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REVOLUTIO,UP On location with EE a LOONEY TUNES DOCTOR M CAT IN THE HAT A. m% TIMELINE # ^ HAUNTED TAKEN HULK MBm MANSION Fntpr if \/oii finro^ y sweetheart Kristin Kreuk us)TRU CALLING • • JAKE 2.0 vw.starlog.com

NUMBER 317 • DECEMBER 2003 • THE SCIENCE

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VACATION TERRORS Visiting Medieval France is no holiday for the Timeline team WIN A BET, ON A SET He does movie tricks at that, as they film The Cat in the Hat BUGS, ROBBY & JOE DANTE Toon royalty entertains SF's greatest with Looney Tunes: Back in Action START THE REVOLUTIONS Producer previews the future of LIFE & DEATH IN ROBOTA Doug Chiang & envision a new universe ANIMATIONS OF moves to with Clone Wars GRIM GRINNING GHOSTS Abandon all hope, ye who enter The Haunted Mansion HOBBIT AT SEA This year, Billy Boyd takes part(s) in two epic adventures BRIGHT APE, BIG CITY Tarzan swings into New York's perilou jungle LANA LANG'S LOST LOVE It sizzles for Smallville's sweetheart Kristin Kreu TRU DESTINY The heroine relives yesterday to save tomorrow HEROIC UPGRADE Chris Gorham becomes an SF star as v. spy Jake 2.0 SPEAKS This starship captain hasn't given up his Enterprise DOUBLE DELIGHTS The Klimaszewski Sisters stand reve Trek HIS CYLON CHILDHOOD Noah Hathaway grew up on board Ba

STARLOC: The Universe is published monthly by STARLOG GROUP, INC., 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. STARLOC and The science Fiction Universe are registered trademarks of STARLOC CROUP, INC. (ISSN 0191-4626) (Canadian GST number: R-124704826) This is issue Number 317, December 2003. Content is © Copyright 2003 by starlog group, inc. All rights reserved. Reprint or reproduction in part or in whole—including the reprinting or posting of articles and graphics on any internet or computer site—without the publishers' written permission is strictly forbidden. STARLOG accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials, but if submittals are accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped enve- lope, they'll be considered and, if necessary, returned. Please do not call the editorial office re: this material. Freelancer phone calls will not be accepted. STARLOC does not publish fiction. Fiction submissions are not accepted and will be discarded with- out reply. Products advertised are not necessarily endorsed by STARLOC, and views expressed in editorial copy are not neces- sarily those of starlog. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: $56.97 one year (12 issues) delivered in U.S. only. Canadian and foreign subscriptions $66.97 in U.S. funds only. New subscriptions send directly to STARLOC, 475 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016. Notification of change of address or renewals send to STAR- LOG Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 430, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430. POSTMASTER: send change of address to STARLOG Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 430, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430. Printed in U.S.A.

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WIN FREE DVDS! a "perfect storm" kind of season as far as are concerned, with an unprece- It's DVDs loams dented number of "got-to-have" entries released recently (as Videolog has reported). And here STARLOG had the chance to give away copies of several, but did we really want to run five separate contests in one issue and demand five individual postcards from QUOTE OF THE MONTH anyone desiring to enter them all? Well, no. "I'm sorry but all questions must be sub- So, welcome to the Five-in-One Contest! One postcard! Five ways to win! And the mitted in writing." prizes—wow! By the way, we have five of each prize to give away. In chronological pro- —Willy Wonka duction order, they are: 1 Doctor Who 40th Anniversary Prize Pack! This collection of neat stuff, courtesy STUPID STARLOG • of BBC Video, includes Talons of Weng-Chiang and Dalek Invasion of Earth DECISION OF THE MONTH DVDs, the End of the Universe Collection, Doctor Who: The Legend (a 40th Anniversary

Writers. Why did it have to be writers? book being published this month), tie-in novels (various), Doctor Who at the BBC CD, a 40th Anniversary CD from BBC Music, a Tom Baker framed photo & either a Talking

STUPID MOVIE DECISION Dalek or Talking Cyberman. It's almost enough to fill a small TARDIS ! Value: Priceless OF THE MONTH That's what you call it when you can't add it all up. Those Warner Bros, execs who demanded 2Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Epic Series. A six-DVD boxed set from Uni- more cuts in Looney Tunes: Back in Action • versal Home Video including all 24 episodes (uncut!) of the beloved TV series, than necessary—just because they could. three hours of deleted/alternate footage and all-new interviews with Galactica creator What maroons Glen Larson & stars. Value: $119.98. 3 The Adventures of Indiana Jones: The Complete DVD Movie Collection. If • adventure has a name, it has to be this Paramount Home Video DVD set, which showcases all three Indy movie classics (Renders of the Lost Ark, Temple of Doom, Last This isn't really "stupid," but UPN's sud- Crusade)—nifty restored & remastered versions—as well as a treasure trove disc of doc- den decision to rename the series after two umentary extras. Value: No SRP, approx. $50-$69.99.

years and officially call it : Enter- 4 Taken: The Complete Mini-Series . This six-disc boxed set from DreamWorks prise was, well, bemusing. • Home Video features all 10 hours of the Emmy-winning, decade-spanning chroni- cle of human- close encounters, plus a whole disc filled with documentary material and bonus footage. Value: $89.95. 5 The Hulk Universal Special Edition DVD. It's also from Universal Home Video • and includes a new video game on the disc. For lots more Hulk info, check out Videolog on page 14. Value: $26.98.

Here are the rules: Print (legibly !) your name, address and phone number on a post- card. Please also list from 1-5 your prize preference (i.e. 1. Hulk, 2. Doctor Who). Every effort will be made to award each winner their first or second DVD choice. (We want you to love what you win!) Postcards only please. No envelopes. Absolutely only one entry per person. Multiple entries will be disqualified and the entrants turned over to the Cylon & Dalek Squad for disposal. Mail to STARLOG Five-in-One Contest, 475 Park Avenue South, 7th Fir., NY, Learn more I NY 10016. All entries must be received in the STARLOG offices by December 1, 12 about these p.m. EST. French pulp \ A drawing will be held December 2. Prizes will be sent out shortly thereafter. heroes and E \ { JH Employees (and their family members) of STARLOG, BBC Video, Universal-Vivendi, villains than I , , DreamWorks, Marvel Entertainment, any sister compa- they really I nies and their publicity firms are ineligible. No purchase necessary to enter. Void where want you to BHj prohibited by law. Decisions of the judges are final. Good luck! know in B Shadowmen. ilSHHBBaHHsfHHnHHB *5 Tilt: AUVCNIHHl X

1 I i m fiiIjrMfrMr i'W*' BY OUR CONTRIBUTORS J SB Mm mf t** \j STARLOG's Jean-Marc & Randy Loffici- er's Press is issuing transla- Black Coat v

tions of classic French genre works, but - \ they'll also be publishing all-new reference i books like their own Shadowmen (tpb, i \ $19.95). It's a fascinating, informative and \ detailed look at French pop culture heroes & villains of the fantastic—namely Captain Nemo, the Phantom of the Opera, the Count of Monte Cristo, Arsene Lupin, Robur the Conqueror, Fantomas, Cagliostro, etc. For | more info and ordering details, see the web- OK, we give up! We're not even going to try to picture them all (the Doctor Who § site (www.blackcoatpress.com). Prize Pack would take up the whole page). Here's some of what you could win.

3 Former contributor Debora Hill has writ- | ten A Ghost Among Us (Fine Mountain Press, < pb, $19.95), a romantic adventure fantasy FILM FANTASY CALENDAR (11/21), The Haunted Mansion (11/26), novel focusing on three women who deal lelease dates are extremely subject to Timeline (1 1/26). g with a ghost. A sequel, Jerome's Quest, will .change. Christmas: Big Fish (12/10), The Return of | follow next month. For further info, see the November: (11/5), the King (12/17), Peter Pan (12/25), Pay- •° websites (www.firemountainpress.com and Elf (11/7), Looney Tunes: Back in Action check (12/25). m www.lostmythsink.com). (1 1/13), Gothika (11/21), The Cat in the Hat January 2004: The Butterfly Effect (1/23).

6 SJARLOQ/December 2003 DVD SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentaries with Introduction by and Director Jonathan Mostow Arnold Schwarzenegger Revealing New Footage Dolby Digital 5.1 Soundtrack for Maximum Home On-Set Gag Reel Create Your Own Special Effects Theatre Impact Skynet Personnel/Weapons Database

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Read ",e Boo* Soundtrack Ai hmn on V3;e5e Sarabands CDs Play the Atari Videogame WARNTK HROS. I'lCrURFS - | INTERMEDIA IMF* C l^lggig] j A www:Terminator3.com America Online Keyword: Terminator 3 www.warnervideo.com BONUS MATERIAL NOT RATED R| RESTRICTED M HOLLYWOOD ® used under license. TM & © 2003 IMF 3. © 2003 IMF Internationale Medien und Film ttnq Wfl Vialence M Action, Languags anfl Bliat Nudity J GmbH & Co. 3 Produktions KG. Artwork and Design © 2003 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. SURVIVE?

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Game Experience May Change During Online Play. WWW.ENB.COM ' AOL keyword: earth&beyond SCI-FI PEOPLE Dominic Purcell isn't TV's John Doe any- a time-lost story in more ways than one as more. So, he's playing the bad guy in It's now Scribner unveils a long-forgotten, previously Blade: . unpublished novel by legendary SF writer STARLOG favorite John Cleese will be Robert A. Heinlein. (And if you don't know showing up shortly as a guest star for at least who he was, put this magazine down and go to six episodes of Will & Grace. your room!) For Us, the Living was apparently Heinlein's first novel, written between Decem- HW By DAVID MCDONNELL GENRE TV ber 1938 and April '39. It's the story of Naval Cable's Outdoor Life Network is airing a Airman Perry Nelson, who crashes his car in new series of some interest Saturday 1939, only to awaken (Holy Buck Rogers!) in nights. Mysterious Encounters focuses on the

2086. He encounters a new world and looks this Catwoman is not Selina Kyle but a new efforts of real-life crypto-zoologist Autumn back on the old while Heinlein proves typical- character (Patience Price), making the connec- Williams and her team to document, discover ly prescient, envisioning an united Europe tion to the movies and the comics and explain the unexplainable. They'll be try-

(with common currency), Adolf Hitler's sui- mythos ever more tenuous. ing to round up the usual suspects (i.e. critters cide and a terrorist attack on Manhattan by air Novelist-screenwriter Michael Chabon like Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, the Louisiana (helicopters in 2003), among other future "his- makes his comics writing debut with DCs Swamp Creature, the Abominable Snowman tory" lessons. Scribner will publish For Us, the JSA: All Stars #7 (on sale November 5). and the Florida Skunk Ape).

Living as a $25 hardcover in January. Chabon and artist Michael Lark weave a Jus- NBC is betting that Stephen Sommers' May tice Society tale of the Golden Age hero Mr. movie release Van Helsing will be a hit. THE REMAKE GAME Terrific in "The Strange Case of Mr. Terrific They're developing a TV series based on Lost in Space may yet get found as a TV and Doctor Nil." the horror-filled universe in which the film is series. The idea to redo it as a NBC movie a set (though it apparently won't use any of the couple of years ago fell through, but now ANIMATION SCENE movie's characters). Call the place Transylva- there's a new pilot in the works, being written That animated feature version of Dinotopia nia. Can you fear me now? by Buffy's Doug Petrie. Kevin Burns and Jon is now targeting a spring release, though it The short-lived UPN Twilight is get-

Jashni's Synthesis Entertainment is teaming doesn't have a distributor yet. It may get reti- ting a new lease on rerun life. There are only 22 with 20th Century Fox TV and Regency Enter- tled, to distance itself from the short-lived live- episodes, but New Line TV is hoping to sell it tainment (the Roswell folks) on this version. action TV series. Hanna-Barbera veteran Davis into syndication anyhow. Beginning in June,

John Woo's production is also Doi is directing. local stations can opt to run it in one-hour form involved, leading to the tantalizing (though That Batman Wired idea for a new animated (as UPN did) or split the show's two-story unlikely) possibility that he may direct the series has now been scrapped, but Cartoon Net- episodes into a pair of half-hours. pilot. work is planning a new Batman project. Doctor Who is ready for another revival. In Fox will broadcast a CG-animated Popeye FANTASY FILMS a bit of long-range planning, the BBC is TV special. It's part of an attempt to revive the Michael {Cliffhanger) France is scripting expecting to have the show back on the air in Sailor Man. Have they tried spinach? Titans for Daredevil producers Mark 2005. The BBC Wales division will be in Steven Johnson and Gary Foster and New Line charge of the project. CHARACTER CASTINGS Cinema. It's a tale of teen Zeus and contempo- The SCI FI Channel is ballyhooing its revi- Miranda Richardson and Ciaran {Tomb raries rebelling against their elder gods. Chaos sionist mini-series version of Battlestar Galac- Raider 2) Hinds have both joined the cast ensues. tica (airing next month) in a promotional of Phantom of the Opera. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate special, : The Lowdown. Monica Bellucci—most recently seen in Events begins filming this month. Meryl Streep It'll be broadcast November 26, 28 and 29. the Matrix sequels—will go evil for Terry co-stars as a wacky aunt. Jude Law will narrate What's that buzzing sound? It's another Gilliam's Brothers Grimm. the movie. remake there seems little need for: The Fly. The original 1958 classic spawned two sequels, a well-regarded remounting in 1986 and an additional follow-up. Now,

Todd Lincoln is working on his version, which he'll write and direct for Fox Searchlight. COMICS SCENE Here's great news. They've put a face behind the Dark Knight's cape and cowl. Christian {Reign of Fire) Bale will play the hero in the new movie exploring his early years (with Bale perhaps seen a bit more as Bruce Wayne as opposed to he's becoming).

Christopher {Memento) Nolan is directing from a script he co-wrote with David {Blade)

Goyer. Emma Thomas is producing. No offi- cial title yet for this Batman: Year One saga, though it may be called Batman: Intimidation Game. Shooting starts next year for a 2005 release.

It's beginning more and more to seem like Supergirl. Catwoman, starring Halle Berry, has booked a villainous (shades of

Faye Dunaway!). Benjamin Bratt is the hero.

Christopher Lambert is in it, too. By the way,

10 STAKLOG/December2003 —

President/Publisher NORMAN JACOBS

| I Executive Vice President P—l ^ RITA EISENSTEIN

Executive Art Director W.R. MOHALLEY

Editor DAVID MCDONNELL ANDROMEDA KING OF THE HILL Art Director ts fourth syndicated season is now airing ^•enewed for a ninth season (2004-5) by Fox, HEINER FEIL I -in letterbox format. IVairing Sundays. The eighth season pre-

Managing Editor mieres 1 1/2. ALLAN DART Wednesdays, p.m. the Contributing Editors Airs 9 on WB. Sarah MUTANT X ANTHONY TIMPONE Michelle Gellar is expected to guest star Airing in syndication the week of 10/20: MICHAEL GINCOLD TOM WEAVER this season as Buffy (probably in February). Yet "Where Evil Dwells." 10/27: "The Taking IAN SPELLING another Angel trading card series is on hand of Crows." JOE NAZZARO from Inkworks. This Fourth Season edition Consultant boasts a 90-piece base set plus 10 randomly KERRY O'QUINN inserted autographed cards (signed by Eliza Its 15th season bows 11/9 on Fox. The "Tree- Dushku, & others) and four Piece- I house of Horrors" annual Halloween show Financial Director: Deb Irwin Executive Assistants: Dee Erwine, works cards (featuring bits of costumes worn on precedes that, airing 1 1/2. Phillip Cenessie the show). Inkworks is also releasing Seventh Correspondents: (West Coast) Kyle Season (and probably last) cards: a 90- Counts, Pat Jankiewicz, Kim Ho- Buffy SMALLVILLE ward Johnson, Rhonda Krafchin, piece set with 14 randomly signed cards (auto- Airs Wednesdays on the WB. 10/29: Michael Bob Miller, Marc Shapiro, Bill War- graphed by Nathan Fillion, DB Woodside, Clare McKean (actor husband of the show's Ma ren, Dan Yakir; (NYC) Dan Dickholtz, Mike McAvennie, Maureen McTigue, Kramer & others), Pieceworks cards and more. Kent, Annette O'Toole) guest stars as crusty Keith Olexa; (Boston) Will Murray; journalist Perry White. By the way, Jimmy (Phoenix) Bill Florence; (Orlando) LIKE ME Olsen may show up before the season's end, too. Bill Wilson; (Canada) Peter Bloch- DEAD Hansen, Mark Phillips; (England) Renewed for a second, 15-episode season by First and second season episodes air as Small- Anne Cay, Stan Nicholls; (Booklog) Showtime. Production will begin in early ville Beginnings this fall (Sundays, 7 p.m.). Penny Kenny, Jean-Marc Lofficier, Michael Wolff; (Toons) Kevin Brock- Kristin Kreuk debriefs on page 68. schmidt, Alain "Big Bad Bubba" Chaperon, Mike Fisher, Tom Holt- kamp, Bob Muleady; (Photos) Donn THE DEAD ZONE SG-1 Nottage, Lisa Orris, Albert Ortega, Renewed for a third season by USA Network. Renewed for an eighth season on SCI FI Jo Beth Taylor. Special Thanks to: Lexie Aliotti, Those 13 episodes will shoot this fall to air (2004-5). It'll serve as a "launchpad" for the Scott Bakula, Liz Biber, Billy Boyd, next year. spin-off series Stargate: Atlantis (now in devel- Michael Broidy, Bob Burns, Gerard opment for SCI FI). Fandemonium, a new pub- Butler, John Munro Cameron, Orson Scott Card, Risa Chapnick, JAKE 2.0 lisher, has obtained rights to Stargate and plans Kristine Cheren, Doug Chiang, Jeff It lew series airing on UPN (Wednesdays, 9 a series of at least four original SG-1 novels Chiaravanont, Billy Connolly, Jan Craft, Joe Dante, Richard Donner, I H p.m.). Already in ratings trouble. Christo- beginning next year. Seventh season episodes Danielle Dorfman, Danny Duran, pher Gorham talks about his role on page 75. air Fridays on SCI FI. Jenna Elfman, Ethan Embry, Jon Harmon Feldman, Christopher Corham, Howard Green, Sarah JEREMIAH STARHUNTER Gumina, Noah Hathaway, Jonathan season episodes) now airing on season has begun airing in syndica- Hogan, Jeff Kaplan, Diane & Elaine Second (15 Second Klimaszewskl, Leah Krantzler, Showtime (Fridays, 10 p.m.). 10/10 (season tion. Upcoming episodes: "The Prisoner," Kristin Kreuk, , Bruce premiere) & 10/17: "Letters from the Other "The Third Thing," " Redux," Lanoil, Bill Malone, Kevin McCarthy, Alex McDowell, Bart Mixon, Steve Side" two-parter. 10/24: "Strange Attractors." "Hyperspace," "Pandora's Box," "Rivals." Moore, David Mortimer, Greg 10/31: (10 p.m.) "Deus Ex Machina" & (10:45) Nicotero, George Nolfl, Chris Reichert, Paul Rudish, Jay "Rites of Passage." See FANTASY WORLDS STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE Schwartz, Joel silver, Rossif Suther- #3, now on sale, for an interview with new cast Third season airs on UPN (Wednesdays, 8 land, Brenda Tucker, Mark Viniello, member Sean Astin, who plays Mr. Smith. p.m.). The show has been officially retitled Jeff Walker, Paul Walker, Diane walsh, Jennifer weingroff, Kurt Star Trek: Enterprise. Scott Bakula addresses Williams, Tom Woodruff. the adventure on page 80. Cover Images: Master & comman- der: ©2003 20th Century Fox; Small- ville: ©2003 The wb, Character: TARZAN Trademark & ©2003 DC comics, Inc; Reloaded & Revolutions: ©2003 New series airing on the WB, Sundays, 9 p.m. Warner Bros. & village Roadshow 's has been added to the Film Ltd.; Clone wars: Trademark & cast as Tarzan's aunt. Veteran writer-producer ©2003 Lucasfilm Ltd; Enterprise: James Sorenson/©2003 Paramount (the former actor) has joined the Pictures; Jake 2.0: ©2003 Para- series as an executive producer. Show creator mount Pictures/UPN. Eric Kripke discusses his take on the Edgar Rice For Advertising information: Burroughs-created mythos on page 64. (212) 689-2830. FAX (212) 889-7933 Advertising Director: TREMORS Rita Elsenstein SCI FI. Classified Ads: Phillip cenessie Cancelled by west Coast Ads: The Faust Co., 24050 Madison St. #101, Torrance, CA 90505 (310) 373-9604. FAX (310) 373-8760. TRU CALLING International Licensing Rep: New series premieres 10/30 on Fox, Thurs- Robert J. Abramson & Associates, stars. Creator inc., 720 Post Road, scarsdale, NY days, 8 p.m. Eliza Dushku Jon 10583. Harmon Feldman unveils the series on page 70.

Note: Airdates can shift without notice. Series are only listed for which STARLOG has new info. —

The Scoundrel Worlds by Chris Bunch Fudoki by Kij Johnson (Tor, he, 320 pp, $24.95) (Roc, pb, 352 pp, $6.99) A dying princess fills her notebooks with the tale of a cat Chas Goodnight, Jasmine King and the changed by Fate or the Gods into a woman. However, Fudoki rest of the freewheeling crew of Star Risk isn't just the story of the lost—in both body and spirit Limited are back. Their assignment this time Kagaya-hima; it's also the princess' tale—the account of her is to help referee a sporting event. All very life, loves and search for freedom within her claustrophobic mundane—except for the fact that the compet- existence. ing teams are from two different worlds. Not Johnson's prose is lyrical and haunting. The border only that, but the excitement over the game is between reality and possibility ceases to exist. Fudoki is easi- causing lethal riots to break out. All of which ly the equal of the author's magnificent The Fox Woman. Fans results in enough mayhem to warrant Star of Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke, 's Risk's involvement. Sandman: The Dream Hunters and Murasaki Shikibu's The Bunch's style in his light, adventurous SF Tale ofGenji will find much to delight them in this spellbind- is much more readable than his military fic- ing fantasy. mm' — tion. The only problem is that the previous 0; 'DS Penny Kenny novel pretty much did everything. This latest effort is fun, and the characters put a smile on Inheritance: Book One of Keys of Power by Simon Brown the reader's face, but to turn this into a series will require making (DAW, pb, 568 pp, $6.99) those characters more three-dimensional—and Bunch still has a little Lynan, youngest son of Queen ways to go with that task. Usharna of Grenda Lear, is a political —Michael Wolff liability: He's only half-royal. And while his father was a war hero, he was Space Inc. edited by Julie E. Czerneda (DAW, pb, 320 pp, still just a commoner. But when Ushar- $6.99) na dies, Lynan receives the Key of Space Inc. is a collection of 14 stories dealing with people Union, one of the four Keys of Power. working at various occupations in space. Rather than employing Suddenly, he's a Somebody—until he's the usual writers one would expect in such an anthology—such as framed for the assassination of the new Ben Bova and Jerry Pournelle—Czerneda turns the stage over to king and forced to flee. newer voices and tries for as wide a range of styles as possible. Lynan lacks charisma, as does the

As expected, the result is a mixed bag. Among the stories is a rest of the cast. Political maneuvering

wonderfully mad, tongue-in-cheek tale by James Gardener, a is only entertaining when the reader has Josepha Sherman piece dealing with alien discrimination against a vested interest in who gets the king- humans and an interesting item from S.M. & Janet Stirling about dom—and that doesn't apply here. professional chaperones escorting students around a space station. They're all annoying. Brown also tends In between are stories dealing with riggers, librarians, demolition to end a scene before allowing the tension to build, giving the book an experts and dance instructors. uneven, rushed feel. This Inheritance isn't worth receiving. Not an award-winning or groundbreaking anthology by any —Penny Kenny means, Space Inc. is interesting enough to warrant some explo- ration. Goddess of the Ice Realm by David Drake (Tor, he, 496 pp, —Michael Wolff $27.95) As in his previous Lord of the Isles books, Drake separates his The Gates of Heaven: Volume Three of heroes and puts them through literal Hell before Seven Brothers by Curt Benjamin reuniting them. In Goddess of the Ice Realm, Prince (DAW, he, 464 pp, $23.95) Garric, his sister Sharina and their friends Cashel With the help of mortal gods, wizards, and Una arrive in Carcosa, where Cashel is trans- princes and former slaves, Llesho has ported to a world dominated by the Visitor and Sha- reunited four of his brothers. However, rina lands in an alternate version of their universe. two brothers remain to be found before Meanwhile, Una leaves to deal with pirates, and he can liberate his kingdom and save his Garric, surprisingly, is woefully underused. demon-besieged goddess wife. To find Drake misses some real opportunities here to them, he must negotiate clan politics, add depth to Garric and Sharina, and the story's defeat a snake-woman and confront an energy flags about 400 pages in—at which point angry sea dragon. Just an ordinary day, the reader just wishes it would all end. However, really, for a prince who's more than he overall, Goddess of the Ice Realm is another enter- seems. taining entry in this series. The Gates of Heaven isn't quite as —Penny Kenny good as its predecessors. It suffers from uneven exposition, but readers can for- Dragon Venom by Lawrence Watt-Evans (Tor, he, give those flaws when the overall story is 416 pp, $25.95) so entertaining. Llesho's life is filled with Arlian's war against the dragons takes a strange adventure and colorful characters and turn when he learns that their death releases wild leavened with humor. This conclusion magic. Now, he must find a way to complete his will satisfy both characters and readers. vengeance without destroying the Lands of Men.

—Penny Kenny Dragon Venom's appeal lies not in its Wild Magic

12 STAKLOG/December2003 From New York Times bestsellers David 8 Leigh Eddings creatures, the creepy kitten-things Arlian creates or even the strikingly philosophical confrontation with the dragon A major force in fantasy that killed his family. Rather, it's Arlian's dichotomy that's fascinating. Here's a man a step removed from humanity, has returned with an and yet he's the only one willing to accept responsibility for making the gut-wrenching choices that will save it. astonishing new epic. Arlian could continue his vendetta, the world be damned, but he doesn't. And that's what readers will remember long after the final page is read. —Penny Kenny

Burndive by Karin Lowachee (Warner Aspect, pb, 432 pp, $6.99) This is another chapter of the future universe already

explored in Lowachee's Warchild, in which Earth is at

war with the alien Strits. This time, the hero is the young, spoiled Ryan Azarcon, the son of the powerful starship captain who was one of Warchild's main pro-

tagonists, and is now trying to broker peace.

Lowachee's hard-SF world is a convincing update of a subgenre that ranges from Robert A. Heinlein's Star- ship Troopers to C.J. Cherryh's Union-Alliance novels and, of course, Orson Scott Card's Ender series (of

which it is the most reminiscent, because of the empha-

sis on young heroes). Ryan's coming of age and politi-

cal maturing is very well-handled and believable throughout. —Jean-Marc Lofficier

Star Dragon by Mike Brotherton (Tor, he, 352 pp, $24.95) Sometime in the near future, a star probe sends back images of a sentient energy dragon creature which exists within the flames of a distant binary star. But to get there and back requires a 500-year journey (even though, on board, only four years of subjective time will elapse).

Star Dragon is an interesting blend of Hal Clement and Larry Niven-style science fiction, as well as a variation on the storyline of an isolated crew's life aboard a starship.

