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CLUB
NEWS
SG-1 PREMIERE SCORES NBC REVISTING V LAW AND FUTURE ORDER MTV's SPIDER-MAN ENTERPRISE KICKING OFF BIG O – DON’T MISS IT FOOLY COOLY ADULT SWIM TIME SUMMER IN SMALLVILLE EVENT NEWS LITERARY
NEWS
28 DAYS LATER – A CRITIQUE FROM THE ICS ZOMBIE
KING
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MUST
SEE MOVIES
T 3, SINBAD, PIRATES, LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN DVD NEWS SMALLVILLE STARTS LIST OF DVDS ANIME DVD RELEASES INTERNET NEWS SciFlicks: SCIENCE FICTION CINEMA SNOPES: URBAND LEGENDS GOOGLE GOING TO SLIP? WANNA BUILD YOUR OWN ROBBY? FAREWELLS
ICS CALENDER
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JUNE MEETING PART 1 – WEAVER FEVER!
Our June 2003 presentation and movie were a smashing success thanks to writer and film historian Tom Weaver. Tom treated us to a lively talk about how he starting writing, tales from his most (and least) favorite interviewees and secrets behind the evening’s film – THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. And I think we may all pay a little extra attention to THE GIANT CLAW’s leading lady next time it’s shown and look the bubbles escaping from the top of the creatures head in REVENGE OF THE CREATURE! I have to dig out my old “Fangoria’s” and look for Mr. Weaver’s articles. The warm weather didn’t deter 40 loyal ICS members from this great meeting!
Thanks to Barry Murphy for arranging Mr. Weaver’s visit! And to our
newest honorary member, Tom Weaver, a Big ICS Thank You! Feel free
to visit us again if you’re in town on the last Saturday of the Month.
It’s no secret that John Clayton is a talented writer – he has often placed very well in screen-writing contests and has written enjoyable pieces for ICS fiction night. Now, thanks to a chance meeting, John’s screenplay is being read by Sony! John’s script for WILDFIRE is about a Gen-Y James Bond. Best of Luck to you, John! (Maybe you can put in a good word for MONSTER PLANET when you make it to Hollywood!) JUNE MEETING PART 3 – USING OUR TIME WISELY
NEWS OF OUR JULY MEETING: THE BASICS
HOSP-ICS-TALITY VOLUNTEERS
SPEAKING OF HOSP-ICS-TALITY
JULY: PIZZA THE HUTT
KENT’S BENT HK FLICKS!
JULY 19 – ICS NIGHT OUT
FANEX 17 – ICS NEEDS MOVIES!
YOU MADE IT THROUGH HALLOWEEN, NOW TRY AND SURVIVE CHRISTMAS.
BEWARE THE BEAT OF THE CLOTH-WRAPPED FEET
DEAD YET?
BEWARE THE EYES THAT PARALYZE!
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SG-1 PREMIERE SCORES
The June 13 two-hour seventh-season premiere of the SCI FI Channel original series Stargate SG-1 beat its cable competition with a 1.9 household rating. The show delivered more viewers (2.43 million) than any season premiere of any series in SCI FI history. NBC REVISTING V
LAW AND FUTURE ORDER – A LOOK 50YRS AHEAD
MTV's SPIDER-MAN
ENTERPRISE KICKING OFF
BIG O – DON’T MISS IT
FOOLY COOLY ADULT SWIM TIME
SUMMER IN SMALLVILLE
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July 4-6 CastleCon 16 "The Washington area's most unique convention".
Featuring Gaming, LARPing, dealers' Room, Music, Dancing, Poetry, Art Gallery
(and Art Auction on Sunday), Discussions, Workshops, Movies, Miniatures-Painting.
July 8-10 - OCTOKAN 2003– Baltimore Anime at its best!
July 11-13 Shore Leave 25: The Oldest Trek Con in the Baltimore
area!!!
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This is FANEX so lots of great panels and autograph sessions are
planned. Movies galore with some of the all time classics.
August 15-17 2003 HORRORFIND
HorrorFind is pleased to present the Night of the Living Dead cast reunion
HALF-BONE, HALF-BANDAGE AND ALL BLOOD-CURDLING HORROR!
LOVE MEANS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU'RE UGLY.
THE WORMS ARE WAITING!
