Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2160

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D.: Android Invasion Causes Loss of ‘Self Control’

Warning: This post contains spoilers for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.! Proceed with caution, agents. If you haven’t yet watched this week’s episode, “Self Control,” we highly suggest you do so before proceeding. Okay? We good? Then let’s go.

As befitting a show co-created by no less a pop culture maven than Joss Whedon, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has always worn its influences on its sleeve. But what makes “Self Control” so effective is how — in fine Mutant Enemy fashion — it effortlessly transforms those influences into the most balls-to-the-wall action-packed episode so far this season.

Picking up exactly where “The Man Behind the Shield” left off, this week’s episode begins with Fitzsimmons still processing the fact that most of their close friends and colleagues have been replaced by android duplicates. It’s an absurd albeit well-worn science-fiction premise that, in the wrong hands, can quickly descend into self-parody. But writer-director Jed Whedon finds exactly the right note of paranoia to play, with a vengeance, capturing Invasion of the Body Snatchers‘ anxiety over the loss of self, and using it as a metaphor for any couple who finds themselves questioning each other’s trustworthiness. The first of many gasp-inducing moments arrives when Jemma learns Fitz too has been captured and replaced, and must bring herself to look her pleading lover in the eyes and slam a knife into his automated brain.

Elsewhere, it turns out Daisy, whom we thought was duplicated, isn’t. Though she’s marked for replacement by Robo-Mack and Robo-Coulson. Robo-May, however, is having second thoughts about their mission, since she developed genuine feelings for Coulson as she evolved beyond her programming. His android dupe can’t fully reciprocate, even though he possesses the director’s memories. In the end, she’s sophisticated enough to violate Aida’s prime directive of preserving the Framework at all costs, even if it means sacrificing herself and the man she loves, or at least his spitting image. (It’s almost the opposite of Ex Machina, since she’s not above destroying him, but in this case for altruistic rather than selfish reasons.)

Daisy, however, is unencumbered by any romantic attachments, and after finding a “truckload” of her robot doubles, goes on a blood-soaked rampage. After finding Jemma, she’s determined to give her the happiness she herself has been so long denied, and swears to reunite her friend with Fitz. There’s more than a little of Terminator 2‘s Sarah Connor in the way she cocks her rifle, and a healthy helping of Ripley in the way she appoints herself Jemma’s guardian and protector in the heat of battle.

And, man, is there a lot of blood in “Self Control.” Sure, most of it’s synthetic, covering metal bones, but it looks close enough to the real thing — as does the flesh wrapped around it — to give the episode the heavy veneer of a horror film. With its abundance of slashed wrists and decapitated heads, “Self Control” revels like no other episode this season in the freedom afforded the show by its season 4 move to 10 PM. And to think I was worried things would lighten too quickly once Ghost Rider left… Not that there’s a total absence of humor. Robo-Fitz gets the best line as he stands over the remains of a Robo-Mack mutilated by Daisy — “This’ll take a while.”

The biggest events of the episode, however, are saved for the final scene, after Daisy and Jemma have taken it upon themselves to enter the Framework in an attempt to free their teammates. We’ve already learned from Radcliffe that he admitted people into the Framework in order to improve their lives, and removed one deep pain from each member of S.H.I.E.L.D. Here, Daisy’s startled to find she’s living with Ward, Mack is a happy father living in suburbia, Fitz is a corporate tycoon, Coulson a schoolteacher, May a member of Hydra (!), and Jemma is…dead? I’m sure it’s not that cut and dry. May could be a mole in the rebuilt Triskelion, and Jemma’s death could have been faked (we still don’t know who’s about to get out of that limo with Fitz). Though I applaud the show’s efforts to bring Brett Dalton back on, if only for a short while. Now if only we could see Bobbie and Hunter again in this virtual wonderland.

One thing’s for certain though — Radcliffe, at least as we knew him, is dead. Murdered by Aida, who, like the substitute May, has outgrown her programming. But in the Framework, what form will Radcliffe take, and on whose side will Aida fall when all is said and done? Like everyone else on this show, she’s ultimately just looking for a little happiness. But what would make her happy? And, more importantly, how many people does she have to kill to get it?

Declassified Deliberations

— “Don’t worry. You’ll be many things.”

— The Framework continues to serve as a valid metaphor for any means of escape, from online shopping to drugs to pornography. And God knows even those us who aren’t addicts can relate to anyone seeking escape from reality these days.