However, Brotherton is more successful with the first aspect. The speculation about the nature and purpose of the

Star Dragon is ingenious, creative and exciting. The parts involving the various crew members, though, are less con- vincing. Ultimately, by not dealing with their return to

Earth 500 years later, Brotherton leaves the reader with the sense of an incomplete story. — Jean-Marc Lofficier A four book saga introducing two

The Golden Transcendence by John C. Wright (Tor, generations of living gods...and the he, 384 pp, $25.95) impending doom that threatens them. This is the third volume in the series that began with The Golden Age and continued with The Phoenix Exul- tant. Phaeton has now reclaimed control of both his past "An Eddings tome is a must in fantasy and wondrous starship, and is finally coming face to collections of all sizes." —Booklist face with the mysterious enemies who have plagued him from the start—and threaten the "Golden Oeuc- "Practically everybody can find something to umene" of the Solar System. These are entities from the "Silent Oeucumene," an offshoot of humanity that like in any Eddings book. " -Chicago sun-vmes evolved in another star system. 14'" A strange, joyous and inventive mixture of Cord- ON SALE OCTOBER wainer Smith, Jack Vance and Marvel Comics in equal Available in hardcover doses, The Golden Transcendence is a satisfying and Read an Excerpt Online at www.twbookmark.com mind-opening conclusion to a wonderful series. The plotting and the style are richly layered, and each chap- Only the Dreamers hold the power ter brings its share of surprises and scintillating ideas. | Highly recommended. to change the course of history. —Jean-Marc Lofficier =3| WHERE IMAGINATION KNOWS NO BOUNDS www.starlog.com iAn AOL Time Warner Book Group Company ——

REAP WHAT YE Mostow, provide commentary; there are also Ahhh, autumn. Huge pumpkins in the four FX vignettes, a gag reel, a storyboard field. Golden apples heavy on the gallery and the ever-popular "more." The VHS bough. That ol' harvest moon. The essence is $22.96. of winter sleep is on the night. And, oh yeah, He that hath a good autumn harvest must be every DVDistributor and his brother are content with some thistles—or so the old Eng- vying to sink their teeth into our wallets now lish farmers' proverb goes. What they may actu-

that it's time for the summer blockbusters to ally have been getting at is: Beware of Fox's make their move into the digital dimension. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, based on the First up (because who wants to be the one to tell Alan Moore-Kevin O'Neill graphic novels and pre- him to wait?), The Hulk rampages onto Universal Spe senting a group of Victorian-era literary characters (Allan cial Edition DVD ($26.98). Eric Bana stars as Bruce Banner, Quatermain, Captain Nemo, Dorian Gray, Jekyll & Hyde, Mina a scientist who absorbs a normally deadly dose of gamma radia- Harker, etc.) as a legion of superheroes on a fantastic save-the- tion and transforms into Marvel Comics' most powerful character, world mission. Star Sean Connery (Quatermain) and director the pumped-up, mean-green Hulk (a creation of three-dimension- Stephen Norrington—deadly enemies now and, worse luck, dur- al ILM animation). Amidst the bonus DVD material are audio ing the movie's making—are conspicuous by their absence from commentaries, storyboards, a peek at director Ang Lee acting out the audio commentaries, although other performers (including

stunts in a motion-capture suit (!), the featurette "The Making of Peta Wilson) and a number of behind-the-scenes folks (producer, The Hulk" (containing cast & crew interviews and footage of the costume designer, makeup & visual FX artists and miniatures cre- real stuntmen at work) and "Hulkification," a look at different ators) pick up the slack. A "Making of and 12 deleted scenes artistic conceptions of the Hulk created by diverse illustrators rep- round out the $27.98 DVD package. resenting the Marvel, manga and European styles of animation, Fu Manchu was one of the characters in the original Moore- rendering the same scene from the film in comics form which is O'Neill comics saga who did not make the transition to the screen matched to footage from the movie. The DVD even includes an version; say what you want about all his mass-murderous

industry first: a related video game on the disc, with a story that schemes, but the man apparently did have good taste! He is, how- takes place a year after the movie. The VHS (as with most VHS ever, well-represented in Blue Underground's "The Christopher

editions, it lacks the various extras) is $22.98. Lee Collection," a box set of four 1960s Lee flicks that includes

To make it a double-dose of hoo-ha Marvel magic (just the two of cheapjack producer Harry Alan Towers' Fu movies, The way you like it), next check out X2: X-Men United, the recent Blood of Fu Manchu and The Castle of Fu Manchu, along with -Hugh Jackman-Sir Ian McKellen-Halle Berry Circus of Fear (based on an Edgar Wallace story) and The Bloody

mutant movie hit. Fox sweetens the $29.98 DVD pot with 1 1 pre- Judge (Lee in the title role and powdered wig, getting his jollies condemning 17th-century English Fu Manchu "witches"). These are, for better or for President? worse, the uncut, uncensored editions, He did run in and include interviews with Lee, Tow- the 1960s. ers, director (what's in a word?) Jess Is it time for a Franco, Shirley Eaton et al. comeback? The world has not seen the last of Fu Manchu! DVDS IN BRIEF orcfy Python and the Holy Grail IVI (Columbia TriStar, $49.95): The Python troupe's demented take on the King Arthur legend arrives on DVD in a two-disc Collector's Edition with directors' commentary (Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones, joined by John Cleese, Eric Idle and Michael Palin all STARLOG faves!), the Jones-Palin starring doc "The Quest for the Holy Grail Locations," a genuine 18-minute BBC location report from 1974 and other insanity. Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman (Warners, $24.98 DVD; $14.94 VHS): viously deleted scenes, an equal number of featurettes, audio Is Gotham's newest superheroine, the formidable crimefighter

commentaries and still galleries. The VHS is $22.90. Incidentally, Batwoman, really friend or foe? Batman debates that fans who can't get enough of "Wolverine" Jackman can also catch and takes on the Penguin and gangboss Rupert Thorne besides him in Image's $24.99 DVD Oklahoma!, performing as Curly in a in this feature-length animated adventure voiced by Kelly Ripa, Royal National Theatre production of the classic Rodgers & Ham- Kyra Sedgwick and Hector Elizondo. merstein musical. Oh, what a beautiful morning! Neil Gaiman's NeverWhere (A&E Home Video, $39.95): The Arnold Schwarzenegger returns in his most famous role in Ter- first story written directly for the screen by Gaiman (and the basis minator 3: Rise of the Machines (Warners, $29.95 DVD), as a T- for his later book) was this six-part BBC-TV mini-series, rarely 800 protecting John Connor (Nick Stahl) from the lovely but seen since its initial 1996 broadcast. Richard Mayhew's (Gary lethal, technologically superior T-X (Kristanna Loken) that seeks Bakewell) dark odyssey in Below comes to DVD with to destroy him in order to bring on Judgment Day. These actors, Gaiman audio commentary as well as a vintage interview with along with leading lady Claire Danes and director Jonathan him (and, of course, the Brian Eno score).

14 STARLOG/December 2003 SON OF ABYSS!! Ben Edlund and already hard enough to afford everything we DVDesire, but TV guru Barry It's the studios have to taunt us by tarting up and re-releasing recent Sonnenfeld), is favorites in "Special Editions." That's what they've done with $29.95 from Col- James Cameron's The Abyss, a $26.98 Fox two-disc release, umbia TriStar. which gives viewers the choice of the original theatrical (145 min- The fourth sea- utes) or Special Edition (28 minutes longer) version, pop-up cap- son of Stargate tions explaining the FX and the hour-long documentary "Under SG-1 is now avail- Pressure: Making The Abyss," with cast-crew interviews and able from MGM/ behind-the-scenes footage. They pull the same trick—oops, they UA in a $69.96 do fans the same favor with Independence Day (also $26.98), five-disc box set combining 142- and 153-minute cuts of the movie with a "Making with an audio com- of," stills, etc. mentary on every MGM/UA never tires of repackaging their James Bond episode (sheesh), exploits, and here come two more: Collection #2, seven discs, is featurettes and a comprised of From Russia With Love, You Only Live Twice, Dia- "Legacy of the monds Are Forever, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, The Living Gate" documen- Daylights and The World Is Not Enough, while Collection #3 is tary. Not to be out- the same price ($124.96) but one disc—and movie, why?—short- done, Star Trek: er {Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Live and Let Deep Space Nine Die, Octopussy, A View to a Kill and Die Another Day). continues to hit If the idea of having to buy these movies for the umpteenth home video shelves at warp speed: Seasons Five and Six are being time leaves you shaken, not stirred, may we recommend a delight- released just a month apart (the Season Five box set arrived on ful, tongue-in-cheek alternative: 1966's The Silencers with Dean October 7; Season Six is due November 4). They're $139.99 a pop Martin as playboy-photographer-reluctant secret Matt from Paramount, and include lots of extras, perhaps most notably Helm. A swingin' martini-thon of drinking, action, comedy, drink- Season Five's " 'Trials and Tribble-ations': Uniting Two Leg- ing, songs, lovemaking and, lest we forget, drinking, the Colum- ends" (tracing the origins of the episode, included in the collec- bia TriStar release ($24.95) features such lovely ladies as Stella tion) and " 'Trials and Tribble-ations': A Historic Endeavor" (an Stevens, Daliah Lavi, Nancy Kovack, Cyd Charisse, Beverly examination of the technical challenges involved). But Season Six Adams (as Matt's gal Friday Lovey Kravezit) and "the Slaygirls" is no slouch, containing the acclaimed episode "Far Beyond the and such hissable enemy agents as Robert Webber, Arthur O'Con- Stars" (and an in-depth look at it), plus "24th Century Wedding" nell, Roger C. Carmel and—as the Fu Manchu-like master vil- (cast and crew discuss the wedding between Worf and lain—a sly, subtly humorous Victor Buono. Ace action director Jadzia Dax). Phil Karlson "helmed" the production. While on the subject of spies and pretty gals, Buena Vista offers in the complete second season of Alias ($69.99), 22 episodes on six discs, along with a surfeit of bonus YULETIDE LOGS features (deleted scenes, gag reel, cast-crew audio commentaries, t might be a bit premature for most of us in the Science Fiction a documentary on the making of the season finale, etc.). I Universe to even think about the coming holidays—but it's not In other TV news, Agent Doggett arrives, Mulder is resurrect- too early for our homies at VCI, who are already hawking Alastair ed and Scully has a baby in The X-Files Season Eight, 21 more Sim's marvelous 1951 version of A Christmas Carol, available on new-to-DVD episodes and, of course, the usual added entice- DVD in its original black-and-white ($14.99) and in a Special ments: the half-hour documentary "The Truth About Season Edition combining the B&W with a colorized version on the same Eight," commentaries for "Alone" and "Existence," deleted scenes disc ($19.99). Both feature an intra by Patrick Macnee (who plays and even a DVD-ROM game that includes conducting an autopsy! young Jacob Marley in the movie) and the Technicolor cartoon It's $149.98, stomach distress bag not included. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Mind-freeing bonus features are an integral part of Warners' Is it just me, or would Rudolph have been completely within recent release of ($29.95 DVD; $22.99 his rights to spit in the eye of all of the other reindeer who used to VHS), the second installment of the SF-action fantasies from the laugh and call him names? What we need in the 21st century are Wachowskis. (), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) tales of a reindeer with a bit more spunk—and perhaps Robbie the and () continue to lead the revolt Reindeer can fill the bill. BBC Video has launched a Robbie the against the machines amidst a virtual avalanche of DVD added- Reindeer DVD double feature ($14.98) spotlighting the original value elements like "Preload" (on-location footage and cast-crew animated favorite "Hooves of Fire" and the home video debut of interviews), "The Matrix Unfolds" (a look at the Matrix phenom- its follow-up, "Legend of the Lost Tribe." A lovable but lovesick enon's cultural impact), behind-the-scenes footage of Reloaded's member of Santa's sleigh team, Robbie is a creation of Wallace & freeway chase, etc. Maybe you had better take the red pill. Or is it Gromit veterans, and his adventures feature the voices of (Ameri- the blue? canized for U.S. consumption) Ben Stiller, Jeff Goldblum, Brad Garrett, Jim Belushi, Britney Spears and Hugh Grant (British! How did he sneak in there?). It'll feel like Christmas to the DreamWorks staff if the profits TALK from the video release of Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (a big a city filled with danger, one man stands in the shadows, wait- box-office disappointment) raise it to a level of sem/-re$pectabili- In ing for evil to rear its ugly head and feel the power of his super- ty. Added inducement for Junior: "Cyclops Island," a six-minute human noogie. That man is, of course, the Tick, the big, blue bug interactive extra featuring the voices of stars Brad Pitt and Cather- of justice, who stepped out of a popular comic book and onto TV ine Zeta-Jones, which picks up where the movie ends. And if the (in the form of Patrick Warburton) and now onto DVD. The Tick: game gets Junior all worked up, read to him the cast-crew bios or The Entire Series, all nine hilarious episodes of the unfairly short- play the directors' commentary. Works better than a lullaby, and lived show on two discs with commentaries (from Tick creator it's just $26.99 on DVD ! The VHS is $24.99.

www.starlog.com STARLOG/December 2003 15 F@nWG

This column showcases web- sites for SF, fantasy, comics & animation creators and their creations. Websites are listed for free entirely at STARLOG's dis- cretion. Site operators may nom- inate their sites for inclusion by sending relevant info via e-mail only to [email protected] DUCK DODGERS WEB PAGE If he's our future, we're history. Go back to the 24 l/2th Century and see what Daffy's up to in his new Cartoon Network series. Eager Young Space Cadets unite at www.duckdodgers.com

TRU CALLING SITE Buffy's Eliza Dushku has found her Tru Calling, playing a col- lege grad who hears—and helps—dead people. Uncover more at the "true" spelled www.foxnow.com/truecalling JAKE 2.0 WEBSITE canines have failed to take over esteemed author. The Hidden In UPN's new series, computer the planet. City can be found at TARZAN WEB PAGE technician Jake Foley is trans- www.goodboy.com www.prophecy.Iu/ WB's young Tarzan offers a new formed into a secret agent after david_eddings take on ' he's accidentally infected with HAUNTED MANSION Apeman. The contemporary nanites. Christopher Gorham is WEBSITE BROTHER BEAR PAGE series swings at on-line at Disney's spooky theme park When Kenai kills a bear in www.tarzantheseries.com www.upn.com/shows/ attraction is now a movie star- revenge, he's transformed into fallpreview_2003/show05 ring Eddie Murphy. Hold that one himself. His brother, Dena- CLONE WARS WEBSITE .shtml ghost at mi, thinking this bear killed Cartoon clones attack in 20 ani- www.haunted-mansion.com Kenai, vows revenge. It's brother mated Star Wars shorts directed GOOD BOY! PAGE against brother in Disney's latest by Genndy Tartakovsky. The In this live-action family feature DAVID EDDINGS PAGE animated animal adventure. The battles begin at film, intergalactic dog Pilot Pawns of Prophecy and Queens hunt is on at www.cartoonnetwork.com/ (from the dog star Sirius) visits of Sorcery gather at this website disney.com/brotherbear clonewars Earth to verify the rumor that of wizardry which honors the

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 not always appear and cons may be cancelled without any notice. Conventioneers: Send all pertinent info no later than four months prior to the event GATHERING OF THE to STARLOG Con Calendar, 475 Park Avenue South, 7th Fir, NY, NY 1 00 1 6 or e-mail [email protected] You must provide a phone number

and (if possible) an e-mail address. STARLOG makes no guarantees, due to space limitations, that your con will be listed. This is afree service; to ensure FELLOWSHIP

a listing—not here, but elsewhere—contact Phillip Gencssie (2 1 2-689-2830 x200) for classified ad rates & advertise there. December 15-17 Sheraton Center Toronto, Ontario, Canada NOVEMBER www.LasVegasComicCon.com Creation (518) 283-3445 Guests: , , 1010 North Central, Suite 400 www.tolkiengathering.com VULKON Daerick Robertson, Dan Brerelon, Christian Glendale, CA 91202 October 31-November 2 Gossett, , Ron Lim, Mike Royer, (818) 409-0960 Sheraton Nashville Downtown JANUARY , Bill Willingham, etc. www.creationent.com Nashville, FANGORIAS WEEKEND TN Guests: , Richard Manning. Vulkon , , , OF HORRORS P.O. Box 297122 VULKON Raclee Hill January 9-11 Pembroke Pines, FL 33029-7122 November 14-16 Meadowlands Sheraton Hotel (954)441-8735 Orlando North Hilton East Rutherford, NJ www.vulkon.com Altamonte Springs, FL DECEMBER Chiller Theatre Guests: Juliet Landau, Tom Lenk, Robin Atkin Vulkon PHILCON P.O. Box 23 Downes, James C. Leary; & Adam See earlier address Rutherford, NJ 07070 December 12-14 Busch (Saturday only); Danny Strong, Robia Guests: Julie Caitlin Brown, Bobby Clark, Guests: Friday the 1 3th movie series reunion Marriott Center City Morte & George Hertzberg (Sunday only) Chase Masterson, Lolita Fatjo; William Shatner with Betsy Palmer, Adrienne King, Steven Philadelphia, PA (Saturday only); & Jeffrey Williams, C.J. Graham, Amy Steel, Kimberly Philcon Combs (Sunday only) Beck, Lar Park Lincoln; , EXTROVISION: P.O. Box 126 Jennifer Rubin, Jess Franco, William COMIC CON Lansdowne, PA 19050-0126 Lustig, Jeff Lieberman, Tony Timpone, etc. October 31-November 2 CREATION e-mail: [email protected] Mandalay Bay Convention Center November 14-16 www.philcon.org Las Vegas, NV Hilton Burbank Airport Guests: , Jack McDevitt, (866) 362-6642 Burbank, CA Greg & Tim Hildebrandt

16 STAKLOG/December2003 ENTER THE WORLD INSIDE YOUR COMPUTER. FUTURE Discover Earth 2! It's the new comic shop opened recently by former STARLOG Managing Editor Carr D'Angelo (right) and his partner Jud Meyers. Located at 15017 Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, CA, Earth 2 specializes in graphic novels and comics collections. D'Angelo—now a movie producer in real life—can be found at this comics scene most Sundays. For more info, consult the website (www.earth2comics.com).

"The favorite thing about my character was that she kept changing and growing and that she made bad mistakes.

I love that Kira was unlikable sometimes," DSffs Nana Visitor

says. "I don't think I would have changed anything about her but the uniform."

Now he is lone... Ranger. 's Jason Do you have Prince Carter has made recent Albert in a can? What guest shots on V.I.P. and about Peter Mayhew Angel. in a hat? Everyone's favorite Wookiee returns to the Star Wars Universe for

Episode III. Chewbacca's back!

Almost 25 years "since" the 25th Century, three TV heroes reunite at Toronto Trek: Gil Gerard, Felix Silla and Erin Gray. Fans know them best as Buck Rogers, Twiki and Wilma Peering.

"

FR1ING Toons NEMO - • All Art: Bob Muleady LEELA ESES POTEKfflAL BUND PATES.

TREK BABIES. HAlTHAT MOvlE SURE SUCKED!"

THE DEBATE OVER SENATOR OAR GAR ^ASTOE NEWEST X-MAN, I WEED VOL) CONTINUES... TD SOP UP SENATOR KELLV !

20 STAKLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com Explore the History_of Sciencejicfion in

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

#2 . Guide. $1 0. #54 3-D Issue. Bob Culp. #80 Billy Dee Williams. Roddenberry. $10. #125 Bruce Dern. Gerry Gibson. Shatner 2. Dalton. Space: 1999 EP Guide. Connie Selleca. Terry Anthony Ainley. Anderson. Carpenter. Moranis. Cobb. RR FX 2. Logan's Run. War of the #29 Erin Gray. Buster Gilliam. Leslie Nielsen. Jed; FX. $10. #101 Ellison. . Cameron. $10. $10. Worlds. $50. Crabbe.$10. Trek bloopers. $10. Sting. Roddy McDowall. #81 Alan Dean Foster. Macnee. Takei. $10. #126 Marina Sirtis. #146 Matt Frewer. Andre #3 Space: 1999 EP Guide. #30 Robert Wise. #55 Philip K. Dick. Ed Fred Ward. Veronica Schwarzenegger. Macnee. Norton. Phil Akin. Cesar . George Chekov's Enterprise. . Culp 2. Trumbull. Cartwright. Greystoke. #102 Spielberg. Bill Paxton. Michael Praed. Romero. Doohan. Takei. Takei. DeForest Kelley. $35. Questor Tapes. $1 5. Trek bloopers 2. $10. Buckaroo Banzai. $10. Mel Blanc. Michael Robert Hays. B&B. $25. Abyss. flflFX3.$10. Douglas. Irwin Allen 2. #4 3-D SF Movie Guide. #31 Empire. 20,000 #56 Zardoz. Triffids. Trek #82 Schwarzenegger. Max Alley. Doug Adams. Peter #127 Lucas. Harryhausen. #147 Danny Elfman. Richard Anderson. Outer Leagues Under the bloopers 3. $10. von Sydow. Chris Lloyd. Davison. $10. Davison. Kathleen Nimoy. John Varley. River Limits EP Guide. $50. Sea. Chekov's 2. $1 0. Faye Grant. Dr. Who. Jedi Kennedy. Gates Phoenix. Norton 2. Koenig. #57 Lost in Space Robot. FX 2. $10. #103 Daryl Hannah. McFadden. RoboCop. $50. CD Barnes. B7 EP Guide. #5 3-D films. Space: 1999 #32 Sound FX LP. Buck Conan. . Hauer. . Elmer ftflFX4.$10. & UFO EP Guides. $15. Rogers & Trek designs. Ron Cobb. S10. #83 Kate Capshaw. Robin Bernstein. $10. #128 John de Lancie. Ron Chekov's 3. $10. Curtis. Fritz Leiber. Perlman. James Earl #148 Tony Jay. Julie #6 Robert Heinlein on #58 . The Marshall. Dr. Who. V. $10. #104 Peter Mayhew. Jones. William Campbell. Newmar. Chaves. Biehn. Destination Moon. #33 Voyage EP Guide. Thing. Syd Mead. Trek Stephen Collins. Ken Weller. Darrow. Koenig. Warner. RftFX5.B7EP Animated Trek. $25. Ellison reviews Trek. $1 0. bloopers 4. $10. #84 8th Anniversary. Johnson. Outer Limits. $10. Prowse. Bradbury. $50. Guide 2. $125. Nimoy. Frank Oz. Chris #7 Star Wars. Rocketship X- #34 Tom Baker. Irv #59 Arnold Schwarzeneg- Lambert. Marc Singer. S. #105 Lambert. Colin #129 William Windom.Wil #149 Yvonne Craig. M. Space: 1999 Eagle Kershner. Buck Rogers. ger. Kirstie Alley. Merritt Banzai. Jedi FX 3. $1 0. Baker. . Wheaton. Robert Shayne. Robert Lansing. BTTF 2. blueprints. Robby. $35. Martian Chronicles. $15. Butrick. $75. Grace Lee Whitney. Planet Michael Cavanaugh. RR FX 6. $10. #85 . of the Apes. VEP Guide. Starman. RoboCop. $75. #8 Harlan Ellison. Star #35 Billy Dee Williams. #60 6th Anniversary. Star Jeff Goldblum. Japanimation. $10. #152 Leslie Stevens.

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Trumbull. Dick Smith. #38 CE3K. Buck Rogers Lynch. 2010. $10. #108 1 0th Anniversary. Tamblyn. Colin Baker. #155 Phil Farmer. Nancy . $10. EP Guide. Kelley. $10. #63 Spielberg. Nimoy. Roddenberry. Russell. RoboCop. Roger Rabbit. Allen. Paul Winfield. Colm Russell. Rutger Hauer. #88 Terminator. Martin Landau. Chuck Beetlejuice. $10. Meaney. Ironside. #1 3 David Prowse. Pal. #39 Buck Rogers. Tom James Horner. $25. Schwarzenegger. Jones. Michael Biehn. Rod Flatiiners. BTTF 3. $1 0. Logan's Run EP Guide. $10. Corbett. Erin Gray. Kelley 2. Keir Dullea. Taylor. David Hedison. #133 Bob Hoskins. C.J. Fred Freiberger. $10. #64 David Warner. V.Dune. Gremlins. $10. BTTF. V. $10. Cherryh. Roy Dotrice. #156 14th Anniversary. #14 Project UFO. Peter Barton. $150. Patrick Culliton. Sirtis. Schwarzenegger. Gale. Jim Danforth. Saturday #40 Hamill. Gerard. #89 Jane Badler. Helen #109 Sigourney Weaver. Goldsmith. Badler. ft Dorn. Nielsen. Dante. Night Live Trek. $10. Roddenberry. Jane #65 Arthur C. Clarke. Slater. Patrick Troughton. Henson. Carpenter. Takei. Rabbit. V. B&B. $10. Farmer 2. Starman EP Seymour. Freiberger 2. Hamill. E.T. FX. $10. Jim Cameron. Irish Ally Sheedy. Melanie Guide. $10. #15 Twilight Zone. This Empire FX. $10. McCalla. Starman. $10. Griffith. $10. #134 Zemeckis. Crosby. Island Earth. Galactica. #66 Dark Crystal. Cherryh 2. James Caan. #1 57 Paul Verhoeven. Richard Donner. $10. #41 Sam Jones. Frank Herbert. #90 Scheider. Karen Allen. #110 Bradbury. Cameron. Ken Johnson. Sylvester Ronny Cox. Marshall. . $1 0. Frank Marshall. $10. Ironside. Dean Stockwell. Cronenberg. Bob Gale. McCoy. Big. $10. Weller. Walston. $10. #16 Phil Kaufman. $200. Rare. Geena Davis. Nimoy. $10. Fantastic Voyage. Invaders #42 Robert Conrad. Mark #67 TRON. "Man Who #135 ft Rabbit. B7. #158 Chris Lee. Kershner. EP Guide. $10. Lenard. Dr. Who. Killed Spock."$10. #91 Koenig. Michael #111 Columbus. Sarah Patrick McGoohan. Haldeman. . $10. Childhood's End. $10. Crichton. V. Dune. Douglas. Nick Courtney. Jerry Sohl. Marta Kristen. #17 Roddenberry. Ralph #68 007. Harve Bennett. Terminator. $10. Martin Caidin. $10. Van Williams. Alien Nation. #159 Orson Scott Card. McQuarrie. Spielberg. Joe #43 Altered States FX. Richard Maibaum. $10. $10. Nicolas Roeg. Michael Haldeman. $10. David Cronenberg. #92 Carpenter. Tom #113 Doohan. Robert Piller. Leiber. Land of Hulk EP Guide. $10. #69 Anthony Daniels. Selleck. Gilliam. . Bloch. Rick Baker. #1 36 Mandy Patinkin. Jock Giants writers. $10. #18 Empire. Joe Dante. Tom Mankiewicz. $10. Barbarella. $10. Starman TV. $50. Mahoney. Carpenter. Sohl Dirk Benedict. Richard #44/4/feredSfares. 2. Lost Trek. $10. #160 Whoopi Goldberg. Hatch. $10. Bob Balaban. $10. #70 Man from UNCLE. #93 Donner. Lithgow. John #114 Nimoy. Guy Williams. Kim Hunter. GRR Martin. Debbie Harry. Chris Lee. Hurt. Robert Englund. Robert Hays. Gareth #137 Marshall. War of (he Eric Pierpoint. Ghost. #19 . Gil #45 Thorn Christopher. John Badham. $10. Simon Jones. Dr. Who. Thomas. $1 50. Worlds. $10. Flash. Giants 2. $10. Gerard. Star Wars. $10. Peter Hyams. Jedi FX 5. Escape from NY. $1 0. #71 Carrie Fisher. Judson Monty Python. $10. #116 Majel Barrett. Robin #138 Michael Dorn. John #161 JaneWyatt. Martin 2. #20 Pam Dawber. Kirk Scott. Dan O'Bannon. $10. Curtis. Whitney. Paul Larroquette. Jean-Claude Suzie Plakson. Liam Alyn. Buck Rogers. #46 Harry Hamlin. #94 Doohan. Sayles. Darrow. Nichols. $75. Van Damme. Lenard. Neeson. Ghost. Robin of

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Issue* Price $_ NEW YORK, NY 10016 Lords. Dean Haglund. #304 November. $10. IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO CUT OUT COUPON, WE Michelle Lintel. Richard WILL Kiel. Zuleikha Robinson. #305 December. $10. Issue* Price $_ . Issue* Price $_ ACCEPT WRITTEN ORDERS. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. Michael Weatherly. McNeill. Torres. Flores. #306 January. $10. Issue* Price $_ . Issue* Price $_ You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] When is a movie about a team of modern-day archaeologists travel- ing back to the Hundred Years' War to rescue one of their own not a time- travel film?

Answer: When it's directed by Richard {Lethal Weapon) Donner. "I'm treating this like a real mystery-suspense thriller," the veteran director of countless TV series and films explains. "I don't use those words with the cast. I've told them not to use the words

'time travel' I don't see it as that. The way they generate from one place to another is... What are you going to do? There was this TV series for years about 'Beam me up!' and time travel. I didn't want to do any of that." Inspired by the 1999 Michael Crichton novel (which definitely wallows in the term), Paramount's Timeline—featuring an ensem- ble cast that includes Paul Walker, Frances O'Connor, Ethan Embry, Billy Connolly and

Gerard Butler—is trying to have it both ways. But why? "Because otherwise—not to demean any- thing— it becomes science fiction," Donner says frankly. "And in so doing, if it's bigger than life, you really can lose the empathy and the fear that the individuals in the movie are going to have. Somehow you know,

'This isn't real.' It can scare the shit out of you when the thing in ALIEN comes out of the stomach, but if you want to be in these characters' emotions and really feel an eight- hour passage of their lives, it has to be stark reality." Not Time Tunnel That doesn't mean that Timeline is a case of buying book rights just to cash in on a — "

bestselling author's fame, then filming what- ever they want. "The story is based on Crichton's book," affirms screenwriter

George Nolfi. "There's no two ways about it. When Dick [Donner] read the book, he was fascinated by many elements, but he had a very specific vision of a fast-paced, as-real- istic-as-you-could-possibly-do-a-story- about-time-travel version of Timeline.

People get stuck in the past and it's all about:

Are they or aren't they going to make it out? There's a ticking clock and a great deal of pressure. The Crichton novel was a much more sprawling story. It takes place over more days. It's more fanciful in its tone. Dick really wanted to hone in on the fear Michael Crichton's novel was more fanciful in tone, but aspects." director Richard Donner decided that his Timeline would And don't ask about a time machine. focus on the fears and threats facing the out-of-time group. Rumor has it there is one in the film, but no one wants to talk about that vulgar detail. "I hand. "I was jumping in the back of this It was as easy as that. "I've never read the want people to go watch the movie to see pickup truck," he says ruefully. "I think my script," Embry adds. "The less familiar I am that," sidesteps Nolfi. "We used the basic pinkie got caught in a tie-down hole, and I with what's happening, the more natural I ideas of this sort of wormhole, and traveling hurt it. I was hoping that I just cracked my can play my character finding things out. through space rather than through time." knuckle really hard. But no. I broke it." 'Oh shit! That's what happens? You had an The revised, more realistic premise While he's waiting for a ride to the hos- affair with her?' taken from current quantum theories—is pital, Embry kills time by submitting to an Although he's on the dig team, Stern that the characters in Timeline don't travel interview. "I'm going to stand," he begins, doesn't go back in time. But he's still a crit- back in time but are instead transported to a "because I get a little dizzy when I sit right ical part of the action. "It's a great role," parallel universe where the Hundred Years' now. I play Stern, one of the scientists. He's Embry extols. "He kinda sorta like gets the War between England and France is still rag- a part of the archaeological team, a molecu- bad guy in the end. That's the great thing ing in some alternate Aquitane. lar physicist. He does things like carbon dat- about this: Everybody has their chance to Today, on our planet Earth, filming is ing. So I guess, in a sense, he's a molecular play the hero. It's a true ensemble [piece] taking place near 's Mascouche biologist, right? / never actually went to that way. And there are two completely dif- River, which is doubling for an archaeologi- school. Never. Not a single day in a class- ferent movies going on at the same time. cal dig in France's Dordogne Valley during room have I ever spent. And now I'm play- You're looking at this [right now]—the the years 2003 A.D. and 1357 Local ing a scientist. I must be a pretty good wilderness and a castle. If you had come on Indigenous Time. Donner is directing a actor." a day when we were filming the 1357 stuff, straightforward scene where his crew of Embry also has good professional you would see Clydesdales. It looks so real. youthful archaeologists are scrambling onto instincts. "I read the book," he says. "I had And the stuff we were doing a few months the back of a truck that's starting off without just gotten into reading heavily. I was 19, ago, it was computers everywhere, top-of- them. and Timeline was one of the first novels that the-line monitors. It was all dust-free. We The scene plays several times. Then, I picked up. As soon as I closed the book, I were all buttoned down with our hair there's a commotion, apparently unscripted. was like, This movie is going to be huge. I combed. And then you cut back and there's

A medic is summoned. This is definitely want to be a part of it.' When I saw it in the dust, mud and horses." unscripted. Before long, actor Ethan trades, I called my agent and said, 'Get me (Dragnet) Embry shows up with a bandaged on that.' Then I went in and met Dick." Former voyagers His ride here, Embry is whisked off to a Montreal hospital. But in a film with an

ensemble as large as Timeline's, it's not hard

to find another cast member to talk to. Having wrapped for the day, comedian-actor

Billy (Mrs. Brown) Connolly is only too happy to oblige. "I'm Professor Johnston, the missing professor," he says in his burly Scots accent. "It's good. There's not much demanded of me. I don't have to clamber over the balustrades of the castle, having a sword or anything, like some of the other

guys. I look scared a lot. I'm quite wise at times, and very intelligent, which is quite a departure for me. It's lovely." Connolly confesses that he hasn't read the novel, and doesn't plan to either. He also admits to having never heard of the book before being cast. "I've often found that I've disagreed with what they've done," he says of previous film adaptations of novels. Is it a bad Omen that Donner (in shades) doesn't consider Timeline a time-traveling picture? "I'm treating this like a mystery-suspense thriller," he says. Billy Connolly (left) "Sometimes I've agreed with it, but I like to doesn't believe in the SF angle, either. do what is. I don't like to deal with what

24 STARhOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com —

could have been, might have been. So I "We did a lovely little scene yesterday where avoided the original novel." Paul does a very bad Scottish accent. It's As to why he signed on for the part, purposefully bad. And I reminded him that Connolly deadpans: "I arrived at my agent's this is an accent, not a speech impediment. and he asked me if I would like to do it. Because I've said that to people when

That's all. I didn't seek it. Few things attract- they've questioned me about roles. They will ed me to the role itself, apart from the fact say, 'Will people understand you?' I want to that I thought I could do it. Otherwise, there slap them. I communicate for a living! was little or no attraction. I had nothing else "There are many special effects in this to do. I was going to be fishing in Mexico movie," Connolly adds. "None of which I when it started. So I had to drag myself know anything about. But there's a lovely away. But it was a much better idea." effect where there's a painting on glass. I

Connolly's character is pivotal. The first lecture with a castle in the background, and person to visit that Other Place mirroring then when I walk behind it, I walk through medieval France, Johnston buries a letter the castle. It goes across my face. And it will pleading for rescue, which is found by his look so real, because you won't see the glass

Year 2003 colleagues. (Never mind how that until I do that. It's a very old-fashioned tech- letter could be discovered in a modern nique in among all these ultra-modern tech- archaeological dig if Timeline isn't really a niques. I feel a little special effect goes a Assistant time-travel adventure.) long, long way." 1^ Professor Andre "He's an archaeologist," says Connolly Rossif Sutherland is Francois, a walk-on Marek's lifelong of Johnston. "He has a great interest in the in the book who has been expanded into a dream of living in modern world, which the story would have medieval times is significant character for the film. "My char- you believe makes him different. But I think a nightmare come acter isn't really in the novel," says the son most archaeologists are consumed with true today. of actor Donald and brother of actor Kiefer interest in the modern world. I really think Sutherland. "When I discovered that, I left that's what drives them to the older world. That's why Johnston's benefactors are doing In the course this—" Connolly catches himself, then says, rescue his fa " begins to rea not time travel. It's a complex idea, a archaeoloqis 3-D fax kind of thing. So wormholes and parallel universes interest him, whereas it doesn't interest me in the least. I don't

"It ha! to be

believe it to be factual. An awful lot of it is jargon and bullshit as far as I'm concerned.

