Blastr is not a new web site. It is part of the Sci-Fi Channel stable of online properties, and has been known for years as Sci-Fi Wire, an old and honorable internet name going back to the early ’90s when it was owned by a couple of independent Sci-Fi fans. They made a ton of money selling it to the Sci-Fi Channel before the Dot Com crash, and the site has mostly held to their initial format ever since, right up until its renaming and re-imaging. The look and feel of it does fit more with their other corporate offerings now, like DVice and Fidgit, and they have carried over at least some portion of the decades long archive of great articles. But what got a grin out of me was their celebratory story in honor of their rebranding: The 10 most gorgeous blasters and ray guns in science fiction. What a hoot!
According to this story at Female First, the kids taking place in the Film Club in the UK will be building their own science fiction films over the next month or two. Where was this kind of organization when I was in school, besides England; I would have loved it! Particularly things like their Close Encounters initiative.