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WARNING: CRAZY SPOILERS HEREIN.

It's become a bit of a tradition in Hollywood for the creators of pop culture-friendly franchises to hide a few Easter eggs in the film for hardcore fans to find and get giggly over. "Iron Man 3" did it just this month while Marvel's other giant blockbuster, "The Avengers," perfected the art last year.

But while those movies were at least sometimes subtle about their references and in-jokes, "Star Trek Into Darkness" has taken a somewhat different approach: smacking you right in the face with them at every single opportunity.

Of course, that's bound to happen when your whole film is taken part and parcel from the most beloved "Star Trek" installment of all time, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." But since not everyone going to see "Star Trek Into Darkness" has a Ph.D. in Trekkery ("Wrath of Khan" did come out over 30 years ago, after all), we thought we'd go ahead and break things down for the rest of you.

So check out our handy guide to 8 Things You May Have Missed the First Time Around. And who knows? Even if you're a hardcore "Star Trek" fan, there might be something in here you somehow missed as well. Enjoy!

1. The Needs of the Many

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During the high-octane opening sequence of the film, Spock (Zachary Quinto) finds himself seemingly abandoned to certain death inside an active volcano. But does he want to be saved? No he does not, in part because trying to rescue him would endanger to0 many other people. "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one," he explains calmly — using the same phrase that Leonard Nimoy's original Spock used during his infamous death scene at the end of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

2. KHAAAAAAAAAN!

So just how legendary is Spock's death scene in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"? So legendary that they reused the entire sequence in "Star Trek Into Darkness," only with the roles of Spock and Kirk reversed! Yeah, that whole thing where Kirk went into the radiation chamber to save the ship and then died heroically while his best friend helplessly groped at the glass between them? All of it was taken right from "The Wrath of Khan." As was the epic scream "KHAAAAAAAAN!!!," which was originally delivered by William Shatner's Captain Kirk in arguably the most famous moment in "Star Trek" history. Behold the wonder:

3. The Mudd Incident

When Captain Kirk (Chris Pine, naturally) heads down to the Klingon homeworld to capture Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), he disguises the expedition by using a non-Federation shuttle they confiscated during "the Mudd incident." That's actually a double Easter egg: Harry Mudd was a fan favorite recurring villain during the original "Star Trek" TV series, but publishing company IDW also recently put out a special "Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness" tie-in comic book setting up ... well, that one scene. Cool either way.

4. Nurse Chapel

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During Kirk's initial flirtation with new hottie Carol Marcus (Alice Eve), she mentions that he has a reputation. How bad is it? So bad that her good friend, Christine Chapel, transferred off planet to get away from him and become a nurse. Which is a reference to original "Star Trek" crew member Nurse Chapel, who was played by "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's wife, Majel Barrett. There was also a brief reference to Nurse Chapel in the 2009 "Star Trek" film, so maybe at some point she'll actually, you know, appear on screen or something.

5. Dr. Carol Marcus

Speaking of science officer Carol Marcus and her flirtation with Kirk, hopefully you liked her, because chances are you're going to see a lot more of her ... and not just because Eve has already signed on to appear in "Star Trek 3." Dr. Carol Marcus, you see, was a major character in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," where it was revealed that she secretly had a son with Kirk when they were both younger, i.e. the age they are in the reboot. So that line she delivers at the end of the movie where she says to Kirk that "It's good to have a family?" Yeah, those googly bedroom eyes were totally foreshadowing.

6. The Trouble With Tribbles

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If you were wondering about that undead ball of fur that Karl Urban's Dr. McCoy performs medical experiments on in his attempts to revive Kirk, then you clearly aren't a fan of the '60s TV show ... because "The Trouble with Tribbles," where that cute monster came from, is arguably the most popular episode of the entire series. In the show, the Tribbles seem harmless — and are harmless, except for the fact that they multiply at such an ungodly rate that they endanger every other species around by eating them out of house and home like a plague of Furbies. Maybe McCoy should have left that one dead.

7. Kobayashi Maru

Referenced both in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and in the 2009 "Star Trek" reboot, the Kobayashi Maru is a simulation that cadets at Starfleet Academy have to attempt as part of their training. One problem: it's a no-win situation, with Kirk only beating it thanks to some ingenious cheating. So what does it have to do with "Star Trek: Into Darkness"? Well, the Kobayashi Maru scenario involves being stranded on the edge of Klingon space due to a warp core malfunction — which is exactly what happens to the actual Enterprise in "Into Darkness." Well played.

8. The Undiscovered Country

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Finally, we have to also give props to J.J. Abrams and company for branching out a little with their references beyond just "The Wrath of Khan," which they did with the entire non-Khan half of the plot. You know that whole thing where Starfleet Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) tries to stage an incident in order to create a war with the Klingon Empire, going so far as to attack and kill Starfleet officers as part of his plan? Yeah, that's the plot of "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country," which many critics consider the second-best of the original "Star Trek" movies — right behind "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Hey, if you're going to steal, steal from the best.

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"Star Trek Into Darkness" hits theaters around the nation today and that got us thinking: What's going to happen in "Star Trek 3"?

Hey, we're not called CurrentMovie.com.

And, surprisingly enough, there's actually quite a bit of information floating around out there about the presumed third installment in the hit sci-fi franchise relaunch. With that in mind, we've compiled all the rumors, revealing interviews and MAJOR SPOILERS into one handy guide.

So check it out. Because if there's one thing "Star Trek" has taught us, it's that tomorrow is going to be even better than today.

The Whole Crew Will Be Back

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As the chatter surrounding whether or not Robert Downey, Jr. will be back for "Iron Man 4" has shown us, you just can't take anything for granted in the world of movies. If they can potentially replace the most popular and successful box office star of the past five years, they can certainly replace the cast of "Star Trek." Luckily, however, they're not going to, as all the major crew members of the Enterprise are signed on for a third film. And that even includes new addition Alice Eve, who joined the team in "Star Trek Into Darkness." Welcome aboard!

'Star Trek 3' Will Arrive in 2016

Or at least, that's the plan. 2016, you see, happens to the the 50th anniversary of the television debut of "Star Trek" back in 1966. And as screenwriter Robert Orci told Trek Movie, the folks at Paramount "are firm about having a movie out by the 50th anniversary and we are all trying to see if we can all make it work together." Of course, "Star Trek Into Darkness" was supposed to come out last summer, so these things sometimes just take as long as they take. But at the moment, the Enterprise is scheduled to take flight once again in 2016.

J.J. Abrams Will Be Involved

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In case you've been living in a cave or inside a Tauntaun's stomach for the last year, "Star Trek" and "Star Trek Into Darkness" director J.J. Abrams recently signed on to direct "Star Wars: Episode VII," which is only the biggest movie event of your lifetime. So the dude is going to be busy. And that has a lot of "Star Trek" fans understandably concerned. But Abrams told the Belfast Telegraph in no uncertain terms that he will still be working on "Star Trek 3" one way or another. "No matter what if there is a third film Bad Robot and I will be producing the film, so we'll definitely be involved in it," he said. Whew.

There Will Be Klingons

The numbe- one menace in just about every version of "Star Trek" is, of course, the warlike Klingon Empire. And as fans who have seen "Star Trek Into Darkness" already know, the Klingons are most definitely lurking out there, ready to pounce — something they are probably going to do in "Star Trek 3." Discussing possibilities for "Star Trek 3" with HeyUGuys!, screenwriter Damon Lindelof said "You can never see enough Klingons, and I think in ["Star Trek Into Darkness"] we've given the audience a little taste, but there's also a promise that there’s a larger conflict on the horizon, and that would be fun to see." He also teased the possibility of seeing Q or even the Borg in future films, but for now, Klingons are apparently where it's at.

Khan May Return

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Hey, we warned you there are spoilers. Asked about the possibility of Benedict Cumberbatch's Khan becoming a returning villain, Lindelof told Screen Rant that "I think that we would be incredibly stupid to not use him again." Now, that may not come until "Star Trek 4" or something, but considering how awesome Cumberbatch is in "Star Trek Into Darkness," we sure hope they use him again sooner rather than later.

There Will Be More Space Stuff

If there's any complaint we have about the first two "Star Trek" films it's that they, you know, don't actually have anything to do with a trek to the stars. Almost all the action takes place on or near Earth, with both films revolving around plots to wreck our big beautiful planet. At the end of "Star Trek Into Darkness," though, the Enterprise finally takes off on its five-year mission to seek out new life and new civilizations and boldly go where no one has gone before — which is where the classic "Star Trek" story began. So expect far more deep-space explorer-type stuff and far fewer sequences of people fighting on top of cars.

The biggest problem with the "Star Wars" prequels (besides, you know, Jar-Jar) was in the intervening 15 years between episodes fans had basically made those movies in their heads, and nothing could live up to the majesty of whatever they had concocted.

Luckily, J.J. Abrams has taken that into consideration, and seems open to taking suggestions directly from fanboys as he crafts "Star Wars Episode VII," as in last night's interview with Jimmy Kimmel where he took pointers from a guy with a light saber and a fat dude in Slave Leia drag (natch). And, surprise, O.G. "Star Trek" stars Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian) and William Shatner popped up to offer their own expert opinions.

As far as audience plants go, Billy Dee was about as smooth as a cold Colt 45, pitching Abrams on 2 hours of straight up sexy Lando action. While Williams clearly still has the moves (he suggested that the movie be "all Lando"), Abrams took the biggest shine to the thought of shoehorning Captain Kirk into the "Star Wars" universe… based on a script by Shatner, of course.

Is it too late to throw our hat into the ring and suggest Eli Roth do a Jar-Jar Binks/"Hostel" crossover movie with lots and lots of Gungan torture porn? Darth Vader and Boba Fett could take turns with the blowtorch. Just a suggestion.

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While most sci-fi fans are over the moon about "Star Trek Into Darkness" and the whole J.J. Abrams reboot, you may be surprised to learn that there are still quite a few "Star Trek" traditionalists who decry the new films as a monstrous blasphemy. A self-professed "Star Wars" fan turning "Star Trek" into a shoot first and ask questions later action franchise? No way.

And that got us wondering: Which is actually better, the new "Star Trek" or the old "Star Trek"?

Of course, the two versions of Gene Roddenberry's beloved creation are very different in tone and story, so it's a little like comparing apples to tribbles. But one thing they do share is the same characters. So in order to decide which version of "Star Trek" holds the edge, we've decided to match up the old and new versions, actor against actor, mano-a-mano.

Let the battle commence.

Nyota Uhura: Nichelle Nichols vs. Zoe Saldana

Nichelle Nichols had a lot going for her in the original "Star Trek" series. A true television pioneer, her Uhura was one of the few — if not the only — positive representations of African-American women on TV in the '60s. Thanks to the times Nichols helped change, though, Zoe Saldana's version of Uhura simply has more opportunities to kick butt and take names. She's not just the mysterious beauty on the telephone; she's a take-charge force in her own right.