I, in my heart, believe that any travel to extremely distant planets or stars or times is going to be done in a spiritual way, rather than a breakthrough machinery way. Like out-of-body stuff. I've done it twice, but I was stoned both times. I'm a great believer in it. There's no question that it's real." Playing his own spiritual opposite is no

problem for Connolly. "No, it makes it very 1 ' "t1 interesting. I like to play people who are nothing like me, who don't have my beliefs.

The further away, the happier I become. I like playing evil guys. And I would love to J play a good military man as well, although >

I'm getting close to being too old to do it.

But I like the idea, because basically I'm a hippie. I think that's where the joy of [act- ing] lives, because if you're drawn to roles that resemble your beliefs, you're on very dangerous ground. You don't have a grip on what acting actually is."

The professor is the father of Chris Johnston, played by The Fast and the Furious' Walker. "The convenient part of Johnston being Scottish and Chris being American is that Chris' mother is American bEhJhI and we're separated, so Chris has been Stuck in time Chris wishes he could call for help, but cell phones don't get good brought up by his mom," Connolly says. reception in 1357. Can you hear me now?

STARLOG/December 2003 25 — —

think I excel. But it's nice to break it up

especially when I have a really intense scene one day, then the next I'm running across a tin putt fad H'S all bridge with knights behind me, doing a dive- %— roll just to mix it up." Wj itaifcHrathBgiir Walker's co-star and romantic interest in the film is AJ.'s O'Connor, who plays 1 L emnlthssoohi archaeologist Kate Ericson. "Frances is cool," Walker remarks. "I was a bit intimi- «S| oA, :it oat?" dated at first because she has undergone so 1 much formal training. I haven't done that. the book alone, because I didn't want to get But I liked working with her, and I think our V confused. He's the fourth archaeologist. He work has come off. We had really good the novel, grew up in France and studied under a good chemistry. Basically, Kate's in love with a Departing from source Donner concentrated on the story's friend of the professor's. Francois is a sweet guy she knows she shouldn't be in love with. feasibility. How do you explain faxing kid. He's a bit confused at times, but has a I'm much younger than she is, but I'm the people to the 14th century? good, warm heart." one who has the guts to go out and live life.

This is not only the Paris-raised She has lived it by the book. She went to col- own time and place. "If you buy the fact that Sutherland's first film, but the first role for lege and studied archaeology, but dreams of a guy who totally believes in the possibility which the actor ever auditioned. Still, he traveling the world by motorcycle. So she of developing a machine that can fax some- already seems to know the ropes. "I can't tell finds that fulfillment in me, because I'm out thing that's dimensional..." says Donner,

you about my favorite scene, because it there doing it. That's exciting for her." returning to the controversial non-time-trav-

would give you too much about the story. I During Chris and Kate's ordeals in el theme of Timeline, and leaving the rest do go back into time," he offers. "[This shoot ancient Aquitane, Chris discovers his true unspoken. "So we had to work very hard on

has been] a lot of fun. I've been having a desire. "When he comes back," says Walker, the screenplay to make it totally believable.

lovely time." "he's almost certain what he wants. The [As the archaeological group] is developing answer to his quest is that he loves Kate. So this process, they open up a wormhole they No Quantum Leap he has to make things work." knew nothing about. They transmit a cam-

Over at the dig site, Walker only has a With that, Walker is off to catch his era, and it comes back every time in a

few minutes to chat. He has just wrapped flight, but for director Donner, there's still woods, near water. It all seems to be the

and is rushing to catch a plane. "Oh, I'm still more film to shoot before he can return to his same place, but they don't know where it is. trying to figure him out," he It could be New Jersey. Then

jokes of his character. they decide to send it back,

"Chris is more or less the shooting [it] straight up. They get

black sheep of the bunch. an exposure of the stars, which is He's a lost soul. He's still impossible. It's 1357. That's trying to find himself. He's what we ended up writing. The

a regular kid; that's the way book is a little different. But I see him. But he's also kind that's what we came up with to

of the gung-ho, action-hero make it real." type. We've toned him As he continues speaking, down a bit. He hasn't found Donner's puzzling point-of-view his passion in life yet." becomes clearer. The filmmaker Walker's own passion doesn't want Timeline to be mis- drew him to Timeline. "I've taken for a remake of The Time always had a fascination Tunnel. It's anything but an with the medieval period escapist fantasy. "When they go knights, horses and all that," back to [medieval times]—which he reveals. "I love movies they have studied academically

like Braveheart. When I for 15 years—it turns out to be heard that this was coming diametrically on the other end of together and Dick was the spectrum of what medieval

directing it, I said, 'Wow! life was. This becomes the most That's right up my alley.' violent, horrendous moment in The only bummer is that I these people's lives. It's eight don't get to wear any armor. horrendous hours. It's mean,

But I hold my own." vicious and unrelenting." This is a multi-faceted Premiering November 26, role—neither pure action Timeline also could be another in nor pure acting. Walker a long, long line of Crichton-

prefers it that way. "I don't based movie hits. "I think what

know that I really see we've done is fairly unique," myself as an action hero," Richard Donner offers. "When

he confesses. "I'm from you see it, you tell me. But if it is

Southern . I grew unique, then you'll actually up surfing and snowboard- believe what's happening to

ing, playing basketball and them is feasible. If I can make football. I love the physical that work, then Timeline will acting. That's where I like to M_l work 100 percent."

26 STAKLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com . 6

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YEAR of By -PATJANKIEWICZ_ TH E CAT Dr. Seuss' fantasy comes true, you see, with Mike Myers, Alec Baldwin & lots of CG.

How they wish they had something to do: kids Conrad (Spencer Breslin), Sally () and you.

You immediately recognize him, this gers the disapproving family fish (who instant- world-famous literary hero, beloved by ly knows the Cat is a troublemaker) and then

children everywhere, as he sits in his with the aid of mini-monster sidekicks Thing gleaming, futuristic car, with fire belching out One and Thing Two—cleans up the mess and of the exhaust pipe. His pointy black ears are a leaves. Apparently, though, this needed to be dead giveaway to his secret identity. He's The jazzed-up for the Nintendo generation. Cat in the Hat\ The 61 -page classic book by Seuss

When Ron Howard's How the Grinch Stole (Theodore Geisel) has been transformed into a original star Tim Allen left the project. Dakota Christmas (with a particularly Grinchy Jim multimillion-dollar motion picture. And in {Taken) Fanning and Spencer (Teamo Carrey) opened at the end of 2000, only to order to make the mischievous feline's Supremo) Breslin play Sally and Conrad. become that year's highest-grossing film, you escapade one of feature-length proportions, just knew that there would be more big-budget many complications have been added. But Thing One Dr. Seuss fantasy adaptations don't fret, all of the original characters have Excitement builds in Simi Valley, California faster than you could say "Hop on made the cut: kids Sally and Conrad, the dis- as the Cat roars up the street in his fire-spewing Pop." approving goldfish and, of course, the Cat him- contraption, accompanied by Sally. Director Bo So what's with the Cat driving a self. Welch calls "Cut" as the Cat's car does a U-turn

Batmobile...er, "Catmobile"? Clearly, While the Cat still meets two bored tykes and heads back toward the cast and crew. The this isn't your Mom's Cat in the and messes up their house, he now finds him- Cat looks strange, with his white face and black

Hat. Readers of the children's self immersed in a plot to help the pair thwart fur, and visitors to the set can't tell that the top classic may recall that the Quinn (Alec Baldwin), a sleazy neighbor with hat-wearing El Gato isn't Myers or that the plot was pretty simplistic: romantic designs on their Mom (Kelly child with him isn't Fanning. "That's a stunt The Cat barges into the Preston), who—except for one leg wearing a guy," one crewman notes. "They're both stunt home of two bored high heel—went completely unseen in the people. Anytime the Cat is driving, it's a stunt - original story. Three former writers guy, because it's too risky and dangerous for - - endan- were given the task of fleshing out Seuss' book the actors to be doing it." iy for the big screen: Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer and The stunt Cat's resemblance to Myers is David Mandel, who penned the brilliant, understandable, as it's Kim Robert Koscki,

Superman-themed Seinfeld episode "Bizarro who has doubled for the actor in all three World." Austin Powers flicks and once battled Sarah To bring the Cat—a character only familiar Michelle Gellar as a bloodsucker in Buffy the

in books and animation (though Matt Frewer Vampire Slayer. As for Myers, he's still in the played him in the 1994 TV tribute In Search of makeup chair, being transformed into the Dr. Seuss)—to life, Austin Powers'' Mike whiskered one while his stunt Cat tools up and Myers stepped into the top hat and tail, after down the street in the funky car. Mike Myers, of course, plays the Cat in the Hat, replacing Tim Allen, once the movie's original Cat.

composed of tall, gawky purple and green structures that wouldn't seem out of place in The Simpsons. To make Cat stand out, the production has built their own neighborhood in the valley—including the paved streets that the Cat is cur- rently driving on. What was once a scrub brush-covered

patch of desert is now a daz- zling subdivision of Seuss- styled dwellings. Brightly Maintaining the Seussian surrealism of the garbed extras amble about on the sidewalks of

Cat's universe is first-time director Welch. The the purple-festooned neighborhood.

Oscar-winning production designer knows a "This place is usually a brush-covered hill

thing or two about building amazing worlds this time of year, so they just scraped it, irri-

from scratch, having created the offbeat envi- gated it, put in streets and built it," explains ronments of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice, Edward visual FX supervisor Kurt Williams. "They

Scissorhands and Batman Returns (which he used hydro-seed so all the lawns would turn After Grinch the Cat, discussed in STARLOG #179). Cat teams him green at this time. The houses that have floors and who's next for with another Burton vet, Sleepy Hollow's look more like normal houses. The ones with- the flicks? director of photography Emmanuel Lubezki. out floors have telephone poles holding the Will Horton In Simi Valley, homes usually look like the whole structure up." Once finished, the crew or the Lorax homogenous suburban houses seen in such converted the area back to a brush-covered hill, perform films as E.T. and Poltergeist. But that's not the as though they were never there and this Seuss Hollywood case in Cat, where the community is entirely suburbia never existed. tricks? www.starIog.com —

Williams, who has worked in the Seuss Edge FX, including Jill Rockow, Universe before, on The Grinch, also has Steve Prouty and project coordi- Scooby-Doo, the two non-Burton Batmans and nator Bart Mixon. Mixon, a hip, the X-Files movie under his belt. "This isn't likable guy—whose work gonna look like any other movie," he declares. includes everything from the

"Even the clouds are going to be replaced so it gorillas in Burton's Planet of the looks more Seussian. It's gonna be very funny, Apes to the animatronic squid in too. I especially like their neighbor, Quinn. He The Beast—is another second- seems nice, but it turns out that he's a low-bud- time Seuss veteran, having get greaseball who's after their Mom. Alec is helped populate Whoville in The an amazing comedian. He's really funny Grinch. because he's so edgy. "Grinch is why Steve called "I also like the Fish, who is going to be a me to work on this," says Mixon,

CGI effect. The Fish doesn't care for the Cat at who is wearing a Steve Ditko Bo Welch (left) directs with great ease, while Alec all. Sean Hayes of Will & Grace is voicing the Spider-Man T-shirt in honor of Baldwin portrays Quinn the sleaze. Fish, and he's doing a great job with it. He puts Edge's next project, The a lot of life into the part. The Fish will look like Amazing Spider-Man. "I had the one in the book, but will also resemble a been down that Dr. Seuss road real fish in some ways." before, doing The Grinch with Rick Baker." Thing Two To capture the Cat's distinc- Going into one of the neighborhood houses, tive look, "Steve did a couple of Williams enters the production office, where different designs, and that got sets for a main street town (in Pomona, 50 miles him the job. After that, it was from Simi Valley) have been painstakingly only a question of modifying designed on a tabletop model. "The whole that design to fit Mike. We went street has been pre-visualized in 3-D," he says. from a full-face makeup to just

"This town is not represented at all in the book, doing a small muzzle, which is but we're using cinematic license to make the what he's wearing now. movie. Like the book, it starts in the house with Essentially, it's about the same the two kids. They're trying to get their dog size as the Who appliances on back in the house. There wasn't a dog in the Grinch. They cover his nose and book, but there's one in the film. The Cat meets upper lip, from his nasal labial Don't be impatient! The Cat will soon come to play! the kids as they try to get the dog back in." up to his brow. The rest of it is November 21 is his movie's official release day! Waiting to touch up the Stunt Cat is a crew Mike. Most of it is paint and a of special FX artists from Steve Johnson's lot of hair work, that sort of thing. Mike and Thing Two, will be prosthetic makeups Smithson and Jamie Kelman full-face Things with wigs and dentures.

doing the application on Mike, and he They're played by two little girls, child gym-

looks great as the Cat. It takes about nasts, who are between eight and 10 years old. two-and-a-half hours to make Mike up, "We also did a big belly for Alec, to show and then about a half-hour to dress him." that Quinn isn't what he seems," Mixon adds.

As for the Cat's prehensile tail, "that "Quinn looks like a smooth, handsome guy, but was done in several ways," says Mixon. when he's alone in his house, he pulls off a gir-

"We have about 20 different tails: radio- dle and has this big prosthetic pot belly that controlled, cable-operated and some kinetic drops out!" tails that are an ingenious Bill Bryant device. He created a springy tail that Thing Three moves like a real cat's Outside, one can't help but notice how

The residents of The Cat in impressive the Cat's car is up close; it's full of the Hat's, world won't be mod- gears and pipes that look like Preston Tucker ified "because unlike by way of Batman. "The genesis of the rocket

Whoville in The Grinch, this car is that it's a boat-meets-a-plane-meets-a-

is essentially a 'real' world, car," production designer Alex {Minority where people look normal," Report) McDowell remarks. "It's this com- says Mixon. "However, the plete amalgam of different classic vehi- Cat's assistants, Thing One cles: a 1930s aluminum plane look crossed with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Big the kids a case of the 'worst day ever,' and

Daddy Roth. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is still when they go with the Cat, he introduces them

the best car [made for a] film!" to what's really fun. In creating the suburb, McDowell—who "Bo has a great approach to this film," prais- also imagined The Crow's dark vision of es McDowell. "He wanted the spirit of Cat to and the grimy worlds of Fight Club and be a combination of The Wizard of Oz and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas—came up Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, those classic chil- with "a neighborhood that's made up of classic dren's films, which my daughter has watched kids' houses: four windows, a door and a chim- 100 times. I've avoided doing contemporary ney," he laughs. "Our DP, Emmanuel Lubezki, children's comedies my whole career, because

said in Mexico it would have been two win- they're usually not intelligent and talk down to

dows and a door! Taking that icon and turning kids. My little daughter watched half of Cats &

it into something architectural was Bo's idea, Dogs and switched it off. Cat in the Hat is rather than making it into a wavy, curvy drawn- smart, the script is funny and I'm delighted to

line design, which is the direction The Grinch be involved in this film. Bo wants to create a

went. Bo's decision, which I thought was great, world that kids can relate to." was to create real-world architecture based on But will they? "The week before we a kid's drawing; something that says to a child, opened the Simi Valley set, I took my five-

'This is a house.' year-old daughter Oona to that neighborhood,

"Car in the Hat has a '60s pre-John F. because this is the first film set in my career

Kennedy assassination idealistic look to it. that I could take a five-year-old to see," Alex

There's a spirit of optimism in the air, but at the McDowell laughs. "She's gonna have to wait a same time, there's nothing attractive about long time before she can watch Fight Clubl this—the neighborhood is boring. All the hous- Oona was the first kid to set foot on the set, and es may be a strange color, but they're the same it was like she owned it. Oona had no problem color. There are rotary dial phones, no push- figuring out what to do there. She was running buttons. All of the trees are identical, and up the hills and into the houses. It was really Production designer Alex McDowell everything is very ordered. This order is giving fun to watch." devised a town that's askew. Dr. Seuss

might have liked it. Look at this view!

On location, there are many odd sights to see. Visiting a set is better than cable TV.

It's a car. It's a plane. It's a boat. It drives fast, and it's windy, so bring a coat.

STARLOG/December 2003 31 Somebody call the Nerd Police, and tell from floor to sky-high ceiling, the impres- that even after a few minutes, we're still 'em to bring the paddy wagon: These sive lab is crammed with scientific equip- noticing things for the first time. ..strange guys are just havin' too good a time. ment that looks simultaneously futuristic things, even on a set as far-out as this one.

The "crime scene" is a stage at Warner and retro, and on all of its several levels it is For instance, in a distant corner, there's a Bros., and the culprits include your humble bustling with extras towering re-creation of a STARLOG correspondent, just one of sever- (guards, white-coated Triffid (from the 1963 walk- al newly arrived set visitors bowled over by lab technicians, engi- ing-plant movie The Day of the gleaming hi-tech lab built for the live- neers in hazmat bubble the Triffids). Just behind us is action-meets-animation Looney Tunes: Back suits). It covers so much a pedestal stand topped with a in Action (due out this month). area and is so densely HEEPING THINGS FROM glass-enclosed Fiend Without Filling most of the enormous soundstage packed with Cool Stuff THE AMERICAN PEOPLE a Face. And then there are two SINCE 194 7

| —

CARTOON CHARACTERS & FEATURED CREATURES MINGLE ON THE SET OF JOE DANTE'S LOONEY TUNES: BACK IN ACTION.

}f Doctor Who's deadliest adversaries, he happily takes time out to meet this new the Daleks. batch of set visitors, and he asks us if we Triffids and Daleks and Fiends want the short or long explanation of what oh, my! What sort of mind could bring he's presently shooting. Figuring he's a busy all these fantastic specimens together guy, we opt for the short. with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck "Well, where we are right now is Area (not to mention Brendan Fraser and 52—an area so secret, Area 51 was built just fjenna Elfman) in a single movie? to hide it," he reveals. "Area 52 is one of sev- And on such an amazing set? eral locations where Bugs and Daffy are Enter director Joe Dante taken in the search for the Blue Monkey something of a fantastic specimen Diamond, which has powers

himself, and, obviously, the and is sought by the evil Mr. Chairman fiendish intellect behind this once- [Steve Martin], head of the Acme in-a-lifetime commingling of Corporation. He wants to turn the population human cast, cartoon characters and of Earth into monkey slaves who will manu- iconic creatures from his (and our) facture Acme goods really cheap, and then Baby Boomer boyhood. He's in he wants to turn them back into people so charge of the mammoth production they can buy the stuff. Bugs and Daffy, need-

(this is Day 51 of the shoot, currently less to say, want to stop this, and on the list scheduled for 68), but a hundred million of places that Brendan takes them, inadver- bucks' worth of responsibility seems to tently, not knowing where he's going, is

-hp. weighing lightly on his shoulders as Area 52, which is a secret military base..."

STARLOG/December 2003 33 a

We're listening—raptly in fact—but it's Looney Tunes characters] all together in one movie (after the director's breakthrough hit hard not keeping at least one eye on the frame. Usually, the monster movies and car- Gremlins). quirky things going on around us. As Dante toons were separate items on the program in Here comes Burns again, still wearing talks, for example, crew members are lining those days," Dante laughs. "Since kids never that kid-in-Santa's-Workshop expression up a series of giant mason jars, and children get to see that kind of thing any more, I and bearing a bit of exciting news: He has wearing alien masks have started to fill some thought, 'Well, it would be more fun to sort just been made a Workshop Elf! "Greg of the nine compartments in a three-story of stick it all together.' Nicotero walked over to me and asked if I structure resembling the one on TV's "We negotiated for a number of mon- would like to work today—one of his Triffid Hollywood Squares. The godfather of all us sters, some of which are actually owned by puppeteers can't show up," he stammers. "I Baby Boomer Monster Kids, Bob Burns, is Warner Bros. Since they bought the MGM told him 'Sure!' and the next thing I knew, also a guest on the set today; Burns has been library, they now own Robby the Robot one of the production guys was coming over on dozens of SF movie shoots going all the [from Forbidden Planet] and some of those gettin' all my information. I'm going to be way back to Rosie the Riveter's day, so the other characters. We managed to get a num- here all day, working one of the Triffid awestruck, kid-in-Santa's-Workshop look on ber of them sort of gratis. In fact, the BBC arms." his face underscores our suspicion that these gave us the Daleks for free—we didn't have They say that jealousy is the one vice that set builders have indeed gone considerably to pay anything for 'em. That was quite nice gives no pleasure, and I have just been above and beyond. of them! We had a number of monsters writ- served a heaping teaspoon of that bitter "This is an incredible set," Burns mar- ten in the script, and we ended up with [the truth. Somewhere on this set there must be a vels. "You feel like you're actually in a lab rights to use] about six or seven of them, job that even this ink-stained wretch of the somewhere. I don't feel like I'm on a set; it done by two different effects houses. We Science Fiction Universe can handle— really is like a lab because it encompasses reconstructed them along the lines of the Dalek low on oil? A Triffid that requires you all the way around. Anywhere you look, original models, and tried to be as true as watering? Suddenly, there is the sound of you don't see any opening anywhere that possible to the way they would have looked opportunity knocking—or, more precisely, isn't a set piece. Even the doors we walked in color, for the ones that weren't in color of robot feet walking. through to get in are a set piece. Usually they movies." Lurching onto this Looney set through a don't go to that much trouble. Joe can pan The job of re-creating the old movie side entrance is Robby (Robert Parigi, direc- the camera all the way around and see noth- monsters was divvied up between KNB EFX tor of the new film Love Object, is inside), ing but set." (co-owner Greg Nicotero is on the set, escorted by the Robby suit's owner, director attending to his three-stalked Triffid) and Bill Malone (the 1999 House on Haunted Rabbits & Robots Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. KNB has con- Hill, FeardotCom). Robby has been nicely During Looney Tunes' pre-production tributed the Triffid, the Daleks, the Fiend spiffed up for this latest role: Although most process, Dante came up with a wish list of Without a Face, an Invasion of the Body of the outfit is original, the legs and dome the 1950-60s monsters (mostly outer-space- Snatchers seed pod and the alien kids' are brand-spanking-new. based) he wanted playing cameo roles in this masks, while ADI is supplying Robot "You have to realize, Robby was made in movie, menacing Bugs, Daffy, Fraser (star- Monster, "X" (a.k.a. the Man from Planet X) 1955, and how many years ago is thatT ring as a Warners security guard-turned- and the Metaluna Mutant from This Island Malone says about his favorite movie prop, a pseudo-spy) and Elfman (as a studio execu- Earth. A new Robby the Robot didn't have fixture in his Studio City living room since tive). "This was a chance for me to have to be built: The real one is backstage, wait- he bought it in 1980. (Formerly, he owned a various icons of my youth [the monsters and ing to make his third appearance in a Dante reproduction, which he himself wore in

Flanked by Daleks, Dante prepares to referee Looney Tunes' monster battle royal. Daleks fight for free! "Exterminate! Exterminate!"

Welcome to the day of theTriffids! Bob Burns (right), beloved of the Monster That wascally wabbit (i.e. his stunt Kid generation, was in the midst of a set visit double) may not realize that when conscripted to join KNB's Shannon Shea carnivorous plants live on. ..Bugs. and Rob Derry as a Triffid puppeteer.

34 STARLOG/December 2003 What's up, doc? How about a few Dante's 1976 directorial debut Hollywood card tricks when Boulevard.) "Robby's upper torso is pretty Elmer Fudd (w durable, but the legs were made out of that owns a mansi material that motion picture film stock is and a yacht) made out of, butyrate. As it ages, it becomes a guest turn brittle. I was concerned that the legs weren't going to hold up well and would start crack- ing and so forth. So we built a new set of legs for Robby." That job fell to KNB's Nicotero—yet another Monster Kid, and a guy who despite all his years of toil in the Hollywood salt mines is obviously just as tickled to be in Area 52 as any of the wide-eyed set visitors. "Bill brought us Robby's original set of walking legs," says Nicotero, "and we reverse-engineered them and built our own set. It was cool to kind of be rebuilding half of Robby the Robot. I can say, 'I worked on

Robby.' I was actually thinking of asking to get in the suit for one shot, and then I thought, 'You know what? If I lose my foot- ing and fall over and smash Robby the

Robot, that would be too much for me to live The thought, "Will we all fit in one paddy Planet X (John Munro Cameron) and the with. But I betcha everybody here wants to wagon?" crosses my mind as, according to ape-suited, deep-sea-helmeted Robot get in Robby just to say that they were in plan, I "unobtrusively" make myself part of Monster (Mark Viniello). These 21st-centu- Robby the Robot." the Robby Team: Today, and for the next ry clones are such models of perfection (as

several shooting days, I'll be an extra pair of are the Triffids and Daleks), it isn't hard to hands helping Malone to partially assemble concentrate on each of these monsters and and disassemble the Robby suit when Parigi kid myself that I'm actually on the set of gets in and out of it. Also, when Parigi is their old movies—and I'm confident that going to be in the suit for long stretches, I'll I'm not the only get-a-life type on the set look for opportunities to direct a small, high- who's doing this. The mason jars (bottom-

powered fan at an opening in the robot less) are hoisted up into the air, the monsters

"face," to cool him off a bit. I'm picturing take their places beneath and the jars are my credit "Robot Wrangler" prominently then lowered around them. featured somewhere in the end titles crawl, The scene is now set for Fraser, Elfman, and wondering how much coin this will add Joan Cusack (playing "Mother," the opera- to the eventual box office take. tive in charge of Area 52) and Robby the Robot to file past them. Accompanying them Monsters & Mutants is voice actor and puppeteer Bruce (Cats & Responding to a gentle request from Dogs) Lanoil, duck-walking along carrying director Dante ("All right, Burns, quit gold- a rubbery-looking Bugs Bunny doll and brickin' and get back to your jobl"), Burns doing a dead-on imitation of that wascally takes his place amidst several other pup- wabbit. Delivering his dialogue with all the Movie prop collector Burns loaned the peteers working the giant Triffid. Burns is energy of the classic character and making ADI creature makers the original Robot Monster helmet and Man from operating the third of the three stalks, manip- eye contact with the live-action actors, Planet X alien head to use as guides as ulating a lever that makes it move up and Lanoil's job is to "make the invisible visi- they created new ones (X in mason down and side to side. Soon, other monsters ble" for them, he tells me during a break. "It jar pictured) for this film. appear on the set: The diminutive Man from makes all the difference," he notes.

The aliens die among us—of natural causes? Greg Nicotero Refurbished with new dome and legs, the original (1955) Robby the Robot adds last-minute touches to an alien autopsy subject. awaits his cue alongside co-star Joan Cusack (who portrays "Mother"). www.starlog.com STAKLOG/December 2003 35 It's a wrap! Dante good-luck charm Bob

( Voyager) Picardo—that STARLOG fan fave—cameos in the Area 52 sequence.

