Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2034
June 26, 2017
A HARRY POTTER Rap and More Moments Celebrating 20 Years
20 years ago J.K. Rowling unleashed the stories of Harry Potter and the wizarding world upon us with the release of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, and life has never been the same. To this day, fans proudly don their Hogwarts colors and argue the finer points of their school houses. (If you spoke parseltongue, I’d tell you that Slytherin was the best.)
Over the past two decades, the tales of Harry Potter have moved beyond books to movies, theme parks, and into our everyday lives. Where we once only dreamed of how a cold butterbeer might taste, now it’s readily available in the Muggle world.
To celebrate the anniversary, proud Potterheads are sharing their love of the wizarding world online with artistic tributes, cosplay, and more. Some of the best displays of Harry Potter fandom are the creations that show a deep love and respect of the stories and characters.
Harry Potter music tribute
Celebrating 20 years of #HarryPotter20
cc: @noah_mavu pic.twitter.com/LrlULkgnfo
— HYPEBEAST (@HYPEBEAST) June 26, 2017
Artists draw so much inspiration from Rowling’s work that we constantly get to see new and innovative interpretations. Singer Yung Mavu created this magnificent magical rap, snf not only is his lyrical flow impressive, but the art direction and his outfit are on point as well. I kept waiting for a Dementor to glide down that train tunnel at any moment.
The Golden Trio
Happy Birthday #HarryPotter20 ! @jk_rowling pic.twitter.com/wlGQlB0BNe
— Jeff Delgado (@Jeff_Delgado) June 26, 2017
Many of us find inspiration in the friendship of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. This beautiful work by Jeff Delgado captures a light moment of joy during the Prisoner of Azkaban.
Doug the Pug
Still waiting on my letter from Hogwarts #HarryPotter20 pic.twitter.com/ez1S4QJmlY
— Doug The Pug (@itsdougthepug) June 26, 2017
Doug the Pug makes animals and human alike want to step up their game when it comes to showing off fandom. No one can rock a wig like that pup. In this short 15 second video you can see him living his best Gryffindor life.
Harry Potter Sugar Art
Celebrating the #HarryPotter20 anniversary today with my #HarryPotter sugar sprinkle art that I made for my kids! pic.twitter.com/u00II1YLxt
— Beau Coffron (@lunchboxdad) June 26, 2017
Lunchboxdad Beau Coffron always goes above and beyond for his kid’s meals and this fun sugar sprinkle art captures Harry Potter’s sweetest expression.
Newborn Harry Potter Fan
6 day old Joshua born at prematurely 27 weeks loving his first story time! #harrypotter20 #HarryPotter #theboywholived pic.twitter.com/nBhhYWTMNr
— Dr Sammy (@sbattrawden) June 26, 2017
This photo brought a tear to my eye. Little Joshua was born prematurely 27 weeks, weighing just 2 lbs—he truly is the boy who lived. His mom is starting his life off right with some Harry Potter story time.
Golden Snitch Fidget Spinner
Cocooan budak… , golden snitch spinner #harrypotter
A post shared by Iyang Saledri (@geerrhart) on Jun 26, 2017 at 9:33am PDT
Seems you can’t walk down the street without seeing a fidget spinner out in the wild, but this rare spinner is the only one worth one-hundred and fifty points in Quidditch. Harry Potter aficionados know that the original Golden Snitch was a bird called the Golden Snidget, making this fan creation the perfect combination of Snitch and fidget!
Hogwarts Tattoo
A post shared by Jennifer Marshall (@takemetothemountains) on Jun 26, 2017 at 9:28am PDT
This detailed ink features Hogwarts, school textbooks, and a Golden Snitch, but more than anything it shows that using your body as a canvas displays a commitment to the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Womping Willow cosplay
Womping Willow at @AmazingComicCon! #HarryPotter #cosplay #AmazingLasVegasComicCon pic.twitter.com/UCGdPLZDsV
— Very Awesome Girls (@veryawesomegrls) June 25, 2017
There’s cosplay, then there’s next level cosplay. Deep cuts are always a plus, but committing to a specific storyline? That’s just genius. This Womping Willow costume is a sight to behold and it looks comfortable too, making it ideal for con cosplay.
Dobby Art
A post shared by Hanna Miranda (@hanna.miranda1) on Jun 26, 2017 at 10:25am PDT
Lovingly hand-carved, this beautiful piece was created for making wood block prints. Someone needs to get to carving this poor house-elf a sock.
