Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2169

The Grammys Honored Prince with a Royal Tribute

It’s been almost a year, but it’s still hard to believe that Prince is no longer with us. And although he had a career that spanned nearly 40 years and many, many albums, he will always be chiefly remembered as the rock icon behind Purple Rain. The album sold 15 million copies, spawned four top ten hits, and won an Oscar, Golden Globe and a Grammy Award in 1985. In addition to Prince’s own songs from the soundtrack, Morris Day and the Time’s two songs from the movie — which Prince wrote and produced — were also iconic hits. Everything Purple Rain touched turned to gold.

At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards this year, Morris Day and the Time reunited to sing their two hits songs from the film Purple Rain, “Jungle Love” and “The Bird.”  And the group didn’t miss a beat either, stepping on to the Grammy stage like they just walked off of performing at Minneapolis’  First Avenue nightclub 33 years ago. Morris Day’s wingman Jerome even brought out the mirror for Morris to admire himself in, just like in the movie. It was pure nostalgic joy, and a decent reminder of the sheer amount of hits Prince produced for other artists besides himself.

After the Time performed, Bruno Mars came out in full Purple Rain era Prince-drag, right on down to the hairdo, the sparkly purple jacket, and the ruffles. He performed Prince’s mega-hit “Let’s Go Crazy”, strapped with an electric guitar, and he did an amazing job honoring the Purple One as best he could with an incredibly funky performance. You can watch the entire Prince Grammy tribute video down below:

The Grammys Pay Tribute To Prince by videosuploaded

On Sunday, the great majority of Prince’s musical catalog returned to most streaming services after over 18 months as a Tidal exclusive. In addition, this past week Prince’s estate announced an agreement with Universal Music to release his music recorded after 1995 alongside music from his vault, including outtakes, demos and live recordings. Warner Brothers has also announced a remastered edition of Purple Rain is coming on June 9, featuring outtakes and live concert footage as well. All of this is great news, reminding fans that although “His Royal Badness” might be gone, his music will live on forever.

What did you think of the tribute to Prince at this year’s Grammy Awards? Do you feel it did proper justice to the Purple One? Let us know what your thoughts are down below in the comments.

Image: Warner Brothers

Watch Adele’s Grammy Awards Tribute to George Michael

2016 was a brutal year for pop music fans, taking away David Bowie and Prince from us far too soon. But before the year was done, it took another beloved ’80s icon from us when singer George Michael died on Christmas Day at the age of 53. If you grew up in the ’80s like I did, George Michael was an icon on par with the biggest names of the MTV era.

At this year’s Grammy Awards, pop goddess Adele, who grew up idolizing George Michael, payed tribute to the late singer with a beautiful rendition of his 1996 single “Fast Love.” Things didn’t exactly go smoothly for the “Hello” singer at first try, and mid-performance, she stopped abruptly and started to swear, with producers cutting her sound briefly, right before she said, “I know it’s live TV; I’m sorry I can’t do it again, like last year. I’m sorry for swearing. I’m sorry for starting again. Can we please start it again? I’m sorry — I cant mess this up for him. I’m sorry, I’m sorry for swearing! I’m really sorry. Sorry.”

After a brief pause, Adele took a moment to get it together, although clearly still very emotional, and she then restarted her version of the George Michael hit, and the audience went wild. After finishing her tribute, the crowd got up and gave Adele a deserved standing ovation. The lesson here: there is nothing wrong with admitting you screwed up and starting from scratch to make sure you do it right. You can watch Adele’s performance of “Fast Love” below.

What did you think of Adele’s emotional tribute to George Michael? Let us know down below in the comments.

Image Credit: XL

LADY GAGA Made an Amazing METALLICA Frontwoman at the Grammys

When word leaked out that Lady Gaga and Metallica would be performing together at the Grammys, inquiring minds immediately wanted to know how exactly that would work. Would it be more like Lulu, where Metallica riffed beneath Lou Reed vocals? Or S&M, where the band played their classics backed by a full orchestra?

Not quite either, it turned out. Backed by fire (Fire! Fire! Heh heh) and some intensely headbanging fans, Gaga came out in full Metallica gear, dressed like a superfan. The idea was for her to duet with James Hetfield on “Moth Into Flame,” but it soon became clear that Hetfield’s mic was broken. This made it awkward at first, but thinking on his feet, the frontman made his way over to Gaga’s mic and they shared.

While her pipes solo were certainly up to the task before, their duet turned out even better. Who knew Hetfield could harmonize like that, especially with someone who sings in a much higher register?

