THE ZOCALO TODAY

What's New

STEPHEN AUSTIN TOUR
Stephen Austin, the wonderful Pak'Ma'Ra Ambassador of Babylon 5 has
safely returned from his tour of the Middle East to entertain troops
there.

Here is a link where you can see more of Stephen's tour of
Afghanistan and other ports of call in the Middle East.
<http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/saustin65/album?.dir=/a7f5&.src=ph&.to
k=phXvlECBpDxEJTDp >

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

BILL MUMY: Bill's band, The Jenerators performed their last gig of
the year last night at Rusty's Surf Ranch in Santa Monica. Bill has
a new CD coming out in January. Stay tuned for more information.

MIRA FURLAN IN LOST: Mira Furlan has been cast as a recurring
character on LOST named Danielle Rousseau. Her first episode will
be "Solitary" which will probably air on November 17th.

"Disi duboko" ("Take a Deep Breath") the film that Mira Furlan shot
in Belgrade during the summer of 2003 is going to be aired at the
Serbian Film Festival in Sydney, Melbourne & Perth, Australia. For
more information, go to <http://www.serbianfilmfestival.org.au/>.

CLASSIC VIDEO AVAILABLE

On September 14, Warner Bros released to DVD - THX-1138. Made in
1971, THX 1138 marked the stunning debut of one of the screen's most
innovative filmmakers and was produced by Francis Ford Coppola and
his revolutionary American Zoetrope studios. Produced at the height
of the American independent movement, THX 1138 stars Robert Duvall
in a thought-provoking and visually rich exploration of a theme that
would repeat itself throughout Lucas's career: One man's quest to
realize his own potential amid an oppressive society.

For more information about the film, go to
http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/thx-1138-press.shtml Warner Bros has
provided a number of video clips for your enjoyment -- in a variety
of formats to suit whatever connection you have to the internet.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:

There is so little on these days to watch, I wonder how people are
filling their spare time. What do you enjoy watching – and why? Do
you like the range of CSI series? They are very well written – or
do you go more for SMALLVILLE or LOST?

Send along your comments to sgbruckner@... and I'll post them
for other readers to review & hopefully comment on.

WHAT'S ON TONIGHT:

ON NETWORK OR CABLE TV:
6:30 on HBO
Bruce Almighty
A frustrated reporter receives divine powers from God.

8:00pm on The WB
Charmed
There's Something About Leo
The Charmed Ones are distracted by Leo's confession that he is an
Avatar.

8:00pm on UPN
The Outer Limits
The New Breed
A scientist uses his assistant as a guinea pig.

ON SCIFI:

5:00pm
Fortress 2: Re-Entry
While his wife and child escape, a man is captured and sent to a new
prison in outer space.

7:00pm
The 13th Warrior
Unknown foes devour the flesh of their Viking victims.

9:00pm
Code Red: The Rubicon Conspiracy
A military man finds a base used for alien contact.

ON SYNDICATED TV THIS WEEKEND:

Andromeda
So Burn the Sacred Land
Dylan and Rhade fight to free indentured slaves from a cruel labor
camp.

Mutant X
Altered Ego
A young mutant from Adam's past shows up wanting revenge for her
father's death.

Stargate SG-1
Part 1 of 2: Evolution
The SG-1 team must face an unstoppable breed of Goa'uld
supersoldier.

The Twilight Zone
The Path; Fair Warning
A tabloid writer puts her fate in the hands of a fortuneteller; a
man stalks a clerk.

SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS

StarLog: The current issue of STARLOG has a great feature about the
latest FARSCAPE: PEACEKEEPER WARS. You'll also find a wonderful
article on Richard Biggs -- our beloved Dr. Stephen Franklin. There
are some great photos included as well.

Cult Times #111: STARGATE SG-1 - Amanda Tapping (Col. Carter) gives
us the scoop on the remainder of season eight. STARGATE Executive
producer Brad Wright talks about handling both SG-1 and ATLANTIS.
CHARMED executive producer, Brad Kern, discusses the ups and downs
of the new, seventh, season of the mystical show

Starburst #318: BLADE: TRINITY - The man behind the Blade movies,
David Goyer, talks about the challenges involved in writing and
directing the unholy Vampire trinity. Sir Sean Connery talks about
the role of the greatest secret agent ever, as well as taking a look
back at his recent work in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
ANDROMEDA's Kevin Sorbo gives a tour of the show's new set and
you'll find out how he feels about being a man of action.

