Welcome to today’s edition ofNerd Alert, where we have all the quirky, nerdy news that you crave in one convenient spot. What do we have in store for you on this whimsical Wednesday? The originalFantastic Fourgets an honest trailer,The Lion Kinganimator pays tribute to Cecil the Lion andDistrict 9gets the 8-Bit Cinema treatment. But first, Chinese fans claim Beijing’s Olympic song rips offFrozen’s “Let It Go” and aStar Warsfan takesConanto task. So, sit back, relax and check out all that today’sNerd Alerthas to offer.
Fantastic FourHonest Trailer
Screen Junkiesis at it again with another Honest Trailer, skewering the 2005Fantastic Fourand its 2007 sequelFantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, just days before theFantastic Fourreboot hits theaters. The Honest Trailers trailer voice guy, Jon Bailey, delightfully skewers the several lame aspects of these superhero adventures, while making a case that 20th Century Fox should just hand this franchise over to Marvel. If the early buzz (or lack thereof) on this reboot is any indication, and the reboot flops, perhaps Marvel Studios will actually relinquish control of their franchise. But, with a potential crossover with theX-Menreportedly in the works, that probably won’t happen.
The Lion KingAnimator’s Tribute To Cecil The Lion
Millions of people around the world are still mourning the loss of Cecil the Lion, who was illegally killed by an American big game hunter. To pay tribute to this lion,The Lion Kinganimated Aaron Blaise has painted a wonderful portrait to honor this fallen animal. You can see how this illustration came to life in the “speed paint” video above, and visitOxfordDNA.organd select WildCRU from the drop-down menu to learn more about the organization that was trying to protect Cecil.
Beijing’s Olympic Song Is aFrozenRipoff
For those who follow the Olympics, you may be aware that every host city comes up with a theme song to celebrate the games. Beijing is hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics, they recently released their official song, dubbed “Dancing on the Ice and Snow,” performed bySun NanandTan Jing. Several Chinese fans are complaining that the song is a rip-off of the Oscar-winning song “Let It Go” from Disney’sFrozen.Disneyland Experiencehas put together a video that compares the two songs, and you can judge for yourself how similar these songs may or may not be to one another.
Conan"Corrects" aStar WarsFan
Those who watch TBS’Conanknow that hostConan O’Brienhas a regular segment where he shows videos from fans who have spotted some sort of an error on the show. The host always retorts with a humorous example of how he is actually correct (even though he’s not). This week, aStar Warsfan tookConan O’Briento task for a segment during one of hisComic-Conepisodes, where he showed a killer whale version of Yoda. The problem is, this whale Yoda was seen with a red light saber, not a green one like in the classicStar Warsmovies.Conan’s response was quite hilarious, as per usual.
AlienandPredatorWood Burners
If you’re the type of sci-fi fan that likes to sit by a fire in the backyard, then you’ll love what the U.K. companyBurned by Designhas come up with. They have designed and created fantastic wood burners that resemble the Xenomorph fromAlienand the title creature fromPredator. you may recreateAlien Vs. Predatorin your very own backyard! If you’re the handy type and want to build your ownAlienwood burner, then check out detailed step-by-step instructions atInstructables.com.
District 98-Bit Cinema
Cinefixis back with another installment of 8-Bit Cinema, this time turning the 2009 Best Picture nomineeDistrict 9into a retro video game. I wish we got these as regularly as Screen Junkies' Honest Trailers, but I can certainly appreciate how painstaking these videos must be to create, as we saw in asneak peekfrom last month that took fans behind-the-scenes of their process. It’s clear we have a lot more 8-Bit Cinema to enjoy in the weeks and months ahead
Everything Wrong WithChappie
Cinema Sinsis back with another video that tears apartNeill Blomkamp’sChappie. This comprehensive 15-minute video skewers every cringe-worthy aspect of this sci-fi thriller, with a “sin count” of 145. Hopefully his next film,Alien 5, fares much better with this crowd.
RocketJump Film Schoolhas put together an intriguing 8-minute video that breaks down the difference between “good” and “bad” CGI effects. There is certainly a growing push for filmmakers to use more practical, in-camera effects, withJ.J. Abramswowing the fans atComic-Conlast month by bringing out a few practical creatures fromStar Wars: The Force Awakens, that some filmmakers may have created entirely through CGI. This essay posits that CGI isn’t ruining movies, but bad CGI is, breaking down a number of examples and showing a number of shots created with CGI and practical effects that may surprise you.
That wraps it up for today’sNerd Alert. Do you have any suggestions for futureNerd Alertcolumns? Hit us up on Twitter@MovieWeband send us your suggestions, and it may even make it in the next edition. Check back tomorrow for the next installment ofNerd Alert.