When I was in high school, I’m certain some of my peers would have considered this performance heresy (heavy metal fans can be as purist as any other nerddom). Nowadays I imagine budding Beavises checking out Gaga as a result, and maybe having their minds blown.

In case you can’t tell, I’m a fan of both artists, so naturally I was favorably inclined. But I’m really happy they went all-out heavy rather than something as obvious as Gaga singing “Nothing Else Matters, ” which would have been excellent but easy. Check out the full performance below, via Perez Hilton:

Lady GaGa and Metallica Perform At The Grammys by videosuploaded

Can we get a whole album now? Would you buy it? Let us know below if MetalliGA should be a thing.

Image: Lady Gaga Facebook

THE WALKING DEAD Recap: Rick and Co. Hit a “Rock in the Road”

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, “Rock in the Road,” we highly suggest you do so before proceeding. Okay? We good? Let’s go.

Aaaaaaand we’re back. After enjoying some time off during its midseason break, The Walking Dead returns to an audience largely burned out on the misery in which it wallowed in the first half of its seventh season. But the show’s midseason finale, recent interviews with cast and producers, and a multitude of billboards have promised us we’ll indeed see Rick and his friends “Rise up” against Negan and his Saviors. For the most part, “Rock in the Road” makes good on that promise, even if it is a tad predictable.

After turning to an indifferent Gregory for assistance, the Alexandrians gain the allegiance of a platoon of folks from the Hilltop colony, who owe Maggie, Sasha, and Jesus their lives. Jesus, as we saw in the trailer for the back half, then tells Rick of Ezekiel and his Kingdom, and the group tries to persuade the King to join them in taking up arms. Ezekiel, however, is, as expected, reluctant to disrupt a peace for which his people have already paid a heavy price in limbs and lives. Though Richard feels differently, as does Benjamin, who’s been tasked with spying, er, assisting Carol by kindly monarch.

Fortunately, our heroes pick up a healthy helping of TNT on their way home. Wrapped in razor wire, it’s set to go off should any wandering walkers get too close; but with the help of Rosita’s mad military skills they succeed in disarming it. This also leads to what is far and away the episode’s most spectacular scene, in which Rick and Michonne slice through a host of undead in two hotwired cars, dotting the highway with decapitated heads. I’m a little unsure of the science behind this maneuver, and whether or not their cars could actually achieve enough velocity to so cleanly sever as many spinal cords as they do. But it makes for an impressive visual nonetheless, capped off by a big boom from a pack of leftover TNT. It’s the kind of spectacle we’ve come to expect from the show’s premieres and finales, and it’s a helluva lot more emotionally satisfying than this season’s infamous premiere.

Back at Alexandria, Negan’s mustachioed lieutenant/protege arrives looking for Daryl and winds up, in typical brutish fashion, wrecking a good bit of the town in the process. But there’s little time for retribution when Father Gabriel is discovered missing, along with half the food in the pantry. Most everyone believes he’s deserted them in fear, but Rick suspects otherwise. After taking to the road in search of the misplaced padre, he finally smiles when his suspicions appear to be confirmed–even as he, Tara, Aaron, and Michonne are surrounded by a squad of grim-faced, gun-toting ladies.

“Rock in the Road” is a decent enough attempt at course correction, and of repaying some of the goodwill lost by a terminally joyless, frequently defeatist first half of a season. Here, the sadistic Negan shows up for just a moment, as a voice on Jesus’ radio, announcing the death of one of his men–“Without Fat Joey, Skinny Joey is just Joey. So it’s a goddamn tragedy!” It’s worth noting that he’s never been funnier than when he’s completely out of sight.

I just wish there were some more surprises to go along with the housecleaning. There’s little doubt that Ezekiel will have a change of heart, and decide his brokered peace isn’t enough for his people, and that Father Gabriel didn’t lose his newfound courage. I also suspect the Oceanside community too will soon join the fray. In fact, the question I’m left with right now is whether Ezekiel or Carol will come to Rick’s aid first. Or if one will need to convince the other to do so. And how will Carol feel about sharing her home with a CG tiger if their too-cute relationship ever gets off the ground? Valentine’s Day ain’t easy in the world of The Walking Dead.

Undead Afterthoughts

— Shout out to the Dream Academy, a sparse, acoustic version of whose “Life in a Northern Town” can be heard when Rick and co. arrive at the Kingdom.

— Jerry, Ezekiel’s right-hand herald, is hilarious when echoing his King’s announcement that he is pleased. He’s like an avid, overeager role player who found his perfect niche in the post-apocalypse.

