Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2266

Tiny French Soldiers Riding a Real Caterpillar Might Make Your Day

Sacre bleu! The French are coming! And they are aboard a gigantic green monstrosity!

That’s what you’d say if you were a toy soldier, anyway. And if toy soldiers could talk to begin with. And knew French colloquialisms. But we’re getting off topic. In fact, this is a couple of French miniature troops riding atop an actual, real-life caterpillar, with an inspirational French tune playing in the background. Seriously, if you’re feeling down about real-world events, take a couple of seconds and watch this. Unless you’re a fervent caterpillar liberation activist, it will make you happy.

A video posted by Jefferson (@jeffersonsoes) on Oct 26, 2016 at 7:39pm PDT

This slice of Internet happiness comes courtesy of Jefferson Soes, who frequently works in miniature. Whether it’s using a pitted avocado as the basis for a swimming pool diorama, or a series of USB drives as large ATMs, he specializes in recontextualizing smaller objects as large centerpieces, usually with a short piece of prose to describe the moment. In the case of the caterpillar troops, however, he just accompanies them with the inspirational message, “How time flies. In the blink of an eye we are into the last stretch of 2016. Just 65 days left to make good of your resolution if you have not started. Here is the caterpillar troops to accompany you through the rest of the year.”

Well, unless their steed turns into a chrysalis by then. They’ll have to either change their name or find a new line of work at that point.

Do you need more lepidoptera larval legionnaires in your life? Oui ou non? Let us know in comments.

Image: Jefferson Soes

What Do STRANGER THINGS’ New Characters Mean for Season 2?

Netflix is finally taking us back to Hawkins, Indiana next year with Stranger Things season two, and since “next year” is just a couple months away, production is starting right now! Better still, all sorts of cool details are spilling out from set, giving us a clearer picture than ever of what the future holds for one of 2016’s greatest surprises.

First off, some new casting announcements this week have revealed that two ’80s movie icons will be moving to Hawkins next season. Goonies‘ Sean Astin will play Bob Newby, nerdy manager of the local Radioshack and former high school classmate to Joyce Byers and Sheriff Hopper. We’d guess our geeky kid heroes will see Bob as a mentor-type, and hey, maybe he’ll even become the new Papa Byers…if everyone’s Hopper/Joyce ship doesn’t pan out.

And then there’s everyone’s favorite Weyland-Yutani shill, Paul Reiser. Reiser’s addition seems pitch-perfect since the Duffer Brothers have been comparing season two to a James Cameron-esque sequel, and it sounds like he’ll be playing a fairly similar role to his smarmy Aliens character. He’ll be a high-ranking Department of Energy cleaner named Dr. Owens, who comes to Hawkins to sweep up the mess left behind by Matthew Modine’s Dr. Brenner. But will Owens be our season two big bad?

It’d certainly be on-theme, as producer Shawn Levy told Collider at a recent screening of his film Real Steel, “Will Byers was in that Upside Down for a while. So season two is about this determined desire to return to normalcy in Hawkins, in the Byers family, in that group of friends, and it’s the struggle to reclaim normalcy and maybe the impossibility of it.” It would seem that extends to the Department of Energy, who’ve opened a door to a world that they’re gonna have a real hard time closing, and while the jury’s still out on whether anyone in Hawkins will find normalcy by the end of season two—let alone ever—it sounds like the Stranger Things team is already looking ahead, with Levy confirming that he and the Duffers have already started outlining a third season. Good call, since the cliffhanger-packed ending of season one left fans wondering just how many answers the Duffers had, and how many they’d yet to come up with.

All-told, Stranger Things season two sounds like it’s coming along nicely, but we have to ask (since we’ve been burned before): has the creative team learned the right lessons from season one’s success? Yes, we got a kick out of the ’80s nostalgia and pop culture references, but that’s not what kept us binging our way through the series. What really made us fall for the show were the well-drawn, heartfelt characters and real sense of danger mixed in with that classical tone of sci-fi wonder and discovery.

