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1 COMIC BOOK

HUHIBDAY-1 ™

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May 5, 2007 www.freecomicbookday.com . Remember the 300 with director . • See page 46. t

INSIDE THIS ISSUE 15 SECRETS OF TORCHWOOD Creator Russell T. Davies reveals his TV show's origins 20 ENTER PAINKILLER JANE & 's heroine goes TV 24 THE LIST OF HEROES Sendhil Ramamurthy looks for extraordinary people 28 LESSONS FROM JERICHO Sprague Crayden faces new teaching challenges 32 BLAKE, & ME British SF vet David Maloney recalled his life in television

37 THE GHOST IN BRONZE Ryerson Johnson sent Doc Savage to The Land of Always-Night 42 COWABUNCA, DUDES! Kevin Munroe unchains Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 46 LAST OF THE SPARTANS Filmmaker Zack Snyder chronicles the days of 300 53 TOURING TERABITHIA AnnaSophia Robb guides audiences to fantasy worlds 56 MIMSY WERE THE BOROGOVES The story inspires a moving picture, The Last Mimzy 60 RENEE ZELLWEGER SPEAKS She urges one & all to see her bioflick tale of Miss Potter 62 FIRST FEMALE IN FEAR Pioneering genre scribe Pat Fielder knows what scares us

68 S.H.I.E.L.D. REPORT Andre Ware speaks up as the Ultimate animated Nick Fury

72 MAKING SPIDER-MAN 3 The producing troika preview an epic Marvel movie 78 This toon family of the future hosts today's lost orphan 86 OF GODS AND MEN The latest Internet celebrates 40 years of action

300 Art: Copyright 2007 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4 STARLOG/Afoy 2007 www.starlog.com THE SOUND OF SCI-FI™ \&™k«&> \ From our good friends at Oecca Now available for the first time is The best music from the 1 st sea- Featuring marvelous vocals by Records comes the hit UPN series star- the wonderful music from the son of the incredible sci-fi series ring Scott Bacula. Enhanced portion Bakula, long-running acclaimed TV series starring Richard Dean Anderson. Scott (Jonathan Archer) includes cast bios and Russell Watson's star of the new UPN TV series music video of the main title song, starring Adrian Paul. This CD Includes 's feature "Where My Heart Will Take Me." includes several Celtic favorites. main title! ENTERPRISE!

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Music From The Original Original Television Soundtrack Original Soundtrack To The MGM TV Series Music From The Television Series Television Series THE BEST OF THE BEST OF ENTERPRISE HIGHLANDER: SG-1 Music by and Velton Ray Bunch Original Vocals by Scott Bakula and Music by Dennis McCarthy THE SERIES Music by Dennis McCarthy, Kevin Kiner, Stockwell Written by Diane Warren Music by Roger Bellon and . Dean Includes Interview with Scott Bakula! Performed by Russell Watson Bonus tracks include selections from Stargate Theme by David Arnold HIGHLANDER: A CELTIC OPERA

DUNE NEW! 1 f NEW! C Kfir;" M NEW! NEW! GNPD 8075 CD GNPD 8073 GNPD 8072 CD GNPD 8071 CD GNPD 8069 CD GNPD 8068 CD Orlgln.il Motion Picture Sound tr.itftx Origin. il Motion Picture Soundtrack Origin. il Television Soundtrack Original Television Soundtrack BATTLE BEYOND BLACK SCORPI- GODZILLA vs. FRANK HERBERTS LEXX FARSCAPE THE STARS MEGAGUIRUS THE SERIES Music From Seasons One and HUMAMOIDS FROM THE DEEP ON DUNE Music by two by SubVision and Music by Muiic by David Russell Michiru Ohshima Music By James Horner Music by Graeme Revell Guy Gross .mi Kevin Kiner Marty Simon

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GNPD 8067 CD GNPD 8062 CD GNPD 8061 CD GNPD 8053 CS/CD GNPD 8052 CS/Enh.inced CD GNPD 2258 CD Ontjin.il Motion Picture Soundtrack Origin*! Television Soundtrack Original Television Soundtrack Original Television Soundtrack Original Motion Picture Soundtrack GREATEST HIGHLANDER: LOST IN SPACE THE BEST OF THE BEST OF STAR TREK ENDGAME VOLUME III STAR TREK STAR TREK FIRST CONTACT HITS IV Music by Stephen Graziano mum. by Hans J. Salter, VOLUME TWO VOLUME ONE Music by Neil Norman & his and Nick Glennie Smith Herman Stein and Features music and frtemex Cosmic Orchestra Includes "Bonny Portmore" from all four television series Titles include Amazing Stories, Special Buckaroo Banzai, Cassettes CDs Saturn 3, Xena, Airwolf Prices for PLEASE NOTE FORMAT Babylon 5 and more. STARLOG AVAILABILITY 28 tracks in all! Readers $4.98 $12.98 The King of Sci-Fi

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Don't want to cut magazine? Write order on any plain piece of paper. President Iwao Takamoto (January) Creator of Scooby- THOMAS DeFEO Doo. Designer of countless other Hanna-Barbera Publisher characters (like the Jetsons, the Flintstones). NORMAN JACOBS Director of Charlotte's Web (1973). Assistant Publisher Steve Krantz (January) The producer of the RITA EISENSTEIN 1960s' well-remembered TV cartoon adaptations Executive Art Director W.R. MOHALLEY The Marvel Superheroes and Spider-Man as well Editor QUOTE OF THE MONTH as three later Ralph Bakshi-directed animated DAVID MCDONNELL "Nobody tells this Wookiee what to do!" films (Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, The Nine Lives Art Director —Chewbacca of Hollywood Boulevard of Fritz the Cat) and the live-action chillers Ruby HEINER FEIL (1977) and Jennifer. Managing Editor DECISION Tige Andrews (January) The character actor ALLAN DART SAD OF THE MONTH Silver and Warner Bros. They hired the who played Captain Adam Greer, boss of The Mod Contributing Editors Joel ANTHONY TIMPONE genre's best (Buffy creator ) to Squad, and The Werewolf of Woodstock. He was MICHAEL CINCOLD make Wonder Woman, and then eventually the Klingon Kras in Star Trek's "Friday's Child." TOM WEAVER IAN SPELLING opposed his take on the comics character. Whedon (STARLOG#138) JOE NAZZARO exited. It's Wonder Woman's loss. Lee Bergere (January) The man Captain Kirk WILL MURRAY conjured up as noble hero Abraham Lincoln in STARLOC CROUP, FIVE OF OUR HEROES Star Trek's "The Savage Curtain." The actor guest- A CREATIVE CROUP Company are Sir Arthur still his JOSEPH V. AVALLONE, CEO They C. Clarke, on ed on Wonder Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man odyssey as one of Earth's greatest science fic- and . Mainstream audiences Executive Assistants: Dee Erwine, Logan tion writers. as Aynders, DeSisto, Sean Ogden. know him Joseph the butler of TV's correspondents: (LA) Pat Janklewlcz, Neil Armstrong & Buzz Aldrin, the First Men Dynasty. (STARLOG #1 12) Bob Miller, Marc Shapiro, Bill warren, Dan on the Moon. Ian Richardson (February) The formidable Yakir; (NYC1 Dan Dickholtz, Mike McAven- nie, Maureen McTigue, Keith Olexa; Bob Burns, Monster Kid extraordinaire. British character actor seen as Sherlock Holmes in (Chicago) Kim Howard Johnson; , animation legend. The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Sign of (Phoenix) Bill Florence; (D.C.) Rhonda Krafchin; (Orlando) Bill Wilson; (Canada) Four (both 1983) and as Dr. Joseph Bell in Murder Mark Phillips; (Booklog) Penny Kenny, WHERE TO BE... Rooms: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes. Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficier, Michael ...May 5? Your local comic store! It's our Francis Urquhart in the classic British Wolff; (Toons) Alain "Big Bad Bubba" book He was TV Chaperon, Mike Fisher, Tom Holtkamp, favorite holiday—Free Comic Book Day! To find mini-series trilogy (House of Cards, To Play the Bob Muleady; (Photos) Donn Nottage, the store nearest you (many of which carry STAR- King, The Final Cut) and Canon Adolphus Black Lisa Orris, Albert Ortega.

Thanks to: Stephen J. Anderson, Avi LOG and FANGORIA), use the Comic Shop in TV's Strange. He also appeared in Brazil, From Arad, Michael Broldy, Ethan H. calk, Krlsty Locator Service by calling 1-888- Chan, Risa Chapnick, Peter Christian, IF ONLY WE MADE EM DEPT. Thomas Haden church, Sky Douglas Con- COMIC-BOOK or logging onto the way, Meghan Courtney, Grant Curtis, website (comicshoplocator.com). Adrienne D'Amato, Russell T. Davies, Kirsten Dunst, Toby Emmerich, Mike Femia, Pat Fielder, Seth Fradkoff, Jess THE LAST FAREWELLS WeMlEENAGEMIMT NINJATURFLESH Garcia, Topher Grace, Gil Grant, Sprague m ^Fhe science fiction universe sadly Crayden, Howard Green, Kristen Hamby, VANILLA ICE AT THE BOTTOM Bryce Dallas Howard, Ryerson Johnson, I salutes these fantastic talents who Shane Kidd, Lana Kim, David Lombard, died recently. OF A DEEP, PEEP MINESHAFT Tobey Maguire, David Maloney, Suzanne Martin, Lauren McCabe, Kevin Munroe, Art Buchwald (January) The Don Payne, Chrissy Quesada, Sam Raimi, great American humorist. sendhil Ramamurthy, Mike Rau, Anna- Robert Anton Wilson Sophia Robb, Bruce Joel Rubin, Sarah (January) GET 'IM? Sanders, Dan Scapperotti, Deborah & The conspiracy theorist/co-author Zack Snyder, Gina Sollz, Lisa Stone, (with Robert Shea) of The Illumina- Anthony Tollin, Jack Trevino, Jeff Walker, Andre ware, Sheelagh Wells, Dave Wong, tus! Trilogy as well as (solo) further Renee Zellweger, Laura ziskin. Illuminatus volumes and the Cover images: Spider-Man: ©2007 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. All Schrddinger's Cat Trilogy. Rights Reserved. Spider-Man Character Sidney Sheldon (January) The Likeness: Trademark & ©2007 Marvel Oscar-winning screenwriter who cre- Characters, Inc. All Rights Reserved; Robinsons: ©2007 Disney Enterprises, ated TV's / Dream of Jeannie (and Inc.; Turtles: Imagl Animation The Patty Duke Show and Hart to Studios/Courtesy Warner Bros./Trade- mark & ©2006 Warner Bros. Entertain- Hart). He later became a bestselling ment, Inc. All Rights Reserved; Heroes: novelist. ©2006 NBC, inc. For Advertising Information: Yvonne de Carlo (January) (646) 649-8131; FAX (212) 889-7933 TV's lovely Lily Munster. She Advertising Director Rita Eisensteln capped a long career (which included west Coast Ads: Robyn Faust, 2111 255th Street, Lomita, CA 90717 films like The Ten Commandments, (310) 539-2116 Cel (310) 710-8146 The Power and McLintock!) with a FAX (310) 373-8760

International Licensing Rep: Robert J. stunning showstopper, singing "I'm Abramson & Associates, inc., 720 Post Still Here" in Stephen Sondheim's Road, scarsdale, ny 10583 Broadway classic Follies (1980).

STARLOC (ISSN 0191-4626, Canadian GST number: R-124704826) is published monthly except for February & September by STARLOG GROUP, inc., a creative GROUP Com- pany, 1372 Broadway, 2nd Fir., New York, NY 10018-6144. STARLOC and The Science Fiction universe are registered trademarks of STARLOG GROUP, INC. This is issue Num- ber 355, May 2007. Entire contents are copyright ©2007 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 website—without the publishers' written permission is strictly forbidden. STARLOG accepts no respon-

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6 STARLOG/Moy 2007 www.starlog.com Hell, Dark City, 102 Dalmatians and Gor- Johnson on page 37. Meanwhile, the latest menghast. In a popular American TV ad, he volume of The Shadow (#5) pits the cloaked rolled down the window of his Rolls-Royce crimefighter against The Salamanders and THE EXPLOSIVE and intoned, "Pardon me. Do you have any The Black Falcon, both yarns by magical cre- Grey Poupon?" (STARLOG #319) ator Walter B. Gibson. For further info, see CONCLUSION FROM Peter Ellenshaw (February) The leg- the website (www.nostalgiaventures.com). endary artist who painted stunning NEW YORK TIMES imaginary landscapes for Disney's Treasure FILM FANTASY CALENDAR BESTSELLERS Island (1950), 20,000 Leagues Under the Release dates are extremely subject to Sea (1954), Darby O'Gill and the Little Peo- change and may shift without any notice. DAVID & LEIGH ple, Swiss Family Robinson (1960) and March: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles numerous other films. He created special FX (3/23), The Last Mimzy (3/23), Meet the EDDINGS for Mary Poppins (winning an Oscar), In Robinsons (3/30). Search of the Castaways, April: Grindhouse (4/6), The Reaping (4/6), EPIC «V| (1960) and many others. And he served as Pathfinder (4/20), Next (4/27). .THE NATIONAL BESTSELLING production designer of The Black Hole and May: Spider-Man 3 (5/4), 28 Weeks Later DAYID & LE!0 H The Island at the Top of the World. (5/1 1), Shrek the Third (5/18), Pirates of the DINGS ii younger mm

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Why not add these latest entries to your STARLOG Contributors Library?

BY OUR CONTRIBUTORS Caribbean: At World's End (5/25). Randy & Jean-Marc Lofficier's Black Coat June: Surf's Up! (6/8), Fantastic Four: Rise Press has issued News from the Moon & of the Silver Surfer (6/15), Nancy Drew Other French Scientific Romances (tpb, (6/15), Evan Almighty (6/22), Ratatouille

$22.95). It's an anthology of pre-20th centu- (6/29), The Martian Child (6/29). ry proto-SF from the likes of Guy deMaupas- July: Transformers (7/4), Harry Potter and BOOK FOUR sant, Albert Robida & others translated by the Order of the Phoenix (7/13), 1408 (7/13), AVAILABLE IN HARDCOVER Brian Stableford. The best story included is Movie (7/27). "The Monkey King," a terrific tale of a August: Underdog (8/3), Stardust (8/10), 'he end is here. And it's all-out Tarzanish antihero that anticipates Planet of The Invasion (8/17), Fanboys (8/17), Hal- Dhrall. the Apes and guest stars Jules Verne's Cap- loween (remake, 8/31). T!war in the land of The tain Nemo. Black Coat Press has also pub- Vlagh breeds her deadliest enemies lished Felifax by Paul Feval fds, a 1 928 novel WHERE TO FIND... yet. But a greater danger threatens- translated by Stableford (tpb, $24.95). It's an ...FANGORIA RADIO? Check out Sirius from the gods themselves.... exciting adventure of a pseudo-Tarzan (and Satellite Radio (Channel 102) Friday nights, his tiger cohorts) and a Sherlock Holmes-like 10 p.m. to 1 a.m (an encore of the live show detective which also involves a Dr. Moreau immediately follows). See the website for "This husband-and-wife writing type and the Cult of Kali. For further info, subscription info (sirius.com/fangoria). team...produces a winning see the website (www.blackcoatpress.com). combination of congenial char- Hallelujah! Universal Horrors: Second SUBSCRIBER SERVICES acters, beastly villains, and Edition (McFarland, he, $55) is now avail- Missing copies? Moving? Renewals? top-notch storytelling/ able. It's a revised and expanded version of Receiving duplicates? Subscription questions? what was in 1990 the definitive—and now Write to: -Library Journal even moreso—look at ' STARLOG horror movies 1931-46 by Tom Weaver and Subscriber Services, P.O. Box 430 Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430 the Brothers Brunas (Michael, John). Second Inquiries to editorial offices only delay matters. Edition includes the latest research, new 'MlrfOe interviews, hitherto-unrevealed secrets and NEW SUBSCRIBERS: BOOK THREE all-new photos {none seen in the first ver- See subscription ad in this issue. NOW sion). It's highly recommended by STAR- Do NOT send money to above address. AVAILABLE IN | LOG. For further info, see the website Attach Mailing Label Here PAPERBACK (www.mcfarlandpub.com). Nostalgia Ventures' fabulous pulp maga- zine reprints showcasing Doc Savage and NAME The Shadow continue (tpb, $12.95 each, two novels per volume). They're masterminded ADDRESS- by Anthony Tollin, and all feature historical essays by Tollin and STARLOG's Will Mur- Hachette Book Group USA ray. For more about Doc, see Murray's inter- 355^ CITY. view this issue with Savage ghost Ryerson Read an Excerpt Online at www.hbgusa.con

STATE ZIP. .

UPDATES do. Levy is also going to direct 20th Century has settled on his next Fox's The Hardy Men, an action-comedy film, and it won't be Battle after all. about the grown-up, grown-apart Hardy

Instead, he's directing Avatar, with live- Boys. Ben Stiller and Tom Cruise will star. action lensing beginning this month in LA. And Warner Bros, didn't embrace writer- Shot in 3-D, it'll be released in both 3-D and director Joss Whedon's take on Wonder 2-D versions in 2009. Cameron scripted this Woman. So after almost two years on the SF tale, working on it for the last decade HW project, has exited Paradise Island. By DAVID MCDONNELL Whedon while developing CG techniques and waiting for 3-D and FX technology to catch up with CHARACTER CASTINGS his ideas. To that end, he has consulted with LOG favorite Christopher Lee. Also in the X2's Alan Cumming is Glitch, a guy with , and Philippa cast: Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Buffy's half a brain, in SCI FI's Tin Man mini- Boyens and hired their Weta wizards to do Anthony Stewart Head and Borafs Sacha series. And Zooey Deschanel (Trillian in The most of the FX. Sam Worthington (Jimmy Baron Cohen. John (Gladiator) Logan Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) will be the Olsen in Superman Returns) stars as a space scripted this film version of Stephen Sond- heroine D.G. (as in Dorothy Gale). marine who romances a planetary native heim's musical masterpiece. That new Tim Minear-produced TV (Zoe Saldana of Pirates of the action-drama starring Nathan Fil- Caribbean: The Curse of the lion debuts April 15, 8 p.m. with a Black Pearl) and then leads an two-hour premiere show on Fox. uprising against the colony's Then, Drive moves the next day human overseers. Sigourney to its regular time slot (Mondays, Weaver, CCH Pounder, Wes Studi 8 p.m.) with another new episode. and Joel David Moore co-star. Cameron and longtime Light- FANTASY WORLDS storm Entertainment partner Jon Stephen King and J.J. Abrams Landau are producing. And the (creator of Lost and ) are budget? A reported $195 to $200 talking about doing a media adap- million. Really. tation of King's Dark Tower has allow- saga. It hasn't been determined ed its rights to Edgar Rice Bur- whether it'll be film(s) or a TV roughs' John Carter of Mars series/mini-series/movie. books to expire. Their attempts to Veteran Star Trek, X-Men and film A Princess of Mars included Fantastic Four producer Ralph a version with director Robert DOUBLE FEATURE Winter is teaming with Walden Rodriguez, a promising rendition from Sky Media (the folks behind the Narnia films) on Rush out to your local bijou for the Captain wunderkind Kerry Conran and an another C.S. Lewis property, The Screwtape Grindhouse double bill: Planet Terror adaptation to be helmed by Elf filmmaker (directed by Robert Rodriguez, with Letters. The devilish satire (with an older Jon Favreau (who moved over to do Iron Rose McGowan & Marley Shelton demon offering a neophyte advice on dealing Man). Disney (which had tried to film it in pictured) and Death Proof (directed by with humans) may hit the screen as early as the 1980s) has now optioned the Mars saga ), plus coming next year. with the plan apparently to render Princess attractions. For all the gritty details and exclusive interviews, see as a animated film or, even better, a GENRE TV FANGORIA #261 (Rodriguez) & #262 live-action-animated combo film (Pixar's George R.R. Martin's A Song of Fire & Ice (Tarantino, now on sale). first!). novel saga is being mounted as a TV Chris Williams has succeeded Chris (Lilo series for HBO to be executive-produced by & Stitch) Sanders as the director of Disney's Terence Stamp will play the lead bad guy David (Troy) Benioff and David (Halo) American Dog. Sanders has left the studio. (probably head of K.A.O.S.) in the Get Weiss. Each of Martin's seven massive nov-

You can still see that traveling : Smart movie now lensing. The Rock essays a els is planned to be adapted as a season of

Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit new C.O.N.T.R.O.L. guy, Agent 23 the show. Benioff and Weiss will do all the (filled with props, costumes and artifacts 20th Century Fox's redo of The Day the scripts, except one per season to be written from the movies). Currently, it's at the Cali- Earth Stood Still has a release date: May 9, by Martin. fornia ScienCenter in LA through April 29. 2008. Bryan Fuller, the creator of two fabulous See the website for more info (www.califor- Michael (Kidnapped) Dinner will direct but mostly unappreciated shows (Wonder- niasciencecenter.org). the new Bionic Woman TV pilot. Michelle falls, Dead Like Me), is behind a pilot for Ryan (of the BBC's EastEnders) plays the ABC: Pushing Daisies. It's a drama about a SEQUELS woman who gets rebuilt. guy who can bring folks back to life merely Well, now it's OK that there will be a Toy by touching them. Story 3—because Pixar wants to do it, COMICS SCENE TV's new exorcists have been cast. Ron and studio veteran Lee Unkrich will direct. is creating the hi-tech suit (Blind Justice) Eldard and Harold (Lost) Per- Unkrich served as Pixar's quintessential co- worn by Iron Man in that film. Sky Cap- rineau will fight Demons in that CBS pilot. director on Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and tain's Gwyneth Paltrow will portray Tony CBS has two more genre pilot projects Finding Nemo. Michael (Little Miss Sun- Stark's secretary, Pepper Potts. under consideration for the fall. Babylon shine) Arndt will script. Screenwriters Kiernan & Michele Mul- Fields is a comedy-family drama about zom- roney are working on a Justice League of bies; the pilot to be directed by Michael THE REMAKE GAME America script for Warner Bros. (Dexter) Cuesta from a script by Gerald Here's who will "attend the tale" of Tim David Goyer has departed as the director Cuesta & Michael Atkinson. Ron Koslow Burton's Sweeney Todd: The Demon of , to be succeeded by Shawn (creator of TV's Beauty and the Beast) & Barber ofFleet Street: Burton regulars John- (Night at the Museum) Levy. Goyer's script Trevor (Lone Star State of Mind) Munson ny Depp (as Sweeney), Helena Bonham is being revised with a lighter tone envi- have scripted Twilight, about yet another Carter (pie-maker Mrs. Lovett) and STAR- sioned instead of grim superheroic derring- vampire private eye.

8 STARLOG/Afay2007 www.starlog.com • ••••• I

to Fridays, p.m. on 3/30 for SCI Fl REPORT Canadian genre TV then moves 9 five more weeks. Jeff Goldblum stars as a As it does twice yearly, the SCI FI veteran Christina Channel has announced its latest crop of Cox stars in Tanya detective who hallucinates that he talks to projects in development. The most important Huff's vampiric dead people. Although NBC ordered 13

is a new 22-episode, one-hour series version tales of Blood Ties episodes, the network cut the order back to of Alex Raymond's classic newspaper strip come to Lifetime. the seven shows already produced. Flash Gordon (previously incarnated as 1930s-'40s serials with Buster Crabbe, a THE SIMPSONS 1950s TV series starring Steve Holland, the Airs Sundays, 8 p.m. on Fox. The show's 1980 movie with Sam J. Jones and several 400th (!!) episode premieres in May. animated shows). RHI Entertainment's

Robert Halmi Sr. & Jr. (whose past efforts include The Tenth Kingdom, Dinotopia and / Airs Thursdays on the CW. Phil Morris Legend of ) are producing with will be in several episodes as the Reunion Pictures. Lensing begins shortly in Martian Manhunter. 4/12: Lynda Carter Canada on this contemporary-set Flash for a Airs Fridays on SCI FI. The third season (TV's Wonder Woman) guests as Chloe's July premiere on SCI FI. No casting debuts shortly in Great Britain with a mother. announced yet. new companion on board (Martha, played by Among the possible SCI FI series being Freema Agyeman). No word yet on when developed are Johnny (a reluctant exactly these episodes will in the U.S. Airs Fridays on SCI FI. New episodes hero; Howard Deutch directs the two-hour (though SCI FI says "this year"). BBC begin appearing this month, debuting pilot from a John Sullivan script), Middle- America, by the way, has been rebroadcast- 4/13. Renewed for a 20-episode fourth sea- town (human vs. aliens; two-hour ing first-year episodes here. Series guru son (now in production) with SG-Fs pilot from Fox TV Studios scripted by Coke Russell T. Davies discusses Who and its two Amanda Tapping joining the cast in her Lt. Sams & Matt Lindahl), Revolution (from spin-offs (Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Colonel Samantha Carter role (for 14 CBS Paramount; a space colony in conflict Adventures) on page 15. episodes). Firefly's Jewel Staite returns as with its Earth homeland; Ed Redlich & John Dr. Keller for eight episodes. Bellucci are scripting and producing; Simon THE DRESDEN FILES West helms the two-hour pilot), an untitled New 13-episode series based on Jim STARGATE SG-1 90-minute program with empowered con- Butcher's bestselling paperback saga Airs Fridays on SCI FI. The final 10 new victs battling badder guys (scripted by (airs Sundays on SCI FI). 3/25: "The Other episodes begin appearing this month,

Face/Off's Mike Werb, who's executive pro- Dick." Farscape's guests as debuting 4/13. Two direct-to-DVD movies ducing with Darren Star for Sony Pictures private eye Liz Fontaine. are planned, Stargate: The Ark of Truth Television) and Avery House (a two-hour (which wraps up plot ) and Stargate: pilot about a New home where fears HEROES Continuum (establishing a new storyline). and dreams come to life; scripted by Dava Airs Mondays on NBC (usually with Savel; produced by Survivor guru Mark replays Friday nights on SCI FI). Burnett and Tagline Entertainment's Kelly Already renewed for a second season (2007- Airs Thursdays on the CW. DCs Kulchak & Ron West). SCI FI has an in- 8). Eric Roberts has joined the regular cast Wildstorm imprint will publish Super- triguing sitcom project, Starcrossed, a half- as H.R.G.'s associate. Sendhil Ramamurthy natural Origins (which tells how ' hour look behind the scenes on an SF show lists what's happening on page 24. father began his demon-fighting career). as written (from real life?) by Stargate At-

lantis actor . SCI FI is also JERICHO working up a new "reality" show, Witch Airs Wednesdays on CBS. Full episodes School. can be seen for free at the show's site (whodroppedthebomb.com). Alicia Coppola AMERICAN DAD is now a series regular. Sprague Grayden On hiatus for most of March, returning talks about post-apocalyptic life on page 28. with new episodes 3/25, airing Sundays, 9:30 p.m. on Fox. KING OF THE HILL On hiatus for most of March, returning BATTLESTAR CALACTICA with new episodes 3/25, airing Sundays, Airs Sundays on SCI FI. 3/25: Third sea- 8:30 p.m. on Fox. son finale. Renewed for a fourth season of at least 13 episodes to film this summer PAINKILLER JANE for a January premiere. SCI FI has greenlit this property as a 22- episode series for a 4/13 bow on SCI FI BLOOD TIES (airing Fridays), followed by fall syndica- New series based on Tanya Huff's paper- tion. 73's plays Jane. Gil back saga (STARLOG #354) airing Grant previews the series on page 20. Sundays, 10 p.m. on Lifetime. Christina Cox, Dylan Neal, Kyle Schmid & Gina RAINES Holden star. Premiered with two back-to- New NBC mid-season series begins airing back episodes. Thursdays, 10 p.m. (on 3/15 & 3/22), WHntwrzAPD'ws SCI FI / HORROR / FANTASY TOYS & COLLECTIBLES WHITEWIZARDTOYS.COM 1-877-4-WWTOYS Note: Airdates can shift without notice. Airtimes are EST. Series are only listed for which STARLOG has new info. www.starlog.com —

FOUR FOR HEROICS with Michael Praed as the freedom fighter of the Daniel Craig adds his name to the list of forest—and a bonus fifth disc devoted exclu- actors to have tackled James Bond, play- sively to eight-plus hours of special features: ing the debonair secret agent in the new Casi- commentaries, two retrospective documen- no Royale, now a Sony two-disc Special taries, outtakes, etc. Just $59.99, which you can Edition ($28.96). Play your cards right, and easily steal from the rich and give to the merry

you'll be able to enjoy all the bonus material, I men at Acorn. including the featurettes "Becoming Bond" (a " When Raphael Cain (Lorenzo Lamas) sees

look at how Craig stepped into the role of the I his wife killed and his daughter abducted by double-oh sixth 007), "James Bond: For Real" J\ I "sinister demons" (aren't they just the worst?), (on the movie's action and stunts) and, best of he becomes the Immortal and begins a cen- By all, "Bond Girls Are Forever" (a close look at TOM WEAVER turies-long fight against Dominic Keating and Bond's leading ladies). Picture us stirred, not the devils of darkness. All 22 episodes of the shaken! Also on Blu-ray for $38.96. 21st-century-set series are yours to have (well, for $49.99) in the Casino Royale, of course, derives from bestselling author Ian six-disc The Immortal: Complete Series box set from Image Enter- Fleming's novel; another, much more recent bestseller provided the tainment. basis for the fantasy Eragon (Fox Home Entertainment, $39.98). Here's something you might not have known/might not want to It's set in the magical land of Alagaesia, where the last dragon is know about Star Trek's "fearless" Captain Kirk: The actor who

choosing its rider, and the final battle between good and evil (by played him is afraid of space travel! Offered a free trip aboard air- our count, that would be Final Battle #3557) is about to com- travel tycoon Richard Branson's inaugural Virgin Galactic flight mence—with FX created by both Weta Digital and Industrial Light (2008), has not-so-boldly declined. But he was & Magic. Again, it comes our way as a two-disc Special Edition, brave enough to subject himself to Comedy Central Roast of the bonus materials including featurettes on casting, filming, the William Shatner and a merciless skewering by, among others, Jason Alexander, Ben Stiller, Jimmy Kimmel and fellow Trek alumni George Takei and Nichelle Nichols. Paramount's $19.99 DVD even has extras like behind-the-scenes footage and a "Making of." Speaking of extras, that extra seat on the real-life space flight will

be occupied by Sigourney Weaver (!).

