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THE IRON ANNIVERSARY
 ICS celebrated it’s sixth anniversary at the January meeting with a giant cookie, ice cream and other treats.  From our humble beginnings at the library to a 40+ strong roster, ICS has come a long way.  Thanks for being part of it!!  

UP, UP AND AWAY!!
 The sixth anniversary meeting began with a clever Superman fan film starring our very own Jim Childs as the Man of Steel.  John Weber also showed off his acting talent as the mad professor (but also a genius) and our evening’s hostess, Betsy Childs, also garnered some laughs with her cameo.      
 After the short film, Betsy gave a talk on Superheroes in Cinema.  Her love for the subject was evident.  Her talk began with reminiscences of swiping her brother’s comic books.  Other members joined in and talked about which heroes they pretended to be as youngsters.  Several topics were covered, including the appeal of heroes.
 The film du jour was MYSTERY MEN which won after a 2 time tie with SPIDERMAN 2.  While not a traditional comic, it was very well received by the club.  But heck, any film that glamorizes bowling as a super-power has got to go over well in East Baltimore.
 Great Job of combining research and entertainment, Betsy!  

THE ENVELOPE, PLEASE
In between Betsy’s presentation, the club voted and Dave Henderson tallied the results.  The 2005 board is:  Dave Willard (chairman), John Ward (secretary), Regina Vallerani (treasurer), Joe Plempel and Andrew Kent (members at large).  Dave Henderson reported that the votes were very close and 2 votes another way may have replaced one of the above with other candidates Barry Murphy or Jim Childs.   
Thanks to all who ran in the 2005 election.  We appreciate your willingness to serve the club.  And another special thanks to Dave Henderson for 6 years of service on the board and assistance with the election.

 THE ANNUAL JOHN WARD OSCAR POOL
     Once again, John Ward is in charge of the Oscar Pool.  It’s $5 to play and the take is half of the pool.  John handed out ballots at the meeting and emailed ballots to the general membership.  Ballots can also be printed from www.oscar.com.  There are two tie-breaker questions that need to be added to the ballot.  The first is the name of the movie to win the greatest number of Oscars and the second is the number of Oscars it will win.
They are due back to John at the February meeting.  Please pay the $5 to Regina.  Good Luck!!!
 
 
 

TSUNAMI RELIEF
The tsunami was a tragedy of enormous scale and left massive destruction in its wake.  The ICS is having a pledge drive from now until June to donate funds to a tsunami aid charity.  Our fund raising efforts for Tsunami relief will be going to the charity Save The Children. 
We will be accepting cash donations or checks made out to “Save The Children” (put "Tsunami Relief" in the memo line).  We will take these donations at the March, April and May meetings.  More info will follow shortly.
Joe Plempel has generously agreed to match up to $1000 of funds donated by club members.  Thanks, Joe.  

BONE MARROW DONATIONS
      Sue Feder spoke to us about a new initiative for bone marrow donation sponsored by John Hopkins. You may have finally come to terms with your childhood fantasy - your dream of becoming a superhero may never come to pass.  But, that doesn't mean that you can't be a real-life hero.  A little discomfort on your part might mean someone gets to spend a lifetime with their family that otherwise would have been denied to them.
The Fifth Annual Type for Life Marrow Registration Drive 

Monday, March 8. The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Broadway corridor 
Tuesday, March 9. School of Nursing, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Carpenter Room 
Wednesday, March 10. School of Public Health, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Anna Baetjer Room 
Thursday, March 11. School of Medicine, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 113 Preclinical Teaching Building 
Friday, March 12. The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Broadway Corridor 
Registration requires a driver's license and the addresses and phone numbers of two contacts not living with registrant. Those typed previously may update contact information at 410-955-6347. 
For more information, e-mail LeonC@jhu.edu, call 410-502-7716 or go to www.typeforlife.org. 

HORRORFIND
   It looks like we're going to be participating in the Horrorfind convention from August 19-21. We'll need folks to staff the table. There'll be more details at the February meeting. 

NEWS OF OUR NEXT MEETING
 Our next meeting will be held on Saturday February 26th at 5:30 P.M. 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 443-570-6455. That's Dave Willard’s cell phone. He'll talk you in.   
 

THE WHITE STUFF
  Now that we are in winter, it’s time to re-iterate the snow policy.  If there is a cancellation due to inclement weather, we will send out email and update the website.  If you are not able to check email, you may call a board member.

TO-GA!! TO-GA!!  TO-GA!!
  It’s dress up time as Jim Childs celebrates Togas and Cinema.   According to an internet expert regarding creating your own toga:  “Women generally try to look good, while men try to look stupid.  That's the way of the Toga.”  Let’s keep that in mind and get ready for a psycho good time.  
 And then, we can take our Togas and dress up like Casper for our February late night feature, GHOSTWATCHERS.  Joe Plempel caught the film at a prior year’s FANEX.  It was directed by a local filmmaker

2006 CALENDAR NEWS
 For 2006, we are trying a new approach with the Calendar theme – call it Pot Luck.  The months and front and back covers are for sale to members for a fee.  If you decide to purchase a month, you must provide a movie still by the August meeting (nothing objectionable please – some calendars are kept in places where young, impressionable children can see them).  You will get credit on the calendar for that month.  The Front Cover, and months March, June, September and December are $15 and are color months.  The back cover and remaining months are $10 each and will be printed in black and white.  So far, the following months have been purchased:
   JANUARY  Dave Willard
   FEBRUARY  John Ward
   MARCH  Steve Vaught
   JUNE   Lisa Schilling
   SEPTEMBER  Andrew Kent
   NOVEMBER  Jim Childs
   DECEMBER  Masked Auctioneer & Minimum Bid Kid
   BACK COVER Sue Feder
 2005 Calendars are still available for those who have reserved them.  See Regina at the next meeting to pick up yours.