TV Zone #183: With BATTLESTAR GALACTICA coming to SCIFI in January,
this issue has an interview with Jamie Bamber, the new Captain
Apollo. Bamber talks about his approach to keeping the fleet safe
from the Cylons, and how his off-screen relationship with lead
Edward James Olmos is a little happier than his character's strained
relations with his father. You'll also find articles on FARSCAPE,
ANDROMEDA and SPACE ODYSSEY.

Expose #90: JOAN OF ARCADIA: JOAN's Amber Tamblyn lets everyone in
on her views on religion, success and politics… and how they can
combine to make life an obstacle course. Also featured in this
issue, articles on LOST, DEAD LIKE ME and CHARMED.

NEW IN BOOK STORES

SMALLVILLE OFFICIAL COMPANION SEASON 2 TP
Packed with exclusive interviews with Tom Welling (Clark Kent),
Kristin Kreuk (Lana Lang) and Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), plus
unseen photos, behind-the-scenes secrets, a complete episode guide,
and insights into the world of Smallville, with excerpts from the
town newspaper and even a look at the mysterious LexCorp, this
authorized companion reveals everything fans need to know about the
hit WB television series, Smallville.

JMS COMIC BOOKS

RISING STARS – I picked up #22 of the RISING STARS series yesterday
at my comic shop. The series has started up again. For those of
you who loved the series when it first came out, you won't want to
miss an issue.

AMAZING SPIDERMAN #514
Amazing Spider-Man #514 will arrive in stores on Wednesday from
Marvel Comics. The issue is written by J. Michael Straczynski, with
art and cover by Mike Deodaot.
Here's how Marvel describes the issue:
"'Sins Past,' part 6 of 6. All is revealed in the pulse-pounding
conclusion to 'Sins Past.'"

AMAZING SPIDERMAN #517
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, penciled by Mike Deodato and Mark
Brooks, cover by Gary Frank.
"Skin Deep," part 3 of 4. When a former classmate of Peter Parker's
is caught in a horrific experiment, he blames Peter for the
resulting transformation...But is Peter to blame? And how will Peter
react when someone targets his personal life instead of Spider-Man's
life, for a change?
32 pages, $2.25, in stores on Feb. 23.

STRANGE
Written by J. Michael Straczynski and Sara (Samm) Barnes, pencils
and cover by Brandon Peterson.
The Master of the Mystic Arts is back -- as only J. Michael
Straczynski and artist Brandon Peterson could envision him. In this
issue, Stephen Strange at last learns what the Ancient One has
planned for him.
32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Feb. 16.

SUPREME POWER #15
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencils and cover by Gary Frank.
What does the most powerful being on the planet do when he finds out
he's been manipulated and that his whole life is practically a lie?
How will Hyperion react -- and what does that mean for the rest of
humanity--and the government that's organized these deceitful
machinations? Another pulse-pounding issue from the architects of
the Supremeverse!
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Feb. 2.

INSIDE SCI-FI THIS WEEK:

WAR OF THE WORLDS: Bayonne, New Jersey is still in the midst of
principal phototography with Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise on
Paramount's THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. The sci-fi actioner is based on
H.G. Well's 1898 novel, in which Martians invade the world. The
film, to be released on June 29th, also stars Tim Robbins, Miranda
Otto, and Dakota Fanning.

BATTLE ANGEL ALITA: The next project for director James Cameron
(Titanic and Terminator 2: Judgment Day) will be the big screen
adaptation of Yukito Kishiro's anime comic BATTLE ANGEL
ALITA. "We're in pre-production right now on a project
called 'Battle Angel' which is something I've been working on for
several years and we're just, we're finishing up the shooting draft
right now. We've been designing, it's a big science fiction film and
a couple things that will be interesting about this project," he
says in the interview. "The main character, even though it's a live
action film, the main character will be done with CG animation and
the second thing that's interesting is we're going to be shooting it
in 3D using the stereo imagining system that we've been developing
for the documentaries."

