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0 "71896"43033" 2 www.starlog.com

NUMBER 356 • JUNE 2007

STAR WARS PHOTO GUIDEBOOK 39 30 YEARS OF THE FORCE Celebrate three decades of SF action in these iconic images STARLOC 14 LOST WOMAN Emilie de Ravin has gotten used to life on the island 18 ON THE NICHTWATCH Lucy Griffiths is more than Maid Marian to

23 VISIT WITH THE FOUR On the FF2 set, 's time for the Rise of the 26 THE FANTASTICAR DEBUTS Now, the Fantastic Four have an extremely cool, hot ride

29 CAUGHT IN THE WEB Spider-Man 3's Tobey Maguire, , Topher Grace & Thomas Haden Church talk 34 DYES Redhead Bryce Dallas Howard went blonde for Peter Parker

55 HEY, SURF'S UP! These penguins grab boards & catch an animated wave 60 PIRATES SAIL ONCE MORE Jerry Bruckheimer leads their exploits At World's End 66 YEAR OF THE TURTLES The on the half-shell have retooned in CGI style

71 TWO MINUTES FROM NOW For his Next trick, looks into the future 74 THE THIRD Our favorite ogre is taking lessons in chivalry knightly 82 SINBAD, & YMIR 's fantasies come to comic books

86 DANCING IN GREEN Color Menina Fortunato lucky to be part of Star Trek

Photo: Trademark & Copyright 1977 Lucasfilm, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. THIS SCENE WAS NEVER THE SAME AFTER EPISODE SIX. THIRTV VEARS LATER 4 STARLOGAwe 2007 www.starlog.com WlA&t

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Send orders to: ORDER INFO STARLOG GROUP, INC. or order online: KIRK figure $17.99 X 1372 BROADWAY, 2nd Fl. wtAnAf.starlog.com/store NEW YORK, NY 10018 figure $17.99 X Name subtotal + & handling"-* Address +8.25% NYS Sales Tax*** Km TOTAL "SHIPPING INFO U.S.: $5.00 1st item, $2.00 ea. additional. INT'L: S11.00 City- State Zip. USD 1st item, $4.00 USD ea. additional. * * "SALES TAX Applicable to NY State residents only. Daytime Phone*:. PAYMENT INFO Email*: CARD # NOTE: Phone number & email will only be used if there is an issue with processing your order. No salesman will call. EXP VISA MASTER CARD President ) countless heroes, including several men- THOMAS DeFEO tioned in this very issue (, the Publisher Fantastic Four, the Silver Surfer, Mister Miracle). NORMAN JACOBS , the pioneering Spirit of graphic Assistant Publisher narrative. RITA EISENSTEIN , innovative writer-illustrator Executive Art Director (and, we proudly note, while at Medi- W.R. MOHALLEY QUOTE OF THE MONTH ascene Prevue of STARLOG's Editor). His career Editor "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall as an escape artist actually inspired the creation of DAVID MCDONNELL escape my sight! Let those who worship evil's comics heroes: Kirby's Mister Miracle and might, beware my power 's light!" Michael Chabon's the Escapist. Art Director — HEINER FEIL —Green Lantern , that fabulous artist who spear- headed the efforts to properly credit, repay and Managing Editor ALLAN DART SAD DECISION OF THE MONTH honor creators & Joe Shus- Hil arve ' Comics. And the of Steve ter. He persuaded DC Comics to do the right thing. Contributing Editors I VI Rogers, Captain America. Sure, it made for a Alan Moore, world's greatest comics writer. ANTHONY TIMPONE MICHAEL CINCOLD shocking tale, opened up intriguing later story pos- He never tires of fighting the good fight—espe- TOM WEAVER sibilities, brought major mainstream media atten- cially against those who tarnish, censor or ineptly IAN SPELLING JOE NAZZARO tion to the field and sold lotsa funny books. Yes, adapt his works. WILL MURRAY we know Steve Rogers can be rescued or resurrect- ed somehow in the future and/or Captain America THE LAST FAREWELLS STARLOC GROUP, A creative croup company can be recast with another hero behind the hood. The universe sadly salutes these JOSEPH V. AVALLONE CEO And furthermore, he's not real—and these are all fantastic talents who died recently. imaginary stories—but still. .the death of a hero, Steve Swires (October 2006, STARLOG only Executive Assistants: Dee Erwine, Sean Ogden. real or imaginary, is always a matter to regret. just learned of his death) One of us. STARLOG's Correspondents: (LA) Pat Jankiewicz, Senior Correspondent. He contributed to FANGO- Bob Miller, Marc Shapiro, Bill Warren, Dan Yakir; (NYC) Dan Dlckholtz, Mike McAven- WIN CASPER & WENDY! RIA, COMICS SCENE and our other publications nie, Maureen McTigue, Keith Olexa; n honor of Free Day, STARLOG for more than two decades. His stories were, as he (Chicago) Kim Howard Johnson; I has five autographed copies of a very unlikely would say, "chock full of downright goodness." (Phoenix) Bill Florence; (D.c.) Rhonda A Krafchin; (Orlando) Bill Wilson; (Canada) book, The Best of Harveyville Fun Times, to give true pro. Mark Phillips; (Booklog) Penny Kenny, away free! It's an unexpectedly interesting chroni- Bob Oksner (February 2007) The comic Jean-Marc & Randy Lofficler, Michael Wolff; (Toons) Alain "bort.Q" chaperon, cle of the Harvey Comics (and cartoon) characters, book artist who lent his humorous style to such Mike Fisher, Tom Holtkamp, Bob including Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the DC titles as Stanley and His Monster, and Muleady; (Photos) Donn Nottage, Lisa Little Orris, Albert Ortega. Good Witch, Hot Stuff, Sad Thanks to: Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Ash Sack and . jgA 'F ONLY WE MADE 'EM DEPT. Brannon, Michael Broldy, Jerry Bruck- Print your name and address heimer, , Nicolas Cage, Krlsty Chan, Michael Chiklis, Thomas Haden on a postcard legibly. Postcards %wmtTARLOG wws mnm fa Church, Meghan Courtney, Amanda only please. One entry per house- Cramer, Darren Davis, Emilie de Ravin, Kirsten Dunst, Chris Evans, Mike Femia, hold. Multiple entries will be dis- Tim Flattery, Menina Fortunate, Jess Gar- qualified. Mail to STARLOG, UPGRADED FX! <3REEDO DRAWS FIRST!! JABBA SHOWS UP!!! C<31!!!! cia, Todd Garner, Topher Grace, Tom Gray, Harvey Contest, Howard Green, Lucy Griffiths, loan 1372 Broadway,

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Maguire, Julian McMahon, Chris Miller, offices by May 3 1 . A drawing will Julianne Moore, Kirk Petrucelli, Sam be held shortly thereafter and Raimi, R.A. Rondell, Rebecca Rosen, Andrew Runyon, Dan scapperotti, John prizes sent out. Employees (and Singh, Gina Soliz, Steven Solomon, Lisa their family members) of STAR- stone, Tim story, Lee Tamahori, Jeff Walk- LOG, the Creative Group the er, Ralph Winter, Dave Wong, and cover images: Pirates: ©2007 Disney Harveytoon Universe are ineligi- Enterprises, Inc. & Jerry Bruckheimer, ble. Void where prohibited by law. inc. All Rights Reserved; spider-Man: ©2007 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. Decisions of the judges are final. All Rights Reserved. Spider-Man Charac- Good luck! ter Likeness: Trademark & ©2007 Marvel Characters, inc. All Rights Reserved; Shrek: Trademark & ©2007 DreamWorks FIVE OF OUR LLC. All Rights Reserved. For Advertising information: HEROES (646) 649-8131; FAX (212) 889-7933 are, in honor of this Advertising They Director Rita Eisenstein month's Free Comic Book West Coast Ads: Robyn Faust, 2111 255th Street, Lomita, CA 90717 Day (May 5): (310) 539-2116 Cel (310) 710-8146 , the protean artist FAX (310) 373-8760

International Licensing Rep: Robert J. who truly was the American OOPS! WE SAW 'EM "FIXED" IN THE Abramson & Associates, inc., 720 Post comic book. He created or co-cre- SPECIAL EDITION. Road, scarsdale, NY 10583 NEVER MIND! ated (with and later

STARLOG (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. STARLOG and The Science Fiction Universe are registered trademarks of STARLOG GROUP, INC. This is issue Num- ber 356, June 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- sibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photos or other materials, but if submittals are accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope, they'll be considered and, if necessary, returned. Please do not call the editorial office re: this material. Due to time constraints, freelancer phone calls will not be accepted. STARLOG does not pub- lish fiction. Fiction submissions are not accepted and are discarded without reply. Products advertised are not necessarily endorsed by STARLOG, and views expressed in editorial copy are not necessarily those of STARLOG. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY and additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: $56.97 one year (12 issues) delivered in U.S. only. Canadian and foreign subscriptions $66.97 in U.S. funds only. New subscriptions send directly to STARLOG, 1372 Broadway, 2nd Fir., New York, NY 10018-6144. Notification of change of address or renewals send to STARLOG Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 430, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to STARLOG Subscription Dept., P.O. Box 430, Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430. Printed in U.S.A.

6 STARLOG/fc/ne 2007 www.starlog.com director of numerous genre pic- McFarland has reissued two earlier tures (mostly for Hammer, Ami- Weaver volumes in new $25 tpb editions. cus and his son Kevin's Tyburn These collect his unabridged interviews, por- Films) who bookended that tions of which were initially published in career with stints as an Oscar- STARLOG, and other maga- winning cinematographer. In the zines. Interviews With B Science Fiction and latter role, he shot Sons and Horror Movie Makers (1988) includes talks Lovers (an Oscar win), The Inno- with , Susan Cabot, Beverly Gar- cents, Night Must Fall, The Ele- land, Curt Siodmak, Samuel Z. Arkoff, lb J. phant Man, Dune (1984), Cape Melchior and others. Meanwhile, Science Fear (1991), Glory (a second Fiction Stars and Horror Heroes (1991) fea- Oscar win) and others. As direc- tures interviews with Richard Matheson, Kim tor, this genre giant made The Hunter, Janet Leigh, Anna Lee, Hazel Court, Brain (a 1963 remake of Dono- Yvette Vickers, Phyllis Coates, Robert van's Brain), Paranoiac, Night- Shayne, etc. For more info (and to order), see mare, , the website (www.mcfarlandpub.com). Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, , , They FILM FANTASY CALENDAR Came from Beyond Space, The Release dates are extremely subject to Deadly Bees, , Torture Gar- change and may shift without any notice. den, Has Risen from the May: Spider-Man 3 (5/4), 28 Weeks Later -IteMWG a? WffH BENDER IKE- PMJEKS Grave, Tales from the Crypt, (5/11), (5/18), Pirates of the Tales That Witness Madness, The Caribbean: At World's End (5/25). Creeping Flesh, Legend of the June: Day Watch (6/1), Surf's Up! (6/8), Werewolf, The Ghoul (1975) and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer the Ape, The Adventures of and The Doctor and the Devils. His autobiogra- (6/15), Nancy Drew (6/15), Evan Almighty The Adventures of Jerry Lewis. phy, completed shortly before his death, is (6/22), Ratatouille (6/29), The Martian Child (March) The comics forthcoming. (FANGORIA #54) (6/29). writer who co-created Deadman, the Doom July: (7/4), Harry Potter and Patrol and Stanley and His Monster. He also BY OUR CONTRIBUTORS the Order of the Phoenix (7/13), 1408 (7/13), scripted and produced the movie The Flesh Movie (7/27). Eaters. (FANGORIA #219; an unpublished [wiSTEPSl August: Underdog (8/3), Stardust interview is forthcoming in STARLOG) (8/10), The Invasion (8/17), Fan- (March) The comics STARDOM boys (8/17), Halloween (remake, artist best known for a short but icon-defining 8/31). 1970s stint on in . im September: The Dark is Rising He also drew Mister Miracle, Silver Surfer, (9/28). , Detectives, Inc. and a graph- October: Trick V Treat (10/5), 30 ic novel adaptation of 's Days of Night (10/19). . November: Bee Movie (11/2), Herman Stein (March) The film com- Enchanted (11/2), Fred Claus poser who contributed to the scores—some- (11/9), Mr. Magorium's Wonder times uncredited, often alongside other Emporium (11/16), Beowulf composers—of numerous genre classics. (11/16), The Mist (11/21). They include Creature from the Black Why not add these newest entries to your STARLOG December: The Golden Compass Lagoon, The Incredible Shrinking Man, It Contributors Library? (12/7), I Am Legend (12/14), Alvin Came from Outer Space, This Island Earth, & the Chipmunks (12/14), Sweeney The Mole People, Tarantula and Abbott & Veteran correspondent Marc Shapiro has Todd (12/21), vs. Predator: Survival Costello Go to Mars. three biographies now on store shelves: of the Fittest (12/25), The Water Horse Gareth Hunt (March) He starred as Natural Born Man: The Life of Jack Johnson (12/25). Mike in The New . He also (Helter Skelter Publishing, he, $19.95), Pas- guested in ("Planet of the Spi- sion and Pain: The Life of Hector Lavoe (St. SUBSCRIBER SERVICES ders"), Space: 1999 (" of Piri") Martin's , tpb, $14.95) wdJ.K. Rowl- Missing copies? Moving? Renewals? and The New Adventures of Robin Hood. ing: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter (St. Receiving duplicates? Subscription questions? (STARLOG #152) Martin's Griffin, pb, $5.99, an expanded edi- Write to: William M. Panzer (March) One of the tion of his previously published bio). For STARLOG Subscriber Services, P.O. Box 430 men behind the Highlander saga. He served those not in the know, Johnson is the singer- Mt. Morris, IL 61054-0430 as an executive producer of the movies and songwriter, Lavoe was the Salsa legend and Inquiries to editorial offices only delay matters. TV series. (STARLOG #185) Rowling is (of course) a writer. Sutton Roley (March) The TV director Tom Weaver also has three books out. He NEW SUBSCRIBERS: who helmed episodes of Lost in Space ("The co-wrote Steps to Stardom with Paul Picerni See subscription ad in this issue. Antimatter Man," "Wish Upon a Star," etc.), (BearManor, tpb, $24.95). It's the fascinating Do NOT send money to above address. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea ("The Phan- autobiography of the actor best known as Attach Mailing Label Here tom Strikes," "Return of the "), The Agent Lee Hobson of TV's The Untouch- Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Seven Wonders ables and (to us) as the hero who fought NAME. of the World Affair" two-parter), The Charles Bronson (literally) and Invaders, The Sixth Sense, The , (figuratively) in House of Wax (1953). Picerni Airwolf Mission: Impossible, and offers candid stories of his days with best ADDRESS.. many others. He also directed the feature friend Telly Savalas and such stars as Burt Chosen Survivors and the TV movie Satan's Lancaster, Errol Flynn and John Wayne. For Triangle. (STARLOG #218) more info (and to order), see the website (March) The British (www.bearmanormedia.com). CITY...

STATE ZIP. UPDATES heroine's boy friend. Star Trek XI starts shooting this fall for a Neal McDonough has the title role in SCI December 25, 2008 premiere. J.J. Ab- FI's Tin Man mini-series. He plays Cain, an rams (who previously was only going to pro- ex-lawman (cops are known as Tin Men due duce) has officially signed to direct this to their metallic badges). Raoul Trujillo prequel. completes the Oz-like quartet as Raw, the On Memorial Day, the History Channel mums Cowardly Lion/ character (the will a new special exploring ' By DAVID MCDONNELL others are Zooey Deschanel and Alan Cum- impact on pop culture. Lucasfilm and Pro- ming). Kathleen Robertson plays the wicked metheus Entertainment produced it. sorceress Azkadellia. And Richard Dreyfuss That new Clone Wars series Lucasfilm is is the wizard known as Mystic Man. doing will be set, naturally, between Epi- sodes II and ///. They plan to create 100 CG- VOICEOVERS animated episodes and then sell it to a TV Jason Lee—who spoke up for Buddy network. (a.k.a. Syndrome) in — There has almost been a deal a couple of voices the title character in Underdog. Lee times for Steven Spielberg to take cinematic will also voice David Seville in the upcom-

charge of Herge's beloved Tintin. Now, final- ing Alvin and the Chipmunks. That one is ly, DreamWorks has acquired the film rights. being scripted by Jon (The Simpsons) Vitti Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy will pro- and directed by Tim (Muppets from Space) duce the project. Hill. Tom Hanks and Tim Allen will return as SEQUELS Woody and Buzz Lightyear for . Cate Blanchett and Ray Winstone will both Superman's animated mythos has a new get into adventure in Indiana Jones IV. voice cast. For the direct-to-DVD Super- The Mummy 3, set in China, will be di- man: Doomsday (out September 18), Sereni- rected by Rob Cohen (, The ty's Adam Baldwin speaks up as the Man of Fast and the Furious, Stealth) from a script Steel. Buffy's James Marsters (Brainiac on by 's Alfred Gough and Miles Mil- THE MYSTERY OF Smallville) is . And Anne Heche lar. It's targeted for a July 2008 premiere. THE GIRL SLEUTH voices . Bruce Timm is producing. Brendan Fraser returns, this time his antago- Where has she been? Nancy Drew returns to the mystery beat (in the nist is Jet Li. GENRE TV form of young actress Emma Roberts) Bruce Willis is starring in another Die -Men's Anna Paquin will play Sookie in a new movie, debuting June 15. Hard sequel. It's not SF, but of note because XStackhouse in the HBO TV series Unsurprisingly, a sequel is already Len Wiseman (of the Underworld flicks) is True Blood, based on Charlaine Harris' in the works. directing Live Free or Die Hard. It's due out Southern Vampire novels. Six Feet Under

June 27. creator Alan Ball is masterminding this pro- man film, The Dark Knight. As fans know, ject. Ryan (Dead Silence) Kwanten and Sam THE REMAKE CAME Dent eventually becomes Two-Face. Billy Trammell co-star. There can't be a good reason to remake Dee Williams and Tommy Lee Jones had the Kristin (Wicked) Chenoweth portrays a Escape from New York, but New Line role in the previous Batman movie series. dead woman come alive in Bryan Fuller's Cinema is doing it anyway. 300's Gerard Richard Moll voiced the animated TV ver- pilot. Butler will wear the eyepatch as the new sion. Also, Maggie Gyllenhaal has replaced Similarly, Kathy Baker co-stars in Baby- Snake Plissken. Ken Nolan will script this Batman Begins' Katie Holmes as Assistant lon Fields, the CBS zombie family pilot. one to be produced by Neal Moritz. Yes, D.A. Rachel Dawes. The CW has a genre pilot: The Reaper.

John Carpenter is pocketing a big check as Germany's Studio Babelsberg will host And it sounds like someone has seen Ghost an exec producer. the filming of the Wachowski Brothers' live- Rider and/or remembered TV's Brimstone. Columbia Pictures is now behind the action Speed Racer. That's the same studio Ray (Twin Peaks) Wise is the Devil, who Green Hornet movie (a project once at Uni- where V'for Vendetta was shot. Emile (Alpha sends a bounty hunter (Bret Harrison) out versal, later at Miramax). Moritz is in charge Dog) Hirsch has the title role. after lost souls. Invasion's Tyler Labine also as producer on this one, too. stars. Sorry about that, Chief! Alan Arkin has CHARACTER CASTINGS Does this man ever stand still? William signed to play the head of C.O.N.T.R.O.L. in Andy Serkis is Albert Einstein. He plays Shatner will race in ABC's summer reality the new Get Smart film. The late Edward the genius in Einstein and Eddington, series Fast Cars and Superstars. Shatner and Piatt originated the role in the TV . the true story of Einstein's friendship with other participants will take tips from Eugene Roche portrayed him in The Nude British scientist Sir Arthur Eddington (Doc- NASCAR and then hit the gas. Bomb, with Kenneth Mars taking over for a tor Who's David Tennant). HBO and the Smart TV movie version. BBC are teaming on the project, directed by ANIMATION SCENE It's 2007. Must be time to start making Philip Martin. Next year's Pixar animated film will be a another Sherlock Holmes movie! Neil (The Lord of the Rings' David Wenham will be robot tale, Wall-E. Andrew (Finding Descent) Marshall will direct from a the antagonist in Baz Luhrmann's previously Nemo) Stanton is directing. Jim Morris (for- Michael Johnson script for Warner Bros. untitled pre-WWII epic love story merly of Lucasfilm Digital) is producing this This one will emphasize elements not often set Down Under. And now, the film has a June 27, 2008 release. seen in other Holmes adaptations (the drug name: . Hugh Jackman's the hero, DreamWorks Animation and Aardman abuse, perhaps?), with the Great Detective Nicole Kidman is the heroine. Animation have ended their distribution/pro- now more of an action hero. 's duction pact. Crood Awakenings (scripted by plays an evil bionic woman who battles the John Cleese and Kirk De Micco) stays at COMICS SCENE show's heroine in, yes, the Bionic Woman DreamWorks. Now, Chris (Lilo & Stitch) Aaron (Paycheck) Eckhart plays Gotham pilot. Miguel Ferrer is also in it (in the Oscar Sanders will direct. And Aardman has made City D.A. Harvey Dent in the next Bat- Goldman role), with Chris Bowers as the a deal instead with Sony.

8 mm/June 2007 www.starlog.com SCI Fl REPORT Things seem Emilie de Ravin chats about her role this George Clooney and Grant Heslov's partly cloudy issue on page 14. for Smallville Smokehouse Productions is developing a now, but six-hour mini-series rendition of Neal MEDIUM iff expect more Stephenson's novel The Diamond Age: Or a Wednesdays on NBC. Probably will action and Airs Young Lady 's Illustrated Primer for the SCI be renewed for another season. adventure Stephenson is scripting what FI Channel. this fall. will simply be known as Diamond Age. PAINKILLER JANE SCI FI is now calling its weekend genre Airs Fridays, 10 p.m. on SCI FI. It'll be flicks SCI FI Saturday: The Most Dangerous syndicated to local stations this fall. Night of Television. Two more TV movies is issuing a new are in production for this year: King Arthur Painkiller Jane comic book, now out. & the Order of the Dragon (the knights quest for the Holy Grail while battling a spi- THE SIMPSONS der-dragon) and The Lost Colony {High- Airs Sundays on Fox. The show's 400th lander's, Adrian Paul stars in a tale of the lost (!!) episode premieres this month. American colony of Roanoke). SCI FI has Already renewed for another year. also put three more teleflicks into develop- ment: Odysseus & the Isle of Mists (the SMALLVILLE & Greek hero & crew vs. Persephone & her vampires), Riddle of the Sphinx (explorers Both air Thursdays on the CW. Both are battle a riddle-posing Sphinx) and Sherlock likely to be renewed for another season. Holmes & the . Announcements shortly. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ATLANTIS Renewed for a fourth season (which will Airs Fridays on SCI FI. New episodes now be 22 episodes, not 13) to begin began debuting 4/13. Renewed for a 20- filming this month for a January 2008 bow episode fourth season (now in production). on SCI FI. STARGATE SG-1 BLOOD TIES Airs Fridays on SCI FI. The final 10 new New series based on Tanya Huff's paper- episodes began debuting 4/13. Two back saga airing Sundays, 10 p.m. on direct-to-DVD movies are in the works: Lifetime. 4/29: "Stone Cold." Lisa Ray Stargate: The Ark of Truth (which started guests as the reincarnated Medusa. 5/6: Returns to USA for a fourth, 13-episode shooting 4/15, and wraps up plot ) "Necrodome." 5/13: "Post Partum." 5/20: season 6/17. and Stargate: Continuum (which establishes "Norman" (special time, 9 p.m.) and season a new storyline, directed by ). finale "D.O.A." (10 p.m.). GHOST HUNTERS Continuum—which stars Renewed by SCI FI for a 13-episode and —already filmed scenes on THE DEAD ZONE fourth season. They'll once again air a location near the North Pole (200 miles Airs on USA. Summer season premiere Ghost Hunters Live event on Halloween. north of Alaska) in March, and resumes lens- date 6/17. Cara Buono is joining the cast ing this month. as the new Sheriff. GHOST WHISPERER Airs Fridays on CBS. Likely to be re- DESTINATION TRUTH newed for a third season. New one-hour travelogue series (six episodes) commissioned by SCI FI. To HEROES begin airing in summer. Traveler Josh Gates Airs Mondays on NBC (usually with will go in search of the Fireworm of replays Friday nights on SCI FI). New Mongolia, the Chupacabra of Chile, the episodes began airing 4/23. Already renewed Wolfman of Argentina, dinosaur critters in for a second season. New Guinea and a haunted town in Thailand. JERICHO Airs Wednesdays on CBS. Declining rat- Neat DOCTOR WHO ings make a renewal debatable. The net- The third season is airing in Great Britain work will decide its fate shortly. with a new companion on board (Martha, played by Freema Agyeman). No word yet KING OF THE HILL on when exactly these episodes will debut in Airs Sundays on Fox. This may be its last the U.S. (though SCI FI says "this year"). season. THE DRESDEN FILES LOST Staff. Series based on Jim Butcher's bestselling Airs Wednesdays on ABC. Season finale paperback saga (airs Sundays on SCI FI). 5/23. Renewed for a fourth season. WHmWjZABDWS

