Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2307

Adam Savage Turned a Pickup Truck into a Traveling Movie Theater

If you have an odd or specific building project that needs doing, Adam Savage, formerly the co-host of MythBusters and now of Tested, is probably the guy to get the job done. In the past, he’s built things like a screen-accurate Star Trek captain’s chair, a shrieking duck bomb, and a realistic bear costume, but his latest project is slightly more practical for regular use: Given access to a Honda Ridgeline truck by the automaker and tasked to “make his wildest pick-up truck dreams come true,” he decided to take his love of the cinema and bring it outside with a travel, outdoor movie theater.

Although this sounds like a huge task, it doesn’t actually seem overly complicated, or perhaps Savage is so good at what he does that this is how it appears. Regardless, in terms of concept, his rig is relatively simple and serves two main functions. It houses a pre-existing inflatable outdoor projection screen so it can travel and be supported by the rig while in use, and it also has a rack for storing folding chairs.

Once construction was complete and the rough edges (literal and figurative) were cleaned up, the big black box was mounted in the truck bed, plugged into the bed’s build-in power supply, and from the looks of it, everything worked fantastically.

Other members of the Tested team also cooked up ambitious projects that take advantage of the truck’s features, so keep an eye on Tested’s YouTube channel to see what other strange but wonderful innovations they came up with.

Also be sure to tune into , starring our very own Kyle Hill, when it debuts in 2017.

Featured image: Tested

Watch as John Malkovich Becomes TWIN PEAKS’ Agent Cooper

No one else can play Twin Peaks’ FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper except Kyle MacLachlan. They are one and the same, synonymous with one another. Okay, okay…maybe an exception can be made for acting legend John Malkovich, who is pretty much allowed to play whoever he wants, whenever he wants.

And today, that is just what Malkovich is doing, as he plays Agent Cooper in a short vignette for his PlayingLynch.com project, wherein Mr. Malkovich will release several videos of himself recreating a popular David Lynch created character throughout the week, all to benefit The David Lynch Foundation. You can watch a trailer for Playing Lynch down below.

So far in this series, Malkovich has played Lynch himself, sitting silently in Twin Peaks’ signature Red Room/Black Lodge. Still to come are John Merrick the Elephant Man, Frank Booth — Dennis Hopper’s sadistic bad guy from Blue Velvet — and even Twin Peak’s beloved Log Lady. No characters from Mulholland Drive or Wild at Heart seem to be included, sadly. I think the universe might bend into itself if we were to see John Malkovich attempt to play Nicolas Cage though, so maybe it’s for the best.

The Cooper vignette finds our beloved Special Agent hanging upside down in his undies, just as we are introduced to him in the second episode of the television series. All of the dialogue that Malkovich as Coop speaks into his dictaphone, directed towards his off-screen secretary Diane, come from various episodes of the series. One line in particular is a true Twin Peaks deep cut — when Coop says never to drink coffee that has ever been near a fish, it’s actually a line not from the show or the movie, but from “Diane…The FBI Tapes of Agent Cooper” audio book released back in the show’s heyday. You can watch the full Dale Cooper scene by clicking here.

What do you think of John Malkovich’s tribute to the weird, wild world of David Lynch? Do you wish he was actually in the new Twin Peaks? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: Playing Lynch

LEGO Meets JURASSIC WORLD in THE INDOMINUS ESCAPE Animated Trailer

At this point it’s pretty well established that if you build a super cool park full of real-live dinosaurs it is going to go horribly wrong and you are going to end up with a bunch of people as dino food. But what if you build a super cool dinosaur park out of LEGOs? Well then it looks like what you end up with is a really funny, self-aware series.

Today NBCUniversal Brand Development and the LEGO Group released a trailer for the newly announced, five-part animated series LEGO Jurassic World: The Indominus Escape. Next week, starting on Monday, October 3, a new part of this animated short will be released each day, with the entire short having a run time of 24 minutes.

And if you thought it was cool to see a motorycle gang of Velociraptors, wait until you see everyone riding dinosaurs like prehistoric horses.

