of the exact same heart problems, but who reported having enough social support and connections to others.

People who didn't have any regular human contact were also more likely to be hospitalized, made more frequent visits to their doctors, and were more likely to be rushed to the emergency room than their peers.

China elderly

"It's becoming increasingly clear that socially isolated people face serious health risks," NYU sociologist Eric Klinenberg, who was not affiliated with the new study, told Business Insider. 

"We need to take their situation seriously," he said, though he cautioned there's no evidence yet that the sheer volume of socially isolated people in the US is going up.

"Americans are just about as isolated as we've always been," he said.

His own research suggests that in the US, elderly people and adult men are the two most at-risk populations for social isolation, in part, because they tend to have smaller social networks to begin with.

In addition to being more at-risk physically, there's also budding evidence that socially isolated people are changing their brain chemistry in dangerous ways. One recent study in mice found that just two weeks of "social isolation stress" caused negative behavioral changes and shifts in their brain chemistry. The finding hasn't been replicated in humans yet, but it made the mouse-studying scientists wonder if they might be able to some day use drugs to help human patients cope with the mental aspects of social isolation, and decrease their isolation-fueled aggression chemically. 

Loneliness is not the same as social isolation, but it's dangerous too
crowded subway train

Being alone (social isolation) and feeling alone (loneliness) are not the same issue. Besides, generally speaking, people who live alone, whether they be 20 years old or 80, tend to have more social connections with others, not less, as Klinenberg has reported in the past. Loneliness isn't about how physically close we are to other people, and a person can be surrounded by others, and still feel completely alone in the world; that's loneliness at work. Like social isolation, long-term feelings of this emotional going-it-alone can make people more likely to die an early death, and research suggests the risks are on par with smoking. 

The rural Minnesotan study also measured some aspects of loneliness in socially isolated heart failure patients, by asking them how often they identified with statements like "I feel left out," and "I feel that people are around me, but not with me."

Coping with loneliness and social isolation

Klinenberg says it's important to remember that not all these feelings of loneliness are necessarily bad. Unlike a chemically-disturbed state of social isolation, or a debilitating loneliness that can last for weeks on end, a short bout of temporary loneliness won't kill you. In fact, he says it "can be a productive and healthy thing."

"It's your body's signal that you need to get off your couch and get into the world and try to build better, more meaningful social ties," he said. 

That's isolation-busting advice more scientists are getting behind.

In May a group of German researchers revealed that connecting more with others can boost how people rate their own satisfaction with life. In a study, people who spent a year making a renewed effort to help others, or spent more time with friends and family, were the only participants who measurably increased how they rated their own life satisfaction.

Other participants who focused on more self-centered life-improvement hacks, like quitting their own bad habits, showed no major change in how happy they rated their lives after a year, suggesting that adding in more time with others might be a kind of secret sauce for improving happiness.

To break out of social isolation, you have to be healthy enough to get out more in the first place — a tricky paradox for patients dealing with conditions like heart failure. Researchers in the new study suggest doctors can also be first responders in the fight against social isolation, looking for tell-tale signs by reaching out and asking a few simple questions of patients when they visit.

SEE ALSO: Scientists are figuring out why fasting helps people live longer — and they say a pill may one day trigger the same benefits

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Brain stimulation could zap out violent and criminal thoughts, according to new research

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  • A lot of how the brain controls our impulses remains a mystery.
  • But there are some areas, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which have been linked to antisocial behaviour.
  • Scientists have shown stimulating this area to boost its activity could reduce people's violent tendencies.
  • In other words, it's the opposite of a lobotomy to remove the problem area.
  • There is more work to be done, but the researchers are hopeful their treatment could be used on violent criminals in the future.


Neuroscientists are fairly certain of the functions of many areas of the brain. For example, the prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain associated with our complex ideas and behaviors.

But the organ also holds plenty of mysteries, such as why some people are incurable psychopaths, or why after a traumatic brain injury someone's personality can completely change to become violent and aggressive.

In a new study, published in the journal Journal of Neuroscience, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Nanyang Technological University attempted to answer questions about violent behaviours, and whether someone's criminal tendencies could be controlled with brain stimulation.

They recruited 86 adult participants, half of whom were given 20 minutes of non-invasive brain stimulation, half of whom were not. Then, they were asked to read two hypothetical scenarios, one about a physical assault (someone smashing a glass over a person's head for chatting up his girlfriend) and one about a sexual assault (where intimate foreplay led to rape).