We don’t want to see season two reheat last year’s leftovers, with similar villains and even more references to the ’80s greatest hits, we want to see the characters we’ve come to love grow as they experience a new story with heightened stakes. Even Roman, a new character Netflix described as “an emotionally damaged, magnetic young woman who suffered a great loss as a child” and “is mysteriously connected to the supernatural events at the lab,” sounds like little more than a grown-up Eleven, which could either make for an interesting addition to the show …or feel like a total retread.

Lucky for us, the Duffers seem to have the right goal in mind, lauding those James Cameron sequels for approaching their stories from fresh angles, so more than anything, we can’t wait to hear more (especially how, exactly, Eleven is managing to survive on Eggos alone. I mean we all love frozen waffles, but they’re only kinda food. She must be dying of malnutrition. Hopper, please, drop off some apples or a tangerine or a bag of jerky or something).

What do you guys think? Do you like the sound of Stranger Things season two so far? Are you into these new characters? What kind of threats do you think Hawkins will face next year? Let’s discuss!

The New Rubik’s Cube World Record is Now an Insane 4.74 Seconds

You’ve probably fiddled around with a Rubik’s Cube before, scrambling its colors and forever leaving its six faces impure, since there’s no way you can get it back to how it looked when you bought it without peeling the stickers off and re-applying (quick tip: loosen the glue with a hairdryer, it’s much easier that way). Maybe you know somebody who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in a few minutes, or heck, maybe you can even do it yourself.

We bet you can’t do it in under five seconds, though. The previous world record holder, a 14-year-old Lucas Etter, did it in 4.9 seconds last year, and while his feat was impressive, it’s no longer the greatest our planet has ever seen, as just recently, a 20-year-old Dutch man by the name of Mats Valk, who is so renowned for his Rubik’s Cube-solving skills that he has his own Wikipedia page, just solved one in an astounding 4.74 seconds. For those doing the math at home, that’s less than 4.75 seconds.

His solve looked as legitimate as it could possibly be: The jumbled cube was revealed to him, he looked it over for a few seconds, presumably to observe patterns and plan a course of action, then, timing his run using a cup-stacking placemat, solved it in less time than it took to read this sentence. Sure, it helps that his Rubik’s Cube is a high-end edition that uses internal magnets for smooth rotation, but he’s still our best chance to defeat the robots were the fate of humanity to ever come down to a Rubik’s Cube face-off in a bizarre and sad twist of fate.

Featured image: Sonny Abesamis/Flickr

New GILMORE GIRLS Ice Cream Is Exactly What You’d Expect

The long-awaited Gilmore Girls revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year In The Life, is just a few weeks away and that means it’s time to stockpile all your favorite junk foods. If you don’t have detailed plans for your feast of Mallomars, Pop Tarts, and buckets of coffee then what are you even doing with your life? If you need a little help, Ample Hills, the same company that graced us with the amazing Star Wars dark side and light side ice cream last year, is back with a creamy, frozen ode to Lorelai and Rory Gilmore.

While Rory may not be pleased about being the Ice Cream Queen of Stars Hollow, I think any of us would happily take that mantle. Knowing Gilmore Girls has such a rabid fan base, Ample Hills turned to the fans for help in naming the new flavor. They received a whopping 2,500 entries filled to the brim with the most Gilmore-inspired puns, sure to make show creator Amy Sherman-Palladino proud.

The winning flavor, “They Scoop Gilmores, Don’t They?” is so named after the fan-favorite dance marathon episode, “They Shoot Gilmores, Don’t They?” I’ll admit I’m a little miffed that “Oy, With The Snickerdoodles Already!“ wasn’t chosen because that is a great pun.

The “They Scoop Gilmores, Don’t They?” specialty flavor starts off with a coffee base because we’d all riot if it didn’t. In fact, it’s a coffee chocolate pudding ice cream (a nod to Emily Gilmore’s Friday night dessert), all topped with pink Pop Tart sprinkles. Basically a big ol’ scoop of three generations of Gilmore women. Feel free to eat it out of a crystal bowl.