SCI FI / HORROR / FANTASY TOYS & COLLECTIBLES WHITEWIZARDTOYS.COM 1-877-4-WWTOYS Note: Airdates shift without notice. Airtimes are EST. Series are only listed for which STARLOG has new info. MODERN FAIRY TALES (Warner Home Video, $19.98), A Pup Named A dark fable comes to life in director Scooby-Doo: Volume Six (Turner Home Enter- 's Pan's Labyrinth, tainment, $14.98), SpongeBob SquarePants: which won three Oscars (including Best Friend or Foe? (Paramount, $16.99), The Ven- Makeup), and on May 15, New Line Home ture Bros.: Season Two and Ed, Edd n Eddy: The Entertainment releases an all-the-bells-and- Complete Second Season (both $29.98 from whistles two-disc special edition ($34.99). Turner), Tex Avery's Droopy: The Complete Among the bonus features: a video prologue Theatrical Collection (Warner, $26.98) and Tom and audio commentary from STARLOG and Jerry Tales: Volume Two (Warner, $14.98). favorite del Toro, three featurettes (visual FX; dVCd The three-disc The Addams Family: Volume mythology and origin of the characters; the Two (MGM, $29.98) features the last of the Sea- By colors and textures in del Toro's films), an TOM WEAVER son One episodes and gets a start on those in the interactive director's notebook, etc. Some of second (and final) season. Tacked on are a fea- the extras are also available on the cheaper (by six bucks) single- turette and commentaries by author Steven Cox {The Addams disc edition. Chronicles), Thing and Cousin It. From the ooky zone to The Dead The true story of one of the world's foremost writers of chil- Zone: The 11 -episode fifth season is coming to DVD on June 5 dren's stories, Miss Potter (Genius Products and the Weinstein with deleted scenes, audio commentaries and featurettes (Lions- Company, $28.95) stars Renee Zellweger as the talented, sheltered gate, price to be announced). Beatrix Potter, who falls in love with her publisher, changing her Just in time for The 4400's fourth season premiere, The Third life forever. Debuting on DVD June 1 9, it comes with director com- Season (12 episodes) hits DVD on four discs (Paramount, $38.44), mentary and the featurettes "The Making of a Real Life Fairy Tale" boasting six audio commentaries, four featurettes and a gag reel. and "The Life and Times of Beatrix Potter." For small-fry SF fans, BCI has resurrected Jason of Star Com- Speaking of children's stories, a French bestseller provided the mand, the 1970s Saturday-morning series historically notable as the most expensive children's show on TV, and for featuring Star Trek veterans (like James Doohan) among its cast—plus FX per- sonnel who also created visuals for Star Warsl The Complete Series comes on three DVDs for $29.98, which includes not only the 28 episodes, but also a documentary featuring the producer, stars and FX artists, commentary tracks, etc. Bob Burns fans, rejoice: The long-lost live-action Ghost Busters with Forrest Tucker, Larry Storch and Burns—a 15- episode series once thought to now only partially exist—has also been unearthed by the BCI gang. From their run-down office, bum- bling spook exterminators Tucker and Storch and their beanie- wearing gorilla Tracy (guess who) take on assignments no mere mortal could handle, confronting vampires, werewolves, the Frankenstein Monster, Vikings, magicians, ad absurdum—as if that isn't absurd enough already. The Complete Series ($29.98) comes with the usual BCI smorgasbord of extras, including interviews with the producer and Burns. How cool is that?

basis for Arthur and the Invisibles, a combination of live-action and CG animation that whimsically tells the tale of a 10-year-old who, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED! to save his grandfather's home from demolition, goes looking for Finland, Parliament member/devout Star Trek In fan Jyrki Kasvi hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, those teeny-tiny folks has put up a campaign re-election website (www.kasvi.org) in living in harmony with nature. (Watch where ya step, kid!) Writer- Finnish, Swedish, English and...Klingon. (Jyrki??) That's just one

director Luc {The Fifth Element) Besson's flick features (in the example of How Changed the World, which is also flesh) Freddie Highmore and Mia Farrow and (voices only in the the title of the light-hearted documentary based on Shatner's book English edition) Madonna, David Bowie, Snoop Dogg, Robert De I'm Working on That: A Trek From Science Fiction to Science Fact, Niro, Jimmy Fallon, Harvey Keitel and Emilio Estevez. It's also which was originally seen on the Discovery Channel. From "com- $28.95 from Genius Products and . municator"-style flip phones, medical imaging and virtual reality

to space-craft propulsion, it's all here in the $19.98 Allumination

DVD, yet more proof that it's Shatner's World and we just live TV ON E5VD here. Jyrki??? young half-mortal, half-witch became a DVDebutante when They come not only from north and south of the border, but also Aher series, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, recently hit vidstore from the skies: Three aliens morph into hot babes and arrive to pro- shelves. The First Season is a four-disc set with 20-ish Melissa tect Earth from the intergalactic forces of evil in the campy SF- Joan Hart playing the 16-year-old Sabrina, who's now a 45-year- comedy Illegal Aliens, starring the late Anna Nicole Smith (and old character (her earliest Archie Comics appearances were in co-produced by Smith and her late son Daniel). A commentary, 1962), in 24 fantasy comedy exploits. One last number: the Para- "Making of," deleted scenes and bloopers are included (MTI Home mount box set is $42.99. Similarly family-friendly is Paramount's Video, $19.95). Touched By an Angel: The Fourth Season: Volume One ($42.99). How would you like to "experience the pain of a young man's Favorite characters like Gordon, , world turned upside down"? Nah, us neither, but that's some publi- the Phantom and (Boo! Hiss!) Ming the Merciless converge in cist's come-on line for the animated feature Stan Lee Presents: The : The Complete Series: Volume Two (Brent- Condor ( Home Entertainment, $14.98), created by Lee and wood Home Video, $34.98), a five-disc box set that doesn't skimp scripted by co-creator . After a champion bonus material-wise—even commentaries by various creators, plus skateboarder's legs are destroyed, he feels the need to "stand up for voice actor and STARLOG favorite (collect 'em all!) Peter Mark what he believes in" (Oh, those wacky publicists!), and uses robot- Richman. Other courageous and/or kooky cartoon characters come ic technology to restore his mobility and fight crime under a new at us in The Legend of Prince Valiant: The Complete Series: Volume identity, the Condor. On the extras front, Lee introduces the movie, Two (BCI, $39.98), The Batman: The Complete Third Season the characters and the story and provides a 16-page comic book;

10 STARLOG/tone 2007 www.starlog.com there's also a "Making of." Speaking of not-so-hot advertising copy, don't read the synop- sis on the back of the DVD packaging for Image's The Hunt, because it'll tell you that the deer-hunting main characters in this Blair Witch-like suspenser from director Fritz (Children of the Corn) Kiersch have a deep-woods close encounter with "someone or something not of this Earth"—and then that turns out to be the movie's surprise ending! That's $26.99 down the drain! So, remember, don't read the back of the box, 'cause then you won't be surprised. A public service message from your at Videolog. Read the blurb on the back of the box of The Eden Formula No loitering! Go directly to your video store for Night at the M (Westlake, $19.98), and then put it back on the vidstore shelf unrented, because the surprise this time would have been what a a compilation of three Bravo TV presentations: The Beasts (a look flatliner of a movie a two-in-one rip-off of Die Hard and Jurassic at movies about man-into-animal transformation, from The Wolf Park can be. Jeff Fahey plays the Bruce Willis counterpart and Man to The Company of Wolves and An American Werewolf in Lon- Tony Todd the Alan Rickman role, with a T. rex running around the don), The Machines (examining Metropolis, , West- night streets outside the besieged office building just to break world, et al.) and The Dead (Nosferatu, The Mummy, Night of the things up a little. Living Dead, Poltergeist, etc.). As long as we're talking about that sensation, Deja Vu is also For you genre historians out there, Elite is also releasing The the title—and again the feeling derived from—the recent Denzel Fearmakers Collection, a $29.98 three-disc set of half-hour docu- Washington movie in which an experimental FBI surveillance unit mentaries on directors known for their fright film credits: Roland investigates the explosive destruction of a New Orleans ferry, using West, Tod Browning, Jacques Tourneur, Robert Wise, Jack Arnold, "spacefolding technology" to directly look back a little over four William Castle, Terence Fisher, , Roman Polanski days into the past. Say, let's use the device to actually shift time and and Tobe Hooper. Among the on-camera interviewees: John Agar, prevent the bombing! (Note to filmmakers: 1933 just called; they Samuel Z. Arkoff, Richard Matheson, , Joe Dante, want their plot back!) It's $24.99 from Buena Vista Home Enter- and David J. Skal. tainment. It isn't often that Videolog mentions a boxing flick, but the 1 952 Another detective goes above-and-beyond in Lionsgate's The low-budgeter Kid Monk Baroni (Image Entertainment, $14.99) Lost Room ($19.98), the SCI FI Channel mini-series in which a might appeal to the aforementioned genre historians: It was made "mysterious motel room" acts as a portal to an alternate universe. by the Teenage Werewolf-Teenage Frankenstein team of writer Peter Krause and Julianna Margulies star, alongside an "Inside The and producer Herman Cohen, and it features Leonard Lost Room" doc. Nimoy (in his first starring role) as the title character as well as Jack (Adventures of Superman) Larson. And both actors are on the

21st-century commentrack! Score it a knockout! CAVEMAN CAMP Spring has barely sprung, but Warners already has fans of SF oldies looking forward to summer by announcing four volumes DVDS IN BRIEF of Cult Camp Classics: Volume Two, Women in Peril, incorporates Craig Kennedy, Criminologist (VCI, $29.95): From the Stone the immortal Trog (1970) with , in her last film role, Age of TV comes 13 episodes of this ultra-cheap half-hour series conducting experiments on an ape-like prehistoric man found in starring Donald Woods as the pioneering pulp-fiction science caves on the English moors. Crawford thinks that if she can teach detective. "How cheap was it?" Besides the three regulars, the same "Trog" to speak, the world can learn first-hand about life in the players are in every episode as different characters, with makeups days of the dinosaurs. Renowned anthropologist Crawford appar- that will have you flashing back to your grade-school drama ently doesn 't know that man and dinosaurs existed millions of department days! years apart, but that's OK, because Trog, who daydreams about Evil Behind You (Hannover House, $19.95): Try this one on for dinosaurs (film clips from Ray Harryhausen's The Animal World), sighs: a Christian-themed horror-SF flick in which Middle Eastern doesn't know it either! terrorist types attempt to enlist invisible, other-dimensional imps to Cult Camp Classics: Volume Two is filled out with non-genre destroy the U.S. of A. The story is told in stageplay fashion, and it's titles, as are Volumes Three and Four, so it's Volume One (Sci-Fi mostly set in two rooms! Comes with a "Making of piece. Thrillers) that's the big news in Videologland: a triple-threat set of The Fountain (Warner, $27.95): Three parallel stories span over Fabulous '50s SF delirium: The Giant Behemoth (with audio com- 1,000 years, and tell of love, death, spirituality and the fragility of mentary by and ), Attack of the 50 Foot our existence in this world. And all in about 90 minutes! Talk fast, Woman (with commentary by co-star Yvette Vickers and your hum- Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz! ble correspondent) and Queen of Outer Space (with commentators Children ofMen (Universal, $29.98): Tagline: "No children. No Laurie Mitchell and.. .well, me again). The sets are $29.98, but the future. No hope." Yeah, but also no more crying babies on air- movies will also be individually available for $14.97. planes. No more school taxes. And no more Teletubbies! But we While we're on the subject of giant behemoths (as opposed to digress. In 2027, when humans can no longer procreate, a former the very small behemoths), a T. rex skeleton who wants to play activist helps transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanc- fetch is among the "characters" bedeviling graveyard-shift security tuary where her child's birth may help scientists save humankind. guard Ben Stiller during a very unusual Night at the Museum. The Clive Owen, Michael Caine and Julianne Moore star. hit fantasy-comedy DVDebuts as a Fox Home Entertainment two- Charlotte's Web (Paramount, $29.99): The recent big-screen disc special edition with commentaries, deleted and extended retelling of E.B. White's tale of the spider and the shy piglet, with scenes, an alternate opening scene, blooper reel and featurettes Dakota Fanning and an all-star voice cast (Julia Roberts, Steve ($34.98). A fewer-frills one-disc version can be had for $5 less. Buscemi, John Cleese, Robert Redford and others). Bonus materi- Even though this really belongs in TV ON DVD, we just can't al: seven featurettes, deleted scenes and a gag reel. Speaking of bring ourselves to separate shout-outs for The Giant Behemoth and Cleese... Night at the Museum from a primal for the prehysterical The John Cleese Comedy Collection (White Star, $29.99) is Dinosaurs: The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons (Buena Vista, made up of the Monty Python-Fawlty Towers funnyman's comic $39.99), a four-disc set with commentaries and the music video gems "How to Irritate People," "The Strange Case of the End of "I'm the Baby, Gotta Love Me." (Wanna bet?) Civilization" and "Romance with a Double Bass." Did we mention Elite Entertainment's Creature Features Collection ($14.98) is he's a STARLOG favorite?

mi%/June 2007 11 — —

Ink: The Book ofAll Hours by Hal Dun- who threaten their investigation. happiness, or at least healing, while at the can (Del Rey, tpb, 530 pp, $15.95) Bear plays both the thriller and govern- same time enjoying the company of the Giving an accurate description of Ink ment paranoia cards rather well. And colorful supporting cast. All said,

that captures even a hairsbreadth of its I unlike some other genre authors, he has Dreams is a winner. complexity is just about impossible. It's decades of writing experience to rely upon, —Penny Kenny about a war in Heaven and its after effects and provides readers with an honest effort on Earth. It's about parallel worlds, but not and more than just a thin plot. Gradisil by Adam Roberts (Prometheus, in the pulp sense. It's about dreams that are —Michael Wolff tpb, 464 pp, $15) reality. It's about old myths refashioned In the future, magnetic levitation technol- into something different. And it's about Beyond the Gap by Harry Turtledove (Tor, ogy allows a small group of people to colo-

people trying to muddle through life and I he, 226 pp, $24.95) nize the area of space around Earth. Referred keep the pieces of themselves together. Turtledove has embarked on a new saga to as the Uplands, the loose confederation of As was its predecessor, Vellum, Ink is a that takes place in an alternate Bronze Age. habitats becomes a refuge for a disparate pop- stream-of-narrative novel, the individual His hero, Hamnet, is sent in search of the leg- ulation, including those considered criminals pieces intercutting, intertwining and endary Golden Shrine, which lies beyond the back on Earth. Eventually, the terrestrial reflecting on each other. Duncan expects great glacier that has, until now, kept his peo- nations perceive the Uplands as a growing readers to bring imagination and intelli- ple cooped up. source of concern, and work on a course of gence to his table. Those who do will be This is the first volume in the series and action for dealing with the new nation. War rewarded with a fascinating tale. while it's self-contained—one expects that becomes more and more a reality.

—Penny Kenny some unresolved plotlines will continue in This is a bitter radish of a story. Roberts is subsequent novels. The background world is holding up a distorted mirror, and the reflec-

Brasyl by Ian McDonald (Prometheus, he, vivid, entertaining and, as is always the case tion is far from pretty. The characters 480 pp, $25) in Turtledove's stories, minutely plotted. including the titular female—move through McDonald is breaking new ground merg- —Jean-Marc Lofficier the novel wrapped in flaws and smelling of ing cyberpunk with what would in effect be shadows. Their ultimate happiness lies in sur- the literary equivalent of "world music"—i.e. vival, and so readers looking for a victorious minutely researched, exotic foreign locales HARRY parade at the end will be disappointed. As and cultures. After River of Gods, which TURTLEDOVE with the tragedy writers of old, Roberts offers painted a mind-blowing (and sometimes con- little hope, but opens eyes with his blunt Boiling author of THE GUN'S OF THE SOUTH fusing) picture of a futuristic India, Brasyl— approach. Readers shouldn't be afraid by the "1 HIHIUHIIIIMU if I ! ! 1 III UTTI I ' < as its title indicates—is about South bleak future posed by this powerful book. America's largest and most exotic country. —Michael Wolff The novel's primary setting of a full-blown cyberpunk Brazil in 2032 is counterpointed by Slan Hunter by A.E. van Vogt & Kevin two other threads: the story of present-day J. Anderson (Tor, he, 272 pp, $24.95) Marcelina Hoffman, a Northern European After the posthumous continuations of female producer of reality TV shows, and a Frank Herbert, Robert A. Heinlein and tale taking place in colonial-era Brazil in I Gordon R. Dickson's works, Slan Hunter 1732. The Brazil of the past informs the is one more example of how old SF series future, and extinction brings about renewal. just refuse to fade away. Widow Lydia van Brasyl is, ultimately, about Brazil. Tighter I Vogt's extremely moving introduction and more focused than River of Gods, this is a explains how the old Master had plotted

remarkable novel—in any genre. I this story, but was unable to write it due to —Jean-Marc Lofficier Alzheimer's Disease. Anderson has done a masterful job in picking up the threads.

Quantico by Greg Bear (Vanguard While it isn't absolutely necessary to Press, he, 352 pp, $24.95) have read Slan to enjoy this sequel—which When people discuss techno-thrillers, starts a few hours or so after the original

Bear's name seldom makes the list. But ended—it certainly helps one appreciate science fiction is, reputedly, the genre of Coyote Dreams by C.E. Murphy (Luna, Anderson's seamless job. The author has ideas. Plus, Bear has been known, on occa- tpb, 416 pp, $14.95) managed to make Jommy Cross' universe sion, to effortlessly string a word or two After Seattle police officer and shaman retroactively more credible without any together. Joanne Walker wakes up with a cute massive technological updating (which In Quantico, he depicts a near-future stranger in her bed, the day goes down- would have been too intrusive). The plot where international terrorism has become hill—and fast. One by one her friends fall moves very briskly as the war between old far more invasive, and the technology to into comas. As there's no medical reason, slans, tendrilless slans and ordinary hu- combat it has become more personalized. the reluctant shaman must search for a mans grows into a more active phase. A new bioweapon has been created—one mystic cause. But in doing so, she'll need There are plenty of twists and turns,

•S which can be coded to wipe out specific to face the nightmares of her past. including a final revelation that is pure van s ethnic groups. FBI agents William Griffin, Murphy's pastoral urban fantasy is set Vogt. Anderson has successfully brought — Fouad Al-Husam and Jane Rowland are in a lush world of magic and mystery that's Slan into the 21st century, and one can s 3 assigned to hunt down the bioterrorist both frightening and beautiful. Readers hardly imagine a better or more satisfying | responsible. But they face additional one- will be rooting for the smart-mouthed, vul- update.

s' mies in the form of in-fighting politicians nerable and engaging Walker to find some —Jean-Marc Lofficier

12 mm/June 2007 www.starlog.com SHREK THE THIRD SITE F@nuoc It's good to be king—or is it? DreamWorks' lovable green guy

is back for another fairy tale This column showcases web- adventure in Shrek the Third, sites for SF, fantasy, comics which finds the ogre reluctant to & animation creators and their take the throne as Far Far creations. Websites are listed for Away's King. Enjoy close en- free entirely at STARLOG's dis- counters of the Third kind at cretion. Site operators may nom- www.shrekthethird.com inate their sites for inclusion by sending relevant info via e-mail KURT VONNEGUT WEB only to PAGE allan.dart @ starIoggroup.com God bless you, Mr. Vonnegut. The seminal author of Slaugh- SURF'S UP WEBSITE terhouse-Five, Cat's Cradle, The What's more popular than pen- Sirens of Titan, Slapstick and guins nowadays? Perhaps surf- many other SF-bending stories ing penguins? Marching into has his own website where you theaters this summer, the CG- can buy books, T-shirts, sculp- animated Surf's Up follows a tures, etc. And so it goes... documentary crew as they film www.kurtvonnegut.com the Penguin World Surfing Championship. Hang six at MICHAEL PILLER PAGE www.sonypictures.com/movies A Piller of the SF community, /surfsup/index.html And on the genre front, she FANTASTIC FOUR 2 SITE the late writer-producer did dou- essays a social worker in the This web page heralds the intro- ble duty on Star Trek: The Next ANNASOPHIA ROBB PAGE upcoming horror-thriller Case duction of a new character to the Generation, and co-created Quickly making her mark in the 39. Check out The Whole Wide Fantastic Four film franchise: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: genre (and she's only 13!), Robb World of this Cinderella woman the Silver Surfer. But is the sav- Voyager. Pay tribute to this took a tour at 's at ior of Zenn-La a good guy or a Legendary man at Chocolate Factory and helped www.r-zellweger.com goon? Take a Fantastic memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/ build a Bridge to Terabithia. voyage to Michael_Piller This year, she's also being seen THE LAST MIMZY WEB- www.fantasticfourmovie.com in the horror flick The Reaping. SITE THE THUNDER CHILD Look for her in the SF-thriller New Line co-chairman & co- BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD PAGE Jumper in 2008. CEO Robert Shaye stepped PAGE Roll of Thunder, hear their www.annasophiarobb.com behind the camera to turn the The Bryce is right for the role of cry—SF fans searching for a story "Mimsy Were the Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man 3. comprehensive SF web maga- RENEE ZELLWEGER PAGE Borogoves" by Henry Kuttner Besides being the saving Grace zine need look no further than This website had STARLOG at and C.L. Moore (writing as of Manderlay, she also starred in this site featuring genre books, "Hello." Recently seen as author Lewis Padgett) into a feature. M. Night Shyamalan's The TV series, movies, soundtracks, Beatrix Potter in Miss Potter, the The future is trying to tell us Village and Lady in the Water. reviews, articles and more. A-list actress isn't afraid to something at Learn more about her Story at Rediscover the Child in you at appear in a Bee Movie, either. www.mimzy.com www.bryce-online.com www.thethunderchild.com

CONVENTIONS Questions about cons? Send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the con's address. Do NOT con- APRIL Orlando Airport Marriott tact STARLOG. Note: Listed guests may not appear and cons may be cancelled without notice. Orlando, FL STARFEST Conventioneers: Send info (with phone number and e-mail address) no later than three months prior Vulkon Entertainment to the event to STARLOG Con Calendar, 1372 Broadway, 2nd Fir, NY, NY 10018 or e-mail April 20-22 P.O. Box 551437 [email protected] This is a. free service. STARLOG makes no guarantees, due to space Marriott Denver Tech Center Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33355-1437 limitations, that your con will be listed. Denver, CO www.vulkon.com Starland Guests: Katcc Sackhoff (Saturday only); Torri P.O. Box 24955 Higginson (Sunday only): Nana Visitor, Nicole 120 Lakeside Avenue. Suite 100 Robert Kurtzman, Dee Snider, Debbie Rochon, Denver, CO 80224-0955 de Boer, Claudia Christian, Vanessa Angel, Seattle, WA 98122 Tony Timpone, etc. www.starland.com Brandy Ledford (206) 315-5630 . Gil Gerard, Erin Guests: www.gencon.com Gray. Kale Vernon, Rachel Luttrell, Ray Park, JULY Guests: Carrie Fisher. Anthony Daniels, etc. Daniel Logan, Jeff Walker, David McDonnell, FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF VULKON etc, HORRORS July 13-15 May 18-20 JUNE Midwest Hotel & Conference Center MAY Burhank Airport Marriott OFFICIAL CON Columbus, OH CREATION Burbank, CA June 1-3 Vulkon Creation Crowne Plaza Meadowlands See earlier address May 4-6 See earlier address Secaucus, NJ Guests: Kate Mulgrew (Saturday only); Avery Marriott Minneapolis City Center Guests: Bernie Wrighlson. Shawnee Smith, Creation Brooks (Sunday only): Cirroc Lofton Minneapolis, MN Mick Garris, Paul Naschy, Frank Darabont, See earlier address Creation Tom Holland, Russell Mulcahy, Fred Guests: , Renee O'Connor 1010 North Central. Suite 400 CREATION Williamson, John Harrison, Steve Niles, Doug July 20-22 Glendale, CA 91202 Bradley, Max Brooks. Tony Timpone, etc. (818)409-0960 FANGORIA'S WEEKEND Cherry Hill Crowne Plaza Cherry Hill, www.creationent.com OF HORRORS NJ Creation Guests: William Shatner. Leonard Nimoy, John STAR WARS June 29-July 1 See earlier address de Lancie, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, IV Crowne Plaza Meadowlands CELEBRATION www.creationent.com Marc Alaimo May 24-28 Secaucus, NJ Guests: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Convention Center Creation George Takei, Robert Picardo, Marc Alaimo, Los Angeles, CA See earlier address VULKON Connor Trinnecr, Dominic Keating May 18-20 Gen Con LLC Guests: Jeffrey Combs, James Marsters,

AArw.sfarlog.com STARLOG/June 2007 13 MATERBy IAN SPELLINGN INSTINC Emilie de Ravin reveals why Claire is no longer

Lost fans assumed that Emilie de Ravin's Charlie (Dominic Monaghan) befriended character, Claire Littleton, would be her. And later, the enigmatic Locke (Terry among the first Oceanic Flight 815 sur- O'Quinn) made her business his business, vivors to die. Yet, three years later, Claire is much to Charlie's consternation. As time has alive and well and doing her best to raise passed, Aaron has become a character of baby Aaron, the son she delivered on the interest as well. Ethan (William Mapother) island, and the show is still one of TV's top- kidnapped Claire, drugged her and nearly

rated programs, though it has suffered a sig- convinced her to give him Aaron after he

nificant ratings drop from the days when it was born, but then a mystery girl and was a cultural phenomenon. Rousseau (Mira Furlan) helped Claire get "It's crazy the way everything has gone," back to her fellow survivors. Following de Ravin says. "You can never predict how Aaron's birth, he was snatched by Charlie, something is going to turn out. We all had a who wanted to baptize and save the baby. great feeling about the pilot because of the Furthermore, Aaron not only nearly died of people involved, the idea was unique and the illness, but was almost struck by lightning show was so well-written and directed. But as well.

you never know what the public is going to watch. It's all about timing and what else is Secret Sister on TV at that time. There are so many fac- "Claire has gone through a lot," laughs tors. What makes Lost unique is that it's very de Ravin, who arrived on Lost not too long different and intelligent and gets people after the demise of Roswell, in which she co- thinking and talking. And I figured that starred. "[Even in terms of] the characters

Claire might be around a while. After the getting to know each other. I still haven't

first few episodes, I thought she would be worked that much with most of the cast. I part of the bigger story." had some scenes recently with Elizabeth That she has. Few of the castaways on Mitchell's character, Juliet, for the first time.

the island wanted much to do with Claire I was like, 'Finally, we get to work together.' early on. A pregnant woman? Alone? Soon, But Claire has evolved a great deal. We however, Jack (Matthew Fox) took to keep- found out much more about her in 'Par ing an eye on her. Drug-addicted rock star Avion,' which was Claire's [most recent]

Although he looks like a friendly physician, Ethan (William Mapother) is really one of the Others.

