NO STINKERS TONIGHT
        The presentation was a sequel to the well-received “No-Stinkers Night” of several years back. John Ward led a decade-by-decade discussion of the quality genre movies that typified the ‘30s, ‘40s, etc. for club members. Each decade was represented on the selections list, from the ‘30s through the New Millennium, and the ‘30s won out with BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN, although it took a second count and several double vote cards for BRIDE to break the tie with the ‘80s rep, JOHN CARPENTER’S THE THING.

ICS FIELD TRIP
        We reviewed procedures for the anniversary trip to Geppi’s Entertainment Museum, scheduled for next Saturday, April 7th, at 1 P.M. All club members in good standing will have their admission paid for by the club. Members will have to pay for friends, spouses, family members, etc. to attend. Several members plan to meet at the Lutherville Light Rail stop about 11:30 A.M. to ride down to the museum; the Light Rail stops next to the museum. Board members will be there early to check off members as they arrive. The sign-up list of names will be left at the front desk, in case any members are running late; please be ready to show a photo ID so they can check you off.

UPCOMING MEETING
4/21/07 100th Meeting – Top 100 Movies, as voted by ICS members
5/26/07 2nd Annual Memorial Day Picnic – Pre-Code Movies
6/30/07 Exploitation Movies

MOVIES DISCUSSED
THE ABANDONED, THE NUMBER 23, THE ASTRONAUT FARMER, ZODIAC, BLACK SNAKE MOAN, THE HOST, 300, PREMONITION, DEAD SILENCE, SHOOTER, THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2, TMNT, THE LAST MIMZY, MEET THE ROBINSONS, THE LOOKOUT, THE LIVES OF OTHERS.

TOP 100 GENRE MOVIES
 John Ward is compiling a Top 100 Genre Movies for our 100th meeting in April 2007.  He will be accepting lists until April 2007 meeting, so please email him with your list ASAP at JOHN5509@COMCAST.NET.  And if you don’t feel like listing 100 movie titles, you can do as little as 1 or 5 or as much as 99 – he will count ‘em all.

NEWS OF OUR NEXT MEETING –NOT the last SATURDAY IN APRIL
 Our next meeting will be held on Saturday April 21st  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.   

DUES NEWS
    This is just a reminder that dues expire on New Year's Day with an additional grace period until March 31, 2007. 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 Andrew Kent at meetings, sent via Paypal to ICSFILM@HOTMAIL.COM or mailed to Andrew at:
 Andrew Kent
 5025 Green Mountain Circle Apt 6
 Columbia, MD  21044
All Checks should be payable to ‘ICS’ or ‘Imaginative Cinema Society’.

The following members have paid their dues.  If you are missing from this list, please contact Andrew.
Rick Arnold   Betsy Childs   Jim Childs
Vince DiLeonardi  Sam DiBlasi   Heather Fleming
Tim Fleming   James Gernert   Dave Henderson
Norman Jones   Andrew Kent   Mike Laird
Jeanne Matcovich  Barry Murphy   Tom Noll  
Skip Phillips   Joe Plempel   Norman Prentiss 
Justin Proveaux  Tom Proveaux   Robin Richards 
Gary Roberson  Lisa Schilling   Mike Schilling  
Brian Slanger   Richard Smith   Courtney Spies  
Jack Tydings   Regina Vallerani  Teeka Vallerani 
Beth Vaught   Steve Vaught   Neil Wagenfer  
John Ward   John Ward (son)  John Weber  
Dave Willard   Charlie Wittig

