2561 lines
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2561 lines
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>From cn577@cleveland.freenet.edu Tue Aug 17 13:46:19 1993
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Subject: CYBERSPACE VANGUARD 1:5
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Copyright 1993, Cyberspace Vanguard Magazine
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| C Y B E R S P A C E |
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| V A N G U A R D |
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| News and Views of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Universe |
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| cn577@cleveland.freenet.edu Cyberspace Vanguard@1:157/564 |
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| PO Box 25704, Garfield Hts., OH 44125 USA |
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| TJ Goldstein, Editor Sarah Alexander, Administrator |
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| tlg4@po.cwru.edu aa746@po.cwru.edu |
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Volume 1 August 15, 1993 Issue 5
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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--!1!-- Ramblings of a Deranged Editor
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--!2!-- Mysteries from Beyond the Scifi Channel: Why
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DR. FRANKLIN RUEHL Can't Be Abducted By Space Aliens
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--!3!-- The Illusion of Falling: KENNY BATES Makes His Mark On Filmmaking
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--!4!-- PETER CUSHING And The Mystery Of The Missing Films: Trying
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To Write A Book About The Master Of Horror
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--!5!-- Guesting for the Old Comics Curmudgeon -- Asserting Your
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Independents
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--!6!-- Reviews by EVELYN C. LEEPER
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--!7!-- SF Calendar: What's Coming Up in the Near Future
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--!8!-- All The News That's Fit To Transmit
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--!8!-- SPOILERS AHOY/Including Episode Guide For HIGHLANDER Season One
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--!9!-- Publications and Conventions
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--!10!-- Administrivia
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--!1!-- Ramblings of a Deranged Editor
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We're baaaaaack ...
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Last issue I rambled on quite a bit, so this time I'm going to make it
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short and (hopefully) sweet.
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First, thanks to all the people who wrote in offering help. I believe
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that we finally got back to everyone, so if you haven't heard, we might not
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have gotten your letter. Feel free to write us again. We've gotten a few
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people to do specific subgenres, such as television, books, etc., so what
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would be nice now is for people to write in with article ideas, (A query
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about an article idea will definitely get a quicker response. An article
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will most likely be tagged for reading in my "copious spare time" -- and if
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you're a regular reader, by now you know what an oxymoron that is. If
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you've queried me first I'll know to look out for it.
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Second ... this issue is going to be short on articles and long on
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news. Because we didn't run much last issue, we found ourselves
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backlogged, and a surprising amount of it was still current. Of the
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interviews we are carrying this month, we've got Dr. Franklin Rhuel, the
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host, creator, and brains behind the Scifi Channel's MYSTERIES FROM BEYOND
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THE OTHER DOMINION. It's a bit weird, but if you like that sort of thing,
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it's worth a look. Then we've got Kenny Bates, the man who is responsible
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for William Shatner falling off a mountain. And last but not least,
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Deborah Del Vecchio and Tom Johnson, authors of PETER CUSHING: THE
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GENTLEMAN OF HORROR AND HIS 91 FILMS. They give us an interesting
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perspective not only on the man himself, but what it's like to try and
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track things down in the murky world of films.
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Also, we are thrilled to announce that Hugo nominee Evelyn C. Leeper
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has joined our ranks as a reviewer. If you are on the main networks (or if
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you get Lan's Lantern) you've probably seen her stuff already, and know how
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lucky we are to have her. (Rick will probably join her next issue.)
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Also on tap, we've been getting a lot of requests for episode guides,
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so this month we're bringing you one of the most frequently requested:
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HIGHLANDER. If there are others that you'd like to see, let us know and
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we'll see if we can get them.
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Finally, there's the news. There was so much of it we had to break it
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up into loose categories. I say loose because the boundaries can get
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fuzzy. If they make a movie out of a William Gibson story, what section do
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you put it in? So we make no guarantees as to the classifications. Also
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included in the news is a ballot for Clarinet's Electronic Science Fiction
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Award. It mirrors the Hugo's, but you don't have to belong to anything in
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particular to vote. You just have to have access to e.mail. They've
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extended the deadline, but you've got to get them out soon.
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So there it is. Enjoy!
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CYBERSPACE VANGUARD: News and Views of the Science Fiction and Fantasy
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Universe is registered with the United States Copyright Office. It may be
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reposted anywhere IN IT'S ENTIRETY. (We'd like to know where, but only
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because we're trying to see how far it goes.) If you would like to repost
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individual articles, you must contact us so that we may get permission from
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the author. If you are using a small amount of news, that's fine, as long
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as information about the magazine and how to get it is also posted. Print
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magazines and fanzines wishing to use CV news should contact us first.
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Note to sysops: We would like to put together a list of local BBS's that
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carry CV so that we can send it to people who may prefer to pick it up in
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that way. If you wish to be included in such a listing, send the BBS name,
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phone number, and address along with your name to any of the addresses
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below.
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HOW TO CONTACT US:
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Internet: cn577@cleveland.freenet.edu Snail Mail: PO Box 25704
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FidoNet: Cyberspace Vanguard@1:157/564 Garfield Hts., OH
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Delphi: CVANGUARD 44125 USA
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--!2!-- Mysteries from Beyond the Scifi Channel: Why
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DR. FRANKLIN RUEHL Can't Be Abducted By Space Aliens
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by TJ Goldstein
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[MYSTERIES FROM BEYOND THE OTHER DOMINION airs on the Science Fiction
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Channel twice on Sundays, 4:30pm and 7:30pm Eastern Time.]
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I'll admit it: I don't have the Scifi Channel. But it's not my
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fault. I'm one of those millions who lives in an area where the cable
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company, for one reason or another, doesn't carry it. Of course, I'm not
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alone here. Like millions of other cable viewers, Dr. Franklin Ruehl
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doesn't get SFC either.
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There is one difference between us, of course. I'm just a viewer;
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Dr. Ruehl is the creator and host of MYSTERIES FROM BEYOND THE OTHER
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DOMINION, SFC's highest rated show. "I tried. I called them up and said
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'Right here in your city, in Glendale, you have the star of the top new
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show on the Scifi Channel. Why don't you run it?' A lot of people want
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the Scifi Channel, but it's really having trouble making it." While this
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may sound like a sales pitch, he has very little to do with promoting the
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actual channel. "I'd be glad to help them, but they haven't really
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enlisted my aid. I've just done what I could and tried to get on local TV
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shows and get coverage for myself and hopefully that will translate into
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more people clamoring for it and more systems listening to their
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subscribers and finally putting it on." Right now only 10 percent of cable
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networks in the United States are carrying SFC.
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When the tape of the show arrived, I have to say that my first thought
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was that it looked like a top of the line public access cable show -- lots
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of special effects and computer graphics, but mostly a guy behind a very
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small desk. It seems I was right. Long before SFC was a gleam in anyone's
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eye, Dr. Ruehl was expounding his theories on public access cable.
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"I was originally trying to get on Scifi because I thought that this
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would be the ideal venue for my show. Then I was on DONAHUE in a segment
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on public access producers and I met a local representative for the Scifi
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Channel. I thought 'finally!' Then I spoke to the president out in Boca
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Raton Florida, and he wasn't really too enthusiastic. But they were having
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trouble actually getting it off the ground until they sold it to USA
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Networks, which actually owns Scifi. Finally someone that I know at
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Universal was working on my show and had an in there, and since Universal
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owns USA which owns Scifi, I was able to finally get the show on. So it
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took a long time even to get on this."
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Since 1984, Ruehl has done more than 130 shows, always trying to get
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the show nationally syndicated. Now that he has succeeded, the show has
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undergone some changes. "It's basically the same agenda or content, with
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the addition of some pretty spectacular special effects." (Um ... while I
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will say it's better than what you usually find on public access, we are
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NOT talking about JURASSIC PARK here, folks. Not by a long shot. Not
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unless it's the Terry Gilliam version.) "We also have actors doing re-
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enactments of some of the stories, and we have some fantastic visuals,
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which I certainly did not have the money for when it was public access."
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The picture quality is also much better.
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But missing also are the interviews with science fiction celebrities.
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"The set really wasn't built for it. Besides, there are just too many
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delays. With public access, I could say be here at 2:30 and we'll start
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taping at 2:45. Here it's so unpredictable they could be waiting around 2
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or 3 hours and storm out because they weren't put on."
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The show does regularly hit on a few different topics, such as strange
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medical cases (like a man who had a face on the back of his head -- and was
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eventually driven to suicide by its moaning, which kept him up at night,)
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historical oddities (like the fact that the first man killed in the
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American Civil War died when a cannon misfired during the surrender
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ceremony). Some have great names like "Strange Droppings from the Sky"
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that make you think that he's not quite serious, but he is.
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By far the most coverage, however, goes to UFO's and
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extraterrestrials. How much do they check out the sometimes outlandish
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claims? "As much as we can. We don't really have a staff to be
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able to send out investigators, so we've been covering mostly the classic
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UFO cases, which have been studied and investigated and then I put my own
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spin on it, giving what I feel are the weak and strong points of each case.
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We did have a few instances of phony UFO reports and cases which we showed
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at the beginning of the series because we're trying to encourage people to
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send in UFO videos. One was a photograph of a hubcap with a dent in it
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that was thrown up in the air. What I was trying to do was discourage
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people from sending in phony cases. Well, I got virtually nothing as a
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result. People think, well, these guys are going to investigate this
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pretty thoroughly, what's the sense of trying to kid them. I do have some
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UFO video that is excellent that we are going to use next season. It looks
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to be an unusual facial formation on a mountain down in San Diego. It
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certainly looks open to interpretation. We look for things like that. ...
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We're also getting a lot of calls, which I hope to use next season, of
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people with ghosts in their basements, UFO's that have landed in their
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backyards ... but again, with our staff it is hard to check these things
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out of they aren't located locally, so I'm not sure how we're going to
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handle that."
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So does he really believe all this? "You know, a lot of things I'm
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very skeptical of myself. Anybody, just for publicity, and claim that
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they've spotted by a UFO, or even been abducted. And now, the scenarios
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have been reported so well that everyone's saying about the same thing.
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They were taken aboard a UFO, blood samples were taken, then they went home
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and forgot about it, and then they suddenly started to have dreams about
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aliens, went under hypnotic regression and remembered that they had been
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abducted two weeks ago. So it's hard to separate the real from the phony.
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I am a scientist. I look at the evidence. And I have interviewed a number
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of people who claim to have been abducted, and I have been present at a
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hypnotic regression, and everyone seems to be legitimate. I know some
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psychiatrists who claim that the people really don't want to talk about it.
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They are like mugging victims. They feel that they will be ridiculed, and
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aren't coming out with books, and for them they retain a quotient of
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credibility. They people I've talked to all sounded sane, and they didn't
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sound like publicity hunters. So I think that there are some good cases
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out there, and I think that something might be going on. Or it might just
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be a subconscious memory of a science fiction movie they saw years ago."
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All of this leaves him in an awkward position. "I've never seen a
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UFO. But if I did see one now, in my position as host of the Scifi
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channels greatest show, that I would not be believe and I would have to
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decide whether I would even want to report it because it might actually
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torpedo my credibility. So that'd be the dilemma I'd be in. I couldn't
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even report a good sighting if I had one. I think every UFOlogist, would
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like to see and encounter aliens, although I have to say that I would
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probably be quite frightened, depending on how non-human they appeared to
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be."
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At this point I asked him if he really thought that alien abductions
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were on they rise, and if so, why. I was rewarded with about 20 minutes of
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statistics to numerous to go into here, but it boiled down to this: "I
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believe that there is strong evidence for the existence of extraterrestrial
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life. If you look at the statistical evidence, if you look at the
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biological evidence, look at the diversification evidence, we are certainly
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not alone in this universe. Given the temperament of the universe and
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the fact that it is 20 billion years old, certainly other species have
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reached the spacefaring capability. Some may have dispatched the UFO's in
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other directions, and some may have landed here. Now. Whether people have
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actually seen it or not ... I haven't seen any case that's convinced me
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100%. But as we're talking I wouldn't be surprised if there's an emergency
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news flash that a UFO had indeed landed on the White House lawn giving us
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concrete proof of the existence of extraterrestrials."
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So why ARE people so interested in UFO's? "With more movies and more
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books coming out about UFO's, I think that more people are also coming
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forth with cases. Now some are obviously phonies who are looking for
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publicity. No doubt about that. Others legitimately believe that they
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have seen something or been an abductee. but I think certain shows, like
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sightings, probably beginning with Star Trek, which is so popular, and of
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course now we have Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Star Trek Deep Space
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Nine, and of course the movies, talking about extraterrestrials I think all
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of that tends to increase interest in it, and that brings out both the
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legitimate and the illegitimate cases. So I don't think that we're
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necessarily having more abductions, but I think that the media is helping
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to bring out more of them. Although we have had, in the past, years when
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there were UFO waves, such as 1952, but the fact is the media is bringing
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out more of it. Some people are afraid to speak about their experience
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because of the fact that they thought they would be ridiculed. I don't
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think there's as much fear today. But again, undoubtedly phonies. It's so
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hard to really tell who is telling the truth and who isn't. You have to
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look at the evidence and judge each case individually."
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For my part, I agree with the people who thought the set should be
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brighter. In some respects it's like a scientific equivalent of Whoopi
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Goldberg's now-deceased talk show. It needs something to jump out at you.
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I also think that the show would be vastly improved if they rebuilt the set
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-- and the production schedule -- to allow for guests. That, and more
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"location" stories, would bring a bit of variety that the show needs. Dr.
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Ruehl throws out a LOT of information, and you need time to recover.
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When you come right down to it, though, the show is Dr. Franklin Ruehl
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and that very information. Probably the strongest thing he's got going for
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him is that he DOESN'T try to convince you of anything. He presents the
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evidence, both for and against, and let's you decide for yourself.
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He has an agenda, and he's quite serious about it. "We present the
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scientific evidence for controversial theories and subjects such as those
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from UFOlogy, parapsychology, paleontology and cryptozoology as well as
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anything else of an unusual and curious nature, with the basic underlying
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idea that it is interesting. Of course, I can make it interesting because
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I believe you can take any subject, no matter what it is, and make it
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intriguing for your audience."
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When you come right down to it, he's reading for one thing. "My goal
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is to make this show the greatest program in the history of
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television with a weekly viewership of 1 billion with a target date for
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those goals the year 2015 of not sooner, I say, if not sooner."
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And so, since I promised the good Doctor I'd leave you all with a
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little cosmic empowerment, "May the power of the universe be with you!"
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--!3!-- The Illusion of Falling: KENNY BATES Makes His Mark On Filmmaking
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by TJ Goldstein
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My first pro writing job was explaining how the fall at the beginning
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of STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER was completely impossible in real life.
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(Actually, it was the sudden stop at the bottom that was my problem, but
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why split hairs?) My contention was that anyone who fell off El Capitan
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and came to a sudden stop at the bottom would find their insides somewhere
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around their eyeballs, whether they hit the ground or not. What I found
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out talking to stuntman turned producer Kenny Bates, however, is that it IS
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possible to survive a fall like that. Sort of. After all, he's the one
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who did the falling.
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"Inverted, I've pulled up to 12 g's. G's can kill you in the right
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conditions, but it's how short of a time you pull those g's and what kind
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of condition your body is in. I've been in a situation where I've popped
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blood vessels in my eyes, I've cracked teeth, you're face swells up for a
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couple of days ... the reality of it is that you get diarrhea for a couple
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of weeks."
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"You're born with two basic fears," he explains, "a fear of loud
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noises and a fear of falling. When you've put yourself in a situation
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where you're falling at 100 miles and hour with no airbag and the loud
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noise is you screaming all the way down, it's like combining those two.
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You're body rejects it. You have a few nightmares, but you learn to shake
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it."
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There are some people who might not shake it, though. They're the
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people who called the ranger station to report that a man had fallen off El
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Capitan. William Shatner, who was not only starring as James Kirk, but was
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also directing, "liked it so much that they actually changed around the
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opening of the picture a little bit to accentuate the shot. So it was very
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gratifying."
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Bates cheated, of course. While he DID fall 450 feet off the
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mountain, it certainly wasn't a free-fall experience. He won the Science
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and Technical Academy Award for the design and development of the
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Decelerator System, which provides two advantages. First, it allows a
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stuntperson to fall from much higher platforms.
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"To back up a little," Mr. Bates explains, "just to give you an idea
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of how this came to be, if you date back into the early days of motion
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picture history, when stuntmen first started doing high falls, they would
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do it into water, or they would put up two sawhorses and put planks between
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the sawhorses, and they would actually jump, say, 15 or 20 feet onto these
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breakaway planks. These are how high falls basically originated." As
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falls got higher, stuntmen began to use haystacks, nets, and cardboard
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boxes. "I've heard of stuntmen falling up to 10 stories, or 100 feet, into
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cardboard boxes. These boxes were actually set up in a configuration to
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break the fall."
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Then came the airbag. "The highest high fall into an airbag is 311
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feet. That's 31 stories. Most commonly, though, airbags are used for
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doing falls from, oh, 20 feet up to 150. The most common falls are between
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20 feet and 80 feet." While airbags are great and they're still in use
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today, they still leave one problem.
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Shooting down. With any of these devices, the director must always
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shoot from the bottom up to avoid filming whatever it is the stuntman is
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going to land on. What's where the Decelerator's second advantage comes
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in. Since all you've got is a cable attached to the stuntman's ankle, it
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doesn't matter what direction you film in. In the film SLIVER, in fact,
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Mr. Bates did a double fall, actually filming from alongside as a woman as
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she fell a building.
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But that's only part of Mr. Bates' bag of tricks. "When we did Die
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Hard, I started using a device called a Descender, to do controlled falls.
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In other words, we do a controlled fall from I've been anywhere up to 105
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stories. The fall is controlled because your descending on a small cable.
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If the film is undercranked, it looks like you're falling." What Bates has
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done is used his knowledge of physics and film to calibrate the speed of
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the fall versus the degree to which the film must be undercranked. "In DIE
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HARD, where Alan Rickman dies, falling backwards out of the building, that
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would have been a death defying feat. Instead we came in and packaged an
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illusion for Joel Silver. Since then I've done every one of his films."
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He also doubled Bruce Willis when he leapt off the top of the building with
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a firehose.
