THE ZOCALO TODAY – March 11, 2006

For those of you who might have missed the announcement!

VOLUME 5 - BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS NOW AVAILABLE

It turns out that at 482 pages Volume 5 is by far the biggest volume yet and that's because JMS found something a little extra for this volume...an alternate version of the season three debut, "Matters of Honor," the story JMS wanted to tell from the git-go.

So you're going to get 8 scripts this time instead of 7..and we didn't even raise the price. (Not that we didn't think about it. But we've got integrity. We've got class. And JMS has a sniper on the roof.)

There's also 20 pages worth of previously-unseen memos from the third season of Babylon 5.

AND FINALLY...a 57 page introduction and episodic commentary by JMS describing in detail for the first time:

• How he went about constructing the B5 season finales;
• The untold tales of his teenage "life of crime" and why it gave the Hugo award win so much more meaning;
• The day he turned down the possibility of seeing a naked lady in deference to a set of really well cooked baby-back ribs;
• How and why Jason Carter was hired as Marcus Cole;
• Detailed recollections of the Lunch Table Political Wars that daily roared through the Babylon 5 main stage;
• How the elevator scene with Londo and G'Kar was filmed;
• And for the first time ever...the never-before-told story of the day that Babylon 5 almost came to a complete and total stop in the middle of season three. "The day we almost lost the show," as JMS describes it.

$10 off through Thursday, March 16 at 10PM Pacific

MORE NEW ITEMS IN JOE'S STORE
At The Joe Store where we have just introducted our new line of gear imprinted with the Babylon 5 core questions. Perfect for folks who like to be the catalyst for conversations.

Who are you?
What do you want?
Where are you going?
Why are you here?

Be sure to check out all the new items by following this link http://www.cafepress.com/cp/store.aspx?s=thejoestore.1263016

BABYLON 5 PODCASTS

Here is something new for Babylon 5 fans!  Don't miss this one!   The discussion is wonderful and Tim and Summer are fabulous Babylon 5 fans.  The commentary from Jeffrey is priceless.

PODCAST #6
Chat: Jeffrey Willerth ("Kosh", Associate Producer)
Jeffrey joins Summer, Lorrie and Michael in studio to talk about Babylon 5, being a producer, beer, tequila, and more. Really, we kept trying to get in touch with Tim, but he was out and about being a good Dad.
No episodic discussion this week, but next time, Tim, Summer and Jeff talk about "Soul Hunter".

 

PODCAST #5
Interview: Kurt DeFilipps, Assistant Prop Master
Kurt talks with us about his time as a prop wrangler, making sure all of those props were operational and on set on time, that the food used on screen was in the right place and the right time, and the secret recipe behind the Zocalo's spare drink collector. Kurt's also sent some great B5 photos that he's letting Tim and Summer post on the website later.

Then, Tim and Summer finish up their discussion and the picking of nits of "The Gathering" (Pilot), including playing the opening sequence from the original version of the pilot, with music by Stewart Copeland.

PODCAST #4: Interview: Patricia Tallman ("Lyta Alexander").
Pat talks with us about a vast array of topics, including her days as B5's resident telepath, her time adapting to Walter Koenig's pranks, Lyta's relationship with G'Kar, being recognized because of B5, and more. She also shares with us fond memories of the late great Andreas Katsulas.
Then, Tim and Summer begin a long discussion about "The Gathering" (Pilot). One long enough that it has "to be continued", and we end up with another heartfelt honoring of Andreas' impact on the show and our hearts.

Podcast #3 has Tim, Summer and Jeffrey (from the Hollywood Freeway) discuss BABYLON 5 and "Midnight on the Firing Line". They have a wonderful interview with Bear Burge, a prop fabricator for BABYLON 5. Bear talks about making some of the props for the show, his favorites, the most difficult, etc. I always thought Bear had the coolest job in the world!
Given recent events, it is interesting to listen to the discussion, especially when they talk about G'Kar and his relationship with Sinclair and Londo.

