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.
ICS
CALENDER OF EVENTS