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1.APRIL'S OPEN HISTORIC HOUSE
We made history at our April meeting. It was our first, of what looks like an annual, open house. Some of us got there to set up at 10 AM. We met until past 10 PM. Along the way we watched a laughably awful movie (9 DEATHS OF THE NINJA), a very suspenseful movie (BLOOD SIMPLE) and, filling in our regular movie slot, Regina Vallerani brought in the excellent SERIES 7: THE CONTENDERS. Our master auctioneers, Barry "The Masked Auctioneer" Murphy and Joe "The Minimum Bid Kid" Plempel, raised $388.50 for the club treasury. We got to see the hysterical blooper reel from Barry and Joe's public service announcement for the auction. We were delighted to welcome Inge Heyer from the Star Trek Association of Towson. She dropped by to leave fliers for SHORE LEAVE 24 (see below in "Event News") and enjoy some ICS ambiance. We didn't have as many outside guests as we hoped, but we had about thirty people present and everyone seemed to have a good time. Thanks to everyone who helped to carry this out. Thanks for the food donations, for helping to publicize it, for welcoming visitors, for bringing in movies, for setting up and cleaning up, for donating items to the auction and, most importantly, for showing up. It's because of your continued support that this club has come this far with nothing but green lights on our road ahead. 2.NEWS OF OUR MAY MEETING Our May meeting will be held on Saturday May 18 at 5:30 P.M. Please take note, we've switched from our usual last Saturday of the month so that we didn't conflict with the Memorial Day Weekend. As usual we'll be at the church hall behind the Perry Hall Presbyterian Church located at 8848 BelAir Road. Take Baltimore Beltway exit 32 north on Belair Road. Turn left onto Joppa Road. Immediately past the miniature golf course turn left into the parking lot. If you miss it there are ample turn-around opportunities. If you get stuck call 410-598-8005. That's Dave Henderson's cell phone. He'll talk you in. 3.MAY IS MARTIAL ARTS CINEMA I: THE WORLD OF WUXIA May will be a little something different. I'll be bringing in films. This will be the first of two evenings we'll be sharing together this year. We'll be looking at Martial Arts Cinema. In May we'll have Part I: The World of Wuxia. We'll explore the amazing world of Chinese martial arts films. In September we'll have Part II: The World of Bushido, when we'll take a look at the great samurai films of Japan. It should be fun! 4.THE ICS SUPPORTS FANEX Our old friends, Gary and Sue Svehla, will be holding Fanex 16 from August 16-18 in Timonium, Md. They have asked us to use our video projector. In return we'll be get table space in their convention. We'll need volunteers to work it (they'll be a sign-up sheet at the next meeting). Anyone wearing an ICS badge will be allowed in for free. We encourage everyone to come by, work the table and enjoy the convention. 5.BRING US YOUR MOVIES We'll be selling movies at Fanex 16. We would like club members to bring us your laser discs, VHS tapes and DVD's. Beginning at our May meeting, bring along anything in your collection you'd like to say good-bye to. We ask that you only bring along pre-recorded videos. This is your chance to unload some of the stuff you got in the auction! 6.TAX STATUS Recently a question was asked about our tax status and the deductibility of contributions to the club. This is a question that needs periodic reviews as folks join up. We're a non-profit "501-C." That means we're a social club. We aren't taxed for our assets or income via memberships and contributions. Unfortunately donations to the Imaginative Cinema Society are not deductible. The government considered it but then declared that any organization that shows movies like THE BRAIN THAT WOULDN'T DIE, THE KILLER SHREWS, THE HEADLESS GHOST, SHE DEMON or THE CAR doesn't deserve any support or encouragement from the government. 7.A NEW ROSTER'S COMING Very soon we'll have a new roster coming from Dave Henderson. It will provide the names, addresses, phone number and e-mail address of everyone in the club. If there is any information that you would rather not see published please contact Dave Henderson at imhendo@hotmail.com or at 410-529-0726. 8.FIFTH ANNIVERSARY At our meeting on January 31, 2004 we'll celebrating our fifth anniversary. We don't know what that celebration will look like yet, but we'd like to make it special. We'd like everyone thinking about this. We'll talk about it in our May meeting. 9.COMING UP FOR THE ICS Looking beyond our May meeting, on June 29 Tim & Heather Fleming we'll be holding us spellbound with their review of "Time Travel in the Movies." On July 27 John Clayton's theme is "Forgotten Horrors and Why They Deserve to be Forgotten." July will also be our fourth annual pizza night (so come hungry). On August 24 Donna and Dava Sentz will be bringing the Hammer down - Hammer Studios that is. They'll be telling us all about their love for Hammer and its films, and particularly one of their leading men - Christopher Lee. |
10.THE GLASS TEAT
SPIDER-MAN for Memorial Day. The ABC Family cable network will air a marathon of animated SPIDER-MAN episodes on the Memorial Day weekend. Episodes will be pulled from the 1960s, '80s, '90s and new millennium versions of the series. . . . Noxon gets a deal. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER executive producer Marti Noxon has signed a three-year development deal with Fox Television to come up with new comedy and drama series for the studio. It is the first studio development deal for Noxon, who will continue to run BUFFY and act as consulting producer of ANGEL. Noxon joined BUFFY in 1997 as a staff writer and was raised to executive producer and showrunner last fall. Noxon has written or co-written more than 20 BUFFY episodes and directed two and has contributed to ANGEL. . . . Witness, if you will, one Forest Whitaker. Forest Whitaker will host the pilot for a new version of the classic anthology series THE TWILIGHT ZONE on UPN. Whitaker, who will also have producing input into the series, will play the same role that Rod Serling played on the original TWILIGHT ZONE. THE TWILIGHT ZONE is being produced by Trilogy Entertainment Group, in association with New Line Television. Pen Densham is the writer and will executive produce with his partners Mark Stern and John Watson. . . . DEAD/TREK. Former STAR TREK: VOYAGER writer Michael Taylor has joined the staff of THE DEAD ZONE as a co-producer, according to executive producer (and TREK veteran) Michael Piller. Taylor is the latest TREK writer to join the show. The cast also features Nicloe DeBoer from STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE. . . . ABC honors September 11. ABC News announced that it plans to commemorate the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by suspending its regular daytime programming, between 7:00 AM and 5:00 PM, and broadcasting coverage of memorial events and features about the survivors and victims. 11.WHAT'S COMING UP FOR THE SCI-FI CHANNEL? Sci-Fi has released info about new projects. As part of their announcements, they indicated an effort to get away from space based shows with aliens (i.e. no BABYLON 5 LEGEND OF THE RANGERS spinoff). For the next Sci-Fi original series we'll be getting FIRESTARTER: REKINDLED! Other shows in the works include SCARE TACTICS ("The Candid Camera of Fright"), DREAM TEAM with Annabelle and Michael (A dream analysis show to be a companion to John Edward), STARPORT AUTHORITY (a sendup of reality shows about beat cops at a near future Starport), and a special for THE BELZER CONNECTION (Richard Belzer & cohorts investigating conspiracies) plus a weekly CGI-animated series TRIPPING THE RIFT. 12.SEASON AND SERIES FINALES IN MAY Following is a look at season and series finales for May. If your favorite show's taking a summer break, don't worry. In our June issues we'll be looking at all of the shows debuting this summer. Who knows, it might be a chance for you to fall in love with a whole new set of characters.