Immediately after hearing the stories, the participants were asked to rate how likely they were to behave as the protagonist had. Those in the group who had the electrical stimulation were 47% and 70% less likely to relate to the person in the story committing the crimes.

lobotomy 1941 newspaper

"The ability to manipulate such complex and fundamental aspects of cognition and behavior from outside the body has tremendous social, ethical, and possibly someday legal implications," said Roy Hamilton, a neurologist at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine and senior author of the study.

The team zeroed in on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the top, front area of the brain because it is an area that has been linked to antisocial behaviour in previous research.

"We chose our approach and behavioral tasks specifically based on our hypotheses about which brain areas might be relevant to generating aggressive intentions," said Hamilton. "We were pleased to see at least some of our major predictions borne out."

A frontal lobotomy, a highly invasive surgery of the prefrontal lobe, was used in the past to treat mental illness and violent criminals. Psychologist Adrian Raine, a Penn Integrates Knowledge professor and author of the study said the stimulation technique is completely different. Rather than remove parts of the brain that may potentially be at fault, it may be more beneficial to stimulate them instead — boosting their activity.

"We're saying the opposite," he said. "That the front part of the brain needs to be better connected to the rest of the brain."

He added that they only performed 20-minute sessions, and they saw an effect. "What if we had more sessions? What if we did it three times a week for a month" he said.

However, there is still work to be done. Results of the study showed people were more morally opposed to the acts, but the likelihood of them actually committing an act — sticking pins into a voodoo doll — didn't change.

But with further research, the authors are hopeful a similar treatment could be offered to convicted criminals in the future, alongside traditional interventions like cognitive behavioural therapy.

"This is not the magic bullet that's going to wipe away aggression and crime," said Raine. "But could transcranial direct-current stimulation be offered as an intervention technique for first-time offenders to reduce their likelihood of recommitting a violent act?"

Perhaps, said Hamilton, "the secret to holding less violence in your heart is to have a properly stimulated mind."

SEE ALSO: Brain injuries can cause some people to become violent criminals and pedophiles — here's what scientists know so far about why that is

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The 18 most expensive cities to live in the world in 2018

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ECA International has released its annual Cost of Living report, revealing the most expensive cities in the world to live in.

In order to produce the list, the business management consultancy compared the costs of a basket of day-to-day goods and services commonly purchased by expats in various countries, including groceries, household and recreational goods, leisure, clothing, meals out, as well as alcohol and tobacco, among other items.

European cities dominated the top of the ranking, with almost a third of the top 100 cities being located in the continent.

Meanwhile, only three US cities placed in the top 50 — and a surprise winner took the top spot.

Scroll down to see the 18 most expensive cities to live in the world, ranked in ascending order.

SEE ALSO: These 10 countries have the best career prospects for expat women

18. Yokohama, Japan.



17. Jerusalem, Israel.



16. Busan, South Korea.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

There are 3 ways to get the trapped Thai soccer team out of the cave they're stuck in – but none will be easy

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  • 12 Thai boys and their soccer coach have been stuck in a cave for 11 days.
  • Rescuers made contact with them Monday, but soon realised there is no easy way to get them out.
  • They are at least a mile inside a system that has flooded by heavy rain that's likely to continue for months.
  • In short, the three options available are to teach the boys to swim out with scuba gear, drag them out, or leave them with supplies to wait until the water drains away.

After 10 days trapped inside a cave, the young Thai soccer team heard the voice of a rescue diver promising them help. The boys got hope, and the world got confirmation that they were still alive.

"Many people are coming. Many many people. We are the first," British diver John Volanthen told the 12 boys and their coach on Monday. Here's a video of them shortly after making contact:

Hooyah.....ทีมหมูป่า พบเยาวชนทีมหมูป่าบริเวณหาดทรายห่างจาก Pattaya beach 200 เมตร โดยนักดำน้ำหน่วยซีลดำน้ำวางไลน์เชือกนำทาง ร่วมกับนักดำน้ำจากประเทศอังกฤษ ระยะทางจากห้องโถง 3 ยาว 1,900 เมตร เมื่อเวลา 21.38 น. คืนวันที่ 2 กรกฎาคม 2561 #ThainavySEAL

Posted by Thai NavySEAL on Monday, July 2, 2018

But after the joy of learning that the team was still alive, the question became what to do next.

