Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2219

Carrie Fisher, Hero to Nerds Everywhere, Dead at Age 60

Here at Nerdist, it is our staff’s least favorite task to report on the passing of any beloved celebrity or pop culture icon. But when it comes to someone whose life and work have been of such paramount importance to the little world we pride ourselves on celebrating, the job creates its own league of heartbreak. Today, December 27, we are sad to report on the death of Carrie Fisher, following suffering a heart attack four days prior. She was 60 years old.

In our reflection of Fisher’s life in the spotlight, we immediately think of the innumerable moments she enchanted us as Star Wars’ unflappable Princess Leia. We still easily hear mental echoes of “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi—you’re my only hope,” or “Aren’t you a little short for a stormtrooper?” or, of course, that seminal favorite: “Why, you stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking… nerf-herder!” Certainly, Leia’s importance to Star Wars fans well exceeds her penchant for a snappy line.

As that galaxy far, far away’s most revered diplomat, Leia asserted herself as the kind of heroine found far too infrequently in blockbuster cinema, even today. Her iconic character is owed not only to George Lucas’ screenplay pages, but to the live, bravery, wit, and fortitude that a then only 19-year-old Fisher brought with her to the part.

Throughout her years with Leia, Fisher would contribute more than just a dynamic performance. The brilliant wordsmith that she was, Fisher was given a pass at the Empire Strikes Back script, revising a good chunk of dialogue (and not just her own) to great effect. This literary aptitude would carry forth throughout her life, as Fisher would write and publish novels like Postcards from the Edge and Surrender the Pink, non-fiction words like Wishful Drinking and The Princess Diarist, not to mention her work as a script doctor on films like Hook, Sister Act, Lethal Weapon 3, and The Wedding Singer, (to name a few).

The resilience with which Fisher carried herself, a sort never qualified by the margins that Hollywood—and the world beyond—may have wished to force upon her, the acerbity with which she spoke every word dialogue, the confidence intrinsic to her unblinking glare: these were more than just the building blocks of a charming character. They were Fisher’s way of projecting her strength, of changing the game for women onscreen.

Of course, Leia Organa was only one of the great characters that Fisher contributed to the big screen. Her work in comedy, though perhaps understandably overshadowed by the magnitude of Star Wars, is something damn near otherworldly. In fact, Fisher got her start in comedy, making her screen debut on the sidelines of the Hal Ashby movie Shampoo. Still early on in her career, Fisher flashed her comic prowess in the screwball picture The Blues Brothers, stealing scenes from likes of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as the homicidal “mystery woman.”

Fisher showed off a more sensitive breed of comedy in Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters, and Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally…. In stark contrast to her aforementioned roles, it was films like these that allowed Fisher to demonstrate how well she could handle the sophistication of downplayed, softened material. Though a supporting player in both pictures, she enlivened all of her scenes in each with unforgettable panache. Of course, she was still up for the odd episode of bombast, namely the thriller-comedy The ‘Burbs.

Supporting parts and guest appearances became Fisher’s modus operandi in and beyond the 1990s, readily parodying her geek-friendly persona with roles in popular franchise films like Scream 3 and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, ditto with an all-timer of a role on an episode of 30 Rock.

Naturally, the role that stands out most among her recent work is Leia—now a General—in The Force Awakens. Though not equipped with the same sum of screen time that she held in previous Star Wars outings, the gravitas with which Fisher delivered lines of dialogue and silence expressions alike is an incredible part of what made the film a dutiful revival for fans all over.

That said, the piece of work I can’t help but think about is even more recent: Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, the documentary that showcased the relationship between Fisher and her mom (and next-door neighbor) Debbie Reynolds. On one hand, the picture couriers viewers through Fisher’s life, tapping into everything from her childhood struggles with drug abuse and mental illness to her contemporary idolatry among millions of Star Wars fans. Beyond this, Bright Lights is a testament to just how superhumanly charming and intelligent Fisher is—two hours spent in her company speed by, as her every work and movement is imbued with comedy, humility, and valor.

We here at Nerdist, writers and readers alike, will miss Carrie Fisher a great deal. But we invite you all take comfort in this: she hit us with too powerful a punch for her impact to fade now. Fisher’s work, words, and wisdom will be with us for a long time. Thanks to her, there is and has always been hope.

Featured Image: Lucasfilm/20th Century Fox

Half Hour Happy Hour #109: Drunksmas Day 9

By day 9 there was drunk Alison showing up in full force to chat with her friend Chris Paul.