The special Gilmore Girls treat will be available at Ample Hills shops in New York City but don’t fret, they’ll also ship nationwide as a four-pack. If you order the bundle, two pints of “They Scoop Gilmores, Don’t They?” will be paired with “No Sleep Till Pumpkin,” a coffee-based flavor with pieces of housemade pumpkin butter cake, and “Snap, Mallow, Pop,” a marshmallow ice cream studded with rice crispy clusters. All of these sound like the perfect way to tuck in and binge-watch the Gilmore Girls revival.

Not only that, one lucky order will include a pack of Red Vines, because if there’s one side dish Rory and Lorelai need with ice cream, it’s Red Vines. This “golden ticket” entitles the recipient to a special prize. (I’m going to be really smad if it’s not the world’s largest pizza.)

Check out photos of the ice creams in the gallery below. “They Scoop Gilmores, Don’t They?” is available for order online at amplehills.com

What would you name a Gilmore Girls-inspired ice cream? Let us know in the comments and tag @nerdist and @justjenn on twitter to tell us what you’ll be eating for your Gilmore Girls marathon!

Images: Ample Hills, Netflix




Gilmore Girls is just one of our most anticipated TV shows for fall!

David Yates Explains Johnny Depp’s FANTASTIC BEASTS Casting

In the last few weeks, a whole new world has opened up to us, magically speaking. First, there was the news that we would get not one, not two, but FIVE movies pegged to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Then there was the revelation that we’d probably see a young, fresh-faced Dumbledore and the wizarding wars briefly mentioned in the Harry Potter series. Just a few days ago we were bombarded with the revelation that Gellert Grindelwald—friend and possible unrequited love interest for our favorite head of Hogwarts, Dumbledore—would not only appear in Fantastic Beasts, but also co-star in the forthcoming sequel. Last, but not least, it was revealed that this person would be played by Johnny Depp.

Needless to say, for a myriad of reasons, the reaction was decidedly mixed.

With #johnnydepp as #grindelwald in the #FantasticBeasts sequel, the movie will be even better. pic.twitter.com/RMeBFk6uBq

— taylor°weiler (@TayylorAnn16) November 5, 2016

If Johnny Depp is Grindelwald I am actually done with Harry Potter

— Guy (@yeblod) November 2, 2016

Johnny was officially confirmed to play Grindelwald by David Yates! I'm so happy https://t.co/X0JRFx9D3o

— best of johnny depp (@bestofdepp) November 8, 2016

I don't want Johnny Depp as Grindelwald, bring back Jamie Campbell-Bower!

— Jess Ronson (@WeasleyRiddle) November 2, 2016

johnny depp pic.twitter.com/wcXAcT3Qof

— victória (@foofightin) November 2, 2016

For those of you who don’t know who the character is, a quick lesson: Gellert Grindelwald (born: 1882, died: March 1998) was considered one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards of all time, second only to Voldemort. But prior to his devious turn, he fostered a friendship (over a desire to find and utilize all of the Deathly Hallows) with a young Dumbledore while the two were living in Godric’s Hollow. Grindelwald has already been portrayed by actor Jamie Campbell Bower in the Harry Potter films as a youngin’ (with Michael Byrne as his elder iteration). And while the 27-year-old actor may be a bit young to play a roughly 44-year-old Grindelwald (Grindelwald was born in 1882, approximately—Fantastic Beasts takes place in 1926), Depp is 53, so it’s not like he’s exactly on target, either. So why Depp?

Over on The Leaky Cauldron, director David Yates explained it came down to talent: “The whole principal of casting the movie was go with the best actor,” said Yates. “Go for the most inspired, interesting, right fit for that character. And as we approached Grindelwald we thought, ‘who’s going to take this in an interesting direction?’ In this business, it’s a weird old business. You’re brilliant one week, people are saying odd things the next, you go up and down. But no one takes away your pure talent.”

For Yates, Depp’s portrayals of kooky, out-of-the-box characters is what solidified the team’s choice. “Johnny Depp is a real artist. He’s created several characters who have really resonated in our popular culture. He’s a really brilliant, brilliant actor. We were excited about seeing what he would do with this guy, the character. He’s fearless; he’s imaginative; he’s ambitious. We thought he would do something fun and special. So we went for him, purely on that selfish basis. We don’t care if he’s famous or not famous. We just know he’s interesting.”

