Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1835

The Original STARGATE Movie Is Now Free on YouTube

This week, the Stargate franchise came back to life with a new web series, Stargate Origins, on the Stargate Command streaming service. To celebrate the occasion, Stargate Command has posted the original Stargate movie on YouTube for free. And you can watch it right now!



Stargate hit theaters in 1994, and it was created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich at an early point in their partnership, before they became known for disaster movies…and movies that were disasters. To be honest, parts of the Stargate film feel like a mash up of Indiana Jones and Star Wars. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t fun! Stargate takes Egyptian mythology as a starting point, and postulates that the ancient gods were actually ageless aliens who enslaved the people of Earth. The stargate itself allowed the main characters to travel to a world where Ra still reigned over his slaves, before they led a revolution against him.

If you came into the Stargate franchise through the three TV series, the film doesn’t line up very well with what came later. But on its own terms, Stargate really holds up as an adventure. Any movie would be lucky to have Kurt Russell and James Spader as the co-leads, and Stargate gave them both good material to work with. Russell had a particularly powerful arc as Col. Jack O’Neil, a man who spends most of the movie mourning his son’s death before forming an emotional bond with a teenager from another world. As for Spader’s Daniel Jackson, he gets to go from book worm to action hero.

You don’t even have to watch the TV series to enjoy Stargate. It works as a standalone film as well, and if you never watched Stargate SG-1, then it leaves the characters in a pretty good place. Devlin and Emmerich keep threatening to remake this film so they can do “their trilogy.” But they got it right the first time. If you haven’t seen Stargate before, now’s the perfect time to give it a try. It probably won’t be free forever.

What do you think about the original Stargate? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Images: MGM

Jeff Golblum’s Grandmaster Moves in with Thor’s Old Roommate in THOR: RAGNAROK Extra

We absolutely loved  Thor: Ragnarok, even though it inexplicably was missing one of the best characters from the entire MCU–Thor’s old Australian roommate Darryl, who the god of thunder lived with while Captain America and Iron Man were having their issues. But while we are unlikely to ever get that buddy comedy sitcom we so desperately wanted, we now have something just as amazing, because with Thor back in the Avenger game Darryl needed a new roomie, and he found one in Jeff Goldblum‘s Grandmaster.

USA Today has the first exclusive look at the hilarious Blu-ray extra for the film, and it brings us up to date on what happened to Darryl after Thor moved out and work brought him to Los Angeles. Unfortunately for him–but very fortunately for us–only one person responded to his Craig’s List ad, the former leader of Sakaar who suddenly found himself in need of a new home–and planet.

Exclusive: Watch what happens when Jeff Goldblum​'s #Thor​Ragnarok character moves to Earth. https://t.co/W1oBGLZfoC pic.twitter.com/POXnzwv1O3

— USA TODAY Life (@usatodaylife) February 16, 2018

Okay, we’re going to need them to sell replicas of that bust.

And since Marvel didn’t give us the Thor/Darryl sitcom we wanted, after seeing Jeff Goldblum be in awe of toast, we won‘t rest until we get a a Grandmaster/Darryl travel show where they traverse the globe doing the most basic human activities. Because we don’t need “just another Hollywood-type” movie, we need a show starring someone “more than likely from another planet.”

You know, like Jeff Goldblum.

Thor: Ragnarok will be available on digital formats on Tuesday, February 20, with the Blu-ray and DVD hitting stores on Tuesday, March 6.

Where should Darryl and the Grandmaster visit first on their travel show? Tell us your best idea in the comments below.

Image: Marvel

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Science Journal Publishes Fake Paper Based on STAR TREK

Every iteration of Star Trek has their not-so-stellar episodes. A legendarily cheesey hour of television that has become a classic episode in its own way. For the original series, that episode was “Spock’s Brain,” in which a group of space amazons remove the Vulcan’s brain and use it to power their planet. For The Next Generation, it was an episode where Dr. Crusher has a steamy affair with an Irish space ghost.And for Star Trek: Voyager, season two’s “Threshold” is considered the hilarious “wtf?” episode of the series. And now it’s considered science?