Our Pick: Zoe Saldana (New "Trek")

Hikaru Sulu: George Takei vs. John Cho

We love what "Harold and Kumar" star John Cho did with the role of ship's helmsman Hikaru Sulu in 2009's "Star Trek," especially the awesome action sequence where he and Kirk battled evil minions atop a big ... space thing. But while the shout-out to the original Sulu's love of fencing was cool, it wasn't as cool as, you know, the original Sulu's love of shirtless fencing. And as anyone who is on Facebook knows, nobody delivers their lines with quite the same verve as George Takei. The man is a true original.

Our Pick: George Takei (Old "Trek")

Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott: James Doohan vs. Simon Pegg

"She canna take much more, Cap'n!!" Look, we love James Doohan's Scotty as much as anyone, what with his deadpan earnestness that you just knew was hiding some major inner snark. But in these modern times, we like to see that snark get unleashed from time to time, which is why we just have to give the edge to Simon Pegg. Sure, the broader comedy may not sit well with purists, but for the rest of us, we'll take Pegg wherever we can get it. And these days, we get it from the inside of a starship.

Our Pick: Simon Pegg (New "Trek")

Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy: DeForest Kelley vs. Karl Urban

Maybe the most underrated member of the original ensemble, DeForest Kelley actually had a long and successful career in westerns before joining the cast of "Star Trek." And while the rest of the cast was doing their Peace Corps in Space thing, Kelley's cynical Dr. Leonard McCoy was keeping things grounded with old-fashioned pessimism. Karl Urban is excellent in the new films, but he's essentially doing a really good DeForest Kelley impersonation ... which means that in this competition, he's dead, Jim.

Our Pick: DeForest Kelley (Old "Trek")

Pavel Chekov: Walter Koenig vs. Anton Yelchin

This fact may be a bit lost in time now, but Ensign Pavel Chekov wasn't even in the first season of "Star Trek." Instead, Walter Koenig joined the crew in Season Two in order to give the kids a bit of youthful eye candy. So while he had his moments in subsequent episodes and movies, Chekov wasn't exactly the most important member of the Enterprise contingent; still, just standing around the bridge gave Koenig more to do than Anton Yelchin in the 2009 reboot. Seriously, Yelchin got like two lines of dialogue. Of all the battles in this throwdown, this is the most one-sided, mainly because Yelchin just never got a chance to shine.

Our Pick: By default, it's Walter Koenig (Old "Trek")

Khan: Ricardo Montalban vs. Benedict Cumberbatch

Ricardo Montalban is, of course, a worldwide icon. And he cemented his legacy with the all-time classic film, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," where he seemed to be sporting a set of fake pecs made out of pure Corinthian leather. Still, Benedict Cumberbatch can bring the intensity like few actors of this or any other generation; seriously, the guy looks dangerously insane every time he opens his eyes. He may not have the suave charisma of Montalban — hey, who does? — but when it comes to exuding menace, Cumberbatch has few peers.

Our Pick: Benedict Cumberbatch (New "Trek")

Spock: Leonard Nimoy vs. Zachary Quinto

What's cool here is that these two have become good friends in real life. Have you guys seen that cool Audi commercial where they go head to head? They are so adorkable together! We're really tempted to call this one a draw, except, well, there's a reason Nimoy ended up winning in the commercial. Because he's awesome, that's why. And we have a feeling that Quinto would be more than happy to concede the title of Top Spock to Nimoy for as long as Nimoy wants it.

Our Pick: Leonard Nimoy (Old "Trek")

James T. Kirk: William Shatner vs. Chris Pine

This is probably the toughest to judge of all the match-ups. On the one hand, William Shatner is a living legend, having brought us not just Kirk but also T.J. Hooker, the Priceline Negotiator and a surprisingly nuanced singing career. Plus, have you ever seen the 1966 horror movie "Incubus"? It's entirely in Esperanto! But this isn't about how awesome Shatner is, it's about how cool James T. Kirk is, and we have to say that Chris Pine has taken a character who had slipped a little bit into caricature over the years and made him fresh and vital again. Honestly, we just can't pick a favorite. They are both great.

Our Pick: Tie! Yes, we copped out.

Final Score

The classic "Star Trek" crew edges out the new "Star Trek" crew by a score of 4-3-1. But the new "Trek" could easily reverse that result if they find something for Anton Yelchin's Chekov to do. In other words, this game may be over but the rivalry is just getting underway.

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If you've been wondering for a while how to say "'Star Trek Into Darkness' rules!" in Klingon, well, have we got a surprise for you*, because beginning today, Bing.com's online translator now boasts the ability to turn your every thought into pure Klingon poetry.

A reason to actually use Bing? Now that's real science fiction!

Of course, cynics without any poetry in their soul might wonder just what use being able to translate your next tweet into Klingon might have. But according to the Los Angeles Times, Bing director of communications Craig Beilinson has an answer for that: Because speaking Klingon is cool.

"We have people who understand the deep science of linguistics and we also have people who are passionate about the "Star Trek" franchise," Beilinson said. "This was a labor of love from a lot of different avenues."

Naturally, it was also a labor of money, as Microsoft has formed a partnership with "Star Trek's" parent company Paramount. So that likely had something (or everything) to do with this development as well. "Recognizing Klingon language on the Bing translator, along with other elements of this partnership, truly underscores the pop culture relevance of the film," Paramount marketing exec LeeAnne Stables said.

All we can say is, "Hov tretlh vaj DartlhneSS" che'!

*We wouldn't leave you hanging, bro.

Lucasfilm Ltd.

Kids these days.

D.J., cue up that cringe-worthy Vitamin C song because it's graduation time again! Right now hundreds of thousands of 22-year-olds are currently being degreed up and sent off into the real world ... job market issues and excessive student loan interest rates notwithstanding, of course.

Thing is, class, this isn't your grandpa's Bachelor of Arts program anymore. Nowadays even the most esteemed colleges are catering their coursework offerings — in title, if nothing else — to pique the interest of their student pools.

Oh, you don't want that fifteenth Psych 101 session to get cut? Well give it some pizzazz already, teach!

Lo and behold, the movie world has been an academic boon in making that happen, and now students are traipsing across the stage with some pretty bizarre classes on their transcripts ... including these nine, very strange film-related ones. Consider us jeal of anyone who actually, like, legitimately for real got credit for these, the lucky little buggers.

9. 'Star Wars': A Complete Saga? — Univ. of N. Carolina, Wilmington

If you want to get real nerdy-derdy about the "Star Wars" film series, then Master Yoda Instructor Mika Elovaara is your man. His Graduate Liberal Studies 592 course investigates the whole "galaxy far, far away" and promises to straight up school you on all-things George Lucas ... and how the six movies are just a fragment of the "Complete Saga" that is the spacey franchise.

8. Science From Superheroes to Global Warming — Univ. of California, Irvine

Before signing up for this course, Professor Michael Dennin asks, "Have you ever wondered if Superman could really fly? What was Spider-Man's spidey sense? How did Wonder Woman's invisible jet work?" U.C. Irvine's Physics 21 course really wants to bridge the gap between the current comic-centric film revolution and what's going on with the more boring stuff in science like, say, global warming. Marvel-ous idea, we must say.

Warner Bros.

7. What if Harry Potter is Real? — Appalachian State Univ.

Oh em gee, can you even imagine? Potterheads among us can only dream of a visit to Hogwarts right now, but what if Platform 9 3/4 was a real thing? And what if witches and wizards really were duking it out in-between our two alternating realities, thusly deciding the fate of the entire muggle world once and for all? App. State's potions and dark arts-themed first-year seminar class draws from the "Harry Potter" series in evaluating issues like race, gender and penning scholarly essays. You know, it'd be a lot easier to crank out that term paper if they went ahead and gave students some of those neat-o magic quills, too.

6. Philosophy and 'Star Trek' — Georgetown

What does it mean to live long and prosper, we wonder? Seriously, in her Philosophy 180 class, Professor Linda Wetzel utilized the "Star Trek" series as way of slinging some knowledge on metaphysics and epistemology. So, basically, a little "I greet therefore I am" action, we're guessing? For three credits at Georgetown University (!!), students explored matters like "Could we go back and kill our grandmothers?" and "Is Data a person?"

5. American Superheroes: Power, Politics and Morality — Tufts University

In another instance making good on the Caped Crusader's relevance, Professor Matthew Pustz (author of "Comic Book Culture: Fanboys and True Believers") dares to explore another aspect of all this rampant "Iron Man" kid-costuming and what not. "What does the new-found popularity of superhero narratives tell us about American society at the beginning of the 21st century?" he wonders in the experimental one-credit course. It's a good question, and if we were up in Boston right about now, we'd be signing up for this bad boy instead of writing about it.

4. Invented Languages: Klingon and Beyond — Univ. of Texas, Austin

But of course there are students who wanna be able to recite sweet nothings to their, uh, Manti T'eo-esque girlfriends in Klingon. And U.T.'s Linguistics 312 class is here to serve ... sort of. While it's not an out-and-out instructional course on the odd "Star Trek" language, it does use the alien tongue as a vessel for exploring the history of Earthly languages.

Universal

3. Biology of 'Jurassic Park' — Hood College

This might be a case of bait-and-switchery, but if it's not, boy are the students of Hood College's Biology 110 section in for a "Jurassic Park"-sized thrill. No, they won't soon find themselves elbow-deep in dino droppings or comparing the velociraptor's little bark to the bedroom noises of tortoises, but they might just learn a little something or other about the sciences and behaviors of the long-dead creatures, much like Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler did on their little island trek. Two questions remain unanswered: Will they try to hatch a raptor egg as the final exam and is there a field trip to Universal Orlando's River Adventure involved?

2. Breaking the Rules: An Intellectual Discussion of 'Fight Club' — Oberlin College

The first rule of "Fight Club" is ... well, you know, and just like the course title suggests, instructor Elizabeth Campbell is totally willing to bend it in order to make use of Chuck Palahniuk's bloody masterpiece. Brought to you by the same school which offers classwork on "The Office" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," this Experimental College 467 business dares to "dissect" the satirical work and, gasp, compare the book to its resulting film.

1. Goldberg's Canon: Makin' Whoopi — Bates College

There's a lot to learn about Whoopi Goldberg and not just the fact that her birth name was Caryn Elaine Johnson (as one might suspect, her stage name comes from, yes, the whoopee cushion). Her life and career can serve to teach lessons on all kinds of things, like winning the coveted "EGOT" and life in communist East Germany. So, Bates College has offered up a rhetoric symposium on all things Whoopi Goldberg, with sessions like "What Part of Whoopi Is You?" and "Lesbian Whoopi and the AIDS Lie."