Stargate Atlantis sounds like it could be set underwater, but it's instead placed, of course, in the ocean of space. Season Two has come to DVD as a five-disc $49.98 box set highlighted by com- mentracks by a host of the directors, writers and actors—and even Stargate SG-l's Gary Jones. If recent planetary outcast Pluto had been on the flip side of the solar system, would the title Third Rock from the Sun have to be changed? Fortunately, no such dilemma was faced by fans of the show, whose run has now ended (along with the Solomons' Hang on to DVD your dragon! mission) with Season Six (Anchor Bay, $39.98). For the same sort Eragon is flying of alien-fish-out-of-water laughs, Mork & Mindy: The Second Sea- onto DVD. son is a na-new Paramount release ($38.99) with Pam Dawber as an Earthwoman who boards the egg-hatched Mork (Robin Williams), FX, etc.; commentaries (Ed Speleers, Jeremy Irons, Djimon Houn- an emissary from the planet Ork here to study our customs.

sou, director Stefan Fangmeier); extended and deleted scenes; and Just as far-out, but in its more Earthbound way, the second and more. No need for these bells and whistles? The single-disc DVD last season of David Lynch's mystery-thriller series Twin Peaks hits is $29.98. DVD April 3 (Paramount, $61.99). All 22 episodes are in the six- Since we've named two movies in a row with male heroes, and disc set, plus episode introductions and director interviews. Fol- we don't want even the faintest hint of sexism marring this column, lowing hot on the heels oi'She-Ra, Princess ofPower: Season One:

let's cite a couple of flicks starring hot-lookin' chicks. From Sub- Volume One, it's, you guessed it, Volume Two—33 more episodes versive Cinema comes the 1983 sword-and-sorcery yarn Hundra, of the 1980s animated adventure. BCI Eclipse sweetens the $49.98 the tale of a fierce archer-fighter-swordswoman raised to despise deal with part two of the doc "The Stories of She-Ra." the influence of men. To the accompaniment of an Ennio Morri- Other toons coming soon include South Park: The Complete cone score, Laurene Landon plays the hubba-hubba Hundra in the Ninth Season (Paramount, $49.99), with Matt Stone-Trey Parker

new DVD edition ($19.95), with commentary by Landon and commentary on all 14 episodes. For smaller fry, there's a quartet director Matt Cimber, a "Making of featurette, an original comic from Warner Home Video (Loonatics Unleashed: The Complete book and a bonus soundtrack CD with Morricone's score (limited First Season and Teen Titans: The Complete Third Season, both to the first 5,000 copies). $19.98; and Beyond: Season Three and Justice League Proof that female fighters come in all shapes and sizes Unlimited: The Complete Second Season, both $26.98); Lions- and. ..like. ..you know... like... moods, two teenage Valley Girls are, gate's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season Four ($39.98); Brent- duhhh!, among the few Los Angelenos not turned to, like, dust on wood Home Video's Cool McCool: Complete Series ($19.98); the Night of the Comet. The gals (Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Shout Factory's The Milton the Monster Show: The Complete Maroney) contend with zombies and, like, secret underground gov- Series ($34.98); and a pair from Turner Home Entertainment ernment installation types in the 1984 satire, new from Fox Home (Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!: The Complete Third Season,

Entertainment. Pick it up via discount DVD sites for around 10 $34.98; and Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends: The Complete

bucks, or go to the mall and pay full price ($14.98). As if. Season One, $19.98). Not that there's anything wrong with imagi- nary friends, as (perhaps too many) STARLOG readers know! TV ON DVD ^•oasting period realism and a mix of history and myth, the 1980s SON OF THE MANITOU ^#English-made series Robin of Sherwood (seen stateside as As long as the dollars keep rolling in, the Land Before Time char- Robin Hood) has hit the DVD bulls-eye as a five-disc box set from acters don't have to worry about extinction: The newest in the Acorn Media. It includes all 13 episodes in Series One and Two popular cartoon series is The Land Before Time: The Great Day of

10 mm/May 2007 www.starlog.com CAN EARTH'S

GREATEST When Happy Feet shuffles

off to video, it'll arrive on DVD, Blu-ray and HD-DVD. HERO SAVE the Flyers (Universal, $19.98), yet another tale of "the magic of friendship and loyalty" among creatures fhat...ummm...in real life would probably tear apart and consume each other in a heartbeat. The DVDeception continues with sing-alongs and read-alongs. The kid-friendly weirdness continues with Flushed Away (Paramount, $29.99), the ani- mated tale of an upper-crust "society mouse" who goes down a penthouse apart- THE FUTURE? ment toilet into the bustling sewer world of Ratropolis, where he must learn a whole new way of life (to say the least!). Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Sir Ian McKellen, Andy Serkis and Bill Nighy are among the voice stars heard in the movie, and seen in the featurette "Meet the Cast"—just one title on a long list of extras that also includes "Maze of Pipes" 7* and "Build a Slug." T'anks a lot! Jackman's back behind the mike in Warner Home Video's Happy Feet, joining Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Nicole Kidman and Brittany Murphy in an Antarctica-set story of a land ruled by singing emperor penguins, including one named Mumble who is cast out of the community for his strange tap-dancing ways. Direct your happy feet to the nearest video store and pace the aisles deciding between DVD ($28.98), Blu-ray ($34.99) and HD- DVD ($39.99). My corns! From the files of real-life lunacy, a recent study prepared for the British government posits a tomorrow in which robots demand the same rights as humans, and countries will be obliged to provide the androids with housing and health care. Prepare yourself for this funky futureworld with a peek at Android Apocalypse (Magnolia, $26.98), in which an inventor with plans to eradicate the human race somehow manages to create a soldier (Joey Lawrence) that develops a compassion toward humans.

Available exclusively from Amazon.com is the 195 1 baseball fantasy Angels in the Out- field, in which the manager (Paul Douglas) of the last-place, laughingstock Pittsburgh

Pirates is touched by an angel and promised that if he cleans up his hot-tempered act, a ros- ter of celestial MVPs will descend to "help" his team. Also on deck cast-wise: STARLOG favorites (collect 'em all!) Janet Leigh and Keenan Wynn. How do we score this one?: It's regularly $19.97 from Amazon, but they'll cut the price to $13.99 if you buy it from.. .ummm... Amazon. Foul! Let's agree that having a tumor on your back and neck is bad enough—you don't need to find out that it's a developing fetus. And you most certainly don't want to learn that the growth is the reincarnation of a malevolent Native American spirit coming back to destroy humanity! That's just the tip of the surreal iceberg in 1978's The Manitou, starring Tony Curtis, Susan Strasberg, Michael Ansara and a supporting cast (Stella Stevens, Ann Soth- ern, Burgess Meredith, Paul Mantee and Jeanette Nolan) that Anchor Bay, DVDistributor of this $14.98 release, stresses was "impressive—for its day." Hey, we're still impressed! We almost lack the courage to mention a $19.99 VCI serial, 1935's way-out The Lost City, about an Africa-based madman (named Zolok) with schemes for world domination, and a good-guy scientist whose newest innovation is a process that turns black men white! (Hero Kane Richmond: "Doc, this is the greatest scientific discovery yet.") Honey, please don't wake the kids!

DVDS IN BRIEF To break triumvirate ot evil sorcerers' Night Skies (Sony Pictures, $24.96): On the night of the true-life "Phoenix Lights" a UFO-sighting incident, a camper-full of bickersome 20-somethings breaks down in the spell on earth, The Phantom Stranger woods and is besieged Night of the Living Dead-style by E.T.s. Jason Connery stars; No- and The Demon convince a broken Clark Doz not included. Kent of his superhero identity. Now, with The Invincible Iron Man (Lionsgate, $19.98): Marvel's third direct-to-DVD extrava- the help of four legends from the Old ganza mixes magic, metallics and plot mechanics as the newly created Shellhead takes on West, Superman and his allies must go the Mandarin while alter-ego Tony Stark faces corporate intrigue. back in time to secure their future. The Last Unicom (Lionsgate, $19.98): Why would the last Unicorn go on a quest for others of its kind? Kinda makes ya think, don't it? The 1982 Rankin-Bass fable, featuring Available in paperback ww.hbgusa.com a formidable voice cast (including Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee, and | Rene Auberjonois), returns to home video as a 25th Anniversary Edition. O Warner Books www.dccomics.com Bedazzled (Fox Home Entertainment, $19.98): This is the 1967 original, directed by Hachette Book Group usa All characters, their distinctive Warner Books and the "W" likenesses, the DC Logo Stanley Donen and written by Dudley Moore and Peter Cook, in which a suicidal short- logo are trademarks of and all related elements are order cook (Moore) is offered seven wishes by the Devil (Cook). The expected complica- Time Warner Inc. trademarks of DC Comics Used under license. ©2007. All rights reserved. tions develop Faust.. .ex, fast. ! OffArmageddon Reef by David Weber tion, they're going to make the Jinn sorry Antagonist follows the storyline com- (Tor, he, 608 pp, $25.95) he ever set foot in the Five Hundred King- menced in Young Bleys and Other, tracking According to the cover blurb, "The sci- doms. the rise to power of Bleys Ahrens, now pit- fiction epic of the decade begins Take a pinch of "The Little Mermaid," ted against Hal Mayne, the protagonist of Ience here." Obviously, this is a case of literary a dash of Russian folklore, stir in a bit of The Final Encyclopedia—and a reincarna- hyperbole, but there's little doubt that, Arabian Nights, then garnish with a throw- tion of Dickson's earlier hero, Dorsai after all these years, Weber seems bent on away scene out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Donal Graeme.

placing all his eggs into this work. Dragon and voildl Lackey's latest is an Never has an installment in a series How else to describe a universe where enormously entertaining and witty fantasy been more in need of a summary of what humanity has been all but annihilated by that will have readers chuckling, cheering took place before. Instead of launching

an alien race? It has been written before, and sighing with regret when it's over. into Chapter One, Wixon would have been but the story also involves the surviving —Penny Kenny well-served to write a recap of this com- humans hiding on a distant planet, where plex and tightly plotted saga that charts the they're being kept safe by an artificial reli- Voices from the Street by Philip K. Dick course of human evolution over centuries. gion which denies all technological (Tor, he, 304 pp, $24.95) For those familiar with the original progress. The ruling founders are jealously Voices from the Street is an unpublished series, Antagonist is a satisfactory work; possessive of the power the arrangement mainstream, non-SF novel written by Dick in one cannot imagine how Wixon could have

has brought them, but an unexpected new the early 1950s. It's the tale of a youngish TV done it any better. It is, however, only an player in the game is stirring, and it will repairman trying to adjust to two worlds—his intermediate chapter, with presumably find the situation both stagnant and inner and outer—in turmoil, before choosing more novels to follow. oppressive. to opt out and reclaim his life. —Jean-Marc Lofficier

Similarities to the author's earlier Despite its period context, Voices is sur- works indeed exist, but Weber has a ten- prisingly relevant to today. The rampant para- The Serpent and the Rose by Kathleen dency to prove his critics Bryan (Tor, he, 320 pp, $24.95)

wrong. When he gets it right, Fifl/7 Time in poinr smmhhmmb A thousand years ago, the Young God he gets it right with a DAVID imprisoned the Serpent. In the years since, vengeance, and the reader who PHILIP K. DICK the Ladies of the Isle and the Knights of the

makes it through this mam- Rose have guarded the prison's secret loca- moth installment will come WEBER tion. But now the King of Lys, a secret fol- itimuM iiiui ii hi mm HXimcitN ami away feeling Weber has done it lower of the Serpent, wants to release his once again. VOICES FROM master. To do so, he will have to destroy the —Michael Wolff K STREET Knights and Ladies. Standing in his way are two young people with unique and untested By Slanderous Tongues by abilities.

Mercedes Lackey & Roberta Bryan's lean, crystalline prose is just one Gellis (Baen, he, 544 pp, $25) of The Serpent and the Rose's many delights. Henry the Eighth is dead and Its brisk pace, clever re-imagining of legend Princess Elizabeth's future is in (which creates both familiarity and freshness) doubt. The Seleighe foresee and the sparkling chemistry between its two Elizabeth ruling over a new Golden Age, noia may no longer be about communists, the leads add up to one entertaining package. while the UnSeleighe want a future that does war may not be in Korea, but the symptoms —Penny Kenny not include Elizabeth. Both sides play on the are the same. Actually, the rejection of the young woman's awakening sexual curiosity evils of the military-industrial complex and Bright of the Sky: Book One of the to achieve their goals. American myths is even more relevant now Entire and the Rose by Kay Kenyon By Slanderous Tongues is an entertaining than when Dick wrote this bleak novel of (Prometheus Books, he, 480 pp, $25) package featuring a nice balance between his- alienation. Titus Quinn and his family were pris- toric and fantastic elements, as well as an It is a short step from the non-genre Voic- oners in the Entire, a parallel universe, for enjoyably twisted plot. The world of Under- es to the inspired Dangerous Visions piece 10 years before he alone was able to bill is fascinating, magical and dangerous, "Faith of Our Fathers." Dick predicted the escape home to Earth. Now, the powerful and readers will understand its pull on Eliza- moral landscapes of the future, if not its out- Minerva Company wants Quinn to return beth and envy her its delights. But it's the ward technology, with frightening accuracy. to the Entire as their corporate representa- authors' portrait of a curious, willful, loving Highly recommended. tive—and he'll do it, because he wants his and completely sympathetic Elizabeth that —Jean-Marc Lofficier family back. But what if he has to sacrifice captures the reader's attention and heart. them again to save Earth? —Penny Kenny Antagonist by Gordon R. Dickson & Anyone eager for congenial compan- David W. Wixon (Tor, he, 432 pp, ions and new worlds to explore need look Fortune's Fool by Mercedes Lackey $27.95) no further. Bright of the Sky is captivating, (Luna Books, he, 362 pp, $24.95) After the continuation of Frank Her- and Kenyon's universe-building is top- When a Jinn with a penchant for cap- bert's unfinished Dune saga—which Her- notch. The corporate and alien cultures are turing magical princesses kidnaps Katya, bert's son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson fully formed, while the characters are fas- he gets more trouble than he bargained for. based on Herbert's notes—Tor returns to cinating, believable people, who play off Not only is Katya clever and resourceful, another well with this sequel to Dickson's each other and their environments in unex- but her suitor Prince Sasha can manipulate uncompleted Childe Cycle, written by pected ways. Highly recommended. luck. Using the power of love and Tradi- Wixon, Dickson's former assistant. —Penny Kenny

12 STARLOG/% 2007 www.starlog.com Ijj^DVAAtTA&E #17 OF BE1M& DEMOMIC HEU-SFMIN : killer Jane concerns Jane Vasko F@11U)G (Kristanna Loken), a DEA agent—who is impervious to injury, but not pain—tasked with This column showcases web- capturing genetically enhanced sites for SF, fantasy, comics individuals. It's no pain, no gain & animation creators and their at creations. Websites are listed for www.scifi.com/painkillerjane free entirely at STARLOG's dis- cretion. Site operators may nom- GREG GRUNBERG inate their sites for inclusion by WEB PAGE sending relevant info via e-mail 'We need a hero. We're holding

only to out for a hero 'til the morning

[email protected] night. He's gotta be sure, and it's gotta be soon, and he's gotta be SPIDER-MAN 3 WEB PAGE larger than life." Get footloose How long can any man fight the and fancy free with this Heroes

darkness before he finds it in super-powered cop. Officer Matt himself? That's the question at Parkman listens to confessions the heart of Spider-Man 3, in of dangerous minds at which the troubled webslinger www.topix.net/who/ must face his own demons as greg-grunberg well as Sandman and Venom. Built-in night light.' Check out the Giant Spider-Man GRINDHOUSE WEBSITE Invasion at The sleaze-filled saga of an www.sonypictures.com/movies push and you'll be smilin'." MEET THE ROBINSONS exploitation double feature! /spiderman3/site/ Captain Jack Harness is the star SITE Harking back to old-school 42nd of Torchwood, the Doctor Who Based on William Joyce's book Street and exploitation cinema, TPJCIA HELFER WEBSITE spin-off from Russell T. Davies. A Day With Wilbur Robinson, directors Robert Rodriguez and If you wanna play Six degrees of The sinister supernatural and Disney's CG-animated Meet the Quentin Tarantino team up for Tricia Heifer, head for this offi- hostile extraterrestrials are on Robinsons is about Lewis, an the double-bill B-movies Planet cial site and uncover the truth the attack at orphan who dreams of finding a Terror and Death Proof. Were- about Battlestar Galactica's www..co.uk/torchwood family... and does—in space! wolf Women of the S.S. run wild babe with the multiple personal- Have the time travel of your life at ities. Learn everything you mary McDonnell site at www.grindhousemovie.net always wanted to know about Is there room for two disney.go.com/disneypictures/ Six but were afraid to ask at McDonnells in the pages of meettherobinsons SUNSHINE WEB PAGE www.triciahelfer.com STARLOG? Of course! McDon- Director Danny Boyle goes from nell Stands With a Fist as the PAINKILLER JANE SITE 28 Days Later to 50 years in the TORCHWOOD PAGE controversial and strong-willed Are you addicted to Painkiller! future, where a team of scientists "Captain Jack will get you high President Laura Roslin on Well, this page details the new are sent to save the Sun. The tonight, and take you to your Battlestar Galactica as she SCI FI series based on the comic Sunshine Boys kick into action special island. Captain Jack will dances with Cylons at book created by Jimmy at get you by tonight; just a little www.mary.auspix.net Palmiotti & Joe Quesada. Pain- www.sunshinedna.com

CONVENTIONS Questions about cons? Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the con's address. Do NOT contact STARLOG. Note: Listed guests may not appear and cons may be cancelled without notice. Steen, , Jamie Bamber, Adrian Vulkon Entertainment Paul, Panettiere, Justin Hartley, Conventioneers: Send info (with phone number and e-mail address) no later than three months Hayden Robert P.O. Box 551437 O'Reilly, Marsters, Jones, etc. Ft. 33355-1437 prior to the event to STARLOG Con Calendar, 1372 Broadway, 2nd Fir, NY, NY 10018-61 13 or James Doug Lauderdale, FL www.vulkon.com e-mail [email protected] This is a free service. STARLOG makes no guarantees, due Guests: Torri Higginson (Sunday only); Nicole to space limitations, that your con will be listed. STARFEST April 20-22 de Boer, Claudia Christian, Vanessa Angel, Marriott Denver Tech Center Brandy Ledford, Katee Sackhoff, Nana Visitor MARCH EMERALD CITY COMICON Denver, CO Starland March 31-April 1 FANCORIA'S WEEKEND OFFICIAL STARCATE 10TH P.O. Box 24955 Qwest Field Event Center OF HORRORS ANNIVERSARY CON Denver, CO 80224-0955 Seattle, WA May 18-20 March 23-25 www.starland.com Emerald City Comicon Burbank Airport Marriott Hilton Metrotown Guests: Richard Dean Anderson, Gil Gerard, 3333 184th Street SW, Suite 6 Burbank, CA Vancouver, BC, Canada Erin Gray, Rachel Luttrell, LeVar Burton, Lynnwood, WA 98037 Creation Creation Jensen Ackles, Kate Vernon, Jeff Walker, www.emeraldcitycomicon.com See earlier address 1010 North Central, Suite 400 David McDonnell, etc. Guests: Howard Chaykin, Michael Golden, Guests: Bernie Wrightson, Shawnee Smith, Glendale, CA 91202 Mike Grell, Kurt Busiek, Brian Michael Mick Garris, Paul Naschy, , (818)409-0960 Bendis, Tim Sale, Ed Brubaker, Paul MAY Russell Mulcahy, Fred Williamson, John www.creationent.com Chadwick, Mark Waid, Adam Hughes, Lani Harrison, Jason Carter, Steve Niles, Doug Guests: David DeLuise (Friday only); Michael CREATION Tupu, Gigi Edgley, Wayne Pygram, etc. May 4-6 Bradley, Max Brooks, Tony Timpone, etc. Shanks (Saturday only); Torri Higginson & Marriott Minneapolis City Center Rachel Luttrell (Sunday only) APRIL Minneapolis, MN JUNE STEEL CITY GRAND SLAM Creation FANGORIAS WEEKEND CON See earlier address March 24-25 April 13-15 OF HORRORS Guests: Willaim Shatner, , John Pittsburgh Expomart Monroeville Burbank Airport Marriott June 29-July 1 de Lancie, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Monroeville, Burbank, CA Crowne Plaza Meadowlands PA Marc Alaimo Creation Orangestone Promotions, Inc. Secaucus, NJ See earlier address (814) 467-1500 Creation Walter www.steelcitycon.com Guests: Colm Meaney (Sunday only); VULKON See earlier address 18-20 Guest: Robert Picardo Koenig, George Takei, Marc Alaimo, Nana May Guests: Jeffrey Combs, James Marsters, Dee Visitor, Robert Duncan McNeill, Connor Orlando Airport Marriott Snider, Debbie Rochon, Tony Timpone, etc. Trinneer, Matt Frewer, Colin Ferguson, Jessica Orlando, FL wvsnv.starlog.com STARLOG/%2007 13 -

Writers Naren Shankar & Peter Allan Fields. $7.

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You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] with a bisexual con man from the 51st century at the helm, so you've automati- cally got something sexier, sassier and a bit wilder in places." Torchwood Missions Unlike The X-Files, which was more of a two-hander, the Torchwood cast is much broader. "You could argue that it's a five- or six-hander," says Davies. "There are five leads on the team at the beginning, and then there's a sixth guy, who's their assistant and becomes a lead character. He's marvelous. It's really a team show where everyone gets their spotlight. Some episodes are purely team episodes, while others are more focused on one individual." Besides team leader Harkness, the principal characters include: Gwen Cooper (Eve Myles), a Cardiff police officer who joins the team in episode one; Suzie Costello (Indira Varma), a hardware expert and second in com- mand; medic Owen Harper (Burn Gor- man); surveillance/tech expert Toshiko Sato (Naoko Mori); and Ianto Jones (Gareth David-Lloyd), the receptionist and troubleshooter, who eventually becomes a full-fledged group member. But unlike some ensemble shows where the characters are nothing more than their respective functions, Davies says that the Torchwood hierarchy is more low-key. "That's one of the reasons

I wanted to make it," he notes. "With Doctor Who, if you're choosing from that mythology, it famously has a military organization that was employed by the Creator Russell T. Davies also UN to track down aliens on Earth—and runs the new Doctor Who, and just as the that's specifically why I didn 't want to make briefs his latest companion, thing that I pitched to [producer] Julie this the same kind of thing. They don't wear Captain Jack introduces Gwen to the Gardner a few years ago, even before we did uniforms, they don't call each other 'sir,' Torchwood Universe. Doctor Who together, when we were work- they don't salute each other and there's no ing on for the BBC," says Davies. rank. They're essentially a bunch of friends we want someone to go out in the field, we "That was the first time we worked working together, even though they have can pick anyone. There are rough roles together, and we used to end up on the phone jobs to do, so it's much more relaxed in that defined within it as a handy guide, but as the talking about Buffy and Angel, which we

sense. series goes on, it's a little bit like the start of loved so much and were in their final sea-

"If we want to assign one character to the Star Trek: The Next Generation, where sons. We would sit on the phone and say, computer this week, we can pick anyone. If Captain Picard never left the Enterprise, but 'Don't you want to make something like

halfway through the season, the writers that; wouldn't it be ?' So one day I thought, 'We've got the best actor stuck on pitched to her the very first scene of

board the Enterprise. Let's get him out!' So Torchwood. I said, 'Wouldn't it be great if

we're doing that with Torchwood as well. we could do something like this?' And I

"In fact, no one is stuck at base all the think I called it Psychic Detectives; it wasn't time. Anyone can more or less take on any a real title or anything. So that has been sit- role at any time; they're all equals. Captain ting there as an idea unrelated to Doctor

Jack is in charge, but they certainly don't Who for almost four years now. have official military relationships with each "And when we got Doctor Who, every-

other, so there's more freedom, and we do go thing came together; it all coalesced in a home with them and explore their home funny way. Everything was in the right lives, love lives and stuff like that. They're place, and we put together a production very much people living in a modern city as team that was capable of doing more, who opposed to officers doing their job." were dying to do more," Davies explains. The early idea for what would eventually "Torchwood goes into areas that Doctor Who become Torchwood first started percolating won't touch, because Doctor Who in this long before Davies began working on country is transmitted at 7 p.m. as a family time passed, those show. have design teams, actors and Torchwood's troubleshooter and Doctor Who, and as We receptionist, Ianto does more than mere notions began taking on a definite shape. writers who are eager to explore the darker administrative duties—he also makes "It's interesting, when you watch the open- side of things, and we've set up the new stu- a mean cup of tea. ing sequence of episode one, it was some- dio, which gives us the facilities to do more

16 STARLOG/Afoy 2007 out Jorman is no fish water when it comes played to the BBC. He Guppy in their 2005 mini-series. 3/eafe House Toshiko appeared in a Doctor Who episode, "Aliens of London," stuff—and BBC Wales was begging us for in which she was called in to examine military fascists that you saw in Doctor Who. more stuff. an "unearthly" corpse. I wouldn't want to build a series around "At the same time, John had been such a them.

success as Captain Jack, but I had to write regarded as Torchwood's shameful past," "The third season of Doctor Who will

him out of Doctor Who because the Doctor Davies elaborates. "It's explained that the still carry the consequences of the military was regenerating in the season's final London Torchwood is Torchwood One, Torchwood and what happened there," he episode. We wanted to do more with Jack while the Cardiff Torchwood is Torchwood adds. "There are still echoes rippling

and, in the end, everything fell into place. I Three. Torchwood One was very military, so through, but meanwhile in Cardiff, it's much realized that this idea I had four years ago fit they had soldiers, rank, uniforms and an more friendly as well as dark, because they all the parameters beautifully; everything imperialist agenda. They were the enemy, get their hands dirty being involved in this just clicked." and they were brought down by their own stuff." hubris. This Torchwood is very much Just how did Cardiff suddenly become a Doctor Who Exploits ashamed of what happened then, and is led center of alien activity? For inspiration, Using Doctor Who as a springboard, by Captain Jack, who obviously has a much Davies drew upon his love of Buffy the Davies began sowing the seeds of more wise and helpful agenda. So it's not the Vampire Slayer and the fact that Sunnydale

Torchwood throughout Season Two, begin- was built over the Hellmouth, making it a in ning with the holiday special "The Weevils are seen Torchwood's first nexus for supernatural forces. "Again, this episode, "Everything Changes." Believed Christmas Invasion," which demonstrated ties into Doctor Who mythology, because in to be extraterrestrial in origin, they that the still-unseen organization had more the first season we established a space-time traveled through a space-time rift and than enough firepower to blow an alien ship rift in Cardiff in the third episode, "The now populate Cardiff's sewers. to bits. The Doctor is finally introduced to Unquiet Dead,' which then opened in episode

Torchwood in the episode "," 11, 'Boomtown.' So it's the same rift.

where he discovers that the group exists to "What really pleases me about this is that track down extraterrestrial technology and if you're into this sort of thing, we're actual- use it for their own ends or, as the agency's ly building up an intricate mythology of how

head explains, "If it's alien, it's ours." But as these two shows fit together," Davies relates. it turns out, the London branch is ultimately "And now we have a third show coming destroyed at the end of Season Two thanks to along as well, The Sarah Jane Adventures.

yet another extraterrestrial invasion brought That's related to Doctor Who, because it fol- on by their own arrogance. lows on from what happened in the 'School "Doctor Who's Torchwood is very much Reunion' episode.

www.starlog.com STARLOG/Moy 2007 1 7 "So all three series are free- often get into a situation where standing, and you'll be able to you have to have extra rehearsals watch each of them independent- and rewrites, but there has been ly from the others, but there's none of that. David Tennant is also a linking mythology if happy, Freema is happy and it all you're into that—and SF fans looks gorgeous. The launch of very much are. With the three the series will be March or April shows all running at once, I'm [in the UK], and we've got our very pleased with the way that Christmas special before that people will be able to find little featuring [British comic actress] links, motifs and references that Catherine Tate." link everything together." In terms of giving away any In Torchwood's first episode, big Season Three spoilers, "It's a "You'll be told about the rift bit too early to get into that," from scratch, as though it's brand Davies demurs. "No offense, but new, because that's how Gwen is if you print something in STAR- told about it. But if you happened LOG, it will suddenly be every- to have watched 'Boomtown' and where, so it eventually reaches 'The Unquiet Dead,' you already the point where people begin to know the complicated history of think, 'Hasn't that been on that rift and the trouble it has already? Have I seen that yet?' caused before. Still, you don't With the third season especially, need to [know that beforehand]. we have to be really careful If you want to come to Torch- about giving out that informa- wood clean, you can." tion." With Doctor Who, Torchwood Sarah Jane and The Sarah Jane Adventures

Adventures in varying states of production, it

With Torchwood off to a suc- I appears that Davies and his pro- cessful start (the BBC has IMBi duction team have finally already commissioned a second I reached their creative limit. season), Davies is now turning "That's it," he agrees. "We have his attention to The Sarah Jane the three shows and that's it. If Adventures, which stars Elisa- somebody came along with a beth Sladen as journalist and for- fourth right now, I would boot mer Doctor Who companion them out the door even if it was Sarah Jane Smith in an ongoing the best idea in the world! We've series that began with an initial Christmas comes but once a year, reached our capacity. The timing special airing during the 2006 holidays. and so does the Doctor Who holiday of each series is carefully planned, so we lit-

"It's not a pilot," the writer insists. "It's a special. The Doctor (David Tennant) erally couldn't take on a fourth project, but I one-off, followed by the series, which begins helped "Runaway Bride" Donna don't want to, either. I think the most impor- (Catherine Tate) in the 2006 show. filming in April. Don't forget, we have to tant thing is we've covered the audiences balance Torchwood and Doctor Who, and the now. There's Sarah Jane for children, every- most important thing to remember is that and Doctor Who running, we were able to one in the entire family for Doctor Who and Doctor Who is the mother ship. Without that, get our team ready to make a one-hour Sarah the adults with Torchwood. We've finally hit we wouldn't exist, and we must never take Jane, and by April we'll be ready for the the three demographics." our eye off that. In this case, the BBC said, series, so it has all dovetailed nicely." And if Davies' energies are pretty much

'Fine, when you're ready,' so we were able One character who won't be making the taken up with Doctor Who and its various to balance the three shows. With Torchwood leap into The Sarah Jane Adventures is K-9 incarnations, that's just fine for now. "Thank

the robotic dog, who accompanied Sarah God, I had the most marvelous career

Jane in her last appearance. "Sadly, we don't beforehand," he smiles. "And I still think

own the rights to the dog," says Davies. when I die, the words 'Queer as Folk' will be "[Writer] Bob Baker granted us the rights written on my gravestone, if not sprayed in for 'School Reunion,' but he has been plan- pink ink. That's the show that will outlast

ning his own spin-off series for K-9 for me. I hope the words 'Doctor Who' will be about 10 or 15 years, which is in develop- written there as well, so I'm certainly going

ment right now. Whether or not it will hap- to stick with it for at least a couple more

pen, I don't know, but I hope it does, and years. And besides, I love it. good luck to him. We never had the rights for "People might wonder if there is a danger

K-9 full-time, because it was always his that when I come out of Doctor Who, folks property. He and Dave Martin created K-9. will say, 'Oh, you only write science fiction

In the special, I don't want to give anything now,' " Russell T. Davies remarks. "But I away, but we do have cameos and references used to work in children's programs, and to K-9, where we explain his absence very people said, 'Oh, you only write children's neatly." programs.' So I wrote Queer as Folk. And

Meanwhile, Doctor Who's third season is then I wrote in soap operas and they said,

also in production, with Freema Agyeman 'Oh, you can't write hour-long dramas.' So I joining the series as the Doctor's new com- wrote hour-long dramas. There are all sorts Not content with two series, Davies is behind another spin-off. Former Who panion Martha. "It's a wonderful relation- of people ready to stereotype you, and their companion Elisabeth Sladen returns to ship," says Davies. "Whenever you change careers never go particularly far, while mine star in The Sarah Jane Adventures. the format and bring somebody else in, you has. So I'm not that worried." ^

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bomb blast, Jane gained—through mysterious discover something far more sinister. Two of Whereas Jane's adversaries all have of means—the powers of regeneration and invul- the dealers, Connor () and Andre the mind, Jane's abilities remain strictly phys- nerability to physical damage. She then turned (Rob Stewart), aren't what they seem. Jane ical. This regeneration doesn't make her utter- in her badge and became the vigilante known learns that they're part of a new military unit ly indestructible, though. For one thing, while as Painkiller Jane. Initially a five-issue mini- out on a secret mission. She also learns about quick fixes are a given, "Jane can still feel," series, Painkiller Jane achieved a popularity the pair's target—a powerful new human Grant says. "And she can be killed. In my that led to several cross-over titles, where she called a Neuro. While being courted by this mind, she can be decapitated or drowned. Jane appeared alongside the Punisher, paramilitary unit, she uncovers the truth about is an unknown experiment—we don't know and Hellboy. the Neuros, which leads to a fall out of a 46- everything about her yet. She got her powers

For SCI FTs TV movie, Jane was radical- story building. Her adventure truly begins about the same time she joined this unit. It ly re-imagined. Instead of a cop, Jane when she recovers with nary a scratch. happens when she encounters her first Neuro. Browning (Vaugier) was now a Special Forces A cabal of psionic sociopaths may smack That's curious right there." operative, part of the aptly titled Painkiller too much of X-Men, Mutant X or Heroes for Unit. And her powers far exceeded simply some, but Grant's spin on the Neuros is more House of Pain regenerative abilities—a whiplash analytical nuanced than merely jumping the "mutant One choice Grant is clearly happy about is mind and photographic memory were added to threat" bandwagon. "I was trying to think of a the casting of Loken, whose role as the cyborg the mix. However, the TV movie did stay true way to create an anomaly within society," assassin in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines to the comic's present-day setting and gritty, Grant explains. "One that hasn't been done certainly qualified her to play another unstop- bleak tenor. 100 times before. pable character. "She has a great face, a very

Art: Joe Quesada/Jimmy PaEmiotti Changing things around a bit for the series, Grant made Jane part of a Special Forces team led by Andre McBride (Rob Stewart).