14 mm/June 2007 flashback episode.pisode. We hadn't really delved into her past too much before that. We went back, in Season Two, to a year or so before Most people would the crash, but didn't go that deep into her love to get Lost on a past. And then, of course, there was the lovely tropical island, flashback on the island, which was interest- but castaway Claire ing, but still didn't reveal who Claire was Littleton (Emilie de prior to the crash. 'Par Avion' really got into Ravin) just wants to that, and was rather fascinating. We learned get back home. who she is and some of the stuff that she doesn't talk about.

"I especially liked 'Par Avion.' It was the most fun I've ever had shooting an episode. The show went back to when Claire was a teenager, and that's a huge change for any- body. She went through a bit of a rebellious, 'I'm an individual' phase. She dyed her hair black and dressed completely differently. We found out about her parents, whom had never been brought up by Claire on the island. Her mother was in a coma when Claire left for the States to give her baby up

to the couple. It was Claire's fault, and she feels lots of guilt, because there was a car accident: Claire was driving, and her moth- er was ejected out of the windscreen. Claire never knew who her father was until after the accident. Her father is Jack's father. That

has been a rumor for a long time. It will be interesting to see where they go with that,

because the characters still aren't aware of

it. That hasn't been brought up on the island." In Season One, Ethan kidnapped Claire and brought her to the Dharma medical sta- tion, but since then, not much more has been revealed about the abduction. "We find out more after 'Par Avion,' " de Ravin replies, "including the reasons for those injections.

Juliet was involved in that as well, and it

was actually for Claire's own good. It was for their benefit, too, but also for her benefit as well." During Losfs three seasons, a number of people have had dark visions involving Aaron in jeopardy. In a Season One flash- back, a psychic told Claire that she had to raise the baby herself or great danger

would come to it. Last year, Charlie had visions of Aaron endangered. And this season, (Henry Ian Cusick) i Desmond shelter, after j told Claire to leave her which a bolt of lightning hit her home. "In the episode with the lightning,

Desmond said, 'No matter what I do, you're going to die, Charlie.' So he was actually saving Charlie," de Ravin explains. "Claire and Aaron

would have been OK; it was Charlie who was going to die from the lightning. That will be

explained a little more. I got to work with Henry in 'Par Avion.' Claire questions

him and finds out what his deal is, and so she now knows that he can see all these things." And as far as Charlie goes, Claire's rela- tionship with the reformed heroin addict has

had its shares of ups and downs. "The main issue between them is trust," de Ravin offers. "It's an interesting relationship,

STARLOG//une 2007 1 5 —

because it's a close friendship. Charlie has With the birth of Aaron, Claire Others as you can, otherwise nobody will been great with Aaron, and she appreciates has grown up into a more mature and understand their community. But that, in loving single mother. that. Sun and Charlie have been Aaron's turn, means maybe losing touch with [the caretakers when Claire needs some time original] characters. There's not enough time alone. But there always seems to be some- to do both at once when you only have 42 thing that holds Claire and Charlie back minutes a week. That's the struggle with from really having a relationship. It's very having such a large cast and two separate back and forth, which is more fun to play as groups. It's impossible to please everybody. opposed to, 'Oh yeah, everything's happy.' You can't give every regular character some-

There are continually trust issues between thing to do each week. Sometimes I'll have a

them, and then Claire doesn't want Charlie little part in an episode, occasionally there around the baby, which happened again in will be a big group scene, and sometimes

'Par Avion.' They got into a fight about him I'm not in an episode at all. Generally, they not believing in her and her not trusting him. don't focus on everyone in each episode.

So there's always something that comes up And I don't think there's another way to do

that stops them from moving forward." it if you want to learn about all of the differ- ent characters." Lost Girl Considering the many characters, numer- Lost is fast approaching the end of its ous storylines and countless threads that

third season, and it has been the show's connect those characters and storylines, de toughest one yet. What started out as a great Ravin admits that she's way past trying to concept on paper—breaking the year into anticipate what will happen on Lost down two parts, with six straight episodes, fol- the road. She leaves that in the hands of the lowed by a long hiatus, followed by an show's producers, J.J. Abrams, Damon unbroken string of original episodes through Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, as well as the to the season's end—blew up in everyone's writers. face. Fans and critics didn't much care for "I used to do that. We all used to theorize the initial six, which focused on the Others with our own ideas, and they would always be knocked down," de Ravin laughs. "Eventually, we stopped staying up at night During the trying to figure things out. I have tremen- course of Losfs three seasons, dous faith in those guys, and they do an Charlie (Dominic amazing job with the show. Also, it's very Monaghan) and intelligent that they want a clear ending to Claire have the series. With a show like Lost, you really

had a turbulent need a beginning, a middle and an end for it relationship. to evolve in a proper manner. You don't want to be taken off the air and then be given a couple of episodes to wrap things up. That would be impossible."

Lost fans know that the show is only one of many genre credits on de Ravin's resume. The 26-year-old Aussie (previously inter- viewed in STARLOG #287) had a recurring role in the BeastMaster TV series, played

and their dealings with Jack, Kate (Evan- thing, because it's day-to-day, and you're not geline Lilly) and Sawyer (Josh Holloway) at jumping ahead or falling behind with

the expense of pretty much everyone else. repeats. That makes it easier, because you

The ratings dipped, and the ensuing long know it's always a new show. Ideally, there layoff didn't necessarily whet the appetite of wouldn't have been a break, and we could the fanbase, as ratings barely notched up- have just followed through with all of them, ward upon Losfs return. but with TV scheduling and how everything "Overall, the schedule is good thing, be- works, you can't really do that. cause this kind of TV show is difficult to fol- "Also, if you're going to have a large sto- low, especially if people aren't able to tune ryline connected to the Others, who are on in once a week. If you miss five minutes of another island and completely separate One of this year's biggest shocks Lost, you have no idea what's going on," de and most of us don 't know that-—you have to was the revelation that Claire's father is Ravin comments. "So in that way, it's a good let the audience know as much about the actually Jack's father, too.

16 STARLOG//une 2007 www.starlog.com No stranger to the genre, de Ravin made her first impression on STARLOG readers with her extraterrestrial role in Roswell.

Flashing back to her past, "Par Avion" showed a different side of Claire's personality (and another hair color). trouble-causing alien Tess Harding on mented Max (Jason Behr), and had a hand in Roswell and appeared in such horror fare as the death of Alex (Colin Hanks). the Carrie telemovie, Santa's Slay and the "That was my first job in the States, and

Hills Have Eyes remake. "I had no idea that's why I moved here. I signed on for six where they were heading with Tess," de or so episodes, and then I became a series Ravin recalls of her Roswell character, who regular. Roswell was difficult for me, at first seemed like a good girl, but later tor- because they always seemed to be going back and forth with who Tess was, and not really knowing that was a bit tricky. But

Roswell was a great experience. It was a fab-

ulous group of people and lots of fun. I

learned so much on that show. It was my first big job—really, my second job at all. I had only been working for a little over a year." Young Mother The Hills Have Eyes was a remake of the 1977 horror classic. De Ravin The film—in which Claus (the wrestler played Brenda, a member of the Carter fam- Goldberg) embarks on a killing spree after ily, who get stranded in the middle of the end of a 1,000-year deal to be nice—has nowhere and are attacked by mutants. its moments, among them Santa breaking The actress spent most of the through a chimney and killing James Caan, shoot running, scream- Fran Drescher, Chris Kattan and Rebecca JL ing, crying, fending Gayheart at a dinner table. "Yeah, that was off mutants and pretty amusing," de Ravin smiles. "The film

caked in mud and is what it is. You never know how these fake blood. "We things are going to turn out. I had a fun char-

were in the desert acter, and it was nice to do a comedy, just in Morocco, and something silly and mindless. I try to take

there were dust- something away from every job and use it in storms every day," my other work." de Ravin recalls. "It Returning to Lost, de Ravin—who flies was quite a challenge home to LA whenever she isn't shooting the both physically and mentally, show in Hawaii—believes that there's plenty I apart from the subject matter. more to learn about Claire. Additional details There were all these other ele- about her childhood, for instance, would be ments that we had to deal with, nice. "What you see of her past in 'Par ' which helped during the film's Avion' really started with the accident," she

high-tension moments. It was states. "Her mother was already in a coma, probably better that we weren't and I would like to know more about that.

incredibly comfortable. Still, it was And I want to see where they're going with lots of fun. Morocco is amazing, Aaron. Claire has come a long way. She did

and it was another great experi- not want to be a mother, and now she can't ence. And they did a fantastic job live without him. He's her pride and joy.

remaking it." "So I would love to know if there's Santa's Slay won't go down in something going on with Aaron, because history as a Christmas classic. people are always asking me about that," Emilie de Ravin concludes. "Aaron still

This is a dangerous island, seems completely normal. I really thought and both Claire and Aaron have had there would be something weird about my several brushes with death. baby by now!"

STARLOG/June 2007 1 7 —

The Marian Man. Robin Hood > said, 'No, seriously,' her cool, so I think it would be exciting for me (Jonas Armstrong) has stolen because all the boys and the viewers to see her bend the rules a bit, Marian's heart, but there's no always take the mickey in terms of her emotional state. She should let way he's giving it to the poor. out of me because I'm things out a little more, because that can be

the only girl and I'm entertaining. It was necessary to keep her

gullible. So I thought under wraps in the last series—it made her they were doing the quite mysterious—but I want her to open up." same thing with this, For most of Season One, Griffiths was vir- but they told me, 'No, tually the only female lead in a cast that

seriously, Lucy. It's a included Jonas Armstrong (Robin Hood), really big deal!' We Keith Allen (the villainous Sheriff of Not- only had a month to tingham), Richard Armitage (Guy of Gis-

go, and suddenly it was borne), Sam Troughton (Much), Gordon like, 'You might be Kennedy (Little John), Hairy Lloyd (Will

here longer.' And when Scarlett) and Joe Armstrong ( Allan-A-Dale). you've been away from Although Anjali Jay joined the group later in home for five months the season as Saracen warrior woman Djaq, in the kind of headline you just can't already, that's a bit scary." the beginning, Griffiths knew she was walking make up. In August 2006, the BBC into what was essentially a boys' club. It'swas finishing up the first season of The Merrier Marian "They were really good at making me feel

their latest Robin Hood series It's the end of winter, and Griffiths is in welcome," she says, "but simply the fact that I based on the legendary British folk NYC on a weekend visit to promote the U.S. was in an all-male group—I'm a different sex, hero who stole from the rich and debut of Robin Hood—which began airing on a different animal, so it wasn't the easiest gave to the poor—when they an- BBC America on March 3—as well as the thing. But then I don't think it would have nounced the theft of several high-definition Season One DVD scheduled for June 5. In been that easy to be in an all-female cast, master tapes from the production's offices in three weeks, the actress returns to Hungary for either. Given a choice between the two, I Hungary. the start of production on year two, and she's would go for the male cast, but there are ups The news might have been perversely iron- hoping the new episodes will feature an even and downs to both." ic but for the fact that: a) they were the only greater role for her character, who took a bit of Griffiths first got involved in the series copies, and b) the thieves were demanding a time to emerge in the initial season. when she received a call from her agent about £1 million ransom (about $1.9 million in "I would like to see Marian come out of auditioning for a new version of Robin Hood. American funds) when the entire series budget herself a bit more," she reflects. "Maybe that The BBC was trying to assemble a younger, was reportedly £8 million (circa $15.2 mil- was a decision I made in the first series, but largely unknown cast. "I don't know if it's the lion). Without those tapes, some episodes were she was very closed and rarely smiled. She got same in America, but in England, you usually going to have to be reshot, quite possibly angry, but didn't shout. Marian always keeps don't get to see the people you're competing delaying the October premiere in England. In against," she explains. "They the end, the stolen tapes were eventually have people come in slots of 15 BBC series adds new twists recovered, but it was an ahem interesting minutes, so you do your bit and — — an is now in a time for the production. you go. I went to the audition, 73 inuntjlb with F obin and Guy and " 'Interesting' is one word to describe it," Qisborria W'Sni) d Armitage). a week later, I had another one. agrees Lucy Griffiths, who plays Marian on Three and a half weeks later, I had the show, "and 'chaotic' is another. It was to do a third one, and three weeks about a month before we finished shooting, after that, I was asked to return and there was a big meeting where the pro- for a fourth. So I went through ducers said, 'Look, this is what's going on. If four auditions over a month and you know anything, please tell us!' I wasn't at a half before I found out I had that meeting, because I was on break in Eng- the part." land, but when I got back and they told me, I Just as Griffiths hadn't couldn't believe what had happened. auditioned with other ac- "Then I spoke to one of the producers, who tors, she had also never

"J Lucy Griffiths is mai r j— j — y t iCj * r* to order as "-J * "~ * ' r R°bin Hoods Lr r j \ \ ( H P rJ l rv

1 8 STARLOG/ftme 2007

—

worked with any of her fellow cast members A Although Griffiths was taking on a charac- before arriving in Hungary. "It's interesting, I ter already seen countless times in film and didn't audition with anybody else until my television—notably as played by Olivia de final audition," she recalls. "I read with whom Havilland in The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1 If I was told were the last two choices for Robin, MS* Audrey Hepburn in Robin and Marian, Mary but that wasn't the case. So when I arrived in Elizabeth Mastrantonio in Robin Hood: Hungary, I hadn't met Jonas, and I kept think- Prince of Thieves and Judi Trott in the 1980s ing, 'Oh goodness, is this going to work? Will British series Robin of Sherwood—she has the chemistry be right?' I do think, and people made a point of not looking at the work of her have told me, that there is a chemistry, so luck- predecessors. "I prefer not to, especially until ily it worked out, but it was an interesting I finish playing her myself, because I don't decision. Obviously, they had seen enough of want to subconsciously take off any other the both of us to know that it would be fine." Marian," she offers. "So I'm going to leave

Before filming began, however, the entire that for now. That way I know that what I'm cast had to take a crash course in the skills doing—whether or not it happens to coincide they would need for the next several months. with what somebody else has done—is from "We had 'Hood Academy' for two weeks, me. It's original." which was more like 'Makeup Academy' for Where Griffiths' character differs from me, but it was still good fun," Griffiths grins. toward the end. In the last six months, I've previous incarnations is that in addition to "We did horse riding, archery and swordfight- taken kung fu and horse, riding lessons, so Marian, she also plays the Night Watchman, a ing, but it was much more important for the hopefully when I return, I'll be a bit ahead of masked vigilante who, like Robin Hood, occa- boys, because they started fighting from the game, because we're going to have anoth- sionally takes the law into her own hands. episode one, whereas I started off slowly in er two weeks of intense training." "That was actually a bit unfortunate for me, episode three and got to do more and more Griffiths concedes that many actors list because at the series' beginning, in episodes

equestrian skills on their resume only to arrive three, four and five, I did a bit of Night on set completely unprepared for the rigors of Watchman-ing, but this was just after Keith

horseback riding. "That's why I took some fell off his horse and had to drop out of film- lessons before my auditions," she remarks, ing for a few days, which obviously cost

"because when they asked, 'Can you ride?', I money, so they were reluctant to let anyone

wanted to be able to say yes even if it was just other than Jonas jump on a horse.

that I had been on a horse. I don't know if it's "The other thing I did a lot of was right at

the same in America, but it's the classic actor's the end, when the tapes had been stolen. They

bullshit in England to say, 'Yes, I can ride a discovered that they could save time by having horse. Yes, I can do a period drama.' And then the stunt double perform some of my scenes

you stick them on a horse, and they're clinging while I was filming other dialogue scenes. So onto the side for dear life!" I was quite unlucky with the timing last year,

and I didn't get to do that much of my own The Night watchman stuff. Again, that's why I've been taking horse Putting aside the challenges of learning to riding lessons, because apart from being able

ride, fight and shoot, Griffiths needed to deal to say, 'Yes, it's me,' it's quite good fun!" with the problems of working on her first Looking ahead to the upcoming second

weekly series—and having to finish a 45- season, it appears that Marian will have an

minute episode every 1 1 days. "Filming [the even greater role in the storyline. "I was told first season] wasn't too nerve-wracking, that she's going to be featured more, and that

because I had really only done live perfor- the elements which came out toward the end mances before, and that's a hell of a lot more of the last series will be emphasized," Griffiths dangerous," Griffiths says. "If you get that says. "There's also the question as to whether

wrong, the audience is going to burn you. So I she should live with Robin in the forest. I

didn't find it that scary, but I was still a bit ner- don't know if I'm allowed to tell you that we

vous, because I was very new to it. get together slightly. We have a kiss, and

"Jonas was like, 'OK, I'm going to tell you there's a scene where we declare our love for what to do and help you out.' But because each other. Obviously, if she runs off with there was so much pressure on him—especial- Robin, much of the tension suddenly goes out ly in the first few weeks—Jonas was rather of the piece. The love triangle between Robin, nervous and quiet. So I was thinking, 'My Gisborne and Marian was very exciting last

God, this is serious business!' But year, so it should be fascinating to see how Who watches a couple of weeks into it, every- they're going to play it." the Night Watchman? body started to relax and things And as she prepares for another round of Marian's got much better. medieval adventures, the actress is extremely alter-ego is the "The first scene I filmed was happy with the way life is going at the

masked vigilante from episode two, and it was moment. "I live in a bubble sometimes, and I like who, Robin something I had done during my have this bizarre—I wouldn't call it naivete Hood, takes the auditions, so I felt quite comfort- but in terms of the whole recognition thing, I law into her able with it, because I had pre- don't realize it's happening. own hands. pared so well. It was the sequence "If I ever feel pressure, it usually has to do at the end, when Robin gets captured and put with personal stuff," Lucy Griffiths observes. into prison. Marian arrives, gets rid of the jail- "It never has to do with work, not yet anyway.

er and explains her plan for escape. But before Maybe that joy is yet to come, but right now, that, Robin says, 'I've missed you!', and they I'm simply excited. Think of whatever your have this little emotional burst where Robin hobby is—so to be paid for something that realizes that his going away upset Marian very I've been doing free for years is just great. It's much." like going on holiday!"

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Johnny (Chris Evans), (loan Gruffudd), Susan Storm (Jessica Alba) and (Michael Chiklis) are back in action as the Fantastic Four.

y WILL MURRAY

Susan Storm/the , Johnny Storm/the , Ben Grimm/the Thing and their . The FF have grown since the last time we saw FANTASTIC them: Reed and Sue are about to wed, the Baxter Building has been expanded and the FF The Fantastic Four finally have their version of the Batmobile. are back in action, "We tried to get the Fantasticar in the last movie, but it just didn't make sense for it to be just in this FAMILY time there that early," Story relates. "When one for the began to come together, the top two things that I started working on were the wedding and the Rise of the Fantasticar, because the Fantasticar is the fifth character in the Fantastic Four." (See the side- Silver Surfer. VALUFS bar on page 26 for more info.)

first Fantastic Four film surprised ob- ourselves to New York and LA." SILVER LININGS

Theservers when, after modest expectations, Clearly, this is a far more ambitious pro- The FF have had two years to grow used to 20th Century Fox's adaptation of the ject. Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer their cosmic powers, and the filmmakers are long-running team reunites loan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris eager to explore them. "There are things with earned big bucks at the box office. A sequel Evans, Michael Chiklis and Julian McMahon Sue that we weren't able to go into in the first immediately went into pre-production. Now, as, respectively, Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, movie," explains Story. "People know that she reassembled on the same sound- can create force fields, hover on top of them

stages where they lensed the first movie, the and things like that. And we didn't really get a FF team—led by director Tim Story and pro- chance to—excuse the phrase stretch Reed's ducer Ralph Winter—is trying to catch light- powers as much as we could have. It's always ning in a bottle once more. fun to think about Johnny: What else can he do

"You'll see images of the inside of the with his powers? When he goes on , does it Baxter Building and the preparations for a make him bulletproof? Will a bullet blow up or

wedding," Winter promises. "Of course, this melt before it hits him? Can he go through movie involves the Silver Surfer, so there are walls? If Johnny gets so hot that he's a super- many outer space images. Then there are , he can pretty much melt through a images of the impact that the Silver Surfer has wall!" here on Earth. Some weird things that happen A drawing showing Doctor Doom battling at sea. Snow at the pyramids. Strange craters "Uber Johnny" suggests that the Human Torch that seem to be wherever the Surfer is. And Does FF co-creator Stan Lee cameo may blaze more spectacularly this time there's an air-battle chase at signature places. once again? Here's the answer: Lee's in a around. "Johnny's powers are enhanced at One of the reasons we chose Shanghai was to tux (left), attending a certain superheroic some point," Story confirms. "It brings a very have more of a global event and not just limit wedding with director Tim Story. fun and big twist to what happens."

www.starlog.com STARLOGAne 2007 23 "There are no other super-powered charac- So though the FF are more at peace with ters," Story cautions. "Frankie Raye [Beau their superpowers and status, they aren't

Garrett] is in it. If Johnny is going to have a entirely free of obstacles. "They simply want relationship, why not? That opens itself up for to be human beings," says Alba. "They just

the third one. And we throw out some hints want a regular family life. When you're under about a couple of other characters." a microscope, everybody has their version of As for a rumored Galactus cameo, Story what that means, and so people pick the smiles and says, "You may see him. You may Fantastic Four apart. They put them on

not. Who knows?" pedestals, lift them up and tear them down for Story is already looking ahead to Fantastic newsworthy soundbites. And the Fantastic Four 3. "One of the things we always do with Four are like, 'We're human beings. We just

the new villain is think of the visuals," Story want a family. We just want to be married.' remarks. "What would be the coolest thing to Unfortunately, because they are superheroes, bring to the screen—and how do we do it? I they must sacrifice their regular lives."

met t^l] The Thing gets handy when Doctor Doom (Julian McMahon) returns for more Marvel movie mayhem.

Another drawing depicts the twisted visage of Doctor Doom unmasked. The

is back for revenge and out for power. "I want- ed to bring back Doom," says Story. "I always wanted him to be more of a badass, and I've

taken that idea to heed. I have an opportunity to take Victor and Reed's relationship some- where else as well." Inspired by a '60s comic book sequence (Fantastic Four #57-60), the sequel's storyline involves Doctor Doom's attempt to capture the Silver Surfer and seize his awesome powers.

The Surfer is largely being computer-generat- ed to emulate the quicksilver look of Jack Kirby's original concept. "We've put together a book of about 500 images from the comics,"

explains Winter. "Then it's a matter of culling that down with Tim. How does the Surfer interact? How does he move? What does he look like in each scene? And we're using that

to break it down so we can actually achieve some of these shots. The one with the Chrysler

Building is almost precisely out of the comic." The big challenge was finding the core of Marvel's sentinel of the spaceways. "The def- inition of what the Silver Surfer does in the

comics is pretty vague," acknowledges Story. "You know a couple of things, but you don't

know much. Here, we have a character who is

all-powerful. He can pretty much control mat- have a couple of storylines swirling in my Chiklis is familiar with sacrifice. As Ben ter. And when you give somebody that kind of head, and the ones that come immediately to Grimm, he once again has to squeeze himself control, you can go wherever you want to go. mind are Puppet Master, Mole Man, the into the Thing's thick, claustrophobic skin. "In

"At the end of the day, though, the Surfer is and the ." the first film, it was a pretty uncomfortable sit- an alien, and we keep him very grounded in uation," he recalls. "That was a main concern

reality. You'll see that in the way we portray COSMIC POWERS for me coming into this one—that it not be the him in the movie—even in the CGI we're On another soundstage, the reunited cast same. [The last Thing suit] was experimental,

using to create him. How he moves. His submits to questions. "Sue and Reed's rela- and there wasn't enough time to look into it.

speech. How he responds. He does have con- tionship is much more intimate and real," And it had no pants zipper, so it was a 45- versations. On two occasions in particular, you explains Gruffudd. "It's more three-dimen- minute ordeal to urinate. feel like you're talking to a real person who sional, developed and evolved. They're more "This hero suit isn't much improved,

has a history. You see him react to emotion." comfortable now being superheroes. It's like meaning when I'm dressed in the Fantastic Doug (Pan's Labyrinth) Jones' physical being an actor and having people watch you Four garb. You can't fake that, because the

performance is being motion-captured to pro- do your work. We are commodities, and the Thing is bare-chested. Fortunately, I'm only in

vide the foundation for the CG Surfer. A sepa- Fantastic Four appreciate themselves as com- that for 25 percent of the movie. And it's real- rate voice actor is under consideration, but a modities as well as being superheroes. ly cute, for instance, when you see Ben in a

final decision has yet to be made. "There is a "There was no choice in the matter for the tuxedo. So when I'm dressed in a wardrobe, chance we may stick with Doug's voice," says Fantastic Four," Gruffudd adds. "These pow- we've been able to use a lightweight material

Story. "I must admit, in editing him, it sounds ers were thrust upon them. As much as they've that breathes. It creates the appearance of bulk

very good right now." capitalized on their fame, there's a certain without the intense discomfort. It comes on In addition to Kerry Washington returning amount of responsibility. You can't have your and off very quickly. So this has been a

as Ben Grimm's girl friend, Alicia Masters, cake and eat it too, and that's actually brought markedly more comfortable experience." expect some other familiar Marvel faces. up in the movie." The other cast members are happy to be

24 mm/June 2007 www.starlog.com first film, so there wasn't much scope for adventure. We were explaining who the Fantastic Four were and introducing them. Now, we start the movie. Everybody knows who the Fantastic Four are, and we begin the adventure almost immediately. So in that

sense, it's a massive step forward."

