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YANKEE SWAP 6 (AKA TAKING ORDERS FROM CHARLIE) 
 Once again, our Yankee Swap was a success.  Every year seems to have one person whose swap gifts are frequently stolen.  This year, John Ward, was that man.  But, luckily for him, he ended up with an Outback Steakhouse gift certificate and, naturalmente, breath mints.  Other notable gifts included Friday the 13th figures and diorama, a talking American Psycho figure (w/ unrated DVD), spaghetti westerns, the full 3rd season of 24, a season of Tripping the Rift, a Field Guide to Monsters and a Fantastic Four mega-collection of gifts.  (Sadly enough, no-one ended up with Thing Feet). 
 Thanks to all who participated in one of our most lively annual traditions!  And an honorable mention to Charlie, who made sure we took our turns in proper order!

THE OMEGA MAN
 Something about the end of the year makes one ruminate on the end of the world.  What will it be like?  If it ends now, roads will be littered with SUV’s, non-perishable food will consist of high-protein breakfast bars and energy drinks, and survivors will probably wear modified combat casual.  But if the world ended in the 70’s, you get Charlton Heston in wide lapels and bell-bottoms battling inhuman nocturnal foes and the plot of THE OMEGA MAN, our December 2005 feature.  Thanks to John Ward for bringing in the goods!

ICS NIGHT OUT
  ICS rented out the balcony at the Senator Theater on Saturday, January 7, 2006 to view KING KONG.  There was a good mix of club members and guests.  Many of the attendees viewed King Kong for the first time at this outing.  The film, which has garnered mixed reviews from the critics, also received mixed reviews from the club members.  But at the end of the night, folks gathered informally to discuss the film and pose for pictures (courtesy of John Weber).  It was one more enjoyable night at the Senator!

NEWS OF OUR NEXT MEETING
 Our next meeting will be held on Saturday January 28th 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.   

JANUARY PRESENTATION – CHILLING THE FUNNY BONE
  Tom Proveaux’s long wait is over.  His turn is finally up!  His theme is chilling the funny bone – a presentation on genre films that have more than a smidgeon of comedy to them.  So, if the 5pm winter sunsets are getting you down, Perry Hall Pres is the place to be on January 28th for this upbeat presentation and film selection!
 

HEAR YE HEAR YE!  ELECTIONS ARE NEAR!
    Our annual elections will be held at the January 2006 meeting.  The requirements for running for election are simple – have a paid 2006 membership to the club, be willing to give up an extra day in the month for a board meeting and have a strong interest in helping the club prosper.  The current candidate list is as follows: 

Jim Childs
Andrew Kent
Joe Plempel
Steve Vaught

John Ward
Dave Willard

    If you cannot attend the meeting and want to submit an absentee vote, please select five candidates and email to Regina at RVALLER107@HOTMAIL.COM or via US mail to:
 Regina Vallerani
 103 W. 39th St Apt B-1
 Baltimore, MD  21210
 
DUES NEWS
    This is just a reminder that dues expire on New Year's Day. It will be time to pony up for the coming year. Individuals are $25. Couples are $40. Extra family members who reside at the same address are $15 each added the primary membership.  We hope that you decide to join us for an exciting year ahead. 
 Dues can be paid to Regina at meetings or sent via paypal to ICSFILM@HOTMAIL.COM or mailed to Regina at:
 Regina Vallerani
 103 W. 39th St Apt B-1
 Baltimore, MD  21210

The following members have paid their 2006 dues – if you have paid and are not listed here, please contact Regina.

Rick Arnold
Betsy Childs
Jim Childs
John Clayton
Sam DiBlasi
David Henderson
Norman Jones
Joe Plempel
Tom Proveaux
Robin Richards
Lisa Schilling 
Mike Schilling
Richard Smith
Jack Tydings
Regina Vallerani
Teeka Vallerani
Neil Wagenfer
John Weber  
 

