Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1892

OK Go’s New Video Uses Printers and Paper to Bring an “Obsession” to Life

The band OK Go is legendary for their innovative music videos, but their latest release is the first time that they’ve ever broken YouTube itself. The music video for “Obsession” utilizes over 500 printers to create a kaleidoscopic effect and limited stop-motion animation of the band. As the band explained on Twitter, the normal HD compression of YouTube couldn’t keep up with the avalanche of colors and imagery, which is why the video is also available to watch at 1440p or 2160p quality. And anyone who needs to avoid flashing lights should probably not watch the video at all.

Via Rolling Stone, the “Obsession” video was made in partnership with the Double A paper company and filmed in Japan over five days. According to Double A’s official site, OK Go also spent two weeks rehearsing their dance moves and ensuring that the synchronized printing worked perfectly. The end result is almost hypnotic, and parts of the video even make the visuals appear to be fully animated.

While the early part of the video features fairly traditional choreography, the band members were hooked up to wires for the later stages of this song as the backdrop of printers made it appear as if they were floating among the stars.

As you may have guessed, this video and its rehearsals utilized a great deal of paper. However, the opening of the video notes that all of the paper used has already been recycled, with Greenpeace receiving the proceeds from their reuse.

What did you think about OK Go’s latest music video? Respond using interpretive dance moves in the comment section below!

Images: OK Go

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SESAME STREET’s STRANGER THINGS 2 Parody Unleashes the Cookiegorgon

Last month, Sesame Street celebrated the debut of Stranger Things 2 by teasing its newest parody, Sharing Things. And now that the show’s writers have actually seen the second season of the Netflix series, the short has been finished and released. But first, Oscar the Grouch sarcastically warns fans away from the video before it unleashes the Cookie Monster’s latest form: the Cookiegorgon! Also, there are some spoilers ahead if you haven’t watched the current season of Stranger Things. You’ve been warned.

Almost everything in the video was inspired by the second season of Stranger Things, except for Barb’s continued survival in the Upside Down. For this incarnation, Ernie and Grover are playing Dustin and Lucas, respectively. The rest of the kids are made up of Muppet versions of Will, Mike, and Max, with appearances by Joyce and a Sheriff who goes by Hoppy instead of Hopper. Given who Eleven and Eight are in this video, does this mean that the Count is the Brenner of this world?

Because this is Sesame Street, there is a moral message behind Sharing Things that revolves around the Cookiegorgon learning to share cookies and candy with the children. It’s the kind of lesson that the Cookie Monster never really retains on the show, since his inherent selfishness is part of his charm. There’s even a counterpart for Dart in this video, who may become a Cookiegorgon as well.

What did you think about Sesame Street‘s take on Stranger Things 2? Turn your world Upside Down and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: Sesame Workshop

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Toyota’s New Humanoid Robot Looks Like a Friendly Atlas

Lately, the humanoid robot scene has been dominated by Boston Dynamics’ Atlas. But even though Atlas may dazzle you with its backflips and unbeatable balance, it still tends to give off a serious T-800 vibe. Toyota’s new, third generation humanoid robot on the other hand, the T-HR3, that’s the kind of humanoid robot you wouldn’t worry about holding your sharpened thermite sword. Plus, it’s controlled by a user’s movements, so until it becomes sentient, at least some meat bag is in charge of it.

News of the T-HR3, which was picked up by The Verge, comes from the auto giant’s home country of Japan. In a press release, the company said that the T-HR3 demonstrates Toyota’s latest robotics platform, and will be used to “explore new technologies for safely managing physical interactions between robots and their surroundings, as well as a new remote maneuvering system that mirrors user movements to the robot.”

