Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2232

Research Shows POKÉMON GO Didn’t Really Affect Physical Activity, But There Is Hope

Earlier this year, Pokémon GO, the mobile AR game that you’ve definitely already heard of — it’s been downloaded at least 500 million times — made a huge splash in the gaming world. A splash that came in large part from the effects the game supposedly had on the social aspects of people’s lives. Now it turns out that, according to recently published research, at least the physical activity that the game inspired may have been (Dun Dun Duhhhhhh) overhyped.

In a paper published in the BMJ, researchers report they found that “Pokémon GO was associated with an increase in the daily number of steps after installation of the game… [but that] The association was… moderate and no longer observed after six weeks.”

In the clip above, a researcher describes the average effect that Pokémon GO had on players (who “tended to be younger, have a lower education and household income, and be obese, and were more likely to be single”) based on number of steps taken. And it turns out that while the game had a significant impact on number of steps taken in the first week (an additional 955 steps/day), by week 6, the effect had diminished to “pre-installation” levels.

However, despite the fact that the extra steps taken may be a short-lived effect, Eric Rimm, senior author of the paper, notes at the end of the video that he still thinks “there’s a great social aspect to Augmented Reality games… sometimes you do them with friends, they’re intergenerational… [and Pokémon Go shows that] over a 6-week period, you can do a lot to increase physical activity.” He added that, “We just have to be more creative about finding ways to get people to keep exercising.”

What do you think about these Pokémon GO findings? Do you think AR games in general are a good response to sitting on the couch in front of a screen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Images: The BMJ

Watch Coheed and Cambria Hang with Their Kids in “Colors” Video

Kids can be loud and all, but dang, they sure are cute. Coheed and Cambria just shared a music video for their emotional song “Colors” and show off how adorable their children are in it. We don’t mind. Besides, there’s other great music to blast after, like A Tribe Called Quest because the group said they “don’t plan on stopping” after this year, Bruno Mars’ dance-filled Carpool Karaoke session, Spoon’s brand new single, and the surprise return of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

Though Coheed and Cambria flaunt rough and jagged edges, the band is pretty emotionally in touch. To give their eighth album, The Color Before the Sun: Deconstructed, one last hurrah, the prog-rock group shared a music video for album cut “Colors.” In the video, the band plays to various crowds and fans cheer loudly, a nice nod to the people who keep them going… but they’re not the only ones. At various points throughout, we get to see frontman Claudio Sanchez and the rest of the band hang out with their kids, playing with toys, and tossing them over their shoulders. It’s a fitting touch of heart given the song is heavy but gentle simultaneously, slamming down on hard notes while keeping vocals in the forefront. Check it out above and try not to aw out loud.

In November, A Tribe Called Quest made a triumphant return that blew everyone away. The rap icons released We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service, their first album in 18 years. The album is phenomenal, topping lists left and right, and had people questioning if the group would do a sendoff tour behind it since Phife Dawg, one of the group’s founding members, passed away. Surprise! Q-Tip told Annie Mac on her BBC Radio 1 show that A Tribe Called Quest will actually keep going. “Stay tuned for any other incarnation because we don’t intend on stopping,” he said on air. We’ll gladly hold him to it. [Consequence of Sound]

What do you do if you want to dance but you’re strapped into a car seat? Well, just turn to Bruno Mars for inspiration. The pop star stepped inside James Corden’s car for Carpool Karaoke and knocked out over a dozen of his own songs. Mars doesn’t find that reason to stay still, though. He still wiggles and grooves, throwing his arms up and doing several cool nods that give him all the flair he rocks on a stage. So that’s how you dance while driving.

Spoon are back… we think? The indie rock band posted an image on their social media outlets which sure looks like an album cover, Matador Records shared the image which suggests the band is back on their roster after nearly two decades, and, as Stereogum points out, they debuted a new track on Shameless over the weekend. It’s called “I Ain’t The One” and it’s a bit of a bummer. That said, the song is quick, closing in under two minutes, but it sticks with you. After all, Spoon has always been good at that. Britt Daniel’s voice and the R&B pop of Alex Fischel’s keyboard combine into some kind of simple melody that you want to hum all day (or until they announce they are, in fact, back). [Stereogum]

Back in 2005, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah gave us one of the best self-titled indie rock albums ever, and now it seems they’re ready to give us another one. The band just announced they will release LP The Tourist on February 24 and gave us “Fireproof” for a taste of what’s to come. There’s major Revolver-era Beatles vibes in the warped intro, but the song then goes on to track a seriously devious bass (something Clap Your Hands has always been fond of) and sparse instrumentals. If we didn’t know better, we’d say this record will be a shoe-in for your 2017 must-listen list. [Consequence of Sound]

That’s it for today, but we’ll see you back here on Friday for another Music Dispatch!