Be sure to drop over to BabylonPodcast and listen to all of the editions up and available so far. Podcasts are scheduled for every Wednesday, so be sure to listen when you have a chance -- and send a comment or two.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

PAT TALLMAN
Next week, Bravo is featuring Dennis Madalone's site www.americawestandasone.com and Penny Lane is putting a button on the donation page fans can click on when they donate just for Dennis. He has fixed up the site...thanks to the fans it is now the most downloaded video on the web!
Pat has been a big supporter of Penny Lane for years -- and here is a neat way of showing your support as well. Check out Dennis' video and make a contribution to Penny Lane!

 

BILL MUMY IN CONCERT - TONIGHT
If it's March, it must be time for musical mayhem and LIVE ROCK N ROLL with... THE JENERATORS
Saturday - 9:15 pm
March 11th
Rusty's Surf Ranch on the Santa Monica Pier
Santa Monica, California
RESERVATIONS ARE RECOMMENDED
CALL 310-393-7437
* ONE SET ONLY *
Band Members: Tom Hebenstreit, Miguel Ferrer, Chris Ross, David Jolliffe, Bill Mumy, Gary Stockdale
Come on out and pick up a copy of the band's latest CD, "Pony Up"!

 

INTERVIEW WITH ANDREAS KATSULAS

For all of us who missed the broadcast of Howard Margolin's press conference with Andreas at I-Con 2002 for Destinies-The Voice of Science Fiction, you can go to the webpast CaptPhil maintains for Destinies broadcasts at http://captphilonline.com/Destinies.html. It can be listened to online or downloaded as an MP3 by using your right click menu on your mouse. Thank you Captain Phil for passing along this wonderful audio for us to share.

SHARE YOUR MEMORIES

PHOTOS WANTED
If you have photos you would like to share of you at a convention with a cast member from Babylon 5, send them along.  They are fun to view and they bring back fond memories of past times – and remembered friends.

VIDEO TRIBUTES
Be sure to visit http://www.zteamproductions.com/babylon5.html to see both of the wonderful videos created by John Hudgens for Andreas and Rick Biggs.

Letters continue to come in – fans voicing their sympathy and passing along with Babylon 5 – and G'Kar meant to them.  I have posted them on a fan tribute page so that everyone can share their memories of Andreas. Some people have sent along artwork they have created to pay tribute to Andreas as well.

Please visit the links below to learn more about how fans enjoyed G'Kar and Andreas Katsulas:
http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/katsulas.shtml
http://www.isnnews.net/zocalo/katsulas-fans.shtml

If you have memories/special moments you would like to share with other readers, send them along and I will post them here at the Zocalo. Send your messages along to sgbruckner@....

DVD RELEASE

 

BABYLON 5: LEGEND OF THE RANGERS
Looks like the LEGEND OF THE RANGERS DVD will be released on March 14, 2006. Go to http://tvshowsondvd.com/newsitem.cfm?NewsID=4523 for more information.

Synopsis:
It's the year 2264. The peace of the universe is maintained by the Interstellar Alliance who employ a military force to combat any hostile intent. The military force consists of human and alien members.

DVD Description

The Shadow War has ended, leaving hundreds of civilisations devastated by the conflict. It is up to the ISA, with the help of the Rangers, to rebuild what the great war destroyed and to maintain peace among the worlds of the ISA. The Legend of the Rangers pilot movie deals with the Ranger crew of the Liandra, a semi-organic ship based on Minbari technology. The Rangers encounter a previously unknown alien race, called the Hand, whose lethal power is far greater than any force previously known to Earth or any other world in the Interstellar Alliance. The Legend Of The Rangers is a movie spin off from the hugely popular Babylon 5 series.

While it is sad that there are no extras with this DVD of the last BABYLON 5 project, it is still a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours -- watching a somewhat familiar BABYLON 5 -- seeing Andreas as G'Kar again.