The ICS  Invasion of the Geeks!  Or GEPPIS FIELD TRIP FUN

 On Saturday, April 7th about 20 ICS’ers had the fun showing of their geeky side in a whole new way.  Instead of just movie geeks, we got to see comic geeks, collectible geeks, poster geeks and even a few Wonder Woman geeks.  Yes, ICS hosted a field trip thru the collectors heaven -  Geppi’s Entertainment Museum.  From million dollar comics to Happy Meal toys.  This place had it all. 
         And for each of the ICS’ers, I think it is safe to say that there was something to cause them to stare, jaw on the ground and eyebrows raised in awe and wonder.  John Weber and the 15 ft King Kong poster, Steve Vaught and the million dollar comic, Joe Plempel and the old serial posters on the walls, Betsy and the Star Wars toys.  Yes sir, it was incredible.  
There was a nice tour that guided us thru the various rooms, and the curator/guide very pleasant and patient at answering questions.  John Ward said that the curator enjoyed our questions; and that he thinks the only time the guide kind of hedged was when John asked him a question about how much the first TV Guide cover was worth. (they're supposed to downplay the value of the items there.) 
             The comic book room drew several people back for a second look.  It was amazing to see comics that were back home in a comic box behind glass. There was an incredible amount of comics and covering all the ages.  The comic collection was clearly the centerpiece of the tour, however the media/TV room drew a lot of attention also.  There they had collections of lunchboxes, action figures, toys – kites, balls, radios, and guns…everything we played with as kids. They all were associated with a TV show or a movie.  Wonder Woman doll, Superman Car crusher toy, The Beatles lunchbox, James Bond cars, Cinderella slippers, Mickey Mouse phones, Darth Vader Bookends, Batman and Robin utility belts.  It was intense.  To see these things, and know that some of them you had as a child, some you still have as a collector and yet, they are here in the museum.  
A lot of fun was had by all of us that visited.  If you couldn’t make it, please try to get down on another day.  It is worth the trip.  

(hey there was even an R2D2 mailbox out front)

Here is the link for the Photo Gallery set up with photos from that day. Enjoy! 

 http://picasaweb.google.com/betspots

MOVIE MUST SEES

BLIND BLOOD TIES
     Christina Cox, star of Lifetime's new vampire series Blood Ties, said that her character, Vicki Nelson, is losing her sight, which affects the course of the series and her involvement with the 450-year-old vampire, Henry Fitzroy. "She needs Henry to help her in the dark and obviously help her against the supernatural," Cox said. "Because, when it comes to that, she's not physically strong enough, and no one but Henry is. It's really hard to ask for help, because it's admitting that she has a problem." 
     Blood Ties focuses on the adventures of ex-cop-turned-private-investigator Nelson and the two men in her life, Fitzroy and Nelson's former partner, Mike Celluci. The series, which is based on the Tanya Huff best-selling novel series The Blood Books, stars Cox, Dylan Neal as Mike and Kyle Schmid as Fitzroy. 
     "I think Vicki is a pragmatic person, and the evidence says, 'This is real,'" Cox said. "'You've stood there and watched this guy disappear into a pentagram. You've looked at Henry with his fangs and black eyes and, well, he drank your blood.' If she plays the disbelief, then I think that's just silly, and where does the show go from there? I think Vicki is just someone who dives in and goes, 'All right!'" 
     
JERICHO FINALE DATE SET
     CBS announced the dates of its upcoming season finales, including Jericho and Ghost Whisperer. The Jericho finale airs May 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT. In it, one of the town's leaders will not survive when Jericho must defend itself against an attack by the citizens of the nearby city. 

GHOSTS HAUNT WHISPERER SET?
      Jennifer Love Hewitt, who stars in CBS' supernatural series Ghost Whisperer, said that she's had a few encounters with what she believes are spirits on the set. "We've had all kinds of things happen," Hewitt said. "My makeup artist, we took a picture of her, and she had this sort of white film over her face, and we took another picture of her 10 minutes later in another part of the set, and there was nothing. And we had producer and self-styled medium James Van Praagh sort of look at it, and he was like, 'Yeah, absolutely, there's a ghost attached to her.'" 
      In the show, Hewitt plays Melinda Gordon, a woman who communicates with the dead and helps them cross over to the other side. This season saw the addition of Camryn Manheim and Jay Mohr to the cast. According to Hewitt, Mohr has already had his own encounter with playful spirits on the set. "We've had lights explode," Hewitt said. "That's Jay Mohr's favorite story, because he was so excited that it was his head that it exploded over. Who in the world would be excited about glass exploding over their head? No one but Jay Mohr. But he's very excited about that." 
      But Hewitt said that most of the supposed paranormal activity has been centered on her, with good reason. "I've had them show up around me a lot on film," she said. "I think it's exciting. I think it's neat. For people who don't believe, if it's just sort of a weird coincidence, that's kind of cool. And for people like me, who do believe, I feel like we tell their stories every week." 

