Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2167
February 14, 2017
The Best Way to See Lava Up Close is By Hawaiian Tour Boat
It’s hard for us to pick a favorite byproduct of volcanic activity, but if we had to choose just one, we suppose it would be lava (sorry, volcanic ash). It can be hard for non-scientists to safely observe molten rock in a natural environment, but on January 9, passengers aboard Lava Boat “LavaKai,” lead by Captain Shane Turpin, got a super hot treat (via LaughingSquid).
First, some context: Around New Year’s Eve 2016, a collapsed lava delta led to a lava “fire hose” pouring into the ocean from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano. Lava was also flowing a few days later, and Turpin was able to bring his within a safe and observable distance away. Passengers took spectacular videos, like the one above, which show a consistent lavanche. The molten deposition added to the spectacle by creating massive amounts of steam — lava can be anywhere from 1,300 to 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit, while Hawaiian water is around 77 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. There’s a show happening under the waves too, as rapidly cooling lava continuously adds to the island.
Flowing lava is dangerous for obvious reasons, so we’d advise those of you who find yourselves near volcanic activity to stay away. You want to see a “fire hose” like this, though, because of course you do — we’d advise getting out on the water with an expedition like “LavaKai,” because going about it on your own could burn your skin up real good, and that could really put a damper on your weekend.
Featured image: J.D. Griggs
Philip Pullman Announces Release Date for Companion Trilogy to HIS DARK MATERIALS
After seventeen years of waiting, fans of Philip Pullman‘s epic fantasy series His Dark Materials will finally have a new trilogy to devour. Today (via The Guardian), Pullman shared that the first book in his long-awaited companion series to His Dark Materials—The Book of Dust—will hit bookstores in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2017.
For those unfamiliar with His Dark Materials, the seminal series began in 1995 with Northern Lights (dubbed The Golden Compass in America, with a terrible film adaptation that should never be spoken of again) and told the story of Lyra Belacqua, a young girl in Oxford who discovers other universes and worlds beyond her own. The trilogy expanded its story beyond Lyra with The Subtle Knife, and concluded with The Amber Spyglass. The trilogy is both beloved and revered by readers and scholars alike, and deals with themes and theories dealing with existence, religion, freedom, and everything in between.
And lest you think this is set in a whole new world with unfamiliar characters, The Book of Dust will return to Lyra’s world and be a true companion to His Dark Materials. Not only will Pullman explore story points parallel to the story of the first trilogy, he will focus on two new periods in Lyra’s life: when she was a baby, before she found her way to Oxford, and twenty years after the events of The Amber Spyglass. The report in The Guardian states that the series will include “characters familiar to existing readers, as well as other Pullman creations, including alethiometers (a clock-like truth-telling device), daemons (animals that are physical manifestations of the human spirit) and the Magisterium, the Church-like totalitarian authority that rules Lyra’s world.”
Lastly, The Book of Dust will attempt to unearth more about (duh) Dust, the mysterious substance that floats throughout Lyra’s tale and the fabric of the universe. Consider it an understatement when we say we are counting down the days until October 19 so we can find out if Lyra and Will ever found each other again.
Are you a fan of His Dark Materials? What would you like to see from this new companion series? Let us know in the comments below, and if you’re a bookworm, make sure you watch along with our new series, Alpha Book Club!
There’s a Fun LEGO BATMAN MOVIE Easter Egg on Your iPhone
The LEGO Batman Movie is taking over the world right now; you can’t turn your head without seeing LEGO’s variant of Batman or his voice actor, Will Arnett, promoting the film in fun and hilarious ways, a reality with which we have no quarrel. In fact, The LEGO Batman Movie has even infiltrated your iPhone (via SlashFilm).
A recent iOS update added a wonderful bit of functionality to Siri, although you probably won’t notice it unless you actively seek it out. In The LEGO Batman Movie (minor spoiler alert, we suppose), Bats has a virtual assistant computer that is very much like Siri, in that it responds to voice commands in the exact same inflection. The one difference: Batman summons his digital helper with the command “Hey ‘puter.” And now, you can engage with Siri in the same way, with hilarious results.
