THE ZOCALO TODAY – September 19, 2009

WHAT'S NEW????

NEWS FROM JMS
Here's the latest from the B5 moderated newsgroup:
Two quick items....
Tomorrow my first issue of The Brave and the Bold appears from DC. I haven't
said too much about this book because a) I wanted to make sure there was a good
sized backlog so it'd stay on schedule and b) until it was closer to the debut.
What's cool about this series -- which is in answer to folks who asked, of all
the books I could've done at DC, why TB&B, which isn't normally in the top
sellers -- is that it lets me put together characters from anywhere I want in
the DC universe into stories that have a complex moral center to them.
Each of the issues are stand-alones, and have some of the best stuff I've done
in comics lately. The first issue features Batman and Dial H for HERO in a story
about self-sacrifice; the second features the (Barry Allen) Flash and the
Blackhawks in a tale that asks "when, if ever, is it right to kill?"; the third
is (believe it or not) with Batman and Brother Power the Geek (I'm not going to
say much more about it than that, except that it's my favorite of the first
bunch); and the one after that features Green Lantern and Dr. Fate in a story
that pits life and death against the question of free will vs. determinism (not
something you generally see in a comic).

So I'd love it if folks could spread the word to swing by their comics shops
tomorrow and pick up an issue. If you liked the kinds of moral and ethical
stories we did in B5, I think you'll like what we're doing with B&B.

That said...a bit of news. In addition to the feature work, I now have a
mainstream prime-time drama series in development with one of the Big Four
broadcast networks. Not cable, not syndication, one of the Big Four. (I can't
say which yet, pending an announcement.) The pilot script will be turned in by
year's end, and after that they'll decide if they want to shoot it. As noted,
it's primarily mainstream with a touch of genre to it, and it should be a lot of
fun.
As for those who've asked when we might see the Crusade script books...keep
watching the skies...there's something moving up there.

For more information on the BRAVE AND THE BOLD, go to
http://dcu.blog.dccomics.com/2009/09/15/step-into-j-michael-straczynskis-brave-a\
nd-the-bold/ for a review and a look at a few pages from the latest book, on
newstands now.

SPIDER & JEANNE ROBINSON NEED HELP
Earlier this year Jeanne Robinson (co-author of the Hugo & Nebula Award-winning
STARDANCE trilogy and wife of Spider Robinson) underwent surgery for a rare and
virulent form of cancer. The therapies she needs are expensive and not covered
by Canada's health system.

There are several ways you can help, from donating items to be auctioned off to
a direct donation to simply buying books from the links on Spider's website.
Please check out Jeanne's request for help at Stardance : : The Official Movie
Blog and help spread the word and give if you can.

DINNER WITH HARLAN AND SUSAN ELLISON
Here is a very special item I wanted to make sure you didn't miss. How special
would it be to have dinner with Harlan and Susan Ellison? Here's your chance to
find out. As part of an effort to help Spider & Jeanne Robinson, a number of
special items are up for auction on ebay, including dinner with the Ellisons.
There are about 10 items there now, including music from Janis Ian and Books
from Vonda McIntyre and Diana Gaabaldon and numerous handmade items. Go to
<http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110433937483&ssPageName=STRK\
:MESELX:IT> for the Ellison dinner. For other items being auctioned off for this
special cause, go to
<http://shop.ebay.com/dreamforjeanneauctions/m.html?_dmd=1&_ipg=50&_sop=12&_rdc=\
1>.

DISCUSSION TOPIC - SERIES RETURN - NEW SEASON BEGINS

Well it has started -- finally. The new season for many of the regular series
began this week -- at least on Fox and The CW. Bones, Fringe and Supernatural
were back with new episodes. It has been a LONG summer and I have been waiting
for FRINGE's return with great anticipation. The premiere episode did not
disappoint! This coming week more series will return -- on the regular networks.
So we will wait to see if all of the mysteries are solved -- or the story
continues to lead you down that road of excitement. What series are you waiting
to return? Are there new series coming you can't wait to see? STARGATE UNIVERSE
may fall into that category. I'm hoping it will be as good as the original
series -- but I have my doubts -- but I am keeping an open mind.

Send in your comments to sgbruckner@.... I'll post your selections our
discussion page for all readers to share. I'll post some of my comments in my
blog -- see below.

REAL GOOD RADIO HOUR WITH BILL MUMY

Bill Mumy is inviting you to check out his brand new weekly radio show, "THE
REAL GOOD RADIO HOUR with your host Bill Mumy".
We'll be listening to many different styles of music and learning about those
who pioneered them.
"The Real Good Radio Hour" will air every Wednesday and Friday at 7 PM both
Pacific and Eastern time.
Some of the upcoming episodes will focus on:
Masters of the Blues
Pioneers of Folk
Architects of Rock n Roll
Heart of the Country
Bringing it Live
Rock Meets Folk
Classic Crooners
The Roots of Reggae

The Real Good Radio Hour debuts Wednesday, September 16th at 7 pm and can be
heard weekly on KSAV.org.
Bill has a new place on FaceBook as well http://www.myspace.com/billmumy

ASKED & ANSWERED: PART 4 - NEW RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 14
The B5 Books Team is delaying the release of Part 4 of the "Asked & Answered"
series from this month to October 14. This is because of an unusually high
number of fans catching up with the releases they missed this summer while
traveling and vacationing. To let these folks catch up (and to accommodate
demand), Part 4 will be released on October 14. Part 5 will now be released
November 18. See the entire listing of books at
http://www.cafepress.com/b5books.

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #172!
Tim, Summer and Jeffrey discuss a prop that a fan found on a website, being
proclaimed as something "for a small actor's head". Jeffrey surmises that since
the prop is listed as being foam, he believes that it might have been a cast or
mold, rather than the actual head, since all of the real Vorlon heads were
fiberglass.
Next, there's a little discussion about a comment found on the io9 article on
inexpensive aliens that still hold up after the years… to Jeffrey's knowledge,
there was not any Vorlon puppet, and he himself was most definitely not attacked
by the production crew with hammers.
Interview: Gary Hansen of Lightspeed Fine Art joins us to chat about how his
involvement with scifi television and Babylon 5. He's done art for Star Trek,
Star Wars, Stargate, Xena, Hercules, Farscape, BSG, and many more as well.

Gary also tells us about his recent trip to Dragon*Con, and catching up with the
B5 cast members, the various portraits, and much more.
Feedback: With this week's voicemails, we entertain more observations and
creative visualizations on alternative "Day of the Dead" scenarios, including
better uses of Morden, commentary on Penn & Teller's performance and impact, and
more! Can you imagine Marcus as a piece of wall art in Medlab, encased in
carbonite and preserved in stasis until such time medical science can heal him.
To catch up on all the Babylon 5 podcasts, go to http://www.babylonpodcast.com.

ISN BLOG
Join me on the ISN News Blog at http://isnnews.blogspot.com. I'll put in stuff
that I think is interesting for others to read about and I hope you will join in
to discuss of the issues -- related to science fiction or not!

NEW DVDS
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES
Release Date: September 29, 2009
Official website: http://www.warnervideo.com/supermanbatmandvd/
DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie Based on Acclaimed Jeph Loeb/Ed
McGuinness Comics; Tim Daly, Kevin Conroy & Clancy Brown Reprise Original Voices
of Superman, Batman & Lex Luthor
The World's Greatest Super Heroes become America's most wanted criminals – and
are hunted by friends and foes alike – in SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES, the
sixth entry in the popular DVD series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13
Movies. A co-production of Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros.
Animation, the full- length animated film will be distributed by Warner Home
Video on September 29, 2009. SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES will be available
as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def for $24.98 (SRP)
and $29.99 (SRP), respectively, as well as single disc DVD for $19.98 (SRP) and
On Demand.
SUPERMAN/BATMAN: PUBLIC ENEMIES is based on the popular Jeph Loeb/Ed McGuinness
comic series/graphic novel. Animation legend Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday,
Green Lantern) is executive producer. Michael Goguen (Justice League: The New
Frontier) is supervising producer. Sam Liu (The Batman) is directing a script
written by Stan Berkowitz (Justice League: The New Frontier).
In the film, United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of
a Kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the
heads of the Man of Steel and his "partner in crime," Batman. Heroes and
villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must
unite – and recruit help – to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the
asteroid, and uncover Luthor's devious plot to take command of far more than
North America.
The movie reunites the lead voices of Superman, Batman and Lex Luthor from the
landmark Superman: The Animated Series and Batman: The Animated Series. Tim Daly
(Private Practice), Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series, Justice League)
and Clancy Brown (The Shawshank Redemption) reprise their roles as Superman,
Batman and Lex Luthor, respectively.

THE MENTALIST - SEASON ONE
Release date: September 22, 2009
Official website: www.thementalistdvd.com
Synopsis
"A mentalist is a master manipulator of thought and behavior." The mentalist is
Patrick Jane (Simon Baker in an acclaimed performance), a celebrity psychic
whose wife and child are viciously murdered by an elusive serial killer called
Red John. Devastated, Patrick admits his paranormal act is fake, renounces his
earlier life and uses his astonishing skills of observation and analysis –
talents that made him appear psychically gifted – to bring killers to justice.
At crime scenes across California, Patrick now helps an elite team of detectives
break their toughest cases. But no matter how many criminals he catches, Patrick
never forgets his central goal: Find Red John. And bring him down.

REVIEW OF DVD
I have to admit, I didn't watch this show much this year, but have always been
interested in it. Simon Baker is really easy on the eyes, and I loved him in THE
GUARDIAN. He is wonderful in the role of Patrick Jane, a consultant who helps
the California Bureau of Investigation with murder cases.
I love character based action/adventure shows and this one fills both bills.
There is enough action each week and the characters are rich and keep me coming
back for more. Thank heavens for the DVD! I started watching yesterday and 4
hours later wondered why I hadn't stayed up to watch this program throughout the
year. CBS has been great at putting the show on at different times as well, but
if you are like me, the DVD is what you need. From the first story, the
characters, work on a number of levels. As you progress through the DVD, you see
them grow and get better and closer. While Patrick is the focus of nearly
everything that goes on, the B stories are very good as well. I love the growing
love story between Rigsby and Van Pelt. Rigsby is a big football kind of guy who
is quite shy and madly in love with the new agent, Van Pelt -- but too shy to
tell her of his feelings. When a baddie comes after Jane, Rigsby is attacked and
you see there are feelings between the two, but now you have a situation --
on-the-job love stories never work out.
Robin Tunney is very good as Agent Teresa Lisbon. As the series begins, she is
the foil for Jane, but as the series has progressed, you learn more about her
troubled childhood and you can appreciate her character a bit more.
If you love the show, you'll truly enjoy the DVD.
The new season premieres September 24 at 10:00pm ET.

FRINGE
Release date: September 8, 2009
"FRINGE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON features 20 episodes of the most exciting new
show on television, including over six hours of never-before-seen bonus features
and collectible lenticular packaging," said Rosemary Markson, WHV Vice
President, TV and Special Interest Marketing. "Warner Home Video is ecstatic to
release this much- anticipated science-fiction hit on DVD and Blu-Ray."
DVD Special Features Include:
Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe featurette - The creators of the show discuss
how the series unfolded and the qualities that make it so unique
Behind the Real Science of Fringe featurette - From teleportation to
re-animation, Fringe incorporates recent discoveries in science. Consulting
experts and scientists who are the authorities in their field address the areas
of science which are the inspiration for the show.
A Massive Undertaking: The Making of Fringe (on select episodes) - An in-depth
exploration of how select episodes came to be made: from the frozen far reaches
of shooting the pilot in Toronto, to the weekly challenges of bringing episodes
to air
The Casting of Fringe- The story, as told by producers and cast, of how Anna
Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble and others came to be cast in the series.
Fringe Visual Effects featurette - Goes deep into the creation of the shared
dream state with some of the biggest VFX shots of the show.
Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes
Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel
Deciphering the Scene
Roberto Orci Production Diary
Gene the Cow montage
Three Full-Length Commentaries from writers/producers, including J.J. Abrams,
Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtman, J.R. Orci, David Goodman, Bryan Burk, Akiva Goldsman
and Jeff Pinkner
I love this show and have enjoyed all the episodes in this first season. I am
anxiously awaiting season two and SO happy that the DVD will be out with all
those wonderful extras listed above -- and more.

COMIC BOOKS

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #29
Written by J. Michael Straczynski, art and cover by Jesus Saiz.
A thing that lives...and fights for its soul! The shambling walking doll that is
Brother Power, the Geek has been reborn in Gotham City without a home or
purpose! Could destiny have something in store for this seemingly lost relic?
And why does his appearance cut into Batman's.
32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 18.

RED CIRCLE: THE HANGMAN #1
Written by J. Michael Straczynski; Art by Tom Derenick and Bill Sienkiewicz;
Cover by Jesus Saiz.
J. Michael Straczynski dives into the DC Universe, bringing four of the finest
heroes of the Golden and Silver Ages with him! Completely reimagined for the
modern world from their original appearances in Archie/MLJ publications, these
four heroes will show you a side of the DC Universe you've never seen before!
The Civil War claimed many lives…but one of those lives still hasn't ended!
Union doctor Robert Dickering found himself on the wrong side of the battle
lines, and despite his heroic treatment of a fallen enemy soldier, he also found
himself on the wrong end of a noose! But a shadowy power stepped forth in the
twilight moments between life and death and offered him a deal he couldn't
refuse: to forever roam the Earth, saving the lives of innocents condemned like
himself – or hastening the deaths of the guilty! But in taking the seemingly
righteous mission of the Hangman, has he accepted God's work? Or has he become
the vengeful fist of the Devil himself?

CONVENTION CALENDAR

October 8-10, 2009
Twilight Convention
City: Anaheim, CA
Place: Sheraton Park Hotel
For more information, go to www.creationent.com

October 10-11, 2009
Hollywood Autograph Show
Place: Burbank, CA
B5 guests participating: Julie Caitlin Brown; Claudia Chrisitan; Mira Furlan;
Stephen Furst; Bill Mumy; Patricia Tallman, Andrea Thompson and Sarah Douglas
(Deathwalker)
For more information, go to www.hollywoodshow.com

December 4-6, 2009
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville Convention Center
City: Monroeville (near Pittsbugh) Pa.
Guests include: Ernie Hudson from Ghostbusters I and II, Peter Mayhew
Recently added: C.J. Graham (Friday the 13th), Robb Demarest (Ghost Hunters
Int'l)
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com .

NEWS IN THE SCIENCE FICTION ENVIRONMENT:

IRONCLAD
Variety reports that Paul Giamatti will play the tyrant King John in IRONCLAD, a
medieval-era action film that will begin production in Wales next month.
Jonathan English (Minotaur) is set to direct and James Purefoy to star.
Written by Erick Kastel and English, the drama pits a member of the formidable
Knights Templar (Purefoy) and his "Magnificent Seven" cohorts who defend
Rochester Castle against King John and his army in 13th century England. Rick
Benattar, who worked with Giamatti on SHOOT 'EM UP, will produce alongside
Andrew Curtis (Lost in La Mancha).

GREEN LANTERN CASTING CALL
A casting call is out for more characters for the GREEN LANTERN movie. With that
we get some hints about the movie!
Here's what we know so far. Martin Campbell is set to direct and Ryan Reynolds
stars as Hal Jordan. According to SpoilerTV, a casting notice has been released
revealing four pivotal characters.
First listed is Carol Ferris, a love interest of Hal's who ultimately becomes
Star Sapphire. The notice calls for "26-32, a smart and attractive woman with an
MBA. She started as a pilot and now runs Ferris Aircraft. She is a
work-a-holic."
Abin Sur is a member of the Green Lantern Corps and the individual responsible
for recruiting Hal as a Green Lantern. The notice labels him "Mid-30s to
mid-40s, he is a great warrior."
In the villains category, they are looking for two characters. Dr. Hector
Hammond should be "27-35, Character actor who is austere and impersonal, he is
real `scummy.' He is a pathologist and also the son of a Senator." After coming
in contact with a radioactive meteorite, his brain grows to an enormous size and
he acquires telekinetic abilities.
Sinestro -- the one getting all the buzz. He's described as "Mid-30s to Mid-40s,
he is smart, tough, intimidating and in great physical shape." Sinestro started
out on the good side but after betraying the Green Lantern Corps and using his
power for evil, he was banished.
I guess we'll have to see who turns up for these spots!

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - THE PLAN
It appears that Syfy wants to maximize DVD sales so it will not air the two-hour
TV film BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - THE PLAN any time during 2009. The film is set to
go to DVD and Blu-ray on October 27.
HARRY POTTER DVD SETS
Warner Home Video will release the first two of eight HARRY POTTER Ultimate
Editions on Blu-ray and DVD on Dec. 8; each of the Ultimate Editions will
include a new one- hour featurette that highlights a unique aspect of the
filmmaking process and will be combined to make the complete eight-hour
documentary, CREATING THE WORLD OF HARRY POTTER.

CHUCK CASTING NEWS
Vinnie Jones (X-Men: The Last Stand) has been tapped to guest-star on NBC's spy
comedy drama CHUCK, where he will play Karl Stromberg, an expert hit man with a
soft side, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

HEREAFTER
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon, who worked
together on the upcoming Invictus, are reteaming for the supernatural thriller
film HEREAFTER. Eastwood will direct the screenplay by Peter Morgan, with Damon
stepping in to the lead role; filming is set to begin this fall.

PRIEST
Some casting news for PRIEST, the upcoming post-apocalyptic thriller movie!
First, director Scott Stewart tweeted that Christopher Plummer and Brad Dourif
have joined the cast. Then Bloody-Disgusting reported that Madchen Amick
(Californication) has joined the cast.
They join a cast that includes Paul Bettany, Cam Gigandet, Maggie Q, Karl Urban,
Stephen Moyer and Lily Collins. Here's how Sony/Screen Gems describes the movie,
which was written by Cory Goodman: PRIEST is set in a world ravaged by centuries
of war between man and vampires. Paul Bettany is Priest, a legendary warrior
priest during the last Vampire War, who now lives in obscurity among the other
human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities controlled by the Church. But
when his 18-year-old niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires in the
desolate wastelands outside, Priest breaks his sacred vows and ventures out to
find her and seek vengeance upon those responsible, especially their brutal
leader (Karl Urban). Priest is joined on his crusade by his niece's boyfriend,
Hicks (Cam Gigandet), a local outpost sheriff, and Priestess (Maggie Q), a
member of his former legion of vampire-killers who has otherworldly fighting
skills.
Principal photography has already started and the movie comes out on Jan. 22,
2010.

THE LOST SYMBOL
The Associated Press reports that Dan Brown's THE LOST SYMBOL, his first novel
since THE DA VINCI CODE, has already sold more than 1 million copies after being
on sale for one day in the United States, Canada and Britain. That total
includes pre-orders for the book, which has been at or near the top of
Amazon.com for months.
An additional 600,000 copies has been ordered, bringing the total print run to
5.6 million copies. THE LOST SYMBOL came out Tuesday.
Brown's book was well short of the all-time debut, HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY
HALLOWS, which in its first day sold more than 8 million copies in the U.S.
alone.

DOLLHOUSE CAST ADDITION
According to ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, REAPER's Ray Wise is joining the cast of Joss
Whedon's sci-fi series, DOLLHOUSE.
In addition to playing the Prince of Darkness on The CW's much-loved but
short-lived REAPER, Wise is well known to genre fans as the murderous father of
Laura Palmer in TWIN PEAKS and the crazed farmer in JEEPERS CREEPERS 2, among a
host of other roles. DOLLHOUSE returns for a second season on Friday at 9 p.m.
ET/PT. Guest stars previously announced include BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Jamie
Bamber, Keith Carradine, ANGEL's Alexis Denisof and FIREFLY/TERMINATOR's Summer
Glau.

LIFE AS WE KNOW IT
Variety reports that Josh Lucas will co-star in Warner Bros.' LIFE AS WE KNOW
IT. He's joining Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel and Christina Hendricks in the
Greg Berlanti-directed film, produced by Barry Josephson and Paul Brooks.
The story follows two unattached adults whose worlds are turned upside down when
their mutual best friends die in an accident and name them as caregivers for
their orphaned daughter. Ian Deitchman and Kristin Rusk Robinson wrote the
script.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: ORIGINS
The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision Blog is reporting that Zebediah de Soto is
set to direct NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD: ORIGINS, a 3D CGI format re-imagining of
George Romero's landmark zombie film. However, Romero is not involved in this
project. De Soto wrote the script with David R. Schwartz, wants to update the
tale partially by bringing out the characters' backstories and make what he
called "an American-style anime." No production date has been set.

REAL STEEL
Variety reports that Shawn Levy (Night at the Museum) is set to direct REAL
STEEL, a DreamWorks film about a father and son who take a robot to the Bot
Boxing Championship. The film is set in the near future, where combatants
control human- like 2,000-pound robots that battle in the ring. John Gatins
turned in the most recent script draft. Levy is expected to direct the film next
year.

THE PASSAGE
According to Variety, STAR TREK: NEMESIS writer John Logan has been set by Fox
2000 to adapt THE PASSAGE, the Jordan Ainsley vampire novel being developed for
Ridley Scott to potentially direct. It marks the first time that Logan and Scott
have collaborated since the Oscar-winning GLADIATOR.
Fox 2000 acquired the book two years ago, paying seven figures for the
three-book series right after its publishing rights sold to Ballantine for $3.75
million. ... Ainsley—pseudonym for PEN Hemingway Award-winning author Justin
Cronin—sold the book based on the first 400 pages and an outline, but the film
adaptation awaited his completion of the book, which is nearly 1,200 pages.
In the novel, terminally ill patients become healthy after they are bitten by
bats in South America, and the government conducts secret tests on human
subjects to see if the virus can cure illness. The result is an apocalyptic
unleashing of bloodthirsty vampire test subjects that include death row inmates.

A-TEAM CASTING
Variety confirms that DISTRICT 9 star Sharlto Copley will be joining the cast of
Fox's THE A-TEAM as Capt. "Howling Mad" Murdock. They also have reports that
Jessica Biel is in final talks to join as well.
Biel is set to play an Army general pursuing the team who is the ex-love of
Cooper's character "Faceman."
The two join Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in the
Joe Carnahan-directed action-adventure, scheduled to be released on June 11,
2010. Ridley Scott, Jules Daly and Stephen J. Cannell are producing the film,
written by Skip Woods. Filming begins this fall in Vancouver.

NEW INDIANA JONES?
Reports indicate that Harrison Ford told a French newspaper that a fifth
installment of the George Lucas/Steven Spielberg adventure saga is already
taking shape.
"The story for the new Indiana Jones is in the process of taking form," Ford
told France's Le Figaro, according to a report in People magazine.
"Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and myself are agreed on what the fifth
adventure will concern, and George is actively at work," Ford added. "If the
script is good, I'll be very happy to put the costume on again." (Ford was in
France to accept a career honor at the Deauville Film Festival.)

SILENT HILL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Roger Avary and Samuel Hadida of Davis Films
have signed on to write and produce a sequel to SILENT HILL, the 2006 video game
adaptation. The original was based on the Konami game, and centered on a woman
who travels to a desolate town to seek help for her ailing daughter only to find
supernatural occurrences taking place there.
Davis Films aims to shoot the movie next year.
I think that brings you up to date now.  I hope that you will visit the website
(http://www.isnnews.net) to get more of the information I couldn't fit in this
e-mail.

Have a great weekend.
Be safe.

Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher
ISN News:  The Zocalo Today

THE ZOCALO TODAY – August 23, 2009

What's New????

SCI-FI VS. SCIENCE FICTION DEBATE
While fans and critics debate whether the name change helped Syfy's new series
WAREHOUSE 13 achieve record ratings, SciFiWire uncovered a video that includes
Harlan Ellison, J. Michael Straczynski and others discussing the difference
between "sci-fi" and "science fiction" on Sci-Fi Vortex 12 years ago.  Go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDNmperfGlo to watch the exchange.

By the way, there are tons of videos at YouTube for J. Michael Straczynski,
including a trailer for NINJA ASSASSIN.

JMS AT FAN-CON NEXT WEEKEND
Just saw a posting in the B5 moderated newsgroup that J. Michael Straczynski
will be attending the Fan-Con in Toronto next weekend, August 24-26, 2009. The
posting indicates JMS has a spotlight panel and autograph session on Saturday
and another autograph session on Sunday. Go to http://www.hobbystar.com/fanexpo/
for more information.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

JASON CARTER
Ranger Cecilia writes that she caught the last episode of NBC's MERLIN on Sunday
and saw Jason Carter (B5's Marcus) as a very nasty character. He, unfortunately,
died in this episode. Good to see him on the tube again.

MIRA FURLAN
Ranger Jim reports that NCIS episode "SOUTH BY SOUTH WEST" features Mira Furlan
in a small part as an artist involved in the death of an agent. She looks
wonderful.

ASKED & ANSWERED: PART 3
Rants, religion, money, sex and Star Trek...just a few of the topics covered in
the most volatile release of the entire Asked & Answered series.
Part 3 (pages 779-1,183) includes more than 1,100 missives grouped into the
following – often heated – topics:
ALL THIS AS WELL AS SECTIONS COVERING: THE TITLE SEQUENCE, THE UNIVERSE OF
BABYLON 5 , THE SHOW'S VISUAL AESTHETIC, THE WARDROBE
and last but not least —
WRITING BABYLON 5
Read the entire description of this book at http://www.cafepress.com/b5books.

ISN BLOG
Join me on the ISN News Blog at http://isnnews.blogspot.com. I'll put in stuff
that I think is interesting for others to read about and I hope you will join in
to discuss of the issues -- related to science fiction or not!

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #167: Season 5: Day of the Dead
If you had the means, would you pay $225,000 a bottle for tequila? In July 2263,
Garibaldi embarks on a secret project to reverse-engineer Minbari and Vorlon
technology in order to speed up construction of Destroyer Class White Star
ships. Did this lead to the construction of Excalibur, and the larger cruiser we
saw in Lost Tales?
Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer disagree on "Day of the Dead", and boy, do we chat
about THAT difference of opinion! Written by Neil Gaiman, it's the first
produced episode not written by JMS since Season 2 (since "Knives"?).
Tim thinks it's a weak effort, and Summer thinks it's one of the better episodes
of Season 5 (and everyone knows how Summer feels about most of Season 5). But
Summer still calls shenanigans on Tim's refusal to accept quantum physics as a
way to explain how that section of B5 becomes linked to the Brakiri homeworld.
Would seeing Marcus have made more of an impact on Lennier than seeing Morden?
Would that appearance have co-opted the hope that Marcus was not dead, but in
suspended animation, awaiting a technological advance that could successfully
revive him?
Feedback: Ask, and ye shall receive: Jarsto surfaces to lay the correction
smackdown!
Visit Deep Geeking, and if you want to contribute a geeking essay, send an email
to Summer.
To catch up on all the Babylon 5 podcasts, go to http://www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEW DVDS

SUPERNATURAL: THE COMPLETE FOURTH SEASON
Release date: September 1, 2009
Official website: www.supernaturaldvd.com
Synopsis:
Resurrection. After enduring unspeakable torture, Dean escapes from Hell,
rescued by an all-powerful creature he's never seen before 'an Angel', a warrior
of God who recruits Sam and Dean into Heaven?s battle against Hell. And there
are whispers that a certain fallen angel will soon be freed from his prison deep
in Hell: Lucifer. If Sam and Dean can't stop it -- if Lucifer walks free --
he'll bring on the Apocalypse. Meanwhile, the Winchester Brothers reunite and
hit the road, battling the supernatural wherever they go. They encounter demons,
spirits, Dracula himself and even a drunk, heavily armed 7-foot-tall teddy bear.
All the while, the ultimate war draws them into its horror throughout this
enthralling 6-Disc, 22-Episode Season Four. Caught between Heaven and Hell,
between God and the Devil, the Winchester brothers must battle for the future of
humankind.

SMALLVILLE: THE COMPLETE EIGHTH SEASON
Release date: August 25, 2009
Official website: www.smallvilledvd.com
Synopsis:
There is a new reporter at the Daily Planet: Clark Kent, who shares a workspace
with Lois Lane. There is a new hero in Metropolis, too. No one knows who he is.
But Jimmy Olsen was on the scene of one of the do-gooder's exploits, and he
snapped a blurred photo of the hero in superspeed action -- a hero everyone now
calls the Red-Blue Blur. Red-jacketed, blue-shirted Clark Kent draws closer to
his Superman destiny in the exciting 22-episode, 6-disc Season 8 of Smallville.
Another Kryptonian destiny also takes shape. Davis Bloome begins to realize he
is Doomsday. His mission on Earth: kill Clark Kent. So many new events (will
Jimmy and Chloe's marriage last?), so many new faces (Tess Mercer, Saturn Girl
and Cosmic Boy among them!), so many state-of-the-art effects -- so don't miss a
single thrill-packed moment!

SUPERMAN: THE COMPLETE ANIMATED SERIES
Release date: November 24, 2009
Are you or your kids a fan of the animated SUPERMAN series? Well now you can
bring home the animated adventures of the Man of Steel in its entirety on DVD
this November. SUPERMAN: The Complete Animated Series will be released on DVD on
November 24. This seven-disc set will contain all 54 episodes of this animated
classic and the set will be priced at $53.82 SRP. You can take a look at all the
special features below.
Follow the entire history of Superman from start to finish on this long-awaited
DVD. Witness his incredible arrival on Earth, how he finds his place in his
adopted home and his realization of what his powers can truly do for the forces
of good. See CLARK KENT balance his roles as a mild-mannered news reporter and
superhuman crimefighter, facing mortal enemy LEX LUTHOR, while still keeping his
day job.
Fans of the comic books and the TV show alike will rejoice as every single
episode can finally be purchased together on this seven-disc collector's set.
Additionally, the exclusive extras deliver even more fun to this already
superior DVD collection. Go "Behind the Cape" with David Kaufman (the voice of
JIMMY OLSEN) as he takes you behind the scenes with the show's creative team,
watch an excerpt from the new Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns SUPERMAN documentary,
listen to commentary with Bruce Timm on several episodes and much more. This
complete collection also includes a bonus disc featuring the all-new documentary
The Despot DARKSEID: A Villain Worthy of SUPERMAN. SUPERMAN: The Complete
Animated Series,with hours and hours of DVD entertainment, is the perfect
holiday gift.
Special Features:
- Commentary by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, Alan Burnett, Dan Riba, Glen Murakami,
Curt Geda, Jason Hillhouse, James Tucker, and Butch Lukic on many episodes
- Selectable Pop-Up Trivia Tracks
- SUPERMAN: Learning to Fly - Explores the Creation of the Series
- Building the Mythology: Superman's Supporting Cast- Showcases the Supporting
Players in the SUPERMAN Saga
- Menaces of Metropolis: Behind the Villains of SUPERMAN - The Origin and
Evolution of Superman's Adventures
- SUPERMAN: Behind the Cape - David Kaufman (The Voice of JIMMY OLSEN) Takes You
Behind the Scenes with the Show's Creative Team
- Look, Up in the Sky! The Amazing Story of SUPERMAN - Excerpt From the New --
Documentary Produced by Bryan Singer and Kevin Burns
- Bonus Disc Featuring the All-New Documentary The Despot DARKSEID: A Villain
Worthy of SUPERMAN.

FARSCAPE: THE COMPLETE SERIES MEGASET
Release date: November 17, 2009
Just in time for its 10th anniversary, FARSCAPE: THE COMPLETE SERIES MEGASET
will be released on DVD on November 17. This huge 25-disc set will contain all
88 episodes of the series along with 15 hours of bonus material and the set will
be priced at $149.95 SRP. The series stars Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony
Simcoe, Virginia Hey and Gigi Edgley.
This series was an imaginative mix of live action, state-of-the-art puppetry,
prosthetics and CGI. FARSCAPE, produced by The Jim Henson Company in association
with RHI Entertainment, featured mind-boggling alien life forms, dazzling
special effects, edge-of-your-seat thrills, irreverent humor and unforgettable
characters -- all brought to rich life by the creative minds at Jim Henson's
Creature Shop. Strap in and hold on tight for the extraordinary adventures of
John Crichton, as he finds himself surrounded by hostile aliens and soaring
through the cosmos aboard Moya, a glorious living space ship. Hunted by the
relentless Peacekeepers, he allies himself with Moya's crew -- Aeryn Sun
(Claudia Black), Luxan warrior Ka D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), azure priestess Zhaan
(Virginia Hey), spritely Nebari thief Chiana (Gigi Edgley), Dominar Rygel, the
deposed royal ruler of the Hynerian Empire and Pilot - to search for a way out
of this inconceivably alien world and return home.
Special Features:
- 29 Episode Commentaries, including "Premiere" with Rockne S. O'Bannon, Brian
Henson and Ben Browder; "Jeremiah Crichton" with Claudia Black, Producer/Writer
David Kemper, Browder and O'Bannon; "Bone to Be Wild" with Anthony Simcoe;
"Relativity" with Lani Tupu (Crais/Voice of Pilot) and Director Peter
Andrikidis; and, "Bad Timing" which features Browder, Black and Kemper
discussing the series' final episode.
- Multiple featurettes and documentaries including "In the Beginning: A Look
Back with Brian Henson"; "Making of a Space Opera" and "Inside Farscape: Save
Farscape," on which fans, cast and crew discuss the fate of their beloved
series.
- Multiple video profiles featuring archival clips and cast/crew discussing
their characters and roles on Farscape.
- Over 90 minutes of deleted scenes.
- Slideshows and archival photo galleries, including character concepts and
promo photos.
- Production design galleries featuring screenshots, rough drafts and concept
slide shows.
- Behind-the-Scenes interviews with Ben Browder, Claudia Black, Anthony Simcoe,
Virginia Hey, Gigi Edgley, Paul Goddard (Stark), Wayne Pygram (Scorpius) and
more.
- Original TV promos and trailers.

SUPERFRIENDS: THE LOST EPISODES Release Date: August 11, 2009
Official websiste: www.dcbeyond.com
Synopsis:
Powerful super heroes Batman, Robin, Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Wonder
Twins Zan and Jayna and their rascally blue space monkey Gleek battle evil,
protect humanity and save the world from unthinkable dangers in these 24
action-packed adventures. These cool cartoon actionfests showcase a gallery of
DC Comics heroes and fan-favorite villains like Brainiac and Mr. Mxyzptlk, plus
the Hanna-Barbera-originated hero El Dorado. Produced after the Super Friends
show ended its run, these treasures were ?lost? for more than a decade until
they were shown as part of The Superman/Batman Adventures series. It's a Deluxe
2-Disc Collector's Set with Bonus Downloadables -- your own pieces of super hero
comic book history!

PRIMEVAL: VOLUME 2
Release date: September 15, 2009
Synopsis:
Monster hit Primeval roars back onto the screens for an extended third series.
Still reeling from Stephen's death and with the depth of Helen's betrayal now
revealed, Nick Cutter must fight to re-focus his embattled team. Cutter's crew
are joined by some new recruits in the form of maverick policeman Danny Quinn,
sparky Egyptologist Sarah Page, and the new leader of the ARC's security forces
Captain Becker. But as the anomalies continue to present an unrelenting series
of threats, the task in hand seems almost insurmountable. It's not just deadly
creatures the team has to contend with, they also face a threat to the future of
not just the ARC but of mankind itself. Prepare for more explosive action as
Primeval bares its newly sharpened teeth.

FRINGE
Release date: September 8, 2009
"FRINGE: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON features 20 episodes of the most exciting new
show on television, including over six hours of never-before-seen bonus features
and collectible lenticular packaging," said Rosemary Markson, WHV Vice
President, TV and Special Interest Marketing. "Warner Home Video is ecstatic to
release this much- anticipated science-fiction hit on DVD and Blu-Ray."
DVD Special Features Include:
Evolution: The Genesis of Fringe featurette - The creators of the show discuss
how the series unfolded and the qualities that make it so unique
Behind the Real Science of Fringe featurette - From teleportation to
re-animation, Fringe incorporates recent discoveries in science. Consulting
experts and scientists who are the authorities in their field address the areas
of science which are the inspiration for the show.
A Massive Undertaking: The Making of Fringe (on select episodes) - An in-depth
exploration of how select episodes came to be made: from the frozen far reaches
of shooting the pilot in Toronto, to the weekly challenges of bringing episodes
to air
The Casting of Fringe- The story, as told by producers and cast, of how Anna
Torv, Joshua Jackson, John Noble and others came to be cast in the series.
Fringe Visual Effects featurette - Goes deep into the creation of the shared
dream state with some of the biggest VFX shots of the show.
Dissected Files: Unaired Scenes
Unusual Side Effects: Gag Reel
Deciphering the Scene
Roberto Orci Production Diary
Gene the Cow montage
Three Full-Length Commentaries from writers/producers, including J.J. Abrams,
Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtman, J.R. Orci, David Goodman, Bryan Burk, Akiva Goldsman
and Jeff Pinkner

CONVENTION CALENDAR

August 22-23, 2009
MINI MEGACON
Place: Orange County Convention Center Hall E1
City: Orlando, Florida
Guests: Peter Facinelli, Twilight; Emma Caufield, Buffy; Charisma Carpenter,
Buffy, Angel; Amber Benson, Buffy; Sylvester McCoy, Doctor Who; Arne Starr, Star
Trek, and many more
For more information, go to http://www.megaconvention.com/#

August 27 - 29, 2009
Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention
Place: The Clarion Hotel
City: Aberdeen, Maryland
Guests: Lee Meriwether (Star Trek guest, Time Tunnel, and Batman), Bob Hastings
(McHale's Navy and The Munsters), James Best (Forbidden Planet and Dukes of
Hazzard) and Celeste Holm (Academy Award winning actress) and more.
For more information, go to http://www.midatlanticnostalgiaconvention.com.

