Author: Nigel G Mitchell

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill); Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn) It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for another round of “would you rather,” the game that asks you to make the tough choices. In the question “would you rather live on Deep Space 9 or Babylon 5,” 77% voted for DS9. This week, let’s decide on the ultimate accessory. The Scenario You visit your local comic shop to find two new acquisitions on display. One is an amazingly realistic lightsaber, and the other is an amazingly realistic phaser from Star Trek. As you examine them, you realize they aren’t replicas. They’re real. The…

Whenever there’s something crazy, violent, illegal, and potentially lethal to be done in movies, condemned prisoners are the ones to do it. They can get death row inmates to agree to fight a suicide mission, participate in lethal combat in weaponized cars, let their brains be controlled, or anything else. I know death row prisoners are desperate, but are they really that eager a source of labor? And even if they were willing to do it, these movies always have to set in a near-future with a decaying government, because the current political climate would never let prisoners be exposed…

We feature a lot of interesting and funny pictures on our Twitter feed. Here are six for this week. Clickbait History, Source: XKCD Darth Vader Love Advice, Source: Unknown Jabba the Pooh, Source: Geektyrant Lady Thor, Source: HeGeekSheGeek Because you’re worth it, Source: Unknown Owning a Real Lightsaber, Source: Unknown Which was your favorite? Please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post. Click on the links to follow us for free by Email, RSS and follow us on Twitter @thegeektwins and like us on Facebook Follow @Thegeektwins

We’ll be doing a semi-regular series where my brother Maurice and I discuss various geek topics via email. This week, the round-table is on DC vs. Marvel comic adaptations in movies. Image Source Nigel: I wanted to tackle the debate that’s raged for decades: Marvel vs. DC. I’m taking the side of DC. I personally prefer DC superheroes over Marvel. With the monstrous success of Marvel’s The Avengers, I’ve seen a lot of geeks sneering that Marvel is finally the winner. I disagree, and not just because Man of Steel was a hit. All my life, I’ve been an avid…

It’s official. We now know where we’ll all be on December 18, 2015: in the theater, watching Star Wars: Episode VII. With pre-production in full-swing, a confirmed release date of December 18, 2015, has been set for Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated Star Wars: Episode VII. “We’re very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture,” said Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. Star Wars: Episode VII will…

Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi has one of the most upbeat endings in movie history. Everybody’s happy, even the dead Darth Vader. But what if things had gone wrong? Editing Room created this alternate version of the ending, where Luke ultimately makes the wrong choice, and the battle goes very badly. [Via YouTube]

Source: SF Signal The history of Star Trek universe is something the franchise has struggled to keep in order. With the wide variety of movies, TV shows, comic books, and novels, there have often been conflicting details, but they’ve striven to keep it straight. At long last, the history has been written in Star Trek Federation: The First 150 Years. . It’s written as if it were a textbook chronicling everything from Earth’s first contact with Vulcan in 2063, the Romulan War in 2156, the creation of the Federation in 2161, and the first 150 years of the Federation until the year…

Babylon 5; Deep Space 9 It’s Tuesday, which means it’s time for another round of “would you rather,” the game that asks you to make the tough choices. Or at least, they’re supposed to be hard choices. In last week’s question, “would you rather free Princess Leia or Marta,” a whopping 78 percent voted to save Leia. This week, we’ll be deciding on the ultimate living space. The Scenario You’re in the market for a new place to live and stumble across a website for something called Intergalactic Apartments. When you load up the website, you discover they have the…

Labyrinth is a classic fantasy film, and a lot of the filming was documented in the occasional documentary. For some reason, they decided to interview David Bowie’s stunt double Dave Leavis on the set. The interview was apparently not included in previous DVD releases, and it’s pretty easy to see why. He criticizes everything from David Bowie’s constant singing to Jim Henson’s relationship with puppets. It’s an interesting look behind the scenes on the set, though. UPDATE: Yeah, this isn’t real. It’s a parody video by YouTube comedy, Talk to Rex. Psych! [Via YouTube]

The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), The Eleventh Doctor (David Tennant) Source: BBC/Wikipedia I know I’m not the only one excited about rumors that the Eleventh and Twelfth Doctor from Doctor Who (and perhaps other incarnations) will meet in the fiftieth anniversary episode. The various incarnations of the Doctors have met before in a handful of episodes. There’s also a very special short called “Time Crash” where the Fifth and Twelfth Doctor met for charity. Here’s the description from Wikipedia: “Time Crash” is a mini-episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was broadcast on 16 November 2007, as part…

