Nick Frost and Simon Pegg attend the "Paul" Los Angeles Premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on March 14 in Hollywood (WireImage)

They’ve conquered zombie flicks (“Shaun of the Dead”) and action movies (“Hot Fuzz”) on their way to becoming the UK’s comedy darlings, but in their new sci-fi farce “Paul,” Simon Pegg and Nick Frost bring hilarity to the States. Blast sat down with the British funnymen to talk about life in America, meeting their heroes, and why they’re proud to be geeks.

BLAST: Can I ask you right away – there’s a moment in the film where you say, “That was my American accent.” You’ve been traveling so much and working in America, does the American accent just drive you up the wall?

SIMON PEGG: Not at all, I love it. Actually Phyllis, our publicist, has an amazing Boston accent and I love listening to her speak. It’s something that we don’t tire of and you just get really used to it. You look at all of our references, the stuff we allude to in our films and in our sitcom even, it’s almost exclusively American stuff. We grew up on a diet of American culture – you do if you’re from the UK. We’ve got this amazing resource, a country that’s hundreds of times as big as ours that speaks our language. It’s like having a huge “lucky dip” to take stuff from, so I’m used to it.

Nick Frost (left) and Simon Pegg chat with Blast (Molly J. Coombs for Blast Magazine)

NICK FROST: For me, personally, what gets slightly tiring is when I’m watching the Food Network. Because I usually just watch the Food Network. The commercials come on and the way cynical marketing people use a thousand words to describe a red pepper, that’s a bit crazy for me. But everything else is great.

BLAST: So how are your accents, specifically? Better than Hugh Laurie’s?

SP: Hugh Laurie’s got a great one. I wouldn’t dare do an accent in front of all you lot.

NF: Go on, do it! Show everyone!

SP: No, no. I’ve played American before – it’s not quite as easy as everyone thinks. It’s quite a gymnastic language. You guys really chew your words. It’s actually deceptive, because it sounds very laidback but it’s actually very muscular…this is what a dialect coach told me once. So no, I won’t do it. But Hugh Laurie does a great job – especially considering that he’s a posh Englishmen

(At this point, the interview devolves into Simon and Nick doing imitations of Hugh Laurie’s “posh” accent)

NF: When you have so many good American actors, why use an English person doing an American accent? As an actor, I always feel a bit weird…

SP: You sound like an American racist – ‘Coming over here, takin’ our jobs.’

BLAST: Can you explain how you work as writers? Do you ever just write stuff to make yourselves laugh?

SP: That’s what “Paul” is. I think everything we write is to make ourselves laugh. We learned very early on that what we find funny is shared by other people as well; it’s not exclusive to us. The first litmus test our writing has it whether or not we find it funny. Some comedy writers try and guess what other people find funny when you should always write what you find funny and just hope to God that someone else does too.

NF: We make films to make Edgar [Wright, the pair’s friend and frequent collaborator] laugh. You know what I mean? If Edgar likes it, it’s probably good enough. Just our mates, you know? We talk sometimes, and obviously this would never happen, but sometimes it would be great to make a really expensive film and then just give it to your mates and not release it.

SP: Not suffer the horror of handing it over to people who don’t care as much as you do about it. There’s joke in the film, one of my favorite jokes, that Nick says. It was just an offhand comment in the writing room that made me fall off my chair laughing. It’s when Paul (Seth Rogan), Graeme (Pegg) and Clive (Frost) are all walking down the street, holding hands and Graeme says, “We’re trying to look like a family” and Paul says, “Yeah, the fucking Friedmans.” It was such a bizarre reference to a documentary about an abusive family that seemed so out of place, I just thought ‘That’s got to go in the movie.’ It just goes to show that we don’t just reference popular 70s cinema – we’re not opposed to the odd millennial documentary about child abuse.

BLAST: Do you have nicknames for each other, like you do in the film?

NF: We do, yeah. They don’t stick though; it’s whatever we fancy at the time. We’ll answer to anything really.

SP: I called you Pom Pom this morning.

NF: You did call me Pom Pom this morning.

SP: Generally speaking, it’ll be other names like ‘Jim,’ ‘Fred’ – Fred was an old nickname of yours. The first thing that comes to mind when we text each other good morning, which we invariably do.

NF: Double Axe or things that have double names like ‘Crabtree & Evelyn.’

SP: We laugh at each other when we call each other by our real names, because it sounds odd calling him ‘Nick.’

NF: Because we don’t say each other’s names a lot, we’ll say the full name to feel what it’s like in your mouth. Does that sound weird? So I’ll say ‘SI-mon. SI-mon. His name is SI-mon.’