tvnewstvnewstvnews TheGlassTeat tvnewstvnewstvnews
TWO NBC STATIONS PULL DANIEL
   Two NBC affiliates will pre-empt the Jan. 6 premiere of the network's religious-themed series The Book of Daniel, which has been the focus of complaints from a religious group. KARK-TV of Little Rock, Ark., told TV Guide Online that it ordered the pre-emption after "careful consideration" of viewer feedback. But WTWO-TV in Terre Haute, Ind., said the decision has little to do with the series itself, according to The Hollywood Reporter. 
   WTWO-TV said it would pre-empt Daniel to protest what the station views as the network's strong-arm approach to affiliates, as well inconsistent federal oversight of indecent content, the trade paper reported. 
   Daniel, a comic drama centering on a drug-addicted Episcopalian priest (Aidan Quinn) and his troubled family, has drawn complaints from at least one self-styled conservative watchdog group, the American Family Association, for what it argues is an unflattering portrayal of Christianity.
   Others stations have been flooded with e-mails and calls from viewers objecting to the series, at the AFA's urging. NBC has said it stands by the series. 
   NBC is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM. Book of Daniel premieres at 9 p.m. ET/PT. 
 
 
 

A FUTURE FOR FUTURAMA?
   Talks have begun at 20th Century Fox TV to revive the animated TV show Futurama, much in the same way Family Guy found new life after cancellation, Variety reported. 
   The studio is in early discussions to put Futurama back in production and create a limited number of episodes of the Emmy Award-winning show, although it's too soon to tell where those episodes might end up. A representative for 20th Century Fox TV declined comment to Variety. 
   The final original episode of Futurama aired on Fox in August 2003. Since then, the show has found new life and fans via DVD releases and repeatedly high-rated airings on the Cartoon Network. 
   Before Futurama comes back into being, however, Fox first must secure deals with the show's production team, as well as voice stars Billy West (Fry), Katey Sagal (Leela) and John DiMaggio (Bender). 
   Meanwhile, new Futurama stories have appeared in comics published by co-creator Matt Groening's Bongo Comics imprint.
 
WHEDON: NO MORE FIREFLY
   Firefly/Serenity creator Joss Whedon told USA Today that he still hopes to tell more stories set in the futuristic universe, but added that there's no chance he'll do another Firefly TV show. "We'll never make Firefly again, because that was a thing that existed and is now gone," Whedon told the newspaper before Christmas. "And Serenity isn't Firefly, and whatever comes next won't be, either. But I would love to tell more stories of this universe and to hang out with these people on and off for the rest of my career." 
   Serenity, based on the canceled Fox TV show Firefly, hit theaters last September and has pulled in a disappointing $25.4 million domestically since opening Sept. 30, 2005. The movie is now available on DVD. "The best-case scenario is that the DVD is such a spectacular, monster hit that we get to make another movie," Whedon said. "Then we get to make another movie. After three movies, we're all very tired. After Serenity: Revolutions, we feel like we've played it out. And then we make another series." 
   Whedon is currently writing the script for Wonder Woman, which he is slated to direct once Warner Brothers signs off. 
 
 
 

BRITS MISS STAR TREK THE MOST (we here in the states do too)
   The original Star Trek is the show most Britons want to see returned to U.K. TV, according to the results of a survey reported by the BBC. The show, which premiered in 1966, topped a poll of more than 1,000 viewers commissioned by the British interactive TV firm Home Media Networks, the BBC reported. 
   Buffy the Vampire Slayer came in second, followed by the long-running sitcom Friends. 
   The rest of the list: 4. Fawlty Towers 5. Blake's 7 6. The X-Files 7. Babylon 5 8. Stargate SG-1 9. Seinfeld 10. The A-Team. Only SCI FI Channel's original series Stargate SG-1 is still in production and returns with original episodes on Jan. 6. 

GALACTICA’S MOORE DEVELOPS MORE SF
   NBC Universal Television Studio has signed a two-year development deal with Ronald D. Moore, executive producer of SCI FI Channel's original series Battlestar Galactica, to create and develop series, with an emphasis on SF projects. Moore has already set up the fantasy series Pen and the Sword for NBC and the supernatural series Warehouse 13 for SCI FI. Moore will continue to oversee Galactica, which returns with new episodes on Jan. 6. 
   Pen and the Sword centers on a young man who works in a building that is a portal to a medieval alternate universe. 
   Warehouse 13, from writer Brent Mote, is about a pair of government officials who are banished to a storage facility in North Dakota in which every item has a supernatural or fantastical backstory. 
   Moore is a veteran of the Star Trek spinoff series The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager and wrote the screenplay for the movie Star Trek: First Contact. He also produced Roswell and HBO's Carnivale and received a story credit on the movie Mission: Impossible II. 
   NBC Universal TV, NBC and SCI FI Channel are all owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM.
 
