The Zocalo Today – September 4, 2004

What's New!

For all those readers in Florida! Stay safe!

Ever wonder why JMS uses J instead of Joseph? Here is his response
to a recent question on just that!

Joseph Michael Straczynski would just be way too goddamned long a
credit to appear on a book...you'd need two volumes just for the
name.

Joe Michael sounds weird.

Joe Straczynski is too abrupt a transition, you think it's a nice,
simple name then it whaps you really hard. A name like that would frighten cats.

So you work your way up...just the one initial, J, then Michael, two
syllables, then you let fly with Straczynski. Thnk of it as a train, receding
into the distance, ten thousand letters, no vowels....

JMS UPDATE
From the B5 moderated newsgroup, here is a general update from JMS:
Just some quick, minor updates....

In the comics world...Supreme Power 12 came out last week, and the
next Amazing Spider-Man comes out this week, and I'm very happy with
how both of them came out. It's a good time to jump on board.
I was recently in NYC for a big retreat/conference with Marvel about
upcoming projects, and while there are several I can't talk about
yet, one thing I can mention is that I'll be doing a Silver Surfer
miniseries that should shake people up a bit.

There's also going to be something very weird and funny coming from
Marvel soon, which will give them cause to never, ever invite me to
one of these things ever again.

Also, the first of the last three Rising Stars issues comes out next
month as well as the co-written first issue of the Doctor Strange
miniseries.

On the TV front, I have final confirmation that the last batch of
Jeremiah episodes will be airing on the regular Showtime channels
starting September 3rd. The episodes are:
Sept 3: Crossing Jordan and Running On Empty
Sept 10:: The Question and The Past Is Prologue
Sept 17: The Face In The Mirror and State Of The Union
Sept 24: Interregnum (Parts 1 and 2)

All of them are really strong episodes, and I'm glad to see them
finally being aired.

You can get the Showtime schedule at:
<http://www.sho.com/site/jeremiah/episodes.do>

Pending contractual negotiations and formal pickup by the networks
involved, I've been offered two different series, so we'll see which
goes first. They could both be very cool to work on, but one of them
could be insanely successful. I should know more about this
situation in late October. (Neither is Trek-related, just to nip any
potential rumors in the bud.)

Starting sometime in October, in an unrelated project, our friends
in Britain can expect to see me hanging about on-and-off in the
general vicinity of London. Just, y'know, workin', doin' stuff.
I've also tentatively agreed (pending working out some details) to
appear at FedCon in Bonn, Germany in May of next year. In an
unrelated story, my radio series, The City of Dreams, will also
apparently be airing soon on German radio. For those of you who can
speak the langauge, you can get more information at <http://www.sf-
radio.net/radio/spezial/ >.

The next of my novels to be reprinted from ibooks/Simon and Schuster
is Tribulations, due out in December, which can be pre-ordered at
Amazon.com at <http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-
/0743497856/qid=1093312226/s r=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-
9872970-8247801?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 >

Volume 2 of the Supreme Power collection, also due out in December,
can be pre-ordered at
<http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-
/0785114564/qid=1093312293/sr =8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/103-
9872970-8247801?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 >

Buddy the Miracle Cat (or Buddy TMC as he is known to his hip-hop
friends) celebrated his first re-birthday last month, and has
decided that he wants to be a shark instead of a cat. There's clear
plastic covering one of the floors while work is being done, and he
loves nothing more than to get under the plastic (lots of holes for
air, don't worry) and circle around me like a shark, over and over.
It's all he wants to do anymore.

Oh, and in the next week or so I should be turning in the next-to-
final draft of the TMoS screenplay.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:

What do you/did you find the most fascinating about BABYLON 5?
Story? Characters? Visuals? What brought you back week after week to
see the show?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. See
what has come in so far. If you see an old topic you want to respond
to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

REMEMBERING RICHARD BIGGS

Ranger Jan has come up with a wonderful way for raising funds for
the Richard Biggs Memorial. Read on and decide which package you
want to bid on!

The latest phase of my fund raising for Richard Biggs children is
ready to unveil. So many people have donated so many wonderful
things that I've put together six Prize Packages that I'll be
raffling off. Simon from www.starstuff.co.uk/ has put up a *really*
nice website at <http://rbiggsmemorial.starstuff.co.uk> so that
anybody anywhere can buy chances to win the prize packages I've put
together.

The drawing will be held on November 15 which should give me time to
get items to the winners in time for Christmas.

I'll be selling chances in person at DragonCon and chances can be
purchased online at <http://rbiggsmemorial.starstuff.co.uk/ >.

Chances will be priced $5 each, 3 chances for $10, 6 chances for $20
or 10 chances for $30. Each chance can be designated for whichever
drawing the buyer wants.

Prize Packages:
#1- 'From the Set I' to include David Gerrold's own "Believers"
script autographed by the author, cast and director; a set dressing
cocktail napkin; a piece of Crusade stationery.

#2 - 'From the Set II' to include set-used blueprints from episode
#312-'A Late Delivery from Avalon'; a set-used thieves knife from
Crusade/A Call to Arms; a piece of Babylon 5 stationery.

#3 - 'The Lighter Side' to include the 'bird' picture of the cast
with some autographs; Babylon Park video and T-shirt; a selection of
satire prints by Tye Bourdenay, signed by the artist.

