Event Calendar

Iron Man 2 feels like it came out ages ago. I haven't decided if that speaks to how lackluster this summer's crop of blockbusters has been or how forgettable Iron Man 2 was, though I'm leaning toward the former simply because I think I ultimately liked Favreau's second superhero adventure more than I did most of the films that have come and gone in the intervening months. Whatever the case, I'm definitely looking forward to checking it out again from the leisure of my own couch this September 28th.

Superhero Hype has all the details about the upcoming DVD/Blu-ray release, which looks to be absolutely packed with special features. Check out the impressive list of what you can expect to find below:

Universal Pictures recently announced a half-dozen or so release date changes for its upcoming film slate. The biggest title in the batch to get shuffled around is George Nolfi's adaptation of The Adjustment Bureau, however it's not the only genre-friendly title on the list:

Devil (formerly The Night Chronicles: Devil)
Directed by Drew and John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine)
IMDb says: A group of people trapped in a elevator realize that the devil is among them.
New date: September 17th, 210

Skyline
Directed by the Strause Brothers (AVP: Requiem)
IMDb says: After a late night party, a group of friends are awoken in the dead of the night by an eerie light beaming through the window.
New date: November 12, 2010

The Dark Fields
Directed by Neil Burger (The Illusinist)
IMDb says: A copywriter discovers a top-secret drug, MDT-48, that enhances intellect and other abilities. As his usage begins to change his life, he begins to consider the drug's shadowy origins; meanwhile, a group of killers trail his every move.
New date: January 21, 2011

Start diving into those couch cushions for coin, devoted Trekkers, on June 27th you can start bidding on the above model of the U.S.S. Enterprise being strangled by some kind of serpentine space monster at Juliens Auctions. io9 has bigger pictures of the one-of-a-kind collectible as well as a gallery of even more Trek memorabilia, including some props from J.J. Abrams' recent foray into the franchise, that will be joining Rafael Burgos sculpture in the auction.

The auction will take place in the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, where William Shatner will be appearing in person to auction off some of his personal items, including a custom made motorcycle. If you can't make it to Vegas, however, it does look as though you can bid online as well. All proceeds will be going to good, charitable causes, though precisely where depends on whose item it is (those provided by Gene Roddenberry's estate will go to The Roddenberry Foundation, for example)

The official site for Julien's Auctions has a far more detailed list of what kind of gems we can expect from the event, while io9 helps dish out pictures of some of the goods.

I've had The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension on the brain since the very well-received screening that took place last week at the New Beverly in Los Angeles. It's a movie that I've seen several times, and comprehended exactly zero times. Admittedly, I haven't seen it since I was in my teens, so the time may be right for me to actually get it.

The 1984 film from director W.D. Richter chronicles surgeon/rock star/physicist Buckaroo Banzai (Peter Weller) and his band, The Hong Kong Cavaliers, as they stop an inter-dimensional alien invasion. I have only two memories of this film, despite having seen it a half-dozen times -- the insane performance by John Lithgow as the evil Dr. Lizardo and Jeff Goldblum dressed like a cowboy from Hollywood's Golden Era. I can remember no other details.

My fear is that this film will go completely over my head, exactly like it has in the past. I know Buckaroo Banzai has a large, dedicated fanbase, so I'm at least hoping I can see where that love comes from. If you're a fan, come back and join us for the Monday discussion post. If you aren't a fan, then tell us why -- we'd love to hear from you too. I'll be back on Monday to discuss the film (and share some video from Peter Weller's New Beverly Q & A).

You can watch the trailer for The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension after the jump.

How is that Spock has never been to Vulcan? On April 23, actor Leonard Nimoy is hoping to rectify that by traveling to the Alberta, Canada town for a day devoted entirely to his honor. The citizens of Vulcan are celebrating with a parade and the unveiling of a bronze bust of Nimoy that will sit right in the middle of town.

Vulcan, Alberta joins Riverside, Iowa as a real-world Star Trek vacation spot. Riverside is the "future birthplace" of Captain James T. Kirk, and boasts a statue of the USS Enterprise as well as a historical marker for a fictional event (Kirk's birth) that won't take place until 2228. Folks from Riverside have seen Star Trek as a boon to their small town, hosting a yearly TrekFest that draws fans from around the globe.

I'm a sucker for unusual roadside attractions and a sucker for classic Trek. I may have to plan an intergalactic roadtrip very soon.

(via TrekWeb)

Ah, the dreaded 'double dip'. Friend to no one but studio bean counters and enemy to movie fans everywhere. We all know the drill by now; if a studio can release a film on DVD/Blu-ray more than once, they absolutely will. They'll stockpile bonus content and then dole it out over the years under the guise of various Special Editions and Collectors Editions and Special Collectors Editions. It's not exactly a scummy, nefarious racket they're running, but I do feel bad for those who don't compulsively read DVD news who pick up a barebones new release and then later find out that a vastly superior product to the one they've just purchased will be available a few months down the road.

