Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2030

Remember When PG Movies Were Downright Horrifying?

The month of July marks a special anniversary that a lot of people may not realize changed the way we watch movies. Back in 1984, the MPAA rating of PG-13 was created after some backlash from the violence in movies like Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and the best darn Christmas horror movie, Gremlins. In honor of this shift in movie ratings, the folks at Screen Crush decided to cut together some of their favorite traumatic PG scenes.



Before July of 1984, all manner of weird, violent, and downright terrifying things made their way into PG films. Times were changing, though, and a lot of parents were basically sick of hearing their children cry themselves to sleep after movies like Jaws, Gremlins, and Poltergeist. Turns out that there’s no amount of “parental guidance” you can give that makes things OK after seeing someone claw their own face off.

A recent video on Cracked explains that all sorts of criticism was headed specifically in Steven Spielberg‘s direction when Temple of Doom was released, but the desire to keep films in front of kids’ eyeballs was much too strong. The creation of PG-13 was meant to appease parents and critics alike while still allowing a lot of movie-going children to see films. In the years since, films aimed at children have softened a great deal and PG-13 has become the sweet spot for filmmakers in order to maximize ticket sales. So, movies where young kids can accidentally be exposed to extensive gore and pants-poopingly frightening visuals have been replaced with movies full of bloodless battle scenes, CGI destruction, and–to our knowledge–not a single decent face-ripping since.

What’s your favorite horrifying PG rated movie of yesteryear? Have you been able to overcome your terror since? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Images: Giphy,  MGM,  Paramount Pictures

ANIMANIACS’ “Yakko’s World” as Sung by Over 150 Movies

Hot on the heels of voice actor Rob Paulsen stopping by the Nerdist offices to sing an updated version of his gargantuan geographic song “Yakko’s World,” the internet seems to just keep on giving with yet another version. This time, it’s clips from 168 movies cut together to “sing” the classic Animaniacs tune.



This impressive bit of 90s nostalgia was created by YouTube’s The Unusual Suspect and brought to our attention via a recent article on Gizmodo. These days, supercuts are fairly ubiquitous on the internet and can serve up hours of entertainment, but this one deserves some special recognition; gathering clips together for any video like this is a daunting task to say the least, but we can’t imagine the work that went into finding movies that mention each individual country. Our best guess is that a database of scripts must have been compiled and then the world’s most time-consuming CTRL+F search began. And that’s hours of work to be completed even before any of the movie clips were cut.

The supercut spans such a wide range of movies it’s almost impossible to keep track. And should you want to plan one of the weirdest movie marathons, The Unusual Suspect created a blog post that lists all 168 movies used in their video.

What are your thoughts on this supercut? Should they set their sights on other Animaniacs songs in the future? “Yakko’s Universe” perhaps? Or should “Wakko’s State Capitols” get its moment in the spotlight again? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Warner Bros.

CONAN and FUNKO Team up Again for COMIC-CON Exclusives

For the third year in a row, Conan O’Brien will be taking his talk show down to San Diego Comic-Con where he will hosting four episodes Wednesday, July 19th through Saturday, July 22nd at the Spreckels Theater. In addition, he announced that he would once again be teaming up with Funko to produce four exclusive Pops! that will be given out to audience members during each show.

We’ve posted over the last few weeks the different waves of exclusives that Funko will be selling at their booth and pop-up shops during the convention. From Marvel to Harry Potter, we’ve made sure your checklist is up to date. Fans are at home currently trying to devise a battle plan to acquire the ones they want. To get one of these Conan Pops!, however, they are going to have to step up their game. These exclusives will ONLY be given out at the show, and only one figure during each episode. I recommend getting your eBay information updated.

That’s not all! Funko will also be releasing this awesome looking “Mono-Conan” Pop! which will only be available at activations and giveaways during the convention. The only real way to get this one is to either keep your eyes super-peeled or just be at the right place at the right time.

Funko gave us a better look at the show exclusives on their blog, and you can check them out below. Just like Funko themselves, Conan is running a “licensing gauntlet,” with this year’s figures featuring Spider-Man, The Flash (Justice League), a Jedi, and a White Walker.