SP: That’s what you texted me that yesterday. You’re really being drawn into our weird world here; this is quite odd.

This is what we mean when we squeal “nerdgasm!”

The man-gods at ThinkGeek announced today they will be selling a Star Trek Pizza Cutter, shaped in the form of the original U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701, glimmering in all-metal construction.

This is right up there with the Tetris ice cubes. Any method in which we can combine our two natural loves — science fiction and food/drink — adds a true sense of enjoyment to our lives.

“After years of staring at the iconic shape of the Star Trek Enterprise we finally realized in one ‘aha!’ moment what the saucer section of the ship was best used for… cutting pizza!," said Senior Merchandiser Ty Liotta. "After a bit of ergonomic adjustment we ended up with the best pizza wheel on this side of the galaxy.”

The ships saucer is replicated by a sharp 4" diameter steel blade and the 4.5" handle mimics the warp nacelles and generators.

The cutter is available for $24.99. It’s not dishwasher safe, so hand wash it if you use it to cut pizza like no man has cut pizza before.

“Because frankly we are sick of bringing out all these ugly actresses.” Martin and Baldwin continue to roll. Sorry, let me just take a minute to admire Carey Mulligan and Zoe Saldana. Both are looking gorgeous. Wow what a double whammy to make them present categories that most people won’t care about. With those two ladies on stage, they will definitely keep my attention — Best Animated Short, Best Live Action Documentary Short Subject, Best Live Action Short. Really cool getting past filmmakers that have gone on to great success off of their short film wins. Taylor Hackford, David Frankel, John Lasseter…really cool. Is it just me or are the Oscars making an effort to really help casual viewers understand the art behind all of the awards? Really cool idea and pretty inspiring.

Funny speech from animated short winner Nicolas Schmerkin. It is always fun to see how these unkowns handle the stage and the audience. Usually they produce some really memorable moments and Schmerkin was no exception.

Oh my god… Ben Stiller is dressed as a Naavi!!! “This seemed like a better idea in rehearsal.” Gotta love how far he will go. I am not sure I will be able to take “Avatar” seriously ever. Again. Suddenly my 4-star review is feeling somewhat foolish. “I will try to stand as far away from them as possible to not demean their moment of triumph.” Ben I forgive you for “Night at the Museum”…one and two.

Yes!! “Star Trek” gets some love. How fun was that movie? It was such a strong summer for really good blockbusters and “Star Trek” was one of the best of the bunch.

Nothing is sacred. Nothing is pure.

We’re cleaning out the porn closet again. Blast has FOUR porn DVD gift sets that are sure to please. Three lucky readers will get them and get to watch their favorite pop culture fantasies on the small screen.

The even re-created The Max

The first, as you may have guessed, is “This Ain’t Saved by the Bell XXX.” We could probably give away 1,000 of these if we had them, because how many of you never imagined Zack and Kelly finally gettin’ it on? Right? Right?

Well Zack, Kelly, Slater, Jessie, and the gang are all here in this parody. And yes, Zack and Kelly screw. Jessie goes lesbian. Even Mr. Belding has his moment of glory.

They even re-created The Max.

You get the DVD and a few posters, all carefully packed in a white and pink Hustler folder.

Number two is billed under the subhead “They go there.” It’s “This Ain’t Star Trek XXX,” the Hustler porn parody of the science fiction series. We particularly like this one because it has Sasha Grey who sat down with Blast’s Erica Marcus for an interview when she started in the mainstream “Girlfriend Experience.”

The captain still always get the babes.

You get the movie and a full-size movie poster.

Third, “Not Married with Children XXX.” This one is pretty much as you’d expect it to be.

The fourth one is a bit of a twist. It’s called “You’re Nalin’ Palin Interactive.” It’s one of several Sarah Palin porn parodies. This one also brings in a parody of Carrie Prejean in a way that she would almost certainly not morally approve of.

You get the movie, some posters, and — get this — a Sarah Palin mask.

You must comment on this story with your favorite “Saved by the Bell,” “Star Trek,” “Married with Children” or Sarah Palin/Carrie Prejean moment to win the corresponding DVD. You have to be a registered Blast user — it’s free!

You also must be 18, a legal US resident, and this contest is void where prohibited by law.

Yeah. You read right.

The Blast newsroom is way overstocked on pornography.

So take it. Take it all.

We aren’t smut peddlers, though. We have the funny, arguably tasteful and creative stuff like This Ain’t Star Trek XXX, This Ain’t Gilligan’s Island XXX, and Not Three’s Company XXX and G-rated posters to go with each.

You must be 18 or older. Seriously.