Bill Whitehouse, the vice-chairman of the British Cave Rescue Council, which has been in contact with the rescue efforts, spelled out three options in an interview with BBC Radio 4's "Today" programme:

The boys could be taught to scuba dive so they can swim out of the cave system

The rescue team might teach the team how to scuba dive, Whitehouse told the BBC. But he said that it was "hard" for even the professional divers to even get to them, let alone teach them a new and complicated skill in challenging conditions.

Around 1.5 kilometers of the route requires diving, Whitehouse said. The exact distance of the team's route to freedom has not been well-defined, with estimates ranging from 1.2 miles to 2.4.

Thai cave soccer team thailand

When asked how difficult it would be to teach the boys how to scuba dive, Whitehouse said: "Certainly not easy."

Thailand's Interior Minister, Anupong Paojind, said on Tuesday that the boys may need to get out using diving gear while being guided by two professional divers each, according to the Associated Press.

 If something goes badly wrong, they could die.

thai soccer team relatives stuck in cave

The boys could be 'packaged' and pulled out by professional divers

Instead of teaching the team to scuba dive, they could be put into diving suits and carried out by professional divers, which would require much less training on their part.

Whitehouse described it as "bringing them out in packages."

This would mean putting them in diving equipment and a full face mask and putting weights on them so they are "neutrally buoyant and aren’t going to get stuck against the roof." The divers would then drag them through the water.

Thai Cave Map

This method is used when someone is injured or does not know how to dive.

"If you’ve got somebody who isn’t a diver and you’ve got to move them underwater, they are essentially injured in the sense that they can’t make their own way because they’re not experienced enough to do it," Whitehouse said.

They can just wait 4 months until the monsoon season ends

Instead of getting the boys out, rescuers could simply wait for the weather to change — but it would take an extremely long time.

The Thai monsoon season, which brought the heavy rains that flooded the caves in the first place, usually lasts until late September or early October.

If they wait until then, the water levels will recede and the party could leave more or less the same way they came in. Efforts are underway to drain the cave system, but it will be hard to make much headway until the monsoon stops.

In the meantime, the boys are being sent rations and supplies to last them the four months it could take for them to see daylight again.

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The director of 'Ant-Man and the Wasp' explains how the ramifications of 'Infinity War' affected the making of the movie

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  • "Ant-Man and the Wasp" director Peyton Reed said a major challenge with this movie was that it follows "Avengers: Infinity War."
  • Reed said it wasn't until the very end of making the movie that they decided how they would address the ending of "Infinity War."
  • The director also revealed that his movie features the largest set ever made for a Marvel movie.


Before "Ant-Man and the Wasp," director Peyton Reed had never made a sequel before. So, obviously, he had some nerves going into the project. But how was it making a movie that's the first MCU release following the shocking events of "Avengers: Infinity War?"

"Everything was harder," Reed said.

"Ant-Man and the Wasp" (opening in theaters on Friday), Reed's sequel to the 2015 hit "Ant-Man," follows the adventures of Scott Lang, an ex-con trying to provide for his family while also being a superhero on the side thanks to a suit that makes him micro-small or extremely large.

The sequel, like the first movie, is light and fun but with a little drama kicked in as Lang's mentor, Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and his daughter Hope — aka Wasp (Evangeline Lilly) — are desperately trying to get Hope's mom (Michelle Pfeiffer) out of the Quantum Realm.

But the movie also had to tie in the events of "Captain American: Civil War" (Lang is suffering the consequences of participating in the superhero showdown from that movie) and "Infinity War." So yes, we can see why everything was harder this time around.

Business Insider chatted with Reed about those challenges, how the movie has the biggest practical set ever created for a Marvel movie, and the drive to make a standalone movie despite being in the MCU. 

Jason Guerrasio: Were there comedic bits or elements that you couldn't fit in the first movie that found their way into this one?

Peyton Reed: Actually, the bulk of it is stuff that we came up for this movie because we're weirdly a sequel not only to "Ant-Man" but "Captain America: Civil War," because we couldn't ignore what happened with Scott Lang in "Civil War," and it provided us with this organic jumping off point. So, really, the bulk of it — the shrinking and growing stuff — was for this movie.
 
Guerrasio: Is doing this in some way like doing TV because the MCU is so popular you can reference another movie that isn't even in the franchise you're in, and the audience understands?