So what do you think? Which of these Conan Funkos is your favorite? What other characters would you like to see get “Conan-ized?” Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.

Images: Funko/Conan

 

GAME OF THRONES’ Emilia Clarke Talks “First Times” (No, Not That!)

We all remember our first time, how new and special it was, and how it seemed to change the entire story of our lives. And who can forget the HBO crew that was there to video tape it?

What? You’ve never had to act with a dragon before?

Okay, neither have we, but the Mother of Dragons, Game of Thrones‘ Emilia Clarke, certainly has, and that experience was one of the many “first times” she discussed in this video from Rolling Stone.

Besides some of the very fun personal stories she shared, like about the first–and last–time she Googled herself, the first super fan she ever met (we would definitely whisper “Khaleesi” if we ever met her), the story of her first time getting drunk at way too young an age, and how The Simpsons showed her she had become really famous, we really loved hearing about her first encounter with Khal Drogo, actor Jason Momoa.

Game of Thrones‘ creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have often talked about how fond they are of Momoa, and how sad they were to have to say goodbye to him in season one. Clarke’s story dwells on how, when she met “the huge Hawaiian man” for the first time, he grabbed her in a giant bear hug and pulled her to the ground while yelling “wifey”… even though she had no idea who he was. (Yes, she does seem to remember this fondly, which makes it much more pleasant than Daenerys’ first meeting with Khal Drogo.)

So even though we might never have a chance to film a scene with a dragon, thanks to Clarke we’ll at least be a little prepared if we do: strategically hold the dragon to cover ourselves up, and preferably try not to be butt naked when we film.

What other–appropriate–first time questions would you like to ask her about? Tell us in the comments below.

Featured Image: Rolling Stone

Oscar Winner Mahershala Ali May Star in TRUE DETECTIVE Season 3

The only thing True Detective fans like to do more than complain about the show’s second season is to fantasy cast a potential season three. Well, if the latest rumors are true then HBO will be making its viewers very happy, because Academy Award winner (and Luke Cage villain) Mahershala Ali might be the next actor to enter its strange world of cops and creepy masks.

The Tracking Board reports that Ali is close to signing on to star in season three of the HBO series, though nothing is official. This news comes despite creator Nic Pizzolatto’s show not technically being picked up for another season yet. But if this is true, and Ali, whose Oscar win for Moonlight was more than deserved, is already deep in talks to sign on, than it would seem HBO is intent on doing more.

Another season has been far from a guarantee after the critically panned second season of the show not only failed to live up to the excellent first (which starred incredible performances by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson), but was a total mess unto itself.

(I mean, I love season two, like a t-ball coach who got all of the non-athletes and just keeps rooting for them even though I know it is hopeless, and even I still don’t really know who the hell freaking Stan was.)

So why would Ali want to star in year three of True Detective after last season’s disaster? He could probably pick any project in Hollywood he wanted to right now; why pick a potential dud? It’s probably due in part to the glowing reviews of season one, as well as the fact that despite all of season two’s problems, the acting was not among them. Colin Farrell, Rachel McAdams, Taylor Kitsch, and Vince Vaughn were the only good parts of season two.

We’ve reached out to HBO, but as of this writing have not heard back. If we do we’ll update this story.

So now True Detective fans can stop complaining about season two so much and just focus on fantasy casting the rest of the new season. In fact, tell us in our comments below who else you’d like to see join Mahershala Ali on the show.

Moonlight Images: A24

True Detective Images: HBO

Marisa Tomei And SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING Co-stars Share Their Characters’ Superhero Insights

Marvel fans were stunned but stoked when Academy-Award winner Marisa Tomei joined the MCU in Captain America: Civil War as Peter Parker’s beloved Aunt May. Much younger than the onscreen Mays previously played by Rosemary Harris (Spider-Man) and Sally Field (The Amazing Spider-Man), this gold-hearted guardian of Peter Parker brings a fresh perspective and new verve to his first MCU spinoff Spider-Man: Homecoming. And the good news for the rebooted Spidey film kept coming, as Marvel announced that Peter’s schoolmates would be portrayed by charismatic trio of Zendaya, Laura Harrier, and Jacob Batalon.

