Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1924
October 24, 2017
What Do New Character Bios Mean For THE LAST JEDI?
Star Wars: The Last Jedi is now under two months away, and with each passing day we learn more and more about the fate of the galaxy, far, far away. There’s no shortage of rumors and speculation, but the latest source of information comes from Lucasfilm itself. And if it’s true, it may mean that at least one of our beloved characters could be in for a much darker turn. Today’s Nerdist News is opening our Jedi Holocron to get some answers!
Warning: there are potentially big spoilers ahead for The Last Jedi! This is your last chance to turn back!
Join host and BB-8’s original owner, Jessica Chobot, as she charts a dark path for…Poe Dameron?! It may be true, if the official Last Jedi character descriptions out of Japan are to be believed. Granted, some of the meaning may be lost in translation, but the gist of it is that our man Poe may find himself feared by both the First Order and his fellow members of the Resistance because of his “dedication to the war effort.”
To be clear: nobody’s saying that Poe is gonna toss his bromance with Finn and abandon his friends. Although that would be a hell of a heel turn! If this description is accurate, it may indicate that Poe is becoming more like Cassian Andor from Rogue One. Within that film, we witnessed Cassian murder his own innocent contact in the name of protecting the Rebellion from his capture. Now, just imagine how far Poe would have to go to make his friends and allies afraid of what he might do.
Some of the descriptions are not really that surprising. Who would have thought that Kylo Ren was such a disappointment to Supreme Leader Snoke? Only everyone! The new bios do seem to indicate that Snoke has his eyes on Rey as a potential replacement for the young man formerly known as Ben Solo. As for Rey, her description seems to hint that she will become disillusioned by her hero, Luke Skywalker. Perhaps that will lead Rey and Kylo Ren to join forces as a new grey Jedi order. Many possibilities are in play, and we’ll learn more when the film opens on December 15.
Do you think that Poe and Rey might break a little bad in The Last Jedi? Share your theories in the comment section below!
Images: Lucasfilm
Cats Are Totally Feline This High End Furniture Line
Anyone who has ever had the joy of owning a cat knows that everything is theirs, including their owners. If your cat wants to sit on your couch or sleep on your bed, he or she is usually going to get their way. But what if cats could have their own furniture? Something that goes above and beyond the cheap and clearly less comfortable cat beds and platforms available in stores? Now they can, thanks to a few famous furniture makers in Japan.
Via Spoon & Tamago, Okawa Kagu has unveiled a line of high end miniature furniture that is meant specifically for cats. And these gorgeously designed pieces don’t just look like furniture, they are every bit as detailed and well-crafted as the human-sized furniture made in Okawa City, which is said to be one of “Japan’s furniture capitals.”
The samples shown in the video above were both designed and produced by the same craftsmen who created the larger bed and the Santa Fe style couch that inspired them. The mini cat furniture even uses the same material. They’re almost identical to the original pieces.
The good news is that cat lovers can inquire about the sofa and the bed at the respective sites of their creators. The bad news is that even if you purchase these lovely items, there’s no guarantee your cat will use them as intended. They may still prefer to lie on your bed, your couch, or a cardboard box. But if nothing else, at least the cat furniture will still be very aesthetically pleasing!
What do you think about the cat bed and the cat sofa? Unleash your claws and share your thoughts below.
Images: Okawa Kagu
Keep things cute with more pet stories!
Take a ride on a cat cafe train.
See all kinds of pups in Halloween costumes.
Watch Chris Evans’ sweet reunion with his dog.
You Can Buy Authentic Witch Spells on Vinyl
As the evenings draw in and the leaves fall from the trees, we’re always looking for the perfect soundtrack for Nerdoween and this year we’ve found a serious contender. Hour of the Witch, is a collection of spells and magical instruction by iconic real-life witch, Gundella. To celebrate, Modern Harmonic has shared an unreleased track and interview with the Green Witch herself!
A local Detroit legend Gundella was better known as the “Green Witch” and even had her own column in a local paper called Witch Watch by Gundella. Born into an unconventional household, Gundella was raised protestant but was also taught the ways of Wicca due to the fact that her family could be traced back to Scotland’s legendary Green Witches. She joined her first coven at 18 and later became a renowned public figure, openly advocating for Wiccan rights and instructing others about witchcraft.
