THE ZOCALO TODAY - March 15, 2008

Thought I would drop you a quick note to catch up on things. I was
away in early March; traveled to Chile to conduct some training. Had
a marvelous time and enjoyed their summer weather, but had to come
back to the cold of the Northeast U.S.

Be sure to catch Bruce on ION TV tonight in “Aces and Eights”.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

GARY COLE
TV Guide reports that "Desperate Housewives'" exhaustive and
months-long search for an actor to play Katherine Mayfair's infamous
ex has come to an end. OFFICE SPACE and former "West Wing" star Gary
Cole has landed the pivotal part and will first be seen on the show on
April 20, "Desperate Housewives'" second episode back. Gary also
starred in Babylon 5's CRUSADE.

BRUCE BOXLEITNER
Bruce will star in a western entitled ACES AND EIGHTS to air on ION TV
March 15 at 9:00pm. Casper Van Dien from Starship Troopers also stars
in the film.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
Which movie are you most anxious to see that will be released in the
next six months? Is it THE DARK KNIGHT, INDIANA JONES 4, IRON MAN?
There are a number of fabulous movies coming in the next few months.
Which one are you waiting for?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. There are
some good ones so far. Add yours! If you see an old topic you want to
respond to, go right ahead. We enjoy hearing from you.

BABYLON PODCAST #102

Welcome to Show #102
With the Vorlon away, the geeks will play.

Deep Geeking: Edmund joins Tim and Summer for episode geeking this
week, covering “Walkabout”, a bridge episode that packs a lot of punch
in some areas and that seems to fall off pace in others (in Summer’s
opinion, anyway).

We see Dr Franklin, hanging around in Down-Below, searching for
something, but not quite sure yet. What he finds for a time could be a
reflection of his own situation, or something else entirely. Then we
meet the replacement Vorlon ambassador, and Lyta returns to the
station, to resume her duties with the new Vorlon, desperate to find
out what happened to Kosh, and volunteers for a field trip on the
White Star.

Isn’t life just a little more interesting with telepaths on board?

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s castle is at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49.
To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEW DVDS COMING

I AM LEGEND - AVAILABLE TUESDAY
Release Date: March 18, 2008
Available in Blu-ray, Hi-Def, HD DVD and On Demand
Official website: www.iamlegend.com

Synopsis:
Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain
the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, and man-made.
Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left
of New York City and maybe the world. For three years, Neville has
faithfully sent out daily radio messages, desperate to find any other
survivors who might be out there. But he is not alone. Mutant victims
of the plague -- The Infected -- lurk in the shadows... watching
Neville's every move... waiting for him to make a fatal mistake.
Perhaps mankind's last, best hope, Neville is driven by only one
remaining mission: to find a way to reverse the effects of the virus
using his own immune blood. But he knows he is outnumbered... and
quickly running out of time. Director: Francis Lawrence Actors: Will
Smith, David Richardson, Salli Richardson, Alice Braga, Paradox
Pollack, Charlie Tahan

Get the 2-disc version and get the original theatrical release plus an
alternate theatrical version with a controversial ending!

AUGUST RUSH
Release date: March 11, 2008

Synopsis:
There's music in the wind and sky. Can you hear it? And there's hope.
Can you feel it? The boy called August Rush can. The music
mysteriously draws him, penniless and alone, to New York City in a
quest to find - somehow, someway - the parents separated from him
years earlier. And along the way he may also find the musical genius
hidden within him. Experience the magic of this rhapsodic epic of the
heart starring Freddie Highmore (as August), Keri Russell, Jonathan
Rhys Meyers, Terrence Howard and Robin Williams. "I believe in music
the way some people believe in fairy tales," August says. Open your
heart and listen. You'll believe, too.

I saw this moving on the plane down to Chile on Saturday. I LOVED THIS
MOVIE! If you like music and movies that have a happy ending, this
movie is for you. It has drama, wonderful performances by Freddie
Highmore, Kerri Russell and Robin Williams. Music is the universal
language and it also binds people together. This movie lets the music
weave a story of hope and love that transcends adversity.