CALENDARS FOR 2007:
    We caught a lucky break for 2007. The very talented artist, FRANK DIETZ, has allowed us to use his images for our 2007 calendar, gratis (as long as they don't wind up on e-Bay). If you'd like to see a sample of his amazing art go to http://www.sketchythings.com/
 

DUES NEWS
  It’s time to renew your dues.  The Cost is $25 per person or $40 per couple.  Family memberships are available at $25 for the initial family member and $15 each for the second to nth family member.
 Dues can be paid in one of the following 3 ways:
Cash or Check to Regina at a meeting
Mail a check to Regina at:  
REGINA VALLERANI
1 E CHASE ST APT 405
BALTIMORE, MD 21202
Via Paypal to ICSFILM@HOTMAIL.COM.  There is a Paypal link from the ICS Website (WWW.ICSFILM.NET).

 This is the list of people who have paid their dues.  If you have paid your dues, but are not on this list, please contact Regina at RVALLER107@HOTMAIL.COM to correct the omission.

Rick Arnold
Joe Auslander
Donna Burke
Jim Childs
Betsy Childs
Sam DiBlasi
Sue Feder
Heather Fleming
Kyra Fleming
Tim Fleming
Dave Henderson
Andrew Kent
Mike Laird
Jean Matcovich
Barry Murphy
Joe Plempel
Justin Proveaux
Tom Proveaux
Gary Roberson
Ruth Roberson
Dava Sentz
Lisa Schilling
Mike Schilling
Sue Ellen Sherblom
Blake Sherblom-Woodward
Taylor Sherblom-Woodward
Richard Smith
Courtney Spies
Jack Tydings
John Ward
John Ward (son)
John Weber
Tom Woodward
Regina Vallerani
Teeka Vallerani
Beth Vaught
Steve Vaught
Neil Wagenfer
Dave Willard
Charlie Wittig
 
 
 

SO YOU WANT MORE ICS?   BE A PART OF THE ICS MESSAGE BOARD!

   What a wonderful club we have, meeting people that are interested in some of the same things you are – movies, TV shows and then willing to talk about them ad nauseaum!
   Well, it doesn’t have to be just once a month either! 
   Come to the ICS message board and join up, then you can stop in, read and comment on the threads or create your own – the ICS message boards can be a fun daily addiction.
   The Message board is a great way to talk about movies you have just seen or tv shows that are on or DVD’s you have picked up and want to share with others and just can’t wait until the meeting to expound about. 
   It is divided into sections for TV & Movie talk, DVD talk and then just General discussion where we can bring up anything. We have a lot of laughs and want to encourage our members to join up- the more the merrier!
   Charlie was even nice enough to write up some instructions on ‘how to join up’ for anyone slightly befuddled.  It is pretty easy and once you are a member there you can log in at any time and read the message board and share your views. 

ICS Forum Registration Instructions

1. Go to our website, www.icsfilm.net and then up at the top, click on ICS forum box. This takes you right to the forum page. On the ICS Forum page, look for the link in the upper right under the picture that says: Register Your Free Account (Required). Click it.

2. Choose Global Account if you want to use other Ezboard forums.   Choose Local Account if you just plan to use the ICS Forum.  You will probably have a better chance to pick the user name you want using the Local Account option.

3. Type in the desired user name, password, and retype the password.  Pick a “secret question” which will help if you forget your password.  Fill out the rest of the profile information then submit the application.

4. If you get a page that has “Free Sponsors” with check boxes, click the “No thanks” link on the bottom right side of the page. You will be registered.

5. Check your email for a validation message that reads something like this:
Your ezboard User Account is ready!
To validate your free ezboard.com account, please click 
on the URL below. You will also receive a second email 
with your User Name and Password once you are validated.
6. Follow the instructions for the validation link and you will be registered.  You’ll also get another email with information like your user name and password.  Just remember, that if you have a GLOBAL account, you only have to type in the user name.  If you have a LOCAL account, you have to type in the user name followed by @theicsmessageboard
Example: elmerfudd@theicsmessageboard.

If you need help, email Charlie Wittig at charliewittig@verizon.net
tv news tv news tv news the glass teat tv news tv news tv news

WANTING TO REBOOT TREK
   Inspired by a recent SCI FI Wire poll, Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski posted a message to a newsgroup urging fans to write to Paramount, owner of the rights to the STAR TREK franchise, in support of a new TREK series that he and Bryce Zabel (Dark Skies) developed last year. 
   Although the studio originally passed on the treatment due to "political considerations," Straczynski feels that they might reconsider if they knew that fans were eager for such an idea. "I'm taking the unusual step of going right to the source ... right to you guys," Straczynski said in the message. "Fueled in part by a number of recent articles and polls, including one at www.scifi.com/scifiwire in which nearly 18,000 fans voted their preference for a new  series, and 48 percent of that figure called for a him take on TREK." 
   Straczynski said that he and Zabel share an affection for the original STAR TREK series, and a disappointment in the later iterations of the series. Together, they created a new treatment and a five-year story arc with the intention of returning to the roots of the world created by Gene Roddenberry. "If you want to see a new TREK series that's true to Gene's original creation, helmed by myself and Bryce, with challenging stories, contemporary themes, solid extrapolation, and the infusion of some of our best and brightest SF prose writers, then you need to let the folks at Paramount know that. If the 48 percent of the 18,000 folks who voted at SciFi.com sent those sentiments to Paramount, there'd be a new series in the works tomorrow," Straczynski said. 
   Straczynski added that he felt that the current stewards of the series have been too cautious in their stories, and the franchise has suffered as a result. "Over time, TREK was treated like a Porsche that's kept in the garage all the time, for fear of scratching the finish," Straczynski said. "The stories were, for the most part, safe, more about technology than what William Faulkner described as 'the human heart in conflict with itself.' Yes, there were always exceptions, but in general that trend became more and more apparent with the passage of years. Which was why so often I came down on the later stories, which I did openly, because I didn't feel they lined up with what TREK was created to be. I don't apologize for it, because that was what I felt as a fan of TREK. That's why I had [Roddenberry's widow Majel Barrett] appear on B5, to send a message that I believe in what Gene created." 
 