Image: 300 Entertainment

STAR TREK DISCOVERY Casts THE WALKING DEAD Star Sonequa Martin-Green in Lead Role

The news Star Trek fans have been waiting for is finally here: The long-awaited new series Star Trek: Discovery has cast its principal lead character, and it is a face very well known to genre fans. According to Entertainment Weekly, we’ve learned that Sonequa Martin-Green, who is well known for her role as Sasha Williams on AMC’s The Walking Dead, has been cast as the lead of Star Trek: Discovery.

All we know about the role so far is that the lead character of this show is not the captain of the titular ship, which is a departure from every Star Trek series to date, where the captain has always been the leading role. Earlier reports have the character called only “Number One,” suggesting she is actually the second in command of the Discovery. Captain Pike referred to his first officer in the original Star Trek pilot as “Number One,” and Captain Picard also called Commander Riker “Number One” as well on Star Trek: The Next Generation .

Martin-Green will continue to serve as a series regular on The Walking Dead, but for exactly long remains to be seen. Considering that show’s knack for killing off its main characters at any given moment, I’m not sure how long we can expect to see Martin-Green pull double duty. She joins the previously announced Michelle Yeoh, Anthony Rapp, Doug Jones, Shazad Latif, Chris Obi and Mary Chieffo as cast members on the series.

Star Trek: Discovery is set to premiere sometime in the summer of 2017 on the new CBS All Access streaming platform

Are you as excited as we are for this casting choice? Let us know down below in the comments.

Image: AMC 

Why Star Trek’s transporters are sci-fi’s most impressive technology:

Everyone Wants to Be a Hero in THE 100 Season 4 Trailer

When The 100 told us at the end of season three that a second nuclear meltdown was inevitably going to make 96% of the world uninhabitable, we knew tensions would be high in season four. But to what degree the show with no chill would take it, we were unaware—until now. In the new trailer for the forthcoming season four of the post-apocalyptic series, we’ve got a good, long look at all the hero complexes developing amongst the heroes and villains of the CW show. And guess what: it all looks really, really, really bad.

Like “holy crap the world is literally like 12 minutes away from social and ecological collapse” bad.

With the Grounders, Skikru, Ice Nation, and more on the brink of seemingly unavoidable death, there’s nary a sign of a “Kumbaya” moment to be found. Everyone is out for their own survival. But without figuring out where that magical 4% of land unaffected by the radiation is, can any of them truly survive a nuclear winter at all? And just like the cornered rats in a cage that they are, they’re reactionary, unruly, and deeply unpredictable in their actions to try and survive. I mean, just look at Octavia! Homegirl looks like she’s become a straight-up Skikru killer, leading a group and making Indra proud with her murder-y ways. (I mean, we get it: but still.) And Roan looks deeply keen on taking the reigns and leading not just Ice Nation, but ALL of the people who’ve so far survived on Earth.

Of course, going up against one another is going to be nothing—nothing!—compared to the inevitable nuclear meltdown. Did you see that shot of the Grounder at the Egyptian pyramids being burnt to dust? To say nothing of that image of Clarke covered in radiation boils! DAMN, The 100. DAMN. Knowing this show, it may all be a deeply complicated ruse, but it could also easily not be.

The 100 returns to The CW on Wednesday, February 1. Do you have any crazy theories on where the controversial show will head next? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: The CW

Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor of Nerdist and co-host of Fangirling! Find her on Twitter — but only if you want.

Wish Upon a Well-Dressed Star with This Disney-Inspired Fashion

Who doesn’t want to spend as much time as possible dressed like a Disney character? Okay, maybe if you don’t want to don a full costume complete with a mouse head, don’t you want to wear Disney-inspired fashion on the regular? I’m gonna assume I’m not the only one who likes to show off her passion for Disney’s animated films and theme parks via my apparel and accessories. In fact, I know I’m not alone because Disney-themed fashion can be found all around the interwebs.

I’ve bitten the bullet for you and spent time flipping through Etsy and trying samples (e.g. enjoying some retail therapy) to find some of the best, most creative, different, etc. Disney fashion out there to help you out if you’re finding yourself in a street rat rut.

Whosits & Whatsits

If your Disney aesthetic is all about being classy and subtle, then Whosits & Whatsits is made for you. They’re perhaps most well-known for their Neverland beanie (pictured above), but their collection of shirts feature inventive and beautiful graphics that run the gamut, incorporating locations such as the Pride Lands from The Lion King or putting a musical theater spin on concepts like the Daughters of Triton from The Little Mermaid.