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But Bates doesn't just know about this because of all the jumps he
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does. He is also the head of Alternative Innovations, which routinely
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"packages illusions" for films. "I think of myself as a filmmaker and not
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as a stuntman. The Decelerator system is used in that way." So what does
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that mean?
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"When I come in to do a picture, I come in for the whole picture.
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I'll come in through my company, and we'll act as either a consultant or as
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a rigging package, and what we'll do is we'll put together, say a dozen
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sequences for a film. In other words, we shoot a lot of things practical
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instead of process." That means what instead of using special effects to
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throw somebody off a building, they actually throw somebody off a building.
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"Somebody said my company represents the new Hollywood Houdini," he laughs.
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"We create illusions on film, whether it's moving vertically or
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horizontally like in the film CAPTAIN HOOK or many other films, we create
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looks on film that are very very interesting. As far as action goes, we
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are the most advanced equipment in the business.
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There are lots of advantages to using this system as opposed to the
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traditional airbags, even for falls that don't break records. "Using the
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Decelerator, you can actually free fall until the last 15 or 20 percent of
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the fall. In other words, when you come out of a window, you're in free
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fall and there's no restriction of the camera. When you can shoot from any
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|
angle, there's quite a impressive visual look to it. In the LAST BOY
|
|
SCOUT, I fell about 5 stories and stopped about 3 feet from a spinning
|
|
helicopter blade. For the movie THE FIRST POWER with Lou Diamond Phillips,
|
|
I leaped 12 stories to my feet with the Decelerator, pulled a quick release
|
|
and took off running. That was a first.
|
|
"When we do these things, they've become so advanced that we'll come
|
|
in beforehand and work with different insurance companies to give them
|
|
different specifications on every part of the fall. We'll give load
|
|
distributions, airflow, acceleration, air flow, how many g's we're pulling.
|
|
We have a dynamometer gauge to calculate how many pounds we're pulling, so
|
|
it's all calibrated as much as possible. Right now, I'm the only one who's
|
|
using it throughout the world. So you can see there's a little bit of
|
|
demand for it. We stay real busy and even though we do the big stunts and
|
|
the big looks, we do little stuff too."
|
|
How big does it get? "The biggest one was on DEMOLITION MAN where I
|
|
doubled Stallone and jumped 23 stories out of a helicopter and stopped
|
|
about 6 feet before the roof of a building. Stallone did part of the
|
|
stunt, too. he put his life in my hands in a dangerous situation that was
|
|
another calibrated situation, and he was very good about everything.
|
|
Together we got a great sequence on film -- probably one of the greatest
|
|
opening action sequences ever on film. The opening of this picture is
|
|
incredibly visual, and it's probably the most money I've ever seen invested
|
|
in the opening sequence of a film. It's incredible. We had a helicopter
|
|
that we flew down from Portland to test with that cost $9,000 an hour.
|
|
We're talking millions of dollars just for the opening sequence of this
|
|
film. I'm going on an on about it because I get excited when I talk about
|
|
it. As a filmmaker I get excited about the illusions we create on film."
|
|
So what does the Hollywood establishment think of all this? "There
|
|
are people who have been in the business for a hundred years, and some of
|
|
them are still using the same flying stage techniques that they used 50, 75
|
|
years ago. We deal with pneumatics. To give you an example, we're taking
|
|
a person and we're flying him 100 feet in the air and he's getting up 40,
|
|
50 feet and he's landing on his feet on top of a building somewhere, and
|
|
he's looking around and leaping to the ground again all in one cut. So
|
|
it's just phenomenal."
|
|
Although the technology is so new, he doesn't have a problem with
|
|
older producers or directors giving him a problem once he's one the set.
|
|
"An old filmmaker is one that isn't current. When you talk about action
|
|
films, if you don't know something exists, then you're not going to plan on
|
|
using it. I think it's the people that do more research are the people
|
|
that benefit financially." The financial advantages are twofold. For one
|
|
thing, film time is expensive. Often what Mr. Bates does in 45 minutes
|
|
would take 3 hours to do with traditional methods. That means that you
|
|
have more time to make a shot or a sequence perfect, which itself can be
|
|
financially rewarding when the film hits the theaters. "A lot of directors
|
|
want something better than what they put together. You wouldn't want to
|
|
work on a film with Burt Reynolds or Clint Eastwood, or Bruce Willis, or
|
|
Stallone or any of those guys and not offer them 100 percent because your
|
|
name's on it. We do all kinds of fims. I was just associate producer on a
|
|
film that was 9 million dollars and we're getting ready to do one that's 80
|
|
million. I don't adjust my price for the project, I just basically base my
|
|
fee on what it's worth."
|
|
The paramount concern when doing a stunt like this, of course, is
|
|
safety. Often Bates is asked if he treats the celebrities he works with
|
|
differently because of who they are. "I think it's a lot of responsibility
|
|
whether it's Stallone or anybody that works with me, I mean I still take
|
|
the same precautions in calibrating any of the equipment or preparing them
|
|
safely. I don't say, well, it's Stallone so we're going to throw two more
|
|
ropes on him. If I don't feel good about it, then I won't hook it up in
|
|
the first place. You have to know the limitations. You can go overboard
|
|
and overboard, you just never want to go underboard. You want to build in
|
|
a good safety factor so you have a good safety margin. The Occupational
|
|
Safety and Health Administration uses something like a four to one margin,
|
|
and we try to operate in those parameters or better. So we have a very
|
|
good track record, and we get a lot of different looks. Believe it or not,
|
|
it's the people, and Stallone isn't that crazy about working with heights,
|
|
but he's very good about working with people, so he does open up to being
|
|
put in a precarious situation even though he's apprehensive. He does open
|
|
up to people when they're able to perform and they know their business.
|
|
That's kind of good to know."
|
|
It sounds almost like cliche, but what he really wants to do is
|
|
produce. "My goal is to produce my own film within the next two years.
|
|
I've had a couple of offers and hopefully I can bring something to the
|
|
screen that people will appreciate. I hope have the talent to give the
|
|
viewer something that is quite entertaining. I've already done it on other
|
|
people's projects, and I hope I will do it on my own projects, within the
|
|
next year and a half, two years."
|
|
When you come right down to it, however, death-defying is still his
|
|
stock in trade. "If I were to count world records I'd probably have 15 or
|
|
20, but I don't count world records. I create illusions. I'm not in this
|
|
to be the toughest guy on the block. I have a better chance getting
|
|
injured driving to and from work then while I'm there."
|
|
Unfortunately, it does happen, and this spring, it did. Brandon Lee
|
|
was killed during the filming of THE CROW when a gun that was supposed to
|
|
fire blanks allegedly fired a live round. So far an investigation has not
|
|
settled the question of what actually happened. "I was affected by the
|
|
death of Brandon Lee. I don't know what the outcome will be. I worked on
|
|
the film but at the time, I wasn't there, so I don't know and I'm sure that
|
|
the research will be done. Whether it was an accident, or negligence or
|
|
something else, it's a shame that it happened... I've lost friends in the
|
|
business before. Dar Robinson was a good friend. I worked with him for
|
|
about 4 years. The tough thing about this business is that you DO lose
|
|
friends. People do die in this business. It is a business where you can
|
|
get killed. Not so much as an accident, though it does happen. You know
|
|
there's a possibility, even if it's only one in 10,000. You know they're
|
|
going to do 10,000 stunts in a year. "
|
|
He is currently working on a one hour television special about the
|
|
behind the scenes facts of being a stuntperson. Burt Reynolds will produce
|
|
and host the show, which will air brand new footage. It won't be like the
|
|
old STUNTMASTERS show, but "it removes the macho mask from the business and
|
|
shows the real mechanics of what happens." William Shatner, Steven Segal,
|
|
Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and other stars are scheduled to appear.
|
|
So what goes through his mind as he's sitting on the top of a mountain
|
|
(or building, or whatever) getting ready to hurtle off into nothingness
|
|
with only a cable between him and the ground? "Usually I look around and I
|
|
say, I don't want to die here. Then I think why am I saying that? I don't
|
|
want to die anywhere! Once I get in the air, I'm too busy thinking about
|
|
what I'm doing and my movement and making sure I look the way I should look
|
|
or turning the way I should turn that I never think of that. It doesn't
|
|
even come into my mind. All of my anxiety is before the stunt.
|
|
"I want to leave my mark on this earth, and not on the pavement."
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
--!4!-- PETER CUSHING And The Mystery Of The Missing Films: Trying
|
|
To Write A Book About The Master Of Horror
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
by TJ Goldstein
|
|
|
|
One of the nice things about this job is talking to people who take
|
|
those things many of us only dream about, and do them. Take Deborah Del
|
|
Vecchio, for instance. For years, she headed the Peter Cushing fan club
|
|
here in America. Lots of people do stuff like that, right? Many of them
|
|
think of writing a book about their heroes, but most of them never do.
|
|
"I've always aspired to be a professional writer," Debbie told me in a
|
|
phone interview earlier this year. "Tom [Johnson] and I had thought about
|
|
doing this book on Peter, but we had other things. We both had full time
|
|
jobs, he got married, I got married, and we just never got around to it.
|
|
Finally it got to the point where we said, well, nobody else is doing this,
|
|
and we know so much about him, we said, well, why don't we give it a try.
|
|
So we contacted MacFarlane, and they were interested, and that's how it
|
|
came to be. It's as simple as that, really. We were very lucky. They
|
|
were the first publisher we had written to."
|
|
Tom laughs at the simplicity of her explanation. "It sounds a lot
|
|
easier than it was." In fact, they sent a traditional proposal, complete
|
|
with sample chapters, to MacFarlane. The end result was PETER CUSHING:
|
|
THE GENTLE MAN OF HORROR AND HIS 91 FILMS. Almost immediately afterward,
|
|
Debbie sold her first article to a professional publication -- a piece on
|
|
Peter Cushing for STARLOG.
|
|
It certainly wasn't her first experience with writing, however. While
|
|
running the fan club, she also published a journal detailing Mr. Cushing's
|
|
activities and films. In late 1972 she wrote to him about starting an
|
|
American Club in the United States. There was already an organization in
|
|
Canada, but she didn't feel that she would be competing with it. As it
|
|
was, the club was a rousing success, drawing members from all over the
|
|
world, including lots of people who either were in or went on to be in the
|
|
movie industry. Tony Temponi, editor of FANGORIA, was a member, as was
|
|
Forry Ackerman. In 1975, Ackerman invited Mr. Cushing to be the Guest of
|
|
Honor at a convention in New York City. 8000 people attended, and that was
|
|
just on the first day. Fifty of the 400 worldwide members showed up -- on
|
|
two weeks notice. They were certainly rewarded for the trip, as they had
|
|
dinner with the man who had brought them together.
|
|
Debbie and Tom had first met him, actually, in 1973 during the looping
|
|
(sound re-recording) for BEYOND THE GRAVE. A small group from the club
|
|
were going to England and were invited to have lunch with him, Max
|
|
Rosenberg, the director, and Roy Wood Baker. "You're always worried. You
|
|
think, 'I've corresponded with this individual over the years, I've seen
|
|
his films, and here I'm going to meet him in person. It's either going to
|
|
be the best ever or it's going to be a disaster.' There's no in-between."
|
|
So how did it go? What kind of person is he? "I tell you, this man
|
|
felt like family. It was like I knew him all my life. It's his charm, his
|
|
personality, the fact that he's just such a down to earth person. He's
|
|
very modest. He'd rather talk to you about you than talk about himself. A
|
|
lot of actors, if you're not talking about them, they tune out. It wasn't
|
|
that way with Peter at all. He'd look over and he'd say, 'Finish your
|
|
dinner. Are you sure you have enough? Can I get you anything?' This man
|
|
was just like a dad. He had all his kids around the table and he was
|
|
making sure that everybody eats, and that they get what they want, and it
|
|
was just astounding. This man was just so accommodating and so gracious.
|
|
Barb Liltz, a member of the club and talented artist -- "She can never
|
|
be too successful as far as I'm concerned" -- did an oil painting of Mr.
|
|
Cushing in TALES FROM THE CRYPT, and they presented it to him that day. "I
|
|
remember that he sat there and he was astounded. He was without words,
|
|
because he's an artist himself. He was praising her work and he was just
|
|
so touched by this."
|
|
Tom cuts in. "You got the impression that he would have been very
|
|
impressed had it been a stick figure drawn with crayons."
|
|
Debbie disagrees. "He was impressed with her artwork from the
|
|
covers she did for the journals, and this was even better. And he was
|
|
touched that we thought enough to give it to him." She's got proof to back
|
|
it up. "When he did his next film, he brought the painting on the set and
|
|
had the stills photographer take pictures of himself, and Freddy Francis,
|
|
and the portrait, and he sent a copy to us. I think that it was nice that
|
|
even that far down the line he was still touched by it."
|
|
And so, deciding that nobody else was going to write the book that
|
|
they wanted to read, they decided to write it themselves. There was just
|
|
one problem with writing a book with every one of Peter Cushing's films:
|
|
"Some of the ones that he made in the United States in the early 1940's,"
|
|
Tom explains, "have literally vanished. There were a also few from the
|
|
early '60's, like CONE OF SILENCE, that were low budget but were not horror
|
|
movies. A low budget horror movie develops a life of it's own. It's
|
|
always available somewhere. But some of the straight dramatic films he
|
|
made ..."
|
|
"For example," Debbie explains, "BLACKJACK was nowhere to be found.
|
|
That's a film that he did in Spain. He did it around the same time he did
|
|
MYSTERY ON MONSTER ISLAND. MMI was released. It was a fantasy/mystery
|
|
kind of film. But BLACKJACK completely disappeared. We've only recently
|
|
learned that it was released on video in Germany. But prior to that we had
|
|
searched high and low, contacting the Spanish Embassy, archival museums
|
|
over there, nothing. And here it was available on video in Germany.
|
|
BATTLEFLAG was another one. That was never released but it was shown on
|
|
German television. HITLER'S SON disappeared completely. TOUCH OF THE SUN,
|
|
which he made in Zambia, Africa -- nobody's ever seen it. It's vanished.
|
|
It's gone. The others were released. SWORD OF THE VALIANT, TOP SECRET,"
|
|
which stars a very young Val Kilmer, "and of course BIGGLES came out on
|
|
video and cable, but these films didn't have any wide release, or in some
|
|
cases no release at all. It goes to show you what can happen. You think,
|
|
well, because it was made in the '40;s, there's just no interest in it.
|
|
But there's these films that were made in the '80's that no-one's ever
|
|
seen!"
|
|
Tom is optimistic. "We have scant hope that some of these from the
|
|
early forties will show up on [the cable station] American Movie Classics"
|
|
Trouble is they don't always know what to look for. "He did a movie called
|
|
THE HOWARDS OF VIRGINIA, where he has a very small part in a scene with
|
|
Cary Grant and Richard Carlson, and Peter Cushing never even listed this on
|
|
his film list because he'd apparently forgotten about it. There's really
|
|
no reason why he would have remembered it. I guess he began compiling a
|
|
list of his movies in the early 1960's, and this had just slipped his mind,
|
|
yet he's in it, plain as day. Debbie and I were just saying today that we
|
|
live in horror that someone's going to find another one like that that he
|
|
did, where he just walks across the street, and that's always possible. You
|
|
never know. He could have made 2 or 3 other movies in the 1940's that he's
|
|
forgotten about.
|
|
The trouble is, we're not talking about large time commitments.
|
|
"Well, something like this, it was only a one day kind of thing, where
|
|
somebody says, 'OK, we need a British actor, for this role, and he was
|
|
there and said, 'OK, I'll do it.' He comes on screen and presents himself,
|
|
and that's it. It's a one day shoot, and he would have written that off as
|
|
a walk on. He was even surprised that we found it." Plus, it gets even
|
|
more complicated. "He didn't even recognize it as THE HOWARDS OF VIRGINIA.
|
|
He finally recognized it under it's British title, TREE OF LIBERTY. It was
|
|
a shock to him to see it."
|
|
So, given that some of the films were not available, where did they
|
|
get the detailed information, not only as to plot, but cast and crew?
|
|
"There's a magazine called SCREEN INTERNATIONAL that was published in
|
|
England, and we found production information and synopses from trade
|
|
screenings."
|
|
Much of the later information, however, came from Mr. Cushing himself.
|
|
"When I ran Peter's club, he used to send me the publicity kits and photos
|
|
from the studios, so I had a lot of this stuff to begin with. He was able
|
|
to get me production information, background on the cast and the crew, that
|
|
kind of thing, everything you would normally get in a press kit. Peter was
|
|
very good about it. He used to send me everything. I have quite a
|
|
collection, so I was really ahead of the game because I had all this stuff,
|
|
plus the information that Tom and I had collected really helped us. We
|
|
still made trips in to Lincoln Center and other libraries to get as much
|
|
information as we could.
|
|
For the film BLOODSUCKERS, there were lawsuits, internal feuds, "It
|
|
would probably have been better off it they had let it die. It's awful.
|
|
It's available on video," but they don't recommend it.
|
|
"The startling thing about a movie even that terrible, and it IS
|
|
terrible," Tom says, "is that I swear to G-d he's great in it. He's only
|
|
in it for about five minutes, but it's like he was doing Shakespeare. It's
|
|
like it was an Academy Award nominated film that would have a royal
|
|
premier. He just doesn't play down to the audience even in a lousy movie
|
|
like that, and that's one of the reasons he has as many fans as he does.
|
|
"Actually, I take it back. I DO recommend that everybody see it,
|
|
just as an example of what a talented actor who actually has some standards
|
|
of what he will consider a performance can do even with a piece of garbage
|
|
like that. In fact, I think if I wanted to explain Peter Cushing to
|
|
somebody, I'd ask them to watch that instead of one of his good movies.
|
|
Anyone can look good in a good movie. It takes a real pro to look good in
|
|
a piece of dirt like this one."
|
|
So what does Mr. Cushing think of modern horror films, which, more
|
|
often than not, are gorefests? Debbie explains. "He's very disturbed by
|
|
it. He always felt that his films were pure fantasy. You went into the
|
|
theater and you had a good fright and then you went home and went about
|
|
their business. Nowadays, he says, they show everything on the screen and
|
|
there's nothing but blood and gore, and he's just horrified by it because
|
|
he says there's just nothing left to the imagination."