Paramount

"Star Trek Into Darkness" blasts into theaters (and, uh, darkness) this week and for most fans, it's a pretty damn exciting moment — all their favorite sci-fi heroes, finally back on the big screen, ready to save the future. Yee-hah.

But for some people, this whole "Star Trek" thing is still a bit of a mystery. So if you're one of those uninitiated that is curious about "Star Trek Into Darkness" but is intimidated by all the decades worth of baggage that comes along with the franchise, don't worry, because we're here to demystify "Star Trek" so you can go to the theater without a care in the world and see for yourself what the fuss is about.

It's a little something we like to call the Idiot's Guide to "Star Trek Into Darkness." Not that you're an idiot, of course. You're reading NextMovie.com, so that alone makes you elite. Still, here are a few things you will want to know, beginning with the beginning ...

[WARNING: HERE BE SPOILERS!]

What Is 'Star Trek'?

Created by Gene Roddenberry for television in 1966, "Star Trek" was pitched as a western that takes place in outer space. The idea was that the show would follow a group of explorers that was searching the stars for new worlds, alien races and pretty much whatever other craziness they could find. The crew of the starship Enterprise was basically a futuristic version of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Talk about your high concepts!

Who Are the Characters?

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The Enterprise is helmed by Captain James T. Kirk (played by William Shatner in the original series), with his second-in-command being the half-human, half-Vulcan science officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy). They are joined by Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), engineer Scotty (James Doohan), communications officer Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), helmsman Hikaru Sulu (Facebook icon George Takei) and ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) ... plus a bunch of random guest star fodder known for wearing red shirts and dying at an alarming rate.

What Happened In The Original 'Star Trek'?

The classic "Star Trek" TV show ran for three seasons before being cancelled by NBC. It immediately went into syndication and gained a worldwide cult following, the members of which became known as Trekkies (or Trekkers, or any variation thereof). The show's retroactive popularity spawned a feature film in 1979; it proved so popular that nine sequels followed, with the final (-ish) entry, "Star Trek: Nemesis," being released in 2002. The franchise also spun off several hit TV shows, including "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994), "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993-1999), "Star Trek: Voyager" (1995-2001) and "Star Trek: Enterprise" (2001-2005).

Why Was 'Star Trek' Rebooted?

With the original cast aging (and several have sadly passed away at this point), the cast of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" took over the film series with the seventh installment, 1994's "Star Trek: Generations." Diminishing box office returns ("Star Trek: Nemesis" only managed to bring in $68 million worldwide) along with rising costs for stars like Patrick Stewart, who had become an A-lister thanks to his role in "X-Men," eventually forced parent company Paramount to shut things down. And with no new "Star Trek" shows in production, another generational swap was out of the cards. Something more drastic had to be done.

What Happened In the New 'Star Trek'?

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Faced with over 40 years of mythology and continuity — a pretty big entry bar for potential new fans — new director J.J. Abrams decided to do that drastic something by chucking most of it out the window. In the 2009 series reboot "Star Trek," time travelers (including Leonard Nimoy's Spock) accidentally created an alternate universe — as a result, the movie featured younger versions of all the classic characters from before anything from the original series had ever happened, meaning it was basically a totally fresh start. At the end of the film, Earth was saved (though Vulcan was destroyed) and a rebellious young Kirk (now played by Chris Pine) proved himself worthy of command as a Starfleet captain.

Are All the Stars Back For 'Star Trek Into Darkness'?

Yep. And that means fans will get a chance to see how Kirk's developing friendship with the very prickly younger Spock (Zachary Qunito) evolves, not to mention Spock's own romantic relationship with the highly competent and extremely ambitious Uhura (Zoe Saldana). Also returning are Simon Pegg as a more comedic version of Scotty, Karl Urban as the cynical Dr. McCoy, John Cho as the heroic Sulu and Anton Yelchin as the apparently superfluous Chekov (seriously, give him something to do this time, please). Even Nimoy is back as the elder Spock, despite his own claims to be retired; hey, some things you just can't retire from.

Who Is Khan?

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In the original series, Khan Noonien Singh (played by the legendary Ricardo Montalban) was a genetically engineered tyrant from the 20th century who was revived in the 23rd century and attempted to impose his vision of a better tomorrow on ... tomorrow. He famously came back for the aptly titled "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," considered by most Trekkies to be the best "Star Trek" movie ever. In "Star Trek Into Darkness," a new version of Khan is played by Benedict Cumberbatch; just what his beef is with Starfleet is too big a spoiler to reveal, but let's just say that this version of the character is just as big a jerk as the original.

Why Is 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Set On Earth?

So, considering "Star Trek" is, you know, supposed to be a trek into the stars, it may seem odd that pretty much all the trailers and posters and whatnot heavily revolve around action that takes place on or directly above Earth. That's because this new, vengeful Khan is trying to strike back at the benevolent Federation of Planets, which is headquartered on Earth. Specifically, he's really got it in for Starfleet, which is housed in San Francisco, hence all the shots of the Golden Gate Bridge and stuff in the previews. Don't worry, though; the first "Star Trek" reboot also revolved around a plot to mess up Earth and it ended up featuring plenty of deep space action, so your sci-fi fix is assured.

Where Does 'Star Wars' Fit Into All This?

For the past 35 years, "Star Wars" and "Star Trek" fans have had a not-so-friendly argument over which series is better. Some fans even thought that J.J. Abrams ruined "Star Trek" four years ago by making it too much like "Star Wars." Now, though, the two franchises are sharing Abrams, as the director has agreed to helm the upcoming "Star Wars: Episode VII." So with Abrams bringing the two biggest science fiction fanbases of all time together at last, does that mean there will be peace at Comic-Con? We'd have to really be idiots to believe that.

The Force is definitely with these two ... Oh wait, wrong space franchise. Right. So, "greetings."

Kidding, kids. Don't go gettin' those tighty-whiteys in a wad, 'cause there's some fun to be had here.

It was absolutely bound to happen that Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Spock Prime (Leonard Nimoy) would come to a battle of wits, with "Star Trek Into Darkness" offering up an on-screen reunion of the two big-eared human-Vulcan hybrids, and now it has.

In this new commercial for Audi of America — which is totes better than their prom-themed Super Bowl spot — Spock Senior and his protege, so to speak, have a little race to see who'll pay for lunch at the golf club, because of course Spock would want to play golf with himself. (???) Since Spock Junior is equipped with a slick and quick little ride while the old man's sporting an apparently scoff-worthy Mercedes, it's no challenge at all.

But there's a reason the O.G. wins all the chess games. He's got the know-how to take down his opponent by pulling one of these signature maneuvers right quick.

Check, you said? How about a checkmate, then. Bam!

Little Spockito never saw it coming, though he probably should've.

At any rate, Nimoy also earned some additional geek cred in the video by letting his Tolkien freak flag fly as he rattled off lyrics to some Bilbo Baggins tribute tune. Ah, fandemonium. It truly touches us all.

And now the only matter left to resolve with these two is who pulls off the big line better.

We'll leave that conundrum for another day.

"Star Trek Into Darkness" hits theaters next weekend.

Finally, a man boldly went there.

Look, the beauty of the "Star Trek" franchise is how unabashedly geeky Trekkies can be. Those nerds just don't give a flying eff what anyone outside the Starship Enterprise has to say about them, so there's a ton of fun to be had with it.

Here in this "Star Trek Into Darkness" junket interview with J.J. Abrams and his cast — Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, and Alice Eve — quirky YouTuber Daniele Rizzo posed as  Spocko, a Vulcan-slinging weirdo with no qualms about asking tough questions like who this John Harrison baddie is and how the "crew" feels about the term "V.I.L.F."

Because...sure.

And while Captain J.J. looked pretty peeved about being demoted to craft services, the thespians among the crew handled the wannabe Vulcan's pressure pretty well.

Alice Eve and Karl Urban got cool points right away for offering up proper "greetings" at the outset, and Chris Pine earned some space cred too by throwing a "live long and prosper" into the mix. Zach Quinto and Zoe Saldana, meanwhile, did well to muscle through all the deadpanning and answer the odd inquiries with (mostly) straight faces.

That said, it's best to just live long and...watch the video.

The release date for "Star Trek: Into Darkness" is just around the milky way bend (beam up on May 17, Scotty), but it is not the only interstellar adventure movie director J.J. Abrams has weighing on that epically weird and awesome nerdbrain of his. There's also the small matter of making "Star Wars: Episode VII" happen soon.

In this new video discussion of all-things-far far away with Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty in Abrams' iteration of "Trek," he finally dared to explain why he took on "Star Wars" after initial resistance.

Abrams has said before that the reason he finally agreed to visit the second universe, so to speak, is that he finds the two franchises to be so very different from one another — so it's totally not meta for him to handle both, riiight? — but here he elaborates on how that comes into play with his directorial decision-making.

Evidently, Abrams was a "Star Wars" fan long before signing the dotted line to helm its reboot, but he didn't quite get all that die-hard Trekkie fanfare until he stepped behind the camera on that one.

"I had friends who'd loved it, and I just never ... I tried! I'd sit and watch episodes and try to find my way in, but for some reason, I think because it was more philosophical, debate-driven show, I loved the action of 'Star Wars,' and 'Trek' never really seemed to have that," Abrams explained.

Evidently, that very emotional disassociation helped Abrams pull together a pretty righteous rendition. "Not being a fan ... forced questions about what we were doing. It couldn't just be acceptable because it existed and I loved it 'cause I was a fan," he explained.

Thinking of it that way, Abrams' "Star Wars" fandemonium could create a 'lil trouble for him, yes?

"I think part of the challenge obviously moving forward with anything that you come to sort of pre-loving, it's like that question you know have to kind of force yourself to start over and not assume anyone's going to care or assume anyone's going to be invested," he said of his approach to "Episode VII."

Yeah, um, good luck with that.

Because what if Lincoln was in space helping Captain Kirk? Haven't we all asked ourselves that question from time to time? Don't answer that, because I'll answer for you: Yes. Yes, we have.

And here's the thing: Abraham Lincoln's already been a f**king vampire hunter, for crying out loud. What exactly is so crazy about him being in space? If there is a third installment of the current "Star Trek" franchise (the one we don't have tiiiime for), is an appearance from Abraham Lincoln really out of the question? Do we truly believe that J.J. Abrams would watch this one-minute video and say, "That's insane, even for me"?

What I'm saying is this: Get ready for "Star Trek: The Rise of Lincoln," in theaters June 2016.

ATO

James Franco brought many, uh, distinctive features to his role as Alien, the gun-toting, dreadlocked drug n' arms dealer and part-time rapper of "Spring Breakers." But what's probably most memorable about Alien is the fact that his smile could make you go blind if the light were hitting his mouth just right.