SCI FI CHANNEL TO AIR NIGHT STALKER
   SCI FI Channel will air repeats of ABC's canceled supernatural drama Night Stalker—including three never-before-seen episodes—starting next summer, the network announced. SCI FI acquired all 10 produced episodes of the Touchstone Television series, which starred Stuart Townsend as journalist Carl Kolchak. 
   ABC aired seven episodes of the show, based on the 1974 series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, before pulling it from the schedule—in the middle of a two-part episode—because of low ratings. Night Stalker is executive-produced by Frank Spotnitz (The X-Files) and also stars Gabrielle Union, Eric Jungmann and Cotter Smith. 
   The show centers on Kolchak, a crime reporter whose wife was mysteriously killed 19 months earlier. Now, in the eyes of the FBI, Kolchack is the primary suspect. His determination to discover the truth behind his wife's murder leads him to investigate other crimes that seem to have some kind of supernatural component. 
 
FAN TREK FILM FINNISHES FIRST
   A spoof of Star Trek has become Finland's most-viewed movie, relying on free distribution over the Internet to reach more than 3 million viewers in less than two months, the Reuters news service reported.
   Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning is a full-length feature in Finnish with English subtitles that pits The Next Generation-like ships against Babylon 5-like ships in a space battle for domination of the galaxy. It was made by a group of students and other amateur filmmakers with a bare-bones budget and a few home computers to create elaborate special effects. 
   According to the Finnish Internet hosting firm Magentasites Oy, which is helping to distribute Star Wreck, 2.92 million copies have been downloaded from the film's Web site since Oct. 1, and an estimated 600,000 copies have gone out through various mirror sites, the wire service reported. 
 
LOST GETS BOTH EW AWARD & WGA NOMINATION
   ABC's hit series Lost received a nomination for outstanding achievement in writing for a dramatic series for the 58th Annual Writers Guild TV Awards, the Writers Guild of America, East, and the Writers Guild of America. Winners will be named on Feb. 4, 2006. 
   The guild announced a nomination for the Lost writing staff that includes Jeffrey J. Abrams, Kim Clements, Carlton Cuse, Leonard Dick, Paul Dini, Brent Fletcher, David Fury, Drew Goddard, Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Adam Horowitz, Jennifer M. Johnson, Christina M. Kim, Edward Kitsis, Jeffrey Lieber, Damon L. Lindelof, Lynne Litt, Monica Macer, Steven Maeda, Elizabeth Sarnoff, Janet Tamaro, Christian M. Taylor and Craig Wright. 
   Lost also won the title of "Entertainer of the Year" from Entertainment Weekly magazine, which called the show one of the "biggest cult breakouts since The X-Files.

movienewsmovienews Silver Screen movienewsmovienews

Story Back For Four 2
     Director Tim Story has signed on to return for the sequel film Fantastic Four 2, which 20th Century Fox has slotted for release July 4, 2007. Story's seven-figure deal triples his quote from the first film, which grossed $320 million worldwide. Mark Frost has returned to write the sequel for Fox and Marvel Enterprises. 
     Story said that his decision to return for a second Fantastic Four, based on the Marvel Comics series, was a no-brainer. Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis will return as the superhero quartet.

Gellar Back in Grudge 2
     The Grudge star Sarah Michelle Gellar has signed on to reprise her role, albeit briefly, in the horror sequel The Grudge 2 for Columbia Pictures and Ghost House Pictures. Gellar will return to pass the supernatural curse, which was introduced in the first installment, on to the franchise's next lead victim, an actor to be cast soon. Director Takashi Shimizu, writer Stephen Susco and producers Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert and Taka Ichise also are on board for the sequel. 
     This is Gellar's second crack at genre sequel work following her stint in Scream 2 and as far as future projects go, this year was a busy one, we'll be seeing her in Richard Kelly's Southland Tales and the supernatural thriller The Return soon.
     The Grudge 2 is set to begin shooting in Tokyo next month, with the studio eyeing an October release. The first film was a surprise hit for Sony, grossing more than $110 million domestically.

Johansson Joins The Prestige
     Scarlett Johansson (The Island) has signed on for the lead female role in director Christopher Nolan's supernatural film The Prestige alongside Hugh Jackman, David Bowie and Nolan's Batman Begins stars Christian Bale and Michael Caine. Shooting starts in January and continues through March in Los Angeles. The story centers on two rival magicians and is based on the novel by Christopher Priest; Nolan adapted the book for the screen.