NANCY DREW
Official site: http://nancydrewmovie.warnerbros.com/
Release date: March 11, 2008

Synopsis:
With her magnifying glass and fingerprint powder in hand, Nancy Drew
leaves River Heights for La-La-Land...but not to meet that guy on
Smallville, as her boyfriend Ned fears. No, she's out to solve one of
the greatest mysteries ever: the death of movie star Dehlia Draycott.
But the bigger mystery is how our perky, plaid-clad sleuth will fit in
with the text-messaging teen queens of mean she meets at Hollywood High.

Be sure to watch Nancy Drew and the special edition version, Nancy
Drew: Drew's Clues premiering On Demand and Pay-Per-View March 11.
Join Nancy Drew in her adventures as you learn behind-the-scenes
facts, try to answer trivia questions, and explore "making of"
moments. Check your digital cable or satellite listings to order.

Love to shop? Log on to www.nancydrew-drewsclues.com and enter the
Clothes the Case sweepstakes for a chance to win a $5,000 shopping spree!

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Here are some video clips from this DVD that you will enjoy. The first
clip stars THE FLASH. The second clip is from the special feature,
showing Stan Lee and others who created the Justice League and
providing some history of the comic series.

Windows Media:
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/justice_league/thenewfrontier/c\
lips/jl_nf_flash_fea_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/justice_league/thenewfrontier/c\
lips/jl_nf_ec_superheroes_new_flash_300.asx>

Quicktime:
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/justice_league/thenewfrontier/c\
lips/jl_nf_flash_fea_qt_300.mov>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/justice_league/thenewfrontier/c\
lips/jl_nf_ec_superheroes_new_flash_qt_300.mov>

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

DOOMSDAY
With DOOMSDAY opening this week (March 14), writer/director Neil
Marshall said in a recent interview that he didn't deliberately set
out to follow his feminist horror film THE DESCENT with another film
featuring a strong female character, but that's what happened. "I
admire strong women," Marshall said. "I love strong women; I married a
strong woman. So it's all part and parcel to the kind of films I
make." Marshall also dismissed the idea that he's some kind of
feminist filmmaker. "It was actually pure chance that this film came
up next after Descent," he said. "It was not a deliberate choice that
I was going to do another film with a strong female role. This idea,
actually, I came up with it five years ago. And it was just by chance
this was the one that people wanted to make next. So I didn't want to
change the character into a guy just to avoid being like The Descent."
In DOOMSDAY, Rhona Mitra stars as Eden Sinclair, the leader of an
elite military unit. When a viral outbreak threatens to wipe out
humanity, Sinclair and her team must search for a cure to a deadly
virus in a quarantined zone that has been cut off from society for
three decades. "Rhona's character in the film is a product of this
society that's both isolated and divisive and of the future," Marshall
said. "The trick with this character was to make it different from the
six girls in Descent and come up with something new. And she has a
very strong kind of emotional journey that she goes on, and around
that emotional journey there's this hard shell. She's a tough cookie."
Marshall felt Mitra was ideal for the role because she possessed a
strength that was emotional as well as physical. "She needed to have
the emotional undercurrent to carry off the dramatic story," Marshall
said. "But at the same time, she needed to look like she could
convincingly kick you about the head if that was her inclination. And
she needed to look brutal and ruthless. And she [has] that kind of
cold look about her when she wants to. And that paid off brilliantly
with the character. But, at the same time, she connected with the
strong, dramatic storyline that drives the whole piece."

