Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1713

TEEN TITANS GO’s Beast Boy Fills in for Keanu Reeves in POINT BREAK

Name a lovable goofball who A) always makes us laugh, B) isn’t the most brilliant member of an elite crime fighting force, and C) can still get the job done against evildoers (with a fondness for wearing masks) by going undercover? Are you thinking of our favorite animal-transforming superhero Beast Boy….or Keanu Reeves‘ “Eff-Bee-Eye!” Agent Johnny Utah? Whoa. They, like, totally do have a lot in common, man. So much so that we had the voice of Teen Titan Go‘s greenest member fill in for Point Break‘s former quarterback-turned-G-Man-turned-surfer on the latest episode of our Alpha series Talkin’ Toons.

Greg Cipes was the latest voice actor to join host Rob Paulsen in studio, and the two recreated the epic final showdown between Johnny Utah and Bodhi from the end of Point Break. Greg took over for Reeves as Beast Boy, and Rob filled in for Patrick Swayze’s infamous surfing criminal as Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Somehow having Beast Boy replace Johnny Utah didn’t make that absurd scenario any less (or more) ridiculous, and if you think that’s an insult of Point Break you don’t love the movie as much as we do.

Remember, you can only find the rest of this and all other episodes of Talkin’ Toons at our online Alpha community, where we have plenty of other great series to check out. Even better? When you sign up your first 30 days are on us, so you don’t have to rob a bank to join.

What other characters remind you of Beast Boy and Johnny Utah? Like, tell us in the comments below, man.

Featured Image: Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox

More in animation

A live-action Gundam movie is in the works
Watch the first teaser for Matt Groening’s Disenchantment
A new Ultraman CGI anime is coming to Netflix

Maltin on Movies #188: Logan Marshall-Green

With two drama teachers for parents it isn’t surprising that Logan Marshall-Green grew up in and around the theater. But it was television shows like 24 and The O.C. that got him noticed, and the small screen has continued to offer him great opportunities, as in Quarry and Damnation. He’s just as effective in movies like Prometheus, The Invitation, Spider-man: Homecoming and the current release Upgrade. Logan is articulate and charming, as Leonard and Jessie were happy to discover in their animated conversation.

Follow @LeonardMaltin and @jessiemaltin on Twitter! And be sure to check out leonardmaltin.com

Subscribe to Maltin on Movies on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

12 Great Sci-Fi, Thriller, and Manga Books to Read This Summer

The temperature is rising, and as summer truly gets started there’s nothing we love to do more than relax with a good book. Whether we’re by the pool, waiting for our buds, or hiding in the nearest air conditioned building, there’s nothing like losing yourself in a great story. We’ve put together a dreamy summer reading list filled with classic sci-fi, seminal manga, brand new graphic novels, and spooky thrillers to keep you entertained all summer long!

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

If you love a good thriller, then The Shining Girls is a must. Not only does Beukes’ time-traveling genre-hopper terrify, but it also subverts many of the misogynistic tropes that thrillers often rely on. The focus never strays from the women at the center of the story to focus on the man who kills them.

Inuyasha by Rumiko Takahashi

One of the most beloved manga of all time, this feudal fairy tale is magical. It all begins when young Kagome falls into her family’s well and is transported back to feudal Japan… so if you’re looking for an escape to another time this summer, make sure you pick up this classic tale.

Skin Folk by Nalo Hopkinson

Nalo Hopkinson is one of the most fantastic speculative fiction writers working today, and she’ll soon be taking on the iconic world of Sandman. Before you pick that up, grab her incredible short story collection Skin Folk. It weaves together sci-fi, horror, and Caribbean folklore to great effect.

Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray

Claudia Gray is incredible, and her teen Leia book is a total joy. We join Leia as she heads towards her 16th birthday, and Gray builds on the icon we know and love as well as introduces vital new canon all set against the background of the era just before A New Hope.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

This post-apocalyptic retelling of Cinderella reimagines the classic fairy tale in a bleak Blade Runner-esque future complete with cyborgs, a dashing prince, and a girl who loses her foot instead of her shoe. If you need an easy breezy sci-fi read by the pool, this one’s for you.