In honor of Alien's trading of boring ol' pearly whites for a tricked-out metal grin, we reimagined a few other movie characters that might benefit from a a set of grillz as well. We actually wouldn't have been surprised to see any of these people in any of the many "Spring Breakers" party scenes.

Getty Images

With "Star Trek Into Darkness" set to hit theaters in less than two months (May 17, y'all), J.J. Abrams has hit the interview circuit to help get word out about his new sci-fi blockbuster. And everywhere he goes, everyone has just one big question: What's the deal with "Star Wars"?

Well, thanks to a new interview with Empire, Abrams is now boldly going where he has never gone before — he's actually answering those "Star Wars" questions. Hey, even Abrams has his breaking point.

Lucky for us.

After all, if Abrams wasn't capable of being worn down, he might never have taken the "Star Wars" gig to begin with. But as he explains, LucasFilm honcho Kathleen Kennedy just kept at him, with a little assist from... Steven Spielberg?

"My knee-jerk reaction was that I'm in the middle of working on the 'Star Trek' movie and I can't even consider it," Abrams said when asked how his involvement with "Star Wars" came about. "But then time went by and I got further along working on the movie and getting to a place where I had done most of the heavy lifting. So when I met with Kathy Kennedy. We just started discussing it and I was able to actually engage in the conversation. I went down to tell Katie, my wife, and I said 'I had just a very interesting conversation with Kathy.' That was the beginning.

"I will say that Steven was very encouraging of 'Star Wars.' It’s funny because I talked to him about it and it turned out he knew all about what was going on."

And Abrams doesn't think there's that big a difference between the two franchises, at least in terms of how he approaches them.

"There are infinitely more questions than answers right now, but to me, they're not that dissimilar. Though I came at these both from very different places, where they both meet is a place of 'Ooh, that’s really exciting.' And even though I was never a 'Star Trek' fan, I felt like there was a version of it that would make me excited, that I would think 'that's cool, that feels right, I actually would want to see that."

"It’s a similar feeling that I have with 'Star Wars,'" he said. "I feel like I can identify a hunger for what I would want to see again and that is an incredibly exciting place to begin a project. The movies, the worlds could not be more different but that feeling that there's something amazing here is the thing that they share."

Amen.

The new trailer for "Star Trek: Into Darkness" is teeming with explosions, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) roughing up the Enterprise, one very unamused Spock (Zachary Quinto) and tons of stern-faced villainy by Benedict Cumberbatch's dubiously named John Harrison. Trekkies the world over are having a field day right about now with all the juice there is to suck out of this bad boy, and already they've unearthed a massive Easter Egg.

Set your phasers to eeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!, everyone.

Just behind the quick shot of Dr. Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) in her skivvies is a link which unlocks a new international poster for the film (for Australian markets). This was a rather brilliant bit of placement since of course the movie's central demographic will pause right here to get a better look. It's just a wonder anyone could see anything other than you-know-what in the frame.

Slick move by Bad Robot, which clearly understands its audience.

As it happens, this is just one of five (as yet discovered) links tucked within the trailer, and each one produces a different country's variation of the poster — Brazil, Russia, Germany and Mexico included.

"Star Trek: Into Darkness" crashes into theaters May 17.

Behold some of the most elaborate and large-scale movie-themed fan art you'll ever see, most of it created under cover of night with a few spray cans and a seething desire to create ... or at least conjure stunning portraits of Neo, Freddy Krueger, Yoda, the Dude and other pop culture icons that shape our everyday lives. If only all walls were this cool.

[World of Superheroes]

[Twicsy]

[Wikimedia]

[FlickRiver]

[London Vandal]

[Xanga]

[Shapeless Mass]

[DeviantArt]

[Graffiti Trend]

[FlickRiver]

[FlickRiver]

[Cafe 77]

[Gnasher]

[Zagreb Daily Photo]

[StreetFiles]

[GraffKids]

[The Berry]

[Albatos]

[Flickr]

[Neam Graffiti]

[The Chive]

[How to Geek]

[Farm5]

[Design You Trust]

[Flickr]

Though offered a role in the 2009 smash hit space reboot, it turns out Marky Mark didn't want to be part of J.J. Abram's funky "Star Trek" bunch. Why? Well with all that Vulcan-y dialogue and wacky character names like Lieutenant Nyota Uhura, the script was just too blimey confusing for Mark Wahlberg.

During promotions for "Broken City," his latest cop-ster flick also featuring Russell Crowe with words simple enough to follow along at a table read, Wahlberg spoke with Total Film about the one that got away ... and hinted at his hopes of starring in Abrams' "Star Wars: Episode VII."

"I love J.J. Abrams. I've only seen the original 'Star Wars,' when I was a kid, but my dad wasn't really into sci-fi, so I grew up watching Cagney, Steve McQueen, John Garfield, Robert Ryan. Movies like the one I just made, 'Broken City.' But I'm interested to see what J.J. did. I remember him asking me to play Captain Kirk's father in 'Star Trek,' and I tried to read the script, and I didn't understand the words of the dialogue or anything. I said 'I couldn't do this. I think you're really talented, but I couldn't do it.'" Doh!

The role eventually went to Chris Hemsworth - he of many, many franchises - and Wahlberg was left kicking himself upon seeing the final results. "I saw the movie, and I was like 'Holy sh-t, you did a great job,'" he said. "So I think he'll do something spectacular [with 'Star Wars VII'] and I probably wouldn't pass up an opportunity to work with J.J. again, so if he wanted me to do something that I couldn't fully understand I would probably give it a shot." Hint, hint.

• Here's what it might look like if Pixar decided to boldly go where no man has gone before. [BuzzFeed]

• The 25 hottest women starring in Young Adult movie franchises. Yes, they're all old enough to be referred to as "hot." [Complex]

• Just launched: Blockbuster Awards Night, an interactive site designed to host, manage and facilitate participation in a fantasy league celebrating the 2013 Academy Awards. Do it! [Blockbuster Awards]

• A selection of Bruce Willis' many exclamations in "A Good Day to Die Hard." John McClane is definitely a Christian. [Vulture]

• Blessed be! Here are 10 memorable (if not always wicked) movie witches. [The Playlist]

• Beware the skies! The 14 scariest things to come from meteor showers. [BuzzFeed]

• Oh, and you can stream "Armageddon" in its entirety right here, if you want. You don't want to miss a thing, after all! [Death and Taxes]

• The Top 10 facts you need to know about former Bond girl and "To the Wonder" beauty Olga Kurylenko. [Heavy]

• Here's how to throw a "Silver Linings Playbook"-themed Oscar party. [BuzzSugar]

• Google might want to change the featured image attached to searches of "A Good Day to Die Hard." [Hypervocal]

• 5 romantic movie scenes that really aren't. Yeah, it's now safe to say there's actually something creepy about Lloyd Dobler and his boom box. [The Week]

• Selena Gomez doesn't care what you think of her bikini bod (even though you probably think it's awesome). [Hollywood Crush]

Mr. & Mrs. Anderson

Everyone loves a good wedding: free booze, awkward speeches and creepy DJs — what more could you want? All too often, however, the invites don't live up to the day. (Seriously, if I open one more shimmering envelope and a sliver of cream-colored tissue paper falls out I'm gonna scream.) So when film buffs throw calligraphy and caution to the wind and opt instead for movie-themed wedding invitations, it's time to celebrate.

That said, not all movie-themed invites are created equal. In fact, they're as varied as the couples who create them. Here's our breakdown of the best and worst announcements honoring the most important day of one's life — well, besides the day the new Monty Python film comes out, that is.

The Best

'Top Gun'

Something tells us this couple feels the need … the need ... for speed. "Starring" the lovely Rae and Adam, the image reminds us that you don't have to be Tom Cruise to be a maverick, and that a little graphic design can go a long way. From the clever title edit ("Top Groom" is genius in our book) to the perfect pose, this is one wedding invite we'd be honored to open. Even if it were … inverted.

'Superman'

First off, we have to commend the shout-out to the Daily Planet in this design, not to mention the fact that some clever soul has replaced the "S" (for "Superman") with a "W" (presumably for "Wolf," the groom's last name). Throw in the bonus that these two got hitched in Vegas (not that that's so relevant to the movie theme, but still) and this might be one of the best invites ever.

'The Princess Bride'

Ever since Westley said, "As you wish," little girls everywhere have been waiting for their own gorgeous farm boys to whisk them through the fire swamp and to the altar. But of all the glorious scenes in that classic film, perhaps none is more memorable than the wedding. If we had a dollar every time we said this quote … we'd have several dollars.

'Mr. & Mrs. Smith'

We mean, "Mr. & Mrs. Anderson," that is. What can we say about this? Pure perfection. They've got the clothes. They've got the pose. And they've definitely got the attitude.

'Dirty Dancing' / 'Just Married'

This one gets extra points (in our made-up point-giving system) because it's a two-for-one, recalling both a beloved '80s classic and an Ashton Kutcher-starrer. True, it's kind of a random pairing, but we ain't mad at 'em, 'cause these two look like they're going to live happily ever after.

'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'

We mean, the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Wedding. Obvi. You know what we like about this? The penguins. You know what else? The fact that the penguins are holding wine glasses.

The Worst

'Batman'

OK, so we've got a lot of love for "The Dark Knight," and even the classic "Batman" from which he came. But this wedding invite left us wanting something more. Maybe it's the semi-creepy pose with Wonder Woman carrying Batman (who's holding a bouquet, no less), or maybe it’s the cumbersome "Holy-Matrimony, Batman!" tagline. But this is one invite we'd like to bury … and that little figurine, too.

'Star Wars'

This is technically a rehearsal dinner invite, but since it's "Star Wars"-themed, it couldn’t be ignored. Also, it's weird. Quite possibly its weirdness is due to the fact that the images are of children. Yes, presumably these two have grown up and are now both of the age of consent, but something about the archived images rubs us the wrong way. The greatest movie of all time (don't argue) deserves far better.

'Star Trek'

We don't want to be haters, really. But this is kind of a boring invite, don't ya think? With the rich Trekkie world to mine, all they came up with was a modified logo? They could've tried harder than that.

'Endless Love'

Hmm. OK, so the invite itself isn't that bad. The snowstorm image is a bit tired, but fine. Our real concern is the fact that the movie was actually a heartbreaking drama about teenage lovers and its tagline was "The love every parent fears." Not so sure that fits with a wedding, but maybe we're just old-fashioned.

'Attack of the 50 Foot Woman'

Err, make that, "Attack of the 50-Foot Bride & Groom." We just have two questions: Why is the bride rocking coke-bottle glasses … and what's with the groom's pimp cane? We don't remember that from the movie.

'Twilight'

Just. No.

