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Home , Danny Phantom, Dean Devlin, Dean Wesley Smith, Dragon Lord (comics), Ellory Elkayem, Jeffrey Combs

—' 'IV \ j, ! t ''timmffy* STAR WARS Christopher Lee vs. Yoda! REIGN OF FIRE Total future dragon war! EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS Spider nightmare fun!

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FILING MINORITY REPORT i { Producer Bonnie Curtis takes a reel view of future paranoia

TOM CRUISE ON THE RUN He's desperate to prove he's an innocent guilty man SECRETS OF FARSCAPE Pssst! David Kemper reveals all—or not—on the series' new year

MISSION: ODYSSEY 5 Only creator Manny Coto knows why the world ends

MY PET KILLER ALIEN watercolor Lilo's world with thoughts of Elvis & Stitch WEBS OF SPIDER DEATH Producer Dean Devlin Preeds Eight Legged Freaks

HERE THERE BE DRAGONS Director RoP Bowman readies Earth for a Reign of Fire

CHRISTOPHER LEE SPEAKS Now, the legend in starlight can talk aPout Star Wars MIND READER Anthony Michael Hall predicts success for The Dead Zone

NIGHT, ARES Not content with munching GOOD SWEET STARLOG's indicia The late Kevin Smith recalled life with (see the replacement on xena & Hercules page 6), Stitch taste-tests the logo. Somebody stop him before he eats all the ads! SPIDER-MAN'S LOVE For more on his movie, Kirsten Dunst offers kiss & tell on see page 46. the Marvelous movie SON OF THE GREEN GOBLIN James Franco ponders the trouPling family legacy of evil

80 WARS & REMEMBRANCE David Drake writes of fantasy adventure & SF comPat

86 BAD GIRLS OF GOTHAM The henchwenches enjoyed menacing Batman & RoPin

301

NEXT ISSUE ON SALE AUGUST 13 he # IJIATED Syndicated S"ica£iice Fiction television Prog#a DVD VOLUME 1/1 DVD SPECIAL FEATURE in America

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According to Nielsen Media Research < a commentary with Kevin Sorbo and Allan Eastman CHARACTER PROFILES ALTERNATE TAKES COMING SOON • COSTUME DESIGNS • creation of Andromeda Ascendant HS and DVD from ADV Films » TV SPOTS & TEASERS Explorer, p-t-cf ending 3/31/02: GA;A% measurement BEHIND THE SCENES

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PROP science fiction universe sadly raises a glass in tribute to these beloved folks SMART REVISIONS who died recently. OF THE MONTH Damon Knight (April) The influential Wow! MGM actually reversed itself and /Jis\ SF editor, writer, anthologizer, critic and, settled with New Line Cinema, allowing most importantly, writing teacher. He use of the title Austin Powers in Goldmem-

helped found the Science Fiction Writers of ber after all. Stupid Decision erased! Smart America and became its first president. Pop move, folks! culture buffs know him best for The Twi- And the final credit on Sony's Spider- light Zone's adaptation of his chilling short Man was corrected. It does properly credit story "To Serve Man." both co-creators Stan Lee & Steve Ditko on

George Alec Effinger (April) The SF screen. Applause for getting it right. If only

writer who revealed What Entropy Means all Stupid Decisions were so quickly fixed.

'VU-L THOSE. IN FAVOR. OF RELEGATING) KIRKS to Me. Among his other works are When KLIN60NSTOADREflMSEFILM FANTASY BOOKS OF NOTE Ron Soble (April) The character actor, a CALENDAR ultra-prolific Peter David has written series regular as Dirty Jim on The Monroes, The Release dates are extremely subject the second volume in his Sir Apropos of fans as remembered by Star Trek Wyatt to change. Nothing fantasy satire saga, The Woad to Earp in "The Hour of the Gun." In many TV July: Men in Black II, Reign of Fire, Wuln (Pocket Books, tpb, $24). and movie Westerns (The Mystic Warrior Eight Legged Freaks, Austin Powers Actor Peter Mark Richman has turned mini-series, True Grit, Joe Kidd), he played in Goldmember, Stuart Little 2, The novelist with Hollander's Deal (Xlibris, cowboys and Indians. (STARLOG #152) Powerpuff Girls, The Country Bears. call 1-888-7-XLIBRIS). Set in the and $25, Tom Sutton (May) That Creepy August: Signs, The Adventures of it theatrical producer's 1940s, chronicles a Eerie artist whose unique style haunted Pluto Nash, Feardotcom. drama-filled career as he becomes a movie Vampirella, Star Trek and Marvel's Beast. September: Ecks vs. Sever. studio mogul. John Nathan Turner (May) The quin- October: Tuck Everlasting, Ghost Noteworthy Star Trek books now new tessential Doctor Who producer responsible Ship. include The Last Round-Up by Christie out for more than 130 episodes of the long-run- November: Harry Potter and the Golden (Pocket, he, $24) some "final" ning show. began during the Patrick — He Chamber of Secrets, Treasure Planet, adventures for Kirk & Company (circa Troughton days, became producer in the The Core, Die Another Day, The retirement)—and Amazing Stories (Pocket, Tom Baker era, and eventually cast later Santa Clause II. tpb, $13), a collection of Trek tales previ- Time Lords Peter Davison, Colin Baker and ously published in Amazing, plus new Sylvester McCoy. (STARLOG #82, #101) yarns. Contributors include Golden, A.C. Dave Berg (May) The Mad Magazine Crispin, Greg Cox, Dean Wesley Smith and writer-artist who could always see "The Susan Shwartz. Lighter Side of..." everything. Herman Cohen

STARLOG: The Science Fiction universe is published monthly by starlog group, (June) The man who INC., 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. STARLOG and The Science Fic- invented teenage ter- tion Universe are registered trademarks of STARLOG GROUP, INC. (ISSN 0191- 4626) (Canadian GST number: R-124704826) This is issue Number 301, August ror. Writer-producer 2002. content is © Copyright 2002 by STARLOG GROUP, INC. All rights reserved. of Target Earth, Reprint or reproduction in part or in whole—including the reprinting or post- ing of articles and graphics on any internet or computer site—without the Konga, Blood of publishers' written permission is strictly forbidden. STARLOG accepts no Dracula, Horrors of responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials, but if the Black Museum submittals are accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope, they'll be considered and, if necessary, returned. Please do not call the editorial office re: and that unbeatable STARLOG does not this material. Freelancer phone calls will not be accepted. one-two exploitation publish fiction. Fiction submissions are not accepted and will be discarded 3,998,000 without reply. Products advertised are not necessarily endorsed by STARLOG, punch of / Was a and views expressed in editorial copy are not necessarily those of STARLOG. Teenage Werewolf and B.C. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Sub- scription rates: $49.97 one year (12 issues) delivered in U.S. only. Canadian and I Was a Teenage foreign subscriptions $59.57 in U.S. funds only. New subscriptions send direct- Frankenstein. (FAN- ly to STARLOG, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Notification of GORIA#109-#111) change of address or renewals send to STARLOG Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 430, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to STARLOG

6 STARLOG/August 2002

Permanence Art: Alan Pollack 1*1*1* President/Publisher NORMAN JACOBS

Executive Vice President Fallen Host by Lyda Morehouse (Roc, pb, 352 RITA E1SENSTEIN pp, $6.99) A meeting occurs between the two most Executive Art Director W.R.MOH ALLEY sophisticated artificial intellects on the planet,

Page and the Dragon. It stems from Page having Editor been secretly contacted by an intelligence that DAVID MCDONNELL identifies itself as the Devil—and believes that Art Director Page might be the fulfillment of a prophecy con- HEINER FEU. cerning the Antichrist. Managing Editor At the same time, Emmaline, an Inquisitor for ALLAN DART the Pope, is given a mission by the Vatican. Her

task is to investigate the A.I.s and help the Pope Contributing Editors ANTHONY TIMPONE produce an official ruling on whether or not they MICHAEL CINGOLD possess souls. TOM WEAVER Set later on in the same universe as the earlier IAN SPELLING JOE NAZZARO Archangel Protocol, this is a darker and much more complex tale. The story constantly shifts Consultant between apparently different levels and disparate KERRY O'QUINN characters, but the reader soon realizes the deli- West Coast Correspondent cate blending taking place, leading toward the BILL WARREN point where everyone connects. Meanwhile, the Financial Director: Deb Irwin. question concerning artificial intelligence vs. Executive Assistants: Dee Erwine, organic intelligence becomes interestingly Phillip Genessie, Nicholas Holden, blurred. And so does the nature of Truth. Contributing Designers: John Dins- dale, Dmitriy Ostrovskiy. —Michael Wolff Correspondents: (West Coast) Pat Jankiewicz, Kim Howard Johnson, Rhonda Krafchin, Marc Shapiro; (NYC) Dan Dickholtz, Mike McAvennie, Mau- Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Permanence by Karl Schroeder (Tor, he, 480 reen McTigue. Keith oiexa, Dan Yakir; Bujold (Baen, he, 320 pp, $25) pp, $27.95) (Boston) Will Murray: (Phoenix) Bill (Orlando) Bill Wilson; The bad news is that, having attended the Fleeing her brother's tyranny, Rue Cassels Florence: (Cana- da) Peter Bloch-Hansen, Mark Phillips; marriage of Emperor Gregor in the previous heads off into deep space and manages to dis- (England) Anne Gay, Stan Nicholls: Miles Vorkosigan novel, Bujold doesn't let the cover a derelict alien starship. Staking a claim of (Booklog) Penny Kenny, Jean-Marc reader in on Miles' own nuptials. The good news ownership, she soon finds herself embroiled not Lofficier, Michael Wolff; (Toons) Alain "Big Bad Bubba" Chaperon, Mike Fish- is that the reader is invited along on the honey- only in the crossfire between interstellar govern- er, Tom Hoitkamp, Bob Muleady, moon. ments but in the mysteries hidden within the ship Jason Yungbluth; (Photos) Donn Not- tage, Lisa Orris, Jo Beth Taylor, Glenn Miles and his new wife Ekaterin are enjoying itself. & Scott Weiner. This is than just a standard "find-the- a space vacation (as well as incipient parent- more Special Thanks to: Rod Belcher, Rob hood) when they receive a message from Gregor lost-spaceship" potboiler, although Schroeder Bowman. Michael Broidy, Coieen Byrne, Jeff chiaravanont, Lee Clay, asking Miles to investigate an incident on a does a good job in the Arthur C. Clarke/Larry Jeanne Cole, Manny Goto, Tom space station inhabited by the genetically engi- Niven hard-science vein. He wisely concentrates Cruise. Bonnie Curtis, Dean DeBlois, neered Quaddie race. The incident involves an on the economics and politics of the situation, Lisa Del Colle, Dean Devlin, David Drake, Kirsten Dunst, Terry Erdmann, impounded trade fleet and a missing officer, and instead of traveling down other, more traditional James Franco. Jennifer Garnick, Grace eventually raises the specter of interstellar war and well-tread roads. Gaynor, Howard Green, Anthony between Miles' people and an ancient enemy. In When Rue suddenly finds herself in posses- Michael Hall, David Hedison, Samuel L. Jackson, David Kemper, Lana Kim, short a typical day for Miles Vorkosigan. sion of enormous financial and scientific wealth, — Leah Krantzler, Christopher Lee, Mar- Bujold beats the curve in regard to writing a Schroeder uses her inexperience as a window for vin Levy, Deanna Lund, Joe Man- series: She continually manages to draw the the reader to watch how different factions ganietlo, Anna Miranda, Terry Moore, Eileen O'Neill, Robert Nichols, Jenny reader in with engaging characters involved in attempt to move in on the bonanza. This opens Powers, Chris Sanders, Lisa Seagram, readable plots. She's also one of those rare up many doors for the plot to develop, and the Kevin Smith, Barry Sonnenfeld, Steven Spielberg, Lisa Stone, Jeff authors who can write installments that stand on reader is drawn in as Rue must decide to take Walker, Crystal Warren, Rob weisbrot, their own, although one would benefit from control of the situation both intellectually and — June Wilkinson, Francine York, Lisa perusing the previous titles. emotionally—or sink like a stone. Zaks, —Michael Wolff —Michael Wolff Cover Images: Minority Report: David James/Trademark & © 2002 20th Cen- tury Fox & Dreamworks LLC: Spider- Man Movie Photo: zade Rosenthal/© Hidden Empire: The Saga of Seven Suns— Anderson doesn't do anything radically new 2002 Sony Pictures Entertainment Co. spider-Man Character: Trademark & © with the classic elements, but all are used to their Book 1 by Kevin J. Anderson (Aspect/Warner, 2002 Marvel Characters, Inc. Men in he, 432 pp, $23.95) best effect. His planets are strange, his humans Black ll: © 2002 Sony Pictures Enter- tainment Co. Let's say it up front: Hidden Empire is space stranger and his battle scenes explosive; but it's For Advertising information: opera at its most entertaining. It's all here: An the characterization that's outstanding. Despite a (212) 689-2830, FAX (212) 889-7935 expanding empire. A stagnating empire. Schem- cast that rivals a Russian novel's in number, each Advertising Director: Rita Eisenstein Classified Ads: Phillip Genessie ing leaders. Rebels with causes. Robots. Star- character is an individual—even the walk-ons. West Coast Ads: The Faust Co., 24050 crossed lovers. Very unfriendly aliens. And, most It's these people that will keep readers coming Madison St. #101 Torrance, CA 90505 importantly, the sheer joy of creation evident on back. (310! 373-9604. FAX (310) 373-8760. International Licensing Rep: Robert every page. Anderson is having fun here, folks. —Penny Kenny J. ADramson & Associates, inc., 720 Post Road, scarsdale, NY 10S83. Signed by painter extraordinnaire Send cash, check or money order to; Alex Ross S49.99 MSRP! C96072 STARLOG GROUP Method of payment: 475 PARK AVENUE SOUTH Cash Check Money Order NEW YORK, NY 10016 Discover Master Card Visa You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] BATTLE OF THE PLANETS: MARK VS. SPECTRA LITHOGRAPH 8" Measures 1 by 24" and is printed on the Account Number quality paper you've come to expect from all DF Lithos - SOIb Gailerie Art Silk Stock. Card Expiration Date / (mo/yr) S19.99 MSRP C96160 Name As It Appears On Card

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Continental US: (excluding PO Boxes) Normal- S5, Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico: For additional books or non-comic items, please ask our operators for exact shipping and optional insurance. PO Boxes, US Territories, APO, FPO: Normal- $10 : ®SEW Canada: Normal- $10, Europe, Australia: Normal- S25, South America, Pacific Rim, Mexico: Normal-$28. Not responsible for mistakes or typos. 7 IK PUflETS asd @ 2M2 Sandy fnrk At Spjotiaa he. Organic fwva Use " and 3s 2fXK Ursa?* ftres, t GENRE TV COMICS SCENE The SCI FI Channel's annual Twilight Zone The Modesty Blaise movie in the works at summer marathon will incorporate two Miramax is entitled My Name is Modesty.

days this year (July 4 & 5), offering 46 hours of Whatever Happened to Robot Jones?, a new shadow and substance. animated SF adventure, bows on Cartoon Net- William Shatner's Full Moon Fright Night work this month. begins July 20 on SCI FI. As frenetic host, tEDULOG The New Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, Boy Shatner fronts the 13-week movie slot featur- Genius (spun off from the film) will now debut ing flicks drawn from Charles Band's Full By DAVID MCDONNELL this fall on Nickelodeon. A made-for-TV movie Moon vaults. launches the 20-episode series. Look for a preview episode ("When Pants Attack") airing July 20. Nickelodeon also will be debuting Danny Phantom (a six-episode

series with a teen superhero battling ghosts) and My Neighbor is a Teenage Robot (13 episodes). Bugs Bunny and pals provide the animated adventure with Brendan Fraser as the live-action star in a new combo film. Joe Dante is directing Looney Tunes: Back in Action, which begins shooting July 29. CHARACTER CASTINGS Claire (Romeo + Juliet) Danes is playing John Connor's girl friend in 73: Rise of the Machines. Minority Report's Neal McDonough has joined the cast of Timeline. Babylon 5's Jason Carter plays a vampire in the independently produced thriller Demon Under Glass. Patrick Stewart and Glenn Close step into the Peter O'Toole and

Katharine Hepburn roles (King Henry II, Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine) for a new production of The Lion in Winter. It'll shoot in 2003 for airing There's one thing for certain. No one's bound for Heaven. Mob as a Showtime TV movie. patriarch Paul Newman and fatherly hitman Tom Hanks take The Adam West and Burt Ward play themselves as well as the Dynamic Road to Perdition this month. It's director Sam (American Beauty) Duo in Back to the Batcave, a TV movie retelling their experiences Mendes' intriguing adaptation of the brilliant graphic novel by Max Allan Collins & Richard Piers Rayner. making the Batman series. Ben (Species) Kingsley stars in A Sound of Thunder, the movie ver- THE WRITE STUFF sion of Ray Bradbury's classic short story being directed by Peter [Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter ofMars saga has been acquired Hyams. Edward Burns and Catherine McCormack co-star. Eby Paramount. Producers Jim Jacks and Sean Daniels (who made The Mummy) plan a film series, to begin with the first book A SCI-FI PEOPLE Princess of Mars. Robert Zemeckis teams again with Tom Hanks in Polar Express, Writer-producer Sam {The Outer Limits) Egan, now serving as based on Chris (Jumanji) Van Allsburg's novel about a very spe- executive producer of Jeremiah, has scripted The Volunteer. It's an cial train that travels to the North Pole (and Santa's workshop). SF adventure to star Nicolas Cage (who'll also produce) for New Forest (Species) Whitaker will host UPN's new Twilight Zone. Line Cinema. Roland Emmerich has sold a new world-disaster script, The Day Clive Barker & Blade screenwriter David S. Goyer are teaming on After Tomorrow, to 20th Century Fox. It's on an accelerated produc- an HBO TV project, Shadow House. tion pace so Emmerich can direct the event flick in time for a summer Spider-Man's David Koepp will write and direct The Secret Win- 2003 release. dow, based on the Stephen King novella. He's also working on the Guillermo del Toro, recently in theaters with Blade II, will adapt Spider-Man sequel. H.P. Lovecraft's "At the Mountains of Madness " novella. He's script- Orson Scott Card has scripted an adaptation of his SF novel ing the movie with Matthew (Mimic) Robbins. Ender's Game for Warner Bros. Wolfgang Petersen may direct the Jerry Goldsmith will score Star Trek: Nemesis. movie. Clive Barker's Saint Sinner is a TV movie for SCI FI (airing in Meanwhile, Greg Bear's The Forge of God and its sequel Anvil of October) based on Barker's original story, scripted by Doris Egan. Stars have also sold to Warner Bros. Ken (Black Hawk Down) Nolan Barker's Weaveworld is being developed, meanwhile, as a Showtime

is scripting. mini-series. New Line Cinema has acquired Philip Pullman's His Dark Mate- Following up his hit Ice Age, director Chris Wedge is teaming with rials fantasy saga for a movie series. Tom Stoppard may script. children's books author William Joyce on the CGI-animated Robots. Michael (Austin Powers in Goldmember) McCullers is scripting Curious George, a CG-animated version of the kids' book series. It'll REMAKES be directed by David (Monsters, Inc.) Silverman. Fox and the Team Todd production company are developing a new Muppet series (which will star Kermit, among others). Carlton America and Fox TV are plotting a TV movie remake of THE SEQUEL GAME Capricorn One. Uhhh, why? Currently in the works at Disney are The Jungle Book II (with Kismet Classics and Seven Arts Pictures are teaming on a redux of Haley Joel Osment voicing Mowgli, John Goodman as Baloo), Mario Bava's Baron Blood. Dumbo II and another Winnie the Pooh outing, Piglet's Big Movie. SF veteran David Nutter will direct a new Escape to Witch Mountain. is now shooting in Vancouver. New to the X-Men team are DIC is unveiling animated versions of Treasure Island, The Time Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler and Aaron Stanford as Pyro. Brian Machine, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and The Lost World as 90- (The Bourne Identity) Cox is the antagonist Stryker. Kelly (The minute films for Sunday airings on Nickelodeon. Scorpion King) Hu plays Stryker's aide, Yuriko. A&E is planning a new TV series version of Ed McBain's long-run- Writer-director David Twohy will reprise those tasks on the ning 87th Precinct police procedurals. Past incarnations included a

Pitch Black follow-up after all. Previous scripts by others have short-lived 1961 TV series, movies (Fuzz, Blood Relatives) and several been shelved and Twohy's now writing Riddick (which will star recent NBC TV movie pilots. McBain is the pseudonym of novelist Vin Diesel). Evan Hunter, who scripted Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds.

10 STARLOG/August 2002 Send cash, check or money order to:

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STARGATE SG-1 The sixth season debuts on SCI FI, the show's new home. 6/7 & 6/14: "Redemp- tion" two-parter. 6/21: "Descent." 6/28: "Frozen." 7/12: "Nightwalker." The team must discover the secret of a scenic seaside community. 7/19: "Abyss." O'Neill's a prisoner but he can't recall why or how. 7/26: ANDROMEDA series star Ben Browder. Trapped in a virtual- "Shadow Play." Renewed for two more syndicated seasons. reality game based on his life, Crichton (along ADV Films began releasing the series on with Chiana) is assisted by an old blue pal WITCHBLADE DVD last month. and we're not talking Smurf. Browder dis- Airs Mondays on TNT. Lensing of its sec- cussed Farscape last issue. David Kemper ond, 13-episode season was interrupted

ANGEL chats about it on page 38. for a production hiatus (with six episodes Renewed for a fourth season on the WB, completed) due to star Yancy Butler's health moving to Sundays, 9 p.m. Show run- JEREMIAH problems. Shooting has resumed. Butler pre- ner/co-creator David Greenwalt is exiting (to Episodes airing on Showtime: "A Means to viewed the show last issue. run the ABC mid-season replacement Mira- an End," "Moon in Gemini," "Out of the cles instead), though he'll continue as a con- Ashes," "Ring of Truth." THE X-FILES sultant. David Boreanaz discussed the show Reruns air in its old Friday time slot (9 last issue. MUTANT X p.m.) on Fox this summer. Series has Renewed for a second syndicated season. wrapped. Show's over. Move along. The SCI BEASTMASTER Reruns airing the week of 6/17: "Meaning FI Channel will begin rerunning the show Reruns air in syndication through the sum- of Death." 6/24: "In the Presence of Mine (currently on FX) weeknights this fall. Simul- mer. Airing the week of 6/17: "The Enemies." 7/1: "Dancing on the Razor" taneously, TNT will air it in other slots, just Alliance." 6/24: "Crystal Ark." 7/1: "The (apparently new). If a journalist reveals the not in primetime. Executive producer Frank Prize." 7/8: "Destiny." However, production mutants' existence, will Adam cancel his Spotnitz will serve as show runner of the new has wrapped. Show's over. Move along. newspaper subscription? 7/8: "Double CBS fall cop series RHD/LA (from Miami Vision." Vice's Michael Mann). CHARMED Renewed for another season on the WB, NIGHT VISIONS moving to Sundays, 8 p.m. Repeats of the short-lived series began airing on the DARK ANGEL SCI FI Channel 6/14 (Fridays, 8 Airs Fridays (8 p.m.) this summer on Fox. p.m.). 7/12: "Rest Stop" & Cancelled. Production has wrapped. "Afterlife." 7/19: "A View Show's over. Move along. Meanwhile, Rene Through the Window" & "Quiet Echevarria has joined the new ABC fall series Please." 7/26: "Now He's Com- Meds as show runner. ing Up the Stairs" & "Used Car." THE DEAD ZONE ODYSSEY 5 Premiered 6/16 on USA Network. Airs ^%ebuted on Showtime 6/21. Sundays, 10 p.m. Its initial 22-episode ^Two-hour premiere (direct- order is actually only for 13 shows. Series ed by David Carson) followed guru Michael Piller previewed the program by 18 episodes. Stars Peter

last issue. Anthony Michael Hall chats about Weller (who discussed it last

it on page 64. issue), Sebastian Roche, Christopher Gorham, Leslie EARTH: FINAL CONFLICT Silva & Tamara Craig Thomas. Reruns air in syndication throughout the Created by Manny Coto (see summer. Airing the week of 6/17: "Depor- page 42). tation." 6/24: "Seduction." 7/1: "Legacy." 7/8: "Atavus High." The sixth Earth tie-in novel, ROSWELL Legacy by Glenn R. Sixbury (Tor, tpb, Cancelled by UPN. Show's $14.95; he, $24.95), has just been published. over. Move along. The SCI It's no relation to the above same-named TV FI Channel has acquired rights episode. Series production has wrapped. to RoswelVs three seasons and Show's over. Move along. will begin rerunning the series this fall or in early 2003. ENTERPRISE Renewed for a second season. Airs Wednes- SMALLVILLE days on UPN. Veteran X-Files producer Renewed for a second season John Shiban has joined the staff. on the WB. DC Comics will publish a special Smallville FARSCAPE comic in September (featuring Airs Fridays on SCI FI. 6/14 & 6/21 TV cast & creator interviews, "What Was Lost" two-parter. 6/28 articles & comics stories). It's "Lava's a Many Splendored Thing." 7/12 edited by Eddie Berganza (the "Promises." Aeryn Sun returns—really! 7/19: former STARLOG Managing "Natural Election." Moya gets infected by a Editor who serves as Editor of parasite. 7/26: "John Quixote," written by DCs Superman titles).

Note: Airdates can shift without notice. Series are only listed for which STARLOG has new info. BATTLE OF THE PLANETS BATTLE OF THE PLANETS PREMIERE TRADING CARD SET TRADING CARD BINDER r Dynamic Forces is proud to present the premiere release of the Need a home for your Dynamic Force's Battle of the Planets Battle of the Planets Trading Cards! Joining Alex Ross in presenting Trading Cards? Looking for an exclusive signed card that will not their own vision of the G-Force team are such masters of their be available in the regular Battle of the Planets Trading Card craft as Pat Lee, J. Scott Campbell, the Hildebrandt Brothers, and release? Well, look no further, faithful one, because Dynamic is many more artistic luminaries who provide all new art for this Forces producing a limited number of Battle of the Planets series. Includes classic images from the original anime itself. Collector's Edition Trading Card Binders, featuring an exclusive Alex $71.84 MSRP per Box CS60S6 • $1.99 MSRP per Pack C9S057 Ross signed card not available anywhere else. Limited to initial orders only! Case orders welcome. $39.99 MSRP C96058 Limited to only 1,978 collectors binders. Unsigned Binder available at $19.99 MSRP C96140

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*Odds of receiving chase cards are on average. BATTLE OF THE PLANETS is —

WE AIN'T GOT NO STINKIN' More good news for Small-Screen Space GREEN CARDS! Nuts: MGM is preparing to unleash such galactic goodies as Stargate SG-1 first season The U.S. is tightening border security in episode discs ($14.95) as well as a four-disc these turbulent times, keeping a watch- box set of the first season (32 episodes) of ful eye south, east, west and north. ..to the TV's seminal SF series The Outer Limits. utter delight of the breed of "illegal aliens" This would include such space- or alien- who tend to arrive undetected from straight themed episodes as "The Galaxy Being,"

up. The year 2079 is the setting for the action "The Architects of Fear," "The Zanti Misfits," in Impostor, with Gary Sinise as a government "A Feasibility Study" and "Fun and Games" scientist accused of being an android sent by the along with, of course, a number of earthbound outer space race with whom Earth is warring. favorites ("The Hundred Days of the Dragon," Madeleine Stowe and Vincent D'Onofrio co-star in The Sixth Finger" and more). The Outer Limits: The this 2002 SF thriller, based on a Philip K. Dick short story, New Series is on its way as well, beginning with the DVD and arriving on DVD courtesy of Buena Vista in a $29.99 "Direc collections Sex & Science Fiction and Time Travel & Infinity. Then, tor's Cut." (Want a laugh? Start noticing the large number of DVD releases that make a big to-do over the fact that it's a "Director's Cut"—but make no particular mention of who the director is!) The DVD tacks on the 38-minute short film from which this feature was derived, as well as the original "Making of featurette "The Impostor Files." It's on VHS, too (a rental- priced $103.99). The director, by the way: Gary Fleder. A top-secret Pentagon experiment designed to unleash para- normal powers goes out of control while, elsewhere, a Sierra Nevada mountain observatory begins receiving extraterrestrial signals. Are the two connected—or are we being Deceived? Commando colonel Louis Gossett Jr. and computer ace Judd Nelson star in this "provocative Christian feature film release" from Navarre (SI 9.95). Sweetening the DVD collection plate: audio commentary, deleted footage and a "Making of." We haven't got enough trouble, our own astronauts have to borrow trouble and bring home aliens?? That's what happens when a U.S. expedition to Venus discovers a gelatinous egg

and totes it back, approximately 20 Million Miles to Earth. Shot in Hollywood and Rome (by directors Nathan Juran and uncredited Lawrence Butler, respectively), and featuring Ray Harryhausen's legendary seal-faced stop-motion "Ymir," this too, there's 'V: The Final Battle heading in our DVDirection in a 1957 giant-monster-on-the-loose classic is a 1.85:1 DVD treat $24.98 box set from Warner Bros. from Columbia/TriStar ($24.95). From the Sublime-to-the-Ridiculous Department, Nick- After an exploration of the depths of the cosmos, the journey of elodeon's all-CGI series Butt Ugly Martians touches down in video

the 3 1 1 lost, voyaging inhabitants of Moonbase Alpha reaches its stores July 30. The three volumes ($19.98 each from Universal) are conclusion with the release of Space: 1999 Sets 7 and 8 ($39.95 titled Best of the Bad Guys, Boyz to Martians and Hoverboard each from A&E Home Video). The added-value extras comprise a Heroes. More ridiculous yet, the children of Mars clamor for a Kris cosmic collection of cool come-ons: promotional spots, a BBC Kringle to call their own in 1964's Santa Claus Conquers the Mar- behind-the-scenes segment, a gallery of rare interviews with cast tians, coming to DVD from Delta at a price ($7.99) befitting its sta- and crew (including creator Gerry Anderson, Fred Freiberger, FX tus in the fantastic films hierarchy (or lower-archy, take your pick!). director Brian Johnson and cast members Barbara Bain and Cather- And this just in from the Mea Culpa Department: In issue #299, ine Schell), an FX featurette with Johnson, production artwork and Videolog reported that the Hardware Wars: The Special Edition

stills. The episodes also contain footage not seen in some parts of DVD features 20-plus new "special defects." Oops. Not correct. the U.S. during their original broadcast release. Those can be found in a previous video release, not this new one.

