Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1951

Twitter Bot Tweets Pictures of Ice-T Talking About Fake Drugs on LAW & ORDER: SVU

Have you heard about this horrible new drug that just hit the streets? It’s a joint laced with Sudafed and Listerine. They call it Robot Bananas. Fortunately authorities will be able to jump all over this before it becomes an epidemic, thanks to a Twitter bot inspired by a comedian’s ridiculous screencaps of Ice-T‘s Fin from Law & Order: SVU talking about fake drugs.

Turns out that joint was laced with Sudafed and Listerine. It's called Robot Bananas. pic.twitter.com/gEl5sFqv9B

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 19, 2017

This all started thanks to the work of comedian Sean Tejaratchi (@ShittingtonUK), who we first learned about at The A.V. Club a couple years ago. He started parodying the often silly scenarios of Law & Order: SVU‘s plots, and who better to tell us all about absurd future drugs than Ice-T’s Fin. And because sometimes the internet is actually very good, someone has created a Twitter bot (@icetsvu) dedicated to making more of these. Which isn’t just great because of how funny this premise is, but because where else would we learn about the monsters out there who are doing terrible things to kids like this.

They're callin' it Mannequin Poppers. Somebody slips it into a kid's drink, next day he wakes up at a T.J. Maxx co… pic.twitter.com/dk3R4Qktwd

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 19, 2017

Have you spoken to your children about the dangers of Mannequin Poppers? What about Elbow Cupcakes?

Turns out that joint was laced with Axe body spray and walnuts. It's called Elbow Cupcakes. pic.twitter.com/BkXhBALbeV

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 8, 2017

Man, it’s rough out there. Which is why we’ve become obsessed with learning as much as we can about the newest narcotics.

Melinda says she OD'd on somethin' called Tickle Brain. Housekeeper found her passed out in bed wearin' a lego bik… pic.twitter.com/ffqyZ9lwqV

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 20, 2017

They're callin' it Mannequin Poppers. Somebody slips it into a kid's drink, next day he wakes up at a T.J. Maxx co… pic.twitter.com/dk3R4Qktwd

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 19, 2017

Toxicology says she was wacked out on some new drug called Filthy Purple. Found her naked at a Hot Topic screamin'… pic.twitter.com/GEvvsmS2so

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 5, 2017

Warner says she was wacked out on some new drug called Regret Suspenders. Found her naked in the back of a Bodega … pic.twitter.com/4TTZeSpWAE

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 4, 2017

Medical examiner says they OD'd on some new narcotic called Elbow Lightning. It's made from curry and vape juice. pic.twitter.com/YRMf0goint

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 4, 2017

It's a nootropic from the dark web called Party Hotcakes. Dude was in the middle of deliverin' a quarterly earning… pic.twitter.com/jcb9eHp3dF

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 4, 2017

Lab says he was wacked out on some new drug called Canadian Ripple. Found him naked at Penn Station whisperin' 'He… pic.twitter.com/0qkiG1QZqC

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 2, 2017

I think it’s safe to say we’re losing the War on Ridiculous Drugs.

But we’re glad Fin is still out there fighting the good fight. Especially when a pog comeback might be involved.

Street name is Pixie Fire. Kids try it at parties, next thing they know they're at a Motel 6 gettin' paid to speak… pic.twitter.com/NaLDcHfpXS

— Fin (@icetsvu) September 5, 2017

Just say no to drugs, and yes to funny Twitter bots.

Featured Image: NBC

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These Disney Fans Had the Ultimate Fairytale Wedding

The Disney fandom is easily one of the most devoted and loyal in the world, bridging every age, cultural, economic divide there is. And when Disney fans show their devotion to Walt’s vision, they tend to go all out. In the past, many couples have used the Disney theme parks as locations for the nuptials to celebrate their love for each other and all things from the House of Mouse. But thanks to PopSugar, we think we’ve found one couple who wins hands down for the most elaborate Disney parks wedding yet.

Let us introduce you to Sarah and Gilbert, two UC Berkeley grads and hardcore Disney fans who recently had their dream wedding at Disney’s California Adventure theme park. The couple’s first date was seeing Disney’s Up, which was maybe an indicator that these two would have Uncle Walt looking out for their relationship. Gilbert popped the question to Sarah with a custom Disney “Adventure Book,” and the eventual engagement photos had a Tangled theme.

