Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2155

Oscars 2017 Buses in a Group of Tourists to Meet Denzel Washington, Ryan Gosling, and More

As per Academy Award ceremony tradition, Jimmy Kimmel brought one big, high-concept bit along with him to the 2017 Oscars. His delivery to this year’s viewing audience: an elaborate ruse pulled on a group of allegedly unsuspecting Los Angeles tourists. Kimmel arranged for a busload of everyday people to be led into the middle of the Oscars ceremony without prior knowledge, and paraded around the front row of A-grade celebrities, occasionally earning a handshake (or more) from the lot. Though the jury’s out on whether or not the subjects of this particular endeavor in Hollywood shtick were prepped on the fact that they’d be stepping into a room full of famous people (they seemed a little too ready with their phones and prepared statements for this to have been a total surprise), the routine nevertheless had what you’d call an “unscripted” feel to it. That is to say: awkward.

Admittedly, the line of everyday people’s interactions with a row of willing stars–included among the lot: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Jeff Bridges, Octavia Spencer, and more–yielded no particularly off-putting incidents. In fact, some celebs were especially willing to play along with the bit; Denzel Washington embraced an affianced pair and jovially “pronounced” them man and wife in front of the entire crowd. Still, Kimmel’s naturally sarcastic affectation didn’t exactly courier a seamless merging of the two communities, as the host came off a bit like he was talking down to the subjects of his bit.

Still, the routine no doubt yielded a number of memorable images, including a few jabs at the expense of Casey Affleck, a crowd of people touching Mahershala Ali’s newly won Oscar, and Ryan Gosling whispering in the ear of a woman he’s just met. That one’s already earning traction:

[whispers] “Hail HYDRA.” #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Vtgtf1IlVo

— sarCCastro (@sarCCastro) February 27, 2017

What’d you think of the gag? Let us know!

Featured Image: ABC

Your First Look at Will Smith’s Fantasy Cop Movie BRIGHT

As he did in the now Academy Award-Winning Suicide Squad, director David Ayer is taking that milieu of contemporary urban cops and crooks he knows so well, and transporting it to a new, more bizarre setting. At first, this new teaser that debuted during the Oscar ceremony appears to be showing off a typical police action movie, with Will Smith in uniform, and…Wait. Is that an Orc?

Indeed it is. That’s actually Joel Edgerton as Nick Jakoby, the first Orc to become a cop. And once we see him, the floodgates open, with Elves, magic, whatever the heck that thing is in the still above. We’e seen and read numerous fantasy tales in which humans, Orcs, and others interact, often in pursuit of magical objects, but usually in a medieval-type setting. But realms like Azeroth presumably will evolve with time like ours, right? Eventually you get to the modern day, and Bright examines what happens when fantasy realms reach their version of the 21st century. It’s an original script by Max Landis (Dirk Gently), rewritten by Ayer.

Budgeted at $90 million and featuring a bona fide A-lister, Bright seems like an unusual movie to debut on Netflix, rather than in theaters everywhere. But when you see it’s coming out in December, that explains it–no big budget fantasy wants to compete with Star Wars Episode VIII for screens.

This was a very quick look, but we’re anxious to see how Tolkien-esque creatures integrate into Ayer’s cityscapes. Are you excited for Bright? Let us know below.

Image: Netflix

THE WALKING DEAD Recap: Eugene Encounters “Hostiles and Calamities”

Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers for the latest episode of The Walking Dead! Proceed with caution, survivors. For reals, if you haven’t yet watched this week’s episode, “Hostiles and Calamities”, we highly suggest you do so before proceeding. Okay? We good? Let’s go.

Hooray for Eugene! In a world of savage warriors, he’s always represented us–the fangirls and fanboys. Of all the characters on The Walking Dead, he’s the one who would be most likely to watch The Walking Dead. And for that we love him to no end. In “Hostiles and Calamities,” our favorite mullet-wearing brainiac gets a whole episode all to himself, and he carries it just like we knew he could. But amidst the heart and humor he always brings, he runs afoul of some trouble that just might push him into the front ranks in the coming Rick-versus-Negan war. The question is–which side will he choose to be on?