Taking a page from the comic book, Grant is using subways as a setting. In the TV series, shutdown stations serve as secret bases for the Special

"I didn't even see the movie until relative- "The mental thing seemed cool. This neur- sweet face," he says. "Kristanna is very tall, ly recently, so I didn't take anything from it," al aberrance appears, and nobody knows why. physical and in great shape. She's also a horse-

Grant remarks. "I knew they had shifted the They don't know if it's biological or chemical. back rider, a martial artist and has a husky character in a military direction, but I was But the Neuros do have these powers, and the voice. Kristanna has all these physical attribut- more interested in going back to the spirit of government doesn't want to panic the public, es that are perfect for Jane. the comic book." so they decide to form a unit whose job is to "At the same time, there's something

The TV series, according to Grant, will be identify and contain the Neuros. The Neuros charming and little girl-like about her, some- considerably lighter in tone. "I thought the will then be placed together in treatment thing vulnerable. She embodies the two comics were a touch dark," he offers. "I didn't camps, because we all fear what we don't biggest qualities of Painkiller Jane: her want to go that dark. In the comic, she was an understand. However, these Neuros aren't strength and vulnerability. Jane is that tough undercover narcotics agent who becomes a good or bad, they're just different. Some of chick who inside is a pained little girl. Not that vengeful vigilante. I didn't want to go that way, them do things for bad reasons, and some of Kristanna is pained, but she has that vulnera- so I did things like make her part of this mili- their reasons aren't bad at all. I like the moral bility. The SCI FI Channel was on board with tary team. I also set it in the near-future, which ambiguity of that. Kristanna, as were Inside and Starz Media, our is always a time frame that I like creating in." "And when you combine that with Jane, distributor. All the factors came together, and

Forget about mob bosses and international you get a whole other level of moral conflict. she wanted to do it." bio-terrorists, though. Grant has upped the Jane doesn't know whether she's right in what Loken's zeal is almost as unyielding as ante on the TV series to superhuman levels she's doing. Jane is a freak herself, a freak Jane's healing factor. In addition to acting, literally. "I created this world full of Neuros who is chasing other freaks. She wonders, she's also the co-executive producer. "Kris- these humans with enhanced mental powers 'Should the hunter who's hunting the hunted tanna is very busy," Grant comments. "She whom Jane comes into play with. It's fun be hunted herself?' That's in the series every works 12 to 14 hours a day in front of the cam- dreaming up stuff like that." week. The breadcrumbs throughout the first era. But I confer with her. I meet with her

Grant's revamped dreamscape reads like year are that whole moral ambiguity and what before I push the buttons." this: In the not-too-distant future, DEA agent happened to Jane why does she have this Comic readers chomping at the bit for Jane Va,sko (Loken) and her partner Maureen power?" some Painkiller Jane regulars—or even a Bowers (Alaina Huffman) are in the process of Jane and the Neuros are both super-pow- crossover guest or two—may have to keep exposing an undercover drug deal when they ered humans, but the similarities end there. chomping. Vampirella, Darkness and the

22 STARLOG/iMoy 2007 " Punisher aren't about to make the jump, of says, 'Throw the book away.' will be tough, and there will be an edge, but

course (rights issues). The 22 Brides seem to there will be some humor, too. I have tried to have gotten cold feet. And Joe Fonti is certain- Pain Reliever take the problems of today—like crime and ly on ice for the time being—though viewers As expressive as Grant is about his heroes, the environment—and exacerbate them. And might catch hints of him in Connor. Still, he's less specific about his villains, especially as we push those things into the future, we'll Grant believes that there are many other and the series' main baddie. "We do have one," he see how they've gotten worse."

interesting characters to explore. finally relents, "but I don't want to give it Before Painkiller Jane, Grant wrote and

"Andre is Special Forces and the leader of away. He's a fun character." produced another kick-butt female adventurer the team," explains Grant. "He's a little bit The first episode has the team investigating series, Relic Hunter (which he discussed in older, very smart, very organized and down- a possible Neuro infiltration into one of the STARLOG #269). But excepting the pair of to-Earth. Andre also questions why they're world's largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, sexy, physical leading ladies, they don't have hunting Neuros as well, but he has been which appears to lead to a massive scam much in common. "Relic Hunter was much trained to follow orders. Connor has issues, involving the sale of sub-standard medications more of a fantasy," he points out. "It was much too. He has served some time—he was a on the black market. It's an exciting premise, more of a send-up. I say this in a loving way,

police officer who went to the wrong side and but as for follow-up episodes, Grant draws a but it was kind of a cheesy action flick. You had was incarcerated. Andre likely assembled the blank. "I'm trying to think," he remarks. "I'm this female Indiana Jones, Sydney Fox [Tia

team, and he needed Connor, so he got him out currently working on 19 stories, so my head is Carrere], going all over the world looking for of prison and in this group." filled with them." relics while bantering with her Hugh Grant-ish,

Athletic and commanding, Connor and Of the various Neuros, however, Grant is bumbling English assistant, Nigel Bailey

So what exactly are Connor King (Noah Danby) and the secret military unit up to? Their purpose is to identify and contain a new breed of human called Neuros.

Dr. Seth Carpenter (Stephen Lobo, right) is "the only one who actually has a day job," Grant jokes. And he's also the one who comes into contact with Neuros.

Andre would seem to be potential love inter- more than happy to expound. "It's enormous [Christien Anholt]. Painkiller Jane is totally ests for Jane, but Grant asserts, "There will be what they can do," he beams. "There's one different. It's played more within the context of no romance involved." That's not likely to be a who can give you pieces of his nightmares, today's moral reality. It's more earnest; there problem with Riley Jensen (Sean Owen one who can induce hallucinations... In other wasn't an earnest bone in Relic Hunter, Roberts), the team's computer wiz, who Grant words, you think you're stepping out for a "I will say that Tia and Kristanna share describes as "the bald, nerdy computer breath of fresh air, but you find you're actual- similar qualities: They're extremely hard genius." And Dr. Seth Carpenter (Stephen ly walking out of an airplane at 30,000 feet. workers and fine actresses who both have Lobo) is simply too busy. "He's the only one Another Neuro can raise the dead, and one can tremendous sexuality and worldwide name who actually has a day job," Grant grins. "And steal your knowledge. If that guy came in con- recognition. They're very physical girls, and he's the one who comes in contact with tact with you, he could steal your ability to they know their way around a high-kick. Neuros." write this magazine article!" "Painkiller Jane has a rich look, and the

In this future world, portions of the subway Of course, Grant would be pleased if filmmaking style is dynamic. We play it for are closed, making them ideal locations for a Painkiller Jane appealed to more than just co- real. She's a comic book character, yes, but we secret base. "The group operates in the sub- mics and genre fans, but it's unlikely that the have our own sense of reality. It isn't Sin City; ways—the lab is an old subway car that has series will enjoy the popularity of his most it's more realistic. We share Jane's thoughts, been converted," Grant informs. "There's this famous credit, 24. "That's a pretty dark show, experience her internal pain and see her exter- guy Joe Waterman [Nathaniel Deveaux], the and it works on its own level," he states. "I've nal pain. It's going to be good." head of operations for the subway system. He made my career doing things that are less dark In the end, Gil Grant declares that he can knows the subway better than anyone, and and lots of fun. But [executive producer] Joel only make the show he wants to make. "There keeps their base secure. The team gets around Surnow is a buddy of mine; we go back years have been so many of these shows, and if you the city using these tunnels, and Joe helps them. and years. try to do a series for somebody else, it doesn't

"Then we have Maureen," adds Grant, "Joel dances with death. Before 24, he did work. I've created something that I like, and referring to the unit's only other woman. "She La Femme Nikita. He's king of that world. I've hopefully people will try it out. At the end of was in the DEA with Jane, but they're oppo- done other shows that have been more fun for the day, you're not curing cancer, you're only sites. Jane couldn't care less about her appear- me; they're closer to what I like to write. What making entertainment—and that's all you can ance, while Maureen is all about fashion. I enjoy about 24 is the storytelling, and also do. You just hope that somebody will watch it

Maureen is also by the book, whereas Jane the time-compression element. Painkiller Jane and like it." -4g www.starlog.com STARLOG/Afoy 2007 23 By WILL MURRAY f THE

Consulting his list of Heroes, Sendhil Ramamurthy searches Tor more extraordinary people.

the NBC hit show Heroes, Sendhil ends up traveling with Sylar [Zachary television, even on cable. But while it was a

Ramamurthy plays the point man in Quinto]," Ramamurthy reveals. "When I great script, I didn't think there was a part in

a desperate search for "special" opened that script, my jaw just hit the floor. it for me. The only person I could see myself Inpeople. A genetics professor from Obviously, Suresh is unaware that he's Sylar, playing was an Indian character who was a India, Mohinder Suresh comes to and various hijinks ensue. I'm assuming that 55-year-old man. So I called my agent when the U.S. to settle his murdered eventually Suresh will figure out that he's I got here and said, 'There's no part for father's affairs, only to discover that Sylar, but he hasn't yet. me.' And he told me, 'Well, just go in and do " Dr. Chandra Suresh was enmeshed in a tan- "The stuff [between Sylar and Suresh] is it.' gled web of intrigue stretching from coast to scary and hilarious at the same time," he Reluctantly, Ramamurthy read for series coast—a web in which it's hard to tell the continues, "because the audience knows creator Tim Kring, executive producer spiders from the flies. who Sylar is, and Suresh doesn't. There are Dennis Hammer and David Semel, who "It's getting very complex at the mo- lots of little in-jokes in the dialogue that directed the Heroes pilot. "They kept bring- ment," laughs the Chicago-born actor. "It's viewers will get that Suresh misses. I was ing me back and asking me to change little drawing toward something big. I wish I filming all day and night yesterday, and we things, like: 'Don't shave,' 'Come in with a knew what. Suresh is meeting many of the did [something that was] the coolest thing jacket and tie,' 'Think young Indiana Jones.' regular characters at the moment. It's really I've done on the show so far." So I showed up in a bow tie, blazer and exciting—I feel like the pace in the second khaki pants, and they were like, 'Urn, no. half of the season has doubled from what it Without a Father Take that off.' Then I came back again wear- was in the first half." Ramamurthy landed the key role by audi- ing a T-shirt and jeans." Initially focused on Manhattan, Mo- tioning for the wrong part. He was living in This bewildering succession of callbacks hinder's quest to unravel his late father's London, doing theater and flying to the soon started making sense. "Tim was refash- unfinished business has lately taken a chill- States for guest appearances on LA-based ioning the character," Ramamurthy explains. ing new direction. It all centers around a list shows like Grey's Anatomy and Numb3rs, "He changed Suresh to be the son of the of people believed to possess remarkable when the Heroes pilot script landed in his abilities, some of whom have turned up dead mailbox. It was only one of many scripts the in grisly ways, victims of a super-powered Tufts Medical School dropout was sent dur- serial killer known only as Sylar. ing last year's pilot-casting season.

"Suresh has his father's list, and he goes "I read it on the plane and thought it was on a road trip with someone who will prob- amazing," he recalls. "There's nothing like ably surprise the audience. Suresh actually this on television. Certainly not network

Sylar () isn't one of the Heroes of the show, but the super-powered murderer did know Suresh's father (Erick Avari).

Originally, Ramamurthy auditioned to play a 55-year-old Suresh, but creator Tim Kring reshaped the part and made the geneticist younger.

24 STARLOG/Atoy 2007 www.starlog.com —

original character that he had written. He

liked what I was doing and saw the poten- tial—as far as the comic book mythology that Tim is very interested in—of a son avenging his father's death and that whole quest. There was mileage there, so he went ahead and changed the character, for which

I'll be forever grateful." So Ramamurthy got the part, while the role of the elder Suresh went to veteran actor Erick Avari. Ramamurthy's job also includes narrating the beginning and end of

each episode, but it isn't clear if these are excerpts from his diary or maybe even passages from a work yet to be written.

"I'm not quite sure where it comes from," he admits. "I assume that it's | either a journal Suresh keeps, his father's journal or some book that Suresh writes in the future. I've pur- posely not asked where the narration comes from. I like not knowing right now. There's going to come a point where I'll want to find out—God knows if they'll tell me. But clearly Suresh is look-

ing back on this, so it's from somewhere in the future." Surprisingly, the signature narration wasn't in the pilot script, but improvised

later on. "I think partly it was to set the tone," Ramamurthy notes. "Tim thought that was a good idea. He also wanted an omni- scient voice to carry through the series even though, at the moment, Suresh isn't omniscient at all. He's piecing things together very quickly, but there's quite a bit that he doesn't know. At some point in the future, he does know—more than anybody else. And that's where that voice is coming from." Without a Power Despite that promised omniscience, Suresh doesn't possess any special powers. "I'm all for that," Ramamurthy states. "At the beginning, I was totally bummed. I'm not going to lie. The way that all us were looking at this coming in was it's a show about superpowers. But Heroes has ended up episodes, Suresh has had some visionary fold in the whole Parapsychology thing. not being about that. The abilities are exhib- dreams, including one where he witnesses "But who knows what they're going to ited maybe once or twice an episode. It's his father's murder. In addition, Suresh's come up with? Tim has openly said that peo- really about the characters and how they're official character bio lists the University of ple will gain powers, and people will lose dealing with these changes, as well as how Madras geneticist as having earned a powers. And I suppose the door has been left the people around them who don't have abil- Doctorate of Philosophy for some strangely open since my sister [the deceased Shanti] ities are reacting. That's one of the main rea- had an ability. I have to look at that as good, sons why Heroes is so successful. Other- because the more options there are, the more "I was really bummed wise, we would just be a genre show and chance I have of falling off a building and probably have been cancelled by now!" out that I being somebody who can fly! Listen, if they Kring has gone on record as saying that announced next week that Suresh is getting a didn't no powers are planned for Suresh. "I'm OK have a power." power, maybe I would be really psyched. I with that," Ramamurthy asserts. "If they don't know." were to consult me—which they wouldn't, suggestive research. So hasn't Suresh al- Ramamurthy is definitely enjoying the by the way—and say, 'We're thinking of giv- ready demonstrated some wild talents? character's three-dimensionality. "From a ing you a power. What do you think?' I "I guess he has," Ramamurthy allows. social point-of-view, to have a character with would actually tell them no at this point. I "For the first time ever, I went on the NBC an Indian background, and you see his fam- really would. There's a danger of everybody website and looked at my character's little ily and where he came from..." he marvels. having powers, and the show becoming bio. The diploma on the wall says he has a "I can't think of any show that has had that. something it was never intended to be—like degree in Parapsychology. That's really The fact that Tim and the rest of the writing a whole Justice League-type thing. I don't interesting. It's clearly something that team have given Suresh a full, fleshed-out want Heroes to become that, and I don't they're going to explore in the future, background is fantastic. I hope other writers think any of the producers or writers want because the focus on this character has been on other shows follow their example." that, either." entirely from the genetics point-of-view. So Like his fellow cast members, Rama- And yet, over the course of several I'm intrigued to see how they're going to murthy is kept in the dark on upcoming

26 STARLOG/iMoy 2007 —

series developments. But that doesn't mean Ramamurthy prefers it that way. "In a sense, wives! "Tim has been candid in saying the

he's unwilling to speculate on where he none of the characters know who to trust story itself is an organic thing, and it leads would like his character's arc to go. "As and who not to trust," he points out. "You you in certain directions," Ramamurthy much as I love Zach—I think he's fantas- can say that for every single character. Is elaborates. "It isn't a comment on your tal- tic—I would love to see Suresh avenge his H.R.G. good or bad? We've got Hiro and ent, but if the story is going in one direction, father's death by taking out Sylar," he posits. future Hiro. Is he good or bad? Everything and your character doesn't quite fit into that, "How on Earth you take out Sylar when he can change. I guess from a writer's point-of- then you'll be folded out, and a character

has everybody's powers, I have no idea. And view, it's a nice luxury to have those kinds of who can aid that story will be brought in. I really have no clue if that's ever going to options—to take these characters in any We're all aware of that. None of us want that, happen." direction they want." obviously. Everybody is having such a great There's also the flip side of wish-fulfill- time filming right now that Everybody has ment. "What I would not like to see is for all we don't want to leave the a purpose on of us to come together as crimefighting duos show." the show; they and trios, and trying to fight evil in the There's little chance of just don't know world," he adds. "I don't want to see that that happening to it yet. Suresh's Rama- happen, and I don't think it will." mission is murthy any time soon, as he to track down tours the country on his Without a Hope those with ever-expanding quest for Heroes' sheer unpredictability keeps the newfound actors guessing as much as the fans. And special abilities.

"We've managed to attract a wide audience base because it's about the stories and the characters," Ramamurthy says. "We have fantastic visual effects and such, but Heroes isn't about that."

Speaking of H.R.G. (a.k.a. Mr. Bennett), new and undiscovered heroes, his father's the horn-rimmed enigma played by Jack killer at his side, in a running subplot that Coleman looms as an obvious arch-antago- could be entitled Route 666. "The ultimate nist, should he and Suresh ever cross paths goal is to find these people and warn them again. "I've certainly thought of that," that somebody's trying to kill them," he Ramamurthy acknowledges. "Especially offers. "Also, there's a missing link in how to

after that scene in episode #12, where he further the list. How does Suresh find more gives me his business card. I think it's people?

inevitable that we're going to meet again. "There are only 36 people on this list, Whether he's doing good or bad, or whether and Suresh knows more are out there. He I'm doing good or bad, I don't know. It just doesn't know how to find them. The key would be incredibly interesting to watch is to discover more people with these abili- some sort of showdown between the only ties, examine their DNA and try to map out two non-powered main characters in the why these things are happening. So when show. I would welcome that development Suresh meets these people, he asks to draw

wholeheartedly." some blood. And when that happens, it Rumors are swirling that another cast makes the interaction between Suresh, Sylar member is soon to die. It can't be Suresh and the person really interesting." can it? After all, he's not just a lead, he's the As for his own future, Sendil Rama- narrator. "Hey, I wish that were the case and murthy says, "I'm taking lots of meetings. I could make that assumption," Ramamurthy Right now, I've got a stack of scripts that I'm

chuckles. "But it has been made very clear supposed to have already read through. It's that all of us are disposable. Some of us are one of those deals where most of the stuff

going to be folded out of the story this sea- that comes to me is the same thing I'm doing son, next season and—if we're lucky—the on TV. I'm not interested in that. So I'm season after that. Nobody knows where the looking out for projects that are completely

story is going." and utterly different than what I do on But narrators don't die. Or do they? Is Heroes. And there are a few things out there this Sunset Boulevard or Desperate House- like that, so we'll see." "$g www.starlog.com STARLOG/May 2007 27 After the apocalypse, Sprague Grayden Jl| gH| |J learns how to survive life & death in Jericho. f LAN By IAN SPELLING

I learned a lot about which shows get on

the air and which don't because I was on two shows that were already hits," says Sprague Grayden, who plays school teacher Heather Lisinski on Jericho. "Watching how Joan ofArcadia and Six Feet Under spoke to an audience taught me so much. I was pretty confident that Jericho was going

to get on the air. I thought it had some-

thing to say to an audience and, if it

got a chance, it would connect with

people. So I have to give myself a bit of props for that! "I'm very grateful that Jericho has done well. I'm always grateful when a

show does well. But I wasn't surprised, because people underestimate American audiences. At the end of the day, they want something different. There are lots of cop series. There are

lots of doctor series. Jericho is some-

thing totally brand new, and it's fasci-

nating in that way. I also think that, right now, as an audience, we're looking for character-driven shows—and that's really what Jericho is about." Though some critics argue that I Jericho mirrors Lost a bit too much for its own good—a group of strand- ed people unaware of what's happen- ing around them—the show is actually significantly different. There are few SF elements. Flashbacks are only occasionally used. Sure, there's a large contingent of characters, but pretty much everything revolves around a central figure, lake Green (Skeet Ulrich). And the basic conceit—after nuclear explosions rock the country, the denizens of a small Kansas town cope with Sprague isolation, fear and lack of supplies—is far Grayden is one more grounded in reality than Lost. Bottom of the lucky people who line, the events in Jericho could happen. don't find "If I'm going to do TV, I'm going to do themselves great TV, to quote what George Clooney Six Feet said years and years ago," Grayden remarks. Under after "TV has been an incredible home for me, a nuclear but when you play a character for a long apocalypse. period of time, you really want it to be on a She's school show where you're constantly challenged, teacher interested and excited to go to work every Heather day. I felt that each the Jericho script Lisinski, week serving the would be a surprise, and I was right. I'm community of constantly being surprised. Jericho. "I was drawn to Heather because I had never played anybody that sweet before. She's a grown-up and yet innocent, an adult

and yet sheltered. I believed that Heather would grow up throughout the course of the first season in a different way than the other characters. Dale [Eric Knudsen] grew up in the first episode, but in some ways he has been a grown-up his entire teenage years. He has been through so many heartaches, whereas Heather has been loved and every- thing has been OK, and now she's really see-

ing the world for what it is. There are no

more rose-colored glasses. I just thought that would be an intriguing transition to play."

Lessons in Life The ways in which Heather has evolved come at Grayden script by script. She rarely receives character details in advance from executive producer Carol Barbee or the other writers. "I don't know anything right now," Grayden laughs. "I knew that Hawkins [Lennie James] wasn't just our neighbor, but

that's it. Especially on the first year of a show, things change and have to be mal- leable. But the writers have really hit their

stride, and the second half of the season is fantastic. "I like knowing what's going to happen

ahead of time, because I come from a theater background, so I'm used to looking at a script that has a beginning, middle and end,

and being able to map the character's arc. I enjoy knowing just a little bit about where

the character is going to end up, because then I can develop the changes up until then.

But I'm not knocking on Carol's door. If it's

a choice between knowing or not knowing, I

would rather know, but it's nothing to be aggressive about." Grayden does know this much: She loves working with Ulrich and Ashley Scott, who plays her close friend, Emily. Jake and Emily were once engaged, but now she's married. Heather and Jake seem to be on the verge of something, and they kissed in the episode "Long Live the Mayor." That love triangle means that Grayden, Ulrich and Scott see a great deal of one another. town. In the second half, she'll put her sci- and why she's so important to this new "Skeet is awesome," Grayden raves. ence knowledge to use and become more world. And I'm excited for another reason: "He's fantastic. I've worked on a bunch of independent, which is an interesting twist. I'm a massive Star Wars fan, and you know ensemble shows, and the person who is And the way they're playing the Emily-Jake- how Princess Leia had twins [in author number one on the call sheet [is either] a Heather triangle is fabulous. However, the Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy], and the

'lead' or a 'star.' If they're a star, it's about two relationships are separate, and Heather daughter was all science and cool and the

them all the time, and the rest of us are just wasn't around when Emily and Jake had that boy was all hippy-dippy and talked to ani-

doing our jobs. But if they're a lead, it's like big conversation in the bar. mals? Well, I always wanted to be Princess

they're leading a theater group. And Skeet is "So far as the town goes," Grayden adds, Leia's daughter, and one of the reasons I that way. He knows and is friends with "anybody who has been watching the show wanted to play Heather was because she's everybody. He sets the work ethic, but he knows that new Mayor Gray [Michael the closest thing to Princess Leia's daughter,

still knows how to have fun. And he really, Gaston] has a different tone and way of ever! I can't wait to explore that in the sec- really cares about the cast and crew. I just doing things than Johnston [Gerald ond half." think he's great. And I love Ashley so much McRaney]. They both have the same objec- because she's the sweetest, most hard-work- tive, which is to protect the town, but they Lessons in Death ing and goofiest girl I've ever met." have their own ways of achieving that. They And now, going back a few steps, it's After a long break, CBS launched the have different means to an end." time to revisit some of Grayden's earlier second half of Jericho's freshman season in Grayden pauses for a moment as she con- genre credits. Her first was Biohazardous, a

late February with "The Day Before." Asked siders what she would like to learn about little horror flick released in 2001. "Oh, no, to preview upcoming events, Grayden Heather in the coming months. "I'm really no, no, no, no!" she says at the mere mention

replies, "All I can say right now is that in the interested in becoming more of an integral of the zombie-plague movie. "I killed all the

first half of the season, Heather was figuring part of the science aspect," she comments. zombies. I had no agent. I had no manager. I out her relationships with the people in "I'm excited about seeing Heather's talents was pounding the pavement in New York www.starlog.com STARLOG/% 2007 29 " ! —

She has only praise for she was too old for the part. Azura [came Ashley Scott: "Ashley is off] like a romantic interest, and they want-

the sweetest, most ed somebody who was more of a little sis- hard-working and goofiest ter—and, at that time, I looked about 1 5 girl I've ever met." "Dom and William [who replaced Meat Loaf as Digger] were great," she continues. "New Mayor Gray [Michael "John Doe was a learning experience for me. Gaston, right] has a different Everybody took me under their wing and way of doing things than Johnston," says Grayden. showed me the ropes. The first day, I didn't "They both have the same know I could turn my back to the camera. objective, which is to I'm from theater, and I was acting like it was protect the town." a stage. [Director] Mimi Leder, Jayne and Dom were amazing. I always say that Dom taught me how to stand up for myself, and

Jayne taught me how to do it with . "Everybody asks who John Doe really

4:*: ^ was, and I'm not sure. [Series creators] Brandon Camp and Mike Thompson said something in a magazine about who they

thought Doe was, but I was already dead " ft [Karen perished in episode 14, "Ashes to Ashes"]. I was doing another project at the

time, so I was like, 'OK, cool, that sounds good.' Speaking of the dead, Grayden appeared as Judith Montgomery, the doomed friend of Joan Girardi (Amber Tamblyn), who got her marching orders directly from God on Joan of Arcadia. Grayden joined the cast in its second and last season, pretty much straight from playing a recurring role on yet another show, Six Feet Under. Judith died in "Friday

1 Night," an episode that aired in the middle of year two.

"In all honesty, I just wanted to make some cash," Grayden says. "I fell in love

City and I got this job, and the funny thing is with being on cable so much that I needed to there are a bunch of actors in that who are make [money] so that I could go do any pilot now working actors. It's something none of I wanted, go work for a lot less on cable. us bring up at cocktail parties, but the people Turns out, I walked away from Joan of

who ran it were a sweet, lovely family and Arcadia with so many great new friends. very nice to us. Everyone in that cast was super. It was a

"I remember one shot where they taught great experience. I fell in love with every-

me how to fire a machine gun, and I had to body, and I was happily surprised that shoot down these zombies. This one back- teenagers in Hollywood could be that cool. ground actor, this guy playing a zombie, "And I was told early on about Judith's

would not die. He just kept getting up, over fate. It wasn't a shock. They didn't say, 'We and over and over and over again. So even really like you, but we're killing you.' They though we weren't supposed to swear, told us what was going to happen around my there's this scene of me just saying every bad second or third episode. So Amber and I word in the book trying to put this zombie knowing what was going to go down—had

down." prepared for it. We had such a good time Less than two years later, Grayden land- working together that we were both a little ed the role of Karen Kawalski on John Doe. sad, and that came through when we shot the Dominic Purcell starred as an amnesiac who hospital scene and my death." possesses tremendous knowledge about Returning to the present, Grayden is still everything other than his origins. Doe uses filming the last few episodes of Jericho's his powers to help the local police, and finds first year. She hasn't lined up any off-season himself in the company of a small circle of Grayden explains. "It was an odd experience projects yet, and if nothing comes along,

people, including his assistant Karen, his for me, because it was my first TV show. I she'll use the break to "click her heels to the boss (Jayne Brook), a bartender pal (William had only done one Lxiw & Order, and I did wind" and take a long trip. As the conversa- Forsythe) and a police detective (John not understand what a recasting meant. It tion ends, the actress remarks that she hopes Marshall Jones). While the show debuted to was strange going to work knowing that Jericho will be a part of her future for a long

strong reviews and was quickly embraced by someone had lost a job and I had gained a time.

a hardcore fan base, Fox declined to renew it job. That's a very awkward thing. "But you have to take it day by day," says for a second season, leaving the truth about "Azura Skye was originally cast as Sprague Grayden. "So if Jericho goes five, Doe's identity a mystery. Karen, and she's someone whom I greatly six, seven years, awesome. It's a great cast

"They did some recasting before John admire. I was scared to walk in her shoes and crew. And if it only goes a year, that's

Doe went on the air, and William and I were because she's a fantastic actress. As far as I awesome, too. It has been an amazing year.

two of the people brought in; Jayne may know, it had nothing to do with her or her You've got to think about it that way. Trust

have been, too, but I can't remember," acting; her performance was fabulous, but me, I've been on a lot of shows!" -4?

30 mm/May 2007 www.starlog.com STARLOG Subscriptions

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

ONE YEAR (USA) $56.97 Your Daytime Phone #: (_ ONE YEAR (Foreign) $66.97 (US funds only) 6-ISSUE (USA) $34.97 PfirA Name As It Appears On Your Card 6-ISSUE (Foreign) Method of Payment: $44.97 (US funds only) Check Money Order Street Discover Send check or money order to: VISA Master Card City State Zip STARLOG GROUP, INC. Visa 1 372 Broadway, 2nd Floor NEW YORK, NY 10018 Signature You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] Total enclosed: $_ IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO CUTOUT COUPON, WE WILL ACCEPT Account No. WRITTEN ORDERS. Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for delivery. j^k ome years ago, I had just S^^^^BBk sat down with David Ma- B^K. /one}' to update a recent « interview we had done, j^k w/ien rfze veteran producer- ___^^BMk director leaned forward

flnrf vv/f/z f/je grm o/a mis- j H — ^^^V chievous schoolboy about to snare an important se- cret—ia/J, "Before we start, did I ever tell you about the week that I was producer of both Blake's 7 and Doctor Who?" With the skill of somebody who had obvi- ously told the story many times, he proceed- ed to recount the time he had been asked to fill in for then-Doctor Who producer

Graham Williams, who had taken ill. At the time, there was a friendly rivalry between the BBC's two SF series, and having worked on both Doctor Who and B7, there was just something that Moloney really enjoyed about running both of them, albeitfor only a few days. Moloney, who died on July 18, 2006, was one of those rarities in television: a true gentleman. While he was always happy to

talk about his work, he would never speak ill of anybody. And as anybody who has heard his DVD commentaries can attest, Moloney preferred to let his actors take the spotlight. Instead, he played the role of reproachful headmaster when one of his charges stepped out of line. The interview that follows is a much Producer-director David Maloney shorter version of that conversation from a few years ago. Some readers may have helped make SF history heard a few of these stories before, but we thought they were worth telling one last with Doctor Who & Blsko 's 7 time...

STARLOG: You actually began your career as an actor before joining the BBC?

DAVID MALONEY: I was trained as an

actor. I started in theater, working in reper- tory and in the West End for seven years. Previously, I was a journalist in Birming-

ham, where I grew up. I began working at the BBC as a floor manager in the 1960s before going on to the director's course.

Before that, I was a PA on Doctor Who

when William Hartnell was the Doctor. I

didn't work on the first serial, but I joined the show pretty soon after that. 8 STARLOG: So presumably you had close 3 contact with Hartnell in those early days? ^ MALONEY: Oh yes, very close. He was ° very crotchety by that time, and found it dif- « ficult to remember his lines, so there were lots of breaks while Bill learned his dia- J! logue. He was a big champion of the pro-

's gram, and wanted the standards to remain w high, but he was a bit irascible with the peo- » pie who had to work with him closely, as I I did when I was floor manager. I remember 0 ° u one particularly frightening incident in the 1 studio when Bill was struck in the back by a £ camera crane platform. The operator over- £ shot a little bit and struck him, and we were £ worried that he had been hurt. As floor man- 5 ager, I was in charge of the studio, and I 3 thought, "Bill will make a big deal of this if

32 STARLOG/% 2007 —

All Doctor Who Photos: Copyright 1964, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1976 BBC TV In Doctor Who's early days, Maloney (as a production assistant and later floor manager) dealt with the "irascible" First Doctor William Hartnell.