PAUL SPONSORS TSUNAMI AID
   Adrian Paul, star of the HIGHLANDER TV series, is backing "Immortal Aid," an auction fund-raiser to benefit the tsunami-devastated Thai Island of Koh Phi Phi, where Paul's brother, Andrew, lives. The resort island, which was also used in the film The Beach, was where Andrew operated an adventure travel business for more than 11 years, and residents need assistance to rebuild schools, homes and businesses. 
   "I wasn't surprised to hear my brother say that he wasn't going to leave, but instead help rebuild the island's infrastructure," Paul said in a statement. "It was a massive job, and I was determined to help him any way I could." 
   In collaboration with Davis-Anderson Merchandising Corp., Davis-Panzer Productions and Highlander WorldWide, Paul is sponsoring a series of auctions of original HIGHLANDER film and TV series costumes, props and set pieces, including Duncan MacLeod's leather trench coat; a rare rubber katana and villains' costumes; Paul's personal possessions, including the La Carrera Pan America race helmet; candid set pictures autographed by cast, members, as well as individually framed photos; and collectibles. Every item and cash donation will include a thank you certificate signed by HIGHLANDER creators and producers Peter S. Davis or Bill Panzer or Paul himself.
   The first phase of the auction will take place starting Feb. 14 and continue through Feb. 18 through the Highlander WorldWide official fan club. 
SCI FI RENEWS GALACTICA

SCI FI Channel has ordered a second season of its hit series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, which has aired five episodes of its first season of 13 episodes. Details of the renewal—including which cast members will return, how many episodes will be produced and when the second season will commence—were still being worked out at press time. 
   BATTLESTAR GALACTICA has been a ratings winner for SCI FI since its Jan. 14 premiere. The latest episode, Feb. 4's "You Can't Go Home Again," scored the show's best ratings yet, with 3.2 million viewers. 
   For the show's second season, creator and executive producer Ronald D. Moore previously said that he has already been working on as many as six new scripts to resolve the multiple cliffhangers that will end season one. Moore added that he wants to delve deeper into the show's religious themes and open up the Cylon world a bit more in the coming season. Moore continues to post his thoughts on a personal blog on SCIFI.COM. 

MGM TRIES TO SAVE DEAD
   Showtime canceled its supernatural series DEAD LIKE ME, but producer MGM TV has pitched SCI FI Channel, TNT and A&E, among other basic-cable networks, to resurrect the series for another season. MGM produced 29 episodes during its two seasons on Showtime. 
   An MGM spokeswoman declined to comment, but 29 hour long episodes for Showtime (including the 75-minute pilot) are too small a number to make the reruns of any series salable in basic cable or TV syndication. 
   No one has picked up the show yet, and time is running out because the options on stars Mandy Patinkin and Ellen Muth are close to expiring. Executive producer John Masius is gung ho about going forward with more episodes, as are Bryan Fuller, the show's creator, and Clancy Collins, the creative executive assigned by MGM. 
 
LOST LOOKS AHEAD
   "There isn't one answer to everything," Abrams said. "It's, like, this island has an amazing history that we've talked about, and things will change as we go, it always does.    This is what J.J. Abrams, who co-created ABC's hit SF series LOST, said about show. And that he's already coming up with ideas for a second season. "We obviously know what we're doing for the rest of this year," Abrams said in an interview "We definitely have big ideas about what we want to do down the line, past just the second season, and a lot of ideas for the second season already." 
   But Abrams remained coy about his plans, though he promised to reveal some of the secrets about the island where 47 survivors of a plane crash—including Jack (Matthew Fox) and Kate (Evangeline Lilly)—have found themselves stranded.... “You don't have the time or the energy to figure out everything in the first season of a show that, ... if you're lucky, [you] get five, six, seven, eight years [to do]. But we have a few really big ideas that we hope we're on long enough to tell." 
   Abrams added: "The thing about LOST is that the show is not just about ... the mysteries of the island. This island has a lot of complex sort of mythology and stuff that we've discussed, and will over time be revealed. ... In order to do the story right, you need time. ... Each of these characters has a handful or ... more of important stories that you want to see told over time as well." 
   Abrams offered one hint for attentive viewers. "I don't know if you can see this yet, [but every flashback] makes reference to something else," he said. 
   "So you'll get a beginning, middle and end of that flashback story, but you'll wonder, 'Wait, what the hell was he there for? That's weird.' And that will help prompt the next flashback. At the end of the day, what I think is cool about it is you'll be able to take the Sawyer [Josh Holloway] flashbacks, all of them, and you could cut them together so you see them as an entire sort of movie of this person's life. See where they started, see what happened to them over time, and make a sort of linear thing. And yet, we're seeing them every eight, 10 episodes, you'll see that person's story. ... 
   “If we get to do the story that we anticipate doing, there's a big thing and a big payoff. Whether we get to that at the very end or we get to that earlier, and it becomes the start of the next chapter, is part of the evolution of telling the story." 

 
movienews movienews  Silver Screen  movienews movienews

Portman Mulls V For Vendetta
     Star Wars' Natalie Portman is in final talks to star in the Wachowski brothers' film based on Alan Moore's graphic novel V for Vendetta for Warner Brothers and producer Joel Silver. The Matrix creators wrote the script for the film, and their longtime first assistant director James McTeigue will make his helming debut on the movie. The Wachowskis will produce Vendetta with Warners-based Silver. 
     Vendetta takes place in an alternate future in which Germany wins World War II and Great Britain becomes a fascist state. A terrorist freedom fighter known only as "V" begins a violent guerrilla campaign to destroy those who've succumbed to totalitarianism, and recruits a young woman he's rescued, or possibly kidnapped, from the secret police to join him. 
     Before Vendetta can start shooting in Berlin, Portman will first need to wrap up her work on Free Zone. Insiders familiar with the studio's plans say the first week of March has already been carved out to start production, with a fall 2005 release planned.

