Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 194

5 Incredibly Bizarre MICKEY MOUSE Cartoons

When you watch a Mickey Mouse cartoon, you don’t expect to say, “What the hell?!” Out loud. Repeatedly. But it’s part and parcel when watching the modern Mickey Mouse shorts from executive producer and supervising director Paul Rudish (Samurai Jack, Clone Wars). The shorts run about four minutes each and put Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and their pals into some weird ass situations that will have you scratching your head. Minnie decapitating Goofy, leeches feasting on a naked Mickey, a theme park made of potatoes—that’s the least of it. These shorts were released anywhere from 10 to 5 years ago, but they are still worth a visit or revisit.

The amusing and stylized shorts will befuddle you, to be sure, but their offbeat qualities are what make them so fun. Here are five Mickey Mouse shorts you should watch:

“Mickey Monkey”

When Mickey and his friends take a trip down the river, a monkey steals Mickey’s identity and his friends don’t notice. “Mickey Monkey” features the naked Mickey incident I mentioned earlier, the monkey Mickey grooming Minnie, and other odd moments.

“Wish Upon a Coin”

Remember that time Mickey Mouse licked Bashful? No? It happens in “Wish Upon a Coin.” Mickey, Minnie, and characters from Snow White are thrown into disarray when Pete steals all the coins from the wishing well. So many silly and off color things ensue.

“Potatoland”

Dream with me for a moment fellow lovers of carbs: what if there was a theme park made of potatoes? It happens in “Potatoland.” Goofy longs to visit the mythical land, and Mickey and Donald Duck do their best to make it a reality–a twisted, gravy covered reality that pokes fun at Disney Parks.

“Split Decision”

When Professor Von Drake’s experiment to help Donald manage his temper goes wrong, Mickey has to deal with two very different Donalds–including a Hulk-like version that terrorizes townsfolk.

“The Birthday Song”

“The Birthday Song” begins innocently enough with Minnie composing a tune for Mickey’s birthday. But things go awry, and Minnie ends up decapitating Goofy. Please note his severed head on the floor at the end of the short.

Feel an itch to binge more of these shorts? Here’s the YouTube playlist. Knock yourself out.

Originally published on November 18, 2017.

Featured: Disney

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DUNE: PROPHECY Episode 2 Recap: The Agony and the Spice (Plus the Ending Showdown, Explained)

Dune: Prophecy is back with its second episode, “Two Wolves.” And that means more intricate machinations are at play in Dune‘s complex universe. From the Great Houses and their political games to the Sisterhood and its power plays to a new piece on the board, a rising rebellion force, a lot is happening in one hour of TV. To help you sort out all the twists and turns of Dune: Prophecy and to answer any leftover questions you may have, we’re back with our weekly episodic recap. As we walk you through Dune: Prophecy‘s recent chapter, we’ll strive to put into context what’s what, and we’ll even walk you through the breathtaking ending of Dune: Prophecy’s second episode and make sure everything is explained and settled before episode three hits our screens. So, let’s dive into our Dune: Prophecy season one, episode two, recap of “Two Wolves.”

Max

Jump to: The Sisterhood School Storyline // Salusa Secundus Storylines // Episode 2 Reveals More About Desmond Hart // Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 2’s Ending Explained

Tula and Lila’s Bond and The Agony: A Recap of The Sisterhood School Storyline in Episode 2 of Dune: ProphecyA Power Struggle Is Emerging Between Valya and Tulu Harkonnen

After the shocking death of Reverend Mother Kasha at the end of Dune: Prophecy‘s premiere episode, Valya Harkonnen also learns that Pruet Richese has been killed in a similar way. Valya decides that she must go to the Emporer and reassert the Sisterhood’s control over him as well as make sure Princess Ynez is still in their grasp. As we learn in episode one of Dune: Prophecy, Valya wants to put a Sister on the throne, and getting Princess Ynez to become part of the Sisterhood is her key. Valya also believes that these fiery deaths are what Mother Raquella spoke of in her deathbed prophecy when she told Valya that she would “see the burning truth and know.” And that the deaths signal the doom in that prophecy.

Before she goes, she orders her sister, Reverend Mother Tula Harkonnen, to convince the young Sister Lila to perform “The Agony,” a dangerous ritual right to unlock the memory of all the women from which she descended. Lila is the great-great-granddaughter of Mother Raquella, and if she could connect with her, the Sisterhood could glean more information about the prophecy. Of course, The Agony involves poisoning yourself and then trying to overcome that poison. So, it would be a potentially fatal risk to Lila.

Max

Tula, against the Sisterhood’s advisement, sees Lila as her daughter. But Valya wants Tula to ignore this (and all those pesky human emotions) and push Lila to undergo the rite for the good of the Sisterhood. Tula, though, insists Lila should be free to choose and not compelled. In the back-and-forth argument between Tula and Valya, we see there are cracks in the relationship of the sisters. Tula believes that Valya sees her as weak and doesn’t necessarily agree with Valya’s methods. Ultimately, though, Valya leaves Tula in charge of the Sisterhood in her absence.

