First Look! Warm Bodies: The First Four Minutes

Nicholas Hoult has come a long way from his beginnings as Hugh Grant's pseudo son in About A Boy. 

First came Skins, then X-Men: First Class, and now he's taking the lead in Warm Bodies. 

The dark comedy sees Nic star as R, a zombie living in post-apocalyptic America, who has managed to retain some semblance of his humanity despite being… well… you know, dead. 

The film will see him do what he can to save Julie (Teresa Palmer) from the undead, after he eats her boyfriend's brains, absorbs his memories and falls in love with her. 

Aw. How… sweet? 

Check out this four minute sneak peek and let us know what you think. 

Warm Bodies hits cinemas in February 2013.

Read More

The Great Whedon Discusses Coulson Death

While we love him greatly, Joss Whedon's ruthless butchering of Agent Phil Coulson in The Avengers was a shocking and emotional moment for many.

The writer/director, who has something of a reputation for slaying his characters (see what we did there?), has had to defend Marvel's decision yet again, this time at a screening of the film at the Directors Guild in Hollywood.

"Coulson's death was mandated in the first meeting by Kevin Feige," he explained.

"I can't say that enough times. Apparently I have some kind of reputation that we won't discuss right now, but I do love to kill people.

"Clark himself said when we were shooting that it was obvious that it had to happen, otherwise all of this becomes irresponsible. There's no toll or actual downside to this very bad idea of bringing all of these people together.

"As a film it's just irresponsible. That's why we're bringing him back for a S.H.I.E.L.D. series."

There's no news yet on how Coulson will return… or in what guise, though Clark Gregg enjoyed winding up fans and Jeph Loeb during the Marvel Television panel at New York Comic Con this October.

"I just want to say because I won't have another chance to ask this - 'Have you heard of a Life Model Decoy?'" he joked.

"I don't know if you've read the theories from the people on Twitter, but there's this guy called the Vision. I don't know if you saw the UK version of the DVD, but the blade wasn't coming out of his chest. There's a tesseract!

"All around the globe you can see graffiti, bumper stickers that say 'Coulson Lives!' You have the power, Jeph. I feel like we could make this happen right now!"

Read More

Moffat Talks Doctor Who Movie

While we're still trying to get to grips with our huge girl crush on new Doctor Who companion Jenna-Louise Coleman following her sort-of debut in this year's Christmas special The Snowmen, Steven Moffat is more concerned with the show's future on the big screen.

And, despite previously slamming David Yates' intentions to reboot the series for cinema, he says a movie version may yet happen.

"The thing that I would find intolerable is that you get a film instead of the TV series because the TV series is more important," he explained to Vulture in a recent interview.

"I don't think any showrunner or future showrunner of Doctor Who would tolerate the idea that David Yates was talking about, of rebooting it and having a second continuity.

"That's just nonsense. Absolutely insane and a straightforward insult to the audience. We'd never, ever do that. The question would be how could we do it without delaying or harming the TV show?"

The Moff went on to admit that he likes the idea of the Time Lord making the transition from television.

"I think it could be incredibly exciting to see that Tardis fly on the big screen. It would just be how do we arrange it?" he said.

"And how do we make sure we have... no offence, but you suddenly take American money and they expect to tell you what to do and all that. I wouldn't be happy with that. But it will happen someday, I'm reasonably confident."

Doctor Who will return to BBC One later this year.

Read More

Stark Trek: The Cumberbeast Gives Good Villain

Empire subscribers have been treated to an extra-special cover this month, featuring Benedict Cumberbatch.

The actor, in his latest guise as Star Trek: Into Darkness big bad John Harrison, looks positively scrumptious as he graces the limited edition version of the magazine, sporting slicked back hair, a hefty pair of handcuffs, and a smouldering glare. 

Speaking about his character, Cumberbatch told Gya O!: "He's someone who has enormous physical strength. He's someone who is increadibly dangerous, both as a physical entity and through the use of various technologies and weapons and who performs acts of what I would describe as terrorism.

"He's also a psychological master. He manipulates the minds of those around him to do his bidding in a very, very subtle way."

As if we weren't in love with the Cumberbeast enough already.

Director JJ Abrams, meanwhile, has also been waxing lyrical about his villain, telling I09: "So this movie doesn't require you have seen the first movie.

"The characters are a group of people who have recently come together and find themselves up against this incredibly terrifying force.