X-FILES 2 WRAPS
Slated for release on July 25, production has wrapped in Vancouver,
Canada, on the as- yet-untitled X-FILES sequel movie, with star David
Duchovny telling reporters that the crew staged the unauthorized Web
photos of Mulder (Duchovny) and Scully (Gillian Anderson) kissing, the
Canadian National Post newspaper reported. "We've had lots of
paparazzi," writer-director Chris Carter told a post-wrap news
conference. "In Langley [British Columbia] a couple of days ago, a
black SUV pulled up on the side of the road and there was a long lens
pointed at us." The next day, pictures of Duchovny and Anderson,
locked in a full-on kiss as FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully,
appeared on Internet fan sites. "We staged that," Duchovny said at the
news conference. Duchovny finished work earlier this week and was
catching a plane to Los Angeles. The rest of the crew were to finish
by week's end. The movie is a stand-alone story unconnected to the
series' ongoing conspiracy thread, but beyond that they're not saying
much.

VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE
Variety reports that Sarah Michelle Gellar is in final negotiations to
star in the indie drama VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE. Larry Gross and
Roberta Hanley adapted the screenplay from Paulo Coelho's novel. Emily
Young is set to direct the project; Kate Bosworth was previously
attached to star.
Plot Concept: The story centers on a severely depressed woman who
rediscovers her will to live after learning that she has only days
left due to the irreparable damage done to her heart as a result of
her recent suicide attempt.

UNIVERSAL/DARK HORSE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Universal Pictures and Dark Horse
Entertainment have signed a three-year worldwide production and
distribution agreement that establishes a studio home for all of Dark
Horse's creative properties going forward. The agreement was jointly
announced by Marc Shmuger and David Linde, Chairman and Co-Chairman of
Universal Pictures; and Mike Richardson, founder and President of Dark
Horse.
The deal gives Universal creative access to all Dark Horse characters
and properties, as well as any material that Dark Horse might acquire
on its own and want to develop as a motion picture. In addition, Dark
Horse would have the opportunity to distribute movies through Universal.
Universal Pictures is opening HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, directed by
Guillermo del Toro and based on Mike Mignola's Dark Horse Comics
character, on July 11, 2008. "Dark Horse is one of the most creative
and innovative brands in the entertainment industry, as well as an
incredibly supportive home for some of the most exciting storytellers
working today," said Shmuger and Linde in a joint statement. "Their
unique connection to youth culture is proven, and we are thrilled to
be part of their expanding film production work."
Mike Richardson responded, "We've worked with many studios and have
had several great experiences, but we are particularly happy to be
joining forces with Universal Pictures in this deal. We feel a real
connection with their vision and the energy and creativity they bring
to developing our properties. We are also excited by the option that
we'll have to independently produce our own material and distribute it
through Universal; their flexibility in this collaboration is what we
were looking for, and we're glad we found it."
Donna Langley, President of Production, Universal Pictures, added, "We
are very much looking forward to working with Dark Horse's talented
writers and artists, and to realizing their wealth of creative content
onscreen."

HULU.COM
I LOVE THIS SITE! If you are a fan of old series, you just have to
visit www.hulu.com". While BABYLON 5 is not listed, there are a lot of
my old favorites, including IT TAKES A THIEF, IRONSIDE, AIRWOLF,
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (all of them), THE PRETENDER, REMINGTON STEELE,
HART TO HART, ROSWELL, MIAMI VICE, BIONIC WOMAN, THE SIXTH SENSE, JOHN
DOE, 24 -- and many, many more. The list of movies available is pretty
good as well, including ALIEN (4 of them), PLANET OF THE APES,
X-FILES, X-MEN (2) and more. I can see that I'll be spending a lot
more time on-line in the very near future. The only thing that could
make this site better is to have BABYLON 5 available, which according
to the Hollywood Reporter, will be there soon. While every season is
not available, I hope that they will build up the site with more
season and series.
There are some great series for the kids, including FLIPPER and ASTRO
BOY. The best part -- IT IS FREE!