As you can see from this trailer, this isn’t serious and deadly like the movies, instead it has a lighthearted, action-comedy LEGO Movie vibe. We’re pretty sure this will not only be the least bloody installment in the franchise (I mean, plastic people don’t bleed, though you might if you chow down on some LEGOs), but that it will be the funniest Jurassic Park movie yet (not counting Jurassic Park III‘s unintentional hilarity).

The series uses characters and story points from Universal Studio’s Jurassic World–though not the actors’ voices–and has a loose foundation in the plot from the franchise’s fourth installment, where they bred a brand new dinosaur, the terrifying Indominus Rex.

“When Simon Masrani accidentally destroys one of the park’s main attractions (he really should learn how to fly that helicopter!), he calls upon his trusted employee, Claire, to save the park! After some quick dino-DNA building in Dr. Wu’s lab, Claire comes up with the perfect solution that is sure to please Masrani and kids everywhere–The Indominus Rex–the smartest, biggest, scariest and hot dog-loving hybrid dinosaur ever created!”

However, when they run out of hot dogs (or, based on the guy running around in the trailer, people dressed like hot dogs), and the very smart, very cunning Indominus Rex escapes, it’ll take Owen Grady to save the day. Maybe. Hopefully.

The full short will also be included on the upcoming Jurassic World DVD bundle, out on October 18, which will also feature an additional, exclusive 8-minute short. Clearly they spared no expense, which seems reasonable since Jurassic World accounted for roughly 80% of the world’s GDP in 2015.

We know Jurassic World is only just the first part of a new trilogy, but based on this trailer we’re hoping the same goes for the LEGO version too. It’s nice to laugh at the chaos of a dinosaur island run amok without worrying if that one, random, unnamed security guard is going to be eaten (spoiler alert: he will be eaten).

What did you think of this trailer? Just LEGO of your thoughts and share them with us in our comments section below.

Ever Wonder What Kind of Dinosaur Chris Pratt Would Wanna Smooch?

Images: NBCUniversal Brand Development/LEGO/Jurassic World

ASH VS EVIL DEAD Gets Even Groovier in Season 2 (Review)

Editor’s Note: this review has very minor spoilers for season two of Ash vs Evil Dead. We promise you’ll still enjoy the premiere but regardless, we just have to say it—you’ve been warned!

There’s something about the Ash Williams of Ash vs Evil Dead that works better in this TV iteration than any of the films. (Yeah, we said it.) His braggadocio, offensive quips, and say-it-all attitude really landed with audiences and lovers of the Evil Dead franchise when its first season debuted on Starz in 2015. But in the second season, the tone and tenor of both its leading man—and the series—finds its rhythm and makes a case for an even stronger sophomore run. Like a fine wine, Ash Williams only gets better with age.

After season one—which found Ruby (Lucy Lawless) in control of the Necronomicon and proud momma to a bunch of demon babies byway of Pablo’s mouth—Ash and his companions, Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) and Pablo (Ray Santiago), have made it to the the Promised Land of Jacksonville, Florida. And, oh, what a life they’re living. In what is sure to be a surprise to absolutely no one, Ash thrives in an environment of constant partying and debauchery, where he can willfully ignore the very real evil he’s aided in unleashing onto the world. Naturally, some of them (ahem, Kelly) are none too pleased with Ash’s acceptance of the easy road.

Naturally, things take a turn and, without fail, Ash and his compatriots are roped back into the war against the Deadites. Only, this time, we’re getting something we never thought we’d see: the evolution and contextualization of Ash Williams. That’s right, folks: we’re heading home to Ashy Slashy’s hometown, and everything that entails, including familial relations. Taking up the role of Brock Williams, Ash’s father, Lee Major plays the elder Williams with the sort of racism and misogyny you’d expect from the tree from which Ash fell. Also on the scene? A seeming old flame of Ash’s, Linda B. (not to be confused with Linda A.), played by Michelle Hurd.

