Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1782

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR Will Apparently Have an ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT Reference

After ten years, 18 movies, and the biggest collection of superheroes to ever grace one film, there’s nothing else Marvel can do to get us excited for Avengers: Infinity War.

Narrator: “There was.”

We made a huge mistake saying that, because we are even more hyped to see it after the Russo Brothers mentioned that there’s an Arrested Development reference in the movie.

In an interview with Andy McCarroll (that we heard about at io9), the directors were jokingly asked if there is any possibility the film would include a reference to the beloved TV series of which they also directed several episodes. But in news that is more exciting than seeing a “Star War,” Joe Russo said there actually will be. “There’s a few surprises coming, I would say that Arrested Development fans should keep their eyes open in this one,” he teased, “You gotta look, keep your eyes open.”



Okay, we don’t have any idea how big or small the reference will be, or if it will have anything to do with the episodes of the show they directed, but we’re going to let our imaginations run wild until we see it. Like maybe someone will mock Thanos with the worst impression of a chicken ever, or considering Anthony Russo directed “Top Banana,” maybe someone will say, “There’s always money in the banana stand,” and Captain America and Peter Quill won’t get the reference.

Or, in what would possibly be the greatest reference ever, maybe Bucky and his missing arm will be used to teach everyone a very important lesson about why you never try to bring the universe into balance by destroying half of it.



To paraphrase Michael, we don’t know what we’re expecting, but we know it will be much better than a dead dove in a bag. (Unless it is a dead dove in a bag.)

What do you think this Arrested Development reference might be? Give us your best idea in the comments below.

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Featured Image: Marvel/20th Century Fox

UK Government Outlines Isaac Asimov-Style Rules to Protect Us from Artificial Intelligence

There’s a reason so many science fiction movies, like Ex Machina, I, Robot, and The Matrix, revolve around the idea of artificial intelligence run amok: it seems so plausible and terrifying. That’s why, as mankind gets closer and closer to creating truly independent AI, we have to be conscious of the pitfalls of creating consciousness and guard ourselves from any unforeseen—and unfortunate—consequences. It’s a concern the UK government is taking seriously enough that it has issued a comprehensive report about regulating artificial intelligence, including rules to safeguard mankind that are reminiscent of Isaac Asimov’s “Three Laws of Robotics.”

The House of Lords Artificial Intelligence Committee has issued a report—that we first heard about at Gizmodo—titled “AI in the UK: Ready, Willing and Able?” Appointed to “to consider the economic, ethical and social implications of advances in artificial intelligence,” they say they were guided by five key questions:

How does AI affect people in their everyday lives, and how is this likely to change?
What are the potential opportunities presented by artificial intelligence for the United Kingdom? How can these be realised?
What are the possible risks and implications of artificial intelligence? How can these be avoided?
How should the public be engaged with in a responsible manner about AI?
What are the ethical issues presented by the development and use of artificial intelligence?



The incredibly thorough paper covers a myriad of topics, from the history of AI and robotics, to issues of engaging, developing, designing, mitigating the risks of, and working and living with artificial intelligence. But because we’ve seen too many sci-fi movies, we’re most intrigued by Chapter 9’s AI Code, which suggests “five overarching principles” to protect humanity that feel like something straight from Isaac Asimov himself:

Artificial intelligence should be developed for the common good and benefit of humanity.
Artificial intelligence should operate on principles of intelligibility and fairness.
Artificial intelligence should not be used to diminish the data rights or privacy of individuals, families or communities.
All citizens have the right to be educated to enable them to flourish mentally, emotionally and economically alongside artificial intelligence.
The autonomous power to hurt, destroy or deceive human beings should never be vested in artificial intelligence.

Those sound like guidleines for developers as much as they do hard and fast rules for an AI program (that might be a difference in semantics only), and it remains to be seen if they can effectively be implemented (super villains never care about the law). However having overarching principles in place now can only help as the technology improves at a rapid pace.

But hopefully they turn out to be slightly less perfect than Isaac Asmiov’s Three Laws were.

What do you think of these guidelines? Will they help? Are they comprehensive enough? Tell us why in the comments below.