#4 - 'Art of B5' to include a painted portrait of Dr. Franklin, a
limited edition print of Londo & G'Kar; the 'War Without End'
lithograph from Lightspeed Fine Arts.

#5 - 'Autographs' - a collection of pictures and cards autographed
by major players (JMS) to minor players (Security Guard #1) - 28
autographs in all.

#6 - 'Models, Cards & Games' to include a Special Edition Starfury
model kit, a Babylon 5 Station model kit, several CCG and trading
card sets and a Babylon 5 Board Game.

There will probably be more auctions later on, too as even with all
this great stuff, I've still got items from people who've donated
them.

Many thanks to one and all.
Jan

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

JASON CARTER: News from the Jason Carter Fan Club:
Jason's birthday is 09/23. Want to send him a special greeting? Drop
a line to jcbirthday@...

Principle photography has ended for the film "Dixon Maison" (where
Jason has been cast as Dixon Maison) and Jason shot his last scene
on 08/27. The film is in post-production and being prepared for the
upcoming Sundance Film Festival. The Official Jason Carter Fan Club
has 2 screen shots from the raw footage (with more on the way)
posted at <www.jasoncarterfanclub.com>.

Jason has also completed shooting the upcoming film, Dead End Road
(where Jason has been cast as the lead Raven). More information to
be released soon.

MARJORIE MONAGHAN: Part 1 of the Andromeda season 4 finale, "The
Dissonant Interval," returns to syndication this weekend...
featuring Marjorie Monaghan [B5's Teresa Halloran (aka #1)] as
Louisa Messereau.

GARY COLE: Gary has been nothing but busy since leaving the role of
Capt. Gideon on B5's CRUSADE. Gary stars as Jerry "The Blade" in POP
ROCKS, an upcoming TV film for ABC Family. The story follows Jerry
as financial circumstances force him to return to his heavy metal
rock band past -- and try to keep his secret from his family. Gary
is also in MOZART AND THE WHALE with Josh Hartnett. This film is due
out in December and follows a couple with Asperger's Syndrome who
fall in love. (Asperger's is a form of autism, one of Gary's special
interests.)

PAT TALLMAN
PENNY LANE - For years, Pat Tallman has been involved with the Penny
Lane Organization. The provide social services for abused children.
On October 23 at 6:00pm, VOICES OF OUR CHILDREN, takes place at the
Center at Cathedral Plaza, L.A. This year's honorees include Marg
Helgenberger and Alan Rosenberg. This is an event where celebrated
Film and Television Actors gather to read poems and diary entries
from the lives of abused , abandoned and neglected children served
by Penny Lane. Tickets are $125/person; $1,200/table of 10. Visit
the Penny Lane website for more info.

Patty will be gearing up for her BE A SANTA program in October, so
get ready. Pat wants to again make sure that each child at the PENNY
LANE facilities has a Christmas gift. More details will follow.

Pat is looking for any recordings of her speaking appearances at
conventions. She will reimburse anyone who can send in a video or
DVD of Pat telling stories at a convention. She will also send along
a new autographed photo (one that no one has yet) and will pay
postage and the cost of the vide tape. Here is an address you can
use to contact Pat:

Patricia Tallman
6433 Topanga Canyon Blvd. #207
Canoga Park, CA 91303

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS

Pat Tallman - September 4
Cinzia Zanetti - September 5
Robin Atkin Downes - September 6
Mira Furlan - September 7
Walter Koenig - September 14
Paul Williams - September 19
Robert Rusler - September 20
Gary Cole - September 20
Bear Burge - September 23
Jason Carter - September 23
Manny Case - September 23

There are a few names you may not recognize here! Cinzia worked in
the MakeUp Department, Bear Burge was in Props (loved his play room)
and Manny Case had the good fortune of doing Mira Furlan's make-up
each day.

Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected
with Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include
everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS

Cult Times #108: SMALLVILLE: Jeph Loeb talks about the upcoing
fourth season of SMALLVILLE. With the upcoming premiere of FARSCAPE:
PEACKEEPER WARS, star Ben Browder chats about returning to FARSCAPE.
Producers Robert C. Cooper and Andy Mikita talk about the changes
ahead for the eighth season of STARGATE SG-1.

Time Zone Special #180: STARGATE ATLANTIS: In this 100 page issue,
you'll have a chance to learn more about Joe Flanigan, who steps
into the role of Major John Sheppard on STARGATE ATLANTIS. Emmy
award-winning special effects/prosthetics artist and guru Todd
Masters takes us to the strange and unusual worlds of ATLANTIS, and
the new deadly aliens found there. Also in this issue, a photo
report from the production at the BBC of DOCTOR WHO.