"It's still about vanquishing evil and a dys- functional family," offers Chiklis. "People relate to the Fantastic Four because they have their own dysfunction in their own families." The quartet have been busy doing green- screen work in their new Fantasticar, which separates into three independently controlled flying pods. "It made me real sick," Alba groans. "We've spent lots of time in the car,

and filmed a full day doing the CG stuff. It's similar to the Universal Studios ride: Going down. Going up. And going down was strange?' That's nothing compared to what lies in store for Alba during tonight's shoot. Only a few blocks from the Marine Building (the Burrard Street model for the film's Baxter Building), a dead-end street has been dressed in garish neon (as seen on page 23). Midnight

; . : is quickly approaching. l lM'JM^> | . ! l l 4J.l i "Welcome to Shanghai," says production designer Kirk Petrucelli, "in one of the busiest portray a female character who's so strong, delivery sections of Vancouver!"

dominant and doesn't use her sex appeal to get The commercial block, with its smiling ahead. Sue's quite a noble character, and a neon Buddha and similar signs, feeds into a great female icon." market area dominated by a pagoda. The bat-

"It has been fun," McMahon chimes in. "I tle-damaged middle pod of the Fantasticar sits haven't been here the whole time like these on a gimbal mounted on a track. "Last night, guys. I've been flitting in and out, shooting my we shot the pod crashing through the sign," TV show [Nip/Tuck] at the same time. So I Petrucelli continues. "It involved a number of haven't been as immersed in the filming as I practical effects where the signs implode and

was last time, but it has been good fun. As an explode. People running amok, crashing into actor, particularly playing the evil guy, you get vehicles, through bicycles. There's all this to do some silly stuff." chaos as Sue makes a crash landing and ulti-

"Last week, I got to work with a 10-foot- mately ends up here. And then this sequence

tall, 1,650-pound Kodiak bear," boasts Chiklis. begins from the moment of impact. It's cool."

"And that's one of the reasons why I love this An AD calls out, "Take your marks from business: that's just something you don't get to the crash last night."

do in your regular life. I was standing six feet Extras move into position. Alba climbs away from a [deadly] predator. Despite what- into her pod, pulls on her black gloves and

ever discomfort I've had to go through, it has adjusts a filament mic. You can see her breath reprising the roles that put them in the cine- been quite exhilarating and thrilling." in the bitter cold. "Three, two, one—action!" matic spotlight. "Personally, it's seeing the The cameras roll, and the pod goes spin- image of myself that I desired when I was DOOM'S DAYS ning wildly down the track. On the close-up watching these sort of movies as a kid," While the FF's powers are now well under- monitor, Alba looks frightened but determined

Gruffudd admits. "It literally is a dream come stood and under control, the same can't be said as she struggles to control the careening craft. true to play a heroic part. And to play a super- for Doctor Doom. "The Silver Surfer can After the cut, the Fantasticar pod is rolled back hero is an extra bonus!" enhance your abilities," reveals McMahon. into the start position. When they go again,

"I agree," says Evans. "This is a great "He has some pretty extraordinary powers, Alba puts more fear into it, throwing up one opportunity to play a superhero. It's every lit- and kind of throws [some new] things into the arm to shield her face. On the third take, she tle boy's dream. In that regard, Johnny is a fab- mix. That's something to behold, something to throws in a piercing scream. ulous character. And it's good to get your face reckon with. And if Doctor Doom gets ahold Checking the playback, Alba doesn't look out there in any film that's this big and of him... But it's something different if the airsick at all. But the night is still young. The exposed." [Fantastic Four] do. So there's a battle going AD shouts, "OK, guys, this next shot is a two- "Speak for yourself," Chiklis growls. on between them to a certain extent." shot of the Silver Surfer and Sue."

"Sorry," returns Evans, wincing. "It "You've barely touched on it," interjects Unfortunately, it's well past the witching enables future work. And it helps prolong the Chiklis. "The fact is the first movie was an ori- hour, and time to go. Will Fantastic Four: Rise potential career you might be able to have." gin piece, but now we can jump right in and of the Silver Surfer outperform its predecessor " 'Might be able to have,' " teases Alba. raise the stakes. The Fantastic Four have a and comic book movie rivals? "God forbid. There's just nothing going for tougher challenge on their hands with the "We don't look at other superhero films," Chris. Actually, he's a very good actor, in case introduction of the Silver Surfer and his pow- Ralph Winter comments. "It's always about you were wondering. I just think it's kind of a ers. This sequel is bigger and better!" topping ourselves. That's the hardest thing. big deal being part of a comic book movie that "That's the practicality of it," Gruffudd Trying to beat yourself." appeals to the fandom base. And it's nice to explains. "We were setting up the story in the Eager audiences will find out June 15. ^

STARLOG/June 2007 25 "

jyjarvel tans looked in vain for a glimpse oi

I famous Fantasticar in the first Fantastic Four

film. Now that it's being rolled out for the sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, every-

one wants to know: Is it the "flying bathtub" prototype or the more elaborate "turbofan" model from 1963? According to conceptual designer Tim

Flattery, it's neither. Assessing the original Jack Kirby designs, he observes, "It was a

neat thing for back then, but it doesn't apply so much for film. [Director] Tim Story

and I discussed what it should be and what it

has to do, and then I went away and did a bunch of different sketches. His reaction to

them was: 'It isn't a predator. It needs to be

aggressive and cool, but yet soft.' So I started

drawing from nature. I kept referring back to manta

rays and stingrays. That's where the shape is derived

from. You can see the organics of how it undulates from the waist and the wings." Right now, the Fantasticar sits on a cradle on a Vancouver

soundstage. Smooth and sleek, it's a flat golden grey with the famous 4 symbol burnished in a deeper tone on the flaring hood.

On the crosshair grille is a familiar Detroit badge: DODGE RAM. It's a

plot point, not product placement. However, a cynic might call it both. But as the FF family car, this is light years beyond an SUV.

"It's a transport, and a fast one at that," Flattery details. "The range is

unlimited, because it's an ion generator, so the car is self-powering and runs

clean. And it's pressurized, so it can run at the altitude of a jet, up to 50,000 feet. Normally, an ion generator is known for slow acceleration, but this one has been concen- trated because it has four chambers. The Fantasticar can get up to Mach 2 right away." Three open cockpits indent the streamlined vehicle's upper surface, each equipped with Nav screens and its own set of controls. "Reed is obviously in the front, running the show," Flattery points out. "We put

Johnny and Sue in the center compartment. That was a creative decision by Tim, and it makes sense for this design. And, obviously, the oversized rear cockpit with huge joysticks is for Ben Grimm. Once the car breaks apart,

though, they're all on their own." i

Unlike its inspiration, this Fantasticar breaks into three separate pods, nor the traditional four. Is this because the

Human Torch can fly under his own power? "It very well could be," Flattery allows. "That has come up in our conversa- tions. We're like, 'Johnny flies!' This is Flattery's second take on a comic book supercar. He designed the Batmobile for Batman Forever—a painstaking process he is thankful nor to have to repeat here. In this case, the Fantasticar was first built digitally in , skipping the clay model-to-mold stage. "There's no sculpting involved anymore," he says. "We went right from a digital model to a five-

axis mill that cuts it out. It's a great process, and it saves so much time." Flattery's design was fabricated out of hi-temp epoxy with a composite core. Twenty feet long, the Fantasticar weighs

4,000 pounds. Two were built. The other lies in sections on an adjoining green-screen soundstage. Flattery is pleased to

show the way. "The biggest challenge was that it breaks away in the comic," he notes. "How do you take something so

organic, split it up and sr/7/make each individual piece as interesting as when it was all together?

"When the Fantasticar blows apart, it's all mechanical," Flattery adds. "There's no morphing. It's all nuts, bolts and

hinges. The articulation will be CG, so when you see it break apart, you'll see these." Separated, the three pods look very different. Now, they bristle with stub wings and other pop-out aerodynamic fea-

tures. "These three pieces are the cream of the crop for me," he chuckles. "Coming from Detroit, I love big intakes, beltline gills, spoilers and fins. Tim loves them, too."

The marine motif is apparent in this configuration. Reed's control compartment is more manta-like and, viewed from the nosecone, Ben's massive pod resembles a compact killer whale with a retractable spoiler.

On the center pod, the wings spring out to reveal in-set turbofans like the 1 963 Fantasticar model. But appearances are

deceiving. "Technology today is different than it was in the '60s," Flattery explains. "They're just cooling fans for the motor; they aren't creating lift." Pointing to the power plant, he explains, "That's a proton accelerator. The whole ring in there is

creating a magnetic field that generates lift."

No wheels are visible. "It never lands," says Flattery, who is also a pilot. "It only settles and hovers. So there isn't any

landing gear, because the car has a constant power source that never runs out. It hovers three feet off the ground, and they

step over it and hop in!"

Separated or unified, the Flattery Fantasticar looks like it would make a fabulous rollercoaster ride. "Hell, it's already on

a carriage!" Tim Flattery laughs. "So why not? I would ride it. Definitely!" —Will Murray

26 STARLOG/June 2007 www.starlog.com

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Spider-Man 3 Unlike most big-budget comic book ^MAX^day to nave ln tne picture," director movies, the secret to the Spider-Man with Sam Raimi explains. "But we 'and date just said, 'Kirsten and Tobey, series' success is the characters: The the regular guilt-ridden hero, the girl next door, his elder- format film you'll have to do the heavy lift- ly aunt and the bombastic newspaper editor. May 4. ing here to bring it back down These people are appealing, and the vil- to Earth. There's this wild

lains' lives are just as messed up as Spider- * goof from outer space, and you need to connect Man's. You want to see what's going to happen us to the characters.' to them, and the soap-operatic elements lure you in—in fact, the superhero slugfests are just the icing on the cake. Now, Peter Parker, his SPIDER IN BLACK friends and foes find everything at stake in Spider-Man 3. And this time, Columbia Uni- his third outing as the heroic Peter Parker, In versity's strangest student must contend with the Maguire goes dark really dark. When Peter insane, symbiotic Venom and the shape-shifting finds out that 's real killer is on the . loose—and transformed into Bringing in two new i _ the powerful Sandman—he's j. nr-a*p, definitely TheI IIG greatestIJI GCIIG< battle lies within forffJl theIflG filledliL? with guilt, anger and alters the tone of the 'mMofl Q ththoughts of vengeance. heroes"hPTDP^pl>IPO & villains] of Spider-Man 3. third film, especially for ** ™fThings become even more Peter (Tobey Maguire) compcomplicated when his body is HflflHHf JH| j/tmmMk. I ij^MpBBfckjflflHfck JS89| a, and Mary .lane Watson HHHBI jHHj jHB' VHk overcome by an alien sym- (Kirsten Dunst). "There EI JHfl HH. nB biote. Peter becomes evil, and are fantastic ele- lashes out at \imi Maj (- main BflHH JBf 1 I'BB^^. ments about Venom that | MM I mary Harris) and Mary Jane. are in conflict with the 'ApCQiHELm H His costume—a living extra- realism that we wanted terrestrial life form—changes

mBBBm wKBk ^^mpp^ h9rHBHhHBI ^QBHB^^ By PATJANKIEWICZ A mJH THEffM WEF^

Caught in the web once more are (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire). —

(who previously discussed his amazing heroics in STARLOG #298 & #326). "I really enjoyed the things that I got to do in this movie." With his sorrowful eyes and quiet voice, Maguire is the perfect person to play a tormented underdog, and the actor liked seeing Peter's life become more complicated. "One of the most important things for me was that we keep up the character's continuity," he says. "Peter

Parker is Peter Parker, and it's crucial not to create new things for him just for the

sake of that. But I don't necessarily want to see the same scenes played out and have Peter going through things that he has gone through before. "[Screenwriter] Alvin Sargent and the other people who had input into Peter's story did a fantastic job," he adds. "As an actor, for me, there was nothing stale

about it. I got to do brand-new and really Peter has grown into a fine young man, but the sympathetic superhero struggles interesting things. In terms of the with guilt and vengeance in this sequel. specifics, though, you'll see when you check out the movie." to pitch black to match his dark personality, and Peter goes down a Of Spider-Man's new black outfit, Maguire says, "It's pretty path that threatens everything Spider-Man believes in. much the same suit. The material is similar, but it's probably a little "Because we went into some different areas, this was new and sleeker and sexier you know, a little more like me in real life!" he fun for me, without losing touch with who Peter is," notes Maguire jokes. As usual, the web-spinner has a huge amount of action and fight- Once again, the streets of serve as the ing in the film. Before shooting started on Spider-Man 2, Maguire stomping grounds for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. almost lost the role after developing back problems. But this time around, "My back was fine," he smiles. "I enjoy doing the stuff that

I know is safe. It's the inter- esting part of the job.

"When I watch the stunt- men perform the really, real-

ly risky stuff, it blows my

mind. I can't believe the

things they do. It's amazing. I don't understand these actors

who say, 'I do all my own

stunts.' I just want to tell you that any actor who says they

do all their own stunts is not telling the truth—unless they're jumping over a little gate or something!" he laughs. Trilogies seem to be in vogue now, but Spider-Man 3 may not be the end of the line for the series. "We do tie up the storylines that have been open for the last two movies,

so it is kind of conclusive," Maguire explains. "But there

are still things to explore in the character, so there may be

more. I wouldn't say it's nec- essarily the end. If more sto- ries work out, then we'll tell them." While promoting Ghost Unlike his superhero alter-ego, it Rider, Nicolas Cage made looks like Maguire hasn't had any the bold statement (in STAR- close shaves in quite a while. LOG #354), "We all know that can kick Spider-Man's ass! With one look." "He said that?" Tobey Maguire grins. "That Ghost Rider could

beat Spider-Man with one look? I don't think that even deserves an answer!" Photo: Merie W. Wallace must compete with Gwen Stacy for Peter's affections.

"Mary Jane is still an actress, and you could see where her relationship with Peter was heading in the last film," Dunst

remarks. "Emotionally, it's much more adult and mature. Mary Jane and Peter have a deep bond in this one. There's more at stake because of their relation- ship. They're emotionally together, and there's more at stake for all of the charac- ters. As we've gone deeper into Mary Jane and Peter's relationship, because they're older, they've developed more and become more complicated. So emotional-

ly, it's a much heavier movie." Bryce Dallas Howard plays Mary Jane's romantic rival, classic comic book good girl Gwen Stacy (see page 34).

"Bryce is great," Dunst compliments. "And since I'm a blonde playing a red-

head, for Gwen [who is a blonde], they had to cast someone with red hair to make

up for it." Is Spider-Man 3 the grand finale?

Dreamy-eyed and adorable, Mary Jane is still in love with Peter, "Well, it's definitely a culmination, and but their relationship has hit some bumps. you need to have seen the first and second films," she notes. "This definitely ties up

some storylines, and if there are more stories to tell, if there are LADY IN RED things that are unresolved, then we'll tell them. But that depends on everyone staying interested. If everybody is game and there's a the beginning of the first Spider-Man film, our misunderstood story to tell—a good story—I'll be back." In hero informed us, "Like any story worth telling, this is a story The actress isn't averse to doing other comic book movies, either. about a girl." "There really aren't too many superheroes that draw me," Kirsten

That makes sense when the girl is played by the stunning Dunst. Dunst admits. "The one part I would have loved to play was Nerdy outcast Peter Parker has pined for girl next door Mary Jane Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman [in Batman Returns]. So I guess I Watson since he was six years old, but she doesn't notice—even would prefer to be a supervillain!" after he's imbued with spider powers—because she's too busy run- ning around with cads like and . In the first film, Peter had to contend with Harry (James Franco) for rival in Stacy. While this could make her a witch, Dunst plays her so charm- Mary Jane. Now, she faces a romantic Gwen

ingly, it's no wonder that Peter and audiences fell for Mary Jane. She rises from a sad home life to become an actress and a heroine wor- thy of Spidey's affection. By the time she kisses him in the rain, it's

easy to see why the story really is about this girl. (Dunst jokes that their toe-curling kiss "didn't just make my toes curl!") Dunst has grown up on screen, from the bloodsucking child Claudia in Interview With the Vampire to a heroine fighting Small Soldiers to a cheerleader chanting Bring It On to her underrated, sympathetic turn as Marie Antoinette (she discussed past movies in STARLOG #254, #301 & #325). But Mary Jane is the role that put her on the map. Once more in the henna hair dye, she's back as Marvel's favorite redhead in Spider-Man 3. This time, though, she

Let them eat cake! Fans got to see Dunst show a different side

as France's iconic, ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. I www.starlog.com mm/June 2007 31 But this Eddie is slightly different from his comics counterpart. "He's more of a to Peter," Grace explains. "Basically, he's someone very similar to Peter, who gets the same pow- ers but didn't have a good upbringing. "The parallels between Peter and

Eddie are what I liked most about the

character. It's kind of a case study of someone who has the same job, taste in women and powers, but Eddie doesn't have an Uncle Ben or . Eddie

had a really bad upbringing. I would say to Sam on the set, 'With great power " comes great fun!'

Eddie is able to express his displea- sure with Peter once he bonds with the alien that turns him into Venom.

"Eddie lets Peter have it," Grace laughs.

"Venom is a great character to play. Unlike most bad guys, he truly likes

being evil. Venom comes to grips with it

and enjoys it, so it was a delight to portray someone who finds his way to that place. The venomous (Topher Grace) desires one thing That's always fun for an actor." above all: He wants to see Peter Parker dead. Unlike most performers in comic

book movies, Grace is willing to admit his love for the medium. TASTE OF VENOM "Yeah, I got into comics when Todd McFarlane was illustrating them in the mid-80s, which fortunately was right when Venom came With his debut in Amazing Spider-Man #299, Venom became the into existence," he says. "I love when kids get cast in these movies first Spidey villain in the last 25 years to join the web-slinger's and they're like, 'I've never even seen Star Wars before. In fact, I rogues' gallery of iconic bad guys (, the Green don't even know what Star Wars is.' Come on! I was such a big fan Goblin, Sandman, the , , the and of Peter Parker and much of Todd's work. I'm probably the geekiest

Mysterio). A dripping, oozing monster with massive shark-like jaws, guy to ever be cast in a geek film! The first day on the set, I was at Venom is stronger than Spidey, knows his secret identity, can evade the Daily Bugle and—just as a fan of the first two movies—to be his Spider Sense and has but one goal in life: He wants to eat Spider- right there... I mean, there's J. Jonah Jameson [J.K. Simmons] with

Man's brain! his cigar. It was tough, because I had to be angry, and I was smiling Despite his popularity in comics, T-shirts and action figures, ear-to-ear!" Venom has only been adapted by Hollywood once: In the mid-90s To prepare to play Venom, the actor came up with a special (and Spider-Man cartoon, The Simpsons' Hank Azaria voiced Venom and unconventional) warm-up technique. "I went out and killed a hobo his alter-ego, Daily Bugle photographer Eddie Brock. with a hammer," Topher Grace jokes. "And it worked, it really did. Actually, Eddie had a cameo in the first Spider-Man film—R.C. Suddenly, people were treating me differently!" Everbeck played him—but that scene was ultimately cut. Venom missed out on the Debuting in Amazing Spider-Man #299, immediately next movie because Raimi wasn't impressed Venom became a fan favorite and appeared in multiple Marvel titles. with the repetitive monster, and so Venom waited in the wings until the director was persuaded to bring him on stage for this sequel.

In Spider-Man 3, Topher Grace is Eddie, who has the misfortune of being hit by the sentient alien goo as he prays in church for Peter's death. The obsidian slime bonds with Eddie, transforming him into the murderous, psychotic Venom. Raimi's feelings about Venom changed after Grace brought him to life. "Now that I've seen Topher perform him, and what Alvin Sargent did with the script—they cre- ated a great character," Raimi remarks. "Topher filled out Eddie into a very mean- ingful character, so I really like him now." After playing a regular guy on That '70s Show and a creepy high school addict in

Steven Soderbergh's Traffic, Grace took a 180-degree turn when he signed on to essay one of Spider-Man 3's trio of supervillains. (The third baddie is James Franco as a Green

Goblinized Harry Osborn.) Ironically, with Grace thinks that Eddie is very similar to his red hair, Grace looks more like Venom's Peter. Venom has the same powers as offspring, . Spider-Man, but uses them for evil. Art: /AI Milgrom

32 STARLOG/June 2007 www.starlog.com The unstoppable Sandman has been a thorn in the web-slinger's side since his in 1964's Amazing Spider-Man #4. "Sam gave me an original copy of that issue," he reveals. "I was touched by that."

. When Flint Marko breaks out of jail and hides in an atomic testing site, he gets caught in a blast. As a result, his mole- cules merge with the sand, giving him the ability to transform into sand itself. He can form a rock-hard fist or morph into a thousand grains. Although Sandman has shown up in various Spidey cartoons over the years, this marks his live-action debut, and Sandman's storyline has been somewhat altered for Spider-Man 3. Comics fans will now be surprised to learn that Marko

is the man who actually killed Uncle Ben. As Raimi explains, "We've tried to weave the Sandman's story into Peter's personal life in as important a way as we could, in a way that hopefully will make more of the first two pictures and give us insights into what we've seen before." "I can't comment on the specifics of that part of the story," Church grins. "In fact, I'm not even sure I'm in the movie.

How vague can you get? I may or may not be in Spider-Man 5!"

Our Man Flint. After being blasted at an atomic testing site, Mr. Marko (Thomas Haden He is, of course. And in tribute to Church) turns into the shapeshifting Sandman. Marvel artist extraordinaire Steve Ditko (who co-created both Spider-Man and the Sandman), Church's Sandman sports the black-and-green sweatshirt MAN OF SAND seen in his early comics appearances. "I liked that shirt," Church smiles. Thomas Haden Church could be a cowboy. His rugged good looks As for any concerns about essaying one of Spider-Man's classic have aided him in numerous projects—from his sadistic biker in supervillains—as well as following in the footsteps of Willem Tales from the Crypt Presents: Demon Knight to his Oscar-nominat- Dafoe's and Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus—Church ed turn as a wine-loving philanderer in Sideways. comments: "I wouldn't say there was trepidation. But you know, Now, he's the sinister, shapeshifting Sandman in Spider-Man 3. there's a tradition with the comic book, and you have to honor that. I also looked at the requisite storytelling in the Even though the Sandman has been in first two movies. I wanted to get in the game comics for 40-plus years, this is the and not fumble the ball in the end zone. My character's live-action bow. objective was to do what was asked of me." Doing what was asked of him was made

easier by the affable Raimi. "Sam is such an actor's director," Church praises. "I refer to him as 'Elia Kazan trapped inside this Motor City madman, action-picture director's

body' ! Sam has a great specificity, and I think that's part of the allure of these movies—creating characters who are very accessible. And Sam hires actors who are identifiable to the audience. He's an extremely caring and nurturing director." Playing a strong man with a solid—well, sometimes—physique meant that Church had to get into better shape. "It was physi- cally daunting to show up [on set] with the physique of a fishwife, and, weirdly, they

told me, 'This won 't work for us. You've got to be more built.'

"Topher Grace and I both trained. You just try to toe the line and do what's asked of

you. I worked out for probably 16 months,

and it was a good discipline to have in my life. It was very invigorating to incorporate t/OTH/HG CAM STOP .. This isn't the first time that Church had to deal with a spider. He voiced Brooks the that," Thomas Haden Church declares. "I Crow in last year's Charlotte's Web. just wanted to do my part as Sandman." -^f Art: Steve Ditko

STARLOG/Vune 2007 33 —

Bryce Dallas Howard discovered the life and in one's. ..it's bizarre to say profes- betray the audience. Sam really carries you Spider-Man comic books through the sional life for Spider-Man, but in his quest through that and explains everything in such Spider-Man films. And, she further and purpose," Howard explains. "I was detail that he brings you into the moment realized, she's not the only one to do so. incredibly intrigued by that, especially in and makes you forget you're standing there "There are many people from my gener- today's climate, because this is something naked—so to speak. ation who are completely fanatical about the we're seeing with celebrities and politicians. "I wouldn't say that Gwen is part of a comics," Howard notes, "but then there's a How does power corrupt? I was really excit- love triangle. As the script and story evolved whole group of people who—when they saw ed by that notion, and Gwen is only one of while they were rewriting and shooting, the first Spider-Man film—were like, 'Oh, Gwen became more of a person who is in right, Spider-Manl God, I remember when I Peter's life, but not as part of any jealous or was a kid, I would dress up like Spider-Man romantic situation. I was happy about that for Halloween.' And that brought them back because—especially with a movie like this, to the comic. that has so much exposure, so many fans and "I've heard that from lots of my friends, so many adolescents who revere these char- and it happened to me. I became intrigued acters and love what these films represent after I saw the first movie, and then when the I was a little nervous about the prospect of second film came out, I felt it far surpassed playing a character who didn't have integri- the artistic leaps and bounds that the first one ty in one form or another. But it became had taken. I was like, 'What is this franchise more and more evident as they were writing that's getting better and better? What are the that Gwen had a good moral center, lots of stories they're interested in telling?' And it integrity and was involved in the story was at that point that I whispered to my rep- resentation, 'If there's ever an opportunity to go in for Spider-Man, I would love to, be- cause they're getting better and better.' I was totally fanatical about being part of this series when the opportunity presented itself." Howard's agents heeded their client's request, and Spider-Man 3 director Sam Raimi, no fool he, saw in Howard the perfect

Gwen Stacy. The red-headed actress is the daughter of Ron Howard, and has quickly climbed the Hollywood food chain thanks to The Village, Manderlay and Lady in the Naturally, Bryce Dallas Howard is a Water. She joins a cast that includes Tobey redhead. She agreed to dye her hair Maguire as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, blonde for the Spider-Man 3 gig. Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Harry Osborn, Thomas Haden the characters they're bringing into this fran-

Church as Sandman, Topher Grace as Eddie chise to flesh it out and give it different Brock/Venom and James Cromwell as dimensions. The comics have so many Gwen's father, Captain . beloved characters who can add all kinds of new layers to this and future stories. Sam's

Love is Blonde! approach to Gwen is very reverent to every- "What's great about this film is that it thing that the fans would expect—and yet explores the darker side of superpowers, and it's still surprising. I don't want to give any- what the consequences are in one's personal thing away, though, because I don't want to

By IAN SPELLING & PAT JANKIEWICZ

—-rff

Bryce Dallas Howard joins the amazing action as Peter Parker's lost love, Gwen Stacy.