Vegan Sorting Hat Cupcakes
A post shared by Cherry Cart (@cherrycart_uk) on Jun 26, 2017 at 10:28am PDT
Vegans at Hogwarts would surely love these sweet Sorting Hat cupcakes. While they look stunning, they also do double duty by actually sorting you into your proper house! Take a quick bite and you’ll find a surprise center that will inform you of which honored house you belong. Crossing my fingers for Slytherin!
Featured Image: Warner Bros.
Three Teens Made a Live-Action SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Episode
One of the best parts about a show becoming massively successful is seeing all the ways it inspires the many fans it has accrued. The most endearing recent example of that is this fan re-creation of the SpongeBob SquarePants episode “Pizza Delivery,” in which SpongeBob and Squidward attempt to bring the first ever Krusty Krab Pizza to a customer’s doorstep. This version of the episode, however, is live-action, filmed in front of a green screen by some high school kids (via The A.V. Club). It is very bad, and also very good.
The opening 30 seconds are very telling of the kind of production this is: Spongebob is played by a guy wearing a yellow raincoat and a plastic youth-sized construction helmet, while Squidward is portrayed by another kid in a backwards baseball hat, a denim shirt, and multiple pairs of jeans to simulate extra legs. Right from the first line, there’s a major continuity error: Squidward says, “Hurry up with those chairs, SpongeBob. It’s after closing, I’d like to go home.” He says that, AND YET, the background clearly shows an active restaurant full of customers enjoying their food.
We’re being tongue-in-cheek with our criticism, of course, as it appears these guys were while making this video. It doesn’t seem like they bothered trying any scene more then once, they’re often laughing through lines, and it’s just eight minutes of silly fun that’s as enjoyable to watch as we imagine it was to make.
Check out the episode above, and let us know in the comments if you’re like to see these kids ruin/improve another SpongeBob episode.
Featured image: MegaIceTV/YouTube
Will We See Spider-Man vs. Venom in the MCU or Not?
Last week, Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige experienced the downside of fame when his hilarious reactions became an internet meme. Feige was simply promoting Spider-Man: Homecoming when his fellow producer, Amy Pascal, casually suggested that Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man could be connected to Venom and the other Marvel films in development at Sony. Films that were previously thought to take place outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Today’s Nerdist News has the definitive word from everyone involved about whether Spidey and Venom will get their first big screen rematch since Spider-Man 3.
Join Senior Editor and guest host, Dangerous Dan Casey, as he steps in to explain the situation. After a few days of uncertainty, Holland told us directly that he is not in the Venom film. That was backed up by an interview at ComicBook.com where Feige and Pascal definitively said that only Spider-Man is a part of the MCU. Venom, Black Cat, Silver Sable, and the majority of Spidey’s villains were not included in the deal between Marvel and Sony.
Feige offered the slightest of hopes that Venom and the other characters could crossover into the MCU. As in “never say never.” However, Feige quickly added that it was the same answer that he’d give about a Superman cameo in the MCU. That’s harsh, brah! But if Feige really wanted to troll us, then he’d say that it’s as likely to happen as Marvel’s Netflix heroes joining the Avengers on the big screen.
Of course, the big question now is how can the Venom movie work without Spider-Man? We have some ideas on that front, which may take some cues from Venom’s days as the “Lethal Protector” of the Marvel Universe. But it definitely seems like a missed opportunity for Marvel and Sony to pass up a chance for a more fully integrated MCU.
What do you think about the latest developments with Spidey’s supporting heroes and villains? Sling your webs in the comment section below!
Dark Horse Reveals Our Favorite Creators’ Passions with THE SECRET LOVES OF GEEKS
The Secret Loves of Geek Girls was a smash hit 2016 anthology that delved into the passions of some of the best and brightest female creators in comics, illustration, and prose including Mariko Tamaki, Irene Koh, Annie Mok, Trina Robbins, Marguerite Bennett, Katie West, and Margaret Atwood. Well received by fans and critics alike, the book was a much needed antidote to the often grim and gritty male-centric world of mainstream comics. “The Secret Loves of Geek Girls was a book that offered up all the stories about love and dating we wish we read in teen magazines when we were younger and never saw,” said editor Hope Nicholson.
To celebrate Pride month, Dark Horse has announced a brand new follow-up anthology, The Secret Loves of Geeks. Stepping away from the female-focused first collection to include creators of all genders, editor Hope Nicholson enthused, “It was really exciting to do a project that’s feminist but also resists the idea of only two genders. I was happy to feature a few stories from creators who identify as nonbinary, as well as many men and women.”
