Oh my geek!

5 things I won't do when I meet Amanda Tapping at a Stargate convention this weekend

2012-02-21T12:57:00.004Z

This weekend I'll meet Amanda Tapping at the Chevron 7.8 convention in London, and will henceforth have a full collection of team SG1 autographs and pictures for my geek collection. *applause*

But before I get carried away with how awesome this is, I need to remind myself what not to do when I meet someone famous from a TV show. So here are five things I won't be doing when I meet Amanda this weekend.

Pic: taken by me the last time I was in Abydos...

When I meet Amanda Tapping I won't...

1 ... call her Sam
We all get a little confused when we meet famous people, Joe Flanigan in particular has this effect on me, but that's never an excuse for mixing up fandom character names with real life people. Never call an actor by their character name EVER.

2 ...ask her about fan fiction
This is just good practice when meeting anyone famous, but perhaps more so in the sci fi verse where fanfiction often runs wild and smutty. It doesn't matter what kind of fic you read (dirty slashy porn or innocent alternative universe stories) keep it to yourself. Or discuss it with the people you're standing next to.

3 ...say that I thought Sanctuary was a bit shit so I only watched a few episodes
It's never a good idea to throw in this kind of insult by mistake. I've had plenty of time to watch Sanctuary, but the truth is I didn't enjoy the first few episodes enough to make it through the DVD. But I obviously won't tell her that, and if she asks me about Sanctuary I'll lie to her face and say I love it.

4 ...get carried away at the fan auction and buy the Q+A chair she's been sitting on all weekend
These chairs go for ridiculous money and it always shocks me how much people will pay for something that an actor has sat on. But then again, I'd be tempted to buy anything that Joe Flanigan has sat on. Or breathed on. Or walked by.

5 ...be dressed like her clone
This is a tricky one, as there are some truly amazing costumes at fan conventions and I have a lot of respect for people who make them and spend the weekend walking about the place posing for photos. But to look like Sam Carter you need to be petite and blonde, and I'm sure there will be legions of Sam-a-like-wannabes walking around the convention who are neither. Rule one - don't scare the guests.

The obligatory Valentine post

2012-02-14T17:04:00.001Z

Is today supposed to be about romance or rumpy? Not sure, but here are three of my favourite songs about that stuff.

Pic: taken by me, and we all know what this word means...

Flight of the Conchords - Business Time

Victoria Wood - the ballad of Barry and Freda

Monty Python - Sit on my face

Happy V day geeks!
love Anne xxx

Sherlock series 2 DVD extras - the good stuff

2012-02-02T13:47:00.002Z

I love DVD extras, they are the special sauce of my fangirl world. So when I received my Sherlock series 2 DVDs in the post I went straight to the good stuff.

Pic: taken by me outside the location of 221B in London

Sherlock series 2 includes a making-of style feature called Sherlock Unconvered as well as commentaries from cast and writers on A Scandal in Belgravia and The Hounds of Baskerville. Sadly no commentary on The Reichenbach Fall, but the episode is mentioned in the other extras so we do get a brief insight into the making of the story.

Here are the things I found interesting.

On...A Scandal in Belgravia

It was Sue Virtue's idea for Moriarty's ringtone to be Stayin' Alive based on her experience at a funeral when a mobile rang.
The cast and crew experienced double rainbows during filming outdoors in Wales for the hiker scenes.
The fireplace, wall, bed and sofa were all in the field for the hiker deduction scene.The bed-on-hydraulics effect got a round of applause on set for looking so awesome.
Benedict Cumberbatch fell over during the bed sheet scene, but couldn't break is fall with his hands because they were wrapped in the sheet. He went down like a plank.
Mark Gatiss would call a ladies version of Sherlock's coat a Sherlocketta.
Cumberbatch didn't mind getting whacked by Lara Pulver.
They all thought I AM SHER LOCKED was obvious, in fact they were very worried at the first screening.
Cumberbatch's favourite line from the episode is when Sherlock is fuddled from the syringe and trying to communicate with John about "..the woman, the woman woman!".
The newspaper article "Refit for historical hospital" pointed directly at the camera during one scene is a clue to The Reichenbach Fall.
The Cluedo board pinned to the wall is explained in The Hounds of Baskerville.
Regarding Cumberbatch's hair being dyed, he was told to add ketchup in the event that his love of swimming turned it green.
Cumberbatch can play three or four pieces on the violin. He wants to get better.
The 1895 hit count on John's blog is a shout out to the year when Sherlock was at the peak of his game in the books.
"She's so sparkly, so pretty and he's being such an arse!" - Cumberbatch on Sherlock's exchange with Molly Hooper when he's x-raying the camera phone.
Gatiss found it amusing that Mycroft's number plate ends in KOX.
The extras on the plane of death all fell asleep during filming, some snored.
The scene outside/inside Speedy's at the end was filmed on one of the London riot days last year, police suddenly told the cast and crew to leave the location so they all fled.
Steven Moffat refers to the closing scene of Sherlock saving Irene Adler as "Lawrence of Cumberbatch".

On... The Hounds of Baskerville

The boy playing the young Henry could have been Russell Tovey's nephew, but in the end they opted for another child actor who had sticky-out ears.
Sherlock and the harpoon is a shout out to the Sherlock story Black Peter.
The artist impression of the hound was drawn by Virtue and Moffat's son, then coloured in by Virtue.
Tovey wanted to take things from the 221B set home with him. But he didn't (or so he claims).
There are two Little John's in this story: Clive Mantle (Robin of Sherwood) and Gordon Kennedy (BBC's Robin Hood).
They went for a Kubrick look and feel to the inside of Baskerville, including the lovely lens flares. It was actually filmed in a microchip lab.
The Baker Street set was flood damaged while in storage.
Gatiss and Moffat spent ages worrying whether Sherlock should drive or not, but then found out that Martin Freeman can't drive so Cumberbatch had to.
Tovey went on tape for the role of Henry during a lunch break from shooting Him and Her.
Gatiss and Moffat like taking an element of Conan Doyle and doing something cheeky with it - like the signals on the moor that turn out to be dogging motorists.
They used a split diopter camera lens to get Cumberbatch and Freeman both in focus for the fireplace deduction.
The wardrobe team found it difficult to find a Christmas jumper when they were shooting in May.
A summer version of Sherlock's coat was made but it just didn't work.
Moffatt was sitting behind the kitchen island talking Tovey through the action of the patio light scene.
When we see Sherlock on the rock it's the same rock as used in the Doctor Who episode The Sontaran Experiment.
Rupert Graves' tan was real, he'd just come back from holiday.
The beardy colonel was played by an actor who played a medium in an episode of Being Human.
They staged a photo shoot for the HOUND project team with hair and clothes to make Clive Mantle look younger but it looked terrible. They photoshopped the picture instead.
Neither Gatiss nor Moffatt got a HOUND jumper.
Sherlock's vision of Moriarty behind the mask was filmed under a tent in North Gower Street (the 221B exterior location).
There was originally a different ending showing Moriarty walking into the Tower of London.

On...The Reichenbach Fall

It really is Benedict Cumberbatch falling from the roof of St Barts - wearing a wire of course, and not actually falling as far as you think.

On... Sherlock in general

There will never be any book versions of the show - "If you want to read Sherlock Holmes novels you should read the originals." - Moffat

If you haven't bought your Sherlock series 2 DVDs yet - then get to it!

Three things to do after saying Goodbye Chuck

2012-01-29T13:38:00.000Z

So, you're wearing your Nerd Herd t-shirt, you've watched Chuck v Sarah and Chuck v The Goodbye, you're feeling sad but satisfied that the show ended where it did.... what's a Chuck fan to do next?

Pic: a precious thing I picked up at Comic Con 2010

Here are three things you should do to help chase the nerd sadness away.

1. Watch this interview with Team Bartowski as they were shooting the finale. It will make you smile.

2. Watch the pilot episode again - you've probably not seen it for a while.

3. Then watch this again.

Goodbye Chuck. Thank you for giving us the ending the show deserved - with no easy way back to happier times.

Goodbye Chuck

2012-01-27T17:12:00.001Z

Tonight Team Bartowski face their final mission - the end of five seasons of spy jinx, Intersect flashes, romance, laughs, tears, Subway sandwiches, fights, family drama, explosions, shock twists, kung fu, Jeffster performances, geeky guest stars and so much more that if I wrote it all here I'd start weeping nerd tears of sadness.

It's not always been perfect, but it's mostly been awesome. Goodbye Chuck, thanks for spreading the nerd.

Pic: my precious from Starfury T1 convention

Chuck vs Sarah and Chuck vs The Goodbye air on NBC tonight. Nerds across the world will weep.

One reason to watch... W.E (2011)

2012-01-15T13:46:00.002Z

One reason to watch W.E - style.

Hayley from Roeni event stationery and styling shares her thoughts on W.E, after walking the red carpet at the London Film Festival premiere last year.

Pic: Madonna and cast at the London Film Festival screening

It’s pretty hard to review a film directed by Madonna without mentioning the lady herself. In fact it’s pretty hard to review a film directed by Madonna when the lady herself is sitting in the room with you. Not now of course. But she was when I watched this film at the BFI Film Festival in Leicester Square.

In a rare local outing, the queen graced us with her presence before, during and for quite a little while after the film was shown, chatting relaxed and natural (well maybe not the face) about the film she has co-written, produced and directed, lovingly and painstakingly over the last three years. Unfortunately for Madonna, she is swimming against a mass tide of head shaking, lip wrinkling, Perez-a-likes, who decided upon first rumour of this production that it would be abysmal. Ever the master of controversy, she decides to make her first film about probably one of the most despised women of recent British history. Whilst Madonna is flawlessly explaining he reasons, post-showing, you can’t help but realise the natural affinity between the two women. Wallis Simpson has been one of the most unpopular victims of propaganda for the best part of 80 years. And all because she fell for a prince.

In W.E, a fair and frank story is told, through the eyes of modern day Wallis fangirl (named strangely enough - Wally), of a glamourous fun loving girl who married once an evil, abusive soldier. Secondly a kind, generous but safe option of a man, and who got drawn into an exciting affair with the Heir to the thrown of England. This Heir quickly became obsessed with her and saw a chance of normality, much to the disgust of little bro Lawrence Fox (cute, but no Colin Firth) and snooty wife Elizabeth (Helena BC, your crown is safe). Wallis knew this would never be allowed and begged him not to confess all. She knew she would lose her freedom and most definitely her dignity. A side to Wallis we have never been allowed to witness.
The film is beautiful and really quite sensual to watch. Andrea Riseborough is so watchable. She is stunning and immaculately dressed throughout, wearing replicas by Dior and Vionnet of original Wallis dresses and never an ebony hair or scarlet lip out of place.

Some of the filming in the beginning was a little too swishy from the third row, thus making me want to throw up my complimentary green and blacks. But I managed to keep it down thankfully as the pace slowed down and the story picked up.

Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely a few bits that could be ironed out. To name a few: a bit of dragged out script, a bit too little script, a slightly unnecessary but none-the-less handsome Russian, a part where it could have ended but then didn’t, and went on a bit, but then got really good again... But overall, W.E is compelling throughout, not at all self indulgent and definitely worth a watch. Forget your Madge preconceptions. She knows how to thought-provoke and she certainly knows what looks good.

I’m off to comb out my marcel waves and slip on a tea dress.

One reason to watch... Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia

2012-01-02T19:18:00.000Z

One reason to watch Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia - "We solve crimes, I blog about it and he forgets his pants."