WOELFEL EXPLORES DARK BETWEEN THE STARS
     Independent genre filmmaker Jay Woelfel, whose GHOST LAKE hits video this summer from Velocity, is currently working on his biggest project yet, the supernatural chiller THE DARK BETWEEN THE STARS. "Like GHOST LAKE, this is much more of a BEYOND DREAM’S DOOR type of horror/monster film," Woelfel explained, referring to his first feature. "For most of my time in California, that kind of movie has been out of fashion, but, perhaps thanks in part to the success of Japanese-style horror and films like THE OTHERS, it is now commercial to make serious and complex horror films again. I’m glad to still be here to make them after surviving the lean years and lesser projects I had to take while the type of horror I like and perhaps do best was ‘out.’”
     "We are shooting on 35mm with a film finish, and it is the largest budget I’ve ever had for a fiction feature," continues Woelfel, who has also done documentary work and scripted DARK with Scott Spears. "The story deals with dreams and how they relate to the power of faith, shamanism and authentic creation myths of the Native Americans. The movie’s monster is both unique-looking and unique in what it does. All the ‘name’ leads seem excited about the script and the different types of parts they are playing. It will be cool to show a different side of these actors to their fans." That cast includes Ken Foree (DAWN OF THE DEAD), Tricia Helfer (new BATTLESTAR: GALACTICA), Corin Nemec, Jason Brooks and Josh Hammond (JEEPERS CREEPERS II).

Jordan To Helm Tripods
     Australian-born director Gregor Jordan has signed on to rewrite and direct the adaptation of John Christopher's The Tripods Trilogy for Walt Disney's Touchstone Pictures label. Disney picked up the feature rights to Christopher's sci-fi book series in 1997 for producer Don Murphy, with an eye toward the project's franchise possibilities. In 2000, Darren Lemke came on board to adapt the trilogy, and subsequently, Terry Hayes, before Jordan signed to rewrite and direct. 
     The Christopher trilogy, which comprises The White Mountains, The City of Gold and Lead and The Pool of Fire, tells the story of an Earth conquered by Tripods, who have enslaved the human race by implanting a mind-controlling device in the heads of everyone over 15. The books, first published in 1967, tell the story of a boy and two of his friends who race to overthrow the Tripods before they must undergo the capping ritual. The Tripods Trilogy was previously adapted by the BBC as a TV series, beginning in 1984.

Christopher Lee talks WICKER MAN follow-up
     Genre legend Christopher Lee has revealed that a follow-up film to his 1973 classic THE WICKER MAN is still in the works. Originally titled THE RIDING OF THE LADDIE, the movie is now called MAY DAY and will reunite Lee with director Robin Hardy and producer Peter Snell, with Vanessa Redgrave co-starring. Lee is enthusiastic to return to the territory explored by the original WICKER MAN: "It was the best film I ever made," he tells the site. "But it’s not the most successful. When you’re talking about THE LORD OF THE RINGS and STAR WARS, you’re talking astronomical figures. THE WICKER MAN has now become a cult film. It was unlike anything anybody had ever seen, which is why it played very badly during its day, of course."
     Without revealing plot specifics, Lee adds that MAY DAY isn’t a direct continuation of the previous story. "It’s not THE WICKER MAN. How can we make a sequel? It was a very definitive ending, wasn’t it? There are elements [similar to those] that you find in THE WICKER MAN: certain beliefs, the fact that we all sing, that it’s funny, quite erotic and very alarming. And that it’s a strange story set in Scotland.

Jackson Mulls Lovely Bones
     King Kong director Peter Jackson and his writing partner Philippa Boyens told the official Lord of the Rings fan magazine that their next project will be a film adaptation of the best-selling supernatural novel The Lovely Bones. 
     "We feel comfortable with each other," Boyens said. "I am sure there will be other projects we do separately, but at the moment, as long as it works, we'll keep doing it." 
     The Alice Sebold book is narrated by the spirit of a murdered young girl as she watches her family and friends deal with her death. She also watches her murderer and follows the events in his life.

Fillion Flies Again In Serenity
     Nathan Fillion, star of the upcoming sci-fi movie Serenity, said that he's enjoying the transition to film from his canceled Fox series Firefly. "Yeah, it's a little different," Fillion said during a break in filming on the film's Universal Studios set last August. "We had eight days to put on a one-hour show. Now we've got the better part of three months to put out a two-hour show. So the timing is a little different. But certainly I can tell that the quality is also extremely different." 
     Fillion reprises the role of Captain Mal Reynolds, skipper of a transport spaceship 400 years in the future. He welcomed the chance to revisit the world of the short-lived Firefly, created by Joss Whedon, who also wrote and directed Serenity. "The series being canceled was such a heartbreak," Fillion said. "I broke the cardinal rule of: Don't fall in love with what you're doing, because the rug can get yanked out from underneath you. And when it did, I was heartbroken. So Joss really had it in his head that he was going to get it made into a movie, and that's a great dream. And I really wanted it to happen, but I couldn't fall in love with that idea again, just to be heartbroken again. So we got the green light, Joss wrote a script, everything was rolling, we started doing rehearsals, we actually started filming. I don't think it actually settled in until about three weeks into filming that we were actually making the movie. Serenity is set to open on Sept. 30.

New Dead To Raise Unknowns
     Rob Tapert, producer of the upcoming horror remake Evil Dead, said that he and fellow producer Sam Raimi are aiming for a largely unknown cast to star in the update of the supernatural movie that made Raimi a star director. Also, this time around, Raimi will hand over helming duties to another director. 
     "We don't have anybody in mind that I want to talk about to direct it," Tapert said in an interview. "A lot of 'Gosh, that would be great' and 'Wouldn't that be cool!' Cast-wise, although we haven't officially discussed it, our gut tells us we should get the best actors, but ideally people who aren't known." 
     Tapert added that regardless who takes the helm of the remake, the film will enjoy a bigger budget than the $380,000 that was spent on the original film. "We'll certainly refine the edges, but it's not a project that demands that money [be] thrown at it," Tapert said. "It is a project that probably excels in ingenuity, so we're certainly not going to be making the $50 million Evil Dead. To attract a director who we think will be fun and cool and the audience will think is fun and cool, we may not be able to say, 'Here's $380,000 and a wheelchair for a dolly.' So somewhere in between those extremes, it's really going to be a function of director and story. They will have all the money they need and the tools to tell the story and entertain the audience in an overall fashion, but it's not something that we said we need to go out and get Ashton Kutcher to star in to get the audience to come and see it."