Follow @HalfHourHappyHr and hosts @alisonhaislip, @alexalbrecht and Tom “Super Volcano” Krajewski on Twitter

ALIENS’ Power Loader Ripley Is the Latest Cool Custom LEGO Set

Hard to believe, but it’s been 30 years since Sigourney Weaver as Lt. Ellen Ripley stepped into that gigantic power loader, and screamed “Get away from her, you bitch!” to the Xenomorph queen in James Cameron’s 1986 classic Aliens. Although there were a few sequels (and some unfortunate Aliens vs. Predator movies) after Aliens came out, I think a good argument could be made that was the most iconic scene in the whole series… aside from maybe that whole chest bursting thing in the original 1979 Ridley Scott movie.

These many years later, an Aliens fan named Daniel Schlumpp has taken that iconic moment from the film and recreated it in LEGO form. Unfortunately, back in 1986 the LEGO company would have never considered making a toy based on an R-rated horror/action movie (they’d be unlikely to make one now, to be completely honest), but thankfully, we have dedicated fans like Schlumpp to bring such things to life for us. The custom LEGO set has Ripley rockin’ her ’80s perm and giving the alien queen a piece of her mind. All that’s missing is a mini-figure of little Newt. Here is what Schlumpp had to say about his creations:

“Since having kids I have got back into Lego in kind of a big way. There are so many new parts and colours to build with these days compared to the 80’s. The power loader from Aliens is something that I would have loved to build as a kid as it’s one of my all-time favorite movies. I had seen online many other people build it and I want to build my own version trying to keep it to mini-figure scale. I started constructing it digitally with Lego’s Digital Designer software. Then I built a few physical prototypes before coming up with the final design. I have also built the APC and Dropship from the Aliens movie and hope to build a complete scene in the near future.”

You can see these and many more over at DansBrickBuilds.com. And you can check out several images of Ripley in the power loader fighting the alien queen down in our gallery below.

What do you think of this latest cool custom Lego set? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Images: Daniel Schlumpp

Ridley Scott talks the legacy of the Alien franchise

Somebody Figured Out How Much The GHOSTBUSTERS Business Would Be Worth IRL

In the Ghostbusters series, the titular busters provide the service of peace of mind: It feels good to know that there’s somebody specific you can call when there’s something strange in your neighborhood. The actual ghostbusting services themselves aren’t just essential for a world ridden with paranormal activity throughout it, but it also seems to be decent business for Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, and Harold Ramis… but is it really?

This is a question whose answer we’d love to figure out for ourselves, but it turns out that’s not necessary, because it’s already because the number-crunchers at BizDaq already ran the match and came up with some answers that make plenty of sense to us (via CinemaBlend).

There’s a lot to consider here, and it appears that all of it has indeed been considered. They start by determining the trio’s revenue, and while that’s never explicitly stated in the movie, they do have one inkling of information to go off of: When they capture Slimer in the Sedgewick Hotel, they say, “For the entrapment, we’re gonna have to ask you for four big ones. Four thousand for that. But we are having a special this week on proton charging and storage of the beast, and that’s only going to come to one thousand dollars, fortunately.”

Their investigation is full of similarly gathered evidence, and after considering the cost of rent, gear, business expenses, and other factors, the figure they came up with $627,483, adjusted for inflation from 1984. Considering the Ghostbusters started the business after they were fired from Columbia University, they seemed to have turned into a sustainable business pretty quickly, because of course, everything Bill Murray touches is gold.

Featured image: Columbia Pictures

5 Cool Facts from ROGUE ONE: THE ULTIMATE VISUAL GUIDE

Warning: Minor spoilers for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story follow.

The release of a new Star Wars film means fresh information to digest, introductions to characters from all around the galaxy, different weapons, and all kinds of glorious minutiae. Even though Rogue One is set in a familiar place on the Star Wars timeline, we still encountered plenty we didn’t know in the standalone film. If, like me, you want to soak in every tidbit, Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide by Pablo Hidalgo, with illustrations by Kemp Remillard, is for you. It’s similar to The Force Awakens Visual Dictionary in that it goes deep into facts and details about characters, locations, ships, and more. Here are five interesting facts from the book:

1. Rebellious beginnings

Mon Mothma is one of the architects of the Rebel Alliance, and the Visual Guide gives some details on her transition from Republic senator to Galactic Empire senator to Chief of State for the Alliance Civil Government. She resigned her seat in the Imperial Senate before the group was disbanded; this happened after she called Emperor Palpatine a “lying executioner” in a public broadcast. You go, Mon Mothma. The action put her at the top of the Empire’s most wanted list. I like that we can now track her career from the prequel era all the way through and beyond Return of the Jedi.