But when it came to the actual wedding, these two pulled out all the stops. Sarah arrived in the Cinderella Carriage, the ultimate fairy tale wedding moment. Afterwards, the wedding guests were escorted to their seats via personalized Fastpasses, with each guest receiving glowing wristbands that the wedding DJ controlled with the music. Of course, Mickey and Minnie Mouse showed up to pay their respects to the happy couple, and the wedding guests got to enjoy the final performance of World of Color in their own reserved area. As if that wasn’t enough, Sarah and Gilbert then rented out the Toy Story Mania ride after the park closed for just their wedding guests.

“Sarah and I love Disneyland and have been annual pass holders for the past 6 years, going every chance we get (from runDisney races to family vacations and short daytrips from NorCal),” said Gilbert. “We’ve both been going to Disneyland since we were kids, and it’s always been a home away from home for us. We love the feeling of magic that Disneyland gives us every time we go.”

In perhaps the pièce de résistance, Sarah and Gilbert ended their perfect fairy tale Disney Wedding as the two rode off on the Disneyland Main Street Fire Engine. Although other Disney parks weddings will occur, it’s going to be hard to top Sarah and Gilbert’s nuptials anytime soon. For photos of the big day, be sure to check out photos from Jenna Henderson of White Rabbit Photo Boutique in our gallery below.

What would your geeky dream wedding entail? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!

Need More Disney? (Who Doesn’t?)

Out-Disney this couple and buy Snow White’s cottage!
An artist is making amazing realistic Pixar portraits OF PEOPLE LIKE ME AND YOU!
And finally, this cosplayer transforms himself into many a Disney prince.

Images: White Rabbit Photo Boutique

A Zombie Christmas Movie Musical is Coming and Looks Insane

Thanks to Die Hard, it’s become perfectly acceptable for an action film to also be a great Christmas movie. But action only goes so far, and today’s fans need more from their cinema experience. Perhaps some singing and Christmas zombies could brighten up the tired holiday movie genre. Amazingly, this movie already exists. Anna and the Apocalypse is almost everything we love wrapped up in a single film. Deadline has debuted the first official teaser, and it looks like the action zombie Christmas mash up of our dreams!

The first thing we want to know is how this film managed to stay completely under our radar until now. (Also, sidebar, the leading actress, Ella Hunt, apparently appeared in a movie called Our Robot Overlords, which we must see immediately.) For this film, Hunt is playing Anna, a high school student who has to fight and sing her way through the zombie apocalypse when the undead turn Christmas into a deadly holiday. Anna and the Apocalypse was directed by John McPhail, and it received its world premiere on Friday, September 22 at Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas. So far, everything we’re seeing in this trailer is amazing, and even the poster is a brilliantly realized image that combines Christmas with the living impaired.

Seeing this trailer has us hoping for a Christmas miracle. We don’t want to wait a year to see Anna and the Apocalypse in theaters, we want to see it this holiday season! Actually, we want to see it right now, but we’ll happily wait to watch this movie in the glory of a big screen theater. This is so delightfully insane that we’re ridiculously excited that it even exists.

What do you think about the first teaser trailer for Anna and the Apocalypse? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Images: Blazing Griffin

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ROGUE ONE’s Chirrut Takes on Literally Everyone in New LEGO STAR WARS Parody

One of Rogue One‘s best additions to the Star Wars mythology was Chirrut Îmwe, the blind Guardian of the Whills who was memorably portrayed by action icon Donnie Yen. Chirrut may not have been a Jedi, but he was unusually strong with the Force and one of the best fighters that we’ve ever seen in the franchise. That said, Chirrut didn’t exactly get the chance to take his skills on the battlefield up to their full potential. So what would it look like if he had?

That’s the premise behind “Chirrut vs. Everything,” a newly released LEGO Star Wars parody. If it had gone down like this in the actual movie, then Rogue One would have been almost two hours shorter!

This video was released by the How It Should Have Ended YouTube channel, in collaboration with Brotherhood Workshop. Kevin Ulrich directed, wrote, and animated the short in addition to providing his voice. Daniel Baxter, Emily Liu, and Jon Brunson rounded out the rest of the voice cast. The short expanded upon Chirrut’s face-off with the stormtroopers on Jedha, and then kicked up the action to a ridiculous degree, roping in Imperial Walkers, Darth Vader himself, and more still. Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and Baze Malbus didn’t really have to do anything except to watch and enjoy the show.

What did you think about Chirrut vs. Everything? You are one with the Force, and the Force is with you in the comment section below!

Images: How It Should Have Ended

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Is it a Good Sign THE LAST JEDI is Already Completely Finished?