13.24 IS DUE FOR A RETRO-FIT NEXT SEASON
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31.THINGS TO COME
THE MARYLAND FILM FESTIVAL will be held May 2-5 in Baltimore. At this writing details are a little sparse. Here's what we know so far. They have a growing number of celebrity guest hosts visiting the festival. NAACP Board Chair and legendary Civil Rights Activist Julian Bond will guest host s showing of SWEET SWEETBACK'S BAAD ASSSSS SONG. First year SURVIVOR finalist Colleen Haskell has chosen Terry Gilliam's THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN. As usual John Waters will host a Friday night film. This year, he's hosting a screening of FUEGO, which means "fire," an unusual softcore X-rated melodrama that was made in Argentina in 1969. Either visit the festival's website or keep your eyes on The ICS Files for further details. BALTICON 36 will be held Memorial Day Weekend, May 24 - 27 at the Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore. They offer activities and guests for a wide range of interests for science fiction fandom. Their literary programming will feature philosophical debates, story crafting tips and ideas, author readings and book signings. There will be separate poetry, academic, literary and media tracks, including an writer's workshop. Their science program continues with the kind of briefings you see for industry, academic and government leaders. Topics include NASA and space industry planning, launch systems, paleontology, DNA research and more. There will also be special sessions about art, costuming and children activities for kids 4-12. There'll be filking (science fiction-oriented folk music), a masquerade, a large dealer's room, a gaming room, a computer room, L.A.R..P. (Live Action Role Playing gaming), a gaming room and live theater (a LORD OF THE RINGS parody). Tickets are $40 until 3/17, $45 until 4/30 and $50 at the door (children 6-12 are $20/$23/$25). For tickets or answers to questions contact BALTICON 36/ P.O. Box 686/ Baltimore, MD., 21203-0686 or phone (410)JOE-BSFS [410-563-2737], e-mail: BSFS@balticon.org, fax # 410-879-3602 or go to the above link. CREEP CON takes place at the Baltimore Convention Center from June 7-9. Guests include Anthony Head (Giles on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER); Adam Busch ("Warren" on BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER); Robert Hall (Special Make-Up Effects for BUFFY, ANGEL and BLACK SCORPION); Warwick Davis (LEPRECHAUN, STAR WARS and WILLOW); Virginia Hey (FARSCAPE, THE ROAD WARRIOR); Kane Hodder ("Jason" FRIDAY THE 13th films); Alexxus Young (scream queen, star of the upcoming ARACHNIA); Muse Watson ("Fisherman" from I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER), David Carradine (KUNG FU); Ben Chapman (THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON); Bill Moseley (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2); Linnea Quigley, Miguel Nunez, Jewel Shepard, Beverly Randolph Hartley, Jules Brenner, Brian Peck, John Philbin,Don Calfa, Kenny Myers and William Stout (all from RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD); Leonard Lies and Marty Schiff (both from DAWN OF THE DEAD); Brian Penikas (special make-up effects artist); Jerome Blake (STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES); Mike Quinn (RETURN OF THE JEDI); Michonne Bourriague (STAR WARS: EPISODE I - PHANTOM MENACE); Shannon Baksa (STAR WARS RPG model); Debbie Rochon (NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD); Dick Durock (SWAMP THING); Edwin Neal (TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE); Reggie Bannister (PHANTASM series); Kevin Summerfield (director SLEEPY HOLLOW HIGH 1 & 2); Velvet Chain (L.A. band that's appeared on BUFFY); Darling Violetta (California band that did the theme for ANGEL); Frank Cho (comic artist); Virgil (WWF Superstar); Remy Marks (model and Playmate) and Nicole Wood (Playboy Playmate, Miss April 93). Scheduled events include a special Friday Night, Creep Con Opening Ceremony at The Vault on Baltimore St. The show is limited to only 200 Tickets. It starts at 6:00 and continues through the night. There will be open bar and food available. Doors open Saturday and Sunday at 10 AM for VIP ticket holders, 11 AM for everyone else. General admission at the door is $20 per day, or $30 for the weekend. General admission in advance is $15 per day, or $25 for the weekend. V.I.P. Gold are $125 each. These passes give you admission on Saturday and Sunday 1 hour earlier than the general public, access to the Friday Night Creep Con Opening Ceremony, one free autograph from most guests appearing on stage and best seating in the auditorium for the guests Q&A sessions and special events at the show. For further information or tickets either click on the link at the beginning or (for you snail mailers) contact FOD Entertainment/ C/O Creep Convention/ P.O. Box 2139/ Glen Burnie, MD 21060-2139. ASIAN FANTASY FILM EXPO 3 is being held on June 15 & 16 at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. This is THE convention for people who like their monsters large, aggressive and Japanese. Guests include Shusuke Kaneko (director of GODZILLA • MOTHRA • KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK), Teruyoshi Nakano (special effects director of Godzilla films in the 70's and 80's), Shinichi Yokokawa (with Bandai, creator of Japanese monster character toys), Carl Craig (the American Boy Scout in DESTROY ALL PLANETS), Bob Eggleton (America's leading Godzilla artist) and Remy Marks (fantasy model and Playmate). One day passes are $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Two day passes are $18 and are available only in advance. Children age 5 and under are free. To order click on the above link or contact P.O. Box 1614 Fort Lee, NJ 07024/ 201-587-8112/ fax: 201-587-8114. SHORE LEAVE 24 is being held July 12, 13 and 14 at the Marriott Hunt Valley Inn in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Their interesting assortment of guests range from show business celebrities to writers to scientists. Their show biz guests include John Billingsley (Dr. Phlox in ENTERPRISE), James Marsters (Spike in BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), Richard Biggs (Dr. Stephen Franklin in BABYLON 5), Julie Caitlin Brown (Na'Toth in BABYLON 5), Jason Carter (Ranger Marcus Cole in BABYLON 5), Dee Wallace Stone (the mother in E.T.), Richard Herd (V's Supreme Cmdr; guest in TNG/VOY) and Spice Williams (Vixis in STAR TREK V). The author guests include Jim Butcher, Greg Cox, Ann C. Crispin, Peter David, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Kevin Dilmore, Michael Jan Friedman, Dave Galanter, Robert Greenberger, Jeffrey Lang, Marco Palmieri, Roberta Rogow, Dayton Ward, Howard Weinstein and Joan Winston. The science guests include; from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center astrophysicists Dr. David Batchelor, Dr. Kirk Borne and Dr. Dan Delaney. JPL-NASA Solar System Ambassador Dr. Loretta McKibben will be there. From Hubble astrophysicists Dr. Keith Noll, Dr. Sean O'Brien, Dr. Massimo Stiavelli, Mr. Ray Villard and Dr. Mark Voit. Finally astronaut and shuttle pilot and commander Richard A. Searfoss will be there. Other guests include f/x wizard Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz, musical group The Boogie Knights, science fiction cartoonist and satirist Tye Bourdony, artist Gayle Freyman and comedy act Luna-C. Among the events are a special Klingon Feast with Spice Williams, a special benefit concert given by Julie Caitlin Brown, a special meet-the-pros party to mingle with writing and science guests, a filk concert, a Saturday evening masquerade, dancing in Ten-Forward, the Prometheus Radio Theatre performing Episode 7 in their continuing series, "The Arbiter Chronicles," a Sunday Evening Showcase Theater by The Not Ready For Paramount Players, an art show and, as you'd expect, a large dealer's room. They'll be fan panels, special workshops and special science programming. If this looks good to you, and you want to pre-register, you'd better hurry. Pre-registartion ends May 31. At that point it's $50 for adults and $12 for children 5-12 (under 5 is free). After May 31 it'll be at the door only and the costs will be the weekend for $60, Friday only for $15, Saturday only for $35 (includes Masquerade and Ten-Forward), Saturday evening only for $10 for admission to the Masquerade and Ten Forward only, Sunday only for $30 and children (5-12) will still be $12 and under 5 free. For more information you can click the above link, drop a line to Shore Leave 24/ P.O. Box 6809/ Towson, MD 21285-6809 or you can call 410-496-4456. OTAKON 2002 will take place on July 26, 27 and 28 at the Baltimore Convention Center. This is a very large anime' convention. Their guest list is pending. Activities include the Otakon Gameshow, Live Action Role-Play (LARP), the Otakon 2002 Masquerade and costume contests and fashion show, an anime' music video contest, karaoke and a karaoke Gong Show, workshops and lots of video gaming. Admission is $40 until May 4 and $45 until July 8. For more information either click on the above link or contact Otakon 2002 Registration, 491 Baltimore Pike #689, Springfield, PA 19064-3810. |
32.THE HUGO NOMINEES ARE ANNOUNCED