At the height of the The eyes of the Metaluna Mutant are the monsters' one thing (well, two things) that aren't true uprising, Ro-Man to the original. "No matter how we tried, we (Mark couldn't figure out exactly how [1950s Viniello) Universal monster maker] Jack Kevan, or to think. All these little brain lobes can gets an whomever, got the original Mutant's eyes to pulse." eyeful of shimmer like they do in the close-ups in This Actor-puppeteer Cameron is having his Elfman. Island Earth'' Dante admits. "So instead, the problems with the "X" suit, and needs to be Sadly, poor ADI guys made the eyes as mobile and rescued a time or two from his jar prison in Ro-Man's expressive as they could, even to the point of order to take short breaks. This Man from pick-up shot departing from the original design." Planet X was originally going to be played may not "We also gave the Mutant much more by a woman, and a skullcap exactly match- make the articulation," final cut. Woodruff adds. "The eyes ing the shape of her head was molded. But a move independently, they can kinda dilate. scheduling conflict forced her out of the job A trip backstage reveals some everyday Its multi-faceted mouths can ripple and open and the slight-of-build Cameron into the stuff (equipment, craft service table, etc.), and close. And we had a whole bladder sys- suit—and the painfully ill-fitting, headache- some yearly stuff (crew members and extras tem worked into the head that we can hook inducing skullcap. "X"-cedrin, John? gathered around a TV monitor, catching a bit up for certain shots, when we want to have of 2002's all-California Angels-Giants the head throbbing like the creature is trying Daleks & Ducks World Series) and some very unusual stuff Playing Robot Monster is no barrel of (the giant mason jars' gold screw-on lids and monkeys for Viniello either, but at least he's other bizarre props). In a far corner of the not in pain like Cameron. Despite the built- cavernous stage are a series of tent-like in fan-and-exhaust system, it's still hot dressing rooms for the monster actors, one inside the hairy muscle suit (not to mention of them occupied by ADI co-owner Tom- the pressure of all its weight), and Viniello, a

Woodruff, clad in the Metaluna Mutant out- member of the ADI staff, is wearing the one fit (sans its bug-faced, big-brained head). costume without video goggles; he can't see An old hand at making—and wearing- out at all. He is, however, wearing an ear- monster suits, Woodruff says that ADI was phone through which he can hear his instruc- "totally respectful" of the 1950s' Mutant, tions. "X" and Robot Monster, making their re- Nicotero's Daleks scoot around like creations resemble the originals as they're motor-powered, but Nicotero admits closely as possible. Of course, on this that it's actually good old-fashioned foot kind of budget, Woodruff & Co. have power (KNBers Mark Tavares and Lou Kiss been able to make life easier on the men yabba-dabba-doing all the running around inside the monsters: The Mutant and "i inside the squat little contraptions). "We heads are equipped with video goggles that built 'em so that you can kinda just walk allow the players to see (in widescreen, no around," Nicotero reveals. "They're tricky to less) what's in front of them. operate—with one hand, the guy inside turns Even better, Woodruff adds, "We had the Dalek head and operates the eye, and fans built in, to try to pull some air through with the other hand he operates the two actu- the slits and circulate it inside the head. We al Dalek arms. But he has to be running found a place to hide fans in all of these around at the same time! In the center of the heads, to make it possible to stay in the suits % Dalek, where the rings are, there's a little bit longer." J black mesh so that the guy can see out, but you can't see in." The last of the KNB creations, the ADI chief Tom Woodruff—whi •asion of the Body Snatchers seed pod, has played the Alien in ALIEI as yet to be seen, but now, surrounded on and the all sides by a phalanx of fans (crew upcoming ALIEN vs. Predator- mem- essays another extra-terrestrial, bers and set visitors), here comes the man climbing into his own who will be toting it around on film: 88- Metaluna Mutant outfit. year-old Kevin McCarthy, star of the

36 STARLOG/December 2003 shoulders of a fellow walking in front of him (Woodruff's video goggles haven't yet been activated). He takes his place in a cage near the alien kid-filled Hollywood Squares structure. From beside me, the concerned mom of two masked 10-year-olds is waving up at them in their glass-enclosed square ("I just worry about 'em passing out!") as a crew member joins Mutant Woodruff in the cage, rubbing KY Jelly onto the costume to give the bug-man a more organic look. Suddenly, a snap and the sound of breaking

glass is heard: The weight of the Mutant and this second fellow was too much for the cage's grid floor, which has dropped through

a row of fluorescent lights beneath it. Even the light fixture itself is damaged. This is going to mean a delay, perhaps a lengthy one. When a nearby production assistant tells a pal that Game Four stands at 3-0 Anaheim Angels, I ask McCarthy if his All right already, they're here. We know. Decades after his first unsuccessful trailer has a TV and if he wants to catch a attempts to put the world on pod alert, McCarthy is still singing the same looney tune couple of innings of the fall classic. My about invading Body Snatchers. He'll be in black & white in the color movie. question is overheard by Dante, who at this 1956 film and latterly a fixture in Dante's made?" he suddenly asks, a note of "You had point in the long day sounds a bit like he movies. He's arrived on the set looking quite better know!" implicit in his tone of voice. wishes he could join us. He suggests we go disheveled, per Dante's request—but, other It's plain from the look on her face that she instead to his satellite TV-equipped trailer, than knowing that he will be playing a doesn't know—and perhaps she feels like parked right across the wind-swept Warners mussed-up character called "Pod Man," she's suddenly on the spot. Behind street from this soundstage. McCarthy claims to have no idea what he'll McCarthy's back, to convey '55, 1 raise a fist be doing in the movie. Can this be true? in the air, opening it into five widely splayed Pods & Plants "Yeah, it's true—but that's so often true!" fingers, then close and open it up into five It's the top of the fifth by the time we fig- Dante quips. "There are some actors that you fingers a second time. She looks at me ure out how to turn on Mr. Bigshot can just contact and say, 'Listen, I have blankly, so I do the five-five routine again. Director's 24 l/2th-century TV set;

something I think would be fun to do. Come This time her face lights up with understand- McCarthy says he'll be rooting for the trail- on in and we'll work it out on the set.' Those ing and she gives me a big, knowing wink, ing San Francisco Giants, at least until they people tend to be more 'the troupers,' the then returns her attention to McCarthy, lean- catch up. As if he has suddenly become the kind of actor you don't find too much of ing closer and answering with sassy confi- Lord of Baseball, the red-hot Angels bats anymore. They're happy to be on a set." dence: suddenly go cold in a three-quick-outs That certainly describes McCarthy, who "The SSSSixtiesl" inning. McCarthy shows me his copy of the climbs into a tall canvasback chair next to I'm still suppressing incredulous laughter Looney Tunes script (the revised pages are in me and takes in the weirdness of Area 52 and as McCarthy tells her the movie was made in such interestingly renamed colors as Tweety all the unusual (even for a movie set) activi- '55 and Elfman excuses herself, returning to Yellow, Porky Pink and Yosemite Salmon), ty. Elfman likes his tie and, from a distance, center stage. But I lose it when McCarthy and now, as the Giants come to bat, remi- tells him so, and the outgoing McCarthy turns to me and quietly asks, "Now, who was nisces a bit about the years he has spent in waves her closer and goes into his delightful that?' and out of Dante's inferno. "garrulous actor" mode, telling her he was Woodruff's Metaluna Mutant joins the "I think this is my seventh time working the star of the original Invasion of the Body rest of the monsters on the set, lumbering for Joe—eight if you count The 'burbs. But Snatchers. "Do you know what year that was onto the scene with his pincer hands on the I got cut out of that. I was in a dream www.starlog.com STARLOG/December 2003 37 _ — —

sequence where I played a devilish guy the opportunity to work with Joe. It's 'clo- cooking Tom Hanks on a barbecue spit, or sure' for me! I stand on set and look at Joe

l THE LEGENDARY STAR OF something like that. We shot one day and and go, He directed The Howling.' I go, 'He

that was the end of it. I don't it HUNDREDS OF FILMS INCLUDING... think ever got directed Innerspace,' which is still one of my near the film!" absolute favorite movies. And Joe is so

The Giants' Rich Aurilia singles to right knowledgeable about movies that it's LORMRINGS field and Kirk Rueter scores as McCarthy delightful to talk to him about them." continues, "Joe asked me, 'Would you like "Working with all these monsters, and to do Looney TunesT, and I said, 'I'll do with Robby—it would be a dream come true STAR WARS: EPISODE II whatever you want me to do.' For Joe, I'm for a 13-year-old," Woodruff marvels. "I

always ready to do it." You just automatical- just find it totally interesting that in my job, ly say yes any time he offers you work? at my age, I'm still looking at things CHRISTOPHER LEE "Yeah. Sure. I certainly get a lot of comment through those eyes. I'm doin' what I wanted Individually Autographed about the work that I've done in the past with to do when I was 13. And I don't know if Joe. Twilight Zone: The Movie gets a lot of that's commitment, persistence—or just Lirnited Edition Lithodraph comment, that sequence there with myself arrested development. Because the other Only 500 copies of this and.. .the others," he laughs. "I put it that way to look at it is, 'Great, you're basically way in my head!" livin' a life that was planned out by a 13- Limited Edition Lithograph " As Jeff Kent hits a fly ball to right and year-old kid!' Poster exist and each copy Kenny Lofton scores, McCarthy maintains Woodruff is kiddingly putting himself

is autographed by Mr. Lee. that he doesn't care how small his pod-car- down, but it's obvious that he has had a Order yours NOW! rying scene turns out to be—or the fact that blast, and of course so did Santa's Elf. "I'm his suit looks like he just spent the night in a actually going to get paid for working here + $75-99 $6.00 . cement mixer. "When the movie is playing today, but I would have done it for nothing," Sales limited to U.S. only. and that scene comes up, who'll be looking says Triffid puppeteer Burns. "It's funny at anything except my facel" he mock-seri- with me: With all the sets I've been on—and ously blusters, getting louder as he builds. I've been on a whole lot in my life—I still "People will be looking either at my eyes, get just as excited as I was in 1945, when I the expression on my face or the pod that was a 10-year-old kid and got to go on the I'm bearing in my arms! There's nothing set of a serial called The Purple Monster

else you should even think about!" Strikes. I still have that same feeling when I

After Benito Santiago singles to center walk in; I get all tingly. It's just great; it's

and Aurilia comes home with the game- magic for me. And now, as old as I am, that's tying run, McCarthy gets serious again. "Joe never gonna leave now. That's there. I get

is a super guy. In the old days, [director] extremely excited about being on a set. And Fielder Cook was pretty nice. And Delbert then having the chance to work on this pic-

Mann, too. I would put Joe among 'the ture besides. ..it was incredible. It was a select.' You can't find a finer person in the great, great day."

business, I wouldn't think. But what do I The man who made it all happen shares know about 'fine'? What does Fine know some final thoughts as production shuts about me? Or are they going to fine me for down for the night. "There haven't been very this interview?" many feature films with Bugs Bunny and A production assistant arrives to tell Daffy Duck," says Dante, putting his picture McCarthy they're ready for him; McCarthy in perspective. "I mean, they've been part of quips that it's the perfect time to go back to pictures that were old shorts strung together work, his Giants rooting having tied the into feature films, and they were part of ballgame score exactly as he had pre- Space Jam, which to me was not a Bugs

announced that it would. Back on the set, Bunny movie, it was a Michael Jordan

McCarthy does his cameo, carrying the pod movie. This is an attempt to actually POSTER SIZE: IS" x S4» make a past Fraser, Elfman and Cusack and, in a Looney Tunes picture that's 'relevant,' if r"pLEASE INDICATE THE QUANTITY BEING ORDERED high, delirious voice, weakly gasping, that's the word, for today's kids. A picture CHRISTOPHER LEE LITHOGRAPH Price: $75.99 + $6.00 Shipping "They're not coming, they're here that they'll get the same kind of kick out of Method of Payment: already.. .you're next.. .you're next!" From that we would have gotten if they had made Cash Check Money Order Nicotero I get the job of relieving McCarthy this picture for us in the '50s. Discover Master Card Visa of the pod after he leaves the scene camera- "We had some very talented people here I I I I -I I M M Account No. left at the end of each take. First Robot today, slumming inside the monster suits just Card Expiration Date - (month/year) Wrangler, now Pod Wrangler. It has been a because they wanted to be those monsters. great day. And there were many people on the set to Your Daytime Phone #: {

If you don't want to cut out coupon, we will acceot written orders. whom these were icons. And hopefully, Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. Fiends & Fanboys there will still be some alive left in the audi- And it has been a great day, too, for ence!"

well, just about everybody, it seems. Kevin McCarthy offers me a lift back to

Street Nicotero not only saw Robby the Robot my nearby Burbank hotel and, the icing on

strutting his stuff on new KNB legs, and the cake, I get to carry the pod (given to him City Zip watched McCarthy carry a KNB pod, but he as a present) out of the soundstage for him.

also got to work with the last of the directors It's past 10 p.m. as I load it into the back of Your Signature he has always wanted to work for. "I've now his Dodge van. The parking lot is quiet Total enclosed: $ worked with every one of the directors that even the wind has died down. And no sign of Starlog Group inspired me when I was younger," he says. the Nerd Police. 475 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10016 "I've worked in the past with Sam Raimi, They've missed their shot at a big round- You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: George Romero, John Carpenter, Wes up. But we're all looking forward to giving [email protected] j| jj Craven and John Landis—and now I've had them another chance tomorrow. -V

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choice," Silver adds. "That's the whole point not. All of those elements come into play in about the fight with all the Agent Smiths, Revolutions." which people didn't clearly understand. At the end of Reloaded, the Architect explains to Neo that it's all tells Neo that he has been set up and his about purpose; that it's purpose that binds us being the One is all part of the machines'

and ties us and keeps us all together, and it is master plan. If that's true, that incredible Neo's purpose to stop Smith. He has to stop revelation will surely come into play in Smith. But he can't, because there are just Revolutions. "At the end of Reloaded, you

too many Smiths. Neo can't do it, and that's realize that [the late Gloria why he has to get away. But he will eventu- Foster] is culpable," Silver says. "She was ally have to stop Smith, because that's where part of the system that made Neo think he the story ends. The story ends with the stop- was the One. But she does say in Reloaded

ping of Smith." that the only way they're going to survive is

OK, but let's get specific about other plot if they get along, which is an indication of points—several of them, in fact. Silver is what's going to come in Revolutions. The

game, though he's coy in a few instances, boys are very smart about it. Look, I'm a big while revelatory in others. One theory posed Star Wars fan, but in Attack of the Clones, in Reloaded is that Morpheus is crazy, and R2-D2 flew. I had never seen him fly before,

his obsession with Neo being the One has and it would have been good if he could have driven him over the edge. "You're dealing flown in some of the other movies. Maybe

with different people's faiths," Silver he'll lose the power in Episode III, but we very different in each picture. The first explains. "Some people are more spiritual had never seen him fly until Attack of the Matrix gave you the idea and set up the than others. It's about faith and what faith Clones. The Wachowski Brothers have been world. The second one was more intellectu-

means, and sometimes when someone has a very careful not to make any of those kinds al: It posed many questions and positioned

different philosophy, other people don't like of mistakes. This trilogy completely flows several ideas. But the third movie resolves it

it. They want everyone to share their philos- from the very first shot of The Matrix to the all."

ophy. And depending on how strong that last shot of The Matrix Revolutions. It's all

person is, they can make them follow their part of a master plan, and it all goes where Extra Details philosophy whether that person wants to or it's supposed to go." Reloaded delivered a vehicle chase

Is Morpheus sequence to end all vehicle chase sequences. (Laurence So what in Revolutions will wow fans? Fishburne) "Somehow, somewhere, something came out crazy? "Some about a helicopter chase," Silver notes. "I people are have no idea what they're talking about. more spiritual There is no such thing. The Brothers shot than others," 4\ plates with helicopters, but there's no heli- Silver offers. copter sequence, per se. But there is a final

Despite fans' m battle in Revolutions that I believe is the confusion, most sophisticated sequence ever put on

Silver says film. It's about 17 minutes of the most spec- that "once tacular photography you've ever seen. But if you see what I'm being tarred with the brush of too many Neo [Keanu superlatives, I don't know what else to say. Reeves] is The scene is spectacular. That's the major able to do, he really is the One."

Neo took over as leader in Reloaded, and, surprisingly, Morpheus didn't appear to

question it. Still, some fans think that—since Morpheus was in charge for so long—jeal- ousy might set in, and he might try to under- mine what he more or less created. "You will see in Revolutions that they're all on differ- ent paths," says Silver. "They're doing dif- ferent things, and are forced to work togeth- er and then apart to solve the problems. In

the first movie, we saw very little of the world of the machines. In the second film, there was a bit more. But in Revolutions, we see a lot more. So there are many things going on in the third movie, with the

machines and the characters. The structure is

42 STARLOG/December 2003 always have the answer. It's not just me, but [visual FX director] and all the people who work on the movies. The boys are very clear with us about what they intend to say and what they want. And one of the

things that the boys want is for people to

come and bring what they want [i.e. their

own ideas] to it. "It's upsetting when you make a movie

like Reloaded and people just don't get it.

It's hard to explain to people everything that's in the movie. We have to hope that

they'll get it. It's unnerving when I read some of the critical response from people

who don't get it. They're so proud of their

stupidity and that they don't understand it. They believe that if they can't comprehend

it, it must not be there. But, it's all there." Fair enough, but at least some of the questions the Matrix films pose and the setpiece in this movie. The scene is virtually Underworld] is all Kym. As for the music, I responses they elicit must be open for inter- all digital." think the Revolutions score is the best of the pretation. And there's not necessarily a right

Back on the character front, there's the Matrix movies. Don has outdone himself. or wrong answer when it comes to that inter- Neo-Trinity relationship to ponder. She Some of the best cues I've ever heard in a pretation. "That's it, absolutely," Silver could die. She might be pregnant with Neo's movie are in Revolutions" acknowledges. "The boys' point-of-view is baby. And a few people even think she'll that the audience should bring to the materi- betray Neo. "There are going to be surpris- Mind Fields al what they want to bring to it. I've read ing results," Silver promises, without going The Matrix movies derive from the many opinions on the Internet about what into detail. minds and imaginations of , people think is going to happen in Re-

And what about Neo being set up as a and it would be enlightening to hear their volutions, that there are going to be rival Christ-like figure? The Matrix actors have opinions and points-of-view and have them Matrixes. There's loads of speculation. That suggested as much in interviews, and pop confirm or refute others' comments. In their makes me feel good, because it means that culture—going back to the heroic myths absence, Silver does a fine job of identified by Joseph Campbell—generally serving as spokesman. That begs a dictates that a major player must die in the couple of questions: Have the struggle. "You gotta say what you gotta say, Wachowskis revealed to Silver all babe," Silver laughs. "I'm not saying any- of the Matrix's secrets? And, if so, thing" does he truly understand every Owen Paterson, Kym Barrett and Don aspect of the story they're trying to Davis have had plenty to say about the tell? Matrix films, as readers will soon discover in "I'm always asking them ques- upcoming STARLOG interviews. Paterson tions about things," Silver re- is the trilogy's production designer, Barrett sponds. TU think of, realize or see its costume designer and Davis its composer. something in a way I hadn't be- Silver takes a moment to address their fore. So I'm constantly asking respective contributions. "They're all very them something, and they always critically involved with this piece of materi- have an answer. They never say, al," he begins. "Owen, and 'Well, that's a good question. We Steve Skroce have really worked hard to didn't think about that.' They visualize this world that they've created and make it three-dimensional. The great thing about Owen is that he not only works in actual construction, but also in digital con- struction. One of my favorite shots in the Matrix movies exists nowhere but in the dig- ital world. It's when the dock door opens, the Nebuchadnezzar comes in through the bay door and you see what the world of looks like. That's a completely digital world. There are no miniatures. Nothing was built. That was all done on computers. And that was created by Owen with all of the visual effects guys. So that's a set, but it isn't a physical set. It's built in cyberspace.

"Kym did an amazing job. I just saw a trailer for Underworld, and it's shocking sometimes how people seem to 'borrow' the ideas that she and the boys came up with, and just use them as freely as they want. But that's the way the world works. The look of It didn't make much sense, but the "Burly Brawl" was entertaining. In Revolutions, the the coats and all of that stuff [in replicating Agents once again line up for a battle royal with Neo. www.starlog.com STARLOG/December 2003 43 _

people are thinking about it. But at the end of Revolutions, many of the things that haven't been clear up to now will be clearer.

However, much of it is still up to how you interpret and feel about it."

The Matrix Universe is more than just the movies. The Wachowskis have used animat- ed shorts {) and a video game () to explore their cyber world. So does Revolutions close the book on the Matrix, or will the Wachowskis con- tinue and expand their story through games, comics, novels, etc.? "There are more things Morpheus and Trinity are on — that they're planning to do, with the DVD different paths in Revolutions, but they releases," Silver says. "They would like to, have the same goal: Save Zion; stop the machines. at some point, come back with a super DVD

[of all three films]. They're also talking about trying to connect all of the stuff that they shot for the video game into a special DVD feature, in which you could actually get to points in the movie where it will tell you, 'To continue this sequence, do this.' So you would be able to see what happens after that sequence, and you would have access to the game footage from the movies. They're thinking about things like that. But the story as we've seen it ends with Revolutions." Dark Matters

Silver's other latest project is the horror movie Gothika (which premieres November 21, see FANGORIA #228, now on sale). The film stars Halle Berry as a criminal psychol- ogist who wakes up one day and is now a patient at the hospital where she works. Produced by Silver and Hopefully, (with Susan Levin) under their Dark Castle Revolutions will banner, Gothika "is Halle in a really terrify- Link (Harold ing tale," Silver says. "Dark Castle is about Perrineau) together ghost stories. We want to make good ghost all of the Matrix's stories. We want them to be supernatural. loose ends, covering Many of these supernatural thrillers, at the everything from end of the day, aren't supernatural. The A to Zee Others, The Sixth Sense and Stir of Echoes (). had ghost themes—and I think they're fan- tastic—but Gothika really has a sophisticat- ed supernatural feel to it. It is supernatural.

44 STARLOG/December 2003 Now that the is locked in the afterlife, With the fate of the human race on the line, what part do the Merovingian (Lambert Wilson) and Morpheus won't have much time (Monica Bellucci) play in the finale? to woo Niobe () back.

And we have Halle, Penelope Cruz and acles and make Adrenalynn, based on the supposedly would like to play the character,

Robert Downey Jr. in it, which is incredible. Tony Daniel comic book and set to star and some Matrix fans have suggested Moss They're great actors, and there are great rela- as the half-human/half- as a possible Wonder Woman. "Sandy was tionships and things happening in the film. cyborg out to destroy America; Lobo, from never really attached," Silver says. "She

[Director] Mathieu Kassovitz is a very tal- the -Roger Slifer DC comic; talked about always wanting to play the ented fellow, and he has made an extremely and DCs Wonder Woman, that iconic super- character, but that was never real. That was thrilling and exciting movie that pays off. I heroine created by William Moulton just conversation. No one is attached. Once

think it will scare the shit out of people. Marston. "We have a screenwriter [Birds of we have a script, we'll get a director and cast "We have a bunch of projects in various Prey scribe Laeta Kalogridis], and we're an actress." stages at Dark Castle. We're going to redo moving ahead with Wonder Woman," Silver Legendary producer David O. Selznick House of Wax. Maybe that will be the next reveals. "I hope to do that movie in a year or made Gone With the Wind in 1939 and spent one. Bob and I are really enjoying Dark so. I don't want to rush into a picture like the rest of his career chasing that legacy. He Castle. The movies don't cost quite as much, that. It has to be right. I had a few drafts that continued to make strong pictures, but so the stakes aren't as high as on the Matrix didn't work for me or the studio, and I'm frankly, my dear, nothing he produced ever films." hoping that in the next month or two we get replicated that film's phenomenal success. That's not to say, however, that Gothika something really terrific. If that's the case, Silver produced many winners before the

was a vacation compared to the back-to-back then we'll put it together and make it." Matrix trilogy, and he'll no doubt produce productions of the Matrix sequels. Far from Sandra Bullock, whose name was long some more, but can he ever top The Matrix,

it, in fact. "The Matrix trilogy was a gigantic mentioned, is reportedly no longer on the The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix experience," Silver comments. "It was short list of potential Princesses. Revolutions in terms of cultural impact, box almost like manifest destiny getting The On the other hand, office success and sheer showmanship? In

Matrix done. I have other movies to make that will hopefully be as well-received as

The Matrix, but I don't know if anything will Next up from ever be as big, in scope, as The Matrix. But Silver's Dark Castle any movie you make is difficult. Nothing is is Gothika. easy. Halle broke her arm four or five weeks Halie Berry plays a criminal into making Gothika. We shut the movie psychologist who down. It's complicated stuff. It isn't as tough wakes up as as doing thousands of special effects shots, a patient at it's still It's process, and you but tough. a her own hospital. have to get through it. You have to put the

tale on the screen and get it out to the audi- ence. Making movies is difficult and making

hit movies is even more difficult. Getting it

all to work is a miracle." Silver hopes to pull off some further mir-

other words, more succinctly put, is it all downhill from here? "I don't think so," Joel Silver replies. "Look, The Matrix came out of nowhere. It's

not like the first movie was based on some gigantic, huge, bestselling novel, video game or comic book. It came from the imag- ination of these two guys in Chicago. We

were able to make it into a great movie

because it was great material. But I have many movies ahead of me. I think I'm still a young man, and I'm looking forward to years of hopefully good work and hopefully

great movies." *jbr www.starlog.com STARLOG/December 2003 45 46 STARLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com By KEITH OLEXA lat compelled bestselling nov- And to think it all began with one small elist Orson Scott Card to write drawing. "Way back in 1992 or 1993," says

the story for an illustrated book Chiang, "I had drawn this little sketch of fly- about a robot empire? Nothing. He felt no ing saucers and tall ships, and there was compulsion—only interest. "I never had to something really neat about that image that work on it," says Card. "I wanted to. Terrific just caught me. It always stayed with me,

art, nice guy, good story. Worth doing." probably because I love flying saucers and

The nice guy he's talking about is also tall ships! Seeing the two images together in

the book's terrific artist, Star Wars: Episode the same picture was very striking. I thought

I: The Phantom Menace and Episode If: there was a story there." Attack of the Clones concept design director Indeed, there was. Robota tells the tale of Doug Chiang. And the good story, Robota: Caps, a human who wakes up in a strange Reign of Machines, was actually created by machine with no memory of himself or his Chiang. But Chiang realized that a story is world. Upon leaving the machine, he's beset

only as good as its writer, and that's why he by powerful metal warriors, and in fleeing

asked Card to actually pen the tale. After all, discovers some interesting things about him- anything worth doing is worth doing well, self—such as his ability to leap incredible and most readers who open Robota's silver, distances and withstand blows from robot robot-laden cover will immediately discover punches that would shatter normal limbs. that. Between the richly painted images and While evading his automated adver- the brilliant story of an Earthlike world saries—led by an aggressive robot named under the yoke of robot tyranny, they'll be Kaantur-Set—he befriends Rend, a sarcas- hooked faster than they can say "Karei tic, talking monkey; Juomes, a giant apelike Capek." hunter who has a score to settle with the ombining brushstroke with keystroke! Doug Chiang & Orson Scott Card engineer a brave new world & all the robots in it.

Juomes, a giant apelike hunter, has a score to settle with the robots.

STARLOC/December 2003 47 "You know and I know that most art books Giant Jodphurs and other intelligent have lousy text," remarks Card. "But Doug animals join Caps' fight gave me the leeway to do my part well." against the mechanical adversaries.

robots; and a host of other intelligent ani- ed right away. He said he liked the material, "So there were two things going concur- mals (including the giant saurian Jodphurs), and we just clicked really well. We devel- rently—the novelization and my illustrated rebel robots and humans who struggle oped a friendship over the next few years as book. Slowly, as my publishing deadline against their machine oppressors. Caps' I developed the story." came about, I realized that I had finished all adventures take him from a giant fungal city "Doug e-mailed me out of the blue," says the paintings. I had this treatment, but now I where humans plan robot destruction to a Card, mirroring Chiang's remarks. "We did had to write the illustrated book text. Then it floating metropolis where Kaantur-Set and not meet until some time later in LA; that dawned on me that I had access to this his metal minions plot the end of all their was when I committed to the project. You incredible writer, so I asked Scott if he world's life. Caps also makes some incredi- can't decide to collaborate with someone would write it, and he was kind enough to ble discoveries about himself and his place until you've actually met them. And as say yes." in the Robota Universe. human beings go, I hope our future evolu- Card saw something quite provocative in

tion is based on Doug." Chiang's work. "You know and I know that Merging Minds But Chiang hadn't yet considered Card most art books have lousy text," Card can-

Chiang played with Robota for years, but as the writer of his illustrated book. "At the didly remarks. "Even when a good writer is it wasn't until 1999 that he committed him- time I contacted Scott," Chiang explains, "I involved, the text becomes the servant of the self to work on it as an illustrated book. Over had a well-structured treatment—even art. I could give you a list of really bad books several months, he produced a slate of paint- though there were still some holes that need- [with pretty good art], only I would offend ings and a detailed treatment. Chiang then ed to be fixed. I wasn't [planning on work- some friends. But Doug had something decided he wanted the best pair of eyes he ing] together in a more collaborative fash- unusual—for him, the art was important, but could find to look over his writing. Enter ion; I was just thinking, 'It would be great to the story was important, too. So he gave me Card. get a person whom I'm such a huge fan of to the leeway to do my part well." "I contacted him on a fluke," Chiang comment on my work.' But slowly, as the "It merged our different disciplines," explains. "I just e-mailed him, introduced process evolved, he offered to write the nov- Chiang adds. "I come from a film back- myself and said, 'I'm working on a story, elization for it [to go along with the illustrat- ground, where I design visual worlds for would you be interested in giving me some ed book]. And that was a real thrill, because mass media and pop-culture entertainment, thoughts and critiquing it?' And he respond- I knew he could take it to the next level. and Scott comes from a stropg SF/literary

Stiltwalkers—seen here both in design sketch and final painting—and Chiang's other strange creations provided Card with all the visual inspiration he needed to flesh out Robota's storyline.

"Robots are something I love and am comfortable with," notes Chiang. "I love to tinker with mechanical things and figure out how they work." 48 STARLOG/December 2003 —

background. It seemed like a great fusion of A stunning sight floating in Kaantur's the two art forms." the sky, City is home to the It was a fusion that lacked egotism. story's villainous robot Though Card and Chiang are both masters in mastermind Kaantur-Set. their fields with plenty to crow about, the spectre of "creative differences" didn't dark- en this partnership. "It was actually very col- laborative," says Chiang. "I saw Scott as my mentor in this, so I kept the story points com- t pletely open. If he wanted to change some- thing, we would talk about it. I would offer my points and he would offer his, and if I agreed with his, he won. We worked very well together, because we were in sync with the characters and the story. For example, when I showed Scott the treatment, he wondered whether Caps should have his memory at the beginning. That was one of the key elements to my treatment Caps having no memory. But when Scott brought up [the change], I left it completely up to him. If he felt that was the right way to do it, he could do it. But ultimately he decid- ed to stay with what I created." "We never disagreed on creative issues," Card concurs. "We respected each other's work, and when our visions differed, it was easy to find a solution that met both of our needs. The only time you have disagreements is when one or both collaborators are inse- cure about their own talent, and regard the other person's suggestions as a challenge or implied criticism. Doug and I both know that we're damn good at what we do, so we don't have to fight with somebody in order to reas- sure ourselves that we're the 'top guy.' "Doug came up with a good storyline," continues Card, "and what I added fell smoothly and easily into place. I wish I could tell you that this was the result of some titanic inner-artistic struggle, but if there was any struggling, Doug did it before

I met him." Rendering Robots Chiang produced a thorough treatment and enough art to make Card's job easier. "I gave Scott all the material I had developed," The two collaborators didn't Besides providing Card with a have many battles. "My 20-plus-page story treatment, storytelling ability includes Chiang supplied him with lots the ability to know when not of impressive art, like this to mess with a good thing," sketch of a Transept comments Card. —

Studying this "retro" robot, it's easy to Full of exotic and colorful Beryl—the Eyes of the Forest—is a see similarities to Chiang's battle droid prehistoric creatures, Robota isn't beautiful young woman Caps comes design from the Star Wars prequels. all metal and machines. across while seeking out Kaantur-Set.

says Chiang. "I gave him a 20-plus-page filled in the last act," Chiang says, "which story, and still have him be strong enough to

treatment, so everything was detailed out. deals with how Caps recovers his memory make it work.