WATCHMEN: Director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy and Bloody
Sunday) has replaced Darren Aronofsky in the director's chair of the
WATCHMEN adaptation. The Paramount film is based on the seminal DC
Comics limited series created by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave
Gibbons, which was released as a 12-issue comic book in 1986 and is
one of the most critically acclaimed series in the genre. Watchmen
is a crime-conspiracy story that provided the first realistic look
at the behind-the-heroics lives of superhero archetypes.

FLASH TO DVD: Sci Fi Log reports that THE FLASH is coming to DVD in
2005 as part of a Warner Bros. TV promotion: Their promotion,
entitled 50 years of Television starts out with Waves so we'll have
to see which wave will include THE FLASH. The TV series aired on CBS
from 1990-1991 and featured John Wesley Shipp as Barry Allen/The
Flash & Amanda Pays as Tina McGee.

THX-1138: The folks at Warner Bros. were kind enough to send me some
material related to their release in September of THX-1138. Released
in 1973, this is one of the early George Lucas films and it has been
greatly enhanced for DVD distribution. Go to THX 1138 Press Release
for more information. There are a series of clips available as well.
Enjoy.

ALIAS: Along with a new timslot for the coming year, ALIAS creator
J.J. Abrams has a number of changes in store. When ALIAS returns on
January 5 (Wednesday night), Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) will
have a new boss, played by Angela Bassett; a new job in the CIA; and
a new permanent addition to her family, as Mia Maestro joins the
cast as Sydney's half-sister, Nadia. Sydney and the rest of the team
move to "a black ops division in the CIA," Abrams said in a recent
interview. "A cool new organization with cool new headquarters." The
show will be returning with more streamlined stories. "The plot
became our god, which was a huge problem," Abrams said. "It ended up
superseding character."

ENVIRONMENTAL MEDIA AWARDS: The Hollywood Reporter indicates that
20th Century Fox's global-warming pic "The Day After Tomorrow" and
an episode of CBS' "Without a Trace" dealing with hazardous waste
took home the respective prizes for movies and TV episodic drama at
the 14th annual Environmental Media Awards. The EMAs, held Wednesday
night at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles, recognize the
creative teams behind television, film and music productions that
expand public awareness of environmental issues. In the TV episodic
comedy category, the winner went to Fox's "The Simpsons" for the
episode "The Fat and the Furriest." The EMA for animated children's
TV went to ABC Family's "Braceface," while the children's live-
action award went to the video series "EnviroMysteries."

VIDEO SALES THIS WEEK: According to industry sources, THE CHRONICLES
OF RIDDICK, starring Vin Diesel, sold about 1.5 million combined DVD
and VHS units to consumers during its first day in release Tuesday.
For a film that grossed $57.6 million at the domestic boxoffice, not
bad. It is expected to be one of the top 10-best-renting titles for
this week. DreamWorks Home Entertainment's "Shrek 2" dominated DVD
and VHS sales for the week ending Nov. 14, taking the top slot on
Nielsen VideoScan's First Alert DVD and VHS sales charts for the
week and capturing the No. 3 slot on Video Store magazine's weekly
rental chart. The nation's No. 1 rental pick for the week ending
Nov. 14 was Paramount Home Entertainment's "The Stepford Wives,"
starring Nicole Kidman, which generated an estimated $8.99 million
during its first five days on rental shelves, according to Video
Store.

SMALLVILLE: ABC Family will stage a SMALLVILLE countdown marathon on
Friday, Dec. 31 from 2-10 p.m. (ET/PT). Cast members will introduce
and tell stories about their favorite episodes from the series. The
schedule is as follows:
2-3 p.m.: "Pilot" -- Tom Welling/Clark Kent
3-4 p.m.: "Rogue" -- Allison Mack/Chloe Sullivan
4-5 p.m.: "Zero" -- Michael Rosenbaum/Lex Luthor
5-6 p.m.: "Nicodemus" -- John Schneider/Jonathan Kent
6-7 p.m.: "Tempest" -- John Glover/Lionel Luthor
7-8 p.m.: "Accelerate" -- Kristen Kreuk/Lana Lang
8-9 p.m.: "Shattered" -- Michael Rosenbaum/Lex Luthor
9-19 p.m.: "Memoria" -- Annette O'Toole/Martha Kent

HARRY POTTER: Days after Michael Goldenberg was announced as the new
scripter for the next Harry Potter film, Variety reports that
British helmer David Yates is "close to" being hired for the job.
The film, which will be based on J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the
Order of the Phoenix, is scheduled to begin production at the end of
2005 or early in 2006, with a summer 2007 release date set.

