Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1912

New LAZER TEAM 2 Trailer Gives the Crew a Serious Upgrade

In Rooster Teeth‘s original Lazer Team movie, a group of ordinary guys named Anthony, Woody, Zach, and Herman impulsively tried on pieces of an alien supersuit that was intended for Earth’s greatest champion. That guy is dead, and humanity was left with a team of very unlikely defenders. Later this month, Lazer Team 2 will reunite these men years after fame tore them apart. But as you can see in the latest trailer, they’re still their own worst enemies.

The new trailer confirms that Lazer Team split up some time after they stopped an alien invasion. But that’s the thing about aliens: there’s always a new cosmic threat to face! And this time, it’s come for one of their own. Woody has been abducted through a wormhole and dragged across the universe. That forces Woody’s scientific partner, Maggie Wittington (Nichole Bloom), to reassemble his team, even if she would probably have been better off going to rescue him by herself.

Unfortunately for Maggie and the team, Woody doesn’t quite seem like himself when they finally catch up with him. But the good news is that the Lazer Team is getting a major upgrade of their alien tech, as demonstrated in the closing seconds of the trailer. The new footage also features Kirk Johnson reprising his role as Officer Vandenboom from the first film, as he absolutely humiliates himself at a press conference.

YouTube Red will release Lazer Team 2 on November 22. But if you want to see the film on the big screen, then you’re in luck because it’s getting a limited release in theaters on November 13.

What did you think about the new trailer for Lazer Team 2? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Rooster Teeth

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An Amazon Echo Is the Villain in This Scary Short Film

Horror filmmakers have struggled over the past two decades to incorporate technology that doesn’t destroy the atmosphere into their stories. Let’s face it. A haunted cell phone is about 1000% less eerie than an old shack in the woods where the lights don’t work. One springs a primal fear to our spinal column; the other, we use to make pizza appear. What the ambient short film Whisper does so well is to allow its technological baddie to be itself.

The villain? Alexa. You let her into your house, into your life. She watches over you when you sleep, claims to know when you’re in a bad mood, and is almost definitely plotting something sinister behind your back.

This is some real, “I’m sorry, Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that,” territory.

Obviously it gets its juice from the classic combination of anticipation and release, and Alexa has a horrific accomplice (I do not want to know the speed dating service they met at), but Whisper taps into the very real concern that our technology is watching us. You know, because it’s watching us. It is the abyss staring back at us and transmitting our user data back to the web host.

You can turn her into a talking skull if you’d like, but Alexa is already pretty frightening. Plus, writer/director Julian Terry gets all the basics right. The patience, the editing, the shots that put us right inside this woman’s (Michelle Khare) bedroom, and the gut level fear that, in the dead of night, we’ll hear a voice in the darkness.

What do you think of the short? Let us know in the comments.

Image: Julian Terry

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Elijah Wood Runs Down the Rules of THE THING Tabletop Game

Thirty-five years after its release, John Carpenter‘s classic alien horror movie The Thing is taking tabletop form with a board game called The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31. To set the stage for the game and explain its rules, horror fanatic Elijah Wood has filmed a new video (via Entertainment Weekly) in which he plays Steve, one of the researchers at the outpost. In between demonstrations of the gameplay, Wood essentially plays out the major beats of the story in a one-man performance. And unlike Wood’s character in The Faculty, Steve isn’t exactly equipped to be a hero.

The game itself casts the players as characters from the original movie, including Kurt Russell‘s R.J. MacReady. Because the concept of The Thing revolves around the alien infection spreading and attempting to blend in as other people, the board game casts at least one of the players as the Thing itself. Its goal is to either escape from the compound or infect the other survivors. In short, the Thing has multiple ways to win… as Steve discovered off-camera.

For the uninfected players, the goal is also simple: survive and escape. But getting to that point involves clearing the compound of the alien and ensuring that none of the infected get out. That’s not as easy as it sounds, especially since the player acting as the Thing can sabotage the party along the way.

The Thing: Infection At Outpost 31 is available for pre-order here, and it will be officially released later this month.

What did you think about Wood’s video for The Thing tabletop game? Check your blood samples and share your thoughts below!

Images: USAopoly

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Win a Night at the LEGO House and Live Your Brick Dreams

Have you ever been tempted to build your own house out of LEGO bricks? Well, now’s your chance to spend the night in one: the newly-opened LEGO House has teamed up with Airbnb to give you the opportunity to sleep among colorful plastic bricks.

The LEGO House, which opened in mid-September, is a 130,000 square foot experience center and museum, located in Billund, Denmark, the home of LEGO. It’s filled with over 25 million LEGO bricks, including some truly impressive builds, like the 50 feet tall Tree of Creativity.