Nerdist sat down with all of the above for a pair of interviews about the quirks and virtues of their lovable characters. First, Zendaya, Harrier, and Batalon gave us the inside scoop on what it’s like to be the first generation of MCU stars who had the advantage of growing up watching this spectacular franchise unfold, much like their Spider-Man: Homecoming characters would have grown up watching the exploits of the Avengers. Moreover, Zendaya broke down how her cynical Michelle and Jacob’s fanboy Ned might feel about Spidey and his super-powered colleagues, while Harrier confessed her lovely Liz crushes hard on these daring do-gooders. Then with Tomei, we talked all things Aunt May.

In the film, May Parker’s no dear old biddy that needs protecting from the weird realities of her superhero nephew’s secret life, but Spider-Man: Homecoming alludes to a family tragedy that understandably makes Peter protective of her. We discussed their caring but complicated relationship with Tomei, and got into the unseen Uncle Ben. How does his absence affect the family this time? And what was it like working with Tom Holland? All this and more can be found in the video above.

Spider-Man: Homecoming opens July 7th.

Who would you dream cast as Young Uncle Ben? Let us know in comments.

Image: Marvel Studios

 

5 Detective Stories That Could Inspire Matt Reeves’ THE BATMAN

Batman’s skills as a detective are paramount to his persona–he debuted and stars in Detective Comics, after all–but most of his live-action films have barely covered the investigative side of the character, focusing more on the vigilante. It looks like director Matt Reeves is looking to change all that, based on statements he made in an interview with New Trailer Buzz that The Batman will be about an “almost noir-driven, detective version of Batman.”

So which Batman comic book stories feature noir-style storytelling and detective skills the best? These five stories would serve as excellent inspiration for the type of film Matt Reeves and Ben Affleck are looking to make, and some could even just be lifted almost word for word.

Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale (1996-1997)

One of the most famous Batman epics of the modern era, right along with  The Killing Joke and The Dark Knight Returns, this 13 issue series by the creative team of writer Jeph Loeb and artist Tim Sale is still considered one of the definitive Batman mystery stories ever. The original comic takes place about a year into the Batman’s career, and deals with a year-long murder mystery which begins and ends on All Hallow’s Eve. A serial killer going by the moniker “Holiday” is killing people every month, on that month’s particular celebratory day, and Batman, Jim Gordon and DA Harvey Dent are at their wit’s end trying to crack the case.

Almost every major villain from Batman’s rogue’s gallery makes an appearance in The Long Halloween, and in pretty  important roles too, which would make this one super memorable entry in the Batman film series history. Since our Ben Affleck Batman is an established hero with a long history, this story could be easily translated to film almost intact with very little changes. The only drawback? This story is a long one, and Warner Brothers might not want a three hour long, broody Batman movie.

Batman: Broken City by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso (2003)

This one ran in the pages of Batman back in 2003, and finds our favorite Dark Knight Detective hunting the murderer of a small boy’s parents, a small boy whose circumstance of course remind him of his own. Broken City by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso then finds Bruce Wayne plunging into an investigation that has him reflecting on the life he has led and the choices he has made in his career as the Batman.

But when Batman gets too mentally and emotionally compromised, he gets caught off guard and winds up suddenly falling prey to a deadly new pair of killers that have been stalking him. This noir-inspired story features appearances by the Joker, the Penguin, Killer Croc, and Scarface, two of which have already been cast for the DCEU. It seems this one would be a perfect story to adapt as a Batman feature film.

Hush by Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee (Batman #608-619, 2002-2003)

Hush is technically a mystery story, since it introduces an entirely new Batman villain that has a personal history with Bruce Wayne, and figuring out just who this Hush guy menacing his life is has Batman using all of his detective expertise at his command. A large number of Batman’s most famous enemies become involved, as Hush attempts to bring down the man that he believes to be responsible for ruining his life (that’s Batman, by the way).

The storyline features a number of Batman’s most well known villains and is also well regarded for having one of the best fights between Batman and Superman in their long history, and some great romantic moments with Catwoman too. Again, this is a great story to use the Ben Affleck Batman in, because it features a Dark Knight with a pre-established history and an already established rogue’s gallery, not to mention a pre-established animosity with Superman, all things this version of Batman has. It all lines up perfectly for a potential blockbuster.