After helming cop shows and adventures, Maloney returned to theTARDIS to direct his initial Who, "The Mind Robber" (with M ). we're not careful!" So I said, "Hold every- Whos around that time. thing! Mr. Hartnell can't continue. Get a STARLOG: That was near the end of chair for him, and get some water." And Bill Patrick Troughton's time on the series?

said, "What do you mean? Of course I can MALONEY: That's right. I think he worked continue!" So we did. That was the best way out with the producers that his character to deal with him: to try and anticipate how would be a bit of a hobo or clown-like. he was going to feel. There were many discussions about who the STARLOG: At what point did you begin new Doctor was going to be, and they decid- directing? ed he should be some kind of magician who MALONEY: I took the director's course in was always producing odd things from his

1968. It was difficult for floor managers to pockets, which they believed would be get into that, but I was very lucky and given attractive to children. It was quite different

many opportunities to direct afterward. I from the character whom Bill had played. Maloney directed "," started out on [the police drama] Z Cars, and Patrick had a charisma and eccentricity that the 10-part serial which both introduced then did some classic serials, including was very effective. the Time Lords concept and Ivanhoe which was 10 parts The Last did feel — of STARLOG: How you about "The concluded Troughton's run. the Mohicans and another James Fenimore Mind Robber" as your series Cooper adaptation called The Pathfinder. I directorial debut?

also started doing quite a number of Doctor MALONEY: It was imagina- tive, but rather difficult to do at the time. Patrick was very funny, and Wendy Padbury was convincing as the girl who had to face up to these horrors and scream at least once in every episode. We were almost writing the story as we went along, so we had four days of rehearsal, re- cording a half-hour episode at the end of the week at Lime "Planet of the Daleks" marked Maloney's Grove Studios. One Monday morning, Fra- only experience directing zer Hines [who played Jamie] came into the and his first encounter with rehearsal hall and said, "My doctor told me the show's most popular foes, the Daleks. I've got chicken pox, so I can't come back here for weeks!" Because his character was a big part of the story, Derrick Sherwin, the producer, came up with the brilliant idea of using a life-sized cut-out of Jamie in his cos- tume that was in pieces, so the Doctor had to

put it together on a blackboard. Unfort- unately, he chooses the wrong pieces for the face, so when the blackboard dissolves, out steps another Jamie played by Hamish Wilson, whom we had to bring in rather quickly. He played the part for two or three episodes until Frazer was well again, and then we reversed the process and out stepped Frazer again. So that's how we dealt with the According to Maloney, Fourth Doctor Tom situation. Baker was "fresh and inventive."They STARLOG: You also directed "The worked "very well together" on "The Krotons" that season, as well as the 10-part Deadly Assassin" and three other stories.

STARLOG/Moy 2007 33 —

ridons. We dressed them up in cheap fur coats so they looked like some sort of creature, and then we were able to make them invisible. STARLOG: That storyline was also your first brush with the Daleks. MALONEY: The Daleks really couldn't do much of anything. The directors had to do all sorts of things—pushing and pulling them and moving the camera around them—so they were pretty useless. I remember watch- ing a studio recording that Douglas Camfield was doing back in the '60s, and he used to stick great big numbers on them for rehearsals so he knew which was which and who was inside them. STARLOG: Did you have any problems with them? MALONEY: They didn't bother me. The Filming Blake's 7 was a challenge serial "The War Games." That was a pretty whether the company was working big workload. underground in England's Wookey Hole... MALONEY: It was. I thought the idea for "The War Games" was a very good one. I remember coming home and asking my son, who was 9 or 10 at the time, which wars he was interested in, and he said he liked the

American Civil War and the Romans, so I threw those ideas in as well. We began in the First World War, which was filmed at the Brighton Rubbish dump where Richard Attenborough shot Oh, What a Lovely War. It took a long time to cast Thomas (left) as the near a 15-foot-high We put TARDIS out Blake. He's seen here with Richard Beale wall of garbage that smelled to Hell, and as (Saymon in the first season's "The Web"). we were filming, somebody said, "Oh my God, look at those rats!" I looked up, and 50 Daleks used to come and go, so there would feet away, against this wall of rubbish, were be a period in which they would be very suc-

these giant rats climbing up and down. I cessful, until a new producer came in and said, "For goodness sake, whatever you do, said, "We've had enough of the Daleks!" We ...Or out in the while topside elements don't tell the makeup girls!" Because if they wouldn't see them for a while, and then creating their own sense of snow. saw those rats, we would have had to move another producer would reintroduce them to another location, and we didn't have time and, once again, they would be an enormous for that. We literally had minutes to go, so hit. When [producer] we kept quiet, carried on filming and as soon decided to do a Dalek story, he talked to as we finished, we got out of there pretty [writer] Terry Nation, who came up with the fast. idea of going all the way back to the time STARLOG: Did you realize that "The War they were first invented, so that's how Games" was going to be such a significant " of the Daleks" came about. story in terms of Troughton leaving the STARLOG: Which is not only considered series and the Doctor regenerating into one of the best Dalek stories ever, but also another incarnation? one of the best Doctor Who episodes. MALONEY: At the time, I certainly didn't MALONEY: I'm sure Terry talked to you know who the new actor was going to be. We about how we altered the setting of his open- Lensing on location (or on Ealing Studios also introduced the concept of the Time ing scene. He had originally written a pas-

soundstages) was always tough, thanks Lords, which was clever. As I recall, the new toral sequence where the Doctor meets this to B7s "impossible" (i.e. low) budget. Doctor hadn't been chosen at that point, so Time Lord [played by John Franklyn- we ended with him in some kind Robbins, looking like a character from The of void. Seventh Seal} in a garden, but we decided to

STARLOG: As it turned out, set it in a war zone instead, with lots of Doctor Who entered the '70s by smoke and slow motion. It was a much more moving into color with Jon exciting version than what Terry had written. Pertwee as the new Doctor. You STARLOG: What kind of relationship did only did one Pertwee episode, you have with actor Tom Baker during that "Planet of the Daleks" in Season period? * 10. MALONEY: I did two years on Doctor Who MALONEY: Yes, that was with with Tom, and we worked very well togeth- as producer. They er. In addition to "Genesis of the Daleks," we were just starting to experiment also did "The Deadly Assassin," "The Talons with chroma-key, and Barry was of Weng Chiang" and "Planet of Evil," so we

very keen on it, so we used the spent lots of time together, and I thought he The weather often made exterior shooting more of an technique to create these invisi- was extremely fresh and inventive. The ordeal—even when the story required rain or snow. ble creatures called the Spi- problem with playing such an eccentric

34 STARLOG/%2007 Beware the Decimas! Thomas nicknamed these aliens "the Squeaky People." For their appearance in "The Web," the Black Forest location in Buckinghamshire (right) was specially dressed.

STARLOG: You were still working on "The Talons of Weng Chiang" when BBC depart- ment head Ronnie Marsh asked you to pro-

duce a new series called Blake 's 7.

MALONEY: It was a challenge to try some- thing I hadn't done before, which was to

produce a new series. I think I was night filming, and somebody brought me a mes- sage asking me to pop over and see him. Ronnie told me that he was doing this very cheap space series that had the same budget as [the police drama] Softly, Softly, and that there wasn't any extra money put aside for

the special effects. But it was something I

had never done before, so I thought I might

have a go at it. STARLOG: How difficult was the casting

process for Blake 's 71

MALONEY: I did all the casting on my

own. I cast the lot, every one. I went to see

Among the potential second season casualties were Jenna (Sally Knyvette), Cally (Jan Chappell), Vila (Michael Keating) and Gan (David Jackson). Poor Gan got the chop.

character is that, after seven years, he knew Talons of Weng Chiang." Do you feel that

more about the character than anybody else, episode's popularity is well-deserved?

because he had outlasted all of the produc- MALONEY: Oh yes. We shot much of it on

ers. He became the only 'bible' for his char- a street in Limehouse that's still used all the acter, so he was telling them what they had time. Whenever somebody has a Dickensian to know about his history. Tom pushed the scene to do, they'll go in and put lots of mist

boundaries of the Doctor, but he was very or smoke in there, but I still recognize it imaginative and always contributed to the instantly as that street. We had one particu- discussion. larly difficult night where we were going to STARLOG: Having introduced the Time be filming in this square with lots of fog and Lords in "The War Games," you went to horses to create this late Victorian London to expand their mythology in "The atmosphere. We were always very good Deadly Assassin." about canvassing the neighborhood that we MALONEY: Bob Holmes was a Doctor were going to be filming in, so our assistant

Who writer par excellence, and I thought his directors had been running around this work was extremely good. He understood square for days, asking the residents to keep

the concepts so well. "The Deadly Assassin" it clear of cars for that one evening. When was an interesting idea, and we also had a we finally arrived to set up for the night's clever designer in Roger Murray-Leach, filming, somebody had left their Porsche who was absolutely first-class. On Doctor parked right in the middle of our shot.

Who, the key role apart from the writer and Nobody knew who it belonged to or how we

actors is the designer, and I'm pleased to could get rid of it, so Roger cleverly had an have been able to work with Roger so much. entire wagon-load of hay dumped over the A Phibian menaces Cally. Mercifully, STARLOG: Your final Doctor Who before car so it looked like a pile that had been left most of this creature wasn't seen in the moving on to produce Blake's 7 was "The for the animals. final, aired version of "Orac." www.starlog.com STARLOG/% 2007 35 —

room" until it became "The room is no larg- Blake's 7 without Blake? er than a cupboard!" We normally had one MALONEY: At that point, a decision had to large set, two mediums and two smalls in an be made to go with a third series or to stop

episode, while Terry wanted aerodrome it, and Terry was all for going on with it. And

hangars and vast ceilings. Ronnie Marsh was too, because it was so

STARLOG: One of the biggest events in B7 popular. I think people felt that they couldn't

was the death of Gan midway through take it off, so why not be cheeky? I used to Season Two. Killing off a series regular like say "Blake's 7" didn't necessarily mean

that was fairly unprecedented at the time there were seven people; it could mean seven [1979]. bodies, or five bodies plus Orac the comput-

MALONEY: I actually thought that was er, plus the spaceship, the Liberator. But very senseless. The executive producer at the Blake did come back. It wasn't as if Gareth BBC thought the series needed more adren- said no, never ever; obviously, when he

aline pumped into it, so they figured the needed a few pennies and was approached, death of one of the characters was the he would come back. Gareth didn't want the After Thomas' exit, Blake's 7 continued answer. It was ultimately decided that it laborious task of working day in, day out on without Blake, but he was "always talked should be Gan, who had proved to be the the series. I don't think the viewing figures about as the guy who had gone missing." most difficult character to write for, so I particularly dropped off, and Blake was them in the theater, I interviewed them, I invited David Jackson up to the BBC Club to always talked about as the guy who had gone talked to them—particularly in the case of break the news. When I told him [about missing. Avon. Paul Darrow didn't work for six killing Gan off], we were out on the balcony STARLOG: Were you as surprised as months; he waited that everyone else when Bla- long for the series to ke's 7 was renewed for a begin. It was confirmed, fourth season? and he just waited and did MALONEY: I was al- not take anything else. But ready leaving by then, it was certainly worth- because I had been asked while for him—I hope. to do other things, includ- With Jan Chappell [who ing Day of the Triffids and would play Cally], I went When the Boat Comes In. to the Graeme MacDonald to see her. and thought she who was the overall head was absolutely smashing. of the department then She's a very good, serious, said, "Who will take over worthwhile, committed from you as producer?" I actress. I had worked with suggested Vere Lorrimer. David Jackson [Gan] He knew the show, had when I was an actor in rep worked on it for three many years earlier, and I years and directed a bunch had also met Sally of episodes. Vere was the

Knyvette [Jenny] before. It right one, so Graeme said took a long time to cast yes. Gareth Thomas [as Blake], STARLOG: Did you look because he wasn't quite at any of his episodes? the type we were looking MALONEY: I saw one or for. Gareth is a marvelous two of them when they "heavy" actor—kind of aired, but an element of the Lee J. Cobb of the fantasy came in with Welsh stage—but we were Series Four. Whether that initially looking for some- was a good or bad thing, I one more traditional. don't know. Maybe the

That's not to say that I show needed a change of regret the casting of direction.

Gareth, who I think was STARLOG: Why do you great, and I really wish think there is still so much that he had stayed on. interest in some of the STARLOG: How chal- work you did decades ago? lenging was it to create an MALONEY: It comes ambitious SF series on a down to nostalgia. Some relatively modest budget? of these people were kids MALONEY: The budget when they watched Doctor was impossible during the Who and Blake 's 7 for the first time. And in the case first series, because we Third season promotional photo fun! Maloney gets a leg u p with Blake's were required to do women: Chappell, Jacqueline Pearce (Servalan) and Josette Simon (Dayna) of Blake's 7, the audience Blake's 7 for the same we were aiming for was budget as an ordinary domestic drama, so we looking down over [a big] drop, and I early teens. We got 10 or 11 million viewers were always desperately trying to cut things remember thinking to myself, "Gosh, I hope sometimes, and our transmission time was 7 down. Terry Nation's scripts would come in, he doesn't jump!" p.m. Mondays, which was targeted at the and he would write something like, "He STARLOG: When Thomas decided to leave family and teenage audiences. Now, all of walks into a large room," and I would sub- at the end of Season Two, was there any dis- those teenagers have grown up, and they're stitute, "He walks into a medium-sized cussion about how to do a series called the ones buying these DVDs!

36 STARLOG/Moy 2007 www.starlog.com Wostalgia Ventures' recent revival of tion might have brought an Street & Smith's seminal pulp super- amused smile to Dent's lips. hero Doc Savage has led to a resur- One of his Doc Savage sup- gence of one of the 20th century's most pop- porting characters was archeol- ular, mythical authors, Kenneth Robeson. ogist William Harper Little- No such person ever existed. Chiefly, he was john—also known as Johnny. a wildly imaginative Missourian named Both men hailed from the Lester Dent. At other times "Robeson" Midwest, and were making a masked other writers. But some of the most good living writing fiction for memorable Savage exploits were the work the Street & Smith company in

of two men. NY. The two pulpsters hit it off Dent had only been writing Doc Savage a and became lifelong friends. year when he met a sprightly pulp adventure "Les was one of the most writer born Walter Ryerson Johnson, but impressive people I've known," known to friends as Johnny. Their introduc- Johnson recalled before his death in 1995. "Very compe- tent. Worked extremely hard. And he had a sparkle to him. He had a personality. You felt secure with him somehow, right away. You weren't on the

defensive with Les. I just loved that guy."

In a rigged photo created more than 70 years ago, Doc Savage creator Lester Dent encountered ghosts of himself.

By WILL MURRAY Dent struck Johnson as very much in the mold of his hero. "He had a nice vibratory quality, and Les put some of this in his char- acter, Doc Savage. Doc was almost like a UOS'T spread-out Les Dent. I had that kind of feel- ing about him. He was a big guy, but he did Pulpsmith \iiniversary Celebration not swagger. Les didn't vibrate all over the Ryerson Johnson crafted place, trumpeting things. He just was / / / / !=z big in stature—and everything else." some of Doc Savage's most /-' In 1934, the Great Depression had / /_'. at, m i l it inn the nation in its grip. Yet Doc Savage fantastic adventures. vsrww.starlog.com STARLOG/Afay 2007 37 Magazine sold so well that Dent was able to was a chance to explore other realms buy a boat, the schooner Albatross. It wasn't through the medium of Doc Savage long before Dent invited Johnson out for a Magazine. cruise on the boat he was outfitting to hunt This time, Dent gave the springboard to for Caribbean pirate treasure. Johnson. "Les dreamed up a story about a "Les liked to take chances," Johnson culture and people living under the North reminisced. "I wouldn't say he was reckless. Pole," recalled Johnson (who penned a He knew what he could do. Les knew what memoir about being a Savage ghost in 1987 his capabilities were, and he worked up to for STARLOG#U9). "A guy named Ool that. Like a human fly. He looks reckless, but escaped. He had some kind of a magic eye. I he knows that his fingers are strong enough thought up most of the plot." to hold him between the bricks. We got into When the unearthly Ool turns up in some bad situations with storms, rocks and Manhattan, he attracts the attention of the passages that he put the boat through that a Man of Bronze himself. Their battle plunges more cautious man would have gone around. Doc into a nightmare world of eternal dark-

But Les had confidence that he could do it. ness in quest of the secret of Cold Light. He never felt afraid; he was always calm. Land ofAlways-Night was a bigger leap into And experienced. He thought and moved pure science fiction than the series had ever fast." taken. The resulting story proved so popular 7i with 1930s fans, Dent and the other ghosts Vmmot iW experimented with variations, but never Like all of their pulpy breed, the two tale- quite succeeded in duplicating its eerie spinners swapped stories. Ever on the prowl magic. An 1890s Florida swindle recalled by for fresh ideas, Dent listened intently to After rewriting the story, Dent asked Johnson gave Dent the idea for The Sea Johnson's account of two mysterious men Johnson to do another. "The Fantastic Island Magician. It'll be reprinted this summer by who back in the 1890s had bought up a Nostalgia Ventures. STARLOG's Will was something Les cut out of a newspaper," waterfront Florida place and erected a Murray is the series' Consulting Editor. recounted Johnson. "There was some kind of a mad baroness and mysterious murders in the Galapagos. Les came to my hotel and

said, 'Look. Here's your story. Read it and " dream up a plot on the basis of this.' A self-proclaimed island empress, the baroness had been luring ships to their doom and enslaving their crews. Johnson turned her into a maniacal. Russian count, but retained most of the suggested springboard. The disappearance of Johnny Littlejohn again lured Doc Savage into action. The pair had produced another Doc Savage classic, one that has been cited as an inspiration for Ian Fleming's Dr. No. Doc's originator was pleased with this second effort, and offered some tips on his docCAVAGE w» 4JP by KENNETH ROBESON

The Man of Drome's Greatest Adventure LAND OF ALWAYS-NIGHT ^ MAD MESA

Dent provided the story springboard for Johnson's debut as a ghost in bronze, Land of Always-Night

barbed-wire barricade around it. Townfolk again and again: Johnny disappears. grew curious. The duo revealed that they Johnson soaked up lots of Dent's views were experimenting with a secret process of on his cast of characters. "I always thought extracting gold from seawater, previously that Les was partial to Monk," he stated. "He

only possible on a laboratory scale. Soon, was a warm character. I have a feeling that Floridians were buying stock in the ven- the five characters altogether were a synthe- ture—never suspecting a clever swindle. sis of Doc. Doc was the whole, and they "Les was impressed by that story," were parts of Doc's personality."

Johnson said. "I've used it myself since then. As their friendship warmed, Dent turned

I modernized it and had gangsters doing it in to his new pal for help. Writing Doc Savage Trail of the Witchwood Treasure." every month was becoming a strain. He Dent milked the concept for The Sea needed a ghostwriter, someone who could Magician, one of Doc Savage's more mem- pound out a solid draft that needed only a Fans can experience Johnson's orable early adventures. It began with a mys- fast polish before publication. Johnson had Land of Always-Night in the new NV tery that lures Johnny Littlejohn onto the been a fan of the SF pulps like Astounding edition (tpb, $12.95, paired with Dent's trail of a British apparition. It was an open- Stories, but they paid so poorly that he con- Mad Mesa). See the website ins gambit Dent and Johnson returned to centrated on Westerns instead. Now, here (www.nostalgiaventures.com).

38 STARLOG/% 2007 — —

C IS (3520 * 5Q 1- A BAHTAM BOOK bronze hero's characterization. "Doc, you SAYS SAY HADES—HAS HAPPENED TO j THE FANTASTIC ADVENTURES OF OOC SAVAGE BY KENNETH R0BESQNjl3| must realize, is Jehovah's son," Dent said, STORY "and therefore is never, never taken in by the DENT villain, although it may appear that he is "I was never a speedball writer," Johnson but he always has an ace in the sleeve. And admitted. And Dent preferred to hand Doc never says T in his conversation, so Johnson his Doc plots. "Les had his own that he seems more modest." This was an ideas. When I did the Docs for him, he allusion to Dent's half-humorous description insisted on good tricks, devices and escape

of Doc Savage as a combination of Tarzan, gags. If he didn't like it, I would think of

Sherlock Holmes and Jesus Christ. something else. But the more bizarre it was,

the better he liked it." fntiJKlK T/KfS* In actuality, Dent was feeding his ghost- Dent was under the gun as 1934 turned writer ideas that his Street & Smith editor into 1935. Street & Smith wanted to go was foisting on him. After finishing The twice monthly with Doc Savage. But Dent Fantastic Island, Dent laid out plans for their was talking to another publisher about start- next collaboration. "John God Nanovic.has

James Bama: American Realist (Flesk, he, $34.95) celebrates that artist's stunning Doc paperback covers. It's a book highly recommended by STARLOG. See #348 & the website (www.fleskpublications.com).

accomplishes something, or a gum that is good for something. And, of course, there

are other gags. You like it? I don't, either.

But we gotta make a story out of it. "The second one is a gag about a guy who discovers 'inertia,' the force which keeps an object in a stationary position you push harder to get your car moving than

to keep it going. It's really a separate and distinct force, like electricity, magnetism or gravity. This man discovers how to throw up fields electrically somehow, whereby the

inertia is increased to the point where noth- ing can move. These fields are, of course, invisible, and a car running into them stops mysteriously, and people walking up and

sticking a hand into it have that hand held as by an invisible vise. You like that, no? Same here." Johnson chose the inertia premise, and produced a detailed outline centering on Detroit's automotive industry, but ranging from Florida to Canada. However, The Motion Menace struck several snags, and Dent wanted massive changes of locale and motivation. "I must have written two-thirds

before Les decided it was so far off that rather than try to correct and interweave, he

ing a new magazine featuring a detective blossomed forth with suggestions on which would just junk it and do the whole thing," hero, and he was negotiating to script the we may base stories, which means we will Johnson related. Buck Rogers newspaper strip. Dent needed have to base stories on them, some way, that Plotted in 1935, The Motion Menace did

copy. being the best way of avoiding friction," not see print until 1938. It had hit another As Johnson was carefully crafting The wrote Dent. snag. The destruction of the Zeppelin

Fantastic Island, a telegram arrived: "The first one is the clipping which I Hindenburg was eerily foreshadowed in

WITH TEARS IN EYES PLEASE WHEN enclose. Read it. The same damned thing Dent's tale, forcing S&S to delay it another DO I GET STORY STOP STREET AND that you just wrote a story about, you say? I year. Although disappointed, Dent wasn't

SMITH NEEDS STORY STOP DENT know it. But work in something valuable, about to give up on the best collaborator he NEEDS STORY STOP PUBLIC NEEDS some new kind of a treasure, like a newly ever had. But Johnson declined all offers. Yet STORY WHAT THE—WESTERN UNION developed plant that produces a fruit that the two remained friends. Johnson continued www.starlog.com STARLOG/ZMay 2007 39 Larger than life, Dent sought his own real-life adventures by land, sea and air. getting to know the wild life.

A newspaper clipping about a mad baroness and murders in the Galapagos led Johnson to The Fantastic Island.

burlesque of one called 'The Mushroom Spread.' They raised a bunch of mushrooms instead of cows or bulls. Well, that infuriated the editors. They said, 'What are you trying

to do? You can't write a comic Western!' I did several about this guy, Blazing Daylights Jones, and I had 'Boxcar Buckaroos' —they rode their horses on top of a freight train

going through a tunnel. In one, I had them going up to Canada to start a caribou ranch. No one would buy them, so Orlin Tremaine took them for Cowboy Stories!' Johnson stuck with the pulps well into the 1940s. He switched to detective heroes, but even that began wearing on him. "It's hard writing these rigorous, true-blue YMCA tough-action stories, with deadwood characters and their patterns of behavior," he frankly admitted. "You [the hero] didn't shoot a guy. You gave him a chance to shoot

you first. Then you shot him. The villain became more interesting than the hero, to be fascinated by Dent's zest for living and rather in a mechanical way sometimes, and because they had a little more scope. They larger-than-life ideas. didn't have a flow about his movements. So could be more ingenious and mean. And you

At one point, Dent hatched a scheme that I wondered how he identified by feel with had to be careful not to make the reader required a bigger boat. Together, they that airplane. He must have flown it by the more sympathetic to the villain, so you made inspected a cruiser for sale. But when Dent book. He was so expert at the damn thing. him really bad." stepped on board, a line snapped in his hand He did all kinds of combat and circus tricks." In Johnson's opinion, the pulp editors and his foot went through the rotting deck. Johnson had a chance at adventure, too. were to blame. "They wouldn't let you give That was the end of the venture. Fellow pulpster Arthur J Burks was organiz- anybody any human qualities," he lamented. "Les wanted to go to South America," ing a search for the missing aviator, Paul "Either they were all bad or all good. There Johnson explained. "He got interested in the Redfern, who had been lost in Brazil in were no gradiations. I remember I got a let- Magdalena River in Colombia. They were 1927. Johnson was to go down as the expe- ter from some editor saying, 'Don't try to hunting for alligators down there. He said dition reporter, but then another opportunity sell ideas to the pulps. Just keep it moving.' there was big bucks in alligator hides. You arose: His girl friend, Lois Lignell, was in They wanted the action. Get rid of the char- could go down there and just stock the boat town. "I had to make a decision," he recalled acterization and get on with your story, [so with hides. You could get them for almost with a laugh. "I decided to stay back in New the readers could] quickly identify who was nothing, bring them back, and make a little York and marry Lois. Burks went to South bad and who was good. money. He also felt there was a chance of America to look for Redfern. He didn't find "The whole thing was stylized, of picking up some emeralds, too. him, but they had a good trip." course," he continued. "And that's one rea- "When Les started moving out from the son why the boys stayed in the pulps longer boats and went into airplanes, he seemed to VHmmN Vn&M than most of them meant to— it got to be me to be an unlikely guy to be flying an air- Newly wed, Johnson buckled down to where you could do it most easily and with plane. He was big—you wouldn't call him write more Westerns. "I got tired of writing some certainty. If you told your story within awkward—but so big it seemed he reacted the hero-cowboy story," he said. "So I did a that pattern of acceptance, you could sell

40 STARLOG/Moy 2007 Art: A. Leslie Ross

With its fearsome dragons, The Fantastic COMPLETE Island (1935) influenced Ian Fleming's 1958 James Bond novel Dr. No. NORTHWEST THE PHANTOM OF FORGOTTEN (Magazine RIVER WEETIGO by action novel fay W. RYERSO ERIC JOHNSON: THANE

THRILLING NOVELETS AND SHORT STORIES Although Johnson loved writing Westerns (or, in this case, a Northwestern), he felt trapped by pulp editorial formulas.

late Golden Age. Within a few years, Captain Marvel would be no more, and Johnson's two-thirds-done draft of The everyone except Dent would be writing for Motion Menace was junked. Instead, Dent comics' Man of Steel, Superman, or its com- wrote the whole book from scratch. panion titles. every one you wrote—if not the first time, "The pulps were just disappearing," helped him plot Land ofAlways-Night. Now, then the second or third time anyway." Johnson observed. "Mort Weisinger and Weisinger edited Superman. "Finally, he

In 1946, the Dents visited the Johnsons in Otto said, 'Look, write comics.' They were gave me a rough plot on one. It was a

Lubec, Maine. Again, Dent tried to interest both involved in that. I didn't want to do it. Western, The Wyoming Kid'' Johnson com-

his friend into ghosting more Docs, but to no It seemed to be about the least creative of all mented. "They were paying $8 a page, and I

avail. Other guests that week included the types of writing you could do. But Mort went ahead just to see how it would work

Captain Marvel writer Otto Binder and just kept pushing it on me." out. It worked out fine. So I did a bunch of Captain Marvel Junior artist Kurt Weisinger had been Johnson's roommate Wyoming Kids, Mr. District Attorneys, Gang Schaffenberger. Comic books were in their during his Doc ghosting days, and had Busters, Dale Evans and a few Batmans. They were all DC Comics." Johnson didn't stay long in comics. He found the medium even more limiting than the pulps. "It just wasn't a challenge. As

soon as I didn't need the money, I did some- thing else." So he drifted into articles and children's books. For his Bob Blake boys series, Johnson returned to Doc Savage terri- tory in Trail of the Moaning Ghost and Trail of the Witchwood Treasure. In 1964, when Bantam Books revived Doc Savage, Dent had been dead for five years. Johnson wrote Bantam editor Marc Jaffe, and after pointing out that the original novels were dated, offered his services to rewrite and update them. Jaffe politely de- clined. Johnson was astounded that the Doc

Savage novels continued to sell and sell. It wasn't long before Land of Always-Night was back in print. Eventually, all 181 origi- nals saw new Bantam editions. Now the legendary Man of Bronze has again been revived, and once more Walter Ryerson Johnson's electrifying collabora- tions are being read by a new generation of adventure fans. "What happened simply baf- fled me," he confessed. "People give atten- tion and significance to Doc Savage that Les

didn't at the time feel at all. He just turned Despite ending their ghostly collaboration, Johnson (here out exploring) and Dent out a story, got the money and did another remained friends. one." www.starlog.com STARLOG/Afay 2007 41 —

Munroe is The digital Turtles sport sleeker COWABUNGA! revamping the forms which are much closer to Turtles their four-color look. Additionally, KEVIN MUNROE LOOKS franchise for these Turtles move like they do in the 21st the comics—not like stuntmen in TO THE COMICS TO century. These big, clunky costumes. half-shell The man behind their resurrec- REJUVENATE heroes are tion, writer-director Kevin closer to the Munroe, THE HEROES comics is looking forward to its March 23 characters in release. "Teenage Mutant Ninja IN A HALF-SHELL. look and spirit. Turtles is a $6 billion franchise," he marvels. "That's a billion with a

green, they walk on their hind legs and they've 'BM I had no idea before I took this on. ..six billion dollars. I want They'remastered the deadly art of the Ninja. Their sensei is a rat. fans of the whole Turtles franchise to enjoy the new movie and be They live in the sewers, love pizza, wear masks and are surprised by it. And I think they will be!" known worldwide as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Thanks to a hit comic book series (created in 1 984), toys, Animated Mutants several cartoon shows and live-action movies, the radia- TMNT fans expecting a battle royale with their arch-foe Shredder tion-tainted terrapins were a 1990s phenomenon—even will be especially suiprised. "Shredder isn 't in it," Munroe reveals. bigger than Vanilla Ice (who infamously rapped the Turtles' praises "Shredder isn't this film's featured villain, but there are some key in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze). moments that set things up for his eventual return. So he isn't the bad Sadly, the Turtles' popularity faded as the Millennium turned, guy, but he's not gone from the series either. and the heroes in a half-shell seemed doomed to go the way of "It's funny, because Peter [Laird, TMNT co-creator] said from the Swatch watches and parachute pants. But now the Turtles are back start that Shredder was never intended to be the Darth Vader of the in a CG movie called—what else? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. series—it just happened. Peter said Shredder had his place at one time, but he thought for the new film, it was time to move on and mation is a medium. This is a comic book genre film in the anima- have a different villain. I asked him, 'What about the Triceraton sto- tion medium."

ryline, or a villain from space...' and all this other stuff. While we Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles won't be a bloodbath. "Not at all," were discussing this, the new TMNT comic book series started and Munroe assures. "This is an 'all-ages' movie in the best sense.

issue #1 had just come out. Children can enjoy it, but it can also be appreciated by anyone of any "We began looking through that storyline, but [the '90s movies] age. Despite the enduring popularity of the Turtles as a cartoon

had already visited some of that stuff. We decided, 'Let's just do a series and its being generally considered a children's property, this

new villain.' So we created an original one, and we also included film aims for a broader audience. It's more of a character-based

Karai from the comics. She has never appeared in a TMNT film comedy. Peter is the Godfather of all things Turtles, and he wanted before. She's coming to New York for another reason that you'll dis- to recapture the attitude of the original comics, which were fairly cover later on, hopefully, in a sequel. Karai [voiced by Zhang Ziyi] serious and rooted in the sibling relationships between all these serves a function that you'll find out by the climax. She's a cool characters." character." Further villainy is provided by STARLOG favorite Patrick Stewart, who's voicing Max Winters, a hi-tech entrepreneur Imaginary Ninjas with an army of monsters. Munroe was born in New Brunswick, Canada. "I got into film-

The new Turtles more closely resemble their comics counter- making because I was always the artist in my class," he grins. "I parts. "Oh yeah, we went for that look," Munroe declares. "For never thought of animation at all, but I got into 'First Choice,' which

inspiration, I went back to the original black-and-white comic books is the HBO of Canada, during its free weekend showings. I would by Kevin Eastman and Laird. I used that as my [reference] in terms see the animation on there and watch it again and again. I got into of the tone and the action. Everybody thinks they're really bloody animation after taking the Disney Animation tour in Florida, which and violent, but they're actually not. was so exciting. I had never thought of pursuing animation before,

"Those comics have a different kind of reality that I wanted to but after that tour, I said, 'Oh my God, this is exactly what I want to use in my movie, but at the same time, I've got to fit my film into the do!' I attended college in Toronto, came up with my own designs and mythology created by the first three pictures. I want our universe to then I just started writing and pitching shows and my own stuff. combine the comics and the movies. Animation is not a genre; ani- "I've always liked Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I had the

By PATJANKIEWICZ "

comics and—even though I was a little old for them—I owned a couple of Turtles toys. And the kids I babysat for had them, so I ended up playing vicariously through them!

