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Slice of SciFi

Science Fiction TV & Movie News, Interviews & more: News about science fiction TV, movies and more from Michael, Summer, Brian, Sam and his news crew. If it\'s on the tube or silver screen, and someone is toting a blaster or a longsword, we\'re probably talking about it!

David Hewlett Says Goodbye (well sort of) to an Old FriendYesterday

Actor David Hewlett, one of the stars of the ensemble cast of “Stargate: Atlantis,” sat down with our partners over at TVGuide and gave this interview in which he says goodbye to the weekly show. David has starred as Rodney McKay in two Stargate series — SG1 and Atlantis — and will continue the role in upcoming made for DVD movies of Atlantis.

VGuide.com: I spoke to your costar Jewel Staite—
David Hewlett: She’s a liar. Everything she says, absolute lies! Don’t believe a word of it!

TVGuide.com: Good to know because she said kissing you [on the show] was kind of torturous because you’re more like a brother.
Hewlett: (Laughs) OK, that’s kind of true! We’re kind of like Statler and Waldorf from The Muppet Show. You know, the two old guys in the top balcony? That’s basically Jewel and I on set. Basically the ones standing there cutting up everybody on set and saying how stupid our jobs, our lives and the world is. And, we take great glee in that and usually end up cracking each other up and hopefully the people around us as well. But all the sudden [the producers] said, “You guys are in a relationship.” And we were like, “What?!” The best way, honestly, to do a romantic scene in anything is to be introduced to them and then [directly] in the scene. So there’s no time to be…

TVGuide.com: Awkward?
Hewlett: Michael Caine once said the

Hick’s Picks 57Yesterday

The first two season of “Lost” are coming to Blu-Ray according to TV Shows on DVD.  Disney announced that the first two seasons will hit the high-defintion format on Feburary 17 at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  

In addition, Disney said that it will begin offering combo packs of DVD and Blu-Rays for certain theatrical disc releases and its platinum collection.   Disney did this last year with the plantinum release of “Sleeping Beauty” and will offer “High School Musical 3,” “Pinocchio” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” as combo DVD and Blu-Ray releases this year.

“These unique Combo Packs provide the opportunity for consumers around the world to take advantage of the quality of Blu-ray with the portability of a DVD disc in a single package,” comments Bob Chapek, President of Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. “As always, we are committed to offering our consumers exceptional quality and value when purchasing our products.”

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More classic “Doctor Who” is coming to the United States.   On May 5, fans can pick up the Sylvester McCoy story, “Battlefield” as a two-disc special edition and the three-disc box-set “The E-Space Trilogy” starring Tom Baker. 

“Battlefield” will see the complete separate release of a full-season of “Doctor Who” on DVD in the United States.  The two-disc set includes the original broadcast version of the story and an extended, re-edited

SciFi to SciFact: The ForceYesterday

The Force could soon be with you not just on your DVD copies of the “Star Wars” movies but actually in your own home.

A new toy, scheduled to debut in stores this fall, will offer you the chance to hone your Jedi-like abilities.  Called the Force Trainer, the new toy comes with a headset that uses brain waves to allow players to manipulate a sphere within a clear 10-inch-tall training tower.

OK, so maybe it’s not quite as awesome as the ability to squeeze the life out of your opponent from across the room or to easily alter the thought processes of weaker-minded individuals, but you will be reaching our using the power of your mind via one of the first mass-market brain-to-computer products.

“It’s been a fantasy everyone has had, using The Force,” saids Howard Roffman, president of Lucas Licensing.

In the Force Trainer, a wireless headset reads your brain activity, in a simplified version of EEG medical tests, and the circuitry translates it to physical action. If you focus well enough, the training sphere, which looks like a ping-pong ball, will rise in the tower.

A state of deep concentration is needed to achieve a Force-full effect. “When you concentrate, it activates the training remote,” says Frank Adler of toymaker Uncle Milton Industries, which is creating the Trainer. “There is a flow of air that will move the (ball). You can actually feel like you are in a zone.”

“Star Wars” sound effects and audio

“Reaper” Trailer DebutsYesterday

Anxious for the second season of “Reaper”? Well, you’ll still have to wait until March 17 for the second season to begin on the CW.

Until then, we’ve got a short preview for the upcoming season…

Spidey Meets ObamaYesterday

During last year’s Presidential campaign, when asked who his favorite comic book character was, President-elect Barak Obama responded that he liked the adventures of Spider-Man and Batman.  Obama went on to admit that he had, at one time, collected Spider-Man comic books.

Those comments caught the attention of Marvel editor-in-chief, Joe Quesada.  When Obama won the election, Quesada decided that something special was called for–a meeting between the famous web-slinger and the President-elect.

Next week, when “Amazing Spider-Man” #584 hits comic shops, it will feature a special, limited run cover featuring Spider-Man and Barak Obama, reports USA Today.  Inside are five pages of the two teaming up and even a fist-bump between Spidey and the new president.

“It was a natural after we learned the new president is a Spider-Man fan,” says Quesada.

“This is not so much a pro-Obama statement but a tip of the hat to having a Spider-Man fan in the White House,” he added.

The story will see Spider-Man’s old nemesis, the Chameleon trying to disrupt the inauguration ceremony for Obama and everyone’s favorite web-slinger stepping in to put a stop to things.  

The Spidey/Obama cover is a limited one according to reports and will only be on half the issues published.   Cover price is $3.99 and comic shops across the country say they’re already getting calls about for the issue. 

“I already have people calling