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STAR WARS’ ‘Imperial March’ Gets a Great Accordion Only Cover

For decades the unlikely union of Star Wars and an accordion could only mean one thing: a Weird Al parody about the galaxy far, far away, like “The Saga Begins” and “Yoda.” But his monopoly on that very specific musical market is no more, after this surprisingly great rendition of the “Imperial March” played with accordions.

This unexpected performance of John Williams’ iconic number from The Empire Strikes Back comes from the Ukrainian duo of Vasyl Kravchuk and Victor Kravchuk, who proved that while the right track can even make an instrument as pleasant as an accordion sound sinister, an accordion can soften the most evil-sounding song.

Didn’t believe us? Your lack of faith is disturbing.

No, actually, it’s not. That caught us off guard too, especially the great flourish at the end. We didn’t realize we needed a polka-esque take on the “Imperial March” in our lives, but the universe seems a little brighter now that we have it. (Thanks to Laughing Squid for bringing it to our attention.)

Just as amazing as how much we enjoyed this is the fact that the two played it in March at the IVth All-Ukrainian “Day of Ukrainian Bayan and Accordion” Festival, meaning there’s an entire event dedicated to this wondrous, silly instrument for people to experience.

Do they have travel packages available to this?

Because now when we hear “Star Wars” and “accordion” we’re going to think of two things: Weird Al and Ukraine. Which makes as much sense as playing the “Imperial March” on two accordions.

What other cinematic song would you like to hear covered on an accordion? Use our comments section below to let us know what number you want to hear played.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm

Image: Kurylenko

These Star Wars characters are awesome…and no longer canon

Chris Cornell Once Wore the Best Soundgarden-Inspired Halloween Costume Ever

It’s still wild to think that grunge luminary Chris Cornell is no longer with us, but now that the initial shock of the tragedy is beginning to pass, we can look back at that the rock great left us. There’s all the music, whether it was with Soundgarden or Audioslave or his solo material, and to those who knew him personally, there are memories of what a kind and charming figure he was.

For example, Heart’s Ann Wilson was a friend of Cornell’s, and in a recent piece in Rolling Stone, she wrote about what her friend meant to her, and shared a particularly hilarious memory about what Cornell wore to a Halloween party where the theme was to dress as your favorite song (via Stereogum):

“I used to have a themed Halloween party every year and I remembered one time, the theme was to come dressed as your favorite song. Chris came as “Black Hole Sun.” He arrived wearing these huge platform boots that made him like, 6’3″, and wore this huge yellow costume with papier-mâché around his head as the sun. His face was completely blacked out. He had a great sense of humor. But it was just after the song came out, when [Soundgarden] was just experiencing the first real tremors of what it was like to be famous.”

In an ultimate power move, dude went dressed as his own song. Apparently, he was funnier than most of us probably realized. Wilson also wrote about the toll that fame took on Cornell, so read more about that here, and let us know if you’ve heard any other entertaining Cornell stories in recent days.

Featured image: BB Gun Press

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING Clip Shows Vulture’s Origin

The degree to which I’m excited to see Michael Keaton don some comic book villain garb in Spider-Man: Homecoming is getting dangerously close to the “unhealthy” range. To most people, he’s first and foremost Batman (or Beetlejuice), so the idea of him assaying one of Spidey’s oldest foes is both exciting and potentially inner-child-destroying. And from the look of everything we’ve seen thus far, Keaton’s take on Adrian Toomes is downright chilling. A new clip of Keaton in the film was shown this week on Ellen, and it shows the very moment Toomes decided to quit being a regular thief and start being a supervillain.

“The world’s changing. It’s time we change, too.” If superheroes and wormhole aliens exist, why shouldn’t street-level toughs up their game using stolen Stark technology? I mean, I get it. It’s maybe not the most law-abiding of mentalities, but it’s certainly forward thinking. As of yet, nobody has taken a SpaceX rocket and become, I dunno, Rocket Guy, and Elon Musk isn’t yet a armor-clad avenger, but that’s what movies are for, right?

Between Guardians of the Galaxy vol 2 this month and the curiosity surrounding Thor: Ragnarok for the end of the year, it’s possibly some people (I’ll cop to it, me as well) could have forgotten that Spider-Man in all his MCU glory will be hitting theaters July 7, but with a villain like Michael Keaton in the mix, we should all be doing back flips.