Of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remark on that signature Evil Dead sense of humor, which—under the tutelage of showrunner Craig DiGregorio—continues to becoming winkingly self-aware and playfully outlandish in a way that only endears the audience to Ash, Kelly, and Pablo. Kelly, in particular, has really come into her own, and Pablo? Well, he’s got a lot going on this season thanks to his connection to a certain group of terrible offspring, and we’re perhaps most excited for his journey this season.

The series’ first two episodes include all the one-liners and bloody insanity you’ve come to expect from the show, but season two tends to elevate the way that story is told with a much more focused and refined sense of storytelling (relatively speaking, natch). For the first time, maybe ever, we’re going to really understand what makes Ash tick, and why he’s the Jefe we apparently need to end those damn Deadites once and for all. (And the seeming promise of character development certainly doesn’t hurt any, either.) But in many ways, that’s always been the journey of Ash’s story: constantly improving from one iteration to the next, becoming a more realized version of Sam Raimi’s vision. And season two looks like it might be the best iteration (Army of Darkness not withstanding) yet.

4 out of 5 possessed burritos:

Images: Starz

Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor of Nerdist, creator/co-host of Fangirling, and frequent user of Twitter.com!

Did Our DOCTOR STRANGE Set Visit Confirm [Spoiler] is the Secret Villain?

In just over a month, Marvel’s writing comic book movie fans a prescription for the long-awaited Doctor Strange movie starring Benedict Cumberbatch. And who better to go up against TV’s best Sherlock than Hannibal Lecter himself, Mads Mikkelsen? We admit that we’re a little disappointed that our man, Mads, isn’t playing one of Strange’s best known adversaries. However, our Doctor Strange set visit may have uncovered the real villain of the film. Today’s Nerdist News has the breakdown!

Join Nerdist News host, and defender of the Dark Dimension, Jessica Chobot, as she pours over the details of senior editor Dan Casey‘s trip to London earlier this year during the production of Doctor Strange. The first thing you have to know is that Mikkelsen is playing Kaecilius, a Marvel villain so obscure that even we didn’t know who he was! However, director Scott Derrickson teased the idea that Kaecilius is simply the servant of a greater evil. “I always loved the Sauron-Saruman idea in Lord of the Rings,” said Derrickson during the set visit. “You never see Sauron except, I think in the prologue…But what a presence and what a power. And we do more than that with this other-dimensional power.”

“Other-dimensional power”? You know, there’s really only one Doctor Strange villain who fits that bill and could be a proper big bad for the MCU. That’s right, the Dread Dormammu could be in this movie after all! And in case you hadn’t noticed, there’s a fairly major actor in the Doctor Strange cast whose role hasn’t been revealed yet. Could Benjamin Bratt be playing the voice of Dormammu? That would go a long way towards making up for his part in the Catwoman movie!

What do you think about the potential Dormammu appearance in Doctor Strange? Do you want to see Bratt in the role? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

’80s Horror Classics CHOPPING MALL and BLOOD DINER Come to Blu-ray (Review)

When it comes to genre cinema, there are certain studio names that let you know you are in for a certain kind of flick. Names like Troma or Blumhouse have distinct appeals to different sides of the horror lover. In the ’80s, one of these names was Vestron Video, a distribution house for uber-schlocky B-or-lower horror that eventually began producing their own titles. The company folded some time ago, but Lionsgate is bringing it back, and issuing special edition Blu-rays from the Vestron vault. The first two of these are Chopping Mall and Blood Diner.

Made in 1986 by the incredibly prolific director Jim Wynorski and produced by Julie Corman, Chopping Mall is something of a classic in the gory schlock department. Running a real quick 76 minutes, the film features a group of young people, both hot chicks and studly dudes, who end up staying overnight at a shopping mall with the intent of getting up to sexy fun times. What they don’t know, however, is that, in order to stave off the rampant burglaries the mall has suffered, a battalion of violent robotic tanks has been deployed to shoot laser beams at any intruders, no matter how hot they are. (Hence the much more accurate original title Killbots.)

