Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2056

His Name Is HEAD LOPPER and He Will Lop off Your Head

Some comic-book characters are cagey about what they do, as far as name-choosing is concerned. Wonder Woman, for example, is wonderful, but that doesn’t tell you anything about her powers or skills. Cable has abilities that don’t really have anything to do with cables. He-Man is…male, obviously, but what else? And what exactly does the Maxx do…to the max?

Then there’s Head Lopper. No doubt about what he does. None at all.

Known to his friends, such as they are, as Norgal, Head Lopper began in indie comics by creator Andrew MacLean and was picked up by Image. Now, he already has his first vinyl collector figure, made by Skelton Crew Studio. He’s articulated at the shoulders and wrists for “fist-pumping poseability.” (Do they watch Jersey Shore in the land of Barra?)

Place your preorder by July 1st to get that bonus canvas map of Barra for free. But place an order before the end of June if you want the limited Blue Bog variant:

The figure is nicely symmetrical–hardly lopsided at all. But he is not designed to be a children’s toy; one is expected to be at least fifteen years of age before enjoying a vinyl decapitator. Perhaps that’s because he’s “Not guaranteed to lop the heads off your other toys. But probably will.”

Are you going to roll out the ol’ credit card for a chance to catch this cranial cutter? Is some noggin-knifin’ in the future of your other vinyl collectibles? Comment below to tell us if you think Norgal is ready to be a normal part of your collection.

Images: Image Comics, Skelton Crew Studio

WONDER WOMAN’s Theme Gets Even More Metal in This Cover

After this weekend, it’s Wonder Woman‘s world! DC’s iconic character has successfully made the leap to the big screen as a solo heroine, and we have a feeling that we’ll be seeing Gal Gadot‘s Wonder Woman for many years to come. Gadot made her debut in the role during last year’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, which also gave Wonder Woman a new theme for the modern era. Now it’s time for that theme to get a metal makeover!

Eric Calderone (a.k.a. Erock) has posted his heavy metal inspired take on the Wonder Wonder music created by Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL, which was already pretty metal to begin with. “I’ve seen this requested for a long time and since today is the premiere, I figured I’d give it a shot,” wrote Calderon on his YouTube page. “I obviously know this is from BvS, but it’s basically dubbed as WW’s theme. Hope ya dig!”

One of the reasons that we think this piece will stand the test of time is that it easily lends itself to different styles. Composer Rupert Gregson-Williams adapted Zimmer and Junkie XL’s music as Wonder Woman’s theme in her solo movie, and he added more orchestral touches as well. For comparison’s sake, here’s an excerpt from the Wonder Woman soundtrack that was posted earlier this month by Warner Bros.’ Watertower Music.

For more from music from Calderone, visit Metalyze.com or check out his YouTube channel.

What did you think about Calderone’s new Wonder Woman metal cover? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

Dan Harmon Reveals the Meaning of Life in RICK AND MORTY

The multiverse inhabited by Rick and Morty is extremely entertaining to watch, but it also presents the fairly cynical POV of Rick Sanchez. One of the recurring themes in the series is that nothing really matters at all. “Nobody exists on purpose, nobody belongs anywhere, everybody’s gonna die.” What does it say when this is the show’s most affecting line? Quite a bit, according to series co-creator Dan Harmon.

Adult Swim has posted a new Rick and Morty video in which Harmon talks about the underlying themes and meanings behind the series. In it, Harmon says that Rick is “the seam between God and man,” and points out that the show has continuously revisited the theme of Rick’s indifference towards his creations. Harmon also mentions the “terrifying” idea that God is an impersonal cosmic force that doesn’t care about its creations, just like Rick.

Click the image below to play the video:

 

Despite the show constantly mocking Jerry’s ineptitude, Harmon suggests that Rick’s soon to be ex-son-in-law may actually be the happier of the two men. Jerry can enjoy the small moments whereas Rick has actually attempted to commit suicide at least once in the series. In the grand scheme of things, Harmon agrees that nothing is truly important. But he adds that once you accept that nothing matters, then “every place is the center of the universe, and every moment is the most important moment, and everything is the meaning of life.”

If you’re looking for something even more life-affirming out of this video, the ending reveals that the new season of Rick and Morty is coming this summer.

What do you think about Harmon’s take on meaning within Rick and Morty? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: Adult Swim

Hot Toys’ Next WONDER WOMAN Figure Shows No Seams

Wonder Woman can do many things. She can deflect bullets, leap tall buildings in a single bound (ever since Superman transitioned into full-on flight, somebody had to), and even generate a magical shockwave by crossing her arms in front of her face. Such gifts are the stuff of fantasy films, of course, but in the real world, Hot Toys‘ Wonder Woman (in training armor) is still able to amaze…by being fully articulated with no visible joints.