Are you excited to see Keaton’s Vulture take on Tom Holland’s Spidey and Robert Downey Jr’s Tony Stark in a little over a month? Talk about it in the comments below!

Image: Sony/Marvel

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

We talk all things Spider-Man: Homecoming in this Nerdist News!

Play as Tess with this THE LAST OF US Game Mod

Despite being released all the way back in 2013, The Last Of Us is still one of the more beloved games Naughty Dog has ever released. Its popularity on the PlayStation 3 caused the developer to release a remastered PlayStation 4 version which has kept people playing the survival horror game ever since. Over time, game mods pop up and a recent post on Kotaku brought to light a particularly interesting one by a YouTuber named Freako.

By laboriously digging through the game’s files, Freako was able to locate the files that control the NPC (non-playable character) skins and was able to apply them to the primary playable character, Joel. Some of the NPCs don’t work too well with wonky movements and glitchy interactions with other characters. This is, of course, expected as NPCs are usually designed with a specific set of movements and characteristics and don’t need as much detail as the playable characters. Surprisingly, a lot of things seem to work well when the Tess NPC is applied as a playable character.

Now, this is probably due to the amount of missions and interaction players have with Tess during the game. We see her run, fight, climb, jump, and shoot just like Joel does, so her NPC code has got to be more in depth compared to others (like the cut-scene Infected Clicker). But it does make us wonder if there was ever a plan to have Tess be just as playable as Joel was. The ability to choose either Joel or Tess would have given another layer to the game but may have also taken away some of the more emotional moments Joel had with Ellie since part of his journey is protecting her in ways he failed to do so with his own daughter.

Though Tess [SPOILERS] died a hero in the first game, the upcoming The Last of Us Part II is still in the works and–like most sequels tend to do–may involve new elements to game-play.

Do you think playing as Tess would have changed the game entirely? Are you excited for The Last of Us Part II? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Naughty Dog

Talking STAR WARS Romance, That SPIDER-MAN Poster, and Plinko!

For all its explosions, its lightsaber fights, its jumps to hyperspace, and its talk of Wookiees ripping off people’s arms, Star Wars is actually a pretty sweet, love-laden series. Sure, it may lean in a little too willingly on the occasional inappropriate brother-sister kiss, but the franchise has got a good deal of genuine romance and bona fide platonic affection in its holster. Like, for instance, General Leia slapping her right-hand-man Poe Dameron in the face over and over.

Before we get to see at least one of Carrie Fisher’s mighty slaps come The Last Jedi (unfortunately, not all of them made the final cut), the gang at Nerdist News Talks Back is digging into this heavily anticipated moment and the rest of Star Wars‘ unique displays of affection for a particularly heartrending episode. Hosts Dan Casey and Kyle Hill are joined by Nerdist Music Editor Matthew Grosinger to run down some of the sweetest moments we’ve seen in that galaxy far, far away.

Next, we move onto Spider-Man: Homecoming, which itself has dropped an interesting new trailer…

…and a less-than-impressive new poster.

I love the new Spider-Man trailer but what the hell is this poster? Did someone win a competition on Reddit? pic.twitter.com/Z4kLxIOKz8

— Leon Hurley (@LeonHurley) May 24, 2017

Leave it to Marvel Comics fans to spin something like that into radioactive gold.

And finally, we turn our sights to a real life hero: the young man who finally broke that Plinko record on The Price is Right, and who, in turn, brought a level of joy to the viewing public not gleaned in ages. Watch as the boys at Nerdist News Talk Back dig deep into this unparalleled phenomenon of human elation.

Any thoughts on Plinko giggles, Spider-Man posters, or Star Wars lovin’? Let us know!

Image: Lucasfilm

We Quizzed The PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN Cast on Their Pirate IQ

Since it first debuted in 2003, the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has introduced millions of people all over the world to the unique parlance of the lovable-but-unsavory Captain Jack Sparrow and his cohorts aboard The Black Pearl and in Tortuga. While the film franchise is based on the fan-favorite ride from Disneyland, Pirates of the Caribbean does its best to recreate the world of 18th century naval warfare and piracy, right down to the slang used by Sparrow and his crew. But how well do the stars of these films know these terms? They can walk the walk, but can they talk the talk?