In this episode, Captain Janeway and Lt. Tom Paris break the until-now unbroken warp 10 barrier, and then find themselves rapidly evolving into amphibian creatures, who then go down to some planet and mate. Don’t worry, they get better by episode’s end and keep on trekkin’ … even if things are very awkward on the bridge afterwards. ‘

According to Space.com, we’ve now learned that an anonymous scientist, going by the name “BioTrekkie,” was looking to show the world just how easy it was to get a completely phony story a into a well known scientific journal if you shell out the right amount of money, even one that is supposedly peer-reviewed. The paper, which was named “Rapid Genetic and Developmental Morphological Change Following Extreme Celerity,” was basically a retelling of the infamous episode, with slightly different wording.

Well, sometimes they used different wording. Our BioTrekkie left in fake science terms like “warp speed” and other obvious clues like character names in hopes of having someone call his bluff, but no one did.  It was ultimately  accepted by no less than four different journals, and actually published in one, American Research Journal of Biosciences. In some journals, as long as you pay a fee, you get in. So much for standards.

The American Research Journal has now of course pulled the paper from their website, ever since they got exposed. It seems even in the world of science publishing, the era of proper checks and balances has gone by the wayside. In an era when we hoped at least things like scientific journals could remain immune from the amount of disinformation running rampant in our culture, this is more than a little disappointing –even though the fact this happened at all is also kind of hilarious.

What do you think of this somewhat preposterous story? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: CBS

These HARRY POTTER Wands Track Your Spells and Let You Play Magical Laser Tag

We might be enormous Harry Potter fans, but we’re pretty sure magic (almost definitely) isn’t real, which is too bad, because we’ll never know what it’s like to face down a Dark Wizard armed with only our guts and a wand. But thanks to an ingenuous now toy we can still learn how to accurately cast spells and train for Dumbledore’s Army, with JAKKS Pacific’s all new Wizard Training Wands, which evaluate your magic skills in real time.

We came across these new interactive toys at Gizmodo, and we can’t believe no one pitched the idea to Warner Bros. before now, because they really are brilliant. They’ll let you use Harry, Voldemort, or Dumbledore’s (Elder) wand, all equipped with motion sensors like the kind used in smartphones. That allows them to track if you are correctly “casting” the 11 programmed spells with accurate wrist and arm movements. A series of lights and sound will tell you if you got a passing grade. The spells are all Hogwarts school-age appropriate though (since these are designed for kids, even though that won’t stop us from getting them), which means none of the Unforgivable Curses are included.

In addition to training mode you can also try Spell Practice, where you and a friend race to get a spell right, Dumbledore’s Army mode, described as a magical take on Rock, Paper, Scissors, and the most competitive sounding game, Wizard Tag, where you try to out duel your foe by draining their wand’s “power” by casting spells on them. So basically a playable form of Harry Potter laser tag, a sentence that makes us tear up.

I think a lot of us owe Neville Longbottom an apology for laughing at his poor magic skills during his early Hogwarts years, because I just practiced the hand movements for all of these with my replica Elder Wand, and my arm hurts. It’s not as easy as it looks; you really need to practice to get them right. So sorry Neville.

The three Wizard Training Wands are sold separately, and they will decrease your Gringott’s account by $25. But can you really put a price tag on being ready if the Death Eaters ever return? You know, just in case magic is real.

Which curse are you most excited to learn? Portkey into our comments below and let us know.

SUMMON MORE HARRY POTTER MAGIC!

This dad made Diagon Alley in the driveway.
This town hosted a Harry Potter festival.
Check out these awesome color-changing Harry Potter sorting candles.

Images: JAKKS Pacific

George Romero’s THE LIVING DEAD Novel to Be Finished By Daniel Kraus

George Romero may have passed away in July of 2017, but unsurprisingly, he’s not letting the grave hold him back from telling us one last zombie tale. Romero is world-famous for bringing us classic zombie films like The Night of the Living Dead, and before his death, he was working on a novel called The Living Dead. Unfortunately, Romero passed before he was able to finish the story, but Daniel Kraus has signed on to finish the novel, which Tor will publish in fall of 2019.

Kraus worked with Guillermo Del Toro on the novelization of The Shape of Water and has authored his own books called Rotters and the series The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch. Kraus has credited Romero for first sparking his interest in writing, and is ready to step into his hero’s shoes to finish Romero’s final tale of undead horror.

