Hard NOC Life: Star Wars Endgame
McFarlane Toys Officially Picks up the DC Multiverse Baton
A few months back, I took some time to reflect on Mattel’s final wave of Batman-related action figures. After nearly two decades in the DC Comics licensing game, Mattel finally gave way to a new licensee. McFarlane Toys (and Spin Masters) were going to be the new holders of the DC legacy though little was known about what either toy company would offer. All we knew was that the figures would debut some time in 2020. Well, it’s a new year, and all that has changed!
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The Rise of Disney and the Future of Fantasy in the Shadow of the Empire
When I first saw The Force Awakens after a fully funded summer media apparatus of hype in the winter of 2015, I remember the following Christmas morning my mother turned the corner, threw me a Force Awakens pillow, and coldly chuckled “Merry Christmas.” It was a good joke — like many the Force is moderately strong in my family — but it left me to wonder, what Christmas spirit at Walmart possessed my Mom to buy me this gift? I suspect my mother may have unknowingly become a Disney market research statistic. But after the last five years and our predestined Rise of Skywalker, I am largely left to ask the same question.
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Force Healing and Its (Re-)Emergence in ‘Star Wars’
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the first season of The Mandalorian.
Force healing: The ability to heal oneself or another by way of pouring one’s life energy into a wound, but at the expense of their own vitality. While it has made appearances in the past in Star Wars Legends, it made its first live-action appearances in two recent Star Wars productions: the seventh episode of the first season of The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. Continue reading “Force Healing and Its (Re-)Emergence in ‘Star Wars’”
‘Lost’ Legacies: How to Re-imagine Sacred Nerd Texts
Before December 2019 ends, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on one of the most significant pop culture artifacts of the year. This is the month, after all, in which one of the co-creators of the iconic series Lost gave us a critically acclaimed and universally praised ninth episode of a series that breathed new life into a franchise that had not been this beloved since the mid-1980s. By shifting the focus away from the historically white male heroes of the original and toward a story centering women and people of color, the creators had to also confront the toxic — and often racist — fan culture that had laid claim to the property for over thirty years. Plus, they were able to do all of this without the consent of the property’s original creator.
Of course, I’m talking about Watchmen on HBO.
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The Middle Geeks Episode 8: The State of MENA Representation in Hollywood and Star Wars
It’s the most wonderful time of the year on The Middle Geeks! Star Wars time! But is it really though, with the latest release of The Rise of Skywalker? Swara and Mae discuss, getting into what they liked about the film, as well as the issues they had with it and the Sequel Trilogy as a whole. Note that this is a SPOILER discussion. But before that, we get into the month of Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) representation highs and lows, from the high of having an Arab-American hero introduced to Marvel Comics to the low of Aladdin star Mena Massoud not getting a single audition due to Hollywood racism, even after his film made a billion dollars. We still have a long way to go!
Happy Holidays from the NOC and the ‘Birds of Prey’
Recently, the cast of the upcoming Birds of Prey movie — including Ella Jay Basco, Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, and Rosie Perez — recorded a special holiday greeting exclusively for The Nerds of Color. Check it out below and have a Happy Holiday season:
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‘Spies in Disguise’ Directors Knew They Wanted Will Smith from the Start
Spies in Disguise opens in theaters this week and stars Will Smith as famous super-spy Lance Sterling who turns into a pigeon when he accidentally ingests a ‘biodynamic concealment’ invention by young scientist Walter Beckett (Tom Holland). Now, Lance Sterling must find a way to stop a cybernetic villain from destroying the world as a small creature.
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Some Things are Stronger than Blood: The Core Theme of ‘Star Wars’
WARNING: The following contains major spoilers from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
The latest and final installment of the Skywalker saga of Star Wars is now out in theaters. In The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance must face the First Order once more, in the midst of the mysterious return of Emperor Palpatine.
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Bryan Stevenson Hopes ‘Just Mercy’ Will Lead to Conversation and Action
Bryan Stevenson is a busy man. He’s a widely acclaimed public interests lawyer and prison reform advocate. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery, Alabama. He’s a motivational speaker, … Continue reading Bryan Stevenson Hopes ‘Just Mercy’ Will Lead to Conversation and Action
A Promise Fulfilled: Finn’s Story Rises in a Spectacular Finale
by Jamal Igle
(Warning: This essay is filled with spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker)
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Hard NOC Life: The Reaction to ‘Skywalker’
After 42 years, the Skywalker Saga comes to a close with the release of The Rise of Skywalker. Keith was joined by Jamie Noguchi to screen the movie at Baltimore’s historic Senator Theater. Here are their instant reactions. SPOILERS!