William Shatner is more than just a film icon, he's a national treasure. From "Star Trek" to "T.J. Hooker" to The Priceline Negotiator to his amazing career as a musician (seriously, check out his 2004 album "Has Been"), Shatner has pretty much done everything there is to do in show business.

So when Shatner talks, people listen — which is why his new comments to Movie Fanatic about director J.J. Abrams taking over "Star Wars" are making waves.

And let's just say the captain of the Enterprise doesn't seem thrilled with the idea of Abrams doing both "Star Trek" and "Star Wars."

Of course, it should be said that pretty much everything Shatner does is tongue-in-cheek. But with his patented deadpan delivery, it's easy for some to take him perhaps more seriously than they should. Make no mistake, though, Shatner has a twinkle in his eye — even when he's calling Abrams a "pig."

"He's being a pig," Shatner said when asked what he thought about Abrams helming both "Star Wars" and "Star Trek." "He's collecting the two franchises and holding them close to his vest."

"He's probably the most talented director of that ilk that we have," Shatner continued, "but he's gone too far this time. I think of him as a buddy of mine, I've taken him out for sushi. I think it's time for J.J. and I to have another sushi and let me put him straight about two of the largest franchises — and not employing me in either one of them."

"I think it's just foolhardy."

So do we, William Shatner. So do we.

Getty Images

Good things come to those who wait… right? We sure hope so, because after what felt like ages of hopeful anticipation, the news finally broke that "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams is manning "Star Wars: Episode VII," leading to mass euphoric hysteria excitement all around.

However, just as we're coming down off this contact high, rumors have surfaced that Abrams might not make the initial target release date, which Disney had announced as sometime in 2015. While there was never an official announcement committing to that timeline, we kinda thought it was going to happen by then, what with the public enthusiasm and all. But, according to Cinema Blend, sources in the know have been quoted saying the director "has not committed to that release date" and is reserving the right to push that "Star Wars" date back if his production schedule demands it.

We're torn on this news, as we're eager to see the next installment on the big screen (and we've never been all that patient), but we also want it to be, you know, completely awesome. And it's hard to make a good movie when you don't have the time you need to do it — or so we hear. For now, it seems we just have to sit tight and see what happens. On the plus side, we're getting really good at that.

Getty Images

Is this the droid "Star Wars" director you were looking for?

Citing "an individual with knowledge of the production," TheWrap.com today reported that none other than "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams would helm the newest installment of the "Star Wars" franchise.

Before we get too excited, take a step back and consider past evidence: The fact that Abrams would sign on to "Star Wars" comes as a huge surprise, considering that in December, he flat-out denied involvement in the Mouse House's newest acquisition, despite calling the franchise "one of my favorite movies of all time."

"There were the very early conversations, and I quickly said that, because of my loyalty to 'Star Trek' and also just being a fan, I wouldn't even want to be involved in the next version of those things," Abrams told Empire when asked if he would take a seat in the Death Star's director's chair. "I declined any involvement very early on. I'd rather be in the audience not knowing what was coming, rather than being involved in the minutiae of making them."

According to The Wrap, however, Lucasfilm Chief Kathleen Kennedy has been courting "Lost" creator Abrams, hard. Could she have used a Jedi mind trick to get him to change his mind?

"Star Trek Into Darkness" is slated for a May 2013 release and is still in post-production. Technically, that does leave enough time for Abrams to jump aboard the Episode VII TIE fighter in time for the announced 2015 release date. The project does already have screenwriters, after all.

This just raises the question: Is the Force strong enough with Abrams to man both ships at once?

Paramount

Now, this is what we're talkin' about. Following up on that ominous little one-minute teaser from two weeks ago, Paramount Pictures has finally unleashed a full-length theatrical trailer for its long awaited "Star Trek" reboot sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness."

While the first promo warned of the "illusion" of safety and peace on earth - with Benedict Cumberbatch introduced as the breathy foe - the villainy gets a little more personal in the two-minute trailer.

Looks like good ole' Captain Kirk (Chris Pine)'s gotta pay the piper for all that flare and hubris he's been toting around outer space since movie one.

He's warned, "There's greatness in you, but there's not an ounce of humility. You think that you can't make mistakes, but there's going to come a moment when you realize you're wrong about that. And you're going to get yourself and everyone under your command killed."

As the explosions, screams, gunshots and watery shipwrecks ensue, the toll is clearly being taken. The fact that his pals Spock (Zachary Quinto), Nyota (Zoe Saldana), Bones (Karl Urban) and Dr. Carol (Alice Eve) are so blimey distraught looking doesn't help matters for Kirk, either.

"You think you're safe. You are not," the Batch warns. Oooooh, this is gonna be good.

"Star Trek Into Darkness" opens May 17, 2013.

'Tis the season, y'all. And we're not just talking about colored lights and carols. We're talking about presents.

Of course, after a year filled with "The Hunger Games," "Star Wars" news and "The Hobbit" anticipation, we searched high and low for the coolest stuff from the coolest movies, including those three and loads more. And we came up with 50 things every movie lover really must have.

A "Star Trek" oven mitt? It's in here. "Lord of the Rings" cufflinks? Check. The chance to sit on Ryan Gosling's face? That too. In other words, get clickin'.

Also Check Out: The 10 Best Blu-ray & DVD Holiday Gift Ideas of 2012

(Originally published on Nov. 19, 2012)

Just because "Star Trek Into Darkness" won't hit theaters until May 2013—and just because he doesn't have permission from either the director (J.J. Abrams) or the studio (Paramount)—doesn't mean Zachary Quinto can't show a little preview of the upcoming film on Conan O'Brien… right? Because that's exactly what the thespian did. Sorta.

During a sit-down with the late night host, the tall, dark and handsome star said he had "a lot of respect" for Conan and his audience, and as such, he wanted to bring something that was more than the paltry three frames of the film that Abrams had revealed the last time he was on the funny man's couch. (And why shouldn't he?) Claiming to not have told J.J. or Paramount, Quinto double-checked that Conan had a legal department (which Conan assured him, he does) before unveiling the clip.

We have to admit, we were skeptical at first, but the teaser did not disappoint. In fact, it's pretty awesome. We're 99% sure that this preview isn't really from the hotly anticipated movie, but don't take our word for it. Check it out for yourself, courtesy of Cinema Blend, to see if it pumps you up to live long and prosper.

Sideshow

“Joy comes not through possession or ownership but through a wise and loving heart." - attributed to the Buddha.

“I want an Oompa Loompa NOW!" - attributed to Veruca Salt.

It's the end of the year, and regardless of whatever faith you follow, you deserve a pat on the back for not running amok in the town square and bashing idiots in the face with a cricket paddle.

It's time for some holiday giving and you know what that means: sending trinkets to your favorite Internet wags!

I will graciously accept any and all of the following items (which I must, must, must own!) on behalf of my devoted and highly solvent adoring public. Don't skimp on the bubble-wrap either! Please send to:

Jordan Hoffman c/o Planet Fanboy
101 Next Movie Way
MTVville, The Internet, 90210

These are the five things I need:

Every One Of These Star Trek TOS Art Prints

Qmx

The good people at QMx have commissioned artist Juan Ortiz to create vintage-looking movie posters for each of the original 79 episodes of “Star Trek." There will, however, be 80 in all, because they are hardcore enough to include one for “The Cage." Only the first 4 batches of three have been released yet, but they are all terrific. Please buy me them all, and, if you can, throw in a second apartment so I'll have someplace to hang 'em.

Agent Coulson Collectible

Anyone and everyone has a $175 paperweight of a brightly colored superhero adorned with an intricate weapons display and a highly detailed costume. But only the true Fanboy has one of a sartorially modest middle manager. To that end, I will not rest until my Agent Phil Coulson (not very active) Action Figure is in my possession.

Also Check Out: The 50 Must-Have Movie Related Gifts of 2012

Steampunk R2-D2

I've gone past the point of just half-living in alternate worlds. My alternate worlds have alternate worlds now. The Force is no longer a product of rigorous mental training and a high midichlorian count – it is also dependent on pneumatics and tightly-wound gears. You can work out a price for this little droid with the artist himself. No amount is too high!

Moonrise Kingdom Diorama

InsideaBox

Were I to pick an iconic moment from Wes Anderson's latest masterpiece it probably would be the wedding scene or maybe the Francoise Hardy dance break on the beach, but this image from after the fight works, too. I'm guessing there are tiny left-handed scissors in there somewhere.

This Idiotic Jetski In The Shape Of A Killer Whale.

I don't know how to jetski. I don't even know where I would jetski. (I live in Queens. I guess I can find a large enough puddle that isn't cluttered with West Nile-laden mosquitoes.) Nevertheless, I will be damned if, when the time comes for me to jetski, I don't do it in a vehicle that looks like a killer whale.

Doing so will spark a trend in “Whale Rider" cosplay the biggest thing on the Con-scene. I'm hoping Keisha Castle-Hughes clears her calendar, because she's about to become very much in demand!

Get more Gift Guides and Best of 2012 here.

But do you love it enough to ink a tribute to Joe Pesci into your skin, permanently?

They say that beauty is skin-deep, but there's no adage for how deep fandom goes. These 25 hardcore fans of movies from, yes, "Home Alone" to "Black Swan" proudly display their devotion on their bodies in the form of intricate ink.

Scroll on to see, and tell us in the comments how you would pay body art tribute to your favorite flick.

1. 'The Dark Knight'

[source]

2. 'Fight Club'

[source]

3. 'Up'

[source]

4. 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'

[source]

5. 'Alien'

[source]

6. 'Jurassic Park'

[source]

7. 'Inglourious Basterds'

[source]

8. 'Edward Scissorhands'

[source]

9. 'The Shining'

[source]

10. 'Home Alone'

[source]

11. 'Black Swan'

[source]

12. 'The Goonies'

[source]

13. 'Star Wars'

[source]

14. 'The Twilight Saga'

[source]

15. 'The Lord of the Rings'

[source]

16. 'Harry Potter'

[source]

17. 'The Hunger Games'

[source]

18. 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'

[source]

19. 'The Exorcist'

[source]

20. 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy'

[source]

21. 'Star Trek'

[source]

22. 'Labyrinth'

[source]

23. 'Pulp Fiction'

[source]

24. 'Napoleon Dynamite'

[source]

25. 'The Human Centipede'

[source]

FOX

It took a lot of begging and pleading from both producers and the public, but for whatever reason Johnny Depp saw it in his heart to return in one knockout scene in the new film version of "21 Jump Street," based on the hit Fox TV show that made him a star.

To put him in the ranks of some of the greatest movie cameos ever, we're counting down 35 surprise appearances in movies that pleased and shocked us -- and left us wanting more.