This re-release of an obscure 70’s LP collects six recordings of her instructional lessons on how to cast a selection of spells including the timeless “How to discourage an unwanted suitor.” According to Modern Harmonic “Gundella tells you how to test your own psychic powers, make ritual candles, and mold little wax dolls. She tells you about traditional witchcraft, defines magic, and teaches you how to cast your own spells.” Keeping it in the family, the perfectly atmospheric backing tracks are performed by her son James. Both the editions contain brand new liner notes from the Green Witch’s daughter, but the vinyl LP also includes 16 pages of fantastic clippings about the great Gundella herself!
Will you be picking up this wildly witchy release? Can’t wait to hear the spooky sounds of spells this Halloween? Let us know in the comments!
Images: Modern Harmonic
THE SPOOKIEST STORIES ON NERDIST RIGHT NOW…
The science behind how Ouija boards actually work
How to watch every Treehouse of Horror episode of The Simpsons
The Hateful Eight is secretly a horror movie
Welcome to Nerdoween! Throughout the month of October, we’ll be celebrating everything spooky, macabre, and just plain weird. Nerdoween 2017 is presented by Alpha, our interactive membership service, which offers you exclusive content from Nerdist and Geek & Sundry, as well as a 10% discount on all of our merch.
X-23: 7 Comic Book Stories to Inspire Her First Solo Film
Although rumored for some time, it’s now official: according to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox is looking to develop a Logan spin-off centered around Dafne Keen’s scene stealing character X-23, a.k.a. Wolverine’s clone/daughter, Laura Kinney.
Although the character is relatively new—at least compared to most other superheroes who have been around for decades—there are still plenty of comic book stories to mine for gold when it comes to a potential film starring the mutant killing machine. Here are our top seven choices we hope the producers of X-23’s solo movie take a look at.
Innocence Lost
Writers Craig Kyle and Kyle Yost co-created X-23 together, and much like Harley Quinn and Batgirl before her, she was created for other media first—in Laura’s case, the early 2000’s animated show X-Men: Evolution. But Kyle and Yost quickly transitioned her to comics, where they wrote her adventures for various series.
The first of these is X-23: Innocence Lost, which came out in 2005 and was a six-part miniseries that gave all the gory details (literally) behind X-23’s origin. Although that was mostly covered via flashback in Logan, there is still a lot from this mini-series for a potential new film to mine.
Target X
After the success of the first X-23 mini-series, her creators Kyle and Yost returned to the character for another six-part miniseries with artist Michael Choi for Target X. This story picks up a few years after the first and finds Laura attempting to make a normal life for herself after escaping the facility that created her.
This is the storyline that brings X-23 face-to-face with her “father” Wolverine. Obviously, that aspect of the story has been done on film, but an older Laura trying to find her place in the world after escaping her creators/tormentors is ripe for a movie script. This story is collected together with “Innocence Lost” in one giant collection.
New X-Men: Childhood’s End
Kyle and Yost continued to explore Laura’s world after her two initial miniseries when they had her join up with the new generation of mutants in New X-Men, at a time when the book was focusing on the young students at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters.
This was Laura’s first time in a relatively normal school setting, and her lack of social skills (and lack of ability to control her violent temper) result in several problems with the other students. Considering that when we last saw Laura in Logan, she went off with other young mutants, “Childhood’s End” could serve as a decent inspiration for an X-23 focused spin-off.
X-Force: Angels and Demons
In the comics, Laura eventually joined X-Force when it was transformed into a black-ops unit by Cyclops, doing the dirty jobs the X-Men wouldn’t ever do. Wolverine opposed her joining the team, wanting Laura to be free of the life of bloodshed that he had endured. But when she signs on anyway, he does too, mostly to look out for her.
While Laura isn’t likely to join X-Force in the movies, she did end Logan by leaving with another group of young mutants, so maybe the filmmakers could use X-Force as inspiration for stories where X-23 has to play well within a group.
The Killing Dream
Writer Marjorie Liu got to write X-23’s first ongoing series back in 2010 in “The Killing Dream.” This story finds Laura leaving the X-Men’s island home of Utopia (this was after one of the many times the X-Mansion was destroyed) on a mission that has her facing off against one of the X-Men’s biggest villains, Mr. Sinister. Also along for the ride is none other than Gambit. Although a Gambit/X-23 team up is probably off the table (for now) it could happen down the line, and this story would be an ideal inspiration for it.