Sister Lila Chooses to Undergo The Agony to Meet Her Mother

True to her word, Tula does not push Sister Lila into undergoing The Agony, although she does suggest it to her as important. The two are clearly very bonded. Some of Lila wants to undergo The Agony because of her loyalty to the Sisterhood and her desire for it to endure and survive. But during a conversation, Tula tells Lila that her mother has died, from which Lila intuits that she might be able to meet her during The Agony. Who is Lila’s mother on Dune: Prophecy? We don’t yet know. But it feels like that will be important information.

Max

Ultimately, it feels like Lila decides to undergo The Agony because she thinks she can meet her mother. Of course, when she actually submits to the poison, she learns that her mother is still alive, after all. Did Tula lie to Lila to get her way? Or was she misinformed? Only the next episodes of Dune: Prophecy will tell.

Dune: Prophecy Reveals More About Its Prophecy

Although Lila does not get what she wants, the Sisterhood does get what it wants. Lila connects with Mother Raquella, who gives us the following new information about Dune: Prophecy‘s prophecy in episode two. Raquella says through Lila, “The key to the reckoning is one born twice, once in blood and once in spice. A revenant full of scars. A weapon born of war. On a path too short.”

Obviously, Mother Raquella is talking about Desmond Hart here, who was born from a woman and then born again on Arrakis, the spice-bearing planet, thanks to the sandworm or Shai-Hulud. Unhelpfully, Raquella doesn’t really add much more information about how to stop him or if he should be stopped or anything like that. But we guess the Sisterhood doesn’t know what we do. Does Dune: Prophecy‘s prophecy of Tiran-Arafel mean that Desmond Hart is a tyrant who can bring holy judgment? We guess we’ll have to wait and see.

Is Sister Lila Dead on Dune: Prophecy?Max

Does Sister Lila die in Dune: Prophecy‘s second episode? Things certainly don’t look good. For one, she was literally poisoned as part of The Agony. For two, Dorotea, whom, if you’ll remember, Valya used The Voice to kill in order to take over the Sisterhood early in Dune: Prophecy episode one, is also an ancestor of Lila, her grandmother. She appears to take her revenge on the Harkonnens by trying to take away what Tula loves moves, Lila. Dorotea says, “Harkonnen, you stole my future. Now I’m taking your hope.” We don’t have confirmation that Lila is dead in Dune: Prophecy episode two. But it’s not looking great.

Jump to: The Sisterhood School Storyline // Salusa Secundus Storylines // Episode 2 Reveals More About Desmond Hart // Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 2’s Ending Explained

The Struggles of the Great Houses: A Recap of the Salusa Secundus Storylines in Episode 2 of Dune: ProphecyValya Still Wants Princess Ynez to Join the Sisterhood Max

Meanwhile, Valya has taken Sister Theodosia to Salusa Secundus to tackle the Emporer and Princess Ynez. Dune: Prophecy alludes to Sister Theodosia’s mysterious past in episode two but doesn’t yet explain it. She is awfully quick to jump to the idea of assassination attempts, however, hinting at something dark.

Princess Ynez is Theodosia’s mission, to become her confidant. Ynez doesn’t seem to want to have a sleepover though and instead is consumed with Kasha’s death and how it happened. We’ll likely see more of this soon.

A Steamy Dune: Prophecy Scene

Dune: Prophecy episode two also turned up the heat by giving us a steamy scene between Constantine Corrino and Duke Richese’s daughter. The duke’s daughter gets information out of Constantine about her brother’s firey death as they… kiss. She also outlines for us that there’s nothing more important than Arrakis and spice. “Power is the desert planet.” She shrewdly notes, “The Great Houses, the Spacing Guild, the Sisterhood, they all know it.” In response, Constantine lets slip that his father arrested Desmond Hart in suspicion of her brother’s death. Oops! This scene paints Constantine as kind of a well-meaning playboy princeling that’s a bit dim. We look forward to seeing other sides of him.

A Rebellion Is Emerging on Dune: Prophecy Max

In Salusa Secundus, we also learn that there’s a rebellion brewing beneath the noses of the Great Houses on Dune: Prophecy. The King’s royal swordmaster, Kieran Atreides, is actually part of the rebellion and has been scanning palace floorplans in secret. He believes spice should belong to everyone and is willing to spill blood to do so, although he is very close with Princess Ynez.

Max

Dune: Prophecy also reveals to us in episode two that there is a Sisterhood spy in the rebellion as well. The spy, named Mikaela, notes that the Sisterhood “Empowers the Great Houses to maintain order, but allows rebellion to keep that power in check.” The Sisterhood’s meddling does run deep. As part of it, it turns out they arranged the attack on the Emporer’s spice-harvesting ships in Arrakis, the one we learned in episode one. It’s clear the Sisterhood follows only its own agenda, merely using the Great House that it pretends to work for. But the Sisterhood may have unwittingly created their greatest enemy, allowing Desmond Hart to be given powers by a sandworm by meddling too hard in this instance.