34 STARLOG/June 2007 —

beyond being just the girl who makes Mary Jane jealous. Gwen serves a greater pur- pose. And that was something I was extremely pleased about." Howard has been on big sets before. Over the years, she has been on hand for sometimes making cameo appearances in such Ron Howard productions as Apollo 13 and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. But then there's "'Spider-Man big." "This was huge" Howard laughs. "They took up so many soundstages at Sony. When I stepped back and looked at the scope, it was absolutely massive. On the other hand, because this group of people at the center of it have been working on these films togeth- er for quite a long time, everything seemed very intimate. And the nature of the work was so collaborative. There were weekly meetings where they would bring everyone together and reassess what was being creat-

Howard lights up the screen as the marvelous Gwen Stacy, another of Spider-Man's women. ed, what was missing, what could project. Like I said, everybody's heart was in be added and how things could be the right place. Everyone knew the potential, pushed even further. It almost felt and they worked incredibly hard. As an audi- like an independent production." ence member, I'm really, really, really eager

The of the group, of to see it. Playing Gwen was a tremendous course, was Raimi. "I don't even responsibility, because this character is filled know what to say," she begins. with love and has such a following. She's a

"How do I describe Sam? He is the fantastic character and has a rich history in most genuine, lovely, humble, ele- the comics. I had lots of help, too, because gant human being whom I have ever so many people on Spider-Man 3 were pas- come into contact with. First of all, sionate about bringing this story to life. he's so passionate about not only What can I say? I did my best. Please like telling these stories, but the purpose me!" of telling them. When he signs an Given her enthusiasm for Spider-Man 3, autograph for a kid, he actually Howard is more than open to returning for takes his time and always writes a Spider-Man 4 should another sequel come message. And the messages repre- along. "Are you kidding me!?" she shouts. sent Spider-Man, like, 'Always live "Open? I pray about it every day. To work your life with honor and integrity.' with these people again would be such a What these films mean is important blessing, and to be a part of telling these sto- In the comics, Gwen was a cool blonde, whose to him, and Sam walks that walk in ries again would be thrilling. The policeman father died heroically (with Spider-Man ultimate his life. He's so incredibly gracious, taking the blame). dream for an actor is to work on something and I was constantly moved by that you feel is making a contribution, that him—just who he is as a human being, film- finished picture (which premieres May 4). you know many people will see and where , artist and what he represents." Her gut instinct is that it will at least meet the process itself is incredibly creative, chal- the tremendous expectations people have for lenging and stimulating."

Gwen Stacy Dyes! it. "I'm extremely excited about it," Howard All that said, Gwen Stacy died in the Howard goes on to offer high praise for enthuses. "It's an unbelievably ambitious comics—although the Roosevelt Tramway pretty much the entire Spider-Man 3 cast and crew. "The second movie was twice as big as the first, and this one is three times as big as the other two put together," she raves. "That's a testament to everybody's integrity and passion. People could just sit back and say, 'We got it. We've already got the people who are gonna be in the seats opening week- end.' But they don't do that. They work so hard and push themselves artistically to make really entertaining films.

"When I talk about Spider-Man 3, 1 can't even believe that there was a movie being made because I had so much fun. I felt like I was hanging out with a bunch of friends, and it's bizarre that a film resulted from these interactions. I've never had a professional experience where I left and still stayed in touch with so many people. Usually, I become close with one or two people and hopefully stay in contact with them, but it can be hard to make that work. Spider-Man 3 was like putting on a high school play; after rehearsal, we would all go out to the diner together. That's one of the main rea- sons why I wanted to get into acting in the first place—to meet people and have them be a part of my life." One of the more amusing conversations Howard had on set was with Dunst. They giggled over the fact that to portray their characters as colored in the comics, the red- head had to dye her hair blonde, and the blonde had to dye her hair red. "Totally!" Howard says. "I saw Kirsten last week, and we're always investigating our hair quality and the repercussions [of the dye jobs].

We're like, 'Oh, good. It's looking a little bit healthier now.' Dyeing our hair opposite col- ors, it really suffered." Howard has seen bits and pieces of Spider-Man 3, and she—like millions of fans around the world—can't wait to see the

36 mm/June 2007 —

incident with Mary Jane in the first Spider- Shyamalan wrote, pro- Man movie recalled Gwen's comics demise duced, directed and even co- in a fall from the George Washington starred in the dark fantasy- Bridge. So, might Howard have to reprise thriller about a mysterious her role a la Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson) Narf (Howard, who had pre- and /the Green Goblin viously starred in Shy- (Willem Dafoe)—as a figment of a charac- amalan's The Village). She ter's imagination? Or perhaps return (as she turns up in the pool at an eventually did in the comics) as a cloned apartment complex and for- Gwen Stacy? ever changes the lives of the She chooses her words carefully. "Well, residents there—particular- here's what I'll say: What I love so much ly that of the superintendent

- about this franchise is that while it still (Paul Giamatti). Critics retains the comics' integrity, they take cer- heaped scorn on Shy- tain liberties so it can be exciting for peo- amalan's film, calling it a ple," Howard remarks. "These movies aren't vanity project after he a rehash of what you read in the comic moved forward despite books. There are new things in the films, and Disney's suggestion that his they add a different perspective to what has script needed work. And already been created. With all the storylines, Lady in the Water, which there are some things that are familiar and Shyamalan ultimately made The actress, daughter of director Ron Howard, first worked then some things that are unexpected. I wish for Warner Bros., tanked at with filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan on The Village. Photo: Masi/Copyright 2004 Touchstone Pictures. All Rights Reserved. I could be more straight with you than that!" the box office. Howard, Frank however, looks back fondly Regally Blonde! on the movie. Howard no doubt hopes that the reaction "Here's the thing: I feel to Spider-Man 3 will be better than that lucky because I grew up in accorded Lady in the Water. M. Night an environment where one of my parents was a film- maker whom I was really

protective of, and so I learned from an early age to detach myself from the reactions people have to a particular person's work,

even if I may feel protective of that person," she says.

"So it wasn't like I had any

expectations. I go in, do the

best work that I can and the result isn't up to me whatso- ever. Of course, for Night's

sake, I want everyone to

love his work as much as I Lady in the Water's box office dive didn't bother her. Howard believe he deserves it to be views films through her experiences in making them. loved, because that man is Photo: Frank Masi/Copyright 2006 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved. amazing and I adore his films. But at the end of the day, that's not why I'm Orchids, is currently adapting the supernat- doing the work—to get a particular reaction. ural tale. I'm doing it for the experience. So I don't "Dane is on his seventh draft right now,

have much objectivity at all about Lady in and hopefully it will be completed pretty

the Water, but I have to say I'm proud of it soon," Howard says. "I'll be looking for a

and, more than anything, I'm proud of the home for it, so we'll see. In the tumultuous movie's message." world of movies, you never know what is

Next up for Howard is As You Like It, gonna happen. But when I was on the set of

starring, directed and adapted by veteran Orchids, I was like, 'Oh man, this is addic- " Shakespeare interpreter Kenneth Branagh. tive. I want to do this again!' The film features Howard as Rosalind, Brian And, lastly, there's one other production Blessed as Duke Frederick, Romola Garai as to discuss: As the conversation comes to a Celia, Kevin Kline as Jaques and Spider- close, Howard, who at the time of this inter- Man 2's Alfred Molina as Touchstone. view was one week overdue with her first Molina actually co-starred in another of child, contemplates how her baby might Howard's recent projects, the short film change her life and career. "I don't know Orchids, which she directed. Howard so what I'm expecting, but I'm anticipating a enjoyed the experience that she's angling to big shift," offers Bryce Dallas Howard (who, helm a feature. She secured the rights to incidentally, had a boy). "Even during my Alice Hoffman's novel The Ice Queen, pregnancy, there was a huge shift—as far as which follows a woman who gets hits by my priorities and purpose and how I want to lightning and soon makes the acquaintance spend my energy and time. Motherhood of other lightning-strike survivors. Dane makes you examine your own mortality, but Charbeneau, Howard's writing partner on right now I'm just incredibly excited." www.starlog.com STARLOG/June 2007 37 .

Writers Naren Shankar & Peter Allan Fields. S7.

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You can fax: 212-889-7933 or e-mail: [email protected] CELEBRATING 30 YEARS OF THE FORCE S O D E IV: A "She may not look, A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... -like much, but she's

: got it where it It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, ' counts, kid," says striking hidden ' from a base, have won their Han Solo of his legendary spaceship, first victory against the evil Galactic Empire. the Millennium- . During the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star, an armored space station with enough power to destroy an entire planet. Pursued by the Empire's sinister agents, Princess Leia races home aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy....

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.. Those famous words sent Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) off on his t§ Star Wars

. adventure.

They look like an odd couple, but Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) and Han Solo (Harrison Ford) are accomplished smugglers and great sidekicks.

No damsel in distress Rebel leader Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) knows how 40 STARLOG/June 2007 to handle a blaster pistol. r E W HOPE C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels) and R2-D2 (Kenny Baker) appeared in all six Star Wars movies.

Uncle Owen (Phil Brown) can't convince his strong-willed nephew Luke to follow in his footsteps as a moisture farmer.

Genre icon Peter Cushing added class to Grand Moff Tarkin, mastermind of the Death Star space station.

Luke learns the hard way to be wary of theTusken Raiders (a.k.a. Sand People) and their deadly gaderffii club.

As the wise Obi-Wan Kenobi, Sir Alec Guinness was one of the few veteran actors in the first Sfar Wars film.

Despite his villainy, (David Prowse, voice of James Earl Jones) emerged as one of the saga's most popular characters.

Jawas are small, but if you're a droid, you don't want to bump into the enterprising, hooded scavengers.

All New Hope Images & Poster Art: Trademark & Copyright 1977 Lucasfilm, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Star Wars/Page 39 Art: Greg & Tim Hildebrandt

mm/June 2007 41 —

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

It is a dark time for the Rebellion. Although the Death Star has been destroyed, Imperial troops have driven the Rebel forces from their hidden base and pursued them across the galaxy. Evading the dreaded Imperial Starfleet, a group of freedom fighters led by Luke Skywalker has established a new secret base on the remote ice world of Hoth.

The evil lord Darth Vader, obsessed with finding young Skywalker, has dispatched thousands of remote probes into the far reaches of space...

Duplicitous Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) was introduced in The Empire Strikes Back.

Who's your daddy? That was the question Luke—and moviegoers were left asking at Empire's end.

42 STARLOG/Jiwe 2007 RE STRIKES BACK

As Imperial soldiers, the stormtroopers serve under the command of the Galactic Empire.

Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch) and Darth Vader (David Prowse) are two of Star Wars' most popular antagonists.

www.starlog.com STARLOGAne 2007 43 home planet of Tatooine in an attempt to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of the vile gangster .

Little does Luke know that the Galactic Empire has secretly begun construction on a new armored space station even more powerful than the first dreaded Death Star.

When completed, this ultimate weapon will spell certain doom for the small band of rebels struggling to restore freedom to the galaxy..

A young Warwick Davis won audiences' hearts as the adorable Ewok Wicket W. Warrick.

44 STARLOG//iwe 2007

THE SAGA OF

Gary Kurtz, a co-producer on Lucas' American Graffiti, served as producer of Episodes IV and V.

Those making important contributions to the saga include conceptual artist Ralph McQuarrie (pictured), composer John Williams, sound designer Ben Burtt and special FX masters John Dykstra, PhilTippett, , Dennis Muren, Rob Coleman, and their colleagues at Industrial Light & Magic.

All New Hope Images: Trademark & Copyright 1977, 1997 Lucasfilm, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

46 STARLOG/June 2007

EPISODE I: THE PH

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... Turmoil has engulfed the Galactic Republic. The taxation of trade routes to outlaying star systems is in dispute.

Hoping to resolve the matter with a blockade of deadly battleships,

Although he the greedy Trade Federation has ignited much stopped all shipping to the small controversy, Jar Jar Binks planet of Naboo. () paved the the of the way for future While congress all-digital characters. Republic endlessly debates this alarming chain of events, the Supreme Chancellor has secretly dispatched two Jedi Knights, the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy, to settle the conflict..

Natalie Portman wore a wide range of costumes and makeups as Padme Amidala, Queen of Naboo.

Senator 's (Ian McDiarmid) dark side emerges. He's actually the Sith Lord Darth Sidious.

The Red Menace. Star Wars fans were wowed by Sith Apprentice Darth Maul (Ray Park).

Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) meet young Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd) on Tatooine.

48 STARLOG/ftme 2007 [TOM MENACE

With the city of Otoh Gunga, George Lucas got his wish of including an underwater environment in Slave Shmi Skywalker (Pernilla Star Wars. August) allows her son Anakin to leave home in hopes of a better life.

Returning to Tatooine, Phantom Menace introduced the trashy Toydarian merchant Watto (Andrew Secombe).

Samuel L. Jackson asked Lucas for a part in the prequels, so the Star Wars creator cast him as Jedi Master Mace Windu.

All Phantom Menace Images: Trademark & Copyright 1999 Lucasfilm, Ltd. All Rights Reserved. C-3P0 (Anthony Daniels) came out of his shell in Menace. The droid doesn't get his gold plating until Revenge of the Sith.

www.starlog.com STARLOG/June 2007 49 A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

There is unrest in the Galactic Senate. Several thousand solar systems have declared their intentions to leave the Republic. This separatist movement, under the leadership of the mysterious Count

Dooku, has made it difficult for the limited number of Jedi Knights to maintain peace and order in the galaxy. Senator Amidala, the former Queen of Naboo, is returning to the Galactic Senate to vote on the critical issue of creating an Army of the Republic to assist the overwhelmed Jedi.... egant alien We is the MHHg administrative aide to the Prime Minister of Kamino.

Before Boba Fett, there was Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison), the

the infamous bounty hunter.

V 1 J^l •

spider droid is a large, mobile engine of destruction in the Commerce (Kenny Baker) were Guild's army. among the few attendees at Anakin and Padme's wedding. EPISODE III: REVENG

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away....

War! The Republic is crumbling under attacks by the ruthless Sith Lord, Count Dooku. There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere. Victory was in 's () grasp in his In a stunning move, the fiendish battle against droid leader, General Grievous, Darth Sidious. but the Jedi has swept into the Republic capital Master just wasn't able to and kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine, hold on. leader of the Galactic Senate. As the Separatist Droid Army Almost all of the Jedi die in attempts to flee the besieged

Episode III. Upon learning capital with their valuable of Palpatine's treachery, Mace hostage, two Jedi Knights lead Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) a desperate mission to rescue himself is slain by the Emperor. the captive Chancellor....

.1 4 '*

Space attacks occur in every Star Wars film. Sith showcases ships close to the crafts seen in the initial trilogy.

';f'-'^PilP|IP|RHW^W

"Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope." This hologram of Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) echoes Princess Leia's plea in A New Hope.

52 STARLOG/Zune 2007

Grambling State University's FUTURE Tiger Marching Band was transformed into Imperial Guards and an army of Oolas (with three seen here).

Sfar Wars' 30th Anniversary began with a bang on January 1 when Grand Marshal George Lucas and a number of his colorful creations turned the 118th Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade into a traveling SF convention.

Applause for the Dark Lord! Darth Vader garnered the biggest crowd reaction of anyone on either side of the Force.

Chewbacca & Darth Vader Photos: Pat Jankiewicz

54 STARLOG/tone 2007 www.starlog.com Tired of an endless summer of animated antics? Catch a wave & HANC TEN WITH THESE* SURF-L^^^^j RflhlCUlN* 1

tvBOB WALLER

ouldn't it be great to do Surfing Dudes. Spinal Tap with surfing Grabbing their (story)boards, penguins?" That's how Chris Buck and producer Chris Jenkins Ash Brannon pitched the idea for Surf's joined forces to Up to four-and-a- W direct Surf's Up. half years ago. "I came up with this treat- They've talked ment, a story about this young kid—he could about their past have been a guitarist; he could have been any animated films: young kid with a strong passion—who's Tarzan (Buck, misunderstood in his home town and needs STARLOG #264) and Toy Story 2 to leave to make it big," Jenkins says. "The (Brannon, #270). central element was: you could meet your hero? What if he were to meet Elvis, and everyone said, 'He's dead. He became overweight, and couldn't stay in the business characters are each other from different not invite an animated character into the stu- any more.' I thought that was an intriguing points in time." dio, put a microphone up to them and ask possibility." Using This is Spinal Tap as inspiration, some questions. What would they say? Surf's Up is the story of Cody Maverick, Jenkins pitched the idea of making Surf's "Do you remember the scene in Bambi a young Rockhopper Penguin striving to Up as a "mockumentary," with Cody's story where Thumper is being a bossy know-it-all, prove himself at the Big Z Memorial Surf including flashbacks and interviews with the and his Mom says, 'Thumper, what did your Off competition. Big Z was a former surf- various characters while he engages in the father tell you this morning?' And Thumper boarding champion who inspired Cody's competition. "Animated movies these days replies, 'If you can't say anything nice, don't

passion for the sport. Jenkins describes their are very energetic, fast-cutting, lots of say nothing at all.' Well, the truth of the mat-

introduction as "sort of like meeting your- schtick, and what I proposed was, 'Let's ter is, the little kid who played Thumper " self. Big Z is Cody 40 years on. In a way, the throw out the rule book,' he notes. "Why [Peter Behn] screwed the line up. If you lis- www.starlog.com STARLOGAne 2007 55 Big Waves. Producer Chris Jenkins hopes that this latest penguin picture makes a huge splash with audiences this summer.

ten to it with that in mind, you'll hear the lit- ing Bullets [which became Home on the Up] job came up." tle boy trying to get the line right. Range]. By the end of that production, Says Buck, "We were brought to the pro- "There's something charming about that. Disney was going through that big transition ject separately, but we both had the same

What a natural performance. They were from 2-D to computer. I was training on the entertainment lawyer. He's the one who going to throw that line away and go with a computer a bit, but I felt like, 'Gee, I'm real- hooked us up, and then that was that. We better take, but one of the animators said, ly missing directing.' Tarzan was a blast, and didn't talk to each other before the project

'No. Wait. That's what we need. That's per- as much as I love animation, I love directing, was offered to us individually. It just hap- fect.' And by putting that kind of voice into a too. But Disney was in that transitional peri- pened to be, 'Wow! Ash has been offered cartoon character, Thumper ceased to be a od, projects weren't being greenlit and this?' They were looking for another direc- mere drawing on a page. He became tran- things weren't really happening the way that tor, and thought that we would make a great scendent. He now had a soul and was a liv- I wanted them to. So I started looking team." ing, breathing entity. So I wanted to take that around, and Sony seemed to be the place that Prior to Surf's Up, Jenkins had primarily same approach and make a movie complete- was up-and-coming. worked in FX animation, beginning with ly like that. I thought it was worth a try. "Sony was new; it was fresh; it wanted to Who Framed Roger Rabbit, then contribut- "The idea was so original that, initially, do things differently. And then this penguin ing to Disney films from The Little Mermaid the studio was scratching its head a bit," movie came up. At that point, there weren't up until Atlantis: The Lost Empire. "About

Jenkins admits. "But the nice thing about any other penguin films, so it wasn't like I four-and-a-half years ago, Disney wasn't the

Sony is that they're embracing possibilities. was saying to myself, 'Great, another pen- best creative place, so I chose to leave and

They're still young and hungry enough, and guin movie.' But it was the documentary, go over to Sony," Jenkins explains. "After 14 they want to have [a different identity than] reality-TV element that hooked me. I liked years there, I know all of the animators from the other animation studios. There's an the idea of getting into the animated charac- Disney, and we're all friends. But I had awful lot of animation product out there ters' heads and seeing that on-screen acting never worked on a movie with Chris [Buck]. now, and so they're embracing crazy people where the characters are saying one thing, Chris is the quintessential animator: He acts like myself who come along and say, 'What but then in their eyes they're saying some- from the heart in his drawings, and he draws if...' It's nice. It's a good place to be. We thing else. Because they're talking to the characters who aren't just repeating lines to have a great supporter in Yair Landau camera, the characters don't necessarily the camera, but are actually thinking—and [President of Sony Pictures Digital and Vice want to say what they're truly feeling. So it's maybe trying to lie, but not very well. Often, Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment]. a very different acting style than in a normal in animation, you don't get that wonderful He understands that if you don't take risks, narrative story." subtext you see in live-action films. you aren't going to gain anything." While he was teaching at CalArts from "I didn't know Ash before, but I sensed a 1988-93, one of Buck's students was Bran- kindred spirit. We went to lunch, and Ash Surfing Buddies non, who also later taught at the school. nailed the heart of the movie. Sometimes it Jenkins enlisted Chris Buck and Ash Brannon then migrated to Pixar, where he takes an outside observer to say, 'This is Brannon to direct the fdm. Buck is a veteran served as a directing animator on Toy Story, really a father-and-son story.' And I went,

animator and animation director whose story artist on A Bug's Life and co-director 'Yeah, it is!' Everyone just got it, you know? career spans two decades, mostly at Disney. of Toy Story 2. "I was taking time off, just And we ended up writing the script together. "After directing Tarzan, I wanted to animate being with my wife," Brannon recalls. "I had It was wonderful."

again," Buck says. "I missed the drawing, been at Pixar for over seven years, and I was "At Pixar, I worked with and under [Pix- getting out the boards and actually animat- ready for a change. So we moved to LA to be ar's creative head] John Lasseter as a co- ing. So that's what I wanted to do on Sweat- closer to our families, and then the [Surf's director, so it was a great pleasure to direct a

56 STARLOG//une 2007 www.starlog.com Beach Bums. Chicken Joe (voiced by Jon Heder), Cody Maverick (Shia LaBeouf) and Lani (Zooey Deschanel) are just some of the "mockumentary" interviewees.

way,' but then your partner says, 'There might be something here.' And so you go

down that road, and sometimes it's a better, stronger idea." Surf Boards In addition to writing and directing

Surf's Up, Buck and Brannon act in it as

well. "Ash and I play interviewers in the

movie," Buck reveals. "Originally, it wasn't set out that way. We were in the booth, inter- viewing the actors as characters, provoking them and getting them to say things that their characters really didn't want to reveal. And that was very entertaining. The plan was to replace our voices, but what hap- pened was the actors would talk over us, and we would talk over them, or our voices would be slightly in the background, and we got that documentary feeling of somebody asking questions off-camera. So we stuck Catching Waves. Cody is living his dream in the Big Z Memorial Surf Off, but are his cutbacks, cross steps and carving good enough to win? Find out June 8. with our voices." Story production manager Dana Belben film as opposed to 'co-direct,' " Brannon says. "Chris Buck and I were equals all the way through. We thought at some point we would have to split up—either divide the film by sequences or departments—but that never happened. We did everything together and, in the spirit of collaboration, we would throw ideas back and forth and come up with a great idea. It was fantastic working with Chris." Buck echoes Brannon's sentiment. "When you're directing a movie with some- one, it's like a marriage," Buck says. "The directors have to be of one , and you're going to be spending lots of time with each other, so hopefully you get along. What's nice about a partnership is the sounding board aspect: 'How do you feel about this scene? Are we going in the right direction?' Because there are times when you doubt yourself, and you get lots of opinions from the studio and crew. You try to stay on one track, but you also have to be open to peo- ple's opinions. That isn't always easy. You Surfing Guru. When Jenkins wrote the treatment almost five years ago, he already had might instantly say, 'I don't want to go that Jeff Bridges in mind as "old geek surfer" Big Z (left).

STARLOG/Ji/ne 2007 5 7 —

speaks for Cody's mom, Edna. "She did the down the sentence, 'Big Z Surfer/Old Geek

scratch [track voice], and we loved it," Buck Surfer played by Jeff Bridges.' I wanted him,

comments. "We said, 'Let's just go for it. and that's how I wrote these characters: I

She's perfect.' And my son plays one of the thought of actors whom I really admired. And,

little penguins. I'm not too crazy about of course, they begin to embody the charac-

adults doing kids' voices; I prefer a real ters. Nobody was picked because of their

child's voice. So I brought a recorder home name. They truly embodied the characters. and, again, I thought we would use my son "We built on that idea," he continues.

as scratch. But it felt real, so we kept it. We "When Shia was passionately talking about really went after a natural style of acting, a young surfer being out on a wave, he did

with flubs and all that. My son is probably not do it tongue-in-cheek; he said it sincere- going to kill me, because he stutters on one ly. And in many ways, Shia was talking line. I'm sure he's going to be mortified, but about his own life. We encouraged every-

you know what? It's charming." body to bring their own experiences to it. We The film's veteran actors include threw the script away and did it like a Starman's Jeff Bridges as Big Z, Jon Heder as Christopher Guest movie." Chicken Joe, James Woods as surf promoter Usually, voiceover actors are recorded Reggie Belafonte, Mario Cantone as talent separately, but Buck notes, "We had several scout Mikey Abromowitz, Zooey (The people come in at once. Normally, you do Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) Deschanel one actor at a time because you want clean as lifeguard Lani Aliikai and Transformers' takes so that nobody steps on each others' Shia LeBeouf as our hero, Cody. Says lines and you can edit things back and forth.