TOP SF NETWORK PROGRAMS:
Lost 10.4
Joan of Arcadia 4.8
Smallville 3.4
Charmed 2.5
Enterprise 2.0
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 10/25/04 - 10/31/04.
FLASH GORDON:Remakes of old, popular movies is on the rise. Producer
Bob Ducsay is developing an updated FLASH GORDON movie with Van
Helsing director Stephen Sommers. He said in a recent interview that
he envisions a return to the venerable SF serial's roots and not a
reprise of the campy 1980s movie. "It in fact is actually going back
to a lot more of the original source material for Flash and is not
based on the 1980 movie. So we're not moving in that direction at
all. There's all kinds of material. There's comics. There's serials.
So all of those things provide source material."

NATIONAL TREASURE: Opening this weekend, NATIONAL TREASURE stars
Nicholas Cage as archaeologist Ben Franklin Gates, the latest in a
long family tree of treasure hunters. They've all searched for the
same booty: a massive war chest of treasure reportedly hidden by
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin as funds
for the Revolutionary War. The founding fathers allegedly weaved a
secret code into the Constitution and, perhaps, made a map that
might have been drawn on the back of the Declaration of
Independence. Now Gates has learned of a plot to steal the
Declaration and, presumably, the secret information it might hold.

V FOR VENDETTA: According to Variety, the Wachowski brothers' first
assistant director, James McTeigue, is in final talks with Warner
Bros. to make his helming debut on the adaptation of Alan Moore's
graphic novel V for Vendetta. The Wachowskis, creators of "The
Matrix" trilogy, will produce with Warners-based producer Joel
Silver. A powerful story about loss of freedom and individuality, V
FOR VENDETTA takes place in a totalitarian England following a
devastating war that changed the face of the planet. In a world
without political freedom, personal freedom and precious little
faith in anything comes a mysterious man in a white porcelain mask
who fights political oppressors through terrorism and seemingly
absurd acts. It's a gripping tale of the blurred lines between
ideological good and evil.

MRS. DOUBTFIRE 2: According to the Hollywood Reporter, there is a
sequel to the 1993 hit comedy Mrs. Doubtfire in the works at Fox
2000. Robin Williams is in early talks to reprise the role of Daniel
Hillard/Mrs. Doubtfire and resume producing duties with Marsha
Williams. Bonnie Hunt is also in talks to write the film. The
original, directed by Chris Columbus (first two "Harry Potter"
films), earned $219.2 million domestically and $222 million overseas
for a massive worldwide total of $441.2 million, or the 53rd highest-
grossing film ever. Mrs. Doubtfire received two Golden Globe awards
in 1994, one for best picture (comedy/musical) and one for Williams
as best actor in a comedy/musical. The film also won an Oscar for
best makeup. In Mrs. Doubtfire, Daniel Hillard learns his ex-wife
needs a housekeeper, so he applies for and lands the job disguised
as Mrs. Doubtfire, a devoted British nanny. The masquerading Daniel
creates a whole new life with his entire family.

ANONYMOUS REX: Screenwriter Joe Menosky recently talked about the
Sci Fi Channel original movie ANONYMOUS REX, based on the acclaimed
series of novels by Eric Garcia and premiering Saturday, December 4.
Sam Trammell, Daniel Baldwin, Stephanie Lemelin, Isaac Hayes, and
Faye Dunaway star in the Julian Jarrold-directed film. ANONYMOUS REX
goes underground to chronicle a secret society of the dinosaurs'
descendants — adapted through evolution to human size and
dimensions — living, loving and working today in disguise. A shape-
shifting technology enables these modern day dinos to mask their
true identities and co-exist with humans as "everyday people."