September 4-7, 2009
Dragon-Con
City: Atlanta, Georgia
B5 Guests: Stephen Furst, Tracey Scoggins, Bruce Boxleitner, Dwight Schultz,
John Hudgens (B5 videos)
Other guests: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Patrick Stewart
For more information, go to www.dragoncon.org

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

SPAWN
SPAWN creator Todd McFarlane has announced that he has officially begun writing
the screenplay for a new movie based on the character.
"The story has been in my head for 7 or 8 years," McFarlane said. "The movie
idea is neither a recap or continuation. It is a standalone story that will be
R-rated. Creepy and scary."
He added that "the tone of this 'Spawn' movie will be for a more older audience.
Like the film 'Departed.'"
In August of 1997, New Line released a SPAWN movie that grossed $87.8 million
worldwide. It starred Michael Jai White, John Leguizamo and Martin Sheen.

NEW RELEASE DATES FOR MOVIES
Paramount Pictures has pushed back director Martin Scorsese's SHUTTER ISLAND
from October 2nd to February 19th, 2010.
Fox Searchlight Pictures moved up the Drew Barrymore comedy WHIP IT and Columbia
Pictures moved up Ruben Fleischer's ZOMBIELAND. The two films now face each
other on the new date as well as Disney•Pixar's TOY STORY/TOY STORY 2 3-D combo
and a limited release of the Coen Brothers' A SERIOUS MAN.

SHUTTER ISLAND is the story of two U.S. marshals, Teddy Daniels (Leonardo
DiCaprio) and Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), who are summoned to a remote and barren
island off the coast of Massachusetts to investigate the mysterious
disappearance of a murderess from the island's fortress-like hospital for the
criminally insane.

THE WOLFMAN TRAILER
Universal has unleashed the very first full-length trailer from Joe Johnson's
scary new movie monster remake THE WOLFMAN.
Inspired by the classic Universal film that launched a legacy of horror, THE
WOLFMAN brings the myth of a cursed man back to its iconic origins. Oscar winner
Benicio Del Toro stars as Lawrence Talbot, a haunted nobleman lured back to his
family estate after his brother vanishes. Reunited with his estranged father
(Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins), Talbot sets out to find his brother...and
discovers a horrifying destiny for himself. Directed by Joe Johnston, this
horrifying remake also stars Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, and Art Malik. The film
opens on February 12th, 2010.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2009

GAME OF THRONES
The Hollywood Reporter writes that NEW AMSTERDAM star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and
several others actors have joined the cast of HBO's fantasy pilot GAME OF
THRONES. The group joins the previously cast lead Sean Bean as battle-weary Ned
Stark, who leaves his home to serve the king. Mark Addy, Kit Harrington,
Jennifer Ehle, Jack Gleeson, Peter Dinklage and Harry Lloyd also star.
In the adaptation of the George R.R. Martin fantasy book series, Coster-Waldau
will play Jaime Lannister, one of the king's guards and a ruthless usurper of
the previous king. The actor was most recently seen in Ron Moore's Fox pilot
VIRTUALITY. Other cast members include Tamzin Merchant (Showtime's The Tudors),
who'll play Daenerys, an exiled teenage princess and Richard Madden (Hope
Springs) as Stark's eldest son, Robb; Iain Glen (Into the Storm) as Ser Jorah
Mormont, a disgraced knight; Alfie Allen (The Other Boleyn Girl) as Theon,
Stark's young ward; Sophie Turner (Doctor Who) as Stark's eldest daughter,
Sansa; and Maisie Williams as Stark's young tomboy daughter, Arya.
HBO still has a few more roles to fill in the large ensemble cast of THRONES,
one of the more buzzed-about titles on the network's development slate. The
pilot shoots in Ireland in October.

NEW EXCALIBER ON THE HORIZON
According to reports in Variety, Bryan Singer has closed a deal to produce and
potentially direct a remake of the 1981 fantasy flick EXCALIBER for Warner
Brothers. EXCALIBER is the quintessential myth-of-King-Arthur film, complete
with the enchanted sword, the Knights of the Round Table, Merlin the wizard and
the quest for the Holy Grail to save Arthur's life. The original film was
directed by John Boorman and adapted from the Thomas Malory book by Rospo
Pallenberg and Boorman. WB and Legendary Pictures labored for months to pull
together the rights to the film, which Singer will produce with Julie Yorn.
Polly Johnsen, who was Polly Cohen when she was the WB exec who presided over
the Singer-directed WB/Legendary collaboration SUPERMAN RETURNS, will also be a
producer.
Boorman's film featured such stars as Helen Mirren (who played the evil Morgana)
and Liam Neeson (Sir Gawain), as well as Gabriel Byrne and Patrick Stewart. WB
had some of the rights as a library title; the rest were secured from Boorman.
Singer hasn't set a writer yet.
At the same time, Singer has been flirting with directing X-MEN: FIRST CLASS, a
20th Century Fox spinoff that got a first script draft by O.C. creator Josh
Schwartz.

LOST NEWS
As the fall television season heats up, more and more casting news keeps getting
release. The latest cast addition to fan favorite LOST is popular Japanese actor
Hiroyuki Sanada. According to Entertainment Weekly, it is not known who Sanada
will be playing on the show, but the role will be quite significant, and he will
be appearing on more than one episode. LOST returns to ABC in 2010.

SMALLVILLE
SMALLVILLE fans will want to look at the season 9 trailer over on Entertainment
Weekly. There is a lot going on this season -- beginning September 25 at 8:00pm
ET.

Speaking of SMALLVILLE, here's a picture of Brian Austin Green in his new role
as Metallo, on a two-episode arc starting with the ninth season's premiere
episode. John Corben is a new Daily Planet Reporter who, in the aftermath of an
accident, is mysteriously outfitted with a heart made of Kryptonite. The
identity of Corben's savior is being kept under wraps until the show's debut,
but executive producer Kelly Souders states that Corben is turned into "a rough
version of Metallo, a first attempt at the technology, and eventually he'll get
sleeker."

I guess that brings you pretty much up to date.  There is much more over at the
website (http://www.isnnews.net) so please go there to get more information on
what's happening in this ever-changing genre.  Join me over on my blog at
http://isnnews.blogspot.com or find me on FaceBook or Twitter.  There are SO
many ways to stay in touch these days, it is hard to figure out which one works
best – if any do.  There are tons of B5 fans over on FaceBook, along with Patty
Tallman and Julie Caitlin Brown and others.  The online community has exploded
with opportunities. Take advantage of them!

Take care and have a great weekend – or what remains of it.
Be safe,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO, July 18, 2009

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON INTERNATIONAL
A final program schedule is now posted at http://www.comic-con.org/. Check it
out.  JMS indicates he will have only one autograph session:

" For those coming to the convention, be advised that at this point I only have
one -- count 'em, one -- autograph session set up, at table AA 2 at 6:00
Saturday, right after my spotlight.

I'm only going to have an hour, so I'm going to have to be really strict in
enforcing the ten-item limit to make sure that everybody in line gets a fair
chance."

Here are sessions listed at Comic-Con for JMS:

Thursday, July 23
3:30-4:30 J. Michael Straczynski: Professional Writing— Ideas are a dime a
dozen. Executing those ideas (instead of assassinating them) is what separates
pro from wannabe. But only you know what steps you need to take to get there, so
if you show up for this talk, bring questions to ask J. Michael Straczynski, who
has created a massively successful cross-platform writing career in movies,
television, comics, and print. Room 7AB

Saturday, July 25
4:45-5:45 Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski— Triple Eisner-nominated and
Comic-Con special guest J. Michael Straczynski presents a freewheeling
discussion about his work in comics (Brave and the Bold, Thor, Amazing
Spider-Man), television (Babylon 5), movies (Changeling, Ninja Assassin,
Forbidden Planet, Lensman and more) and anything else that comes to mind. Every
year JMS's talks are a focus of heated conversation, and that's just between us
and law enforcement when they show up midway through... Room 6A

ASKED & ANSWERED: PART 2
The second volume of Asked & Answered has been released.  Part 2 (pages 387-778)
includes more than 800 missives grouped into the following topics:

FAN INTERACTION
FIVE YEAR ARC
How the arc was structured, what the cast and crew really knew about where the
characters and story were headed, specifically what JMS had mapped out and to
what level of detail, who had seen the entire series outline (and who hadn't),
which actor knew the most about the entire arc, why he wouldn't leak a fake 5
year arc, what would happen if anything happened to him during the series run,
why he wrote the arc so that the fans could never know for sure what was going
to happen next, how he wrote the show so fans would not be lost if they missed
an episode, what one question he intended not to answer at the end of the 5 year
arc, why he structured the show as a novel, how he balanced the characters over
the 5 year run, why Babylon 5 was a 5 year story and why he could never extend
it (even if he wanted to), what he meant by "accelerating the arc," how he
compensated for cast changes, how the long wait to sell the show to the networks
benefited the arc, specifics about how he adjusted the arc on the chance the
show was canceled after the fourth season, how he wrote the arc so that nuances
would surface for fans watching the series for a second, third or fourth time.
FUN WITH JMS
INFLUENCES - FILM, TV & MUSIC
INFLUENCES - HISTORY & LITERATURE
JMS ON JMS
JMS ON POLITICS
LAST DAYS & LEGACY OF BABYLON 5
JMS recalls how the industry reacted to Babylon 5's novel-for-television
structure, why he never considers himself an SF "superstar", the aspects of B5
that he is most proud of, what it's like to be the guy who created B5, how he
reacts to others' interpretations of the show, the lessons he learned producing
B5, his feelings on the set the last day of shooting, the truth behind the "cast
turmoil" over the ending of the show, his reaction whenever SF shows are
compared to Babylon 5 and what has to happen for there to ever be more Babylon 5
on the screen.
MERCHANDISE OF BABYLON 5
MUSIC OF BABYLON 5
ONLINE EXPERIMENT
J. Michael Straczynski's interaction with fans in the online world is showcased
in this section which focuses on the highs...and the lows of that ongoing
conversation. With messages dating back to 1991, JMS addresses why he put
himself in an Internet forum, his concerns about fans having too much
information, his motivation for his exchanges with fandom, specifically how his
online conversation with fans has been helpful to the writing process (and how
it has not), the biggest benefit to his online presence, how he "waved" to the
GEnie forums in the pilot, how he remained unaffected by what he read online,
why fans couldn't post story ideas, what he really thinks of the online
communities, his move to the moderated newsgroup, how he handles criticism,
details of one of his worst experiences online and his thoughts at the 10 year
mark of his online experiment.
PHYSICS & BABYLON 5
PLACES & PLANETS
PRODUCTION OF BABYLON 5
Harlan Ellison's involvement kicks off this package of posts along with how much
material was edited out of each episode, what JMS cut that he wishes he could
put back, how the editing process works and how it impacts what the fans see,
the varied shots used by directors to tell the story, how JMS learned not be
upset by production glitches, what he would go back and rework if he could, how
the B5 production model differs from most other shows, how he and the team
handled revisions, step-by-step what happened from script to screen, how JMS got
the most value from the budget, why there wasn't a bathroom scene in the pilot,
what he would have done if he had had $1 million more per show, how the crew
expressed their "feedback" to JMS and his policy for how opinions about the show
were to be expressed and how directors maintained his vision for the show.

Read the entire description of this book at <http://www.cafepress.com/b5books>.
Be sure to order now and get the $10 off -- good through July 22 only.

DISCUSSION TOPIC - OLD MOVIES

Warner Bros. has opened up a wonderful movie archive -- with a ton of classics
that are totally unknown treasures to most people. Got me to thinking about old
movies in general. What are your favorite old movies -- not just from science
fiction genre, but any that really are #1 and #2 for you -- movies that you can
watch over and over again.

I grew up in an era of wonderful action flicks -- and I still love them. THEY
DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON will be on ENCORE channel, again this month. I love
Erol Flynn and while this one doesn't rank up there with ROBIN HOOD, it is one
you can sit through regardless of the length. How about you? Let's hear what
your favorites are.

Send in your comments to sgbruckner@.... I'll post your selections our
discussion page for all readers to share. I'll post some of my comments in my
blog -- see below.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW
CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN
Ranger Judy pointed us over to Claudia's Fan Newsletter:
http://www.claudiachristian.net.
Claudia just finished her new Showtime Series LOOK. Not sure when it will be
seen here, but Showtime has ordered 8 episodes.

NEW DVDS:

PUSHING DAISIES - COMPLETE SECOND SEASON
Official Release Date: July 21, 2009
Official website: http://www.pushingdaisiesdvd.com
Synopsis:
This forensic fairytale follows Ned, a young man with a very special gift. As a
boy, Ned discovered that he could return the dead briefly back to life with just
one touch. Now a pie maker, Ned puts his ability to good use, not only touching
dead fruit and making it ripe with everlasting flavor, but working with a
private investigator to crack murder cases by raising the dead and getting them
to name their killers. But the tale gets complicated when Ned brings his
childhood sweetheart, Chuck, back from the dead -- and keeps her alive. Chuck
becomes the third partner in Ned and Emerson's private-investigation enterprise,
encouraging them to use Ned's skills for good, not just for profit. Life would
be perfect for Ned and Chuck, except for one cruel twist: If he ever touches her
again, she'll go back to being dead, this time for good.

ER - Season 11
Release date: July 14, 2009
Product Description
An aquarium worker with a live shark latched onto him --a blind woman and her
guide companion (a miniature horse!)--a college boy with an arrow in his gut
(his fraternity brothers were aiming for the apple on his head). Gunshot
victims. Homeless children. Cardiac cases. So many patients, so little time.
Year 11 of the fast-paced series brings challenges and changes to the ER. Corday
and Chen weigh work and family. Abby finds that being a good doctor is as tough
as being a good nurse. Ray Barnett -- doctor by day, rock star by night --
arrives. Carter decides to leave. He's been there from the start, a student
turned leader who picked up where Greene left off. He set the tone, provided the
example. His impact will endure.

FRIENDS CELEBRATES 15 YEARS
Experience the best moments from this hugely popular Emmy-award winning series
with the all-new BEST OF Collections, now available only on iTunes.
Including the best hand-picked Friends episodes, these collections feature the
most memorable moments of the series, including the dramatic break-ups, the
emotional make-ups, and of course, some of most hilarious scenes that ever aired
on TV, capturing the unforgettable storylines that made Friends a smash hit.
The Complete Series is also now available for the first time on iTunes. Get the
full seasons for the full experience.

PEANUTS 1960s COLLECTION
Release Date: July 7, 2009
Peanuts lovers rejoice. You now have only one DVD to buy to get all the most
popular Peanuts TV specials. The PEANUTS 1960s COLLECTION willshowcase all six
heartwarming TV specials in a two-disc set, as well as all-new enhanced content.
These specials aired between 1965 and 1969, several earning Emmy Award
nominations or wins. This is the first time all six specials are available to
consumers in one set. Two of the specials, HE'S YOUR DOG, CHARLIE BROWN and IT
WAS A SHORT SUMMER, CHARLIE BROWN make their DVD debut. All six specials have
been re-mastered for beautiful picture and sound quality. Here is a list of all
the specials included:
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Charlie Brown's All-Stars (1966)
It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
You're in Love, Charlie Brown (1967)
He's Your Dog, Charlie Brown (1968)
It was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown (1969)
DVD Special Features include:
The Maestro of Menlo Park - Profiling Composer Vince Guaraldi - This short
documentary film provides a glimpse into jazz musician Vince Guaraldi's life,
and how his music was so much more than just the theme to Peanuts.

AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

WALTER CRONKITE - DEAD AT 92
On the great, if not the greatest news journalists has died. Walter Cronkite,
long time newsman and anchor for CBS, died yesterday at the age of 92. Cronkite,
recruited by Edward R. Murrow from the United Press wire service, joined CBS
News in 1950. He served as "Evening News" anchor and managing editor of CBS News
from April 16, 1962, to March 6, 1981. Beginning in 1937, his career spanned
more than six decades in radio, print and TV. He earned the accolade "the most
trusted man in America" for his earnest and stalwart style as the anchorman of
the "CBS Evening News" for nearly two decades.
Following his departure from CBS News, he served as the correspondent for CBS
Reports "Child of Apartheid," which won an Emmy and an Overseas Press Club
Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding documentary. He also produced and hosted
an eight-part Discovery Channel series "Cronkite Remembers," which traced
historical events of the 20th century. Cronkite closed each "Evening News"
newscast with the line, "And that's the way it is," followed by the date. Here
was a newsman whose vocabulary did NOT include the word "spin". His honest and
insightful views on today's news is sorely missed.

President Obama commented on his passing by saying:
"He brought us all those stories large and small which would come to define the
20th century. That's why we love Walter, because in an era before blogs and
e-mail cell phones and cable, he was the news. Walter invited us to believe in
him, and he never let us down."

CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jorja Fox is returning to CSI for five
episodes in season 10. She will reprise her character of Sara Sidle and
executive producer/ showrunner Carol Mendelsohn says, "The viewers and longtime
CSI fans will be excited to discover where life has taken Sara Sidle and what
brings her back to the CSI team in Las Vegas in our premiere episode." What
about Gil Grissom? No mention of William Peterson returning at this point. The
series returns with new episodes Sept. 24.

WORLD WAR Z
According to Fangoria, Matthew Michael Carnahan has come aboard to rewrite WORLD
WAR Z. Max Brooks, who penned the original graphic novel, revealed that
Carnahan, brother of director Joe Carnahan, is taking on the project. J. Michael
Straczynski was previously attached to write the film.
"He's one of Hollywood's hot A-list writers, so if they went after him and paid
him a mountain of gold, it definitely shows their confidence in this project,"
Brooks revealed on the site's radio program.
Carnahan has written such political thrillers as THE KINGDOM, LIONS FOR LAMBS
and this year's STATE OF PLAY.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN
Universal Studios Home Entertainment announced that it will release a Blu-ray
version of BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE PLAN on Oct. 27, the same day the one-off
telefilm drops on DVD. THE PLAN is directed by and stars Edward James Olmos.
Jane Espenson wrote the screenplay. It recaps the story of the destruction of
the human Colonies from the point of view of the Cylons. The new discs will
include the uncensored 90-minute feature film. The cast also includes Michael
Trucco, Aaron Douglas, Dean Stockwell, Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Rick Worthy,
Matthew Bennett, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael Hogan and Rekha Sharma. Extras
include:
My Scenes: Bookmark your favorite scenes from the movie.
Battlestar Galactica trivia game.
Deleted scenes .
"From Admiral to Director: Edward James Olmos and the Plan": A day in the life
with Olmos as he tackles the most ambitious Battlestar production to date.
"The Cylons of the Plan": Features interviews with the actors who play the
film's key Cylons, including Stockwell, Helfer, Park, Trucco, Worthy and
Bennett.
"The Cylon Attack": This featurette takes viewers behind the scenes for the
planning and execution of one of Battlestar Galactica: The Plan's major action
sequences.
"Behind the Plan": An in-depth look at some stunning visual effects and the role
post-production plays in bringing the world of Battlestar Galactica to life.
Filmmaker commentary.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
Variety reports that HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE exceeded the $100
million mark at the worldwide box office in its first 24 hours of release. The
sixth installment in the hit franchise took in $58.2 million domestically and
$45.9 million internationally for a total tally of $104 million, the best start
ever for the franchise.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE
According to The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz blog, unknown Australian actor
Xavier Samuel has landed the first new role in THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, the
third film in the hit franchise. Samuels will play the role of a "newborn
vampire" named Riley who joins the plot of villain Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre)
to murder protagonist Bella (Kristen Stewart).

ARENA
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jeff Wadlow will direct ARENA, a sci-fi
action film for Summit, about a group of modern-day soldiers transported to a
shifting landscape, where they are forced to face off against the best warriors
from different eras in gladitorial battle. New writers Toby Wagstaff and Darren
Howell wrote the screenplay, which Summit optioned in April 2008.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: 25THE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTOR'S EDITION
Warner Home Video will release the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: 25th
Anniversary Collector's Edition on Blu-ray and DVD on Aug. 11 in sets that will
include all four feature films.

EMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS
As usual, sci-fi series and programming earned a good share of technical and
other nominations for the 61st annual Emmy Awards, which were unveiled yesterday
in Hollywood, including five nods for ABC's LOST, including best drama; and five
nods for Syfy's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, including best direction.
ABC's canceled PUSHING DAISIES also got five nominations, including best
supporting actress (for Kristin Chenoweth as Olive Snook), and HBO's TRUE BLOOD
got three. NBC's HEROES received two nominations.
In a special note, nominations in a new category, outstanding special
class--short- format live-action entertainment programs, recognized Web videos
and went to Syfy.com's BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: THE FACE OF THE ENEMY and Joss
Whedon's groundbreaking DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-ALONG BLOG, among others.
Holly Hunter got a nomination for best actress for her lead role in TNT's SAVING
GRACE. Syfy's Sanctuary got one nomination, for visual effects.
For a full listing of nominations, go to
<http://scifiwire.com/2009/07/battlestar-lost-daisies-s.php#more>. The 61st
Primetime Emmy Awards airs Sept. 20 on CBS.

STAR TREK
Paramount Home Entertainment's STAR TREK will hit home video as a 1-Disc DVD, a
2-Disc DVD and 3-Disc Blu-ray on November 17 with all the usual extras as well
as a new bonus feature on the disc packaging itself, reports Video Business.
With the packaging feature dubbed "augmented reality," consumers will be able to
hold their disc packaging in front of any standard Web cam to unlock an
interactive hologram tour of the U.S.S. Enterprise. In the tour, which plays on
the computer screen, viewers will be able to tour five cabins on the movie's
Enterprise and even shoot enemies from the ship's deck.
An early version of the feature, which Paramount tried for the international
theatrical release of the film, can be accessed at the Experience the Enterprise
website.
Among the other extras on the high-end versions are plot-based deleted scenes,
such as a cut scene with a baby Spock, ears and all. Another cut includes an
abandoned story line with Nero and a look at Abrams' version of the warrior
Klingons. The Blu-ray set will include a BD Live feature that connects viewers
to live updates from space through NASA. Those who want to explore the film's
space ships more, also will be able to click on the Star Fleet Vessel Simulator
to get a 360-degree view of the Enterprise and other ships.

GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Tricia Helfer will voice Boodikka, the most prominent
female member of the Green Lantern Corps in GREEN LANTERN: FIRST FLIGHT, the
next DC Universe animated original PG-13 movie, coming to DVD on July 28; she
previously voiced Black Cat in THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN.

JOHN CARTER OF MARS
Variety reports that Willem Dafoe will star alongside WOLVERINE co-stars Taylor
Kitsch and Lynn Collins in the adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs sci-fi
fantasy series of books, JOHN CARTER OF MARS. Here's what the trade paper said:
Dafoe will play the role of Tars Tarkas, a fierce green Martian warrior, who's
unusual among his savage race for his ability to love. Tars develops an alliance
with John Carter in the first film, which is based on A Princess of Mars. He
fights battles alongside Carter through the entire series of Edgar Rice
Burroughs books, so he will be hanging around for sequels.
Kitsch, who appeared all too briefly in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE as the
cane-twirling Gambit, will play the title character in Mars, a damaged Civil War
vet who finds himself mysteriously transported to the Red Planet.
Collins, who played Wolverine's ill-fated Kayla Silverfox, will play the
Princess of Mars. Stanton wrote the script with Mark Andrews. John Carter of
Mars is slated for release sometime in 2012.

WAREHOUSE 13
For the second week in a row, WAREHOUSE 13 was the top original cable drama in
prime time Tuesday among adults 25-54, the network announced. The new episode,
"Resonance," beat new episodes of A&E's The Cleaner, TNT's HawthoRNe, TNT's
Saving Grace and F/X's Rescue Me.
The one-hour dramedy delivered a 2.4 household rating, 3.4 million total
viewers, 1.6 million adults 25-54 and 1.2 million adults 18-49.
In its 9 p.m. timeslot, Syfy delivered more adults 25-54 than ABC (including a
new episode of ABC's Better Off Ted).

40TH ANNIVERSARY OF MOON LANDING
Festivities are in full swing here in Washington to celebrate the 40th
anniversary of the lunar landing on Monday, July 20. The John F. Kennedy
Presidential Library and Museum has created a new Web site, We Choose the Moon,
which offers you a real-time recreation of Apollo 11, the mission to land the
first men on the moon, which observes its 40th anniversary.

SEPTIMUS HEAP: MAGYK
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Warner Brothers has brought in David Frankel
to develop and direct SEPTIMUS HEAP: MAGYK, based on the popular seven-volume
children's books by U.K. author Angie Sage. The story follows two babies who are
switched at birth&#65533;one a boy who discovers his birthright as the seventh
son of a seventh son and is destined to become a powerful wizard, the other a
girl who is fated to become a princess.

TRIBBLE ALERT
As part of its promotion of the upcoming Blu-ray set of season two of the
original Star Trek TV series, CBS/Paramount Home Entertainment has enlisted
famed Trek writer David Gerrold to deliver a Comic-Con invitation. Gerrold
invites fans to visit CBS/Paramount's booth at Comic-Con in San Diego next week
to pick up a limited number of souvenir "Tribbles". Gerrold, as you know, was
the writer of the original series episode "The Trouble With Tribbles" and
invented the furry fertile creatures. Gerrold also ivites fans to upload Tribble
pictures to CBS-BDLive.com. The season-two Blu-ray drops on Sept. 22.

ADJUSTMENT BUREAU
Variety reports that Emily Blunt and Matt Damon will star in ADJUSTMENT BUREAU,
based on a Philip K. Dick's short story. George Nolfi directs.
The trade broke the news writing:
Damon will play a smooth-talking congressman whose political future is thrown in
doubt by uncontrollable events and the arrival in his life of a mysterious
ballerina, played by Blunt. ...
Production begins in mid-September in Gotham.

WINGS
Variety reports that Disney has acquired screen rights to the young adult
fantasy novel WINGS and will develop the best-selling Aprilynne Pike title as a
star vehicle for Miley Cyrus. Cyrus is to play Laurel, a 15-year-old who grows
up sheltered and home-schooled in a small town. Adjusting to a big high school
is difficult, and her suspicion that she's not like the other kids becomes a
reality when she sprouts a pair of wings and learns that she's a fairy.
Published in May, the novel is the first of a planned four-book series.
The deal continues Disney's relationship with Cyrus beyond "Hannah Montana." She
is currently shooting "The Last Song," a Julie Anne Robinson-directed adaptation
of the novel that Nicholas Sparks wrote as a vehicle for Cyrus. Sparks wrote the
script with Jeff Van Wie.

EUREKA WINS TIMESLOT
Syfy's EUREKA returned last Friday for the second half of its third season with
an audience of 2.6 million total viewers, winning its timeslot among adults aged
25-54 among basic cable networks. The new episode drew 1.1 million adults 18-49
in its new Friday 9 p.m. ET/PT timeslot. The episode also beat ABC in the 25-54
demographic; Syfy ranked second in the demographic overall in the 8-11 p.m.
prime- time period behind only its sister network USA. Eureka outpaced
competitors including TLC's What Not to Wear, Animal Planet's Whale Wars and
VH-1's The Great Debate. The midseason premiere represented a 23 percent
increase among adults 18-49 and more than 19 percent in adults 25-54 versus the
previous midseason finale on Sept. 23, 2008.

CREATION
According to Variety, Jon Amiel's Charles Darwin biopic CREATION will open the
34th Toronto Film Festival on Sept. 10. "This intimate look at Darwin puts a
human face on a man whose theory remains controversial to this day," said
Toronto fest director and CEO Piers Handling, adding that this year marks the
200th anniversary of Darwin's birth.
Produced by Jeremy Thomas, pic stars Paul Bettany as the English scientist and
author of "The Origin of Species" and Jennifer Connelly as his wife Emma. John
Collee's screenplay is adapted from "Annie's Box," penned by Darwin
great-great-grandson Randal Keynes, about the scientist's struggle with the
death of his daughter Annie and his religious views. Thomas' Recorded Picture
Co. developed the project with BBC Films and the U.K. Film Council.

I HOP
According to Variety, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment have
firmed up a March 4, 2011, release date for I HOP, a live-action/CGI family
comedy in which Russell Brand has been set to provide the voice of the Easter
Bunny, which is to be directed by ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS' Tim Hill.

THOR CASTING NEWS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Natalie Portman will join Kenneth Branagh,
Tom Hiddleston and Chris Hemsworth for Marvel Comics' version of the Norse god
of thunder. Branagh is the director; Hiddleston is the villain. Portman will
play Jane Foster, in the comic books a nurse working for Dr. Donald Blake, who
is secretly Thor. No word yet on the plot or how it'll tie into Marvel's other
big-screen properties, though when evil trickster-god Loki (played by
Hiddleston) is around, reality tends to shudder. Filming on THOR begins early
next year. The movie is scheduled to hit theaters May 20, 2011.

KARATE KID REMAKE
Jackie Chan has signed on to co-star opposite Jaden Smith, son of Will and Jada
Pinkett-Smith, in an upcoming remake of THE KARATE KID, according to Variety.
The action star will play the wise mentor role originated by Pat Morita in the
1984 film. In that movie, Morita's Mr. Miyagi made a young protege (Ralph
Macchio) perform a series of seemingly mundane chores that subtly taught the kid
karate.
To reflect the movie's shift to a Chinese connection (as opposed to the
original's Japanese), the movie has been retitled THE KUNG FU KID and the action
moved from California to China. Shooting began Saturday in Beijing.

FEAR AGENT
According to Risky Biz Blog, Universal is in the early stages of developing Dark
Horse's sci-fi FEAR AGENT. The project is an open-writing assignment at the
moment, but the studio could match a spec script whose rights are controlled by
Air Force One producer Jonathan Shestack and bring Shestack on to produce FEAR
AGENT. FEAR AGENT centers on a colorful, borderline alcoholic astronaut named
Heath Huston, a Texan who works as a so-called fear agent, the last of a
dwindling breed of spacemen whose mission it is to fight threats to the planet
Earth, which is partly destroyed during the course of the series.
The property emphasizes a kind of in-your-face adventure as Huston hops around
the galaxy fighting various alien species and threats. Rick Remender penned the
series, which began life in 2005 as an Image Comics property before moving to
Dark Horse the following year.

THE ROAD
Young Kodi Smit-McPhee is set to star with Viggo Mortensen as the unnamed Boy in
the upcoming film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy's grim post-apocalyptic novel
THE ROAD, which opens Oct. 16.
Meanwhile, Moviehole.com reports that he's reportedly about to be cast in
another high-profile drama with otherworldly overtones:
In an interview with The Herald-Sun (in their HIT lift-out), young actor Kodi
Smit- McPhee (Romulus, My Father, the upcoming The Road) reveals that he's up
for a role in the remake of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN.
Though the deal isn't done yet, the actor' currently filming the Aussie comedy
LOVE AND MORTAR with Chuck star Yvonne Strahovski says it's looking good.
Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) will direct LET ME IN, inspired by the Swedish horror
pic about a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with a vampire
child in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, in the early 1980s.
The English-language remake is scheduled to hit theaters next year.

VEGAS AVENGERS
Reuters reports that producer Kevin Misher ("Public Enemies") is pursuing the
action feature VEGAS AVENGERS over at Warner Bros. Pictures. AVENGERS tells the
story of a hot-shot pilot who, after taking too many risks, is forced to enter a
top-secret program that flies experimental, unmanned planes.
Much of the action takes place at Nellis Air Force base just outside Las Vegas.
Soo Hugh penned the script.

ROBIN HOOD
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Danny Huston is joining the cast of Universal
and Imagine's ROBIN HOOD, which Ridley Scott is now directing in England.
Russell Crowe plays the legendary folk hero in the latest retelling of the Robin
Hood myth written by Ethan Reiff & Cyrus Voris and Brian Helgeland. Imagine's
Brian Grazer is producing along with Scott and Crowe.
Huston will step into the shoes of the historical figure King Richard, who
became known as Richard the Lionheart because of his exploits in the Third
Crusade. Huston starred in X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE and has both EDGE OF
DARKNESS and CLASH OF THE TITANS coming up.

MAX STEEL
Variety reports that Paramount Pictures is teaming with Joe Roth to pick up
Mattel's MAX STEEL as another action figure it wants to play with on the big
screen. On August 7, the studio will release G.I. JOE: THE RISE OF COBRA.
The toy property revolves around a 19-year-old extreme sports junkie recruited
by a secret agency after an accident infects his body with nanobots, making him
superhuman. Mattel introduced the character in the U.S. in 1999 as an action
figure, and soon after in an animated series that ran from 2000-2002. Max Steel
is Latin America's No. 1 action figure.
But Mattel wants to use movies as a way to relaunch the toy line in the U.S. and
the rest of the world, the way the "Transformers" pics have helped generate new
heat around Hasbro's action figures.
Mattel and Roth are seeking a screenwriter and director, who will work closely
with the toymaker to develop the film's characters and storyline to match the
company's plans for the franchise.

HONG KONG PHOOEY
According to Variety, Alcon Entertainment has geared up its live-action/animated
version of HONG KONG PHOOEY with Alex Zamm on board to direct from David
Goodman's script. Alcon toppers Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove are
producing along with Brett Ratner and Jay Stern.
The project is an adaptation of the 1970s Hanna-Barbera animated TV series,
about a police station janitor who becomes a dog with mystical powers, including
the ability to do kung fu.
Alcon's financing and co-producing BOOK OF ELI, directed by Allen and Albert
Hughes. Goodman's written WHO'S KILLING THE GREAT CHEFS OF VEGAS for Warner
Bros. He continues as an exec producer on "The Family Guy."

THE BEAVER
Variety reports that Mel Gibson will star in THE BEAVER for director Jodie
Foster. Kyle Killen wrote the script about a depressed man (Gibson) who finds
solace in wearing a beaver hand-puppet. On top of directing, Foster will play
the role of the man's wife. Foster boarded the project and brought it to Gibson,
with whom she co-starred in 1994's MAVERICK. Producers are pushing for a
September start date in New York.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA CLIPS
Over at MovieWeb.com you will find a number of new video clips from Universal
Studios Home Entertainment's two highly- anticipated DVD / Blu-ray sets:
Battlestar Galactica: Season 4.5 and Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Series,
which will both be available on stores shelves nationwide on July 28. The page
includes 14 new clips which include deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes clips and
so much more. Use this link to get started:
http://www.movieweb.com/video/VIs9ewvBxmbAvx.

RYAN REYNOLDS IS GREEN LANTERN
Just yesterday, The Hollywood Reporter indicated that three actors were vying
for the coveted title role in The Green Lantern -- last night it reports that
one has prevailed: Ryan Reynolds. Warner Brothers has selected their Hal Jordan.
The film is being directed by Martin Campbell and produced by Donald De Line and
Greg Berlanti. Here's what the trade paper reported Friday night:
Reynolds and his camp entered negotiations for the part Friday, after the studio
held two rounds of screen tests, along with actors Bradley Cooper and Jared
Leto. Justin Timberlake also did a screen test. The studio had holding options
on the actors, but, except for Reynolds, those expired Monday. Reynolds' option
would have expired end of day Friday.
If the deal is completed, Reynolds will be the only actor to have played
characters in both Marvel and DC films: He recently appeared as Deadpool in
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, and the character is in development for a spinoff
movie. Fans of the BLADE franchise also recall Reynolds role as Hannibal King.
Reynolds was also attached at one time to a Flash movie from writer/director
David Goyer, but nothing ever came of that.

LITTLE BEE
According to Variety, Nicole Kidman is teaming up with BBC Films on her next new
project; Kidman has signed on to produce and star in LITTLE BEE.
The film will be an adaptation of the Chris Cleave novel and Shawn Slovo is
writing the adaptation. The story centers on a chance encounter when a teenage
Nigerian orphan named Little Bee ends up meeting a well-off British couple who
end up wandering past their vacation resort. No production schedule was given
for the film.

THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX
JoBlo has just revealed the first image of THE FANTASTIC MR. FOX, which is set
for release on November 13. The Fantastic Mr. Fox is directed by Wes Anderson
and stars George Clooney, Kate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Meryl
Streep. The film hits theaters nationwide on November 13.

NEW MENTALIST CAST MEMBER
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Terry Kinney has been cast in a recurring
role on CBS' THE MENTALIST. The actor is set to be in seven episodes of the
Warner Bros. TV-produced series' second season. He will play Agent Sam Bosco, a
normal looking police officer with a hidden amount of shrewdness. Bosco will run
the California Bureau of Investigation's Serial Crimes Unit. He is brought in to
help solve the case of the Red John serial killer. His victims include the wife
and daughter of CBI's Patrick Jane (Simon Baker). Bosco's by-the-book approach
is something Jane finds hard to work with.
Further complicating things is the fact that Bosco was Teresa Lisbon's (Robin
Tunney) boss at one point. Apparently, something from the past hangs over their
current relationship.
Kinney recently co-starred on ABC's well-received but short-lived dramedy THE
UNUSUALS

I guess that brings you up to date on what's going on in the world of Babylon 5
and science fiction.  There is much, much more listed out at the website
(http://www.isnnews.net) – didn't want to crash everyone's mailbox with more
news!  Be sure to check out the site often and drop comments you have either to
me at sgbruckner@... or via the blog off the website at
http://isnnews.blogspot.com.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Be safe,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY, June 28, 2009

What's New

Yes, I know, it has been a while – but I wanted to make sure you had all the
latest news – before it became "old" news!

JMS AND THE WORLD OF Z
Following a comment by Max Brooks at Wizard World in Philadelphia, someone asked
JMS about his continued involvement on THE WORLD OF Z project. Brooks indicated
that JMS was out and that another screen writer had been brought in by the
producers to continue the project.