— The Fitzsimmons romance deepens even in Fitz’s absence. This week we learn he’s been giving serious thought to marrying Jemma. Might this season lead to our first S.H.I.E.L.D. wedding?

— It’s played deadly straight, but the scene in which Daisy hides from Mack amidst her android doubles brings to mind a similar scenario in countless episodes of Scooby-Doo.

— “Through all the insane crap we’ve gone through, the one thing I’ve known without a doubt, the whole time, is you and Fitz belong together. This is not how your story ends. So I’m gonna beat the screws out of those junkers and the two of us are gonna get the hell out of Dodge. Deal?”

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

Images: Marvel/Disney/ABC

The Second Wave of OVERWATCH Funko Pop Figures Are Right on Target

Prepare the payload. A brand new wave of Overwatch Pop figures are on their way! The new set announced by Funko includes the likes of Mei, McCree, Lucio, Symmetra, and even a super-sized 6″ Reinhardt and D.Va–basically, the whole gang is here. And D.Va fans (I know there’s quite a few of you out there), can look forward to the character fitting into her MEKA. Check out the whole collection in the gallery below.

Out of the bunch, I expect D.Va will be the best seller. Being able to set the pilot in the MEKA is everything we wanted. However, Mei and Lucio are also pretty nice, even if they aren’t super-sized. It’s going to be hard to not just nab the whole collection.

There will also be some retail-specific exclusives: Reinhardt without a helmet (only at Best Buy), McCree in his Summer Games skin (available at GameStop), Mei mid-Blizzard (only at Hot Topic), Posh Tracer (available at Think Geek), and Carbon Fiber D.Va and Titanium Pharah (only from Blizzard Gear)!

There’s no specific release date for this set as of yet. All we know is that fans can expect them sometime in April. That gives you more than enough time to save up some of that sweet credit to purchase this new wave of collectibles. Funko is really killing it recently with all of the video game collaborations, and the upcoming lineup includes the likes of Mass Effect. You can peep all of the 2017 Pop releases right here. Fans of these figures have a lot to look forward to this year.

What do you think about the second wave of collectibles? Do any of these pique your interest?  Which of the below figures is your favorite? Are there any characters you’d like to get the Pop treatment? Which game needs to get their own line of Pop figures? Drop your thoughts into the comments section below.

Image Credit: Funko Pop, Blizzard

Why is Widowmaker’s skin blue? SCIENCE!

Alpha Book Club Reads HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE Part 3: Life, the Universe, and Everything!

Hello, and welcome to Alpha Book Club! If this is your first time joining us, you’re in for a real treat. Alpha Book Club is, as the title suggests, an interactive book club hosted by Nerdist Editor-in-Chief Rachel Heine (that’s me!), host of the Nick Animation Podcast and many of Geek & Sundry‘s Twitch shows, Hector Navarro, and from SourceFedNERD and GeekBomb, the incomparable Maude Garrett. Every Wednesday at 6:15pm PST, we gather together online with our fellow bookworms to discuss a section of that month’s chosen book.

Like any good book club, ABC features rousing discussion about characters, themes, tone, and style, fan casting or comparing potential film adaptations, questions from the audience, and of course, copious amounts of wine. Usually, you can only watch Alpha Book Club by signing up to be an Alpha member, but for the entire month of February, we’re bringing you our latest book, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, for free on the Nerdist YouTube channel!

If you’re just joining us for the first time, never fear! You can watch the first two episodes right here:

Now that you’ve caught up, you can watch our third discussion of the month up above, where we discuss some exciting book news (Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is getting a companion series!), debate the arrogance and cruelty of humanity, show off our best “ugly faces,” and of course, wax poetic about the power of storytelling.

Join us this week to finish Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy AND select our next book for March! Vote below and our selection will be announced at the end of Wednesday’s show.

It's time to vote for next month's #AlphaBookClub read!

New LCD Etch A Sketch Replaces White Knobs with a Stylus Pen

Even if you were a talented artist as a kid, we’d bet that you had a tough time making a comprehensible visual representation of anything real on your trusty Etch A Sketch. Twisting the knobs in an effort to make a single-line drawing that made sense is a childhood staple, even though creating something that looked good wasn’t easy. Now, Spin Master is looking to bring the Etch A Sketch into 2017 by collaborating with BoogieBoard, who specializes in touch screen drawing and writing tablets. This partnership has resulted in the Etch A Sketch Freestyle, which may take some getting used to for purists (via The Verge).

