Marc Bernardin, Author at Gizmodo

The Secret Key to Building a Franchise’s Enduring Fandom

One thing ensures that fans of a book series, TV show, or movie will remain legion long after new material has faded. Just one thing separates Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Firefly from Lost, The X-Files, and Buffy. You’ve seen them. Whether you’ve ever been to a convention like San Diego Comic Con or simply…

io9 Marc Bernardin Apr 28

Jazz Age Scientists Imagined Life on Mars on the Cover of the New York Times

Stephen Hawking is just the latest immensely respected scientist to posit life on other worlds: Back in 1912, Edmond Perrier, director of Paris’ Museum of the Jardin des Plantes, did the same thing in the New York Times Magazine. https://gizmodo.com/stephen-hawking-admits-that-aliens-will-probably-fuck-u-5524727 Here’s an introduction to Perrier and his work that one could easily find applicable to…

io9 Marc Bernardin Apr 27

Chuck vs. the Everything He Ever Wanted

Chuck and Sarah are finally together, romancing their way across Europe. But is the spy life the life they truly want, or is it time for them to leave it all behind for love? Not if evil can help it. So, what’s it like to finally get what you want? No, I’m not just talking…

Television Marc Bernardin Apr 27

Han Solo Figures Out the Whole Brother-Sister Thing

Given its reputation as family friendly, the original Star Wars trilogy has a surprising amount of incest in it. While we noticed the problem with the Luke-Leia-Han love triangle early on, Mr. Solo didn’t catch on until right here. At least someone figured out a reason behind all of Harrison Ford’s sloppy-twitchy face acting…. (Via…

io9 Marc Bernardin Apr 27

Wonder Woman Takes it to Batman’s “Old Chums”

This piece by cartoonist Britt Wilson conveys an old truth: Sometimes, a girl’s just gotta put her foot down — or up — even when dealing with superheroes. As cool as the Dark Knight might be to us mere non-heroes, one definitely gets the sense that he could be an insufferable prick to his friends.…

Books & Comics Marc Bernardin Apr 27

The Best of the Demolition Man Commentary Twack

If you couldn’t stay up for last night’s Demolition Man tweetathon, here’s the cream of the Sylvester Stalloney, fish-out-of-watery crop. We all cued up the theatrical cut of the Stallone-Snipes-Bullock “classic” on Netflix Instant (or on your own DVD) and Tweeted our way through it. Below, you’ll find the best of the sleepy, partially intoxicated…

Movies Marc Bernardin Apr 27

Stephen Hawking Admits that Aliens Will Probably Fuck Us Up

The world’s most famous living scientist has confirmed what science fiction filmmakers have postulated since the beginning of cinema: There is life out there in the cosmos, and it would most likely smash us to atoms. In film after film, novel after novel, first contact with an alien intelligence usually hasn’t ended particularly well for…

io9 Marc Bernardin Apr 26

Cavemen Experimented with Inter-Species Sex

Scientists conducting a new genetic study have discovered that early humans bred with other species — like Neanderthals — at least twice. There has been quite a bit of debate over whether our human ancestors interbred with neanderthals, but a new genetic study revealed at a meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in…

io9 Marc Bernardin Apr 26

Iron Man and AC/DC “Destroy” an Olde English Castle

Yes, it’s a very elaborate ad for AC/DC’s Iron Man 2 soundtrack, but this video in which the Great Keep of England’s Rochester Castle is the backdrop for a display of architectural projection mapping is totally wicked. At the behest of Sony Music, a company called Seeper utilized “the site of a thousand years of…

Movies Marc Bernardin Apr 26

Tonight’s Commentary Twack: Demolition Man

At 9:00 pm EST, we’re picking a gem from the Netflix Watch Instantly library and tweeting the shit out of it. This week, we’re going to the over-muscled future with Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes’ Demolition Man. If you’ll recall, every Monday night at 9pm Eastern, we’re gonna pick a scifi film that’s available on…

Movies Marc Bernardin Apr 26

Jekyll: The Best Opening to Any TV Show Ever

In 2007, Doctor Who mastermind Steven Moffat hatched Jekyll, a blistering reimagining of the classic tale — and the first five minutes, in which we’re introduced to James Nesbitt’s Tom Jackman, are perhaps the best TV opening of all time. The ticking clock on the wall informs the entire affair, inexorably pulling us forwards as…

io9 Marc Bernardin Apr 26

Marvel’s Going to Their B-List Characters For New Movies. But Will They Choose the Right Ones?