In fact, when I first met with Peter, I brought my copy of TMNT #1. So even if I didn't direct the film, I could get my comic signed. Laird drew a sketch of Raphael and wrote: 'To Kevin—Make a good movie or else! Grrrr!'

So is this a reimagining of the franchise or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV1 "I would really hate to say it's Teenage Mutant

Ninja Turtles IV, but yeah, it essentially is,"

"X IVAKT OUR I/KXVER5E TO COMBXtfE THE COMICS MO THE MONIES

Munroe laughs. "We're taking a page from Superman Returns, because we're acknowl- edging that the first two or three Turtles movies happened. But this is a brand new design, a new world and the tone is com- pletely different. The Turtles films are great, but they're campy. Our tone is more serious.

Our movie pretty much follows Secret of the Ooze in continuity, with strong comic book influence. We actually lit the entire movie as a a few passing references to some events from TMNT III. black-and-white picture before we added any color. We referenced "As for the characterization of the Turtles, the supporting cast films like The Third Man and used the boldness of black and white. and the film's look, I went back to the early comics. It was really We relied on CG a lot, and with CG, you want to light everything, important to me that I write this like it was a live-action film with a because you don't want to hide anything that an artist has spent a month of their life detailing and designing!

"The live-action stuff is lit in a way that, with the addition of CG, creates this nice, moody feel. The challenge is when you have the coolest, most dramatic film noir shot and

then add CG Turtles to it; regardless of how cool those Turtles look, they immediately

pull it down. The trick is to make the Turtles as dramatic and moody as the rest of the shot, so you maintain that integrity." Talking Turtles Although Stewart and Ziyi represent vil- lainy, the half-shelled heroes have a lower profile. "The Turtles are voiced by non- celebrities," Munroe remarks. "We wanted to

go with great voice actors and not make it

44 STARLOG/Atoy 2007 XS A Rumor has it that one of the characters is A-list voice actor THIS BRAKD Quinton is ^ Flynn. "Quinton involved," Munroe confirms. "He's an " K3XGK, A IVEfy WORLD awesome voice actor and does one of the best Paul McCartney imi- tations I've ever heard. He read some lines as Paul and cracked everybody up. At one point, all the actors read Raphael as celebrity-driven. We want you to hear Donatello as Donatello and Christopher Walken. Raphael as Raphael. When you hear Leonardo, you should be aware "Mako did an amazing job as Splinter," Munroe enthuses of the that it's Leonardo, not Tom Cruise doing Leonardo." veteran actor, who died in July 2006. "I was so happy to have him So does this mean that Corey Feldman is out of luck? "That's voicing Master Splinter. He did some great movies like Tom! Tom!

funny, because Corey was Donatello in the original movies, but I Tom! and Conan the Barbarian. It was nice to sit and talk with him think he would be perfect as Michelangelo. I always felt he was mis- about his work. Splinter does the narration at the film's beginning.

cast," Munroe chuckles. "When we recorded the Turtle actors, I put He says, 'Long ago...' and I smiled when I first heard it, because it's all four of them in the booth together so they could play off each straight out of Conanl" other. That really worked, because they're great improv actors, and Casey Jones—the Turtles' vigilante ally whose primary weapon they brought so much more to it. They added some of their own is a hockey stick—is voiced by Fantastic Four's Chris Evans. material and made the characters their own." "Casey has a pretty big role; he's a solid part of the story," Munroe promises. "Casey and April O'Neil have While Munroe concedes that this is essentially Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV, don't moved on in their relationship, and she's expect to hear Corey Feldman or see Vanilla Ice in this sequel. No Shredder either. trying to get him to quit his vigilante lifestyle. But he can't quit, because he's Casey Jones and that's what he does. He's like a shamed smoker—he sneaks out on her to fight crime at night! Casey waits for April to fall asleep or be distracted, then he picks up his mask and slips out. We've advanced his relationship with April and their overall relationship with the Turtles. Casey and April kiss this time, too, which they didn't do in the live- action films." Fans will be delighted to know that Buffy's Sarah Michelle Gellar is speaking up as April. Although early reports claimed that was involved in this new movie, "He wasn't," Munroe clarifies. "I

don't know how that came out. Even I, as

a fan, was excited when I heard about John Woo, but, sadly, he isn't involved."

As for Munroe himself, his next project is a film version of another cult series, Battle of the Planets. So, does Kevin Munroe have a

favorite Turtle? "Honestly? It changes

every day. Today, my favorite is Raphael.

Simply because I think he's a complex character—he has a really rough exterior but, inside, I love that he does everything for very noble reasons. I adore him because he cares so much!" ^

The Rat Patrol. The four turtles are tutored and trained by their rodent mentor and father figure, Master Splinter (voiced by the late Mako). www.starlog.com STARLOG/%2007 45 Fighting to the finish, director Zack Snyder tells "INC the story of the 300.

By KIM HOWARD JOHNSON & PAT JANKIEWICZ

Not just any director could fight the Spartans and Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae, armed only with a film crew and a CG post-production unit. The real-life, historical confrontation saw 300 Spartans clash with the million men of King Xerxes' Persian army at the Hot Gates in defense of their homeland. The stakes couldn't be higher: the future of democracy in the Western world. The -Lynn Varley graphic novel 300 tells that incredible story, and now director Zack (Dawn of the

Dead remake) Snyder is bringing it to life for the big screen. On a Montreal soundstage, Snyder watches as 40 specially trained actors and stuntmen practice their choreography, with swords, spears and shields flying in all directions. Half of them are dressed in the red capes and helmets of the Spartans, while the others wear the fearsome, shiny masks and black ninja-like robes of Xerxes' Immortal warriors. The walls of the huge stage are covered with blue screen, because virtually all of the backgrounds—along with many of the soldiers—will be added in post-produc- tion using CGI.

He led a legion of the undead in 2004 s Dawn of the Dead remake. Now, director Zack Snyder commands the Spartan force of 300. Since the Spartan story is being told from Dilios' point-of-view, Snyder exaggerated their foes (like the Uber Immortal), making them literally monstrous.

Crimson Blades

has been nine years since Miller's graphic novel was first published by Dark Horse, and it nearly that long to get the comics legend to agree to give up the movie rights. "About four go, I was having a meeting with Gianni Nunnari, one of the producers," recalls Snyder,

had 300 sitting on his desk, and I said, 'You know what would be a cool movie? This

would be a cool movie—if we could do 300.' And then I flipped open the book, and there was Leonidas getting shot with arrows, and I said, 'If you could make that image exact-

ly in a film, that's something I've never seen. That's worth it.' And he replied, 'Yeah,

but Frank doesn't want to give up the rights.' And I said, 'OK, I don't know any- thing about rights.'

"Then Gianni called me a week later and said, 'I talked to Frank. We can do

3001 I don't know how, but we can do it!' I told him, 'Thanks, that's awe-

some!' But it was horrible at the same time, because when I looked at the

book, it's one of those things where at first I thought, 'No script,' like with

the Sin City movie. lust shoot the book the way it is. Why do we need a script? But Hollywood is mind-boggling. I said, 'No script.' And they

went, 'OK, but what's the movie about?' I told them, 'It's this book.'

And they said, 'Yeah, but what's the movie of the book?' 'No, it's

thisV 'What's the movie?' I finally realized, All right, I get it. Unless " it says "Fade In" or "Cut To," it's not a movie.'

Once Snyder convinced Warner Bros, to let him reproduce the

graphic novel (even though, yes, it required a script), he tried to determine how to film the story in a faithful way. After mulling several options, he decided that CGI was the best tool. "My

original concept was to do it City of Lost Children-style, with giant sets and big, painted backdrops," Snyder notes. "But

that got out of control, and it wasn't practical.

"As soon as you go outside, it becomes something else. Frank's drawings aren't about locations, not anything that

I've ever seen. The landscapes are crazy and everything is on a horizon, and that's difficult to do outside. The way that 300 is presented, it's almost a tableau—like that scene where the Persian infantry is being pushed off the cliff.

There's that great profile where everything is in silhouette and they're falling across the sundial. Stuff like that " makes you go, 'OK, we'll never be able to do that!' Even though Miller's Sin City was also filmed with CG backgrounds, Snyder isn't concerned about comparisons.

"Sin City is awesome. If people say, 'It's in the same world as Sin City,' that's not a horrible thing," Snyder remarks.

"But 300 is so stylistically [opposite from] Sin City that,

visually, it's going to be a much different experience. Still, while 300 is a different genre, Frank's Leonidas, Frank's Batman, Frank's Marv [of Sin City] —in many ways—are the same guy. They're straightforward and not very good at politics,

and Leonidas is like that."

STARLOG/Afoy 2007 47 Determined and relentless warriors, the Spartans hit some bumps—and humps—along the way. Their treatment of Ephialtes (Andrew Tiernan) leads the hunchback to betray them.

Snyder mainly dealt with prac- tical FX and prosthetics on Dawn of the Dead, but 300's digital FX haven't been a problem. "I've done lots of effects in the com- mercial world, so I'm not unfamil-

iar with them," he explains. "I'm pretty technically savvy, but in this day and age, everything changes so fast. Dawn of the Dead

was low-tech by design; I didn't want to make a slick movie." the was also Dawn of Dead Depicting a film or a parody. requires a dif- bloody as Hell, with a hip, sarcastic point-of- a cult But 300 brutal conflict, view, and that violence and attitude are on dis- ferent way of thinking. It's so stylized, and 300 doesn't play in 300. "It's funny, because I can't help when I started to actually shoot what Frank skimp on the

but do that. That's in me," Snyder confesses. wrote, I realized how far it is from the deadly "In Dawn, there's a sequence where the char- Hollywood attitude. He has a unique aesthetic consequences acters are on this building rooftop shooting in the way that he renders characters." of the Spartans' celebrity look-a-like zombies. The studio told mission. After me, 'We've got to cut this out of the movie. We Blue Backgrounds all, it's war. shouldn't film it. It's crazy!' I was like, 'Are The director has found blue-screen film- you kidding me? That's gold. That's why making to be a big departure from location we're making the movie. I'm spending an hour lensing. "If you're on location and there's a standing on nothing, but I felt that would be a

and a half so I can get to this!' mountain over there, there's not a lot you can mistake," Snyder reveals. "We built most of

"So I didn't think about it too hard, and I do about it," he states. "But on this, I can say, Sparta as a big practical set, and that's where didn't say, 'I'm going to make sure there's a 'OK, there should be a mountain here.' The we establish the characters. It's easier for them

certain tone.' I hope that there's a little bit of level of design gets really crazy, though, to act in a real setting, because I believe the

that angry irony in this film as well. I like vio- because it involves every single thing—it's not more abstract the environment, the harder it is lence, images—and story. If you squish all of just putting a camera in a beautiful location at for the actors. them together—and if you don't drink too a beautiful time of day. Instead, I'm like, "Also, the more characters there are in a " much of your own Kool-Aid—you can make 'Let's make it a beautiful time of day!' scene, the easier it is. If it's one actor and a something cool. A major challenge with blue-screen tennis ball, it's tough. But if it's an actor and

"In the end, I was happy with the way moviemaking is actor interaction. "We talked 10 other guys, and they're supposed to be on Dawn of the Dead turned out," he continues. "I about going with no sets—having a complete- the edge of a cliff, they can work that out pret-

felt like it was just raw enough without being ly blue-screen environment with the actors ty well. When the actor has to fight an imagi-

"Just stand by this big chunk of blue screen, and I'll film it," says Snyder Ml of the direction he sometimes gave his —

Making his point to the studio was a hard sell. Snyder wanted "to shoot the book

the way it is," and eventually got his way.

Elephants never forget "If you look at the book and you look at the and neither does j movie, you can see Frank's influence," Snyder Dilios. As the lone j survivor of the observes. "It's obvious that the comic [served Battle of I

Thermopylae, it is his as the basis for] the storyboards. When we do j responsibility the sequencing, though, that's a different | to ensure the process. But the shots as they're rendered are legend of the straight out of the graphic novel: The Persians 300 lives on. getting pushed off the cliff, the rain of arrows and on and on—you can just flip through the graphic novel. What I'm trying to do is go,

'Here's Frank's book.' I snake through the

book to find that moment in time: 'Here it is! There's that frame. That's the moment.' The

drawback is the linear aspect of film that takes you from moment to moment. In order to get

to the next frame that Frank created, I need to have people talk and walk over there. That's the boring part!" The film tells the Battle of Thermopylae nary beast on his own, or relate to an imagi- tain pass on Mulholland Drive or up by through the eyes of Dilios (David Wenham), nary thing, that's when it gets crazy hard. But Vasquez Rocks, but this way is more like the the lone Spartan survivor. "If the movie takes having an ensemble cast helps keep everybody drawings themselves. place from Dilios' point-of-view, then that grounded, and all of the actors have done a "It has been hard on the visual effects peo- allows the audience to make the jump. They j great job. They feel like the movie is special, pie, because I'm asking them to stretch them- don't have to say, 'OK, we're going to Frank and because I've only made two films, of selves into another world. Grant Freckelton, Miller World,' " notes Snyder. "I personally ] course it's special to me! I guess if you work a our visual effects art director, had to create have no problem with that, but I gave them a lot, it's different. It's exciting to have a pair!" style guides, which are these really cool books little out by having it be a story that's being Blue screen is the best method for replicat- that say, 'This is what a rock looks like. This told. Dilios knows how not to wreck a good ing the graphic novel's stylized look. "Every is the sky.' Many of the skies in this movie are story with the truth when it doesn't hurt. If frame is like a painting," says Snyder. "We felt coffee stains. He pours coffee on a piece of he's telling you a story about what happened j that the only way to respect 300 and do it jus- paper and that's a layer." to his boys, and he's talking about an elephant, tice was to make sure that we weren't [faking As with Sin City, Miller's artwork is and you've never seen an elephant before, that it]. can imagine us in You some dusty moun- being—for the most part—faithfully followed. I elephant is going to be crazy, like Frank's www.starlog.com STARLOG/AfayW 49 "

has cracked it yet.

"There are elements that I really KEEPING WATCH like, but one of my favorite lines in the novel—and I'll write it into the

Watchmen, the classic revisionist superhero tale by Alan Moore screenplay if those guys can't figure

and Dave Gibbons, is the gold standard of graphic novels.Who it out, because I need this in the would dare film the complex, brooding exploits of the towering Doctor movie—is where the scientist says,

Manhattan, the scheming Ozymandias and the maddening Rorschach? 'I never said that Superman was real

Especially after such filmmakers as and Darren and he was American. What I said

Aronofsky tried and failed to get it made? Especially now, when Moore was God was real and he's

has declared a jihad against all things Hollywood? American.' That is awesome, hilari-

The answer is Zack Snyder, who is confident that he can bring ous and true to the book. That's

the big, blue Doctor Manhattan to the screen. "Are you kidding?" he what the whole story is about—that

smiles. "I love Doctor Manhattan!" religious irony."

Of course, considering its past history, Snyder is a little nervous Snyder and his project probably

about finally filming Watchmen. "I'm scared of it!" he laughs. won't have Watchmen co-creator

What's next for Snyder? or blessing. "I "Honestly, though, Watchmen is so cool that whenever I get Moore's support He's going to watch over bummed out about the script, making it into a movie and what every- know I won't," he shrugs. "It was a the Watchmen. The completely different experience with one thinks, I just open the book, look at it and go, 'OK, this is going director hopes to succeed to be awesome. Don't freak yourself out!' Frank Miller. With Watchmen and where others haven't Alan, a million people have tried to "And for all the guys who say, 'Don't make it into a film,' I have to and bring this epic to the

the I don't think I make movie, and admit that some days wake up and /'mthat guy. On the other hand, big screen. believes there's any way it can I honestly believe that you're never going to get all of the graphic Alan

still novel into the movie. But if you can make the experience of the film work. I read that he said the Hayter draft wasn't bad, but he

similar to the experience of the book, viewers will say, 'I want more. wouldn't see the movie. I guess that's positive.

I'm going to read the whole book and get every ounce out of it.' "My feeling is that all I can do is love Watchmen and try the best

X-Men screenwriter penned the previous Watchmen I can. So on the off-chance that Alan is at home some Saturday night

draft. Will Snyder be using that script? "A lot of it," the director and the movie happens to fall into his DVD player, he might think,

replies. "Since I've been involved with Watchmen, [screenwriter] Alex 'Oh, that doesn't suck.' That's really what motivates me," Zack Tse came on. The Hayter script still exists, but while Alex and Snyder grins. "Also, / don't want it to be crap, so there's— that!" Hayter's takes are both versions of Watchmen, they're not It. No one Pat Janklewicz

scale of those kinds of things. That made sense how it works: You get the same list. Mark Twight, who runs a gym, did the physi- to me, it allowed all of the narrative to be in "It's weird, because if someone isn't on the cal training with the stuntmen and actors. voiceover and it's beautiful." list, they say, 'Who's that?' But I really love "That training is different from classic Gerry in the film. He has a big following, but bodybuilding; it's half mental. Mark puts you Grey Skulls to the general world, he's going to be Leonidas on these little journeys of pain that are Miller has trusted Snyder & co. to make when they see him. That will help people get designed to test your will. The workouts are their own film, and while he's available for into the movie, because 300 already has a short, sometimes 18 minutes, but he always consultation, his involvement has been mini- bombastic visual style that keeps you out. This says, 'You were in your pain cave for 18 min- mal. "I met with him before I started writing is the cast that I wanted, and Warner Bros, was utes. I saw that you were on some kind of a the script, and we talked about what I was amazing because they said, 'You know what? journey. That's good.' And then they do four or " going to do," says Snyder. "Then I wrote the These guys work, so let's try it.' five hours of sword training. They work out screenplay and sent it to him. Frank has been Phantom of the Opera's Butler was an easy with Mark, then they go fight with swords and pretty cool about it—as long as I'm clear choice for the lead role of Spartan King then they train with Mark again. I'll go in there about why I'm making changes, most of Leonidas. "Gerry was cast pretty early on; we and see them and say, 'You guys are com- which are expansions. Almost everything narrowed in on him," says Snyder. "I went to plaining? You're getting paid to work out and " that's in the book is in the movie, except for have coffee with him, and he was like a mad- swordfight all day. That's ridiculous!' the Queen Gorgo plotline that I added. Frank man. He stood up and was ranting around the But even though things are going swim- was like, 'Maybe people will like to see some- table, making faces, looking at people—I was mingly at the Hot Gates, by no means is 300 thing other than a bunch of guys killing each like, 'OK, this guy gets it!' He told me, an easy production. Snyder battles daily other. That might be cool.' 'Spartans don't walk around posing like bad- against expiring time. "The biggest challenge

"Frank has this fantastic shorthand. He has asses and tough guys. They just are. They're is the schedule, because there's so much to do. this genius of knowing just how much infor- scary!' [And I agree], because as soon as you You think it's impossible," he relates with a mation to give you, and he will expand an area try to act tough, it becomes a parody. Gerry weary smile. "What always amazes me about where you would never think he would take said, 'I would rather act crazy.' And I thought, movies is that people never imagine that their the time. That's what is great about him, and in 'Good. That fits.' It goes back to what I said favorite scene was shot in the morning on a the movie, I have to give you those moments. about Marv, Batman and those guys: they're day when they had other stuff to do. People When I'm fleshing things out, I'm really try- Frank's versions of an uncompromising hero assume they must have thought and talked ing to sketch out the moment before, so that it who is rather dark, and that's Leonidas. He's about it a lot. But in reality, it was, 'Let's film can work in a narrative that's supposedly really not that nice—I don't think you would that sequence, then we have to eat lunch and sequential." want to hang around with him!" do this other scene, because that guy has to 300 stars Gerard Butler and a cast of most- The 300 actors participated in a lengthy leave tomorrow.' ly unknowns. Did the studio pressure Snyder Spartan boot camp, learning the movements "The logistics of filmmaking are interest- to make the film an all-star epic like Troyl "I and fighting techniques of 480 B.C., before ing, in the sense that it seems abstract," Zack would be lying if I said when we first started shooting the battle scenes. "They started train- Snyder offers. "To me, it's about the manage- casting the movie—like any movie—we did ing eight weeks prior to coming out here, and ment and not being able to say, 'Let's keep not talk about, 'OK, Brad Pitt is gonna be then they did another four weeks with the doing this forever and not stop until it's per-

Leonidas, Matt Damon is Captain and Kate stuntmen," Snyder explains. "The actors need- fect.' That's the hardest part. But physically, " Beckinsale is Gorgo,' he admits. "You know ed to learn the choreography, and my friend it's fun, and the fighting is awesome!" ^

50 STARLOG/Woy 2007 www.starlog.com Explore 30 Years of

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AnnaSophia Robb is fast becoming an miracle debunker, and she's trying to find a creepy, but the locusts became my friends. It in-demand actress, not to mention a scientific explanation for why these things wasn't like the locusts were going to hurt genre regular. The 13-year-old, who are happening. I'm a little backwoods girl, me—unless I was a giant piece of lettuce!" hails from Denver, already has a dozen cred- and all the townspeople are blaming the Even when things got creepy, Robb did its to her name, and she only dived into the plagues on me. So I pop in and out of the not worry. Everyone on the set in New business in 2004. She elicited tears in film—I'm kind of a scary character." Orleans, she notes, was protective of her Because of Winn-Dixie, snapped her gum Scary? Everyone in rural, deeply reli- from Swank to the grips to director Stephen with attitude as Violet Beauregarde in gious Haven wants Loren dead, including (Lost in Space) Hopkins. "Hilary was won- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, stars in her own mother. Scary? Have you seen the derful," Robb says. "She was very encourag- the family drama-fantasy Bridge to trailer or production photos, which include ing, and she helped me with some of the Terabithia and has completed work on two images of Robb covered with snakes, flies film's dark moments. Hilary is really fun and

upcoming genre films: the supernatural and locusts? "I trained with the locusts," she funny. We all had a great time. Stephen is thriller The Reaping, which bows April 6, explains. "They collected all these locusts on amazing, always laughs and gives good and the SF-action film Jumper, due out in the side of the road, because they only live direction. He's also extremely positive, 2008. for about two weeks. [The insect wranglers] intense and super-fun to be around. The crew "The Reaping is about a small town that had this huge cage for the locusts, and they was fantastic, too. It was really a blast. And thinks it's experiencing the 10 Biblical pla- would take a couple of them out at a time getting to be dirty every day was fun." gues," says Robb, who plays Loren opposite and throw them at me. The locusts would Oscar-winner Hilary Swank as Katherine land on me, and I wasn't supposed to flinch. Imaginary worlds Winter. "Hilary's character comes to the They crawled on my hair, up my face, down Then there's Bridge to Terabithia, based town, and she disproves miracles. She's a my shoulder, everywhere. It was a little on the award-winning novel by Katherine www.starlog.com STARLOG/%2007 53 —

xv road trip together around New Zealand for a Paterson. Robb plays Leslie Burke, a sweet, It wasn't like the energetic and vibrant young girl who's the long weekend. It was so much fun, and we new kid in town and instantly an outsider at locusts were going to really got to know and feel comfortable school. Though she initially clashes with around each other. It was a good way to kick Jesse (Zathura's Josh Hutcherson), a boy in hurt me—unless off the film." her class and her neighbor, the two quickly I was a giant piece Like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Bridge become friends. Eventually, Leslie and Jesse to Terabithia went before the camera in New create their own imaginary world in the of lettuce!" Zealand, primarily in a studio and on loca- nearby woods, using a rope to propel them tion in Auckland. Much of Terabithia—the across a creek and into the magical realm of castles and creatures—was created via CGI. Terabithia. There, in a fantasy land of giant that's my job.' That's what I do: I pretend So it was a different experience for Robb

trolls, castles and creatures called squogres, and try to make things real, like little kids than Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Leslie and Jesse rule as King and Queen. But do." which was mostly shot on extensive sound- there's trouble and heartbreak a-brewing in It helped that most of her scenes paired stage sets with practical FX. both Terabithia and the real world. her with Hutcherson. The two spent some "Everything felt quite real on Terabithia, "Leslie and Jesse's relationship was the time before shooting started to get familiar because we were filming in forests all the most interesting thing to me," explains with one another—and that paid off in their time," she says. "Weta did the special Robb, who sat down with the book after on-screen chemistry. "We hung out a ton on effects, and the Weta man—I guess that's reading the screenplay. "I know that some the movie," Robb enthuses. "We got along what you call him—would show us on his people were worried that we weren't going really well. It also helped that we lived about laptop how they wanted the effects to play to integrate that into the story, and I'm real- a two-minute walk away from each other. At out. They had computer-generated motions ly happy that turned out so well. The rela- the production's beginning, my Mom, my of what Jesse, Leslie and the squogres were tionship between them in the film is much Dad, Josh, his mother Michelle and I took a supposed to do. They also had little models

like what it is in the book. The movie en- Blowing bubbles as the In Charlie and the hances the story, and they've made it more gum-chewing Violet Chocolate Factory, 'nowadays' and not so '60s. I can see that Beauregarde, AnnaSophia the eye candy being a good thing and a bad thing. I per- Robb learned that life Isn't around the kids isn't sonally loved it, because I had the coolest so sweet at Willy Wonka's as scrumptious I wearing it wardrobe ever, and enjoyed chocolate factory. as it seems. every day. It was so exciting. I couldn't wait to take off my old clothes and put on Leslie's." Although she adored Leslie as a charac-

ter, Robb found her hard to play for a rather surprising reason. "What was challenging about playing Leslie was that she had to be really bubbly, happy and energetic all the

time, and it kind of wore me out," Robb remarks. "I didn't want her to be over-the- top happy, like some cartoon. I wanted her to

be real. It was easy doing the imagination

parts, but sometimes it was a little embar-

rassing. I was 12 years old, and there was a

whole crew around, and 12 is when kids usu- ally want to act older than they are. So I just had to let go of that and say, 'You know what? I'm OK with pretending, because

Even though she stars Two outsiders—Leslie

in it, The Reaping is an (Robb) and Jesse R-rated movie. "My Mom (Josh Hutcherson) and Dad are going to let escape unpleasant me watch it," Robb realities by creating a

grins. "I'm 13 now. I Bridge to Terabithia, a can't wait to see it!" magical fantasy world.

54 STARLOG/Atoy 2007 IMP of the squogres. That was a bit of a chal- Gabor always got his point across. I love his Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, lenge, because it felt a little goofy doing accent. He can speak English, but he choos- Jamie Bell and Rachel Bilson. The story some of these things—when I had to react to es his words very carefully. So it was clear centers on a young man (Christensen) who a stuffed animal or nothing at all. But it was direction, and I think he did a fantastic job." uses his teleportation ability to hunt down also really fun, because I got to pretend and Speaking of directors, Robb also holds a the man he believes killed his mother. Robb test my imagination." high opinion of her Charlie and the plays the younger version of Bilson's char- Chocolate Factory helmer. "I loved working acter.

Worldly imaginings with Tim Burton!" she exclaims. "He knows "I'm not in that much of the movie, but it Robb caught a rough-cut screening of exactly what he wants, and he's easygoing was a nice little role," she comments. "I'm Bridge to Terabithia —one without all the when he gives direction. Tim likes to pace; looking forward to watching it. It's a big visual FX—and it still reduced her to tears. he never stands still. His work is so brilliant, production. They filmed in Greece, Japan, She thinks the finished film will be "won- original and playful. He brings out the best England and Canada, and they're re-creating

derful," and for that she credits director in his productions because he makes every- the Sahara Desert! I walked around some of Gabor Csupo. Csupo, a Hungarian, is best one feel like they're doing a great job. All the the sets, and they're just amazing."

known as the creator-writer-producer of directors I've worked with have been won- Not content to sit idle for long, Robb has Rugrats and The Wild Thornberries—both derful people. Tim certainly is the most completed several other non-genre films. the animated shows and the feature films. eccentric, with his crazy hair, big glasses and She and Cayden (X-Men: The Last Stand) Terabithia is his first live-action effort. black wardrobe! And I loved the movie. It's Boyd star in A West Texas Children's Story, "He was great," Robb raves. "He was so very close to what Roald Dahl envisioned." a period piece and coming-of-age tale that kind and wonderful. There were also good Her other upcoming genre film, Jumper, casts them as 12-year-olds who embark on producers to help Gabor along whenever he is based on the popular Steven Gould novel. an adventure to find better parents. Ferris had a question, and they didn't get in his Directed by Doug Liman from a screenplay Wheel is another drama, with Robb as a girl space. It worked out extremely well, and co-written by David Goyer, it also stars abandoned by her mother (Charlize Theron).

Because of Winn-Dixie, Robb got to act in her first feature. The family film shows that a dog can be a girl's best friend, too.

OK with pretending, because that's my job."

