Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1977

Squanch This Fan Commercial for a Pickle Rick Action Figure

It’s no secret that we love our extremely talented filmmaker pals, Sneaky Zebra! Over the years they’ve kept us in tune with pretty much every bit of incredible cosplay from around the world and have still found the time to mess around with some downright impressive VFX. And in their latest video, they’ve made us realize that a show like Rick and Morty definitely needs an official toy line.

The video harkens back to a simpler time where toy commercials made their case with little else than showing off how they work. What we get is a clean cut premise of evil rats and their leader Ratula, who need to be stopped by everyone’s favorite preserved hero, Pickle Rick.

Clearly sick of Ratula gherkin’ him around in the briny depths of the sewer, Pickle Rick smashes through a wall of stacked cans (a staple in all old school toy commercials) to take care of his foes with a Nerf dart version of his shoulder mounted laser like it’s no big dill. (See that!? THREE pickling references in one sentence, folks! I’ll be waiting by the phone, Pulitzer committee!)

A little before and after from our #Picklerick video.

ALIENS’ Facehugger Gets a Ridiculously Detailed Replica Prop

For over three decades, Aliens fans have been terrified by the Xenomorph’s three stages of life. We can deal that with the eggs, although the adults are a lot harder to defeat. But it is the Facehugger that’s still permanently etched into our memories as one of the most unsettling monsters in movie history. Next year, Hollywood Collectibles Group is producing a limited edition prop replica of the Facehugger that is perhaps the most hideously accurate recreation of it that we’ve ever seen.

Entertainment Earth has put the Aliens Facehugger Prop Replica up for pre-order, and for $699.99, this limited edition recreation of the Facehugger from the second movie can be yours. Looking at it from this angle, it’s not so bad. That’s because we’ve gotten used to seeing the Facehugger’s back, and the back is not the problem. It’s not going to cause any nightmares from that direction, but we can’t say the same thing about the front!

That, shall we say, is much less pleasing to the eye. If you have the money, you can pay the premium to stare at the Facehugger’s extremities while you remind yourself that this is how it forces its eggs down the throats of its victims. The Xenomorphs can only survive by using other species as hosts. And you’re next!

Now, we can’t can’t complain about the craftsmanship of this piece, since it appears to be exceptionally well made. It’s 28-inches-tall and officially described as “a museum quality prop” that was made out of  heavyweight polystone and hand painted to bring out all of the details. It’s probably not for us, but if you’ve ever wanted your very own Facehugger on display, you can order it here. The Facehugger replica is expected to ship in early 2018.

Would you invite this replica Facehugger into your home? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Need More Alien Content?

Learn how to recreate the acid blood scene!
Here’s our review of Alien: Covenant.
And if you want more toys, here are NECA’s Alien figures.

 

Images: Hollywood Collectibles Group 

Watch CHASE, a Short Film That Hypnotically Chronicles the Passage of Time

Time is the one thing no one can change, and it only flows in one direction. From moment to moment, we can only perceive the passage of time with the evidence of our senses. But as a new short film demonstrates, people, places, and shapes can bleed into each other in mesmerizing ways simply by speeding up or slowing down our perception of time.

Via Laughing Squid, artist and photographer Páraic McGloughlin has released Chase, an animated short film compiled from his personal photographs while offering a hypnotic look at everyday life. There is no plot or narrative to speak of, it just focuses on the way that everything blends together. Strangers literally walk in each others footsteps, and the city seems to live and breath as if it had a life of its own.

Chase from Páraic Mc Gloughlin on Vimeo.

McGloughlin shot Chase in Ireland and Poland, and he described it as “a journey that explores ideas of decision, choice, consequence, circumstance and time among other things, a personal perception on how we try to find whatever it is we are searching for. The film looks at objects,people,and places which share common properties,our connection with one another and our environments in the very similar yet very different paths we share.”

You can follow McGloughlin’s work by checking out his Vimeo channel or visiting his personal portfolio at his official site.

