Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2340
August 23, 2016
BBC Releases List of 100 Greatest Films of the Century
A century is a super long time, and culling a list of the best of that period of time is a gargantuan undertaking. Fortunately for the BBC, this century is only 16 years old, so asking critics to pick the best movies of that period of time is much simpler. And now, the results are in! 177 film critics from all over the world (I must have been 178 on their mailer; I get it) responded to the request for picks and the list is fairly shocking. While several big movies from the early years (2000-2005) certainly made the list, the bulk of everyone’s picks were from the last nine years. Fresher? Time not telling enough?
You can find the full list on BBC’s website here, but for the purposes of this, I’m gonna be talking about the top 25, which are:
25. Memento (Christopher Nolan, 2000)
24. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012)
23. Caché (Michael Haneke, 2005)
22. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003)
21. The Grand Budapest Hotel (Wes Anderson, 2014)
20. Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008)
19. Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, 2015)
18. The White Ribbon (Michael Haneke, 2009)
17. Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006)
16. Holy Motors (Leos Carax, 2012)
15. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu, 2007)
14. The Act of Killing (Joshua Oppenheimer, 2012)
13. Children of Men (Alfonso Cuarón, 2006)
12. Zodiac (David Fincher, 2007)
11. Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013)
10. No Country for Old Men (Joel and Ethan Coen, 2007)
9. A Separation (Asghar Farhadi, 2011)
8. Yi Yi: A One and a Two (Edward Yang, 2000)
7. The Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011)
6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)
5. Boyhood (Richard Linklater, 2014)
4. Spirited Away (Hayao Miyazaki, 2001)
3. There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
2. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai, 2000)
1. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001)
12 of the 20 are from 2008 or later, and 9 of those are from the past five years, showing a clear instance of the newer movies being fresher and more beloved in people’s minds. There’s a good mixture of arty-farty movies and critically acclaimed populist fare. Really happy to see stuff like Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel, George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road, Guillermo del Toro‘s Pan’s Labyrinth, Alfonso Cuarón’s Children of Men, David Fincher’s Zodiac, and the two Coen Bros movies on that list; those would all be on my list as well.
And, hell, any top four that includes David Lynch, Wong Kar-wai, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Hayao Miyazaki is definitely going to be a win for me. Though, I’ll be this guy — I don’t think Boyhood or The Tree of Life deserve nearly the adulation they received, and I think time will tell with them as to whether they stand up when we get to 2035 or beyond. Again, that’s just me.
The rest of the list contains several others from people like P.T. Anderson and the Coens, some surprises like A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, which is getting reappraised like crazy since its 2001 ho-hum response, and some directors lesser known to North American audiences who certainly need to be known, like the fantastic Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. And, not for nothing, but I’m chuffed to see Quentin Tarantino‘s Inglourious Basterds made the list, since it is his masterpiece after all.
If you’re curious about the best films to see this season, why not try on this Dan Cave episode for size?
Let me know what you think of the list and what your top five for the century so far would be in the comments below!
Image: Studio Ghibli/Disney
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find more of his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!
“Waid” Into a New Superhero Comics Paradigm With AXIOM
From Kingdom Come writer Mark Waid and stalwart DC artist Ed Benes comes a new, 144-page superhero story from Legendary comics…with a twist.
Axiom is one of two aliens who come to earth, showcase extraordinary powers, and then try to make like Miracleman in actually eradicating all of Earth’s problems.
Except…well…just look at him. Are you sure you’d trust this guy to save you? I mean, sure, the red eyes COULD just be heat vision, like when Superman gets mad in the Zack Snyder movies, but the other 99% of the time they tend to signify ill intent.
And the full title gives us more of a sense of where this is going: The Rise and Fall of Axiom. Whether that’s just a metaphorical fall, indicating that public perception of him drops at a certain point, or some kind of active defeat…well, you have 144 pages to read in order to find out.
Here’s the official synopsis, though:
Axiom and Thena, aliens from another world, arrive on earth and exhibit
extraordinary powers. Benevolent and godlike, they cure humanity’s ills and usher
in an era of peace, prosperity and complacency.
A series of tragic events reveals another side of Axiom: humanity’s savior
becomes its worst nightmare. A Defense Department analyst, armed with only
scientific knowledge and courageous spirit takes on the turned hero in a fight for
mankind’s survival!
