sign in sign up
<<
Home , Bill Mumy, Blackfire (DC Comics), Camera Ready, Empress (comics), Eric Laneuville, Gizmo (DC Comics)

How to MatfEffHEJf . S MOVH C&llS'H UNO OJEVTHOVB

SCIENCE FICTION *TV*VID E *r Keanu Reeves reloads for THE MATRIX ck asWW REVOLUTIONS mar's undersea epic

TOMORROW'S NIGHTMARE CONVtS TOWL

io IN

""""1 J

NUMBER 313 • AUGUST 2003 • THE UNIVERSE ]]\13]D5 '/UK JG5U5

Angelina JqJjb prepare;; for new adventure as Lara croft ON A GREEN RAMPAGE Oscar winner Michael Lane helps Mull', smash, crush h destroy THE LOOK OF MYSTIQUE Rebecca Piomljn-Stamos stil feels Plue a.oout all chat mate HE'S A HOTHEAD Aaron Stanford Pla2= Pad Poy ?yro ransi guy X-Men's Shawn Ashrnore cools off by playing

Jonathan Wlostow directs trie 'be of the Machines

Lovely Monica 3= iffi^BBBSEii oin

looks forward to

VWjffl Mi

Deac/ L/'/e Ms, Put Ellen does enjoy all the Grim mSilng

-K///7C/ ivemo, will trie oiks ever eat sushi again?

L'J Dj\]G5 aunching into fid

o The League dinar/ Gentlemen X E O

N2Xt JGGU5 CJrJ S/\L5

STARLOG: The Science Fiction Universe is published monthly by STARLOC CROUP, INC., 475 Park Avenue South, , NY 10016. STARLOG and The Science Fiction universe are registered trademarks of STARLOC CROUP, INC. (ISSN 0191-1626) (Canadian GST number: R-124704826) This is issue Number 313, August 2003. Content is © Copyright 2003 by STARLOC GROUP, INC. All rights reserved. Reprint or reproduction in part or in whole—including the reprinting or posting of articles and graph- ics on any internet or computer site—without the publishers' written permission is strictly forbidden. STARLOC accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, if Please photos or other materials, but if submittals are accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope, they'll be considered and, necessary, returned. do not call the editorial office re: this material. Freelancer phone calls will not be accepted. STARLOG does not publish fiction. Fiction submissions are not accepted and will be discarded without reply. Products advertised are not necessarily endorsed by STARLOC, and views expressed in editorial copy are not necessarily those of STARLOC. periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices, subscription rates: $49.97 one year (12 issues) delivered in U.S. only. Canadian and foreign subscriptions $59.97 in U.S. funds only. New subscriptions send directly to STARLOG, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Notification of change of address or renewals send to STARLOC Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 430, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to STARLOG Subscription Dept.,

. Box 430, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430. Printed in U.S.A.

President/Publisher on the ins, outs and shortcuts to Successful NORMAN JACOBS Television Writing! This candid, anecdote- President heavy tome hits bookstores this month (John Executive Vice RITA EISENSTEIN Wiley & Sons, tpb, $15.95). Watch for it! Executive Art Director W.R. MOHALLEY Successful Editor QUOTE OF THE MONTH DAVID MCDONNELL "The Pawnee have returned. I suppose Director they want their back." Art HEINER FEIL —Mr. Burns, The Simpsons TELEVISION Managing Editor STUPID MOVIE DECISION ALLAN DART OF THE MONTH Contributing Editors Warner Bros.: For assuming (and presuming) Writing ANTHONY TIMPONE too much about the Matrix phenomenon. Know MICHAEL CINCOLD this: The mainstream is fickle. They have no TOM WEAVER IAN SPELLING spoons. JOE NAZZARO

STUPID TV DECISION Consultant OF THE MONTH "3 KERRY OQUINN Lee Goldberg It's a tie! UPN (for closing The Twilight William Financial Director Zone) and Fox (for not recalling John Doe). Rabkm DEB IRWIN Both shows got a semi-fair, full-season shot Executive Assistants: Dee Erwine, at success and a brief test each in other time Phillip Genessie, Andrew Schvvarz. slots. Still, we can't help but believe, from the Correspondents: (west coast) Kyle evidence so far, they're better than some of Counts, Pat Jankiewicz, Kim Howard Johnson, Rhonda Krafchin, Bob their replacements debuting this fall. Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin Miller, Marc Shapiro, Bill warren, Dan provide the provocative lessons to Yakir; (NYC) Dan Dickholtz, Mike STUPID STARLOG DECISION Successful Television Writing. McAvennie, Maureen McTigue, Keith OF THE MONTH Olexa; (Boston) Will Murray; (Phoenix) Bill Florence; (Orlando) Bill Wilson; Well, it wasn't a decision. It was an accident, (Canada) Peter Bloch-Hansen, Mark a SNAFU. Last issue, a computer glitch trans- BOOKS OF DAVID Phillips; (England) Anne Cay, Stan The third volume in Nicholls; (Booklog) Penny Kenny, 's Sir Jean-Marc Lofficier, Michael Wolff; (Toons) Kevin Brockschmidt, Alain >r's HiGHrcfA\>JLER. AGEtJCi!. Apropos Nothing T«f INSURANCE of "Big Bad Bubba" Chaperon, Mike comedic fantasy saga, Fisher, Tom Holtkamp, Bob Muleady; MOW HE'S HERE TAKIN& CAKE OF NOW HE'S WOT.' SOU WHEN SOU REAAIY NEED Tong Lashing (he, $25), (Photos) Donn Nottage. Lisa Orris, Albert L. Ortega, Jo Beth Taylor, Glenn will be unleashed by & Scott Weiner. Pocket Books in August. Special Thanks to.- Lexie Aliotti, And the long-awaited Shawn Ashmore, Monica Bellucci, Meredith Blume, Jasin Boland, sequel to David's Knight Michael Broidy, Kristine Cheren, Carol Life, One Knight Only Cundieff, Ralph Eggleston, Patrick (Ace, he, $23.95), storms Gilmore, Andrew Cordon, Howard Green, Michael Gross, Karen bookstores this month. In Hartquist, Doug Ikeler, Oren Jacob, this volume of his 21st Shelley Jeffrey, Jakob Jensen, Tim century adventures, King Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Lana Kim, Arthur serves as U.S. Fumi Kitahara, Henrik Knudsen, Art: Mike Fisher Michael Lantieri, , Megan President. Camelot in- Lichko, Jonathan Mostow, Glen deed! Murakami, Ellen Muth, Tom Phillips, formed all the captions on 13 pages (the movie Keanu Reeves, Chris Reichert, Rebec- ca Romijn-Stamos, Arnold Schwarzen- and comics stories, contents page, SCI-FI egger, Fiona Searson, Irika Slavin, TV) from Helvetica Bold into plain ol' Helveti- FANTASY CALENDAR Emma Snowden, Gina Soliz, Aaron ca without any italic to indicate movie, TV and Stanford, Andrew Stanton, Carolyn dates are extremely subject to Release Sudeth, Alex Uliantzeff, Lee Unkrich, book titles. It didn't look very good. We were change. Jeff Walker, Mark Walsh, Graham Wal- unhappy. July: Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas ters, Shane West. Cover images: T3: ilm/©2003 imf (7/2), T3: Rise of the Machines (7/2), Pirates Internationale Medien und Film BY OUR CONTRIBUTORS the Caribbean: Curse the Black Pearl of of GmbH & Co.3 Produktions KG; Matrix in the mid-80s, Lee Goldberg and Back (7/9), The League of Extraordinary Gentle- Reloaded: Melinda Sue Gordon/ William Rabkin made their national pro- Bros. Village Road- \men (7/11), Johnny English (7/18), Lara ©2003 Warner & fessional magazine writing debuts in STAR- show; Lara Croft: Alex Bailey/©2003 Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Life of . Tomb Raider & LOG. Since then, they've gone on to write (7/25), Spy Kids 3-D (7/25). Lara Croft are Trademarks of Core and often produce— 100-odd hours of — August: Freaky Friday (8/1), Freddy vs. Design Ltd. episodic television {Spenser: For Hire, Diag- For Advertising information: (8/15), American Splendor (8/15), nosis Murder, Nero Wolfe, Monk, SeaQuest, (212) 689-2830. FAX (212) 839-7933 Jeepers Creepers 2 (8/29). Advertising Director: Rita Eisenstein , Murphy's Law, Martial Law, The September: The Order (9/5), Underworld Classified Ads: Phillip Genessie Cosby Mysteries, Hunter, Baywatch, etc.). West Coast Ads: The Faust Co., 24050 (9/19). Goldberg is also a mystery novelist while Madison St. #101, Torrance, CA 90505 October: Scary Movie 3 Boy! (10/3), Good (310) 373-9604. FAX (310) 373-8760. Rabkin, who has directed TV episodes, teach- (10/10), Yu-Gi-Oh! (10/10), The Medallion International Licensing Rep: Robert es a television writing course at UCLA. Who (10/17). J. Abramson & Associates, inc., 720 better than these two to instruct newcomers Post Road, Scarsdale, NY 10583.

6 STARLOG/Augiwf 2003

UPDATES (who has owned the rights to the J.R.R. Tolkien

it's Independence Day, it must be time for trilogy for decades and made the deal for the If the SCI FI Channel's Twilight Zone Peter Jackson movies) is producing alongside

Marathon. Beginning at 8 a.m. July 3, SCI FI Kevin Wallace (a former Andrew Lloyd Webber will 44 consecutive hours of classic Zone. associate). The book and lyrics are by Shawn is no longer interested McKenna, music by Stephen Keeling & Bernd in directing the Creature from the Black Stromberger. It's being targeted for a 2005 pre- Lagoon remake. miere. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen's By DAVID MCDONNELL Tor Books is doing novels set in the T3 Uni- title won 't be shortened to The League after all. verse—a separate deal from the T2 spin-off Breck (The Invisible Man TV ) Eisner books Bantam has published. The first, Termina- will direct the movie version of Clive Cussler's Sahara, rolling this tor Dreams by Aaron Aliston, will be out in hardcover in December. fall. He replaces Rob Bowman. Matthew McConaughey—who As of yet, there are no plans for a Terminator stage musical. starred in Bowman's Reign of Fire—is taking on the heroic role of Dirk Pitt. Veteran Trek writer-producer Herb Wright is reshaping Gene CHARACTER CASTINGS Roddenberry's The Questor Tapes for possible revival. The fall's new mainstream shows are employing their share of Looks like Tim Burton will direct the new movie version of the genre vets: Ghostbusters' Ernie Hudson stars in ABC's 10-8 as late Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Dahl actu- a tough officer training LA Deputy Sheriffs. Supernova's Robert ally didn't much like the previous film adaptation, 1971's Willy Forster is the retired Marshal dad to Florida U.S. Marshal Karen Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Sisco (played by Spy Kids' Carla Gugino) in an ABC TV spin-off In the Manchurian Candidate update, Meryl Streep will play of the Out of Sight movie. Meanwhile, Kelly (The Adventures of the nasty mother etched to icy perfection in the original 1962 Brisco County Jr.) Rutherford fights terrorists as a member of the movie by Angela Lansbury. What a bitch! Homeland Security Agency's Threat Matrix team (also on ABC). Buffy's Bianca (Kendra) Lawson is part of the Fearless dra- ANIMATION SCENE matic ensemble on the WB, while Harry Groener (the Mayor on John Goodman, and Orlando Jones will provide voices Buffy) is in, coincidentally, the WB mid-season sitcom The Mayor. for that NBC CG-animated series about Siegfried & Roy's Las Earth 2 pretty boy Antonio Sabato Jr. resurfaces in another WB Vegas , Father of the Pride. mid-season comedy, The Help. Speaking of felines, Disney has another Lion King direct-to-video CBS, meanwhile, has David McCallum (once The Man from animated spin-off, due out in February. It's tentatively dubbed The U.N.C.L.E. and The Invisible Man) and Dark Angel's Michael Lion King 1.5: Hakuna Matata—thanks to the fact that it takes place Weatherly on board its JAG spin-off, Navy CIS (a.k.a. NC1S). Time at the same time as the first film, but focuses on the scene-stealing After Time's Mary Steenburgen is in the CBS drama Joan ofArca- Timon & Pumbaa (again voiced by Nathan Lane & Ernie Sabella). dia. And The Matrix's Joe Pantoliano trains FBI agents and super- Most of the voice cast is back (including Matthew Broderick, vises their undercover efforts on CBS as The Handler (a.k.a. Street Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Robert Guillaume and Moira

Boss). Kelly). It includes an Elton John-Tim Rice song cut from the origi- NBC has The Chronicle's Rena Sofer in its sex-obsessed sit- nal. com, Coupling. COMICS SCENE SEQUELS With his many scores (Darkman, , Spider- A&E will air two more Captain Horatio Hornblower adventures Man), Danny Elfman has the experience, so he composed based on C.S. Forester yarns this fall: the tentatively titled Loy- the music for The Hulk. alty (adapting Forester's Hornblower and the Hotspur) and Duty. John Travolta will play evildoer Howard Saint in the movie Hornblower, you may recall, was a model for Captain James T. Kirk. adaptation of Marvel's popular comic assassin The . The next stop for Anne Rice's vampire protagonist? Broadway! There's a new screenwriter on the long-in-the-works Wonder Linda (Disney's Beauty & the ) Woolverton is scripting a Warn- Woman film project: veteran Philip Lovens. Bros. -produced musical derived from three Rice novels (Interview Darren ( for a Dream) Aronofsky will direct a new With the Vampire, The Vampire Lestat, Queen of the Damned). Elton American-made Lone Wolf & Cub movie based on 's John and Bernie Taupin are reteaming to create the music and lyrics graphic novel series (oft-filmed in Japan). Aronofsky's also the for Lestat. director on board Cat's Cradle, a Richard (Donnie Darko) Kelly-

And if it's good enough for vampires, why not Hobbits? So, look penned adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut Jr. SF classic. for a musical based on . Saul Zaentz

Angel's Julie Benz yuks it up in the direct-to- Yo-ho!Yo-ho! It's a video George of the Jungle 2 (due out this fall). pirate's life for takes over the role of George's mate Ursula. Johnny Depp as he She swashbuckles into Resident Evil's Milla Jovovich will get back into theaters on July 9 with action in Ultraviolet, a futuristic vampire yarn set in his latest treasure, Shanghai.

Pirates of the The Bermuda Triangle is the setting where Caribbean: Curse of action takes place in an eight-hour TV mini-series the Black Pearl. being developed by producers Dean () Geoffrey Rush and Devlin and Bryan (X-Men) Singer for the SCI FI Channel. Naturally, it's called Triangle. co-star. Those not Ian McNeice, so memorable as Baron Harkonnen attending may end up walking the plank! in the two recent Dune mini-series, is part of the Around the World in 80 Days ensemble. Luke & Owen Wilson will also cameo in this Jules Verne update starring . Pirates Photo: Elliott Marks (SMPSP)/Copyright 2003 Disney/Jerry Bruckheimer, Inc.

8 STARLOG/August 2003 Captain Kirk "The Trouble WithTribbtes" MiniMate Order Form

Shipping ORDERING Price x Quantity + Shipping == Total Charges INFORMATION $6.99 (Please Print Clearly) $ I- 2 for $4.95.

3-4 for $5.95. Name: 5-6 for $6.95.

7-8 for $7.95. Address:

9-10 for $8.95

II- 12 for $9.95. City: State: Zip:

Phone: E-Mail:

Limit 12 per order. Check One: Check or Money Order Visa Mastercard Discover American Express For orders outside the

U.S., please email: Credit Card Number: [email protected] for a shipping quote. Exp Date:

STRLGJL Send Order Form To: Action Online, Inc. 4 S Central, Suite 1 St. Louis, MO 63105 — —

ENTERPRISE Renewed for a third season by UPN. Airs Wednesdays. Some new, younger charac- ters will join the ensemble. FUTURAMA Cancelled by Fox. Show's over. Watch the GENRE TV ADVENTURE, INC. reruns of all produced episodes on Cartoon The six broadcast networks have announced ^ancelled after one syndicated season. Network's instead. their fall schedules—and the result was even grimmer than expected for the science JOHN DOE fiction universe. Let's survey the . ANDROMEDA Cancelled by Fox. Show's over. Can't you NBC, already airing no genre series, didn't Renewed for a fourth syndicated season. remember anything? add any new ones. Zero for zero at NBC. Keith Hamilton Cobb is leaving the series CBS didn't add any either. The network, (though he may be on hand for four episodes MIRACLES which ended Touched by an Angel this year, this fall). Cancelled by ABC. Unaired episodes does have one new show that has a may be broadcast this summer. slight genre angle to it Joan ofArca- Show's over. Move along. dia (Fridays, 8 p.m. EST). Like The Next Voice You Hear or Oh, God!, it's MUTANT X about a young woman who thinks God Renewed for a third syndicated season. talks to her (though it isn't clear Reruns airing the week of 6/30: whether God does or doesn't), and she "Power Play." 7/7: "Whose Woods These then tries to prevent bad things. Are." 7/14: "The Future Revealed." 7/21: Alas, ABC cancelled Miracles, "One Step Closer." topping a junk heap that already included Dinotopia, Veritas: The SMALLVILLE Quest and That Was Then. ABC has Renewed for a third season by the WB. ordered one genre effort, Stephen It will move to a new time slot King's Kingdom Hospital (King's (Wednesdays, 8 p.m.). First and second reconceptualization of Lars von Trier's season episodes will begin airing as Danish mini-series), for mid-season Smallville Beginnings this fall (Sundays,

(probably Thursdays), but that's it so 7 p.m.), allowing fans who have missed far. The Wonderful World of Disney, shows to catch up. Tom Welling plays the which frequently airs animated and oldest son in Cheaper by the Dozen. fantasy fare of interest, will be back, Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt are the but on a new night (Saturdays, 8 p.m.). I parents in this comedy remake just

Fox erased John Doe and officially I filmed. deep-sixed the out-of-production Futurama. They join the already dead STARCATE SG-1 Firefly. Both The Simpsons and King Seventh season episodes are now pre- of the Hill were previously renewed. miering on SCI FI (Fridays, 9 p.m.). Fox has only one new genre show this 7/1 1: "Revisions." There's life under the fall Tru Calling {Buffy's Eliza dome on this ruined planet. 7/18: Dushku as a young woman who hears "Lifeboat." Daniel gets crazy with multi- voices and tries to prevent bad things) ple personalities. 7/25: "Space Race." on Thursdays, 8 p.m.—but has appar- ently greenlit at least two mid-season TARZAN AND JANE offerings. They are Still Life (with New series premieres this fall on the Buffy's Marti Noxon as show runner, WB, Sundays, 9 p.m. about how a "dead" son's fate affects his fam- ANGEL directed the pilot (just as he did with the pilots ily) and Wondeifalls (from Bryan Fuller, about Renewed by the WB for a fifth season, to air of Roswell, Smallville and Dark Angel). Travis a young woman who hears the voices of sou- in the same time slot (Wednesdays, 9 Fimmel and Sarah Wayne Callies star. venir knickknacks she sells in Niagra Falls; p.m.). Buffy's James (Spike) Marsters is join- she too tries to prevent bad things). ing the cast while Charisma Carpenter is - TREMORS The WB bid farewell to Sabrina the ing as a regular (Cordelia is in a coma). Other New episodes air Fridays, 9 p.m. on SCI FI Teenage Witch and Black Sash (as well as the Buffy veterans may guest star. and began bowing 6/20. 7/11: "Graboid earlier and Do Over). The net- Rights." 7/18: "The Sounds of Silence." work renewed (same time slot) and CHARMED Insects arrive in Perfection—to eat your flesh! Smallville (moving to Wednesdays, 8 p.m.). Renewed for another season by the WB, to 7/25: "The Key." Nicholas Turturro and Vivica The WB ordered one new fantasy adventure air in same time slot (Sundays, 8 p.m.). A. Fox guest star. Michael Gross debriefs on series, Tarzan and Jane (Sundays, 9 p.m.). page 58. And finally, UPN cancelled The Twilight DEAD LIKE ME Zone. had already New series debuts on Showtime 6/27, airing THE TWILIGHT ZONE wrapped. UPN renewed Enterprise and Fridays, 10 p.m. Upcoming: "Dead Girl Cancelled by UPN. Show's over. See that ordered Jake 2.0 (with Angel's David Green- Walking," "Curious George." Ellen Muth stars signpost up ahead? It says move along. wait as show runner) as a new Wednesday (see page 64). companion series for the Trek. VERITAS At presstime, the networks hadn't revealed THE DEAD ZONE Cancelled by ABC. Unaired episodes may all their mid-season shows, so there's still rea- Airs Sundays, 10 p.m. on USA. From 7/6 to be broadcast this summer. Otherwise, son for (forlorn) hope. 8/10, six all-new episodes premiere. show's over. That's the truth. Move along.

Note: Airdates can shift without notice. Series are only listed for which STARLOG has new info. A. 1 "E .'.

: : , ,

Your favorite film is Silence of the Lambs. You tape every episode of CS/. A trip to the FBI's

Behavioral Science Unit is your idea of a dream vacation. You're not crazy— you're just responding to the forensic drama craze that's been sweeping the country!

Sony DVD player See where it all began by entering to win the very first &E's Complete

DVD set of PROFILER in A&E ROFILER Collection

ch season will be shipped upon release) Home V\deo*/Starlog's "Win a Date With Profiler" Sweepstakes. TEN FIRST Ally Walker and Robert Davi starred in this award-winning

NBC series about a forensic PROFILER: SEASON 1 psychologist with the uncanny Boxed Set— over 17 gift to truly "see" crime scenes. hours on 6 ! Now, you can truly "see" the landmark first season of PROFILER

It's the next best thing to a date with Ally Walker...

Enter to win today!

ENTRY FORM

Name Age -

Address

Phone - . E-mail

CONTEST RULES

Fill out the entry form and mail to the following address: "A&E 's* 'Win a Date With a Profiler' Sweepstakes" c/o Starlog Magazine, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Each entry must be filled out completely with the entrant's full name, address, telephone number and age. All completed entries will be submitted into a random drawing to win one (1) Grand Prize: one (1) Sony

DVD Player; one (1) PROFILER: SEASON 1 BOXED SET ($99.95 SRP) + all additional PROFILER DVD releases from A&E Home Video", or one

._ of ten First Prizes: a DVD BOXED SET OF PROFILER: SEASON 1 SRP EACH). No purchase necessary. Contest open to all U.S. , _ (10) ($99.95 f — res 'd en ts 18 years of age or older. Entries must be received by September 1, 2003. Winner will be drawn on or about September 15, 200 5. ^K^U^f^* ^ -j-} rT" T~k I 0c^ s of winmn § are based on the number of eligible entries received. Winners will be contacted by telephone. To obtain the complete, f K^JIH V Urn f BrlU£$&l 8 flflV^^^^^ yyj^^JL^^^^1^® I official rules, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: "A&E Home Video's® 'Win a Date With a Profiler' Sweepstakes" c/o Starlog Magazine, ti^tS^Sm. ML 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. —

DR. JONES! DR. JONES! HOUR OF DVDECISION! Stop the presses! Paramount has Did you ever wonder how you would fare if announced that Indiana Jones, one of the you had the job of deciding what oldies

last major DVD holdouts, is finally prepar- came to DVD, and when? Well, you can get a

ing to brave the digital domain. The Harrison t v< t x I small taste of what it's like by logging on to the Ford-starring trilogy—one of the most L) V D / Turner Classic Movies website and choosing requested film series for the DVD format—is five films from the list of 20 shown; the top slated for worldwide release November 4 as a vote-getters will make their DVD debut in Janu- box set titled "The Adventures of Indiana ary 2004. The current list sports just one genre title, Jones—The Complete DVD Movie Collection the 1941 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with . There will be one film per disc (Raiders of the Ark, It faces hefty competition from early entries in MGM's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Indiana Jones and Thin Man series, The Good Earth, The Asphalt Jungle, Bad the Last Crusade), plus a fourth disc sporting approximately four Day at Black Rock (another Tracy classic), Blackboard Jungle and hours of supplemental features produced for this collection. The other worthy contenders. Do the red, white and blue thing, vote

down side: You had better be a fan of all three movies, since early and often for your favorites and keep your eyes peeled for they're only going to be available as a set. The up side: Para- future polls at www.turnerclassicmovies.com

mount is now guesstimating that the whole shebang might run as Speaking of oldies, Warner Home Video is suddenly rushing

little as 50 bucks. More details when Paramount's plans are final- titles out of the vault like the place was flooding, and with supple- ized. ments rivaling MGM/UA's "Midnite Movies" franchise. Warners' Impatient fans who want their fix of epic action-fantasy-—-and $19.98 August releases include The Omega Man, the 1971 Charl- want it now (or at least next month)—will, in the meantime, want ton Heston-starring adaptation of Richard Matheson's / Am Leg- to pick up The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, second in the end, with introductions by screenwriter Joyce Corrington and Hobbit-forming series of J.R.R. Tolkien film adaptations. Join actors Eric Laneuville and Paul Koslo, plus a vintage "Making of Frodo Baggins and the Fellowship on August 26 as they contin- featurette; the similarly futuristic Heston-starrer Soylent Green, ue their quest to destroy the One Ring and stand against the evil with Leigh Taylor-Young and director Richard Fleischer commen- of the dark lord Sauron in New Line's two-disc set ($29.95), taries and its own original (1973) "Making of; the Peter Weller which features such extras as "On the Set The Lord of the vengeful-rat thriller Of Unknown Origin (1983), with commentary Rings: The Two Towers" and "Return to Middle-Earth" fea- by Weller and director George P. Cosmatos; and the all-time goose- turettes; "The Long and Short of It," a short film by faithful co- bumps champion, director Robert Wise's 1963 The Haunting, with star Sean (Sam) Astin; the featurette "The Making of 'The Long commentaries by Wise and screenwriter Nelson Gidding. " and Short of It' (you're pushin' it, Sean); a whole bunch more Shorter on extras, but just as welcome, are Warners' House of featurettes; a behind-the-scenes preview of The Lord of the Wax (1953), the star-making vehicle, which comes Rings: The Return of the King; and (attention, suckers) an inside on a double-bill with its 1933 inspiration Mystery of the Wax Muse- look at the Special Extended DVD Edition of Two Towers due um, with Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray, plus rare footage from the November 18. House of Wax premiere. Traveling the lightest of all extras-wise For underwater thrills and chills, check out Universal's Jaws (but consider how far he had to come) is The Thing from Another 3 (not in 3-D) and Jaws: The Revenge, priced at $19.98; or, for World, the James Arness-starring, never-mind-the-screen-credits- underwater mischief, SpongeBob SquarePants: Tide and Seek, 10 Howard-Hawks-directed-it chiller that helped put science fiction more episodes of 's popular series about the happy on the map in 1951. This (belated) "50th Anniversary little sponge of Bikini Bottom. SpongeBob comes with commen- Edition" comes with just a trailer, but hey—the Warners folks need taries by series creator Stephen Hillenburg and voice-of-Sponge- a day off every now and then. STARLOG's spies on the inside tell

Bob Tom Kenny. It's $19.99 from Paramount/Nickelodeon, as is us this is just the beginning Warners-wise. Keep Watching This their Fairly OddParents: Abra-Catastrophe, a collection of Space! episodes of Nickelodeon's Wrapping up on the vintage top-rated children's show film front, we now learn what has about the misadventures of held up Milestone's long-promised a 10-year-old whose wacky release of the Lon Chaney silent fairy godparents grant his of the Opera: More every wish. extras than you could pack into a Last month's Videolog basso profundo's pants. Now a

listed the 1959 Peter Cush- two-disc set, it includes two ver- ing version of The Hound of sions of the classic chiller (the the Baskervilles as a new 1925 original and a rather different Sinister Cinema DVD-R re-release; give a listen to film his- release. Our bad!: Sinister torian Scott MacQueen's audio is now offering a 1968 commentary for the behind-the- made-for-TV version of scenes details); a 10-minute on- Hound, with Cushing again camera interview with perhaps the as Sherlock Holmes (re- sole survivor of the film, delightful investigating that same old bit player Carla Laemmle; an case!) and Nigel Stock as audio interview with Phantom's Dr. Watson. The 1959 fea- cinematographer, the late Charles

ture film version is avail- Van Enger; trailers and still gal- able from MGM/UA leries featuring images from delet- ($14.95). How could we ed and missing scenes; and, have made a mistake like amazingly (since we are talking this? Quick, Watson—the about a movie that's pushing 80), needle! more.

12 STARLOG/August 2003 EMPIRE of

j DREAMS and That the Oregon Department of Human Services, which treats mental patients, recently felt obligated to hire a Klingon-English interpreter, because Klingon is the only lan- MIRACLES guage some of their (shall we say) "guests" will speak? Well, thank goodness you loyal f Trekkers out there in Videolog-land are all right.. .and, oh, by the way, get ready to beam yet another $139.99 up to Paramount, this time for their upcoming : Deep Space 9 Sea- son Four, a six-disc set. Now, please lie down here and tell us how all this started... Would You Believe.. .that folks "on the inside" are saying that the recent TVD (TV series on DVD) craze threatens to ruin these series' chances to be syndicated on free TV? Makes

sense when you think about it. Among the upcoming collections:

Alias Season 1, the -starring spy series, which comes with deleted scenes, cast and crew audio commentaries, a gag reel and a "Special Season 2 Preview" (Buena Vista, $69.99).

Hercules: The Legendary Journeys Season 1, a seven-disc box set of the Kevin Sorbo- starring mythological action series (Anchor Bay, $89.98). Season 3, Volumes 3 and 4, featuring the five episodes "Different Destina- tions," "Eat Me," "Thanks for Sharing," "Green Eyed Monster" and "Losing Time" (ADV Films, $39.98).

The Dead Zone Season 1, a four-disc box set with interviews (including guest stars), fea- turettes and.. .oh, yeah, the episodes (Lions Gate, $49.98).

And, just in time to take advantage of Charlie 's Angels: Full Throttle, Charlie 's Angels: The Complete First Season brings together the first umpteen episodes of the original Kate Jackson-Jaclyn Smith-Farrah Fawcett-starring series (Columbia TriStar, $49.94). Sound like too much of a good thing? Opt instead for less jiggle with TJie Best of Charlie's Angels f ant to read the best ($24.95), that season's top (in somebody's opinion) five episodes.

new Sci fi writers? DVDS IN BRIEF The Animatrix (Warners, DVD $24.98, VHS $19.98): This collection of nine original short films conceived by the Wachowski Brothers, creators of The Matrix, combines CG- animation and Japanese anime (as previewed in STARLOG #310 & #3 11). The original cyber-shoot-'em-up has, incidentally, been paired with the documentary The Matrix Revis- ited in a $99.99 "Gold Collection" edition reloaded with lotsa extras. Deadly Species (Artisan, $26.98): In this landlocked Creature from the Black Lagoon takeoff, an archaeological expedition into the Florida Everglades is menaced by a "mutated alligator" guarding the Fountain of Youth. Dracula II: (Buena Vista, $29.99): Medical students conduct experiments on the blood of a captive Dracula in this engaging horror-actioner with Jason Scott Lee and (in a cameo) Roy Scheider. Audio com- mentaries by the director, writer and makeup FX supervisor. Man's Best Friend (New Line, $19.98): Man's best friend?? When it has an unquenchable thirst for blood? We beg to differ! Ally Sheedy, Lance Henriksen and the titular, genetically altered guard dog star. The Critters series (New Line, $19.98 each): All four of the Grem- //ns-inspired SF-horror-comedies,

the third featuring Leonardo Empire of Dreams and Miracles copies $14.95 plus 34.00 for postage. U.S. orders only. DiCaprio and the fourth, Angela Cash Check Money Order Discover Card Bassett. Master Card Visa And, finally, a new batch of ani- Account number mated actioners from Warner Bros.:

X-Men: Evolution: UnXpected Changes Card Expiration Date: / (Mo./Yr.) ($14.98) and : Par- Your Daytime Phone # : ( ) adise Lost, Challenge of the Super-

: United They Stand and Print Name As It Appears Dn Your Card Batman: The Animated Series: Out of the Shadows ($19.98 each).