As Entertainment Weekly reports, Romero toyed with the idea of writing a novel for years, and after he passed, his manager and wife decided to hire someone to finish the book he had started working on. And while Kraus certainly has some big shoes to fill, he’s up for the task, thanks to all the writing—some more fleshed out than others—Romero left behind. So Kraus is immersing himself in the movies, shows, books, and music Romero loved to “put George back together,” as he put it. It’s a big job to pick up where a legend left off, but Kraus seems ready to do whatever he can to channel George Romero as he finishes The Living Dead.

The book will be a sprawling story, spanning across the nation and the globe as it chronicles how a zombie outbreak impacts an individual, a community, and the world at large. In classic Romero fashion, it will be a biting social commentary with plenty of scares and zombie gore, and we just can’t wait to go on this last adventure with such a prolific storyteller.

Are you excited to read a book from the mind of George Romero? Do you think Daniel Kraus is a good choice to finish the work Romero started? What do you hope to see in the book? Let’s talk in the comments!

The Day of the Dead Doesn’t Have to Be Over…

Check out this beautiful vinyl version of the soundtrack.
Read Edgar Wright’s tribute to George Romero.
And finally, read all about the classic  Night of the Living Dead .

Feature Image: IFC 

How BLACK PANTHER Helped Me Understand My Biracial Identity

The first time I picked up Christopher Priest’s Black Panther, an important question presented itself: Did I see myself in T’Challa? As a biracial kid growing up in Nebraska, I didn’t have a straightforward answer.

Black, intelligent, strategic, powerful, and assertive, Black Panther represents what I, a shy introvert, want to see in myself. When I was a fourteen-year-old flipping through comic pages, I saw him as a perfect leader. But I saw myself in another character: Everett K. Ross.

Introduced in a brilliant splash page that opens Black Panther, Secretary Everett K. Ross is a white CIA agent, who finds himself in over his head as liaison to Black Panther. Awkward, cowardly, and far too concerned with how others see him, Ross is essentially my fourteen-year-old self. His missteps bite him from the very beginning—he famously arrives at the airport in a two-seater sports car only to discover that T’Challa has an entire entourage. He is way out of his depth. Even though he repeatedly makes endearing mistakes, T’Challa always trusts him and relies on him for support. If T’Challa cared about Ross, that meant he might care about me, too.

In a world of black-or-white, I felt like everyone was trying to make me fit one category.

Priest originally created Ross as a mouthpiece for the white readers that comprised a large portion of Marvel’s fans. He voiced the skepticisms those readers might have about Black Panther–a perennial background player with a few short lived series to his name–being the genius warrior from Fantastic Four #52. Admittedly, many of Ross’ questions reflected my own. Just who was this guy in the cat suit and how did he so confidently navigate a world that resented him? I considered those questions about T’Challa, because I needed the answers about myself.

You can cut Omaha, Nebraska’s map like a steak. The further northeast you go, the blacker it gets. Southeast belongs to a Mexican population, and the west side of the city is a frontier of whiteness. A history of the big malls and shopping centers tells the story of white flight.

Before high school, my life was in North Omaha. I went to Sacred Heart Elementary, a private K-8 school with no more than 150 students at any time, most of whom were black. My peers were black, my friends were black, and though I identified as biracial, I was black too. In our blackness, I could be a comics nerd without being the black nerd. My moments of anger were simply rage, not black rage. Moments of joy were just that, nothing more.

That changed in high school, when I was recruited to Creighton Preparatory High School. Like any place that recruits for diversity, Creighton Prep was very white. Though a few former classmates came with me, this was the first time in my life when the majority of the people surrounding me were white. Suddenly, I felt the vulnerability of my blackness. I couldn’t shake the feeling that my identity was a weapon that could be used against me, even if it was just in my head. I had always escaped into comics, but now I retreated into media that better represented me.

Ross’s doubts about T’Challa reinforced my apprehensions of white people questioning my blackness.

In Black Panther, I found balance. I loved T’Challa right away, but I empathized with Ross’s struggle to navigate an entirely new world. Ross is capable but utterly unequipped for T’Challa and Wakanda. At Sacred Heart, I was one of the top students. At Creighton Prep, accomplishments made me average. At times, I was T’Challa, able to juggle tasks effortlessly and confidently. Other days, I was Ross sitting in that two-seater, wondering how I was going to get through the day. Ross’s doubts about T’Challa reinforced my own apprehensions of white people questioning my blackness, but it simultaneously provided the mirror I needed.

