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TEEN TITANS GO TO THE MOVIES Trailer Trolls DC Movies

Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is finally over; the trailer for this summer’s animated super-team epic is finally here. And no, we’re not talking about The Incredibles 2. (Although yes, we are totally excited for that one too). Nope, we are talking about the trailer for Teen Titans Go to the Movies, the big screen debut of Cartoon Network’s biggest superhero team this side of the Powerpuff Girls. You can check it out down below, and then we’ll unpack all the best Easter eggs and goodies this trailer throws at us during its two minute run time.



First off, this trailer actually begins with an Easter egg, as the Titans are seen watching a trailer for the debut movie of “Batman’s best friend,” who turns out to not be Robin, but Alfred the butler. The Batman in that trailer is the Batman: The Animated Series version, which should make plenty of fans grin from pointy ear to pointy ear. This trailer also takes no prisoners in making fun of DC’s film output over the last two decades, including digs at Green Lantern, Jonah Hex, Steel, and even the upcoming Shazam! I mean, you’d think they’d wait till that one came out first! And yes, that is none other than Nicolas Cage, who finally gets to play Superman after all these years.

But maybe the best part of the trailer is Will Arnett as the Titan’s #1 baddie, Deathstroke Slade, since Deathstroke was too intense a name for a character in a movie with fart jokes in it I guess. After killing it as LEGO Batman, Arnett is getting read to to do the same with Slade, and we can’t wait. And even though it’s played for laughs in this trailer, we’re glad someone is acknowledging that Deadpool is the rip-off of Deathstroke, not the other way around. Slade Wilson came out way before Wade Wilson kids!

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies–starring the voices of Scott Menville, Tara Strong, Khary Payton, Greg Cipes, Hynden Watch, Kristen Bell, and Will Arnett–will be released on July 27th.

Are you as excited to see the Teen Titans on the big screen as we are? Be sure to share your love of all things Titans down below in the comments.

Images: Warner Brothers

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James Gunn Reveals the Name of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY’s New Ship in INFINITY WAR

We’ve been putting warnings before all of our posts about Avengers: Infinity War in case people haven’t seen the movie yet, but there are no spoilers needed for this one because Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 came out in 2017. As you’ll recall, the gang’s ship was destroyed in last year’s film, eaten up by both the Sovereign and the treeline of Berhert, so they’re obviously going to need a new one by the time Thanos flies into town. Since we hadn’t heard much about the new wings yet, director James Gunn just hit Twitter to reveal the vessel’s name. And we can all bask in the glory of Peter Quill naming it for beloved rock star.

The name of the Guardians’ ship in #InfinityWar is The Benatar. https://t.co/5OZ2L0CCBd

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 30, 2018

Don’t bother searching through Marvel comic book lore for what that could mean; it’s named for none other than Pat Benatar. (Who should be in the freaking Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by now, dammit!)

But if you’re upset the ship was named after a musician mostly known for her work in the ’80s despite the Guardians always rocking out to hits from the previous decade, James Gunn saw you weirdos coming a mile away.

All the SONGS so far have been from the 70’s, not the references. That said, Pat Benatar’s first album was released in 1979.

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 30, 2018

Not that it matters, but now no one can complain. But we’re far more interested in the “so far” part anyway. Will that super modern Zune have some more “recent” hits on it too? If so, give us some Pat Benatar in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3! We even have the perfect song for the gang to play when any of them talk about that one big turn of events in Infinity War…



No spoilers beyond that! What do you think of the new ship’s name? What’s your favorite song by Pat Benatar? Tell us in the comments below.

Featured Image: Marvel

More on Infinity War!

