Sci-Fi Squad Sci-Fi Movies, News, Trailers, DVDs and More

Here's a look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Heroes, "Brave New Word" – The Heroes season finale could turn out to be a series finale thanks to tanking ratings (not to mention the show's dip in quality). Season four's final act sees Samuel taking revenge on humanity with the ultimate weapon ... a deaf girl's cello! The producers are promising a game-changing finale that will shock all 25 die-hard fans to the core. Oh, and Sylar officially becomes a good guy, again. (9 p.m. ET on NBC)

Chuck, "Chuck Versus The Mask" – It's team-up time as Morgan pairs with Elle to find out Chuck's secret, and Sarah and Shaw work together on a mission involving cute nerd couple to be (I hope) Chuck and Hannah. (8 p.m. ET on NBC)

Head after the jump for clips and more TV picks.

One of the most frustrating things for film fans of any genre is waiting for older films to get released on DVD or Blu-ray. The fans of the film adaptation of Stephen King's The Running Man only have to wait until tomorrow.

While The Running Man is not exactly the height of substantial science fiction, it's interesting to see King's interpretation of a celebrity obsessed world in 2019 twenty-three years after the film was released. The story surrounds Arnold Schwarzenegger as a wrongly convicted man trying to survive a public education via a game show. Arnie is pictured above with game show legend Richard Dawson. You know, the original Family Feud?

It looks like it only has one annoying trailer at the beginning, unlike the usual 5 or more that every DVD and Blu-ray seem to have these days. Extras include two commentary tracks, one with director Paul Michael Glaser and producer Tim Zinneman and another with executive producer Rob Cohen, as well as two featurettes and a theatrical trailer. Sorry, no special Ahnold track.

Other sci-fi Blu-ray releases tomorrow include Halo Legends, Stargate Universe - SGU: Season 1.0, and The Time Traveler's Wife.

According to a Hollywood Reporter bulletin, FlashForward needs a new showrunner as co-creator David Goyer is stepping down. The report diplomatically states that Goyer will still be "involved" but also stated that he will be focusing on directing and feature films.

The report quotes Goyer as saying "As my feature projects have started ramping up again, I felt I was being pulled in too many directions."

Goyer is the second showrunner for the new show, which is scheduled to return from hiatus in mid-March. Showrunners are responsible for day to day operations of the show, making it an essential role. Marc Guggenheim was the initial showrunner after the pilot, and he was replaced by Goyer after some creative conflicts. There is no replacement announcement yet, although Goyer also said "I'm proud of the show and excited about the relaunch. It's in great hands."

What this means for FlashForward is unclear. It's remaining 14 episodes will begin airing after the Olympics starting March 18th, with a two hour episode.

Do you watch FlashForward? Do you want it to continue?

Do Asteroids collide? It seems like a safe assumption, but until recently, we've had no proof. But among the many things Hubble is doing for us lately is taking pictures of as yet unproven events that are enticing the science geeks, such as an unfamiliar debris field pattern, according to a Pop-Sci article.

A comet-like object about 90 million miles from Earth was discovered by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program at the beginning of the year. The debris field was wrong, and the usual gases detected in a comet's debris trail were missing. And the pattern in the debris field has a distinct "x" pattern that is making NASA scientists speculate that the debris is from the collision of two asteroids. With an estimated impact speed of around 11,000 miles per hour, the collision is described as "energetic" which clearly is an understatement.

It may seem like a mundane thing we should assume, but the beauty of science is it requires proof outside of assumption. This small step towards actually knowing our universe makes it simultaneously feel smaller, and much more interesting.

According to Variety, Sony is looking to outbid Lionsgate on the rights to the Terminator franchise later today. The rights are a steal at their current starting price of $15 million dollars, and there's a big part of me that wishes James Cameron would just come out of left field with a bag full of Avatar coin and buy back the series that he created. I don't think that's going to happen, but there are certainly worse ways the man could spend $15 mill.

Personally, I'd rather see Terminator at Sony than Lionsgate, strictly because Sony has better experience in franchise-handling. Compare James Bond and Spider-Man to Transporter and The Punisher. No contest, really. If either company get their hands on the rights, you can expect another Terminator movie soon, but where could the series possibly go after Terminator Salvation? They seem to have painted themselves into a creative corner. Are there more Terminator stories left to tell?

What would you do with the series if you won the rights to the Terminator? Check out our poll below ...

BBC America seems to like science fiction, with shows like Dr. Who, Torchwood, and now Survivors, a post-viral apocalypse drama with quite a few familiar faces from the other shows. Freema Agyeman will likely be the first familiar face to those who might not watch other Brit shows. As Martha Jones, she's been both a regular and a guest on both Dr. Who and Torchwood. Agyeman plays schoolteacher Jenny Collins.