All-New X-Men
Although not an X-23 title per se, there was a time that Laura joined the team of young, time displaced original students of Charles Xavier in the pages of All-New X-Men. Her role in this book was significant as it had her in a romantic relationship with Warren Worthington III, the Angel. Now, actress Dafne Keen is a bit young for a romantic element in a spin-off film—she’s only 12—but if this movie doesn’t come out for another three or four years? The timing might be right to see Laura in a teenage coming-of-age mutant romance.
All-New Wolverine
After Logan died in the appropriately titled Death of Wolverine, Laura had to step up and become the new Wolverine herself. Tom Taylor wrote this series initially, which brought in a new element into the X-23 story, when they revealed that Laura had a series of clones of her own. While I’m not sure about the “clones of a clone” part, the idea of Laura becoming the new Wolverine after Logan’s death seems a logical step for her own movie after the ending of Logan.
Which comic book storyline of X-23’s would you like to see inspire the makers of Laura’s first solo film? Be sure to let us know down in the comments below.
Need More X-23?
Did you know Millie Bobby Brown from Stranger Things auditioned for Laura?
Watch Dafne Keen audition for the part and blow everyone away!
And here’s why we’re ready for X-23 to become the movies’ Wolverine.
Images: Marvel Comics / Twentieth Century Fox
What Will Michael Bay’s DORA THE EXPLORER Film Possibly Be Like?
New behind-the-scenes footage from The Last Jedi means another trip for Nerdist News Talks Back to the galaxy far, far away, to unearth what secrets it’s hiding. But today we also tried to make sense of the reported Dora the Explorer/Michael Bay team up (seriously), and if Helen Mirren’s venture into a haunted house will prove horrifying or horrible.
Host Jessica Chobot, Nerdist editor Amy Ratcliffe, Geek and Sundry’s Amy Vorpahl, and Nerdist News writer Joan Ford piloted the ship today through the latest Star Wars sneak peek, this time a feature on The Last Jedi’s director Rian Johnson.
What stood out to us more: Rey with Poe, or Rey with a Praetorian Guard? What about Chewie and that Porg feather hanging out of his mouth? What do we make of the fact we still haven’t seen much from the casino planet Canto Bight, or Laura Dern’s and Benicio Del Toro’s characters? And after the Japanese Star Wars website offered some new info on the characters, including just how dedicated Poe is to the war effort, could we see a darker side of him soon? (Be sure to check out today’s Nerdist News for a lot more on where his story might be heading.)
There’s also (the very real) news (we swear) that (honest to god) Michael Bay is producing (this isn’t a joke) a live-action Dora the Explorer movie, which will see a teenage Dora living with her cousin Diego. Okay……okay. Could this actually be good, like the 21 Jump Street movies, or is this destined to flop? Will everything–like her backpack and map–talk in the movie like it does on the show? And if this is happening, who would we fan cast in it, especially as Swiper?
Finally, we got a trailer for Helen Mirren’s upcoming spooky movie Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built. Can she help elevate this from the typical horror fare? Are there other haunted locations that deserve a movie too? (The latest episode of Bizarre States: LA at our online interactive Alpha community might have some pretty great suggestions.) And which Winchester family reigns supreme: Sarah’s, Sam’s, or Dean’s?
Remember to tune in live every weekday and get in on the conversation with us when Nerdist News Talks Back airs live at 1:00 p.m. PST on our YouTube and Alpha channels. And don’t forget to vote in today’s Monster Madness poll!
Who will win today's #MonsterMadness match-up? The #ColossalTitan or #Drogon, you decide…
— Nerdist (@nerdist) October 24, 2017
You might have missed out on today’s conversation, but you can still let us know what you thought about the today’s topics by sharing yours in the comments below. Tune in tomorrow; maybe there will be more Star Wars tidbits to discuss. Or maybe Michael Bay will announce a gritty Blue’s Clues reboot where Blue is a Transformer. Why not!
Images: Lucasfilm
Newly Found Genetic Disorder Might Explain Where “Vampires” Came From
Long before movies turned vampires into sex symbols, and thousands of years before Bram Stoker’s Dracula hit the shelves, tales of pale, blood-thirsty monsters with fangs could be found in countless myths the world over. But how did so many vastly different cultures come up with this particular Joseph Campbell villain with an ashen face? A newly discovered genetic mutation might explain exactly where all those vampire legends came from, and sadly it’s much worse than any scary tall tale.
Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital have found a genetic mutation (that we learned about at Second Nexus) that results in erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a type of porphyria which causes extremely painful photosensitivity. People with the condition, who are also chronically anemic, suffer from severe “swelling, burning, itching, and redness of the skin” when exposed to sunlight. That means they have to stay indoors during the day, even when it’s cloudy, because ultraviolet light can still cause severe damage.
Vampires are also defined as blood drinkers though, and a treatment for EPP could explain that element of the myth too. Symptoms can be relieved by blood transfusions, and as the researchers noted, “In ancient times, drinking animal blood and emerging only at night may have achieved a similar effect — adding further fuel to the legend of vampires.”
That could mean all vampire myths were based on real people who couldn’t go out during the day, were completely pale because they never saw the sun, and who needed to “drink” blood, all so they didn’t have to live in incredible pain. But far from being monsters to fear, they were — and are — people who deserve empathy and understanding. It’s a horrible condition, one unfortunately stigmatized by a fictional creature.
Hopefully, by discovering the genetic mutation that causes EPP a better, more permanent treatment can be found. That’s a story we’d much rather read than another vampire tale.
What other legends or myths would you like to learn more about their real world connections? Tell us in the comments below.
Images: Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures; Warner Bros.
Don’t Let the Content Vein Run Dry…
Vampire madness erupts in trailer for I Had a Bloody Good Time at House Harker
Why Buffy‘s mom remains revered for her TV presence
CODE VEIN is basically Dark Souls with anime vampires
The Writers Panel #357: Max Landis
Screenwriter and showrunner of SyFy’s Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency, currently in its second season, discusses pitching, his writing process, his films Chronicle, American Ultra, and Victor Frankenstein, and lots more. Stick around for the end, when Max pitches his dream project!
Follow @BenBlacker and Like the show on Facebook!
October 23, 2017
STAR WARS REBELS Brings the ROGUE ONE Connections in New Episode
Warning: Spoilers are ahead for the Star Wars Rebels season four episode, “In the Name of the Rebellion.” Jump into hyperspace and away from this page if you haven’t watched the episode yet.
As the final season of Star Wars Rebels progresses, it’s getting closer and closer to the events of Rogue One and A New Hope. The sacrifice of Jyn Erso and her fellow rebels and the resulting destruction of the Death Star are about a year away, and Rebels is connecting the dots. The latest two-part episode, “In the Name of the Rebellion,” forged strong connections to Rogue One, including the fact that the film’s story writer Gary Whitta penned part one.
The most obvious tie to the Star Wars spin-off film is the presence of Saw Gerrera. He dropped by Star Wars Rebels in season three, and this follow-up shows a much rougher looking Saw. His visage now matches the man we see in Rogue One. He’s also accompanied by his pal/co-terrorist Edrio Two Tubes. We got a glimpse of Saw’s extremist ways last season, but now, he’s leaning wholeheartedly into questionable decisions. He’s determined to learn about the Empire’s secret weapon, and he’s willing to sacrifice innocent lives for what he sees as the greater good. So, of course, Ezra tried to work with him.
On their mission, they stumbled into Imperial prisoners that turned out to be scientists from Coruscant. They were working for the energy facility set up by Orson Krennic; Galen Erso worked there, too. As detailed in Rogue One: Catalyst, the facility was really a cover for the Empire to learn more about kyber crystals and how they work from unsuspecting scientists in order to use them for the Death Star. If they started asking too many questions, they got shipped off world or disposed of in “accidents.” I imagine these scientists were imprisoned because they were suspicious.
Side note: since the scientists decided to join the Rebel Alliance after Ezra and Sabine freed them, I hope some of them are the ones who analyze the Death Star’s plans and find the flaws.
Throughout the course of the mission, Jedha came up. That’s where Saw and his partisans were hanging their blasters in Rogue One. The Empire ended up occupying the Holy City to mine for kyber crystals, and oh yeah, the episode featured a massive kyber crystal that was undoubtedly on its way to a facility used for Death Star construction.
For the last couple of tie-ins, we spent some time on Yavin 4 with General Dodonna and Mon Mothma. The blow the Rebellion took on Atollon Base came up as well, and that loss is part of the reason why they don’t leap into a full fledged fight with the Empire until the Battle of Scarif.