In terms of specs, you’re looking at a 165-pound five-foot-tall “Toyota Robot Partner” that has ten fingers, two feet and a pair of eyes that are a lot more WALL-E than they are skinless Terminator. T-HR3 is outfitted with a series of Torque Servo Modules (i.e. servomotors or “robot muscles”) that are controlled from the Master Maneuvering System, which has a headset that allows you to see out of T-HR3’s eye cameras. The whole setup looks a bit like Snuffles’ advanced mechanical suit from Rick and Morty — at least from the waist up. Although one of the previous generations of the Toyota humanoid robot, the i-Foot, really looks like something that could frighten Summer in the middle of the night.

Although we don’t see T-HR3 do anything in the teaser clip that’s nearly as exciting as what Atlas does on the regular, if it can indeed maneuver seamlessly and in real time based on inputs from its human pilot, it seems like there would be limitless applications for this bot in manufacturing, hospital services, and even home care. And yes, while that sounds kind of creepy, remember, this is the cute, harmless T-HR3. It just wants to squeeze you. Gently.

What do you think about this new Toyota robot? Do you like the idea of humanoid robots serving as avatars for people? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: Toyota

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Get Ready to Cry Over This Adorable Panda Bear Going on an Incredible Journey

Sincerely. Prepare yourself to get misty or have your cute aggression flare up, because this Tile commercial featuring a stuffed panda bear is deeply unfair in how adorable it is.

Like The Incredible Journey with a sweet, anthropomorphic toy, the short film advertisement from Deutsch and Smuggler director Mark Molloy chronicles the harrowing adventure of Ernie, the aforementioned pile of plush adorability, lost in the big city. He searches futilely for his owner among the crowds, the subway cars, and the incredibly dangerous escalators until hitching a ride hobo style into the wilderness.

This is, I assume, what happens every time you lose anything.

Wheeeeeeew. This thing might as well be selling tissues.

Ernie was specifically designed to make us want to reach out and hug him. He’s also going to star in his own set of children’s books.

The ad also featured a real-world interactive component involving street posters plastered throughout San Francisco and New York City:

As a short film, its design is wonderfully bittersweet, with a sweeping orchestral score, a cinematic scope, and a simple story where we’re guaranteed a happy ending but still subconsciously question whether Ernie will ever be happy again.

I mean, it also stars a cute puppet with Resting Forlorn Face, so that’s a big factor in its appeal. Plus, even if his child pal Lucy hadn’t been able to find him, it’s heartening to know that the community at large seemed to have his stuffed back.

Is it ridiculous to want a feature film? It is. Right? Or is it okay?

Images: Tile

First SMALLFOOT Trailer Features Channing Tatum as a Scared Yeti

Channing Tatum is a yeti.

Oh, and he’s in a new movie trailer too. Kidding! About that first part; he is in this first look at the animated Smallfoot. But despite his being freakishly huge and powerful, we have no evidence of any abominable snowman DNA in his body for realsies. So far.

Okay, so this is basically Monsters, Inc. in the Himalayas, but with James Corden (where does he find the time to do all these animated voices?) as an adult human who is a less adorable Boo. Or is it a species-reversed Harry and the Hendersons? Either way, these seem like much nicer Yetis (Yetii?) than the one that screams at you on Disneyland‘s Matterhorn ride.

Chris Miller and Phil Lord, who are responsible for turning Tatum into a comedic powerhouse, are among the executive producers, while Karey Kirkpatrick (Over the Hedge) directs. Zendaya, Common, Danny DeVito, Gina Rodriguez, and LeBron James (getting in some ‘toon experience before Space Jam 2) round out the cast.

Is it just us, though, or does this Yeti look more like a Hoth wampa? Mythical apes usually don’t have horns. Guard your tauntauns closely, folks.

Okay, so the wampa looks like an angrier cousin, if we’re being precise.

Are you excited to see Channing Tatum get hairy? Let us know in comments.

Images: Warner Bros., Funko

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Neil Gaiman’s ANANSI BOYS Is Coming to BBC Radio

Fans of Neil Gaiman might have to wait until 2018 for season two of American Gods, but BBC has a special Christmas present in store in the meantime: a six-part radio drama based on Gaiman’s 2005 novel Anansi Boys (via io9).