|
|
Tom continues. "You get the feeling that he doesn't want people to
|
|
associate him with that kind of film. He made horror films, yes, but he
|
|
doesn't want people to think that he made slasher type of films. That
|
|
would be very embarrassing for people to lump him in with that kind of
|
|
thing. His films were adult fairy tales, but most of them had some sort of
|
|
literature base."
|
|
And what about the film that younger readers might remember him for?
|
|
Debbie remembers, "I'm thinking back to 1976 when nobody had even heard of
|
|
George Lucas. I got a letter from Peter telling me that he was making a
|
|
film with George Lucas called 'The Star Wars'. And he mentioned something
|
|
else about it and I'm thinking 'oh my G-d what is this?'"
|
|
"Bad career move," Tom adds.
|
|
"Yes, I'm thinking WHAT is he doing? Nobody knew anything at that
|
|
point. It was all secret, all hush hush, closed sets and all that, so not
|
|
much news was getting out. I remember going to the theater thinking 'well,
|
|
Peter Cushing is in it, I'm going to see it.' I went on opening day and by
|
|
the first 10 minutes, I was cheering. It was monumental. At the time, it
|
|
was a phenomenon. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY was an experience in itself but
|
|
this was just miles, generations beyond that. I just did not believe what I
|
|
was seeing on the screen and I was SO GLAD that Peter Cushing was in it! I
|
|
did a complete turn around.
|
|
While he was thrilled to be seen by a whole new generation of fans,
|
|
"he was very upset that they blew him up at the end because then he
|
|
couldn't be in the sequels. Originally he was offered the part of Obi Wan
|
|
Kenobi, which eventually went to Sir Alec Guinness. Then, when George
|
|
Lucas met the two of them, he decided to reverse their roles. I always
|
|
worried about that because I wondered what it was that George Lucas saw in
|
|
Peter Cushing that I didn't see that meant he should play a villain. The
|
|
man is so far removed from a villain that it's laughable, but he accepted
|
|
the role because he figured, well, this is the director, and I should do
|
|
what he says. That's the way he is. You don't argue with the director. So
|
|
he took it, but he was very upset because he never got a chance to be in
|
|
any of the other movies, which he would have been if he had been Kenobi.
|
|
He's always hopeful that they'll do that prequel, but the man is 79 years
|
|
old. He'd certainly do it, but there's only so much you can do with makeup
|
|
nowadays. Peter, it's going to be rough."
|
|
In the meantime ... "Hyberion films, which had done GHOUL and LEGEND
|
|
OF THE WEREWOLF, they went out of business as far as motion pictures were
|
|
concerned, but they have been involved in some television work. They're
|
|
trying to get this project made. It will be shown in England, and
|
|
hopefully will be picked up here, called the HERITAGE OF HORROR. Peter
|
|
says it's his gift to all his fans, and he's looking forward to doing it.
|
|
Basically Peter is an actor who used to do things like King Lear, and of
|
|
course nobody wants that anymore, and he tries to convince them otherwise.
|
|
It's all top secret, so he won't tell me anything about it. I keep trying
|
|
to get information out of him, but no luck. I don't know whether it's a
|
|
matter of luck, or what, but I guess he wants me to be surprised."
|
|
In the end, no matter how the book sells, it was certainly a success
|
|
in one respect. Tom's friend Mark Miller is doing a book on Cushing
|
|
Christopher Lee films, and he met with Peter Cushing in England in
|
|
November. "He goes to a little restaurant almost every day and that's
|
|
where Mark met him, and he was taking the book in with him to show the
|
|
regulars. He was saying how proud he was and how pleased he was with the
|
|
book. That was the only review we were interested in, and that's the one
|
|
we got."
|
|
Once that book was finished, they contracted with MacFarlane to do a
|
|
similar book about the company that made many of the films for which Peter
|
|
Cushing is best known: Hammer. "Watching early Hammer films is hard
|
|
because they mad a lot of NON horror, and the monsters just aren't showing
|
|
up. You've got to look at it in a different way." Examples of non-horror
|
|
Hammer films are the Lyons family films such as LIFE WITH THE LYONS and THE
|
|
LYONS IN PARIS. In England they were apparently the "ideal" family, the
|
|
way Americans refer to Ozzie and Harriet.
|
|
The book will be out somewhere around July 1995, but they are looking
|
|
for a catch subtitle to follow "HAMMER FILMS INC:". "And then, of course,
|
|
it will be up to MacFarlane. We didn't originally choose the subtitle to
|
|
the Cushing book. They chose that. There was some gnashing of teeth about
|
|
it, because to me it sounded a little silly -- 'Gentleman of Horror and his
|
|
91 films.' They'll find that out when they open the book, that he made 91
|
|
films."
|
|
I suggested that perhaps the company thought people might think he was
|
|
a deranged killer who murdered stuffed animals or something.
|
|
Tom says that he hadn't considered that people might not know what the
|
|
book is about. "Unless they're like five year olds, is there anyone out
|
|
there who doesn't know who Peter Cushing is?"
|
|
Actually, among younger fans, I've met many.
|
|
"Well, I have a suggestion." Tom says. "There's this great book
|
|
that will explain it to them. All 91 films are included ... "
|
|
|
|
[PETER CUSHING: THE GENTLE MAN OF HORROR AND HIS 91 FILMS is avaliable
|
|
from MacFarlane Publishing, PO Box 611, Jefferson, NC, 28640, USA.]
|
|
|
|
HOW YOU CAN HELP: The following Hammer Films are "missing." They cannot
|
|
be located, either in film or video form. Since our readers are the sort
|
|
to have collections that are not only off-beat but extensive, we thought
|
|
we'd run the missing titles by you. If you have, or know where the authors
|
|
can find, any copy of any of these films, please contact Deborah Del
|
|
Vecchio, 115 Prospect Ave., Westwood, NJ, 07675 USA; (201) 664-5889. Let
|
|
her know you saw the list in CV. US titles for the British films are
|
|
listed in parentheses.
|
|
|
|
1935: The Public Life of Henry the Ninth
|
|
1937: Sporting Love
|
|
1948: River Patrol, Who Killed Van Loon?
|
|
1949: Dr. Morelle -- The Case of the Missing Heiress, Celia, The
|
|
Adventures of P.C. 49 1950: The Man in Black, Meet Simon Cherry
|
|
1950: What the Butler Saw, Dick Barton at Bay, The Lady Craved Excitement,
|
|
The Rossiter Case, To Have and To Hold
|
|
1951: The Dark Light, The Black Widow, A Case For P.C. 49
|
|
1952: Death of an Angel, Whispering Smith Hits London (Whispering Smith
|
|
vs. Scotland Yard), Never Look Back, Wings of Danger
|
|
(Dead on Course), Mantrap (Man in Hiding)
|
|
1953: The Gambler and the Lady, The Saint's Return (The Saint's Girl
|
|
Friday) 1954: Life With the Lyons, Mask of Dust (A Race for Life)
|
|
1955: The Lyons in Paris (The Lyons Abroad), Third Party Risk (Deadly
|
|
Game)(TV title was Big Deadly Game), Murder by Proxy
|
|
(Blackout), The Glass Cage (The Glass Tomb)
|
|
1958: Up the Creek, Ten Seconds to Hell, Further up the Creek
|
|
1959: I Only Arsked, The Ugly Duckling, Don't Panic Chaps
|
|
1960: Never Take Sweets From a Stranger
|
|
1961: Visa to Canton (Passport to China), Weekend With Lulu, Watch it
|
|
Sailor!
|
|
1962: Nightmare
|
|
1964: The Brigand of Kandahar
|
|
1968: The Lost Continent
|
|
1969: Moon Zero Two, Crescendo
|
|
1971: On the Buses
|
|
1972: Mutiny on the Buses
|
|
1973: That's Your Funeral, Love Thy Neighbor, Nearest and Dearest
|
|
1974: Man at the Top, Holiday on the Buses
|
|
1975: Man About the House
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
--!5!-- Guesting for the Old Comics Curmudgeon -- Asserting Your
|
|
Independents
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
by Mike Hill
|
|
|
|
I remember the day I became a comic collector. It was the summer of
|
|
1975 and I was thirteen years old. I went to the local candy store and
|
|
looked through the rack of comic books.
|
|
I found a book called THE INVADERS #1. It was a comic book from
|
|
Marvel about the World War II adventures of Captain America, Sub-mariner,
|
|
and the Human Torch. I took it home and read it cover to cover at least
|
|
ten times. I was hooked! I eagerly awaited each issue as it came out (and
|
|
at that time it was a bi-monthly book -- ouch!) As new series came into
|
|
print I would pick up the first issue. Some books I would continue to
|
|
collect and others I would not. After all, I only had my weekly allowance
|
|
with which to finance my hobby.
|
|
My teens turned into my twenties. I joined the work force and with a
|
|
regular pay check my collection grew.
|
|
In 1984, Marvel Comics published "Secret Wars" and DC Comics
|
|
answered it with "Crisis On Infinite Earth." "Wow!" I thought, "what a
|
|
great idea! The comic companies would each bring all of their major
|
|
characters together in one book to fight a common foe all in a twelve issue
|
|
mini-series.
|
|
Then in 1985 Marvel published "Secret Wars II." I thought, "Okay, it
|
|
was fun the first time around. Let's do it again." But at the completion
|
|
of this mini-series the story was not resolved, and instead Marvel
|
|
continued the story throughout all of its titles. DC did the same thing
|
|
with its comic books.
|
|
"Wait a minute!" I thought. "In order to keep up with one story I
|
|
must collect a bunch of titles I did not normally collect." Then, like
|
|
Wile E. Coyote, my eyes slowly shifted upwards to see a giant boulder
|
|
falling down towards me. The great rock hit me with a ton of grim reality.
|
|
"They don't care about entertaining me! All they care about is getting
|
|
more of my money!" Don't get me wrong. I know that comic books are a
|
|
business and that the object of any business is to make money, and
|
|
hopefully lots of it. But I feel a company should make its money due to
|
|
the fact that it produces quality products that you can pick and choose
|
|
from. Quality = Demand = Money. I felt that these comic book companies
|
|
were holding a gun to my head and saying, "If you want to keep up with the
|
|
story you must buy ALL of our books. Continuity was being held for ransom
|
|
and at a high price -- a price I refused to pay.
|
|
I quit! it wasn't easy. I felt like I was casting away a part of my
|
|
childhood. I packed all of my comic books in white Defence boxes and
|
|
stored them away in my parents' attic. My twenties became my thirties. I
|
|
would visit the comic shops once in a while, but only to purchase other
|
|
items of interest (role playing games, posters, tee-shirts, etc. ...)
|
|
One day last year I was in a comic shop and as I passed the comic book
|
|
section I thought my blinders were firmly in place. But one cover caught
|
|
my eye. It was titled SPAWN, from a company called Image. Curiosity
|
|
forced my hand. I reached for the book and a small voice in back of my
|
|
head said "NO!!!" I flipped through the pages sampling the art work.
|
|
"NO!" warned the voice. "Remember!" it said. "Remember." "But it's only
|
|
$1.95" I said, and I walked up to the counter. I asked the sales clerk,
|
|
"what's this?" She said it was a new company started by some guys who
|
|
used to work for Marvel and they had another book out called YOUNGBLOOD. I
|
|
read these comic books and I was hooked all over again. I started
|
|
collecting again, primarily Image, Topps, Innovation, Harris, and other
|
|
small independents.
|
|
I feel that I am receiving quality for my money and continuity is just
|
|
standard equipment included in the cover price. And I'll tell you, it's
|
|
good to be back!
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
--!6!-- Reviews by EVELYN C. LEEPER
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
THE DESTINY MAKERS by George Turner
|
|
A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
|
|
|
|
This story, like many others by Turner, is set in a future, pre-
|
|
holocaust Australia. There's been no bang, but the world seems to be going
|
|
through one long drawn-out whimper. Politicians spend time trying to
|
|
figure out how to stretch Earth's resources over an ever-growing
|
|
population. There are technical advances, but on the whole Turner paints
|
|
an Australia of not-quite-enough for everyone--except of course the upper
|
|
class. Shortages and substitutes are the order of the day. Only the
|
|
veneer of equality, of "we're all in this together" spirit keeps the lid
|
|
on.
|
|
But in Australia the government has even more problems--or at least
|
|
the prime minister does. Having illegally rejuvenated his father (in a
|
|
world bursting at the seams, extending lifetimes is not considered a good
|
|
idea), he then discovers that his daughter is illegally pregnant.
|
|
(Everything, it seems, is controlled. But everything has to be to keep the
|
|
world together.) Harry Ostrow, a policeman of the lower-middle class, finds
|
|
himself called upon not only to protect these high-level politicians, but
|
|
to extricate them--and perhaps the world-- from the mess they've gotten
|
|
into.
|
|
The background of THE DESTINY MAKERS is well thought-out and
|
|
developed, but the story itself is somewhat weak, and the resolution for
|
|
some of the plot threads contrived and rushed. The main idea of the end
|
|
might have made a good novel in itself, but here it's wasted as almost a
|
|
throwaway. It could be that Turner will take this idea and expand it in a
|
|
future novel (as he expanded "In the Nursery" to BRAIN CHILD.) But as it
|
|
is, I can recommend THE DESTINY MAKERS only for its description of a seedy,
|
|
run-down future facing the abyss.
|
|
(It is unlikely that a sequel will appear soon, since it is reported
|
|
that George Turner has been hospitalized following a stroke.)
|
|
|
|
%T The Destiny Makers %I AvoNova
|
|
%A George Turner %O hardback, US$20.
|
|
%C New York %G ISBN 0-688-12187-X
|
|
%D February 1993 %P 321pp
|
|
|
|
|
|
HARVEST by Robert Charles Wilson
|
|
A book review by Evelyn C. Leeper
|
|
|
|
What if aliens offered us the chance to live forever--if the only
|
|
price we had to pay was to give up being human? That is the premise of
|
|
Robert Charles Wilson's latest book, HARVEST.
|
|
As might be expected from the premise, HARVEST is more a study in
|
|
characters than an action story, though there is a very impressive storm
|
|
sequence. Wilson looks at the world through the eyes of those few who
|
|
chose to remain human. And they are a motley crew--a doctor, a
|
|
fundamentalist Christian, a car salesman, a politician, two teenagers, a
|
|
farmer's wife, an Army colonel, a retired worker. They have little in
|
|
common--except their decision. What makes some choose one way and some
|
|
another is one of the main questions of the book, but Wilson never
|
|
satisfactorily answers it, and indeed, towards the end HARVEST becomes very
|
|
much like an update EARTH ABIDES, as the remaining humans cope with lack of
|
|
electricity, the search for food, and so on. Wilson also makes a few flubs.
|
|
He says that on election night, "a long Republican ascendancy over the
|
|
White House had come to an end," obviously expecting Bush to win in 1992.
|
|
(Internal evidence says the story takes place in 1996.) He also seems to
|
|
think Lima is in a time zone between Los Angeles and Anchorage, while it is
|
|
actually in the same time zone as New York.
|
|
In spite of these minor quibbles, however, I would still recommend
|
|
HARVEST. Wilson at least touches on the nature of humanity, and his
|
|
characters and their reactions to the situation and to each other may give
|
|
us some clues, if not to *the* answer, at least to *an* answer.
|
|
|
|
%T Harvest %I Bantam Spectra
|
|
%A Robert Charles Wilson %O trade paperback, US$12.
|
|
%C New York %G ISBN 0-553-37110-X
|
|
%D January 1993 %P 394pp
|
|
|
|
---------- Copyright 1993 Evelyn C. Leeper
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
--!7!-- SF Calendar: What's Coming Up in the Near Future
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
The BOOKLIST ..........
|
|
|
|
As you can see, the list of upcoming books is beginning to grow. If you
|
|
have a favorite small press that you'd like us to keep track of, drop us a
|
|
note with the company's name and address and we'll see what we can do.
|
|
|
|
AUGUST:
|
|
DEL REY: THE SHINING ONES (2nd book of _The Tamuli_) - David Eddings,
|
|
STORM RUNNER (3rd book of _Wolfwalker_) - Tara K. Harper, THE WIZARD'S
|
|
SHADOW - Susan Dexter, TIME, LIKE AND EVER ROLLING STREAM (Sequel to THE
|
|
RAGGED WORLD) - Judith Moffett, THE BIRTH OF THE BLADE - Dennis McCarty,
|
|
STAR TREK LOG 7/LOG 8/LOG 9 - Alan Dean Foster
|
|
TOR: HARVEST OF STARS - Poul Anderson, LETTERS TO JENNY - Piers
|
|
Anthony, IN THE CUBE - David Alexander Smith, RING OF SWORDS - Eleanor
|
|
Arnason, ALIEN BOOTLEGGER AND OTHER STORIES - Rebecca Ore, FLYING IN PLACE
|
|
- Susan Palwick, THE TOWERS OF THE SUNSET (prequel to THE MAGIC OF
|
|
RECLUCE)- L.E. Modesitt Jr., ALIEN PLOT - Piers Anthony, BLACK UNICORN -
|
|
Tanith Lee, CONAN THE SAVAGE - Leonard Carpenter
|
|
ORB: THE FALLING WOMAN - Pat Murphy
|
|
------------
|
|
SEPTEMBER:
|
|
DEL REY: THE FAR KINGDOMS - Allan Cole and Chris Bunch, THE OATHBOUND
|
|
WIZARD (sequel to HER MAJESTY'S WIZARD) - Christopher Stasheff, MUDDLE
|
|
EARTH - John Brunner, THE LOSERS - David Eddings, DEL REY DISCOVERY: THE
|
|
RISING OF THE MOON - Flynn Connolly
|
|
------------
|
|
OCTOBER:
|
|
DEL REY: THE STRICKEN FIELD (book three of _A Handful of Men_) - Dave
|
|
Duncan, UPLAND OUTLAWS (book two of _A Handful of Men_) - THE GUNS OF THE
|
|
SOUTH - Harry Turtledove, THE EARTH SAVER (sequel to CHILDREN OF THE EARTH)
|
|
- Catherine Wells, MORNINGSTAR - David Gemmell
|
|
DAW: WHEN TRUE NIGHT FALLS - CS Friedman,
|
|
TOR: THE SHADOW RISING - Robert Jordan, THE FIRES OF HEAVEN - Robert
|
|
Jordan
|
|
------------
|
|
NOVEMBER:
|
|
PEGUNIN/ROC: SHROUD OF SHADOW - Baudino Gael
|
|
BANTAM/SPECTRA: GROWING UP WEIGHTLESS - John Ford
|
|
------------
|
|
DECEMBER:
|
|
POCKET: STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: DARK MIRROR - Diane Duane
|
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming MOVIES ..........
|
|
|
|
This is not really the "Upcoming Movies" list that Bryan D. Jones
|
|
(bdj@engr.uark.edu) puts out over Usenet every week or so. It's actually a
|
|
pared down version that he was kind enough to let us print. We thank him
|
|
and remind you that if you have any updates or corrections, please send
|
|
them on to him. (Especially if you have access to the National Association
|
|
of Theater Owners listings ...)
|
|
|
|
All dates are US wide release dates. -Bryan D. Jones (bdj@engr.uark.edu)
|
|
|
|
Aug 13: Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday(was Friday the 13th Part IX),
|
|
Johnny Zombie, Needful Things, The Secret Garden
|
|
Aug 20: The Crow
|
|
Aug : Warlock II: The Armageddon
|
|
Summer: Body Snatchers, Deep Blues, Delta Heat, The Giving, Nemesis,
|
|
Starfire, Carnosaur, Enchanted Forest, The Speed Racer Movie Show
|
|
Sep 10: Ghost in the Machine
|
|
Sep 17: Fortress
|
|
Sep 20: Surf Ninjas
|
|
Sep 24: Deadfall
|
|
Oct 1: Blink, Wilder Napalm
|
|
Nov 5: Flesh & Bone, The Nightmare Before Christmas
|
|
Nov 19: Addams Family Values
|
|
Nov 24: Annie and the Castle of Terror
|
|
Nov : RoboCop 3
|
|
Fall : The Fantastic Four
|
|
Dec 10: Sister Act II, Tombstone
|
|
Dec 17: Intersection
|
|
Dec 22: Schindler's List
|
|
Dec 25: Batman: The Animated Movie, Frankenstein, The House of the Spirits,
|
|
Sgt. Rock
|
|
1994 : Crusade, Clear and Present Danger, Ed Wood, Interview with a
|
|
Vampire, The Lawnmowerman 2, The Mask, Sinbad Tales, Tremors II
|
|
Spring: The Lion King (animated, was King of the Jungle),The Muppet
|
|
Treasure Island
|
|
Summer: Aliens vs. Predator: The Hunt,Cartooned, The Flintstones, Spiderman
|
|
Decemb: Godzilla (American)
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
--!8!-- All The News That's Fit To Transmit
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
Books, Stories, and SF Literature in General .....
