Want to know what the Dorks want for Christmas this year?

Katie Lee: Dork Editor

Please may I have a Kobo and an E-One laser hair removal gadget? I had both of them in for review this year and they’re the things that have left the biggest hole since they went back. Also, I bought my friend the whole of The Guild to watch and I haven’t actually seen it myself. So I’d like someone to get me that, please.

Emma Cossey: Web dork

I’ve just bought a house, so all I seem to buy at the moment is dull house things. Therefore, I’d love some vouchers to splurge on clothes, Abel & Cole, Amazon and Boots. My other, more extravagant, want is an Apple Macbook Air , because my Dell is destined for that great laptop space in the sky.

Tamsin Worrad: Science dork

I would like:

Babyliss Big Hair style – I’m assured this will end my bad hair days forever. (Emma agrees, amazing hair styler)

Series 3 & 4 of The Big Bang Theory because I am way behind

‘How to live safely in a science fictional universe‘. I feel this could contain important advice

Star Trek Mr Potato Heads: they’re adorable!

Zachary Quinto. I KEEP asking and yet nobody is doing anything about it?

Imogen Hitchcock: Lifestyle Dork

2012 is going to be the year in which I find my inner domestic goddess and I start to do ‘stuff’ around the house. Therefore, dear Santa, I’d like the following in my stocking (please note, industrial size stocking may be required):

A Kitchen Aid mixer in blue willow: it’s so damn pretty!

A sewing machine and a stack load of books on how to use it. I used to do sewing at school but for the life of me, can’t remember where to start. However, I’d rather like to while away the winter months making clothes (or, probably in my case, making hideous monstrosities that I’ll be inordinately proud of)

Some Le Creuset. I’m sure it makes my cooking taste so much better.

I don’t ask for much, do I?

Nick Bryan: Film & TV dork

My big gadget purchase this year was the Kindle, I’d quite like some new books for it, but Santa (yes, alright, my mother) tells me that I am contractually obligated to get something to go under the tree. Still, I’ll finally be reading the Game of Thrones book in some form.

I’ve been meaning to catch up on the Powers graphic novel series by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming now they’ve made a TV pilot, there’s a non-Kindle book for the tree.

I might also get the first two series of Misfits on DVD because I miss Nathan. Yes, I’m a sap.

Now it’s your turn! What’s on your Christmas list?

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They’ve been been building up to it for a long time now. Iron Man, Captain America, The Hulk and Thor have all enjoyed a level of solo success at the cinemas.

Now, they’re all starring in a big fat slice of Marvel movie goodness - The Avengers. And they’ve thrown Scarlett Johansson in the mix for good measure.

We might be quite excited about this. The only annoying thing is, it’s not out until May. So essentially, this trailer is just a big geek tease.

Check out the trailer below, then let us know in the comments what you think.

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Want to know what the Dorks want in their stocking this Christmas? Here’s a round up of what we’re hoping Santa brings us this weekend. Check out our wish list — which seems to consist mainly of TV boxsets and geek gear.

Katie

Thanks to all the positive stuff about Misfits on Dork Adore, I actually watched the second series — and LOVED it! I normally don’t watch programmes out of sequence, so this was unusual for me. To right this wrong, I’d really like series one on Blu-ray.

Emma

I’ve managed to destroy yet another pair of earphones for my iPod, so I’m after a pair of Audio Chi headphones. If Santa is feeling particularly generous, I wouldn’t mind a Power Plate machine at home.  It’s the Slendertone of the 21st century donchaknow?

Realistically though, I’d be quite happy with Kick Ass and Scott Pilgrim on DVD, and maybe a voucher for Abel & Cole so I can start the new year on a health kick.

Nick

Nowadays, the huge DVD boxsets are getting stupidly cheap, so my big Christmas presents will be a few of those. I can now get the complete run of Battlestar Galactica, Sopranos, Six Feet Under, The Wire or West Wing for around fifty quid from many online vendors, which is the price I used to pay for a single series.

Oh, and if you liked The Walking Dead TV show, the Compendium collecting the first 48 issues of the comic is good value, and isn’t printed on toilet paper or anything like that. Don’t drop it on your foot though.

Michelle

Tamsin

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Ewan Swain was one of the lucky few who bagged a ticket to a screening of Scott Pilgrim. Here’s his review.

Ok, first let me lay my cards on the table.

I read comic books. I play video games. I love snappy pop culture references. I was a big fan of Spaced, Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

Level 1 – A New Hero Awaits

Though even with all of that, when I first heard of the premise for this movie, I have to say it sounded kinda sucky. A film based on a comic based on video games, which were sort of a comic book video games but up there on the screen. Really? But the trailer did look pretty awesome, awesome enough that I watched it several times.

So when I offered the opportunity to attend a screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, I leapt at the chance. But did it, could it work?