Say, “Hey ‘puter” to Siri and you’ll be greeted with a variety of responses that are totally in character of… ‘puter, we guess it’s called. We don’t want to give it all away, but a couple responses include, “Welcome home, sir. I have your rom coms queued up, sorted by decade,” and, “Hello, sir. I’ve heated up your lobster thermidor in the microwave.” One response even makes Siri say, “Pbbbffftttt!”
We’re sorry, because this news will surely lead to lowered levels of productivity today. Still, the cat’s (or bat’s?) out of the bag, so fire up Siri, and let us know all about your favorite ‘puter responses.
Featured image: Warner Bros
Stake Land II is Another Slice of Post-Apocalyptic Vampire Horror (Review)
It’s not uncommon for a fistful of independent horror flicks to make a splash at the festival circuit, find an audience on home video, and generate just enough excitement (and profits) to warrant a sequel, and that’s precisely what we have with Stake Land II.
The first Stake Land debuted in 2010, and it offered a novel enough spin on vampire lore that it managed to stand out in a perpetually crowded horror film marketplace. Director Jim Mickle (Mulberry St.) was able to combine vampire horror, post-apocalyptic settings, simple suspense, and a nice dash of action into an entertaining flick–and with very limited means–and he quickly went on to direct (very good) films like We Are What We Are (2013) and Cold in July (2014).
Mickle is still on board as a producer on Stake Land II, but this time the directorial reins have been passed to Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, who last year gave us a little-seen but appreciably intense suspense thriller called Body. Fortunately for fans of the first Stake Land, there is a firm sense of legitimate continuity to the sequel. The always gruffly enjoyable Nick Damici returns as co-star/screenwriter, as does Connor Paolo, who plays our heroic, long-suffering, vampire-hatin’ hero Martin.
The plot is basic post-apocalyptic “road movie” material: after settling down with his beloved and fathering a child, Martin’s (relatively) contented life is interrupted by the arrival of a horrific she-vampire that slaughters his family and leaves our hero (once again) desperate and alone, so he heads out from the relative safety of “New Eden” and travels south in the hopes of meeting up with his old vamp-slaying cohort known only as Mister (Damici). Along the way he meets up with both allies and enemies –mostly enemies–and gets into all sorts of unpleasant scrapes. The two heroes are eventually reunited, but will they be able to mount an offense against a seemingly invincible vampiress who has the power to (uh oh) hypnotize other vampires into doing her bidding?
(You’ll have to watch the movie to find out.)
While Stake Land II is clearly working on a small budget, the filmmakers do all they can to deliver a fast-moving post-apocalyptic “quest” movie full of gory vampire attacks, colorful stock character archetypes, and a slyly surly attitude. Connor Paolo does a fine job as our noble, if kinda one-note, hero, and character actor Nick Damici (Late Phases) displays all sorts of bad-ass anti-heroic coolness. A few of the supporting actors are a little green, but whenever Paolo and Damici share the screen there’s a comfortable sense of cool, simple chemistry between the performers.
Credit as well to the FX designers who do some fine work with latex, blood, and random gory bits. The Stake Land creatures aren’t your typical vampires, but they are freaky-looking and more than ravenous enough to provide ample opposition for our vamp-hating heroes and their various short-lived sidekicks and allies. If all you know of vampires is stuff like Underworld and Twilight, then Stake Land II probably isn’t for you, but if you dug the first flick enough to consider a second chapter a welcome diversion, then odds are you’ll find something to like here.
3 scrappy sequel burritos out of 5
Image: Dark Sky Films
Kicking and Screaming #72: Worst Parents Ever!
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Does Ben Affleck Really Want to Quit Being Batman?
There’s trouble in Gotham City, and we’re not talking about the Joker this time! It’s barely been two weeks since Ben Affleck stepped aside as the director of The Batman, and only a few days after Matt Reeves emerged as the leading contender to replace Affleck behind-the-camera. But now, rumors are swirling that Affleck wants out of the DC Extended Universe altogether and he’s ready to say “Batfleck no more!” What’s next for the Dark Knight? Find out on today’s Nerdist News!
