Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1807

Someone Made a RICK AND MORTY Apple Pie Because Reasons

Earlier this week, Rick and Morty fans were a bit freaked out when co-creator Dan Harmon indicated the series has not yet been renewed by Adult Swim. (We still think season 4 is gonna happen, it just won’t arrive for a long, long time.) With so many unknowns, how should fans fill the void? By baking a Rick and Morty pie, natch. Jessica Leigh Clark-Bojin has shared her unique culinary creation via her Pies Are Awesome YouTube channel, and it looks like she’s placed the titular duo in a very sticky situation.



Clark-Bojin’s explanation for the pie makes perfect sense to us: “I imagine if they ever encountered a pie, it would probably try to eat them. (Summer probably escaped first with a helpful ‘I’ll avenge your deaths!’ as she abandoned them.).” In the time lapse video, Clark-Bojin allows viewers to watch every major step in the creation of her dual pie Piescraper, which has tinted apple filling that reminds us of Rick and Morty’s toxic duplicates from the third season.

Clark-Bojin also demonstrated her artistic chops by expertly cutting out the Rick and Morty designs and using food coloring to paint them until they resembled their TV counterparts. It takes a lot of skill to pull that off so exactly—she even included Rick’s portal gun and a pastry portal! From the way she staged it, it almost seems like Rick’s going to abandon Morty to the pie…which would be a very Rick thing to do.

What do you think about this Rick and Morty-inspired pie? Let us know in the comment section below!

More on Rick and Morty!

This Rick and Morty song checks in on Beth.
Tiny Rick visits other cartoons in this short.
Postmodern Jukebox covers the Rick and Morty theme.

Image: Pies Are Awesome

THE LAST JEDI’s Effects Supervisor on How to Drop Bombs and Make Leia Fly in Space

One of the most common questions waged about Star Wars: The Last Jedi involves the opening space battle: How exactly does the process of dropping bombs work in zero gravity, out of orbit? Sure, there were TIE bombers in The Empire Strikes Back as well, but the fact that such a thing exists in Star Wars canon doesn’t answer the question of how. According to visual effects supervisor Ben Morris, however, this was something his team thought carefully about for a long time.

“We did all go, ‘How do bombs drop in space?'” Morris told Nerdist. “And we sat there for ages. And then Rian [Johnson] said, ‘They’re Maglev [magnetic] bombs. It’s Star Wars. Let’s not worry. Let’s move on.'”

This directive aside, Morris credits his effects co-supervisor Michael Mulholland with ultimately finding an answer. “We realized that if you get over the fact that they’re transitioning in a clip with air in, if in space, if you fire an object in a direction, there is no resistance in space, and it would continue to go in the same direction in which you pushed it,” Morris said. “If you imagine that all of those bombs are actually projected out of that bomber and they’re traveling in space, there’s no reason on earth why they wouldn’t continue on down and hit the dreadnought. So we suddenly had the solution.”

While Morris and his team were able to build on many of the techniques they learned from The Force Awakens and Rogue One to deliver the world of The Last Jedi, some aspects didn’t make the transition in quite the way you’d think. Arch-villain Supreme Leader Snoke, for one, had to be rebuilt “from the ground up.” It was left to Johnson’s discretion to decide what height the character would actually be in person, and up to Morris and his team to make him “be a living, breathing reality” as opposed to the “pale, sallow, zombie-like feel” he had before.

Morris’ mandate was for “him to look alive and real, even though he’s had some serious trauma and damage to his history and body.” It worked; Morris said, “Certain people have said to me, ‘How did you get that actor to look like that?’ And to me, that’s a great compliment, because the entire thing is digital. I think it looked better than the make-up could ever have looked, so that’s great. ”

Not quite everything about the big bald baddie was CG—there was a two-piece practical puppet to create the effect of his untimely demise. But when you see the corpse lying on the floor with his tongue hanging out, that is still digital, and a side-effect of the changes they made in his design from Episode VII. “We realized that the maquette that we originally based the character’s look and structure on didn’t quite work,” Morris said. “So we created an exact clone of that in the computer, and started to animate it. But it didn’t feel like it held enough resonance, and physical scale and performance. So we actually rebuilt him, and that meant that there wasn’t a match [with the two-part puppet].”