— Andrew Lincoln wears a semi-bemused expression when Rick first speaks with Ezekiel, indicating he sees through his ruse but admires it just the same.

— “What the hell you tellin’ me for? We both had sex with the same dead guy. Doesn’t make us friends.”

— Now that Sonequa Martin has been cast as the lead in Star Trek: Discovery, does anyone care to wager how many episodes it will take for Sasha to be killed off?

— “Yeah, I didn’t like the look of that shit at all.”

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

Images: AMC

How much do you know about Ezekiel?

Lose Yourself in These Mesmerizing, Color-Changing Dominoes

Whatever the stresses of last week were–or whatever awaits you in the coming week–know that you deserve to take a break and relax. Trouble is that relaxing used to mean catching up on your favorite show or video game, but these days things have changed. Now people need to talk about the latest binge-watchable show so you have to pay attention, and video games have just become another appointment you have to make if you’re playing multiplayer. So, how can you relax?

A recent post by The Awesomer gave us this domino video that, whether they realized it or not, is the perfect thing to let us unwind. The post included the video above by YouTube’s Hevesh5 showing off some meticulous and amazing skills with dominoes. In it, the dominoes appear to change color as they topple due to a well-placed camera angle and, we can only assume, superhuman levels of patience. We know that domino videos are all over YouTube but we seem to ignore the massive amounts of effort put into them. After watching this, we found that the deeper we dove into the channel, our daily stresses seemed to melt away. Could it be that domino videos are the ultimate distraction? For us, and Hevesh5’s one million subscribers, it sure seems so.

Even if dominoes aren’t your thing, there are thousands of entrancing videos on the internet to hold your attention for longer than you’d expect. Some of our other favorites? Amazing street food compilations!

Admit it. you just watched every second of that 25 minute video, didn’t you?

What are your favorite YouTube stress relievers? Share some in the comments below!

Image: Hevesh5 

Smash Mouth’s ‘All Star’ Made With Windows XP Sounds Might Break Your Brain

For nearly twenty years, Smash Mouth‘s signature song, “All Star,” has been hanging around in the back of our heads. From its appearances in Mystery Men and Shrek, to various internet memes, there’s just no escape. Now, “All Star” has been recreated with the sounds of the dead operating system known as Windows XP, in a new mashup that is somehow simultaneously nightmarish and catchy.

The “All Star” Windows XP video was created by James Nielssen, and it starts off innocuously with some of the more annoying XP sound effects and the return of our old friend, Clippit (or Clippy) from Word, who is the star of his own famous memes. From there, the familiar notes of “All Star” play out, with Clippy plastered over the face of Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell.

As much as we came to despise Clippy’s presence on our old computers, there is something amusing about the way that the Clippy in this video begs viewers to “please end my suffering.” And yet, after seeing Clippy’s face all over the place in this video, maybe we’re the ones who need a quick and merciful end. Perhaps sensing that hearing the XP sounds for the full length of Smash Mouth’s original “All Star” music video could threaten our collective sanity, Nielssen made the wise decision to wrap up the clip after only a minute and four seconds.

What did you think about the “All Star” Windows XP mash up? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: James Nielssen

6 Reasons Why Matt Reeves Should Be a Great Choice to Direct THE BATMAN

On Friday, Variety reported that Matt Reeves was in talks to replace Ben Affleck as director of the next standalone Batman movie, referred to by everyone as The Batman though that’s by no means its official title yet. Citing unnamed sources, the trade publication stated that Reeves has already committed, though “a deal isn’t done yet.” Considering how long Affleck was attached before backing away, even a done deal hasn’t necessarily always meant a done deal in the context of this film, but Reeves strikes us as arguably the best possible choice, and we’re hoping he sticks around. If you’re not yet sold, hear us out:

He has a Track Record of Taking Over an Existing Franchise and Expanding It.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes was a franchise reboot that proved surprisingly popular, but there were a lot of questions about a follow-up. How do you keep that momentum going without being stale, how do you deal with the fact that a CG chimp is now your lead rather than James Franco, and how do you handle the fact that said chimp now has to talk throughout the film and not be ridiculous doing so? Having Andy Serkis is a great start, but in the end Matt Reeves pulled it all off, and audaciously so, too–that lengthy beginning stretch mostly shot in natural light and featuring no human characters or people-dialogue was a huge gamble that nearly universally earned praise in the end.