Now, it goes without saying, but we here at Nerdist are very, very excited about Fantastic Beasts (and have been for ages now). We’ve been counting down the days, wistfully staring at our Time Turners with a hope that they were real and worked so we could watch the damn film already. And we also firmly believe that everyone’s entitled to their own opinion on what constitutes a reason to like or dislike an actor. But we also cannot help but be admittedly frustrated with the reasoning Yates lays out here.

First, there’s the question of Depp’s suitability for the part, which was highlighted as a main reason for his casting. To be sure, Depp has a long history of playing a host of memorable characters—many of them outlandish and bombastic and charismatic weirdos; certainly what you’d want for one of the most dangerous Dark Wizards in history. And in his earlier performances–like Blow and Donnie Brasco and Edward Scissorhands and Cry-Baby–Depp showed a quirky enigmatic quality that was truly captivating to watch on screen. So does it make sense on paper? Sure.

As his career has continued, however, Depp has staunchly settled into caricature play. A good role for Johnny Depp relies on his “Johnny Depp-ness” being inextricable from the weirdos he plays on screen. (If this were an SAT test, Johnny Depp:character actors::George Clooney:leading men.) He basically plays himself at this point, and even then he’s not all that captivating to watch anymore; his tricks have become stale, and the resulting characters haven’t resonated in recent years—Willy Wonka, Jack Sparrow, the Mad Hatter, even his James ‘Whitey’ Bulger—despite Yates’ claims. Their reviews have not exactly been positive, raising eyebrows with both critics and movie-goers alike. Where there once was nuance and artistic idiosyncrasy, Depp’s abilities have become parodies of themselves. And that, my friends, ain’t good. Nowadays, the name Johnny Depp instantly conjures a jangly, quirky, ramshackle sort of image in one’s mind, all scarves and dark glasses and whimsically mumbled phrases couched in counterculture grit.

Is aligning an actor known for being “interesting” really all that “inspired” of a choice? Or just the most obvious one?

And then there’s the argument regarding his personal issues. It’s important to note that Depp’s casting and cameo were shot well before his most recent domestic abuse allegations from ex-wife Amber Heard. Previous rumors about domestic abuse in his relationship with Kate Moss are, as of yet, unconfirmed. (Moss herself has not commented on the matter.) But it does make one scratch their heads when this project has been shepherded by J.K. Rowling, herself a survivor of domestic violence who has—at the time of publication—remained silent on the casting of Depp.

Real Talk: the court of public opinion is in no way binding, nor should it have the final say in how we perceive and understand a person’s experience. That said, it should not be outwardly dismissed, either, because the question of whether or not we should reward people for their talent without taking into consideration bad behavior and/or mistakes is a worthy, and necessary, one. It is something that should be continually discussed and re-contextualized by debate and conversation in society. This is especially important at a time when there’s a renewed interest in how we view—both subconsciously and otherwise—and react to allegations of domestic abuse.

If this were a few years ago, this sort of thing wouldn’t even merit a tweet, let alone an article. And we are not here to pass judgement on whether or not Depp definitely did or did not do what is alleged. But the truth of the matter is this: we’re evolving our societal opinion on how to handle alleged abusers and their victims, and to simply ignore what has occurred between Depp and Heard outright because we are all innocent until proven guilty is not only short-sighted, but ultimately enables continued willful ignorance when it comes to these complicated conversations. It is a case-by-case basis sort of thing, because the nuance and instances specific to their lives shapes the bigger picture on each and every individual matter. It is our responsibility, as human beings, to constantly question what is or isn’t okay by seeing where our own personal lines lie. And it is well within everyone’s right to let those occurrences—and the nuance that comes with each individual case—shape or not shape their opinion on public personalities. Because those individual opinions, when lumped together, ultimately shape our larger opinion and all discussions moving forward.

Will Johnny Depp be a good Grindelwald? Maybe. Should that matter? It’s up to you to decide because, as it stands, the deal is done, the ink is dry, and it doesn’t look like they’re going to recast him any time soon. (Sigh.) But who knows? Anything’s possible in the world of magic. You don’t have to be a wizard to share or have an opinion on it, either. These movies are made for us, the paying public and viewing audience, after all.