SMALLVILLE HEADS TOWARD CLIFF
     Steven DeKnight, co-executive producer of The CW's Smallville, said that Lana Lang's (Kristin Kreuk) pregnancy will be the main focus of the series when it returns with original episodes, starting on April 19 with "Progeny," an episode that features former Wonder Woman star Lynda Carter. "That's going to come to a head," DeKnight said. "It won't be resolved, but twist and turns will be revealed. ... Definitely. The triangle of Clark, Lex and Lana will definitely become more pointed on all corners. Cross my fingers, the end of the season looks pretty damn exciting." 
     Meanwhile, Lois Lane (Erica Durance) will be featured in a big way in "Prototype," an episode DeKnight wrote. "She's always a delight to write for," he said. "I really like the way we've moved the Clark/Lois storyline along this year. You're starting to see glimmers of interest, even though neither one of them would ever admit it." 
     Also look for Clark Kent (Tom Welling) to face a new, formidable foe who may have some roots in the Superman comic mythology. "Or Clark fights a dinosaur," DeKnight said with a laugh. "I'm not sure which yet." 
     DeKnight added that for Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum), "an old venture comes to fruition in a catastrophic way. It's the culmination of years' worth of planning." 
     It all leads up to another big cliffhanger for the sixth season. "No cities are going to burn, but [the characters] will definitely be in trouble," DeKnight said.
 
RAIMI INTERESTED IN HOBBIT
    Spider-Man 3 helmer Sam Raimi confirmed that he would be interested in directing The Hobbit, as rumored, but only if Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson approved. "Peter Jackson might be the best filmmaker on the planet right now," Raimi told the magazine. "But, um, I don't know what's going to happen next for me right now. First and foremost, those are Peter Jackson and Bob Shaye's [head of New Line Cinema] films. If Peter didn't want to do it, and Bob wanted me to do it—and they were both OK with me picking up the reins—that would be great. I love the book. It's maybe a more kid-friendly story than the others." 
     Raimi's name has been floated as a possible contender to helm The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel to The Lord of the Rings. In an exclusive interview with SCI FI Wire in January, Shaye ruled out Jackson's participation in the movie in part because Jackson has sued New Line in a contract dispute over Rings revenues. 
     If Raimi were to take on The Hobbit—the rights to which New Line/MGM only has for a limited amount of time—it could force Columbia to either push back its production schedule for a contemplated Spider-Man 4 or find a new director for the franchise. 

GO SPEED RACER, GO!!
     Christina Ricci is joining Larry and Andy Wachowski's live-action adaptation of the 1960s cartoon Speed Racer for Warner Brothers Pictures and producer Joel Silver. 
      Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman already have boarded the high-octane project, which is based on the anime series created by Tatsuo Yoshida for Japanese audiences and later imported to the United States. 
        Speed centers on a young race car driver, Speed (Hirsch), and his quest for glory in his thundering, gadget-laden vehicle, Mach 5. Ricci will star as Speed's girlfriend, Trixie, his formidable ally on and off the track. 
      The show revolved around Speed's family. In the big-screen adaptation, Goodman will play Pops, a race car owner and builder. Sarandon is on board as Pops' wife, the backbone of the family as well as of the Mach 5 Go Racing Team. The Wachowskis, who are writing and directing, are eyeing a summer shoot in Berlin with a summer 2008 release. 

DOWNEY TALKS OF IRON MAN 
     Robert Downey Jr., who stars in Jon Favreau's upcoming Iron Man movie, said that he sees the Marvel Comics superhero as just a regular guy. Downey plays Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist and inventor who creates a high-tech suit of armor. 
     "He's a superhero who is just a man," Downey sai. "Not that I wouldn't play a guy who got bit by a spider or who has some freaky connection with bats, but I think this is a little more accessible," he added, referring to Spider-Man and Batman. 
     "I guess that when Stan Lee created the character back in the mid-1960s—to see if he could base a superhero on a hard-partying, womanizing billionaire who manufactures weapons—and still make him likeable enough to sell comic books—he clearly won his bet," Downey added. "Tony Stark is someone who has the ability to be right at the forefront of science, and we are finding out more and more nowadays that science and mythology are becoming somewhat interchangeable. Some of the things that seemed really far-fetched aren't any more." Iron Man is currently in production with an eye to a May 2008 release. 
 