It's the survival City State Zip of the fittest as X-Men: Evolution Signature Send orders to: mutates Total enclosed: STARLOG GROUP, INC. onto DVD. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks 475 PARK AVENUE SOUTH I j^or delivery. NEW YORK, NY 1 001 6 fl

You can fax: 212-889-7933 ore-mail: [email protected]

www.starlog.com — — —

read by a master at the top of his craft. Highly recommended. —Jean-Marc Lofficier

In the Forests ofSerre by Patricia A. quered the Americas (among other events) and Crossfire by Nancy Kress (Tor, he, 368 pp, McKillip (Ace, he, 304 pp, $22.95) survived into the 20th century and beyond. $24.95) A prince rides down a witch's hen. A beau- The earlier sequences—such as the chap- In a future where mankind has begun to tiful firebird haunts the wood. A fights ters dealing with the first, failed attempt at con- slowly settle on other worlds, a new colony a faceless evil. A princess bargains for a lost quering the Aztec Empire, itself changed by a discovers that the planet it has chosen is home heart. In the Forests of Serre—where every- renegade Norseman—are a delight, and wor- to a race of primitive humanoids. As the new thing is possible and nothing is quite as it thy of far lengthier developments, so clever residents learn to deal with that fact, more dis- seems—these characters will and well-executed are their turbing evidence is found: the primitives may come together. contents. But Silverberg, also be alien to this world. Not only that, but McKillip is the master of PATRICI A A. McKlLLIP like history, moves on—to the colonists have stumbled into a galactic war the modern fairy tale a con- new tales, where these earli- between two deadly races: the biologically — In the Forests of Serre temporary Mother Grimm, er, involving stories are advanced Vines and the technologically recording timeless tales and already a part of the musty- advanced Furs. truths for a new generation. smelling past. While none of Crossfire's concepts are par-

In the Forests of Serre, char- The downside of this is ticularly new or surprising, it is nevertheless a acters stumble about search- that Roma Eterna is more for compelling read, with well-realized characters ing for their identities and readers who are entranced and suspenseful, unfolding action. Kress has who they are at heart. Like by the thunderous march of a built a believable universe, and filled it with

Shakespeare before her, civilization, as opposed to myriad details that give Crossfire its own McKillip knows that visiting specific characters. Silver- unique texture. the Green World changes berg only gives us a few —Jean-Marc Lofficier both the characters and the pages to become involved in reader. And, again, like Old the protagonists' torments, Enemies by Lee Hogan (Roc, pb, 416 pp, Will, she knows how to spin then moves on. $6.99) an enchanting tale. —Jean-Marc Lojficier This sequel to Belarus finds that planet —Penny Kenny being courted by representatives of a newly Ilium by Dan Simmons risen interstellar Union. But the humans White Wolf by David (Eos, he, 592 pp, $25.95) who inhabit Belarus suspect that the Gemmell (Del Rey, he, Simmons has once Union's true motives are somehow linked to 432 pp, $24.95) again outdone himself, and the Enemy: the malevolent alien race that White Wolf marks the fans of his Hyperion quar- remains hidden beneath the planet's sur- return of Gemmell's char- tet will be thrilled by his face. The answer to the mystery could lie acter Druss the Legend. The new series, which begins with Serina Kurakin-Scriabin, but she's one warrior known as Skilgan- with Ilium. This novel of many women who have been genetically

non the Damned is in search like its award-winning pre- disfigured due to the biotoxins that defeated of a mysterious temple and, decessor—takes place in the Enemy a millennium ago. As a result, accompanied by Druss the far future, involves a she is shunned by her own people, even and by visions of a large cast of characters and though she might hold the key to the future deadly white wolf—he draws on literary refer- of her world. begins a journey across the ences to the past—in this With these two books, Hogan has creat- Drenai lands. Every step case, Homer's The Iliad ed one of the most fully realized worlds in

brings the two warriors closer into battle and William Shakespeare's The Tempest. modern SF. Even better, the setting is richly with supernatural adversaries, as well as Set on Mars, Ilium involves vastly pow- populated with realistic and entertaining closer to one another. erful entities who the Greek Gods. characters. Hogan's careful job of cultural With their overt flavorings of the works Restaging The Iliad for their own benefit, extrapolation pays off in this excellent tale, of Fritz Leiber, Gemmell's Drenai books they bring back human scholars from the one of the few ongoing SF storylines that have earned him a noticeable following. past to observe how these deserves continuation. Indeed, his fiction has always carried the humans fight. Meanwhile, on —Michael Wolff genuine flair of the classic sword & sorcery Earth, another group of char- pieces of the 1930s and '40s. This install- acters is trying to figure out Signals by Kevin D. ment is no exception, although—like most what happened to old human- ENEMIES Randle (Ace, pb, 272 contemporary genre fiction—the reader is ity. Mysterious forces are at pp, $5.99) advised to pick up the earlier titles and dis- work there too, which could Book One of "The cover the threads of the Drenai tales that be connected to the Greek Exploration Chronicles" play out in this latest entry. Gods. opens with Earth-based

—Michael Wolff But that's not all. There's receivers detecting sig- also a third storyline, which nals from a point 50 Roma Eterna by (Eos, concerns human-built robotic light-years away from he, 416 pp, $25.95) explorers from the outer plan- Earth, a point which is In a series of short stories—beginning with ets who are curious about the steadily moving closer. the failure of Moses' exodus—Silverberg developments on Mars. Bril- This news, of course, imagines the alternate history of an Earth liantly imagined, suspenseful leaks out, and is spread where the Roman Empire didn't have to deal and brimming with emotions throughout the world with Christianity, nipped Islam in the bud, con- and ideas, Ilium is a terrific mainly by opportunists

14 STAKLOG/August 2003 —

within the political and her lost love. inactivity—even royal inactivity—isn't for media fields. Meanwhile, The mix of established him, and so he, along with fellow "inmate" physicist Sarah Bakker and myth and new tale makes Conrad Mursk and several others, break out of Army captain Thomas Evemight a delightfully heady their confinement and begin running rampant Hackett spearhead a group brew, but this final Bitterbynde on Earth. of various interests as work book meanders too much. So many authors take the reader to the moves toward the next Dart-Thornton so enjoys brink of Paradise, but so few bother to consid- step: Contact! exploring the byways of leg- er the consequences. McCarthy is one of those

This is a promising end that she forgets to sustain who has rubbed our noses in our wishes, and start, somewhat hampered narrative drive, concluding the he does it in an engaging style—pointing out by characters who skirt the Bitterbynde trilogy with a that every Hell is painted in the colors of edge of stereotype. Fortu- whimper rather than a bang. delight, and that the achievement of perfection nately, Randle's writing —Penny Kenny doesn't automatically mean the end of change. style is crisp and entertain- —Michael Wolff ing, and he isn't afraid to The Risen Empire by Scott add an occasional lightness Westerfeld (Tor, he, 304 Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of to the overall tone, result- pp, $24.95) King Arthur by Jane Yolen (Harcourt, ing in a story that's much The galaxy is under he, 369 pp, $17) more fun than most "first attack by the Rix—machine- Following the conclusion of her contact" tales. Whether or augmented humans who wor- acclaimed Young Merlin Trilogy, Yolen now not Randle can maintain ship planet-wide AIs, and gives young adults a tale of the king himself this sort of verve and pace who accomplish one of their in Sword of the Rightful King. throughout the proposed primary goals of conquest by In this tweaking of the mythos, Arthur is series remains to be seen, taking hostage the Child already serving as king. Morgause has sent but it should be an interest- Empress of the human race, assassins after him, and Merlinnus has just ing attempt. sister to the undead Emperor. conceived the greatest PR stunt in history

—Michael Wolff Captain Laurent Zai is the sword in the stone.

assigned to rescue her, Yolen 's take on the material is fresh The Wreck of the River backed by all the technology without being off the wall. She has respect of Stars by Michael of the Empire. Monitoring for the legends without slavishly adhering Flynn (Tor, he, 496 pp, his progress are the Risen, to what has come before. Her conception of $27.95) of the Empire, how the sword was pulled from the stone is

The title refers to a including Senator Nara particularly delightful, original and very spaceship: Once a grand Oxham, who must balance much in keeping with the way Merlinnus'

dame among the great her pacifism with her desire magic is presented. Recommended. magnetic sailing vessels to stop the Rix and save the —Penny Kenny that swept across the solar Child Empress.

system, The River ofStars is now reduced to This is the first installment of a new A Just Determination by John G. Hemry

drudge work, its reputation overshadowed series, and it promises to be an intriguing (Ace, pb, 272 pp, $6.50) by more efficient fusion-driven vehicles. one. Although this volume's setting spans Subtitled A Novel of Universal Law, this is But the ship's motley crew still dream, practically the entire galaxy, Westerfeld the first in a series of stories dealing with a sel- and—when disaster strikes—they see a doesn't abandon the tools of basic story- dom-explored aspect of military SF. Ensign

chance to recapture former glory. telling. The narrative stumbles a bit out of Paul Sinclair is the legal officer on board the Flynn continues to build his reputation the gate, but the pace quickly settles down, spaceship U.S.S. Michaelson. When the as one of the genre's best contemporary leaving the reader with a space opera that Michaelson's captain destroys a civilian

authors. And, like C.J. Cherryh and Lois holds its own with the best of them. research vessel and is subsequently ordered McMaster Bujold, he can pen space opera —Michael Wolff home for court martial, Sinclair finds himself that passes far above the puerile, crewing not only in the middle of the investigation, but

his ships with three-dimensional characters The Wellstone by Wil McCarthy (Bantam, the trial as well. rather than cardboard cutouts. The various pb, 384 pp, $6.99) A trim novel and a promising series start by shipmates of The River of Stars are more There is something in an author who obviously compelling than the story's setting and plot, human nature that seems to knows what he's writing making the novel a worthwhile read for rebel against Utopias, and about, A Just Determination those who prefer character-driven tales of McCarthy has been the stan- avoids the blood and thun- an above-average caliber. dard-carrier with his recent der of the standard work —Michael Wolff works. The Wellstone contin- prevalent in this field. ues in the universe introduced Hemry instead opts for The Battle ofEvernight: The Bitterbynde— in Collapsium. The immortal courtroom tension and read- Book III by Cecilia Dart-Thornton (Aspect, parents of the Queendom of able interaction between he, 459 pp, $24.95) Sol have neglected to figure finely crafted characters. Now that Tahquil, the heroine formerly out what to do with their sim- This series has promise to known as Rohain, has regained her memory, ilarly immortal children, so stand on its own among sim- she understands why the Faeran lord Morragan the youngsters are placed in a ilar mature works, such as has been relentlessly seeking her: She's the key "summer camp," which is 's Dominic \ JUST DETERMINATION to ending the Faeran exile on Erith. So while actually more like a wildlife Flandry books and the Larry Faeran and humans wage war, Tahquil crosses preserve for the heirs of Niven & Jerry Pournelle the world seeking not only the gate that will humanity. It is there that Moteworld collaborations. John G. Memry send the Faeran home, but more importantly, Prince Bascal decides that —Michael Wolff

www.starlog.com STARLOG/Awgiwr 2003 15 rehteb.tripod.com/ uppincumming.html

This column showcases web- PAGE sites for SF, fantasy, comics Want to know Moore about The & animation creators and their League ofExtraordinary Gentle- creations. Websites are listed for men and this artist's other free entirely at STARLOG's dis- works? Check out the Miracle- cretion. Site operators may nom- man's comics creations at inate their sites for inclusion by www.alanmoorefansite.com sending relevant info via e-mail only to JOHNNY DEPP WEB PAGE [email protected] Pirates of the Caribbean's, Sleepy Hollow man isn't From ANGELINA JOLIE SITE Hell, but the undead buccaneers Whether she's playing God, by after him might be. Don't run heart or a girl, interrupted, Jolie with Scissorhands at

is a tomb-raiding talent to watch. www.johnnydeppzone.com But will her Cradle rock? Find out at SEAN CONNERY SITE www.geocities.com/jolie_web/ You can find Forrester at this index.htm official web page celebrating this most extraordinary of actors BRYAN'S HULK PAGE WEBSITE and gentlemen. Bond with the Hey, we liked him—even when The Mumy returned to his corn- WEBSITE First Knight at he was angry! Fans of the field of dreams in "It's Still a Daniel Jackson is back in action, www.seanconnery.com Incredible Hulk TV series can Good Life." Save money on a and thanks to Shanks, Stargate revisit the green giant—and his "Long Distance Call" by prais- SG-1 has its old team back DC KIDS WEBSITE mild-mannered alter-ego—at ing Pip at together again. Explore the uni- Comics, games, toys and car- www.bryanshulkpage.com www.billmumy.com verse at toons of your favorite DC heroes www.fortunecity.com/lavendar/ have a home here. Visit Small- PAGE WEBSITE eastwood/243/sgl.html ville, hold court with the Justice What's on Tap-ping for Stargate This "Killer B" serves up SF sto- League and promote Powerpuff SG-l's seventh season? The ries with a sting—whether it's ALAN CUMMING PAGE Girl Power at series' no-nonsense Major might biological fiction, fantasy or This up-and-Cumming actor www2.warnerbros.com/web/ have a theory—even if it's about evolutionary epics. Tune Dar- crawls through the night as X2's dckids/indcx.jsp

astrophysics. Get Carter at win 's Radio to new. blue mutant. Fegan Floop is

www.amandatapping.com www.gregbear.com all thumbs at

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 may CREATION not always appear and cons may be cancelled without any notice. Conventioneers: Send all pertinent info no later thanfour months prior to the event to August 23-24 STARLOG Con Calendar, 475 Park Avenue South, 7th Fir, NY, NY 10016 ore-mail [email protected] You must provide a phone number and Marriott Hotel (if possible) an e-mail address. STARLOG makes no guarantees, due to space limitations, (hat your con will be listed. This is a free service; to ensure a Brooklyn, NY listing—not here, but elsewhere—contact Phillip Genessie (212-689-2830 x200) for classified ad rates & advertise there. Creation See earlier address Guests: Hudson Leick, Alexandra Tydings, Guests: Alexander Siddig & David Prowse JUNE FOLLOW YOUR HEART: Juliet Landau, Danielle Cormack, Claire (Saturday only); James Doohan, Andy Hallett Stansfield, lyari Limon TREK EXPO BEAUTY & THE BEAST BY & Juliet Landau (Sunday only) June 27-29 THE BAY CON Kxposition Center July 11-13 AUGUST TORCON 3 Tulsa, OK Crown Plaza Union Square 61st World SF Con Starbase 21 CREATION San Francisco, CA August 28-September I 2I39S. Shendan August 1-3 Follow Your Heart Metro Toronto Convention Centre Tulsa, OK 74129 Las Vegas Hilton 4021 Jan Way Toronto, Ontario, Canada (918)834-9636 Las Vegas, NV San Jose, CA 95124 Torcon 3 www.starbase21ok.com Creation (408)448-3130 P.O. Box 3, Station A Guests: , Richard Herd, Wil See earlier address hllp://con2003.batbtu nnels.org Toronto. Ontario, Canada Wheaton, Brent Stair, Lee Meriwether, Herb Guests: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Kate M5W I A2 Jefferson Jr., Billy Gray, Kenny Baker; William Mulgrew, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter BUFFY VULKON www.torcon3.on.ca Shatner & Leonard Nimoy (Saturday only); Koenig, , Michael Dorn, Mari- July 18-20 Guests: George R.R. Martin, Frank Kelly Freas, George Takei, Dominic Keating, Gordon na Sirtis, Rene Auberjonois, Armin Shimennan, Tampa Airport Hilton Westshore Spider Robinson, Mike Glyer Woolvett, Teryl Rothery & Anthony Michael Nana Visitor, Alexander Siddig, Nicole de Boer, Tampa, FL Hall (Sunday only) Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Vulkon Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, CREATION P.O. Box 297122 Robert Beltran, John Billingsley, Dominic August 29-31 JULY Pembroke Pines, FL 33029-7122 Keating, Tony Todd Hilton Metronole (954) 441-8735 SHORE LEAVE London, England

www.vulkon.com \ July 11-13 Creation Guests; James Marsters, James Leary, lyari 35 Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn BUBICON See earlier address Limon, Atkin Downes; Mercedes McNab August 22-24 Hunt Valley, MD Guests: Renee O'Connor, Danielle Cormack, (Saturday only); Andy Hallett (Sunday only) Howard Johnson East Shore Leave Claire Stansfield. Tim Omundsen P.O. Box 6809 Albuquerque, NM New Mexico SF Conference Towson, MD 2 1 285-6809 CREATION [email protected] July 26-27 P.O. Box 37257 CREATION www.shore-leave.com Ford Community & Performing Arts Center Albuquerque, NM 87176-7257 August 30 Guests: John Rhys-Davies, Marina Sirtis, J.G. Dearborn, MI [email protected] Broome County Forum Hertzler, Robert O'Reilly, Marc Singer. Andrea Creation bubicon.home.att.net Binghamton, NY Thompson, Carolyn Seymour, Judson Scott, 1010 North Central, Suite 400 Guests: Charles de Lint, Melinda M. Snodgrass, Creation Denise Crosby, Ann C. Crispin, Howard Glcndale, CA 91202 Fred Saberhagen, Charles Vcss, Robert E. See earlier address Weinstein, Peter David, , (818)409-0960 Vardeman Guest: William Shatner Michael Jan Friedman www.creationent.com

16 STARLOG/August 2003 —

Have a little Faith. FUT Eliza Dushku finds her Tru Calling this fall as she stars in her own new TV series Thursdays on Fox.

What to do now that Butty's history? Alyson Hannigan and Angers Alexis Denisof are preparing to walk down the aisle. It's a wedding for Willow and Wesley! Let them eat cake! And ice cream, too. The terrible trio—Tom Lenk (Andrew), Adam Busch (Warren) and Danny Strong (Jonathan) get their just desserts as Buffy wraps its run with a party.

"Buffy gave good performers the ability to show off regularly," says James Marsters. "Within an episode, we changed styles constantly—from farce to melo- drama to soap opera and back to realism." Spike lives again when Marsters joins Angel next season.

lyari Limon will sign autographs at this month's Buffy Vulkon in Tampa. She really got into Slayer action while lensing fight scenes as Kennedy: "I felt something wet dripping down my arm and

realized it The other side of Oz. was my own Green is reporting for duty with blood." a different gang of Scoobies. He's in Scooby-Doo 2.

Hannigan/Denisof, Dushku, Green & Trio Photos: By & Copyright 2003 Albert L. Ortega

www.starlog.com !

QMTAIU MR. VetWW ENSIGN rl "J*L(J1 tCIKK SPOCK KAWD EXPENDABLE. All Art: Bob Muleady - "AFTER THE PLA^f, lU TELLYOUABOl/r A MAM NAMED KIRK I MET ON ANOTHER PLANET TOPAV, MARN- 11

Ck just Stop ^ >

"HEOjO, HOUSEKEEPING ? THE GUEST IN ROOM W0ULDA,C0ULPA,SHOULD4 182 SAID THERE WAS NO MINT ON HIS PILLOW."

/ He doesht Kave To stab me -J here, he can take me home V qndstabme/

*v HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW JERI RSAN CHANGED UNrbRTuWATELN, DARTft MAUL WAS HER SON'S BEDROOM INTO HER OWN BATHROOM 11 NCJTABUfiS BUNNVFANl.

18 STARLOG/Awg(«r 2003 www.starlog.com All Photos: Alex Bailey The actress is relaxing between scenes in gent, which is really nice, to have a charac- a workshop at London's Pinewood Studios. ter who's like that. But she's also just a kid,

The room is filled with production design- who has this wonderful, wild sense of er/co-story writer Kirk M. Petruccelli's adventure and fight. And she's a good guy at detailed scale models, including an ancient the end of the day, which is nice for me, Greek tomb and the so-called "Cradle of knowing that my son is going to watch these

Life" that the film is named after. Jolie is films when he's older. When I have to perched on the edge of a folding chair, wear- answer why I have guns, I can at least tell ing brown boots, tan pants and a matching him that I'm defending myself to protect top. She's convincingly grunged down in something." keeping with her character's tomb-raiding As often happens with characters over a activities. A few skillfully applied cuts and period of time, a certain amount of the actor bruises complete the illusion. becomes invested in the role, and vice versa. Having spent the better part of three "I think we've become one and the same years involved with the role—either acting, over the years," Jolie says. "The accent is the training or doing publicity for the Tomb thing that's different [about us], and when I Raider films—Jolie admits that she has a come into my trailer in the morning, certain- pretty good handle on Lara Croft. "I'm ly strapping on the guns and putting on my beginning to like her more and more," she boots and getting my hair done gives me a reflects. "And in this one, she's more of a sense of her. But all in all, she really behaves woman. I see her as somebody who's very like I would in many situations." disciplined and loyal, and who has a good sense of fun, but she's also alone in her life. Acting Croft She grew up with all these [opportunities In Cradle of Life, Jolie's intrepid British and experiences], and knows all these things, aristocrat/explorer embarks on a series of so she has this wonderful sense of being a adventures involving the mythical Pandora's lady, which is great, and she's also intelli- Box. Her discovery brings her into conflict

Two years later, Angelina Jolie returns for more archaeological escapades in Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Jolie admits that Cradle of Life. the first Tomb Raider left "a lot to be done."

with the ambitious Dr. Jonathan Reiss (Ciaran Hinds), a Nobel Prize-winning sci- entist, who could use the artifact as a dooms- day device. Fortunately, Lara has a number of allies, including her butler Hillary (Red Dwarfs Chris Barrie), resident techno-wiz- ard Bryce (Noah Taylor), former love inter- est Terry Sheridan (Timeline's Gerard Butler) and Kosa (Djimon Hounsou), a Masai warrior who helps Lara during a mis- sion to Africa. Contrary to popular opinion, Jolie's involvement in the sequel was hardly a fore-

gone conclusion. "I don't believe that I was

actually contracted to do it. And they could

not have forced me to do it, or I would have showed up very skinny and with no accent!" Jolie jokes. "In the first one, there was a great deal that we were trying to pull off. We were trying to make Lara real and figure out how the guns work, what kind of person she

is, what kind of a house she lives in. So much stuff was established that we got too

caught up in it. There was quite a lot left to be done, and I wasn't satisfied with where

we left it." Kosa For the second film, Jolie had a very spe- (Gladiator's cific agenda in mind from day one. "There Djimon were things that I wanted to do, certain Hounsou), a I explore and be bet- Masai warrior, aspects that wanted to assists Lara ter," Jolie remarks. "I wanted it to be less of on her African a fantasy. I wanted everything to make sense.

mission. I wanted the puzzle to be more difficult and

www.starlog.com After the success of Tomb Raider, Jolie was eager to take another stab at the video game adventuress. interesting. I wanted the villains to be strong back riding and the kendo. That was directly with a conventional romance, and Angelina and threatening, and I wanted Lara to be in from Angelina. had a lot of input into Lara's relationship danger. I also wanted there to be fear, and to "She also had a very strong and signifi- with Reiss and how they play off each make Lara human, but at deeper and differ- cant input into developing the character other." ent levels. I really just wanted to make it dynamics between Lara and the bad guy, Dean Georgaris (who also scripted John much more interesting. I felt, in the last one, Reiss," Levin continues. "That turned out to Woo's upcoming SF film Paycheck) eventu- that we introduced so much [information] be very thematic—what those two represent ally wrote the screenplay, The final screen that we couldn't get into everything; there in their moral codes and how they reflect credit hasn't yet been announced. wasn't enough time. Every moment seemed opposite sides of the coin. As far as [Reiss Jolie concedes that she did indeed con- to be, 'Here's the difference between the being] a romantic interest goes, you expect tribute to certain elements of the story. "I game and the movie.' But now it's her, so we the unexpected from a character like Lara. I was involved in some of it, certain things can flesh it out." don't think that anyone would be satisfied like swimming with the sharks and the sub- According to producer Lloyd Levin, Jolie Seating for motorcycle was involved with Cradle of Life from the up action wasn't a problem, but very first story outline that he and Petruccelli Id have done without put together. "From the very first treatment water sport scenes. that Kirk and I did, Angelina gave us notes," Levin says. "We made changes, and we did that all the way through. Some ideas were very specific, like the stunts: 'Couldn't this be better?' or 'Couldn't that be more aggres- sive?' "There's a whole sequence in the movie where, at one point, Lara was going to go to a retreat. If Lara had a vacation home, where would it be? The direction that Kirk and I went in was that she owned her own island. However, we had problems with that, in terms of the budget. But Angelina had a sense of what Lara should do and topped us all. She was right about the kind of activities that would interest Lara, and that's exactly the way the scene turned out, with the horse-

STAKLOG/August 2003 21 ders. I have bacon and eggs in the morning ii3ii/uf)]jicj lor iry-iaura =iU uvar iria and eat what I feel like eating. yloba, Lar=j lis'jsc knows wiisj! saou'j is interesting, just to nat- o'jh\s sha'U ba iravalirjij ;o ua/.i. "Fitness very be urally aware of your own body. On the first one, I had so many different things that I

ended up curvier. But on Cradle, I was fitter. So that was intriguing to me, discovering about health, fitness and my body—which doesn't mean becoming obsessed with all these different [diets] or people telling you this or that or whatever. You should just do what you actually feel like doing, and feel

clear about that. I didn't go on a diet, but there was the same grueling kind of sched- ule, and learning things like water sports,

which I don't like. I hate being wet and cold,

so the jet ski practice wasn't something I wanted to do—or wear a bikini!" While Simon West helmed the first Tomb Raider, Cradle of Life is being directed by Jan {Speed) de Bont, who originally wanted to be involved with the initial outing. "I marine, and introducing Hillary and Bryce and the idea that [their relationship] would be based on trust and loyalty," Jolie says. "There were also certain themes [that we dealt with], and we explored Lara's feminine side. We discussed all of the things that we felt were missing from the first one." Training Actions In addition to story input, Jolie also want- ed to acknowledge some of the feedback she received from fans concerning the first Tomb Raider. "I feel like Lara belongs to the peo- ple who were fans before I stepped into the role, so I have a very strong sense of respon- sibility to them," Jolie notes. "That's also why I wanted to do another film, [to make one] closer to what they wanted. I listened to every comment—not from the critics, but the fans—and the different things that they wanted more of and that they liked. Little kids would come up to me and say, 'That was really cool!' or 'Why did she do this?'

So I realized what they wanted. And I don't

feel like I own Lara. She's a culmination of what the fans want. "People really want to know her. In the first one, they wanted her to be flesh and

blood, but I don't think we realized how much they wanted to know her, and that was

frustrating. To me, it's interesting, because Lara's this person who you really can't get inside, and a lot of characters are like that. Many movies have big characters who you

can't figure out, or there are secrets, but I don't want that with Lara. Fans want to be inside her life and know her and not have any secrets, so we've opened her up [in the sequel]." And then there are the physical demands of playing Lara. In the first film, Jolie had to undergo an arduous physical training regime that included several months of fitness and weight training, gymnastics, kickboxing, martial arts, bungee jumping, motorcycle riding, martial arts and weapons practice. "It was different this time," she says. "On this

one, I think I've learned enough about

myself that I don't need protein bars or pow-

22 STARLOG/August 2003 think that because of his background in cin- we nearly froze?' We have these little

ematography, Jan is going to make this one moments together, so now it's, 'Do you more visual," Jolie says. "The first film was remember when we were on that crater in much more fantasyf-oriented]—at least the Africa?' We share these experiences togeth- script was." er, and we know there's a good chance that As for de Bont, he's effusive in his praise there might be another sequel, so we'll be for his Lara Croft. "It's very rare that you back a few years from now, filling each have an actress like Angelina," he extols, other's lives in another place. I have a baby "who's not only a fantastically talented per- now, and Chris' babies are growing up, so former, but throws herself so physically into these films have kind of brought us together. everything that she does. We didn't have to We're involved in each other's lives now, use too many stunt doubles. And she prac- which is really nice." tices, rehearses and really trains for every

stunt, which is unusual for an actor. They Raiding Tombs normally train for a day or so, or just go out Playing a character with a huge cult fol- one night with a detective and say that lowing can sometimes be difficult. More they've studied everything about police life. than one actor has had their career eclipsed

But Angelina truly trains, and I love that she after portraying a pop culture icon. But so can really do those physical scenes." far, Jolie has enjoyed the largely positive Although some elements of the Tomb response from fans. "It makes me happy,

Raider saga have changed since the first film, because I need that support," Jolie says. "I there's a certain family feel that has begun to was so nervous about the first one, because I

develop. Most of the original department felt that I was going to disappoint a lot of

heads returned to work on the sequel, as well people, but now that I feel their support, I'm as some of the cast members. Reprising his that much more comfortable stepping into role as Hillary, Barrie recalls the bond that he this one. That's the most wonderful thing."

formed with Jolie on the first movie. "She While on the subject of recognition, the was great fun, a total joy," he declares. actress remembers an amusing incident that "There was nothing starry about her. She was took place while the crew was lensing the things can change. Now, if I ever go back to really down-to-Earth and switched on as to first Tomb Raider in Cambodia. "We were at Africa, there will be kids there who have what was required, which one would expect, the hotel, and [the people] had heard that seen the films and know me, so they'll be but her maturity and creativity—for someone there was a tomb raider there, and they took happy to come over and say hi and play with of relatively young years—was just amazing. that literally," Jolie recalls. "They had heard me when I'm in Kenya, because they'll think And yet, when the cameras stopped rolling, that I was going to Angkor Wat, and some- I'm Lara." there was this 24-year-old girl who wanted to body in the hotel came up to me and said, It's a bit presumptuous to talk about a

have a laugh. It was brilliant working with 'Why are you doing this?' I couldn't figure third Tomb Raider film since Cradle of Angie and Noah, because they've obviously out what they were talking about. It was the Life hasn't even been released yet, but such

done lots of films before. It was good to have weirdest conversation. Then I finally real- conversations are almost inevitable where those two there as immediate benchmarks, as ized that they thought I was going to steal major film franchises are concerned. "It to what one should really do [on a film like something. They had never seen any of my depends," Jolie says, "because the directors

Tomb Raider]'' films, so they didn't know me at all until the tend to change on it, so I assume the experi- "It's amazing, because we were all sud- movie opened. We were the first film to ences are going to be different. And, also, as

denly put into this thing together," Jolie shoot there since the war, and Tomb Raider an actor, I need a year-and-a-half to two

agrees. "Noah and I were outside the subma- shows their country in a beautiful light. years' block between movies. I need to do

rine yesterday, and we were saying, 'Well, When I went there a few months later, every- films like Beyond Borders, which is a differ-

it's cold, but it's not as cold as Iceland. Do body was suddenly very warm, happy and ent kind of comedy, so I can be the other side you remember when we were in Iceland and comfortable. So that's [an example of how] of me, and then come back to Tomb Raider.

And yes, I do miss it after a while.

"When I met with [costume designer]

Lindy Hemming in wardrobe for Cradle, it had been two years [since Tomb Raider].

She came in and opened this suitcase, and it had my boots, guns and harnesses, and as

soon as I put them on, I said, 'Oh God, I miss that!' And then some girl friends came over that night, and she had left the suitcase, so everybody was running around playing with them. We had a few drinks and tried on the harnesses!" So all things being equal, Cradle of Life

probably won 't be Angelina Jolie's final out-

ing as Lara Croft. "If it continues to grow,

people continue to respond to it in a positive way and we're not just doing them to do

them, [then I'll continue with the series]. There are such strong ideas for the third one,

that I almost wish we could do it now! But

we have to prepare for it. So yes, [sequel

plans are] certainly still out there, and these

Terry Sheridan (Gerard Butler) would like to rekindle his romance with Lara, but he'l movies are fun to do. I love running around have to compete with Reiss for her affections. like this. It's a lot of fun to be Lara Croft." <£§ www.starlog.com STARLOG/August 2003 23 m~A smash rjjju&j inzsmi

a give the Hulk the illusion of life, mechanical FX supervisor Michael Lantieri and crew devised realistic physical consequences for the brute's computer-generated actions.

When green gi rew, who provided physical evidence for Hulk, and he did it Lantieri the completely CGl-generated life created wearing a ripped p Incredible Hulk is an angry loner by visual FX supervisor Dennis Muren The Oscar-winning special FX supervisor who does what he wants. The madder and his ILM team. has never been belted by Gamma Rays, Hulk gets, the stronger he becomes, and "Hulk has a real personality," Lantieri but he did have to deal with a Hulk that no city, army or weapon can long with- says. "He's not a monster, just someone only existed inside a computer. stand his rage. Of course, that's in the who loses control as he struggles to learn "My job as an on-set, mechanical floor comics. When Hulk made his leap from and control his strength and power. His FX supervisor is to find everything that the four-color page to the silver screen, he actions should reflect that." Hulk, or any CG character, would come needed help from Lantieri and his FX Lantieri stomped San Francisco for the into contact with, and carry that perfor-

24 STARLOG/August 2003 www.starlog.com The Hulk is alway§ a. CGI creature fashioned by Dennis Muren's ILM team, but the destruction he creates is usually real—as executed by Lantieri & company.

mance into the real world," explains Lantieri, who created dinosaur chaos for things and dropped 110 pounds o all three Jurassic Parks. "I bring a non- to see what damage it would do, to acc existent creature into reality using rately get the force down. Huge Smashes physics. If the two don't up—if you "We actually built a Hulk elbow and When the Hulk does his three-mile have some massive character make a pow- fist, which would later be animated over," leaps, "I would calculate his weight, as erful swing and don't have the proper says Lantieri. "We smashed a few things. well as the power he has behind the jump, timing and physics for what he's coming There's a nice scene where you don't see all that stuff, and then it ultimately into contact with—it just doesn't work. the Hulk because he's behind a wall, but became [director] Ang Lee's , to see We learned that on Who Framed Roger the wall is cracking out toward you. We what looked right and made sense," Rabbit and Casper. built a big, steel, hydraulic-driven Hulk Lantieri says. "One thing I did right away "When I started [on this project], I ini- elbow that we dragged behind the wall as was figure out the Hulk's path, which is tially looked at the comics, to see how the though he was growing. We put more and where he would be at all times during the Hulk moves and what he does. I then cal- more pressure on the elbow to show that movie. Is he touching something, destroy- culated what size the Hulk would be. He he's getting bigger and bigger as he walks ing something or coming into contact with goes from six to nine to 15 feet in the toward you. That's a great example of anything in any way? I started plotting movie. I tried to calculate what his volume how we didn't just break things to show my way across the set and figuring out and weight would be at each particular the Hulk's power, but instead implied that how he would interact with things. Ang size. In my shop with my crew, we figured he's growing and how fast he's moving. and I spent a lot of time talking about out that the Hulk's arm and fist would We put a great deal of thought into what that." really difficult thing to pull off. They're see if I was on the right track," Lantieri says. punching and hitting each other, so you have "I tested and shot every big effect you see in

nothing hitting nothing! The advantage on the movie. And I sat down with Ang early Jurassic Park was that we had big puppets to enough so he could make changes, give me

start with, so we understood the spatial rela- his input and develop it from there. He was tions and how to frame them. really into the accuracy of the physics, and "The actors on Hulk were a pleasure, very very much wanted a reason and purpose for professional, always helpful. On big effects everything the Hulk does, right down to the movies, we're always asking, 'Please remem- fact that we decided to have no breakaways ber all your lines, but while you do, this 80- on The Hulk. ton brick wall is gonna fall down behind you. "We didn't build any breakaways. We

So try not to flinch, because I have control used real force, real power and real physics to

over it. You're quite safe.' Sometimes that can break real wood, real glass and real plaster. be a difficult relationship. In the case of Hulk, Everything you see is real. To my knowledge, Jennifer Connelly, Eric and Nick were all this is one of the first times anyone has ever

wonderful." tried that, because it's so much more work to To breathe life into the green , "we Lee also helpfully Hulked-out. "Ang is break real objects. In the scene where the had the Hulk do some subtle things. When very animated, and he would act out how the Hulk grabs the Gammasphere and throws it you see him as a CG character putting on a Hulk should look, to show me how he would through the wall, there were 4,000 bricks that full performance—interacting with real move or lift something or flex his muscles," we hit, and they were all real, with real force! actors and touching things very gently, Lantieri remarks. "It was a very animated set, We yanked that wall out! Everything you see instead of violently—those are often the because I would act back to him, to show falling is real. Hopefully, that will give it a scenes that give you the Hulk's character, some movements that the Hulk might do. We startling, believable look." rather than the broad strokes. tried to figure what it all should look like. When ol' Greenskin smashes up the "Every time we caused destruction, we Ang is a very well-thought-out, prepared streets of San Francisco, "we used real cars!" would sit down and carefully add some director. He has a very specific vision that he Lantieri laughs. "We did the full effect, with human characteristic to him," Lantieri adds. can rarely be persuaded off of. He wanted me a dozen full-sized cars sliding down the "For example, the Hulk will do a little foot to give specific movements to the Hulk." street. We enhanced a couple with some CG slip or bump something on the way out, so it's In order to cause the proper kind of prop- work, but a dozen full-sized cars tumbled not all just a big blast of action. Dennis erty damage, Lantieri had to, essentially, down San Francisco's Telegraph Hill." Muren, the ILM CGI supervisor on Hulk, and become the Hulk. "Oh yeah," he smiles. "I For Hulk's spectacular showdown with

I would sit and look at the animatics [animat- very much got into the character. I have engi- the Army and their weaponry, "we had mock- ed storyboards] and try to give the Hulk as neers and mechanics on my crew who think up helicopters, mock-up jets and real tanks. much character as we could. In the lab, the in terms of weight, mass and horsepower, but The Hulk faces real tanks that we took out to

Hulk walks up to a benchtop, does a little lift, I always stay involved in the character and his the desert, by China Lake. And when the easily picking up all this weight, sets it gently subtleties. If the Hulk had to punch a hole Hulk rages underground and flips a trolley back down, gives it a little push and then into a brick wall, I made it a series of five or car, we used an actual trolley car! My son smashes through it with great violence. six events. I didn't just design a big, fat hole Andrew has his cameo in that scene," Lantieri Rather than just getting right to business and that opens. says proudly. "When the trolley flips over, a tearing something apart, we worked to give "If you look at that scene with the Hulk in bunch of kids tumble out, including my son. the Hulk as much personality as possible, so the lab, there's a stainless steel equipment Since we were doing the rigging, the best way that when it's all blended together, you cart right in front of the wall when Hulk hurls to show that it was safe was to put our own absolutely believe he's real. the Gammasphere, and I made sure that we kids on it! "If you watch people in general or animals had a cable on that cart, so that when the "We also had a car that could smash and at the zoo, you'll notice that everyone has a Gammasphere goes by, it hits the cart first crush itself, a Geo Tracker that the Hulk wonderful quality about them that's flawed," and then the wall. All the details we added demolishes. We did the same thing with the he reflects. "They're never perfect. So if you made things seem natural. I spend most of my Ford Explorer that the T. rex attacks in make a character too perfect, they really stand time thinking like that. Jurassic Park. That Explorer could turn itself out as something artificial. We tried very hard "My method [for creating the Hulk's car- over and crush itself down to a safe rollbar to give the Hulk human characteristics. When nage] was shooting tests on my own and then where the kids were. When the T. rex rams we create a CG character, it's a perfectly crisp going to Ang and visually presenting them, to the bus in The Lost World, we built a bus that

[image]. Then we add motion blur to make it look as your would really see it." There was also the of the Hulk's ferocity. "That's one of the first things that I brought up with Ang: how violent the Hulk should be, and [the size and scope of] his destruction," Lantieri says. "Ang had the same idea as me: A big Hulk does big destruction! I didn't see the Hulk as a mon- ster, though. He's just struggling with forces he doesn't understand." New Crushes When Dr. David Banner (Nick Nolte) and his son Bruce (Eric Bana) have their duel of the , "that had to be blocked out, planned and rehearsed," Lantieri says. "Dennis and the computer boys at ILM had the biggest challenge in that scene, because they had no reference whatsoever: Two things that didn't exist, fighting each other! That's a

26 STARLOG/August 2003 was going on! It was all in Bob Zemeckis' mind, and his direction was wonderful. Jurassic Park would have to be another, and Back to the Future 2 and 3—which we made at the same time—was a real Bob Z. event. Those movies were really hard to pull off, so I'm very proud of them. They'll always stand as benchmarks of their time."