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
|
|
According to TERRY PRATCHETT, the people putting out THE DISCWORLD
|
|
COMPANION will be publishing a map of Ankh-Morpork in November, all from
|
|
the descriptions in the books. The first three DISCWORLD books will be out
|
|
on audio on November 4, and the TRUCKERS trilogy on September 23. (Dates
|
|
are for the UK. Look for them in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, but he
|
|
says in a Usenet post that although South Africa will get them "in the
|
|
fullness of time," but he doesn't expect for us to see them in the United
|
|
States or in languages other than English. They will be read by TONY
|
|
ROBINSON, of BLACKADDER fame. (Sod off, Baldric!)
|
|
|
|
DAVID BRIN is reportedly working on another Uplift novel. He is also
|
|
working on a graphic novel version of THE VANILLA NEEDLE,
|
|
|
|
The world really is moving towards electronic publishing. This year
|
|
Clarinet is offering an electronic version of the Hugo and Nebua nominees,
|
|
along with lots of extra stuff. What kind of stuff? Well, for one thing,
|
|
how about nomineee A FIRE UPON THE DEEP, with 500K of hypertext provided by
|
|
VERNOR VINGE himself? They are also providing the nominated artwork in
|
|
machine readable form. The collection comes in a disk, CD-ROM or network
|
|
version, and costs $11.95 to $29.95, depending on how much stuff you want
|
|
on it. For more information, send mail to net-sf@clarinet.com. For those
|
|
not on the net, you can connect to sf.clarinet.com by dialing 408-296-3733
|
|
by a modem. Log in as "sf", then select "o" for order at the menu prompt.
|
|
You'll run an interactive order script.
|
|
|
|
VISIONS OF MARS: Science fiction is riddled with stories of colonists
|
|
finding messages from the past. Now real life is going to imitate art, as
|
|
the Planetary Society and the Russian Space Research Institute prepare to
|
|
put together a CD-ROM containing thousands of pages of fiction about the
|
|
planet Mars. The discs, called Visions of Mars, will be placed in special
|
|
landers and sent with the Mars 94 mission to the Red Planet next year. In
|
|
addition to Mars-related fiction from various languages and cultures, the
|
|
disc will also contain a portion of the 1938 ORSON WELLES WAR OF THE WORLDS
|
|
broadcast, artwork depicting our conception of Mars in various eras, an
|
|
audio recording of reactions to the landing of Viking I on Mars from the
|
|
likes of GENE RODDENBERRY and ROBERT HEINLEIN, and brief messages to the
|
|
future from such notables as ARTHUR C. CLARKE. The disc, which will be
|
|
designed and produced by Time Warner Interactive Group, will sport an
|
|
instruction label in English, Finnish, French, German and Russian, the
|
|
languages of the Mars 94 mission. Facsimiles, capably of running on MS-DOS
|
|
or Macintosh machines, will be available in bookstores.
|
|
|
|
ENDINGS: With great sadness, Del Rey Books announces the passing of LESTER
|
|
DEL REY, author of approximately 50 books and founder (with wife JUDY-LYNN
|
|
BENJAMIN DEL REY) of Del Rey Books. According to his wishes, there was no
|
|
memorial service or public funeral following his death on May 10 after a
|
|
week of hospitalization for serious heart problems. Mr. Del Rey was
|
|
responsible for discovering many of today's best selling science fiction
|
|
and fantasy authors. .. Cartoonist VINCENT T. HAMLIN, creator of the ALLEY
|
|
OOP comic strip, has passed away. No word on the cause of death, but he
|
|
was 93 years old. ... AVRAM DAVIDSON, former teacher and editor of THE
|
|
MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION, and author of the Hugo award winning
|
|
story "Or All The Seas With Oysters," several anthologies and 25 novels,
|
|
including, most recently, the Owlswick Press novel ADVENTURES IN UNHISTORY,
|
|
died May 8th at the age of 70. Although he suffered a series of strokes
|
|
seven years ago, he continued to write from his wheelchair with one hand on
|
|
his typewriter. He is best remembered for his VERGIL MAGUS stories.
|
|
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
SF and Fantasy Movie News ....
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
Composer JOHN WILLIAMS, who wrote the score for seven of the top ten
|
|
money making films of all time, has retired from his position as conductor
|
|
of the Boston Pops. I was lucky enough to attend his final regular season
|
|
performance, and here's what I have to say about it. Please forgive me for
|
|
a little sentimentality, but I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this
|
|
way.
|
|
First of all, for 13 years I have been saying that "someday" I would
|
|
get out to Boston to see him conduct. I have been mesmerised by his work
|
|
from the first time I conned my parents into letting me see STAR WARS, and
|
|
so, for his final concert, I took a train 600 miles to do just that.
|
|
It was worth it. Definitely.
|
|
There were 3 sets, and while the first two were exquisite classical
|
|
pieces, the final set was the theme from Superman, then Jurassic Park, then
|
|
Jaws, and finally The Imperial Death March, Princess Leia's Theme, and the
|
|
music from the ceremony and ending credits from STAR WARS. I tell you, to
|
|
be right THERE (front row center, no less -- I could read the viola's
|
|
music!) and hear it performed live knowing that it is EXACTLY what he had
|
|
in mind -- no arranger intruding here -- was something out of a dream. And
|
|
to see him conduct ... the man was a blur. He really put everything he had
|
|
into that performance. When it was over he looked like he was practically
|
|
in tears.
|
|
He received at least three standing ovations: When the last piece
|
|
from SW was over, after his first encore (Varsity Rag and Satin Doll (or
|
|
was it String of Pearls -- I told you it was a dream)), and after the
|
|
finale, the traditional Stars and Stripes Forever.
|
|
The last standing ovation was something like SIX curtain calls and 10
|
|
minutes long. The only reason we stopped was because he finally came out
|
|
and, awash with emotion, pointed at his watch as if to say, "Come on,
|
|
everyone, it's late. Go home." He had no mike and did not speak to the
|
|
audience, but mouthed the words "Thank you" more times than I can remember.
|
|
This man wrote the soundtrack to my adolescence. All I could think of
|
|
was, "No, thank YOU."
|
|
|
|
-!-
|
|
|
|
WILLIAM GIBSON is coming to the big screen. Rumors are that ABEL FERRARA
|
|
will be directing a film version of Gibson's short story "New Rose
|
|
Sentinel" and that VAL KILMER (WILLOW) will be starring as JOHNNY MNEMONIC,
|
|
with JANE MARCH and ICE-T filling out that cast.
|
|
|
|
SPIDERMAN is going to be busy this year. Rumors are flying about an
|
|
ANIMATED TV show by the same people who are doing the X-Men. This is in
|
|
addition to the live action version, which will be written by NEIL
|
|
RUTTNEBURG and JAMES CAMERON for Carolco. Cameron will also direct.
|
|
|
|
And according to rumors ... THE MANGLER, based on the STEVEN KING short
|
|
story, will be directed by TOBE HOOPER. King will also have a cameo in THE
|
|
STAND, as will TOM SAVINI, SAM RAIMI, and MICK and CYNTHIA GARRIS ... WES
|
|
CRAVEN will be making NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 7 ... HELLRAISER IV will
|
|
start shooting any time now, and HELLRAISER III is out on video in both an
|
|
R and an NC17 version ... the same fate will likely befall JASON GOES TO
|
|
HELL: THE FINAL FRIDAY, which has been trimmed for the R rating.
|
|
|
|
Production is wrapping for the last time at Elstree Studios in
|
|
Hertfordshire, north of London, England. While many classic films were
|
|
filmed at the historic studio, genre fans will probably be more moved by
|
|
the fact that it was the site where sequences were filmed for the STAR WARS
|
|
films, the INDIANA JONES films, the SUPERMAN films ... well, you get the
|
|
idea. STEVEN SPEILBERG has described the studio as "a home away from
|
|
home." In the past three years, the slowdown ofthe British film industry
|
|
has led to more than half of the 28 acres being sold to a supermarket chain
|
|
for $42 million. The Brent Walker Group, which owns the studio, has been
|
|
subsidizing the studio hoping that a buyer would take it over with the
|
|
intent of continuing its use as a film studio, but it was not to be. The
|
|
Save Our Studios Campaign vows to continue the fight.
|
|
|
|
Thought you were safe from a Batman movie this year? Wrong. Christmas Day
|
|
will see the release of BATMAN: THE ANIMATED MOVIE. In addition to the
|
|
Joker (the be voiced by MARK HAMMILL, who also does the voice in the TV
|
|
show), there will be new characters, including a villain called Phantasm.
|
|
|
|
The animated film ASTROCOPS: PEACEKEEPERS OF THE FUTURE will feature the
|
|
voices of JAMIE FARR, EDDIE ALBERT, and JAMES WHITMORE. It's written by
|
|
GENE AYRAS.
|
|
|
|
GEORGE ROMERO will direct THE BLACK MARIAH, about a man running away from a
|
|
curse. The film, which is scheduled to begin production this fall, is from
|
|
New Line Cinema, and is based on an as yet unpublished novel by JAY
|
|
BONANSINGA.
|
|
|
|
Then there's MANDROID, a film shot completely in Romania, about a killer
|
|
indestructible robot. No word on what language it's in, but it will be
|
|
released on video August 11th by Paramount Home Video.
|
|
|
|
HIDEAWAY, based on DEAN R. KOONTZ'S novel about two very different men
|
|
returned from the dead, will be directed by BRETT LEONARD (LAWNMOWER MAN).
|
|
TriStar purchased the rights in 1991, and are hoping that NEAL JIMENEZ can
|
|
come up with a suitable script. Preproduction will start this fall.
|
|
|
|
JAMES CAMERON and ARNOLD SCHWARTZNEGGER, the team that helped to bring you
|
|
TERMINATOR and T2, will be reuniting for TRUE LIES, an action comedy.
|
|
|
|
Londoners can now enjoy food and films at their very own PLANET HOLLYWOOD,
|
|
owned by SCHWARTZNEGGER, BRUCE WILLIS, and SYLVESTER STALONE. They spent
|
|
$21 million buying the place and redecorating, including the addition of a
|
|
75 seat cinema. As a side note, Schwartznegger and wife MARIA SHRIVER are
|
|
expecting their third child.
|
|
|
|
DAN ACKROYD, who, along with JANE CURTAIN is starring in the revival of
|
|
their old Saturday Night Live sketch THE CONHEADS, has more than just a new
|
|
movie to celebrate. He and his wife, DONNA DIXON, were blessed with a
|
|
daughter, Belle Kingston Aykroyd, June 9. They already have a 3 year old
|
|
daughter, Danielle.
|
|
|
|
ALAN RICKMAN (ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THEIVES) will be starring in MESMER,
|
|
about Dr. Franz Mesmer, the founder of hypnotism and the basis for the word
|
|
"mesmerize." It will be directed by ROGER SPOTTISWOODE, and executive
|
|
produced by DAVID BOWIE (LABYRINTH).
|
|
|
|
The Imagine Films production GREED, a dark comedy about a fight over a
|
|
will, will have quite a few genre veterans, including MICHAEL J. FOX (BACK
|
|
TO THE FUTURE), BOB BALABAN (CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE 3RD KIND) and ED
|
|
BEGLEY JR. (MEET THE APPLEGATES).
|
|
|
|
SURVIVING THE GAME, about a homeless man, will star RUTGER HAUER
|
|
(BLADERUNNER, LADYHAWKE) and ICE-T. It's from New Line Cinema.
|
|
|
|
Showtime Networks has added TriStar to the list of studios whose films it
|
|
can broadcast exclusively. Showtime Networks, which includes Showtime, The
|
|
Movie Channel, Flix, and Pay Per View, signed a five year deal with
|
|
TriStar, which incidentally is owned by Sony Corp.. The deal covers all
|
|
films slated for theatrical release starting in 1994. Showtime already has
|
|
exclusive rights to films from Castle Rock, New Line, Disney, and PolyGram.
|
|
|
|
And speaking of cable, CRUSADE, starring ARNOLD SCHWARTZNEGGER, could very
|
|
well start a new trend. The PAUL VERHOVEN film, which goes into production
|
|
next spring, could very well be the first film in a major step towards
|
|
interactive television. Tele-Communications Inc. is spending $2 billion
|
|
upgrading its cable system to give it the capability to provide 500
|
|
channels to its subscribers, and one of its projects involves a $90 million
|
|
deal to air up to four Carolco films on Pay Per View -- a week before they
|
|
are released in the theaters.
|
|
|
|
FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA, fresh from directing BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA and on his
|
|
way to producing FRANKENSTEIN for TriStar, will also be directing a series
|
|
of six 23 minute "films" for VH-1. They will actually be long-form music
|
|
videos, and will be produced through his company, American Zoetrope, and
|
|
Palomar Pictures.
|
|
|
|
Coppola 's FRANKENSTEIN, meanwhile, will star KENNETH BRANAGH as Dr.
|
|
Frankenstein and ROBERT DENIRO as the monster. Brannagh will also direct
|
|
the film for TriStar.
|
|
|
|
BATMAN III rumors: We've previously reported rumors that MICHAEL KEATON
|
|
and MICHELLE PFIEFFER had signed. Now, according to USA Today, it is
|
|
indeed in the works, with TIM BURTON as executive producer and JOEL
|
|
SCHUMACHER (THE LOST BOYS) as director.
|
|
|
|
After protests from American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Disney has
|
|
agreed to change some of the lyrics from ALADDIN. The claim was that the
|
|
lines, "... if they don't like you're face, they'll cut off your ear ...
|
|
it's barbaric, but hey, it's home," perpetuate the stereotype that ancient
|
|
Arabia was a barbaric place. They will be redubbing for the video release,
|
|
but the ADC says that the changes aren't enough to reverse what they call
|
|
the racism of the movie.
|
|
|
|
One of the big questions we keep getting is "What about an X-MEN movie?"
|
|
Well, it's certainly somewhere in the reasonably near future (i.e., the
|
|
next couple of years) but we don't know whether it will be animated or live
|
|
action. According to CNN, 20th Century Fox has bought the rights, and with
|
|
the current popularity of the mutants, we can't see them holding on to them
|
|
too long without doing something about it.
|
|
|
|
FIRST KNIGHT, an action adventure about King Arthur and the round table,
|
|
has been postponed by Columbia. JERRY ZUCKER will be directing when it
|
|
goes back into production in January. It's being held up by script delays.
|
|
|
|
ABEL FERRARA wasn't too informative about his new version of INVASION OF
|
|
THE BODY SNATCHERS when it was screened at Cannes last month, but he did
|
|
joke that the idea is "to take great old stories and screw them up."
|
|
Critics, however, have commented that there isn't much original in his
|
|
version, though it is less violent that his last film, THE BAD LIEUTENANT.
|
|
He told UPI that though he hadn't really considered taking an a science
|
|
fiction project, but "the truth is, I always loved Martian movies. I used
|
|
to dress up as a Martian when I was a kid, and go out and terrify the
|
|
neighbours."
|
|
|
|
GARY OLDMAN (BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA) will produce, direct, and star in LORDS
|
|
OF THE URBAN JUNGLE, about small-time British criminals. It's from his
|
|
company, Matisse, and Portman Entertainment, and will be filmed on location
|
|
in London.
|
|
|
|
JACK NICHOLSON (BATMAN) will star in CROSSING GUARD, about a man awaiting
|
|
the release of the drunken driver who killed his daughter. It's from
|
|
Warner Bros. He will also be seen in MIKE NICHOLS' WOLF with MICHELLE
|
|
PFIEFFER (BATMAN RETURNS), who has just adopted a baby daughter.
|
|
|
|
Purists should be happy. After years of complaining that movies are
|
|
butchered when shown on a conventional television screen, they can get the
|
|
new RCA "CinemaScreen," says Thomson Consumer Electronics. The television,
|
|
at 16 inches by 9 inches, duplicates the shape of a movie screen, allowing
|
|
the full effect for widescreen films. For the less concerned, it also
|
|
allows two conventional programs to be shown on the screen at the same
|
|
time. As yet there was no word on how you're supposed to watch them both,
|
|
or whether special versions of widescreen films will be needed.