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‘Tenet’ Trailer Teases Nolan’s Nolaniest Movie Yet
Few directors are franchises unto themselves. But the way Marvel Studios owns the first weekend in May and Star Wars lays claim to the middle of December, Christopher Nolan is synonymous with the mid-July blockbuster. In 2020, that will be the case once again when Warner Bros. releases Tenet.
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Southern Fried Asian: Jamie Noguchi
Happy Holidays! Not only is it Christmastime, but this is also Jamie Noguchi week on Hard NOC Media! Before he guests on a special Rise of Skywalker focused edition of Hard NOC Life, Jamie is also Keith’s guest on this month’s Southern Fried Asian.
NOC Review: ‘Rise of Skywalker’ Ends the ‘Star Wars’ Saga with a Whimper
Let’s be honest. The reason you, the skeptic who hated on The Last Jedi for two years (not me, but you know who you are!), went on this site and clicked on this review is to find out whether or not Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is any good. But the answer to this isn’t a simple one. Now before the cynic in you dismisses the movie entirely just because it’s not an overwhelmingly positive “yes,” just know that it’s not terrible either. To put it simply, in a year where we had Avengers: Endgame and the finale of Game of Thrones, The Rise of Skywalker, the conclusion to the 40 year Skywalker saga, is squarely in between: neither as amazingly uplifting and universally praised, nor as abysmally disappointing and anticlimactic as some other fantasy finales that pissed me off.
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Hard NOC Life: The Last Rogue Force Awakens One Solo Jedi
With Rise of Skywalker and the end of the Skywalker Saga at the end of the month to look forward to, Hard NOC Life is going to be a Star Wars podcast for the month of December. Because there aren’t enough Star Wars podcasts on the internet! Each week, Dominic and Keith will be breaking down a different trilogy that make up the beloved Star Wars franchise.
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Washington Heights Dances Center Stage in the Trailer for ‘In the Heights’
Lights up on Washington Heights. No matter how many times you’ve listened to the In the Heights Original Broadway Cast Recording, whether once or 96,000 times, it gets stuck in your head. And after you watch the trailer for the big-screen adaptation, you’ll be singing it from now ’til its release next summer and beyond.
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Hard NOC Life: Return of a New Empire Strikes the Jedi Hope Back
With Rise of Skywalker and the end of the Skywalker Saga at the end of the month to look forward to, Hard NOC Life is going to be a Star Wars podcast for the month of December. Because there aren’t enough Star Wars podcasts on the internet! Each week, Dominic and Keith will be breaking down a different trilogy that make up the beloved Star Wars franchise.
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15 Things We Learned from the Set of ‘Birds of Prey’
With the holidays around the corner, what better way to celebrate than with news from the anticipated Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn. The Nerds of Color was invited to the set of Birds of Prey this past April to explore the dangerously fun production of the all-women led “superhero” movie and chat with the cast and creatives of the film.
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Oh Dip! You Can Now Pre-Order ‘The Good Place’ Funko Pops
Even though The Good Place is by far one of the best shows on TV, there is not a lot of official merch available for the series. Fortunately, Funko is rectifying that situation by unveiling a series of Pop! Vinyl figures featuring everyone’s favorite Soul Squad. The show may be ending, but it can now live on forever on your display shelves for all of Jeremy Bearimy.
Take a look at each Pop! below and pre-order from Entertainment Earth now for delivery in June 2020.
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007 has ‘No Time to Die’ in the New Bond Trailer!
Bond is back! The trailer for the new 007 film, No Time to Die just dropped today, and it’s trending pretty high. It’s been four years since the last 007 film, Spectre, which was seen as a bit of a disappointment following the dynamite showcase that was Skyfall. But the always amazing Daniel Craig is stepping back into the tux of the world’s greatest MI6 agent for one final gloriously amazing martini, and he’s bringing Oscar-winner, Rami Malek with him!
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Hard NOC Life: The Phantom Attack of the Sith Menace Revenge Clones
With Rise of Skywalker and the end of the Skywalker Saga at the end of the month to look forward to, Hard NOC Life is going to be a Star Wars podcast for the month of December. Because there aren’t enough Star Wars podcasts on the internet!
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‘The Irishman’ vs ‘Iron Man’: Both Great American Cinema
As it turns out, Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman and Marvel Studios’ Iron Man are two great works of American cinema, if “great” is used in the sense of high significance, somewhere between “representative of their respective genres” and “super-sized with extra bacon, please.” Spoilers for The Irishman to follow:
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