TOP SF DVD SALES:
1. Return of the King platinum edition
2. Prisoner of Azkaban
3. Shrek 2
4. Star Wars trilogy
5. Charmed season one
6. Buffy season seven
7. Spider-Man 2
8. Elf
9. Smallville season three
10. Lord of the Rings trilogy
Source: Amazon.com, top-selling genre DVDs, 11/15/04

FARSCAPE: Variety reports that FARSCAPE, which ran for 88 episodes
on SCI FI Channel, will air in syndication under a deal with Debmar
Studios, which bought the domestic rights and is offering the series
to TV stations for weekend play in fall 2005.

MEMORY: The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Billy Zane has signed
on to star in the independent feature MEMORY, joining Dennis Hopper
and Ann-Margret who already have been cast in the psychological
thriller about a medical researcher who taps into the genetically
stored memories of a killer. Zane will play the researcher. MEMORY
will be directed by Bennett Davlin and produced by 3210 Films
partners Davlin, Jesse Newhouse and Anthony Badalucco. Brandon Hogan
and Robert J. Monroe are executive producers.

PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF: Joe Stillman, one of the
writers of "Shrek" and "Shrek 2," is going to adapt the upcoming kid-
lit fantasy novel PERCY JACKSON AND THE LIGHTNING THIEF for Fox
2000. Maverick Films is producing. The book, due next year, is the
story of a young boy in modern-day America who discovers he is the
son of the Greek god Poseidon and must avert a deadly war between
the gods in order to save his mother. Maverick's Guy Oseary and Greg
Mooradian are acting as producers. Fox 2000 execs Carla Hacken and
Erin Lindsey will oversee for the studio. Stillman is well known in
the animated feature world. He is working on "Shrek 3," and his
other credits include "Curious George" and "Beavis and Butt-Head Do
America." He was a writer on the TV shows "Beavis and Butt-Head"
and "King of the Hill."

JOHN DOE/NORTH SHORE: JOHN DOE fans will be glad to hear that
Dominic Purcell has landed for a multi-episode gig on FOX's NORTH
SHORE. Purcell will play Tommy Ravetto, a world-famous chef, for at
least three episodes of the FOX series.

THE EVIL DEAD: Variety reports that SPIDER-MAN director Sam Raimi
and original producing partners Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell are
reteaming to produce a remake of the cult hit THE EVIL DEAD through
Ghost House Pictures and Senator International. Raimi wrote,
directed and produced the 1981 film, which tells the tale of a group
of friends who go to a cabin in the woods, where they find an
unspeakable evil lurking in the forest. One by one, the teens become
deadly zombies. With only Ash (Campbell) remaining, it is up to him
to survive the night and battle The Evil Dead. Ghost House is
looking for a helmer to reinvent the franchise before a script is
written.

SLANTED FEDORA: SLANTED FEDORA, the convention organizer that
brought us the first convention with the entire CRUSADE cast, has
folded. Owner Dave Scott has posted a note regarding the company at
http://sfedora.com/schedule_of_events.htm. All scheduled events have
been cancelled.

TOP 10 SF SYNDICATED SHOWS:
Stargate SG-1 2.2
Andromeda 1.8
Buffy 1.6
The X-Files 1.5
Mutant X 1.4
The Outer Limits 1.4
She Spies 1.3
The Twilight Zone 1.3
Angel 1.2
Ripley's 0.8
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 10/25/04 - 10/31/04

SERENITY/FIREFLY: As principal production for the upcoming SF movie
SERENITY is drawing to a close, more and more information is
becoming available from Joss Whedon and cast members. Summer Glau,
who reprises the role of River in the movie, said in a recent
interview that the film will resolve many questions about her
enigmatic character. "We were going back into the past and trying to
set up each storyline for each character. And my character was just
getting started, and now in the film you're really going to see an
explosion of what's really going on with River. It's going to be
exciting." In the TV series, the FIREFLY crew found themselves
inadvertently aiding the escape of River from a top-secret Alliance
facility, with the help of her brother, Simon Tam (Sean Maher).
There were hints that River had acquired some martial arts and
weapons skills, which the film SERENITY will develop. Glau
said, "I'm not a gymnast. I still don't like being upside down. If I
don't know what my legs are doing up there, it makes me nervous."
Her early training in ballet really came in handy. SERENITY is
slated for release in April 2005.

