Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1849
January 31, 2018
THE X-FILES: ‘Ghouli’ is All about Misdirection
Beware! The following will be a spoiler-filled look at The X-Files episode 11.5, “Ghouli.”
Sometimes you watch the cold open to an episode of The X-Files and think “Ah, yeah, I know what this one’s going to be about,” or “I know what they’re doing here. It’s about werewolves,” or whatever. This is the reaction I had during the first few minutes of James Wong’s episode “Ghouli.” The set-up had two teenage girls thinking they saw a monster on a derelict freight ship and had to kill it, only for us to learn that they’d actually been fighting each other. Very reminiscent of the true story of the girls who believed in Slender Man, right? I thought it was just going to be a ripped-from-the-headlines story that ends up being actually supernatural. But, I was mistaken, as Wong and company assumed you’d be. They fooled us all.
We quickly find out the episode was a sleight of hand. “Ghouli” as the monster is known is merely the psychic projections/trickery of a dead high school boy who was dating both girls. And Mulder and Scully quickly learned, through testing of the dead body, that the boy was actually their* son William. But then also that William isn’t really dead but was again using his psychic abilities to make it seem as though he was. The whole episode I kept waiting for it to be revealed that the boy Scully thought was William was actually not and it was her hope that made her think that. But nope. It’s him.
*if we believe the Cigarette Smoking Man, William is his baby and not Mulder’s…but, come on! Do we really trust the CSM?!?!
I hadn’t expected, especially with 10 episodes this season rather than last season’s six, to get much about the myth arc until further along in run, but here we are. In truth, I’d been dreading the myth arc episodes given how astoundingly awful the season premiere was, and I was very pleasantly surprised to see “Ghouli” managed to further that dreadful storyline in a meaningful way. Scully’s motherhood, and decision to give it up for William’s well-being, has been such a huge part of the series as a whole that it’s nice to see her get a moment to reflect on it here.
William, aka Jackson Van de Kamp (played by Miles Robbins), certainly has is birth mother’s smarts and quick thinking, as we saw when he made his escape from the hospital, with the shady DOJ people in pursuit. He is the cause of a great many misdirections in the episode, even beyond those I’ve already mentioned. His seemingly predestined choice to appear to Scully as a grey-haired Asian man (guest actor Francois Chau) makes her think he might be the Japanese scientist she’s been looking for. But nope, it’s just her dang ol’ not-dead, half-alien, psychic-brained son.
One other person I’d like to mention is Skinner. Now I’ve been no fan of this season’s decision to put Skinner on the opposite side of Mulder and Scully: it feels like just manufactured drama for the sake of it. But when he and Mulder speak on the ship and he learns that the dead boy is actually their son, he appears genuinely sorry. Skinner isn’t just a turncoat, and these are clearly still people he cares about.
But then again, maybe all of this is a misdirection and the reveal of Scully’s prophetic dream of last season’s finale in this season’s premiere might not be real. The X-Files assures you the truth is out there, but doesn’t make it easy to believe.
Images: Fox
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He is the writer of 200 reviews of weird or obscure films in Schlock & Awe. Follow him on Twitter!
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When Will the FANTASTIC FOUR and the X-MEN Join Marvel’s MCU?
When will Marvel introduce the Fantastic Four and the X-Men into the MCU? We discussed that on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back, along with whether there’s a future for Snoke in Star Wars, and some things we definitely don’t want to see.
Host Jessica Chobot was joined today by editors Alicia Lutes and Amy Ratcliffe, along with producer Jesse Gill. They began with Marvel president Kevin Feige’s with Vulture, where he said he had no idea the massive Disney-Fox merger was coming, which is why we shouldn’t expect anything with the Fantastic Four and X-Men for years. Do we believe either of those things? Is it possible Marvel has always been planning for this possibility like they did with Spider-Man? And is it possible he will be done with the franchise after Phase 4?
Speaking of the future of a major Disney franchise, while doing Black Panther press Andy Serkis had some interesting comments about Snoke’s death and the chances he might still have a future in the galaxy far, far away. Could we see him come back to life in Episode IX? Do we want to see that? Would it make for a better story overall? And since we’re talking Star Wars, what’s the current status on the MIA Solo trailer?
Finally we ended today with our newest segment, “Things We Don’t Need,” like Mel Gibson’s sequel to Passion of the Christ. whole cinematic universeWhat will it even cover? His 40 days on Earth after his ressurection? Where’s the drama in that? And is this a better or worse idea than a for Crank? (Yes, that Crank with Jason Statham.)