|
|
|
|
According to a National Public Radio interview with ARTHUR C. CLARKE, the
|
|
rights to THE HAMMER OF GOD have been bought by Paramount.
|
|
|
|
According to UPI, a QUANTUM LEAP movie is being planned, but not for a year
|
|
or two.
|
|
|
|
It would seem that Disney's film HOCUS POCUS has offended a very specific
|
|
religious group: witches. LAURIE CABOT, the "official witch" of
|
|
Massachusetts, is the high priestess of the Wicca temple in Salem. Her
|
|
temple has several thousand members, and she has spent her life trying to
|
|
defend the image of modern day witches, who insist that they are NOT
|
|
connected with the Devil. According to the Boston Globe, she has cast a
|
|
spell on the film to ensure that it is a box-office bomb, but if the
|
|
critics are correct, she needn't have bothered.
|
|
|
|
KIM BASINGER (BATMAN) will have a cameo in WAYNE'S WORLD II. She has filed
|
|
for bankruptcy protection following a multi-million dollar judgment against
|
|
her for pulling out of BOXING HELENA.
|
|
|
|
The film version of INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, the ANNE RICE novel, is
|
|
well underway. Geffen Pictures says shooting will begin October 18 in
|
|
London and New Orleans. Who's in it? BRAD PITT (COOL WORLD), RIVER
|
|
PHOENIX (INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE) as the reporter, ANTONIO
|
|
BANDERAS, STEPHEN REA, and as the vampire Lestat ... TOM CRUISE. Yes, TOM
|
|
CRUISE. He will reportedly be receiving more than $15 million for the
|
|
role. The film, which will be distributed by Warner Brothers, will be
|
|
produced by STEPHEN WOLLEY and DAVID GEFFEN and directed by NEIL JORDAN,
|
|
who also wrote the screenplay. Jordan won this year's Oscar for best
|
|
screenplay for THE CRYING GAME.
|
|
|
|
The list of "interesting convention souvenirs" might have just gotten a
|
|
little longer. SYLVESTER STALLONE is thinking about suing the Sunday
|
|
Mirror for printing -- censored -- nude pictures of him taken on the set of
|
|
his science fiction thriller DEMOLITION MAN. Don't be surprised if the
|
|
uncensored version makes its way to dealer rooms.
|
|
|
|
It would seem that the big screen version of THE FLINTSTONES will have some
|
|
big names. Perhaps the biggest will be ELIZABETH TAYLOR, who will be
|
|
playing Wilma's mother, Pearl Slaghoople. Other stars? JOHN GOODMAN
|
|
(ROSANNE, as well as the psuedo-genre film MATINEE) as Fred Flintstone,
|
|
ELIZABETH PERKINS as Wilma, RICK MORANIS (HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS) as
|
|
Barney, and ROSIE O'DONNELL as Betty.
|
|
|
|
Look for LEA THOMPSON (BACK TO THE FUTURE) as the Donna Reed mom in DENNIS
|
|
THE MENACE, and as a "real sexpot" in THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES.
|
|
|
|
SUPERMAN will be doing double duty this year, as the subject of both LOIS
|
|
AND CLARK, a new series on ABC, and SUPERMAN: THE NEW MOVIE. More info as
|
|
we get it.
|
|
|
|
Also in the rumor mill is SGT. ROCK, starring ARNOLD SCHWARTZNEGGER. If it
|
|
is true, let's hope it does better than his last action movie ...
|
|
|
|
DIE HARD 3 was supposed to be on a cruise ship, but they were beaten to it
|
|
by STEVEN SEGAL'S UNDER SEIGE, so now it looks like it'll be in a subway
|
|
system.
|
|
|
|
Anime fans be on the lookout: Universal is supposedly trying to line up a
|
|
deal for putting out a $60 million live action version of AKIRA.
|
|
|
|
Walt Disney Co. has signed a multimillion dollar multi year liscencing deal
|
|
with DIC Animation City, Inc. In addition to DIC programs, Disney's Buena
|
|
Vista Home Video will be working on interactive and multimedia programming.
|
|
DIC is the producer of INSPECTOR GADGET, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG, SUPERMARIO
|
|
BROS, and lots of others.
|
|
|
|
The 17th JAMES BOND film has been approved by MGM. It will star TIMOTHY
|
|
DALTON.
|
|
|
|
The summer movies season is heading for a record. Between MICHAEL
|
|
CRICHTON's JURRASIC PARK and RISING SUN, and THE FUGITIVE, the summer is
|
|
currently running 11 percent ahead of the record setting 1989, when BATMAN,
|
|
INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, and LETHAL WEAPON 2 were in the
|
|
theaters.
|
|
|
|
Orion will be releasing ROBOCOP 3 in November. That is, in the United
|
|
States. It was supposed to be out here in July, but so was JURRASSIC PARK.
|
|
It has already earned more than $12 million in Japan and South Korea, and
|
|
made $2 million on it's opening week in France, but that money, along with
|
|
all overseas revenues from Orion films, goes to Columbia/TriStar, which
|
|
does Orion's overseas distribution. Orion, by the way, doesn't make films
|
|
anymore. They just finance them, but they still have 700 movies in their
|
|
library.
|
|
|
|
Columbia has named LISA HENSON, daughter of the late JIM, to replace
|
|
MICHAEL NATHANSON as the president of production. Analysts see this as the
|
|
part of a management shakeup following the $100 million bombing of LAST
|
|
ACTION HERO.
|
|
|
|
Purists beware... TED TURNER is reportedly negotiating to buy New Line
|
|
Cinema and Castle Rock. He will supposedly pay $500 million in the deals,
|
|
but he needs approval from his partners, Time Warner Inc., and Tele-
|
|
Communications inc.. Bertelsman Music Group, a German-owned company, is
|
|
also trying to buy Castle rock. While Turner owns five cable TV stations,
|
|
Bertelsman owns RCA, Arista, Doubleday, Bantam, and Dell. And, to make
|
|
things even more complicated (is that possible?) Castle Rock reportedly
|
|
receives most of its financing from New Line in a deal that is about to
|
|
expire.
|
|
|
|
The wife of BRUCE LEE has auctioned off some of his personal collection,
|
|
including photos and writings and the cap and suspenders he wore as Kato on
|
|
THE GREEN HORNET. No word on how much was paid, but a portion much or all
|
|
of the proceeds went to charity.
|
|
|
|
ROBIN WRIGHT (THE PRINCESS BRIDE) has given birth to a 7 pound 5 ounce baby
|
|
boy named Jack. He is her second child with SEAN PENN. Her daughter,
|
|
Dylan, is 2 years old.
|
|
|
|
SEAN CONNERY (HIGHLANDER,INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, ROBIN HOOD,
|
|
JAMES BOND (need we go on?)) is currently in negotiations over the
|
|
starring role in SMOKE AND MIRRORS, about Houdin, a French illusionist in
|
|
the 1850's. It's written by JANET SCOTT BATCHLER and LEE BATCHLER, and is
|
|
from Disney's Hollywood Pictures. It's being called a "period action
|
|
drama."
|
|
|
|
And last, but certainly not least, there's JURASSIC PARK. If you haven't
|
|
seen it in your part of the world yet, here's when you will: Germany:
|
|
Sept. 2, Sweden: Sept. 3, Italy: Sept. 17, Netherlands: Sept. 30, Spain:
|
|
Oct. 8, France: Oct. 20 and Greece: Oct. 29.
|
|
The big story though is just how much MONEY this thing has brought in.
|
|
To tell you the truth, we don't have room to list all the records this film
|
|
has broken.
|
|
Previously, the top ten domestic grosses looked like this:
|
|
1. E.T. -- The Extraterrestrial (1982) $399.8 million.
|
|
2. STAR WARS (1977) $322 million.
|
|
3. HOME ALONE (1990) $281.6 million.
|
|
4. RETURN OF THE JEDI (1983) $263 million.
|
|
5. JAWS (1975) $260 million.
|
|
6. BATMAN (1989) $251.2 million.
|
|
7. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) $242.4 million.
|
|
8. BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984) $234.8 million.
|
|
9. THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980) $223 million.
|
|
10. GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) $220.9 million.
|
|
And for those of you who are interested, BACK TO THE FUTURE was at #12
|
|
with $208.2 million, T2 was at #14 with $204 million, INDIANA JONES AND THE
|
|
LAST CRUSADE was at #15 with $197.2 million, and INDIANA JONES AND THE
|
|
TEMPLE OF DOOM was at #17 with $179.8 million.
|
|
Once it cracked the list of top grosses, JP just went on a rampage,
|
|
climbing up the list like some of the characters running from T-Rex. It
|
|
took only a month to reach number 10, and four days later it was at number
|
|
7. A week after that it was at number 5. Two weeks later it was in the
|
|
number 3 spot. Frankly, we haven't checked in a few days. It might very
|
|
well have topped STAR WARS already, but we doubt it.
|
|
It might be held up from topping SW or E.T. for a little while, at
|
|
least, by the fact that both domestic totals include rereleases, of $35.2
|
|
million and $40 million respectively. E.T. brought in a total of $645
|
|
million for Universal, counting domestic and foreign ticket sales.
|
|
Remember, these are just DOMESTIC grosses. JP is breaking records all
|
|
over the world.
|
|
Internationally, the top grosses at this point are:
|
|
1. GHOST (1990) $290 million.
|
|
2. THE BODYGUARD (1992) $289 million.
|
|
3. E.T. -- THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL (1982) $286 million.
|
|
4. PRETTY WOMAN (1989) $279 million.
|
|
5. TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991) $263 million.
|
|
6. INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE (1987) $258 million.
|
|
7. RAIN MAN (1988) $240 million.
|
|
8. BASIC INSTINCT (1992) $235 million.
|
|
9. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991) $202 million.
|
|
10. ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES (1991) $201 million.
|
|
Between theater rentals (which usually run at half the gross) domestic
|
|
and foreign home video and television rights, JP is expected to bring
|
|
Matsushita, Universal's parent company, a net PROFIT of almost $340
|
|
million.
|
|
Frankly folks, we're stunned.
|
|
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
SF and Fantasy TV News ....
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
First let's get the announcements of new shows out of the way. If things
|
|
go well, we should be able to put out a CV: Extra with more info. Keep
|
|
your fingers crossed.
|
|
|
|
NBC, Sunday 8-9 pm Eastern -- SEAQUEST DSV: From STEVEN SPEILBERG. Eco-
|
|
science fiction, with ROY SCHIEDER as the head of a submarine patrolling
|
|
the deep.
|
|
|
|
ABC, Sunday 8-9 pm Eastern -- LOIS AND CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF
|
|
SUPERMAN: DEAN CAIN and TERI HATCHER as the leads. It's supposedly closer
|
|
to the comics than we've seen before.
|
|
|
|
Sci-FI -- THE NEW ADVENTURES OF GIGANTOR: (Remember, folks, we don't make
|
|
this up.) There's really not much to say here, except that there are 52
|
|
new animated episodes, and they're in color.
|
|
|
|
Fox, Friday 9-10 pm Eastern -- THE X-FILES: Let's just say that the
|
|
producer/creator's favorite show as a kid was NIGHT GALLERY. It's about an
|
|
FBI agent who decides to take on those "weird" unsolved cases, like aliens
|
|
and the paranormal. CHRIS CARTER promises it'll be good and scary, but not
|
|
bloody. We'll run the interview with him either in the Extra or the next
|
|
issue, depending on how things go.
|
|
|
|
Syndicated, so bug your local stations: BABYLON 5: Laurel Takashima is,
|
|
in accordance with many people's wishes, gone. WALTER KOENIG is a bad guy.
|
|
We don't have room for everything here. Check out CV issues 1 and 3 for
|
|
details from J. Michael Straczynksi himself.
|
|
|
|
Syndicated, so bug your local stations: ROBOCOP: If there's anyone who
|
|
hasn't seen the movie, it's basically about a cop who's been turned into a
|
|
cyborg by a heartless corporation running the police force of Detroit. He
|
|
starts to remember who he is and fights against OCP -- the corporation.
|
|
The TV series apparently picks up from there.
|
|
|
|
That's all we've got for now, so on to the rest of the news ...........
|
|
|
|
DR. WHO fans have been up and down in the last few months. First there was
|
|
a rumor that the BBC was reviving the show. Then there was a rumor that
|
|
they MIGHT revive the show if there was enough interest in the special that
|
|
they were going to air for the 30th anniversary of the show in November.
|
|
Then there was gossip of problems between the surviving Doctors (or that
|
|
actors playing them, anyway.) Supposedly, JOHN PERTWEE, PETER DAVISON, and
|
|
SYLVESTER MCCOY were upset because the bulk of the show had gone to TOM
|
|
BAKER. (COLIN BAKER had not signed, citing prior committments.) Then the
|
|
word was that the special had been pushed back to early next year.
|
|
Now it seems that it was all pointless, because the rumor is that the
|
|
BBC has cancelled the special completely, and has no plans to revive DR.
|
|
WHO on television in any form. They will not even be showing any more
|
|
reruns for at least two seasons. (U.S. readers remember: In England, a
|
|
season is 13 weeks.)
|
|
On the brighter side, rumor is that BBC RADIO LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT and
|
|
the BBC Audio Collection will be producing 35 radio episodes of DR. WHO
|
|
starting JON PERTWEE as the Doctor. Some of the people who have reportedly
|
|
been contacted are KATY MANNING, ELIZABETH SLADEN, ERIC SAWARD, TERRANCE
|
|
DICKS, BARRY LETTS, PHILLIP MARTIN. Even more unconfirmed is that some of
|
|
the "lost" episodes that exist only in audio form may be released on
|
|
cassette tape or compact disc.
|
|
|
|
QUANTUM LEAP: Continuing on in life, SCOTT BAKULA will be starring in
|
|
MERCY MISSION, about the rescue of a single engine plane lost in the
|
|
Pacific Ocean. ROBERT LOGGIA also stars, and TED DANSON will produce. It
|
|
will air sometime in the 1993-4 season on NBC. (Yes, NBC.) But, of
|
|
course, the big news is that Bakula will be a semi-regular on MURPHY BROWN.
|
|
His role has been described as an "aggressive but charming international
|
|
reporter." Look for "strong sexual tension" between him and CANDICE
|
|
BERGEN.
|
|
|
|
DEAN STOCKWELL will play an "evil strip miner" trying to obtain the
|
|
Ponderosa in BONANZA -- THE RETURN, about the next generation of ranchers
|
|
and staring the sons of the original series, MICHAEL LANDON JR., and DIRK
|
|
BLOCKER, and LINDA GRAY.
|
|
|
|
And speaking of sons, JASON CONNERY, son of SEAN and formerly of ROBIN OF
|
|
SHERWOOD, will be starring in the film IESKA,about a Sioux Indian. It will
|
|
start shooting in Nashville this fall, and will also star FRANCESCO QUINN
|
|
(son of ANTHONY) and TAHNEE WELCH (daughter of RAQUEL).
|
|
|
|
Also for you alumnus watchers, ROBERT WOLTERSTORFF, former QL Supervising
|
|
Producer and writer is now the Executive Producer of DANGER THEATER, which
|
|
we have been looking for an excuse to mention. It's a half hour parody of
|
|
the action shows of the 1970's and '80's and it's (in our humble opinions,
|
|
of course) a fun way to spend 30 minutes. The show also features genre
|
|
veterans ADAM WEST (BATMAN) and ROBERT VAUGHN (THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.).
|
|
There are two segments each week, so there's little time for a gag to get
|
|
stale. The two are "The Searcher" starring DEITRICH BADER -- a takeoff on
|
|
everything from THE HITCHHIKER to the A-TEAM, and "Tropical Punch",
|
|
starring West in a straight takeoff of HAWAII FIVE-O. (Also, for those of
|
|
you following the campaign to save QL, the infamous Harriet will have a
|
|
cameo as a Liz Taylor lookalike in "Sex Lies and Decaf" to air August 22nd.
|
|
|
|
So you thought you read it all in GROWING UP BRADY, the controversial
|
|
biography of BARRY WILLIAMS? Now there is a tell all memior from, of all
|
|
people, BURT WARD. Yes, the boy -- now a man -- who played Robin opposite
|
|
ADAM WEST'S BATMAN in the campy 1960's television show. The book will be
|
|
called BOY WONDER: MY LIFE IN TIGHTS. (As tempting as it was, we are NOT
|
|
making this up.) Among the "revelations" to be found among the pages are
|
|
the existance of a nude Christmas special shown only to the executives.
|
|
(Can you imagine THAT in a dealers' room?) Remember, now, that Ward was a
|
|
very young man at the time, but if you've been following his life since,
|
|
you know that he has certainly gotten ... older. He claims that there are
|
|
no less than three chapters that are so sexually explicit that should not
|
|
be read by minors.
|
|
|
|
WHOOPI GOLDBERG's talk show has been cancelled becuse of low ratings.
|
|
|
|
Looks like we're going to have a wait for GEORGE R.R. MARTIN'S DOORWAYS.
|
|
it seems that ABC scheduled it for July 10 -- in a one hour slot. The
|
|
problem is that the short version of the pilot is 90 minutes long, with the
|
|
European version running 2 hours. Columbia pointed that out to ABC, but
|
|
there were no 90 minute slots available in the summer, so we may have to
|
|
wait as long as a year.
|
|
|
|
Steven Speilberg is taking TINY TOON ADVENTURES one step farther. Fox has
|
|
picked up STEVEN SPIELBERG PRESENTS ANIMANIACS. It's about three Warner
|
|
Bros characters, Wakko, Yakko, and Dot, the Warner Brothers (and Warner
|
|
sister) who have supposedly been kept in the WB water tower since their
|
|
creation 50 years ago because they were too outrageous. It will air at 4pm
|
|
on weekday afternoons. We'll let you know what will happen to TINY TOONS,
|
|
which is currently airing in that slot.
|
|
|
|
Looking for RED DWARF scripts? Fans in the UK have spotted PRIMORDIAL
|
|
SOUP: THE LEAST WORST SCRIPTS, by Grant Naylor. It's from Penguin Books,
|
|
and even includes "Psirens," a script from the sixth season which has not
|
|
even been shown yet. See SPOILERS AHOY for a little bit more information.
|
|
According to "Red Dwarf Smegazine," Season 1 of RD would be released on
|
|
video in the UK around May 4th, so it's probably out there somehwere.
|
|
No word on when other countries would see it.
|
|
|
|
There seems to be an affinity among science fiction fans for the classic
|
|
detective, SHERLOCK HOLMES. Maybe it's that intelligence runs in both
|
|
groups. Or perhaps it's just that Holmes, like the average sf fan, was
|
|
always looking forward to the future, to technology ... and to all the
|
|
little things that mundanes usually miss. Well now CBS is combining both
|
|
groups with a TV movies called SHERLOCK HOLMES RETURNS! IN THE ADVENTURE OF
|
|
THE TIGER'S REVENGE.
|
|
The story revolves around Holmes' adventures when he is thawed out
|
|
after 94 years. I seems that he was so bored in Victorian England that he
|
|
invented cryogenics and jumped in. Written by KENNETH JOHNSON, it will
|
|
star ANTHONY HIGGINS as Holmes and (surprise!) DEBORAH FARENTINO as his
|
|
sidekick. Instead of the stodgy Dr. Watson, we get Farentino as a sexy
|
|
doctor companion. (Yes, tension, but no romance -- yet.) If it does well,
|
|
there may be a series of TV films.
|
|
Although they have tried to keep things like the meerschaum pipe and
|
|
deerstalker cap, Holmes adapts to modern life pretty quickly. Just picture
|
|
Sherlock Holmes with the resources of computers and networks behind him and
|
|
you get the idea.
|
|
And while we're on the subject of Holmes, it was at about this time
|
|
100 years ago that ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE, sick of the detective he had
|
|
created, sent him hurtling over the Reichenbach Falls to his death. Well,
|
|
a year or two later he was forced by public outcry to bring him back, but
|
|
that isn't stopping the United Kingdom from issuing a set of Sherlock
|
|
Holmes stamps to commemorate the anniversary. They should be in the stores
|
|
October 12. (Or should way say 12 October?)
|
|
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
STAR TREK News ....