Set in the same universe as American Gods, Anansi Boys tells the story of Charles “Fat Charlie” Nancy, who travels to Florida after the death of his father, only to discover that his father was an incarnation of the West African trickster god Anansi and that he has a secret brother, Spider, who has inherited Anansi’s powers. While not directly confirmed, it is implied that Fat Charlie’s father was the same “Mr. Nancy” from American Gods, played to great acclaim in the TV series by Orlando Jones.

The Anansi Boys radio drama has been adapted by Dirk Maggs, who previously adapted Gaiman’s Neverwhere and How the Marquis Got His Coat Back, as well as the Gaiman/Terry Pratchett novel Good Omens, for BBC Radio 4. It is set to star Jacob Anderson (best known for his role as Grey Worm of the Unsullied on Game of Thrones) as Fat Charlie, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett as Spider, Adjoa Andoh as Birdwoman, and Lenny Henry as Mr. Nancy.

Henry’s inclusion in the radio drama is a special treat, as he played in pivotal role in the original novel’s development. Gaiman has said that the novel’s inspiration began with a conversation at Henry’s house about how there are no horror films with black leads, which inspired Gaiman to write one, though, as Gaiman told Radio Times, “It wasn’t a film, but a novel, and it wasn’t horror but a strange mixture of mythic family comedy, romance and crime drama (with some scary bits).” Gaiman consulted Henry while writing the novel, and Henry also narrated the Anansi Boys audio book, so he has literally been Mr. Nancy’s voice from the beginning.

The six-part radio drama premieres on BBC Radio 4 on Christmas Day at 11:30 p.m. GMT, and will be available to stream on the BBC website shortly afterwards.

In an appearance on Nerdist’s Alpha Book Club earlier this year, Orlando Jones stated that an Anansi Boys TV series is also in the early stages of development by team behind the American Gods TV series.

Are you going to listen to the Anansi Boys BBC radio drama? Let us know in the comments!

Images: BBC

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THE LITTLE MERMAID As Told By Emoji

From the mobile game Emoji Blitz to the web series As Told By Emoji, Disney definitely has a firm grip on the emoji market. That grip just got a little tighter. Over at Inside the Magic, they shared the latest in the As Told By Emoji series, The Little Mermaid.

Regardless of how you like to text people, either with pictures or actual words, it’s very hard to deny the cuteness of this video. It’s always silly to watch the characters tell the same story as the film, but at the same time be self-aware that they are still on someone’s phone. My personal favorite part was when Ariel made her deal with Ursula so she could go to the surface, and had to read through the pages and pages of terms and conditions before agreeing. Of course, just like any sane person, she scrolled right through everything to the end. Hindsight? This was one of those times when reading every last detail would have been beneficial.

The Little Mermaid As Told by Emoji makes yet another adorable entry into this series. Oh, and make sure you don’t stop the video at the credits. They took a page out of Marvel‘s book if you catch my drift.

You can check out more cool videos from Disney on their YouTube channel here.

So what do you think? What other Disney classics would you like to see in emoji form? Let me know on Twitter @donnielederer or be part of our world in the comments below.

Image: Disney

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Every STAR WARS Film Summed up in a Surprisingly Concise Video Recap

There may come a time in your life when you come face to face with a downright mythical creature. You’ll be going about your day as normal and then this ever-so-rare person will walk into your life and shake you to your core with one simple phrase, “Oh, I’ve never seen any Star Wars movie.” Your incredulity for that combination of words will then only be matched with how difficult it’ll be to get that person to actually watch all seven Star Wars films. But there might be hope with this new video that recaps the saga so far. It’ll catch them up and maybe even entice them to plan a movie marathon.



