New Pacific Rim Trailer Released

Fans lucky enough to attend Wondercon will have already seen this, but we're nonetheless pleased that a new trailer for Guillermo del Toro's upcoming blockbuster Pacific Rim has been released for our geekgasmic pleasure.

Featuring a bunch of new footage from the film, we get to see monsters and robots battle it out amongst some spectacular CGI as humans try to protect the Earth from giant alien beasts, the Kaiju.

Oh, yes. Yes, yes, yes.


Starring Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi, Pacific Rim opens in the UK on 12 July 2013.

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“I am Locutus of Borg” Tops SFX Star Trek Poll

After collecting over 1,000 votes in their Best 50 Star Trek Moments Ever poll, our friends at SFX have decided the all-time greatest Star Trek moment.

The stunning “I am Locutus of Borg” cliffhanger climax to Star Trek: The Next Generation’s The Best of Both Worlds, Part One was voted to the top spot by fans, narrowly beating the famous and oft-quoted “KHAAAAAAAAN!” from The Wrath of Khan.

The death of Spock, also from The Wrath of Khan, took third place, while "There are four lights" from The Next Generation, Chain of Command, Part Two holds fourth. Kirk's grilling of O'Brien from the Deep Space Nine episode Trials And Tribble-ations came in fifth.

Elsewhere in the poll, the Deep Space Nine series triumphs over the 2009 JJ Abrams Star Trek movie, with three entries in the top ten (at 5, 6 and 7) – the 2009 film’s highest placing is at number 12.

SFX's special edition editor Ian Berriman says: “This was Star Trek’s first proper cliffhanger ending, and it left fans with an agonising wait of several months to find out what happened next – it was pretty hard to see how Picard could come back from being turned into a Borg!

“When it first aired, there were rumours circulating about problems with Patrick Stewart’s contract negotiations, so it did seem possible that he might be written out.”

Check out the full list in SFX's special edition 'The A-Z of Star Trek', which goes on sale today.

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Skarsgård For The Crow?

Following rumours that Tom Hiddleston is vying for the lead in Warner Bros much-anticipated remake of The Crow, it looks like he might have some competition in the shape of a handsome new contender.

True Blood star Alexander Skarsgård is thought to be top of the studio's list for the part. Though, according to Deadline, no official offer has been made.

Apparently, Hiddleston's involvement only went as far as a quick conversation with WB. But the actors' names are just the latest in a long line of stars to be linked to the title role of Eric Draven, with Wahlberg, Bradley Cooper and James McAvoy all having been mentioned on the grapevine, which leads us to wonder - who's next?

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The Great Whedon Teases The Avengers 2

Joss Whedon has given a hint at his grand plan for the Avengers trilogy.

And those who were expecting Thanos to be the film's big bad might be disappointed.

It looks like the writer/director is saving the Mad Titan for the end of the trilogy, telling DesdeHollywood: "Well, Thanos is more powerful [than The Avengers]. He's so powerful he's not someone you just trot out and then you punch him.

"Like he did in the comics, you want him to be threading through the universe and to save the big finale for the big finale. He is definitely a part of what I've got going on."

And there's more. Whedon went on to discuss the possibility of Robert Downey Jr. hanging up his suit of armour following Iron Man 3.

“I am not the guy who has to worry about him being replaced. He is Iron Man at this point," he said, comfortingly. "When I heard that he was cast I knew that something had just changed, and I usually don't know stuff like that. I was like 'Now we are in a new phase.' The way he embodies it… I love working with him. He is so perfect for it, Shane [Black] captures it so perfectly in this movie.

"I want him to play it forever. The great thing is that he has a flying metal suit. So it's not like those Charles Bronson or Roger Moore movies where you're like 'Dude, you can barely stand.' He’s got some fight in him. At the same time, if Robert decides to hang it up, he has a perfectly good excuse."

So, what will be in store for Downey Jr. and his fellow heroes in the next Avengers installment?

“The thing about the Avengers is that they are very powerful, but they're not very stable," said Whedon. "So, there will definitely be some people that will shake them up in the next installment."

Two of those characters could be Magneto's offspring Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, if what the director told Yahoo! Movies recently is anything to go by. Check this out for a whopper of a hint:

"I’ve been writing and meeting with actors and we’re starting to storyboard, all the preliminary processes. This is the part where it’s all still fun," Whedon teased.

"I’ve got these two characters, two of my favourite characters from the comic book, a brother-sister act. They’re in the movie."

Is everybody else as excited as we are? Give us your casting thoughts for Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver!

The Avengers 2 is due out on May 1, 2015.

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Star Trek Sneak Peek! Kirk Vs Spock

There's a lot of angry but sexy smouldering going on in the latest clip from Star Trek: Into Darkness as we see Kirk do his best to assert authority over John Harrison. 

Unfortunately, he fails a bit.


Star Trek Into Darkness comes to UK cinemas on 9 May 2013.