Join host, and Gotham’s favorite backup Nightwing, Kyle Hill, as she pinpoints the origins of Affleck’s potential departure and how the studio may proceed without him. So far, the only person on record about this is John Campea from Collider Movie Talk, who said on today’s show that “Ben Affleck, make no mistake, he does want out…He doesn’t want to be Batman anymore.” Additionally, Campea added that “I’ve been told, Ben Affleck is talking with Warner Bros. in an attempt to get out of being Batman. And if they do not let him out of being Batman, the standalone Batman film that ultimately happens will be the last time we see Ben Affleck as Batman.”
Holy departure, Batman! This is the very definition of rumor and hearsay, but it does have a certain credibility to it. Affleck didn’t bother to hide his unhappiness with the critical reception to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, and as a result, he took a much more active hand in The Batman; including his time co-writing the script with Geoff Johns. We can only speculate as to why Affleck decided to pull out of The Batman as the director. But if Affleck is truly unhappy with his tenure as Batman then there’s not much that Warner Bros. will be able to do to keep him. We think that it’s likely that Affleck will fulfill his commitments to starring in The Batman and the eventual Justice League sequel. However, it’s anyone’s guess what happens after that.
Do you want Affleck to remain as Batman or should we get a new cinematic Dark Knight? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!
SUPERGIRL Recap: Luthors
Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for Supergirl. Proceed with caution if you aren’t caught up yet.
You know who we haven’t heard about recently on The CW’s Supergirl? The Luthors. Thankfully, this week’s episode was all about the mother/daughter duo. In “Luthors” Lillian’s court case not only put stress on Lena’s relationship with her mother, but also with Kara—who had her own relationship drama going on. As always, there’s a lot to discuss so let’s dive right in!
After a brief flashback featuring a young Lena being introduced to her now famous brother, the episode leapt to Alex’s coming out party at the pub. As a brief recap of reactions to the revelation that Alex is a lesbian: J’onn already knew because he’s psychic, Mon-El wasn’t fazed by it because there are all sorts of relationships on Daxam, and James and Winn seemed legitimately surprised. That said, it didn’t take long for the group to move on from the subject and discuss another important matter: Lena’s mother is still on trial.
Being a good friend, Kara decided to drop by and check on Lena to see how she was doing after testifying against Lillian in court. When Lena expressed guilt over not visiting Lillian in prison, Kara suggested that she should visit her because at the end of the day, Lillian is Lena’s mother. Having lost her own parents, Kara knows that there won’t always be time to speak to loved ones you’ve lost. Lena took that advice to heart and set out to visit her mother. During the emotional reunion, Lillian apologized for their relationship trouble, and explained more about why it was so strained. Apparently Lena was the illegitimate child of Lex’s father Lionel and a woman he was having an affair with. When Lena’s real mother passed away, she was brought in to live with the Luthors. Now that she and Lena are the only two Luthors left, Lillian wants to reconnect (a.k.a. probs hatch evil Cadmus plans) with her daughter. Lena seemed to accept this and held her mother’s hands toward the end of the scene.
Of course, the plan was obviously a trap. While Lena and Lillian were holding hands, someone snuck into the prison to deliver a kryptonite heart to Corben (a.k.a. Metallo). The following day, Corben used that new gift to wreak havoc in the court room. When Supergirl showed up to take on Metallo, she was forced to choose between stopping him from getting away or saving a group of innocent people (which she obviously chose). To make matters worse, footage emerged the following day showing Lena dropping by Corben’s cell to drop off the kryptonite.
While Kara was sure that her friend wouldn’t turn on them all, the rest of the group at the DEO weren’t so certain (and neither were the cops). Lena was carted off to prison. Her case wasn’t helped when Metallo showed up to bust her out of jail. When Lena joined Lillian, her mother told her that they were both on the run now. At that point it was made very clear that Lena wasn’t responsible for the attack. That fact was further solidified when Winn discovered the surveillance footage showing Lena supposedly visiting Metallo had been tampered with.
Unfortunately Winn also discovered that the Kryptonite Metallo was using was ready to explode. With the clock ticking, Supergirl (and later J’onn) flew to the scene to rescue Lena before Metallo exploded. As expected, Kara was right all along about her friend. As a way of saying thanks, Lena treated Kara to a bunch of flowers. But the love didn’t stop there! Kara finally let her defenses down and admitted to feeling some feels for Mon-El. On top of that, they kissed. Finally, the “will they or won’t they” drama is over!