Speaking of resonance, most of Carrie Fisher’s space walk scene had to be created in post-production, following the sad news that she passed. “It was a challenging thing,” Morris said, “mostly because of the sensitivity around it, not because of the technical execution, necessarily, of the shots.” All the close-ups were of Fisher herself, who was never in a cable wire harness (“she was able to lean forward in a comfortable position,” Morris notes). There was a stuntwoman in a harness, but you never see her because “we were so wide on those, we ultimately needed to zoom the cameras, so we actually replaced that with a digital version of the character.”

Morris continued, “When she’s out in space, we just wanted it to be a beautiful moment, and it’s obviously the moment where the audience finally clicked: Carrie has some sort of force ability. I don’t want to verbalize or describe what it is, but…she could guide herself back in. And so we were just very careful with that.”

There was perhaps no other shot in The Last Jedi that earned as emotional a response as Leia’s space-gliding scene, and clearly plenty of thought went into bringing the concept to life. “We discussed how she would or wouldn’t move in space,” Morris said, “and the reality is, there’s no wind in space. There’s no air, there’s no volume, so there was very subtle movement there. We didn’t want to overplay that. Carrie pulling herself forwards—we always wanted her to be flying through the wreckage of the cruiser’s main bridge in space.”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi? Let us know! The film is currently available on digital download, and it hits Blu-ray Mar. 27.

Images: Lucasfilm

More from the galaxy far, far away

The coolest reveals from Forces of Destiny season two
Go behind the scenes of Finn and Phasma’s battle
Luke, Rose, and Maz Kanata join Forces of Destiny

8 Coolest Reveals From STAR WARS : FORCES OF DESTINY Season 2

Since its launch in 2017, Star Wars: Forces of Destiny has been a total joy, packed full of gorgeous animation, cool character designs, cute nods to original canon, and a radical focus on the women of the Star Wars universe. Disney just released eight new shorts as part of Season Two, and they’ve really upped the ante in terms of exciting reveals, classic characters, and expansions of important canon. Joining the cast of the new trilogy, Mark Hamill even makes his first vocal appearance as young Luke Skywalker in the swamps of Dagobah! We’ve watched all of Season Two and picked out the eight raddest revelations, character beats, and “Oh Wow!” moments that you won’t want to miss.

Hera and Sabine Reunited (Season Two, Episode One)

The first episode of this season is a lovely nod to the recently concluded Star Wars:Rebels, and reunites Hera and Sabine. Judging by Sabine’s blue hair, we’re guessing this is around season two in the Rebels timeline. This cute caper sees Hera, Sabine, and Chopper attempt to steal an Imperial shuttle but accidentally splitting up with the two women flying a shuttle full of Stormtroopers whilst Chopper enjoys an Empire-free flight! It’s a nice little reunion for some already very missed characters.

Ahsoka and Padme Team Up (Season Two, Episode Two)

Episode two sees a pair of fan favorites join forces, and it confirms a major fan theory in a heartbreaking moment that had us welling up. When Anakin plans a secret romantic mission away with Padme, his plans are thwarted by Ahsoka, who’s encouraged to join them by Obi-Wan. At first Anakin is annoyed, but when they end up in a Separatist block the trio work together to escape. This is (chronologically) first time we’ve seen all three of them together, and the final moments confirm that Ahsoka did know about Padme and Anakin’s romance but kept her master’s secret! Was that what she meant at the end of The Clone Wars Season Five when she said “I know”? We think it just might’ve been…

Finn Pilots A Ship (Season Two, Episode Three)

We all know Finn was a stormtrooper, but as we know he was also a maintenance worker who heroically rebelled against the First Order and joined the Resistance. At the end of The Last Jedi he pilots one of the old ships on Crait, leading many fans to wonder where he learned to fly. Well, in Rose Tico’s first appearance in Forces of Destiny we get to see that she was the one who encouraged Finn to take the wheel while she fixes BB-8 during the pair’s journey to Canto Bight!

