Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1879

Daisy Ridley Surprised FLORIDA PROJECT Star and STAR WARS Fan Brooklynn Prince

As award season comes around this year, Brooklynn Prince‘s name seems likely to come up again and again. Prince was six-years old when she filmed The Florida Project, and her performance was so phenomenal that an Oscar nomination isn’t out of the question. If that happens, she could break either Quvenzhané Wallis or Tatum O’Neal’s records to become the youngest actress to land an Oscar nod. Prince’s talent has captured a lot of attention from the industry, and that includes one of her cinematic idols, Daisy Ridley. During a recent PR event for The Florida Project, Ridley surprised Prince by taking over the Q&A session herself.

Prince has a lot of poise for a seven-year old, but she was adorably awestruck when Ridley emerged and gave her a hug. The youngster wasn’t shy about expressing her admiration for Ridley and Rey, the character that Ridley plays in the current Star Wars trilogy. And Prince was ecstatic to learn that Ridley was a fan of hers as well; she even seemed serious when she suggested that she would love to play a young Rey in a future Star Wars movie, and her description of the saga’s timeline is hilariously on point.

Ridley turned the focus back over to Prince, and asked her several questions about The Florida Project. Prince related the story of her audition process and she was effusive with praise for Willem Dafoe, who treated her as an equal on the set by playing thumb wars.

What did you think about Ridley’s surprise Q&A for Prince? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: The Hollywood Reporter

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Wavy to Zig-Zag Line Illusion Reveals the Importance of Corners in Perception

Corners are especially important because they provide a point where two lines meet. This is, of course, extremely useful for picking a spot where you’re going to meet up on the street before getting in line for The Last Jedi, or, in the case of your visual perception, providing a point to focus on so that a larger shape can be categorized. There is a (pun intended) kink in this method of processing visual information however, which arises in the form of an illusion in the graphic below. Every line you’re looking at is exactly the same in terms of its curvature, but your brain will think every other set of lines is rigidly bent thanks to how your brain perceives corners.

Image: Takahashi (2017) / iPerception

Discover reported on the incredible illusion, which was discovered by psychologist Kohske Takahashi of Chukyo University in Japan. Takahashi’s illusion was published in i-Perception, a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that focuses on “all the senses and the perceptual processes of humans, animals and machines.”

If you’re wondering how exactly this “curvature blindness” illusion takes place in your mind — and it really is an illusion despite every atom of your being probably telling you that you’re looking at two different sets of lines — it’s a bit complicated to say the least.

Takahashi notes in the abstract for the paper that  “the underlying mechanisms for the gentle curve perception and those of obtuse corner perception are competing with each other in an imbalanced way and the percepts of corner might be dominant in the visual system.” Meaning that because corners are so important for how we process visual information, when a curved line appears to be on the cusp of smooth versus zig-zag, we’ll err on the side of zig-zag because we can’t help but try to spot corners anywhere we can due to their importance in helping us make visual sense of the world. This makes sense as a line is really only a line until it turns a corner.

In terms of why exactly we perceive the apparently zig-zagged lines to have corners while they’re still curved exactly like all the others has to do with the bands of coloration, where they meet along the wavy lines, and what backgrounds they’re set against. All of the lines, even those that look zig-zagged, display a sine curve, as you can see in the corners when they’re set against white or black backgrounds. This changes when they’re set against a gray background however, as it seems to “cast a light” against any gray section of line that cuts off in the middle of a curve.

Graphing a sine wave (y = sin x) 

Takahashi claims that this is a “novel illusion,” which shows that “the underlying mechanisms of curve and corner perception could not be independent, but rather would interfere or compete with each other.” Meaning again that when it comes to visual perception, corners and curves compete for our attention, and when it’s a close call, corners win out because they usually help us to determine what shape something is.

Although it’s extremely difficult to instruct your brain to perceive any of the zig-zag lines as genuine wavy lines, it seems like the closest you can get to seeing all the lines as their true wavy selves is to place your fingers over the lines that don’t zig zag and then take another look at the ones that do. Or you can just accept the fact that not everything is as it seems.