Supergirl: Being Super by Joelle Jones, Mariko Tamaki, Kelly Fitzpatrick, and Saida Temofonte

Maybe the best Supergirl comic ever, Supergirl: Being Super graces shelves just in time for you to dive into it this summer. Tamaki and Jones craft a gorgeous coming-of-age story that deals with Kara as a teenager, along with all the powers, passion, and pus that contains.

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

There’s no book quite like Dread Nation, Justina Ireland’s brilliantly subversive story about a world where the American Civil War was derailed by zombies. It’s a searing indictment of institutional racism in America, as well as being one of the most original and engaging YA books in years.

Angelic by Si Spurrier, Caspar Wijngaard, Jim Campbell, and Emma Price

This gorgeous take on the post-apocalypse is one of the loveliest and most thought-provoking comics of the last few years. Set on a post-human Earth, Angelic is filled with flying monkeys and techno dolphins. At the story’s core, Qora must fight the oppressive routines of society to break free.

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

No reading list, no matter what time of year, is complete without Octavia Butler. One of the best speculative fiction writers of all time, Butler is a legend. Her novel Parable of the Sower is a perfect entry point. This terrifying and prescient story sees a young woman fighting for survival only to become an unlikely prophet in a dystopian landscape.

Princess Jellyfish by Akiko Higashimura

This lovely series is a fun and fresh manga that centers on a young woman named Tsukimi Kurashita, who lives in an apartment block filled with “otaku” women. Princess Jellyfish is about friendship, chosen family, finding yourself, and also the evils of gentrification. Basically, it’s very good.

F*ck Off Squad by Dave Baker and Nicole Goux

Baker and Goux are two of the hardest working people in comics, and their gorgeous direct market debut hits shelves this summer from Silver Sprocket. F*ck Off Squad is an atmospheric set of stories about being young, falling in love, skating, making music, and the friends we make (and lose) along the way.

With Malice by Eileen Cook

With Malice follows a young girl who wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of how she got there… and she’s been accused of her best friend’s murder! Every summer reading list needs a trashy thriller you can eat up in one sitting by the pool, and With Malice is just that.

Will you be picking up any of our summer recs? Got your own favorite hot weather hits? Let us know below!

Images: DC Comics, Spurrier & Wingard, Silver Sprocket, Kodansha, Shonen Jump, Disney, Grand Central Publishing, HMH Books for Young Readers, Balzer + Bray, Square Fish, and Mulholland Books.

More fun stuff for your summer!

Kari Byron shares her fierce females reading list
Check out the best new anime of summer 2018!
Call us nuts, but we think Winds of Winter might already be finished

NERDIST AFTER | MARVEL’S CLOAK AND DAGGER Introduces a New Ally

Every week Nerdist is proud to bring you the aftershow for Freeform’s Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger, Nerdist After. Join hosts Hector Navarro and Aliza Pearl after a new episode airs for answers to your questions, Easter eggs you might have missed, interviews with the show’s cast and crew you won’t find anywhere else, and much, much more.

Hector and Aliza break down the latest episode of Freeform’s superhero show, recapping what happened this week as Tandy and Tyrone get closer to the truth with the help of some new allies. But are they really on our heroes’ side?

Speaking of allies, Nerdist After‘s hosts are once again joined by Nerdist Editor-in-Chief Rachel Heine and Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger showrunner and Executive Producer Joe Pokaski. Hector and Aliza grill Joe about the secrets some of the show’s characters might be hiding. Joe has mastered the art of answering but not giving away all of the show’s mysteries, and his intriguing answers about what the future holds for Tandy and Tyrone shouldn’t be missed.

Later, Ally Maki, who plays Tandy’s new, well, ally, stops by to talk about her character Mina Hess and her own experiences filming some of the show’s swampy scenes.

Do you have a question for Nerdist After? Tweet it to @Nerdist with the hashtag #CloakandDagger, and you could see answered on the show. You’ll see the heroes themselves, Aubrey Joseph (Ty Johnson) and Olivia Holt (Tandy Bowen) in future episodes of Nerdist After, so this is your chance to ask them what you want to know!

