In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

It’s sci-fi, not fantasy, but Monday starts the first in a five-night presentation of the Torchwood mini-series “Children of the Earth.“ The first four installments, about an alien race that demands to be given millions of children for a purpose they don’t disclose, are fantastic, among the most interesting sci-fi television I’ve ever seen. Alas, the finale is a shockingly stupid let-down. Does that mean the four episodes before it aren’t worth watching? No, but just barely (BBC America, 9 PM, M-F).

Tuesday, on The SyFy Channel’s X-Files-like Warehouse 13, Pete and Myka seek a mind-altering artifact in upstate New York while Artie probes the strange energy surges plaguing Warehouse 13 (SyFy, 9 PM).

On Thursday’s The Listener (the last episode that NBC is going to air, now that it’s been canceled), Toby uses his psychic ability to try to find a serial rapist, only to discover that Detective Marks has some secrets of her own (NBC, 10 PM).

On Friday, Ghost Adventures visits the Ram’s Head Inn on its summer season finale (Travel, 9 PM).

On Saturday, we have part 2 of the finale of Kings (ABC, 8 PM). Also on Saturday, check out Being Human, the pilot of the horror-drama about a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost sharing a house together (BBC America, 9 PM). Check back for our follow review on Friday.

On Sunday’s episode of Merlin, “The Beginning of the End,” Merlin rescues a telepathic boy, only to see his Druidic father then be killed by Uther. Against the advice of the dragon, Merlin gives the boy sanctunary — but his choice comes at a grave cost. Here’s a preview:

IN THEATERS

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince continues to pack ‘em in in theaters, and two new fantasy-esque movies open on Friday: Orphan, a horror film about a “bad seed” child, and G-Force, an animated movie about a group of secret agent guinea pigs.

OUT ON DVD

Two major fantasy DVD releases this week: Coraline, the animated adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s children’s book (we reviewed the film, putting it in the “very nice try” category), and Watchmen, based on Alan Moore’s classic graphic novel (we reviewed this film too, praising it to high heavens).

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

On Tuesday, on The SyFy Channel’s X-Files-like Warehouse 13 (which drew an impressive 3.5 million viewers for last week’s premiere), a string of bank robberies have Pete and Myka searching for a “soothing” song. Artie, meanwhile, discovers a security break in the warehouse (SyFy, 9 PM). Here’s the preview:

On Thursday, ABC presents J.K. Rowling: A Year in the Life,  an in-depth look at the Harry Potter author (ABC, 8 PM).

On Saturday, we have part 1 of the finale of Kings (ABC, 8 PM).

On Sunday’s episode of Merlin, a mysterious women attracts Athur’s attention, even as Morgana, her magical powers wakening, knows something isn’t right. (NBC, 8 PM). Here’s the trailer:

IN THEATERS

Well, no fantasy movies opening this week.

Oh, wait, there’s that obscure little fringe film, Harry Potter and the Half-Something, opening on Wednesday, isn’t there? Check back for our review on Monday night.

Also out on Wednesday (in limited release) is The Crypt, about a group of young criminals who break into some catacombs under their town to steal some jewelry hidden there in the Great Depression. Problem is, something is down there … guarding it.

OUT ON DVD

New DVD releases this week include this spring’s surprising popular (but poorly reviewed) The Haunting in Connecticut.

Also out is Horsemen, a Seven-like thriller that was barely released in theaters in which a detective (Dennis Quaid) investigates a series of murders modeled after the four horsemen of the Apocalypse — but is something more going on?

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

On Tuesday, the newly-named SyFy Channel brings us the two-hour premiere of Warehouse 13, an X-Files-type show about a mysterious warehouse where magical items are stored. See our review here (SyFy, 9-11 PM). Here’s a preview:

On Wednesday, Monsterquest looks for definitive evidence the Sasquatch exists. Um, haven’t about a thousand shows already tried to do this? (History Channel, 9 PM).

Thursday’s episode of The Listener, Toby uses his psychic ability to help a blind woman solve the Chinatown murder of her brother (NBC, 10 PM).

On Friday, Eureka is back for the first of ten more episodes, picking up from the mid-season cliffhanger with Jack Carter (Colin Ferguson) being removed from his job as Eureka’s sheriff and Allison (Salli Richardson-Whitfield) announcing that she is expecting her recently-deceased husband’s baby.

Also on Saturday, we have another episode of the already-canceled Kings (ABC, 8 PM), and the season (and series) finales of Harper’s Island (CBS, 9-11 PM) and Eli Stone (ABC, 10 PM).

On Sunday, NBC is showing another single episode of Merlin, in which Gaius is forced to choose between keeping Merlin’s secret and saving Uther’s life (8 PM). This is followed on the same network by part one of a four-hour disaster miniseries Meteor; part two will air the following Sunday (9 PM).