NEW SCI FI MAGAZINES:

 

Starburst #335: SPIDER-MAN 3: As the first pictures from the summer's hottest movie are revealed, the web-slinger's creator Stan Lee talks about the genesis of a hero and his new TV show to find a would-be Superhero! V for Vendetta - The stars talk about the new film adaptation of Alan Moore's apocalyptic graphic novel… Hugo Weaving - The actor explains why the role of mysterious, masked vigilante V was such a challenge! Natalie Portman - As reluctant heroine Evey, the Star Wars actress had a radical new look; Stephen Fry The British actor and writer reveals what drew him to the story. INVASION - Eddie Cibrian as Russell Varon talks about aliens, family life and filming in the great – and explosive! – outdoors… BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Director of Photography Stephen McNutt discusses how he creates the unique look for the groundbreaking Sci-Fi series

TV Zone #200: Top 200 - TV Zone's definitive list of epoch-making Cult television – from fondly-remembered series, to iconic episodes, to TV events that changed History… but what takes the top spot? Exclusive interviews! BBC Drama - Julie Gardner, Head of Drama, BBC Wales, tells us about the state of TV, her work on DOCTOR WHO, CASANOVA, and her role in commissioning the BBC's latest hit Life on Mars! 24's Kiefer Sutherland tells all about what's to come in the fifth season of the high-concept Spy-Fi series… STARGATE's co-producer/director Martin Wood looks back on a decade of Stargate – and tells us what the future holds for SG-1 and Atlantis! Battlestar Galactica's Paul Campbell discusses life, love and Sacrifices aboard the Galactica in his role as Presidential aide Billy Keikeya.

WHAT'S NEW IN SCIENCE FICTION

SCI FI NETWORK
SciFi Friday had their season finale's for STARGATE SG-1, ATLANTIS and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA last night. The shows will not be back with original episodes until October! That is a long time to wait!
If you missed BATTLESTAR, SciFi Channel is now allowing 1.4 million free downloads of the award-winning drama series through Apple's iTunes network. Normally, episodes of the series are available through iTunes for $1.99.

HARRY POTTER
The latest installment of the Harry Potter franchise, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, has conjured up sales of 5 million units in its first day of general release in North America, more than any previous DVD release in 2006. The powerhouse franchise shows no signs of stopping. The movie adaptation for the fifth book in the J. K. Rowling series, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," began on February 6 at Leavesden Studios in England. Look for that film to be available during 2007.

 

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
ALIAS star Amy Acker will reunite with former ANGEL castmate Alexis Denisof and his real-life wife, former BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER star Alyson Hannigan, on Hannigan's current CBS sitcom, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, in that show's upcoming season finale this spring.

 

CRANE-IRON PENTALOGY
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the Weinstein Co. has acquired the worldwide rights to CRANE-IRON PENTALOGY, a series of five martial-arts-oriented novels penned by Wang Du Lu, and plans to realize the stories as stage shows and feature films. The fourth book in the series, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, has already been made into a blockbuster martial-arts-fantasy feature, and it will be the first of the stories to receive the theater treatment. Bob and Harvey Weinstein also intend to spin shows and movies out of the other four stories, Crane Frightens KunLun; Precious Sword, Golden Hairpin; Sword Spirit, Pearl Light; and Iron Knight, Silver Vase. The stories follow three generations of a martial-arts family throughout the Qing dynasty. Harvey Weinstein told The Hollywood Reporter that he anticipates "a series of great films, much like the Lord of the Rings trilogy." He added that he considers the four as-yet unproduced stories to be prequels and sequels to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which received an Academy Award nomination as best picture in 2001.

 

NEW PILOT NEWS
JERICHO
Ashley Scott has signed on for JERICHO. Film veterans Ridley and Tony Scott are producing JERICHO, which tracks the people of a small, isolated Kansas town in the wake of a nuclear event. Skeet Ulrich, whose credits include Scream and the short-lived television series Miracles, was previously announced as the star of Jericho. Scott's credits include the film A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The WB's Birds of Prey and Fox's Dark Angel.

ULTRA
Richard Coyle will assume a role in Ultra ULTRA, based on the comic-book series of the same name, has added Coyle to its cast in the role of Cryptic Man. Coyle, a Brit whose credits include the horror tale Strange, joins the previously announced Lena Headey (The Brothers Grimm) and Peter Dinklage (Threshold). The show, about a single girl/superhero (Headey) from the big city, will be overseen by Joan of Arcadia creator Barbara Hall.

