The true nature of Star Trek Into Darkness’s villain has become perhaps the Internet’s worst-kept secret, but don’t worry — you’ll not have it spoiled here. Suffice it to say that the film’s antagonist is fiercely intelligent, physically brutal, and hellbent on revenge. In other words, this is a great movie villain. But what makes a truly memorable one? Sifting through the scores of iconic movie bad guys and girls reveals that villainy comes in all shapes, sizes, and levels of intensity; ranking them against each other is a tall order, but your Flavorwire was willing to give it a… Read More
Harry Potter
Publishers’ Craziest Schemes to Avoid Book Spoilers
The news that the translators of Dan Brown’s new book Inferno were basically isolated from the world for two months to avoid any chance of them leaking its plot was enough to elicit a collective bewildered shaking of the head at Flavorwire central. Still, it’s not even the batshit craziest thing that publishers have done over the years to avoid details of their precious books leaking before publication — as an industry, publishing has embraced the embargo-based insistence on secrecy so beloved of Hollywood, especially when it comes to books likely to sell in the bazillions (i.e., anything by JK Rowling). Here are some of the craziest schemes concocted to avoid leaks. … Read More
The Most Hilariously Disturbing Band Fanfiction You’ll Ever Read
The Internet is a strange, strange place. As we noted yesterday, Gerard Way penned an epic letter about My Chemical Romance’s breakup, but in certain corners of the web, fans are flat-out refusing to believe it, and expressing their disappointment in the most quintessentially MCR way — by penning fanfiction wherein the band continues to exist forever! The world of MCR fanfic is a strange, hilarious place, but it’s by no means home to the weirdest fanfic you’ll find out there. And so, to celebrate the, um, devotion of a certain breed of music fans, here’s a selection the most hilariously weird band fanfic, you’ll ever, ever read. Warning: it’s kinda dirty. Obviously. … Read More
Exclusive Supercut: Gary Oldman Loses His Shit
The great Gary Oldman, one of our very favorite actors, turns 55 years old today, and while there’s much to celebrate about the actor — his tremendous range, his chameleonic physical versatility, the ease with which he juggles small and large films, the flawlessness of his American accent — we have to say that our favorite thing about him is the skill and intensity with which he goes insane onscreen. It happens fairly reliably across his filmography, and it’s always worth waiting for, so in celebration of Mr. Oldman’s birthday, we assembled a few of our favorite instances of the actor going bananas. Check it out after the jump. … Read More
5 Hoaxes That Rocked the Nerd Universe
Earlier this week, dedicated Trekkies (not to mention new-to-the-bandwagon Benedict Cumberbatch devotees) were disappointed to learn that the latest Star Trek Into Darkness poster, showing the Enterprise looming out of an unidentified body of water, was not an officially sanctioned teaser but a fan-made project. As far as fandom hoaxes go, that’s relatively minor; with hardcore dedication comes an equally hardcore rumor mill, and as everyone knows, you can’t believe everything you read. Whether it’s video games or fantasy novels, viral rumors and leaks have often turned out to be just wishful thinking or even elaborate pranks. From Star Wars speculation to a creepy Pokemon rumor, we’ve collected the best (or worst, depending how you look at it) hoaxes and rumors from the nerdy world of fandom. … Read More
Syllabi for 10 Real College Pop-Culture Classes We’d Love to Take
We’ve all heard of Physics for Poets and Rocks for Jocks, but a few college classes skip the pretense of hard science altogether and get straight to the fun stuff. While these courses may not get you into medical school, they’ll leave you well-prepared for any cocktail party conversation, as long as you go to the kind of cocktail party where guests talk about Harry Potter and Joss Whedon. We’ve compiled the most compelling classes on TV, music, and even video games that colleges have to offer, including a selection of readings so you can hit the books without doing the whole midterm-and-paper… Read More
Geeky Ways to Propose: 15 Creative Pop Culture-Themed Rings and Boxes
By now, photos of a Dungeons and Dragons-themed engagement ring (as well as a video of the actual proposal) have gone viral and drawn many admirers of the 20-sided die reference (the woman behind the magic says she “[feels] like [she] rolled a natural 20 when [she] started dating her.”) In fact, there are plenty of pop culture-themed wedding rings and boxes out there, with many betrothed couples sealing their betrothal with keepsakes of the fandom that brought them together in the first place. Whether bonding over a shared love of Ocarina of Time or finishing each other’s Star Wars-quoting sentences, there is something below for everyone (or, at least, every nerd). … Read More
Jaw-Dropping Photos of Hogwarts in LEGO Form
Last week, we were left agog by an amazing, detailed recreation of Ghostbusters HQ in LEGO form. Now we’ve been equally bowled over by another pop culture holy place lovingly realized in tiny brick form: Alice Finch’s mind-blowing LEGO model of Harry Potter’s alma mater, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Finch told The Brothers Brick she spent a year recreating the school, drawing from both the film and books, using 400,00 bricks (“give or take a few”) and an unknown amount of cash (“I do not know how much it costs and I don’t really want to know”) on the project. The awe-inspiring results won the Seattle-based artist both “People’s Choice” and “Best in Show” at BrickCon, the annual gathering of LEGO builders, collectors, and fans. Finch recently made 75 photos of her work available via Flickr; we’ve selected a few of our favorites after the jump. … Read More
Are These Fan-made ‘Harry Potter’ Covers Better Than the New Redesign?
This week, Scholastic unveiled a brand-new cover for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone from illustrator Kazu Kabuishi, and it’s definitely a departure from Mary GrandPré’s colorful mashup of multiple scenes. Kabuishi’s rendition depicts Harry and Hagrid strolling through Diagon Alley in cool grays and blues. The makeover is only the first in a redesign of all seven Harry Potter book covers, with the rest yet to be unveiled. Although Kabuishi’s work may be the first officially sanctioned redo of the beloved children’s series, it’s certainly not the first attempt to improve on the original. Here are the best of fans’ own renditions of the covers, from minimalist graphic versions to inventive illustrations. … Read More
Whimsical Flying Portraits of the ‘Japanese Harry Potter’
Japanese graphic designer Halno is er, elevating the Instagram format with his wonderful levitation photography. His flying broomstick photos, which we spotted over at My Modern Met, have earned him the nickname “The Japanese Harry Potter,” and why not? It seems like there’s more than a little magic going on here. Want to fly yourself? Halno has these tips for you: “To create your own copycat version of the ‘flying broomstick,’ it is important to bend the legs, and make sure you perfect your facial expression, no excitement needed!… Just remember to be interesting, and different from other people. Amateur photos of food and clothing are boring, don’t you think? You can fly on anything, not just a broomstick. Be creative!” Indeed. After the jump, a few of our favorite shots from Halno’s collection, and check out more of his work over at his Instagram page. … Read More
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