Gothic by Grant Morrison and Klaus Janson (1990)

 

This story from a young and up-and-coming writer named Grant Morrison (what became of him??) is an underrated classic from the now long gone Legends of the Dark Knight series. Morrison’s story features what seems to be an immortal killer named Mr. Whisper who begins killing off mobsters, so the criminals of the city try to recruit Batman to help get to the bottom of the mystery of just who this Mr. Whisper really is. Despite categorically refusing at first, he soon realizes that this killer has some mysterious ties to his own past, and decides to help.

Gothic combines elements from the Faust legend, the opera Don Giovanni, and Fritz Lang’s film classic film M. It might be a little too adult and serious for the kind of movie the studio probably wants to make, and lacking in familiar villains, so Warner Brothers to attempt it as big screen movie seems slightly far fetched . But if Matt Reeves were to get enough clout to adapt this baby into a film, I’d be a very happy camper.

“Black Mirror” from Detective Comics #871-877 (2011)

This would be a tough one to adapt, because although it’s a Batman story, it features Dick Grayson as the Dark Knight, not Bruce Wayne. This was in the aftermath of Final Crisis, when Bruce Wayne was “dead,” and his ex sidekick had taken over. In this story, a series of horrific murders pushes Batman’s detective skills to their limit, and forces him to confront one of Gotham City’s oldest evils. Batman finds himself helpless and trapped in the deadly Mirror House, from which he must escape.

This is writer Scott Snyder’s first major work with Batman, and his subsequent work with the character in the New 52 is one of the most beloved runs in the character’s history, but the mystery of the Black Mirror was a solid precursor to that, and establishes why Snyder is the definitive Batman writer of the 21st century. Also, the artwork by Jock is just gorgeous. It would be hard to adapt in its current form though, as it stars Dick Grayson and not Bruce Wayne, but with some changes? The best elements could be used for a Bruce Wayne-centric feature film.

Which detective style Batman stories would you want to see serve as inspiration for Matt Reeves’ The Batman? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.

Images: DC Comics / Warner Brothers

Do We Really Need a Live-Action JETSONS?

Gearing up for the long holiday weekend, we were treated to some darned weird bits of news, both cryptic and baffling, but certainly lots to mull over before we here in the U.S. get ready for barbecues and fireworks. But before we get to that, we’ve got a super snazzy Friday edition of Nerdist News Talks Back for you, with discussion of the Rick and Morty season 3 trailer, a surprising new slate of X-Men movies, and…do we really need a live action Jetsons? (The answer won’t surprise you.)

On today’s show utility infielder Amy Vorpahl is joined by Nerdist News writers Aliza Pearl and Joan Ford to discuss the various and weird things coming, and few things are weirder (in a great way) than the new trailer for Rick and Morty season 3. We did a very extensive breakdown of it on today’s Nerdist News, so I’d point you in that direction. It looks pretty awesome to our panelists, especially fightin’ pickle Rick!

Next up, Twentieth Century Fox announced the release dates for six unnamed, previously unannounced Marvel movies. It’s possible one or more of them are in the Fantastic Four vein, but hahahahahahahaha there’s no way that’s true. It’s very likely it’s six more X-Men movies between 2019 and 2021. Our panelists talk about what movies we hope to see as well as how they’re very clearly trying to catch up to Marvel Studios. No love lost there.

And finally, there’s going to be a new Jetsons show. And it’s going to be live-action. Why? But, like seriously, why is this happening? Is there a void in our TV lineup for a guy yelling for Jane to get him off of a crazy thing? Don’t we already kind of have robot housekeepers? It’s all…it’s all very confusing.

Have yourself a wonderful four-day weekend, folks! NNTB is off until Wednesday, July 5, so don’t miss us too much!