The Romance of Princess Ynez Corrino and Kieran Atreides (And Some Backstory)Max

Although Kieran Atreides swears that he’s loyal to Dune: Prophecy‘s rebellion in episode two, he’s still getting pretty close to Princess Ynez Corrino. Ynez reveals to him that she was once captured by rebels as a child, alongside Constantine, in an undoubtedly traumatic experience. She notes they are just pieces on the board, and Kieran seems to agree. How will this romance impact his dedication to the rebellion? That question is on our minds.

Jump to: The Sisterhood School Storyline // Salusa Secundus Storylines // Episode 2 Reveals More About Desmond Hart // Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 2’s Ending Explained

Episode 2 Reveals More About Desmond Hart: His Powers, Dune: Prophecy Goals, and Why He Hates Valya Harkonnen and the SisterhoodMax

Then, of course, there’s Desmond Hart. At the beginning of Dune: Prophecy episode two, Desmond Hart confesses to Emperor Corrino that he killed Pruett Richese and implies that the Emperor wanted him to. The Emperor arrests him, but he and the Empress are clearly intrigued by his powers and his impassioned commitment to them and the Imperium. We learn from the Emperor that Desmond Hart claims to have been swallowed by a sandworm on Dune: Prophecy, and the Emperor even saw it on surveillance. The sandworm, or Shai-Hulud, gave Desmond a gift of power.

When Valya arrives, she insists on questioning Desmond, as she believes he is linked to Mother Kasha’s death. Desmond admits to having killed Pruett Richese but demures about killing Mother Kasha. He does say that he saw the corruption in her, as he sees the blood trailing from Valya Harkonnen. He accuses the Sisterhood of undermining the Emperor’s instincts and chipping away at his power, forcing him to grovel before lesser men. When pressed, Desmond reveals that “Shai-Hulud took my eye and granted me with the gift to see what even you cannot.” Desmond’s eye, the Shai-Hulud, his powers, and the prophecy all seem to be connected.

Max

The Emporer doesn’t believe he killed Kasha and Pruett, as he was across the galaxy and their deaths happened in the time span. But it’s pretty obvious to us that he probably did. Valya thinks he wants to get close to the throne, and shes’s right. Speaking to Empress Natalya Corrino in Dune: Prophecy episode two, Desmond says he can do beautiful and terrible things and “humble those who try to take from you or sway you with corrupt council.”

To illustrate the point, he burns Duke Richese in front of Emporer Corrino, ending their squabbles violently. And with that, it seems Desmond Hart has ingratiated himself into the Royal Family of the Imperium at the end of Dune: Prophecy episode two.

Valya and Desmond Face Off: Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 2’s Ending Explained

Dune: Prophecy episode two has another explosive ending that needs some breaking down. After proving himself to the Emperor, Desmond has been freed, and he and Valya come face to face as she is on the way to speak with the ruler of the Imperium. Valya, of course, wants to offer the Emperor information on the rebel attack that she herself engineered, as well as on the rebellion spy in the palace, Kieran Atreides. In this way, she hopes to win back the trust of the Royal Family. Just to break it down again, Valya wanted the rebels to attack Corrino on Arrakis to weaken his hold on power, now she wants to offer him information on the attack she created to bolster him up again for her purposes. That’s a lot of strings to be pulling.

Max

But, alas, Desmond Hart is in the way. At the end of episode two of Dune: Prophecy, Desmond tells Valya that House Corrino and the Emperor no longer require her services and that her privileges at the palace have been revoked. Valya accuses him of wanting to replace her. And he says he only wants what’s best for the Imperium… to wipe out the Sisterhood.

In frustration, Valya uses the Voice against Desmond Hart to try to make him stab himself in the throat. But, gasp! Desmond Hart is able to resist Valya Harkonnen’s voice powers. A shocking twist and Valya doesn’t like it much either. We don’t yet know how he is able to resist her, but it stands to reason he has pushed himself to new limits of humanity as well. He tells Valya that he greatest fear is that she’ll speak and no one will listen. And he’s right.

Jump to: The Sisterhood School Storyline // Salusa Secundus Storylines // Episode 2 Reveals More About Desmond Hart // Dune: Prophecy Season 1, Episode 2’s Ending Explained

Where Do We Stand at the End of Dune: Prophecy Episode 2?

Well, it looks like the Emperor and the Imperium are turning on the Sisterhood. (To be fair, the Sisterhood have been majorly manipulating them.) But Princess Ynez still really wants to be a sister, and that will probably complicate things. Desmond Hart is using his powers to turn the Emperor into a dictator in the meantime. To top it off, Sister Lila might be dead, but her mother is probably important.