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SHORE LEAVE BOOK A THON
The organizers of the annual Shore Leave convention recently announced they will be hosting a special book premiere event at this year's 25th edition of the fan gathering. At the convention, which will take place from Friday the 11th of July until Sunday the 13th of July, Pocket Books will offer fans the opportunity to buy four novels that are scheduled to be released in August. There are four books in question are the third Stargaze l novel, Michael Jan Friedman's aptly-titled “Three”, the first Lost Era novel, Andy Mangels' and Michael Martin's “The Sundered”, Keith R.A. DeCandido's "short long fiction" anthology “Imaginings”, and finally the non-Trek novel “Tong Lashing”, part of Peter David's Sir Apropos of Nothing series. These books will not be available at other places until the convention is over. Convention visitors who aren't yet fully convinced they want to buy these novels will be able to get a sales pitch from the best persons imaginable: the authors of the four novels. The writers of all the above-mentioned books will be attending the convention, along with fifteen other well-known Trek authorsim, including Greg Cox, Heather Jarman and Susan Wright. Shore Leave 25 will take place in Marriot's Hunt Valley Inn in Baltimore, Maryland. More information about Shore Leave 25 can be found at the convention's official site. A full listing of the Trek authors attending the con can be found there. _______________________________________________________________________
As part of a recent partnership between Random House and Japanese publisher Kodansha, Random House now intends to get into the rapidly growing market of graphic novels by releasing English language versions of Japanese manga. Kodansha is the largest publisher of manga in Japan, so there will certainly be plenty to choose from; especially since Random House will be able to preview new material and choose what they think would be most suitable. The manga will be published though Random House’s sci-fi/fantasy line, Del Ray. The official launch will take place at the upcoming Comic Con in San Diego. “Basara” by Tamura Yumi, published by Viz, 9.95, 208 pages, out 07/30/03
“Flame of Recca” by Anzai Nobuyuki, published by Viz, 9.95, 208 pages,
out
“Boys over Flowers- Hana Yori Dango” by Kamio Youko, 9.95, out 07/30/03
“Naruto” by Kishimoto Masashi, published by Viz, 9.95, out 07/23/03
“Wild Act” by Takada Rie, published by Tokyopop, 9.95, 208 pages, out
07/18/03
If any ICS members would like to share info on a soon to be released Books, Graphic novel or Comic series, please email it attn betsy at ICSBETSPOTS@aol.com. |
ICE TEAM EYES ON ROBOTS
The makers of the hit computer-animated film ICE AGE are developing the CGI SF movie ROBOTS, set in a world composed entirely of the mechanical. The ICE AGE trio includes 20th Century Fox, Blue Sky Studios and director Chris Wedge. ROBOTS is already in production, with a scheduled March 11, 2005, release. Voice actors will include Halle Berry, Ewan McGregor, Mel Brooks, Drew Carey, Jim Broadbent, Stanley Tucci, Dianne Wiest and others. Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel wrote the script, which centers on Rodney Copperbottom (McGregor), a young genius inventor who dreams of making the world a better place. Berry voices Cappy, a sexy executive robot with whom Rodney is instantly smitten. Other lead voices include the nefarious corporate tyrant Ratchet (yet to be cast), who locks horns with Rodney, and Big Weld (Brooks), a master inventor who has lost his way and other characters include a group of misfit robots known as the Rusties. Sounds like it will be a magnetic movie! NEXT TREKKIES 2 GREEN LIGHTED
OH, HELLBOY IS OPEN
LIVE AND IN ACTION TRANSFORMERS FILM
The ARHNOLD Report
WHATS STATUS OF A TERMINATOR 4?
WESTWORLD RIDING ALONG
BRITS TO HELM HITCHHIKER
FANS ARE UNDAUNTED BY SARS VIRUS
28 DAYS LATER – A CRITIQUE FROM THE ICS ZOMBIE KING
Let’s get one thing straight right from the start;
I am utterly incapable of giving an objective review of a zombie film.
Even the worse piece of cinema trash is elevated in my mind to a special
realm if it contains the living dead. It is not my place to cogitate
on the reasons for this special brand of sickness, but rather to embrace
it and rejoice in my febrile obsessions.
________________________________________________________________________ WEBSITES TO VISIT – FELLOW ICS MEMBERS POST THEIR SITES HERE
First there is one that is a lot of fun to visit - http://www.chibigojitoys.com
And from Mitch there is – www.likestillwater.com
Any other members that have websites of their own to share – email icsbetspots@aol.com with site and info. Thanks. |
COLLECTIBLES CORNER by Gimlizilla
As I sit here running the mouse over THE HULK
mouse pad, drinking some fine Folgers Decaf out of my HULK coffee
mug and listening to Danny Elfman's score from, take a guess, yes
- that's right! - THE HULK, I'm wondering how I should start this column????
Oh! I'VE GOT IT!!!
Bond....James Bond. Sideshow Collectibles'
Sean Connery action figure from DR. NO was announced as the winner of the
Best Male Action Figure of 2002 by "Toy Fair" magazine. Along with
the Joseph Wiseman figure, this comprised the first in a very succesful
series of Bond-related 12" action figure sets.