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Geeky Dates For Your Diary: May

From signings to launches, film releases, exhibitions and one-off events, here's our guide to all the geeky goings-on around the UK this May.

Wed 1st: Nick Spencer and Frazer Irving @ Forbidden Planet
Nick Spencer and Frazer Irving pop in to Forbidden Planet to sign copies of their new trade, Bedlam Volume 1.

Thu 2nd: Al Ewing @ Forbidden Planet
Judge Dredd writer Mr Ewing will begin the month by signing copies of his new novel, The Fictional Man.

Fri 3rd: Community Season 3 (Sony Entertainment Television, 11pm)
The strangest study group return to the meta world of Greendale Community College.

Fri 3rd - Sun 5th: Starfury: Inva3ion
Get ready for the third invasion, a three day event celebrating the very best in science fiction, covering shows including Torchwood, Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, V, Stargate Universe, Firefly and internet sensation Starkid, celebrating their show Starship.

Fri 3rd - Sun 5th: Utopia 2013
Celebrating the very best of Doctor Who from 1963 to the present day, and also the worlds of Torchwood and Sarah-Jane Adventures, this promises to be the anniversary's truly unmissable event.

Fri 3rd - Sun 5th: Dimension Jump
Hattie Hayridge, John Lenahan, Danny John-Jules and Mr Doug Naylor are among the guests at the one and only official Red Dwarf convention.

Sat 4th: FREE COMIC BOOK DAY: Discover Comics & Meet 2000AD Legends @ Forbidden Planet AND Draw With The Artists @ Gosh!
Join the comics revolution as stores across the country hand out goody bags packed with awesome titles - a perfect jumping-in point for newbies, and a brilliant treat for fans.

Sat 4th: Darth Vader @ Forbidden Planet
Darth Vader and the Imperial Stormtroopers of the 501st Legion are heading to FP's London megastore to celebrate the release of Jeffrey Brown's Vader’s Little Princess.

Sat 4th: Screen-Con 2013
Spend the day mixing with your favourite sci-fi and fantasy stars and species, grabbing star autographs, and hanging out with Daleks, Stormtroopers, Aliens, Predators and cosplayers in Newcastle.

Sun 5th: Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebrations Talks
A free Sci-Fi London event celebrating the adventures of the Timelord in print. In two panel discussions, novelists Paul Cornell, JT Colgan, Terrance Dicks and Tommy Donbavand talk about the Doctor’s trips in prose fiction. Then, comic book writers Andrew Cartmel and Scott Gray, and artists Mark Buckingham and Adrian Salmon, discuss their serialised strip adventures of the Tardis.

Mon 6th: Raymond E Feist @ Forbidden Planet
Magician author Raymond E Feist signs copies of his follow-up novel, Magician's End. 

Thu 9th: Sergei Lukyanenko @ Forbidden Planet
Russian writer Sergei Lukyanenko signs copies of the fifth volume of his Night Watch series, The New Watch.

Thu 9th: Star Trek Into Darkness
After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

Thu 9th: Warehouse 13 Season 4, Part 2 (Syfy UK, 9pm)
Pete and Myka return for more adventures as they search for fantastical artifacts with supernatural powers.

Fri 10th: Stephen Collins @ Gosh!
Guardian cartoonist Collins launches his fantastically-titled book, The Gigantic Beard That Was Evil.

Sat 11th - Sun 12th: Bristol Expo
The South West's largest comic and pop culture event returns with guests including Paul Cornell, David Lloyd, Ian Gibson, Mark Buckingham and David Hine.

Sat 11th - Sun 12th: The Middle Earth Weekend
A free festival celebrating the life of J.R.R. Tolkien within the childhood haunts that inspired him.

Sat 11th: Kieron Gillen @ Forbidden Planet
GG♥SF favourite Kieron Gillen will be signing copies of his new World War II series, Uber.

Sat 11th: Freda Warrington @ Forbidden Planet
Celebrated author of vampire and supernatural stories Freda Warrington promotes her new novel A Taste Of Blood Wine.

Thu 16th: Adventure Rocketship Launches @ Forbidden Planet
Jon Courtenay Grimwood and Lavie Tidhar launch their new anthology series steeped in science fiction and geek culture. The first issue, Let’s All Go To The Science Fiction Disco, explores the interface between SF, music and the counterculture. It's already on our wish list.

Thu 16th: Sci-Fi Movie Night @ Royal Museums Greenwich
Prepare yourself for scary time at the Royal Observatory Greenwich where, for Museums at Night, the 1956 sci-fi classic 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' will be screened, accompanied by a short talk on the inspiration behind the movie and the science behind the fiction.

Thu 23rd: Continuum Season 2 (Syfy UK, 10pm)
Following Season One’s exciting finale, series creator Simon Barry says that one of the themes fans should look out for in the next 13 episodes is "Destiny", and promises Season Two will dig even deeper into the characters we’ve met along the way and focus on the potential consequences of time travel.