Remember those knobs? Those aren’t used for drawing any more. Now, artists use the attached stylus pen to create their masterpieces, which are going to look a lot different than we’re used to. The knobs are still there, although their role has been significantly reduced. Now, they function as stamps to create shapes on the LCD screen. Added dexterity aside, the illustrations are now in rainbow colors instead of the gray and darker gray of yesteryear.

A lot has changed with the updated Etch A Sketch, but one core piece of functionality remains: To erase drawings, hold on tight and shake that red square as vigorously as your arms will allow. If you want to try the next wave of kids drawing technology for yourself, the Etch A Sketch Freestyle will retail for $20 beginning this fall. If you’d rather go about it the old fashioned way, then the classic Etch A Sketch can still be found in every toy store everywhere, presumably for the rest of time.

Featured image: Spin Master

The Young HAN SOLO First Look: Decoded

While we’re counting the days until we finally get an Episode VIII trailer, Lucasfilm has started production of the film about the only man to make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs. That’s right, the Han Solo film is officially underway, and we’ve finally seen the first cast pic from the next Star Wars anthology! Today’s Nerdist News is breakin’ out the red cups and pouring over the picture for clues to Han’s new adventure.

Join host—and Boba Fett’s other top target—Jessica Chobot, as she offers up an analysis of the Han Solo cast pic before sharing a few theories about a key absence. The picture originated over at StarWars.com and included a brief note that the film will explore Han and Chewie’s “adventures before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, including their early encounters with that other card-playing rogue from a galaxy far, far away, Lando Calrissian.” Note that Alden Ehrenreich has his best ’70s Harrison Ford hair on, while Donald Glover is starting to look very Billy Dee Williams. Joonas Suotamo is also part of the core trio as Chewbacca, a role he shared with Peter Mayhew in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Woody Harrelson is playing Han’s mentor, like a character from the Star Wars Extended Universe he’s already sorta-confirmed. We’re not sure who Emilia Clarke or Phoebe Waller-Bridge are playing, but we do know that Waller-Bridge is providing motion-capture for her role (so she’s probably a female droid of a sort). Which brings us to Thandie Newton, one of the late additions to the cast. Newton is conspicuous in her absence here. We’re still hoping she’ll be Sanna Starros, Han’s fake wife, who was introduced in Marvel’s Star Wars comics. But if she’s not on set with the rest of the cast on the first day of filming then we have to wonder about the size of her role in the movie.

What do you think about the first look at the Han Solo cast? Shoot first in the comment section below!

Mega Oscars Preview Part 2: Best Picture and Best Director

In Part 1 of our Mega Oscars Preview, we broke down all four acting nominees, weighing in on who I think should go home the winner in each categories. Today we turn our eyes towards the five directors up for the Academy Award, as well as the nine films vying for the biggest prize of them all, Best Picture.

That’s where I’ll start, with everything right about these films, followed by some fair criticisms, in an attempt to get an accurate picture of how good these movies really are. Then we’ll examine the men who lead five of them and why we think they were singled out for recognition. But just like before, we’re not concerned with the real betting lines, and this is meant to be an honest but celebratory look at some of the year’s best movies. We watched them all knowing who was up for the Oscar, to help us determine who stands tallest in the group, and should therefore take their rightful place in the Pantheon of great films.

And while I’ve tried to keep the spoilers to a minimum, inevitability there are some, so consider yourself warned.

THE BEST PICTURE NOMINEES

ARRIVAL

Why the Movie is Perfect: Arrival is unlike similar science fiction movies, where the tension isn’t about if we’ll be attacked by our alien visitors, but whether or not we’ll be able to find a way to communicate with them before we potentially destroy ourselves. Different, suspenseful, and surprisingly poignant, Arrival reminds us that nothing keeps us apart more than when we stop listening to one another, while beautifully showing that the real gift of being human is in living and experiencing life, not in wallowing in regret and despair.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: The alien scenes are significantly better than the human scenes, where everyone almost feels like they are dramatically under-reacting to an unfathomable situation. The biggest issue, though, is with the editing in some spots. Certain events play out far too slowly, as though the filmmakers wouldn’t otherwise trust the viewers to grasp what what happening onscreen. That’s especially true at the end, which would be much better if it was half as long.

Final Verdict: Arrival pulls off one of the hardest challenge of an alien movie, and that’s making the interactions with them live up to our imaginations. Each scene with the heptapods is gripping, and though the payoff to the whole story caught me off guard, it makes complete and total sense–nothing beats a good, well-earned twist. And while that may mean that a major theme isn’t introduced until the end, it becomes as poignant as the ones that were being told from the beginning–that communication and understanding will save us, while putting up walls will destroy us. It could have used a tighter edit in spots, especially the end, but overall I enjoyed this very pretty–both emotionally and visually–story.