A Scandal in Belgravia is the opening feature of Sherlock's second series of BBC adventures, and is delivered with the kind of confidence you'd expect from the curly haired sleuth himself. There's the usual intrigue, wit and interesting camera angles we got in the first three episodes, but this time mixed with the kind of emotional angst that so many TV shows get horribly wrong. But fear not, writer Steven Moffat knows what he's doing.

This story is really all about the relationships, and includes some lovely moments between Mrs Hudson and "the boys" as well as the intense staring competitions between Sherlock and Irene Adler. This is Sherlock 2.0 with some big stories to tell - I can't wait for the next two episodes.

And yes, I giggled at a nearly-naked Sherlock in Buckingham Palace too.

Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia was premiered at the BFI in December 2011, take a peek at the cast Q+A below.

And if you want to get REALLY into the fandom, check out John Watson's blog about his adventures with Sherlock.

2011 - my geeky year in review

2011-12-28T12:29:00.000Z

It's that time of year when we feel compelled to look back and ponder what the point of the last 365 days has been. Thankfully, 2011 has been full of memorable geeky moments for me.

2011 was the year...

... I met Richard Dean Anderson, the mullet-wearing icon from MacGyver and the man who put the star into Stargate SG:1. He's filled out (a lot) since he quit telly but he was charming and had some great stories to tell.

... I met David Tennant and managed to stay calm and composed. It was very very VERY difficult not to squee like a typical fangirl or do any of these things.

... I saw Glee live with my niece and swooned at the glorious talents of The Warblers. Boys in blazers clearly have some sort of appeal for me.

... I discovered Being Human and Misfits and added them to my fandom box. Then I cried when George staked Mitchell and when Nathan got locked in a Las Vegas prison.

... Fringe totally messed with my head in the season 3 finale when Peter was erased from existence. "WTF?!" didn't cover it.

...Chuck cast and crew made us cry at Comic Con when Zachary Levi thanked fans for supporting the show, and even more when they wrapped season five and the entire series on December 7. Twitter errupted with equal amounts of sadness and thanks.

Thank you 2011 for being particularly amazing. But not as amazing as this picture of me in a Captain America helmet.

Pic: Yes, this is me. Sorry.

10 things to buy a fangirl like me for Christmas

2011-12-06T19:46:00.001Z

Christmas is a time for giving.... and if you're a geeky fangirl like me it's that time of year you can get all the stuff you've secretly wanted for ages but felt too ashamed to buy for yourself. Here are 10 geeky things I'd like for Christmas (in no particular order).

1. Tyrell corporation hoodie, Last Exit To Nowhere.
I've always fancied a career delivering the Voight-Kampff test.

2. A life size TARDIS, This is planet earth.
My garden needs one, end of.

3. Han Solo in carbonite silicone tray, Firebox
The only chocolate bar I want to eat is one shaped like a a scruffy-looking nerf-herder frozen in carbonite.

4. Firefrog print, James Hance
The Firefly verse meshed together with the Muppets!

5. Battlestar Galactica propaganda posters, ThinkGeek
We all need to do our bit for humanity.

6. Marvel headphones, Truffle Shuffle
When I listen to tunes I want to be reminded that The Avengers is coming.

7. Misfits badges, Official Products
I just want a badge that says Monkey Slut, is that wrong?

8. Mulder's office poster, All Posters
I had one at university and it got trashed.

9. Star Trek red shirt, Nerdyshirts
I'm not scared of being a red shirt, makes life more interesting. And dangerous.

10. Farscape DRD plush toy, Amazon
A little piece of Moya for the family to enjoy - lovely!

Other stores selling geekery are also available.

Pic: by me

One reason to watch... 50/50 (2011)

2011-11-23T11:38:00.001Z

One reason to watch 50/50 (2011) - it's not all about the bromance.

Pic: courtesy of FilmFirstMedia

A film about a 20-something with spinal cancer, based on a real life experience of diagnosis and survival, doesn't exactly sound like a buddy movie. But that's what 50/50 is being billed as, and it isn't entirely accurate.

Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and his best friend Kyle (Seth Rogen) live in Seattle and work in public radio. Adam has a girlfriend (Bryce Dallas Howard) who isn't exactly committed to their relationship, and a mother (Angelica Huston) who cares for his father and whose calls he never returns. Adam is diagnosed with a rare form of spinal cancer (the serious kind with a long name), and starts chemotherapy treatment at the hospital and counselling sessions with yet-to-be-qualified therapist Katherine (Anna Kendrick). Adam goes through his treatment in a calm daze, but soon comes to realise that despite what people keep saying, he may not be fine.

This film really isn't all about the bromance. Adam has to re-evaluate his relationships with all the important people in his life (parents, girlfriend, best friend) and change the way he deals with them. It's just that the bromance between Adam and Kyle is so well played by JGL and Rogen that it's easy to mistake it for the most important relationship of the film. And when you know that the story is based on the experience of Rogen's writer pal Will Reiser, you can understand why the banter between Adam and Kyle is so convincing.

Rogen tries his best to overwhelm this film with the kind of sex jokes and yelling that he's infamous for, but JGL's performance is just too good to let him. You'll belly laugh one moment, and then break your heart the next. Or, if you're like me, you're fine until JGL cries and then you're done for.

This is one of those rare films that is really really great from beginning to middle to end. No big clumsy moments of Hollywood emotion, no cancer treatment montages, no grand gestures, just real people finding their way through a horrible situation. With the occasional weed-infused macaroon.

Adam: "No one wants to fuck me. I look like Voldemort."

50/50 goes on general release at the end of November.

When Chuck fans say thank you

2011-11-07T17:24:00.000Z

Chuck fans recently made a pilgrimage to LA for the third, and probably the last, #Chuckfest event.

Wendy thanks the tweeps who made #Chuckfest3 happen

#Chuckfest has been organised by a number of fans in partnership with perhaps the most fan-friendly production crew in television. The team behind NBC's Chuck are known for their close ties with their fanbase, as well as some of the most rowdy and fun panels at San Diego Comic Con.

Pic: taken by me at the Chuck panel, Comic Con 2010

This year the We Give a Chuck fansite called for fans around the world to show their appreciation for all things Bartowski by sending in pictures of themselves in Chuck gear, meeting Chuck cast and crew, and saying thank you to the team behind our favourite nerd in their native language. And this is what they put together. You may need to click through to watch this on YouTube directly...

The reason I like this video isn't (just) the fact that one of my pictures appears within the first few minutes. I like this video because it demonstrates the best part of being an active fan - getting the chance to thank the people who entertain you and to receive their thanks for supporting their show.

Every guest at every fan convention I've been to has talked about how rewarding it is to meet fans in person and geek out about their shows. And no matter how random/scary/weird you may think active fans are (and some of them really really are), you'll be amazed at how lovely it feels to cheer and applaud people you've seen on TV when they're sitting right in front of you. The fandom world is all about sharing the love of your show with the people who make it, as well as with other fans like you.

Thank you #Chuckfest. Thank you Chuck.

Zachary Levi thanks the fans. *sob*

For some great photos from #Chuckfest3 check out Chuckgasmic.

5 things I can't do at the Chevron 7.7 convention this week

2011-11-01T20:22:00.000Z

I’m getting my geek on at the Chevron 7.7 Stargate convention this weekend, having booked as soon as Ben Browder was announced as the headline guest. Ben is best known as the delightfully leather-clad John Crichton in Farscape, but he also popped across verses to appear in the last two seasons of Stargate SG:1.

Pic by me: stalker-view of Ben at a previous convention

Unfortunately, Ben has cancelled his appearance at the Massive Events convention, which is a shame but not something you can control when you book a ticket.

Here are 5 things I won’t get the opportunity to do at the convention:

1. Ask him why he isn’t wearing leather pants (and mention how nice his arse is).*

2. Call him Crichton by mistake. Or scream it to his face ("Criiiiiiichtonnnnnnn!").*

3. Ask him if he’s read any Crichton/D’Argo slash fiction, and could he recommend any to me.* **

4. Demand that he whip out Winona for me to see.*

5. Yell “For frell’s sake!” very loudly at him during a nice conversation.*

Massive Events have secured replacement guests to make up for Ben, which will hopefully wipe the tears of disappointment from my fangirl face. I’m still hoping that at least one person is in Scorpius cosplay though, as I think that would be freakishly awesome.And just the right amount of inappropriate.

*I clearly wouldn’t have actually done these things, just so you know.

** I'm not a slash fiction fan but I have no problem with others enjoying the genre, as long as they don't read it aloud to me.

Getting my geek on at the Entertainment Media Show

2011-10-06T21:04:00.000+01:00

I'd never been to a gathering of geeks by myself until the Entertainment Media Show in London last weekend. It was, let's just say, a sticky experience.

Pic by me: at the Entertainement Media Show

The temperature at Earls Court was soaring, which meant that all the geeks waiting in line at the Entertainment Media Show were sweating more than usual. I know I was. I usually go to geek events with my sister or my entire gang of fangirls (you know who you are), but for once in my life I was a girl geek alone amongst many many others swarming around Earls Court.

My first solo trip to a convention had three aims:

1. Get my picture taken with David Tennant (without grinning like a stalker).

2. Get my picture taken with Joe Flanigan (without drooling at him).

3. Don't buy merchandise I don't need and can't really afford.

I managed the first two (I think) but not the third. Amongst other things, I now own this :)

Pic not by me

Some random moments from the show:

The queue for Eve Myles ruined my perfect view of Joe Flanigan.
Everywhere you looked there were Doctor-alikes, including a Matt Smith guy with a TARDIS wrapped around his head.
David Tennant is ridiculously scrawny.
There were some adorable children dressed as Tennant and Smith Doctors, but I think their parents forced them to wear their costumes...
Joe Flanigan had a sweaty back when I put my arm around him for the photo.
The weeping angel (below) was amazing. And she had a bag to match her outfit!

Pic by me: whatever you do, don't blink.

10 things I won't do when I meet David Tennant on Sunday

2011-09-29T20:46:00.002+01:00

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a fangirl meeting a famous actor is likely to freak them out.

But I'm an experienced convention-goer and haven't embarrassed myself or acted like a total stalker (yet). On Sunday I'll be one of many of geeks at Earls Court for the Entertainment Media Show.And I'm one of the lucky people who snapped up a photo ticket with David Tennant as soon as they went on sale.

Pic by me

I'm going to this event alone as my usual team of fangirls can't come, so I need to be extra careful not to get whipped into a frenzy by the people around me who'll be after Tennant. With that in mind, here are ten things I won't be doing:

1. I won't be taking a gift for his baby daughter
Seriously, do people think actors let their children anywhere near gifts from total strangers? I sure as hell wouldn't.

2. I won't ask a detailed question about Doctor Who
He didn't write the show, he was paid to be in the show.

3. I won't ask him personal questions about his life
Do you tell total strangers intimate details of your private life?

4. I won't call him David Ten-inch
Billie Piper could get away with it, random fans can't.

5. I won't try and squeeze his bum when I get my picture with him
That kind of behaviour gives normal geeks a bad name and leads to being banned from events. See the infamous Supernatural "flying fangirl" incident.

6. I won't take a sonic screwdriver with me
He won't be dressed as The Doctor, so what's the point?

7. I won't say I'm his number one fan
Sounding like Annie Wilkes will not melt his heart. In fact, it's likely to scare the crap out of him.

