Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2174

Why a FRIDAY THE 13TH Reboot Probably Won’t Happen

Jason Voorhees was unstoppable in the ’80s. Going from not actually being a character in the first Friday the 13th to becoming the biggest horror icon for nearly a decade—deference to Freddy Krueger, of course—Jason racked up a body count that put other slashers to shame, in eight movies between 1981 and 1993. While the 2000s only saw three more cinematic outings, the visage of a hulking brute with a hockey mask and a machete has remained an indelible one. Seems a no-brainer for a reboot, right? Except yet another attempt has been cancelled, this one (according to The Hollywood Reporter) six weeks before filming. So, why?

The official word from Paramount has to do with the Rings sequel doing so poorly and the studio deciding not to go whole-hog into another reboot of a horror franchise, even though director Breck Eisner was ready to go and, again, they were six weeks away from shooting. The film would have apparently been about the origins of Jason and his mother, and while that doesn’t sound particularly interesting to me, there’s no reason—with all the other origin of evil-type movies that have come around recently—why there shouldn’t be a chance with Friday the 13th.

The last Friday the 13th movie came out in 2009 and was a straight-up reboot, and a sufficient enough hit that it should have been a gimmie to do another one. Yet a sequel didn’t materialize, and other plans for a reboot came and went; eight years between movies is a pretty long time in franchise terms. But, I think there’s a very real reason for the property to keep not being made, and it has everything to do with horror itself. There’s been a sea change in the world of horror for the past few years, and slasher movies, no matter how popular, have not stood the test of time as well they might have.

Everything comes in waves, and the big slasher movie boom began in earnest in 1978 with John Carpenter‘s Halloween and came to an end of sorts by the mid-’90s. Not a super short span of time, but one that produced literally hundreds of films, both in successful franchises and in one-off wannabees that went nowhere. While the slasher movie had a renaissance in the late-90s because of Scream, that wave was a knowing look at a beloved cult subgenre, and the tropes of the original movies became fodder for post-modern self-reflection. Because of this, true slasher movies, without much irony about what they are, have essentially become passé.

By the mid-to-late 2000s, all of the major slashers have had what’s amounted to failed reboots. Rob Zombie got to make two of his version of Halloween, there’ve been a few weird/crappy Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies, and Chucky is still kicking due to that franchise steadily delving into zany black comedy, but the two big ’80s icons of Freddy and Jason have been left without movies since their initial outing. They most closely embody the ’80s mentality and desire for grungy, gory horror where you watch specifically to see hapless people get horribly brutalized and murdered.

Plus, the idea of the “final girl” doesn’t seem to track anymore—mostly because they’ve grown up. Horror movie heroines are no longer teens or nubile co-eds and instead slightly older women, often young mothers or people put in a caretaker role (frequently unwanted), and are forced to fend off “the evil forces” that seek to destroy them. The “evil forces” in the new horror regime tend to be ghosts or demons that can inhabit houses or otherwise safe havens. These films—like The Babadook or Mama or even the Paranormal Activity movies—can be looked at as the fears surrounding the responsibility of parenthood and the fear of losing yourself to these forces, to the detriment of those you’re protecting.

Slasher movies are a much more id-centric horror, with a behemoth with a knife penetrating the flesh and taking both the victim’s innocence and their life. While there’s always going to be movies with young women getting stalked by horrible monsters, the horror genre at large—at least the ones people are seeking out—have gone much more into the ego, feeling unsure and worried about your grown-up life, and having something threatened. Check Netflix right now: under horror, aside from zombie movies and classics, I bet the bulk of the ones you’ll find are these quieter, moodier ghost movies.

So while it’s a bit of a shame we won’t have a Friday the 13th movie any time soon, the climate doesn’t really lend itself to this kind of scare right now. Jason is a relic of a simpler, bloodier time in horror cinema, and in the age of found-footage and unseen terrors, a big guy with an ax just doesn’t cut it.

What do you think, though? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: Paramount

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He writes the weekly look at weird or obscure films in Schlock & Awe. Follow him on Twitter!