The Secret Loves of Geeks includes another incredible roster of creators from Batgirl‘s Hope Larson and Young Animal’s Gerard Way to the return of literary groundbreaker Margaret Atwood.
“Margaret’s lovely and I’m still always shocked when we get to work together!” said Nicholson. “The best part was pairing her off with my friends Michael Walsh and Jordie Bellaire as her collaborators. I loved seeing the creepy, funny story that resulted.”
The prospect of seeing Atwood matched up with the incredible talents of Bellaire, arguably contemporary comics most prolific and talented colorist, and Walsh, whose uniquely gorgeous art in books like Worst X-Man Ever and Hawkeye have made him a household name with Marvel fans, is an unbelievably exciting one for readers too.
For new readers who’ve yet to experience the joy that was the The Secret Loves Of Geek Girls but want to know more about this new anthology, Hope explained, “vulnerability is the aim of this collection. It’s full of true stories that might be like your life or might not be. Either way, readers have an unprecedented opportunity to see inside the souls of some of the most talented creators in the world. It’ll be a treasure to read.”
Other creators taking part in the newest Secret Loves collection include Patrick Rothfuss (The Name of the Wind), Dana Simpson (Phoebe and Her Unicorn), Gabby Rivera (America), Hope Larson (Batgirl), Cecil Castellucci (Soupy Leaves Home), Valentine de Landro (Bitch Planet), Marley Zarcone (Shade), Sfé R. Monster (Beyond: A queer comics anthology), Amy Chu (Wonder Woman), and more, not to mention a “cat-tastic” cover by the incredible Becky Cloonan (The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys).
The first book was funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign and later distributed by Dark Horse, who Nicholson said “really shined” when it came to getting the book out to a wider audience. However, this follow up collection will be put together and published by Dark Horse, released on Valentines Day 2018, and is available for pre-order now.
Images: Dark Horse
What Comes Next Is You Seeing HAMILTON L.A. as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Guest
Pause working nonstop for a moment, Hamilton fans, because you’re going to want to hear this. And by this, I mean celebrities singing snippets of Hamilton songs for a charitable cause. Lin-Manuel Miranda has teamed up with Prizeo once again. The prize on the line? Two VIP tickets to the opening night of Hamilton Los Angeles, two tickets to the after party, a photo and meet and greet with Miranda, and round-trip airfare and hotel accommodations. Boom.
You don’t want to throw away your shot.
To enter the contest, you’ll need to make a $10 donation. Visit Prizeo to learn about the different donation levels and rewards and enter. All the money you give to this campaign will go to the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition, a group with 12 partner organizations working to provide services such as lawyers, advocacy, and more to immigrants and refugees.
To help raise awareness about the contest and campaign, Manuel put the #Ham4All challenge on the table. The idea is to sing any song from Hamilton, in whole or just a section, and share it on social media with the #Ham4All hashtag. Then, tag others to do the same. All sorts of celebrities are pressing record for the occasion.
First up, from Taran Killam, a.k.a. King George, with an interesting rendition of “Wait For It.”
I challenge fellow @lachsa-nians @HAIMtheband & @joshgroban to sing a song from @HamiltonMusical #Ham4All #WeGettheJobDoneCoalition pic.twitter.com/lInbE9QcG2
— Taran Killam (@TaranKillam) June 26, 2017
Ben Stiller and his daughter Ella dropping my favorite part of “Nonstop.”
Donate to support the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition! I challenge @TheLucasSteele @JoshGroban! #Ham4All @Lin_Manuel pic.twitter.com/NzDo8u9nC9
— Ben Stiller (@RedHourBen) June 26, 2017
I challenge @scottkfoley, @KatieQLowes & @JasonWGeorge to make a donation and sing their favorite song from Hamilton. #Ham4All pic.twitter.com/T09SvmjMcM
— shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) June 26, 2017
Mandy Gonzalez and Lexi Lawson, a.k.a. Angelica and Eliza, with “Dear Theodosia.”
Donate $10 @prizeo and win 2 tix @HamiltonMusical opening in LA. @LexiLawson and I challenge @HereIsGina and @Jordan_Fisher #Ham4All pic.twitter.com/uttaAchh7B
— Mandy Gonzalez (@_mandygonzalez) June 26, 2017
A post shared by Rainn Wilson (@rainnwilson) on Jun 26, 2017 at 1:17pm PDT
I could listen to anyone crooning and rapping Hamilton tracks all day.