Tom Hiddleston’s Korg impression is the tops
A ranking of all the facial hair in the movie
The cast plays “Know Your Chris”

Lupita Nyong’o May Star in Remake of John Woo’s THE KILLER

These days, everything’s getting remade (am I right, other old people?!) and very few of them are we like “Yeah, you know what? Good idea!” Filmmakers can retell stories, but they have to have the right amount of difference to make it worthwhile. And then sometimes you hear about the new take planned for a particular remake and you go “Whoa!” To wit: Deadline has reported that Black Panther star and Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is in talks to take the lead role in Universal’s remake of John Woo’s 1989 movie The Killer.

The original movie starred Chow Yun-Fat as the titular hitman with a heart of gold who takes it upon himself to help get treatment for a young singer he accidentally blinded during a job gone bad. He gets double-crossed and ends up teaming up with the wildcard police detective who doesn’t play by the rules. This was perhaps the best of Woo’s action movies produced in Hong Kong prior to coming to America to make movies like Hard Target and Face/Off.

Woo is teaming up with Universal for the project, which will see the action legend return to direct. Eran Creevy (Collide) wrote the script based on an original draft by 10 Cloverfield Lane‘s Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken. Brian Helgeland is apparently also taking a pass at the script. Deadline also says the film has been fast tracked.

Nyong’o’s casting is a cool decision, if it does indeed come to pass, not only because the project is being touted as a “star vehicle” for her, but because the story doesn’t seem to have been changed at all from the original basic premise despite changing the main character from a male assassin to a female assassin. It’s still about her having blinded a woman and trying to make amends, and there’s no indication any of the other characters are being gender-swapped, although that could still happen. With both Black Panther and her turn as Maz Kanata in the Star Wars movies, Nyong’o has proven to be a solid blockbuster performer, and I’m pretty damn stoked to see what she does with a starring action role.

Images: Film Workshop

More of the nerdy stuff you need!

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Janelle Monáe Dressed As Two-Face from BATMAN FOREVER Is Everything

Janelle Monáe has long been one of the most experimental, groundbreaking, and trailblazing artists in contemporary music, and she’s recently in the spotlight again with the release of her third full-length studio album, Dirty Computer. She also released a 48 minute dystopian science-fiction film along with the record and came out as pansexual in a recent Rolling Stone interview. Via Tom and Lorenzo, at the screening of the movie, Monáe treated us even more with this incredible ensemble inspired by Tommy Lee Jones’ iconic Two-Face from Batman Forever.

oh my god. pic.twitter.com/Ub6n93lryn

— ｖｉｏｌｅｔ (@blipstress) April 28, 2018

Twitter inevitably went into–a very deserved–meltdown, as fans realized what Monáe was referencing. But really no one should have been surprised, as Monáe has been trafficking in unbelievable afrofuturist science-fiction since her very first release. Metropolis dropped in 2007 and focused on Cindi, an android in a dystopian future. The title references the Fritz Lang silent classic, which would also become a running theme in her later work. During an interview with MTV, Monáe opened up about her android alter-ego: “Cindi is an android and I love speaking about the android because they are the new ‘other.’ People are afraid of the other and I believe we’re going to live in a world with androids because of technology and the way it advances. The first album she was running because she had fallen in love with a human and she was being disassembled for that.”

JANELLE MONAE IS ON MICHAELA COEL’S INSTA FULLY DRESSED AS TWO-FACE FROM BATMAN FOREVER

i’m crying pic.twitter.com/RPhqSvTvvo

— Anthony Oliveira (@meakoopa) April 29, 2018

Six time Grammy nominee Monáe continued to break new ground with later releases like The ArchAndroid, a sequel to her debut EP which continued the story of Cindi, as she becomes the leader of the android community introduced in Metropolis. Her vision reflected and took from Lang’s seminal work whilst also subverting and expanding on it, adapting the female android archetype into an allegory for marginalized people and what Monáe cited as “the other.” The Electric Lady was presented as a prequel to The ArchAndroid and continued Monáe’s exploration of afrofuturist urban dystopias. And, of course, she’s returned to those same themes with her most recent work; you can watch the Dirty Computer film below. So basically Monáe has been living that sci-fi superhero life for over a decade!