Power Up

The first half of the film and in particular the first act is as impressive a piece of bravado film making you will ever see. It simple zings from the screen and just makes you beam. Wright’s love for the two genres of gaming and comic books is apparent in every fast cut, every superimposition and every pop culture reference and you can’t help but get swept along. The video gaming world just sort of works, with a few very small exceptions (pee bar, I’m looking at you) but what caught me by surprise was how laugh-out-loud funny it was. Scene after scene of snappy film making were outshone by the perfectly weighted gags and comedic pacing and you start to feel you are in for something very special indeed. The interactions between the characters are sublime with great acting by a cast who look like they were having a ball making this. While stripped down it is essentially a “man on a journey of self-discovery” flick, it’s an incredibly well-crafted one.

Over Elaborate Back-Story Cut Scene

Without giving too much away Scott, a likeable geek-in-a-band is drifting through a rebound relationship when he meets Ramona. She is cool, fickle with Anime wide eyes and ever changing hair colour. She has a mysterious past and must be cool as she is from New York.  He very quickly wins her round and before you know it it’s happily ever aft…oh no hang on, first there is the little matter of her Seven Evil Exes he must fight. Each of these battles differs from the prior from the previous in more imaginative ways, and these fights pretty much dominate the middle act, with a few sub plots along the way. The effects keep coming, the film grows bigger and louder and the exes keep coming. I won’t dwell too much on these nemeses of Pilgrim, but suffice to say I’m seriously thinking of getting myself some vegan power as well as being a fan of the phrase “Bi-furious”

The Final Level – Prepare for the Challenge

Sadly though, and I know I may make myself a hate figure on twitter for saying this, the whole thing just sort of gets too much for itself. The jokes come thinner and slower as Scott heads into the final level, sorry act. Meanwhile the effects get a tad repetitive and as the film ploughs on I sort of wished there had only been 5 evil exes and a tighter movie. Also, as with many fantastical pieces of whimsy and effects you also get the feeling that this film could date quite badly. In ten years it’ll be sitting in DVD special editions on many a shelf, but rarely if at all taken out to watch, apart from to listen to what I hope will be stellar DVD commentary.

You Win! Now Watch the End Credits as a Reward

However, that’s churlish of me to say. Because at the end of the day this is popcorn fare, and bloody good popcorn fare it is too. The first half of the movie stands up there with not only the best comic book adaptations but also the best comedies of recent times. If you’ve never liked comic books or video games? Well, there’s still enough to like, but it might come across as a very loud, very fast Juno. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Game Over – Continue?

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This autumn brings another 3D animated extravaganza with Despicable Me, a movie about a supervillian (Gru, voiced by Steve Carell) who hopes to pull off a heist involving the moon. The only thing that stands in his way? Three little orphan girls who wish to adopt him as their new dad.

Gru has an entire army of minions, who resemble this cute little fella on the right. Looks like a baby version of Beaker from The Muppets to me.

Despite the fact that the film has only just been released in the US and won’t be released here until October, WolfDreamer has already been able to create an amigurumi of the quirky character, and provide a free pattern for those of you who want to recreate him.

Want to see the character in action? Here’s a short trailer from the upcoming animation.

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This year is the 25th anniversary of Back To The Future, which makes me feel both nostalgic and really, really old. The trilogy of movies has been re-released in a Blu-Ray box set, with some extra never-seen-before scenes in the features.

Back To The Future 2 partly takes place in 2015, which I guess would have been considered futuristic back in the 80s. Considering it’s set only five years away, it’s amusing to see how little we’ve advanced in certain areas. Time-travelling cars have always been a little far out of the realms of reality, but a hover car? Is that really so impossible? Science Fiction films and comics have described floating transport for decades, so it’s somewhat surprising that more effort hasn’t been put into making the dream a reality. I’m sure Clarkson and co would love a spin round the track in a flying car.

What about the other gadgets in the Back To The Future trilogy?

Hoverboard

Marty discovered his hoverboard had its limitations when he tried to fly over a pond, but here in 2010 we’re still grappling with the concept of a floating skateboard.

Auto-fitting clothes

Clothes that automatically fit to your body shape and laces that tie themselves up? A lazy lady’s dream.

Hydrator

Pop a teeny tiny mini-pizza into the Hydrator (like a space age microwave) and 10 seconds later you’ll get a full size piping hot doughy delight. Instant hot junk food? Probably not ideal for a nation battling obesity, but I’d buy it.

What gadget would you like to have seen invented in real life?

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Movies don’t come much more star-packed than the upcoming action movie The Expendables. With a cast including Sylvester Stallone (who also directs) Jason Statham, Jet Li, Mickey Rourke, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, it’s likely to be a huge box office hit.

Particularly for those of us who remember the stars before various questionable cosmetic surgery procedures…

The film tells the story of a group of mercenaries hired to infiltrate a South American country and overthrow its ruthless dictator. However, the men soon realise things are not quite as they seem.

Last night saw the UK premiere of the movie, and many of the stars were interviewed on the red carpet.

Want to know what they had to say on the movie and filming process? Check out the video below.