What do you think about Chase? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Image: Páraic McGloughlin

This 1949 Chuck Jones Cartoon Makes the Case for Universal Healthcare

The next time you find yourself in a conversation with someone who insists the idea of government-funded healthcare in the U.S. is somehow a new idea, just let this 1949 Warner Brothers cartoon do most of the talking for you. Brought to our attention via an article on BoingBoing, this short, titled “So Much for So Little,” was produced by the U.S. government in 1949 and directed by cartoon legend Chuck Jones, famous for many of the most popular Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons. It went on to win an Academy Award in 1950 for Documentary Short Subject.

Along with being beautifully animated, the short is helpful to refute those pesky claims that universal healthcare is some sort of radical hippie idea cooked up in the last few years. The details of the concept as presented in the cartoon have, as you can imagine, changed over the years, particularly when it comes to the country’s infant mortality rate, common diseases that infants face, and the how smoking as a health hazard isn’t even mentioned.

Additionally, the final figure of “three cents a week” that the cartoon states can fund public healthcare would barely be a drop in the bucket in modern costs. Yet, Boing Boing cites a piece that states a 2009 Kingsepp study showed it would cost taxpayers $3.61 a week to fund the Affordable Care Act (in its form at the time). If there’s validity to those figures, we’re still pretty much at the “for less than a cup of [Starbucks] coffee a week” levels of taking care of every American citizen.

What do you think of the short? Think something like what’s proposed in it is still possible? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Academy Film Archive

Realm Round-Up: The Biggest GAME OF THRONES Stories for “Beyond the Wall”

Warning: Spoilers are ahead for season seven of Game of Thrones. Stop and catch a dragon out of here if you’re not caught up to “Beyond the Wall.”

Okay, Game of Thrones. You’ve taken us past the Wall and into icy territory. Jon Snow‘s stupid mission in “Beyond the Wall” had serious consequences that could doom Westeros. Good job, Jon Snow. His missteps led his band into trouble of the worst kind and spurred Daenerys to bring her dragons north. Questionable decision making also happened in Winterfell and caused Arya and Sansa to act like boneheads. Needless to say, we had about a million things to process.

Before the season seven finale of Game of Thrones arrives (I know, we’re crying too), soak in a comforting bath of history, theories, predictions—we have all the Thrones things in Realm Round-Up.

Relive It. Trace your steps back to “Beyond the Wall” and relive the drama and the huge dragon-shaped shock with Alicia’s recap.

Study Time. How about some entertaining homework assignments? Michael, your stalwart History of Thrones professor, has two columns especially relevant to the happenings north of Eastwatch. First up, read about the history of the Night King and his army of the dead. Then, stay frosty and learn about the legend of ice dragons in Westeros.

That Spear, Yo. I’m sorry/not sorry, but the Night King was the MVP of “Beyond the Wall.” He’s one of the few characters that made intelligent choices. Read my rationale for crowning the Night King here.

Dragon Problems. Ready for a panel of Game of Thrones experts to break down every mad second of “Beyond the Wall?” Then stop what you’re doing and watch the latest All Kings Considered.

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Meme Rulers. My reaction to last week’s Game of Thrones was a long series of exclamation points, but thankfully the inhabitants of the interwebs are much funnier. View a collection of the best reactions to “Beyond the Wall” right this way.

Undead Action. Want to know how HBO went undead for “Beyond the Wall?” They released a featurette showing how they made an undead polar bear and so much more. Go watch.

Science of Flying and Fire. We know you having burning (ha, get it?!) questions about dragons after “Beyond the Wall,” and Kyle Hill is here to answer them. In the above video, he takes a look at how fast dragons fly. Then, he details how exactly the wyverns breathe fire.

While we’re here, let’s turn our gaze towards the Game of Thrones season seven finale, “The Dragon and the Wolf.”

Going South. Everyone is traveling everywhere in Westeros this season, and the finale is going to take many characters to King’s Landing–specifically to the Dragonpit. Watch the above preview and go read Michael’s analysis of the footage. What do we think the title “The Dragon and the Wolf” could mean? Alicia has some thoughts on that topic.

Pictures Worth So Many Words. Photos from the season seven finale show all sorts of grim expressions on the faces of characters around the realm. So, we know season seven’s not going to go out with a comedy and dance routine. Michael’s searched for clues in the photos; see the pics and read his take on ’em here.

