Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2325

STAR TREK Enterprise Custom Rocking Horse Is Out Of This World

For most newcomers to the franchise, you choose to become a Star Trek fan when you’re an adult and can make that decision for yourself, kind of like choosing political parties or your religion. However, some of us, myself included, were taught all about the adventures of the U.S.S. Enterprise rew since infancy. I wasn’t born to Trekker parents, but my aunt/Godmother was an OG Star Trek fan, who as a teenager in the sixties wrote things like “I Love Spock!” in her diary, surrounded by little floaty heart doodles. She made darn sure I knew who Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest were around the same time I started to watch Sesame Street.

If it had been available back then, my aunt would have totally bought me this amazing custom wooden rocking horse based on the USS Enterprise so little baby me could have rocked back and forth while pretending to travel the galaxy. I may have missed out, but if you’re a parent raising your child the right way (i.e. introducing them to all things Star Trek), you can now buy this unique creation for yourself which we’ve learned, thanks to the folks over at the Laughing Squid, is now available to purchase from GandGRockers Etsy store. It’ll only set you back about $200, which is a steal for a customized piece like this.

Here is the official description of this Enterprise rocking horse, from GandGRockers’ official Etsy site:

The Starship Enterprise Rocker is a unique custom handmade wooden children’s Rocking Toy made by G and G Rockers in San Diego California. Every toy is made to order. Please see our other Rocker listings here on Etsy to see the Love, craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into each of our creations. Ages Infant to 4-5 years old.

You can check out some photos of the out of this world rocking horse in our gallery below.

Are you going to start your child on Trek at the preschool level? What do you think of this amazing custom toy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Don’t miss the science of Warp Speed from our Star Trek Conival panel:

Image: GandGRockers

HOT LAVA Video Game Will Turn Your Childhood Game of Imagination Digital

You played it as a kid; if you have kids yourself they play it now. Heck, have enough fun on a Saturday night and you might still play it. “The floor is lava and you can’t step on it or you die” is pretty much a staple of childhood imaginations everywhere, a simple game of leaping from couch to table to whatever-is-on-the-floor, all in the name of avoiding the lava that will kill you.

And now that game of pretend it is going to be a very real video game.

Hot Lava from Klei Entertainment, a game we first learned about at Gizmodo, will be coming to Steam (at a yet-to-be-announced date), and in it players will need to avoid the lava from different “worlds,” like your living room and house, the nearby school and its gymnasium, and even a world that reminds us of Mustafar from Revenge of the Sith.

They say it is “a game of dexterity and ingenuity,” one where “you will have to use all your skills to complete the treacherous obstacles that await.” We’ll eagerly be keeping an eye out for the release date, but in the meantime you can sign up to try and be a Beta user here.

This is good, because while some might be inclined to go all “Get-Off-My-Lawn” about this, yelling about the loss of imagination and the ingenuity of children, most of us can’t play “The Floor is Lava” in the real world anymore.

Our coffee tables can no longer support our weight.

What are your memories of playing this game as a kid? What do you think of this video game version? Jump into our comments below to give us your thoughts.

Images: Klei Entertainment

Nerdist Podcast: Colman Domingo

Colman Domingo (Fear the Walking Dead) chats with Chris about being on Fear the Walking Dead, the backstory to his character on the show and how he loves to engage with his fans. They also talk about the play Colman is directing at the Geffen called Barbecue, the importance of living in the moment and not staring at your phone and figuring out he wanted to be an actor!

Image: Mike Windle / Getty

Kara Danvers’ Origin Gets Revisited in SUPERGIRL: BEING SUPER Miniseries

For the last seven-and-a-half decades, DC Comics has offered different many takes on Superman‘s iconic origin. Now it’s Supergirl‘s turn to get a high profile retelling of her origin story, in a new miniseries by YA author Mariko Tamaki and artist Joëlle Jones.

DC has announced that Tamaki and Jones will collaborate on Supergirl: Being Super, a new out-of-continuity miniseries that re-envisions Kara Danvers as a 16 year-old girl on Earth who is slowly developing her superpowers as she struggles to adjust to life on a planet that isn’t her own. It’s not based on the Supergirl TV show or the recently relaunched comic book series, but it appears to have some elements of both.