Organizers announced the nominees for the 2002 Hugo Awards, to be presented at ConJose, the 60th World Science Fiction Convention, taking place August 29 through Sept. 2 in San Jose, Calif. Attending and supporting members of ConJose vote on the 2002 Hugo Awards, which are named for SF editor Hugo Gernsback and honor the best science fiction and fantasy works of the previous year. This is the the most prestigious award in science fiction. A full list of nominees follows. We'll have a complete list of winners in the September issue of The ICS Files. Best Novel: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, American Gods by Neil Gaiman, Perdido Street Station by China Miéville, Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod, Passage by Connie Willis, The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson. Best Novella: "May Be Some Time" by Brenda W. Clough, "The Diamond Pit" by Jack Dann, "The Chief Designer" by Andy Duncan, "Stealing Alabama" by Allen Steele, "Fast Times at Fairmont High" by Vernor Vinge Best Novelette: "Hell Is the Absence of God" by Ted Chiang, "Undone" by James Patrick Kelly, "The Days Between" by Allen Steele, "Lobsters" by Charles Stross, "The Return of Spring" by Shane Tourtellotte. Best Short Story: "The Ghost Pit" by Stephen Baxter, "Spaceships" by Michael A. Burstein, "The Bones of the Earth" by Ursula K. Le Guin, "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" by Mike Resnick, "The Dog Said Bow-Wow" by Michael Swanwick. Best Related Book: The Art of Richard Powers by Jane Frank, Meditations on Middle-Earth, Karen Haber, ed., The Art of Chesley Bonestell by Ron Miller & Frederick C. Durant III, I Have This Nifty Idea ... Now What Do I Do With It? by Mike Resnick, J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey, Being Gardner Dozois by Michael Swanwick Best Dramatic Presentation: HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER'S STONE, THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, MONSTERS INC., BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: "Once More, With Feeling," SHREK. Best Professional Editor: Ellen Datlow ("SciFiction" and anthologies), Gardner Dozois ("Asimov's"), Patrick Nielsen Hayden (Tor Books; Starlight anthology series), Stanley Schmidt ("Analog"), Gordon Van Gelder ("F&SF"). Best Professional Artist: Jim Burns, Bob Eggleton, Frank Kelly Freas, Donato Giancola, Michael Whelan. Best Semiprozine: "Absolute Magnitude," "Interzone," "Locus," "The New York Review of Science Fiction," "Speculations." Best Fanzine: "File 770," "Ansible," "Challenger," "Mimosa," "Plokta." Best Fan Writer: Jeff Berkwits, Bob Devney, John L. Flynn, Mike Glyer, Dave Langford, Steven H. Silver Best Fan Artist: Sheryl Birkhead, Brad Foster, Teddy Harvia, Sue Mason, Frank Wu. Best Web Site: Locus Online, Scifi.com, SF Site, Strange Horizons, Tangent Online. 33.THE NEBULA AWARD WINNERS ARE ANNOUNCED Catherine Asaro's The Quantum Rose won the 2002 Nebula Award for best novel in ceremonies in Kansas City, Mo., on April 27. The Nebula Awards, honoring sci-fi works from the year before, are voted on and presented by active members of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. The SFWA's more than 1,200 members include most of the leading writers of SF and fantasy. The Nebulas are, along with the Hugo's, the most prestigious of the many awards given each year in science fiction. There are some Maryland connections to this year's Nebulas. Best Novelist winner Catherine Asaro lives in Columbia, Maryland. Best short story winner Severna Park lives in Frederick, Maryland. A full list of winners follows. Novel: The Quantum Rose by Catherine Asaro, Novella: "The Ultimate Earth" by Jack Williamson, Novelette: "Louise's Ghost" by Kelly Link, Short Story: "The Cure for Everything" by Severna Park, Script: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON by James Schamus, Kuo Jung Tsai and Hui-Ling Wang, Special Award: President's Award: Betty Ballantine. 34.THE INTERNATIONAL HORROR GUILD AWARDS Caitlín R. Kiernan's novel Threshold won the top prize at the 2002 International Horror Guild awards on April 13. Logan's Run author William F. Nolan, who also penned How to Write Horror Fiction, received a Living Legend award. Neil Gaiman and Gahan Wilson presented the awards in a ceremony at the World Horror Convention in Chicago. The awards recognize outstanding achievement in the fields of horror and dark fantasy from the year 2001. A full list of winners follows: Novel: Threshold by Caitlín R. Kiernan . . . First Novel: Ordinary Horror by David Searcy . . . Long Fiction: "Cleopatra Brimstone" by Elizabeth Hand . . . Short Fiction: "Onion" by Caitlín R. Kiernan . . . Collection:Through Shattered Glass by David B. Silva . . . Anthology:Night Visions 10, Richard Chizmar, ed. . . . Illustrated Narrative:Just A Pilgrim by Garth Ennis (writer) and Carlos Ezquerra (artist) . . . Nonfiction:Wild Hairs by David J. Schow . . . Publication: The Spook . . . Film: GINGER SNAPS . . . Art: John Picacio. 35.A SCI-FI TAX A Republican candidate for an Alabama congressional seat has proposed a plan to tax science fiction to fund NASA. Michael Williams, who is running for the 5th Congressional District seat, proposes a 1 percent "NASA tax" on sci-fi books, comics and any other space-related literature to finance the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The tax would also apply to "space, space-related and science fiction toys, puzzles and games," Williams said in a listing of his platform. He also wants a 'global grand convention' to adopt a resolution establishing all inhabitants of Earth the same basic rights found in the U.S. Constitution. His resolution would also require holding a constitutional convention when 30,000 colonists have settled or been born "on the moon, Mars or any other celestial body besides the Earth." A Hampton Cove, Ala., resident, Williams, 28, holds a master's degree in political science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville and a bachelor's degree in business management from Athens State University. He works at Publix Super Market at Hampton Cove. 36.YOU'LL HAVE TO WAIT LONGER FOR THE NEXT HARRY POTTER The upcoming fifth Harry Potter novel, tentatively titled Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, has been delayed indefinitely. The book, once scheduled for a July release, was pushed back because author J.K. Rowling isn't finished. "She's still writing it," a spokeswoman for Bloomsbury, Rowling's British publisher, announced. "Until she delivers the manuscript, we won't announce a publication date. We're hoping it will be this autumn. It probably will be later in the fall." The feature-film adaptation of the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is slated to hit theaters in November. 37.FREE COMIC BOOK DAY This is just a friendly reminder that Saturday, May 4, is Free Comic Book Day. You can drop by any of thousands of comic book shops in the United States that day and receive a free comic book. Retailers will also display limited-edition posters from the Sci-fi Channel, featuring FARSCAPE and STARGATE SG-1 casts side by side and entitled "The FAR-GATE Experience." Sci-Fi will also promote Free Comic Book Day with Superhero Saturday, an 18-hour movie marathon featuring superhero-themed films, including the uncut, widescreen version of SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE, which has never before been seen on broadcast television. 38.RECENT TITLES: BOOKS ABOUT MOVIES & TELEVISION ANGEL: Casefiles by Nancy Holder, Jeff Mariotte, Maryelizabeth Hart, $16.95 This official companion to the cult show enables fans to follow their favorite vampire on his sometimes rocky, but always adventurous, road to redemption. The Art of STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES by Mark Cotta Vaz (Compiler), $35.00 We get to review the incredible gallery of astonishing images that make up EPISODE II. This volume features the exclusive illustrated screenplay, as well as more than 500 extraordinary illustrations-including sketches, costume designs, set pieces, models, and brilliant full-color paintings; an in-depth look at the amazing new creatures introduced in EPISODE II, fascinating behind-the-scenes accounts and anecdotes related by the artists themselves; visuals of exotic new planets, exciting new spacecraft, and dramatic new characters such as Jango Fett, Count Dooku, and Jedi Luminara Unduli and movie poster art created especially for STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Fighting The Forces: What's At Stake In BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER edited by Rhonda V. Wilcox and David Lavery, $69.00 This book takes a serious look at a cultural phenomenon. Ms.Wilcox and Mr. Lavery have compiled over twenty scholarly essays that look at different aspects of the Buffyverse, from female empowerment to race to sex to Freudian dream analysis, to speech as a weapon and back again. The editors also include an introduction that provides a good starting point for anyone wanting an interesting outlook on the ways BUFFY can be defined as quality television and realistic material. Following the essays is a look at the show's creator, Joss Whedon, and a basic episode guide for the first five seasons of BUFFY and the first two seasons of its ANGEL. Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television, 1963-1973 by Tom Lisanti and Louis Paul, $36.50 Profiled are 107 dazzling women, well-known and unknown, who had film and television appearances in the spy genre. They include superstars Doris Day in CAPRICE, Raquel Welch in FATHOM, and Ann-Margret in MURDERER'S ROW; international sex symbols Ursula Andress in DR. NO and CASINO ROYALE, Elke Sommer in DEADLIER THAN THE MALE, and Senta Berger in THE SPY WITH MY FACE; and forgotten lovelies Greta Chi in FATHOM, Alizia Gur in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, and Maggie Thrett in OUT OF SIGHT. Each profile includes a filmography that lists the actresses' more notable films. Some include the actresses' candid comments and anecdotes about their films and television shows, the people they worked with, and their feelings about acting in the spy genre are offered throughout. A list of websites that provide further information on women in spy films and television is also included. The Greatest Sci-Fi Movies Never Made by David Hughes, Harry Knowles (Afterword), H. R. Giger, $17.95 Steven Spielberg's sci-fi horror movie NIGHT SKIES. David Lynch's RONNIE ROCKET. Terry Gilliam's WATCHMEN. Philip Kaufman's STAR TREK: PLANET OF THE TITANS. Ridley Scott's I AM LEGEND. Tim Burton's SUPERMAN LIVES. These are just some of the legendary unmade films covered by this groundbreaking book. Drawing on dozens of exclusive new interviews with the writers, designers, and directors involved, David Hughes charts the tortuous stories of these films and reveals the fascinating details of what might have been. Hollywood Vampire: A Revised and Updated Unofficial and Unauthorized Guide to ANGEL by Keith Topping, $9.95 Now fully revised and updated to include Season Two, Hollywood Vampire is an indispensable and comprehensive episode-by-episode guide to Angel's world, including categories such as Dreaming (As Buffy Often Proves) Is Free; The Charisma Show; Dudes and Babes and Sex And Drugs And Rock 'n' Roll. It also contains discussion of the links and cross-references between ANGEL and BUFFY - the author has the added expertise of having written a critically acclaimed, bestselling guide to BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER - and essays on recurrent themes and coverage of the ANGEL novels and comics, as well as ANGEL on the Internet. A unique and essential fan bible. Horror Film Reader edited by Alain Silver and James Ursini, $22.50 This is an extensive collection of articles and essays combined to further our understanding of horror film's allure and impact upon the viewer. Divided into two sections, the first contains early works dating from 1952 up through 1975 while the second half delves into the more current arguments to date. It has articles like "Horror Films" by William K. Everson (1954), "Mario Bava: the Illusion of Reality" by Alain Silver and James Ursini (1975) and "Violence, Women, and Disability in Tod Brownings's FREAKS and THE DEVIL DOLL" by Martin F. Norden and Madeleine Cahill (1998). The Horror Movie Survival Guide by Matteo Molinari, Jim Kamm, $14.95 From the scream of PSYCHO to the psycho of SCREAM, this is your essential source for information on the creatures and monsters that darken your daydreams and stalk your nightmares. Separated into five identifiable categories-aliens, beasts, creations, psychopaths, and the supernatural-each horrific entity is presented with a full description, an overview of unnatural habits, and tips on how to destroy it. How XENA Changed My Life: True Stories by Fans for Fans by Nikki Stafford (Editor), $14.95 Xena, the warrior princess, and her loyal companion, Gabrielle, have battled the airwaves for love, peace, and forgiveness and become modern icons for fervent devotees. These stories, written by fans, describe the impact the show has had on their lives, from people they've met, relationships cultivated with other viewers, and special encounters with the stars of the show in times of need. Other stories illustrate lessons learned and achievements gained, inspired by Xena's physical strength or Gabrielle's intellect. The Making of MEN IN BLACK II by Brad Munson, $22.00 A look at the production behind what's sure to be this summer's blockbuster. Sleaze Creatures: An Illustrated Guide To Obscure Hollywood Horror Movies, 1956-1959 by D. Earl Worth, $22.95 An illustrated guide to obscure Hollywood horror movies from 1956-1959 including THE BEAST WITH A MILLION EYES, VOODOO WOMAN and many, many more. This book captures the true essence of obscure Hollywood horror and science fiction movies of the 1950's. Worth examines fifty of the most obscure WORST Hollywood movies ever made, with emphasis on production history and director/producer/star biographical information. Spider-Man Confidential: From Comic Icon to Hollywood Hero by Edward Gross, $16.95 In time for the release of the SPIDER-MAN comes a history of the comic book hero in all his many incarnations. This book recounts the 1962 birth of Spider-Man, created by Marvel Comics editor Stan Lee as a kind of everyman hero who would break with the comic book formula by losing as many battles as he won. It briefly traces the evolution of the strip and provides episode guides for the various Spider-Man animated television series. It also details the making of the Hollywood film and offers a "Rogues' Gallery" of Spider-Man's enemies. Trekkers: True Stories by Fans for Fans by Nikki Stafford (Editor), $14.95 The dedicated fans of this sci-fi mainstay tell their own stories, in their own words. Some of these fans have taken STAR TREK's ideals to heart, trying to live without prejudice because of lessons learned from the show. Others tell tales of meeting the stars or finding true love at Trekker conventions. All of them are proud to call STAR TREK a way of life, and their tales illustrate why it means so much. 39.RECENT TITLES: MEDIA TIE-INS ANGEL 12: Image by Mel Odom, $5.99 Cordelia has a vision of a young child being attacked by a squid-like demon at the same time that Gunn is rescuing a young artist whose studio has been attacked by vampires. When Cordelia goes to investigate the mansion of her vision, she finds herself surrounded by baby products, portraits . . . and chased by a many-tentacled monster. When Angel arrives on the scene, he's shocked to discover that he recognizes some of the subjects of the portraits. Distant memories of a night spent with storytellers Mary and Percy Shelley recall an artist Darla, his longtime lover and partner in crime, once favored. But can that artist still be alive today? An ancient evil is using a painting to keep its body alive and intact, and in the meantime is preying on a child. In the process of saving the child, Cordelia, Angel, Gunn, and Wesley are going to learn - the hard way - that looks aren't everything. THE BLAIR WITCH Files: The Prisoner by Cade Merrill, $4.99 Concerning the author of this book, Cade Merrill, we're told that his cousin, Heather Donahue, was part of an ill-fated student film project to document a folktale about the Blair Witch. After her disappearance, Mr. Merrill took up the search for stories about this force. The Blair Witch Files are taken from his research. In this particular "file" we meet an 18 year old girl named Eliza Baynes who was convicted of murder. She claimed that the real killer was under the control of the Blair Witch. Now, she wants Cade's help. "But," she warns, "if I tell you my story, you will die." BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: The Faith Trials, Vol. 1 by James Laurence, $5.99 This book is a novelization of Faith's first episodes on the series. The stories end at the point where Faith falls from grace. In the book Faith arrives in Sunnydale, Watcher-less and fancy-free. Buffy has doubts about the tag-team approach to patrol. As time goes on, though, she learns to find the fun in synchronized slayage, and appreciates Faith's zest for life. Until Faith's impulsive attitude toward her calling takes her one step too far, and her inability to cope with consequences eventually pushes her over the edge. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER: Sweet Sixteen by Scott Ciencin, $5.99 Buffy's younger sister, Dawn, knows how it feels to be different. So when she overhears her classmates teasing a new girl, Arianna, she steps in, and the two become friends. But when Buffy comes home one afternoon to find her sister and Arianna hanging out, she's surprised - she encountered Arianna one night on patrol. A demon had been attacking her, but Arianna fought back on her own. What's that about? The more the gang gets to know Arianna, the more puzzled they are. She has super strength and accelerated healing power, just like a slayer. But what she also has is a dark secret and an unusual past - and a dangerous legacy that is primed to reveal itself, just as soon as she turns sweet sixteen. The Circus of Dr. Lao by Charles G. Finney, Boris Artzybasheff (Illustrator), John Marco (Introduction), $12.95 This is the novel upon which the 1964 film, THE SEVEN FACES OF DR. LAO, is based. This is a sardonic little gem of a novel, darker and more biting than the film. The book was issued by the Bison Frontiers of Imagination series. It's an effort by the University of Nebraska Press to put quality vintage science fiction and fantasy titles onto the shelves of 21st century readers. DOCTOR WHO: Amorality Tale by David Bishop, $6.95 Doctor Who disguises himself as a watchmender and visits 1950s London to discover the cause of a mysterious fatality in the East End. 4000 people died here - their deaths linked to a choking smog that blanketed the area. DOCTOR WHO: Trading Futures by Lance Parkin, $6.95 On an Earth of the not-so distant future, Anji is surprised by the way the world has developed. The EU and US have become rivals, and a situation in North Africa, in which they both have interests that they wish to protect, threatens to turn into full-scale war. ROSWELL 3: Little Green Men by Dean Wesley Smith, $6.99 Somehow many of the humans residing in Roswell begin to acquire a a lime-colored hue to their skin. The military forces the colored population into top secret quarantine camps. If the alien teens don't find an explanation soon the green will become permanent and they'll be unmasked. SPIDER-MAN: Wanted Dead or Alive by Craig Shaw Gardner $5.80 While trying to stop a robbery, Spider-Man is blamed for the accidental shooting of an innocent bystander. This makes the web-slinger the perfect target for anti-super hero mayoral candidate Brian Timilty. However, Timilty is secretly the pawn of Tyler Stewart, a wealthy businessman seeking to take over New York's crime syndicates. Wanted by police and forced into hiding, Spider-Man must find a way to clear his name without being shot on sight. And that's when Electro and Rhino, two of his deadliest foes, arrive on the scene to complicate