35. Jim Parsons, 'The Muppets' (2011)

Walter (Peter Linz) has to decide if he's "Man or Muppet," but during this solemn ballad he sees his human form in the mirror courtesy of the "Big Bang Theory" star. Although it was tunesmith Bret McKenzie who wrote the song, we think that a small chunk of that Academy Award for Best Song should go to Parsons for embodying the most Muppet-y man in the world. Watch it here.

34. Matt Damon, 'EuroTrip' (2004)

High schooler Scott "Scotty" Thomas (Scott Mechlowicz) doesn't realize his girlfriend Fiona (Kristin Kreuk) has been having an affair with the lead singer of a college band ... until he sees the skinhead Romeo at a grad party singing at length about the affair. Matt Damon goes hardcore with the monster ballad "Scotty Doesn't Know" by the band Lustra, which actually peaked at #75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

33. Mark Hamill, 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' (2001)

After all the "Star Wars" references scattered throughout the View Askew universe, Kevin Smith finally landed Luke Skywalker himself as a super-villain named Cock-Knocker. The doobie duo of the title dabbles in a lightsaber duel … or is that a bongsaber? The force will be with this cameo, always. Watch it here.

32. Madonna, 'Die Another Day' (2002)

Besides providing a supremely sexy music video and title track to Pierce Brosnan's swan song as James Bond, the Material Girl took up a sword as 007's fencing instructor in a scene pulsing with double entendre. "I see you handle your weapon well," she says. "I have been known to keep my tip up," quips Brosnon. Watch it here.

Paramount

31. Leonard Nimoy, 'Star Trek' (2009)

The greatest Vulcan of them all passes the torch on to the young usurper Zachary Quinto in the most satisfying way possible for Trekkies ("Thrusters on full"), and makes a dignified exit from the franchise in the process, assuring the shiny new Spock will live long and prosper. Watch it here.

30. Bob Saget, 'Half Baked' (1998)

"I used to suck d**k for coke," says Bob Saget during a rehab scene in Dave Chappelle's stoner comedy, pretty much steamrolling over memories of the family-friendly Saget of "Full House" and "America's Funniest Home Videos." Those who've seen his stand-up since then know that this was just the tip of the raunchy iceberg. Watch it here.

29. Claudia Schiffer, 'Love Actually' (2003)

The German supermodel is the object of widowed Daniel's (Liam Neeson) fantasy, but his dreamgirl becomes a reality when he meets a woman who is the spitting image of her, played by … Claudia Schiffer. She also made a memorable appearance posing suggestively on a billboard in hubby director Matthew Vaughn's film "Kick-Ass."

28. Alice Cooper, 'Wayne's World' (1991)

We're not worthy to bask in the presence of a certified rock god, and neither are Wayne and Garth when they feed Cooper's Frankenstein (i.e., ego) by kissing the man's hand after a kick-ass show. Cooper has also made memorable cameos in "Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare" and "John Carpenter's Prince of Darkness." Watch it here.

New Line

27. Tom Cruise, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kevin Spacey and Danny DeVito, 'Austin Powers in Goldmember' (2002)

All the "Powers" movies are chock-a-block with surprise guests, but Mike Myers & Co. really went for broke parodying their own creation with the fake movie-within-a-movie "Austinpussy," featuring Cruise as Powers along with Spacey as Dr. Evil, DeVito as a surly Mini Me, and Paltrow as Dixie Normous. The icing on the cake is Steven Spielberg as the director of this meta extravaganza. Watch it here.

26. Lance Armstrong, 'Dodgeball' (2004)

During a crucial defeatist moment for Vince Vaughn's dodgeball coach, seven-time Tour de France winner and cancer survivor Armstrong comes out of the blue to give a much needed inspirational speech. Watch it here.

25. Pamela Anderson, 'Borat' (2006)

The blonde bombshell becomes the guiding light during Sacha Baron Cohen's eventful trip to America, but once he encounters her in real life at a book signing, the former "Baywatch" babe has to run for her life. It's a segment so well played by both of them that many audiences questioned whether or not it was staged.

24. Charlie Sheen, 'Being John Malkovich' (1999)

You know John Malkovich is in deep trouble when he's turning to Charlie Sheen for psychological/spiritual guidance, but that's exactly how it goes down in Spike Jonze's loopy take on fame and extreme voyeurism. A glimpse at a bald, elderly Sheen in a tacky Hawaiian shirt at the end lets us know that there's at least hope that Sheen will keep on "winning" well into his twilight years.

23. Gene Hackman, 'Young Frankenstein' (1974)

Hackman plays Harold, the poor blind old man who asks God for a friend and gets a monster instead in Mel Brooks' classic parody of the Boris Karloff "Frankenstein" pictures. After burning the beast's crotch with soup and other humiliating things, Frankenstein's monster flees out the door with Hackman pleading, "Wait! Where are you going? I was gonna make espresso."

New Line

22. Will Ferrell, 'Wedding Crashers' (2005)

Any movie with more than four weddings needs at least one funeral, and that's where an uncredited Ferrell as Chaz Reinhold comes in. Owen Wilson may be good at taking advantage of euphoric women post-nuptials, but Ferrell is there to comfort the bereaved in true smooth operator fashion. Of course, it turns out he's an ultra-pathetic dude who lives with his mom and watches cartoons all day when not bagging hearse honeys. Watch it here.

21. Bruce Campbell, all three 'Spider-Man' movies (2002-2007)

Campbell served director and childhood pal Sam Raimi well in three "Evil Dead" flicks, so it became a terrific running gag that the Big Chinned One would play a random role in all three blockbuster Spidey flicks. Bruce cropped up as a Wrestling Ring Announcer, a Snooty Usher, and a Maître d’, weaving a web of laughter. Watch it here.

20. Tim Robbins, Ben Stiller and Luke Wilson in 'Anchorman' (2004)

This is the closest we'll ever get to an "Old School" sequel, with Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn and Luke Wilson together again for a Ron Burgundy brawl. All the rival San Diego news teams flock to a back alley and begin tearing each other to shreds, including a Spanish-language news team led by a mustachioed Ben Stiller, and the public news team headed by a pipe-smoking Tim Robbins. Channel 4 keeps its head on a swivel, and that's what you gotta do when you find yourself in a vicious cock fight.

19. Cate Blanchett, 'Hot Fuzz' (2007)

It took the brilliant minds behind "Shaun of the Dead" to get one of the most famously beautiful movie stars in the world and then hide her behind goggles and a safety mask. Blanchett plays Janine, the ex-girlfriend of tightly wound police Sgt. Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg), and their short quibble in the middle of a violent crime scene is extra-subversive once you're aware of the uncredited actress.

18. Christopher Walken, 'True Romance' (1993)

Yes, his cameo with "the watch" in "Pulp Fiction" was memorable, but Walken's other sojourn into Tarantino-ville in "True Romance" is downright electric. He's aided by another infamous screen legend, Dennis Hopper, who shares an insulting anecdote about the origin of Sicilians and winds up giving Vincenzo Coccotti (Walken) a piece of his mind ... splattered all over the wall. "I haven't killed anybody ... [*BANG*] since 1984." Watch it here.

Paramount

17. Sylvester Stallone, 'Staying Alive' (1983)

It's a neat bit of "now you see me, now you don't" cameo magic when John Travolta's strutting dancer Tony Manero bumps into Stallone on the street, and they lock eyes for a split second. This is the only flick Sly directed but did not star in, so he had to insert himself in there somehow.

16. Bruce Springsteen, 'High Fidelity' (2000)

In one of the greatest fantasy cameos since Woody Allen brought Marshall McLuhan into the movie line in "Annie Hall," John Cusack's music nerd Rob Gordon imagines The Boss giving him love advice while casually strumming a guitar. "That's what you're lookin' for. Getting' ready to start again, it'll be good for you. Give that big final good luck and goodbye to your all-time Top Five." Watch it here.

15. Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts, 'The Player' (1992)

After screenwriters pitch an Oscar-caliber movie entitled "Habeas Corpus" to slick 'n' sleazy studio exec Griffin Mill, insisting it not be toned down with a softball Hollywood happy ending, we cut to one year later -- and that's exactly what happens. Willis saves Roberts from the gas chamber at the last minute, and love conquers all!

14. Samuel L. Jackson, 'Iron Man' (2008)

Though the original Marvel comics iteration of S.H.I.E.L.D. leader Nick Fury was a white dude with salt and pepper hair, the Ultimate universe reinvented Fury as a bald African American chap whose appearance was based on Sam "The Man" Jackson. It seemed only appropriate that Jackson dropped in for a stinger at the end of "Iron Man," the first of several linking crossovers leading to this summer's "Avengers." Watch it here.

13. Eminem, 'Funny People' (2009)

The real Slim Shady sits down with stand-up comic George Simmons (Adam Sandler) after the sad sack comedian beats a deathly illness, and gives him the 411 on why he'd have been better off dead. The peak moment arrives when Mr. Mathers spies Ray Romano staring at him and threatens, "I don't give a f**k what show he's on. I'll f**k this mother***ker up, man!"

12. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 'Airplane!' (1980)

The star basketballer took his patented sky hook to flying the friendly skies masquerading as airline pilot "Roger Murdock," although little Joey (Ross Harris) figures out the ruse pretty quickly. When Joey brings up his father's insults, Kareem grabs the boy by his shirt and yells, "I'm out there busting my buns every night. Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes." Watch it here.

Universal

11. Huey Lewis, 'Back to the Future' (1985)

Huey Lewis and the News felt "The Power of Love" for this time-traveling classic, but did you know that's Huey lookin' all dweeby at the beginning as the uptight administrator with a megaphone? He's so wound up, he thinks Marty McFly's band is just "too darn loud" to play the high school dance. That's some sad news, Huey.

10. Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Romijn, 'X-Men: First Class' (2011)

Jennifer Lawrence inherited her near-naked take on blue sex goddess Mystique from Rebecca Romijn in this prequel, but since her mutant powers involve shape-shifting, she proves to Magneto she can look any way she wants for him. The movie also earns its single F-bomb with Jackman, as Wolvie, being approached in a bar only to mutter, "Go f**k yourself." Watch it here.

9. Billy Idol, 'The Wedding Singer' (1998)

In a freak circumstance, Adam Sandler's character winds up on a plane with the "White Wedding" singer, who helps him win the heart of Drew Barrymore and vanquish her d-bag boyfriend in the process. Nice! Watch it here.

8. Keith Richards, 'Pirates of the Caribbean' 3 and 4 (2007-2011)

Since Johnny Depp modeled the memorable mannerisms of his Captain Jack Sparrow on Richards, why not have this stone roll in for a day or two in full pirate drag as Sparrow's drunken papa? So far, his appearances in the last few "Caribbean" adventures have been true highlights. Watch them here.