The Village Haus

Need a dress covered in Disney? The Village Haus is the seller you’re looking for. They create skater and bodycon style dresses (and also leggings!) inspired by characters or foods. I mean, look at the Mickey waffle dress pictured above. I like any occasion when my Disneyland favorite foods end up on my clothing without me spilling said food onto said clothing. Village Haus uses a polyester spandex blend for their dresses and leggings, and their prints include everything from Dole whip to Joy’s dress pattern from Inside Out.

Details, details, details. Whether you’re looking for a boldly printed dress or handmade pins to add just the right touch of flair to your outfit, The Brave Little Tailor has your back. The above Starbucks pins are just a sampling of the affordable brooches in their shop—they also have resin pins that look like Mickey Mouse lollipops. Yep. Based on my experience, their pins are both lightweight and sturdy.

Jordandené

If you’re all about the quotes, look no further than Jordandené. Their tops feature lines such as Mary Poppins’ memorable “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” and Belle’s “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere” emblazoned in elegant fonts (no Comic Sans here, friends) on tanks and t-shirts. The fabric is comfortable and holds up well with multiple washings (I’ve tested it). I like to wear Jordandené’s tops with jeans and a variety of cardigans and wraps.

You can browse additional styles from all four vendors in the gallery below. I’m sorry/not sorry if flipping through the gallery makes you feel like spending dollars.

Do you already have a closet full of Disney-inspired fashion? Head to the comments and tell me where you find your fashion treasures. Or, tell me which of these items you’ve added to your wish list.

Featured Image: Brave Little Tailor and Whosits & Whatsits

The Hidden Meaning In WALL-E Is More Sophisticated Than You’d Expect

There are few things we love more than over-analyzing movies and TV. Words cannot describe the joy taken by turning a hyper-critical lens at something meant to be lighthearted… until its framework shows through and it can then be related to other ideas and theories. We find ourselves in a wonderful time where there are many a YouTube series doing just that, and Earthling Cinema, on Wisecrack, is certainly one of the best. In their latest video, they dive deep into what lies just under the surface of Pixar’s Wall-E and gives us all a whole lot to think about.

In Earthling Cinema, set sometime in Earth’s distant future, an alien character named Garyx Wormuloid analyzes Earthling “artifacts” that all pretty much turn out to be DVDs. Infusing irreverent humor along with often inaccurate “data” gathered from his knowledge of the planet, Wormuloid deconstructs films and then critiques the messages in them and how they might relate to philosophy, psychology, and whatever may have had a handle on the zeitgeist at the time they were made. The analysis of Wall-E touches on quite a few things we may have glossed over in the past, choosing instead to just enjoy one of the only Pixar films that can be tolerated multiple times in the same day when watching with the children in your lives. Notably, the video points out the film’s satirizing of how mass consumerism caused Earth’s initial downfall in the film, the human’s over-dependence on technology, and their eventual freedom from those technological shackles.

Thanks to Wisecrack’s commentary, what makes Wall-E even more interesting now is knowing how subtly things are shown to the audience. Wall-E’s introduction – and the introduction of Earth itself – is presented in a manner akin to silent films as a stark contrast to the loud and excessive lifestyles that ultimately ruined it. AUTO’s entrance is accompanied by Johann Strauss’ “The Blue Danube” as a nod to HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The humans on The Axiom (a word meaning “a universally accepted principle or rule”) having never wanted for anything, blindly follow whatever the machines tell them and have basically become overgrown babies due to their time in space and unquestioning nature. Even Wall-E and EVE’s roles are analogs to the biblical Adam & Eve as they’re vital to the re-birth of humanity on Earth with Wall-E impregnating the egg-shaped EVE with a plant that ultimately allows the humans to return home.

Is Garyx Wormuloid’s analysis of our Pixar artifact correct? Or is Wall-E just Post-apocalyptic Short Circuit? Or was that CHAPPIE? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Disney

Normal Items Sliced in Half Become Extraordinary In Macro

When we were children, we all appreciated the excitement that comes from ripping something in half to see what it looks like on the inside. But little did we know just how amazing that endeavor could really be, even with regular household items. That’s because when you look at them with a macro lens even the mundane can become magnificent.

This latest video from the YouTube channel Macro Room,—dedicated to giving pristine and up-close looks at normal, every day items via a macro lens, which can provide details we can’t see with even a normal camera zoom—took a knife to a myriad of items to show that sometimes true beauty really is defined by what’s on the inside. From organic items like a red bell pepper and a star fruit, to man-made items like a camera and a shoe, under a macro lens normal objects that we hardly ever give a second thought to become fascinating terrains that look like something that belongs in an art gallery or in a sci-fi film.

Did you ever think a pomegranate or a head of cabbage could look like the eye of an alien, or its purple brain for that matter?

Even some gel deodorant sliced in two starts to look like the setting for a James Cameron movie.

The desire to see what something is made of is instinctual, and that’s why we all did it as kids. it just turns out it’s even cooler when you do it with cool adult toys.