Here is JMS' comment from the b5 moderated newsgroup:
"One of the things that distinguishes film from TV is that it's the norm for a
script to go through many, many hands on the way to production, which is why you
see so many writers' names on movies. (As a parenthetical, so you can follow the
process better, when you see "Written by A & B" it means that A and B were
actually collaborators on the film, whereas "Written by A and B" means that B
was brought in separately.) Ivan Reitman, for instance, always has one writer do
a pass for character, another does a pass for humor, another does a pass for
action...and so on. This is just part of the feature business, especially once a
director comes on board, who may have ideas of his own that he wants to
incorporate and the original writer has gone through all the contractual drafts,
so that either you re-hire the same guy, or bring in fresh eyes.

So yes, another pair of hands is now working to simplify the script, which has
always been as much a political thriller as an action film, into something a bit
more straightforward."

THOR
Call it coincidence, but today SciFi has a TV movie about Thor on at 9:00.
Yesterday, we learned that JMS will be ending his writing stint with Marvel's
Thor comic book. Two "Thor" books are solicited for September: a "Thor" annual
by Peter Milligan, Mico Suayan and Clay Mann, and a 64-page "Thor: Defining
Moments Giant-Size" #1 by Straczynski and Marko Djurdjevic. The solicitation
notes the issue will conclude Straczynski's run with the character.

JMS indicates "There were no creative differences, no animosity, no rancor...
just the question of how to handle being caught in the switches by my own
shortcomings and ineptitude. I have to say here that Warren and Dan were
absolutely understanding and supportive and gentle with me -- there are no
horror stories here. They are gentlemen and scholars and the kind of
business-men you want to work with, because through it all they remain human
beings, and that's rare.

The publishing schedule for the book was then slowed down and stretched out to
accommodate the search for a new writer, because finding someone to come on with
short notice is tough. I have no idea who they've chosen -- I imagine that will
be in the release or, at latest, at [Comic-Con International in] San Diego --
but I'm sure it'll be a terrific choice."

You can go to <http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=21780> to read
more about this change for JMS.

LENSMAN
A number of news sources have picked up on the JMS interview on the Babylon
Podcast this week. Everyone, along with Tim Callender, is excited at the
prospect of a LENSMAN movie with JMS writing the adaptation.

Based on a series of sci-fi stories by Edward Elmer "Doc" Smith (1890 - 1965),
LENSMAN will follow a struggle between two powerful races that visited our
universe billions of years ago from outside of our time-space continuum. One
came to rule the emerging life in our universe and the other attempting to
protect it.

Here is an excerpt from SciFi Scoop:
A breeding program is instigated upon multiple planets (including Earth) by
those trying to protect the universe. In time, a number of beings from these
programs are selected to become guardians of the universe. In what might be
paralleled (in concept at least) to the Green Lantern, these chosen few wear a
"lens" , a life-force power created by an elder race of our universe that gives
the wearer a variety of super abilities. This group becomes a type of galactic
police force, entrusted with the task of battling to save, well, everything.

It is no exaggeration to say that Smith's stories are so epic they are difficult
to summarise without going into great length and that my summary above hardly
does the story justice at all. In any case, suffice it to say that the film
offers nothing short of mega-potential and may be a film of such grand scale
that, even in consideration of James Cameron's upcoming Avatar, has the
potential to be one of the biggest sci-fi films of all time.

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #161!

Faith Manages. The interview everyone clamored for but hadn't been holding their
breath waiting for has come to pass.

JMS, The Great Maker, graciously allows Tim and Summer to throw a seemingly
endless stream of questions about the origins and creation of Babylon 5, the
production and growing pains of the show, and dealing with the vagaries of the
industry of Hollywood, the bizarre perfect storm surrounding Crusade on TNT, and
more.

And yes, this interview went long enough that the only way to do it justice was
to split it over two episodes, so come back next week for part 2!

You have until June 27th to enter the contest to win a free iTunes copy of the
Harlan Ellison documentary Dreams with Sharp Teeth!
Second Life Info: FarPoint Media's Second Life space is now part of the village
that encompasses Third Life Books. You can find the village at
<http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49>.

Babylon 5 Information Gathering: If you know of a dead or abandoned B5 related
website that may be in need of a new home, let Summer know! Maybe we can mirror
it here or house it on a sister site.
Visit Deep Geeking, and if you want to contribute a geeking essay, send an email
to Summer.

To catch up on all the Babylon 5 podcasts, go to
<http://www.babylonpodcast.com>.

BABYLON 5 BOOK SERIES - ASKED & ANSWERED SERIES
New release dates have been announced for the remaining volumes of the Asked &
Answered series.

OFFICIAL RELEASE SCHEDULE
Part 1: Now available at B5books.com
Part 2: July 16
Part 3: August 12
Part 4: September 16
Part 5: October 14

All remaining books will debut at $10 off the first seven days of release.
Go to <http://www.cafepress.com/b5books> for a list of the topics covered in
Part One, a sample of some of the questions covered and a link to 12 sample
pages.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

GARY COLE
Ranger Anne noted that Gary Cole (Captain Gideon from Crusade) is a guest on the
Season 2 premiere of A&E's THE CLEANER. The episode is called "Hello America"
and Gary's character is a national news anchor & spokesman for recovery. He
claims to have been clean for years... but it's all a lie. William Banks (played
by Benjamin Bratt) and his team of extreme interventionists have to discreetly
help the anchorman get clean... for real. Whoopi Goldberg also guest stars in
the episode.
"The Cleaner" is based on a true story about a former addict who leads a team of
interventionists who use any means necessary to help others kick their
addictions.

BRUCE BOXLEITNER
Bruce has a new movie -- TRANSMORPHERS 2: FALL OF MAN. To view a trailer, go to
http://www.scifiscoop.com/news/the-asylums-transmorphers-2-fall-of-man-trailer/.
According to SciFiScoop, the movie has its straight-to-dvd release on June 30,
timed to coincide with TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN.

EFREM ZIMBALIST, JR.
Ranger Anne sent along a story about Babylon 5 guest star Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.
being honored by the FBI. The FBI series ran from 1965 to 1974 -- and I have to
admit is one of the reasons I came to Washington, DC following graduation. Go to
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090608/ap_on_en_tv/us_zimbalist_fbi to read about
the FBI recognizing his contribution by naming him an honorary special agent.
Babylon 5 fans will remember Mr. Zimbalist as billionaire William Edgars.

DANIEL DAY KIM - SEXIEST DAD
Daniel Day Kim, Babylon 5 fans know him as Lt. Matheson from CRUSADE -- others
know him as Jin from LOST, was voted one of the Sexiest Dads in a recent TV
Guide article.

ISN BLOG
I have a blog over at <http://isnnews.blogspot.com>. This is an experiment for
me -- and I hope you'll join me by entering news you have to share. I'll put in
stuff that I think is interesting for others to read about and we'll see how it
goes.   So far it has been fun – and it is a great way of engaging readers. 
Join me.

WARNER ARCHIVE - JUNE RELEASES
The Warner Archive Collection (www.WarnerArchive.com) continues to be one of the
best sources of old titles released on DVD.

The latest roster of cinematic rarities from the Warner Archive Collection
includes four MGM classics showcasing the irresistible charms of the legendary
Marie Dressler, and seven silent rarities from the studio vault that are now
available on DVD.

Thanks to special restoration efforts, several silent gems have once again been
combined with their original Vitaphone music scores for their DVD debut via the
Warner Archive Collection. This collection of Warner silents will surely be a
must-have for serious fans of silent film, and includes THE BETTER OLE, THE
DIVINE LADY, THE FIRST AUTO, OLD SAN FRANCISCO, as well as the John Barrymore
melodrama WHEN A MAN LOVES.

Go to <http://www.warnerarchive.com> for more information on this wonderful
resource for old films.

NEW ANIMATIONS
Artist Tye Bourdony has sent along links to some of his latest satires -- and
they are animated. Tye has brought us many satires in the past. Be sure to visit
his site:
Oompa: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ed1CT77CPMM>
Geico: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsdx-UCHGhA>
Rorschach: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=racbmLCcpko&feature=channel_page>.

SUGGESTED READING

TOTAL SCI-FI NEWSLETTER
If you are like me, it is hard to keep up on what's new in the world of science
fiction. Totalscifionline.com at http://www.totalscifionline.com has launched
its inaugural weekly newsletter. Pop over and sign up!

TITAN MAGAZINES
Titan has updated their website to include all of their wonderful magazines. Go
to <http://mailing.titanmagazines.com/mailing> to sign up for their latest
information.

SCIENCE FICTION TELEVISION SERIES, 1990-2004
by Frank Garcia and Mark Phillips
Frank Garcia was interviewed a few weeks ago on the BABYLON PODCAST. He talked
about his new book and here's a review
<http://www.sfcrowsnest.com/articles/books/2009/nz13743.php>
This book is the ultimate for a science fiction fan. It provides a wealth of
information about series -- and many little known facts gathered through
interviews and extensive research.

CONVENTION CALENDAR
July 10-12, 2009
SHORE LEAVE
Place: Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn
City: Baltimore, Maryland
Guests: Jason Momoa, Rachel Luttrell, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips,
Christopher Heyerdahl, Jasika Nicole -- and many more
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com/

July 10-12, 2009
TCON
Place: Sheraton Parkway North Toronto Hotel
City: Richmond Hill, Canada
Description: We have over 300 hours of programming including special media guest
Q&A's, scientists, authors, discussion panels, anime & video, gaming, autographs
& photo sessions, masquerade contest, dances and art displays. They host a
charity auction that raises money for Gilda's Club of Greater Toronto -- and
they have the 3rd Annual Constellation Awards.
For more information, go to TCON.

July 23-26, 2009
San Diego Comic-Con
Place:  San Diego Convention Center
Guests:  Too many to list
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/cci.

August 6-9, 2009
OFFICIAL STAR TREK CONVENTION
Place: Las Vegas Hilton Hotel, 3000 Paradise Rd.
Guests: Just about anyone you can think of that has been associated with the
show
For more information, go to www.creationent.com.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
Variety writes that Mchael Bay's TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN earned yet
another $36.7 million on Friday to bring its three-day domestic total to $125.9
million. While "Revenge of the Fallen" is heading for a five-day worldwide box
office record, it is estimated that its domestic haul over the same frame could
be more than $190 million. THE DARK KNIGHT holds the five-day opening domestic
record with $203.8 million. REVENGE OF THE FALLEN could earn $115 million this
weekend for a five-day total of $205 million. The DreamWorks/Paramount release
is currently playing at 4,234 theaters, 169 of which are IMAX.

SUPERNATURAL CAST ADDITION
The CW confirms that Mark Pellegrino -- a former "Dexter" baddie, as well as
"Lost"'s Jacob -- is joining SUPERNATURAL to play the pivotal role of Lucifer.
No word yet on how this casting news will impact his part on "Lost," but because
Lucifier is just a recurring character, he could certainly pop up on both shows.

MARVEL PRODUCTION UPDATE
At the recent Saturn Award, Marvel's head of marketing, Doug Finberg, provided
an update on Marvel projects. Finberg confirmed that the working title of the
Captain America film is THE FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA. That would both
introduce Cap and lead into the concept of The Avengers, which would follow.
"It's something we're considering, and really at the end of the day, everyone is
going to know that he is Captain America," Finberg said.
AVENGERS screenwriter Zak Penn said earlier in the week, at the L.A. Film
Festival, that he is running around between IRON MAN 2, THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA
production offices to make sure his script coordinates with the introduction of
key superheroes, and, of course, his script has to be done before the other
films are. Finberg was confident that all teams could unite for a solid Avengers
film. "Having everybody on board and really being able to actually work as a
team together and develop the Marvel cinematic universe is what's most important
to us," Finberg said.
The long-term plan is to introduce Thor and Captain America, then combine them
with Iron Man to form the Avengers. But that still only accounts for three
members of the famed superhero team, four if they throw in the Hulk. Could Penn
introduce any new supporting superheroes in the Avengers film itself? That's not
off the table, according to Finberg. "I think that really remains to be seen,"
he said.
Samuel L. Jackson has signed on to continue playing Nick Fury, agent of
S.H.I.E.L.D., in the Marvel universe films. Expect him to play a major role in
the upcoming films, with the possibility of his own film down the road, Finberg
said. "Well, we have a multi-picture deal with him, so obviously we're in
business with him for a while to come, and we really enjoy working with Sam," he
said.
Thor will be another case of Marvel's trusting a director to bring a unique
vision to their property, as Sam Raimi did for Spider-Man, Bryan Singer did for
X-Men and Jon Favreau did for Iron Man. "Kenneth Branagh at the head of it all
is really the critical thing to us, to really create his vision" of Thor,
Finberg said. "He and [Marvel honcho] Kevin [Feige] are working really closely
together."
As for IRON MAN 2, which is currently in production, Finberg assured fans they
can expect more of the same action and improvisational drama courtesy of star
Robert Downey Jr. There may be no way to manage fan expectations for the sequel
to a $300- plus-million-grossing film, but Marvel is committed to pleasing them.
"It really is more to come," Finberg said. "Ultimately, the final expectation,
the final verdict, is with the fans, and that's something that the team of
Marvel does a phenomenal job at, actually making the best movie from the
material they can."
IRON MAN 2 is due out May 7, 2010. THOR is next, on May 20, 2011. Then CAPTAIN
AMERICA on July 22, 2011, and THE AVENGERS on May 4, 2012.

DAYBREAKERS
The first trailer has been released for DAYBREAKERS, the vampire thriller
starring Ethan Hawke and Willem Dafoe. Hawke portrays a researcher in the year
2019, during a time when a plague has changed most of the world's population
into vampires.
As the human population dwindles, vampires hunt, capture and farm every
remaining human in order to survive, or else must find a blood substitute before
time runs out. But some humans won't go down without a fight ...
Use this link to see the trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-TTlbkobHQ&feature=player_embedded. DAYBREAKERS
doesn't open until Jan. 8, 2010.

SPIDER-MAN BROADWAY CAST ADDITIONS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming have joined
the cast of SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK, the upcoming Broadway musical about
the famous web-slinger.
Wood will portray Peter Parker's girlfriend Mary Jane Watson, while Alan Cumming
takes on the role of Norman Osborn, also known as the villainous Green Goblin.
The musical, directed by Julie Taymor, begins preview performances Feb. 25,
2010, at the Hilton Theatre.
An opening date will be announced later -- as will the actor who will play
Spider-Man.

WARNER BROS. AND SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON
This year's Comic-Con International San Diego have officially sold out. There
remains a lot of anticipation for what movies might have presentations at the
annual event, especially the big movie presentations in the 6,000+ seat Hall H,
which is always packed to capacity.
Warner Bros. is leading the pack of studios announcing their line-up, starting
on Thursday, July 23 at 3:30PM with the first-ever 3D Presentation in Hall H of
the fourth chapter of the horror franchise THE FINAL DESTINATION with producer
Craig Perry on hand.
The studio's biggest presentation will take place on Friday, July 24th between
10:15 AM and 12:30 PM with most of their biggest movies including Spike Jonze's
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, The Hughes Bros.' THE BOOK OF ELI (starring Denzel
Washignton), Platinum Dunes' relaunch of A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, Richard
(Donnie Darko) Kelly's THE BOX (starring Cameron Diaz), as well as presentations
for JONAH HEX and Guy Ritchie's SHERLOCK HOLMES. No word on the talent attending
but going by past WB presentations, they should have most of the filmmakers and
hopefully a lot of the cast from all films as well.
Lastly, Robert Rodriguez will be holding a special presentation and Q & A for
his new family film SHORTS on Friday at 1:45 in Room 6DE.

I AM NUMBER FOUR
When I first heard the title of this upcoming movie, I thought it was a spin-off
of the PRISONER. All their "guests" had numbers -- but this project is totally
different. According to Variety, Michael Bay is undertaking a new sci-fi venture
to produce, with DreamWorks, and possibly direct I AM NUMBER FOUR, the first in
a six-book sci-fi novel series.
One of the more unusual developments is that one of the book's two authors was
said to be James Frey, the infamous author who penned A MILLION LITTLE PIECES.
The book was shopped around under psedonyms, but a source for the trade
indicates that Frey is one of the authors of the new book. The studio wouldn't
confirm if Frey is indeed one of the authors.
The book centers on nine teenage aliens who escape their home planet right
before its obliteration and head to Earth to blend in as high school kids. The
title character then discovers that he is being hunted by the enemy species that
destroyed his home planet. It was said that the book's publishing and screen
rights were being shopped simultaneously.
Frey became embroiled in scandal when it was learned that his beloved
non-fiction book, A MILLION LITTLE PIECES was partially fabricated and
embellished by the author.

HELLIFIED
Paramount has acquired the supernatural action script HELLIFIED by Andy Burg,
and set Dan Bradley to direct. According to The Hollywood Reporter, HELLIFIED is
described as a supernatural action movie involving a journey to hell.
The script and the accompanying six-figure deal mark a return to Hollywood for
Burg, a comedy and family-film writer who has worked on such movies as 1989's
K-9 and 1996's ALASKA. During the early 2000s, he segued to the Internet,
fashioning himself as a Web entrepreneur. With HELLIFIED the scribe hopes to
begin a new act as an action writer. No production date has been set.

WATCHMEN DIRECTOR'S CUT
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the director's cut of WATCHMEN, featuring
an additional 25 minutes of footage and the death of a supporting character,
will receive a limited theatrical rollout during the weekend ahead of its July
21 home-video release.
The superhero saga, which was considered to be a bit of a box office
disappointment during its first go-round in March, will screen in Los Angeles,
New York, Minneapolis and Dallas.
The rollout will culminate with a special screening July 25 at the Comic-Con
International confab in San Diego, taking advantage of a Blu-ray Disc feature
that will allow any viewer in North America to watch the movie at the same time
as the audience at Comic-Con, see and hear director Zack Snyder comment on the
movie, and even ask questions. The screening will then be archived and will be
able to be accessed for future viewings.
"Comic-Con, it isn't just comic book fanatics, it's cinephiles as well. It'll be
cool to discuss what people are thinking," Snyder said at a WATCHMEN press day,
held Wednesday at Warner Bros., where the news was unveiled.
The day was designed to showcase a bonus Blu-ray feature called Maximum Movie
Mode as well as features to be seen in Snyder's Blu-ray release of "300: The
Complete Experience." The theatrical rerelease is unusual, given that the costly
movie grossed just $107.5 million domestically. Critics were also divided about
the movie, with some saying it was too slavish to the graphic novel's many
devotees. Snyder, however, said, "I'm proud of the movie. It does everything I
wanted it to."

EARLY MEMORY STAMPS
TWILIGHT ZONE creator and host Rod Serling, the LONE RANGER and 18 other
television icons from the '50s will be honored on first-class postage stamps to
be released August 11. The U.S. Postal Service plans to hold a ceremony
dedicating the set of "Early TV Memories" commemoratives at 10:30 a.m. PT on
that date at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in North Hollywood, CA. The event
will be free and open to the public.

The set consists of stamps depicting (as seen in order below) Milton Berle; I
Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance; Red Skelton; puppet Howdy Doody;
Dragnet star Jack Webb; Lassie; William Boyd, aka Hopalong Cassidy, and his
horse Topper; You Bet Your Life host Groucho Marx; Dinah Shore; Ed Sullivan;
Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Phil Silvers; The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) and his
horse Silver; Perry Mason star Raymond Burr; Alfred Hitchcock; George Burns and
Gracie Allen; Ozzie and Harriet Nelson; Steve Allen; Rod Serling; and "The
Honeymooners" stars Jackie Gleason and Art Carney. It is about time these TV
icons got their own stamp! I wonder if you have to purchase the set -- or you
can get an entire sheet of The Lone Ranger???

NOAH WYLE TO TNT
ER's Noah Wyle has signed as the lead in TNT's untitled alien-invasion pilot,
marking a reunion with producer Steven Spielberg. The project, written by Robert
Rodat from an idea he conceived with Spielberg, is set shortly after aliens have
wiped out most of the human population. Wyle will play the leader of a ragtag
group of soldiers and civilians who struggle against the occupying alien force.
"It is a privilege to be starting a second series with Noah," said Spielberg,
whose company was behind "ER." "The first didn't do too badly."
TNT had been looking to extend into series its relationship with Wyle, whom TNT
head of programming Michael Wright called "an incredibly talented actor and an
extraordinary person."
Wyle has starred in four original films for the cable network: the "Librarian"
action-adventure franchise, which spawned three movies, and "Pirates of Silicon
Valley." "I couldn't feel more at home," Wyle said.

LEVERAGE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jeri Ryan is set to recur on TNT's LEVERAGE.
On the sophomore drama about a group of vigilaties in pursuit of bringing down
bigwigs, she will play Tara, a smart-ass, street-wise con woman whom Sophie
(Gina Bellman) calls on for help and who gets sucked into the Leverage family.
Ryan most recently co-starred on CBS' SHARK. Her series credits also include
BOSTON PUBLIC, The OC and STAR TREK: VOYAGER.

UNCHARTED: DRAKE'S FORTUNE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Columbia is adapting the action-adventure
video game UNCHARTED: DRAKE'S FORTUNE into a feature film with Kyle Ward set to
write the adaptation.
The story follows a descendant of explorer Sir Francis Drake, a treasure hunter
named Nate Drake who believes he has learned the whereabouts of El Dorado, the
fabled South American golden city, from a cursed golden statue. The search
becomes competitive when a rival hunter joins the fray, then is racheted up
several notches when creatures -- actually mutated descendants of Spaniards and
Nazis -- begin attacking those hoping to learn the treasure's true secrets.
The game, from Sony Computer Entertainment, sold 1 million copies in the first
10 weeks of its release at the end of 2007. No production date has been set.

SATURN AWARDS
THE DARK KNIGHT won five awards at the 35th annual Saturn Awards on Wednesday,
taking home statuettes for best action/adventure/thriller film, best writing
(Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan), best supporting actor (Heath Ledger),
best music (Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard) and best special effects. The
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films sponsored the awards at The
Castaway in Burbank, Calif. Other multiple winners included THE CURIOUS CASE OF
BENJAMIN BUTTON and IRON MAN, with three each. BUTTON won best fantasy film,
best supporting actress (Tilda Swinton) and best makeup. IRON MAN won best
science fiction film, best actor (Robert Downey Jr.) and best director (Jon
Favreau).
Single winners included HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, for best horror film;
Angelina Jolie as best actress for CHANGELING; Jaden Christopher Smith for best
performance by a younger actor in THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL; INDIANA JONES
AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, for best costume; LET THE RIGHT ONE IN for
best international film; and WALL-E for best animated film.
On TV, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA won three awards: best actor on television (Edward
James Olmos), best actress in television (Mary McDonnell) and best
syndicated/cable television series. DEXTER won two acting awards, for Jennifer
Carpenter for best supporting actress on television and Jimmy Smits for guest
starring role on television.
Single wins for TV series included LOST for best television series, THE
LIBRARIAN: THE CURSE OF THE JUDAS CHALICE for best presentation on television,
and Adrian Pasdar for best supporting actor on television in HEROES.
DVD winners included JACK BROOKS: MONSTER SLAYER for best DVD release, Stephen
King's THE MIST for best DVD special edition, PSYCHO (Universal Legacy Series)
for best DVD classic film release, THE GODFATHER: THE COPPOLA RESTORATION for
best DVD collection, MOONLIGHT for best series on DVD and THE INVADERS for best
retro series on DVD.
Jeffrey Katzenberg received the very first Visionary Award for his efforts in
advancing 3-D film presentation. Leonard Nimoy received the Lifetime Achievement
Award, for five decades of work in film and television, but really for Mr.
Spock. A Life Career Award went to longtime genre actor Lance Henriksen.

DISAVOWED
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Michael Ross has come aboard to write the
action thriller DISAVOWED for CBS Films. Irwin Winkler ("Home of the Brave") is
producing the film, originally written by Philip Shelby, about a group of
military prisoners in the U.S. secretly dispatched to the African nation of
Eritrea to retrieve a bio- chemical weapon that has gone missing. If the group
is successful in keeping it out of the wrong hands, the convicts' prison
sentences will be commuted.
"It's a really exciting and simple premise," said Ross. "I want to honor that
and make a really fun and engaging action movie. That's the goal, is to make it
moment- to-moment exciting, take advantage of the location and the simplicity of
the plot and the opportunity to work within a really fun genre, which is the
man-on-a-mission movie."
Ross wrote the screenplay for the Fox Atomic horror film "Turistas." He also is
working on the script for the remake of the thriller "Jar City" for Overture
Films. Ross also has scripts for the political thriller "Cartagena" in
development with 2929 Prods., the remake of "Near Dark" in development with
Rogue Pictures and an untitled Chernobyl action thriller in development at
Summit.

BURIED
Variety reports that Ryan Reynolds will be starring in BURIED for the Spain
based Versus Entertainment. The actor will play a contractor who gets kidnapped
in Iraq. He eventually wakes up buried in a coffin in the middle of the desert.
The only things he has on him are a cell phone, a candle and a knife.
Rodrigo Cortes will be directing from a script by Chris Sparling. Production on
this project will start this month in Barcelona.

SMALLVILLE FINDS ITS ZOD
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Callum Blue has been cast as Clark Kent's
fellow Kryptonian on Earth General Zod. The 31-year-old British actor, known for
his roles on Showtime's "The Tudors" and "Secret Diary of a Call Girl," will
play the son of Jor-El's future nemesis in the upcoming ninth season of The CW
drama.
The DC Comics villain is best known to moviegoing audiences as Terence Stamp's
megalomaniacal portrayal in 1980's "Superman II." The military leader was
sentenced to the Phantom Zone for his crimes, and when he escaped to Earth,
gained powers similar to Superman's because of the yellow sun.
Blue is also known for his roles in "Dead Like Me," the WB's "Related" and "The
Princess Diaries 2." SMALLVILLE returns to The CW on its new night, Friday, on
Sept. 25.

FRINGE CASTING NEWS
Meghan Markle (90210) has joined the cast of Fox's Fringe in the recurring role
of a new, attractive, brash and quick-witted junior FBI agent, according to The
Hollywood Reporter; Markle takes the place of Kirk Acevedo, whose FBI Agent
Charlie Francis won't be back.

DAYBREAKERS
A new poster has gone live for DAYBREAKERS, an upcoming sci-fi movie starring
Ethan Hawke as Edward Dalton, a researcher in the year 2019, in which an unknown
plague has transformed the world's population into vampires; the movie opens
Jan. 8, 2010.

RAY BRADBURY ON LIBRARIES
A recent interview by the New York Times had Ray Bradbury, author of FAHRENHEIT
451 and THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, defending libraries. "The Internet is a big
distraction," said Ray BradburBradbury said. Bradbury was being interviewed
prior to a public appearance benefiting Ventura County's H.P. Wright Library,
which is in danger of shutting its doors because of budget cuts.
"Yahoo called me eight weeks ago," he said. "They wanted to put a book of mine
on Yahoo! You know what I told them? 'To hell with you. To hell with you and to
hell with the Internet.'
"It's distracting," he continued. "It's meaningless; it's not real. It's in the
air somewhere."
According to the Times, a Yahoo spokeswoman said it was impossible to verify
Bradbury's account without more details.
"Libraries raised me," said Bradbury, as passionate about the public library
system as ever. "I don't believe in colleges and universities. I believe in
libraries because most students don't have any money."

AVATAR
In a recent story from The Hollywood Reporter James Cameron unveiled 24 minutes
of his 3-D, sci-fi film AVATAR at the Cinema Expo.
The film stars Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana and Stephen Lang.
On hand at the RAI convention center (in addition to Cameron) to talk about this
$300 million production were the film's producer Jon Landau, and Fox's Jim
Gianopulos. "Three years ago, I stood up here and said the 3-D renaissance is
coming," Cameron started. "And from what we've seen in the business, we can now
say it has arrived." In AVATAR, Jake, a paraplegic war veteran is brought to
another planet, Pandora, which is inhabited by the Na'vi, a humanoid race with
their own language and culture. Those from Earth find themselves at odds with
each other and the local culture. Cameron said that the assemblage of footage he
was showing came from the first third of the film. He also showcased some images
from not yet finished portions of battle scenes later in the film. These
involved the earthlings and the aliens fighting over control of the fantasy
world Pandora.
According to Cameron, later in the film the action comes non-stop at viewers.
Worthington will be "a remote-controlled character created by melding his
crippled human form into a super-human being -- whose fate lies ultimately in
doing battle with his own former race." Members of the media that covered the
event were not allowed to discuss AVATAR images, nor could they interview
members of the viewing audience. The footage that was screened received a very
enthusiastic response.
"I just want to say that I think Avatar is going to play great in 3-D, 2-D, any
'D.'" said Cameron. A lot of the technology that was used to record the actor's
performances was created especially for AVATAR, and the crews behind the effects
at WETA Digital in New Zealand and Industrial Light + Magic in Northern
California. AVATAR comes to theaters on December 18 from 20th Century Fox.

HEROES - BRYAN FULLER LEAVES - AGAIN
Entertainment Weekly quotes Bryan Fuller confirming his departure from HEROES to
focus on developing new projects for NBC -- not because of creative differences
with series creator Tim Kring.
Fuller, who was a co-executive producer on the fairly well-received first season
of HEROES, left the show to run PUSHING DAISIES in 2007, but returned to HEROES
as a consulting producer and writer when "PD" was canceled earlier this year. It
was the hope of many a HEROES fan that Fuller would help put the series back on
track after its less successful second and third season.

THE LAST AIRBENDER
A new teaser trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender is now online.
Opening July 2nd, Paramount's big screen adaptation stars Noah Ringer, Nicola
Peltz, Jackson Rathbone, Dev Patel, Jessica Jade Andres, Aasif Mandvi, Shaun
Toub, Cliff Curtis and Keong Sim.
Based on the hugely successful Nickelodeon animated TV series, the live-action
feature film is set in a world where human civilization is divided into four
nations: Water, Earth, Air and Fire.
The Fire Nation is waging a ruthless, oppressive war against the other three
nations. The film's hero, the reluctant young Aang (Noah Ringer), is the "Last
Airbender" -- the Avatar who, according to prophecy, has the ability to
manipulate all of the elements and bring all the nations together. Aided by a
protective teenage Waterbender named Katara (Nicola Peltz) and her bull-headed
brother Sokka, Aang proceeds on a perilous journey to restore balance to their
war-torn world.
Jackson Rathbone plays Katara's brother Sokka, and Dev Patel plays Prince Zuko,
prince of the Fire Nation. Mandvi is set to play the role of Commander Zhao, an
ambitious and hot-tempered Fire Nation commander. Toub is cast as Uncle Iroh,
the retired Fire Nation general and devoted surrogate parent to Dev Patel's
character Zuko. Curtis is set to play the ruthless ruler Fire Lord Ozai. Keong
Sim has been cast in the role of Earthbending Father.

THE TESTAMENT
Author John Grisham has agreed to let Producers Mark Johnson and Hunt Lowry make
his 1999 book THE TESTAMENT, into a movie, says Variety.
In the novel, a billionaire defies his greedy relatives and leaves his $11
billion fortune to a mysterious illegitimate daughter doing charity work in the
Brazilian wetlands. A down-and-out lawyer helps her battle her relatives over
the fortune. The deal for THE TESTAMENT shows the power of persistence on the
part of producer Johnson, who has kept on Grisham and his agent-editor David
Gernert for the better part of a decade.
"I've been calling them since I read it the first time and felt it had the best
of the courthouse stuff that John writes so well, plus this exotic adventure in
deepest Brazil," Johnson said.

THE ZOOKEEPER
According to Variety, Adam Sandler, Cher, Jon Favreau, Sylvester Stallone and
Judd Apatow will provide voices for the animals in MGM's live-action comedy THE
ZOOKEEPER, starring Kevin James and Rosario Dawson.

THE GOBLIN
Variety writes that oscar-winning visual-effects specialist Charles Gibson will
make his big-screen directing debut with the Geoff Rodkey-scripted supernatural
family comedy THE GOBLIN. Tthe story revolves around a suburban family that
moves into its new home only to find a curmudgeonly goblin who doesn't want them
there.

HUMAN TARGET
Here's a trailer for you!!!! HUMAN TARGET is a new series coming to Fox this
year. If the series is anything like the trailer, this is going to be a GOOD
show to watch.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid1545148137?bctid=23653034001. I
loved Mark Valley in FRINGE -- he looks even better in HUMAN TARGET.
Christopher Chance (Valley) is a detective-bodyguard hired by people in danger
to eliminate threats. The trailer has more action in it than most one-hour
dramas!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND featuring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena
Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen was
featured recently in USA Today.
The article explains that the March 5, 2010 release, co-starring Michael Sheen,
Mia Wasikowska, Matt Lucas, Crispin Glover, Stephen Fry and Alan Rickman, is
almost like a sequel to the original story:
The traditional tale has been freshened with a blast of girl power, courtesy of
writer Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast). Alice, 17, attends a party at a
Victorian estate only to find she is about to be proposed to in front of
hundreds of snooty society types. Off she runs, following a white rabbit into a
hole and ending up in Wonderland, a place she visited 10 years before yet
doesn't remember.

ANCHOR BAY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Anchor Bay has picked up all rights in the
U.S., U.K., Australia and New Zealand to the Tribeca Film Festival breakout from
writer-director Raymond De Felitta -- CITY ISLAND.
Paradigm packaged and repped rights to the pic, which stars Andy Garcia,
Julianna Margulies and Emily Mortimer in a dramedy about a family on the quiet
island off the New York coast. The movie centers on a repressed corrections
officer (Garcia) who harbors acting dreams but who gets caught in a series of
misunderstandings when he brings home his secret adult son from a previous
marriage to live with his family. The film's centerpiece is a riff from Garcia
in which he auditions for a role in a Martin Scorsese movie.
Drawing the tag of a New York "Little Miss Sunshine" from media at Tribeca,
"Island" was a crowd-pleaser at the festival, scoring its audience award.
Anchor Bay plans on a platform release in late '09 or early '10, with a wider
rollout to follow.
"We're definitely going to take risks with it, start small and grow it wide,"
Anchor Bay president Bill Clark said. "Everyone who sees the film loves it, so
we think we can capture a broad audience."
Anchor Bay, which is a division of Liberty Media's Starz unit, recently launched
a theatrical unit to complement its home video business. The company also has
picked up the Ashton Kutcher Sundance drama "Spread," which it plans on
releasing in August, and overall aims to release eight to 10 theatrical movies a
year.

V
A new trailer has surfaced for V, the remake of the 1980's TV series. You'll see
a number of familiar faces in this clip --Joel Gretsch from The 4400; Scott Wolf
from Everwood. ABC is positioning this for mid-season.
Premise: The world awakens to find spaceships hovering over all major cities.
Though the aliens claim to come in peace, some do not believe them. Homeland
Security agent Erica Evans discovers that the aliens have plans to infiltrate
our governments and businesses in a plot to take over the planet. Erica joins
the resistance movement, which includes Ryan, an alien who wants to save
humanity. However, the aliens have recruited earth's youth, including Erica's
son, to serve unknowingly as spies.
Enjoy.

SHERLOCK HOLMES
Two new one-sheet posters for SHERLOCK HOLMS have made their way to the net. The
movie is set for release on December 25 with Robert Downey Jr. as the legendary
title character and Jude Law as his trusty sidekick Watson. Other cast members
include: Rachel McAdams, Mark Strong, Kelly Reilly, Eddie Marsan and will open
on Christmas Day.

DORIAN GRAY
Ben Barns, from THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, stars as Oscar Wilde's
infamous immortal protagonist in the new major feature film adaptation of DORIAN
GRAY. Though no official artwork has been released at this time, an early promo
insert has found its way to the internet to provide us a first glimpse at the
thriller which also stars Colin Firth and hits UK cinemas on September 11th.
GRAY tells the story of a strikingly beautiful young man named Dorian (Ben
Barnes). He arrives in Victorian London and is swept into a social whirlwind by
the charismatic Henry Wotton (Colin Firth), who introduces Dorian to the
hedonistic pleasures of the city. When a portrait of Dorian is unveiled, such is
its beauty that he makes a pledge: he would give anything to stay as he is in
the picture - even his soul. DORIAN GRAY examines the destructive power of
beauty, the blind pursuit of pleasure and the darkness that can result.

NEW INDIANA JONES MOVIE COMING
Earlier this week, INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL star Shia
LaBeouf hinted that director Steven Spielberg had "cracked" the story for a
fifth Indy adventure. Now producer Frank Marshall is confirming another movie is
indeed in the works. "The story for Indy 5 is progressing," Marshall tweeted.
"It is still in the research phase." Marshall also told Empire Magazine:
"It's really about the script," says the veteran Indy producer. "Once we see
that, we'll see. We're not going to wait another 20 years. We'd all love to make
another one. I'm anxious to hear the idea!"
But are Mssrs. Spielberg, [Harrison] Ford and [George] Lucas equally sold on a
fifth outing for the whip-cracking archeologist? "Yeah. We had a great time
making the last one and, as Harrison said, we need to make this one soon. We're
not getting any younger."