Here we discuss another slasher icon…

LEGO Self-Lacing Sneaker Brings BACK TO THE FUTURE II Closer to Reality

Real life may have surpassed the future that Marty McFly and Doc Brown traveled to in Back to the Future II, but unfortunately we have not yet realized all of the promised technology we saw in their version of 2016. Our hoverboards don’t float–but they do catch on fire–tiny pizzas don’t get any bigger, and we still have to tie our own damn shoes. Or do we? Apparently we’ve had self-lacing sneaker technology for a long time in the form of LEGOs.

We first came across this clever piece of LEGO engineering at LaughingSquid, and it’s the work of industrial designer Vimal Patel of New Zealand. He said he was doing “a quick experiment into combining LEGO with other materials,” and that after using “a dremel and a hot glue gun to fix a few LEGO connection points” he played around with a few different designs until he got this working model, which pulls the laces tighter by winding them. You can see it in action in our player above.

A photo posted by Vimal Patel (@vimalllllllllllll) on Jan 31, 2017 at 11:43am PST

Nike did have a very limited release of real, self-lacing Mag sneakers, just like Marty McFly wore, last year, but they were only available in a raffle, and we didn’t win them (still and always bitter!), so these badboys are right up our alley, even though Patel is “sure it can be done much better with a bit of effort.”

But we think he isn’t giving himself enough credit. He took an old beat-up shoe and some LEGOs and made something very cool that we’ve been waiting for since we saw them on the big screen in 1989.

That’s heavy.

What do you think of these? Would you wear them? Tell us why in the comments below.

 Featured Image: Vimal Patel

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 Super Bowl Trailer Breakdown

As if it wasn’t already clear, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is Marvel Studios’ biggest priority right now. That film is getting the best release slot (the beginning of May) and it even had a well-received trailer during the Super Bowl; which has been ranked among the best commercials of the Big Game. Now, we could breakdown the newest footage for clues to the plot…and we totally will. But today’s episode of Nerdist News is also adding a few details we learned while on the set of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2!

Join science editor—and living embodiment of the missing Infinity Stone—Kyle Hill as he offers up our collective insights regarding the return of the Guardians of the Galaxy. The name of the game this time around is clearly “relationships.” Director James Gunn has apparently set in motion a series of events that will redefine Gamora and Nebula’s rivalry, while also bringing Yondu onto the team after he breaks away from the Ravagers. Even Drax may have a new connection, if we’re correctly reading his interactions with Mantis.

More importantly, the trailer teased the way that the Guardians made enemies out of both the newly introduced race known as the Sovereign and the Ravagers. Apparently, the Ravagers even have a new leader named Taserface, who is going to make life very difficult for the team. Of course, the lead villain, Ayesha, may get her hands on the Guardians first!

What do you think about the latest revelations from the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Super Bowl trailer? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

Editor’s Note: In the video above, we said that Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors” came out in 1976, but it was actually 1977. Whoops!

A Company Will Press Your Ashes into a Working Vinyl Album

When the final track of your life finishes playing, how would you like to be remembered? Do you want to be buried and forgotten like a bad solo album? Or would you like to be encased for posterity like a big platinum record? Or maybe you hope to continue being heard, like a legendary musician that lives on forever. Well, if you hope to have your song play long after you’ve left the recording studio of life, there’s a way for that to happen–literally–by having your ashes pressed into a vinyl record.

We came across this somewhat macabre/sort of touching/totally metal internment option at Ask Audio, and it is offered by the UK company Andvinyl. With their basic package they will take your actual cremated ashes and press them into 30 discs, each with 24 total minutes of audio (12 minutes on each side). You have to supply the sound, so you can record something original like a message or have them use a favorite song, but the discs come with standard artwork and labels that include your name, date of birth, and date of death. That package starts at 3,000 Pounds (which is around 3,700 American dollars), but there are plenty of extras you can add on.