Lantieri got to sit in the director's chair for

the monster thriller Komodo. "I loved it," he enthuses. "Being in charge as the director was

really fun. I was born and raised on sets, so I was comfortable. I had a great time with a ter-

rific crew, and I had a wonderful actress, Jill Hennessy, before she did . If

the opportunity arose, I would love to direct again." His latest film, Seabiscuit, "was fun

because I got to work with my friends [pro- ducers] Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall. I've always been a horse-racing

fan, so it was a great challenge to figure out could lift itself up in the air, to make it con- venient for the dinosaur. We filled it with stunt people, and the whole front crushed itself in for when it hits the video store. "My brother Lou Landed was in charge of blowing up David Banner's house. We bring my brother in for the tough jobs; any time anything has to be blown up or torn down, Louie's the guy. He went out to the house and took it apart sequentially, making sure there was no asbestos, and loaded it with explo- sives. Lou spent five weeks preparing the neighborhood to be destroyed by the Hulk.

My little brother basically has the personality of the Hulk. Whenever we work together, I'm always under the threat of him calling Mom. He doesn't hesitate if I get out of line—Lou has Mom on the speed dial!" Designing Gamma-irradiated Hulk-dogs was accomplished several different ways. "That's a great, quick scene, where the Hulk shop, and [from then on] I wanted to be on how to put Tobey Maguire into a thorough- battles the dogs," Lantieri comments. "We the set all the time." bred horse race. I thought it would be easy, had KNB EFX build some oversized dog On Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, "I did but you couldn't actually put him on a horse. heads that were used in the mock attacks on the full-size whales, and Walt Conti did the It's very dangerous to ride a thoroughbred, Betty and the Hulk. We intercut between the small ones. They were all remote-, cable- and and you don't take a chance at a multi-mil- puppet Hulk-dog heads and the CG work. It hydraulic-driven. Some of my whales had lion-dollar actor getting hurt! Director Gary looks great." divers inside them, every combination possi- Ross had the idea that we could build a fake

ble. I got the chance to work with Leonard horse. It had to be the right size and move

Past Destructions Nimoy as a director. He's a great guy. I liked properly, as most of the close-ups are of Lantieri was born in Burbank, . him very much." Tobey on a mechanical horse. The wide shots "In my high school were the likes of Ron Lantieri also enjoyed doing FX on The are a double, and we also did some CG face

Howard, Rene Russo and Tim Burton. I knew Flintstones "because it was in a cartoony replacement. We built mechanical horses that them, but we never made a pact to all go into vein, and my crew had a ball building all that look realistic, so it was a single-note chal- film. We just had the same , and in Stone Age equipment, like the cave cars and lenge, but a huge one." Burbank, you're surrounded by studios. quarry equipment. The fun thing about our Next, Lantieri's taking a nice, relaxing trip There were only two things you did in job is that we get a chance to go into different off Earth for the direct-to-video sequel Burbank: you either went into aerospace and worlds." 2. "I'm doing that with Phil worked at Lockheed, or you worked in the Teaming up with his old schoolmate Tippett, who is making his directorial debut," film business. I always liked the idea of mak- Burton on Mars Attacks! "was in the top five he says. "I just read the script by Ed ing fdms, so I went down that road. movies I've most enjoyed working on. I love Neumeier, and it's great. People will be real- "I went to work in the Universal Studios Tim and his sense of humor. We talked about ly shocked by how big and fun this movie is

FX department. I built the Cylons for high school and our parents. It was a pleasure gonna be! Battlestar Galactica and Twiki and Dr. to work with him. The Martians were all CG, "I have a love for all this stuff, and each

Theopolis for Buck Rogers, which was my and I did all the interactive stuff, which has time we do a movie, I always hope that it'll start. Twiki and Theopolis would break all the become my specialty. Tim's a great visionary be the best we've ever done," Michael time!" Lantieri grins. "But I built Dr. Theo with real style. I have a soft spot in my heart Lantieri says. "I'm happiest when a dinosaur and I'm still proud of him. I was fortunate to for him. He's a great director." is crushing a Ford Explorer and no one is be in the right place at the right time. My first The rest of his top five "would be Who questioning how it's done! They just believe job on a movie set was operating Philco, the Framed Roger Rabbit, which was ground- it! My thrill comes from watching an audi- baby robot in Heartbeeps. It got me out of the breaking. No one really knew what the hell ence just buying it!" kept me warm between takes, and I would have gobs of glue on my feet. And there was Sir Ian McKellen, in the helicopter, picking

it off of the bottom of my feet. 'Darling. Poor dear. This is just awful.' I was like, T can't believe this. You're a knight, right? OK, just making sure.' It was a reality check

all around; it was funny. Then there was the tent scene with Hugh Jackman, which was my favorite, aside from the two days I didn't have the blue. They had us four girls all lined up, and Hugh was in his sleeping bag in front of the green screen. It went Famke Janssen, me, Halle Berry and , g Her time in the o makeup chair and we all had to match each other's move- d- down to five or ments perfectly because it was a morphing S six hours, scene and a fraction of a millimeter counts. < Romijn-Stamos So we were all watching and had to do the didn't have to entire scene, but to each other's exact move- answer any ments. And we were all eating our Altoids midnight calls because we were about to kiss Hugh. So we during the X2 shooL^Hi were getting ready, and Famke [kisses him], and Hugh says, 'All right, next!' It was

hilarious! And then I went, and I was like, Sexy and savage, 'All right, Halle, you're up. Sloppy thirds!' It was so funny." Rebecca Romijn-Stamos savors her As for the scene in which Romijn-Stamos appears as herself, devoid of her demanding shape-shifting role as a blue makeup, the actress admits that those were her best and least burdensome hours on the X2 set. "Oh God, I was so psyched. They were my favorite two days on the menace.

ystique probably wouldn't from the glue and my eyes are killing ^ approve, but Rebecca Ro- me.' So yeah, it was nice to have Alan to mijn-Stamos doesn't care commiserate with. It was a good group." what the blue meanie might think. Whereas Mystique Feeling Blue does her business and moves Combining blue with white had its icy

on, Romijn-Stamos likes to tell stories. So aspects. "At the end [of the shoot], we all

now that X2: X-Men United is in theaters, had to go to Alberta and work in the snow," the actress can share the behind-the-scenes Romijn-Stamos says. "I had to wear that tales that she has kept for the many [skimpy Mystique] costume, and I say 'cos-

months leading up to the mega-sequel's tume' with quotation marks around it. I was

release. Amiable, energetic and enthusiastic, naked in the snow; it was crazy. There were she speed-talks her way through the inter- like 90-mile-an-hour winds and snow flur- view, punctuating her anecdotes with loud ries, and I only had silicone on, all these lay- laughter, exclamation points and a flurry of ers of silicone. Wearing that is like being hand gestures. wet. It takes on the temperature of where "It was just a great cast, a hilarious you are, of your environment. I would have group of people," Romijn-Stamos begins. this great, big Canadian goose jacket on, "We all come from such different back- and they were like, 'All right, Rebecca, you grounds, but we all really, really like each have to lose the jacket now. We're about to other. They're such a lovely group of people. roll.' Ian [McKellen] said, 'This is your life,

And it was great having Alan Cumming darling. This is it.' I said, 'This is not really around [as Nightcrawler] because we liter- happening. I'm not about to do this.' I had ally had our little blue support group. I was to walk through that snow barefoot, and so isolated on the first one, and Alan and I they put potato flakes on top of the real were like bitter, old, blue married couple snow to try and save my feet. I don't know a Removing those in our trailer. We would just hide away in whose brilliant idea that was. As soon as cumbersome our trailer, where we could just be babies potato flakes get wet, they turn to glue. prosthetic pieces together and complain and cry. 'They just "At the end [of the day], they would rush "is like peeling don't understand. I have such a headache me off to the helicopter, which is where they off giant Band- aids," Romijn- 28 STAKLOG/August 2003 Stamos remarks. movie. I wish there had been more. It was great. I was such a baby. 'Waa, waa, waa,

waa. I have to be in this huge, successful franchise,' " she laughs. Truth be told, X2 ended up being a far easier shoot for Romijn-Stamos than her first time in the chameleon's changeable skin. The makeup team devised new and quicker ways to apply and remove the blue paint and individual body pieces, so she had to endure far less time in the makeup chair for the second installment of the Marvel mutant saga. Romijn-Stamos spent eight to nine hours a day turning blue on X-Men, but that figure fell to five or six hours for the sequel.

"On the first film, I had a midnight call time, but on this one I had like a 2 a.m. call," Romijn-Stamos notes. "That was a lot bet- ter, because the [rest of the] cast would come in at 9 a.m. [yawning and] saying, 'I'm going to have some more coffee and scram- bled eggs.' I was like, 'Come on, you guys, I've been here all night. Let's work!' It was also a little easier removing the makeup, but it still took an hour-and-a-half to take every- thing off. First, they take off all of the pros- thetics, which is like peeling off these giant

Band-aids. The faster they do it, the better.

'Just rip it away.' But day after day, it starts removing layers of skin. So, now you're pink and fleshy,rand it's awful, and then, to break 2

She may be scenes and ask her to do certain gestures that I 's (Sir thought were relative to the character." Ian McKellen) Prior to X-Men, Romijn-Stamos was best right-hand gal, known as a supermodel. She made the leap to but Romijn- acting after a stint as the host of MTV's Stamos now House denies any of Style, then played a recurring character on the TV sitcom Just Shoot Me and appeared as her- romance self in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged between them. Me. But it was X-Men that transformed her into a movie star, and she confesses that she never

saw it coming.

"I had no idea. I didn't know what to expect," she admits. "When you read a script like that, with the special effects and action, you

just have no idea how it's going to look. We all went to the first screening not knowing what to expect. It ended and we were like, 'Hmm, not

bad. It kind of came together.' We were pleas- antly shocked [at the film's success], and so, for

this one, when we came back together, it was

like a little reunion. We all knew what to expect, had that much more confidence and were eager to do even more.

"There was more excitement than the first

time around. Again, we all knew what we were doing. We understood what the tone of the

movie was. For such a huge cast, it was nice to have the over-the-top action stuff, and then also

these little things to do. The characters are all very real. They're superheroes, but they have

flaws and problems just like normal people do. I

love it when says, 'Oh, I'm having

problems with my powers today.' It's as if she's Famke Janssen (pictured), Romijn-Stamos, Halle Berry and Anna Paquin all shared a saying, 'I'm having issues.' That makes it easier CGI smooch with Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) during Mystique's morphing scene. for the audience to emotionally invest in the down the paint, they put this chemical on you. helicopter and can morph into anyone. She can characters. They can sort of relate to them."

And if you leave it on for too long, it starts - morph into Wolverine and fight him." Not many movies do as well as X-Men. ing your skin. So I had to run from the makeup Because of Mystique's unique ability, Romijn-Stamos learned that the hard way with trailer to the shower trailer, which they set up for Romijn-Stamos had to put a great deal of ener- the Rollerball remake. That MGM/UA film, Alan and me. Misery loves company. It was like gy and effort into the mutant's physicality. directed by John (Die Hard) McTiernan, cast a spa. It had mood lighting, candles, music, 1 "Mystique's this serpentine, snake-like charac- Romijn-Stamos as the rough and tumble Aurora. faucets, shower heads, whatever. We would get ter," she says. "So I focused on that. My stunt Rollerball tanked after its much-delayed release in there with all of this stuff on our faces and double, Vicki, was in the first one, and they last year. bodies and our skin would start to burn, but no brought her in again. Mystique has a unique "No one tries to make a bad movie," she water would come out. The trailer was so beau- fighting style, which involves all this flipping allows. "But I have bills to pay, too. I have to tifully appointed, but it didn't work half the around on the wires, but there's nowhere for the pay a mortgage. It was a good experience mak- time. It was awful. Alan literally walked in on harness to go, and I don't know how to do that ing Rollerball, and that's the thing. McTiernan me in tears sometimes. It was seriously painful." anyway. So they needed a gymnast who was my is this great director who has done some very

height, which is hard to find. Then they found good films. You hope for the best, and then, Blue Skies Vicki, who's amazing. She would come and somehow, for whatever reason, things get No pain, no gain, as they say. And in this watch me when I was working, [in order] to messed up and the movie doesn't turn out as

case, they're definitely right. Mystique makes a incorporate some of my movements into the good as it could have. Who knows? Some of it major impression in X2—a far bigger one than fighting. And I would watch her in the action can be lost in the marketing. I don't know what she did in X-Men. There's an inherent nastiness to the character in X2, and she's much more of a If you think Mystique is sexy,

sexual predator. "She really is," Romijn-Stamos check out Romijn-Stamos in Femme Fatale. The actress concurs. "Mystique has much more to do this delivered her most daring time around, and a lot more dialogue. She has performance in the more dimension. She's more misunderstood this Brian De Palma thriller. time. I think that you have a greater sympathy

for her. She shows a sense of humor, and a little

more of a sexual side. My line for her is that she would 'do' the X-Men as fast as she would fight them." She's not, however—to use Romijn-Stamos' own word—"doing" Magneto. "No, they're cer- tainly not lovers. They wouldn't want to ruin what they have. They wouldn't want to cheapen

it with sex!" the actress chuckles. "I think she's just his right-hand gal, and she's good at what

she does. She's a techno wiz, and she flies the

STARLOG/August 2003 sort of a Dr. Frankenstein type, who comes and offers to clone their son for

them. They do it, and the kid turns out

a little funny, like The Bad Seed. It

should be scary. I haven't seen it

yet, so I don't know for sure, but

I'm hoping [it's good]. It investi- gates the ethical questions of

I cloning using this family's expe- rience." Why did Rollerball suck? According Right now, though, she's tak- to Romijn-Stamos, director John McTiernan ing a break, spending time with (right) and the studio suits never her husband John Stamos and saw eye to eye. reading scripts. At some point in

it was. I think there were probably too many Ihe future, given the tremendous suc- chiefs, not enough Indians. The director and the cess of X2, the actress knows that an studio people butted heads on what that movie §P script will turn up under her door. was supposed to be. The studio really wanted a |"I am signed for X3," Rebecca good, solid action picture, but McTiernan—who Romijn-Stamos reveals. "And get into the had very good intentions—wanted Rollerball to : let's see if we can be a smart, intellectual movie. It's a shame that Nightcrawler-Mystique comics

it well. I've already pitch- didn't turn out I backstory. "McTiernan and [X-Men's] are ed it to the writers." i$sr very, very different directors," she adds. "McTiernan really has this whole cowboy thing about him. There was this maverick, very testos-

terone)' [vibe] on that set. Bryan's set is totally

different. Bryan is a meticulous filmmaker. He can come up with one statement and just change the direction of a scene, acting-wise. He pays

attention to all of the over-the-top action, but the acting is also very important to him. He really TO focuses on the little moments, and those are

what I think make the movies great." Out of the Blue Upon completing Rollerball, she assumed

the title role in Brian De Palma's sexy thriller Femme Fatale. The film wasn't a huge hit in

America, but it performed admirably throughout

Europe, particularly in Paris, where much of it was shot. Romijn-Stamos delivered a wild, risky, slinky, out-there performance—two of them, actually and surprised many critics — : with her range. "I was terrified going into that for so many reasons," she admits. "I felt a huge

amount of pressure from everyone, but it was also just working with De Palma. I didn't want to disappoint him. He's such a phenomenal filmmaker and a great story- teller. It was a real honor to be a part of that, and to work with Antonio Banderas. Personally

and professionally, it really meant a lot to me.

People either loved the movie or hated it, and usually for the same reasons. Brian often elicits very strong reactions from people, which is great. It's better than eliciting no reaction at all.

He makes a statement and he stands behind it, and I'm glad that no one felt wishy-washy about it. Many mainstream critics didn't get it, but it's not your average Hollywood . Brian is one of those directors, like David Lynch, where you either go along on his ride with him or you don't."

Next up for Romijn-Stamos is Godsend, directed by Nick (The Hole) Hamm and co-star- ring Robert De Niro and Greg Kinnear. "It's about a couple [Romijn-Stamos and Kinnear] whose eight-year-old son dies," she reveals. "De Niro plays this doctor,

www.sta rl og.com HIS FIERY TEMPER SIZZLING, MJJDiJ vSMr UiiU HEATS UP THE ACTION AS THAT

X-Men are a bunch of , Theargues Aaron Stanford, and John Allerdyce, a.k.a. , is an outsider among outsiders. "I really think that's the case," says Stanford, who plays the

character in X2: X-Men United. "You see it when they show Iceman's [Shawn Ashmore]

family, Bobby's family. There's a hint of it

when you see John looking at the family photo.

Something is going on inside of him there, a hint of a past that might not have been as pic- ture-perfect as Bobby's. John was on the out-

side of it all. Even now, with the X-Men, there's

the trio of him, Rogue [Anna Paquin] and

Bobby, and Pyro's also on the outside of that. Rogue and Bobby are a couple, and he has to constantly be around that and watch that and wonder why he doesn't have what Bobby has." Stanford admits that he arrived at the bulk of An outsider even among the X-Men, Pyro is a hothead dealing with some his assessment more as a result of reading the incendiary personal issues. X2 script than from any X-Men comics. "Pyro is think that finds a level of acceptance from Magneto [Sir I a bit of a peripheral character," the 26-year-old actor notes. "So they "I Pyro only gave me about 10 or so comic books ones that they found Ian McKellen]. Pyro's an angry character. He has a quick temper, and | — {appropriate. When I was younger, I read a lot of X-Men comics—so when it flares up—like when he snaps and unleashes on the police I I knew what the universe was about and who the characters were officers—the rest of the X-Men chastise him for it. He finds accep-

going into it. But, like I said, Pyro has always been a pretty periph- tance from Magneto, who tells him that what he's doing is great.

| eral character, so I went by the screenplay and the story that the That's a pretty tempting sales pitch. I really focused on Pyro's anger. writers came up with for him. He thinks he has gotten the short end of the stick in many ways— in f /

being a mutant and also just in his day-to-day relationships. He's [into Pyro's backstory] in a third film," he adds. "We'll just have to

incredibly bored, too, and boredom is often a cover for discomfort, wait and see. But I'm nervous about the costume, because the cos- for being uncomfortable with yourself." tume in the comics is a bright orange-and-red Spandex suit, with two flamethrowers strapped to Pyro's arms. I'm not that worried, though,

Pyro Maniac because usually, in films, Spandex is changed to leather, to make it The character may get short shrift in the comic books, but that's somewhat less humiliating. I'll be OK, but you know what I would

not the case in X2. Pyro receives a fair amount of screen time, and he love to see? Pyro's background. I think it's fascinating to find out

blows up stuff real good. And while director Bryan Singer never about [the origins of these] characters. I would love to see where Pyro actually confirmed this, Stanford thinks that his director beefed up really comes from." Pyro's part simply because Singer enjoyed The crucial and convincing sequence the chilling contrast between Pyro and that unfolds at the Drake family house sure- Iceman. ly assuaged anyone afraid that Singer would "Absolutely," Stanford concurs. "I'm avoid more mature depictions of Pyro and

sure of it, actually. Iceman has always been Iceman. It is there that Pyro goes on a fiery

a main character in the comics, and I think rampage after the shoot Wolverine that Bryan wanted to pick someone who was (Hugh Jackman)—a rampage that continues going to be the polar opposite of him, which until Rogue grabs hold of her hot-under-the- meant having the fire-and-ice dynamic. So collar pal. Stanford considers that com- they brought in Pyro and changed him bustible scene—and all of his flame-throw- around a bit. They certainly captured the ing moments—works of movie magic. spirit of the character. This is who Pyro's "Anything where there's fire in or pro-

supposed to be, and I believe that fans will jecting out of my hand was CGI," he j ' be forgiving of the fact that he's a student explains. "But all the explosions were real.

and not in the costume and all of that. At All the cop cars blowing up was real. Those I

least I like that explosions that hope that they him enough were some of the loudest J

they'll be forgiving. I hope that they appre- I've ever heard in my life. I was standing j ciate uny portrayal enough to accept the maybe 30 feet back from them. People

changes. were assuring me that it was very safe, but :

"I have no idea if we would go further everyone el: HI Allen's Hollywood Ending and Spike Lee's 25th Hour (which also

featured Paquin) followed. But it was his starring role in the 2002 independent feature Tadpole that really caught the industry's atten- tion. In that film, Stanford played Oscar, a worldly 15-year-old prep school student who fools around with an older woman (Bebe Neuwirth) while trying to woo the lady of his dreams, who just hap- pens to be his stepmother (Sigourney Weaver). Tadpole garnered rave reviews, but barely did any business outside of . "I think that they screwed up the marketing on that film," m W CGI movie magic enabled the actor to Stanford claims. "They marketed it as a sex romp, and it's really a project Pyro's blazing abilities. Still, Stanford notes, "all the explosions were real." sophisticated New York comedy. It's like they were looking to build

. word of mouth on it, but they got the wrong people in the theater in

Plexiglas shields in front of the expensive cameras. The only people the first place, people looking for something else. You're not going to

who had it worse than I did were the stuntmen who were directly build word of mouth on that. I think that many people would like it.

near the explosions. A lot of them caught burns, actually." It's not just for New Yorkers. Instead, it's just one more movie you

Despite all the FX and explosions, Stanford prefers Pyro's quieter can add to the list of so many great films that didn 't quite make it

moments. Beyond that scene at Bobby's house, Stanford savored commercially. Tadpole still launched my career, though."

Pyro's big moment with Magneto. "That's the scene that I enjoy the Next up for Stanford is Rick, in which he co-stars with

most: the small, simple moment with me next to Magneto in the X- Independence Day's Bill Pullman. And then it's on to Winter

Jet, when he's trying to seduce me to the other side," Stanford . "Rick is a great satire that I just finished in New York," " enthuses. 'You're a God among insects.' It was great; 1 loved it. The Stanford remarks. "It's this corporate satire written by Daniel

main reason that I did this movie was to be able to work opposite some of these people. Just to be on the same set as Ian McKellen,

Brian Cox, Alan Cumming, and Halle Berry. It was too much to turn down. "They're fantastic people, really good, really great. They made me feel like part of the ensemble, even though most of them had

worked together on the first one. The main people I hung out with were Shawn and Anna, and the two writers, Dan Harris and Michael

Dougherty. We were a team, and went together all around . And Ian always had dinner parties at his house. He's great. The thing

about him that struck me the most is that he has this huge level of

commitment that he brings to the role, and he takes it really, really seriously, but at the same time, he's so playful. He has such a good

time in between takes. It keeps him really loose and able to do what-

ever it is he has to do. Hugh Jackman was around, too, but he's a fam- ily man, and had his family with him."

HOt Stuff Handler. Winter Solstice is going to be my first very simple, straight- Stanford is a fresh face not just in SF circles, but also on the forward dramatic film. I've done plenty of drama in theater before,

Hollywood scene. Born and raised not far from Boston, Stanford got but this will be my first time doing it on film. Anthony LaPaglia plays

his start in local stage productions before lucking out and landing a my father, Allison Janney is the love interest and Marc Webber is my

recurring role on the TV series Third Watch. Bit parts in Woody brother. The basic story is about a father and two brothers, whose mother died a long time ago in a car accident. The brothers—and my SO, COLOSSUS 1 DO NOT ///fa character in particular—have to grow up and take on life, and it's YOU'VE THE %S KNOW. I DO POWER TO V>> NOT INTEND about the family unit that they've created and how some people grow TRANSFORM TO FIND OUT. VQURSELE together and some people grow apart. INTO SOME FORM OF "After doing X-Men, I'm looking to balance [things out]," says METAL. Stanford. "I want to do studio films again, but I want to do more independent films. The only difference between a studio film and an

independent one is where the money comes from. People with the best careers, like Julianne Moore, have been able to go back and forth

between big-budget films and independents, and I would like to do

that. It's important to find projects that genuinely interest you, and then you have to hope for the best. No one has any answers, and no

one knows how to engineer a career. They might tell you that they do, but they don't.

"I still live in Union City [New Jersey]. That's the last place for

actors. It's the anti-hip. But that's where I moved to," Aaron Stanford offers. "I only started out as an actor, really, two or two-and-a-half

years ago, and Union City is one of those areas that you move to if

you want to live around Manhattan. It's just a cheap place where a

struggling actor can live. I moved in with friends of mine, and then

things started happening for me very quickly. Since moving in, I've Decidedly different from his comic counterpart, the pretty much been all over. I was on the X2 shoot for six months. I just cinematic Pyro doesn't don the character's garish haven't had the chance to think about changing my lifestyle yet." orange-red-and-yellow costume. ;

34 STARLOG/7l//,c;if.s7 2003 wvfw.stii rlou.coiTi Chill out while Shawn Ashmore defrosts as that arctic adolescent, Iceman. | COW

Although his romance with Rogue (Anna Paquin) heats up in X2, Bobby Drake, a.k.a. Ashmore), By IAN SPELLING K Iceman (Shawn ^» BL still manages to keep his cool.

t's cool to be Iceman. Just ask Shawn Ashmore. "It's mercials, some of which he did with his twin brother, Aaron. By pretty amazing," says the actor, who briefly appeared as age 10 he was acting professionally, and doing guest spots on a Bobby Drake/Iceman in X-Men and assumed a much variety of television programs, including The Bradbury more prominent role in X2: X-Men United. "It's fun to Theatre, Real Kids, Real Adventures and such telemovies as play a superhero, to have these powers. It's even better, Guitarman and Promise the Moon. He also turned up in the films in my opinion, to play a real character, and to have other Married to It and All I Wanna Do. Then, in 1999, he landed the real characters to play off of in this fantasy world. role of Iceman in X-Men.

"I was very pleased with X2. Seeing it for the first time was "They were casting for a small part, for one of the students at

nerve-wracking, because we spent so much time working on it, the school," Ashmore recalls. "I got a call from my agent saying, and there were so many elements that could have become compli- 'They're making the X-Men film in Toronto. There's an opportu-

cated or potentially gone wrong. I knew the first film had turned nity if you want to go in and read for it.' There was barely [any- out well, and that the same team was working on the second one, thing] to read. They didn't let me see pages or full scenes; they just

but you have no idea until you see the final product. So I had some gave me a few lines between this character and Rogue [Anna

anxiety about it. When I saw the film, I was pleased to sit down Paquin]. I went in a couple of times and kept getting called back.

with a full audience and see the response. It seemed like everyone I went in about five times before I read for [director] Bryan Singer

was really into it. There was some cheering and they clapped at the and [producer] Lauren Shuler-Donner, and I finally got the role. It end. That's what you want to see and hear. was a long process, but an exciting time and a cool part to land."

"The movie you make is different from the movie you see," X-Men surprised moviegoers, critics and Hollywood insiders Ashmore explains. "We put a lot of time into the sequence at the alike with its almost mutant staying power. The film opened huge

house with the police cars. That was a couple of weeks, and it's and enjoyed a lengthy theatrical run in the , and it only a few minutes on screen. You shoot scenes, and the effects are repeated that pattern overseas. Ashmore, meanwhile, went back to added later. And there's also the editing. Things get snipped or cut work, appearing in episodic television (, out entirely, things you thought would be in there. So there defi- Smallville) and telemovies {Blood Moon, Cadet Kelly). He heard nitely were changes. The special effects guys walked us through the buzz about X2, but had no idea whether or not his phone would what things might look like later on, so we understood what we ever ring. were reacting to. But you never really know how the visual effects "There was no X2 deal, not at all," he reveals. "I didn't know

will turn out until you see the finished product, and I think the when I did X-Men that it could lead to more. After X-Men was effects in X2 are very, very good." released, people started recognizing me and saying, 'That was a really cool scene' or 'That was really great, how you and Rogue Cool Kid interacted.' I started to feel that there was a possibility that I might Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, and later moving to get into X2. But there were no talks about it, and I really wasn't

Toronto, the 23-year-old Ashmore started his career as a child expecting anything. I'm just glad it worked out the way it did,

actor, appearing in community theater productions and TV com- because it has been an amazing experience."

www.starlog.com STARLOG/AugHsf 2003 35 touches. Those scenes are among the film's most amusing, sweet and innocent moments. "It was awesome," Ashmore says of working with Paquin. "I was so nervous on the first movie because she's a very cute, young girl, very talented and has already won an Oscar. Now, that's the

last thing in my head. People bring it up

and I think, 'Oh yeah, she won an Oscar.'

I know that, but it's not the first thing I think of anymore. "My first day on the X-Men set was

pretty scary. I was working with Anna and Bryan, who directed The Usual Suspects, one of my favorite films. It was over- whelming working with Bryan and Anna

on X-Men, and I was really excited about the project. Anna just gives so much, and When the comics began, Iceman was already an X-Men team member (and his name was sometimes spelled Bobbie). flexibility is a really important part of her acting style. She lets it come and she'll

Iceman spends much of his time in X- throw something different at you. It's easy Men and X2 honing his powers as a stu- to play off her. It's a complete pleasure. I

dent at Professor Xavier's School for would love to do it again. I would love to

Gifted Youngsters. But that's not the way do it in X3, and I would like to work

matters play out in the comics, where together in another kind of movie. I would Iceman was already both a pupil and a work with Anna again in a second." full-fledged X-Man with the very first comic in 1963. "They went with the back- ice Guy story instead of just putting me in the cos- As for Ashmore's TV forays into the tume right away," Ashmore says without science fiction universe, he recalls The Ray complaint. "I wasn't really surprised by Bradbury Theatre ("Colonel Stonesteel that because there's so much history to the and the Desperate Empties"): "That was X-Men world, and they have to stagger the one of the toughest things I've ever had to number of characters they put in there. do. That was sort of my first leading part

Bryan and the writers want to have as in anything. I was young and I had to trav-

many characters as possible, without hav- el and I was nervous, but it was great. I'm

ing everyone at the same age and place in a Bradbury fan, and I knew that story, so it

their life. That would be sort of one-note. was a really cool experience. To watch it

It's more interesting to see these characters now, though, is so painful. It's like, 'Ugh,

at different stages. Some of them are little what was I thinking?' kids. Some of them are students. Some of "Earth: Final Conflict was a very them are heroes. And some of them are strange experience for me," he continues. turning to the dark side. "I auditioned to play the lead guest role in

"I like that Iceman is a student," Ashmore adds. "You get to the episode ["Sanctuary"], but I didn't get the part. Then they said take the journey with him. He's still discovering and learning that there was this other character who's in an insane asylum, just

about his powers and becoming the character he [is in the comics]. this wacky kid. I said, 'OK.' It wasn't a very large part, but it was

It's important, I think, to see some of a character's origin. If the interesting because I had to play a nutcase. I only worked a couple

audience knows his background and history and the things that of days. It was a quick in-and-out thing, but it was a blast because

happened to him, what shaped him, that helps them become I got to be completely off the wall." attached to the person and care more about him later on." For his visit to The Outer Limits ("Lion's Den"), Ashmore

Case in point: the X2 romance between Iceman and Rogue. The played a wrestler. "I've never seen the show," he says, "but I

first film dropped hints that feelings were blossoming between the remember that it was difficult because I had never wrestled before. two, and the sequel finds the couple trying to deal with the fact that They brought me in a couple of days earlier and had a guy teach

Rogue absorbs the powers and sucks the lifeforce from anyone she me the basic moves. It was a lot of fun."

In X2, Bobby discovers that teen romance is even tougher when the girl

36 STARLOG//4«,?«.vr 2003 Most recently, on Smallville ("Leech"), Ashmore starred as Next up for Ashmore is... nothing. He hasn't completed any- Eric, a classmate who assumed Clark's superpowers, only to abuse thing since wrapping X2, preferring instead to read scripts and them. "That was amazing. That show was such a blast to work on," chill. "I'm trying to make the next decisions," offers Ashmore,

he reports. "I had never been a guest star on a show where I felt so who splits his time between Toronto and . "I want to welcome. Everyone was completely into the episode and wanted do a smaller independent film, so I'm looking for something that everything—including the guest star performances—to be as good really rings true to me. I never regret any choices that I've made. as possible. That was a really, really good experience." But I really want to take my time. "So whether the next film I do is a larg- er-budget studio movie or an independent,

I just want to be a character who chal- lenges me and makes me happy. I don't know what the formula is for success. And there are outside forces. There are people handing me scripts and saying, 'This is what you need to be doing next.' And

sometimes I read them and I'm like,

'That's not for me. It doesn't feel right.' So there's never too much pressure to commit to a project that I'm not interested in, but there's definitely that aspect of trying to choose a career path that will take me in the right direction." And if at some point the young actor's phone rings and it's his agent informing him that X3 is ready to roll, don't expect a Iceman to get cold feet. "I am signed on I for X3," Shawn Ashmore notes. "Many people have been asking, 'What's going on I with a third one?' The decision won't be 1 made until everyone sees X2 and the studio m decides whether or not they want to invest Jl in another one. But it's smart of the studio to have some of the cast signed for X3, Jjjjl because it'll save time if they do decide to ikk go ahead and make it. If there is an X3, 1 *fflPp*- JH will be there for it." <&r

www.starlog.com STARLOG/August 2003 37 Director Jonathan Mostow never thought there would be a third Terminator movie, much less with himself at the helm. Then again, John Connor never expected to be the world's savior, either.

Of all the film sequels hitting theaters in 2003—and there are many—one of the most high-profile, yet unlikely, is Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (due out July 3). It has been 12 long years since its predecessor, the popular Terminator 2: Judgment Day, took in $515 million at theaters around the globe. The film that launched Arnold Schwarzen- egger's machine-made alter-ego dates all the way back to 1984, when a young James Cameron made the original Terminator for a mere $6.4 million.

In the years that followed 72, it seemed to many that the franchise was dead—or at least in hibernation. Cameron wasn't all that interested in revisiting the property, and a legal morass of contractual rights and own- ership issues seemed to have the Terminator

down for the count. Yet here, finally, is T3, ready to reveal the rise of the machines.