Don’t forget to tune in every weekday at 1:00 p.m. PT when Nerdist News Talks Back airs live on our YouTube and Alpha channels. Especially because one day soon we might get the chance to discuss a good Fantastic Four movie with you.
We still want to hear from you nowthough, so talk back to us in the comments below with your thoughts on today’s show.
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Images: Marvel, 20th Century Fox, Lionsgate
This RICK AND MORTY-Inspired Song Checks in on Beth After Season 3
Near the end of Rick and Morty‘s third season, a visit to Froopyland led Beth to realize that she really is her father’s daughter. And that thought scared her so much that Beth briefly considered Rick’s offer to clone her and let her go explore the cosmos without her family. The third season finale was somewhat ambiguous regarding Beth’s clone status, and it may be a long time before we get an answer.
Thankfully, Whitney Avalon‘s new Rick and Morty inspired song casts her as Beth some time after the events of last season. And while Beth claims that she’s “fine,” her lyrics suggest otherwise. And there’s even a broad hint that Beth isn’t even the real “Beth.”
There are a few familiar faces throughout the video, including Taddy, Jacqueline, Dr. Wong, and the clone of Beth’s childhood friend, Tommy. Note that Tommy is still wearing the T-shirt proclaiming his father’s innocence. This video also shows Beth at her most self-aware, which goes even further than anything we’ve ever seen in the show. During the verses of the song, Beth calls out her father for his destructive behavior and his less than stellar track record as a parent.
Avalon’s cameo as another Beth certainly suggests that she believes the Beth who stayed is the clone. There was also a terrific visual callback to the second season premiere, as Beth’s possible actions splintered her personal timeline into four possibilities.
What do you think about Avalon’s new Rick and Morty song? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!
Want More From the Rickstaverse?
Rick and Morty performed at a Deadmau5 show.
Here’s why the new season probably won’t arrive til 2019.
And finally, check out this horrifying plumbus commercial.
Images: Whitney Avalon
Don’t Count On the X-Men Joining the MCU Any Time Soon
Disney’s multi-billion dollar bid to merge with Fox was probably the most important entertainment news of the last year, but Kevin Feige says he found out about it in the news, which is the same way everyone else did. Considering that Feige has been Marvel’s movie boss for the better part of a decade, you’d think he would have been in the loop about bringing the X-Men and the Fantastic Four into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But in a new interview, Feige essentially said that he hasn’t even thought about incorporating those characters. Today’s Nerdist News breaks the implications of this revelation, and whether we can really believe it.
Join host and time-traveling conqueror from the future, Jessica Chobot, as she walks us through Feige’s recent remarks to Vulture. “There’s been no communication,” said Feige. “We’re not thinking about it. We’re focusing on everything we’ve already announced. If and when the deal actually happens, we’ll start to think more about it. Until then, we have a lot to do.”
Indeed, Feige and company do have a lot to do. Avengers 4 is wrapping and filming for Captain Marvel is just getting underway. But that only gets Marvel Studios through its 2019 slate. Feige’s been dragging his heels about making any Marvel Phase Four announcements. We’re likely to get Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and the sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2020, but beyond that, who knows better than Feige?
It has to be said that Feige has played a little fast and loose with Marvel’s plans while details were still in the air. Right up until the deal to share Spider-Man was struck with Sony, Feige denied everything. We believe that’s likely the case here. Someone who loves planning as much as Feige probably can’t help imagining what the MCU would be like with the FF and X-Men. That’s not the same thing as having definite plans, but we think that he probably has those as well.
There’s also some speculation Feige could move on from Marvel Studios. Ten years is a long run for anyone, and Feige will probably be in high demand once he eventually leaves his post. We can easily imagine DC making a play for Feige, if he becomes available. In that scenario, Marvel would need someone equally capable to step into Feige’s shoes, and that’s not easy to find.
Do you think that Feige already has plans for the X-Men and Fantastic Four? Share your theories below!
Images: Marvel/20th Century Fox
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Kendrick Lamar Announces Full BLACK PANTHER Soundtrack
Following months of incredible trailers and this week’s glowing first reactions to the movie, we’re just about as hyped as we can be for Black Panther. But then we remembered that Kendrick Lamar recorded a concept album for the film’s soundtrack and we can barely deal with the anticipation now that he has officially released the amazing full track list for it.
Kendrick, who has already released two songs that will be included on Black Panther: The Album, shared the rest of the coming tracks on Twitter. It boasts 14 songs total and features artists like The Weeknd, Vince Staples, Khalid, Travis Scott, Future, and James Blake.
