There's an R2-D2 flying around in there somewhere. There's a little bit of space junk thrown in there; see if you can find it. It's a scene in the desert.

What's next? Bar2-D2 serving cocktails to Tony Stark in Iron Man 2? Hopefully, yes. [VH1 via Star Wars Blog]

Coming this fall, you'll have the opportunity to spend your hard-earned dollars on the official Star Wars Lightsaber and Clone Trooper Blaster accessories for the Nintendo Wii.

No word on pricing, but they probably won't be all that expensive. After all, they're just hunks of plastic you clip over your controllers. [Kotaku]

Monitor his state? Give him physical feedback about his environment? Amplify his powers? Pick his nose? Facial massages? Shave him? I think I'm going with scratching his face when it gets itchy. It makes perfect sense. [Walyou]

There goes another $190 for Uncle George. [Star Wars Shop via The Awesomer]

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]

During the episode in which the humans and the Cylons discover a devastated Earth, they come across the remains of its civilization. One of the things they found partially covered in the radioactive soil was a "2000-year-old, ancient Cylon." That was the exact phrase in the script, which was used by VFX supervisor Gary Hutzel and chief model maker Pierre Drolet to create the Cylon head you see above.

Like Ralph McQuarrie did for Darth Vader, the pair took inspiration on classic samurai armor designs.
The result clearly came way too close to the Sir Dark Lord Van Vader Von Ham of Shin's helmet. So close that they took a couple of layers out of the helmet, to make it look like the skull on the right, which is the model that finally ended up in the actual shot:

Beautiful design either way, although I liked the full helmet better. I don't care it looked like Vader's, specially when McQuarrie also did art for Battlestar Galactica (some of it is under these lines.) [Darth Mojo—Thanks Alice]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.

On the left, Lucas surrounded by a ton of stuff from the first Star Wars trilogy, which ended with 1983's Return of the Jedi. On the right, Lucas surrounded by the only object that mattered in his second Star Wars trilogy, finishing with 2005's Revenge of the Sith: A green chroma screen.

There's something about real objects that—no matter how hard they have tried so far—3D computer graphics still have failed to capture. Yes, synthetic images have been evolving as fast as computing power, with new techniques that sometimes fool the eye. But while 1983 Star Wars may look bad at times compared to JJ Abrams' Star Trek, the former still feels... more real even while it looks less realistic, perhaps? I don't know how to define it, but it just feels better.

Certainly better than 2005 Star Wars, and not only because of the awful script. [Uberpix—Thanks Genevieve]

During the Drill Machine sequence as the Enterprise comes out of its barrel role amidst destruction of the other Federation ships above Vulcan, we cut to an interior Enterprise bridge over the shoulder of Kirk that is looking out through the front viewscreen. In space, R2-D2 is floating in the debris from about the top middle of the screen to the bottom right.

Poor R2. [Oh No They Didn't]

Update: The scene is that but that is not R2-D2 according to one ILM Star Trek effects supervisor. Unfortunately, he and Paramount can't show the scene yet.

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.If only we could combine the space battles of Star Wars and the mustache of Magnum. Now that would be worth watching. [Nerdcore via The Daily What]

Kind of demeaning for the ol' baddie, no? I mean, turning one of the most celebrated villains in cinema history into some kind of $40 gimpy clinger-on... I mean, it's almost like an out-of-touch filmmaker taking a storied franchise, reshooting key scenes with poorly planned updates and cut footage from 1977, and then selling the resulting schlock back to us as if it were the second coming. I mean, if that actually happened. Did it?

But back on task. If this were an Anakin Skywalker Back Buddy, and it resembled Hayden Christensen, I might not be so critical. It'd be more fitting, is what I'm trying to say.

This Darth is available for pre-order and ships in August. [Star Wars Shop via OhGizmo]

One is on board of the Enterprise, doing his thing. Yes, it may be a stretch to put R2 reprising his role onboard the X-Wing, but it would be a great way to pay homage to the movies and an awesome Easter Egg.

The other is an R2-D2 passing by on a lift fork, while Kirk and Bones are talking. If you want to participate, send the scene you think he is in to Paramount or go to Facebook's Star Trek group before the May 25. The sweepstakes prize is an original prop from the film.

Andi Wang donated her eyes to get this screenshots. She's not Bothan.

Lego Corellian Corvette Tantive IV

Lego Millennium Falcon

Craig Steven—the British Lego artist who did the Tantive IV—says that the bridge section alone measures 75 x 50 centimeters, and its interior includes the sets from A New Hope:

The model features a fully detailed interior, based on the sets built for Star Wars: A New Hope. I have drawn up my own diagram of the the corridor network, which actually matches the "real thing" unlike the official plans available in Star Wars publications. I did not use Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith as a source of reference, as the cockpit set constructed for the film was far too small.