"His name is John Harrison and he is sort of an average - that is what makes him so scary - he is just an average guy who works in an organisation called Starfleet, and he turns against the group because he has got this backstory and this kind of amazing secret agenda.

"After two very violent attacks, one in London and one in the US, our characters have to go after this guy and apprehend him. And it is a far more complicated and difficult thing then they ever anticipated. Into Darkness is very much about how intense it gets and really what they are up against."

But Abrams went on to say that the film isn't dark in tone, and even hinted at a happy ending.

"I don't like going to the movies to feel bad," he said.

"I don't like going to the movies to feel depressed and feel diminished. The reason you go to the movies is to feel bigger and stronger and happier.

"So this is a movie that they certainly go 'Into Darkness', but I would be the wrong director if it was about characters staying there.

"This is very much a movie about hope, about love, about romance, and about facing something that is truly terrifying and finding a way through the connection of your family and surviving and being stronger afterwards."

Star Trek Into Darkness is due to be released in UK and US cinemas on May 17, 2013.

Read More

Marvel Give Us An Iron Man 3-Themed Xmas Treat

Christmas is a time for giving, so we're pleased Marvel movies are getting well into the spirit by providing us with a little treat to signal the end of 2012. 

 A new image from Iron Man 3 has hit the interweb, showing Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) looking a bit battered and bruised. 

And his suit doesn't look much better than his face. 

Sadly, we're going to have to wait until next year to find out what has befallen such brutality upon Mr Downey Jr's lovely face.



Iron Man 3 will arrive in UK cinemas on April 26, 2013, following in the US on May 3.

Read More

No Loki For The Avengers 2? NOOOOO!

There's a theory doing the rounds. A theory we don't like very much. Some are speculating that Tom Hiddleston will not appear as legendary Marvel villain Loki in the Avengers sequel.
We know.

And the worst bit is that the speculation has come from the man himself, meaning it actually has some basis in actual, real life.

The actor admitted he may not be asked to reprise his role as Loki in the movie's sequel, revealing to MSN that he has not spoken to director Joss Whedon about the follow-up.

He went on to say that he believes audiences would prefer to see a new villain in the film.

How could he think that?

"I don't know. And that really is the honest answer. I know I've been known for obfuscation in other quarters, but I have no idea," Tom said when asked about revisiting the part.

"I haven't spoken to Joss. He's definitely doing it. So I suspect not, only because I think that probably the audiences are tired of Loki being the bad guy. Maybe the Avengers need somebody else to fight. But I'd love to be part of it again."

The good news is that Hiddleston will return as Loki for the upcoming Thor: The Dark World, which arrives in cinemas on November 8, 2013 - more than a year and a half before Avengers 2.

In other Avengers-related news, Joss Whedon has revealed that an early draft of the screenplay had featured much-loved character Wasp.

"There was a little bit of time where we thought we might not actually get Scarlett [Johansson]," Whedon said during a Q&A after a screening of the film at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood.

"There was a very Waspy draft that I wrote. But it was way too Waspy. I was like, 'She's adorable! I'm just going to watch her!'

An unnamed second villain was also previously intended to work with Loki in the film, but The Great Whedon refused to reveal the character's identity.

"I'm not going to tell you [who the second villain was], because that person might crop up another time," he added.

"But I definitely felt like, 'I've got Earth's mightiest heroes. I've got four of the biggest, baddest, toughest guys out there and I've got one effete British character actor'. They believed very strongly that they didn't want to add any more mythology, I think was the thing."

The writer/director/all-round-genius mentioned the ever changing line-up of the Avengers comic, teasing that the movie sequel will introduce a host of new heroes.

Avengers 2 is scheduled for release on May 1, 2015, while Whedon's upcoming TV show S.H.I.E.L.D is set to hit the small screen in autumn 2013.

Read More

Jackman Confirmed For X-Men: Days Of Future Past

With James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender starring, X-Men: Days Of Future Past already has its full quota of delicious as far as we're concerned.

But director Bryan Singer isn't taking any chances.

He's convinced Hugh Jackman to reprise the role of Wolverine in the movie, following the actor's perfectly-pitched cameo in First Class.

Singer confirmed recent speculation on Twitter, posting: "I would officially like to welcome @RealHughJackman to the cast of #Xmen Days of Future Past. Very excited! More to come..."

There's no news yet on how big Jackman's role in the movie will be.

Meanwhile, Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart are also said to have signed up, but Stewart recently stated that he has yet to hear anything about the project and has not officially put pen to paper.

