Event Calendar

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.

It's a fantastic time to be a geek in Los Angeles. Between Stuart Gordon screenings at the New Beverly and He-Man art shows, you could also take in a little Star Wars-themed striptease or two at Bordello, courtesy of burlesque group Devil's Playground.

L.A. Weekly reported on Devil's Playground's recent January 9 Star Wars show, and they've got an encore planned for March 13, so if you've ever wanted to see Boba Fett's feminine side or just how sexy Jabba the Hutt can get, there's still time to plan a trip. The girls of Devil's Playground are ridiculously hot (See for yourself on the official website. I did. Hey, it's research!), and they know the way to a fella's heart is through his fandom -- the foxy ladies also did a popular video game-themed show that saw Metroid's Samus Aran and a gender-bending Link from Zelda getting down-and-dirty.

(Photo by Shannon Cottrell)

I'm starting off the week with a sore throat and a pounding headache (yay for me!) but at least there's a new episode of Fringe to look forward to this Thursday. Plus, Heroes takes us back to season one, and ABC finally debuts its brand new take on V starring Lost's Elizabeth Mitchell and Firefly's Morena Baccarin.

Catch the first nine minutes of V below, and read on for this week's TV picks and previews.

Heroes – "Once Upon a Time in Texas" – Heroes takes us back to the good ol' days – season one to be exact – when Hiro travels back in time to visit his dearly departed gal pal Charlie (Jayma Mays). But can he save her from Sylar's death grip this time? Hiro himself, Masi Oka, has compared "Once Upon a Time" to the incredible season one ep "Company Man." Could it really be that good? (Monday, 8 p.m. on NBC.)

More TV picks and previews after the jump.

This week, Ron Livingston gets lost in space as Defying Gravity returns to Sunday night, and a Stargate Atlantis alum visits Warehouse 13 (no it's not Rodney McKay!). Read on for this week's sci-fi TV picks.

Defying Gravity, "Threshold" - ABC's new space drama is no Virtuality – there's little darkness or hard sci-fi elements, and the vibe is anything but existential – but it's not exactly Grey's Anatomy in space either. The first hour of last night's premiere was a well-constructed look at a team of young astronauts facing the biggest journey of their lives. Still, there wasn't much for sci-fi fans to get excited about except for Ron Livingston's (Office Space) likeable performance as a down-and-out spaceman (his hammy voiceover works surprisingly well) and some decent-looking outer space FX shots.

The series' main focus is on the various romantic entanglements of the crew of the spaceship Antares. Unfortunately, the characters seem more concerned with their sexual relationships than exploring the cosmos. Some clumsy storytelling and a few questionable casting choices (is it too late to re-cast Ellen Pompeo clone Laura Harris as the female lead?) might sink this one before it gets a chance to soar. So why am I still watching? The creepy mystery plot has me hooked.

The show's sci-fi elements come front-and-center this week as the Antares' crew suffers cellular and psychological transformations courtesy of the mysterious force manipulating their mission. (Sunday, 10 p.m. ET on ABC.)

Click through for more TV picks and preview videos.

This post originally appeared on our sister site Comics Alliance

"Smallville" producer Brian Patterson revealed at Comic-Con this weekend that despite the "no tights, no flights" rule that has previously defined the show, Clark Kent will be donning a costume for the very first time in the upcoming ninth season of the show, as he begins "the last stage" in the process of becoming Superman.

But rather than suiting him up the traditional red and blue outfit usually synonymous with the Man of Steel, Patterson says they'll be going for something a little darker, in fitting with the theme of the season, which is "Clark's darkest hour."

"It's kind of based on a couple of pieces of mythology of when he died, and his Doomsday fight in the comics, and the costume he wore after that," said Patterson, referring to the black and silver costume Superman wore after returning from the grave in 1993.

No word on whether Clark will also be sporting a killer mullet, as he did in the comics during his original resurrection.

From Cinematical

While Cinematical has been busy covering all the movie-related Comic Con treats, our sister site TV Squad has been knee deep in all-things boob tube. Similar to film, all the genre-based TV shows bring their stars to Comic Con to preview upcoming seasons and geek out with fellow fans. Today is the biggest day for television at Con, and so we'll report back tomorrow with some of the stuff our friends over at TV Squad managed to uncover -- but in the meantime, here's a taste of what they've been up to so far.

-- Did you know Starz was getting ready to premiere a new show called Spartacus: Blood and Sand? No, it's not Sparta or anything (it actually takes place in Rome and follows the city's most famous gladiator), though the brand new trailer totally looks like Ridley Scott's Gladiator ... if Zack Snyder directed it instead. Seriously, the thing has such a 300 vibe that for a second I thought it was from the same team, but it's not. Know who's behind this? Sam Raimi. Yup, it's Raimi, Rob Talpert (Drag Me to Hell) and Steven S. DeKnight (Smallville) executive producing, while Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess), Peter Mensa (300) and Erin Cummings (Dollhouse) star. The show itself looks bloody, vicious and pretty awesome, especially for those who dug the violence overload in 300.

Watch the trailer after the jump and let us know what you think ...

George Lucas and co. have found yet another way to strip nerds of their hard-earned space bucks, but this event sounds cool enough to save up for. A worldwide Star Wars concert tour will kick off Oct. 1 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The tour will feature a live orchestra performing John Williams' classic Star Wars movie scores in front of a three-story high-def LED screen offering clips from all six movies.

The idea is to tell the Star Wars story chronologically using the live orchestra, the film clips, and C-3PO himself, actor Anthony Daniels, providing live narration in between the musical performances. The tour will also feature an exhibit of tons of Star Wars props and costumes straight from Lucas' Skywalker Ranch.

The concert plans to hit 50 North American cities in the next year. Is it coming to your town? Click through for the tour dates plus exhibit images from the tour's official site.