Schwarzenegger is back as everyone's favorite killer , and this time, he pro- tects a 20-somefhing John Connor (Nick Stahl) from Skynet's latest effort, the beauti- ful but lethal T-X (Kristanna Loken). The man directing the action in T3 is not Cameron, however, but 41 -year-old Mostow, originally one of the new sequel's greatest skeptics. "Two years ago, I was offered the project out of the blue," reports Mostow, who's call- ing on his cell phone while heading to the film lab to check 73's color balance. "I had no idea anybody was even making Terminator 3 until I got a call from my agent one day, saying they were offering me the director's job. My initial response was, 'Why does anybody need to make

Terminator 3T It sounded like an attempt to cash in on whatever goodwill exists for the other two Terminator — —

His agent sent him the current script any-

way. Mostow promptly tossed it into a slush pile, unread. "I never have enough time to

read everything, so I just figured that was

one more I wouldn't read," he says. "But I kept getting calls from my agent every few

days, asking if I had read it. Finally, he said, 'Look, you have to give them an answer one

way or the other.' So I read the script, and I had two reactions. One was pleasant sur-

prise, because I realized you could make a

third Terminator movie. The other reaction I

had was, although I enjoyed reading this

script they had sent, I wanted to do some- thing different. I'm a writer myself, and I started getting ideas in my head about what kind of movie I would make." So Mostow, who had only directed four features previously Beverly Hills Bodysnatchers (1989), the telemovie Flight of Black Angel (1991), Breakdown (1997) and U-571 (2000)—contacted the T3 pro- After directing ducers and expressed his interest. "I spelled such films out the movie I would make, and they said, as Breakdown 'Great. Let's do that.' Thus began the and U-571, process," he recalls. Jonathan Mostow helms Saving the world his biggest It helped that Mostow had always been a and most fan of the first two Terminator movies. anticipated people think of 72 the better- project "When — reaking down to date. known of the first two films—they tend to focus on the big special effects," he muses. "That's a T3: Rise of huge part of it, certainly. But the real reason why these films are so beloved the Machines, while other films of that time have faded into obliv-

ion is that these are movies filmmaker of epic proportions. You're literally talking about sav-

ing the world. Still, the fab- nathan Mostow ric of these movies is an intimate drama, played out

by a small number of characters. In T2, it's a details tomorrow's mother and her son. Then this robot charac-

ter comes into it. T2 combined the best of the sequel nightmare. biggest Hollywood spectacles with an inti- mate drama and a lot of emotion. That's why [the Terminator franchise] appealed to me. There are plenty of big films one can go out and do as a filmmaker, but there are very few with the scope, the spectacle, that T3 has,

while still being an intimate drama."

I Mostow wanted T3 to focus on John jEonnor as the tale's central figure. "I was primarily interested in the psychology of John Connor," he explains. "Here's a charac- ter who was a kid when we last saw him, and now he's in his early 20s, at a time in one's life when you're trying to figure out your place in the world. Connor has all the normal problems of a 23-year-old, and on top of that, he's carrying the weight of the world on You can't keep a good lis shoulders. He has this destiny which Terminator down (or a foretells that he will be the of the bad one, either, for that fight against the machines], but there's matter). is back lobody on the planet today who believes in T3: Rise of the _kn or thinks that anything he's talking

Machine about is sane. 1 found that psychologically

STARLOG/August 2003 39 The sky was the limit in terms of T3's FX and budget, but Mostow never abandoned his commitment to the saga's story and characters.

interesting. What would it have been like to live as John Connor since the last movie? That's the jumping-off point for a story that delivers on everything the title Terminator 3 implies. At the end of the day, it's still an emotional story about people."

Like the previous Terminators, T3 is also a story about what could happen in real life if the worst possible permutations of our technologically driven society were to come true. "The same themes are there," Mostow affirms. "I now realize how prescient those themes were 12 years ago. The theme of T2 was about machines taking over the world. Consider: What has happened in the last 12 years? We've all become slaves to our com- puters. We come home and immediately spend 15, 30 minutes, maybe even an hour, Doing a Terminator without Schwarzenegger was not an returning e-mail. is Everything becoming option. He's the only actor returning from the first two films. computerized. God forbid your banking sys- tem goes down; you're up the creek. storyline, Mostow insists that his sequel is the shadows of the future steps the T-X, the Artificial intelligence and robotics are mak- different from its predecessors and stands on latest robot in Skynet's evolutionary design ing tremendous strides. So really, all the its own. "Even if I set out to copy T2, it process." prophecies of 72 are coming true. Most would be impossible, because if you give The original Terminator—dark, gritty movies don't age well, but this franchise is five filmmakers the same script and the same and low-budget—was a surprising hit, both actually more timely than ever." cast, they'll go out and make five complete- critically and commercially. By contrast, Despite the common themes and familiar ly different movies," he avows. "It's T2—although even more successful by most inevitable that T3 will reflect my sensibili- standards—was a big, expensive studio pic- ties. Audiences will get more of the stuff ture that wasn't quite as intense, thanks to a

they want, but it's a new movie. The right reformed Terminator and his juvenile pal. balance of the familiar and the innovative Both films carried an R rating, and will make this sequel worth watching." Mostow—whose T3 has also been slapped with an R—says his sequel falls somewhere Shaping the Future between the first two Terminators in terms

Mostow brought in screenwriters of style and tone. "The trick is to make it all Michael Ferris and John Brancato to reshape seem absolutely believable," he reflects. the script (the official writing credit at "You have to shoot scenes in a way that

presstime is story by Brancato, Ferris and makes them feel real and natural. That's how Mostow; screenplay by Brancato, Ferris and the first two Terminators were shot. If 72

Tedi Sarafian). The director won't reveal the looked slicker, that's because it was the most movie's plot in any detail, but does offer a expensive movie of its time. I didn't make

brief description. "Basically, 10 years have T3 to look like a low-budget movie, but I do passed [since the events of T2], and John love the grittiness of the first Terminator. Connor is unsure if he and his mother really Even though Tl and T2 had vastly different changed the future in the last movie. Out of budgets, they do share the same sensibility." —

The T-X—or "Terminatrix" as she has Sarah's psychological evolution was interesting, because to John Connor, this one come to be known—is hell-bent on complet- between 77 and 72; she wouldn't have been looks and acts like the same robot, but it's a ing the job left unfinished by her predeces- in a different place [this time]. There was no different one." sor, the T-1000 (played with aplomb by The place for me to take her. So we figured out a Mostow unequivocally states that T3 X-Files' Robert Patrick in 72). Mostow way to keep her presence in the movie with- couldn't have been made without knows that audiences expect the T-X to dis- out actually having [Hamilton appear]. Schwarzenegger. "There are some roles you

can recast they did it [in Hannibal] with Punching a — window doesn't Jodie Foster from The Silence of the Lambs, hint at theT-X's and she won an Academy Award—but you capabilities. All can't do that with Arnold. The Terminator Mostow will and Arnold are synonymous! For me, as a

reveal is that movie fan, it was a terrific experience to she "has more work with him. Obviously, I didn't have to sophisticated tell him how to play the role. My direction of weaponry Arnold amounted to a calibration of systems." moments: Should the Terminator be a little bit scarier here? What kind of effect are we

looking for with the audience? It was very different from directing an actor who's play- Assigned once ing a naturalistic character. Arnold's playing again to protect John Connor a robot, so it was very technical and quite (Nick Stahl), the specific." T-800 must also Apparently, one of the roles that could be guard his girl recast is that of John Connor, future savior of friend, Kate mankind. Mostow passed over Edward Brewster (Claire Furlong—who played 12-year-old John in Danes). 72—and gave the role to In the Bedroom's

A Terminator "Burly Brawl"? The third installment in the SF franchise, T3 features an unstoppable legion of endoskeleton assassins.

play even more deadly wizardry than the "Besides," Mostow adds, "Linda did shape-shifting, liquid-metal T-1000, but he's such a phenomenal job in T2 that it would be tight-lipped on this subject, too. "She has impossible for her to top it. Hers was a bril- more sophisticated weaponry systems," he liant, tour-de-force performance. She single- says. "She has capabilities that her predeces- handedly created the movement in women's sors didn't have. No one will accuse me of bodybuilding, because never before had an retreading past ground. The T-1000 was a actress shown up in a movie looking so fantastic character, and trying to top him was buffed out." a tall order. This is not about a competition So, in the story's context, what has hap- between the two [foes]; it's about coming up pened to Sarah? "You'll have to wait and with a character who is just as satisfying." see," Mostow intones. With John Connor taking over the spot- light from his Mom—and plenty of screen Judging the Targets time devoted to the T-800 and T-X (this is, Schwarzenegger, then, is the only actor after all, still a movie about Terminators) returning from the casts of the first two Mostow and his writers found Sarah Connor films. Now 55, the man who made "I'll be squeezed out of the way. "In a two-hour back" a pop-culture catch phrase still looks film, there's so much story to tell that you remarkably like he did in T2. That's impor- don't want to spend time on anything that tant, since the T-800, as Mostow points out, isn't impactful," the director remarks. is still the same mass-produced model we've "Originally, I wanted Linda Hamilton to be seen before. "It's the same in appearance, in this movie. I didn't know how I could but obviously it's a different character, Internet gossip attached Famke Janssen it her. I that this make without But once decided because one hasn't had the same experi- and other actresses to the T-X role, the movie's focus would be John Connor, I ences that the other T-800s had," Mostow but Mostow just laughs at all the realized Sarah would be a third wheel. says. "The other two were destroyed. So it's erroneous speculation. www.starlog.com STARLOG/Awgt/jf 2003 41 _ —

Nick Stahl. "Nick came through the tradi- movie in that arena," Mostow says. "I love tional casting process, where we looked at science fiction, but I'm not a fanatic. I'm

THE LEGENDARY STAR OF the top few hundred actors in his age brack- just a movie fan. It just so happens that HUNDREDS OF FILMS INCLUDING... et," Mostow says. "He got the part the old- some of the best movies have been science fashioned way: He auditioned, then came fiction. I love Silent Running, and I love

back to talk with me about it. I looked at his Star Trek'' LOSINGS other movies, too. Ultimately, I selected It's almost time for Mostow to return to Nick because I felt he had a tremendous the pressing business of finishing up 73. soulfulness about him, and that's very rare in Before he goes, the director offers a few : EPISODE II actors who are 22 years old. I needed it for parting comments about the pressures of

this movie because, again, I go back to why bringing such a highly anticipated sequel to I was interested in making 73 in the first the screen. "The greatest challenge has been CHRISTOPHER LEE place: I felt that Nick could successfully trying to deliver on everyone's expectations play someone who's carrying the weight of for sensational visual effects and action, yet the world upon his shoulders." not compromising one bit on the story," Limited Edition Lithootaph As for the other principal players, Mostow offers. "So often when we go to the Only 500 copies of this Mostow says each came to 73 in a different movies, we see how the effects can over- Limited Edition Lithograph way. For instance, the casting call for the whelm the storytelling. The challenge here crucial Terminatrix role went out across the was to never forget that my job, every day, Poster exist and each copy world. "We looked at 10,000 actresses, with was to make sure that we're telling a really is autographed by Mr. Lee. casting directors in eight countries and every compelling story with characters you care Orefer yours NOW! major city in the about. ..all while U.S.," Mostow main- being at the cutting + shipping. $75.99 $6.00 tains. "We looked 'There are few edge of the digital Sales limited to U.S. only. everywhere from effects revolution. Cirque du Soleil to "There are few female boxing gyms sequels that live sequels that live up to the usual places to their predeces- one looks for an sors," Mostow adds. actor. And Kristanna up to their "I'm hoping that, Loken stood head in this case, the and shoulders above predecessors." amount of time that all the rest as being has passed [since

right for the part. It 72] makes it inter- was a no-brainer to put her in the movie. We esting to revisit these characters. This fran- were looking for the needle in the haystack, chise has been kept alive for all these years

and I believe we found that needle." not because somebody was promoting it, but Rumors surfaced that X-Men's Famke because the fans [wanted another movie].

Janssen was a finalist to play the T-X, but The fans are the only reason this movie is Mostow scoffs at that idea. "The funny thing getting made." about this movie is that there has been so But if fans want some kind of declaration much speculation on the Internet," he chuck- that T3 is bigger, better and more exciting les. "I could go [on-line] on any particular than the previous two installments, they day and read—with absolute conviction and won't get it from Mostow. "I hate to get into authority on the part of the website who those kind of characterizations," he says.

was starring in the movie. What happens in "All I can tell you is, my number-one goal in

most of these cases is that the fans get excit- making this movie was to deliver on what I ed and start to campaign for somebody. felt was the most powerful aspect of the POSTER SIZE: IB" x 24" Sometimes that's encouraged by the actor's Terminator movies: a great story. I endeav- representatives. All I can say is, I looked at ored to continue the story in an interesting PLEASE INDICATE THE QUANTITY BEING ORDERED everybody. I'm not saying that someone's way. It's as if you're reading a book, and . -CHRISTOPHER LEE LITHOGRAPH Price: $75.99 + $6.00 Shipping not as good an actress as someone else; I'm suddenly you realize you're only two-thirds Method of Payment: just saying that Kristanna was right for the of the way through. That was my approach Cash Check Money Order role." to 73." Discover MasterCard Visa 73's heroine is Kate Brewster, a part that Does T3 definitively wrap up the series, Account No. originally went to Sophia Bush. But Claire then? Mostow hedges his bets. "Whenever Card Expiration Date: - - (month/year) Danes replaced Bush at the last minute. "I've you have a story with a time-travel element, always been an enormous fan of Claire's," there's always the possibility for more," he Your Daytime Phone #: (

If you don't want to cut out couoon, we will accept written orders. Mostow declares. "I cast her because I admits. "This movie will stand on its own, Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. have always wanted to work with her. She but I'm sure that people felt T2 stood on its was perfect for the role. It was just another own—including me. But there was ample

no-brainer." room for a sequel, as it turned out. Someone

Street else may come along in another 12 years, or Recalling the Past in two years, and decide that there's another City Zip A year before Terminator hit theaters, sequel to be told." Mostow was a senior film student at Right now, though, lonathan Mostow is Your Signature Harvard. His 12-minute horror movie, Dr. simply glad to have had the opportunity to Total enclosed: $ Dobermind, got him noticed around make T3. "I got to make a movie with the Starlog Group Hollywood, and even won an award in the most famous character in the history of cin- 475 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 Short Film Search contest then co-sponsored ema, the Terminator," he enthuses. "That You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: by CINEMAGIC, STARLOG's sister maga- was a treat. How many people get to go to [email protected] \\ [j zine. "It's just coincidence that I made a work and tell the Terminator what to do?"-^

www.starIog.com did it. Monica Bellucci promoted Shefilm after film—most notably Tears of the Sun and the controversial drama Irreversible—and managed to stay tight-lipped about her role as Persephone in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. But now that the veil of secrecy has been lifted, there's no contain- ing Bellucci's enthusiasm about her SF doubleheader. "I was so curious to see Reloaded," says Bellucci, the Italian star best known to American audiences for her roles in Malena and Brotherhood of the Wolf. "I'm very happy to be a part of this project because I'm a big fan of Larry and Andy Wachowski, from when I saw Bound. Bound was a big hit in Europe, and, of course, when I saw The Matrix, I fell in love with it like everybody else. To have the chance to be a part of this movie is a big thing for me, because everybody is waiting for Reloaded and Revolutions—not just in America, but also in Europe. "These films represent a genera- tion. And Reloaded is much more than an action movie. It's more than a beautiful visual film. It's a philosophy of life. It has deep meaning. There's something very religious about it. The Keymaker [Randall Duk Kim] says, 'I'm here because we have to be here. I'm here because 1 have to do something. I have meaning like all of us. We all have mean- ing.' There's something really religious [about that seenel, because it's a man looking inside himself. He understands what's going on during this difficult situ- ation he's fighting through. It's the same thing as when we say, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.' The Matrix is like that. It's like life. Behind all the beau- tiful visual effects, there's something very strong." Beauty Mark Bellucci is a beautiful visual effect of her own in Reloaded and Revolutions, with her long, black hair and sexy, cream-col- ored leather outfit. Persephone is first seen with her husband, the Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), a smug Matrix power www.starlog.com Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) and Neo (Keanu Reeves) need Persephone's help, but the Merovingian's wife will only

cough up if she can kiss "the One."

broker who seems to have her—not to men- "Persephone is a sad person. She's mys- "I don't know Keanu very well and he tion the Keymaker—under his thumb. But terious, sensual and dangerous, but she's doesn't know me very well, even though I've

Persephone, sick of her husband's infideli- also desperate. She remembers what it was known him for a long time. I met him nine ties, has a few tricks up her sleeve. She has a like to have feelings. In Greek mythology, years ago when we did Dracula. I was just a gun and knows how to use it. And she has Persephone has to live in the Underworld model at the time, and I had one small lips and knows how to use them. When Neo because her husband took her there. But she moment in the film [as one of Dracula's

(Keanu Reeves), Morpheus (Laurence wants to return to the living world to see her brides], and it was a kiss with Keanu. So Fishburne) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) mother. And my Persephone every nine years, I kiss him. During the time arrive on the scene, Persephone offers to is the same [of Dracula], I was so far provide information in exchange for a kiss- _ removed from the a long, deep buss with Neo. After exchan movie business. I never

ing a priceless look with Trinity, Neo thought I could be an actress. I was agrees. That moment is one of - i x" " JkftOF^ just a model who Francis Ford Reloaded's most entertaining 0^%^%t3* " OMIW" tl Coppola saw in a picture; I ended up in that scenes. if f C JV **\%^& m movie by coinccoincidence. And all I had to do in "I wanted to play this the film was kiss Keanu, who was already a character because there's something tragic way. She movie star by then. So it's nine years later, about her," Bellucci says. "In Greek mythol- comes from an old Matrix, so she remem- and I've grown up and made my choices and ogy, Persephone—because nothing is a coin- bers what it was like to have feelings, but she worked on myself and been to Italy, France, cidence in this movie, and everything, every- doesn't have them anymore. She remembers whatever, and now I'm back here and get to one's name, has a meaning—is the daughter what love felt like, but can no longer experi- kiss him again. It's like a circle." of the King of the Gods, , and the ence that. Persephone can only feel through Goddess of Fertility, Demeter. She's kid- others, and that's really tragic." Lip Service napped by the King of the Underworld, Bellucci seeks no tears from moviegoers, Sharing smooches with Reeves seems Hades, to be his queen, and is allowed to however. After all, she got to kiss Reeves like an easy enough job, but Bellucci learned come back into the living world for just part again and again and again. "That took two that a kiss is not a kiss—especially in the of the year. That explains a lot about days," she recalls. "It was a long, long scene Matrix. "A good kiss requires an actor to

[Reloaded's version of] Persephone, who is because it was so important to the give something," she says. "But I couldn't living between two worlds as well. She's just Wachowskis. They did it very close up, then give anything during that scene. Keanu had another program from another Matrix. She's less close and then even less close. We shot to do everything. I had to have the right reac- not human, but she wants to feel human that scene maybe 50 times. But it wasn't tion [after each kiss], and then I also had to emotions. She's like a vampire of painful. Keanu is a good kisser. It's funny, speak with Trinity and tell her that I know emotions. She doesn't feel anything herself, because in our line of work, you have to be [her relationship with Neo] won't be forever. and is only able to feel things through other so intimate with people you don't know. It's Persephone knows life, and maybe she's sad people. such a strange thing. and cynical because you become that way

44 STARLOG/August 2003 when there's something wrong with you. So ness in America]. For me, it was the chance

I [wasn't allowed to] do anything during our to work with a young French director, kiss. All my reactions came from how Keanu Christophe Gans, who is part of the new

kissed me. It was so important. And he did it generation. I come from Italy, so it was nice

very well." to work with a French talent. And it's great But did they really do 50 takes? "No, no, to go to a different country, like France, and I'm kidding," she laughs. "They just wanted be accepted and work with people like the kiss from every point-of-view, because Gaspar Noe on Irreversible and Christophe

it's such a strong moment. What I like about on Brotherhood. I keep working with young the Wachowskis is that they're completely in directors. And then I came here to work with control. I'm European and come from the the Wachowski Brothers. They're probably school where you make a movie because you the new generation of American directors. [want to work with] the director; and the So I've been very lucky." director has complete control. In America, Bellucci has continued to leap from

sometimes it's different, because the produc- country to country and director to director. er and actors have so much power. The lead She recently wrapped production on The actor in American films is so powerful. They Passion—in which she plays Mary can say, 'Put the camera here instead of Magdalene opposite Jim (Frequency) there.' That doesn't exist in Europe. I think Caviezel's Jesus Christ for director Mel that if a performer [acts that way], they real- Gibson—and Secret Agents, a crime thriller ly should make their own movie instead of in which she co-stars with her husband, telling the director what to do. Vincent Cassel, who also shared the screen "People don't go to movies for the actors. with her in Irreversible and Brotherhood of They want to see a story. Of course, audi- the Wolf. But before either The Passion or ences love the big actors, but [the main rea- Secret Agents reaches theaters, Bellucci will

son] they go to movies is the story. That's be back as Persephone in The Matrix

why I believe the director is the most impor- Revolutions, which opens November 5. tant element of a film. And the Wachowski "My role isn't going to be bigger than in Brothers are in complete control. If they Reloaded," Bellucci says. "It's really small, As a model-turned- novice actress, don't like something, they reshoot it. If they so I'm going to watch the third film more as Bellucci bit into her want to do 20 or 50 takes, they do 20 or 50 an audience member than as an actor. When role as one of the takes. I love to work like that. I love to work I agreed to do these films, it was because I brides of Bram with people who are in control of their wanted to work with the directors and be a Stoker's Dracula. movies and know what they want. The part of their universe. It doesn't matter if I'm Wachowskis are so precise. It's great." Pressed for more details about the secre- tive duo, Bellucci smiles. She knows that they won't do interviews for their films any longer, so she's happy to divulge additional observations about them. "They're two separate, interesting personalities," she remarks. "They're good together. They sometimes have different points-of-view, but they really talk about the scenes and make decisions together. In Italy, we have the Taviani Brothers, and they work the same way, always together. Then you have the Coen Brothers. It's nice to see two brothers working together who have a great

relationship. And the script is the Bible for the Wachowskis. You have to respect the script. But they're also very open [to other people's ideas], so if I wanted to do some- Brotherhood of the thing different, I could. But the script is very Wolf was a big hit for important to them. And that's the right the French cinema, approach, because the Matrix films are a and gave Bellucci another chance to different kind of movie. As an actress, the work with a innovative most intelligent thing you can do is respect young director, the way each filmmaker works and learn Christophe Gans. from it."

Reloaded and Revolutions are Bellucci 's in a movie for 15 minutes or for an hour and biggest films to date. They're light years a half. The most important thing is that I beyond even her previous European epics have something to play and can give life to Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatre and [that person]. The pleasure is in the acting Brotherhood of the Wolf. "Brotherhood of and being in a project that I believe in. the Wolf was a completely different thing "Sometimes I do films and they work, because it's a French movie," Bellucci says and sometimes they don't, but I want to do No matter how of the internationally acclaimed film about a them because I feel the truth in them," small the part, for jM

mysterious beast on the rampage in 18th Monica Bellucci observes. "I feel I can learn Bellucci, the 0$, pleasure liess century France. "It was a big film for the something. It's my way of growing up. It's ,|fft._ in the acting. French cinema, but [it didn't do much busi- my Matrix." '0 www.starlog.com

- tfc il < § fl 3f ZlS I

82J1 : = i3c+ 3 ? tw et i w

expended on The Matrix Reloaded and didn't have enough time. It was harder to I do something and I don't hit it right or

77«e Matrix Revolutions. Reeves spent get, it was harder to do and it was harder it doesn't look right, I instantly feel it and months in advance of the actual shoot to come back. Some days, I would finish a see it and say, 'Aw, aw.' I don't want that. prepping for the physical aspects of the fight, get new choreography and then I want it to be perfect." gig, and then, when the cameras rolled, he [practice] fighting on weekends so that I dived headlong into the action. could film on Tuesday. I did five fights in Neo Resurrected "Reloaded and Revolutions were much the second one, and I have more moves in Some moviegoers felt that there was harder," Reeves says. "It took more time. that scene with the Smiths than I did in too much of a good thing in The Matrix There was much more involved. It the whole first movie, probably twice Reloaded, that the Wachowskis staged too demanded a lot more. In the first one, I over." many fights. Reeves disagrees, and points could do most of [the action]. In the sec- Fishburne commented that he chose out the balance between the action and ond one, if you take out the CGI aspect of not to come to the set for one particular contemplative talk in the Matrix saga. my battle with Smith [Hugo Weaving], I fight, simply because he felt Reeves was "There's much more dialogue in Re- probably did 92 percent of my fighting. too hard on himself. Reeves raises an eye- loaded" he says. "What I think is one of Not the landings, the wall stuff or crashes, brow at that remark. "I can be," he the unique things that the brothers have but the fighting. And there was a ton of admits. "But I don't think I need any found a way to do is that they'll give you stuff with the weapons. I was like, 'I wish therapy or anything. I'm not so out of my an intense scene of dialogue—say between I could have been better. I wish I could mind. It was a [physical] aspect of the Neo and the Architect [Helmut Ba- have done this move...' because the more piece that we worked hard on to get right, kaitis]—and then they'll give you a fight

I did it, the more [Yuen] Woo-Ping and as we did the emotional [content]. There's scene. Then they'll give you a scene with the brothers would go, 'Well, how about something about symmetry and having Lambert Wilson, the Merovingian, talk-

this?' There was still plenty of that, but we those scenes so that you believe in them. If ing about the power of why and cause and

STARLOG/4j/gKsr 2003 47 c e s- a > t

!:t» ft ? 5i 1 1

effect. An No reluctant chase. I remember Andy would say—and Revolutions. I think it sounds really goofy, — hero, Neo accepts this is perspective 'Oftentimes with but The Matrix is about love." his his role as "the movies you sit through bad dialogue to see One" in The the spectacle, so you can sit through good Neo Beloved Matrix Reloaded. dialogue.' I agree with that. Reloaded is a The Matrix Reloaded isn't all about

very ambitious film, but I think the brothers action and ideas. Neo is a horny One when it

pulled it off." comes to Trinity. In a long, wild and carnal Now that Reloaded has been in theaters scene, the Wachowskis cut back and forth

for several weeks, it's safe to discuss the plot between Neo and Trinity making passionate specifics. In the sequel, Neo, Morpheus and love and the citizens of Zion partying with Trinity are in a race against time to save Zion equal passion after a rousing Morpheus ora-

and its 250,000 inhabitants from an unre- tion. "It's great," Reeves says. "It's one of

lenting swarm of Sentinels that are boring my favorite parts of the piece, because I get through the Earth in order to carry out the to love and be loved by someone and share machines' plan to wipe out mankind's last that. The relationship [scenes] between Neo free people. Neo knows that he is the One, but he wears that crown uncomfortably. He would prefer to spend his time with Trinity, with whom he has begun a romantic rela- tionship. Neo is also occupied honing his prodigious powers, which now include the ability to fly. He struggles to sort through the myriad religious, spiritual, political, socio- logical and scientific options, possibilities, theories and manifestos thrown at him by Morpheus, the Architect, the Merovingian, Counselor Hamman (Anthony Zerbe), the Oracle (the late Gloria Foster), Seraph (Collin Chou) and Persephone (Monica Bellucci). "It's the development of the birth of a messiah and the identity of a man," Reeves says of Neo's character arc from The Matrix to Reloaded. "In the beginning of Reloaded,

Neo is full of fear about what he has to do and the responsibilities that the community

[expects from him]. But I don't think that

he's a reluctant hero. He has accepted it, but

I don't think he has accepted it without ques-

tion. Neo is trying to find out, 'What is my

life?' He's not just taking it as, 'Oh, OK, I'm going to have to make this choice.' He says, 'What if I fail?' Then Zion will fall. And it's and Trinity were some of my favorite days, kind of cool what happens later on. Didn't working with Carrie-Anne, just because we

you think it was neat, the Architect scene? love and trust each other and like working

That's interesting, isn't it? What Neo finds together. It's so enjoyable to feel that. It's out about being the One. I love that!" great to be able to give that loving feeling, As for the biblical references—such as that kind of respect and appreciation for Neo rising from the dead—Reeves smiles somebody else. and says, "It's Apollo and Dionysian, nature, "The Wachowskis are interested in emo-

form, something man-made, something from tions and the flesh and blood of life, and I

the psyche, the kind of relationship between think they exalt in it. They like showing that

that and 'Your life is the sum of an unequal exaltation, that strength of feeling, the " equation.' strength of a community dancing, that kind And for those who think that the of beauty and power of union and the

Architect is Satan lying to Neo and trying to strength of that union, whether it's individu- lead him astray, Reeves offers this: "Satan als or individuals coming into a community.

isn't the builder of the universe. But it's a When the camera goes above the people in [valid] question. Personally, I don't think so, Zion, they're like 'Yeow!' The kids that came

because the brothers don't generally out to shoot those scenes [were so into it]. lie. Everyone is sort of self-declared and "Some days there were like 700 of them,

says, 'Here's my hand.' But maybe not. I and there was one day where it was close to don't believe that there's any manipulation, a thousand," Reeves recalls. "Those kids just

though. I could probably make a list, but came out with so much affection. They had a then I would be doing something that the male and a female tent, but that went out the brothers don't want people to do: 'Here's my window. There were kids doing drum cir- Reeves prefers literal thing.' But I don't believe the cles, people dancing in the middle of the to shy away from Architect is Satan. The brothers don't pro- sand. And all this in the Oakland heat. the spotlight, but pose a finality to [anything]. They don't say, People were hanging out everywhere, and it's hard to avoid 'Here's the answer.' They don't do that, when they shot those scenes it was insane. the media when you're the star of «38 = STARLOG/4m?».v/ 2003 The Matrix. multiple Agents.

They put the music on and the kids [went As evidenced at Counselor ffamman crazy]. We were just going, 'God.' Laurence the end of The (Anthony Zerbe) came out to start his speech as Morpheus, Matrix, Neo now and others hold and there was a three-minute scream. has the ability to conflicting opinions on Laurence didn't even start. He just stood fly—and he takes how Neo should there. Anthony came out and said, 'And here more than a spin handle Matrix matters. is Morpheus,' and the kids were screaming in the follow-ups. 'Yeow!' for three minutes. Laurence was

like, 'Yeah!' It was good, primal energy. And

I think the brothers celebrate that. It's nice that that's such a strong point of the movie, that there's beauty in the world." Neo Agonistes Since completing The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Reeves has moved on to several new projects. He's wrapped an as-yet untitled comedy in which he co-stars with Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton and Amanda Peet, and is working on Thumbsucker with Elijah Wood and Scarlett Johannson. And, if all goes according to plan, Reeves will soon portray supernatural investigator John Constantine in a film adap- tation of DC-Vertigo's Hellblazer (to be titled Constantine to avoid confusion with ! Photo: Jasin Boland the Hellraiser movies). —

fronts Neo," Reeves remarks. "And I basical- "During the first part of that sequence, ly intensely worked with 12 stuntmen for they often used a Steadicam," Keanu Reeves about three weeks, going through the fight. continues. "They did a 180-degree turn, and Then we filmed every day for almost a in some of those sequences I did 25, 30

month. And these guys, every time I said moves, hitting eight guys. So they all had to

let's do it again. ..there's this one moment be in the right spot to sell every hit. They

where Neo is grabbed by two agents and I do would come here and then go there and we a backflip and kick two guys in the head, all had to adjust. So we were all involved in

then I flip back and the two guys are thrown this thing for months, and we had also back. Well, those two guys got pulled to the trained together beforehand. I wanted to floor 21 times. And every time I said I would somehow—besides just saying 'Thank like to do it again. I was like, 'Tim, you you' —give a bigger thank you to all those OK?' He would say, 'Yeah, man. Let's go.' guys who helped me make this one of the And we would just go through the fight great movie fights in the history of cinema. I

every day, the three stages of the fight, and worked it out with Bartell's, and they put

everyone was so supportive and helpful. these bikes together for me. I had them brought up in a truck and I got to give 'em all a Harley! That was hot. That made me smile for months! I would be in bed and be " like, 'Ha, ha, ha!'

"I've read a few of the comics, and I real- ly like the character of Constantine," Reeves says. "I like his ambivalence, his vitality, his

darkness and his anger. I also appreciate his underlying grace and love for humanity. And I love him as a figure who is sort of the ulti- mate [example] of the existential 'God is dead' [argument]. Hellblazer literalizes a kind of Heaven and Hell and that type of Catholic background, and Constantine's say-

ing, 'The nine deities, the nine devils, all of you get out of here. Just leave us alone.' He's

the ultimate man without all of the other

kinds of entities. I love the dialogue, because he finds out something else in his quest. He finds out something about him- self and his humanity." He has dealt with the Devil before, so it's Not unlike Neo, actually. Neo will no surprise that Reeves wants to play return to action a few months from now another Hellblazer as DC Comics' and don't forget The Animatrix anime supernatural detective John anthology or the Enter the Matrix video Constantine. game—when The Matrix Revolutions closes out the trilogy November 5. Asked what he has learned from Neo and what Neo has learned from him, Reeves is silent for a moment. "It's not an easy question," he says. "That's like asking 'What has your mother learned from you and what have you learned from your

mother?' I really believe that Neo is a beautiful man. I admire his ethics and his morals and his search for his authentic life and how he deals with people and himself. It's like, 'Can you live up to that? Can you live up to the best part of yourself every day,

all the time?' I think that's a real- It's hard to avoid Christ-like ly great question. It's hard. I try, and I think comparisons when you're labeled the it's something the films ask." Matrix Messiah, but The best side of Reeves came out when Reeves believes the films he rewarded some of the Matrix stuntmen are really "about love." with a truckload of Harley-Davidson motor- cycles. "There's a fight where Smith con-

8

.» ..&T&LOQ/AUM* 2003 fi * www.st4log.com - Order now while issues last! Note: All issues include numerous articles & interviews. Only a few are listed for each entry.

#2 Gene Roddenberry. 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: 1999 EP 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. flftFX3.$10. Questor Tapes. $15. Douglas. 2. #4 3-D SF Movie Guide. #56 Zardoz. Triffids. Trek #82 Schwarzenegger. Max Alley. Doug Adams. Peter #127 Lucas. Harryhausen. #147 Danny Elfman. Richard Anderson. Outer #31 Empire. 20,000 bloopers 3. $5. von Sydow. Chris Lloyd. Davison. $5. Davison. Kathleen Nimoy. John Varley. River Limits EP Guide. $50. Leagues Under the Faye Grant. Dr. Who. Jedi Kennedy. Gates Phoenix. Norton 2. Koenig. Sea. Chekov's 2. $5. #57 Robot. FX 2. $4. #103 Daryl Hannah. McFadden. RoboCop. $50. CD Barnes. £37 EP Guide. #5 3-D films. Space: 1999 Conan. Caroline Munro. Hauer. Rob Bottin. Elmer RR FX 4. $10. & UFO EP Guides. $15. #32 Sound FX LP. Buck Ron Cobb. $10. #83 Kate Capshaw. Robin Bernstein. $5. #1 28 John de Lancie. Ron Rogers & Trek designs. Curtis. Fritz Leiber. Perlman. James Earl #148 Tony Jay. Julie #6 Robert Heinlein on Chekov's 3. $6. #58 Blade Runner. The Marshall. Dr. Who.V. $10. #1 04 Peter Mayhew. Jones, William Campbell. Newman Chaves. Biehn. Destination Moon. Thing. . Trek Stephen Collins. Ken Weller. Darrow. Koenig. Warner. RR FX 5. S7 EP Animated Trek. $25. #33 Voyage EP Guide. bloopers 4. $5. #84 8th Anniversary. Johnson. Outer Limits. $5. Prowse. Bradbury. $50. Guide 2. $125. Ellison reviews Trek. $5. Nimoy. Frank Oz. Chris #7 Star Wars. Rocketship X- #59 Arnold Schwarzeneg- Lambert. Marc Singer. B. #105 Lambert. Colin #129 .Wil #149 Yvonne Craig. M. Space: 1999 Eagle #34 Tom Baker. Irv ger. Kirstie Alley. Merritt Banzai. Jedi FX 3. $6. Baker. Jonathan Pryce. Wheaton. Robert Shayne, Robert Lansing. BTTF 2. blueprints. Robby. $35. Kershner. Buck Rogers. Butrick. $75. Grace Lee Whitney. Planet Michael Cavanaugh. RR FX 6. $5. Martian Chronicles. $1 5. #85 Jim Henson. of the Apes. VEP Guide. . RoboCop. $75. #8 . Star #60 6th Anniversary. Star Jeff Goldblum. Japanimation. $5. #152 Leslie Stevens.