Science and courage. If those are indeed superpowers, many of us are stronger than we may know.
Axiom, which also features colors by Dinei Ribeiro, comes out today wherever comic books are sold. Will you be picking up a copy? Tell us in comments below.
Want more comics? Dan Casey has you covered!
Images: Legendary
(Editor’s note: Nerdist Industries is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.)
Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh Will Score THOR: RAGNAROK
Our last run-in with Devo was back in July when we premiered Gerald Casale’s remix of The Dandy Warhols’ “Pope Reverend Jim.” But what have the other Devo boys been up to? Scoring epic Marvel films, that’s what.
Devo, the seminal new wave band from the ’70s and ’80s, is comprised of a pair of brothers, the Casales (Gerald and Bob) and the Mothersbaughs (Mark and also Bob). Despite their deep repertoire, the quartet remain best known for their uber catchy 1980 tune, “Whip It”—which seems incongruous with the kind of music you’d envisage for a Marvel film, right? Especially one so virile as Thor: Ragnarok? Never fear fans: this guy Mark Mothersbaugh is the man, and he’s a super impressive composer outside of his Devo persona.
As Entertainment Weekly reports, Mothersbaugh has been tapped as scorer for the third film in the Thor series. The new project adds to Mothersbaugh’s impressive list of songwriting credits, which includes The Lego Movie, Wes Anderson films (Life Aquatic, Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums), Pee Wee’s Big Holiday, and all 13 seasons of Rugrats.
Out November 3, Thor: Ragnarok brings together our favorite Norse god (Chris Hemsworth) and Bruce Banner (aka The Hulk aka Mark Ruffalo), in what Ruffalo described as “an intergalactic buddy road movie.” And Hemsworth called it a “[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid] sort of story.” We’ll find out soon what kind of shenanigans these too strong men get up to. Until then, take a listen to Mothersbaugh’s gorgeous Life Aquatic score (above) and let us know your thoughts on this collaboration in the comments below.
What could a cameo from [SPOILER] mean for Thor: Ragnarok?
Image: Marvel Studios
Holly Black Talks LUCIFER and Her Abiding Love For Fantasy
Early on in our conversation, Holly Black tells me, “there’s a lot to love about Lucifer.”
She drops it in casually as if it won’t destroy her future shot at running for public office, fueled by the delirium of a UK writer’s retreat and a clear passion for fantasy that has propelled her career from Tithe through the success of The Spiderwick Chronicles to the pile of work she has on her desk today. Standing in the smoldering ash of that pile is Lucifer.
When it comes to Vertigo’s hellacious hero, she speaks with the buzzy enthusiasm and calm confidence of someone who has invested time deciphering the character even before she got a chance to tell his story.
“I love him in his Gaiman incarnation, I love him in his Mike Carey incarnation, I love him in his Miltonian incarnation,” Black says. “What’s always compelling is that he’s charming in a way that makes you want to identify with him and want him to be better than he is. You start making excuses for him, and then you’re brought up short again and again because he is what he is. He’s a trickster figure, and he’s a force of chaos. It’s a character that’s fun to write, a character that’s fun to read. It’s a character that’s constantly bringing plot, you know?”
Black’s recent plot saw Lucifer and Gabriel attempting to solve God’s murder, and now, as of Lucifer #9, the old bastard has returned to Hell to play his part in the fight over its throne while juggling old enemies and a fresher sting of fatherhood. It’s that family aspect of the story that’s piqued the writer’s interest this time around — an exploration of the unending turmoil we all find ourselves in with parents and siblings and children. That’s especially potent with Lucifer, who’s identity is largely wrapped in rebellion against the most powerful father figure in existence. Black wants to turn that on its head.
“Mike Carey, when he closed down his run, so many things were sewn up, but one thing that’s still open is the idea that Lucifer potentially has a child. The idea of that is a really weird one, because he’s the child. He’s the perennial bad kid. His whole thing is that he’s the son, and he has this father that he’s against. Plus, who are you going to rebel against when your father is gone? What happens when you’re the power?”