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
MOVIE NEWS: OK, here's the poop. STAR TREK VII will not be called STAR
|
|
TREK VII, though nobody knows what it IS going to be called. Right now the
|
|
leading candidate is STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: THE MOTION PICTURE, so
|
|
that should answer the question as to which crew will be in it. There
|
|
will, however be 18 minutes of TOS characters. There are at least two
|
|
scripts in the works, and the will pick the one they like best for the
|
|
first film. The first two will have a budget of $100,000,000, if
|
|
statements made by Creation are correct. Paramount has booked 2400
|
|
theaters for Christmas week, so it had better be ready. This meant that
|
|
the TNG actors had to go back to work early, and will get only one week for
|
|
their mid-season hiatus, leaving them free to start production July 1,
|
|
1994.
|
|
Apparently one problem with making another TOS film is the insurance
|
|
companies. When you're making a film, you buy insurance that pays off if
|
|
for some reason you can't complete the film -- like the death or serious
|
|
illness of one of your stars. Given the advanced age of some of the cast,
|
|
STVI could only be insured for $26 million.
|
|
|
|
Also, the rumor that Paramount will be making yet another Star Trek series
|
|
once TNG ends is now a fact. It will take place on a starship and not a
|
|
space station, and during the same time period as TNG, so forget RICHARD
|
|
DEAN ANDERSON as a grown up Wesley Crusher.
|
|
|
|
There is talk that TERRY FARRELL is pregant. This is completely
|
|
UNCONFIRMED.
|
|
|
|
WALTER KOENIG suffered a heart attack while attending a convention in
|
|
Chicago. He was hospitalized and subsequently underwent heart surgery.
|
|
Koenig, whose age has been variously listed as 54 and 56, is doing fine,
|
|
and his family thanks all of those who sent their good wishes during the
|
|
crisis.
|
|
|
|
In a monumental display of well-meaning but misinformed explanation, United
|
|
Press International distributed an article about a STAR TREK convention in
|
|
Pasadena, California. The article patiently explains that you shouldn't
|
|
call fans "trekkies" because "Since [DEEP SPACE NINE] was launched in 1993,
|
|
Star Trek fans have sought a more serious image, hence the name change."
|
|
To it's credit, though, the article also quotes trekker Neil Norman as
|
|
explaining that "Being a trekker is about everyone getting along. It's not
|
|
about space ships and monsters." UPI also ran a report recently detailing
|
|
MARINA SIRTIS's refusal to attend a question/answer session until all video
|
|
equipment was removed from the room, quoting an unnamed con organizer as
|
|
saying that the TNG people just "stay for their hour and leave," and that
|
|
the TOS people are more personable. Anybody want to comment on that?
|
|
(UPI also ran the story of Walter Koenig's heart attack under the
|
|
headline "Star Trek character suffers heart attack".)
|
|
|
|
BRENT SPINER was reportedly offered a chance to direct, but turned it down.
|
|
Not so for ADAM NIMOY (son of LEONARD), who will be directing another
|
|
episode -- but we don't know which one.
|
|
|
|
A strange sounding rumor, supposedly from E! (the cable network) says that
|
|
JOHN DELANCIE has been signed for 26 episodes of TNG. A theory put forward
|
|
is that he might be playing a new regular in alien makeup.
|
|
|
|
There's just no stopping that STAR TREK franchise. According the The Wall
|
|
Street Journal (7/12/93), Paramount Video has sold 200,000 copies of "The
|
|
Cage," the original TOS pilot. That's $3 million, folks. For one episode.
|
|
The other 79 episodes have sold 50,000 to 100,000 each, and the TNG
|
|
episodes on the market have sold 25,000 to 30,000 each.
|
|
|
|
DWIGHT SCHULTZ (BARCLAY) will be starring in a brand new series come fall.
|
|
BOOMTOWN is about a dreamer who buys a run down rural hotel in anticipation
|
|
of a superhighway that winds up bypassing them, leaving them broke.
|
|
|
|
Funny how statistics can be manipulated ... According to the TIME
|
|
Magazine, the fastest growing language in the world is Klingon, created by
|
|
Mark Okrand. Why? It's very simple. As recently as a few years ago,
|
|
practically nobody was speaking it, but now, with the publication of the
|
|
KLINGON DICTIONARY, lots of people are spitting their way to being
|
|
bilingual.
|
|
|
|
On the lighter side, it seems that plenty of things are out there if you
|
|
just ask for them. For instance, Riverside, Iowa was designated the
|
|
birthplace of James T. Kirk because then City Councilor STEVE MILLER saw a
|
|
listing in THE MAKING OF STAR TREK of Kirk's birthplace as "a small Iowa
|
|
town." Paramount told him that the first Iowa town to lay claim to him
|
|
could have him, so they did. So now every first Friday after March 22
|
|
(yes, it's also WILLIAM SHATNER'S birthday) is the annual summer Trek Fest,
|
|
complete with Romulan Ale -- food coloring in the green beer left over from
|
|
St. Patrick's day.
|
|
|
|
The British satellite channel Sky One has purchased the rights to STAR
|
|
TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, and will begin showing it in the next month or so.
|
|
|
|
JOHN DELANCIE just finished making a movie with BRUCE DERN, and plans on
|
|
doing more audio tapes. (What did he do before?) He has also done a comic
|
|
for DC, but reportedly does not plan to do another.
|
|
|
|
Since the beginning, big name stars have been showing up in Star Trek: The
|
|
Next Generation, and we may see more of that in what future the show has
|
|
left. "Descent," the final episode of the sixth season, featured a small
|
|
role for scientist STEVEN HAWKING, who is reportedly a huge fan of the
|
|
show. (The staff was apparently quite excited that such a world renowned
|
|
scientist is a fan. He also reportedly has quite a sense of humor, and
|
|
Levar Burton reccommends renting A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME, the story of
|
|
Hawking's life.) According to a TV Guide interview with executive producer
|
|
RICK BERMAN, other celebrities who have expressed an interest in appearing
|
|
are JASON ALEXANDER, DANA CARVEY, CHRISTOPHER LLOYD, LYLE LOVETT, who,
|
|
according to Berman, is "an obsessive fan," Los Angeles Laker JAMES WORTHY,
|
|
who has reportedly signed to be the tallest Klingon in the show's history,
|
|
and ROBIN WILLIAMS. Berman says that they are looking for something more
|
|
than a cameo for Williams -- but nobody's mentioned the return of Mork from
|
|
Ork. Various sources are also saying that ARNOLD SCHWARTZNEGGER has signed
|
|
on to be an alien captain, but we think that if that were true, Rick Berman
|
|
would have mentioned it to TV Guide. Others mentioned in a March issue of
|
|
Entertainment Weekly are JOHN GOODMAN and ELLIOT GOULD.
|
|
|
|
WILLIAM SHATNER was also talking to TV Guide for their special "Sci-fi"
|
|
episode, and what he had to say might surprise a few people. He said that
|
|
he had no idea that much of the rest of the original cast of STAR TREK
|
|
didn't like him until he started to write his memiors. WALTER KOENIG --
|
|
Pavel Chekhov -- agreed to talk to him for the book, but what he had to say
|
|
was far from favorable. He said that Shatner always felt that aside from
|
|
the Big Three, the other actors were insignificant.
|
|
|
|
JIMMY DOOHAN wouldn't even talk to Shatner for the book. Doohan also has a
|
|
book deal for his memiors and though he does not yet have a title, he told
|
|
TV Guide (man, they talk to everybody!) that "It may have a whiff of
|
|
blasphemy, so I have to check it out with a couple of priests first."
|
|
|
|
NICHELLE NICHOLS is also writing a book. It's called BEYOND UHURA, but she
|
|
says that if you're looking for lots of details of the much heralded
|
|
"liason" between her and GENE RODDENBERRY, you're going to be disappointed.
|
|
She says that it happened long before STAR TREK, it was short-lived, and
|
|
that it will only get a couple of sentences in the book.
|
|
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
Contests ....
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
Attention writers: ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINE and the
|
|
International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts (IAFA) have
|
|
announced the creation of the Isaac Asimov Award for the best unpublished
|
|
science fiction or fantasy short story by an undergraduate student. The
|
|
award is $500, a trip to IAFA's annual conference in Florida to receive it,
|
|
and consideration for publication in ASIMOV'S. Submissions, which should
|
|
be in the range of 1,000 to 10,000 words, are due by November 15, 1993.
|
|
For more information, write to Isaac Asimov Award, USF 3177, 4204 E.
|
|
Fowler, Tampa, FL 33620-3177.
|
|
|
|
-!-
|
|
|
|
The UPC SCIENCE FICTION AWARD
|
|
|
|
[Editor's note: We were going to try and paraphrase this, but there's just
|
|
so much in the way of specifics you need to know that we decided to just
|
|
reprint the posted notice, since you don't really have time to write to
|
|
them for more info. It IS a yearly contest, however, so even if you don't
|
|
make it this year, there's always the next go-round.]
|
|
|
|
This message contains the rules of the UPC Science Fiction Award 1993. This
|
|
competition is organized by the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC).
|
|
Since its 2nd edition in 1992, the works can be presented in Catalan,
|
|
Spanish, English or French. Last year, Jack MacDevitt won the award with
|
|
the short novel "Ships in the Night".
|
|
|
|
Conrado Martinez (conrado@lsi.upc.es)
|
|
|
|
UPC SCIENCE FICTION AWARD 1993
|
|
|
|
RULES
|
|
|
|
1.- Any unpublished narrative work which comes within the science fiction
|
|
genre may take part in the competition.
|
|
2.- The works presented must be of between 75 and 110 pages, written in
|
|
Catalan, Spanish, English or French. Two copies of the manuscript must
|
|
be submitted, typewritten and double-spaced with 30 lines on each page
|
|
and 70 characters per line. The submitted manuscripts will not be
|
|
returned.
|
|
3.- The author must sign his or her narrative with a pseudonym, and
|
|
enclose a sealed envelope containing the following details: full name,
|
|
personal identification number (identity card or similar), full
|
|
address and contact telephone or fax. The title of the work and the
|
|
pseudonym of the author must appear on the outside of this envelope.
|
|
Members of the UPC community must also state "UPC Member" on the
|
|
outside of the envelope.
|
|
4.- Manuscripts must be send to:
|
|
Consell Social
|
|
Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
|
|
Edifici ETSAB
|
|
Diagonal, 649
|
|
08028- Barcelona (SPAIN)
|
|
The envelope should be clearly marked: "UPC Science Fiction Award
|
|
1993".
|
|
5.- The final date for presentation of manuscripts for the 1993 edition is
|
|
August 30, 1993. The decision of the jury, which will be final, will
|
|
be made public before the ending of year 1993 (December 1st, 1993).
|
|
6.- According to the decision of the jury, a prize of 1,000,000 PTA will
|
|
be awarded. If the awarded narrative is not written in Catalan or
|
|
Spanish, a special mention with a prize of 250,000 PTA may be awarded
|
|
to the best narrative written in these languages. A further prize of
|
|
250,000 PTA may also be awarded for the best narrative presented by a
|
|
member of the UPC.
|
|
7.- The competition, which is held every year, may be declared vacant.
|
|
8.- The prizewinners grant the rights of the first Spanish edition to the
|
|
UPC, and waiver their right to any other monetary remuneration from
|
|
this edition.
|
|
9.- The winning novellas will be published by the UPC through Ediciones B,
|
|
in its collection "NOVA ciencia ficcion".
|
|
10.- The jury for the 1993 edition will be composed of Lluis Anglada,
|
|
Miquel Barcelo, Pere Botella, Josep Casanovas and Domingo Santos.
|
|
11.- The participation in the UPC Science Fiction Award 1993 involves the
|
|
implicit acceptance of the rules.
|
|
Barcelona, February 1993.
|
|
|
|
-!-
|
|
[Editor's note: The official closing date for voting was supposed to be
|
|
the weekend of August 13th, but Brad Templeton of Clarinet says that since
|
|
the ballots are still coming in and they're so easy to process, they will
|
|
be accepting them for a while longer -- but they absolutely must close the
|
|
balloting Labor Day weekend.]
|
|
|
|
The Electric Science Fiction Award Ballot
|
|
|
|
Clarinet is also running an electronic version of the Hugo voting.
|
|
Simply put, replace the question marks with your choices, in order of
|
|
preference. If you hate something, rank it below "No Award." All ballots
|
|
will be machine processed. They state in the instrctions that "BALLOTS
|
|
THAT CAN'T BE PARSED WILL BE DROPPED ON THE FLOOR." Neat trick for an
|
|
electronic ballot, but hey, it's their poll.
|
|
One more note from Clarinet: To not rank a story is to rank it last.
|
|
Thus if you have stories you hated, you should actually rank them after
|
|
stories you didn't read, rather than not ranking them, presuming you wish
|
|
to give them the benefit of the doubt. Likewise, you may wish to rank
|
|
stories you didn't read above No Award if you want to give them the benefit
|
|
of the doubt.
|
|
|
|
=====CUT HERE=====
|
|
Mail this part, or at least the answer lines, to esf-vote@clarinet.com
|
|
|
|
#start:
|
|
|
|
Best Novel
|
|
|
|
A China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh
|
|
B Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
|
|
C Steel Beach by John Varley
|
|
D A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge
|
|
E Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#novel: ???
|
|
|
|
Best Novella
|
|
A "Uh-Oh City" by Jonathan Carroll
|
|
B "The Territory" by Bradley Denton
|
|
C "Protection" by Maureen McHugh
|
|
D Stopping at Slowyear by Frederik Pohl
|
|
E "Barnacle Bill the Spacer" by Lucius Shepard
|
|
|
|
F City of Truth by James Morrow
|
|
G "Contact" by Jerry Oltion and Lee Goodloe
|
|
H Griffin's Egg by Michael Swanwick
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#novella: ???
|
|
|
|
Best Novelette
|
|
A "True Faces" by Pat Cadigan
|
|
B "The Nutcracker Coup" by Janet Kagan
|
|
C "In the Stone House" by Barry N. Malzberg
|
|
D "Danny Goes to Mars" by Pamela Sargent
|
|
E "Suppose They Gave a Peace..." by Susan Shwartz
|
|
|
|
F "Matter's End" by Gregory Benford
|
|
G "The July Ward" by S.N. Dyer
|
|
H "The Honeycrafters" by Carolyn Gilman
|
|
I "Prayers on the Wind" by Walter Jon Williams
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#novelette: ???
|
|
|
|
Best Short Story
|
|
A "The Winterberry" by Nicholas A. DiChario
|
|
B "The Mountain to Mohammed" by Nancy Kress
|
|
C "The Lotus and the Spear" by Mike Resnick
|
|
D "The Arbitrary Placement of Walls" by Martha Soukup
|
|
E "Even the Queen" by Connie Willis
|
|
|
|
|
|
F "Life Regarded as a Jigsaw Puzzle of Highly Lustrous Cats"
|
|
by Michael Bishop
|
|
G "Lennon Spex" by Paul Di Fillipo
|
|
H "Vinland the Dream" by Kim Stanley Robinson
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#short: ???
|
|
|
|
Best Professional Artist
|
|
A Thomas Canty
|
|
B David A. Cherry
|
|
C Bob Eggleton
|
|
D James Gurney
|
|
E Don Maitz
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#artist: ???
|
|
|
|
Best Original Artwork
|
|
A Cover of Aristoi by Jim Burns
|
|
B Dinotopia by James Gurney
|
|
C "Bridges" by Ron Walotsky
|
|
D Cover of Illusion by Michael Whelan
|
|
E Asimov Tribute Portrait, by Michael Whelan
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#artwork: ???
|
|
|
|
Best Fan Writer
|
|
A Mike Glyer
|
|
B Andy Hooper
|
|
C Dave Langford
|
|
D Evelyn C. Leeper
|
|
E Harry Warner Jr.