Which Hamilton song will you be singing for #Ham4All? Tell us your picks in the comments or tag @nerdist in your videos on Twitter and/or Instagram.
Featured Image: Prizeo
Kevin Bacon Says a TREMORS Reboot Pilot is Coming to SYFY
It’s been almost two years since we heard that Kevin Bacon was looking to revisit his classic monster flick, Tremors, as a television series. Now, that unlikely revival is closer than ever, according to Bacon himself.
“We are going to do a [Tremors] pilot for Syfy,” relayed Bacon while speaking to Screen Daily. Bacon will reprise his role as Valentine McKee from the 1990 original film. While Tremors went on to have several direct-to-video sequels about the underground creatures known as the graboids, this will be Bacon’s first return to the franchise in 27 years.
“It’s the only character I’ve ever played that I was interested in exploring 25 years later,” explained Bacon. “It is a really good movie. I don’t go back and watch my movies but because we were doing this one, I had to go back and look at it. It’s just the idea of this loser who is living a very ordinary life and has an extraordinary experience with these monsters and becomes, for a moment, a hero.”
If the project goes forward, it will be the second Tremors TV series. Back when Syfy was still called The Sci-Fi Channel, it ran Tremors: The Series in 2003 with Michael Gross reprising his role as Burt Gummer from the film and its initial sequels. The new Tremors TV show isn’t expected to maintain continuity with the sequels or the first television series, but it would still be a nice touch to see Gross return as Burt one more time.
Bacon is teaming up with Whiplash producer Jason Blum for the latest Tremors show, which will reportedly run for only eight episodes.
Are you excited about the potential return of Tremors? Let the Earth shake in the comment section below!
Images: Universal Pictures
Nerdist Podcast: Edgar Wright
Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) talks to Chris about packing too much for trips, eating weed brownies before a flight and how charming yet gross pubs can be. They then talk about how the pacing of films has changed over the years, getting his start in directing and his new movie Baby Driver!
Image: Carlos Alvarez / Stringer
June 25, 2017
Jack Black Is a Large, Creepy Rat-Person in Die Antwoord’s Frightening Short Film
Were it not for Die Antwoord, let’s face it, Chappie would have just been a simple RoboCop-meets-Short Circuit riff, but Neill Blomkamp‘s biggest stroke of genius in the whole thing was throwing the bizarre are-they-or-aren’t-they-a-put-on South African techno-rappers into the formula, delivering onscreen performances that, love them or hate them, were most certainly unique.
When it comes to film-making of their own, however, they’re the real deal. And in this new short (it’s not a music video, as the only tunes are ambient and scarce), they’ve roped in fellow musician/movie scene-stealer Jack Black (who let the band headline his comedy showcase Festival Supreme two years ago). It’s pretty NSFW, but mostly because of the usual childish swearing and dick drawings the band’s Ninja is so fond of.
The story of a boy whose fears of rats are dismissed by his parents, only to have them all come true but be on his side, is some sort of metaphor for scary puberty and adulthood, with the parents alternating between exaggerates hysteria and David Lynchian comic facade. Tommy himself looks like he came right out of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and Die Antwoord’s Yo-Landi Vi$$er, who also directed, is her usual otherworldy self, this time with rat incisors.
Found via Australian music site Tone Deaf, this video reminds me of ’90s “official bootlegs” like Nine Inch Nails’ “Broken” or Perry Farrell’s “Gift,” videos we couldn’t see on TV or buy in stores but sometimes found via friends who shared them. You can’t recreate that experience of seeing something faux-forbidden in the Internet age, but I can say I’d like to see Yo-Landi try her hand at bigger, longer films. Heck, let her try Chappie 2 on a low budget and see what happens.
I fink it’s freaky and I like it a lot. Am I nuts? Let’s hear your thoughts in comments.
Image: Die Antwoord
GAME OF THRONES Pop-Up Bar Brings Westeros to Washington D.C.
The North remembers! And always remember to tip your bartender and waitress! Especially the ones working at this new Game of Thrones pop-up bar that has made Washington D.C. feel a lot more like King’s Landing.
A post shared by Drink Company (@drinkcompany) on Jun 23, 2017 at 10:00am PDT
We came across this new drinking establishment dedicated to HBO’s smash hit series at Thrillist, and it looks like it was forged with equal parts Valyrian steel and tequila by the folks at Drink Company.
