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Hit the Rainbow Road with a MARIO KART LED Bracelet

Ever since Super Mario Kart hit the SNES, it was clear this franchise was something special. For over 25 years, gamers have hit the tracks with Mario and his best friends and enemies through various iterations of the game. It’s easy to lose hours playing Mario Kart with friends, but you can’t take the glory of the Golden Mushroom Cup home with you when you’re done. However, ThinkGeek has come up with a new way to carry around the Mario Kart experience. Take a look at their brand new Mario Kart LED bracelet.

As you can see in the video, the Mario Kart LED bracelet actually twinkles. So. Much. Sparkle. It has 15 LED lights that can easily be turned on or off and charged. The bracelet takes its inspiration from the famous Rainbow Road as Mario, Luigi, Peach, Yoshi, and Bowser race for supremacy. Admittedly, it would be cool if Luigi’s death glare or the moving Koopa shells were incorporated into the design, but this piece of jewelry is a nice video game themed accessory for anyone who has ever loved Nintendo‘s timeless racing franchise.

The Mario Kart LED bracelet is currently available for order at ThinkGeek for $59.99

What do you think about the Mario Kart LED bracelet? Unleash the red Koopa shell and share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: ThinkGeek

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New Songs from OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE Celebrate the Holidays

This November, Disney is booking a trip back to Arendelle in Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, the closest thing to Frozen 2 that we’re gonna get in the near future. It’s a 21-minute animated short that has been placed in front of Coco, Pixar’s latest film–which also looks quite good. More importantly for Frozen fans, the original cast is reprising their roles and they’ve already started to share some of the new songs!

First up, Kristen Bell has posted an excerpt from “Ring in the Season,” a song that appears to take place early in Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. In this one, Bell’s Anna plans a holiday party for the people of Arendelle with her sister, since this is the first Christmas since they reconciled.

Happy to share “Ring In The Season” from #olafsfrozenadventure! In theatres w/ #PixarCoco 11/22, songs avail 11/3! @joshgad pic.twitter.com/IozYkdyX91

— Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) September 8, 2017

Next, Josh Gad shared a show stopping number from his living snowman, Olaf. This one is called “That Time of Year,” and it follows Olaf as he visits the ordinary people of the kingdom to learn how they celebrate Christmas and the holiday season.

Here’s a snippet of my new song, “That Time of Year,” from #OlafsFrozenAdventure! In theatres 11/22 with #PixarCoco, Soundtrack 11/3! pic.twitter.com/ZzfxkukQmZ

— Josh Gad (@joshgad) September 8, 2017

And finally, Idina Menzel offered a tease of Elsa’s song, “When We’re Together.” If we had to guess, we’d say that song will be near the end of the short. It just seems very much like a “happy ending” tune to close out the story and get everyone excited about Frozen 2.

I am SO EXCITED to share a sneak peek of “When We’re Together” from #OlafsFrozenAdventure! pic.twitter.com/0tjfc8RP4x

— Idina Menzel (@idinamenzel)

The new songs were written by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, and they already seem to fit in well with the Frozen universe. You can see Olaf’s Frozen Adventure in front of Coco beginning on November 22.

Are you excited about the new songs from Olaf’s Frozen Adventure? Ice skate to the comments and tell us which tune you like the most.

Images: Disney

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IT Scores Box Office Records with Monster-Sized Opening Weekend

When it comes to Stephen King‘s It, we really do float down here! It opened at number one with a record-breaking performance, which is currently estimated at $117 million. However, some estimates have It going as high as $120 to $125 million for its opening weekend, once the final totals come in. Considering that a significant number of theaters in Florida are closed due to Hurricane Irma, that’s even more impressive.

According to Box Office Mojo, It now has the biggest ever opening weekend for a September premiere, a fall release, and an R-rated horror film. In fact, It is already the fifth-highest grossing R-rated horror film after only three days, and it seems likely to easily pass The Blair Witch Project for the number three slot at $140 million. If It has legs at the box office (and we think it will), then both Get Out and The Exorcist could eventually be overtaken by their latest challenger.

It certainly came along at the right time. The last three weekends at the box office were so anemic that many analysts openly worried about the future of the industry. Movie fans clearly wanted something new to see before returning to theaters in force. Early projections had It bringing in somewhere around $60 to $75 million for its opening weekend, and it far exceeded its tracking numbers.

Ultimately, credit has to go to director Andy Muschietti, screenwriters Chase Palmer, Cary Fukunaga, and Gary Dauberman, as well as the entire team behind the movie, in addition to the cast for so adeptly updating King’s original tale. There’s no longer a question about whether It will get a sequel, it’s likely how soon and how many films. Perhaps the studios will even try for an It prequel. We’ll find out more in the weeks and months ahead.

Why do you think that It was so successful at the box office? Share your theories below!