NEW CONAN FOUND
Lionsgate and Nu Image/Millennium are behind the reboot of CONAN THE BARBARIAN.
They may have found their new star in a creepy echo of original Conan star
Arnold Schwarzenegger's own rise to fame.
Here's what The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Business blog reports:
The companies are in talks with a 41-year-old Austrian actor named Roland
Kickinger to play the title role that Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous in the
1982 classic Conan the Barbarian.
There are more than a few eerie parallels between the personalities.
Like Schwarzenegger, Kickinger is a bodybuilder-turned-actor from the Central
European country.
Like the California governor, he also had a role as a T-800 in the Terminator
franchise (in Warner Brothers' current TERMINATOR SALVATION).
Kickinger actually played a Conan-era version of Schwarzenegger in SEE ARNOLD
RUN, the 2005 A&E biopic about the actor-turned-politician.
Eagle-eyed TERMINATOR fans may recognize Kickinger's physique from his role as
the body double of Arnold's famed T-800 in McG's Salvation movie onto which
Arnold's 1984 head was computer grafted.

I think that pretty much brings you up to date.  Be sure to tune into the next
Babylon Podcast to get the second half of JMS' interview with Summer and Tim. 
Part 1 was fantastic – can't wait for the rest.

Be sure to drop over to the website (http://www.isnnews.net) when you have a few
minutes.  This newsletter is just a portion of the information you'll find
there.

Have a great Sunday and enjoy the remainder of your weekend.
Be safe.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – May 2, 2009

WHAT'S NEW
There are a few new items I wanted to make sure you were aware of – and it has
been a while since the last update.

J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI AT MIT MAY 22
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski will deliver the second annual Julius
Schwartz Lecture on campus May 22nd at 7:00 p.m. The event is open to the public
so buy your tickets ($10) early either online or at Hub Comics in Somerville or
Comicopia in Kenmore Square.
You might also be happy to know that in addition to writing both original and
adapted screenplays, he is working on LAST WORDS, a pilot for a new TV series
for TNT and Dreamworks. It is supposedly an hour-long drama with a paranormal
thrust.
The event is sponsored by MIT's Comparative Media Studies program with Professor
Henry Jenkins as host. He will engage in a Q&A with Straczynski following the
lecture and then Straczynski will field questions from the audience.

RANGER REPORTS
BRUCE BOXLEITNER
Ranger Anne writes that Bruce Boxleitner made a return visit to CHUCK this past
Monday night (4/27), in the season finale "Chuck Versus the Ring." The episode
featured the wedding of Chuck Bartowski's little sister Ellie to Devon (aka
Captain Awesome), and how evil Ted Roark & his agents from Fulcrum wanted to
stop the wedding to steal the Intercept (Chuck), with the threat of killing
Ellie. Bruce reprised his role of Devon's father Woody (from earlier in the
season).

PAT TALLMAN
Ranger Morjana reports that the SciFi Channel is airing STAR RUNNERS on
Saturday, June 13 at 9pm, and it will be repeated Sunday June 14 at 1:30am.
According to TrekTrak.com, STAR RUNNERS was a failed pilot for USA, and that
Patricia Tallman co-starred in it -- from 1998!
Patty is one of my favorite B5 people -- so it will be fun to see her on screen
again -- mark your calendars.

THE BIRTH OF THE BABYLON 5 STORY
In 1999, J. Michael Straczynski allowed his original notes on Babylon 5 to be
released via his Last Word column in the Babylon 5 Magazine (Vol. 2, Issue 9).
These notes were the first written record of Babylon 5, made moments after he
had his inspiration for the series while taking a shower.
Though the magazine is long gone, on this, the 10th anniversary of this column's
publication, he wanted to share the origins of Babylon 5 again. While many fans
saw them when they were originally published, he realizes that many more have
not.
In addition to the notes, there is a brief introduction that formed part of that
column. Go to http://www.cafepress.com/thejoestore/6587738 to read a portion of
that history.

NEW BABYLON 5 BOOK SERIES COMING IN MAY
The Script Team has announced a new BABYLON 5 series of books that will debut in
May. No information on what series they are talking about -- we will have to
wait to see.

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #153!
It's "pick a random special day in April" hour! Hug An Australian Day, Pet
Owners Independence Day, and Jeffrey waxes nostalgic over Thomas Jefferson's
birthday.

The innuendo runs amok. There must be something in the water…
Deep Geeking: This week, we take the first step into the final arc in the
overall 5-year journey, embarking on Deep Geeking for Season 5.
"No Compromises" falls under the bright light of examination, and Jeffrey
recounts an impressive Tracy Scoggins audition story.

Discussion: Gary promises to get us pictures of both space shuttles on the
launch pads at the same time; and he also sent us a recording of the Babylon
Files: Volume 2 foreword that Jeffrey wrote for Andy Lane. Interestingly enough,
he lets us know that Pat Tallman also wrote the afterword for the same book…
maybe Gary will read that for us sometime soon.

Jeffrey also recounts his experience being caught on both sides of the strike
that affected the set for a short time, and the emotional impact it had on him
at the time.

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media's Second Life space is now the penthouse suite
of Third Life Books. You can find the castle at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49. Come see the castle roof pool,
and more!

Babylon 5 Information Gathering: If you know of a dead or abandoned B5 related
website that may be in need of a new home, let Summer know! Maybe we can mirror
it here or house it on a sister site.
To catch up on all the Babylon 5 podcasts, go to http://www.babylonpodcast.com.

WARNER ARCHIVE ADDS NEW TITLES
If you love old movies, you will have to visit the new Warner Bros. Archive
Site. They have launched the Warner Archive Collection (www.WarnerArchive.com) a
new initiative allowing fans to own over 150 at launch and eventually several
thousands of films that have been in its vault for decades including hidden
treasures starring legends such as Carry Grant, Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn
and Greta Garbo. All films are available for the FIRST TIME EVER on DVD and On
Demand.

Warner Archive is also providing a fun promotion for all classic fans~!

For a limited time Buy 2 Warner Archive films and Get the Third Free with coupon
code: SPITFIRE

Also experience more film history with the official Warner Archive Podcast
Series � a treat for any Film fan.
Featuring classic radio show broadcasts originally recorded to promote the
theatrical debut of several films included in the Archive Collection
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=310063354
http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/dd/podcasts/wac/wac_main.xml

SCI FI TO SY FY ON JULY 7
Sci Fi Channel will launch its new name and branding with the two-hour premiere
of its so-called thrilleromedy "Warehouse 13" on Tuesday, July 7 at 9-11 p.m.
ET/PT. "Warehouse 13" centers on two secret agents, the meticulously detailed
Myka (Joanne Kelly) and highly intuitive but unpredictable Pete (Eddie
McClintock), who have been assigned out to South Dakota's mysterious Warehouse
13, where Artie (Saul Rubinek) is the caretaker of a vast array of strange and
fantastical artifacts.

Shortly afterward, "Eureka" will return for the second half of its third season,
moving from Tuesdays to Fridays, beginning July 10 at 9 p.m. If you recall, Jack
(Colin Ferguson) lost his job as the town's sheriff, so that's stressful. His
daughter Zoe (Jordan Hinson) isn't helping, since she's giving him grief on the
home front.
Other summer goodies from Syfy:

- "Ghost Hunters International" returns Wednesday, July 8 at 9 p.m.
- "Ghost Hunters" returns Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 9 p.m.
- Syfy's fantastical movies: "Malibu Shark Attack" starring Peta Wilson
(prehistoric goblin-y sharks); "High Plains Invader" starring James Marsters
(giant insectoid aliens); "Hellhounds" directed by Rick Schroeder (Greek warrior
in Hades); and "Sand Serpents" starring Jason Gedrick (giant worm-like critters
in Afghanistan).
- Marathons: Memorial Day - "Land of the Lost"; July 4th celebration (Thursday -
Saturday) "Twilight Zone"

AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION
X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Fox appears to have a good jump on the
weekend opening for its Hugh Jackman starrer X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, which
registered at least $4.5 million in midnight Thursday performances in the U.S.
and Canada.
The studio was still culling through preliminary data Friday afternoon, and the
witching-hour's tally may run as high as $5 million when finalized. Though
hardly a record, that should offer some comfort to anyone at Fox still worrying
whether the pricey tentpole will be hampered by lost business from a pirated
copy of an early version of the film that's been circulated widely over the
Internet.
Studio execs suggested they will be happy with a domestic haul anywhere north of
$70 million through Sunday. Prerelease tracking seemed to indicate an opening of
$80 million-plus.
WOLVERINE also launches in 101 international territories this weekend – the
first frame in the summer boxoffice season.

PALE HORSEMEN
Variety reports that Kevin Grevioux has set up another one of his comic book
properties for a film adaptation, and this time he's at the helm. Grevioux's
graphic novel THE PALE HORSEMEN has been been picked up by NEHST Studios.
Grevioux will be adapting from his own graphic novel and he will also be making
his feature film directorial debut on the project. The story revolves around a
group of asssasins who must reluctantly band together to discover who murdered
their mentor and teacher.
The news comes on the heels of another Grevioux comic book adaptation, I,
FRANKENSTEIN, that was recently picked up for an adaptation by Death Ray Films.
No production schedule was released for the project.

DISTRICT NINE
The first trailer for Neill Blomkamp's upcoming sci-fi thriller DISTRICT 9 is
now available at
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/district9/medium.html. This film,
produced by Peter Jackson, takes place in a South African refugee camp for
extraterrestrials.
DISTRICT 9 opens on August 9.

DARK TOWER
MTV.com writes that STAR TREK director J.J. Abrams and his producing partner,
Damon Lindelof (LOST), told IGN.com that they have been working on a film
adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel series THE DARK TOWER.
"Damon Lindelof and I talked to Mr. King," Abrams said. "We got the rights for
[DARK TOWER] as a film. Damon is obviously still on LOST, and we've been working
on STAR TREK together. As soon as LOST is done, hopefully we'll begin tackling
that."
As LOST wraps up its penultimate season and gets ready for its sixth and final
year, Lindelof told the Lostpedia that his entire creative energy is currently
focused solely on the series.
"We're just so focused on finishing LOST that it's really hard to think about
anything else," he said. "The last thing we want to think about is how to adapt
a seven-book series of, you know, basically the writer who we admire the most
and look up to most and has inspired our work the most and do anything with
that. I think that it's such a daunting task. We have a pretty daunting task in
front of us ourselves [with the end of LOST]."
Previously, Lindelof told AMC that he envisions the series on the same scope as
Peter Jackson's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, possibly even seven movies to match
the book series' seven volumes.

THE ROAD
Dimension Films and 2929 Productions announced an Oct. 16 release date for THE
ROAD, the post-apocalyptic drama starring Viggo Mortensen and based on Cormac
McCarthy's best-selling novel.
Mortensen co-stars with Robert Duvall and Charlize Theron in the movie, which
chronicles the journey of a man and his young son (Kodi Smit-McPhee) across the
blasted American landscape following an unnamed cataclysm.
Guy Pearce also stars in the movie, which was directed by John Hillcoat from a
screenplay by Joe Penhall.

THE LAST VOYAGE OF DEMETER
According to Variety, Director Marcus Nispel (Friday the 13th) is in talks to
board the vampire-themed THE LAST VOYAGE OF DEMETER for Phoenix Pictures with
Mike Medavoy, Arnie Messer and Brad Fischer producing.
The story, written by Bragi Schut Jr., is based on a chapter in Bram Stoker's
Dracula describing the arrival of the vampire count in England on a cargo ship
that has crashed into the rocks at Whitby with no crew and the dead captain
lashed to the steering wheel.
Stoker tells the story via the captain's log of the voyage, which begins in
Bulgaria and becomes increasingly disjointed as members of the crew disappear.

DEATH NOTE
Variety indicates that Warner Brothers has acquired rights to turn the Japanese
manga series DEATH NOTE into a live-action film. The studio has hired
screenwriters Charley and Vlas Parlapanides to adapt.
The story centers on a college student who accidentally finds a misplaced "death
note," infusing him with the power to kill merely by writing anyone's name on
the page while picturing the person in his mind.
The 13-volume manga is a best-seller in Japan, and the film will be drawn from
the first three installments, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi
Obata for Shueisha Inc.

IRON MAN 2
USA Today has provided the first look at Robert Downey Jr. in IRON MAN 2, as
well as director Jon Favreau's comments on the sequel's themes.
The sequel began shooting three weeks ago in and around Los Angeles and opens
May 7, 2010. It takes place six months after Stark revealed his identity as Iron
Man, Favreau told the newspaper.
"How many superheroes are open about their true identities?" he asks. "We wanted
to play with that idea. But it obviously has consequences in his relationships,
on the team. There are a lot of areas we can explore."

DISNEY JOINS HULU
According to Variety, Disney has signed on as an equity partner with NBC
Universal, News Corp. and Providence Equity Partners in the fast-growing
Internet vid distrib that ranks No. 2 to YouTube as a purveyor of Web video.
Move leaves CBS as the only Big Four network without a presence on Hulu.
Once the deal formally closes, Disney will make full-length episodes and other
content from a range of Mouse House shows, including ABC hits "Lost," "Grey's
Anatomy" and "Desperate Housewives," available for ad-supported webstreaming via
Hulu's proprietary player.
Among the other shows slated to be made available on Hulu are ABC's "Ugly
Betty," "Dancing With the Stars," "Private Practice" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live";
ABC Family's "Secret Life of the American Teenager"; Disney Channel's "Wizards
of Waverly Place"; and a range of ABC and Disney library product.

GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST
While out promoting his latest movie project, GHOSTS OF GIRLFRIENDS PAST,
Matthew McConaughey said that he took the role because it gave him a real range
of acting challenges.
"It was a really well-written role, very colorful," McConaughey said. "In this
type of film I don't get to start off playing a lead male that has such an
opinion one way, that's crass and rash and not pandering; to then go through the
story, learn some lessons and come out of the story the next day a new man, a
guy who's lost his way and then finds his way."
In the film, inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, McConaughey plays
Connor Mead, a legendary ladies' man who begins to reconsider his
commitment-free ways when he is visited by three ghosts who force him to revisit
past relationships. McConaughey appeared alongside co-star Jennifer Garner and
director Mark Waters to promote the film, which opens Friday.

BATTLE FOR TERRA
Aristomenis Tsirbas, who co-wrote and directed the upcoming animated sci-fi
familiy movie BATTLE FOR TERRA, said during a recent interview that the film
deals with complicated issues, but that he believe children can handle them. The
film tells the story of an alien race that faces an army of human explorers with
an eye on taking over their planet after war has destroyed Earth.
"I actually talked to a lot of kids about the story, and they really liked it,"
Tsirbas said. "It seemed as though there was an appetite for science fiction
that wasn't just action, that had interesting concepts that relate to kids.
Especially kids of today, who are kind of really ecologically aware, much more
so than I was when I was a child."
Some of the film's intellectually challenging and provocative themes include
religion and politics. The aliens believe the first human invasion to be the
appearance of gods. The human military leader declares an "us or them" policy,
since Terra would need to be terraformed to support human life, rendering it
deadly to the natives.

FRINGE
You heard his voice before -- but you haven't seen his image yet on FRINGE. Now
TV Addict has posted the first image of Leonard Nimoy as the mysterious William
Bell in Fox's sci-fi series FRINGE.
Nimoy's Bell appears in the upcoming first-season finale, which airs May 12.
FRINGE aris Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

RED
The Risky Business Blog reports that action icon Bruce Willis is currently
eyeing the starring role in RED, a WildStorm/DC Comic. Summit Entertainment will
be making the film.
Red sees Willis as an ex-black-ops agent who comes back into action when a
high-tech assassin comes after him and the woman he loves. Lorenzo di
Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian are producing. Writing the screenplay are Erich
and Jon Hoeber.
Currently Willis and Co. are negotiating with Summit regarding the role. Richard
Donner could be directing.
He is also looking at a thriller with NuImage/Millennium titled INVENTORY, and
the underworld biopic Scarpa for Morgan Creek. INVENTORY would see Willis'
character as a detective going after a killer.
Lastly, the actor is circling Morgan Creek's Scarpa. Directed by Antoine Fuqua
(Training Day), that film looks at the life of Greg Scarpa. He was an FBI
informant who went undercover in New York's Columbo family.

HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tommy Wirkola (Dead Snow) will be making
HANSEL AND GRETEL: WITCH HUNTERS. The film will look at what happened to the
siblings 15 years after everything went down in the original story. They are now
"specialized bounty hunters" who are on the hunt for bad things.
The film will be made through Gary Sanchez Productions which is owned by Adam
McKay and Will Ferrell.
"The idea is, they've grown up and they hunt witches," McKay states. "It's a
hybrid sort of old-timey feeling, yet there's pump-action shotguns. Modern
technology but in an old style. We heard it and we were just like, 'That's a
freakin' franchise! You could make three of those!' "

THE LISTENER
This summer, Craig Olejnik stars in NBC's THE LISTENER.
"My character is telepathic," the 29-year-old Canadian actor said in an recent
interview at NBC's Summer Press Day in Pasadena, Calif. "You ... meet him at the
beginning of the show at this point in his life where he's beginning to open up
the closet in the sense that his telepathy was always something he tried to
avoid and put in the corner. But ... in doing that, he kind of pigeonholed
himself into a very solitary life."
THE LISTENER stars Olejnik as Toby Logan, a paramedic who has revealed his
telepathic abilities only to his mentor and confidant, Dr. Ray Mercer (Colm
Feore). The show follows Logan as he makes his rounds with his energetic
partner, "Oz" Bey (Ennis Esmer), helping people and trying to uncover the truth
about his past. The Canadian production also stars Lisa Marcos as Detective
Charlie Marks and Mylene Dinh-Robic as Logan's ER-doctor ex-girlfriend, Olivia
Fawcett. THE LISTENER debuts on NBC on June 4 and will air Thursdays at 10 p.m.
ET/PT.

WALL STREET
Variety writes that 20th Century Fox has set Oliver Stone to return as helmer of
the sequel to his 1987 hit WALL STREET. Shia LaBeouf is also in the mix for WALL
STREET 2. LaBeouf is negotiating to join Michael Douglas, who won an Oscar for
his portrayal of Gordon Gekko in the original pic. The sequel will once again
involve a young Wall Street trader, and the recent economic meltdown spurred by
rampant greed and corruption will fit prominently into the plot. Allan Loeb will
write the script. Edward R. Pressman is back as producer.

THE FORGOTTEN
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that John Wells and Don Murphy, through their
respective companies John Wells Prods. and Angryfilms, have teamed up to develop
the independent comic THE FORGOTTEN for the big screen. The comic centers on a
man who, no matter what he does or whom he meets, is forgotten five minutes
later. While it gives him great power and leeway as far as investigations and
problem-solving, it leaves him incredibly alone. When the son of a long-lost
friend is charged wrongly with murder, he uses his powers to get to the bottom
of a conspiracy.
FORGOTTEN, published and co-created by Evan Young and Jareth Grealish, was
unveiled in 2004 at the San Diego ComicCon. The duo published a four-issue
series and a collectors edition. No production date has been set.

RED TAILS
Gerald McRaney has signed on to the cast of Lucasfilm's RED TAILS, the Anthony
Hemingway-directed action drama about the Tuskegee Airmen. According to The
Hollywood Reporter, McRaney will play General Luntz, the officer who assigns the
Red Tails as bomber escorts during missions over Nazi held territory.
The film, starring Terrence Howard and Cuba Gooding, Jr., was written by John
Ridley from a story by George Lucas and is being produced by Rick McCallum and
Charles Floyd Johnson with Lucas as exec producer. Production is set to shoot in
Europe.

GULLIVER'S TRAVELS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Amanda Peet has joined the cast of
adventure/comedy GULLIVER'S TRAVELS for 20th Century Fox. The modern retelling
of Jonathan Swift's classic story follows travel writer Lemuel Gulliver (Jack
Black), who heads to an assignment in the Bermuda Triangle only to end up on the
secret island of Lilliput, home to a population of industrious tiny people.
Peet will play Black's editor and potential romantic interest. Jason Segel and
Emily Blunt also star. MONSTERS VS. ALIENS co-director Rob Letterman helms from
a script by Nicholas Stoller and Joe Stillman.

PRIMEVAL
Warner Brothers and Impossible Pictures are developing a feature film based on
its sci-fi series PRIMEVAL, from the creators of WALKING WITH DINOSAURS, for
2010, BBC America announced.
In the meantime, the third season of the hit British series debuts on BBC
America on May 16 and will air Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
The new season will feature new cast members, new monsters and special effects
and a rare location shoot in London's British Museum.
Joining the cast are Jason Flemying and Laila Rouass. The new season also brings
an unusual new monster designed entirely by a Primeval fan.
At the start of the new season, Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) is still reeling
from Stephen's death and the extent of his wife Helen's (Juliet Aubrey)
betrayal. As he fights to refocus his embattled team, the anomalies continue to
present an unrelenting series of threats. If the team thought the mammoth was a
tough nemesis, then the giganotosaurus is truly epic.
In addition, creatures steeped in ancient folklore begin to appear as it becomes
clear that the origins of myths and legends are linked with the mysterious
anomalies. From a pristichampus, a creature that bears a striking resemblance to
the ancient Egyptian crocodile demon Ammut, to a dracorex being hunted by a
deranged knight who's convinced it's a dragon he must slay, it seems everyone
wants a bite of the action.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

May 8-10, 2009
EYECON: TWILGHT
City: Orlando, Florida
For more information, go to http://www.eyeconfla.com

May 16-17, 2009
WonderFest 20
Place: Louisville, Kentucky
Guests: Veronica Cartwright, Angela Cartwright, Tom Woodruff, Jr., and many more
For more information, go to www.wonderfest.com for more information.

I guess that will pretty much catch you up on what's been happening over the
last few weeks.  Be sure to pop over to the website (http://www.isnnews.net)
when you have a chance to get the latest in information about new movies, TV
series, etc.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Be safe,
Sandy
Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher
ISN News:  The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net

Hey there.  Sorry it has been so long between notes.  I promise to send out
something this weekend.

JMS AT MIT IN MAY
Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski will deliver the second annual Julius
Schwartz Lecture on campus May 22nd at 7:00 p.m. The event is open to the public
so buy your tickets ($10) early either online or at Hub Comics in Somerville or
Comicopia in Kenmore Square.

You might also be happy to know that in addition to writing both original and
adapted screenplays, he’s working on LAST WORDS, a pilot for a new TV series
for TNT and Dreamworks. It’s supposedly an hour-long drama with a paranormal
thrust.

The event is sponsored by MIT’s Comparative Media Studies program with
Professor Henry Jenkins as host. He will engage in a Q&A with Straczynski
following the lecture and then Straczynski will field questions from the
audience.

BABYLON 5 MOVIE BOOK
This is a special reminder about the Babylon 5 Movie Book.  Tomorrow is the last
day you will be able to purchase it from CafePress.

Featuring these Scripts<br>
• Thirdspace<br>
• The River of Souls<br>
• The Legend of the Rangers<br>
• The Lost Tales<p>

These TV Movie scripts are twice the length of a single episode of Babylon 5 and
are the page count equivalent of EIGHT episodic scripts making it the second
biggest book ever with more than 450 pages! <p>

ALL THAT PLUS THESE SPECIAL BONUSES<p>
     * The included version of The Legend of the Rangers is an early draft that
is 20 pages longer than the script that was filmed, which means you get to read
scenes and exchanges of dialogue that never made it to the screen.<p>

     * Exhumed from Joe's vault, a 3-page fragment of an outline detailing the
premise for a Psi Corps feature film . Focusing on The Telepath War, and
appropriately titled "Wars of the Mind," JMS' notes reveal the background of the
conflict -- teeps vs. teeps, the cast of characters -- including the identity of
the Interstellar Alliance's Vice President, and the explosive deaths of two B5
regulars -- something hinted at, but never stated in an official series
document.<P>

     * J. Michael Straczynski's personal, behind-the-scenes photos taken on the
set of The Lost Tales and The Legend of the Rangers -- included in these 36
images are the last pictures taken of Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar.<p>

For more information about this book, go to
http://www.cafepress.com/thejoestore.  This book will only be available through
April 30.<p>

NEW BABYLON 5 BOOK SERIES COMING IN MAY

The Script Team has announced a new BABYLON 5 series of books that will debut in
May.  No information on what series they are talking about -- we will have to
wait to see.

That's it for now.  More to follow.
Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY  March 15, 2009

WHAT’S NEW

JMS REWRITES FORBIDDEN PLANET
Over at FilmBuff Newsreel, there is a story about J. Michael Straczynski
trashing the first draft of the follow-up/sequel to FORBIDDEN PLANET. According
to the article, the do-over is not due to a question of quality in the writing,
but due to the fact that details of the storyline had already started to leak,
even though actual production on the project has yet to be greenlit. In a clip
from a note JMS posted on the B5 moderated newsgroup:
"Meanwhile, on a wholly different note…not of triumph but of
annoyance….because so much of the Forbidden Planet screenplay was leaked out,
Warners and I have decided to chuck the screenplay in its entirety and start
over. This is the direct result of the leaks that showed up on the nets,
including detailed script reviews of a project that was barely a week old, and
which would effectively destroy any anticipation of the movie because by the
time it finally reached the screen in 2010 or thereabouts, the story would be
old news. So we’re starting fresh, and we’re going to keep a tight lid on
the script this time.

So to the sites that say, “Where’s the harm, it’s not like they’re gonna
toss out the script because we blew the contents of same all over the nets,�
well, yes, that’s exactly what it’s like, and it’s precisely your
responsibility that a year’s worth of work was destroyed.

So we start anew, with the determined hope that the next draft will be even
better, and far more secure, than the last one."

JMS WRITING BOOK ON CHRISTINE COLLINS
There was a comment by JMS to a question of whether or not he was writing a book
based on the life of Christine Collins -  the main character of CHANGELING.  JMS
indicated that he was �" but had fallen  behind because of the press of more
urgent matters.

CATCHING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

MELISSA GILBERT:
LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, a new musical based on the beloved Laura Ingals
Wilder series of classic American books, will launch a nationala tour in October
at The Ordway Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota, following a five-week engagement
beginning September 10 at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Milburn, N.J. Melissa
Gilbert, who rose to fame as a child playing 'Laura' in the hugely successful
NBC television series "Little House on the Prairie" during the 1970's, now
continues her legacy 'on the prairie' by taking on the role of Ma. LITTLE HOUSE
ON THE PRAIRIE will also star Steve Blanchard as Pa and Kara Lindsay as Laura.

LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, with Gilbert and Blanchard and Lindsay, had its
world premiere production in August, 2008 at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis,
where it shattered all box-office records and sold-out for 12 consecutive weeks.

Following the Paper Mill Playhouse engagement, LITTLE HOUSE will begin an
extensive national tour at the Ordway Theatre in St. Paul. After a two-week
engagement there, the show will continue on to more than 30 additional cities
throughout the U.S. and Canada in 2009 and 2010, including Denver, Toronto,
Houston, Tempe and Sacramento.

BABYLON 5 fans will remember Melissa as Anna Sheridan -- and the wife of Captain
Sheridan, Bruce Boxleitner.

BILL MUMY:
THE JENATORS RETURN
Bill Mumy's band, The Jenators, will play at Rusty's Surf Ranch (on the Santa
Monica Pier) March 14 at 9:00pm for one set only. (Band members: Tom
Hebenstreit, David Jolliffe, Bill Mumy, Chris Ross and Gary Stockdale). For more
info, call 310-393-7437.

WBSHOP.COM GRAND OPENING
The all-new www.WBshop.com is now open featuring the largest collection of
Warner Bros products including WATCHMEN exclusive collections. During the Grand
Opening receive 20% Off and Free Shipping on all orders including Blu-ray, Toys,
Apparel and more.
Be sure to check out all the BABYLON 5 and CRUSADE items. Each episode is sold
separately for $1.95. It is a great way to get your favorite episode without
having to spend a lot of money.
You will also find DOCTOR WHO, RED DWARF, SUPERNATURAL, V and many other TV
science fiction favorites. Check out the lithographs, calendars, stationery,
toys and photo collections too.

NEW BABYLON 5 MOVIE BOOK UNTIL APRIL 30

THE BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS OF J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
THE TV MOVIES
Featuring these Scripts
• Thirdspace
• The River of Souls
• The Legend of the Rangers
• The Lost Tales

These TV Movie scripts are twice the length of a single episode of Babylon 5 and
are the page count equivalent of EIGHT episodic scripts making it the second
biggest book ever with more than 450 pages!

ALL THAT PLUS THESE SPECIAL BONUSES
* The included version of The Legend of the Rangers is an early draft that is 20
pages longer than the script that was filmed, which means you get to read scenes
and exchanges of dialogue that never made it to the screen.
* Exhumed from Joe's vault, a 3-page fragment of an outline detailing the
premise for a Psi Corps feature film . Focusing on The Telepath War, and
appropriately titled "Wars of the Mind," JMS' notes reveal the background of the
conflict -- teeps vs. teeps, the cast of characters -- including the identity of
the Interstellar Alliance's Vice President, and the explosive deaths of two B5
regulars -- something hinted at, but never stated in an official series
document.
* J. Michael Straczynski's personal, behind-the-scenes photos taken on the set
of The Lost Tales and The Legend of the Rangers -- included in these 36 images
are the last pictures taken of Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar.

For more information about this book, go to
http://www.cafepress.com/thejoestore. The $10 discount is only good through
February 5. This book will only be available through April 30.

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #148!
Tim and Summer lament about whether or not the entry requirements are too hard
for the Chronologies contest, since we haven’t received any entries yet. Not a
one.
Is the contest entry requirement too hard? Seriously, as of 2pm PT, March 11
2009, I have received ZERO entries for this contest. Is this too hard a task for
our lurkers and rangers, or does everyone already have the Chronologies book?
Tim also relays a note from JMS saying that the studio has completely scrapped
the screenplay for the Forbidden Planet remake, so we hope the person that
leaked it was held responsible for theft of intellectual property and is now
working off a period of indentured servitude in that studio’s salt mines.

Contest: We’ve come up with a contest to give away a copy of the B5
Chronologies scriptbook! Can you identify all the voices in the podcast opening
montage? If you think you can, submit your entries to contest [at] sliceofscifi
[dot] com with the Subject line of Babylon Podcast Chronologies Contest, and
include your mailing address.
We need all 12 voices correctly identified and in order, and a single winner
will be selected from all the people who submit fully correct entries, and
participants who helped with the lines are not eligible to enter this contest…
maybe next time, gang.
Submit your entries by midnight Pacific time, March 3rd, and we’ll randomly
pick a winner from pool of correct entries live on the live feed on March 4th
(extended to March 25th)

Interview: Captain Jaclyn, Jason Davis and Amy Guskin from the Babylon 5 Scripts
Team join us to discuss the new scriptbooks project that’s been kept secret
and tightly under wraps until now.
Asked and Answered: JMS answers Thousands of Fan Questions about Babylon 5 is
the title of the new series, and it’s an exhaustive compendium of questions
ever asked about B5. Starting in November 1991, and current through 2008, the
team went through over 20,000 questions from many sources that aren’t
available online anymore (online chat transcripts, convention transcripts, etc)
in addition to the newsgroup archives from GEnie, AOL and Usenet.

It’s arranged in chronological order, without editing, so it’s a rare
glimpse at the actual development process as the show is ongoing. Most people
have seen some of the answers before, but a lot of work went into establishing
the original question with the answer to preserve the original context.

Keep an eye out at the Babylon 5 Scripts store for more details as the official
announcement date of March 17th and the release date of April 7th (not April
1st) draw near.

Feel free to ask the Scripts Team any questions about the project, and if you
want to see that electronic version (for easier searching) or an electronic
index, then let the Scripts Team know! (you know, there’s a free Kindle app
available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, if a Kindle version of the book could
be made available someday)
Discussion: Tim and Summer nitpick a little more about the contents of these new
books, and are looking forward to having the finished product to dig into later.
But now Summer won’t get her Crusade books until 2010… grumblefrack.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

KINGS
KINGS is a contemporary David-and-Goliath saga. Ian McShane (RIVER OF SOULS)
plays King Silas Benjamin, leader of Gilboa. When a young soldier named David
Shepard (Chris Egan) ignores orders and unwittingly saves the King's son, Jack
(Sebastian Stan), everyone's lives are forever changed.
Kings premieres Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
For a review of this new mini-series, go to
http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/03/kings-review.html

CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK
Vin Diesel revealed recently that David Twohy was writing another CHRONICLES OF
RIDDICK film. He said that only part of the film would have a smaller scale, a
la the predecessor film PITCH BLACK. Diesel said during the interview that the
film would open with Riddick struggling to survive alone against carnivorous
monsters.
"There is a scaled-down portion of this that goes back to the Pitch Black style
of telling the story," Diesel said. "It's hot."
Diesel added that his plan is still to have four Riddick films in total. The
third would only be part two of what he always envisioned as a trilogy to follow
PITCH BLACK. "Well, you remember when I had talked about Riddick, I talked about
Riddick as being the Fellowship in the Tolkien [Lord of the Rings] series. So I
was using PITCH BLACK as Hobbit, as the independent story that introduces you to
the world of Middle-earth, and then taking THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK and
treating it as a trilogy that goes from the story that you saw to the Underverse
and ultimately to Furya in the third film." Twohy's current script is not quite
set to complete the Furya journey, so there is still one more film planned.

ALIEN ZOO
Variety reports that Joe Stillman ("Shrek 1 & 2," "Planet 51") is set to pen the
high-concept family comedy ALIEN ZOO for Warner Bros. and Unique Features. Based
on an original idea by Dylan Sellers, the concept is Jurassic Park with aliens.
The film will be live-action with CGI. Bob Shaye, Michael Lynne and Sellers will
produce.

V
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Joel Gretsch (The 4400, Taken) has come
aboard ABC's drama pilot V. V, a reboot of the 1980s miniseries, deals with an
alien invasion. Gretsch will play a Catholic priest who sees a renaissance of
faith after the Visitors arrive. He joins a cast that includes Scott Wolf.
V reunites Gretsch with 4400 co-creator/executive producer Scott Peters, who
wrote V on spec.

IT
Variety reports that Warner Brothers has tapped Dave Kajganich to adapt Stephen
King's novel IT for the big screen, with Dan Lin and Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug
Davison producing.
IT centers on seven children in a small Maine town who confront the source of a
series of murders in 1958 and again in 1985, when the cycle begins again. The
novel was previously adapted into a 1990 ABC miniseries. Kajganich is also
writing ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK for Neal Moritz and New Line.

SEQUEL FOR JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
According to Variety, New Line's reteaming with Walden Media and ContraFilm for
MYSTERIOUS TRAVELS, a sequel to JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH.
The sequel's based on Richard Outten's script MYSTERIOUS TRAVELS: THE LOST MAP
OF TREASURE ISLAND, in which Prof. Trevor Anderson and his nephew embark on a
journey to a mysterious island that was the subject of three classic novels
(Jules Verne's Mysterious Island, Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island and
Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels).
JOURNEY, starring Brendan Fraser and Josh Hutcherson, was a strong summer
performer last year, with $101 million domestically and another $140 million
overseas. The film was shot in live action, but the landscapes and creatures
were generated with high-definition, photo-real 3-D technology. New Line and
Walden co-financed that project. Eric Brevig, who directed Journey but has not
yet committed to helm MYSTERIOUS TRAVELS, is working with Outten to develop the
script for the sequel. Fraser and Hutcherson have not yet signed on for the
sequel.

NBC SUMMER SCHEDULE
Yesterday NBC unveiled its summer lineup, including the premiere of the SF&F
shows MERLIN and THE LISTENER and the sci-fi miniseries METEOR and THE STORM.
The network also announced the season finale of MEDIUM on June 1 at 10 p.m.
ET/PT.

THE LISTENER debuts Thursday, June 4, at 10 p.m.
This series centers on Toby Logan (Craig Olejnik), a 25-year-old paramedic who
has a big secret: He's a telepath. Until now, Toby kept his ability hidden,
exploring its possibilities only with his longtime mentor and confidant, Dr. Ray
Mercer (Colm Feore). As he makes the rounds with his energetic paramedic
partner�""Oz" Bey (Ennis Esmer)�"Toby tries to help people in crisis and, in
the process, unravel the truth about his past, with the help of detective
Charlie Marks (Lisa Marcos) and his ER doctor/ex-girlfriend, Olivia Fawcett
(Mylène Dinh-Robic). THE LISTENER is executive-produced by Christina Jennings
and Scott Garvie, Michael Amo, Tom Chehak and Clement Virgo.

MERLIN premieres Sunday, June 21, at 8 p.m. It is a new 13-part drama series
that updates the story of the infamous sorcerer of Arthurian legend. In the
mythical city of Camelot, in a time before history began, Merlin (Colin Morgan)
is a young man with magical powers who arrives in the kingdom and quickly makes
enemies, including the heir to Uther's crown, the headstrong Prince Arthur
(Bradley James). Guided by Uther's wise physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson),
Merlin is soon using his talents not just to survive but also to unlock
Camelot's mystical secrets. Merlin was created and produced by Shine Television
(executive-produced by Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps) for the BBC and
FremantleMedia Enterprises.

THE METEOR airs Sunday, June 7, at 9 p.m. and Sunday, June 14, at 9 p.m. In
METEOR, two massive rocks older than the solar system collide in space, sending
each on a collision course with Earth. Dr. Lehman (Christopher Lloyd) discovers
that a meteor three times the size of Mount Everest is heading for Earth. His
devoted young assistant Imogene O'Neill (Marla Sokoloff) feverishly types in the
coordinates, only to find the previously identified meteor named Kassandra is
also headed their way. This is only the beginning of their troubles, as showers
of smaller meteorites begin to lay waste to major cities around the globe. The
miniseries also stars Stacy Keach, Billy Campbell, Michael Rooker and Jason
Alexander.