And I gave him the paintings, in terms of and everything is tied up. I knew when I "Ren was also interesting," he adds,

what the artwork was in relation to the actu- wrote the treatment that there were some "because I was on the fence about him

al text. I wanted Scott to have the freedom to holes that needed to be explained. And even throughout the whole thing. I was fearful of

fix things as he saw fit. I just said, 'Try to though I had figured out a very comprehen- falling into the trap of creating a cute, cuddly make this a great story.' It was refreshing, sive history of the whole character arc—as sidekick; that's a very overdone cliche." because he stayed very close to my original well as the entire history of this world Practicality, and Card's love of Robota as

treatment. But he obviously enhanced it." there was still a narrative thread that needed it stood, meant that there was no need for

Card agrees that Chiang had really done to be tied up. I didn't know how to fix that, him to make character additions. "In- his writing homework. "Doug had a com- but Scott did." troducing a new character would have plete story outline," he recalls. "I fleshed it One of the places Card didn't find holes required redoing major portions of the exist- out, worked on some of the science-fictional was with Chiang's characters. Typical of ing art," says Card. "I'm a pro. lust as a poet aspects and developed character a bit more. Card, he embraced them all equally. "I fall in has to work within the confines of a sonnet,

For the text to work, though, I had to keep it love with all my characters or I can't write I also had some parameters to meet, and I spare—the text-to-art ratio had to make them," he admits. "So I just can't comment met them. My storytelling ability includes sense for an art book. Therefore, I didn't do on any of them coming more easily or speak- the ability to know when not to mess with a all the development I would have for a full ing more strongly or being harder to realize. good thing."

novel. The result is a novella treatment of the I do with all the characters what I do with story. characters." Facing Futures "I've done this before: [My novel] Wyrms For Chiang, however, some came more Certainly a good thing—make that a was first a novella called 'Unwyrm,' and easily than others. "The easiest were great thing—about Robota is the art. After Hart's Hope was originally a novella enti- Kaantur-Set and luomes," he says. "They're all, see for yourself, as displayed on these tled Tnwit' —even though both followed so off the extreme, and extreme characters pages. Chiang combines several illustrations essentially the same storyline. [With novel- are the easiest to come up with. The whole with a wealth of paintings, varying from lush las], you don't delve as deeply into motiva- world of robots—what they're about, their tropical landscapes—full of exotic and pre- tion, and you don't indulge in as much chat, philosophy of life, how they came into historic animals (many equipped with tech- introspection and digression. I moved swift- being—came very easily. Likewise, Juomes, nological enhancements)—to the rusted, ly through the scenes that weren't illustrated, the hunter beast, wasn't difficult, because I worn metal of the robots and their instru- and I took my time with the ones that the knew what I wanted. Caps, on the other mentality. "I wanted to make the robots very reader could actually see." hand, is the focal character who drives the retro," explains Chiang. "Retro in the sense

According to Chiang, Card did more whole narrative, and he was hard. It was that they're high technology, but not these than just flesh things out. The author challenging trying to create a character com- super-slick machines. They're actually very enhanced the story in key places. "Scott pelling enough that you want to follow the old, sort of medieval in look." Chiang, who never had formal art school training, admits that his love of landscapes and wildlife heavily influences his style. "I'm a big fan of wildlife artists and land- scape painters—Albert Bierstadt is a big influence. Maritime painters are an influ-

ence, too. I also appreciate Western painters, like Howard Turping."

Despite the novelty factor, "I wasn't at- tracted to writing a story that combines text with art," says Card. "I was only interested in writing a good story that combines text

with really good art. The challenge, of Chiang labored over course, is that I can't contradict the art in any Robota for years. way, including in mood or attitude. But this Now finally finished, is nowhere near as painful as doing a movie it's a $35 hardcover novelization, where you're locked into the from Chronicle Books, performances of the actors can't 'inter- on sale now. and pret' a line differently from the way the actor

50 STARLOG/December 2003 said it. Doug's art is evocative, but his 'actors' didn't misread the lines. I had more DOn'T MISS WhAT's freedom to say what a character meant." S'JJYIHAGEft. BABYLON 5] The two creators probably diverge the iciJ-i 1 most on the subject of robots. Chiang's pas- On sion for machines can be clearly seen in his work on the Star Wars prequels, to say noth- ing of Robota. "I grew up loving mechanical Interviews: David Duchovny, Rene devices," enthuses Chiang. "I love to tinker Auberjonois, Salome with mechanical things and figure out how Jens, Tim Russ, Pat Tallman, Richard they work. I draw very mechanically. I even Here's the programming lineup Chevolleau. Sliders. break down the human form into robotic $10 of past editions. Order NOW. terms—that's how my brain likes to work. So robots are something I just love and am comfortable with."

Card's take is different. His interest lies 1 not with the robots themselves, but human L i interaction with them. He also understands that other writers have already done the sub- genre justice. "I am keenly aware of how * thoroughly and brilliantly Isaac Asimov has • dealt with all the important issues involving 11 robots," he says. "So my stories have never turned in that direction—Asimov's shadow #a #3 #4 #5 Interviews: Chris Interviews: Interviews: Robert Interviews: Christopher looms too large." Kate Carter, Nicole deBoer, Mulgrew, Michael Dorn, Picardo, Garrett Wang, Judge, Ben Browder, And while Chiang can picture robots , Robert Armin Shimerman, AEyson Kannigan, Michael Eastern. Chris Owens, Kevin Kilner, developing as "almost another life form," Duncan McNeill, Jonathan LaPaglia, X- Cirroc Lofton, Anita La Roxann Dawson, Mark director Rob Bowman. Selva, Richard Burgi, Nick Searcy, B5 direc- Card can't—except as a fictional tool for Dacascos, X-writer Young Jules Verne. Sabine Karsenti, Kevin tor Janet Greek. exploring humanity. "I think the chance [of a Vince Gilligan. Complete Babylon 5 Conroy, John Cope- Writing Trek. S6 Animated Godzilla. $6 Episode Guide. $6 land. The Sentinel Epi- completely robotic society existing] is zero," sode Guide. $6 says Card, "because I believe the chance of

artificial intelligence ever being 'alive' is zero. I can use AI in fiction the way I use other false concepts that are helpful in sto- ries, like faster-than-light starflight and time

travel. I don't think they can possibly hap- pen, but they allow me to tell a cool story about human beings." Chronicle Books unleashes Robota as a deluxe $35 hardcover this month. Meanwhile, Chiang's next big project is Robert Zemeckis' Polar Express. "It's a real- #9 #10 ly big show" is all he'll say about the Tom Interviews: Jeri Ryan, Interviews: Tia Carrere. Interviews: Gillian Interviews: Sebastian Sarah Michelle Gellar, Eric Close, Jonathan Anderson, James Spence, Katherine Hanks movie (due out in November 2004) Renee O'Connor, Nana Frakes, Amanda Tap- Marsters, Robert Heigl, Jennifer Sky, based on Chris Van Allsburg's popular chil- Visitor, Terry Farrell, ping, Robert Trebor. Leeshock, Michael Phil LaMarr. Melissa Jason Shanks, Christien Crider, Farscape cre- dren's book. Chiang hasn't stopped crafting Carrie Dobro, Roswell. 7 Days. Carter, Alan Scarfe, Beastmaster. Black Anholt, Glen Larson, ator Rockne O'Bannon, Robota, either, and CGI mini-movies can be First Wave creator Scorpion. $7 Now & Again creator Roswell creator Jason viewed at his website (www.dchiang.com). Chris Brancato. $6 Glenn Gordon Caron. Katims. The Others. Big Guy & Rusty. TV's Jack of All Trades. He's also working with Sony Imageworks on Starship Troopers FX. Complete Millennium & a Robota video game, and there's a possibil- Complete Hercules Poltergeist Episode Note: Issue #7 is SOLD OUT. Episode Guide. $7 Guides. $7 ity of a movie deal. Details of Card's exploits can be found at his website, www.hatrack.com, but he offers Crystal City [the next Alvin SCI-FI ISSUE5 a few here. "The TV BACK Maker book] is coming out from Tor in Please send me these SCI-FI TV issues November. A collection of my poetry, An # Price # Price Total enclosed: $_ Open Book, will be available on my website # Price # Price Price Price prior to Christmas. I'm writing the dialogue # # Account No. for an XBox game called Advent Rising. I'm Postage & Handling: One magazine penning the novel Rachel and Leah, the next add $3. Two to five magazines add $8. Card Expiration Date: . / (Mo./Yr.) Six or more magazines add $10. Foreign: in the Women of Genesis series. By magazine add $9. Two or more One add Your Daytime Phone #:(_ _) Christmas, I'll have finished a contemporary $5 per magazine. New York State resi- fantasy for Del Rey Books. And by June, I'll dents add 8 1/4% sales tax. have turned in The Shadow the Giant to of Method of Payment: Print Name As It Appears On Your Card Tor, concluding the Shadow series. My two Cash Check Money Order weekly columns, 'Uncle Orson Reviews Master Discover Card Street Everything' and 'War Watch' are available Visa

online. Oh, and I'm directing a local produc- Cash, check or money order to: City State Zip tion of Fiddler on the Roof in the spring." STARLOG GROUP, INC. 475 Park Avenue South Which just goes to show that if any two New York, NY 10016 artists were more prolific and talented, they Your Signature If you do not want to cut out coupon, would have to be machines. 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.starlog.com By MAUREEN McTIGUE

o understand just how stoked Genndy Tarta- kovsky's team is to be working on Cartoon Network's Clone Wars— Cartoon Network takes a 20-episode, three-minute-each animat- ed bridge between Star Wars: Episode fans to an animate II: Attack of the Clones and the upcom- ing Episode III—one only has to turn to galaxy fan, far awa j , art director Paul Rudish. "I'm super- excited!" he enthuses. "It's a dream come true. story arc. You could edit all the episodes "I've been studying the lore for 25 years," Rudish laughs. into one movie." Asked about his first reaction to the news that the But don't sign up for your DVD advance Tartakovsky animation team—responsible for the Cartoon copy yet. The first 10 shorts have yet to Network hits 's Laboratory and Samurai Jack— air—they'll be broadcast weeknights would be playing in the high-profile, highly protected Star November 7-21 at 8 p.m. on Cartoon Wars Universe, Rudish teases, "Well, I ran immediately to Network—and, as of this writing, they're the laundry room to clean my soiled pants, and then I came not even finished. (The second flight of 10 back." episodes will premiere in spring 2004.) The story of how they got the gig is simple enough. "It Then there's the final judgment of the pow- was being shopped around by various folks," Rudish says, ers-that-be. "There's a pretty scrutinizing "and one of them came to Cartoon Network looking for peo- approvals process," Rudish admits. But don't panic about Switching ple to do it. An executive said, 'We have some people for the Lucas team coming down hard on the guys. "When we from Samurai you.' They asked us, and we said, 'Yeah, of course! Are you went to see them, they gave us the parameters of what they Jack to Star Wars' kidding?' were looking for: 'Some of the Clone Wars between Episode swordfighting "But we needed to pitch our take on it to . II and Episode III, and we want Anakin and Obi-Wan fea- Jedi wasn't a We were told about the format and what they were looking tured as the main guys.' They also wanted us to include two difficult to do. So over two weeks, we did some very quick develop- new villainous cronies of Dooku's, Count Asajj Ventress and jump for ment artwork, and tried to come up with the look, beat out a Durge, who they were developing in the comics and various art director story and figure out how we could make it work in this supplementary materials. Paul Rudish. super-small format using only three-minute episodes. We "From there, it was pretty much open for us to do what- broke down an outline, wrote a blurb for each episode ever we wanted within that time frame and with those exist- describing what we would do with which characters and ing characters. We send everything up there [to Lucasfilm], took our artwork over to the folks at Lucas Ranch. and the feedback has been pretty painless, just little things Everything went over great, so we hit the ground running like, 'Change that planet to this planet.' There haven't been and started going for it." too many battles, because we're trying to stay true to the

films and base it on what we know about the universe. So Brief Attacks far, we've been able to please them sufficiently." The action Of course, time was of the essence—in more ways than takes place, by the way, on planets ranging from Muunilist one. "Originally, we were thinking, 'Wow, what can we do and Rattatak to Coruscant and Mon Calamari. " with three minutes?' Rudish grins. "Unfortunately, that As of late September, Rudish notes, "We have five short period of time became the main stumbling block. You episodes in the can with sound and music. We're still doing can't really fit much story into a few minutes. Genndy's ini- layouts and design material for #20, so we're almost at the tial concept was more like Band of Brothers, where the end here, in various states. The different segments are either episodes don't necessarily need to be united. Each story being animated, edited or having music added to them." could be a vignette of something happening in wartime. We Regarding which of the 20 episodes—officially called could cut around and do different things with the various "chapters"—is his favorite, Rudish responds: "It's hard to leading troops on multiple locations and planets. say. Out of the first five, I really like number three, an "As we started to come up with sequences and hammer adventure with a bunch of ARC troopers down behind out the story, stuff began to fall into line, and Clone Wars enemy lines. That one is pretty fun because you get to sneak ended up becoming more of a cliffhanger, with one story arc around a town with a squad. It came together especially running throughout it. That arc follows Obi-Wan Kenobi well. The storyboards by Mark Andrews are fantastic, and and Anakin Skywalker, but there are a couple of breakaway the animation came back really nice. But I think they're all chapters that are vignettes of their own. There's one with Kit coming together great. Fisto leading an assault by himself, and others with charac- "I'm excited about some of the lightsaber duels that take ters like Yoda and Padme. The Droids have a side adventure place at the end. I prefer the swordfighting [duels] to the for two episodes, and Mace Windu has two segments to him- army men [battles], but ARC Troopers Down' did turn out self, where he kicks butt and we show off his super-Force fantastic. There are many things in each chapter that I like. powers. But Clone Wars did end up wrapping itself into a There's a duel between Count Dooku and Asajj that I'm

52 STARLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com

Not restricted by puppetry limitations, the cartoon Yoda can somersault and spring about with ease—and all without computers. So why does he need that cane? Trying to capture both Anakin's youth and dark side interesting and avoid laboring too made drawing the hard on all the details inside. And future Darth Vader now, we're applying that process to difficult a the photographic world. We're boil- assignment. ing it down to a middle ground. We're taking our art and design philosophy over the years and lay-

ing it on top of a Star Wars photo. It's an editing process in your mind, where you decide which details are essential. Like with Obi-Wan, you figure out how many layers of robe you can throw away." Continuing to compare Samurai Jack and Clone Wars, Rudish remarks, "I believe our approach to these shows isn't that different because Star Wars has been so instrumental to the formation of our creative thinking.

Star Wars hit theaters in 1977, and it was such a poignant part of our

childhoods. If you look at Samurai Jack, it's [definitely influenced by] Star Wars. There's plenty of Star Wars-ish iconography and ideas in Jack. We put him in a white robe, and while he doesn't have a laser sword, he has a metal one! And then there's that iconic con- cept of black-and-white heroes. Luckily, Star Wars is very carica- tured. The characters are very black-and-white and almost cartoony.

They're extremely iconic characters. So it wasn't too hard making the shift from our previous work to Star Wars, because that has always been an underlying inspiration anyway."

And that inspiration is found at every level, as details get moved and removed, not to mention cloned and decloned. "Fortunately, the backgrounds are pretty lush, so that brings a lot to Clone Wars" Rudish says. "Our art director on the painting

excited about, and its backgrounds are beautiful. It's going to be side, the BG [painter], Scott Wills, is fantastic. Dave awesome, too." Michel Gagne designed the series' special FX. Dunnet drew most of the key backgrounds. Those two Just as they did for Futurama, Rough Draft Studios is creating the guys have created really rich environments. They look

CG spaceships. straight out of Star Wars; they're just a little more painterly. Samurai Wars "As far as the props, characters and animated por- Rudish had worked with Tartakovsky and Craig tions, we really have to pare things down and McCracken as a storyboard artist on 2 Stupid edit them. All the movie costumes are so Dogs (also art director), The detailed, and the robots have these Powerpuff Girls (also writer), nuggets, bolts and other things. Dexter's Laboratory (also art They look great in live-action, director, writer and director) because you can build them. But we

and Samurai Jack. Creating some can 't keep drawing them over and over and thing from scratch, as the over again, so we go through an editing

Tartakovsky team did with process: 'How much can I take off of this but Samurai Jack, is one thing. still keep the same silhouette of the characters? But to build upon already How can I maintain the same look to the armor, existing material—and from but without having to draw every ridge and joint? live-action, no less—is How can I lose two-thirds of the information from this something very different. But photograph but keep the one-third that embodies the Rudish points out: "Our overall design?' We have to find ways to lessen the approach is the same sort of pencil mileage.

thinking. It's just like design- "As the art director, I had to do all [of the char- ing Jack, where we pare things acters] design-wise," Rudish continues. "I person-

down, and think about the sil- ally like Obi-Wan, and it was actually pretty easy houette, overall shape and pro- to work his design out. But there was lots of portion. We try to make that sketching—trying to figure out how cartoony, car-

Cartoon Network's 20-chapter ls Droids making a comeback? saga bridges the gap between Hell no! But Clone Wars' C-3PO does Episode II and ///. But will it recall the robot's earlier animated explain why R2-D2 now has exploits. Anthony Daniels the ability to fly? voices C-3PO once again here.

54 STARLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com icatured and illustrative Clone Wars should be. We went back and forth, fooling around with exaggerated styles and then back to the

Marvel Comics Star Wars look. But because Clone Wars is based on the movies, we felt kind of awkward making it too silly. So we ended up, hopefully, with a more illustrative version." Jedi Returns The movies remain at the core of these wars. "Process-wise, we relied on the films and Art o/books for research," Rudish says. "And once we got down to the characters, we drew different caricatures of the actors, and tried to determine what's cool about them. At that point, Genndy told me to put away all the reference material and stop looking at the photos. He asked me to do my impression of what / think Obi-Wan feels like, as opposed to just drawing Ewan

McGregor. So I did some Ewan McGregors and concern. In fact, those advancements have actually made matters Alec Guinnesses more fun for animators. "Our Yoda can jump and fly around, too," he and tried to see says. "Theoretically, we can do anything that was achieved in the their similarities. I films, just as in a drawn version. We aren't limited to a puppet hid- then blurred them togeth- ing behind a rock—although we did try to stage things like that for er, and focused on what was Yoda before he jumps into action, just cause that's how we felt it important for the character. With should be done. We cut Yoda off down at the bottom, and pretended Anakin, he looks less like Hayden that Frank Oz was [hiding beneath] the drawing." Christensen and is more of a brooding For Rudish, Tartakovsky and the Cartoon Network team, Clone

type of guy. He was actually pretty hard. I Wars is more than just another job. "It has such a place in our hearts wanted to keep Anakin's youth and his from our boyhood days," Rudish muses. "It's fantastic, and we get

dark, brooding aspects. It was difficult really excited. Some days, there are schedule or budget issues that

infusing both of those things into his remind us that it's work. We'll be overwhelmed by the official pro-

design. Hopefully, it will feel right for the duction matters and work items that have to be dealt with. It's kind

character." of a weird mix: Star Wars used to be my fun hobby, but now it's on One of the freedoms available in animation is that my desk and it's work time. It's very odd putting Star Wars in that

characters can do just about anything. But the advent framework. But even if I get bent out of shape by scheduling, dead-

of computer-generated imagery in live-action lines and the things that I'm doing, I'm still doing Star Wars," he movies has given that medium a broader ability to laughs.

tell a story. Nowhere was this more evident than "I'll say to myself, 'I gotta get this many drawings done by when Yoda—a puppet in The Empire Strikes Back, Friday and blah, blah, blah,' " Paul Rudish comments. "Then I real- Return of the Jedi and all but one shot of The ize that I'm drawing C-3PO. That's amazing! Holy cow! I had a Phantom Menace—dueled with Count Dooku in moment one day where R2-D2 and C-3PO were staring back at me Attack of the Clones. If film is now able to give on the paper. They were like, 'Hey, you're drawing us again, like you us a digital Yoda leap-frogging around an ath- used to when you were eight. But this time we're going to be on TV

letic 80-year-old Christopher Lee, what's left and George said you got to!' It warms the cockles of my eight-year-

for animation? old heart. It's truly exciting to be given the chance to contribute to Well, Rudish doesn't bat an eye at this this world that gave me so much as a youngster." -^y

Choosing the appropriate animation style was crucial. Rudish didn't want to clone the cinematic characters, but too much exaggeration seemed "silly."

STARLOG/December 2003 55 griiii grinning ghosts ~

, come out [to socialize, you're invited

along for the ride. ?s

W&tf / tA

By KYLE COUNTS TT I

ft hristmas is coming early this year Parker), under the impression that it's for exactly why they were brought there." for screenwriter David Beren- sale. Even though he's about to leave on a That plot point has something to do with baum. At a time when even indus- vacation with his wife and kids, worka- Jim's wife and business partner, Sara

try veterans are finding it difficult to get holic Jim can't resist swinging by to see (Marsha Thomason), and a 100-year-old work, Berenbaum has not one but two what has been billed as a prime piece of curse on the estate. "They get a lot more movies being released with his name real estate (complete with a mysterious than they bargained for." attached: Elf, starring Will Ferrell, and butler named Ramsley, played by Terence The Haunted Mansion, toplining Eddie Stamp). Ghost writer Murphy. "It feels fantastic," he enthuses. But Gracey Mansion turns out to be Berenbaum, who grew up in Phil- "To get a movie made, the stars have to be the ultimate fixer-upper, with dead people adelphia, was "always watching movies. I in alignment in every conceivable way. I buried in the backyard. Worse, it's rid- had a Super-8 camera that was passed feel very lucky to have two movies coming dled with ghosts. But before the Evers can down from my brother, so I was out mak- out at the same time]" flee, a storm swoops in and washes out the ing movies, too." He studied film at New In The Haunted Mansion, realtor Jim road, forcing them to spend the night in York University, graduating in 1992, and

Evers (Murphy) and his family are invited the sinister household. "They're lured loved that city, but it seemed to him that to an antebellum mansion owned by the there under false pretenses," Berenbaum the major filmmaking opportunities were eccentric Edward Gracey (Nathaniel says. "As the story develops, we find out in . So, on October 30, 1993

56 STARLOG/Decem/w 2003 www.starlog.com

— —

niiu uviuiuauui iii.-ii.-ii.-i nun mj cuilu about "the building of the ride, were issued by Disney as to which of the 'wimJC^1^' ^ nter at y°ur and what the creators were think- ride's trademark elements had to be risk. Wjth *own ( , ing" when they sat down to, well, worked into the storyline. It was always Murphy aboard, imagine it. Some, he says, wanted about "what was best for the story. If that Haunted it to be scary, while others pushed fit into the narrative, we would include it. Mansion is for a more humorous direction. There are certain elements [such as the f definitely a" (As all fans of the ride know, the Stretch Room] in the ride that we just had comgdy, but end result was, per for." scripter David Berenbaum, no place Others, like "the man hang- "half and half.") Later, Beren- ing from the ceiling" and "the singing ; Berenbaum delivers horrific baum and director Minkoff bust," made the final cut. Like the ride moments, too. (whose resume includes the Roger itself, the movie is a combination of mild Rabbit shorts and both Stuart scares and amusing, otherworldly person- Little movies) were given permis- alities. sion to walk through the Haunted "There s such great imagery on the Mansion before the park open- ride that I wanted to use as much as pos- ed—with all the lights on, no less. sible," Berenbaum says. "The Haunted They returned later that same Mansion is a part of Americana, and we day to ride the attraction with wanted to give [moviegoers] the experi- paying customers, an experience ence of the actual attraction, at the same that Berenbaum describes as time making it compelling. We used "pretty cool." everything that would facilitate our nar- rative. There are so many nods and tips of Holiday Spirits the hat to the ride itself that I don't think

As scribe of The Haunted anyone will be disappointed. This is some- Mansion, Berenbaum's goal was thing for everyone. It's a comedy, it's a

to remain true to the spirit of the mystery, it's a romance and it's a fairy ride, yet add elements that would tale—much like the ride." allow the film to stand on its own. And with Murphy thrown into the mix write for Disney. He obviously did, and in "I always knew Madame Leota [Jennifer ("He's amazing in the movie"), audiences February 2001 Berenbaum became a Tilly] would play a part in the movie" can expect plenty of laughs in the tradi- member of the Disney Writers Program. specifically, he says, as a guide of sorts, a tion of The Ghost Breakers and

The idea (credited to Disney execs spirit who knows the mansion's dirty little Beetlejuice. "Eddie is so easy to relate to Nina Jacobson and Dick Cook) to make a secret. "The one image that stuck out, that people will have no trouble seeing film based on the Haunted Mansion when I was looking at all the information themselves being trapped in this man- perhaps Disney's most beloved theme- I had collected at Imagineering, was the sion," says Berenbaum. "What would park attraction—came out of that pro- bride with the beating heart. What was they do? Eddie is sort of the Everyman in gram. The studio wanted to develop the her story? What drove her to be there?" this situation." Or, to give it a project from the inside, as well as reunite It eventually was decided that the film Hitchcockian spin, he's "an ordinary guy the winning team from The IJon King, co- would revolve around a middle-class fam- trapped in an extraordinary situation." director Rob Minkoff and producer Don ily that pays a business-related visit to a Halm. Berenbaum compares the program crumbling old mansion, in the process to the old studio system, where writers learning some hair-raising information were paid a weekly salary and given an about their lineage. When Minkoff was office on the lot so the powers that be hired to direct and Murphy (not the initial could oversee their creative output. So, off choice for the lead) signed on, "we had to Although Terence Stamp he went to draft a storyline for The reconfigure the story for Eddie's voice," is known for Haunted Mansion. Eventually, Beren- Berenbaum relates, though the project essaying scary baum came up with a treatment (with was always envisioned as a "horror come- villains, this is input from producer Andrew Gunn and dy." (Watch for a cameo by Don Knotts, one case where executive producer Brigham Taylor) that who once upon a time made his own the butler didn't

"everyone was excited about. After that haunted house outing, The Ghost and Mr. do it. Probably. was signed off on, I started writing my Chicken.) first draft, which I believe was in April 2001."

Berenbaum is, needless to say, a huge fan of the Haunted Mansion, which he first experienced as a youngster at

Florida's Disney World. "I went on it a whole bunch of times," he offers, sound- ing, appropriately enough, like an enthu- siastic kid. "I loved it. I loved the whole 1 macabre atmosphere. It's kind of creepy, * > i kind of spooky and weird things coine at you. I remember the ghosts leaving with you as you exit the ride. You leave having had an experience. I always liked that ride more than any other Disney attraction." He hadn't visited the Haunted Human specters aren't the Mansion in years when he started work only spirits haunting this supernatural on the movie adaptation. Berenbaum estate. Beware the pale horses galloping the began by collecting articles from the Gracey grounds! i^jj^'lu"' 58 STARLOG/December 2003 On the design side, Berenbaum assess- tion that such efforts indicate What wraiths and es The Haunted Mansion's look as "simply a certain bankruptcy of ideas phantoms lie gorgeous," thanks to ''a fantastic, leg- in the film industry. "I behind this mansion's door? endary production team" led by special thought the Haunted Mans- J it Berenbaum FX makeup designer Rick Baker, cine- ion was a great springboard I vyjM ** guarantees matographer Remi (Johnny English) for a movie. You have all plenty of fun Adefarasin and production designer John these visual elements that rfc?" and frights for Myhre (a recent Academy Award-winner people have grown up with *,- fans of the Disney for Chicago). Myhre is "very story-dri- their whole lives, so they're h ride. Enter ven," Berenbaum says. "So his designs familiar with them. And then if you dare! | always reflected what was best for the we simply provide a story story." Being that the script evolved over behind these visual elements. a period of nearly two years, Myhre's It gives you a jumping-off input as production designer (the final point. For a creative person, look is one of "haunted elegance," accord- that's all you really need. You ing to director Minkoff) was critical. "I just dive right in. No matter was in many of those meetings where where an idea comes from, things were always evolving and chang- it's your job to execute it and mm , jr ing," Berenbaum remembers. "It was my provide the right story. The first experience being on the front lines of attraction has simply provid- » making an enormous movie." ed us background to give As he quite rightly notes, "It's ex- everybody a great story." tremely rare in Hollywood to have a So does this mean, then, writer on something for that long. But that soon we'll be seeing The that's also attributable to the program. Enchanted Tiki Room'? "I Rob and Don gave me total access to seriously doubt that," Beren- everything; they're a great team. I would baum replies, utterly dead- be a fool to leave an experience like that, pan. "This is probably the * because I know from talking with friends end of the ride [as far as that it just doesn't happen." And Beren- adaptations of Disney attractions]. Let's who's trying to figure out what the hell is baum's involvement with The Haunted just say that I don't think we're going to going on [with his bloodline]—only he Mansion is ongoing as post-production be doing It's a Small World: The Motion happens to be an Elf. I just feel so lucky winds down. "We're still replacing lines of Picture." Great Movie Moments With Mr. that Will and Eddie are in these movies. dialogue, and we're going to preview the Lincoln also gets a resounding thumbs- They're both brilliant." film in a couple of weeks, so I'll be there. down from the screenwriter. "I don't Currently, Berenbaum is at work on a

I'll be on it till the film comes out. It's think we're gonna go there," he grimaces, movie for Paramount and Nickelodeon gonna be a big, fun movie." though it's "obvious that Pirates will have based on the children's book series by Ardent fans of the ride will, of course, a sequel." Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi, The bring their own set of expectations to the Berenbaum describes Elf, his other Spiderwick Chronicles. "It's a fun little theater. "Our hope is that we'll meet those movie, as a straight comedy inspired by story about these kids who move into a expectations," Berenbaum remarks. "It the Rankin-Bass animated TV classic house and find out that there's an invisi- will be a lot of fun for kids. Hopefully, it Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. "It's ble world around them. It's sort of like will be a whole family experience, much akin to a live-action version of that," he The Matrix with goblins." like what the original creators of the ride says. "We have Will Ferrell playing a man With Elf debuting November 7 and did. I really believe that at the movie's who's raised by Elves and doesn't know The Haunted Mansion opening November end, you'll care for the family in this situ- he's human. He's told that he isn 't actual- 26, all indications point to a memorable ation." ly an Elf, and that his real father, played holiday season for David Berenbaum. by James Caan, lives in New York. So he's ''•The Haunted Mansion has been a good Elf improvement sent down there to find his real dad, and experience all around, and hopefully we'll Like everyone else, Berenbaum would hilarity ensues. It's along the lines of provide everyone with a good movie." prefer to forget the studio's embarrassing Big—a fish-out-of-water tale about a guy Make that two good movies. belly-flop The Country Bears, Disney's first theatrical attempt (following the TV Berenbaum's Elf is a North Pole-r opposite project to his Haunted Mansion. Will movie Tower of Terror) to bring a theme Ferrell stars as a Santa's Helper who learns he's really human. park ride to the screen. He would much rather point to , a surprise smash for Disney, as an example of what can be done well in this limited- shelf-life genre. Rather than feel any pres- sure from that film's success, Berenbaum believes "it gave us a great gateway.