X-Men: Days Of Future Past is due for release on July 18, 2014, with production slated to begin in early 2013. 

Jackman will next be seen in his X-Men role in The Wolverine, which is released on July 25, 2013 in the UK and on July 26, 2013 in the US

Read More

The Moff Talks Doctor Who Changes

Christmas 2012 will see some big changes for Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor - a new companion, a new outfit, a new Tardis, a new theme tune and a new title sequence for the show. 

He doesn't do things by halves, does he?

Explaining the decision to revamp the Time Lord's time machine, show runner Steven Moffat said: "I thought we'd been getting progressively whimsical with the interior of the TARDIS. I started to think, 'Well, why is that? It's not a magical place. It's actually a machine'. And actually potentially, as you'll see more spectacularly later, quite a scary place sometimes. We make a lot of use of that."

Meanwhile, Jenna-Louise Coleman will make her debut as Clara in this year's festive special, The Snowmen, and The Moff went on to address the mysterious link between the new companion and Oswin Oswald - the character that Coleman played in the episode Asylum of the Daleks earlier this year.

"You will know eventually," he promised. "You are going to get the answer but as ever on Doctor Who, we make you wait a little bit longer."

The changes to the title sequence and theme tune were announced on the BBC show's blog, which stated: "We can’t give too much away about the new-look titles except to say they are wonderfully dramatic and striking, with a couple of unexpected touches. In short, they’re a perfect way to welcome back the Doctor!

"And fans of the famous Doctor Who theme tune needn’t worry… This new arrangement remains true to the original, written by Ron Grainer back in 1963, but on Christmas Day you’ll hear it as it’s never sounded before. This latest version is more thrilling and powerful but retains that slightly scary quality that remains stirring no matter how many times you catch it."

So it seems we're entering a new era with the Doctor, but The Moff has assured fans that the show won't lose momentum as it careers towards its 50th anniversary celebrations, calling the 2013 episodes "immense" and "considerable".

"They will be full of tremendous surprises," he said. "But they wouldn't be surprises if I accidentally said them now, would they? I promise you, we're going to take over television. Trust me."

In The Moff we trust.

Doctor Who: The Snowmen - an hour-long special - will air on December 25 at 5.15pm on BBC One.

Read More

The Cumberbeast Talks Star Trek

Benedict Cumberbatch's Star Trek villain 'John Harrison' has been cloaked in much mystery, but the actor couldn't help giving a few hints about the character in a recent interview with MTV.

“The whole thing, not just his backstory, but his agenda, his plan, his secret, all that is what, for me at least, makes him such a frightening and cool villain," said the actor.

“Also, the real villains - when they’re not just two-dimensional, angry vengeful types - don’t see themselves as the bad guy. They are the good guy and have complete rationale and motivation.

“He’s a terrorist; he operates as a terrorist. He has extraordinary physical powers, but also mental powers. He can sow an idea, which is as powerful as gunshots or close-hand combat, which he’s masterful in.

 “He tears into the fabric of both the world and the Enterprise family, and he leaves behind him a trail of devastation. It’s quite exciting to watch.”

Producer JJ Abrams, meanwhile, has praised the star, revealing it was the BBC series Sherlock which inspired him to cast The Cumberbeast.

"One day, Damon Lindelof texted me and said, 'You should check out Sherlock'. And I watched Sherlock, and was completely blown away, there was this absolute undeniable feeling about it," he said at a recent press conference.

"Certainly it was important to hear the words come out of this actor's mouth, and so we got Benedict the pages and he sent an iPhone-taped audition to us, but it was almost a little bit of a formality."

Abrams went on to suggest that Cumberbatch's presence had raised the standard of performances across the board.

"Being on the set with him... I think everyone was bringing their absolute A-game. I think, frankly, in a way, [his] presence sort of elevated everything," he added.

"Time and again, every scene, Benedict brought a surprising, unexpected, grounded, real and often terrifying aspect to the role. So we are incredibly grateful, all of us."

Star Trek Into Darkness will be released on May 14, 2013.

Read More

GG♥SF's Christmas Wish List

Being the greedy geeks we are, we can't help but covet the odd goodie on occasion.

And, as it's the time of year for giving and receiving and such, we thought it might be an idea to make note of all the things we'll be wishing are under our tree come Christmas morn… you know, just in case the big man's paying attention.

