Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2038

GAME OF THRONES Re-Throned: “The Red Woman” (S6, E1)

Winter is coming, but not soon enough. So to help pass the time until season seven of Game of Thrones, we’re doing a weekly re-watch of the series, episode-by-episode, with the knowledge of what’s to come and—therefore—more information about the unrevealed rich history of events that took place long before the story began. Be warned, though: that means this series is full of spoilers for every season, even beyond the episode itself. So if you haven’t watched all of the show yet immediately get on that and then come back and join us for Game of Thrones Re-Throned.

Because the next best thing to watching new episodes is re-watching old ones.

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Season 6, Episode 1: “The Red Woman”

Original Air Date: April 24th, 2016

Director: Jeremy Podeswa

Written by: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

Jon Snow is dead!

For now!

But he’s coming back!

I don’t know why we’re yelling!

Sorry, it’s hard not to be a little worked up after re-watching season six’s premiere, which ends with one of the single most shocking visuals from a show known for them: Melisandre‘s true form.

Even though fans of the books speculated about her real age for years, it was still a stunning confirmation from the show. It wasn’t merely from the revelation that she has been using incredible magic all this time to “glamour” herself—this is a world featuring dragons, face swapping, and ice demons—it was the frailty of the moment. No character had been as sure in his or her beliefs as Melisandre. She had dedicated her long life to the Lord of Light, and had done unimaginable acts in his service.

But between seeing Stannis defeated and Jon lying dead before her (after she had seen in the flames Jon fighting at Winterfell), she lost her faith, and that meant everything she had lived for might have been a lie.

But beyond the pathos of the scene, this moment shows that there remains a horrifying possibility that Melisandre has been in service of a god for hundreds of years, only it has been the one she has been trying to fight this whole time.

Followers of the Lord of Light believe there are only two gods, theirs and the Great Other, the god of darkness and death the White Walkers follow. R’hllor is in a great battle against him, the light versus the dark, fire versus ice. His followers believe if the Lord of Light cannot defeat the Great Other, death will rule.

Yet despite those seemingly clear lines, which god called for innocent men to be burned at the stake and for which one was a small girl sacrificed?

And while we think of the Night’s King as having the awesome, terrible power to raise the dead, we’ve seen two dead men, Jon and Beric Dondarrion, rise in answer to prayers to the Lord of Light. In many ways Melisandre, living hundreds of years past when she should have, is also like the dead walking. Obviously both the Lord of Light and the Great Other share incredible powers to defeat death itself.

Unless, that is, there aren’t two of them. We know another faction obsessed with death believe there is only one god and he has many faces. The Faceless Men of Braavos would say that the Great Other and R’hllor are the same being, so of course they share that power.

If they are right (and we can see they have many similarities) that means that everything Melisandre has done has been in that god’s name, even if she didn’t realize it. And if that’s the case, that could mean Jon Snow’s resurrection isn’t the great promise we think it could be.

It was Melisandre’s prayers that brought him back, so if that prayer was answered by the same god the White Walkers follow, what guarantee does anyone have that Jon Snow will be an agent for the living going forward? What makes him different than any of the tens of thousands of other dead people who now make up the Night King’s army?

When the Red Woman disrobed and revealed who she really is, she didn’t just reveal her shocking identity, she may have revealed the terrible identity of the god she has served for all these years. Even if she didn’t know it.

Which could mean in the coming Great War the White Walkers don’t have a worthy enemy in Jon Snow, they have a powerful ally in wait.

Some prayers are better left unanswered.

What do you think? What does Melisandre’s true identity tell us about the coming Great War? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Images: HBO

Nerdist Podcast: Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola (director, Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides) chats with Chris about all the different aspects of filmmaking, adapting from book to movie and being a mother to two girls. They also talk about how the Coppolas all have a strong artistic gene, how she got Bill Murray to act in Lost in Translation and the making of her new film The Beguiled!

Image: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty

These SOUTH PARK Funkos are Pretty Darn Great, Mmkay

We just love when Funko releases new Pop! figures that perfectly capture the movie, show, game, or comic that they’re for. The figures for Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets pushed the envelope in terms of form and design to bring the film’s unique creatures to life in Pop! form and their One-Punch Man design nails the bored indifference of the hero. And it’s no different with Funko‘s latest additions to their low-res (low-ish res) South Park figures. 

These Funkos are part of the second wave of South Park residents due for release in August of 2017 and include Stan, Kyle, Cartman, Butters dressed as Professor Chaos, and everyone’s favorite foul-mouth flatulating Canadians, Terrance and Phillip!

What’s particularly neat about these being announced are the the nods to the show itself for the in-store exclusives. Goth Stan will be available exclusively (and appropriately) at Hot Topic.