8. I won't ask him what he thinks of Matt Smith
That will just lead to awkward silence.

9. I won't ask him if he's coming back to Who
He's done other things since Who, he's not going to return, end of.

10. I won't ask that infamous fan question - boxers or briefs?
I've sat in a convention hall and cringed at this question being asked by an over-excited fangirl at the microphone. Just. Don't. Ask. It. Ever.

When brides meet geeks

2011-09-28T09:00:00.003+01:00

Brides and geeks will collide in London this weekend as the National Wedding Show and the Entertainment Media Show are neighbours at Earls Court. I wonder how many people are going to both?
Well, I am.

I'll be at the National Wedding Show giving some PR love to the style gurus behind Roeni event stationery and styling and I'll be at the Entertainment Media Show with thousands of other fans who want a moment with David Tennant.

I'm really hoping to see some crossover between the two. Maybe some sci-fi brides-to-be in their cosplay outfits stopping by the Wedding Show to find the perfect tiara.... Or maybe even some of the guests at the EMS looking for wedding cupcakes at the show...

Either way, I guess I just want to see what happens when two sets of emotionally charged audiences collide - brides after a discounted dress and geeks after some face time with their favourite actors.

You won't like either of them when they're angry.

Pic by me: bride or geek?

One reason to watch... Fringe: Neither here nor there (4x01)

2011-09-24T22:14:00.004+01:00

One reason to watch... Fringe: Neither here nor there - it's a whole new show (sort of).

Pic: taken by me at Comic Con 2010

If you want to know where Peter Bishop is, this episode won't explain. But it will serve as an opening episode to any new people to the Fringe universe, and provide a few tasty character moments for existing fans who've been yelling "WTF?!" since the cliffhanger of season three.

"Neither here nor there" picks up a few weeks after the end of season three, with Peter never having reached adulthood in either universe. The lab at Harvard still exists, but now serves as Walter's home/self-made prison as well as the focus of investigations. Into the everyman role steps Agent Lincoln Lee, the Lee from this side, who becomes embroiled in freaky goings-on when his partner is killed. Joe Flanigan spends a significant amount of his minimal screen time wandering around in his boxers, which I have absolutely no problem with.

There's some body horror back in the mix (yey!) and a Walter who hasn't had "anything to tether him to the world", making him barely functional. He also keeps seeing a strange man in the mirror...

This season opener feels very much like a refresh, but has enough references to Fringe episodes gone by to show some love to loyal fans who don't need everything explaining all over again. It's also nice to see September the Observer still having to deal with the consequences of saving Walter and Peter from the frozen lake all those years ago. I think he's my new hero.

One reason to watch... Drive (2011)

2011-09-24T20:43:00.001+01:00

One reason to watch... Drive - it proves that most films have way too much dialogue.

Pic: Courtesy of FilmFirstMedia

Nicolas Winding Refn's Drive confused my senses. One minute it feels like an 80s hard man movie, the next I'm hypnotised by the performances, the music and the cinematography. And of course, Ryan Gosling.

On the outside it's your typical high concept film - hollywood stunt driver sidelines as a wheelman who doesn't ask questions, then gets in over his head when a heist goes wrong. Based on the summary on the IMDB listing alone I shouldn't love this film. But I was mesmerised.

Yes, mostly by Ryan Gosling but not just because of his face or his biceps. His character, named only as Driver in the credits, spends most of the story not talking. There are seriously long moments of not talking throughout this film - often when he's driving, mostly when he's with Irene (Carey Mulligan), and especially when he's channelling Patrick Bateman and going a bit (American) psycho.

This is the kind of film that reminds me why I love going to the cinema. It surprised me, moved me, upset me and I suspect will stay with me for a long time.

Go see it. I'm off to download the soundtrack (you will too).

One reason to watch... The Fades: episode 1

2011-09-22T20:25:00.001+01:00

One reason to watch The Fades: episode 1 - the world is a dark and scary place.

Pic by cultfix.com

New BBC Three supernatural drama The Fades had me pretty much at the opening titles. One glimpse of a vampire-like creature chowing down on a girl in an alleyway and I'm hooked.

After the recent disappointment of the once glorious Torchwood (don't get me started about Miracle Day), I was relieved to see that BBC Three has once again given us a dark, dirty, scary world to watch every week. And any show that kills off two important characters in the opening episode is definitely worth a look. Just don't freak out at the eyeball moments...

One reason to watch... Castle: Rise (season 4, episode 1)

2011-09-20T21:08:00.001+01:00

One reason to watch... Castle: Rise (season 4 episode 1) - "I remember everything." (Spoilers ahead)

Pic: from Cafepress.com

Previously on Castle... Captain Montgomery was revealed as the third cop involved in the underworld abductions that led to Beckett's mum being murdered. But rather than hand Beckett over to the killer hired to clean up the trail, he sacrifices himself to keep her safe and takes out the bad guys in the process. Team Beckett agree to keep Montgomery's involvement secret, but then at his funeral a sniper shoots Beckett in the chest. Castle tries to tackle her out of the way, and tells her he loves her before she passes out.

Phew. Writing it out like that reminded me how emotional the last episode of season three was! I wasn't sure what to expect from the season four opener and I was really really hoping the show didn't use the reset button to wipe away the emotional scars of the cliffhanger by the credits. And thankfully, it didn't. Much. The usual murder of the week is here, but what makes the episode work is the overwhelming feeling that, like Ryan says, "it''s not like it was before."

Stana Katic is great in this episode, presenting a tough but more vulnerable Beckett than we've ever seen before. The look of terror on her face when she has a gun pointed at her for the first time since her shooting is unnerving. I was annoyed that writer Andrew Marlowe deployed the amnesia device to avoid dealing with the aftermath of Castle's "I love you Kate", but quickly forgave him when she fessed up to the psychologist at the end of the episode. I should know better than to judge an episode before I've finished watching it...

All in all, the 12th precinct isn't what it used to be. New Captain, broken Beckett, and Castle trying to figure out who is behind the shooting without anyone finding out. I'm looking forward to where this season takes us.

Captain Hammer or ASBO teenager?

2011-09-20T16:43:00.001+01:00

My latest Oh my geek! Wordle confused me - I haven't blogged about Mr Fillion recently....

Then I remembered my Misfits marathon and my world made sense again.

Get your very own Worldle.

The dark side (of Marmite)

2011-09-20T09:36:00.000+01:00

I'm the kind of fangirl who takes every opportunity to buy something geeky for a birthday or Christmas present.
If I'm related to you or friends with you, then you're more than likely to get something a little bit sci fi beneath the wrapping paper. I give these gifts of geekdom in the hope that whoever receives them will love and respect them the same way I would.

Imagine my shock when I see the Star Wars cookbook I bought my sister snuggling up to the evil Marmite cook book! The horror! Yoda would not be happy with this.

Pic: taken by me

If you'd like your very own Star Wars cookbook you can buy one from Amazon. I have no idea where the Marmite one is from, and frankly I couldn't care less.

One reason to watch...Misfits: Vegas baby!

2011-09-18T14:58:00.003+01:00

One reason to watch...Misfits: Vegas baby! Nathan: "Did you ever see a man shit a rabbit out of his arse?"

Pic: taken by me during my Vegas adventure...

I've arrived late to the Misfits world and have spent the last week or so watching back to back episodes to catch me up before series three starts. But before that, there's a little online short that all fans of the ASBO five need to watch to explain where Nathan is when series three kicks off (now that Robert Sheehan has moved on to other things like Killing Bono).

The Christmas special episode ended with Alisha, Simon, Kelly, Curtis and Nathan buying new super powers from the mysterious dealer guy on the estate. Misfits: Vegas baby! finds a newly super powered-up Nathan in Las Vegas with girlfriend Marnie and Nathan Junior, ready to take on the casinos with his new power... being able to conjure things out of nothing.Yes, he's a real life magician.

Rather than become Ireland's answer to David Copperfield, Nathan decides to play the dice and get rich. But of course, being Nathan, he's likely to f**k things up... and perform a unique rabbit trick.

So long Nathan, you'll be missed. You can watch Misfits:Vegas baby! on 4OD.

10th Doctor will regenerate in London next month

2011-09-08T20:55:00.000+01:00

If you have plans for Sunday 2 October, cancel them now. The 10th Doctor is coming to London...

Pic: taken my my sis in 2007.. with cardboard Tennant

Showmasters have pulled off something I thought they never would and secured David Tennant for a day of photos on Sunday 2 October at the Entertainment Media Show, Earls Court in London. I've bought my ticket and am now wondering how many 10th Doctor lookalikes will storm the exhibition hall next month....

One reason to watch... Super 8

2011-09-06T16:57:00.000+01:00

One reason to watch... Super 8: it's not E.T for a new generation.

To all the people writing that Super 8 is the new E.T - you are so wrong! Super 8 is so completely not E.T. Unless E.T was about an effing huge alien, equally inclined to kick the crap out of you or eat you, who had been imprisoned and brutalised by the U.S airforce.

Just saying.

One reason to watch ... Colombiana

2011-09-06T08:56:00.000+01:00

One reason to watch... Colombiana: the final fight between Cataleya and Marco.

It's an awesome pay off to the entire cat and mouse game throughout the film. And if you're a Chuck fan like me, you might also think it looks like a Sarah Walker versus [insert bad guy name here] smackdown. It's totally brutal, evenly matched, and uses the enclosed space of a bathroom creatively as well as an excuse to smash heads into ceramic.

Thanks Show Film First for the freebie ticket.

Marvel versus DC

2011-08-30T14:28:00.000+01:00

Do you know your Marvel superheros from your DC superheros?

Pic: taken by me

I kind of do. But there are so many superhero movies around (especially this summer) it's difficult to know what verse they're from and whether they're best mates with Bruce Wayne or more likely to hang out with Tony Stark.

If you need to compare your superheroes, scoot over to YouTube and take a look at the videos posted by ItsJustSomeRandomGuy. They are awesome and informative - a powerful combination.

The latest video compares Green Lantern and Captain America, with added badassery from some of The Avengers.

OK Go + The Muppets = big disappointment?

2011-08-25T17:04:00.001+01:00

Is it just me, or is the OK Go and The Muppets collaboration a real let down?

Pic: from crunchbang.org

I was looking forward to something bizarre, original and visually entertaining. But I was just plain B.O.R.E.D. So I watched this treadmill treat again to make me feel better about the boys. I suggest you do the same.

There's always room for Robot Chicken

2011-08-21T17:18:00.000+01:00

I never tire of Robot Chicken. Even when you've watched all the Star Wars clips you can manage (and there are many) there's always other delights to find on YouTube. Like these for example...

Robot Chicken v The Smurfs

2011-08-13T20:42:00.000+01:00

Can anyone tell me if this Robot Chicken clip is better than the entire Smurfs movie?

Comic Con 2011 - five fab geek moments

2011-08-07T19:05:00.002+01:00

As you may have already noticed from the latest posts on here, I *heart* Comic Con. Thousands of geeks, nerds, gamers, fanboys and fangirls swarmed around the San Diego Convention Centre a few weeks ago but I wasn't one of them. *sad face*

Pic: taken by me at Comic Con 2010

I made the trip to San Diego last year with my sister and three friends in tow and we had the geekiest experience of our fangirlish lives. As explained enthusiastically here. But we're not made of money and don't have a rich benefactor to sponsor our geek trips so this year we've had to wait patiently for fans and news sites to upload content and share what happened.