Marvel’s Cloak and Dagger airs on Freeform, Hulu, and the Freeform app Thursdays at 8 PM ET/PT and 7PM Central.

All Images: Marvel / Freeform

How ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Fits Into INFINITY WAR

WARNING: The following contains extremely major big-time spoilers for Ant-Man and the Wasp. It is meant for people to read after they’ve seen the movie (which is out today) and also contains major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War, the highest grossing movie of the year. Please be advised.

Ant-Man and the Wasp was definitely Marvel’s palate cleanser following the heaviness of Avengers: Infinity War. Not only was A-M and the W full of great comedy and exciting but fairly benign action, there wasn’t even really a major villain, with Hannah John-Kamen’s Ghost ending up incredibly sympathetic and Walton Goggins’ black market tech dealer Sonny Burch little more than an obstacle. It was just a fun time at the movies!

And then there’s the mid-credit sequence.

Last chance to abandon ship before the spoiler iceberg hits.

The entirety of Ant-Man and the Wasp, more or less, takes place before the events of Avengers: Infinity War. They make mention in Infinity War of Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) being under house arrest, which he is up until the very ending of the A-Man and the Dub, so at the very least, Infinity War starts in the final day or so of the next movie.

However, the mid-credit sequence is very firmly within the Infinity War and sets up how the characters from Anty Waspy fit into Avengers 4. Scott gets sent into the quantum realm in the Ant-Man suit in order to obtain energy to help cure Ghost. The newly freed Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) explains he needs to be careful, because he could get caught in a time vortex and then he’d never get out.

Scott shrinks and heads into the quantum realm and makes a little joke about being missing, but then the scene shifts to Scott’s point of view inside the realm, he gets the energy he needs and is ready to come back, but… yep, you guessed it: Janet, Hope (Evangeline Lilly), and Hank (Michael Douglas) got dusted, leaving Scott Lang alone, trapped, in the quantum realm, with no way of getting out.

Except, surely he’ll get out, probably through that time vortex Janet mentioned. How do I know that? Because why else would she specifically say “time vortex” if it wasn’t for that purpose? It’s Chekhov’s Plot Contrivance. And naturally, a quantum realm-hopping size-shifter could come in handy in resetting the events of the Snappening. So, fear not friends, Scott Lang will for sure be in the next Avengers movie. (Also everyone will except Loki and probably Heimdall.)

And the after-credit scene in Ant-Man and the Wasp just has an oblivious human-sized ant playing drums while the television news channels all show the test pattern due to half the population of the Earth getting turned to ash. Fun and cute.

So that’s how Ant-Man and the Wasp fits into the Infinity War timeline and beyond. Let us know your thoughts about it and other Marvel stuff in the comments below!

Images: Marvel

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

More for the movie lover!

The top 7 Ant-Man and Wasp animated moments !
Should the Alien franchise make the move to television ?
Quantum mechanics makes Ant-Man the most powerful Avenger !

A Live-Action GUNDAM Movie Is in the Works

For nearly forty years, Gundam has been one of the most popular mecha franchises in the world, with numerous anime spin-offs, manga, animated movies, video games, and merchandise. And now, Gundam is finally getting a live-action movie, courtesy of Legendary Pictures.

Via The Hollywood Reporter, the official announcement was made on Thursday at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, as the animation studio Sunrise played a short video revealing it is co-producing the live-action Gundam movie with Legendary. Producer Cale Boyter will oversee Gundam for Legendary; a screenwriter and a director have not yet been attached to the project.

So far, no story details about the Gundam film are available, but the universe is vast–there is ample material to pull from its four decade history. The original series, Mobile Suit Gundam, debuted in Japan in 1979; it was set in a future torn apart by a war between Earth and the breakaway colony planets for control of the system. In this era, conventional warfare was largely set aside in favor of giant robots controlled by pilots; their devastating battles captivated fans and eventually built a fervent following around the world. Over twenty Gundam animated TV series have followed along with numerous OVA releases.

What do you want to see in a live-action Gundam movie? Which series should be adapted for film? And who would you choose as the director? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: Sunrise 

Editor’s note: Nerdist Industries is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Check out more anime!