From the Music To My Ears Department,
there are 2 releases of note (no pun intended) on CD.
Last, but not least, check out McFarlane's ALIENS - inspired Alien Queen boxed set! It's the best diorama they've put out since the release of the Orca from JAWS last year! This set features the Alien Queen in a custom diorama base with a trapped human with, are you ready for this? , "Chest Burster Play Action" - I LOVE IT! IT'S SO FREAKIN' SICK!!!! Anyway, that's all for now, sooooo, save up
your ICS BUCKS, and go get some HULK toys, ' cause there's
probably only, Sunday, June 22, 2003 oh say, 20 MILLION of them out
there and they're GOING FAST!!!!!
A FILM WITH MANY SCENES SO TERRIFYING, A BUILT-IN AUDIO-VISUAL
WARNING SYSTEM HAS BEEN DEVISED . . . . . . .
IT WILL SCARE THE LIVING YELL OUT OF YOU!
FOR THREE MILLION YEARS, THE HUMAN RACE HAS BEEN AT THE TOP OF
THE EVOLUTIONARY LADDER . . . . . . . .NOTHING LASTS FOREVER.
HERBERT WEST HAS A GOOD HEAD ON HIS SHOULDERS . . . . .
IT TAKES ALL KINDS OF CRITTERS TO MAKE FARMER VINCENT FRITTERS.
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TERMINATOR 3 – RISE OF THE MACHINES Release date July 2nd
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger (T-800), Nick Stahl (John Connor), Kristanna Loken (T-X), Claire Danes (Kate Miller), Alana Curry (Bill's girlfriend), Timothy Dowling (Stevens), Mark Famiglietti, Mark Hicks (Detective Martinez), Jerry Katell, Brian Sites (Bill Anderson) Premise: This movie is of course a sequel to 1984's Terminator, following also 1991's T2: Judgement Day; and to be followed by Terminator 4. This third film will tell the tale of the first battles between humans and the artificial intellgences of the SkyNet network. John Connor (played by Edward Furlong in the 2nd movie) will be the star. The advanced android that Schwarzenegger will be going up against will be female this time around. SINBAD – LEGEND OF THE SEVEN SEAS - Release Date July 2nd
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN - Curse of the Black Pearl Release date
July 9th,
LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMAN Release date July 11th
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SMALLVILLE LEADS THE LIST OF NEWEST DVDS AVAILABLE
Warner Bros. Home Video is set to release SMALLVILLE : THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON on DVD on September 23. The news comes after early indications the company would not release the series on the format until early 2004. The six-disc set will feature all 21 first season episodes in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 2.0 surround. Extras on the set, which retails for $64.92, include audio commentary on the first two episodes, deleted scenes from the pilot, an interactive tour of Smallville, storyboards, TV spots and a link to the official Smallville site featuring added bonuses. Based on the information provided by Warner Bros., this is essentially the Canadian release of the series' first two episodes with the remaining 19 episodes tacked on. SMALLVILLE is just one of many TV series getting the DVD treatment in the past couple of weeks. Here's a breakdown of the latest news: THE SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR (September 2, $14.95) - 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment has a compliation of the annual feature on the animated series. A list of the specific segments were not available however the disc will include a bonus montage of "Kang and Kodo's finest moments." HIGHLANDER: THE COMPLETE 2ND SEASON (July 29, $89.95) - Anchor Bay Entertainment will serve up year two of the syndicated drama next month. The massive nine-disc set features all 22 second season episodes presented in 4:3 full screen and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround. Extras include talent bios, complete scripts for several episodes and DVD-ROM links to other downloadables. THE OUTER LIMITS: THE ORIGINAL SERIES -2ND SEASON (September 2, $69.95) - MGM Home Entertainment will release the second (and final) season of the 1960s classic on three DVD-18 discs. All 17 episodes are remastered in their original 4:3 aspect ratios and English mono sound. STARGATE SG-1 – 4TH SEASON (September 2, $69.95) - MGM will also offer up the fourth season of the popular sci-fi series. The five-disc set features all 22 episodes in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby 5.1 surround. Extras include include an audio commentary on each episode by the filmmakers and cast (a first for the series), plus two "Secret Files of the SGC" featurettes. XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS – 2ND SEASON (September 9, $89.95) - Anchor Bay has the full sophomore year of the syndicated drama. ANIME DVD RELEASES
S-CRY-ED released by Bandai, volume 1 out on 07/15/03, 29.98, volume
1
TWELVE KINGDOMS released by Media Blasters, 07/29/03, $29.95
The Ninja Scroll 10th anniversary edition would be on here, except the release date was pushed back...again. (if that trend keeps up, it won't be it's 10th anymore). It will include s-CRY-ed because I have a hunch it may go on tv at some point, and 12 kingdoms, because that's the release I'm looking forward to. |
SciFlicks: SCIENCE FICTION CINEMA http://www.sciflicks.com