Questions and Theories. We’re going into the finale with so much on our minds. So. Much. We have some questions we want answered and predictions about how the season will wrap. Alicia has a wild but great theory about how the Golden Company could play into things.

We have theories about even further into the future, too.

Sansa Value. Should Sansa be the one who takes the Iron Throne? Christy votes yes.

This Would Be Bad. Let’s say it all goes wrong, and the Night King gets all of Westeros under his frigid fist. You know who would be be an excellent match for him? Cersei. Read Alicia’s breakdown for Cersei as the Night Queen.

Does your heart still hurt from the final moments of “Beyond the Wall?” Mine does. Head to the comments and tell us what’s still on your mind from the episode.

Images: HBO, Tumblr/Mohammed

STRANGER THINGS Season 2 Posters Tease New Faces of Fear

In just two months, Netflix will take viewers back to the ’80s for a second season of Stranger Things. We know that the Upside Down will still menace the kids of Hawkins, Indiana, and it seems that Will Byers may have unintentionally brought something back with him to our world. So far, the Duffer brothers have been somewhat coy about the nature of next season’s threat, but there is a common theme among the newly released Stranger Things season 2 posters: almost all of the characters are looking up in fear. Except for this guy…

That is Billy, as played by Power Rangers star Dacre Montgomery. Billy’s look kind of reminds us of Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club, but don’t be fooled. The reason that Billy doesn’t look afraid is because he’s often the one inspiring fear. The Duffers have hinted that Billy will be a more down-to-Earth nemesis for the kids of Hawkins, and he’s not exactly stable.

This is Billy’s sister, Max, as played by Sadie Sink. She’s the new kid in the group, and a bit of a tomboy. While her brother is likely to menace Mike and the gang, she’s probably going to join them. Considering that the season premiere is called “Madmax,” it suggests that she’ll be one of the major additions of the year.

It looks like Jonathan is going to be using the camera that Steve and Nancy gave him at the end of last season. Steve even has a solo poster this year, perhaps in a nod to his growing importance in the ensemble.

Note that Dustin seems to have upped his game from Walkie Talkies to a headset, but the other posters suggest that Mike and Lucas are still using their signature modes of communication. That’s part of their charm!

You can find the rest of the Stranger Things season two posters in our gallery below. Netflix will drop the new season on October 27.

What do you think about the new season two posters? Get stranger in our comment section below!

Explore more Stranger Things clues…

Everything we know about Stranger Things season two so far.
Series director Shawn Levy spills  on Nerdist News!
Will these beloved 80s films inspire Stranger Things seasons three and four?

Images: Netflix

Bandcamping: The 5 Best Underground Albums of August 2017

Over the past however many installments of Bandcamping we’ve run in this space, we’ve highlighted a variety of different artists working in a bunch of genres, and all of them have made us bob our heads, close our eyes and relax, and sometimes just smile. That’s worked pretty well so far, we think, so let’s keep it up: Here are the five best underground albums we found on Bandcamp this month.

5. You Got To Start From Somewhere EP

by M.

You Got To Start From Somehwere EP by M.

Genre: hip-hop, alternative

If you like: DJ Shadow, Moby

Lithuanian producer M. has been working on this, his debut EP, for the past three years, and in that time, he’s come up with a bevy of engaging compositions. “A Chase In A Jazzy Jungle” kicks off the EP with a catchy sound collage, “Concentration” is some rhythmic house made for a night drive, and while the more straightforward hip-hop moments aren’t this album’s strong suit, they’re definitely worthwhile.

4. ELECTRIC SLEEP by Night Listener

ELECTRIC SLEEP by Night Listener

Genre: synthwave, indie pop

If you like: SURVIVE, Hot Chip

After Drive, Stranger Things helped make synthwave a thing again, and now plenty of bands are adding to that paradigm. This album from Arkansas’ Night Listener leans into more indie electronic territory, though, driven more by vocals than ’80s horror movie aesthetics.