“Hostiles and Calamities” begins immediately after Daryl left the Sanctuary. Or, rather, was let go. We finally learn that it was Sherry who released the archer, before fleeing herself. Dwight of course is left to pick up the pieces, shoulder the blame, and receive orders from Negan to fetch his ex-wife. Ironically, in her absence, Sherry plays a bigger role than ever in Dwight’s life. In a note she leaves for him in their old homestead, he learns she freed Daryl because she believed he reminded Dwight of the way he used to be, and she wanted him to forget; presumably for the sake of his sanity. But Dwight can’t bring himself to forget completely, and he keeps the wedding ring she left (which leads me to believe we’ll see Sherry again before too long), along with her note. Dwight cleverly uses the latter as a means of shifting the blame for her departure to Doctor Carson, who winds up in Negan’s furnace.

But good riddance, thinks Negan, now that he’s got the even smarter Eugene to serve as his chief engineer. And in Eugene’s “job interview” with the thug, we see him use the same tricks with which he first convinced Abraham to take him under his wing. Here, however, there’s an added wrinkle, because “Hostiles and Calamities” toys with us just like Eugene toys with the Saviors, making us think he’s crying in terror one moment, then revealing his sly smile at his victory a moment later. Eugene’s in the Sanctuary but a few days before he figures out how to get on Negan’s good side, and he rises quicker in ranks than he ever did in Alexandria, and than I daresay most anyone has at the Sanctuary. He’s essentially the exact opposite of Daryl, quickly adapting to his new way of life, and willing to proclaim he’s Negan before he’s even asked to do. He even likes that godforsaken “Easy Street” song.

Eugene’s true acid test, however, comes when he befriends Negan’s wives. Or rather, when they befriend him, in an attempt to assassinate their loving husband. It’s clear that Eugene hasn’t enjoyed the company of too many women in his day, and it’s hilariously uncertain if he treats them to a night of thirty-year-old video games because he genuinely wants to or because he’s trying to avoid being tempted by forbidden fruit. But when they try recruiting him to create a poison for Negan, saying it’s for their suicidal friend, he sees through their ruse immediately.

The question now is whether or not Eugene himself is completely trying play Negan. I’d like to think so, otherwise his evolution over the last several seasons will have been pretty much for nought… Of course I want the nerd to win!

Undead Afterthoughts

— “No, you can’t have lobster. What the hell do you think this is?”

— Truth be told, Yar’s Revenge IS a pretty good game.

— “Video games are all about me showing all of you a fun time. Would you care for more microwave popcorn?”

— Does the relationship between Negan and his wives remind anyone else of that between Immortan Joe and his wives in Mad Max: Fury Road? They’re even similarly distinguished by their hair colors.

— “I’m gonna call it a grimly gunk.”

— “I am utterly completely stone-cold Negan.”

What did you think of this week’s episode? Let me know in the comments below or on Twitter (@JMaCabre).

Images: AMC

Speaking of nerdiness and zombies…

Oscars 2017 Open with Justin Timberlake’s Dancing and Jimmy Kimmel’s Sarcasm

Breaking tradition just a bit, the 2017 Oscars didn’t open with an original comic set piece delivered by the evening’s host, but instead a performance of one of the year’s nominees for Best Original Song: Justin Timberlake led a crowd of enthused celebrities in a rendition of his original number “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” from the animated film Trolls.

Upon conclusion of the ditty, Jimmy Kimmel stole the stage, missing a mic toss from his pal Justin, and opening his monologue with the sarcastic tone fans of his have grown accustomed to. However, Kimmel broke routine with a sincere suggestion for viewers to reach across the proverbial political divide, mending the fences that have no doubt been burned by this particularly contentious past few months.

Significantly less surprising was how Kimmel used this call to arms for human civility as a segue into a few jokes at Matt Damon’s expense. The host cited his long-running “feud” with superstar Damon, poking fun at their rapport, as well as at Damon’s pal and colleague, Manchester by the Sea star Casey Affleck.

Kimmel was hardly exclusive with his celebrity barbs; he mocked everyone from Andrew Garfield to Meryl Streep to Mel Gibson, at whom he tossed a fairly acerbic backhanded jab for his controversial history. Naturally, Kimmel also made a target of President Donald Trump and his administration, a theme many have been expecting to play a large role in the evening’s broadcast.

If there’s anything we can say in summation of Kimmel’s routine is that it felt surprisingly mellow for what we had good enough reason to expect to be a particularly heated Oscars ceremony. Perhaps Kimmel opted to save his more controversial gags for later on in the evening, or decided to let the speeches do most of the politically charged legwork?