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Images: 20th Century Fox, Universal Pictures

DC’s INJUSTICE Comic Will Cross Over with HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

The Injustice 2 video game has already opened the door with crossover characters from Mortal Kombat and special guest stars like Hellboy and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now, DC’s dark alternate world is about to welcome a new pantheon of characters from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Via DCComics.com, DC and Mattel jointly announced the Injustice vs. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe six-issue miniseries by writer Tim Seeley and artist Freddie E. Williams II. The setup for the story places He-Man and the Masters in a situation that fans of Injustice should find similar. Eternia has been overthrown by a robotic impostor, but when He-Man takes back the throne, the people decide they liked the impostor better.

From there, He-Man and his allies will answer an inter-dimensional call from Batman, who wants their aid in overthrowing the corrupted Superman and his regime. While the first cover image by Williams features Orko, Teela, and Battle Cat standing side-by-side with Batman and the more heroic Harley Quinn, don’t expect He-Man’s villains to sit this one out. Where He-Man goes, Skeletor and his minions can’t be far behind.

Could this lead to characters from He-Man and the Masters of the Universe joining the ranks of the Injustice 2 video game? While there haven’t been any concrete indications of plans to add additional fighters, we wouldn’t rule it out. It could be a lot of fun to see He-Man vs. Superman in a fighting game. After all, it’s easy to forget that one of He-Man’s first appearances in comics was a crossover story in 1982 with the Man of Steel.

Injustice vs. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe #1 will debut on DC’s digital platforms on July 18, with a print edition likely to follow later this year.

Are you excited to see He-Man and Superman get a rematch? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: DC Comics

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NASA’s New Planet-Hunting TESS Telescope Could Be Our Best Bet to Find Alien Life

NASA‘s newest telescope TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) is the agency’s latest planet hunter, which will greatly expand on the work already done by the Kepler telescope. TESS will broaden our search for other worlds throughout the universe, and while finding mysterious, unknown planets will be exciting for its own reasons, this also means we could be one step closer to finding something even more exhilarating–aliens.

Set to launch today, April 16th, from Cape Canaveral in Florida, TESS’s four cameras–which can cover 85% of the sky–will scan more than half-a-million of the brightest stars outside our solar system in a quest to find new exoplanets. If it notices any decrease in a star’s brightness (“a phenomenon known as a transit”) it will be a sign a planet is orbiting it, which will then allow for further examination, especially by the James Webb Space Telescope launching in 2020. NASA says it expects to find over 3,000 candidates, “ranging from gas giants to small rocky planets,” with roughly 500 “to be similar to Earth’s size.”

“The stars TESS monitors will be 30-100 times brighter than those observed by Kepler, making follow-up observations much easier. Using TESS data, missions like the James Webb Space Telescope can determine specific characteristics of these planets, including whether they could support life.”

Just identifying other potential homes for us in the cosmos would be a huge achievement unto itself, and that’s what NASA is focused on. But we’re free to let our imaginations run wild, and that’s why it is what–or rather who–could already be out there that is even more exciting. Because with so many worlds waiting to be discovered, who knows if life is waiting on one of them, just hoping we finally point our cameras at them.

Do you think intelligent life is out there? Will we ever find it? Tell us why in the comments below.

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

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R.I.P. R. Lee Ermey, Hollywood’s Go-To Military Tough Guy

In his star-making turn as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Stanley Kubrick‘s Full Metal Jacket, R. Lee Ermey famously yells at his men, on Christmas Day, “God has a hard-on for Marines because we kill everything we see! He plays His games, we play ours! To show our appreciation for so much power, we keep heaven packed with fresh souls!” Today, his own fresh soul ships out of country for missions beyond, leaving behind a career as the quintessential hardass of modern pop culture.

A Vietnam veteran medically discharged in 1972, Ermey initially entered the movie business as a technical consultant and an extra, until Stanley Kubrick liked his drill instructor patter so much he bumped him up to co-lead status in Full Metal Jacket. The results are unforgettable and insanely quotable, due to Kubrick temporarily bending his hard and fast rules about letting actors improvise. From there, he got roles in the likes of Miami Vice, Mississippi Burning, and China Beach playing similar characters, but he also showed a sly ability to make fun of him himself by playing comedic spins on his established persona, like when he played Bruce Campbell‘s dad (eat your heart out, Lee Majors!) on The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.