Image: Hanna-Barbera/Nelvana

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

Explore Pixar from A to Z Through This Fan Art

I would purchase a whole book of fan art centered around the alphabet. I don’t tire of seeing different takes of the ABCs featuring various characters and names from pop culture. Given that, I couldn’t resist artist and animator Zach Gomez’s Pixar A to Z series that features, as you might have guessed, Pixar characters to go with each letter in the alphabet. Zach says Pixar’s stories have changed his life and made him love art and animation, so he used this project as an opportunity to highlight some of his favorite characters.

Characters like Wall-E!

You should definitely click on this poster with ze whole alphabet to embiggen it.

View more individual letters by skipping down to the gallery below. You’ll find Zurg from Toy Story, Sully from Monsters Inc., and more. If you want to see each component of the alphabet, hop on over to Zach’s website. Follow him on Instagram to keep up with all his current creations; you’ll see that his fan art includes a little of everything from Disney posters to superheroes.

Do you create any sort of fan art? If so, I want to see it. Whether you focus on a specific fandom or pull inspiration from multiple stories and mediums, I’d like to highlight what you do. If you’re interested in being featured in a future edition of Fan Art Friday, get in touch with me at alratcliffe@yahoo.com with examples of your work. If you’re not an artist, feel free to email me with recommendations for Fan Art Friday!

Images: Zach Gomez

The 5 Best Underground Albums of June 2017

This month’s edition of Bandcamping goes all over the musical map; We went through Bandcamp and found what we think are the best albums released on the platform in June, and we got everything from pop to krautrock to… emo trap. Trust us, it’s a real thing. Check out what we mean below.

5. black faxes by black faxes

black faxes by black faxes

Genre: ambient, drone, experimental

If you like: This Will Destroy You, Stars Of The Lid

Ambient music, especially drone, is all about vibe and tone, so if you don’t hit it right, then you’ll have a flop on your hands. Fortunately for black faxes, the mood is just right, desolate enough to let your mind fill the void but interesting enough to make you want to insert yourself in the negative space.

4. Lighten The Way A Bit by Depraved Messenger

Lighten The Way A Bit by Depraved Messenger

Genre: emo, trap

If you like: ?

Emo trap isn’t something that sounds like it would make sense, but that’s where Japanese musician Depraved Messenger proves us wrong. Admittedly, it sounds a bit clumsy for a split second, but once you settle into a groove, it sounds natural in a way that’s tough to explain. The trap percussion is fun and modern, while the throwback emo vocal melodies are as catchy as they would have been in 2003. This album is hard to pin down, so good on you, Depraved Messenger.

3. Shred The Master Design by Playing To Vapors

Shred The Master Design by Playing To Vapors

Genre: indie rock

If you like: The Clientele, Local Natives, U2

Playing To Vapors’s greatest asset is their sense of adventure. There’s a real depth to tracks like “Twin Flame,” which has a satisfying low end and borrows equally from the styles of Local Natives and Rush. Through and through, it’s a fun listen from a promising young band.

2. M A N G O L A N E by Mango Lane

M A N G O L A N E by Mango Lane

Genre: indie pop, pop

If you like: Hot Chip, CHVRCHES, Chromeo

This Detroit duo is pop if pop wasn’t always trying to be so attention grabbing. That’s a compliment, hear me out: Pop is often catchy and great, but it’s also often too in-your-face. Mango Lane creates memorable songs, but they’re comfortable falling into a laid back groove that’s a refreshing break from modern, loud, and inescapable pop.

1. Folder by Lød

Folder by Lød

Genre: indie rock, post-punk, krautrock

If you like: Neu!, Television, early U2

Combining the hypnotic motorik drumming of krautrock groups like Neu! with the gloomy post-punk sensibilities of bands like Joy Division, Denmark group Lød makes it sound like those genres never went out of style. We suppose, though, that among a certain sector, they never did: How else can you explain how adept this fivesome is at crafting engaging, forward-driving, 8-minute songs like the title track and “Så Blå”? Appreciators of the style know that this is something special.

Honorable Mentions

TheCircus by TheCircus

Genre: indie pop

If you like: Chromeo

Pastels by Boy King Islands

Genre: electronic, ambient, experimental

If you like: Brian Eno, Aphex Twin

That’s all for June, 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 May, check it out here (and the complete Bandcamping archives are here).