SMALLVILLE ISSUE #3: In Smallville Magazine this month we are joined
by everyone's favorite girl next door, Lana Lang! Actress Kristin
Kreuk will be telling us all about life, love, and Smallville. In
the latest edition of The Torch we'll be keeping you up-to-date with
the most up-to-the-minute Smallville news. We'll be unearthing the
dark secrets of LuthorCorp and John Glover reveals how Lionel Luthor
is coping with life behind bars! Plus there's a free, gorgeous Lana
Lang poster! (Titan) (CAUT: 4)
NEWSSTAND COVER..........$5.99
PREVIEWS EXCLUSIVE COVER..........$5.99

STARGATE ISSUE #1: This is the launch of Stargate SG-1 the official
magazine! Follow the missions, exploits, and adventures of the U.S.
Air Force special operations team SG-1. In the first issue we'll
have exclusive interviews with cast and crew, tour the set, and
learn the secrets behind the special effects! Plus, get the inside
story on Season 8 and meet the Stargate: Atlantis team! (Titan)
(CAUT: 4)
Magazine, 68pgs, FC..........$6.99

DOCTOR WHO: Doctor Who Magazine reaches its 350th issue, and
celebrates with a free reprint of "Doctor Who Weekly" issue #1 from
1979! The magazine is still the only official source for news,
features, interviews and full-color comic strip action devoted to
BBC Television's immortal traveller in time and space ... In this
issue, all the latest from the new BBC One series, with exclusive
reports and interviews! Meanwhile, Alan Barnes takes a look back to
the story that was shown exactly 25 years ago, as The Fact of
Fiction examines "City of Death"! Doctor Who Magazine speaks to the
writers of the new series about the task of reinventing the Doctor
for the 21st century! Gareth Roberts and Tat Wood return with the
answers to more intriguing Doctor Who mysteries! The Time Team
continue their quest to watch every single "Doctor Who" adventure,
as they face "The Seeds of Doom"! There's yet more hints and news
from Executive Producer Russell T Davies as he documents the making
of the new series in his "Production Notes" column! And there's the
fifth part of the epic comic strip, "The Flood" by Scott Gray,
Martin Geraghty, and Adrian Salmon! (Panini Publishing Ltd) (CAUT:
4)
Magazine, FC..........$6.80

WHAT'S ON TONIGHT

CABLE AND NETWORK SHOWS:

8:00pm on ABC
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs journey to find a new home. Live action/animated.

8:00pm on UPN
Star Trek: Enterprise
The Council
T'Pol and Reed lead a team on a mission to obtain information about
the spheres.

9:00pm on UPN
Unexplained Mysteries
Destination: Earth
Evidence gathered outside the United States leads to speculation
about extraterrestrials.

10:00pm on CBS
Without a Trace
A Tree Falls
Malone (Anthony LaPaglia) and the team are completely baffled when
no family members come to look for him after an unidentified young
Hispanic boy is abducted from a Spanish Harlem street in broad
daylight.

10:00 on CineMax
"Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines"
Arnold Schwarzenegger is back -- in the role that made him a
superstar! Picking up several years after T2, the film reintroduces
John Connor (Nick Stahl), a young man whose future holds humanity's
last hope against a takeover by machines. But from out of that ultra-
violent future arrives the T-X (Kristanna Loken), an unstoppable
cyborg whose mission is to eliminate Connor before he can prevent
imminent nuclear annihilation.

ON SCIFI TONIGHT:

5:00pm
The Arrival
Scientists find extraterrestrials in Mexican village.

7:00pm
The Second Arrival
A man probes a conspiracy between the U.S. government and a group of
aliens.

9:00pm
Impostor
In a totalitarian future world, a brilliant engineer finds himself
mysteriously framed as a robotic alien terrorist and forced to
outwit and outrun police and government conspirators determined to
keep his true human identity under wraps. This fast-paced thriller
stars Gary Sinise as the man in the middle of a very dangerous game
who is too smart for his own good.

ON SYNDICATED TV THIS WEEKEND:

Andromeda
Part 1 of 2: The Dissonant Interval
The crew attempts to rescue a peaceful society from the path of the
Magog worldship.

Angel
Sense and Sensitivity
Sensitivity training weakens the awareness of the entire police
precinct.

Angel
Billy
A demonic boy causes men to become murderous toward women.

BeastMaster
Double Edged
A teenager steals the Sword of Eldar to defeat Balcifer and avenge
her mother's death.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Nightmares
Residents of Sunnydale see reality merge with their nightmares.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World
Tapestry
Lt. Drummond protects a crate of iridium ingots and captures
Challenger.

MacGyver
Live and Learn
Illiterate father shows the value of education.

Mutant X
Dream Lover
The team must stop a scientist from cloning women for use as slaves
in his club.

Stargate SG-1
Memento
The crew of X-303 is stranded in deep space after a test of the
Naquadriah hyperdrive fails.

The Twilight Zone
Monsters Are on Maple St.
A man (Andrew McCarthy) watches his neighborhood descend into chaos.

The Twilight Zone
It's Still a Good Life
A man (Bill Mumy) learns his 6-year-old daughter possesses a
fearsome power.

The Twilight Zone
Evergreen
A rebellious teen (Amber Tamblyn) and her family move into a gated
community.

The Twilight Zone
To Protect and Serve
A police officer (Usher) puts his life on the line to protect a teen
from her sadistic pimp.

INSIDE SCI-FI THIS WEEK:

ANGEL: Rumors make the world go 'round! A number of rumors have been
floating around regarding former ANGEL star David Boreanaz. The
Internet has linked his name with the fourth INDIANA JONES film in
development. Other romors mention SUPERMAN and BATMAN. When asked
about the INDIANA JONES rumor, Boreanaz said in a recent
interview, "It would be something I would die to do. Harrison [Ford]
is a big idol, and I'd love to take the path that he took. That
would be fantastic." Recent rumors say Boreanaz will play the lead
in a proposed fourth JURASSIC PARK. Boreanaz did confirm that his
next film will be the non-genre movie, THE HARD EASY with Henry
Thomas (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial).