You can get original artwork, either by providing a photo or sitting for a “pre-death sitting,” get additional audio time and backing tracks, have original music written just for you (with your input if you like), and you can even have them distribute your album to “reputable vinyl stores worldwide.” You know, the reputable stores that sell albums made with human remains. Those ones.

If you think all of this is weird, then wrap your head around the fact that they even give you the option of just supplying them individual body parts, that way the rest of you can be buried. So, if you want your album to be any good, try to figure out what part of your body sounds the best.

But if all of this is too creepy for you personally, you can try it out on one of your pets, because what better way to remember Fifi than to listen to her barking for the rest of your life.

While all of this is easy to joke around about, for those that don’t find this weird or unsettling (I think it’s actually really cool and potentially meaningful) it can be a very personal, very touching way to remember a lost one, or to continue putting something good out into the world even after you have left it.

Hearing a lost loved one’s voice is one of the most powerful ways to remember them, and being able to experience that sensation, or to give it to those we leave behind, is a wonderful way to make sure you can hear a song that celebrates life.

Just make sure you include the most perfect song possible for such a tribute.

If you are interested in having your ashes made into a vinyl album you can contact the company here, or visit their website for more details.

What song would you most want on your album? Tell us the track you’d choose for people to sing along with you forever by recording your answer in our comments section below.

Images: Aeon Video

Lady Gaga and Metallica are Playing The Grammys Together, And Other Odd Grammy Duets

Today, we’ve been given news of a musical collaboration we had no idea we absolutely needed until now: It has been confirmed that Super Bowl LI halftime performer Lady Gaga will perform at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards this year, and she’ll be sharing the stage with Metallica, who is nominated for “Best Rock Song.” (via Vulture).

Does this make sense? We can justify it: Metallica is no stranger to collaboration, considering they made an entire album with Lou Reed, Lulu, in 2011, and Gaga has made an effort to incorporate a stronger rock influence in her music, working with Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker on her single “Perfect Illusion.”

This definitely sounds like a reason to tune in, but before the ceremonies on February 14, let’s look back at the Grammys’ history of pairing together different musicians to share the stage, because it’s rich. We’re not sure we found anything that sounds as bizarre as Gaga/Metallica, but then again, remember that Radiohead once performed with a marching band. That and other examples are below, so let’s dig in.

Moby, Jill Scott, and Blue Man Group (2001)

Any collaboration that includes Blue Man Group is bound to have some oddity attached to it, but if there is a natural fit, it’s electronic experimenter Moby. Blue Man Group’s thumping percussion works ideally with the soulful track, and Scott’s vocals are a wonderful match for the song, so despite a roster that fairly arouses skepticism, this rendition of “Natural Blues” plays out super, super well.

Linkin Park, Jay Z, and Paul McCartney (2006)

It’s kind of amazing that Beatles leader Paul McCartney was ever in the same room as nu-metal heroes Linkin Park. It feels like names were thrown into a hat and this is what was picked out, but they and Jay Z manage to further mash-up “Numb/Encore” with “Yesterday,” and it works surprisingly well (although Jay Z becomes irrelevant when all he can do is ad-lib “Alright, alright” while the two singers duet).

Justin Timberlake, Al Green, Boyz II Men, and Keith Urban (2009)

You don’t see pop, R&B, soul, and country cross over all that often, but in this case, it was a surprisingly smooth combination. Urban was only playing guitar and didn’t add much twangy flare to his strumming, so his performance doesn’t result in too many cooks in the kitchen. He brings an effective guitar solo that fits in well with the song, and with Justin Timberlake, Al Green, and Boyz II Men on vocals, there wasn’t much room for this to have gone wrong.

Radiohead and the USC Marching Band (2009)

This one comes off strange on paper, but In Rainbows was also a pretty orchestral album. Just because Yorke’s orchestra here is also capable of walking and hyping up a football crowd doesn’t mean they’re less equipped to take care of the job, and that’s precisely what they did here. Save for the increased emphasis on percussion, this take on “15 Step” is pretty faithful to the original, so we’ll take that.