THE STORM airs Sunday, July 19, at 9 p.m. and Sunday, July 26, at 9 p.m. THE
STORM centers on billionaire Robert Terrell (Treat Williams), who has made
history with "weather creation" technology though his Atmospheric Research
Institute. But during a test run, a blast of energy is sent into the ionosphere,
causing disastrous hurricanes, winds, torrential rains and explosive lightning
storms. Dr. Jonathan Kirk (James Van Der Beek) takes on Terrell and his
technology with the help of news reporter Danni Wilson (Teri Polo). The cast
also includes John Larroquette, Luke Perry and Marisol Nichols.

CURE
Dennis Iliadis ("The Last House on the Left ") has signed on to direct the
thriller CURE for Groundswell Productions reports Variety. The story centers on
a young man who sends his wife for an experimental treatment to save her from a
terminal illness. Although she returns completely cured, she is suddenly
infected with something more terrifying.
Beau Michael Thorne ("Max Payne") wrote the screenplay and shooting is set to
begin in the Summer. Doug Davison, Roy Lee, Brian Witten and Michael Connolly
are producing.

BACK
JERICHO fans will be happy to see that star Skeet Ulrich has signed on as the
lead of CBS' drama pilot BACK. BACK, from CBS Paramount, centers on a man
(Ulrich) who returns home to discover he was reported missing eight years
earlier, after Sept. 11. He must reconnect with his family and a world that has
moved on without him.
Dean Widenmann ("CSI: Miami") penned the script and is exec producing with
HAIRSPRAY producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. Mark Pellington is directing.
Ulrich was involved in the successful grass-roots campaign to save the cult
drama JERICHO when CBS canceled it after one season. In a rare reversal, the
network brought the show back for a second season. In addition to his starring
role on JERICHO, which is airing on the CW, Ulrich also appeared in the TNT mini
INTO THE WEST and has the Sony Screen Gems feature ARMORED in the can.

Well, I guess that is about it for now.  Be sure to visit the website
(http://wwwisnnews.net) to keep up on the news for everything BABYLON 5 and
other shows of interest.  Join me at my blog to talk about shows you like to
watch �" like Fringe or Dollhouse.  Be sure to send in any news you want
posted for other BABYLON 5 fans to read.

Have a great day.  Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.
Be safe.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – February 15, 2009

WHAT'S NEW
Not a lot of new information to send your way.  CHANGELING received 8
BAFTA nominations, but was shut out of the awards. However, since was
JMS' first big-time movie, I think he can gather a great deal of pride
in his hard work and those of others who worked on the film.

NEW BABYLON 5 MOVIE BOOK AVAILABLE NOW

THE BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS OF J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
THE TV MOVIES

Featuring these Scripts
• Thirdspace
• The River of Souls
• The Legend of the Rangers
• The Lost Tales

These TV Movie scripts are twice the length of a single episode of
Babylon 5 and are the page count equivalent of EIGHT episodic scripts
making it the second biggest book ever with more than 450 pages!

ALL THAT PLUS THESE SPECIAL BONUSES
* The included version of The Legend of the Rangers is an early draft
that is 20 pages longer than the script that was filmed, which means
you get to read scenes and exchanges of dialogue that never made it to
the screen.

* Exhumed from Joe's vault, a 3-page fragment of an outline detailing
the premise for a Psi Corps feature film . Focusing on The Telepath
War, and appropriately titled "Wars of the Mind," JMS' notes reveal
the background of the conflict -- teeps vs. teeps, the cast of
characters -- including the identity of the Interstellar Alliance's
Vice President, and the explosive deaths of two B5 regulars --
something hinted at, but never stated in an official series document.

* J. Michael Straczynski's personal, behind-the-scenes photos taken on
the set of The Lost Tales and The Legend of the Rangers -- included in
these 36 images are the last pictures taken of Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar.

For more information about this book, go to
http://www.cafepress.com/thejoestore. The $10 discount is only good
through February 5. This book will only be available through April 30.

DISCUSSION TOPIC
There are a number of new programs coming our way all the time.  Do
any of them interest you?  DOLLHOUSE made it's debut on Friday to
rather dismal ratings.   Fridays have always been a hard rating day,
but did anyone watch?  I just watched it on Fox.com. I think the story
premise is an interesting one – don't know if I can watch it every
week though.  How about you?

Send in your comments to sgbruckner@....  We can compare notes and
see what you thought about the program.  I'll post your impressions on
the Discussion Page on the website.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS
Michael Beck - February 4
Ardwight Chamberlain - February 16
Karen Harrell - February 21
John Iacovelli - February 25
Bill Mumy - February 1
Matt Plummer - February 26
Majel Barrett Roddenberry - February 23 - she is greatly missed
John Schuck - February 4
Myriam Sirois – February 2

Did I miss anyone?  If so, let me know and I'll add them to our
birthday listing.

BABYLON PODCAST

Welcome to Show #144!
Interview: Jan Schroeder and Jason Davis of the Babylon 5 Scripts Team
join us to talk about the TV Movie Scripts book, and to tease us about
a series of mystery books that will be coming our way starting in March.

Jason tells us how he came to the project, and his history of doing
JMS interviews; both Jan and Jason talk about the finished movies vs
the original scripts and extra materials that paint a different about
of the movies, especially "Legend of the Rangers".

Don't forget: the TV Movies book is only available for a limited time,
so make sure that you order your copy before April 30th!
We muse over the possibility of a feature length new B5 movie, since
WB has thrown the thread out there in asking what dollar amount
constitutes "feature" to JMS; and Tim and Summer throw out guesses
about what the new series of books may contain, and we're shot down on
every one, not that they'd acknowledge if any of them were correct.
It's a long interview, so grab a beverage, put your feet up, and enjoy!

Visit Deep Geeking, and if you want to contribute a geeking essay,
send a note to Summer.

Second Life Info: FarPoint Media's Second Life space is now the
penthouse suite of Third Life Books. You can find the castle at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49. Come see the castle
roof pool, and more!

Babylon 5 Information Gathering: If you know of a dead or abandoned B5
related website that may be in need of a new home, let Summer know!
Maybe we can mirror it here or house it on a sister site.

BABYLON 5 SHIP MODELS
I received a note from Ranger Glenn this morning about a company he
discovered. See his note below:

For years I have seen companies like Entertainment Earth sell
figurines and ship models for practically every science fiction,
fantasy, horror or anime that you can imagine. One big missing product
line is Babylon 5. I never understood this as there is a large fan
base. I have always wanted a good model of a Whitestar.
Recently on eBay I found a company, www.eModelAirplanes.com selling
high quality wooden models of aircraft, spacecraft and science fiction
starships. They have a large collection of Babylon 5 spacecraft from
Shadow ships to Babylon 5 itself. I bought a Whitestar model. It is
gorgeous and is of the high quality expected of professionally crafted
aircraft models. My photo doesn't do it justice.

Thanks Glenn for sending along the note -- and the picture.

THE NEWS FROM AROUND SCIENCE FICTION

XIII
If you are a fan of 24, you will like this mini-series. Stephen Dorff
plays an amnesiac who is accused of killing the first female US
President, Sally Sheridan. Dorff is good as Steve Rowland; Val Kilmer
(Batman, Top Gun) is also very good as assassin Mongoose. While not as
many twists and turns as 24, it is enjoyable watching.

DOLLHOUSE
The series premiere of Joss Whedon's DOLLHOUSE was seen by just 4.7
million viewers on Friday night and earned a 2.0 preliminary adults
18-49 rating and 6 share, below even the network's modest expectations
for the series, the Hollywood Reporter's Live Feed reported. DOLLHOUSE
was beaten in the 9 p.m. hour by ABC's Supernanny (8.5 million
viewers, 2.2/7) and is the lowest-rated drama series premiere on a
major broadcast network this season, aside from NBC's now-defunct
CRUSO, the site reported.

TERMINATOR SALVATION/2012 SITES
Warner Bros. Pictures and Columbia Pictures have launched new viral
sites for TERMINATOR SALVATION and 2012, respectively.
For Terminator Salvation, you can visit Skynet Research to learn more
about the fake company's robot designs, outreach program and more!
For 2012, Columbia has launched The Institute for Human Continuity, an
organization whose mission it is to ensure the survival of the human
race beyond 2012. The site is very in-depth and you can even sign up
for the Lottery, which "guarantees every citizen of this planet an
equal chance at survival."

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
Variety writes that FRIDAY THE 13TH is a day of bad luck, but for
Warner Bros./New Line it was a day of good fortune. The distribs'
release of the horror reboot FRIDAY THE 13TH scored a boffo $19.3
million from 3,105 theaters - the best domestic opening day ever for
an R-rated horror-slasher pic.

FRIDAY THE 13TH was produced by Michael Bay's Platinum Dunes label
which was also behind New Line's 2003 redux of THE TEXAS CHAINSAW
MASSACRE. Among the latest string of '70s-'80s horror franchise
remakes, TEXAS CHAINSAW remains the top grossing one with $80 million
at the domestic B.O. Paramount, which handled the original 1980
release, is on board as a co-producer with the 2009 version and is
distributing the pic overseas.

By the time final four-day holiday figures are counted on Monday,
FRIDAY THE 13TH could post an opening somewhere north of the mid $50
million range, potentially besting the frame's record holder, 2007's
GHOST RIDER which made $52 million. Previous first day champ for an
R-rated horror slasher belonged to 2007's SAW IV which grossed $14.8
million.

Among theater averages yesterday, FRIDAY THE 13TH also had one of the
highest among all pics playing with $6,215.

In its third Friday, Fox's Liam Neeson thriller TAKEN topped the day's
other two wide releases, Disney's CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC and
Sony's THE INTERNATIONAL, raking in $4.7 million, down 25% on 3,109
for a running B.O. of $63.4 million.

Disney's Jerry Bruckheimer production CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC
nabbed fourth with $4.4 million from 2,507.

Focus Features' family pic CORALINE dipped 34% in its second Friday,
earning $3 million from 2,320. Its eight day cume stands at $23.2 million.

Sony's Clive Owen-Naomi Watts thriller THE INTERNATIONAL bowed in
sixth with $2.6 million from 2,364. The studio's next title in the top
10, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" continued to be the big man at the B.O.
becoming the year's first $100 million grosser with $2.4 million in
seventh place, down 13%, on 2,965.

AVATAR
Fox announced that Mattel will develop a toy line inspired by James
Cameron's upcoming 3-D sci-fi movie AVATAR. Tapped as master toy
licensee for the epic movie, Mattel will create action figures and
vehicles scheduled to hit retailers nationwide in October, months in
advance of the film's release in December. Mattel's AVATAR toy line
will feature heroes, creatures and vehicles straight from the movie,
the studio said. Each action figure or vehicle will come with a 3-D
"Web tag," bringing a new level of interactivity to Mattel's newest
action play line. Utilizing a computer's Web cam, consumers can "scan"
the web tag, unlocking special content unique to the product,
including bio information on action figures and creatures.

NCIS SPIN-OFF CAST GROWING
The Hollywood Reporter writes that the team of naval investigators on
the "NCIS" spinoff is coming into focus. Louise Lombard, Peter Cambor
and Daniela Ruah have been cast as leads in the hot CBS/CBS Par pilot,
which will air as an episode of "NCIS" in the spring, just as the
pilot for "NCIS" aired as an episode of "JAG." The three would join
Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J, who are still in negotiations for the
other two leads in the spinoff.

Lombard will play Clara, a role perceived as the female lead on the
ensemble drama. A former major in the military police, Clara is an
intelligent, sharp investigator who can look after herself.
Cambor ("Notes From the Underbelly") will play the quick-witted Nate,
the team's conscience and beating heart. Nate is an operational
psychologist and a walking encyclopedia of American culture.

Ruah will play Kensi, a super bright young investigator who studied
forensics and criminology in college.

Brit Lombard is joining the "NCIS" franchise after a stint on another
hit CBS crime procedural, "CSI," where she played Detective Sofia
Curtis for three years. She also played the title lead in the ABC
pilor "Judy Got a Gun."

TV ON YOUR COMPUTER
Weekends are becoming some of the most boring times to watch TV. There
is just nothing worth the electricity to watch. That's not necessarily
a bad thing. It gives you a chance to explore some of what you can
find on your computer. Yes, there are more and more shows available --
FREE -- on your computer. My favorite is www.hulu.com, but there is
also www.joost.com, and www.fancast.com. Don't forget to look at the
network sites as well. I seem to watch my favorite show, FRINGE, on
the Fox network site more than on the TV. Works for me!

On the Joost site, you'll find Lexx, Forever Knight and our favorite,
Babylon 5. Enjoy.

LOST IN AUSTEN
Variety reports that Columbia Pictures is adapting LOST IN AUSTEN, a
British time- traveling TV miniseries about a modern-day woman who
finds herself living the life of a fictional heroine, for the big
screen. Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road) is a producer. The film will
center on Amanda, an ardent Jane Austen fan, who lives in present-day
New York with her boyfriend, until she finds she's swapped places with
Austen's fictional creation Elizabeth Bennett. The show's original
writer, Guy Andrews, is writing the screenplay. The original four-part
series starred Jemima Rooper and Gemma Arterton and aired on ITV in
the United Kingdom in September.

GEMINI MAN
According to the Hollywood Reporter, LA CONFIDENTIAL director Curtis
Hanson is in negotiations to helm the long-gestating sci-fi action
thriller GEMINI MAN, which is taking shape at Touchstone Pictures.
David Benioff (The Kite Runner) wrote the script, about a brilliant,
aging assassin trying to leave the game whose employers dispatch a
clone of his younger self to take him out.

WOLVERINE PREVIEWS
Twentieth Century Fox announced that it will unveil three new
60-second ads for X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE over consecutive nights
during airings of Fox's prime-time programming, starting this weekend.
The three commercials will combine to make one full sneak-peek
narrative for the movie, which brings back Hugh Jackman as the title
X-Man.

The first spot airs Sunday during FAMILY GUY, the second on Monday in
HOUSE and the third on Tuesday during AMERICAN IDOL.

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE, the first chapter in the X-Men saga, unites
Wolverine with several other legends of the X-Men universe and also
stars Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Dominic Monaghan and Ryan
Reynolds, as well as Taylor Kitsch, will.i.am and Lynn Collins. Gavin
Hood directs the movie, which opens May 1.

TAKING OF PELHAM 123
Columbia Pictures has made a trailer of THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123
available at http://www.movieweb.com/video/VIEJHMHM4EN6IK.
In "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3," Denzel Washington stars as New York
City subway dispatcher Walter Garber, whose ordinary day is thrown
into chaos by an audacious crime: the hijacking of a subway train.
John Travolta stars as Ryder, the criminal mastermind who, as leader
of a highly-armed gang of four, threatens to execute the train's
passengers unless a large ransom is paid within one hour. As the
tension mounts beneath his feet, Garber employs his vast knowledge of
the subway system in a battle to outwit Ryder and save the hostages.
But there's one riddle Garber can't solve: even if the thieves get the
money, how can they possibly escape?

That's about it for now.  There is much more over at the website at
http://www.isnnews.net.  Be sure to visit when you can. Also drop by
my blog at http://isnnews.blogspot.com.  I talk about some of my
favorite shows and other things there.

If you have some information you'd like me to post, be sure to send it
along.
Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY - January 18, 2009

HAPPY NEW YEAR
This is the first e-mail newsletter of the New Year. I hope that you all had a
great holiday season and that 2009 will prove to be a safe and happy year for
all of you.

WHAT'S NEW

JMS NOMINATED FOR BAFTA AWARD
From the B5 moderated news group:
Just found out I've been nominated for the BAFTA award for Best Original
Screenplay for THE CHANGELING. For those not familiar with BAFTA, it's the
British
equivalent of the Oscars.

Let's hope that JMS finally gets the recognition he deserves. BABYLON 5 was one
of a kind -- a story based on a space ship, but a story that could have been
presented
with any backdrop. The story was wonderful -- the characters even better.

JMS AT NEW YORK COMIC CON

UPDATE: With JMS having been nominated for the BAFTA, he may not be able to
attend the
New York ComicCon. I'll post information as soon as I see it.

From the B5 moderated newsgroup, January 10, 2009:

I got an email from the convention saying that they were going to be charging
for autographs, and limiting it to 100 VIPs who bought tickets.

I emailed back to make it clear that that's now how I roll (as the kids say).

What was explained back to me was that the VIP guests generally don't want to
sign for too long, so they limit the tickets to 100 and charge for the tickets.
But
again...that ain't how I work.

So after talking to the convention president, the answer is no, there won't be
tickets for my signings, they're free as always, to as many folks who show up in
line. When
I'm at a convention, and I only do one or two a year, I'm there in the service
of the fans,
not to get an early break.

The only stipulation, as ever these last few years, is a maximum of ten items at
a time. The person can get back in line at the end of the line again for the
next batch, but
it's just ten at a time.

Check out the interview at MediumAtLarge.net with JMS.

LARRY DI TILLIO HONORED
Variety writes that TV writer Larry DiTillio ("Babylon 5") has been tapped to
receive the Writers Guild of America West's Morgan Cox award for service.
DiTillio will be
honored at the WGA's ceremonies on Feb. 7 at the Century Plaza. Previous
recipients
include Fay Kanin, Mel Shavelson, George Kirgo, Del Reisman, Hal Kanter, Frank
Pierson,
Daryl G. Nickens and Don M. Mankiewicz. DiTillio, who was the executive story
editor for
"Babylon 5," penned many episodes for the sci-fi series. Other credits include
animated
series "Beast Wars: Transformers," "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" and
"She-Ra:
Princess of Power." He's been a WGA member since 1973 and served on committees
including age awareness, freedom of expression, new members, officers
nominating,
social activities, strike study, tellers, work exchange and writers craft
conference.

CAST INTERVIEWS ON-LINE
Ranger Michael conducted an interview with Julie Caitlin Brown on December 28. 
Here is a
link to the interview -- in German and English: Julie Caitlin Brown interview
can be found
at http://eguide-online.de/babylon5/index.php?seite=artikel&aktion=show&id2=359.
PS: It's Julie's birthday on January 27! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JULIE!

While you are there, don't miss the other Babylon 5 interviews with Claudia
Christian and Bill Mumy.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS

January 9 - David Allen Brooks
January 24 - Peter Woodward
January 27 - Julie Caitlin Brown
January 27 - Tamilyn Tomita

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

HEROES
On Thursday, HEROES creator Tim Kring promised that the new volume of HEROES
"starts
us pretty much from scratch." Adding that "there is almost nothing that the
audience
needs to know from the previous volume in order to follow the storyline."
Kring's statement sounds similar to the message he delivered to Entertainment
Weekly at
the end of the strike shortened second season, where he apologized to fans and
professed
his desire to give the show "a clean slate."

FOUNDATION
According to Variety, Columbia won an auction late Thursday for screen rights to
FOUNDATION, Isaac Asimov's ground breaking science fiction trilogy. The film
will be developed as a directing vehicle for Roland Emmerich.  Originally
published as a
series of eight short stories in Astounding Magazine beginning in
1942, FOUNDATION is a complex saga about humans who are scattered on planets
throughout the galaxy, living under the rule of the Galactic Empire. A
psycho-historian who can scientifically read the future sees an imminent empire
collapse,
and sets to work preparing to save the knowledge of mankind.

ZOMBIELAND
Variety writes that Emma Stone (Superbad) is heading to ZOMBILAND, signing on to
star
alongside Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg in the horror/comedy for Columbia
Pictures. According to the trade, Ruben Fleischer will direct the film, which
centers on a
band of survivors who team to fight the living dead in the post-apocalyptic
Southwest
after a zombie plague ravages America. Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese penned the
screenplay. Gavin Palone is producing the film, which begins shooting in Atlanta
in
February.

WATCHMEN WEBSITE
Warner Bros. Pictures has launched the excellent new website for director Zack
Snyder's WATCHMEN, opening in conventional and IMAX theaters on March 6th. The
site
features new bios on the characters along with dialogue and soundtrack music by
Tyler
Bates. You can access the 'Menu' for more about the movie, trailers, downloads,
the
gallery and the production diary.

COWBOY BEBOP
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Twentieth Century Fox is bringing the
Japanese anime TV series COWBOY BEBOP to the big screen, with THE DAY THE EARTH
STOOD STILL star Keanu Reeves attached to star as a bounty hunter traveling
through
space in 2071. One of the big titles in anime, BEBOP is set in a time where
"astral gates"
make interstellar travel possible. Humanity, decimated by a lunar explosion
resulting from
a gate accident, spread out across the solar system, as did crime, which gave
rise to the
use of bounty hunters.
Reeves would play Spike Spiegel, a bounty hunter and former member of a crime
syndicate. Spiegel, along with Jet Black, a fellow bounty hunter and former cop,
are the two pilots of the spaceship Bebop. Peter Craig is writing the script.
The show,
which first aired on Tokyo TV and on satellite broadcaster Wowow during the late
1990s,
was strongly influenced by American music, even featuring action sequences—both
space
battles and mano a mano—timed to U.S. melodies.

STARGATE UNIVERSE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Justin Louis, David Blue, Brian J. Smith
and Jamil Walker Smith are set to co-star opposite Robert Carlyle on SCI FI
Channel's new
original series STARGATE UNIVERSE. The series, from MGM TV, follows a group of
soldiers,
scientists and civilians left to fend for themselves when forced through a
Stargate after
their hidden base comes under attack. The survivors, who emerge aboard an
Ancient ship
missing in the far reaches of space, are led by Dr. David Rush (Carlyle), who
works to
unlock the ship's mysteries and return the group to Earth. Louis (Hidden Hills)
will play
Col. Everett Young, an experienced Stargate team leader. Blue plays Eli Wallace,
a slacker
who just happens to be an utter genius with anything he puts his mind
to—everything
from mathematics to video games. Brian J. Smith is Lt. Matthew Scott, a junior
member of the Stargate team thrust into the role of leader well before he's
ready. Jamil
Walker Smith plays Sr. Sgt. Ronald Greer, a Marine with a temper.
STARGATE veterans Brad Wright and Robert Cooper are writing/executive-producing
the
series, which will debut in the fall as a two-hour movie and will be distributed
by MGM
Worldwide TV Distribution.

JERICHO MOVIE
Executive producer Jon Turtletaub ("National Treasure") has confirmed that he is
developing a feature-film version of the short-lived Skeet Ulrich-starring
series. "We're developing a feature for JERICH," Turteltaub told IF magazine.
"It would not
require you to have seen the TV show, but it get into life after an event like
this on a
national scale. It would be the bigger, full on American version of what's going
on beyond
the town in Jericho."
JERICHO focused on the residents of the fictional town in Kansas in the
aftermath of  nuclear attacks on 23 major cities in the U.S. JERICHO, starring
Skeet Ulrich
("Scream") and Ashley Scott ("Walking Tall"), was one of the
great television stories of 2007, becoming un-canceled after irate fans planned
a clever protest--something that doesn't happen often in this day and age.
Unfortunately,
the victory was short-lived and the show was canceled after a short second
season.

TWO PASSINGS OF NOTE - Thursday

PATRICK McGOOHAN
Patrick McGoohan, an Emmy Award-winning actor who starred as a British spy in
the
1960s TV series "Secret Agent" and "The Prisoner" and was known for playing
various
villainous roles in films and on television, has died. He was 80.
THE PRISONER ran on CBS in 1968 and 1969, but became a cult classic. THE
PRISONER starred McGoohan as a British agent who, after resigning his post, is
abducted
and held captive by unknown powers in a mysterious village, where he known only
as No.
6. McGoohan created and executive-produced the series, which ran for only 17
episodes.
He also wrote and directed several episodes. A remake of the series, which had
McGoohan's blessing, will air later this year on AMC. Among the memorable
villains he
played on screen was England's sadistic King Edward I in Mel Gibson's 1995 film
"Braveheart." As a guest star on TV's "Columbo," McGoohan won Emmys in 1975 and
1990.

RICARDO MONTALBAN
Ricardo Montalban, a MGM movie star of the 40s and 50s who went on play the
mysterious Mr. Roarke on ABC's "Fantasy Island" from 1978-84 died Wednesday
morning at Los Angeles home. He was 88. For STAR TREK fans, Montalban was Khan
--
one of the best villans to confront Kirk, both in the original series (1967
"Space Seed") and
later in STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN.

STAR TREK MEETS STAR WARS
A longtime member of the STAR TREK family is crossing over into the world of
STAR WARS.  George Takei, an original Star Trek cast member as Sulu, is
providing a voice
in upcoming episodes of Cartoon Network's STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS. In the
episode
"Defenders of Peace," Takei is providing the voice of Separatist General Lok
Durd, who
commands a hostile mission that could spell doom for the Jedi. Takei, 71,
appeared in
several episodes of NBC's HEROES over the last two season as Hiro's father. His
animation
credits include Mister Fixx in BATMAN BEYOND and Wong in SPIDER-MAN. "Defenders
of
Peace" will
premiere on Friday, Jan. 23.

OBAMA MEETS SPIDER-MAN
On Jan. 14, Marvel Comics is releasing a special issue of Amazing Spider-Man
#583 with Barak Obama depicted on the cover. Inside are five pages of the two
teaming up
and even a fist-bump between Spidey and the new president. For a look at the
first few
panels 'Amazing Spider-Man #583', go to
http://www.usatoday.com/life/gallery/l090107_obamaspidey/flash.htm?
gid=842&aid=3995.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

January 24, 2009
Naruto Trek Events
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Hosted by Christopher Plummer (General Chang) Time: 10:00pm - Cinema Paradiso
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
All seats $5
For more information, go to www.fliff.com

February 13-15, 2009
FARPOINT 2009
Place: Crowne Plaza Hotel
City: Timonium, Maryland
Guests: Alan Tudyk (Serenity), Harve Bennett (Star Trek producer), Phil Weyland
(actor,dialogue coach)
For more information, go to http://www.farpointcon.com/.

February 27-March 1, 2009
Megacon 2009
Place: Orange County Convention Center
For more information, go to http://www.megaconvention.com

That is about it for now.
Be safe,
Sandy

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

A reader pointed out that my new blog URL didn't work properly.  I told you it
was an
experiment.  I think the URL should be http://isnnews.blogspot.com - no www
involved
here.

Hope to see you soon,
Sandy

THE ZOCALO TODAY -- November 15, 2008

Thought I would send out a quick note to catch you up on all the great
JMS news.  CHANGELING is doing well at the box office and JMS’s WORLD
WAR Z is now on the fast track with a great director.  Read the story
below.

WHAT’S NEW

WORLD WAR Z - DIRECTOR NAMED
Vareity reports that Paramount has set QUANTUM OF SOLACE director Marc
Forster to helm WORLD WAR Z, based on the Max Brooks best-selling
novel about a worldwide infestation of flesh-eating zombies. BABYLON 5
creator J. Michael Straczynski is writing the screenplay, and Brad
Pitt's Plan B is producing. Brooks--the son of Mel Brooks and Anne
Bancroft--wrote a detailed tale in which a researcher for the U.N.
Postwar Commission interviews survivors from countries all over the
world, 10 years after the crisis, to gather a first-person post-mortem
on a war that obliterated every country on the map. "The genre always
fascinated me, and when they pitched it to me, it reminded me of the
paranoid conspiracy films of the '70s like All the President's Men"
Forster states.
JMS writes: I'm now finishing up the revisions per Marc's director's
notes, and with any luck, we can get this thing moving forward after
the first of the year. Given the scale of the story, Marc's a perfect
choice.

BE A SANTA - DEADLINE DECEMBER 10
Every year, Pat Tallman (Lyta Alexander on Babylon 5) tries to bring a
little holiday cheer to a few children. Her support of Penny Lane has
spanned over 10 years and she has come to us again this year for help.
With the economic crisis hitting everyone hard, it is going to be even
more difficult to help the unfortunate.
If you can help, go to http://ww.beasanta.org  for more information on
how you can open your heart to someone less fortunate during the
holiday season.

ISN NEWS BLOG
I have just created ISN News Blog at http://www.isnnews.blogspot.com.
  This is an experiment for me -- and I hope you’ll join me by entering
news you have to share.  I’ll put in stuff that I think is interesting
for others to read about and we’ll see how it goes.  Join me.

BABYLON 5 PODCAST - #137
Welcome to Show #137!
No Jeffrey this week, but Brad Bowyer jumps in to help. We chat a bit
about the announcement that JMS will be penning the script for the
remake of Forbidden Planet, and the ramifications and ripple effects
of that news.
Feedback: This week, Tim, Summer and Brad handle the Feedbackapalooza!
There’s so much feedback, we may were not able to contain it all in
one show.
Want more? Visit Deep Geeking, and if you want to contribute a geeking
essay, send a note to Summer.
Second Life Info: FarPoint Media’s Second Life space is now the
penthouse suite of Third Life Books. You can find the castle at
http://slurl.com/secondlife/beraudes/203/151/49. Come see the castle
roof pool, and more!
Babylon 5 Information Gathering: If you know of a dead or abandoned B5
related website that may be in need of a new home, let Summer know!
Maybe we can mirror it here or house it on a sister site.
If you can, please Donate… moving the studio took a big hit, and Mike
needs to replenish the coffers.
If you want to catch up with previous podcasts, go to
www.babylonpodcast.com

WARNER HOME VIDEO LAUNCHES WARNERBLU.COM WITH 100 DAYS OF BLU-RAY
SWEEPSTAKES
Beginning November 13, Visitors to WarnerBlu.com Can Enter to Win a
Blu-ray Home Theater System and 100-disc Blu-ray Library
Burbank, Calif., November 13, 2008 �" To promote WarnerBlu.com, a new
web site that showcases Warner Bros. extensive catalog of movies
available on Blu-ray Disc, Warner Home Video is launching the 100 Days
of Blu-ray sweepstakes, featuring a grand prize Blu-ray home theater
system and 100-disc Blu-ray library.
Designed by Warner Bros. Advanced Digital Services, the 100 Days of
Blu-ray sweepstakes will run from November 13, 2008 through February
20, 2009 on www.wb.com. This innovative sweepstakes offers players the
chance to win multiple bonus entries in addition to their daily entry
in their quest for the grand prize. Bonus entries can be scored by
participating in a trivia game related to Warner Bros.’ featured
Blu-ray title of the day. Also, Warner Bros. will award the featured
title of the day to one lucky winner each day.
WarnerBlu.com is a one stop destination for consumers who want to
learn more about Blu-ray, browse the expansive number of Warner titles
available on Blu-ray Disc, see what titles are coming soon, look for
special offers, and make purchases to build their home library.
To see what this new site has to offer and for more information on the
100 Days of Blu-ray sweepstakes, check out http://WarnerBlu.com.

NEW DVDS

CLONE WARS
Release Date: November 11, 2008
Official website: www.starwars.com
Synopsis:
The Clone Wars takes place between Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the
Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Jedi Knights
Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi continue their journey across the
galaxy amongst the Clone Wars, meeting up with familiar villains, such
as Count Dooku, General Grievous and Asajj Ventress. The Grand Army of
the Republic, led by Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and other Jedi
Knights, must fight the New Droid Army of the Separatists.

I have had a chance to watch and review a number of new DVDs from WB.
  If you are looking for hours of entertainment, consider PRIMEVAL,
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: LIFE THROUGH A LENS, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE
EARTH, SUPERNATURAL, SMALLVILLE.

Looking for a good holiday picture, try THE POLAR EXPRESS.  The
animation is just marvelous -- good story as well. The entire family
should enjoy it.

NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

STAR TREK TRAILER COMING MONDAY
The new movie trailer from the J.J. Abrams STAR TREK XI movie is
scheduled to premiere in High Def on Monday. Go to www.startrekmovie.com.

PINOCCHIO
Variety reports that Guillermo del Toro's developing PINOCCHIO as a
stop-motion feature with the Jim Henson Co. as a darker version of the
original fairy tale. Project will be produced by JHC co-toppers Brian
Henson and Lisa Henson along with senior VP Jason Lust. Del Toro will
exec produce.
Del Toro's working on the screenplay with Gris Grimley, who
illustrated a 2002 version of PINOCCHIO. Grimley and Adam Parrish King
will co-direct the film. Del Toro disclosed the project in an
interview with the website bloodydisgusting.com and said that it would
take about three years to complete.
Pinocchio first appeared in the 19th Century book "The Adventures of
Pinocchio" by Carlo Collodi. Walt Disney produced the first feature
version of the story with his animated "Pinocchio" in 1940.
PINOCCHIO is the latest in a long list of projects to which del Toro's
attached. Top priority is New Line and MGM's THE HOBBIT, the
two-picture project he's committed the next five years to as director
and co-writer with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. He
also has a three-year first-look deal with Universal, where he's
setting up remakes of FRANKENSTEIN, DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, and
SLAUGHTERHOUSE-FIVE and an adaptation of DROOD and several other projects.

EARLY BOX OFFICE RETURNS
No surprises here. James Bond's QUANTUM OF SOLACE has quickly
conquered the domestic box office. Pic will gross at least $20 million
on its first day. Whether critics like the picture or not, SOLACE is
on track to nab the biggest opening weekend ever for a Bond pic.
Prevous record-holder is DIE ANOTHER DAY, which scored a first-day
take of $14 million on its way to grossing $47 million in its opening
weekend. Directed by Marc Forster, SOLACE should hit $60 million for
the weekend, if not more. SOLACEcontinues the smashing success of
CASINO ROYALE, which rebooted the Bond franchise. The new Bond, played
by Daniel Craig, is more moody and mysterious, giving a kinetic feel
to the most endearing film franchise in history. CASINO ROYALE scored
a first-day take of $14.7 million two years ago, and $40.8 million for
the weekend. Pic grossed $167 million domestically, the best ever for
a Bond installment. SOLACE is already a blockbuster overseas, having
hit the $200 million mark through Thursday.
THOR
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Marvel's THOR is the latest hero
from the comics and entertainment company to get the cartoon
treatment. Marvel Animation is developing and self-producing a 26
half-hour episode series based on its long-running comic book, with
the series targeted to launch in fall 2010, following Marvel's
live-action feature THOR, which bows in 2010. The animated series will
follow Thor, the Norse god of thunder, as he defends his mythical home
of Asgard against fantastical villains, fiendish hordes, winged
creatures and angry giants. The show will take place in various worlds
-- from mountainous landscapes to places of icy mists and fiery voids
-- and will include many of the comic's supporting cast, including
Balder the Brave, the Warriors Three and Thor's evil adopted brother,
Loki.
Marvel president of animation Eric Rollman said the series is part of
the company's plan to follow each live-action movie with an animated
series and "offer a continued awareness in the marketplace." It
already is in production on cartoon series "The Avengers: Earth's
Mightiest Heroes," which will be available for broadcast in 2011, in
time for Marvel Studios' releases of the live-action "The First
Avenger: Captain America" and "The Avengers."

SANCTUARY GETS SECOND SEASON
Sci Fi Channel announced that it has greenlit production on a second
season of its hit series SANCTUARY. The show, shot in the style of
"300" in front of green screens instead of on sets, will come back
with 13 new hour-long episodes in 2009.
"Sci Fi will continue to trail blaze the television landscape by
further exploring the many worlds of SANCTUARY through its unique
green screen environments,"says Mark Stern, Executive Vice President,
Original Programming for the network. "Technology and great
storytelling makes SANCTUARY a fantastic addition to Sci Fi's 2009
lineup."
On SANCTUARY, Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) is a 157-year-old
"terrologist," one who studies monsters that she calls "abnormals."
Along with her team, she befriends creatures that have evolved from
mankind and gives them a safe haven in which to live. The premiere of
SANCTUARY on Oct. 3 brought in more than 3 million viewers, making it
the highest-rated original series premiere since "Eureka" debuted in
July 2006. The new season will begin production in Vancouver early
next year.

THE WATCHMEN
Yahoo! Movies has debuted the new trailer for Zack Snyder's WATCHMEN
movie, based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' seminal graphic novel.
The movie opens March 6, 2009. Go to
http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com for more information.

DREAMWORKS SF PROJECTS
Variety reports that DreamWorks is putting a handful of projects on
its high-priority list, including several SF&F movies. The writers,
directors and actors the studio is talking with or already have
attached are a diverse and prominent group, ranging from Clint
Eastwood to Len Wiseman to Steve Carell to the writing team of Alex
Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. While there are many deals still to be
negotiated and many green lights yet to be handed out, the studio is
expected to move quickly as it builds its Reliance-funded and
Universal-distributed slate. Some movies could even go into production
well ahead of DreamWorks' original fall '09 target.
Among the projects:
--Cowboys and Aliens: The large-scale comic-book adaptation is now
being penned by writer-executive producers Kurtzman and Orci (Star
Trek, TV's Fringe), who took on the gig from Iron Man co-writers Mark
Fergus and Hawk Ostby. Imagine is producing, and director-producer Ron
Howard, who remains a long shot to shoot the film, is developing the
project for attached star Robert Downey Jr.
--Real Steel: A futuristic boxing movie being penned by Dante's Peak
writer Les Bohem, who created and wrote the Steven Spielberg-executive
produced SCI FI Channel miniseries TAKEN.
--The 39 Clues: The project is a potential Spielberg directing
vehicle, though it's still in script phase, with Jeff Nathanson only
recently hired to adapt the first novel, The Maze of Bones, in the
10-book Clues series.