X-Man Not Sorry Singer's Gone
     Alan Cumming, who played the blue-skinned Nightcrawler in the X-MEN sequel, X2, revealed that he's not disappointed Bryan Singer won't be directing the third installment in the comic-book franchise. "I'm not, and I can't deny it," Cumming said in an interview. "I think he's really talented, and I'm really proud of the film—I think it's a great film—but I didn't enjoy working with him on it." Cumming declined to elaborate. 
     Cumming, who next appears in the supernatural fantasy film Son of the Mask, added that he doesn't know who will follow in Singer's footsteps, but that he was scheduled to start filming in June, a date he doubts will hold firm. "It's a really hard act to follow," Cumming said of the proposed X-Men 3. "The last I heard is that they are starting on the 20th of June, but I don't think that's going to happen, because they don't have a script or a director yet. It might be pushed up, but they have to release it in May of 2006 for some reason, so it's got to be shot in the summer." 
     Cumming said that he's had to juggle his schedule to remain available for X-MEN 3. "I kind of just want to know when I'm going to do it, because it affects your whole life," he said. "You're under the option, so every time you do [something else], you have to tell them, just in case they are going to get it together really fast. I'm going to do this show on Broadway, which I moved to January of next year just to make sure that I finished X-Men. You're under some option with them, so it's quite weird."

Hounsou Explored The Island
     Djimon Hounsou, who co-stars in the upcoming futuristic thriller The Island, said that his character, Laurent, was inspired by a well-known character from a classic SF film. "He's kind of like the character of Harrison Ford in Blade Runner," Hounsou said in an interview. "My character is in constant pursuit of the clones. This is a story that has to do with cloning." 
     In the film, Hounsou plays the head of a security team charged with hunting down a pair of fugitive clones played by Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. Hounsou, who can also be seen alongside Keanu Reeves in the upcoming comic-book adaptation Constantine, said that he was attracted to The Island because of the contemporary issues tackled in the script. 
     "I think the subject matter is pretty intriguing," Hounsou said. "I mean, look at it. California, Hollywood, desperately wanting to stay forever young [and] beautiful. ... That's what will be the questions [it raises]." 
     Though Hounsou hadn't worked with The Island's director Michael Bay before, he said that he was aware of his reputation for being short-tempered on the set before shooting began. "Everybody has an impression about him being the screamer, I guess," Hounsou said. "I've known him for so long and I know where it comes from. He's just a kid in a candy store who wants to get things [done]. He's dealing with a picture of this magnitude and the money involved, the pressure and all that. He has to get so much done so quickly, so he wouldn't be finding himself over budget like ... Titanic or something, you see what I'm saying? He's an amazing guy." The Island is scheduled to open July 22.

SUTHERLAND TO FACE THE RECKONING
     Donald Sutherland has been cast in HUNTER: THE RECKONING, the next in director Uwe Boll’s string of features based on horror video games. This one’s about ordinary people who are given supernatural abilities and weapons in order to hunt down monsters living among us in human form. Pre-production begins in February, with the movie set to shoot later this year in Boll’s favorite locale, Vancouver. The script’s by David Schneider and Drew Daywalt, whose credits include writing and directing the Seann William Scott-starring crime comedy STARK RAVING MAD.

Weisz Gushes Over Fountain
     Rachel Weisz, star of Darren Aronofsky's top-secret sci-fi film The Fountain, offered a few details about her role in the century-spanning epic romance. The film follows her character, Izzi, and her lover, Tom (Hugh Jackman), through past, present and future as they search for the fountain of youth. "This is a very different sci-fi from anything anyone will have seen before," Weisz said in an interview while promoting her upcoming film, Constantine. "It's Aronofsky sci-fi. It's a little different." 
     Weisz added: "It's a great, big love story, a huge love story that goes through time, and it has a science-fiction kind of thing to it. It's very original. That's why it's sort of difficult to explain. But it's unlike anything anybody's ever seen before, thank God. It's about the search for the fountain of youth, hence the title." 
     Weisz said that The Fountain won't push boundaries the way Aronofsky's previous movie, the NC-17-rated Requiem for a Dream, did. "With [Requiem] it was like pornographic content, but [The Fountain] hasn't got that," Weisz said. "I mean, it's very raw. I think it's as raw, but it doesn't involve drugs and sex, so there are no taboos." No release date has been set for The Fountain. Weisz will soon be seen with Keanu Reeves in Constantine, which opens Feb. 18.

SCREENWRITER TALKS CLIVE BARKERS ABARAT 
     John Harrison, who began as George Romero’s composer on films like CREEPSHOW and became a director with TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE: THE MOVIE and the Sci Fi Channel’s DUNE miniseries, is just wrapping up scripting on the much-awaited film version of Clive Barker’s ABARAT books. "I co-wrote a movie for Disney called DINOSAUR several years ago, and they had bought Clive’s four Abarat books and called me to ask if I’d be interested in adapting them," Harrison says of the author’s lavishly illustrated dark-fantasy tomes. "I had known Clive from some previous encounters—near-misses, things we didn’t get to do together—and I was thrilled, because I’ve been to his house and I’ve seen his fantastic Abarat paintings. It’s phenomenal, because he actually painted the story before he wrote it—his house is filled with canvases, some the size of a whole wall. So I said of course, I’d love to do that."
     The ABARAT saga follows a girl named Candy Quackenbush through the titular mystical realm, which is being threatened by the Lord of Midnight, Christopher Carrion. "We’re taking the first two books [Abarat and Days of Magic, Nights of War] and adapting them into one movie," Harrison reveals. "The screenplay will go in in the next couple of weeks, and we’ll see what happens. I don’t know what the publication schedule is for Clive’s next two books in the series, but I hope Disney will go forward quickly with the film. It’s got incredible, fantastical characters and a really complex, dark story. He has some wonderfully frightening characters in ABARAT—these chimeras of all different shapes and sizes—and Christopher Carrion is a truly scary bad guy."
     And even though the movie will be made by Disney, Harrison is determined to bring these characters to life with their fearsome qualities undiluted. "We’re obviously trying to design the movie for a broad audience," he notes, "but I’m hoping that the darker aspects won’t get completely removed. I have great faith in the whole grim-fairy-tale attitude about what these stories can be, and I believe that children can handle darker stories than we give them credit for. I hope that the success of the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, which didn’t pull any punches in terms of its horrific elements, and the last HARRY POTTER movie will encourage the studio not to sanitize Clive’s material."

