Katharine Trendacosta

The Haunting Tale of a Man Who Makes Living Wooden Creatures

“Hout” by 2nd year animation students at the Utrecht School of the Art tells the tale of a retired woodworker who lives in an isolated cabin in the woods. There, he fills the landscape with living wooden animals. And one wooden man. Told with narration by the creator, the creatures he builds are beautiful. And,…

Baymax Continues to Assault Us With Cute in the First Big Hero 6 Clip

Walt Disney Animation just posted the first clip from it’s upcoming Big Hero 6. Like a lot of marketing for the film, it relies heavily on the adorable robot Baymax. And we’re okay with that. The clip doesn’t reveal much of the plot, but it does put on display the Hiro/Baymax relationship that is the…

What Book Changes Are Revealed in These Game of Thrones Photos?

More turns on the Star Wars rumor-mobile, including information on villains and casting. There’s a denial of a grim Batman v. Superman character rumor. And another of Ryan Murphy’s favorite actors may be showing up on American Horror Story. Spoilers now! Top image: Game of Thrones Star Wars A little bit more speculation from the…

Debunking the Myth of the Fake Banana Flavor

Over at the BBC, the myth about banana flavoring has been put to the test. And while there’s a kernel of truth to the idea that fake banana resembles a variety that nearly went extinct, it’s still a just a myth. Top image: Candy: Bananas by Bart Heird/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 At the BBC, Chris Baraniuk…

The Concept Art That Created Guardians of the Galaxy‘s Cosmic Locations

Guardians of the Galaxy had a number of great points, but one of the things that we all noticed from the very first trailer was the fully lived-in universe it created. Concept artist Kev Jenkins provided designs for Morag, Xandar and Knowhere. They’re beautiful. There’s a lot more on his website, where Jenkins describes the…

The Cat-Shaped Candle That Burns Down to a Skeleton

Available from Vat19, the Pyro Pet Candle comes in pink and gray. After 20 hours of burning, the cute little kittie is gone, leaving only a metal skeleton left. It’s both a well-thought out design and an unsettling microcosm of our relationship with our pets. And my cats are currently staring at me as if…

Did Stan Lee Confirm a Black Panther Movie?

The answer depends on how much you think Stan Lee knows about Marvel’s movie plans. But he said it was happening at Fan Expo Canada. Answering a question about whether Black Widow would be getting her own movie any time soon, Lee said: We haven’t made a Black Widow movie but she’s been in some…

Will Liam Neeson Reprise His Role as Ra’s al Ghul on Arrow?

Neeson’s certainly up for it. Could a fourth Blade movie really happen? Jesse Eisenberg explains how his Lex Luthor is more modern than previous takes. Bryan Fuller talks expanding American Gods for television. Plus major casting news for Arrow, Agent Carter, and Escape from New York. Spoilers now! Top image: Batman v. Superman Batman v.…

Here’s How a Multi-National Group Was Formed to Cover-Up Godzilla

One thing we like in our kaiju movies is world-building. And part of this summer’s Godzilla involved Joe Brody (Bryan Cranston) investigating a conspiracy that covered up what happened to his wife. In this featurette, we see an old film describing that history in depth. Of course, the question remains how a creature as huge…

Delve Deep into the World of Maleficent With Its Concept Art

In addition to this glimpse of Maleficent as a warrior princess, concept artist Kimberly Pope’s work allows us to get deep into the detail of Maleficent’s props, environments, and characters. Whatever problems Maleficent may have had, one thing it got very right was Angelina Jolie as the titular character. In addition to Jolie’s performance, she…

Australia’s ponying up $20.2 million in incentives to draw Pirates of the Caribbean 5 to its shores. It’s coming from the 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, which was shelved when David Fincher left. $20.2 million is 30% of Pirates 5’s Australian budget. Mostly, this is a reminder that Pirates 5 is still happening. [Variety]

Man Uses Whistle to Summon a Peacock Attack Squad

ARGH, OH MY GOD, WHERE ARE THEY EVEN COMING FROM? First of all, I have no idea why I thought the birds wouldn’t be flying, but they are. Holy crap, watch those things land. Second, at first it looks like this Chinese bird keeper’s call is just bringing a few more peacocks to join the…

Outlander‘s Got Way More Violence Than Romance

This episode pulled a neat trick: I honestly thought Claire’s escape attempt would be the whole episode, but there was a lot more going on than just that. Only in Outlander is a Great Escape-style plan the least interesting thing going on. Spoilers… Claire’s voiceover this week acted as a trope we recently declared needed…

The Best of the FCC’s 1.1 Million Net Neutrality Comments

Of the many, many comments received by the FCC, some stood out as diamonds in the very rough. Kudos, web warriors, kudos. https://gizmodo.com/the-weirdest-angriest-and-most-heartfelt-comments-on-1628389996

Is Marvel Finalizing a Deal for Its New Doctor Strange?

Jeremy Renner shoots down a major Avengers: Age of Ultron rumor. The Russos explain how Captain America 3 will be the second half of a two-part story. Guy Ritchie finds his King Arthur star. And what does a set video reveal about an Arrow character’s past? Spoilers now! Top image: Arrow Avengers: Age of Ultron…

The Weirdest, Angriest, and Most Heartfelt Comments on Net Neutrality

The FCC currently has over a million comments on net neutrality. They range from touching, to weird, to apocalyptically angry. We’ve plucked out a few superlative comments to highlight here, but the FCC extended deadline to September 15th so there’s still time for you to send a profanity-laced response. If you haven’t already. Top image:…

Artist Imagines the Tiny People Who Make Animals Possible

The zebra’s stripes. The flamingo’s pink hue. A leopard’s spots. What if all of those came from the dedicated work of a few people? These whimsical pieces are the work of Ricardo Solis, who pairs what looks like Victorian ingenuity with incomplete animal forms, all in the service of imagining the painting of these creatures.…

Beautiful Space-Themed Bedding Sets for Astonomy Lovers

These quilt covers and pillow cases from CBedroom are absolute beauties and perfect for the space geek in your life. Available at CBedroom’s etsy store, these bed sets come in seven galactic designs.

Are We Getting a New Avengers Line-Up at the End of Age of Ultron?

It could be that the after-credits scene of Avengers: Age of Ultron is where we’ll learn which characters will join the ever-changing line-up. And one long-awaited name has always been on the list. Spoiler warning here, although it’s not really plot-related. According to Badass Digest, the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron will have Captain…

When Will The Walking Dead Address Daryl’s Sexuality?

Check out new Avengers 2 photos, and a Horns trailer. Maleficent’s returning to Once Upon a Time for a major storyline. Arrow recasts a major new character. Plus, a three-minute Star Wars Rebels short. Spoilers now! Top image: The Walking Dead Avengers: Age of Ultron A few more photos have come from the Empire story…