Or it could simply be that he needed to make room for a Jeff Bridges vaping joke–the most defensible reason of all.

Image: ABC

Oscars 2017 Winners List — Updated Live!

The arrival of yet another Oscar night brings with it the usual rituals for us devoted viewers. We rush to get our pool ballots completed before the beginning of show time. We debate which of the evening’s winners will deliver the most moving speeches, and which will crank out the most embarrassing future memes. We engage in disproportionately hotheaded disagreements about whether or not the night’s favorite for Best Picture is indeed worthy of the honor. And truth be told, no matter how banal or misguided some of these traditions may be, it’s still nice to have a few things we can count on year after year.

And with that, we turn our attention once again to the pools, predictions, and debates that make the Academy Awards–and the experience of watching them–what they are. Keep an eye on Nerdist’s Twitter account to experience these traditions along with us, and keep watch below as we update our winners list live throughout the ceremony. May your Oscar night be filled with the usual joys, headaches, and screaming matches that we’ve come to love over the past 89 years… or however long you’ve been watching.

Best Supporting Actor

Mahershala Ali, Moonlight

Best Makeup and Hairstyling

Suicide Squad

Best Costume Design

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Best Documentary Feature

O.J.: Made in America

Best Sound Editing

Arrival

Best Sound Mixing

Hacksaw Ridge

Best Supporting Actress

Viola Davis, Fences

Best Foreign Language Film

The Salesman

Best Animated Short Film

Piper

Best Animated Feature Film

Zootopia

Best Production Design

La La Land

Best Visual Effects

The Jungle Book

Best Film Editing

Hacksaw Ridge

Best Documentary – Short Subject

The White Helmets

Best Short Film – Live Action

Sing

Best Cinematography

Linus Sandgren, La La Land

Best Original Score

Justin Hurwitz, La La Land

Best Original Song

“City of Stars,” La La Land

Best Original Screenplay

Kenneth Lonergan, Manchester by the Sea

Best Adapted Screenplay

Barry Jenkins and Tarell Alvin McCraney, Moonlight

Best Director

Damien Chazelle, La La Land

Best Actor

Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea

Best Actress

Emma Stone, La La Land

Best Picture

Moonlight

Featured Image: Summit Entertainment

The Cast of HAMILTON Sang a MOANA Song to Lin-Manuel Miranda

Alright, pack it up, folks! The best moment of the 89th Academy Awards happened even before the show began. The Broadway cast of Hamilton sang a bit of Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s Oscar-nominated song “How Far I’ll Go” as a way to wish him luck in the awards and with his performance during the show.

In anticipation of @Lin_Manuel's #TheOscars nomination and performance, #HamiltonBway cast members created this video to wish him well! pic.twitter.com/gIvvHNqOME

— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) February 26, 2017

And if that weren’t enough–because it totally could be–Miranda was brought to tears when he was showed the short video clip on the red carpet during a chat with Ryan Seacrest.

#Hamilton cast performs "How Far I'll Go" from #Moana much to @Lin_Manuel's tearful delight #Oscars pic.twitter.com/0FYgz3qTMV

— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) February 26, 2017

And later, was gracious enough to show some love for another nominated song.

.@Lin_Manuel just sang "City of Stars" for us on the red carpet. #Oscars #LaLaLand = pic.twitter.com/t2zaTu3Vu7

— Variety (@Variety) February 27, 2017

 

Lin-Manuel’s song is nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song and is up against some tough competition. The song’s contenders include Justin Timberlake’s “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” from Trolls, Sting’s “The Empty Chair” from Jim: The James Foley Story, and “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” and “City of Stars” that are both from La La Land.

Each song is great in its own right, but we’ve got our fingers crossed that Miranda’s song goes home with the Oscar since Moana is just so darn good. In the film, the song is performed by singer Auli’i Cravalho, who also voices the titular character’s non-musical parts as well.

Whatever the outcome of tonight’s awards, we’re certain that the songs of Moana (all written by Lin-Manuel Miranda) will be a mainstay in our Disney movie sing-along catalog for years to come.

Now if you’ll excuse us, we need to start our Hamilton/Moana mash-up where a brave Pacific Islander girl teaches Alexander Hamilton to sail while he teaches her to rap.

What song do you think will win the Oscar? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Disney

Figures and Speech: Building Bandai’s STAR WARS Rogue One X-Wing Fighter Kit

Welcome to Figures & Speech, Nerdist’s regular column by, for, and about grown-ups who still play with their toys but might want to know more before they buy. From product reviews to informed editorials, these are most definitely the articles that’ll make you want to strike a pose.