To find out, we researched a bunch of authentic 18th century pirate slang and sent our intrepid reporter Hector Navarro to quiz Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales stars Javier Bardem and Kaya Scodelario, as well as directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, on their nautical knowledge in a game we like to call “Talk the Plank.”

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales is in theaters now. Unless ye be dancing the hempen jig, bring a spring upon our cable, shake your dungbie and read our review of the new film right here.

What’s your favorite bit of pirate slang? Will you be seeing Dead Men Tell No Tales? Let us know in the comments below.

Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@Osteoferocious).

Powerful MAGIC: THE GATHERING Card Combo is Causing Major Drama

A few weeks ago, Magic: The Gathering players across the world were abuzz about an emergency ban of a card involved in what became known as the “Copy Cat Combo.” The game’s creators, Wizards of the Coast, were in hot water about letting such a card out into circulation in standard play and there was drama on both sides for and against the ban. Since then, a new bit of drama has arisen with another card that’s potentially even worse for standard play. The weird thing is that the card in question, Aetherworks Marvel, isn’t even that new.

Brought to our attention via a recent post on Kotaku, Aetherworks Marvel has the potential to end quite a few games before they really even get started. The card has been playable in standard play since its introduction back in 201,6 when it was reported to be a huge hit. The card’s power is as follows:

Whenever a permanent you control is put into a graveyard, you get an energy counter.

Tap, Pay six energy counters: Look at the top six cards of your library. You may cast a card from among them without paying its mana cost. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.

For those who don’t play Magic: The Gathering (or are straining to remember), Aetherworks Marvel can be played pretty early in the game (as soon as you’ve got six energy counters). Once activated, the card essentially turns the game into one of chance where the cards on the top of your deck can make or break you. When used, players take the top six cards of their deck and choose one to play without costing any mana.

So, while you and your opponent are still relatively low on resources early on in the game, you might draw a powerful card that you wouldn’t normally be able to play just yet. But, since it doesn’t cost you anything to play, you can make use of the strong card right then and there. Though, if you draw six worthless cards with Aetherworks Marvel, you’ve wasted a turn and a decent chunk of energy counters in the process. In other words:

When you whiff off your Marvel: pic.twitter.com/GK0kNipY2Z

— Mishra’s Photoshop (@MishrasFotoshop) May 14, 2017

While this may seem like a pretty fair double-edged sword, some opponents of the card’s use are calling for Wizards of the Coast to issue yet another ban. They do make the fairly valid point that this takes away a good deal of the skill involved to play. It may not seem like too big of a deal for the occasional game between friends, but to professional players—who’ve honed their MTG skills and climbed the ranks for a chance at real money—they are fairly susceptible to losing in a game of chance. Not too much fun when you’ve devoted your time and effort to a game that’s primarily based on some serious strategy.

What are your thoughts on Aetherworks Marvel? Should it be banned? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Images: Wizards of the Coast

It’s Official: [SPOILER] is Really Out of the ARROW-Verse

If you haven’t watched the season finale for Arrow, turn back now! Major spoilers ahead! 

It’s always sad to say goodbye to a well-loved character on your favorite TV show. However, in a show like Arrow where we’ve seen characters wiggle their way from death’s grip, it’s tough to know when a character is really dead, mostly dead, or if they’ll stay dead. Unfortunately, it seems like the latest Arrow death is a permanent one [last chance to run before the spoiler].

On the season finale of Arrow, it seems we’ve officially reached the end of the Malcolm Merlyn era. Lots of fans were left wondering if Merlyn was really dead after last night’s episode, and this time it seems that he is really gone. John Barrowman officially announced on his Instagram that he’s said his final farewells to the Arrowverse. It was a fitting end for Merlyn, as he died sacrificing his life for his daughter Thea by taking her place when she stepped on a land mine on Lian Yu. Merlyn wasn’t a great father to Thea, but he had a lot of love for Thea, and would move mountains (and do some super sketchy stuff) to try to keep her safe.

part 1 of 2 Spoiler Alert! Thank you to all the fans, cast and crew for an amazing 5 years #Arrow #Merlyn #YouMakeMyLifeAwesome I love you. JB

A post shared by John Barrowman MBE (@johnscotbarrowman) on May 24, 2017 at 9:43pm PDT

