Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2338

GHOST IN THE SHELL Studio’s New Film, MISS HOKUSAI, Is a Work of Art

In a sea of CG-animated films about talking animals, there is something endlessly refreshing about animated films that cover literally anything else. Perhaps the most creatively energizing of these animated outliers is Miss Hokusai, the Japanese-language animated film from director Keiichi Hara and anime powerhouse Production I.G. (Ghost in the Shell), which released a new trailer on Friday. The film, released by GKIDS, will get a limited theatrical run beginning on October 14. With a powerful story of familial conflict, artistic struggle, and generational friction, Miss Hokusai looks poised to be one of the single best animated films of the year. In fact, it earned a coveted spot on our list of the 50 films you need to see this fall and winter.

The film takes place in Edo period Japan, and revolves around a young woman named O-Ei, a feisty and fiercely independent artist who just so happens to be the daughter of the most famous painter in all of Japan, Hokusai. (You know, the creator of “The Great Wave”? Yeah, that Hokusai.) While working in her father’s studio, she creates all manner of masterful paintings and exquisite drawings—all of which are sold under her father’s name, and which become exceptionally popular with Edo (present-day Tokyo) art collectors. Yet in spite of her immense talent, O-Ei feels constrained by her father’s influence and rankles against him when he taunts her lack of life experience. What follows is a dreamy, emotionally charged journey through life in Edo, filled with everything from dragons and yokai to bustling marketplaces and merchants. Throw in a complex relationship with her blind younger sister, and you have a recipe for a movie I desperately want to see.

Miss Hokusai opens in select theaters on October 14.

Image: GKIDS/Production I.G.

Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of books about Star Wars and the Avengers. Follow him on Twitter (@Osteoferocious).

President Obama Made His First Virtual Reality Appearance in a National Parks Video

The two parts of the following sentence might seem unrelated, but stick with us for a second: In the wake of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service, President Barack Obama has made his debut in virtual reality.

The White House, National Geographic, Oculus, and Felix and Paul studios teamed up to create and share Through The Ages, a VR look at one of America’s most famous national parks, Yosemite, in virtual reality. Although the video, hosted on Facebook, looks and works best with a virtual reality headset, it comes out pretty nicely on your phone as well, as you can move the device around and still experience the 360-degree view. If neither of those are an option, you can still click-and-drag on your computer and see what’s going on.

The 11-minute film was shot in about a week, and while showing stunning visuals from Yosemite, the President narrates the production and talks about environmental concerns and the preservation of our country’s important landmarks so that those in the future will also be able to appreciate them firsthand. We also get to see the Obama family explore the area for themselves, as Through The Ages was filmed during a Father’s Day trip the family took together.

The video, which you can watch below, follows news that Obama just designated 87,000 acres of land in Maine’s North Woods as a new national monument, for what The Washington Post said is “likely to be the last large new national park ever established on the East Coast.”

Featured image: The White House

This Rare, Gigantic Burning Godzilla Statue Could Be Yours! (Giveaway)

Like the movie Godzilla 2000 boldly stated, there’s a little Godzilla in all of us. But if you’d like to kick up your dosage with a gigantic Godzilla in your home, we can arrange that.

Standing 19 inches tall and spanning 35 inches from nose to tail, Bandai‘s Gigantic Series Godzilla 1995 is captured in the burning form we saw in Godzilla vs. Destroyah, shortly before he has a major (literal) meltdown. But this isn’t just the regular Bandai version of the statue. It’s a vendor exclusive that was limited to 500 units in the U.S. market.

Featuring more vibrant flame deco and detailed white spines down Godzilla’s back, this version was a Comic-Con exclusive this year with a price tag of $499, but we’ve secured a Big G for ourselves to give to one of you. Because if you’re reading this, we know you’ve got a monstrous appetite for amazing kaiju.

Check out the video below for a seriously detailed look at the improvements made to the already great statue for this exclusive run. Then check out our gallery at the bottom of this article for additional glimpses of the legendary monster.

But you don’t need to tell me how great this thing is. You need to tell you how to win it! So here’s what you do:

First, make sure you are following Nerdist on Twitter. Second, be advised that we can only ship the prize to U.S. addresses.

Finally… CLICK THIS LINK! It’ll give you the rest of the instructions. The giveaway runs through Sept. 2, 2016, so get to stomping so you won’t be left out and finding yourself in a fire-breathing rage.