Wars. The Fly. $25. #35 Billy Dee Williams. Trek II. Carpenter. Scott. Bob Zemeckis. Ivan #130 Tim Burton. Denise Gareth Hunt. A. Nation. Voyage FX. $5. TRON. $6. Reitman. Dante. $5. #106 Nimoy. Tim Curry. Crosby. . B&B. "Real Indy.' $5. #10 George Pal. Ray Clancy Brown. Terry Pertwee. Munro. B&B. $5. Harryhausen. Isaac #36 4th Anniversary. #61 Trek II 2. Walter #86 Peter Weller. John Nation. ALIENS. #1 53 Bradbury. Lee Asimov. $20. Nichols. Prowse. Koenig. Sean Young. Road Sayles. Chris Columbus. Japanimation. $5. #131 Jonathan Frakes. Meriwether. Scott Bakula. Glen Larson. Yvette Warrior. $15. . Lenard. Jedi Hays. Geena Davis. Edward Albert. B

Superman. $10. 11. Greatest Bradbury. Hamill. Shatner. Michelle Pfeiffer. V. Jedi #117 . Oz. Colicos. ft. Rabbit. B7. $5. American Hero. $5. Roger Moore. June FX 6. $5. Nation. Lenard. RoboCop. #162 Stockwell. Patrick #21 . Lost in Lockhart. $6. $5. #139 Patrick Stewart. Swayze. LeVar Burton. Val Space EP Guide. Buck #47 Takei. Sarah Douglas. #95 Grace Jones. Matthew Gareth Thomas. Landau. Guest. Don Matheson. $6. Rogers. $10. Doug Adams. Outland. $5. #73 Cliff Robertson. Broderick. Butrick. Hauer. #118 Shatner. Rod Taylor. Coates 2. Nigel Kneale.

Robert Vaughn. Roy Mad Max III. Cocoon. $5. Jeff Morrow. Michael Phantom of the Opera. $5. #163 Mumy. Guest 2. #22 Special FX careers. #48 5th Anniversary. Bill Scheider. Jason Robards. Keating. D.C. Fontana. McFadden. B&B. B7. $6. Lome Greene. Veronica Mumy. Ford. George Hamill 2. $5. #96 9th Anniversary. Peter George RR Martin. $10. #140 Bill Murray. Kneale 2. Cartwright. ALIEN. $10. Lucas. Carpenter. $6. Cushing. . Wheaton. Rex Reason. Eric #164 Dan Aykroyd. John #74 Molly Ringwald. Tina Turner. John Cleese. #119 Doc Savage. Takei. Stoltz. B&B. $5. Agar. Richard Denning. #23 Dan O'Bannon. #49 Kurt Russell. Lucas Michael Ironside. Malcolm Moore. Jedi FX 7. $6. Kerwin Matthews. $5. Tim Burton. Jerome Bixby. Prowse. Dr. Who. The Day 2. Takei. 007 FX. $15. McDowell. Lorenzo #141 Diana Muldaur. Alien Nation. $6. the Earth Stood Still. $10. Semple. $5. #97 Mel Gibson. Ron #121 Chris Reeve. Mel Jared Martin. Amanda #50 Lucas 3. Spielberg. Howard. River Phoenix. Brooks. Dante. Lithgow. Pays. Gilliam. Bennett. #165 Dick. FX 2. $6. #24 3rd Anniversary. Sean Connery. Lawrence #75 Nancy Allen. John Chris Walken. Donner. Weller. Henriksen. Karen Kneale 3. $5. William Shatner. Leonard Kasdan. Ray Walston. Lithgow. George Lazenby. Glenn. S7TE$10. Allen. $10. #166 Robin Hood. Nimoy.$10. Heavy Metal. $100. McQuarrie. Semple 2. $5. #143 Perlman. Kelley. Rocketeer. Mark Ryan. #98 Michael J. Fox. #122 007 Film Salute. Robert Picardo. Tracy WWorlds EP Guide. $6.

#25 . #51 Kasdan 2. #76 Crabbe. Sybil George Miller. Dante. Martin Short. Duncan Torme. indy III. Batman. ST:TMP. Thing. $10. Shatner. Harryhausen. Danning. $6. Jennifer Beals. $5. Regehr. Lost Boys. $1 00. SF costuming. $50. #1 67 Pertwee. Mary E. Roddenberry. Jerry Mastrantonio. Creature #26 Ridley Scott. Giger. Goldsmith. $5. #77 Phil Kaufman. Chuck #99 Anthony Daniels. #123 Nancy Allen. Dolph #144 13th Anniversary. from Black Lagoon. $6. Gerry Anderson. $10. Yeager. Tom Baker. Zemeckis. "Cubby" Lundgren.Tim Dalton. Shatner. Richard Chaves. #52 Blade Runner. Trumbull. $5. Broccoli. Mad Max. $5. RoboCop. ST:TNG. $100. Kim Basinger. Harry #1 68 1 5th Anniversary. #27 Galactica EP Guide. Shatner. $5. Harrison. Roger Rabbit Terminator 2. Lost in

ST: TMP. ALIEN FX. #78 Ferrigno. Meyer. #100 Lucas. Nimoy. #124 . Kevin FX. Indy III. Batman. $6. Space. Michael Moorcock. Nick Meyer. $10. #53 Bradbury. Patrick Clarke. Trumbull 2. Carpenter. Ellison. McCarthy. Gary $7. Macnee. Blade Runner. Lance Henriksen. Harryhausen. Nichols. Lockwood. Courteney #145 Tim Burton. John #28 Lou Ferrigno. $5. Scott Glenn. $5. Cushing. Irwin Allen. Cox. ST:TNG. $15. Rhys-Davies. William #1 69 Schwarzenegger, Roald Dahl.Alan Arkin. Bill Bennett. $10. Wise. $7. Conaway.Van Peebles. Ferrigno. $7. Stevens. Shimerman. Kiel. Zuleikha Robinson. & Ted 2. Dr. Who. $7. #189 Dale Midkiff. Robert $7. Tarzan. Matrix. $7. Michael Weatherly. Patrick. DS9. $7. #212 Kate Mulgrew. #248 Jonathan Harris. McNeill. Torres. Flores. #170 Cameron. Keanu Shatner. Stewart. Bakula. #231 Trek 30th Salute. William B. Davis. Von #265 Lucas. Mike Myers. SG-1. $9. Reeves. Robert Patrick. T2. #1 90 Armin Shimerman. Lambert. Geraint Wyn Voyager jam interview. Flores. Costner. Steve Liam Neeson. Siddig. BTTF. Mark Goddard. Anne Davies. X-Files. $100. Auberjonois. Shimerman. Railsback. $75. Sonnenfeld. Van Damme. #285 Jeri Ryan. Tom Dr. Who. Time Tunnel McCaffrey. Danny Writing Buck Rogers. $7. Young Here. Tarzan. $10. Braidwood. Alexondra writers. $7. John-Jules. Koenig. $10. #213 Gillian Anderson. #249 Jeri Ryan. Tracy Lee. Pratt. Farscape. $9. Bruce Boxleitner. Malcolm #232 Russell. Dorn. Scoggins. Crusade. Lost in #266 Kelley tribute. #171 Brent Spiner. Gilliam. #191 Rene Auberjonois. McDowell. CD Barnes. Keaton. Emmerich. Space. SG-1. $10. McDiarmid. Will Smith. #286 Jonathan LaPaglia. Fred Saberhagen. 12. Lucas. Jurassic Park. $7. Robert D. McNeill. Writing Buck 2. $7. Kevin Kline. Mystery Men. Anthony Simcoe. Chris Tunnel writers 2. $50. Jessica Steen. $7. #250 Duchovny. Berman. Iron Giant. Tarzan. $7. Carter. Stephen #192 17th Anniversary. #233 Gillian Anderson. Bennett. Van Dien. Gary Snedden. Joel Tobeck. #172 Koenig. Brian Aldiss. Spiner. Crichton. Frederik #214 Mumy. Roxann Stewart. Frakes. Koenig. Oldman. From the Earth to #267 Berman. Eric Idle. Julie Benz. Michael B7. B&B. $6. Pohl. $7, Dawson. Rebecca Torme. $7. the Moon. Lost in Space. Branagh. Sebastian Landes. McCaffrey. Russ. Gayheart. Species. Deep Impact. $7. Spence. Geoffrey Rush. Beltran. $9. #173 Kelley. Frakes. #193 Schwarzenegger. Outer Limits. $7. #234 Peter Jurasik. Shirley Eaton. Pernilla Bakula. Teri Garr. Alien Chris Lloyd. JPark. $7. Tim Burton. StarWars. #251 . August. Crusade. $9. #287 Angelina Jolie. Nation EP Guide. $10. #215 Duchovny. 'Tribbles." $7. Matt LeBlanc. Hudson James Arness. David #194 Fay Wray. Brian Michael Gough. Leick. X-Files. Deep #268 Chris Carter. Boreanaz. Emilie de #174 Stewart. Nimoy. Bonsall. Jurassic Park. $7. Donald Pleasence. #235 . French Impact. SG-1. $7. Mulgrew. de Lancie. Ravin. Wayne Pygram. Takei. Lambert. $6. Nigel Bennett. $7. Stewart. Robert Trebor. Darren. O'Connor. Oz. Dawson. Phillips. Bruce #195 Piller. Praed. Doyle. Carrey. Elfman. $7. #252 22nd Anniversary. Roswell. Iron Giant. $9. Harwood. Shrek. $9. #175 Roddenberry Salute. Ann Robinson. 25 best #216 19th Anniversary. Chris Carter. Nimoy. Shatner. Dorn. Nichols. Next Generations. $7. Picardo. Bill Pullman. #236 Star Wars 20th Boxleitner. Jerry #269 Weaver. McNeill. #288 25th Anniversary. Macnee. $8. . Salute. Hamill. Daniels. O'Connell. Earl Holliman. Sorbo. Steve Reeves. Ray Jules Verne. H.G.Wells. #196 Sylvester Stallone. Antonio Sabato Jr. $7. Renee O'Connor. . $8. Park. Daniel Goddard. Toy Steven Spielberg. #176 Anthony Hopkins. Sirtis. Hatch. Richard Krige. $10. Story 2. $9. Reitman. Joe Johnston. Doohan. Kim Cattrall. Llewelyn. Alan Hunt. $7. #217 Chris O'Donnell. #253 Antonio Banderas. Witchbiade. $12. Wheaton. Jon Lovitz. Marshall. Howard. Nimoy. #237 Lucas. Lawless. Ben Affleck. Dante. Kari #270 Nimoy. Tim Allen. Kathy Ireland. $7. #197 Bruce Campbell. Piller. William Alland.$7. Cronenberg. Spiner. Wuhrer. B5. $7. Natalie Portman. #289 Burton's Apes. Rick Wesley Snipes. Michael Andrew Robinson. Brendan Fraser. Baker. John Chambers. #177 Nick Meyer. Whelan. Peter Davison. #218 Jim Carrey. Stan Highlander. Buffy. #254 Uma Thurman. Desmond Llewelyn. Duchovny. Tomb Raider. Carpenter. Tarzan. $7. Jonathan Brandis. $50. Winston. Crosby. Kennedy. X-Files. $7. . Catherine Gerrit & Heather $10. Alland 2. $7. Zeta-Jones. Farrell. Graham. DanaWynter. #1 78 Batman Returns. #198 Lockhart. James #238 Sorbo. Christian. Tim Pileggi. Jessica Steen, Cleese. 2. $9. #290 Carpenter. West. Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. Bama.Ted Raimi. $7. #219 Kevin Costner. Russ. LeVar Burton. Indy. $100. Ming-Na. Law. Haley Joel Young Indy. $7. . Dorn. Dr. Who. $7. #271 . Johnny Osment. $25. #199 Nana Visitor. McCoy. Nimoy. Alland 3. Writing #255 Gillian Anderson. Depp. Brosnan. Ben #179 TimThomerson. John Barry. John Lost in Space. $7. #239 Michael Caine. Marc Alaimo. Snipes. Browder. Marc Singer. #291 Tim Burton. Takei. Robert Colbert. B&B. D'Aquino. TekWar. $7. Richard Biggs. Howard Sean Patrick Flanery. Vin Diesel. Columbus. Frakes. Rhys-Davies. ALIEN. $8. #220 Jennifer Hetrick. Gordon. . Hatch. Jefferson. First Wave. Cleopatra Braga. Lani John Tupu. #200 Gibson. Gale Ann Space: Above & Beyond. Hauer. Xena FX. X-Files. Galactica. $7. 2525. $9. Chad Wiilett. $25. #180 16th Anniversary. Hurd.Tim Burton. Dante. X-Files. Writing US 2. $7. Highlander. Spawn. $7. Tim Burton. "James Bova. Gilliam. $15. #256 Elizabeth Gracen. #272 Jason Behr. Gina #292 Liv Tyler. Jet Li. Darren. Mariette Hartley. #221 Chris Carter, de #240 21st Anniversary. Matheson. Antz. X-Files. 7 Torres. Jayne Heitmeyer. Alba. Holm. Berman. Henriksen. $7. #201 Chris Carter. Lancie. Spiner. Barry Rhys-Davies. de Lancie. Days. Pleasantville. $50. William Sadler. Xenia Daniel Radcliffe. Samurai Alexander Siddig. Colin Morse. Toy Story. $7. Winston. Gordon 2. Men in Seeberg. Pitch Black. $9. Jack. Mutant X. Andro- #181 Asimov tribute. Baker. Red Dwarf. $7. Black. Contact. $7. #257 Robert Leeshock. meda. Smallville. $25. Deanna Lund. Stuart #222 Lucy Lawless. Norman Lloyd. Stewart. #273 Jeri Ryan. Larry Gordon. Lundgren. Voyage #202 David Duchovny. Dwight Schultz. Garrett #241 Jodie Foster. Rick Shatner. Carpenter. $50. Niven. Jet Li. Victoria #293 Bakula. Shatner. writers. $7. Mira Furlan. Stephanie Wang. Cameron. Gilliam. Baker. Goldblum. MiB. $7. Pratt. Cole Hauser. Nimoy. Sean Astin. Beacham. X-Files. $7. Auberjonois. $7. #258 Justina Vail. Kevin Radha Mitchell. Warwick Davis. Nigel #182 Lloyd Bridges. #242 Will Smith. Barry Smith. Russell. Frakes. Futurama. $9 Bennett. Patrick Van Damme. Roland #203 Rod Serling. Ray #223 Michael Hurst. Roy Sonnenfeld. Ironside. Frewer. A Bug's Life. $7. Warburton. Columbus. Emmerich. Voyage Liotta. Jerry Doyle. $7. Thinnes. Verhoeven. Event Horizon. Kull. #274 Charisma Kilner. B5 jam interview. writers 2. B5. $7. Weller. Koenig. $7. Spawn. Star Wars. $7. #259 Sirtis. Rick Baker. Carpenter. Terry Monsters, Inc. $50. #204 18th Anniversary. Nation. B5. Batman Pratchett. Christian. Vail. #183 Danny DeVito. Claudia Christian. Frakes. #224 . Robin #243 Mimic. MiB. Glen Beyond. $7. Tim Matheson. Keith #294 Peter Jackson. Pfeiffer. Walken.Tim McFadden. $7. Williams. Kristen Cloke. Larson. Robert Beltran. David. John Billingsley. Elijah Wood. John Powers. Chad Oliver. Ford. Lithgow. $7. Aran Eisenberg. Erin Gray. #260 Bruce Campbell. Frequency. $9. Lasseter. John Shea. Young Indy. Voyage #205 Michelle Forbes. Joseph LoDuca. . Piller. EFC. Billingsley. Lexa Doig. writers 3. $7. Lionel Jeffries. Gerry #225 Mitch F Zemeckis. V. $7. Wonder Woman. $7. #275 Gillian Anderson. Valarie Rae Miller. Anderson. $150. Michael Ansara. . X-Men. X- Michael T. Weiss. HB #184 Blade Runner. Thompson. FX. #244 Max Grodenchik. #261 Laurence Fishburne. Files. Now & Again. $9. Carter. Jimmy Neutron. Quantum Leap. #206 de Lancie. Peter MST3K. Sliders. $7. Casper Van Dien. Stewart. Michael Easton. Spiner. Justice League. $10. Scott. Stephen Donaldson. Beagle. Time Cop. Earth: Final Farscape. Art of Matrix. #276 24th Anniversary. $7. Invaders writers. $7. #226 Jason Carter. Conflict. X-Files. MiB. $7. $7. Duchovny. Verhoeven. #295 Jolene Blalock. Sabrina Lloyd. Day in the Wolfgang Petersen. Cate Blanchett Viggo #185 Highlander. Old Indy. #208 Michael O'Hare. Trek. X-Files. $7. #245 Starship Troopers, #262 Samuel L. Jackson. Virginia Hey. Vincent Mortensen. Robbie Zemeckis. Robert Ed Wood. $7. Verhoeven. X-Files. . Carrie- Ventresca. Quaid. Park. Coltrane. Laura Bertram. Sheckley. Immortal. $7. #227 Jennifer Lien. Nick Hercules. SG-1. $7. Anne Moss. Reeves. Dinosaur. $9. Lauren Lee Smith. B5. #209 StarGate. Tate. Meaney. Dr. Who. B5. Freddie Prinze Jr. $10. #186 Stewart. Anne Generations. Helena X-Files. $7. #246 Alien: Resurrection. Wachowskis. Bulloch. #277 Ian McKellen. Anna Francis. Adrian Paul. Red Bonham Carter. Andrea Tomorrow Never Dies. Franklin. Matrix. $100. Paquin. James Marsden. #296 Annabeth Gish. Dwarf. Immortal 2. $7. Thompson. $7. #228 20th Anniversary. Weaver. Ethan Hawke. Russ. Lathe of Heaven. McKellen. Tim Guinee. Goldblum. O'Bannon. Rare! $100. #263 Ewan McGregor. Inv. Man. $150. Gordon Woolvett. #187 Rick Berman. #210 Mario Van Peebles. Mulgrew. John Nicole deBoer. Nichols. $10. Gordon Scott. Craig West. Barrett. Nichols. Frankenheimer. $10. #247 Jimmy Stewart. Cronenberg. Tarzan. #278 Chris Carter. Charles. Time Trax. $7. Brown. X-Files. $7. Pierce Brosnan. Winona Mummy. Matrix FX. $50. Famke Janssen. Gigi #297 Chris Lee. Howard #229 IDA. Ethan Phillips, Ryder. David McCallum. Edgley. Kevin Bacon. Shore. Winston. Ice Age. #188 Terry Farrell. Doug #211 Kevin Sorbo. Jerry Dina Meyer. Paxton. $7. Leni Parker. Ted Raimi. #264 23rd Anniversary. Shannon Kenny. Space Jeremiah. Spider-Man. Adams. Chris Barrie. Hardin, Kenneth Branagh. Weaver. Visitor. Furlan. Gary Cole. Jude Law. Joe Cowboys. The . $9. $50. Andreas Katsulas. Debrah Farentino. Russell. #230 Will Smith. Jeff Perlman. Benedict. Pantoliano. Warren #279 Farscape FX.Yancy #299 Willem Dafoe. Butler. Stewart. Paul. James Gurney. Portman. STARLOG BACK ISSUES! Andromeda. Dark Angel. Linda Park. Charisma Carpenter. $10. Issues 2-8 & 10 are reprinted. Card Expiration Date: _/ (Mo./Yr.) Some issues are in very short supply. #280 Schwarzenegger. #300 26th Anniversary. listed Cameron. Sorbo. Bruce Lucas. Spielberg. Chris Issues not are sold out. Your Daytime Phone #:( ) Campbell. Anthony S. Carter. . Piller. Postage & Handling: One magazine: add $3. Two to five Head. Gena Lee Nolin. Yancy Butler. Boreanaz. magazines: add $8. Six or more magazines: add Nick Wechsler. $9. Browder. Weller. Hayden $10. Foreign: One magazine: add $9. Two or Christensen. $12. more magazines: add $5.00 per magazine. New #281 Jessica Alba. Shiri Appleby. Mulgrew. #301 Cruise. Dunst. York State residents add 8 1/4% sales tax. Lawless. Rebecca Chris Lee. Sonnenfeld. Method of Payment: Romijn-Stamos. Brian Anthony Michael Hall. Cash Check Money Order Jacques. Futurama. $9. Kevin () Smith. $10. Discover MasterCard Visa #282 Patrick. Picardo. #302 Tommy Lee Jones. City State Zip Lisa Ryder. Brendan Will Smith. Christian Fehr. Batman Beyond. Bale. Sam Jackson. Dune. $9. Banderas. deBoer. $10. Please send me these STARLOGS Total enclosed: $ lssue# Price $ lssue# Price $_ #283 Claudia Black. #303 Whedon. Stewart. Send cash, check or order to: money Majandra Delfino. Craig. Hedison. Dina STARLOG GROUP, Inc. Jennifer Sky. Keith Meyer. Corin Nemec. lssue# Price $ lssue# Price $_ 475 PARK AVENUE SOUTH Hamilton Cobb. Lorenzo $10. Lamas. Pileggi. Wang. lssue# Price $ lssue# Price $_ NEW YORK, NY 10016 Christopher. $9. #304 November. $10. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO CUT OUT COUPON, WE lssue# Price $ lssue# Price $_ WILL ACCEPT WRITTEN ORDERS. #284 Traci Elizabeth #305 December. $10. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. Lords. Dean Haglund. Michelle Lintel. Richard #306 January. $10. lssue# Price $ lssue# Price $_ You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] — — — ^MHk tfHfej ^fc TQDn By DANIEL A. DICKHOLTZ

Bursting into animated action, they're DCs young superheroes, Teen .

In Glen Murakami's mind, "Robin's the one trying to be the leader and live up to his father figure." His fellow include , Cyborg, Raven and .

a len Murakami has "I can make comparisons and say, 'Oh, it ^^^^^B a problem. After has the feel of the old Star Trek' or 'It's like ^^I^^B working with The Monkees' or 'It has the feel of The on a slew of superheroic ani- Brady Bunch' or 'They're teenagers who just " mated series Batman, Batman Beyond, happen to have superpowers,' says Superman and Justice League—Cartoon Murakami, who produces the show, with Network asked the producer and former art Timm on board as executive producer. "But director to deliver a new show for them, I don't really have any kind of catch phrase "something that would go with Justice that can distill the whole show into 'Oh, it's League, but skewed to a younger audience," like this.' I wish I could give you really crisp Murakami recalls. That show turned out to sound bites 'Teen Titans is about this' be Teen Titans, but with its July 19 premiere but I can't. From episode to episode, it's only weeks away, Murakami still can't quite wildly different, musically, stylistically. figure out how to describe the series. There's action in every episode, but some- www.starlog.com STARLOG/4«gM5-/ 2003 53 — —

"It's funny to see those contrasting character types play off of one another," ers, leads the crew, but Kid Murakami observes. Flash, and won't be "It's a bit like old StarTre joining him. "They were considered, but we decided to go with these other characters Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy," Murakami notes. "They wanted a group of characters who you hadn't quite seen before. [In fact, Cyborg was featured in The Super

Powers Team: Galactic Guardians]. So, it teams Robin with the four new characters who were added in the '80s—the Wolfman- Perez comics—but with more of the feel of the '60s, Cardy-era Teen Titans'' Says Murakami, "[One of our writers] describes them as the Breakfast Club. They're the jock, the nerdy, insecure come- dian, the dark girl, the light, happy girl and

how we arrive at it in a different way than we That too was cancelled and replaced by a Robin's maybe a bit of an amalgam of all of

did with the other one, which I think is pret- new title that reunited many of the original them. ty cool." characters, The Titans (no Teen this time, to "Robin's more of an individual than he reflect their 20something status). Just has been shown before. He has always been The Breakfast Club recently, though, that series was killed to the sidekick, but in this, he's definitely more Teen Titans mixes humor and , make way for yet another new Teen Titans, like their leader. And he's cooler. He's more focuses as much on the struggles between its in which Starfire, Cyborg and Raven mentor like Bruce Lee than some tagalong kid. Also,

young champions as it does on their epic the younger heroes of the DC Universe (edit- he comes off as being human and accessible. battles with the bad guys and tells its ail- ed by former STARLOG Managing Editor Sometimes, superheroes are too pumped up,

American superhero stories in a decidedly Eddie Berganza). and it's all about their superpowers and Japanimation style—and there may even be Everyone who has worked on the subse- secret identities. Robin seems like a real kid more to it than that. For while Murakami quent versions of Titans has admitted that who just happens to wear a mask. knows exactly what Teen Titans is all about, they've used the Wolfman-Perez issues as "David describes Cyborg as 'Everything he admits, "it's really hard to put that into their touchstone, and Murakami—who read with Cyborg is big. When he's angry, he's words. In the very beginning, I was driving the book avidly in his high-school days—is really emotional. When he's happy, he's [story editor] David Slack crazy because I no different, picking members, villains and really emotional,' " Murakami explains.

was like, 'OK, I told you we were turning even a storyline from that classic period. "He's the strong man, but much of the left. But now we're turning right.' It was a Robin, already familiar to Batman view- humor on the show comes from Cyborg.

crooked line, because I want to do a bunch of

different things with this show." "We wanted to go in a different direction with None of this, of course, is what faithful superheroes," Murakami notes. "So Teen Titans is fans of the various incarnations of DCs Teen a little more anime, kid-friendly, humorous Titans comic are likely to be anticipating. and lighter in tone than Batman, Superman, Justice League and Batman The original Titans—Robin, , Beyond." , Wonder Girl and Speedy, all side- kicks to various Justice League members initially came together in the 1960s for a run marked by the work of writer and artist Nick Cardy, in which the Titans often dealt with their interpersonal issues and came to the aid of the younger genera- tion. An especially brief revival in the '70s did nothing for their reputation as second- string superheroes, but under the direction of writer and artist George Perez, all that changed as the '80s dawned. New teammates Cyborg, an athlete made into a man-machine after an experiment went awry; Raven, a sorceress born after the demon forced himself on her mother; Starfire, a deposed alien princess sold into slavery by her scheming sister; and the shapeshifting Changeling—formerly known as Beast Boy from the —took the places of the now-infrequently appearing Aqualad and Speedy. With the new faces came heavy doses of grand-scale action and soap-opera angst, and The New Teen Titans began to rival X-Men in popularity and sales. However, members would come and go, as would Perez and other artists, and when the

series exhausted itself, it was replaced in the '90s by another Teen Titans, one that fea- tured none of the previous cast.

54 STARLOG/August 2003 — —

Actually, pretty much every H.I.V.E., but you never really single character contributes see them. We use Plasmus, to the humor." but we've tweaked him a Amazingly, that includes bit." and Lightning the usually dark and dour also turn up in the series. Raven. "Raven's good be- Menacing the Titans for cause she's so dry; she has all most of their first season is the best one-liners. Because their arch-foe, , she's so monotone and so dis- the Terminator, voiced by interested in Beast Boy's Beauty & the Beast's Ron sense of humor, that's where Perlman. However, since the [comedy] comes from. "Deathstroke" didn't seem Many people really like like a proper name for a car-

Raven. I was afraid they toon character and "Ter-

wouldn't, just because she's minator" is now associated so dry and mean to Beast Boy with Arnold Schwarzenegger sometimes, but people think flicks, the villain will be that's hilarious. answering to his civilian

"Beast Boy is the funny name, Slade. "We did a vari- one, the group's clown. But ation of the original cos- "I'm trying to show you a really cool Robin that maybe when he needs to be heroic, tume," Murakami says. 1 you haven t seen before," Murakami offers, "someone who won't fall when he turns into the ani- "Slade still has the split mask in Batman's shadow." mals—into a T. rex or a goril- and the body armor, but it's la—he really comes through. kind of heroic, a strong-sounding actor, but simplified for animation. He's the bad guy "Starfire's the innocent one. We say that he still has a young, fun feel to him. So, behind the scenes. It's like he's Ernst Stavro she's the foreign exchange student. In the yeah, Wil would be perfect for Aqualad.' I Blofeld or the Claw in Inspector Gadget. He

first pass on her, she came off like Wonder thought his voice fit the range we were going appears in the shadows of I can't remember

Woman, but I wanted to play her a little for with the other Titans." how many out of the 13 episodes, but we more innocent. She isn't familiar with Earth, Just like their counterparts in eventually build to a big story with him."

so everything is brand new to her." In the the '80s, these animated are head- Still, for all the elements derived directly comics, Starfire and Robin were involved in quartered in the T-shaped Titans Tower. "We from the comics page, there are others that a passionate relationship from the moment made that a cross between the starship will certainly raise the eyebrows of any fan they meet, but here, Murakami notes, "we Enterprise and the Brady Bunch's living of either the original material or the other don't really get too into those aspects. We room," Murakami grins. Yet while the DC-inspired animated series. Take this hint that the characters like each other, but comics version was located just off the coast Titans' sense of humor, for example. With we don't play up any romance. It's not that of Manhattan, Murakami notes, "They're on cosmic struggles, murders and betrayals on

kind of show." an island, but we don't say what city it is. hand every month, the only laughs to be

But it's more of a West Coast city than an found in the comic came from Changeling The Brady Bunch East Coast one." and even he had tragedies to contend with. To give voice to the Titans, Murakami Although Cron and Kai (a pair from "Having worked for Bruce Timm, I knew and company recruited Tara Strong beyond who are down Starfire), what territory we hadn't covered on the already used to saving the day as on Fixit (a cybernetic menace) and Mumbo (a other shows," Murakami explains. "When

Batman and Bubbles on The Powerpuff sinister sorcerer) duel these Titans, the ado- we started to do this show, I said, 'There's

Girls—to play Raven, Scott Menville to take lescent heroes are usually bedeviled by some humor in it, and I want to go in weird- on Robin, to speak for malefactors they've already faced in the er directions with the characters, but I don't

Starfire, Khary Payton to voice Cyborg and comics. The diabolic Trigon and Starfire's want people to feel like it's a parody or that

Greg Cipes to roar as Beast Boy. "We knew fiendish sister Blackfire will appear, as well we're making fun of the characters.' I think we wanted Beast Boy to be the youngest as the criminal who has been defeated by comic book fans believe humor and super-

one, the person who's a little more humor- everyone, Dr. Light. "We're using Jinx, heroes don 't go together. When they're com-

ous," Murakami remarks. "For Cyborg; we Gizmo and from the Fearsome bined, it seems like it's Super Friends or

needed a big guy, but not someone who Five," Murakami adds. "We hint at the Adam West's Batman, where I used to think, sounds so big that he's an adult. And we looked for contrast between the two girls. As

we were casting and narrowing it down,

everything just started to click for me. I understood who the characters were, but I had to bring in a whole bunch of people and listen to them and say, 'No, that's not quite right.' You don't really know sometimes until you get there, and then once you get

there, it's like, 'Oh, yeah, that's the right per- " sonality, the right type, the right sound.' The same process applied to the casting of Next Generation's Wil Wheaton as Aqualad, who—just as he made intermittent appearances in the Wolfman-Perez issues guest stars in one episode this season. "We went through a list of people who we want- ed Aqualad to be like, and Wil's name came "The stories aren't as big as Justice League," says Murakami. "They're not up. I was like, 'Oh, yeah. He's great. It about saving the world and alien invasions. They're more about the relationships would be cool to have him as Aqualad. He's between our heroes." www.starlog.com STARLOG/August 2003 55 'Wait, this isn't right! You're mak- ond act, Batman would discover ing fun of Batman.' As a kid, that something, fight again and didn't make sense to me. So I'm figure out how to defeat him. definitely conscious of what we Then, in the last act, there would did with our Batman series, and be a big fight with the Joker. The the direction we took, as well as whole storyline would be about the direction we're taking on that one problem and that one vil-

Titans. There's comedy, but when lain. With Teen Titans, I really the story gets really dark or seri- want to go all over the place—like ous, we deliver. We don't soft- start the show with one villain, pedal the action because we have then get rid of him and move on to humor in it." the next problem. It's like The Simpsons, where you think the The Little Rascals story is about Robin, but by the Then, there are the designs. episode's end, it's about Beast

Even a cursory glance indicates Boy. I want to take those types of that these incarnations of the twists and turns with the story." Titans appear to be several years If any of this were to bother younger than they were in the anybody, it would probably be comics. Certainly, Starflre is less, Wolfman. Yet the writer has in fact well, developed here. "They're the contributed a script—the episode "We're keeping the spirit of the characters," the producer Teen Titans," Murakami points featuring Aqualad being an adap- promises. "We just can't get bogged down in all that out. "They're not the Mid-20- tation of his Titans tale, "Too backstory and continuity. There's no way to cram all that into Year-Old Titans. And to make that Many Tridents." Wolfman has re- a 20-minute episode." translate, I had to exaggerate [the marked that he was able to accept age difference] more. So I'm playing studios' strengths. That's what they're the the job because the disparity between the TV

Starfire a little younger. There's nothing best at, so why make them draw in a style and comics characters is so great. wrong with the '80s designs, [but I had to that they don't understand? Why make them "I didn't speak that much to Marv during adapt this] for TV animation. We've kept the draw in a Dick Sprang style? They don't pro- the writing process," Murakami says. "That essence of all the characters. Raven still has duce cartoons [for themselves] like that. was mostly David. But afterward, at the the blue cloak, although Starfire's hair isn't Western-style comic books make sense to us recording, Marv was really cool with us. on fire. I didn't think it was really appropri- because that's what we've grown up with, David and I both told him, 'We hope you ate to do a character who's flying around that's what we're used to. Like the Jack don't mind the liberties we took with your with burning hair." Kirby style. But sending Kirby comics over characters.' And he was like, 'No, no, no. I

Even more striking is that the detailed, to Asia, I don't know if that would make any completely understand.' He said, 'Back forceful realism of Perez's artwork has been sense to them. When you're asking [foreign when we did the Titans, it was a different replaced by the looser, more expressionistic countries] to produce animation, you have to time. If I were writing Titans today, I would fancifulness of anime. This was a deliberate meet them halfway. I felt it made more sense approach the characters completely different decision on Murakami's part, to give the to try to do something that was a blend of the from how I approached them back then.' scries a unique, distinctive look. "Teen two. That was really important to me. Marv seemed to like what we've done. He

Titans is probably more anime than any Growing up with Speed Racer, Kimba, those was a total pro about it, and understood what American show has ever been, with the kinds of cartoons alongside American car- we're going for." weird takes and such," he says. "They're toons, I definitely don't have a problem with Although he has the blessing of one of called 'superdeformed takes' —where the switching the two styles. Some people are the comic's creators, Murakami realizes that characters, when they're sad, become three purists about animation: 'It's Disney style or this series might not win over everyone. "It's heads tall. If they feci small, they physically it's Warner Bros, style or it's not' If it's difficult because it's so different from what get small. If they're shouting, then their head anime, then for some reason people used to people are expecting. If they're looking for a stretches to twice its size. It's like your emo- think, 'Oh, that's cheap animation.' But direct translation of the comic books, they're tions. It's the Japanese version of a Tex because of the popularity of things like not going to get that. We reviewed all of the Avery take, and that's really common in Gundam, younger audiences are now more stuff from the comics. We determined what anime. 1 don't believe that has ever been open to it than ever." we could do and what we couldn % and what done before with American animation char- The unconventional storytelling won't be was appropriate for the show. So it's not like acters, especially supcrheroes. If Batman limited to Teen Titans' visual style either. As we didn't know or just ignored it. We sifted looks like Batman, he should appear that the producer notes, in "a Batman episode, through everything to figure out: 'How can way throughout the whole episode. But with there would be a prob- this work? How can we do this in a way this series, that's where we go in a different lem, like Joker robbing that's clear and simple and makes sense?' direction. a bank, and in the sec- "Batman is something that people know "So many cartoons are being produced and understand, whereas with Teen Titans, overseas, it just seemed natural to use those I'm not sure how clear it is," Glen Murakami admits. "It'll have a lot of the flavor. Cyborg won't look exactly like the Cyborg from the comics, "Everything plays as a freestanding, and we won't get heavy into his standalone story," origin, but the relationship Murakami remarks. between the characters is "But if you watch still the same. And, to them all together, me, that's the most there's definitely important part." a slight progression.'