Of course, this is Arrow we’re talking about, so you can’t totally rule out the chance of Barrowman re-entering the Arrowverse in a dramatic fashion, like Malcolm Merlyn coming back from the dead ala Sara Lance, or an alternate-universe version of him returning like Laurel Lance. But judging by Barrowman’s pretty definitive statement on his Instagram video of, “I am very sad to be leaving the Arrowverse,” this looks to be the end of Malcolm Merlyn as we know him. John Barrowman brings a ton of fun and passion to the shows he works on, and the fandoms surrounding those shows, so he will most definitely be missed. Of course, with the new Torchwood audio plays releasing, you can still get your Barrowman fix from the Doctor Who universe.

Spoiler Alert! Part 2 of 2 again thanks for all the support over the last 5 years. Now look out for the USA revised autobiography. JB

A post shared by John Barrowman MBE (@johnscotbarrowman) on May 24, 2017 at 10:19pm PDT

What did you think of Malcolm Merlyn? Are you sad to see him go, or do you think he needed to go? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Feature Image: The CW

And if you need more Barrowman, here’s 5 questions we did with him in Toronto:

The LORD OF THE RINGS Chainmail Has Evolved Into a Versatile Building Material

Part of the magic of the movies is that for 90 or so minutes, they convince us the world we’re immersed in has some level of reality, or at least believability, through means that aren’t necessarily true to what we’re watching on screen. For example, any big-budget superhero movie involves a lot of acting in front of a green screen. As you also might imagine, costumes aren’t always what they seem either.

The actors in The Lord of the Rings movies aren’t wearing actual chainmail during battle scenes, because the heavy material would be exhausting to wear during an entire long day of filming. Instead, the movies’ creature, armor, and weapons art director, Kayne Horsham, created a lighter alternative that was linked and woven by hand, then covered in a layer of pure silver. Creating the chainmail by hand took a painstakingly long time, especially considering all the battle participants who wore it, so when Horsham began brainstorming a better way to do it, he inadvertently came up with a construction material of the future (via Fast Company).

He pioneered an injection molding process that could mass produce polycarbonate chainmail, and nowadays, the material is used more by architects than actors. Kaynemaile, which got its name from Viggo Mortensen’s nickname for the original material, is light, completely recyclable, and uses 20% of the energy needed to produce steel. Check out this list of attributes, from the story that details some of Kaynemaile’s real-world applications:

“When used as a facade, it dramatically reduces the solar energy entering a building by 80%. In a parking lot in southern California, Horsham says that the Kaynemaile facade reduced the temperature by nearly 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s been used as a protector for external staircases on buildings–it’s so strong that you can hang a single piece that’s 16 floors high without the kind of structural support you’d need if the mesh was made of metal. Because it moves with the environment, Kaynemaile is also ideal in areas with seismic activity.”

It won best new architectural product at the NYCxDesign Awards, and now that we know more about it, we’re not surprised. Have you heard of any other on-set innovations that have made their way into the real world? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured Image: New Line Cinema

Samsung Made a Stretchable Screen Because We Live in the Future

Remember in The Ring, when the creepy girl from the video crawled through the TV directly into the guy’s living room? We hate to break it to you, but that type of occurrence is much closer to becoming a possibility… sort of but not really. This week, Samsung unveiled the world’s first stretchable touchscreen display and, well, science fiction is closer to our world more now than ever (via Mashable).

The 9.1-inch “dynamic stretchable AMOLED display” is just a proof of concept at the moment, but the model shown at the Society for Information Display (SID) in Los Angeles this week was working well enough to show that the technology is the real deal. The screen is capable of stretching inwards out outwards of 12 millimeters, giving it a total range of 2.4 centimeters.

There’s a lot to be excited about here. Aside from thinking of ways you could use a curved screen (Mashable thinks that video game elements causing the screen to bump in or out could be neat, and we agree), a more flexible phone screen could possibly lead to stronger screens that are less prone to denting or scratching. Then, once the technology becomes more advanced, perhaps we could even be able to stretch the screen to make it larger. This sounds farfetched, but now it doesn’t seem like we can say it’s not in the cards anymore.

What other potential uses can you come up with for a stretchable screen? Leave a comments below and let’s speculate about what the (hopefully) not-too-distant future could hold.

Featured image: Movieclips/YouTube