3. Anthropocene by Sam Humans

Anthropocene by Sam Humans

Genre: indie rock, indie folk, experimental

If you like: Beck, Iron & Wine, Father John Misty

This release from Hawaiian musician Sam Humans is tough to pin down. He wears a lot of different hats on this 8-track effort: Album opener “Gathering Light” is a twinkling crescendo party, “Breathe Into Me” is more straightforward acoustic folk, and “This World’s Gone Random” is a reggae-influenced experimental cut. There’s a lot to love here, especially for fans of track-by-track variety.

2. El Morán by Máscaras

El Morán by Máscaras

Genre: rock, punk, psychedelic rock

If you like: The Mars Volta, The Grateful Dead, Primus

This instrumental EP only runs for about 15 minutes, so it wastes no time getting right to it with the thumping drive of title track “El Morán,” which lays down a killer groove propelled by the plucky and frenetic pace of the guitar. The rest of the psychedelic rock EP carries on with the same sense of adventure, and we’ll take as much as they want to give us.

1. Both Sides of the Ceiling by Duncan Fellows

Both Sides of the Ceiling by Duncan Fellows

Genre: indie rock

If you like: Grizzly Bear, Real Estate, Manchester Orchestra

Experimentalism is fantastic, but it’s also true that it’s not necessary for every band to reinvent the wheel. Similarly, Austin, Texas group Duncan Fellows hits a lot of familiar vibes — “Sleeper” has some Fleet Foxes-style vocal melodies, “Sway” exists in the same universe as Real Estate’s brand of chill — and they’re doing it so well that there’s no reason for them not to.

Honorable Mention

Floodplain by Danville

Genre: Americana, folk, country

If you like: The Allman Brothers Band, Wilco

That’s all for August, but until next time, let us know in the comments which of these albums were your favorites, what we missed, and what we should look forward to. If you missed out on July, check it out here (and the complete Bandcamping archives are here).

IRON STUDIOS’ New Statues Feature WONDER WOMAN, BATMAN, and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

From the box office successes of Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Spider-Man: Homecoming, it seems that superheroes have once again ruled the summer movie season. Thanks to Iron Studios and Bluefin, they can rule the Christmas season as well. They have just released their latest line of statues, featuring not only Wonder Woman and the Guardians but characters from 2015’s blockbuster video game Arkham Knight as well.

Looking exactly like Gal Gadot, this Wonder Woman statue is ready to kick Ares’ butt back to Olympus. It stands 12 inches tall and retails for $179.99.

From the Teen Titans to Arrow, Deathstroke is pretty much a thorn in every DC hero’s side. This incarnation has him going up against Batman in Arkham Knight. He stands 7.7 inches tales and goes for $109.99.

Also from Arkham Knight comes Batman’s partner in crime (-fighting), Robin. The Tim Drake version, that is. There are so many of them I have to make sure I am specific. Carrying his legendary Bo staff, the Boy Wonder stands at 7.7 tall and runs $109.99.

Moving to the Marvel side of the house, we reach statues from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Each statue connects with the rest of the team to create a fantastic looking diorama. Here we have Drax (Dave Bautista) looking to be doing something either very brave or very stupid. Drax stands 13 inches tall and has a price of $109.99.

Arguably the most savage member of the team, Gamora (Zoe Saldana) looks ready to tear something or somebody’s head off (Probably Quill’s). She stands 11.8 inches and will run for $109.99.

You can check out more pics of these highly detailed statues in the gallery below. Also available but not pictured are Batman from Arkham Knight and Star-Lord. The detail of these statues is amazing and will be a welcome addition to any movie or video game fan’s collection. You can pre-order any of the statues (for release in November or December) through any authorized Bluefin retailer.

So what do you think? Which of these statues will you be picking up? Which one is going to make the perfect Christmas present for the fanperson in your life? Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.

Images: Iron Studios/Bluefin

Analyzing GAME OF THRONES’ Seventh Season Before the Finale

It’s the Friday before Game of Thrones‘ season finale, the internet is up in arms (again) over the “correct” viewing order of the Star Wars movies, and James Cameron shared some opinions on Wonder Woman that did not go over well with anyone, so yeah, there was a lot to discuss on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back.