Giddy with anticipation over their upcoming superheroic slate — Iron Man 2, Thor, The Avengers — Marvel Studios is eyeing mid-list characters for mid-budgeted films. But does anyone really want a Dazzler movie? The news that Marvel is moving ahead with a plan to make films in the $20-40 million range is good. Very good,…

Movies Marc Bernardin Apr 23

The Crazy-Ass “Mutant Girls Squad” Trailer

Hot on the heels of Big Tits Zombie in 3D comes a trailer for another wonderfully detached genre flick — this time, featuring young women on a violent, evolutionary bender. https://gizmodo.com/big-tits-zombie-in-3d-the-trailer-5520038 The best part about trailers like this is that you don’t need to know a lick of Japanese to suss out precisely how screw-loose…

Trailers Marc Bernardin Apr 23

Geek Love: His and Hers Star Wars T-Shirts

For the couple that wants to seal their love like a smuggler in Carbonite comes this matching set that captures the most romantically bad-ass exchange in all of scifi. My lady isn’t quite geeky enough to sport these in public with me, but if you’re heading to Orlando this August for Star Wars Celebration V…

io9 Marc Bernardin Apr 23

In “The Losers,” Comedy Goes Badass

The movie adaptation of Vertigo’s balls-to-the-wall espionage comic, The Losers, completely nails the spirit of the book. Though its villain leaves a whole lot to be desired. There’s a genre that can best be described as Band of Dudes Skilled in Varied Bad-Assery. It was probably born with The Odyssey, though their varied bad-assery was…

Movies Marc Bernardin Apr 23

Escape from New York is Still Getting Remade. Sigh.

In Hollywood’s continuing crusade to ruin everything that’s good, the remake of John Carpenter’s urban scifi classic is moving forward with a new director on board. For the record, Breck Eisner is a good director. The Crazies was full of style and creep, and while Sahara was horrible, it’s unclear how much of that was…

Movies Marc Bernardin Apr 23

The Original Black Hole Trailer is the Best Trailer Ever Made. Ever.

We’re sure Disney’s remake of the 1979 madness-at-the-edge-of-the-abyss sci-fi classic will also have a rad preview, but the original’s got a mood that today’s trailers just can’t touch. There were probably computers the size of small houses that were pushed to within an inch of their capability to create the effects for this Maximilian Schell-Anthony…

Movies Marc Bernardin Apr 22

The Venture Bros: The Key to Science is Prog Rock

Life may have its mysteries, but as young Dean Venture learns from his father, most of them can be solved with the careful application of progressive rock. No, this ain’t new, but if this clip proves anything, it’s that the classics never go out of style.

Television Marc Bernardin Apr 22

Ten Movies That Should Never Get Sequels

It’s a Hollywood rule: If a movie does well, make a sequel. Occasionally it works — Aliens, The Road Warrior, Dawn of the Dead — but too often it leads to disaster. Here are 10 that should be left alone. AVATAR Yes, James Cameron is plunging full-bore into a follow-up to the highest-grossing movie of…

Movies Marc Bernardin Apr 22

The World War Z Movie: Still Not Dead

The author of this oral history of the zombie apocalypse, Max Brooks, confirms that the film adaptation is still very much alive — or very much undead. One of the most anticipated book-to-film projects currently in Hollywood development, World War Z hasn’t been in the news as of late — and that absence might lead…

io9 Marc Bernardin Apr 22

Marc Bernardin

The Secret Key to Building a Franchise’s Enduring Fandom

Jazz Age Scientists Imagined Life on Mars on the Cover of the New York Times

Chuck vs. the Everything He Ever Wanted

Han Solo Figures Out the Whole Brother-Sister Thing

Wonder Woman Takes it to Batman’s “Old Chums”

The Best of the Demolition Man Commentary Twack

Stephen Hawking Admits that Aliens Will Probably Fuck Us Up

Cavemen Experimented with Inter-Species Sex

Iron Man and AC/DC “Destroy” an Olde English Castle

Tonight’s Commentary Twack: Demolition Man

Jekyll: The Best Opening to Any TV Show Ever

Marvel’s Going to Their B-List Characters For New Movies. But Will They Choose the Right Ones?

The Crazy-Ass “Mutant Girls Squad” Trailer

Geek Love: His and Hers Star Wars T-Shirts

In “The Losers,” Comedy Goes Badass

Escape from New York is Still Getting Remade. Sigh.

The Original Black Hole Trailer is the Best Trailer Ever Made. Ever.

The Venture Bros: The Key to Science is Prog Rock

Ten Movies That Should Never Get Sequels

The World War Z Movie: Still Not Dead

In Letter, OpenAI Reportedly Says Elon Musk and Meta Are Coordinating ‘Attacks’ Against It

Artemis 2 Day 6: Follow the Mission With Our Live Updates 🔴

Anonymous Sources Detail Sam Altman’s Alleged Untrustworthiness in New Report

Steven Spielberg Still Wants to Make a Horror Film ‘Someday’

Waymo Has Stopped Testing Its Robotaxis in New York City and No One Knows What Happens Next

Samsung Pushes Monitor Deals Further, the 34″ ViewFinity Hits a Record Low at Nearly 40% Off

The Best Anti-Meta Smart Glasses Are About to Have Tough Competition

The Artemis 2 Mission Is Leaning in on the ‘Project Hail Mary’ Love

Here’s How Many Americans Have Ever Thought About Shooting Someone Else

As Meta Flounders, It Reportedly Plans to Open Source Its New AI Models

HP Omen Max 45L Review: 4K60 Gaming Has Never Been So Easy

Ecovacs Winbot W3 Omni Review: Window Cleaning Robots Have a Long Way to Go

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound