10 Films That Deserve A lot More Love

Geeky Girl Vickey makes her case for 10 movies that she reckons deserve a better reputation... 

I was alphabetising my DVD collection the other day (I have nearly 400, it's a necessity) and some of the titles gave me pause. I got to thinking about the films that I adore and will watch over and over, can quote almost word-for-word and yet I'm betting that they're not as widely loved as I think they should be.

Perhaps that's because they're actually not that great and they just struck a cord with me for some reason. Or it could be because they didn't get a wide cinema release or just aren't the majority's cup of tea. Whatever the reason, I think it's a shame that more people either don't know about them or just don't care for them. I have also noticed that the same names appear more than once on this list and I'll admit that I probably wouldn't have watched a couple of the films on this list if it hadn't have been for certain individuals. What? I like looking at pretty things.



Watchmen (2009) Dir. Zack Snyder
For all the problems and struggles that this film had in production and with all the inter-studio arguments, the finished product is just gorgeous. I'll always defend Zack Snyder (apart from Sucker Punch - I still don't know what to make of that one), especially after giving us this film.

I was sold at the opening sequence and it just got better from there. It's mouthwateringly delicious to look at, the colour pallet imitates the graphic novel perfectly and the style of the whole film is something quintessentially Snyder. The fact that what he gives us, to all intents and purposes, is the comic panel for panel is beside the point. The casting was a stroke of genius, using relative unknowns from the world of theatre for most of the main characters. I may be a little bias in relation to The Comedian due to being a huge Jeffrey Dean Morgan fan (he is, after all, the King of Beards) but I think that he nailed his role in the film. So the ending isn't the same - who cares? This film really is a masterpiece but then when you have source material from the minds of Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons and John Higgins to work from, you can't really go wrong. Plus, the message at the heart of Watchmen is as relevant now as it was back in 1986 and the film doesn't forget that.



V For Vendetta (2005) Dir. James McTeigue
Another Alan Moore adaptation makes the list. The lead cast alone - Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving - should be enough to make this a more widely known and watched film. Again, the message of this film is just as applicable today as it was in 1982, as is most of Moore's work. It's wonderfully shot, the cast are perfect and the script is sublime.

Weaving really is the crowning glory of this film. Considering that he wears a mask for the entire film and you never see his face, he manages to express the rawest and deepest of feelings using just body language and his voice - which in itself makes this film a must-watch. I'm also not ashamed to admit that the first time I saw this film, I cried so hard that I was nearly sick on myself. The moment broke me completely and utterly was the end scene with all the people on the streets wearing the mask. It's a powerful and highly emotive film that will stay with you for days afterwards.



Legion (2010) Dir. Scott Stewart
Everyone I've ever talked to about this film hasn't seen it, which is a shame because it really is rather good. Admittedly, I have a penchant for films with a religious storyline (it's the reason I sat through The Seventh Sign) and this doesn't disappoint. OK, so it's a formulaic story of the good trying to save the world from the apocalypse by protecting the sacred and unborn child of a diner waitress, but it's well written, well directed and care has been taken with getting it right.

I'll watch anything with The Quaid in it and Paul Bettany is always a delight. I'm also a sucker for angels and Bettany's Archangel Michael kicks arse. This is Kevin Durand's first appearance on the list, a much under-used and overlooked actor, and he's fabulous as Gabriel. And the angels actually have wings - not completely CGI wings either. Actual wings (pay attention Supernatural) that spread and flap, despite the confines of a small diner. It's got JARVIS with wings and huge guns, a disturbing old lady demon and Dennis Quaid so what's not to like?



Sunshine (2007) Dir. Danny Boyle
I could be wrong in adding this film to the list but I'm pretty sure that it's not as widely popular as it should be. Well, it certainly wasn't but perhaps Mr Boyle's rise in popularity and awesomeness has changed that.

This film is just beautiful. The colour palette, the score, the script, the acting, all of it. I don't often use the term perfect unless we're talking about Jeremy Renner but Sunshine is just that. It's heartbreaking, enthralling, touching and inspiring. What I love the most is that Boyle and Garland got a real scientist - one Dr Brian Cox- on board to make sure they got everything as scientifically accurate as possible. I like it when filmakers actually bother to get their facts right, it makes for a more believable story which in turn makes for a better film. I'm not really a crier but it stayed with me for days. 



Smokin' Aces (2006) Dir. Joe Canahan
I snuck this one onto the list because although it's not a science fiction or a comic book adaptation, it certainly feels like one. When I first saw it, I had to go home and look up whether or not it was a graphic novel and was surprised to find it isn't - I can picture all the characters walking straight of the pages of a comic. From the stressed and under pressure cops to the insanity of the The Tremor Brothers (Kevin Durand's second entry on the list), it's like the graphic novel that never was.

The cast list is insane: Andy Garcia, Jeremy Priven, Ryan Reynolds and Ben Affleck for starters. Oh, and there's even an appearance by Chris Pine. The story is a little messy, but it gets clearer after a few watches. If you just want a bit of sweary, bloody and ridiculous violence then this film is for you.



The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) Dir. Terry Gilliam
Ah, the impossible and fantastical mind of Terry Gilliam, it's a place where the wildest of dreams are made. I adored this film as a child and still do. It's ridiculous and extraordinary and funny and wholly unbelievable. Of course, it has a touch of the Python about it but then it is Terry Gilliam so that's hardly surprising. The perfect route to escapism, for a couple of hours you can forget the real world and immerse yourself in the the grand story telling of one Hieronymus Karl Frederick Baron von Munchausen. Along for the ride are Eric Idle, Robin Williams, Uma Thurman and Oliver Read to name but a few. With amazing sets and stunning costumes, this film has everything you need to lose yourself in a pure fantasy.



Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon (2006) Dir: Scott Glosserman
I decided to sneak a horror film on the list because this deserves to be talked about. I'm a huge horror fan, often devouring anything and everything I can get my hands on. Behind The Mask is a unique take on the genre and told from the view point of the mass murdering serial killer in the title, Leslie Vernon.  He enlists the help of a group of college documentary film makers, keen to give them access to his plans and how he goes about implementing them, citing his heroes as 'people' such as Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers.

Glosserman is clearly a huge fan of the genre and that shows, only making the film more enjoyable to watch.  My favourite part is when Vernon explains how much cardio he has to do to make it look effortless. If you know your stuff and look hard enough, there are some affectionate nods to the likes of Nightmare On Elm Street and Halloween. It's funny as well as disturbing, giving a new twist to the horror brand. Throw in some cameos by the one and only Robert Englund and Zelda Rubinstein and you've got the recipe for a damn good horror film.



The Losers (2010) Dir. Sylvain White
I shall refrain from going on and on about how much I love this film but I watch it on average about once a week and I know it upside down, inside out and back to front. Adapted for the screen from the brilliant graphic novels by Andy Diggle and Jock, it's an entertaining, action packed film that has you falling instantly in love with the cast. As comic book adaptations go, it's one of the best. It helps that Diggle and Jock were on hand throughout filming and had a hand in the script. The film is cast perfectly with each of the actors, including Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chris Evans, bringing the characters to life amazingly well.  The Losers is more than capable of standing alone as a cracking comic book film, but with five graphic novels in the series, I'm hoping for a sequel. GO PETUNIAS!



Pitch Black (2000) Dir. David Twohy
I happened to find myself in the cinema one day and nothing really took my fancy, so I paid for a ticket to Pitch Black and settled in for what I was pretty sure was going to be a bit of a rubbish low-budget film. I was sorely mistaken. With some clever use of CG and a cast that you can get behind, it feels smooth and even 13 years later, it still feels fresh. Riddick fast became a favourite, although that could have been because of Vin Diesel (yes, I developed more than a little obsession with the man mountain at the time - and yes, he's the reason that I own a copy of The Pacifier but lets not talk about that embarrassing little nugget shall we?). The follow up, The Chronicles of Riddick, was a little disappointing and I'm hoping that the next instalment, Riddick, is going to be better. Until I've seen it and can make that call, Pitch Black is by far the better of the two films so far in this series.



Dredd (2012) Dir. Pete Travis
I debated over what to have as the tenth and final entry on this list and settled for Dredd due to the fact that unless you've ever picked up a copy of 2000AD, the only knowledge you would have of Judge Dredd is that truly dreadful (ha!) Stallone film. For that reason, people didn't flock in their droves to see this film last year: geeks and Dredd fans are many but compared to the majority, we are few.

Thankfully, there isn't even a hint of the Stallone version in this film and it's what what I've been waiting for as a longtime Dredd fan. If more people don't see this film or buy a DVD then we won't get another one - and I for one want to see Judge Death on the big screen. One of the most visually stunning films I have ever seen, I didn't need 3D to truly appreciate the beauty of this film. It's just gorgeous. The slo-mo shots are breathtaking and Karl Urban was a genius piece of casting, but what I love most about this film is the fact that you never see Dredd's face because he never takes the helmet off. Just as it should be.

So, there you have it. My list of films that deserve a bucket load more love and attention. I asked the internet for some suggestions and there were a few that didn't quite make the list, but deserve a mention: Push, Franklyn, Chronicle, Priest, Doctor Who:The Movie and Host. I'd love to hear what your list contains so pop something in the comment box below.

By Vickey Tree

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An Ode To The TARDIS

“Oh that box. Amy, you'll dream about that box. It'll never leave you. Big and little at the same time. Brand new and ancient and the bluest blue ever.”

Ever since I was small, about seven years old in fact, I have been captivated by Doctor Who. 

He is a hero that runs around the universe in a space ship, averting apocalypse after apocalypse with nothing but his brain and a sonic screwdriver. He doesn't need guns or brawn to solve a problem, just logical thinking, a heap of genius and the help of a small but loyal gang of companions and allies. The Doctor put the A-Team, MacGyver and Air Wolf combined in the shade. Here was a hero that I could believe in. A hero that made me think that if I really put my mind to something, with a bit of hard work I could achieve anything.  Anything at all.

But most of all, out of all things that people associate with The Doctor, I love the TARDIS. From the moment I first laid eyes on her, I adored her. Who wouldn't? The TARDIS captured my imagination like nothing else ever had. What seven-year-old could resist a spaceship masquerading as a police call box that's bigger on the inside? This 33-year-old still can't.

Using the police box was an idea born from the mind of BBC staff writer Anthony Coburn, so it is him we should thank for giving us the iconic blue box. All TARDIS' have a chameleon circuit that enables them to change into whatever shape is most appropriate for it's surroundings. But of course the Doctor's us broken, which means that she's stuck in the form of the police box, a malfunction that happens in the very first episode 'An Unearthly Child'. 

You'd think that after all these years, the Doctor would have found a way to fix that by now, but I'm glad he hasn't. It means that for the last 50 years we've had possibly the most recognisable symbol of British sci-fi. It's the image that will spring to mind for most people when anyone mentions Doctor Who. Even those who have never watched the show will understand a TARDIS reference.  

Of course, I suspect that the main reason for using a police box as the design is down to the budget that Doctor Who had at the beginning. It's easy to design, construct and move from location to location - just four sides and a roof – simple! But it contains so much more than it's simplicity suggests. It's also so fantastically quirky and British. I can't think of any other show that has something as simple and iconic. Most space ships in TV shows are huge with sleek lines and futuristic tech. One of the most endearing things about the TARDIS is that the inside is usually made up of whatever the BBC props department has lying around at the time. The console has usually got some old car part wedged in it or bits of old computer and that's just part of the magic. 

Magic. Its not a word that a lot of people would associate with a science fiction programme, but there is more than a touch of magic to Doctor Who. One of my favourite things about the show is that there really is no limit to the storylines. In recent series we've even had the Doctor riding a triceratops in space. As much as most of the show has its grounding in science, its the magic part that has always appealed to me. Not magic in the sense of wizards and spells and the like, but in the fact that out of the foundations of science springs a grumpy old man and his magic blue box. I had no real grasp of science as a child, not really. The Doctor used big words that I didn't understand but I didn't care, I was just caught up in the magic of it all.

And here's where I get sickeningly sentimental - you have been warned. The TARDIS has always been there. (Well, apart from the odd episode where she left the Doctor stranded - yes, I refer to her as a she.) Through everything that the Doctor has been through over the last 50 years, its been the TARDIS that has got him there and got him out again. Without the TARDIS there would be no Doctor Who. Even his companions are entranced by the blue box that's bigger on the inside. Not only is she the vehicle for the Doctor to travel the universe in but she's also a little slice of Gallifrey - probably the only bit of his home world that he has left. For the Doctor the TARDIS is home, it's a part of him. A living, breathing (well, maybe not breathing) part of his home planet. In the two-part ending to series five of New Who, it's the TARDIS that brings back the Doctor after he's fixed the crack in the universe and been erased from time. It's the TARDIS that Amy remembers:

“I found you in words like you knew I would. That's why you told me the story. The brand new ancient blue box. Oh clever, very clever. Something old. Something new. Something borrowed. Something blue.”

The TARDIS was so burned into Amy's memory that not even time being rewritten could erase all memories of that wonderful, battered old police box. This is something that I have loved about Moffat's Who – he always makes time for the TARDIS. Since the beginning of his tenure it's nearly always in shot somewhere, there in the background being all blue and lovely and spacey-wacey.  Like a silent sentinel standing guard over the Doctor and his allies. 

'The Doctor's Wife' has to be my favourite episode of Doctor Who from the last 50 years.  Controversial I know, considering the vast history of the show to choose from, but it's my favourite episode because it's a TARDIS episode. Plus, it was written by the marvellous Neil Gaiman, another hero of mine. Aside from the occasional glimpse at what the Ponds were up to this was an entire episode devoted to the relationship between the Doctor and his TARDIS - Or should I say Sexy and her Thief. It was a glorious episode that will never fail to have me sobbing with tears most of the way through. It's a beautiful love letter to my favourite mad man and his magic blue box. Even after everyone else has either left of died it's always just been the two of them and this episode gave me everything I ever wanted. After nearly 700 years of being together the Doctor finally got to talk to his TARDIS. And what did they do? Bicker like an old married couple.  And why wouldn't they?  They've been together for so long that they know every one of each others peculiarities and can finish each other's sentences. Even in human form, the TARDIS was the steady, calm rock in the midst of the Doctor's whirlwind of thought and action.

There's a tiny part of me, the part that will forever be seven years old, that still believes that one day I'll hear the wonderfully familiar sound of the TARDIS materialising in my garden. The Doctor will knock on my door, reach out a hand and tell me that I can go wherever I want in all of time and space. And I'll go with him but it won't be forever, because as much as I would want it to be, it will always be about just the two of them in the end. 

“Look at you pair. It's always you and her isn't it? Long after the rest of us have gone. A boy and his box off to see the universe.”

“Well you say that as if it's a bad thing. But honestly it's the best thing there is.”

And isn't that just a little bit magic?

By Vickey Tree

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10 Characters We Want To See In Star Wars: Episode VII

Sith lords, Jedi Knights, bounty hunters, princesses and scruffy looking nerfherders - the Star Wars universe is chock-full of colourful characters. Currently Luke, Leia, Han and Lando are all rumoured to return as well as R2-D2 and C3PO - who most definitely ARE the droids we’re looking for in this case.

But what of all those other characters that make up our favourite galaxy far, far away? Those characters who were on the screen for mere seconds but made an impact anyway. Those characters whose names we knew and whose action figures we owned even though they hardly featured. Those characters we love and want to see back on our screens in some capacity.

Here are the top 10 minor characters we’d love to see back in the new films:

10.  Malakili
The big soft Rancor keeper in Jabba the Hutt’s employ who blubbed like an itty bitty baby when Luke killed his prized pet. Bless him. Perhaps in Episode VII he could come face to face with Luke again - that would be a confrontation worth seeing.

9.  Bossk
Looking not unlike an undernourished T-Rex, Bossk was one of those ‘other’ bounty hunters hired by Darth Vader to find the Millennium Falcon. He failed where Boba Fett succeeded - and given where Fett ended up, that was a good thing for him. But what happened to Bossk next? Enquiring minds want to know.

8. Sabe
Well, we couldn’t ignore the prequels entirely - although to be fair, by the end of “Jedi” the droids, Luke and Leia are really the only characters surviving from the prequels... that we know of. Perhaps Padme's decoy Sabe is back on Naboo sitting in her rocking chair longing for the good old days when she used to wear uncomfortable amounts of make-up and excessively elaborate costumes so she could pretend she was Queen Amidala. And since Naboo is the planet that Luke and Leia hail from, it might be nice to revisit the place. And if we do, we’d much rather we see their mother’s best pal than one of those Gungan types...

7. Figrin D’an (and the Modal Nodes)
Popular during the Clone wars but reduced to performing in seedy cantinas on Tatooine for a living by the time Episode IV starts. Perhaps like so many Earth-bound boybands they could reform and embark on a reunion tour of the whole Republic?

6. Ponda Baba
Mos Eisley… never will you find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. Such as Ponda Baba, who attacked our Luke completely unprovoked and had his arm chopped off by Obi-Wan for his trouble. But what happened next? Did Baba get himself a bionic arm like Luke? And was he really insulting Luke or was he just complimenting his hair, as Robot Chicken would have us believe? Perhaps he and Luke should be reunited in Episode VII to put all those unanswered questions to rest.

6. 4-LOM
Another one of Vader’s Bounty Hunters, 4-LOM is no ordinary mercenary. He’s a protocol droid who rewrote his own programming and embarked on a life of crime, which makes him sort of like C3PO’s evil twin - surely worth seeing more of? Forget Episode VII, this guy needs his own spin-off...

4. Mon Mothma
Hugely overlooked in the films, considering she was one of the founders of the Rebel Alliance our protagonists all fight for. According to the (canon) novels that continue the story, Mon Mothma then became Chief of State, something which would seem a logical step whether the new movies follow the books or not. Therefore it seems that she is the most likely minor character to make a return in Episode VII - and it’s possible that many Bothans will die to make that happen.

3. Nien Numb
A minor character indeed, but an important one, Numb co-piloted the Millenium Falcon with Lando Calrissian in the battle of Endor, destroying the second death star. Big lipped but fairly non-vocal, his “Ya, haha” on escaping the death star just before it blew has to be the biggest under-reaction of all time.

2. Sy Snootles
That gorgeous long-limbed Pa'lowick, a popular singer and dancer whose patrons included Jabba the Hutt. We definitely need to see more of her, the girl’s got soul! Sing it with us now: “Cha tung ee-ma chay-choo raun ta-nee-ee-choo”...

1. Admiral Ackbar
Was there ever any doubt? Never has a character who appears in only a couple of scenes in an entire movie trilogy been as popular as this guy. Or should we say, this fish. Possibly the most quoted minor character from the Star Wars Universe, Ackbar’s infamous line “It’s a trap!” is so iconic, it’s even the title of the Family Guy Star Wars spoof. He may not have made his appearance until Return of the Jedi, but no self-respecting Star Wars movie would be complete without him.

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20 References To Old Who You Might Have Missed In New Who

So Series 7 of Doctor Who came to an end with a belter of an episode - more images of and references to Classic Who than you can shake a sonic screwdriver at, and one mother of a cliffhanger. Now, we have six months to wait for the bound-to-be-amazing 50th anniversary special, as Ten and Rose return to join Eleven and Clara in the conclusion to Matt Smith's extremely “wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey” story.

While we wait with baited breath for November to roll around, here’s a few references to Classic Who that have been dropped in here and there during Matt Smith’s tenure as the Eleventh Doctor. How many did you spot?

Series 5 - The Beast Below
1.    It is noted that Earth was abandoned in the 29th century due to solar flares. This was a central plot point of the Fourth Doctor serials “The Ark in Space” and “The Sontaron Experiment” (both 1975).

Series 5 - Amy’s Choice
2.       The Dream Lord says to the Doctor, "I bet you're a vegetarian!" in a butcher's shop and calls him "veggie", referring to the 1985 multi Doctor story “The Two Doctors” in which the sixth Doctor (Colin Baker), after a run-in with some hungry cannibals, announced that he and then companion Peri would eat a vegetarian diet from then on. Clearly fish is still on the menu though, given his penchant for fish fingers and custard.

Series 6 - A Christmas Carol
3.       In one of the many Christmas Eves the Doctor and Kazran spend with Abigail, they present themselves to her in long, stripy scarves - the Fourth Doctor's iconic trademark accessory.

Series 6 - The Impossible Astronaut
4.       “Brave heart, Canton” The Doctor says. This is a phrase the Fifth Doctor always used to use when talking to his companion Tegan Jovanka.

Series 6 - The Day of the Moon
5.       The Doctor and Rory discuss both having been present at the fall of Rome. Rory of course was there guarding the Pandorica but the Doctor was also present, in his first incarnation and indirectly caused the great fire of Rome in “The Romans”... Oops.

Series 6 - The Doctor’s Wife
References a-plenty in this one, unsurprisingly:
6.       The cube the Doctor receives at the start of the episode which he recognises as a message from the ‘Time Lord emergency messaging system’, is almost identical to (probably an updated version of) the cube the Second Doctor contact the Time Lords with in that Doctor’s swansong “The War Games”.

7.       When the Doctor first encounters the TARDIS in human form she refers to him stealing her - As New Who fans will know from the Series 7 finale, the First Doctor stole the TARDIS upon his exile from Gallifrey.

8.       When The Doctor and Idris are rebooting an old discarded TARDIS console, it strongly resembles the original console room in both shape and design.

9.       When talking about how he ‘patched up’ Auntie & Uncle, the Doctor says he used to have an umbrella like that. This is probably a reference to the umbrella carried by the Seventh Doctor, which amongst other things had a handle shaped like a question mark and a built-in fold-out seat. Nifty.

Series 6 - The Almost People
10.       Geeky Girl Helen's personal favourite ‘throwback’ moment comes when Ganger Doctor provides us with a plethora of old who references. While struggling with the Doctor's past regenerations, the Ganger misquotes the first ever episode: “One day we shall get back... yes, one day" as "one day we will get back... yes, one day"; speaks the Third Doctor’s catchphrase: “Reverse the polarity of the neutron flow”, and brilliantly speaks with the voice of the fourth Doctor (Tom Baker), asking: “Would you like a jelly baby?”. Genius.

Series 6 - The Wedding of River Song
11.       The eyedrives worn by Madam Kovarian and the characters in the alternate timeline are a tribute to the late great Nicholas Courtney, who wore an eyepatch when playing an alternative version of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart from a parallel universe in the intense 1970 season finale story “Inferno”. Courtney died in 2011 and there was not a dry eye amongst old who fans when, also in tribute, Steven Moffat included the Doctor discovering that his old friend had died. Blub.

Series 7 - Asylum of the Daleks
12.       Did you spot all the different incarnations of the Daleks? The production team located as many remaining models as they could find and had them shipped to the studio to use in this episode. They include the special weapons Dalek from the brilliant 1988 story “Remembrance of the Daleks” (a story worth mentioning in it’s own right even though it’s Old Who, for including a brilliant reference to much earlier episode - this story was set in late 1963 and Ace switches on a Television to hear a BBC announcer saying “Saturday viewing continues with an adventure in the new science fiction series, Doc-” before the scene cuts).

Series 7 - The Snowmen
13.       The Great Intelligence previously featured in the second Doctor serials “The Abominable Snowmen” and “The Web of Fear”, set in the 30s and 60s respectively. In both these stories, the Great Intelligence uses robot yeti as its physical presence. Not only that, but The Snowmen could be considered as a prequel to the Second Doctor Yeti stories. The events of The Web of Fear are certainly alluded to by the Doctor in The Snowmen when he presents the London Underground biscuit tin to the Great Intelligence in Dr Simeon's laboratory - The Intelligence states: "I do not understand these markings", in reference to the 1967 London underground map design on the tin. The Doctor remarks that the Underground is a "key strategic weakness in metropolitan living", referring to (and possibly setting in motion) the future Yeti attack on London via the Underground. Again - oops!

14.       As seen on her gravestone at the close of the episode, this version of Clara has the birthdate of 23 November, the date Doctor Who was first transmitted in 1963.

Series 7 - The Bells of Saint John
15.       The overall arc of Series 7 is of course the first question - Doctor Who? Clara asks that very question upon meeting the doctor - as did both previous versions of her that the Doctor has met. But Series 7 isn’t the first time this question has come up. It’s been a continual theme throughout the show’s history but most notably in the very first episode - when Ian Chesterton mistakenly refers to him as Doctor Foreman, the Doctor himself utters in surprise “Doctor Who?”, setting the stage rather nicely for this series, 50 years on. It’s like there was a plan all along...

Series 7 - The Rings of Akhaten
16.       The Doctor mentions to Clara that he had visited Akhaten long ago with his granddaughter. This is a reference to Susan Foreman (Carole Ann Ford), who travelled with his first incarnation following their exile from Gallifrey. This is the first explicit reference to Susan in New Who, although The Doctor has made vague references to having had a family - most notably Ten tells a shocked Donna that he was a father a long time ago after his daughter Jenny is created from his DNA.

Series 7 - Cold War
17.       The Doctor informs Clara that the TARDIS has "relocated" to the South Pole automatically as he accidentally reactivated the HADS (Hostile Action Displacement System) while fiddling with the controls. The HADS is one of the defence mechanisms of the TARDIS, and was first mentioned in the Second Doctor story The Krotons. Right from the off, the Doctor would often forget to manually set the HADS. In addition, the Ice Warriors were first encountered by the Second Doctor, and later the Third.

Series 7 - Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS
18.         The scene where Bram from the salvage ship tries to dismantle the TARDIS features audio clips from the very first episode, “An Unearthly Child”, the third doctor adventure “Colony in Space” (Jo Grant’s first TARDIS outing), and the fourth Doctor episode “The Robots of Death” (as well as from earlier episodes of New Who). Nice.

Series 7 - The Crimson Horror
19.       When the Doctor arrives, he mentions to Clara that he once spent ages trying to get a "gobby Australian" to Heathrow Airport, a reference to the Fifth Doctor’s companion Tegan Jovanka (played by Janet Fielding) and his efforts to get her back to Heathrow in the finale of Series 19, “Time Flight”. The Doctor obviously has Tegan on his mind when, like in “The Impossible Astronaut”, he utters that phrase again: "Brave heart, Clara," harking back to what he always used to say to Tegan. Aw.

Series 7 - Nightmare in Silver
20.       Webley calls the chess-playing Cyberman, "the 699th wonder of the universe," a reference to the Third Doctor adventure “Death to the Daleks” when the Doctor called the Exxilon city one of the 700 wonders of the universe. At its destruction, he comments that the universe will have to "make do with 699 wonders." And it will have to make do with 698 now.


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Geeky Dates For Your Diary: June

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


Saturday 1st

Alternative Press Fair @ No Dark Places
Alternative Press bring the small press to No Dark Places, the DIY music festival. From 11am – 5pm, artists will be exhibiting and selling their self published comix, zines, book arts, and prints, alongside a programme of film screenings, animation workshops and political talks.

Joe Hill @ Forbidden Planet London
Recipient of the Ray Bradbury Fellowship and the winner of the A.E. Coppard Long Fiction Prize, William Crawford, World Fantasy, British Fantasy, Bram Stoker and International Horror Guild Awards Joe Hill will be signing copies of his horror novel NOS4R2 at the Forbidden Planet London Megastore.

Comic Mash-Up: Carl Stimpson Exhibition @ Orbital Comics
Iconic comic characters collide on Carl Stimpson’s charged canvasses to create a chaotic cacophony of colour.

2D Northern Ireland Comic Festival
2D, the Northern Ireland Comics Festival is an annual event programmed by the Verbal Arts Centre celebrating and promoting comic book culture and all aspects of sequential art and storytelling. This year’s festival, exploring ‘The Art of Storytelling’ features a range of sessions, workshops and events across four jam-packed days in a range of locations across the city.


Thursday 6th

Alastair Reynolds @ Forbidden Planet Bristol
Award-winning science fiction writer Alastair Reynolds will be signing his third Doctor story, Doctor Who: Harvest Of Time from 6pm. He also appears at the London store on Fri 7th.


Friday 7th

009 Re:Cyborg
From the director of Ghost In The Shell: Stand Alone Complex comes this feature film based on the manga, Cyborg 009, written by renowned Japanese sci-fi manga authors, Shotaro Ishinomori. When unknown terrorists attempt to de-stabilize global civilization by blowing up skyscrapers all over the world, Dr. Isaac Gilmore's team of cyborgs are re-activated to combat the menace. Using their super-human powers they discover phenomenon far stranger than human masterminds.

After Earth
A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after events forced humanity's escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.


The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy: Extended Editions @ The Prince Charles Cinema
The Prince Charles treat LOTR fans to an epic marathon, screening all three extended editions of Peter Jackson's trilogy.



Saturday 8th
Stephen Lawhead @ Forbidden Planet London
Stephen Lawhead will be signing copies of the third book in his Bright Empires series, The Spirit Well.


Friday 14th

Man Of Steel
Henry Cavill dons the most famous of super suits for Zack Snyder's take on Superman as young journalist Clark Kent is forced to confront his secret extraterrestrial heritage when Earth is invaded by members of his race.

Nalini Singh @ Forbidden Planet London
The writer known as ‘the alpha author of paranormal romance’, Nalini Singh comes to London to sign copies of his highly anticipated new novel, Heart of Obsidian.


Thursday 20th

Seth Patrick @ Forbidden Planet London
Seth Patrick introduces his debut novel, Reviver, at the Forbidden Planet megastore in London this month.


Friday 21st

World War Z
United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to decimate humanity itself.

Drowntown Launch @ GOSH! Comics
2000AD alumni Robbie Morrison (Nikolai Dante) and Jim Murray (Batman/Judge Dredd) have embarked on a fully-painted epic set in a flooded futuristic London and Gosh! are launching the first volume with a party and art exhibition.


Saturday 22nd

East London Comics And Arts Festival 2013
Only in its second year, this fledgling event is developing a reputation for presenting the best comic book and graphic art by top international publishers and makers, together with original illustration for sale. The showcase aims to appeal to all ages, and a diverse programme includes workshops and tutorials, as well as mural art by New York illustrator Andy Rementer.There will also be a bar, food vendors and an outdoor lounge.

The Avengers Marathon @ The Prince Charles Cinema
From Iron Man to Avengers Assemble, this marathon screening is doing them all, back-to-back and in glorious 2D!

Labrynth Masquerade Ball @ The Prince Charles Cinema
With a pre-Show hosted by "David Bowie", this popular screening will feature a fancy-dress parade, with a prize for best dressed, the "Rules Of The Labyrinth" - who to cheer for, who to boo & who to wolf whistle (Jareth, obviously), audience-wide singing along to Dance Magic & everyone gets a goodie bag featuring a peach sweet, bubble blowers & party-popper to use during key moments in the film. Oh, and masks are a must. But that's a given with an event name like that.


Friday 28th

This Is The End
While attending a party at James Franco's house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse.

Sci-Fi All-Nighter @ The Prince Charles Cinema
From the director's cut of Alien to The Thing, The Fly, They Live, The Mist, and Predator, spend a night snuggled at the PC watching some of the best sci-fi movies of all time.


Feel free to get in touch if you've got anything to add to the list, or submissions for future months - just email geekygirlslovescifi@gmail.com.

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Vote For Your Favourite Female X-Man!

As Marvel are celebrating the female contingent of the X-Men with Brian Wood and Olivier Coipel's first issue of the Marvel NOW! series, we thought we'd do a bit of digging to find out which X lady is your favourite.

Does Rogue rev up your engine, do you swoon over Storm, or does Psylocke push your buttons?

All you need to do is go to our Facebook page and cast your vote! We've started with some of our favourites, but please do add your personal choices - we'll bring you the results at the end of the month. 

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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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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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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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From The Vaults: It Came! Interview Transcript Unearthed

Titan Comics and Dan Boultwood aren't doing things by halves when it comes to promoting the creator's upcoming title, It Came! 

In the past couple of weeks we've had a trailer, a very previous preview, and now comes a lovely bit of extra material in the form of a gorgeous cinematic poster and a rather giggleworthy transcript of a 1958 on-set interview with the comic's stars, Dick Claymore and Fanny Flaunders, unearthed from the archives at Pinetree Studios… or something.

Mr Boultwood's clearly having some fun with this project…

Radio transcript taken from Reginald Vermouth's un-aired interview with Dick Claymore and Fanny Flaunders for the popular wireless broadcast 'Cinemadrone'.

Date: August 16th 1958

Reginald:  Hello Cinemadroners, Reginald Vermouth here with more tittle-tattle from the Golden Age of cinema.  I'm sitting here in the bleak and intermittent sunshine on the Cornish Riviera with two of British cinema’s most, I would like to say ‘popular’, but instead let me say ‘recondite’ actors today: Mr Dick Claymore and Miss Fanny Flaunders. Hello.

Fanny:  Good Morning.

Dick:  What-ho.

Reginald:  Hello. Now, you're here currently finishing the last scenes from the upcoming Pinetree Studios production 'It Came!'  I was wondering if you could tell our most likely indifferent readers anything about that at all?

Fanny:  It's all rather exciting.  A giant alien robot has descended upon Earth from the heavens above and threatens the very Britishness of existence and life as we've become accustomed to it.  Can I say 'Britishness'? Is that a word?  At any rate, Dick and myself are the only people who can stop it – it's a terribly original and groundbreaking concept in filmmaking.

*Highly audible sound of ice cubes rattling around in a glass as liquid is poured.*

Reginald:  Mr Claymore, don't you think nine-thirty is a tad too early for a Scotch of quite that magnitude?

Dick:  It doesn't count if you haven't been to sleep yet, Old Boy.  Consider it a liquefied breakfast of sausage and eggs… except Scotch.

Reginald:  Well, quite. What would you say are your feelings on the production so far, Mr Claymore?

Dick:  It's been incredibly exciting, not to mention mysterious.

Reginald:  Mysterious?

Dick:  Yes, rather. You see, I don't actually read the script until ten minutes before going on set.  The Cinemadrone audience’s clue as to what's going to happen is as good and as vague as mine – thrilling stuff!  Could I get a top up?  Thanks awfully.

Reginald:  That doesn't seem like the most organised or indeed efficient way of going about things. However does that go down with the Director?

Fanny:  Fortunately, the Director is open to quite a high level of improvisation, almost to the    point where it makes no sense whatsoever.  You'd think he didn't have any idea of what was actually happening in the film. I'm sure it's all dreadfully clever really.

Dick:  Entirely insensible, Old Boy, entirely!

Reginald:  So would you say that there is what could be summed up as a ‘jovial atmosphere’ on set?

Dick:  I wouldn't say ‘jovial’. ‘Awkward’, perhaps.  ‘A seething hotbed of underlying tension and annoyance’, most definitely. I'll say ‘tolerable’ so as not to appear a rotter.

Fanny:  *Long pause* Er, what Dick means to say is that we all have an absolute ball on set.  Everyone gets on famously and we have a jolly good time.  Sometimes I absolutely cry with laughter.

Dick:  I cry when I get my payslip each month, and it's not from laughter. You know, looking at you through the bottom of this glass your head looks like it was sort of mashed together with a combination of root vegetables.

Reginald:  Indeed.

*Reginald confers with someone out of recording distance.*

Reginald:  Shall I keep going?  Right o’.

Uh, Mr Claymore, do you think it's accurate to say that, in general, you have been accused of simply playing yourself in all of your previous roles?

Dick:  Who else would I play?  I'll play me in all my subsequent roles, too.  I never wanted to be an actor, you know, I wanted to be a fireman or a deep-sea diver.   Anything with rubber, really.  It's the smell, you see.

Fanny:  Would you mind turning your head? Your breath is melting the clasp on my handbag.

Reginald:  I've heard that the special effects in this production are setting up to be almost as impressive as those found in ‘Gertie the Dinosaur’.  Would you care to extrapolate on this at all?

Dick:  Yes, indeed.  It's all very remarkable actually.  They film all of the robot-y and space-y bits in another studio down the road, then cut it all together with a bit of movie magic and it looks as though we're being chased by an enormous hemorrhoid from space or something.  I'm sure it's going to keep the audiences on the edges of their seats throughout! Though thinking about it, they probably use scissors and glue and not magic at all.

*A short pause as Dick’s face contorts.*

Dick:  I know what you've read in the papers, but I do love my wife, you know.

Reginald:  I beg your pardon?

Dick:  Mother, you see, dressed me in leotards until I was 15, you understand.  Frightfully rough on a boy, as we all know.

Reginald:  I think you've had enough, Mr Claymore.

Dick:  I'll tell you when I've had enough!

*Prolongued pause*

Dick:  I've had enough. Would you like to hear a song? Rule Britannia, three monkeys on a stick, one fell orf, and para--

*Interview cuts out to the sounds of scuffling and raised voices.*

It Came! #1 hits comic stores on Aug 7, 2013 and will be available on the iPad, iPhone, Web, Android and Kindle Fire, exclusively through the comiXology app and comiXology.com. 

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Geeky Dates For Your Diary: April

K-blimey there's a lot of stuff going on in April. Frankly, after compiling this list we're too exhausted to get excited about doing any of it - but we're sure we'll get over that soon enough. There is, after all, quite a bit to get excited about...
 
Monday 1st - Game Of Thrones Season 3 (Sky Atlantic, 9pm)
Roughly based on the first half of George R.R. Martin's A Storm Of Swords, the third season of Game Of Thrones promises lots and lots of sex and violence and… well, excellent telly.
skyatlantic.sky.com/shows/game-of-thrones

Tuesday 2nd - Touch Season 2 (Sky 1, 8pm)
Kiefer Sutherland returns as single father Martin Bohm, who's still trying to unravel the mystery behind his son Jake’s (David Mazouz) seemingly preternatural abilities.
sky1.sky.com/sky1hd-shows/touch

Wednesday 3rd - Dark Skies
As the Barret family's peaceful suburban life is rocked by an escalating series of disturbing events, they come to learn that a terrifying and deadly force is after them. Stars Keri Russell, Jake Brennan and Josh Hamilton.
www.darkskiesfilm.com

Wednesday 3rd - Terry Brooks @ Forbidden Planet
New York Times bestselling author puts in an appearance at Forbidden Planet's London megastore to sign his latest novel, Bloodfire Quest.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/terry-brooks-rare-uk-signing

Thursday 4th - The Big Bang Theory Season 6, Part 2 (E4, 8pm)
Sheldon, Leonard, Penny et al return for more japery and comedy geekdom.
www.channel4.com/the-big-bang-theory

Thursday 4th - Adam Christopher @ Forbidden Planet
The Empire State author comes to London to read from and sign an exclusive limited edition of his new novel, The Age Atomic - sequel to the superhero-noir fantasy thriller set in the other New York.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/launching-adam-christophers-age-atomic

Thursday 4th - Preview: 009 Re:Cyborg (3D) + Q&A @ BFI
Director Kenji Kamiyama and producer Tomohiko Ishiia introduce a screening of their unique contemporary anime followed by a Q&A.
www.whatson.bfi.org.uk

Saturday 6th - Ian Whates & Chris Beckett @ Forbidden Planet
Ian Whates and Chris Beckett appear together to sign their respective new releases. Whates offers up Growing Pains, a collection of nine stories that slip effortlessly between science fiction and dark, humanesque fantasy and examine the gaps between reality and the spaces that hide within us all. Beckett, meanwhile, will be promoting his new short story collection, The Peacock Cloak.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/ian-whates-and-chris-beckett

Saturday 6th - Mike, Linda & Louise Carey @ Forbidden Planet
The family-cum-creative partnership gather to sign their new fantasy novel, City Of Silk And Steel.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/mike-carey-linda-carey-and-louise-carey

Thursday 11th - Being Human US (Watch, 9pm)
The US remake of one of our favourite BBC shows finally hits UK screens. Sam Witwer, Meaghan Rath and Sam Huntington star as a vampire, ghost and werewolf who… well, you know the rest.
watch.uktv.co.uk