BLACK HOLE: Production begins November 28 on an independent SF movie
entitled BLACK HOLE. Although originally scheduled to begin early in
2005, healthy foreign presales of the movie to Star TV in Asia,
Bridge Rights in Benelux, Swen in Brazil, Metropolitan in France,
Kinowelt in Germany, Art Port in Japan, Scanbox in Scandinavia and
Filmax in Spain brought an early start. HOLE, budgeted at $3.5
million, will be shot in St. Louis and stars Kristy Swanson and Judd
Nelson in a tale about an experiment at the Brookhaven National
Laboratory on Long Island that goes horribly awry, resulting in the
formation of a black hole on Earth.

ALIAS: Looks like J.J. Abrams got his wish. ABC has announced plans
to move ALIAS to Wednesday. Beginning Jan. 5, ALIAS at 9 p.m.
following LOST. The opening episode of the fourth season will be a
two-hour installment; the midseason introduction will allow the
entire season to unspool without interruption week to week. The move
marks the first time the series has strayed from Sunday. ABC
Entertainment president Stephen McPherson thinks ALIAS will be
bolstered by the compatible LOST.

HARRY POTTER: According to the Hollywood Reporter, Michael
Goldenberg has signed on to adapt the fifth installment of
the "Harry Potter" series, HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
for producer David Heyman and Warner Bros. Pictures. Principal
photography is scheduled to begin in late 2005 or early 2006 for
release in summer 2007. Steve Kloves, who wrote the screenplays for
the first four "Harry Potter" films, has opted to step away from the
series to adapt and direct another Warner Bros. project, THE CURIOUS
INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, based on the best-selling
novel by Mark Haddon. Brad Grey, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston's
Plan B Entertainment is producing "Curious" with Heyman.

BLACK PANTHER: The New York Times reports that Marvel will launch a
new BLACK PANTHER series in February, written by Reginald Hudlin and
drawn by John Romita Jr. The first six issues of the series will
deal with the Panther's origin. The next six issues will have the
Panther take a greater role in the Marvel Universe, interacting with
the Avengers, Spider-Man and the X-Men, and meeting many other black
heroes, including Blade, Luke Cage and Storm.

GHOST RIDER: Reports from Australia indicate that Nicholas Cage has
indeed signed on to become the GHOST RIDER. Filming for the $40
million production is on track to begin at the end of January in
Australia.

STAR WARS: EPISODE III: Lucasfilm Ltd. and 20th Century Fox
announced that STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH will
premiere on May 12 in 10 cities across the United States. As has
been a tradition for the previous STAR WARS movies, Lucasfilm will
use the premieres to raise critical funds and awareness for issues
affecting children and families, by working with local
charities. "These charitable organizations are the leaders in direct
services and advocacy for children and families," said George
Lucas. "I'm delighted that the screenings can help these amazing
organizations, which do such important work." At each premiere, a
portion of the theater seating will be made available to
disadvantaged children. The film will be released in theatres on May
19, 2005. For a list of the charities involved, go to
http://www.comingsoon.net/news.php?id=7237.

STARGATE RENEWAL:
The SCI FI Channel announced yesterday that it has ordered a second
season of STARGATE ATLANTIS and a ninth season of STARGATE SG-1. The
channel has ordered 20 new episodes of each show from MGM Television
Entertainment, and production on both is set to begin in March 2005
for summer premieres on SCI FI. STARGATE ATLANTIS made its debut in
July and drew more than 4.2 million viewers, breaking ratings
records. The second season will bring back stars Joe Flanigan, Torri
Higginson, David Hewlett, Rainbow Sun Francks, Rachel Luttrell and
Paul McGillion.
With a ninth original season, STARGATE SG-1 will tie Fox's THE X-
FILES as the longest-running SF drama series on American TV. MGM is
currently in talks with the series original cast members for their
return.
Robert C. Cooper and SG-1 co-creator Brad Wright will continue to
serve as executive producers on both series, which are distributed
by MGM Worldwide Television Distribution. The remaining new episodes
of SG-1's current eighth season and Atlantis's first season will
return in January 2005, along with the series premiere of BATTLESTAR
GALACTICA.