Go on Santa, we've been ever such good girls this year…

MOST WANTED DVD
The Dark Knight Trilogy (£32.99) / Marvel's The Avengers 6-Movie Collection (£30)
2012 gave us loads of brilliant cinematic experiences, but we simply couldn't choose between our top two - The Dark Knight Rises and Avengers Assemble. So, what better box sets to find in our stockings come Christmas day than these two (and yes, we want both)? Between them, they total… well, hours of superhero-tastic action, which should keep us going until New Year's Eve.

 

MOST WANTED CLOBBER 

Wonder Woman Converse (£50)
You could bind us with the Lasso of Truth and we would still tell you these DC Comics Converse are amazing! Wonder Woman conquers all with comic strip style graphics on canvas combined with classic All Star details.

MOST WANTED COMIC
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man: Death of Spider-Man Omnibus (£38.63)
For more than ten years, Eisner Award-winning writer Brian Michael Bendis has spun the tale of young Peter Parker. Under his pen, the neophyte Spider-Man blossomed from an awkward and gangly schoolboy into a tried-and-true hero, an inspiration to a world of ultimate wonder. But all stories must come to an end. And as shadows gather, villains plot and heroes clash, Peter's final story will unfold. It's the death of Spider-Man and the ending will shock you. Definitely one for the book shelf.

MOST WANTED BOOK
Ecko Rising by Danie Ware (£5.99)
This unique, genre-bending fantasy–sci-fi epic has been on our 'must read' list for a while. The story follows Ecko, a savage, gleefully cynical anti-hero who, after awakening in a dimension-jumping inn, finds himself immersed in his own sardonic fantasy world and strives to conquer his deepest fears and save the world from extinction. Doesn't it sound like the perfect Boxing Day book?

 

 

MOST WANTED GAME(S)
While we appreciate new-fangled video game type things, sometimes it's good to go a little bit old school. So this year we're hoping someone will treat us to a few board games for a bit of old fashioned, competitive family fun. Top of our list are Game of Thrones (£22.76), a card-based game for two players based on the epic HBO series where players wage war in the fields of Westeros and conspire to crush their opponents in court at Kings Landing, The Big Bang Theory Party Game (£25), in which players compete to pair category cards with show insider phrases and references, and The Lord of the Rings Card Game (£25.49) that puts players in control of the most powerful characters and artefacts of Middle-earth. (Oh, also, this limited edition 50th Anniversary Doctor Who Monopoly - £26.99 - is really, really cool.)
 

MOST WANTED BLING
Watch Movement Necklace (£50)
Assuming Santa obliges, we'll be getting our Steampunk on this Christmas. Handcrafted by designer Jared Beever, this detailed watch movement hangs on an elegant, long silver chain. The intricate detailing, engraving and red jewels are gorgeous. Simple, but very on-trend.

 

MOST WANTED STOCKING FILLER
Alice In Wonderland By Lewis Carol E-Reader Cover (£14.99)
We heart these vintage book cover-inspired Kindle covers. They come in several designs including The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Dracula, but the Alice In Wonderland is our absolute favourite. So much better than a boring plain one - plus, it'll make us look all clever and literary on the tube.

Don't forget, if you have any geekery to recommend, have wares to flog that you'd like us to tell people about, or even if you just fancy a chat, email us at geekygirlslovescifi@gmail.com. We like mail.

Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Read More

First Look! Full Trailer For Superman: Man Of Steel Released

By Krypton, Henry Cavill's a beautiful man. 

Clearly it's not the only reason we're excited for Man of Steel, but it is in the top three. 

And from the opening shot of the first full trailer for the film, it seems Zack Snyder's happy to capitalise on Cavill's yumminess. 

Hit play below for a glimpse at the new Supes in all his topless glory. Oh, and there's further insight into the movie's plot too, which sees the hero's origin story retold from the destruction of his home planet to his embracing of his ultimate destiny. 

Producer Christopher Nolan recently revealed that the movie is aiming to make Superman "relatable" and "relevant". 

"Superman is the biggest comic book character of them all and he needs the biggest possible movie version which is what Zack's doing. It's really something," he said. 

"I wouldn't want people to think we're doing for Superman what we did for Batman. It's very much Zack's film and I think people are going to love what he's done. 

"I think it's really remarkable to take on that character. Superman is a completely different character than Batman, so you can't in any way use the same template." 

 Man of Steel, also starring Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Amy Adams and Michael Shannon, will open in cinemas in June 14, 2013.