2. Toy box time

Curious about the toys Jyn played with as she grew up on Lah’mu? The Visual Guide has a glorious two-page spread about the residents of her toy box. The toy designs feature ships and creatures we know from other films and animated series set in the universe. For example, there are Tooka dolls (the Loth-cat in Star Wars Rebels is a kind of Tooka), an X-wing, and a snow lizard, a.k.a. a tauntaun. The toy stormtrooper the death trooper is carrying in the above photo is named “Stormie.”

3. Force followers

With the mention of the Church of the Force in The Force Awakens and The Clone Wars’ introduction of the Nightsisters of Dathomir, we’ve known for a while the study of the Force isn’t limited to the Jedi Order. The Holy City on Jedha reinforced that. It was a place of pilgrimage for various groups, and the Visual Guide introduces them—it’s fascinating.

4. Rebel relative

Remember Bib Fortuna, Jabba the Hutt’s majordomo? His cousin is among the members of Saw Gerrera’s militia. The Twi’lek known as Beezer Fortuna can be spotted in Saw’s hideout; he serves as one of Saw’s chief strategists.

5. Morbid name origins

The death troopers protecting Director Krennic were not members of the undead. However, their name does stem “from a rumored project from the Advanced Weapons Research division, designed to animate necrotic flesh.” This could be a nod to the Legends title Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber, in which a zombie virus strikes and undead stormtroopers cause problems.

These examples are only the tip of the iceberg. You’ll find plenty of details explaining everything from the Two Tubes brothers, to the crystal in Chirrut’s staff, to the Geonosian genocide in Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide.

What interesting facts have you learned from the Visual Guide? Head to the comments and share them with the class.

Images: Lucasfilm, DK Publishing

All of Rogue One‘s many Star Wars Easter eggs

First STEPHEN KING’S IT Image Shows Pennywise Being Horrifying

Next year, Stephen King’s It will return to live-action for the first time in 27 years. This time, King’s story is heading to the big screen with Bill Skarsgård stepping into the oversized shoes of Pennywise the Clown, the most famous form of the otherworldly creature known as It. Now, we’ve received a new glimpse of Pennywise in one of its favorite hunting grounds.

Entertainment Weekly debuted the latest image of Skarsgård in costume as Pennywise, which finds the demonic clown in the sewer beneath the town of Derry as he presumably lures another young victim to their doom.

See Pennywise in a chilling new photo from #ITmovie: https://t.co/2Sd3LGtt4Z

— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) December 26, 2016

Seeing that pic, we can’t help but compare it to this famous image of Tim Curry as Pennywise from the 1990 TV miniseries of Stephen King’s It.

A clown living in the sewers who wants to make friends? Seems legit! And while Skarsgård’s incarnation of Pennywise is noticeably younger than Curry’s take on the character, director Andrés Muschietti told EW that the creature’s sense of theatrical horror will remain intact.

“Pennywise shows up, he’s front and center, and he does his show,” Muschietti said. “He has an act. So it’s weird all the time, and every little thing implies a further threat.” In other words, don’t take any balloons from this clown!

Stephen King’s It will haunt moviegoers on September 8, 2017.

What did you think about the latest image of Pennywise the Clown? Scare up your thoughts in the comment section below!

Images: Warner Bros. TV

Watch George Michael Impress David Bowie with a Rendition of Queen’s “Somebody to Love”

2016 has been a brutal year for many reasons, but high among those reasons has been the loss of so many brilliant musicians who left us before their time. If you’re a Gen-Xer like me, the loss of so many gender non-conforming pop icons of the MTV era like David Bowie, Prince, Pete Burns of Dead or Alive (hey, he was an icon to me) and now George Michael, who passed away on Christmas day, well…it’s just all been a little bit too much to bear. Thankfully, we will forever have their music and videos to remind us of their incredible talent.

Now, thanks to the folks at Uproxx, a video has surfaced featuring two of the incredible performers we lost this year. In the video, we see George Michael rehearsing for a 1992 tribute concert for Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, who had died in late 1991. In this raw rehearsal footage of Michael’s performance of Queen’s “Somebody to Love” we see the pop icon slay the crowd, as the kids say today.

And among the crowd backstage watching the rehearsal is none other than the legendary David Bowie, who looks impressed as hell with George Michael for hitting those tough notes and nailing the number. And let me remind you, Bowie was not known as an easy man to impress.  (Also in the background watching is a very young Seal, at the start of his career.)