Angel Star Gives Up Ghost
     Angel star David Boreanaz will play a ghost writer—or, rather, a writer who's a ghost—opposite Alan Cumming in Suffering Man's Charity, an independent dark comedy that Cumming will also direct. Boreanaz, who currently stars in Fox's Bones, will play a struggling writer who is accidentally killed by Cumming one evening. Cumming discovers the writer's novel and ends up taking credit for penning it. When it becomes a success, the writer comes back to haunt him. Suffering Man's Charity also stars Anne Heche, Henry Thomas and Carrie Fisher.

Fox Hears a Who
     Twentieth Century Fox Animation has set veteran animators Jimmy Hayward and Steve Martino to direct its computer-animated film adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic children's book Horton Hears a Who. Storyboarding has just begun, and Fox has slotted the film for a spring 2008 release. Blue Sky, makers of Ice Age and Robots, will produce the movie. 
     Audrey Geisel, widow of Theodor Geisel, who wrote the book under the pen name "Dr. Seuss," will act as executive producer. She sold Fox both Horton and an option for a sequel based on Horton Hatches an Egg.

Earthsea Becomes an Anime
     Japan's Studio Ghibli, the Japanese studio and home of anime master Hayao Miyazaki (Howl's Moving Castle), announced that it will adapt Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea fantasy novel series in an animated movie called Gedo Senki (Tales From Earthsea.) Gedo Senki will be released in Japan in July 2006 and will be based on the third and fourth books in Le Guin's six-volume series, which was first published in 1968. 
     Miyazaki's son, Goro Miyazaki, is making his feature directing debut with the film, about the journey of a wizard named Ged and Prince Arrenis. Le Guin's series was previously adapted as Legend of Earthsea, a live-action miniseries that aired on the SCI FI Channel in 2004.

WIND CHILL Coming to Vancouver
     WIND CHILL, a horror film from George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh’s Section 8 company (which produced THE JACKET and recent critical faves SYRIANA and GOOD NIGHT, AND GOOD LUCK), is set to film in the Vancouver area next February. Gregory Jacobs (CRIMINAL) will direct from a script by Steven Katz (SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE) and Joe Gangemi. The story concerns a pair of college students driving home for the holidays who break down on an isolated stretch of road, where they are terrorized by the spirits of people who died there.

Superman Documentary Flies
     Superman Returns director Bryan Singer has engaged documentary director Kevin Burns to make Look Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman. Singer will executive-produce with Burns and is working with Warner Brothers on ambitious plans to get the feature-length documentary a theatrical release and a TV viewing before Warner unveils Superman Returns on June 30. 
     Singer met the documentary maker when the director was a film student and said that he always wanted to do a documentary with Burns. Singer loved Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood, which Burns directed with Brent Zacky, and the Burns-directed Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy. 
     The TV cut of the documentary would include a scene from Superman Returns and will also likely end up either on the DVD release of Superman Returns or in a freestanding DVD of its own. 
     Burns has already done 40 interviews with artists and actors from the various Superman films and TV shows and said that he'll deliver the film by the end of April. Filming on Superman Returns wrapped last month.

Witchblade Re-sharpened For Film
     Platinum Studios, IDG Films and Relativity Media are financing and producing two back-to-back movies based on the comic-book series Witchblade. Shooting is set to begin late next year in China; no writer or director is yet attached. 
     The comics follow the story of a female detective who comes into possession of a mystical and powerful weapon that she uses to battle crime and evil. The comic was previously adapted as a TNT TV show, which was the most successful original series in the network's history during its brief run. 

Fishburne To Direct Alchemist
     Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix) will adapt, direct and star in an adaptation of Paulo Coelho's supernatural novel The Alchemist. Shooting takes place in Dubai and Jordan starting next year. 
     Fishburne will play the part of Santiago, a well-educated man who had intended to be a priest. A desire for travel prompts him to become a shepherd instead. When he dreams twice about hidden treasure, a seer tells him to go to Egypt's pyramids, where he will find a treasure.

Lussier Heads Toward The Light
     Patrick Lussier will direct the sequel to White Noise entitled White Noise 2: The Light. Lussier previously directed Dimension Films' Dracula 2000 trilogy- the last two sitting on the shelf for quite some time, only to get released after the Weinstein split. In White Noise 2: The Light, written by Matt Venne, a man's family is murdered and he is brought back from the brink of death. The man realizes he has changed and can now identify those among the living who are about to die. When he tries to save people from their fate, he discovers there is a price to paid for interfering with the natural order of life and death. 