HEREAFTER
From Variety comes reports that Clint Eastwood is in talks to direct
the supernatural thriller HEREAFTER for DreamWorks, based on a script
by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon). DreamWorks principals Steven Spielberg
and Stacey Snider picked up the spec script. The plot details are
being kept under wraps, but it is described as in the vein of The
Sixth Sense. Kathleen Kennedy is producing.
AX FALLS ON MY OWN WORST ENEMY
After only a few weeks on the air, NBC has canceled MY OWN WORST
ENEMY, the SF-tinged spy drama that starred Christian Slater. Variety
reported that the Universal Media Studios show will stop production
after it wraps filming on its current episode, the ninth in its
original 13-episode order. There's no word yet from NBC on what will
fill its Monday 10 p.m. timeslot. In its most recent airing on Oct.
27, ENEMY averaged 5.2 million viewers for a 2.3 rating/6 share in
adults 18-49.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MEETS GREY'S ANATOMY
After four seasons of playing President Laura Roslin on BATTLESTAR
GALACTICA, Mary McDonnell is moving on to newroles. McDonnell has a
three-episode arc on GREY'S ANATOMY that begins Thursday (today). She
plays Dr. Virginia Dixon, a cardiac surgeon who begins a stint at
Seattle Grace. The character also has Asperger's syndrome, a form of
autism that causes an inability to interact socially with others.
"This woman is really an excellent surgeon and a leader in her field,
but she has a really interesting twist to her," McDonnell says. "...
It's accompanied in her case by an inability, in a sort of normal
social sense, to perform everyday functions easily that other people
do quite easily."

KYLE XY RETURNS IN JANUARY
ABC Family announced that KYLE XY will premiere on January 12 at
9:00pm ET/PT. In KYLE XY world, Kyle (Matt Dallas) will have to
contend with the price he has to pay for his special powers. Greater
forces will push him to new levels and to sacrifice relationships with
those he holds most dear. Also, viewers will discover the fate of his
girlfriend Amanda (Kirsten Prout), who was kidnapped at prom. Season
Two of KYLE XY will be released on DVD on Tuesday, Dec. 30.

CAST ADDITIONS FOR 24 AND LOST
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Reiko Aylesworth is in
negotiations for a major recurring role on ABC's "Lost." Amy
Price-Francis has landed a recurring role on Aylesworth's former show,
Fox's "24."
In at least four episodes of LOST, Aylesworth will play Amy, a smart
and successful professional woman with a love for the outdoors who is
looking for the right man.
In a six-episode arc on "24," Price-Francis will plays a ruthless
attorney working for Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight).

NEW KARATE KID
Variety reports that Columbia Pictures is putting together a new
version of the 1984 hit THE KARATE KID, which is being tooled as a
starring vehicle for Jaden Smith. According to the trade, the film
will be produced by Jerry Weintraub (who launched the original
franchise) and Overbrook Entertainment's James Lassiter, Will Smith
and Ken Stovitz. Will Smith, who is the 10-year-old actor's father,
co-starred alongside Jaden in his feature debut, The Pursuit of
Happyness, which Overbrook and Escape Artists produced for Columbia.
The script is being written by Chris Murphy, and the film will shoot
next year in Beijing and other cities. While the new film will be set
in that exotic locale, it will borrow elements of the original plot,
wherein a bullied youth learns to stand up for himself with the help
of an eccentric mentor.

CAPTAIN AMERICA
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III)
has signed a deal to direct FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA, Marvel
Studios' take on its classic comic-book character. Marvel's Kevin
Feige is producing. No writers are on board, but the studio, which is
hearing pitches, expects to hire shortly.
Johnston first met with Marvel two years ago. When the two parties
clicked, general talks turned into Captain America-specific meetings,
with much of the project's current direction resulting from those
early conversations.
Created in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon for Timely Comics, Captain
America is the heroic alter ego of Steve Rogers, who is rejected by
the Army for being too sickly and undergoes an experiment that takes
him to the pinnacle of human form. Paired with an indestructible
shield, he became a symbol of the war effort, in and out of comics.
The character disappeared in the 1950s but was revived during the
early era of Marvel Comics. He was reintroduced as part of the
Avengers, the absence explained by having him being in a state of
suspended animation during a war mission until found by the superteam.
Johnston is currently in post-production on THE WOLFMAN.

That’s about it for now.
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Be safe,
Sandy

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

Here is an exclusive deal for Zocalo readers:

Exclusive Deal at B5 Quotes - Ends Thursday

It's back: TheJoeStore, only now it's the Babylon 5 Quote store --
and everything in it is NEW and everything is ON SALE for the first 7
days only starting on Friday. But for fans reading the Zocalo Today
there is an exclusive deal good through Thursday, November 13.

When the store officially opens on Friday via an email everything in
store is ON SALE with from 15-55% off. For example white t-shirts
will be $16.99 but for the first 7 days they are only $9.99. Mugs
will be $15.99 but on sale for $11.99. And so on.

This is a one time opportunity. These items will never, ever be put
on sale again.

Here's the EXCLUSIVE deal for Zocalo readers. If you spend $40 you can
get $5 off if you use coupon code SRV660. This coupon is good through
Thursday only.

OR

If you spend $50 or more you can get free shipping by using coupon
code CPAFFSHP50CB

So that's up to 15-55% all merchandise before the sale is officially
announced on Friday which means your order will ship before the
deluge, plus if you spend $40 or more you can get an extra $5 off or
if you spend $50 or more get free shipping.

http://www.b5quotes.com

You may find some good holiday gifts here!

Be safe,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY â€" NOVEMBER 2, 2008

I know, it has been a while.  I sometimes forget that people don’t
visit the website for the latest news, so I need to keep this e-mail
newsletter up a bit more so you don’t miss any of the BIG news!

JMS UPDATE

This probably has to be one of the biggest weekend’s in the life of J.
Michael Straczynski.  THE CHANGELING, the movie he wrote and Clint
Eastwood directed, opened in US theaters this weekend.  AND his name
has been plastered on every on-line news page related to rewriting
FORBIDDEN PLANET.  To say that JMS is HOT, would be an understatement
of gigantic proportion.  The Babylon 5 community has known his talent
for years â€" everyone else is just now catching up!

FORBIDDEN PLANET
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that BABYLON 5 creator J. Michael
Straczynski, who also wrote Clint Eastwood's upcoming CHANGELING, is
writing a long-in-the-works update of the SF classic FORBIDDEN PLANET
for Warner Brothers. Joel Silver is producing via Silver Pictures.
Warner picked up the project on the down-low earlier this year. As
late as last year, it was set up at DreamWorks, with David Twohy
attached to direct. Prior to that, New Line had it. James Cameron,
Nelson Gidding and Stirling Silliphant have been associated with the
remake over the years. Released in 1956, PLANET told the tale of an
expedition sent from Earth to check on a colony of scientists on a
far-off planet. They find two members, a man who has found alien
technology that doubled his intellect, Dr. Morbius, and his daughter,
both of whom have managed to survive an unseen monster roaming the
planet. The movie is loosely based on Shakespeare's The Tempest. The
movie, directed by Fred Wilcox, starred Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis
and Leslie Nielsen, but is perhaps best known for the character Robbie
the Robot.

THR also writes that Straczynski also has feature projects "The
Flickering Light" and "Lensman" with Ron Howard at Imagine
Entertainment, and "They Marched Into Sunlight," with Paul Greengrass
directing, at Playtone and Universal.

THE CHANGELING
This movie, written by JMS, opens this weekend here in the U.S.  I’ve
been watching the various reports and it looks like it will come in #2
for the week, behind SAW 4.  I was really rooting for it to be #1 â€"
total in ticket sales is at $3 million so far.  Reviews have been
awesome!  Renowned columist and reviewer Roger Ebert takes a look at
THE CHANGELING which opens this week in theaters. He gives the movie 3
1/2 stars! Read his review at
<http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081023/REVIEWS/8102\
39995>.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

JASON CARTER - THE DEAD MATTER
Gothic Horror Soundscape masters, Midnight Syndicate bring their
nightmarish visions to the big screen with the supernatural horror
thriller THE DEAD MATTER (coming 2009). Co-produced by Robert Kurtzman
(From Dusk Till Dawn, KNB FX) and starring Andrew Divoff (Lost,
Wishmaster), Jason Carter (Babylon 5, Angel), and Tom Savini (Dawn of
the Dead, Grindhouse), THE DEAD MATTER tells a story of vampirism, the
living dead, and ancient occult relics all drenched in the dark and
shadowy world of Midnight Syndicate's music.
View THE DEAD MATTER trailer exclusively at
<http://www.t3nth1rtyone.com>, hosted by Hot Topic stores.

GARY COLE JOINING ENTOURAGE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Gary Cole is set to join HBO's
comedy ENTOURAGE as a regular next season, playing Hollywood agent
Andrew Klein, Ari Gold's (Jeremy Piven) oldest Hollywood friend from
their early days in the business. Cole is introducing the character
this season in a three-episode arc slated to air in November 2.
ENTOURAGE is halfway though its fifth season and recently was picked
up for a sixth season to begin production in early 2009 for a summer
launch.

Babylon 5 fans will remember Gary from his CRUSADE days, as Captain
Matthew Gideon.

BABYLON 5 PODCAST - #135
Put me in coach, we’re ready to play, today! Of course, since it’s the
first day of the World Series, we have to put in our predictions for
who we’ll think will win, or who we hope will win. Summer is rooting
for Philly, but Jeffrey’s hating on the Fightin’ Phils! Summer just
wants Philadelphia’s championship curse to end, and thinks this is a
great chance for them to do so.
And, we have a moment of silence to mourn the decision to by Coors to
discontinue Zima production. Could it be a Shadow plot? Let the silly
speculation run rampant… that’s what we’re here for!

Call to Action: While we haven’t set a definite travel date yet, it’s
time to start requesting donations to help fund Summer’s road trip
into Vorlon Space, currently around mid-November, to catalog the items
in Jeffrey’s storage locker, so we can help him consolidate his
storage needs. Please donate, and make a notation that it’s earmarked
for the Excursion into Vorlon Space, and those who donate will get
first crack at items, before they’re made available to auction to the
live feed listeners, and then to the general public.

Deep Geeking: This week, Tim and Summer delve into discussion about
“No Surrender, No Retreat�. We talk about the decision to ask the
League to stay on the sidelines until the fighting’s done; the timing
of some of the events in the course of the episode; the difference
between Sheridan choosing a philosophical solution to end the Shadow
War versus resorting to a shooting fight to free the colonies that
were under siege; and more.

Want more? Visit Deep Geeking, and if you want to contribute a geeking
essay, send a note to Summer.

Discussion: Jeffrey’s spent his time digging up Zima ads on YouTube.
Because he could. Why is Zima now linked with zombies in Summer’s
mind? Is Zima an undiscovered zombie repellent? Do we want to find
someone from Zima to talk about the “good old days� when B5 was on the
air?

Chris from England wonders if the relationship between Lise and Edgars
might have been influenced by Psi Corps ahead of time, in support of
the plot involving Garibaldi’s programming; and he surmises that the
Med Bay might be near the fighter bays, to get wounded pilots to
treatment quicker.

World Series Predictions (made on 10/22): Tim says Tampa in 7, Mike
says Tampa in 5, Summer says Philadelphia in 5, and Jeffrey says
Philadelphia in 5.

Go to Podcast Awards and vote for Brad’s show The Geek Spin… help Brad
collect another award!

If you want to catch up with previous podcasts, go to
<http://www.babylonpodcast.com>.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
I, for one, am very happy with the new season of TV shows. There are a
few programs I really like -- Fringe, Sanctuary. There are a few I
want to watch yet -- The Mentalist, Eleventh Hour and it was a long
wait, but HEROES is back and moving at break-neck speed again. What
programs do you enjoy watching? Do you have any favorites? Do any of
them remind you of Babylon 5? Sanctuary brought back some good old
memories as I watched the premiere episode on Friday night. The talk
of sentient beings, the moral questions about what is right and wrong.
I'll have to tune in to see if it continues to hold my interest. So
many programs start off well, but can't sustain the quality over the
length of production.

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 5 BIRTHDAYS
Robert Foxworth - November 1
John Vickery - November 4
Damian London - November 12
Tracy Scoggins - November 13
Dwight Schultz - November 24
Louise Turenne - November 26
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. - November 30

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.

NEW DVDS

PRIMEVAL - THE COMPLETE SERIES 1 AND 2
Release Date: November 4, 2008
Synopsis:
When evolutionary zoologist Nick Cutter (Douglas Henshall) discovers
prehistoric creatures alive and well in the present-day, the natural
world is turned on its head, and humanity faces a threat to its very
existence. Unexplained anomalies are ripping holes in the fabric of
time, allowing creatures from the very earliest stages of Earth's
development to roam the modern world.

Whether it's a prehistoric predator Gorgonopsid rampaging through a
quiet suburban neighborhood or a swarm of super-sized spiders in the
subway, Cutter and his team find themselves up against some seriously
beastly opponents. These puzzling creatures all have the same simple
fact in common - they don't belong here.

While Cutter and his team struggle to keep the looming disaster under
wraps, Cutter also has to deal the fact that his wife, Helen, a fellow
scientist who disappeared eight years ago, is not dead as he believed.
In fact, she's been traveling through time. However, now she's back,
and she holds the key to the riddle of the anomalies. But is it
something she's willing to share? If not, what does she really want?
Why did she come back?

Cutter, his research assistant Stephen Hart, zoologist Abby Maitland,
and student paleontologist Connor Temple race to understand what's
happening, while government bureaucrats James Lester and Claudia Brown
insist they have to keep the danger secret from the public. As the
past threatens to invade the present and destroy the future, Cutter's
crew faces a life-and-death race against time.
Primeval was created by Adrian Hodges (screenwriter of the film Tom &
Viv) and Tim Haines (writer/director of Walking with Dinosaurs).

Review:
I have caught this show off and on as it airs on BBC America.  I like
it very much. The characters are interesting â€" the plot is unusual.  I
was SO happy to get the DVD because it gave me a chance to see the
show from the beginning â€" which helps provides a little more of the
back story â€" but it isn’t necessary to understand why Dr. Cutter and
his team are exploring anomalies in space and time.  The creatures
they encounter are awesome â€" and you at times wonder, how they did
that!  The only problem I’ve had so far is having to listen pretty
hard to the English accent!  This DVD set is definitely worth watching.

ANNIE LIEBOVITZ:  LIFE THROUGH A LENS
Release date: October 28, 2008
Official website: www.warnervideo.com
Synopsis:
Take a peek into the illustrious career of one of today?s most
prolific photographers -- Annie Leibovitz. Annie Leibovitz: Life
Through a Lens, traces the arc of her photographic life, her
aspirations to artistry and the trajectory of her career which has
produced some of today's most recognizable and iconic photos. The film
directed by her sister, Barbara Leibovitz, depicts the various phases
that shaped her life including childhood, the tumultuous sixties, her
transition from Rolling Stone to Vanity Fair magazine and later her
most significant personal relationships including motherhood. The
film's highlights center on interviews with her most famous subjects,
mentors and colleagues -- along with personal insight from Leibovitz
herself -- to reveal the evolution of inarguably one of today's most
influential visual artists. The film was broadcasted as part of PBS's
award-winning series, American Masters, as the finale for its 20th
Anniversary season (2006) and is now available for the first time on DVD.

REVIEW
For those of you who love photography -- or just looking at good
pictures -- you are going to LOVE this DVD. Annie Leibovitz is just
amazing. This portrait of her work shows just how terrific she is and
what a life she has led looking through the lens of a camera. Seeing
photographs of John Lennon and Yoko Ono just before he was killed is
just amazing. Being able to follow her career and her growth as a
photographer and person is just as amazing.

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH 3D - NL (SD/BD)
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Official website: www.journeymovie.com
Synopsis:
Brendan Fraser stars in this action-packed adventure based on the
Jules Vern Classic that is sure to deliver fun for the whole family!
On a hunch to find the center of the earth, Trevor Anderson (Fraser),
his nephew and their tour guide make a breakthrough discovery that
launches them on a thrilling journey into the unknown. On a scramble
to find their way back, the group travels through a never-before-seen
world encountering creatures and objects never imagined.

NEW SCI-FI PUBLICATIONS

Cult Times Issue #154: SARAH JANE ADVENTURES: Fearless investigative
journalist Sarah Jane Smith is back in action, and Elisabeth Sladen
talks about taking on a lone Sontaran and an evil clown, amongst other
nasties. HEROES: Brea Grant, aka Daphne the super-speedster, looks at
who's going to be causing trouble… FRINGE: Former Dawson's Creek star
Joshua Jackson talks about his role in the new series from Alias and
Lost creator JJ Abrams as a genius drawn into a series of unusal
investigations, ELI STONE: Victor Garber, Jordan Wethersby, looks at
the new quirky fantasy which finds a lawyer getting visions of George
Michael, amongst other things… SANCTUARY: From the Internet to your TV
screen, Christopher Heyerdahl chats about playing John Druitt, better
known as Jack the Ripper, in the new Sci-Fi series about a place where
society's outcasts can find a home…

TV Zone #231: TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES:
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Exclusive interviews - Star
Lena Headey
• Doctor Who (2000s) Exclusive - Monster creator Neill Gorton
• V Exclusive â€" Star Jane Badler, aka Diana
• Stargate Continuum Exclusive - Star Ben Browder
• Eureka New Season Exclusive - Actor Ed Quinn
• Robot Chicken Exclusive â€" Show creator Seth Green
• Bonekickers â€" Star Adrian Lester

TV Zone Special #82: STARGATE ATLANTIS:
• 148 packed pages:
• Stargate Atlantis, Season 5 Part 1
FEATURING:
• Cast and crew interviews
• New images and designs
• Season 4 Visual FX
• Don S Davis tribute

Starburst Issue #365: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Michael Trucco - Now
revealed as a Cylon the actor wonders how his identity crisis will be
resolved...Edward James Olmos debates reaching Earth with the Cylons…
SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES: Thomas Dekker reflects on filling big shoes
of John Connor…ROBOT - Robot builder Fred Barton talks about how a
childhood craze became a lucrative career! STARGATE ATLANTIS: Paul
McGuillion, Carson Beckett, is back in a new episode teamed with an
all-female SG team…

NEWS AROUND THE SCI-FI UNIVERSE

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
QUANTUM OF SOLACE, rolled into U.K. theaters Friday and broke the
biggest Friday openers of all time by taking $8 million (£4.94
million) on its first day at U.K. theaters. The previous Friday best
was HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, which earned $6.5 million (£4
million). CASINO ROYALE did $4.7 million on its opening Friday but,
unlike "Solace," it had Thursday previews. QUANTUM OF SOLACE will hit
theaters here on November 14, 2008.

TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN has wrapped up principal
photography and is now entering post-production for the special
effects (Industrial Light & Magic), sound and editing. The sequel
stars Shia LaBeouf, Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John
Turturro, Isabel Lucas, Rainn Wilson and Jennifer Alden. Bay is once
again behind the camera, based on a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman,
Roberto Orci and Ehren Kruger. Plot Summary:
Optimus Prime and the rest of the Autobots return for the live-action
follow up to Michael Bay's 2007 blockbuster "Transformers."
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN will hit standard and IMAX
theaters June 26, 2009.

SPIDER-MAN 4
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright
David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole) is in final negotiations to write
SPIDER-MAN 4 for Columbia Pictures. Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire are
back as director and star, as are series producers Laura Ziskin and
Avi Arad. Kirsten Dunst also is expected to return for the latest
movie featuring the Marvel Comics character. The plot details are
under lock and key. Columbia always has gone off the beaten path
during the development process when hiring writers for the Spider-Man
movies. Alvin Sargent, a veteran scribe best known for 1973's Paper
Moon and 1980's Ordinary People, served as a writer on the second and
third films. Michael Chabon, another Pulitzer winner, also worked on
Spider-Man 2. James Vanderbilt previously wrote a draft of Spider-Man 4.

AGNES QUILL
Variety writes that Paramount Pictures has acquired screen rights to
Dave Roman's graphic novel AGNES QUILL: AN ANTHOLOGY OF MYSTERY. The
story follows 16-year-old Agnes who inherits from her grandfather an
estate and an ability to see and communicate with the dead. Thor
Freudenthal ("Hotel for Dogs") is attached to direct from a script by
Evan Spiliotopoulos. Steven Gilder and Jason Clark will produce.

DOCTOR WHO CHANGING
The BBC reports that David Tennant will quit the role of DOCTOR WHO,
after becoming one of the most popular Time Lords in the history.
Tennant stepped into the Tardis in 2005 and will leave the role after
four special episodes are broadcast next year. Tennant made the
announcement after winning the outstanding drama performance prize at
the National Television Awards. "When DOCTOR WHO returns in 2010 it
won't be with me," he said.
Rumors have already begun as to who will play the next incarnation of
the Doctor, including Paterson Joseph, David Morrisey, James Nesbitt
and John Simm. Tennant, the 10th actor to play the Doctor, left fans
guessing about his return at the end of the latest season. In the last
episode, which aired in the United Kingdom in July, the Doctor had to
defeat his enemies, the Daleks, to save the universe. Almost 10
million people watched as the Time Lord apparently started the process
of regeneration-- but did not complete it. Tennant will appear in a
Christmas special, titled "The Next Doctor," before filming four more
specials in January.

THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
Yahoo! Movies has posted a new five-minute trailer for the upcoming
remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, featuring previously unseen
footage, including more shots of the updated Gort. The film, an update
of the classic 1950s SF cautionary tale, stars Keanu Reeves, Jennifer
Connelly, Kathy Bates, Jaden Smith, Jon Hamm and Kyle Chandler. It
opens Dec. 12. Go to
<http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/3810106/10430112> to watch.

BOOK OF ELI
Variety reports that Gary Oldman will co-star with Denzel Washington
in BOOK OF ELI, a post-apocalyptic actioner to be directed by Allen
and Albert Hughes. Alcon Entertainment is financing the film and
co-producing with Silver Pictures. Warner Bros. will distribute
domestically through its output deal with Alcon, while Summit will
handle international sales.
ELI revolves around a lone warrior (Washington) who must fight to
bring society the knowledge that could be the key to its redemption.
Oldman has been set to portray the despot of a small makeshift town
who's determined to take possession of the book Eli's guarding.
Alcon toppers Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson will produce, along
with Joel Silver and Washington. Lensing begins in February in New
Mexico, with the pic set for a U.S. release on Jan. 15, 2010.
CLIP FOR 24 NEW SEASON
For fans of 24, it has been a very LONG wait. The series will return
in January and from the looks of this clip, it has been well worth the
wait! Go to
<http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1513658671/bctid1885474195>
for a non-stop seventh season trailer for 24.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA MEETS LAW & ORDER
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Katee Sackhoff is set to appear on an upcoming
episode of LAW & ORDER. Sackhoff's LAW & ORDER appearance coincides
with a starring role in "Lost and Found," a pilot Dick Wolf is
executive producing for NBC. She'll play a Los Angeles detective who's
relegated to working cases with anonymous victims after fighting with
higher-ups in the department. Brian Cox ("Deadwood," "The Bourne
Supremacy") will play her old-school partner.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND
DigitalSpy reports that Christopher Lee and Alan Rickman have joined
the cast of Tim Burton's ALICE IN WONDERLAND remake. Lee has taken on
an undisclosed role, while Rickman will play the hookah-smoking
Caterpillar. Eleanor Tomlinson is another new addition. She will star
as Fiona Chataway, a friend of Alice created specifically for the
Burton adaptation. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena
Bonham Carter, Michael Sheen and Matt Lucas are also among the
star-studded cast. ALICE IN WONDERLAND is scheduled for release in 2010.

ANGELS AND DEMONS
USA Today has published a first look at Columbia Pictures' The Da
Vinci Code prequel, ANGEL & DEMONS. Again directed by Ron Howard,
written by Akiva Goldsman and starring Tom Hanks, the adaptation of
Robert Langdon's book hits theaters on May 15, 2009. The new film,
co-starring Ayelet Zurer, Ewan McGregor, Pierfrancesco Favino and
August Fredrik, will move quicker than the first pic, says the article:
The adaptation of Dan Brown's novel continues the sleuthing adventures
of Robert Langdon (Hanks), a Harvard expert in religious symbols who
discovers a conspiracy to destroy the Vatican.
Da Vinci collected $758 million worldwide, but even Grazer says the
movie moved a little slowly. Angels, by contrast, sprints from crypts,
catacombs and cathedrals. In adapting the hugely successful Da Vinci
novel, "I think we may have been too reverential toward it," Grazer
says. "We got all the facts of the book right, but the movie was a
little long and stagey."
In Angels, "Langdon doesn't stop and give a speech," Grazer says.
"When he speaks, he's in motion."

STARGATE UNIVERSE
STARGATE fans rejoice! A new STARGATE UNIVERSE will be coming your way
soon and SCI FI Wire has obtained the exclusive first concept art for
the series at SciFiWire.com. There's a new look and feel of this
latest spinoff of the Stargate franchise. The images show a bit of the
new ship that will figure prominently in the show. STARGATE UNIVERSE
centers on a simple reconnaissance mission that turns into a
never-ending quest as a new crew of Stargate explorers gates onto the
Destiny, an Ancient ship that is unable to return to Earth. They will
travel to the far reaches of the universe, encountering new races,
enemies and adventures. UNIVERSE is executive-produced by Brad Wright
and Robert Cooper, the co-creators of Universe's predecessor series
STARGATE SG-1 and STARGATE ATLANTIS. SCI FI Channel plans to begin
production of the show in early 2009 and debut it next summer with a
two-hour premiere.

Well, I guess that pretty much brings you up to date.  I hope that you
will visit the website to keep up with things
(http://www.isnnews.net).  If you see that I’ve missed something,
please drop me a note at sgbruckner@....  If you have a review you
would like posted â€" book, movie, DVD, send that along as well.  It
would be great to have a number of reader reviews posted â€" just to see
what people are interested in and investing their time in.

Hope you turned your clocks back last night!  Otherwise you are in for
a surprise this morning!

Have a great Sunday.
Be safe,
Sandy

Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher
The Zocalo Today â€" http://www.isnnews.net

THE ZOCALO TODAY – October 19, 2008

Hey there.  It's been a while so I thought I'd catch up with everyone.
  Not much on the Babylon 5 front – a couple of new books out by
CafePress that you'll want to know about – B5 Quotations and B5
Chronologies.  The Quotation book is something we've been waiting for
a very long time.  The chronologies are wonderful.  Terry Jones shared
his chronology with us a while back, but for this publication he
updated it.  Awesome amount of work went into it.

Here are a few things I found for folks who are keeping up with the
career of J. Michael Straczynski.  THE CHANGELING will be hitting
theaters on October 31.  In the lead-up to the premiere, JMS' life has
been changing – dramatically.  Here are a few comments from the B5
moderated newsgroup.

CATCHING UP WITH JMS
I've never been a guy who likes a lot of flash. Anybody who's ever
seen me knows I don't go for expensive clothes, or fancy cars, or the
latest styles. I shop at the Gap and Land's End. I don't have
expensive paintings or jewelry. I travel light. I'm a simple kind of guy.

But the Changeling sale was such a major event, such a
transformational experience, that I thought...this really has to be
something special to mark the moment. A once in a lifetime splurge.
So I got something I've long wanted: the Torneau Gotham Tahiti del Sol
watch. It's my lucky watch, and I only wear it to big events and
important meetings. The rest of the time I just kind of look at it and
smile.

I did an interview for the LA Times that will be coming out in a big
spread on Sunday, an interview for the Hollywood Reporter, Script
Magazine, NPR's All Things Considered, and there are a bunch more yet
to come.

I don't actually know how to describe what this is all like. It wasn't
anticipated. It was never on the agenda. It just happened.
I don't normally allow self-indulgences, but I will allow one just
this once, because it may illuminate the discussion. So there will be
a measure of ego in what follows; forgiveness is requested in advance.
Leaving aside B5 for the moment, I often felt that I was a better
writer than the shows I found myself working on. By that I mean...you
can write the best Jake and the Fatman script in the whole world, but
it's still Jake and the Fatman. It's like putting in ten years
teaching a pig to sing; even if you achieve the goal, at the end of
the day, what've you got for all your work? A singin' pig.

So I'd kind of reconciled myself to the notion that probably nobody
would ever know what I could really do when I pulled out all the stops
and had a clear field to play in. As has been quoted in B5, happiness
is "the exercise of vital powers, along lines of excellence, in a life
affording them scope." The scope was missing. Now, suddenly, that
scope has become available, and I'm writing at the very edge of what I
can do. Every day is a huge challenge. Now the question has become, am
I good enough for the venues I'm now occupying? The onus is now on me
to live up to the venue, not the other way around. And I like that. I
like having to prove myself. I like to stand out on the crumbling edge
of what I can do, to see what I can see from there.

It's almost like the universe saying, "Okay, bigshot, you've been
running your mouth about what you can do, so here's your chance to run
with the big dogs. Nobody's holding you back now. So let's see what
you can do. Put up or shut up.">[? Just on its own terms, Changeling
has been a huge validation of my life's work. And I'm very much at
peace with that.

As for having a following...I think that's true within a fairly
refined demographic. Most of the mainstream public really has no idea
(or had no idea, before being hit with ten zillion Changeling posters)
who I am. That's kind of the writer's lot in media, and I'm totally
cool with that. I watched Angelina and Clint and others having to deal
with the level of celebrity they have, and it's no fun. You can't go
anywhere or do anything without being stalked. I would never, ever
want that. So I'm happy to be just where I am.
And that's a nice feeling.

NEW BABYLON 5 BOOKS

BUT IN PURPLE...I'M STUNNING!
Quotations from Babylon 5

It's the book Babylon 5 fans have waited years to own: "But In
Purple...I'm Stunning: Quotations from Babylon 5" compiles everyone's
favorite quotes into one comprehensive book. For easy reference, the
quotes are broken down by character (who said it, and to whom) and by
theme. J. Michael Straczynski has written 8 introductions, one for
each themed section in addition to his foreword.

THEMED SECTIONS: Faith, Hope and a Little Charity, The Characters of
Babylon, Relationships, War, Psi Corps, Power, Slapstick and Vox Populi.

CHARACTER SECTIONS: Sinclair, Sheridan, Ivanova, Garibaldi, Franklin,
Londo, G'Kar, Delenn, Marcus, Lennier, Vir and Kosh.
"But In Purple...I'm Stunning: Quotations from Babylon 5" is the only
book of Babylon 5 quotations ever to be published and contains 473
quotes from all 5 seasons. Each quote is annotated with its episode
title, and all the quotes have been meticulously compared to the
original scripts for accuracy.

This 317 page compilation will become a trusted resource when you're
making a speech or toast, writing a paper, or looking for a fresh
viewpoint for a newsletter, blank greeting card or important email.
(B5 quotations have previously shown up in wedding vows, prayer
services, webpages, and is one of the biggest sources of sig lines on
the net.)

Best of all, "But In Purple...I'm Stunning" is an instant connection
that keeps you in touch with the Babylon 5 principles and philosophy.
Rediscover favorite quotes you've forgotten and quickly find the ones
important to you. Best of all, flipping through "But In Purple...I'm
Stunning" lets you relive your favorite moments from Babylon 5, one
after another.

Go to www.Babylon5Quotes.com for more information and to order a copy
of your very own.

BABYLON 5 CHRONOLOGIES
For the first time ever available in print and authorized by J.
Michael Straczynski

"Across Time and Space: The Chronologies of Babylon 5"
* Contains two complete chronologies: Terry Jones' Babylon 5
Historical Database (parts of which were previously published in the
now-defunct Official Babylon 5 magazine) and I. Marc Carlson's "Time
Line of the Babylon 5/Crusade Universe."
* Together these two documents are the only sources that give you a
complete picture of the Babylon 5 universe and how it fits in the
history of the world
* Contains important Babylon 5 canon buried in the novels, comic,
books and short stories.
* Up to the minute -- includes "The Lost Tales".
* Includes information that has not been published in a decade from
out-of-print publications such as the Official B5 magazine.
* The ultimate Babylon 5 reference because it weaves the entire B5
universe into a cohesive narrative.
* Includes data from all televised episodes of Crusade and some that
weren't even produced.
* Includes an introduction by Fiona Avery, reference editor for
Babylon 5 and Crusade (and writer of 3 Crusade episodes).

To place your order, go to www.babylon5scripts.com.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
I, for one, am very happy with the new season of TV shows. There are a
few programs I really like -- Fringe, Sanctuary. There are a few I
want to watch yet -- The Mentalist, Eleventh Hour and it was a long
wait, but HEROES is back and moving at break-neck speed again.

What programs do you enjoy watching? Do you have any favorites yet? Do
any of them remind you of Babylon 5? Sanctuary brought back some good
old memories as I watched the premiere episode; the talk of sentient
beings, the moral questions about what is right and wrong. I'll have
to tune in to see if it continues to hold my interest. So many
programs start off well, but can't sustain the quality over the length
of production.

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.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

THE CHANGELING AND J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI
In this month's "Creative Screenwriting" magazine, there is a
wonderful article by Jason Davis entitled "How CHANGELING Changed J.
Michael Straczynski." An excerpt of that article can be found at
http://www.creativescreenwriting.com/index.html.

FOR PETE'S WAKE
Here's the latest on this film:
FOR PETE'S WAKE will be screening in Canada on Saturday, October 4th
at 1:00 pm. The event will be held at THE INNIS TOWN HALL THEATRE,
located on the University of Toronto campus. Innis Town Hall Theatre
is located at 2 Sussex Avenue, within Innis College on the University
of Toronto's downtown campus, at the NW corner of St. George Street
and Sussex Avenue just south of Bloor Street. Just a five minute walk
from the nearest subway stop, St. George Station. The fest address is
www.indiecanfilmfestival.com.

The film will also be screening at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn in
Studio City in late October, so stay tuned.

This film stars Babylon 5's Pat Tallman and Robin Atkin Downes.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS

Dylan Neal - October 8
Jeff Conaway - October 5
John Vulich - October 10
Tim Choate - October 11 - we miss you
John Copeland - October 13
Linda Huse - October 16

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.

NEW DVDS

Journey to..Center..Earth 3D - NL (SD/BD)
Release Date: October 28, 2008
Official website: www.journeymovie.com
Synopsis:
Brendan Fraser stars in this action-packed adventure based on the
Jules Vern Classic that is sure to deliver fun for the whole family!
On a hunch to find the center of the earth, Trevor Anderson (Fraser),
his nephew and their tour guide make a breakthrough discovery that
launches them on a thrilling journey into the unknown. On a scramble
to find their way back, the group travels through a never-before-seen
world encountering creatures and objects never imagined.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Two-Disc Special
Edition) (2008)
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Plot:
Famed archaeologist/adventurer Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones is called
back into action when he becomes entangled in a Soviet plot to uncover
the secret behind mysterious artifacts known as the Crystal Skulls.

TORCHWOOD - SEASON 2
Release date: September 16, 2008
Official website: http://www.bbcamericashop.com
Synopsis:
Torchwood follows the adventures of a team of investigators, led by
the enigmatic Captain Jack. Set in the UK in the present day, the team
use scavenged alien technology in a very real world to solve crime;
both alien and human. Separate from the government. Outside the
police. Beyond the United Nations. Everyone who works for Torchwood is
young, under 35. Some say that's because it's a new science. Others
say it's because they die young...
Starring: John Barrowman , Eve Myles , Burn Gorman , Naoko Mori ,
Gareth David-Lloyd
Produced by: Russell T Davies , Julie Gardner
Written by: Chris Chibnall
With fearsome new aliens, compelling new storylines, and amazing guest
stars the second season of Torchwood takes the close-knit team through
dare-devil action, temptation, heartache, and a life changing event
for one of them.

REVIEW
I liked Season Two much better than Season One. The episodes were more
tightly written and easier to follow. In Season One, we were
introduced to the characters and the villans and places. In Season
Two, now that we know the characters, each episode could explore the
characters more and their interactions with each other. If you are a
fan of DOCTOR WHO, this spin-off series is sure to delight you. In
addition, Freema Agyeman reprises her role of Martha Jones in a
3-story arc. She was terrific in DOCTOR WHO -- she's wonderful in
TORCHWOOD.

PUSHING DAISIES
Release Date: September 16, 2008
Official website: http://www.pushingdaisiesdvd.com
Synopsis:
Every not-so-often, along comes a show that's different. Wonderfully
different. Pushing Daisies, TV Guide's Matt Roush writes, "restores my
faith in TV's ability to amuse, enchant and entertain." It's the story
of Ned, a lonely pie maker whose touch can reanimate the dead. Cool,
but there's a hitch. If Ned touches the person again, the miracle is
reversed. If he doesn't, a bystander goes toes up. What to do? Easy:
Team with a private eye, bring murder victims back just long enough to
discover whodunit, and collect the rewards. Things go well until Ned's
boyhood sweetie is the next dear departed, and he can't resist
bringing her back for keeps! Dig the wit, style and quirky romance: If
you're not laughing, you may need a visit from Ned.
Videos from the WB:
Windows - Beaver Boy Ft. 1:51
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/pushingdaisies/season1/
pushingdaisies_s1_tfif_beaver_boy_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/pushingdaisies/season1/
pushingdaisies_s1_tfif_beaver_boy_qt_300.mov

REVIEW
PUSHING DAISIES is an unusual romantic comedy that was shortened to
only nine episodes in the first season because of the writer's strike.
Everyone who enjoys the show hopes season two will bring the regular
22 episodes for everyone to enjoy.
The show has perfect casting, directing, production and writing.
PUSHING DAISIES is fresh, original, heart breaking and funny.

Smallville Season 7
Release date: September 9, 2008
Official website: http://www.smallvilledvd.com
Synopsis:
When Clark's cousin Kara (Supergirl) arrives on the scene, Clark
advises her to keep a low profile and master her powers, but Kara has
other ideas and becomes the focus of Lex Luthor's powerlust. Does Lana
Lang prefer Bizarro to the real deal? Lois Lane makes a career leap
and Chloe Sullivan finds that balancing a meteor power with a personal
life isn't easy. New characters and complications abound, along with
new secrets and lore, new thrills and special effects. Power up to
Season 7!