I know this column has the word “figures” right there in the title, but

I am not a model maker by any stretch of the imagination, but when Bluefin sent me this Rogue One Red Squadron Star Wars model kit and asked if I’d review it, I was glad to give it a shot. After all, I’ve written about these toys a time or two, not to mention the fact that Bandai has been blurring the line between action figures and model kits for a long time–not just with Gundam, but with buildable Dragon Ball figures, among others. Plus, this new Star Wars kit is supposedly designed with the average consumer in mind.

The average consumer, that is, who owns a pair of nub-cutters, which Bluefin were kind enough to send along as well. Technically you CAN make the model without these–parts pop out of the frames fairly easily–but they will make your life easier. Wish I’d had them as a kid for all the G.I. Joe vehicles that came in semi-kit form.

Here’s what awaits when you open the box, which came to me Japanese style, which is to say open and un-taped; Bluefin generally has to shrink-wrap them for the U.S. market, due to a higher rate of theft.

Two sticker sheets are included, and it may take you a while to figure out which is which. There are waterslide transfers for the patient professional, and regular peel-offs for the people like me. And some of these stickers are incredibly, insanely small, which is why I include my finger for comparison.

Okay, X-Wing fighter. I guess we start with the wings.

I realized pretty quickly that these kits are for kids with nimbler fingers and fresher eyes than I–lots of light and squinting is required to see the numbered parts, and my semi-arthritic fingers aren’t the best with some of the smaller bits. However, the pieces fit together very nicely, to the point that when I was flummoxed by this mismatching join…

…I ultimately knew it had to be my mistake, and indeed it was, as I’d put that piece on the left together backwards. The engineering is truly impressive on these, and getting everything to snap together should not be a problem, or require any excessive force (or glue). That’s a tough thing to pull off, but Bandai have had years of practice.

The stickers, it should be noted, are a higher quality than most–they will go over contours nicely and “hug” the surface, unlike most typical plastic toy stickers that start peeling off if so much as an air bubble is trapped inside. (Click to enlarge the picture above, or any other image in this post, for a better look.)

One of the things that frustrates me about ANY symmetrical model, LEGO included, is when you come to that point where you’ve finished building one part, and you realize you are going to have to repeat that entire process again to create its corresponding part. Oh well…

The wings open and close perfectly, holding position depending on which way you want to display it. You can build landing struts for it if you choose, or have them closed for display on a flight stand (included).

Wanna see the level of detail on this thing? The cockpit actually includes a joystick, which is a separate piece that could fit under my fingernail.

Here’s where it gets annoying. Let me show you the size of the pilot, using a U.S. penny for scale.

Put a penny up to your monitor just so we know what we’re talking about. Now, look at those little dots on the sticker sheet directly to the left of the penny.

You are supposed to put those stickers on his helmet. Yes, really. By some miracle I managed one; by an even bigger miracle (and a feat I’m super proud of) I got the orange sticker for his visor approximately right.

You may applaud now. But seriously, if you ever meet a collector who got all the stickers on, bow down to them.

The inclusion of red parts saves you some effort, at least.

This is a very attractive buffet for cats, just so you know. But mine have learned.

Another customization option comes with the canopy. You have the option of a windowless frame or a pure window (that will get its “frame” by way of stickers). I opted for the fake glass.

The flight stand looks like it’s articulated, but it really isn’t–you can opt for multiple positions when you put the “joint” together, but once you do, it’s held there, and you’ll have to take it apart to repose.

Now here’s a bit of a kicker–when you look at the final sticker guide, it becomes apparent that to get it to actually look like the box product, you were expected to paint it.

There are no stickers for those carbon burn effects, for example. Nor is the pilot orange.

That said, it looks okay even unpainted. But man, if you ever thought putting stickers on a Kenner/Hasbro toy was hard, you have no idea.

Also, once you build that main X-Wing, the set comes with a whole ‘nother, SMALLER X-Wing. What?

Yeahhh, maybe later. My fingers hurt. Models aren’t really for me, though I am tempted by the vac-metal chrome Threepio set they have coming, mainly because Hasbro seems reluctant to do one like that, ever.

These toys generally are just for somebody more patient than I. I wanna play now! Your Kessel Run mileage may vary.