TIDELAND: The lead for Terry Gilliam's TIDELAND has been filled!
According to Variety, nine-year-old actress Jodelle Ferland has been
signed. The movie begins shooting Sept. 27 in Saskatchewan for 10
weeks. Ferland makes her feature-film debut in the Canada-U.K. co-
production opposite Jennifer Tilly, Janet McTeer and Brendan
Fletcher. Gilliam and Tony Grisoni wrote the script, based on Mitch
Cullin's Southern gothic novel about the fantastical world of a 10-
year-old orphan girl abandoned in rural Saskatchewan.

CONSTANTINE: Although the release of Warner Bros. CONSTANTINE is yet
months away (February 11), you can get a glimpse of the film based
on the DC/Vertigo comic book "Hellblazer" at
http://www.cinemovies.fr/fiche_multimedia.php?IDfilm=3042. Keane
Reeves portrays iirreverent supernatural detective John Constantine,
who has literally been to hell and back. When Constantine teams up
with skeptical policewoman Angela Dodson (Rachel Weisz) to solve the
mysterious suicide of her twin sister (also played by Weisz), their
investigation takes them through the world of demons and angels that
exists just beneath the landscape of contemporary Los Angeles.
Caught in a catastrophic series of otherworldy events, the two
become inextricably involved and seek to find their own peace at
whatever cost. Francis Lawrence directed the movie from a script by
Kevin Brodbin, Mark Bomback, and Frank Cappello.

MARATHON WEEKEND: A number of networks are running marathons on this
Labor Day Weekend. Spike TV will host a CSI weekend -- favorite
episodes will be run all day Monday. Over at SCIFI, you'll be able
to spend your Sunday enjoying the entire PLANET OF THE APES saga and
on Monday there is THE OUTER LIMITS.

TOP SF NETWORK SHOWS:
Smallville 2.2
Charmed 1.4
Enterprise 0.9
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 8/9/04 - 8/15/04.

THE SCI FI CHANNEL: It has been a banner summer for the SCI FI
Channel. Bolstered by the STARGATE franchise, the network had its
June-August ratings ever. STARGATE ATLANTIS, which airs its summer
finale on Sept. 17, has been the number one Friday-night
entertainment program (non-sports) on both cable and broadcast with
males aged 18-49 since its July 16 premiere. STARGATE ATLANTIS has
averaged a 2.4 household rating (3.1 million viewers) since its
premiere. STARGATE SG-1, meanwhile, has averaged a 2.1 household
rating (2.7 million viewers) since its eighth-season premiere on
July 9, a 31 percent increase in household ratings and more than a
50 percent jump in viewers, compared with its averages last summer.
Overall, SCI FI delivered a record-breaking 1.1 household rating for
June-August, with double-digit increases in prime-time ratings (more
than 10 percent, to 1.1) and viewership (more than 17 percent, to
1.2 million) over last summer. SCI FI ranks ninth among all non-
news, ad-supported entertainment cable networks for the same period.
August ranked as the channel's highest-rated August ever (1.1) and a
more than 16 percent increase in viewership over August 2003 (1.2
million vs. 1.1 million).

LARA CROFT: While out promoting her latest film, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE
WORLD OF TOMORROW, Angelina Jolie said that she won't play
adventurer Lara Croft, video-game-inspired archaeologist, in any
more Tomb Raider films. "No, I don't think so," Jolie said. "I mean,
I loved doing them," she said. "And I learned from them. I had a
great time. And I think I did them. So I tend to not want to [do
another one]." But that doesn't mean Jolie is through with action-
adventure franchise films. Her dream role? "I guess, because I grew
up [here], maybe secretly, deep down, I've always wanted to be a
Bond villain," she said with a laugh, referring to the venerable
James Bond franchise. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, in
which Jolie plays a one-eyed aviatrix named Franky Cook, opens Sept.
17.

MEM-OR-E: According to Variety, Dennis Hopper has signed on to star
in the independent SF movie MEM-O-RE for 3210 Films. Hopper will
play a retired doctor and the colleague of a medical researcher who
taps into the genetically stored memories of a killer. The movie
will start shooting February in Vancouver, B.C. 3210's
writer/director Bennett Davlin will direct the film, which is being
produced by Jesse Newhouse and Anthony Badalucco. Brandon Hogan and
Robert J. Monroe will executive produce.

SMALLVILLE: When SMALLVILLE comes to the ABC Family channel, it will
get a huge kick off. The cable network will show six episodes back-
to-back at 2 p.m. (ET/PT) on Saturday, Oct. 2 and follow that with
Smallville Backstage Special at 8 p.m. The Smallville Backstage
Special will feature Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Kristin Kreuk (Lana
Lang), John Schneider (Jonathan Kent), Annette O'Toole (Martha
Kent), Allison Mack (Chloe) and John Glover (Lionel Luther), and be
filmed on the Kent farm, taking viewers to one of the key locations
of the Smallville series. The cast will recount their experiences
during the past three seasons and discuss their favorite episodes
and humorous moments on the set. The special will be hosted by
Brooke Burke. It is scheduled to tape on Saturday, Sept. 18.

HIGHLANDER: HIGHLANDER is coming back -- as an animated feature. Set
for release in spring 2006, Davis-Panzer Prods. and Imagi Intl. are
developing the project, which will be animated through Madhouse of
Japan ("Tokyo Godfathers"). David Abramowitz, who was head writer on
the "Highlander" TV series, will pen the screenplay.