REVIEW
With two less episodes due to the writer's strike, this season seemed
less focused than the others. Not to say it was not good, but the
writers seemed to be coming up with new story lines and ways to have
some of the principal actors exist at the end of the season. Michael
Rosenbaum has consistently been fantastic as Lex Luthor. He will be
sorely missed in season eight, but the void will be filled by new
characters. Tom Welling as Clark Kent has grown considerably as an
actor. Having come to the role as a model, he has shown glimpses of
real acting talent and I hope he continues to stretch himself during
the coming season.

This season brought back James Marsters as Brainiac and he's as good
as ever. He has made the character his own and the episodes featuring
him are favorites.

If you had to pick some favorite episodes from season 7, there are
many. "Descent" may be the best as Lex and his father, Lionel, face
off with tragic results. The final scene with Lex and Clark standing
by Lionel's coffin is a powerful moment not to be missed by any
SMALLVILLE fan.

Supernatural S3
Release date: September 2, 2008
Official website: www.supernaturaldvd.com
Synopsis:
The yellow-eyed demon is vanquished, but at a terrible price. The
battle that brought him down released hundreds of demons from Hell
into an unsuspecting world. And it cost Sam his life. But a
grief-stricken Dean made a deal with the Crossroad Demon --his soul
for Sam's resurrection. Now Dean has just one year to live. One year
to fight the unholy, the twisted, the ghoulish. One year to say
farewell to Sam. And one year for Sam to search desperately for some
way to save his brother. Mind-bending adventure awaits as the
Winchester brothers continue their astonishing odyssey into the
supernatural...and their personal odyssey into destiny.

NEW FAMILY DVDS
I have moved many of the family-oriented DVDs to a Family DVDs page.
Here you will find wonderful DVDs you can enjoy with your entire
family -- no matter the age. You will find background information
about the DVD, but there are clips as well from Warner Bros. Enjoy!

NEW SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS:

Cult Times Issue #154: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Dr Gaius Baltar has had a
tough old life, tricked by the Cylons and being pushed from pillar to
post. James Callis talks about his character's luck for the final
season; HEROES: Brand new Hero actress Dana Davis discusseswhy she
avoided news of Hurricane Katrina when she got the part, and what it's
like having Star Trek's Uhura as a grandmother! GHOST WHISPERER: Star
Jennifer Love Hewitt relates tales of the recent spooky happenings on
set and gives some insight into Melinda Gordon's far darker third
season world.

TV Zone #231: TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES:
• Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Exclusive interviews - Star
Lena Headey
• Doctor Who (2000s) Exclusive - Monster creator Neill Gorton
• V Exclusive – Star Jane Badler, aka Diana
• Stargate Continuum Exclusive - Star Ben Browder
• Eureka New Season Exclusive - Actor Ed Quinn
• Robot Chicken Exclusive – Show creator Seth Green
• Bonekickers – Star Adrian Lester

TV Zone Special #82: STARGATE ATLANTIS:
• 148 packed pages:
• Stargate Atlantis, Season 5 Part 1
FEATURING:
• Cast and crew interviews
• New images and designs
• Season 4 Visual FX
• Don S Davis tribute

Starburst Issue #365: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Michael Trucco - Now
revealed as a Cylon the actor wonders how his identity crisis will be
resolved...Edward James Olmos debates reaching Earth with the Cylons…
SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES: Thomas Dekker reflects on filling big shoes
of John Connor…ROBOT - Robot builder Fred Barton talks about how a
childhood craze became a lucrative career! STARGATE ATLANTIS: Paul
McGuillion, Carson Beckett, is back in a new episode teamed with an
all-female SG team…

The Works #21: PRISON BREAK: As a representative of The Company, the
mysterious Susan caused a lot of trouble for banged-up Michael
Scofield in the third season. Jodi Lyn O'Keefe talks waterboarding,
severed heads; NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN: The Oscar- winning star Javier
Bardem and co-star Josh Brolin take a thoughtful look at their roles
as killer Anton Chigurh and opportunistic hunter Llewelyn Moss
respectively.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

October 24-26, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Pittsburgh, PA
Guests: Ray Park, Daniel Logan, Lou Ferrigno, CJ Graham, Richard Kiel,
Dean Mitchell
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com.

I guess that is about it for now.  Be sure to check back at the
website (http://www.isnnews.net) from time to time to see what's new.

If you have something you would like to share with your fellow Babylon
5 and science fiction fans, pass it along.  That could include a movie
review, book review, whatever.

Have a great weekend (or what is left of it).
Be safe,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY, September 27, 2008

WHAT'S NEW

There hasn't been much as far as news from JMS.  When asked about his
work on the Lensman movie, JMS responded:

In brief, and without getting into details that are still in the
process of being worked out, I've chosen to focus on the story of
Kimball Kinnison, using his story as the fulcrum by which I can get
into the whole history of the Lens and outward from there.

For those of you not familiar with the Lensman, it is a series that
consisted of novels and stories in the "Astounding Stories" magazine
by Edward E. Smith.

In 2008, Ron Howard's Imagine Entertainment and Universal Pictures
began negotiations with the author's estate for rights to film the
Lensman series. The negotiations are for an 18-month renewable option.
  At the WonderCon convention in San Francisco in February 2008, JMS
confirmed that Howard had acquired the rights, and hinted that he was
involved in the project.

CHANGELING

CHANGELING starring Angelina Jolie has an official poster. The film
already won an award at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year,
and whenever it's mentioned, the word Oscar usually follows. The film
also stars John Malkovich and is loosely based on the Wineville
Chicken Murders in Los Angeles that took place in the late 1920's.
CHANGELING deals with a mother whose son is kidnapped and supposedly
returned to her; although she believes that, in fact, the boy is not
hers at all. For a trailer of the movie, go to
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sxikEYkOmo>.  Angelina Jolie is awesome!

CHANGELING is directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, of Mystic
River, Million Dollar Baby, Flags of Our Fathers, and Letters from Iwo
Jima most recently. The script was penned by comic book writer J.
Michael Straczynski, who has written numerous scripts from episodes of
"Jeremiah" and "Babylon 5." Universal is releasing CHANGELING in
theaters starting on October 24th this fall.

RISING STARS COMPENDIUM HARDCOVER

(W) J. Michael Straczynski, Fiona Avery (A) Brent Anderson, Keu Cha,
David Finch, Karl Moline

When Rising Stars first debuted in 1999, people hailed its fresh take
on the superhero mythos, grounding the fantastic in reality. The
groundbreaking series by acclaimed writer J. Michael Straczynski
(Amazing Spider-Man, Babylon 5, Squadron Supreme, Thor, Ultimate
Power) spawned three spin-off mini-series and has influenced
successful TV shows like The 4400 and Heroes.

Now, for the first time ever, every issue of Rising Stars, from the #0
to the last issue of the last mini-series, is collected into one
comprehensive deluxe hardcover.

Collects Rising Stars #1-24, #0 issue, #1/2 issue, Prelude issue,
Rising Stars: Bright, Rising Stars: Voices of the Dead and Rising
Stars: Untouchable.

Full Color 1,008 pages $99.99 hardcover

BABYLON 5: OTHER VOICES - OFFER ENDS SEPTEMBER 30

Don't miss your opportunity to own scripts written by Larry D'Tillio,
DC Fontana, Scott Frost and Neil Gaiman. Go to www.B5OtherVoices.com
for more details and ordering.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
OK, the first week of the new season is now history. A lot of the new
shows have had their premieres -- and old shows have returned. What
did you think? Did you catch Bruce Boxleitner in HEROES? Did you find
a show or two that you are interested in? If so, which ones? I
absolutely love FRINGE. It is a smart drama with a tinge of humor and
absolutely wonderful acting. How about you?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy.

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

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.

NEW DVDS

Watership Down Deluxe Edition
Official release date: October 7, 2008
Official website: www.warnervieo.com

Synopsis:
Nestled among the rolling hills and peaceful meadows of England lives
a community of rabbits. When their warren is threatened, a small group
of brave rabbits illegally escapes into the unknown countryside in
search of a safer home. Led by the visionary Fiver, the courageous
Bigwig, the clever Blackberry, and the honorable Hazel, they embark on
a danger-filled journey, where they must use their strength and
cunning to survive, while pursuing their dream.

This animated film adaptation is a thrilling allegorical adventure
that celebrates traditional values of loyalty, courage and spirit,
with a voice cast of well-known British actors such as John Hurt,
Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Simon Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne and Roy
Kinnear. The featured song "Bright Eyes" was sung by Art Garfunkel and
later released as a single.

Special Features include:
Watership Down: A Conversation with the Filmmakers -- Featurette with
producer/ director Martin Rosen and editor Terry Rawlings
Defining a Style -- Featurette discussing the creation of Watership Down
Storyboard comparison

SILVERHAWKS
Official Relsease date: October 7, 2008
Official website: www.warnervideo.com

Synopsis:
In the far-flung future, the Galaxy of Limbo is in dire need of some
heroes. Terrorized by the ruthless villain Mon-Star and his
intergalactic horde, the only hope against this tyranny are the partly
metal, partly real cybernetically enhanced super-team --the
SilverHawks. Led by the daring Quicksilver, the SilverHawks use their
amazingly enhanced bodies, their razor sharp wits, and a steely
resolve to battle Mon-Star and the forces of evil across the galaxy.
Heroes like Quicksilver, Tally Hawk, Super Twins, Blue Grass, Copper
Kid and Stargazer sacrificed their human lives on Earth to be sent
into outer space and challenge their intergalactic enemies.
Quicksilver, Talley Hawk, Super Twins and the rest of the SilverHawks
are back with the first ever DVD release of SilverHawks: Season 1
Volume 1 on October 14, 2008 from Warner Home Video (WHV). Created as
a space-bound equivalent to the hit THUNDERCATS animated series,
SilverHawks originally featured many of the same voice talents.

SilverHawks: Season 1 Volume 1 will be released in a four-disc
collector set that includes 32 action-packed cartoons, as well as a
special featurette entitled "Partly Metal, Partly Real," which
examines the development of Silverhawks, the follow-up animated series
from the same creative team that created Thundercats.

Jack Frost Deluxe Edition (Rankin & Bass)
Official Release Date: October 7, 2008
Official website: www.kidswb.com/whv<

Synopsis:
Jack Frost is sure to warm everyone's hearts with the first ever
re-mastered Deluxe Edition DVD release of the classic, stop-motion
animation feature Jack Frost. From the animation sorcerers at the
Rankin/Bass studios, this enchanting holiday perennial about the
crafty cold-weather elf. This special tells the story of Jack Frost,
who one fateful winter, visits the village of January Junction, where
he falls head-over- snowflakes in love with pretty maiden Elisa.
Turning into a human boy, Jack begins his courtship, only to lose
Elisa to the evil clutches of Kubla Kraus the Cossack. Teamed up with
his elfin friends, Jack must use all his icy powers to free Elisa from
Kubla?s army of mechanical men. Among the featured voices are Buddy
Hackett, as narrator Pardon-Me-Pete the groundhog, Robert Morse as
Jack and Larry Storch as Papa.

Jack Frost Deluxe Edition DVD bonus features include:
Totally Cool Crafty Creations - Mr. Wizard meets Martha Stewart in
this fun-filled featurette that teaches kids how to make their own
holiday crafts, including paper snowflakes, a magical snow globe and
mounds of fluffy snow.
Snip's Snowy Sing-a-long - Join Snip the Snowflake Maker in this fun
sing-along with some of the all-time favorite songs from the movie,
including "Me and My Shadow," and "Just What I Always Wanted."

BEETLEJUICE
Release Date: 10/7/08
Official website: http://www.beetlejuicedvd.com

Synopsis:
What's a couple of stay-at-home ghosts to do when their beloved home
is taken over by trendy yuppies? They call on Beetlejuice, the
afterlife's freelance bio-exorcist to scare off the family – and
everyone gets more than she, he or it bargains for! Tim Burton guides
this PG-rated comedy monsterpiece whose stars include Alec Baldwin,
Geena Davis, and Winona Ryder. And Michael Keaton is Beetlejuice, the
ghost with the most who flings one-liners, spins into grotesque forms,
gobbles insects, and who just can't leave the ladies (living or dead)
alone. Ghoul love it!

TORCHWOOD - SEASON 2
Release date: September 16, 2008
Official website: http://www.bbcamericashop.com

Synopsis:
Torchwood follows the adventures of a team of investigators, led by
the enigmatic Captain Jack. Set in the UK in the present day, the team
use scavenged alien technology in a very real world to solve crime;
both alien and human. Separate from the government. Outside the
police. Beyond the United Nations. Everyone who works for Torchwood is
young, under 35. Some say that's because it's a new science. Others
say it's because they die young...
Starring: John Barrowman , Eve Myles , Burn Gorman , Naoko Mori ,
Gareth David-Lloyd
Produced by: Russell T Davies , Julie Gardner
Written by: Chris Chibnall
With fearsome new aliens, compelling new storylines, and amazing guest
stars the second season of Torchwood takes the close-knit team through
dare-devil action, temptation, heartache, and a life changing event
for one of them.

PUSHING DAISIES
Release Date: September 16, 2008
Official website: http://www.pushingdaisiesdvd.com

Synopsis:
Every not-so-often, along comes a show that?s different. Wonderfully
different. Pushing Daisies, TV Guide's Matt Roush writes, "restores my
faith in TV's ability to amuse, enchant and entertain." It's the story
of Ned, a lonely pie maker whose touch can reanimate the dead. Cool,
but there's a hitch. If Ned touches the person again, the miracle is
reversed. If he doesn't, a bystander goes toes up. What to do? Easy:
Team with a private eye, bring murder victims back just long enough to
discover whodunit, and collect the rewards. Things go well until Ned's
boyhood sweetie is the next dear departed, and he can't resist
bringing her back for keeps! Dig the wit, style and quirky romance: If
you?re not laughing, you may need a visit from Ned.
Videos from the WB:
Windows - Beaver Boy Ft. 1:51
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/pushingdaisies/season1/
pushingdaisies_s1_tfif_beaver_boy_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/pushingdaisies/season1/
pushingdaisies_s1_tfif_beaver_boy_qt_300.mov

Smallville Season 7
Release date: September 9, 2008
Official website: http://www.smallvilledvd.com

Synopsis:
When Clark's cousin Kara (Supergirl) arrives on the scene, Clark
advises her to keep a low profile and master her powers, but Kara has
other ideas and becomes the focus of Lex Luthor's powerlust. Does Lana
Lang prefer Bizarro to the real deal? Lois Lane makes a career leap
and Chloe Sullivan finds that balancing a meteor power with a personal
life isn't easy. New characters and complications abound, along with
new secrets and lore, new thrills and special effects. Power up to
Season 7!

Supernatural S3
Release date: September 2, 2008
Official website: www.supernaturaldvd.com
Synopsis:
The yellow-eyed demon is vanquished, but at a terrible price. The
battle that brought him down released hundreds of demons from Hell
into an unsuspecting world. And it cost Sam his life. But a
grief-stricken Dean made a deal with the Crossroad Demon --his soul
for Sam's resurrection. Now Dean has just one year to live. One year
to fight the unholy, the twisted, the ghoulish. One year to say
farewell to Sam. And one year for Sam to search desperately for some
way to save his brother. Mind-bending adventure awaits as the
Winchester brothers continue their astonishing odyssey into the
supernatural...and their personal odyssey into destiny.
For more information on other DVDs that have just been released and
reviewed, go to New DVDs

GREAT COMICS COMING
FARSCAPE #1
by Rockne O'Bannon, Keith R.A. DeCandido & Tommy Paterson
Television's science fiction masterpiece Farscape returns! Farscape
creator Rockne O'Bannon teams up with Farscape novelist Keith R.A.
DeCandido (House of Cards) to continue his creation in comic book form
right where the Peacekeeper Wars left off!
Find out what's in store for John Crichton, Aeryn Sun, Rygel, Chiana,
and the rest of the Moya crew! Do the comics tie into Sci-Fi Channel's
upcoming webisodes? You know it, `Scapers! Don't frelling miss this!
Available with covers from Joe Corroney, Dennis Calero, and a photo
cover from the series.
SC, 24pgs, FC SRP: $3.99

ANGEL OMNIBUS
by Various
Discover the Angel Omnibus, which collects the IDW Angel series:
Angel: The Curse, Angel: Old Friends, Angel: Spotlight, and Angel:
Auld Lang Syne. This huge collection of comics includes work by New
York Times best-selling writer Peter David, and features the most
popular characters from the TV show, including Spike and Illyria.
SC, 6x9, 488pg, FC $24.99

THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO
by William Katt, Folino, O'Reilly & Hilinski
After 25 years, The Greatest American Hero returns with all new
original stories and adventures! Stephen J. Cannell's beloved cult
classic makes it debut to the comic book world courtesy of The
Greatest American Hero star William Katt, along with acclaimed writers
Christopher Folino (Sparks), Sean O'Reilly (Kade), and Derek McCaw
(Tony Loco). 32pgs, FC (1 of 6) SRP: $3.50

WHAT'S NEW IN THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS
When STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS premieres on the Cartoon Network
October 3 at 9:00pm, an old favorite will take on an entire droid
army. In the first episode, "Ambush," Jedi Master Yoda and three clone
troopers must face off against Count Dooku's dreaded assassin, Asajj
Ventress, and the massive Separatist droid army to prove the Jedi are
strong enough to protect a strategic planet and forge a treaty for the
Republic. The episode is directed by David Bullock (Justice League:
The New Frontier) from a script by Steve Melching (The Batman). Dave
Filoni is supervising director; George Lucas is the series' creator
and serves as executive producer, and Catherine Winder is producer.

ESTATE OF PANIC
SciFi has found the host for the new ESTATE OF PANIC -- the network's
new reality competition show that will premiere November 12 at
10:00pm. CROSSING JORDAN's Steve Valentine will serve as host,
bringing together seven strangers to a massive estate where large
quantities of cash are hidden. Hunting down the moolah isn't the
competitors' only challenge though. Three times contestants will be
challenged to overcome as yet unspecified terrors, and each time two
participants will be eliminated with their winnings added into the
prize pot. The last person then must go to the Vault Room, where the
final prize will be determined. Production will begin this week on the
six one-hour episodes of ESTATE OF PANIC.

THE SPIRIT
Moviefone has posted the second full trailer for Frank Miller's
upcoming movie based on Will Eisner's The Spirit starring Gabriel
Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson. This
trailer gives more of the plot of the movie and the origin of how
policeman Denny Colt (Gabriel Macht) became the Spirit, as well as
more with Samuel L. Jackson's baddie The Octopus.

DREAD
It was reported yesterday that TWILIGHT star Jackson Rathbone has
joined the cast of the upcoming horror film DREAD. Anthony DiBlasi is
set to write and direct the film from a short story by Clive Barker.
This particular tale comes from Barker's anthology BOOKS OF BLOOD,
which focuses on people's worst fears. The story of DREAD revolves
around a film student named Stephen Grace who is befriended by a
troubled young man named Quaid. Quaid, who has been plagued by a past
tragedy, convinces Stephen to make a documentary about the things that
people dread the most. The film begins shooting this October in London
for Matador Pictures.

WAR HEROES
According to Variety, Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to Mark
Millar's popular comic book WAR HEROES for Michael DeLuca to produce.
Sony's Columbia Pictures is currently seeking a writer for the
project. The comic book revolves around an experimental military
program that grants ordinary soldiers superpowers. A small group of
these superpowered soldiers break away from the government to form a
criminal enterprise, and a hero rises from their ranks to prevent a
catastrophe from happening. The six-part comic book was first
published in June of this year from Image Comics. No start date has
been set for WAR HEROES.

HEROES
If you missed the premiere of season three Monday night, you can catch
it TONIGHT, beginning at 8:00pm.

JOHN CARTER OF MARS
When JOHN CARTER OF MARS come to the big screen, writer/director
Andrew Stanton says that he and co-writer Mark Andrews will be putting
their own spin on the iconic story, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs'
books. The film will have a unique look as well. "I'm going to do what
I remember more than what they exactly do" in the books, Stanton said
at a recent interview. Stanton (WALL*E) added that he is currently
deep in writing with partner Andrews, a storyboard artist at Pixar, on
the script for Carter. "JOHN CARTER OF MARS is what I'm writing right
now with Mark Andrews," Stanton said. "Writing, it's all about writing
this year." Jim Morris, general manager at Pixar Animation, promised
that the movie will not look like previous attempts to adapt the
franchise for the screen. "Everything that's been out there has been
an attempt to kind of capture this Deco-esque [Frank] Frazetta vision
of John Carter, which I think feels old and stale," he said. "And
where Stanton is going--from what we've seen so far--is very different
than that. And I think that the people who really love the essence of
the books will really dig it, but so will audiences in general." Asked
if the film would be in 3-D, Morris added, "I hope not!" The film is
based on the early 20th-century Barsoom series of books by Burroughs,
the California author of the Tarzan series. It centers on a Civil War
veteran who finds himself transported to the Red Planet and caught up
in various battles and intrigues involving giant green creatures and
an alluring princess. It's been reported that Carter may incorporate
live-action elements amid animation. Stanton's WALL*E was the first
Pixar production to incorporate live action. Morris declined to
discuss the matter. "John Carter is in its very early stages and there
is much to figure out about that so we'd be premature," Morris said.
"We are looking at a variety of different approaches and techniques
for that ... We're kind of a bit early in the development of that."
Morris added: "I'm sure I speak for all of the science fiction geeks,
fans and aficionados when I say it's finally time to see that movie.
And I, for one, am delighted that Andrew Stanton is the guy that's
making the movie, because he's a story-driven guy."

TRUE BLOOD
According to the Hollywood Reporter, HBO's TRUE BLOOD is promoting
cast members for its upcoming second season. Guest stars Mehcad
Brooks, Todd Lowe, Deborah Ann Woll and Michelle Forbes have been
upped to regulars for the show's recently ordered second season. All
will appear in the first-season finale later this fall. The season
closer of Alan Ball's vampire drama will mark Brooks' first showing as
Benedict "Eggs" Talley, a mellow, guitar-strumming refugee from a hard
life. Gilmore Girls alumnus Lowe debuted his character, Terry
Bellefleur, in Episode 2. Woll plays Jessica, while Forbes plays Maryann.

KNIGHT RIDER
The Hollywood Reporter writes that NBC's KNIGHT RIDER finished in
third place in the ratings in its Sept. 24 premiere. Despite having
the highest level of viewer awareness of NBC's new fall shows, KNIGHT
RIDER Rider reached 7.4 million viewers in the 8 p.m. hour, slightly
less than DEAL NO DEAL in the slot last year and half the rating the
KNIGHT RIDER movie pulled down last February. KNIGHT RIDER faced the
debut of CBS' new comedy hour, featuring a transplanted NEW ADVENTURES
OF OLD CHRISTINE and the debut of GARY UNMARRIED.

ARCADIA LOST
According to The Hollywood Reporter, a cast is coming together for
Phedon Papamichael's indie coming-of-age drama ARCADIA LOST, starring
Nick Nolte with Haley Bennett and Carter Jennings. Based on a script
by David Ariniello, the latter two play step- siblings whose first
family trip is cut short by a car crash. With their parents dead, the
stunned teens roam the Greek countryside and befriend an expatriate
vagabond, played by Nolte, who leads them to a mysterious spiritual
ceremony. Phedon Papamichel is best known as a director of photography
for movies like SIDEWAYS and WALK THE LINE, but he also helmed the
indie horror flick FROM WITHIN, which premiered at the Tribeca Film
Festival earlier this year.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS - COMING NOVEMBER 11
Warner Home Video has announced a Nov. 11 release for STAR WARS: THE
CLONE WARS animated movie on DVD. The film, released into theaters
last month, spins off into the animated series on Cartoon Network,
which launches on Friday, Oct. 3. It also be available in a two-disc
special edition and on Blu-ray. Here's how Warner describes the movie:
"The Clone Wars takes place between Star Wars Episode II: Attack of
the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Jedi
Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi continue their journey
across the galaxy amongst the Clone Wars, meeting up with familiar
villains, such as Count Dooku, General Grievous and Asajj Ventress.
The Grand Army of the Republic, led by Yoda, Mace Windu, Obi-Wan
Kenobi, and other Jedi Knights, must fight the New Droid Army of the
Separatists."

DISNEY PRODUCTION SLATE
The Associated Press reported that Walt Disney Co. previewed a sequel
to its 1982 SF movie TRON, a 3-D motion-capture remake of A CHRISTMAS
CAROL and a Tim Burton remake of ALICE WONDERLAND, with Johhny Depp as
the Mad Hatter, in a presentation in Hollywood on Sept. 24. Depp will
also reprise the role of Captain Jack Sparrow in a fourth PIRATES OF
THE CARIBBEAN movie.
The daylong presentation at the Kodak Theatre, home of the Oscars,
delivered repeated surprises as actors emerged onstage to tout
animated 3-D movies, live-action thrillers and comedies--with animal
co-stars ranging from guinea pigs and chihuahuas to humpback whales.
Jim Carrey will star in his first Disney film, a 3-D motion capture
remake of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Disney made a similar
presentation of its animated films to investors in April in New York,
but held its last live-action movie showcase three years ago. Among
other casting announcements, Disney said Oprah Winfrey will be the
voice of the character of Eudora in the hand-drawn animated movie set
in New Orleans, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. The film features an
African-American heroine, Tiana, played by Anika Noni Rose. Winfrey
plays Tiana's mother in the movie set for release on Christmas in 2009.
A brief snippet from Tron 2 featured a louder, crisper and more
thrilling bike race and a cameo of an older Jeff Bridges, who starred
in the original version. Dwayne Johnson was on hand to tout RACE TO
WITCH MOUNTAIN. Pixar and Disney animation studios' chief creative
officer, John Lasseter, also broke the news that CARS 2, the sequel to
the blockbuster he directed for Pixar Animation Studios, would be
released in the summer of 2011, a year earlier than once planned.

CHOCKY
The Hollywood Reporter indicates that DreamWorks has acquired the
dramatic rights to the science fiction novel CHOCKY from Pollinger
Ltd., the U.K. agency that handles the literary estate of the late
author John Wyndham, and Steven Spielberg is said to be keen to make
the adaptation his next directing project. CHOCKY tells the story of a
boy who has a mysterious imaginary friend with whom he frequently
argues. As the boy's father gets increasingly suspicious, it becomes
clear that an alien entity has taken up residence in the boy's
consciousness.
Now that DreamWorks has severed its relationship with Paramount, it's
unclear which studio will co-develop the film. CHOCKY is a 1968 novel
written by Wyndham (officially John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon
Harris), a British science fiction writer who wrote the well-known THE
DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS.

I AM LEGEND PREQUEL
According to Variety, Warner Brothers is developing a prequel to the
Will Smith SF movie I AM LEGEND, with Smith to reprise his role as
scientist Robert Neville. Francis Lawrence will return to direct, and
Akiva Goldsman and his Weed Road banner will produce with James
Lassiter, Smith's partner in Overbrook Entertainment. The studio has
set D.B. Weiss to write a script that is based on a detailed outline
that was hatched over the past few months by Smith, Goldsman, Lassiter
and Lawrence. The prequel will chronicle the final days of humanity in
New York before a man-made virus caused a plague that left Smith's
character the lone survivor among a mutated mob in the city. Making a
prequel was the only way to extend a franchise, which grossed $584
million worldwide for Warner, and keep Smith in the lead role. His
character was killed in the first film, after extracting a potential
cure for the virus for the scattered survivors.

RATINGS RACE - TUESDAY
THE MENTALIST opened solidly on Tuesday helping CBS capture Tuesday's
overall ratings title, but FOX kept its hold on the 18-49 demographic.
CBS averaged a 9.5 rating/15 share in primetime, narrowly beating
ABC's 9.2/14. FOX came in third with a 6.7/10. NBC's 5.2/8 was good
for fourth, and The CW trailed with a 1.7/3. FOX grabbed the top spot
among adults 18-49 with a 4.5 rating. ABC finished second in the
demographic at 3.7. CBS, 3.3, edged NBC, 3.2, for third. The CW drew a
1.2. The season premiere of NCIS, 11.2/18, put CBS on top at 8 p.m.
HOUSE delivered a 7.4/12 for FOX and won the hour among adults 18-49.
THE BIGGEST LOSER: FAMILIES put NBC in third, ahead of a soft premiere
for ABC's game show OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS, 4.2/7. The CW got a 2.1/3 from
"90210." ABC took over at 9 p.m. with DANCING WITH THE STARS, 11.5/17.
The premiere of THE MENTALIST drew a 9.9/15 for CBS, retaining better
than 85 percent of its lead-in audience. FRINGE posted a 6.0/9,
keeping FOX in front of NBC and THE BIGGEST LOSER, 4.9/7. PRIVILEDGED
closed out the evening for The CW. DANCING WITH THE STARS improved to
11.9/19 at 10 p.m. The season premiere of WITHOUT A TRACE, 7.8/12, on
CBS, topped NBC's "LAW & ORDER: SVU opener, 6.3/10.

SHERLOCK HOLMES
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Rachel McAdams will star opposite
Robert Downey Jr. in SHERLOCK HOLMES, a reimagining of Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle's supersleuth that Guy Ritchie is directing for Warner
Bros. and Village Roadshow. The movie, which will begin shooting next
month, takes its cue from a forthcoming comic book that producer
Lionel Wigram wrote as a selling tool for a new take on the classic
character. The concept sees Holmes as more adventurous and less stuffy
than previous screen incarnations and mines more obscure character
traits. Downey will play Holmes while Mark Strong ("RocknRolla") plays
the main villain, Blackwood. Jude Law is portraying Holmes' colleague
Watson. McAdams plays Holmes' enigmatic love interest, Irene Adler, a
character who appeared in Doyle's 1891 A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA. While the
character only appeared in that one story, McAdams' personage would
return for any possible sequel.

NATIONAL TREASURE 3
Jerry Bruckheimer and Nicolas Cage came out on the state at the Walt
Disney Studios Showcase to officially announce the third film in the
National Treasure franchise. Disney Chairman Richard W. Cooke, who
presided over the event, invited the two men to step in front of the
audience. He then asked, "How come Ben Gates never gets arrested?" And
with that, Cage answered, "I guess well find out with National
Treasure 3, wont we?" Plot details were not discussed, but it was made
clear that director Jon Turteltaub would be back behind the camera,
with most of the original cast returning as well. The film is
currently in development. While no release date was announced, the
film is rumored to be scheduled for the holiday season, 2010.

HEROES
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the two-hour premiere of HEROES
Monday night was was down 25 percent, compared with last year's
one-hour opener, taking an expected hit following a creatively
middling second season and an extended nine-month hiatus prompted by
the writers strike.

CITY OF EMBER
Harry Treadaway, who co-stars in the upcoming adaptation of the
fantasy children's book CITY OF EMBER by Jeanne Duprau, said that the
film's imaginative production design helped his performance. "The kind
of visual manifestation of the script has been stronger than anything
else I've ever done," Treadaway said during a recent interview in
Belfast, Northern Ireland. "The whole world is like it is in the book.
The first scene was turning up with this contraption that [my
character's] dad had made that we kind of fight. And you turn up, and
it's there. It really is there. And kind of as you imagined it, or
better, normally in more detail." In the film, Treadaway plays Doon
Harrow, a curious young pipeworks laborer who lives with his inventor
father (played by Tim Robbins) in a self-contained, underground city
powered by a dying generator. Together with his friend, Lina Mayfleet
(Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan), Doon tries to decipher the clues that
point the way to the city's salvation.
Production designer Martin Laing and director Gil Kenan worked
together to create the entire city inside a warehouse in Belfast that
once housed the RMS Titanic. Designed with utility in mind, every
detail of the sets--from the lamp posts to the manhole covers-was
carefully thought through, and made in practical, working order
wherever possible. "I think Martin Laing deserves a mention for the
set that he's done, which I've just been constantly amazed by,"
Treadaway said. "And every room you turn up into, you're just blown
away. And you go, 'Nice one, mate. Thank you.' It kind of makes your
job easier, because it's there. You see the control room, the little
buttons are flashing, and it's all there." Treadaway said that it was
also really helpful to be able to work in a contiguous location, with
working buildings and real streets, rather than on isolated sets. "It
is amazing, because every day you come through the main square, and
it's amazing that it's all connected, as opposed to little bits around
a studio," he said. "It's wonderful." CITY OF EMBER opens Oct. 10.

LEGION
KNIGHT RIDER's Yancey Arias will play a Los Angeles cop in the
upcoming apocalyptic movie LEGION. "It looks like LEGION is going to
be really good," Arias said in a recent interview from the set of
Knight Rider. "There are a lot of effects, because, after all, it is
an apocalyptic movie. It is the archangel Gabriel and the archangel
Michael doing battle--again." LEGION stars Paul Bettany as the
destructive angel, Michael, and Kevin Durand as Gabriel. The film also
stars Dennis Quaid, Tyrese Gibson, Doug Jones and Kate Walsh. The
movie is directed by Scott Charles Stewart, who worked in visual
effects for IRON MAN, SUPERMAN RETURNS and HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET
OF FIRE. "He is an awesome director. He really knew what he was
doing," Arias said.
In LEGION, a group of people are trapped at a desert truck stop when
demons open the gates of hell and try to fulfill an ancient prophecy.
"I play a Los Angeles police officer who witnesses archangel Michael
arriving to the planet and wreaking havoc. Yeah, L.A. gets destroyed
again, and you might say I have a short-lived situation." Arias added:
"I'm tired of playing characters that get knocked off so quickly. I
like another movie I'm in that's coming up, BEHIND ENEMY LINES:
COLOMBIA, because I survive in that one." LEGION is slated to open in
January 2010.

TOOTH FAIRY
Variety reports that Billy Crystal will join Dwayne Johnson in the
cast of TOOTH FAIRY, the Fox fantasy comedy that begins shooting
Monday in Vancouver, Canada. Michael Lembeck is directing. Johnson
stars with Ashley Judd, Julie Andrews, Stephen Merchant and Ryan
Sheckler. Johnson plays a minor league hockey player known for
loosening dental work with physical play and is sentenced to serve as
the real Tooth Fairy for a week. Randi Mayem Singer (Mrs. Doubtfire)
has written the latest draft of the script. Previous drafts were by
Lowell Ganz & Babaloo Mandel and Joshua Sternin & Jeffrey Ventimilia.

THREE STORIES ABOUT JOAN
Variety reports that DIE HARD star Bruce Willis will make his
directorial debut with the indie psychological drama THREE STORIES
ABOUT JOAN. Willis will be taking a supporting role in the movie as
the father of Camilla Belle's title character with Kieran Culkin
co-starring. Based on the screenplay by Christopher Alexander and Sam
Applebaum, the story centers on a young woman at three points in her
life and the family tragedies that cause her to lose her grip on
reality. It's scheduled to start shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana
starting early next month.

THE COMPANY MEN
According to the Hollywood Reporter, John Wells will direct and Ben
Affleck is in negotiations to star in THE COMPANY MEN, a drama about a
man whose life is upended by a financial downsizing. Wells is writing
the screenplay about a man who is laid off and must cope with the
financial consequences and the fallout at home. The script calls for a
second male lead. THE COMPANY MEN initially had been set up at
Warners, where Wells' shingle has a deal, but it is in turnaround
there; it has not yet been set up elsewhere. No production date has
been set.

HEROES
Cristine Rose plays mom Angela Petrelli on NBC's HEROES. With the
return of the third season, her character will return to a position of
power, with major developments coming in the eighth episode. "This
volume, she gets her own back," Rose said in a red-carpet interview at
the premiere event in Hollywood. "She gets her strength back, and she
means business. Then everything falls apart--or maybe it doesn't. It's
all a really cool story, so it's exciting."
The strike-truncated second season of HEROES ended with Angela on the
phone after her flying son, Nathan (Adrian Pasdar), was shot. With
whom she was speaking was revealed in last night's third-season premiere.
Rose said her character is "no longer down in the dumps. I'm up, I'm
down, I'm up, and then right smack in the middle of this volume,
around episode eight, you get to find out a lot about how her heart is
the way it is," she said. "I get chills just thinking about it. I love
episode eight."

ASTRO BOY OPENS 2009
Summit Entertainment announced that it will release ASTRO BOY in North
America on Oct. 23, 2009. Summit and Imagi are putting together the
final details on a marketing plan designed to reach both the family
movie-going audience and adult fans of ASTRO BOY alike. Produced by
Imagi Studios, the computer-animated movie features the voices of
Nicolas Cage, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane, Bill Nighy and Eugene
Levy, with Freddie Highmore in the title role. David Bowers is
directing from a screenplay written by Timothy Harris, with Maryann
Garger producing. The film is based on the Japanese manga created in
the early 1950s by Osamu Tezuka. Set in the future, the new ASTRO BOY
is a classic superhero origin story about a young robot with
incredible powers, created by a brilliant scientist, and his
adventure-filled journey in search of his identity and destiny, taking
him into a netherworld of robot gladiators before he returns to save
Metro City.

24
Here's the first look at this season's 24! Filmed on location in Cape
Town, South Africa and Los Angeles, 24: REDEMPTION stars Emmy Award
winner Kiefer Sutherland along with new series cast members Cherry
Jones, Robert Carlyle, Gil Bellows and Academy Award winner Jon
Voight. The two-hour event finds Jack Bauer and his mentor Carl Benton
(Robert Carlyle) battling an international crisis, while here at home
the nation prepares for a new president on inauguration day. Taking
place just a few months before the new day dawns, U.S. State
Department officer Frank Tramell (Gil Bellows) and Jonas Hodges (Jon
Voight) are pulling the strings that will set the stage and raise the
stakes for Season Seven, which will debut in January 2009.