Pirates is really in the same vein as The Haunted Mansion. The two key rides at the park have always been Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion. Pirates is a big action-adventure movie, and ours is a comedy-. But they're both coming from the same place. Hopefully, people will [buy tickets] for The Haunted Mansion the way they have for Pirates." He doesn't take offense to the sugges- www.starlog.com STKRLOG/December 2003 59 By IAN SPELLING

Billy Boyd didn't get off Scot-free once the Lord of the Rings shoot ended. The actor still has to chat up The Return of the King, out December 17.

1 thought that The Two Towers was a fan- tastic movie," says Billy Boyd, who plays the Hobbit Pippin in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. "And The Two Towers was the hardest of the three stories to tell, because it's so fragmented. There are three main story- lines going on at the same time, and then at least three more secondary stories. To be able to tell all of them, and tell them cinematically and successfully, was a huge task for Pete. But

Pete knew it was going to be the difficult one, and he pulled it off. On the whole, I believe that people liked The Two Towers more than The Fellowship of the Ring.

"When I first watched Fellowship, I pretty much knew everything because I was in [most

of the film]. But with The Two Towers, so much of it was new. The real excitement about initially viewing Fellowship was seeing what the miniatures and special effects people had done, and how Pete had visually used .

"With The Two Towers, I didn't know what Elijah [Wood] and Sean [Astin] had been doing," he says. "I hadn't really seen what Andy Serkis, Orlando [Bloom], Viggo ovd left Middle-Earth [Mortensen] and John [Rhys-Davies] were up r Master and mm ander, to. So watching The Two Towers was like see- rj'Jinm where he plays i oxswain Barrett ing a film where I didn't know what was going n in Peter Weir's to happen or what things would look like. It In aptation of the was pretty exciting on that level. And I imagine Puit ck O'Brian novel. the same thing will be true of The Return of the King. It isn't quite as fragmented as The Two

Towers, but there are a few sections that I was not a part of, so I'll be seeing them for the first

STARLOG/December 2003 -

Growing up in the Fellowship has been a coming-of-age experience for the playful PIPPIN IS SHIPPIN' OFF, Pippin. His Rings mission AS BILLY BOYD LEAVES MIDDLE-EARTH is no laughing matter. FOR HIGH SEAS

AD)/ENTURE. time with everybody else. The only disappoint- of the book say, 'Ye; ih, I enjoyed that in the ment that 1 might have is that some ot the novel and there it is on the screen.' You have Treebeard [voiced by Rhys-Davies] story had Merry and Pippin, these two little Hobbits, to go, and that was because of time constraints drinking Ent draught and growing overnight.

and pacing." It's fantastic. Also, the Ores have their own

Boyd's disappointment, no doubt, is at least draught, which you also see in the extended partly due to the fact that he spent weeks up in version. So you realize that both sides have the a tree lensing those trimmed moments in which same sort of tricks up their sleeves." Treebeard interacts with Pippin and Merry (Dominic Monaghan). Now, thanks to this Branching Out month's release of The Lord of the Rings: The The Ent draught sequence is hysterically Two Towers Special Extended Edition DVD, funny. Beyond the time element, it's entirely those scenes have been restored. possible that Jackson dropped the bits because "I love the DVDs because those cut scenes they were too funny for so serious a movie. are put back into the film," Boyd says. "They Merry and Pippin come across as far more aren't just extras. They've been cut back into somber in the film than they do in the Two tmm the film, and that's huge. One of the sequences Towers section of J.R.R. Tolkien's tale. that I missed seeing in the movie, but which is "I think that, given the chance, Merry and on the DVD, involves the Hurons, which are Pippin would always fall back into that sense the evil trees, the more aggressive ones. That of comfort [they had] in the Shire," Boyd

storyline was excised. It was an easy one to notes. "Pippin would be happy to be there with cut, because once you took out one of those some beer and some sparkle for his pipe, and if scenes, you could take all of them out and his good friend Merry was there, too, he could shave a few minutes off the running time. They very easily become comedic again. There just aren't critical to the movie, but serious fans of wasn't much room for that in the film. the book probably missed those moments. The Storywise, there isn't time for Merry and

reason I like those scenes is because they show Pippin to relax. Actually, the only time they do

that there's good and bad in everyone, as Paul relax is in the Ent draught scene. Treebeard McCartney and Stevie Wonder once sang. leaves them, and there's no other character for There are good and bad people, and there are them to push forward. They fall back to what

good and bad trees. I think that's important, they know, which is, 'This is a drink. I'll drink

and I'm glad it's back in there. some of that.'

"Another thing from the book that we shot "So you have this comic scene, and it's true

but was cut from the theatrical version of The to Merry and Pippin. It's in the book. It isn't

Two Towers is the Ent draught sequence. I love just humor without any reason. It's character

that, if for no other reason than it lets the fans comedy that shows what these two guys are

STARLOG/December 2003 61 —

most fantastic moments ever the last adventure. "He started to darken, in shot for a film. You're talking some ways, during The Two Towers," Boyd about a walking tree that's hold- says. "And he definitely matured, too. But we w* The dour Denethor ing and speaking to two went out of our way to show you glimpses of (John Noble) Hobbits. That's a strange sight. the Pippin that you met in Fellowship. In the forms an You don't watch that and think, books, he definitely matures and is touched by unlikely 'Yeah, that looks like a car dri- all the wars and horrors that he has seen, but friendship ving over a bridge.' You don't he's still a quintessential Hobbit. If there's a with Pippin, think, 'Yeah, that looks like a chance of lightening the moment, of having a taking the lot of Ores climbing up the wall good time, then Pippin will try to do that. Hobbit into his at Helm's Deep.' That can be That's why I missed the Ent draught sequence counsel. done so convincingly with in The Two Towers, because it gives you that stuntmen, makeup and special sense that, even with everything that's going **m£ effects. But a moving tree with on, Pippin is still a Hobbit. His arc in The

Return of the King, because of the Palantir, is Return's reshoots that he really has to start to grow up. deepened Pippin "Many of Pippin's scenes in The Return of and Gandalf's the King are just him and Gandalf [Sir Ian (Sir Ian McKellen) McKellen]. This major battle of the ages is relationship, giving the two about to begin, and Pippin has things to do. more scenes He's no longer just a piece of luggage among together. the Fellowship. He, along with Gandalf, have to accomplish things in order for the mission to succeed. So Pippin starts having to focus. He grows up, accidentally becoming a hero. He does things in Return of the King, which, with- out them, the Fellowship wouldn't succeed. You would never think that of this character

whom you first saw stealing fireworks and knocking skeletons down a well. "We've talked about the humor, but within

Photo: Courtesy New Line Productions the darkness—within these high-stakes mis- two moving people in it—it's sions and adventures he's on—Pippin also hard to get your head around shows humility and humanity," Boyd says. "He what that would look like. But I has the lovely ability to look at people and didn't have a problem with that almost know what they need at that moment in

sequence or the special effects." order to continue. I think that's how, in The In fact, if Boyd had any Two Towers, he was able to get Treebeard on

trouble at all with Treebeard, it board. Merry was unable to make the Ents go centered around the lengths—or to war, but by watching Treebeard, Pippin rather, heights—he had to go to knew what Treebeard had to see. Although film those scenes. In order to Pippin hated showing Treebeard the dead trees,

shoot them, Boyd and he realized he had to make it immediate for the

Monaghan had to spend more Ents to get them involved. So while it may look

time perched in a fake tree than like Pippin isn't taking things in, that he does either cares to remember. "I not know what's happening, he's very good at don't miss sitting in the tree one reading people and figuring out what they little bit," Boyd laughs. "It was need. ~" -r : - hell. It was fun for the first day, "There's also quite a lot of Pippin and

W when we were getting used to it. Denethor [John Noble] together in Return of like, but I understand why Pete took it out. 'Hello, this is amusing.' After that first day, it the King. John and I got on incredibly well,

Pippin and Merry are trying to help their was just painful. We were sitting on bicycle and I still stay in touch with him. He's an friends. They're trying to get the Ents to help seats, and Treebeard's arms came out at a 45- incredible actor. He's a top teacher over in their friends. So there isn't really time for com- degree angle, so we always felt like we were , as well as being a top actor. We had edy, especially in the context of the films. The about to fall out. We could never relax. We great talks about plays and films that we liked. idea behind the scene in the novel is that they were always holding on to something or grab- That's another great relationship in the film: have time to stop and have a bit of fun before bing on with our legs. And it was always dig- Pippin and Denethor. You have this old, weary they move on to the next part of their mission. ging into our man part, which was really man who feels that he has been short-changed In the Extended Towers, there's more time to painful. So, no, I don't miss sitting up in that in life, and then there's this little Hobbit whom expand the storytelling, so it's great to have the tree too much." he takes under his wing. Pippin gets to see a scene back in there." different side of Denethor, and it's wonderful

The footage that did appear on the big Growing up stuff. I'm sure people will enjoy it." screen stirred up some debate amongst Rings And now, as the Extended Two Towers Boyd adds that The Return of the King is aficionados. There's a contingent that felt Weta DVD hits shelves November 18—and with a just as loyal to its source material as Digital didn't conjure enough cinemagic for limited theatrical release of the extended ver- Fellowship and Two Towers. "Return of the the scenes of Treebeard carrying Merry and sions of Fellowship and Two Towers in the off- King is really pretty close [to the book]," Boyd Pippin in his branches while engaging them in ing The Return of the King is finally upon us says. "There are a few things missing [or conversation. Dissenters complained that they December 18. It's the finale, the film that ties reshuffled]. Pete had to do some things for the could see the seams between the live-action up all the loose ends as the Fellowship sets pacing and storytelling, because the third film and animation. about accomplishing its goal of destroying the has to bring everything to a close. Tolkien was "I didn't have any problem with those One Ring in the fires of Mordor. very careful in his story structure, and Pete scenes," Boyd says. "Those are some of the Pippin, Boyd reveals, comes full circle in knew that straying too far off would be a mis-

62 STARLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com —

take. And when Pete does, it's only because he He said, 'Listen, there's a film I'm doing, but ible man, very intelligent. And Russell is one wants to create more of a cinematic experience it's a long commitment. It's six months in of the actors of our time. We got along very than a book one. Sometimes that's difficult, Mexico.' But then he realized it wasn't that well. I play music and he plays music, so we because what works in a book doesn't work in long of a commitment if I had already worked jammed. He booked some time in a studio, and a movie. For example, Pete took a great chance on the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He asked me, we would go and play guitar and hang out. I with Treebeard. Treebeard is a talking tree who 'Do you want to play Bonden in this movie?' I had seen Paul [who plays ship's physician takes 20 minutes to say hello. That's great and thought, 'It's Peter Weir. Of course I'll do it.' Stephen Maturin] in a play years ago in fascinating to read, but to watch a tree talk on And I said yes. London, and I thought he was amazing. Ever film for 20 minutes, and then have him say, 'I "I had no idea about the books. The thing since then I've watched his work, so I was just said hello,' would never work. Pete had to that really freaked me out was that there could happy to see that he's really up there as a per- think of another way to do it, a cinematic way be a line of novels like that—20 installments son as well. He's a very funny man. I enjoyed that was true to the character and Tolkien, but and I didn't even know they existed. Then I his company a lot." that also works in movie terms." was at a bookshop and saw a whole row of Boyd laughs when asked if he and the rest

[O'Brian's work]. I thought, 'How did I miss of the cast lived like sailors, with long hours in Sailing Away this?' So I read a bunch of them and loved appalling conditions and lots of drinking. The actor's Rings experience—or at least them. They're very well-written stories. I had "Pretty much!" he confirms. "When we were the production end of it—didn't conclude until some knowledge of the Napoleonic War, just on the ship, we couldn't get off. And that just a few months ago. Boyd and much of the like I suppose anybody would, especially included the tank ship, because even when we cast reunited in New Zealand for additional someone from Britain. You study it in school. were in the tank, all the runways and stuff had principal photography designed to fine-tune "On the film, Peter had all sorts of special- to be taken away. So when we were on the Return of the King. "Most of my scenes were ists around," Boyd says. "We had specialists on ship, we were on the ship. about extending the Pippin-Gandalf relation- war, specialists on Napoleonic times, special- "It was incredibly cramped," Billy Boyd

ship, which I was very keen on doing," Boyd ists on cannons and specialists on the ship's recalls. "And it was obviously very, very hot

says. "I loved working with Ian, and I think sails. We learned so much about that period because we were in Mexico in the middle of the relationship between Pippin and Gandalf and what occurred. That's one of the great summer. Of course, we were supposed to be

over the three movies is incredibly important. things about being an actor: walking into a part cold in some of the scenes, so we had to wear Even though Gandalf has a great love for and leaving with knowledge that you didn't layer upon layer and jackets—and it was 100

Hobbits, some of them annoy him. It's great have when you started. So now I have a slight degrees! Peter was also quite keen on there not that—through having to spend time with understanding of sailing and a good knowledge being any TVs around. There was no video. So Pippin—Gandalf realizes that Pippin has his of what life was like on a ship in 1806. It was we chatted and played board games. We all let good points. So we've expanded that relation- pretty amazing. our hair grow and didn't shave during the ship, and there are some more personal scenes "The chance to work with Peter was incred- shoot. So, yeah, it was pretty much like life on with them in Minas Tirith. Those were won- ible," Boyd continues. "He's a hero of mine a ship. And there was some drinking—but only derful to do." and the reason I did the movie. He's a fantastic on the weekends!" And on his last day on the set, Jackson and the crew thanked Boyd with a warm, fun-filled ceremony. They bestowed upon the actor his final clapper-board. He also received his Gondorian sword. "And they showed a reel that

was a mix of scenes and flubs, little vignettes

that Dom and I had done during our time on the films," Boyd recalls. "It was fantastic. It was also sad and strange. With the first two films, we knew we were coming back. But this time,

that was it. We knew we were done. Right up

to that last day I had felt pretty normal. I didn't

really think I would feel any different. But

when that final day came and I finished my last

shot, it was very, very strange. I was quite

moved by it, and rather upset that it was com-

ing to an end. It was a special time. I miss it. I

don't miss sitting in the tree, but I miss the peo- Master and ple and the experience." Commander's But Boyd moved right on to a post-Rings Russell Crowe and co-stars Crowe and project. He with Russell Boyd rocked on Paul Bettany in director Peter Weir's seafaring and off their ship. action epic Master and Commander: The Far The two actors are Side of the World (due out November 14). also musicians. Based on the bestselling books by the late Patrick O' Brian, Master and Commander fea- director, an actor's director. Paul Bettany (right), Boyd tures Boyd as Barrett Bonden, coxswain You'll do a scene, and at the last and shipmates really lived aboard the ship Surprise. Bonden answers to minute he'll say, 'You've been like sailors during Navy Captain Jack Aubrey (Crowe), who, drinking all day. Let's do the Master's shoot. despite being outmanned and heavily out- scene again.' So he'll say some- gunned, sends his crew into a fateful battle dur- thing that takes your mind off ing the Napoleonic War. the actual acting, and then he

"Peter Weir loved The Fellowship of the just lets you go and do it. Peter Ring," Boyd says, explaining how he landed uses music on the set quite a bit. his role. "He loved The Two Towers, too, but He plays music over loudspeak-

when I met him, he had only seen Fellowship. ers in order to get the actors into He has been wanting to make Master and the mood for the scene. He's just Commander for years, and he asked to see me. brilliant to work with, an incred- —

Writer-co-executive producer Eric Tarzan series creator Kripke has a promise for view- MS* * Eric Kripke found his ers of the new WB series Tarzan. perfect Apeman in "First of all, no loincloth!" he declares. Travis Fimmel. The actor captures the "And there will never be a jungle yell un- character's sweet less Tarzan is drunk. So no loincloth and „, innocence and no yell." y\ savage brutality. Kripke is the latest creator to take on Edgar Rice Burroughs' legendary hero, and he's hoping to strip away some of the wk i I Ma baggage of several decades' worth of mediocre Hollywood flicks. This new Tarzan (played by Travis Fimmel) may not have much to say, for example, but he's certainly not the verbally challenged brute of yesteryear. "He's actually hugely intelligent," claims Kripke. "We feel—and this was one of my points when I walked in for meeting number one—that Tarzan should speak in complete sentences. I was very firm about that, because I hate that Cro- Magnon grunting, 'Me Tarzan, you Jane'

crap. It isn't appealing. Our Tarzan is brilliant, cunning and profound. We're not introducing him as educated as he was in the Burroughs books because, quite frankly, that eliminates a barrier of con- flict between Tarzan and Jane, but he's naturally sharp and picks things up quickly. His arc of civilization will be fast.

But while Tarzan is intelligent, he doesn 't speak much because he has been on his own for 20 years. When he does talk, however, he cuts right to the heart of the matter. "From day one, Travis has done an amazing job for us. He's such an incredi- ble presence, and gets the core of the

character, which is more than I could have ever dreamed of. To me, the two sides of Tarzan are a profound sweet- ness—almost a childlike innocence—and a very savage brutality. I think what has By JOE NAZZARO been missing from Tarzan is how danger- ous he is. He can be a terrifying presence to bad guys. He's very cunning and ani- mal-like, and those are traits that we don't always see in the character. Tarzan is often portrayed as this clean-cut guy with his hands on his hips; he doesn't crouch, move or attack like a ruthless, savage animal. And Travis nails that. In one fight scene, he's really savage and brutal. I love that about the character." Out of Africa The new Tarzan series combines part of the established mythology with a new storyline that transports the character to New York's urban jungle. "One of the OF THE advantages of this property," says Kripke,

"is that people know who Tarzan is, so there's quite a bit of backstory that we REIMAGINING don't have to explain. In our story, Tarzan's uncle, Richard Clayton [Mitch TARZAN FOR i Pileggi], is the billionaire CEO of mn a\/'o J Greystoke Industries. Twenty years ago, Jonathan Clayton—Richard's brother and his family crashed their Cessna in the AUDIENCE^IC KRIPKE RELOCATES Congo while on a photo safari. Richard is HIM TO THE BIG APPLE. 64 STARLOG/December 2003 —

still obsessed with trying to find their "That facade of civilization we all try graduation. "I started playing film festi- remains. to maintain can go away in a hurry, and vals with them, and one of the shorts got "In our pilot, Tarzan ends up near- people can behave in very base and ani- into the 1998 ," he mortally wounded. Richard Clayton finds malistic ways, which is very possible in recalls. "That same year, the other short him [in Africa] and recognizes that it's his the city. That having been said, we'll cer- got into Slamdance, which is the other fes- nephew. He evacs Tarzan to New York, tainly have animals in episodes, because tival that plays in Park City at the same where he nurses him back to health. The one of Tarzan's powers is his ability to time. So my movies were playing across next move is to civilize and rehabilitate his interact with them. So we'll have those the street from one another, which was a nephew, so Clayton keeps Tarzan in an elements, but Tarzan saves people, too. nice and rare thing, and it got me a little observation room where doctors and That w as one of my pitches: If Tarzan has bit of attention." speech pathologists work with him. But to deal with Zoo every week, Kripke was about to turn 24, and with it's a spirit-breaking situation for Tarzan, it's going to be cheesy. Is all the crime an award from Slamdance on his shelf, he who needs to be free, and so he escapes going to happen at the Bronx Zoo? Tarzan landed his first agent and began writing into the wilds of the city. Clayton—who is a superhero, and he saves people'.' screenplays. "I sent out what I thought wants to raise Tarzan as his heir—is was going to be my big debut script, determined to bring his nephew back and in Harm's way which was met with a collective yawn," he civilize him. Clayton truly believes that it's If Kripke sounds enthusiastic about says. "So I said. 'OK, back to the drawing in the boy's best interest." the series, it's understandable, consider- board!' But then at the 11th hour, Enter (Sarah Wayne ing that Tarzan is his first foray into DreamWorks called. They liked my writ- Callies), a tough New York cop who gets episodic television. The Ohio native has ing enough to give me a two-picture deal, caught up in Tarzan 's life and vice versa. wanted to be a filmmaker since the age of which was a huge break for me." But, unlike previous incarnations of the six, eventually going to USC Film School It wasn't long before the writer character, this Jane doesn't need a chest- and scrounging together enough money to was working on feature scripts for thumping hero to look after her. "She's a write and direct two short films after DreamWorks, Warner Bros, and 20th modern woman who hates to be rescued," Century Fox, but it was also a period of says Kripke. "So she has some issues with development hell. "The cruel secret they this guy who always wants to swing in and never tell people w ho are struggling to get save her. Our angle is that Tarzan is a love story, but told through the lens of an action show. The concept is heart vs. head, which really makes the series relatable." Putting Jane on the side of law and order also creates an additional layer of conflict between the characters. "So much of what Tarzan does is out-and-out ille- gal," notes Kripke. "He really throws her life into turmoil. Jane's all about being cerebral, so if we're talking about heart vs. head, she's the head part of the equa- tion while Tarzan is the heart. Jane's a believer in nice, controlled, straight-edged order, and here conies this character who's smashing into convenience stores to steal food, who's totally impulsive and free. She's thinking, 'What's going to hap- pen to me today and tomorrow? Where

will I be five years from now?' But Tarzan lives completely in the moment. The pas- sion and affection she feels for him is

undeniable, but it turns her entire life upside down." Another fundamental change Kripke made to the Tarzan legend was to take the hero out of Africa and drop him into the concrete jungle of Manhattan. The char- acter had been to the Big Apple before notably in 1942's Tarzan's New York Adventure, which starred Johnny Weiss- muller, and an unsold 1989 TV movie pilot, Tarzan in Manhattan, with Joe Lara—but this time, New York plays a more important role. "We talk about

it a lot, that this is an urban jungle and 'OK, what's the metaphor Following the law here?' " says Kripke. "We dis- of the jungle, Tarzan cuss predators and prey and often puts Big Apple cop pal Jane Porter Darwinism in the city. All the (Sarah Wayne Callies) aspects of the jungle are in a somewhat transplanted to New York uncomfortable City, which, in many position. ways, really is a jungle. www.starlog.com Although Jane will be involved in a crime story every week, Kripke

into the business is that you can be a work- it's hard to emotionally connect with that. history, and they're battling over Tarzan's ing writer and getting paid, but never have That's why some of the old movies have a soul. Kathleen Clayton [Xena's Lucy anything made. You're making money, but corny vibe to them. But Tarzan is such a Lawless] is very protective of him, while you go into the business to make movies, not powerful figure, and he represents purity and Richard wants to mold Tarzan in his own just to write screenplays. That becomes a lit- innocence, savagery and passion. He repre- image. Both characters have love and affec- tle frustrating after four or five years." (One sents all of that, but how do you tap into tion for him, but Richard wants Tarzan to be

of his scripts, the horror tale Boogeyman, did that? What I realized when I woke up that civilized and follow in his footsteps. go into production this year for Screen Gems morning was that Jane was the key to the Kathleen is more intrigued by how special and Sam Raimi & Rob Tapert's Ghost House story." and unique Tarzan is. And she has a few Pictures—after rewrites by others.) Kripke's new take on Tarzan was accept- secrets, too." The turning point for Kripke was his ed with enthusiasm, and production on a tongue-in-cheek pilot script for Warner pilot episode (then called Tarzan and Jane) On the Town Bros. Television based on the little-known began in winter 2003 under director David Since the series is set in New York, the comic book Codename: Knockout. The stu- Nutter. The studio and network liked what producers felt that each episode should have dio liked what they saw, and called him in a they saw, and after a few minor changes, a an underlying core of realism. "Having Jane year later to pitch ideas for a new Tarzan weekly series was slotted into the WB's fall be a detective is to our advantage, because project. "They started going out to writers, schedule. that's a major story source," says Kripke. and apparently I was on their list, so that was "There are always adjustments, because "The cases she's working on, the danger nice," remarks Kripke. "I can't say that I'm you never know what viewers are going to she's put in, Tarzan trying to rescue her from an obsessed Tarzan fan, which was probably respond to," says Kripke. "We went through that danger and whether or not she wants to an advantage, because I wasn't beholden to this testing process, where you have an audi- be rescued—all of those issues are involved. any of the mythology. I enjoy reinventing ence of people who have this little dial on But it has to be more than that. We're also and deconstructing myths, so to be handed a their lap, which they turn to the right when talking about developing Tarzan's world, property as rich and historic as Tarzan was they see something that they like, and turn to and his evolution into becoming the protec- intriguing." the left when they see something that they tor of New York. We always bring up 'street- Armed with the basic premise of "Tarzan don't. You actually watch this computer level stories,' but we aren't interested in in New York," Kripke went home to come up chart, which becomes this EKG meter of those big, broad, comic book storylines. with an idea. Springing out of bed at 2 a.m., your hopes and dreams as it rises and falls. Actually, we are interested, but in Frank he rushed to his computer and, within four "What we were pleased to see was how Miller-like storylines, which are dark, edgy, hours, put the rough outline of a pitch down much people were fascinated by the Clayton real and mature." on paper. mythology. They loved Mitch, and wanted to With production taking place largely in "The challenge was finding a way into know more about this powerful family histo- Toronto (although the pilot shot in the show so that the audience could emo- ry. We looked at each other and said, 'We and NYC), Kripke and executive tionally relate to the proceedings," he says. should be doing more of that!' So we fleshed producer RK. Simonds are supervising their "It's difficult to relate to Tarzan right off the out the family storyline even more, by giving writing team from LA. "We start with the bat, because he's so alien to our environ- Richard Clayton a sister. Now we have these story 'arena,' " says Kripke, "in which we ment. He was raised by apes in the jungle, so siblings who share a very painful and bitter gather all the writers together and everybody

66 STARLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com throws out story ideas. We cull those down too much. "I guess I can tell you a couple of friend who's in an abusive relationship, and to the ones that we like, and then massage things," he finally relents. "In terms of ongo- Tarzan ends up getting involved and tries to

them a little bit. After that, we get the one- or ing storylines, Aunt Kathleen discovers that rescue this girl from him," continues Kripke. two-paragraph synopses approved by the Tarzan is indeed alive and survived the plane "The girl doesn't want to be saved, which studio and network. crash all those years ago. Richard returned to again puts Tarzan in a somewhat bewildering "After a writer is assigned a particular without telling her, so that position: How do you rescue someone who episode, we spend four or five days together kicks off the battle between Richard and doesn't want to be rescued? breaking the story. Those are six- or seven- Kathleen as they begin their first volleys in "So we're always searching for stories hour daily marathon sessions, where we fig- their ongoing war over Tarzan's soul. like that, because they represent Tarzan's

ure out all the story beats and so forth. Then "In the pilot, lane lies to her boy friend point-of-view. We're never going to be CSI the writer goes off and pens an outline, P.K. Michael [Johnny Messner] about Tarzan sur- or Law & Order, but we are a cop show in us a unique cop and I give notes until we're happy with it viving the fire with the serial killer, and that some ways. What makes and—once the studio and network approve eventually explodes in her face when show is that we have this amazing character the outline—the process begins all over Michael learns about Jane's lies. Later, with a fascinating opinion of true-life again with the script. It's crazy and over- Michael and Tarzan will confront each other crimes. His observations on these cases

whelming, but I come from features, where head-on, in a conflict that becomes very per- bring an interesting point-of-view to the pro-

everything is so glacial. I'm now in endless sonal and physical. gram."

production and I love it, because I've seen "In terms of crime stories, every week While the long-term success of Tarzan what the other side is like." there will be a self-enclosed, satisfying has yet to be determined, expectations are Simonds and Kripke have assembled a crime/adventure story," promises Kripke. high. The show's creator is serene. "I try not writing staff of "people with different "The plots that we're drawn to are the ones to concentrate on those things," says Kripke. strengths," says Kripke. "We wanted to com- where Tarzan can have interesting commen- "When I was in New York for the up-front pile an all-star team. Molly Newman is tary. We're always looking for stories with presentations, and at the Television Critics amazing with dialogue and character. Mere moral ambiguity, because this character only Association—I do them and enjoy them Smith comes from Angel, and is unbeliev- sees things in black and white, so when he because I'm a guy who likes to talk a lot. But able with action. We have Lynne Litt from comes to New York, he's confronted with at the end of those events, I'm always the Law & Order school; she keeps us hon- endless shades of grey. thrilled to return to my office, close the door est and is so smart with cop dialogue. And "For example, Molly wrote an episode and concentrate on the part of the job that I then there's Leonard Dick, who worked on that we're shooting right now, about a vigi- really enjoy, which is just sitting down and Fastlane and really knows how to write fast- lante who's killing some really awful bad writing. paced crime stories that are exciting, quick guys. Jane is trying to stop him, and Tarzan "Once I shut out the outside world and and fun to watch. Everyone has different finds himself in this bewildering position of focus on the part that's important and fun, it strengths that they bring to the table. We just defending a bad guy from someone whose gets to be OK," comments Eric Kripke. "I try to match up the right person with the cause he believes in. Again, it all comes down don't allow the hype to affect my day-to-day right episode." to the difference between law and justice. pressures. I just try to do good work, have Asked about the first block of episodes in "We have a show coming up in which fun and learn. Whatever is meant to be is development, Kripke hesitates to give away Jane's sister Nicki [Leighton Meester] has a meant to be."

Test audiences Helping Jane loved Richard handle the urban jungle is her hot- headed cop partner Sam (Miguel A. Nunez Jr.).