This is an incredibly fun and delightfully goofy horror flick with lots of great horror and B-movie superstars, including Kelli Maroney, Barbara Crampton, and the great Dick Miller. There’s also a cameo appearance by Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov playing their characters from the 1980 cult classic Eating Raoul. The robots look very silly, like if someone made a kids’ toy into a murder machine, but that’s more than half the fun of it, and it results in one of the most lauded head explosion effects in all of horror cinema. Seriously, look it up, it’s pretty phenomenal. Perhaps, after Dawn of the Dead, it’s the most important and fantastic mall-set horror movie in the history of anything.

The second film was a complete mystery to me prior to this release. Definitely, 1987’s Blood Diner doesn’t have close to the same cultural permeation as Chopping Mall. Directed by Jackie Kong, one of the few female horror directors from the ’80s, Blood Diner is ostensibly a very black comedy horror film with a lot of off-color jokes, over-the-top gore, and topless women as far as the eye can see. Two brothers follow in the footsteps of their serial-killer-turned-floating-talking-brain-in-a-jar uncle by running a diner that specializes in “health food” (it’s actually people). You see, the brothers need to kill and dismember a certain number of *ahem* disreputable women in order to create a vessel for the ancient Egyptian murder deity, Sheetar. Carnage ensues something fierce.

Blood Diner works—if that’s the right word for it—on two levels: the first is the absurdly grotesque gore mixed with the irreverent and silly humor; the second is that the acting talent of this cast of veritable unknowns is pretty much across the board awful, and laughs are to be had because of that. You really need to buy into the tone and the general conceit of the movie or it can be a slog. But that’s the sort of movie you got in the ’80s, and it can be a fun movie to watch with friends if you’re all down to laugh with and at it.

The Blu-ray sets from Lionsgate’s Vestron Video Collectors Series have been handled with exceptional care. Like Criterion, Drafthouse Films, and Shout Select, the Vestron releases are numbered—one and two, respectively—and will look very nice on any Blu-ray shelf. Chopping Mall boasts three commentary tracks and hours of featurettes, while Blood Diner has one commentary track and fewer, yet still enlightening, mini-docs.

As a genre fan, I love that companies like this are putting forth the effort to make more niche titles worth the money to pick up. All of the best releases are being done by these more boutique companies and long may physical media reign (or exist, frankly) if they continue to be this good. Chopping Mall and Blood Diner getting this nice a treatment is an early Halloween gift for horror fans everywhere.

4 out of 5 burritos for the collective releases

Images: Vestron/Lightning Pictures

Take a Peek Inside THE ART OF THE IRON GIANT (EXCLUSIVE)

The Iron Giant came out in the summer of 1999, and though it did not bring home the bacon at movie theaters, miracles happen, and like a phoenix from the ashes, Warner Brother‘s charming film eventually found a second life on home video. Now considered a modern classic, The Iron Giant’s director Brad Bird went on to great success directing films like The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Mission Imposible: Ghost Protocol, and more. But his first film still has a special place in his heart, and the hearts of the fans.

Now, as a companion piece to the recently released Iron Giant Signature Edition Blu-ray, publisher Insight Editions has released the new book The Art of The Iron Giant, which takes an in-depth look at the making of the beloved classic film. With a foreword by the film’s director Brad Bird, this book a must-have for fans of the film, and a wonderful testament to the enduring magic of this animated classic. The book contains unprecedented access to rarely seen development art, as well as much more from the Warner Bros. archives.

The Art of The Iron Giant includes never-before-seen images, concept art, backgrounds, and storyboards, and also offers a sneak peek at some of the alternative images and plotlines the creators considered throughout the process of making the film. The book also highlights the development of the two new scenes that were remastered and finished for inclusion into the Signature Edition Blu-ray and DVD that was recently released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on September 6, 2016. You can see five preview pages, as well as the book’s cover image, in our gallery below. 

The Art of The Iron Giant is available now from Insight Editions.

Are you excited about getting this look behind the curtain of the making of an animated classic? Let us know what you think down below in the comments.