And in Doubting Thomas, she's the best friend of a boy (Forrest Landis) who lies so often that no one believes him when he over- hears a conversation about a plot to kidnap the President's daughter. Looking to the future, Robb would like to try a genre missing from her resume: come- dy. The closest she came was one of her very first credits, a guest spot on the sitcom Drake & Josh. "That would be fun," she says. "I'm open to lots of things—anything that's worthwhile and has a good story. I like to do things that might change people or be impor-

tant to them. I think comedies are important, too, because they make people happy and Branching out into different roles and genres, Robb will be seen in the period piece A laugh. And I've never been in one, so hope- West Texas Children's Story and the SF-thriller Jumper. fully I'll do one soon!" www.starlog.com STARLOG/%2007 55 Henry Kuttner & C.L. Moore's classic 1943 tale "Mimsy Were the Borogoves" finally goes Hollywood.

crystal lay partly in the water, shin- Quickly, yes—quite unlike the time it Theing in the sun. It was a toy; Scott sensed took to develop a final screenplay for The that, with the unerring instinct of a Last Mimzy, director Robert Shaye's adapta- child. But he didn't pick it up immediately. tion of the classic short story "Mimsy Were their pseudonym "Lewis Padgett"—the Instead, he returned to the box and investi- the Borogoves" excerpted at left. Optioned name the married couple used on stories that gated its remaining contents. by Shaye's New Line Cinema some 15 years were more strongly Kuttner's. He found some really remarkable gad- ago, the story was written by 1940s-era SF Their tale about a box of futuristic toys gets. The afternoon passed all too quickly... icons Henry Kuttner and C.L. Moore under that teach two children how to transport themselves to another place in the space- time continuum remains one of the duo's most memorable works. It was first pub- lished in a 1943 issue of Astounding maga- zine and later collected in various antholo- gies, including The Best of Henry Kuttner (1975). Now, it's playing in movie the- aters—albeit significantly changed—as The Last Mimzy, with Bruce Joel {Deep Impact) Rubin and Toby {Frequency) Emmerich sharing screenplay credit. Emmerich is also the head of production at New Line. "They're really different animals," Emmerich says in comparing the original story to the film, which stars Chris O'Neil and Rhiannon Leigh Wryn as 10-year-old Noah and five-year-old Emma. Joely Richardson and Timothy Hutton play their parents. "It's not like Jurassic Park or Lord of the Rings, where the adaptations were very close to the stories and characters. short story like 'Mimsy' Emma and Noah's dad (Timothy Hutton) is too old to be receptive to the "conditioning" When you take a effect that allows the kids to communicate with the futuristic playthings. and try to make it into a 90-minute movie,

56 STARLOG/Afoy 2007 short story at this point that it's hard to relate ful—in her own way. "Noah helps her, but the film to that piece," admits Rubin. "In our she's the one who gets the message and

adaptation, Emma is a gifted child. She knows what to do," Rubin relates. "Emma is plays violin at age five. Her brother—whose the only one to whom Mimzy speaks." name we changed to Noah—has had some problems at school. He isn't all that bright, Thinking of Toys and he suffers under the family's focus on The writer maintains that the Carroll ele-

his sister. Once they find the toys, though, ment which is so important to the original

Noah starts to become singularly intelligent. short story still crops up in the movie, but in Strange skills begin to emerge. One of the a different manner. "There's a good deal of toys is a kind of shell that allows you to lis- Alice in Wonderland in this," Rubin says. ten to the universe, so you can hear sounds "There's a sense that the toys were sent back

that others don't. And one of these is the into many time zones, and that Alice is only sound of spiders in a web. one of the people who received a Mimzy

"When Noah starts to imitate, in his own doll. She just didn't know what to do with it. voice, the sounds he's hearing in the sea The box of toys includes these things called shell, the spiders respond. When he realizes spinners, which create a kind of time-warp he can get the spiders to move in specific space in the room. At one point, Emma looks

directions, he makes them build something at that and sees into the future. The idea is like a huge bridge. He uses this for his sci- that Alice probably was always able to do ence project at school, which gives rise to some of that, and that's where the Looking some very strange concerns that he and his Glass came from." sister are part of an operation to build a If only the filmmakers had had such a bridge across the universe so that an alien device when New Line acquired "Mimsy

force can come through. But what they're Were the Borogoves" many years ago. It really doing is building the beginning of a might have helped them accelerate the

In The Last Mimzy, Noah (Chris O'Neil) and Emma (Rhiannon Leigh Wryn) uncover the startling nature of their new toys.

there's a lot of invention on the part of the filmmakers." Both versions posit that humans of the future are "conditioned" to non-Euclidean mathematics, in which two plus two need not equal four. And both suggest that the younger you are, the more receptive you are to the toys' "conditioning" effect. That's

why Emma, who is only two in the original story, becomes the key to events in both ver- sions. Beyond those notions, however, the 1943 tale and the motion picture adaptation are Tired of Office work, Rainn Wilson accepted a teaching position in Mimzy, different in myriad ways. In the movie, for playing elementary school science teacher Mr. White. instance, the "last Mimzy" of the title refers

to a stuffed toy rabbit, one of the futuristic wormhole that will send Mimzy back to the movie's lengthy development process. "I playthings that the kids find. Mimzy com- future." read the short story when Bob first optioned

municates with Emma and enlists the chil- The shell is somewhat similar to one of it, before he even hired a writer," offers dren's to help complete an important mis- the toys in the original story—a transparent Emmerich. "I thought it was cool, but it sion. By contrast, there isn't any dire crystal block containing miniature figures ended with the kids disappearing into the mission in "Mimsy Were the Borogoves," who obey the boy's thoughts. "Yes, that future, which was going to be a tough way to whose title comes from Lewis Carroll's device was in the script for a long time," end the movie. So we had to deal with that, "Jabberwocky" (the poem of nonsense verse Rubin reveals. "It became superfluous. Now, and we had to answer questions about what found in Carroll's Through the Looking it's a crystal that gives him a new impact on is happening in the future. What are the Class). There isn't even a stuffed rabbit in the world. He can focus on an object and stakes? Why are the children playing with the original Padgett story. Instead, the toys send it through a very small wormhole. the toys? That has all been re-imagined by train seven-year-old Scott and two-year-old That's how he makes a golf ball go 300 Bob and his collaborators." Emma to think in such a way that they find yards, and that's how he makes a soda can go Chief among those collaborators was instructions to enter another reality in a from a bench to another place across the Rubin, who recalls being contacted by verse from Carroll's poem. room." Shaye about the project as far back as the "So little of the movie is based on the Emma, meanwhile, is even more power- early '90s. "Bob is a friend, and he sent me www.starlog.com STARLOG/AfoyW 57 Adapted from the short story "Mimsy Were the Borogoves," The Last Mimzy took 15 years to reach the screen, but screenwriters Bruce Joel Rubin and Toby Emmerich feel they finally got it right.

the original short story and asked if I wanted the drafts and giving his studio boss Shaye like? Why would they appear? The only to make it into a movie," Rubin explains. "I notes. "Bob liked my notes and asked me to thing I could relate it to was the Tibetan read it, and when I came to the end, it do some writing on it," Emmerich says. Buddhist practice of recognizing reincarnat- seemed there was no ending. Basically, the "Most of the work I did on Mimzy was ed Lamas, including the Dalai Lama," Rubin kids go to the future, and that's that! The between 1996 and 1999. Bob and I both says. "[Tibetans] put a child, a supposed piece seemed very antiquated, and it didn't thought it was a compelling idea about two reincarnate, in a room with toys from the appeal to me. Not only was I frustrated by it, pre-teen kids whose minds are still mal- child's previous lifetime, and they mix those but I didn't have any ideas how to adapt it." leable, and who still possess incredible toys up with new toys. If the child gravitates Shaye turned to other writers (including potential. It's really like science 'faction,' toward his old toys from the previous life,

Jim Hart and Carol Skilken, who share because it isn't that far-fetched. The toys you that's considered a major sign that he's a screen story credit on the film), but the direc- play with and the things you do influence the reincarnation of that same being. tor ultimately came back to Rubin, this time shape of your neural network. So, these toys "That led me to the idea that somebody with a script in hand. "He asked if I could do from the future have the ability to tap into sent toys from the future to somebody [in the something with it," Rubin recalls. "I read it, the kids' neurology and enhance their brain present] who was prepared to receive them and again, the ending wasn't satisfying. It power." for some larger mission. Perhaps something went in a direction that I would call 'medical According to Rubin, Emmerich's version in the future has been lost, something I drama.' I just wasn't interested in doing that. of the script "warmed up the characters, but called spirituality. Perhaps things weren't

I don't like [stories about] kids who are sick the story still went in the medical direction. going well for the future Earth. [My con- in hospitals. So I turned it down again." Toby's draft did include some things that I cept] became a very big, epic scenario, and I Emmerich, meanwhile, had been reading found really interesting, and some of them presented it to Bob. He loved the idea, so I remain in the movie. One of these is the golf began, at that point, an eight-year process of

scene, where Noah is playing with his father. writing Mimzy based on these epic terms." And things happened with the children that By the end of that eight-year span, the affected their mental capacity, intelligence exigencies of Hollywood filmmaking and and also their ability to function in the Shaye's own vision for the movie pared the world. final result down to something more inti- "Toby put these little incidents in the mate. "I wrote one script after another after script—like Noah was suddenly able to hit a another, and we kept cutting the Buddhist ball a great distance, with help from this lit- material down," Rubin relates. "Finally, Bob

tle crystal thing he had. He became, in one said, T don't want Buddhism saving the version of the script, a better basketball play- world.' And the big question of what would

er, which had a big impact on his relation- be transmitted [to the future], and how it ship with the other kids. And Emma, who works, still troubled us. was afraid of water, now could swim and "In that early stage, I had Emma actually stay under water for long periods of time. going to the future as an emissary, if you There were many interesting things going will, of human spiritual light. In the end, on." Bob found that to be distasteful, because it

Still, Shaye wanted Rubin to get in- was so disruptive to Emma and her family. Noah's "Spidey Sense" kicks in when he I her back as an older woman. finds a shell that lets him listen to the volved, and the reluctant writer finally So had come universe. He then employs arachnids to jumped in. "I started thinking about the Then, in another draft, I had her come back build a bridge to the future. details: What would toys from the future be minutes later, even though she had been

58 STARLOG/Woy 2007 www.starlog.com gone for years, deep in the future. Bob kept human beings, we're all connected to a larg- end, really is Bob Shaye's vision."

eliminating all that. And then the film er spectrum of being." These days, Rubin is writing another seemed to be dead in the water. We just In the end, The Last Mimzy is as much a genre film adaptation, The Time Traveler's couldn 't figure it out." product of Shaye's vision as Rubin's or any- Wife—an SF-romance based on the novel by body else's. "Bob knew this movie in some Audrey Niffenegger. "It's going to be a won- Tinkering with Toys intuitive sense from the very beginning," derful movie," he smiles.

Scott was learning fast. What he saw now Rubin remarks. "He wasn't always able to The Last Mimzy is still very much on his in the crystal cube had little relationship to articulate that, which was frustrating, but we mind, though. "We showed it at Sundance, the original simple problems. But they were saw it emerge when he was directing. He and there was a question-and-answer period fascinatingly technical. Had Scott realized was going for something right from the at the end," Rubin remarks. "A man stood up that his education— was being guided and beginning. My original conception for and said, 'You guys have made one of the supervised though merely mechanically— Mimzy would have been a much bigger epic greatest science fiction films of all time.' I he would probably have lost interest. As it than it finally became, but the core ideas are don't think we had considered that, but he

was, his initiative was never quashed. still very much in place. That epic film was believed it, and I think other people will, too. Nor was that of the Mimzy filmmakers. not the movie Bob saw in his mind. He had "This is an optimistic movie about the They continued to tinker with the story until a smaller, more intimate vision of the movie, survival of the human race," Bruce Joel they found a way to make it work for all and he pulled that off. Rubin comments. "There's a line at the end

involved. Rubin recalls that executive pro- "I love the final cut; it's everything I about how Emma is the mother of us all. Her

ducer Michael (Close Encounters of the wrote," Rubin adds. "I spent eight years of genes become the salvation of humanity. It's Third Kind) Phillips came up with the key. my life working on this thing. Who else a really charming film, with lots of wonder WARNING TO READERS: SPOILER spent eight years on this project? Nobody. in it—that kind of mouth-open wonder that ALERT. "Michael said, 'Why does the little Michael Phillips was with it all that time, but you don't get from films very often." girl have to go to the future? Maybe it's just he wasn't in the room, pounding out page The random factor had made sense to the her genes that go to the future, and maybe after page after page. Nor was Bob. Still, the children. They had fulfilled the conditions of the genes are put into Mimzy, the rabbit movie benefits from Bob's direction. It is the time-span equation. And the mome doll.' That decision was very important to very well-made, and The Last Mimzy, in the rathes outgrabe... ^ the storytelling," Rubin attests. "I also had the notion that not only were the toys train- ing the kids, but the toys were also the very mechanism that would allow them to return to the future. In other words, the toys became a generator. "We ended up with the notion that [future humans need] pure genetic material from the present, before the onset of greater human corruption. As a race, we're breathing air that is less and less clean, we're going to start consuming genetically manipulated

foods, and all of this stuff is going to have a negative impact on the future. So, when

Emma is brought to tears as she's about to lose Mimzy, her tears fall into the doll and are absorbed into a system that's in place to store that genetic material. Mimzy transports

it to the future, saving humanity." While the original story was certainly about children, it wasn't necessarily written for them. The Last Mimzy, on the other hand, seems particularly well-suited for younger audiences. "As this picture is today, it is a family film, kind of like E.T.," Rubin observes. "It has sweetness and charm, plus lots of wonder, tension and curiosity. Audiences truly don't know what's going on. The way the film plays out, you don't know how or why any of this is happening. It's a slow reveal." The Last Mimzy's New Age feel and imperiled-humanity theme place it rather comfortably alongside Rubin's other screen- plays, including Ghost and Jacob's Ladder (which he discussed in STARLOG #161). "Every one of my movies satisfies a spiritu- al and metaphysical urge that I have as a writer," he notes. "Mimzy taps right into that. Each film that I've done has a desire to speak to people about the larger contextual issues of the human experience. That includes the idea that we exist before we come into this world, and that the worlds of the natural and the supernatural aren't that far apart. As

STARLOG/Afoy 2007 59 — '

Renee Zellweger reveals the I

1 secret life of Beatrix Potter.

1 ,

The Tale of Peter Rabbit. That's the first story that Beatrix Potter (Renee Zellweger) got published, establishing her as a beloved children's author.

was born in 1866 and led a privileged existence in a British suburb. As a child, she developed a talent for drawing and painting, as well as an appreciation for nature. She eventually put those talents to use, creating greeting

cards and book illustrations, but it was a letter-story about a rabbit named Peter that paved the way for the creation of her first book, The wtss Tale of Peter Rabbit. Publisher after publisher reject- Potter's work, but her luck Peter Rabbit ed changed when Frederick Warne & Co.—which had earlier turned her down—reconsidered. The com- TOT pany's two main partners never for an instant thought Potter's book would sell; they signed her as a means of keeping their younger By IAN SPELLING black-sheep brother, Norman Warne, busy. Potter and the soft-spo- ken, detail-oriented Warne hit if off and, of course, The Tale of Peter In, late proved to be a fantasy bestseller. Call it the Hollywood version of a paperback. Rabbit December, the Weinstein Company released a charming lit- Miss Potter examines all the familiar and public facts, but also tle film called Miss Potter. A biopic starring Renee sheds some light on Potter the person. Despite her mother's (Barbara Zellweger as the eccentric British children's book writer Beatrix Flynn) best efforts to marry her off, Potter spurned suitors, prefer-

Potter, it got lost in a crowded marketplace and grossed barely ring instead to stay at home, paint, write and confer with her closest enough money to cover the craft services on a Harry Potter picture. friends: her real-life pets and paper-bound creations. After a pro- Now, however, the Weinstein Company is giving Miss Potter a rare tracted courtship, Potter and Warne (Ewan McGregor) fell in love, second shot. Rather than rushing the film onto DVD, they're re- but he died of leukemia before they could marry. She retreated to the releasing it in theaters this month in the hope that audiences will British countryside and, over time, bought up many of the area's embrace an overlooked gem. farms, thus forever protecting the pristine land from development. Directed by Chris Noonan—helming his first film since Babe Potter ultimately married and lived happily in the Lake District until more than 1 1 years ago Miss Potter follows its title character, who her death in 1943.

60 STARLOG/Moy 2007 www.starlog.com "I knew absolutely nothing about the woman," nity to learn how to collaborate creatively in a dif- admits Zellweger, who also knew little about ferent way and participate on a more substantial Potter's books, as her mother had only read level. Instead of just meddling and having opin-

Zellweger and her brother a few of the author's ions, it made it legal to have opinions and med- stories. 23 "As far as my perceptions about dle. Chris, the producers and I discussed things Beatrix, I imagined that she had a rich imagina- that I wouldn't usually participate in, in terms of

tion, because she had such an isolated adoles- the meetings and making decisions. I usually

cence and had to live within the rigid parameters have an opinion about things, and sometimes I'll

set by her mother—in terms of expectations that throw it out there, invited or not. I can't help didn't interest her or didn't come myself. But in this case, we got together, sat on naturally to her. That was my many couches and spent many late hours in many perception, anyhow: that she hotels in different parts of the UK, trying to solve needed her [storybook] charac- Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle these problems. I enjoyed it very, very much." ters as a creative outlet." Zellweger's clout carried over into the casting. Once she received the script, She and McGregor became friends while making Zellweger—who won an Oscar the '60s-style romantic comedy Down With Love,

for Cold Mountain and counts and all it took was a phone call to bring him on among her credits Jerry Ma- *' board for Miss Potter. Both actors welcomed the 4 3> guire, Chicago and The Whole idea of playing a whole other kind of relationship. Wide World (the story of Conan "It was hilarious, because you're working in a dif- creator Robert E. Howard)—pur- ferent way when you're doing stylized work like sued the project with zeal. She that," Zellweger says of Down With Love. "We were signed on not just to star, but also looking for some other things to do together, and

to co-executive produce. And in then I read this script. Chris and I had been dis-

those capacities, she weighed in ' 1 !*' cussing our wish list of people and, right away, r- . on one of the movie's more com- there was no question in my mind. Jemima Puddle-duck plicated elements: When Potter "My plan was to shamelessly beg and talks to the creatures in her draw- grovel to get these people—one [Emily ings, they're alive—silent, but alive. At one time, the rabbit, ducks Watson, who plays Warne's sister and and other animals were to be realized using 3-D CGI and voiceover Potter's confidante, Millie] having just had actors, but a lengthy search resulted in the participation of Alyson a baby and not wanting to leave the house, () Hamilton, a traditional eel animator and the other [McGregor], who's perpetual- and Potter devotee who took a subtle, naturalistic approach to ren- ly booked no matter what because he's on

dering Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-duck and Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle. everyone else's wish list, too. When I read "That's where it all started," Zellweger explains. "My friend- that scene where Beatrix and Norman are ship with Chris Noonan began over a conversation in a hotel alone in her room for the first time, there's lobby in Santa Monica about that very thing [the animation]. I «s so much subtext, so much meaning was curious about it, having read the script, because I didn't <£J compacted into the tiniest little gesture, believe in how it was being conceptualized on the page at the and I knew that Ewan would under- time. I was afraid of it. I thought it was gimmicky and kind of silly, stand the delicate nature and vulnera- and I wanted to hear what Chris' feelings about it were, and then so bility necessary for that. He has a gift The Mouse Tailor many other questions came up, and I could tell that there was so for communicating those things hon-

much to discuss. estly. It was just such an enchanting

"I thought executive-producing would be an interesting opportu- moment in my mind, and so it had to be him. I talked to Chris, and

Chris said, 'Oh, yes. Of course it has to be him.' That's when the begging began. And luckily, Ewan came to play." One possible reason why Miss

Potter didn't click during its ini-

tial theatrical release is the

misperception that it's merely a chick flick. Zellweger—who also stars in the horror-thriller Case 39 and animated Bee Movie this year—staunchly argues against that label. "It's far more complex than that," she insists. "The film isn't meant to be female entertain-

ment. It's an important, beau-

tiful story, and I haven't met a

guy yet who has seen it didn't and Squirrel Nutkin connect to it, or didn't cry. It's just real.

"Miss Potter is a human story, the most powerful kind of story, and it takes advantage of the impact this medium can have in terms of moving a person," Renee Zellweger offers. "It makes you self- Publisher Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor) and Potter got Down aware, recognize something different, question things and learn and With Love during their close and collaborative working grow as a person. So I don't think it's a chick flick. That underesti- relationship. It continues in Miss Potter (now in theaters). mates it in a terrible way."

STARLOG/Afoy 2007 61 By TOM WEAVER

Paving the way for female genre screenwriters, Pat Fielder faced monster challenges.

Indie production companies crowded People and Owen Marshall, Counselor at the exploitation movie world in the late Law, both earning her award nominations 1950s, and in the SF/liorror vein, one from the Writers Guild of America), med- of the best of the bunch was Levy-Gardner- ical shows like Dr. Kildare, the crime Laven with their medium-budget, high- drama , the supernatural Time quality genre fare. An important part of Express and (naturally!) the "You go, their films' appeal: Above-average scripts girl!" TV milestones Police Woman and by the first woman writer in Hollywood Charlie's Angels. Her one producing (and ever to make a specialty out of the cin- co-writing) credit was the epic-length 1981 emacabre: Pat Fielder, who unleashed TV movie Goliath Awaits, a pseudo-scien- giant prehistoric mollusks on Southern tifically plausible tale in which the crew California swimmers (The Monster That and passengers of a luxury liner that sank Challenged the World, 1957), dreamed up in 1942 are found alive in the air-filled ship the most loathsome bloodsucker since on the ocean floor 40 years later. Nosferatu (The Vampire, 1957) and turned Your first science fiction the King of Vampires loose on Small Town Fifty years ago, pioneering STARLOG: U.S.A. (The Return of Dracula, 1958). But genre scribe Pat Fielder script was The Monster That Challenged amidst the horrors, there was also humani- brought The Monster That the World. ty: protagonists more lifelike and sympa- Challenged the World to life. PAT FIELDER: United Artists commis- thetic than the genre norm and, most strik- sioned a horror picture from Levy-Gardner- ingly, greatly improved roles for female characters. Laven, and David Duncan wrote a script that for some Instead of stereotypical damsels in distress, self- reason wasn't suitable. In fact, it was about to be reliant working women emerged from the Fielder abandoned. Meanwhile, I was working at L-G-L as a typewriter. production assistant-story editor-secretary, and was The Pasadena-born Fielder first hooked up with also assigned to read material that was submitted to Levy-Gardner-Laven in 1952, when she took a two- us by agents for their clients. If I liked the screenplays week job typing the script of their upcoming movie or books, I would pass them on to Jules [Levy], Vice Squad; she subsequently wrote for them the Arthur [Gardner] or Arnold [Laven]. And, on my aforementioned movies plus the jungle-set SF-adven- lunch hours, I was messing around with trying to ture The Flame Barrier (1958), the Western write a domestic drama of some sort—a stage play. Geronimo (1962) with Chuck Connors and episodes L-G-L were also in a crisis: They didn't have the of the Connors-starring teleseries The Rifleman. Recently, Fielder was honored by Women in Film Among the other 100 writing credits on her resume as one of the 25 women to have contributed most are episodes of political and legal series (Slattery's to the art of TV writing in the past quarter-century.

62 STARLOG/Atoy 2007 —

financing for another writer to rewrite Duncan's script. So Art won- dered if I would like to take a crack at it. I said yes. ..but I wasn't all The That that certain I could do it. That was the script that became The MonSfer Monster That Challenged the World. STARLOG: Prior to writing the Monster screenplay, how "into" SF, '•w^chaltengedl fantasy and horror were you?

FIELDER: As a child, I had always been deeply into fantasy and

wanted desperately to be arhactress, and I spent endless hours creat- The ing fantasy plots with neighborhood kids. I was in plays all the time, from grammar school up through college. However, I usually would World get such terrible stage fright before a performance that I thought I would never want to try to make a living at it! I was very insecure as m (Crawling up a child: I thought that witches were real, I had to have a candle in my Hi iTOVf! bedroom at night and all that kind of thing. STARLOG: Did horror films hold any interest for you as a kid?

FIELDER: I don't think I followed horror at all. I grew up watch- ing what I thought were great, classic movies—after all [with a grand tone in her voice], I was a theater arts major at UCLA, and we didn't go around and see the schlocky pictures. Oh, no, no, no! [Laughs] STARLOG: So how does somebody who didn't grow up with hor- ror and SF movies write one? FIELDER: Well, you do some research into werewolves and the

undead and all that, and read Bram Stoker's Dracula and so on. I was

kind of an academic, I was interested in research and I did see pic- tures like Them! [1954]. I also found a Life magazine article about a California desert dry lake bed that a flash flood had filled with two feet of water. Within days, there were millions of shrimp in that lake, hatched from eggs that had been dormant for centuries. So, yes,

Monster is far-out, but it does have some scientific fact to back it up! It took only one skip of the mind into fantasy to see how such an incident [the reappearance of a prehistoric species of giant mollusks]

could have really happened. The best science fiction is something sum urn null- that you strongly believe could happen. I did research into that and SomfexW fitllltK-fiMislilft! what was going on in the Imperial Valley, where we had decided to IWIIltHFII.w.mtellllFSV.iroinA set the story. At that point, I just let my imagination go. Science fic- The king-sized Kraken created by Monster's FX men was even tion is a genre where you don't have to be [completely] realistic, so more terrifying than what Fielder envisioned. you can imagine all these wonderful things. STARLOG: And, even better, lots of terrible things! FIELDER: [Laughs] Exactly! So, working with the old Duncan script and the research I had done, I wrote Monster, in which pre- historic mollusk eggs beneath the bottom of the Salton Sea hatch in radioactive water, and these gigantic mollusks start proliferating at a horrifying rate. They're hungry, huge and beginning to attack the local population and, ultimately, the worldl [Laughs] STARLOG: You also worked on the Monster movie as a production assistant. FIELDER: My aunt and uncle had lived in Brawley, California, for several years, and so I knew the area around the Salton Sea some- what. I mostly remembered, from when I was a kid, big bugs all over the place, and how awfully hot it was during the day. The nights were lovely, filled with stars, so close you could almost touch them. But the days were killers. So when Arnold, the director, went down to Although her L-G-L duties never pitted Shock-a-bye baby!: Kid research the locations, he took me with him to document the camera Fielder against giant mollusks or vicious actress Mimi Gibson set-ups he was planning, look at locations and all that stuff. There vampires, those movies' female leads looks dazed in the grip was also an air base in the Imperial Valley, in El Centra—where they (Audrey Dalton and Coleen Gray) were semi- of The Monster That taught Army personnel the ins and outs of parachute jumping modeled on Fielder herself. Challenged the World. which was another location we researched. STARLOG: Did you have an air base in your script? FIELDER: I honestly don't remember if the fact that the base actu- ally existed impacted the screenplay first, or if it was integrated into the screenplay after we visited. We then got further into prepping the picture, which was tremendously exciting for me.

Tim Holt was cast, and it was considered a real coup, since I don't think he had done anything for a few years—he had sort of retired from movies. Tim was a really nice guy and everybody liked him. Hans Conried was a wonderful character actor, funny and sly. And Audrey Dalton as the girl lab assistant-secretary was. ..well, you guess who\ [Laughs]

It was a coup to get popular Western star Tim Holt to come out of retirement for Monster, says Fielder. —I

and did L-G-L have a second picture to pair it with? So that's how

The Vampire came into being. There was a rush to get it ready. STARLOG: Obviously, on Monster, the basic idea was agreed upon

before you got the job of writing it, but did you come up with the concept for The Vampire! FIELDER: At L-G-L, we sort of sat around and had story confer- ences and talked about what might work as far as a suitable com- panion feature for Monster. The idea came out of one of those meet-

ings, and then I went to work. I had a great friend, a doctor, who gave me advice on the technical parts of the medical sequences—he was, in fact, a small-town doctor, so I based some of John's charac- ter on him. Small-town life has always appealed to me, at least in terms of drama. And horror in juxtaposition with family life is always intriguing. Weird people have weird experiences, but when real people have weird experiences, then you have true drama! STARLOG: So you were a production assistant on The Vampire, too? FIELDER: Yes, and I was on the set every minute that I could be,

unless I was writing. I was seriously thinking about becoming a director at this point, but there were no women directors except Ida Lupino. Guys on the soundstage would say to me, especially later

on, "Why don 't you become a director? Ida Lupino did." Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not possible then, and very difficult even today. STARLOG: Were you around when they shot the scene of the Vampire chasing Coleen Gray down the street? FIELDER: Yes, that was in Culver City. Writing that, I was influ- enced by the great scene in the Val Lewton film... was it Cat People [1942] or The Leopard Man [1943]? The sequence where the girl is stalked on the street at night by the big cat? A great scene! STARLOG: So you did see horror movies growing up! In the last and least of Fielder's '50s genre entries, The Flame FIELDER: Yes, you're reminding me now—I must have! I thought Barrier, heroes (Kathleen Crowley, Arthur Franz, Robert Brown) that was a fantastic scene; in fact, I've used that scene several times. faced terror from space. It's one of those things where you've got the girl and the shadows

and the night and no Moon and. ..you can't resist it! STARLOG: Again, in The Vampire, the female lead is a working woman—"coincidentally," a secretary-receptionist! FIELDER: Right, right! There were so few jobs that women held at the time—this wasn't an era when there were all these female sci- entists. I tried to find a logical and proper place to fit a woman into the story—and they weren't running astrophysics labs! STARLOG: The two scientists played by Dabbs Greer and James Griffith in The Vampire were an amusing "odd couple." FIELDER: I too liked their crazy relationship. I guess I have a bizarre sense of humor which I try at times to suppress, with no

luck! [Laughs] I saw The Vampire again a few Halloweens ago Turner Classic Movies ran horror movies all night on Halloween

and when it got to their scenes, I thought they were very funny. I can

now look at it "detached" from having written it, which is exciting. STARLOG: There's a stretch in The Vampire where one horror or action scene leads into another, and another, without a breather— thought that was fabulous. FIELDER: Well, good, I'm glad—that makes me happy [laughs]. I love action, and I love to have a story really take off and go, and never stop. That's my theory: You don't [have the characters] sit around and talk for long periods of time. Franz and Brown battle the Blob-like creature that came from STARLOG: Drama-wise, I think the best scene in The Vampire is The Flame Barrier. the one where the doctor tearfully sends his daughter away, because STARLOG: You. What memories do you have of the Monster he knows that the Vampire half of him will eventually kill her if he itself? doesn't.

FIELDER: It was exciting, because our special effects man Augie FIELDER: I had seen Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, too, the [1941] ver- Lohman created a fantastic creature. Cables ran from the Monster to sion with Spencer Tracy, and I was influenced by that.

a control panel, and I'm sure it was Augie at the controls. The oper- STARLOG: The scene where Jekyll breaks up with his fiancee ator would open the Monster's mouth and move the body forward, Lana Turner because he's afraid of what Hyde might do to her?

backward and sideways. It was very effective. FIELDER: Yes. The theme of the father potentially destroying the STARLOG: Did the Monster match what you had in mind when thing he cared about most—the ultimate victim being his daughter you wrote it? seemed to me a classic theme around which to build a story. It had a

FIELDER: I must say, it was much worse-looking than what I had particular kind of horror, going back to the Greeks, Oedipus and in mind. I mean, worse in a good way [laughs]. Terrifying! Medea, all the classics. STARLOG: Next up was The Vampire with John Beal. STARLOG: If there was a woman writing Hollywood SF movies FIELDER: Monster was very well-received by UA, who then had a before you, I can't think of who she was. You must have been the

brainstorm that they would release it as half of a horror double-bill, first.

64 STARLOG/JWoy 2007 !

FIELDER: Gosh, I don't know if I was the only woman writing sci-

ence fiction... I hadn't even thought about it. But.. .maybe. Well, who 4 NEW KIND OF KILLER else would it have been? Actually, because I was so young and a woman, it was a publicity angle: UA sent me on a promotion tour TO when the pictures [Monster and The Vampire] first came out. SFX STARLOG: Can you talk individually about what each of them STALK were like: Levy, Gardner and Laven? Silk FIELDER: Oh, they were absolutely terrific. They really were my % THE "family," and they protected and were so good to me. Jules was the one who had the oddball ideas from "out in left field." He thought SCREEN! up wild things to do. Jules and Arnold had both been script supervi-

sors [prior to the 1951 formation of Levy-Gardner-Laven], and they had learned every aspect of set operations. Arnold wanted to be a director and so he became a director, and Jules always wanted to be a producer and so he became a producer. Arthur had been a produc-

tion manager and wanted to be a producer. It wasn't the Hollywood scene at all; they were just really great, honest guys, and so hard- working. Fielder drew on Greek mythology—and Val Lewton horror STARLOG: You also scripted L-G-L's next double-feature, The films—when crafting her fright flick The Vampire. Return ofDracula and The Flame Barrier. FIELDER: Since UA was so happy with the results on Monster and The Vampire, they commissioned two more films. The Return of When real people have Dracula was originally titled Curse ofDracula, and I don't remem- weird experiences. Fielder theorizes, true ber why they changed it. I loved writing that, but then I usually end drama ensues. up loving most of my scripts, because otherwise I couldn't survive

the grief and drudgery of writing them at all [laughs]. I was influ- enced by the original Stoker story—the angle about the friendship of the two girls. Thornton Wilder's screenplay for Shadow of a Doubt [1943] was my model for the script—there again, a small town with ordinary people caught up in a truly horrific situation. It was fun to create a character who was so suave, so evil. ..so far from Transylvania, and right on your own back doorstep. STARLOG: Was it your idea to set this Dracula movie in the U.S.? FIELDER: I suspect it may have been. The idea of a Transylvanian

vampire coming to a small town, to California, is so bizarre that it

sounds like something I would think of! [Laughs] STARLOG: And you had read Dracula!

FIELDER: Oh, sure. Incidentally, when I was a little girl, my par- ents went to see Dracula on the stage at the Pasadena Playhouse. They came home and told me the story, which utterly terrified me.

Remember, I'm the one who was, and still is, afraid of the dark

[laughs]. They said something that I remember to this day: That in the night, you can see the eyes of the vampire, one green, one red,

coming through space and into your room! It scared me to death. No wonder I lit a candle by my bed and almost burned the house down STARLOG: Well, when you grew up, you cooked up some scary

stuff yourself . Like in Return ofDracula, having a helpless blind girl become Dracula's first California victim.