BROTHERHOOD OF BLOOD Wraps
     ALONE IN THE DARK screenwriters Michael Roesch and Peter Scheerer wrapped last month on their directorial debut, BROTHERHOOD OF BLOOD. The film is described as a claustrophobic thriller about a team of vampire hunters who infiltrate a nest of undead to rescue one of their own. BROTHERHOOD OF BLOOD stars the busy Sid Haig and his fellow DEVIL’S REJECTS actor Ken Foree, as well as Victoria Pratt, who also stars in the Roesch and Scheerer-scripted HOUSE OF THE DEAD II. The supporting cast includes Jason Connery, Will Snow and Rachel Grant (DIE ANOTHER DAY). Arrow in the Head website guru John Fallon, last seen in SAW II, has a bit part as well. 
     “We’re thrilled to work with this exciting cast in the genre we love: horror,” Roesch said in a statement. “We tell a vampire story from a different angle,” added Scheerer, “and, of course, there will be blood!”
 

DAVA’S DELVINGS

This month – featuring a review by Sam DiBlasi 

   King Kong – Beauty killed the Beast

  A chilly night in Baltimore. The perfect evening for the ICS King Kong night.
   Driving up York Road and catching that first glimpse of the historic Senator Theater's colorful marquee bearing the title King Kong was enough to start the evening off on a note of excitement. From the moment I entered the lobby of the theater and saw familiar faces smiling from above in the balcony I knew this was going to be a special night. 
  Proceeding up the balcony's circular stairs, I was to be greeted by fellow ICS'ers and a table of delectable goodies. A large poster of Kong adorned the area with the soft drinks. It was nice to see some regulars and some new guests. The balcony area is comfortable, while not fancy. The center area was the meeting area with two viewing rooms on either side.  The room on the right side was to be the "quiet" room with a strict "no talking" rule, while the room on the left side was for those who wished to discuss the movie during its screening.
  The plot is a familiar one to most of us, this being one of a few remakes, although Peter Jackson really outdid himself, making this film something that could almost be called an epic. The story takes place in 1933 during the Great Depression and centers on a Vaudeville actress named Ann Darrow. She finds herself out of work with no means of support and is to the point of stealing food, when she is discovered by filmmaker Carl Denham. In a mad dash, Denham has just stolen his unfinished film from the studio and is planning to finish it on his own. He attempts to talk Darrow into starring in his film but she resists until she realizes that well known playwright Jack Driscoll is involved in writing the screenplay.  
   Denham hires a boat to take the crew to what they think is Singapore, but he is really searching for the legendary Skull Island. They, in fact, do find this Skull Island where thanks to some scary natives; Darrow is a sacrifice to Kong. She is taken by him and the real trip begins. The men follow to rescue her and they are pitted against a myriad of unusual creatures. They encounter stampeding dinosaurs, as well as a pit of giant spiders and ugly cockroaches.
   Then we discover Kong. Jackson let Kong be shown as both King of the Jungle (in a battle with 3 T-Rexs) and also as King in need. There are some touching moments between Kong and Darrow. There is a bonding as Kong saves her life and she then entertains him with some vaudeville. We see the Gorilla graveyard and realize that Kong is the last of his kind. 
   Meanwhile, Deneham is determined to capture Kong and take him back to New York. Darrow fights this and we are all moved when Kong finally falls to the whiff of chloroform. In classic Kong manner, Deneham says “Kong will be the 8th Wonder of the World.”
   The next shot is the marquee in New York. Again Jackson has caught the flavor of the original movie and it shows here. Kong is put on display in the New York theater in shackles as the "Eighth Wonder of the World." As the audience is in awe at the sight of this ape several stories tall, Kong manages to break free from his bondage for a spectacular escape from the theater. After an exciting search thru New York for the Blonde he wants, he finds her. Darrow. Kong, carrying the girl, manages to romp through New York trampling many buildings and vehicles along the way before he reaches the Empire State Building. Kong then proceeds to climb the Empire State Building, girl in hand.
   The next scenes are familiar ones to anyone who is the least bit acquainted with American cinema. Planes circle the building attempting to destroy Kong. He grabs and hurls at least one of the planes before being fatally wounded and plunging below to his demise. This leads us to ponder: we talk of beauty soothing the beast...but what about the beast in mankind?
   This was truly a special night for all involved. Good friends...good movie... How much better can it really get? I'm hoping that the Senator will be showing more genre related movies so that we can have another night in the balcony soon.