What do you think of this incredible performance, and what was your favorite George Michael (or David Bowie) moment? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Featured Image: Sony/BMG 

RICK AND MORTY Season 3 Preview Shows Rick Finally Losing It

As if we didn’t have enough reasons to be pissed at 2016, this calendar year will come to an end without the promised third season of Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty. We still expect season three to drop some time in early 2017, but now we’ve finally received a new glimpse of the insanity to come.

Via io9, a new preview of Rick and Morty‘s third season debuted on a live stream broadcast by Adult Swim, which went largely unnoticed at the time. The animatic footage is far from finished, but it does feature Justin Roiland‘s voice as the title duo in a sequence that apparently takes place after last season’s cliffhanger was resolved. There are no hints as to how Rick escaped his intergalactic imprisonment or how the people of Earth will get out from under the control of the Galactic Federation. However, we do see Rick hilariously interfere with Morty’s attempt to speak with a newly single Jessica, the girl that Morty was so desperately infatuated with that he inadvertently helped Rick destroy humanity in their original reality. So, perhaps this interruption was for the best.

But that was just a prelude to the really amazing part of the preview, which follows Rick and Morty on some kind of space-race insemination (we think) before landing on a Star Wars riff. Even though things go smoothly, Morty is driven to reevaluate his life of mad science adventures. And for once, even Rick is shaken by their latest caper.

What did you think about the early look at Rick and Morty season 3? Wubalubadubdub in the comment section below!

Image: Adult Swim

You Can Now Make The Giant Chicken McNugget You’ve Always Dreamed Of

Are they the best thing in the world for your health? Probably not, especially when you down a whole mess of them, because there’s no denying that McDonald’s chicken McNuggets are pretty darn delectable. Thankfully, HellthyJunkFood has come up with a solution to this problem of over-consumption, one we don’t really feel like verifying the healthiness of because it might shatter our beautiful illusions: Instead of eating a bunch of regular-sized chicken McNuggets, just down a single gigantic one!

In a recent video, our two hosts, Julia and JP, decide to face off and see who can make the superior giant-sized version of a fast food chicken nugget. JP attempts his rendition of a Wendy’s nugget, while Julia goes for a boot-shaped McNugget, and since the record shows that Julia clearly came out on top over JP’s poorly breaded, regular-sized-nugget-stuffed mess, we’re going to focus on her effort.

If their reaction in the video is to be believed, Julia achieved a pretty successful upscaling of the McNugget, and thankfully, she was kind enough to post her recipe and cooking directions here. So long as you have a large enough deep fryer in your home, you can totally make this happen, but just beware that, with the multiple freezing sessions the directions call for, this could be a multi-day process. Still, doesn’t it seem worth it?

Check out the video above, and if you’re dying to see giant versions of other fast food staples, the good news is that HellthyJunkFood kinda specializes in that, so head over to their YouTube channel and make your dreams come true.

Featured image: Brandon Wang

Pixar’s COCO Reveals Rockin’ First Image

It may be the day after Christmas, but there’s still much to celebrate: namely, Pixar’s next original movie. While Cars 3 will be arriving next summer, 2017 will actually feature two Pixar films, with Coco closing out the year. Now, we’ve got our first glimpse of Coco‘s leading character and a better idea of what to expect from the film.

Coco co-director Lee Unkrich has tweeted out an image of Miguel Riveras, the main protagonist of his film, as he demonstrates his passion for music.

Excited to share the first still from Coco! Read more in @EW ‘s 2017 preview issue. #PixarCoco pic.twitter.com/yCRlOHAyyH

— Lee Unkrich (@leeunkrich) December 25, 2016

Entertainment Weekly debuted the image alongside a description of Coco‘s plot. According to EW, young Miguel (as voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) is a member of a family with a long history of shunning music after Miguel’s great-great-grandfather abandoned his wife, Imelda “to pursue a life hitting high notes.” Of course, that’s not going to stop Miguel from chasing his dream, or idolizing the late Ernesto de la Cruz, a singer voiced by Benjamin Bratt.

Now, here’s where things get a little weird. The EW description hints that Miguel’s “shocking discovery” about de la Cruz will send the young boy to the singer’s grave. And from there, we know that Miguel will be entering the land of the dead as part of Mexico’s annual observance of Día de los Muertos. That leads us to expect Coco will be Pixar’s take on a musical Tim Burton-ish film, and we are totally down for that.

Coco will be released on November 22, 2017.

What do you think about the first pic from Coco? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: Disney/Pixar