Images: Warner Brothers Entertainment / Insight Editions 

A FIREWATCH Film is Coming, and Here’s What We Want From It

According to a report on The Hollywood Reporter, the production company Good Universe has teamed up with Campo Santo (the studio behind the game Firewatch), to make content for films and video games. Their first project will be a film based on…you guessed it…Firewatch. The direction the adaptation will be taken in, as well as a suggested production/release timeline, are obviously unclear at the moment, but we already have several ideas about what they should do with the adaptation.

For starters, the plot could do with a lot more depth. When the game released earlier this year, fans were on opposite sides of the fence when it came to the story. While some were impressed by the plot, others (myself included) thought it missed the mark. Don’t get me wrong, it was beautiful, and well thought out, but as soon as everything that was presented started to unravel, it soured the opinions of a lot of people. For a genre (adventure) that is so dependent on players being both mesmerized by the setting (A+ in this area), and invested in the story, the way the game ended felt like a missed opportunity.

Without diving too deep into spoiler territory, many of the game’s plot points were basically ignored, and had no bearing on the conclusion. If you’re unfamiliar, Firewatch follows a fire lookout named Henry (Rich Sommer), and his supervisor Delilah (Cissy Jones) – with whom Henry only corresponded over walkie talkie. A month after Henry takes the job, the duo start to experience mysterious events.

I would personally like to see the conspiracy/mystery theme taken further. The wild goose chase Henry spends the majority of the game on came to a jarring halt, so it would really benefit from a film treatment if the ending holds more weight. If they tease the game’s events out a bit more, and incorporate it into the finale, we could have something pretty special on our hands.

Are you excited for a Firewatch film? What did you think of the game when it came out? Let us know in the comments below!

Image: Campo Santo

Own Movie Props from GHOSTBUSTERS, CAPTAIN AMERICA, ALIEN, and More

Attention, all you hardcore movie and television fans out there—especially those with, shall we say, deeper pockets—if you’ve always been itching to have a piece of real Hollywood history perched upon your mantle piece, or hanging on your wall, now is your chance. Imagine one of those chestbutsters from the Alien franchise (or even Captain America’s shield!) hanging above your fireplace. Sounds cool right? If you have the means, you can make it happen, because The Prop Store, which has branches in both the UK and Los Angeles, is having a massive auction on hundreds of items of movie memorabilia, including tons of beloved titles from the past quarter century of film and television.

Among the highlights of this auction are the head of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and a prototype Slimer model miniature from the original Ghostbusters; Sloth’s stunt mask and pieces of One-Eyed Willy’s gold from The Goonies. There are also tons of pieces of armor and weapons from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, and costumes aplenty from The Fifth Element. From Jurassic Park, there is a velociraptor maquette from Stan Winston Studios, and a prop park brochure. There’s even a Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch from Monty Python and the Holy Grail—and that’s just a small example of what they’re auctioning off.

Of course, no Hollywood prop auction would be truly legit without plenty of Star Wars and Star Trek items, and this auction is no different, with items ranging from Star Trek original series scripts to Admiral Ackbar’s animatic character head from Return of the Jedi. You can see a small sampling of some of the items up for auction in our gallery below! And If you want to place your bid on any of these items, head on over to The Prop Store and sign up now.

Are there any props from this auction you are dying to get your hands on? Be sure to let us know in the comments down below.

Images: The Prop Store

GOTHAM Recap: ‘Mad City: Burn the Witch’ Introduces the Real Poison Ivy

Note: Since this is a recap, it contains major spoilers for Monday’s episode of Gotham. Don’t say we didn’t warn ya!

Goodbye preteen Ivy, and hello seductive Poison Ivy! Gotham wasted no time in introducing the iconic Batman villain in season three, after her run-in with one of Indian Hill’s escaped experiments. But that wasn’t all that happened in “Mad City: Burn the Witch.” Let’s get recapping.