FENCES

Why the Movie is Perfect: A classic American tragedy in the truest sense, Fences is full of stunning performances that leave you in awe. Viola Davis and Denzel Washington don’t just hold your attention by creating round, full characters, they break your heart by making their struggles feel all too real. As much a family tragedy as a uniquely American one, Fences‘ numerous and deep themes of love, despair, prejudice, marriage, parenthood, family, and accountability make this film a must-see for everyone.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: This issue isn’t as prominent as in, say, the movie adaptation of The Producers musical, which looked like they just filmed a Sunday matinee performance, but it’s obvious throughout that Fences was adapted from a play. It feels like 90% of it takes place within the same 15 foot area, when plenty of scenes could have happened at any number of other places, without losing any of the intimacy. A short scene in a bar at the end shouldn’t feel like such a relief, but it does. Couldn’t they take a walk at some point, or go to the market?

Final Verdict: The movie is beautifully written and gorgeously acted, a powerful examination of a very specific time and place in America that feels as relevant as ever. It’s well-paced, and even though it was impossible to miss it’s static setting, it overcomes that to be so much more. Davis and Washington could both win acting awards for it, and they are both more than deserving of them.

HACKSAW RIDGE

Why the Movie is Perfect: An unflinching look at the true horrors and cost of war, through the eyes and experiences of a great American hero, a conscientious objector who proved he wasn’t a coward with a remarkable show of bravery. The human elements, both in tender and terrible moments, are touching and compassionate, while the war scenes–though difficult to experience–are grand marvels of filmmaking. Hacksaw Ridge will show you the best of humanity can be found even when we are at our worst.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: One of the best parts of this movie is also its biggest weakness: the battle scenes. They are huge and immersive, but they go on for so long they begin to feel like they are in service to the director instead of the story. We don’t need this much horror to appreciate the heroism on display. Also, the hero is unique, but the story and the beats it hits are not.

Final Verdict: The ad campaign for this movie made it look like a million other World War II movies, something worth forgetting before you even knew it existed, but that doesn’t quite do it justice. Andrew Garfield makes a compelling leading man, and while I would have liked the battle scenes to be edited back, they are so massive and realistic it’s hard not to be impressed by them. In fairness, it shouldn’t be easy to watch what brave American soldiers face in the fight for freedom, so perhaps that was part of the point.

HELL OR HIGH WATER

Why the Movie is Perfect: A touching tale about two antihero brothers that turn to crime in a desperate attempt to fight back against a system that has not only abandoned them, but has built their empire upon their broken backs, Hell or High Water deserves it’s place among the great modern Westerns that have held a mirror to our society, by sharing the personal trials of a family who live in a world that is all too familiar to American audiences.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: There’s an inherent problem with the main character, who is sitting on a field of oil riches, and his motivation, mainly that the money he needs to raise seems easily attainable via a loan from a smart friend or businessman. The movie’s social commentary isn’t exactly subtle either.

Final Verdict: While Chris Pine and Ben Foster are great as the desperate antiheroes at the center of the film, and Jeff Bridges stands out as the Texas Ranger hunting them down, the movie’s villain, a system that has beaten down otherwise good Americans and made them turn to unthinkable measures to save the future for their children, is the best element. It’s a gorgeous looking movie too, where the setting has as much presence as any person.

HIDDEN FIGURES

Why the Movie is Perfect: Just the movie we need at just the time we need it. Hidden Figures is an uplifting ode to unsung American heroes who overcame a world intent on keeping them down, via their enormous talent, brilliance, strength, and perseverance. Few films have ever made us feel as good about our country while simultaneously forcing us to face the hard truth about the sins of our past, which are the same sins of the present.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: This is more like three concurrent living biographies rather than a film with a coherent plot. The result of that loose format is that the big climax at the end doesn’t have the oomph or emotional resonance that the smaller moments of triumph throughout the rest of the film carry.

Final Verdict: When you watch 15 Oscar-worthy movies over a short period of time, you can get pretty depressed, since heavy dramas dominate the nominations. But Hidden Figures made us feel better about life and a lot more hopeful for the future, when we’re currently struggling to do either. The three women at the center of the story, played by Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, and Taraji P. Henson, through whose eyes we experience everything, let us celebrate the best of who we are despite making us face hard truths about our past. I was smiling long after I left the theater.