Best new anime of summer 2018.
Magical Girl Ore is a wild take on magical girl anime.
10 best classic anime on streaming.

Visit Nerdist House at Comic-Con for Live Shows, Interviews, and More

Can you feel it in the air? San Diego Comic-Con International is only two weeks away. We know you’re making detailed plans about the panels you want to see, lines you’re willing to wait in, and exclusives you want to purchase. While you’re mapping out your convention schedule, don’t forget to factor in Nerdist House at Sparks Gallery. That’s right, we’re returning to the event with entertainment, hang-outs, live Nerdist shows, a VR experience based on the sci-fi series SONA, a party for the 200th episode of Bizarre States and much, much more.

We’re celebrating all things Nerdist, Geek & Sundry, and Alpha with live editions of shows such as Nerdist News, Because Science, and Talkin’ Toons. And you never know who you’ll see at Nerdist House, because all kinds of special guests are stopping by. We’ll have meet and greets with our incredible talent, authors R.A. Salvatore and Cory Doctorow, Talkin’ Toons host Rob Paulsen with special guests Maurice LaMarche and Randy Rogel, and Bootleg Universe‘s Adi Shankar among others.

Nerdist House at San Diego Comic-Con 2018 includes:

Live Nerdist, Geek & Sundry, and Alpha Shows

Nerdist News Talks Back
Alpha Comic Book Club with DC Comics
Natural Selection with Kyle Hill and Dan Casey
Talkin’ Toons Live with host Rob Paulsen with special guests Maurice LaMarche & Randy Rogel
Because Science Live
Geek & Sundry
Geek & Sundry Horror
A final SDCC roundup of Nerdist News Talks Back

In-depth Conversations and Special Performances

Bootleg Universe with Adi Shankar
Half Hour Happy Hour with Alison Haislip and Alex Albrecht
Talkin’ Toons Live with host Rob Paulsen with special guests Maurice LaMarche & Randy Rogel
Orbital Redux with Yuri Lowenthal

Exclusive Meet & Greets

Bootleg Universe’s Adi Shankar
Half Hour Happy Hour with Alison Haislip and Alex Albrecht
Natural Selection with Kyle Hill and Dan Casey
American fantasy author VE Schwab in partnership with TOR
Best-selling author Susan Dennard in partnership with TOR
Talkin’ Toons host Rob Paulsen with special guests Maurice LaMarche & Randy Rogel
Because Science and Nerdist Science editor Kyle Hill
Team Geek & Sundry
Best-selling author R.A. Salvatore in partnership with TOR
Science fiction author Cory Doctorow in partnership with TOR
Leonard and Jesse Maltin
Yuri Lowenthal (Orbital Redux)
Team Nerdist

Special Happy Hours and Fan Parties

Alpha Book Club Happy Hour (Thursday, 7/19 from 7pm to 8pm)

Join Maude Garrett, Hector Navarro, and Rachel Heine for a glass of wine with the ABC gang!




The 200th Episode of Bizarre States Party, hosted by Jessica Chobot and Andrew Bowser (Saturday, 7/21 from 8pm to midnight)

The celebration will feature Bizarre States inspired food, beverages, and surprises
Music by IHEARTCOMIX DJ Franki Chan

If you’re an Alpha member, you’ll receive Fast Pass and Priority Access wristbands for events and parties. You can sign up at www.projectalpha.com.

Sparks Gallery is at 530 Sixth Avenue. Nerdist House is open to the public and free of charge, and you do not need a Comic-Con badge to attend. Follow @nerdist on Twitter using #NerdistHouse for up-to-date daily schedules during the convention. We look forward to seeing you there!

Thanks to Thanos, Reddit Is Planning a Huge Purge

Avengers: Infinity War transformed Thanos into one of the most memorable cinematic villains in recent memory. Not only did Thanos assemble the Infinity Gauntlet and wipe out half of the universe with a snap of his fingers, he earned followers who believe that the Snappening was just. There’s even a wildly popular pro-Thanos subreddit called Thanos Did Nothing Wrong. The moderators of that subreddit are planning a massive purge of their own, and today’s Nerdist News shares their story.