AND MORE SUPERHERO NEWS – HULK IS BACK
      Edward Norton (The Illusionist) has been set by Marvel Studios to play Bruce Banner in The Incredible Hulk, a role formerly played by Eric Bana. 
     The Louis Leterrier-directed drama will be distributed by Universal Pictures, with an opening set for June 13, 2008. Universal is owned by NBC Universal, which also owns SCIFI.COM. The Incredible Hulk will shoot this summer in Toronto. 
      The Incredible Hulk, following on Ang Lee's disappointing Hulk, aims to be less self-serious and more in line with the comic series and TV show. Leterrier directed the action-filled Transporter 2 and Unleashed. 
       The new movie begins with Banner on the run, trying to avoid capture long enough to cure the condition that turns him into a misunderstood green menace. The script for The Incredible Hulk was written by Zak Penn, who had a hand in crafting two X-Men films, Fantastic Four and Elektra for Marvel. 
 
HERE’S YOUR CHANCE HENDO
       K.I.T.T., the talking muscle car from the 1980s TV show Knight Rider, is up for sale. Restored to its debut-season glory, the modified black 1982 Pontiac Trans Am is offered at $149,995 at a Dublin, Calif., auto dealership. Johnny "Vette" Verhoek of Kassabian Motors has had the car, the "Knight Industries Two Thousand," on display for about a month. 
      This K.I.T.T. is one of four documented picture cars used for close-up shots and scenes where David Hasselhoff, who played Michael Knight in the series, was behind the wheel. 
      Key features of the car are intact, including the red scanner light on the nose that glows and makes a humming noise. Alas, it doesn't really talk. 
 
HOPKINS BITING INTO WOLFMAN? 
      Anthony Hopkins said that he is considering a role in The Wolfman, starring Benicio Del Toro. "There's also a chance I may play the Wolfman in London in a movie with Benicio Del Toro," Hopkins said. "My agent says it's a great script, but he hasn't sent it to me yet." 
      Hopkins indicated that this is purely a matter of studio negotiations and that he wants the role. "He said he just wants to make sure that the deal is all in, but I play the Wolfman's father in Paris. A wonderful part."  The film would be based on Universal Pictures' classic 1941 lycanthropy movie The Wolf Man. 
 
GALACTICA’S PENIKETT TRICKS IN TREAT 
         Tahmoh Penikett, who co-stars in the upcoming Halloween-themed horror film Trick 'r Treat, said that writer/director Michael Dougherty cast him in part because Dougherty is a big fan of SCI FI Channel's Battlestar Galactica, in which Penikett plays Lt. Karl C. "Helo" Agathon. 
      "Before I went into the audition, my agent told me that the director was a huge fan of the show," Penikett said earlier this year on the Vancouver, Canada, set of the supernatural thriller movie, which interweaves several narratives on a Halloween night in a small town. 
      But Penikett wasn't prepared for how big a fan Dougherty, co-writer of Superman Returns, really was. "When I went in, I see this really young-looking guy," he said. "Mike looks like he's in college or something. ... And as soon as I come in, this guy comes up to me, he's like, 'Wow, I'm a huge fan of the show.' He introduced himself, and we sat there for, like, five to 10 minutes just talking about the show. I'm like, 'OK, are we even going to do this audition?' It was great.. You could tell he was a genuine fan. So we had a great conversation, and then, of course, I found out that I got the gig, and Mike didn't hesitate once we talked again to say, 'Look, I'm a huge geek. ... I'm a huge [fan] of the show, and I would love to come to the set and check it out.' I talked to the producers and, of course, Michael Rymer, the key director, and said, 'Would you mind if Mike came in?' ... They're like, 'Fine, no problem.' So we brought him in, gave him the royal tour, showed him everything. It was cool."
      In Trick 'r Treat, Penikett plays an earthbound young husband. "I play Henry," he said. "I'm the loving husband to Leslie Bibb's character. There's one key scene that we're involved in where I think a lot of the characters are all brought together. That's this big parade scene that's downtown." As for the rest of the stories, Penikett said: "It's really sort of cleverly interwoven, the whole storyline." Trick 'r Treat is in post-production with an eye to an Oct. 5 release.