And that’s where the second episode of this Dune prequel series leaves us. Join us next week as we recap Dune: Prophecy episode three. Dune: Prophecy airs Sundays on Max.

Check out: our Dune: Prophecy Episode One Recap

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

The post DUNE: PROPHECY Episode 2 Recap: The Agony and the Spice (Plus the Ending Showdown, Explained) appeared first on Nerdist.

What Powers Does Desmond Hart Have on DUNE: PROPHECY?

One day on Arrakis the Kwisatz Haderach will become more powerful than any member of the Bene Gesserit who worked for millennia to create him. But Dune: Prophecy has shown that ten thousand years before the rise of Paul Atreides another man threatened the Sisterhood’s very existence. Why is Desmond Hart, soldier of the Imperium and self-proclaimed enemy of “the witches,” so dangerous? His “great power” comes from the most important creature in the galaxy. And no one, not even Valya Harkonnen, knows what he’s fully capable of now.

How Did Desmond Hart Gain His “Great Power” on Dune: Prophecy?Max

Desmond Hart was clearly an outstanding, special soldier even before his life-altering event on Arrakis. He survived a dozen missions to the deadly planet “when few last more than one.” But his last visit definitely should have killed him. After a surprise attack (secretly engineered by the Sisterhood to weaken the Emperor) Desmond found himself standing alone in the desert waiting for death at the hands of an arriving sandworm. As the Emperor saw on security footage, Shai-Hulud did eat Desmond. Yet, somehow, it didn’t kill him. Hart survived and emerged from the sand “reborn.”

His (possibly metaphorical, possibly literally, possibly both) rebirth granted him more than just a new perspective or purpose in life. It gave him a new terrifying “great power.” In Dune: Prophecy‘s premiere he used his mind to burn young Pruwet Richese from the inside out. He also killed Mother Kasha at the the same way, at the same time, even though she was halfway across the galaxy on a different planet.

Max

How can he use telekinesis to kill? It’s not an entirely new power in the galaxy. The Sorceresses of Rossack, the group that served as the precursor to Raquella Berto-Anirul’s own Sisterhood, had telekinetic powers. But Desmond Hart’s miraculous survival from a sandworm’s stomach seems to hold the keys to understanding his own.

What Did the Sandworm Do to Desmond Hart on Dune: Prophecy?Max

Sandworm secretions are responsible for the creation of spice melange, which can greatly enhance human abilities. Spice can extend life, grant psychotropic abilities, give some prescience, and the ability to see across time. Being inside a sandworm might have been equivalent to ingesting a lifetime (or more) of spice in a single moment, unlocking previously unimagined powers with Desmond Hart.

Young sandworms are also the source of the Water of Life. Drinking that otherwise deadly liquid and successfully converting it within your body turns it into an awareness spectrum narcotic. The Water of Life is how Bene Gesserit sisters become Reverend Mothers who can then access the memory of all the Reverend Mothers who came before them. Lady Jessica underwent this transformation in Dune. As did her son Paul, the first man to ever survive drinking the Water of Life. It unlocked his full potential, making him the Kwisatz Haderach.

Desmond Hart is not Muad’dib, but he does possess other powers of the mind reminiscent of Paul Atreides. They are powers that make him especially dangerous to the Sisterhood.

What Other Powers Does Desmond Hart Have on Dune: Prophecy?Max

Valya Harkonnen arrived on Salusa Secundus in Dune: Prophecy‘s second episode to ensure the royal union of House Corrino and House Richese. Instead she encountered the first and only person who has every posed a real challenge to her life’s work. When the skilled Truthsayer interrogated Desmond Hart she could see he was, at least, partially immune to her abilities.

That was nothing compared to what he did at episode’s end. With Desmond convincing the Emperor to shut the Sisterhood out of the royal palace, Valya used the Voice to make Desmond kill himself, just as she had with her sister Dorotea years earlier. It didn’t work. Desmond resisted the Voice after taunting Valya by making her think it was working.

Max

Desmond Hart, the man who survived being eaten by Shai-Hulud, can now use his mind to kill people. His new skills also allows him to resist the Sisterhood’s greatest power. And he hates Valya Harkonnen and everything her group is trying to do.

We know Desmond Hart won’t stop the Sisterhood. It will become even more powerful as the Bene Gesserit. That shadowy sect will spend ten thousand years working towards creating the Kwisatz Haderach. And yet, we also know it will fail in its mission. Paul Atreides won’t lead humanity to a better path, he will lead it to death and destruction. Will Desmond Hart ultimately be the reason why? Will his powers, or how the Sisterhood responds to them, put the group on a path of ultimate failure?

Maybe Desmond already knows. He might have even more powers than we realize.

Editor’s Note: Dune: Prophecy is a Legendary Entertainment production. Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist and #TeamDesmondHart. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

The post What Powers Does Desmond Hart Have on DUNE: PROPHECY? appeared first on Nerdist.