56 STARLOG/August 2003 www.starlog.com ISIT THE SCIENCE FICTION UIMIVER

SHARE THE UOYHGE! EHPERIE

1 8 iH II Nil ! J Tin g i HljiM^ll i 1 li

Explore science fiction, mi. the mythology of the new Millennium in die pases of ft

Its flie galaxy'

best Sci-fi movie S jV magazine and me original for more than 25 years. Every

issue features

intriguing interviews

with die Stars • Directors • Writers

...fascinating behind-the-scenes coverage...and spectacular photos 8 ait SPECIAL DISCOUNT OffERS

TO SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. „ NEWSSTAND PRICE *95». SUBSCRIBE AND Him

actually, (the equivalent of, more Hy°u bought 12 issues on t \J •it ".'Oiild cost 595 111! jltis special subscript!! if than five free issues). • price saves you $45.91. it's like getting five I

STARLOG Subscriptions

Mark the Subscription Offer that is right for you. Card Expiration Date: _(Mo./Yr.)

ONE YEAR (USA) $49.97 -6-ISSUE (USA) $25.97 Your Daytime Phone #: (_ ONE YEAR (Foreign) -6-ISSUE (Foreign) $59.97 (US funds only) $32.97 (US funds only) When ordering a Print Name As It Appears On Your Card One-Year Subscription, Method of Payment: check here and receive Cash your Free Collectible Check Street Back Issue. Money Order cash, or money order to: VISA Send check Discover City State Zip STARLOG GROUP, INC. 475 PARK AVENUE SOUTH Master Card NEW YORK, NY 10016 Visa Signature You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] Total enclosed: $_ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO CUT OUT COUPON, WE WILL ACCEPT Account No. WRITTEN ORDERS. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. —

LOCKED & LOADED FOR GRADOID, MICHAEL GROSS IS HAVING A GOOD OL' TIME DLASTING AWAY THE CRITTERS OF TREMORS.

Perfection, Nevada's obsessed, set of Tremors, and I felt truly blessed. I why does this TV father figure love blasting AsGraboid-huntin', worm-bustin' hero on thought, 'Maybe I won't be typecast.' Now, all the hell out of monsters great and small today? Tremors: The Series, Burt Gummer is a these years later, I wonder if there are people "One of my all-time favorite movies is Them!,

survivor. The true survivor, however, isn't the who think, 'You know, I just can't see you as with the giant ants," Gross confesses. "Jim " man operating Burt Gummer's Survival School anyone but Burt Gummer.' Arness is wonderful in that. I got the movie last

and protecting the town's populace of 19 (not The actor needn't worry. A graduate of Yale year when it came out on DVD." including the occasional visitor or passerby) University's School of Drama, Gross began his As for outer-space fare, "I was never a

from main underground ugly "El Blanco." That career in regional theater. He eventually head- Trekkie. I like movies about invaders from label belongs to Michael Gross, the actor who ed to New York, where he landed a Drama space and threats to the world, but I'm more of plays Burt, and whose greatest battle at this Desk Award nomination for the Broadway pro- a traditional monster freak, with the great point in time is discussing the SCI FI Channel duction of Bent, then an Obie for his off- Universal Studios monsters like Dracula, original series while fending off a horrible Broadway performance in No End of Blame. Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man, cold. That led to his breakthrough role on Family the Mummy and the Creature from the Black

Gross doesn't blame his illness on a break- Ties in 1982, and since then, he has appeared in Lagoon. So it's very fitting that I should be neck shooting schedule amid hot, arid loca- numerous feature films and TV movies, play- doing Tremors for Universal, and be part of

tions, plus constant traveling in and out of ing guys both good and bad. In recent years, that great sci-fi history." Mexico, where the series is produced. In fact, Gross has earned critical acclaim for guest-star For the past 13 years, Burt Gummer's per- he relishes every day he gets to bring to con- stints as different white-collar sleazebags on sonal "them" has been a carnivorous wormlike spiracy-theorizing life the self-reliant survival- the three Law & Order series, as well as the species with a hearty appetite. Classified as ist whom he has portrayed since 1990, when emotionally detached father of Dr. John Carter Caederus americana, or "Graboids," the grub-

the first Tremors film surfaced from below. (Noah Wyle) on E.R. by genus first made its "eat and run" attitude "I think every actor who has been in the With such an extensive acting background, known to the Perfection residents in 1990. Six business for any length of time assumes that years later, the Graboids' lion-sized biped

the ' job he's doing will be his last" Gross • offspring C. mexicana, or "Shriek- j jokes. "With Tremors, I thought, 'What a ers"—surfaced in Mexico, setting the pleasant movie and what a wonderfu tone for Tremors II: Aftershocks. character this is, but this will be the end More Graboid grief hit home again | of it.' I have a terrible track record, in 200 l's Tremors 3: Back to because I thought the same thing I Perfection, in which Burt had to after—doing the pilot for Family contend with variant Shriekers Ties 'This is a pleasant that could see infrared and propel enough experience, but I don't themselves into the air via their " know if I see a future in it,' he ' own posterior-ignited body fluids. laughs before having to stifle a |H~ \ This latter talent earned the C. coughing fit. * mexicana combustus the oh-so-apt

I cognomen "AssBlasters," and in

Cross, Point-Blank »the process made life a pain in His lack of clairvoyance notwith Burt's tuchus.

standing, the Chicago-born actor wentf "AssBlasters are a little scary,"

on to enjoy seven seasons on the popular: 1 Gross admits. "You get some warn- Emmy-winning sitcom, playing Family} | ing from the underground mon- Ties patriarch Steven Keaton. While com- sters; get a rumble, f; you and you pleting the show's final season in 1989, have your seismo-wrist monitor on. Gross was offered the role of Burt in: But AssBlasters come out of the Tremors, starring opposite Kevin (Hollow sky; they can be stalking you with- Man) Bacon, Fred (The Right Stuff) Ward out you knowing, and they just and Reba McEntire. swoop in. That, plus the fact that they "I was delighted," he recalls, j "because it was so vastly different Cast to Perfection are from the character I played on (left to right): W.D.

Family Ties. It immediately answered for Twitchell (Dean Norris), Rosalita Sanchez me: 1) Would there be work after Family (Gladys Jimenez), Tyler Ties! And 2) Would I be able to play vast- Reed (Victor Browne), ly different types of characters? Thank Burt (Gross), Nancy God that was care of immediately. Sterngood (Marcia As a matter of fact, the day after our Strassman) and Jodi Family Ties wrap party, I was on the Chang (Lela Lee).

L Ik J» STARLOG/August 2003 www.starloj>.coni a

can read infrared, so they're as effective at worthy and dangerous a threat as alfof the par- Burt Gummer night as during the day." asitic pests he has faced, combined. (Michael Gross) And not without good reason. In the sticks to his guns as the Graboids return Cumm & Ammo episode "Ghost Dance," a government cover- in Tremors: The In Tremors: The Series, Burt joined by up results in a green bacteria running amok and — Series. fellow Perfectionists Tyler Reed (Victor lethally dehydrating its vic- Browne), Jodi Chang (Lela Lee), Rosalita tims. And the govern- Sanchez (Gladys Jimenez) and Nancy ment's Mix Master— Sterngood (Marcia Strassman of Honey, I concoction that min- Shrunk the Kids)—finds himself dealing with gles any non-human far than Graboids, Shriekers and DNA it can find cre- more ; — AssBlasters. While El Blanco remains the ates a deadly pla main maggot below town, Gross' conspiracy- obsessed character considers Agent W.D. Twitchell {The One's Dean Norris) and the U.S. Department of the Interior as untrust- f < "

Don't worry, After four films 22*25! Michael, that isn't and a TV series, SSJ -JST a pink slip. "I think Gross has a 2T^ ~7jr f every actor handle on his assumes that the ' Tremors alter-ego. SS£r*— — 'in mm job he's doing will "Burt's just this be his last," notes | odd man who's Gross (one of the

s*.;'".j : overprepared." show's producers).

animal hybrid in "Flora or Fauna?" Still, Burt's Burt. I think a little of him goes a long way. He that he would never admit to anyone?' I could

intensity and attitude, especially toward all has to be a member of a community, where his be wrong, but I don't know that we can exist [as

things governmental, draw strange looks from oddities will be apparent by contrast, because a series] if we're just fighting a different mon-

his fellow townsfolk, not to mention visitors the other people are relatively saner than he is." ster every week." stopping into Chang's Market for a bite to With that, Gross accedes that he's probably the eat... provided they don't suddenly appear on El closest thing to a leader among his Tremors Graboid Buster Blanco's menu that day. pack, both in and out of character. "Certainly, Gross concedes a romance for "lonesome "Some people would call Burt an extremely I'm the old man on the—block," he laughs. Burt" has been discussed, and he recognizes "a paranoid individual," Gross observes. "But my "When questions come up 'Are we doing this closeness" between him and ex-hippie/Graboid answer to that is, 'One man's paranoid is anoth- right?', 'What tone should be employed souvenir-maker Nancy Sterngood. "She can

er man's prepared.' I mean, I do believe Burt here?' —I have something to say, since I'm also talk to Burt in ways other people can't. In a sees the glass as half-empty—or you better a producer on the series. When it's about cre- way, they're the two original characters of the make sure that glass is bulletproof. To him, life ative choices, I have some idea of the way piece." As for fellow Perfectionists Rosalita, -is a minefield, and he's always attempting to things should go. Tyler, Jodi and Twitchell, Gross jokingly calls find the perfect way to pick his way through "Tremors can't be a monster-of-the-week them "the United Nations. There's somebody that minefield—with the right map, the right show," he emphasizes. "I just can't imagine representative of every life form, including

mine detectors and such." that's going to work. I think we have to know 'Monster World.' That said, Gross enjoys how the Tremors something about the characters and the quirky Unfortunately, El Blanco's the only repre-

writers make Burt "a figure of comic fun. For ways they deal with life. I mean, we are on the sentative among that group with any kind of all the hard work and research he does, they SCI FI Channel, so there certainly must be an diplomatic immunity. Having declared this always throw a curve at this man, and he's element of science fiction as a background or Graboid an endangered species, the U.S.

always caught off-guard. Burt's funny because backdrop for what we're doing. But I would Department of the Interior has stationed

he has no sense of humor. Ultimately, he's this hope that, to a degree, we get to know these Twitchell in Perfection to ensure its safety. All

poor, obsessive-compulsive, fearful man who I characters. Burt can do is advise his neighbors to monitor have to keep making funny. That's a line we "Naturally, as an advocate for Burt, I'm their seismo-wristbands and keep the noise

constantly walk in Tremors. It's something always thinking of him. 'How does such an down whenever the sound-sensitive slug is that's difficult to maintain in the movies, and overprepared man hunt vermin in his basement nearby. "He's just there," says Gross of will be even more difficult to maintain should compound? Does he wind up almost blowing Perfection Valley's "omnipresent" antagonist,

the show continue." his place to smithereens just to catch one "and our guard is always up. With that back- For that to happen, the star has very definite mouse? His marriage didn't survive, so where drop, we should be able to get into more char-

ideas as to what Tremors: The Series shouldn't does Burt make some tentative outreach into acter-driven things. But so much of Tremors is do, insisting, "We can't build the series around romance? Does he have any kind of yearning made up of action-adventure; fans have come to

Agent Twitchell shouldn't turn his back on Burt, who's no fan of the government. "Some people would callcull [him][hiiuj an exts/iranialy ma paDfjIa would un j psjf-iriold Individual," Gross obsarvas.

0 1

expect that. It's part of the game, so you can't my favorite movie," he says. "It's a prequel that they've made every effort to give fans what they

get too touchy-feely about people." takes place in 1889, and I play Burt Gummer's want, even on occasions when the producer in

Perhaps it's the congestion starting to take great-grandfather Hiram. This is a very differ- him is "troubled" that they can't invest the time

its toll, but a hint of disappointment permeates ent character who, when we first see him, is or money for an extra reaction shot or two. "It's Gross' upbeat tone when asked to recommend a nothing like Burt. He comes to this godforsak- a huge undertaking," he explains. "E.R. has no A. quintessential Tremors episode. "One of my en Western town and goes through a great deal special effects and an eight-day shooting sched- favorite episodes has not yet aired," he divulges. of evolution. It's fascinating in that respect, ule. Tremors has effects, CGI and all that stuff, 4 "The SCI FI Channel has chosen to air the from where this man begins to where he ends." yet we do each episode on a seven-day work episodes out of the sequence in which we made Though reluctant to impart too many details schedule. We could use another day or two to them. I don't know why—some quote-unquote about what is likely the story of the first get the quality we want; it's not like it just 'tested better' than others. But the story 'Project Graboid sighting ("The monsters are always comes together. We have action sequences to

412' is the introduction of the Christopher put in, computer graphics, making the puppets [Back to the Future] Lloyd character Cletus look right and erasing the strings on them. It's a A Poffenberger, who we've already seen in sever- tremendous amount of post-production." al episodes! Is that going to be bizarre for fans, For Gross, however, the greatest amount of

when I find this man in the desert and ask, stress comes from shooting the series in 'Who the hell are you?' There are gaps and Mexico. While he has nothing but praise for the J expositions to fill in, so a sequential showing "wonderful" part-American, part-Mexican

[of the episodes] might have helped us a bit." crew, having several of the Tremors writers and As for why "Project 412" stands among his producers remain in Los Angeles "can be

favorites, "It plays into Burt's paranoia, and I expensive and inconvenient at times. You have have some wonderful scenes with Chris Lloyd. to do a lot of work by phone, and much of that

It's just two actors enjoying the hell out of by satellite phone, because we're in isolated As a lonely professor in The Outer working with each other, hanging out and hav- valleys where cell phones don't work. Limits' "Inconstantjfloon," Gross and ing some long conspiratorial conversations in "One of the biggest inconveniences is the Joanna Gleason enjoy their last day in the the piece. It all border crossing," he adds. "In the post-9/1 course of has monsters and the Sun. "It was an interesting that running-jumping-chasing stuff, and is also premise," he remarks. world, going down to Mexico isn't a problem, & 4fi a very touching episode." but coming back into the United States can be a Gross' energy level returns as he addresses kind of fun to see for the first time," he says), 10-minute wait, a 20-minute wait or a three- A the fourth installment of the Tremors film the star thinks Tremors 4 "has all the fun of a hour wait. It cuts into your time off."

series, which is scheduled for a fall release. period piece: buckboards, stagecoaches, horses "Aside from [the first] Tremors, this could be and the munitions of the post-Civil War era. We Worm Food even have the precursors of the Chang family, Despite the inconveniences, Gross contin- "Project 412" is one complete with pigtails and kimono-type wear, ues to enjoy throwing himself into the role of favorite of Gross' like the Chinese laborers who built the railroad Burt, not to mention into anything the resource- episodes."! have 4g for the Sierra Nevada. It's an absolute hoot, and ful hero needs to save the day. That includes some wonderful we had a marvelous cast." what the actor considers one of his wildest scenes with Chr Like its two predecessors, Tremors 4 is a experiences: letting a Graboid swallow Burt Lloyd," he says. direct-to-video release. "The franchise has a whole in Tremors 3. "That was interesting, mm certain tone that needs to be maintained," Gross though a little claustrophobic," he laughs. "It

says, "and I don't think the philosophy behind was like a premature burial, but ultimately, it

the piece has changed at all. It's just that in the was a great conceit to have Burt swallowed. It direct-to-video market, there are fewer dollars was a great red herring that made the audience to work with, so you try and get as much of that go, 'Oh, my God, are they killing Burt?', and

' money on the screen as possible, and not waste then you find out he survived inside the mon-

it in other ways." ster's gullet by staying inside this 55-gallon

Easier said than done, particularly when it drum. comes to feeding FX-laden Graboids valuable "They just put me in the ground, covered me

TV budget bucks. Still, Gross is pleased that with several layers of goop, monster skin and

1 ^ 9 *,

•<~ . ' DOn'T MISS earth, I sit WHAT to and had in there until they said, 'OK, you can come out.' We did that scene

three or four times, and I had to wait until On the entire thing was redressed on top of me.- #1 I just tried to breathe very slowly and think, 'It's OK. If you get really claustrophobic, Interviews: David " Duchovny, Rene you can just burst out of here.' Auberjonois, Salome SCI-fl TV! Tremors hasn't been Gross' only taste of Jens, Tim Russ, Pat Tallman, Richard science fiction. In 1995, he took a trip to The Here's the programming lineup Chevolleau. Sliders. Outer Limits, in "Inconstant Moon" (based $10 of past editions. Order NOW. on a Larry Niven story), playing a lonely physics professor who courts Joanna

Gleason after learning the Sun is hours away from snuffing itself out. Although his cold certainly does his memory no favors, Gross admits he's simply unable to recall much about the episode, other than, "It was an

interesting premise to say, 'If we're going to

go, let's go together. I don't want to go " alone.' Gross has more vivid memories of Sometimes They Come Back...Again, the

Interviews: Chris Interviews: Kate Interviews: Robert Interviews: Christopher 1 996 video sequel derived loosely from the Carter, Nicole dcBoer, Mulgrew, Michael Dorn, Picardo, Garrett Wang, Judge, Ben Browder, Stephen King short story. Playing Hilary Bill Mumy, Robert Armin Shimerman, Alyson Hnnnigan, Michael Easton, Chris (The Core) Swank's dad who's tormented Duncan McNeill, Jonathan LaPaglia, X- Cirroc Lofton, Anita La Owens, Kevin Kilner, — Roxnnn Dawson, Mark director Rob Bowman. Selva, Richard Burgi, Nick Searcy, B5 direc- by the same sinister forces that murdered his Dacascos, X-writer Young Jules Vcrnc. Sabine Karsenti, Kevin tor Janet Greek, sister decades before—was "preposterous . Complete Conroy, John Cope- Writing Trek, $6 Animated Godzilla. SB Episode Guide. $6 land. The Epi- and fun. Being an ordinary man pulled into sode Guide. S6 extraordinary circumstances, trying to get

clues from crazy old monks and then ulti- EfiE mately having to defend the family—it was the sort of thing I had never done before, and may never do again."

- The actor's memory shorts out again regarding his 1997 performance in the short- SMI lived anthology The Hunger, as a professor stalked by a student (Karen Elkin) beyond

her suicide in "But At My Back I Always I Hear." "I truly do forget the details, but I #6 know she wound up finally driving me #io crazy," he laughs. Interviews: Jeri Ryan, lnlerviews: Tia Carrere, Interviews: Gillian Interviews: Sebastian Sarah Michelle Gnllar, Eric Close, Jonathan Anderson, James Spence, Katherinc Gross has also done his share of Ronee O'Connor, Nana Frakes, Amanda Tap- Marsters, Robert Heigl, Jennifer Sky, voiceover work, most notably as an ex-con Visitor, Terry Farroll. ping, Robert Trebor. Lecshock, Michael Phil LaMarr, Melissa using Carrie Dobro, Jason Ros well. 7 Days. Shanks, Christien Crider, Farscape cre- stolen cloaking technology to abduct Carter, Alan Scarfe, Bcastmaster, Black Anholl, Glen Larson, ator Rockne O'Bannon, his young daughter in the Batman: The First Wave creator Scorpion. $7 Now & Again creator Roswell creator Jason Animated Series entry "See No Evil," then in Chris Broncalo. $6 Glenn Gordon Caron. Katims. The Others. Big Guy & Rusty. TV's Jack o f All Trades. the first episode of Batman Beyond, as the Slarship Troopers FX. Complete Millennium & father of Terry McGinnis (who's killed, Complete Hercules Poltergeis /Episode Note: Issue II7 is SOLD OUT. Episode Guide. $7 Guides. $7 eventually prompting Terry to become the new Batman). "It's nice not to have to dress up for something or get your hair cut," he SCI-FI TV BACK ISSUES jokes. "You work a lot off the visuals. It's easier in that you provide the character's Please send me these SCI-FI TV issues vocal life and attitudes, but so much of that # Price # Price Total enclosed: $_ is reflected by the artists." # Price # Price # Price # Price After an hour of discussion, it seems the

Account No. cold is finally getting the better of Gross, Postage & Handling: One magazine whose perseverance to see this conversation add $3. Two to five magazines add $8. Card Expiration Date: (Mo./Yr.) . Six or more magazines add $10. Foreign: through would impress even the seemingly One magazine $9. or add Two more add Your Daytime Phone #:(_ impassible Burt Gummer. $5 per magazine. New York State resi- "Playing Burt is an absolute hoot," dents add 8 1/4% sales tax. Michael Gross reiterates. "Most actors my Method of Payment: Print Name As It Appears On Your Card age are wearing suits and ties, playing Cash Check Money Order lawyers, doctors or politicians. I get to run Discover Master Card Street around in camouflage gear with any number* Visa VISA of big old guns and hunt monsters. It's the

Cash, check or money order to: rZTr, City State Zip sort of thing I did as a kid, and now some- STAR LOG GROUP, INC. © :J 475 Park Avenue South one's paying me to do it. It doesn't get any New York, NY 10016 better than this." Your Signature ^ If you do not want to cut out coupon, we will accept written orders. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] www.slm'lojj.com iL ii M. P

ny * i pj rV b 1 1 1 j H i

Mm I

GNPD 8067 CO GNPD 8062 CD GNPD 8061 CD GNPD 8053 CS/CCS/CD GNPD 8052 CS/Enhanccd CD GNPD 2258 CD Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Original Television Soundtrack Original Television Soundtrack Original Television Soundtra*undtraclf Original Motion Picture Soundtrack GREATEST Hl™j^-»?f R: LOST IN SPACE THE BEST OF THE BEST OF STAR TREK SCIENCE FICTION ENDGAME volume hi STAR TREK STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT HITS IV Music by Stephen Graziano MuJ1I by Ham j Salter, VOLUME TWO VOLUME ONE Music by Neil Norman & his and Nick Glennie Smith Herman Stein and Features music and frtemes Features music and fhemes Cosmic Orchestra Includes "Bonny Portmore" Jerry Goldsmith John Williams from all four television series from all four television icrie: Titles include Amazing Stories, BucUaroo Banzai, Spedtial Cassettes Saturn 3, Xena, Airwoif Pricess for PLEASE NOTE FORMAT Babylon 5 and more. STARLLOG AVAILABILITY 28 tracks in all! Readtlers $4.98 $12.98 'The King of Sci-Fi"

CD Cassette Quan. Price Each Total Price Sendcash,

Name Adctes

Postage: US - $3.00 per order Postage and Shipping Oiy State Canada - $3.00 per unit Phore# - per unit Total Foreign $5.00 Amount Due VscvMastercard#

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] has become a common sub- returning to the small screen with heartfelt Deathject in the entertainment industry enthusiasm as Georgia "George" Lass in recently, what with the success Dead Like Me. of movies like The Sixth Sense Before getting too far into discussing and Final Destination and TV Dead Like Me, we should point out that, shows like Six Feet Under and CSI. Raising within the pilot's first 20 minutes, George its own bar for death—and serving up mixed dies. And that's not giving anything away. drinks—is the new Showtime series Dead Muth takes her time piecing her words Like Me (which premieres June 27). together. Thoughtful and sincere, the actress "It's the best project I've ever worked tries to expand on the show's basic premise. on," star Ellen Muth announces. "Yeah, I "It's really difficult to describe this show. hate to say that about my other projects. I Mandy Patinkin, who plays another Grim mean, the group of people, the crew, every- Reaper, calls Dead Like Me a dark version of one has just been terrific." The Simpsons" she laughs. "I consider it a One of Muth's first endeavors was por- dark comedy/science fiction show, but at the traying the young Selena (played by Jennifer same time extremely humorous. It's not at

Jason Leigh as an adult) in the Stephen King all mocking death or making fun of it, just a adaptation Dolores Claiborne. After that, new outlook on it. It's dark, but at the same

Muth received the AFI Los Angeles time there's humor to keep it light and to International Film Festival Best Actress keep people interested.

Award in 1999 for her first starring role in "When people ask me to describe it, I'm

The Young Girl and the Monsoon. She also like, 'Oh no, where do I go with this?' garnered great attention for her work in the There's so much stigma that goes with Grim

TV movie The Truth About Jane, and is now Reapers because you think of horror films,

www.starlog.com and it's not at all like that. Most people don't

even know what a is. I try to

explain that I take people's souls right before they die, and there's always an interesting way they're going to die, and then some-

times I take the wrong soul. I try to make [my description sound] funny, but they don't

laugh because they just don't get it. You real-

ly have to watch the show to understand it." Soul Food Grim Reaper? Taking souls? A dead main character? "Many people compare Dead Like Me to Six Feet Under," Muth notes, "but they're two totally different shows. I mean, we're science fiction. Six Feet Under

isn't that at all. The only comparable things are that they're both dark and humorous and deal with death. Those are the only similari-

ties. Six Feet Under deals with the very beginning, with the death itself, and in Dead Like Me, all the main characters are dead. But you forget they're dead as you're watch-

ing it." how she's going to make it through all this For the terminally confused, let's take before she takes her last soul [in the unspec- another stab at outlining the series: On her ified quota she must fulfill before moving on

first day at an office job, disenchanted youth herself]. George thinks about being com- Georgia Lass goes out on her 35-minute pletely alone and wonders why the other lunch hour and doesn't come back. She soon Reapers are OK with that—why they can all discovers that fate has more plans for her in have their own conversations but she just

the afterlife than it ever did in her lifetime. can't seem to fit in, like, 'What am I doing " George's destiny is to be a Grim Reaper, one wrong?' of a select few deceased whose job—in sort Trouble fitting in is nothing new to the of a perverse double twist on Touched by an surly George. "What's great about this show, Angel—is to gather the souls of those about w&'r&dead, and it's not a kids' show, but if teenagers or to die and usher them into the next phase. even adults watch it, many people will be George doesn't do this alone, though, and able to relate to it," Muth points out. "They since she's so new to reaping, she has some meyfume^ can understand not being able to find any- help. where to fit in, and even not getting along The pilot episode introduces the happy- t&wwfo!" with your parents your whole life and feel- go-lucky Betty {Earth 2's Rebecca Gay- ing kind of out of place." heart), the all-business Roxy (A Different 7& World's Jasmine Guy) and the guy-next-door Last Meals Mason (As Ifs Callum Blue), led by their Being a Reaper is no easy task, but Muth supervisor, Rube (Alien Nation's Mandy finds humor in the scenario. "It's like, 'Oh, Patinkin). Oh, and they're all dead, too. that sucks. Work really never ends.' You "I think once they all get together," Muth says of the not-so-grim, kinda cranky group, "their personalities just come out. No matter what they're dealing with, they all get along somehow. Whether they're in a good mood or a bad mood, they all deal with one anoth- er and accept each other's personalities. It's not a big deal when Roxy comes in, and, excuse my language, she's a bitch every

time. They don't hate her for it, that's just

who she is. It's all about acceptance. They don't really question why they are the way they are. That's just who they are, and they all have to deal with one another because

they're all in it together." George, however, doesn't feel like part of this eternal ensemble. "It's interesting, because in the episode after the pilot, she's trying so hard to find her place. She realizes that she's lonely," Muth explains. "It's all about connecting. She wants so badly to connect with someone and to have someone to care about her, just a person to talk to. George can't really get close to anyone, and she doesn't understand that. She's worried

STARLOG/August 2003 65 know, even when we're dead, we have to three others. There aren't too many details around things and just how the afterlife work! True, it's only the chosen few, but I she can get into without giving away the works and how she can manipulate it. And think that George is very spiteful and re- unique death situations or full character tid- Rube has a big problem with that," Muth sentful of the fact that she's one of those bits, but Muth's comfortable with delving laughs, "and tends to penalize her and teach selected." into her own (dead) head. 'As far as my her lessons. The other characters are better As out of place as George may be in the character goes, George begins to become developed as the episodes go on. You get to afterlife, Muth feels right at home on the rebellious and really doesn't want this job. know their backgrounds and how they died. series. She appreciates the depth of her char- As you can tell from the pilot, she doesn't And you find out about the family dynamics acter. "I like the fact that George has such a want to work at all. And she has doubts and in George's life—we flash back to see more dark, but at the same time humorous, out- an extreme curiosity as to finding ways of where she came from." look on everything. She doesn't realize that she's funny, and her outlook on things is so deep that she doesn't understand how intelli- gent she is. The majority of her thoughts and feelings are internal; they don't come out in words. You can see them on her face, but they're all internal. I think that's part of the reason why she has trouble connecting, because she doesn't say what's on her mind, she just thinks them all. She has so much humor and life inside her, but she doesn't let it show. It's all within herself, and I love that about her. She's so quirky and different, but yet it's all inside, and we, as an audience, get to see it, but the other characters don't. Rube is the only one who has somewhat of an understanding of who George is. I think eventually—and I don't even know this, to be honest with you—that Mason will begin to understand her as well." At the time of this interview, Muth and company have finished only five of the 15 planned episodes: the two-part pilot and

66 STARLOG/August 2003 www.starlog.com Family dynamics is one way of putting it. his characters and the things he has us say,

In life, George wasn't the biggest advocate no other writer would put those words into of family. Her strained relationship with her the characters' mouths. mother (Cynthia Stevenson) still haunts her "I add quite a bit," Muth says. "Bryan in death. And in her new "life," George can was very open to our suggestions and input, look in on those she has left behind. As Muth trusting our familiarity with the characters explains, "You begin to see problems that and our instincts, which I respect him for. occur between her little sister and mother, Most writers are very specific about what's and you realize how messed up her mother in the script, and they want it to be exactly really is." the way they wrote it. There's a lot that I improvise and add on that he ended up lov- Death & waffles ing and praising me for; the same thing with For Muth, Dead Like Me's premise isn't the other actors. We all work so well togeth- the series' only unusual aspect. The cast and er that things just happen, especially in crew's open and giving attitude has surprised scenes in the Waffle House, because we tend and impressed the actress. "This show is to get giddy in them and some funny things unique because everyone has a different way come out that work well. Much of the time of working," Muth says. "Mandy is a very they leave the cameras running and we just Method-oriented actor and goes deep into keep going." his character and prepares for hours before Oh, yeah, did we mention the Waffle we start. He becomes Rube. He starts to House? Just go with it, you'll enjoy it more. improvise before we start a scene, which I In fact, Muth can't decide whether viewers absolutely love, because I do that in my should go into Dead Like Me expecting (or work as well—beginning to improvise and knowing) anything in particular, or just leave ask questions and getting into the character their expectations behind and go with the Dead-end job. more. It's like dancing: If you have a routine, Rebelling you start to move with the beat beforehand, against her and as soon as the routine starts, you glide deathly duties, tries into it." George to bend the One of her dancing partners was series rules of the creator Bryan Fuller. Writer-producer Fuller, Reaping who burst onto the SF scene with Star Trek: world. Deep Space Nine and Voyager, created Dead "}J)qu Like Me on a lark, as a spec script, and then really sold Showtime on the project. However, he flow. "It's their choice. There will be plenty exited the series prior to its premiere after of surprises and shocks. The first episode "creative differences" with Showtime in late will be enough of a shock because it's so dif- spring. "Bryan was tremendously involved uwtcfbtfie ferent and risky. After that, I don't think any- in the pilot," Muth recalls. "He was there one will know what to expect anyway," she every day, doing rewrites. He's one of the laughs. most amazing people I've ever met, just as a For Ellen Muth, the role of George Lass person in general, and one of the most tal- understand is something spectacular. "Actually, the first ented. I think he has a tremendous career in thing I thought was, 'This character is truly front of him. We're going to see him on a lot unique and this script is so unlike anything of award shows—if not for this, then for else I've ever read that there's no way I could many other things. ever get this part because it's too much of a "Nobody can mimic or copy Bryan's per- dream-come-true thing.' And then when it sonality and writing. Just the creativeness of happened, it was just mind-boggling."

STARLOG/August 2003 67 t's an undersea quest of epic propor- tions. The clownfish Marlin, timid, fearful and overprotective of his son Nemo, embarks on a dangerous odysscy from his home waters of the Great Barrier Reef out into the unknown and off to the distant shores of Sydney, Australia. There, the tropical fish- napped Nemo has been imprisoned—in the aquarium of a dentist's office facing Sydney Harbor. Accompanied by newfound friend Dory, a blue tang with an extremely short- term memory, Marlin (a.k.a. Father) must brave unfamiliar currents, killer jellyfish and starving sharks, all in hopes of Finding Nemo.

The movie is the brainchild of writer- director Andrew Stanton, who scripted or co-scripted all four of Pixar Animation Studios' previous CG-animated films (Toy

Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Reynolds. After Monsters, Inc. wrapped, its Andrew. I can walk into a room and know

Inc.). "The satisfaction of creating new char- co-director Lee Unkrich joined the Nemo what he wants, but at the same time I know acters that are hopefully liked by others is crew in the same capacity. that he relies on me to bring things to the addictive," Stanton says. "You want to do it "I'm Robin to the director's Batman," movie that he might not be able to." again." Unkrich quips, "and that's probably the clos-

And so he did. Inspired by a fascination est way I can describe it. We're both making Hook with the sea, a dentist's aquarium in his the same movie, and my job is to help Although it echoes past Disney-Pixar childhood and his own mixed feelings of Andrew in any way that I can. Ultimately, films (where the mission was to rescue Buzz overprotectiveness toward his son, Stanton this is Andrew's film; this came from his or Woody and save Boo or the ant communi- hatched the Nemo story idea. He pitched it in heart, and it's his story. We work together as ty), "At its core, Finding Nemo is about a a long, exhaustive presentation to Pixar cre- such a light team, I can almost think like father and a son, and about a rift in their rela- ative guru , who approved the project, famously commenting afterward, " "You had me at 'fish.' Pixar veteran

Graham Walters signed on to make it his producing debut. Ralph Eggleston, an Oscar winner for directing Pixar's 2001 short "For the Birds," climbed aboard as production designer. (Stanton discussed Nemo in STAR- LOG #312, Walters and Eggleston provide their views in upcoming issues.) Stanton scripted with Bob Peterson and David

Finding Nemo, the newest CG-animated effort from Disney/Pixar, is a tale of two fish odysseys. Setting off on a "buddy journey," fearful dad Marlin and forgetful sidekick Dory keep on swimming in search of Martin's missing son.