MR. MAGORIUM'S WONDER EMPORIUM
Walden Media will co-finance Mandate Pictures' Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the directorial debut of Zach Helm, which stars Natalie Portman, Dustin Hoffman and Jason Bateman. Variety says production will begin at the end of the month in Toronto. Portman plays Molly Mahoney, the awkward and insecure manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, the strangest, most fantastic toy store in the world. But when Mr. Magorium (Hoffman), the 243-year-old eccentric who owns the store, bequeaths it to her, a dark and ominous change begins to take over the once remarkable Emporium. Richard Gladstein is producing through his FilmColony production company, along with Jim Garavente.

 

GIVER
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Vadim Perelman has signed on to adapt and direct a film based on Lois Lowry's Newbery Award-winning fantasy novel THE GIVER for 20th Century Fox and Walden Media. The story centers on Jonas, a 12-year-old boy living in an idyllic future society where all memory of human history has been erased. His life is thrown into turmoil when he is designated to inherit the role of the Giver: the sole keeper of the vast range of human emotions. Perelman will work from an earlier draft penned by Todd Alcott. Jeff Bridges and Neil Koenigsberg of AsIs Productions and Orly Wiseman and Nikki Silver of On Screen Entertainment are producing.

 

1408
Variety reports that John Cusack will star in the big screen adaptation of Stephen King's short story 1408 for director Mikael Hafstrom (Derailed), producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Dimension Films. Written by The People vs. Larry Flynt screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, the film centers on a debunker of paranormal occurrences who encounters real terror when he checks into notorious Room 1408 at the Dolphin Hotel. The project will film this summer with a location yet to be determined. "This film is so much a one-man show," Hafstrom told the trade. "It's quite a contained drama. It is a horror film if you want to put a label on it, but the way I see it, it's much more an inner-journey of this character."

 

SECOND WORLD
Jon Avnet is set to direct action thriller SECOND WORLD, which Emmett/Furla Films will produce with Avent's Brooklyn Films. Variety says that Avnet, who is in post-production on Al Pacino starrer 88 Minutes, is scheduled to begin shooting this fall. Cast has not been set. The film, from a spec script by Scott King, revolves around a top assassin -- and mother -- who must stop a deadly virus from spreading. But in order to halt the potential pandemic, she must team up with the virus' creator, who also is her target.

 

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
TV Guide magazine and SCI FI Channel announced an offer in which 1.4 million downloads of "Downloaded" with guest star Lucy Lawless, will be given away in the magazine. Each newsstand copy of the March 6 issue features a 12-digit code on the cover, which readers can enter on the iTunes Music Store to receive their free download. The episode offers fans their first peek into the Cylon world. On Caprica, the reincarnated Number Six (Tricia Helfer) from Baltar's (James Callis) past and the Sharon (Grace Park) who shot Adama (Edward James Olmos) find themselves thrust into the role of Heroes of the Cylon, while on Galactica, a child-a human-Cylon hybrid-is born.

 

4400 CHANGES AHEAD
For the upcoming third season of The 4400, Ira Steven Behr, co-creator of theseries says to expect a new direction that will focus more on the show's mythology and main characters. He added that a new actress will join the regular cast: Megalyn Echikunwoke. "We are definitely using the last two episodes of last season, 'The Fifth Page' and 'Mommy's Bosses,' as the engine to drive this season," Behr said in an interview. "In other words, last year we kind of alternated kind of big mythology type of episodes ... [with episodes in which] we'd introduce the 4400, they would have a problem that either affected them or affected society in general, and we would deal with that problem. ... What we're going to be focusing on basically this season [is] bigger sweep. I call it playing big ball rather than little ball. ... I think every story this year will have an impact on our people."