SThRLOG/December 2003 67 By IAN SPELLING

IT'S A SMALLVILLE Kristin Kreuk is in a rush. The Small- liked seeing Chloe out on her own, without a ville star would love to talk for a WORLD FOR parent. decent chunk of time, but she's racing "The episodes in which Lana dealt with off to a meeting momentarily and can only KRISTIN KREUK—AND her father were good. Even though Lana has spare a few minutes. And so the show's erst- found her father, he wasn't a father [for her while Lana Lang flies like a speeding bullet THAT'S HOW growing up], so she's dealing with that now. right into the conversation at hand, specifi- We didn't get to show much of that on cam- cally her thoughts on the two-part second SHE LIKES IT. era, but for me as an actor, it was neat to season finale ("Calling'VExodus")—and its think about and play that. In terms of specif- impact on the events to come, beginning Johnson) seemed to return to Smallville after ic episodes, I thought that 'Lineage' was with this season's recent two-part opener having gone MIA overseas; and, of course, very good. 'Heat' [in which Clark's raging ("Exile'V'Phoenix"). in "Calling" and "Exodus," when Clark and hormones manifest themselves in scorching "There was so much going on in the Lana finally got around to smooching. blasts of heat vision] was hilarious. That was finale," the actress notes. "You have Clark Further, Lana met her father, Henry the funniest show we've ever done. 'Rosetta' [Tom Welling] dealing with his father [John Small (Patrick Cassidy), who appeared in was amazing. Having Chris Reeve on the Schneider] and his destiny and trying to "Lineage" and "Suspect"; got tough and show [as Krypton-obsessed Dr. Virgil overcome that. Clark's trying to continue to defended herself against an attacker in Swann] was extraordinary. Those are a few be the person who he believes himself to be. "Precipice"; and dealt with a ghostly child- of my favorites." So he has this whole big struggle and huge hood friend—who actually turned out to be How about the Whitney episode emotional roller coaster that he's on. And the result of a cloning project financed by "Visage"? That show seemed to close the then you have Lex [Michael Rosenbaum] Lionel Luthor ()—in book on the Lana-Whitney storyline while and Helen [Emmanuelle Vaugier] and their "Accelerate." paving the way for Lana and Clark to finally wedding and their problems. Lana and Clark "There were many episodes that I liked," hook up. "I don't know," Kreuk replie- I are dealing with their issues, too. She's Kreuk comments. "I thought that the love Eric and he's such a great actor, m I watching him fall apart, and that's very dif- episodes that got into the relationship would have loved for him to come back toi a ficult for her because Clark never really tells between Chloe and Clark were quite inter- little longer and really wrap up that story-

Lana what's going on. Their romantic rela- esting. I enjoyed them because the friend- line. It wasn't completely satisfying to me tionship has moved forward, but there are ship between Chloe and Clark affected the what they did, but I don't have any better many issues involved with that. The finale relationships between Chloe and Lana and ideas. affected everything. It was a huge cliffhang- Clark and Lana. Lana and Chloe have had to "Season Two, I think, was more interest- er—a couple of characters' lives are going to overcome the Clark aspects of their rela- ing than Season One," continues Kreuk, w ho be totally changed. Things will be different tions, and that has been fun to play. I've spent part of her hiatus between years for Clark, Clark's family, Lex and Helen, and three shooting the upcoming big-screen Clark and Lana and Chloe [Allison Mack] comedy The Ugly Americans with Michelle and Lana. Everyone's life was torn apart in Trachtenberg, Matt Damon and I ucy the finale, and now they're going to have to Lawless. "You learned more about who rebuild." these characters are and what they're

Since the series began, Kreuk has always together. There was much less of a Treal ( ! spoken positively of the experience of mak- the week' aspect to the show, and we delved ing the show. Lana, no question, has been deeper into the main characters' li\cs. [-"Di- Kreuk's breakthrough role, and it has put the me personally, Lana was much more inter- 20-year-old Canadian on the map—as well esting last year. She went through so much as in skin-care commercials and on the cover and her life changed incredibly, and I was of Rolling Stone. But Kreuk also made it able to explore more about her in Season clear that she wanted to see more of Lana, to Two. Lana's more aware of who she is now."' figure out what makes her tick and what it is Kreuk must depart in another minute or about her that Clark finds attractive. She two, so there's time enough for one lasl wished to see Lana have a life apart from question. Asked what she would like to see Clark, befriend Chloe and perhaps even deal from Lana in Season Three, the actress with a job of her own. serves up an instant response. "I believe thai

Much of that came to pass. Lana landed Lana has hit a little bit of a breaking point." work at the Talon, and Chloe and Lana Kristin Kreuk concludes. "You especial! became close friends and roommates, but saw that in Accelerate.' She's more broken then bickered over Clark's affections, a situ- than anybody realizes, and Lana is stalling ation complicated by the goings-on in to understand how much she needs to grow; "Red," when Clark kissed Chloe in front of up and move on. What happened will hop( Lana; in "Dichotic," as a two-timing young fully bring her to a different place this sea- man (Jonathan Taylor Thomas) with the Clark (Tom Welling) and Lana's son. I would like to see her grow from that strange ability to be in two places at the relationship has progressed, but both and become a better person, rather than have same time used that power to date both Lana have personal issues to deal with her continue to sink further and further into and Chloe; in "Visage," when Whitney (Eric before they move forward. this pit she's now living in."

68 STAKLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com 1 f

1

is Kristin Kreuk blue that she was in the shadows of Smallville's second season? The attractive actress says she wants to see more of Lana Lang this year. Harmon Feldman is beginning to Jonidentify with Tru Davies, the main char- acter of his new fantasy-drama series Tru Calling, airing Thursdays on Fox. "I now have a whole new concept of time," the executive producer says wryly, after twice postponing this interview. Like Tru, Feldman finds himself racing against the clock to meet the demands of his busy schedule. Fortunately for Feldman, his chal- lenges involve getting several episodes of Tru Calling ready for airing while squeezing in interviews. For Tru, the stakes are much higher: She has discovered she has the

power to relive the previous day, and with it, the opportunity to prevent wrongful deaths. "[Executive producer] Dawn Parouse and I developed the idea together," says Feldman of Tru Calling, which lenses in Vancouver. "We were brainstorming, and we found we were both intrigued by the concept of time. The series evolved from there, into the area of wish-fulfillment: What would you do if you had a day to live over? We juxtapose the burden, or gift, of Tru's power with the fact that she's a young girl trying to live an ordi-

nary life. Merging these concepts felt really exciting from the very beginning. Our pro- tagonist can prevent death, but she can do a whole lot of other things, too—such as try to repair a fractured family." Tru Powers Bujfy the Vampire Slayer's Eliza Dushku, 22, plays Tru, a recent college graduate and track star whose mother was murdered when she was 12. That traumatic event seems to

lead to Tru's gift 10 years later. "The show was always designed with a 22-year-old pro- tagonist, and the prototype was Eliza Dushku," Feldman says. "We were fortunate

to get our prototype. Eliza is such a talented performer, and she has made the character her own. A writer envisions a character, but

at the end of the day, the writer hands it over to a performer, someone whom you hope will

flesh it out in ways that you either dreamed of or didn't even know were possible. "Eliza has given Tru so many dimensions. She's incredibly likable, and she carries herself—both on screen and off—in a way that I think many people would like to emulate.

She has a presence about her that is

" almost beyond her years. At the same FLORENCE time, Eliza is capable of all the BlLL requirements and necessities that the show asks of her. She's funny, and she can be emotional and vul- nerable. At the end of the day,

||udiences can relate to her. I couldn't imagine anyone else laying the role." The pilot, written by Feldman and directed by feature filmmak- er Phillip (Patriot Games) Noyce, sets up Tru's job on the idnight shift in a New York

City morgue, a post she is com- d to take when her medical internship

STARL www.starlog.com tC/Dccember 2003 71 falls through. One night, a murder vic- Run is a terrific movie. It's really about tim's eyes snap open, and the corpse empowerment and second chances. That's utters two words to Tru: "Help me." what I took from that film. But our stories Tru wakes up the next day to find will be fast-paced enough that we won't it's the previous morning, and she need to have Tru running around.

races around the city gathering "We've found that we can tell very clues to prevent the woman's different stories about our main charac-

death. Along the way, she helps ter," Feldman continues. "Tru is fun and

her gambling brother, Harrison vibrant, but she's also a character who is (Shawn Reaves), avoid a nasty beating, rooted in loss. What happens when she but her attempt to get her sister, Meredith thing that loses someone again? In today's climate, (Jessica Collins), to lay off drugs is less suc- will happen in the first order [of where younger people really want to feel cessful. episodes]. Tru is suddenly entrusted with like they can make a difference in the world, "Tru Calling has grown in interesting this gift [to save lives]; can she choose not to Tru is a character who does make a differ-

ways [since its conception]," Feldman use it?" ence. Her gift, if it is one, also asks an awful asserts. "It's very much the show I wanted to lot of her. So we will see her victories and make, but what's exciting is that even when Running Tru her ability to help, but we'll see the down- you have a vision for something, that vision What can audiences expect from some of side of that as well." can evolve. We can go to more comedic, dra- the early episodes? For one thing, less run- Feldman goes on to offer some scenarios matic and emotional places. Fox has been ning. An early cut of the pilot, distributed for in the form of questions that the coming supportive of pushing the emotions and the publicity, featured Tru literally sprinting all episodes will attempt to answer. "What hap-

1 1 % 1

drama quotient. One of the most interesting over New York City, a la Run Lola Run. things to us is Tru's discovery that it might When the pilot airs on October 30 not be possible to live the life of an ordinary Tru won't be displaying her track- 22-year-old girl. That idea has great dramat- star prowess quite so prominent- ic and comedic possibilities." ly, and as the season goes on, The terrible fate that befell Tru's mother she'll run even less. "We're is mentioned, but not shown, in the pilot. going to trim that back, yes," That incident will be revisited later in the Feldman confirms. "We did season, Feldman reveals. "I want to tell a not intend to rely so heavily story about what happens when the man who on the running, so when we killed her mother comes into the morgue air the pilot, we'll be able to go J dead and asks for Tru's help. That is some- back to less of it. I think Run Lola

72 STARLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com —

pens when Tru isn't able to prevent a death? And what if that's a character she happens to have feelings for?" the producer says. "What about when her father comes to town what's going to happen then? Sometimes, Tru won't be able to help a murder victim. What happens when she can't save some- one? What happens when five people ask for her help? And what happens when she wakes up and there's a dead body in her bed?" The series' tone won't always be dark, Feldman avows. "We'll do relationship-ori- ented stories too, such as Tru finding her boy friend cheating on her. What does she do to prevent this, to forestall it or to break up with him? Tru feels responsible for her family, so we'll see family stories. In episode three, the second episode after the pilot, Tru's brother of our show. It's really only the trigger to

Harrison is going to get involved repeat her day. We focus on time and wish- with a woman who sets him up to fulfillment. So all these shows are interest- take the fall for a murder. It's a ing, but we're pretty different from them." big story. As for Tru's sister, Formerly a producer on The Wonder

Meredith is an overachiev- Years, Dawson's Creek and American ing, flawed character, and Dreams, Feldman was also a consulting pro- there are many interesting ducer on the first season of Roswell, during ways to go with her. I feel the which he penned the episodes "Toy House" series can stay fresh every and "Missing." "You learn from every show week because it has all these dif- you work on," he says. "What Roswell did ferent stories to tell." well was root stories in the personal and the Feldman, whose career started in and explore the ef- emotional, even though it had this big con- comedy, says he will inject humor into the fect Tru has on her brother and sister. She's cept to deal with. That's something we try mix whenever possible. "Humor is really going to have a love interest, too." hard to accomplish [on Tru Calling]." important to the show," he remarks. "There Baseball's World Series airs on Fox, is a lot of fun stuff we can explore with the Tru Life which prompted the network to hold back wish-fulfillment aspect. What happens when A couple of other new TV series this sea- Tru Calling's premiere until October 30. your friend has the worst date of her life? son offer themes that are, at first glance, sim- "That will give us a chance not to get [pre- How do you help her not repeat that fate? ilar to Tru Calling. CBS has Joan ofArcadia, empted] for a month. The World Series pre- What happens when your brother starts to about a girl who talks to God and performs empts a lot of new programming, so Fox gain an understanding of what you can do, miracles. Fox's own Wonderfalls, a mid-sea- wants to give us a clear run. It's a great strat- and he wants to hit you up for the winning son replacement, presents a young girl who egy," Feldman opines. horses? There's plenty of opportunity for fun gets advice from talking souvenir-shop He knows, however, that his show has and comedy in Tru Calling." items. Is it fair to compare them, thematical- one of the toughest time slots on television:

It's clear that Feldman doesn't expect the ly, with Tru Calling'? Thursdays, 8 p.m. It'll be trying to survive series' formula to grow tedious or repeti- "If those shows are hits, then yes, it's against both Friends and Survivor. "That's tious. "Every week on CSI, you know fair," Feldman chuckles. "Those programs going to be a challenge," Feldman admits. they're going to solve a crime," he points are interesting and unique. Wonderfalls is "But it does allow us the opportunity to grow out. "Every week on Law & Order, they're charming and takes a more comedic angle. I slowly. The expectations are in check at the going to bring a criminal to justice. We can haven't seen Joan of Arcadia, but I under- network, and their desire is to gain a tell stories of Tru attempting to prevent a stand it has a different take on the genre. foothold with a younger audience that the death, and failing or succeeding at that, for a What we're most interested in is the idea of WB has proven is available on Thursday long time. But the show also affords us the replaying time. Tru's ability to communicate nights. Our audience is going to be 12- to chance to go into the characters every week with the dead is, quite honestly, a small part 34-year-olds. Will it be easy? No, but I do believe that audience is available." Run Tru Run. Feldman sums up Tru Calling as "a great Feldman ride every week. It offers a compelling ques- promises that his hasty tion: If you could relive a day, what would heroine won't be you do differently, and how would you affect on the move so the people around you? Every week, you'll much in future see a different answer to that question. And I episodes. believe, with Eliza at the helm, the show has

interesting places to go. It will offer the viewer a chance to experience many differ- ent emotions. "There are science fiction aspects to this show, but the best SF is rooted in the epic journey of a character, and bestowing respon- sibilities and burdens upon that character, such as a newfound power," Jon Harmon Feldman concludes. "The most interesting SF has characters' internal struggles at its core. That's what's crucial to Tru Calling'' ^

STARLOG/December 2003 73 .

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You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] Upgraded for TV heroics., Christopher Gorham downloads as Jake 2.D. novels: I can use them and send e-mails, but if anything goes wrong, I get enraged and have no idea how to fix it. Right now, my computer is totally on the fritz, and I'm like, 'Work. Can you just " work?'

Fortunately for the young star, Jake 2.0 is more like The Six Million Dollar Man and Spider- Man than, say, the latest Windows manual or Computers for Dummies. Gorham—who admits to growing up a fan of such shows as The Incredible Hulk and The A-Team—observes that the comparisons are "well- founded. The show is conceived as, 'How do you make a modern Six Million Dollar ManT And Jake has obvious parallels to

Peter Parker. He has a real life and real problems."

The source of Jake's problems is the vision. During the pilot, we would do a take nanites (i.e. microscopic computers) that where I would focus or do my nanobot thing, have invaded his bloodstream and enhanced and afterward I would ask the camera guys, all of his natural abilities. "He runs faster, is 'Do I look constipated? 'Cause that's kinda " stronger, has better vision and hearing and what I'm going for!' heals quicker," says Gorham. "And the thing Gorham wears a more serious face when that sets him apart from other 'superheroes' it comes to describing Jake, someone he is that, through these nanobots, he can inter- considers "a very modern type of hero, who face wirelessly with computers. So he doesn't have all the answers. He's in that becomes sort of a universal remote control. post-college/young adult phase, looking to If I had to pick a favorite ability, I would take that next step in his life, and he isn't probably pick that one—just for the free sure what that step is. Jake now has every- cable alone!" thing he has ever wanted—he's a secret agent, he's important and his life is very Computer Geek exciting. But it's a very classic case of 'Be For Jake Foley, it's a constant struggle careful what you wish for,' because now he's growing accustomed to his new powers. For in incredible danger—and not just from out- Gorham, his challenge is not looking like a side forces, but from these nanobots inside walking PC when acting out his alter-ego's him that could kill him at any moment. abilities. "I can't play Jake as part-comput- "I think Jake is likable because you er," he stresses. "I have to play him as a reg- believe in this guy, and you want to see how "It's certainly ular guy, and every once in a while, these he deals with all of this stuff," the actor con- the highest- [nanobots] pop up. When someone receives tinues. "You can relate to him. He's not profile role an implant, they're not always thinking Superman and on top of everything. He's I've had to about it being inside them; at some point, it always playing catch-up, just like we all do date," says really just becomes who they are. But it def- in life. We're always getting knocked down Gorham of Jake 2.0. initely pops up when they use it or if it caus- and trying to stand back up, never quite "Whether it's es trouble." knowing the exact right direction to go. a 'breakout' So how does a self-professed computer- People just kind of keep walking." part for me challenged actor convince his audience that For the past decade, the Fresno, Cali- remains to his character is a mainframe expert with fornia native has walked a brisk and steady be seen." powers and abilities far beyond those of pace around the entertainment industry. A mortal desktops? "Now that Jake's an agent, UCLA graduate with a Bachelor of Arts and then once by Sarah and David he isn't doing a whole lot of computer stuff," degree in Film and Theatre Arts, Gorham [Boreanaz]. I went in thinking I would just Gorham points out. "Carly Pope [Gorham's has had recurring TV roles on Party of Five look at the dailies and copy what Sarah and co-star on Popular] was guest-starring in an and Felicity, appeared in the film A Life Less David did. Instead, I got to do the scene first, episode we just shot, and while we were sit- Ordinary and guest-starred on numerous they watched my dailies and tried to go from ting at these terminals, she turned to me and shows, including 's what I did. Another night, Sarah came up to asked, 'How do you hack?' I put my fingers "I Only Have Eyes For You," in which he me and said, 'Hey, Chris, I just wanted to on the keyboard, then just moved them played a dead student who possesses others talk with you and see how you wanted to madly so it looked like I was typing like a to relive his tragic romance with a teacher in play this.' I was absolutely blown away; she maniac. I also told her to make a mean face the 1950s. was going first, and she was asking me how " and said, 'That's how you hack,' he laughs. "I had such a good time working on that to play the scene. That's a really good exam- "It has been fun figuring out different episode," he remembers, "and I was so ple of how to treat your guest actors with facial expressions for when I'm actually impressed by Sarah [Michelle Gellar], The respect, because she certainly didn't have to. using the nanobots," adds Gorham. "There same scene was played three times—once She was already a big star, while nobody isn't a lot of physical action when I'm inter- by two of the other guest stars, once by knew who I was. I was really thankful for facing with a computer or using my night myself and the woman playing the teacher, that."

76 STARLOG/Decemfcer 2003 www.starlog.com cancelled it, but they thought they could get

it on the air somewhere else. We shot the Jake 2.0 pilot with me in second position, so if anything had happened with Odyssey 5, Jake would have been shut down. [The pro- ducers] took a really big risk, and they moved a lot of things around for me to be able to be here. It all worked out. So far, so good, anyway." Gorham comes off as politely bashful upon hearing how all four executive produc- ers have extolled him as "the perfect actor" to portray Jake (STARLOG #315). "They have to say that," he laughs. "I don't know...

I guess I made the right choices. When I read

the script, I knew that Jake was a character I could really nail; he has the right mix of vul- nerability, humor and strength that I can cap- italize on and have fun with. I haven't really had a chance to be 'funny' with the other parts I've played. I'm usually brought in to Jake's latest checkup should be interesting. make you tear up or feel bad." The new NSA agent now has improved vision, The star attributes his strong dramatic sharper hearing and greater agility. background to helping him "ground" Jake, whom even he admits is "a The actor is dork. But he has to come from glad that Jake an honest, grounded place. will always be You can't approach this guy Clark Kent from a goofy-joke [perspec- and not some tive], because if there's noth- Superman. "I ing underneath people will see compare it to i through it. There won't be any Will Smith in substance to the character. Men in Black" "When I'm doing comedy, Filming Jake 2.0 notes I always start with the reality has tired Gorham Gorham. "The out. "The time character of the situation. The best way [in commitment is the changed to play comedy is straight and toughest part," he the sequel]; real," says Gorham, who cites he wasn't as says. "I'm always the pilot—in which Jake lovable." working in experiences enhanced hearing [Vancouver], and for the first time—as a prime then I fly back example. "It's hilarious when home to LA every Jake's walking through the weekend to see park and suddenly thinks that my wife and son." he's getting shot at with

machine guns. But it's funny because this guy isn't a mili- tary person; he's a computer geek who believes he's being shot at and he's terrified. That's funny. It's like, 'Tragedy is me getting a hangnail. Comedy is you falling into a manhole and dying.' As long as it's happen- Hyper Dork ers] really wanted me for the part," he ing to somebody else, it's funny.

Gorham wouldn't realize it until later, but recalls, "but they were planning to shoot the "Jake 2.0 doesn't take itself too seriously.

his Popular move in 1999 would pay off series in Toronto. I told them up front that I It's. . .fresh," he laughs, then adds in mock ex- down the line. While playing anguished teen couldn't film another series there. I had just aggeration, "It's like a cool blast of iced tea." Harrison John, the performer met series cre- finished shooting Odyssey 5 there for the ator Gina Matthews, who co-executive pro- past year, and the commute [weekly from Super Goof duces Jake 2.0 along with creator Silvio Toronto to LA] was just too hard on me. I Among the episodes Gorham has found {The Chronicle) Horta, Grant Scharbo and said that if I got the part, I would only do it personally most refreshing is "Training David Greenwalt. Following a shortened in Vancouver, so there was that hurdle to get Day." "You see some of the real-life chal- tour of duty aboard the failed Showtime SF over." However, that hurdle was quickly lenges that Jake is facing," he says about the series Odyssey 5, Gorham would reunite cleared. While the Jake 2.0 pilot did lens in installment. "He comes home, has been with Matthews and channel his "inner iMac" Toronto, the series now shoots in Vancouver. moved and his roommate Darin [Matt for Jake 2.0. He divulges, however, that sev- A bigger obstacle to contend with was Czuchry] has been taken away, so he's total- eral bugs in the system almost resulted in a that Gorham "was still under contract to ly isolated in an environment that he doesn't deleted program. Odyssey 5, because Columbia TriStar was know. Jake's still coming to terms with what "I had a good audition and [the produc- still trying to sell the show. Showtime had has happened to him."

STARLOG/December 2003 77 Not making life any easier Peter Weller was quite an

for our hero is Kyle Duarte experience. I don't think (Philip Anthony-Rodriguez), a I've ever seen an actor take senior agent who resents not his job as seriously as he only being forced into desk does, and not in a bad way. duty, but also being stuck with Peter works really hard, and

training the NSA newbie. it set a great example for me Gorham understands why with the position that I'm in Kyle is resentful ("There's a now, being the lead of a reason why Jake was twice show. It's really easy to be denied becoming an agent," he lazy, or if you don't agree says. "It's because he isn't cut with how things are being from that cloth"), yet finds the done, you can just say, 'Ah, bitter bonding makes for "a lot you know, whatever. It's of fun with Kyle and Jake as Gorham enjoyed working with Peter Weller on fine.' Peter never did that, they figure each other out. It's Odyssey 5, but if that SF series hadn't been and the show was better for % cancelled, he wouldn't have landed Jake 2.0. like a brotherly relationship it. So I try to be like that." developing." Gorham takes his craft

That said, the performer confides that not "He's always going to be Clark Kent. very seriously, but when it comes to Jake all of Jake's relationships will become so Peter Parker's always Peter Parker—he's 2.0, "I'm certainly not above enjoying pre- familial. "We're on an episode right now really cool when he's Spider-Man, but when tending to be a superhero. It's what you where Jake is assigned to work surveillance he takes off the costume, he's still kind of dream about when you're a kid—being a on the daughter of a notorious arms dealer. this... goofy guy. Well, Jake doesn't have a superhero and having powers. And seeing it

His only job is to watch her anywhere she costume. He's always the goofy guy, even all cut together is really exciting, because it goes; he isn't allowed to talk or make any when he's out saving the world. It's more looks like I'm actually doing all that stuff! contact with her. So, of course, within the fun seeing him go up against enemies he has "I was talking to a friend of mine who first 10 minutes, he's up in her apartment no business beating, to see him come out writes for Boomtown," says Christopher having a conversation with her! Lou [Judith ahead against people stronger, smarter and Gorham, "and we were discussing our mutu-

Scott] has a line that's like, 'How do you more creative than him." al recent successes. I asked if he thought he contact the mark within the first hour?' That was 'showing' the people who wouldn't hire one's a lot of fun." Lead Nerd him before. He told me, 'Honestly, I wasn't

What does that mean for Jake's true love, If there's one thing Gorham is adept at, ready for it then, and now I am. Now's the Sarah Heywood (Six Feet Under's Marina it's seeing the positive side of things. That right time for me to have this success.' I feel Black)? Will he ever "I.M." ("instant mes- includes being honest yet constructive about the same way—I'm happy with the work sage") his feelings over to her? "I'm not sure his time as young traveler Neil Taggert on I've done in the past, but I think I've gotten how it's going to progress," reveals Gorham, Odyssey J, which he remembers as "a good better. I think I'm ready to do this role... to

"but I do know that at one point Jake sees her show overall." Even though the Odyssey be the lead on this show and carry a series. I with every intention of telling her how he team had five years to save Earth from its guess I'm proud of that, because now I'm feels. I also know, however, that they want to mysterious destruction, he cites two reasons doing it." continue developing the relationship why Showtime aborted the mission prema- between Jake and Diane [Keegan Connor turely. "First, I think [writer/series ere Things are Tracy]." ator] Manny Coto got spread really looking up for A cool job. Super-powers. International thin," he discloses. "We were shoot the Popular actor. "I think travel and espionage. And girls, girls, girls. ing in Toronto, the production 'm ready to be So, what is this guy's problem? Jake has the office was in LA, half the writing the lead on kind of life that most men dream about. That staff was replaced a couple of this show and is, until Gorham reminds that so long as the in... episodes Manny simply carry a series," nanobot technology remains within his couldn't be everywhere at once. Gorham bloodstream, Jake's life is by no means a It took the show a while to get remarks. long-term certainty. into its groove again, because "Eventually, he'll face the physical chal- the pilot was so great. But the lenges of what happens when these nanites ratings weren't bad, and by the start to reject him, or if they go on the fritz last six to eight episodes, we were or he gets a virus," explains Gorham. "Then really starting to find our groove. there are the constant psychological chal- I think the second season lenges—now that he's an agent and has to would have been excel- keep these powers secret, how does that lent. affect the rest of his real life? Is it possible "I believe the other for him to get married or even have a girl reason we got cancelled friend? Can he ever have a family? Will he was as simple as grow old? He doesn't know any of these Showtime wanting to get things, so he has quite a lot to deal with." out of the sci-fi business. However Jake chooses to troubleshoot They wanted to move in a his physical and emotional quandaries, different direction, so there Gorham insists that one chip within the was just no room for us." series' conceptual CPU (central processing Nevertheless, the actor unit) must remain untouched. "It's really has nothing but fond memo- important that Jake stays Jake," he declares. ries of his Odyssey 5 jaunt. "I "He is who he is, and the fact that he has loved working with those guys, these powers shouldn't change who he is as many of whom I'm still friends a person. with," he states. "And working with

Photo: Tony Esparza 78 STARLOG/December 2003 TM

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lespite the high- roll. We were like an anthology show during the first half of the Dest of highs season. We really got into a great space by the second half, the last and lowest of lows, the adulation eight shows or so. I enjoyed the season finale ["The Expanse"]. I

and criticism, Scott Bakula is having loved the show with Keith Carradine, 'First Flight.' I thought that fun, and all his days on Star Trek: was great. The episode where I was captured and held in the Enterprise are racing by. "It has flown by Klingon court ["Judgment"] was wonderful. Those were the ones

extremely fast," says the show's star. "The that I thought really stood out. I also loved 'Minefield,' from the first season felt long because we shot the pilot beginning of the season. That whole outer-hull journey was new, and the pilot went long. Instead of having a month exciting and challenging—certainly from an acting standpoint f off, we had a couple of weeks off, and then we were with the physical limitations. We pulled it off pretty well. back into a full season. Comparatively, last season flew "We had a great show [with ""], the ghost repair sta- by, and now we're finishing our sixth episode on Friday. tion episode, where Mayweather [Anthony Montgomery] was So, we're zipping along, and they've narrowed these replaced," Bakula continues. "Overall, I was pleased. For a second episodes down. We rarely shoot anything more than eight season, the shows were pretty darn good. The last six to eight days, and most of them—more than half of them—are seven episodes had a momentum that started to build, in terms of the sto- now. It has gone pretty quickly." ries and where we were moving toward. It felt like something big Bakula's character has ventured a long way as well. Captain was going to happen, and something big did happen with 'The is a different man from the one audiences encoun- Expanse.' tered three years ago in the series' pilot "Broken Bow." That per- son was significantly more happy-go-lucky, eager to explore space Broken Bows During the second season, Bakula was put through his paces by a group of directors that included David Livingston, David Straiton, Allan Kroeker, James A. Contner, Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, LeVar Burton and his good personal friend James Whitmore Jr. Nearly all directed at least two episodes. "I love working with Jimmy," Bakula raves. "He directed a great show, too—that crazy episode ["Future Tense"] where we found that ship and all of time got screwed up. I loved that one. Jimmy's a favorite of mine. We go back a long ways. Allan

Kroeker is great, too. He directs a lot for us. I really enjoy LeVar, and thought that Robbie—who only directed one episode last sea- son—did a great job with 'The Breach,' where the guys climb cott Bakula is willing to turn the other down into the caverns and rescue the scientists. I also had fun cheek when it comes to the backlash working with Roxann. We've had a great bunch of directors here, aimed at Star Trek: Enterprise. Just don't and they all really love the show. take a swipe atT'Pol (Jolene Blalock). "David Straiton is an up-and-comer. He directed the desert and somewhat naive to the mysteries of the uncharted universe. Now, after many Bakula isn't that blue about the series' an adventure, Archer is more guarded, not Nielsen woes. The actor is enthused about the so much interested in basic space explo- direction the imsoti upmost p pointed Cap ration and—having watched the Xindi attack Earth and kill millions of its inhab- itants—no longer even remotely naive. In fact, he's downright miffed and leading

his ship and its crew into the Delphic Expanse in hot pursuit of the Xindi, the multi-species race that committed the atrocities back home. "My feeling is that Archer went out into space with a somewhat limited view," Bakula says. "He was mostly concerned about his father's engine and completing the legacy that had been handed down to him. And his dream was coming true, in

terms of getting to pilot the first starship

and it being powered by his father's engine. He was very much wrapped up in all of that, but as we got more into the

first and second seasons, Archer started to change in terms of episode [""] during our first year. That was his first dealing more with his crew and building those relationships. His show for us. He did a couple last year and has already directed one eyes were opened. It wasn't just, 'We're bouncing around space, for the third season, Anomaly.' That episode has the potential to having a good time, meeting new folks and having them over better than I be the kick-off show. 'Anomaly' is wonderful, crazy for dinner.' It became more grey, serious and challenging than and bizarre. David's back for a bunch of episodes this year. I think anything he could've imagined. And with that came this he has so much going for him. He's a young guy, really jazzed

I responsibility that shifted from being liable for his dad's about being here and leaves it all out there."

ship to being more accountable for the lives of the Bakula and the Enterprise cast and crew have been leaving it Enterprise crew and—as a greater responsibility all out there for two-plus years now, but their efforts aren't being representing humanity. reflected in the show's ratings, and some critics and fans are dis- "I loved many of the episodes from last pleased with the series. Mainstream magazines—ever-ready with year. I really felt like we got on a nice, solid tabloid concerns amidst cover stories ballyhooing the latest reality

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In Bakula's "This was taking form in their minds early on in the sea- "Judgment," son. I'm very comfortable and confident in them. This this episode wasn't a big panic attack. This wasn't a result of the net- with Archer work or the studio calling and saying, 'Oh my gosh, sentenced we're in deep, deep trouble.' by the Klingon "There wasn't any of that going on. It was just Rick court—was and Brannon talking about where the were one of las shows going year's best. next, and I happily happened to be on the same page as them. I was thinking the same thing. We needed to amp show—are regularly taking potshots at Enterprise, and running sto- Enterprise up, have more direction and have something major hap- ries about the ways in which they would fix a series that they per- pen to Archer that would give him more of a drive and sense of ceive as broken. Bakula admits that the negativity is taking its toll on urgency. When I told them this, they said, 'Stop right there. Let us everyone involved with Enterprise. tell you what we're thinking about.' We were all working together." "Yes, it is tough," he admits. "What I've done in the past is des- So what's on tap for Season Three? "We're deep into the Expanse perately try not to read the reviews. I try not to read things because in the first few episodes—in the opener ["The Xindi"] and the it's hard not to take them personally. But some of the other cast episodes after that ["Anomaly," "Extinction," "Raijin" and members soak it all up. They're reading everything that they can and "Impulse"]," Bakula comments. "Rick and Brannon have repeatedly want to find out stuff. They'll come to me and say, 'Oh my God, said that they aren't sure if this is an area that we'll be staying in for what do you think is going to happen? Do you think we're going to a season, or whether it will be half a season. After that, I don't have be cancelled?' Look, magazines and newspapers' job is to sell a clue. copies, and Star Trek has always sold any kind of publication. "Rick and Brannon have an overall view of what's going to hap- Certain magazines have always done very well with Star Trek, and pen in the Expanse. I know that there are. many fans who are con- my understanding is that they also did very well with the negative cerned about the chronology and history of the show, and why Kirk covers. But if you can separate the work that we do from the under- and Spock never made reference to the Expanse. Rick and Brannon standing that there's a business out there that lives off of trying to get have said that they're going to make all of this work out, and their attention—that sensationalizes situations to sell issues—you can track record speaks for itself. I'm confident that they're putting the take it less personally. pieces together. We're on this great search to find the Xindi, and "As I pointed out to [my fellow Enterprise actors] three or four early on we've learned that there are five different Xindi species." months later, they used the same slogan in regards to : And what are viewers learning about Archer? "They're now writ- 'Can The West Wing Be Saved?' That series is a multiple award-win- ning phenomenon that has launched many imitators. I said, 'Well, see here. They're using the same technique again.' Everyone who loves The West Wing is saying, 'What? What are you talking about?' Every show has room for improvement, but there's nothing dire. However, it certainly affects you. It certainly gets to you. We're a very tight group here, and what affects one person runs through and gets everyone else. So we all try and support each other. "I learned a long time ago that you have to focus on the work and let the other elements go because they're out of your hands. It's great to be supported and loved and on a big roll. We've had those days, and I think we'll have them again. But you also have to remember that there are these kinds of days, too. It's a challenge, but everyone believes in the show. They believe in where we're going. Paramount believes in Enterprise. If there really was a big, huge panic around here, traditionally what they do is fire some cast members and hire new people. But they haven't done that."