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Source: ABC We’ll be doing a semi-regular series where my brother Maurice and I discuss various geek topics via email. This week, the round-table is on the ABC TV show, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Nigel: I admit, so far I’ve been a little disappointed. In all the excitement, I basically expected a weekly version of The Avengers. That’s not Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I realized it couldn’t be. There’s no way ABC could afford a bunch of superheroes, an army of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents aboard the heli-carrier, and the epic battle scenes from Avengers. I understand they had to…

The sci-fi thriller Jurassic Park came to define the look and feel of dinosaurs for an entire generation. In many ways, the adventure about a theme park of genetically engineered dinosaurs tried harder to get the science right than any other dinosaur movie in history. For instance, they showed the Tyrannosaurus Rex standing parallel to the ground instead of upright. On the other hand, it still got a lot of facts wrong. Here are some of the most common misconceptions. 1. The Dinosaurs All Lived in the Jurassic Period – Jurassic Park is a feast for the eyes with Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops,…

Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher); Marta (Yvonne Craig) It’s Tuesday, and time for another round of “would you rather,” the game that asks you to make the tough choices. In last week’s question, “would you rather travel through time or travel through space,” fifty three percent voted to travel through time. This week, it’s time for a daring rescue. The Scenario You’re at your local comic shop, waiting for the clerk to come back with your special order, when you hear someone crying for help. You go behind the counter, and find a secret door leading into an underground chamber. Chained…

One of the best things about the Internet (besides an endless supply of cute cat pictures) is the visibility it provides to independent artists. For example, amateur filmmakers can create their own short films, put them online, and get the attention of Hollywood movers and shakers. Here are three short films good enough to get a film adaptation in the works. Beyond This short film, Beyond, has some potential for mind-bending story and special effects. And it just got a movie deal. Here are the details from Hollywood Reporter: Universal Pictures’ Syfy Films division has optioned the rights to the…

The idea of computer-generated graphics predates the capability of computers to create them effectively and cheaply. Hollywood, always the masters of illusion, has found ways to convince us we’re seeing the work of computers while still working with conventional techniques. Here are four of them you might have been fooled by. 1. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (1981) The Sequence: In this comedic BBC sci-fi series, everyone in the universe consults a computerized guidebook called the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. In the series, we see brief depictions of various entries. The series was praised for the Guide entries,…

Here’s the new poster and trailer for Captain America: Winter Soldier. There are some interesting things in there. Old suit? Falcon? Multiple helicarriers? Black Widow? Check ’em out. What do you think? Please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post. Click on the links to follow us for free by Email, RSS and follow us on Twitter @thegeektwins and like us on Facebook Follow @Thegeektwins

Mankind is not short of hubris. Scientists have moved mountains, built islands, and split the atom. At times, scientists have even tried to change the environment itself. Here are seven attempts to hack Mother Nature like a nineteen year old on a desktop PC. 7. Project CIRRUS (1947) Project Stormfury was a secret project by the US Government to alter the weather. Its first attempt at weather modification came in 1947 with a sub-project of Stormfury code-named Cirrus. The goal of Cirrus was to weaken a hurricane by dropping a hundred and eighty pounds of crushed dry ice into a…

TARDIS, Source: BBC America It’s Tuesday, and that means another game of “Would You Rather,” where we ask you to make the tough choices. In last week’s question, we asked if you’d rather be an expert martial artist or expert marksman. Sixty percent chose “martial artist.” This week, we’ll discuss the ultimate ride. The Scenario You’re walking through your local park when you come across a blue police box. When you push open the door, you discover it’s none other than the famous TARDIS from Doctor Who. The Doctor is inside, ready to retire. He offers to give you the TARDIS,…

What if all movies were Star Trek movies? Here’s one example. What other movies would be different if they were Star Trek movies? Please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post. Click on the links to follow us for free by Email, RSS and follow us on Twitter @thegeektwins and like us on Facebook Follow @Thegeektwins

The atomic bomb has captivated the public since the first detonation. In particular, science fiction has embraced this powerful and unpredictable weapon. It’s appeared frequently in sci-fi movies and TV. Here are nine of them. 1. Dr. Strangelove – In this cold war comedy, an insane US general orders a plane to drop a nuclear bomb on Russia and trigger World War III. This is one of the only nuclear bombs in history that gets ridden like a bucking bronco. 2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes – When a spaceship crash-lands on a planet where simians rule, the astronauts…

Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin on the Moon (NASA) It’s unlikely that anyone reading these words will ever walk on the Moon. Only a handful of people ever have. However, new technology is bringing the Moon to us. For the 35th anniversary of Apollo 11, Panorama.dk took photographs taken on the six moon landings to create full-screen 360-degree panoramic views of the Moon. Here’s how they did it, according to Hans Nyberg: During these missions thousands of images were taken, most of them with the Hasselblad EDC. A special version of the Hasselblad 500 EL. Many of these images are famous,…

Planet of the Apes was a groundbreaking scifi movie in terms of story, music, set design, and makeup. These photos taken in 1967 give a glimpse of what it was like between takes while filming the movie; actors lounging around in ape makeup. That must have been one crazy set. [Via IMGUR] What do you think of the photos? Please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post. Click on the links to follow us for free by Email, RSS and follow us on Twitter @thegeektwins and like us on Facebook Follow @Thegeektwins

It’s Tuesday, and that means another game of “Would You Rather,” where we ask you to make the tough choices. In last week’s question, “Would you rather party with Gungans or Ewoks,” 75% chose the Ewoks. Today’s subject will be about becoming the ultimate warrior. The Scenario Your career as a test subject continues this week when Wood University’s Dr. Rather shows you their latest technology. The lab has developed a way to instantly grant new abilities to humans, and wants you to try it out. With a simple chip implanted in your spinal column, you’ll gain a lifetime of…

Source: Hubblesite.org Being in the Universe is kind of like fish in a fish tank; you don’t appreciate it because it’s all around you. But science has discovered some incredible things about the space in which we live. Here are seven that might make you see everything a little different. 1. Everything Is Made of Stars – The elements in our universe are made up of basic atoms, and those elements combine into compounds. Most of the basic elements are created by reactions inside stars, which means you and everything around you is made of stars. 2. Astronomers Can See Two Billion…

Check out this “Breaking Bad Rises” animated fake movie trailer. “In an alternate universe, Walter White and Jesse Pinkman find themselves in Gotham City.” Via Geeks Are Sexy What do you think of the trailer? Who do you think would win: Heisenberg or Batman? Please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post. Click on the links to follow us for free by Email, RSS and follow us on Twitter @thegeektwins and like us on Facebook Follow @Thegeektwins

Total Recall (1990), Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) riding in Johnny Taxi cab Much like the flying car, the car that drives itself has been a technological dream for decades. What would be better than settling back while your car does all the driving for you? Though it’s only now becoming close to reality, the self-driving car has appeared frequently in sci-fi movies and TV shows. Here’s an overview of nine of them. 9. Johnny Cab (Total Recall, 1990) When Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has to escape some hired thugs, he hops into an automated taxicab with a robot torso named Johnny Cab.…

Here’s the ultimate DCMarvel cross-over: Super-Hulk. Eye Catching Art – Hulk smash bird! Hulk smash plane!! HULK SMASH BUILDING IN SINGLE SMASH!!!! Via Eye Catching Art What do you think of Super-Hulk? Please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post. Click on the links to follow us for free by Email, RSS and follow us on Twitter @thegeektwins and like us on Facebook Follow @Thegeektwins

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977) C-3PO (Anthony Daniels) Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) Part of the appeal of science fiction is to journey to places no one has been to before. Other planets, other times, other realities, these are the worlds of sci-fi. But the problem with going to the unfamiliar is the language barrier. If every movie and TV show had to spend time dealing with characters trying to communicate with each other, they wouldn’t have time to do anything else. That’s why many have adopted some form of translation device, commonly referred to as a “universal…

The Muppet Show(1984) Dr. Julius Strangepork (Greg Berg), C-3PO (Anthony Daniels), Captain Link Hogthrob (Jim Henson), Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Miss Piggy (Frank Oz) Source The Muppets and Star Wars are both beloved icons of pop culture. Bringing the two together has been a common theme and source of delight for many decades. They’re also connected in ways that you may not be aware of. 1. Yoda Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) Frank Oz operating Yoda Yoda is one of the most enduring characters in the Star Wars universe, and also one of the biggest links…

Check out these amazing Star Wars vehicle posters made out of Lego Star Wars sets. Vesa Lehtimäki (Avanaut) does amazing photos using Lego figures and vehicles. Check out these posters of classic Star Wars ships. Check out the rest of the amazing Star Wars Lego photography by Vesa Lehtimäki. What do you think of the Star Wars posters? Please use the buttons below to tell your friends about this post. Click on the links to follow us for free by Email, RSS and follow us on Twitter @thegeektwins and like us on Facebook Follow @Thegeektwins