Rey Saves Teedo’s Life (Season Two, Episode Five)

When we first meet Rey in The Force Awakens she’s a lonely scavenger living in the sandy dunes of Jakku. Forces of Destiny has done a great job of expanding on Rey’s life on the desert planet, but Season Two gives us a fantastic insight into her relationship with the alien Teedo, who attempted to steal BB-8 at the beginning of Episode VII. This short is a wonderful example of how much world-building and character development they can do in under three minutes.

Leia Meets Maz (Season Two, Episode Six)

The sixth entry this season gives us not one but two awesome moments that build on important parts of main Star Wars canon. The first is a gorgeous interaction between Leia and Maz, which is extra special because we know that we’ll never get to see them together on film. Canon-wise, though, it’s ultra-exciting because it reveals that before Return of the Jedi Chewie and Leia went to Maz to ask for help saving Han from his carbonite prison!

Leia Gets the Bounty Hunter Suit (Season Two, Episode Six)

During Leia and Chewie’s mission to help Han, Maz comes up with a plan, one that we later see in action during Return of the Jedi. She suggests that Leia needs a disguise and then, as if the Force willed it, the bounty hunter Boushh appears in a very familiar suit! YEP! Forces of Destiny really just answered one of the biggest Star Wars fan questions: “How exactly did Leia get that bounty hunter suit?” We love this moment that builds on two rad female characters whilst also expanding on an iconic moment in Star Wars history!

Luke Carries Yoda for the First Time (Season Two, Episode Seven)

Luke’s training on Dagobah is arguably one of the most memorable parts of the OG Star Wars trilogy. The dank swamps, the harnessing of the Force, the sometimes hilarious positioning of Yoda over Luke’s shoulders. In Mark Hamill’s first appearance in Forces of Destiny, he returns to Dagobah playing a young Luke Skywalker, struggling to use the Force to find his way through the trees until Yoda suggests that he carry him. Luke is stunned, implying this is the first time his master has asked, giving us a look at a vital and previously unseen moment in the pair’s relationship.

Porg with a Lightsaber (Season Two, Episode Eight)

Our last and funniest favorite moment isn’t a huge canon reveal, but it does feature Rey training alone on Ahch-To when a porg suddenly steals her lightsaber. It’s a cute, canny use of the short for some simplistic cartoon fun, especially as Rey only manages to stop the cuddly critter by using the Force. Levitating porgs definitely could have fit into the sometimes humorous tone of The Last Jedi, but seeing as Rian Johnson deprived us of that, Forces of Destiny is here to fulfill our Force-juggling porg needs!

Have you watched Forces of Destiny? Do you have a favorite moment we missed? Delighted to know Hamill is voice acting again? Let us know below!

Images: Disney/Lucasfilm

The biggest Star Wars news right now

Where in the galaxy far, far away is Grand Admiral Thrawn?
Laura Dern kept saying “pew” while firing her blaster
Captain Phasma didn’t actually die in The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi  is a LOT like Empire Strikes Back

New NIGHTFLYERS Trailer Proves George R.R. Martin is Even Deadlier in Space

Syfy‘s upcoming new series Nightflyers—an adaptation of George R.R. Martin‘s 1980 novella of the same name—is a story the author describes as “a haunted house story on a starship,” or, if you prefer your horror more gory, as a sort of “Psycho in space.” And based on the first look at the show, things out in the cosmos will be even bloodier than they are in Westeros. Only in space you can’t flee across the Narrow Sea to safety.