SIZE DOESN'T MATTER!! End and, yes of course, Them! It's $19.98 from Warners in a Spe- cial Edition with Caine commentary (!) and a "Making of." ;ould you believe that someone actually said that once? Idiot! There are lots more beasties strutting their rather sizable stuff in Would you rather be stepped on by an ant—or by one of Artisan's Dinotopia Special Edition, due at the end of this month. Them!! The 1954 big-bug classic arrives August 6, but the DVD's A cool $19.98 ($13 and change via some websites) gets you all 285

running time is currently listed at 92 minutes, meaning that Warners minutes of the 2002 mini-series on two discs, along with deleted

still hasn't restored a section of footage (scientists at a news confer- scenes, "hidden scenes" (not quite sure what those are yet), ence) that a lawsuit forced them to remove back in the '50s. We a "Making of and bloopers.

want that scene back, Warners ! But even if it isn't restored, the DVD Which are older—dinosaurs or mythological monsters? Ponder will still be worth the $19.98, if just for the archive footage demon- that question (or not) when you pick up Clash of the Titans (Warn- strating the operation of the giant ants that Warners has located. ers, $19.98), Ray Harryhausen's FX fest populated by the sea Of course, normal-sized insects can be a nuisance, too, if there demon Kraken, snake-haired Medusa, swamp denizen Calibos, are enough of 'em—which there are in The Swarm. Dark clouds of flying horse Pegasus and some stellar talents (including Burgess African killer bees descend on an all-star cast (Michael Caine, Meredith, Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith). The anamorphic Richard Widmark, Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, Fred Mac- presentation of this 1981 fantasy-adventure is preceded by a Har- Murray, Ben Johnson, Jose Ferrer, more) in Master of Disaster ryhausen intro. While you're at it, ponder this question, too: Why Irwin Allen's by-the-numbers 1978 actioner, which lifts bits and would anyone want to remake this movie? They're going to try

pieces of its plot from such bug-infested oldies as Beginning of the anyway.

14 STARLOG/August 2002 FRIDAY IS SPY-DAY!!! ic Miklos Rozsa score. ..not to mention an audio commentary in which McDowell, Warner and director Nicholas Meyer take us back Friday, July 16—that's when Fox turns its swingin'est espionage in time with the behind-the-scenes story of the making of this mar- agents of the '60s loose on the digital scene: Monica Vitti as the velous movie. It's a $19.98 Warners Special Edition. pop-art comic-strip cutie Modesty Blaise (1966), Raquel Welch as If Time After Time had been a true story, then Wells could con- the skydiving Fathom (1966) and James Coburn as Derek Flint in ceivably have been on hand as his own great-grandson Simon Wells Our Man Flint ('66) and In Like Flint ('67). The four spoofs, $14.98 directed the recent remake of The Time Machine. Guy Pearce stars a pop, come with trailers. By the way, in the interests of full disclo- as a turn-of-the-20th-century London scientist who flashes forward sure, July 16 is actually a Tuesday, but that didn't rhyme. 8,000 centuries via a time machine of his own invention, and dis- But Time After Time—that's a rhyme, and also one of the Hall of covers the world's human population split in two: The savage, sub- Fame time-travel movies. When Jack the Ripper (David Warner) terranean Morlocks and their sweet source of sustenance, the escapes from Victorian England in a time machine built by H.G. surface-dwelling Eloi (so meekly accommodating, they do every- Wells (Malcolm McDowell), the author is obliged to give chrono- thing but splash themselves with tenderizer!). Bonus material on the graphic chase—and finds himself on the trail of the psycho slasher DVD ($19.95) includes a featurette detailing the making of the Mor- in modern-day (well, 1979) San Francisco. Great twists and a terrif- locks (and a Stan Winston interview), commentaries by Wells (Simon, not H.G.), the editor, pro- Where's the rest of ducer, production designer and me? Vincent Price visual px supervisor st0ryboards

• (not to mention , . , , , . , set to t , ,_ - music and deleted scenes. The Christopher Lee & ,, IT „ , , .... (sans these extras) is priced Peter Gushing) provides you with f°r rental - the chance to \ Scream and Scream Again— [ cheaply, The Two Towers. An even more j

I massive Fellowship DVD set will be out in the fall. And yet more big releases, these

i for fans of 2-D and 3-D animation:

| The release date of Monsters, Inc. has been set by Buena Vista for j September 17, at a Special Edition cost of $29.99. The two-disc set comes with commentary by the producers and directors, outtakes, behind-the-scenes material (including "Creating Monstropolis" and never-before-seen tests and abandoned concepts), a guide to the inside jokes, storyboard-to-film comparisons and too much more to mention; they really cleaned out the archives and files right down to Roz's back bottom drawer on this one! Another promising-sounding extra: "Mike's New Car," a short BUY MORE STUFF NOW!!!! film created for this release (and featuring the voices of Monsters, Inc. stars John Goodman and Billy Crystal). Upgrading, then re-upgrading, then re-re-upgrading your Star Other monster titles in our digital near-future include Colum- Trek collection—have we finally reached the Final Frontier?? bia's The Return of the Vampire, Bela Lugosi's 1943 stab at a The bad news is no, the good news is that Paramount has nicely Dracula-in-everything-but-name bloodsucker—and with a were- gussied up Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan for its second DVD wolf as his "Renfield"! It's $19.95 from Columbia, and released release. Now a two-disc set, it comes with director Nicholas the same day (August 13) as their same-priced The Revenge of Meyer commentary, new interviews with Meyer, Harve Bennett, Frankenstein, second and perhaps the best in Hammer's Peter William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and Ricardo Montalban, story- Cushing-starring Frankenstein series. Two weeks later, MGM/UA board archives, a "Designing Khan" featurette and plenty more. arrives on the scene with a long list of new releases, most notably Oh, and the movie, too. the AIP Edgar Allan Poe chillers The Premature Burial with Ray As The Two Towers looms large in J.R.R. Tolkien fans' Milland and Hazel Court and The Masque of the Red Death with moviegoing futures, Warners furnishes our first opportunity to Vincent Price and.. .well. ..Hazel Court. It's a double-helping of revisit the magical lands of Elves, Dwarves and wizards depicted horror for just $14.95. They're also pairing The Oblong Box in the first film of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. (Price-Poe again) with the SF shocker Scream and Scream Again Among the extras on the widescreen Special Edition of The Fel- (with Price, Cushing and Christopher Lee) for the same how-low- lowship of the Ring (a $29.95 two-disc set due August 6) are "Wel- can-you-go price. Other upcoming MGM/UA offerings: Edge of come to Middle-Earth," "The Quest for the Ring" and "A Passage Sanity, Anthony Perkins' tacky "take" on the Jekyll-Hyde tale; a to Middle-Earth" (revealing some of the secrets behind the pro- 7een Wolf/Teen Wolf Too double-bill; Stephen King's Needful duction of this epic adventure), 15 featurettes exploring the locales Things; and Dan O'Bannon's Return of the Living Dead (with and cultures of Middle-Earth and including interviews with stars commentary and more). All are $14.95. For five dollars (and three Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen et al., Enya's cents) more, pick up John Carpenter's spooky The Fog, with doc- "May It Be" music video, original theatrical trailers and, for the umentaries, commentary and production stills. Go 'head, don't let antsier fans among us, a 10-minute behind-the-scenes preview of those extra three cents stop ya.

STARLOG/August 2002 15 —

would like to see him brought back 100 per- the best character, the most well-rounded cent, with the team returned to the four peo- and fleshed-out person on the team, and they

ple I enjoyed watching so much in Seasons let the actor who played him get away. That's One through Three. so unreal. Stargate SG-1 had a fantastically Peter Hayden marketable commodity and they basically Herndon, VA stopped its production. That's not the way to sell people on a series. It would be like

...I would like to add my unhappiness over McDonald's getting rid of Big Macs. Mail simply can't be forwarded. Other fans & actor last two years of the show have advertisers may contact readers whose letters the loss of Daniel Jackson and the who The are printed here. To avoid this, mark your letter portrayed him, Michael Shanks, to what I'm with few exceptions—been mediocre, and "Please Withhold My Address." Otherwise, we sure must be a landslide of letters and e- the only reason I continued watching was in

retain the option to print it. mails. If the angry outcry hasn't reached the hopes that I would catch a glimpse of the Write: STARLOG COMMLOG those proportions yet, I'm sure it's only old brilliance: the great rapport between Jack 475 Park Avenue South because "Meridian" doesn't air in this coun- and Daniel, the wonderful support of Sam 7th Floor try until June, and MGM is keeping very and Teal'c. New York, NY 10016 quiet about the fact that Daniel is gone. I just can't believe they've done this. It or e-mail: [email protected] Daniel was the one character on the show boggles my mind that they would want to We would love to hear from you. I could identify with—the non-military man ruin what was such a great team show. who still believed it was possible to solve Heather Alexander ENEMIES AT THE GATE problems peaceably rather than with force, Santa Barbara, CA ...I've been a very faithful fan of Stargate the way it seems to happen so much in real SG-1 since its debut. I will admit that the life. Stargate SG-1 had such a great team: ...Am I the only person in the entire United main reason I started watching it was Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c, all working States who is upset that Michael Shanks has Richard Dean Anderson, but the rea- left Stargate SG-1 and that his char- son I continued to watch was acter has been bumped off? It really because I fell in love with the rest of sucks what the writers and produc- the cast. Daniel Jackson very quick- ers have done to a show that was ly became one of my favorite charac- really excellent during its first three ters, and I truly don't see how the years. show can continue its success with- The team was perfect back then. out Michael Shanks (no matter how Jack was the skeptic, with the talented the actor is who is replacing resources to get them through. Sam him). I believe that the series will was the thinker, with the back- lose many of its faithful viewers if ground to see what wasn't obvious.

Shanks' departure isn't stopped. I Teal'c had the strength and the deeply implore them to change this determination. And Daniel was the and bring happiness back to the glue that held the team together, the many SG-1 fans who love the show morality and the soul, someone as it was, with the entire cast intact. I who could leap to conclusions and would also like to add that because I be right, without having to do all like the show so much, I got many of the in-between calculations. Some- my family members to watch it, and one we loved and cared for. they share my thoughts about the Why do people always need to character and the wonderfully talent- destroy things of beauty? Why do ed Shanks. I am afraid that many will series executives think it's good to boycott SG-1 after he has left. take something and utterly tear it to AWAS HULK PLAYED WITH THE CHlM&SE FIMGER Deborah Lester pieces until it fits a demographic TORTURE, HE gcjr/WDDER, AMD MADPER,AMO> IWDER... Myrtle Beach, SC that only exists as stereotyping? Just because I'm a woman over age

...I find it hard to believe that Stargate SG-1 together to "save the world." From what I 30 rather than a guy between 20 and 34 does would move in a direction that would leave understand, they [MGM] could have kept not mean I'm stupid. Daniel Jackson behind, but that's just what Shanks from leaving with very little effort on Severn Ammon has happened during the past two years. And their part. Was it too much for them to give Baltimore, MD it's not only Daniel who has been left behind. his character things to do that utilized So has the team—as a family which cares for Daniel's areas of expertise? To give the four SUBSCRIBER SERVICES each other and so has the show's ancient members back the liking they had for — team Missing copies? Moving? Renewals? Receiving mythological aspect. In fact, the series has each other during the first two years? Is that duplicates? Subscription questions?

moved away from everything that made it so hard? Write to: Stargate SG-1 in the beginning. Then to add Apparently. And I'm very sorry for that, STARLOG

insult to injury, the Powers That Be felt it because they've taken away one of the few Subscriber Services, P.O. Box 430 necessary to introduce Daniel's successor in TV shows I've enjoyed these past few years. Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430 Inquiries to editorial offices only delay matters. "Meridian," which I watched after it was So I won't be watching the new Stargate SG- NEW SUBSCRIBERS: aired in the UK by downloading it onto my 1 season on the SCI FI Channel, and I most See subscription ad in this issue. computer. emphatically will not be watching any spin- Do NOT send money to above address. the actor off that might try and palm off on the Daniel, and who played him so MGM Attach Mailing Label Here brilliantly, Michael Shanks, deserved better unsuspecting public. than to be put in the revolving door with James Danisch — NAME Jonas "Out you go, let's bring in the new Goleta, CA guy." They still have many more shows to ADDRESS film for Season Six—and they've already ...I can't believe they let Michael Shanks brought Daniel back for one so far—and I leave the series like this. Daniel Jackson was . ,ZIP_ CITY . STATE .

16 STARLOG/August 2002 www.starlog.com » #

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Postage: US - $3.00 per order Postage and Shipping City State Canada - $3.00 per unit Phone Foreign - $5.00 per unit Total Amount Due Visa/Mastercard # Exp. Please allow 4 - 8 weeks for delivery • Foreign orders send US funds only. Don't want to cut magazine? Write order on any plain piece of paper. You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] THE MATRIX WEBSITE HARLAN ELLISON PAGE steps, this comics virtuoso has Now that you know what The This writing Demon With a Glass made men of iron, mutants

Matrix is, discover a new Hand has taken readers Over the uncanny and spiders amazing. reloaded and revolutionized real- Edge with his Strange Wine for Marvel at his wonderful work This lists websites for SF, fan- ity as more mind games are many years. Visit Ellison Won- while visiting tasy & animation creators played in the upcoming sequels, derland and approach oblivion at www.geoeities.com/romita- and their creations. Website whatisthematrix. harlanellison.com/honie.htm page/home.htm operators may add their sites to warnerbros .com this list by sending relevant JACK KIRBY WEB PAGE GREG BEAR WEBSITE information via e-mail only to RAY BRADBURY WEB PAGE This King of the Comics gave Ellisons, Bradburys and Bears, [email protected] Something Wicked This Way America a Captain, Thor his oh my! Greg Bear adds his name Comes... and his name is Ray thunder and a Sergeant his fury. to the list of SF/fantasy authors PHILIP K. DICK WEB PAGE Bradbury, the Illustrated Man The New Gods of animation owe with a website lauding their liter- Do Androids Dream of Electric behind some of SF & fantasy's it all to this original. ary Legacy. Songs of Earth and Sheep! Well, you can find out at most extraordinary writing. Burn twomorrows.com/kirby Power are heard at this site celebrating the writer books while drinking Dandelion www.gregbear.com who Can Remember It for You Wine at JOHN ROMITA JR. PAGE Wholesale. Make a Minority www.raybradbury.com Continuing in his father's foot- H.G. WELLS WEBSITE Report at All's Wells that ends Wells at this www.philipkdick.com web page devoted to the life, work and thought of this seminal RICHARD MATHESON CONJVENTIOK) SF author. A Modern Utopia WEBSITE EK1 TRANCE awaits you at He is legend. This multimedia hgwellsusa.50megs.com author made Vincent Price a pris- fWVi oner of the House of Usher and PHILIP JOSE FARMER Srfrred up supernatural Echoes. SITE Visit the middle ground between To Your Scattered Bodies Go and light and shadow as Tales of Ter- visit the God of Riverworld, ror are told at this Twilight Zone. author Philip Jose Farmer. See home.earthlink.net/~sitman the other log of Phileas Fogg and - why Nothing Burns in Hell at NEAL ADAMS www.pjfarmer.com ENTERTAINMENT SITE

The amazing adventures of Neal I ROBERT JORDAN SITE Adams have been chronicled in Spin The Wheel of Time with this comics for ages. From Batman to Lord of Chaos as he continues to Deadman, this illustrator has ani- captivate fans with his popular j mated it all. Take a look at his fantasy novels. The Eye of the Transcontinuity Studios by typ- World is on ing in www.geocities.com/Area51/527 www.nealadamsentertain- ""THEOOSESTVOU QU^S WILL COME. TO BEIWQ 8/index.html ment.com VULCAWS IS SEXtVERV SEVEN VEARSj" (CONVENTIONS Questions about cons'? Please send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the address listed for the con. Do NOT call STARLOG. Note: Listed guests Pasadena Center may not always appear and cons may be cancelled without any notice. Conventioneers: Send all pertinent info no later than four months prior to the Pasadena, CA event to STARLOG Con Calendar, 475 Park Avenue South, 7th Fir, NY, NY 10016 or e-mail to [email protected] You must provide a Creation phone number and (if possible) an e-mail address. STARLOG makes no guarantees, due to space limitations, that your con will be listed. This is a free See earlier address service: to ensure a listing—not here, but elsewhere—contact Phillip Gencssie (212-689-2830 x200) for classified ad rates & advertise there. Guests: George Romero, Tom Savini, Robert Englund, Bruce Campbell, Heather Lan- genkamp, Stuart Gordon, James Karen, Elvira, Billingsley. Dominic Keating, Anthony Mont- JULY VULKON Steve Johnson, William Malone, Mike Mendez, gomery. Linda Park, Brannon Braga, Michael SHORE LEAVE 24 July 19-21 Gabe Bartalos, Jeff Rector, Evil Dead reunion, Westmore Tony Timpone July 12-14 Tampa Airport Hilton Hunt Valley Marriott Inn Tampa, FL Vulkon CREATION Hunt Valley, MD BUBONICON 34 August 9-11 Shore Leave P.O. Box 297122 August 23-25 33029-7122 Cherry Hill Hilton P.O. Box 6809 Pembroke Pines, FL Howard Johnson East Cherry Hill, NJ Towson, MD 21285-6809 (954)441-8735 Albuquerque, NM www.vulkon.com Creation (410) 496-4456 NMSF Conference Guests: Julie Caitlin Brown, Amendola, See earlier address w ww. shore-leave.com Tony P.O. Box 37257 Richard Herd; Jonathan Frakes (Saturday only); Guests: Virginia Hey; Renee O'Connor & Guests: John Billingsley, James Marsters, Albuquerque, NM 87176 Dominic Keating (Sunday only) Danielle Cormack (Saturday only); Hudson Richard Biggs, Julie Caillin Brown, Dee Wallace bubonicon.home.att.net Leick (Sunday only) Stone, Richard Herd, Spice Williams, Peter Guests: Esther Friesner, Spider & Jeanne Robin- David, Ann Crispin, Howard Weinstein, Michael son, Robert E. Vardeman Jan Friedman, Greg Cox CREATION 10-11 OFFICIAL STAR TREK CON I August SEPTEMBER CREATION ! Doubletree Hotel Reid Park August 2-4 OFFICIAL NEXT Tucson, AZ July 12-14 Las Vegas Hilton Creation GENERATION 15TH Convention Center Minneapolis, MN Las Vegas, NV Creation See earlier address Creation ANNIVERSARY 1010 North Central, Guests: Richard Biggs, Louise Sorel, Marjorie 27-29 Suite 400 See earlier address September Glendale, Monaghan; Connor Trinneer (Saturday only); CA 91202 Guests: Leonard Nimoy, Kate Mulgrew, James | Pasadena Center (818) 409-0960 William Shatner (Sunday only) Pasadena, Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle ! CA

www.creationent.com Nichols, Majel Roddenberry, Grace Lee Whit- \ Creation

Guests: Walter Koenig, George Takei Nichelle ; See earlier address & ney, Marina Sirlis, Gates McFadden, Colm FANGORIA WEEKEND OF

Nichols (Friday); Connor Trinneer & Linda Park i Guests: Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Michael Meaney, Nana Visitor, Terry Farrell, Max HORRORS (Saturday); William Shatner Leonard Nimoy Dorn, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Wil & : Grodenchik, Aron Eisenberg, Chase Maslerson, August 17-18 (Sunday) Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, John : Wheaton, Gales McFadden, James Cromwell

18 STARLOG/August 2002 Order now while issues last! Note: All issues include numerous articles & interviews. Only a few are listed for each entry.

#2 Gene Roddenberry. Wonder Woman EP #54 3-D Issue. Bob Culp. #80 Billy Dee Williams. Roddenberry. $6. #125 Bruce Dern. Gerry Gibson. Shatner 2. Dalton. Space: 1999 EP Guide. Guide. $10. Connie Selleca. Terry Anthony Ainley. Anderson. Carpenter. Moranis. Cobb. RR FX 2. Logan's Run. War of the Gilliam. Leslie Nielsen. Jedi FX. $5. #101 Ellison. Ridley Scott. Cameron. $6. $6. Worlds. $50. #29 Erin Gray. Buster Trek bloopers. $5. Sting. Roddy McDowall. Crabbe.$10. #81 Alan Dean Foster. Macnee. Takei. $5. #126 Marina Sirtis. #146 Matt Frewer. Andre #3 Space: 1999EP Guide. #55 Philip K. Dick. Ed Fred Ward. Veronica Schwarzenegger. Macnee. Norton. Phil Akin. Cesar Nichelle Nichols. George #30 Robert Wise. Bishop. Culp 2. Trumbull. Cartwright. Greystoke. #102 Spielberg. Bill Paxton. Michael Praed. Romero. Doohan. Takei. Takei. DeForest Kelley. $35. Chekov's Enterprise. Trek bloopers 2. $5. Buckaroo Banzai. $5. Mel Blanc. Michael Robert Hays. B&B. $25. Abyss. RR FX 3. $10. Questor Tapes. $15. 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box-office bonanza generated figure out how much you want to keep, "Now I would compare that relationship to happens when a grown-up Theby Men in Black in 1997 left little what works, what characters audiences what doubt that a sequel would eventu- want to see again. You have to decide how goes home for the holidays to visit his par- ally follow. Hut the road that has much you need to start from scratch and ents. No matter how old he is, he still falls led to Men in Black II wasn't all create new and different stuff so the audi- back into role-playing of what it was like that smooth. ence won't feel like it's just seeing the when he was growing up. Even if he turns Although director Barry Sonnenfeld same movie again. to his wife as he's knocking on his par- denies that Sony had to use an un-neural- "We had to bring back Will and ents' door and says, 'They are not going to izer on him to make him take on the Tommy, because so much of what made push those buttons, they're not going to sequel, he admits that "they did not come that first movie work was the relationship make me act like a kid and treat me like a in with a way Will Smith, Tommy Lee between them," says Sonnenfeld. "So that child'—the door opens, and the mother Jones and I could share in the profits, got to be part of the strength of the sequel: says, 'You wear that tie with that shirt?!' which we didn't do on the first one." That How you bring Tommy back, what cir- "To me," Sonnenfeld continues with a led to a lengthy deal-making process. "We cumstances would the Men in Black need laugh, "that's a metaphor of what MIB II wouldn't have made the sequel without to bring him back into their organization, is like in terms of the relationship between getting paid," the director confirms. and what would happen to the relation- Agent Jay [Smith] and Agent Kay [Jpnes]. But the creative challenge was just ship between them. In one word, friction!" beginning. "We had to come up with an "In the five years that Tommy has been idea that made sense in terms of a story," absent from MIB, Will has become the Buddy Cops Sonnenfeld explains. absolute top agent for the As fans will remember—though Kay Three years ago, he told organization. And now can't Men in Black ended on a note of STARLOG (#265) that in Tommy—who used to be amnesia. "Kay was neuralized, which order to do a sequel, the the top agent—is back, means his memory was erased, and any entire idea would have to and therein lies part of memory of ever being an agent has been be "reinvented." the solution to the chal- erased," Sonnenfeld says. "At the start of "It's very difficult to do lenge of doing something MIB II, an event happens on Earth that these kinds of movies—to was supposed to have been taken care of

Look away from the neuralizer. Director Barry Sonnenfeld doesn't want you

to forget Men in Black. \ SF movie—I'm being sarcastic. That's the The concept is the outcome of several basic plot. screenplay rewrites. "Walter Parkes came "The joy is, in the first part of the up with the original idea and he hired movie you get to see Will without Tommy, Robert Gordon to write the first draft. I and discover how he has become an angry, had no input or involvement in it," Son- sullen person with no personal life—the nenfeld explains. "It was very good and ultimate angry agent. Then you get to see had a good plot; but the comic sensibility I

the relationship between the two. When express in my work is very specific, and I Will finally helps get Tommy's memory felt that with Barry Fanaro, with whom I back, the first question is: Who drives the had worked before, I was better able to car? use shorthand for that. "Will goes to drive the car, and Tommy "The comedy doesn't involve jokes.

says, 'Wait a minute, I do the driving, I Instead, I put the actors in strange or remember that.' And Will says, 'No, no, comic situations but don't let them react What surprised director Barry Sonnenfeld you drove the old car, I drive the new one.' to those situations in a comedic way. I tell (right) most about Men in Black II? "How So you already see what can happen with the actors that they're not working on much fun I had working with Tommy Lee the two best guys who both think they're comedy I don't even want them to Jones and Will Smith," he replies. — know in charge. they're in a comedy. I don't even want the 25 years ago when Kay was in charge of "When we first meet Will again, he's a film lab to know it's a comedy, because the case. guy who has nothing. He has dedicated his then they always make everything too "Jay has to re-recruit Kay, bring him life to saving Earth and nobody thanks bright. back into the MIB fold and get his memo- him, which makes him so angry that he "I don't want punchlines to jokes, so I ry back—something which has never been becomes susceptible to the idea of falling tell the actors to never let the audience tried before—in order to find out what in love. It's nice to see the budding know that they're in on a joke. The best happened 25 years earlier that has created romance between Will and Rosario Daw- example in M1B" Sonnenfeld notes, "is a situation where now the destruction of son's character," a witness to an alien the scene where in the foreground Tommy Earth is threatened. This is unusual for a murder. is interviewing an alien named Redgick, who's a low-rent alien criminal with two heads—and he played both heads. Rick helped design that. And then we have a whole host of thugs and criminals, and there's a fairly big, involved fight scene with four new alien things that Rick created that are very funny and specific. Rick did an amazing job in this movie—all the aliens look different and cool." Although Serleena is officially villain- ous, the filmmaker contends that she's the kind of girl a red-blooded American boy would be glad to encounter—even in a dark alley. "The creature lands on Earth and sort

of shape-shifts into the first human form it sees, a magazine photo of a Victoria's Secret ad. So she becomes this babe wearing a combination of leather and stingray. She's all in black, and as Lara likes to say, we pushed up enough flesh starting at about her knees up her whole body to create these firm and sup- will be Frank the Pug," ple breasts that she has in the movie. Sonnenfeld declares. "He's she looks great, really sexy with a quintessentially New York." "And sardonic, sarcastic attitude," he notes. and in the background you see Will being grabbed by the tentacles of a pregnant squid lady and thrown up and around. It all plays out in the wide shot—there is no close-up of Will. We allow the audience to discover the joke on their own." Alien Enemies The director knew from the outset that key people like production designer Bo Welch and makeup wizard Rick Baker, "two of the most important guys to the success of MIB," were indispensable for the sequel. "Bo did an extraordinary job creating and designing a look that permeates the entire movie," he points out. "In the first movie, everywhere you turn—from MIB headquarters to the Guggenheim Museum—it's all about circles, flying saucers and spaceships. In the second one, we felt we wanted to keep

the MIB headquarters similar, but also give it a different feel.

"And we did something very specific "And it's great to revisit old friends," he muses there: Bo and I had always felt that MIB even for a coffee break with the Worm Guys. headquarters served two different functions.

[In the first film], one side of the Main Hall, what we call the X-Screen, was where people communicated and there were guys at their desks with computers—the work area. The other half was Passport Control, which

is where aliens checked into and out of Earth. "We wanted to emphasize that even more in this movie, so although the set basically looks the same, the Passport Control side feels more like an airport. We added fast food restaurants, a duty-free shop. And we also added a floor that serves both as the MIB parking garage and spaceship impound area. When you arrive on Earth in your

spaceship, you park it in this area, and those two sets play pivotal roles in the plot." Baker, Sonnenfeld says, had an enor- "Serleena [Lara mous task facing him on MIB II because of Flynn Boyle] is a the limited pre-production time and the large pretty cool villain," volume of aliens to design. "In addition to Sonnenfeld notes, Lara Flynn Boyle, who plays Serleena, the because she's sexy." villain, we also have Johnny Knoxville.