What did some of these images look like to you? Zoom into our comments below to tell us what you think.

Images: Macro Room

Thrilling Adventure Hour #235: Beyond Belief, “Snakes in a Mane”

Starring Paul F. Tompkins and Paget Brewster as those married mediums Frank and Sadie Doyle. Also starring Hal Lublin as the Spooky Narrator; Annie Savage as a gorgon; Mark Gagliardi as Pterodactyl Jones; and Autumn Reeser as Bloody Mary.

Music by Jordan Katz & the Elements of Style, featuring Jonathan Dinerstein.

Written, produced, and directed by Ben Acker & Ben Blacker.

Music by Jordan Katz and the Elements of Style.

“Love Ain’t No Billy Goat” written by Jonathan Coulton.

Recorded November 16, 2016 at the Bell House in Brooklyn, NY.

Tickets are on sale NOW for the FINAL THRILLING ADVENTURE HOUR show for many years. It’s at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel in Los Angeles on December 17, 2016. Tickets here: https://www.acehotel.com/calendar/losangeles/thrilling-adventure-hour-holiday-funaround

Follow The Thrilling Adventure Hour and its creators, Ben Blacker and Ben Acker, on Twitter!

Photo Credit: Mindy Tucker

Stephen King Reflects on Childhood in Animated Interview from 1989

Stephen King has been one of the greatest horror novelists for decades, and we’re always interested in hearing what he has to say about writing and the genesis of his stories. And now. one of King’s classic interviews from nearly three decades ago has resurfaced and been reanimated for a more visual story.

Via Laughing Squid, Blank on Blank has released a classic King interview that was conducted in October 1989 by Thomas Smith for The Public Radio Book Show. The animation for this video was created by Patrick Smith and it offered some humorous visuals for King’s words as well as a few visual callbacks to some of his most famous tales including Carrie, and It.

The video opens with King’s reflection on childhood, as he witnessed a little girl lost in her own world of imaginary people while realizing that it was not only very close to what he does as a writer, but something that would get him locked away if he did it in public. King also shared a few thoughts on why the minds of adults are so different from those of children, while once again clarifying that his predilections toward horror were not born out of some childhood trauma that he suffered.

“I think that a lot of what we think of as horror fiction or fiction of the macabre comes out of this sense of futurity that we have,” said King. “As we grow older we become aware of the fact that we are going to die and most of us are going to die in ways that are that are unpleasant. For most of us, it’s there, it’s waiting for us. We understand that on an intellectual level. But I don’t think on an emotional level or a spiritual level we ever quite come to terms with it. Mentally we grasp it, emotionally we can’t quite grasp it.” King went on to explain how his supernatural horror stories tap into that inate fear of death by serving as symbolic representations of mortality while dealing with those ideas in a way that readers can more easily accept. King compared it to the way that dreams can bring up our darkest fears in a context that let the dreamer experience them while still remaining somewhat acceptable to our sleeping brains.

You can read more of King’s interview at Blank on Blank.

What did you think about this video? Scare up your thoughts in the comment section below!

Image: Blank on Blank

Original GHOST IN THE SHELL Gets Re-Shelled With MONDO Art Steelbook

When you think Ghost in the Shell nowadays, or ask anyone about it, they may think you’re referring to the live-action Scarlett Johansson movie coming out on March 31st. Two weeks prior, however, Anchor Bay is doing the moviegoing world a good deed and use the remake’s timing to remind the world how great the anime film was. 1995’s Ghost in the Shell, which you may or may not have known actually has the full translated-from-Japanese title of Mobile Armored Riot Police: Ghost in the Shell, is coming back to Blu-ray inside a new steelbook with artwork by Mondo. And before you say anything about double-dipping, consider that the entire Ghost in the Shell premise is all about giving existing content–the mind of a cyborg, or “ghost”–newer packaging, which is to say the body, or “shell.” Making the movie available in a newer metal container is arguably more appropriate to this franchise than any other.

And it isn’t just the groundbreaking feature film (that was the most obvious inspiration for The Matrix) that’s coming to Blu this spring. The animated series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex will make its U.S. Blu-ray debut Feb. 21st, also through Anchor Bay. So even if you’re that hardcore fan who never wants to see anime become live-action, you stand to benefit with some very cool HD versions of the original Ghost, buster.

This is, of course, not the entirety of the GITS franchise: there’s a movie sequel, a Stand Alone Complex movie, a second series called Arise, and a movie based on that one. It would be nice to collect all of them in a unifying Mondo style, so here’s hoping those are the follow-up plans.

Are you planning on making this Major acquisition? Maybe give a few as gifts to friends who need a gateway into anime? Download your thoughts into our comments below.

Images: Mondo/Anchor Bay/Production I.G.

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