DOG SOLDIERS director makes THE DESCENT
     DOG SOLDIERS writer/director Neil Marshall will be wrapping his latest horror film, THE DESCENT, at London’s Pinewood Studios this week. The Celador Films production concerns a group of women who square off against subterranean monsters in an underground cave.
     Here’s the official synopsis: "In a remote mountain range, six female friends meet for their yearly adventure, a caving trip into the arteries of the earth. Together, the group makes their way through the remote cave system, enjoying the hazardous but beautiful surroundings. Then, deep inside the cave, disaster strikes when their route back to the surface is blocked by a rockfall. When they learn that their leader, always pushing herself that little bit further, has brought them to an unexplored cave, and that no one is coming to rescue them, the group starts to splinter. But left with no option, they push on through the cave, praying for another exit.
     "The women battle through this harsh underground world, pitting their strength and determination against each new challenge. But there is something else lurking under the earth, a race of monstrous creatures hidden from the light, devolved to perfectly live in the dark… As the women realize they have become prey, they are forced to unleash their most primal instincts to face the creatures. But, as old wounds break open and loyalties disintegrate, the women realize the horrible truth—that they have most to fear from one another."
     In other DOG SOLDIERS news, DEATHWATCH writer/director Michael J. Bassett is in talks to helm the sequel, DOG SOLDIERS 2: DEAD MEAT, which should be shooting this spring. 
 
 
 
 

________________________________________________________________________________
EVENT NEWS   HAPPENINGS IN FANDOM   EVENT NEWS
 

February 18-20, 2005: Katsucon 2005, Arlington, VA

February 25-27, 2005: SheVaCon 13 , Roanoke, VA 
Guests, Tim Hildebrandt, L.E. Modesitt, Rikk Jacobs

February 18-20, 2005: BoSkone 42, Boston, MA
Sheraton Boston Hotel  617-236-2000
Guests, Orson Scott Card, Alan Pollack, Mike Glyer
 
 
 

DAVA’s DELIGHTS             

Le Fantome de la Opera

A Movie Review By: Isabelle Sentz

   "Who was that shape in the Shadow? Whose is the face in the mask?" 

   In 1911, his name was Erik, a disfigured and brilliant romantic who hopelessly yearns for a woman he will never have. Gaston Leroux introduced this tragic character to the world in both a realistic and creative fashion, detailing to his audience the events of his real life investigations into opera house hauntings. 
   In 1987, Andrew Lloyd Webber brought the dangerously seductive phantom to the stage led by Michael Crawford and a tremendously gripping musical score. But in 2004 the man behind the mask was none other than Dracula 2000's Gerard Butler, in the on screen debut of the heart wrenching classic. 
   So, whose is the face in the mask? The answer lies in the eye of the beholder. Yet, it cannot be argued that director Joel Schumacher managed to hold true to the vision of all in this, the phantoms' opera.
   Having never had the honor of viewing the stage production, I cannot fairly compare Andrew Lloyd Webbers' masterpiece to that of Schumachers' portrayal. In fact, up until recently the only exposure I had to the phantoms' world of murder, music, and love came from the Leroux novel.
   Though the plot was fairly self-explanatory to a reader of higher intellect, I can say with great confidence that I had never read anything so complex and so challenging. It was a story great depth and emotion written in the poetic beauty of the French language. What pity I may have felt for this 'lonesome gargoyle', however was ultimately overpowered by exhaustion, by the time I finished translating the dialogue into English. And, aside from its chilling overture, the music of the production was as foreign as its native tongue. When I entered the movie theater in early January, I expected to see an enjoyable rendition of stage and literature. But, I ended up getting much more than that. I got a fictional awakening.
   One of the reasons why 'Le Fantome' is so well received by his audience is because in spite his violent tendencies, he represents throughout the world a very well known emotion, heartache. 
   While we, as a society, may choose to express this in a more civilized manner, the odds are that fate has disappointed us in the affairs of the heart on more than one occasion. At one time or another, we have all known the pain of unattainable love. And, this problem is sympathetically addressed through Gerard Butlers' enchanting vocals.  
   His performance brings to the character a kind of erotic dignity the likes of which I could never have imagined within the novel. Though perhaps weak and unconvincing at first, Butler quickly redeems himself inside the phantoms' lair, singing to his beloved "Music of the Night" a kind of dark lullaby that perfectly captures the glory of the musical world. To watch him is to be overtaken by his alluring presence, and I have yet to recover from the journey.
Yet it isn't just the phantoms' good looks and stirringly seductive voice that keeps me returning to the opera. Certainly, a story of this magnitude needs a strong leader to carry it. Without such a man, the beauty of the tale would crumble in any format. But, the strength and abilities of the supporting cast is just as important. The young woman who captures the phantoms' heartstrings is aspiring diva Christine Daae, played by eighteen year old Emmy Rossum.   A sweet natured angel with uncompromising beauty, it is no wonder she has been marked with the praise of such a brilliant composer.  The pain of life's hardships are not only felt in the timeless lyrics of songs like "Wishing You were Somehow Here Again" and "Think of Me", but also in the way she performs them. Having had exposure to the opera world since the age of seven, Rossum somehow manages to combine her years of experience with classic innocence, making her the ideal leading lady for such challenging venture.
   The last of the main cast is talented newcomer, Patrick Wilson. With only six notable film roles under his belt, Wilson is much better known for his stage work in Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, which include "Oklahoma", "Miss Saigon", and "The Fully Monty". Raised by a professional voice coach, having already achieved various awards and nominations in musical theater, it should come as no surprise to anyone why he was the natural choice for the role of Vicomte de Chagny in Joel Schumachers' screen adaptation. Raoul is a patron of loyalty, impeccable values, and dashing good looks. And, Wilson's inborn charisma compliments these qualities in a very real, practical sense. His vocal abilities are both genuine and romantic coupled with a boyishly handsome demeanor. It is a wonderful, heroic performance that is a true testament to how far a man will go in the name of love.
   These three are joined by a spectacular assemble including Miranda Richardson, Jennifer Ellison, and Minnie Driver, who lends her voice to a powerful new song on the films' soundtrack. 
   Yet another charming element of this movie is that it combines the talents of veteran performers with those of relative unknown actors; thus giving everybody a chance to shine. Those who are new may earn their place among the creative elite.  And, those who are not are able to explore fresh territory of music and movement. 
   There is no middle ground in a film like this. People either love it or hate it. But, no matter what the opinion, the outcome remains the same. This story is one of morose, awe-consuming beauty that stays with you forever in any medium. 
   Take a chance, buy a ticket, keep your hand at the level of your eyes, and let the angel of music sing songs in your head. 
   Once the dream begins, you'll never want to wake.
MOVIES WE HAVE KNOWN – 2004 – 
Thanks to Dave Willard for the Poll and the hard work putting it together, here is movies of 2004 and OUR ratings of them and then a look at IMDB and what they thought too. 