“This PUB is our love letter to the Seven Kingdoms and we cannot wait to share it with fellow fans,” they wrote on their site. And it’s a big love letter: 3,000 square feet and three bars worth. The space includes “scenes from the North, the Red Keep, Mereen, the House of Black and White, and the Throne Room,” with the show’s incredible soundtrack providing music for all of it.
DC's #GoT themed bar is on point cc @GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/XQ1zA50kWz
— Igor Bobic (@igorbobic) June 23, 2017
Even though the bar, which opened this past week on June 21st, will only run through summer until August 27th (covering the upcoming seventh season run), they didn’t just throw a few red leaves on a white wall and call it a day; they went all out like Cersei throwing a wedding.
They have their own Hall of Faces, which includes facial plaster molds of Drink Company employees, friends, and families. There is also a mural dedicated to Daenerys’s dragons, highlighted by a dragon head that sticks out of the wall and breathes smoke. They also have a Red Keep armory with different House banners, and a place for patrons to take a picture as a flayed man of House Bolton (uh….cool?). You can even take your turn sitting on the Iron Throne (but we’d suggest doing so before you start drinking–it’s made of swords you know).
And oh yeah, they did throw some red leaves up, but on an incredible looking weirwood tree that sits behind one of the bars. We would guess by about drink five or six you’ll be convinced someone is watching you through it.
Get a look at the "Game of Thrones" pop up bar now open in DC: https://t.co/bSwk7VXY6w pic.twitter.com/HoHzPlKrtm
— DC Scene (@dcscene) June 23, 2017
The entire drink menu is also Game of Thrones-inspired. You can order the scotch-based The North Remembers which is served in a horn tankard, or a Dothraquiri that is made with rum, creme de cacao, and banana liqueur. A few of the other drinks available include Milk of the Poppy, Dracarys, The Lannisters Send Their Regards, and Shame (of course that’s made with tequila). They also have the show’s official brewery on tap, with Ommegang’s Bend the Knee beer.
A post shared by Drink Company (@drinkcompany) on Jun 21, 2017 at 9:31am PDT
We know many of you will want to make your way out there (I’ve already reached out to my friends in D.C. about staying with them–for the rest of the summer), so if you go the bar is located at 1839 to 1843 7th Street, NW, in D.C. They encourage you to show up in your best Game of Thrones costumes too (uh, this isn’t Essos, though, so traditional Qarth garb might be a problem), but not on Sunday nights.
In fact, don’t show up at all on Sunday nights, because the bar closes at seven so everyone can get home in time to watch the show.
Because while we’re all about having a few cocktails and singing a few drunken bars of the “Rains of Castemere,” there’s a time and a place to do that, and that’s not during an all-new episode.
Which of their cocktails would you most want to share with Tyrion? Grab a seat and tell us what you think–and drink–in our comments section below.
Featured Image: HBO
Peter Hollens and Whitney Avalon Unleash an Epic Disney Villains Medley
Sometimes, the villain gets the best song in a musical, even when it’s a Disney movie. It’s also become a tradition for the Disney villains to have their own showstopping number that allows the audience to see them as the vain and selfish monsters that they are…and still feel drawn to them. Now, seven of those vile-yet-compelling fiends have been given their own tribute video in the form of a Disney villains medley.
YouTube music sensation Peter Hollens collaborated with Whitney Avalon (Princess Rap Battles) for the new video, which also included a bit of cosplay. Hollens portrayed Scar from The Lion King as he belted out “Be Prepared,” before taking on Judge Claude Frollo’s “Hellfire” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, as well as Dr. Facilier’s “Friends on the Other Side” from The Princess and the Frog.
Avalon arguably got the best songs in the medley, as she started with Ursula’s “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid, then stepped into the role of Mother Gothel from Tangled as she covered “Mother Knows Best” before adding a little crossplay while singing Jafar’s “Prince Ali Reprise” from Aladdin. For “Gaston” from Beauty and the Beast, Avalon portrayed LeFou and Hollens played the song’s titular narcissist.
It’s a very charming production, and it was especially fun to see the villains from other movies occasionally interacting with each other in this video. For more of Hollens’ music, you can check out his YouTube channel here. Avalon’s Princess Rap Battles can be found on her YouTube channel.
What did you think about the epic Disney Villains Medley video? Let us know in the comment section below!
Image: Peter Hollens and Whitney Avalon
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