24 STARLOGMwgM.vf 2002 www.starlog.com —

would still be shooting! I loved working with

him, but whenever we did his little head on

blue screen, he would do it wearing only

boxer shorts. It was just his weird, twisted, sick way to make him feel like a different character, because the little head is sort of obnoxious, and, believe me, watching John- ny Knoxville walking around the stage in

boxer shorts is pretty horrific."

Otherworldly Pals According to the filmmaker, once the essential task of getting Smith and Jones on board for the sequel was accomplished, there was no room for the return of Linda Fiorenti- no's character (Elle). "To me, the film was about Will and Tommy and not about Will and Linda, as good as she was," says Son-

nenfeld. "I didn't feel it was fair to create a

role for Linda just to get rid of her in the first 10 minutes, so we have Will explain her absence in a couple of lines of dialogue." One actor who seems not to miss out on

any of Sonnenfeld"s projects is Patrick War- "Basically, she's just made up of thousands Sonnenfeld. "Since Johnny was playing both burton. After Big Trouble and the short-lived of slimy eel-like creatures that are wound so heads, we had to film him with his body and TV series The Tick, where he played the lead. tight that she's able to keep a human form his real head, cut that sequence together and Warburton reappears in MIB II as Agent Tee.

but she also has the ability to send these eels then choose the right takes, so that we could "Patrick for me is the perfect kind of actor, out of her body and strangle, attack and oth- then shoot his little head on blue screen with because he can say the dumbest lines with erwise cause mayhem." him acting to himself. total flatness and sincerity—which makes The challenge of having Knoxville play a "So, before we could even do the other him unbelievably funny. You never feel he's

two-headed alien was conceivably greater head, we first had to cut the scene together so aware he's being funny, so I love him for his

than finding a real, similarly endowed alien Johnny knew which take he was timing his unique sense of humor— it makes me laugh. to play the part. "You know, it really would little head to—otherwise we would have lit- "He's also really loud and boisterous," have been easier to find a live one," laughs erally had to do every take twice and we Sonnenfeld continues. "Patrick doesn't even

"Jay [Smith] has to re-recruit Kay [Jones], bring him back into the MIB fold and get his memory back," Sonnenfeld explains.

K. Dick would recognize his Philipshort story in Steven Spielberg's big-screen adaptation of "The Minority Report"—or so thinks longtime Spielberg associate and Minority Report producer Bonnie Curtis.

I "The seed of the idea is present, which is: Imagine a world without murder, a futuris- j tic society in doesn't exist," ; which murder Curtis explains. "And then imagine a guy j who has built his life on believing that the | — leader of the brigade, if you will being S — told that he's going to kill someone. How | will he react? How does a man prove his innocence to a system that he believes has j never been wrong? floating around for ages, with director Jan several on this picture all the publicity | — "Dick's story is a really wonderful twist de Bont at one point circling Minority and down through to what we'll see on the

on the idea of a hero on the run, and is he or Report as his next venture. Of course, once DVD. I'm omnipresent on any picture | isn't he guilty?" Curtis continues. "Even Spielberg and Cruise paired up, no studio Steven's directing, just making sure stuff j John [Tom Cruise] is trying to figure out head in their right mind would refuse to gets done and that his voice is heard." how this could be true, because he so greenlight the picture. Thus, Spielberg's The film (which opened June 21) indeed believes in the system. That basic idea is in studio DreamWorks joined forces with 20th utilizes "The Minority Report" as a spring-

the Dick story and it's in the movie. The Century Fox, and Spielberg called in Scott board from which to tell a broader, more story's basic concept of these beings, the {Dead Again) Frank to revise the existing complete story. John Anderton (Cruise) is a Precogs, who can predict the future, is in draft—which was written by Jon Cohen key Precrime cop who has spent years help- the film, too. But then we really just ran the before Spielberg came on board, and which ing to nab criminals before they can ever

gamut with it. Steven took it to the year was actually a reworking of the initial script commit a crime. But now that the Pre- 2054 and placed it in Washington, D.C. We penned by Total Recall scribes Ron Shusett cogs—humans who can predict the culled together a whole bunch of futurists and Gary Goldman. A WGA arbitration future—have fingered him as a murderer- and future thinkers to see what they thought determined that Cohen would share co- to-be, Anderton must hightail it out of town 2054 would be like. screenwriting credit with Frank. "We're and prove his innocence before he's cap- "Steven gave us an edict early on: He happy with the way that has worked out," tured. Also in on the action are Max von didn't want to make a typical SF film. He says Curtis, who then joined with another Sydow as Anderton's boss and Samantha

termed it a 'future reality,' which gave us a longtime Spielberg producer, Gerald R. Morton as a Precog who reluctantly joins really grounded place to start from. We Molen, to push Minority Report further for- Anderton on the run.

could let our imaginations run wild. But it ward. "This movie is so layered and compli- was really important to know, going in, 'We "Gerald handled the line and day-to-day cated," says Curtis. "It's a mystery. It's a

could be in this place in 50 years. This isn't producing, as I did as well, but I was also film noir. We're in the future. There are

going to be Logan 's Run. This isn't going to helping Steven with the casting and dealing many characters involved and many misun-

be out in the universe somewhere. This is with the studio," says Curtis, who is credit- derstandings, discoveries and surprises. It going to happen on Earth, and we've got to ed as producer along with Molen, de Bont took so many people to make this movie feel like we're on Earth.' So we have a great and DreamWorks' Walter Parkes, with come together. The level of communication

look. And we have many fantastic gadgets Goldman and Shusett down as executive needed to pull it off was unlike anything I

that are possibly attainable." producers. "So I would say that Gerald and had ever dealt with before. We have more

I were the producing team that got the jj than 400 FX shots in the film, and we had Future Times film's physical making done. The oddity of I seven different companies devising them. The project came together both quickly my position with Steven is that I've been The film's look is the result of the work of

and slowly. Spielberg and pal Cruise had with him for 1 3 years, so I tend to stay on [director of photography and frequent always wanted to work together, but noth- and work all the way through the release of Spielberg collaborator] Janusz Kaminski

ing lit quite right until Cruise sent Spielberg a picture. I'm involved in the marketing and and [production designer] Alex [The Crow} a Minority Report draft. The script had been merchandising tie-ins—of which we have McDowell. There was a fascinating, Producer Bonnie Curtis (left) and the Minority Report team used the Philip K. Dick short story as a springboard for a more complex SF tale.

28 STARLOG/4k#«.v/ 2002 wonderful, creative collaboration between | riE them. "Janusz was very definite about what he wanted," Curtis remarks, "and after the film wrapped production, he painstakingly went

4NIE through every shot to make sure it looked the way he wanted. What you have to

understand is that, with the color palette on

this film, yes, much of it is Alex, but much THE of it is also ILM. Alex did certain parts of the practical sets, but then he would consult with ILM about their eventual look. Then Janusz would come in and add light to that ORT. or not add light to that during production. And, in post-production, Janusz would dig- itally time portions of the film. He really played with the film's look.

"So it wasn't just Janusz, Alex, ILM or even Steven, but the set dresser and so

many other people, too. It was an unbelievable amalgamation of people. Steven was the leader. These people weren't going to a director and saying, 'Well, what do you

The film's bravura chase sequence in and about a futuristic transportation system excited Curtis.

think?' and having him say back, 'Uh,

well, I don't know. You guys figure it out.' No. If you go to Steven and say, 'Well, what do you think?' he'll say, T think you want that one.' "Steven's very precise," Curtis states. "He has probably already cut the entire movie in his head before he has even shot one frame. He knows exactly what he needs and knows exactly what he wants. And that makes for a very relaxed 'We're in the hands of the master' atmosphere, where you can work your ass off and know that, if you have a question, there's a leader there who'll have an answer for you. That makes for a very good dynamic on Steven's sets. He has great people around him, and their ideas are great, so Steven has great ideas to choose from when he's getting a film ready, when

he's shooting it and when it's in post-pro-

duction. He can say. 'This is good. Let me " show you how it fits into my plan.' Present Crimes The single biggest challenge Curtis faced producing Minority Report was main- g the film's speedy pace. "There are

STARLOG/August 2002 291 —

direct this part over here and that part over I there and that part over there, and then those parts would be married together. All | of that required loads of planning.

"The basic thing about producing is I organizing, and my organizational skills

were challenged to a level at which they had I

never been challenged before. And I think it

worked. I only remember one bad day on the shoot, and no level of communication

could have solved it. The stars were just not aligned. Nothing worked. Something was

up. It almost got laughable about two hours

into the morning. It didn't matter who was

trying to do something—whether it was I

props, set design, wardrobe nothing went I

right. That's when you take a breath and I say, 'OK, what else can we shoot? Let's

sets you go onto and think, 'Oh man, spe

cial effects is going to have a doozy of a day,' where you think everything's on them because the schedule calls for rain, smoke,

fire, sparks. On this set, there didn't seem to be a day where anybody got a break," she recalls. "Wardrobe was always intense because there were so many characters, and the wardrobe people had to be ready with I

1 these costumes, helmets and jet packs.

I There were also all these weapons, so props never got a break. The effects people never got a break. Every day had to be top-level. I "There was no time when someone

I could say, 'Good, there's not a lot of the Once a Precrime advocate, John cast working on Tuesday.' No. If there was Anderton (Tom Cruise) now must not a lot of the lead cast, we had a scene prove he has been wrongly accused. with a ton of extras. It wasn't, 'OK, just The actor offers his defense in an throw a few people in the background.' It's interview on page 33. a futuristic film, and wardrobe had to pay attention to the details. You couldn't just effects," says Curtis. "We had the seven dif- work out the kinks and we'll be back here have some guy in a T-shirt and jeans. The ferent vendors who were each filming con- tomorrow morning.' But we only had that | look had been established, so the amount of tent throughout the production. We had one bad day." detail was intense. That was the biggest guys off shooting commercials. We had Curtis is equally quick to point out her j challenge. This movie had the most compli- guys off shooting different elements that favorite sequence in the movie. Actually, cated, highest level of intense participation Steven had storyboarded and were then it's a string of sequences, beginning from j on everybody's part every day. going to put into the movie. Steven would that point at which Anderton goes on the I "The other really nutty part was the fact be running around to three or four different run. "There's so much drama in that, so

I that we didn't just go to ILM for the soundstages during the day. He would go much build-up to it, so many surprises," she

says. "Steven just takes you on this ride. I

honestly don't know how many minutes it j times out to be because every time 1 get j involved with it, I get completely non-tech-

nical and enjoy myself. I'm guessing it's 15 I

minutes. Tom is on the run and it's just non-

stop action. He goes through three or four I different set-pieces as he's trying to get away from his fellow workers. These guys | whom he has led for six years are now chas- ing him.

"And I just love the bit, which you got a I glimpse of in the trailer, that involves the transportation system we designed. The cars move horizontally, up and down build- ings, wherever they need to go to get you where you're headed, but you never spill [ your cup of coffee as you move because the | wheels turn on axles. If you need to go up a skyscraper, your car's wheels will turn and j go up it, but you'll be sitting in the same j position, in the middle section of the car, so much heart involved in making A.I., and so much care and love. Minority Report was very technically challenging, and a lot of

attention had to be paid to detail, too, but it

was very different. And it didn't hurt [that A.I. didn't fare well], because we made a film where everything—design-wise, character-wise, in terms of the ending—was straight out of Kubrick's treatment. We had four notebooks filled with hundreds of sketches and concept illustrations that Kubrick had spent 10 years doing. "So A.I. was an interpretation of conversations between Steven and Kubrick, the four notebooks, a 105-page treatment and discussions with the illustrator who had worked with Kubrick over the years. There were only two or three people who had had SlalP! direct conversations with Kubrick about A.I.: Dennis Muren at ILM, Steven and this illustrator, Chris Baker [a.k.a Fangorn]. There was a painstaking effort, every day,

to make that film the way Kubrick wanted it

made. I said to Steven, 'You know, you holding your coffee and heading on up. polarized moviegoers. Some people found made the most successful Kubrick film of

Well, imagine a car chase on a complicated it too cold to be a Spielberg film and too all time.' It's really hard to take your eyes system like that. This is 2054, the trans- warm and fuzzy to be genuine Kubrick. It off it. I'm so fascinated, in every frame, by portation system of our dreams and Tom was six of one, half-dozen of the other, and the meeting of these two masters." Cruise is on the run, defying gravity. It's enough of neither. Curtis will be occupied with Minority really fabulous." "None of us—Kathy, me and, I would Report deep into September, as she'll be The producer might apply that same hazard to say, Steven—could have poured lending a hand to launching the film inter- word to her relationship with Spielberg. more of ourselves into that film, into the nationally. She's not sure what Spielberg The director hired Curtis as his assistant details, simply out of respect for Kubrick," | will direct next; he may take a break after back in 1989, around the time of Hook, and says Curtis. "I know I could never work that I the one-two punch of Minority Report and she served in that capacity for six years. At hard [again], as far as, 'Wait a minute, is the upcoming Catch Me If You Can and not the end of the Schindler's List shoot—by that bowl supposed to be two inches to the step back behind a camera until Indy IV which time she was a production associ- left or two inches to the right?' There was comes together. Of course, that's subject to ate—Curtis told her boss that she would change. "jump off a cliff if she had to do the same "I hope in the future that there will be job any longer. However, she added that she many more movies we can make together, wanted to stick close by him and just be but I also hope I get to do some movies on deployed in some other fashion. She subse- my own," Curtis comments. "I think, I quently handled the associate producer hope, I've got an interesting window here to chores on Amistad and The Lost World: see what comes into my world, and I'll go Jurassic Park and assumed co-producer sta- from there. DreamWorks has me under a tus on Saving Private Ryan, A.I. Artificial production holding deal, but I work for Intelligence and now Minority Report. Steven and everybody knows that. So I've

"The way that I like to put it is that I've gotten some great experience. gotten to go to the best graduate school in "I catch myself in situations now mak- the world," says Curtis. "I've learned so ing a decision or saying something in a much, and I've been blessed to work not § meeting, and it's all based on experience. just with Steven, but also with Gerald I My comments are based on the sheer fact

Molen and Kathleen Kennedy, who have that I've been through it before. It's not allowed me to shadow them. I've never felt 1 about me guessing or hypothesizing what like the boss, and I don't know if I'm capa- I might work or asking everyone's opinions. ble of feeling like the boss. Steven is the I No. I've dealt with that exact same thing boss, and I've enjoyed being a part of the 1 before and I know what to do. That's a nice people, the family, he has around him. I feeling, and I want to see what else I can do enjoy helping him communicate his needs in films. to all the people he deals with. The joke "A lot of my friends in the film business everybody says to me is that 'You speak give me a hard time," Bonnie Curtis " Spielberg.' remarks. "They say, 'You haven't worked in the real film world. You have no idea what Past Rhymes it's like.' And they say that because I've With A.I., Spielberg attempted to speak been working with people like Steven, Ger- | Kubrick and, unfortunately, audiences pret- ald and Kathy for so long. So I'm not run-

ty much tuned him out. As fascinating as it I ning away, but I just hope that in the next was to witness the spectacle of Spielberg year or two I'll find something that I'm |

trying to realize his late friend Stanley . really passionate about that I can help bring Kubrick's last project, the ambitious A.I. to the screen." '

ALL-NEW STAR TREK ADVENTURES

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You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] CHARGED WITH A CRIME HE HASN'T YET COMMITTED TOM CRUISE IS ON THE RUN. years back, on the set of Eyes Several | Wide Shut, Tom Cruise found himself hooked by the premise ofl Minority Report. "I read an early f screenplay," the megastar recalls.

: "That had a spark, and I went and looked at j the [original Philip K. Dick] short story. I

thought it had a great idea for a film, for something that could be exciting to see. The whole idea of being able to predict a murder in the future and having this prevention

team, this Precrime team go out and stop it j

' before it happened; I just thought that was

great. Steven Spielberg committed to it and j we started working on it.

"I just thought it was a compelling story.

It wasn't a conscious thing of me saying, 'I

want to try something different.' I always want to try something different. This story wanted that and needed that. And Steven, j his imagination and his ability to tell a story are just staggering—scrubbing the image, late justice? What if a criminal changed his bigger mousetrap. Cruise says that S

all those things he brought to it. He never mind at the very last instant? People can berg welcomed ideas and contributions shied away from that. Neither one of us did. choose to do or not to do something. What from his collaborators. Some ideas worked We wanted that." if Anderton—the very public face of the their way into the script (Frank and Jon Precrime unit—was suddenly anointed Cohen share final screen credit) before pro- Early Evidence Washington D.C.'s next murderer? And duction commenced, and others were intro-

DreamWorks wanted it. 20th Century what if he were framed for a crime he had duced on the set in the moment. One key

Fox wanted it, too. So the studios joined yet to commit? All of those questions and concept, something not in the Dick story, forces to put up the bucks—roughly $100 more are posed and, to varying degrees, came from Cruise himself. It was he who million, with Spielberg and Cruise report- answered in Minority Report, which bends, suggested that Anderton be driven—driven edly taking no upfront salaries but a per- twists and otherwise reshapes Dick's story to work so hard, but also driven to use illic- centage of the picture's backend monies into a thinking man's SF-action flick. it drugs—by the lingering mystery and instead—necessary to realize the project. "What Scott [Dead Again] Frank did heartache surrounding his son's disappear- Cruise stars as Detective John Anderton, a with the screenplay was wonderful," Cruise ance years earlier.

top cop in the Precrime unit created by notes. "The short story is not a feature film. "One of the things I felt when I read the

Lamar Burgess (Max von Sydow). Ander- It's a wonderful short story, but when you short story was [it had to touch people] on a

ton and his team, relying on the visions of talk about making it into a movie that runs personal level," Cruise observes. "I always three Precogs, do precisely as Cruise noted: two-plus hours, there are different expecta- felt that you should start out with a charac-

\ They stop crimes before they're actually tions and limitations and also doors open- ter who had had a loss. That was kind of my

ever committed. ing. So I feel that the story is still there." contribution, the loss of the child. It just I I But what if there was a {flaw in the Using that basic tale as a launching pad, came to me. I wanted to know, 'Why would

process? What if someone could manipu- Frank, Spielberg and Cruise constructed a I he do this?' Do you have children? It's the j

John Anderton (Tom Cruise) runs into danger when he's charged with a crime he hasn't yet committed. ed, either, which is quite wonderful. He's Cruise's eyes are looking for a story and is committed to more than just wide telling that." shut in Minority j Report. They're And so Spielberg put Cruise—whose actually removed previous genre efforts include Legend and replaced by an (which he discussed in STARLOG #107), unpleasant medico. Interview With the Vampire and, arguably, Vanilla Sky—through the wringer. Parts of Minority Report were physically demanding. Parts of the film were emotionally demanding. The hours were long, the FX complicated, the lighting schemes elaborate. Cruise handled most of his own stunts and proudly states that he never got hurt. On the other hand, the Clockwork Orange- esque sequence in which a creepy, snot- oozing doctor (Peter Stormare) removes Anderton's eyes and swaps in someone else's peepers was no day at the beach. worst thing that could happen. And then it equal on the directing front is Spielberg. "They numbed my eyes," Cruise recalls was Steven and Scott. They would bounce The two men have been friends for nearly with a laugh. "Steven was very nervous and ideas off me when they were going along. two decades and long sought to work wanted to shoot that as quickly as possible. "The scrubbing of the image at the together. Spielberg was, in fact, set to direct It was wild. It didn't hurt because my eyes beginning, as I said, was Steven's idea. He Cruise and Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man. were numb, but it was a little uncomfort- came up with that. All of it Steven. They were already in rehearsals that afterward. I liked it was He j on film able But how looked. said, T want to make it 50 years in the when Spielberg had to bow out in order to And that scene is the only reference we put

future and not hundreds of years in the do Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. in there to Stanley [Kubrick]." i future.' That makes it a world that's accessi- Cruise insists that working with a director The end product, most moviegoers will ble for an audience. Look at what's happen- whose clout and power rival his own in no likely agree, is commercial but dark, though ing today, right now, as we're doing this way affected the actor-director dynamic. "I nowhere near as dark as Spielberg's previ- interview, in terms of privacy issues and never think of that," he says. "Ever. When ous project, the quasi-Spielberg/Kubrick what we're all going to be asked to give up. you're working, it's not something you collaboration A.I. Artificial Intelligence.

He made it very immediate for me when I think about. He's a filmmaker. Steven is a Cruise, for one, appreciates the finished read it, and I think it will be for the audi- storyteller and I'm the actor and it's just film. "I like the thrill ride of it, the twists ence, too." that relationship. It's not weird. It's not and turns in the story," he enthuses of contentious in any way. It's very much the Minority Report. "Obviously, the eye candy

Current Testimony opposite. Steven's focused on the story. is something that is wonderful, too. I like Cruise, without question, is Holly- He's someone who is relaxed and pretty the psychic chase. It's so inventive. I like wood's leading leading man. Anything he easy. He's concerned about his story. He's the spiders. I like the stun gun. But I really wants to make pretty much gets made. His not someone who takes anything for grant- enjoyed the characters. Samantha Morton

STARLOG//W«'«' 2002 —

optioned the rights to both properties. "I hope they can be great projects," he says. "I'm interested in them. I've always liked War of the Worlds—the [1953 Byron Haskin-George Pal] film and also the novel. It's a terrific book." Any talk, however, that Spielberg might assume the War of the Worlds helm is precisely that—talk—at the moment. "We just

got it and we're kind of sitting down now

and thinking about it," Cruise explains. "In my midnight hour, I'm just having fun with

it. We'll see [if I play the Gene Barry role].

We're still trying to figure it out, man." If Cruise decides that he wants to play Dr. Clayton Forrester, he will. As noted, he can do pretty much anything he wants. A very hands-on Though full of surprises—he won acco- performer, Cruise enjoyec lades for his supporting role in Paul the physical demands of Anderson's Magnolia and went out his rurinincj msn ro ©. Thomas there, way out there, in Cameron Crowe's [as a Precog named Agatha] and Colin Far- Vanilla Sky—Cruise's stature demands a rell [as Danny Witwer, a government inves- great deal of tightrope walking. He can take tigator sent to crack down on the Precrime risks, but he knows the fall is always further 1 division] and Neal McDonough [as a mem- from the top. ber of Anderton's team] and Max von "I just do it," Tom Cruise remarks. "I Sydow are all really good. For me, as an just read something and think, T'm interest-

actor, to have an opportunity to work with ed in this. I want to do it.' Everything is a Max von Sydow was a lot of fun." risk. Every time you go out it's a risk. But

And what aspects present on the screen you have to say, 'I want to do it, and they're in Minority Report might Cruise like to trusting me.' Fortunately, I haven't lost a actually see realized one day? "I like the studio money. Eventually, inevitably, it's transportation system, as long as you could going to happen. But so far, I haven't been

get off it and still go riding around," he in that situation.

replies. "A stun gun would be interesting "I give it everything I have. That's all I a sick stick to have around every now and know how to do. At the end of the day, you

then would be good. The retinal scanning. look at it, and when everyone says, 'Let's

If you look at where that's going, it's cer- go,' I'm there. I'm never messing around or

tainly going to help us in terms of prevent- showing up late. I spend a lot of time prep-

ing crime. I reading on the Internet the ping films. You can drive yourself nuts , was my other day that there's this scientist who has thinking, 'What if? What if? What if?' You j

i developed a program that can predict have to think, T can. I can.' Otherwise

human behavior. I think they're going to you're not going to sleep at night. So many I

test it in airports, but it's basically to spot things can go wrong, but I like to think of j

terrorists, and it's all done on computer. I all the things that can go right. You never

' would like a system in place that would pre- know how a film is going to be received, but vent crimes, prevent terrorism certainly, but somewhere deep inside I believe that every It took a while, but Hollywood's most when you look at the freedoms we'll have film has an audience. And you want to at popular actor (Cruise) and director to give up, that's that I think least communicate to that audience, to have something peo- (Spielberg) finally found a project they ple should be more aware of—and the ram- wanted to work on together. them enjoy the picture." ifications of that."

Final verdict Next up for Cruise—who can currently be heard narrating the IMAX documentary

: Space Station—will be The Last Samurai, an adventure film that begins production in j

' October with Ed Zwick behind the camera, and Austin Powers in Goldmember, which finds Cruise making a cameo along with Spielberg and Gwyneth Paltrow. Other possibilities on the horizon in-

I elude a new version of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds and a (film or TV) project based

! on SF writer William Fortschen's Lost Reg- iment series of novels, which follow the plight of Civil War soldiers transported to another world. Cruise's production company, Cruise/Wagner Productions (through which he produced The Others), has

36 STARLOG/August www.starlog.coni s

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Farscape's fourth season cast includes Rebecca Riggs. Raelee Hill, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe, Ben Browder, Melissa Jaffer and Gigi Edgley.

you're going to get this the same time, he's in less control than he Whatyear is a look at the way has ever been, because things just rock things go in real life," relates along and he doesn't have a chance to David Kemper about the affect them. It's just like working on this fourth season of Farscape. TV show: I'm doing my job and you "You don't always get to choose your would think there wouldn't be any sur- allies, you certainly don't get to choose prises left at this point, but there always your enemies and, to a great degree, are. The fourth year will be quintessential you're buffeted by the things around you." Farscape. It'll be like the other three, but It's a balmy late May night in Los we think we keep getting better. Our sto- Angeles, and Farscape's executive produc- rytelling keeps getting better, and we're

er is enjoying his last lew days at home getting smarter. So that's about all I can before returning to Australia, where pro- say, other than if you liked the first three

duction is to resume in two days. In the years of Farscape, I suspect you'll like the

meantime, he's meeting with his team of fourth, because I like the fourth already, ••••• American writers, taking late-night calls and I'm hoping the fans will, too." from Sydney and dealing with an over- exuberant puppy that keeps pulling Great Explanations Kleenex out of a nearby wastebasket and When viewers tuned in for the end of \ shredding them all over the office floor. Season Three, the series was (as usual) in a IP Kemper (profiled in issue #285) is also heavy-duty state of transition. In "A Dog taking a few hours out of his evening to With Two Bones," the main characters go talk to STARLOG about his show's fourth their separate ways, and Crichton (Hen season, which debuted on the SCI FI Browder) learns that Aeryn (Claudia Channel June 7. Black) is pregnant—just before Maya, "This season of Farscape is going to their sentient ship, suddenly disappears show Crichton in more control than he into a wormhole, leaving Crichton and his has ever been," Kemper remarks, "but at shuttle floating in space, alone. It may

Farscape's David Kemper promises new surprises this year. He just won't say what.

nestiniEF By JOE NAZZARO have been a trying period for the Moya group, but the season finale was just as emotionally draining for Farscape's east and crew, who had been working flat-out for several months without a break.

"We were siek of each other when it was over!" Kemper deelares, recalling a promotional trip to New York with Brow- der, Black and director Andrew Prowse. "We were in an elevator together about five weeks after we shot that episode, and

we all stood there staring at each other. I said, 'Hey, I've got an idea for a scene!' And everybody said, 'Oh, [screw] you!' "As we walked out, Ben finally said, 'Tell me the scene,' because he's so easy. So I told him—and we've already shot it this year. The point is, we had all just gone through this horrible war—not with ourselves, but trying to get [the episode] right

and making it so good that the audience

would say, 'Wow!' And I think we did that." "A Dog With Two Bones" also set down most of the major elements that will come into play during Season Four. "I've never

stated it this way, but episode 22 of every

season is the 'first' episode of the next season," Kemper reveals. "If you go back to the first year, we had already blown up the Gammak Base, and then we ended up having them floating in space. 'Die Me,

W Dichotomy' ended the second year, but it also set everything in motion for the third \ year. This past year, once we blew up the command carrier, you can't top that, so

the next episode was very different. What I was trying to do was wrap up an emotional story, because the physical story had already been wrapped up." That wrap-up included the introduction of a strange, old alien woman named Noranti (Melissa Jaffer) with mystical powers, who appears—to the annoyance of some viewers—on Moya without much explanation. "They know exactly what she's about," says Kemper. "She's a weird, mystical character who does stuff. Our

attitude is, when we start pandering to the audience, we're going to end up with Black Scorpion, so we're always trying to chal- * $. i lenge them. We like them to be ahead of us ^0

, * *

m m m > David Kemper has added Sikozu f'.W (Hill) into the Farscaoemix. — —

Asked why events that spur revelations. When Sikozu "the old woman" first meets Crichton, she doesn't say, 'My Noranti (Jaffer, limbs regenerate, and I can walk on walls.' with alien escort How would that come out in conversation? played by Steve That's how you end up being surprised by Le Marquand) things, and that's what makes drama: You was introduced don't find out things until with little about people explanation, they're forced to reveal them to you." Kemper Another character—introduced near the responds: "We're previous season's end—who will be playing always trying a major role in upcoming episodes is the to challenge beautiful but ruthless Peacekeeper comman- [viewers]." der Mele-On-Grayza (Rebecca Riggs).