FIELDER: I was once asked why I wrote that character as blind. Well, what is more horrifying than not being able to see the horror www.starlog.com STARLOG/%2007 65 —

that is about to engulf you? and a rock is a rock," so they shot this jungle movie on a soundstage

STARLOG: Was it your idea to make the staking of the lady vam- where there were lots of moving plants around and so on. But Paul pire a color sequence in the otherwise black-and-white Return of Landres, the director, did as good a job as possible with the limited Draculal budget and time constraints. FIELDER: No, that was Jules'. The movie goes to color for a split- STARLOG: You and George Worthing Yates share screenplay cred- second, when they're pounding the stake into her heart and the blood it, but I got the feeling while watching it that it must have been more

is gushing out. Jules said, "We gotta have this in color," and so they Yates than you. Am I right?

did it. FIELDER: Equally, I guess. It was done in a rush. We did as good STARLOG: The main female character, played by Norma a job as possible, but we had no budget, and we had to film it in, like, six or seven days. It was a very, very difficult shoot. STARLOG: In a 1958 newspaper interview, you said you were tired of "ghouls and monsters" and wanted to do something different. FIELDER: I loved horror and science fiction, but it had run its

cycle. It's all so cyclical as far as the movies are concerned. I really wanted to spread my wings and write other things. And then Westerns were coming in. STARLOG: You also wrote for L-G-L's The Rifleman, and then their movie Geronimo, which again had some excellent parts for women—from the leading lady to the farm woman who brings the dinner. | Indians into her house for a chicken = FIELDER: Women hadn't really been dealt with, particularly in ? Westerns, and certainly not Indian women. I think Geronimo was

iS one of the first pictures to show a sympathetic view of the Indians. | STARLOG: You left L-G-L around that time, and started to free- I lance. % FIELDER: I needed to expand my horizons and move away from 1 "the family." And so I began to freelance. There was a great free- % lance market for television at that time, something that doesn't exist | today. I started off writing Westerns and then moved into the current 0 episodic markets—medical, legal, cop and psychiatric shows. I had 2 an office at MGM for a while, working on their shows, then I moved £ to Universal, where I was given an office near Richard Bluel, who £ had recently been a producer at Warner Bros, and was trying his | hand at freelance television writing. Richard and I became friends S and ultimately writing partners. We penned many TV episodes and 1 the mini-series Goliath Awaits. 0 STARLOG: Whose idea was Goliath Awaitsl Scientific plausibility helped make Fielder's Goliath Awaits FIELDER: Richard came up with it about 20 years earlier. It start- (starring Mark Harmon and John Carradine) a TV ratings smash. ed out as a one-page pitch that he had co-written with a producer, Eberhardt not a secretary this time! Hugh Benson. Hugh went to CBS and got them to agree to have the in FIELDER: No, but I have from time to time in my life worked as a story written by Dick and me, on the basis of that one page. But volunteer for various organizations. So having Norma's character order to write a script, we had to do all this research, because we involved in charity events for her church made sense to me, espe- didn't even know whether the premise was possible: the survivors of

cially in a small town. I loved that character because she was so a sunken 1942 luxury liner still alive at the bottom of the ocean in often "putting off' her boy friend, who was played by Ray Stricklyn. the air-filled ship 40 years later. If you were going to do pure science That character really reflected "the modern woman" at that time. fiction, you would just make it up, but we wanted it to feel real. And Norma was beautiful, too. It took us weeks and weeks and weeks of research. With permis- City, STARLOG: I assume you made a conscious decision to write bet- sion from the Department of Defense, we traveled to Panama ter-than-average parts for women in your Levy-Gardner-Laven and Florida, to the Navy's Oceanic Study Center, and spent three or four other scripts? days there. The guys in the "think tank" there were wonderful. We FIELDER: Of course. My decision to write interesting roles for came in with this impossible premise, and we told them what we women seemed a natural one. And being a woman, with ambitions wanted to do with it, and they would say, "We'll think about it. of my own, I had a perfect opportunity to develop characters out of Come back tomorrow." Then we would come back the next day, and the mainstream. Later on, in my writing, I've often dealt with they had solved it! There was only one problem: After three or four females who face huge and difficult obstacles in their lives, and who days, they said, "You realize that you can't have your divers from the have jobs and relationships common to many of us. That's rarely top [a rescue party from the surface] take their oxygen masks off?" dramatized. I penned many "problem dramas" dealing with abor- I said, "They can't? How is the hero gonna kiss the girl?" So we tion, single-woman parenthood and worked out all these transferral-of-air female judges, cops, doctors, psychia- ideas, which were extremely complicat-

trists, long before those characteri- ed, but accurate, and could have been etc. _ zations became popular. It's not that I done. It was all very exciting stuff. i

went looking for this subject matter; the The network wanted a three-hour ii

opportunities just presented themselves, script. Then when we were deep into it, { along with producers who were willing they said, no, they would only fund two j to gamble on offbeat stories. hours. Now, we couldn't tell the story in 1 STARLOG: Last and, well, definitely two hours, and we couldn't tell it in three < hours, decided that we would least of your four genre films for Levy- so we j Gardner-Laven was The Flame Barrier. write it in two parts: two hours and two j

our wrote the extra -, FIELDER: I agree with you—it's the Ninety-five-years-young Arthur Gardner, the actor hours. On own, we least effective of the lot. We had a (All Quiet on the Western Front) turned indie hour, and then we got a commitment: greensman who said, "A tree is a tree filmmaker, reunited with Fielder at a recent lunch. from Channel 13, who were being auda- <

66 STARLOG/Afoy 2007 — —

cious, and trying to break the prime-time stranglehold the networks one of those posh little restaurants, and I was wiping my eyes and had. When we finally had a four-hour script and a commitment from wanting to hold his hand!

Columbia to finance it, Channel 13 told us that they would go ahead STARLOG: What are your current activities? with it. FIELDER: I've continued to write, and I'm focusing on two nov- STARLOG: You shot on board the Queen Mary in Long Beach. els—and, yes, one of them is in the horror genre. Around 1988, I What was that like? made a trip to Greece and discovered the island of Rhodes, and this

FIELDER: The Queen Mary—God, it's amazing that is still float- idea for a horror story came to me. When I returned, I told Richard ing, because it looked to me like it was gonna sink when we were about it, and we decided to develop a horror screenplay. We were there! There was water all over the lowest level. It was a difficult going to shoot it among our European pictures, but that didn't hap- shoot, but I thought it looked great, and you never could have dupli- cated that in a studio. We made the pool area into a hydroponic gar-

den—we researched all of this stuff and then put it in the script. A society could live down there at the bottom of the ocean. We had a

Brit director, Kevin Connor, and he did a great job. And it had a very good cast—Christopher Lee and Jean Marsh were fabulous.

Bram Stoker's classic book, and even Alfred Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt, were Fielder influences during The Return of Dracula's writing phase.

She raised the stakes by removing Dracula from his Transylvanian haunts and transplanting him to American soil.

STARLOG: How did Goliath Awaits do ratings-wise? FIELDER: We creamed everybody. Part One had higher ratings than all the competing shows. We were a sensation! And we were very proud of that. Then, the next week, they ran the next two hours, and again we beat everybody with even higher ratings. And ever Small Town U.S.A. life is disrupted after vampires since then, it has been rerun for years. \ Francis Lederer brought a Lugosian arrive in human and wolf STARLOG: And you continued to work in TV with Richard Bluel? : suavity—and well-dressed menace form in The Return of t FIELDER: Yes, but by 1987 the TV market had changed dramati- to Return of Dracula's title role. Dracula. * cally, and Richard and I, weary of always starting over, decided to

prepare a slate of six theatrical films—written and co-produced by pen. Recently, I realized it might make an interesting novel, and I've

us to be shot in Europe. We traveled to Europe on several different it, — just finished so I'm hoping that I can get it published. It's strange, I occasions to raise money for the productions. However, Richard when you think how one moment of fate—that two-week job died en route on one of our trips, in 1992, and we were never able to changed my life. bring the projects to fruition. STARLOG: The two-week job typing Vice Squad!

STARLOG: Wrapping up with, again, the old Levy-Gardner-Laven FIELDER: Exactly—which I typed so badly! [Laughs] And I had flicks —have you kept in touch with anyone there from the old days? to erase all those carbon copies, too; it was horrible! Anyway, it's the

FIELDER: Well, Arthur. He's 95—can you believe that? You know, most amazing thing, because I never conceivably thought that I it's funny, he called me again just recently and invited me to lunch. could earn a living as a writer; it was something that I didn't even We went to a little luncheon place, and we got to talking about the dream of. But that typing job led to scripting Monster, and then to

past and I began to cry [laughs]. I couldn't control my emotions. I so much more. The moral of this is: Never turn down a two-week

was so touched by seeing him, and recalling the past and everything. job. Trust in fate. You have no idea what wonderful place it will lead I felt like such a fool, because there we were near Rodeo Drive, in you! i% www.starlog.com STARLOG/Way 2007 67 Actor Andre Ware is proud to carry the responsibility of voicing the man in charge of the Ultimate Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Nick Fury.

to doing things under the radar. It was a

blast to play Nick Fury. I had a ball!

"What I enjoy about Nick is that he's as loyal as you can be, and he's fiercely loyal to his country. Nick is a 'by any means necessary' guy. He has this huge responsibil- ity to bring these people together. For Nick to take charge, he really has to command, because he's dealing with people who could crush him. His presence is authoritative enough to take control. That was important to the directors: this guy has to be in charge

of these super-powerful characters. I had to

convey that and still show compassion,

| hey say life imitates art, and in this case, it's true. As leader of ULTIMATELY, ANDRE WARE SPEAKS the animated Ultimate Aven- gers, gruff Nick Fury is a hand- UP ABUUT BEING MARVEL'S some African-American man with a goatee, shaved head and ANIMATED SUPERSPY NICK FURY. eyepatch. Actor Andre Ware is a handsome African-American man with a & Bryan Hitch's bestselling because Nick loses S.H.I.E.L.D. members, goatee and shaved head, but, "No eyepatch," Ultimates, and released direct-to-DVD by his base is destroyed and there's wreckage he laughs. "I wanted to play Nick, but I was Lionsgate Entertainment. Heroes are recruit- all around him." not willing to lose an eye! ed by S.H.I.E.L.D. head Nick Fury to form a "My agent told me, 'It looks like they super-human paramilitary group. Fury Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. drew you!' When I went to read for Nick, brings in Iron Man, Captain America, Giant- Before he was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Ware they had a picture of Ultimate Nick Fury, Man, Thor, Wasp, Hawkeye and the incredi- was a Marvelite. "Oh yeah," he grins. "I've

kid. I and I said 'Wow! Bald head, goatee—I get bly anti-social Hulk to save Earth from alien been a Marvel fan since I was a loved it!' Even the producers asked if I shaved my invaders, the Ch'tari. Fury also leads the Iron Man, while my brother Gerry was a head for the part. But no, this is me, so it's group to Wakanda in the sequel, Ultimate Thor fan, so we always played off each cool. It's a distinct look that adds to the char- Avengers 2. other. It was cool, because Thor and Iron acter. There's a certain intimidation that "Nick Fury is the head of S.H.I.E.L.D., Man are great friends. I actually sent Gerry comes from a bald guy with a goatee. Nick the man in charge," Ware says proudly. "He an Ultimate Avengers Thor poster. And to be doesn't mind using that—especially the eye- has the assignment of gathering the greatest part of something where I work with Iron patch. He wants you to be intimidated by heroes on Earth to combat this threat. Man and the Hulk was a dream come true. him. If it helps him get the job done, he's There's a covert nature to S.H.I.E.L.D. Nick Back in Michigan, the kids in my neighbor- fine with it." does things with S.H.I.E.L.D. that no one hood read Marvel because their characters Ultimate Avengers was Marvel's first else would do to get the job done. They're had problems. It was so real and relatable, self-produced animated film, adapted from the CIA of the Marvel Universe. He's used and that's what got me into comics. Tony

68 STARLOG/Atoy 2007 Black Widow's (far right) "whatever it takes" attitude impresses Fury. He admires Tony Stark/Iron Man's toughness and Captain America's loyalty to his country. Stark, with his bad heart and this amazing suit that keeps him alive—there are great backstories to Marvel characters. That's why the Marvel Universe was the tops to me as a kid. I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and my brothers Ron, Gerry and I would watch the Marvel cartoons from the 1960s on WXON Channel 20." Ware still can't believe he got the chance to voice a comics icon. "I kept thinking, 'I'm actually getting paid for this?' " he chuckles. "I loved it—I have on-camera roles that don't bring me as much pleasure as this. To

be part of something I loved as a kid... I was 10 all over again! I've been on Desperate

Housewives, which I was jazzed about, but there's something 'extra' about being Nick Fury. Think about it—if you grew up with your friends reading comics and playing Marvel superheroes in the yard, and then you relive that as an adult? You cannot buy an experience like this.

"I read the Ultimates books, so I was familiar with how they altered certain

66 99 IT WAS A powerful monster and, at the end of the first BLAST TO PLAY NICK FURY. film, you see what happens: Hulk levels half of New York. That doesn't work in Nick's One of us. world. He has to maintain order to achieve Ware grew up his objective. The problem Nick has with the a Marvelite, Hulk is, if you can't stop him, he'll and considers destroy Ultimate everything. Even though Nick is always Avengers a pissed off at Bruce Banner, he doesn't treat dream job. Bruce the way he treats the Hulk. He has an "You cannot honest gripe against the Hulk, but what can

buy an he do about it? I mean, it's the Hulk!" experience like this," he Howling Commando declares. Ultimate Avengers 2, the second DVD adventure, continues the battle. "The Ch'tari are still a threat, and we have to vanquish them," Ware comments. "We go to Wakanda and see the Black Panther. He's well-voiced by leffrey Sams, a great Broadway actor. There are some shocking scenes in Ultimate

Avengers 2. What's cool about that film is there's some ambiguity. You aren't really sure about Black Panther's motivations.

Ultimately, you find out that he is a good guy, but there are conflicting interests aspects of the original Avengers. In Ulti- necessary. That's part of his makeup, too. between Black Panther and what Nick and

mates, people die. As kids, we don't want to Nick does whatever it takes to get the job the Avengers are trying to achieve. It crosses see our superheroes die in perilous situa- done, and he appreciates that Black Widow boundaries." tions, but with Ultimates, they do stories that will, too." Nick Fury isn't part of the third Marvel

cover that. The two Ultimate Avengers Both Ultimate Avengers movies make it animated DVD (Iron Man, which debuted in movies hint at that: You get a taste of Giant- clear that Fury hates the Hulk and his alter- lanuary), and the character isn't likely to be Man abusing the Wasp, but not the full- ego Bruce Banner. "Nick doesn't like him in the fourth entry (the forthcoming Doctor fledged brutality of the comic. because he can't control him," Ware Strange). However, Ware was asked to "And Ultimates is such a good comic that explains. "With everybody else, there's a reprise Fury in the Fantastic Four video I would love to do a series of films—and as certain level of civility, an understanding, game. "They kept Nick's look from Ultimate

close to the comic as they want to get. One and Nick can get with that. He's military, a Avengers, so I fell right into it," he remarks. of the great relationships is between Nick man of order with objectives. When they go As for future forays as Fury, "I'm ready and and Black Widow. They don't say much to on their first mission, they're still in an indi- available to do Nick if they want me." each other, but they have this deep under- vidual mindset, so they don't come together The actor's deep, rich voice can be heard standing. Their relationship is so tight, they as a team and botch the mission. Nick can't in numerous cartoons, commercials and don't have to say anything. They work off swallow that—as a general used to leading video games. "I love doing those things," each other like clockwork because they men into battle, he realizes if you don't fol- says Ware, who, incidentally, read STAR- share that 'whatever it takes' attitude—he low orders, people die. LOG as a kid. "My brothers and I watched knows she'll get the job done by any means "With the Hulk, Nick can't control this the original Star Trek reruns, so when I get to www.starlog.com STARLOG/Afoy 2007 69 "

"My agent told me, 'It looks like they drew you!' " says Ware. do a Klingon or a Bajoran officer in a DS9 game, it's a thrill. Being affiliated with Star

Trek in any way is cool. Once, I did three voiceover gigs in one day. I ran all over LA, and if you asked me who my characters were, I couldn't tell you!" Ware can be seen in the SCI FI Channel/DVD movie Blue Demon, about genetically altered sharks. "I'm always up for a killer shark movie," he jokes. "The good news is the sharks don't kill me, but the bad news is I get my butt whipped by a girl!" Many comics fans have noted that Ultimate Nick Fury bears a strong resem- blance to Samuel L. Jackson. "I've read that Marvel went to Sam and asked if they could use his likeness, and he said yes," Ware con- firms. "You can clearly see the resemblance in both the comic and cartoon."

though—we were up on 155th Street in '/ DON'T REALIZE I'M ACTING ALL Harlem, cracking Bruce Willis upside the

head take after take. He really got into it. We ANIMATED AS I BET INTO CHARACTER. spent three days shooting that scene. "I got some of my best advice about act- Ware actually got to work with between takes," Ware recalls. "He told us, T ing from Sam. He had just done Pulp Jackson—and punch out Bruce Willis—as a want you guys to really kick my ass!' We all Fiction, so his ride was beginning. Sam said, Harlem gangsta in Die Hard With a looked at each other and thought, 'Yeah, 'The best thing I can tell you is act every Vengeance. "Bruce got so into character right, so we can all be fired!' It was fun, day. I don't care what you do, where you are, you act every day. That's how you stay on Commanding top of your craft.' Now, I'm 'playing Sam' in of a squad Ultimate Avengers, so everything has come superheroes isn't full circle." easy, but Fury As for his Ultimate Avengers co-stars, is the right man has only praise. "Fred Tatasciore does for the job. Ware However, he has a great Hulk—he just sounds so angry," he occasional problems extols. "Grey DeLisle [Wasp] is the hardest- controlling the working female voice actress in town. When raging Hulk. you have people like Grey, Fred and Marc Worden [Iron Man, STARLOG #349], you're working with the top of the class in

voice acting. I have many credits, but their resumes go on forever! Being in that kind of

company is thrilling. To be equally good, I really had to step up my game. "Going into the booth with them was a real blast; we fed off each other, and that adds to the chemistry. You don't get many opportunities like that. We were blessed, and Marvel was excited about the movies.

As Nick, I get into it and do the manner-

isms. I can show up in my pajamas, but

once I'm behind the microphone, I don't

realize I'm acting all animated as I get into character." Being the sound of Fury has had other rewards. "What's exciting is the reaction of the kids in my family. My nephew Marcus is so excited that I'm Nick Fury. My eight- year-old daughter Jome is a bit of a tomboy, so she loves the Wasp. She also loves the fact that she can hear her Papa in a movie. When I'm on live-action TV as a lawyer or boxer, she says, 'That's Papa,' and doesn't even stop to watch, no big deal. But she gets so excited when I'm in an animated feature; it's like I'm in her world. "That's the great thing about being an actor," Andre Ware says happily. "You never know what tomorrow will bring!" ^

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J i % to use that power?' That's really what the ^ pider-Man 3 hits theaters May 4, story is about, because Peter does misuse and the blockbuster Sony Pictures franchise takes a stun- and abuse it." ^^^ ? ning turn to the dark side. "In many ways, we see the movies as a Has Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) morphed" continuation of the Spider-Man story," observes producer Laura into Darth Vader? "Not entirely," Ziskin cautions. "He's responsible Ziskin. "In that sense, the characters are older and wiser—or maybe to some degree. And it's another lesson for him, which is something less wise. The great thing about these films is that we get to know all the Spider-Man movies share: They're about his maturation and the characters. They're like a family to us. The movies are about his growth. The story thematically for all the characters is that Peter Parker's coming of age, and that's what makes them so relat- there's good and bad in everyone, and so we're always in a battle able to the audience." between our best and worst selves. Peter loses himself for a little But this time, Peter's appealing innocence takes a beating. "He's while, but rest assured, he ultimately learns that he has a choice, and in a different place," Ziskin acknowledges. "In the last one, he got he can choose his best self. As we all can." everything he ever dreamt about or wanted. It's a little bit of, 'Be careful what you wish for.' Spider-Man 3 does go darker, because in The Dark Doppelgangers some ways it was obligatory to say, 'OK, you have all the power This installment could be subtitled The Last Temptation of Peter now what? What's going to happen to you? And how are you going Parker. He has several serpents in his personal Eden. First is his for-

72 STARLOG/Atoy 2007 mer friend Harry Osborn (). "Remember that shot of Brock Jr. (That '70s Harry in Spider-Man 2, where he has that smile on his face at the Show's Topher Grace). "Peter gets upset with Eddie," explains wedding of MJ and Colonel Jameson?" producer Grant Curtis Arad. "Eddie is a forger, a crook basically, and a bad reporter. And remarks. "In Spider-Man 3, we pick up where that smirk left off. in a way, he gives a start to a dangerous villain. The symbiote is one Harry has indeed taken up his father's mantle and heeded his Dad's of the more fascinating villains in our books. There's a fun connec- cries to kill Peter. We go into that right from the beginning." tion between 'Black Spidey' —which is a great metaphor—and the But this isn't exactly like father, like son. "We call him the New creation of /Venom."

Goblin," Curtis says. "Harry is very much his own man. Whereas the "Venom in the person of Eddie is almost a doppelganger," Ziskin Green Goblin approached his villaindom on multi-avenues, Harry explains. "Topher said a wonderful thing: 'What if someone who isn't out for world domination or to put New York City at harm. He wasn't pure of heart like Peter were to get similar powers? What has a singular focus, and that's to kill Peter and Spider-Man." would happen then?' So Eddie is the opposite of Peter, yet similar. " "As Harry said in his last fight, 'You saw it coming, babe!' Eddie also wants to use his powers for the Bugle, but he's motivated laughs producer Avi Arad (Marvel Studios' former Chairman and by lesser values than Peter. Once he gets the power of Venom, Eddie CEO). "Harry is obsessed with avenging his father." becomes a worthy adversary." Next is the vicious extraterrestrial symbiote, Venom, who takes "He's probably the most popular villain in Spider-Man history," over Peter's body as well as fellow Daily Bugle co-worker Eddie Curtis opines. "Now Peter isn't the only hotshot at the Daily Bugle. www.starlog.com STARLOG/May 2007 73 "We're always in a battle between our best and worst selves."

Is Harry green with envy that Peter Parker is now dating his former girl friend Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)?

This has been a busy year for Laura Ziskin, producing both Spider-Man 3 and the Academy Awards.

He's getting a little bit of heat turned up on him from Eddie. On the

visual effects side, it's always great to watch our hero battle basi- cally himself. Venom has all of Spider-Man's powers, but he has them to a greater degree. The dynamic that sets up the fight and emotional payoff between Eddie and Peter made Eddie/Venom a natural progression. The Venom effects are very similar to the Spider-Man effects that you've seen in the past, but there's a more intense, aggressive spider moment. We also have a good amount of the buggy, crawling use of those spider-like abilities as a means to start an attack." The Shifting Sands Fans will be happy to know that blustery Bugle editor-publisher

J. Jonah Jameson—as personified by great character actor J.K.

I Sandman a.k.a. Flint Marko debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man #4. I Eddie Brock's Thomas Haden Church (Topher Grace) is now the brush with shapeshifter. an alien symbiote turns the Daily Bugle man into the monstrous Venom.

74 STARLOG/%2007 "In the case of Sandman, Peter dis- covers that he may have had something to do with Uncle Ben's murder, something

that Peter misinterpreted when he first

heard of Ben's death. It fills Peter with rage, and he becomes very vengeful. But we as an audience know that Sandman

had a motive. The question is: Will Peter find that out? And what will his response be?"

"Obviously, Sandman is a magical CGI opportunity," Arad comments. "In movies like this one, we look for a villain whom we can develop into a story, but more importantly, into a fascinating effect that works within the character. So we took Sandman and did for him what the comic books failed to do: We gave him a story. People are curious about how someone becomes a bad guy. What's their motivation? And Sam worked very hard at that."

"There's no doubt that Sandman is one of the most screenworthy villains in the Marvel Universe," Curtis observes. "But to be honest, when we started our movie, he wasn H screenworthy. The tech- nology to produce Sandman as Sam saw him in his head simply didn't exist. Movies like The Mummy and Hidalgo had really good sand effects, but Sony Pictures Imageworks and Scott Stokdyk and his team had to write new algorithms Simmons—returns to bedevil Peter. Bugle staff members Joseph that would allow them to manipulate millions if not billions of grains "Robbie" Robertson (Bill Nunn), Betty Brant (Elizabeth Banks) and of sand. That was what was necessary to pull off the effect Sam Hoffman (Ted Raimi) are also on duty. wanted, and what they've done is absolutely amazing and totally Longtime Spider-Man foe Flint Marko a.k.a. Sandman groundbreaking." (Sideways' Thomas Haden Church) makes his first screen appearance in this adventure. "[Director] Sam Raimi really wanted to put The Other Women Sandman on the screen," says Ziskin. "And it's just mind-boggling to Not seen in The Amazing Spider-Man since her 1973 death see that character come to life, a creature of sand. It's absolutely (except for the comics' cloned version) is Peter's old flame Gwen thrilling. But the template that we set from the first movie onward is Stacy. However, her role in Spider-Man 3 isn't primarily romantic. that we don't want villains who are only fun visual effects characters. "Oh, there's a little flirtation," Ziskin corrects. "But this isn't the Everybody has to have a story. And in keeping thematically with the Gwen Stacy story [from the comics]. It's the introduction of her lessons that Peter learns—both about himself and other people—is character. When we cast Bryce Dallas Howard, I jokingly said, that people sometimes behave badly. But when you understand 'Well, we cast a blonde in Kirsten Dunst to play a famous comic what's behind it, you can look at their behavior in a different way. book redhead, and now we've cast a redhead to play a famous comic book blonde! 'And while we aren'ttelling the classic Gwen Stacy story, we are took using some of the situations [from the "We comics]." Sandman "Bryce is a breath of fresh air when she's on screen," praises Curtis. "As we and did all know, the only women Peter has had extensive contact with are Aunt May for him [Rosemary Harris] and Mary Jane. It's really great to see another woman come what the into his life. Gwen is Peter's lab partner in comic Dr. Connors' class at Empire State. Peter tutors and works with her, but their rela- books tionship is only on a friendship level. So Gwen adds another layer to Peter's life; failed to she plays a vital role in this story." James {Babe) Cromwell portrays Gwen's father, do: We the heroic Captain Stacy. gave Dunst reprises her role as Spider- him Producer Avi Arad has another Man's main squeeze, Mary Jane. "It's the a story." Marvelous film premiering next chapter, but there is a big payoff in in June: Fantastic Four: Rise of that their relationship doesn't remain the Silver Surfer. even-keeled," Curtis says. "This is defi- nitely not more of the same relationship.

STARLOG/jMo/ 2007 75 Peter and Spider-Man's stars are on the rise, and New York has become accep- tive of Spider-Man in ways that he has never experienced before. Peter is read- ing too much of his own press, and believing a few too many of the head- lines. At the same time, as his star is on the rise, Mary Jane's is going in the opposite direction. So we explore the strain that places on their relationship." "As with most relationships, partic- ularly with young love, they have over- come many hurdles to be together," Ziskin elaborates. "And that's where we ended Spider-Man 2. Mary Jane learned Peter's secret identity, and she accepted whatever that would bring.

But it's one thing to say you can accept

it, and it's another to actually live it. So this story starts with them being really happy, but relationships are complex, and this one even more so because of Spider-Man, and because of who Peter

is. Problems arise, which is part of the suspense." Spider-Man focused on Peter's discovery of his great powers and the great responsibility that goes with them. Spider-Man 2 found him struggling with issues of destiny. This third outing is a bitter test. "In some ways, it's a more interesting journey," says Arad. "Peter is a happy guy. He's revered and respected. He has the girl he loves. But things go to his head a little bit. Peter becomes more self-

centered, and that is what sets him on this treacherous road [that teaches him] to pay attention to the people you love and the people who love you. Don't believe your own advertising. Come back and be the kid we always loved and wanted. And along that road, Peter Yes, he is a superhero, but behind the mask, Peter is still a young man learning to use, not abuse, his great powers. comes across some pretty difficult issues, like discovering Sandman

76 mm/May 2007 —

"The cavernous swings that Spidey makes we find breath- Losing himself and abandoning his values taking Peter finds himself in a different, darker and Grant Curtis got his first place than where he producing job as an associate was at the end of amazing." producer on Spider-Man director Spider-Man 2. Sam Raimi's The Gift.

and the real killer of his uncle." A Silver Surfer spin-off to the Fantastic Four follow-up seems "The great thing about Marvel's villains is that they're not just imminent, but Arad is guarded on details. "If everything goes OK on villains for villain's sake," Curtis muses. "And for these films, we try June 16 [the day after Fantastic Four 2's release], we'll continue. to doll that up even more. All of our bad guys have redeeming qual- And you will get to see Galactus." ities, and they can relate to Peter and his struggles after being bitten The surprise success of Ghost Rider, despite scathing reviews, by that spider. Where Peter zigged, and chose to use his powers for didn't surprise Arad. "It's a terrific story," he observes. "We all make good, they zagged, and chose to use their powers for not-so-good our deals with the Devil, and as you know, the Devil is in the details.

reasons. So they're very much redeemable, because their plight goes What SPI put together is a whole new level of effects. It's amazing back to Peter's plight. stuff. And I haven't seen Nic Cage having that much fun since "We definitely open up the events of that night at the wrestling Moonstruck."

match," he adds. "One thing we always try to do is make the villains Another Ghost Rider film is probably unlikely because of Cage's directly relate to Peter's story. When Sam and his brother Ivan reluctance to do sequels. "It's not problematic," Arad counters. "If

along with Avi, Laura and the team—started plotting out Peter's everything goes well, and Nic feels like doing it, and he loves the plight, that [connection to Sandman] was one way to explore Peter's story, he'll make a sequel." emotional core. So Sandman does have something to do with Uncle And as for Spider-Man 4, Arad offers, "I have some definite

Ben's murder, and that drives this whole picture forward. Peter's ideas, but it's very premature. I will be involved with Spider-Man for

essential challenge is confronting the man who killed his uncle." the rest of my natural life. This is the one character that I made sure "This movie is about forgiveness and learning to deal with one's will always be with me. There will never be the last of Peter Parker." life," Arad interjects. "Being a hero is just one part for Peter. "Certain things we always want to be true to in these movies," Sometimes forgiving someone changes your life forever. It was very Ziskin adds. "To have great action, be true to the spirit of the 40-plus challenging to keep all of these stories going. That's why I think this years of the comic book, but mine the characters comedically, dra- is by far the best of the three." matically and in every other way so that the imperatives of the story

can stand alone even if it weren't a Spider-Man movie." The Marvels to Come "So much history is sewn up in this picture," Grant Curtis con- With its rich comic book history and huge fan base, Spider-Man cludes. "Many questions are answered, but, at the same time, the could spawn countless sequels. And in each film so far, a new villain possibilities are endless." ^ has been introduced. So if there is a Spider-Man 4, who would be the web-slinger's next arch-enemy? Despite another appearance by Dr. Curt Connors (Dylan Baker)—who seems destined to become the Lizard (as he is in the comics)—in Spider-Man 3, none of the producers seem to know. "That's a good question that I quite hon-

estly can't answer," chuckles Curtis. "The Lizard is one of my

favorite villains, and Dylan is a phenomenal actor. All I can say is: Who knows?" "We haven't started working on the next movie," says Ziskin, whose husband penned the screenplay for Spider-Man 3 (as well as Spider-Man 2, and did uncredited script doctor work on

the first film). "I know people don't believe it. Actually, I wish we were clever enough or had enough time to be plotting the series in advance. But we're so pressed to just finish this movie that we don't

know where we're going if there's another one, or what it will be." Beyond Spider-Man 3, Arad is looking forward to the other

Marvel heroes heading toward the big screen. "I'm excited about all of them," he says. "I'm very enthused about Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer and Iron Man. And I love the Hulk [pre-production is underway on a sequel, The Incredible Hulk]. To me, he's one of Even though she's not legally blonde, Bryce Dallas Howard got the most endearing Marvel characters." the gig as the new gal in Peter's life, Gwen Stacy. www.starlog.com STARLOG/Wny 2007 77 Travel to the future with filmmaker Bil to Meet the Robinsons.