Read More

Alice Eve's Star Trek Role Revealed

Those who were wondering who Alice Eve would be playing in Star Trek: Into Darkness can wonder no more. 

 **SPOILER WARNING: In case it wasn't obvious enough, we're about to reveal who Alice Eve is playing in Star Trek: Into Darkness. If you don't want to know, don't read on.** 

The actress is set to take on the role of Carol Marcus in the forthcoming sequel. 

The character originally appeared in the film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as a federation scientist working on the top secret Genesis Project. 

Marcus' original storyline saw her live with her son David, who she raised alone after he was fathered by Captain James T Kirk (the dirty rascal), but it is yet to be revealed how closely her character will follow her original storyline. 

The news follows the revelation that Benedict Cumberbatch will play the "ruthless" John Harrison in the film, though internet speculation suggests that JJ Abrams may be messing with us as there's no major character in the canon of that name. 

Star Trek: Into Darkness is due for release on May 17, 2013.

Read More

Sneak Peek! Check Out The Doctor's New Tardis

Matt Smith's snazzy new outfit isn't the only makeover in store for Doctor Who this Christmas. 

The Eleventh Doctor is getting a snazzy new Tardis to go along with it. 

Steven Moffat confirmed the change to the Doctor Who blog on the BBC website, giving us a sneak peek at the new design by Michael Pickwoad. 

The exterior of the time machine will remain the reassuring blue box but once inside we’ll see a whole new magical world that will be home to the Doctor and Clara throughout their adventures leading up to the show's 50th anniversary next year. 

Doctor Who returns on Christmas Day for its festive special 'The Snowmen' at 5.15pm on BBC One.

Read More

Five Reasons To Watch… The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

Eleven years ago, the first part of Peter Jackson's adaptation of J.R.R Tolkien's famed tale The Lord of the Rings hit cinemas to great critical acclaim. The trilogy went on to become three of the highest-grossing worldwide films ever, winning several Academy Awards and BAFTAs, including many accolades for the big man himself.

Fast-forward to 2012, and Jackson might not be so big anymore, but his return to Middle Earth is nonetheless greatly anticipated by fans of both his original films and Tolkien's world.

So can The Hobbit live up to the hype?

Er, of course it can. Here's why:

#1 The Story
Jackson's decision to split The Hobbit into a trilogy has been met with much consternation, but regardless of how you feel about it the guy knows how to tell a tale. 60 years previous to passing the ring of power to Frodo we meet Bilbo, a respectable and conservative hobbit whose priorities in life revolve mainly around his armchair and pantry. But the interference of a mischievous wizard and the plight of a company of 13 dwarves compel him to leave Bag End behind as he embarks on an adventure to find - and defeat - a dragon. An Unexpected Journey fulfils the 'Fellowship of the Ring' role in this trilogy, introducing us to its myriad characters and telling the backstory in great detail. As he has before, Jackson immerses us in Tolkien's world, giving us characters to love, laugh at, feel sympathy for, and hate - sometimes all at once - with the greatest respect for the author's creation.

#2 The Performances
Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ian 'YOU SHALL NOT PASS' McKellan… with a cast like this how could it possibly fail? As young Bilbo, Freeman's performance is near-perfect, giving just the right amount of grump and vulnerability to make the earnest Hobbit believable without seeming cloying. Armitage, meanwhile, has captured his proud, pompous warrior dwarf-King perfectly, bringing a man anyone would follow into battle to the big screen. It's simply impossible, meanwhile, to imagine anyone but McKellan as Gandalf. He is, just as he was. And that's the greatest compliment we could possibly give.

While the company of 13 dwarves are at times difficult to distinguish, by the movie's end we've come to know their distinct personalities and abilities and are able to tell the difference between them. Standout performances come from Ken Stott and Graham McTavish as brothers Balin and Dwalin, while James Nesbitt was born to play fun-loving Bofur, and we were most impressed that Aidan Turner still manages to maintain his hotness despite all the… you know… 'dwarf'.

#3 The Cameos
Whether he did it for the fans, the crack, or he's just really clever, Jackson's incorporation of the LOTR characters we know and love (some of whom don't appear in Tolkien's tale) into The Hobbit serve not only to give us a little geeky cheer whenever they appear, but also to help immerse us further in the story. Ian Holm, Elijah Wood, Hugo Weaving, Cate Blanchett, Christopher Lee and Andy Serkis all reprise their roles in An Unexpected Journey, and it was nothing short of wonderful to see them return.