MEMBERS LIKE US
There will be a brief, one page 5 question interview each month with and ICS member.  This month, Dava Sentz has stepped up to participate and answer some questions. 

3/10/2007  Dava Sentz  

Betsy: Dava this will be a simple interview, just a question of favorites. Your favorites. A chance for other ICS members to find out some interesting, tantalizing and yet unknown facts about you. 

Betsy: Growing up, what was the first TV show you remember watching? (That is you being adamant about watching and not just putting up with whatever else was on) 
 Dava: Growing up, I was a huge fan of PeeWee's Playhouse, (actually, I still am) I used to have a talking PeeWee doll and a matching "Cherry" chair. I also had a Playhouse tee-shirt. I loved Fraggle Rock too.
 
 Betsy:  So, a Hobbit, an Elf, or a human?  Which species from LOTR would you be?
 Dava:  I'm already human. Been there, done that. I think it would be great to be an elf because I would be tall and exotic, have magical powers, and get to wear those amazing dresses. But, as cool as that would be, I think out of the 3 I'd most like to be a hobbit because the hobbits are really warm and friendly, they enjoy the simple things in life, and I'd get to live in The Shire which is just about the prettiest place in Middle Earth! How do you not love that place? I'd totally hook up with Frodo Baggins, marry him, and have dozens of his hairy-footed hobbit children. Yep, it's a hobbit's life for me. 
 
Betsy:  Which do you have more of, movies or books? 
 Dava: As of right now, I probably have more books.  But, my movie collection is catching up fast!
 
 Betsy:  If you could pick one superpower...what would it be?
 Dava: I think I'd enjoy appariating, like in Harry Potter. Think of the possibilities! You could go anywhere in the world, transportation and money no object. I would also love to have invisibility. It would be really fun to sneak up on people and mess with them, ha-ha.
 
 Betsy: What is your favorite month of the year? 
 Dava: I hate winter, but I absolutely love Christmas so I am very fond of December. I also like June because it's the month of my birthday.

Thank you Dava.  Next month, we talk to Skip.

IMAGINATIVE CINEMA - COMING SOON to a Theater near you!

April 20th     FRACTURE                                     
Cast: Ryan Gosling, Anthony Hopkins.
Premise: Ryan Gosling is a hotshot assistant D.A. prosecuting a confessed 
shooter (Anthony Hopkins), but nothing is as simple as it seems. Not when Anthony Hopkins is involved.

April 20th      VACANCY                           
Cast:  Luke Wilson, Kate Beckinsale
Premise: Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale check into a motel and discover hidden cameras watching them to be victims in a snuff film. Things get trickier when they try to report to the authorities and find themselves trapped. 

April 27th    CONDEMNED 
Cast:  Steve Austin, Vinnie Jones, Trent Sullivan, Rick Hoffman 
Premise:  A select group of death row inmates are offered the opportunity to compete in a deadly game on an abandoned island for one week. The winner of 
the game will have his or her sentence dropped down to life imprisonment and 
avoid execution.  (sound familiar?)

April 27th    THE INVISIBLE
Cast: Justin Chatwin, Margarita Levieva, Marcia Gay Harden, Christopher Marquette 
Premise: Nick, is a high school senior with a bright future until, in a tragic case of mistaken identity, he is brutally attacked by a troubled girl, Annie, and his body is left for dead. Now in limbo, not quite dead but invisible to the living, his spirit can only watch as his mother and the police search frantically for him, unaware that he is only hours away from truly perishing. 
 May 4th    SPIDERMAN 3
Cast: Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, James Franco
Premise: Spiderman battles an evil new suit, a new Green Goblin, and the 
Sandman. Oh and the amazement/wonder that M.J. says yes. All in a Spidey days work.