In the first teaser for the show, which also includes some behind-the-scenes looks, we get a glimpse of just how gruesome things will get for the deep-space travelers of the Nightflyer. Because while normally the worst thing that can happen on spaceship is something catching on fire, that usually doesn’t result in so much blood splatter on the walls and floors. Although catching on fire still looks pretty horrible.

We know the people involved with any new show will give their series a hard sell, but we’d be lying if we denied we’re pretty excited after hearing supervising producer Sean Ryerson describe it as “just f***ing awesome.” That’s really all we want from a George R.R. Martin sci-fi horror story.

And even though filming required them to build “acres of spaceship,” one of the most haunting aspects of Martin’s story is the claustrophobia felt by its passengers. This teaser certainly seems to capture that feeling of being trapped while the walls–and far worse–close in on them. Because as awful as the White Walkers are, at least you can still see them coming.

Nightflyers arrivs on Syfy this fall.

What do you think of this first look? Don’t be afraid to tell us in the comments below.

More From George:

He’s writing a new Song of Ice and Fire book that isn’t Winds of Winter.
He’s working on one of the spin-offs with Bryan Cogman!
And finally, what’s this about FIRE WIGHTS?!

Featured Image: SyFy

The Ataribox is Now the Atari VCS and You Can Pre-Order It Soon

Last year, Atari teased its first console in over two decades: the Ataribox. Further details initially proved to be elusive, but Atari is finally ready to share some intel. The new system is getting a new name—say goodbye to the Ataribox and hello to the Atari VCS!

Via Venture Beat, the Atari VCS shares some similarities with Nintendo’s popular NES Classic and SNES Classic. The design was inspired by the aesthetic of the Atari 2600, which was originally released in 1977. In fact, the Atari VCS was the first name chosen for the 2600, so its latest console title has come full circle. As expected, the Atari VCS will play classic Atari games. However, it will also be able to play modern PC games as well.

The catch is that the Atari VCS probably won’t be able to handle the most graphically intense PC titles. However, this could exponentially increase the number of games available for the system. This feature may also prove to be more enticing for modern gamers than titles from 30 to 40 years ago.

Atari originally planned to open up pre-orders for its new system last December, but the company pushed back its plans for at least a few months. We still don’t know exactly when Atari intends to launch the Atari VCS, but according to Venture Beat, the official pre-order announcement will finally be made in April.

Will the Atari VCS’ ability to play PC and retro games draw you in? Press start to to leave a comment below!

We Got More Games For Ya Right Here!

How strong are Fallout laser weapons?
Is double-jumping possible?
Could Mass Effect weapons work in real life?

Images: Atari

You Can Now Play Classic LED Handheld Games Online

During the earliest days of console gaming, there wasn’t a handheld device that could provide a true arcade experience on the go. Even the GameBoy would be considered high tech compared to the LED and LCD games available as watches and much smaller recreations of the arcade cabinets. Those adaptations belong to a nearly forgotten chapter of video game history. But now, many of the titles are getting a new lease on life. Thanks to the Herculean efforts of MAME developers, you can play several classic LED games on your browsers.

Via The Verge, the Internet Archive has unveiled its Handheld History Collection, which features nearly 70 emulated handheld titles. The initial lineup includes Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Tron, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Mortal Kombat, and even a handheld Batman game.

The games may look primitive, but putting them online was no easy feat. In order to bring these classic titles back to life, many of the LED, LCD, and VFD games had to be completely dismantled. For some games, that meant scanning each illustration created for the background and examining the circuit board to figure out when and where the onscreen characters should be illuminated.

Jason Scott broke down the process behind the emulation of these handheld games at the Internet Archive’s blog, and it’s well worth a read. More titles are said to be in the works, and it looks like this gaming era won’t be forgotten after all.

Are you excited about the chance to play these retro games? Press start in the comment section below!

Images: Internet Archive

Want More Science in Your Video Games?