7. Bob Barker, 'Happy Gilmore' (1996)

When unstable ex-hockey player turned golf pro Happy Gilmore (Adam Sandler) is teamed up with Barker during a celebrity tournament, he winds up falling to pieces in the face of some obnoxious heckling, which leads to an extended fistfight between Gilmore and the game show host. "The price is WRONG, bitch." Watch it here.

20th Century Fox

6. Brett Favre, 'There's Something About Mary' (1998)

After Ben Stiller's irresistible love interest Cameron Diaz nearly marries the former Green Bay Packer, he decides she's better off with Favre, but a last-second switch-up has Diaz dumping the hero for the zero (that being Stiller).

5. Stan Lee in every Marvel movie, 'Mallrats' (1995)

That's right, true believers, the cocreator of Marvel's mightiest heroes, from "Spider-Man" to "Iron Man," is always "The Man," a good luck charm in each of the comic book adaptations. Think of ol' Stan as the "Where's Waldo" of superheroics. He also inspired Jason Lee during longtime comic book aficionado Kevin Smith's sophomore effort "Mallrats." Excelsior! Watch him here.

4. Tom Cruise, 'Tropic Thunder' (2008)

After his couch-jumping and Scientological antics led to public embarrassment and a tarnished image, Tom Terrific needed a comedy pronto to prove he didn't take himself so seriously. Enter Ben Stiller, who cast Cruise as Les Grossman, a hyperbolic, foul-mouthed chimney of expletives who may or may not have been modeled on real-life producer Scott Rudin. Thanks to some hairy arms and bald noggin courtesy of makeup man Rick Baker, Cruise screamed and danced his way back into the public's good graces.

3. Neil Patrick Harris, all three 'Harold and Kumar' movies (2004-2011)

This is where the road has taken him. Harris started off as Doogie Howser, but wound up a poon hound of epic proportions, popping pills and branding whores all across the country. Not magic mushrooms, getting shot in the back, or even Jesus can stop NPH from being the untameable party animal he is. Watch it here.

2. Mike Tyson, 'The Hangover' (2009)

Iron Mike punched his way back into pop culture relevancy when he punched out Zach Galifianakis faster than you could say "Nintendo." Tyson's few brief scenes became a cornerstone of the marketing campaign for the brotastic comedy smash, and earned him a prominent place in the sequel and any more "Hangover" movies to come. Watch it here.

1. Bill Murray, 'Zombieland' (2009)

Murray is in our estimation the greatest living actor, comedic or otherwise, so it's no duh that he takes the top spot for his movie-stealing appearance as himself, living la vida postapocalyptic in a zombiefied Hollywood. Reuniting with his old bowling buddy Woody Harrelson ("Kingpin") was cool, strapping on the ghostbustin' proton pack was better, but badmouthing his appearance in the woeful "Garfield" movies? Priceless.

Taylor Kitsch as "John Carter," the Confederate captain who finds himself transported to Mars, is certainly a sight to behold (rippling abs, etc). But if anyone can rival him for hottest life on Mars, it's Lynn Collins as princess Dejah Thoris. If we'd known Martians were this sexy, we would colonized the planet years ago, are we right?

Collins is just the latest instance of sexy femininity in sci-fi, a legacy that stretches back decades and encompasses everything from bikini-clad bounty hunters to pleasure robots. Take a look at 20 of the hottest sci-fi sirens to grace the silver screen.

Originally published December 8, 2010.

Jordan Hoffman

Greetings space rangers, fair maidens and sentient non-corporeal beings. My name is Jordan Hoffman and I am a gigantic dork. Like, professionally.

Somehow, my love of science fiction and fantasy movies (mixed with borderline autism regarding non-canonical tie-ins) is keeping me in Pringles. And I'm sharing it all with you like-minded folk here. This weekly column is our Mos Eisley, our Ten-Forward, our Green Dragon, where we'll scrutinize what's top of mind and newest in Nerd.

And lest you think you lack the cred to attain true geek glory, I'm here to inform you that all are welcome. Seriously, the more we let in the club, the more likely someone is to introduce us to their sister.

Besides, you may actually be more of a Fanboy than you realize. Take out your Number 2 pencils and apply check-marks where appropriate.

· Thursday night midnight showings all summer long. Not even a question.

· You are the mayor of your comics shop on Foursquare. (SilverAge Comics on 31st St. - Represent!)

Marvel

· You will watch or read anything written by Zack Whedon.

· You do a substantial percentage of your clothes shopping at Comic-Con.

· You'll drive out of your way to a fast food restaurant you don't even like for the tie-in collectible glass. (Okay, who're we kidding? What's not to like about curly fries?)

· You quote Monty Python without realizing it.

· Having a Jabba the Hutt folder while being a little portly yourself led to a round of schoolbus mockery a team of Vienna's finest psychoanalysts can never fully erase.

· You can tell the difference between Hard Sci-Fi and Space Opera by the font on the poster.

· You follow Felicia Day on Twitter.

· You've said some things on alt.movies.alienvspredator you wish you could take back.

· You memorize the release dates of franchise movies and plan your schedule around them. (We're really busy in May 2013.)

· Despite not knowing how to say anything other than "hello," "thank you" and "squid creature that fondles schoolgirls," you'd never dream of watching an anime or samurai picture dubbed.

· You call comics "comics," not "graphic novels" in some twisted, pseudo-political "Take Back The Night" ownership of nerd pride.

· You consider a book or film that isn't part of a trilogy something of an underachiever.

· When obnoxious cousins taunt you and ask if you speak Klingon or Elvish, you sigh and respond "no, no," when actually, of course, yeah, you know a few key phrases.

· You have unopened boxes of limited edition cereal. . . that you've come THIS CLOSE to opening on days you've had no other food in the house.

· You had the "Close Encounters" ringtone on, like, your first phone.

The truth of the matter is, friend, each of the above applies to me. Don't believe it? Come over and I'll prove it. (Please, please, do come over. I'm so lonely.)

But if you only were able to say "yes" to, say, 85 or 90 percent of these, this column is here to help. Stick around, NOOB. We'll have you understanding how the Hulk gets by on the same pair of purple pants in no time.

Come back every Thursday for more intergalactic musings on Planet Fanboy, and follow our its fearless leader Jordan Hoffman on Twitter!

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J.J. Abrams has found another crew member.

Benedict Cumberbatch, the British actor whose star has certainly been on the rise over the past year or so, will boldly go into the realm of "Star Trek 2," according to Deadline.

Cumberbatch's role hasn't been officially announced, though many are speculating that he'll be playing the film's main villain -- though whether this is the same role for which Benicio Del Toro was once being courted is unknown. As usual, it's all hush-hush on board the Enterprise.

Benedict Cumberbatch ended 2011 with a bang, having appeared in both "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "War Horse." He first rose to fame as a Sherlock Holmes for the 21st century in the 2010 BBC series, "Sherlock," and also had roles in "The Other Boleyn Girl" and "Atonement."

This stage veteran is also set for some Andy Serkis-style performing in the role of Smaug the Dragon in Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: There and Back Again" (in which the Watson to his Holmes, Martin Freeman, plays Bilbo Baggins). He'll also be providing the voice of The Necromancer.

Benedict Cumberbatch joins fellow "Star Trek" newcomers Alice Eve and Peter Weller for J.J. Abrams' sequel, which will likely be shrouded in Abrams-style secrecy for as long as it possibly can.

All will be revealed when "Star Trek 2" hits theaters on May 17, 2013.

Paramount

In a marked departure from the tradition of the franchise, word on the street in the galaxy is that the next "Star Trek" installment will not feature any original cast members. That's right. Not a one.

That means no William Shatner (who seems pretty booked up with his Priceline commercials anyway), no Leonard Nimony (who appeared as Spock in the last flick), no… you get the picture.

"Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol" star Simon Pegg-- who also plays Scotty in the "Star Trek" series these days-- explained it would be pretty impressive if the original Scotty (the late DeForrest Kelly) showed up for the next go. "That would involve time travel. And if the real Scotty showed up, that would be something,” the thesp tells Showbizz411.

Apparently, J.J. Abrams is ready for a fresh set of faces, and while we're definitely going to miss those familiar space-traveling friends, we have to admit that Abrams has a pretty good track record about these kinds of things. So, for now at least, we're going to give the director du jour the benefit of the doubt, because if anyone knows how to live long and prosper, we're pretty sure it's him.

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In my last column, I wrote about 10 celebrity "Twilight" fans and how they have declared their love in public. Well, today takes a different turn. Let's head over to the dark side and out the celebrity "Twilight" haters.

Just yesterday, George Takei, voice actor extraordinaire and Hikaru Sulu in the "Star Trek" series, released a YouTube video urging "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" fans to put aside their differences and turn their attention toward hating "Twilight." While it's tongue-in-cheek and clearly an attempt to keep this 72-year-old actor's name in the media (mission accomplished), the vitriol he spews on our favorite vampire series seems to come from a very real place.

"Gone is any sense of heroism, camaraderie or epic battle. In its place we have vampires that sparkle, moan and go to high school," Takei says. "Sci-fi fans be warned, there are no great stories, characters or profound life lessons to be found in 'Twilight' ... In 'Twilight,' the only message that rings through loud and clear is: 'Does my boyfriend like me?'"

Whether he was being serious or not, Takei isn't the only public figure to bash "Twilight." Plenty of others feel the need to do so and have secured a spot on my enemies list, which is getting longer than Nixon's (you can make my enemies list for reasons other than "Twilight," too, like if you skimp on my frozen yogurt toppings).

Anne Rice

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Like vampires themselves, vampire authors don't all stick together. Anne Rice, known for her series "The Vampire Chronicles," which gave us Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt as vampires in "Interview with the Vampire," stuck a stake right through Twi-hards' hearts this October.

Prompted by the question "Should vampires sparkle?" Rice responded on Facebook that Louis and Lestat "would never hurt immortals who choose to spend eternity going to high school over and over again in a small town – any more than they would hurt the physically disabled or the mentally challenged." What? She's calling the Cullens retarded? She added, "My vampires possess gravitas. They can afford to be merciful."

I know she has a ton of money already, but that was a stupid move. At some point, many young "Twilight" readers would have graduated to her books and she'd enjoy a revival. Not now.

Stephen King

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The king of horror fiction came down off his throne to pass judgment on Stephenie Meyer's writing. In 2009, when the "Twilight" craze was just starting to churn, Stephen King was asked to compare Meyer with "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling.

He answered, "The real difference is that Jo Rowling is a terrific writer and Stephenie Meyer can’t write worth a darn. She’s not very good."

Damn, man! Don't mince words. Tell us what you really think.

Whitney Port

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If there is anyone that we should trust on tastemaking, it's former star of "The Hills" and "The City" Whitney Port. You realize that last sentence is dripping with sarcasm, right? In 2009, Port told MTV News that she'd seen "Twilight" and didn't understand what all of the hype was about.