Of course, the romantic tension was interrupted by a very rude Mister Mxyzptlk. We can’t wait to see what he stirs up next week.
Images: The CW
Geeky Chocolates Make Valentine’s Day Even Sweeter
Home Geekonomics is a series that features the best in geeky home decor, food, and DIY. Each week will focus on a specific fandom and highlight the best of geek for your home and everyday life.
Valentine’s Day is a month dedicated to the people we love but when it comes down to it, it’s really all about chocolate. Chocolate is the ultimate love; sweet and delicious, it’s always there when you need it. It’s the most reliable valentine ever.
These whimsical chocolates are a great way to add a little geekiness to your Valentine’s Day. Star Wars, Doctor Who and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are sure to make this sugar-filled holiday even better. And after February 14 is said and done, they’re a fantastic treat to make any day a little bit sweeter.
Dalek Chocolates by Truffle Cottage
We’ve written previously about the genius of Truffle Cottage’s novelty chocolates, which are adorable treats dedicated to favorite fandoms. These Doctor Who Dalek chocolates are decidedly less scary than the real thing. Enjoy one or three while you ponder who’s going to take the reigns as the next Doctor. Exterminate these sweets!
Chocolate Lightsabers by Sweets So Geek
These chocolate dipped Star Wars sabers will surely defeat the Empire with pure deliciousness. Colorful little snacks, these sweet lightsabers are an elegant dessert for a more civilized age.
Chocolate Science Kit by Geek & Co. Science!
What’s better than chocolate? Science! Actually, no, chocolate is better. But anyway, this kit lets you explore science by learning about heat, temperature and phases of matter. And at the end you get chocolate! There’s no better scientific outcome.
Chocolate Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by Sweets So Geek
Pizza-eating, sewer dwelling crime fighters become even cooler when they’re made out of chocolate. Complete with color coordinated eye masks, these sweet mutants are irresistible. Heroes in a half-shell of chocolate!
Nutella Brains by Crazy Brain Chocolate
I am against the idea of becoming a zombie mostly because of the meals. However, the idea of brains gets 100 times better if they were filled with a Nutella rice krispy treat like these little noggins. Brains, braaains, crunchy chocolately brains!!
Images: Truffle Cottage, Sweets So Geek, Geek & Co. Science!, Crazy Brain Chocolate
February 13, 2017
Anatomically Correct Spider-Man is the Stuff of Hilarious Nightmares
Suspension of disbelief in comic books and movies is more important than we’d ever realized and we should thank our lucky stars that characters don’t get a more accurate representation of their powers.
A recent post on Laughing Squid shed light on this super power blind spot with a new video by Corridor Digital. In it, we’re faced with the harsh truth of what a real Spider-Man would have to deal with during his super-heroics and it seems to be a huge pain in the ass. Spiders produce webs through a complex biological process via silk-spinning organs called spinnerets. If Spider-Man mutated from a radioactive spider bite and developed those biological abilities, his wrists would not be the place for them. What makes more sense (if that’s even phrase we can use) is that the closest anatomical orifice that humans have where a spinneret would likely develop is right up the ol’…. secret hideout? Hobgoblin? Mysterio? His butt. It’d be in his butt.
Corridor Digital’s video is very well done for something so purposely crass and we can’t help but love every cringe-worthy second of it. Additionally they throw in a pretty cool money bag swing that, if you ask us, is a moment that’s all too often a miss in the actual films. Imagining Spidey’s adventures in the comic or movie worlds in this way results in him feeling considerably less cool and we wonder if he’d even be lauded as such a hero if his crime fighting always involved turning a brown eye toward his enemies.
Is it weird that we want to see more adventures of Anatomically Correct Spider-Man? We’re on board as long as they don’t go into all the detail that ADHD did with their Scientifically Accurate Spider-Man.
What do you think of the video? Let’s discuss in the comments below!
Image: Corridor Digital
Let’s look at the latest Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer!
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