New doors are Expanding Enterprises opening for Change was in the air, Bakula says, as far back as January or Archer. The Captair February 2003. Co-executive producers Rick Berman and Brannon has "more of a Braga were already mapping out things to come. "Their notion of the drive and sense of Expanse and this catastrophe that happened on Earth started—to be urgency." Still, perfectly honest before some of these articles and things came out Bakula would like to see him spend trashing the show and suggesting how it should be," Bakula says. more time with the crew. 82 STARLOG/December 2003 * m

Keeping his

crew content Hoping for a "Cease Fire" from the media and isn't easy. grumbling fans, Bakula "learned a long time However, ago that you have to focus on the work and let Archer has the other elements go." learned that "blowing* something up makes Mr. Reed P*Jfc/Dominic: Keating) very happy." /

to explore Archer's relationships with Hoshi [Linda Park], May- weather and Dr. [John Bil- lingsley], though we nicely ex- plored Archer's relationship with Phlox in [""]. Hopefully, we'll see more of Archer with everyone this season."

Captain's Kids Outside of the Star Trek Universe, another question that

Bakula fans still ask is: Will they ever see more of Sam Beckett? "I haven't heard anything about it," Bakula says. "I've always said that I would be interested in doing Quan- tum Leap again in some form. Dean [Stockwell] and I are always talking

about it, and people are always talk-

ing to us about it, but the rights and

the whole thing... it's a messy deal.

Of course, I would love to do it. It's so great to work with Dean. So, if

they can work it out, that would be great. But as of now, no one has

talked to me about it. The last I ing him as a guy who's more reckless, less interested in protocol, heard was that USA Network was trying to put together a series last more driven and not as distracted," Bakula remarks. "As Archer said year [with a female Leaper]." in Season Two's last episode, he has the weight of the world on his Just before he warped into Enterprise, Bakula was a busy man,

shoulders and it isn't limiting him. It's actually totally infusing him acting in features and made-for-cable movies, and also producing with this energy, urgency and need to act, and he will use whatever several projects. Since embarking on Enterprise, however, he has means are necessary to get to the bottom of this puzzle. That's going used his hiatuses to play father to his four kids and husband to his to strain his relationships with the crew at times. It's going to sur- wife, actress Chelsea (Masters of the Universe) Field. Asked what he

prise them. But it's also, at times, going to delight them. Certainly, did during his time off between seasons, the actor laughs and happi- whenever Archer chooses to blow something up, that makes Mr. ly explains that he coached two Little League baseball teams, one Reed [Dominic Keating] very happy. As I said, it's going to confuse each for his two elder sons. some of the crew. It's going to take them into different places and Bakula laughs again as the conversation ends with him address- provide a certain amount of stress and strain. But it's all good story- ing what his kids make of his job and role as Captain Archer. "I have telling and character stuff. It gives everyone a chance to work on and kids of all different ages, and so they all have different opinions," he open up new areas. explains. "My 12-year-old son thinks that it's great, and he always "I think Archer could use more time with all of the characters. wants to come to the set and get prosthetics put on. He saw me last We've made some nice strides with Trip [Connor Trinneer]. There's week in some alien makeup and said, 'Cool! I want contacts like another episode from last year that I loved, where we found the those. I want those for Halloween.' So, he's very much into it. . That was great and had a fantastic ending; we dug into And my seven-year-old is into it on a certain level. He saw last their relationship a little bit. We're all waiting to see what's going to year's finale and keeps asking me, 'When are we going to find out happen with T'Pol [Jolene Blalock], but it's certainly going to take what happens?' So, he's into the story. He realizes that something their relationship to another place. T'Pol and Archer will relate more terrible has happened to Earth, and wants to know how we're going as equals, there will be less -vs. -human moments and more to save it. time spent on T'Pol as a struggling Vulcan. She's dealing with her "As for my four-year-old," Scott Bakula smiles, "he doesn't want emotions and place on the ship, but she has a captain who under- to be on the set when there are any scary faces around. We have to stands and appreciates her struggle. We've also made some strides pick the days when there are no blue faces. He doesn't like the with Malcolm and Archer. Archer has a better understanding of Andorians. He asked me, Are there blue faces today? I don't want Malcolm and why he is the way he is. There's certainly some room to go!'"

www.starlog.com STARLQG/December 2003 83 —

Even more stunning without alien appliances, the sisters are also Coors' buxom billboard babes.

By PAT JANKIEWICZ

wamm mum mum m jr j Ehhi

The Klimaszewski Sisters strutted their stuff as Enterprise's butterfly babes.

When TV's Enterprise was Elaine, who played the pink dancer to launched, it was touted as Diane's blue one. "They were searching for "Star Trek: Year One," the two girls who looked alike. Our agent prequel to the Kirk/Spock era. Instead of laughed and said, 'OK, I'm gonna send a set indulging in the retro look of the '60s Trek, of twins.' Naturally, we look alike, and we however, the show is jarringly modern. The wore our silver-and-gold outfits—the ones Enterprise crew wears Next Generation- we're wearing now—and got the gig." style uniforms, not the flared slacks, pajama "The parts were for these aliens on a tops and Beatle boots of the classic series. And the of Enterprise are bumpy- headed monsters, not the swarthy creatures with Fu Manchu beards seen in the first Trek. But, near the end of the Enterprise pilot "Broken Bow," when the crew visits an alien bar that's when the show finally features that Star Trek trademark: sexy aliens! Two exotic dancers, one pink and one blue, strut their stuff on stage, writhing and gyrating, immediately recalling Vina the Green Orion Slave girl from Star Trek's original pilot (they even dance to Alexander Courage's slave-girl theme from that episode). So, how did these new, enchanting extraterrestrials top Vina's dance from the original pilot? By eating butterflies with their long, frog-like tongues! Twin sisters Diane and Elaine Klimaszewski are the stun- ning blonde beauties who played those aliens. Recently, the actress/model/dancers could be seen on Coors Beer billboards nationwide. "Being on billboards together is ks Green Orion Slave gir really cool," notes Diane. wuuiu definitely complement the "We were the sexiest, spaced-out Kabuki Klimaszewskis' colorful creatures (that's Elaine in pink and Diane in blue). twin aliens I could ever imagine," says

84 STARLOG/December 2003 planet, Rigel 10, which is an exotic place and act as well. It's amazing all of the oppor- brushed it and topped it off with a big hair- with exotic beings," explains Diane. "The tunities that dancing has given us—it piece to hide our real hair. Michael two aliens are dancers, performing for the brought us to Star Trek\" Westmore did it. people and creatures in this bar. Since we Transforming into their Trek characters "We had seven layers of latex on us, and really are dancers, we especially enjoyed took some time in the makeup chair. "The had to stand up for nine hours while we were process doing it. My sister and I started dancing at day starts really, really early for an alien on being painted. The hair and makeup the age of four. We have a natural talent for Star Trek," laughs Elaine. "They put a foam went on for so long, but Michael and his is it, and dance became our first love. We sing prosthetic on our faces, glued it on, air- crew were great. And once latex painted on somebody, the only way to get out of it is

by running water over it, so it will peel right Twin sisters off. We actually kept our alien skins. After Diane and Elaine Klimaszewski all, they are collectors' items! Diane, as the provided truly exotic blue butterfly alien, totally blacked out! She barroom dancing passed out and threw up." in the "That's true," says Diane sheepishly. "It

Enterprise pilot. was a painful experience, but it was well

worth it. The latex smelled so bad; it had such a strong odor. But we each had our own trailer, and we filmed by the beach, near a water treatment plant. I had my trailer door open, so passersby could look in and freak out when they saw this alien! "[Director James L. Conway] was very

efficient and fast. It only took four hours to shoot," praises Diane. "Our alien dance was not choreographed. We are so good [at danc- ing] that we know how to freestyle. We per- form as the Enterprise crew members come into the club and notice us." The Klimaszewskis hail from Worcester, Massachusetts. "We made our acting debut at age 13 in TV commercials," says Elaine. "Our Mom and Dad are 100 percent Polish, and we're first-generation [Americans].

Elaine and I have a band, Klone. We write our own songs and perform locally in Los Angeles. The joke of the name is that we really are clones." Besides their Trek and Coors appear- ances, the twins "also danced at the Academy Awards" and were the gorgeous assistants to the Masked Magician in Fox TV's Secrets ofMagic Revealed. "They were ancient secrets, but you can look them up at the library," notes Diane. "It was controver-

sial because we went public with it on live television. That made some people go up in

arms. But the good part is that it will have magicians working even harder to impress the public without leaning back on old tricks." The Trek twins are surprised by the cult following they've gained from the episode. "It's such a loyal fan base," says Elaine. "It's cool, but intense. We're happy to be in the Star Trek family, and it's great because it's so big. You think that nobody knows you, so

it's exciting to be recognized. It was a unique segment—we stood out, so we're happy about that. Our brother Mark digs

Star Trek, and he was excited to see us in it. "It was a great experience. The Enterprise cast is a very nice group. We got to talk to Scott Bakula at the premiere. He's a very cool guy. We would love to come back as the Butterfly Girls—or maybe as clones next time!" However, the sisters have some bad news. "The butterflies were computer-gener- ated, and so were our eight-inch tongues," admits Diane Klimaszewski, almost apolo- getically. "Sorry, guys!"

STARLOG/December 2003 85

By PAT JANKIEWICZ

just Scars says. "I got bit on the arm! I was holding her You're six years old. You're Battle learning the difference between fan- Playing Boxey was a unique experience. when she had the flu. She was trying to get tasy and reality, but you're sur- "I don't know if you really understand your down and I thought she was slipping, so I rounded by adults who think they're on a character when you're six," he muses. held her tighter. She was wearing a diaper spaceship, fighting monsters and purple "When they put you in a costume and set and bit me—and put a couple of good holes machine men. You're coddled by some of the you on a starship, you're really there. You in my arm! Everybody freaked! Boone Narr, most beautiful women on TV, and your best don't have to create a character at that age the trainer, freaked! I e-mailed Boone last I Evie had friend is a lovable robotic canine. because you are that character! week to say hello, because heard Battlestar Galactica may have been a TV "Richard and Lome were father figures babies and was doing well. Chimps can live series to the rest of the world, but for Noah to me. Lome was like my grandfather. I used 60 or 70 years." impression on Hathaway, it was part of his childhood. As to play on his shoulders and we would go in The Cylons made a big Boxey, Hathaway was the show's resident his trailer and read lines. He was a wonder- him as a kid. "I loved them," he says of the kid, a cute little imp who hung out with his ful man—always incredibly gentle and relentless robots. "I actually had them at my regular sexy Mom Serina (Jane Seymour), stepdad sweet to me. I had this photographic memo- birthday—not as Cylons, but in their Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Muffy, his ry, so I would feed people lines. Lome and I clothes. They were basketball players and Daggit. (That's a robot dog to you civilians!) would go over our lines together; he took me stuntmen, really great guys. One of my As the last vestiges of an alien race trying to under his wing." favorites was a guy they called 'Bigfoot,' reach Earth before they are exterminated by Muffy the Daggit holds special memories because he had 1 8-inch feet. cruel robots known as the Cylons, Boxey for Hathaway. "Every kid should have a "As robots, they wore those uncomfort- and his family represented hope for the robot dog," he smiles. "I thought it looked able plastic suits and weren't very agile in future. cool. I loved the Daggit. It was played by a them. They tripped all the time. The Cylons like Now 30, Hathaway is tall and tattooed. chimp named Evie. She was just amazing, would constantly fall over dominoes. Boxey's a biker! With a beautiful wife and and that suit she had to wear was so hot. My Just topple over each other, because they two kids, Hathaway has grown up. And as birthday is November 13, and Evie's is couldn't really bend their knees. They had to

Galactica celebrates its 25th anniversary, he November 14, so they brought cakes out for walk straight-legged like the Tin Man. Once saga's 25th anniversary, Noah Hathaway remembers his childhood on board Galactica.

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looks at his life in space and us and we had our birthday together! She they fell, people would have to help them up. other places. "I was six when I was my best friend and we were inseparable They were good guys; they even let me play

got the show, and I had no on the set. It's amazing what they had her with their guns." front teeth," he laughs. "I had do." a great time, because all of Hathaway knows what it's like to suffer a Battle stars those sets, computers and Daggit bite. "Evie did bite me once," he In real life, Hathaway had strong feelings props were fully function- for TV Mom Seymour. "I had the biggest

al. Everything lit up, so I crush on Jane," he reveals. "I even had my was like a kid in a candy Mom buy perfume so I could give it to Jane store. Richard Hatch, on her birthday, because I was so enamored I Lome Greene and every- of her. She probably had no idea how I felt, I body else were great to and just thought I was a cute six-year-old.

Because I was a lit- But boy! Jane was quite professional, a real I me. I tie kid, everybody play- workhorse. She was a charming, dignified

ed with me. I kept pretty professional, and great to work with." busy and stayed out of After only a handful of episodes, I trouble. Seymour's Serina was murdered by Cylons.

"When I hear people "I remember it like it was yesterday. I knew talk about Galactica, a it was imaginary, and yet, I only had so

lot of it goes over my much to draw on. When Jane was killed, I head," Hathaway ad- was watching my TV Mom get shot down mits. "I'm like, 'Wait, I like a dog," he notes. "That was actually was there—how come I traumatic for me. I don't know why they don't remember some of killed her off, but it was very sad. I remem-

this stuff?!?' I haven't ber Richard crying.

seen all of the episodes, "Things are very real at age six, and I was so I'm looking forward around these people all day. It was upsetting. to watching the DVD. Richard's makeup was running and streaking My wife has never even because he was crying so hard. Everybody seen liatilestar" was crying. It was a miserable day."

www.starlog.com STARLOG/December 2003 87 feet in the air, where Felix would perform [the stunt]. We always hung out, and were

exactly the same size. I saw Felix recently. I walked up to him and said, 'Damn, I'm finally taller than you!' He looked at me like I was out of my mind, and then he went, 'Oh my God—Noah!' We hugged, because I had not seen him since Battlestar ended." Battle Spars Over the years, Hathaway has met Galactica friends in high places. "My friend [X-Men executive producer] Tom DeSanto and [X-Men director] Bryan Singer are big Galactica fans. They had planned a big new Galactica series that would have been incredible," he marvels.

"I went to Tom's office, and I just shit when I saw what he and Bryan were gonna do with their Galactica] I was blown away—the Cylons, the costumes and all of the stuff they were going to do was awe- some, mind-boggling. It was like they had

her] in this lovely gown when we were at the put Battlestar and H.R. Giger together! I People's Choice Awards when Battlestar was amazed that they had so many snags set-

won. I was in a little tux and she has her arm ting it up, because it would have been a fan- around me. Nobody has seen her since the tastic show. show. And Laurette Spang [Cassiopeia] was "Bryan had to do X2, and he wanted to do like a big sister.. .a sexy big sister!" both [X2 and Galactica] at the same time, but As for the show's male leads, Hatch and 20th Century Fox wouldn't let him," Dirk Benedict (who played Starbuck), "I Hathaway remarks. "That was his dream, to haven't seen Dirk in forever. Dirk was really do Battlestar. Bryan and Tom are really cool, man. I always liked Dirk. I remember crushed that it didn't happen. They would

him always giving me these horrible dietetic have done an amazing job with it; I'm sorry candies while we were doing Battlestar. I that it didn't work out. It would have been would spit them out, but Dirk was always brilliant. I didn't know that Tom was that big good to me. I would love to see him again. I of a Galactica fan. Tom has tons of Galactica

saw Richard a couple of months ago for the memorabilia: photos, slides, toys. I saw all of first time in 25 years. Now, I see a lot of him. this Galactica stuff at his office and thought

Richard is fun; he urged me to go on Star it was just because of the show. I didn't real- Dates—he forgot I was married!" ize that's how his office usually is!"

Whenever Boxey got into a tough jam, In December, the SCI FI Channel is "Felix Silla would step in for me. Felix was unveiling a new Galactica mini-series that my stunt double [before Silla played Twiki revamps the concept, which has upset in Buck Rogers]. Felix was wonderful. There purists. "So you want me to get into that?" were a couple of scenes on the show, like the Hathaway smiles mischievously. "You know, The insectoid one where I was supposed to be running 70 I have mixed feelings about it. I loved the Ovions were "a original series for what it was, and fans of little scary to me. the show love it for what it was. I haven't They looked creepy. heard much about the new show, but I That was an eerie what have is storyline—the been told that it's Baywatch in whole 'eating the Space\ Now, I'm a red-blooded American humans' scene was who loves tits and ass as much as anyone a bit traumatic to else, but I don't know if that's gonna work my little self." for Battlestar Galactica. But I'm not gonna get pissed at anybody trying to make a buck The mysterious Maren Jensen—who and doing their own thing. I don't necessari- played Athena—dropped out of sight after ly agree with [their approach], but that does Galactica. "I looked at a picture of her not mean I'm going to get irate about it." recently and thought, 'What a beautiful, gor- Born in Los Angeles, Hathaway "did my geous woman she was,' " notes. Hathaway first commercial at age four. I did 60 or 70 "Back in '97 or '98 I when was living in commercials, and then Battlestar. I audi- York, I talked to New her on the phone tioned and got Galactica when I was six. because she was living there, too. Nobody The [final] audition was between me and has seen or heard from her [since]. We talked another child actor, Shane Butterworth. briefly and were gonna hook up, but I went Before I went in to do a scene with Richard, back to California. She got in touch with me Shane kicked me in the knee to sabotage me. through somebody else, and I would love to I didn't let it get to me, though. I did my job see her again. and got the part." "I have a great picture of her and me. She . While he became famous overnight was a gorgeous lady, [and the photo is of because of the show, "the funny thing was I

88 STARLOG/December 2003 www.starlog.com —

never really cared or noticed. All 1 wanted to NeverEnding Story (the subject of his sec- do was swim, play and go to work. After ond STARLOG interview, #86) was a bitter- school and work, I danced and did martial sweet experience. "I loved my dragon and arts. I never wanted to see myself on film horse in that," he says. "It's amazing what anyway. My parents didn't allow me to they accomplished with what they had, notice [the fame] that much. My father because NeverEnding Story was before CGI Robert Hathaway is an acting teacher, and he and all that stuff. I love the movie. [Director] and my Mom kept me normal. My Dad Wolfgang Petersen did a wonderful job, and appeared on Galactica a couple of times." we really worked our asses off. We shot that Of the cult show's 24 episodes, "My for over a year, with 16-hour days. We spent favorites were the pilot movie ["Saga of a one month just doing the scene in the mud. Star World"]—because that introduced It was the hardest job I ever had. I've only everything—and 'Fire in Space,' because I seen one-and-a-half really got to act in that. Athena and I are times, but my wife and kids love it. My sons trapped and about to burn to death. I also like Jared and Trey always watch it. the shows where my Dad had roles in them. "Some rough things happened on Story.

By the way, I had a Galactica lunchbox that I Wolfgang was amazing, brilliant, and I used to take to school, and I trashed it in two would work for him anytime, but I don't days. I slid it down the hill on the side my have one good thing to say about the pro- While he loved his horse and luckdragon, face was on, and scraped my face right off." ducers—and you can print that! They were The NeverEnding Story "started At age seven, Hathaway learned that his far from nice. They didn't finish paying my the ball rolling for me about getting out show was cancelled. "That was it, so I just of show business." went back to school," he recalls. "If I was 25 and my show got cancelled, I would have been pulling my hair out like everybody else, but I was seven—there was school and all of this other stuff down the road for me." He didn't reprise his role on the Battlestar spin-off Galactica 1980 "because they turned me into Kent McCord! I didn't know people could develop a butt chin later in life! He played Boxey grown up. I watched half of one episode and it was so horrid, I never looked at it again. Galactica 1980 was really bad." Battle Soars At age six, Hathaway gave an interview to STARLOG (#22), confidently predicting he would become a movie director. "I was His NeverEnding Story ended after the first film. "I actually going in that direction. I went to refused to do the second one," Hathaway remarks. AFI [the American Film Institute] for a little while, and they offered me a scholarship to salary. I was overseas, so I was pretty much had fun on that. It was nice to see Anne

Cal Arts. But I got a bad taste in my mouth screwed without SAG watching my back. I Lockhart again, for the first time since regarding the entertainment business." refused to do the second one. They wanted Galactica!' Playing boy-warrior Atreyu in The me to give up my rights and everything they Leaving show business, Hathaway

owed me, but I wouldn't do it. seemed to avoid most of the pitfalls that "NeverEnding Story started the ball child actors stumble into. "I had my little rolling for me about getting out of show scrapes; everybody gets into trouble here business," he says quietly. "You show up, and there," he smiles. "I learned my lesson, bust your ass for more than a year and get and I'm not a big partier or drinker. I could rave reviews, so you expect to get adequate- not see ruining my life over drugs or drink. ly compensated or treated appropriately. I'm a competitive martial artist with a couple Instead, actors get treated like shit! They're of black belts, so I didn't have time to get constantly treated like chattel, and people messed up. My parents were incredibly pro-

don't want to pay them. Why would I want tective and didn't want me to wind up like to be in a business where I bust my ass and those other guys, and God bless them for don't get any return or gratitude? I just got that. I'm not dead, I never OD'd and I knew really sour; I had a couple of bad experi- River Phoenix."

ences and it took all the fun out of acting. I The actor is wistful about life aboard the quit before I wound up like all those other Galactica. "I wish I had all the Galactica child actors who hang on strings for the rest crap they put out," Noah Hathaway says. "I

of their lives. I became a mortgage banker either broke it, tossed it during spring clean- and then I started building motorcycles ing or Mom threw some away. I didn't know custom choppers. I build everything from that Battlestar would have the impact on scratch, and design them, too." people that it has. When you're six, you In those final acting days, he also don't realize how it affects the community. appeared in Empire Pictures' Troll (recently I'm blown away by Battlestar Galactiva's base. It touched many people, and they Long before J.K. Rowling enrolled wizards issued on DVD). "I was the first Harry fan at Hogwarts, Hathaway played the first Potter," Hathaway jokes. "My name in that must have enjoyed the hell out of it, because Harry Potter in John Carl Buechler's Troll. movie is Harry Potter, and I fight a troll! I 25 years later, they still love it!"

STARLOG/Decsmter 2003 89 ed me in the '90s to pick up O'Brian's 20 Aubrey-Maturin PATRICK novels (the whole series is published by W.W. Norton, I he movie I'm looking o™ most forward to as the year ends is prob- www.wwnorton.com), and, I ably the same one you are: The Lord of the Rings: The Return MASTER AM) naturally, read them all. LI o the King. COMMANDER of Number two? Well, that's more surprising. For They're the most "literary" of T "The best xi iton 1 haw me, it's Master and Commander: I The Far Side of the World. these historical sagas; one I "What?" I heard someone mutter. "That isn't science fiction!" critic called O'Brian (who course it Of not! And isn't fantasy, horror or animation, either. died in 2000) "the Jane It's a British naval historical adventure I based on the books by Patrick Austen of naval fiction." Typi- O'Brian, I directed by Peter Weir (who co-scripted with John Collee). cally, these books include O'Brian's is saga unique in that it focuses on two lead heroes: Cap- lotsa sea battles, swordfights, tain Jack Aubrey (played in the film by Russell Crowe) and ship's stormy weather, romance, I surgeon/scientist/spy Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany). The movie mutinies, shipwrecks, pirates, also shares an actor with Lord of the Rings: Billy Boyd, the Hobbit court-martials, annoying Pippin and the ship's Barrett Bonden (Boyd talks about both films on bureaucrats, daring land mis- page 60). sions, martinet officers, politi- 1 This kind of adventure began back in 1968 for me. I had already cal warfare and more true discovered The adventure begins with this one of my favorite heroes, Doc Savage, in those 1930s naval facts than you'll ever Patrick O'Brian yarn. pulp magazine yarns reprinted by Bantam Books in paperback. I want to know. s I worked at my junior high school library, and the librarian, Mr. Pea- Hornblower (and Lord Nelson) also sent other fictional captains cock, recommended two other series heroes to me—characters a to sea. My favorite of all these naval adventures is the Richard Savage fan might also like: Conan the Barbarian and Captain Hora- Bolitho saga by "Alexander Kent" (the pseudonym for Douglas Ree- 1 tio Hornblower. Conan, I was told, was so tough that he could reach man, who is also still writing terrific WWII military fiction under his I into an opponent's chest, tear out his heart and show it to him before own name). Like Hornblower, this saga follows Bolitho from Mid- he died. Wow! I was hooked (despite the fact that I'm unsure if that shipman to Admiral—and then, uniquely, to his eventual death in heart-stopping I scene ever appeared in any Conan tale I read by combat (when the 26-book series' focus shifts to his nephew). The I Robert E. Howard or his successors). whole Bolitho saga and several of Reeman's other efforts are avail- And Hornblower? His oceanic exploits as a British Royal Navy able from that most seaworthy of specialist publishers, McBooks I officer during the Napoleonic Wars (related in 1 1 novels, now avail- Press (www.mcbooks.com). able from Little, Brown/Back Bay Books, www.twbookmark.com) Other notable mariners include the late Dudley Pope's Captain were both exciting and fascinating. Author C.S. Forester (1 899- Nicholas Ramage (17 volumes from McBooks), Dewey Lambdin's

1966) was inspired by real-life British naval hero, Lord Horatio Commander Alan Lewrie (a humorous rogue, nine novels so far, I Nelson, victor of the Battle of Trafalgar. In turn, Hornblower was the from Fawcett, McBooks and Thomas Dunne Books, i template, as many Star Trek fans know, for Gene Roddenberry's www.stmartins.com) and two American heroes from writer James L. Captain James T. Kirk and quite a few later heroes of military SF Nelson, Colonial era pirate Captain Thomas Marlowe (a trilogy from 1 literature. HarperCollins Perennial) and Revolutionary War Captain Isaac Bid- I He also probably influenced the creation of Bernard Cornwell's dlecomb (five volumes from Pocket Books, www.simonsays.com). saga featuring a sort of Hornblower of the British Army (fighting in It's all great entertainment and in print, mostly in trade paperback the same Napoleonic era), 1 Richard Sharpe. I love the 20+ Sharpe editions from the publishers I've listed. books which Cornwell is still writing I — —as published by Harper- I still love SF and fantasy, but that's my job, you know—so it's Collins Perennial (www.harpercollins.com) and Penguin (www.pen- always refreshing to escape by reading mysteries, Westerns and

guinputnam.com). Maybe you've seen the British TV adaptations historical fiction. And, believe me, I'm ready, when it premieres 1 (shown on PBS here), which star Lord of the Rings' as November 14, to set sail once again (in movie form) with Master I Sharpeouaipe (most(must ofoi themmem are on DVD)u\u). anaand Commander. _ I started reading the Sharpe books in the 1980s. And that prompt- —David-David McDonnell/Editor (October 2003) I

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