Now imagine a Batman movie that begins with 20 minutes or so of action and stealth, with no dialogue, playing out in the naturally lit shadows of a cityscape. Or something equally brave and bold.

He Favors Story Over Stars.

Batman is nearly always played by movie stars we like, but that’s only half the battle–what fans want the most, and all too often don’t get, is a great Batman story onscreen. And every Reeves film save his first–The Pallbearer, which failed to make David Schwimmer an A-lister–has prioritized (and been marketed based on) the plot. A monster attacks New York, a lonely boy befriends a vampire, intelligent apes struggle to coexist with humans. The Batman, like all DC superhero movies, will probably feature many big names, and it will need a guy at the helm who can keep all of them focused on telling the best tale they can.

Batman Is Like Caesar, in Reverse.

Innocent as a child, a man who has become enhanced to the peak of his potential develops a thirst for justice, and the skills to attain it by any means necessary. He just wants to be left alone to do things his way, but if interlopers with more powerful weapons have an even 1% chance of becoming a threat, he must prepare. Haunted by memories of a dead parent, he grows more and more jaded, and is finally driven to kill.

That’s Batman in Batman V Superman. It’s also Caesar by the end of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. If all goes as we hope it will, Batman’s arc will be one of rediscovering his humanity and pulling away from the brutal, branding-iron version, when contrasted with the more amoral Deathstroke. Maybe that will happen to Caesar too. Regardless, if Reeves can make a CG chimp convey that internal struggle, he’ll have no problem with Ben Affleck.

Affleck Is Better When He’s Directed.

As good as Ben Affleck is as a director, his own performance tends to be the least interesting thing about his movies. Affleck as an actor has been in some of the most derided films of all time (Gigli, Surviving Christmas) as well as more highly acclaimed ones (Hollywoodland, Gone Girl) and the pattern is clear: he’s good when paired with a visionary director who knows how to push him. Kevin Smith manages to bring out his funny side like nobody else, while David Fincher made us wonder if he was a murderer. Even Zack Snyder, whatever one thinks of the final movie, managed to convince the skeptics that Affleck was ultimately the right choice to play his vision of Batman.

Reeves directs effects-heavy films where you remember the characters more than anything. He can make us care about Bruce Wayne.

Reeves Can Do Effects-Heavy Action in Low Light.

This is an underrated skill that it’s hard to appreciate until you see a movie where you can’t tell what’s going on during a darkened action scene. Yet never once during either Cloverfield or Let Me In does the viewer wonder what they’re seeing, and both feature digitally enhanced characters who do their primary damage at night. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes isn’t as night-heavy, but its many battles involving motion capture and stunt work in a dimly lit forest or tunnel show us that this guy can handle Bat-action.

He Has a Twisted Sense of Humor

You’ve probably forgotten what The Pallbearer was actually about, so let me remind you: David Schwimmer is asked to deliver the eulogy for a friend he does not remember, spends the funeral tastelessly hitting on Gwyneth Paltrow, then has sex with the dead friend’s mother.

Now, we’re definitely not saying Batman should do any of that. What we are saying is that every portrayal of Gotham City needs a little madness–and that particular directorial assignment proves Reeves has it.

Are we ourselves mad, or do you think we’ve gotten the right guy for the job? Tell us in comments how you think Matt Reeves might handle the Dark Knight.

 

Images: Warner Bros., 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Overture Films

Will our theories still hold, under Reeves?

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Skewered Socially Conscious Commercials, in More Ways Than One

Did you notice, during the Super Bowl, just how many commercials tried maybe too hard to be “woke” and socially aware? How much did the forced-feeling theme of tolerance seem to be permeating every ad agency? Don’t get us wrong–we here at Nerdist are all about accepting any and everyone, and to the extent that the culture is in sync on this theme, we’re happy and fully onboard. But is it maybe possible that not all of that was sincere? And even if it was, might it have come off a little awkward in its delivery?

Saturday Night Live, which often represents a mainstream perspective, got a little edgy last night in two skits spoofing the sudden civic conscience all advertisers seem to have developed, without necessarily thinking everything through. In the video above, they amply demonstrate how not to celebrate Black History Month. And in the skit below, they show how inclusivity might be merely viewed as a flavor of the month by the true bean-counters:

Not that we wouldn’t love a Cheetos spot starring Danielle the Cheetah, mind you. But for audiences of all political stripes, it’s good to see host Alec Baldwin having a healthy sense of humor about his own causes as well as the ones he opposes.

