#1-February 1999

ICS-tra! ICS-tra! Read all about it! ICS ALIVE!
On Sunday, January 24th, a new movie club was born! It's called the Imaginative Cinema Society (ICS). Congratulations to everyone who participated in its birth! We had a very productive meeting. We chiseled out a new constitution (which is being sent with this) and sweated out the new name. Good work ladies and gentlemen!

ICS MARKS THE SPOT
Well, after general agreement that Sunday afternoons were terrific for meeting times we have our next three meeting scheduled for Saturday afternoons. Sorry folks. The library was totally booked for every Sunday in February, March and April. From May to October they're closed Sundays. So we got one of the last available Sundays until the end of the year for our January meeting. I'm going to give you the next three meeting times. They're 1:00 to 4:30. Please mark them on your calendars!

FEBRUARY 20TH
MARCH 27TH
APRIL 24

All meetings are scheduled for the third floor Wheeler Auditorium at the Enoch Pratt Central Library. If you need directions either refer to my earlier letter or call the library
(or visit them on line--they have directions there). I did not schedule any further ahead in hopes that our minions will have found another place by May. If you'd like me to keep scheduling at the Pratt, let me know at our coming confab.

THE AGONY AND THE ICSTACY
Mea culpa! Mea culpa! I failed to get the word out of the last meeting to some former HFFS'ers who'd expressed an interest that I'd misunderstood. Whoops! Sorry about that. We have an open club. We actively encourage participation from everyone. Sorry for the faux paux. Please encourage as many people as possible to join us. God knows in our present facility we soitanly have the space! And it would be nice to see our old friends.

RATED ICS
I've arranged to have a TV and VCR at the next meeting. We need someone to bring some tapes along for viewing (or we agree to stare at a blank screen for two hours--which would be an improvement on some of the stuff we've seen at times!). Interested parties please contact me and I'll attempt to coordinate.
I've thought of some titles that we might watch. How about The Man from Planet ICS or ICS, the Man with the ICS-Ray Eyes, or ICS Conquered the World. Maybe The P-ICS-ture of Dorian Gray or Voy-ICS to the Bottom of the Sea. The list is endless.

ICS-itis
Brian Smith and Cindy Collins were home feeling fluey during our grand debut meeting. We were the poorer for their absence. We hope that they're over the creeping crud and that they're able to join us for our coming meetings.

FAN-ICS
There's been a few changes behind the scenes with the coming "Monster Rally." As many of you know Gary and Sue have become sole sponsors for the show. Their current guest roster includes Christopher Lee, Ray Harryhausen, Harlan Ellison, Michael Ripper (MidMar will be bringing out his biography at the show), Jane Adams, Elena Verdugo, Anne Francis, Colleen Gray, Ed Kemmer, Rex Reason, Yvette Vickers, Veronica Carlson, Ingrid Pitt, Yutte Stensgaard, Ron Chaney, Carla Lemmle, Val Lewton jr., Victoria Price (Vincent's lil' girl), Forrest Ackerman, Zacherly and Corlandt Hall (curator of the Witches Dungeon). Oy! What a lineup! Gary and Sue are looking for volunteers. Let them or one of the department heads know if you're available.

COMING EL-ICS-TIONS
We have decided that every member is eligible for election but the ballot will reflect those members who have expressed an interest in serving on the Board (see the enclosed constitution under "Process of Elections: Character of Elections"). Please let me know either prior to the next meeting or at the next meeting if you're interested in serving on the Board. I'd like to have elections at our February meeting.

THERE'S NO BUSIN-ICS LIKE SHOW BUSIN-ICS
Just 2 quick items for TV fans. Those of you interested in checking out the "Babylon 5" sequel, "Crusade," on TNT  next June have been thrown a curve. Show creator Joe Stracynski and the suits at TNT have fallen out of love, according to Ain't-It-Cool-News. I'd heard rumors that TNT was looking for something less cerebral and more buxom babes and flashing ray guns. Stracynski and Warner's are said to be talking with the Sci-Fi Channel. Might not be a bad time to drop the kids at the Sci-Fi Channel a line and let them know what you think.
Also I've heard that Fox may cancel their Friday night show, "Brimstone." I contacted the muckety-mucks at Fox and they said that the show is "not officially [emphasis added] canceled" but production has "slowed down" (which means they haven't ordered any further episodes beyond what's in the can). If you have even a vague interest in this show watch it during the February Sweeps (new episodes will continue to air). They'll make their final decision in March.

ICS-CETERA
Roving reporter Dave Hend-ICS-on (aka "Hendo, the Magnificent") has let us know of a coming con on our old stomping grounds. VULKON will be held at the Towson Sheraton March 5-7. It will feature a large dealer's room, Marina Sirtis ("Star Trek: TNG), Dirk Benedict ("Battlestar Galactica") and someone from "Babylon 5" (Hendo wasn't very clear on that--he calls "B5" "the worst science fiction show on TV"--this from a guy who thinks "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea" and "Time Tunnel" were written by Shakespeare!).
All-around-good-doodle Tom-ICS Burke tells us of a science-f-ICS-tion classic playing in Frederick. On Tuesday March 9th at 7:30 The Day the Earth Stood Still will be screened at the Weinberg Center. This is the restored Tivoli theater--a 1926 motion picture palace restored in 1978. Tom describes it as having "velvet rocking chairs, crystal chandeliers, satin brocade wall panels, mosaic tile floors, marble columns and a 1926 Wurlitzer organ." Cool, huh? Orchestra seats s-ICS bucks, balcony is five. They'll show the 1926 "Ben Hur" on April 6th and the pre-eminent movie musical, "Singin' in the Rain" on May 11th.

EDITORIAL APOL-ICS-GY
Sorry for the ICS-essive PUN-ishment. Hope it didn't leave you too ICS-hausted!