the empire strikes back

It's an important geek anniversary. 30 years ago on Friday, the film 'The Empire Strikes Back' was released. And 'Family Guy' (Sun., 9PM ET on Fox) chose to celebrate this event with its second 'Star Wars' parody.

[Spoiler alert.]

The Dark Side came to Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane's house Saturday night in the form of both the worst weather Los Angeles has seen in years and the DVD release party for the Empire Strikes Back parody, Something Something Something Dark Side.

The follow-up to the successful Star Wars: Episode IV -- "A New Hope" spoof, Blue Harvest, Dark Side follows the exploits of Luke Skywalker (Chris Griffin, voiced by Seth Green), Han Solo (the MacFarlane-voiced Peter Griffin -- who insists on a new Rebel Alliance code name: Carlos Spicy Wiener) and their heroic friends as they flee the pursuing Imperial Fleet and Darth Vader (Stewie, also MacFarlane).

To celebrate the DVD's December 22 release, MacFarlane hosted a star (wars) studded Christmas party at his estate in the upper reaches of Beverly Hills. Reporters were rounded up, blind-folded and transported via unmarked black helicopters to MacFarlane's home to talk to the DVD's cast and to rub elbow's with Mos Eisley Cantina's worth of celebrities.

%Gallery-80214%

Family Guy's Star Wars parody, Blue Harvest, was arguably the most popular and influential event episode in the show's history. So, the bar is set high for Seth MacFarlane's Empire Strikes Back send-up, Family Guy: Something, Something, Something, Darkside.

According to Fox's news release on the upcoming DVD, the plot sticks to the same lines as Empire: "Darth Vader (Stewie) is hunting the rebel Luke Skywalker (Chris) and his troops relentlessly across the galaxy."