matters. STAR TREK: The Eugenics Wars - The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh (Volume 2) by Greg Cox, $24.95 The year is 1992. Almost twenty years ago, Gary Seven and Roberta Lincoln, undercover operatives for an unknown alien civilization, failed to prevent the Chrysalis Project from creating an entire generation of supermen and women, genetically engineered to be stronger, smarter, and more resourceful than ordinary human beings. Now, at last, the children of Chrysalis have grown to adulthood, and are rapidly demonstrating that superior abilities spawn superior ambition. Perhaps the most formidable of this new breed of supermen is the charismatic Khan Noonien Singh. Working behind the scenes of history as head of a vast global conspiracy, Khan's power soon stretches across a quarter of the planet, but that is only the beginning of his grand design. Determined to unite humanity beneath the enlightened rule of a genetic elite, Khan dreams of leading his fellow superhumans to complete and total domination of the world. But several of his gene-engineered brothers and sisters have equally grandiose visions for the future, visions that recognize no one but themselves as supreme ruler. Gary Seven and Roberta watch in horror as the children of Chrysalis wage a covert war against one another, threatening the safety of millions and the future of the entire world! STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - The Battle of Betazed by Susan Kearny, Charlotte Douglas, Susan Kearney, Charles Douglas, $6.99 In the darkest hours of the Dominion War, as the Federation's downfall seemed ever more certain, Jem'Hadar and Cardassian forces conquered Betazed, the homeworld of Deanna Troi. Their victory sent shock waves through the Alpha Quadrant, and put the Dominion within striking distance of Vulcan, Andor, Tellar - and possibly Earth itself. To secure their position in the very heart of the Federation, the Cardassians begin constructing space station Sentok Nor in orbit of Betazed. The station is to serve as both the seat of the Dominion occupation and the site of horrific experiments by Cardassia's foremost exobiologist, the infamous Dr. Crell Moset. With Starfleet's forces spread too thinly in the ongoing struggle to retake Betazed outright, the U.S.S. Enterprise along with some old and new friends, is deployed to carry out a dangerous and desperate plan. But no matter what the outcome, the consequences could alter Betazed irrevocably, forcing Deanna Troi to choose between her world's survival and its very soul. STAR TREK: VOYAGER - Hologram's Handbook by Robert Picardo, $14.95 The Hologram's Handbook is the essential guide to the everyday interaction between the holographic and biological. Written with the dry wit and humor that he brought to the portrayal of the Doctor, Robert Picardo shows why his character was so popular with the VOYAGER audience. Here's a passage from the book, "Do you sometimes feel that you're the only intelligent one in the room? Does the everyday "simplicity" of your fellows scream out to you? Do you ever feel that everything would fly apart at the seams if not for your presence? We all know how difficult it can be to deal with the solids in our lives, but no one knows that better than I. You see, I have spent seven years tirelessly serving aboard the Starship Voyager as chief medical officer, to name just my primary assignment; enumerating all the others would require another tome. Let me help you cope with the three-dimensional being in your life." STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES (Graphic Novel) by Henry Gilroy (Adapter), Jan Duursema, $17.95 A novelization of the coming feature. T2: Infiltrator by S. M. Stirling, $7.99 This new "fully authorized" series picks up where T2 left off. Skynet and its minions chalk their earlier defeat to the persistence of "several alternative world-lines" coexisting in "a state of quantum superimposition." They actually like to watch Sarah, John, and company run from, then run to, then ultimately beat up on Terminators, and as long as there's an interested audience, Skynet will keep sniffing out these devilish little temporal loopholes. In this novel mother and son are on the lam in Paraguay, lying low and running a shady trucking company. Then a retired spook moves in next door, a burly Austrian type who - get this - looks just like Arnold Schwarze... um, the 800 Series Model 101. The harried John and mom, paranoid by necessity, suspect something's afoot and soon find themselves embroiled in yet another adventure involving this mysterious new stranger, the old family of Miles Dyson (the Cyberdyne scientist who took it in the kisser in T2), and a super-sexy I-950 (nicknamed "Infiltrator") whom Skynet has sent back in time to set things straight. Tales of Science Fiction: Featuring X-Minus One [ABRIDGED] by Isaac Asimov, Frederic Dahl, James Blish, $14.95 This is in a foremat that we've never covered in The ICS Files before - audio tape. This is a nostalgic collection from the original 1950s radio show "X Minus One" which aired during the heyday of science fiction broadcasts. The stories included are “Surface Tension” by James Blish; “The Discovery of Morneal Matheway” by William Tenn; “A Pail of Air” by Fritz Leiber; “Chain of Command” by Steven Auer; “Hostess” by Isaac Asimov; “The Haunted Corpse” by Frederic Pohl; “Early Model” by Robert Sheckley; “Volpas” by Wyman Gwynn; “Knock” by Frederick Brown; and “Pictures Don’t Lie” by Catherine McLaine. 40.RECENT TITLES: OTHER TITLES OF INTEREST An Old-Fashioned Horrible Alien Movie by J. J. Hall, $22.00 Unappreciated by a domineering spouse, mild mannered Sonny Harris lets loose at an office party! While drunk, he decides to offend his wife’s orthodox parents by stocking up on pork products for their up coming visit. But it is an unusual night! Severe weather has the area in disarray. UFO sightings abound! Even the theft of Ontario, Canada’s prize hog is attributed to an alien menace. On the way home, Sonny, himself, is abducted by extraterrestrials! Mad beyond belief and packing pork rinds and sausage, Sonny proves beyond all doubt that humans are the most dangerous beings in the universe, and coincidentally, tell horrible jokes! Visiting Earth was definitely a bad idea! Aurora: An Isaac Asimov Robot Mystery by Mark W. Tiedemann, $14.95 This is the final part of a trilogy of robot mystery novels set in Isaac Asimov's robot universe. On a world with a 20-to-1 robot-to-human population, is it possible a robot could have violated the Three Laws governing its behavior - and if so, why? Or is something far more sinister at work? |
41.QUICK TAKES:
CARTER SAYS ANOTHER X-FILES FILM IS ALMOST A CERTAINTY.Chris Carter said that another X-FILES feature film is very likely. "It's definite, [in so far] as everyone has expressed their desire to do it, including the studio," Carter said. "I hope to write it over the summer, prep it over the fall and spring and shoot it late spring and next summer. I think you would end up seeing it in 2004. . . . I have rough ideas, and I'm sort of deciding what to do." . . . AALIYAH'S REPLACEMENT IS NAMED FOR THE MATRIX SEQUELS. Nona Gaye will play Zee, the role originally intended for the late Aaliyah, in the upcoming sequels to THE MATRIX. Gaye, daughter of Motown legend Marvin Gaye, will fill Aaliyah's shoes in THE MATRIX RELOADED, a role that will expand considerably in the third film, THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS. Gaye started shooting in Sydney in mid-April. . . . AKIRA IS HEADING FOR PRODUCTION. Stephen Norrington (BLADE) will write and direct an adaptation of the classic Japanese anime AKIRA. Jon Peters will produce. It centers on a group of motorcycle-riding teens in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo who must stop one of their members from running amok after he acquires telekinetic powers in a government experiment known as Akira. Norrington said that his draft will "preserves the tone, the visual and the epic scope of the original, whilst telling a somewhat more accessible story [to Western audiences]." . . . JOHN CARTER HITS THE BIG SCREEN. Paramount has acquired the film rights to Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic series John Carter of Mars. Alphaville will produce a movie based on the 11-book series, about a Civil War officer from Virginia who is transported to Mars and becomes a hero of our sister planet. The studio is said to be especially excited about the first three books, A Princess of Mars, The Warlord of Mars and The Gods of Mars. Paramount hopes to be in production next year. No writers are yet on board to adapt the books. . . . THE ATTACK OF THE MATRIX TRAILER. A trailer for THE MATRIX RELOADED will come attached to prints of STAR WARS: EPISODE II - ATTACK OF THE CLONES when it premieres May 16. . . . KING CONAN IS COMING. KING CONAN: CROWN OF IRON, is on a fast track at Warner Brothers. Writer-director John Milius has completed a rewrite of the screenplay, which is expected to land at the studio soon. . . . NO ROCK FOR KING CONAN. There's been a rumor floating around that wrestler, turned actor, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, would be co-starring in KING CONAN as the son to Schwarzenegger's character. According to The Rock, "I can honestly say that [KING CONAN] is not going to happen. We did close a deal with Universal for HELLDORADO, an action comedy with Seann William Scott. We'll be filming that in a couple of months, but no KING CONAN. There'll be someone else who can play [Arnold Schwarzenegger's] son, but not me." Vin Diesel is in line to star as Conan's estranged son, Kon, in the sequel. Diesel (PITCH BLACK) is lobbying hard to land the part. . . . LEATHERFACE: THE NEXT GENERATION. Ryan Phillippe, a 27 year old actor from New Castle, Delaware (and