Impressive, most impressive, as the-guy-in-black-and-a-passion-for-all-things-shiny-who-is-not-Steve-Jobs would say. Can't wait to see it finished. [Craig Stevens]

Star Trek certainly isn't the only franchise that has gone way too far in the quest to make a buck—it's bitter rival Star Wars also comes to mind. The battle between the two franchises has been fought on many fronts, but the question about who has the stupidest merchandise has yet to be debated.

[Original Image via Flickr]

For now he only controls the servo and dome motor with the accelerometer, as well as touchscreen controls. His plan is to have the whole thing controlled using an iPhone interface that uses both the accelerometer, as well as buttons and gestures on the touchscreen.

Although this one is not controlled by the iPhone, here's another video of Glenn's R2 just humming along his living room.

[Glenn's Astromech via Make]

Too bad the video gets ruined by the crappy explosion at the end. I'm sure JJ Abrams would approve, though.

No, it's not a show. It's an actual wedding.

Look at her dress—classier than the Stormtrooper hooker, though—the lightsabers, the decorations, the invitations, the tables, the guests, and the dancing floor with the disco Death Stars.

It's so tacky that goes around into ultracool kitsch glamour territory, and—thanks to Pat Dy's great photography—actually makes it look fascinating and/or absolutely nuts. How much money did all this Star Wars orgy cost? We will never know, but for sure many Bothan died to make this possible.

And by the way, can anybody tell me what, in the name of Peter Cushing, is this kid doing at the wedding?

Thank you very much in advance. Check the rest of the photos here. [Patdyphotography via Rock and Roll Bride—Thanks Genevieve]

I must say the results are kind of unimpressive. Nothing like heading to North Korea. But hey, it's May Fourth. [VBS TV via Gothamist]

However, this question isn't necessarily about which movies are better overall. What I'm interested in finding out is which of these iconic sci-fi franchises have conjured up the coolest futuristic space gadgets.

[Image via Flickr]

According to the Wikipedia, it's May 4th because of the pun: May the Fourth Be With You. The Los Angeles City Council says that May 25th 2007 is Star Wars Day in that city—in honor of the release date of A New Hope: May 25, 1977. The rest of the Earthlings are happy to celebrate today. [Wikipedia—Thanks Genevieve]

These minifigs are part of the limited edition poster that Lego has published as part of their 10th anniversary celebration of Lego Star Wars, one of their most successful Lego universe. Unfortunately, the poster is not longer available. Fortunately, Lego is going to publish a 10th anniversary book which will be available for everyone.

Sadly, its $30 price tag won't get you James Earl Jones shouting at you like a Marines instructor. Instead, it will play AM/FM radio or act as a speaker for your digital audio player. However, with its glowing red time indicators I like it better than the Darth Vader alarm clock. [Playthings via Toyology]

With a little help from an earlier tribute by Neatorama, I learned about, and will bring to you, two geektastic clips from her seven decade career.

The first clip comes to us from the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, one of the four black marks George Lucas bestowed on the franchise (the others being Episodes 1-3 in their entirety). Bea Arthur played Ackmena, the singing nightshift bartender at Chalmun's Cantina on Tatooine.

The second clip is from Futurama. Arthur played Femputer, the computer leader of a tribe of Amazonian women who didn't care much for men (See? A man-hating computer—that's a gadget, right?)

Sure, she'll be remembered mostly for her role on Golden Girls, but it was nice to see Bea Arthur let her geek flag fly once in a while too. RIP. [Neatorama]

(Please, allow me to ramble for five minutes.)

While I'm sure this space age version is amazing, Chuck Jones' parody—which also nails Fantasia's Night on Bald Mountain and chops it to bits—is without a doubt the best interpretation ever released this side of Apocalypse Now helicopter attack. Not strangely, it has been considered repeatedly as the best cartoon of all time by critics and animators since it was released in 1957. If you having seen it yet—or if you can't remember it—enjoy:

Watching it, you can clearly see why it's the be all end all of comedy cartoons—and drama too. Like Chuck Jones said many times, people actually teared up when they saw the ending. It's certainly my favorite, along with some of the craziest Roadrunners and Daffy Duck's classic movie genres parodies, all masterpieces of comedy and movie making.

But if you are in LA and still insist in watching tenor Plácido Domingo playing Elmer J. Fudd dressed up as a neon Darth Vader in the real The Valkyrie, you can do so at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion for the rest of the week.