Here’s the trailer for Meteor (which, for the record, I admit isn’t fantasy):

IN THEATERS

Opening in limited release on Friday is Blood: The Last Vampire, a live-action update of the anime about a half-vampire vampire hunter.

OUT ON DVD

The Unborn, the disastrously reviewed horror flick from earlier this year, is out on DVD this week.

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

On Thursday’s episode of The Listener, Toby uses his psychic ability to help a blind woman solve the Chinatown murder of her brother (NBC, 10 PM).

Also on Thursday, the Sci-Fi Channel begins a marathon of the original Twilight Zone that runs through the Fourth of July — and it looks like they’re airing all five season’s 156 episodes (but be forewarned: the quality takes a serious dive in the fourth season when the network insisted that the show move into a hour format).

On Friday’s edition of Ghost Adventures, the team checks out Bird Cage Theater, considered the most haunted building in Tombstone, Arizona (The Travel Channel, 6 PM).

On Saturday’s episode of Primeval, the team heads into a future-world filled with terrible predators (BBC America, 9 PM).

Also on Saturday, look for the final episodes of the already-canceled Kings (ABC, 8 PM), Harper’s Island (CBS, 9 PM), and Eli Stone (ABC, 10 PM).

On Sunday, NBC is only showing a single episode of Merlin (unlike two-in-a-row the previous two Sundays), but it’s an important one: a young Lancelot shows up in Camelot, first saving Merlin’s life, then expressing his dream of becoming a knight. Problem is, Lancelot is a mere commoner — and commoners can’t ever bcome knights (NBC, 8 PM).

OUT ON DVD

No new fantasy in theaters for Fourth of July weekend, but new movies out on DVD include a new edition of the decent 1997 Keanu Reeves movie The Devil’s Advocate (in which Charlize Theron also made a big splash).

Also out is a new edition of the 1961 Nicholas epic King of Kings. Don’t expect a modern, self-doubting Jesus in this telling of the movie, which is hagiography all the way.

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

On Wednesday, Monsterquest looks for “the last dinosaur,” which makes it sound like they’re looking for evidence of surviving dinosaurs, which is very cool no matter what the find. (The History Channel, 9 PM)

I was hard on the pilot episode of The Listener, but Thursday’s episode is definitely a cut above. Toby uses his psychic ability to help a young runaway (played by The United States of Tara’s young Keir Gilchrist in a terrific performance). (NBC, 10 PM)

It’s sci-fi, not fantasy, but for those interested in Virtuosity, the pilot movie for the would-be series by the creators of Battlestar Galactica about the crew of a space-ship heavily into virtual reality and that is also being filmed as part of a reality show, I’ve seen it, and it’s a serious mis-fire. (Fox, 8 PM)

There’s lots of fantasy-esque shows to watch on Saturday, what with Primeval (BBC America, 9 PM), and remaining new episodes of the already-canceled Kings (ABC, 8 PM), Harper’s Island (CBS, 9 PM), and Eli Stone (ABC, 10 PM).

And on Sunday, NBC airs another two episodes Merlin, starring Buffy’s Anthony Stewart Head (see our interview). (NBC, 8 PM and 9 PM)

OUT ON DVD

No new fantasy in theaters this week, but new movies out on DVD include the film adaptation of Cornelia Funke’s Inkheart (which I and a lot of other people didn’t like, although I guess it has its fans).

Also out is Dragon Hunters, a movie that went direct-to-DVD in the U.S., but that had a $10 million budget nonetheless.

Trailer for Dragon Hunters

Finally, we have Phoebe in Wonderland, a movie about a girl (Elle Fanning) lost in a fantasy world is invited by a kind teacher (Patricia Clarkson) to be part of a school production of Alice in Wonderland. Felicity Huffman plays the mother.

Trailer for Phoebe in Wonderland

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

On Tuesday, the soon-to-be “SyFy” Channel is rerunning their three-part miniseries The Lost Room, about a bizarre phenomenon that takes place in a hotel room. It’s a fascinating premise and the show is terrific … until the conclusion, which is disappointing to say the least — especially after six damn hours of viewing time (The Sci Fi Channel, 10 AM to 4 PM). For the record, the full mini-series is also available on DVD. Here’s a preview:

In Thursday’s episode of The Listener, the new show about a man who can hear people’s thoughts, Toby pursues the case of a missing girl that seems to involve a homeless man who may or may not share Toby’s psychic ability (NBC, 10 PM).

Also on Thursday (on a new night and time), Science of the Movies looks at “Horror Movies: Effects That Scare” (the Science Network, 10 PM).

On Friday, Ghost Adventures looks at the ghosts of Castillo San Marcos in Florida (Travel Channel, 9 PM).