May 11th     28 DAYS LATER
Cast: Jeremy Renner, Harold Perrineau Jr. (WALT!)  Robert Carlyle, Rose Byrne
Premise: Six months have passed since the rage virus has annihilated the British Isles. The U.S. Army declares that the war against infection has been won.  As the first wave of refugees return, a family is reunited--but one of them unwittingly carries a terrible secret. The virus is not yet dead, and this time--showing no outward symptoms--it is more dangerous... 
 

farewellsfarewellsfarewells Good bye farewellsfarewellsfarewells

Thoughts from Joe Plempel: I first discovered Kurt Vonnegut in the early 1960s when he was still considered a minor science fiction writer, and quickly devoured such of his works as PLAYER PIANO, THE SIRENS OF TITAN, CAT’S CRADLE, MOTHER NIGHT and GOD BLESS YOU MR. ROSEWATER. I was knocked out by his sense of humor, his crazily inventive imagination and his seemingly bizarre disregard for the fortunes of his characters (I’ve often wondered how much Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide owes to Vonnegut). Since then I have tried to read his novels as they were released including SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE, BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS, SLAPSTICK, DEADEYE DICK, GALAPAGOS and TIMEQUAKE (I think I have missed a couple). 
So, I was extremely saddened to hear of his death at age 84, since he has been on my relatively short list of favorite authors for over 40 years. He has created some of my favorite characters such as Billy Pilgrim, Kilgore Trout and Montana Wildhack. The critics and pundits will go on about his biting satire, social commentary and anti-war sensibilities, and I guess some of that resonates with me, but I just enjoyed his slightly off-kilter look at this goofy species called homo sapien.

 Freddie Francis, a British cinematographer who won Academy Awards for SONS AND LOVERS and GLORY, has died. He was 89 years old.
Born in London in 1917, Francis got his first job as an apprentice to a feature stills photographer. He joined the British army when World War II broke out and worked as a cameraman and director making training films.
After the war he worked as a camera operator for John Huston before becoming a full-fledged director of photography on A HILL IN KOREA. Known for his exquisite black-and-white photography in such British films of the 1950s and '60s as ROOM AT THE TOP,  Francis finally got a chance to direct. 
After his 1962 debut, TWO AND TWO MAKE SIX, he quickly made several films in succession that established his credentials as a director. But they were all horror movies, and he found himself typecast.
"I realized I was becoming a cult figure in horror films," he said, "and nobody would back me to direct anything else." But he grew dissatisfied and returned to cinematography when David Lynch hired him to photograph THE ELEPHANT MAN in 1980. The success of that project led to jobs with other prominent directors, including Karel Reisz for THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT'S WOMAN in 1981 and Martin Scorsese for CAPE FEAR in 1991.
Of course we here at the ICS will always remember him for his direction and/or cinematography on such classics as THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS, THE BRAIN, PARANOIAC, THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN, HYSTERIA, THE DEADLY BEES, THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE, DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, THE CREEPING FLESH, SON OF DRACULA, LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF, THE GHOUL, DUNE and THE INNOCENTS.

Eustace Lycett an Academy Award winner for his contribution to the special visual effects in MARY POPPINS and BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS, has died. He was 91.
Born Dec. 21, 1914, in England, he spent his first eight years in Chile, where his father was a mining manager. He then attended boarding school in England before the family moved to California in 1929. When he was studying mechanical engineering at Caltech in Pasadena in the 1930s, he figured he'd wind up in the oil or aircraft industries when he graduated. He never considered a career in the movies. But three days after graduating in 1937, he went to work in the engineering department at the Walt Disney studio, where he worked on the studio's new multi-plane camera. The device gave an unprecedented illusion of depth to key scenes in Disney's animated films, including SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, which premiered in L.A. that December.
So began Lycett's more-than-40-year career at Walt Disney Studios, where he became head of the special photographic effects department in 1958. In addition to the Oscars he won, Lycett also earned Academy Award nominations for his part in the visual effects for THE ABSENT-MINDED PROFESSOR and THE BLACK HOLE.
He also worked on such films as THE THREE CABALLEROS, SONG OF THE SOUTH, SO DEAR TO MY HEART (with Ub Iwerks), DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, THE SHAGGY DOG, SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON, THE GNOME-MOBILE and THE LOVE BUG.
 