Maybe also start clearing out some room in your home. Where would you put the King of the Monsters? Give us some ideas in comments.

Images: Bandai/Bluefin

First look at Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (and our Godzilla giveaway)

Rebecca Black Drops New Comeback Single, “The Great Divide”

It’s Friday, but we didn’t need to tell you that. You already knew how to count the days of the week thanks to Rebecca Black’s surprise hit in 2011. Now the singer-songwriter is back with a single called “The Great Divide.” Before debating its greatness, stick around to hear about a new James and the Giant Peach film, info on how to tour Prince’s estate, details about a Symphonic Suite Akira reissue on vinyl, LCD Soundsystem’s upcoming full-length LP, and Joy Division-themed Christmas cards you may actually want to buy early.

The turn of this decade saw YouTube stars going from comedy to real-life musicians. Case and point: Carley Rae Jepsen. Some, however, didn’t fare well after their hit, like Rebecca Black. In 2011, she released the infamous “Friday” hit, reminding us what days of the week came and in what order. Now, the 19-year-old is gearing up to show she’s got more melodies in her. Wave hello to “The Great Divide,” her new single, above. “‘Friday’ was a part of my life, but I don’t know if I would say it’s a part of me as an artist,” Black told Entertainment Weekly. “So many people know me just by that song, but I’m much more than that.” Decide for yourself if she’s the next hit-maker of this decade. At the very least, she’s having fun, and that’s really what matters. [Entertainment Weekly]

Image Credit: Purple Rain/Warner Bros.

It’s still hard to think of Prince and not frown. After the iconic musician passed away, legal battles went down over what would happen to Paisley Park, his property in Chanhassen, MN. It’s officially decided that it will be turned into a museum and open for public tours starting this fall. “Opening Paisley Park is something that Prince always wanted to do and was actively working on,” Prince’s sister Tyka Nelson said in a statement issued by the current estate managers. “Only a few hundred people have had the rare opportunity to tour the estate during his lifetime… Now fans from around the world will be able to experience Prince’s world for the first time as we open the doors to this incredible place.” [Rolling Stone]

are you ready? pic.twitter.com/kjQkW7sntG

— Milan Records (@MilanRecLabel) August 24, 2016

Milan Records is known for releasing vinyl editions of beloved Hollywood films, often ones that are hard, if not impossible, to get. The Los Angeles-based record label took to Twitter the other day to tease the release of a soundtrack we can’t sit still about: the Symphonic Suite Akira soundtrack. It was originally released in 1988 and copies sold for three-digit prices. The reason? It mixes dialogue from the film with key excerpts of the score. Talk about a perfect combo. [Crunchyroll]

LCD Soundsystem are busy playing pretty much every festival ever this summer. Now, it seems they need a break from the live stage for the studio. The band reportedly cancelled a tour of Asia and Australia to work on their new album. The tour kickoff was scheduled to begin in Hong Kong’s Clockenflap Festival in November. A statement on the festival’s Facebook, however, indicates the band cancelled due to “studio scheduling conflicts related to their new album.” Grab all your friends. Soon it will be time to dance again. [FACT Magazine]

Image Credit: Peter Saville/Oxfam

It’s hard to imagine summer ending, let alone the start of fall. But Christmas? Seems far away, but if you count, it’s only four months. Anxious gift shoppers probably could have told you that. If you’re one of them, you may be in luck finding that hard to get gift for your music-obsessed friend. Peter Saville, the artist behind the iconic cover of Joy Division‘s Unknown Pleasures LP, is working on Christmas cards. Like the one above, they will take a spin on the original album art. Oxfam’s online shop will begin selling them on October 17. Saville’s designs will be joined by others from Grayson Perry, Raqib Shaw, Michael Craig-Martin, Adam Dant, and Bob and Roberta Smith, too. Happy holidays! [Pitchfork]

That’s it for today. Enjoy the weekend! We’ll see you back here on Monday for another Music Dispatch!

Image: Rebecca Black/ARK Music Factory

Everyone Breaks Character in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR Gag Reel

Captain America: Civil War may have its moments levity, but it’s one of the darkest movies to come out of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Captain America and Iron Man‘s factions were split apart by the Sokovia Accords and the fate of the Winter Soldier. But just because things were serious on the big screen doesn’t mean the cast didn’t get silly while making the film.