IMAGINATIVE CINEMA COMING SOON
MUST SEE MOVIES FOR YOU!

Jan 6th      The Gathering
Cast: Christina Ricci, Jennifer Beals, Stephen Dillane, Kerry Fox, Ioan Gruffudd, Blair Plant (Father Bernard), Bridget Turner (Mrs. Groves)
Premise: Set in rural England in present day, The Gathering centers on a first century church that is unearthed near an English countryside town, where a remarkable and sinister mural is found. A young American backpacker (Ricci) traveling through the English village finds herself involved in a car accident and gladly accepts help from the driver and her family. The girl begins to hallucinate and believes terrifying strangers are following her - but are the images from a concussion or a newly found gift of second sight, both of which might be connected to the church. The story involves an ancient legend dating back to Christ's crucifixion.

Jan 6th           Hostel.
Premise: Two adventurous American college buddies, Paxton and Josh, backpack through Europe eager to make quintessentially hazy travel memories with new friend Oli, an Icelander they've met along the way. Paxton and Josh are lured to a particular hostel in an out-of-the-way Slovakian town. The two friends arrive and soon easily pair off with exotic beauties Natalya and Svetlana. Initially distracted by the good time they're having, the two Americans quickly find themselves trapped in an increasingly sinister situation that they will discover is as wide and as deep as the darkest, sickest recess of human nature itself--if they survive.

Jan 20th       Underworld: Evolution  
Cast: Kate Beckinsale (Selene), Scott Speedman (Michael Corvin), Shane  Brolly (Kraven), Bill Nighy (Viktor), Derek Jacobi (Marcus)
Premise:  Selene the vampire and her lover, Michael the werewolf-hybrid, are caught in the middle of the continuing war between the two immortal races.

Feb 3rd      When a Stranger Calls 
Premise:  While babysitting, a high school student is terrorized by a stranger who calls her, asking "have you checked the children lately?" The police eventually notify her the calls are coming from inside the house.

Feb 10th      Final Destination 3
Premise:  When a high school student fails to stop the fated roller coaster ride that she predicted would cause the deaths of several of her friends, she teams with a schoolmate, in a race against time to prevent the Grim Reaper from revisiting the survivors of the first tragedy 

farewellsfarewellsfarewells Good bye farewellsfarewellsfarewells

RICHARD PRYOR
ONE OF THE VERY BEST
1940 - 2005
 

Jean Parker, who appeared in at least 70 movies in her career and had supporting roles in such popular films as Little Women, starring Katharine Hepburn, and The Gunfighter, starring Gregory Peck, has died. She was 90.
Born Lois May Green in Deer Lodge, Montana, she came to California in the early 1930s with her father. She began her career as a contract actress at MGM studio, appearing in seven films in 1933, the year of her debut. Other of her films include lady for a day, dead man’s eyes, gabriel over the white house, princess o’hara, the ghost goes west, zenobia, the flying deuces, torpedo boat, tomorrow we live, the deerslayer, detective kitty o’day, and apache uprising.
 

Vincent Schiavelli, the character actor whose gloomy, droopy-eyed look made him perfect for creepy or eccentric roles, has died. 
He was born and raised in New York and studied acting at New York University's School of the Arts. His films include one flew over the cuckoo’s nest, the frisco kid, night shift, fast times at ridgemont high, amadeus, homer & eddy, ghost, tomorrow never dies and death to smoochy. 
He also appeared in such ICS favorites as the return, the adventures of buckeroo bonzai, better off dead, batman returns, lurking fear, lords of illusion, blade runner and emperor: battle for dune. He was 57.
 

Patrick Cranshaw, the veteran character actor who unexpectedly attained pop-culture status playing Blue, the elderly fraternity brother in the hit comedy Old School, has died at 86.
Born in Bartlesville, Okla., in 1919, he became interested in acting while entertaining the troops with the Army Air Forces before World War II. After launching his screen career in 1955 playing a bartender in the western Texas Lady, he appeared in such other films as bonnie & clyde, bandelero, sgt. Pepper’s lonely hearts club band, pee wee’s big adventure, the hudsucker proxy, best in show and herbie fully loaded.
Cranshaw was also in such genre gems as the amazing transparent man, curse of the swamp creature and mars needs women.
 