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures/New Line Films 

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STAR TREK: DISCOVERY Preview Scene Has a Klingon Encounter

It’s been over twelve years since a new episode of a Star Trek series was broadcast on television, but we’re just two weeks away from the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery. Former The Walking Dead star Sonequa Martin-Green is set to headline the series as Michael Burnham, the first officer of the Discovery. On Friday, Martin-Green was a special guest on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and her interview kicked off with an early preview from the series. In the clip, which came to our attention thanks to ComicBook.com, Burham was on a space walk with a desperate mission when she encountered a potential threat waiting for her.

Stephen Colbert has never been shy about his nerd passions, and he geeked out over the clip; which featured a type of Klingon we haven’t really seen in the franchise before. Colbert also ran down a few facts that were previously revealed about Martin-Green’s character. To start, Michael is a human woman, possibly named after her father, who was raised on Vulcan as an adopted child of Spock‘s father Sarek. Colbert also noted that Michael’s parents were killed by Klingons.

While speaking with Colbert, Martin-Green showed him the proper way of forming the Vulcan salute, and how she reacted when she met the Prince of Jordan on the set of the show. Martin-Green also confirmed there will be some culture shock for Michael, since she is a human who lived among Vulcans for the majority of her life. Additionally, Martin-Green spoke passionately about why this is the perfect time for Star Trek to return to television.

She shared an additional scene during an appearance on CBS This Morning; the scene begins about a minute into the video.

Star Trek: Discovery will premiere on Sunday, September 24 on CBS, before new episodes move to CBS All Access.

Images: CBS All Access

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Magical Dog Only Responds to HARRY POTTER Spells

Until now there have only ever been two types of dogs: “good dogs” and “very good dogs.” Well now we have a third type to add to the list: “magical dogs.” Because there’s no other way to describe this black lab who only responds to Harry Potter spells.

UNILAD Film shared this brief video on their Facebook page of this beautiful little fella who has either a) been trained by a huge Harry Potter fan, b) is really an Animagus, or c) was enrolled at the dog school equivalent of Hogwarts. Honestly, we can’t even handle how adorable this doggo is, and his name better be either Harry Pupper or Padfoot.

Just to review what we just watched: Alohomora is the unlocking charm and he opened the door, Expelliarmus is the disarming charm and he dropped his bone, Accio is the summoning charm and he went and got his ball, and, the greatest thing we have ever seen, he played dead when he was hit with Avada Kedavra.

He played dead when he heard Avada Kedavra.

This pup made the Killing Curse the cutest thing in both the wizarding and muggle worlds. That’s why we needed a new category for this guy. “Very good” just isn’t enough to explain how magical he is.

What other Harry Potter spells do you think this dog should be trained to follow? Which ones, like the Cruciatus Curse, should he never be taught? Cast your own very good ideas in our comments section below.

Featured Image: Warner Bros. Studios

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RIVERDALE Beanie Makes Your Halloween Jughead Costume Complete

Think back to all the elaborate crowns in history—royal kings, beauty queens, and of course the king of burgers himself—Forsythe Pendleton Jones III, otherwise known as Archie Comics‘ Jughead Jones.

Jughead, the original cartoon crown wearer, has always been fashion forward when it comes to hats, dating all the way back to his first comics appearance in 1941. He was doing hipster royal headgear before it was cool. Cole Sprouse‘s updated Juggie of today on The CW’s Riverdale makes crown wearing the ultimate must have for deep thoughts and youth sleuthing.

With Halloween looming large, coming up with costume ideas should be on your agenda and if Riverdale cosplay is your goal, Hot Topic just made your outfit complete. Their new Riverdale Jughead beanie is soft and comf, and comes complete with his signature white and red bottle cap buttons.

No time to sew an elaborate Halloween dress or pull off screen accurate face paint? Or perhaps you’re just plain lazy, we get it. This mottled beanie is instantly recognizable and makes holiday dress up a breeze.

For next level Jughead, Hot Topic also offers a Southside Serpent t-shirt as a complement to the hat. Riverdale’s most notorious biker gang attire allows you to take your Juggie cosplay to the dark side.

Warning, there’s a possibility that placing this crown on your head will lead to intense burger feelings that are out of your control and can only be quelled by an icy cold milkshake from Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe. That’s just a consequence of living the Jughead life.

The Riverdale Jughead Cosplay Beanie is available at Hot Topic stores and their website.

I’ll be dressing up at Jughead Jones this Halloween, will you? Let us know in the comments and tag @nerdist and @justjenn on Twitter to show us your outfits!

Images: Hot Topic
See more about Riverdale!

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Hotel Brings 10 Pound Donut to Your Room with “DoNut Disturb” Package

What are the most important things a good hotel should provide you? A clean room? Nice amenities? A polite staff? WRONG, SO WRONG. The correct answer is whether or not they have a gigantic 10 pound donut you can order to your room, which is why the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort in Palm Springs is the only good hotel.