What do you think about this “curvature blindness” illusion? Will you ever think of corners in the same way? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: Takahashi (2017) / iPerception,   Orion Pictures

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THE SIMPSONS’ Home Gets Re-Imagined in 8 Very Different Styles

The Simpsons family have gone screeching into their home at 742 Evergreen Terrace at the start of every episode for nearly three decades, and after welcoming fans to join them for so long, many know those tacky painted walls as well as they know their own. But would you recognize their house if it underwent some major cosmetic changes? Would the show and family be the same if their residence had been designed by someone else? The answer to those questions is probably not, after seeing just how different their home could look.

We came across this very cool “what if” at the A.V. Club, and it was put together by Home Advisor. They re-imagined what the Simpsons’ iconic home would look like in eight different architectural styles popular from around the rest of the U.S. They made sure to keep the same basic elements, like the two-car garage, the chimney along the side, and all of the windows in the same general place.

The eight styles include:

1. Tudor

2. Colonial

3. Log Cabin

4. Victorian

5. Cape Cod

6. Mediterranean

7. Art Deco

8. Contemporary

The one that looks most like the house on the show we know and love is the Cape Cod, with the Art Deco and Contemporary houses looking more like what Marge would live in if she had married Artie Ziff instead.

Make sure to head to Home Advisor to check out their write-ups about each design, because there’s a lot to learn about the different styles and their history. But as cool as this is, all it does is confirm what we’ve always known: the Simpsons live in the only house they ever should.

Which one of these homes would you most want to live in? Enter our comments below and let us know.

Featured Image: Fox

GIF: Home Advisor

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Disney Animator Draws THE LITTLE MERMAID’s Ariel in VR

Recently, legendary animator Glen Keane and NBA icon Kobe Bryant appeared on The Late Late Show to discuss their collaboration, Dear Basketball, with host James Corden. However, Corden couldn’t resist taking the opportunity to ask Keane to show off some of his skills in an unexpected medium. In front of a live audience, Keane drew his favorite Disney character, Ariel from The Little Mermaid, while using the Tilt Brush VR app.

We came across this video via io9, and it is mesmerizing to watch Keane demonstrate what he can do. This clearly isn’t his first time using VR, as he showed off some perspective tricks that simply aren’t possible with two-dimensional images. Fittingly, Keane gave Ariel her distinctive “dinglehopper” while Jodi Benson‘s performance of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken‘s “Part of Your World” played in the background.

It’s worth noting that Keane spent over three decades at Disney, and he was the character designer and supervising animator for Ariel on The Little Mermaid. That’s probably why he seems to be able to draw her directly from his memory. Keane’s storied Disney career includes major contributions to Pete’s Dragon, The Great Mouse Detective, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Tarzan, Tangled, and Wreck-It Ralph, among several others. Keane left the company behind five years ago to work for Motorola and later Google, in addition to other independent projects. Despite his departure, Disney recognized Keane’s contributions by naming him an official Disney Legend. After watching him work, it’s easy to understand why.

What did you think about Keane’s VR recreation of Ariel? Sing us a song in the comment section below!

Images: CBS

 

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THE LAST JEDI’s Canto Bight Is Also GAME OF THRONES’ King’s Landing

One of the best things about getting a new Star Wars film is getting to visit never-before-seen worlds in the galaxy far, far away, and one place we can’t wait to explore in The Last Jedi is the casino city Canto Bight. But after watching the latest behind-the-scenes featurette for the movie highlighting some of the film’s most important locations, we’re going to bet Canto Bight isn’t all that new to many of you, because it’s based on the same real world location as Game of Thrones‘ King’s Landing.

In “Worlds of The Last Jedi,” which also has some intriguing footage from the movie, director Rian Johnson talks about the actual locations Lucasfilm used for some of the film’s settings, including the “big new world” Crait, which was shot at the salt flats of Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia. We also get more from the island Skellig Michael in Ireland, which doubles as Ahch-To, where Rey found Luke at the end of The Force Awakens. But what really stands out is that the very fancy, very posh Canto Bight is based on the high-walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia, because that is the same place HBO uses for the capital of Westeros.

There’s a wonderful pop culture symmetry to Canto Bight being filmed in King’s Landing, since the casino’s clientele clearly leans “Lannister.” However, since we know the Resistance has important business there, we hope it proves to be slightly safer than it is in Westeros.