DUNE: What Is ‘The Voice’ and How Does It Work?

The Voice used by the Bene Gesserit has played an important role in the story of Dune from the very beginning. Lady Jessica violated her Sisterhood’s rules and taught it to her son Paul Atreides. Reverend Mother Mohiam then used it to force the obstinate young man to obey her before placing the Gom Jabbar to his neck. It also showed how powerful Paul had become when he used it against Mohiam herself. But in Dune: Prophecy‘s second episode Desmond Hart was able to ignore Valya, the woman who originated that powerful vocal ability, when she tried to use the Voice on him.

How did he do that? To answer that we have to first understand what the Bene Gesserit’s Voice is and how it works.

What Is the “Voice” Used by the Bene Gesserit in Dune?Max

This is the official definition for the Voice found in the glossary at the end of Frank Herbert’s novel Dune:

Voice – that combined training originated by the Bene Gesserit which permits an adept to control others merely by selected tone shadings of the voice

By manipulating the tone and tenor of their speech, highly trained sisters of the Bene Gesserit—experts in both psychology and physiology who have almost superhuman control over their bodies—can bend others to their will. The Voice works on a person’s unconscious, in the more animalistic part of their brain; it triggers their subconscious instinctual side and makes them comply with the speaker’s wishes. The Vocie can force an unwilling individual to do things they would not otherwise do. That includes revealing truths they wish to keep hidden or even harming themselves.

Warner Bros. Pictures/Legendary Pictures

Because of the extreme modulation often required to use the Voice (which is based on real science and human psychology), live-action adaptations have made it sound terrifying and unnatural. However, the Voice requires a wide range of overtones covering a wide spectrum of frequencies. It can also be used in far more subtle, naturalistic manners.

Who Created the Voice on Dune: Prophecy? Max

Dune: Prophecy‘s first episode brought Mother Superior Raquella Berto-Anirul to the screen. She was the founder and leader of the Sisterhood that became the Bene Gesserit. On her deathbed Raquella believed Valya Harkonnen was best suited to carry on the group’s mission, which included operating a secret breeding program to produce better leaders for humanity.

Raquella’s own daughter Dorotea did not believe in “playing god” and planned to destroy the group’s secret breeding codex. When Dorotea ignored Valya’s pleas to stop, Valya used the Voice on her fellow sister. Valya said she’d had hope to teach Dorotea this new skill which she had recently developed, but instead she used it to force Dorotea to kill herself. Valya became the new Mother Superior and the breeding program continued.

Can Anyone Ignore or Resist the Voice in Dune?Warner Bros./Legendary

While most people are susceptible to the Voice, it is possible to resist it even without the use of machines or devices that prevent you from even hearing it. Some strong-willed individuals, with either enough natural ability, training, and exposure, can also lessen the Voice’s impact or even ignore it completely.

In Herbert’s original novel Lady Jessica believes it would be pointless to use the Voice on Gurney Halleck, and her reasons highlight why a select few aren’t as susceptible to the Bene Gesserit’s vocal commands. In a tense moment when Gurney falsely believes Jessica has betrayed House Atreides, she thinks, “Here was no man to be overcome easily. Here was a killer wary of the Voice, wary of every combat stratagem, wary of every trick of death and violence. Here was an instrument she herself had helped train with subtle hints and suggestions.” Since Gurney can combat his brain’s more animalistic impulses Jessica doesn’t even try to use the Voice. (Though he still wary enough about it he says he will kill her if she does not speak in a monotone voice.)

Warner Bros./Legendary

Even when a sister can use the Voice on someone they don’t always. Lady Jessica believed using it on Duke Leto would have been a complete betrayal of trust. The Bene Gesserit at large did not over rely on the Voice, either. It’s a powerful tool that would have dulled with overuse.

How Was Desmond Hart Able to Resist the Voice on Dune: Prophecy?Warner Bros. Discovery/Legendary Television

Desmond was also able to ignore the Voice when spoke by its creator. He defied the Voice of Valya Harkonnen, the woman who’d used it on her own sister.

Unlike Gurney, though, this does not seem to just be related to a strong will or exposure. This strange, dedicated soldier of the Imperium said he was reborn from the sands of Arrakis. Only, he didn’t just survive a sandstorm, a sandworm ate him. How Desmond Hart possibly survived Shai-Hulud remains unknown. Yet there’s no question he emerged with an amazing, new, horrifying “great power.” He can burn someone to death from the inside out using only his mind. Desmond can also do that across the vast swath of time and space. As he burned young Pruwet Richese right in front of him his telekinesis also allowed him to burn Mother Kasha across the galaxy.