And Cartman will only be available at GameStop (perhaps still waiting to get his Nintendo Wii).

There’s something that works so well with these South Park Funkos and it probably has to do with the lack of features they’re deliberately given. As most characters in the show lack discernible features like ears and noses, they translate really well to Pop! form. And it’s the little touches like the blocky appendages and nearly detached hinged heads of Terrance and Phillip that make us really love this line. 

Take a look at the gallery below for all the figures being released and let us know which one is your favorite in the comments below!

Images: Funko

Did the New GAME OF THRONES Trailer Confirm This Epic Fan Theory?

Winter isn’t coming, it’s here! Earlier this week, the latest trailer for Game of Thrones seventh season hit us like a wildfire explosion as it teased some of the most anticipated events of the series. There’s a lot to unpack here, including one of the wilder GoT theories that emerged last fall. Today’s Nerdist News is tearing down the Wall to bring you the details!

There are potentially major spoilers ahead for Game of Thrones season 7. And we mean it. Major. Spoilers. If you wish to remain Unsullied, then it’s time to turn back!

Join host and Hand of the Queen, Jessica Chobot, as she walks us through last year’s plot leak which indicated that Sandor “The Hound” Clegane and Beric Dondarrion would undertake a mission north of the Wall to do capture a White Walker and bring it to King’s Landing. Their theory is that not even the Mad Queen Cersei can turn a blind eye to the White Walkers when she sees one in the flesh…so to speak. But we would have to ask: have they met Cersei? She would still find a way to avoid dealing with that conflict.

The newly released trailer features footage that backs up that theory, as both Dondarrion and the Hound are seen in the snow before we catch a glimpse of the Hound’s homecoming to King’s Landing. You may recall that the Hound didn’t leave the city under the best of terms, since he essentially abandoned Joffrey during Stannis Baratheon’s siege of the city. And he didn’t mince words about it!

There’s no way that Cersei would let that slide, and that may inspire her to unleash her pet monster, Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane on the Hound. That’s right, the Cleganebowl may finally be happening this season! But which brother will make it out of that battle alive?

Are you excited about the Hound’s potential rematch with the Mountain? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

ADVENTURE TIME Fan Art Recreates Finn and Jake’s Tree Fort in Amazing Detail

Within Adventure Time‘s Land of Ooo, one of our favorite locations is the tree fort that belongs to Finn the Human and Jake the Dog. It’s been glimpsed many times in the show, but now Finn and Jake’s iconic home has been recreated in painstaking detail in a newly released illustration.

Russian artist Max Degtyarev has shared his extensive recreation of Finn and Jake’s tree fort via his ArtStation page. And as you can see, it is truly a thing of beauty. Click on the image to get the full view!

 

Degtyarev told us that “once upon a time, I thought it would be great to draw a house of Finn and Jake from Adventure Time show in cut-away. Full of details, secrets and familiar characters walking around. Maybe someday it will evolve into a whole book.” He went on to explain that he used only the television show for reference. However, that created some problems because even the series hasn’t been completely consistent with its details. For example, Degtyarev shared the following comparison of Finn and Jake’s bedroom from the show and the final version that he went with.

“The visual style of Adventure Time assumes crazy distortions,” explained Degtyarev. “The same objects can be drawn differently according to scene. This is a very cool feature. Not only does it add dynamic and liveliness to the scenes, but it also greatly increases production time. You’ll never notice it [while] watching [the show] until you get tasked to make a detailed cut away illustration of Finn and Jake’s house.”

Degtyarev also shared a few enticing closeups from his illustration, including Peppermint Butler’s cameo appearance in the Den.

There’s also a prison cell that Finn and Jake stopped using a long time ago, which sits empty and unused.

Just outside of the tree fort, a few water nymphs can also been seen in this pic.

 

You can see more of Degtyarev’s artwork at his ArtStation page.

What did you think about this Adventure Time artwork? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Max Degtyarev/Cartoon Network

Lose Yourself in These Truly Weird Animations We Can’t Unsee

We… don’t entirely know how to feel about the art of Esteban Diacono. From a technical and artistic standpoint, the animations he creates and posts to his Instagram are so unique and beautiful that we absolutely can’t stop looking at them. But whether unable or unwilling to escape the deep dive of his account, we find ourselves truly unnerved by the abstract, weird, and — let’s be honest here — absurdly floppy animations he makes.

He’s gone beyond the uncanny valley and set up residence next door in what has to be called the uncomfortable one.

A post shared by Esteban Diacono (@_estebandiacono) on Jun 16, 2017 at 10:07am PDT

According to a recent post on This Is Colossal, this gallery of unending uneasiness started about eight months ago by Diacono as a way for him to both “start and finish something.” As he works on projects and tests, uploading them to Instagram forces him to move onto other work.