68 STARLOG/4»g».vr 2. tionship," Unkrich says. "Most of these par- and forth between these two different story- early on. The film was feeling equally Nemo ent-child stories are told from the kid's per- lines that hopefully would ultimately come and Marlin's, so you didn't know quite spective. It's about the kid not getting along together at the end. It was very difficult to where your allegiances should be or how with the parents and thinking, 'What am I figure how much time to give the one story- you should feel. The very first thing that I gonna do?' But what we did on Nemo, and line before switching over to the other and "did when I came on the film was take a good, what I think is unique, is that the film is pri- following that thread for a while. It was a hard look at the structure and balance of the marily told from the father's perspective. It's huge challenge for Andrew and the story two storylines and figure out how to make really about him trying to mend his relation- team, and one they weren't quite meeting them work. We definitely licked it, and even ship with his son, and also trying to solve the problems in his own life. "All of our films have had some degree of heart to them, of warmth and emotion, but they've often been isolated instances—in Monsters, Inc., there's that touching moment in the end when Sulley has to say goodbye to Boo, or in Toy Story 2, there's the scene where Woody realizes Andy will grow up one day and not want him anymore. The thing that's so fantastic about Nemo is that we have emotion at that same level if not greater, and it permeates the entire film. So while Nemo is very entertaining and has all the humor, the big action setpieces and wicked-cool graphics throughout, it also has this very pervasive sense of emotion." Focusing on Marlin's quest as well as Nemo's captivity caused problems, as Unkrich relates: "We had to bounce back

from an aquarium in a dentist's office ydney Harbor are Bubbles, Gurgle, Tank Gill, Deb (& phantom twin Flo), Bloat, Jacques, Marlin's fishnapped son Nemo and Peach. though Nemo's stuff—the little adventure he has in the aquarium—is great, the story is really about Marlin trying to find Nemo. We had some other great storylines in the Tank with Nemo, but we had to jettison them to get the movie back on track." Every Pixar film thus far has had these type of story adjustments during production, sometimes with even more drastic alter- ations. "We didn't have as huge or as monu- mentally global of a U-turn as we had on the other films," says Stanton, who has come to expect the arrival of bright but late-in-the- day ideas. "Thank God it's not mandatory. But pain is pain. You can break your leg or your finger. Either way, it's going to be the worst pain in the world. It was two things, storywise. The first was trimming the Tank storyline in half. That sounds simple, but it meant completely altering the plot. "The more major change involved this tragedy that had happened in Marlin's life at his son's birth [the deaths of Nemo's mother Co-director Lee Unkrich, producer Graham Walters, actor Geoffrey Rush (who voices and 399 siblings]. I did it in flashbacks doled the pelican Nigel) and writer-director Andrew Stanton rally around the Nemo poster. out throughout the movie, and I kept that in

strange persona. I get it. I'm

Woody.' Woody is the emotional core [of Toy Story], and actually does—although he's the straight guy—get laughs. Marlin's the same way. Albert's not used to being the emotional part of the film; he's used to being the

laughs. But boy, it wasn't out of his repertoire at all." "Another big challenge," adds Unkrich, "and we had a lot

of them on this film, is that Marlin and Nemo [voiced by Production designer Wanted! More Supervising technical young Alexander Gould] get Ralph Eggleston like won STARLOG readers director Oren Jacob split apart right at a moment of an Oscar for directing Nemo directing led the massive effort major conflict. They both say "For the Birds," the CG animator Mark Walsh, to meet Nemo's things to each other that they short released with another SF fan complex technological regret. And can you imagine that Monsters, Inc. made good. challenges. the last thing you say to your for about two years. That shows how stub- some of our other films. It's not as black- wife or child before they're taken away for- born I can be. Early on, both John and Lee and-white as jealousy and obsolescence. In ever leaves you on a bad note? They both said, 'You know, it's a noble execution and Marlin, we have a character who's fully jus- feel horrible about what has happened. So this much of it works, but we think you tified in all of his actions yet still needs to we separate them, but how do you tell a story should tell it all up front.' And I kept finding change, or he's not only going to [ruin] his about a father feeling bad about his son that boring. Ultimately, when I look back, if life, but his son's, too. That turned out to be when his son isn't there? He can't interact I had had some huge 'Ah-ha' moment at the very challenging, because our instincts were with him and work through those feelings, end of these flashbacks, building up your black-and-white. 'Is Marlin right and we and the same holds true for the kid. So to anticipation, some twist that doesn't go the root for him, or is he wrong and has to solve that problem, we gave [Nemo a substi- way you expect, I would have probably change?' One of them was likable and the tute father figure in Gill] and Marlin a surro- stayed with that flashback structure. But the other wasn't. To have this neurotic character gate child in Dory." truth is, I was just going for an emotional who's doing these incredibly understandable "I like Dory," says Mark Walsh, one of rhythm, juxtaposing a sadness with a tri- yet wrong things is really hard. But Albert the film's two directing animators (the other umph. The audience would have been hop- can deliver those kinds of neuroses in a way is Alan Barillaro) and a STARLOG reader as ing for more and not getting it. So I eventu- that exposes his vulnerability. He was the a youth. "She's a character with this short- ally agreed and said, All right, let's find a final piece of the puzzle. time memory loss, which is used as a gag for more lyrical way to do it up front.' And it "Albert's performance just blows me most of the—story, but the film also shows the worked so much better that way." away," Walters declares. "As far as an artis- other side 'What would it be like if you

tic tour de force, it's unbelievable. When could only remember things for five min- Bait Andrew and I were trying to talk Albert into utes?' She doesn't have any real relation- The selection of actor-director Albert doing the role, he was a little leery because ships with anybody. No one can stand to be

Brooks to voice Marlin was another pivotal it was so obvious that Dory would get all the around her. When she finds things that are decision. Producer Walters explains: "The laughs. 'Are you guys sure you really want important to her, she soon loses them and journey was quite a difficult and challenging me?' 'Yes, Albert. You've got this thing, and then can't remember that she ever had them. one. The tone of Nemo is more subtle and I don't know how else we're going to get it.' There's a real sadness to it all." slightly more sincere and dramatic than He said, 'I know. I understand it. It's my "Dory's definitely the funniest character

70 STARLOG/4k i? ;m/ 2003 —

in the film," Unkrich observes. "She gets the Individual animators had to face other "It's funny. I went from animating an most laughs. But Dory also breaks your challenges. For example, Andrew Gordon eyeball with two arms and legs to animating, heart. We've always thought of her as a little noted for his Monsters, Inc. work on Mike basically, a triangle with no arms. We found angel who shows up at the oddest possible Wazowski in (STARLOG #295)—was given that less is more. If you do too many ges- moments. And while she seems like a ball Gill, the taciturn leader of the Tank gang, to tures with the fins, then it's, Are they still and chain to Marlin for much of the film, she help develop and then animate. "I'm not fish?' We had to split the difference of know- ends up being his salvation. used to characters that are so serious," ing when to do a gesture and when to just "Ellen DeGeneres was just a joy to work Gordon says. "Gill was a departure for me. I make them swim."

with, and I can't imagine anyone else play- had to tone down my acting. A lot of it was Like Gordon, other Afemo-phytes also ing Dory. Andrew wrote the part for her," in the eyes and brows, as opposed to Mike, learned to scuba dive, some of them embark- says Unkrich, "and thank God that she took where he was an eye and it was ing on dive excursions to Hawaii, San Diego

it. We would have been in trouble if Ellen and comedic value. I was dealing with a and elsewhere. Says Eggleston, "Oddly

had turned it down. We went to see her com- character that's much subtler. We looked at enough, as important as it was to actually see edy show a few weeks ago, and at the Q&A different actors' expressions, like Paul what it looked like underwater, it was more with the audience at the end, somebody Newman's eyes and Clint Eastwood, and important—we realized later—to know what

asked about Nemo. Ellen said, 'I was so how their making only a few expressions it felt like to be underwater: To not be able to excited. Finally, for the first time in my gives them a real presence." see as far as you imagined, and to experience career, someone wrote a part just for me, and In short, with Gill, Gordon was channel- the ocean's surge and swell. It let us know " then I find out that it's a fish!' ing his inner Eastwood. "That's what what it was going to take to convince the Andrew wanted, that kind of tough-guy atti- audience that we were underwater."

Line tude," he says. "And it was really difficult; Notes Walsh, "Computer animation can Production designer Eggleston specifies Gill has the most specialized fins to deal look kind of soupy, because we have such his role in Nemo as being in charge of "the with—long dorsal fins and one broken fin up control and can smooth out any movements architecture and art of the film—to provide here. I did some development on him, and a where it's jerky like stop-motion animation. settings, character designs, colors, patterns bunch of tests where we could see how his The danger of that is overdoing it, where and textures which allow other folks to do dorsal fin works and how he flaps. I learned your animation looks like what's called their jobs. how to dive. I shot footage of [Gill's species] 'swimming animation.' That's a no-no. But "Much of the design process didn't real- the Moorish idol, and I swam with them. I on Nemo, the comment was always, 'It's not ly change from the other movies. The thing got to be one on one with the fish. swimmy enough,' so we kept having to break that changed was the lighting texture. We had to learn how to deal with color under- water because you have murk, fog effects and [lead fish with] diametrically opposed colors—one is super-blue and one is super- orange. Both of those colors are difficult to do in CG, so facing a film where 90 percent of it is these two colors—the light blue and lava orange—was really hard. Both colors would go black five feet into the murk. So how do you do that? Everything had to be

very carefully and specially lit. "And the textures," Eggleston continues. "We came up with three basic looks for our fish: gummy, which looks like a Gummy Bear and is very tasty; velvety, which is Dory, where the surface texture seems like velvet; and metallic, for fish like tuna. Every

other fish is a combination of those three ele- ments. So learning to deal with the color

underwater and yet still make it all believ- able was really the biggest challenge for me on Nemo. We had to learn as we went along." Accustomed to dealing with characters who could swing their arms and stand on

their own two legs, it took a while for the Nemo team to get into the swim of things with their limbless protagonists. "First off,

we all wanted to rely on what we had done

before, and it just didn't work," says Walsh. "Luckily, Andrew knew what he wanted to see. We had a lot of examples of what not to do. Many limitations become creative chal-

lenges. It was hard at first, because you look

at a fish and it's just this face with a little tail

on it. There are no fingers, no feet, no neck. As Pixar's John Lasseter says, Basically, it's just a head, but instead of "Art advances technology." The treating it like a a thought, head on body, we turtle drive offered a moving 'What if we treat the whole thing as a head?' problem—how to represent the After we did that, the tail made sense out of speedy surf aspects of the EAC

it. If I'm rolling this way, I'll use the fin to (East Australian Current) so that push that way." audiences could comprehend it.

www.starlog.com —

our own rule. 'No, I can't do that. If I do, it came up with a couple of key aspects. deleted character material, it's promised, will be bad animation.' But when it was ren- There's the particulate matter, which is like will end up on the Nemo DVD. dered, that extra bit of drift made it more dust, the little particles and bits of schmutz Willem Dafoe voices Gill, while his Tank believable. So we had to do the wrong thing that hang out underwater. It moves back and mates include the starfish Peach {The West to make it work." forth, driven by surge and swell. Surge and Wing's Allison Janney), the yellow tang A tropical fish aquarium was stocked and swell is like a wind engine that blows matter Bubbles (King of the Hill's Stephen Root), set up at Pixar's Emeryville, CA headquar- around and moves the underwater plant life Bloat the puffer fish (Everybody Loves ters to allow for further study. "A fish would and the soft corals. And when sand is kicked Raymond's ), the royal gramma do a move almost reminiscent of 'I'm really up by a character, all that reacts to the surge- Gurgle (Short Circuit's Austin Pendleton), upset.' We actually got some of our acting and-swell motion. We sped that up, slowed it Jacques the shrimp (veteran Pixar animator ideas the fish, if it from even was only the down and gave it larger or smaller magni- Joe Ranft, hilarious as Heimlich in A Bug 's mechanics. Whenever we were stuck, frus- tude, depending on what the story required Life) and the giddy humbug damselfish Deb, trated or had to get out of the office, a great for the scene. convinced her glass reflection is twin sister place to go was the fish tank," Walsh smiles. "Then," Jacob adds, technically speak- Flo (both NewsRadio's Vicki Lewis). "It's very soothing to sit in front of it and just ing, "you have the ocean surface itself. In Of course, Cheers' John Ratzenberger, watch the fish." shots where you see it—and even in shots Pixar's "lucky charm," is in Nemo as the all- To further bone up on marine life, where you don't but are close enough that knowing voice of a school of moonfish. University of California-Irvine's Adam P. light comes from the surface—we had to set Quintessential Australian actor Bill Summers came to Pixar, gave lectures and up the wave troughs, which blow back and (Muriel's Wedding) Hunter voices the taught the equivalent of graduate school forth on the surface. Light is refracted by Dentist, while fellow Aussies Barry ("Dame seminars in ichthyology to the Nemo crew. those wave troughs and the bubbles, and is Edna") Humphries, Bruce (Road Warrior) "He really turned us on to how fish motivate focused into beams. That's why you get that Spence and Eric (The Hulk) Bana are the themselves," says Walsh. "With fish, we foggy effect underwater. Those beams hit sharks Bruce, Chum and Anchor respective- thought, 'You just wag the tail back and the ground too, like a swimming pool—you ly. Geoffrey (Pirates of the Caribbean) Rush forth and you're done, right?' And Summers ever look at the bottom of the kiddie pool or plays friendly pelican Nigel. And Stanton was like, 'No, no, no, no.' He had this amaz- a bathtub? And that had to be tied to the himself speaks up as hip turtle surfer-dude ing scientific footage of fish swimming from same timing as the fog [beneath] the surface dad Crush. all angles. The fish were spaced on this as well as the surge and swell. If you screw Crush is key to the film's most mellow water treadmill—and they were standing up the timing on any of those things, it feels sequence, as Marlin, Dory and hundreds of still and swimming while the current sped up as if all the elements are disjointed. But if turtles ride the rapid flow of the EAC (East or slowed down. Summers was able to look they move in some related cadence, then it Australian Current). "That whole turtle at our work and say, 'Oh wow! That's fan- seems like you're in a water environment. drive scene has a big tube of water flowing tastic!' or 'This fish would never do that "There's another key component, which in it," Jacob says. "That doesn't seem con- move.' It was important that they act correct- is that water, unlike air, is a much denser ceptually difficult, but it was one of those ly, but really we weren't thinking of realistic medium, and filters light differently—differ- things where we didn't know how hard it but believable. We're caricaturing reality, not ent frequencies and colors are taken out of was actually going to be. If I stick a camera trying to replicate it. This is a cartoon, after the spectrum of sunlight depending how in a current, the current is all around me in all." deep you are and how far you're seeing," this water, moving at what looks like 20 Jacob explains. "So if you're just five feet mph. Outside, though, is still water. How do Sinker under the ocean, you'll see reds, greens, yel- I communicate to the audience that the More than anything else, though, it was lows, oranges, all the colors. At 100 feet water I'm in is moving and the water over the H2O everywhere that all but drove the down, you lose red first, then yellow and there is still? If my camera is going along Pixar team to drink. "We certainly had tech- orange and eventually you're left with only the current at the same speed, the current nical challenges," Unkrich laments. "Water blue and green. And finally in the deepest appears still and the water out there looks is a very difficult thing to do in CGI, though part of the ocean, there's just blue. like it's flowing backward. That's not right.

I think we have licked it at this point. Every "That's also true of things that are far If I move a little faster than the current, then film from here on in could be underwater. away from you. If you're scuba diving 20 the current is moving from the front to the Between the visuals that we created and feet underwater and looking at some fish back of my head. So I'm moving forward a Gary Rydstrom's amazing sound work moving away from you, the farther the fish little bit, but the outside is moving very, which surrounds and envelops the audi- goes away, the more all the colors that aren 't very fast. And if I'm going a little slower ence—I think we've done what we set out to blue get taken out. Eventually, when it's very than the current, it's pulling away from me do in taking you underwater. Oren Jacob was far away, it becomes only blue and disap- as it's going past me. All those relative the supervising technical director, and just pears into the murk. So controlling underwa- motions are very confusing. It's like staging did an amazing job corraling all the incredi- ter murk requires a shift in hue and in the a traffic scene on a freeway with a car going ble technical people who helped us achieve contrast of elements—both in depth and dis- 60 mph, but there's no horizon line. It's all the look." tance from camera. It's far more exaggerated around you, and the only reason that you It was quite a mission for Jacob: "Water than in air." know you're moving in a car is that you see is in every shot of this movie," he explains. buildings and other landmarks moving past "Mostly below, sometimes above, and, in the Net you. worst case, above and below in the same While Marlin travels dangerous waters "You can't see water because you're shot. The challenge lies in that we've all en route to Sydney, Nemo, shut up in the already in the water with the current. But if seen the documentary films on PBS and the aquarium, comes to know his fellow prison- we stick some kelp over there or if you can Discovery Channel. However, if we were to ers. "We had all these characters, and we see the ocean surface, then you glimpse that put that much water in every single shot of really wanted to know them. But that doesn't fly by you and that gives you an idea [of the film, that would almost be distracting. mean they have to be in the movie," Unkrich speed]. The way that scene ended up work- But we couldn't put too little because then says. "It's often a game of creating that stuff, ing out is that we emphasized the lights over you would feel like you're in air, not water. stripping it all away and then leaving only the turtle shells and the light coming from It was a careful line to walk between how the essentials. And we definitely went the surface; they come out in beams and much water you push at the viewer and how through that with the Tank gang. We know rocket past the turtles. It looks like the turtles much you hold back. much more about those characters than will are punching through a bunch of lights. It "We dissected the water problem, and ever show up in the film." Some of this gives you the feeling of motion."

72 STARLOG/4«g«.v/ 2003 Catch From idea to final frame, these five The eerie silence of the jellyfish images portray how sequence (with Dory and Marlin literally Marlin and Dory's of beautiful, surrounded by a minefield frightened reaction stinging death) was haunted by the absence to the jellyfish of location. "We didn't expect the jellyfish to minefield was be the total bear that it was," Jacob confess- realized.

es. "I don't think we understood what it 1) PENCIL SKETCH. means to stick a camera in a set that isn't a A hand-drawn storyboard panel by set. There's no wall, no floor, no ceiling. It's story artist Nathan just blue. Every place you look it's blue. And Stanton begins there are jellyfish hovering all around in the process. three dimensions. When you're filming a conversation with two characters, you typi- WIRE-FRAME cally start with the background—the win- 2) MODEL. dow is behind you, the kitchen is behind me. Pixar's artists use So you understand your geography and your the company's scene by location. But when we began this proprietary software scene, there's blue everywhere, so we could to create computer not tell that the camera changed direction. models of the We couldn't tell that the camera was panning jellyfish scene. around; we didn't know that we were push- These models

ing forward at all. It was impossible in a include information complete blue void to choreograph that about the characters' shapes, motion and the characters doing their busi- expressions and ness. So we started to stick jellyfish in to movement. give us our reference points, but they all looked the same. So that wasn't really help-

ful. 'Are we underwater now? What's going 3) SMOOTH on?' The three dimensions of that space had POLYGONS. camera moves, the to be respected—the Colors and solid ocean current, the particulate matter and all forms make the the jellyfish." jellyfish shot seem After making Babe—the FX-enhanced much more realistic. story of a lovable, talking pig—many of its Other compositional cast and crew couldn't quite bring them- elements (set, costumes, props) selves to eat pork chops, ham or bacon are inserted into again. Despite the years that they've spent their designated underwater with computer-generated marine places during life on Finding Nemo, the Pixar gang doesn't this stage. seem too concerned about where their fish comes from. Are they still eating seafood? "Yup!" laughs Stanton. "Unfortunately, the sushi orders didn't even drop." 4) SHADING & WATER. "Love it!" Eggleston exclaims before Shading gives the chuckling. "Sorry." image full color "Absolutely," Jacob adds. "I like sushi." textures and "We all do," Unkrich agrees. "There's complex surface plenty of sushi around here. I don't know if details. To place the we'll have any at the wrap party, though." action underwater, "I eat sushi twice a week," Walters particulate matter admits. "For the first lunches that we had and surge and swell with Albert and [score composer] Thomas are added here, simulating the Newman, trying to get them to do the pro- movements which ject, we had huge sushi buffets. The only occur in the ocean. time where it crossed the line was at the [company] cafe here at Pixar. There's always a special seafood dish, sometimes shark, and 5) FINAL RENDERING & one day they named it 'Bruce Filet.' I was " WATER. like, 'Ugggh!' Lights & shadows, "Well, it's a love-hate relationship with motion blur and seafood right now," Walsh reveals. "It camera depth of depends on how I feel about my work that field are added. day. I haven't tried shark yet, but maybe I Caustics (light at a will, to feel like I have the upper hand." pool's bottom) and "We ate some good fish," Andrew murk (which makes Gordon says quietly. "I admit there are cer- things harder to see the further away tain fish that I wouldn't eat, just because they get) complete they're endangered species. I'll stay away the underwater from the seaurchin; they can go. And no illusion. fried clownfish." -4&

www.starlog.com STARLOG/4K£«.y? 2003 73 Sinbad swings into seafaring action with Marina as they search for the Book of Peace.

CROSSING advantage of making animated three Ray Harryhausen Sinbad movies. "The Anfilms is that you can cast major genesis of the story," says Gilmore, "was THE ANIMATED actors—very useful for publicity—in obviously the Sinbad legends, from The many of the lead roles, because all they have Arabian Nights. Sinbad took seven separate SEAS, THE to do is spend a few hours now and then in a voyages and had several adventures on each recording studio. That's why DreamWorks' of them, they're FAB EE D HERO and very episodic. It was Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas can fea- really Jeffrey [Katzenberg, of DreamWorks] DISCOVERS OED ture Brad Pitt as Sinbad, Catherine Zeta- who brought the thread that tied them all MYTHS & NEW Jones as Marina, Michelle Pfeiffer as the together—an old piece of Greek mythology Goddess of Chaos Eris and Joseph Fiennes about Damon and Pythias." ADVENTURES. as Sinbad's pal Proteus. Johnson adds, "We had fun pulling from Tim Johnson and Patrick Gilmore direct- both classic Sinbad monsters and other ed the film—and were well aware of the mythologies. We have a sea monster, and we

74 STARLOG/August 2003 www.starlog.com Getting off to a swashbuckling start, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas begins with a spectacular sea monster battle.

think that the design rocks. It's a really amazing combination of a crustacean, squid and dragon. You run into the sea monster within minutes of the picture's beginning.

And it's a heck of a battle, as I think only animation can do." Legendary Rogue Sinbad the Sailor was born back in the mists of time, in a book called both A Thousand and One Nights and The Arabian Nights. A rascal and an adventurer, Sinbad would appear to be a perfect match for the

STARLOG/August 2003 75 —

mated Sinbad: Beyond the Veil ving force from the very beginning, was pre- of Mists (2000). sent throughout the production and contin- Now comes Sinbad: ues to be there with us." Legend of the Seven Seas. "We've watched the film now with an "One of the most exciting audience," says Johnson. "Sometimes with things about working on this an animated film, you ask kids and adults film is that we're getting a who their favorite character was. You often chance to explore a character hear about the human sidekicks. Patrick and

whose name is synonymous I had our biggest zing when, talking with with adventure and fantasy, kids and adults after the film, they all said and we're getting the chance to their favorite character was Sinbad."

do it with 21st-century tools On the other hand, Daily Variety reported and special effects that are a (after this interview) that test screenings combination of pretty much indicated that Spike, Sinbad's dog, was the everything the effects world favorite character, and so new scenes were has to offer, from CG to 2-D added to emphasize him. Jakob Jensen, animation," says Johnson. the Danish key animator of the Sinbad "We're telling a story that is a character, remarks: "He has a dog on the tribute to past Sinbads, but ship, who is pretty funny—a little bit like the also contains contemporary sidekick in The Crimson Pirate [Ojo, the

and emotional issues for mute played by Nick Cravat]. I love that

today's audience. So we're film, and occasionally used it for reference.

really hoping that we've taken The fun thing about Sinbad is that we've Sinbad, this classic name in learned from test screenings that people adventure, and brought him actually enjoy him. He almost doesn't need into the 21st century. While a sidekick, because he has enough of those you can't point to any one of smartypants, funny comments—and can still the seven particular tales in be the hero. The Arabian Nights as the spe- "There's action for the boys, there's

cific template for our story, I romance for the girls, and it all falls togeth-

think people familiar with The er. It feels like one piece. We didn't want to Arabian Nights will know our story, because our themes and tone are drawn from that rich vault." In Sinbad: Legend of the Roguish Sinbad (Brad Pitt) sets out to cross his pal Seven Seas, Eris, Goddess of Proteus, but Marina (Catherine Zeta-Jones) makes sure the scoundrel sailor stays his course. Chaos, steals the Book of Peace, and plants evidence so movies, so it's somewhat surprising that the it appears that Sinbad's the thief. The Sultan character (under his alternate name) didn't orders Sinbad's execution, and even though make what may have been his first screen the sailor insists he can recover the all- appearance until 1936's "Popeye the Sailor important book, the Sultan refuses to consid- Meets Sindbad the Sailor," a memorable er Sinbad's plea. Luckily, Sinbad's friend, Fleischer Studios short. He occasionally Prince Proteus, steps forward. His proposi- turned up in other, odd contexts: actors as tion: Let Sinbad go on his quest, and if he unlikely as Sebastian Cabot (1952's Babes doesn't return, then the Sultan can take his in Bagdad), Lon Chaney Jr. (Thief of life in Sinbad's stead. Damascus, the same year), Joe Besser The Sultan agrees, and Sinbad and his

(1950's The Desert Hawk) and, of all people, crew prepare to set sail, really intending to the Three Stooges' Shemp Howard (1942's put as much distance between them and the

Arabian Nights) played the sailor in support- 12 Cities as possible. But a stowaway is dis- ing roles. covered aboard the ship. It's Marina, But Sinbad was made for stardom, and Proteus' feisty fiancee, who convinces the Harryhausen brought him to cinema glory. reluctant Sinbad to try to find the Book of Kerwin Mathews (STARLOG #1 19-#120) Peace after all. So begins Sinbad's journey, played Sinbad in Harryhausen's great The which involves battles with the Roc, a colos- 7th Voyage of Sinbad, a worldwide hit in sal bird the size of an airliner, the Sirens 1957. Later, Harryhausen and his producer whose songs can lure men to their death Charles H. Schneer brought the adventurer and, finally, a showdown with Eris. back—in the person of John Phillip Law (STARLOG #228)—in 1974's The Golden Salty Tales Voyage of Sinbad, and as Patrick Wayne in "Jeffrey Katzenberg was very involved in 1977's Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. this movie," says Gilmore. "He was a part of There was also a syndicated Sinbad TV the story's development, and the inspiration series in the '90s starring Zen Gesner of Damon and Pythias originally came from (STARLOG #238), and a few, failed him. He was on a quest to find the greatest attempts at more movies, usually in the piece of low-hanging fruit in the adventure Harryhausen mold: Lou Ferrigno played him mythology. Sinbad was that film, and Jeffrey in Sinbad of the Seven Seas (1989), and wanted to weave that together with other Brendan Fraser gave him voice in the ani- pieces of classical mythology. He was a dri-

76 STARLOG/August 2003 —

dying with ance of Syracuse, the majestic city that's the

Sinbad, Eris story's home base. You see it in our home- wit uses her grown water techniques, with all the peaked and wiles to waves full of opposing curves in a graphic manipulate the style. You see it in the designs of all the mon- mesmerized sters, the crewmen, the sails on Sinbad's ship and Eris. Everywhere we go in the film, you see that basic piece of [graphic] language reflected." Motley Crew In terms of the character of Sinbad, Johnson says, "The most motivating design force behind him was the casting of Brad Pitt as the voice. Brad brought a combination of really wonderful things to the role; a certain

confidence that says, 'No adventure is too big or too intimidating.' And yet Brad also acted in a contemporary manner. He wears a dumb it down just because it has to work for character." And the changes in Sinbad's look smile on his face even when you can only a two-year-old. There's a lot of fun stuff for that came about after Pitt was cast drove the hear his voice. Because of Brad, we ended adults; there are many jokes in this film that style of the rest of the film. "The stylistic up with a Sinbad who's in love with adven- play on different levels. You can make a lit- changes in how Sinbad looks are reflected in ture; someone who's excited about notching tle kid laugh, and also make him wonder his boat, the world he lives in and other his belt with the next new discovery. why daddy is laughing. The kid will get it 12 designs. Although we're doing a picture that's set in years later." "There's a very simple stylistic lan- a fantastic version of 1,000 years ago, we According to Gilmore, Sinbad has a dis- guage—we call it the ' shape' didn't want it to be old-fashioned in any tinctive visual style, "and it was fun to dis- that's part of Sinbad's design. It has to do way." cover it. The sort of simple but amazing with two opposing curves that come togeth- Gilmore agrees that Pitt did indeed thing that happened is that every bit of style er to create an angle. And it's everywhere in change the character in significant ways. in the movie stemmed from Sinbad as a the design, even in the architectural appear- "Casting Brad," he observes, "gave us the

Seductive, shimmering ng waves," the ens try to serenade bad's crew off their ship and into the deadly sea. and looks at life on the seas as Sinbad. "Of course, Harryhausen gave his HHP the only thing he really wants Roc two heads, which his was spin on the and needs in life. So in our sto- Sinbad mythology," says Johnson. "We went rytelling, we have a hero back to a more classic version of the Roc,

who's sort of denying himself and we put it in an environment that's snowy any real connection with peo- and icebound. Our Roc is so massive that as

ple and events in the world. it flies, it leaves a in its wake. It's But as the movie unfolds, his unbelievably powerful. In addition to con-

heart begins to open up. He ventional wings, we gave it bat-like claws on realizes that he needs more its wingtips. We wanted a creature that was at

than just the life of a seagoing home on the ground as in the air, and could thief." use its wing and foot claws to maneuver and Other characters presented corner faster than any bird of its size would

their own, individual difficul- ever be able to. I would say that the Roc is ties. "Sinbad's friend Proteus the most formidable monster in the film. is played by Joseph Fiennes "We also feature the Sirens, which we from Shakespeare in Love'' created out of water. They're feminine fig- says Gilmore. "The big chal- ures who serenade the men [of Sinbad's lenge of that character, which crew], sing them into surrender and then

Joseph really cracked, was entice them off the ship. This is Marina's big how do you have somebody adventure. As the sole woman aboard the who's so noble that they would boat, she's the only one unaffected by the lay down their life for a friend, Sirens. We referenced everything from and still make that character as washing machine commercials to the dimensional as possible? With pseudopods in The Abyss. They're like living Proteus, Joe gave us a charac- waves: You can see the human form within ter who is every bit the dare- them, but they're constant, shimmering cas-

devil that Sinbad is, but plays cades of water. Their approach to the ship is his high-stakes games of chicken in the halls of power instead of out on the open sea. "The love interest in the story—and Sinbad's sidekick through most of the movie—is Marina, played by Catherine courage to make a character who's definite- Zeta-Jones," Gilmore continues. "And she, ly in the grey area of morality at the story's too, is similar to Sinbad. She's morally more

beginning. Brad's voice was just so charis- grounded than he is, but just as competent an matic and fun to be around. It was an adventurer. She ends up saving Sinbad and inspired character, so we weren't afraid to the entire crew, and earns her stripes aboard give Sinbad some real problems. The first the boat." session with Brad was an unbelievable reve- Both directors feel that Zeta-Jones turned lation. Because he was so charismatic, we out to be an inspired choice, and admit that

saw how we could depict the changes the Marina is somewhat similar to the character character needed to go through." the actress portrayed in The Mask of Zorro. "Sinbad's quite a complex person," says "She plays that sort of capable woman,

Jensen. "He isn't your [stereotypical] swash- although we're proud that Marina is still her buckling smartass hero. He also has a dark own person," says Johnson. "You can't com- side, which made it more interesting for the pare her to animated women of the past, or animators to dig into." Although there were even look at live-action and find an exact designs before Jensen joined the team, copy." Sinbad's look underwent many changes. "Essentially," Jensen claims, "I designed Deadly Monsters him. In the end, the character has to look like Then there's Eris, whom Gilmore he could have that voice, but I wouldn't say describes as "the fourth big member of our that there's a direct resemblance to Brad. It's cast. This is a character who is mercurial and maybe more in terms of the way that Brad playful, who cajoles and needles and threat- moves. We looked at his films and noticed ens and does everything she can to manipu- how he sort of beats the air with his hands. late Sinbad as he tries to get the Book of But I wasn't necessarily trying to caricature Peace back from her. I call her him. I was just trying to get ideas." with a God complex. Michelle gave us a "Part of the storyline is that Sinbad has really interesting, fun, roller-coaster perfor- become the most famous thief in the 12 mance as this all-powerful goddess who gets Cities, our fantasyland of islands in the involved with the affairs of mortal men." Mediterranean," Johnson explains. "He's a "I don't think that Michelle has ever been thief more out of a love for adventure than this deliciously villainous before," adds greed. Somebody saying that something Johnson. "She had a wonderful time using cannot be stolen is a chance for Sinbad to go her voice to create the powerful and whimsi- and prove them wrong. But what we're real- cal Goddess of Chaos." ly telling is a story about a man who's run- As for the movie's monsters, they do ning from his own heart. He's a bit in denial, include the Roc, as seen in 7th Voyage of

78 STARLOG/August 2003

3F'l very balletic and kind of seductive and caves, the boat and the sails. Then we had to capture] the subtlety and emotion of the act- dancer-like." create the Sirens and all the splashes associ- ing, particularly in the characters' faces. Effects animator Doug Ikeler was in ated with them. It was a real workload. "In one scene, Sinbad's ship is about to charge of realizing the Sirens, the underwa- Water is by far the hardest thing to do—in sail off the Edge of the World, and the crew ter monster and the sequence in which hand-drawn animation, too. And it probably scrambles to re-rig the ship in order to some- Sinbad's ship approaches the infinite water- always will be. If you look at it from a pure how save themselves from plummeting off fall at the Edge of the World. "The Sirens, mathematical standpoint, the physics and this enormous waterfall. We have sailors the mythical enchantresses, are created out dynamics behind water are so extensive." running fore and aft and the camera swing- of water," says Ikeler. "They're 3-D render- ing like it's on a rope. Those characters are ings of a female shape, with a bunch of par- Timely Skullduggery predominantly CG, and the camerawork is ticles and floating water coming off of them. The character animation wasn't any easi- very sophisticated. In one shot, we sweep My department primarily did effects, so er. In fact, each character had to have their into a close-up and—as a rope passes in the everything we created was sort of from own stunt double. That's right, a stunt dou- foreground—Sinbad changes from a 3-D scratch." ble. "Everyone in the movie has a digital character to a 2-D one, so he can deliver the Sinbad uses both cartoon and CGI FX, stunt double," attests Ikeler. "Sinbad's basi- line, 'Pray to the Gods—we may be meeting " sometimes in the same scene. "We do inter- cally hand-drawn whenever he's seen from them soon.' act with the environment, like the back- the waist up or appears large on screen. But On the other hand, Ikeler "sees no reason grounds," says Ikeler. "Or, as in the Sirens if he's off running in the distance, he's more to replace live actors [with CG ones], but I sequence—where it's all within this kind of than likely 3-D." think we'll get to a point where CG charac- cave—water is running through there. The Johnson adds, "The characters are most- ters aren't so shocking to viewers. It's prob- back walls of the caves are hand-painted, so ly hand-drawn animation. However, any ably at least 10 years off, though. All the big

all of our stuff had to interact with these time it made sense to do computer anima- studios that are now doing CG movies have hand-painted backgrounds and overlays." tion, we used the computer versions of the kind of keyed the effects to animal moves, The FX team spent most of their time on characters. Computer animation allows you because everyone wants to stay away from the Sirens sequence, "just because there a level of camera movement that's very human CG characters. Everybody knows the were so many layers of effects," says Ikeler. sophisticated and similar to the freedom of a subtleties of human motion, the intricacies "We had to do all the running water, all the live-action camera. Whereas [with hand- of the human face. We're not close to getting splashes where the water hits the sides of the drawn animation], you can [more accurately all of that; it's just too complex. So I think people will stay away from it for a while." The voyage literally If you're going to make an epic swash- takes the crew to the buckling, seafaring film, a rising score is Edge of the World, required to highlight the high-seas action. where they must "Our music was composed by Harry scramble to avoid an Gregson-Williams, who did Shrek, Chicken infinite waterfall. Run and some work on Antz," says Gilmore. "He's just a phenomenal composer. We wanted a great, big, fully orchestrated score,

but we also needed it to sound very contem- porary. It had to be exotic, too—coming from a specific place, but not a place you can put your finger on a map and discover. Harry gave us that flavor, and did all kinds of amazing things." The composer was hired relatively early on, so some sequences were animated to his music. "One of Patrick and my favorite moments on this," reveals Johnson, "was the week we spent at Abbey Road Studios in London with an 88-piece orchestra. That's easily on the top of our list—just hearing Harry's score come alive."