Check it out: no shoulder joints that you can see. And yet she has no problem striking and holding natural-looking poses.

If this skin-over-frame design can hold up without tearing, it may have been the toy development that, appropriately, all the world has been waiting for. But that’s not all the figure offers: she comes with a stand featuring the Themyscira beach backdrop, a god-killer sword on its pedestal (yeah, yeah, we know it’s not called that for the whole movie, but it’s an easier point of reference), multiple hands, and a bow with arrows.

We don’t think you’ve ever known a female figure quite like her. But we want more now. Expanding the line to give us a Robin Wright action figure would be a great next step.

Wonder Woman in Training Armor is now available for preorder at all your favorite online toy stores. You might want to grab one before they all disappear into a virtual no man’s land.

Is this the real princess of power you’ve been waiting for? Let us know in comments, and check out the gallery below for even more looks at the toy.

Images: Hot Toys

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Gets a Mashed-up LEGO Retelling

Last year, Marvel Studios gave movie fans one of the biggest cinematic superhero battles to date in Captain America: Civil War. The epic airport fight between Captain America and Iron Man‘s respective teams was the kind of scene that captures the imagination, especially for younger audiences. It was probably just a matter of time before someone came up with their own take on that confrontation.

Disney and LEGO have once again joined forces for a retelling of Captain America: Civil War‘s signature scene, as seen through the eyes of a young child. In this version of the story, Captain America is barely present at all. Instead, the new sentinel of liberty is none other than the Scarlet Witch. And we’ve got to admit, it’s fun seeing Wanda with the iconic shield.

It’s amusing to see the Winter Soldier with the Scarlet Witch’s telekinetic powers and Black Panther using Hawkeye’s bow. Only Iron Man cares that events aren’t exactly accurate to the Marvel films and comics. From the perspective of a child, that would once again make Tony Stark into the antagonist of this piece without actually making him a villain.

Guardians of the Galaxy infamously featured Peter Quill’s dance-off challenge, but this video actually ends in a disco dance off, much to the annoyance of Iron Man. We also loved the cameo appearance by Giant-Man/Ant-Man, as he made sure that everyone was dancing.

What did you think about the LEGO retelling of Captain America: Civil War? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image:Marvel/LEGO/Disney 

NECA’s Comic-Con Exclusive ALIEN Figure Is Inspired by TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Wait, what?

That certainly is an odd headline to read. What does H.R. Giger’s vicious, acid-bleeding xenomorph have to do with pizza-loving reptiles who are proficient with weapons? More than you think, it turns out.

First of all, keep in mind that NECA has been given a lot of latitude with their Alien license, having made tributes to the old Kenner toys, video game versions, and even a two-pack with Batman. Second, remember what I said last week about how they have the rights to make Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon figures for conventions only?

Now watch this:

#cowabunga pizza monsters pic.twitter.com/rDKKfUnfwT

— SharkieQ 検索と破棄 ! (@sharkieQ) June 2, 2017

So this is the world we find ourselves in: one where an animated series creates a PG-friendly rip-off of an R-rated movie monster, and a toy company that has the rights to both (sorta) makes it official. I mean, it’s a needless extra licensing fee to actually mention on the package that it’s based on the TMNT cartoon, so they don’t. But the name “Sewer Mutation Warrior Alien” is a strong, strong hint. And in case there were any doubt, NECA used the hashtag “#pizza” in their Tweet announcing it.

For those curious about specifics, it appears to be a repaint of the Aliens Vs. Predator: Requiem xenomorph (fitting, since sewers actually did play a part in that), and as such is the best thing to ever be associated with that movie.

A limited number of preorders for non-attendees will be made available online starting June 20th, and members of NECA’s all-in Club Alien (for collectors who want every single Alien action figure they make) will also be able to get them too. So you can breathe a “sai” of relief.

Is it xenomorphin’ time for your Turtle toys? Make a Covenant with us to leave a comment below!

Images: NECA

Terry Gilliam Has Finally Wrapped Production on His 17-Year DON QUIXOTE Movie

Chaos often reigns in the world of filmmaker Terry Gilliam, whose fights with distributors and producers over movies like Brazil and The Brothers Grimm are the stuff of Hollywood legend. Then there was The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, starring Heath Ledger, who died about halfway through, necessitating major rewrites that allowed his character to transform into other actors.

But no Gilliam production has been more chaotic than The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, about a modern-day marketing executive who travels back in time to meet Miguel de Cervantes’ delusional would-be knight of La Mancha. The initial production which began shooting in 2000, starring Johnny Depp as ad-man Tony Grisoni and French actor Jean Rochefort as Quixote, was ultimately shut down after weather and location disasters, and Rochefort injuring himself on a horse, sustaining a herniated disc. A movie was made, but it was called Lost in la Mancha–what would have been a behind-the-scenes documentary for a potential DVD turned into a cautionary documentary about how not to make an epic fantasy.