Are you a fan of Monáe’s incredible take on Two-Face? Can’t wait to check out Dirty Computer? Already a huge Monáe fan and shocked it’s taken everyone this long to realize it? Let us know below!

Featured Image: YouTube Space

More DC Comics!

Do a deep dive on Batman Forever.
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How AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR’s Deaths Could Be Permanent

Warning: There are massive spoilers ahead for Avengers: Infinity War! Stop reading if you haven’t watched the movie yet.

Ever since Thanos showed us his pearly whites in The Avengers‘ end credits scene, we’ve been waiting to see the Mad Titan take on the team and every freakin’ hero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We knew Avengers: Infinity War was gonna have some epic battles and at least a few potentially permanent deaths. Little did we know events would be more extreme than we ever imagined. We didn’t expect the movie to kick us right in the feels.

Because Thanos not only defeated the heroes, he wiped out half of the universe. Today’s Nerdist News explains how those deaths could be permanent…if Marvel lost its mind.

Join the host who’s on Thanos’ good side, Jessica Chobot, as she explains why it’s not impossible for Marvel to move on without T’Challa, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and most of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Starting with Black Panther, it’s pretty obvious Marvel would never let Chadwick Boseman go as long as he’s under contract. But if the Black Panther sequel had to go forward without Boseman or T’Challa then Shuri is already in line to take the throne. And she’ll probably figure out how to recreate the heart-shaped herb that gave her brother his super strength.

The same goes for Spider-Man. We love Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, but his successor, Miles Morales, was already hinted at in Spider-Man: Homecoming. As for the Guardians of the Galaxy, it would take a whole team to replace everyone who was lost. It’s a good thing that they’ve got a spare team! Sylvester Stallone’s Ravager team debuted at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Just add Rocket and it could be the basis for Vol. 3.

Even the Sorcerer Supreme could be upgraded if Doctor Strange never makes it back from the big dust cloud in the sky. Perhaps it’s time for Wong to try out for the position. He may not have Strange’s natural aptitude for the mystic arts, but only one of them was carted away by aliens, and it wasn’t Wong.

Do you think some of the heroes erased by Thanos should come back or stay dead? Let us know in the comment section below.

Images: Marvel Studios

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AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR – A Complete Spoiler-Filled Breakdown

Avengers: Infinity War didn’t just have a big opening weekend, it had the biggest one ever. On today’s Nerdist News Talks Back we finally took off our spoiler infinity gauntlet gloves to break down everything that happened in Marvel’s battle with the Mad Titan, from whether it lived up to the hype, to our favorite moments, to what it means for the MCU going forward.

Host Jessica Chobot was joined today by Andrew Bowser, Aliza Pearl, Hector Navarro, and Amy Ratcliffe for a spoiler-filled discussion about the biggest superhero movie ever. (Seriously, spoilers everyone, spoilers.) What did we think? Did it live up to our expectations? What death hit us hardest? Or did none of them bother us because we are doubtful anyone is truly gone? What’s going on with the Soul Stone and Gamora? And what did we think of Thanos as a villain? Was he more than just a big baddie?

As for what we loved, what was our favorite moment? Who had the best mic drop? Which new character pairing was the best? What surprised us the most? Did this movie change our opinion of any characters, for better or worse? Do we blame Star-Lord for everything bad that happened on Titan? Including why they didn’t just cut Thanos’ arm off instead of trying to remove the glove?

Who was the film’s MVP? Is the answer obviously Thor? What did we think of the post-credits scene? Where does the movie rank in the MCU? Where do we think Marvel will go from here? What will Avengers 4 look like? And which future films are we most looking forward to?

We’re just getting started with the movie though, so make sure you join us all week when Nerdist News Talks Back airs live at 1PM PT on our YouTube and Alpha channels Monday through Thursday, and with Nerdist News What the Fridays at 1PM PT, only at Alpha. Be there, because we want to talk about it with you. Don’t make us snap our fingers.