TOUCHED: Jenna Elfman and Samantha Mathis are shooting the romantic
drama TOUCHED for first-time writer-director Timothy Scott Bogart.
TOUCHED is the story of a man who wakes from a coma without his
sense of touch and the nurse who helps save him. The picture also
stars Randall Batinkoff, Bruce Davison and Sam Anderson.

AEON FLUX: Actress Charlize Theron was injured Wednesday on the set
of AEON FLUX from Paramount Pictures/MTV Films. Production was
forced production to shut down on the sci-fi actioner for an
indefinite number of weeks. Theron was injured while doing her own
stunt in wire-hanging action. No specifics were given regarding her
injuries.

TOP SF DVD SALES:
1. The Passion of the Christ
2. Star Wars trilogy
3. Star Trek TOS season one
4. Buffy season seven
5. The Prisoner of Azkaban
6. Angel season four
7. Alias season three
8. Shrek 2
9. Futurama volume four
10. Aladdin special edition
Source: Amazon.com, top-selling genre DVDs, 8/30/04

MUTANT X: Just when you thought the series had been cancelled
because no new episodes are being produced, Comics Continuum reports
that Tribune Entertainment has revealed its plans for a fourth
season of the syndicated series. Fifty-two different repeat episodes
from the three previous seasons of the show will air weekly starting
the week of Sept. 29. Fourteen episodes will air from the first
season, 19 episodes will air from the second season and 19 episodes
will air from the third season. While it is extremely doubtful the
show will return with new episodes, there are rumors of a two-hour
television movie that would wrap up storylines from the third
season's cliffhanger.

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES: The Hollywood Reporter reports that Brent
Forrester has been hired to adapt THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES for
Nickelodeon Movies, Atmosphere Entertainment MM and the Gotham
Group. The best-selling children's book series details the
adventures of the Grace children - a 13-year-old girl and 9-year-old
twin brothers - who move into a dilapidated estate with their
mother. They quickly find themselves sucked into a world of goblins,
griffins, fairies, trolls and other magical creatures.

RED EYE: According to Variety, chel McAdams and Cillian Murphy have
won the leads in DreamWorks' thriller Red Eye, which Wes Craven is
directing. Shooting starts November 8 in Los Angeles, with a
tentative late spring release date. The film, written by Carl
Ellsworth, is about a woman (McAdams) who is held captive on an
airplane by a stranger (Murphy) who threatens to kill her father
unless she helps him arrange the assassination of a wealthy
businessman. Murphy starred in Miramax's Cold Mountain and Lions
Gate Films' Girl With a Pearl Earring. He recently wrapped Batman
Begins for Warner Bros.

TOP 10 SF SYNDICATED SHOWS:
Stargate SG-1 1.6
The X-Files 1.5
Andromeda 1.4
Angel 1.3
Buffy 1.3
Mutant X 1.3
3rd Rock 1.2
Beastmaster 1.2
The Outer Limits 1.2
Ripley's 1.0
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 8/9/04 - 8/15/04

JAMES DOOHAN: The Hollywood Reporter reports that James Doohan was
beaming Tuesday as a crowd gathered th honor him and his work as the
intrepid engineer, Montgomery Scott on the original STAR TREK
series. Doohan grinned and waved to fans as he received a star on
the Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was expected to be the last public
appearance of the 84-year-old performer, who was recently diagnosed
with Alzheimer's disease and also suffers from Parkinson's disease,
diabetes and lung fibrosis. The ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard was
the culmination of several days of farewell activities that brought
Doohan back into contact with many of this longtime "Trek" fans.
George Takei, who played Sulu on "Star Trek," told the crowd: "This
is a galactic day in this town full of stars. We've gathered from
throughout this planet to say congratulations to you, Jimmy," Takei
said. "We love you and we thank you for your luminous talent. We
thank you for the gift you have given us of that unforgettable
character, that ingenuous and beloved engineer that was able to fix
anything." Other "Star Trek" cast members to attend were Nichelle
Nichols, who was Uhura on the series, and Walter Koenig, who played
Chekov. Doohan did not speak to the crowd, but he waved and posed
for photos before leaving with his family.

CHARMED: The TV Guide Online reports that Kerr Smith (Dawson's
Creek) will join the cast of CHARMED as the love interest of leading
lady Rose McGowan. Smith's character is described as a Homeland
Security agent who believes in the supernatural.

PASSION OF THE CHRIST: The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Mel
Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST sold nearly 2.5 million DVD and
VHS units to consumers during its first 12 hours on retail shelves
Tuesday. 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment executives who are
closely following retail trends surrounding the faith-based title
said that most consumers are buying multiple copies, with the
average being 1.8 copies. That initial 12-hour sales figure
puts "The Passion" on pace to possibly meet initial sales records
for the home video industry held by the likes of DreamWorks Home
Entertainment's animated "Shrek" and the Disney/Pixar animated
feature "Finding Nemo," both of which topped 6 million DVD units
sold through to consumers during their first three days in release.