In a world of black-or-white, I felt like everyone was trying to make me fit one category. But I wanted people to recognize that I was both, and sometimes neither. My nerdiness, temper, and countless other attributes were not pieces of me that could be assigned to one racial category and consequently eradicated from my identity. The more I stressed about this, the further I dove into Black Panther where Ross and T’Challa might offer answers.

Part of Ross’ journey through Priest’s run is realizing that he’s trying too hard. Whether he is trying to appease his boss or impress T’Challa, Ross is so concerned with others’ perceptions of him that he often falls into self-parody. He constantly mocks his own whiteness in an attempt to integrate himself into his new black world. While I never went so far as to mock my ancestry, I knew too well the art of self-deprecation as a defense mechanism. Ross needed to loosen up. And so did I.

I came to Black Panther seeking a reflection of my own blackness, but I grew attached to one of the few recurring white characters in the book. Ross was the audience’s window to T’Challa’s world, but he was my window into my own conflicting tensions. He illustrated that my anxieties and insecurities were only obstacles if I refused to accept them as part of who I am. I couldn’t be T’Challa without being Everett Ross, too.

Images: Marvel

Black Panther Is Changing The Game

6 Black Panther comics to read before and after seeing the film
How Black Panther is rewriting Hollywood’s narrative about blackness
Read our review of Black Panther

World’s Spiciest Ice Cream Requires You to Sign a Death Waiver

Normally we would never condone anyone intentionally ruining a creation as perfect and wonderful as ice cream, but this time we’re going to make an exception. Because while the last thing any of us wants when eating one of the greatest sweets treats ever concocted by man is to have our mouths set on fire, we’re intrigued by an ice cream so spicy you have to sign a waiver in case it kills you.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Be8cIRpDtDC/

We learned about this new limited edition ice cream known as “Respiro Del Diavolo” (translation: “Breath of the Devil”) at Geekologie, and it’s a demonic invention from Aldwych Cafe in Glasgow, Scotland. They promise this handmade dessert/punishment is made “with great caution” and is “sure to warm you up with just one spoonful,” a textbook example of understatement since they won’t even sell it to you unless you are at least 18 years old and you sign a liability waiver first.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeyLnxGnnf0/

That’s because it’s made with Carolina Reapers, the hottest chili pepper in the world, which is how “Respiro Del Diavolo” comes in at a whopping 1,569,300 on the Scoville heat unit scale, making it 500 times hotter than Tabasco sauce. That should be an especially helpful comparison for you strange birds who put freaking hot sauce on your ice cream.

The World’s Most Dangerous Ice Cream Now On Sale In Glasgow

It might be cold outside but our brand new limited edition “Respiro Del Diavolo” will be sure to warm you up with just one spoonful. Handmade in our Cardonald Ice Cream Parlor with great caution this ice cream is so hot that you must be 18 years old and sign a disclaimer before we can hand it over.Coming in at 1,569,300 on the SHU scale the chilli’s used to make Respiro Del Diavolo are 500 times hotter than Tabasco sauce making even the hottest vindaloo seem like baby food!If you think you can take the heat or want to treat someone you love with a special surprise get in the car and come on over before it’s all gone..

Posted by Aldwych Cafe And Ice Cream Parlor on Wednesday, January 31, 2018

So yes, this an unimaginable bastardization of one of the greatest things in the world, and under normal circumstances we would not be okay with that. But it’s only fitting that if you’re going to eat spicy ice cream it might literally kill you.

Would you be willing to try this? Would you want to? Take a bite out of our comments below and tell us why.

Featured Image: Aldwych Cafe

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Hasbro’s New STAR WARS Interactive Chewbacca is Super-Cute

Last year at Toy Fair, Hasbro caught the attention of attendees with an entire wall of dancing Baby Groots. This year’s version of that is a bit more of a narrative stretch but no less adorable: it’s a 16-inch tall Ultimate Co-Pilot Chewie from Solo: A Star Wars Story, although, y’know, it’s not quite the same look he has in the movie. I may think a full-sized realistic Chewbacca is fun to hug (you better believe I waited in line at Disneyland to do just that), but for kids who are slightly smaller, this is more their size, and won’t be threatening arm removal any time soon. It’s also less weirdly Furbish than that Chewbacca Furby that came out three years ago.