THE FATE OF SEVERAL SF&F SHOWS HANGS IN BALANCE
The Hollywood Reporter has handicapped the SF&F TV shows currently "on
the bubble" for renewal or cancellation. For starters, the trade paper
was confident that Fox would renew TERMINATOR: THE STARH CONNOR
CHRONICLES, in part because the finale's ratings performance last week
was solid and because a fourth Terminator movie comes out in 2009,
offering promotional opportunities. NBC's KNIGHT RIDER, meanwhile,
performed well for NBC as a two-hour movie, and sources told the trade
paper that the network is in talks with a show runner, suggesting that
a regular series order is likely. As for CBS' vampire drama MOONLIGHT,
the trade paper reported that CBS is playing wait-and-see. The network
will watch to see if fans return once the show comes back from its
strike-induced hiatus. CBS' JERICHO has only two episodes left in its
short second season, and the network is expected to make a decision
quickly so that producers can use one of two endings: A series finale
or a season-ending cliffhanger. CBS notes that the show gains from DVR
viewership and online viewing, but after its performance the past two
weeks, most doubt that the show will get another reprieve. The CW's
REAOER has reportedly lost its way creatively after a strong pilot,
leaving its future in doubt.

FARSCAPE ON THE WEB
In a recent interview, FARSCAPE star Ben Browder said that he looks
forward to reprising the role of astronaut John Crichton in a
much-talked-about proposed Web revival of his critically acclaimed SF
series. Executive producer Brian Henson and creator Rockne O'Bannon
are talking about how to revive FARSCAPE on the Web in a series of 10
webisodes. "At the moment, that's Rockne and Brian's job, and I'm
aware that they're figuring out what they're going to do with it, but
I don't know how far along in the process they are," Browder said. The
recently settled writers' strike put a damper on the plans, and
Browder said that it's too early to figure out to what extent he would
be involved. Browder said that he spoke with Henson about the Web
series at last year's Comic-Con International in San Diego. "They
haven't come to me with any specifics yet, and I don't read anything
into that," Browder said. "But at Comic-Con, Brian discussed it and
said, 'Yeah, we're still figuring it out.' The writers' strike
happened immediately after that, ... and a lot of things went on hold,
and it will take a little while before a number of things get going
again." Browder was involved in the creation and writing of Farscape
early on. "I had the freedom on Farscape, [and] I was in the writing
room on a regular basis, virtually all the time when I wasn't on set,"
Browder said. "And so I had ... as much [input] as I could."

CUPID COMING TO ABC
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that ABC has given a green light to
producer Rob Thomas to update his 1998 comedy series CUPID. The
original series, from the creator of VERONICA MARS, starred Jeremy
Piven as a man who thinks he's a god sent to Earth by Zeus to unite
100 romantically challenged couples. Thomas has described the new
Cupid pilot as a "reinvention" of the original show. Thomas is also
talking with The CW and CBS Paramount Network TV about writing a
contemporary spinoff of Fox's 1990 hit BEVERLY HILLS, 90210.

HEAVY METAL
Variety reports that Paramount Pictures will make an animated film
inspired by the '70s SF fantasy magazine HEAVY METAL, with director
David Fincher spearheading the project. HEAVY METAL will be stamped by
the erotic and violent storylines and images that remain the trademark
of a magazine that debuted in the United States in 1977. The magazine
introduced the works of American artists and writers such as Robert
Silverberg, Harlan Ellison and H.R. Giger. The film will consist of
eight or nine individual animated segments, each of which will be
directed by a different helmer. Fincher will direct one of the
segments; Kevin Eastman (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), who is now
owner and publisher of Heavy Metal, will direct another. So will Tim
Miller, whose Blur Studios will handle the animation for what is being
conceived as an R-rated, adult-themed feature. Fincher, Eastman and
Miller will produce the film. The studio will lock in the other
directors shortly. The magazine previously spawned a 1981 animated
feature and 2000 sequel.