Thu 23rd: World War Z Day @ Forbidden Planet
The Zombiepocalpse comes to Shaftesbury Avenue this month as Nimba Creations make up artist Tom Lauten demonstrates the art of undeath with a demo. But it gets better as best-selling author Max Brooks puts in an appearance to sign copies of the movie tie-in edition of World War Z.

Fri 24th - Sun 26th: London MCM Expo
Stars of Falling Skies, Teen Wolf, True Blood and Once Upon A Time are among the special guests at London's biannual event, while many of comicdom's great and good will be flogging their wares in the ever-brilliant Comic Village.

Sat 25th - Mon 27th: Collectormania Milton Keynes
Jenna Louise Coleman will be taking a break for her Tardis adventures to pop into Collectormania 19, alongside Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance, Lou Ferrigno, Sylvester McCoy, Bernard Cribbins, the Red Dwarf cast, Michael Socha and the delicious Rupert Young and Eoin Macken off of Merlin.

Thu 30th: BD & Comics Passion
Legends and rising stars, best-selling artists and undiscovered geniuses gather at the Institut Francais for this event featuring workshops, live drawing, concerts and movies galore.

Fri 31st: Byzantium
Residents of a coastal town learn, with deathly consequences, the secret shared by the two mysterious women who have sought shelter at a local resort, starring Saoirse Ronan and Gemma Arterton.

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The Cumberbeast Comes Over All Sinister For New Star Trek Into Darkness Trailers

JJ Abrams is certainly making the most of Benedict Cumberbatch's dulcet tones.

In this latest trailer, which comes courtesy of Yahoo! Movies, the Cumberbeast's brooding villain John Harrison takes a look at "the mind of the Enterprise" promising to help him choose between logic and emotion in a rather sinister manner.


Do you have tingles? We have tingles.

For more, check out the previously released 'Disruption' trailer focussing on James Tiberius Kirk, who Harrison describes as the Enterprise's "overly confident leader, fueled by bravado".


Star Trek Into Darkness comes to UK cinemas on 9 May 2013.

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Five Reasons To Watch Iron Man 3

Five years ago Robert Downey Jr. donned a suit of red and gold armour and gave geeks the world over a happy as he perfectly embodied one of Marvel's most-loved comic book characters. Four films and a cameo later, the man has perfected the art of quipping and the sexy arrogant swagger, making the role so much his own we can't imagine anyone else in it.

But can he keep the momentum of the role going in his third solo outing as genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist, Tony Stark?

As if there was ever any doubt. Here are five reasons to go see Iron Man 3 immediately...

Tony's Tale
After the events of The Avengers Assemble and the battle that nearly destroyed New York, we find Mr Stark in a very different place. Not physically, he's still got that amazing sea view, but emotionally. We always knew Tony Stark secretly had a heart and now he's finally showing it. Not quite sure how to deal with nearly dying for realsies, Tony figuratively throws himself into his work and quite literally hides in his basement. But when a terrorist attack by new big bad on the block The Mandarin hurts the people he loves, Stark decides it's time to fire up those thrusters once more and picks the biggest fight of his life.

Tony's tale is the true beauty of this movie. Unable to match the spectacle of The Avengers Assemble, Shane Black instead shrinks the focus back down to one hero - one man - and intelligently tells a story that delivers on all kinds of levels, packs a punch and gives us some genuinely brilliant laugh-out-loud moments, too.

We're Potty For Pepper
Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts has always been somewhat sidelined in the Iron Man movies. Omnipresent, but never quite important, and often - rather irritatingly - in distress. In Iron Man 3, however, we see a welcome change. The former PA gets her moment to shine… in fact, she gets loads of them, and it's extremely gratifying to see that she's no longer the whimpering damsel in need of rescue.

The Mandarin
We've been waiting to see Tony Stark face his archenemy on the big screen since 2008, but must admit we always thought The Mandarin would be a difficult character to realise in live action, what with his insane abilities and power rings and all. Thankfully, we thoroughly approve of the way the character is handled here. Sir Ben Kingsley is simply brilliant, several scene-stealing performances. While we're at it though, special mention must go to Guy Pierce, who kills it as scientist Aldrich Killian.

The Fighty, Actiony Bits
This movie being what it is, there's action galore as Iron Man faces some of his toughest, most ruthless foes yet. It'll surprise nobody to learn that the film builds to one hell of a climactic battle - and if ever there was a geekgasm to be had, it's the moment where we see Tony Stark's armour come into its own. We see them all in action - from Red Snapper to Heartbreaker, Igor, Shotgun and Silver Centurion - and each has been given its own playful personality not to mention some awesome weaponry we haven't seen before. Trust us, you'll tingle.

The Really Good Bits We Can't Talk About
So here's the thing. There's so much about this film we want to talk about. There's the ****, the **** and the **** is amazing! But we can't go there, because to go there would spoil too much and totally ruin the film for you. What we will say is that a huge room of people, including hardened journalists, laughed, cried and clapped at the advance screening we saw - and if that doesn't convince you to buy a ticket immediately, we don't know what will. Oh, and make sure you stay to the very end for some post-credits goodness.

GG♥SF Verdict: ♥♥♥♥♥ - Spectacular superhero fun of the highest quality.



Iron Man 3 hits UK cinemas on Thursday 25 April and flies into theatres in the states on Friday 3 May.

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Lee Pace Joins Guardians of the Galaxy Cast?

Rumour has it that Pushing Daisies, The Hobbit and Twilight actor Lee Pace is in talks to star in Guardians of the Galaxy.

According to The Wrap, Pace is considering signing up to play the villain of the piece, though which baddie he'll be is being kept schtum. 

Word on the grapevine is that Pace initially considered for the role of Peter Quill aka Star Lord, which ultimately went to Chris Pratt. But Marvel were so impressed with the actor's audition, they kept him in mind for later casting.

Production on the film, which also stars Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Dave Bautista as Drax the Destroyer, Ophelia Lovibond as a servant of the Collector and Michael Rooker as Yondu, will start in June with a planned release date of 1 August, 2014.

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London Gets Well And Truly Mjölnired In The First Trailer For Thor: The Dark World

Are you ready for some epic?

This morning saw the release of the first trailer for Thor: The Dark World, in which Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) gets in trouble, Lady Sif (Jamie Alexander) looks badass, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is more swoonsome than ever, and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is up to something… probably.

We can't help wondering why our fair capital city keeps getting a hammering on the big screen, though. What's Hollywood's problem with London, eh?


Thor: The Dark World opens in the UK on 30 October 2013.

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So You Think You Could Be A Geeky Girl?

Do you spend half your time with your face buried in a comic book? Are you pant-wettingly excited about seeing Iron Man 3? Have you ever soberly sung along to the Once More With Feeling at the top of your voice on public transport without embarrassment or shame? Then you might be who we're looking for.

After over three years spent conquering the blogosphere, we're admitting defeat. We're tired. Geeky Girls Love Sci-Fi has grown into a bit of a behemoth and the three of us need help (and sleep), so we're looking to expand the team.

We need someone to wow us (and our readers) with a fantastic turn of phrase and general expertise in the world of geek. You don't need to be based in the UK, but blogging experience is important, as is the ability to charm the pants off a PR and a general obsession with social media. You will need to have superb writing skills, fantastic feature ideas, a slightly silly disposition and be able to pen three to four posts per week for the website. Being a little bit grumpy and pervy also helps.

Unfortunately we can't offer any payment, but for regular contributors there’ll be opportunities to attend screenings, cover conventions and other events, conduct interviews with geekdom’s great and good, and review the latest cinema releases, DVDs, comics and books. In short, the free stuff makes up for it. Oh, and we don't have an office so you'll be able to write at home in your pyjamas, which is surely a bonus in anybody’s book.

Want to join us? Just email geekygirlslovescifi@gmail.com with three ideas for things you'd write about (just the ideas, not entire posts), tell us more about yourself and let us know where we can read your writing. You've got until Tuesday 30th April to impress us. If you're shortlisted, we'll be in touch shortly after that.

We can't wait to hear from you!

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James Gunn Discusses Guardians Of The Galaxy Rumours

We love a bit of new knowledge to kick off a Friday. And today's comes courtesy of Hey U Guys' recent interview with Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn.

The latest movie maker to join the Marvel family, Mr Gunn has confirmed that Guardians will start shooting at Shepperton studios in June, saying that the film will be a lot like The Avengers, but a "very colourful" version of it.

"It’s a very big, huge movie," he said. "It’s different because it’s cosmic, it’s in outer space, it’s very colourful. We have a whole history of science fiction behind us that we’re dealing with, and borrowing from, and also fighting with to create something unique. But at the same time there’s a lot of stuff it has in common with The Avengers."

Cast-wise, the director tried his best to be vague, all but confirming the involvement of Zoe Saldana with a coy "maybe", and Dave Bautista in the process:

"We haven’t really come out with our cast, people have gotten hold of some things, but I will say one thing: Dave Bautista is one of the most naturally gifted actors I have ever seen in my life. The guy has access to his emotions in a way that I have seen very few people able to do, and if he did get the role of Drax – I’ll tell you, nobody else was ever offered that role, at all; anything you heard about that is bullshit, and if he did get the role, it’s 100% because of his ability to access his emotions, more so than anything else. And it just so happens that the guy was created in the cast of Drax when he was born, he looks just like Drax."

Of the film's star(lord - hahaha! We do make ourselves giggle sometimes) Chris Pratt, Gunn said: "I saw maybe 80 to 100 guys read for Peter Quill. I was very specific that I wanted it to be somebody really extraordinary. I really had Robert Downey Jr in mind a lot. You had this guy who came in and he inhabited Tony Stark, when you first saw Tony Stark he blew your mind, you couldn’t believe what you were seeing. I knew that I needed somebody to blow my mind like that.

"We saw a lot of very famous guys for the role, a lot of very well-known people, and very, very good actors. We saw a lot of good performances, but it wasn’t until Chris came in and he read and I was like, ‘Oh my God’, this guy has his own, very particular, amazing take on the character that blew my mind, blew me away. Then I thought, this is the first guy I could see sharing the screen with Robert Downey Jr and giving him a run for his money."

But don't get too excited by those references to RDJ, ladies. When pressed on the actor's potential involvement, Gunn was quick to shut it down:

"All our movies are connected, we’re created in a way that we’re very connected to the movies that came before us, we’re even more connected to The Avengers 2, that comes after us, and so in that respect, what we would hope is that these characters would continue, and that at some point in time they’ll all meet up with different characters throughout the galaxy."

Robert Downey Jr meets Rocket Racoon? Now that's a scene we have to see. And talking of racoons, James did:

"I’ve done a lot of studying with real racoons, and we had real racoons come in," he said. "We’ve done photography with them, I’ve played with racoons, and fed racoons, and dealt a lot with real racoons to get some of the behaviour down, because it’s really, really important to me that Rocket Racoon, who is the heart of the movie, is not a cartoon character, it’s not Bugs Bunny in the middle of The Avengers, it’s a real, little, somewhat mangled beast that’s alone. There’s no one else in the universe quite like him, he’s been created by these guys to be a mean-ass fighting machine.

"The concept art that came out is only stuff that was on the big Marvel collected disc set, talking about phase two and it had some stuff from Guardians. Some of the art by Charlie Wen and the guys. The Rocket that was by itself was an early version of my Rocket that I dealt with Charlie when developing. He doesn’t look so much like that anymore, but there’s a lot of similarities in that he’s more of a grounded, real little creature as opposed to a cartoonish thing."

So they know what he looks like, but so far it seems Rocket is mute.

"There are a lot of people who have a lot of ideas of who is right for Rocket Racoon. Rocket Racoon has been slightly different over the years, in the comic books, and within my scripts he is a very, very specific guy, and I think people are going to have to wait for a few weeks before they see."

So no Jason Statham, then? Shame.

Guardians of the Galaxy will hit cinemas on August 1, 2014.

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R-Rated Remake In Store For For Weird Science

As children of the 80s we have a huge nostalgic fondness for John Hughes' 1985 sci-fi comedy Weird Science.

You remember it, right? Anthony Michael Hall and Iian Mitchell-Smith were two nerds who used their computer, a Barbie doll and a couple of bras to make Kelly LeBrock - a woman who's about as perfect as perfect can be. Shenanigans involving school bully Robert Downey Jr and big brother Bill Paxton ensue, Frankenstein wishes his monster had been that hot, and the boys grow and learn from the experience.

It was goofy and weird and very, very sweet. And now it's being remade by Joel Silver and screenwriter Michael Bacall, who's decided to edge it up with an R-rating and a bit of influence from The Hangover and 21 Jump Street.

Hmm.

Admittedly, we're pleased that this won't simply be an unnecessary carbon copy of the original film. But does iconic piece of 80s pop culture really need an update? Will a bit of so-called 'edge' (by which we're guessing Hollywood mean a few swears here and there and a flash of boob at some point) really make it any better?

We remain resolutely hopeful - but not overly optimistic.

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Superman's 75th Birthday Celebrated With New Man Of Steel Pic!

Today marked the 75th birthday of one of the world's first and finest superheroes - Superman. The first issue of Action Comics hit news stands out on April 18th, 1938.

He's looking pretty good for his age, eh?

To celebrate, this new still from Man of Steel has been released, showing Henry Cavill's incarnation of Kal-El in all his muscle-bound, lycra-clad Kryptonian glory.

Long live the Man of Steel!

Man of Steel, starring Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Michael Shannon as General Zod, Russell Crowe as Jor-El and Kevin Costner as Jonathan Kent, hits cinemas on June 14.

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The Cumberbeast Talks Star Trek

There's still much mystery surrounding Benedict Cumberbatch's Star Trek villain John Harrison, with "Is he secretly really Khan?" being one of the biggest questions asked by the internet.

And while The Cumberbeast isn't spilling any secrets, he has been chatting about his character's impact on Kirk, Spock and the rest of the Enterprise crew.

The actor told SFX that former Starfleet employee Harrison is "a one-man weapon of mass destruction", adding that he destabilises Kirk's crew with sneaky cleverness and manipulation.

"As a psychological terrorist, he's someone who can plant an idea that's as vicious as a bomb and explode loyalties and expose relationships and try and turn people against one another to do his bidding," Cumberbatch explained.

"He really disrupts the unity aboard the ship, both physically and mentally. And he's a worthy adversary - there's a lot of shadow play going on with him and Kirk and Spock, Kirk primarily, but both of those characters - he knows how to manipulate them."

SO, not just a pretty face after all, eh?

The latest trailer for the movie, released on Tuesday, sees Chris Pine's Kirk face off against the velvet-voiced villain.


Star Trek Into Darkness will be released on May 9 in the UK, and May 17 in the US.

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New Byzantium Trailer Released

Despite starring Gemma Arterton and Saoirse Ronan, upcoming vampire Brit flick Byzantium has largely gone under the radar.

But we're very much intrigued by this tale of mother and daughter bloodsuckers, directed by Neil Jordan of Interview With The Vampire fame.

Also starring Jonny Lee Miller, Sam Riley, Caleb Landry Jones and Daniel Mays, the gothic thriller follows baby vamp Eleanor (Ronan) who begins to question her lifestyle when she meets Frank (Landry Jones). Bordello mistress and mother Clara (Arterton), meanwhile, gets herself into trouble with some local heavies, resulting in much fisticuffs and spilling of blood. Can the pair keep their fangs under wraps?


Byzantium hits UK cinemas on 31st May.

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Geekgasm Alert! Smith & Tennant Spotted On The Doctor Who Set

Set your sonic screwdriver to AARRRGHHH!, people. The Tenth and Eleventh Doctors have been spotted standing next to each other on the Doctor Who set.

Matt Smith and David Tennant were pictured signing autographs for fans and filming in front of the Tardis during a shoot for the show's 50th anniversary episode at Chepstow Castle.

GOD it's good to see Mr Teninch back in a suit and converse. And doesn't he look spectacular alongside his Victorian-styled co-star? And did you spot the Zygon striding away in the background? And what's the circus tent thing all about? And aren't you just stupidly excited to see this episode?

We'll shut up now. Check out the pictures and try not to get too overexcited…

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Ryan Reynolds. Jeff Bridges. Zombies. Yeah.

Two great actors. Our favourite genre. What's not to like?

But despite the headline details - Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Bridges, zombies - we've been somewhat sceptical about R.I.P.D.

Ryan Reynolds stars as Nick Cruz Walker, a cop mercilessly gunned down on the job. But before his spirit can rise to heaven, Mary-Louise Parker offers him a job by the R.I.P.D – the Rest In Peace Department.

Partnered with ghost detective Roy Powell (Jeff Bridges), Nick works to keep in denial spirits from causing trouble on the streets whilst simultaneously trying to find the man who murdered him.

In short: If it's not very, very, good it's going to be very, very bad.

Anyway. Here's the trailer. And yes, you'd be forgiven for thinking it reminds you more than a little of Men In Black (*whispers* basically, we think it's probably the same movie… shhhh!).

R.I.P.D is released in the US on July and comes to the UK on August 30.

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Iron Man 3: The Press Conference

Today, we made our way to London's proper posh Dorchester Hotel to witness a veritable love-in between Robert Downey Jr, his co-stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Rebecca Hall, Sir Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle, writer/director Shane Black and co-writer Drew Pearce.

The Downey was as dapper, charming and hilarious as you'd imagine, as he fielded questions from a room full of journalists about the third film in Marvel's Armoured Avenger trilogy, the difficulty in following The Avengers, his reunion with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang director Black, and… erm… his fitness regime (or lack thereof).

Sir Ben Kingsley, meanwhile, discussed his warm welcome to the Marvel family, Shane Black talked about his ambitions for the film and following in Jo Favreau's footsteps, and Gwyneth Paltrow graciously revealed her family enjoyed the film when one journalist broke the 'no personal questions' ban… tut-tut.

All in all, it was a delightful way to spend our lunchtime, and the perfect preparation for the screening tonight.

Listen to the conference, hosted by Edith Bowman, in full below - and look out for our review coming soon.

If you're having trouble with the audio player, you can listen to the Iron Man 3 press conference here.

Iron Man 3 hits UK cinemas on April 26th.

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Sci-Fi's Best Swears

We don't have a problem with profanity here at GG♥SF. Swears are said on a daily basis at our HQ (in a ladylike manner, of course), with extra points given for creative usage.

And though we're respectful that not everyone has the casual attitude towards language that we do, we don't half find it funny when American shows take censorship past the point of realism. The best example is, of course, Jack Bauer off of 24. This is a character who kills without thought or remorse, does torture, shoots heroin, and still never utters anything more objectionable than a "dammit" or "screw you!" over the course of nine unbelievably bad days and one sort of blah TV movie.

Of course sci-fi and fantasy series, being what they are, get to have a little creativity with words in that they can curse in different languages - whether alien, foreign, or simply made up - often with amusing results that provide us geeks with in-jokes galore.

Here are 13 of our favourites:

"Shtako" - Defiance
Technically an undefined expletive, the Castithan word "shtako" sounds an awful lot like "shit". It's used in exactly the same way, too. (Bonus knowledge: It's not a swear but "jemilo" is Castithan for "clitoris"… in case that ever comes in handy.)

"Frak" - Battlestar Galactica
Possibly the most well-known and oft-used fictional expletive, "frak" is exactly as it sounds - a substitute for the "fuck" word. Originally used in the 1978 Battlestar series, it has since been uttered in the re-imagined version, Caprica, and pretty much every TV show that wanted to prove its geek credentials ever. (Bonus knowledge: "Fräck", which translates to "audacious" in Swedish, is also the name of an IKEA mirror. "Frack", without the umlaut, means "tailcoat". You're welcome.)

"Frell" - Farscape
Following the rule that all words beginning with the letter 'f' should work as a stand in for "fuck" ("fork," "flaps," "face,"… oh, shut up - some of them work), "frell" takes the principle one step further by combining "fuck" and "hell" - this is etymology at its best, people.

"Dren" - Farscape
Because there are some situations where the 'f' word just won't do, Farscape also needed a euphemism for "shit" - and so, "dren" was born. (Bonus knowledge: "Dren" is "nerd" spelled backwards… take from that what you will.)

"Goram" - Firefly
A simple conjunction of the words "God" and "damn", "goram" always sounds a little more aggressive and naughty when uttered sexily by Captain Mal. It is of course just one of the many curses in the Firefly lexicon, alongside "ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng," (frog-humping son of a bitch), "boo hway-hun duh puo-foo," (remorseless harridan), and…

"Rutting" - Firefly
As the Urban Dictionary puts it, "rutting" is: "A substitute for "fucking", with most of the same applications in common usage and with much the same vulgarity." Come to think of it, a lot of Firefly insults involve Chinese words for humping. Hmm… interesting.

"Shazbot" - Mork & Mindy
"Na-Nu Na-Nu" wasn't the only catchphrase to come out of Mork & Mindy. The word "shazbot" gave kids from the late 70s and early 80s license to shout "SHIIIIIIT" at the top of their lungs to their hearts content without their parents or teachers being any the wiser… or so we thought. On reflection, our mums are probably cleverer than that.

"Smeg" - Red Dwarf
Another playground favourite, "smeg" was used to replace practically every vulgarity in the English language to the point of hilarious ridiculousness. The show's creators have repeatedly claimed to know nothing of the medical term "smegma" (look it up, we're not going there) upon which everybody assumed it was based. Still, we doubt it was an unhappy coincidence.

"Mik'ta" - Stargate SG-1
"Arse" is such a great word, it seems a pity to substitute it at all. But clearly the Goa'uld needed their own - frankly inferior - version. We do, however, appreciate the variations, which are very British in their translation: "Mik'ta" = "arse", "mik'ta-ha" = "arsehole", mik'ta-na = my arse. Lovely.

"Frag" - Babylon 5
We're back to the barely-concealed F-bomb with this little beauty, a clear nod to the Battlestar version with similar variations - "fragging," "fragged," etc, etc.

"Shrock" - Babylon 5
A Narn word used to express anger, disgust and surprise, "shrock" is also peppered throughout Babylon 5 scripts. (Bonus knowledge: At this point, we feel the need to give a special shout-out to the Babylon 5 taunt "Kiss my pouch!", the meaning of which is clear and obvious. How can we make this happen in popular vernacular?)

"Drokk" - Judge Dredd
The favourite exclamation of Mega City One inhabitants, "drokk" sadly doesn't mean anything derogatory or sexual and is in no way linked with faeces. Still, it's a good word.

And finally, our favourite...

"Belgium" - The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy
We've known since we were kids that rude words are funny - but this offering from The Hitchhiker's Guide is perhaps the one that makes us laugh out loud most frequently. "Belgium". It's just so wonderfully silly, isn't it? It is, of course, also a lesson in why swearing is sometimes inappropriate - if Earth hadn't named a small country for the most unspeakably rude word in the galaxy, we might not be shunned by other races. We should learn from this, and grow. And one day, we just might.

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New Trailer: Man of Steel - It. Is. EPIC!

A new trailer for Man of Steel has been released online by Warner Bros and holy crap, believe us when we say this film looks EPIC (we trust the use of crass capitals is conveying our sense of ridiculous excitement?). 

As one “rob B” on YouTube posted: “FUUUCCCCKKK MEEEE THUMBS UP!!!!!” 

We couldn’t have put it better ourselves. 


And in the first of a series of viral marketing videos, here’s a rather effective video message from General Zod (Michael Shannon) to the people of Earth. Freaky.  


The new Superman reboot is directed by Zack Snyder (Watchmen, Sucker Punch) with cast featuring the talents of Henry Cavil as the Man of Steel (phwoar), Russell Crowe as Jor-El and and Amy Adams as Lois Lane. 

The Man of Steel flies into UK cinemas 14 June 2013.

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Teaser Trailer

Violence, poverty and persecution still control the districts in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire sequel. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are back in the game, along with President Snow (Donald Sutherland) who is intent on eliminting Katniss.

We're looking forward to this one. UK release date 22 November 2013.

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New Star Trek Into Darkness Posters

Check out the new Star Trek Into Darkness posters released to whet our appetite (as if we weren't excited enough already).

Spock (Zachary Quinto) takes the heat and Uhura (Zoe Saldana), well, she just looks hot.

Directed by J.J. Abrams and co-starring Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch, Star Trek Into Darkness UK release date is 9 May 2013.

