Gizmodo Australia » sci-fi

Win One Of Three Complete Stargate Atlantis Box Sets

Nick Broughall — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:30:56 +0000

There’s a lot of good Sci-Fi on TV these days. But sometimes if you miss even a single episode, the entire show seems to make no sense whatsoever. Fortunately for anyone who ever missed an episode of Stargate Atlantis, we’re giving away three complete box sets on DVD this week, worth about $280 each.

Each box set has every episode from all five seasons of the successful TV series, so you’ll never have to worry about missing an episode.

To enter, all you need to do is tell us in 25 words or less in the comments section below: “What would you do if you discovered Atlantis?

The best three responses will win all 26 discs of Stargate goodness. Entries close at 5pm on Friday, with winners announced next Monday. You can grab the full terms and conditions below.

Good luck!

[Terms and Conditions]

Yes! Star Trek Is Cool Because A Pie Graph Says So!

Mark Wilson — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Sci Fi Wire makes a convincing argument, in both authoritarian pie chart form and debatable exposition, as to why Star Trek is cool (again). But what’s missing from the chart? Two words: Lens flare.

Man has long marveled at the bright and shiny. He obsesses over soft metals, like gold, because of their luster. And diamonds, while hardened for industry, are more just as often if not more reserved for rings representing sacred vows.

So hats off to the writers, actors, set designers and special effects team. But JJ Abrams’ simple mantra of “aim those four-story mirrors at the camera, dammit!” deserves, at minimum, a bar graph constructed of Borg ships. [Sci Fi Wire via Geekologie]

Futuristic Movie Timeline: The Next Few Decades Will Be Eventful

Adam Frucci — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Ever wondered when exactly we can expect the events from your favourite sci-fi movie to happen? Thanks to Dan Meth’s awesome Futuristic Movie Timeline, you’ll wonder no more. Ugh, only 4 more years ’til the Postman. Damn you, Costner! [Dan Meth]

Virtuality, Ron Moore’s Post Battlestar Galactica Project

Mark Wilson — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:20:00 +0000

Here’s the latest promo shot of Virtuality, Ron Moore’s latest pilot heading to US screens on June 26th. Note that Moore has completely reimagined sci-fi once again in that astronauts now wear spongy suits.

Intended to be a bit less intense than BSG’s post-apocalyptic doom and gloom, Virtuality is about 12 astronauts on Man’s first starship, the Phaeton. They’re on a 10-year journey (feeling confident, aren’t we Mr. Moore?) and will kill the time by plugging in to their own customised virtual reality worlds—a sort of holodeck meets the Matrix. That killing of time seems to be the focus of the show.

Our sister site io9 has been covering Virtuality quite a bit over the last year from inception to production, so they’re a good resource if you’d like to read more about the pilot and potential new program. [io9]

* Wait, another promising sci-fi pilot is coming to Fox? Never mind, it’s doomed.

15 Deadly Sexbots Who’ll Kill You Faster Than You Can, Uh, You Know

John Herrman — Thu, 21 May 2009 12:10:25 +0000

The out-and-proud machine fetishists over at io9 have compiled a list of the 15 deadliest robot sirens ever imagined, from Blade Runner’s replicant Pri to Austin Powers‘ gun-boobed Fembots. [io9]

Living in a Sci-Fi World with Futuristic Megastructures

Andi Wang — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:40:00 +0000

Here’s a look at what our worlds might look like if we lived amongst futuristic megastructures, including modernised Arcosanti ruins, Blade Runner’s Off-world, or even EPA/Simpsons-esque domes in the middle of Manhattan.

Head to the source for a full gallery. [Oobject]

All 172 Star Trek Voyager Episodes Played Back at Once

Mark Wilson — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:02:33 +0000

Computer! Yes captain? Place all 172 Star Trek Voyager episodes onscreen. Voyager? Yes. Not TNG? No, not TNG. You’re sure not TNG? I said Voyager, dammit. And play them back at 14x speed! …OK

Being TNG fans here at Giz, we’re not exactly sure what prompted one video editor to assemble 172 full-length Voyager episodes into one mega collage in Final Cut Pro. Then again, we’re still not sure what drove Jason to spend much of this week calculating the Enterprise’s ever-fluctuating screen sizes.

So in other words, we’re not judging. But we really would have liked to hear the unintelligible audio track. [artvierkan via infosthetics via Red Ferret]

Blast Electric Sheep With Deckard’s Gun, Now Just $US150,000

Jack Loftus — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Was Deckard really a replicant? Who cares, his blaster’s for sale.

Yup, just a mere $US100,000 to $US150,000 and this one-of-a-kind movie prop could be yours, although we imagine that price tag is going to climb a bit higher before all is said and done at the Auctioneer Profiles in History event beginning April 30.

Other classic movie items up for auction include a ring worn by Bela Lugosi when he played Count Dracula; a monocle used in the Fritz Lang’s 1927 sci-fi movie “Metropolis”; and Rita Hayworth’s dress from 1940’s film noir classic “Gilda.”

It’s truly an eclectic collection of items that, if combined, would have probably confused Harrison Ford’s character even more. [Reuters]

What’s in the Box? Is Mysterious Mishmash of Gadgets, Video Games, Apocalypse

Jack Loftus — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 21:00:00 +0000

This POV ~~viral campaign~~ ~~advertisement~~ demo film(?!) is an amalgamation of mobile phones, VR headsets, Lost music, Half-Life references and hat tips to movies like 28 Days Later. But what, exactly, does it mean?

Spotted initially by CrunchGear, the movie links to a web site called What’s In The Box, but the trail pretty much ends there. They don’t have any ideas either.

If anything, it’s just a cool short film that successfully combines gadgets, sci-fi and film making into a nice little package. That it apparently doesn’t have any point whatsoever, and ends somewhat abruptly with a “singularity,” well, that’s another thing. For now, enjoy this on a lazy Sunday. [CrunchGear]

This Belly Button Ring Is Not an Alien Appendage (NSFW)

Matt Buchanan — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

What are these? They look like Alien tails that’ll stab your heart out, except that it hangs from your belly button for sci-fi nerds in bikinis.

Oh. Oh that’s what it is. A cybernetic pop-up penis. [SheCoolHeCool via Fashionably Geek]