"With Grayza, Scorpius [Wayne Pygram] is great," Kemper comments. "I get tired of the same guy saying the same thing over and over: 'Get me Crichton. I want the chip in his brain!' How long are you going to think Scorpius is a real supervillain and be Fans see red sometimes impressed by his prowess when he can't when characters like even catch Crichton? We obviously can't Sikozu remain enigmatic. have Crichton get caught—well, we can, we Kemper's view is that just do it all the time but at a certain point as in real life, not — everything in Farscape things have to be shaken up, and I believe gets explained. Grayza is the right person to do that. "What's great about her is that she's actually enriching Scorpius, because she's com-

plicating his life. It makes you realize that everybody has problems. Even the boss of your company has to report to the board, so Scorpius now has somebody saying, 'You're not doing your job fast enough, so whatever plan you have in mind, you had better make

it go faster. Maybe you need to take some

shortcuts!' It screws up his life, because he can't do things the way he wants to do them. He now has somebody looking over his shoulder." There's a good chance that viewers will be seeing the return of Stark (Paul Goddard), the half-masked mystic, who left the group in some stories—where they know what's as well as rapid healing abilities. Once again, last season after Zhaan's death. "Stark is not going to happen before our characters do though, viewers won't find out everything dead," notes Kemper. "He went away look- and in others, we like to be ahead of them. about the character up front. "Other shows ing for Zhaan, so he may even come back We mix it up. have to explain everything to you for four with pieces of her. Maybe he'll find a mole-

"My theory is, this isn't a 24-hour Web- hours," says Kemper, "but life isn't like that, cule of her to bring back. Stark is one of our

cam deal. Some time has obviously tran- and it bores the shit out of me. My analogy is, family, and we're pretty loyal to our people." spired between the last time you saw the you look at our shows, and not everything But, of course, the question that loyal

characters and now. Unless it's a two-parter, gets explained. It's just as in real life, where Farscape viewers want answered is this: Just time has passed [between episodes], so some not everything gets completely laid out. how long do the show's writers plan on keep- things have happened, and the audience has "So Sikozu's limbs or body parts will heal ing Crichton and Aeryn apart? "I can't give to catch up. Sometimes we tell them things, up," he remarks. "It's taking something that any indication of that," Kemper admits.

and sometimes we don't—because it's fun to we have on Earth and taking it to the "Look, we're not even sure ifAeryn is going have something where you're wondering Farscape level—because you see these sto- to come back—although you might know what's going on. If you look at that episode, ries where a guy gets his hand cut off, and she's in the series because her name is still in

Crichton, Aeryn and everyone else is saying, they spend 12 hours grafting it back on. Well, the main titles and we saw her on the beach

'Who is that woman?' Why should the audi- Sikozu does it herself. Her physiology has in episode one. I should think that Aeryn will ence get to know if Crichton doesn't? If you advanced to the point where if a limb comes come back, but she'll come back at just the

start working in a new office, you don't off, it's able to go back on. That's all. And we right time in the series that she needs to

know all the back stories for everybody don't make a big deal out of it, because to her, make an appearance. That said, maybe we

you're working with right away. You learn as it's not amazing. It's part of her. won 't bring her back." you go." "In this world, we don't always know all Yeah, sure, and Kemper has a used of the abilities of some of these people. When Leviathan he wants to sell you. What can be New Revelations Zhaan [Virginia Hey] was revealed to be a confirmed is the fact that the SCI FI Channel As Farscape's fourth season opens, the plant, why wasn't she compelled to tell us she plans to air no less than 1 1 episodes of Sea-

stranded Crichton is marking time aboard a was a plant? These things come out when son Four in a row (except for the July 4th dying Leviathan, which is boarded by a band they come out. Why did we think D'Argo weekend) before going into repeats. That's a of mercenaries looking to harvest the ship's [Anthony Simcoe] was a murderer and then big improvement over last season, where

neural tissue. They're joined by Sikozu get the backstory that he wasn 't a murderer viewers had to wait several months for the (Raelee Hill), a fiery, red-headed Leviathan that he was falsely accused? People don't tell last four episodes. "I can't tell you how our expert, with a strange ability to walk on walls you everything about them, so there are scheduling processes work," says Kemper,

STARLOG/August 2002 www.starlog.com "but we're reactive to the network. When the number-one show on the SCI FI Channel, Kemper hints that they lock in their schedule, I design the rest which has already ordered a fifth season. Black might not of the season. When I'm plotting the story, if Looking ahead, Kemper admits that he has a be back, but I know there's going to be a long break, I try final ending in mind for the series, but with Aeryn is one and set up some kind of situation that will any luck, he won't be writing it any time character who keep people interested. soon. can take a lickin' and keep "With our last season, as much as people "What I feel in my head is that this show on tickin'. wanted to see it straight through, it was needs to go six years," he claims. "If it had designed to have a break in there, and that's finished at the end of year three, it could have why it feels satisfying when you finally get to concluded with Crichton alone, which is it. Our blessing and our curse is the SCI FI where he began, and you would always won-

Channel. It's a blessing because they're let- der what happened to him and that would be ting us be avant-garde and do what we want it. I have an ending in mind for each year, and and make these great shows, but on the other I won 't move that ending up. The end of year hand, not all the cable services in the country four is the end of year four, whether it's the carry it. Not only that, but we're way down final year of Farscape or only halfway the dial, so you have to really search for us. through. If they told me tomorrow that And, more importantly, because we're a SF Farscape was going to go eight years, the the equivalent of 12 feature films a year. show—you can't hide that fact—it's hard get- end of year four would still be what it's going We're busy. When it's time to do a feature, ting the message out. So we can't always pick to be. The ending would be exactly the same; we'll do one." up the audience, because either they can't we would get to the same place and do the Returning his attention to Farscape's find the channel or they don't get it on their same things—although I probably wouldn't fourth season, Kemper hopes that fans of the service or they're not SF fans so they think end the season on a cliffhanger. Maybe you series will enjoy some of the surprises that they wouldn't like the show. If we could get wouldn't wonder if Crichton is going to get a are in store for them, but for now, they'll everybody in the country to watch three piece of his brain back, but everything else have to remain surprises. A final query about episodes, a significant portion of those people would be the same. things to come is greeted with a long pause. " would say, 'I kind of like this show!' "Take a look at the year you just saw: A very long pause. At last, Kemper replies: Crichton and Aeryn broke apart and every- "I'm looking for a way to tell you something Major Expectations body left. If that had been the series' end, that without giving too much away. What the fans

Farscape may not have the broad-based would have been the end, and I still would want to happen usually happens, it just does appeal of a non-genre program, but it's still have concluded with them breaking apart. I not happen the way you expect it to. There's might not have done the a very famous military saying, which is that swallowing of the no plan survives contact with the enemy, so wormhole, though, everything that Crichton wants for himself,

because that was the all his hopes and dreams, it's like what most

cliffhanger. But every- of us want: You get some of it, not all of it. thing else would have "And sometimes the stuff you get isn't

been the same. We what you thought it would be. Life gives us

wouldn't have done stuff, but not the way we want it all the time. something catastrophi- So this year, we'll see all of the characters cally different. That's driving hard not to be victims, and they—to just where the season various degrees—will succeed at controlling wanted to end. The same their own destinies. But sometimes when you

thing happens at the end control your own destiny, it comes with other of year four." problems. For example, I wanted to run a TV As for the possibility show of my own for decades and then I got to of a Farscape feature do it—what was I thinking? It's everything film a la The X-Files, that I wanted, and then 10 things on top of it

Kemper's response is that I didn 't want, but you eventually realize pragmatic. "My stock they all go together. answer when asked is, "Things are going to move very fast this 'Did the show go off the year," Kemper promises. "It's really going to air? Did we get can- surprise you. Episode 22 of last season was celled?' Would you the beginning of the fourth year, and it rather see one two-hour moved pretty fast. Suddenly, you were in a feature or 22 hours [of different place, you had this old woman on

the series]? Because it the ship and you didn't know who she was. takes about a year to do So things happened that you didn't under- a movie. You can have a stand, that you couldn't control, and that will feature, but you won't continue.

have a TV show. So if "The pace of this year is, T want to be in you're willing to wait a charge of my destiny, so I'm going to make full year without the TV some moves, so this is what I'm going to do! show, fine. That seems Holy crap, now I'm stuck with the conse- " stupid, though, and I quences,' David Kemper explains. "You

would rather do it this can't go back. You can't wn-ring the bell, as way. I would rather get they say. So you're going to learn much more 22 hours of Farscape about our characters, things you didn't know than two. A film script before. Crichton and some of the others are has 100 pages. We do about to make choices that they'll then have 1,250 pages a season, to live with as they go along." -A?

STARLOG/August 2002 41

1;:','

on whatever this quest may be. They have "As far as The X-Files goes, I will say to do it as they exist. And knowing what this—what they're looking for and what they know, it's almost impossible for them they're going to be fighting against has noth-

not to try to change things, to better things. ing to do with aliens. I know it kind of feels

For example, in episode two, Sarah comes X-Files-ish, but it's not. The idea is that it's across this murder case that she knows is almost like a half-drama/half-SF show. For

going to happen, so she has this moral instance, in addition to having to stop her son i

question: 'Do I just sit here and report from getting cancer, Sarah's going to meet these events, or do I go do something her second husband again, and she has all j about them before they happen?' So it's these memories of their whole relationship. time travel in a more personal vein, focus- For her, they were together in bed three ; ing on the little things in life that they can weeks ago, but he doesn't know who she is. \

choose to correct or not." So she has these passions buried in her, and ij now she must look at him with his current Quest for Meaning spouse, so what does that do to her emotion- j

Given the nature of the time travel ally? What does it do to her current marriage? j nvolved and the vast, conspiratorial air of Those are the kinds of stories that we're deal-

the series, one could almost imagine that ing with. That's a fairly unique situation. 1 Coto sold his show with this high-concept don't think I've seen that done before." pitch: "It's Quantum Leap meets The X- Although series star Weller initially felt Files." But Coto doesn't see many similar- that those with the power to greenlighl

ities. "Well, I actually don't know Odyssey 5 would find it "too far out," Coto |

Quantum Leap all that well," he confesses. reveals that was never a problem. "You know 1

"I guess in Quantum Leap he was going what? It wasn't a difficult sell. It actually sold : back in time and dealing with individual in a lot of places," he laughs. "It was original-

people who weren't himself, jumping into ly developed at NBC, and I sold it immedi- various bodies. But obviously, [with my ately in a pitch like five years ago. They

show], the concept is people in their own really loved the script, and it was very hot

bodies. If you want a parallel, Peggy Sue there for a while, but it didn't get made, pri-

Unlike other time-travel tales where the hero Got Married is probably the closest marily they just exam- because had Dark Skies . must preserve the timeline, Odyssey 5 "is about ple, because she actually goes back in time [which performed poorly] and they weren't changing history," says creator Manny Coto. to high school to her body from the past. in the mood to do another science fiction

thing. So it sat there for a while.

I ', i' "At the time, the executive producer was i

George Clooney; it was through his company.

He then went and took it to Warner Bros, and j sold it there as a feature! It was almost a feature, with Clooney starring as Taggart. That fell through, though, because NBC wouldn't!

let it go. Then it sat around for years not

doing anything, so we sent it out again and I

immediately sold it to Showtime. By that 1

time, it had been sitting at NBC for so long I

that they didn't know what to do with it and

finally gave up and let it go. So, in reality, it j

has taken a while to get this made, but it has actually been quite an easy sell. A lot of peo- j

pie really found the concept compelling." :

Besides lengthening the pilot script for : the move to cable, Coto altered the show's 1 lead character once Weller was cast. "Chuck Says Coto of the Odyssey crew: "These aren't professionals. These Taggart originally was more white-bread," he aren't superheroes. They're average citizens." And they meet at a diner. I comments. "When the idea for Peter Weller ;

"The notion of going back and having to relive their lives with memories of the future allows for a much more personal kind of approach to time travel. What these people

are going to end up doing is trying to fix their lives and, at the same time, prevent what destroyed the world. They're trying to relive their lives in a much more positive direction, attempting to do things differently, take the roads that they didn't originally take. "That's really the show's focus," Coto remarks. "It's a split focus. They are going to save the world, but at the same time, they can't abandon their lives. Taggart can't just drop out of NASA. They need NASA. They need the places that they're in. Sarah needs to remain a reporter. They can't just throw out the lives that they're leading now and go off "We're actually building an alternate history as the series goes along, and—all being well and God willing—four or five years from now, the future will be radically different. It will have changed simply through the actions of these five characters," says Coto. "And what they're facing, and what they're ultimately going to be fighting, this force that destroyed the world, isn't going to be solved by killing off a few individuals or stopping a bomb. It's something that's so great and so

mighty that to stop it, mankind must literally

transform. The thing of it is, the ending can

expand slightly or contract, because, as I said,

time changes. So, it can be five years from

now. But maybe it will be six, maybe four. It depends. There's so much that has to happen "David Carson [right] did a tremendous job directin before we get there." the pilot, and he and I saw eye to eye on everything If there's one thing that Coto, his cast and

comments Coto. "It was like I hired my clone." his crew are trying to accomplish with

Odyssey 5 that will set it apart from other got floated in, I realized that there's an enig- know whether they'll be interfering with genre shows, "it's that we really want to

matic quality to him, which I thought would Coto's grand scheme? "I look at Odyssey 5 as explore how science fiction impacts a very be really powerful for this character. Peter's a a screenplay," Coto explains. "Usually in a normal, average citizen in their life. Most SF

very deep individual, and his interests range script, at the end of Act I, you have a twist or doesn't deal with everyday individuals. What

from philosophy to art to jazz to you name it. something that propels you into Act II. Right we're doing on Odyssey 5 is trying to keep it

And I think this stuff is beginning to come now, the writers and I are working toward real and immediate and really project how

through in Taggart, and that Taggart is going that twist in Act I. That's all they know. I this wild set of circumstances affects a nor- to be more and more portrayed as a character haven't told them where Act II goes." mal, functioning family, individuals who are

who's trying to find his own meaning in life. Following that analogy to its logical con- just flesh and blood. For instance, these peo- He's in between Sarah and Mendel, who each clusion means that the series would have to ple aren't going to turn into secret agents. have their opposite points-of-view—Sarah reach one of its own. "This is not an open- They hang out at a diner! They make mis- believes in spirituality and Mendel is anti- ended series. This has an ending—and it will takes. They screw up. And they don't have spiritual. This inner struggle is something be a doozy!" Coto promises. "It's actually sophisticated equipment. When they find that Peter can play really well because much more than a final episode. It'll take half a sea- something that they need to analyze, they

of it comes from his own life. It's a depth of son to wrap it up. I would be scared to death have to go to their friends to do it, or they put

character that I've found with him that I'm to go off without knowing the ending. I it on their kitchen table and poke it with a

really excited about having in the show." would never embark on a show like this with- fork. It's as if you and I were stuck with this out knowing where we were going. I terrible problem. They're all just trying to Path to the End can't claim to know every single struggle through it as best as they Having created Odyssey 5, Coto remains step, but I know the big sign- can.

intimately involved with its day-to-day work- posts. I have many ideas about "It's not going to be like any ings, acting both as an executive producer where we will be at the end of other SF series that's out there," and as a writer of 10 out of the first season's every season, and I'm pretty Manny Coto offers, "and hav- 18 episodes. In order to get everything done, clear about where we are now. ing seen the pilot and the first both on and off the set, Coto says he has to But I know exactly where the few episodes, I really

"wake up at 5 a.m., go for a jog and start writ- series is headed. believe Odyssey 5 is going ing at 7. Then 10 a.m. rolls around and the "In the pilot, there's an indi- to be one of the great sci- day begins. The best way to executive-pro- vidual at NASA who has been ence fiction series of

duce is to find great people, give them posi- killed [someone who lived until all time, if I do say so

tions of responsibility and let them go at it. Earth's end in the original time' myself."

I've hired really terrific directors, so I can just line, but who is now murdered

sit back and let what I've written come to life early on when Taggart prompts him

while I deal with other issues, like the cast, to look into the mysterious the set design and all the other stuff. And Leviathan]. Well, that begins to when the day ends around 7 p.m., I write for change everything at NASA a little longer. They're really insane hours, because there are ripple but my love of SF gets me through. effects. And those ripple "Things are easier to do if you have a effects, Taggart learns in episode great passion for them," he adds, "and I two, have accelerated the satellite absolutely love SF to my deepest core. It program they launched, which makes working the incredible hours that I they believe has something to have to put in more like play than work. do with the end of the world. Coming in every day and coming up with So now the ultimate date of episodes that I'm hoping have really cool, the end of the world will

mind-bending SF concepts, to me, is just a always be in flux. It may

joy. And it's that joy that makes it easier." be longer, it may be

Still, it must remain a stumbling block for shorter, as they soon Coto intends to write most of the first other people who work on the series that realize. The more they season episodes. "I'm not nearly as fast they're not privy to what Coto has in store. change history, the a writer as J. Michael Straczynski," he admitSf "but I'm hoping to get at least 10 How, after all, can anyone else introduce harder it is for them out. They'll be the key ones, the biggies." something or explore a character if they don't to predict the future

Mww.starlog.com SJARLOG/Augiisi 2002 45 r

By KEITH OLEXA

TOON IN TO A TENDER. TALE OF m A HAWAIIAN TYKE £ HER PET MUTANT ALIEN TERMINATOR FROM OUTER SPACE — " —

Uliere's one in every family. But could j MM even Disney's elan—which boasts IjjP such nice guys as Simba, Pinocchio, Tarzan and Bambi—have a black sheep?

Well, now it does. He's Stitch, and while he looks like a darling plush toy, this

genetically engineered alien is nothing but trouble.

If you don't believe it, take a look at the trailers for Disney's latest animated film, Lilo & Stitch, which shows classic Disney characters freaking out at the sight of the troupe's foulest addition. The trailers are hilarious, and, according to co- director/co-writer Chris Sanders, a great way to stretch the marketing budget. "That was one of the challenges of the ad campaign," he explains. "Part of our problem was, how do you introduce a guy who's decidedly not a Disney character

and yet is a Disney character? That's what struck us as funny about the whole thing. It's like he's invading the Disney Universe, and then we said, 'Why don't we do that? Have him suddenly show up in the original animations—where he isn 7 supposed to be—and have all the characters go, "Aaaaah, what's that?!" What if we did the whole opening of The Lion King, and just reanimated what's in [Rafiki's] hands? And it'll be really easy because we'll use the same footage.' So we pitched that, and everybody laughed. Then somebody said, 'Let's find some other Disney films to do this with.' Hound Dog Why would Disney even permit this malicious little anti-hero to exist? For Sanders and his partner Dean DeBlois both veterans of Disney's Florida Feature Animation Facility, and whose previous work includes 1998's Mulan—the answer was simply to try something new. "We had long discussed doing a different kind of film," explains the colorfully anecdotal Sanders. "We worked on these really neat films Beauty & the Beast and Aladdin—which were very fairy tale-like, but the films were taking on a very epic scale. That's a great thing, hut story-wise, we wanted to do something that was a bit of a departure." The spirited and detailed DeBlois con- curs. "We were going to try and do this movie in a different way," he explains. " " :

"They were so nice to us," says Sanders. "They each took a deep breath—and you know that's when something bad is going to happen—and said, 'You've worked so hard to make the gang work, to make them

appealing.' Pause. 'But I don't get the gang.

I thought Stitch was a baby through most of the movie.'

This distressed Sanders, but it led to an idea that strengthened the film overall. "If Stitch is a genetic mutation," Sanders remembers suggesting to his colleagues, "that would be reason enough to hunt him down; just because he's him." Blue Hawaii" Like Stitch, the story's location was also altered. Sanders and DeBlois had originally chosen rural Kansas as the setting. Having just finished work on Mulan as co-heads of "We wanted to deliver a film that cost less, took less time to make and [could be made] with a smaller crew, and in trade, we wanted to get a little gutsier with the storytelling, and do something that's off the beaten path for Disney."

And off the beaten path it is. Lilo & Stitch tells the story of a dangerous genetic experiment, Stitch, who escapes from his alien creators and crash-lands on Earth, specifically Hawaii. In order to evade capture, Stitch masquerades as a dog and My Little Friend. If Lilo bonds with a little girl, Lilo. Stitch then adopts a pet like Stitch, wreaks havoc, all but destroying Lilo's she'll learn fragile family, until he learns about the responsibility. value of family himself and saves the day. As if. Stitch had been stewing in Sanders' mind for more than 17 years, in various - " J guises, though the fundamental core changed little. "He originated from the desire to have a very sympathetic type of to bring back that little character and see if I story, the duo was eager to avoid large " character," Sanders says. "But one who was couldn't do something with him.' crowd scenes. "From a story point-of- also frightening—very much in the vein of Stitch went through several physical view," notes DeBlois, "trying to orchestrate Frankenstein." changes as the story progressed. "The those crowds was a nightmare. So we "Chris envisioned a creature," DeBlois biggest thing that he's missing [from my thought small: 'Let's bring the scope way elaborates, "who had crashed in a great for- original sketch]," chuckles Sanders, "is this down. This is about two little characters est in North America, and the other wood- long tail with club-like spikes on the end; he and a small-town setting. It's not going to land animals had abandoned him to lead a was like a proto-Stitch. But from when he draw a crowd.' life in solitude. It was a story that didn't go was first pitched, he didn't change at all." But Sanders' vacation destination would too far, though, so Chris shelved it." DeBlois remembers it differently. "If decide the film's final, unusual setting. "I

That was until Disney Feature Anima- you look at the original drawings, he has had a map of Hawaii on my wall because I tion president Tom Schumacher asked for changed quite a bit. He still has the same was going to go there on vacation. I was ideas for a new film, and Sanders felt Stitch leering feline face and bat-like ears, but his daydreaming one day, looking at my map stir in his mind once again. "Tom asked me, body used to be made up of a couple of and this picture of a Hawaiian girl I had up,

'If you were to direct something, where arms and crab legs and a long, thick tail. As and I thought, 'Golly, that's kind of a finite would you go?' And I thought, 'I would like the story evolved, though, he became a lit- place... but I couldn't possibly set it in tle more accessible and teddy Hawaii. It's too fun. They would never let bear-like. But he always walked me do research there!' " But they did, and rh'ba Jookiba that edge of really upsetting and DeBlois, too, saw the advantages of a (supervising cute." Hawaiian setting. "It's a little bit of North JL animator MMtolhem Stitch's origins also evolved, American culture, but it's also steeped in its Bouchiba) and going from a freak of nature to an own rich history. It's also limited as an Pleakley are in alien gang leader to a dangerous island. We built into Stitch a fear of water, pursuit of but naive genetic mutation. so that keeps him in check." 7 escaped DeBlois says the last change came Another contribution that Hawaii S alien from high above. "Probably mid- inspired was the idea of family, the driving Stitch. way during production, Roy Dis- theme behind the film. "We had always y ney made the observation that he intended the film to be about family," didn't like Stitch as an adult run- DeBlois says, "that this thing that doesn't ning this gang. It took away his have a family was going to come into the fun, baby-like quality." very fragile remnants of one. He was going 1 to accelerate its destruction, but in the

process, his short exposure to it would

transform him. Yet it wasn't until we went to Hawaii, and were exposed to their idea of family—which is 'ohana—that it clicked. We just made sure that it made its way into the film in a manner that Stitch could understand and grab onto." Sanders adds, "Stitch was always supposed to go from bad to good, but we needed to have a real reason for that besides just Lilo—something to hang our hat on. And that's 'ohana. That's family."

And it worked especially well when Stitch became a lab experiment, making

him, as Sanders puts it, "the ultimate orphan. One of the things Lilo says to him is that her parents died in a car crash. Then there's a beat and she says, 'What happened to yours?' At one point, we explained that Stitch had a bad childhood. But we realized that this is even more poignant. So when she asks, he begins to suspect that he does not have any family." The sense of 'ohana seems strong between this creative pair as well, for they're like brothers in their mutual admira- tion and respect for each other. "Working with Dean is fantastic," effuses Sanders. "He's the ultimate co-director. Even though

that seed of an idea came from me, it truly has been a 50-50 collaboration between us.

I think Dean came to rely on me, and I came to rely on him, to keep us honest." DeBlois' comments are equally positive.

"Chris and I set off pretty early on to direct this film together, but because our sensibil- That's All Right, Mama! The Grand ities were specific, ended writing so we up Councilwoman (supervising it ourselves, too—and we storyboarded animator James Young Jackson) will everything that we wrote. So we wore mul- decide Stitch's ultimate destiny. tiple hats to try to get this film to have its own unique look and vision, and a very spe- because he doesn't have a Russian accent. Broadway roles like Master Class. She's a cific sensibility storywise." But he came in and had us in stitches. All four-time Tony Award winner. In Broadway these gurgles—he's just a big, sloppy, circles, dare I say, she's a goddess. And I lT- Suspicious Minds happy character. think we made some people nervous when While Stitch is trying to figure out "Pleakley was always going to be the we approached her. It was like saying, 'We Earth—and simultaneously wrecking Lilo's character he is," DeBlois states, "which is a need someone to fly a plane. Let's get life—the aliens who lost him are trying to space park ranger. He has really skewed Chuck Yeager.' But when we met, she put us get him back. Some of this ragtag band information on Earth and Earthlings [appar- at ease. She said, 'I've never done an ani- share an evolution as complicated as ently via a swiped Viewmaster], We needed mated film before, so you must be very Stitch's. "Jumba Jookiba has a long histo- someone to keep Jumba out of sight and cross and harsh with me. You must not be

ry," says DeBlois of the larger-than-life incognito." And Kevin McDonald fit that afraid to tell me when I've done something Stitch creator voiced by Beauty & the bill, though not always in an incognito way: wrong.' But then, on the other side, you Beast's David Ogden Stiers. "In the very "We could count on him for all sorts of would give her a line, and kablam, she first version of the film, he was a bounty bizarre ad-libs," Sanders notes. would hit it!" hunter—called #626 then—who was hired "Captain Gantu is as close to a villain as to track and capture Stitch on Earth. Then we have in this film," Sanders continues. #aii Shook up we decided he would be an ex-gang mem- "And yet he's really just a guy with a big Sanders admits that he had a ball creat- ber of Stitch's who was left behind at a bank ego who's trying to redeem himself in the ing the aliens. "They were fun. If they have

heist years ago, and has been in prison ever Council's eyes. We needed someone to one characteristic in common, it's that even since. But when we made Stitch a genetic come back at the film's end and create though we show no water in space, every- experiment, we needed to make Jumba into havoc that necessitates a rescue. Of course, thing's vaguely aquatic—the ships look like something else." he's tempered by the Grand Council- manta rays, and even the ray guns have fins. Sanders adds: "We thought if we put a woman, the equivalent of the United Pleakley and Jumba, everyone, they all lab coat on Jumba and put him in the first Nations leader of space. She brings to the have aquatic characteristics. Captain Gantu sequence, maybe he could have made party the compassion that allows Stitch to looks like a giant, walking killer whale. He Stitch." live and escape." even has the black-and-white coloring of an So Jumba became a scientist, with Stiers The Councilwoman is voiced by the orca." bringing the extreme character to life. "We movie's most unlikely cast member, theater Creating aliens is one thing, trying to didn't know how to cast Jumba," allows legend Zoe Caldwell. "She hasn't done any convey humans realistically—especially 5 DeBlois. "We really didn't think of David, films," Sanders says. "She's known for her humans in a situation that DeBlois cites as SB™ www.starlog.com STARLOG//Ufg«5f 2002 49 shyly admits. "We had all agreed that, like Dumbo, we didn't want Stitch to talk, but we wanted him to make noises. When we

first pitched the film, I spoke in this voice that I've used to amuse myself and annoy people all of my life. And we opted to use

those sounds. I mean, were we going to hire an actor to just stand there and squeak and

burp? I thought, 'Well, heck, / can do

squeaking noises. I'll just do it.' But later on, we needed him to talk. His dialogue works best when it's at a bare minimum,

but he does say some significant things. I got a little nervous then. But Dean said, 'The voice is working well. Let's see if we

can't coach you on the acting parts.' I worked really hard on those." Treat Me Nice

Despite all the great voices, it takes tal- "just ridiculous"—is difficult. Fortunately, ly considering that she had to do them all ented artists to bring an animated film to the vocal talent rose to the occasion. Young on her own—and she nailed them." life. Thankfully, Sanders and DeBlois had Daveigh (Donnie Darko) Chase, for exam- As if Nani and Lilo's lives aren't hard the good fortune to work with some of Dis- ple, perfectly captured Lilo, a lonely, enough, there's the tough-guy social work- ney's finest—especially supervising ani- unusual little girl who valiantly tries to er Cobra Bubbles (Ving Rhames), who mators Andreas Deja (Lilo) and Alex cover for her new pet's misadventures heightens tensions. "We while struggling to preserve her family. had a very conventional "She really delivered on our hopes," social worker in the film Sanders says. "We were lucky that we for a short while, but we , iha ii;yy/j ysi found a little girl who understood the dark- thought he was too jridsr jUUJilJ ness of the character and the comedy. We easy," DeBlois reveals. 33fji ifJ cast Daveigh as she was going on nine, but "Lilo's a force to be nan it )jf]CJ3 CJD from the very first audition, she understood with, reckoned and he i-iWj ft it. She knew where the outbursts were." was easily flustered. He Lilo's life has been turned upside down was what you would by her parents' deaths. Now, her older sis- expect: a nervous type, ter, Nani (Relic Hunter's Tia Carrere), is dealing with children, her guardian—a job she's just barely able not very effective, too to handle. Carrere, according to Sanders, schooled in books and brought a genuine honesty to the role. "In a not enough in life. We way, Tia is the equivalent of Hawaii," he thought, 'Why don't we remarks. "She's very beautiful, and she has go the extreme oppo- been in so many films. I would play the site? Who would you not expect to walk Kupershmidt (Stitch) and art director Ric tape for people, and they would say, 'She in?' Immediately we thought of a Ving Sluiter, who was instrumental in introduc- sounds Hawaiian.' But there's nothing in Rhames-type, action-movie guy who you ing the watercolor-backgrounds element to her voice that overtly suggests that. It's like call when everything goes wrong—the Ter- the film, a style not used in over half a cen- her voice embodies the place. It has a minator of social workers." tury.