How close do you think Star Wars Rebels will get to Rogue One by the time this season is over? Do you want to see more connections to that film and A New Hope? Tell me your thoughts in the comments.
Images: Disney XD/Lucasfilm
Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter and keep up with her Disney food adventures on Instagram.
Fly away with more Star Wars stories!
See an incredibly creepy Palpatine Messenger droid costume.
Learn about the new location coming to Disney Parks’ Star Tours.
What we know about The Last Jedi‘s Amilyn Holdo.
Assemble the JUSTICE LEAGUE with Batman and Aquaman Hot Toys Figures
The DCEU is going to pull out all the stops this November with the release of Justice League, putting all of DC‘s greatest heroes on the big screen together for the first time. Since we are just under a month out, the hype and excitement will only increase. Hot Toys would like to assist with this excitement, as they have released the first pictures from their Justice League line. The first two members of the League getting the ultra-realistic Hot Toys treatment will be Aquaman and Batman.
The king of the Seven Seas has never looked more fierce (although the hook hand version does come in very close). For years, Aquaman was considered the joke hero of the DC Universe because he rode around on a seahorse and talked to fish. Since the mid-90s, he has evolved into one of the most powerful heroes on DC’s roster. Remember, over 70 percent of the Earth is covered in water. He’s the only hero in charge of that much of the planet. From the looks of this figure, Jason Momoa has no intention of letting that legacy diminsh.
Aquaman comes with his fully detailed costume, his trident, a Mother Box, three sets of hands, and a Justice League-themed stand.
One of (if not the) coolest parts of the Justice League trailers has been when Aquaman leaps off the Batmobile to fight Parademons. Now you can get the driver of said Batmobile, the Dark Knight himself. This time, he’s wearing his tactical armor. When Batman changes his costume in the movies, it’s always better when there is a practical reason for it (unlike Batman Forever and Batman and Robin, where the reason was the costumes weren’t neon enough).
The Batman figure comes with three different facial expressions and eye pieces, a Mother Box, tactical goggles, a utility belt’s worth of bat-gadgets, four sets of hands, and the Justice League stand.
You can check out more pics of these figures in the gallery down below. If you want to get your pre-order in, visit Sideshow Collectibles.
Justice League opens in theaters on November 17.
Are you going to start your Justice League collection with Batman and Aquaman? Let me know on Twitter @donnielederer or sound off in the comments below.
Images: Hot Toys
Feast your eyes upon more Hot Toys figures!
Train with this The Last Jedi Rey figure.
Do battle with Gladiator Thor and Hulk figures.
Go to Themyscira with a Wonder Woman figure.
Run Amok and Make a HOCUS POCUS Spell Book Purse
Since it’s the month of Nerdoween, Hocus Pocus is on our mind more than usual. The 1993 Disney film focused on the Sanderson sisters and their witchy ways is a fan favorite and is even coming back as a TV movie reboot on the Disney Channel. Whether you want to prepare for the return of the Sandersons or craft the perfect accessory for your Winifred Halloween costume, Babble has you covered. They’ve performed a magical feat and turned her spell book into a purse.
The base of the project is a hardcover book, so this is a fashionable way to give life back to a damaged title. After you remove the pages, the process is all about modification. The steps aren’t necessarily complicated, but you are going to need to set aside some time for this project. I’d put Hocus Pocus on in the background to make the process feel faster.
While this would go wonderfully with an everyday Winifred costume, it would also be killer with just about any outfit–especially a black dress.
Get full instructions for the how-to at Babble.
Are you ready to embrace your inner Sanderson sister and make a spell book purse? Will you make any modifications? Share your plans in the comments.
Images: Disney/Babble
Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter and keep up with her Disney food adventures on Instagram.
Cast a spell with more Nerdoween content!
Snack on the most popular Halloween candy by state.
Rank all the songs in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Learn how to make costumes from The Dark Crystal.
Welcome to Nerdoween! Throughout the month of October, we’ll be celebrating everything spooky, macabre, and just plain weird. Nerdoween 2017 is presented by Alpha, our interactive membership service, which offers you exclusive content from Nerdist and Geek & Sundry, as well as a 10% discount on all of our merch.
Chris Hardwick's Blog
- Chris Hardwick's profile
- 132 followers