Or you can spare yourself the pain and see some images right here. [Beautiful Decay]

* Woody Allen dixit.

The concept is simple: 100 of the best underground artists and designers working today were given a scale Darth Vader helmet to customize as they saw fit. Some of the most notable artists involved with the project include: Shag, Peter Kuper, Attaboy, Gary Baseman, Tim Biskup, Dalek, Paul Frank, Ron English, Jeff Soto, Michelle Valigura, Frank Kozik, Wade Lageose, Joe Ledbetter, Alex Pardee, Suckadelic, Cameron Tiede, Mister Cartoon, Marc Ecko, and Amanda Visell. Plus, new artists are added to the lineup from time to time.

Since it's conception in 2007, the Vader Project has been displayed at various Star Wars conventions around the world, but the exhibit at the Warhol marks it's first appearance in a museum setting. So, if you can't make it to Pittsburgh in time, hopefully the project will come to you sometime in the not-too-distant future. [The Vader Project]

ATTN Tauntaun Fanatics! Due to an overwhelming tsunami of requests from YOU THE PEOPLE, we have decided to TRY and bring this to life. We have no clue if the suits at Lucasfilms will grant little ThinkGeek a license, nor do we know how much it would ultimately retail for. But if you are interested in ever owning one of these, click the link below and we'll try!

If there is one thing I know, it's that Lucasfilms never passes on a cash money opportunity...NEVER. [ThinkGeek via OhGizmo via Crunchgear]

The X-wing (pictured here) is not only 5-feet long; it includes a water cannon. Couple that aqua weaponry with a few "pew pew" noises and you've got yourself a second degree sunburn before anyone even pulls out the Death Star beach ball.

Seriously, I'm calling a do-over to my childhood. But I can wait until Power Wheels releases a line of working mini Tie Fighters. [StarWars via OhGizmo!]

The author says he took "the audio output of an amplifier and added a clamping diode and feed the signal into one of the phases on the worm drive motor. To give the motor a louder sound I added a small DC voltage to the other phase. This coil had the oppisite polarity then that of the audio phase."

Apparently, only the lightsaber sound was added to the montage later. [Star Wars Blog]

Forgetting about the conceptual weirdness, these cameras—both boasting 300,000 dot resolution, a built-in mic and LCDs for eerie illumination—do have one functional benefit over the USB hubs before them: they let you indulge your deepest fanboy desires and plop a Star Wars computers accessory on your desk, but in the one way that none of your Skype friends (read: actual friends) will ever have to know about. Genius.

If you are so inclined, they're about $40 on pre-order, plus shipping from Japan. [Akihabara]

By custom cutting a stainless steel trash can, R2 had his base. Now he just needed some detail work. So the modder dremeled like a mad man before adding wooden legs, LEDs and Vikureen polystyrene plating to complete the look. Where the plastic plating would not bend properly, you can see (upon close inspection) that it was merely sliced into strips.

Oh, and just in case you always wondered. R2D2 runs on a P4 2.8GHz with 768MB of RAM and 64MB GeForce MX400 graphics. [bit-tech]

Artist Paul Loughridge made this 16-inch tall astrokeg using a 4.7 liter beer keg and the following elements:

Head - 1945 chrome BLC utility light shell.
Eye - vintage movie camera lens w/adjustable spring-loaded aluminum casing.
Legs - propane tank valve handles, brass spacers, drilled-out washers, pair of aluminum Lady Josephine shoe butler (wall-mounted shoe shine holders).
Feet/base - 3 mini bread loaf pans, lamp hardware and a 1/2″ precision drilled aluminum base plate.
+assorted nuts, bolts, screws and, of course - lockwashers!

Head to Bonnie Burton's interview with Paul for more details about his cool artwork. [Star Wars Blog]

Can anyone explain to me how you program a Tesla Coil to do this? [YouTube]

Luckily we've all seemed to survive the nerd armageddon, so we might as well admire Matt De Lanoy's creation in the meantime, which is a contender in the FBTB's Lego podracer challenge. The Brothers Brick especially like the headphones, but I'm more mystified by the goose-stepping Darth Vader. Be sure to check out De Lanoy's Flickr page for more images. [Flickr and FBTB via The Brothers Brick]

Now you can pay homage to the legendary lightsaber-toothed tiger through this fashionable $18 t-shirt from Threadless. It's available for both men and women, but only in white. (I mention the point of color only because I picture our Star Wars readership wearing nothing but head-to-toe black hoods at all times.) [Threadless via Fashionably Geek]