Image: HBO

Nerdist senior editor and host of The Dan Cave Dan Casey filled in for host Jessica Chobot, and he was joined by managing editor Alicia Lutes, science editor Kyle Hill, and Mothership writer and the number one person alive rooting for Tormund and Brienne to make giant babies, Amy Vorpahl.

With this being the last episode of Nerdist News Talks Back before Game of Thrones‘ big season seven finale, the gang discussed what they think of this year so far and whether having fewer episodes has helped or hurt. And while not everyone might be okay with the relatively low death total of the season (so far), everyone definitely approves a beardless Tormund Giantsbane in real life.

From there they hit the hyperdrive on the never-ending debate that has popped up again, about what is the correct order to watch the Star Wars movies. Machete? Ring Theory? (:cough: 456-123-456-7 :cough:). But if you think that’s hard, where and how should you fit in Rogue One and Clone Wars before you do your big re-watch before The Last Jedi?

Finally it was time to address James Cameron’s comments that Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman was actually a step back for women in Hollywood. Yeah, he really did say that. Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins has already brushed off that criticism, but did our panel think Cameron had a point? Can a woman be too beautiful to be a role model? Spoiler alert: we’re Team Jenkins on this one.

Image: Warner Bros.

You’ll also notice we gave away some beta codes for Call of Duty: World War 2 (subtle, huh!). If you don’t want to miss out on those chances in the future and you want to get your questions answers, tune in live to Nerdist News Talks Back every weekday at 1 pm PST on our YouTube and Alpha channels. Like on Monday for All Kings Considered where we’ll be talking about the GoT finale.

What do you think of this year’s Game of Thrones? What order should someone watch the Star Wars movies? And did you agree with James Cameron or not? Talk back to us in the comments below.

Want to Catch Up with More Talks Back? Here Are Our Latest Episodes!

Are Star Destroyers getting too big?
We’ve got some thoughts on those Joker movies.
Rick and Morty‘s writers stop by to talk about The Vindicators!

Featured Image: HBO

Meet STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Newest Klingons

Ever since the original series episode “Errand of Mercy” aired in 1967, the warrior race known as the Klingons have been the #1 adversary of the United Federation of Planets in the Star Trek franchise, eclipsing the Romulans and other hostile aliens that were introduced even earlier in the series.

In later incarnations of Trek, like The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, the Klingons were allies and even crew members—then sometimes enemies again—but always important to the overall mythos. Enterprise explained how the human/Klingon animosity first started. And now Star Trek: Discovery is going to expand on that early conflict even more.

CBS All Access has just released a new teaser for Discovery, focusing on this newest iteration of the Klingons. You can watch it down below, then we’ll unpack just what we think it all means.

We must fight for one thing above all: to remain Klingon. https://t.co/zyUNS2I9Af #StarTrekDiscovery pic.twitter.com/gviA8SP8co

— Star Trek: Discovery (@startrekcbs) August 25, 2017

Although this promo is brief, it tells us a good deal of what to expect with the Discovery version of Klingons. The promo spotlights T’Kuvma—played by Chris Obi—whose voiceover dialog in the clip seems to be in response to the Federation “We come in peace” promo, and it addresses the notion that in the era before Kirk and Spock, the Klingon Empire was afraid that the Federation was going to wipe out their culture and their way of life.

It should be noted, these Klingons have a drastically different look than any Klingons we’ve seen before in the franchise, while still looking obviously like Klingons. This has been chalked up to being members of different houses within the Klingon Empire having different cultures and even appearances, much as humans on Earth do. Whether we see the more human looking non-bumpy headed Klingons who are also around at this time remains a mystery, but it would be cool if Discovery adhered to this but of continuity.

The Klingons were an allegory for the USSR in the original series, so will these Klingons be an allegory for something like ISIS in today’s world? Star Trek has always been allegorical to modern times and concerns, and it seems this time won’t be any different.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres on September 24th on CBS, before heading to the CBS All-Access streaming service for the rest of the series. And if you want to know more, click hear to read everything we know about the series thus far!

Are you excited about these all-new, all-different Klingons? Be sure to let us known down below in the comments.

Images: CBS All Access