who some of you may remember as a deceptive valet in GOSFORD PARK) has signed up to play Leatherface in the remake of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE. He'll have to put on weight, wear dead skin, take to transvestitism and run around hacking up teenagers with a chainsaw for the part. But Hollywood sources say the 27-year-old is keen to take on the role. Production of the film, which will be produced by Michael Bay' Platinum Dunes production company, is due to start this summer. . . . DOLPH LUNDGREN HANGS IT UP. Dolph Lundgren is a man of many talents. He has a Masters in chemical engineering, a recipient of the Fulbright scholarship to M.I.T. and the holder of a third degree black belt in karate. As of now acting will no longer be on his list of marketable skills. He's quitting acting to spend time with his family. He said, "I'd like to spend the next 20 years with my family and kids, taking life easy." This is a terrible loss to producers of low-budget direct-to-video action flicks everywhere. . . . NO RUSH ON A PLANET OF THE APES SEQUEL. Richard Zanuck, producer of PLANET OF THE APES remake, said that sequel plans are up in the air. "The studio made a lot of money on the picture, but because the budget was so high, it's in no hurry to do another. It could be a couple of years." Tim Burton earlier said he was not interested in directing a sequel. The remake about $100 million to make and grossed about $380 million worldwide. . . . GOYER'S WRITING BLADE 3.BLADE and BLADE II writer David Goyer has been officially hired to draft the third installment in the BLADE franchise. . . . THE RETURN OF THE WOOKIEE. Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca in the original STAR WARS trilogy, will play a wookiee in a cameo in STAR WARS EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES, but won't be playing Chewbacca himself. . . . SPIELBERG CONSIDERS ANOTHER JURASSIC PARK. Steven Spielberg is considering finishing the JURASSIC PARK franchise with a fourth and final movie. Spielberg, who directed the first two movies in 1993 and 1997, has been approached by Universal to create a script for JURASSIC PARK IV. Universal was unhappy with the screenplay for III. They want Spielberg back so the movie series can go out with a bang. . . . SUB-MARINER FILM SURFACES. Universal will develop a feature film based on Marvel Comics' Sub-Mariner series. It's the latest film deal for Marvel Studios, whose president, Avi Arad, will produce The Sub-Mariner with Kevin Misher. David Self has been hired to adapt the comic series and executive produce Sub-Mariner. The series tells the story of Prince Namor, a half-amphibian from Atlantis who must deal with the human race as both hero and nemesis when it pollutes his underwater kingdom. . . . WOLF-EO AND BAT-ILET. Kate Beckinsale will star in UNDERWORLD, a supernatural film directed by first-time director Len Wiseman. UNDERWORLD is described as a modern-day Romeo and Juliet story between a vampire and a werewolf. Beckinsale will play the lead vampire, Selene, an elegant warrior with the strength of 10 men. Danny McBride wrote the script, based on an idea by him, Wiseman and Kevin Grevioux. . . . INDIANA JONES AND THE EX-GIRLFRIENDS OF DOOM. Indiana Jones will come face-to-face with his womanizing past in the fourth installment of the movie series. The film's writer George Lucas says many of Indy's ex-girlfriends will feature in INDIANA JONES 4. He says it will feature a scene involving a number of characters from previous movies. Lucas says, "There is a scene where a lot of Indy's ex-girlfriends show up, but they are not major characters." Harrison Ford, who will reprise his role as Indiana Jones, says, "It's probably going to be the best scene in the movie." . . . NAME CHANGE FOR THE NEXT TERMINATOR. The next TERMINATOR film has gone through a subtle name change. It was formerly titled TERMINATOR 3: THE RISE OF THE MACHINES. Keeping with the nickname from the last episode, the new name is T3: THE RISE OF THE MACHINES. While Schwarzenegger is reprising his role of good guy Terminator, the new T3 Terminator will have control over all machines, including him. They'll be times, under her control, that the old T-800 will be attacking John Connor. 42.AUSTIN POWERS GOES GOLD Readers of The ICS Files may remember that MGM and UA won a ruling from the Motion Picture Association of America barring New Line from using the GOLDMEMBER reference for the next movie's subtitle. New Line now has approval to use the title. In exchange, New Line will attach trailers for the upcoming 20th Bond film, DIE ANOTHER DAY, and other MGM titles to the third installment of POWERS as well as THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING. New Line is said to have had other titles waiting in the wings, including LIVE AND LET SHAG, YOU ONLY SHAG THRICE, NEVER SAY MEMBER AGAIN and LICENSE TO SHAG. Part of the deal is that MGM/UA gets to approve any future titles that could construed to be Bond parodies. 43.ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND The above phrase is the improbable title of an upcoming fantasy comedy from Charlie Kaufman, who wrote 1999's BEING JOHN MALKOVICH. This next film will also take place largely inside the mind of the main character, to be played by Jim Carrey. Carrey plays a man who undergoes a surgical procedure to erase his girlfriend from his mind. "He finds out that his girlfriend of two years has had this surgical procedure," Kaufman said. "[He's] trying to figure out how to live with this and realizes that he can't. So he decides to have the same procedure." The story will be told in reverse chronological order. "Most of the movie takes place inside his brain as she's being erased. . . . You see their relationship moment by moment backwards from the sort of bad end to the sort of better beginning. And halfway through, when the memories start getting better, he decides he doesn't want it to happen anymore. So he's trying to hide her from this thing," Kaufman said. The film will start shooting this November and is set for release in 2003. 44.FAHRENHEIT 451 PROGRESS REPORT Writer/director Frank Darabont (THE GREEN MILE) said that he will direct FAHRENHEIT 451, a movie based on Ray Bradbury's novel of the same name, as his next project for Castle Rock. Mel Gibson will still be involved, but only as a producer, not a star, Darabont said. "Icon [Gibson's company] and Castle Rock are kind of getting together on this, and Mel's been really sweet about letting me come and overtake the project," Darabont said. "He's just been really supportive. So, Mel, if you're out there, bless your heart. He's a sweet man." Darabont said that he was also adapting Bradbury's THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, but said that 451 is his main focus now. "Actually, I should be home right now writing," he joked. "Hopefully, I'll have that done this year." 45.AN UNLIKELY COMIC BOOK HERO STRUGGLES ONTO THE SCREEN Quentin Tarantino is dusting off another Marvel comic-book character, Mort the Dead Teenager, who was originally created with a movie version in mind. Larry Hama, who wrote the four issues of the Mort series, said, "I thought we should come up with some new characters who could be turned into movie characters." Unfortunately, he said, the Mort comics, about a teenager who was decapitated in a train accident, were regarded by Marvel as "too dark and too hip," went out of print, and became a cult classic. The film will likely be directed by Dean Paraskevopoulos and star Elijah Wood in the title role, Friedman said. Tarantino and partner Lawrence Bender's A Band Apart Productions will coproduce the movie with Madonna's Maverick Films; Dimension/Miramax will distribute. 46.LOOK FOR A MUMMY 3 IN THE FUTURE Sean Daniels, who co-produced the two MUMMY films, said to expect a third installment in the franchise. "THE MUMMY RETURNS grossed $431 million U.S. worldwide," Daniels said. "I'd say that's a pretty good indication audiences around the world want the adventure to continue." Brendan Fraser, who played the lead, Rick O'Connell, in both films has said he would be willing to return for a third adventure, as has Arnold Vosloo, who played the mummy Imhotep. Rachel Weisz, who played Rick's archeologist wife, Evie, has previously announced that she isn't interested in reprising her character. But Daniels held out hope. "Rachel hasn't said anything to us one way or another, because we haven't made any specific offers," Daniels said. 47.PHILIP K. DICK'S PAYCHECK IS ABOUT TO BE A MOVIE Brett Ratner, who directed hits RUSH HOUR and RUSH HOUR 2, will be tackling a sci-fi thriller for Paramount Pictures. Based on a short story by Philip K. Dick, PAYCHECK centers on a man whose memory has been erased and who now must retrace his whereabouts in order to stop a deadly government conspiracy. Some of Dick's previous books that have been turned into films which include the upcoming Tom Cruise movie MINORITY REPORT, BLADE RUNNER, TOTAL RECALL and IMPOSTER. Adapting PAYCHECK for the screen will be Dean Georgaris. Ratner will begin work on PAYCHECK once he finishes shooting RED DRAGON, the prequel to THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS. 48.SHARKSLAYER GETS A DREAM CAST James Gandolfini, best known for playing mob boss Tony Soprano on THE SOPRANOS, is taking his role under the sea. The actor, who'll be voicing the role of the mob boss of the shark world in DreamWorks Pictures' underwater animated mob film SHARKSLAYER, joins an amazing cast. Gandolfini joins fellow actors Will Smith, Angelina Jolie and Renee Zellweger in the film. The director Martin Scorsese will lend his tough New York accent to the movie. He'll play a puffer named Sykes. SHARKSLAYER will tell how the undersea underworld is shaken up when the shark mob boss' son gets killed and a young fish names Oscar is found at the scene of the crime. Being the bottom-feeding hustler that he is, Oscar takes advantage of the opportunity to play the hero, only to find himself over his head when everybody thinks he's the sharkslayer. Eric "Bibo" Bergeron (THE ROAD TO EL DORADO) and Vicky Jenson (SHREK) will direct the film, based on the script by Michael Wilson (ICE AGE). Look for the film sometime in 2004. 