As Black points out, Lucifer is a particularly tricky character because what drives him is wholly different from anyone else. He’s ruled Hell, turned down the chance to rule Heaven, and he’s made his way through the human world. He’s been everywhere, man, so where do you take him from here?
“He wants to stay, but how can he admit to himself that he wants to stay?” Black asks. “What does that character have left to want? The answer has to be individual things. Things that are not just symbols of power. To make this world different, or make up with a brother. He’s working through what he really wants. He’s thinking, ‘I’ve had hell, I could have had heaven, but I’ve also had “leaving,” and that wasn’t what I wanted either.'”
That’s where the sulfur-burning rubber hits the road for Black as a writer. In Lucifer, she faces the challenge of crafting stories and characters that are intuitively logical — instantly obvious in their sensibilities — yet marked by outsized movements. They’re all playing in a cosmos-sized sandbox, imbued with powers that scramble our minds, but their human nature (and the ties to family) have to ground the mythos.
That’s the challenge, and it’s clear that Black and artist Lee Garbett have nailed it. Their deeply dramatic run continues with a grotesquely tangled weave of profound power grabs and daddy issues all flavored with an eyebrow-raising knack for creating clever mythological elements that dot the background or explode in the splash pages. It all, naturally, falls in line with what Black appreciates about fantasy to begin with.
“The thing that I love the most is always a challenge to get right. I was once on a panel where someone asked what the difference was between dark fantasy and horror, and the person who answered — and I’m so sorry I can’t attribute this — said that horror is this rejection of the supernatural. Terrible things happen, and it’s an aberration. There’s an essential wrongness to it. Dark fantasy has a feeling of awe. That even when some creature rises from the deep and is about to kill you, you sort of think that the world is better with them in it. Bigger and more magical. To me, that sense of awe is really the thing that I love about fantasy and makes me come back to it again and again.”
Lucifer Vol. 1: Cold Heaven and Lucifer #9 are on comic shelves now.
We spoke to the cast of TV’s Lucifer at Camp Conival!
Featured Image: Vertigo
STAR WARS Director Gareth Edwards Explains the ROGUE ONE Title
While we definitely loved Star Wars: The Force Awakens, we can honestly say some of us weren’t in love with the title. It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t overly enticing; a good but pragmatic subheading. For this year’s upcoming Rogue One: A Star Wars Story we’re much more intrigued. First of all, we like that Rogue One, a war movie, has a name based on a call sign… plus, it resembles the title of a 1980 WWII movie called The Big Red One (which co-starred Mark Hamill). Director Gareth Edwards, however, says the name has more meaning than just the name of the good guy group.
As part of Empire Magazine‘s lengthy piece about the film in their latest issue, Edwards revealed the title’s origin comes from a pretty obvious place. “What does it mean? ‘Rogue One’ is a military call sign to some extent,” he adds, referring to Red Squadron during the Battle of Yavin, “but this is the first film that’s gone off-piste and is not part of the saga – or the Anakin story – so it’s the ‘rogue’ one, you know?”
So… it’s kind of a pun title. Not all that insightful, but he is on to something in that this looks to be the only one of the films, in the main saga or the Star Wars Story, that will be mainly about totally new characters and not feature any of the established folks. Even though it’s got new actor to the series Alden Ehrenreich, the Han Solo prequel movies will have all lots of known characters, of course. Rogue One may well have a few tricks up its sleeve, but so far we only know Darth Vader shows up briefly and that a character from Clone Wars is in it. So maybe it is the “rogue one” after all.
Let us know what you think about Rogue One‘s ‘no duh’ title in the comments below!
And we’re still jazzed about the latest trailer. Are you?
Image: Lucasfilm
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow him on Twitter!
Spider-Gwen Will Make Her Animated Debut in ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN
Before 2014, Gwen Stacy was best known as Spider-Man‘s dead girlfriend. But ever since the debut of an alternate Earth’s Spider-Gwen, she’s become a wildly popular fan-favorite and the star of her own comic book series. Now, Spider-Gwen is making a larger leap to animation!
IGN is reporting that the Ultimate Spider-Man vs. The Sinister 6 animated series will introduce Spider-Gwen in an upcoming episode. Spider-Gwen will be voiced by Dove Cameron (Descendants), and she’ll be appearing alongside several alternate Spider-Men (including Donald Glover’s Miles Morales) in the fourth and final part of the “Return to the Spider-Verse” storyline. That particular episode is slated to air on September 17, but the story will begin on Saturday, August 28.
