Mystery Theme LP#10 by PolinskyL

The seven-letter name for a media and gaming franchise that took the world by storm since its introduction in 1995 is a contraction of what two-word name?

Herbert Spencer introduced what four-word phrase in 1868 to represent the mechanism of natural selection?

Film director Duncan Jones (who directed Source Code and next year's Warcraft movie) was, for the first few years of his life, known by what rhyming name, courtesy of his famous father? (First and last name required.)

An international organization of producers of the written word, which advocates for free speech and other issues important to writers, is known by what fitting (and acronymic) name? Past presidents have included Mario Vargas Llosa and Arthur Miller.

When the water is frozen, it's a popular goalkeeping style. When the water melts, it's one of the more difficult strokes. What is it?

In Boston, it's known as the CharlieCard. What is the equivalent in London?

Mantequilla, maslo, and smor are all words for what foodstuff?

Each point on an indifference curve delivers the same amount of what? Homo economicus is generally assumed to be trying to maximize it.

What toy, which today is primarily sold (by the Crayola company) in egg-shaped containers, was invented sometime during WWII due to restrictions on the civilian use of rubber?

Kristin Hersh and Tanya Donnelly were the long-time lead singers of what band, whose hits, if you can call them that, have included "Sinkhole", "Dizzy", and "Bright Yellow Gun"?

What German film received 6 Oscar nominations in 1982, though it won none? The Wolfgang Petersen-directed picture also did not win over the author of the novel upon which it was based, who called it a cross between a "cheap, shallow American action flick" and a "contemporary German propaganda newsreel".

The sharper among you have surely been able to figure out the secret theme by now. What is it?