Ermey is literally the last person in the world anybody would call a nerd–hell, the kids who beat up the nerds in the Revenge of the Nerds movies look like nerds next to him–but he’s been in so many of our beloved properties that you know him well even if you don’t recognize the name. Sarge in Toy Story. Sheriff Hoyt in the Platinum Dunes Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. A worthy replacement for Ernest Borgnine in the Willard remake. Various voices on shows like The Simpsons, Kung Fu Panda, SpongeBob, Family Guy, and Kim Possible. He’s one of a handful of actors so recognizable that he got a talking action figure of himself as himself, presumably when a Full Metal Jacket toy license proved unavailable. In 2002, because of his fame playing a Gunnery Sergeant, he even received an honorable promotion to that rank.

More recently, he appeared as himself on The Outdoor Channel’s reality show Gunny Time. No human adversary could fell him, but today, illness did.

In addition to acting, Ermey was active in charity work and supporting the military. He was occasionally politically outspoken in a manner that rubbed some folks the wrong way, but has given us far more joy over the years than friction.

We stand and salute.

Image: Warner Bros.

 

In other top headlines:

Howard Stern is his own bad self as he inducts Bon Jovi into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Kevin Bacon made a short film about a duck that interrupts a couple having sex.
See what’s left when you remove the digital effects from recent horror movies.

Are Horror Movies Still Scary Without Special Effects?

Every film is an illusion, but some movies are more reliant on trickery than others. Since the dawn of cinema, special effects have been used to make viewers buy into worlds and places that aren’t real. Surprisingly, the horror genre was largely resistant to CGI until the last two decades; it was simply cheaper and more effective to use practical effects for monsters, slashers, and ghosts. But now that almost every studio film has access to green screens, the game has been changed. Looper recently released a video which examines 13 recent and semi-recent horror films and offers a glimpse of their monsters without the effects that brought them to life.



One of the films profiled in this video was Guillermo del Toro‘s Crimson Peak, which utilized a combination of practical effects and CGI to bring the film’s ghosts to life. Hollow Man also had an interesting approach way to approach Kevin Bacon‘s title monster. Each scene with Bacon’s character was shot twice: once with Bacon covered in green, and once without him to capture the background elements.

The effects artists behind the Christmas horror movie Krampus specifically shunned modern techniques in order to capture the flavor of ’80s slasher films. Puppetry and animatronics were utilized in that film, although the evil Gingerbread men did require some computer animation. Perhaps the most unusual project profiled in this video is Deadly Honeymoon, a Lifetime TV movie that only loosely fits into the genre. But it does illustrate that even a film made for television can use CGI to make a luxury cruise ship seem real.

What did you think about this video? Scare up a few thoughts in the comment section below!

Editor’s note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Pictures.

Image: Legendary Pictures/Universal Pictures

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MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO: A Visual Appreciation

I first saw My Neighbor Totoro as an adult. But I grew up in the 2D animation age, with the films of the Disney Renaissance era shaping my youth and teenage years. I’ve spent hours since then admiring frames, looking at the composition of the fixed backgrounds and the moving characters and how they blend. Each layer of the frame has to come together just so to add depth and a touch of realism, even in a fantastical setting. Studio Ghibli films excel at presenting stories that live comfortably in a magical realm and in the world outside our doors—Totoro especially. Even as an adult, I kind of believed I would find Totoro in the woods on my next camping trip. And that’s because of the movie’s knock-you-off-your-feet visuals.

To celebrate Hayao Miyazaki‘s film’s thirtieth anniversary, let’s look at some of the most spectacular shots.

Landscapes and Backgrounds

It doesn’t matter if it’s the countryside, the forest where Totoro takes naps, or a messy house, the backgrounds in My Neighbor Totoro are lived in and vibrant. Some are detailed (note the carefully shaded grime on some of the indoor surfaces), but sometimes an impressionist-like approach softens the edges and adds a hint of mystery and imagination–especially with the images centered on nature.

Portraits

A single line on a face can communicate a world of information in animation. If those lines aren’t in the right place, you lose reaction and emotion, and therefore, story. The expressions on the faces of Kusakabes convey inner conflict, joy, fear–you don’t have to guess about what they’re thinking. The many looks of Mei are an excellent study in character expression.

Creatures

Totoro and Catbus are the clear creature stars of My Neighbor Totoro, but the animators lavished just as much attention on everyday, real critters like toads and insects. Because they don’t treat them differently, it adds to the feeling that you just might spy Catbus the next time you’re waiting at the bus stop.

If you close your eyes and think of My Neighbor Totoro, what image comes to mind? What scene is your favorite? Tell us in the comments.