One downside to having the most popular show in the world, though, is that many of the places where Game of Thrones shoots, including Dubrovnik, have been dealing with way too many tourists.

Um, maybe someone should have told them that Star Wars is kind of popular too. Because we’re wagering after people see Canto Bight in The Last Jedi things are only going to get worse.

What real world Star Wars location would you most want to visit? Tell us in the comments below.

Images: Lucasfilm, HBO

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James Franco Reads Classic Video Game Lines as Tommy Wiseau

Earlier this month, James Franco brought the behind-the-scenes story of The Room to life in The Disaster Artist by stepping into the role of the unexpectedly iconic Tommy Wiseau. One of the best parts of the new film is the way that Franco recaptures the essence of Wiseau’s voice and mannerisms, and while promoting The Disaster Artist, Franco was asked to repeat some of the most unintentionally hilarious lines in video game history while using his Wiseau impression. As you can see below, Franco made those awkward moments into comedy gold.

Franco was a guest on IGN’s talk show, Up At Noon, and he was given the video game lines without much context. But for a Wiseau vocal impression, that lack of preparation seems oddly fitting. Franco started off with one of the most infamously bad lines from the first Resident Evil: Barry Burton’s “master of unlocking.” From there, Franco tried his hand at Mario’s greeting and a very Wiseau-like guard from Skyrim.

After quoting Otacon from Metal Gear Solid, Franco noted that it already sounded like something that Wiseau would say. Apparently, there’s no context for Shenmue‘s “do you know where I can find some sailors” that won’t be funny. But Franco’s expression after saying the line made us laugh even harder.

Somehow, the “All your base are belong to us” line from Zero Wing wasn’t included in this segment, but we’d be all for a continuation of Franco reading famous lines as Wiseau. It’s truly the gift that keeps on giving.

What was your favorite Wiseau take on the classic gaming lines? Share your favorites below!

Images: A24/IGN

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READY PLAYER ONE’s New Trailer Welcomes Us to the OASIS, Author Announces Sequel Novel

Every superhero needs an origin story, and that’s how the newest trailer for Steven Spielberg‘s Ready Player One begins, with an introduction to Tye Sheriden‘s Wade Watts. But unlike traditional comic book stories, this isn’t a tale about someone with special powers; it’s about a world that makes everyone super, in the virtual reality world of the OASIS. But that doesn’t mean its villains are any less real, or any less deadly.

The latest trailer for the movie offers the best look yet at the OASIS, with the most complete look at Sheriden’s virtual avatar Parzival. We also get two of the story’s most important characters, Mark Rylance‘s James Halliday, whose “Easter Egg” hunt sets off the greatest tournament ever announced, and with Ben Mendelsohn‘s Sorrento, the head of the corporation who is waging a war for control of the “world’s most important economic resource.” Which Parzival stands in the way of.

One person who is still missing from the film’s trailers is Simon Pegg, who plays Halliday’s best friend and co-creator of the OASIS, Ogden Morrow. But it looks like Parzival’s love interest, Art3mis (played by Olivia Cook) will play a much bigger role in Wade’s real-life than she did in the books. Which could make it a lot easier for him to survive, in both the real world and in the OASIS.

Ready Player One hits play in theaters next spring, on March 30th, 2018. And today the book’s author Ernest Cline announced he is writing a sequel, so we’d expect “Ready Player Two” to hit theaters one day as well.

What do you think of this new trailer? What scene from the book are you most excited to see in the movie? Log in to our comments below and share your thoughts.

Images: Warner Bros. Studios

More Ready Player One movie newsiness!

The poster has some really long legs.
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James Franco Puts All His Blood Into an SNL Christmas Sketch

Oh hai Saturday Night Live! If you were “eggspecting, haha” James Franco to bring Tommy Wiseau to SNL as a guest, you were unfortunately disappointed. But like the mysterious director put everything he had into The Room, Franco practically opened his veins for a holiday-wrapping bit that sprayed the joy everywhere.

Granted, this is maybe the most stupidly obvious gag you could possibly do in time for the holidays, and the way the severed foot bit is completely botched is beyond hilarious. But Leslie Jones‘ completely believable puke noises and the way everyone gets covered in everything makes this a routine that works despite everyone breaking down and out of character before it’s over.