Along with the announcement, DC released several of Jones’ pages from the first issue, which are really gorgeously rendered. Jones signed an exclusive deal with DC that was announced at Comic-Con, and now you can see why.

The rest of the preview pages can be seen in the gallery below. This series also promises a few things that we’ve never seen before in a Supergirl story, although we do have to wonder if DC is kidding about giving Kara “glowing…alien zits.”

Supergirl: Being Super will be released in 48 page prestige format issues, with the first issue scheduled to be released on Wednesday, December 28. The miniseries will ship bi-monthly after that.

Are you excited to see Supergirl get a major push with a project by popular YA author? And how amazing is Jones’ artwork? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: DC Comics

The Legacy Music Hour #180: Rise

Episode 180 is about various things “rising” and loosely follows the story of an army of robots that rise up and attempt to take down the human race.  Brent and Rob also record this episode in a studio building frequented by the likes of Beyonce, Puff Daddy, and Robin Thicke, so an LMH thanks and salute to those guys for breaking things in for the Chiki Chiki Boyz.

Game – Composer – Song – Company – Console – Year (North American release unless otherwise indicated)

Rise of the Robots – Richard Joseph, Jason Page – Crusher’s Stage – Data Design Interactive/Acclaim – Mega Drive (Europe) – 1994

Quarth – Hidehiro Funauchi, Kazuo Hanzawa – Level 2 – Konami – Game Boy – 1990

Radical Rex – Marshall Parker – Graveyard – Beam Software/Activision – Genesis – 1994

Drift King Shutokou Battle ’94 – Opus Corp. – Shop – Genki/Bullet-Proof Software – Super Famicom – 1994

Nigel Mansell’s World Championship Racing – Patrick Phelan – Tournament Standings – Gremlin Graphics/GameTek – Genesis – 1993

Gradius II – Hidenori Maezawa, Yukie Morimoto – Stage Interlude – Konami – Famicom – 1988

The Adventures of Batman & Robin – Jesper Kyd – Joker’s Theme – Genesis – 1995

Daibakushou: Jinsei Gekijou – Mitsuhito Tanaka – Ending and Staff Roll – Taito – Super Famicom – 1992

Party Quiz Mega Q – Hirofumi Murasaki – CM Song – Minato Giken/Sega – Mega Drive – 1993

Golden Axe III – Naofumi Hataya, Tatsuyuki Maeda (Ryunosuke), Haruyo Oguro (Lotty), Tomonori Sawada – Cave of Crystal (Stage 3B) – Sega – Mega Drive – 1993

Tetris Battle Gaiden – Tomoyuki Hamada – Ritual Dance – Bullet-Proof Software – Super Famicom – 1993

GOOSEBUMPS Gets The AMERICAN HORROR STORY Treatment in a Creepy Mashup

For the generation of kids who grew up during the ’90s, R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps, both the hugely successful series of books as well as the TV show, was the entry way into the world of all things spooky and horror.  How many horror fans have I met who have told me it all started for them with Goosebumps on weekday afternoons on Fox Kids, back when they were still in elementary school? Let me just say, way too many to count.

Today, many of those same kids are now adults who are glued to their televisions whenever FX’s American Horror Story comes on. So of course, it makes sense that a fan would try to combine the two. Thanks to the AV Club, we’ve learned of a  YouTuber named Josh Houchin, who has very cleverly taken footage from the old Goosebumps anthology show from back in the ‘90s, and has given it all an American Horror Story twist.

The mashup takes the super creepy American Horror Story theme music, and gives us the usual quick cuts of bizarre and spooky imagery–only it’s all imagery from the old Goosebumps show. This proves that editing is everything, because a lot of these cheesy Goosebumps moments actually seem creepy within context. (Especially puppets, because those are always creepy).

You can watch the entire American Horror Story: Goosebumps mashup video above. And hey, who knows…maybe the maker of this video somehow guessed the theme of this year’s American Horror Story anthology series. It would be amazing if we all tuned into FX on September 14 and American Horror Story: YA Novel flashed across our screens.

What do you think of this latest mashup? Does it actually make Goosebumps seem scary? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.