In a SPOILER for the upcoming season, Behr also said that Echikunwoke would join the cast, playing an adult version of baby Isabelle. "Isabelle is no longer that cuddly kid you can hold in your arms, which is, I think, probably great for production," Behr said, referring to the difficulty of working with an infant actor. Echikunwoke will be "a very popular addition to the cast," he added. "The character herself, I think, is going to surprise people. I think people have been arguing about or trying to figure out Isabelle at the end of the miniseries, and I think ... a portion of the audience is going to expect a fast ball down the middle with her character, and I think they're going to be surprised. It's going to be more of a ride, more of a discovery, and not so clear cut where you can say, 'She's the angel' [or] 'She's the devil,' you know? And I think that makes for really nice storytelling." The 4400 returns to the USA Network with 13 new episodes, starting June 4.

 

GHOST WHISPERER
CBS announced yesterday that it is renewing GHOST WHISPERER for a second season, one of 14 series the network is picking up for the 2006-'07 season. GHOST WHISPERER--a supernatural series starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Aisha Tyler and David Conrad—helped vault CBS into a position of prime-time leadership on Fridays among adults aged 18-49 and 25-54, while widening the network's lead-in viewers from last season, CBS said. GHOST WHISPERER wins its Friday timeslot among viewers and in demographics.

 

INDIANA JONES 4
After the Oscars, WAR OF THE WORLDS director Steven Spielberg said that he will take a year off from moviemaking, but added that his WORLDS writer David Koepp has been brought on board to finish Jeff Nathanson's script for a proposed fourth INDIANA JONES movie. "I have David Koepp on it now, and he's my 'closer,'" Spielberg said in an interview. "He wrote SPIDER-MAN and WAR OF THE WORLDS, so he'll get it done." Nathanson (Catch Me If You Can) was only the latest in a string of writers who took a crack at a fourth Indy movie. Spielberg said, "George Lucas told me recently that there's a script, and he's happy with the story. George Lucas isn't the director. I am." For now, Spielberg finds himself in the unusual position of not having a movie on his horizon. Fox reported that the director will spend part of 2006 preparing his Abraham Lincoln film with award- winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin and acting as a producer, not director, on several other smaller projects.

 

X-MEN: THE LAST STAND TRAILER
A powerful, action-packed trailer for X-MEN: THE LAST STAND is now available from 20th Century Fox at http://www.x-menthelaststand.com/#. In X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, the final chapter in the "X-Men" motion picture trilogy, a "cure" for mutancy threatens to alter the course of history. For the first time, mutants have a choice: retain their uniqueness, though it isolates and alienates them, or give up their powers and become human. The opposing viewpoints of mutant leaders Charles Xavier, who preaches tolerance, and Magneto, who believes in the survival of the fittest, are put to the ultimate test - triggering the war to end all wars. Opening in theaters on May 26, the Brett Ratner-directed sequel stars Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Anna Paquin, Kelsey Grammer, Rebecca Romijn, James Marsden, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones, Patrick Stewart and Tanya Newbould.

 

STARDUST
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Claire Danes, Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sienna Miller and Charlie Cox have signed on to star in Paramount Pictures' "Stardust," the Matthew Vaughn-directed adaptation of Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel. With a screenplay penned by Vaughn and writing partner Jane Goldman, "Stardust" centers on Tristian (Cox), who, in order to win the heart of his beloved (Miller), promises to fetch a falling star named Yvaine (Danes). This sets in motion an adventure in which Tristian and Yvaine must face off against a pirate named Captain Shakespeare (De Niro) and an evil witch (Pfeiffer). Vaughn and Gaiman are longtime friends, and Vaughn had been slowly developing "Stardust" as something he would do in the far-off future. When he exited "X-Men 3" in June, he decided to tackle "Stardust." Vaughn quietly put together the cast, with particular focus on the role of Yvaine, for which many actresses screen-tested. Vaughn is producing alongside Lorenzo di Bonaventura via his Paramount-based di Bonaventura Pictures. Michael Dreyer and Gaiman also are attached as producers. Stephen Marks and Peter Morton are executive producing.

 

I guess that is about it for now.

I am very glad to see so many new readers.  I hope that you enjoy The Zocalo Today and tell your friends.  Be sure to visit the website at http://www.isnnews.net to get the latest news.

 

Have a terrific weekend.

Be safe,

Sandy

 

Sandra Bruckner

Editor/Publisher

Babylon 5's The Zocalo Today

http://www.isnnews.net