Via Heroic Hollywood, a portion of the gag reel from Captain America: Civil War‘s upcoming Blu-ray and DVD release is now online, and it’s the perfect antidote for the film’s bleaker moments. Chris Evans, Robert Downey, Jr., and Scarlett Johansson set the tone for the behind-the-scenes clips of botched dialogue, laughter, and the times when they just couldn’t stop themselves from breaking character on camera. For example, a less than graceful landing by Anthony Mackie‘s Falcon made Downey laugh out loud during one of the film’s most emotional scenes.

Even the supporting cast wasn’t immune, as Martin Freeman flubbed his line only to get a hilarious response from Mackie. Elizabeth Olsen and Emily VanCamp are spared any embarrassment in the current clips, but neither woman could resist laughing at some of their co-stars’ more ridiculous moments. And poor Paul Bettany just kept tripping over his dialogue in full makeup as the Vision.

There’s at least another 1:43 of bloopers awaiting in the final gag reel, which will hopefully include some footage of any unscripted moments of comedy with two of the movie’s funniest performers: Tom Holland as Spider-Man and Paul Rudd as Ant-Man. Downey actually calls out “Tom” by name during an outtake from Peter Parker’s introduction to the story, so it seems likely that we’ll see them.

Captain America: Civil War will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 13. But if you just can’t wait, you can also buy a Digital HD version starting on September 2.

What did you think about the Civil War gag reel? And which characters do you want to see in the final gag reel? Throw your shields and let us know in the comment section below!

Here is how Avengers: Infinity War will affect phase 4:

Image: Marvel Studios

Cosplay Friday #178 – BORDERLANDS, STAR WARS, and More Cosplay Pics by Mark Edwards

When you’re a fan of Star Wars and costumes, the 501st Legion and Rebel Legion are two groups to keep your eyes on. The charitable organizations require members to have screen accurate costumes–that means every little detail is there and that fabric and armor materials have to be spot on. Such exacting specifications mean the finished costumes are beautiful, and when you have a talented photographer to capture them? Forget about it. That’s how I first came across the work of photographer Mark Edwards. I met him through Star Wars fandom and then saw his wonderful portraits of Legion members in their costumes.

Mark’s photos aren’t only limited to the world of Star Wars, obviously, but we’re going to start with one of his shots based on the gallery far, far away:

I particularly like this image because nailing good group shots doesn’t seem like an easy task. But here, the composition and pose aren’t quite like anything I’ve seen and it offers a different look at a familiar sandtrooper costume.

His images focused on a single subject also rock. For example, look at this Borderlands cosplayer:

You can see more examples of Mark’s work in the gallery below. Then, go give his Facebook page a like to see more photos or to hire him for a shoot.

Are you a cosplayer or cosplay photographer? I’d like to highlight your portfolio in an upcoming edition of Cosplay Friday. If you’re interested, please reach out to me via email at alratcliffe@yahoo.com. Send me the photos you’d like me to feature (with credits for the cosplayers and/or photographers if you have them, please), and then I’ll send you back a release form. Easy as pie.

Images: Mark Edwards Photographer

Disney and Sam Mendes in Talks For a Live-Action JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

It’s been 20 years since Disney (along with co-producer Tim Burton) animated the Roald Dahl classic, James and the Giant Peach. And in those two decades, the world has experience manifold technological development, enough to, say, make a giant flying peach and bug people look entirely natural in a live-action film.

Director Sam Mendes and writer Nick Hornby are in early talks with Disney about making the proposed film, as Entertainment Weekly reports. Mendes, who nabbed the Best Director Oscar for American Beauty and helmed the last two James Bond installments, would direct and develop the picture, with Hornby tackling screenplay duties. Hornby is best known for writing acclaimed novels Fever Pitch, About a Boy, and High Fidelity, as well as for his screenplays for Wild and Brooklyn, the latter of which got the writer an Oscar nod.

Nerdist has reached out for comment from Disney but had yet to hear back at the time of publication.

Another of Roald Dahl’s novels, The BFG, was adapted to film earlier this summer by Steven Spielberg. And this comes at a time when Disney is mining its animated canon for live-action fodder. We’ve already seen Maleficent, Cinderella and Jungle Book, and there are several more live-action films in the works. One based on The Little Mermaid with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Cruella with Emma Stone, Beauty And The Beast starring Emma Watson, and a Tim Burton-shepherded adaption of Dumbo.