Beverly Tyler, a film actress from the 1940s and '50s who signed a studio contract at 14, then grew up to make 16 films, has died. She was 78.
Born Beverly Jean Saul on July 5, 1927, in Scranton, Pa, Tyler had her first screen test at the New York City office of MGM. She was soon on her way to Culver City with her parents and making $75 a week, mainly to attend school on the studio lot. Several years later, she received favorable reviews for portraying a Scottish girl in the sentimental film, The Green Years in 1946. She made her last film, Toughest Gun in Tombstone, in 1958 and subsequently left the business when she moved to Reno with her husband. Other of her films include the youngest profession, best foot forward, my brother talks to horses, the fireball, the palimino, the cimarron kid, the battle of apache pass and chicago confidential. She also worked with Boris Karloff on voodoo island.
 

Robert Sheckley one of the 20th century’s major Science Fiction writers has died at age 77. He was born in 1928 and grew up in New Jersey. After serving in Korea he studied at the University of New York and sold his first story in 1951. During the fifties and sixties a large number of his short stories appeared in magazines including Amazing, Astounding, If, Fantasy and Science Fiction and Playboy. His novels include immortality inc, the status civilization, journey beyond tomorrow, the tenth victim, mindswap, options, dramocles and victim prime.

Photo Gallery Photo Gallery Photo Gallery Photo Gallery
 
In this first of images from Bryan Singer's upcoming Superman Returns, Brandon Routh plays the Man of Steel, captured here in a pose reminiscent of the June 1938 cover of Action Comics No. 1, which marked the superhero's debut. (David James for Warner Brothers)
 
 

 
 
NEWS WE WANT TO SHARE - BUT DON’T KNOW WHERE ELSE TO PUT 

ROSWELL ‘SAUCER’ MAN DIES
   Army Lt. Walter Haut, who issued a news release in 1947 that said a flying saucer landed in Roswell, N.M., died there on Dec. 15, his daughter, Julie Shuster, told the Associated Press. He was 83.
   Haut's release and the news coverage it generated were the beginning of the mythology surrounding the tiny New Mexico town and its supposed link to the UFO phenomenon, which persists to this day. 
   Haut, a former spokesman for the Roswell Army Air Field, took dictation on July 8, 1947, as base commander Col. William Blanchard dictated a news release about a recovered flying saucer and ordered Haut to issue it. 
   The Roswell Daily Record newspaper ran a bold headline on July 9, 1947: "RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region." 
   The same day, a statement was released saying it was only a weather balloon. 
   Subsequently, Haut and two other men founded the International UFO Museum in Roswell.
 
 
 

DC SUPERHERO STAMPS ARE COMING
   Not only an increase in postage, but the United States Postal Service announced that it will issue a series of stamps featuring 10 DC Comics superheroes next summer, the first such stamps ever issued by the service. The DC Comics stamps will feature the classic superheroes Aquaman, Batman, The Flash, Green Arrow, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Plastic Man, Supergirl, Superman and Wonder Woman, the USPS said. 
   The stamps will be sold in sheets of 20; half of each sheet will feature portraits of the characters, while the others will reproduce classic covers of the heroes' comics. 
   The featured covers will include Plastic Man number four, from the summer of 1946; Batman number one, spring 1940; The Brave and the Bold number 36, featuring Hawkman, June-July 1961; Green Lantern number four, January-February 1961; The Flash number 111, February-March 1960; Wonder Woman number 22 (second series), November 1988; Aquaman number five, October 1989; The Daring New Adventures of Supergirl number one, November 1982; Superman number 11, July-August 1941; and Green Arrow number 15, September 2002.
 
 
 

John Ward and The Last Ward will be back in February with some Oscar movie picks and Oscar information for all of us.
ICS CALENDER –the Month in review!
 

Jan 6th      The Gathering
 

Jan 6th        Hostel.
 

Jan 20th     Underworld: Evolution  
 

Jan 28th     ICS MEETING   Saturday at 5:30 P.M. 
                 We will have Tom Proveaux’s presentation of “chilling the funny bone” – a presentation on genre films that have more than a smidgeon of comedy to them.  Also, Club dues for 2006 are due and our annual elections will be held on this night.

The current candidate list for club elections is as follows: 
Jim Childs
Andrew Kent
Joe Plempel
Steve Vaught
John Ward
Dave Willard