Shaun Dingwall was a recurring guest on Dr. Who as Rose's father. On Survivors, he's also a father, David Grant. Sharp eyes might also remember Nikki Amuka–Bird from the "Sleeper" episode of Torchwood in 2008. Here, she's Samantha Willis, a press minister with the misfortune of being the face of the British government as the flu decimates the population.

Paterson Joseph, also known as Space Marshal Clarke on Hyperdrive, plays Greg Preston, who unfortunately gets his wish for a new life on Survivors. Zoë Tapper, who's practically a staple of BBC America occult shows (Demons, Hex) plays Dr. Anya Raczynski. You can guess what she was up to when the outbreak hit.

Lastly, Phillip Rhys, who played Proto Zoa in Disney's Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century and Zenon: The Zequel plays Al Sadiq, a privileged playboy who's clearly going to get a reality check before the end of the first episode.

Survivors premieres on BBC America on Saturday February 13th. A sneak peek is currently available on BBC America On Demand.

I watched Starship Troopers on Blu-ray last week for the first time in probably over a decade, and I'd almost forgotten just how sly and silly that film is. It's the closest director Paul Verhoeven ever came to recapturing the lunacy of his modern classic Robocop, and he's past due for a return to sci-fi action. (You're missed, Mr. Verhoeven!)

The craftsmen at Yamato Toy USA are fans as well -- they're selling a 9" replica of the Starship Rodger Young (the ship where Carmen Ibanez, played in the film by the young, uber-kissable Denise Richards, is stationed). The solid pewter replica (which comes with a base for mounting) is available for order through the Yamato website. It's a no-frills toy, but it's unique and well-sculpted (and nine inches of pewter is quite a heavy duty model). Your very own Rodger Young will set you back $129.99. Your very own Denise Richards is not available for order.

Young acting hopefuls have a shot at acting opposite Hugh Jackman in the upcoming boxing robot drama Real Steel.

DreamWorks Studios is actively looking for a fresh new face for the upcoming sports sci-fi drama. Jackman stars as a former boxer with one last title shot in a robot boxing championship. He teams up with his long lost son Max, a part currently uncast. Max is described as a charming street-smart, tough, who's complicated and resourceful.

Last week Dreamworks announced they were looking for a young male actor, age 10-14 years old, and have open casting calls set for Chicago on February 14th, and New York on February 20th. Those interested in auditioning can submit a video audition online at realsteelcasting.com, which also has information on the two open calls.

Reel Steel was written by John Gatins (Coach Carter, Hardball), and is set to be directed by Night at the Museum's Shawn Levy.

Here's a look at tonight's sci-fi TV:

Smallville, "Absolute justice" – Smallville channels Watchmen as Clark and Chloe try to solve the murder of a former superhero. The case leads them straight to DC Comics' legendary Justice Society in tonight's much-anticipated spandex-heavy TV movie event. Comic scribe Geoff Johns, who penned last season's fan favorite "Legion" episode, is behind tonight's two-parter featuring JSA members Hawmkan, Star Girl and Dr. Fate. Stargate's Michael Shanks, who straps on the wings to portray Hawkman, says "Absolute Justice" features "an appearance by nearly every single member of the Justice Society." (Still, don't expect Ryan Reynolds to show up wearing a power ring.) Phil Morris returns as Martian Manhunter and Pam Grier begins her multi-episode arc as Amanda "The Wall" Waller. (8 p.m. ET on the CW)

Caprica, "Reins of a Waterfall" – Tonight's ep is all about the fallout from Amanda Graystone's bizarre confession about Zoe being involved in the terrorist bombing. The Graystones go into damage control, and Amanda is interviewed by popular chat show host Baxter Sarno (the awesome Patton Oswalt) about her relationship with her daughter. Elsewhere, Joseph Adama orders a hit on the Graystone family. (9 p.m. ET on Syfy)

Head after the jump for clips and more TV picks.

[Welcome to the Sci-Fi Lunch Break, where we'll be occasionally supplying you with a cool bit of audio/visual goodness to break up the monotony of the work day. You bring the turkey on rye, we'll bring you something out of this world to watch while you eat it.]

Are you prepared for a 10-minute long rap based on James Cameron's Aliens? No, I'm not joking. Someone has written a rather lengthy rap that runs down every aspect of the '80s sci-fi staple with a beat and you know what...it's actually pretty damned good. From the YouTube page:

"This video is in no way trying to take credit for this almost flawless masterpiece, it is merely a tribute to how spectacular it is. The song was written & produced by DJ MAYHEM & features the polish & vocal skills of Mouthmaster Murf, both from the up & coming band THE ANOMALIES & DJ act THE FARCICAL 3. "

Check it out below and if you enjoy it, an MP3 can be found right here.