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Eva Green Looks Fierce In 300: Rise Of An Empire

Wow. Check out Eva Green looking all badass and leather-clad and sword-wielding.

Entertainment Weekly have revealed this new still of the actress from comic book sequel, 300: Rise of an Empire.

Based on Frank Miller's comic, it takes place at the same time as the events of the first film.

Green plays Persian general Artemisia, a woman obsessed with vengeance against the Greeks. She will be joined by Rodrigo Santoro, who returns to the role of Xerxes and the lovely Sullivan Stapleton, who'll play Greek general Themistocles. There'll also be lots of topless warriors, of course.

Director Noam Murro has said that Rise of an Empire "is tied visually to the original," but adds that "there is a whole different choreography of fighting and war."

"The few against the many is still here," he told USA Today. "It's hundreds vs. hundreds of thousands. It's about taking on the mightiest power of all with wisdom and tactics."

And we're pleased to see a lady at the forefront of the action as Artemesia gets right in the thick of it. "Artemesia does most of Xerxes' dirty work in this film," reveals Stapleton. "She's seeking revenge, and she does it well. She's a force to be reckoned with."

Adds Murro: "She's got sex appeal, she's ruthless and conniving. All the things that kill men. And she has a sword. I wouldn't mess with her."

Themistocles, meanwhile, "is battle-scarred and a warrior, but at the same time he's a politician," says Murro. "He's not the king. He has to rule in a democracy. It's a different complexity of character.

"These people don't want to fight, they even say that they are not Spartans," says Murro. "They are common people who have to do this to not be in under the rule of a dictator. This is not a duplicate movie or a cookie-cutter. It's a very different story to tell in keeping with the original flavor of 300."

300: Rise of an Empire will debut on August 2, 2013.

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Doctor Who Finale "Spine-Tingling" Says Coleman

We haven't seen the third episode yet, but Doctor Who star Jenna-Louise Coleman is already looking ahead to the series seven finale.

Bit previous, isn't it?

Anyway, she's said stuff so we're reporting on it, but…
 
**WARNING: Mild Doctor Who spoilers follow.**


 
In an interview with TVGuide, the actress described the finale as "exciting," adding: "It is phenomenal. My spine was tingling when I read it.

"Again, I'm teasing you so badly here, but there's the beginning opening sequence, which [is] kind of building up into the 50th. It's just huge."

Coleman also revealed that we'll find out why the Victorian-era version of Clara's birthday is November 23, the same day that Doctor Who premiered in 1963, saying: "In the Christmas episode, I didn't know why that was the case. But again, we will find out by the end of this series."

And she also discussed the new Tardis set, which had a redesign ahead of last year's Christmas episode, The Snowmen.

"It was strange because obviously it was a brand-new TARDIS, so it was a set that nobody's ever used before or seen before at this point," the star recalled. "But this is where you're going to be for however many [of] the next couple of seasons or years, so it's like mine and Matt's new place.

"For him, he was running up and down all the stairs like a giddy kid who got his toy back. We didn't actually have the TARDIS for the first four months of me shooting because it was still being built.

"So it was pushed away in a dark corner and cordoned off so nobody could go in and look at it."

Doctor Who continues this weekend with the Mark Gatiss-penned 'Cold War', which features the return of iconic monsters the Ice Warriors.

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No Kryptonite In Man Of Steel, But These Pictures Might Make Up For It

Superman without Kryptonite is like… well, a really strong and powerful superhero without his greatest weakness. Potentially boring. But nonetheless, Zack Snyder has decided to eschew Clark Kent's radioactive Achilles' heel in Man of Steel. Instead, he says there'll be "emotional Kryptonite". Righty-ho.

The director broke the news to Entertainment Weekly, explaining that he wants to make the character more relatable to the audience. "Although he is not susceptible to the frailties of mankind, he is definitely susceptible to the emotional frailties," explains Henry Cavill.

As far as emotional frailties go, we're guessing Ma and Pa Kent (Kevin Costner and Diane Lane) will have something to do with it, but the biggest one will of course be Amy Adams' Lois Lane. "She’s very transient. She’s ready to pick up and go at a moment’s notice," says Adams of her character. "I think that definitely could be part of what she sees in Superman — not really laying down roots, not developing trust."

We don't think we have to worry about a lack of super-powered fisticuffs though. Kryptonian villain General Zod (Michael Shannon) is set to give Kal-El a run for his money - glowing green space rocks or no.

And producer Charles Roven is promising plenty of action: "You want to give the audience great spectacle. You want them to go to the movie, be eating their popcorn and be like, ‘Wow!’" he explains. "But it’s just not good enough to give them the ‘Wow.’ You want them to be emotionally engaged. Because if you just have the ‘wow,’ ultimately you get bludgeoned by that and you stop caring."

We've got to admit, he's got a point.

For those nervous about this new approach to the Superman legend, maybe these shiny new pics will make it better...

Man of Steel will open in cinemas on June 14.

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