Images: Luke and Julia Thompson for Nerdist

Luke Y. Thompson is Nerdist’s weekend editor, and loves to talk toys. Tweet him @LYTrules.

IZOMBIE’S Rahul Kohli plays INJUSTICE 2 in This NEW Gameplay Footage

What makes Black Canary perfect for being included in a brawler? Is it her incredible judo skills or supersonic canary cry? A new gameplay video from Injustice 2 will make that extremely clear. In the video released today, we can see her pin a villain to the ground and shatter the earth beneath them using her powerful scream. In 9 minutes, iZombie‘s Rahul Kohli and NetherRealm Studios community manager Tyler Lansdown offer helpful pointers to the fighting-game noob like myself.

For example, what if I don’t have a strategy for success? I’m not sure about you, but I can’t remember the combo for a move if it involves more than two different buttons needing to be smashed together. Worry not! You can still win if you know how to block, which I learned is back on the d-pad. Thank you, Rahul, for admitting that you need some pointers too. 

Lansdown briefly goes into detail about which characters are available to play in the (now closed) online beta which include Superman, Batman, Supergirl, Blue Beetle and Atrocitus. He offers advice on how each character plays and based on what he says, it looks like I’ll be playing Supergirl, as she uses her eye lasers to zone opponents out and can teleport in a pinch…perfect. There’s also some information involing fan favorite Black Canary; Lansdown expressed how exciting it is to have her featured as a playable character, and we agree. He described how her play style will impact opponents, saying that “if she gets in on you, it’s game over.” We get to see a little bit of what he’s talking about in the video, and her maneuverability and strength really shine through.

Another feature that was touched upon is the new gear system, which ranges from different headpieces to armor attachments. Following a match, you can use gear to change a hero or villain’s appearance to provide an aesthetic change and enhance how that character will play. It will be interesting to see how a specific piece of gear might change how a character behaves in the game, or how stats will be affected as a result of your customization. 

After being briefed, Rahul begins to play against other users who are far more skilled. He’s a good sport about the inevitable losses, though, which I’m sure I won’t be able relate to once I get the game in my hands. If you want more, check out everything we know about INJUSTICE 2 so far. 

What do you think of the gameplay footage? Let us know in the comments below.

Image: YouTube/DC Entertainment

A Look Back at BATTLESTAR GALACTICA’s Daggit, as Played by a Chimpanzee

Since the recent passing of Richard Hatch, we’ve been looking back at the sometimes underappreciated Battlestar Galactica. While the 2004 reboot is rightly regarded as a classic, the original Battlestar Galactica from 1978 had its merits as well. Star Wars was clearly the major source of inspiration for the first BSG, but it also brought new things to the table; take for example, the Daggit, the robot dog that was a companion for Apollo’s stepson, Boxey. In modern sci-fi shows, the Daggit would probably be a CGI creation. But on this series, it was actually a chimpanzee in a suit!

Via BoingBoing, a behind-the-scenes featurette from Battlestar Galactica – The Complete Epic Series DVD has been posted online. The subject of the video is Evolution (or Evie), the chimp who portrayed Muffit the Daggit on the show. Cast members Dirk Benedict, Herbert Jefferson, Jr., Noah Hathaway, Laurette Spang, and Anne Lockhart shared their memories of Evie, and most of them had complimentary things to say about their unusual co-star. Hathaway was particularly close to the chimp, because he played Boxey on the series. However, directors Alan Levi and Richard A. Colla recalled that it wasn’t always easy to get Evie to perform.

Apparently, even Evie had limits when it came to the suit that she was forced to perform in. By modern standards, it might even be considered cruel to subject an animal to those conditions. But considering the circumstances, it appears that Evie actually managed to make the Daggit into a more believable character. She could even pull off a few stunts!

What do you think about the decision to use a chimpanzee to play the Daggit on BSG? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Image: Universal TV

Chewin’ It #194: Oscar Picks 2017

It’s Oscar weekend! Steve is back from vacation in time for Oscar picks so Kevin & Steve go head to head. Why should you care? Because loser gets their foot pissed on. They also cover SPOILER ALERTS, chicken nuggets, shitting on the rug, The Mopeys, why movies should have an ending, Gregois’ favorite French film, Emma Stone, Gosling vs. Michael Bolton, Lego Batman, Denzel, a general dick sucking of La La Land AND MORE!  ENJOY THE CHEW!

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