So for the last few weeks I've been reading, watching and generally digesting what went on at Comic Con 2011 and I've found five awesome things about this year's event. And here they are in no particular order.

Andrew Garfield: spideygeek
Unexpected moments are what Comic Con is all about. The schedule is posted a few weeks before to help you plan each day, but to be honest you never really know what's going to happen. Case in point in Hall H this year - a guy wearing a kids party Spidey costume grabs the microphone before the panel has even started and wants to share with the audience how much he loves Spiderman. Then the guy takes off his mask to reveal he's also Andrew Garfield, the latest actor to get into the spandex for Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-man.

Fillion fangirl gets her dream cameo during the Castle panel
You know that Nathan Fillion and the Castle team won't let you down when fans are involved. And one lucky fangirl was plucked from the audience to read out the show intro script nestled in the shoulder of her favourite space cowboy.And she handled is so well - no inappropriate touching or crying at all! Fillion fangirl, you did us proud.

Zachary Levi tears up at the end of the Chuck panel
The team behind Chuck are always vocal about how much they love fans who support their show. This was their last Comic Con, as the show's fifth and final season will be over by the time SDCC 2012 is here. The entire panel was very subdued compared to last year, despite a bit of Jeffster at the start. In the final moments of the panel Zachary Levi shed a few tears as he said thanks to fans who supported the show over the years, and I think if I'd been in Ballroom 20 I would have sobbed a little too.

Wolowitz's mum comes to Comic Con
Howard's mother is never seen but always heard. This year she introduced The Big Bang Theory panel but fans also got to hear impressions of her melifluous voice from Simon Helberg and Melissa Rauch. Awesome.

NerdHQ
I really wasn't sure how NerdHQ would work alongside Comic Con. Was it in competition for attention? Would it have huge queues? Would anyone actually get inside and enjoy geeking out? Well, according to all the tweets/blogs that exploded onto the internet during and after SDCC, it was a geek utopia. Short queues to get in, pre-assigned seats, small audience, intimate conversations with guests rather than huge SDCC style panels. And of course Nerd Machine merch for all to buy! This post at We Give a Chuck is a great summary of why NerdHQ rocked, and why we all *heart* Zachary Levi. Especially now that he's sung a duet with Papa Bartowski (see below).

Thank you Comic Con, you were awesome. Until next year...

Before I talk about Comic Con (again), let's have a quick Wordle

2011-07-29T09:46:00.000+01:00

I've been reading, watching and generally digesting the online content shared by the geeks who've returned from Comic Con this week. And there's plenty of good stuff to share.

But before I say some things about that, I had a play with Wordle. Apparently, my blog currently looks like this:

Funny how the words "queue" and "comic" are rather large...

My thoughts on Comic Con 2011 coming soonish.

Another post about how AWESOME Comic Con is...

2011-07-14T17:47:00.002+01:00

Rather than read a new post from me about how FREAKIN' AWESOME Comic Con is, I think you should read this one I made earlier instead. There are some things that sucked too.

Countdown to Comic Con 2011 - all about the Q

2011-07-10T19:52:00.000+01:00

Last year I made the geek pilgrimage to San Diego for Comic Con and it was a truly awesome experience. This year I'm not going, but rather than sit around all sad and bitter about it I thought I'd put my experience to good use and offer some advice for first timers making the trek to the convention centre. The most important advice I can offer is all about queues.

Pic: taken by me at Comic Con 2010

If something's worth sitting in Hall H for it's worth turning up early for
Comic Con is all about the experience of sitting in a room full of fellow fans looking at your favourite TV/film actors/directors/writers so why the hell are you still in bed at 7am? Some people have been sleeping out on the street to be at the front of the line! If you don't get up and queue don't complain when you can't get into the hall for the panel you really want to see. Sleep is for the weak at Comic Con, and sitting in Hall H is totally worth getting up for.

Check you're in the right queue
Always check you're sitting/standing/sleeping in the right queue. Don't assume you're in the right place and sit patiently in line. Don't be British about it! Ask the people in front of you and the crew managing the line. The big film panels are in Hall H (yes, that dark and scary place where one fan stabbed another in the eye with a pen last year) and most of the big TV panels are in Ballroom 20. For some stupid reason, Castle is in one of the smaller room again this year which means you're even less likely to get in. Check your queue or you could be weeping on the front row of a panel discussing feminism in modern horror rather than rocking out to Jeffster in the Chuck panel.

Talk to your neighbours, they're nice people (probably)
Comic con is a mix of hardcore fans who go every year and those of us who can't afford to make the trip an annual holiday. If you're sitting in a queue for hours, talking to your neighbours is a good way to pass the time and share some geekery. There are probably some people you should avoid, and you can easily spot them by the words on their customized t-shirts. But if you're waiting for The Big Bang Theory and you see a guy wearing a Bazinga t-shirt why not go and say hello? Or even Bazinga?

Respect the Comic Con crew, they can kick you out
I have so much respect for the people who crew conventions, because I would never have the patience to managed thousands of eager fans who are high on caffeine and low on sleep. If a crew member asks you to move, don't argue with them. If they tell you to queue away from the fire exit, move your ass. Remember that if you act like a tool you'll be out of the convention centre in a heartbeat and no one will have any sympathy for you.

Never ever ever queue jump
You think queue jumping is bad in the real world? Then try jumping ahead at a convention - you won't live to tell the tale. Wait in line like everyone else and you'll have a lovely time. Try and jump ahead and you'll be taken out before you can shout "Bam said the lady".

Take something to read/do/listen to/sit on
Let's be honest, queueing is dull. After you've spent a few mornings on the pavement outside the convention centre you'll have stared at every sign, every building, and every piece of promotional stuff hanging off buildings and you'll have little else to do. Chances are you'll be so tired you can barely keep your head up let alone make conversation with other geeks. So take something to make your wait a little more comfortable, even if it's a pillow so you can get some sleep while you queue.

And finally some advice from one of my favourite space cowboys about sitting on your ass. I think it's relevant to queues too.

Gleeking out and the cry of The Warblers

2011-06-27T20:30:00.001+01:00

I was one of thousands of Gleeks in London on Saturday worshipping at the altar of William McKinley High School at Glee Live 2011. I took my niece and we had a riot of a time singing along very loudly and waving our Glee foam fingers in the air at appropriate moments.

Pic: taken by me

Watching New Directons perform Don't Stop Believing live was pretty special. Yes, there was a lump in my throat when the "da da das" started and one by one my favourite high school losers came into the spotlight.

Pic: taken by me

But it was The Warblers who made this show for me. To be honest, I've never been that keen on them in the show, Darren Criss always seemed too polished for my liking (his performances and his slick hair). But watching boys in blazers harmonise Teenage Dream, Silly Love Songs and Raise Your Glass was amazing. I smiled even more when Darren joined New Directions for the last few songs of the evening.

Pic: taken by me

My niece and I were a bit disappointed with some of the set list - Light up the World wasn't part of the show but the lame Lucky duet between Sam and Quinn was. I really wanted Sam to bust out some Bieber, but alas he didn't.

Glee Live 2011 is a fantastic show and well worth going to. I'm only sad that I didn't track down whoever was selling the Dalton Academy ties outside the O2 - I really want one!

Green Lantern's light needs a new battery

2011-06-20T11:32:00.001+01:00

I was really really looking forward to Green Lantern. Ryan Reynolds as the "green space cop" flying about saving the world!? What could possibly be wrong with that? This post contains spoilers if you haven't seen the film.

Turns out quite a lot.

Pic: taken by me

I'm not a comic book fan so I have no feelings either way about adaptations from graphic cell to movie screen, but I do love a superhero movie. I love the dark and twisty characters, the flawed hero, the painful past that makes him earn his right to be a superhero stud and save the day from a super evil villain. And a handsome actor playing the leads helps secure my favour for a few hours of viewing too.

Green Lantern has one big thing going for it in Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan. He's buff for starters, and not the usual buff you've seen in his other films but the kind of super lean that only comes from a crazy diet and workout regime inspired by the script notes "Hal lies in a trance on the alien vessel wearing nothing but a pair of small white underpants." He's got the good looks that scream superhero and can handle the comedy/drama/action.

I really did want to love this film, but alas it broke my heart be being lazy and dull. It lacked the sparkle that makes a superhero genesis story so compelling. It covers the basics at speed, leaving little time for any real character development. Hal's traumatic memory of seeing his dad die in front of his young eyes is served up in the obligatory flashback but never really dealt with. We get the obvious superhero moments, inlcuding the comedy training sequence, but none of them bring anything new to the table. The action moments are not wow-worthy. It's all just lacking.

And Peter Saarsgard is wasted in this film. His transformation into evil Hector Hammond is much more engaging than Hal's Green Lanternisation (and that's even with Ryan Reynolds in just his tighty whities). The tragedy of Hector's Parallax infection is real and brutal and made him the only character in the film I was emotionally invested in. If the story had been a more obvious parallel of Hal v Hector turning into their respective supers it would have been far better viewing.

But on the plus side, Blake Lively didn't annoy me like I thought she would. xoxo

So, if you're content to pay a tenner to watch Ryan Reynolds run around in tighty whities and a skin-tight green suit, then go see this film. If you're after the kind of character development that make Spiderman and Batman more than just action flicks, then walk on by.

Geek in my week - shooting with the Sheriff

2011-06-15T12:50:00.002+01:00

I met the real Sheriff of Nottingham this week.

He didn't look at all like Alan Rickman, which disappointed me.

Geek in my week - the three tine fork incident

2011-06-07T16:00:00.003+01:00

I had lunch with a friend at St Pancras International last week and experienced a Big Bang Theory moment. I was sitting in one of the nicer restaurants discussing season three of Fringe with my friend Paul, when I caught sight of the fork I'd been eating with.

It looked like this:

Pic: taken by me

This non-standard cutlery freaked me out a little. I now completely understand where Sheldon is coming from.

Geek in my week - a night at Hotel Cylon

2011-06-05T20:27:00.002+01:00

I was in London last week and had a freakish geek moment when I stayed in a hotel that felt like a place on the top ten places to stay when you're away from your Cylon basestar.

It was a reasonably swanky place in Westminster with a nice view of Parliament, but had clearly been designed and decorated by one of the final five Cylons. Black furniture, red lighting, sharp clean lines... when I walked down the hallway in the morning I expected to hear the stomp stomp of Cylon centurions patrolling the corridors. I probably stared at the staff a bit too much, but I was just checking how many models were working at the hotel.

And the waiting staff at the awards dinner I attended there were all dressed like ninjas. It was a bizarre overnight stay. So say we all.

Pic: one of my BSG badges

TV season finale episodes - "WTF!?" moments galore

2011-05-23T20:07:00.003+01:00

TV seasons usually end with a bang. It's the kind of bang you can prepare youself for if you're emotionally invested in a series like I tend to be. So these past few weeks have been tough for fans like me who've had to endure season finale after season finale and now have to wait until the autumn for our favourite shows to return.

I've been on an emotional rollercoaster with teams Fringe, Castle and Chuck. We've had some good times this season, and also some pretty lame ones (I'm looking at you Bartowski) but on the whole I'm genuinely excited about what's to come next season. (Spoilers for season finales below, turn back now if you haven't seen them with your own beady eyes)

Fringe: The Day We Died

If there ever was a "WTF!?" moment it's the closing seconds of this episode. After all the parallel universe shenanigans this season we finally reached some sort of stability with Peter and Olivia in a relationship over here while Fauxlivia has given birth to Peter's son over there. The collision between our two universes was coming, and Peter was going to have to get into the machine, but things were fairly linear and made sense. Then came everything that happened in this episode and the Starbuck moment (remember what happened when Apollo turned his back during their chat on Earth in Daybreak part 2?): Peter vanished, erased from existence and no one but the Observers standing on the lawn at the foot of Lady Liberty remembered his name. "WTF!?" indeed.