Gilliam has tried to revive the production multiple times in the years since, but most of his attempts failed, prompting talk of a “Curse of Quixote,” as both Orson Welles and Walt Disney had started Quixote projects that remained unfinished. Even his most recent attempt, with Adam Driver in the Depp role, had its share of trouble when Alfama Films (which had failed to secure funds) legally threatened Amazon Studios (which had succeeded).

And yet, somehow, today (via Indiewire), this happened:

Even that announcement was not without controversy–multiple comments on the Facebook post accused the production of damaging a 12th-century convent and the trees around it. Nonetheless, we’ll now get to see if Terry Gilliam’s real-life dream of the impossible dream can possibly live up to nearly two decades of anticipation.

Are you hyped to see a dream project come to life, or do you think it can’t possibly live up to expectations? Don your thinking caps and comment below!

Image: Flickr/Colin Knowles

DOCTOR WHO: ‘The Lie of the Land’ Takes on Abuse of Power and Fake News

This article contains SPOILERS for the Doctor Who episode “The Lie of the Land.” Please watch before continuing, or live dangerously; it’s your life.

I’ve been applauding for weeks how Doctor Who series 10 has been really going for it when dealing with important social, political, and cultural issues, centered around the new companion Bill Potts (Pearl ‘Oh my God she’s so awesome’ Mackie). In the first two episodes in the three-part saga of the Monks, we’ve seen that they can create simulations that are real enough to feel alive, and totally misdirect an entire planet on their way to being made rulers. In the final part, “The Lie of the Land,” written by Toby Whithouse, we get to see what a world run by the Monks looks like…and it’s eerily close to what our planet could be facing.

History is written by the winners, the old saying goes, and the beginning of “Lie” shows us that literally; the Monks have not only totally re-written Earth’s history, they’ve forced everyone to believe it. They show us that they’ve always been here, helping humanity achieve all of its greatest accomplishments and there to protect us from the likes of the Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, and the like. And in order to force this issue, they have a mouthpiece, someone who can be their biggest proponent, a voice of calm, consenting reason: the Doctor.

The opening 18 minutes or so of “The Lie of the Land” does an amazing and chillingly accurate job of showing us a pacified fascist state. The Doctor’s propaganda shows us how delightfully peaceful the world is because of the Monks, but immediately thereafter, the jackbooted enforcers of the Monks break in to a suburban home and apprehend a woman whose only “crime” was not being brainwashed by their signal. Any tiny voice of resistance is swiftly stamped out.

This moment felt especially chilling, given the precipice on which much of the world seems to be sitting, with actual totalitarian leaders in place throughout the world, and others seemingly turning toward that. Hearing a lie so many times it starts to sound real is a time-tested method of control and people can be incredibly susceptible to that. Later on in the episode, we see one of the Doctor’s soldiers losing his grip on what’s real and only remembering the fake, being emotionally wounded by the idea that anyone would question such deep-held beliefs.

This opening section also finds Bill and a still-alive Nardole (who calls himself Nardy, hilariously) trekking their way to where the Doctor’s pirate video signal broadcasts–a cargo ship–and finally, Bill gets to the Doctor, believing implicitly that he’s actually faking. His speech to her, about how he’s totally joined the Monks and is in his right mind, is devastating. He gave humanity opportunity after opportunity not to fall into traps of fascism and suffering and hate, but since they couldn’t, and since Bill herself wouldn’t listen to him, he figured the Monks’ peace is better than no peace at all. It’s a heavy moment, and one that resonated–is accepting a totalitarian regime worth it if it creates relative peace? Ultimately, Bill thinks the answer is “no.”

Now, obviously, this “reality” wasn’t going to last, and I was actually fairly surprised that we left it so soon, but it ended up all being an elaborate ruse to test whether Bill was in the grasp of the Monks or not. Her shooting the Doctor is definitely an extreme move, but one he evidently expected. (Did he need to pretend to regenerate? No, of course he didn’t. But it made for a great “WTF” moment in the trailer, huh?)

From this point forward, the episode follows a fairly traditional track, with the Doctor and Bill visiting Missy (supposedly reforming) in order to get ideas about how to defeat the Monks and break their signal. Bill’s decision to sacrifice herself makes amends for her being the reason they’re in that predicament in the first place, and the way she’s ultimately not left brain dead is a nice get-out-of-jail-free moment.

But the Doctor’s final conversation in the episode with both Bill and Missy felt quite poignant for the themes of feeling like you’re losing the world and that all hope is lost. Nobody seemed to take anything away from the months under Monkish rule, and while the Doctor claims humanity’s ability to not learn from their mistakes is “really annoying,” he does say that people like Bill among all the sheep make them worth saving. A beautiful moment, and one that, I’d hope, let people who feel helpless remember there are people like them in the world.