BEST SELLING SF BOOKS:
1. The Da Vinci Code
2. Angels & Demons
3. The Dark Tower (Dark Tower 7)
4. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
5. The Grim Grotto (Lemony Snicket 11)
6. The Time Traveler's Wife
7. Tanequil (Shannara)
8. The Battle of Corrin (Legends of Dune 3)
9. Song of Susannah (Dark Tower 6)
10. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Source: Amazon.com, 8/30/04

HARRY POTTER: Even as the latest HARRY POTTER film is being
produced, a director for the next installment, ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
is being courted. According to a recent interview, MONSOON WEDDING
director Mira Nair has been asked to direct the fifth HARRY POTTER
film. "I'm getting offers to direct HARRY POTTER: THE ORDER OF THE
PHOENIX. I read it over the weekend. I'm still deciding... I'm not
letting all this go to my head. I'm grounded." Nair, whose son is a
fan of the movies and has watched all three with him, is deciding
whether she'll accept the job or not. Her latest film is VANITY
FAIR, based on William Makepeace Thackeray's novel of the same name,
is scheduled to open in theaters this week.

WAR OF THE WORLDS: According to The Hollywood Reporter, Dakota
Fanning has closed a deal to join Tom Cruise in Steven Spielberg's
WAR OF THE WORLDS, a DreamWorks-Paramount Pictures co-production.
The deal continues a streak of projects for the actress. She is
prepping for her role opposite Kurt Russell in DreamWorks' DREAMER
for helmer John Gatins, and she is attached to play Alice in live
action adaptations of "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking
Glass," which Les Bohem is scripting for DreamWorks. Even though the
young actress has already worked with Robert De Niro, Denzel
Washington and Sean Penn, WAR marks Fanning's highest-profile gig,
since it will team her with both Spielberg and Cruise. Fanning acted
in the Spielberg-created Sci-Fi Channel series "Taken" but did not
meet the Oscar-winning helmer during that shoot.

JAMES DOOHAN: Today Scotty (James Doohan from the original Star Trek
series) gets a star on the Walk of Fame. Over the weekend, there was
a convention in his honor and you can read more about it by
following this link
http://trekweb.com/articles/2004/08/30/4132b1f77b370.shtml.

SMALLVILLE: Season Three of SMALLVILLE is set for release in the US
on November 16. The set will include 22 episodes, from "Exile"
through "Covenant." The second "series" of the Chloe Chronicles will
likely be on the set; and we can hope that the Verizon Wireless
promos that ran online previous to the season will be included as
well. There will be at least three commentaries in the DVD set,
including the following three episodes:
"Exile" - features executive producers Alfred Gough, Miles Millar,
Greg Beeman, and Ken Horton with Lex himself, Michael Rosenbaum.
"Memoria" - features executive producers Alfred Gough, Miles Miller,
Greg Beeman, and Ken Horton with Michael Rosenbaum (Millar also
directed the episode)
"Truth" - features director James Marshall, Allison Mack (Chloe),
and John Glover (Lionel)

STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE: As the new season approaches, more
information is coming out regarding the premiere. "Storm Front," the
upcoming fourth-season premiere of STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE, will
resolve the cliffhanger of last season's finale. It features guest
stars Golden Brooks (UPN's Girlfriends) and Joe Maruzzo and Steven
R. Schirripa (The Sopranos). The date is set for Oct. 8 in the
show's new Friday 8 p.m. ET/PT timeslot. Here is the synopsis
provided by UPN: (spoiler warning!)
Capt. Archer (Scott Bakula) awakes after having survived the
destruction of the Xindi superweapon to find himself back on Earth
in the 1940s in the custody of Nazi-uniformed aliens and SS agents.
The aliens have helped Germany invade the United States. When Archer
breaks free, he joins forces with American resistance fighters
Alicia Travers (Brooks), Sal (Maruzzo) and Carmine (Schirripa) to
stop the aliens from destroying America and the future. Meanwhile,
believing Archer is dead, T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) and the battle-
weary Enterprise crew try to figure out how to return to their own
time. A near-dead crewman Daniels (Matt Winston) appears and tells
them that the only way to return to the 22nd century is to stop the
Nazi aliens. Allan Kroeker directed the episode, from a script by
the show's new show runner, Manny Coto.

TOP SCIFI CHANNEL SHOWS:
Stargate Atlantis 1.9
Stargate SG-1 1.8
Jurassic Park 1.6
Tremors 4 1.0
Crocodile 2 1.0
Snakehead Terror 1.0
Code Red: Rubicon 0.9
Octopus 2 0.8
Octopus 0.8
Kull 0.8
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 8/9/04 - 8/15/04.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Miramax's HERO made a very strong late summer
charge, taking the #1 spot at the box office this weekend with an
estimated $17.8 million in receipts. The debut for the Jet Li
starrer, from writer- director Zhang Yimou, was the second-biggest
opening of all time for a foreign-language film after
Newmarket's "The Passion of the Christ." The second spot went to
Screen Gem's "Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid." The
relatively low-budget sequel from director Dwight Little wrapped up
an estimated $13.2 million in its debut, in the area expected and
slightly less than the $16.6 million of the original film. This
weekend's only other wide releases were Paramount's SUSPECT ZERO and
Sony's SUPERBABIES: BABY GENIUSES 2 from Triumph -- both films
opened unspectacularly to less than $4 million each. SUSPECT, a
crime thriller starring Ben Kingsley, Aaron Eckhart and Carrie-Anne
Moss and directed by Elias Merhige, which cost less than $10
million, was in the 10th spot with an estimated $3.4 million.
While "Superbabies," a family-aimed comedy helmed by Bob Clark, that
also carried a low budget, placed 11th with an estimated $3.3
million. Here are the estimates:
1. "Hero" $17.8m - $17.8m
2. "Anacondas" $13.2m - $13.2m
3. "Without a Paddle" $8.7m - $27.9m
4. "Princess Diaries 2" $8.1m - $75.1m
5. "Exorcist: The Beginning" $6.7m - $30.8m
6. "Collateral" $6.3m - $80.0m
7. "Open Water" $5.0m - $23.5m
8. "Alien vs. Predator" $4.8m - $72.1m
9. "The Bourne Supremacy" $4.6m - $157.7m
10. "Suspect Zero" $3.4m - $3.4m