Roscoe Lee Browne, the Emmy-award winning actor who played roles as varied as Shakespeare's plays to the popular animal film BABE, has died at age 81.
A classically trained actor with a commanding baritone voice, Browne worked for some of the leading directors in film, including Alfred Hitchcock in TOPAZ and Jules Dassin in UP TIGHT! and starred in William Wyler's last film, THE LIBERATION OF L.B. JONES. 
Gifted in comedy as well as drama, Browne won his Emmy in 1986 for a guest appearance as Professor Foster in an episode of THE COSBY SHOW.
"He was one of the most remarkable presences on stage, on film or on television," said Sidney Poitier, who directed Browne in the 1974 comedy UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT and knew him for about 40 years.
Some of his other films were THE CONNECTION, BLACK LIKE ME, THE COMEDIANS, THE COWBOYS, CISCO PIKE, SUPERFLY T.N.T., TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING, JUMPIN’ JACK FLASH and THE MAMBO KINGS.

Marshall Rogers, the comic book artist whose landmark work on Batman in the 1970s was celebrated for its bold flair and stylish grace, has died. 
Born Jan. 22, 1950, in Flushing, N.Y., he grew up in Ardsley, N.Y., and was trained as an architect at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. That schooling was evident in his meticulously detailed Gotham City, which was far more realistic than any previous vision of the hero's city. His use of shadows added a film noir edge to the pages. That fit the sensibilities of his collaborator, writer Steve Englehart, whose character development, romantic subplots and dialogue were considered ambitious for that era.
The two had a short run on Batman: Rogers drew the lead story in only six issues of Detective Comics, but they became prized by collectors and frequently cited by the next generation of comics creators. Along with Neal Adams, Rogers became the fan-favorite Batman artist of the 1970s.
He also worked through the years on characters such as Silver Surfer, Mister Miracle, Dr. Strange, Iron Fist and G.I. Joe. In 1980, he drew the graphic novel, DETECTIVES INC.: A REMEMBRANCE OF THREATENING GREEN, for the upstart independent Eclipse Comics, where he also wrote and drew 1984's CAP'N QUICK AND A FOOZLE, the fantasy adventures of a precocious child.
Rogers worked in the video game industry in the 1990s but returned to comics and reunited with Englehart and inker Terry Austin for a Batman series titled DARK DETECTIVE in 2005. A Batman project by the trio was still underway when Rogers died. He was 57.

Herman Stein, a staff composer at Universal in the 1950s whose best-known credits include horror and science fiction classics such as CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON and THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, has died. He was 91.
The Philadelphia-born Stein had written and arranged for radio programs and jazz orchestras, including for Count Basie, Bob Crosby and Fred Waring, in the 1930s and '40s before becoming a staff composer at Universal in 1951.
Unlike well-known film composers such as Bernard Herrmann and Max Steiner, he seldom received screen credit during his years at Universal, where he often was one of several composers to work on a film and screen credit usually went to the music supervisor rather than the composers.
He wrote for all genres and his filmography includes, TREASURE OF LOST CANYON, SON OF ALI BABA, MEET ME AT THE FAIR, three of the FRANCIS THE TALKING MULE movies, MA AND PA KETTLE ON VACATION, JOHNY DARK, DRUMS ACROSS THE RIVER, THE FAR COUNTRY, and THE LADY TAKES A FLIER.
He also composed for commercials, animated cartoons and television, including GUNSMOKE, M SQUAD, WAGON TRAIN, LOST IN SPACE and VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA. 
But of course, we shall always remember his work on such ICS favorites as CITY BENEATH THE SEA, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS, REVENGE OF THE CREATURE, THIS ISLAND EARTH, TRANTULA, THE CREATURE WALKS AMONG US, MONOLITH MONSTERS and THE THING THAT COULDN’T DIE.
 
 

THE LAST WARD . . .

Due to Computer problems in the Ward home, The Last Ward can not be read this month.  However, Sam Diblasi has offered a movie review in its place.
 

NOT THE LAST WARD
by Sam Diblasi
 
GRINDHOUSE (with LOTS of SPOILERS…so read carefully!)