The final bit with Missy is a little more ambiguous, and the Doctor’s face sort of says everything. Missy, tears running down her face, says she started remembering all the people she killed, and didn’t think she ever knew their names, but she does. Is this her attempting to repent, or is it just giving the Doctor what he wants to hear? It’s unclear which the Doctor truly believes, but he’s not accepting it at face value. Truth and reality are two very different things, as this episode skillfully depicts.

“The Lie of the Land” finishes the Monk’s trilogy with perhaps the show’s most hard-hitting socially relevant episode yet. The Monks themselves ended up not being very important. Like I said about the previous episode, they’re more of a misdirect. They represent an unstoppable onslaught of repression and subjugation that is scary and seemingly all powerful but can be defeated by remembering what humanity is at its best. We would all do well to remember that we have the power; we just have to retain hope.

Let me know your thoughts about “The Lie of the Land” in the comments below, or on Twitter!

Doctor Who airs Saturdays at 9/8c on BBC America.

Images: BBC America

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor and the resident Whovian for Nerdist. Follow him on Twitter!

Where to Find WONDER WOMAN Merchandise Fit for an Amazon

I’m sorry to say you can’t run away to Themyscira after seeing Wonder Woman. Even if the appeal of being in paradise among kick-ass, capable women is strong, the island doesn’t exist and hiding from the world there would go against the very message of the film. What you can do, however, is celebrate your Wonder Woman feels with merchandise.

After watching Diana take care of business, I longed to put on all things Wonder Woman. Since I’m probably not alone, I’ve rounded up a selection of swag fit for an Amazon.

Wonder Woman souvenir jacket

Her Universe and Hot Topic have a Wonder Woman collection with this stunning and versatile souvenir jacket (that, by the way, is lightweight enough to don once in a while if you happen to live in a warm climate), dresses, and other subtly stylish items. See the entire collection here.

Arm yourself

Want to carry around a symbol that reminds you to fight like Wonder Woman? Love and Madness has a necklace with Athena’s sword in black, gold, or silver plated brass.

Bag it up

Box Lunch has a Wonder Woman cosmetic bag set–please note the shield design on the pouch. Split these items up to use as a wristlet and coin purse.

 

Peter Pan and Wonder Woman

A post shared by sam mercer (@bysammercer) on Jun 1, 2017 at 7:52am PDT

Peter Pan and Wonder Woman isn’t an off-the-wall ship; it’s a fashion statement. Add this collar by Sam Mercer to dresses or tees for instant Amazonian flair.

Tiara time

If you want a Wonder Woman tiara to wear whenever you damn well please, you can get one from SuperHeroStuff.

Statement necklace

While you’re shopping at SuperHeroStuff, you can get this bold Wonder Woman collar necklace.

Symbol strong

A post shared by Mygeekhusband (@mygeekhusband) on Apr 19, 2017 at 9:23am PDT

If you want to lean into more subtle territory with your Wonder Woman jewelry, has handmade silver designs that might be to your taste.

Cute and sassy

A post shared by Yolanda• Artist

The New Team Assembles in 5 AVENGERS: SECRET WARS Shorts

Earlier this week, Disney XD debuted the first of six new animated shorts for Avengers: Secret Wars, the continuation of the series that began with Avengers Assemble. As part of the new season, there’s a brand new team that’s been put together by Black Panther to save the original Avengers from the Leader and his new cabal.

Today, Disney XD released the five remaining animated shorts, which continue directly from the Ms. Marvel short. In the previous short, Ms. Marvel’s enthusiasm for taking her place among Earth’s mightiest heroes was shaken once she saw the new team in action. In the remaining installments, Ms. Marvel shares her thoughts on each of her teammates as Captain America urges her not to give up on her dream.

For the first short, Black Panther takes on Ulysses Klaw and his band of Vibranium smugglers as they discover that bullets don’t work very well against the King of Wakanda.

In the second short, Ms. Marvel throws the spotlight on her personal hero, Captain Marvel. As noted by her young admirer, Captain Marvel’s adventures aren’t confined to Earth, as she confronts a group of alien criminals.

The third short turns the focus to Ant-Man and the Wasp, both of whom take their cues from their MCU incarnations. This story follows the pair as they attempt to save one of their ants from a fall down a storm drain. But getting out of that isn’t easy, even for them.

Next, the Vision tries to demonstrate his humanity by helping two trapped miners. And although Vision seems to sincerely believe that he’s as human as anyone else, the miners’ reaction to him proves otherwise.

Finally, the focus comes back to Ms. Marvel, as she relates her origin and the incident that made her decide to become a hero.

Avengers: Secret Wars will premiere on Disney XD with two back-to-back episodes on Saturday, July 17, at 11:30 a.m. ET.

What did you think of these animated shorts? Assemble your thoughts in the comment section below!

Image: Disney XD