warmth to it, a peace. She had some very Sanders also voiced one of the film's Sanders praises Deja's work on Lilo. difficult scenes, emotional scenes, especial- characters—Stitch. "It just happened," he "Andreas is the consummate professional. He has animated such great characters. And yet, when he came on to this project, he had

such humility and enthusiasm, it was as if he had never animated anything before. He had done these very broad villains [Gaston, Jafar, Scar], and here he was about to do a

very subtle little girl. He realized that her realism was going to come from her actions—if she fell down, she was going to get hurt." "What Andreas brought was authentici-

ty," DeBlois agrees. "Lilo has a lot going

on, and she wasn't going to sing about it,

talk about it or mug on camera. It's what we asked of all the animators: Put aside all you've learned about pantomime acting, extreme silhouettes and cartoony action, and go for something that's a little more real." Sanders and DeBlois also agree that Rock-a-Hula Baby. Alan Silvestri composed the score, collaborator! Kupershmidt was the perfect person to ani- with hula Keali'i two Hawaiian-style guru Mark Ho'omalu on songs. mate Stitch. "He was our absolute first

50 STARLOG/August 2002

... —

Stuck on You. Nani's ex-boy friend David Kawena (supervising animator Ruben Aquino, voiced by Jason Scott Lee) is on hand for surfing wisdom and more.

choice," DeBlois asserts. "We had worked presented some of his work at the pitch, he making this happen. "I gave loving Elvis with him on Mulan [where he was lead on had done these pen-and-ink drawings that music to Lilo as a random character trait

the horse Khan]. Just his personality, and were washed in watercolor, and they had a because I like Elvis, but Dean and Tom are the way he sees the world, was an inspira- beautiful feel." the ones who saw that in the first treatment

tion for Stitch. He also has an uncompro- "It's an interesting time for it to come to and said, 'This is an awesome concept. We

mising understanding of anatomy, real or the screen," Sanders believes. "People are should expand this.' I put it in as a character made up. And if there's anyone who was so aware of the emerging 3-D technology, flaw, but Dean really worked it into the

going to get into Stitch's head, it was him." but here's a complete departure in a cool scenes." Sanders adds: "Alex is such a great ani- way. It came about because Ric Sluiter, our DeBlois, conversely, credits Sanders mator, yet he isn't well-known. He's this art director, took a look at our character and his partner's love of the King. "We undiscovered talent. He's so interesting, designs and said, 'It's great to see these knew that we weren't going to do a tradi- and yet in a way, he's the anti-Andreas. His rounded characters. They're so pleasing. tional song piece, and yet we knew that the

humor is very black." The perfect complement would be water- film had lots of montages. It was one of the From Stephane Sainte Foi (who did color backgrounds, just like they used to do many quirks written into Lilo in the original to Aquino (Pleakley), the pair in the '30s and '40s.' He said that that was pitch: She believes she has a hand in con- Nani) Ruben \ can't come up with enough compliments the best way to do this film, and we said trolling the weather, she makes her own for their cadre of talented animators OK—but we didn't know what we were dolls, she collects street signs and she likes including rising star Byron Howard. "A saying because it hadn't been done for 50 Elvis. Everyone latched on to the Elvis

super-impressive guy," says Sanders. "He years. The technology wasn't only kind of thing. As it turned out, the Elvis estate

designed almost every single ancillary char- lost, but it was largely held that doing watched the film and they also loved it." acter, and he also animated about every watercolor backgrounds for a feature was If there's an irony to Lilo & Stitch, it f character in the film. He did scenes with impossible. But it's not impossible. It just might be that unlike other, "nicer" Disney Lilo and Nani. He led on Cobra Bubbles. takes plenty of pre-planning because it's films where the villain often dies a grisly Because he is so adroit, we called on him transparent—you really have to get it right death, here he is redeemed, not destroyed. for many scenes." the first time. But the Florida guys are just "That was our intention from the begin- "Byron was one of the real hotshots," so amazing, and they love to paint." ning," says Dean DeBlois. "We thought, adds DeBlois, "a big shining star of this And if there wasn't enough to make this 'Why do we always have to kill the guy?' film. I've never seen anyone who draws film unusual, check out the Elvis Presley These films are supposed to be for a family with such a degree of charm and facility. song score, which includes such classics as audience." Many of the aliens were drawn by him, and "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Devil in Dis- "We got into this conversation after he was one of the only people who could guise." Sanders gives a nod to DeBlois for Mulan about dispatching the villain," says draw in Chris' style." Chris Sanders. "In a story with heroes indescribably Blue and villains, the vil- One of the things that sets Lilo & Stitch lain really has to go apart from other Disney films of the last 50 away. But in this

years is its use of watercolor backgrounds. story, we thought, Considering that this technique hasn't been 'What if the villain

employed since the '40s, its appearance in doesn 't die? What if Lilo & Stitch is a curiosity. DeBlois thinks the villain is the otherwise. "We chose watercolor because hero?' That's a big we wanted to present something fresh and change." new, and, at the same time, pay tribute to And possibly those films that we were inspired by, like one that, its creators Dumbo and Bambi. Those films had gutsy hope, will help

little stories to tell, but they were very soft make Lilo & Stitch and rounded in look. Many of those early a brand new Disney films were done in watercolor. When Chris classic. www.starlog.com ugust 2002 Devlin is in a particularly can- special effects as if we had a very big budget. Deandid mood. He admits, for instance, The spiders will be 'A-quality,' terrific spe- that the strongly favorable buzz on cial effects pieces. Eight Legged Freaks (opening July "If fans of this kind of fun science fiction

19)—which he co-produced with show up in significant numbers to see it, I Roland Emmerich—greatly surprises him. think that would justify doing not only a "Who knew?" he laughs. "Who knew people sequel, but doing other films in this manner. would be into a movie about giant spiders?! There are a whole bunch of interesting SF

It came out much better than I was hoping. films that we don't make any more because It's a barrel of laughs, lots of fun." of the cost. But if Eight Legged Freaks Devlin also eschews the grandiose claims works, I see us making many more films that that many producers make about how their we'll shoot inexpensively, saving the money movie "has something in it for everyone." for the special effects." On the contrary, Devlin declares, "This film was made for very little money, and it was designed for a very special audience. Because we kept the budget low, we didn't have to cater to everyone. We could make it exactly what it is: A love letter to this genre. We think that there's enough of an audience to make that profitable. But we treated the

Laughing at director Ellory Elkayem's OF short Larger Than Life led Dean Devlin to produce the FX extravaganza Eight Legged Freaks with SPIDERS Elkayem at the helm. By BILL FLORENCE I

Natural Disasters Freaks, a movie about gargantuan mutat- ed spiders that overrun a small Western town, includes some 200 digital FX shots, according to Devlin. But he hesitates to say that the effects themselves, created by CFX, are the most important part of the movie. "This film doesn 't have effects shots that knock you out of your chair," observes Devlin, who co- wrote and co-produced one of the biggest FX extravaganzas of all time, Independence Day. "Much of Eight Legged Freaks is about suspense, waiting for things to happen, and building that kind of tension. But it'll have plenty of really cool effects that work within the suspense of the storytelling. The spiders, in essence, are a natural disaster, and this

is like a disaster film. There's movie kind of hese giant killer mutant spiders creep up on you when you least expect it—like a toxic spill that causes the spiders to grow. during SpongeBob SquarePants. The spiders are not inherently evil, but they're hungry \ They are what they are, and is we've got a classic, lower-budget SF town makes a deal with a chemical company the town has to deal with them." movie, but we're putting big-budget special to turn the town's mines into a toxic waste

Emmerich, Devlin and first-time feature effects into it. It's like putting a Porsche dump. The spiders then become contaminat- film director Ellory Elkayem strove to make engine into a Volkswagen." ed, and grow to enormous sizes. "The tone of Eight Legged Freaks recall the monster Devlin says that he and Emmerich had the comedy is what makes the script good," movie classics of the 1950s. "It's definitely wanted to make a movie in the vein of Them! Devlin reflects. "When people have reached an homage to those films," notes Devlin. (in which giant ants terrorize the Southwest) back to do films in the spirit of the '50s and

"Actually, its style is most similar to Grem- for quite some time. "We thought it would be early '60s B-movie classics, they've tended lins or Tremors. It definitely has its tongue so much fun," Devlin states. "Then [execu- to do them as farces, parodies and send-ups. planted firmly in cheek. If you're a fan of the tive producer] Peter Winther brought to my What's great about the Eight Legged Freaks old movies like Them! and Tarantula, you'll attention Ellory's short film, Larger Than script is that it's not making fun of those see several references to those films in Life. I thought it was the coolest little movie, films. It's a modern rendition, done with a lot

Freaks. I think Tremors really captured what and I was laughing my ass off. So I called of love for those films. We've tried to stay was fun about these kinds of films, without Roland and said, 'You've gotta see this.' true to the genre, structure-wise and charac- making fun of them. It was a hilariously When he saw it, he said, 'This is the chance ter-wise. We made the movie with love." funny movie. That's kind of what we're for us to do the movie we've been wanting to reaching for with Freaks. The big difference do.' So we brought Ellory in and started com- Spider Snacks bining our thoughts, and we made a deal with It's a modestly budgeted film with most him. We knew that if we had the right budget of the money going to the special FX, so big-

and did it the right way, we could make a name action leads are scarce. Eight Legged really interesting, fun movie." Freaks stars David Arquette, Kari Wuhrer, In the script by Jesse Alexander & Elka- Rick Overton, Leon Rippy, Doug E. Doug yem, story by Elkayem & Randy Kornfield, and Scarlett Johansson. "All of them have the the corrupt mayor of a one-horse Arizona ability to do comedy," says Devlin. "David's —

speeds. If you look at his TV shows, the visuals are really superior to other shows,

and he can do it quickly. "As for Superior, we wanted a small desert town with a feeling of desolation something that felt remote and beaten-up," the producer adds. "The old downtown section felt exactly like a mining town gone bust, so that's where we shot much of the movie. Roland and I had made three films in Arizona before [including Universal Soldier and Stargate], and one of the great things

about shooting in Arizona is the good weather. But we had snow and rain during Eight Legged Freaks, which we never had before.

So it was really challenging, but it added a great moodiness to the movie that we otherwise wouldn't have had." During filming, the production was known as Arac Attack. That title disappeared after September 11. Devlin explains: "There was a lot of discussion about whether or not the title could be confused with 'Iraq performance is unlike anything you've ever Principal photography lasted a mere 40 Attack.' This is a movie meant to help audi- seen him do before. It's like he has taken all days, and took place mostly in Superior, Ari- ences escape reality for 90 minutes, so we of the things he has been doing recently and zona, a small town about 60 miles east of changed the title. We didn't want a title that rolled them into one performance. He has Phoenix. "We moved at an enormously fast was at all reminiscent of anything ugly. created a funny character who is very pace," Devlin stresses. "It was like speed "The studio wanted more of a retro title," straight, sexy and introverted. It's a different chess. We had to think really quickly, and Devlin adds. "[After September 11], they kind of Arquette. This is not the telephone luckily for us, we had John Bartley [The X- were tentatively calling the film Attack of the guy." Files] as our director of photography. He was Killer Spiders. I met with them and said, Wuhrer, who portrays the town sheriff a huge help, because he has so much experi- 'You can't use that! There have been too and a single mom, "has the ability to play ence in the genre and working at high many films with titles like Attack of the 50 both things without them contradicting each other," Devlin comments. "When she runs with a rifle, you believe that she could run with a rifle. Maybe that's partly from growing up with her father, who was in the police department, and because of her work doing Sliders. But she's also a fine actress, which you can see in The Crossing Guard, in her scenes with Jack Nicholson. She's the rare breed who can pull off all the different aspects of Sheriff Parker." Overton is "an old friend of mine and a terrific stand-up comic. People haven't really seen how subtle he can be. We had fun finding the balance of letting him be a comic relief character while still keeping him [grounded in] reality. And Rick is so good at improvisation that he added much more to the script, much more to the scenes, when we let him go. Ellory would say, 'Say these two lines in the script, and then you have 30 seconds to just do whatever you want.' And he did—and it's marvelous." Foot Woman or Attack of the Killer Toma- One thing's for sure! Eight Legged Freaks is a gas. toes' And now there's also Attack of the Clones. So I said, 'If you want a retro title, take a line of dialogue from the movie—like 'big-ass spiders' or 'eight-legged freaks.' A week later, they called and said they were going with my title. I said, 'What title?'

! 'Eight Legged Freaks ' I said, 'But I was kidding!' In time, though, the title grew on me.

Now, I really think it's a great name for the picture." Lizard Dreams Devlin's obvious affection for SF stems from his early childhood, when his actress mom, Pilar Seurat, guest-starred as the

www.starlog.com —

Godzilla, on the other hand, failed to live up to many fans' expectations—Devlin's included (see STAR- LOG #251). He and Emmerich co-wrote and co-produced the 1998 flick, which featured eye-popping special FX but little else. "What's wrong with Godzilla is the script that

I co-wrote," he says with candor. "I

could have fixed it, but we didn't test- screen the movie. It's the only film I've ever made that we didn't test- screen. That was a huge mistake. Had we tested the film, we would have quickly seen the script problems and

I think we could have fixed it in time.

I regret that, because Roland did a fantastic job directing. The special effects have totally gone unnoticed,

yet they were amazing. All of it was

unnoticed because I didn't do a good enough job with the script. Anybody can make a mistake, and we did. You Argelian empath Sybo in the "Wolf in the most fun film that he has worked on, Devlin learn from those mistakes and try to do better Fold" episode of Star Trek. "She gave me one remarks that The Patriot was "the most ful- the next time." of the phasers from the set," recalls Devlin, filling. I love that film. I loved the experience His next two projects Cellular for New

"and I wish I still had it. God, what that of making it. And I think it's the best film Line Cinema (which has been scripted by would be worth today! But I was hooked on I've ever been involved with," he enthuses. The Invaders' Larry Cohen) and The Carrier SF from that point on. Then I saw Star Wars, and that changed everything. On the first day

of its release, I was the ninth person in line at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. When that first spaceship finished coming into the shot, and everyone in the audience

started screaming, I just knew I wanted to try to re-create that experience in a theater. That became my goal in life." (Incidentally, his father, Don Devlin, was also an actor, seen in 1957's Blood ofDracula, before becoming a successful producer.) Independence Day, obviously, was an important milestone in Devlin's career. "I'm very proud of Independence Day. The thing that was really sweet for me was that George Lucas' new trailer for the reissue of Star Wars played for us on the first day. So I'm sitting in the theater, and they had new THX sound, then they played the teaser for Star Wars and then our movie started. It was kind of full circle for me." While he calls Independence Day the for Paramount—will take Devlin out of the science fiction universe. "Cellular tells the story of a young boy who gets a call on his cell phone from a woman who has been kid- napped, and he has until the battery on his phone dies to find her," the producer

explains. "The Carrier is about the heist of $30 million off of a nuclear aircraft carrier. They're both action movies." Devlin expects cameras to roll on both movies this fall, and he will produce them under the banner of his new company, Elec-

tric Entertainment. Emmerich isn't involved in either project, but this isn't the end of the Emmerich-Devlin partnership. "Roland and I are developing another movie together," Dean Devlin reveals, "and we're still trying to figure out if we can do a sequel to Inde- pendence DayT In the meantime, there's Eight Legged Freaks. Let the squashing begin. Mixing gnirry neahry wirh wyrhical menace, dmecron Roh Bowman sers **i=r^ sucvmen ooovies on vine.

DAN C E By MAUREEN MCTICUE

are ways to I There many approach because, initially, just wanted to see it. I Reign of Fire, one of this summer's read it and thought, 'God, this would be so big flicks, premiering in theaters July fun to watch.' And I liked the intentions

12. You could look at it as man's struggle behind the script. I liked the world it created;

against nature, or at the technical aspects I liked the possibilities that it offered for me »> • and achievements of realistically creating to, you know, sort of put it through my own

imaginary creatures. But you may want to prism or point-of-view. I felt confident that I go for the gusto and simply state: This ain't understood the tone that we had to stick to in your father's dragon movie. order to make Reign of Fire work. The It's just 35 days before the fantasy film notion of medieval characters, the dragons, hits screens, and director Rob Bowman is in a contemporary world was compelling to still busy. He's jumping between budgetary me. If you mixed all the textures together meetings for the adaptation of Clive Cus- right, you could have a timeless movie."

sler's Sahara ("It's possible," he notes about And a timeless movie is the director's making that movie) and the finishing touch- ultimate goal. "It's always fun for me, es on Reign of Fire. "I'm done editing. Now, watching the old movie channels, to see a

it's just music, sound effects, visual effects movie that's 30 or 40 or 50 years old and it

and color timing. Almost done. I can't still counts. The other morning I was watch- exhale just yet but I'm very happy with the ing Captains Courageous and [noticed]

outcome." He admits that his immediate how impactful it still is, or watching some plans are more easily attainable: "I think the Anthony Mann effort like Winchester '73,

next thing I'm going to do is take a nap." and it's incredibly climactic and the story matic time, and make it better, is a trick and And it's a well-deserved nap. The still means something. That's what I want to a half. Bowman looked at past dragon flicks process of making the post-apocalyptic do. I want to make movies that you can like Dragonslayer and Dragonheart, but "I

dragon epic took Bowman and company two watch for decades and still count." didn't use them as reference. I watched years. "I didn't know that was going to be them all. There are a lot of them, some not the case," he says about the project that he Dragon Tails that long ago, and some a long time ago." jumped at doing "because it was so different. Making a movie that counts today is And the difference between those I didn't think anybody else would make it," hard enough, but to do a film with creatures adventures and his own? "Mine's very real- he laughs. "I thought it should be made that have already logged in sufficient cine- istic. It doesn't deal with wizards or magic

§6 STARLOG/August 2002 dust and my dragons don't talk. It's not every day, the fact that you don't get eaten cute. It's a very harsh environment, and after five days doesn't mean you weren't when you step outdoors in my movie, it's stressed, exhilarated or whatever for [that the same as jumping into shark-infested week]. waters. There's the likelihood that you "It's expectation, it's the anticipation

won't get eaten or bitten, but I think the fact and the possibility of what could occur and that you know you're surrounded by sharks the emerging consequences of the possibili- creates tension. If you were going to the ties that creates tension and allows me to Great Barrier Reef for a week and diving not always have a dragon in the frame and

yet still have jeopardy. It's as much about what could happen as opposed to what does

happen. And it's contemporary, the way it

was shot, the way we lit it, the story's nature, the approach and the acting style; their layout, the nature of the wing stroke,

this recipe hasn't been done before, so I do the attitude expressed in the face. I didn't feel that Reign of Fire is an original piece." want a lot of expression. A shark or an alli- He pauses and adds with jubilant exas- gator isn't smiling or frowning before—or peration, "It was hard to make!" after—it eats you, it just has a face. And that In fact, if you look at making the drag- lack of expression, I find terrifying. Nation-

ons as something more than real, it was like al Geographic was a tremendous influence giving birth. "We began designing the dragon this movie," he laughs, "and I watched a

ons as soon as I got on the movie," Bowman great deal of it. says. "It starts off with illustrations of what "We built in the leopard walk—a leop- would look great. Once you get original ard in the grass approaching its prey with dragons, the animators have to have a phys- head down, shoulder blades coming up at iology to build them so they move as real every step of the leg—and the sound of the creatures would. You have to build them breathing, which is basically a king cobra The human heroes Thailand. I didn't use choppers and inside out, from the bone up. There were recorded in a trash can in modern combat against countless discussions on the length of the want the dragons to growl. I thought that medieval beasts. This Is femur, the tibia and the neck, the width of had been done with Godzilla and the Juras- truly total dragon war. the shoulder, the struts on the wings and sic Park movies, and it's a typical sound. I

STARLOG/August 2002 wanted it to be more the very lethal, deep basic tale of survival, written by Matt resonant breathing of a cobra. By the time I (Mimic) Greenberg and Terry {The Road finished [the dragon], it was nine months Warrior) Hayes, from a story by Gregg and I can tell you, there was not one inch on Chabot and Kevin Peterka. it that wasn't discussed, drawn, redrawn, Although the movie stars Matthew re-discussed, re-colored. Once I had gone McConaughey and Christian Bale, actors have all the same hopes, dreams, fears and through a few different lightly colored with recognizable faces, it's still easy to concerns that we, the moviegoers, have so dragons—green, a little green, a little red, a overlook the humans in favor of fantastic that we can identify with them. These are little yellow—the only color that worked dragons and fiery FX. For Bowman, that's people who are afraid yet are doing the best

was black. So, basically, everything on top not even an issue: "I stand by the idea that they can to get through it. Now, in my is black and I gave them all yellow snake movies are really about one thing and that's movie, life is very gritty—it's a lot like bellies. It's not a flying dinosaur; it's a fly- people." London during the Blitz—and realistic, so

; ing snake, because snakes just creep me Bowman, who has directed such famil- the dragons must be as absolutely realistic

• out. Since the serpent is representative in iar fare as multiple episodes of Star Trek: as we can make them. the Bible as Satan, I thought that was a The Next Generation (STARLOG #136) "Obviously," Bowman points out,

creepy way to go. and The X-Files (episodes and the theatrical "there are no dragons on the set. If I can

"Then, because there is a 'photo-real feature), explains his dissection of film- shoot the movie to where I feel 'OK, what

finish' available in digital technology, so making. "Storytelling in movies, to me, is if there were no dragons in the movie?' it that you can't tell that it's an animated crea- only what the circumstances are that you has to work. I've got to get the movie 90 ture, I knew that I could dream up the grit- put your characters into, what rocks you percent there in camera and design and tune tiest environment possible and put this throw at them and how they overcome the and tune and tune the dragons, but if they're

dragon in there and it would blend. It would odds. And in this movie, the rocks I throw as good as I think they'll be, I'll go right

integrate and not look like a cartoon or a at them are dragons," he laughs. "But it through the 100 percent mark, and I'll have

video game. I put the onus on the anima- doesn't mean we can make them less realis- a great movie. I never sat around thinking,

tors, the visual effect supervisors, and said, tic. I know for certain that the more outra- 'Well, it doesn't have to be that good, the T have a war-torn environment here that's geous your opponent or villain is, the more dragons are going to be so great. They're

pretty harsh; you need to make sure the realistic the characters need to be. So it just only coming to see the dragons anyway, so

dragons are lit and look like they're from means that the people in the movie need to we'll just glue something together.' I really the same world,' and they absolutely did.

"And it's very exciting : to see the finished [product]. It takes months to cook a dragon shot, but when they're done and you

see them in the theater, it's just amazing how realistic | they are." Human Nature Reign of Fire offers total dragon war. It follows

; a few human survivors in devastated London as they decide whether they should figure out a way to destroy the dragons that have infested Earth for the last 20 years, or just wait until the beasts die out. If dragons weren't flying through the sky, Reign of Fire could easily be a war movie. It's a m STARLOG/Atigusr 2002 —

This nightmare only began two decades ago, but the surviving humans must now

put an end to it.

far because I'm going to it looks like a leopard on a hunt, they will take it to you. Reign of think, 'That thing looks ready to kill. I feel Fire is a big, thrilling like I've seen that before but I don't know

movie with, I hope, a lot when.' The dragon skin is sort of a cross

of soul. I think that's between alligator and snake, but the look in

what sets it apart from a the eyes is purely that of a predator. typical action movie." "I don't know if you've ever been in an He's also hoping that open environment with a lion or tiger, but I

this sales pitch works for have. I was shooting a show many years

audiences the way it ago in Florida and we had six tigers and Bowman devoted two worked in hiring the cast. one lion all staked to the ground with

years of his life—not "Nah, I just held guns to chains," he recalls. "When they look at you, just to fighting their heads," Bowman you realize in a moment what it's like to be dragons but to — laughs. "Yes, exactly, in the sights of a supreme predator and making this movie. that's how I sold it to there's nothing you can do about it. The end

focused on telling a good story with char- them. They all liked that. That it was going is near and hopefully it will be swift. It's a acters; the dragons were only the icing on to be different, something they hadn't done very, very humbling experience and so I the cake." before." tried to put that in there with the dragons, Thanks to technological advances, using [reactions] that are already present in moviegoers expect more. After seeing The Animal instinct my audience. Fellowship of the Ring, Attack of the Clones Despite Bowman's aspirations, reality "The circumstances are very primal; it and Spider-Man, audiences may almost be is one thing that's often missing from is fight or flight. It's not laser-guided mis- jaded by the awesome wonders of special mythology. "I guess one of the movie's siles, it's not dispensing of modern technol- FX. Bowman knows these people, and he's main ideas is in the approach to the drag- ogy. You basically have to deal with the one of them. "I'm making this movie for ons," he says. "They have always been dragons hand-to-hand. What could be people who love to see stories that can only mythological creatures and celebrated as worse? You're on the Serengeti and have to

be told in a movie theater, and I love using supreme beings in terms of their cunning kill a lion with your bare hands? Not likely.

all the tools of cinematic storytelling to do and abilities. We had to do our best to bring Maybe, but not, jeez, not likely."

it. I think, especially, the summer movie them into reality. That's why I wanted to Looking for the reality within these audience wants to see us stretch ourselves, integrate those National Geographic quali- great and mighty mythical beasts, the direc- challenge ourselves as filmmakers and say, ties to deliver them as much there as we tor has assembled a movie he truly believes 'I'm going to go way out on a limb and try could make them. The dragons have their will attract everyone. The bits and pieces

something, and if I pull it off, you'll like it trailers; they have their own makeup artists. survival, hunter vs. hunted, recognizing the because you haven't seen it before.' They're as real as the actors are; that's what innate fear—are what mankind has long "And I believe they appreciate when we I wanted to do." responded to, after all. challenge ourselves. They like to see where It's also one thing for the actors to por- "Dragons always seem to have a psy- the state of the film technology is and what tray the fear and tension on screen and chological effect on people, even in tools we can use to tell a story. 'Treat me!' another thing for the audience to respond. medieval times; they have the ability to

I say as a summer movie audience. 'What Bowman considered that as part of the cre- psych you out. It's not so much hunting a

can you do that I can't see anywhere else in ation process. "I knew early on that I want- bear or a lion, which is scary too, but

life, that I can have this release?' It's ed there to be inherent characteristics and they're rather predictable. If you have the escapist entertainment. Escapism to me qualities in the fictitious dragons that had right gun and guide, it's not a big deal to means that you have to take a lot of rides, to built-in real responses from the audience. kill bears and lions. With a dragon, they make them laugh, cry, scare them, relax We all know that if a cobra is with you out seem to lead with their cunning. Dragons them, all that kind of stuff. How am I going in the open, it's terrifying, so I tried to uti- think and they're a few steps ahead of you, to do it? Well, I'm really going to take you lize those built-in responses by using the and that's a much more difficult thing to

on a journey because I have dragons on it. sound of a cobra breathing. When the audi- deal with," Rob Bowman says. "Plus, if you But I'm not going to ask you to stretch too ence sees a dragon walk on the ground and get within 150 feet, they'll barbecue you'' -4

www.starlog.com STARLOG/August 2002 — —

By IAN SPELLING hristopher Lee it's quite depressing. It's all 'Time is of no less than Yoda (Frank Oz) and the in a Star Wars money' now. Well, we all know that. I've faithful servant of Darth Sidious I J (Ian ^Bb;» film. It's perfect. been in this business for 56 years. But McDiarmid).

