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#56 September 2003
CLUB
NEWS
JUST READ ALL OF THE CLUB NEWS ICS presentation in review..... August – Film Noir by Troy Farwell TV
NEWS
EVENT
NEWS
LITERARY
NEWS
MOVIE
NEWS
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MOVIE
NEWS
HOBBIT DOING THE HAPPY DANCE! UNDERWORLD – VAMPIRES ? LET THE WOOKIE WIN! (IN EPISODE III) NEW PETER PAN A BIT DIFFERENT ACTION
FIGURE NEWS
MUST
SEE MOVIES
DVD
NEWS
INTERNET
NEWS
FAREWELLS
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AUGUST MEETING PART 1 – SAFETY IN THE DARKNESS
Troy Farwell gave a presentation on the shadowy world Film Noir and showed clips from several films including DETOUR, DOUBLE INDEMNITY and KISS ME DEADLY. Some elements of Film Noir are cynicism, betrayal, passion, moral ambiguity, and downbeat endings as well as the ubiquitous low key lighting and femmes fatale. While each of us may have had our own ideas of what constituted Film Noir going into the meeting, Troy’s eye-opening speech and great collection of DVD’s and books gave us all a fresh view of the genre. Thanks for an enjoyable evening, Troy! AUGUST MEETING PART 2 – BUILD MY GALLOWS HIGH, BABY
AUGUST MEETING PART 3 – PAYING ATTENTION?
AUGUST MEETING PART 4 – BIRTHDAY BOYS
AUGUST MEETING PART 5 – LATE NIGHT WITH GODZILLA
JOE OF ALL TRADES
PASS THE HAT
THE CELLULOID ANNIVERSARY
I’M READY FOR MY CLOSEUP, MR. DEMILLE
NEWS OF OUR NEXT MEETING: THE BASICS
OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING: THAT’S NOT BOND, JAMES BOND
UPCOMING – LON CHANEYPHANTOM OF THE OPERA
OCTOBER POTLUCK
Here is our current menu:
GOING ONCE! GOING TWICE! SOLD!
2004 – CALENDAR UPDATE
2004 – SPECIAL GUESTS!
Presentation for August – Film Noir: by Troy Farwell Troy Farwell was our presentation and film theme for August
and he did a wonderful presentation on a classic and often overlooked film
style. The Film Noir. He gaves us some examples via a great
mix of film clips and his talk. ICS Files asked him to share the
basics with us. He was good enough to send this:
Film Noir seems to be an observation of the French concerning
American films of the forties that contain a heavy German influence and
style. The term was coined by French critics upon seeing a glut of
American films after the German occupation of WWII.
This study noticed key things about the history of film leading up to
Noir:
Also noted is the advent of Noir in 1941 with films like
MALTESE FALCON but then noir is rare due to the war. A positive patriotic
attitude doesn’t sit well with noir’s anti-social pessimistic nature so
noir is delayed due to the war and the advent of the war picture.
However, a psychological element of noir seems to emerge from the ambiguity
and ambivalence of psychological dramas like SUSPICION, KINGS ROW and DR.
JEKYLL AND MR HYDE (1941).
Sometimes noir essays see way more in a film than what I feel is actually
there. I’ve been collecting books on noir for years but after awhile
there just wasn’t anything else to be said about noir and it’s attitude
and style, in my opinion. They either repeated the previous books
or invented things to just sell more books.
I hope this helps explain and generate interest in classic
film noir because I’ve found it a very fun and intriguing cycle.
Whether reading the fiction, watching and hunting down the films or reading
the occasional essay, I find the whole Noir experience a thrilling world
of contradictions: fun and sad, humorous and scary, realistic and surreal,
sexy and sadistic. Some films are slow and somber and some are fast
and violent. That’s what I love about the films and the characters.