Jenkins, "Four-and-a-half years ago, I wrote But we wanted the actors to step on each others' lines and make some mistakes Beach Breaks. things that would make the film feel like a The contest's competitors want documentary. That would have been hard to to catch the eye create in the editing room." of surf promoter So how did they reconcile the actors' Reggie Belafonte schedules to get them into the recording (James Woods) booth together? "Usually, when we begged

and talent and pleaded, they would do it," Buck jokes. scout Mikey "Luckily, most of them were in town, but Abromowitz there were times when an actor came in alone (Mario Cantone). because of scheduling conflicts. It's difficult to get that spontaneous feeling when an actor

is alone in a dark room. I prefer to have the

actors in together, and I think they do, too.

It's more fun, and you get better perfor- mances. It was amazing to watch Jeff and Shia work together. We kind of wound them

'4

<

E Q.

CCO 3 ID < Parking Off. No worries, man, this isn't a group of land shark posers. These birds are just taking a break from hitting the pipeline.

58 STARLOG/Ji/ne 2007 —

No Floatwallers. Cody and Big Z don't have to brag about housing primo waves. These gnarly penguins are always looking to

kick it to the next level.

crew the principles of classic animation. "Oh, we absolutely benefitted," he says. "Some of these animators had just waded in

it. They had to conform to the live-action films, in which they were integrating their work. So they really got a chance to stretch their muscles. Other people came from other projects—some were from Pixar and Disney. You know how it is in the industry—people rotate all the time."

Mychael Danna is the film's composer. "He has delivered a beautiful thematic score, even though we have rock and surfer music in the movie," says Brannon. "We needed to interweave [the rock and surfer stuff] with something that gave the film a heart and a soul. And Mychael has done that." Brannon's next project will be family- up and let them go. We would give them the four years ago, before March of the Pen- oriented. "Well," he says, "my wife just had

scene, they would practice it a couple of guins was released. So we didn't think too a baby last fall, so I'm going to take time off times and then go for it. They knew what the hard about it. We just said, 'We have our and watch my son grow up for a little while. scene was about, and they brought their own release date; we're coming out in summer The movies are lots of fun, but I don't want experiences and feelings to it." 2007. We're going to keep our heads down to miss this."

To further enhance the documentary and work on our movie and make it the best "I can't really say, yet," Buck replies.

"feel," the filmmakers mimicked the camera- we can.' Also, we were confident that we "Probably a break, first. And then I'll get work style. "We basically had a hand-held have a very different movie. Penguins hap- rolling again." camera," Buck says. "The scene would be pen to be the characters, but Surf's Up is Meanwhile, Jenkins is already preparing

animated, then it would go to our layout guys about much more than that." for a sequel. "There are rumors of Surf's Up and they would watch the scene in the One difference is that em- II," he notes. "I mean, shameless exploita-

viewfinder and move the area around to sim- ployed motion-capture, while Surf's Up tion is certainly part of the equation in any of

ulate a hand-held camera. Usually, the cam- "keyframed" its characters, with the anima- these things. But we believe that we've cre- erawork is done ahead of time, and then you tors manipulating digital models, frame by ated a world and characters that have an

animate to the camera. It's done after the fact. frame. "The folks at ImageWorks deserve so existence outside of this particular story. But again, we went after that natural feel. So much credit," Brannon extols, "because up Rather than a rehash, we can explore other sometimes the camera doesn't completely until Open Season, they mostly worked on reality TV stories and pick up on other char- capture the character, and everything isn't visual effects movies like Spider-Man. We acters and see where life takes them. That's " blocked out. It's more 'in the moment.' are very pleased with the level of acting the what interests me. I have penned a little of

As noted earlier, the studio questioned if [animators gave] to these characters. I think the next movie, and I still love playing in

audiences would accept a documentary ImageWorks is the best in the animation that world. It's a wonderful sandbox, and I

approach to an animated film. "I kept telling industry. want to keep going back to it."

people, 'My kids watch reality TV, like "And I just love the ability keyframing "We've talked about the surface stuff Survivor and all those other shows. They gives you to exaggerate and caricature the style, camerawork and acting—but the don't get confused. They've grown up with human expressions. Motion capture can't go father-son story is really the heart of it," this filmmaking style,' " Buck remarks. "I quite as far, and your ability to edit and con- Chris Buck says. "Both characters learn that

think the studio was worried about that more trol things is easier with keyframing. In winning isn't everything. And that rings than anything else: Will the kids get con- motion capture, it can be difficult to change true. Of course, the technique is part of the fused? But children see this filmmaking a character's gestures and facial expressions. freshness and fun of it. But what people will

style on TV all the time, and they absolutely That's why I prefer keyframe." take away from Surf's Up is the message.

love it. The Surf's Up crew largely came from We're not cramming anything down any-

"After we had previews, that fear was the staff of Open Season, Sony Animation's body's throat, but it's a warm message and a dismissed. Yair was terrific. He believed in first CG feature. Brannon credits that film's sweet story. And hopefully that's what will the project, and kept saying, i think they're co-director Jill Culton with teaching that draw people in to Surf's Up." going to get it. We'll see.' We've tried to Clucked. make as accessible as possible. Surf's Up While Cody is There were moments where we thought, quickly becoming 'Well, maybe we did go a little too far. a radical surfer, Maybe this jumps around a bit too much.' So is Joe "chicken" then we would pull back. Anyway, the or willing to response has been terrific." wrangle with those walloping Surf & Turf whitecaps? Sony unveiled Surf's Up in May 2003, a month after Warner Bros, announced pro- duction of another penguin movie, Happy Feet. "There wasn't a race," Brannon says. "Chris Jenkins conceived of this idea over www.starlog.com STARLOGAne 2007 59 (jlRIBB By BILL WARREN AT WORLD'S END Jerry Bruckheimer has a message for Down, National Treasure and Deja Vu. STARLOG readers: "I want to thank Bruckheimer branched out into television them so much for their support and the in 1997 with Soldier of Fortune, Inc., and fact that they love movies as much as we do. scored hits with the three CSI series as well

That's the fun of it." as Without a Trace and Cold Case. But rar- Bruckheimer was born in Detroit, and ely has Bruckheimer scored as hugely as he received a degree in Psychology from the did with : The . He began his career at Curse of the Black Pearl and its sequel, an advertising agency, but was always inter- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's ested in films. His first movie in a producing Chest—a follow-up that did even better at capacity was The Culpepper Cattle the box office than the original. And now, Company in 1972. Such memorable films as Bruckheimer gives eager audiences the third Farewell, My Lovely (1975), American entry in the swashbuckling saga, Pirates of Gigolo (1980) and Thief (1981) followed. the Caribbean: At World's End (which relaxes on set with Then, in 1983, he joined forces with Don launches May 25). Jerry Bruckheimer, the super-producer Simpson, and the pair quickly one of Surprisingly, the producer was first became when who brought the Pirates of the Caribbean the hottest producing teams in Hollywood. approached by Chairman of the Walt Disney franchise to theater screens. Their hits included Flashdance, the first Studios Richard Cook to turn the classic two Beverly Hills Cops, Top Gun, Days of Disneyland ride Pirates of the Caribbean into Bears," recalls Bruckheimer of the film flop

Thunder, Bad Boys and Crimson Tide, a movie, it didn't sound that promising. "I based on that Disney attraction. "And 1 " among others. Their last film together was remembered what happened to the Country thought, 'Boy, there goes my career!' The Rock (1996), released the year Simpson Instead, Pirates of the Caribbean pulled died. Bruckheimer soldiered on, turning out "IT'S A QUEST TO in a treasure trove of money during summer a wide range of movies including Arma- BRING CAPTAIN JACK 2003, earning more than $300 million in the geddon (which he discussed in STARLOG U.S. alone and landing star Johnny Depp an #253), Con Air, Pearl Harbor, Black Hawk SPARROW BACK." Oscar nomination. Dead Man's Chest was Producer Jerry Bruckheimer reveals a few secrets of the new swashbuckling fantasy adventure.

Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) still leads his crew of mermen, doomed sailors transformed into oceanic grotesqueries.

an even bigger success, topping the 2006 to Davy Jones' Locker. Now, he has to get

charts with its $400 million-plus box office out, and the others go on a journey to find returns. Obviously, expectations are high for him." At World's End, but Bruckheimer didn't get But where do they have to go? The trail- where he is by spilling the beans. So he's ers show pirate ships of many types, plus an pretty cagey about revealing too much about alarming shot of an entire sea pouring off the the latest Pirates picture. edge—of what? Ancients thought the Earth "First of all, it's a quest to bring Captain was wide and flat, and that the seas poured back," Bruckheimer begins. away in gigantic waterfalls, cascading down "He was eaten by the Kraken, and was taken into eternity. Bruckheimer allows that this

STARLOG/femeW 61 edge-of-the-world stuff has some- the seas and is trying to extinguish all thing to do with Davy Jones' pirates. So the pirates have to band together Locker, which was mentioned but to take on Lord Beckett." never seen in the second film. As for how Sao Feng gets into the act,

if DC When asked the rescue mis- Bruckheimer will only reveal, "There are 5 sion includes sailing to the Far pirates from around the world—every coun- East—Asian pirates are seen in try." He adds that many of the pirates in the the trailer, and Chow Yun-Fat co- movie are, like the East India Trading Com- stars in the sequel—he cautiously pany, drawn from real life. "We take on his- comments, "I didn't say that. You tory," he asserts. m said that. But they do go to the Far When questioned if the dog with the East." So they somehow go to keys—taken directly from the Disneyland Asia—in ships—without actually ride—makes another appearance after turn- sailing there? Neat trick. ing up in Dead Man's Chest, Bruckheimer evasively suggests that people should see the Good-hearted Will Turner's (Orlando Bloom) agenda Cutthroat Casts film and find out. remains saving his father and getting the girl. Virtually the entire cast from It wouldn't be a Pirates movie if there

Dead Man 's Chest is on deck for At World's weren't plenty of battles and amaz- End: Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, Keira ing action sequences. "There are Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, Jonathan some conflicts," Bruckheimer Pryce as Governor Weatherby Swann, Jack carefully admits. "Certain people Davenport as admiral-turned-pirate James are always trying to serve their Norrington, Naomie Harris as voodoo queen own agendas, and that doesn't Tia Dalma, Geoffrey Rush as Captain always work with other people's Barbossa (who turned up unexpectedly at agendas."

the very end of Dead Man 's Chest), Stellan He's even reluctant to acknowl- Skarsgard as Will's undead father "Boots- edge anything about the action

trap" Bill Turner and, of course, Depp as the scenes or if there's a sequence shifty, vain and eccentric Captain Jack equivalent to the show-stopping Sparrow. swordfight atop a rolling water The bad guys include -faced Davy Jones (Bill Nighy), now employed by Lord Mortal enemies they may be, but what's a little hate Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander), who's out between friends? to gain a monopoly on the entire planet on behalf of the East India Company. Joining them in their

evil endeavor this go-round is Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dra- gon's Yun-Fat as pirate captain Sao Feng. "Each character has an agen- da," says Bruckheimer. "Jack doesn't want to go back to Davy Jones' Locker. Elizabeth wants to be with Will. And Will wants to save his father. Then you have Lord Beckett, head of the East India Trading Company. Now that Once an Admiral, James Norrington (Jack he has Davy Jones working for Davenport) has fallen on hard times. Desperate men him, Lord Beckett has taken over do desperate things!

New to the adventure is the mysterious pirate Captain Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat)

62 STARLOGAne 2007 Orleans and the Caribbean, and pirates always inhabited those places. Pirates were colorful characters—the whole period was very colorful—and we've used that to create these characters, the whole background and this world they live in."

Still, the pirates in these films are more like the charming marauders in the Disneyland ride than the real-life rogues "NOW THAT HE HAS DAVY JONES WORKING FOR HIM, LORD BECKETT HAS TAKEN OVER THE SEAS AND IS TRYING

Governor Weatherby Swann (Jonathan Pryce) returns. He just has his daughter's best TO EXTINGUISH interests at heart. ALL PIRATES." wheel as seen in Dead Man's Chest. "We Johnny and the rest of our group—Geoffrey, have a battle at the end," Bruckheimer says. Keira, Orlando and so on. It certainly "That's one of the most spectacular things intrigues an actor when they get to work I've ever been involved in." with other premier actors. Chow plays a

Pirates fans were surprised when it was wonderful character in this, and has done an announced that Asian star Yun-Fat would be amazing job. I'll leave it up to the audience part of At World's End. "He's a fan of the [to judge] after they see it." first two, he liked the character we created Harris' role is larger in Dead Man's for him and so he signed on," Bruckheimer Chest. "Voodoo has been around a long explains. "Chow wanted to work with time," Bruckheimer notes. "It's part of New

This odyssey creates strange allies: Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and Captain Jack Best friends they may not be, but what's a Sparrow (Depp). little love between enemies?

who terrorized the high seas. "We draw on their real names; we don't draw on all their deeds," Bruckheimer explains. Swashbuckling Stories In the 1940s and early '50s, pirate movies were frequently turned out by Hollywood studios {Captain Blood, The Black Swan, The Crimson Pirate, etc.). Since then, they've mostly vanished, and later efforts to revive them—such as Swashbuckler, Yellowbeard, Roman Polanski's Pirates and Cutthroat Island— didn't exactly burn up the box office. In fact, pirate pictures—like Westerns—were con- sidered a dead genre. But Cwr.se of the Black Pearl and Dead Man's Chest have altered that perception. Bruckheimer can't explain why pirates are back in a big way, just as he doesn't have any specific answers as to why he has enjoyed such a remarkable string of TV and movie successes. "It always comes down to the story you're telling," he says. "And this story, these actors and this director [] hit a nerve with audiences. That's what you try to do." He agrees that people's image and impression of pirates—swarthy guys with eyepatches and peglegs who grumble

STARLOG/June 2007 63 —

Lovable rogues Ragetti (Mackenzie Crook) and Pintel (Lee Arenberg) are on hand for more mischief in this movie.

"Arrgghh!" all the time—comes largely thing. They do an enormous amount of re- from Robert Newton's portrayal of the ras- search, too." cally Long John Silver in Disney's classic Bruckheimer has similar praise for Ver- version of Treasure Island (1950). Newton binski. "Gore is a very imaginative, bright played Silver again in a sequel and an young man and another great storyteller," he Australian-made TV series, and also starred extols. "You look at his body of work from as the titular character in the 1952 film Mouse Hunt on to the other films he has

Blackbeard, the Pirate. "Gore is a fan of done, and you can see he has amazing range. those films, and looked at every pirate movie [On Curse of the Black Pearl], we were ever made before starting on the first looking for somebody who could not only Pirates" Bruckheimer comments. handle action and tell a wonderful story, but heimer points out. "Hans isn't exactly Screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry who had a great sense of humor. And Gore unsung, but he has given us so much. Rick Rossio—who penned all three Pirates— has that." Heinrichs is another one—he has added a watched a great deal of swashbuckling fare Like a good seaman, Verbinski keeps a tremendous amount to the process with his as well, and cite the Richard Lester-directed steady hand at the helm, too. "He's a real production designs." Musketeers movies as additional influences. general out there," Bruckheimer states. "The first Pirates was originated by a couple "Gore has command of the set, and he main- Caribbean Cruises

of other writers who did a screenplay, but it tains a very happy set. There's no anxiety All three Pirates were largely filmed was a much different movie until Ted and when you're working with Gore, and he where else?—in the Caribbean. While this Terry got involved," Bruckheimer says. gives the actors lots of room and range to do gives the movies an undeniably authentic

"They brought in the supernatural element. what they want to do. And still, Gore gets look and gorgeous sea- and landscapes, it

And they're great storytellers; that's their what he feels is appropriate." doesn't make things easier. In fact, Bruck- strength. They do brilliant dialogue and fas- But these Pirates films aren't one-man heimer says location lensing was the biggest

cinating characters. Ted and Terry are stu- shows. "The behind-the-scenes team is fabu- challenge on the second film. "Just dealing dents of film and the history of film, so they lous, and [composer] Hans Zimmer has with the weather and the ships—any time have lots to draw on when they write some- added enormous contributions," Bruck- you work on water, you have problems, and

Beckett now controls Davy Jones, and thus becomes master of the seven seas.

Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) schemes to realize his fondest dream: destroy all pirates!

64 STARLOG/Jrae 2007 —

So far, the Pirates movies have hauled in $700 million-plus in box office treasure.

"WE TAKE ON adventure. "[These films do so well] because of the family aspect," Bruckheimer Also on board the Black Pearl once again HISTORY." says. "And the supernatural parts stretch the is Kevin R. McNally as Joshamee Gibbs. imagination. We took a genre that was al- that was very difficult to coordinate. We cer- ways [somewhat grounded] in realism, and

tainly hit some big storms. we put a supernatural twist on it that takes "Part of the At World's End production you into a whole other arena." was done in the Caribbean," Bruckheimer However, the filmmakers aren't ignoring continues, "so we had the same problems. the Disneyland attraction that gave birth to But for this third one, we didn't work on the these mega-movies. "We keep mining things water quite as much." A large portion was from the ride," Bruckheimer assures. "When safely shot on the Disney stages in Burbank. people see At World's End, they'll notice Even as At World's End heads for release, stuff pulled from the ride. And they'll say, " Bruckheimer is knee-deep in another large- 'Ohmigosh, they got that, too.' scale production, National Treasure: Book For those who haven't watched the first of Secrets. The sequel to the 2004 hit two Pirates yet, Jerry Bruckheimer recom- reunites director Jon Turteltaub with stars mends seeing them before attending this lat- Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger, Jon Voight and est installment. "It's a much better experi-

Harvey Keitel; Helen Mirren, fresh off her ence if you know the backstory. I would urge Oscar win for The Queen, has also joined the people to check out the first two on DVD, Arrgghh! For more Pirates talk, see cast. "We're going to keep making these big and then go see At World's End!' STARLOG #314, #347 and #349-51. family movies," Bruckheimer promises. The Monstrous Memoirs of a Mighty Nicolas Cage, Diane Kruger McFearless—based on the Young Adult and Jon Voight book by Ahmet Zappa—falls under that cat- reunite for egory. The film is being developed as an ani- Bruckheimer's mated feature, but Bruckheimer cautions, next escapade, "We're still working on the screenplay. It's a National long process. These things take a while." Treasure: Book There are, as always, other future possi- of Secrets. bilities. As a kid, Bruckheimer was into cowboys as much as pirates. "The first pic-

ture I ever made was a Western The Cul- pepper Cattle Company. I hope I can make a

big-scale Western someday." National Treasure But the Pirates franchise has been some- Photo: Copyright 2004 Disney Enterprises, thing special, almost creating its own sub- Inc. All Rights genre: the action-fantasy-pirate-comedy Reserved. www.starlog.com STARLOG/June 2007 65 sign of a veteran producer is someone who can handle Theanything. Someone who doesn't blink at trouble, tackling problems and doesn't scare easily. That's an apt description for Thomas K. Gray, the producer of the CG-animated TMNT (a.k.a. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). Gray (who also produced the 1990s' live-action Turtles flicks) is pleased with TMNT. "It's great," he promises. "The Turtles' look is really interesting, too. They're Taking a rather more angular and stretched out, lengthy time, as they were in the original Donatello and the comics. They're also a little bit Turtles haven't cruder and not as detailed as been seen on the silver screen they were later on. That was since 1993. [Turtles creators] Kevin East- man and Peter Laird's vision,

and we've gone back to that. I have a very good relationship Voiced the late with Kevin and Peter, and I'm by Mako, Master excited about the Turtles' (here with design. Rather than going for- Leonardo) offers ward, wanted to return to the we sage counsel to his initial concept and bring it to reptilian pupils. life in CGI. If we had made this

as a live-action picture, it would have cost $100 million. Talking Turtles

"The film was made in , but it looks like it was made These newest Turtles are voiced by James Arnold Taylor by any studio in this town. The Turtles' fight choreography is quin- (Leonardo), Mikey Kelley (Michelangelo), Nolan North (Raphael) tessential Hong Kong, and the action is based on [the classic Hong and Mitchell Whitfield (Donatello). The other characters speak with Kong martial arts movies]. Our Chinese animators understand how more familiar tones. Patrick Stewart is the villain Maximillian J. to draw this stuff because they grew up watching so many martial Winters with Zhang Ziyi as Karai, leader of the Foot Clan. Buffy's arts pictures with Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Jet Li. The fight Sarah Michelle Gellar voices April O'Neil with Fantastic Four's

footage is amazing, the CGI is phenomenal and people are gonna Chris Evans as Casey Jones.

love this version of the Turtles." And, finally, Conan the Barbarian 's Mako (who died last

By PATJANKIEWICZ

BACK IN THE SHELL GAME AGAIN, PRODUCER THOMAS K. GRAY BRINGS FORTH TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.

\ w I A veteran of the three TMNT live-action movies, producer Thomas K. Gray promises an entirely new take on the Turtles—and no Vanilla Ice!

66 STARLOG/ftme 2007 Cowabunga! The Turtles' catchphrase is a surfing exclamation, Although TMNT but Michelangelo likes hitting the rails on a skateboard, too. opened in March, fans looked forward to April—as in the plucky, pretty April O'Neil (Sarah Michelle Gellar).

summer) speaks up as the Turtles' sewer rat sensei, Splinter. "We are keeping Mako," Gray says of the late actor. "In a celebration of his life, we never said, 'Let's replace him.' He did a great job as Splinter, and he recorded alternate takes for every line of dialogue. Mako had throat cancer, and he knew he was going, but he was fantastic. He Often aggressive or sullen, Raphael seeks rooftop advice from would occasionally stop, and we could see that he was tired. I don't close pal and crimefighter Casey Jones (Chris Evans). believe he was undergoing chemo, and I think his approach was, 'I got it—there's nothing more I can do,' and the quality of his voice albums on the three Turtles films. Unfortunately, we also had Vanilla never changed." Ice! Vanilla Ice had already peaked by the time we put out Turtles

TMNT not only has a new look but a unique soundtrack. "We're II: The Secret of the Ooze, but everybody remembers him being in it. gonna have great music on this—it's by Marco Beltrami, who did I keep getting asked if he's in the new one!" Hellboy, Terminator 3 and the Joining Corey Feldman and Vanilla Ice on the not-returning list Scream pictures," Gray notes. is a main member of the Turtles' rogues' gallery. "We put Shredder "We had three platinum on the bench for this film," Gray laughs. "We talked about him early

It's the Year of the Turtle. Raphael (voiced by Nolan North), Donatello (Mitchell Whitfield), Leonardo (James Arnold Taylor) and Michelangelo (Mikey Kelley) are raising shell as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

All TMNT Images: Trademark & Copyright 2007 Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

mm/June 2007 67 —

Maximillian J. Winters (Patrick Stewart) wants to take over the world with his creature army.

Generals Aguila, Gato, Serpiente and Mono make up the sinister Stone Generals.

first developed the Turtles, their heads were as big as TV sets because they tried to cram in all the servo motors and [other mech- anisms]. But in the passage of four or five months, they were able to reduce them down to reasonable-sized helmets that could pass for heads. We needed the Turtles to be mobile and speak without wires. "Most movies cut away from the animatronic creatures and erase the wires later, but the Turtles had to be able to fight, talk, move and look real. Our stunt guys came from Hong Kong; they were part of Forget about Jackie Chan's crew. We also brought in stunt people from Golden Shredder. Karai Harvest as well as [stunt choreographer] Pat Johnson from The (Zhang Ziyi) is the Karate Kid. We had to film everything in master shots in order to get leader of the all the action." Foot Clan. That first Turtles was made under difficult circumstances. "It was

Is this Bigfoot 90 degrees in North Carolina in July, and the poor stunt guys could creature the scary only stand in those suits for three minutes at a time," recalls Gray. cousin of "One of the Turtles—a Hong Kong stuntman—couldn't get his head Monsters, Inc.'s off! He was rolling all over the ground in the heat like he was suffo- Sully? cating. It was strange watching this poor Turtle in agony. We finally

got the head off, but it took a long time to The Turtles get back in the suit. Turtle shouldn't have him The actors a problem could only see through slits underneath outrunning the the eyeballs, so there wasn't much air get- Sloth Monster. ting in. Those guys lost nine pounds a day in those suits." Gray started his career off by selling films out of the back of his car in Spain.

Hopefully, those "I sold Midnight Cowboy as a Western! I chains are on did that in nine countries," he remarks. all eight legs of "The first film I produced was Flying, the menacing with Olivia d'Abo. It's still out there Spider Monster. and it has a great soundtrack, too. I come

from that European filmmaking style. And I love Bruce Lee." Lee, in fact, was the reason Gray decided to focus on martial arts

pictures. "When I saw my first Bruce Lee movie, my whole life changed," he explains. "I worked at United Artists for many years

doing James Bond films. When I first saw Bruce Lee, I said, 'This is " a guy we have never seen before.' However, the Asian film market could be a challenge. "They called one Bond picture The Big Blond Spy and the Good-Looking

on with Peter during the screenplay's development. The idea was,

'Let's get a new villain for this one and we'll see where it goes.' If the movie is successful, we'll consider a Shredder appearance. We do have Karai, and that opens up some sequel possibilities for her, the Foot Clan and, quite possibly, Shredder." Gray worked on all three live-action Turtles movies, where they had to contend with five animatronic lead characters (Splinter and the Turtles). "It was impossible!" he chuckles. "When we did the first movie, animatronics had never been done by remote control Hoofing the streets, the Centaur and the Foot Clan are on the before—it was always wires. And when the Henson Creature Shop lookout for Turtles.