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Whilst browsing Mashable this weekend, I came across a post on Easter Eggs in popular websites, based on the Konami code for retro game cheats. The concept is that by tapping “Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start” upon visiting certain sites, you’ll get access to a hidden feature.

Oh so geeky and oh so addictive.

Easter Egg codes have achieved a huge following, and have become particularly popular on DVDs for hiding those hidden extras for die hard fans to find. Some Easter Eggs don’t require a code, and can simply be spotted by eagle-eyed viewers (Pixar in particular love to pop in subtle references to other movies) Their popularity has led to a number of sites launching that are dedicated to hunting down and revealing the latest Easter Eggs.

Fancy finding some Easter Eggs yourself? Here are a few more sites to track down the secret content.

• EEggs: A simple, if slightly dull, database of Easter Eggs. Regularly updated.
• DVD Easter Eggs: Film fans can browse the Easter Eggs here for hours. The site itself hasn’t been updated for a while, however the forums are still thriving.
• EggHaven: Lists a variety of Easter Eggs in software, DVDs, music and websites.
• Tips & Tricks: Play Snake on a YouTube video
• Robert Accettura has some incredibly geeky Easter Eggs hidden in the HTML of some huge sites.

Know of any more sites? Or any super-Easter Eggs? Let us know!

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On November 19th of this year, the first part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows opens in cinemas, with part two following on July 15th 2011. In the build up to the release, Warner Bros have released some behind the scenes featurettes following the cast and story.

Here they are!

The Story Featurette

On The Run Featurette

Forest Run Featurette

Are you looking forward to the next two films, or dreading the end of the Harry Potter movies?

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The summer cinema season tends to be chock-full of flashy, mindless showpieces with lots of explosions and a hefty dollop of cheesy white-toothed grins. This summer’s reboot of The A-Team certainly fits the bill.

If you tuned-in to The A-Team on TV back in the ‘80s, you’ll no doubt have fond memories of the four ex-US special forces operatives; Hannibal, the man with the plan, Face, the wisecracking ladies’ man, Murdoch, unbalanced but brilliant, and BA, a big burly black guy with a penchant for bling.

Together they went about carrying out plans to blow up bad guys with brilliant home-made gadgetry. Here’s the Wikipedia entry. Go nuts.

Or, don’t go nuts, just go and see the film where they’ll spell everything out for you very slowly and clearly as though you’re an illiterate three year old who doesn’t speak English.

Too much going on

Telling a story can be a tricky business and, in The A-Team’s case, the filmmakers have tried to cram too much narrative into one film. What with introducing us to all the characters, explaining how the A-Team got together and the whys and wherefores of their subsequent incarceration, by the time we actually get to the bones of the film we’re a bit A-Teamed out.

You’d think somewhere along the line, someone might have piped up “Maybe this is why they kept it as a series, eh guys? Guys?”

Does it live up to the ‘80s series? Well, yes in that the series was also a bit crap and full of border-line offensive stereotypes. But it also lacks that air of innocence, the cut-and-dry bad guys and clever homemade gizmos that made the series so charming.

The casting could have gone oh so horribly wrong. Imagine a generic pretty boy like Zac Efron trying to pull off Face, or wheeling William Shatner out to give Hannibal a self-satisfied stab… I shudder to think. Good news though, they couldn’t afford Zefron so they ended up getting the alpha squad pretty much spot on — I particularly adore seeing Liam Neeson having a bit of fun and loving it when plans come together.

It’s not all good

The only real let down is BA. Let’s face it: Mr T was BA. Simply casting someone who looks a bit like him and stencilling PITY and FOOL onto his knuckles isn’t going to cut it. Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson gives it a good go but he seems to know he’s fighting a losing battle, leaving BA little more than the token black guy who (rather awkwardly) calls people ‘fool’ a lot.

And he doesn’t drink any milk! The bling we can live without, but the milk? C’mon! He also has a very token existential faux-religious crisis of faith which, I think, is somehow related to his hairstyle. It’s incredibly tenuous and ridiculous. You’ll see what I mean.

What else didn’t I like? The laughs are feeble, the love interest sub-plot is pointless and unsatisfying and the baddies aren’t really very bad – aside from being quite an inept villain, Patrick Wilson as Agent Lynch reminded us too much of Will Arnett to be taken seriously.

One thing you can’t fault The A-Team on, though, is its liberal use of the if-in-doubt-just-blow-some-stuff-up technique. There’s definitely a spot of Michael Bay channelling going on here, to the point where you’ll lose track of what’s actually going on. Our advice is to just sit back and take the kabooms as they come.

Harmless Hollywood fun

Big on action and bad-boy swagger, The A-Team boils down to harmless Hollywood fun. It’s lost a little something of its charm in this post-millennium world, but you could do worse at the cinema this summer (The Expendables anyone? No?). That said, with the likes of Toy Story 3, Inception and Scott Pilgrim doing the rounds you could definitely do a lot better.

All that and we didn’t even pity any fools at all. Winner.

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