Director Rian Johnson says The Last Jedi is done. Like—done done—three months before it hits theaters. Does this early wrap bode well for the film, or is this a little too early? That’s what we broke down on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back, along with the reports about Stranger Things little potty-mouthed star, a potential show produced by Bill Clinton (really), and the not-so-highly anticipated premiere of Marvel’s The Inhumans.

Piloting the ship today in the host’s chair was managing editor Alicia Lutes, and she was joined by Bizarre States‘ Andrew Bowser, Geek and Sundry‘s Amy Vorpahl, producer Jason Nguyen, and associate editor Kyle Anderson. They set off with the announcement from Rian Johnson that he has completely finished The Last Jedi, a far cry from J.J. Abrams who was grabbing pickups three weeks before The Force Awakens opened. Does this much earlier completion make us feel relief or apprehension, and either way, does Johnson’s efficient work mean he really should have been the choice to direct Episode IX too?

They then discussed the news that young Finn Wolfhard showed up for season two of Stranger Things with a penchant for swearing he picked up on the set of the IT movie. His parents might not find that as adorable as we do, but should Stranger Things just adopt an R-rating anyway, since it pays homage to so many of those movies anyway? And speaking of their old-school influences, are all those promotional parody posters actually hurting expectations for the show?

From there they discussed how Showtime is looking to adapt The President is Missing, a novel co-written by Bill Clinton and James Patterson, which would involve the former president working as a producer. Uh…what? Would we watch this? Or is this a little too much executive branch-executive producing with The Celebrity Apprentice still on the air? Even so, what kind of show would we give Obama?

Finally, Marvel’s The Inhumans premieres next week, and early reviews are :checks thesaurus: shittacular. If that’s too harsh, how about “appalling.” Did anyone want this show? Is it dead on arrival? Or can it be saved despite what James Gunn said?

Remember, Nerdist News Talks Back was live today at 1:00 p.m. PST on our YouTube and Alpha channels, just like it is every weekday. Always tune in live so you can get in on the conversation with us. After all, we have three months to guess whether Rian Johnson is talented at his job, or if he was that kid who shouldn’t have finished his final exam with two hours left.

What do you think about today’s topics? Talk back to us in the comments below.

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Images: Lucasfilm, Netflix

8-Year-Old Girl Bullied for Loving Bugs Publishes Scientific Paper on Them

Sansa Stark riding in with the Knights of the Vale, Rohan answering Gondor’s call for aid, the Clone armies arriving on Geonosis. Everybody loves a great “call in the cavalry” moment, and this time it happened for real to help protect a little Canadian girl from being bullied for her love of insects. And who were the riders who came to her rescue? None other than the scientists in the entomological community that she one day hopes to join.

The saviors came not on horses or gunships, but on the backs of beautiful insects! (Not literally, of course, as that would kill them.)

I’m really proud of this piece, and am thrilled to share the publishing experience with Sophia, who I met & collected bugs with this summer pic.twitter.com/s7SiT7giIl

— Morgan Jackson (@BioInFocus) September 6, 2017

The story of eight-year-old Sophia Spencer and the entomologist army, which comes via NPR, began when Sophia’s mother, Nicole Spencer, emailed The Entomological Society of Canada to ask for help. She explained in the email that her daughter “loves to explore the world of bugs and insects” but that she’s often “teased at school by her peers.” In response, there was a massive outpouring of support from the bug studying community, as well as the birth of a new popular hashtag, #BugsR4Girls.

Not only were there hundreds of responses on social media from people championing Sophia and praising her passion, one entomology PhD candidate, Morgan Jackson, even stepped up and decided to put together a whole scientific paper on Sophia’s experience, which gave her her first byline. Which means Sophia’s now a published scientist at age eight. Bullies got nothin’ on that, do they?

A young girl who loves insects is being bullied & needs our support. DM your email & we’ll connect you! #BugsR4Girls pic.twitter.com/kjtfSJSlre

— Ent Soc of Canada (@CanEntomologist) August 25, 2016

The paper, which was published in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America, is titled “Engaging for a Good Cause: Sophia’s Story and Why #BugsR4Girls,” and focuses on, according to the abstract, promoting women in science, the impact the larger scientific community can have on individuals, and the use of social media by scientific societies.

The paper tackles all three topics mainly by analyzing the reaction to Sophia’s predicament on Twitter. It’s noted that the initial #BugsR4Girls tweet associated with Sophia received over 175,000 impressions from other users, and that The Entomological Society of Canada’s own Twitter account received Direct Messages from 135 unique users outlining their support. Of those 135 Direct Messages, 73% were from women.

.@CanEntomologist I’ve been that girl, became an entomologist & still proudly wear bugs on my shoulder #BugsR4Girls pic.twitter.com/dOmopyv8Q8

— Julia Koricheva (@KorichevaLab) August 25, 2016

As far as Sophia’s current state of mind, she seems dead set on becoming an entomologist and spending her life studying bugs. In the below GMA clip, she appears to be as big of a bug-lover as ever, stating proudly that “people think that bugs may be creepy and that bugs aren’t cool, but bugs are cool.” And so is Sophia’s enthusiasm for entomology.

What  do you think about Sophia’s story and the corresponding support from the entomological community? Let us know in the comments below!

Need More Bug Stuff? (Of COURSE You Do!)

Here’s a time lapse video of a spider building its web!
WHOA look at this cybernetic cyborg dragonfly (seriously) take flight for the first time.
Is this a light show? Nope, it’s just a bunch of VERY COOL GLOW WORMS IN A CAVE!

Images: Flickr / Patrice Puig

Matt Mira Will Host STAR TREK: DISCOVERY After Show on CBS All Access

After over a decade, Star Trek is returning to television this weekend with the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery. But it has become a very different TV landscape since the last series ended, with podcasts, streaming services, and the all-important after-show. Fortunately, we’ve learned that our very own Matt Mira has signed up to host After Trek, the official after-show of Star Trek: Discovery!

CBS has officially announced that After Trek is coming to CBS All Access this Sunday, September 24, following the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery. And for his first guests, Matt will be welcoming series stars Sonequa Martin-Green and James Frain, who play Michael Burnham and Ambassador Sarek, respectively. Star Trek: Discovery executive producer and co-showrunner Aaron Harberts will also be on hand to discuss the series premiere and give us a taste of what’s yet to come in the first season.

Future episodes of After Trek will follow the template of other official after shows by inviting celebrity fans to join Matt and the various cast members and creators behind-the-show as they talk about each new installment. Star Trek fans around the world will also be a part of this interactive experience via social media. While the first episode will hit at 8:00pm PST this Sunday, all future will episodes of After Trek will stream live at 6:30pm PST starting on Sunday, October 1. Following the live show, all episodes of After Trek will be archived on CBS All Access for later viewing.

We’re really proud to see Matt take the reigns on this project! And this seems like a good opportunity to mention that Sidekick with Matt Mira is getting a second season on our streaming platform, Alpha. Matt is also a writer on the ABC series, The Goldbergs, and one of the original co-hosts of the Nerdist Podcast. We can’t wait to see him on After Trek this Sunday!

Are you excited about After Trek? Beam down to our comment section below and let us know!

Images: CBS All Access

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Adorable YURI ON ICE Figures Skate Into Your Funko Pop Collection

In the fall of 2016, the world fell head-over-heels in love with an anime about competitive ice skating, Yuri!!! on Ice. Not only was it a rich and compelling love story about finding the confidence to chase your dreams, but it was one of the most beautifully rendered animation shows we’ve ever seen.

Yuri!!! On Ice tells the story of Yuri Katsuki, a Japanese figure skater who returns to his hometown with his tail between his legs after suffering a crushing defeat at the Grand Prix Final, one of the most elite competitions in competitive figure skating. When a video of Yuri performing a difficult routine by his hero/rival Victor Nikiforov goes viral, Victor winds up traveling Japan and offers to train Yuri for what could be the last season of his professional figure skating career.

Image: Giphy

It became a surprise smash hit, growing a massive fandom, inspired a controversial rip-off, and now, like all shows that truly make it, Yuri!!! on Ice is getting the Funko Pop! treatment this October.

It’s time to reenact those ice routines on your work desk, folks. Here’s the lineup:

Look for Young Victor featured with a flower crown,

available only at Hot Topic!

Featured Images: MAPPA and Funko

For more information about the current Funko library, check out their website at Funko.com.

Which of these Yuri!!! On Ice figures do you want most? Let us know in the comments below.

What else is happening in the world of anime?

Thor: Ragnarok Taika Waititi may direct a live-action director Akira next
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The best new anime of fall 2017

Alex Tisdale is a writer and illustrator who runs on coffee and pop culture. You can find him covered in ink and rambling on his website or on Twitter.

Is Han Solo’s Kessel Run Bad News for His STAR WARS Origin Story?