It's fitting. And it's appropriate. Fans of there's no reason why I shouldn't have a "It was a very interesting experience," the British acting legend cheered the laugh with the director or anyone else on a says Lee, one of STARLOG's Most announcement of Lee's casting as Count film, for that matter. Important People in SF & Fantasy. f'This Dooku in Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of "We sat around and talked, the mem- is the first major film to be made fully dig- the Clones, and Lee-ophiles who could bers of the cast," he adds. "It was the same itally, as I'm sure you know. So George also rattle off Star Wars minutiae chapter thing on The Lord of the Rings and Sleepy was sitting in front of one monitor, and a and verse instantly recognized the syner- Hollow. That was the great joy for me of special effects king was sitting in front of gy: Lee's good friend and fellow genre working on these films. You give your best another. One was looking at one thing and film icon Peter Gushing played Grand when George Lucas, Peter Jackson or Tim the other was looking at something else. Moff Tarkin in A New Hope 25 years ago. Burton says, 'OK, now we're going to And there were blue screens. But the two "My agent called and said, 'George shoot," but during rehearsals, during of them knew what was going to be on that

Lucas is going to call you from Australia breaks in the shooting, they encouraged screen, on the film when the public sees it. in connection with the next Star Wars you to talk, to tell jokes and to relax. So, They knew what was going to be in front " film,' Lee reinemhers. "The script was again, when George said to me on the of us, behind us, below us and above us,

sent to me and then George called and phone, 'We're going to have fun,' that did but we didn't. It was described, some of it,

said, 'I'm doing another Star Wars film, it for me." in the script. But even then it wasn't crys- and I would very much like to have you in tal clear, because we didn't know what it. We'll have a lot of fun.' That was what Dark Jedi kinds of characters they were going to put really did it for me. that three-letter Once on the Clones set in Australia, in, what these characters were going to

word fun. That's so immensely impor- Lee stepped before the camera to portray look like. So even though I acted in the

tant. You can work extremely hard, you Dooku, the disillusioned rebel also movie and had the script, I couldn't tell can give the best performance you can, referred to as Darth Tyranus. Dooku you what happens. What's on the screen

5 you can satisfy the director, the producer, initially tipped by Lucasfilm as a "charis- could look so much different from what I S the public and yourself, and you can have matic separatist"—is a Jedi gone bad, a actually read. I'm a little nervous talking I fun doing all that. That sense of fun has master swordsman who engages Anakin about the film—aside from the fact that I ~ disappeared in the making of most motion Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) in a signed a con- 5 pictures today, and to such a degree that nasty lightsaber battle, a former student fidcntiali- LEGEND

!i9i Lightsaber in hand, Christopher Lee M strides into i the Star Wars. I

ty agreement—because I have no idea Errol Flynn. I worked with Flyim a couple what will be going on around me. of times, too. The first time, he nearly cut

"I must say I didn't find that a problem off the little finger of my right hand at all, because I have a very vivid, power- because he was out to lunch. It was on a ful imagination. If 1 know what's sup- film called The Warriors [1955, a.k.a. The posed to be there—although I may not Dark Avenger], and Errol wasn't all that know what it looks like in the physical steady on his feet, let's put it that way. It sense—I can deal with it. On this kind of was a long, long time ago. film, you're working and getting nothing "But Bob did Lord of the Rings and back from the other person. Well, I've Nick did Attack of the Clones, and you been through that many times with some couldn't possibly have two more different of my colleagues, if you get my point. So styles of fighting. One is totally believable, I'm used to it, let's put it that way. In a so far as it's earthbound—although the war movie made 40 years ago, a single line characters fight in different ways. The in a script could say, 'And there's a battle.' Elves in Lord of the Rings fight differently Well, that could take three weeks to a than other characters, but it's all, as I say, month to shoot. And you don't know what earthbound. When you're dealing with it's going to look like because you're just science fiction, as we are in Star Wars, you

one part of it. So much of it has to do with have forces of electricity at your com- trust. mand—lightning bolts, you might say. "I relied on George implicitly," Lee Dooku has such powers. And when you remarks. "I knew the performance he have a lightsaber, which is a wicked and wanted from me. And I knew who Dooku dangerous weapon and a brilliant inven- is and how he should be played because tion, you have to be able to use it in such a George told me. He said, 'Dooku is a disil- way that it looks believable and the audi- I did lusioned rebel.' If something and he Whether villain wanted a bit more or less, he would tell me As Count or hero, the so. If I did something that made George Dooku, the beloved happy, he would come out from behind the friendliest of Christopher antagonists, camera, give me a thumbs up and say, Lee is always Lee enlivens 'Thanks. Great.' In working with George, an intriguing the Star Wars. film presence. you got the sense that he knew exactly He duels that knew exactly what he wanted and he Yoda, too. how it would look when the effects were added. There was a sense of collaboration, this feeling you had that he was right behind you, with you all the time, doing everything he could to help." As noted, Dooku raises his weapon in Clones, and is involved in quite a bit of action—most notably in a duel with, of all Star Wars characters, a surprisingly nim- ble CGI Yoda. Though still in fine shape at age 80, Lee admits that a stuntman handled some of Dooku's derring-do. And, he points out, the action in Clones differs greatly from that on view in The Fellow- ship of the Ring (which Lee discussed recently in STARLOG #297). "Bob ence accepts it. I did quite a bit of my own Anderson was the stunt coordinator on fighting, but not all of it. Of course not. The Lord of the Rings, and Nick Gillard Some things I couldn't do. I can't move was the stunt coordinator on Attack of very fast, and for those moments in which the Clones^ Lee says. "These films Dooku needed to move fast, a stuntman required very different did step in." kinds of stuntwork. As you know, Bob was cold Knight involved with the It would be easy to describe Count first Star Wars Dooku as a villain, but Lee is quick to trilogy see come to the character's defense. "I would | STARLOG be more inclined to describe Dooku as a

#252], and I person," he argues, "but I think most peo- worked with ple would consider him a villain. He's not, him when he however, your traditional black-hearted worked with villain, although he's extremely dangerous Dracula Photo: Copyright 1973, 1974 Hammer Films

STARLOG/4w#i«f 2002 61 —

Lee returns to Middle-Earth | as Saruman later this year for The Two Towers.

and lethal and pretty cold-blooded about ship of the Ring is one of the best movies ing forward to seeing it myself, seeing it everything that goes on. But the most I've ever seen. And I think it's quite out- all put together." dangerous people are the ones who are rageous that it didn't get Best Picture or Looking to the future, Lee is also casual about everything. Dooku is quite Best Director at the Oscars. But we all interested in seeing several other projects casual about the things he does, which know why. To my knowledge, they've come to fruition. An extended DVD ver- j leads to trouble for other people. He never really given the important Oscars sion of The Fellowship of the Ring (with appears to be casual, though he really to fantasy films. I also think that the next 30 more minutes of footage) will hit stores isn't. People are going to say he's the vil- two Lord of the Rings films will make his- in November, and the actor hopes that for lain, but he's a servant as well. He's not tory. it, Jackson will restore a cut scene in number one. He's number two. He serves "George has already made cinema which Saruman discusses with Gandalf I the Emperor; he serves Darth Sidious. history, several times," Lee continues. (Sir Ian McKellen) his frustration at hav- j "Dooku 's a former Jedi, so at some "He has created great and unique worlds, ing the spirit of the Myar trapped in a point in his life he was a valorous and hon- and from what I've seen and heard, he frail and human body. Lee also intends to est knight, but he became disillusioned has done it again with Attack of the check out and promote The Two Towers with the establishment and decided he Clones. I do know that Attack of the when it opens theatrically December 18. could do better. So he joined forces with Clones is darker than the other Star Wars "I think it's going to be just as good as other people. I don't think it's quite clear films, but other than that, I can't tell you The Fellowship of the Ring," Lee opines. I whether he wants to take over, as Saru- anything for sure. I don't know. I'm look- "There may be more of me in it than man does in The Lord of the Rings, or there was in Fellowship, because Saru- whether he's simply obeying his master. man is on the cover of the American edi- By the way, I would say that there's really tion of the novel." no comparison between Saruman and As for upcoming acting jobs, there are

Dooku, except that they're both seeking several possibilities, but none that Lee I power. Saruman wants to be number one can yet cite as closed deals. One that looks 1 and Dooku, as I said, is certainly quite promising, however, is The Riding of the I content to be number two in this story." Laddie, which would reunite Lee with Lee hadn't seen Attack ofthe Clones at Robin Hardy, the writer-director of The the time of this interview, but based on Wicker Man. "It is not a remake of The his reading the script, witnessing much of Wicker Man," Lee stresses. "It doesn't its production and checking out some even resemble The Wicker Man; it's a ! footage during looping sessions, the actor totally different story. It would have thinks audiences are in for a fun ride. Robin, and I would play one of the leads, "This isn't just my gut instinct. I'm not in but there the similarities end." a position yet to comment on that, but I And, finally, there's Star Wars: have the distinct feeling that it will be Episode III to consider. Unlike Grand very successful. Moff Tarkin and Darth Maul, Count

"My feeling on The Lord of the .Have pod, will Dooku actually survives his Star M ai s

Rings—and I told this to the executives | travel. Lee is debut, riding off into the starlight, pre- from New Line when they arrived on the ready to sumably to duel again next time. "Why reunite with set in New Zealand for the first time not?" Christopher Lee teases about an Wicker Man was that they and Peter Jackson were appearance in Episode III. "I'm not mak- director going to make cinematic history," he ing any comment on that. I can't." Robin Hardy. notes. "And of course, they have. Fellow- A charismatic separatist indeed,

62 STARLOQ/August 2002 www.starlog.com Look into his eyes! Feel his power! And know that Count Dooku must return in Star Wars:

Episode IIP. Anthony Michael Hall sees a bright future in The Dead Zone.

Although committed to creating his own interpretation of Johnny, Hall did take Christopher Walken's pea coat and cane from the David Cronenberg film.

Another Firestartet? Nope. It's The Trying to adjust to his newfound Dead Zone, a new USA Network ability, Johnny consults therapist series starring "When I looked at the film, the one thing Anthony Michael Hall Bruce Lewis (John L. Adams) i as psychic Johnny Smith. that I did take from him was the silhouette. his Dead Zone dilemmas. He had a pea coat and a cane [in the movie], [acting] coaches, I've done a lot of reading in and that in tandem was an interesting silhou- my life. That's what I love to do in my down- ette for the character. That, to me, lent itself

time: I just try to develop myself and grow as to being timeless. I certainly didn't want to a person and as an artist." mimic him or perform like he did. I've created a completely separate role, something Mr. Enigma that's very different and new." It was Hall's critically acclaimed portray- While researching his charac- al of Microsoft mogul Bill Gates in the ter, Hall did watch the film Emmy-nominated Pirates of Silicon Valley and reread King's original that got the attention of producer Piller, who novel, but he considers was developing The Dead Zone. Piller knew Piller's pilot script his he had found the perfect actor to play Smith, primary source mate- /

and when his pilot script eventually reached rial. "That's the t I Hall, accepting the part was a no-brainer. first [priority] in df I "We're not simply appealing to King fans this configuration and their sense of the macabre," Hall notes. of what we hope "We're telling human dramas here. We're will be a franchise taking this small town, this character and this but at the same time, novel by King, and using them in a grand- I did go back and look at

scale context to tell many stories and go in the book. I highlighted different directions. everywhere and took things

"We're also doing something that's cut- from it, and also looked at the

ting-edge, as good as anything that HBO or movie and used it as a

any other major cable network is doing. I resource. I read material about

know that we're achieving that. I really psychic-related matters, any- believe that, and hopefully the audience will thing that had to do with the

feel the same and they'll latch onto it, supernatural.

because ultimately, as we all know, they're "I've also gotten into the determining factor." exploring the work and life of But first Hall had to deal with the specter Edgar Cayce, who is a par- < of Christopher Walken, who played Smith in ticular inspiration for me," 3 the 1983 film version, directed by David Hall reveals. "He was a

Cronenberg. Trying to fill Walken's psychic great American seer and shoes would have been a losing battle for any psychic, who gave more actor, so the only alternative was to come up than 14,000 readings in this with a completely different interpretation. hypnotic trance-like state in "He's one of the most respected and talented which he would go into people actors that we have, and I would never want pasts or see their futures. He was to approach mimicking or duplicating any- also able to give medical prog- one else's work," Hall says. "I'm only inter- noses that many times proved very ested in the individual process of growing useable for people. He was a bril- and developing as an actor, and this was a liant guy, so he was a personal huge opportunity. source of inspiration insofar as he

66 STARLOG/August 2002 — :

are spirits having a human experience. That's Three's a crowd in The Dead Zone, but Hall believes the Johnny-Sarah- an interesting little play on ideas, and that Walt (Chris Bruno, right) triangle means a lot to me. I do believe in people with makes for a very dramatic dynamic. this ability, just like I believe in things that relate to the supernatural and the inexplica-

ble. I personally believe in UFOs and other life forms, and things that are metaphysical and supernatural. That falls into this category as well—that people are born with these abil-

:::::: : : ities and gifts. "I did a TV movie called A Touch of

Hope, where I played a psychic healer who lays hands on people, a real-life guy named Dean Kraft, who coincidentally I share a birthday with. He wrote a book with his wife called A Touch of Hope, about his Iaying-on- of-hands technique and how he helped cure people of different illnesses. He was an amazing person. I'm very interested in people like John Edward as well as James Van Praagh, and a huge believer in things regarding the supernatural or psychic realms." Regarding the show's long-term future, Hall shares the feelings of the powers-that-be at USA that The Dead Zone has more than enough potential to become a major fran- affected change with his ability and actually was recast with David Odgen Stiers for the chise, for lack of a better term. "To the con- put it to good use and was of service to peo- series. "I have to say, my hat is off to trary, it's a very personal term to me," says ple. At the risk of sounding cliche or corny, Michael," Hall comments. "He had some Hall, "because I want that to happen. I would we're not trying to do Touched By a Psychic personal issues that I don't want to elaborate honestly be very happy to do this show for here, but there is an uplifting quality to every on, but there were things going on that pro- four or five years or longer, because I think fourth act of these episodes. I actually put my hibited him from doing a job like this effec- the dynamics are such that I would never be

ability to good use and try to help people in tively. bored with it. From a creative standpoint, some small way. These first eight shows are "With David's inclusion, we have such a there's so much room for growth for all of all very thought-provoking and dynamic fine actor. This is a guy who's incredibly us—from the production team as producers and very different—and I'm thrilled about articulate, very refined; he's actually a con- as well as the crew and actors. It's a very that." ductor part time in Washington [State] where viable idea and a wonderful concept. The One of the primary character dynamics in he lives. He brings so much to the role. Over stories continue to improve and get better the series is the ongoing relationship the last 30 years, in addition to M*A*S*H, and better, and we're having fun doing it. between Johnny and Sarah Bracknell, his David has appeared in some huge movies These are compelling and talented actors former fiancee, played by DS9's Nicole and worked with big stars, and he's a great bringing this stuff to life, and when we do deBoer. When Johnny awakens from his actor who brings a real robust sense of Purdy have guest stars, they're delivering great per- coma, he discovers that Sarah is now mar- to life. He's perfect for the role. They're very formances—and these are great scripts, too.

ried, but the couple is still bonded by their different choices [Stiers and Moriarty], but I "We're also refining the techniques of the son. "The love triangle between myself and have so much respect for both of them." technical and computer elements, and, at the Sarah and Walt—her husband, the local sher- same time, continuing to raise the stakes for iff—is a very interesting dynamic," says Mystery Psychic ourselves in terms of the quality of the scripts Hall. "One of the things that Michael has Hall also has a good deal of respect for and the storytelling aspects. So I'm proud of

established is that there's certainly a love lost the show's subject matter, being a devotee of The Dead Zone, and I certainly hope that there between the two of us, but at the same psychic phenomena himself. "I believe that we'll become a franchise. It could only help

time it's strengthened because I still have to we're all mortal bodies in jobs and occupa- me in regard to doing films at the studio be in my son's life. She's now raising my son tions," he elaborates. "I think we're all truly level, which is certainly a goal of mine: to with Walt, so that's a really strong dynamic. interconnected and very much spiritual crea- work with the best directors and stars I can.

Nicole is an excellent actress, she comes in tures. I heard this idea once that was really But by no means am I undervaluing this very prepared, she's very focused, very tal- interesting to me—that we're not humans experience. ented, and that love is there [between our having a spiritual experience as much as we "I saw a news story on CNN the other day characters] —even if it's not necessarily that said 98 percent of romantic. American homes have a "I also feel that the introduction of Kris- television, and 66 percent ten Dalton's character Dana Bright, the local have PCs," Anthony Mi- town reporter in Maine, is very important to chael Hall relates. "That's a the series. If you're working on the assump- serious indicator of how tion that Johnny is some kind of Bruce people entertain themselves, Wayne, then she's Vicki Vale. It has definite- so to have a successful TV ly been alluded to that she's interested in me show is nothing to scoff at. romantically, so that's something developing It's a huge opportunity to go in upcoming episodes." into millions of people's Another addition to the series is Reverend homes every week and Purdy, who acts as Johnny's legal guardian deliver something that's but has his own, somewhat questionable, compelling and intelligent agenda to pursue. The character was played and hopefully will move by Michael Moriarty in the original pilot, but them."

www.starlog.com STARLOG/August 2002 67 , \usi\m

Hercules & Xena. m - i

68 STAKLOG/August 2002 M fell JetI fsil fBil fell Hsri "

mmmmJm m Immm i ImhhJ mmmmmmmm friendly -esence at Smith first appeared on F The Legendary Journeys inventions, Iphicles, human half- mith loved brother to Hercules eeting his (Kevin Sorbo). ns.

Appearing as Ares, the God of War, in Ares wreaked havoc with equal glee on not lost on Smith, who wailed, "This is the nearly 70 episodes of Hercules: The Hercules and Xena, but according to Smith, thing—when Ares tries to be a good guy, he Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior his aims on those shows couldn't have been can't get a break! Sure, I mean, OK, there's Princess and Young Hercules, New Zealand further apart. "With Hercules, the agenda the downside of the ledger: He has killed actor Kevin Smith set Olympic records for was pretty clear: Ares' mission was to some people Xena was really fond of. Yeah, mischief by a Greek deity that may never be destroy Hercules [Kevin Sorbo], to under- sure, there's that. But in their interpersonal equalled. Off-screen, though, the ruggedly mine him in some way. But one of Ares' dealings, I think he has shown a huge handsome Smith was known among cast and prominent objectives on Xena was to woo amount of tolerance and restraint. He has crew as a lightning-quick god of wit and Xena [Lucy Lawless] back to the dark side, never set out to actually destroy her. True, warmth. In two extended interviews months or even, as it turned out later on, just to woo there was that one time that Ares set the before his accidental death in Beijing at age her. And obviously that difference affected Furies on Xena, but driving someone mad 38 in February, Smith shared his engagingly the way the character operated. Not that I can be just a way of saying, 'Hey, loosen up! " subversive take on the master of arms who played him as a different person, but as in Have some "me" time. Have some fun!' could charm as well as conquer—and who our own lives, people see one side of you in Although Ares was dismissive of Xena's never gave up trying to lure the Warrior your working life, and another in your home friend Gabrielle ("the annoying blonde"), he Princess to his side in both martial and mar- life. In the Hercules Universe, that [destruc- could be surprisingly playful with her, as in

ital bliss. tive] face of Ares is most often seen. There's "The Quill is Mightier." Smith related: "They wanted a character," recalled less [inner] conflict because Ares isn't being "Originally, the script was meant to finish Smith (previously profiled in STARLOG pulled in two different directions. But on with a lingering look between Renee

#258), "who could foot it with Xena on any Xena he is [torn]: 'Do I kill her? Do we [O'Connor, as Gabrielle] and me. We're level, which immediately knocked out 99 move in together and pick out lawn furni- almost kissing, and Ares suddenly disap- " percent of mortal men. And, most important- ture? What do we do?' pears. But on the day of the shoot, we just " ly, they wanted a level of heat. The subtext thought, 'We can't do this.' To give their of seduction was always there, a sexual ten- God of war sweet farewell a tart edge, Ares playfully

sion, though it was never fully overt until the Despite the rebuffs and insults, Ares per- flicks Gabrielle's nose as she stands poised fifth season 'funk-out' when Ares becomes sisted in wooing and watching over Xena. for a kiss, then he vanishes with a laugh. suddenly besotted with Xena." The injustice of this unrequited pining was "Just another little humiliation," Smith observed, "but for Gabrielle this time."

Vith "a license to be Whenever Xena and Gabrielle seemed laughty," Ares often certain that Ares was irredeemably loath- aunted and tempted some, he cunningly kept them off balance by /oman warrior Xena perpetrating a good deed. In "Motherhood," Lucy Lawless). the God of War discards his immortality to save Xena (and, in so doing, Gabrielle as well). And earlier—in "Looking Death in the Eye"—Ares reveals a soft core beneath his hard-edged plotting when he buries the seemingly lifeless Xena and Gabrielle together. "It was an understanding," Smith explained. " T can never be with you, so you might as well be with the other person who loved you.' Smith found that scene draining, and not simply emotionally. "I had just come back from Pasadena [for a convention] and got

wickedly ill; I lost about five kilos. And there were all these shots where I had to carry Xena's body across the frozen tundra,

and one where I had to actually walk her up

a hill. I was absolutely [exhausted] and had to sit down in between takes. They said, 'Oh, do you want someone else to [carry her]?' I

STARLOG/AKgHsr 2002 69 said, 'Listen, I'm Kev Smith. I have a certain "The Furies" was "the first one where Xena Smith relished his unlikely battle (in reputation. The day I can't carry a beat him like a mule," Smith recalled. "And "Deja Vu All Over Again") with Ted Raimi, woman....' But oh, man, I remember stag- it happened reasonably regularly since." who normally played the hapless pseudo- gering around in Ihe faux snow." Smith excused Ares' won-lost record warrior Joxer, but here, through the magic of against Xena (from 2-and-0 in the first sea- reincarnation and plot twists, embodied Lord of Exposition son to countless debacles thereafter), say- Xena's spirit. "That fight scene," Smith Ares' kinder, gentler side wasn't often on ing, "We've established he doesn't want to remarked, "was the most fun I've ever had,

view in Hercules, given his obsessive jeal- kill her, so he can't go all-out." Still, Smith using an umbrella, a beanbag, a sofa. It was ousy of his mighty half-brother. "Dad [Zeus, noted, for the God of War to suffer such cool, man." Asked whether he, rather than a King of the Gods] always liked you best!" drubbings, "It's like the Minister of Finance stuntman, had brandished those makeshift Ares bellowed at Hercules in "Stranger in a not being able to balance his checkbook." weapons, Smith recounted with both pride Strange World." Yet in "Two Men and a Ares nonetheless lived for a good fight, and humility: "I could tell they were nervous

Baby," viewers scarcely noticed Ares' black and Smith, who played rugby in his native because, obviously, the beanbag is an indis- hat (or at least black leather) when he doted New Zealand until three concussions criminate weapon. I could have hurt every-

on his baby, Evander. knocked him into acting, showed a Kiwi's one in that room. But it was a level of It helped, Smith related, that he shot this love of the rough-and-tumble. He recalled satisfaction I had that they trusted me episode when the youngest of his three sons with special fondness a rousing custody bat- enough to wield that by myself. Because,

was still an infant: "I only act to feed my tle—with mallets—between Ares and Her- you understand, it was corduroy as well, and children," he admitted, "and so to show cules in "Two Men and a Baby." Due to you know what that can do to a human." Ares' attachment to his child added a nice fading time and daylight, stunt coordinator Proving that on any given day, any god texture. The scene where Discord is about to Peter Bell scotched his usual painstaking can defeat any other god (or at least, drown Evander in the bath and Ares comes choreography, "dug up a couple of ham- demigod), Ares slew the "Sovereign," Her- in, there was actually a protective fatherly mers" and turned Smith and Sorbo loose to cules' ruthless alter-ego, in "Stranger and dynamic going on. Even though Ares did "wail on each other. Yep, all those elaborate Stranger," set in a "Bizarro" Universe of view the child as a weapon against Hercules, martial arts techniques went out the window. alternate identities. "Oh, yeah," Smith

it was still nice to acknowledge that paternal It was a good ol' Western brawl. We were enthused. "Obviously, it wasn't the real Her-

quality. I'm not saying that Ares is the great- punching like John Wayne." cules, but it still counts in some dimensions.

est dad in the world. He's never there. But he Shifting to hammers, of course, didn't I actually got to achieve something that I had would have taught him to fight!" change the outcome. Ares' defeat, Smith set out to do. Because generally that doesn't Evander didn't miss all that much in mar- sighed, was "inevitable. I'm going to take a happen with villains. But that was the one tial training, for Ares proved he was no hiding no matter what particular defense art job I finished. . .and there was no small satis- match for Xena, let alone the half-god Her- form we're using at the time." Still, "swing- faction in that." cules. Ares' duel with the Warrior Princess in ing those hammers was so—visceral." Ares notched his most notable—or at

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least unusual—triumph in "Seeds of Faith," lieutenant (played by the beautiful Musetta they were, but they're rare, you know. You by stabbing an unresisting Eli, the surrogate Vander): "That's the only reason my own sis- can't risk hurting them. So that was all stock Jesus of the Xenaverse. Smith exulted at his ter beat me." footage of the sand sharks in that episode. clean kill, "even if it meant I had to defeat an Fortunately, Ares was far more than a We didn't have them on set." unarmed pacifist. It doesn't matter. I still beat much-pummeled antagonist; he also served Guiding Smith's deadly struggles with the someonel Look at the scoreboard. No one's as a walking reference guide to Olympian sand sharks was a prop that, to the untutored going to care how the victory came about. behavior. "It was a running joke that Ares eye, looked less like a scaly predator than a

It's in the record books now." was Mr. Exposition," Smith disclosed. "If surfboard. "You wanted to ride it," Smith Smith's inner glow over dispatching the there was a new rule that governed what— gods remarked. There were also the indispensable saintly Eli faded on recalling that Gabrielle could and couldn't do to each other 'A god off-camera reference points: "[They would disarms Ares just a few scenes later. How can't kill another god, but a half-god like say,] 'It's diving. It's under the sand. It's com- could a petite, if plucky, female bard so Hercules can. And any god can kill a half- ing toward you. It's coming up. It's about 10 embarrass the God of War? "Tell me about god, except that Zeus put a no-touch rule feet away! Ahh! Ahh! !' Rare days. Rare days." it!" Smith exclaimed. "Oh, they were lining against killing Hercules'—well, that's quite Unlike Iphicles, the supremely self- up afterward [to fight me]. There were 12- a bit for people to keep ahold of, and so it assured Ares now and again strode—or slith- year-old girls and a seven-year-old kid. It was my job to explain it. I was the 'God of ered—to glory. In the alternate reality of was a long, drawn-out fight, and I beat him in Words.' All that was missing was a white "Armageddon Now, Part 2," Hercules is the end. But the point is, he raised the sweat board and a pointer." never born, and Xena—unstoppable and on me, which wasn't in the game book." merciless—conquers the world under Ares' In "Amphipolis Under Siege," Ares is Muse of Song exultant tutelage. Yet his triumph predictably bested by his sister Athena, Goddess of Wis- A rock-and-roll icon in New Zealand's proves short-lived, leading Smith to reflect dom, War and Weaving. No matter that the South Island who cut three albums, Smith on tragic Homeric figures from the Greek actress who played Athena, Paris Jefferson, did his own stunt-singing in Xena's landmark God of War to the Simpsons. "Ah, the was a foot shorter than Smith. Nothing could musical tale, "The Bitter Suite." "I had done moment of glory for Ares, and then he wakes save Ares from sinking ever lower in the pan- plenty of musical theater, and that felt like an up. It's like all of the great anti-heroes. It's theon of warriors. "I was beaten by the God- extended Broadway show." On the other like Homer Simpson, like George Costanza dess of War, sure, but Weaving also," Smith hand, he demurred, "My loathing of the [of Seinfeld]. When he wins, you know it's laughed. "That's what I had the hardest time dance has been well-documented." Then, going to last five seconds. The only reason with. Beaten by the Goddess of Weaving! warming to the memory, he added, "It was they're leaving him so high is so his fall can How do you live that down? Because that's incredibly fun to do, even though I had to be even greater. With Ares, every going to get around, right?" Of course, Smith wear a dress. Oh, I know, they told me it was time I made a little ground, I hastened to add, Ares had been distracted by some kind of regal Greek attire, but no, no was thinking, 'Oh, now Xena's nearby mortal combat with Athena's a dress is a dress, my friend. Oh, sure, it was I'm being set up for a a lovely dress. That's not in dispute." big fall here.' While Smith was best known on Her- Ares could take cules and Xena as Ares, he attained godhood comfort, though, in in stages, appearing first (sans beard) in the knowing that defeat, recurring role of Hercules' human half- too, was fleeting on brother, Iphicles. Although Iphicles rises to Hercules become ruler of Corinth, "he allowed his Have a grief [over his wife's death] to override his question? duty and sensibility as a king [in "War Smith Wounds"]." Having earlier played Shake- was always speare's Othello on stage, Smith found that ready Iphicles fit the classic tragic mold as "some- with a one of potential greatness undone by an quip internal flaw."