What do you think about the confirmation that Johnny Depp will portray Grindelwald? Let us know—respectfully and politely!—in the comments below.

Images: Walt Disney Pictures

GIFs via Giphy

Here’s how fans figured out Depp’s role in Fantastic Beasts!

Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor of Nerdist and creator/co-host of Fangirling!, Mondays at 5pm PST/8pm EST. Find her on Twitter if you want!

Calling All Citizens! Help Us Survive Election Day with an Emegency Edition of Animal Boops

Dear fellow citizens of these United States of America, as well all of our other co-inhabitants around this little blue marble we call Earth,

We know that regardless of who you hope emerges victorious in today’s presidential election, you care deeply about the future of our country and planet. As a result you are on edge today. It’s been a long, long, oh-so-long campaign, and now that we are finally (hopefully!) at its end, there’s nothing left to do but wait and see how it all turns out.

But rather than let today be a heap of nerves and fears, we’d like for all of you to help us relieve some of the anxiety we are feeling with a bipartisan issue that can conquer any differences we may have. An issue that unites not just Republican and Democrat alike, but people from around the world: adorable little animals we just want to boop on the nose.

SNOOBUG ALERT. Tomorrow is the election. You will need bliss. Reach out. Touch the nose. Say BOOP. Feel the bliss. #emergencysnootboop pic.twitter.com/wyzbKhMrjN

— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) November 8, 2016

That’s right, we are calling on all of you to cast one more ballot today… for your favorite furry friend. If you’re inclined to give them a little tap on the nose because they are oh so cute and cuddly, join in with the hashtag #EmergencySnootBoop across your social media accounts. (Great idea by author and the hashtag’s creator Chuck Wendig, or GREATEST idea?) Here are already some of our favorites from fellow animal-loving citizens.

.@ChuckWendig #emergencysnootboop pic.twitter.com/vJ1PWdXpBg

— ☮ImWithHer☮ (@mflinner99) November 8, 2016

Adding some more diversity to the #emergencysnootboop pic.twitter.com/FW9EsHlJ2Z

— Lisa Emme (@LisaEmmeBooks) November 8, 2016

Nikki is honored to be a part of the #emergencysnootboop pic.twitter.com/4zviFc08v8

— Lexie Dunne (@DunneWriting) November 8, 2016

Here is a drooling #emergencysnootboop. Which means she's super happy. pic.twitter.com/dcS66xGQIw

— Jessica (@Kangaroo_Pete) November 8, 2016

#emergencysnootboop with Todd and Tarzan. pic.twitter.com/L1IoaH3gl7

— Lynn Rosskamp (@Ratsnhats) November 8, 2016

Think of these furry friends today as service animals for the well-being of everyone’s psyche, because we all know we deserve a break today.

Zorro offers his services for anyone needing an #emergencysnootboop pic.twitter.com/82co2Vwy0y

— Cary Sketch Vandever (@CNVandever) November 8, 2016

Sleepy Watson contributing to the #emergencysnootboop pic.twitter.com/PGGsqUCLhj

— Richard D. Deverell (@DarthDeverell) November 8, 2016

And remember that tomorrow morning when you wake up, no matter who won and no matter how you feel about it, a snuggly little pet is something we can all rally around to come together as a country. Some things really do transcend politics. And they tend to have cute little noses.

Featured Image: Keepin it Karl

SUPERGIRL Recap: Crossfire

Editor’s Note: This post contains spoilers for Supergirl. Proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. 

After the epic alien fight club episode last week, we’re back with another week of Supergirl. In “Crossfire,” Kara spent time trying to mentor Mon-El, Alex did some soul-searching, and James’ storyline took a surprising turn. There are a ton of topics to discuss, so let’s get right to it.

After pushing him to the side last week, Kara spent most of last night’s episode focused on her new pupil Mon-El. Before sending him off on his first day at Catco, Kara dressed him up and gifted him with a pair of fake glasses (you know, just in case he wants to fight crime one day) and the moniker Mike. At the office, Mike spent the majority of his time fooling around with some girl and not doing actual work.