The LEGO House is laid out in four colored zones, designed to encourage different types of play: the Red Zone inspires creativity, the Green Zone focuses on communication, the Yellow Zone is centered on emotions, and the Blue Zone emphasizes logic. There’s also a masterpiece gallery showing off impressive custom builds, a museum of classic LEGO sets, a LEGO-themed restaurant, and—of course—a LEGO shop. It looks like a truly amazing and incredibly fun experience.

To celebrate the opening, one lucky family will be able to turn the LEGO House into their home for one night. The contest, sponsored by Airbnb, includes air travel for four to Denmark, a night’s stay at the LEGO House and a second night at a nearby hotel.

But, most appealing of all, you’ll get a personal tour of LEGO House by Jamie Berard, the LEGO Group’s senior designer and one of the greatest master builders in the world, who will share his secret tips with you. Jamie will also stick around after the LEGO House has closed to take you on a private expedition, and then he’ll return the next morning for a final surprise that will let your family “leave your footprint in LEGO House long after you leave.”

To win, you just need to answer one question: If you and your family had an infinite supply of LEGO bricks, what would you build? The winner will be chosen based on creativity and originality, so take your time brainstorming. But not too much time, as entries must be in by November 16, 2017.

The only downside—other than the fact that we can’t all win—is that you have to stay at the LEGO House the night of Friday, November 24, 2017, which might be tough to work around Thanksgiving plans for those in the United States. But, given the choice between LEGO and drunk uncles, I know which I’d pick.

What would you build if you had an infinite supply of LEGO bricks? Tell us in the comments!

Images: The LEGO Group

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Mars 2020 Mission Rover Will Have 23 20-Megapixel ‘Eyes’

Cameras have become so ubiquitous at this point that taking photos is now second nature for anybody with access to a smartphone and sunsets. NASA’s new Mars 2020 Mission rover is no exception to that trend, apparently, as it will boast 23 20-megapixel cameras able to take wide field-of-view, high resolution, color images. Which means in a few years, we’re going to be getting much crisper, more vibrant images of the Martian surface. Plus way better rover selfies.

First of all, if you haven’t looked into NASA’s Mars 2020 Mission, do yourself a favor and watch Veritasium’s eight-minute video on the subject. Host Derek Muller does a great job breaking down the mission’s core goal of testing for life on the Red Planet, as well as some of the instruments that will be used to try and find it.

As for the updated camera specs, they’re going to allow the rover to send back much improved images of Mars, which should blow the old images out of the water–which exists in liquid form on the surface of Mars! There are 23 cameras in total, with several allotted for science, engineering, and entry and landing respectively. At 20 megapixels, they dwarf the resolution of previous generation cameras, which topped out at a relatively paltry 2.1 megapixels. For reference the new iPhone X has a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera (here’s a great picture showing the difference in resolution). Plus they’ll also excel at stereoscopic 3-D imagining, which should help the rover locate potential samples and geologic features from long distances.

Curiosity rover selfie.

Aside from the new “eyes,” this rover will be quite similar to the Curiosity rover, which was launched in 2011 and landed on Mars in 2012. NASA has noted that in order “To keep mission costs and risks as low as possible, the Mars 2020 design is based on NASA’s successful Mars Science Laboratory mission architecture, including its Curiosity rover and proven landing system.”

The new cameras will still provide some serious eye candy though. One of the designers of one of the rover’s “Mastcams,” Jim Bell, said in NASA’s press release that “‘Routinely using 3-D images at high resolution could pay off in a big way.'” He added, “They’re useful for both long-range and near-field science targets.” Which again, will all be about finding past or present traces of life. Plus, we’ll probably get a brand new shot of Mar’s blue sunset.

Blue sunset on Mars.

What do you think about this new 23-eyed Martian rover? Are you excited to see it send back high-resolution images, or are you more excited for what SpaceX has planned? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: NASA/JPL

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Shaken or Stirred? This Drone Can Mix Your Cocktail Either Way

When you think about wanting a drink, one doesn’t appear instantly in your hand. It’s not like gin and tonics magically fall from the sky when we call out for them. But soon they might, because the future of bartending could be a fleet of cocktail making drones.

In this video from the YouTube channel Per La Mente, Michael Cirino from the “culinary experience company” A Razor/A Shiny Knife talks about how they wanted to add some pizzazz to a party or social event by turning drones into the ultimate cocktail mixer, with both a shake and stir option. That way when you order your drink you can pretend to understand the difference.