Reed: In that regard I suppose it is. But we also definitely want to make it its own viewing experience that makes sense if you haven't seen the first "Ant-Man" or any of the other MCU movies. Obviously, it's enriched if you've seen all the movies, but I don't think we approach it like TV. Obviously there's no writers' room, but if anything I think there's a real desire on my behalf and Marvel's to make this a standalone adventure that's really about the Pym/Van Dyne family and Scott Lang. 
avengers infinity war

Guerrasio: But then there's "Infinity War" that you have to address.

Reed: For a long time in the writing of this thing we really didn't know where we were going to go, or wanted to fall, in terms of the timeline with "Infinity War." We knew that we were going to reference stuff that happened in "Civil War," but it was fairly late in the writing that we decided how we were going to introduce the events of "Infinity War."

There were versions early on where we put these little things in the background, these little Easter eggs to hint that in the world at large "Infinity War" is going on during this movie, but then we finally landed on what we inevitably did to address it. And that was very late in the game of writing. Doing that allowed us to tell this standalone story and then put our little twist to connect "Infinity War."

Guerrasio: When I watched it, especially in the beginning, I'm almost on high alert that something has to happen that makes us realize the events of "Infinity War" are happening as this movie is going on. 

Reed: As we were shooting it and certainly when we started screening it after "Infinity War" came out, it was this idea are you looking for clues and trying to figure out how it fits into that timeline? Then when it doesn't do that people submit to the story and the characters. They truly forget about it. And so what we do at the end gives it more impact. That was really fun. 

ant-man and the wasp

Guerrasio: But there is at least one moment in the movie where you have some fun with the audience. You keep one character off screen long enough to make you think, "Did the Thanos snap just happen?"

Reed: Yeah. It just happened organically. It's so funny, coming after "Infinity War" definitely, like it or not, changes the context of our movie. And we always knew that would be the case. So it was really fun to kind of play with those expectations. 

Guerrasio: Was there any part of the filmmaking that came easier this time around than the first movie?

Reed: As a whole it was probably harder than the first movie. What did come easily was obviously having a rapport with the actors and knowing those characters. It really did help how we wanted to grow the characters. I have never directed a sequel before and my only guideline was as a moviegoer and what I personally like and don't like in sequels. 

One of the things I love in sequels is when they don't start directly right where the first one ended. I like when some time passes into the second one, the characters that you know from the first movie have progressed and the audience has to play a little bit a catch up to what's going on. And once we factored in the ramifications of Scott's actions in "Civil War," the idea that he would be in house arrest [due to his involvement in "Civil War"], that really gave us a lot to play with dramatically and comedically. And starting out having Scott estranged from Hank and Hope. That was really fun, everything else was harder. [Laughs

AntManAndTheWasp2 Disney final

Guerrasio: How about on the practical side. Was there anything you guys built that we would assume is CGI but is actually practical?

Reed: The biggest thing is Hank's lab, that interior. Early on while we were prepping, I wanted that set to be a practical set because in a movie where they are shrinking and growing and it takes place in the real world, I wanted as much tactile, real estate on location and on stage. And it turned out that we designed and built what's now the largest set that Marvel has ever built for one of their movies. It has digital extensions, but the bulk of that set is just this incredibly detailed thing. It helps ground the actors.

Guerrasio: Are you shocked you got the okay for that? You would think that kind of thing would be bestowed to an Avengers or Captain America movie. 

Reed: It would be that shocking answer if you were doing a Marvel quiz, "Which is the movie that has the largest set?" I don't think you would ever guess "Ant-Man and the Wasp." But I think because a sizable amount of the movie takes place in that lab I wanted it to feel real. If it all felt digital or fake it really does take the audience out of it.

Guerrasio: Do you feel more of an ownership on this movie compared to the last one, which was originally developed by director Edgar Wright?

Reed: I had way longer development and prep time on this movie, there's no question about that. But I feel absolute ownership over the first movie. And I think for me coming into that movie, I certainly have done movies and TV with incredibly accelerated prep periods. Obviously we used Edgar's and Joe [Cornish]'s original draft, but when [Adam] McKay and [Paul] Rudd came in to do the rewrites around the time I came on the movie, we definitely felt free to change everything we wanted to do. We really added some major stuff, like the Quantum Realm never existed in those original drafts and Janet Van Dyne was never in the original draft. We kept the heist film aspect. But I feel absolute ownership over the first movie. The process on this was much more gratifying just because, okay, we have established that Ant-Man is a hero that people have connected with and now we can hit the ground running, that's really gratifying. But for me they are both my babies.

 

SEE ALSO: THEN AND NOW: The cast of "Ant-Man and the Wasp" before they were famous

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