While Mike was adjusting, Kara and James were attacked outside by guys that were in the middle of a bank robbery. As per usual, Kara jumped into action as Supergirl but wasn’t expecting the robber, Chet Miner, to bust out a massive futuristic alien weapon. It came as no surprise that it was Cadmus that supplied the criminals with the guns. The mysterious Cadmus leader believes she is “making the world a better place for her children” and doesn’t mind using Miner and his guys as a device to fuel the public’s fear of aliens.

The experience was enough to shake James and convince him to don a disguise and head out into the night to fight crime. It’s clear how desperate he is to become a hero, despite the fact that he doesn’t have powers. To at least improve his garb, James reached out to his buddy Winn and asked for help. Too bad Winn thinks being a vigilante is too dangerous. He eventually came around but we’ll get to that in a minute.

But that wasn’t the only thing James was dealing with. Back at the office his new employee Mike was getting others to handle his work while he sat at his desk chowing down on “red tubes” (a.k.a. Red Vines). I’ll admit, Mike’s shenanigans and Kara’s increasing exasperation with his antics was entertaining to watch. But as she realized later in the episode, maybe the office intern life wasn’t for him. During a one-on-one chat, Alex reminded Kara that what works for her doesn’t necessarily mean it works for others. After all, when Kara was adopted into her Earth family, Alex tried to make her just like herself, but eventually realized she had to loosen up and let Kara live her own life.

Before Alex could explain her confusing feelings for Maggie, Lena interrupted the conversation with a special request: she wants both Kara and Supergirl to come to a charity fundraiser. Supergirl promised Lena that both would definitely be showing up for the soirée. Of course, we didn’t get to see as much Mrs. Doubtfire-like mischief as I’d have liked, but that just comes with the territory of being a superhero show. Kara/Supergirl’s swift transition between characters made the situation believable enough, especially considering how short it was.

Of course, the alien gun-wielding criminals from earlier had plans to crash Lena’s party and complicate things. Luckily Lena knew the baddies would probably pull something like that and planned an ambush of her own. With Winn’s help, Lena was able to get rid of their weapons and stop them. The moment Winn had with Lena convinced him to help James out after all. While James hasn’t revealed his official superhero name yet, Winn admitted to already having several cool plans set in place.

The rest of the episode (though not nearly enough of it) was devoted to the exploration of Alex’s sexual orientation, and her budding feelings for Maggie. Ever since since Maggie hopped into the picture this season, Alex has slowly been moving out of the closet. While we didn’t get a direct confirmation, Alex pushed through her fear towards the end of the episode and all but revealed to Maggie that she is a lesbian.

It’s unclear where their relationship is headed after that reveal, but it seems like it’s going in a favorable direction for both characters. On the other side of the story, Kara’s mentor/pupil relationship with Mon-El took an interesting turn. Instead of planning out how he should live his life, Kara left the career choices (and more) up to Mon and promised to be there as an aide if he needed needed help.

Keeping with the trend of the last few episodes, this one ended in a twist: the mysterious Cadmus leader is Lena Luthor’s mother. Gasp!

What did you think of this week’s episode? Let us know in the comments below, on Facebook, or reach out to me on Twitter: @Samantha_Sofka.

Images: CW

RICK AND MORTY’s “Pass The Butter” Robot is Now a Real Thing

What makes Rick and Morty such an amazingly good show (aside from everything else about it), is all the off-the-wall devices Rick comes up with. One such invention is the robot he makes, seemingly without effort, whose sole purpose is to pass the butter to Rick (from the opening scene of the first season’s ninth episode, “Something Ricked This Way Comes”). The difference between this device and so many of the others depicted in the show is that, aside from its seemingly advanced artificial intelligence and sense of awareness, the pass the butter robot could conceivably be created in real life.

That’s just what one inventive fan did, and he demonstrated his creation in a video that’s making the rounds (via Uproxx). In the original scene, Rick finishes tinkering with the robot, and when it comes to life, he tells it to pass the butter. When the device again asks Rick what its purpose is and Rick responds, “You pass butter,” the robot has an existential crisis, looks down at its wheels and defeatedly says, “Oh my god.”