Image: Protocol Entertainment/Scholastic Entertainment/Twentieth Century Fox 

Jon Snow Gets Some Theme Music From Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass

How many times do politicians have to go through the same public embarrassment with music on the campaign trail before they learn their lesson? Don’t use a song unless the artist endorses you. In fact, why do they even use existing songs and run the risk of something stupid happening (like using—and this is true—Bruce Springsteen’s anti-Vietnam War song “Born in the U.S.A.”)?

Why not get their own, original, personal song? That way they cancontrol the message and the tone, not to mention it’s a great marketing tool, almost like a wrestler’s entrance music.

For example, let’s say you are in a heated election to rule Westeros, why not get someone to write a song in tribute just to you? Kind of like this one written by Kyle Gass of Tenacious D fame, titled “Ode to Snow (A Campaign Trail Song),” entirely dedicated and written for the new King in the North, Jon Snow.

We first heard this flute and guitar instrumental the A.V. Club, and it comes from (the apparently brand new) side/spin-off band/project from Gass called Valyrian Steel, named after the famed magical metal of Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire. It certainly sounds appropriate for the show and character, though unquestionably a little more whimsical than the normal music written by composer Ramin Djawadi for Game of Thrones. This might not work as a musical number during an intense scene, but we bet it would play well with the locals at the various inns and taverns Snow would have to visit along the Kingsroad while on the campaign trail. At the very least it would be a welcome break for everyone in the realm from “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” and the “Rains of Castemere,” the only two songs anyone apparently knows in the Seven Kingdoms.

If you don’t know why Jon Snow would need a campaign song in the first place since the Lords of the North already declared the White Wolf their unquestioned leader, it has nothing to do with that, or even people writing in his name this November (which will happen). Rather, it is in regards to the fantasy election HBO ran this summer for fans, the one that saw Snow and his running mate Lyanna Mormont barely edge out both Daenerys Targaryen (running with Tyrion Lannister) and Lord Baelish (running with Sansa Stark), with Queen Cersei (and Qyburn) a distant, distant 4th.

Valyrian Steel is made up of Gass along with fellow Tenacious D musicians John Spiker and John Konesky. Which obviously has us wondering: is Jack Black not a loyal bannerman of House Stark? Yes, one might say, “Uh, we are pretty sure he is currently filming a movie,” but with House Stark being betrayed and abandoned so often over six seasons, we say that’s not good enough. The North Remembers! Why can’t Jack Black. Especially since it’s important for everyone to turn out to the voting booths to make sure their voice is heard. Otherwise we’ll end up with a crazy psychopath sitting in the big chair running things

You know, someone like Cersei. Why? Who did you think we were talking about?

What do you think of the song? Would it work for any other candidate, real or imaginary, running for office? Tell us what you think about it in our comments section below.

Featured Image: HBO

BATMAN: RETURN TO ARKHAM Release Date Announced

Back in May, we reported that the first two games in the Arkham franchise were being remastered for XBox One and PS4. Originally scheduled for release in July, Batman: Return to Arkham was to bring both Arkham Asylum and Arkham City onto the same consoles as the final game in the trilogy, Arkham Knight. Roughly a month later, it was announced that the project was being pushed back indefinitely, mirroring the delay of Arkham Knight from a year before.

Thanks to this video Rocksteady and WB Games have released, we have some great news. Indefinitely now means October 18. Fans that want to re-immerse themselves in the Arkham world HD style don’t have to wait as long as they thought. Not only are we presented with a launch date, but also a side-by-side comparison of the games between their original PS3 versions and their PS4 counterparts.

This scene from Arkham Asylum shows the Dark Knight sneaking up on one of the inmates. More detail has been added to the environment; note how Gotham City has so much more detail in the background in the PS4 version. If we look hard enough while playing, we may be able to see landmarks from places we travel to during later games.

Batman’s costume in the PS4 version is much darker than in the previous game. His facial structure also looks to better match that of his Arkham Knight incarnation.

It looks like the goal of the remastered version is to match the feel of Arkham Knight as much as possible. This will be great if you are planning on marathoning the entire trilogy’s story mode and get a complete Arkham experience all at once.