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#fanwriter: ???
|
|
|
|
Best Fan Artist
|
|
A Teddy Harvia
|
|
B Merle Insinga
|
|
C Linda Michaels
|
|
D Peggy Ranson
|
|
E Stu Shiffman
|
|
F Diana Harlan Stein
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#fanartist: ???
|
|
|
|
Best New Writer of 1991-1992
|
|
from the John W. Campbell nominees
|
|
|
|
A Barbara Delaplace
|
|
B Nicholas A. DiChario
|
|
C Holly Lisle
|
|
D Laura Resnick
|
|
E Carrie Richerson
|
|
F Michelle Sagara
|
|
! No Award
|
|
|
|
#newwriter: ???
|
|
|
|
Other questions:
|
|
|
|
For these questions, replace the answer field with the right answer. If
|
|
you see something like "yes|no" it means we expect you to leave either a
|
|
yes or no in the field. If you leave a literal "yes|no" we will disregard
|
|
your response.
|
|
|
|
1. Did you purchase the ESF 1993 Hugo and Nebula Anthology? (You can vote
|
|
even if you didn't, but we would like to know.)
|
|
|
|
#purchase: yes|no
|
|
|
|
2. Are you a member of the 1993 WorldCon, ConFrancisco?
|
|
|
|
#worldcon: yes|no
|
|
|
|
3. Did you or will you vote on the Hugos?
|
|
|
|
#vote: yes|no
|
|
|
|
#end:
|
|
|
|
Brad Templeton
|
|
ClariNet Communications Corp.
|
|
Sunnyvale, CA
|
|
408/296-0366
|
|
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
.... And Awards
|
|
...........
|
|
|
|
Genre and related nominees for the 45th annual Primetime Emmy Awards, to be
|
|
presented live on ABC on Sept. 19 from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium:
|
|
|
|
Actor, drama series: QUANTUM LEAP -- Scott Bakula
|
|
Supporting actor, drama series: QUANTUM LEAP -- Dean Stockwell
|
|
Animated program, one hour or less: BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES (Fox);
|
|
INSPECTOR GADGET SAVES CHRISTMAS (NBC); LIQUID TELEVISION (MTV); THE
|
|
REN & STIMPY SHOW (MTV); THE TALE OF PETER RABBIT AND BENJAMIN BUNNY
|
|
(Family Channel).
|
|
Directing, drama series: THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES -- Northern
|
|
Italy, 1918 -- Bille August
|
|
Art direction, series: QUANTUM LEAP -- Cameron Birnie, Ellen Dambros-
|
|
Williams, Robert Zilliox; STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE -- Herman
|
|
Zimmerman, Randall McIlvain, Mickey S. Michaels; THE YOUNG INDIANA
|
|
JONES CHRONICLES: Vienna, 1908 -- Gavin Bocquet, Keith Pain, Maggie
|
|
Gray
|
|
Art direction, miniseries or special: WILD PALMS -- Dins Danielson, Mark
|
|
Zuelzke, Suzette Sheets
|
|
Cinematography, series: QUANTUM LEAP -- Michael Watkins; THE YOUNG INDIANA
|
|
JONES CHRONICLES -- David Tattersall
|
|
Editing, series, single-camera: QUANTUM LEAP -- Jon Koslowsky
|
|
Cinematography, series: QUANTUM LEAP -- Michael Watkins; THE YOUNG INDIANA
|
|
JONES CHRONICLES -- David Tattersall
|
|
Supporting actor, miniseries or special: BARBARIANS AT THE GATE -- Jonathan
|
|
Pryce (BRAZIL)
|
|
Costume design, series: QUANTUM LEAP: LEE HARVEY OSWALD -- Jean-Pierre
|
|
Dorleac;
|
|
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: Time's Arrow, Parts 1 & 2 -- Robert
|
|
Blackman; THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES -- Peggy Farrell
|
|
Music composition, series, dramatic underscore: QUANTUM LEAP: Leaping On A
|
|
String Part 1 -- Velton Ray Bunch; THE SIMPSONS: Treehouse of Horror
|
|
III -- Alf Clausen; THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES: Young Indiana
|
|
Jones and the Scandal of 1920 -- Joel McNeely; THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES
|
|
CHRONICLES: Vienna, 1908 -- Laurence Rosenthal
|
|
Main title theme music: COVINGTON CROSS -- Carl Davis; STAR TREK: DEEP
|
|
SPACE NINE -- Dennis McCarthy
|
|
Sound editing, series: QUANTUM LEAP: Leaping Between The States -- Greg
|
|
Schorer, Gary Macheel, Rick Crampton, Dan Luna, Bob Costanza, Rick
|
|
Steele, Ernesto Mas, Bruce Frazier; STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE:
|
|
Emissary Part 2 -- James Wolvington, William Wistrom, Ashley Harvey,
|
|
Miguel Rivera, Jeff Gersh, Sean Callery, Steffan Falestich, Steve
|
|
Rowe; STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: Time's Arrow Part 2 -- William
|
|
Wistrom, James Wolvington, Miguel Rivera, Masanobu Tomita, Guy
|
|
Tsujimoto, Jeff Gersh, Dan Yale, Gerry Sackman; THE YOUNG INDIANA
|
|
JONES CHRONICLES: Somme, 1916 -- Tom Bellfort, Larry Oatfield, Chris
|
|
Scarabosio, Michael Silvers, David Slusser, Tom Villano, Jamie Gelb-
|
|
Forrester
|
|
Costume design, series: QUANTUM LEAP: Lee Harvey Oswald -- Jean-Pierre
|
|
Dorleac; STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: Time's Arrow Parts 1 & 2 --
|
|
Robert Blackman; THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES -- Peggy Farrell
|
|
Music composition, series, dramatic underscore: QUANTUM LEAP: Leaping On A
|
|
String Part 1 -- Velton Ray Bunch; THE SIMPSONS: Treehouse of Horror
|
|
III -- Alf Clausen; THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES: Young Indiana
|
|
Jones and the Scandals of 1920 -- Joel McNeely; THE YOUNG INDIANA
|
|
JONES CHRONICLES: Vienna, 1908 -- Laurence Rosenthal
|
|
Music composition, miniseries or special, dramatic underscore: THE YOUNG
|
|
INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES: Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the
|
|
Blues -- Joel McNeely
|
|
Main title theme music: COVINGTON CROSS -- Carl Davis; STAR TREK: DEEP
|
|
SPACE NINE -- Dennis McCarthy
|
|
Sound editing, series: ``QUANTUM LEAP: Leaping Between The States'' --
|
|
Greg Schorer, Gary Macheel, Rick Crampton, Dan Luna, Bob Costanza,
|
|
Rick Steele, Ernesto Mas, Bruce Frazier; ``STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE:
|
|
Emissary Part 2'' -- James Wolvington, William Wistrom, Ashley Harvey,
|
|
Miguel Rivera, Jeff Gersh, Sean Callery, Steffan Falestich, Steve
|
|
Rowe; STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: Time's Arrow'' Part 2 --
|
|
William Wistrom, James Wolvington, Miguel Rivera, Masanobu Tomita, Guy
|
|
Tsujimoto, Jeff Gersh, Dan Yale, Gerry Sackman; THE YOUNG INDIANA
|
|
JONES CHRONICLES: Somme, 1916 -- Tom Bellfort, Larry Oatfield, Chris
|
|
Scarabosio, Michael Silvers, David Slusser, Tom Villano, Jamie Gelb-
|
|
Forrester
|
|
Sound editing, miniseries or special: STEPHEN KING: THE TOMMYKNOCKERS --
|
|
Richard Taylor, Peter Austin, David Mork Beadle, Peter Bergren, Ken T.
|
|
Gladden, Sonya L. Henry, Gary Lewis, Myron C. Nettinga, Brian Thomas
|
|
Nist, Adam Sawelson, Matthew Sawelson, Bruce Tanis, James B.
|
|
Hebenstreit, Albert Edmund Lord III, Marty Weresky
|
|
Sound mixing, comedy series or special: THE SIMPSONS: Tree House of Horror
|
|
III -- Brad Brock, R. Russell Smith, Greg Orloff, Anthony D'Amico
|
|
Sound mixing, drama series: STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, EMISSARY Part 2 --
|
|
Bill Gocke, Christopher Haire, Richard Morrison, Douglas W. Davey;
|
|
STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION: A Fistful of Datas -- Alan Bernard,
|
|
Doug Davey, Richard Morrison, Christopher Haire; THE YOUNG INDIANA
|
|
JONES CHRONICLES -- Carl Rudisill, Gary Summers
|
|
Makeup, series: SPACE RANGERS: Death Before Dishonor -- Marvin Westmore,
|
|
Ed French; STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE: Captive Pursuit -- Michael G.
|
|
Westmore, Jill Rockow, Karen J. Westerfield, Gilmosko, Dean Jones,
|
|
Michael Key, Craig Reardon, Vincent Niebla; STAR TREK: THE NEXT
|
|
GENERATION: Inner Light -- Michael G. Westmore, Gerald Quist, June
|
|
Abston Haymore, Karen J. Westerfield, Jill Rockow, Doug Drexler
|
|
Hairstyling, series: STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE: Move Along Home --
|
|
Candace Neal, Ron Smith, Gerold Solomon, Susan Maust; STAR TREK: THE
|
|
NEXT GENERATION: Time's Arrow Part 2 -- Joy Zapata, Candy Neal, Patty
|
|
Miller, Laura Connelly, Richard Sabre, Julia Walker, Josee Normand
|
|
Music direction: THE YOUNG INDIANA JONES CHRONICLES: YOUNG INDIANA JONES
|
|
AND THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUES
|
|
|
|
..............
|
|
|
|
The editors of TV Guide picked their favorites: STAR TREK took the award
|
|
for Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy of the 1960, and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION won
|
|
Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy of the 1980's. PATRICK STEWART also won Best Dramatic
|
|
Actor of the 1980's. The best SF/F of the 1950's was TWILIGHT ZONE, and,
|
|
in a move that makes us wonder, they chose MORK AND MINDY as the best SF/F
|
|
of the 1970's.
|
|
|
|
And, it seems that someone's always running a "Sexiest Men" contest, and
|
|
this time it's Playgirl. Among the winners for 1993 are JOHNNY DEPP
|
|
(EDWARD SCISSORHANDS), BRAD PITT (COOL WORLD, INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE),
|
|
DANNY GLOVER (PREDATOR 2), and ROBERT DENIRO (FRANKENSTEIN).
|
|
|
|
Genre winners of the 29th annual Academy Awards:
|
|
Makeup: Greg Cannom, Michele Burke, and Matthew W. Mungle, BRAM STOKER'S
|
|
DRACULA
|
|
Animated Short: Joan C. Gratz, MONA LISA DESCENDING A STAIRCASE
|
|
Visual Effects: Ken Ralston, Doug Chiang, Doug Smythe, and Tim Woodruff,
|
|
DEATH BECOMES HER
|
|
Sound Effects Editing: Tom C. McCarthy and David E. Stone, BRAM STOKER'S
|
|
DRACULA
|
|
Original Score: Alan Menken, ALADDIN
|
|
Costume Design: Eiko Ishioka, BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA
|
|
Original Song: WHOLE NEW WORLD, from ALADDIN, music by Alan Menken,
|
|
lyrics by Tim Rice
|
|
|
|
On the other hand, ALAN MENKEN was also "honored" with the Golden Raspberry
|
|
Award for worst original song for his part in the writing of HIGH TIMES,
|
|
HARD TIMES for Disney's NEWSIES. The Razzie is a gold spray painted
|
|
mangled film reel about the size of a golf ball, and is valued at $1.79.
|
|
|
|
CELINE DION and PEABO BRYSON, both Canadian, have been awarded the Candian
|
|
Grammy award for their rendition of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
|
|
|
|
LEVAR BURTON'S READING RAINBOW, has been nominated for Outstanding
|
|
Children's Series in the 20th Annual DAYTIME EMMY AWARDS. The nominations
|
|
for Outstanding Animated Children's Program went to BATMAN: THE ANIMATED
|
|
SERIES, DISNEY'S DARKWING DUCK, DOUG, RUGRATS, and TINY TOON ADVENTURES,
|
|
and the nominations for Outstanding Writing in an Animated Program went to
|
|
BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, DISNEY'S GOOF TROOP, DISNEY'S RAW TOONAGE,
|
|
RUGRATS, and TINY TOON ADVENTURES. Nominations for Outstanding Performer
|
|
in a Children's Series went to JOHN ASTIN for THE ADDAM'S FAMILY, and LEVAR
|
|
BURTON for READING RAINBOW.
|
|
|
|
The Boring Institute has made its choices for 1992, citing, among other
|
|
movies, BATMAN RETURNS and SEAN CONNERY'S MEDICINE MAN. They also cited
|
|
the acting of BATMAN alumni JACK NICHOLSON and KIM BASINGER.
|
|
|
|
QUANTUM LEAP: A Song for the Soul and JON KOSLOWSKY, ACE are winners of the
|
|
American Cinema Editors Award, and the Motion Picture Sound Editors 1992
|
|
Golden Reel Award for Television One Hour Series ADR editing went to
|
|
Supervising ADR Editor ERNESTO MAS and ADR Editor J. MICHAEL HOOSER for
|
|
QUANTUM LEAP: Leaping of the Shrew.
|
|
|
|
The winners of the 1992 Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
|
|
Nebula Awards:
|
|
Novel: Connie Willis, Doomsday Book (Bantam)
|
|
Novella: James Morrow, City of Truth (St. Martin's Press)
|
|
Novelette: Pamela Sargent, Danny Goes to Mars (Asimov's SF)
|
|
Short Story: Connie Willis, Even the Queen (Asimov's)
|
|
Grand Master: Frederik Pohl
|
|
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
--!8!-- SPOILERS AHOY/Including Episode Guide For HIGHLANDER Season One
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
According to reports, we can expect the following early next season on STAR
|
|
TREK: THE NEXT GENERATIOM:
|
|
Hugh Borg will be returning for the second half of "Descent," lending
|
|
credence to those who were sure that he would be an integral part of the
|
|
solution to the Enterprise's problem.
|
|
After 6 years, we will finally see Geordi's conception of himself. In
|
|
the upcoming episode "Interface," Geordi will be working in a virtual
|
|
reality environment, and we will get to see how he views himself WITHOUT
|
|
the visor. He will apparently be performing some sort of remote operation
|
|
on a space probe. As reported here, Levar Burton, who plays Geordie, loves
|
|
technology and new toys, and reportedly had lots of fun with this episode.
|
|
In another episode, we will get to see Geordie's parents, his missing-in-
|
|
action mother (who is the captain of her own ship) and his father, to be
|
|
played by BEN VEREEN. (Burton originally wanted SIDNEY POITIER, but he was
|
|
unavailable, and he is apparently quite happy that Vereen stepped in.)
|
|
Also rumored: Net sources have quoted Science Consultant NAREN
|
|
SHANKAR as saying that there is a Wesley Crusher oriented show in
|
|
development for the upcoming season. WIL WHEATON, who plays Wes, is
|
|
currently attending UCLA, and his character is at Starfleet Academy. She
|
|
also mentioned that they were going to pick up the theme of Data's dreams.
|
|
On the other side of the camera, once again we will see cast members
|
|
directing: The sixth episode will be directed by PATRICK STEWART, the
|
|
tenth by JONATHAN FRAKES, and the twelfth by LEVAR BURTON. No episode
|
|
titles are available yet.
|
|
|
|
AIR SCHEDULES FOR THE UNITED STATES:
|
|
Star Trek: The Next Generation
|
|
8/7/93 -- Frame of Mind
|
|
8/14/93 -- Suspicions
|
|
8/21/93 -- Rightful Heir
|
|
8/28/93 -- Second Chances
|
|
9/4/93 -- Timescape
|
|
9/11/93 -- Descent
|
|
9/18/93 -- SEASON PREMIERE: Descent Part 2 (unofficial title)
|
|
|
|
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
|
|
8/7/93 -- Progress
|
|
8/14/93 -- Duet
|
|
8/21/93 -- If Wishes Were Horses
|
|
8/28/93 -- The Forsaken
|
|
9/4/93 -- Dramatis Personae
|
|
9/11/93 -- In the Hands of the Prophets
|
|
9/18/93 -- The Nagus
|
|
9/25/93 -- SEASON PREMEIRE (Title unknown)
|
|
|
|
.............
|
|
|
|
HIGHLANDER EPISODE GUIDE -- SEASON ONE
|
|
|
|
Original by Bill Reeves -- breeves@oracle.com
|
|
Additions by Obie Slotterbeck -- obie@hirama.hiram.edu, Roderick Lee --
|
|
rnlee@sdcc3.ucsd.edu, and Jonathan Blum -- jblum@eng.umd.edu. Additional
|
|
information taken from the Net.
|
|
|
|
REGULAR CAST:
|
|
Adrian Paul as Duncan Macleod
|
|
Alexandra Vandernoot as Tessa No:el (that's an umlaut over the o)
|
|
Stan Kirsch as Richie Ryan
|
|
|
|
TEXT FROM THE BEGINNING OF EACH EPISODE:
|
|
|
|
First form (6 episodes):
|
|
I am Duncan Macleod, born 400 years ago in the highlands of Scotland. I am
|
|
Immortal, and I am not alone. For centuries we have waited for the time of
|
|
the Gathering, when the stroke of a sword and the fall of a head will
|
|
release the power of the Quickening. In the end, there can be only one.
|
|
|
|
Second form:
|
|
I was born 400 years ago in the highlands of Scotland. I am Immortal, and
|
|
I am not alone. Now is the time of the Gathering, when the stroke of a
|
|
sword will release the power of the Quickening. In the end, there can be
|
|
only one.
|
|
|
|
Short Episode Listing
|
|
---------------------
|
|
01 The Gathering 03R Road Not Taken (repeat)
|
|
02 Innocent Man 04R Bad Day in Building A (repeat)
|
|
03 Road Not Taken 06R Deadly Medicine (repeat)
|
|
04 Bad Day in Building A 12 See No Evil
|
|
05 Free Fall 13 Band of Brothers
|
|
06 Deadly Medicine 14 For Evil's Sake
|
|
07 Mountain Men 15 For Tomorrow We Die
|
|
08 Revenge is Sweet 16 The Beast Below
|
|
01R The Gathering (repeat) 17 Saving Grace
|
|
09 The Sea Witch 09R The Sea Witch (repeat)
|
|
10 Eyewitness 11R Family Tree (repeat)
|
|
11 Family Tree 10R Eyewitness (repeat)
|
|
02R Innocent Man (repeat) 12R See No Evil (repeat)
|
|
07R Mountain Men (repeat) 08R Revenge is Sweet (repeat)
|
|
05R Free Fall (repeat) 18 The Lady and the Tiger
|
|
|
|
EPISODE DETAILS
|
|
---------------
|
|
Format
|
|
|
|
#) Title
|
|
Written by writer, directed by director
|
|
Guest star actor as character
|
|
Semi-regular actor as character
|
|
Short plot summary
|
|
|
|
01) The Gathering
|
|
Written by Dan Gordon, directed by Thomas J. Wright
|
|
Christopher Lambert as Connor Macleod
|
|
Richard Moll as Slan Quince
|
|
Wendell Wright as Sgt. Powell
|
|
Connor Macleod comes to town to visit his kinsman Duncan, and together
|
|
they fight the evil Slan Quince.