49.A LOOK AHEAD AT SHREK II DreamWorks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg said that Cameron Diaz, Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy will all return to voice their characters in the sequel to last year's hit, SHREK. "It wasn't hard to convince them. They loved doing the first movie, and we were extremely generous with them financially, because they deserved it." He gave us some idea of plot for the next installment. "Shrek and Fiona return from their honeymoon, and as they're showing their home movies to friends, a herald arrives with an announcement that Fiona's mom and dad have heard that she has found and married her true love. As proud and anxious parents, they're thrilled and invite her and her new husband to their kingdom of Far Far Away. When Shrek and Fiona arrive, the fun begins, because the parents had assumed that she had fallen in love with Prince Charming. So it's a little bit of GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER meets SHREK." SHREK II is aiming at a May 2004 release. 50.THE SINGING DETECTIVE RETURNS TO THE SCREEN Dennis Potter was a very strange man. The late British writer wrote very surreal movies and limited BBC series. You may know his work if you've ever seen PENNIES FROM HEAVEN (1981), BRIMSTONE AND TREACLE (1982) or the small handful (of his large body of made-for-TV pieces) that played in this country on public broadcasting. In my opinion Dennis Potter is one of the greatest and most original minds to emerge from the UK in the twentieth century. His signature piece was THE SINGING DETECTIVE in which Philip Marlow, a bedridden, suffering writer of detective stories, is losing his mind when his real-life memories mix with pop culture fantasies. This BBC series is now leaping from the small screen to the big one. The film will star Robert Downey Jr. as Phillip E. Marlow. Jeremy Northam will be playing what he descibes as "three nasty bastards." Robin Wright Penn plays nurse Mills, the ex-wife to Downey’s character, whose relationship gone sour is worked into his dreams. Mel Gibson, who plays a psychiatrist, is producing the film with his Icon Productions partner, Bruce Davey. Keith Gordon is set to direct. Filming started last month. Look for it in 2003. 51.SPIDER-MAN EXPERIENCES POST SEPTEMBER 11 CHANGES Sam Raimi, director of the SPIDER-MAN movie, said that he tweaked the New York-based story in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, adding a line of dialogue and putting in an American flag. "I was devastated by September 11th, and I didn't know anybody in the buildings," Raimi said. "I was moved like every other American when I watched the real heroes go in there and help those people in the tragedy at the attack site risk their lives and many times lose their lives." Raimi added a bit of dialogue in a scene late in the film in which one New Yorker tells the Green Goblin that if he attacks one of us, he attacks all of us. "After Spider-Man has been misunderstood by the New Yorkers throughout the course of the whole movie - he does nothing but risk his life for them - I wanted a small group to appreciate him, because I thought it would give him back something. I had put in before September 11th a bunch of New Yorkers seeing what Spider-Man was doing, risking his life to save these kids, and helping him a little. I thought that would be cool. I wanted the audience to go, 'Finally, somebody appreciates this guy. If not the whole city, somebody.' Then there was September 11th, and I decided to add and slightly change their dialogue, because I really wanted it to be a tip of the hat to those brave rescue workers who risked their lives to be heroes. So the dialogue has been tweaked slightly. Although it may not fly in other countries, I don't know, but I really wanted to give something to those heroes, the real heroes." Raimi also added an image of a flag. "I've always been a big American, and I think I would have had that flag in anyway. It didn't come out of 'How can I put the flag in?' It came out of 'Where is he going to land? How about a building top at the end? Yeah, land at the building top. What'll be there? . . . Oh, I'll put a flag there, yeah. Yeah, Spidey and the flag, he really is a great American or represents a great American who's not real.'" It's not the first effect the terrorist attacks have had on the film. An early teaser trailer featured the World Trade Center towers prominently and had to be pulled from distribution after the attacks. An early poster also featured images of the center reflected in Spider-Man's eyepieces and also had to be changed. But unlike other films that featured the center as part of their storyline, Spider-Man did not, and the film itself remains virtually the same. 52.DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH FOR A STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE MOVIE Ira Steven Behr, who produced STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, cautioned fans not to expect a DS9 movie anytime soon. Behr said that he'd do a movie "in a heartbeat. But the chances of them doing a DEEP SPACE NINE movie are slim and none. I think it came to make everyone just a little uncomfortable. It was a show that went off the boundaries of what was going to be allowed and not allowed in terms of the STAR TREK franchise. I believe that the future lies in these books that I hear they are doing to continue it. I just think it's much easier to have the Enterprise back. To have a ship back. It's a lot safer. DEEP SPACE NINE was a bold experiment. It did not have the ratings." Behr said that he and the series' other writers wrote the show for themselves. "Not only was it the best of the [STAR TREK] shows, it was also the one series that had no true resolution, in a sense. It needs some sort of movie to resolve it, as they left it open-ended. We were lucky to do it. We were lucky to do it under the circumstances that we got to do it. It was really a long shot that they would leave us alone as much as they did leave us alone. Even Rick [Berman] at one point basically said, 'Well, you're going to do it whether I say yes or no anyway!' It was such a good experience, and now it's over, it's still great. I told the writers this during the waning days of the show: Appreciate what you have now, because when it's over, it's not going to be easily recaptured." More than 9,600 fans of DS9 have signed an Online petition arguing for the production of a DS9 movie or TV miniseries. The fans want to send the petition directly to Paramount. 53.PATRICK STEWART TALKS STAR TREK: NEMESIS Patrick Stewart tells us to expect some startling new aliens in the 10th TREK film. "Romulus has a sister planet called - of course, as you'd expect - Remus," Stewart said. "So you're going to meet the inhabitants of that planet, the Remans, who are quite unlike anything you've seen before. I think they might be the most successful aliens [makeup designer] Michael Westmore has ever produced. I even include the Borg in saying this. He's brought an alien race to life in an entirely convincing way. There's something very novel and unique in their design. They're imposing and sinister in a very different way from the Borg." NEMESIS also features other enticements, Stewart said. "There is romance, and there is also sex, but Picard is not involved in either," he said. Stewart added that he won't have a producer credit on this film, as he has on previous TREK movies. "Brent Spiner [Data] took my role this time, and he worked with [producer] Rick Berman and [writer] John Logan on the story," he said. "It's been a great thing for us to have a non-STAR TREK writer. Logan [GLADIATOR] is a fine writer, but also a big fan of the TV series. He remembers the names of the episodes and so forth!" NEMESIS opens in December. 54.McGREGOR ADMITTED HE WAS DISAPPOINTED IN EPISODE I Ewan McGregor, who played the young Obi-Wan Kenobi in STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, has conceded that he was disappointed with how the film turned out. Calling it "disappointing" and "flat," McGregor said that he believes it will be topped by EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES. "I think there's much more humor and there's much more color [in EPISODE II]," he said. "I think it's more reminiscent of the original three STAR WARS films than EPISODE I was." 55.LUCAS TALKS ABOUT DARKNESS AND EPISODE II George Lucas talked for the first time at length about EPISODE II. Among other things, Lucas revealed why Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) eventually turns evil. "He turns into Darth Vader because he gets attached to things," Lucas said. "He can't let go of his mother; he can't let go of his girlfriend. He can't let go of things. It makes you greedy. And when you're greedy, you are on the path to the dark side, because you fear you're going to lose things, that you're not going to have the power you need." Anakin's story parallels the saga's epic political narrative. "All democracies turn into dictatorships - but not by coup," the director said. "The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon or Adolf Hitler. Ultimately, the general population goes along with the idea. . . . What kinds of things push people and institutions into this direction? That's the issue that I've been exploring: How did the Republic turn into the Empire? That's paralleled with: How did Anakin turn into Darth Vader? How does a good person go bad, and how does a democracy become a dictatorship? It isn't that the Empire conquered the Republic - it's that the Empire is the Republic. . . . One day, Princess Leia and her friends woke up and said, 'This isn't the Republic anymore, it's the Empire. We are the bad guys. Well, we don't agree with this. This democracy is a sham, it's all wrong.'" 