TOP SELLING SF BOOKS:
1. The Polar Express
2. The Da Vinci Code
3. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell
4. The Grim Grotto (Lemony Snicket 11)
5. Angels & Demons
6. The Dark Tower (Dark Tower 7)
7. The Time Traveler's Wife
8. Halo 2 strategy guide
9. Song of Susannah (Dark Tower 6)
10. Order of the Phoenix
Source: Amazon.com, 11/15/04

TOY STORY 3:
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Walt Disney Studios is actively
moving ahead with its long-in-discussion sequel to Pixar Animation's
two "Toy Story" movies. Soon we way see Woody, Buzz Lightyear and
the gang back on the big screen. Disney is setting up a digital
animation facility in Glendale, not far from DreamWorks Animation's
digs. This will most likely be used for the production of "Toy Story
3." The project falls under the aegis of David Stainton, president
of Walt Disney Feature Animation. Andrew Millstein, who headed the
company's now-shuttered animation facility in Orlando, also is
involved and has begun the process of recruiting animation
heavyweights from rival animation studios and effects shops. With
the studio is now actively beginning this process, it could make it
more difficult to resume negotiations with Pixar CEO Steve Jobs to
extend Pixar's relationship with Disney. The current Pixar/Disney
deal expires next year with the release of John Lasseter's "Cars."
While Disney holds the rights to do sequels to "Toy Story," it has
held off from doing so in the past, in part in deference to Jobs and
Lasseter, both of whom haven't wanted to lose control of the
characters.

THE NIGHT WATCHMAN:
Variety reports that Keanu Reeves will star in THE NIGHT WATCHMAN
for director Spike Lee and Bob Yari Productions. Reeves plans to
begin production on the crime thriller shortly after he completes
promotional duties for Warner Bros. Pictures on CONSTANTINE, opening
February 18. Written by James Ellroym, WATCHMAN is the story of a
disgraced cop who discovers corruption inside a police department
and sets out on a mission to redeem himself.

CSI: SPOILER WARNING:
According to the CSI Files website, starting with episode 101,
producers plan to radically moving around many of the characters. In
the upcoming ninth episode of the fifth season "Mea Culpa," a murder
trial is reopened to explore new forensic evidence. During cross-
examination, Grissom discovers a previously undetected fingerprint
on a matchbook left at a crime scene, meaning that the man who was
originally convicted may well be innocent. Rather than focusing on
finding the true killer, Grissom's longtime enemy Conrad Ecklie uses
the finding to make life for Grissom as painful as possible.
According to the TV Guide, Catherine Willows will be promoted to
head of the swing-shift CSI team in "Mea Culpa." Joining her each
day at 4:00pm will be Warrick Brown. Meanwhile, Gil Grissom will be
left in charge of the graveyard shift, but he'll now have to solve
his cases using a B team consisting of rookies such as Greg Sanders,
who hasn't even passed his final field proficiency test. To add
insult to injury, his team will also be joined by internal affairs
officer Sophia Curtis, who is assigned to keep watch over Grissom.

HIGHLANDER 5:
Australian-based director Brett Leonard ("Virtuosity", "The
Lawnmower Man" and the upcoming "Man-Thing") has officially been
signed to direct the next installment in the "Highlander" series.
The fifth "Highlander" movie is going off in a slightly different -
note : fresher - direction than the previous movies. For starters :
There's no Connor McCloud (Christopher Lambert).
Titled "Highlander : The Source", it's rumored to tell the story of
four new charismatic Immortals as they quest to locate the Holy
Grail of their world.