As Cirino admits, since he still had to mix the drink and pour it into the glass, there is no real reason to use drones for this purpose other than it’s really fun and looks cool at a party. But while we’d be a little worried about mixing alcohol and spinning blades by ourselves, it’s fine when done by a professional.

Plus this is just step one in making the dream a reality. Today drones are merely shaking our drinks, but tomorrow they could be making them entirely. And then when we call out to the skies to bring us a drink, we might actually get one.

What would be the most fitting drink to get delivered by a drone? Shake up our comments section below by ordering up your best idea.

Images: Per La Mente

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Are Nedry’s JURASSIC PARKS Outfits a GOONIES Easter Egg?

Easter eggs are everywhere in films and television, and just like real Easter eggs, they’re usually all eventually found. Or in the case of Rick and Morty, occasionally heard. But, again, like the real deal, some eggs are so camouflaged that they aren’t found until years later, when their aged chocolate innards are stepped on by whoever is mowing the lawn. Or in the case of Jurassic Park, when somebody randomly notices a pattern in the clothing worn by Dennis Nedry and the cast of The Goonies.

Seriously, does this pattern belong in conspiracy territory like Elon Musk’s thoughts on underpants and capitalism, or was this intentional?

Guys, GUYS, is Dennis Nedry homaging the Goonies in Jurassic Park?!? #stephenspielberg #goonies #jurassicpark #dennisnedry pic.twitter.com/oIc0vcvSvS

— Shawn Robare (@ShawnRobare) November 2, 2017

Twitter user Shawn Robare, who is, according to his bio, “Just a guy who remembers what it’s like to be a kid,” was the one to spot the correlation in outfits between Dennis Nedry and the kids in The Goonies–specifically Mikey, Mouth, and Chunk. Though Redditor shadewfb pointed it out as well. Both Nedry and those three characters wore strikingly similar outfits, and when you take into consideration the fact that Steven Spielberg directed Jurassic Park and wrote the story for The Goonies, maybe the idea that this is a faint wisp of an Easter egg isn’t so crazy. Perhaps it was even done on a subconscious level?

Robare reached out to Wayne Knight, the actor who played Nedry as well as… Newman… to confirm the possibility of an extraordinarily subtle connection between the two wardrobes, but as of the time of this writing, there still hasn’t been a response. Hopefully somebody from Jurassic Park comes out to either confirm or deny this incredible coincidence, although it’ll probably be a long time holding on to our butts waiting for that to happen.

What do you think about this incredible clothing coincidence between Nedry and the kids from The Goonies? Could this possibly have been Spielberg’s doing, or is the very idea total insanity? Give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: Universal Pictures, Giphy

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THE LAST JEDI Has New Space Jewelry Because of Carrie Fisher

The costumes in Star Wars films help tell a story, as do the accessories. Think about Jyn’s necklace in Rogue One. Or, remember the bold silver necklace Leia wore at the ceremony at the end of A New Hope? The necklace, called chalcedony waves, was handed down from woman to woman in the House of Organa. Besides having history, the statement piece looks stunning–as does a piece of jewelry worn by Rose Tico in the The Last Jedi.

New Star Wars: The Last Jedi image reveals Rose’s mystery necklace https://t.co/5iGuo9fGaW

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) November 2, 2017

Entertainment Weekly (EW) shared a new photo of Rose on Thursday, and she’s wearing a crescent shaped necklace. Actor Kelly Marie Tran confirmed to EW that the accessory is significant to Rose’s backstory. And it sounds like Rose ended up with the necklace because of Carrie Fisher.

When a fan asked Episode VIII director and writer Rian Johnson what was up with the accessories like Rose’s necklace and a ring Poe Dameron‘s wearing around his neck, Johnson replied with the best possible answer: “In rehearsals Carrie grabbed my arm and told me with great urgency that we needed “space jewelry.” I thought that was a fabulous idea. So.”

In rehearsals Carrie grabbed my arm and told me with great urgency that we needed “space jewelry.” I thought that was a fabulous idea. So.

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) November 3, 2017

Space. Jewelry. This advice sounds like one of the most Carrie Fisher things I can think of, and it makes me ridiculously happy. Johnson could be joking, but well, can’t you hear Fisher discussing the importance of space jewelry? In addition to wearing Leia gear on opening night of The Last Jedi, I think we should all wear lots of space jewelry, replicas of Star Wars flair or our own pizzazz.

Do you like the prospect of seeing space jewelry in The Last Jedi? What have been your favorite accessories in Star Wars so far? Drop into hyperspace and head to the comments to share your thoughts.

Images: Lucasfilm/Disney

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. She likes Star Wars a little. Follow her on Twitter.