Thursday 11th - The War Of The Worlds Alive On Stage!
Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of The Worlds – Alive on Stage! The New Generation is coming to the big screen for the first time. Filmed in front of a sell-out audience at London’s O2 Arena on 15th December 2012, Alive! is a stunning musical multi-media extravaganza based on H.G. Wells’ dark Victorian tale of a Martian invasion of England. Starring Liam Neeson, Jason Donavan, Marti Pellow, and Ricky Wilson off of the Kaiser Chiefs.
www.thewaroftheworldscinema.com

Thursday 11th - Jeff Noon @ Forbidden Planet
Winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award Jeff Noon comes to Forbidden Planet to autograph copies of his brilliantly innovative and highly entertaining novel, Vurt.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/jeff-noon-signing-vurt

Friday 12th - Oblivion
A court martial sends a veteran soldier to a distant planet, where he has to destroy the remains of an alien race. The arrival of an unexpected traveler causes him to question what he knows about the planet, his mission, and himself. Stars Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman and Andrea Riseborough.
www.oblivionmovie.co.uk

Sunday 14th - Double Bill Screening: Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) / The Good Mother (1988)
Part of the Cinema Museum's Star Trek season, here's a chance to see possibly the best of the original movies on a big screen, as well as an opportunity to re-evaluate Leonard Nimoy's rarely seen drama.
www.cinemamuseum.org.uk/2013/star-trek-ii-the-wrath-of-khan-the-good-mother

Tuesday 16th - Defiance (Syfy, 9pm)
An epic fantasy drama combining the scope of a sci-fi blockbuster with the intimacy of a small-town drama.  Set in the near future, the series introduces an exotically transformed planet Earth, permanently altered following the sudden – and tumultuous – arrival of seven unique alien races. In this unknown and unpredictable landscape, the newly formed civilization of humans and aliens must learn to co-exist peacefully in a town called Defiance.
www.syfy.co.uk/defiance

Thursday 18th - John Matthews @ Forbidden Planet
The author of the bestselling book Pirates and How To See Faeries, John Matthews, brings Faeryland - his new interactive book about faeries - to Forbidden Planet.
forbiddenplanet.com/events/john-matthews-signing-faeryland

Friday 19th - DaVinci's Demons (Fox UK, 10pm)
Written by David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, the Blade franchise, and the upcoming Man of Steel), the series follows the 'untold' story of Leonardo Da Vinci: the genius during his early years in Renaissance Florence. As a 25-year old artist, inventor, swordsman, lover, dreamer and idealist, he struggles to live within the confines of his own reality and time as he begins to not only see the future, but invent it.
foxtv.co.uk

Friday 19th - Evil Dead
Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival, in this remake of the classic 1981 horror starring Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez and Jessica Lucas.
www.evildead-movie.com

Saturday 20th - Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill @ GOSH! Comics
Pat Mills & Kevin O'Neill celebrate the release of Marshal Law: The Deluxe Edition - collecting the original series plus Fear and Loathing, Takes Manhattan, Kingdom of the Blind, The Hateful Dead, Super Babylon and Secret Tribunal.
www.goshlondon.com/2013/03/pat-mills-and-kevin-oneill-marshal-law-signing

Tuesday 23rd - Lost Girl Season 3 (Syfy, 10pm)
Bo risks her freedom to do a favor for Lauren, only to discover she’ll have to do it “au natural,” as the supernatural crime drama returns. Elsewhere, the new Ash is revealed and Bo’s new appetites shock… has she not recovered from last season’s battle after all?
www.syfy.co.uk/shows/lost-girl-season-2

Wednesday 24th - Tom Gauld @ GOSH! Comics
Cartoonist Tom Gauld appears at Gosh! to sign copies of his new Drawn & Quarterly book You’re All Just Jealous Of My Jetpack, which collects eight years worth of strips are collected in a handsome hardcover.
www.goshlondon.com/2013/02/tom-gauld-launch-party-signing-youre-all-just-jealous-of-my-jetpack/

Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th - Sundance London
The second Sundance London is set to present four exciting days of live music, the UK premieres of American independent films fresh from the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, plus panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As and exclusive events. A must for movie fans.
www.sundance-london.com

Friday 26th - Iron Man 3
Robert Downey Jr. suits up once more in the concluding part of Marvel's Iron Man trilogy. When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, Stark starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.
uk.marvel.com/iron-man-3

Saturday 27th - E=MC Geeked
The first convention for fans of The Big Bang Theory features panels, photo and autograph sessions, evening entertainment and promises lots of fun. Guests include Kevin Sussman (Stuart), Brian Smith (Zack), Alice Amter (Mrs Koothrappali) and Aarti Mann (Priya).
www.rogueevent.co.uk/e-mc-geeked

Sunday 28th - Vendetta
Arrow fans will love this one-day event packed full of panels, photo and autograph sessions, evening entertainment and featuring Paul Blackthorn (Detective Lance), Susanna Thompson (Moira Queen) and Emily-Bett Rickards (Felicity).
www.rogueevent.co.uk/arrow

Sunday 28th - Wales Comic Con
Fans of comics, film, art, sports and, well, just about everything get the chance to meet the stars from all fields at this one-day event. Guests include Robert Picardo, Billy Boyd, Nicholas Brendon, Neil Edwards, Lee Bradley, Andy Lanning, Mike Collins, and more.
www.walescomiccon.com

Monday 29th - Lauren Beukes @ Forbidden Planet
The winner of last year’s Arthur. C. Clarke award will be reading from and signing her latest novel, The Shining Girls - hailed as "a masterpiece of thriller writing, quite unlike anything else in tone and conception".
forbiddenplanet.com/events/lauren-beukes-launching-shining-girls

Tuesday 30th - Sunday 5th May - Sci-Fi London Film Festival
The UK’s leading genre event returns, with Brit vampire flick Byzantium opening proceedings. 
www.sci-fi-london.com

Feel free to get in touch if you've got anything to add to the list, or submissions for future months - just email geekygirlslovescifi@gmail.com. 

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