In the end, all advertising is trying to sell you something. Commercials try to tell you what you want to hear. How much of it is pandering, and how much is truly sincere? We may never know, but comedy at its best makes you think about such things. Did SNL succeed in shining a humorous light on the process? Let us know what you think below, and please, be respectful of opposing viewpoints. We don’t all have to like Cheetos, but we are all here as fellow fans and human beings.

Image: NBC

Mezco’s New Realistic POPEYE Figure Is Amazing and Terrifying

You’ve seen online Photoshops and sketches of what Popeye would look like as a real human. You may have been amused, or weirded out, and then never given them another thought. Mezco Toyz, however, went ahead an made an action figure that they’ve just revealed, and it’s both a work of art and the stuff of nightmares.

Shelly Duvall aside, Popeye characters simply were never meant to look like representative, real-world humans, and their cartoon flexibility was part of the fun. Brought to three-dimensions as part of Mezco’s premium One:12 Collective of super-detailed 6-inch figures, this sailor man looks like he got too close to the nuclear tests in the Pacific. If this is what an all-spinach diet does to you, it’s time to add more protein.

The detail is astonishing, from the realistic faded ink on Popeye’s tattoos to the dirt stains on his jeans. And since these figures usually come loaded with accessories, I trust we can expect spinach cans in various stages of squeezing, and maybe alternate biceps for when he powers up and flexes. More might be revealed at Toy Fair later this month–for now, you can check out a glut of new Mezco reveals (including Dawn of the Dead, movie Wonder Woman, and Netflix Daredevil) on their Facebook page. If Popeye sells well, I’m really curious to see how Alice the Goon translates into the same style. Or maybe they should try a realistic Asterix next.

Does this action figure blow you down? Sail below to the comments section and leave it strong to the finish.

Image: Mezco

From STRANGER THINGS to Bill Nye, Here’s Our Geeky Gift Guide for Your Valentine

There are two types of people in this world: Those who love celebrating Valentine’s Day, and those who look forward to the 50% off markdown on chocolates 24 hours later. Or perhaps you’re like me, and you took one look at the calendar and thought, “Wait…it’s already February?”

Regardless of how you celebrate the holiday that has gone from honoring a Saint to becoming an event with fat babies shooting people through the heart with an arrow, it’s fun to see what sort of geeky products are out there to help express ourselves. Here’s a gift guide that is sure to please the Han to your Leia:

Cards:

If you want to forego the fancy candies in favor of something more permanent, cards are perfect.

Did you binge-watch the first season of Stranger Things after seeing the new teaser drop during the Super Bowl? Say “I’d go into the upside down for you” with this card by Etsy shop CrappyLittleThings.

Maybe you’re less interested in Han and Leia and you’d rather have someone talk Wookie to you. Thanks to AggroCat, there’s a card for that! Bonus points if you can sound like Chewie when handing this to your co-pilot.

Did you know that oxytocin is a hormone in the brain which is involved in bonding? It’s not called the “love hormone” by accident. Being in love also releases all of those great neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. SweetGeek has a card that is sure to get those chemical reactions going.

Sweets:

There’s no shame in rushing to the store to buy something sugary for your partner, but scoring these unique treats could rack up some serious brownie points.

For the wizard in your life I would suggest chocolate frogs from Harry Potter. Etsy shop NerdyNoms. No need to worry about these guys hopping away– but if your partner starts croaking…

If the two of you enjoy playing games together, then you might like picking up this quest by YouTuber Rosanna Pansino. You can adjust the difficulty setting by customizing the chocolates to your liking, so everyone wins! Careful not to hog the controllers, though; I hear they melt.

For the Dungeon Master in your campaign, this giant chocolate D20 by NerdyNoms is sure to please. You don’t even need to roll insight! But you might have to make some charisma checks, just in case.

Gifts:

Forget the traditional dozen roses. You can tell your sweetheart that they are the droid you’ve been looking for with this Star Wars bouquet.

If you want something a little more personal, Etsy shop BurritoPrincess has handmade picture frames from different fandoms. From Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn to Mulder and Scully, there’s sure to be a pairing for you. I suggest going with Pokémon and letting your Valentine know: “I choose you”!  

There’s no greater way to show someone you love them than to lean in and whisper “we’re drift compatible”. Attach these to your keys and know that you’re totally in-sync, even if you’re not inside of a Jaeger.

What geeky gifts are you planning for your Valentine? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook Page.

Images: LucasFilm, CrappyLittleThings, AggroCat, SweetGeek, NerdyNoms, Rosanna Pansino, Think Geek, BurritoPrincess, BlueHawkDesigns