So what do you think? Are you ready to return to the world of Arkham? Are the enhancements shown above worth paying for the game again? Let me know on Twitter or sound off in the comments below.

Is Deathstroke the villain in Justice League and The Batman?

Image: Rocksteady/WB Games

John Williams’ Original STAR WARS Soundtrack Gets New Vinyl Reissue

Although we’ve been getting announcements left and right of cool new vinyl pressings of beloved film and television scores lately, fans everywhere have been waiting for the mothership to arrive…or should I say, rather, for the Imperial Star Destroyer to arrive. Well, the wait is almost over — thanks to the good folks at io9, we’ve learned that a brand new vinyl pressing of John Williams’ legendary score for Star Wars: A New Hope is on its way soon.

On September 3oth—which just so happens to be Force Friday this year—the soundtrack will be available on a pair of double-sided picture disc-pressed vinyl records. The images will include some classic John Berkey poster art from the original soundtrack release, a picture of Han and Chewie, one of Darth Vader’s head, and coolest of all, the Death Star itself. Best of all? It’ll only set you back $35.00, and you can already pre-order it on Amazon. You can check out a preview image of the new vinyl pressing below.

John Williams’ score for Star Wars was recorded over eight sessions England in March of 1977 with the London Symphony Orchestra, just a couple of months before the film was released to theaters. Since then, it’s arguably become the most iconic film score of all time. The American Film Institute named it as the most memorable score of all time for a U.S. film, and it was also was preserved by the Library of Congress into the National Recording Registry, which is reserved for art that is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

Are you excited for this new vinyl reissue of A New Hope? And how long before we get the rest of the trilogy in vinyl too? And the prequels? (say what you want about The Phantom Menace, but “The Duel of the Fates” is among John Williams’ finest work). Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: Lucasfilm

The Late Majel Barrett May Voice STAR TREK: DISCOVERY’s Computer

Back in 1964, when Gene Roddenberry shot his original pilot for Star Trek, the show was somewhat different. The Captain was not James Kirk, but Christopher Pike and the first officer wasn’t Spock, it was a mysterious woman referred to only as “Number One,” played by actress Majel Barrett (the future Mrs. Gene Roddenberry). But 1965 was a very different time, and when the original pilot was tested with execs and audiences, they rejected the notion of a woman first officer. Even women in the test audiences allegedly said, “who does she think she is??” The network demanded that for the second pilot, the first officer should be a man.

Nevertheless, Majel Barrett was still part of the cast when Star Trek finally went on the air in 1966. She was told to bleach her hair blonde and play the ship’s nurse, Christine Chapel. Network execs might not have been cool with a female first officer, but they were more than fine with a blonde in a mini skirt playing a traditional nurse role. But Majel Barrett would go on to play a much more important role in Star Trek history — she was the voice of the Starfleet computer not only on the original series, but also on all five subsequent Star Trek TV series and several of the films. Although Barrett passed away in December of 2008, she managed to record the voice of the Enterprise computer one last time for JJ Abrams’ Star Trek reboot.

With a new series Star Trek: Discovery on the way in 2017, it would seem this will be the first Trek show without Majel Barrett Roddenberry doing the voice of the starfleet computer. Or is it?  According to the official Roddenberry Twitter account (via Bleeding Cool), the so-called “First Lady of Star Trek” recorded an entire library of phonetic sounds, allowing her voice to be used in future products outside of Star Trek and, quite possibly, as the computer voice in Star Trek: Discovery. Which means that she could live on as the voice of Starfleet possibly for all time.

Even if Majel Barrett’s voice isn’t used on Discovery, the Bryan Fuller series will have another tribute to her in the form of the new lead character. On the new show, the ship’s first officer will only be known only as “Number One,” just as in the original pilot episode. Many fans are are theorizing that both characters may in fact be the same person, since Discovery is set ten years prior to the events of Star Trek’s first season. It would be a great statement — the character who written off for trying to “play in the boys club” would now be front and center fifty years later. How cool would that be?

Star Trek: Discovery debuts on CBS in January, 2017. Subsequent episodes will be available first on the CBS All Access streaming service.

What do you think of Majel Barrett possibly still playing the voice of Starfleet’s computer? It wouldn’t quite be the same without her, right? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Image: CBS Productions