The terrific modern-day retelling of the King David story, Kings, finally returns on Saturday. I loved this show, but at this point, NBC is just burning off the un-aired episodes before it’s gone forever (10 PM).

Incidentally, regarding the Reaper situation (in which the show was canceled by the CW, but there were rumors that it might have another life, in syndication or on the SyFy Channel), it seems that that’s very unlikely now.

AT THE MOVIES

Who knew? Land of the Lost was pretty much a wipe-out (relatively speaking), grossing a mere $19 million  and coming in a distant third for the weekend, after The Hangover (at $43 million) and Up (at $44 million, despite being in its second week). Drag Me to Hell, which I highly recommend, has now grossed $29.5 after two weeks, meaning it’s slightly under-performing for its genre.

The only new fantasy movie in theaters this week is the Eddie Murphy movie Imagine That (opening on Friday), about a man who finds help solving his own problems by entering his daughter’s imaginary world.

OUT ON DVD

Out on DVD this week is Were the World Mine, a charming, extremely ambitious (if still somewhat flawed) indie musical about a young man who finds the secret recipe to A Midsummer Night Dream’s love potion hidden in the text of the play itself and uses it to cast a spell on his male co-star in the play. Here’s the trailer:

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

Reaper has been canceled, but three new episodes remain (the CW, Tuesday, 8/7 C).

This week on Deadliest Warriors (which matches famous warriors from history and uses science to determine who would win), two more “modern” warriors face off: a Green Beret versus a Spetznaz (Spike TV, Tuesday, 10 PM).

On Wednesday, it’s the season finale of Lost (ABC, Wednesday, 9/8 C), Jack faces some serious resistance to his plan.

Thursday bring another season finale, this time for Supernatural, and I for one am dying to know how in the hell Sam and Dean are going to work things out (the CW, Thursday, 9/8 C). Here’s a preview:

The weekend brings “Fever,” the last new episode of Legend of the Seeker before the finale. Will Richard and Kahlan finally get it on? Probably not, but it looks like something happens between them.

The closest thing to fantasy this entire week on the Sci Fi Channel, which claims to feature “sci fi and fantasy,” is a marathon of Kindred: The Embraced on Wednesday from 8 AM to 4 PM.

AT THE MOVIES

Angels & Demons opens at last! I am so there.

OUT ON DVD

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans is released on Tuesday, along with The Reluctant Dragon, a part-live action, part-animated 1941 film about a man who tours Disney’s animation studios in order to pitch Walt Disney on the idea of adapting “The Reluctant Dragon,” the classic short children’s story by Kenneth Grahame. The movie also includes an animated short film version of the story, and several other animated films.

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

Who knew? The CW has canceled Reaper, but there’s a slight possibility it might return either as a syndicated show (airing on some CW stations), or as an online program. In any event, two new episodes remain this season (the CW, Tuesday, 8/7 C).

This week on Deadliest Warriors (which matches famous warriors from history and uses science to determine who would win), a Shoalin monk faces off against a New Zealand Maori warrior (Spike TV, Tuesday, 10 PM).

And the weekend, of course, brings “Reckoning,” the season finale of Legend of the Seeker (various times and stations, check local listings). Here’s a preview:

Another week, another seven days where there’s nothing really “fantasy” on the Sci Fi Channel (which claims to feature “sci fi and fantasy”).

AT THE MOVIES

Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian opens on Friday. Check out our full coverage later in the week!

OUT ON DVD

This week sees the release of yet another DVD edition of  The Lord of the Rings, this time in “wide-screen” with assorted extras.

Also out is The Possessed, a “horror” documentary about America’s “first documented possession,” in 1865, and Outlander, about aliens crash-landing in the time of Vikings, starring The Passion of the Christ’s Jim Caviezel.

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

The caption goes here

On a new episode of Reaper (the CW, Tuesday, 8/7 C), Sam is sent to the home of the Devil’s girlfriend, Sally, so she can teach him more about the “family business.” Neither are thrilled about the arrangement — until Sam realizes she might be able to help him get out of his contract.

This week on Deadliest Warriors (which matches famous warriors from history and uses science to determine who would win), a pirate is matched with a knight (Spike TV, Tuesday, 10 PM).

On Lost (ABC, Wednesday, 9/8 C), Daniel comes clean about what he knows about the island.

There’s a new episode of Supernatural, “The Rapture” (the CW, Thursday, 9/8 C).

And Legend of the Seeker returns with a new episode this weekend (various stations and times, check local listings).

Sadly, the Sci Fi Channel, which claims to feature “sci fi and fantasy,” doesn’t seem to have a single “fantasy” offering this entire week.

IN MOVIE THEATERS

Two fantasy-esque films hitting theaters this weekend, the much-anticipated X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, the new Jennifer Garner romantic comedy about a man who is literally haunted by the ghosts of his past girlfriends.