Still, Smith defied anyone to question Iphicles' grit in "leaping from imaginary sand sharks [in "War Wounds"], a challenge that sticks very firmly in the mind." Joking- ly asked whether the sand sharks that snapped up unwitting Corinthian pedestri- ans were real, Smith answered: "Oh, sure

fin I I Photo: Jo Beth Taylor — — if ilLoit |lO||

Xena—even his fade into invisibility and clothes off. So by the time I got to the crest seeming oblivion in "Fade Out," in which of the hill, Ares is dropping his pants, sob- he shatters the cursed eye of a Cyclops. bing, sobbing, heaving like a child, his bare

> "Yeah, I don't think anyone troubled them- bottom to the world. They didn't use it. I M 1 / I 1 Ml selves to explain how he appeared in the don't know why."

next episode," Smith shrugged. "That was Smith, whose acting legacy is so just a hiccup [for Ares]. 'Doom happens.' entwined with his charismatic portrayal of 1996, to celebrate our 20th anni- You deal with it. You move on. You've Xena's divine adversary and admirer, felt versary, we reprinted STARLOG #1 in gotta let go, man. That stuff will drag you an emotional jolt on filming his very last a 10,000 limited edition with a down." episode, Xena's "Soul Possession." In "one special chromium-metallic cover. Like the ancient Greeks, Hercules and of those classic encounters," Ares material- This unique Xena interspersed their tragic tales with izes in a forest and "Xena stands still," printing was often bawdy comedies, and Smith showed Smith noted. "Ares walks around her, they thought sold special flair in trading his sword for a kiss and then he says, 'Call me.' As we out. But we banana peel. "For some reason," he grinned, walked back to the trailers, Luce said, have found a "I love it when Ares gets humiliated." 'That's the last scene like that we'll ever few hundred do, isn't it?' And I thought, 'This is the last copies hid- Man of Action time I'll ever wear my Ares costume.' That den in our Ever the "pragmatic jobbing actor," was when it really me. warehouse got to Yeah, those Smith played scenes opposite diverse barn- boots were a drag to put on, but I looked at and can offer yard fauna, most poignantly after Sorbo's that costume hanging there and I thought, them on a illness led writers to cast a spell that 'Man, I've spent six years in that. And I'll first-come changed Hercules into the world's mighti- never again....' It was weird. It was so est pig. "Well, Babe had just come out," emotionally resonant for me." Smith explained, gallantly defending the The death of the Warrior Princess in the Each cover of this Special logic of "Porkules," "so we realized that series' finale led some viewers to express STARLOG #1 is embossed people would watch pigs." Still, Smith con- outrage, but Smith praised producer Rob ceded that it was challenging holding the Tapert for taking chances right to the end. with its own edition camera against a bright-eyed hog. "Let's "I love the finality of it. And, in a way, it

number. Printed on heavy face it: There are cute animals, and some does satisfy. At some point, it had to end, that aren't so cute, but the porcine variety but I guess we're thinking, 'She's gone to a coated body stock, this " definitely ranks up there in cuteness better place.' valuable issue will be they're pink and they have little button Despite moving smoothly from Xena mailed in plastic. eyes. You pretty much [employ] the same and Hercules to stage and screen work, techniques you use when acting with chil- Smith's larger-than-life aura as the God of RELIVE THE EXCITING BIRTH dren. But they garner much more attention War continued to transfix—and amuse 0FTHEMA6AZINETHAT HAS than any adult, no matter how suave or audiences. "I'm just finishing a season of A well-spoken. It's all about survival." Streetcar Named Desire," Smith said last BEEN FIRST IN SCIENCE No sooner had Smith mastered the art of July, "and I'm enjoying my time back in FICTION FOR 25 YEARS! emoting to a pig than "Yes, Virginia, There the theater, but even here, the Grecian ref- Is a Hercules" provided him with a change erences pursue me. I mean, my [charac- Originally $75, Now Only $50 of identity (as Hercules head writer Jerry ter's] home is on Elysian Fields? Please! Patrick Brown) and a urinal, when four And in scene five of the play, Blanche says,

Special Limited-Edition Printing of Hercules staff writers wander into the 'What sign were you born under?' I say, STARLOG #1 men's room and join in a manly humming 'Sign?' and she says, 'Yes, astrological With Chromium-Metallic Cover! $50 each Please indicate quantity being ordered: of the show's rousing theme music. Praised sign. I bet you were born under Aries. Postage and Handling are FREE. New York State residents for his sensitive choral humming, Smith Aries people are forceful and dynamic. add 8 1/4% sales tax. the plaudits Canadian residents add 10% sales tax. took in stride, saying, "We all They love to bang things around!' That PLEASE NOTE: Customs requires purchaser's daytime had to go through a crash course on the always gets a titter in the house." phone number on all FOREIGN orders. theme. We thought we were ready, but no Kevin Smith decided not to Method of Payment: Credit cards may be used. Fax orders fight the to 212-889-7933. one could get it right. [He offered an off-key enduring burden of godhood. "I can't get Casb DCheck LuYloney Order JDiscouer humming exhibition.] 'No, no, man. Not away from it, man," he said in mock MasterCard QVisa like that!' So they got a recording of it and despair. Then he added, with a gleam wor- told us, 'Here it is. Learn it!' You see, actors thy of Ares, "Obviously, I'm just going to Account No. are such vain creatures that when you're have to move to Greece."

Card Expiratioo Date: I (Mo./Yr.) watching an episode on tape, you fast-forward through the opening credits because Your Daytime Phone #:( )_ you want to get to your own scenes, right? IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO CUT OUT COUPON, WE WILL " 'Oh, there's a tune to this " ACCEPT WRITTEN ORDERS. show?'

I The actor saved his most daring inspiration for the final scene in Hercules, when

Print Name As It Appears On Your Card I he bade farewell to his character and costume in one grand gesture. "There's I footage somewhere of the first take we did | Street of Ares walking off into the desert, and I I saw spin-off all over it," he said. "I could be

I City State Zip the new David Carradine [echoing the credits sequence of the 1970s cult TV hit Rung Fu], wandering the Earth, righting . Your Signature Send cash, check or money order to: Total enclosed: wrongs—or in my case, wronging rights. $_ — STARLOG GROUP, INC. Expert at sibling revelry and I Please allow 4 to 6 weeks 475 PARK AVENUE SOUTH But as I walked off, I thought, 'Oh, what seductive rivalry, Smith demonstrated |Jor delivery. NEW YORK. NY 10016 r the hell,' and I just started taking my that even the bad guy can be good.

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Shipping Continental US: (excluding PO Boxesl Normal- $5, Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico: For additional books or non-comic items, please ask our operators for exact shipping and optional insurance. PO Boxes, US Territories, APO, FP0: Normal- $10 Canada: Normal- $10, Europe, Australia: Normal- $25, South America, Pacific Rim, Mexico: Normal-$28. Not responsible for mistakes or typos. Kirsten Dunst went red for her role as Spider- Man's Mary JaneUIQCWatson. OF

By IAN SPELLING fl

HEY, TIGERS!

KIRSTEN DUNST HIT

THE JACKPOT AS MARY JANE WATSON.

that looks that cool comes that easy. Kirsten Dunst Nothingknows that better than most. Everyone who has seen Spi- der-Man loves the moment in which Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane Watson (Dunst) swap saliva while he hangs upside down amidst torrential rain. As sexy as

Dunst, Maguire and director Sam Raimi made it play on screen, the upside-down kiss was anything but on the set. "It's awful to kiss somebody upside down, especially when they can't breathe and it's freezing in the rain," Dunst argues. "Tobey couldn't breathe through his mask. I would roll it up and he would Sam Raimi wasn't sure who he wanted to play Mary Jane, but go, 'Whooo' and inhale and then make out with me. He would be Dunst convinced the director that she was right for the part.

74 STARLOG/August 2002 It was just a reward for a hero from a damsel in distress, but this wet scene electrified moviegoers.

breathing through the side of his mouth at the same time he was kiss- breasts. That I was not into. I knew what was happening. I think I ing me. He was just so out of it because he was hung upside down and know as a woman what happens when you're freezing. All right, the blood was rushing to his head. Plus, I was freezing my butt off. enough with the nipples." Are you kidding?!" Of course, few males in the audience minded watching Dunst Seeing Red freeze her butt off. The combination of the rain and the cold, as it's Enough indeed. So on to the other stuff, starting with how Dunst wont to do, made for a most indelible screen image. "It's beat out countless other young actresses for the female lead in a star- natural. ..it's freezing... nipples. Wow, like we haven't seen that making, sure-fire franchise. Mary Jane is a key figure in the Spidey before," Dunst says. " 'Ooh, she's cold.' It wasn't that big of a deal, I saga. Peter adores his lovely neighbor, but she has never thought of didn't think, as long as you didn't see discoloration—not discol- him as anything but the sweet nerd next door. When fate bestows oration, but I was worried about the contrast from the nipples to the superpowers upon Peter, he tries to woo his favorite redhead, but www.starlog.com STARLOG/August 2002 75 a

through other ones, and I guess Sam had a more Gwen Stacy-orient-

ed collection going on. I didn't see Mary Jane in there, so I figured I

would be auditioning for Gwen. So I was really confident. It gave me false confidence." In the end, Dunst pulled off a neat trick in her performance as Mary Jane. The character is feminine but tough, the girl friend yet a young woman with an independent streak. She's imperiled more than once—in fact, she gets to enact a variation of Gwen Stacy's bridge- bound horror—but isn't merely a damsel in distress. Mary Jane even stands up for herself in a sequence that pits her against several thugs. "Exactly!" Dunst enthuses. "I told Sam, 'I've got to fight these guys off a little bit.' I wanted her to be a modern woman, not some-

one who just gets saved and says, 'Oh, help me. I've got all these guys around me.' I wanted to kick a little butt. There is some screaming, but wouldn't you be screaming too if you were hanging off a bridge? I would probably be in so much shock that I would go into cardiac arrest. But I knew that with Sam and Tobey, they wouldn't

she's more interested in Peter's best friend, make a movie where I would be that girl. And Harry Osborn (James Franco), and then in the I wouldn't have played her if I had read the

amazing webslinger himself. script and thought she was just that girl. Spi- The story goes that Dunst met Raimi early der-Man goes on a journey, and Mary Jane in the casting process, but the two didn't does as well. She doesn't come from a great click. Dunst sets the record straight. "We home life. She doesn't have a good female actually clicked great," she explains. "We had [role model] to look up to. She gets involved a great meeting together, but I guess maybe with the wrong guys. She's not very confi-

he didn't see me as MJ. Then Tobey was cast dent in herself and who she is, and I really and Sam's criteria became a little different. I think Peter Parker helps her become more don't know why and I don't know what. self-respecting and self-accepting." Maybe the other girls just didn't have chem- Rumor spread like wildfire during Spider- istry with Tobey. Two months later, I really Man's production that Dunst and Maguire

hadn't heard anything. They said they were romantically involved. The actress flat-

enjoyed talking to me, but I don't know. Then out denies it, despite the fact that photos of they came to Berlin, where I was doing The them kissing at a Los Angeles Lakers game Cat's Meow at the time. They screen-tested were widely published. "I wasn't dating me there [with Maguire], and it seemed to Tobey," she says. "Never ever." Dunst adds work." that she felt no compunction to reassure Dunst also corrects the misconception that Maguire that he belonged in the Next up for Spidey out- she actually wanted to play Gwen Stacy— the versatile fit; it's no secret that more than a few Spidey blonde love interest from the comic book who young actress fans thought that other actors could better fill serves as another tragic figure in Peter's is the drama •< out the character's arachno-suit. "Tobey's a life—and not the redheaded Mary Jane. "I Levity. pretty confident guy," she notes. "I don't

went to Sam's office and I picked up a comic think he's insecure. I don't know. Maybe the book," recalls the actress, who readily admits that she knew nothing confidence is just a phony thing. But he's pretty confident about him- of the Spider-Man comics legacy prior to her involvement with the self and his work. I think he did a great job playing Peter Parker." feature. "I was flipping through it, and I thought, 'Oh, I could play Dunst also spent time before the cameras with the rest of the Spi- that part. She's blonde. I could play that Gwen Stacy.' That was the der men, most notably Franco and Willem Dafoe, who menaced all only girl I saw in the comic book I picked up. Then I was flipping of the characters as the glider-riding Green Goblin. "Willem's great,"

Mary Jane is IF TOUR WHEELS' ARE ROINTEP IN looking for THE Right pirbction , prrey-o —.this love in all the COULP BE YOUR LUCKY PAY.' wrong places. Her true love, Peter Parker, lives right next door. In the original

comics, it took their aunts to bring them together.

76 STARLOG/Aifgiwr 2002 Dunst enjoyed her physically demanding role. MJ isn't your traditional comics gal in a crisis situation.

Dunst says. "I only got to really know Willem while doing our press put together. But I feel like I did much more work than what is actu-

tours. I don't feel like I even worked with him that much. We had a ally seen of me dropping and falling. I probably spent months doing day when he was choking me, but he was in his Goblin suit and I was that kind of stuff, and it's cut together pretty fast." hanging from wires and being let down and brought up. So we didn't Although Dunst has been a part of several major motion pictures, really bond there. 'Hey, what's going on in the world?' 'Aaaargh' [she Spider-Man is the first film to make an action figure of her. She isn't pretends to be throttled by Dafoe]. During the Thanksgiving scene, too happy with the result. "I haven't gotten the final version," she there were so many of us. We weren't ever really one-on-one, but he notes, "but I would get [prototype] dolls sent to me and just be like, did give me creepy looks at the Thanksgiving dinner. He was check- 'Ugh. I have one dimple, not two craters.' They did that on one of my ing me out in a weird way. That made me uncomfortable, as the char- faces. And then they gave me a really long face. My face is wide. acter. Willem's a great guy. He's so talented Things that are really obvious. They gave and did a great job." me big lips, and I have thin lips. It was just very annoying. I was like, 'Look at the pic- Playing Cold ture. Copy it for the mold.' It's not that Spider-Man is far from Dunst's first foray hard, I would think. Is it that difficult?"

into the world of SF/fantasy, and it certainly Dunst will next be seen in the drama wasn't her debut in a FX-driven project. Levity, in which she co-stars with Billy Bob Though she's only 20, Dunst (previously pro- Thornton, Morgan Freeman and Holly filed in STARLOG#254) already counts Hunter. She may try to squeeze in another among her credits an episode each of Star film this summer or fall, or she might just Trek: The Next Generation and The Outer take a break until Raimi reassembles his Limits, as well as such features as Interview cast and crew for Spider-Man 2 next year. With the Vampire, Jumanji, Small Soldiers Dunst reports that she likes the idea of and The Crow: Salvation. Those earlier expe- playing the same character several times, riences, however, didn't prepare her as much and is eager to explore Mary Jane in more as one might expect for the rigors of Spider- depth. Man's elaborate FX. "I wanted to do Spider-Man because I "This was much more physically drain- knew that I would have a place to blossom," ing," Dunst points out. "There was so much Kirsten Dunst remarks. "I think you see her hanging and dropping from really high up. going in the direction of becoming a That was a little nerve-wracking. It's hard woman and growing stronger and more enough to imagine things that aren't there, to accepting of herself, just feeling more con- pretend you're in this world when it's just this fident. I think maybe we're going to have a

blue wall. It was weird to be hanging there messy love triangle. Mary Jane might have and have Sam calling out, 'OK, now you're this great boy friend, and Peter can't say, screaming at the Green Goblin.' I would look over there and it was a 'Mary Jane, what are you doing?' So maybe he'll be jealous and

piece of pavement. And then it was, 'OK, now a pumpkin bomb is antsy about me dating this boy. And maybe he'll be dating a new girl. being thrown at you,' and I'm looking at a heating vent up at the top So there will be some romantic triangle, some soap opera. But I think of the set. We picked the most random stuff [as the points of focus], we also want Mary Jane to become successful as an actress and do 'The grip over there. He's the whatever that's coming to kill you. well at that. Maybe she'll get a little bit of a big head on her shoulders -4& You're scared. Scream!' Of course, it's worth it. It's great to see it all and Peter will have to calm her down."

www.starlog.com STARLOG/August 2002 77 Harry has a tortured relationship with his father Norman Osbornborn (Willem Dafoe, left), that captain of industry and secret superviilain.rvillairW^F

By IAN SPELLING James Franco made his mark on Spider-Man in the pivotal role of Harry Osborn, but the actor very nearly landed the part that went to Tobey Maguire—the amazing webslinger. "When I was doing [the TV movie] James Dean, maybe it helped a little bit with the Dean angst, but they left me waiting for six weeks before they gave me an answer," Franco recalls of the Spider-Man casting process. "I went and tested,

and every week I thought I was going to get an answer and I didn't.

Then, eventually, they went with Tobey, who I think is the right choice. He's excellent for Peter Parker. A little while later, Sam Raimi called me up and said that he thought we got along well and

asked me if I wanted to play Harry. I thought, 'You know, I still would love to work with Sam.' He was compiling a great cast,

and I thought it would be a good experience." It didn't hurt that the 24-year-old Franco bears an uncanny resemblance to a young Willem Dafoe, who portrays the scientist-industrialist Norman Osborn, who also happens to be both the Green Goblin and Harry's dad. "People said that on the set," Franco acknowledges. "And his real son, who

f is my age, came to the set, and 1 think he even conced- ed that we look alike. We did just a little bit with the hair, same color and all of that. Willem has such a

wonderful, striking look that it's something I aspire to. I love Willem. The Last Temptation of Christ was amazing. Platoon. Tom & Viv. Shadow of the Vam- pire was amazing. The Oscar [nomination Dafoe received for Shadow] happened while we Man, who—unbeknownst to Harry, Mary stuck around. My father worked in the Sili- were shooting Spider-Man, so that was excit- Jane, Norman and the rest of the world—is con Valley and my mother is a children's ing. You can't keep Willem in his trailer. He's actually Peter. book writer and poet. I was a painter [one of always wanting to talk to everybody, and his "Peter and Harry are both outsiders for Franco's teachers had studied with Spider-

way of relaxing and getting into it is to be different reasons," Franco says, attempting to Man co-creator Steve Ditko] and then I start-

with people. I would look to him for advice explain why a poor dork from Queens and a ed acting. So I didn't have any acting in my

to it. whenever I could get it. In our scenes togeth- rich hunk from the better side of the tracks are background, but I always wanted do

er, I would always defer to him and ask him best friends. "Harry has been kicked out of all And then, in high school, I was shy and did what he thought." these boarding schools, so he goes to this not really know how to get along with peo- Harry and Norman don't get along so public school and is a foreigner in it. And ple, so I started acting. It was, at the time, well. Harry loves his father, but resents him. Peter is an outsider because he has an interest like a miracle. I could express myself and it He's proud of his father, but doesn't want to in science, and that's not the big thing in high was a release. I guess maybe I had, as any be like him. Harry prefers not to flash his school. So they find each other for that rea- teenager does, many emotions going on, rag- wealth, but doesn't seem to mind the cool son. Harry is also somebody who grounds ing inside, and I didn't know how to get them apartment that Dad got for him. Then, to Peter and gives him that dimension of a real out. So, [through acting], I could go into make matters worse, Spider-Man cuts down boy. In the comics, that's Peter's normal life: these imaginary worlds and express myself the Green Goblin just as Harry was getting to It's Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy—who's not in without repercussions." know and appreciate his old man. the movie—and Harry. I think that what's so Actually, Spider-Man is causing reper- "Harry definitely becomes, I don't know appealing about Peter and so accessible to cussions galore. It's a gargantuan hit, bigger

if it's evil so much as troubled," says Franco, many people is that he's just a kid and he does than anyone ever dared predict or hope. A who read 150 Spider-Man comics while have a real life. I was going through the sequel is already in the works, with Raimi, prepping for the shoot. "The Green Goblin comics and read the letters in the back, and Maguire and Dunst signed, sealed and deliv- had a madness to him and was taken over by they were all about trying to balance the Peter ered. The history of the Spider-Man comic the first it, and Harry, I think, goes in the same direc- Parker life with the superhero life. That's one books and the closing moments of tion. His father was his whole life. He was of the great things about Peter; he has this film certainly set the stage for Harry to the goal that Harry was striving toward. And great, rich life, and Harry's a big part of it." emerge as a villain in Spider-Man 2 or a later Norman is taken away just when Harry Franco reports that he got on well with sequel, but that's far from a fait accompli. gains acceptance. It spins him into both Maguire and Dunst. "I tried to trick "Well, they haven't talked to me yet," James * in certain ways and get feelings going Franco points out. "So we'll see." % a sort of madness. So I guess myself that's where Harry goes. for people," the actor says. "So I would try to Harry actually becomes look for everything that I love about Kirsten the Green Goblin [later in and how beautiful and great she is." the comics]. His story That required tricking himself? "No, not I there is that Harry finds tricking myself, but I have a girl friend,"

out who Spider-Man is, Franco explains, referring to Maria Sokoloff vows vengeance on him of TV's The Practice. "It wasn't like I was and takes on his father's going to act on anything, but you just let role, becoming the sec- those feelings come up in you." So what did ond Green Goblin." Franco feel for Maguire? "Well, he's my The other key fig- buddy," Franco laughs. "Maybe he's shy." f ures in Harry's life are Though he has only been a professional Peter and Mary Jane actor for a few years, Franco has amassed an i Watson (Kirsten impressive list of credits. He jumped from a jj0 I Dunst). Peter and Pizza Hut commercial to guest shots on the m Harry are best cops-on-bikes series Pacific Blue, Profiler II friends, but Harry and The X-Files, appearing as Officer #2 in starts to date Mary the eighth season episode "Sure Kill." He co- Jane — Peter's starred on the short-lived but acclaimed dream girl—once Freaks and Geeks and counts among his film he realizes that credits Never Been Kissed, Whatever It Takes Peter won't ever and Deuces Wild, along with a few indie fea- find the courage to tures and James Dean, which earned him a ask her out. Mary Golden Globe Award as the late, great screen Jane likes Harry. star. Franco will be seen next opposite He treats her well Robert De Niro in the drama City By the Sea,

and is handsome. and plays a male prostitute in Sonny, which But she really marks the directing debut of Nicolas Cage. only has eyes "I grew up in Palo Alto, California," Fran- for Spider- co says. "My parents went to Stanford and

Just like Peter Parker, Harry Osborn (James Franco) is an outcast at school. But unlike Peter, Harry has money and, more importantly, Mary Jane Watson.

In the comics, Harry becomes the second Green Goblin. Will the same hold true in Spider-Man 27 By ROD BELCHER but there was enough of a fuss that the drill sergeants came out." t was graduation night from basic training at The party was over and Drake, the law student- Fort Bragg, 1969, and David Drake was turned-soldier, had been initiated into the violent staring down the barrel of Vietnam. world into which he was about to be submerged, a Drake, current author and co-author of world that would impact both him and his writing. more than 50 SF and fantasy books—and a Drake calls Vietnam the greatest single influence of

major contributor to the creation of the mil- his life. "I wish that wasn 't true," he says, "but it is." itary science fiction genre—wasn't thrilled Drake completed his undergraduate work, with the prospect of going to Vietnam. "I was with honors, at the University of Dubuque, with depressed, really depressed. I wondered what was degrees in History and Latin. When he was draft- going to happen," Drake recalls. ed, he was offered his pick of virtually any mili-

A few months earlier, he had been a student at tary specialty school. "I had good records. I had Duke Law School. Then he received his draft been Phi Beta Kappa as an undergraduate and had notice. The Army allowed him to finish his third been on the Law Journal at Duke, so I was some- semester before shipping him off to basic training one they wanted." in North Carolina. However, most of the training schools required Drake's basic training company at Fort Bragg several years of commitment to the Army, and was a mixed bag of African-American kids from Drake didn't want that. But there was a dangerous inner-city Detroit, white rural youths from the hills catch to refusing a longer commitment. "At the of western North Carolina and graduate students, time, if you had any college and you didn't put in like Drake, who had been drafted after the 1968 for some special school, you went 11-Bravo- repeal of the deferment for graduate school stu- Infantry." dents. He has two theories on why this was Army pol- The drill instructors smuggled alcohol into the icy. "Either they wanted the top unassigned people barracks for graduation night, and at 2 a.m., Drake for Infantry—which is a very important and diffi- recalls, the trouble started. "There was a rumor that cult job," Drake suggests, "or it was a way of one of the guys from the mountains was Ku Klux telling people, 'Unless you give us more time than

Klan," says Drake, "but there was nothing about the Draft obligated you to give us, we will make it his demeanor that suggested he was in the Klan. A very likely that you'll die or be horribly wounded.' bunch of guys from another barracks came over, I don't know if that was the underlying intent, but and they were going to take him outside and beat that was how it was used." him up. Everybody was really drunk. I don't drink, Not wanting to serve any longer than required, which is a good thing. and also not wanting to go to Infantry, Drake found

"They were trying to get him out, and I said a third option. "They went down this long list of from my upper bunk, 'Hey, man, he's not Klan, schools, all of which would require a 36-month or let's all go to sleep.' The ringleader walked over to a 48-month commitment. I kept saying 'No.' We me and hit me in the face and went back to bother- got to the last one. They had a 30-week Vietnamese ing this other guy. I got up and went over to the language course that didn't require additional time rack of drill and ceremony rifles and picked one up. in, but you had to be a college graduate and have I was going to kill the guy, bash his head in. A scored over 35 or better on the Army's Language bunch of people saw me in time and grabbed me, Aptitude Test."

80 STARLOG/Augwsf 2002 field, driving around on tanks, shooting out into the dark to keep heads down," Drake says. This technique used by the military was referred to as the "mad minute"—where all the vehicles in a fire base would shoot into the darkness of the night in the hopes of startling enemy troops into giving away their position by returning fire. Part of the madness of the "mad minute," Drake remarks, was that his unit was firing 90mm guns out into the parameter, which would most likely flatten any would-be enemy in the jungle. Even though his job was to act as an interrogator and translator, Drake says his unit seldom encountered civilian locals. "Except for the Coke girls and such at the water points, we really didn't have much contact with civilians. Unless you had a very strong economic reason to be close to the

war, you didn 't want to be there. Who would?" Drake did his job in Vietnam and stayed alive. He came home in 1971 and, like many other vet-

erans, found it difficult returning to the American dream after the nightmares he had experienced in Vietnam. "I didn't feel much of anything," he says

flatly. "I don't remember anything about the last year and a half of Duke Law School. They weren't shooting at me. My grades were OK. I wound up graduating in the top third of the class." Even while devoting himself to completing his law degree, Drake carried many unresolved emo- Drake took the test and received another unex- tions back with him from the other side of the pected lesson on how things work in the Army. world. "I was very angry. I was very screwed up," "One of my buddies in my squad, Mike Glass, was Drake admits, "but I kept it between the ditches. working on his Physics Doctorate at the Universi- I'm glad I did. I'm glad I had the writing." ty of Chicago, and we both took the test," Drake His interest in SF and fantasy began as a child. He was exposed to Andrew Lang's color Fairy -I'M W imJ FICTION BASED ON THE MILITARY AS I [NOW IT."

says. "We both got 55 out of 60, and neither of us books at a young age. He longed to reach age 13, could figure out which one we had missed. when he would be allowed to check out books "There were two other guys in the battalion from the adult sections of the public library. One who passed the test. One had a last name that of the first SF titles he read was John Keir Cross' began with an 'M,' and he scored 35, the mini- The Angry Planet, which Drake describes as a typ- mum to pass. The other guy, whose last name ical children's SF book of the 1950s, but with began with a 'W,' got a 47. There were only three some strange twists. The plot is routine—a Scot- slots open, so 'D,' 'G' and 'M' were sent to lan- tish scientist builds a spaceship in his backyard

guage school and 'W' went to Infantry! They did and flies it to Mars with three kid stowaways. The

not take it by high scores; they took it by alpha- crew encounters strange aliens, both angelic and betical order!" monstrous, on the planet. However, in this simple child's morality play of the battle between Good Mad Minutes and Evil, Evil wins out—a facet of the story that After 30 weeks of language school and two stuck with the young Drake for much of his life. months of interrogation training, Drake was Though he is most often associated with mil- assigned to the 11th Armored Cavalry Division, itary SF, during his early career, Drake sold as the Blackhorse Regiment, as an interrogator. He much fantasy work as he did SF. "When I entered arrived in Southeast Asia in 1970, just in time for my teens and could buy my own books, I was just the invasion of Cambodia, which was spearheaded as interested in fantasy as science fiction," he by his unit. Drake's experiences in Vietnam would notes. "One of the reasons I started writing was later become the source material for his series of because of Robert E. Howard's heroic fantasy Hammer's Stammers short stories and novels and stories." for many other works. Another influence was J.R.R. Tolkien's The Of his time in battle, Drake has said what he Lord of the Rings, which Drake first read at 17. "I wanted to say through his books. It is evident that was hugely taken by The Lord of the Rings," he hated the war, and the lives and souls it wasted, Drake says. "I consider heroic fantasy to be sort of

but it's also obvious that he is proud of his service, a continuum, with Howard on one end and Tolkien riding with the Blackhorse. "We were out in the on the other. They were really writing the same

STARLOGZ4wg(«f 2002 81 — THE thing, but the focus was different. While in Vietnam, one of Drake's They were both enormously inter- friends had shown him a copy of a ested in history. Tolkien was better fantasy novel, Darkness Weaves, educated than Howard, but having written by his old college roommate v said that, Howard was considerably at Chapel Hill, Karl Edward Wagner. m educated more than many of the Once they returned home, the friend writers of his day." Drake's first introduced Drake to Wagner, author novel, The Dragon Lord, was origi- of the Kane fantasy saga. "We struck nally plotted as a Howard-esque pas- up what became quite a close friend- tiche for Andrew Offutt to write. ship," says Drake, "and the three of Offutt, however, rejected the outline, us—Karl, Manly and myself—and and Drake wrote it himself. Drake's our significant others got together Although he teamed on the current fantasy series, The Lord of on a fairly regular basis." earlier General books with the Isles, is oriented more toward the When Wellman died in April S.M. Stirling, Drake paired with Tolkien end of the continuum. 1986, Drake decided to grieve for Eric Flint for the latest entry. his friend through his craft. Old Soldier stories Nathan is an episodic novel of Drake began writing in high linked stories set in central Ten-

school, where he had a teacher who nessee during the 1830s. The title

was a published author. "The main character is modeled on Wellman's thing he provided," Drake remem- John the Balladeer, whom Drake bers, "was the awareness that ordi- calls "the most evocative of the nary people can write. You don't many characters created by my need a particular background or edu- friend." cation to write. It wasn't so much The stories in Old Nathan are what he taught me, as the example of based on old English folk tales, but his presence." given an Appalachian twist. Drake DAVID DRAKE At 17, Drake sent his first story wrote the using the book dialect of m WANT HQIE! "TMi tint) sfesilda'I. Hi prsiaMv m l. kt r mmamtm CmJit Hd Mele'i Issi Mteosart off to August Derleth at Arkham mountain folk, even though he jr/mM tflBMliw." —PtthUstets WtBM House. "Derleth told me it was a thought it might put off some of his good plot outline, 'Now write the audience. The author's publisher " story,' Drake recalls. Undaunted, and friend, Jim Baen, agreed to pub-

he reworked the piece and sent it off lish Old Nathan, but neither expect-

again. "I rewrote it from 1,500 ed stellar sales. Old Nathan is one of words to about 3,500 words, and the books that gave Drake the most sent it off. Derleth said, 'Fine, personal satisfaction.

you've got a story. Now take out the One work that didn't is Killer, a

purple passages and I'll buy it.' But I novel Drake wrote with Wagner. didn't know what he meant by 'pur- "Karl was an enormously talented ple passages,' partly because I had man. This collaboration was an modeled my story on his own Weird attempt to pull him out of his alco- Tales stories, which were dreadful. holism. It was a miserable failure,

However, he knew they were dread- and it was more unpleasant than I ful; I did not. I thought that was how can easily explain," he says.

you were supposed to do it. I was Killer is a horror story, originally using him as my model. titled Hunter's Moon, that was writ- "I sent it back again," Drake con- ten by Drake. Wagner rewrote the tinues, "and got the most brutal story for magazine publication acceptance letter I ever read. 'This with Drake's permission—and still isn't right. I'm going to have to renamed it. When Baen was starting Seas of Venus, uniting two revise this myself for publication. up his publishing company, he previous Drake space operas, Compare the published version with will be published shortly. approached Drake about collaborat- your carbon and know how not to ing with Wagner on a novel based on 1 I \ V \ v lA > * ; OrSvW . write a story next time.' That was my the story. Both Baen and Drake were nVfttVsW'-'- first sale." Drake was paid $35. concerned about Wagner's battle After law school, Drake took a with alcohol, and hoped working on job as Assistant Town Attorney for Killer would help him. It didn't. In

Chapel Hill, North Carolina. During the end, Killer was published, but it this time, he renewed his acquain- strained their friendship. tance with author Manly Wade Well- Drake speaks with bitterness man. "I met Manly briefly while I about Wagner's death in 1994. "He was on my final leave before going simply drank himself to death," to Vietnam," Drake says. "I really Drake says. "It's not a case of some- liked his work for many, many years. body who was snatched by fate." I literally said, 'You know, if I get Being Assistant Town Attorney my ass blown away and I've been began to wear on Drake after eight living in the same town as him for years. He resigned and took a job three years and don't meet him, I'll driving a city bus for a year. "I quit Drake is charting another Republic feel like an idiot.' So I met Manly." being a lawyer because it was killing of Cinnabar Navy adventure to Drake and Wellman, best known for me," Drake says. "People don't talk follow the two books he most his classic John the Balladeer sto- to a lawyer unless they're unhappy enjoyed writing, With the Lightnings ries, soon became pals. or worse." and Lt. Leary, Commanding.

