Sometimes you can gauge the audience interest in a potential tentpole blockbuster movie simply by observing the great lengths certain individuals will go to in order to honor those big-budget entertainments, or even burn them in mocking effigy.

Whenever a new trailer for one of these eagerly-anticipated features is released you can always expect there to be a “sweded” version or two uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo within days. For those of you unfamiliar with this term, “sweded” basically means a group of amateur filmmakers get together with whatever resources they can scrounge up and make their own identical version of the slicker Hollywood trailers. Some of them often use shots from the real trailers to plug in gaps in their dollar bin attempts, but the makers of the best sweded trailers will recreate every component themselves, from the visual effects to the shot composition to even the bloody generic music that underscores these 2.5-minute blasts of money shots.

Submitted for your approval and enjoyment are sweded trailers for 8 of the year’s biggest blockbusters, like Star Trek Into Darkness, Pacific Rim, Iron Man 3, Man of Steel, and more. Depending on your perspective you might find some of these homemade previews better than the genuine articles. Even if you don’t, you have to admit they are pretty amusing.

R2-D2, where are you?

Back in 2009, after the release of Star Trek, the reboot of the Trek universe helmed by J.J. Abrams, it was discovered that popular Star Wars droid R2-D2 had made a cameo in the film. The little blue and white astromech droid could be seen floating in space during one of the battles (see photo above, which shows the droid in 2009’s Star Trek).

Now, R2-D2 has been spotted in the sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, which is coming to DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday, September 10, 2013.

Check out the screenshot here below of R2 in Star Trek Into Darkness, posted by io9.

This summer’s Star Trek Into Darkness, directed by J.J. Abrams as the follow-up to his 2009 reboot, Star Trek, will be out on DVD and Blu-ray on September 10, 2013, and from the looks of it, there won’t be too many bonus features included on the home release, as most will be packaged as “retailer exclusives.” (Bogus, I know, but that’s a whole other story.)

One of the bonus behind-the-scenes featurettes is a short clip that shows how actor Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty in this Trek universe, pranked his fellow cast members by having them to wear protective “Neutron Cream” and then getting them to do mock public service announcements about the dangers of neutron damage. It’s pretty hilarious.

Check out the video here below.

Science fiction (and zombie)… double feature…

Paramount will be releasing Star Trek Into Darkness and World War Z, two of their major summer film offerings, as a double feature in theaters this week.

Starting this Friday, August 30th through Thursday, September 5th, both films will play together on 2D and RealD 3D screens in select AMC Theatres, Carmike Cinemas, Marcus Theatres, Regal Cinemas, and other participating theaters nationwide.

Star Trek Into Darkness, written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof, was directed by J.J. Abrams as his follow-up to his 2009 reboot, Star Trek, and has earned more than $450 million worldwide since its theatrical release in May. DVD and Blu-ray sets, including the Starfleet Phaser Limited Edition Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack Gift Set, are available now for pre-order and will be released on September 10, 2013.

This week, Google buys a quantum computer, Yahoo buys instant cool with Tumblr and spruces up tired old Flickr, Aereo & Arrested Development disrupt Big Media, and Microsoft launches the next-generation of XBox. Plus, our review of Star Trek: Into Darkness!