You have to register as a Blast reader to qualify. It’s free. Then leave a comment on this story, and we’ll pick three winners at random. You’ll get the DVD and the sexy poster to go with it.

By the way, the Star Trek one has Sasha Grey, who we interviewed for her first Hollywood film role, and Aurora Snow, we was on the cover of Blast in November 2007.

Leave your email address in the comment, and we’ll email the winners, asking for your date of birth.

Star Trek is a franchise many wrote off as dead years ago. The recent TV series have been lackluster and the movies even worse. But I am still a fan of the original series, “The Next Generation,” and about half of “Deep Space 9,” so when I heard that the original series was getting a reboot movie with Lost executive producer J.J. Abrams at its helm, my expectations rose higher then “Star Trek” has brought them in years.

The reboot doesn’t disappoint. You’ll want to go back and see it again.

As Abrams has showed us with “Alias,” “Lost” and “Fringe,” he has a talent for making what would normally seem boring or clichƒ© into something riveting. Not an exception, this film pulls no punches, and starts out lightning fast. It refuses to give up this pace even in its quieter scenes.

While other recent science fiction films suffer from a lack of tension in their expository scenes, “Star Trek” excels. Due to the speed and flow of the movie, I found myself wanting more when the lights turned on. I wanted to know where the Enterprise would go to next. I wanted to know how this collection of crewmates goes on with their lives. I wanted more and, before long, I realized that this was not just a good “Star Trek” movie, or a good science fiction movie, but a good movie.

Like “Iron Man” did last year, this film burst out of its genre while still defining it. It has time travel, phasers, space ships and aliens, but the movie isn’t about those things. Its genre is simply a setting to tell the stories of these people, not to characterize them. Kirk and the bunch would work as well as a group of cowboys, or a small town police force. They are good characters that just happen to exist in the time of space exploration.

The plot is a bit more complex than the normal sci-fi fare, but nothing too puzzling. To make a long story short, it’s a basic tale about how the crew of the Enterprise forms to save the Federation from an outside threat. It’s fairly basic, and a bit overdone, but it’s done very well here.

There is another aspect of the plot involving time travel (Losties will recognize this theme as a current Abrams favorite), that fuels the main one and also explains why this version is different the original series.

It’s very clear that Abrams is a fan of “The Wrath of Khan.” From the villain’s motives to the overall plot, to some of the references and subtitles, this movie clearly pays respect to the best “Star Trek” movie to proceed it.

The new cast gives a reboot to beloved original series characters, choosing to embrace some different aspects of the characters fans know and love. We are reminded that this isn’t going to be a homage to the original series when we see Kirk for the first time. Channeling more Cruise then Shatner, Chris Pine gives us more of the daredevil thrill junky aspect of James T. Kirk, than the slapstick playboy that Shatner was.

Zachary Quinto ended up bearing more than a physical resemblance to Spock as he filled out all aspects of a deceptively deep character. Rather than stay stoic like Leonard Nimoy, Quinto chose to visibly suppress emotion.

These two might take the top billing, but this is certainly an ensemble movie. Karl Urban doesn’t get the screen time he deserves but he nailed the role of Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy,by bringing a legitimate aspect of friendship to Kirk. Simon Pegg interjects some comedy as Scotty while fleshing out the character’s background and mannerisms. Sulu and Chekov, portrayed by John Cho and Anton Yelchin respectively, had minor but very important roles. Both actors gave great performances and each had a signature scene that makes the character stand out.

Zoe Saldana portrayed Uhura, but didn’t bring as much to the role as other cast mates did to theirs. That being said — and once again referring back to the original series — Uhura got a lot more facetime than her earlier counterpart.

Outside of the Enterprise crew, Eric Bana plays the main villain, a romulan named Nero. Nero fills the role of a man scorned, using his strength and feral cunning to get his revenge. Much like Khan so many years ago, Nero owes a lot of his characterization to Captain Ahab from “Moby Dick.” I guess some classics never grow old, and that is a fact that this new “Star Trek” is relying on.

“Star Trek” has a built in audience and that is both a blessing and a curse. While it guarantees filled seats, they might not be filled with happy people. Abrams clearly knows this, and puts in enough original series shout-outs and references to tame even then most rage filled nerd. The movie has the Kobayashi Maru, a green-skinned companion, a Red Shirt and I think I even saw a Tribble in the background.