There’s an absolute treasure trove of wonderfully creepy things to see in these posts including an alarming amount fluid-like heads with a consistency reminiscent of the sticky hand toys that you can get in grocery store vending machines.

A post shared by Esteban Diacono (@_estebandiacono) on Mar 4, 2017 at 8:37am PST

A post shared by Esteban Diacono (@_estebandiacono) on Mar 18, 2017 at 12:03am PDT

And quite the collection of full-body animations of — let’s go with — creatures covered in (or made entirely of) all manner of goop (technical term) or armor-like protrusions.

A post shared by Esteban Diacono (@_estebandiacono) on Jun 9, 2017 at 6:33pm PDT

A post shared by Esteban Diacono (@_estebandiacono) on Jun 19, 2017 at 3:25am PDT

And for an even deeper dive, Esteban’s Vimeo page has even more of his animations.

Which one of Esteban’s animations do you love the most? Which will give you nightmares for years to come? let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Esteban Diácono

Russia’s FEDOR Robot Can Dual Wield Pistols and May Be Going to Space

In what is apparently an endeavor to mash up the Terminator, Cylons, and Counter-Strike, the Russian government has trained its potentially spacefaring robot, FEDOR, to dual wield real handguns and do the whole shoot first, ask questions later routine. Russia’s deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Rogozin, hit Twitter with a video of FEDOR in action, and below we see it (at about the 1:02 mark) delivering two full clips from its dual handguns into a bunch of targets. Because the only thing that can protect you from an alien with a gun is a robot with a gun. Apparently.

The clip, which comes via Mashable, shows off a demonstration of several deadly robots that Rogozin says are going through “Shooting exercises as a method of teaching the robot to set priorities and make instant decisions.” He adds that “We are creating AI, not Terminator.” Even taking those sentiments into consideration, the fact remains that this is a robot, it has two hands, it can fire two guns simultaneously, and it can’t show emotion because it doesn’t have eyebrows. Which makes the case for it being benign difficult. But there is more to this robot than meets the eye.

Robot FEDOR showed the ability to shoot from both hands. Fine motor skills and decision-making algorithms are still being improved pic.twitter.com/Y7IsciocPW

— Dmitry Rogozin (@DRogozin) April 14, 2017

It seems that the core function of FEDOR (which is an acronym for Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research) is to serve aboard the ISS beginning in 2021. Sergei Khurs, director of Russia’s National Center for Technology Development and Basic Robotics, told Russia Beyond the Headlines, “In their work onboard spacecraft, during spacewalking missions and on other planets, astronauts will rely on robots.” FEDOR is also capable of many other actions aside from rockin’ dos Glocks, including walking, using tools, lifting weights, and driving. Why, here FEDOR is now on his way to kill John Connor  run some errands for you.

Rogozin says that FEDOR’s fine motor skills are being improved, although the below clip of the wonky bot showing off his myriad capabilities inspires less fear than it does gentle encouragement. Although Skynet had pretty humble beginnings as well…

What do you think about FEDOR? Is he going to serve his meatbag masters well, or can you envision him getting revenge on behalf of Atlas? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: YouTube / Inside Drop

Will WATCHMEN On HBO Be Better Than the Movie?

If you thought Jessica Chobot was going to do Nerdist News Talks Back alone today, you were very, very wrong! Why would you think that? It’s the opposite of the point of the show. Join Managing Editor Alicia Lutes, Senior News Producer Jesse Gill, and Director of Development Brendon Shulze as they discuss Han Solo’s new lack of directors, Game of Thrones’ anything but chill trailer, Damon Lindelof’s Watchmen, and a robot that goes in your b-hole!

Yesterday the nerd world was shocked to learn that Han Solo directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller had left the project, with Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy issuing a statement citing creative differences as the reason. Rumors of either Ron Howard or Joe Johnston taking over are circulating the internet, so what does this mean for Han Solo. Hopefully the movie won’t be affected too much, since most of it was already shot first.

It’s the first day of summer! You know what that means. Winter is…here? Game of Thrones’ most recent trailer showcases dragons, sibling drama, and lots and lots of swords. With Danaerys on her way to Westeros and the White Walkers creeping ever closer, this season is sure to keep us glued to the screen every Sunday night.

In other HBO news, creator of The Leftovers Damon Lindelof is set to helm a new iteration of Watchmen. Maybe being on TV will allow the story to be fleshed out a bit more than in Zack Snyder’s film and not become such a polarizing adaptation.

If your dream as a child was to one day have a robot up your butt then well, you’re in luck! Wait no, drop that Voltron toy! The Colonoscopy Robot will make colonoscopies safer for all parties involved. You can even pretend it’s Voltron: The Legendary Spelunker.