Castle: Knockout

This one almost had me in tears. The episodes that deal with Beckett's family tragedy (all titled in boxing terms by the way: Sucker Punch, Knockdown, Knockout) are Castle at its best. Everything in these episodes collides into 45 minutes of fantastic telly, giving Stana Katic and Nathan Fillion emotional stuff to play that shows off their ridiculous chemistry even more than usual. And this episode we also got lots of Ryan, Esposito and Montgomery too! Win!The twist in this tale, however, made me angry at the writers for shaking up the characters I love in such a horrid way. It felt almost Whedonesque in its sudden but inevitable betrayal. I really should have seen it coming.

Chuck: Chuck versus the Cliffhanger

Chuck makes a pretty good badass when he's smashing tvs, riding motorbikes like he's on the grid in Tron and parachuting into a hospital. However, now he's without Intersect (again) can he actually do more than fix technical problems? Is he going to be staying in the car all over again? When it comes to season finales in this show the writers know what ingredients they need to bring to the fans: mortal danger, family heartache, Casey beaming a genuine smile, in-jokes, guests stars, a new twist and the repeat of the best Chuck season finale line ever by the little bearded fellow. Morgan as Intersect 3.0? Season 5 is looking a lot like the A-Team.

All of these finales make me ask one question - why haven't I booked for Comic Con this year? I have so many questions to ask the people behind these shows!

This one time at BlogCamp...

2011-05-16T13:58:00.002+01:00

Blogger extraordinaire Sally Whittle and communications company Talk Talk brought together about 70 bloggers in central London last week for the first Tots100 BlogCamp.

To be honest, I expected BlogCamp to be a strange place full of mummy bloggers I'd have nothing in common with. I intended to sit quietly in a corner, take a few notes and then dive out the door in time to catch my train home. You'll be pleased to know this wasn't what happened.

I was quick to realise that yes, bloggers have similar problems no matter what subject they talk about! Whether you blog about being a parent, making your own hats or geeky things like me, you're probably wondering if you're using the right platform, if you're making the most out of SEO and exactly how you increase the traffic to your posts. If you're interested in what people said at the event you can read some great summaries from the Talk Talk blog and Joanne Mallon.

I learnt a lot about blogger events from this which I'm hoping to use in my real life as a social media executive type. These are all really obvious things, but without them you're likely to have a room full of pissed off bloggers who'd rather be at home/work than talking with you.

Get a central location and include idiot proof directions.
Free the wifi for your guests and make sure the log in details are posted all over the room you're in for people like me who read something once and then forget the details.
Provide plenty of refreshments, including the non-caffeine variety, and cater for kids in the room too (there were juice boxes aplenty).
Do something extra, like arrange a delivery of tasty cupcakes.
Work with a partner that can provide something valuable to the group. The Talk Talk talk was relevant and not simply a sales pitch from the company.
Pick speakers that will get a debate going in the room and also on Twitter.
Follow up with everyone who came and share the links after the event.

My Twitter has been alive with the sound of BlogCamp since last week and I've picked up some new followers too. And today I discovered that someone else only took pics of the cake, just like me. I call that a win! Great event, great experience, I'm hoping for more.

MacGyver, mullets, money and me

2011-05-10T20:15:00.001+01:00

I was one of about 600 people at the NEC Hilton Metropole at the weekend staggering around in a geek frenzy because a legend was on the premises. That legend was Richard Dean Anderson, aka RDA, aka MacGyver, aka Jack O'Neill from the Stargate franchise.

Pic: taken by me at Chevron 7.6

Chevron 7.6 was the biggest Stargate convention in years for Massive Events (no pun intended), and proof that if you book a huge name the geeks will come... and bring their credit cards. From the amount of money changing hands at the convention you wouldn't think that we were in a recession, but maybe there's no such thing in fandom.

The charity angle of this convention was Sea Sheppard, a conservation and direct action organisation which RDA was appearing in conjunction with. Kudos to Rick for using his power for good and generating some income for them. The auction got quite surreal when a keen guest somewhere in the gold section (convention ticket price about £250) paid over £1,000 for the chair RDA was sitting on during the Q+A sessions (to be signed by the man himself of course). When you think that this dedicated geek had also paid out at least £150 for his hotel stay, plus who knows how much for merchandise in the dealer room and drinks at the parties you may start to question how someone can spend so much on a three day geek experience. But the guy was a superb MacGyver at the Saturday night party, with best mullet ever, so I'll forgive him for getting carried away.

I've spent my fair share of money over the last five years feeding my need to geek out, but I've always kept my hands to myself at the auctions. If I counted up all the cash I've splashed in the name of being a geek I'd probably pass out.

Did I mention that I booked for Chevron 7.7 already?... Well, they did announce Ben Browder for frell's sake!

My big fat fandom wedding - Windsors v Farscape

2011-04-27T21:10:00.003+01:00

Did you hear that there's a royal wedding this week? I thought I'd jump on this media bandwagon with some sci fi musings. So I started thinking about all the weddings that have happened in the sci fi shows I love and whether any can rival the big fat Windsor wedding happening on Friday.

And I think I've got a winner. You're invited to the Farscape wedding of John Crichton and Aeryn Sun. Please bring your own pulse pistol.

Pic: farscape.wikia.com

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something FRELL! A Farscape wedding for John and Aeryn was never going to be ordinary. The show already showed us what their perfect earthly event could look like in Dog with Two Bones (S3x22) with a glimpse inside John's imagination. A white wedding dress, bridesmaids, tuxedos... Perfect until Peacekeeper troops gatecrash the happy event, shoot the guests and kill the bride.

The Peacekeeper Wars two part mini series picked up where the final episode of season four left us and threw Moya and her crew into a Scarran versus Peacekeeper intergalactic mess. But now John and Aeryn want to put an end to all the fighting over wormhole weapons because they're having a baby! A lovely human/sebacean hybrid... They try to get married, albeit a little shotgun style, in Part one, but suffer a case of command carrier interruptus. This attempt feels a bit more like what a Farscape wedding between the two characters should be - the only change to their usual black combat look is the delicate flower in Aeryn's hair. But this wedding isn't to be, and thankfully there's a far more appropriate time and place for these two to get hitched.

And that would be in the heat of battle. Farscape was often at its best when emotional events were tied in with general carnage, and in Part two we get the perfect moment during a standoff between Team Moya (plus the likes of Scorpius and Sikozu) and Team Scarran. This moment also happens to be when Aeryn goes into labour.

"Shooting makes me feel better!" Aeryn to Crichton

The bride and groom both wore black leather combats, Rygel coughed up the wedding ring he'd been keeping in his stomach. The bride stood in a makeshift birthing pool, Stark said a few official words and the groom delivered his son into the world. And then the newly formed Sun-Crichton family cleaned themselves up, picked up their guns and started shooting at the bad guys. Now that's what I call a wedding.

Pic: sidereel.com

And even if the fighting isn't an option for Will and Kate, something a bit more Glee-style would be nice.

Coming soon - MacGyver and me

2011-04-26T14:10:00.003+01:00

Not many sleeps until I go to Chevron 7.6 to meet the man, the legend that is Richard Dean Anderson. Massive/Showmasters events have no doubt broken the bank to get him here.

I'm a Stargate fangirl, so naturally I'm excited about seeing him in person and even more excited at the thought of standing next to him to get a photo taken. I'd really like to have some intelligent questions to ask him during the convention - but am tempted to take a paperclip and a spoon and just ask him to diffuse a bomb. Bet he's never had that fan experience before...

While I go off and watch some vintage Stargate SG1, here's a reminder of RDA's MacGyver days from YouTube.Oh, and if you have any questions I can ask him without any personal shame (no boxers or briefs requests please), leave them in the comments.

I'm all out of love for Chuck season four - or am I?

2011-04-19T12:57:00.002+01:00

Season 4 of Chuck is playing with my fragile fangirl emotions.

I posted back in December about my despair with the season so far and how Chuck versus the First Fight had pulled me back into a bear hug with Team Bartowski. I was happy to be in love with the show once more after a period of estrangement. I felt we could go the distance and face the possibility of cancellation together, remembering all the good times we'd had.

But after a brief honeymoon period we fell back into our old ways - I was avoiding watching the new episodes, choosing to keep my dates with Fringe and Castle instead, and I started to tire of all the wedding talk and tedious Buy More shenanigans.

Chuck versus the Muurder and Chuck versus the Family Volkoff have pulled me back in again. I'm really enjoying Ellie's quest for knowledge from Papa B's laptop, probably because it's taking me back to the early days when the Intersect was a bit of a mystery. Watching Ellie discover her father's work and unlock some more Intersect secrets is far more interesting than Buy More v Large Mart.And, I'm sorry to say, more compelling than Chuck and Sarah's wedding preparations.

We're now on the final season stretch - only four more episodes to go including Chuck versus the Wedding Planner that aired last night - and I'm starting to hope for big epic awesome things. And I definitely want more Bartowski family drama.

"My sister just lied to me. She's never lied to me. Not cool."

Geek in my week - a Fringe moment in London

2011-04-11T20:25:00.004+01:00

I was midway through an afternoon drinking session with some friends at the weekend and we walked by a place that had a strange glimmer.

Pic: taken by me

I was tempted to go inside and ask for the key to the back room (I had some typing to do) but thought this might be out of character for the Anne on this side. I am, after all, Anne-other from the altiverse where everything is slightly red.... (Please don't tell my sister.)

Becoming Human - what's next?

2011-03-21T20:07:00.006Z

Pic: BBC Three Becoming Human blog

BBC Three's webshow Becoming Human came to the end of its short run last night to rapturous applause from a dedicated online fanbase. After the final episode aired and we discovered the identity of Matt's killer, another brief clip appeared on the official blog that was the perfect teaser for a second series. In true Davina McCall style, Mr Roe screamed that he was coming to get Adam, Christa and Matt (as well as the rest of the students at the high school).

Assuming BBC Three announces a full series of the show, what should we demand?
Keep it for adults
One of the few criticisms I’ve got of the webshow is that it’s far too tame in comparison to Being Human. The teenage setting shouldn’t be an excuse to move away from the dark and nasty that makes the Being Human universe so interesting. When it comes to vampires, werewolves and ghosts let’s stay away from Twilight nonsense and keep the stories gory without too much teenage angst.

Minimal crossover
I love a good crossover, but relying on characters from the same verse but a different show can be dangerous. Becoming Human managed to throw in some great references to Being Human but didn’t hit you over the head with them: Adam's first line was a reference to the advice Mitchell gave him when he left Honolulu Heights; Adam tells Christa and Matt that he spoke to "my man George" about the werewolf chicken-on-a-string etiquette.

Back story please
How did Christa become a werewolf? How was Adam recruited to vamphood? How did the students wear down Mr Roe so much that he became a murderer? Genesis stories are great. Let's have some please.
Same rules, different show
Becoming Human has been faithful to the supernatural rules set by Being Human and there’s no need to change this. We know that only supernaturals can see ghosts, that vamps and ghosts don’t show up on CCTV or cameras, people in purgatory can communicate through TV sets, when ghostly issues are resolved a door appears... Don’t mess with the rules, but feel free to introduce some more we didn’t know about.