The real-life pass the butter robot does precisely that: Its creator asks it to pass the butter and reassures it that its existence has no meaning beyond that one simple task. Creating the robot, much like Rick’s origin, appears to have been a task not quite as simple: It’s based on a I-spy Mini Wireless Wifi App-control Spy Tank RC Car and 3D-printer parts, and it even recites the dialogue directly from the episode.

Check it out above, and to the first Rick and Morty fan able to recreate the show’s portal gun and help humanity travel between dimensions, we’ll be super proud of you.

Featured image: Adult Swim

Learn the science behind Rick and Morty’s Rickstaverse!

Matt Smith Reveals THE CROWN’s Deleted Nude Scene

On Friday, November 4, Netflix revealed The Crown, a riveting new drama that invites the public into the private lives of Queen Elizabeth II, her royal family, and her political frenemy, World War II legend Winston Churchill. In anticipation of the show’s debut, Nerdist sat down with the series’ stars, Matt Smith and Claire Foy, and learned about the delicacy of this historical drama’s interpretation, as well as the shocking sex joke that was regrettably cut from season one.

Foy fronts the series as the 25-year-old Elizabeth Mountbatten nee Windsor, newlywed of Smith’s charismatic Duke of Edinburgh, Philip Mountbatten. Both know that she is destined to rule, but expect that heady family responsibility to still be years and years away. However, fate has other plans.

The series crafted by Peter Morgan (Academy Award-nominated screenwriter of The Queen) follows the pair through the dramatic shift in dynamic as they go from obedient wife and proud husband to grand ruler and reluctant subject. Many more personal dramas unfurl thanks to Elizabeth’s rebellious sister, her stubborn mother, and her snarky uncle, the ex-king who infamously abdicated choosing love over country. Political intrigue also brews as Elizabeth seeks to gain respect as a young queen, and Churchill struggles to maintain his standing as an aging hero. But at the heart of all this is the marriage of Elizabeth and Philip.

Speaking with Foy and Smith, we explored the obstacles of portraying living royalty, as well as The Crown’s respectful but honest approach to humanizing its regal protagonists. When discussing one such scene where Philip flirts with his wife making a cheeky oral sex joke, Smith was quick to note, “There was more than that, actually.” Foy concurred, “There was a lot more than that. They didn’t make it in.”

“There were other ones, naked ones,” The Doctor Who star continued, “Well, there was one where I knock on the door and go, ‘Knock knock, here’s cock.’ It never made the cut.”

Considering the laughs this line got, it seems a shame it was cut. But perhaps it could be looped in for season two? “I hope so,” Smith said.

He’s not alone.

The Crown debuts on Netflix November 4th.

What aspect of The Crown has you most intrigued?

Image: Netflix

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA: THE WIND WAKER Is Depicted in 78,000 Dominoes

It’s been 13 years since we were introduced to “Toon Link,” the cell-shaded variant of the legendary video game protagonist featured in The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. All these years later, one of the GameCube’s finest titles is still worth celebrating. That’s why The Domino King recently spent three weeks hard at work on a tribute to the game in the medium he knows best: dominoes, using 78,175 thousand of them to bring his work to life.

The poke of a single domino starts a chain that features on a bunch of key elements from the game, and a chain that presumably took up most of the floor space in The Domino King’s castle. Actually, The Domino King writes in the video’s description that each scene was staged individually and edited together to look like a continuous reaction. But we’re left no less impressed.

It begins with the title screen before transitioning into an assortment of rupees, followed by portraits of Link, Aryll, Tetra, Zelda, The King of Red Lions, and Ganondorf. One of the most underratedly satisfying parts of this (and most other well-done) domino videos is how the images are somewhat dark when the dominoes are standing due to the shadows between them, but then they brighten up with the dominoes have fallen, almost like the picture was waiting to be presented to you.

The difference is minimal, but it’s the little things that count the most sometimes. To see more of what we mean, we’ve previously fawned over The Domino King’s 80,000-domino tribute to Super Mario World, which you can check out here.

Featured image: The Domino King/YouTube

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