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The Real Mythology Behind THOR: RAGNAROK

Ragnarok isn’t just the end of Marvel’s Thor as we know him; it’s the end of the world. At least it is in Norse mythology.

Told of primarily in the 13th century Old Norse texts, the Poetic Edda and Snorri Sturluson’s Prose Edda, Ragnarok is the equivalent of armageddon in Norse mythology. No, not the Bruce Willis asteroid-drilling movie; the end of days, or as it can be translated the “Twilight of the Gods (or the “Doom of the Gods” if you’re nasty). It all began with mankind treating one another like absolute garbage, which sounds familiar if you’ve read the comment section lately. What followed was a brutal, three-year-long winter that plunged the world into cold and darkness.

Massive earthquakes followed, freeing the mischievous god Loki and his son, the gigantic wolf Fenrir, from imprisonment. Together, they proceeded to wreak havoc across the nine realms. Meanwhile, another of Loki’s children, the massive sea serpent Jörmungandr flew into a rage, causing the oceans to overflow and flood the mainland. Loki then proceeded to pay a visit to yet another of his brood, his daughter Hel, the goddess of the dead, who gave her father an army of undead soldiers and a boat built from the nail clippings of the deceased, which they used to set sail for Asgard, the ancestral home of the Norse gods.

Image: Marvel Studios

Alongside an army of giants, led by the powerful fire giant Surtr, Loki and his army proceeded to raze Asgard to the ground. As Fenrir dragged the sun from the sky, swallowing it whole in his mighty jaws, Surtr used a massive flaming sword to cut a swath across the Earth, leaving death, destruction, and smoldering ruin in his wake. The gods of Asgard made their last stand on the Vigrid plains: Odin squared off with Fenrir, Thor took on the world serpent Jörmungandr, and Freyr battled Surtr. Unfortunately for the gods, it ended pretty poorly for everyone involved. Fenrir managed to swallow Odin whole, killing the Allfather, but ultimately had his jaws ripped open by Odin’s son Vidar; Thor slaughtered Jörmungandr, but ultimately perished due to exposure to the beast’s deadly poison; and while Freyr and Surtr basically straight-up murdered one another, it was too little, too late as the damage from Surtr’s sword had been done.

GIF via Kotaku

Flames engulfed the world, slaughtering humans, giants, and gods alike, and the earth proceeded to sink into the sea. It was what Geostorm should have been. Unlike Geostorm, though, the world was granted a sequel. The earth rose from the sea, verdant and beautiful, and fortunately for mankind, two humans, Lif and Lifthrasir hid within Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and repopulated the world. This, of course, eventually led to the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the eventual filming of Thor: Ragnarok, thus completing history’s perfect circle.

While director Taika Waititi‘s Thor: Ragnarok forces our hammer-wielding hero to face many of the apocalyptic terrors laid out above, it’s a decidedly different story than the one put forth by the Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda. It is based loosely on Marvel’s comic book version of Ragnarok, as well as the “Planet Hulk” storyline, but that’s a story for another day.

Thor: Ragnarok is in theaters now. Read our review of the newest Marvel movie!

Images: Marvel Studios/Disney

Sources: Norse-Mythology.org; Ancient-Origins.net; Norse-Mythology.net

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Beautifully Animated OVERWATCH Short Details Reinhardt’s Origins

One of the ways Blizzard has fleshed out Overwatch‘s roster of characters has been through a series of excellent animated shorts that add depth to each of the featured heroes, like this one featuring Mei. On the first day of BlizzCon 2017, Blizzard premiered “Honor and Glory,” a new short focusing on Reinhardt Wilhelm and his tragic backstory. The short begins almost immediately after Winston sent out the call to reunite the surviving members of Overwatch, before diving into a very painful episode from Reinhardt’s past.

As you can see in the video, the younger Reinhardt was a much more arrogant and cocky hero while he was a member of the Crusaders under the command of Balderich von Adler. The bulk of the short takes place immediately before and during the battle of Eichenwalde, which left Reinhardt as the only surviving member of the Crusaders.

There’s some very powerful storytelling within this short, as Reinhardt’s face and body language capture his evolution into a more somber and reflective man. The words “live with honor, die with glory” no longer have the same meaning for Reinhardt when he has to say farewell to his friend and mentor. Even the minor touches like Reinhardt rolling his eyes at Balderich’s words about their obligation as heroes speaks volumes about who he was and who he had to become in the face of tragedy.

This is a truly impressive piece of supplementary content that rivals even the best animated movies in theaters. The team behind these Overwatch animated shorts have produced some phenomenal stories, and we can’t wait to see which character will star in the next one.

What did you think about “Honor and Glory?” Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Images: Blizzard

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