Challenge the actors
The potential for interesting character-driven stories is huge, so challenge the young cast to deliver. The supernatural trio have a great chemistry, so give them stories and development to get their teeth into (no pun intended).

Over to you BBC Three. We are waiting.

Geek in my week - Mitchell lives on (kind of)

2011-03-20T12:55:00.001Z

Just a quick random post - I might have more to say later after a day of Craig Roberts based viewing activities (am off to see Submarine and back in time to catch the entire Becoming Human series on BBC3).

Since Mitchell got dusted I've been a bit sad. But when I was in London last week I spotted something that made me smile.

I was tempted to to go inside and check out the paintings but was worried I'd find dead blood-drained bodies lying on the floor of the shop. So I took my picture and went on my way.

Staking, stabbing, snarling and Shirley Bassey - Being Human series 3 episode 7

2011-03-07T17:22:00.004Z

Beware of spoilers!

The penultimate episode of a series is usually when something seismic happens to shift everything out of place. This could be the staus quo getting a shakeup or something really bad happening that needs to be mopped up in the next, and final, episode. Penultimate episodes are the teaser pay off for a season of dedicated fandom.

Last night was the penultimate episode of BBC Three's Being Human. For people like me who had no spoilers in mind it was an hour full of "OMFG DID THEY JUST DO THAT?!" moments.

Everything that's been building for the last six weeks - the Box Tunnel 20 investigation, George an Nina's hairy baby, the wolf cage fights, unlce Billy in the attic - everything collided in a mass of staking, stabbing, snarling and the best Shirley Bassey music cue you've ever seen.

In an episode full of bloody shocks you might not expect there to be time for the emotional stuff we usually get from this show. But it was still there in full view, and it was the frenzied unravelling of the relationships at Honolulu Heights that got to me more than seeing a pile of blood-drained bodies on the floor.

So WTF was it all about and what happens next? And why the hell did I start watching this show real time and not wait until the DVD boxset was released?!

Oh, and surely Mitchell has watched CSI at some point? Glass of water for fingerprints = oldest trick in the book.

Geek in my week - psycho computer or superhero hottie?

2011-02-24T12:45:00.003Z

Quite a bit of geekery in my real life over the past few weeks.

I got an email from someone called Hal
My first thought was psycho computer, my second was Green Lantern. Ok, so it was more like Ryan Reynolds and then Green Lantern but you get the idea.

I discovered something like a chokey in a meeting room at work
I was a bit disturbed to discover hidden cupboard spaces in a meeting room that could easily fit a person. I haven't noticed anyone who looks like Miss Trunchbull stalking the office though.

Teleconferencing offers the ideal setup for some paranormal activity
I had my first experience of teleconferencing, including the comedy moment when the person in the other location trying to dial in couldn't get his screen to work. We could see and hear him, the office was kind of dark, and when he left the room to get some technical help I expected to see the chairs stack themselves and pieces of paper fly around the room. Or the image of a man standing in the corner facing the wall (complete with Blair Witch style spooks). None of this happened and I was very disappointed.

The scruffy vampire realisation

2011-02-19T16:44:00.001Z

I finished my Being Human marathon last weekend and now I'm a bit obssessed with the lives (and afterlives) of Mitchell, Annie and George. And after admitting to myself that I would forgive Mitchell all his killing sprees because I'm really that shallow, I realised that my taste in vampires has completely changed from clean cut to scruffy.

For me, it all started with Angel (Buffy the Vampire Slayer). He was the poster boy for angsty romance, a vampire with a soul who used to kill but got cursed by gypsies and felt terrible about everything he'd ever done. I'm sure I wasn't the only fangirl to whoop with delight when he went over to the dark side and Angelus came out to play.

And then there was Spike, with his punk rock attitude and bleached blonde hair. But when he went totally soppy for Buffy I was kind of pleased that he burned up in the Hellmouth (harsh but true).

Then there was the lovely Mick St John (Moonlight) who had grown up problems but was also a bit of an angsty sap with only the occasional fangy moment.

Right now, the vampire in my life is Mitchell (Being Human). He has messy curly hair, clothes that need a wash and an insanely bloody history. I've come to the conclusion that vampire angst is best served in an adult setting. Like in a hawaiian themed b+b on Barry Island.

Twlight, Vampire Diaries and True Blood not included in this post for the following reasons. a) Twilight shiny vamps are sparkly not scary, b) Vampire Diaries vamps are too teenage, c) I don't watch True Blood.

It's never too late to jump on the fanwagon

2011-02-09T12:56:00.002Z

I've just started watching BBC3's Being Human, and I'm two series late (trust me, I'm ashamed of myself). It got me thinking about the pros and cons of getting on the fanwagon a bit late and whether the goodness outweighs the baggage of so many potential spoilers.

Joining the fan party late is good because...

...you already know if it's worth your while. If no one has said nice things about a series, you probably shouldn't bother with it. Or maybe leave it until you've got some time to kill and a bottle of wine to share with some fangirl buddies.

...you can watch at your own pace. Cliffhangers don't mean diddly when you have a boxset to get through, and the tension of what's going to happen next only lasts as long as it takes you to put another DVD into your player. This is a recipe for self-indulgent back to back episode heaven.

... you may already know if there's more to come. One of the big tension points with any series is whether it gets picked up beyond a first season. If you find it late, it may already be cancelled and you can avoid the angst and watch the whole thing as one wonderful box of delights. Or if you find it part way through, you can jump in with the rest of the fans campaigning for another season.

Joining the fan party late is bad because...

...you're already pretty spoiled before you've watched ep 1. If you've read enough to get you interested in a show, chances are you already know the major twists and turns coming your way. Which kind of robs you of the pleasure of finding out with everyone else.

...you've missed lots of opportunities to get your geek on with the other fans. The casts of really good shows rarely have time to go to all the fan conventions, so if you're found the fandom late you've probably missed out on meeting and greeting the actors. Which sucks big time.

...you're expectations are raised pretty high. If everyone says something is brilliant, what are the chances you'll agree? Raised expectations can lead to big disappointment.

But to be honest, whenever you jump on the fanwagon you'll find an experience to make it worthwhile.

Firefly was on DVD by the time I got around to watching it, which meant I'd missed all the conventions and spending quality time with Nathan Fillion. But that just made meeting him at a Collectormania con in 2009 all the more enjoyable. And we could talk to him about Dr Horrible and Castle in any awkward swooning-silent moments.

I was quick off the mark with Chuck and snapped up tickets to meet him at the Starfury T1 convention in 2009. Everything about that convention was awesome - and I had my first flashmob type experience when we walked over to the Subway at the NEC and the lovely Mr Levi made a few hundred sandwiches for us to help promote the save Chuck campaign.

And it went a little something like this:

Now go find something to get your inner geek excited about!

Geek in my week - did you have the fish?

2011-01-28T13:38:00.001Z

It's been a while since I shared the geek moments from my daily grind, mostly because I haven't spotted any. And I don't want to start making stuff up - because lying leads to the dark side.

I never expected to see Otto the autopilot in my office. But recently I did, thanks to a driver safety campaign where I work. I walked into the office one day and saw an autopilot man (like Otto in Airplane!) sitting at a desk. He also appeared on our company intranet. I've wanted to take a picture of him sitting in my car all week but haven't plucked up the courage to walk out of the office with him under my arm. And then suddenly he vanished! I suspect a kidnapping...

Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the fairest Swan of all?

2011-01-23T19:12:00.005Z

Black Swan is a deliciously twisted film, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much.

The story is simple enough: ballerina Nina Sayers can easily dance the White Swan role in Swan lake, she's innocent and graceful. But to claim the part she must also dance the Black Swan, a role that demands sensuality. Her director tells her to explore the wilder side of life, which she does with a rival dancer who is also after the role. Sexual awakening and madness ensue. Fade to black.

The way this story is told is utterly compelling. The camera work moves from steadicam swirliness on the ballet stage to hand held shaky close ups following Nina around her world documentary style. And everywhere you go there are mirrrors and relfections to show every possible angle of what's happening on screen, and in Nina's fractured mind. The only beauty is the ballet itself, everything and everyone else is slightly dark, disfigured and potentially destructive.

Of all the relationships in the film, it's the horrifically dysfunctional one of mother and daughter that brings a new level of nasty to what could have been a typical psychological thriller. Barbara Hershey is brilliant as Nina's mother, a has-been ballerina who keeps her daughter in a prepubescent bubble of pink toys and strict bedtimes. Her abusive cosseting makes Annie Wilkes seem like the perfect babysitter.

And then there are the bodyshock moments. Bloody finger nails, cracking bones, webbed feet, black feather shards emerging from Nina's back... David Cronenberg would be proud. Nina's physical transformation into the Black Swan on stage is incredible to watch.

This film will divide people - you'll either love it or think it was a waste of your time. I'm looking forward to seeing some references in Family Guy, since the voice of Meg has been on the big screen girl-on-girl style with Queen Amidala...

When Castle feeds the birds with Firefly treats

2011-01-20T20:23:00.009Z

Nathan Fillion likes to feed the birds. But he also likes to feed his Browncoat fans something shiny as a thank you for watching ABC's Castle.

Most of the Firefly references are obvious to anyone who claims to be a fan, but there's one I have to admit I completely missed.

If I hadn't been sitting in Ballroom 20 waiting for the Winchesters at last year's Comic Con, I would have heard Nathan say this:

I had no idea that the catalyzer from Out of Gas was sitting on Castle's shelf! The Steampunk Empire has a handy picture of this piece of Serenity stashed in plain sight.

If you're a fan of Firefly, you'll read Nathan's tweets teasing what references are coming up and then you'll suddenly catch it in a episode and giggle. So here they are for your viewing pleasure.

"Didn't you wear that, like, five years ago?"

Two by two, hands of blue

"I was aiming for his head."

"A TV show I used to love."

How fitting that in a post about references I've embedded way too many reference links! But I think that each and every one of them adds to the flavour. I'm off to find a fruity oaty bar...

Indiana Jones and the tourist information of doom

2011-01-13T13:13:00.002Z

I watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom last night on BBC1 and suddenly realised the film is like one big tourist information film of how not to behave abroad. Here are 10 things I learnt from Dr Jones and his travels around Pankot Palace.

1. Be wary of local food and drink
If Indy had remembered this he wouldn’t have been poisoned in Club Obi Wan or turned into a Thuggee cult slave. Willie and Short Round, on the other hand, avoided eating snakes, bugs, sheeps-eye soup and chilled monkey brains and fared slightly better. We can only hope Indy washed the fruit he took to Willie’s room.

2. Don’t accept lifts from strangers, especially ones you meet in a club
Willie could have avoided the whole ‘almost burned alive in a human sacrifice’ thing if she’d just stayed at the club.

3. Book your flight from a reputable company
If Indy had booked the flight himself and not gone through Weber he would have been able to check the reviews of Lao Che air freight before stepping onboard. And seen how many parachutes were on board.

4. The locals will try to fleece you, just keep moving
Indy and co could have avoided the whole temple detour if they’d kept moving through the village instead of stopping for a bite to eat and listening to stories about stones.

5. Book ahead
Indy, Willie and Short Round turned up to Pankot Palace unannounced and expected some hospitality. What they got was a dodgy dinner and far too much noise from the neighbours in the slave mines below. If they’d called ahead it might have been so much different.