ICS MEMBERS CHOICES FOR 2004
Loved it
Hated it
Bummed
Title
REL
 
 
 
AFTER SUNSET
12-Nov
1
 
2
ALAMO, THE
9-Apr
 
2
1
ALEXANDER
24-Nov
3
1
2
ALIEN VS. PREDATOR
13-Aug
 
 
 
ANACONDAS: THE HUNT FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID
27-Aug
2
 
1
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
16-Jun
3
 
 
AVIATOR, THE
25-Dec
1
 
 
BIRTH
29-Oct
 
2
2
BLADE: TRINITY
10-Dec
4
 
 
BLIND SWORDSMAN, ZATOICHI, THE
23-Jul
6
 
1
BOURNE SUPREMACY, THE
23-Jul
4
 
2
BUTTERFLY EFFECT, THE
23-Jan
1
 
 
CATWOMAN
23-Jul
3
 
1
CELLULAR
10-Sep
2
 
 
CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, THE
11-Jun
7
 
 
COLLATERAL
6-Aug
 
 
1
CRIMINAL
10-Sep
1
 
 
DARKNESS
25-Dec
13
 
 
DAWN OF THE DEAD
19-Mar
10
2
1
DAY AFTER TOMORROW, THE
28-May
1
1
1
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND
19-Mar
2
 
2
EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING
20-Aug
1
 
 
FINAL CUT, THE
10-Oct
2
 
1
FINDING NEVERLAND
12-Nov
3
 
 
FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX
17-Dec
3
2
1
FORGOTTEN, THE
24-Sep
1
 
 
GODSEND
30-Apr
3
1
1
GRUDGE, THE
22-Oct
8
 
2
HARRY POTTER &THE PRISONER OF AZAKABAN
4-Jun
9
 
1
HELLBOY
2-Apr
8
1
 
HERO
27-Aug
3
1
2
HIDALGO
5-Mar
3
 
 
HIGHWAYMEN
13-Feb
6
 
 
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
3-Dec
7
 
3
I, ROBOT
16-Jul
12
 
 
INCREDIBLES, THE
5-Nov
12
 
2
KILL BILL VOL. 2
16-Apr
 
2
 
KING ARTHUR
7-Jul
4
 
 
LADDER 49
1-Oct
1
 
1
LADYKILLERS, THE
26-Mar
2
 
1
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
17-Dec
4
 
2
MAN ON FIRE
23-Apr
1
1
3
MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, THE
30-Jul
4
 
 
MIRACLE
6-Feb
4
 
1
NATIONAL TREASURE
REL.
2
1
1
OCEAN'S TWELVE
19-Nov
7
 
3
OPEN WATER
10-Dec
1
 
 
PAPARAZZI
20-Aug
5
 
1
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
3-Sep
2
1
 
POLAR EXPRESS, THE
25-Dec
 
1
3
PUNISHER, THE
10-Nov
2
1
1
RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE
16-Apr
 
 
 
RIDING THE BULLET
10-Sep
3
 
1
SAW
15-Oct
3
 
2
SECRET WINDOW
29-Oct
1
1
2
SEED OF CHUCKY
11-Mar
1
 
1
SHARK TALE
12-Nov
10
 
 
SHAUN OF THE DEAD
1-Oct
14
 
 
SHREK 2
24-Sep
8
2
5
SKY CAPTAIN & THE WORLD OF TOMORROW
19-May
 
 
1
SPARTAN
17-Sep
15
1
1
SPIDER-MAN 2
11-Mar
3
 
1
STARSKY AND HUTCH
30-Jun
2
1
6
STEPFORD WIVES, THE
5-Mar
 
 
 
SUSPECT ZERO
11-Jun
1
 
1
TAKING LIVES
27-Aug
5
 
 
TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE
19-Mar
2
 
 
THUNDERBIRDS
15-Oct
 
1
 
TORQUE
24-Jul
3
1
2
TROY
16-Jan
1
 
1
TWISTED
12-May
4
2
8
VAN HELSING
27-Feb
7
1
4
VILLAGE, THE
7-May
3
 
2
WALKING TALL
30-Jul
 
 
 
WICKER PARK
2-Apr
 
 
 

3-Sep
 
 
 