How strong are Fallout laser weapons?
Is double-jumping possible?
Could Mass Effect weapons work in real life?

Rick Baker’s Gruesome JOKER Bust Gets a Limited Variant

Last month, DC Collectibles revealed that they had given horror makeup maestro Rick Baker carte blanche to do a bust for them. Possibly inspired by the face-removed Joker he created for fun in Photoshop, Baker opted to do a version of the Joker he had never seen before. Rather than looking directly like a clown, this feels like the face of someone who was submerged in toxic chemicals, and still has them flowing in his veins, just below the skin.

The bust was already limited to 200 pieces and featuring a $1000 price tag, but today DC Collectibles announced that 50 of those 200 will be limited-edition variants with a black shirt and yellow vest, as Baker originally designed, rather than the more comics-accurate orange shirt and purple vest. These will cost $1500 apiece, and come with a certificate of authenticity hand-signed by Baker. You’ll be able to pick one up in October, just in time to terrify all your neighbors for Halloween.

The black and yellow scheme almost looks like a Batman tribute by his demented nemesis, but its overall more muted look gives this Joker more serious determination. The orange and purple, on the other hand is more showy and hints at perhaps an elaborate caper in the future, rather than just stabbing someone in the eye (which can always come later…it’s not like either Joker is less monstrous).

What do you think of this more toxic-veined take on Gotham’s top killer clown? Are you ready to dance with this devil in Halloween’s pale moonlight? Is he scarier than Tommy Wiseau’s Joker? Let us know in comments.

Images: DC Collectibles

More of the nerdy things you need!

Our primer on The New Gods, DC Comics’ cosmic mythology invented by Jack Kirby!
Our picks for the 7 most essential Batman comic storyarcs of all time!
Why Teen Titans is actually DC Comics’ most important franchise , even if it’s been undervalued!

Why the Internet is Overreacting About RICK AND MORTY Season 4

Rick and Morty fans are used to long waits between seasons, but it’s looking more and more like the fourth season may be far, far, FAR away. Adult Swim has been uncharacteristically quiet about the future of its breakout series, and a new tweet from co-creator Dan Harmon has fans in panic mode about whether the show is danger of premature cancellation. But to paraphrase Douglas Adams, “Don’t panic, internet!” Today’s Nerdist News is going to remind everyone why Rick and Morty season 4 is still in our collective future. Probably.

Welcome back host and Morty’s celebrity crush, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the words that have fans running around like wild Rickless animals. To be clear, Harmon’s tweet was less than encouraging about the current status of Rick and Morty. But in context, he was replying to an angry fan who was less than polite about his demand for a fourth season. So, take the words in the spirit in which they were given.

I hear ya, tough spot. On one hand, it can be challenging, especially with crippling lazy alcoholism, to write a show that hasn’t been ordered by a network. On the other hand, the thought that fans like you pay the price…I mean…I’m gonna grab a drink https://t.co/mvn9nthxCE

— Dan Harmon (@danharmon) March 17, 2018

Before you get too worked up, ask yourself this: when was the last time Adult Swim aired a new episode of The Venture Bros.? The network has never been too concerned about rushing its most popular shows back on the air. And make no mistake, Rick and Morty is currently one of Adult Swim’s biggest hits. It’s not about to abandon this pop culture phenomenon anytime soon. It may still take another year or two for Rick and Morty to return, but it’s gonna happen. Always bet on Rick!

What do you want to see in Rick and Morty season 4? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Adult Swim

More of the Nerdist News you need!

Did the newest Avengers trailer disprove who dies in Infinity War?
The internet is pretty sure it solved The Office‘s Scranton Strangler mystery!
Fans of Jessica Jones have been Googling octopus DNA and we know why!