Featured image: Interscope

Prince’s Backing Band The Revolution Announces Spring Tour

Prince was an enigmatic and electric performer who is irreplaceable, but let’s not allow that to devalue the contributions of The Revolution, the band that had a big part in Prince’s sound during his most pivotal and visible times. They are credited on Prince’s Purple Rain, Around the World In a Day, and Parade albums, and some of the members performed on 1999 as well. All in all, they’re a key part of the Prince experience, and the good news is that even though Prince is no longer with us, The Revolution just announced plans to hit the road for a short touring stint this spring (via Rolling Stone).

The Purple Rain-era iteration of the band — guitarist Wendy Melvoin, bassist Brownmark (Mark Brown), drummer Bobby Z (Robert Rivkin) and keyboardists Matt Fink and Lisa Coleman — previously got together for some reunion shows in the wake of Prince’s passing, and now they’re going to extend that run for a little bit, with late-April shows in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, and Philadelphia.

Coleman previously spoke about preparing for their Prince-less shows, saying, “It was really intense. Difficult. The music was mercurial. Like, we couldn’t quite grab it. I mean, we were trained to look at Prince for cues, and even if he’s wrong, he’s right. We were looking into a space and then looking at each other going, ‘What is this?'”

Yes, Prince was one of the greatest frontmen ever, but The Revolution are capable of rocking without him, so check out their April tour dates below.

The Revolution tour dates

April 23: Chicago, IL at Metro

April 27: Washington, D.C. at The Fillmore Silver Spring

April 28: New York, NY at B.B. King’s

April 29: Philadelphia, PA at Theatre of Living Arts

Revisit our tribute to Prince on Nerdist News:

Featured image: ABC

Comic Book Club: At Sea with Mark Waid

Live from the Fan2Sea Comic Con Cruise, it’s Comic Book Club, with guest Mark Waid (“Champions,” “Black Widow”)!

Check out the website at comicbookclublive.com to find out how to watch the show live! And follow the show on Twitter: @comicbooklive, @azalben, @jtsizzle, and @realpetelepage

The Writers Panel #313: Humans

Jonathan Brackley and Sam Vincent, creators of Channel 4/AMC’s Humans, talk about artificial intelligence in storytelling, what Westworld does well, their earlier work on MI-5, and lots more.

Follow @BenBlacker and Like the show on Facebook!

This Guy’s Amazing Cartoon Tattoo Animates When He Spins Around

Considering how fluid and seamless modern cartoons look, or how quickly shows like South Park can be produced, it can be fun to remember a time when animation was more primitive, like the spinning zoetrope animation device. If you’re not familiar, a zoetrope is one of those spinning wheels that displays an animation when you look through the slots on the side. Basically, it was a GIF before we knew what binary code was. Here’s an example of one in action:

Even if we’ve evolved way past this in terms of technology, the zoetrope is a particularly cool physical gadget even today. At least one guy seems to agree with us–and clearly holds this view very near and dear to his heart–as he got what may be our favorite ever tattoo: he turned himself into a human zoetrope (via Sploid).

The featured video at the top of the page is a fascinating look at the process of inking the 24 frames of animation based on some vintage motion photography into to his skin. The behind-the-scenes stuff is fun, but the real gratification comes in seeing the human canvas spin around and animate the humanoid figure as it does a flip and becomes a clock.

Just when you thought there were no more original tattoo ideas, this thing pops up and blows us all away. If any of you do this yourselves, please show us the end result, but bear in mind that you’ll probably spend the rest of your life twirling around for friends and family.

Featured image: Open the Portal/YouTube

Here’s What it’s Like to Visit the Disney Animation Research Library

“No pens allowed.” I stood with a group of reporters eager to tour the Disney Animation Research Library, puzzled by the mandate—what am I without a pen, after all—but only for a moment. We were going to be viewing original art from Pinocchio during our visit, and no one wants to see a nearly 80-year-old piece of visual development ruined by a wayward ballpoint. I stored my potentially dangerous writing instrument and borrowed a pencil for notes before the tour began.