LAND OF THE DEAD: This weekend, Tom Savini said he is in talks for a
role in George Romero's LAND OF THE DEAD. Scheduled to begin
shooting this October, the story has the zombies taken over the
world and those left alive are confined to a walled-in city that
keeps out the corpse corps. Anarchy rules the streets, with the
wealthy insulated and living in fortified skyscrapers. The drama
revolves around a group of scavengers who must thwart an attempt to
overthrow the city while the dead are evolving from brainless slow-
moving creatures into more advanced creatures. Savini is in talks to
play one of the leaders of a salvage team that goes out to search
for supplies and/or survivors, says the site. Romero is also eyeing
Asia Argento (XXX) for a role in the movie.

DR. STRANGE: JMS writes to tell us that you can read the complete
first issue of the new Doctor Strange series at:
http://www.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/marvel/strange1/

SMALLVILLE: The much anticipated role of THE FLASH has been cast for
the upcoming fourth season of SMALLVILLE. Kyle Gallner has won the
role as DC Comics speedster Bart Allen for an upcoming episode of
SMALLVILLE, tentatively titled "Run". It will likely be the fifth
episode of the fourth season. Gallner's film credits including
Finding Home, Red Betsy and Wet Hot American Summer. He had done
guest roles on television series The District, Touched by an Angel,
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Third Watch.

HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE: The production of the latest
HARRY POTTER movie is on the road this week. The Sunday Mail reports
that the HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLEM OF FIRE production is headed to
Fort William, Scotland this week. According to the trade, Daniel
Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint will be in Glen Nevis to
shoot scenes for the fourth "Harry Potter" movie at the 400 feet
Steall Falls, where the friends will fight a computer-enhanced fire-
breathing dragon.

THE INCREDIBLES: Here's the trailers you have been waiting for --
THE INCREDIBLES! These trailers will be hitting theaters on November
5th. Go to
http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/incredibles/intro.html for
trailers. Below are details about the movie.
Starring: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Samuel L. Jackson, Jason
Lee, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Sarah Vowell, Brad Bird
Plot Summary: From the Academy Award-winning creators of "Toy
Story," "Monsters, Inc." and "Finding Nemo," comes this hilarious
action-packed animated adventure about superheroes. Bob Parr used to
be one of the world's greatest superheroes (known to all as "Mr.
Incredible"), saving lives and fighting evil on a daily basis. But
now fifteen years later, Bob and his wife (a famous superhero in her
own right) have adopted civilian identities and retreated to the
suburbs to live normal lives with their three kids. Now he's a clock-
punching insurance claims adjuster fighting boredom and a bulging
waistline. Itching to get back into action, Bob gets his chance when
a mysterious communication summons him to a remote island for a top-
secret assignment. Pixar Animation Studios stretches the boundaries
of the art form with this stylish and entertaining film. Acclaimed
filmmaker Brad Bird ("The Iron Giant") directs.
TV SCHEDULE ON SCIFI CHANNEL
BABYLON 5 and CRUSADE are not currently listed on any SCIFI
schedule.

STARGATE SCHEDULE:

09/06/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 FIRE AND WATER
09/06/2004 07:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 TANGENT
09/06/2004 08:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 THE CURSE
09/06/2004 09:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 SERPENT'S VENOM
09/06/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 CHAIN REACTION
09/07/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 HATHOR
09/08/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 SINGULARITY
09/09/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 COR-AI
09/10/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 ENIGMA (STARGATE)
09/10/2004 08:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 A MATTER OF TIME (STARGATE)
09/10/2004 09:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 8) SACRIFICES
09/10/2004 11:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 (SEASON 8) SACRIFICES
09/13/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 TIN MAN (STARGATE)
09/13/2004 07:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 2010
09/13/2004 08:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 ABSOLUTE POWER
09/13/2004 09:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 THE LIGHT
09/13/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 PRODIGY
09/14/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD
09/15/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 POLITICS - PT- 1
09/16/2004 06:00 PM STARGATE SG-1 WITHIN THE SERPENT'S GRASP - PT 2

STARGATE ATLANTIS SCHEDULE:
09/10/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE ATLANTIS HOME
09/10/2004 12:00 AM STARGATE ATLANTIS HOME
09/17/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE ATLANTIS THE STORM
09/17/2004 12:00 AM STARGATE ATLANTIS THE STORM
09/24/2004 10:00 PM STARGATE ATLANTIS RISING - PT 1
09/24/2004 12:00 AM STARGATE ATLANTIS RISING - PT 1