This stellar sum-up of the Star Wars saga comes to us via a recent post on Laughing Squid. The internet is chock-full of all manner of summaries about the films but YouTuber Tom F did something really interesting with his. Instead of serializing the clips, plot points, and major action of each film, this recap acts more like a preview to the Star Wars world overall rather than an episode guide.

It doesn’t give too much away in terms of plot which seems perfect for those human unicorns who’ve never seen the movies. They likely already know the Darth Vader voice, the twist of parentage, and what light sabers are so this video acts as a perfect teaser to the drama that they’ve missed in the last 40 years of Star Wars films.

What do you think of this recap? What other film franchises need this treatment? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Star Wars | Disney

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Joe Manganiello‏ Offers a Better Look At JUSTICE LEAGUE’s Deathstroke

Warning: There are spoilers ahead f or Justice League!

Although Slade Wilson has previously appeared in Smallville and in Arrow, Justice League marks the first time that the assassin known as Deathstroke has appeared on the big screen. During the end credits scene of the film, Joe Manganiello makes a cameo as Deathstroke before taking off his mask to reveal that his take on Slade Wilson looks a lot more like his comic book counterpart than the character’s two previous incarnations. On Friday, Manganiello released a picture of himself in costume as Deathstroke without his signature mask.

pic.twitter.com/cyAt06tWTT

— Joe Manganiello (@JoeManganiello) November 25, 2017

Back in 1980, Marv Wolfman and George Perez created Deathstroke the Terminator as one of the main adversaries for the Teen Titans. However, the character became so popular that he outgrew the Titans and landed his own comic book series as an antihero. Even during the current DC Rebirth, Deathstroke is headlining his own comic as one of the major players in the DC Universe.

During the production of Justice League, it was heavily rumored that Deathstroke would be the villain of The Batman, opposite Ben Affleck‘s Dark Knight. While Deathstroke is not traditionally one of Batman’s primary enemies, he is one of the few foes who can match Batman physically and mentally. It’s not currently known if Deathstroke will still be in the next Batman film, but his appearance in Justice League indicates that he remains a part of the DC Extended Universe‘s plans.

Lex Luthor’s suggestion that he and Deathstroke form a League of their own also implies that the Injustice League/Secret Society/Legion of Doom could be the Justice League’s next threat. The box office response to Justice League may not have been everything that Warner Bros. hoped for, but we’re still likely to see this story come to fruition.

How do you feel about Manganiello’s take on Deathstroke? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: DC Comics/Warner Bros.

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This Self-Painting Bob Ross Mug Is The Only Thing You Need

Hey there, everybody. Today, we’re going to be taking a look at a ceramic Bob Ross mug that has a little picture of the indefatigably happy artist on it, as well as a nice little painting that shows up when the mug is all warmed up with some nice little ribbons of steam coming off the top of it. And if you spill some of your piping hot beverage all over yourself and experience intense stinging pain that makes you wish you were never born, there’s no need to scream or curse, ’cause that’s just a happy little accident.

Yes, this Bob Ross mug is exactly what you need to get your morning started off on the right foot, with a feeling that you can do anything you put your mind to. There’s just something about that Bob Ross mug on this Bob Ross mug that reminds you to relax, even though you’re probably about to down enough caffeine to make you feel like The Flash.

The painting that shows up when the mug gets all nice and toasty is a classic Ross landscape, with a nice little barn, and little trees and some nice tall purple mountains. It’s a whole little world really. A little warm world that you can get yourself lost in before you have to leave the house and make friends with trees or just sit in a cubicle for ten hours straight.

In fact, did you know that you can make friends with a cubicle? Why, all you need is your Bob Ross mug, a desire to be creative, and a few of those nice little lines of fluffy white snow that Deadpool was so into during his own Bob Ross tribute.

The $13.99 mug can be ordered now from the online PBS store, but it’s currently on backorder so you’ll have to practice your patience and your craft for a few weeks before it arrives.

What do you think about this Bob Ross self-painting mug? Create your own little world of happy thoughts in that fun little comments section below.

Images: PBS