He is just as interactive, however, responding to external movements and sounds with rrrrRRRROWrrrrs and movements of his own.

Your favorite Wookiee smuggler has over 100 sound and motion combinations in all, including different facial expressions. His legs feature standard articulation, so you can pose them yourself. Pose him on all fours and you might be able to fool your pet into thinking it has a new sibling.

Now that I think about it, his face evokes someone else too…

LUMPY! Chewie’s kid from the Holiday Special. The family resemblance is much clearer now—they share more than just similar fur. Lucasfilm will probably never license an actual official toy of that li’l guy, but if you’ve always wanted one, you can pretend his interactive dad is it.

Ultimate Co-Pilot Chewie is for children ages 4 and up, and will be available for $129.99 later this year in the fall.

Can you wait to hug this Wookiee? Set your hyperdrive for comments below!

Need More Cutie Star Wars? Check These Stories Out:

Here are 14 porg-inspired recipes.
You can also wear porgs on your feet now!
Here’s how The Last Jedi made that distinctive porg sound.

Images: Hasbro, Lucasfilm

 

New AMERICAN GODS Comic Series Gets Gorgeous Con Exclusive Cover

While the future of the TV version of American Gods is somewhat nebulous right now, the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s classic novel is running at full steam over at publisher Dark Horse Comics. Neil Gaiman is adding to the tapestry and overall mythology of his own novel with this comic book adaptation, which is co-written by the legendary P. Craig Russell, who is providing layouts and illustrated by Scott Hampton, and regular covers by Glenn Fabry and variant covers by David Mack. The the first issue of the new mini-series American Gods: My Ainsel, hits comic shops on March 14.

As a special bonus for American Gods fans, artist Christian Ward will be the artist on the cover of the Dark Horse convention exclusive of American Gods: My Ainsel #1. The cover will be available at conventions Dark Horse attends throughout the year, starting with Emerald City Comic Con on >March 1. You can check out the debut of Christian War’s exclusive cover above, and the regular cover down below.

In this second arc of the comic book adaptation, the bizarre road trip across America continues as our heroes gather reinforcements for the imminent god war. Shadow and Wednesday leave the House on the Rock and continue their journey across the country where they set up aliases, meet new gods, and prepare for war.

American Gods: My Ainsel is named for the second movement of the book. The upcoming third and final volume of the comic  book adaptation of the wild adventure of  Shadow Moon will be called American Gods: The Moment of the Storm, named after the last act of the novel.

What do you think of Ward’s evocative cover for the new American Gods series? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: Dark Horse Comics

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GRiD is a Giant PONG Game You Play with Your Feet

If you are sitting at home on your console playing Overwatch, or on a cross-country flight playing Breath of the Wild on your Switch, just know you have Pong to thank for it. If it wasn’t for the success of this simplistic game, nothing else would be able to follow. Moment Factory is here to show us that Pong still has a lot to teach us.

Reported by Endgadget, GRiD has the same rules and format as Pong, but with just a few “differences.” Instead of using paddles, you’re using your whole body. That’s right. Your body’s movements act as the controller, moving the paddle up and down the table as you (and your partner if you have one) do. GRiD uses what’s called a LiDAR sensor, which is the same technology companies use to create self-driving cars. The good news here is that should the software glitch somehow, you won’t end up on the wrong side of the highway.

Unlike the original game, GRiD has enhancements throughout game play, which can make the ball go faster, get bigger, or multiply, giving players another challenge to contend with besides getting winded from all the shuffling up and down. The goal of the game is to bring back the social aspect of video games that hit their peak in the 1980s arcades, where everyone would congregate together to play. Using technology to get people OFF the internet? We say let’s give it a shot.

You can check out more videos from Moment Factory on their Vimeo Channel here.

So what do you think? Would you join in on a quick game of GRiD on your walk home from work? Let me know on Twitter @donnielederer or sound off in the comments below.

Images: Moment Factory

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