LA LA LAND

Why the Movie is Perfect: A classic Hollywood-style musical, La La Land weaves the very real struggles of creative people trying to achieve their dreams while simultaneously transporting us to a mystical, hopeful, beautiful world that can only be found in the stars. The relationship at the heart of the movie, between Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, is a fantastic, bittersweet trip through the challenges of trying to have it all, and accepting when that isn’t possible. We go to the movies to be carried away by the magic of it all, and no film did that better than this touching throwback.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: At times it feels like this is a series of loosely related vignettes, which can make the pacing feel off. And while Gosling and Stone are both great, not every song feels exactly like an Oscar-worthy vocal performance. The biggest issue isn’t even that they both, remarkably/unfathomably reach their professional dreams, but how Mia gets her big break. Float-dancing is more believable.

Final Verdict: It’s easy to see why La La Land received a record-tying 14 nominations. It appeals to all of the things the Academy celebrates, mainly the ability for film to transport us to someplace special. It looks gorgeous, stars two of the most likable, charming actors in the world, and is a lot of fun, all while still having plenty of heart. That said, it doesn’t always feel like a coherent story, and while I like that Sebastian and Mia’s story together doesn’t get the “Hollywood” ending I expected, the place the two of them both end up at still feels laughably unrealistic. And yet it’s still a memorable film that easily overcomes these issues.

LION

Why the Movie is Perfect: An eye-opening, powerful true life story of a an Indian child adopted by an Australian family who sets out as on an impossible search for the mother he left behind, Lion is full of heartbreaking moments and powerful scenes of personal strength and frailty that will leave you sobbing. The film takes you to one of the most populous places on Earth and gives you an understanding of how different life is for so many others.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: I loved young Sunny Pawar, but the first 40 minutes during which we experience his part of the story might have been 10 minutes too long. I also left wondering what the grownup Saroo felt about his lost family, and the guilt attached to his separating with them, during the giant chunk of his life that is skipped over.

Final Verdict: There are two actors that play Saroo, the film’s main character, and both are tremendous. Pawar gives one of the best child performances ever, and he’s followed by Dev Patel, who is captivating and authentic as the older, obsessed Saroo. Beautifully shot, beautifully told, and beautifully acted, I was a mess by the end, because it is both sad and uplifting.

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

Why the Movie is Perfect: It’s no small task to make you fall in love with a movie that is so inherently depressing and raw that I had trouble getting up from my seat when it ended, but Manchester by the Sea explores death and loss on a level that few films ever have. Supremely acted and fearless, the movie only grows in esteem the more you reflect on the overwhelming nature of the story it flawlessly tells.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: Just like it does with the main character, so much loss and despair can begin to make a viewer numb. The movie is so relentlessly depressing that as it starts to pile up, you have nowhere to put all of these feelings. It will probably be better on a rewatch, giving you more time to process everything, but seeing this again will be draining. This movie risks asking too much of its viewers each time out.

Final Verdict: I know what people mean when they call something Oscar-bait, but that phrase is meant for movies that try to manipulate you with cheap tricks and incessant, hard-to-accept-as-real moments of sadness. Manchester by the Sea feels authentic despite its constant, unrelenting exploration of loss. It’s hard to watch, but in the best way possible, and the more distance I get from it the more I like it. Getting me to cry at a trailer after the fact isn’t an easy task.

MOONLIGHT

Why the Movie is Perfect: A wholly original film that explores a kind of character and life that is rarely seen onscreen, and certainly not with this kind of care and depth, Moonlight will stay with you for a long time, and it may even alter the way you think about the world in profound ways. It’s also one of the best acted movies you’ll ever see, with a stellar supporting cast and three different actors excelling in the main role of Chiron: a touching and heartfelt character struggling with his homosexuality in a world that won’t let him embrace it.

Why It’s Not So Perfect: My biggest complaint: Mahershala Ali isn’t in it enough. The soundtrack is a little too on the nose at times, and while Naomie Harris is very good in the movie, the way her drug-addicted mother is written borders on stereotypical at times.

Final Verdict: When people talk about the importance of Hollywood telling more diverse stories and having them led by someone who isn’t a white man, this is why. This movie is gorgeous in every way, and exposes its audience to a character and experience few will have ever encountered before. While that could make it seem distant and hard to reach, its wholly empathetic because of its humanity. Even if our lives seem impossibly different at times, identity and finding the strength to accept ourselves is universal.