68 STARLOGAne 2007 —

original comics, which were grittier than the Saturday morning 'Cowabunga!' cartoons. So that was the genesis." Despite being a bona fide worldwide '90s phenomenon, the Turtles' comeback was greeted with skepticism. "We put together a

treatment and a great promo, which is the first trailer you saw, of them flipping around on the rooftops," says Gray. "Then we went to

the studios, and nobody wanted it. They all thought it was passe that with Spider-Man and X-Men, the Turtles were long-lost super- heroes who had seen their day. "We had to put together a bunch of research and studies that showed the Turtles are very much remembered. There was definite- ly a fall-off in the late '90s after the movies ended, but the Turtles were resurrected by four kids who brought them back to television

in 2003. So we really had to build it back [in the studios' mind], not

the audience's. It was the studios who said, 'Aw, I think it's done.' We had a hard time setting things up until Warner Bros, and the Weinstein Company picked up the picture for U.S. and foreign release." That was the same story, more or less, 17 years ago, with the first

Girl—I think that was the Cantonese title for Moonrakerl Their titles are very liter- Gray hopes the al—stuff like The English Spy King and Vampire Monster the Russian Villain." and other creatures One of Gray's big discoveries for the fly with fans. American market was Jackie Chan.

"When I was head of United Artists for Asia, Africa and the Far East, I was the first guy to buy Jackie's pictures for the West—movies like Snake in the Eagle's Shadow and Drunken Master," he notes. This led to a working relationship and friendship with the Drunken Master him- self. "I remember we were doing Mr. Nice Guy, and Jackie went to the Rotterdam Film Festival for a retrospective," Gray grins. "He came back and said to me, 'I've got an idea for a movie!'

'OK, what is it?' 'Well, there's this bridge in Rotterdam that opens at an angle, and I want to do a stunt off that. Go design a film around that stunt, so I can fight on that bridge.' I would sit for hours on the floor of Hong Kong hotels trying to figure [the plots] out. The rule on his films was that there are seven stunts in search of a storyline. Jackie wasn't pitching stories, he was pitching stunts!" Taming Turtles With TMNT, the producer is hoping to reboot the movie franchise for a new generation. "I joined as a con- sultant back in fall 2003," he comments. "At the time, I sent my resume to the studio in Hong Kong. They noticed my producing credits included the live-action Turtles, and our leader, Francis Kao, said, 'What would you think of doing them again?' I replied, 'Well, it would be much too expensive to make them live action.' He sug- Turtles movie. "Nobody wanted that either, until New Line stepped gested, 'What about CG?' It was an interesting concept, and that up," Gray reveals. "My association with this franchise has always progressed into circling back with Mirage Studios' Peter Laird. been going out to sell it, getting beat up, finally making a deal and

Some meetings took place, and we were able to get the rights back. having it be hugely successful while the other studios say, 'How "Then we found [director] Kevin Munroe, who had to meet Peter come didn't we see it?' The problem is that people dismiss Turtles and be signed off by him. Peter liked Kevin a lot and thought he was as being for little kids—they don't understand the Turtles. People the right person to update the Turtles and make them more relevant wonder if the franchise is for kids or adults, and the answer is both." to today's times. Kevin also wanted to make them a throwback to the Meanwhile, Gray is joining Eastman on a project where "There can only be one!" "Kevin is producing a 3-D anime Highlander

film," he states. "We're doing it in Japan, and it looks great. We have Canadian actors—professional actors, but not names. Christopher Lambert won't voice Connor MacLeod, but it will be someone who sounds the part." Highlander: Search for Vengeance debuts on DVD June 5 from Starz Home Entertainment and Manga Video. Of course, the TMNT producer has danced around the most important question: Who is his favorite Turtle? "I really don't have one," Thomas K. Gray admits with a grin. "I kinda like Michelangelo because he's a goofy guy, but he can really fight. I

love his Enter the Dragon nunchuks. Still, I can't pick a favorite. I You're skating on thin ice when you test the temper of the put two kids through college because of them, so I love all the Jersey Devil. Turtles!" www.starlog.com STARLOGAne 2007 69 THE SOUND OF SCI- RECORDS

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Producer Todd Garner would have whirling blades; a package is exchanged. the Chainsaw remake you believe that Next, starring The military types tense as they begin to the chance to play a part that, relatively Nicolas Cage, Jessica Biel and inch forward. speaking, is normal. "I've been spending

Julianne Moore, is truly a love story. But Next is not Sense and Sensibility or lots of time trying not to run really cool, on a bright weekday morning on the even Pride and Prejudice, so you can guess and I don't get to beat anybody up," she docks of San Pedro, CA, this adaptation what happens next. There's action and laughs. "1 got to roll out of a car once, but of Philip K. Dick's SF story "The Golden plenty of it—with enough SF and the Dick that's pretty much it." Man" is looking like anything but. pedigree to get STARLOG's attention. For Moore, it's that never-ending bat- A black helicopter emerges from the With an April 27 release bumped up from tle of art vs. commerce that has led her to clouds and then descends by way of an September, the movie has flown under Next. "Nobody wants to do the same thing

intricate series of twists and turns. The Hollywood's radar. But in its own quiet all the time," she says. "You can 't make a dock appears deserted—but looks can be way, Next is proving to be an enticing bit living doing independent films, so you deceiving. For behind and on top of mas- of business. have to do commercial films as well. On sive packing containers and aboard a For openers, Next—which is being co- my next movie, I'll barely be making large freighter docked nearby, some 100 produced by Cage's Saturn Produc- scale." military types armed with very big guns tions—is the actor's first full-fledged SF stand anxious and waiting, their weapons film. "Science fiction is something that I Present Destinies pointed at the where the copter will hadn't done before, so I thought it would The screenplay is credited to Gary finally land. be a chance to learn," notes Cage, who has Goldman and Jonathan () Positioned discreetly off to one side, done service in fantasy, horror and comics Hensleigh and Paul Bernbaum, screen director Lee (Die Another Day) Tama- movies (Peggy Sue Got Married, The story by Goldman. It updates Dick's out- hori—no stranger to helicopters and big Family Man, Wicker Man, Ghost Rider). "I of-kilter, post-apocalyptic short story to a guns—is guiding his cinematographer as just wanted to mix things up. I get excited modern-day setting. Cris Johnson (Cage) he captures the chopper lowering to about going into other genres." has always known that there's something touchdown. Two men appear out of a Next is also giving Biel—who has seen different about him—that difference nearby building and move under the genre action in Stealth, Blade: Trinity and being that he has the power to see two TWO MINIEEE WARNING LOOKING MERE MOMENTS IMTft TUC

What's Next? It's eye-opening SF with Nicolas Cage as Philip K. Dick's "Golden Man," who can see slightly into the future.

STARLOG/Vune 2007 71 —

minutes into the future. After a childhood of go much further into the being mentally poked and prodded, he has future. What this movie is decided to live his life out of the mainstream really about is this woman, as a low-rent magician plying his trade in his destiny with her and how Las Vegas tourist traps while using his abili- he seeks her out." ty to win at games of chance. Casting Next proved to However, Cris doesn't realize that his be fairly simple. With Cage gambling prowess has put him on the FBI attached, Biel and Moore frauds list. FBI agent Callie Ferris (Moore) quickly jumped in. Next on has deduced his power, and is attempting to board was Tamahori. "Lee track Cris down to help the agency deal with got involved because Nic is a a terrorist threat to blow up LA. As if Cris' big fan of his, and everybody life wasn't tough enough, he discovers that knew that he could handle he can suddenly see further than two min- immense action," Garner utes into the future—but only when it comes explains. "And since we And it's an action movie. Cris encounters Liz (Jessica to Liz (Biel), a lady he has never met. weren't making straight- a Biel). The Next thing you know, they're both on the run. Quicker than you can say plot twist, Cris forward action movie, and meets Liz, the FBI is closing in and the ter- were trying to hone in on the love story harbor. After what seems like minutes but is, rorists are on their way. between Cris and Liz and keep things on a in actuality, only about 30 seconds, Garner acknowledges that there is very more humanistic level, we knew that Lee Tamahori yells, "Cut!" Extras and stuntmen little of the original tale left in Next. "The because of films like Once Were Warriors— have a good laugh at the exaggerated, over- only thing that resembles Dick's story is that would be up to that task as well. the-top nature of the scene. Then, the sur- the title character has these precognitive "We're trying to push the envelope in vivors, the wounded and the dead get up and powers," the producer states. "Gary took terms of making sure the action fits the idea. go back to their marks to do it all over again. Dick's idea and created a whole new world Visually, we're trying to explain what the Much of what has been transpiring this with it. And once Nic was attached, he put idea is, and we've been having lots of con- day is the work of stunt coordinator R.A. his own spin on the character." versations about things like the space-time Rondell, who, as the action unfolds, has the Goldman came up with the idea of adapt- continuum. What can Cris imagine, and how luxury of sitting back and admiring the ing "The Golden Man" in 2003, approached would it look in real time? We've taken a scene. "I sat down with Lee, discussed his the Dick estate and received a go-ahead. He clue from a line of dialogue in the script: vision and then transformed that into a phys- " wrote a spec script, which he then took to 'It's like remembering before it happens.' ical reality in conjunction with the visual

Cage, who liked it and joined the project. effects coordinator," Rondell remarks. "Gary had the challenge of taking 'The Future Romances "Sometimes we'll do a physical start to a

Golden Man,' which is set in the future, to Back at the docks, Tamahori and the visual connection, and sometimes it works what Next is now," explains Garner. "So the stunt coordinators are checking out the cam- the other way around. It's a matter of weav- challenge had already been overcome by the era angles and details of what will be the ing everything together." time I read the script. Dick had such great first skirmish in a day-long exercise in cine- Rondell is especially enthusiastic about a ideas. The notion here was, 'What would matic violence. Finally, the director is satis- debris avalanche created for a pivotal scene. happen to a guy with precognitive powers in fied and, at his signal, all Hell breaks loose "We sent rocks and a Jeep down a hill," he today's world?' as thousands of (blank) rounds are pumped says. "We had a catapult that launched the

"Cris can see two minutes into the future, at the helicopter and its occupants, who are rocks. But there still are many things being which isn't that great of a power," he returning fire. Troops rush in, guns blazing. visually composited." observes. "There are things he can and can- People are running everywhere. Many fall, Meanwhile, Biel admits to being on the not do with that power. But for some reason, "mortally" wounded. The ear-splitting horns of a dilemma when it comes to her when he imagines his life with Liz, he can whine of heavy artillery echoes through the participation in Next. "Doing this film is

72 STARLOG/Vune 2007 www.starlog.com Next is also, of course, a love story. have to keep up with him, very specific kind of plot-driven movie. The Boy meets girl, boy sees better future or he'll totally take over characters are established in the beginning,

thanks to girl, boy realizes destiny. and my role will be crap." and the plot pushes the rest of it through." Even at this point in Cage may be a laugh riot on the set, but

her career, things don't when it comes to dealing with the press, he's come easy. Biel was a late a bit reserved today (though not always; see addition to the cast, after the interview with him in STARLOG #354 the original actress chosen re: Ghost Rider). But he's no less enthusias- for Liz backed out at the tic about why he chose this project as his last minute. That kind of Next film. "I'm always of a mind to try and

scenario doesn't bother explore a little bit of everything, so this was Biel, though. "I don't intriguing to me," he says. "And I've always seem to get offered been a fan of Dick. His work is so edgy and things," she says. "I usual- uncompromised. He's a guy who once heard ly have to go in and fight the TV going when the TV wasn't even for them." plugged in. Dick was an inspired and unique

For Moore, playing an voice, and I was excited about trying to FBI agent again has been a make a character who can see two minutes

fairly easy ride. "When I into the future real for an audience." played an FBI agent in And while Cage thought the premise was Hannibal, I had to do ex- first-rate from the start, he did take some tensive research," she time to mold the character to his liking. "I'm relates. "So the nice thing not the sort of fellow who likes to broadcast

on this film was that I did my contributions to a project," he offers.

not have to do that re- "But when I read the script, I thought there were changes that needed to be made. "I had to do something to revitalize the

character, and I was thinking about what I

would do if I was born with powers that could be terrifying or uncomfortable for

those around me. How could I play that part?

And what could I do that would seem real and protect Cris from being labeled a freak?

I liked the notion of being able to hide in plain sight, so the thinking was to make him a magician, and he uses his magic act to dis- guise that he really has powers." Making such a far-fetched premise plau- sible wasn't easy for Cage. "I would never want to walk through anything, and you can't really walk through a movie about somebody who can see two minutes into the future," he argues. "But I do think that there's something to making things appear

easier. Anything forced on film is death, so you have to find a way to make things effort- less. Next truly is theater of the imagination.

I have to imagine how having this power would impact on his life. That's where the

magic act came in. Cris is somebody who is interested in unusual natural occurrences, hard, in the sense that I would rather be search all over again." because that's who he is." dodging logs and punching people," she Conversation is momentarily interrupted Moviegoers searching for an element of chuckles. "That stuff is really fun. It's a little by yet another blast of automatic weapon Cage in the character of Cris won't have to tough to be as soft and feminine as I am in fire. "Wait a minute!" Moore yells in mock look very far. "I do try to put a bit of myself this movie. But Liz isn't the typical damsel terror. "That's my boy friend! Don't shoot!" in every role," he says. "I think I've reached in distress. She's just a normal person who The gunfire subsides, and Moore returns a point after 25 years in the business where gets swept up in this wild adventure without to extolling the virtues of portraying Next's I'm relaxed enough to bring a part of myself really having a clue as to what's happening. antagonist. "Another nice thing about play- to each role so that it rings true to the audi-

"Being 'the girl' is a bit different for me, ing Callie, who is the pursuer, is that I don't ence." and it has been challenging. I didn't have to have the responsibility of making my char- It is later in the day, and the war on the work out or learn any special skills. All I acter the emotional center of the movie," she docks is continuing as Tamahori gathers all have to be is this regular person with a sim- observes. "In a sense, I'm almost the 'bad manner of footage to complete the explosive ple life who's suddenly running from the guy,' which gives me permission to play this battle. Once again, he calls for action. cops with this guy who believes that we're character a certain way. The big challenge is Gunfire is heard. Bodies fall. People run in destined to be together." making all the militaristic, top-secret dia- every direction while bullets whiz by. The Biel has only praise for co-star Cage. logue and jargon sound plausible." smell of simulated death is in the air. On the "Nic is similar to the character he's playing: Moore is candid in admitting that Next dock, a soldier stands over a bad guy struck He's eccentric, cool, serious and intense," isn't one of her toughest acting assignments. down. He points the barrel of his monster she describes. "As an actor, he's so thorough, "This isn't backbreaking work by any stretch gun at the man's midsection and... which means I have to kick it up a notch. I of the imagination," she notes. "Next is a Well, Next sure seems like a love story.

STARLOGAne 2007 73 Even surrounded by friends & family, fantasyland's most beloved " OGRE DOESN'T \ jT HHP^ Z^\\ I f W i L < THINK IT'S SO B^mTv GOOD TO BE 1 M m/*^JL ^^the King.

By JOE NAZZARO TOe I MIjKjLI,

When King Harold croaks, Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) is next in line for the throne— unless he can find (and actually persuade) young Artie (Justin Timberlake) to be the royal heir. the old saying goes, it's not easy being medieval high school student. But with Shrek Cameron Diaz (Fiona), Antonio Banderas Asgreen, especially in the land of Far Far away, the jilted Prince Charming sees the (Puss in Boots), John Cleese (King Harold), Away. When King Harold suddenly chance to stage a coup d'etat with the help of Julie Andrews (Queen Lillian) and Rupert croaks, his son-in-law Shrek finds himself several fairy tale villains. The only people Everett (Prince Charming), the film features a next in line for the crown, but the grumpy ogre standing in their way are Fiona and a familiar host of new characters: Justin Timberlake as just wants to return with his wife, Princess band of royal girl friends... Artie, Eric Idle as Merlin and John Krasinski Fiona, to their beloved swamp. Faced with That, in a nutshell, is the premise of Shrek as Lancelot, to name just a few. impending monarchy, Shrek recruits his the Third, which combines the usual fractured Not surprisingly, Shrek the Third's plot friends Donkey and Puss in Boots to help track fairy tales with a healthy dose of Arthurian went through a number of different iterations down the only other possible heir: Fiona's legend. In addition to the voices of Mike before the filmmakers arrived at the final sto- long-lost cousin Artie, an under-achieving Myers (Shrek), Eddie Murphy (Donkey), ryline. According to director Chris Miller, "In — —

the beginning, our loose concept was that moments, as do many of the other fairy tale Shrek was really responsible for the Arthurian creatures. We've also given voices to the fairy legend. That was our original idea: The tale villains and princesses." unknown truth behind the Arthurian myth is "It was difficult," agrees Hui. "The first that Shrek was behind the whole thing. We movie was mostly about four characters ended up holding on to the Arthurian legend, Shrek, Fiona, Donkey and Farquaad—so most but only in a few ways. For example, one of of the shots had only two or three characters, our new main characters is Arthur [Artie], and and sometimes just one. In Shrek the Third,

Merlin's in it as well, but much of that fell there are usually four or five characters in a away, because even though we went down that Shrek the Third Co-director Raman shot. In the scene where Prince Charming goes path for a long time, we felt that we were forc- (which premieres Hui is another into the Poison Apple, we have all the fairy 18) is the third Shrek veteran. He ing something that wasn't natural. May tale villains, and there are hundreds of them. visit to Far Far handled animation "We also realized that, at the end of the And at the movie's end, it's like a big stage Away for director duties on the first day, we were actually telling Arthur's story, that has every fairy tale character and the Chris Miller. two movies. which isn't the name of the character on the entire town from Far Far Away. In that scene, poster, so that was the sticking point. Once we was trying to become more familiar with the we're talking about thousands of characters. freed ourselves of that idea and made sure we entire process, and that's how I got into this "But even when we would go to a close-up were telling Shrek's story—with Arthur, position. Because I helped create those char- shot, there was always someone in the back- Merlin and a few other Arthurian elements in acters in a way, I know them very well, and I ground, and that character had to react the way there—that really helped get the script on was able to help make sure that they're the they would in that situation—and different track." same and consistent." characters react differently. If we had Sleeping Beauty in the background, she might start

falling asleep if somebody is talking for too long. So we made sure that everybody responds the way they should within their character."

By now, Myers and the other Shrek regulars have their roles nailed down—and polished. But the filmmakers are just as delighted with the new cast members.

Fairy Tale Folks Juggling all of those charac-

Miller is sharing directing duties on the ters became one of the biggest chal- film with co-director Raman Hui, and both are lenges from a story point-of-view. no strangers to the Shrek Universe. Hui—who Besides the many "regulars," Shrek the joined the PDI/DreamWorks team in 1989 Third introduces more than a dozen major new was a supervising animator on the first two characters, and also brings back a number of Shreks, as well as the Universal Studios attrac- fan favorites, such as the Wolf (voiced by pro- tion Shrek 4-D. Miller joined the company a ducer Aron Warner) and the Gingerbread Man year earlier, eventually becoming a story artist (Shrek 2 co-director Conrad Vernon). on Shrek and Head of Story on Shrek 2. "They're all great characters, and they're "In our case, the delineation ended up fun to write," declares Miller. "There's a huge developing in a very organic way," Miller cast in the third film, and that was a difficult explains. "Both of us were involved in every juggling act. We've amassed a small entertain- step of the process, but one of the reasons our ment army, and everyone deserves their own partnership worked so well was that I came up moment in the Sun. We wanted to give them through the story side, while Raman was head those moments and have them contribute to of animation on the first two films, so he came the film, but the trick was to balance their con- from the production side and the more visual tributions, because this is Shrek's story. end of things. That created a nice balance, "We could easily fill four hours of enter- because he had more expertise in the technical tainment just spending time with those charac- fields." ters, and it would be funny, but it would also

"While I was supervising animator on be utterly forgettable once you left the theater. Shrek and Shrek 2," adds Hui, "I also helped a So that was a big challenge for us, but Gingy bit on character design and storyboarding. I has some great scenes, really memorable

76 STARLOG/June 2007 —

"We pretty much managed to get who we wanted, and Justin was the best surprise of

them all. When Justin's name originally came

up, I had this presumption of him as a singer, songwriter and performer. So when he was

suggested, I didn't really get it at first. And

then I saw his appearance on Saturday Night

Live and realized, 'This guy is a great actor, funny and a natural comedian.' "There are some fantastic performances in

this film. We have voices from all over the world, and throwing in Justin [who's from Tennessee] was a great mix with Shrek's Scottish accent, Donkey and the Spanish Puss. And then balancing that out are [British] peo-

Shrek's sidekicks Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) once ple like Eric and John. The movie is vocally again provide comic relief. Both get into more than their fair share of animated trouble. rich." Another notable addition is the group of The screenplay is by Jeffrey Price & Peter actors to their characters. There was certainly fairy tale princesses whom Fiona recruits to

S. Seaman (noted for scripting Who Framed no shortage of A-list names who let it be thwart Prince Charming's evil plans, namely Roger Rabbit) and Miller & Warner, story by known that they were available, but more Snow White (Amy Poehler), Rapunzel (Maya executive producer (a direc- importantly, the directors were able to put Rudolph), Cinderella (Amy Sedaris) and tor on the first two Shreks). together a short list of people they wanted Sleeping Beauty (Cheri Oteri). One of the reasons that the Shrek films and got them. "Those girls were amazing," enthuses have worked so well is that the filmmakers "We were lucky that we didn't have casting Miller. "And they were never in the recording have been successful in matching up the right forced on us or anything like that," says Miller. booth together. Dealing with people's sched-

New to the adventure this time are Fiona's (Cameron Diaz, middle) fairy tale princess pals: Cinderella (Amy Sedaris), Snow White (Amy Poehier), Rapunzel (Maya Rudolph) and Sleeping Beauty (Cheri Oteri). — —

One of those is Worcestershire Academy, the school Artie attends, which features a number of throwaway gags. "If you only

watch this film once, you won't catch all the background characters and jokes," promises

Hui. "When a main character is talking, some-

one in the background is always doing some- thing behind them. You have to see this movie a few times [in order to notice everything]. In

a way, everyone you ever met in high school is either in the foreground or background." With constant improvements being made in the digital world, each Shrek installment has

been more technically advanced than its pre-

decessor. Shrek the Third is no exception. As

Hui explains, "Everyone has had a little makeover, and we treated the background

characters the same way. For example, if there was a woman walking in the background, we would apply hair dynamics and fabric simula- tion. The new princesses have different hair The series' twisted take on fairy tale characters always entertains. Where else would the process is much more advanced than you see the Wolf, Pinocchio and the Three Little Pigs sharing refreshments? before. And it's the same with the fabric. In the ules and the amount of time it takes to make there where the story takes place. We also past, we could only have one layer of fabric, these films, there are always problems—so introduce Merlin, so there's a totally different but now the characters can wear a dress and you get the actors when you can get them. We environment in the middle of the forest. And then another layer on top of that. The move- were lucky to have a fabulous group of Prince Charming is visiting various areas as ment is unbelievably natural. It sounds easy, actresses and comedians. Amy, Maya, Amy well. This film has lots of new settings." because when you're shooting live action, you and Cheri are incredible at improv. We would give them a little, and they would give back so much. Then when we put their voices togeth- er, it worked out great and really helped devel- op the characters." Far Far Away Lands Shrek the Third also features more than 80 different digitally created environments, only 15 of which were from the previous films. "We used some of the old environments," says Hui, "like Far Far Away and the castle. Those are basically the same, but even then, we had different points in the story where we needed to do something new to those environments such as when Prince Charming and the fairy tale villains attack the town. So we had to make changes to them.

"Aside from that, Shrek is on a journey to look for the new king, and so he goes to a bunch of different places. We have a high Rah! Rah! Rah! Artie attends the Worcestershire Academy, home of these school, and there are various locations inside pompom-shaking, chipper cheerleaders.

just put another dress on top, but when I first

started doing computer graphics in the '80s, it

was impossible to do awything with fabric, let alone layers. It's amazing how advanced things have become." Even though Miller and Hui worked on the

first two films, it isn't always easy for them to put the Shrek "rules" into words. "It's strange,

I can't really define it, because it's something

you feel," Miller says. "There's a weird line,

and I know when we've crossed it and when we haven't. But I'm not exactly sure why. Sometimes things can be too modern, contem- porary or anachronistic. And in terms of what Shrek would or wouldn't do—or how he would react in a given situation—I don't know

if there are guidelines. It either feels right or it doesn't. "The one common link between the pic-

You can't tell the tale of King Arthur without including that legendary, eccentric wizard, tures is that Shrek ultimately has to learn a the magnificent Merlin (Eric Idle). similar lesson. For Shrek, it's self-acceptance

78 mm/June 2007 "We were also very conscious about not repeating ourselves and not loading the film

with as many cultural references as the first two. Our idea was to let the characters drive

the comedy a bit more. I feel that a bunch of

recent movies have taken that nod from us. Every film seems to be spoofing pop culture. The original credit should probably go to the Warner Bros, shorts from way back when. We

revived that and had fun with it, but it seems a

little played out at this point."

"For me personally, I'm so happy that I got to work with Aron and Chris," Hui smiles. "They're great people, and they taught me so much about this process. I'm also happy about the quality and attention to detail that the ani- mators and everyone else put into this film.

And even with all the new characters, we're

still loyal to our core group. They have a blast

in this movie. Shrek is so funny, and Donkey and Puss have their moments, too.