Some Great Noir films: ACE IN THE HOLE (1951 aka The Big Carnival)
Suggested Reading:
Hope you enjoyed my take on film noir and feel free to talk noir with me anytime: Spacefan@comcast.net |
CHLOE EXPLORES THE DARK SIDE
Her character, tyro journalist Chloe Sullivan, is no longer the innocent, spunky and naive girl who thought she knew everything, but really knew nothing said SMALLVILLE co-star Allison Mac. "As the years have gone on, we've really seen her grow and develop and change," Mack said. "She's become a woman and realized her strengths and her weaknesses. I think she's gotten a lot more guarded, and she's a lot less open to rejection from the people around her. She's been thrown into a horrible situation, and she's been forced to grow up in a lot of ways. So I think that she's matured as a woman." During season two, Chloe took a bit of a back seat to Clark (Tom Welling) and Lana (Kristin Kreuk), as they explored their burgeoning romantic relationship, and to Pete (Sam Jones III), as he learned of Clark's super secret. In the upcoming season, Mack revealed, Chloe will step to the fore and toward the dark side. "I think, as you saw last season, that she was screwed over one too many times," Mack said. "Now she has to make the decision 'Am I the most important person in my life or are my friends?' That's a tough question. It's good. It's very tantalizing, the dark side, and it's very interesting to her. Lionel Luthor [John Glover] makes it sound even more tantalizing. So she definitely plays with it and touches it, and I think that Chloe definitely has it in her to go that way." Season three of Smallville will take flight Oct. 1 with "Exile," part one of a two-part opener that will conclude the following week with "Phoenix." STILL LIFE STILL ALIVE…
AND MORE DAVID KEITH…IT’S A DEEP SHOCK
BORG TREK TO VEGAS
NEW DYNAMIC DUO -ANGEL AND SPIKE
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The 29th Annual World Fantasy Convention
October 30th — November 2nd, 2003 Celebrating 75 years of Writing http://www.seahunt.org/wfc/ Author Guests of Honor Brian Lumley and Jack Williamson To Register: http://www.seahunt.org/wfc/membership.htm Intercon XVII LARP Baltimore, MD -- October 4 - 6, 2002 Barrage VII Miniatures Baltimore, MD -- October 5, 2002 Tempest in a Teapot
IV Email: Stephen Mauris
Capclave 2003 SF Washington, DC, MD -- November 21-23, 2003 email: wsfa@KeithLynch.net CHILLER
THEATRE EXPO October 31 thru November 2
2003 DARKOVER GRAND COUNCIL MEETING
XXVI
PhilCon 2003
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BRADBURY
The Planetary Society was asking fans of legendary SF author Ray Bradbury to send greetings from around the world to the writer on the occasion of his 83rd birthday, Aug. 22. The Planetary Society was collecting names and birthday greetings through Aug. 20. The society presented what it hopes is "the world's largest birthday card" to Bradbury, one of the society's advisory council members. The society says that Bradbury, author of such books as The Martian Chronicles, "has contributed so much to the world of science fiction." HORRORS! KING WRITES AGAIN!
FANTASY NOMINEES NAMED
Novel
Novella
Anthology
LOCAL AUTHOR- A COMPANION FOR ANY MYSTERY
THE I LOVE A MYSTERY COMPANION
Longing only for action, adventure and excitement wherever
it would lead them, three men fought through vampire-infested jungles,
ghost towns of wind-swept Nevada, and solved mysteries involving werewolves,
defeated mad scientists hell-bent on world domination, fought gruesome
flying reptiles and modern-day pirates seeking treasure in every shape
and form. Jack, Packard, Doc Long and Reggie York were those three
musketeers and for more than a decade I LOVE A MYSTERY ruled the radio
airwaves.
Release date - October 15.
If any ICS members would like to share their view on a recent book that they’ve read – fiction or non-fiction, please email it attn betsy at ICSBETSPOTS@aol.com. |
PUNISHER MEETS THE PRESS
Jonathan Hensleigh, writer and director of the upcoming film adaptation of Marvel's Punisher comic series, says the movie will be "an intense urban drama, and it's violent.". "It's a story of revenge and redemption," Hensleigh said. Lead actor Thomas Jane joined Hensleigh and Marvel Studios executive Ari Arad, producer Gale Anne Hurd and others at a press conference to celebrate the start of production. Hensleigh also discussed how much of the comic series' source material has made its way into the script. "Some years after [the Punisher] line of comics started, they did this little insert series called 'Year One' that was at the end of '94 and beginning of '95," Hensleigh said. "There were a whole number of elements [used from] there. Then, specifically, [writer] Garth Ennis supercharged the series in recent years, starting with a series called 'Welcome Back Frank.' It was a bound book Marvel had sent to me. I read it in about 45 minutes and called Avi Arad within a half an hour and commited to the project." For his part, Jane said that both he and Hensleigh were "really influenced" by artist Tim Bradstreet's covers for The Punisher, to which Hensleigh responded, "Thomas is dead right. There was a visual stamp that Bradstreet put on it that was electrifying." HAMMER RISING TO CREATE AGAIN
HERES ONE FOR HENDO - DRACULA SETS SAIL
DOGS, ALIENS – COULD BE ONE AND THE SAME
PRAXTON & KINGSLEY ARE GO!
HOBBIT DOING THE HAPPY DANCE!
UNDERWORLD – WEREWOLVES, VAMPIRES AND SUCH….
LET THE WOOKIE WIN! (IN EPISODE III)
NEW PETER PAN A BIT DIFFERENT
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COLLECTIBLES CORNER -
by Gary can't wait for the new season of SMALLVILLE to start Roberson "Hi...I'm Plenty..." "But of course you are..."
"Alright you dogfaces, LISTEN UP!"
Keep them out of the light, especially sunlight.
Finally, Trick or Treat...Where's My PRECIOUS????
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IMAGINATIVE CINEMA COMING SOON
SOME MUST SEE MOVIES FOR YOU! September 5th THE ORDER
September 19th BUBBA HO - TEP (limited release in seattle/portland
area then expands)
October10th THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD
October 17th TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE
October 24th SCARY MOVIE 3
Oct 31st HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
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CAT SOUP- released by Central Park Media, 09/09/03. MSRP 19.99, 34
minutes.