AMULET
According to Variety, siblings Willow and Jaden Smith, the offspring
of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, are attached to star in Warners'
adaptation of Kazu Kibuishi's AMULET. Akiva Goldsman's Weed Road
shingle and Will Smith and James Lassiter's Overbrook Entertainment
will produce. The graphic novel centers on a brother and sister who
move into their late great-grandfather's home after their father dies.
They must use his amulet to rescue their widowed mother from a beast
who lures her into an underground world. Five books are planned in the
Scholastic series, with the second installment slated for release this
year. Seven-year-old Willow appeared with her father in I AM LEGEND
and next appears in Kit Kittredge: An American Girl Mystery.
Nine-year-old Jaden appeared with his dad in THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS
and next appears in Fox's remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
George Lucas made a surprise visit to ShoWest in Las Vegas on
Thursday, according to Variety, to sell theater owners on his upcoming
animated feature STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, which Warner Bros.
releases Aug. 15. "I think it can live up to the live-action movies,"
Lucas said before rolling a clip of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, based
on an animated series Lucas is producing for Warner's sister cable net
Cartoon Network. The film is set on the front lines of an
intergalactic struggle between good and evil, and fans young and old
will join such favorite characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi
and Padmé Amidala, along with brand-new heroes like Anakin's padawan
learner, Ahsoka. Sinister villains - led by Palpatine, Count Dooku and
General Grievous - are poised to rule the galaxy. Stakes are high, and
the fate of the "Star Wars" universe rests in the hands of the daring
Jedi Knights. Their exploits lead to the action-packed battles and
astonishing new revelations that fill STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS.

SPEED RACER TRAILER
A new trailer has been issued by Warner Bros. for SPEED RACER. Go to
http://www.movieweb.com/video/V08C48htuzIJMV to catch the latest. The
silver screen adaptation stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John
Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox. Based on the classic 1960s
series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida that later was retooled
for North American audiences, the film follows the adventures of the
young race car driver Speed in his quest for glory in his thundering
gadget-laden vehicle, Mach 5. SPEED RACER hits theaters on May 9.

HARRY POTTER GETS TWO MOVIES
According to the Los Angeles Times, Warner Brothers will announce on
March 13 that it will split the movie version of J.K. Rowling's
seventh and final Harry Potter book into two parts, with one to be
released in November 2010 and the second in May 2011. The films will
be titled Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I and Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, producer David Heyman told
the newspaper. Director David Yates, who returned for his second tour
of Potter duty with the upcoming Harry Potter and the Half-Blood
Prince and is quite popular with the cast, will direct both Deathly
Hallows films, which will be filmed concurrently. Screenwriter Steve
Kloves also returns and, by completion of the franchise, will have
written seven of the eight films. "I think it's the only way you can
do it without cutting out a huge portion of the book," star Daniel
Radcliffe, 18, told the Times on the set of Half-Blood Prince, the
sixth Potter film, which is due in theaters on Nov. 21. "There have
been compartmentalized subplots in the other books that have made them
easier to cut--although those cuts were still to the horror of some
fans--but the seventh book doesn't really have any subplots. It's one
driving, pounding story from the word go." Heyman said Rowling signed
off on the idea. "I went to Jo, and she was cool with it," Heyman
said, "and that was quite a relief."

STARGATE: ARK OF TRUTH
The latest installment to the STARGATE SG-1 universe was released
yesterday as STARGATE:THE ARK OF TRUTH was released directly to DVD.
Ben Browder, who reprises the role of Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell said
in a recent interview that the movie was shot on 35 mm film and will
therefore look sharper than SCI FI Channel's original series STARGATE
SG-1. The TV series was shot on high-definition digital video. "I
think 35 looks better than HD does," Browder said. "The HD technology
is good, but I still don't think it's as good as film, at least not at
this juncture. So I think it looks bigger, [and] it looks better." The
movie, which picks up the story from the finale of the decade-long
series, also features more camera movement than was possible in the
series, which was shot on a short timeframe. "[Director] Robert
[Cooper] chose to move the camera in ways that we usually didn't move
it in the series," Browder said. "A little more time is taken in
advance, in preparation and, you know, a fraction more time on set.
You're still working at an incredibly rapid pace to shoot a movie like
this in 15, 16 days or whatever it is. It's a rapid pace, but it's a
little more time than we would normally have per minute than on the
series." ARK ties up the Ori storyline and answers questions left
hanging when SG-1 ended last year. It's the first of two planned
straight-to-DVD Stargate films, with STARGATE: CONTINUUM following in
a few months. ARK reunites SG-1 cast members Browder, Amanda Tapping
(Col. Samantha Carter), Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) and
Christopher Judge (Teal'c). Because of Ark's epic scale, Browder and
his castmates didn't have a lot of onscreen interaction, he said. "In
order to do everything that needed to be done, we were split up quite
a bit, so any there wasn't a lot of sort of what you'd call 'character
scenes,'" he said. "We were split up and talking to each other over
the radios quite a bit. [What] I would say is that I think Rob did an
excellent job of giving every character something to do and giving
everyone a chance to shine." THE ARK OF TRUTH DVD features
behind-the-scenes interviews and an hour-long recap of the series is
now available.