6. Don’t get involved in local politics
Indy talked politics at the dinner table and earned himself a late night visit from an assassin.

7. Don’t mess with your hotel room
Indy went snooping in Willie’s room and found the secret door to the temple. If he'd left that carving alone he would have checked out the next day without any problems.

8. Respect the customs of your hosts
Child slaves and human sacrifice may not be your idea of culture, but it works for some people. Don’t judge, respect their customs.

9. Don’t get into fights
Indy picks a fight with just about everyone. Including rather huge slave guards. Behaviour like this gives American tourists a bad reputation.

10. Plan your journey back home
Indy, Willie and Short Round had to fight their way out of the temple, steal a mine car and cross a rickety rope bridge. They should have booked their return travel with the rest of their journey to avoid all the stress.

A site like Tripadvisor should really tap into films like this for marketing...

Echo v Chuck - who would win a fight?

2011-01-10T12:16:00.004Z

Last night I finished a back to back super intense viewing of Dollhouse s1 and s2 and I'm emotionally exhausted. But the thing that kept popping into my brain during the latter half of the second season was how Chuck-like Echo had become, calling up previous imprints to deal with a current situation just like Chuck relies on Intersect flashes to deal with his spy life.

Rather than ponder the deeper meanings of Whedon's world, or consider how Echo and Chuck deal with their lives differently, my first thought was a bit violent. Who would win in a fight: Echo or Chuck? Which tech is superior: Imprint or Intersect? I've had a think.

Echo would win because...

...Chuck has a problem fighting females and would get the crap kicked out of him.
...she has personalities in her head and not just mad ninja skills, so she has the aggression/fury/badass traits to give her the advantage.
...Chuck's Intersect isn't stable all the time, he could glitch and be flashless.

Chuck would win because...

...he has a serious height advantage!
...Echo's imprints aren't that stable, she's bound to crack at some point.
...Team Bartowski could use a remote wipe on Echo to leave her inactive, if only for a little while.
...he has Sarah to back him up and she could totally kick Echo's ass.

I think Sarah swings the vote Chuckwards. Sorry Echo, but Agent Walker would beat you to a crying pulp if you laid a hand on Chuck.

Anyone disagree?

Rare Exports - bad Santa and his naked little helpers

2010-12-24T19:34:00.001Z

I went to see Rare Exports this week with my lovely friends from the Haus of Roeni, so I thought it only fitting that I post something about it the night before christmas.

It's safe to say that not many people will get to see this film. It's in Finnish with subtitles, which will put a lot of people off, and it's also on a limited release in the UK. But the intrepid few who hunt it out at their local artsy fartsy cinema will be glad they did. And they probably won't feel the same warm glow about Santa any more.

I'm not going to post a full review, as I think this review at i09 pretty much says it all. But I will say that this film is a treat. A kind of freakish treat, but a treat nevertheless. And just when you think you know what the movie is about (bad santa on loose, find bad santa, blow up bad santa) it completely changes in the last few minutes into something far more fantastical than any story about a man who circumnagivates the globe in a flying sleigh to deliver presents to children. This unexpected twist made me love this film more than had it ended with the bad santa blown to chunks.

It's by no means perfect. Once Pietari tells his dad and Piiparinen that the naked and feral old man they found in the wolf pit is Santa, the mystery and suspense is forgotten in favour of some loud and pacey action. I would have liked some more suspense and less shouting. The switch to action also comes a bit undone with some badly executed CG moments that needed way more money to come up to scratch, which is a shame when the surroundings of the frozen north are so beautiful.

But it delivers interesting characters, plenty of tense moments, a bit of mystery, some classic stoytelling, and enough naked santas running through the Finnish mountains to give you nightmares.

You'll probably never want to eat gingerbread again.

Tron: Legacy shmegacy

2010-12-22T09:57:00.003Z

Chuck wasn't sure about Tron: Legacy either...

I went to see a preview of Tron: Legacy courtesy of Show Film First (thank you!) the day before it premiered and wasn't allowed to say anything until it was officially released into the world. But rather than post something the next day like a lot of people probably did, I wanted to let the dust settle. And I wanted to see if anyone else thought that it was...wait for it.... a bit pants. I feared a cyber-lynching, so I kept my thoughts to myself for a few weeks.

But since reading snippets of online reviews and disappointed tweets, @Film4 in particular, I'm sticking my neck out and saying that I thought Tron:Legacy was..... meh.

I assumed I would love it because:

I sat in Hall H at Comic Con with thousands of fanboys and girls to watch the early footage.
I might be in it! For explanation see this post.
I *heart* Chuck, and Chuck *hearts* Tron.
It's Tron for frakssake!

However, my excitement at being at a preview, wearing kickass 3D specs and even getting an intro from director Joseph Kosinski didn't outweigh my disappointment and general boredom.

I'm not going to run through the blah blah plot or pick out the particular moments that made me want to throw my specs at the screen. But Clu? Come on, if you're going to spend years on a film please get the CG character who is supposed to look like Flynn to actually look convincingly like Flynn.

For me, Tron: Legacy was a big disappointment. I wanted to give it my heart, but it gave me a headache.

The geek in my week

2010-12-21T09:19:00.000Z

I didn't really spot any geek last week, but my manager emailed me something yesterday that I wanted to share. Not many people would think to dress up like the scrolling words at the beginning of Star Wars, but this fangirl did. And I applaud her for it.

The geek in my week

2010-12-12T19:25:00.001Z

I realised the other day how much I notice the geek moments in my otherwise ordinary real life. These brief moments give me a shiny fangirl glow, so I've decided to start documenting them here every week.

So here's how I've found the geek in this week.

I had to change my computer password at work, so I changed it to remind myself that I'm going to Chevron 7.6 next year and meeting RDA himself. Makes me smile every time I punch the keyboard.
I started reading an SEO book which has been on my desk at work for months. Gratuitous Firefly reference on page 7.
I was in Sheffield last week for work and noticed I was walking along a street call Fargate... remember when Farscapers Ben Browder and Claudia Black joined Stargate and two verses collided into Fargate SG1?

Rare Exports - the psycho Santa movie

2010-12-08T21:50:00.000Z

If there's one thing Christmas needs, it's a move about Santa that isn't feelgood. In fact, what would be awesome would be a crazy dark twist on the Santa story in some foreign language like, I don't know, Finnish.

Guess what I'm going to see on Christmas eve eve this year?

Ho Ho holy crap this looks good! Check out the website for more festive fun.

Am I in Tron: Legacy? Quite possibly...

2010-12-04T20:07:00.001Z

On 22 July this year I sat next to my sister in Hall H at Comic Con yelling "DISC WARS", "RINZLER", stamping my feet, clapping my hands and cheering at the bidding of Joseph Kosinski, director of Tron: Legacy.

He wanted sounds from a real crowd for the movie, so Disney techies rigged the hall with lots of super expensive microphones and we followed instructions on the big screen for yelling, cheering and stomping.

Are our shouts in the movie? No idea.

Will I tell people that they are? Absolutely.

Walter Bishop and Bolivia's vagenda

2010-12-03T16:35:00.000Z

Spoilers for Entrada ahead!

We've all been waiting for Fringe episode 8 Entrada to see if/how Olivia gets back to our side of the verse. After the episode 7 cliffhanger phonecall to Peter/Pacey, I wasn't sure how long it would take for him to seriously doubt the woman sleeping next to him. And yey for him it was immediate! Loved the Greek test that Bolivia failed - a nice echo back to the start of last season. But how dumb was she to take the wrong laptop? Come on writers, that was lame!

But everything seemed to happened very quickly. I wanted more chase time, more to and fro between the verses as Bolivia tried to get to her exit and Olivia was about to be carved up for research. I was very upset at what happened to the altiverse Broyles (RIP), and Peter/Pacey's sad sad eyes throughout the episode made me feel bad that he'd been having lots of sex with a woman who wasn't his Olivia.

But in middle of all this tension and running and guns, the highlight for me was Walter's rant about how Bolivia tricked his son with her "carnal manipulations" causing him to fall right into her "vagenda." Classic Walter Bishop. Fantastic Fringe. Can't wait to see the fallout from Bolivia's time on our side.

You're still my Chuck

2010-12-02T15:34:00.004Z

I’ve been a Chuck fan in moderate despair since season 4 started. The show was lacking its usual oomph and felt, to me anyway, like too much Chuck/Sarah and too little Team Bartowski. I'm a shipper at heart and very happy that the show has brought them together as a couple. But all the discssion about their relationship, Sarah’s baggage, Chuck’s desire to settle down etc. all got a bit too much for me.

And then along came Chuck versus the First Fight and behold my show is back! Timothy Dalton's Keyser Söze moment brought back the mojo of season 2 where emotional development, comedy, action and OMG moments all combined to bring us one helluva episode cliffhanger – in this case Chuck de-intersected by his mum.

Episodes 7-10 have made me love Chuck again, despite some ropey special effects in Chuck versus the Fear of Death (a.k.a. James Bond on a bad budget). Seeing Sarah go insanely badass sans Chuck in Chuck versus Phase Three was ridiculously awesome - kidnap, torture, tearing up Thailand to get to her man, and of course the raw emotional stuff that Yvonne Strahovski eats up when she gets the chance to play it. Sarah saving Chuck was at the heart of the show back in the beginning, and it was good to see it back. It was also good to see some more Die Hard in the Buy More in Chuck versus the Leftovers, and an uncomfortable family meal that reminded me of Sarah's first dinner at the Bartowski's.

My highlight of the last few episodes? Casey calling Chuck's mum "Mama B" - a nice shoutout to the fans who've been calling her that since before Comic Con in July.

Thank you Team Chuck for bringing him back to his best, let's hope it continues.

Reboot reuse recycle - this time it's Buffy

2010-11-23T21:04:00.001Z

If you woke up this morning and checked twitter you might have felt like you were in a freakish parallel universe, like the Fringe altiverse where things tend to be red and slightly bizarre. Geeks like me were talking about confirmed plans for a reboot of the slayer and her pals for the big screen without any input from Joss Whedon: master of the Buffyverse.

We all know that vampires, werewolves and wiccans are all the rage right now. And since MTV has already pitched a classic into the reboot ring with Teen Wolf, this latest news makes a strange kind of sense. But Buffy without Joss doesn’t make any kind of sense.

I agree with Faith (who wouldn't? she'd kick your ass!). How would Buffy sound without Joss’ influence? Where would the pop culture references be? The flawed characters and the dark dark twisted storylines mixed up with the odd musical gem?

But what puzzles me most is the part of the press release that completely fails to understand the value of Buffy season 1-7 to fans (like me).

“There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return to the big screen..."

Really? Is that the fan base who made 'Joss' and 'Whedon' trend on Twitter today with cries of" no no please god no"?*

Joss is boss. Everyone who loves the Buffyverse knows this. So what kind of beer goggles are the powers that be wearing to think that this is a great idea?

* Okay so I made up that tweet, but it's fairly accurate.

When geeks do the Monster Mash

2010-10-28T22:11:00.000+01:00

Yes, I've customised the Jib Jab monster mash for me and my comic con ladies. And it is the funniest thing I've watched in a long time. Sorry girls, but I had to share it far and wide....

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

When the new season starts in the USA, how do you watch from the UK?