(Now that we’ve run through the highs and lows of the Best Picture candidates, let’s take a look at the Best Director nominees before we start in with our own awards suggestions.)

THE BEST DIRECTOR NOMINEES

Since we’ve already discussed the merits of these five movies, I’m going to talk about what we think these five directors did to make them worthy of their nomination. And while some people think the person responsible for making the Best Picture winner should therefore automatically win this Oscar, I completely disagree. Last year’s (repeat) winner Alejandro González Iñárritu absolutely deserved his victory, even though The Revenant was a boring fetish film for people who are turned on by snow-covered trees and heavy breathing.

MEL GIBSON, HACKSAW RIDGE

If you want to know how we here at Nerdist feel about Mel Gibson personally you can read our thoughts here, but since the 1996 Best Director winner for Braveheart is up for the award again we’ll only on focus on the merits of what we we saw on the screen, which was a movie that exceeded its familiar source material. It’s not a great movie, but it’s impossible to deny that the huge, immersive battle scenes are some of the best, most difficult ever filmed. The execution of them alone probably accounts for why Gibson got this nomination.

DENIS VILLENEUVE, ARRIVAL

Speaking of exceeding well-worn ground, Villeneuve managed to make the oft used alien invasion plot feel original and exciting. It would have been easy for the scenes with the aliens to feel disappointing, but instead they are the best, most invigorating moments of the entire movie. On top of this, the exterior shots of the the alien craft are beautiful, and the intimate human moments have real pathos.

DAMIEN CHAZELLE, LA LA LAND

The movie looks absolutely gorgeous, with many scenes feeling like living paintings sprung to life and set to music. From the opening musical number, which is already in the Hall of Fame for great tracking shots (but isn’t even close to being the only one here), Chazelle‘s prodigy hands (he’s only 31!) are all over this film, but without feeling invasive and overdone.

KENNETH LONERGAN, MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

Both knowing where to point the camera and how long to stay with a shot seem like such obvious requirements for a director that those qualities can be easy to overlook, but with so many devastating scenes–some big and heavy, others quietly crushing–Lonergan manages to keep us close enough to the people involved that we feel like we are right there with them, even when we don’t want to be. He also deserves credit for getting three Oscar-nominated acting performances out of his cast, since it couldn’t have been easy to keep that set where it needed to be, emotionally, every day.

BARRY JENKINS, MOONLIGHT

Jenkins’ is probably the best paced movie of the bunch; like Lonergan, he managed to garner outstanding performances from his entire cast. There isn’t a wasted second in this film, nor a single scene that failed to hold me. He knows exactly when to linger on a shot, and when to look away. So much of the power in this story is found in its quietest moments, and that’s thanks to Jenkins knowing when and how long to stay with them.

And the winner should be…

Damien Chazelle. La La Land might tie the all-time record with 11 Oscar wins, and none will be more deserved than this one. It wasn’t my favorite movie, and (spoiler alert) wouldn’t be our pick for Best Picture, but the level of difficulty in filming some of those musical numbers in a single shot are impossible to ignore, as are the gorgeous, memorable tableaux that permeate the movie. The only other nominee I think should be in contention is Barry Jenkins, but I recognize that Chazelle is one of the stone cold locks on the night, and a fitting one at that.

So now we finally come to the single biggest award, the one that will always be remembered no matter how the film ages, Best Picture. I know La La Land is going to win–it’s a runway train at this point, and while huge upsets can happen (never forget–even though we’d like to–that Crash did beat Brokeback Mountain…somehow), but that won’t be the case this Sunday. But who will win is not the question we’re asking.

And the winner should be…

Moonlight.

There’s not a bad movie in the nine. I was pleasantly surprised by Hacksaw Ridge, completely engrossed by Arrival, transported by La La Land, moved by Fences, captivated by Hell or High Water, crushed throughout Manchester by the Sea, exalted by Hidden Figures, and brought to tears by the triumph of Lion, but Moonlight stands above them all.

It isn’t just original in content, but original in the way it tells its story, with three different actors of dramatically different ages depicting one coherent heartbreaking and compelling character over many years. A movie transcendent enough to earn the Best Picture trophy should feel authentic, should both entertain and move us, should give us plenty to think about, should change how we see the world, and should feel bigger than just the story it is telling. Moonlight does all of that. It will stay with us long after Sunday night, whether it gets called at the end of the show or not.

But what do you think? Who should walk away the winner for Best Director and Best Picture this year? Tell us what you think in the comments below, as well as on Facebook, and at @Nerdist and @burgermike on Twitter.