FARSCAPE SCHEDULE:
09/05/2004 01:00 AM FARSCAPE MIND THE BABY
09/09/2004 03:00 AM FARSCAPE WHAT WAS LOST - PT 1: SACRIFICE
09/09/2004 04:00 AM FARSCAPE WHAT WAS LOST - PT 2: RESURRECTION
09/09/2004 05:00 AM FARSCAPE LAVA'S A MANY SPLENDORED THING
09/12/2004 01:00 AM FARSCAPE VITAS MORTIS
09/16/2004 08:00 AM FARSCAPE MENTAL AS ANYTHING
09/16/2004 09:00 AM FARSCAPE BRINGING HOME THE BEACON
09/16/2004 10:00 AM FARSCAPE A CONSTELLATION OF DOUBT
09/16/2004 11:00 AM FARSCAPE PRAYER
09/16/2004 12:00 PM FARSCAPE WE'RE SO SCREWED - PART 1: FETAL
ATTRACTION
09/16/2004 01:00 PM FARSCAPE WE'RE SO SCREWED - PART 2: HOW TO
KATRATZI
09/16/2004 02:00 PM FARSCAPE WE'RE SO SCREWED - PART 3: LA BOMBA
09/16/2004 03:00 PM FARSCAPE BAD TIMING
09/16/2004 03:00 AM FARSCAPE PROMISES
09/16/2004 04:00 AM FARSCAPE NATURAL ELECTION
09/16/2004 05:00 AM FARSCAPE JOHN QUIXOTE
09/19/2004 01:00 AM FARSCAPE TAKING THE STONE

CONVENTION CALENDAR

September 10-12, 2004
Chicagoland Entertainment Collectors Expo
Place: Rosemont, IL
Site: Ramada O'Hare
Guests: Boris Vallejo, Julie Bell, Chris Achilleos, Dick Durock,
Kathy Garver, Jeremy Bulloch, Tim Dry, Gerald Home, Michael Dante,
BarBara Luna, Christine Hewett, Steve Speirs, Mark Allan Shepard,
Sean Crawford,Warren Martineck plus a surprise guest
For more information, visit their website at
http://www.nonsportcardexpo.com.

Sept. 12, 2004
WOLF GATEDAYS
Location: Paris, France
Guests: John Novak, Suanne Braun, Teryl Rothery
For more information, visit their website at
http://www.dragoncon.com/ .

September 17-19, 2004
Slanted Fedora
Place: Salt Lake City, UT
Site: Holiday Inn Downtown
B5 Guests: Jerry Doyle, Jason Carter, Mary Kay Adams
Other Guests: Garrett Wang, Robin Curtis, Robert O'Reilly, J.G.
Hertzler, Max Grodenchik, Aron Eisenberg, Casey Biggs, Tony
Amendola, Julie Benz, Greg Evigan, Dee Wallace Stone
For more information, visit their website at
http://sfedora.com/salt_lake_city.htm.

September 24-25, 2004
Slanted Fedora
Place: Rochester, NY
Site: The Rochester Museum and Science Center
B5 Guests: Jerry Doyle, Jason Carter, Mary Kay Adams
Other Guests: Garrett Wang, Robin Curtis, Robert O'Reilly, J.G.
Hertzler, Max Grodenchik, Aron Eisenberg, Casey Biggs, Tony
Amendola, Julie Benz, Greg Evigan, Dee Wallace Stone
For more information, visit their website at
http://sfedora.com/rochester,_ny.htm.

November 2, 2004
Stargate - Scotland
Place: Quality Central Hotel
Guests: Teryl Rothery and Ronny Cox
For more information, visit www.wolfevents.com

November 5-7, 2004
United Fan Con XIV
Place: Springfield Marriott, Springfield, MA
Guests: Gates McFadden, Tony Amendola
For more information, go to their website at
http://www.unitedfancon.com/

November 5-7, 2004
Wolf SG-8 - Equinox Equalibria
Place: Thistle London Heathrow, England
Guests: Michael Shanks, Chris Judge, Teryl Rothery, Jacqueline Samuda
For more information, go to http://www.wolfevents.com/

November 13-14, 2004
Concept 2440: Montreal's Annual Science Fiction and Fantasy
Convention
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Place: Day's Inn 1005 Guy Street
Guests: Peter Williams, Douglas Arthurs -- and more
For more information, visit their website at
http://www.conceptsff.ca/. .

November 19-21, 2004
Orlando SCI-FI Convention
Location: Orlando, FL
B5 Guest: Peter Jurasik
Guests: Leonard Nimoy, Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood
For more information, visit their website at
http://www.vulkon.com/ .

November 19-21, 2004
Best of Both Worlds 23
Place: The Chifley On Northbourne, Canberra, Australia
Guests: LOTR - Bruce Hopkins, David Weatherley, Brett Beattie, Jed
Brophy, Stephen Ure, John Howe, Ben Wootten
For more information, contact alc@... or visit
http://www.bobw.com.au/.

Be sure to visit the referenced sites to see if there have been
changes in dates/guests attending. Visit our Convention Calendar for
a full listing of upcoming conventions.

Don't forgot to visit the website <http://www.isnnews.net> whenever
you have a chance. It is updated daily and there is always a lot of information
to read. If I've forgotten something, be sure to let me know!

I guess that is about it for now.
I hope you all have a safe and happy Labor Day Weekend!
Take care,
Sandy

Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
<http://www.isnnews.net>