Sure, those things are put in there for old fans to reacquaint themselves into this new universe, but what’s better is they didn’t hurt the movie at all. From years of watching “Lost,” “Alias,” and now “Fringe,” I have learned that is Abrams can do one thing right, its attention to detail. When Kirk pulls up to the Starfleet recruiting station, his bike looks like nothing we have ever seen, yet is instantly recognizable as the evolution of the motorcycle. The rust on the side, and the chipped paint tell us that this isn’t the pinnacle of technology, even though its completely new to us. Without saying a word, the environment has told us about the world, technology and about Kirk’s personality. This is just one of hundreds of examples littered throughout the movie, making it more than just the standard space flick. The action is amazing and alone is worth the price of admission, but Abrams certainly separated “Star Trek” from just being an overly shiny popcorn flick, while still remaining accessible.

“Star Trek” has turned out to be not only a great addition to the “Star Trek” series, but a great movie for new comers as well. Abrams has a true understanding of this franchise, and I am already looking forward to 2011 for the next installment. The acting was top notch, the effects were astounding and the attention to detail was the highest I have seen in a while. Overall, I expect this to be the top grossing movie this year, and it deserves every penny.

But I am just a reviewer and I merely critique films, not determine their popular standing. To let the fans speak for themselves, I waited until after the theater lights had turned out, until the sound of hundreds of Star Trek fans — some even in costume — clapping and cheering, subsided, to listen in on the conversations they were having.

Not one of them said a negative word about what was done to their favorite characters. Not one of them complained that the film had disgraced the old series. Not one of them said they were bored. Not one of them wanted anything any different. Not one of them disappointed.

I couldn’t write a better review than that.

While those of you watching the Superbowl for the sports aspect of it (who does that anymore?) received a healthy dosage of quality football in what Micah said was one of the best Superbowls in recent history, we nerds got our money’s worth with a triple dosage of epic movie trailers: “Transformers: Rise of the Fallen,” “G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra” and “Star Trek.”

Here are the trailers for anyone who was too busy playing Apples to Apples or sleeping to watch the Superbowl:

Transformers: Rise of the Fallen

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Star Trek

Infogrames Entertainment, the parent company of Atari, announced Tuesday that will totally acquire Cryptic Studios, a leading publisher of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games.

“This acquisition is a critical step in the implementation of Atari’s strategy to become a leading online game developer and publisher,” said Atari spokeswoman Amy Wisel.

Cryptic is currently developing three unique MMO franchises, planned for release over the next three years on PC and next-generation consoles, including Champions Online to be released in 2009 and Star Trek Online to be released in 2010. A third game currently in development will be announced in the near future.

Cryptic employs about 150 people. Its revenues for the fiscal year ending June 30 totaled $17 million.

Star Trek: Conquest was a low budget game from the start.

The game is a feeble attempt at entertainment. The game is so simple that it completely fails at holding any type of storyline, maps or anything. Bethesda disappointed many “trekkies” with this one.

The gameplay is turn-based strategy, which in the proper element can be good, like in a Mario Party game. However, this was not the proper element.

You find yourself in the middle of a universe surrounded by a bunch of baddies. You move one space at a time in a map that is quite large and one space at a time doesn’t really cut it. Your enemies also move one space, and once you finish hearing their speech (which never changes) you get to make your next move.

After you move, you find yourself some trouble with enemy ships. You have the choice of simulating it, or entering arcade mode.

SIMULATING?

If all I elected to do was “Sim This” I would be watching a little ship move space by space, until it gets to an enemy. Then I’d let the game play with itself.

In arcade mode you will be surrounded by several ships, and you have to take them out. Why? Who knows! There is no storyline! So you destroy them, because everyone in this universe hates each other. No plot. No intrigue. No intergalactic politics. No Star Trek.

The graphics are remnant of the old Star Fox 64 with some advances. The graphics aren’t necessarily awful, and there are some moments where the ships look pretty cool and the planets look bright.

That’s about it for the graphics — stars and ships. I guess it’s pretty hard to screw that up.

The controls are awkward as you move the Wiimote to select targets. The guns are hard to aim, and unless you hit right on target you won’t be doing anything but flying around in a circle, aiming your Wiimote, trying to make something happen.

Online Play? None. Would have been a possible savior of this game.

Storyline? None. Everyone in the universe hates each other, so they shoot each others’ ships down.

Soundtrack? Bad. No voiceovers from the actors. No Star Trek music.

Star Trek: Conquest doesn’t belong on the Wii; at best this is a 25 cent play at your local arcade, and that’s being pretty generous.

If you’re enough of a Trekkie and a fan of the series, maybe pick it up for rental.

Quick hits:

Publisher: CBS Consumer Products
Developer: Bethesda Softworks
Platform: Wii
Genre: Turn Based Strategy/Sci-Fi
Players: 1

Playability: 2 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 2.5 out of 5 stars
Sound: 2 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 3 out of 5 stars
Overall: 2 out of 5 stars