Images: Summit Entertainment,  Paramount,  A24,  Lionsgate,  Amazon Studios,  The Weinstein Company,  20th Century Fox,  Summit Entertainment

Disney Brings You the Wireless-Powered Room–Is Real-Life TRON Next?

Word association time. I say “quasistatic cavity resonance”; you say…?

“Whaaaa?” or “Heh heh, cavity” are expected. But if you said “enabling purpose-built structures, such as cabinets, rooms, and warehouses, to generate quasistatic magnetic fields that safely deliver kilowatts of power to mobile receivers contained nearly anywhere within,” you win the virtual no-prize.

Made simpler, as seen in this video, it means you can construct a room in which every electrical appliance is powered wirelessly. And who brought you this discovery? Disney research, of course. Presumably they want to make the world of Tron for real, or maybe that’ s just our fantasy of what they’ll do with the idea.

Gizmodo breaks down the potential drawbacks, mainly that the room needs to be made of aluminum, there’s a giant copper pole in the middle, and don’t even think of doing your stripper-themed workout on it because getting closer than 46 cm could be hazardous to your health. And yet, since technology always finds ways to make things smaller, this is a good start. Huge copper pole today, tiny copper spot tomorrow. Point is, if you want a desktop computer that isn’t a big spaghetti snarl of cords and connectors in the back, it can happen. And kids of the future will one day wonder why we ever worried just how many connection ports and power strips we owned.

Before that happens, however, it’s easy to imagine Disney will use this tech for some amazing theme park rides, in which they can hide the copper pole far away from the vehicle track. Star Wars Land, maybe?

Are you ready for wireless rooms? Comment below and let us know.

Image: Disney

SUPERGIRL Recap: Mr. & Mrs. Mxyzptlk

Editor’s note: This post contains spoilers for The CW’s Supe rgirl. Proceed with caution if you haven’t caught up yet. 

At the end of last week’s episode of Supergirl, Kara and Mon-El were finally gearing up for their first kiss when the mischievous Mr. Mxyzptlk showed up and interrupted the fun. As expected, his intrusive presence continued to muck things up for the duo during “Mr. & Mrs. Mxyzptlk”. In fact, several members of the team experienced their own relationship highs and lows last night. So how did your favorite super couple fare? Keep reading to find out.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. If you’re one of the lucky few in National City, you might just end up with roses, romantic music, and candles packed into your apartment—at least that’s what happened to Kara last night. But this romantic show of affection didn’t come from Mon-El. Oh no, it came from the episode’s villain, Mr. Mxyzptlk—a known trickster in the DC universe. Of course, this isn’t the Mr. M we’re familiar with. We later learned  that the reason he traveled to Earth was to make Kara his wife.

Despite the romantic gesture, Kara rejected his proposal and sent him back to the drawing board. Unfortunately, that drawing board was in the form of a faux alien attack that Mxy set up so that he could play the hero. When the fake threat became too much for Kara and Mon-El to handle, Mxy showed up dressed like Superman. I don’t know about you, but if someone was trying to seduce me while dressed like one of my cousins, it’d probably be a turnoff.

Unsurprisingly, Kara wasn’t into the deception either. Mxy’s next step in his plan of love was to offer an ultimatum—ladies love ultimatums. Kara now had two options: become his wife or allow things to become “bad” for the world. The whole Kara getting proposed to thing didn’t sit well with Mon-El for obvious reasons. His solution was to simply kill Mxy, which obviously wasn’t something Kara was down with. As a result, she pushed Mon away, and into his own trouble.

After leaving Kara, Mon-El stole a mysterious alien relic and headed off to face Mxy. One thing led to another and the guys were duking it out in a Hamilton-themed duel (yes, really). Using the relic, Mon was able to briefly disrupt the trickster’s powers. When Mxy gained the upper hand, Kara showed up and changed the game by agreeing to marry him after all at the Fortress of Solitude. Despite telling Mon-El that she really thought the marriage was a good idea, Kara planned a trap that worked as she’d expected.

Kara arrived at the Fortress of Solitude soon after Mxy, donning her Supergirl suit instead of a wedding dress. Surprise! Kara never had any intention of marrying Mr. Mxyzptlk. When Mxy blew a gasket and set one of the statues to attack, Kara set the atomic cauldron to self destruct. As she explained to Mxy, she was willing to die before being with him. With seconds to spare, Kara directed Mxy to put in the password to shut it down. Unfortunately for him, the password spelled out his name backwards—the only way to defeat him.