#4 The Action
For all their quests for peace, the population of Middle Earth don't really believe in a quiet life, do they? Those who are worried that watching a bunch of halflings swing their swords won't have the same gravitas as seeing Aragorn and Boromir do battle, shouldn't be. Short, they might be, but sweet the company of Thorin Oakenshield ain't. They know how to told their own - against mountain trolls and orcs and goblins alike. It's all very impressive.

#5 The Direction & Cinematography
It should be no surprise that this movie is pretty jaw-dropping. Explosive battles are enhanced by lots of 3D plunging from huge heights, Rivendell looks as magical as ever, and the backdrop provided by New Zealand's stunning natural beauty is simply stunning.

The decision to shoot in HFR (High Frame Rate: 48 frames a second as opposed to the traditional 24), however, we suspect will remain a controversial one. It undoubtedly enhances the realism of the film, but also takes some getting used to. And, ultimately, this reviewer left the cinema wondering why realism is necessary in a world of orcs and goblins and wargs and quite a lot of CGI. The HFR effect, for us, was one that killed the fantasy a little, making us feel like we were watching a theatre production on TV. Our next viewing - and there will be one - will be in good old 2D, and 24FPS.

GG♥SF Verdict: ♥♥♥♥♥ - a very welcome return to a world we fell in love with over 10 years ago, but one that could be made even better by going a bit low-tech on a second viewing. 

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits cinemas on Thursday 13th December, 2012. 

Read More

Merlin Exclusive: GG♥SF Interview Bradley James (Aeeee!)

Bradley James stars as Arthur Pendragon in BBC One’s Merlin

We have a wish list of celebs and noted folk we’d like to interview at GG♥SF Towers. It includes the great and good of TV and film; from Joss Whedon to Peter Jackson and Benedict Cumberbatch – all for varying reasons you’ll understand. And also positioned high on that reverent list would be the King of all Kings - Bradley James, aka the lordly King, and quite frankly delectable Arthur Pendragon from the Beeb's hit show, Merlin. 

And now that Merlin is sadly on the countdown to its last, proper ever, final episode (oh, the humanity!), we’ve finally been granted our wish. GG♥SF have been rewarded with 10 whole minutes to talk shop with Camelot’s finest. We tried our best to coax out spoilers and hints about the final episodes, but sadly Bradley clearly prescribes to that tricksy old adage - loose lips sink ships. 

However, we managed to glean some fascinating insights on his time on the show, Merlin DVD commentaries and er, sexual objectification... (okay, so we were discussing the Shirtless Arthur hashtag game we created on Twitter). We’re journalistic hard hitters at GG♥SF. 

GG♥SF: Hi Bradley. Obviously we’re gutted at the fact this is the final season of Merlin. It’s been fantastic series and you’re going out on a show high. 
Bradley James: Thank you very much! 

GG♥SF: We don’t know if it’s wishful thinking on the part of the fans or not, but rumours are still persisting about a spin-off movie. Now the TV series is ending, do you know if anything is in the works? 
Bradley James: I have heard lots of chat about the movie. I would say that it would not be happening in the near future if it were to include myself. But who knows – if the script was amazing then I’d be there. But then I’d find it difficult not to be interested. 

GG♥SF: We’d be there with bells on. So go on – give us a sneak peek into the two episode finale – any juicy morsels for us to rabidly devour? 
Bradley James: (Mock outrage) No I couldn’t possibly say! There’s only four episodes left, what are you talking about? That’s the whole point about watching it! 

GG♥SF: Oh please! Not even a little hint? 
Bradley James: All I can say is that I’m very happy with how we have finished the show and I’m excited with how we finished the show. I’m very satisfied. Actually I haven’t seen it yet, but I am going to assume that what we have read and what we have filmed has turned out to be very good. 

GG♥SF: So you haven’t watched the final episodes yet? 
Bradley James: I watch it at the same time as everyone else. I’ve become a fan of the show when it comes out because I watch it at the same time pretty much as everyone else at home. 

GG♥SF: That’s interesting. (Slightly breathless) Do you watch it alongside Twitter too, because there’s a Shirtless Arthur hashtag doing the rounds.
Bradley James: Sorry, what? Shirtless Arthur? What’s that? 

GG♥SF: (Somewhat sheepishly) It’s where eagle eyed fans tweet the first sighting of you without your top on… 
Bradley James: (Much laughter) How degrading! 