Hit with that #JWsugarhigh the moment we feasted our eyes on this 10lbs #donut. ______ Today at 4pm – meet us in the Lobby Bar as we unveil our 40lbs

GAME OF THRONES’ Drogon Roars to Life in Hand-Sculpted Statue

There’s only one Mother-of-Dragons (well, technically there’s now a Night King “Step-Dad-of-a-Dragon,” but you know what we mean), which is why our chances of ever seeing a dragon flying overhead are basically zero. But thanks to one very skilled artist we can still appreciate the majesty and ferocity of them with this gorgeous hand-sculpted bust of Game of Thrones largest flying creature, Drogon.

This is the work of Polish artist Przemyslaw Stanuch, a.k.a. LoreChirik (who we came across at Laughing Squid), and he shared a timelapse video showing how he made his Drogon statue using polymer clay, aluminum wires, paint, and a ton of talent.

The amount of craftsmanship that went into this is truly incredible, and by the end it looks like a simple “dracarys” would be enough to turn our computer into a Laptop of Fire. Dragons should both frighten and awe us, and this statue does both.

This isn’t the first time Stanuch has sculpted a dragon, and his past work really highlights just how terrifying Game of Thrones has made their dragons look.

That guy looks great, but he’s downright cute. Meanwhile, if you put his Drogon statue on your desk, you’d wake up to find all of your books had been burned in the middle of the night.

While we loved watching him work and can’t wait to see more from him, we do have one request: please don’t make a dead Viserion statue any time soon. We still need some time to recover from him moving in with his Step-Dad.

What other character, human or otherwise, from Game of Thrones would you like to see him sculpt next? Craft your best idea in our comments below.

Images: Przemyslaw Stanuch

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STAR WARS Princess Leia Corn Maze Honors Carrie Fisher

Since her passing in 2016, Carrie Fisher has been honored in myriad ways. A new tribute to her has taken shape in Evansville, Indiana in the form of a corn maze depicting Fisher’s iconic Star Wars character, Leia Organa. We learned via the Evansville Courier & Press that the space princess labyrinth has claimed a field at Goebel Farms for the fall season.

Jeremy Goebel of Goebel Farms was responsible for creating the design for the maze, and he’s no stranger to crafting labyrinths with nerdy themes. He’s had the role of Maize Maze Designer (I’m making up that title) for the farm for 16 years and made winding paths depicting Darth Vader, The Force Awakens, and the USS Enterprise from Star Trek among others. He’s a lifelong Star Wars fan and wanted to make something that celebrated Fisher and Princess Leia.

As you’d imagine, the planning process takes time. Goebel came up with the plan in February. Once he loaded the Photoshop made maze into a tractor’s computer, the actual planting only took about 40 minutes. The Leia corn maze is open to the public for the first time today, Saturday, September 9, and will remain open for weekends throughout autumn.

Will you be making the trek to Goebel Farms to navigate this maze? Let us know in the comments.

Images: Goebel Farms

Amy Ratcliffe is an Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow her on Twitter and keep up with her Disney food adventures on Instagram.

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DIE HARD Has Finally Become the Christmas Book We’ve Always Wanted

For years, Die Hard has been recognized as one of the all-time great action flicks, and one of the most beloved Christmas movies as well. Sure, It’s a Wonderful Life has an uplifting message about humanity, but Die Hard‘s got peak Bruce Willis, the Rickiest of all the Alan Rickman villains, and even the final song in the movie, Vaughn Monroe’s “Let It Snow,” sends us out on a festive note. It just doesn’t get old even after three decades. But this year, Santa’s got something special under the tree: the Die Hard Christmas book that we never knew we needed!

Comedian Doogie Horner and artist J.J. Horner are collaborating on A Die Hard Christmas: The Illustrated Holiday Classic, a new book which fully combines the joys of Christmas with Steven E. de Souza and Jeb Stuart’s crackling script. It’s too bad that none of their dialogue appears in the early preview pages, but the narrative is carried by Horner’s appropriation of “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” a poem which may be better known for its famous opening line: “Twas the Night Before Christmas.”

The book is fairly short at 32 pages, but it covers the major character and action beats from director John McTiernan’s film. It may look like a children’s book, but it would probably be a bad idea to give it to young kids. The brutal actions of Hans Gruber and his men are largely intact, and John McClane doesn’t hold back either. Let’s just say that John does get the machine gun that he’s been wanting for Christmas, “Ho, ho, ho.”

You can find additional preview pages and the cover in our gallery below. A Die Hard Christmas: The Illustrated Holiday Classic is definitely something that we want under our Christmas tree! And you can buy your own copy when it hits book stores this October.

Are you up for Die Hard Christmas book? Say “Yippie-ki-yay!” in the comment section below!

Images: Insight Editions

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