The folks at CPM have described this as ‘Hello Kitty on crack’, and judging by the trailer, that seems to be a pretty accurate description. A kitten named Nyaako has her soul stolen by death and she and her brother venture out to find it in a bizarre dreamscape. There’s virtually no dialogue in this strange art film, so it’s curious that a Japanese/English audio selection is listed. There is a 5.1 dolby digital track for the background music, and some other nice extras such as director’s commentary. NINJA SCROLL TV VOLUME 1- released by Urban Vision, 09/02/03. MSRP 24.99 This is the thirteen episode series that ties in with the 1993 Madhouse film NINJA SCROLL (which is also being re-released in a new special edition version from Manga Entertainment). In this first disc, Jubei Kibagami, a ninja for hire, is trying to protect the mysterious Dragon Stone from being stolen by other ninja’s who wish to use it for dark purposes. THE BIG O COLLECTOR’S SET- Bandai, 09/16/03. MSRP 44.98 The first season of the tremendously popular TV show, available in a two-disc set, for all of those who missed its original individual 4 disc release. Be glad you waited- it’s much cheaper this way! It’s the story of Roger Smith, a negotiator who along with a giant robot called ‘the big o’, protects the peace in Paradigm city, a place where all the inhabitants of no memory of who they are. Extra features include textless ending and opening, staff and voice actor interviews and an art gallery. DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS SPECIAL EDITION- ADV films, 09/30/03. MSRP 29.98, 175 minutes. Based on a horror novel by Hiroshi Aramata. He story begins in Japan in 1912, when an Evil sorcerer Kato has plans to resurrect the spirit of the warrior Taro Masakado and destroy Tokyo. But first he needs the untapped powers of a woman named Yukari. Unfortunately for Kato, Yukari has many spirits protecting her, but in the end the person to thwart his plans is Taro. Instead Kato bides his time and waits until he can use Yukari’s daughter to unleash his destruction instead. But then an unlikely warrior opposes him, a young shrine maiden named Keiko. One of the real interesting aspects of he story is the blending of real historical events with fiction, such as the Kanto earthquake, a real event in 1923, which in this story is supposedly triggered by Kato in his events to destroy the city. Long considered a classic, this special edition contains the original Japanese language track with English subtitles, as opposed to just the Streamline pictures English dub that was the only available US version previously. Considering how strongly this show is rooted in Japanese culture, this is a real benefit. BLUE GENDER BOXSET- funimation, 09/30/03. MSRP 119.98
Well there’s some bad news for SAILOR MOON fans. Due to some really
bizarre restrictions by the Japanese copyright holder, the 2nd season box
set will not have episode 67. The American licenser, ADV films, is of course
not too happy about this, since this release was meant to be the uncut
and unedited version. But there’s nothing ADV can do about, and at least
the episode isn’t really vital to the flow of the story, but of course
fans are still upset. The main guess for this restriction is that the Japanese
company (presumably Toei) is concerned about reverse importation, which
could down on the sales of Japanese editions.
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DIGITAL VIDEO ESSENTIALS DISC
This is for serious videophiles that don't want to go through the hassles of tweaking their system. I tweak mine and sometimes, it’s a pain in the butt. This new Digital Video Essentials is (as reported by the company) a DVD calibration disc that can get your system working optimally in 30 minutes.....for $24....What??? Didya expect something for nuthin' ??? CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS SOMETHING FOR NUTHIN????
INTERNET VIDEO MAGAZINE
MediaChannel.com
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Brianne Murphy, the first female director of photography invited
to join the American Society of Cinematographers, has died at 70.
After moving to Hollywood, she met low-budget horror film producer Jerry Warren, whom she later married and divorced. Warren offered Murphy a $50-a-week job handling props, makeup, hair, wardrobe, script and stills on the 1956 film MAN BEAST . She even wore the furry costume of an abominable snowman in a couple of scenes but was too short for the rubber suit of the MAN BEAST. When the director of photography volunteered to take over wearing the suit, she told Fangoria in an interview, he handed his light meter to Murphy, who had been picking his brain about his job, and said she would have to shoot the scene. A career was born. Murphy worked on three more pictures for Warren, THE INCREDIBLE PETREFIED WORLD, TEENAGE ZOMBIES and HOUSE OF THE BLACK DEATH , but didn’t get a director of cinematography credit until the 1980 Anne Bancroft film, FATSO. “This woman was a pioneer, and she certainly raised the bar for women in this field”, said Judy Irola, a director of photography, an ASC member and the head of cinematography at USC's School of Cinema-Television. “She did something that nobody had done before”, Irola said. “Women had directed, but women weren't seen as serious technicians”. Charles Bronson, who starred as Roger Corman’s MACHINE GUN KELLY
and was one of THE MGNIFICENT SEVEN and THE DIRTY DOZEN, has died.
He was also the
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by John Ward I don't like Star Trek.
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SEPTEMBER CALENDAR
MARK THESE DATES September 11th Second Anniversary – A Moment of Silence for those who died in the terrorist acts. September 12th CABIN FEVER opens September 19th UNDERWORLD, COLD CREEK MANOR and BUBBA HO - TEP open at theatres September 22nd ICSFILES editor Betsy’s 42nd birthday. September 27rd Saturday -ICS MEETING – fun will always abound here! |