The Disney Animation Research Library (ARL) is housed in a nondescript building in the vicinity of Disney‘s Los Angeles studios. Inside its doors and temperature controlled vaults is a treasure trove of animation history. If an idea for a Disney animated film or short was sketched, designed, or put on paper (or even napkins) in any form, it’s inside the ARL.

Yeah, it’s hard to wrap your head around.

The ARL isn’t accessible to the public, but they opened their doors to reporters to celebrate the January 31 home release of Pinocchio. The film from 1940 about a puppet who longed to be a real boy was Disney’s second foray into animated features. As we stopped by various departments within the library, we got close looks at pieces of Pinocchio’s past—art that was created before 1940, preserved and in front of our eyes. We learned about the ARL’s purpose and processes as we walked through the past.

What’s at ARL?

The ARL is primarily about preservation. Their collection includes 65 million pieces in 11 vaults. Drawings, concept art, cels, backgrounds, and even maquettes and puppets from films like The Nightmare Before Christmas are included in the number. They have items dating back to Oswald and stretching to Disney’s newest release, Moana.

Back in the day, studios often threw out items after a movie was in the can. Not Walt Disney. He saved the work of his artists from the beginning in what he called a morgue. He wanted to keep the art safe for decades to come and archive it for illustrators to reference in the future. To that end, white gloves aren’t a fashion choice at the ARL; they’re worn by anyone handling the art in order to keep it safe.

Walt’s Vault

Our first stop on the tour was Walt’s Vault. The secure room contains material associated with films and shorts made while Walt was alive, up through The Jungle Book. The method of storage for items depends on the medium of the illustration; For example, anything done in pastels is kept in a special tray so as not to smudge the art when it’s stacked. Binders lining the shelves are filled with story sketches in plastic sleeves. Large cabinets are home to vertically stored backgrounds.

My gaze leaped from label to label seeing titles of films that have been a part of my childhood and life. Sleeping Beauty. Snow White. Animation history was close enough for me to touch (don’t worry, I didn’t!)

Digitizing the Collection

As I mentioned, the vaults are temperature controlled and monitored to ensure the art is in the best and safest possible environment. But to increase accessibility, they’re hard at work digitizing the collection. This has the added bonus of meaning the art will be handled less frequently.

Photographing or scanning the art and then going over the results for quality control isn’t the speediest of actions. We met the group responsible for capturing the collection for computers, and they said they’ve tackled about one million pieces in seven years. And it’s important to note: they don’t doctor or clean up any of the images unless the art is going out for media requests, etc. In those cases, they’ll remove any extraneous things from the pictures, like cigarette burns.

Who Uses the ARL?

The ARL isn’t a place anyone can visit (unfortunately—I know). It would make one heck of a museum, but that’s not why it exists. The collection is a resource for film historians, researchers, and animators. Disney’s animators can visit in person or access the ever-growing digital database. A frame-by-frame look at a particular sequence or a study of any and all pieces related to characters dancing (it’s possible since every item in the digital database is tagged and searchable) might be just the spark of inspiration or reference an artist needs.

Pieces from the ARL are also pulled out for various events and exhibits.

The Little Touches

ARL’s connection to Disney history is apparent in the lobby, which—by the way—is the only place personal photos are allowed. Those lamps? They’re not from IKEA. They’re preserved from the Caffeine Patch, a place to get you guessed it, caffeine, at Walt Disney Animation Studios.

Over in the corner you can spot a piano. It’s been played by the likes of Alan Menken and Richard Sherman.

And in the opposite corner, there’s the desk of Priscillano “Pres” Antonio Romanillos. The animator worked on films such as The Little Mermaid and Mulan for Disney before his passing in 2010.

He etched the characters he worked on into the desk, which you can see in the above photo.

You don’t only have to go by my words about the ARL. Take a tour with ARL manager of research Fox Carney in this video from Disney:

The word magical most definitely applies.

Images: Disney and Amy Ratcliffe