Dune: Prophecy‘s second episode also revealed other abilities Hart gained from being inside a sandworm. He can resist the greatest talents and abilities the Sisterhood employs. Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen was partially stymied when she used her Truthsaying powers on the soldier. Far more frightening for her, though, was when Hart completely resisted the Voice. With Desmond Hart convincing the Emperor to shut out the Sisterhood from the royal palace and therefore the Emperor’s counsel, Valya tried to make Desmond kill himself with a blade to the throat, just as she had with Dorotea. For a moment it seemed like it was working, but Hart was toying with her. “The witches” tricks do not work on him. But his sure do work on them.

Max

Desmond Hart hates the Sisterhood. He sees the group for what it really is, a secret sect trying to control humanity from the shadows. He wants to destroy, forever, everything Raquella and Valya hoped to accomplish. This soldier with a “great power” is a singular threat to the women who will become the Bene Gesserit. And that might be their way to defeat him.

They’re going to have to find other ways to stop him. But while the Voice might not work on him, fortunately for Valya and her sisters it still works on everyone else.

Editor’s Note: Dune: Prophecy is a Legendary Entertainment production. Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Bluesky at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.

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This Cat Christmas Tree Will Give Our Feline Overlords the Holiday They Deserve

What’s more important, your cat or your Christmas tree? It’s a tough question, those are two awesome things. But sadly, they don’t always get along. Cats love to explore. They love to bat. And they love to knock things over. That means cats are always jumping into your Christmas trees, flinging ornaments everywhere, and yet, full-on knocking down the whole tree itself. Of course, a Christmas tree isn’t innocent in all of this. The most common kinds of Christmas trees, fir, spruce, and pine, are all mildly toxic to cats. So what’s a festive cat lover to do? Well, Fancy Feast wants you to have the cat-friendly Christmas tree of your feline’s dreams. Below, you can check out Fancy Feast’s FeastiviTREES, which is the holiday miracle we all deserve. All hail, our feline overlords!

So what is a FeastiviTREE? Well, these wonderful inventions are actually feline-friendly Christmas trees designed to look just like a traditional decorated tree. Fancy Feast has been celebrating what it terms Feastivities for quite some time now. And the FeastiviTREE is the natural evolution of all that fun feasting.

The cat-loving company notes, “With twinkling lights and enticing ornaments, a decorated holiday tree can often become a precarious playground for curious cats. This year, to mark the 40th anniversary of Feastivities, Fancy Feast’s holiday celebration, and to keep playful paws out of trouble, Fancy Feast has created the FeastiviTREE – a feline-friendly holiday tree built to withstand even the most spirited felines, so cats and cat lovers can celebrate the season together in style.”

Fancy Feast

FeastiviTREE’s Cat Christmas trees include:

Cat-safe ornaments and decorations to adorn your FeastiviTREEInternal climbing structures and perches for cats to safely exploreSturdy, cat-friendly base your feline can play insidePLUS Fancy Feast’s 40th anniversary ornament.Fancy Feast

That’s totally spec-cat-ular! Just look at how happy this cat is with its very own Christmas tree.

Click To View Gallery Fancy Feast Fancy Feast Fancy Feast

But how do you get this jolly item for your favorite furry friend? Well, you can enter to win one of Fancy Feast’s FeastiviTREES today, right here. The contest will be open until December 3. It’s the purr-fect way to celebrate the holidays. A merry Christmas and happy holidays to you and your cat!

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Lindsay Lohan Reveals She Sassed Disney’s CEO at THE PARENT TRAP Premiere as a Kid

Lindsay Lohan became famous as a child actress in Disney fare in the late ’90s and early ’00s. By her own admission, she pretty much grew up on the Disney lot. One of her first breakout performances was in the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap. A movie Lindsay starred in when she was all of 11 years old. In the film, she plays identical twins separated at birth, Hal and Ann. Because of the success of The Parent Trap, Lohan went on to star in Freaky Friday, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, and more Disney films.

Now we’ve learned, via Variety, that while appearing on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live, adult Lindsay Lohan revealed that kid Lindsay had some choice words for then-head of Disney Michael Eisner at the Parent Trap premiere. He joked with her on the red carpet saying “Where’s your twin?” (Well, we assume he was joking. One never knows.) Lohan’s response? She said “Well you should’ve paid me double, because I don’t have one.” In later years, Lohan’s sassiness to the press became her calling card. But it was on full display here, even as a child.

Walt Disney Studios

Lindsay Lohan is back in the Disney fold once more, starring in a sequel to Freaky Friday, called (naturally) Freakier Friday. She’s once again re-teaming with her on-screen mom from that original movie, Jamie Lee Curtis. But will she re-team with herself for a sequel to The Parent Trap as well? When asked that question, she said “I mean if [original The Parent Trap director] Nancy Meyers was a part of that, yeah. I would never say no to Nancy.” Maybe if they do indeed make a legacy sequel, she’ll be sure to ask current Disney head honcho Bob Iger to be paid double for playing twins. It seems only fair.