Want to join us for a live discussion? Tune in tomorrow and every weekday at 1:00pm PST for another episode of Nerdist News Talks Back on YouTube and Alpha, and catch up with the archives immediately thereafter!

 

Image: HBO

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING Sequel Will Feature a Different MCU Hero, Plus Rumors of More Spin-Offs

Although Tony Stark/Iron Man will feature prominently in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming, the first official Spidey entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it doesn’t look like Robert Downey Jr. will return for the sequel. According to a story in the The Hollywood Reporter, Sony will have the Peter Parker team up with a different, as yet to be determined hero from the MCU in the follow-up film, which is currently set for release on July 5, 2019.

This is assuming everyone responds to Tom Holland’s take on Spidey over the previous Andrew Garfield version, of course. Remember, those movies had sequels and spin-offs with release dates too, until Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out and those plans went the way of the dinosaur.

But assuming everything goes according to plan for both Marvel Studios and Sony and Spider-Man: Homecoming is a hit, who will be the next MCU hero to appear swinging alongside Peter? If I were a betting man, my money would be on Mark Ruffalo as the Hulk. After all, he’s a Marvel Comics icon that everyone and their mother knows, and because of contracts and other things, Marvel is reluctant to give him his own headlining movie again. But he’s being brought in as back-up in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, so we could see the same scenario taking place for a Spidey sequel.

A quippy, sarcastic Spider-Man dodging blows from the Jade Giant (who’s annoyed beyond all measure at “Bug-Man”) is a longtime staple of Marvel Comics, and would be a blast to see play out on screen. Plus, in their real-world identities, both Peter Parker and Bruce Banner are huge science nerds, so they’d have that bond going for them as well.

Our next guess for which MCU hero might make an appearance in a Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel would be Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America. Ever since Captain America: Civil War, when Spidey first fought Cap and the two shared a mutual respect for each other, fans have wanted to see more of their interaction. Plus, there’s the age gap between the two. Despite what he may look like, Steve Rogers is an old man from “the greatest generation,” while Peter is very much a product of the modern world. This is another pairing that could lead to a lot of memorable scenes.

The Hollywood Reporter story also dropped another interesting bit of information over Sony’s plans for a Spidey universe featuring his supporting characters and villains in movies of their own. Venom, along with Black Cat & Silver Sable, make a certain amount of sense, given that these characters have headlined their own comics in the past and are as much anti-heroes as they are villains. But according to the new report, it looks like Sony is looking to develop spin-offs for….Mysterio and Kraven the Hunter??

Now, it’s possible that THR got their wires crossed, and instead heard that Kraven and Mysterio are being looked at as villains for the Spider-Man: Homecoming sequel, which would make a lot more sense than those guys getting their own movies. These characters are and have always been straight up villains, and trying to portray them as good guys or protagonists in any way would come off as phony. Here’s hoping that future appearances in Spidey sequels is what is actually going to be happening, rather than a Mysterio or Kraven solo movie, because I’m not sure who wants to line up to see that.

What Marvel heroes would you like to see Spidey team up with on the big screen? Do I hear a Daredevil in there somewhere?? Let us know what you think down below in the comments.

Images: Marvel Comics / Sony 

Wonder Woman, Batgirl, and Supergirl Join Forces in This Tattoo

Bracelet style tattoos are a popular choice for legs and arms, and though Daniela Reis was initially only going to add Supergirl to her skin, she was inspired to expand to ink that wrapped around her leg. She chose Supergirl because she fell in love with Kara Danvers in the first season of The CW show. She was already a DC Comics fan, but she says the show gave her a superhero to relate to. She paired the Supergirl part of the bracelet with a Kara quote from the show.

Then, she needed to choose to more heroes. She told Nerdist, “They needed to be female, because I’m all about that girl power. I ended up with Batgirl and Wonder Woman because they’re my favorites.”

Here’s the complete tattoo with Supergirl, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman, a.k.a. a rather awesome trinity.

The design was inked by Edgar Valério of Damaged InKorporation.

Pay a visit to the gallery just below to see close-up photos showing off each character in the tattoo.

If you have nerdy ink on your skin or you’re a tattoo artist that applies pop culture, STEM, music, or other nerd-inspired ink (tl;dr: I want to see basically all of the tattoos) on a regular basis, then please hit me up because I’d like to highlight you in a future Inked Wednesday gallery. I’m especially interested if you have a sleeve or other large tattoo. You can get in touch with me via email at alratcliffe@yahoo.com. Send me photos of the tattoos you’d like me to feature (the higher resolution, the better) and don’t forget to let me know the name of your tattoo artist if you have it, as well the name of the shop he or she works out of. If you are the tattoo artist, give me links to your portfolios and/or Instagram accounts so I can share them with our readers.

Images: Daniela Reis