What did you think of the movie? What about our reaction to it? Discuss it with us in the comments below.

Images: Marvel

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Classic Tom Baker DOCTOR WHO Coming to Cinemas

We’re coming up to the 44th anniversary of when Tom Baker began playing the Doctor in Doctor Who (Jon Pertwee regenerated on June 8, 1974). Baker’s seven seasons in the role (seasons 12-18, from 1974 to 1980) were a turning point in the series and remain the most popular classic series years to this day. Until the likes of David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi, if you knew what Doctor Who was, it was because of Tom Baker. And the BBC is really making sure people celebrate it this year, with both a Blu-ray set of Baker’s entire first season, and a cinema screening of one of his best loved stories.

“Genesis of the Daleks” was a six-part serial from the Fourth Doctor’s first season, and it remains a pillar in the series. Written by Dalek creator Terry Nation, it details the Doctor and his two companions, Sarah Jane Smith (Elisabeth Sladen) and Dr. Harry Sullivan (Ian Marter), being pulled out of time by the Time Lords in order to prevent the creation of the Daleks on their homeworld of Skaro. There the heroes see the horrible, grimy war between the two humanoid species, the Thals and the Kaleds, a war that utilizes chemical warfare which causes horrible mutations. The Kaleds’ chief scientist, the mad paralyzed, mutated Davros, has a plan to create a soldier class using Kaled mutants, and we and the Doctor know that should he succeed, the Daleks will be born and the universe will forever live in fear.

Made using moody ’70s BBC filming techniques and direction by the great David Maloney, “Genesis of the Daleks” became a classic among classics for the character of Davros (played with shrieking and sinister joy by Michael Wisher) and Baker’s performance, which sees the Doctor utter his now famous “Have I the right?” speech, with respect to if ending the Daleks before they begin is right.

On June 11, for one night only, the BBC and Fathom Events will bring us the little-seen director’s cut of “Genesis of the Daleks” along with a brand new interview with Tom Baker about the story and its legacy. Tickets are available now at Fathom’s site. On June 19, you’ll also be able to purchase the entire first Tom Baker season (season 12) on Blu-ray, which has never been available before. Previously, DVDs of individual stories were the only way to buy.

With Jodie Whittaker’s first episode looming for the fall, and Tom Baker’s stories getting much love, it’s a good time to be a Doctor Who fan, but then again, isn’t it always?

Images: BBC/Fathom

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor and the resident Whovian for Nerdist. Follow him on Twitter!

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The HELLBOY Board Game Kickstarter Raised Over $1 Million in 5 days

Kickstarter and other such crowdfunding sites have become the great equalizer for a lot of people to get to make and present their dreams when they normally might not get to. It’s also 30 days of hell as the campaign inches closer to its goal, and the campaigners have to promote round the clock for a month, after which they might not even reach the minimum goal, rendering everything for naught. Luckily, this was not the fate that met the makers of the Hellboy indie board game; that thing raised almost 10 times its goal in five days!

The campaign was launched by British company Mantic Games who were hoping to raise £100,000 (or $137,799 in U.S. money) by May 25 for their beautiful four-player cooperative adventure game. Before the first week was even up, they’d raised a whopping £861,280 (or $1,186,841). The game features 110 character and monster miniatures (including heroes, evil minions, bosses, and more) which can all be hand-painted at your discretion and beautiful cards and dice based on the iconic Mike Mignola artwork. People who preorder even get a specially designed box cover from Mignola himself. They also handily reached all of their expansion goals, so basically a pledge now will get you everything, including the “Conqueror Worm” expansion and the BPRD Archive expansion.