The hour opened with Bruce realizing it was the Court of Owls who kidnapped him at the end of last week’s season three premiere (although the woman who met with him refused to tell him the group’s name). The woman (who said her name was Catherine) represented “the group” he asked to speak with at the Wayne Enterprises Board of Directors meeting. They wanted to know what evidence Bruce found out about them, but he confessed he had bluffed. Instead, he wanted to make a deal: the Court of Owls will leave him and those closest to him alone (aka no more hits taken out on him), and he’ll give them total control over Wayne Enterprises. But Catherine also wanted him to stop investigating them and his parents’ deaths, and he agreed. Alfred, however, isn’t so sure that the shadowy organization will keep their word. And for their second break in in as many days, Bruce’s Indian Hill doppelgänger showed up in the Wayne Manor library, much to Alfred and Bruce’s total shock. It’s just like looking in a grungy, alternate universe mirror!

Back in the city, Valerie Vale showed up at Gordon’s doorstep and wanted to work together once again to find Fish Mooney – the terms of their team-up were the same as last week where he would get the million-dollar reward Penguin offered, and Valerie would get to write the story of the century. And once again, he agreed, and their first stop was to Barbara’s new bar to get an address for Selina Kyle, aka Valerie’s Fish Mooney source. While pumping him for personal information first, Babs was delighted to hear that Gordon was no longer with Lee, and her price for information was a kiss from Gordon – of course he refused, but Babs still gave them a location of an old bank that Fish might be using as a hideout. Valerie then left Gordon to pursue it on her own with the GCPD as payback for him leaving without her the night before to find Peabody. Ouch, that’s cold … but let’s be honest, totally fair!

Bullock led the raid on the old bank, and while the information was good – Fish and her crew were definitely holed up there – they didn’t exactly come quietly. They all used their special skills to fight the cops, and Fish got away. Her henchmen kidnapped Bullock, though, and Fish used her powers of persuasion to convince Bullock to help her find Hugo Strange so he could fix her health problems. After that mess, Penguin held a press conference asking for all the citizens of Gotham to kill any monster they come across since they’re a danger to the city. Because that sounds like it won’t incite riots on the streets. Nope, not at all.

Back at the GCPD, Lucious Fox told Gordon all about Fish’s predicament, and they both realized they needed Strange to lure her out of hiding. They convinced Barnes to take them to where Strange was being held when they realized that Fish had kidnapped Bullock. But they needed to hurry since Fish had already arrived and began confronting the locked up doctor about how she’s dying. He told her he can’t fix her, and that’s when the GCPD arrived with press and Penguin’s mob not far behind.

Gordon took matters into his own hands and snuck inside the building while everyone was distracted outside, and Fish caught him at gunpoint. He then tried to make a deal with her: He’d get her out and away from the cops if she’d let Bullock go. But she wanted something else: Strange. He agreed and secretly made another deal, this time with Penguin, offering up Fish for the reward as long as Penguin made the mob attack out front and distract the GCPD even more.

It all worked out: Bullock was let go and Penguin got Fish at gunpoint out back, away from the madness. But when she confessed she didn’t kill him all those months ago because she was proud of what she created in him, he got choked up with emotion and let her run away with Strange. Out front, Penguin’s mob managed to kill Fish’s monsters and burnt their bodies on a giant bonfire. It was quite the disturbing sight.

Back at Gordon’s home, Valerie showed up again and correctly guessed what Gordon had done with Fish and Penguin. But instead of exposing him, she flirted with him, and after telling her to “shut up for once,” he kissed her. Terrible timing though – Lee arrived back in Gotham that same night. Something tells me this love story just became even more complicated.

While all this was happening in Gotham, something major was happening just outside the city. After little Ivy took a tumble after dealing with the Indian Hill escapee that can age a person just by touching them, she woke up on the side of the river in a completely new body – aged about 15 years. (A little creepy, no?) A good Samaritan found her wet and thirsty and confused, so he took her to his house to help her get cleaned up and try to help her get home. But when she saw dead and dying plants littering his place, she grew angry when he said he’d throw out the plants (pro-tip: never insult plant life in front of this girl). She cleaned up in his bathroom and put on his ex-wife’s tight, green cocktail dress … after killing the man and leaving him laying on the floor. Poison Ivy is officially born!

What did you think of tonight’s action-packed episode of Gotham? Tweet me your thoughts at @SydneyBucksbaum.

Images: Fox