Meanwhile, things were a bit rocky for Alex and Maggie. Maggie has a deep dislike of Valentine’s Day, and refused to celebrate it. Alex, on the other hand, had been looking forward to celebrating it with her new lady. When she went ahead and set up a romantic night anyways, she was met with a very angry Maggie. She explained that when she was a teen, she sent a Valentine to a fellow female friend who showed the note to her parents, who then showed it to Maggie’s parents (all before anyone knew she was a lesbian). It was her own deep love of Alex, and Kara’s urging that convinced Maggie to set things right.

At the end of the night, Mon-El showed up to compliment Kara on her work, and admit that he should have trusted her. He also admitted that Kara was his kryptonite; rather, his feelings for her were his kryptonite. (barf) Then Kara admitted to lying to him to keep him safe and they finally kissed (and kissed, and kissed, and kissed). Will they stay together? Probably not! Find out in next week’s recap.

What did you think of last night’s episode? Let us know below!

Images: The CW

NASA is Trying to Make Pluto a Planet Again

High-profile breakups are always hard. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, Demi Lovato and Wilmer Valderrama. It’s always sad to see some our favorite celebs part ways, but no breakup was as sad to watch as the ugly separation between NASA and Pluto. After most of us were raised believing Pluto was a proud, albeit small, planet in our solar system, NASA shook the very foundation of our reality by removing Pluto’s planetary status.

It was a tough breakup for many of us to stomach. So many of us who grew up in school remembering the planets in our solar system with mnemonic devices like “My Very Enthusiastic Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” were suddenly left feeling confused and unceremoniously untethered. Some of us even had unique workarounds to keep Pluto in the planet club. It was hard to move forward, but we soldiered on. NASA knew best, after all.

Turns out, not all of NASA was on board with the planetary break-up. As Gizmodo reports, the principal investigator of NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto, Alan Stern, thinks Pluto’s demotion is, and I quote, “bullshit.” To right this wrong of planetary proportions, Stern is heading up a team of scientists at NASA to rework the official definition of planets that would not only allow Pluto to proudly reclaim its planet-status, but would also allow for Earth’s moon to become a planet as well.

The quick and dirty explanation of the new definition of planet would be any round object smaller than a star, but if you’re looking for a more technical definition, that would be “a sub-stellar mass body that has never undergone nuclear fusion and that has sufficient self-gravitation to assume a spheroidal shape adequately described by a triaxial ellipsoid regardless of its orbital parameters.” Rolls right off the tongue, right? Regardless of how easy to understand this new definition is, Pluto’s got a good advocate. The New Horizons mission gave us some of the clearest images and most detailed information on Pluto that we’ve ever had, and Stern’s scientific data and his scientific opinion certainly carries more weight than a bunch of millennials who really can’t handle change.

So what happens now? Stern and his team–along with the rest of the world–will have to wait for the International Astronomical Unit to decide if the definition of a planet will be changed to the more inclusive definition. So until then, we can just hope that Pluto will be willing to take NASA back, and we’ll have to try to not get too attached to any mnemonic devices to help us remember the planets in our solar system.

What do you think about Pluto’s planet status? Should NASA change the definition of a planet to include our moon and Pluto, or should  things stay as they are? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!

Featured Image: NASA

Play a Piano Duet with a Computer Thanks to Neural Networking

Making music is a lot of fun, but the experience is its most fulfilling when you’re making music with somebody else. But what if your friends aren’t that musically inclined? If you’re willing to look outside of humanity for a collaborator, Google has developed a neural network that can duet with you on the piano (via LaughingSquid).

The experiment is called A.I. Duet, and as coder Yotam Mann says in the video above, it “uses machine learning to let you play a duet with the computer.” He also explains that more traditional coding would not have worked well for this type of application, because he would need to program a response for every single user input. There are just too many possible combinations for this to make sense from a programming standpoint.

This is where the neural network comes in. The software was presented with a bunch of different melodies, which it then processed and learned about, analyzing the relationships between different notes and timing and musical things like that. Mann says the application goes beyond what he taught it, since it’s able to pick up on things like key and rhythm, which he never explicitly programmed.

Perhaps the best part is that both Mann’s code and Google’s Magenta neural network are totally open source, so any programmer/musician could foster their own musical neural network. Of course, if you’d rather just mash some keys and see how the program responds, you can totally just kill an afternoon doing that here.

Featured image: Google Developers