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The DC Comics History of CREATURE COMMANDOS’ G.I. Robot

The Silver Age of DC Comics introduced a metric ton of off-the-wall heroes. We’re talking about characters like Metamorpho, the Doom Patrol, and even Krypto the Superdog. But one of the most oddball heroes of the era was the artificial soldier, G.I. Robot, now a main character in the DCU Max animated series Creature Commandos. But as obscure a character as G.I. Robot is, there are actually six different iterations of him.

G.I. Robot #1, “Joe”DC Comics

The first G.I. Robot appeared in 1962, at the height of DC’s Silver Age. Created by the Pentagon during World War II, this robot, given the name “Joe,” (Yes, as in G.I. Joe) debuted in Star Spangled War Stories  #101, and lasted only until issue #103. A prototype, he mostly fought creatures on Dinosaur Island and giant Japanese robots, alongside a soldier named Mac in the South Pacific, a favorite DC location for their WWII stories. DC never revealed exactly what became of Joe, aside from later stories saying he went MIA. But in just a few years, a newer model replaced him.

G.I. Robot #2, “Mac”DC Comics

A second G.I. Robot model appeared a few years later in the same series. This model was named Mac (after the original’s human soldier friend, one assumes). He lasted all of one issue, making his only appearance in Star Spangled War Stories #125. In this story, Mac is referred to as “Mac the Second,” and they mention how the previous G.I. Robot and his soldier buddy Mac went missing in action. This robot looks decidedly different from the previous one. He dies saving his comrade Reed on (you guessed it) Dinosaur Island. DC’s WWII heroes spent more time fighting dinosaurs than Nazis sometimes.

G.I. Robot #3, “J.A.K.E. 1”DC Comics

The next time a G.I. Robot appeared, it would be fifteen years later. G.I. Robot 3.0 first appears in Weird War Tales #101 in 1981, during the last gasp of DC Comics’ old war titles. By the early ‘80s, WWII comics had waned significantly in popularity, and giving G.I. Robot a big role in Weird War Tales was an attempt at breathing new life into the title. Project M’s lead scientists created this third robot, and gave him the name Jungle Assault Killer Experiment,” or J.A.K.E. for short. Programmed for jungle combat in the Pacific Theater, they even gave J.A.K.E. a little robot dog named Cap. He only lasted a year in the comics, sacrificing himself to save his Marine buddies. His death occurred in Weird War Tales #111, in 1982. But another model was soon to come.

G.I. Robot #4, “J.A.K.E. II”DC Comics

The fourth G.I. Robot was the most famous, and the one the character in Creature Commandos is largely based on. Another version of J.A.K.E., called J.A.K.E II, replaced his predecessor only two issues after the first one deactivated in Weird War Tales #113. He even got to headline the series, and fought a samurai robot. He became a member of the Creature Commandos, and actually survived the events of the war in 1945. Although supposedly going inactive after the Axis was defeated, he appeared in a fight scene in the 2008 event series Final Crisis. So someone turned the “On” switch back on old J.A.K.E. II at some point. It’s even been suggested that he survived until the 31st-century era of the Legion of Super-Heroes.

G.I. Robot #5, “J.A.K.E. 6.1”DC Comics

The next G.I. Robot appeared in the 2008 series Checkmate, about a covert ops government agency existing within the DC Universe. This model went by J.A.K.E.  6.1, suggesting there were J.A.K.E. models 3-5 at some point. Checkmate members all have designations based on chess pieces, similar to Marvel’s Hellfire Club. Checkmate gave J.A.K.E. 6.1 the designation “Rook Delta.” Its programming was said to be that of the original WWII-era J.A.K.E., and his body was created using the part of the former android form of the head of Checkmate, Maxwell Lord. He only appeared twice, and no one knows what became of this version of G.I. Robot.

Another G.I. Robot appeared briefly in the 2008-2009 series The War that Time Forgot, which was an homage to the Weird War Tales comics of decades prior. The G.I. Robot in this series was also named Joe, just like the original one. But he only ever made this one appearance. Which may or may not be part of official continuity. So we’ll count him, but just barely. Will the character of G.I. Robot get a boost because of Creature Commandos? It could definitely happen. And if DC Comics decides to bring him back as well, they have plenty of G.I. Robot models to choose from.

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Muppet*Vision 3D to Close as MONSTERS, INC. Land Replaces Muppet Courtyard, THE MUPPETS Will Take Over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster at Disney World

Someone get Statler and Waldorf on the phone because we need some experienced hecklers. Despite the outcry of many, ourselves included, over the possibility Walt Disney World might get rid of Muppet*Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios, the Mouse House is doing just that. Disney has formally announced its big Monsters, Inc. land coming to the park will replace Muppets Courtyard. That means the beloved Muppet*Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios will close.

But the news isn’t all bad for Jim Henson’s iconic clan. The Muppets are not leaving Walt Disney World’s Hollywood Studios entirely. Instead, they’re taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster from Aerosmith.