In her world, the alternate Gwen Stacy calls herself Spider-Woman, and she was the one who was bitten by a radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker. That version of Peter went on to become the Lizard before dying, which also led Spider-Gwen to be viewed as an outlaw.
It’s not surprising that Spider-Gwen is getting animated a mere two years after her debut. In fact, we’d say that there’s a very good chance that the next time that Gwen Stacy shows up in a live-action film, she’ll be Spider-Gwen. Whether intentionally or not, director Jon Watts appears to have left Gwen Stacy out of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Potentially, that could allow future films to reintroduce Gwen as the other person bitten by the radioactive spider. Cindy Moon/Silk could also fill that role, or perhaps the MCU could be big enough for more than one spider-heroine.
Are you excited to see Spider-Gwen make her animated debut? Do you think she should join the MCU as well? Spin your webs in the comment section below!
And what about all them there Spider-Man: Homecoming rumors?
Image: Marvel TV/Disney XD
HAMILTON’s London Production Needs to Hire Ben Schwartz and Sam Rockwell Immediately
Oh, Jean-Ralphio. Never, ever change.
Ben Schwartz and Sam Rockwell are currently filming the crime thriller Blue Iguana, but they’re blowing off steam by angling for their next gig. The duo has launched an ingenious public campaign to star in the London production of Hamilton that will reopen London’s Victoria Palace Theatre this October—a campaign founded solely on their singing four lines from the musical with cockney accents that make Dick Van Dyke’s one-man band from Mary Poppins look like he was native-born.
Oddly enough, Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will get his own shot at a British accent alongside Emily Blunt in Rob Marshall’s reboot of Mary Poppins. No word yet on whether he’ll get his own bass drum and knee-cymbals, or if he’s posted videos to YouTube of him doing monologues from Moon.
Since no one ever shouted, “The British are coming!” (because we were all British back then), and since Hamilton was of Scottish descent, it’s possible that the London production of the show will bring .01% more authenticity to the historical, linguistic situation. Still, the great irony of Schwartz and Rockwell goofing with bad accents while pretending to audition is that the production would gain two fantastically talented performers if they actually hired them. Buffoons today; hard-working actors tomorrow.
Of course, the production is going the original route by casting mainly British black, Asian, and Middle Eastern actors. Schwartz and Rockwell may be stuck performing their Ohlexahnder Hamooltin Off-Broadway for a few years to see if it can build up an audience. Hang in there, mates.
Featured Image: Ben Schwartz/YouTube
Shelter Dogs Enjoying Puppucinos is the New Cutest Instagram Thing
If you’re anything like me, you’ve definitely spent a lunch break or two perusing the pups available for adoption at your local shelter via the internet. And you’ve probably felt that pang that these dogs deserve more. You’re not alone in that feeling. In fact, the folks at Kitsap Humane Society understand it so well that they do a little something extra for their four-legged friends. Thanks to FoodBeast, we just about stopped everything to try and adopt one of their dogs because we cannot get over how cute the Puppucino Pals are on the shelter’s Instagram account.
A photo posted by Kitsap Humane Society (@kitsaphumanesociety) on Jun 28, 2016 at 10:58am PDT
The shelter’s Puppucino Pals all started when KHS volunteer Molly Clark began taking the shelter’s dogs for special trips to the local Starbucks for a puppucino treat. The dogs loved it, and the shelter has turned the trips into a weekly special event on their Instagram to showcase dogs that are available for adoption.
Today’s Puppuccino Pal is Beefy! Playful, cuddly and petite, this young pup is ready to find his #fureverhome Find out more at http://www.adoptapet.com/pet/15884173-silverdale-washington-pit-bull-terrier-mix #adopt #rescue #pnw #puppuccino #puppuccinopals #handsome #pitbull #pibble #pittie A photo posted by Kitsap Humane Society (@kitsaphumanesociety) on Jul 19, 2016 at 1:08pm PDT
In case you’re not familiar, a puppucino is a cup full of whip cream for dogs. Lactose intolerance isn’t just a human thing so make sure you know what your dog can handle before you order one on your next trip to the coffee chain.