By BOB MILLER

f

Poor Lewis. His parents abandoned him at an orphanage. For 12 years he has been seeking a family, but without success. Then one day he meets Wilbur Robinson, a boy who happens to be a time traveler. He takes Lewis into the future to meet the family of his and storyboarding for TV and films. Twelve years ago, Anderson dreams. But can a boy from the past become part of a family of the joined Disney in the story department for Tarzan, becoming head of future? story for The Emperor's New Groove and , which paved The answer can be found in Disney's latest animated film, Meet the the way for him to helm Meet the Robinsons. Robinsons, based on the children's book A Day With Wilbur Robinson "The project had been kicking around the studio for quite a few by William Joyce. Lewis continues the legacy of Disney orphaned years, since they had the rights to the book for a while," Anderson says. heroes: Snow White, Cinderella, , Mowgli {The Jungle Book), "Our development department [worked on] a script [by Michelle Penny {), Oliver {Oliver and Company), Lilo {Lilo & Bochner] through 2002. I had been developing another project simul- Stitch), Kenai {Brother Bear) and, of course, Aladdin and Tarzan. But taneously with finishing Brother Bear, but that wasn't building up too Lewis' orphan status has a special real-life connection for the movie's much steam. Then they handed me a script to this one and said, 'Would

director, Stephen J. Anderson. you be interested in reading this? And possibly directing it?' I read it, "I was adopted as well," he says, "and nobody expected that, be- and I said 'Yes' right off the bat, because it was a story about a boy who

cause it was a complete coincidence that they happened to give me the wanted to be adopted."

story. I immediately had a connection with the character, so I had to do this project." Meet Meeting Anderson studied animation at CalArts in Valencia, California, and At the time, Disney management wanted Anderson to try a stream- over a period of 16 years has been animating, directing TV animation lined approach to filmmaking. "Usually here at Disney, we board Act

78 STARLOG/Moy 2007 One, we screen it and every- it. We didn't have much time to finesse our reels. The body's happy with it," he explains. "Then we goal was, we had to get this thing done by November board Act Two while we're doing fixes on Act One. [2003] and have the entire movie boarded. We could

We screen Acts One and Two, and everybody says, not show up empty-handed. So it was an exercise in

'Hey, it's going real good. Let's put a sequence or two going with our gut. We didn't have much time to sit in into production.' Then we finally get Act Three the story room, mulling over things, pondering and

boarded, the whole thing is up and everybody says, talking about, 'Who is this character? What is the 'It's a mess. We've got to tear it down. We've got to story point?' We had to say, 'This character for right start all over again.' But we've already got two now is going to be this, and that's what we're going to

sequences in production, and it continues from there. do. We'll board that, and if we live to see another day Director Stephen J. It Anderson tends to be a scramble to get these films together." after we screen this film, we'll make it better. Right got to Meet the Robinsons This time, though, the story had been scripted and now, we just have to get it done.' We then showed it to when Disney gave him the approved by studio executives. Anderson was told to Bill Joyce and [then-Disney Eisner, chance to helm their latest CEO] Michael prepare a basic story reel presentation. No visual animated adventure. and Michael said, 'That's the movie we should make. development. No art direction. No animation. Just You have a green light.' use a story crew to storyboard the entire film, with an editorial crew to "This was the first time that we were able to take a story and real- compile it into a reel. After that, the studio would determine whether or ize it from beginning to end. The first time we ever screened this movie, not to make it. it was the whole movie. What was great about that from a filmmaking "We boarded the whole thing in about six months," Anderson recalls. standpoint was that we got to stick our flag in the ground and say, "This

"What we boarded was pretty scribbly. Luckily, everybody could follow is our movie; this is our story. If you want to make it, this is the story www.starlog.com STARLOG/Moy 2007 79 " .

Lewis spends A Day With Wilbur Robinson (the title of William Joyce's book) when the time-traveling boy pays a visit to our present. /

Adopted himself, Anderson related to the orphaned Lewis' search for a family to love—and to love him. we're going to tell.' playing E in The Incredibles," Anderson relates. "It was the

"My experience over the past 1 1 or so years doing story here is that same situation here, where I had done the scratch voice early on, when when you look back on the films, they drastically change throughout we were doing our reels, and it stuck. When we finally screened the the course of development. Meet the Robinsons was interesting because movie and ultimately got the green light, my voice had ended up defin-

it.' It it stayed on the same little target. It changed over the years, but the ing the character so much that everybody said, 'You should do just basic story has remained consistent all the way through. We just made became the character." it stronger, and found ways of making it better, simpler, sharper, fun- Two actors provided the voice for Lewis: Daniel Hansen and Jordan nier and more emotional." Fry. "We needed two people because of the nature of working with kid Considering the experiment's success, Anderson is confident that actors, and the fact that animation takes years and years to make," 12 this method will become the new paradigm for storytelling at Disney. Anderson explains. "We started with Daniel, who was about —this "It has been talked about a great deal since our screening, and definite- was back in 2003—and unfortunately, as much as we tried to avoid it,

ly with John Lasseter and Ed Catmull in here now, it's something they Daniel grew up, and his voice changed to the point where we couldn't really want to do." use him any more. We have lots of Daniel in the movie from a few Last year, when Pixar's Lasseter and Catmull assumed control of years ago, but it became clear that any new things we wrote subsequent Disney Feature Animation, they scrutinized the projects then being to his voice change, we weren't going to be able planned and in production. As Anderson recalls, "They felt there was to use him. lots of heart and emotion in the movie already, but they wanted to make "We were very lucky to find a sounda- that stronger, because their priority is emotion and making sure people like in Jordan, who's also a great actor. really care for the characters. So anything they saw His voice matches Daniel's perfect- that they thought could be tweaked, they would ly. There are moments in the

give us a note, and then it was up to us to take film where we actually have^^^E ^S^v those notes and figure out, 'How are we going one part of a sentence as * " to incorporate all these things?' Daniel, another part is For example, Anderson cites what was Jordan, and the next done with the film's foe, Bowler Hat Guy. "We had a comical villain, and they felt that he wasn't a credible threat because we played

him so silly all the way through," Anderson notes. "So we needed to find a way to keep a danger in the film, yet maintain his silliness, because Bowler Hat Guy is

basically a little kid. He's very childlike in nature. That's his character, and that is what he

had to be in the movie. But we still needed to have a threat.

"The villain's henchman is his hat, which is a

little robotic creature named Doris. She's a failed invention, and also has evil purposes. So we brought that character a bit more to the forefront, and made Doris the 'true evil' of the two, which allowed Bowler Hat Guy to remain comedic and retain his personality." To accommodate the story changes, Meet the Robinsons' original release date of December 15, 2006 was pushed back to March 30 of this year. "Plus, the studio felt like the holiday season was crowded," Anderson says. "They told us, 'Let's

put the movie out at a time when it's going to find an audience.' Family Encounter As for the voice cast, Anderson himself plays Bowler Hat Guy. How did that character casting occur? "That has been happening more often over the past few years, with [Lib & Stitch direc- tor] Chris Sanders doing Stitch and [director]

80 STARLOG/May 2007 j

Running a tight ship, Anderson & company storyboarded the whole movie in just six months and got the green light from Disney.

When Daniel Hansen hit puberty during the production, the filmmakers cast soundalike Jordan Fry to fill in for Lewis. is Daniel again. We were able to cut them right next to each other, and actors to play around or asked them, 'Why don't you do 20 different you can't tell the difference." versions of this line?' I wanted to keep things fresh, keep the actors Most of the actors' recordings were done separately, though there invested in the characters and bring their personalities to the parts. Tom were sessions with Hansen and Wes Singerman (Wilbur Robinson) and Nicole Sullivan [Franny, Wilbur's mom] were great at that. together, and Hansen and Angela Bassett (Mildred, "And with Harland Williams [Carl the Robot, Wilbur's best friend], who runs the orphanage). "I was in there with the we could throw him any situation and he would give us multiple choic- actors, so we were able to keep a pretty good rhythm es for a particular line. He's also incredible at thinking on his feet. So going, even though they were isolated," Anderson it was loads of fun to work with those kinds of actors, and to continue says. "We cast many of the actors from improv to define and develop the characters as well as the story in the record- standup comedy, so we did lots of ad-libbing. Tom ing booth. They brought so much of themselves to the characters. Kenny, who voices SpongeBob SquarePants, plays a Harland, for example, added a warmth to Carl that was missing from science teacher, Mr. Willerstein. He's unbelievable at earlier versions. Carl is a comical character, and we never had a warm ad-libbing. We would take side to balance out his sarcasm and one-liners. Harland is just a really passes where I told the upbeat, positive guy, and we were able to incorporate that into the role." Others in the cast include Laurie Metcalf as Dr. Krunklehorn, a judge at the science fair; Tom Selleck as Cornelius Robinson, Wilbur's dad; STARLOG favorite Adam West as Uncle Art; and

Moviegoers meet more than the Robinsons (L to R): Aunt Petunia, Uncle Fritz, Cousin Tallulah, Uncle Joe (seated), Uncle Gaston, Aunt Billie, Frankie the Frog & Uncle Art (back «J " row), Lewis (in front), Franny, Wilbur (in front), Cousin Laszlo (back row), Grandma Lucille, Grandpa Bud and Carl. Who knows where the future of animation lies, but Meet the Robinsons is also being released in 3-D, a process Disney pioneered with Chicken Little.

You have to tip your cap to the film's foe, Bowler Hat Guy, for living up to his name: his henchman literally is his hat.

Disney plans to return to hand-drawn animation with The Frog Princess. Until then, audiences will have to settle for the singing, characters: Doris, Uncle Fritz, Aunt swinging Frankie the Frog. Ethan Sandler voicing a slew of Petunia, Uncle Dimitri, Uncle Spike, Cousin Laszlo and a CEO. As with traditional hand-drawn films, Anderson assigned a super- vising animator for each character. "It was important to have one per- son overseeing a character—all the behaviors, body language and act- ing that we talked about early on," he comments. "We loosely divided the animators into units, but they tended to hop around, so we didn't

have a consistent unit with each supervisor. Because of that, it was nice to have a supervisor who could [monitor] the character's perfor- mance—what they can and can't do, how broad to take them and how subtle they should be. The cool thing about working in the computer

animation realm is the interesting mix of people you get from live action, visual effects, stop-motion and traditional animation." The animation supervisors with classical hand-drawn experience were Nik Ranieri (Lewis), Dale Baer (Wilbur), Dick Zondag (Bowler Hat Guy), John Ripa (Mike Yagoobian—Lewis' roommate at the or- Adam West has a regular gig voicing the Mayor of Quahog. He phanage—and the Dinosaur) and Randy Haycock (Franny, Fritz, plays another Family Guy, Uncle Art, in Meet the Robinsons. Petunia, Tallulah and Laszlo). Mike (The Nightmare Before Christmas) ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Belzer brought his stop-motion expertise to Carl the Robot. And Jason Anastas (Uncle Gaston) and Scott Robideau (Dr. Krunkle- horn) represented the CG realm. Most of the crew had migrated from

Chicken Little. "That's pretty much the way

Disney is doing things right now: one pro- duction team for each movie," Anderson explains. "Other people are leapfrogging in terms of leadership, coming over earlier before you get the rank-and-file crew. It was an interesting transition for the anima- tors going from Chicken Little to Meet the Robinsons. Chicken Little was such a broad, complete cartoon, and Meet the

Robinsons is more complex animation. We

have humans. This is the first time the stu- dio has done CG humans, so we had lots of learning to do. There's a fine line between how realistic and cartoony we made these Where do inebriated amphibians enjoy their nightcap? Why, the local watering hole, of characters—both design- and performance- course. It's pre-historical! wise.

82 STARLOG/%2007 really, but I wouldn't mind playing around more with computers."

In the meantime, Disney is applying the stereoscopic 3-D process pioneered in Chicken Little to Meet the Robinsons. That 3-D version will be shown on approximately 300 screens. "Our 3-D is even better than Chicken Little's,

and I think it's going to continue to get better,"

Anderson remarks. "The plan is for every Disney movie to have a stereoscopic release.

John Lasseter is really excited about it. We have a guy here named Phil McNally, whom we refer to as 'Captain 3-D.' He's our 3-D guru, and he's doing amazing things. Over the last few years, there has been quite an advancement in 3-D technology." Surprisingly, the decision to make a 3-D version wasn't made until "about two-thirds

through the production. On Chicken Little,

they waited until the last minute. So it was a

good thing ours was a little bit earlier. On Disney's next movie [American Dog], they can plan for 3-D right from the get-go." The Eisner administration, thinking in terms of building franchises, did explore developing a Robinsons sequel, but those plans have been provisionally scrapped by Lasseter

and Catmull. "John and Ed's philosophy is that the only sequels will be movies driven by the

filmmakers," Anderson says. "So if the film- makers want to make a sequel, then they can.

Otherwise, no matter how successful the movie is, there won't be a fol-

low-up. Apparently, that's the way it was at Pixar. All their sequels [Toy Story 2 & 3] have been driven by the creators, and that's the way they

want to do it here, too. So, for Meet the Robinsons, that would be me." Aside from preparing for Meet the Robinsons' release, Anderson doesn't have any projects lined up. He'll return to the studio's develop- ment department—which may or may not involve a Robinsons sequel.

"I have some ideas, but I'll wait and see how the movie does and if it connects with audiences and go from there. "Meet the Robinsons is a cool time-travel story and a really fun, eye- catching film," he enthuses. "You get to travel into the future, and there's

great technology, lighting and animation. It's a real feast for the eyes. But, underneath all that, there's a heartfelt story about a boy who's try-

ing to find somebody in the world who loves him. And that, I think, is a very core human emotion. Everybody wants to find someone who loves Aunt Petunia and Uncle Fritz have a strange relationship, them. So the characters, to me, are the most appealing element. but appearances can be deceiving: She may be his wife, but "And we have a dinosaur," Stephen J. adds. she isn 't his puppet. Anderson "You can't beat that!" "Also, the studio had never done any- thing like human hair before," he adds. "There were fur and feathers in Chicken Little, but no human hair. And coming from something as cartoony as Chicken Little

[made it challenging for the animators to capture] the translucency of human skin. How do you make these characters believ- able, but not too realistic?" Toon Rendezvous Although the traditional hand-drawn animators have adjusted to animating with computers, Disney plans to return to the

former with The Frog Princess, which is being directed by 's and . "I love both [formats]," Anderson offers. "As someone from the 2-D world coming into the 3-D

world, I was a bit skeptical, but I've fallen

in love with the It's computer. quite an Don't say goodbye to the Robinsons just yet. While nothing is concrete, Anderson isn't enticing universe. I could go either way, opposed to the idea of a sequel. www.starlog.com STARLOG/% 2007 83 SEND ORDERS TO: SHIPPING & HANDLING: For domestic orders include $3.95 for the first DVD and $1.00 for each additional DVD, for foreign orders include $5.95 for the change. STARLOG GROUP, INC. first DVD and $1.00 for each additional DVD. New York State Residents must include 8.25% sales tax. Availability of products subject to 1372 BROADWAY, 2nd Floor ANIME DVD ANIME DVD BOX SETS $29.95 NEW YORK, NY 10018 _ Alien Nine $9.95 . Black Jack Collection 1 $29.95 _ Battle Arena Toshinden $9.95 . Black Jack Collection 2 _ Battle Skipper $9.95 Legend of Himiko $29.95 $9.95 Project A-ko $29.95 NAME _ Big Wars . $19.95 ADDRESS_ _ Cybernetics Guardian $9.95 „ Geobreeders $34.95 _ Darkside Blues $9.95 _ Mecha Masters STATE ZIP CITY $34.95 _ Detonator Orgun $9.95 ] Now & Then, Here & There VISA/MASTERCARD $39.95 #_ _ Dominion Tank Police $9.95 _ of Darkness " $39.95 EXP. DATE PH: _ Fencer of Minerva Vol. 1 $9.95 Gall Force $39.95 E-MAIL _ Genocyber: The Collection $9.95 _ Maze Harmagedon $9.95 . Record of Lodoss War $39.95 Hammerboy $9.95 _ Record of Lodoss War - NOTE: Phone number & e-mail will only be used in the event of an issue with _ Knights of Ramune $9.95 Chronicles of The Heroic Knight....$39.95 processing your order. No salesman will call! _ Munto $9.95 . The World of Narue $39.95 _ Odin: Starlight Mutiny $9.95 DNA2 $49.95 BLACK JACK BLACK JACK LEGEND of HIMIKO PROJECT A-ko DVD COLLECTION 1 DVD COLLECTION 2 DVD COLLECTION DVD COLLECTION (3 DVD Set) (4 DVD Set) (3 DVD Set) (3 DVD Set w/Soundtrack CD)

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In this timeline, the old Enterprise remained in service, picking up a paint job, some deadlier weapons and a new name, Conqueror. Under a more determined Captain Harriman.the crew's mission is to seek out threats to the Galactic Order and destroy them.

Writers JackTrevino, Sky Douglas Conway and Ethan H. Calk stand by Tim Russ, seated in his director's, er, captain's chair.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF ADVENTURE, THIS INTERNET FAN FILM SENDS THE ENTERPRISER THE COMPUTER UNIVERSE.

rendering this month—and still in time ject seems to have all the trappings of a P for the original series' 40th anniver- major Paramount or CBS production, sary Star Trek: Of Gods and Men fea- their corporate logos won't be gracing tures a galaxy in strife, starships in conflict either the title or end credits. That's because and a timeline altered beyond recognition. It Of Gods and Men is a fan film—just one has Walter Koenig returning as Chekov, where many of the fans involved happen to be Nichelle Nichols appearing once more as pros. Uhura and Alan Ruck as Captain John "No one was producing anything for the Harriman, the role he originated in Star Trek: 40th anniversary, either for television or the- Generations. Grace Lee Whitney and other atrical release," notes Calk, "and it seemed a Trek actors turn up as their familiar characters, shame to let this important milestone go by More recently, though, an increasing num- and dozens more Trek performers will be seen without any kind of celebration—especially ber of professionals have become involved in in all-new roles. since there was no current incarnation of Star these efforts. Dennis Bailey, the co-writer of Directed by Voyager vet Tim Russ (who Trek on the air at the time." The Next Generation's "Tin Man" and "First also reprises his role as Tuvok), Of Gods and Of Gods and Men is hardly the first made- Contact," scripted Exeter's second episode, Men was co-written by Deep Space Nine for-the-Internet production. The inexpensively "The Tressaurian Intersection," and helped scripters Jack Trevino and Ethan H. Calk and produced, 24th-century-set Star Trek: Hidden fine-tune Starship Farragut's premier outing. producer Sky Douglas Conway. While Of Frontier and the bigger-budgeted classic-era New Voyages' FX work has been pseudony- Gods and Men may be one of the biggest Trek series Starship Exeter and Star Trek: New mously handled by an Enterprise CGI artist. events in years, it won't be playing at a single Voyages blazed a trail for the scores of other And such notable writers as D.C. Fontana, multiplex, nor will it be airing on television. serious-minded fan-created films and series Michael Reaves and Marc Scott Zicree con- Instead, viewers will be able to freely down- that have since appeared in cyberspace, tributed scripts that guest-starred Koenig and load the three installments of this 90-minute exploring worlds that had gone uncharted in George Takei. Additionally, former STAR- epic from the Internet. And although this pro- the official shows. LOG columnist David Gerrold's "Blood and

86 STARLOG/% 2007 —

Star Trek: Of Gods and Men stars Trek vets Alan Ruck, Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig. Here they're joined by James Cawley, (who portrays

By DANIEL DICKHOLTZ

Fire" is due in the fall, and Howard Determined to have a Trek project on the celebrated the 40th anniversary, so we hark Weinstein's "The Sky Above, the Mudd Web for the 40th anniversary, Conway was back to some of the first episodes as a tribute to Below" with J.G. Hertzler — as Harry Mudd seeking out scribes when former New Voyages the rich depth of Trek lore. We wanted it to be is scheduled for New Voyages next year. Calk writer-producer Jack Marshall brought Calk a morality play in the grand tradition of Gene himself is at work on a script for He Who and Trevino to his attention. Calk had previ- Roddenberry's vision. And finally, we wanted the Draws Sword, an original series-era pro- ously written "Visionary" and "Children of it to be contemporary, dealing with current ject set entirely within the Mirror Universe. Time" for Deep Space Nine, while Trevino issues: war, peace, terrorism and power." had (along with Toni Marberry) scripted DS9's Also, Trevino recalls, "Sky told us that he Worshipping Cods "Indiscretion" and "Little Green Men." The was interested in developing a storyline for Among those eagerly watching each two had actually been among the first estab- Chekov, Uhura and Sulu. He has known episode of these assorted fan-created series lished writers to work on New Voyages, but Koenig, Nichols and Takei for years, and he was Conway. One of the principal players while production problems and location wanted to do something to honor their partici- behind the Planet Xpo conventions, and the requirements eventually made plans for their pation in Star Trek. He felt that they needed producer of the short film "Roddenberry on episode untenable, it did leave them available their moments to shine on the screen. So, Patrol," Conway was inspired by what he saw. to start on Conway's project... once they settled whatever film we developed would revolve "They're all outstanding labors of love," he on what it would be about. primarily around those actors. I was 100 per- says. "And they're a testament to Star Trek's, "We had about half a dozen concepts," cent behind that concept, being an original power and extraordinary influence." remembers Conway. "We wanted a story that series fan myself. But when George had www.starlog.com STARLOG/% 2007 87 two weren't right—one was too obscure in Trek lore, and the other had been done many times before." At one point, Conway pushed to do a Mirror Universe story, but Trevino objected, believing that that reality had already been covered on three of the official series. However, the discussion did spark another idea—one that would see a hero eliminated from history. "It was clear that we weren't going to be able to get William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy," Trevino notes. "So I told Sky, 'The After Kirk's apparent Does the altered Chekov (Koenig) have importance of Captain Kirk in the Star Trek demise at the start of Harriman (Ruck) where he wants him? Or I world is monumental. What if Captain Kirk Generations, his original does the guardian of the Galactic Order wasn't around? I don't mean after his Enterprise is reborn have one more trick up his sleeve? Find And 12 years later.. .as out and Men's chapters are death in Generations. I mean, what if he was as Of Gods ." " a museum. • posted in April, May and June! never around?' Although the writers prefer to remain

scheduling conflicts and wasn't able to be silent about details, what is known about Of from friends and colleagues within Starfleet. involved, we beefed up Captain Harriman's Gods and Men's plot is that it opens a dozen But Chekov and Uhura told him that no matter

role quite a bit." years after Generations' prologue, with who had been in the captain's chair, Kirk There were also other concerns that had to Chekov, Uhura and Harriman coming together would have done what Kirk did. It wasn't be addressed. "Since the budget was limited, for an event commemorating the 40th anniver- Harriman's fault. Then they basically took we needed a story that utilized existing Star sary of the start of Captain Kirk's original five- Harriman under their wing, and because of Trek sets," says Calk. "We used the New year mission. That is, until mysterious forces that association, they became steadfast friends. Voyages studios, so much of our movie takes erase away the very existence of the Uhura has gone on to become Chief of place on a Constitution-dass vessel. Addition- Enterprise's intrepid former commander. Linguistics at Starfleet, and Chekov has

ally, we wanted a story that featured Tuvok, Before the time warp occurs, Trevino moved up within Starfleet's rank and file, since Tim was our director. In all, we consid- explains, "Captain Harriman, having been the although he wants to progress more. ered three different storylines. After looking at scapegoat for the incident in which Captain Remember, in Star Trek IV, his dream was to the story requirements, we found that the first Kirk allegedly lost his life, had to face ridicule be an admiral. Chekov wants to move on, but

Formerly Spock's rival, o Stonn t (Lawrence £ < Montaigne of "Amok Time") is now a teacher, particularly to Uhura (Nichols) and Tuvok (Russ).

Tuvok and Uhura prepare for a mindmeld that may reveal their reality

isn 't what it should be.

With Kirk never having Once Neelix, Ethan For this mini-series, Chase Cirroc Lofton puts been a part of her life, Phillips now acts Masterson slinks out of her aside the journalism Janice Rand (Grace Lee as a guide through Deep Space Nine role and lessons learned by Whitney) finds her cyberspace in his new into the part of Xela, DSffs Jake Sisko existence a grim one role as a Federation Harriman's loyal Orion to take up Vulcan indeed. data clerk. communications officer. studies as Sevar.

88 STARLOG/Afoy 2007 On location at Vasquez Rocks, Koenig, Ruck and Nichols prepare to confront an unknown force, while camera operator Tristan Barnard, second AD Toby Brusseau (in orange-and- white cap), Calk (with clipboard) and other crew members ready themselves.

things have stalled for him. I guess they're bouncing around. Though we developed the sequent Trek series. "Great actors love to act," both feeling a little bit old." [Of Gods and Men] idea, story and script with he says. "So many Star Trek actors don't get Once Kirk has been removed from reality, Sky, Jack and I would talk and/or e-mail sev- an opportunity to truly show their range. This the effects are dramatic. Starfleet now eral times a day during the writing process, so was a chance for them to do just that."

responds not to the Federation, but the ultra- it didn't really seem all that different." "In particular, I asked Sky if he knew security-conscious Galactic Order, and their "I have a tendency to be long-winded," Chase Masterson," Trevino recalls, "and he

ship designs and uniforms have barely Trevino admits. "Ethan is very good at extract- told me that he was friends with her. I said, advanced beyond what was available at the ing the main idea and bringing it down to a 'Well, we have to get her to play the Orion time of the original series. The three protago- concise number of lines, and Sky wanted the communications officer Xela.' And she is mar- nists have consequently followed different film to be about an hour and a half. It worked velous. She conveys the seductive passions of in paths their lives. The altered Harriman, out quite well: each act, or segment, is approx- an Orion slavewoman while still being an offi- described by Calk as "cunning and powerful," imately 30 minutes long. It's a three-act movie cer—and a competent one at that!" still commands a starship, but as a servant of that we've divided into three installments." A familiar face who's almost unrecogniz- the Galactic Order, he's willing to destroy Even as they debated plot points and dia- able is Garrett Wang, who here essays a very

worlds in his hunt for terrorists. One in partic- logue nuances, the trio discussed casting bad guy named Garan. "Oh, he's bad all right," ular, 6 Chekov—who views himself as a free- choices. Conway's connections—both person- dom fighter—has been Harriman's target for al and business with many of the different jj — | some time. What Harriman doesn't realize is shows' actors made their decisions much easi- S that he has been the object of Chekov's quest er. Says Trevino, "We wanted to honor some jg for revenge for just as long. Uhura, mean- of the original series' guest stars. So, we tried while, finds herself the lone voice speaking to get people like Celeste Yarnall, who played « out for peace. Martha Landon [in "The Apple"], Lawrence | "Let's just say that without Kirk ever being Montaigne as Stonn and Arlene Martel, who | around, things are quite bad," Trevino was T'Pring from .' Jack Donner £ explains. "And it isn't just Kirk not being was Subcommander Tal [in "The Enterprise £ around, but the influence he had on so many Incident"], and although we couldn't work | people, such as our main heroes. So, it's an him in as Tal, we wanted to have him there ^ exercise in studying what these people would nonetheless. Tania Lemani's character died in 2 have been like had he not been around to be 'Wolf in the Fold,' so we couldn't bring her § that good, positive influence on them." character back, but we wanted to have Tania in While Harriman's away, his Klingon cohort OS this as well." (DSffs J.G. Hertzler), navigator (Enterprise's Crystal Allen) and helmsman | Playing Cods It was Conway's idea to give most of the (Weiv Voyages' Jeffrey Quinn) tend to the S After the plot was set, Calk frequently took new character roles to the actors from the sub- Conqueror. ^ the first pass at sections of the script, with > Trevino and Conway adding their comments,

S5 changes and new sequences afterward. For » Calk, the collaboration was an extension of f> what he and fellow San Antonioan Trevino = had already established. ^ "Jack and I have known each other for years," {j many Calk remarks. "We discovered % each other through local newspaper articles S written about us when our Deep Space Nine m episodes aired. Eventually, we got together " and pitched an Enterprise novel to Pocket

S Books—which they rejected, saying it was

§, 'too TOS' [the original series]. When Jack dis-

>. covered New Voyages just before their first 5 episode aired, we started collaborating on that Twelve years further | script; then afterward, we worked together on into the original crew's t most everything. We bring different talents to future, even more, advanced starships have S the table, so there are always lots of ideas taken to the heavens. www.starlog.com "

Captain Harriman still commands the Enterprise-B in this "real" Trevino remarks. "And Garrett wanted to play, timeline. The adventure continues I don't want to say 'evil,' but a character in at the website contrast to the one he played on Voyager for (www.startrekofgodsandmen.com). seven years. When Garrett is on the conven- tion circuit, he gets the goody-two-shoes ques- tions all the time, and he wants people to know that he can do other types of characters." Unfortunately, they couldn't land every one of their casting choices, some of whom actually explored the final frontier. "Neil

Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the first men on the Moon, were interested, but their schedules conflicted," Conway bemoans. "I'm not kid- ding. They are huge Trek fans!"

Of all the characters, "I really liked the challenge of writing for Harriman," confides Calk. "He's the one major character the audi- ence knows very little about. We essentially ence, but I still couldn't help feeling a little The problem with fan films, financially had a blank slate, since he has only been seen twinge every time Walter asked, 'Where are speaking, is that they can't charge per viewing on screen for a few minutes. Harriman has the writers?' nor sell DVD copies; if they did, Paramount often been ridiculed for being bumbling and and CBS would sue them for copyright incompetent, and this was the perfect opportu- Making Cods infringement. This, of course, means that it's nity to redeem him and show what kind of an Aside from casting and script concerns, almost impossible for producers to recoup officer and person he truly is. Alan Ruck had Conway had other issues to deal with, namely what they've spent. As a potential solution, some good ideas about the character as well, the logistics of such a production. Location Conway and McRoberts have taken the so I think we did him justice. I also enjoyed shooting took place in California, but for inte- unprecedented step of going to CBS to try to what we did for Gary Graham [who plays riors, the filmmakers headed to upstate NY, officially license Of Gods and Men. It's another freedom fighter/terrorist]. Chekov and where James Cawley had painstakingly re-cre- unlikely to happen, but, says Conway, "Hey, Uhura were probably the most difficult. Not ated the Enterprise sets for New Voyages using we can dream, can't we? We don't really know only are there 79 episodes and six movies of the original series' blueprints. what the implications would be. characterizations to which we had to be true, "The biggest juggle was getting everybody "Mac is hoping this will open some doors but Walter and Nichelle know their characters to Port Henry, NY, and [dealing with] the at CBS and demonstrate what can be done by

so well that I felt a little nervous about their accommodations in a small town," says Trek fans. Again, just look at the high-caliber dialogue—especially when we got to the shoot Conway. "The makeup and wardrobe issues fan films like New Voyages, Exeter, Hidden and they wanted to talk about their characters. were quite challenging. And 100-plus degree Frontier and others. Also, Mac is starting up a

I found speaking to them a positive experi- temperatures and a record-breaking heat wave new digital studio for movies to be delivered with no AC added to the complexities." via the Internet. Of Gods and Men will show

Helping him pull it off were "lots of talent- what can be done." ed people. Our makeup team, wardrobe The question remains, however: Why team... everybody was incredible. Marc Linn, would so many people—who have written, our first AD, and [film editor] Tristan Barnard performed, created FX and been paid hand- were awesome. Our DP, Doug Knapp, was our somely for their efforts—invest so much time Scotty. We had more than 50 fantastic volun- and effort in a project of this magnitude for teers who assisted. Associate producers Linda virtually nothing? For Calk, who is already at Zaruches and Peter Christian, and James work with Trevino on a different script for Cawley and Jim Lowe of New Voyages—they New Voyages, it's a matter of control. were all incredible." And, of course, there's "After you submitted your story to DS9, it the film's director, Russ. "He is amazing and was essentially out of your hands," Calk truly talented. Tim has a wonderful directing explains. "I almost got the chance to write the career ahead of him." teleplay for one of my [pitched] DS9 stories, Furthermore, Conway had the benefit of but they fast-tracked the episode, and there working on "Roddenberry on Patrol," a short just wasn't time for an outside writer to join An alternate-reality rogues' gallery: A the process. Since we were creating Gods Klingon and an Andorian (played by New film also directed by Russ about the Star Trek Of Voyages' John Carrigan and Charles W. creator during his time as a police officer and and Men from scratch, there was nobody to Webb), Garan (Voyager's Garrett Wang) how the people he meets while on duty inspire tell us what we could or couldn't do. We had and Conqueror captain John Harriman. his space opera. " 'Roddenberry on Patrol' was total control." a historical piece set in the early '60s," Says Trevino, "For me, it was primarily Conway says. "The challenges are the same because Sky told me that he was going to be with a futuristic film: the wardrobe, sets and able to get all of these Star Trek actors back in

props are all unique to your movie. The only it. At that point, I knew this would take on a

difference is the time it takes to shoot it. All whole new level, transcend the average fan the other issues are virtually the same." film and elevate it to a much higher status. The

While it's a pittance compared to a regular casual fan reads 'fan film' and, unfortunately, TV episode, the budget (though undisclosed) they may not take it as seriously. Well, we're

is said to be the largest for any Trek fan film. confident that once the first segment comes Whereas most such projects are funded out, it's going to spread like wildfire. People through the contributions of those involved or are going to clamor for the next installment." by donations, Of Gods and Men was entirely Sky Douglas Conway has perhaps the most paid for by Mac McRoberts. "He's our execu- direct answer: He and all these other people his show. are willing to do this and projects like it sim- A crewwoman fires her phaser, but in this tive producer," says Conway. "It's altered reality, who's in the right? Without Mac, this wouldn't have happened." ply "for the love of Trek'' ^

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