"I haven't read the books, but I saw the movie," she said. "I thought the movie was really bad. I love whatever his name is ... Robert [Pattinson]. I think he's so good-looking and handsome. I haven't met him."

I bet you know his name now! And I bet he has no idea who you are, Ms. Port.

Miley Cyrus

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A repeated offender when it comes to "Twilight" bashing, Miley Cyrus has been taking pot shots at the series for the last two years.

In 2009, when asked about the movie, she replied, "I don’t believe in it. I don’t like vampires, I don’t like the wolf that pops out of the screen when I’m watching TV at night. I don’t want anything to do with it. I don’t like the shirts, I don’t like any of it.”

Did she begin by saying she doesn't "believe" in "Twilight"? Even if she doesn't like it, she does realize it's an actual thing, right?

Later that same year, when asked about Twi-hards, this "wordsmith" picked some choice critique again. “I think it’s like [a] cult ... I think it’s a cult. I think it’s bad. I think it’s like, just people get too into it." I'm sure you like the thousands and thousands of cultish fans who show up to your concerts, Miley.

And because the press loves to bait her, Miley said this last year about R.Pattz and Lautner: "I’d rather keep the dead and revolting things like vampires and werewolves out of my life."

That is a lot of hate for a pothead. Maybe she needs to give the movies another shot? This time with a bigger bong.

Confessions of a (Male) Twi-Hard is a “Twilight” humor column by Ryan McKee that publishes every other week on NextMovie. Read Ryan’s introductory post here and follow him on Twitter.

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There are some age-old questions that beg to be answered -- why are we here? Could Van Damme beat Stallone in a thumb war? When Ryan Gosling runs for President, will anyone have the heart to tell him no?

And then there are some, like the relative merits of "Star Wars" versus "Star Trek" that may never find a resolution… until now.

Sci-fi legends William Shatner and Carrie Fisher have taken to the internet to prove once and for all which beloved franchise is the best.

On Sept. 15, Captain Kirk himself posted a video online in which he tells an interviewer, "'Star Trek' had relationships and conflict among the relationships, and stories that involved humanity and philosophical questions… 'Star Wars' was special effects. 'Star Wars' is derivative of 'Star Trek.'"

Shatner continued to argue his point, saying, "Princess Leia, as beautiful as she was, and as wonderful an actress as she is, can't compare to the marvelous heroines we had on 'Star Trek.'"

Responding to Shatner's dig, Fisher posted a video earlier this month saying, "I had the metal bikini. By the way, Bill has borrowed it. I want to see him in his clingy outfit again."

Not to be outdone, Shatner responded, "Talking about special effects, it's true, 'Star Wars' did have the best special effects… The only thing is, you guys forgot about story, and character, and plot development."

And as for the battle of physiques, while Shatner maintained that he could easily slip into his stretchy captain's uniform, he voiced his concerns about Fisher donning her classic slave Leia outfit. "I don't know that we're ready for you in a bikini," said Shatner. "You in a bikini now? That needs more than push and pull. It needs a lot of uplift."

Check out the videos, courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times:

Paramount

Paramount and J.J. Abrams have finally set a date on which to boldly go.

The oft-delayed, seemingly permanently up-in-the-air (or, rather, out-in-space) sequel to Abrams' highly successful "Star Trek" reboot seems to be coming down to Earth as it's set a release date of May 17, 2013, according to Deadline.

The studio had originally penciled in a release date of June 29, 2012, but Abrams' commitment to "Super 8" (and probably a few of the dozen other projects he seems to always have in the works) kept him from being able to deliver the sequel that soon.

May 2013 is shaping up to be quite the month for big tentpole releases, with "Iron Man 3" set to bow on May 3, Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim" set for May 10 and "Fast and the Furious 6" set to dominate Memorial Day weekend on May 24. Paramount grabbed the May 17 slot for "Star Trek" after Sony moved Roland Emmerich's "Singularity" to Nov. 1, 2013.

"Star Trek 2" will be shot in 3D and will feature most of the original cast, including Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Uhura) and Karl Urban (Bones). Details on the plot are being kept under wraps, though we don't know how they could not include the Klingons in some way, shape or form.

Hmm ... Benicio Del Toro could certainly pass for a Klingon, couldn't he?

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Zachary Quinto, the dark and handsome thesp best known for his roles as Spock in J.J.Abrams' "Star Trek" reboot and Sylar on NBC's "Heroes," has made a bold move—and admitted that he's gay.

In the past, Quinto has been notoriously tight-lipped about his sexuality, and even refused to answer a point blank question from a New York Times reporter back in 2010. What a difference a year makes.

In a recent interview, the star explained that it was his latest role in an Off Broadway production of "Angels in America" (which features a gay couple as two of the leads) that inspired him to come out, New York magazine reports.

"As a gay man, it made me feel like there's still so much work to be done, and there's still so many things that need to be looked at and addressed," he stated—adding that he feels "helpless" that peer pressure has caused some young gay men to commit suicide. "Why can't we as a culture and society dig deeper to examine that?" he said. "We're terrified of facing ourselves."

It seems this is a case of art truly inspiring the artist. He has faced himself and now it's our turn to get behind him and help support his cause—which we most definitely plan to do. Stay tuned.

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Paramount

J.J. Abrams is a man who knows what he wants, and right now, that's a killer script for "Star Trek 2" (among other things).

Still riding high off the success of this summer's blockbuster, "Super 8," the moviemaker extraordinaire has finally formally committed to directing the much-anticipated sequel to 2009's "Star Trek."

Originally slated to hit theaters July 29, 2012, "Star Trek 2" still lingers somewhat frozen in space—forcing the powers-that-be to reevaluate the battle plan.

As reported by Indie Wire, back in May, scribe Roberto Orci admitted that development on the script and story had halted while everyone waited for Abrams to give his thoughts. As Orci explained, “Just been waiting for JJ to be free to really decide if he likes the story and hear his suggestions before we finish the script. Once he says go, we’ll have it in no time."

In other words, don't blame the writer.

As of now, J.J. is expected to sit down with the writers and have everything prepped for a January 2012 start date in hopes of hitting a late 2012 (which we bet will turn into summer 2013) release. In the meantime, the "G.I. Joe" sequel, coined "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" will slide into that open July 29 spot.

We can almost hear the battle cry now.

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Just when you thought all of your weird William Shatner fantasies had been fulfilled (thanks, Priceline commercials!), the "Star Trek" star is back with his A-game in the trailer for upcoming documentary "The Captains" (via Slashfilm).

The film, which was produced and directed by the octogenarian ladykiller, goes where no where no man has gone before, detailing Shatner's meetings with the actors who have helmed the ship in the TV and movie incarnations of "Star Trek."

"The Captains," which premieres on July 21st on the Epix HD channel, explores Shatner's contributions to the iconic "Star Trek" franchise since his arrival on the Enterprise in 1966 , in addition to interviews with former captains including Patrick Stewart, Kate Mulgrew, Avery Brooks, and Scott Bakula.

And, most importantly, "The Captains" answers the age-old question, "Can Shatner kick Chris Pine's ass in an arm-wrestling competition?"

Check out the trailer:

Paramount

It's not usually a good sign when the official release date for a film is just over a year away and the script is nowhere in sight.

But that's where we're at with J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" sequel—which puts the just-revitalized franchise back in jeopardy.

So how did this happen?

It's true that "Star Trek" has three top writers—Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof—signed for the next go-round, but they're in such demand that they've all been engulfed in other projects. Orci has been tied up on "Cowboys and Aliens;" Kurtzman just directed "Welcome to People," and Lindelof has been busy with "Prometheus."

On top of that, one of the film's stars, Chris Pine, has encountered a scheduling glitch when the script for another film—in which he plays a reboot of the Tom Clancy-created Jack Ryan—also got behind schedule. Pine was originally supposed to shoot the Clancy pic before "Star Trek," but now he's slated to do "Star Trek" first, Deadline reports.

Orci recently confessed that while they have a 70-page outline ready to go,  they're waiting for Abrams to formally commit so they can really get to writing. Though he suggested that they could prep the film from just this outline, we're not so sure.

The bottom line is that unless some drastic leaps forward happen, like, yesterday, it doesn't sound like they'll be able to hit the June 29, 2012 release, and we're betting we'll have to wait until Holiday 2012 to see Capt. Kirk, Spock and company back in action.

Paramount

Okay, now they're just playing with us.

Ever since the big screen "Star Trek" reboot became a smash hit last summer, fans have been on the edge of their seats awaiting news about the sequel J.J. Abrams and co. are planning to roll out in 2012. Thanks to Badass Digest, we now have some inside information on the plot of that sequel... only that information comes in the form of a multiple choice guessing game.

Damn you Abrams!!!

There is some solid information in the report, so let's start with what we do know: Khan Noonian Singh will not be featured in the movie. Khan, of course, is the titular character who headlined the first "Star Trek" film sequel back in 1982, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Played by the legendary Ricardo Montalban, sporting well-oiled prosthetic pectorals, Khan, who had first appeared back in the original series, became an instant fan favorite and thus has been the center of numerous rumors claiming he will make a re-appearance in the current reboot.

That now appears to have been quashed. But Badass is reporting that, according to their source, the villain of the piece will indeed be a classic "Trek" character from the show's original late-60's run, with one asterisk: the movie won't have a "traditional villain type" at all.

So what does that mean, exactly? Well, it suggests this will be a more character driven story, perhaps featuring an antagonist with personal ties to the Enterprise and the crew, or at least someone who is not necessarily evil but simply misguided or who uses methods incompatible with the Federation's Prime Directive.

And luckily (?) Badass has also provided us with a list of potential candidates, one of whom, we are assured, will actually be the bad guy of the film. They are: Harry Mudd, Trelane, Gary Mitchell, the Talosians and the Horta, each of whom starred in an episode (or multiple episodes in the case of Mudd and the Talosians) of the original show.

Frankly, we're hoping it's Harry Mudd, who is essentially a comedic space pimp. But whoever the villain ends up being, we know one thing for sure: Abrams sure seems to be having fun screwing with us.

And we wouldn't want it any other way.

Furious Fanboys

Ask any devoted "Star Trek" fan and they will tell you that the series isn't just an entertaining lark where men can explore their fantasies about making sex with green-skinned women in a '60s vision of the future utopia of racial equality.

To these people the universe of "Trek" is a philosophy, a guide to living one's life. For many, "Star Trek" is the motivation to get up out of bed (or just "mattress") every morning and face the world.

But on the other side of the coin (the side with the evil goatee), "Star Trek" can serve as some pretty heavy demotivation as well, which is why the guys over at Furious Fan Boys present us with a whopping 25 demotivational posters from the Trekker universe.

No locker room is complete without one.

See the rest at Furious Fanboys.