     The ICS sponsored its first “Quick Trip” this past Saturday.  It was an all expenses paid admission to the recent release, Grindhouse, at the White Marsh Cinema.  We had a relatively good turn out considering the short notice and the fact that it was a Saturday
night.  The theater itself really wasn’t that crowded, which was surprising, given the build-up this motion picture has had.  I was anticipating a near sell-out.  
     So, everyone met at the main entrance, stopped at the concession stand to pick up assorted salubrious victuals…yea right, and ventured into the auditorium to settle in for the ride. 
      One of the taglines for Grindhouse reads, “The sleaze-filled saga of an exploitation double feature”.  Grindhouse is actually an anthology film presented as a double feature, complete with faux trailers to further consummate the entire experience.  The title pays homage to the grind house theater, which has been defined as a type of theater in the United States which would typically show double features of exploitation films.  
     The first feature was directed by Robert Rodriguez, and is entitled, Planet Terror.  The second feature is Death Proof, directed by ICS favorite, Quentin Tarantino.
       Well, in talking about Grindhouse, “It’s always best to start at the beginning.”  The first feature, Planet Terror, carries the tag line, “You might feel a little prick”.  There are secret canisters of poisonous gas known as “Project Terror” that would cause anyone who
might inhale the gas to change into a zombie, and the gas is released into the air.  This film begins when a group of government agents led by Lt. Muldoon (Bruce Willis) realizes that a group of these zombies have gotten free from their bonds and could potentially infect the entire town.   This infection would cause its recipients to transform into zombies as well.
     The infected townspeople are treated in the local hospital by Dr. William Block (Josh Brolin), and his wife, Dr. Dakota Block (Marley Shelton), a not so happily married couple.  Doc Block discovers that Dakota plans on reuniting with her lesbian lover, and
plans on killing his wife with a lethal injection.  Dakota manages to get away, while Doc Block becomes infected when he is treating a zombie.  Meanwhile, Cherry Darling (Rose McGowan), a frustrated go-go dancer and her ex boyfriend, El Wray (Freddy Rodriguez), are attacked by zombies. Cherry has her leg dismembered but she manages to ambulate just fine with a wooden table leg attached to her stump.  
     These characters quickly unite to fight off the zombies, as well as the government, when they realize that Uncle Sam is planning on annihilating everyone in the entire area to prevent the infection from spreading.  El Wray replaces Cherry’s new-found wooden
leg with a custom M4A1 carbine assault rifle/M203 grenade launcher, which she puts to good use eliminating the aggressors. The group manages to acquire two helicopters and the pilot obliterates the remaining zombies in a histrionic fashion with the blades of the helicopter. El Wray is killed, but the rest of the group absconds to Mexico where Cherry
gives birth to El Wray’s child.      

     Planet Terror is a tough act to follow, but Death Proof is a formidable opponent.  Death Proof’s tagline reads, A white-hot juggernaut at 200 miles per hour!  
     This second feature begins in a bar where a group of young ladies are celebrating a birthday, and meet Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell).  Stuntman Mike offers to drive Pam (Rose McGowan) home in his “death proof” car.  Stuntman Mike tells her, and she soon learns for herself, that the car is only death proof from the driver’s seat.  Mike swerves, speeds up, and brakes hard, eventually killing Pam in a deadly impact with the dash. He then proceeds to violently collide with each of the girls at high speeds, killing them all.  
     Mike then targets another group of young women, who have taken a 1970 Dodge Challenger on a “test drive.”  The ladies decide to play a game called “ship’s mast”,
where one of them is lying on the hood of the car, while holding on to two leather belts attached to the doors of the car.  It’s quite a wild ride when Mike, in his also classic Dodge Charger, begins repeatedly crashing into their car.  Mike finally manages to
throw Zoe Bell off of the hood, but she is unscathed. The girls then begin perusing Mike after shooting him in the arm.  The girls manage to force Mike to flip his car over. They then proceed to beat, and finally kill him.  Add to the suspense of the car chase scenes
the destruction of these two classic cars…Ugh!  A wild ride indeed!
     The phony trailers--good stuff indeed!  Who wouldn’t want to see Machete, where you hear booming into the audience, “They just f___ed with the wrong Mexican.”  Then there’s the blockbuster, Thanksgiving, with the tagline, You’ll come home for the Holidays…In a body bag.  Certainly the most memorable trailer had to have been Werewolf Women of the S.S., which tells the story of “Hitler’s diabolical plan to create a race of super women…an army of super werewolf soldiers…”  

Judging by the banter of the ICS’ers after the show, Grindhouse made for quite a successful first “Quick Trip.”  Hopefully the next trip will be able to live up to this one.  

Thanks ICS.  
 
 

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