Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1810

You Can Now Visit DISNEY PARKS on Google Maps

They call Disneyland the happiest place on Earth, but even though there are multiple Disney Parks not everyone gets a chance to visit them. Well now you can from the comfort of your own home, thanks to Google Maps! Yup, now you can take a 360° visual tour of *deep breath* Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, Magic Kingdom Park, Disney Springs, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Pandora – The World of Avatar, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Epcot, ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park! Plus you can look around a whole bunch of the shops and attractions within the California and Florida parks.

This rad bit of tech is a great way to while away a couple of hours, plan your next trip, or just enjoy the rare site of an empty Disney park. It’s quite the feeling to get to cyber-wander around the parks whilst sitting on your bed, and we’ve loved exploring all of the rad panoramas that Google’s nifty backpack tracker collated. You can explore The Magic Kingdom in the embed above, and check out the rest of the parks on Google Maps’ gallery page. The theme is wonders of the world, and we think Disney has definitely earned their spot!

Will you be sofa surfing your way through the Disney parks? Hoping to spot yourself looking snazzy in one of the pictures? Just can’t wait ’til your next visit to the newly updated Pixar Pier? Let us know in the comments!

Images: Google Maps

Disney, Disney, and more Disney…

All the deets on the new Pixar Pier.
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New Avengers, Guardians, and Ant-Man rides on the way.

Are Your Taste Buds Prepared for Sonic’s Pickle Juice Slushes?

Yes, you’re reading that right. This is not an early April fool. Fast food drive-in chain Sonic, which prides itself on a seemingly infinite number of shake and slush flavors, is grabbing our attention by announcing the upcoming addition of pickle juice to the roster.

It’s tempting to blame this on McDonald’s Szechuan sauce. After a Rick and Morty plug, the chain relaunched the flavor in a super-limited batch that made fans go crazy, and recently rereleased even more to feed the frenzy created the first time. One can almost imagine a fast food executive trying to figure out what else the Rick and Morty fandom might go for, and coming across Pickle Rick.

But as Foodbeast reports, there’s a more immediate inspiration that ties into Sonic’s heritage: their slushes used to be made inside empty pickle barrels, and when they tried moving away from that, fans complained that the “mystery flavor” it added to all the drinks was absent. And Sonic has added briny flavors to sweet treats before: their jalapeno chocolate shake is basically just a standard chocolate shake with vinegar-marinated jalapeno slices blended in. The pickle juice flavor, expected later this summer alongside other flavors like “Tiger’s Blood,” will be sweetened slightly so it’s not pure salty sourness, and the syrup can be added to any beverage, so if you’ve always wanted a Pickle Coke, knock yourself (or your tastebuds) out.

Maybe next they’ll come up with a beef-flavored slush and a cheese flavored-slush, so you can mix them all up and just drink your burger, saving your jaws the hassle of chewing. Are you down to chug some sweet pickle-flavored ice? Sound off in comments!

Images: Adult Swim, Sonic

Fast food is crazy, are we right?

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McDonald’s needed a podcast to explain their Szechuan sauce.
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Why PACIFIC RIM UPRISING’s Amara Is Your New Favorite Character

While the ostentatiously named Jaeger mechs of the Pacific Rim franchise are front-and-center in the film’s trailers, the series lives and dies by its charismatic human characters, who have won the hearts and minds of fans all over the world. From the odd couple pairing of Dr. Newton Geiszler and Dr. Hermann Gottlieb to the bo staff badassery of Mako Mori to the stone-jawed apocalypse-cancelling stoicism of Stacker Pentecost, Pacific Rim has no shortage of fan-favorite heroes. Now with Pacific Rim: Uprising poised to hit theaters on March 23, audiences will meet a new generation of Jaeger-piloting protagonists who bring their unique skillsets to help the next generation of Pan Pacific Defense Corp beat those killer Kaiju back into the Breach. However, there’s one character in particular that we think will reign supreme as your new favorite member of the PPDC: Amara Namani.

Played by relative newcomer Cailee Spaeny, Amara is a self-taught engineer, who is spunky, sarcastic, and smarter than most adults. Serving as an unlikely sidekick to Jake Pentecost (John Boyega), Amara may well be exactly what humanity needs if they’re going to win the day. While she doesn’t have the formal training of some of her fellow PPDC recruits, she did manage to make her own Jaeger from scratch using scrap metal and parts that she scavenged. We’re not the only ones who think that Amara is going to leave audiences wanting more of the precocious cadet; the filmmakers behind Pacific Rim Uprising do too. We sent our ace reporter Erika Ishii to sit down with stars Cailee Spaeny, John Boyega (who was also a producer on the film), and writer-director Steven S. DeKnight to talk about why Amara resonated with them, how she subverts your expectations, and much more.

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

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“Cheeseburger” Made Entirely Out of Cheese Proves There’s Never Too Much Cheese

“How much cheese is too much cheese?” –Charlie from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Well unless you’re going on a blind date or you’re lactose intolerance, the answer to that question is “no amount.” There is no amount of cheese that is too much cheese. And while we thought that even before we came across this delicious piece of food artistry, we’re craving the chance to take a big bite out of this “cheeseburger” that is made up entirely out of different cheeses.