With all eyes turned towards director Rian Johnson‘s Star Wars: The Last Jedi in December, and J.J. Abrams’ return for Episode IX, it’s easy to forget that that we’re getting another movie in May 2018. Ron Howard has taken over the Han Solo movie, and we haven’t heard anymore complaints out of Lucasfilm, so hopefully that means the film is back on track. But we have noticed more callbacks since Howard joined the project. First there were rumors of a Darth Vader cameo, and now Howard himself is teasing one of the most famous moments from Han Solo’s backstory. But is this exercise in nostalgia a good thing? Today’s Nerdist News is exploring the question of whether the new prequel adventure will rob Han Solo of his mystique.

Join host, and the New Republic’s ambassador to Kashyyyk, Jessica Chobot, as she throws the spotlight on Howard’s recent hint about Han Solo’s legendary run at the spice mines of Kessel.

Spicey?

A post shared by RealRonHoward (@realronhoward) on Sep 20, 2017 at 3:21pm PDT

The implication certainly seems to be that this is the Kessel spice mine mentioned by Solo in a throwaway line during his first scene in A New Hope. “It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.” That was the beauty of Star Wars. Lucas and his collaborators had a knack for making that universe even more compelling by adding details like that. Unfortunately, Lucas was also personally responsible for the prequel trilogy, which took away many the intriguing aspects of the original trilogy. No matter how you feel about the prequels, it’s hard to argue that a whiney Anakin Skywalker didn’t hurt Darth Vader‘s status as a cinema legend.

Lucas resisted the urge to Han in the prequel movies, but there is some Revenge of the Sith production art of Han as a kid on the Wookie homeworld which suggests that we narrowly dodged that laser blast like Gweedo in a poorly edited retcon. The point is that Han still has an air of mystery about his past that wasn’t ruined. That’s one of the reasons why we weren’t happy about the rumor that “Han Solo” wasn’t his real name, which Lucasfilm inadvertently started themselves.

We understand that by its very nature, the Han Solo movie is going to show us parts of Han’s past that we’ve never seen before. And if the spice run at Kessel is a part of that, then so be it. All we really want out of the film is a thrilling two-and-a-half hour ride that leaves Han’s reputation intact. After the prequel trilogy, we’re understandably a little gun shy.

What do you think about Howard’s latest hint for Han Solo? Hide in the cargo bay and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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THE FLASH, ARROW, SUPERGIRL, and the LEGENDS Reunite For CRISIS ON EARTH-X Crossover Event

Last year, it took an alien invasion to bring together Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and DC’s Legends of Tomorrow. For this year’s crossover event, the heroes are reuniting for a wedding and the incursion of evil heroes from an alternate Earth. That sounds like a party to us!

Via Entertainment Weekly, The CW has revealed the details for this year’s four-part superhero crossover, Crisis on Earth-X. Needless to say, there are some minor spoilers ahead!

The crossover, which began filming Friday, will feature the wedding of Barry Allen and Iris West, as the various heroes converge for the ceremony. But that is the exact time that the twisted versions of the Flash, Arrow, and Supergirl from Earth-X plan to attack and kick off an invasion of their own. That’s right, it’s a full blown Crisis on Three Earths! The CW even lined up Infinite Crisis artist Phil Jimenez to provide the artwork for the event, and it is glorious.

Here. For. This. #Arrow, #TheFlash, #LegendsofTomorrow, #Supergirl unite for ‘Crisis on Earth X’ crossover event https://t.co/glJuQlOPWA pic.twitter.com/0Ok1sD11by

— Natalie Abrams (@NatalieAbrams) September 22, 2017

Note that the poster already confirms the survival of Mister Terrific, Black Canary, and Wild Dog from Arrow, while leaving out a few familiar faces from that show’s cliffhanger ending. The poster also confirms that we’ll see the live-action debut of the Ray, who is currently headlining his own animated series on CW Seed. That show has turned out to be more important than previously thought, since it takes place on Earth-X and introduced the evil versions of the CW’s flagship heroes.

As noted by EW, the teaser poster also features Captain Cold, which hints that Wentworth Miller will be back for this crossover. EW also spotted Legends of Tomorrow‘s Zari (Tala Ashe) wearing an amulet that may mean she’ll go full Isis.

Crisis on Earth-X will begin on Monday, November 27 in Supergirl, and continue on Arrow immediately after. The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow will wrap up the event on Tuesday, November 28.

Are you excited about this year’s CW crossover? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: The CW

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