IMDB RATINGS SCALE FOR MOVIES OF 2004
IMDB
TITLE
IMDB
TITLE
8.6
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF 
THE SPOTLESS MIND
6.3
SECRET WINDOW
8.2
FINDING NEVERLAND
6.3
STARSKY AND HUTCH
8.2
HERO
6.3
WICKER PARK
8.2
INCREDIBLES, THE
6.2
DAY AFTER TOMORROW, THE
8.2
KILL BILL VOL. 2
6.2
FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX
7.9
SHAUN OF THE DEAD
6.2
PUNISHER, THE
7.9
SPIDER-MAN 2
6.1
CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, THE
7.7
BLIND SWORDSMAN, 
ZATOICHI, THE
6.1
FINAL CUT, THE
7.7
HARRY POTTER AND THE
 PRISONER OF AZAKABAN
6.1
OCEAN'S TWELVE
7.7
MIRACLE
6.1
OPEN WATER
7.7
SHREK 2
6.0
BIRTH
7.7
AVIATOR, THE
5.9
KING ARTHUR
7.6
BUTTERFLY EFFECT, THE
5.9
AFTER SUNSET
7.6
COLLATERAL
5.8
ALAMO, THE
7.5
HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS
5.8
BLADE: TRINITY
7.5
SAW
5.8
FORGOTTEN, THE
7.3
BOURNE SUPREMACY, THE
5.8
RIDING THE BULLET
7.3
DAWN OF THE DEAD
5.8
SHARK TALE
7.3
MAN ON FIRE
5.8
WALKING TALL
7.3
TEAM AMERICA: WORLD POLICE
5.7
DARKNESS
7.1
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
5.7
GRUDGE, THE
7.0
SPARTAN
5.6
RESIDENT EVIL: APOCALYPSE
7.0
TROY
5.6
SUSPECT ZERO
6.9
I, ROBOT
5.6
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
6.7
HELLBOY
5.5
ALEXANDER
6.7
LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF
 UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
5.5
PAPARAZZI
6.7
MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, THE
5.4
HIGHWAYMEN
6.7
POLAR EXPRESS, THE
5.4
ALIEN VS. PREDATOR
6.6
HIDALGO
5.3
STEPFORD WIVES, THE
6.6
NATIONAL TREASURE
5.3
TAKING LIVES
6.6
SKY CAPTAIN AND THE
 WORLD OF TOMORROW
5.3
VAN HELSING
6.5
LADDER 49
5.2
SEED OF CHUCKY
6.5
VILLAGE, THE
5.0
EXORCIST: THE BEGINNING
6.4
CELLULAR
4.7
GODSEND
6.4
CRIMINAL
4.7
TWISTED
6.4
LADYKILLERS, THE
4.2
THUNDERBIRDS
 

4.1
ANACONDAS: THE HUNT
 FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID
 

3.4
CATWOMAN
 

3.1
TORQUE

IMAGINATIVE CINEMA COMING SOON
MUST SEE MOVIES FOR ICS MEMBERS LIKEYOU!
 
FEB 4th      BOOGEYMAN  
Premise: A young man (Watson), emotionally traumatized by memories of terrible things he experienced in his bedroom as a little boy, decides to return to the house he grew up in to try to face his fears of that bedroom; fears of a mysterious being he thinks are his imagination. Unless, of course, the Boogeyman is real. Not to be confused with the boogyman movies of the 80s. 
 

 FEB 18th       CONSTANTINE  
Cast: Keanu Reeves (John Constantine), Rachel Weisz (Angela Dodson), Max Baker, Djimon Hounsou (Papa Midnite)
Premise: John Constantine (Cage) is a world-travelling, mage-like misfit who investigates supernatural mysteries and the like, walking a thin line between evil and good. Constantine teams up with a female police detective, Angela (Weisz), who seeks Constantine's help while investigating the suicide-like death of her twin sister. And what is it about Constantine that puts him in a position where he is making deals with representatives from both Heaven and Hell? 
 
(check out reviews for this one on the ICS Message Board, many of our members went to the free preview on Tuesday Feb 8th)
 

FEB 25th       CURSED
Premise: An estranged brother and sister living in Los Angeles, mourning the recent loss of their parents, are brought together by a savage werewolf attack, forcing them to fight for survival, against both the beast and the dangers of its virulent curse... 
 

 MARCH 11th      ROBOTS
 Cast: Ewan McGregor, Halle Berry, Robin Williams, Mel Brooks.
Premise: Set on a world populated entirely by robots, this is the story of a young genius, Rodney (Ewan McGregor), who wants to make robots capable of making the world a better place, but he finds his dream challenged by a corporate tyrant and a master inventor, Big Weld (Mel Brooks), while also being seduced by a sexy corporate robot, Cappy (Halle Berry). 

farewellsfarewellsfarewells Good bye farewellsfarewellsfarewells

           
JOHNNY CARSON     1925 – 2005      NO ONE HAS DONE IT BETTER
 

Virginia Mayo, the beautiful blond who rose to movie stardom in the 1940s in comedies opposite Bob Hope and Danny Kaye and had memorable dramatic turns with James Cagney in White Heat and Dana Andrews in The Best Years of Our Lives, has died at age 84. 
A former vaudevillian who came under the wing of producer Samuel Goldwyn, Mayo launched her movie career with a small part in the 1943 movie Jack London. She appeared in such other movies as the princess and the pirate, the kid from brooklyn, the secret life of walter mitty, flaxy martin, the flame and the arrow, the iron mistress, captain horatio hornblower, along the great divide, the slver chalice (with Paul Newman) and the tall stranger. She was also in the genre films castle of evil, the haunted and evil spirits.
 

Thelma White, whose portrayal of a hard-boiled Mae Colman in the 1936 movie Reefer Madness was largely forgotten until the film resurfaced in the 1970s as a cult classic has died. 
She was in such B-movies as what price jazz, the moon’s our home, wanted by the police and bowery champs with the Bowery Boys. After WWII she became an agent
for performers such as Robert Blake, James Coburn, Ann Jillian, Dolores Hart and Robert Fuller. She was 94.

Ossie Davis, the baritone-voiced actor, director, playwright and civil rights activist has died at age 87. He had been preparing to start filming an independent movie called Retirement with co-stars George Segal, Rip Torn and Peter Falk. 
Married for 56 years to actress Ruby Dee, Davis was at the forefront of the civil rights movement and was one of the pioneers pushing the envelope for blacks in the mainstream film industry.
As a director, he paved the way for a wave of black-themed movies in the 1970s with Cotton Comes to Harlem. His greatest success as a playwright was the 1961 race satire Purlie Victorious, a classic contemporary black drama that ran on Broadway before it became Purlie, a Tony- and Grammy-winning musical.
His films include no way out (1950 debut), the joe louis story, the cardinal, malcolm x (1972), harry and son, do the right thing, jungle fever, gladiator, malcolm x (1992), the client, and ICS favorite bubba ho-tep. He also directed Kongi’s harvest, black girl, gordon’s war and cool red.
Last year he and Dee received Kennedy Center honors for their lifetime achievements in the arts. In 1995, President Clinton gave them the National Medal of the Arts.
 

Ruth Warrick, who was Phoebe Tyler Wallingford of the daytime soap opera All My Children and launched her career in Orson Welles' classic film Citizen Kane, has died. She was 88. Other of her films included the corsican brothers, song of the south, the great dan patch and the great bank robbery.