Black Panther The Album 2/9 pic.twitter.com/MqhsEcj6iF
— Kendrick Lamar (@kendricklamar) January 31, 2018
You can see the full track list below, and if you haven’t heard the first two songs released you can listen to them here.
There have been few movies we have ever been this hyped to see, and none of them also came with soundtracks featuring some best musicians in the world.
You can now pre-order the album at iTunes, but there is bad news: it’s not available until February 9th. But the good news is listening to it on repeat will really help ease the week long wait we’ll then have to endure until February 16th when Black Panther comes to theaters.
What artists are you most excited to see included on this album? Tell us your favorites in the comments below.
Featured Image: Marvel
1: “Black Panther” – Kendrick Lamar
2: “All the Stars” Kendrick Lamar, SZA
3: “X” – Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Saudi
4: “The Ways” – Khalid, Swae Lee
5: “Opps” – Vince Staples, Yugen Blakrok
6: “I Am” – Jorja Smith
7: “Paramedic!” – SOB X RBE
8: “Bloody Waters” Ab-Soul, Anderson .Paak, James Blake
9: “King’s Dead” – Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future, James Blake
10: “Redemption Interlude”
11: “Redemption” – Zacari, Babes Wodumo
12: “Seasons” – Mozzy, Sjava, Reason
13: “Big Shot” – Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott
14: “Pray For Me” – The Weeknd, Kendrick Lama
Philadelphia Bagel Shop Celebrates SUPER BOWL with Mint Chocolate Chip Spread
Even though I’m a huge Patriots fan I don’t expect anyone outside of our fanbase to root for them over the Eagles during the Super Bowl this Sunday. You hate our team, you hate our coach and quarterback, and we’ve already won a lot. I get it, I really do. But despite how sick of the Pats you are, there’s one thing you can’t get mad at us for–none of our bagel shops have started selling a mint chocolate chip spread to celebrate the big game.
We learned about this Super Bowl week special created by The Bagel Place on Queen Street in Philadelphia from ESPN’s business reporter Darren Rovell on Twitter, and it’s a very (very) green mint chocolate chip spread that matches the Eagles team colors. Because nothing whets our appetites quite like a football jersey.
A post shared by The Bagel Place (@the.bagel.place) on Jan 29, 2018 at 10:55am PST
“How much more Philly can we get?” Maybe instead of this bizarre-looking spread, they could have sold a cheesesteak bagel sandwich in the shape of the Liberty Bell and have all their servers dress like Rocky Balboa while the theme song from It’s Always Sunny plays. In fairness, this probably tastes much better than it looks. It’s just a sweet spread on some bread. However there’s no way we would order one on a pretzel bagel. We’d want it on a cinnamon raisin.
So go ahead, root against the Patriots during the Super Bowl, but just remember we aren’t the ones who made you seriously think about the type of bagel that would pair best with mint chocolate chip.
Featured Image: The Bagel Place
Try more weird food!
A ketchup and mustard cake.
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Helen Mirren Wouldn’t Realize If a Ghost Was Haunting Her
Everyone who has seen a horror movie thinks they could do a better job than the film’s protagonists. Whether it’s avoiding washing your face with icy cold water so that monsters can’t surprise you in the mirror or staying away from basements filled with antique porcelain dolls and rusty farming implements, there are certain terrifying and terrifyingly obvious situations that many viewers think they’d be savvy enough to avoid. Unless, of course, you’re Academy Award-winning actress Helen Mirren, in which case you’d probably offer them a spot of tea.
Unlike the hordes of people who think they would be able to recognize the telltale signs of a haunting and act accordingly to avoid an untimely demise, Mirren thinks that if she were to be haunted by a ghost, she probably wouldn’t even notice.At least, that’s what Mirren told us when our reporter Clarke Wolfe sat down with her and co-star Jason Clarke at a recent press day for their new film Winchester.
Winchester tells the story of Sarah Winchester (Helen Mirren), the widow of gun manufacturer William Winchester, who uses her massive inheritance to build an enormous mansion. Believing that she is being haunted by the spirits of those whose lives were taken using Winchester firearms, the increasingly distraught heiress keeps adding to her mansion, building staircases to nowhere, hidden passageways, and all manner of labyrinthine hallways and rooms designed to trick the spirits. The so-called Winchester Mystery House is a very real place, but whether it is actually haunted remains a subject of hot debate to this day. In our interview, we discuss the Winchester Mystery House’s supernatural legacy, as well as the film’s powerfully relevant themes of gun violence, addiction, and much more.