While Puppucinos aren’t an “official” thing that Starbucks has, that doesn’t mean you can’t ask your local barista for such a treat for your furry friends. As you can see from the pictures, the dogs at Kitsap Humane Society really enjoy the treat. They’re pretty lucky to have such great baristas in Kitsap where word has it they have a Shelter Dog of the Week to draw attention to all the worthy dogs in the area that need good homes.
A photo posted by Kitsap Humane Society (@kitsaphumanesociety) on Jun 14, 2016 at 11:45am PDT
If you have a few minutes over lunch in the next few days, definitely jump over to Kitsap’s page and look at all the adorable dogs enjoying their Starbucks treat. And then maybe check out some volunteering opportunities at your local shelter because shelter dogs are some of the best dogs and they need friendly people in their lives until they find their forever homes.
Images via Kitsap Humane Society
Use Jellyfish Skin to Instantly Up Your Spy Game
Back in the day, we’d write a note on a stretched rubber band in order to get an urgent coded message to a middle school classmate. But now, according to Gizmodo, University of Connecticut scientist Luyi Sun is taking that note-passing game to a new level. Inspired by jellyfish and squid, Sun and a team or researchers have created a squishy material that transforms from clear to opaque with a quick stretch.
“There are several marine animals that can very smartly and actively alter their skin’s structure and color,” says Sun, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. “In this work, we follow two examples, squid and jellyfish respectively, to create different mechanical responsive devices.”
In mirroring jellyfish, they’ve created a material that’s naturally transparent, but becomes opaque when wrinkled. That’s what you’re seeing in the video above: as the material is stretched, the wrinkling effect causes it to scatter light outward, making it more and more difficult to read the words beneath it.
To copy the squid, the researchers made, what else, a material that changes color and then changes back — a move that will undoubtedly reignite and intensify the debate around “The Dress.”
Beyond replacing the red plastic strip we used to learn the solution of Clue VHS puzzles, researcher Songshan Zeng sees a host of commercial applications for the material: Windows that can let the sun shine in or offer blurred privacy at the touch of a button; anti-glare screens for electronics; or hidden elements in cell phones that let repair shops know whether the device got wet (and voided your warranty). Naturally, the coolest use is for creating messages that are hidden, then destroyed after being read once. To make your own at home, layer a thin film of polyvinyl alcohol on a slab of polydimethylsiloxane, and you’ll never need rubber bands for spy messages ever again.
What do you think of this discovery? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured Image: Walt Disney/Pixar
The Cutest POKÉMON Burgers are Made in an Australian Restaurant
Even if you don’t live in Australia, Sydney restaurant, Down N’ Out is still a great follow on Instagram if you want photos of mouth-watering burgers to pop up in your feed every so often. While we’d love to try each and every last one, their latest creation has us looking for cheap flights to Australia: from now until September 3, Down N’ Out will be serving three Pokémon-inspired burgers that look both tasty and faithful to their source material, according to The Daily Dot.
Order a Pokéburger, and you’ll be randomly served either a Pikachu, Bulbasaur, or Charmander burger, whichever possibility you end up with being served in a mystery egg, so it’ll be a surprise until it’s in your hands. The differences between the three are reflections of their characters: the Pikachu burger has French fries inside and accurate ears made from singed tortilla chips, Charmander has spicy orange cheese, and Bulbasaur has greens like lettuce, pickles, and even a piece of broccoli sticking out the back. While we feel bad that Squirtle was sadly excluded from the promotion, we’re going to focus on the positives—namely that these burgers exist and look phenomenal.
A photo posted by Jason King (@spooningaust) on Aug 21, 2016 at 7:29pm PDT
“The flavours and the ingredients match the Pokémon’s style, character and colour. The Charmander is a little bit spicy, there’s kind of a volcanic cheese dripping off it,” Ben Kagan, from Hashtag Burgers, the group that operates Down N’ Out, told Mashable. “The Bulbasaur is grassy and cleaner, but it tastes like a Big Mac actually — which is quite nice. The Pikachu is a bit sillier, with our ‘tiger fries’ through it.”
If you happen to be reading this from Australia… why are you still reading this? Get over there!
Featured image: downnout_
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