Although they were never in the recording booth together, Miller lauds the princess "We've been working on these films for so actresses' improvisation. "Those girls were amazing," he extols. long now that we're at the stage where every- body knows the process and how to work and feeling he's worthy. In the first one, Shrek series. "Everything is bigger, better and cool- together," Raman Hui says. "And you can see didn't believe he was worthy of falling in love, er—check it out!" jokes Miller. "The 'new' is that in the movie, too—the characters and but then he falls in love and gets married. In certainly the new cast—that alone is worth fairy tale creatures work together. It's such a the second, Shrek meets Fiona's parents and seeing this picture. And while this film has the great moment when, in the end, everybody

thinks, 'I'm not worthy of all this. I've messed same tone and sense of humor, we also want- shows up to save Shrek. And it's the same with up her life because I'm an ogre!' So he ed to tell a slightly more adult story. There's us: every animator, lighting animator, layout

changes himself. In this one, Shrek faces a still plenty of stuff for kids, but it's [a little animator, everybody put their hearts into mak- similar struggle in regards to parenthood and more mature]. The stakes are higher in this ing Shrek the Third the best film that they running a kingdom. So Shrek's basic core movie. could."

belief in himself is something we keep in mind

and always go back to—and it works really With so many characters well." in the third film, there aren't many scenes as simple as this one. "There are usually four With Shrek the Third reaching completion, or five characters in a discussion inevitably turns to more sequels. shot," Hui notes. "As long as there's interest from the audience, there are a thousand different ideas," Miller offers. "Going into the third film, we tried to

discover a new chapter in Shrek's life. But if

you look at the first, second and third movies,

it's really a continuous story. Shrek the Third

picks up where the second one left off, and there's much more that can be explored. They've actually started on a fourth Shrek

already, but it's still in the early story phase.

"I hope I'll make another animated picture

soon," he adds, "but first I'm going to rest and recharge, because this has been a three-and-a- half-year process. We're actually wrapping the Audiences can animation tomorrow, and then it's just a matter expect the lovable of tightening everything up. But it's almost ogre and friends done—my calendar gets a little shorter every to return for more day!" fairy tale exploits.

"Let me finish this one first, and then I'll Shrek IV is already in the decide what I'm going to do next," Hui replies. works. "I'm going to take a little break and help out on some different shows. We have a Shrek Christmas special called Shrek the Halls com-

ing up, so I might help with that just so I can get back to the computer and enjoy animating again. Today, I'm animating some shots of Donkey and Puss dancing for the credits, and

I'm still having fun with the characters. Animation is very therapeutic—except when

they tell you it has to be done by tomorrow!" As for Shrek the Third, both hope they've managed to set the bar even higher for the www.starlog.com STARLOG/iune 2007 79 .

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"I really want to make this about Ray Harryhausen, rather than about me," says Darren Davis. "I want him to pick up these books and be 100 percent proud."

ly don't make movies like that anymore—at heroism found in his features—one has to Davis was won over at an early age by the least not the way Ray Harryhausen did them. wonder if a place remains for his brand of cinema legend's efforts. "I fell in love with Truth to tell, though, he hasn't made any storytelling. Clash of the Titans when I was 10," he like that in quite some time, either. Harry- Darren Davis—the head of Bluewater recalls. "It was like my Star Wars. I had the hausen's work hasn't been seen on the silver Productions and creator of The 10th Muse action figures, the book and all that stuff."

screen since 1981 's Clash of the Titans. Still, and other superheroic fare—not only thinks Nevertheless, creating this comics line the three voyages of Sinbad he charted years there is, but he's publishing Ray Harry- wasn't a long-considered plan. "It was actu- ago are just as thrilling on cable television hausen Presents, a comics line based on the ally a fluke," he confesses. "I live in a small and DVD, as are the exploits of Perseus, filmmaker's works. Some titles follow up on town called Bellingham, Washington, and Jason and the crew of the Argo. But in a characters and creatures introduced in past Ray was showing Earth vs. the Flying world where computer-generated imagery films, while others finally realize concepts Saucers and doing a book signing at a local has supplanted the stop-motion cinemagic which were intended for the big screen but theater. At the signing, I introduced myself, Harryhausen was famous for—and where never made it beyond the development and I told Ray how much I admired him. I blowing things up and amassing a high body phase. always keep comic books that I have done in

is count seems, to have replaced the classical ..„. An . "amazing fan" of Harryhausen's, my car—most of the stuff Greek mytholo-

82 STARLOG/Jime 2007 www.starlog.com Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion monsters & legendary heroes sail onto four-color seas.

hausen picture, Davis wrote it himself. "Perseus and Andromeda have a child, and the child gets stolen," he explains. Among those returning from the film, "You'll see Bubo [the mechanical ] and Pegasus. We

-J / do have a Kraken, but not the Kraken. And Perseus' mother is a big part of the plot. By DANIEL DICKHOLTZ Then there's a , which wasn't in Clash. And Perseus must face a new charac- gy-based and loosely inspired by Ray—so I In certain cases, "We're taking his art- ter, Typhon, who's the big, bad villain in gave him a couple of graphic novels. Then I works and colorizing them, and making Greek mythology." said, T just wanted you to know that you're some of them covers, too. We're even going June sees writer Scott Davis and artist my inspiration for taking Greek myths and to put in a four-page back-up story of The Alex Garcia's follow-up to 20 Million Miles turning them into comic books and different Tortoise and the Hare [a short film started in to Earth, the 1957 classic about the alien properties.' the 1950s, and finished in 2003]. That's for Ymir rampaging through Rome. Set in the "Ray was very impressed, and his man- the real Harryhausen fans. I want to give present, 20 Million Miles More concerns ager took me aside and said, 'That was real- those people something they'll be excited itself with "this girl who is genetically tam- ly nice of you. He hears that a lot, that he's about, but I also want new fans of this genre pered with, and she becomes the Ymir. She an inspiration.' So I asked him, 'Are you to jump on board, pick up Ray's films and ends up going to Venus, and you get to see

guys interested in doing comics?' He told see what he did in the past." the Ymir's world. It's a little bit like The X- me that people had approached them in the The first title to bear the Ray Harry- Files. But before she leaves Earth, we have past, but everybody flaked out on them. I hausen Presents banner is Wrath of the the Ymir destroy Beverly Hills!"

said, 'Give me two weeks, and I'll have Titans, due this month. Although it picks up In honor of its 50th anniversary, Sony something put together for you.' And within with Perseus five years after Clash of the will be "re-releasing 20 Million Miles to two weeks, I had three properties drawn, and Titans, Davis is hesitant to describe Wrath or Earth in June for the first time in color, and we signed the contract the next week." any of the other comics as sequels. "They're we're trying to tie in with them," Davis

basically what happens after the fact," he reports. "It's just so cool. I want to see it in

Harryhausen's Heroes says. "So Wrath takes place five years after color. I know that's sacrilegious, but I don't Initially, Bluewater will be offering up Andromeda was chained to a rock, which care!" seven mini-series, with an eighth in the doesn't necessarily have anything to do with In September, the world's most swash- works. All will have Harryhausen's direct the movie. We aren't trying to make sequels buckling Arabian knight sets forth on his involvement. "I don't want to do this just as to the movies. We're just trying to build off most unusual voyage in Sinbad: of

a license and have him sign off on it. I want of what Ray has created. Clash of the Titans Mars. As unlikely as it may seem, Harry-

to make sure he's a big part of this," Davis is perfect as it is; there aren't any dangling hausen and producer Charles H. Schneer had

explains. "Ray is helping with the storylines [plot threads]. I truly respect the properties, indeed planned on sending the sailor to the

and approves all of the characters. He's also and I don 't want to make them better." Red Planet. Although a script was developed putting some of his original artwork in each Wrath was drawn by Nadir Balan, and, (first by Ken Kolb, and then drastically of the books." given that it's based on his favorite Harry- rewritten by Beverley Cross), the project

"The art on Sinbad [left] is amazing," Davis "Ray was going to produce Sinbad Goes notes. "That and Wrath of the Titans to Mars, but the film never took off," Davis [below] are the two favorite books I've ever explains. The comic is based on the produced—and I've done lots of comics." central idea, not the existing script.

"We aren't trying to make sequels," Davis declares. "We're just trying to build off of what Ray has created."

STARLOG/tone 2007 83 "I want to make sure that people know "You'll meet Hades andTalos," Davis that it's polished work," Davis states. "And offers of Jason's Underworld journey, there's a piece of Ray in this as well." "and some Harpies and Aphrodite." /V

20 Million Miles More is about "this girl who is genetically tampered with, and she becomes the Ymir!" ultimately fell through. Scripter Mike for the Golden Fleece behind him, Jason Captain Nemo is alive. Just like Superman Roberts and artist Jeffrey Cruz's mini-series, finds himself embroiled in a new quest, one can't die, neither can Nemo. And what however, is derived purely from the concept that leads him into the Underworld, the Nemo has done with the island is [change it of Sinbad in space, and has nothing to do Greeks' mythic land of the dead. "You'll from a] food world to a habitat. It's like a with any previous material. meet Hades and Talos [the living giant Jurassic Park for mythological characters. "They were going to do a movie called bronze statue from the film], and we'll have There's a Cyclops, the Ymir and you might

Sinbad Goes to Mars. We read the script for some Harpies and Aphrodite in it as well." see the big chicken again!" that, and then we went 180 degrees in the One of the 1963 film's highlights is the opposite direction because we didn't want Argonauts' duel with a horde of resurrected Harryhausen's Monsters any rights problems—especially with the skeletons. "I'm hoping that David puts that The reason why certain creatures appear screenwriters," Davis notes. "We wanted to into Jason," Davis remarks. "Actually, that in comics continuations of films they go totally off the deep end with it. I'm not was my one request." weren't part of is because Bluewater wants going to tell you how Sinbad ends up there, In a story being scripted by director John to create a single Harryhausen Universe. because that's a big plot point. But there's Landis' son Max and drawn by Matt Frank, "That's why we put a Cyclops in Wrath" water on Mars, Martians and that type of a new group of adventurers heads Back to Davis says. "We want to mix things up a lit- stuff. It's very Gladiator-esque, to a certain Mysterious Island. Set in the 1950s (90 years tle. We want to say, 'Hey, this is what this extent." after the Civil War-set Mysterious Island), character would look like in this world.' So Further in the future will be Jason and the story finds the island playing host to we'll put the Minotaur or Talos into Back to the Argonauts: The Kingdom of Hades, even more monsters than before. "I love this Mysterious Island. It's almost like we're which will be pencilled by Dawid Strauss project because I adore Jules Verne's book. cross-marketing Ray's stuff, and we're creat- and written by Doctor Who novelist David And then, the movie... How can you not do a ing this Universe with him. I wouldn't do

Mclntee. "David is such a great writer; he's sequel to the giant chicken? I mean, you this without Ray. I don't want to create stuff

a good find," Davis extols. With his search have to," Davis gushes. "You'll find out that and slap his name on it. This is an homage to

"I'm a big fan of Ray's movies, and I'm sure tons of people want to see his great characters again," Davis remarks.

84 STARLOG/Jf/fle 2007 ; Davis is also "trying to [do comics based on] stuff that Ray created and nothing ever happened with, like The Elementals."

When readers go Back to Mysterious "Some celebrity comics artists are doing Island, they'll see familiar faces. "The new covers for us," Davis adds. "I'm telling Captain Nemo design is cool," Davis says. you, everybody loves Ray Harryhausen."

Ray, and we're making sure that he's as "For the comic, we're sending her 100 into it and are adding more Greek mytholo-

ecstatic about it as we are." years into the future and 'Harryhausen-ing gy. Right now, it's a modern-day adventure To that end, readers shouldn't expect her out' with some weird characters. We've set in San Francisco, and she's a vigilante by Back to Mysterious Island to be Destroy All re-imagined her, brought Mount Olympus night. But we're redeveloping the costumes, Monsters with Harryhausen folklore and other stuff around creatures. "We were warned her."

about that," Davis states. "Ray Currently, Davis is also devel-

doesn 't want these comics to be oping a comics mini-series based big monster fights. However, on on Force of the Trojans, an epic one of the covers, we do have the retelling of The Aeneid—filled to Cyclops beating up the Ymir!" the brim with creatures spawned The creative team of Scott from different myths—that failed Davis and Robert Hand had very to get made after Clash of the little to go on when they started Titans. And if the various comics work on The Elementals, an titles sell well, "We're already unrealized Harryhausen project planning on doing something else for which they only had a treat- with Wrath, so that's a definite," ment, a few sketches and some Davis says. "And we're planning test footage. Explains Davis, a regular Sinbad series some-

"We asked Ray for advice on where down the line. Ray is real-

how to move forward with it, ly happy with what we've done,

and he gave us [some ideas]. It's so I see things moving forward. basically four dinosaurs—mon- We're also trying to develop the sters that have the power of [dif- comics for TV movies and car- ferent] elements." Per the de- toon series. Our goal is to keep signs, it's set circa WWI. "We Ray's name alive. expanded on it from there." "Ray was the George Lucas of One of the line's more pecu- his day. He was a pioneer in the liar offerings is Harryhausen's entertainment world and a vision- reworking of Davis' own super- ary. It's the same reason why hero creation. Scripted by for- Superman endures: people know mer STARLOG contributor and love the characters. When Scott Lobdell and illustrated by people look at Wrath, they'll Garcia, The 10th Muse arrives in think, 'Ray Harryhausen.' And

October. "It ties into Greek that's what I want them to think. mythology, which fits in with It's Ray Harryhausen Presents. Ray," Davis comments. "In "To me, Ray is special be- Greek mythology, there are nine cause he represents my child- muses. She is the 10th, and was hood," Darren Davis smiles.

hidden at birth. It's folklore, and "Without him and his creations, I

although it isn't necessarily a "The other one I want to do is The Valley of Gwangi," Davis don't know what / would have superhero book, she is a hero. reveals. "I love the idea! Dinosaurs and cowboys? Come on!' : created." www.starlogicom STARLOG/June 2007 85 By PATJANKIEWICZ

Green and gorgeous, Menina Fortunato drove the crew of the Enterprise wild. It's easy to see why—as Maras, she was an Slave Girl, an alien race of seductive space sirens who have been part of Star Trek lore since the original series' pilot. And, of course, she was green. In "Bound," one of Star Trek: Enterprise's final episodes, Maras and her two slave sisters D'Nesh (Crystal Allen) and Navaar (Cyia Batten) are given to Captain Archer (Scott Bakula), and proceed to mesmerize him and the rest of the men on board. In a silver harem outfit, the green-skinned goddess had black lips, wild hair and an impressive midriff that made her the sexiest slave on the ship. The beautiful actress-dancer enjoyed her

Trek. And like her character, Fortunato is an alien. "It's true," she giggles. "I'm Portuguese and French Canadian! I used to watch Star

Trek: The Next Generation as a kid, because I liked the . Now, I'm a Star Trek alien; it's really unbelievable!" Green Sleeves Fortunato feels that her extraterrestrial stands out in a franchise filled with aliens "because we're irresistible to men. The appeal of Orion Slave Girls is quite strong with males; we may seem like their slaves, but we actually control them," she says proudly. "That's pretty empowering. Men definitely love the Orions. I don't know if women are the biggest fans, because the Orions pose a threat to other females!" Being painted green was a rather lengthy process. "It took a good four to five hours of being prepped and put in makeup, wardrobe

Menina Fortunato got to play Maras, a green Orion Slave Girl, in the " Star Trek: Entei-Prise e isode " Bound _ P

Menina Fortunato earned Minus the green makeup, Fortunato is still quite the seductive her green card dancing on Enterprise siren. Check out her website (www.meninafortunato.com). as an Orion Slave Girl.

86 STARLOG/fcme 2007 —

and hair for me to become Maras," she recalls. The green paint helped Fortunato get into sweetness in my demeanor and told me he "Several people had to do me up green: a per- character. "I saw what I looked like, and I was wanted to see that in her. He also wanted son for my face, then two others to work on surprised by what they had turned me into," Maras to display a stronger sexual energy, my body, as well as wardrobe and hair. They Fortunato chuckles. "I definitely wasn't because that's what Orion women are known accentuated my eyebrows and painted them human as an Orion Slave Girl, and so I didn't for. You play sexier by finding something black. It was a different experience—I had have to act human. I could be this alien, and I inside of you, bringing it out and exuding it. never been painted from head to toe before. felt kind of sexy being green!" "Maras is also quiet. She's like Maggie on

That was interesting. I can't say it felt great, So, how exactly do you play an alien slave The Simpsons. Maras is always there, and but it looked fantastic! girl? "From what I know about the Orions' she's deeply involved in everything, but she "The makeup artists like Brad Look were history, the women are seductive, manipula- doesn't really say anything. So for my scenes, great—talented craftsmen whose work was tive creatures," Fortunato explains. "They use I usually struck sensual poses, because that's phenomenal. But after a good 12- to 15-hour their pheromones and sexuality to dominate what I was told to do. But I'm very talkative, day of dancing and sweating, you can imagine men and get their way—nothing that I'm capa- and I wanted to say more. Susan Oliver's what I felt like! The only true pain for me was ble of doing, by the way. Even though they're Orion in the first Star Trek episode ["The that the makeup started to get stickier as the slaves, they control the men to whom they Cage'VMenagerie"] and Bobbi Sue Luther [in day went on, and the only way to relieve that belong. I wish I had that power—but only on Enterprise's "Borderland"] didn't say any- was to put on layers of powder. Imagine layers TV!" thing, either. I guess they feel Orion women and layers of makeup getting caked on you Of the three Orion Slave Girls, Maras is are better seen than heard!" throughout an entire day. The wig got a little probably the most reserved. "She's the Her fellow slaves Allen and Batten itchy, too, because of all the bobby pins. Still, youngest, and there's a sweetness about her," impressed her. "I love them, and we still it didn't really bother me." Fortunato remarks. "The director enjoyed the exchange e-mails," she grins. "I got to know

them better than anybody else I acted with on Good things Enterprise because I spent the most time with come in them. They're talented actresses and dancers, threes. Here, Fortunato and we bonded well. The three of us wore (center) wigs, but my fingernails were real. Crystal and poses with Cyia wore black press-ons, but because of the co-stars length of my nails, they just painted them Crystal Allen black.

and Cyia "One gross side effect of being green is Batten. that the paint accentuates any body hair you have. Now, this may not seem like anything,

Fortunato had a fun "Trip" with Connor Trinneer and Jolene Blalock. "[Jolene] was always cracking jokes," she notes.

but a girl covered in four layers of green paint She was pretty in pink, but this outfit was looks like a hairy monkey! I felt like a gorilla, ultimately dropped from Enterprise—and especially when I had a scene close to any- the trio was (barely) redressed. body. That was sooo embarrassing. The people who saw me green probably thought, 'Oh, my

God. She's so hairy.' The only way out of it would have been to shave from head to toe."

Besides the Orion trio, "Bound" featured another alien hottie, Enterprise regular T'Pol (Jolene Blalock). "She's a beautiful lady, and

actually not much like her character at all which means she's fun," Fortunato volunteers. "Jolene was always cracking jokes and full of

expression. I thought that was cool, because

her character is emotionless. Scott was very

professional, and always very focused. I most- ly spoke with the director, the choreographer and the other two Orions." Veteran Trek director Allan Kroeker Space pimp. Every Slave Girl has an helmed "Bound." "Allan is Canadian, so I owner, and Maras' was Harrad-Sar loved him," she chuckles. "There's a natural (William Lucking). bond among Canadians, and when you meet

mm/June 2007 87 — —

Being only semi-clad before a crew full of Garner's dance double in the Alias episode

guys isn't always the easiest situation for an "Tuesday." "They dressed me to look like her

actress. "It was interesting," she smiles. "At character, Sydney," she notes. "That's consid-

first, I was really self-conscious about it. The ered stuntwork, because I replaced the lead wardrobe was creatively designed and artistic, actress in order to perform something physi-

but I felt a bit naked and exposed. The major- cal. Jennifer was adorable and sweet—I felt ity of the people on the set were men, and I pleasantly respected by her. You always run

knew all eyes were on us! I just accepted it, into people with attitudes, but Jennifer wasn't

and I never felt uncomfortable being there like that at all. It was a good experience; I

half-naked in my own skin. My outfit—what loved it. there was of it—was leather. The bottom and "Alias was one day of rehearsal and one

top were made out of leather, and the sides of day of shooting. I was two inches shorter than

my shorts had chains and buckles on them. the man I had to dance with, but that didn't Chiffon was used for the front and back of my bother them, because he was shorter than shorts." Jennifer. They didn't have to put heels on

Even though there wasn't much to it, Jennifer, because she would have towered over Fortunato didn't get to keep her costume. him, but they had to put heels on me. Both

"What were they gonna do with those outfits?" Jennifer and I wore wigs, and they dressed us

she asks. "The show was ending! Who would exactly the same, so I can truly say I was Jennifer Garner for a day!" Striking a pose in front of this Orion spaceship are Fortunato and Allen. The Green Fields two also appear in Sfo/y By Amy Niles, a film directed by Voyager's Tim Russ. Reflecting on her Enterprise experience again, Fortunato recalls her favorite part of one, you want to hear their story. Allan comes being a Star Trek Slave Girl. "The dancing!" from Winnipeg, and I come from Vancouver, she enthuses. "It was hard work, but I enjoyed although I was born in Revelstoke, a tiny town it. It took a good four days of rehearsal and a with a population of 5,000. It's always excit- half-day of shooting to get our dance number ing meeting people from small Canadian down. Lots of time was spent preparing for towns who have made it in Hollywood. I've that, and all you saw in the episode was 45 been here about four years, pursuing a career seconds of us dancing! There was more chore- in dancing, acting and choreography. It's ography than what was shown much more." important to note that Star Trek's main guy, Taking into account Star Trek's past Orion

William Shatner, is also Canadian. I work with women, Fortunato praises her predecessors. Which one is Jennifer Garner? more Canadians here than I do at home!" "Susan was amazing," she extols. "Star Trek Fortunato served as the Alias star's William Lucking essayed Maras' Orion helped lead her to a successful career. She dancing double in "Tuesday." master, Harrad-Sar. "I was so impressed with started out as an Orion, and I would love to Bill," Fortunato declares. "I found out that he want to wear someone else's attire—especial- follow in her footsteps. I didn't see Yvonne was an actor with more than 40 years of ly something as personal as an Orion dress? Craig's turn as an Orion [in Classic Trek's incredible work. I spent all afternoon with him But they kept them anyway. What can I say, I "Whom Gods Destroy"], but I did see Bobbi shooting the dance scene, right before he gives tried! I would have loved to keep it. Maybe Sue, and I was impressed. She was sexy and us to Archer. Bill is a , and with the they'll put it in their Star TVefc Vegas attraction. cool—the way an Orion should be. I got some green paint and costume, he was rather intim- That would be cool." good advice from Bobbie Sue; she said, idating, but off-camera, he was a gentle, soft The actress' great love, however, is danc- 'Enjoy the ride, and be attentive at the conven- man and extremely nice to work with. I called ing. "It's a very physical activity, and when tions. They're great fans.' him 'the Pimp,' since he owned all three of us. you do it, it's like working out," Fortunato "I had no clue to what I was getting myself

Essentially, Harrad-Sar is a slave trader, so observes. "People don't realize the impact it into. The producers told me that the Orions he's our pimp!" has on your body— it makes you lean, muscu- were legendary, that this was an honor and I lar, stronger and allows you to do almost any- would get tons of fan mail. And they were

Green Power thing. I can leap, jump and kick. In commer- right—it just keeps coming. Most fans tell me Some photos were released of Fortunato cials and music videos, I always get typecast that they love me green. I've been welcomed and her fellow Orions wearing pink street as the cheerleader in the tight little outfit to the world of Star Trek, and look forward to clothes that don't appear in the episode. probably because I'm so bubbly—but it's whatever else it brings me. I was especially "There was a big issue about that," she reveals. funny, because I was never a cheerleader. excited about getting a trading card. I've

"We originally shot that Bridge scene wearing "And I wouldn't classify myself as stun- already autographed 667 of them in one sit- 'normal' clothes, in these pink sweaters and ning or pretty. Ask anyone who grew up with ting!" stuff, because when we're beamed aboard, the me—I was never the popular, pretty girl in As for the future, "I have my website crew changes us out of our slave outfits. In the school. Because of that, I find this Star Trek [www.meninafortunato.com], and I did a fun script, there was a moment where the Captain 'sexy alien' attention quite funny. I always movie, Story By Amy Niles. I play a tough says our Orion slave wardrobe is distracting, thought I was average-looking. When I was undercover agent named Erin Cannon, but I'm so he has them put us in regular clothes to 1 1 , I did a movie called Fortunes of War. I actually a character created by a writer named cover us up. started out acting, and then went into dance, Amy, played by my fellow Orion, Crystal

"But the normal wardrobe that they picked because my father is a dance teacher. My Allen. To complete the Star Trek connection, it didn't look right on camera—it was too con- Mom was a dancer-choreographer, and that's was directed by Tim Russ. And I'm a dancer in temporary. And after seeing the dailies, they how she met my father. My name Menina Kickin It Old, Jamie Kennedy's next film.

decided to re-shoot that scene. It was a big D'Amours Fortunato means 'Little girl of love "I was honored to play a green Orion Slave

moment, too, with all of the main cast, plus us who is fortunate,' and I have been very fortu- Girl," Menina Fortunato concludes. "They're three Orion girls. They ended up wanting us nate." such cool characters, and there are so few of back in our half-naked outfits. So photos of us Over the years, Fortunato has racked up a them in Star Trek history. If Star Trek is now in modern clothes are out there, but they never number of commercial and music video cred- done—with Enterprise ending—then I'm one

made it into the final cut." its. She also went undercover as Jennifer of the last of the Slave Girls." ~$g

88 STARLOG/June 2007 www.starlog.com (Tlo MORE 6HOST RIDER? FROM "Ofil. IT'S HUDST TOftftCB'

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