56.WANT AN INDICATION OF EPISODE II? LOOK TO FAST FOOD Do you want to know about the tone of the next STAR WARS? Look to the fast food industry. Lucasfilm has signed fewer kids-oriented marketing partners for the new film. There is neither a fast-food nor a soda tie-in for it. The darkness of the film has scared these traditional revenue streams away. Producer Rick McCallum said that the second prequel tells "the beginning of the downward spiral for Anakin" Skywalker, who eventually becomes Darth Vader. "You start to see the slow unraveling of his character. It's a much darker and more complex film, because now we are introducing some adult themes. At the end of this movie, everything is leading to EPISODE III, when that black helmet goes on," he said. 57.FANATICAL STAR WARS FANS AND THE "DARTH VIRUS" STAR WARS fans have already started lining up to see EPISODE II, even though the film doesn't open until May 16. John Guth and Jeff Tweiten, the two Seattle STAR WARS fans got in line last January. By the time the movie opens they'll have clocked four months in line. A half-dozen avid fans began forming the line just outside Hollywood's Mann’s Chinese Theater on April 1. The group said that they plan to spend the next month and a half in line to raise funds for the Starlight Foundation and are fielding calls from the media about STAR WARS. "We never run out of things to do," said Rik Carter, who queued up for THE PHANTOM MENACE three years ago. "The phone never stops ringing." There's also talk of a "Darth Virus." On May 16 up to 2.6 million workers may flee their hives to sit in on opening day, according to a Chicago-based outplacement firm. It could mean more than $319 million in lost wages for U.S. businesses, especially for computer and tech companies due to their "geek-heavy" payrolls, said Chief Executive John Challenger. "This is a big event. For a whole event, it's seen as kind of foundational to their lives," said Challenger, who describes himself as a fan of the STAR WARS saga. "To be there for the opening - you know, you just need to get your priorities straight." "It's probably not a coincidence that the cities having the most box office success throughout the release of the last film were those with large concentrations of workers in high-tech industries," he said, noting that included Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York. "Theaters in these cities are likely to do brisk business again, but possibly at the expense of workplace productivity." To make the whole thing a little more palatable for your bosses, Challenger suggests a few tongue-in-cheek illnesses, such as "Darth Virus" and "Skywalking Pneumonia" when calling in sick, but, he adds, it's best just to tell the truth. "Say, 'Look, I'm going to STAR WARS and I'm going to be inspired for the rest of the year,"' Challenger says 58.DUELING WICKER Oh, what a tangled web. It seems that Universal Picture's plans to remake the British horror film THE WICKER MAN have become interwoven with the similar designs of other cinematic craftsmen. Universal has secured Neil Labute (NURSE BETTY) to write and direct a remake of 1973 classic starring Nicolas Cage. But actor Christopher Lee and director Robin Hardy, part of the creative team that crafted the original picture, also plan to film their own remake. In the original film, Lee played Lord Summerisle, the leader of a contemporary colony of pagans inhabiting a remote Scottish island. Directed by Hardy and written by Anthony Shaffer, THE WICKER MAN traces the descent of a self-righteous Christian policeman (Edward Woodward) as he's inexorably drawn into the cult's Bacchanalian rituals during his search for a missing schoolgirl. LaBute’s adaptation, however, will be set in present-day America with Cage taking over the Woodward role. Filmmaker Joe Berlinger (BOOK OF SHADOWS: BLAIR WITCH 2) was originally slated to direct the Universal remake, but was replaced by LaBute. Christopher Lee said that he's convinced a WICKER MAN remake “wouldn't work” if set in the United States. A similar conviction has inspired Hardy to write a script for a different version of THE WICKER MAN titled THE RIDING OF THE LADDIE, which he plans to shoot on location near Glasgow, Scotland. Like LaBute’s remake, THE RIDING OF THE LADDIE will differ from the original in significant ways. Hardy said that this time around Lee will play the naïve outsider, a born-again preacher who journeys to Scotland with his wife, adding that Vanessa Redgrave was in line to play the wife. The team that finishes their remake first will be in a position to exploit the original film's basket-case fan base. Interest in the 1973 cult classic remains so high that a WICKER MAN festival will be held July 19 and 20 in Galloway (where the original picture was filmed), featuring screenings, live music and the immolation of giant wicker men. Smoldering colossi aside, the real burning question at the festival may prove to be which WICKER will be quicker to reach theaters? 59.IMAGINATIVE CINEMA FOR THE MONTH OF MAY MAY 3: SPIDER-MAN swings into theaters today. Shy high school student Peter Parker (Toby Maguire) gets bitten by a genetically- altered spider, giving him amazing abilities. Over time, he learns that with great power, comes great responsibility. First, there is his foray into entertainment, taking on wrestler Bone Saw McGraw (Randy "Macho Man" Savage). A horrible incident involving his Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) soon changes his perception of his powers, and he becomes a superhero. His abilities are soon challenged, when scientist Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) is altered himself in an experiment gone wrong, becoming the Green Goblin, pumpkin bombs, glider, and all. The director is Sam Raimi (the EVIL DEAD series). The screenwriters are David Koepp (STIR OF ECHOES, JURASSIC PARK: THE LOST WORLD) and Alvin Sargent (ANYWHERE BUT HERE). MAY 17: STAR WARS: EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES continues the epic story of the fall, and eventual redemption, of Anakin Skywalker. Anakin (Hayden Christensen) has grown into the accomplished Jedi apprentice of Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor), who himself has transitioned from student to teacher. The two Jedi are assigned to protect Padmé (Natalie Portman) whose life is threatened by a faction of political separatists. As relationships form and powerful forces collide, these heroes face choices that will impact not only their own fates, but the destiny of the Republic. The movie was once again written and directed by George Lucas (with a script polish by Jonathan Hales). MAY 24: INSOMNIA is the English-language remake of (of all things) a 1997 Norwegian film-noir that starred Stellan Skarsgard. In this version a big city police detective (Al Pacino) is sent to a small Alaskan town to assist with the investigation of the murder of a small girl. He's punch drunk from lack of sleep (he's there during the period of 24-hour sunshine). He accidentally shoots his own partner (Martin Donovan) while trying to apprehend the suspect (Robin Williams). Instead of admitting his guilt, the detective is given an unexpected alibi, but this "solution" only multiplies the emotional complexity and guilt over his partner's death. He's also still got a murder mystery to solve, in addition to the blackmail and framing (of an innocent bystander) being orchestrated by the man they were chasing. There's also a local detective (Hilary Swank) who is conducting her own personal investigation of his partner's death. Will it all come crashing down on him? See for yourself. The movie was directed by Christopher Nolan (MEMENTO). The screenwriter is Hillary Seitz, making her debut. MAY 31: THE
SUM OF ALL FEARS debuts Ben Affleck in the role of Tom Clancy's hero,
Jack Ryan (previously played by Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford). European
neo-Nazi terrorists get their hands on a lost nuclear device, and set about
on their plans to use it at the Super Bowl. The plan is to disguise the
attack as being caused by Russia, in the hopes of rekindling the Cold War.
Luckily, young CIA analyst Jack Ryan is on the case. Also in the cast are
Liev Schrieber playing a CIA operative, Bridget Moynahan who plays Ryan's
girlfriend, Morgan Freeman playing Ryan's mentor; James Cromwell as the
president and Alan Bates as the main villain. The director is Phil Alden
Robinson (SNEAKERS, FIELD OF DREAMS). The screenwriters are Akiva Goldsman
(BATMAN & ROBIN, LOST IN SPACE) and Paul Attanasio (DONNIE BRASCO,
DISCLOSURE, QUIZ SHOW).
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69.MAY CALENDAR
WED. 1 - TV - WOLF LAKE series finale THUR 2 - SUN. 5: EVENT - THE MARYLAND FILM FESTIVAL FRI. 3: MOVIE - SPIDER-MAN
premieres
SAT. 4: EVENT: Free Comic Book Day FRI. 10: TV - SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH season finale SUN. 12: TV - ALIAS season finale
MON. 13: TV - MUTANT X season finale airs this week
TUE. 14: TV - ROSWELL series finale THU. 16: MOVIE - STAR
WARS: EPISODE II: ATTACK OF THE CLONES premieres.
SAT 18: ICS MEETING SUN. 19: TV - THE X-FILES series finale MON. 20: TV - ANGEL season finale
TUE. 21: TV - BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER 2 hour-season finale
WED. 22: TV - ENTERPRISE season finale FRI. 24 - MON. 27: EVENT- BALTICON 36 FRI. 24: MOVIE - INSOMNIA premieres MON. 27: TRACKER series finale airs this week FRI. 31: MOVIE - THE SUM OF ALL FEARS premieres |