It's impossible to make a Sinbad film without at least thinking of Ray Harryhausen. The stop-motion master visit- ed the studio during Sinbad's production, and even had a photo taken with several members of the crew. "We drew a lot of inspiration from the things that he brought to the Sinbad legend," says Gilmore. "I don't think you can swing a dead cat around here without hitting a Harryhausen fan, particu- larly in the CG animation area. They were inspired by his work, particularly the Sinbad films and Jason and the Argonauts!' Doug Ikeler couldn't agree more. "Harryhausen is why we're all in this indus- try," he declares. "The medium was different then. His work was so above and beyond anything you saw anywhere else. And that's kind of why we're all here—to put that cool factor in movies, just like he did."

STARLOG/August 2003 79 Send cash, check or money order to:

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]

Account Number

Card Expiration Da . Imo/yr)

Name As It Appears On Card

MARVEL PREMIERE CLASSIC COVERS MAGNETS Street

Featuring the covers of A.Oaredevil #1 by Bill Everett(C9B397SG), B. #15 by Steve Ditto & City State Zip

Jack KiPby(C98387SG), cAmazing Spider-Man #1 hy Sieve Ditlio(C9B388SG), HThe #1 by Signature Jack Kirby(C96395SG), E.K-Men #1 by Jack Kirny(C9B385SG), f.The Incredible Hulk #1 by &

Description Jack Kirby(C96835SG), Each magnet measures 2.5" x 3.5 Qty. Price

msrp ss.gg Each Description Qty. Price

MARVEL PREMIERE MODERN COVERS MAGNETS Description Qty. Price Total Enclosed S Featuring A.The X-Men by Jim Lee(C9G391SG)i B.Sflider-Man by J. Scon Campbell(C96389SG)! cWMne If You Do Not Want To Cut Out Coupon, We Will Accept Written Orders. Please print neatly. by (G96394SG)i D.Gaptain America by Alex Ross(C9639BSG)l E.Daredevil & Spider-Man by Shipping

Continental US: (excluding PO Boxes) Normal- $5, Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico: For additional (C96399SG)! f.The Incredible Hulk by Todd McFariane(C9B392SG)l books or non-comic items, please ask our operators for exact shipping and optional insurance. Each mapt measures 2.5" x 3.5" PO Boxes, US Territories, APO, FPO: Normal- $10 Canada: Normal- $10, Europe, Australia: Normal- $25, South America, Pacific Rim, Mexico: MSRP $5.99 Each Normal -S28. -Mo? respoi'.siit:.- >o' i^isiakes or lypc s, ^

,M Daredevil, Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, Captain America, Wolverine, X-Men, and

—

went and hung out with my friends. Two days later, they told me I had the part. So I was very excited. Then I realized I had shaved my head. Thankfully, not a problem." West quickly got over his T3 disappoint- ment. "I did the final test," he says. "Nick ended up booking that to replace Eddie

Furlong. As an actor, I didn't care in some sense, because I'm such a fan of the first

one. But I did want to play John Connor. I also felt I looked a little more like Michael

Biehn than Eddie did. So I thought I had more of a chance. But it's troubling when you're replacing an actor as a character.

There are always fans who are a little bitter

about that. So it wasn't too upsetting when T3 didn't happen." That was West's second brush with a role he had his heart set on. "I actually auditioned for X-Men 2," he reveals. "I would love to

play a superhero. X-Men is my favorite comic book. But I know in my heart that the only characters whom I could play physically The Innocents Abroad would be , Angel or Iceman." The presence of an American hero in this adaptation of Alan Cyclops and Iceman were already cast, and Angel was ultimate- Moore & Kevin O'Neill's graphic novel series has caused some con- ly cut from the final shooting script. "They wanted me to audition

sternation. Sawyer wasn't in the original. "There are two charac- for Nightcrawler," West says. "But I turned down the audition ters—Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray and Tom Sawyer—who because I'm not German. I can't do an accent. I know a lot about the aren't in the comic," West notes. "And I've enjoyed playing off Mina character, and I wouldn't want to piss off the fans. I know how

Harker, [portrayed by] Peta Wilson. It's a relationship that's differ- important it is."

ent from the comic book, because my character isn't in it and Mina's There's no trace of disappointment in West's voice. "I feel very

not the leader of the group, Allan Quatermain [Connery] is. We fortunate to have [a project] that's a bit different," he says. "There Mina, Dorian Gray and I—have this romantic triangle going on. You are many big movies coming out this summer, but League of don't know which guy is going to end up with her—or if anyone's going to in the end. Or even should." His river adventure a Mina Harker was the object of Dracula's childhood desire in the Bram Stoker novel, but in memory, Tom is League she's now a vampiress. "That's the now all grown whole tongue-in-cheek thing about the up and movie," West grins. "She'll rip out some- embarking on one's throat and then I'll flirt with her after- yet another ward. It's just so funny and done well. In extraordinary

reality, Mina probably still has a bit of flesh journey. on her mouth. I've enjoyed doing those scenes." The role was as much of a surprise to

West as it probably will be to audiences, who don't know that Sawyer was allowed to •Tf grow up and wear long pants. "I wasn't even aware that there had been a book about Tom Sawyer in his later years," West admits. "So

I didn't get to read it. I had read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer growing up. I'm

from Baton Rouge. It's not Missouri, but it's close enough to know this boy's attitude and what he's going through. "I was actually testing for Terminator 3 at the time," he says of landing the League part. "It was down to Nick Stahl, Jake

Gyllenhaal and me. I really wanted to get that. I'm a big fan [of the Terminator series].

This role came as a backup. I wasn't paying

attention to it. Then Terminator 3 fell apart,

so I started to read this. I had to audition a lot, trying to prove myself in a different genre. I met Steve Norrington a couple of

times, and I busted my butt to do it. But I

didn't think I was going to get it. I had long hair at the last audition—I have a wig on now—and I went home, shaved my head and \5 82 STARLOG/A;/g»,vr 2003 www.starlog.com —

Extraordinary Gentlemen is by far the most interesting one. It's much more unique, and most [of the other films] are sequels."

Roughing It In League, Sawyer is a superhero of sorts. "I guess he's supposed to be the ail-American hero," West suggests. "I got to fire two six- shooters and a rifle and shoot all these blanks, kicking people and punching people, knocking people and flinging them over the side. Seeing the playback and actually believing myself doing that has been the most enjoyable thing. I hadn't done that before. I didn't know if I was going to look like an idiot or not. But it looks OK." West has a one-word reply for his biggest League challenge: "Stamina. The physicality of the whole thing. Right now, it's just driving a car back and forth, getting pulled along. It's holding my hand in a certain position and going through all these bumps. Then

I go home, and suddenly I'm completely weak and tight." As for the acting, "I just feed off the other characters. I study The film adaptation definitely differs from its source each scene before I do it, and I study their lines as well. And I material. Tom wasn't even in the comic, and Quatermain, not observe the characters and see how they react to situations. Once Mina (Peta Wilson), is the League leader. again, Tom's the brash young American. He throws in this sense of humor sometimes." League has some of the flavor of the old British TV series The Avengers. "There's a ton of inside jokes in this film," he says. "There's actually a moment in the script where I say, 'I'm here to stop the bad guy just like you guys are. One of my friends died try- ing to find this guy.' It's hinted that it's supposed to be Huckleberry Finn. Originally, Tom said Huck. Now it's taken out. It will be fun, though. You can decide on your own." Since he's a cast member without a solid template for his char- acter, West is looking to other touchstones. "One of my favorite actors is Montgomery Clift," he says. "I'm reading about him. And I'm trying to capture Steve McQueen's air of coolness under pres-

sure. Those are the kinds of things I'm attempting to bring to it. I've

Playing "the ail-American hero," West was one of the few Americans on the foreign-filled cast and crew.

done some leads before, but never in an action film. And I've always

loved that stuff. This is the first more 'adult' film I've been able to

do. It's a long process. It's a big 'hurry up and wait.' But it's great." With only a handful of roles to his credit, the star of the hit A Walk to Remember is looking forward to a long career in an uncertain field. "My Dad was always saying, 'The acting business is

crazy. Why don't you just keep doing it until you get a toy made of

yourself and then quit?' I called him the other day and said, T guess " I'm getting a toy made of myself. So I might quit soon!' For his first toy, West was subjected to a biometric cyberscan, all the better to create the perfect action figure. "I spent a good two hours standing on a platform going angle to angle, circling, doing a bunch of expressions," he recalls. "That's when you suddenly get paranoid and you're like, 'Wait a minute. If this is going to be a toy,

how do I want to look? Do I want to smile?' I was like, 'No, I'm not

going to smile. Can I smirk?' They said, 'Yeah, OK, good.' I tried different expressions hoping that they wouldn't pick that one silly face and immortalize me as a goofball." In League, West plays a junior hero to Connery's formidable explorer of lost lands, Allan Quatermain. They are the most normal members of the Victorian-era monster mash that includes Mr. Hyde, Dorian Gray and an Invisible Man. "Sean's a legend," West remarks. "He has been around forever. He has done amazing roles. I didn't know I was going to be nervous the first time I met him. I actually wasn't until I shook his hand. I got a little shaky then because we went straight to doing rehearsals." West soon grew used to Connery's august presence. "He's incredibly down-to-Earth," West says. "He's very blunt, if you like. If you like football, if you like golf, you can talk to him for years. And if you know anything about Scotland, you're in. But I look at him more as a mentor. I watch him. I see what he does and I try to But it blew my mind the first time I walked on it. learn from what he has to say." "I would definitely be interested [in a follow-up]. I would have a Now deep into the fourth month of filming, the cast and crew of much bigger part in the sequel, which I can't give away. But my League expected to be wrapped by this time, but a flood of historic character is much more significant by this movie's end. Just on the proportions knocked the production into extended overtime. Fatigue basis of the first film's end, you can tell what will happen in the sec- is setting in. "Prague's a beautiful city," West allows. "We've been ond. At the first graphic novel's end, [Mycroft Holmes] comes in and here since June [2002]. What is it? October now? And I think we'll says, 'You know, we need to keep you around.' And they have a lit- be here 'til December. It has been a long time. The first three months tle Martian attack. We don't have that, necessarily." were great. But now it's just trying to get through it. It's more about Probed further for hints about the tentative sequel, West frowns. the work, rather than the fun and the play. How can we get the work "If this is a franchise—how can I say this without giving everything done? We could finish it if it ever stopped raining here. Hopefully, away?—I think there might be different characters created," West there won't be another flood." offers. "We could try the whole Martian War of the Worlds thing in the sequel. I know they've mentioned that as a possibility. And we

The Gilded Age may shoot in Australia next time. But that's about all I know." Because the source material is unabashedly British, and the cast Asked how much he knew about the Moore comic before com- culled from different quadrants of the former empire (and British, ing aboard League, West confesses: "Well, at first, I hadn't heard of

Scottish and Irish writers H. Rider Haggard, H.G. Wells, Robert the comic. But I went out and bought it. I loved it. It's a shame we

Louis Stevenson, Bram Stoker and Oscar Wilde as well as French couldn't shoot the comic book as written. But if we did, I don't author Jules Verne), West quickly discovered that he stood out. "I'm think we would make any money at all. But it would be a cool the only American involved in this," he says. "I'm one of only four movie." Americans on the set, which is a pretty big crew. They're a very cool The debris technicians are stirring on the balconies and the group of people. Steve's great. I've gotten along really well with Nemomobile is being revved up once again. It's time for another Jason Flemyng and Tony Curran. Jason's playing Dr. Jekyll and Mr. bone-jarring rumble over the cobblestones. "I've always considered Hyde and Tony's the Invisible Man." myself more of a character actor," West reflects. "But sometimes, Norrington is at the helm for League. "He's pretty brilliant," West physically, you might not be automatically considered as that. So, extols. "He knows exactly what he wants to see and how he envi- for me, getting this was a great advantage. For my next project, I sions it. When we started off doing this big battle scene in Dorian want to do another action film. Then I want to do some more char- = Gray's library, Steve was doing the punches and kicks. If a light had acter pieces. It's great to get involved in a whole new genre like this. £ to shake, he was right there next to me shaking it." I don't want to throw it away. This has been fun. So I'm going to .1 Sequel buzz is already hovering around the project. "Actually, continue to do these roles on and off, and do some good independent 1 of have most us signed a sequel deal—just in case," West discloses. movies in between." g "Of course, we have to see how the movie is received. We don't Then, Shane West marches off to send the dreaded Nemomobile 2 know how this is going to perform. We do know that they're spend- careening through the streets of Venice once more, intent on keeping *

a lot it's ing of money on this film. We do know that going to look the Victorian Age safe from human monsters with the aid of his s amazing, including this set, which I'm completely used to by now. league of true monster friends. a .

ess

THE INCREDIBLE HULK "RAGE" LITHOGRAPH Featuring all-new and all-original art created exclusively for Dynamic PREMIERE PHOENIX PAINTED LITHOGRAPH Forces by Randy Queen! Measuring 18" by 24" and printed on archival By and award winning artist Joseph Michael Linsner! Measuring 80lbs. Gallerie Silk Stock, this masterpiece by Queen will be a treasured 18" by 24" and printed on archival 100 lbs. Gallerie Silk Stock this addition to your collection! masterpiece by Linsner will be a treasured addition to your collection! Unsigned: S19.99 MSRP C97440SG Unsigned:$19.99 MSRP C97033SG igned by Randy Queen: $39.99 MSRP C97441SG Signed by Joseph Michael Linsner: $39.99 MSRP C97034SG ' I *

Send cash, check or money order to:

STARL0G GROUP Method of payment: 475 PARK AVENUE SOUTH Cash Check Money Order SPIDER-MAN NEW YORK, NY 10016 Discover Master Card Visa "HEAD BEHIND THE You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] SHADOWS" LITHOGRAPH By painter extraordinaire Alex Ross! Account Number Artist Alex Ross was commissioned last year to produce the cover for the 2001 Card Expiration Date / (mo/vr) WizardWorld Chicago Convention

Program Book. Dynamic Forces has Name As It Appears On Card taken this incredible piece of Ross art

and turned it into a high-quality litho- graph! The Amazing Lithograph measures

18" x 24" and is printed on 80 lbs. City State Zip Gallerie Art Silk Stock.

Unsigned: Signature $24.99 MSRP C95882SG

Description Qty. Price Signed by Alex Ross: $49.99 MSRP C95883SG Description Qty. Price

Description Qty. Price [j

Total Enclosed S

If You Do Not Want To Cut Out Coupon, We Will Accept Written Orders. Please print neatly.

Shipping Continental US: (excluding PO Boxes} 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, FPO: Normal- $10

,u Europe, Australia: Normal- $25, South America, Pacific Rim, Mexico: Marvel, Phoenix, ~he Incredible Hulk, Spider-Mai: and © 2003 Marvel Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Canada: Normal- $10, ™ 03/03 WWW.MARVEI_.COM Dynamic Forces loyo is and ® 2003 Dynamic Forces, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Normal-S28. Not responsible for mistakes or typos. '

It took time, but films like Daredevil are bringing Lee's heroes to cinematic life—and they're "being done right," he notes. Excelsior, true

believers! Stan Lee

reviews the latest Marvel movies &

unveils his newest animated effort,

Stripperelk

By PATJANKIEWICZ

the co-creator of Spider-Man, the AsHulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Daredevil and countless other heroes and villains, Stan Lee is the primary architect of and one of the world's greatest comic book writers. Now, as his col- orful kids make their big-screen debuts, he's serving as executive producer on many of their celluloid adventures.

In a cardigan sweater and sneakers, Lee is a wiry force of nature, moving nimbly around his office, his desk covered with papers for various upcoming movies and TV projects. It's hard to believe Stan "The Man" Lee is in his 80s! With a window overlooking a cityscape so perfect you half expect to see the or the

miiuorr

Stan "The Man" Lee is eager to see the latest Marvel movies made from all those characters he co-created.

86 STARLOG/4«t'i/.v; 200 Forty years ago, Lee observes, The Hulk couldn't have been made. "But computer technology has changed all that." allow any riff-raff! Stripperella works for a secret organization. Her boss. Chief

Stroganoff, is pretty funny. He wants to test a bulletproof vest, so he asks Stripperella to

shoot him in the chest, but he isn 't wearing the vest [when she fires] because he doesn't want to damage his shirt! "The show is far-out, ironic, sarcastic and glamorous. Stripperella is gorgeous, as is Pam Anderson. Pam is a great lady who's doing a terrific job with the role. Stripperella looks like Pam, and there are many scenes of Stripperella dancing on the familiar vertical

pole. Personally, I hate it when we leave the club as she goes on her adventures," he chuckles. "I would be happy if the whole show were in the club, but we had to satisfy the adventure lovers amongst us!" So will Stripperella be a naughty show? "Has my name ever been associated with naughtiness? No," laughs Lee. "The villains aren't your usual villains, and the adventures aren't your usual adventures. We have two brilliant writers, Kevin Kopelow and Heith Seifert [with episodes directed by animated Batman veteran Kevin Altierij. They've come up with amusing situations and foes. "I'll give you an example of one of the villains. He's named Cheapo, and he only steals cheap things. His biggest coup is rob- bing a 99-cent store! Cheapo parks his car four blocks from the robbery site, and when he and his henchmen run from the store, they have to run those four blocks because that was the only place where the parking meter

still had time left on it!" "They did a great job Mighty fly by, Lee's sanctum sancto- Other baddies include that nastiest of with those movies," rum looks like a Marvel comic come to life. fashion designers, Pushy Galore, and Dr. recent Lee says of the A full-size, fiberglass Spider-Man protects Cesarean (a plastic surgeon voiced by Mark X2 as well as last one corner; a Bengal tiger statue sits on his Hamill). Kid Rock, Greg Proops and Jon year's Spider-Man. desk, next to pictures of his wife and daugh- Cryer provide voices, too.

ter; and then there are the framed paintings Viewers will also be able to hear Lee on of the Hulk and Dr. Strange. Lee's philoso- Stripperella. He's the out-of-touch genius

phy is neatly encapsulated on a plaque post- Jerry. "I play a scientist who's sort of an ed on his wall: "It CAN be done!" anachronism, because I invent things like a 15-pound portable telephone. I'm so excited Naked is the Night that this phone doesn't need a wire, but I'm As billboards for The Hulk dot the streets oblivious to the fact that progress has passed surrounding his Santa Monica office build- me by. It's a funny bit, and of course I do it

ing, Lee is lavishing attention on his latest magnificently. He doesn't look like me, but creation, Stripperella, an animated series he's pretty damn funny-looking! He's even about, of all things, a stripper-turned-super- funnier-looking than me! heroine. The show bows June 26 on the "I enjoy doing voices," Lee shrugs with a Spike Network (formerly TNN), with self-deprecating smile. "I'm also going to be Pamela Anderson providing the heroine's heard on the MTV Spider-Man [cartoon as a voice. villain]. Of course, I was a narrator on the

"What can I say? There are no adjectives Spider-Man, Hulk and Fantastic Four car- glowing enough to describe this fantastic toons. To do a great voiceover, I would show with which we are about to gift the say—with my usual modesty—you must be male population of the world—and I suspect incredibly talented, very articulate and a fan- a good deal of the female population as tastic actor." well," Lee grins, tongue firmly in cheek, hyperbole ever at the ready. When Titans Cameo "Stripperella is like an exotic Simpsons'' Cementing his pop-culture status, Lee he declares. "She's an erotic dancer in a gen- recently played himself on The Simpsons, club night and a superheroine showing up at the Android's Dungeon to : tlemen's by — even later at night! Actually, Stripperella is a insult the proprietor, Comic Book Guy, and very virtuous girl who, luckily for the audi- haunt his customers. "I felt The Simpsons ence, doesn't wear too many clothes!" needed a lift," Lee jokes. "Actually, when I Her main base of operations "is a gentle- received the offer to be on The Simpsons, I en's club called the Tender Loins. It had to had to give it a lot of thought—like a second a gentlemen's club, because I wouldn't and a half! I immediately said, 'When do I

STARLOG/4i/gi«t 2003 87 fact that they put him together out of dead people. start?' I gotta tell "Frankenstein's Monster was just you, it was really innocently shambling fun. They're a great group, x\ along, and those idiots incredibly talented and more ,1 with torches chased than deserve all their success. I | him up and down the had a good time. I thought the mountains. They would scene where I smash the Thing not leave the poor guy into the kid's toy Batmobile was alone! I felt sorry for pretty funny." him, and I thought, 'Why

Being drawn by Simpsons can't I create a monster

creator Matt Groening "was an who is really a nice guy, but honor, because Matt's an amaz- nobody knows it?' However, I ingly talented guy and I'm a big felt that it would get dull to just fan of his. But he really slipped y have a monster running around in story

up, because I just didn't look ( I after story, so I thought, Til give him a enough like Brad Pitt!" double identity!' That's what really He's also pleased that the makes these superheroes popular: their Incredible is Hulk bursting onto secret identity! That would also make it the big screen. "I haven't seen The possible to have a love interest and other

Hulk yet, but I've read the screenplay stuff. I remembered Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The web-slinger swings again in an and it was wonderful, so I fully MTV animated series and The Amazing too, and said, 'I'll do it like that!' This guy expect the movie to be great. Spider-Man sequel. turns into a monster, and then he turns back Ang Lee—no relation—is a into the good guy! Lo, a legend was born." great director." Lee tapped into the Zeitgeist when he Lee thought that Holly- decided that anger would trigger Bruce wood could never truly Banner's transformation into the green behe- bring the Hulk to life. "We moth. "I'm very good about tapping into had the Hulk TV show," he says. "It wasn't universal themes because I'm at one with the our Hulk, but it was a good Hulk. In all hon- universe," Lee facetiously observes. "In the esty, I never thought they would be able to beginning, Banner changed into the Hulk at do the Hulk the way he is in the comics, but nightfall, like a werewolf. I don't know why computer technology has changed all that. I switched it to anger. I had to have some "I never believed 40 years ago that they reason why he turned into a monster, and I would be able to do movies the way they're had already used cosmic rays on the

doing them today—that you could make a Fantastic Four and I was going to have Peter major motion picture with the Hulk totally Parker get bitten by a radioactive spider, so created in a computer, and he would look the Banner was subjected to Gamma Rays. But way he does. I never dreamed that they could what would make him turn from one thing realistically depict Spider-Man fighting the into another? The easy thing was to have Move over, , Lee is the or the X-Men in action." him get angry. He gets mad, the adrenaline new king of cameos! He's in Spider-Man, As viewers of Spider-Man, Daredevil pumps and he becomes the Hulk. It seemed X-Men, Daredevil and The Hulk (as a and X-Men know, spotting Lee's cinematic obvious to me." security guard). cameos is an engaging pastime. "My cameo Playing film critic, Lee rates Marvel's in The Hulk is fantastic, because I finally the sequel to X-Men. I have a feeling that recent motion pictures. "I loved Spider-Man, have a few words to say on screen," he they're going to have me do the first one of Daredevil and X2. They did a great job with smiles. "The beautiful thing is that I did my each. Spider-Man 2 is shooting now, but I those movies," he extols. "Guys like Bryan cameo with Lou Ferrigno, who, as you haven't heard anything, so they're probably Singer and Sam Raimi have brought these know, was the Hulk in the live-action TV not having me do anything in it. I hope they series. Lou and I play security guards. If you call! They may be afraid. If they have me in Lee poses with his favorite wall-crawler, Spider-Man. want to die laughing, watch for that scene of a cameo during a dramatic moment—and in Remember: With great power Lou and me together. Lou is about 100 feet these movies, all the moments are dramat- comes great responsibility. tall, weighs 1,000 pounds and is the ic—when the audience sees me, there will be strongest, greatest-looking guy you'll ever such cheering, applause and commotion, it see, and there I am next to him! I weigh could [lessen] the movie's dramatic impact," about 12 pounds, with these skinny little he jokes. "Such is the impact that I have on pipe-stem arms—and we're the security the public. They're smart not to over-use guards who are supposed to protect that me!" area! "We walk out of the place, and it's prob- This Green Behemoth ably one of the high points of the motion Creating the Hulk with artist Jack Kirby picture," Lee continues. "I'm surprised that in 1962 "was very simple. I was looking to they didn't highlight that on one of those do something different—I'm always looking Hulk billboards around town, but you know, to do something different. I remembered people get careless. They didn't actually let Frankenstein with Boris Karloff, which I me battle the Hulk, so I was a little love. I thought to myself, 'Why not make a annoyed." hero who is a monster?' Because in Asked if he likes making these Alfred Frankenstein, I always thought the Monster Hitchcock-like appearances in his charac- was actually the good guy, the film's real ters' movies, Lee remarks: "Yeah, but unfor- hero. I cheered for him because he didn't tunately I'm not in all of them. I didn't do wanna hurt anybody. He couldn't help the

88 STARLOG/4 Wl?i«r 2003 www.starlog.com —

" characters to magnificent life. Bryan is a say, 'Each one as they come out,' Lee good friend. When I first met Bryan during replies. "Right now, I'm most looking for- the shooting of X-Men, we were talking, and ward to seeing The Hulk, and as soon as I

I was thinking what a talented guy he is. know that Fantastic Four is coming out,

Then, Bryan says, 'Stan, I have something I that'll be the next one! And when wanna show you.' And he whips out this gets going, it'll be Iron Man. It's exciting to photo of him and me! He tells me, 'We took wait for them!" this when I was in college.' I was so impressed that he kept it. That's incredible! 0, Tangled Web "It feels wonderful to see all the charac- Lee still writes the syndicated Spider- ters being done right," Lee muses. "It's Man newspaper strip. "The biggest chal- unbelievable, really, to sit there in the theater lenge is finding the time to do it. I've been looking at them. A million years ago, I was doing the strip since 1977. 1 don't have much writing these little scripts. I wrote them hop- free time, but how can I stop? I'm looking ing somebody would buy the magazines and for a world record! It's no problem thinking I would keep my job and not be fired! So to up a jam to put Spidey in, but it's hard find- see Spider-Man as a major motion picture ing the time. A newspaper strip has to be and a damn good one—is very gratifying. done more carefully than a comic book, "Many of the films use actual dialogue because you have so little room, just two or from comics. The thing that amazes me three panels a day. Every word must be well- my Simpsons." Pamela Anderson voices chosen." the most is how that line 'With great power the toon's sexy superheroine. comes great responsibility' has become a The strip received its biggest push in the catch phrase. One of these days, it's gonna late '80s when President Ronald Reagan best friend. That's the most important thing. be in Bartlett's Quotations*. I tossed every- revealed himself to be an unlikely fan. "I The other stuff fades away, but your best thing off at the last minute. I never thought was delighted!" Lee exclaims. "As far as friend will be with you your whole life." anything would catch on. Spider-Man was readers go, you can't top President Reagan! His experiences were celebrated, with a on the cover of Time magazine. That was After he said that, my brother Larry [Lieber, touch of his trademark ballyhoo, in the

OK, but it would have been even better if I then the strip's artist] sent him a copy of the recent book Excelsior! The Amazing Life of was with him," Lee laughs. "It's wonderful, strip, and Reagan sent Larry a photo and a Stan Lee. "You know what was tough about but I don't look at it like that. To be honest, nice thank-you note. You would think Larry that? I wanted to write the whole thing when I look at Spidey on Time, I don't say, would have gotten me one!" myself, but I didn't have the time," he con- 'Oh boy, there's my brainchild.' I just think As proud as Lee is of his superheroes, fesses. "I said, 'Let somebody else write it it's a good cover. Even when I go to these he's even prouder of his marriage. "Joan and and make it a .' But the publisher movies, I'm not thinking, T made that up.' I I will have been married 56 years this said, 'No, we want it in your style. We want just enjoy them like everybody else." December," he beams. "I'm very lucky that I it to be an autobiography.' So we compro- What's the Marvel movie that he would have such a great wife. She's fantastic and I mised. They had a very talented writer, most like to see? "Honestly, I would have to love being with her. Your wife has to be your George Mair, and he wrote it, and then I

went through it, left in parts of what he did and rewrote the rest. George and I decided to

call it a 'bio-autography.' He wrote it, and I

rewrote much of it, so I can't claim that it's a total autobiography. I invented the world's only bio-autography!" Currently, Lee keeps busy working as a producer partnered in POW! Entertainment with Arthur Lieberman and fellow Stripperella executive producer Gill Champion. They're developing such projects as Nightbird, The Fantastic Persy Gentle, Diabella, Paragon and The Double Man. "We have so many projects, we can't keep track of them all," Lee admits. "There are movies, TV series, animation. One that I

really like is Heroes at Large. It's about a couple of blue-collar guys who get super- powers. They're comics fans, so they figure, 'This is gonna be great! We have superpow- ers, so we'll be rich and famous!' But it doesn't quite work that way." As for the future, "I'm concentrating on all these movies and TV shows that we're working on," Stan Lee says. "We also have a reality show coming to the WB, Create a Superhero With Stan Lee [a.k.a. Who Wants to Be a Superhero?}. People submit ideas for superheroes, their powers and costumes. We'll pick the winners and try to develop an animated series based on the winning one, giving the winner a chance to be a writer- producer on the project. It's gonna be good.

And I will be on the show!" Excelsior! #

STARLOG/Awgiw/ 2003 89 served as the first (1985-87) of my ever-increasing nation of relentless STARLOG Managing Editors (collect them all!). Son Uj£!jj JJUj l you know, to me, Mostow and Lieberman seem sort of like family, once removed. Relatively speaking, we don't want we really need another Terminator? That's the question their movie to suck. Dobeing asked in the skyways and byways of the science On the other hand, James Cameron (co-writer and director of fiction universe—in the nooks, the crannies, the fields, the first films) and just about everyone else—save Arnold the dales, the cul-de-sacs. And the answer? Schwarzenegger and FX wiz Stan Winston—are missing in Probably not. action on T3. Uh-oh! But, of course, it's not our decision. We're getting one any- Early T3 press event tie-ins were sorta silly (the Super how, stuffed to the brim with a Terminator-nation of relentless Bowl?), and the first trailer wasn't promising. Ulp! But the later cyborgs, all with one mission in mind: To drive us willy-nilly T3 international trailer sizzled with excitement, and the latest TV into cineplexes worldwide and take ads are heart-pounding. Yahoo!

our money lickety-split. OK, two So, hey, maybe it will be good. missions! To sell us tons of hot I'm optimistic, as always. Mostow buttered popcorn, cheese nachos r quick! h explains its making to STAR- and candy bars! Well, all right, ^ I NEED LOG's Bill Florence this issue. three missions. To kill John (and/or -C TWEEZERS ANP Turn to page 38 for everything ^ylK BANPA&E .' Sarah) Connor and get it right for you need to know (or at least all Pete's sake this go-round, 'cause he'll tell you now) about T3. this time-travel stuff is getting As for Mostow's assertion that

darned expensive. the Terminator is "the most The next Terminator is going to famous character in the history of here be soon! Tomorrow, July 3, cinema"—well, sorry, there I beg one day after this STARLOG goes to differ. What about Mickey on sale. ..which might even be Mouse? Not to mention the Little today for many of you, or yester- Tramp (the first film character day, if you haven't read the issue famous worldwide, played by yet (What have you been doing? ), Bugs Bunny, We work our fingers to the bone Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan, Indiana over hot computer screens getting this whole thing ready—well, Jones, James Bond, Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, the Godfather, just wait till you have magazines of your own, buster!). Scarlett O'Hara & Rhett Butler, Laurel & Hardy, Daffy (& For me, it's all still a couple of weeks in the future. And I Donald) Duck, Rick & Ilsa, Bonnie & Clyde, Dorothy & Toto, hope, the eternal Pollyanna of film prognosticators, that it's , Dirty Harry, the Alien and Popeye. going to be good ("I always think there's a band, kid"). Why? And let's not forget E.T., George Bailey, Superman, Batman, Because I liked the first two, and sent writer Thomas McKelvey King Kong, Godzilla, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, Wyatt Cleaver to the Terminator set in 1984, Marc Shapiro on location Earp, Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, Lassie, Charlie Chan, with Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991 (we even did a Zorro, Robin Hood, Elmer Fudd, Jesse James, Mad Max, Goofy, licensed T2 magazine) and Bill Warren to the T3: Rise of the Freddy, Jason, the Marx Brothers, the Little Rascals, the Bowery Machines shoot last year. Boys, Inspector Clouseau, Norma Desmond, Hannibal Lecter, But that's not all! I hope T3 will be good because it's directed Forrest Gump, Norman Bates and Snow White and the Seven

by Jonathan Mostow, who won the Short Film Search co-spon- Dwarves. With that kind of talent pool (and all the others I didn't sored by our late, lamented sister magazine CINEMAGIC back bother to list), can anyone really believe the Terminator would in 1983 (and hey, I was one of the contest's judges a year or two even make the Top 20 Most Famous Cinema Characters? Unless, later). Hal Lieberman, Mostow's production partner, is a T3 pro- well, he terminated everybody in front of him first? mm UUtW,ducer, and,ailU, 111in thetilt '90s,7US, whileW1111C a UniversalUlllVClSdl StudiosOLUUlUb executive,CACL.U11VC, he11C 111I1C toLO I 11 WULLUOutta SpaCC.space. Time gO.go. I'll beUC backDaCK. m d) I was mentor to my pal Carr D'Angelo. Carr, of course, previously —DavidDavid McDonnell/Editor (June 2003) I I

For as little as S60, Earth's largest SF audience. DEADLINE: For #31 6, in our offices by 8/4. For #31 7, in by 9/2. Absolutely no ads accepted afterthe deadline. BASIC RATE: $20 per line. Minimum: 3 lines, 48 characters per line (including punctuation, symbols & spaces). Small dis- play ads: $150 per column inch. (Camera-ready only!)

HEADLINE: On the first line only, words of your choice (underline them) will be printed in BOLD CAPS.

CATEGORY: Please indicate. STARLOG reserves the right lo list ads under a label it chooses due to space limitations.

PAYMENT: Cash, check or money order must accompany ad. Checks payable to Starlog Communications Int. MAIL TO: STARLOG Classified, 475 Park Avenue South, 7th Fir, New York, NY 10016 READERS: Beware! STARLOG is not liable or responsible for any product or service printed herein. When ordering from anyone, print your name & full address carefully. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES VIDEO/AUDIO Missing copies? Moving? Renewals? THE SHADOWMASTER SERIES of romantic, inter- Receiving duplicates? stellar adventures; something different, from YOUR TICKET TO Subscription questions? www.ninjabearpress.com

Write to: STARLOG WOODBYRNE: THE FALLEN FOREST: Classic Subscriber Services, P.O. Box 430 fantasy adventure takes you away from it all. Read Earn Tickets for Free Videos Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430 sample text and order from www.woodbyrne.net today! Free Video Search Inquiries to editorial offices only delay matters. Pre-Viewed Videos As Low As $10.00! NEW SUBSCRIBERS: POSTERS See subscription ad in this issue. SCI-FI, HORROR & MORE! Do NOT send money to above address. 800 DIFFERENT POSTERS: Moviepostershop.com For an updated catalog 1-403-250-7588 Attach Mailing Label Here Please send $ 4.95 to: NAME Paul's Hobby Zone, ADDRESS P.O. Box 650113, Dept.FG, _ West Newton, MA 02465.

CITY . STATE. ZIP_ 'Mm mmmm SfcCronenberg goes insane

If NOW / / / j-

iip favorit

zines onl

IIS!

1 iiiirrmtr iiiiii iinii !li!!!iif ..WW II ., < pBw»BBw«W>BhWW*W^ ' ' *^ *^||