OUT ON DVD

In The Uninvited, a woman returns from a stint in a mental hospital to find she’s being haunted by the ghosts of past girlfriends. Okay, not really, but there are more ghosts!

Trailer for The Uninvited

Welcome to a new feature at TheTorchOnline.com where we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future!

Okay, so maybe we just preview the week ahead in fantasy-themed TV and movie offerings.

Television

Legend of the Seeker is still in reruns, but look for Knights of Bloodsteel, a two-part mini-series featuring wizards and ancient prophecies, this upcoming Sunday and Monday nights (Sci Fi Channel). A TorchOnline.com review is forthcoming.

There’s a new episode of the fantasy-comedy series Krod Mandoon at the Flaming Sword of Fire on Thursday (Comedy Central).

The Sci Fi Channel is rerunning two fantasy mini-series this week: Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King on Thursday at noon, and The Legend of Earthsea (a mind-numbingly bad adaptation of Ursula Le Guin’s classic Earthsea books) at 8 AM on Friday.

And Cinemax is showing the horribly received 2007 movie spoof Epic Movie at various times.

In Theaters

Dragonball: Evolution, based on the popular manga, tanked in its opening weekend, but continues its run in theaters (see our review here).

Also continuing in theaters is Race to Witch Mountain, A Haunting in Connecticut, and Watchmen (see our review here).

In two weeks, look for the fantasy-esque Mutant Chronicles (in limited release).

Out on DVD

Nothing much here but a few low budget horror entries, including Splinter, about parasites that have trapped travelers in a gas station, Fear the Forest, about a evil creature of Native American legend.

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

On Tuesday, in the half-hour sketch show Wrong Door, Lucy and Edmund find themselves in the “magical, but low-budget world of Njarnia” (IFC, 11:30 PM).

On Thursday, The Listener is back with an episode in which Toby is implicated in the murder of a young woman, and must use his psychic ability to prove his own innocence — but be forewarned that the debut ratings for this show were horrible, so it may not be around much longer. (NBC, 10 PM)

On Friday, Ghost Adventures looks at La Purisma Mission in California (Travel Channel, 9 PM).

On Saturday, the terrific fantasy-esque show Eli Stone returns to air the remaining episodes before it’s gone forever (ABC, 10 PM).

And on Sunday, NBC brings high fantasy back to prime time with the first two episodes of Merlin, starring Buffy’s Anthony Stewart Head (see our interview with Anthony and check back on Thursday for our full review of the show). (NBC, 8 PM and 9 PM).

Finally, the soon-to-be “SyFy” Channel is offering an original movie, Rise of the Gargoyles, about an author who discovers the stone gargoyles he’s studying are … real (Sci Fi Channel, 9 PM).

AT THE MOVIES

Two fantasy-esque movies hit theaters this week, including Year One, the Jack Black/Michael Cera comedy about two cave men-types who go on a “road trip” through the prehistoric world.

Also out is $9.99, a highly acclaimed Australian/Israeli stop-motion movie about a man who buys a book about the meaning of life for less than ten dollars — but has trouble sharing it with the people he knows.

Trailer for $9.99

OUT ON DVD

This week brings a new DVD edition of The The Seventh Seal, Ingmar Bergman’s classic film about the knight who plays chess with Death (there’s also a new Blu-ray Edition).

Also out is a new DVD edition of The Hidden Fortress, Akira Kurosawa’s classic movie about a knight and a princess returning home with their fortune (the movie was one of the main inspirations for Star Wars).

Trailer for The Hidden Fortress

In this regular TheTorchOnline.com feature, we gaze deep into a mystical crystal ball to predict the future! Or at least we run down the fantasy-themed entertainment offerings for the week ahead:

TELEVISION

In the season finale of Deadliest Warriors (which matches famous warriors from history and uses science to determine who would win), it’s terrorist versus terrorist as a member of the Taliban confronts a member of the I.R.A (Spike TV, Tuesday, 10 PM).

The Listener, a new show about a man who can hear people’s thoughts, debuts on Thursday at 10 PM (NBC). Check back this Wednesday for our review.

And once again, the Sci Fi Channel (which claims to feature “sci fi and fantasy”) gives us no fantasy except for all-day Land of the Lost marathons of the original Saturday morning show on Thursday and Friday.

AT THE MOVIES

Unless you yourself have been living in A Land That Time Forgot, you know that Land of the Lost opens on Friday. I’ll give it a chance, but I still say it looks terrible. (Since my expectations are so appallingly low, maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.)

OUT ON DVD

Fantasy-esque offerings out on DVD this week include an expanded edition of Sin City (in Blu-Ray) and the French documentary The Fox & the Child (Le Renard et l’enfant), which is described as a “fairy tale” about a girl and her friendship with a fox (it’s from the creators of March of the Penguins).

The trailer for The Fox & the Child