|
|
|
|
02) Innocent Man
|
|
Written by Dan Gordon, directed by Jorge Montesi
|
|
John Novack as Sheriff Howard Crowley
|
|
Victor Young as Lucas Desiree
|
|
Vincent Schiavelli as Leo Atkins
|
|
Amanda Wyss as Randi McFarland
|
|
Wendell Wright as Sgt. Powell
|
|
Duncan's old friend Lucas Desiree is killed, and Vietnam vet Leo Atkins is
|
|
framed for the murder. Duncan must protect Leo and track down the real
|
|
killer.
|
|
|
|
03) Road Not Taken
|
|
Written by Terry Nelson, directed by Thomas J. Wright
|
|
Dustin Nguyen as Chu Lin
|
|
Soon-teck Oh as Kiem Sun
|
|
Wendell Wright as Sgt. Powell
|
|
Christianne Hirt as Angie
|
|
A friend of Richie's is killed by a mind control drug, and Duncan suspects
|
|
an old friend could be behind it.
|
|
|
|
04) Bad Day in Building A
|
|
Written by Kevin Droney, directed by Jorge Montesi
|
|
Andrew Divoff as Bryan Slade
|
|
Amanda Wyss as Randi McFrland
|
|
Jay Brazeau as Comissioner Comanski
|
|
Terrorists take over a courthouse and take Duncan, Tessa, and Richie as
|
|
hostages. When they decide to execute a hostage, they choose the wrong
|
|
one...
|
|
|
|
05) Free Fall
|
|
Written by Philip John Taylor, directed by Thomas J. Wright
|
|
Joan Jett as Felicia Martins
|
|
Eli Gabay as Devereux
|
|
Jay Brazeau as Comissioner Comanski
|
|
An evil immortal pretends to be innocent in order to gain Duncan's trust,
|
|
and endangers Tessa and Richie.
|
|
|
|
06) Deadly Medicine
|
|
Written by Robert L. McCullough, directed by Ray Austin
|
|
Joe Pantoliano as Doctor Wilder
|
|
Amanda Wyss as Randi McFarland
|
|
Duncan is critically injured in an auto accident -- when he makes a
|
|
miraculous recovery, his E/R doctor takes an unhealthy interest in him.
|
|
|
|
07) Mountain Men
|
|
Written by Marie-Chantal Droney, directed by Thomas J. Wright
|
|
Marc Singer as Caleb
|
|
Wes Studi as Sheriff Benson
|
|
John Dennis Johnston as Carl the Hermit
|
|
Duncan must rescue Tessa, who's been taken captive by an immortal who has
|
|
been hiding in the wilderness for years.
|
|
|
|
08) Revenge is Sweet
|
|
Written by Loraine Despres, directed by Ray Austin
|
|
Vanity as Rebecca Lord
|
|
Christoph Ohrt as Walter Reinhardt
|
|
Christianne Hirt as Angie
|
|
Tim Reid as Sgt. Bennett
|
|
An old enemy of Duncan's uses his former girlfriend as a tool to get
|
|
Duncan's head.
|
|
|
|
09) The Sea Witch
|
|
Written by David Tynan, directed by Thomas J. Wright
|
|
Stephen Macht as Alexei Voshin
|
|
Johannah Newmarch as Nikki
|
|
One of Richie's friends from the old neighborhood is involved in a drug
|
|
deal gone bad, with one of Duncan's old enemies behind the deal.
|
|
|
|
10) Eyewitness
|
|
Written by David Tynan, directed by Ray Austin
|
|
Tom Butler as Andrew Ballin
|
|
Amanda Wyss as Randi McFarland
|
|
Tim Reid as Sgt. Bennett
|
|
Tessa witnesses a murder and becomes the target of an immortal crooked cop.
|
|
|
|
11) Family Tree
|
|
Written by Kevin Droney, directed by Jorge Montesi
|
|
J.E. Freeman as Joe Scanlon
|
|
Peter Deluise as Clinch
|
|
Tamsin Kelsey as Mrs. Gustavson
|
|
Matthew Walker as Duncan's father
|
|
While trying to help Richie find his father, Duncan has painful memories
|
|
of his own past.
|
|
|
|
12) See No Evil
|
|
Written by Brian Clemens, directed by Thomas J. Wright
|
|
John Hertzler as Marcus Korolus
|
|
Dee McCafferty as the Scalper
|
|
Moira Walley as Natalie Ward
|
|
Amanda Wyss as Randi McFarland
|
|
Tim Reid as Sgt. Bennett
|
|
Duncan becomes involved in a series of murders which are similar to several
|
|
he witnessed in the 1920's.
|
|
|
|
13) Band of Brothers
|
|
Written by Marie-Chantal Droney, directed by Rene Manzor
|
|
Werner Stocker as Darius
|
|
James Horan as Grayson
|
|
Earl Pastko as Victor Paulus
|
|
Amanda Wyss as Randi McFarland
|
|
Duncan must protect a world-famous philanthropist from assassination by an
|
|
ancient evil immortal.
|
|
|
|
14) For Evil's Sake
|
|
Written by David Abramowitz and Fabrice Ziolkowski, directed by Ray Austin
|
|
Peter Howitt as Kuyler
|
|
Hugues Leforestier as Inspector Lebrun
|
|
An immortal assassin strikes in modern-day Paris, and the police officer in
|
|
charge of the investigation believes Duncan is involved.
|
|
|
|
15) For Tomorrow We Die
|
|
Written by Philip John Taylor, directed by Robin Davis
|
|
Roland Gift as Xavier St Cloud
|
|
Werner Stocker as Darius
|
|
Hugues Leforestier as Inspector Lebrun
|
|
Duncan must stop an immortal thief and murderer who targets Tessa's art
|
|
fundraiser with a nerve gas time bomb.
|
|
|
|
16) The Beast Below
|
|
Written by Marie-Chantal Droney, directed by Daniel Vigne
|
|
Christian Van Acker as Ursa
|
|
Dee Dee Bridgewater as Carolyn
|
|
Werner Stocker as Darius
|
|
An immortal who lives in the sewers underneath Paris falls under the spell
|
|
of an opera siner, who asks him to kill for her.
|
|
|
|
17) Saving Grace
|
|
Written by Elizabeth Baxter and Martin Broussellet, directed by Ray Austin
|
|
Julia Stemberger as Grace
|
|
Georges Corraface as Carlos Cendero
|
|
Werner Stocker as Darius
|
|
Duncan protects an old flame (and we do mean old) from her possessive
|
|
immortal lover.
|
|
|
|
18) The Lady and the Tiger
|
|
Written by Philip John Taylor, directed by Robin Davis
|
|
Elizabeth Gracen as Amanda
|
|
Jason Isaacs as Zachary Blaine
|
|
An immortal femme-fatale is planning a major robbery, but must contend with
|
|
both Duncan and her former partner, who wants her head.
|
|
|
|
LIST OF IMMORTALS
|
|
-----------------
|
|
Duncan Macleod (episodes 1-18)
|
|
Connor Macleod (1)
|
|
Slan Quince (1) (deceased, killed by Duncan)
|
|
Lucas Desiree (2) (deceased, killed by Howard Cromley)
|
|
Howard Crowley (2) (deceased, killed by Duncan)
|
|
Kiem Sun (3)
|
|
Felicia Martins (5)
|
|
Devereux (5) (deceased, killed by Felicia Martins)
|
|
Caleb (7) (deceased, killed by Duncan)
|
|
Carl the Hermit (7) (deceased, killed by Caleb)
|
|
(there is some debate as to Carl's immortality)
|
|
Walter Reinhardt (8) (deceased, killed by Duncan)
|
|
Alexei Voshin (9) (deceased, killed by his ship's propellors)
|
|
Andrew Ballin (10) (deceased, killed by Duncan)
|
|
Marcus Korolus (12) (deceased, killed by Duncan in the 1920's)
|
|
Grayson (13) (deceased, killed by Duncan)
|
|
Darius (13,15-17)
|
|
Kuyler (14) (deceased, killed by Duncan)
|
|
Xavier St Cloud (15) (dis-armed by Duncan)
|
|
Ursa (16)
|
|
Grace (17)
|
|
Carlos Cendero (17) (deceased, beheaded by subway train)
|
|
Amanda (18)
|
|
Zachary Blaine (18) (deceased, killed by Amanda)
|
|
|
|
... And a couple of HIGHLANDER spoilers for season two from
|
|
sjgavula@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu:
|
|
JIM BYRNES (Lifeguard on WISE GUYS), will be seen in some of the first
|
|
episodes of season two. The recurring character will be a good "Watcher"
|
|
in contrast to those evil "Watchers" (formerly "Hunters").
|
|
Also showing up will be RON PERLMAN (Vincent from BEAUTY AND THE
|
|
BEAST), will play the immortal of the week in the fifth episode to be
|
|
produced for season two. No episode titles are available yet.
|
|
|
|
..............
|
|
|
|
Reports are that the sixth season of RED DWARF takes place mostly on
|
|
Starbug, as Lister and Rimmer (who spends time as "solid light")
|
|
looking for Red Dwarf. There's no Holly, but we will see the
|
|
stimulants (robot antagonists who "pull your head off and spit down
|
|
the stump") and a virtual reality episode set in the Wild West.
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
--!9!-- Publications and Conventions
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
CV has no connection with any of these magazines, other than the fact that
|
|
we know they're out there. (If we know more than that, we'll say so.) We
|
|
are listing them as a public service, and make no warrantee as to their
|
|
quality or reliability.
|
|
|
|
To have a publication listed, send a SHORT but complete description to
|
|
xx133@cleveland.freenet.edu.
|
|
|
|
............
|
|
|
|
Quanta, has been awarded the Digital Quill by the Digital Publishing
|
|
Assiciation, and in our opinion, they deserve it. You can pick up this
|
|
magazine of fiction by FTP from ftp.eff.org or export.acs.amu.edu. You
|
|
also request e-mail subscription from quanta@andrew.cmu.edu
|
|
|
|
The APA DIMENTIA is looking for new writers. The idea is that entities
|
|
from all sorts of timestreams communicate via letters and diaries sent by
|
|
interdimensional fax machines sent by the sorcerer/wizrard "Procavia."
|
|
Writings are ENTIRELY in character, and writers are not to give away their
|
|
real identities to anyone but the managing editor. The dues are $5 per
|
|
year, and the minimum activity is four pages, in character, every four
|
|
months, if we read it right. Issues have been running 150-200 pages. For
|
|
more information or to join, write to: Apa Dimentia, c/o Emory Churness,
|
|
2705 N. Shepard #1, Milwaukee, WI 53211 USA.
|
|
|
|
The first issue of MINDSPARKS should be out by now. From what we've heard,
|
|
the monthly newsletter has an emphasis on the science of science fiction,
|
|
carrying fiction and nonfiction, the latter including articles on straight
|
|
science that can be or has been incorporated into science fiction or about
|
|
the scientists and writers themselves. For more information on
|
|
subscriptions or submissions, contact MINDSPARKS, P.O. Box 1379, Laurel MD
|
|
20725-1379.
|
|
|
|
According to Issue 72 of ANSIBLE, MILLION: THE MAGAZINE ABOUT POPULAR
|
|
FICTION (which has seen its subscriptions dwindle) will be combining with
|
|
INTERZONE. Certain mainstays of M:TMAPF will make their way over to
|
|
INTERZONE, but the magazine "will not change it's nature." MILLION
|
|
subscribers will get INTERZONE.
|
|
............
|
|
|
|
CONVENTIONS
|
|
............
|
|
|
|
Convention listings are provided as a public service to our readers. Cyberspace
|
|
Vanguard makes no warranty as to the reliability of the information -- or the
|
|
cons, for that matter. We have not checked out these cons and are not
|
|
affiliated with them in any way.
|
|
|
|
Listings should be sent to xx133@cleveland.freenet.edu. They should be in the
|
|
following form:
|
|
|
|
CONVENTION NAME: Dates; Hotel; City, State, Country; GUESTS; Rates (Please
|
|
indicate currency. $30 is thirty US dollars. #30 is thirty pounds sterling);
|
|
Address, including country; Telephone; E-mail address, if any; Comments --
|
|
PLEASE, 150 characters of less!
|
|
|
|
-!-
|
|
|
|
VISIONS '93: November 26-28; Hyatt Regency O'Hare Hotel; Chicago, IL USA; JON
|
|
PERTWEE, PETER DAVISON, COLIN BAKER, SYLVESTER MCCOY, FRAZER HINES, ELIZABETH
|
|
SLADEN, NICOLA BRYANT, SOPHIE ALDRED, LOHN LEVENE, CAROLE ANN FORD, ANTHONLY
|
|
AINLEY, JEREMY BENTHAM, JEAN-MARC LOFFICIER, JOHN PEEL, JOHN NATHAN TURNER,
|
|
DANNY JOHN-JULES, GARETH THOMAS, MICHAEL KEATING, JOHN ABINERI, JEREMY BULLOCH;
|
|
(deadline/3 day/2 day/1 day) 11-1-93/$85/$75/$65, door/$100/$90/$80; Her
|
|
Majesty's Entertainment, PO Box 1202, Highland Park, IL 60035 USA;
|
|
fergus@areaplg2.corp.mot.com
|
|
|
|
FARPOINT (formerly OktoberTrek): October 9-10, 1993; Marriott's Hunt Valley
|
|
Inn; Cockeysville, Maryland USA (12 miles north of Baltimore); GEORGE TAKEI,
|
|
JOHN DELANCIE, and more; $30 for pre-order 3-day ticket, also
|
|
sold at door; Farpoint, 5657 Utrecht Road, Baltimore, MD 21206 USA; (410)
|
|
866-5516
|
|
|
|
WISHCON III: November 19-21, 1993; Sheraton Monarch (413) 781-1010; Springfield,
|
|
Mass. USA; ARMIN SHIMERMAN, WALTER KOENIG, JONATHAN HARRIS, JOHN LEVENE, MELISSA
|
|
CRANDALL, BOB GREENBERGER, CORTLAND HULL, RON D. MOORE (tent.), MARK OKRAND
|
|
(tent.), KEN PENDERS, and ARNE STARR; Advance ('till Oct. 15th): $35/Weekend,
|
|
Door: $40/Weekend, $20/One Day, Reserved Seating: $10 extra (total $45). By
|
|
mail only, cut off Oct. 15th (or sooner if sold out), Saturday Night Banquet:
|
|
$23 by mail only; Checks to K & P Productions, 500 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, CT
|
|
06468. Ticketmaster also has week end and one day passes available at the same
|
|
prices, though service charges may apply. Call (413) 733-2500 or (617)
|
|
931-2000. NO Reserved seats at the door or through TIcketmaster. NO one-day
|
|
passes available through the mail; (203) 459-0413 for information -- use numbers
|
|
above for phone-in tickets; Chreotho@cup.portal.com. To receive Progress
|
|
Reports, please include an SASE and register by mail.
|
|
|
|
MILFORD SF WRITER'S CONFERENCE: September 12-19, 1993; has been cancelled
|
|
|
|
FANTASYCON XVIII: October 1-3, 1993; Birmingham UK; #30, or for BFS members -
|
|
#20; 137 Priory Rd., Hall Green, Birmingham, B28 0TG, UK
|
|
|
|
ARMADACON V: November 12-14, 1993; Astor Hotel; The Hoe, Plymouth, UK; Various
|
|
guests, all 'subject to work commitments'; #20; 4 Gleneagle Ave., Mannamead,
|
|
Plymouth, PL3 5HL UK
|
|
|
|
MASQUE III (costume con): March 4-6, 1994; Stakis Victoria Hotel;
|
|
Nottingham, UK; ; Advance (to December 30, 1993) - #20; Ednaston Ct,
|
|
Ashbouorne, Derbyshire DE6 3BA UK
|
|
|
|
CORFLU NOVA (fanzine con): May 20-22, 1994; Arlington, VA USA; $47;
|
|
P.O. Box 1350 Germantown, MD 20875. Corflu plans to exhume a long-dead
|
|
horror: the partly rugose and partly squamous Fanzine Activity Achievement
|
|
Awards
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
--!10!-- Administrivia
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Yes, it's a big one. I wonder how many of you actually stuck it out
|
|
this long ...
|
|
Well, for those of you who did, thanks. We also want to thank Carol
|
|
(wangc@cpsc.ucalgary.ca), without whose newsgathering skill this would be
|
|
impossible, Elizabeth Jenkins (est@lingua.cltr.uq.oz.au), Linda E. Smit
|
|
(LINDAESM@uga.cc.uga.edu), sjgavula@terminator.rs.itd.umich.edu, Mike Hill,
|
|
and of course Evelyn C. Leeper.
|
|
|
|
As always, electronic subscriptions to Cyberspace Vanguard are free and can
|
|
be obtained by dropping a note to cn577@cleveland.freenet.edu. If you
|
|
would like to write for us (or do anything else, for that matter) feel free
|
|
to contact us at xx133@cleveland.freenet.edu.
|
|
|
|
Also, for those who missed the last issue, the paper version of CV is on
|
|
hold temporarily. No checks have been or will be cashed until we are up
|
|
and running on paper. (Unless you want to send donations, of course.)
|
|
|
|
Until next time,
|
|
|
|
THANKS A MILLION
|
|
|
|
---- TJ Goldstein, Editor
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
--
|
|
CYBERSPACE VANGUARD MAGAZINE
|
|
News and Views from the Science Fiction Universe
|
|
TJ Goldstein, Editor | Send submissions, questions, comments to
|
|
tlg4@po.cwru.edu | cn577@cleveland.freenet.edu
|