We learned about this delectable culinary delight at Laughing Squid, and it comes from the fine folks at Tastymade, who used a variety of cheeses to create replicas of a bun, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, a beef patty, and, of course, cheese (that was less of a reach). A burger like this, though, still needs fries, which is how this CHEESEburger secretly is the most appetizing way we’ve ever seen to serve cheese fries.

CHEESEburger & Fries

"Ya, I'll have a large CHEESEburger.""Would you like fries with that?

Posted by Tastemade on Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Okay, we know the phrase “food porn” gets thrown around a lot for the most basic meals, but if we’re being honest this video definitely gave us some impure thoughts.

Normally we would never advocate for a burger that falls apart so easily (bun stability is such a crucial part of any great cheeseburger), but we’ll make an exception here. Because when it comes to cheese, you can never have too much.

What other food would you like to see them make entirely out of cheese next? Satiate our craving to hear your thoughts by taking a big bite out of our comments below.

Featured Image: Tastymade

It’s burger time!

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Filipino LEGO burgers.

Hound Tall #42: The Hormonal Woman

How hormones effect the choices women make. Do women date assholes because of evolution? Is the biological clock real? How much do strippers on the pill earn? What’s a second dick? All these questions and more are answered. With Dr. Martie Haselton UCLA evolutionary physiologist and author of the book, “Hormonal” and comics: Jessi Klien (Inside Amy Schumer), Jamie Lee (Crashing) and Riley Silverman (Take My Wife).

Follow @MosheKasher on Twitter!

Subscribe to Hound Tall on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

READY PLAYER ONE’s Theme Recalls Classic ’80s Spielberg

One big reason moviegoers might fall in love with Ready Player One or not will likely depend on how well the movie walks the line between nostalgia for the past and creating something entirely original. Because for a story that is literally about going on a world-changing quest organized by a genius who was obsessed with the ’80s, finding the right balance between the two will likely determine if the movie proves exciting or trite. But if you’re worried about it ending up being nothing more than a collection of Easter eggs, the song’s title track should give you hope that director Steven Spielberg has created something that both pays homage to a bygone era while also being totally new, because it’s an original track that sounds like the perfect tribute to his own classic movies.

The film’s title track debuted at EW, and it was written by legendary Hollywood composer Alan Silvestri, who scored the movie. He has never worked with Spielberg as a director before, but he has worked on Spielberg projects previously, having written the scores for iconic movies like Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit? This song, which has a grand, heroic feel, wouldn’t seem out of place in The Goonies or E.T., and has us ready to grab our backpacks to head out and save the world.

We were excited about what Silvestri had created for the movie after seeing some of the first reactions to the film at SXSW where people specifically mentioned how much they loved the score, and now we understand why. It’s the best kind of nostalgia–a tribute that also stands on its own. If the rest of the movie manages to walk that line as well our bet is fans will love it.

What do you think of this song? What other movie themes does it remind you of? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Featured Image: Warner Bros.

New STAR WARS FORCES OF DESTINY Episodes Add Luke Skywalker, Rose Tico, and Maz Kanata

There’s a new season of Star Wars Forces of Destiny shorts on the horizon, and fans won’t have to wait long to see them. Disney and Lucasfilm have unveiled the first look at eight new episodes, which will bring in more familiar faces from the franchise and even incorporate events from The Last Jedi.

Mark Hamill is reprising his role as Luke Skywalker in “The Path Ahead,” a story set during his Jedi training with Yoda on Dagobah in The Empire Strikes Back. Lupita Nyong’o‘s Maz will also enter the original trilogy era in “Bounty Hunted,” as she helps Leia, Chewbacca, and R2-D2 come up with a plan to rescue Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. The accompanying picture features Leia in her Boushh disguise, which may indicate a direct retcon of Shadow of the Empire.

Daisy Ridley will voice Rey in two shorts. “Run Rey Run” finds Rey facing a confrontation with rival scavengers inside a downed Star Destroyer on Jakku. “Porg Problems” takes place during The Last Jedi, as a group of Porgs interrupt her attempts to train.

“Shuttle Shock” also touches upon The Last Jedi, with Marie Tran and John Boyega reprising their roles as Rose Tico and Finn. It takes place during their journey to Canto Bight, as a threat to the ship forces them to work together as a team. Jyn Erso will be featured in “Jyn’s Trade,” which occurs at some point before Rogue One. In that story, Jyn will give an assist to a young thief.

The remaining shorts give some love to fans of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. “Unexpected Company” reunites Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and Ahoska (Ashley Eckstein) on a secret mission with Padme (Catherine Taber). “Hasty Departure” catches up with Hera (Vanessa Marshall) and Sabine (Tiya Sircar) as they inadvertently steal an Imperial shuttle full of storm troopers.

All eight episodes of Star Wars Forces of Destiny will premiere on Disney’s YouTube channel on Monday, March 19. Additionally, Disney Channel will air the episodes as a special on Sunday, March 25.