82 STARLOG/August 2002 —

His wife, Jo, was teaching at the stand some of the feelings conveyed DAVID DRAKE time. The two decided that Drake in his military SF works. "The myth should devote himself to writing. "I is that veterans don't talk about their

figured we could make it on this. It experiences, but they do," Drake

wasn't going to be a lot, but I could explains. "They talk to other veter- not be a lawyer any more. When I ans. They don't talk about it to other under- "One of the got back from 'Nam, I just kept people, because they won't finest doing what was in front of me. stand, and that's nobody's fault." epic fantasies of critics claim that the decade." Finally, after 10 years, I got my head As for the who —Piers Anthony far enough up that I could see that his books glorify war, Drake

this wasn't good. Life is too short. I observes, "Something militaristic didn't expect the writing to take off, vaunts and supports militarism and

though. I'm really delighted that it the military. A good example of a

did, but it wasn't part of a plan, superb writer doing militaristic sci-

except that it was a plan to stop ence fiction is 'The Army of a doing something I hated." Dream' by Rudyard Kipling. It's a perfectly valid genre which I do not war wounds write and have no desire to write. After he sold his first two books, I'm writing fiction based on the mil-

Drake quit bus driving and started itary as I know it. There is much working full-time as a writer. His virtue in my fiction, but that's not to first book sales were The Dragon say that the characters being Lord and a collection of stories, described are saints or role models. which had been previously pub- I've met real, honest-to-God heroes, lished in Galaxy magazine. Baen, and some of them I wouldn't want the new SF editor at Ace Books, to invite over to dinner." approached Drake about publishing The success of Hammer's Stam- the collection—which included mers provided Drake with greater three stories that Baen had already economic freedom, but the down- purchased while at Galaxy—and the side has been the perception that he author agreed, adding some new only writes military SF. Many of material to bring the manuscript up Drake's titles that aren't military SF "I QUIT BEING A LAWYER BECAUSE IT tf^l 1117 99 WAS KILL II i 1

to the needed length. The book was have been packaged as if they are. titled Hammer's Stammers. Drake's Northworld series is Dealing with a mercenary straight SF with a complex plot armored company of the distant based on Norse mythology. While future, the various Stammers stories writing the series, Drake received a

have little in common except that call from his editor asking if there they all involve the same military was a tank somewhere in the story, unit. Taking place on alien worlds since it had been decided at a con- with hover tanks and other futuristic ference that a tank would be on the military trappings—the Stammers cover. Drake told his editor he stories are, at their core, about peo- would find a place for a tank in the Flint and Drake have also ple doing a dirty, deadly job amidst story and went back to work. "My collaborated on the Belisarius the lunacy and irony of war. In recognition with military science saga from Baen Books. Next Victory. short, they're the stories of every fiction never controls what I can up is The Tide of soldier. write," Drake allows, "but it proba- Drake describes the Stammers bly does control how much people novels as self-therapy, giving him a buy." chance to write about his experi- Redliners gave Drake the oppor- ences in Southeast Asia and the tunity to grapple with some of his people he served with. He has ghosts from Vietnam and finally put received praise from former sol- them to rest. The novel is about a diers and criticism from those who company of soldiers sent on one call his work militaristic SF that final mission from which they glorifies warfare. "I get letters and aren't supposed to return. It's a e-mails from veterans saying, story of redemption and the terrible

'Thank you for telling it like it was, toll war takes on civilian popula- maybe they'll understand.' But to tions and soldiers thrown together. for Books has the first three Lord of be honest, they never will." Notes Drake, "Since I wrote Red- he Isles volumes out in paperback, The writer believes that those liners and got a lot of stuff out of ["he fourth, Mistress of the who haven't experienced combat my system, I guess I got what you Catacombs, is in hardcover. Drake's frame of reference to under- could call closure." low writing the fifth. lack a

www.starIog.com STARLOG/August 2002 83 . . —

Mission Objectives DOn'T MISS WHAT Since Redliners, Drake has branched out into other subgenres, namely heroic fantasy IJClFlitV and space opera. "I always wanted to write On space opera, but every time I tried, it was never what I intended. Once I got some stuff #1 out of my system, I was finally able to write Interviews: David the space opera I've always wanted to do." Duchovny, Rene Auberjonois. Salome l-fl IV! The Republic of Cinnabar Navy series Jens, Tim Russ. Pat which, to date, includes With the Lightnings Tallman. Richard Here's the and Lt. Leary, is Chevolleau. Sliders. programming lineup Commanding— lightheart- S10 of past editions. Order NOW. ed adventure in the spirit of E.E. "Doc" Smith's Lensmen and Skylark series. Drake says that of all his books, the Republic of Cinnabar Navy entries are the ones he has most enjoyed writing. "They were a real pleasure," he remarks. Another Cinnabar

Navy book is planned, but for now Drake is finishing the fifth novel in his Lord of the Isles saga from Tor Books (the fourth, Mis- tress of the Catacombs, appeared in fall 2001). Next up after that is another space opera, Seas of Venus. He has discovered that his writing pro- Interviews: Chris Interviews: Kate Mut- Interviews: Robert Interviews: Christopher Carter. Nicole deBoer. grew. Michael Dorn, Picardo, Garrett Wang. Judge, Ben Browder, jects work out best when he alternates the Bill Mumy, Robert Dun- Armin Shimerman, Alyson Hannigan. Cir- Michael Easton. Chris genres. "I found when I did two Isles books can McNeill, Roxann Jonathan LaPaglia, X- roc Lofton. Anita La Owens. Kevin Kilner. back-to-back, it wasn't a good idea for Dawson. Mark Dacas- director Rob Bowman. Selva. Richard Burgi. Nick Searcy. B5 direc- me cos, X-writer Vtnce Young Jules Verne. Sabine Karsenti, Kevin tor Janet Greek. Writ- mentally," Drake explains. "It felt like I was Gilligan. Animated Complete Babylon 5 Conroy, John Cope- ing Trek. S6 writing one 400,000-word novel instead of Godzilla. S6 Episode Guide. S6 land. The Sentinel Epi- sode Guide. S6 two 200,000-word novels. So I did another military science fiction book before working on the next Isles." That happens to be 5ciFi!tv| the next installment in the Hammer's Stam- mers series, Paying the Piper, which hits bookstores everywhere this month from Baen Books. While reading up on the history of the SB eastern Mediterranean during the third century, Drake came across a minor historical IKM footnote that he thought would make for an intriguing plot for Paying the Piper. It #6 #io involved a conflict between Rhodes and Interviews: Jeri Ryan. Interviews: Tia Carrere. Interviews: Gillian Interviews: Sebastian Byzantium. "I ran into this quite interesting Sarah Michelle Gellar, Eric Close. Jonathan Anderson, James Spence, Katherine Renee O'Connor. Nana Frakes. Amanda Tap- Marsters, Robert Heigl. Jennifer Sky. Phil series of events. This is stuff that will never Visitor. Terry Farrell. ping. Robert Trebor. Leeshock, Michael LaMarr, Melissa Crider, get into any significant history books, but Carrie Dobro. Jason Roswell. 7 Days. Shanks, Chrtstien Farscape creator for the Carter, Alan Scarfe. Beastmaster. Black Anholt, Glen Larson, Rockne O'Bannon, people involved it was damned First Wave creator Scorpion. S7 Now & Again creator Roswell creator Jason important. I got to thinking that it would do Chris Brancato. S6 Gfenn Gordon Caron. Katims. The Others. nicely as a Hammer book." Big Guy & Rusty. TV's Jack of All Trades. Starship Troopers FX. Complete Millennium & Drake's fascination with historical alle- Complete Hercules Poltergeist Episode gory comes from a lifelong interest in his- Note: Issue #7 is SOLD OUT. Episode Guide. S7 Guides. S7 torical research. "I do tons of research, but I consider it reading for fun," he offers. "Whatever I'm reading at the time for SCI-FI TV BACK ISSUES enjoyment, I'll draw elements out of it and come up with ideas to use for my books. I Please send me these SCI-FI issues TV write books about the things that interest # Price # Price Total enclosed: $_ me." # Price _ _ # Price Those varied interests have led # Price . # Price Drake I I I I I I _L_L and his readers to some strange and won- Postage & Handling: New York State drous places. And even though Drake residents add 8 1/4% sales tax. One mag- has Card Expiration Date: (Mo./Yr.) azine: Add $2. Up to five magazines: Add _ . made his peace with it, he hasn't forgotten $3. Six or more magazines: Add $5. Vietnam the Your Daytime Phone #:( and hard lessons he learned Method of Payment: there. He never will. Cash Check Money Order What started out as a way for one man to

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Using Spandex, spiked heels & sexy outfits, these beautiful babes brought Batman to his knees.

By PAT JANKIEWICZ

Rotham City in the 1960s was a strange things: a weird gimmick, a garish appear- place. Besides having two masked ance and—most importantly—a stunning heroes who ran around in broad day- female sidekick. While the first two were light, a completely ineffectual police force optional, the henchwench was mandatory. and a perpetual crime wave, it also boasted a And these fetching bad girls were more than female population composed entirely of willing to use their wiles, feminine charms busty, lusty supermodels. It seemed as if and, of course, knockout gas to help their every normal-looking woman with the bizarre boy friends bring down Batman. exception of Aunt Harriet had left town, After luring the Dynamic Duo into dead- leaving the city in the clutches of gorgeous ly situations, these sensual sirens would vamps in tight Spandex, spiked heels and stand back to watch the superhero pair fall bouffant hairdos. prey to outlandish death traps—only to be Forget Batman and Robin; Gotham City's disappointed time and again by another villains were the true lady killers. Apparent- unbelievable escape. Fortunately, Batman ly, every male Batman evildoer had an end- forgave the foiled females their trespasses, less supply of beautiful babes ready and and before serving them up for arrest, would willing to help them attack the Caped Cru- usually admonish the deluded dames with sader and his Boy Wonder. In short, if you such comments as "You abandoned child!" wanted to be a supervillain, you needed three and "You poor, foolish girl."

86 STARLOG/August 2002 "

big, curly wig on the show, and I thought I "Freeze, Batman—or I'll blow looked pretty cute! I talked in that sing-song the old lady 's brains out! voice because a chickadee is a bird, and I was —Chickadee, threatening Aunt Harriet trying to give her a lilting bird voice. at gunpoint. "Chickadee was so ditzy. She probably Chickadee, the homicidal hatcheck wanted to be the Penguin's girl friend! And since Chickadee wasn't too bright, there Asi girl, actress Grace Gaynor got to be a Imoll for Batman's most popular vil- probably weren't many job opportunities for happy to be the lain, the Penguin, in the episodes "The Pen- her in Gotham, so she was innocent. guin's Nest" and "The Bird's Last Jest." Penguin's moll! She was totally she did." Wearing a cocktail dress, high heels and fish- Her job was to follow Penguin, so the villain- net stockings, Chickadee was the only hench- Ironically, the one crime that ous Penguin frowned upon was scene-steal- "How many ing. "Burgess Meredith [who played the watch. opportunities Penguin] was a good actor and fun to do you get to He stayed in character on the set," she be in high remembers. "I wasn't totally free in heels, mesh playing Chickadee, though,

stockings and because I was working with shoot at Burgess, who didn't like people?" asks some of my choices—like Gaynor. She snapping my chewing gum showed some | or anything that would leg and thigh Penguin! as the detract from the Penguin's moll, Burgess would rein me and Chickadee. the henchmen in if he felt wench on the entire series to we were doing anything too pull a gun on Aunt Harriet broad or distracting." (Madge Blake). As for the show's caped "I would have had no problem shoot- crimebusters, "Adam West was a real- ing her," Gaynor smiles. "If Penguin told me ly nice, professional guy. He was pleasant on cast to, I would have done it. I mean, how many the set, nice to everybody in the and opportunities do you get to be in high heels, crew. He was very easy to be around. The mesh stockings and shoot at people?" only obnoxious guy on the set was Robin! Entering the TV show's fantasy My memory is very vivid that Burt Ward was world wasn't hard. "Batman was an obnoxious ass. But on his behalf, he was

really creative; it was a giant, live- very young, and it was his first job." action cartoon. When you're on the Being a Gotham City baddie runs in

set and doing a job, you take it very seri- Gaynor's family. Her late husband, actor-pro-

ously," Gaynor states. "You buy into it. ducer Jock Gaynor, was one of Catwoman 'That's Batman, this is the Penguin and I'm Julie Newmar's henchmen in two Batman Chickadee!' That's all you need to know, and episodes. "That was the bane of his exis- so you become this character. My costume tence," she giggles. "To turn on the TV and wasn't unusual for me either, because I was a see himself in those cat-ears and that striped

dancer. I had worn fishnets before. I wore a shirt!"

"Sorry, Caped Crusader!" —Venus, disguised as a Greek goddess, pours knockout drops all over Batman and Robin.

k; s the Joker's slinky moll Venus, Terry Moore joined Batman and II JLJ| " ^TilRobin for their most famous cliffhanger—she is chained to them as all three are about to be devoured by a giant clam in "The Zodiac Crimes'VThe Joker's Hard Times'V'The Penguin Declines." "I loved play- just painted ing the bad role—I was Venus Flytrap and got to the parts of me be a femme fatale, wearing all sorts of wigs and that could be disguises," says Moore. "I'm an enemy of Bat- seen. It was

man, but I fall for him. It was fun to flirt with hard standing him, Joker and Penguin—those guys were terrif- on that pe- ic to be around, great actors, too. I adored all destal during

joined I "I'm an enemy three—Adam West and I are still the best of the fight scene. My friend Kim Novak me of Batman," friends to this day and he still looks handsome, on set to watch them film." admits Terry just like Batman!" For the scene where the massive mussel Moore, lovely She captures Batman in a museum by clever- attacks them, "The water was cold! The giant as the Joker's ly posing as a white marble statue of the Greek clam was amazing to look at. That's what I Venus, "but I paint part of you most about the entire shoot," she goddess Venus. "They can only remember fall for him." at a time, because your skin can't breathe. They laughs. "It looked real!"

STARLOG/August 2002 87 !

"I have some very rare lilacs in funny, my face hurt from smiling! I'm

Stanislavsky-trained, it the rear room, if you 'd like but was hard to prepare for the role, because Milton kept tossing to see them."—Lila, about to trap the off one-liners!" Dynamic Duo. As for her outlandish outfit, "They didn't Lila, lithe Lisa Seagram lured Bat- give me one," Seagram regrets. "I wore my Asman and Robin into her flower shop, own house dress. They wanted me in purple, where she dispatched them with poiso- so I brought that in and they said 'Perfect!' I nous plants for Louie the Lilac (Milton really enjoyed my scene alone with Batman Berle). "I thought the part was flattering, very and Robin, where I trap them. They wake up because it the was only time in the series being eaten by a giant plant, which was hilar- where I saw Batman say anything really neat ious! Yvonne Craig's Batgirl was about a woman," Seagram smiles. "He turns in the last scene, but she did- to Robin and says, 'She's a very delightful n't really have anything to distraction for whatever Louie the Lilac's , do with us in that ultimate scheme may be.' That was nice!" episode." Her episode, "Louie the Lilac," was Bat- One never knew man's notorious "hippie show," and actually just who they were starts with the heroes painting a flower on the going to run into on Batmobile! "I enjoyed doing Batman; it was the Batman set. "One an easy "I wore my own house dress," show to work on, good people. It was day a gentleman on the a big deal, because says Lisa Seagram. As Lila, she doing Batman then was set struck up a conversa- tried to feed the Dynamic the equivalent of doing Friends today," Duo to a says tion with me, and it turned giant plant at Louie the Lilac's behest. Seagram. "It was huge! We shot our episode out to be Bob Kane, the creator in three days and had so fun. I help much Crusader. "Adam West was neat, very elegant of Batman" Seagram grins. "As a little girl, I Louie corner the Gotham City flower market, and sophisticated, but he was also warm and used to pretend I was Wonder Woman. I and upset all the flower children!" funny, easy to work with. The only problem I never dreamed of being the bad girl out to Seagram was impressed with the Caped had all week was Milton Berle—he was so catch Batman!"

"How about reading me a book? Say thatfourth one on the end " of the shelf? —Lydia Limpet, about to snare Robin.

rancine York, who played the Bookworm's buxom moll Lydia Limpet in the Batman two-parter "The Bookworm Turns" and "While Gotham City Burns," says that "the F show was the in-thing to do. Playing a bad girl on Batman was almost liberating. I got to bomb the Batmobile, capture Robin and almost boil Batman alive in a giant book. I also brought Robin to his knees with both my hands tied. Batman leaves him alone to guard me, so I trick him into opening a book on English History rigged with sleeping gas!" The actress appreciated her treacherous role. "On most TV shows, you have to play good girls, and the problem with good girls is that they never steal the scene," York points out. "But on Batman, the bad girls always did! I was also the only girl in that entire episode. It was a fabulous experience. The Batcave set was so impressive, and I even got to ride in the Batmobile.

' * Adam West was a real gentleman, and Roddy McDowall [as the Bookworm] was a great guy. 1 "Because I was taken to the Batcave, Adam had to spray me with Bat-Gas to knock me out. For the rest of the week, people were teasing me, 'Look out, she's got Bat-Gas!' Burt Ward was a little bit of a pain in the ass, but he was nice to me. I had no problem with him. But everybody kept telling me they did not like him. They were glad that he was

having a chafing "Batman! "—Anna Gram, at the first problem with his sight of the Caped Crusader in action. tights!" One thing that York Doing Batman gave you a chance to be a was less-than-thrilled about vamp; it let you be free and over-the- was her own skintight wardrobe. top and cause trouble," declares Land "Obviously, you had to wear a of the Giants'' Deanna Lund, who played the 'bad girl' costume, but my red Riddler's sleek sidekick Anna Gram in "Bat- outfit was sooo tight, I split right man's Anniversary" and "A Riddling Contro- out of it," York confesses. "They versy." "I loved destroying Batman and had to sew me back into it. I Robin and ruining all of the men around me! couldn't breathe, move or go to "It was great fun working with Adam the bathroom!" West," she adds. "He was quite the man with the ladies. I did my episode with John Astin "It was a fabulous as the experience," recalls Francine Riddler, and when I saw Batman in York of Batman. While playing person [for the first time], with that cape and

the Bookworm's henchwench cowl on, I laughed and kidded Adam about it. Lydia Limpet, "I even got to I asked him if he was going to his ballet class ride in the Batmobile." www.starlog.com " "

chair next to him! When he left, I smiled, "At the scene of a crime?"—Evilina, because he had no idea that it was me under when asked where Batman may be found. the smock and rollers. He had seen my pic- blonde bombshell and Playboy tures in Playboy, and wanted to discuss it WhenPlaymate June Wilkinson invaded with somebody! Gotham as a Glamazon in "Nora "Doing the show was just great fun," Clavicle and the Ladies Crime Club," she got Wilkinson smiles. "Barbara Rush orders me to infest the city with exploding mice, rob a and another henchwoman to tie Batman, few banks and tie Batman, Robin and Batgirl Robin and Batgirl into a human knot, which, into a human Siamese knot. "What a mar- of course, we do!" The death trap is so popu- velous show," Wilkinson extols. "It was so lar, it even has its own web page—the website. "That's flat- creative. How could I not be a criminal when Siamese Human Knot "It unusu- my character was named 'Evilina'? I helped tering," Wilkinson giggles. was an Barbara Rush [as Nora Clavicle] take over. I al way to get rid of Batman!" ran around in a mask and a flowing white As for her crime spree, "Barbara was my a crook who becomes police commis- dress—it was just marvelous!" boss, Concurring with the popular consensus, sioner. We had a great time; she was charm- Wilkinson comments that she "liked Adam ing. I didn't have too many scenes with West," and recalls a unique encounter with Batgirl, but in real life I had double-date' the actor. "What comes to mind about doing with Yvonne Craig. It's amazing, it has become Batman was when I was sitting in the make- because over the years, J thing to have done the show. up chair when Adam came in. I had no make- a big || up on except a powder on my face, and my Everybody is Bafman-crazy!" hair was all in rollers. Adam was excited. He "How could I nor be a criminal said to the makeup man, 'Hey, I think June when my character was named Wilkinson is gonna be in this episode! Did 'Evilina'?" wonders June you see her pictures in PlayboyV He was Wilkinson. On Batman, the Playboy talking about me, not realizing I was in the Playmate robbed banks

"Doing Batman "Gee, I'll certainly try—if I can remember all that! gave you a —Millie Second, when Clock King simply tells her to stay put and keep her chance to be a eyes open. vamp," notes I I Land of the the Clock King's concubine, the mischievous Millie Second, I Giants' Deanna Playing Eileen O'Neill helped pillage Gotham City in "The Clock King's Crazy Lund. She portrayed the Crimes." all had a time motif because we were ' Riddler's minion "It was cute," O'Neill comments. "We Anna Gram. the Clock King's sidekicks. The henchmen were called 'the Second Hands!' My Clock King episodes were the only shows written by Batman's co-creator and Adam didn't have much [Bill Finger]. Walter Slezak was a big international movie star at the time, of a sense of humor only played the Clock King because his teenage son was a big Batman fan." on to [about that]." Acting alongside Batman and Robin "was fun, and Burt Ward went At the time, Lund marry my friend, Kathy Kersh," notes O'Neill. "In their autobiographies, Burt with the women on the show, was "very ill, and no one and Adam West admitted they were gregarious

knew. I had something but they were courteous to me. 8 sexy sidekick. Whatever the Clock King did, I would called tic douloureux, an "I loved being the E o extraordinarily painful help him. Up until Batman, women on TV were nice mother-types in aprons, O white picket o condition; it's a break- or strait-laced daughters in houses with Q down of muscles in your fences. Those were the roles available to women. In to be daring and face. I was on experi- the '60s, women were allowed like Batman" O'Neill mental drugs to treat it. different in zany shows My worst memory of says. "It's always fun to be the bad girl!" -^f Batman occurred when I was sitting in the makeup chair after I had taken my medication. Suddenly, my stomach went 'Blehhh,' and I looked like a scene from The Exorcist\ It went all over the makeup and the makeup artist! He started screaming like I had shot him. They sent me home in a limo, thinking I had the flu. What I said probably "We were the worry, raised eyebrows—I told them, 'Don't Clock King's " it's just the drugs!' sidekicks, 'the Lund feels Batman's primary strength Second Hands!' "was the scripts. The writing on the show, reports O'Neill, particularly by Lorenzo Semple, was unbe- seen here with lievably good! Lorenzo was incredibly talent- timely colleagues Charles Picerni ed. I just knew he was gonna go on to bigger and Michael Pate. things!" Semple (STARLOG #74-75) later wrote such films as Never Say Never Again, The Parallax View and Three Days of the Condor.

STARLOG/AwgMsr 2002 89 a "

Us, too. Next topic, Dan. Sonnenfeld's Wild Wild West didn't meet pre-release expecta-

tions. "I still like the movie a lot, but I think it had two problems: One is that I broke my own rule, which is to never cast two funny are, almost always, There outtakes. They're bits and pieces of people in a comedy. Both Kevin Kline and Will Smith are funny STARLOG interviews discarded during the editorial process people, and in a comedy you need a funny man and a straight for various reasons—unnecessary tangents (like the actress man—Gracie Allen and George Burns, Laurel and Hardy. and pilates), redundant anecdotes mentioned in previous articles "What Will and I decided to do was let Will play straight man (young actor breaks his arm, film at 1 1) and dull trivialities (all to Kevin, because it wasn't going to work the other way around," examples gladly forgotten). And, of course, we cut for space. Sonnenfeld explains. "In retrospect, I feel that one reason the Those are the unkindest cuts of all. Perfectly good paragraphs movie didn't do better was because people wanted to see Will that we might otherwise publish are sent to the shredder because being funnier. And the second—and more important—reason is there just isn't room. The story has to fit. We're a magazine— that audiences didn 't get the conceit of an SF Western. Weirdly marriage of words and pictures—and the photos must run large enough, I think the movie was working better before the 80-foot enough for some degree of visual impact. We can't run all-text mechanical tarantula came out. At that point, you literally felt the pages (last issue to the contrary). So, sadly, with a tear in our edi- audience going, 'I'm confused, I don't know what movie I'm torial eye and a wave of our hand (unnecessary, redundant and watching any more!' trivial), we say adios to those poor little graphs. Buh-bye! Thanks, both of you. I wrote more here earlier but I had to cut Which brings us to Dan Yakir. He turned in a very funny inter- it for space. view (see page 22) with director Barry Sonnenfeld—who likes —David McDonnell/Editor (June 2002); making short movies —but, ironically, it was too long. I had told interview outtakes by Dan Yakir Dan that he could go long (it's the cover story, after all), but this was Tom Weaverian-length. Epic! Nonetheless,

it had to fit. The pages before and after were already at

the printer. So we cut it. Except I had also directed "W^* Dan to ask Sonnenfeld E J f about The Tick, his Fox TV superherocom—whose quick cancellation annoyed me (Hey! I'm still mad at CBS for axing The Wild Wild West in 1969)—and Wild Wild West, his movie version of that series. Those graphs had to go. Not enough space! But I've got some here— less for me to write—so, Dan? Ask about The Tick. The Tick's premature death was lamented by its

many fans (and STARLOG editors). "I loved it, too,"

Sonnenfeld says emphatically. "I directed the pilot, and 1

I was very proud of it. For me, it was the best thing I've

ever directed: I thought The Tick was unique in that it didn't look like anything on TV. "And it was all the things the people at Fox kept saying they wanted. But Fox never understood the show; they bought it for the wrong reasons. We should have gone to the WB network, who really loved the show and really wanted it, but Fox made us a better deal and my

partners decided they wanted to go with them. It was a

big mistake. Fox never understood it, never liked it and

therefore never promoted it. But I thought it was a special, smart, funny show, and I'm very disappointed that Welcome to Valhalla for cancelled it wasn't kept on the air." superheroes, disappointing remakes and deleted paragraphs.

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