Winchester is in theaters on February 2, 2018.
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Will Forte Shines as Doug Kenney in A FUTILE AND STUPID GESTURE (Review)
A few years back we got a colorful, compelling, and long overdue documentary about the infamous National Lampoon magazine called Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead. And while that film offered a well-crafted overview of the early days of National Lampoon, it didn’t really let us get to know any of the madmen who brought this bizarre comedy magazine from the halls of Harvard to the world at large. Fortunately we have a funny, subversive, and consistently entertaining new biopic called A Futile and Stupid Gesture that tries to tell the story of one Doug Kenney; a very talented man who died way too young.
Adapted by the book by Josh Karp, and brought to the screen with an impressive amount of organized chaos by David Wain, A Futile and Stupid Gesture (the title is a line from Animal House) doesn’t try to turn one of the National Lampoon founders into a saint or any sort of misunderstood misfit. Doug Kenney was just a funny guy who found success at an early age, started making some big mistakes (like lying, cheating, and hardcore drug abuse), and paid the ultimate price at the age of 33.
Perhaps best known as the co-writer of Animal House (1978) and Caddyshack (1980), Mr. Kenney was also co-responsible for all sorts of National Lampoon craziness. Not just the magazine and the movies, but a popular radio program and stage show as well. Plus books. Suffice to say that the man was a lot busier than he ever wanted to be, and despite a calm demeanor and confident sense of humor, he was often a neurotic mess inside his own head — and the movie never tries to make Kenney out as a hero or a villain. As portrayed (quite excellently) by Will Forte, Kenney is at points effortlessly charming, and at others quietly off-putting.
The movie would be interesting enough were it merely a flashback to the times and people that made National Lampoon, Animal House, and Caddyshack possible, but there’s also a lot of fun to be had in simply focusing on all the performances. I won’t ruin the surprises, but wait until you get a look at who gets to play Bill Murray, Christopher Guest, Tom Snyder, publisher Matty Simmons, writers Michael O’Donoghue, Anne Beats, P.J. O’Rourke, Chris Miller, director Ivan Reitman, and musician Paul Shaffer. Casting this film must have been a lot of fun, but Wain never lets the affair become a simplistic parade of celebrity caricatures. At the center of the film is a fraternal relationship between Kenney and his writing partner Henry Beard (an excellent Domhnall Gleason), and while the colorful supporting cast helps out at every turn, the movie is mainly about Doug.
To its credit, the film doesn’t shy away from Kenney’s shortcomings, nor does it offer a conventional biopic presentation. For example, the great Martin Mull narrates the film as the “present day” Doug Kenney. In another biopic this might seem outrageously disrespectful, but here Wain (and his writers Michael Colton and John Aboud) insist on breaking the fourth wall, planting weird meta-diversions, and basically refusing to behave like a conventional biopic. The result is a colorful, crazy, and occasionally tasteless movie. One suspects that Doug Kenney would have approved.
4.5 frankly absurd burritos out of 5
image: Netflix
FANTASTIC BEASTS is Treating a Gay Dumbledore Like It’s Something to Be Ashamed of
In retrospect—a year and four months since the release of that first official trailer for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them—I’m inclined to chalk my optimism for the wizarding franchise to some medley of sleep deprivation, an empty stomach, and the sort of blissful shortsightedness that was all the rage in the early autumn of 2016. But at the time, you couldn’t have convinced me I was wrong to believe that the movie was setting up to portray Newt Scamander as a canonically queer character.
As it turns out, it wasn’t just the times in which I’d invested an undue confidence, but the ever-expanding Potterworld franchise, an ostensible beacon for change among a generation of blockbuster titles adherent to the status quo. In the 10 years since J.K. Rowling had first identified Dumbledore as gay, tossing an extra-textual buoy for a reading precious to many Harry Potter fans, she had built a niche through social media as something of a mouthpiece for forward thinking.
Complementing my pipe dreams with a heaping spoonful of upbeat cynicism, that Rowling had yet to make good on her battle cries with some bona fide representation in print only bolstered my faith that she (as the film’s screenwriter) and Warner Bros. would no doubt carry out a Fantastic Beasts with a homosexual Newt; Disney had flown high on the wings of racial diversity with its first Star Wars picture, and had only just begun discussing the prospect of LGBT characters for that galaxy far, far away. Beating the industry kingpin to the punch with the first queer-led franchise blockbuster would be no mean feat.