MONSTER ZOO
Variety reports that Paramount Pictures has acquired feature rights to
MONSTER ZOO, a graphic novel by Douglas TenNapel that will be
published in the spring by Image. Buckaroo Entertainment's Sam Raimi
and Josh Donen will produce with Ellen Goldsmith Vein. Vein is from
the Gotham Group. Raimi, who is prepping the Universal supernatural
thriller DRAG ME TO HELL, has committed only to produce at this point.
TenNapel, whose past graphic creations include Earthworm Jim and Cat
Scratch, tells the story of a young boy who discovers his local zoo
contains critters much more frightening than the ordinary collection.

UPRISING
According to Variety, Wolfgang Petersen (Poseidon) has signed on to
direct the SF thriller UPRISING for Columbia Pictures. Douglas Wick
and Lucy Fisher (Gladiator) are producing through their Sony-based Red
Wagon production company. The story revolves around the resistance
efforts of some citizens after Earth has been occupied by a powerful
alien race. Charles Leavitt (Blood Diamond) is writing the screenplay.
Petersen previously teamed with the studio on DAS BOOT, IN THE LINE OF
FIRE and AIR FORCE ONE.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

March 28-30, 2008
First Annual Naruto-Star Trek Convention
Place: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
JAMES CAWLEY is the Senior Executive Producer of the Star Trek fan
series "New Voyages" and doubles as actor in his role as Captain Kirk.
The Naruto Trek Convention will be screening the episodes "In Harms
Way" and the latest New Voyages episode "World Enough and Time".
Visit our website (http://www.narutotrek.com) and see where all the
fun is! We have only one goal: to make this the best con you've ever
attended! The Naruto Star Trek Convention is a meeting place not only
for Naruto and Star Trek fans, but for all anime, sci-fi, animation,
comic book and manga fans. Resistance is futile -- Believe it!

March 29-30, 2008
STEEL CITY CON (Pennsylvania's Largest Toy Show)
Place: Monroeville Expomart
City: Pittsburgh, PA
Guests: Kenny Baker (Star Wars), Joyce Dewitt, Priscilla Barnes, Tony
Burton
Ken Kelly and others to be announced
For more information, go to www.steelcitycon.com

April 11-13, 2008
GRAND SLAM: THE SCI-FI SUMMIT
Place: Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
City: Burbank, CA
Guests: Brent Spiner, Leonard Nimoy, Zachary Quinto, James Marsters,
Nichelle Nichols, Roxann Dawson, Erica Durance, Kevin Sorbo and others.
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/stgs.htm.

I guess that is about it. While JMS dropped a lot of information
while at WonderCon a few weeks ago, I haven’t seen any follow-ups
about projects he is working on. Hopefully he will send along an
update soon, especially since THE CHANGELING has finished filming and
I’m sure he’s moved on to another project and we all want to know more!

If you have information you would like to see at the website or
available for newsletters, drop me a line. Visit the website whenever
you can for the latest information <http://www.isnnews.net>.

Talk to you soon,
Take care,
Sandy

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