2010-09-25T18:03:00.002+01:00

The new season of TV has started in the States, which means that all the shows I watch, talk about, and fangasmed over at Comic Con in July are back. Which is a good thing. I'm a happy girl and looking forward to getting sucked back into the world of Chuck, Fringe, Supernatural, Castle etc.

But when the online places you usually tap for your fix of new American tv shows don't have anything new, and when everyone else is talking about what happened this week, your place in fandom is threatened in the most primal way. You run the risk of being out of sync with everyone else. You run the risk of being (pause for effect) just another viewer.

Fandom is about so much more than watching something, it's about adding to the conversation. It's about feeling part of a shared experience. And it relies on currency (meaning 'now' not cubits). If you fall out of step with the rest of your fandom you can quickly fall so behind it's impossible to catch up.

But now thanks to twitter when you have a problem you can ask the verse for help. And I got my fix and am now back in the bosom of fandom. Which sounds odd, but I hope you get my meaning.

2 season openers down, a few more to go... Thanks @DrDSM for saving my Saturday!

Comic Con 2010 - Supernatural

2010-08-08T17:21:00.001+01:00

Well, I've managed to almost use up my sister's monthly bandwidth uploading videos from comic con.. And here are the ones from the Supernatural panel.

Comic Con - Fringe panel

2010-08-01T19:16:00.000+01:00

This was a really interesting panel - lots of insight into the two universes, how Anna Torv plays each Olivia and the set up for season 3. Unfortunately, moderator Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly did a terrible job. At times it felt like he didn't even watch the show or didn't really want to be at Comic Con at all!

But the cast and show runners were great. And they turned the tables on the Q+A by asking people at the mic a question too... Here are the films I took during the panel.

Comic Con - Big Bang Theory panel

2010-08-01T19:06:00.000+01:00

Where to start with the Big Bang Theory panel? There was the awesomeness of moderator, guest star and not-evil-at-all guy Wil Wheaton, the singalong with Barenaked Ladies, Kaley and Jim singing 'soft kitty'... It was all wonderful and well worth sitting in line for hours to see.

Here are the films I took during the panel.

Comic Con - best and worst moments

2010-07-30T21:02:00.002+01:00

Inspired by this posting on the unofficial Comic Con blog I thought I'd mull over the good and bad bits of my experience.

Pic: taken by me at Comic Con 2010

Have a gold star!

Getting decent seats for Hall H and Ballroom 20 – I didn’t travel all the way from the UK to sit at the back of the room. Turn up early and camp out! It’s the only way.
Big Bang Theory singalong with the Barenaked Ladies.
Seeing the entire Chuck cast on stage, led in by Jeffster Gaga. Awesomeness.
Organisation of lines etc, it all felt really well done and there wasn’t any panic of people pushing in or standing in the wrong lines. For me anyway.
The buzz of thousands of fans just like me. Sitting in Hall H and Ballroom 20 with people whooping and screaming at the same things you love was incredible.
Seeing Jensen Ackles in the glorious flesh. Oh. My. God.
Nathan Fillion dropping in to see his mate Joss Whedon during his panel. I couldn't go to the Castle panel, so this made me very very happy.
Fringe cast turning the tables on the q+a. Loved that each person who asked a question was then asked a question by the cast. Joshua Jackson's bong impression was hilarious.
Preview screening of Scott Pilgrim. Never have I been more grateful for a white badge.
Great freebies. Preview night was manic, my Glee foam finger, my Wonder Woman iPhone case..
Nice surprises. Like Big Bang and Nathan Fillion.
Restrooms in Hall H. Such a good thing, especially when you're camped in there all day.
Hall passes for Ballroom 20. Enough time to run to the loo without losing your long-queued-for seat.
The Gaslamp belongs to the geeks! Loved how Comic Con permeated everything around the Gaslamp area, from Cafe Diem to the Battle: Los Angeles helicopter.

Go sit on the naughty step!

The number of people – 125000? Seriously? On the rare occasions I went into the exhibit hall I immediately wanted to get the hell outta there because it was so crowded.
No time for questions at the Chuck panel. Thankfully the moderators had already asked pretty good questions.
Why oh why oh why put Castle in a small room? Never underestimate the power (or size) of the Nathan Fillion fanbase.
Reading posts from people bitching about not getting into the panels they wanted to after they waited in line for a few hours. A few hours!? I was up at silly o'clock to make sure I got in. You should plan your visit better.
Ken Tucker from Entertainment weekly was a terrible moderator for the Fringe panel. He seemed to care less about being at Comic Con, often gave the impression that he didn't even watch the show, and could barely string a question together. Thank goodness the Fringe cast were so awesome.
Crappy freebies. Waiting for half an hour to collect a couple of badges was not fun for me.
Signings at the WB booth were impossible to get to. There were too many people crowded around and the signings always clashed with a good panel.

Comic Con 2010 - Chuck panel videos

2010-07-29T21:40:00.000+01:00

If you haven't already heard, Jeffster rocked the Chuck panel at Comic Con for the second year running, this time with a music video to Lady Gaga's Bad Romance. The panel kicked off in true Chuck style with a season 3 reel, some technical infiltration by The Ring and Chuck and Morgan coming to the rescue with the only video footage they knew would save the fans from becoming evil intersect agents. My report on the panel is online at Den of Geek.

Here are some clips of the panel from my YouTube channel.

Comic Con 2010 - Chuck pics

2010-07-29T20:18:00.001+01:00

I'm still uploading my videos to YouTube, so while I wait here are some of the pics I snapped during the panel.

For loads more awesome pics from the panel see the Sarah Walker Fangirls twitpic.

Comic con preview night madness

2010-07-22T06:45:00.001+01:00

Today has been surreal to say the least. First there was the queue for preview night that started at 10am, then the Klingon signs at the convention centre transit station, then Green Hornet’s car parked on the pavement and Ecto 1 experiencing car trouble just down the road from Eureka’s Cafe Diem. And then the wait in line for about five hours to get into the exhibition hall for preview night. But by convention standards that’s pretty standard, like dog years in reverse for you normal people out there.

Celeb guests tweeted their arrivals and Felicia Day received some less than useful advice from her old friend Captain Hammer.

Felicia Day: In San Diego. Gotta figure out how to unload all the boxes or the Guild booth stealth style to avoid the guards lol.

Nathan Fillion: @feliciaday take off your shirt. No one will notice boxes.

I was determined to get a Chuck bag when I checked in, but ended up with Batman. But you make friends easily at convention queues, and the nice guy next to me agreed to swap so I could get what I came here for!

Spiderman was in the queue, with his backpack of supplies, and Batman stood patiently with the rest of us while we tweeted, checked out email, played various card games and generally paused before the madness of the exhibition hall. And it was such madness.

Swag highlights include a Wonder Woman iPhone case, a huge Green Hornet bag and a lei promoting the new CBS show Hawaii 50. Now time to sleep before the great q for Hall H tomorrow...

Comic con pre-preview night secret spy mission

2010-07-21T08:14:00.003+01:00

I'm reporting from San Diego Comic Con for Den Of Geek so will be linking across to the pieces on the site from here so I don't just repeat what they've already published. Like this.

I did a bit of a secret spy mission this evening to scope out the convention centre and got a glimpse of the massive Hall H being set up with chairs (oh my god it really is huge) as well as some posters for Green Lantern and True Blood. I also spotted the signs for Ballroom 20 which is the place I'll be spending most of my time. That's where the likes of Chuck, Big Bang Theory, Fringe, Supernatural and Glee (to name but a few) will be appearing.

Bring on preview night! And thousands of geeks like me...

A satnav far far away

2010-07-09T20:24:00.001+01:00

"You're gonna kill people if you give directions like that!"

We all need guidance from a Jedi master once in a while, and I think my driving skillz would benefit from some wise Yoda words. I love the marketing TomTom have done around their Star Wars voices, although to be honest they don't really need to promote them at all. But I think Darth Vader and Yoda should come as a package download, so you can choose the light or dark side of the force to get you where you're going.

I remember how excited I was when I downloaded the retro Cylon centurion voice...

What Buffy taught us

2010-07-05T20:16:00.000+01:00

I've just posted on the SFX mag Facebook page about most rousing speeches in sci-fi. My choice? Buffy's season 7 speech to the potential slayers about accepting their power. It still gives me tingles.

"In every generation one Slayer is born because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. (She points at Willow, who smiles nervously.) This woman is more powerful than all of them combined.

"So I say we change the rule. I say my power should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer, will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power, will have the power. Can stand up, will stand up. Slayers every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?"

I haven't watched my Buffy boxsets in a while, but this speech from the last episode always gets to me. Buffy wasn't a perfect show (sorry Joss!) but I think this speech in particular pretty much nailed what it was all about. Girls taking control of their lives, standing up and standing together. And kicking ass in the process.

Thank you Buffyverse Dialogue Database for having this quote in the bank!

Nerds in a herd at Comic Con

2010-07-03T12:52:00.007+01:00

I'm in the midst of the two weeks before Comic Con preparation frenzy, and my mind is full of the various things I need to do before I fly to sunny San Diego. New camcorder -check. Travel insurance - not quite. Condo paid for - big check.

And then I read this. I like the idea of a snark riot. In fact, I may try and incite on with the help of twitter. Anybody with me?

Twitter and the 'follow me!' fans

2010-06-25T19:14:00.015+01:00

I love Twitter. I love the immediacy and the fun and the random connections you can make with people. One of my new fave things to do is follow the #PMQs hashtag and giggle at the wit coming from the voting public aimed at the kids sitting in Parliament. This week's PMQs was utterly ridiculous. Cameron almost earned himself a geekpoint but then he totally mixed his metaphors.

"There was a £300m black hole, and you do not have to be a Star Trek fan to know that when you are in the black hole, you should stop digging."
But I digress. Twitter is great. But it's brought out a whole new sort of crazy in fangirls and boys who now have the chance to get even closer to the objects of their affection. I'm talking about the 'follow me!' fans who probably run fansites or are very active in online fandom. These are the people who squee when an actor starts tweeting, follow them immediately, and then start tweeting them daily to try and develop a close personal relationship which leads to mutual followship. I doubt it's ever actually happened, but 'follow me!' fans live in the hope that one day it will and run the risk of twitter-stalking their idols.

Social networks are a great fan tool. But sometimes they can make fans act like tools.

That fringe moment

2010-06-13T11:44:00.008+01:00

Poor Olivia Dunham. Locked in a cell in a parallel universe and forced to be a brunette with a fringe (that's 'bangs' to any US fans reading this). Her hair was almost a character in its own right in the finale 2 parter, it was integral to the plot and the setup for season 3 as well as the main spot-the-difference point for her and her doppleganger.

I wouldn't be surprised if a few random fandom sites pop up dedicated to her hair over the next few weeks. Someone is bound to ask the Comic Con panel "Will Olivia keep her new hairstyle?" Yeah, because who cares about the plot when you have exciting new hair to talk about. Please no. I want to know WTF is going to happen next. I really hope season 3 lives up to the promise of this finale. And I want parallel Charlie to cross over and join our team on this side!

We all start somewhere...

2010-06-08T20:59:00.002+01:00

...and for me it was The X-Files. I think I was 14 and my older sis told me about a show she'd seen on Sky. Actually, she told me about a hot guy she'd seen in a show on Sky. The guy was Fox Mulder and the show was The X-Files.

Cut to a few years later and I was at university and suddenly had access to computers. I thought I'd try and find other people who liked my beloved X using t'interweb so I searched around. I met fanfic and slashfic at the same time and have never been the same since...