The game will pit Hellboy, Abe Sapien, Liz Sherman, and Johann Krauss against the likes of Rasputin, Herman Von Klempt, giant monster frog, Hecate, and more in several scenarios. According to their official About section: “You become a member of the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense (BPRD), ready to investigate occult threats that threaten our very existence. You will explore Gothic locations, hunt down clues, discover artifacts, fight horrific creatures and face off against terrifying bosses.” Sounds pretty good to us.

You still have 25 days to pledge for the game and its expansions for £95 (about $130), which seems like a pretty great deal considering the amount of game you’ll get. You can find out more information about the campaign here!

Images: Mike Mignola/Mantic Games

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All the Facial Hair in AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR, Ranked

Warning: Mild spoilers follow for Avengers: Infinity War. If you don’t want to admire the stellar facial hair in the movie, stop reading right now.

Say what you will about the plot and stakes of Infinity War, the film features the best display of facial hair in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. Full beards, sexy scruff, and carefully trimmed goatees—the latest Avengers movie has facial hair for just about every preference. But who has the best bristles of the bunch? We’ve ranked them from worst to best.

10. Star-Lord

Peter Quill is rocking a goatee with some hair on his cheeks that’s kind of like mutton chops but not? It’s an old school, retro choice for beard styling, and it does not work. This place on the list may or may not be affected by Quill making the worst decision in the whole movie.

9. Rocket Raccoon

Rocket’s face is covered in hair, so therefore it is facial hair. It’s tidy and brushed, and accents his eyes.

8. Bucky Barnes

Bucky’s beard is more like a few days of lightly groomed stubble than beard. It could easily fall into scraggly territory, but it’s apparent Bucky’s been investing time in a little hair maintenance while recovering in Wakanda.

7. Falcon

Falcon rocks the short boxed beard with sharp, clean edges. The fuller but still short in length sides accent his face for a polished, classy look.

6. Iron Man

Tony Stark is acutely aware of how he looks. No part of his appearance is an accident. He’s sticking with his tried and true version of an anchor beard with a goatee and barely connected mustache. It’s an iconic, strong addition to Stark’s appearance.

5. Thor

Thor’s beard looks A+ in Infinity War. It’s god-worthy, and wow, does this style of beard complement his short hair. The only reason Thor’s not higher on this list is because the style is messy. Yes, I know he’s been through a lot in the days preceding Infinity War, but rules are rules.

4. Black Panther

T’Challa’s facial hair mirrors Falcon’s, but with thinner sides to make it a true boxed beard. The defined lines show off more of his face and add a mature, regal layer to his presence.

3. Doctor Strange

No one wears a goatee like Doctor Strange. His mustache, chin patch, and carefully trimmed sides form a circle to match the structure of his face perfectly. Without this goatee, he looks youthful and silly. With it, you don’t doubt he is a (ridiculously attractive) Sorcerer Supreme.

2. Heimdall

Heimdall’s appearance in Infinity War is brief, but his full, lush but not overgrown beard is unforgettable. The salt and pepper effect puts his facial hair near the top of the list.

Note: this photo is from Thor: Ragnarok, but the beard is the same in Infinity War.

1. Captain America

Captain America’s thick, glorious beard is unquestionably the best facial hair in Infinity War. The darker color is striking against his lighter hair, and it makes him look serious and edgy. Like, this is the Cap you do not want to screw with.

Who do you think has the best facial hair in Infinity War? Share your choices and your reasoning in the comments below.

Images: Marvel

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter.

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The Jackie and Laurie #122: I Also Have A Me Too

This week on Jackie and Laurie, Jackie got a haircut! Plus, 7 minutes of funny, 13 minutes of patience, Kilmartin at the picnic, and if you’re at work you’re in the right.

 

Comic of the Week: Carmen Lagala @CarmenLagala

 

We have a website! Laurie made it!

www.jackieandlaurieshow.com

 

Buy Laurie’s new book Dead People Suck!

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Follow @jackiekashian and @anylaurie16 on Twitter!

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