That’s all to say that the time feels ripe for a good James and the Giant Peach reprisal. Purely from a narrative standpoint, Dahl’s story is gold, and with Mendes and Hornby at the helm, I feel safer than a destitute boy being flown over the arctic by seagulls in a giant peach filled with talking bug people. But, in all seriousness, I’m feeling very good about this one.

What are your thought of a Mendes/Hornby/Disney take on Roald Dahl’s tale? Let us know in the comments.

Image: Disney

Watch a Montage of SNL Cast Members Breaking Character

Nothing, and I say this without an ounce of hyperbole, makes me laugh harder than watching other people laugh. Especially when they desperately do not want to. Someone losing their mind, all while fruitlessly fighting to keep it together, is the funniest thing in the world. Which is why an unintentional and poorly timed break on live television might be the best of all. The stakes are so much higher, and the laughter so much more honest.

Which is what this super-cut of SNL actors breaking on the show is all about (and no, it is not just five minutes of Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz intentionally breaking character, which is the opposite of the funniest thing in the world).

Put together by the YouTube channel KateMcKinnonTV, this is actually the second such montage they’ve made, and this edition has even more Stefon—the only character the show ever had where they were trying to get the actor to break (many of the jokes Bill Hader was reading off the cue cards were ones he had never seen and were designed to make him laugh). You can watch the first installment below:

Now I just want to start watching all of the best sketches in which cast members broke.

…Oh, wait, this is the internet. We can totally do that!

And we have to include the original “Matt Foley: Motivational Speaker,” where Phil Hartman and Julia Sweeney didn’t break one bit (how!), but David Spade and Christina Applegate almost died from trying to keep it together.

I was wrong. There is one thing funnier than other people laughing: Chris Farley.

What’s your favorite sketch where someone broke on Saturday Night Live? Tell us in the comments below.

Image: NBC

Watch a Vinyl Record Get Made From Beginning to End

As vinyl records continue their glorious comeback, let’s take a second to look at how these black discs of beautiful music actually work, or more specifically, how they materialize. For this express purpose, Super Deluxe brought some cameras into a vinyl pressing plant for some visual insight as to how these records are made, from mixing dye to getting the shape right to pressing a master onto a blank record.

The video is beautifully abstract and artistic, but for a more direct and concrete look at what it takes to create a vinyl record from start to finish, we turn to an all-time favorite source for learning about how things are made: The show How It’s Made.

It comes off as one of those educational videos you watched in high school when you had a substitute teacher, yes, but while some might call it “boring,” we prefer “meditative.” Plus, it goes into detail about each and every step of the process: How the master is created, how the detailed lathe works in the studio during the recording process, how a “stamper” is created from the master, how the label in the middle is affixed to the record, how a “biscuit” of vinyl is melted into a record at about 380 degrees Fahrenheit, and that’s pretty much it.

Much debate can be had over whether records produce a better or “warmer” sound, but what we can confirm here is that the process of making a record is a lot more fascinating than downloading an MP3 file.

Featured image: Wikimedia Commons

This Video Explains Why BB-8 is Key to Kylo Ren’s Redemption Arc

BB-8’s bright orange design was slapped on all kinds of merchandise before the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and his round profile has only grown since Episode VII was released. The ball-shaped astromech is arguably the cutest hunk of metal to ever appear in Star Wars (sorry, R2-D2), but why does he seem to have such a special place in the Resistance? He’s apparently as key to the film as his fellow droids R2-D2 and C-3PO—but we know why that pair is important. Well now, thanks to YouTuber Jenny Nicholson’s deep dive, we now know what’s really up with BB-8: he’s the catalyst for Kylo Ren’s redemption arc. Watch:

What.

In “BB-Gate,” Jenny explores the concept that Ben Solo built BB-8 as a kid. She points out, “It’s generally accepted as canon among fans that Ben Solo was a probably a dorky and stupid child who did dumb things and had no friends.” (I wouldn’t disagree with that point). So, he built a droid just like his idol Darth Vader did when he was little baby Ani. Therefore, the droid would have sentimental value to Han and Leia, and it would be a high honor for Poe Dameron, the best pilot in the galaxy, to have BB-8—the one of a kind BB unit—as his astromech. And that’s not even all the evidence Jenny has.

After you’ve watched Jenny’s video, tell me: what are your thoughts on BB-8’s role in the overall Star Wars universe? Is he the key to everything? Leave your beeps and boops in the comments.

Image: Disney/Lucasfilm