TOP 10 SCIFI CHANNEL SHOWS:
Gargoyles: Wings of Darkness 1.8
Bride of Chucky 1.2
Ghost Hunters 1.1
Thirteen Ghosts 1.1
The Bone Snatchers 1.1
Pumpkinhead 2 1.0
Salem's Lot, Part 2 1.0
Halloween 2 1.0
Darklight 1.0
Arachnid 0.9
Source: Nielsen Galaxy Report, 10/25/04 - 10/31/04.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Buena Vista's THE INCREDIBLES held onto the top
spot with an estimated $51 million in receipts, slipping a modest
28% from its debut. The film has accumulated $144.1 million for
Pixar. Warner Bros. Pictures' THE POLAR EXPRESS featuring Tom Hanks
debuted in the second spot with a disappointing estimate of $23.5
million. The Robert Zemeckis-helmed film, based on the book by Chris
Van Allsburg, has taken in around $30.8 million since its release
Wednesday. POLAR EXPRESS had a reported $170 million budget but has
opened to mixed reviews. Next weekend competition gets even greater.
Paramount's animated THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE opens. On a
groundbreaking note, POLAR EXPRESS was released in 3-D in 59 Imax
theaters this weekend and hit record highs for a DMR Imax release
with an estimated $2.1 million for the three days, and $3 million
for the five. Saturday recorded the biggest single-day gross in
history for an Imax film, and some Imax theaters already have sold
out their morning and afternoon shows through mid-January because of
record-breaking group sales. New Line Cinema's AFTER THE SUNSET
bowed in the third spot with a respectable estimate of $11.6
million. The action- thriller from director Brett Ratner, starring
Pierce Brosnan, Salma Hayek and Woody Harrelson, arrived in the area
expected, while it's female audience took a slight hit from this
weekend's fourth-place film. Universal's BRIDGET JONES: THE EDGE OF
REASON, a sequel to "Bridget Jones's Diary," took the unusual step
of debuting in a moderate 530 theaters on its opening weekend in
order to build on positive word of mouth before going wide next
weekend. The romantic comedy, co-produced with Working Title and
Miramax, took in an estimated $8.9 million to place fourth and
averaged an exceptional $16,792 per theater. According to the studio
it was a record opening for a film debuting in the 500-600 theater
range. The only other wide release this weekend was Rogue Pictures'
SEED OF CHUCKY, which arrived in the fifth spot with an estimated
$8.8 million. Universal's RAY continued to see strong business at
the boxoffice as the biopic placed sixth with an estimated $8.4
million on its third session, down a moderate 38%. The Jamie Foxx
starrer has picked up an estimated $52.5 million so far. Sony's low-
budget horror flick THE GRUDGE is on the verge of surpassing the
$100 million mark in domestic boxoffice in the next few days as the
Sarah Michelle Gellar starrer scared up an estimated $7.1 million in
the seventh spot. Fox Searchlight's SIDEWAYS moved up into the 12th
spot this weekend as the well- received limited release from
director Alexander Payne took in an estimated $1.4 million from 144
venues, up 78 from a week earlier. The comedy has grossed around
$3.7 million to date and will add 30 cities, or about 350 theaters,
Friday. Two high-profile and possible award contenders opened in
limited release this weekend and generated some impressive numbers.
Fox Searchlight's KINSEY, starring Liam Neeson and written and
directed by Bill Condon, was in five locales in New York and Los
Angeles and grossed an estimated $175,026, averaging a sexy $35,005
per theater. The distributor will expand the R-rated film by 13
cities, or about 35 theaters, Friday. Miramax's PG-rated FINDING
NEVERLAND was in eight locations and found an estimated $240,016,
which translates to a robust $30,002 per-theater average. Johnny
Depp and Kate Winslet star in the drama directed by Marc Forster
about Sir James Matthew Barrie, the author of "Peter Pan." According
to a Miramax spokesperson, NEVERLAND generated the highest exit poll
scores in the company's history, with 95% in the top two boxes and
an 89% definite recommend. The film will be in 20 additional markets
Friday.

DA VINCI CODE: Tom Hanks is working on a deal that would have him
step into the scholarly shoes of Robert Langdon, the professor who
unravels the mystery of the Holy Grail in the film version of Dan
Brown's phenomenally successful novel "The Da Vinci Code." Hanks has
emerged as director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer's top
choice for the lead role in the film, which Columbia Pictures hopes
to begin shooting next year. And talks have begun for the actor to
join the project. Brown's novel, which combines intellectual puzzles
with a nonstop chase, was originally brought to the studio by John
Calley last year during his tenure as chairman and CEO of Sony
Pictures Entertainment. Calley, who segued into a producing deal in
October 2003, is producing the project along with Grazer.

THE STRANGERS: The rights for new screenwriter Bryan Bertino's
horror spec script THE STRANGERS has been acquired by Universal
Pictures. According to Variety, this will be the first project Roy
Lee and Doug Davison (The Grudge) will produce at the studio under
their Vertigo Entertainment banner. The film tells the story of
three mysterious strangers who terrorize a young couple in a remote
house after they return from a wedding.

That's about it for now.
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving (here in the U.S.
anyway).
Take care.
Sandy

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