The Walt Disney Company

Disney announced a major Monsters, Inc. expansion for Hollywood Studios at this year’s D23. From the moment the company revealed its plan, we knew what the cost might be. A prime suspect for the area’s unannounced location was Muppets Courtyard. That’s home to the long-running attraction Muppet*Vision 3D, one of the oldest in the park and the last Muppets project Jim Henson ever worked on. Now, sadly, it’s official. Disney has said Mike, Sully, and friends will replace Muppets Courtyard on the south side of the park, and Muppet*Vision 3D will close.

While we’re very sad to lose Muppet*Vision 3D, Disney says it’s looking for ways to keep it alive in different ways. They wrote, “As we move forward with these changes, we are having creative conversations and exploring ways to preserve the film and other parts of the experience for fans to enjoy in the future.” The company also says it’s going to put a “whole new” Monsters, Inc. show into the current Muppets Theater that houses Muppet*Vision 3D. The building’s inclusion can be seen in new concept art for the upcoming area.

Disney

No matter what fate ultimately awaits Muppet*Vision 3D (or PizzeRizzo), The Muppets aren’t leaving the park entirely. They are moving to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, an absolutely perfect spot for them.

The re-themed attraction will be The Muppets’ first-ever ride. (Fulfilling a very old promise.) Here’s what Disney said about the updated Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster:

To make way for the monsters, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and more of their friends will be moving right along to Sunset Boulevard! But there’s more to the story: The Muppets will be taking over Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, teaming up with some of music’s biggest stars for a rockin’ music festival! 

We know so many of you share our love for The Muppets and know their energy will be a perfect fit for this coaster. Plus, as the first Disney ride ever to feature The Muppets, there’s sure to be laughter, screams and new tunes for this attraction for fans to enjoy throughout the adventure and plenty of Muppets-themed merchandise on Sunset Boulevard!

Disney

With apologies to Aerosmith, that’s going to be a huge upgrade.

Before any of these changes happen, Disney says there’s plenty of time for guests to enjoy both Muppet*Vision 3D and Aerosmith’s Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. And that means we also even have time to get Statler and Waldorf to heckle Disney about not putting Monsters, Inc. land in Animation Courtyard. Not only does that area actually need replacing, it would have meant we kept Muppet*Vision 3D and got a Muppets roller coaster.

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Samuel L. Jackson in Talks to Star in J.J. Abrams Mystery Film

A currently untitled J.J. Abrams feature film with Warner Bros. continues to grow its cast, which includes Jenna Ortega, Glen Powell, and Emma Mackey. This trio is expected to lead this film, which is rumored to involve time travel. The latest person to potentially join this Abrams project is Samuel L. Jackson, who is currently in talks for a key role. We don’t know what it could be, but we are sure that he will rock it no matter what. 

Right now, all details are closely under wraps. But The Hollywood Reporter says that filming will commence in the UK in spring 2025. That means we probably won’t know much about this film until next summer or even fall but an Abrams and Samuel L. Jackson movie sounds like a good time. And, this doesn’t seem to be related to whatever project Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hinted at on his IG page a while back. Hmmm. We are curious for sure.

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Toys “R” Us Reality TV Competition Show in Development

A few years ago, iconic toy store chain Toys “R” Us filed for bankruptcy, closing all of its stores nationwide. The brand seemed dead and buried. But since then, it’s been on a big comeback, reopening stores across the country. And now, there’s even going to be a Toys “R” Us reality competition series. Via Deadline, we’ve learned that Fox Alternative Entertainment is developing Toys “R” Us Family Faceoff. The Toys “R” Us reality TV show will focus on families competing inside a “larger-than-life” version of the iconic toy store. Additionally, the series will find a way to incorporate classic toy brands into the Toys “R” Us competition series.

Here’s what Fox Alternative Entertainment head Allison Wallach had to say about the upcoming show:

Toys “R” Us Family Faceoff represents an evolution of the family-friendly competition genre, appealing to fans who love the iconic toys and games we all grew up with…and some new ones, as well. Add to that Toys “R” Us at the center of it all, with larger-than-life challenges that integrate the world’s most favorite toys and games, it will be an hour of fun for the whole family.

Toys “R” Us

No details on what the rules of the game will be or which toy brands will be a part of the Toys “R” Us reality show. Will there be Pokemon challenges? Nintendo wars? Or will they go old-school and have Cabbage Patch Kids and Care Bears categories? All we know is that we hope the Toys “R” Us reality show host is Geoffrey the Giraffe, the Toys “R” Us mascot. (We’re not entirely sure how that would work, but we still want to see it). We’d also love them to use the old “I’m a Toys “R” Us Kid” jingle as the theme song. There’s no home for Toys “R” Us Family Faceoff yet, so we don’t know if it’s for linear or streaming platforms. Hopefully, we’ll find out in the months ahead.

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