I'm sure it's been obvious to all, but consider this a final heads up; Fox will be dipping back into Avatar fanbase as often as they can and here's a re-cap of what to expect from their current timeline (info compiled from THR and SCI FI Wire's coverage of the recent Avatar junket):

April 22, 2010, Initial Avatar DVD and Blu-ray release.
There are no on-disc special features planned and 2D only, no matter the medium. The disc won't even have trailers on it so as to leave as much space available as possible for picture quality. The Blu-ray, however, will have access to a BD Live site with some online special features, though producer Jon Landau warns, "I think it's more of a tease to what is coming in the fall."

You may have noticed that we've started a new feature around these here Moviefone-owned parts, but if you haven't, we're kicking off Movie Clubs here at Sci-Fi Squad as well as Horror Squad and Cinematical (Moviefone already has an Oscars watching club you can join in). Obviously there's no cost of membership, we're just here to show off our particular taste in film while hopefully fostering some interesting discussions in the process.

It'll go a little something like this. Before the weekend arrives one of the Sci-Fi Squad writers is going to hand pick a special bit of sci-fi cinema to be talked about the following week. Anyone who wants to jump in on the discussion then has the weekend to watch said pick and then return back here for collected thoughts as well as specific points of discussion. Sound good? I hope so, because we're moving ahead with it, anyway (though obviously we're open to suggestions as how to improve the process).

Feel free to hop over to Cinematical for Monika's weekly picks or Horror Squad (where we'll also be switching up who picks, though I also happen to be behind this week's movie over there as well) if you'd like to spread around the genre flavors. As for Sci-Fi Squad, this weekend we'll be watching...

It's been known that Avatar would be hitting home theaters on both DVD and Blu-ray at some point in time before June (the fiscal year for Fox parent company News Corp.), but the date was up in the air. Well now James Cameron has revealed to the world said date and, in retrospect, we all should have seen it coming. But before outing the date, let's think about it for a second.

One of the more talked about points about Avatar is how the harmonious relationship between the Na'vi and every aspect of their home world has reminded people on Earth that they have a planet worth protecting as well. To many, Pandora's biggest accomplishment was holding up a mirror to the day to day lives of people on Earth, reflecting back at them all the wrong that goes on around them. If only we had a day here on Earth intended for such reflection...

Yes, yes, Avatar will be coming out on DVD and Blu-ray on Earth Day (that would be April 22nd for those of us who don't have the date memorized). So the good news is that's a lot closer than June. The bad news? It looks like it'll be a rather bare bones release on both the standard and high definition fronts. The even badder news? Don't expect that 3D Blu-ray this November, presumably with more special features than you can shake a Na'vi home tree at, as previously rumored. The tech behind that is still too "conceptual" at this stage.

A look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Chuck, "Chuck Versus First Class" – Superman himself, Brandon Routh, arrived last week to take over command of Operation Bartowski. This week, another Supes vet, Smallville's Kristin Kreuk, joins the show for an ongoing arc. Kreuk guest stars as Hannah, a successful IT tech who has fallen on hard times. And, as you might have guessed, she ends up working at the Buy More, the unofficial home of L.A.'s down-and-out nerds. Hulking WWE champ "Stone Cold' Steve Austin also guest stars tonight as a scary baddie who complicates Chuck's first solo mission and ... er ... challenges him to a fencing match. (8 p.m. ET on NBC)

Heroes, "The Art of Deception" – Heroes earned its weakest ratings ever last week, and I doubt the show will do much better tonight, especially since its up against Fox's 24. For those still watching, tonight HRG kick starts an emotionally tense war between the carnies and the heroes. Elsewhere, Sylar asks Matt to drain him of his powers. (9 p.m. ET on NBC)

Head after the jump for promo clips and more TV picks.

Looking for something good and geeky to watch? Check out this week's notable sci-fi DVD and Blu-ray releases:

Gamer (DVD and Blu-ray)
Gerard Butler continues his post-300 slip with this tired and flashy action flick about a prisoner forced to compete in a futuristic Running Man-esque game. Every move he makes is controlled by a bratty 17-year-old kid, which isn't nearly as entertaining as Michael C. Hall's over the top performance as the film's nutty big bad.

Pandorum (DVD and Blu-ray)
Dennis Quaid and the great Ben Foster add some dramatic heft to this low budget sci-fi horror flick. Pandorum was criticized for being derivative of far superior films like Alien, I Am Legend and The Poseidon Adventure. Still, flicks from Hollywood schlock master Paul W.S. Anderson, who produces here, are known for offering a few hours of dumb and violent fun.

Defying Gravity: The Complete First Season (DVD)
I bailed on this soapy astronaut drama halfway through the first season, and so did ABC. Even the mighty Ron Livingston couldn't save Defying Gravity from cloying romantic plots and tedious space drama.

Kingdom of the Spiders [Special Edition] (DVD)
No cloying romance or lifeless drama here. This campy '70s horror classic features a young William Shatner battling an army of aggressive arachnids in what's billed as "the ultimate man vs. spider showdown." The special edition boasts a new interview with Shatner that's probably worth the DVD's $15 price tag on its own.