In some ways, it’s like a James Franco movie: you see the gimmick, you know it’s there, and his performance even calls attention to it. Yet it’s so visceral you react exactly as you’re supposed to anyway. The real awards should go to the tech crew pumping the red stuff through their hoses, but in the absence of awards categories for that particular skill, we can only applaud the cast for keeping it amusing.

Existentially speaking, however, it got us questioning some assumptions. If that rare Barbie doll were stained with blood, would you take it home and attempt to clean it? Would you assume the worst in terms of bloodborne infections? Or would the joy of finding that perfect gift overshadow all matters of personal hygiene, in conjunction with the ability to purchase the perfect antibacterial hand spray?

Help us muse over this dilemma in comments below.

Previously, in Saturday Night Live humor…

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The First Reactions to THE LAST JEDI Are Amazing

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Rey began her training with Luke Skywalker on Ahch-To, but that story was only shared with this planet for the first time Saturday night at the world premiere of The Last Jedi in Los Angeles. And while the lucky folks in attendance are sworn to secrecy about the film’s plot and twists (and for that we thank you all), they were allowed to share their general reactions to the film. So does it sound like it lives up the impossible hype that accompanies any new Star Wars film?

Yes, and then some.

Because so many of those who saw it kept saying the same thing: it’s unlike anything else we’ve seen from the franchise before.

You all have no idea what you're about to see. The saga has truly changed forever #TheLastJedi

— The ForceCast (@ForcecastNet) December 10, 2017

There has never been a movie in the Saga like that. Holy wow. @rianjohnson went big. #TheLastJedi

— The ForceCast (@ForcecastNet) December 10, 2017

Not only are Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill at their very best as Leia and Luke in this movie, but Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver blow Rey and Kylo Ren out of the park. I didn’t expect where those characters went and it’s my favorite part of the movie. #TheLastJedi

— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) December 10, 2017

It’s long and a LOT to unpack, but @rianjohnson made something very, very special with #StarWars #TheLastJedi. Don’t let yourself be spoiled!!! It’s better not knowing. I can’t wait to hear what you all think. #PorgNation

— Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) December 10, 2017

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is so very different, exciting, surprising. So many emotions, so many amazing moments. Stay away from spoilers.

— Peter Sciretta (@slashfilm) December 10, 2017

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is everything. Intense, funny, emotional, exciting. It’s jam-packed with absolutely jaw dropping moments and I loved it so, so much. I’m still shaking. pic.twitter.com/fHddWjo201

— Germain Lussier (@GermainLussier) December 10, 2017

#TheLastJedi is incredibly satisfying and hands down Mark Hamill's best performance as Luke Skywalker

— Aaron Couch (@AaronCouch) December 10, 2017

I just saw #StarWars #TheLastJedi and holy hell is it a masterpiece in a lot of insane ways. I think the standout factor is @rianjohnson’s A+ direction. There has never been a Star Wars Movie like this.

— Conner Schwerdtfeger (@ConnerWS) December 10, 2017

To be clear: #StarWars #TheLastJedi has some story and character issues. It’s a little overcrowded and wastes some of the characters but those are really minor quibbles in the grand scheme of how much I liked it

— Conner Schwerdtfeger (@ConnerWS) December 10, 2017

So #StarWars #TheLastJedi is absolutely beautifully shot, hilarious, and full of standout hero moments for everyone. Still processing but it’s (at an absolute minimum) Top 3 Of The Saga

— Conner Schwerdtfeger (@ConnerWS) December 10, 2017

To be clear: #StarWars #TheLastJedi has some story and character issues. It’s a little overcrowded and wastes some of the characters but those are really minor quibbles in the grand scheme of how much I liked it

— Conner Schwerdtfeger (@ConnerWS) December 10, 2017

Oh! Last thing: #StarWars #TheLastJedi has one of my favorite lightsaber sequences in the history of Star Wars fiction in any medium

— Conner Schwerdtfeger (@ConnerWS) December 10, 2017

IT DOES NOT GET BETTER THAN STAR WARS THE LAST JEDI!!!!!!

— robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) December 10, 2017

It’s AMAZING. Just amazing. Have a lot to process, but WOW. #lastjedi

— Ryan Parker (@TheRyanParker) December 10, 2017

THAT MOVIE WAS EVERYTHING

— Jenny Nicholson (@JennyENicholson) December 10, 2017

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a triumph. So many big moments, so much emotion, so much to digest. Had the whole crowd cheering and woah’ing.

— Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) December 10, 2017

#StarWars: The Last Jedi is so beautifully human, populist, funny, and surprising. I cried when one POC heroine got her moment because films like these leave their mark on entire generations — and representation matters

— jen yamato (@jenyamato) December 10, 2017

I just saw THE LAST JEDI pic.twitter.com/WV94lzsbhF

— Mark Ellis (@markellislive) December 10, 2017

Uh, okay, let’s all just take a quick moment to follow Luke’s advice from the trailers and “breathe.”

Were all of the reactions that good? No, but even the rare “criticisms” weren’t really all that bad.

THE LAST JEDI: A little too long & dragged in the middle, but great fun overall! As good as The Force Awakens; Rogue One is better! More humor than expected, great #StarWars moments, #MarkHamill is awesome! A worthy Episode VIII pic.twitter.com/HHihSa788D

— Scott Mantz (@MovieMantz) December 10, 2017

It also sounds like Mark Hamill’s recent comments that Luke’s ominous line about how this won’t end well was the movie’s most important.

Just saw The Last Jedi. Wow. That did not go the way I thought it would. Luke was right. #SWSRedCarpet pic.twitter.com/w6tZnyzdiM

— Eric Ehrlich (@i4_dEEzyne) December 10, 2017

I’m stunned.

— Bryan Young (@swankmotron) December 10, 2017

Members of team Nerdist were in the audience too, so what did they have to say? Our Editor-in-Chief Rachel Heine has some very exciting/scary advice.

#StarWars #TheLastJedi is bonkers. I honestly don’t have any words. It’s jam packed and full of surprises. Avoid spoilers at all costs!

— Rachel Heine (@RachelHeine) December 10, 2017

An amazing new Star Wars movie AND a perfect reason to avoid social media for a week? The Last Jedi really does sound special.

But what’s your reaction to these reactions? Are your more or less excited to see the movie now? Hit the hyperdrive on your thoughts in the comments below.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

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New READY PLAYER ONE Poster Features Huge “Easter Egg” From the Book

Ernest Cline‘s novel Ready Player One isn’t just an homage to the ’80s; it’s a tribute to those who love pop culture itself. The entire story, which alternates between a dystopian future world and a virtual reality “oasis” most people prefer to live in, revolves around one of the most obsessive compulsions of fandom: hunting down Easter eggs. Although it’s pretty easy to spot the huge one included in the newest poster for the movie.

In the latest promo for the film, Tye Sheridan‘s Wade Watts (a.k.a. Parzival) is seen standing on the ladder to his aunt’s double wide trailer in the “stacks” where he lives. But he’s not looking down — he’s looking up and beyond, where there is a giant egg-shaped light. It’s filled with a majestic sky that looks like an opening to another dimension, which is exactly what the virtual reality world of the OASIS is to the “lost generation” of kids who spend most of their time there.

This poster is a clear reference to Halliday’s Easter Egg Hunt, the task set forth by James Halliday, the co-creator of the OASIS, which drives the story’s main plot. Upon his death, Halliday’s prerecorded announcement of an unprecedented tournament is sent out to the world, with the winner becoming the new owner of his massive virtual reality world and the incredible fortune that comes with it.

But while Wade is one of millions of “Egg hunters,” better known as “gunters,” from around the world trying to solve the seemingly impossible quest, he’s also being hunted by an evil corporation who hope to take over the OASIS so they can profit from it.

The movie will have a million Easter eggs for us to hunt down, and while we doubt all of them will be this easy to spot, none of them matter as much to the story.

Ready Player One, directed by Steven Spielberg, logs in to theaters next spring on march 30th, 2018.

What part of the book are you most excited to see in the movie? Don’t make us hunt down your thoughts, share them with us in the comments below.

Images: Warner Bros. Studios

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