Are you excited about the new episodes of Star Wars Forces of Destiny? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Lucasfilm

Did the New AVENGERS Trailer Disprove Who Dies in INFINITY WAR?

Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Avengers: Infinity War ! 

Marvel really didn’t need to drop another Avengers: Infinity War trailer to get us pumped up for the MCU’s biggest story to date, but that didn’t stop them from unleashing a new sneak peek with tantalizing moments pulled straight out of the comics. From Doctor Strange‘s alien ordeal to Captain America‘s one-on-one with Thanos, there’s a lot to unpack. However, the most intriguing thing about the trailer is what it didn’t show us. Today’s Nerdist News is investigating whether the new footage proves the survival of both Captain America and Iron Man!

Join guest host and wielder of the Soul Stone, Amy Vorpahl, as she runs down our latest Infinity War theory. So far, we’ve seen Cap and Iron Man fighting the war against Thanos on two different fronts. It looks like Iron Man’s taking the battle to Thanos on Titan while Cap’s leading the charge in Wakanda. And during Cap’s standoff with Thanos, he’s still using his new Wakandan shields instead of his classic indestructible shield.

Why is it important that Cap get his first shield back? Because the larger story of the MCU demands some resolution for the events of Captain America: Civil War. Cap and Iron Man had a bitter falling out in the previous film, and Steve Rogers abandoned his signature shield when Tony Stark claimed it didn’t belong to him. To fully pay off the moment, we have to see Steve and Tony reunite before Cap gets his shield back for good.

None of this means Cap and Iron Man are safe beyond Avengers 4. Both Chris Evans and Robert Downey, Jr. are returning for the fourth film, and it’s likely to be the end of their respective MCU runs. Their reunion and their potential onscreen deaths may not even happen until the next film.

Do you think Cap and Iron Man will make it out of Infinity War alive? Share your theories in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Studios

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The Anime and Tokusatsu Film Influences of PACIFIC RIM UPRISING

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

While comic books manage to seamlessly translate from the printed page to the big screen, anime and manga haven’t had the same luck. There’s something about the aesthetic of anime that feels difficult to replicate outside of the worlds of animation and illustration. However, there exists an exception to every rule, and such is the case of the Pacific Rim franchise. This wild, pre-apocalyptic world in which a multinational paramilitary force must pilot giant mechs against massive, horrifying monsters that emerge from inter-dimensional rifts on the ocean floor feels as though it’s the plot line of an anime you watched on a thrice-dubbed VHS tape that you borrowed from a friend of a friend who “knows a guy” on the convention circuit. There’s a comfortable familiarity to Pacific Rim and Pacific Rim Uprising because anime and classic tokusatsu TV series/movies are infused into the films’ DNA.

Even more-so than its predecessor, Pacific Rim Uprising feels like the live action anime movie you’ve been waiting your entire life to see, and that’s because it was made by people who have a distinct passion for the genre fare and tropes that this film celebrates. To give you an inside peek at how anime and tokusatsu influence Pacific Rim Uprising, as well as which TV series and films that inspired the filmmakers, our reporter Erika Ishii sat down with producer/star John Boyega and writer-director Steven S. DeKnight to dive off the deep end into full-on nerdery. Case in point: we asked John Boyega who he would be Drift Compatible with IRL and the answer was entirely unexpected.

via Giphy

Now I don’t know about you folks, but I definitely need to see a Who Framed Roger Rabbit-style sequel where John Boyega’s Jake Pentecost teams up with Sasuke to defeat an army of kaiju ASAP.

Pacific Rim Uprising opens on March 23, 2018.

Images: Legendary/Universal

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Hot Toys’ THOR: RAGNAROK Loki is Anything But Low-Key

“Who you trying to get crazy with, Surtur? Don’t you know I’m Loki?” Yes, Thor‘s naughty brother has always been a little insane in the membrane, but this newest Hot Toys rendition of the master of mischief looks way more serious than usual, which happens when you’ve seen your entire homeworld destroyed by the evil sister you just learned about.

The favorite Marvel movie villain of most fans isn’t just bringing a staff to an extinction-fight, either. Among his accessories are a removable helmet (which is impressive in itself; normally a company like Hot Toys would make it permanently stuck on an alternate head), the Tesseract, and Surtur’s mask in translucent orange, which–true story–was made for the movie based on an Aborigine boomerang that was gifted to director Taika Waititi.

Hot Toys has done multiple Lokis now, well cognizant of actor Tom Hiddleston’s fandom. But this one’s all fired up.

The “Revengers” name Thor came up with never really caught on, but Loki will look great among them.

And if it absolutely must come to a knife fight, well, he’s not unprepared.

Domestically, Loki can be preordered from Sideshow Toys for $243, or a payment plan of $54.63 per month. And if you want to order his siblings at the same time, well, that’s a Thor point, but a Hela good one.

Are you ready to Ragna-rock your collection with the devious Norse trickster? Are you a sculptor with money to burn who wants to create a custom Hiddleston Hank Williams figure? Let’s talk Loki in comments.

Images: Hot Toys