Available in both English and French, SciFlicks is an attractively laid out and endlessly fascinating treasure trove of data on SF films. Covering older flicks and new releases with equal ardor, the site employs a rigorous (many would say proper) definition of SF, one that largely excludes anything that might arguably be termed fantasy or horror instead. In other words, aliens are in and dragons out at SciFlicks—the movies discussed here must have a scientific premise, however flimsily delivered. For a Web surfer curious about the breadth of science-fiction cinema, the movie profiles on SciFlicks are superb. They cover all of the important information about a picture without overwhelming the reader with trivia, with a concise, spoiler-free summary, data on directors, producers and actors, and short but thoughtful reviews. Most of the movie guides feature multimedia content, too, in the form of movie images, quotes and sound clips. There is a compilation of Web links related to each film along with information on where a visitor might purchase a video or DVD copy ... or any other merchandise the film has spawned. SciFlicks has also just inaugurated a database of artists working in the SF genre—actors, screenwriters, directors and even composers are included. The site owners are actively soliciting suggestions as to whom should be included in this archive. Visitors to the site will definitely want to check out the data on upcoming films, too, and perhaps complete their tour of this specialized and informative Web page by adding an entry or two to its vibrant discussion forum, SciFlicks Squad. SNOPES: URBAND LEGENDS SET STRAIGHT http://www.snopes.com
GOOGLE GOING TO SLIP ON A BANNANA PEEL?
WANNA BUILD YOUR OWN ROBBY? OR ARE YOU A GORT A HOLIC?
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1907 – 2003 Simply, The Best Screen Actor of the 20th Century THE MIGHTY THAT HAVE FALLEN Mr. Peck earned best actor nominations for his work in the KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, THE YEARLING, GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT and TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH and finally took Oscar home for TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. He was honored in 1967 with the Academy's Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and in 1989 with AFI's Life Achievement Award, he was also awarded the Medal of Freedom. Active in other film industry endeavors, he was a member of the National Council on the Arts, governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and its' president from 1967 to 1970, and founding chairman and board member of the American Film Institute. Just days before his death, AFI named Gregory Peck the # 1 all time film hero for his role as Atticus Finch. The ICS will remember him for all of his great films, but dear to our hearts are the "Imaginative" ones - SPELLBOUND (1945), ONE THE BEACH (1959), CAPE FEAR (1962), MAROONED (1969), THE OMEN (1976) and one of the few in which he played a bad guy, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL (1978). John Houston, who directed Peck in MOBY DICK summed up the feeling of many in Hollywood when he praised the "superb dignity" of the actor and said, "Greg is one of the nicest, straightest guys I ever knew, there's a size to him". Mr. Peck you will be missed. Hume Cronyn, actor, writer and director, best known as one half
of an extraordinary acting team with his late wife Jessica Tandy, has died
at his home in Fairfield, Conn.
William Marshall, actor of stage, screen and television who played
in the ICS favorites BLACULA and SCREAM, BLACULA, SCREAM and who appeared
in the television series STAR TREK in the 1960s, has died at 78.
George Axelrod, writer for stage, screen and television died
at his home in Los Angeles. He was 81.
Kenneth Milton Grimwood, a fantasy writer best known for the
book Replay (1987) which features a protagonist who repeatedly relives
the period from 1963 to 1988, has died. He also wrote the novels
Breakthrough (1976), Elise (1979), The Voice Outside (1982) and Into The
Deep (1995). He won The World Fantasy Award in 1988 for Replay,
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by John Ward But here I sit, the latest email plea from Betts floating behind my eyes, and I ask myself…What would Larry King do? Okay, I don’t really ask myself that.
But it gives me a perfect excuse to imitate one of my favorite column approaches:
the magic ellipsis! I used to be a regular reader of USA Today, and
Larry King had a weekly column (maybe he still does, I dunno) on a variety
of topics: politics, sports, popular culture, etc. When he
had an opinion about a lot of different things, but not much to say about
any one topic in particular, he would do an ellipsis column and title it
“My Two Cents.” For the grammatically challenged out there, an ellipsis
is a punctuation mark composed of three dots, like so: . . . Well, I feel
like this is one of those months, so here’s ‘my two cents’.
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JULY CALENDAR
MARK THESE DATES JULY 11 – Movie -League of eXtra
Gentlemen Opens
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