Join host and queen of the Unsnapped Jessica Chobot, as she explains the origin of the upcoming Thanos-inspired purge and how it overcame objections from reddit itself. Essentially, the subreddit began as a place for fans to post pro-Thanos memes and pictures. From there, one of the moderators suggested they should voluntarily purge half of their own members to honor Thanos’ wishes and it would be “perfectly balanced, as all things should be.”

It turns out reddit wasn’t entirely cool with the idea of letting moderators permanently ban themselves and half of their followers, but they were convinced fairly quickly once the notion took hold of the subreddit. Reddit engineers even came up with a special “ban enabled bot” that will pick the victims, while users prepare their “In the Soul Stone” subreddit for those who will randomly fall to the Snapture.

This is all very silly and obviously has no bearing on the MCU, but it’s intriguing to see the Thanos fandom take on a life of its own outside of the movies.

What do you think about the Thanos-inspired purge at reddit? Snap your fingers and leave a comment below!

Images: Marvel Studios

More of the latest entertainment news!

What Spider-Man sequel pictures reveal.
Do Ant-Man and the Wasp Easter eggs set up the MCU’s future?
Why did DC Comics spoil Batman and Catwoman’s wedding?

The Top 7 ANT-MAN AND THE WASP Animated Moments

Ant-Man and the Wasp will be only the second big screen entry for the MCU’s tiniest superheroes, but the pair has a much longer history on the small screen, one that covers six decades of Marvel cartoons. Over the years Scott, Hope, and Hank have fought side-by side with the rest of the Avengers against enemies of all shapes and sizes. So in honor of their next live-action blockbuster adventure, we’re taking a look at their most impressive, most daring, and most outrageous moments on the newest episode of our series Animation Investigation.

Join host Hector Navarro shrinks sixty years of exploits for Marvel’s size-shifting heroes into their top seven moments (along with some honorable mentions). Whether it’s fighting nanobots inside of Nick Fury’s bloodstream, showing an actual wizard his own magic skills, or creating the world’s greatest elementary school science fair display, sometimes being small means standing tallest. Although so is literally standing tallest.

Some people are impressed by a hero who can turn into a Giant Man and fight a dragon, but we’re Team Hulk–give us ice cream cake and we’re on your side. Though we’d prefer all of them avoid sacrificing themselves the way Hank Pym did in our top moment.

What do you think is Ant-Man’s greatest animated moment? Don’t shrink away from the question, tell us in the comments below which one stands tallest for you.

Featured Image: Marvel

More Animation Investigation!

Are Star Trek 4 details hidden in the animated series?
Is Ash Ketchum the worst Pokémon trainer ever?
The Kingdom Hearts cartoon that could have been.

A New ULTRAMAN CGI Anime Is Coming to Netflix

For the past five decades, Ultraman has been one of Japan’s most iconic heroes. Now, the next generation of Ultraman is coming to Netflix with a brand new anime series.

Via Anime News Network, the latest volume of Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi’s Ultraman manga included an announcement that the new Ultraman anime adaptation will have a worldwide launch on Netflix in 2019. The series will be animated in CGI by Production I.G., the company known for Blood: The Last Vampire, The End of Evangelion, Patlabor, and xxHolic. Kenji Kamiyama of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Shinji Aramaki of Appleseed Alpha are on board to direct the new Ultraman series.

The latest Ultraman series will adapt the manga by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shiguchi, which is a sequel to the classic Ultraman live-action TV show. It features Shinjiro Hayata, the son of Shin Hayata (the original Ultraman) and takes place several decades after Shin defeated his enemies and saved the world from alien invaders. When a new alien threat emerges, Shinjiro will discover that he inherited his father’s powers and responsibilities as he takes up the Ultraman mantle in defense of the Earth.

Viz Media publishes the Ultraman manga in the United States, and the 12th volume was recently released in Japan. So there will be a lot of potential stories to tell in the new anime series when it debuts next year.

Are you excited about the new Ultraman anime? Which monster battles from the manga do you want to see on the show? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Shogakukan/Netflix

More anime news!

The best new anime of summer 2018
The 10 best classic anime on streaming
Have you checked out  Magical Girl Ore yet?