There’s a Holographic POKÉDEX in Japan’s POKÉMON Megastore

After two decades, Pokémon is still a force to be reckoned with in America. But nobody loves Pokémon quite like the fans in Japan. That’s why there’s a permanent Pokémon cafe sharing a building with Tokyo’s Pokémon megastore. But if that isn’t enough incentive to visit this prime Pokémon destination, then perhaps the ultimate Pokédex will prove to be more enticing. Via SoraNews24, the Pokémon megastore has installed an incredible holographic Pokédex which lets fans get a new perspective on their favorite pocket monsters.

こんなふうにポケモンが調べられる！ pic.twitter.com/xTAzSUskMM

— 川島 優志 masa kawashima (@mask303) March 14, 2018

The man taking the Pokédex for a spin in this video is Masa Kawashima, the Asia Pacific Director for Pokémon GO developer Niantic. The Pokédex will be available for visitors, but it’s not actually holographic. The illusion is provided by a transparent touch screen wall, and it is still very impressive. Users can look up any pocket monster by selecting its type. Once a classification is chosen, the screen displays several different Pokémon which can be further explored for more detailed information about the size and battle parameters of each creature. It’s truly the Pokédex of our dreams.

We have no idea if this Pokédex will ever come to America, but we could probably lose a few hours pouring through it to see everything it has to offer. It’s the kind of thing that reminds us why we became Pokémon fans.

What do you think about the holographic Pokédex? We choose you to leave a comment below!

Image: The Pokémon Company

More of the nerdy things you need!

Mall favorite KB Toys could return and replace the closing Toys ‘R’ Us!
Japanese scientists unveil food replication machine!
Your old pal the Tamagotchi is coming soon, to your smartphone !

Can INDIANA JONES 5 Unearth Our Love for the Franchise?

Steven Spielberg says filming on Indiana Jones 5 will begin next year, so on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back we discussed what can be done to revive the franchise after Kingdom Skull, along with the possibility Rian Johnson would ever be replaced on his own Star Wars trilogy, and if Rick and Morty really might not return.

Joining host Jessica Chobot on her glorious return today was Nerdist News writer Aliza Pearl, producer Derek Johnson, and Bizarre States’ Andrew Bowser. They began with word from Steven Spielberg the next Indiana Jones will begin filming in April of 2019, with his constant collaborator David Koepp penning the script. Do we want this film? Does anyone need it? What would we like to see them do to fix the problems of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull? Do we hope Indy goes after a specific treasure, or it takes place during a certain time period? Could we ever see them replacing Harrison Ford with another actor? And are we more excited for this movie or Spielberg’s West Side Story remake?



Next up, producer Ram Bergman said initial work on Rian Johnson’s new, Skywalker-free Star Wars trilogy has begun. Would we prefer if they take place long before the current movies, or long after? With Game of Thrones’ creators also making their own films, is this the end of the Skywalkers in the galaxy far, far away? And considering Lucasfilm has replaced directors before, is there any chance Rian Johnson could be replaced after the mixed fan response to The Last Jedi?

Finally, Dan Harmon caused an internet storm this weekend when he tweeted Adult Swim has yet to formally order a fourth season of Rick and Morty. Is this another example of the rabid fanbase blowing something out of proportion, or could this really be the end of the show despite everyone wanting it to continue? Did the third season’s darker and more absurdist direction wear some people out on the series? Or do we really want more Rick and Morty?

As always Nerdist News Talks Back airs live on our YouTube and Alpha channels Monday through Thursday at 1 p.m. PT, and Nerdist News What the Fridays, our hour long recap of the biggest trending pop culture stories, ends the week at 1 p.m. PT exclusively at Alpha. Join in with us live to be a part of the conversation, because when you do it’s a lot more Temple of Doom and a lot less Kingdom Skull.

We still want to hear from you now though, so talk back to us about today’s topics in the comments section below.

Images: Paramount Pictures, Adult Swim

More of the nerdy news you need!

Mall favorite KB Toys could return and replace the closing Toys ‘R’ Us!
How arcade favorite Rampage became a blockbuster movie !
The new God of War is much more than an escort mission!