GG♥SF: Oh dear, do you feel terribly objectified? 
Bradley James: (Still laughing) Yes! Bloody perverts! 

GG♥SF: Sorry, we’re getting a little side-tracked - back to the show. What will be the thing you miss most about working on Merlin? 
Bradley James: The cast and crew. There was a great family aspect to doing the show as the crew remained very similar throughout the years we were doing the show and the cast were very close. The cast and crew became very close in fact. So there will be real characters within the crew and cast that you’re used to seeing on a day to day basis that you’ll miss. 

GG♥SF: (Sounding a bit gushy) Aw. That’s very sweet! 
Bradley James: To be honest with you though, at the time, day-to-day, you take them for granted. It takes you being taken away from that atmosphere for you to appreciate the situation. It’s a good thing that we’ve been separated because we can now really appreciate each other. 

GG♥SF: Just like a family then! Okay, so um, you always appear to have someone dressing you in your scenes. Does it really take that long to get (GG♥SF gets a bit breathless) tussled up in all that armour and stuff? 
Bradley James: (Somewhat bewildered) Er, um, what a question! It becomes a blur in the morning – I’m only partially conscious at that time of the day. You get picked up at half five, six o’clock. Despite the fact you are walking around and talking to people, you’re not really awake. And then I’m awake on set, with my costume on, about ready to go at half seven in the morning. So I would say it takes just about an hour of faffing about before we’re ready to film. But it doesn’t take long to get the armour on though. 

GG♥SF: We have a quick reader question to squeeze in. This is from Anna K: Will you be doing a season five Merlin commentary on the DVD? 
Bradley James: Do you know what, I read that this morning and tweeted a response! I don’t tweet very often but I felt quite passionate about this because they missed me out of the DVD commentaries and I feel that the commentaries have been lacking for missing me out! I’d like to do one with the Knights. It’s not something we’ve done yet, so I hope the powers that be see sense and go 'yes, we should get Bradley and Rupert, Tom, Eion and everyone'. If we could get that on the go, I’d be very happy to do that. 

GG♥SF: We’ll petition the BBC! 
Bradley James: (To lovely PR lady Jess) Actually, who do I talk to about this? I’m going to find out and pester them over this. (Back to GG♥SF) Get the girls to pester the official person will you? 

GG♥SF: We’re on it! Lastly, what’s next for you Bradley? 
Bradley James: (After much thought) You will see me in the shops trying to buy Christmas presents. I really need to buy a present for my mum. 

And that’s it. That’s our time with Bradley James over. If possible, we fancy him even more. 

The final series of Merlin reaches its season and show climax with a special two-part finale airing over Christmas. And although we couldn’t get any top secret intel from Bradley, we hope his character finally discovers Merlin’s true identity and worth (side note: Colin Morgan has acted his wee socks off this season – hats off to you, Sir). Either way, we’re really going to miss Bradley and the gang. 

All together now: "For Camelot!".

Gratuitous photo alert – sorry, we can’t help ourselves.

Merlin Series 5, part 1 (episodes 1-6) is released on DVD on 26th November 2012. Series 5, part 2 and the Complete Series 5 DVD / Blu-Ray are released on 21^st January 2013 on Fremantle Media Enterprises. You can order it now on Amazon.

Read More

GG♥SF ♥ Hyper Japan: Round Up

This time last week, we were at Hyper Japan with Emily Jane Photography. This year saw the event extravaganza in a bigger venue, Earls Court no less, with much more to see and do than ever before.

We started the day looking around the stalls, picking out which items we were going to buy and making sure that we didn't miss anything along the way. From the cutest Hello Kitty kawaii handmade iPhone cases from Phantasy Phones to some amazing contemporary accessories made entirely from computer and electrical parts at Pop Up Tokyo. Not to mention the plethora of Christmas gift items from the Japan Centre.

All this excitement made us rather peckish, so luckily for us we were able to take our pick of the tasty Japanese treats and eats available. We opted for some chicken gyotza (our absolute fave) and octopus balls (when in Rome!).

But the real highlight of the event for us was the Kawaii fashion show. Organised by Roxie Sweetheart and Pixie Late. They all looked stunning and so cute carrying fluffy alpacas down the catwalk. 

Check out Emily Jane's pics of the day which show the best of what we saw throughout the event.

Same time next year? We'll be there!

Read More