All this in tow, the me of 2016 wouldn’t hear of a Fantastic Beasts movie minus a gay Newt, much less a Fantastic Beasts series minus a gay Dumbledore, which is precisely what we were promised this week when director David Yates told Entertainment Weekly that the franchise’s second chapter, The Crimes of Grindelwald, would “not explicitly”—and that’s a direct quote—acknowledge the Hogwarts headmaster’s sexual orientation.
In lieu of an honest illustration of young Dumbledore’s (played by Jude Law) romantic love for the film’s eponymous Gellert Grindelwald (Johnny Depp), Yates offers what sounds more like an amalgam of platonic friendship and academic rivalry. “He had a very intense relationship with Grindelwald when they were young men,” Yates told EW, further watering down any sexual connotation by transposing Dumbledore’s attractions from Grindelwald himself to his philosophies: “They fell in love with each other’s ideas, and ideology, and each other.”
It’s that “each other” that may ring the loudest to those taking issue with Yates’ evasion of an important opportunity, likewise his admission that “all the fans are aware of [Dumbledore’s homosexuality],” and what’s more Rowling’s countless tweets affirming appreciation for the legions of queer readers who have found refuge in her work. Every such remark resounds as an echo of one of the most sinister phrases to fall on queer ears: “behind closed doors,” which is wielded all at once as a prideful display of self-satisfied tolerance and a hard-nosed warning to keep your otherness in the dark where it belongs.
As is intrinsic to the recipe of the “behind closed doors” mentality, I’d wager that the likes of Rowling and Yates take pride in their off-screen thumbs-way-up attitude to LGBTQ tolerance. Furthermore, I’m in no position to conclude whether this is their ground-up approach to queer representation or a consolation prize after having been talked out of overt embrace thereof by studio suits savvy to the American public’s existential growth spurt. Neither backstory assuages the sting of Yates’ “Not explicitly,” or forgives the satisfaction with which he is permitted to deliver it.
None of these grievances are unique to the scenario surrounding Fantastic Beasts, and all will be duplicated time and again for certain. But what makes this particular franchise such an especially virulent purveyor of said grief is how effectively it and its creators promised us we deserved better. Not only through Rowling’s tweets but through her writing did she insist to a generation of readers: You’re good enough. But what Rowling and the Harry Potter family seem to have forgotten is that “you’re good enough” doesn’t mean “you’re good enough, but not for us.”
Images: Warner Bros.
M. Arbeiter is the East Coast Editor for Nerdist. Find them on Twitter @micarbeiter.
On positive representation in film and TV…
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Dominic Purcell teases a queer couple on Legends of Tomorrow
How Star Wars is finally fixing its Asian erasure
January 30, 2018
Can BLACK PANTHER Really Live Up to the Hype?
The first reactions to Black Panther say it might be the best Marvel movie ever, but what are the chances that’s really true this time? We discussed the hype on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back, along with breaking down the trailers for Ant-Man and the Wasp and Mute.
Host Jessica Chobot was joined today by Nerdist News writer Aliza Pearl, producer Derek Johnson, and Bizarre States‘ Andrew Bowser, and they kicked things off with the overwhelming response from Black Panther‘s world premiere last night. Some are saying it might be the best entry in the MCU yet, but we’ve heard that before. What are the chances it’s true this time? Is this just an overreaction? Are we more excited to see it now, or are we trying to temper our expectations? And what Marvel movie let us down after it too received a lot of hype?
That wasn’t the only marvel news though, as the studio also dropped the first trailer for Ant-Man and the Wasp. What do we think of it? How does our excitement for this movie compare to our hype for other upcoming MCU films? Where in the chronology do we think the movie will fit? Would we prefer it take place before or after Infinity War? Do we expect it to be a standalone film or tie-in with the larger universe? And is this trailer’s release just further evidence Solo will be pushed back?
Finally, because the world needs more Paul Rudd, we also got a trailer from Netflix for Mute, the spiritual sequel to Duncan Jones’ Moon. What do we think of it? Did we like Moon? Are we fans of sci-fi films that take place in the same universe but aren’t connected? Are streaming sites the right home for these types of movies? And between this and Big Little Lies are we living in the Skarsgard-issance?
As always Nerdist News Talks Back airs live every weekday at 1:00 p.m. PT on our YouTube and Alpha channels, so you can tune in with us and be a part of the conversation. And if you think people are excited for Black Panther you should hear what people are saying about tomorrow’s NNTB.
“The best show ever!”
“A life-changing experience!”
“It moved me to tears.”
And our moms wouldn’t just say that, so you know it’s gonna be good.
We still want to hear your thoughts on today’s show though, so share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
Featured Image: Marvel
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