Images: Studio Ghibli, screencaps via Animation Screencaps

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

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Latest SOLO Teaser Focuses on the Start of Han and Chewbacca’s Relationship

It’s hard for Star Wars fans to imagine a certain scruffy nerf herder without our favorite wookiee by his side, but every relationship has to start somewhere. And in the newest teaser for Solo, the beginning of Han and Chewbacca‘s lifelong friendship takes center stage. Because before you can become two of the most famous smugglers in the galaxy far, far away, and respected heroes in the Rebellion, you first have to learn each others’ name.

The latest commercial for the film, titled “Crew,” features new footage, including another look at Paul Bettany’s crime boss Dryden Vos, who might have a bit of an anger problem. But it’s the interactions between Han and Chewie as they first get to know each other that standout, like Han asking him the simple but vital question, “So what’s your name anyway?” Also, while we know Han will win the Millennium Falcon off of Lando, we aren’t sure if he did that because of Chewbacca or in spite of him, because Chewie either has the worst “tell” of all-time or he’s amazing at bluffing.



We know things generally work out for Han, but that doesn’t mean Chewbacca’s wrong to think everything sounds like a bad idea. Han does love to ignore the odds, after all.

The more we see of Solo the more we feel like this is less a Han origin story and more an origin of arguably the most meaningful relationship in his life, the one he has with his best friend and partner. And if that’s what this film ends up being, we have a really good feeling about it.

What do you think of this latest teaser? How important do you expect the start of Han and Chewie’s relationship to be to the story? Tell us in the comments below.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

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Kevin Bacon Has Directed a Short About Sex and a Duck

While best known as an actor who has worked with pretty much everyone, Kevin Bacon is not unfamiliar with the director’s chair: in 2005, he directed wife Kyra Sedgwick as a possessive mom in Loverboy, and he’s also helmed a few episodes of The Closer. But none of this will prepare you for the artistic heights of his newest short, “A Duck Walks in on a Couple Having Sex.”

Starring Justin Long and The Walking Dead‘s Lauren Cohan, this triumph du cinema may seem self-explanatory, but it’s the making-of stuff that’s the most interesting. Like finding out how many ducks died, or what Kyra Sedgwick had to do, or whether Kevin Bacon can actually count to three. You’d almost suspect that this extra footage actually is the movie.



A Duck Walks In On A Couple Having Sex (by Kevin Bacon) from Kevin Bacon

You’d be right, of course, because this is Funny or Die, after all. But Bacon really did direct it, and if nothing else, it gives you more links for your Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game. Like, he’s connected to 22 different ducks now, as well as Cohan and Long. But the final choice to actually play the duck in the end may surprise you. (Or, more likely, not.)

Seriously, we dig this side of the Baconator (can we call him that now?) and would love to see a duck franchise happen. Or, dare we dream, a Duck Walks In cinematic universe? Comment below with your thoughts on this vital issue.

Image: Funny or Die

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Watch Howard Stern’s Raucous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Speech for BON JOVI

Howard Stern has been so many things in his career–talk radio star, TV host, celebrity judge, a briefly attempted movie star–that it’s easy to forget he began as a music DJ. But his longtime friends in Bon Jovi didn’t forget, and when they finally got the call to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they couldn’t think of anyone more appropriate (and entertaining) for the induction speech than the former self-proclaimed “King of All Media.”

In keeping with what you’d expect, Stern made a lot of dick jokes, and some tasteless numerical comparisons of Bon Jovi album sales to sperm counts and death tolls (as always with Stern, not all is humor is for everyone, nor would we want it to be). And naturally he took the time to take plenty of potshots at Rolling Stone editor Jann Wenner, and artists he likes less than Bon Jovi, like Harry Chapin and Bob Dylan. But as usual, beneath the schoolboy language and insults, Stern’s inner fanboy sincerity came through, as he actually led the crowd in a singalong of “Wanted Dead or Alive” that went on just a little awkwardly too long, and deliberately so:

One imagines Tico Torres, Phil X, Hugh McDonald, David Bryan, and Alec John Such were happy to get the public acknowledgement by name, when so many of the media sometimes seem only aware of Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora. And we can’t disagree with Howard: “John Such” would be a good band name too.

What did you think of Stern’s speech? Are Bon Jovi long overdue for this honor? Runaway to the comments below, and Never Say Goodbye to the idea of posting one.

Image: YouTube/MarchofTheRashbaum

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