UNTHINKABLE
According to MTV News, Carrie-Anne Moss has joined the cast of the
post-9/11 psychological drama UNTHINKABLE. Samuel L. Jackson plays a
black-ops interrogator who, teamed with an FBI agent, attempt to
interrogate terrorists while dealing with the so-called rulebook. With
three nuclear devices set to go off in three different American
cities, time is running out and Jackson's "quasi-Jack Bauer" character
operates off the books which allows him to cross that fine line.
Additional stars expected to be announced in the next few weeks.
Gregor Jordan ("Buffalo Soldiers") directs the film which begins
shooting next month.

EMMY AWARDS
ABC's PUSHING DAISIES was the only science fiction/fantasy program
that took home a prime-time Emmy Award. The fantasy series won the
award for outstanding directing for a comedy series, which was given
to Barry Sonnenfeld for the pilot, "Pie-Lette." A week earlier, at the
2007-'08 Creative Arts Prime-Time Emmys, which were handed out on
Sept. 13, PUSHING DAISIES won two technical awards, for outstanding
picture editing for a comedy series (single or multi-camera) for
"Pie-Lette" and for outstanding music composition for a series
(original dramatic score) for the episdoe "Pigeon."
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA took home two creative arts Emmys: one for
outstanding special visual effects for a series for the episode "He
That Believeth in Me" and one for outstanding special
class--short-format live-action entertainment programs for the
SCIFI.COM Razor featurette number four.
SciFi's TIN MAN took home a creative-arts Emmy for outstanding makeup
for a miniseries or a movie (non-prosthetic).
NBC's CHUCK won a creative-arts Emmy for outstanding stunt
coordination, ABC's LOST won a similar award for outstanding sound
mixing for a comedy or drama series (one- hour), and The CW's
SMALLVILLE won an award for outstanding sound editing for a series.

KNIGHT RIDER
NBC'S KNIGHT RIDER's cast will do as much of the stunt work as
allowed, following in the footsteps of Matt Damon in THE BOURNE
IDENTITY. That film's director, Doug Liman, is an executive producer
of the new show. Liman, who also directed JUMPER and MR. AND MRS.
SMITH, pushed the actors to do as much of the stunt work as they felt
comfortable performing, and that required some special training.
"Justin [Bruening] and I are doing a fight scene later today," said
star Deanna Russo (Believers) during a break in shooting on the show's
set recently. "I did a ton of fight training, a few months of it,
before we started filming. I got stronger and learned more tricks
myself to make my character more interesting to watch. When I did a
few of the stunts, people said not many of the girls could do that."
With a few shots in the can already, Bruening's Michael Knight
character is constantly in peril: He's already been shot, stabbed and
poisoned, Bruening said. But Bruening, a college athlete, also gets to
play basketball in the private court in the team's secret underground
hideout. "Bourne was PG-13, and that's the kind of fights we have in
this," Bruening said. He added: "The physical fighting, when you're
honestly fighting, is as close and intimate as it can get. ... My
character has been in the Special Forces unit and is highly trained,
and it has to look that way." Bruening studied meditation and a
martial-arts stick-fighting technique from Thailand. "I've always been
athletic all my life, but this special training helped me a lot,"
Bruening said. "And Deanna learned a lot, too. To borrow a phrase, I
pity the fool who ever tries to hurt her." Meanwhile, Bruening said,
"I like to use Bourne Identity as the template for what I can do,
because it looked real when Matt Damon did his own stunts and fights.
Right now, I do about 98 percent, but some things they will not let me
do."
Unfortunately, that does not include racing the $75,000 K.I.T.T. car,
a tricked-out Ford Mustang GT500KR, on the open road. It's more likely
stunt driver Corey Eubanks behind the wheel. Knight Rider premieres on
Sept. 24 and will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m.

SEASON OF THE WITCH
Variety reports that Nicolas Cage will reteam with director Dominic
Sena for the supernatural thriller SEASON OF THE WITCH for Relativity
Media. The story chronicles the journey of 14th-century knights
transporting a girl suspected of being the witch responsible for
spreading the Black Plague. Bragi Schut Jr. penned the screenplay.
Shooting is scheduled to begin in early November in Austria and
Hungary. Cage previously worked with Sena on GONE IN SIXTY SECONDS.

TINTIN
Yesterday, we reported that Universal had withdrawn financing for
Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg's TINTIN movie. Today it is
reported that Paramount has stepped in to take over full financing.
Jackson's WETA digital workshop has already spent $30 million
developing performance- capture technology to make the boy detective,
his dog and the rest of his motley crew come alive.
With the dream duo of Spielberg and Jackson and acclaimed scribe
Steven Moffat adapting the script, and Herge's work as the basis - the
film already has more going for it than 98% of comic adaptations and
pretty much all the 'mo-cap' films to have come out of Hollywood so far.

BOLT
Walt Disney Pictures has revealed an extended clip from Bolt online at
Yahoo! Movies. Opening November 21st, the animated comedy features the
voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman and Mark Walton.
The film centers on a super-dog named Bolt (Travolta), whose days are
filled with danger and intrigue—at least until the cameras stop
rolling. When the star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from
his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest
adventure yet—a cross-country journey through the real world to get
back to his owner and co-star, Penny (Cyrus). Armed only with the
delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and the help
of two unlikely traveling companions—a jaded, abandoned housecat named
Mittens (Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster named Rhino (Walton)— Bolt
discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero.

SMALLVILLE
The CW released ratings for the Season 8 premiere on Thursday. The
episode, "Odyssey," ranked first in adults 18-34 (1.8/6-tie), men
18-34 (2.2/8), men 18-49 (2.1/7), persons 12-34 (1.8/6-tie) and males
12-34 (2.1/8). Smallville improved on its premiere a year ago (Sept.
27, 2007) in men 18-49 (5 percent) and matched in men 18-34.

GREEN HORNET
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Stephen Chow (Kung Fu Hustle)
will not only star in the film as Kato, but make his American
directorial debut. Seth Rogen is on board as THE GREEN HORNET. Neal
Moritz is producing the project through his Original Film shingle.
Original's Ori Marmur is executive producing. "The Green Hornet is a
dream project, and it's come together in a dream way," Moritz said.
"Seth will be fantastic in the lead role, and Stephen was the only
name on the list for Kato. The material is a perfect match for his
sensibilities -- Stephen in the director's chair is the best thing for
the film." "I'm excited to be taking on 'The Green Hornet' --
obviously I've been a huge fan of the show since I was a kid," Chow
said. "The idea of stepping into Bruce Lee's shoes as Kato is both
humbling and thrilling, and to get the chance to direct the project as
my American movie debut is simply a dream come true."

DREAMWORKS
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the principals of DreamWorks have
completed a long-anticipated deal with one of India's largest
entertainment conglomerates to set up a new $1.2 billion film company.
The deal gives DreamWorks co-founder Steven Spielberg and DreamWorks
Chief Executive Stacey Snider the financial support they need to leave
Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures and start their new venture. Under
the signed agreement, Mumbai-based Reliance ADA Group will invest $500
million equity and provide another $700 million in debt through J.P.
Morgan Chase & Co. toward the new venture, which will produce a slate
of about six films a year. Paramount said it is releasing the
DreamWorks principals and employees from their contracts. "To
facilitate a timely and smooth transition, Paramount has waived
certain provisions from the original deal to clear the way for the
DreamWorks principals and their employees to join their new company
without delay." The new company will be headed by Spielberg and
Snider. Spielberg, DreamWorks chairman David Geffen and Snider are
expected as a next step to tender their resignations from Paramount.
Even after Spielberg and Snider depart Paramount, they will continue
to work with the studio on a number of movies. The two parties share
rights to many projects, including the upcoming TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE
OF THE FALLEN.

THE JONESES
The Holywood Reporter writes that David Duchovny (X-FILES), Demi
Moore, Gary Cole (AMERICAN GOTHIC, B5's CRUSADE) and Amber Heard are
teaming for the dramedy THE JONESES. The story is a social commentary,
and centers on a picture-perfect family that moves into a suburban
neighborhood and immediately becomes the toast of the town, loved and
envied by all. But the reality is they are a commissioned fake family
put together by a marketing company as a way to introduce new
luxury-level products to neighborhoods around the world. Duchovny
plays the fake father, a man undergoing a crisis of confidence because
he is living a lie. Moore is the mother, a career- driven woman who
struggles with her growing feelings toward her fake husband. Heard
plays the fake daughter who is trying to seduce her fake dad while
looking for a rich man. Cole plays a neighbor. Derrick Borte penned
and will direct the film. Shooting is scheduled to begin mid-October
in Atlanta.

WAREHOUSE 13
The green light has been given by SCI FI Channel to production of the
hourlong drama series WAREHOUSE 13, ordering 11 episodes to go with an
already-shot two-hour pilot, Variety reported. The series stars Eddie
McClintock and Joanne Kelly as Secret Service agents charged with
securing a huge, top-secret South Dakota storage facility full of
supernatural artifacts and relics. Saul Rubinek also stars in the
series, which begins production in February in Toronto and is targeted
for a July premiere. WAREHOUSE 13 is produced by Universal Cable
Productions and is executive-produced by David Simkins. Brent Mote,
Jane Espenson and Simkins wrote the pilot, with Jace Alexander directing.

FLASH FORWARD
The Hollywood Reporter writes that ABC is close to ordering a pilot
for FLASH FORWARD, a science fiction show from filmmaker David S.
Goyer and Star Trek veteran Brannon Braga. ABC is reportedly close to
landing the spec script for the show, which is envisioned as a
companion to LOST. Based on Robert J. Sawyer's SF novel, FLASH FORWARD
chronicles the chaos that ensues after everyone in the world blacks
out for 2 minutes, 17 seconds, and has a mysterious vision of the
future that changes lives forever. Goyer (Blade III) will direct the
pilot. He also will executive-produce with Braga and Jessika Borsiczky
Goyer, along with Vince Gerardis and Ralph M. Vicinanza, who own the
rights to the book. ABC Studios is in negotiations to produce. FLASH
FORWARD originally was developed at HBO.

MOON/GENTLEMAN BRONCOS
Sam Rockwell has two upcoming SF movies: the Jared Hess-directed
GENTLEMAN BRONCOS, an SF comedy, and MOON, a drama about a stranded
astronaut. During a recent interview, Rockwell (Galaxy Quest) said
BRONCOS is an homage to Buck Rogers. "It's more like hillbilly Buck
Rogers. It's weird. It's like a cowboy Flash Gordon. His name's
Bronco, and he's like a hillbilly spaceman. It's weird. It's out there."
Rockwell was vague about the film, about a high schooler at a writer's
camp who gets plagiarized by an experienced novelist. The film is
awaiting a release date from Fox Searchlight.
In MOON, Rockwell plays an astronaut stranded on the lunar surface
while on a mining expedition in the future. "It's about a guy stranded
on the moon for three years, like a Robinson Crusoe kind of guy. He's
mining a product called helium 3 on the surface of the moon for fuel
for the Earth, an energy source. Then he meets his clone, and they
have to deal with each other. So it's sort of an homage to SILENT
RUNNING and a little BLADE RUNNER, as far as the replicants and stuff.
It's like that, but it's a very simple kind of Robinson Crusoe story.
It's this guy pretty much stranded. It's like a Twilight Zone
episode." Shooting as an independent film, MOON made use of
old-school, in-camera effects to allow Rockwell to play both the
astronaut and his clone. "I would do my take, and there was a guy
named Robin Chalk who was sort of a body double/actor," Rockwell said.
"He looked like me from the back of the head. We were the same body
type and size. Robin would read the lines. Then I would have to switch
places with Robin and block out the scene as the other clone, and he
would do the other one." Rockwell sometimes donned makeup between
halves of the same take, because the clone gets sick. He would end up
reacting to his own previous performance. "It was like algebra,"
Rockwell said. "It was the most heady thing I've ever done. It was the
most incredible technical challenge. I do my take, and then I'd switch
clones. You'd hear the [sound] from the previous take, so I'm
literally acting with myself, and the sound guy's feeding me the
previous take of the other clone. I'm hearing my own voice, and I'm
ad-libbing with myself." MOON is an independent production still
seeking distribution.

SHERLOCK HOLMES
According to Variety, Jude Law is negotiating to join Robert Downey
Jr. and Mark Strong in the Guy Ritchie-directed SHERLOCK HOLMES at
Warner Bros. Pictures and Village Roadshow Pictures. Law is expected
to close a deal shortly to play Dr. John H. Watson, the super-
sleuth's sidekick. Strong is playing the villain, Blackwood. Joel
Silver, Lionel Wigram, Susan Downey and Dan Lin are producing.
Production begins early next month in London. The film will
incorporate the classic tales written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as
well as the comic book "Sherlock Holmes."

IGOR
Set to open this weekend, IGOR stars the voices of John Cusack, Sean
Hayes, Molly Shannon, Eddie Izzard and Jennifer Coolidge. In this new
animated comedy, IGOR is a hilarious twist on the classic monster
movie. IGOR tells the story of one Igor who's sick of being a lowly
lab assistant with a Yes Master's degree and dreams of becoming a
scientist. When his cruel master kicks the bucket a week before the
annual Evil Science Fair, Igor finally gets his chance. With the help
of two of his experimental creations - Brain, a brain in a jar who's a
little light on brains, and Scamper, a cynical bunny brought back from
being road kill, Igor embarks on building the most evil invention of
all time, a huge, ferocious monster. Unfortunately, instead of turning
out evil, the monster turns out as Eva, a giant aspiring actress who
wouldn't hurt a fly. Just when the load on his back can't get any
heavier, Igor and his band of monstrous misfits uncover an evil plot
that threatens their world. Now, they must fight to save it and prove
that heroes come in all shapes and sizes.

FRINGE RATINGS
According to Variety, the ratings for this week's episode of FRINGE
were boosted by a lead-in from the season premiere of HOUSE. Its
audience improved by a whopping 45 percent (from 9.13 million) over
its premiere a week earlier.

TRUE BLOOD RENEWED
HBO announced yesterday that it has ordered a second season of its
vampire drama TRUE BLOOD. The series, which aired its second episode
this week, will begin production of new episodes early next year in
Los Angeles, with debut set for summer 2009. The Sept. 7 debut episode
is proving to be a hit with HBO audiences, attracting more than 4
million viewers to date, while the debut of the second episode on
Sept. 14 posted an unprecedented 24 percent gain in viewers over the
first week's debut. TRUE BLOOD stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer in
a story about modern-day vampires and their effect on a small
Louisiana town. The series was created and is executive-produced by
Alan Ball, based on the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris.
True Blood airs Sundays at 9 p.m.

AIRMAN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Gil Kenan and Robert Zemeckis, who
teamed for the animated Oscar-nominated MONSTER HOUSE, are partnering
again for a big-screen version of AIRMAN, a children's adventure book
by Artemis Fowl author Eoin Colfer. Kenan (City of Ember) will direct
the adaptation, which will be done using performance-capture
technology. Zemeckis will produce with his ImageMovers partners Jack
Rapke and Steve Starkey. The swashbuckling scientific story centers on
Conor Broekhart, a young man born in a hot air balloon to a family
close to the king who has a penchant for looking to the skies for
inspiration. The book was released in January.

TOMORROWLAND
Variety reports that Walt Disney Co. is developing an action-adventure
movie set in space, to star Dwayne Johnson, supposedly inspired by the
TOMORROWLAND section of its Disneyland theme park. Writers Jon Lucas
and Scott Moore will draft the script for the movie, which is being
designed as a vehicle for Johnson, who starred for the studio in the
family hit THE GAME PLAN and most recently completed RACT TO WITCH
MOUNTAIN. Disney denied to the trade paper that the film has been
titled TOMORROWLAND or that it is dedicated to the theme park's
futuristic "land," which features such attractions as Space Mountain.
The studio called the nascent project an original script.

DARK FIELDS
During a recent interview with comingSoon.net, director Neil Burger
(The Illusionist) talked about his American road movie THE LUCKY ONES,
and he confirmed to us that he would start shooting DARK FIELDS with
actor Shia LaBeouf (Transformers) in New York City sometime this
winter. Based on the 2002 novel "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn, the
Universal Studios thriller is about a pill that makes you smarter and
it's Burger's first film directed based on someone else's script, in
this case an adaptation by Leslie Dixon, who's also writing the remake
of Alfred Hitchcock's THE BIRDS. Burger said the subject matter isn't
handled in a science fiction way but as he told us, "It's more like if
there's viagra or steroids, why isn't there something that increases
your synaptic connections and makes you think smarter and faster, but
it's not without side effects and consequences."

QUANTUM OF SOLACE
MGM has released a couple of new TV spots. To view go to
http://www.movieweb.com/news/27/31327.php. QUANTUM OF SOLACE is a
sequel to 2006's CASINO ROYALE. Daniel Craig is James Bond and the
movie is set for release on November 14.

HARRY BROWN
In a recent interview with MTV News, Michael Caine sayd he's going all
vigilante for his recently announced HARRY BROWN. The story follows an
elderly man driven to vigilante justice in a London neighborhood taken
over by criminals. Emily Mortimer also stars as a police officer.
Caine says of his role "He's an ex-Marine who lives on a real crap
estate in London full of junkies and pimps and hookers. And he becomes
a vigilante because he has to or else they're going to kill him."
Don't expect too much physical action considering Caine's age - "The
guy is old and has emphysema but he is an ex-Marine and you get to
know that. He's in his late 70s and he doesn't want to fight. He's not
exactly a powerhouse but he does start to bring it around."

CONVENTION CALENDAR

October 24-26, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Pittsburgh, PA
Guests: Ray Park, Daniel Logan, Lou Ferrigno, CJ Graham, Richard Kiel,
Dean Mitchell

For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com

If you have information about other conventions that should be on our
calendar, please pass along the information so that I can post it.
Conventions are great places to meet other people who love science
fiction.

I guess that is about it for now.  This should pretty much catch you
up with what has been happening around the world of science fiction.
Be sure to drop over to the website at http://www.isnnews.net to get
the latest news on upcoming series like Sanctuary on SciFi starring
Amanda Tapping and Stargate Universe.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Be safe.

Sandy
Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher, The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net

What's New

AWAY FOR TWO WEEKS
I will be away covering the political conventions for two weeks -- so
updates to the website are probably not going to be possible. Should
something major take place, I will send out an e-mail notice to folks.

BABYLON 5 CHRONOLOGIES

For the first time ever available in print and authorized by J.
Michael Straczynski

Across Time and Space:  The Chronologies of Babylon 5

* Contains two complete chronologies: Terry Jones' Babylon 5
Historical Database (parts of which were previously published in the
now-defunct Official Babylon 5 magazine) and I. Marc Carlson's "Time
Line of the Babylon 5/Crusade Universe."

* Together these two documents are the only sources that give you a
complete picture of the Babylon 5 universe and how it fits in the
history of the world

* Contains important Babylon 5 canon buried in the novels, comic,
books and short stories.

* Up to the minute -- includes "The Lost Tales".

* Includes information that has not been published in a decade from
out-of-print publications such as the Official B5 magazine.

* The ultimate Babylon 5 reference because it weaves the entire B5
universe into a cohesive narrative.

* Includes data from all televised episodes of Crusade and some that
weren't even produced.

* Includes an introduction by Fiona Avery, reference editor for
Babylon 5 and Crusade (and writer of 3 Crusade episodes).

Go to
<http://www.babylon5scripts.com/B5%20Chronology%20Book%20Sample.pdf>
to see some sample pages of the work. To place your order, go to
<www.babylon5scripts.com>.

BABYLON PODCAST: SHOW 125

Babylon Podcast: Show #125
Summer really need to schedule a time to rummage through Jeffrey's B5
archives. I see a Los Angeles Road Trip in the near future. Keep your
eyes open for a Jeffrey eBay sale… and possibly a live feed only eBay
sale?

Deep Geeking: This week, Tim and Summer talk about "Epiphanies", a
pivotal episode where alliances, plans and perspectives shift for a
number of people. Garibaldi leaves his post as security chief, pushing
Zack into an unexpected new role; Bester comes to B5 looking for
Sheridan's help in exploring what the Shadows might have left behind
on Z'ha'dum; Lyta begins to test the extent of her Vorlon- enhanced
powers at Sheridan's request.

How much did Bester risk by betraying his Black Omega pilots? How
effective is the EA blockade of the jumpgate before B5's gate really
going to be for non-Earth ships? How might have Sheridan reacted if
Lyta had brought her concerns about Bester's request and about going
to Z'ha'dum to him first?

Go check out Deep Geeking when you get a chance, and if you want to
contribute a geeking essay, get ahold of Summer.

Feedback: Kurt sent in a "Year 4/Year 5? mashup as a replacement
intro, but we may end up using that as a show promo; Isaac in Ottawa
disagrees with some of the comments on JMS' announcement, and gives us
his perspective on fan productions, which spawns an interesting
discussion about expectations and future possibilities and options for
smaller B5 stories that would still fall into canon.

To catch up on previous Babylon 5 Podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

August 22-24, 2008
STARGATE CONVENTION
City: Chicago, Illinois
Place: Wyndham O'Hare
Guests: Michael Shanks, Ben Browder, Alexis Cruz, Lexa Doig, David Kykl
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/sgchi.htm.


August 29-September 1, 2008
DRAGONCON 2008
Guests: Sean Astin, Adam Baldwin, Brad Dourif, Robert Englund, Walter
Koenig, Phil Morris, Peter David, as well as Michael Dorn who was in
Capt Simian with Jerry Doyle.
For more information, go to http://www.dragoncon.com

That's it for now.  I just wanted to make sure you got the
announcement on the B5 chronologies.

Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – August 16, 2008

NEW SCRIPT BOOK COMING SOON - ASK JMS A QUESTION
Here is a note from the Babylon 5 script team:
Later this year we will be releasing the "Babylon 5 Scripts of J.
Michael Straczynski: TV Movies". With this book is a special
opportunity. J. Michael Straczynski is letting fans submit questions
he will respond to in the introduction about the four TV
Movies "Thirdspace", "The River of Souls", "Legend of the Rangers"
or "The Lost Tales "

CRITICAL NOTE:
No questions will be personally answered. A committee will select the
questions that JMS will respond to from the submissions received. All
responses will appear in the forthcoming "Babylon 5 Scripts of J.
Michael Straczynski: TV Movies" being released later this year.
Questions are being accepted by the official submission form only. Go
to <http://b5quotes.com/tinc?key=Q8SJLjPQ&formname=AskJMS> to submit
a question to JMS.

THE CHANGELING PREMIERES
The New York Film Festival (NYFF) announced today that Changeling
will be the centerpiece of the festival(September 26 =96 October 12,
2008.

The Changeling may also be shown at the Vienna Film Festival and the
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

When asked if he would attend these events, JMS responded:
At this point, I'm planning to be at the Deauville Film Festival and
the New York Film Festival for the premieres there. There still
hasn't been any confirmation that I've seen on the others, so until
there's an announcement, I'm hanging fire. I don't yet have a firm
date on when Changeling screens, only that it's somewhere in the
middle of the festival.

Should be pretty exciting all around.

THE DEADBOOKS PROJECT - LAUNCHES AUGUST 18
Here's something new for you to take a look at.
The creator of The Deadbooks Project was looking for a new form of
SF/Horror entertainment. With the help of 30 actors and about 40
musical groups from almost as many countries, he is taking a novel
and transforming it into something that has not been seen on the Net.
It's not really a novel anymore, but nor is it a movie, nor an old-
time radio show, though it contains attributes of all those story-
telling techniques. He calls it a Hyper-Serialization.

Web-launch of the first 10 hour season is set for August 18.

Right now there are movie trailers on YouTube giving everyone a sneak
peak at what PantherRun Productions has created. If you have a
moment, would you please drop by YouTube and put in DeadBooks…

NEW SCIENCE FICTION BOOKS COMING

Here are a couple of books that would make any science fiction fan's
library complete.

Science Fiction Television Series: Episode Guides, Histories, and
Casts and Credits for 62 Prime Time Shows, 1959 - 1989. Written by
Mark Phillips & Frank Garcia, the book looks at science fiction
series, providing excerpts, trivia and much, much more.

Science Fiction Television Series: Histories, Casts and Credits for
58 Prime Time Shows, 1990 - 2004
By Frank Garcia and Mark Phillips - with a foreward by Stargate's
Brad Wright.

This books covers more recent shows, including BABYLON 5, THE DEAD
ZONE, QUANTUM LEAP, STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION and THE X-FILES.
Go to http://legacyweb.com/scifibook/index.shtml for more information
and a link for ordering.

If you enjoy science fiction and have followed a number of TV series
over the years, you'll love these books.

BABYLON PODCAST: SHOW 124
Welcome to Show #124!
Kosh. Rastaman. I got nothin'.

Feedbackapalooza Part Deux!! Chris Lester from Metamor City Podcast
and C.A. Sizemore are still in on the Feedback Fun.
Colin doesn't appreciate the tone of JMS' announcement; Freehold
South chimes in on the JMS announcement, and feels blindsided by it;
Bethany from OK comments on "Into the Fire", agreeing with Tim's
desire to see what was going on in the Alliance ships saving Sheridan
and Delenn, and disagreeing with Summer calling the
Vorlons/Shadows "whiny".

Email from Jerry in Ashburn comments on alternatives to deeper
explorations of the revelations from "Into the Fire", and suggests
that "Intersections in Real Time" could have been cut (we disagree!);
Edmund weighs in on the JMS announcement, theorizing that JMS might
be trying to flex his newly found status to see what he might be able
to create; John in Birmingham agrees with Brad's viewpoint on JMS'
announcement (a comment from PodCulture).

New question: Vipers vs Starfuries? What do you think? Summer thinks
the Vipers might actually take out the Starfuries, and while
Thunderbolts might fare a shade better, they'd still lose out.
Mike Smithwick responds with what he would have cut from B5, and what
he would have added in; Ann in CA wonders if JMS' announcement was
more of an indication that he hasn't had the chance to really focus
on creating more B5 stories, be it lack of time or introduction of a
block; an X-Files tangent leads to a comparison between Chris
Carter's long-term work versus JMS' long-term work.

Jeffrey notes that we haven't gotten Christopher Franke and Ed Wasser
for us to talk to, and promises to do better; comments on
inconsistencies "Into the Fire"; Andy comments on the "Into the Fire"
discussion, and chimes in on what he thinks could have happened had
Londo failed in his plan to kill Cartagia and destroy the Shadow
ships on Centauri Prime; Valerie in MD disagrees with Tim's opinion
that "The Long Night" was a bad title… she also would love to listen
to a Lensman podcast, and is waiting for our commentary on the Script
Books (we're working on that last one).

Go check out Deep Geeking when you get a chance, and if you want to
contribute something, get ahold of Summer.

To catch up on previous Babylon 5 Podcasts, go to
www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEW DVDS

Here are some of my favorite new DVDs.  Many are old TV series that
have finally been released on DVD so that we can enjoy them again –
again.  Be sure not to miss TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
and WITCHBLADE.

WONDER WOMAN
On Blu-Ray, DVD and On Demand February 2009
Official Site: www.wonderwomanmovie.com
Synopsis:
On the mystical island of Themyscira, a proud and fierce warrior race
of Amazons have raised a daughter of untold beauty, grace and
strength – Princess Diana. When an Army fighter pilot, Steve Trevor,
crash-lands on the island, the rebellious and headstrong Diana defies
Amazonian law by accompanying Trevor back to civilization. Meanwhile,
Ares (the god of War) has escaped his imprisonment at the hands of
the Amazonians and has decided to exact his revenge - intending to
start a world war that will not only last for centuries – but will
wipe out every living being on the planet, starting with the Amazons!
It is up to Princess Diana to save her people and the world – by
using her gifts and becoming the ultimate Wonder Woman!
Voice Talent: Keri Russell (Felicity, Waitress)-voice of Wonder
Woman, Nathan Fillion (Waitress, Desperate Housewives)- voice of
Steve Trevor, Virginia Madsen (Sideways)-voice of Hypolyta, Oliver
Platt (West Wing, Huff) -voice of Hades , David McCallum (The Man
From U.N.C.L.E., NCIS) – voice of Zeus, Alfred Molina –(Spider Man 2)-
voice of Ares, Rosario Dawson (Sin City)-voice of Artemis)

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Release Date: August 19, 2008
Synopsis:
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian
Manhunter and Hawkgirl they have all used their unique powers to
fight evil across the galaxy. These 7 super heroes unite to become
the Justice League. These 26 adventures feature battles with favorite
villains like Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage and sorceress Morgan Le Fey.
Acts of justice include saving Aquaman from a coup and clearing Green
Lantern's name in a charge of genocide. From the smash hit TV series,
these triumphant tales of teamwork will enthrall and inspire!

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season
Comes Out August 19

The series stars Lena Headey (300), Summer Glau ("The 4400", "The
Unit", "Firefly"), Thomas Dekker ("Heroes"), and Richard T. Jones
(Vantage Point, "Judging Amy").
The mother of all destiny. Her son, the future leader of mankind.
Their protector, a terminator from the future. Together they must
take back the future as Sarah Connor (300's Lena Headey) prepares her
son to fight the war against machines determined to annihilate the
human race. The clock is ticking. Can they stop Judgment Day? The man-
vs-machines tale that has thrilled millions gets a reboot with this
popular series, set after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
Will John Connor (Dekker) seize his destiny? Will a cell phone
salesman's chess program evolve into Skynet? Can the sweet but deadly
cyborg (Glau) be trusted? Answers - and the fight for the future -
are here and now!

DC SUPER HEROES: THE FILMATION ADVENTURES
Official website http://www.DCSuperheroesfilmation.com
Release date: August 12, 2008
Synopsis:
Episodes. Disc 1. The Atom Cartoons, Invasion Of The Beetle-Men
(1967), The Plant Master (1967), The House Of Doom (1967), The Flash
Cartoons, The Chemo-Creature (1967), Take a Giant Step (1967), To
Catch a Blue Bolt (1967), Green Lantern Cartoons, Evil is as Evil
Does (1967), The Vanishing World (1967), Sirena, Empress of Evil
(1967), Disc 2. Hawkman Cartoons, Peril from Pluto (1967), A Visit To
Venus (1967), The Twenty Third Dimension (1967), Justice League Of
America Cartoons, Between Two Armies (1967), Target Earth (1967), Bad
Day on Black Mountain (1967), Teen Titans Cartoons, The Monster
Machine (1967), The Space Beast Round-Up (1967), Operation: Rescue
(1967)

WITCHBLADE: THE COMPLETE SERIES
Release date:  July 29, 2008
Official website:  www.witchbladedvd.com
Synopsis:
In this adaptation of the Top Cow comic book, Witchblade is the story
of a New York detective, Sara "Pez" Pezzini, whose search for justice
brings her into contact with the Witchblade, an ancient, intelligent,
living weapon so powerful it can battle Earth's darkest evil forces.
Week in and week out, "Pez" employs her skills as a police detective
to fight crime. She finds she must employ the Witchblade to combat a
much greater and frighteningly organized conspiracy of evil that
threatens the very soul of humanity. As Sara tries to keep the secret
of the Witchblade, do her job and have a personal life, she finds
that her most formidable adversary may be the Witchblade itself.

BIRDS OF PREY: THE COMPLETE SERIES
Release Date: July 15, 2008
Birds of Prey: The Complete Series
Synopsis:
Who will stand up to villains now that a heartbroken Dark Knight has
mysteriously vanished? Never fear, New Gothamites, a trio of
champions is ready to take wing - and Helena, the daughter of Batman
and Catwoman, is among them. She calls herself Huntress and crime is
her prey. Teenaged Dinah is the youngest of the group, learning as
she goes and gifted in clairvoyance. And overseeing the awesome
threesome's high- tech nerve center is Batgirl. Left wheelchair-bound
by The Joker, she has reinvented herself as Oracle, the team's cyber
expert. Huntress, Dinah, Oracle: They are the Birds of Prey. Fighting
together. Living together. And soaring into adventure together in 13
breathtaking live-action episodes.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

WARNER BROS AND DC COMICS
Variety discussed the challenges of turning more DC properties into
movies besides just the "Batman" and "Superman" franchises with
Warner Bros. Pictures President and Chief Operating Officer Alan
Horn, Production President Jeff Robinov and Gregory Noveck, Senior VP
of Creative Affairs for DC Comics. Excerpts are below:
Warners and DC (both Time Warner entities) have labored in vain over
another Superman, and launches for Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green
Arrow and Green Lantern. It's maddening for fans as rival Marvel
Comics has successfully begun financing its own slate of pics, first
with "Iron Man," then a reboot of "The Incredible Hulk" this summer.
That could soon change, as Warners is readying to revamp how DC's
properties are developed -- changes that could be announced within
the next month.

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season
Comes Out August 19
But You Can Recruit and Destroy Now!!
Choose to fight for the MACHINES or the HUMANS, then recruit friends,
fight the enemy and rise through the ranks with the official TSCC
Facebook widget at www.terminatorondvd.com

VIRTUALITY
VIRTUALITY, Ronald D. Moore's SF pilot for Fox, is shooting in
Vancouver, Canada, and during an exclusive sneak peek at sets and
costumes, SciFi Wire talked with cast and crew, who said the show is
not about ships and aliens, but about characters and conflict. The
show takes place aboard the Phaeton, Earth's first interstellar
starship, whose 12-person crew is on a 10-year voyage. "To keep them
occupied and give them an outlet for privacy, they've been given
these virtual-reality modules," writer/producer Michael Taylor said
in an interview. "They each have a little corner to call their own,
and it can be anything they want it to be. A place they can be alone,
they can do some sort of activity or be in some time period. It's
whatever they want." The main set is a single module, which will be
redressed to represent various ship modules that serve different
purposes. While I was there earlier this week, the module was filled
with plants, in beds and on racks on the walls. The overall effect
was something like a cross between the International Space Station
and a mall common area. VIRTUALITY is a backdoor pilot created by
Moore and Taylor (Battlestar Galactica) and directed by Peter Berg
(Hancock). Like the sets, the show's costumes reflect the time
period, only 30 years in the future. The crew's uniforms consist of
gray jackets and pants with white piping and shoulder patches, more
like current warmup gear than Starfleet uniforms. Under the jackets,
cast members wear street clothes; as most are scientists, they wear T-
shirts with the names of colleges. The entire cast could walk down
the street in costume and not get a second look. (The cast includes
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Clea DuVall and Sienna Guillory.) "Six months
into this voyage, as they're about to reach the point of no return,
fire up the big engines and head for the star they're headed for,
something has started going wrong with these virtual modules," Taylor
said, adding coyly: "It's something that will unnerve them and
something that portends serious trouble down the road for this crew."
The smallish sets and large cast seem designed to make the space feel
crowded, to ramp up the pressure on the characters as things get out
of control. One surprising aspect of the show is that the mission is
privately funded. As such, the crew is contractually obligated to
participate in a reality show being shot onboard. Phaeton is studded
with surveillance cameras, like the Big Brother house in space. While
shooting the pilot itself, the cast are also shooting webisodes built
largely around this reality-show concept. A surprising amount of
material is being improvised by the actors, with aspects of this
improvisation making it into the show. VIRTUALITY promises to take
space-based science fiction in some very new directions when it airs
on Fox, probably sometime in 2009.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
Warner Brothers announced yesterday that it is delaying the release
of HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE to July 17, 2009, from its
original Nov. 11 opening date. Alan Horn, Warner's president and
chief operating officer, cited two reasons for the move. "We know the
summer season is an ideal window for a family tent-pole release, as
proven by the success of our last Harry Potter film, which is the
second-highest grossing film in the franchise, behind only the first
installment," Horn said. "Additionally, like every other studio, we
are still feeling the repercussions of the writers' strike, which
impacted the readiness of scripts for other films--changing the
competitive landscape for 2009 and offering new windows of
opportunity that we wanted to take advantage of. We agreed the best
strategy was to move HALF-BLOOD PRINCE to July, where it perfectly
fills the gap for a major tent-pole release for mid-summer." Jeff
Robinov, president of Warner's motion picture group, added in a
statement that the move will not affect production of any future
Potter films. (The seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's series,
HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, will be adapted as two
movies.) "The release date change does not alter the production
schedule for this or future Harry Potter films," Robinov said. "Post-
production on Half-Blood Prince was completed on time, and the
studio's release plans for the two-part HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY
HALLOWS will not be affected by this change. We know Harry Potter
fans are eagerly anticipating seeing the final chapters unfold
onscreen. In fact, the good news for them is that the gap will now be
shortened between Half-Blood Prince and the first part of HARRY
POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS."
In HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes)
is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds, and
Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry (Daniel
Radcliffe) suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but
Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) is more intent upon preparing him for the
final battle that he knows is fast approaching. Meanwhile, the
students are under attack from a very different adversary as teenage
hormones rage across the ramparts. Love is in the air, but tragedy
lies ahead, and Hogwarts may never be the same again.

MOONLIGHT FANS REJOICE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, MOONLIGHT star Alex O'Loughlin
is staying at CBS. The Australian actor has signed a talent holding
deal with the network, sister studio CBS Paramount TV and ABC
Studios. Under the one-year pact, O'Loughlin will star in a new
series project for CBS that will be developed by top TV producer Mark
Gordon, whose ABC Studio-based company is behind such series as
ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," Lifetime's "Army Wives" and CBS' "Criminal
Minds." O'Loughlin won quite a following for his portrayal as vampire
PI Mick St. John on CBS' "Moonlight." Unfortunately, the series was
canceled in May. At the Television Critics Assn. press tour in July,
CBS entertainment president Nina Tassler credited the show's intense
fan appeal to the actor. Under the new deal with CBS, he also will be
able to pitch theatrical projects to CBS Films. O'Loughlin, next
appears in the feature WHITEOUT.

TRANSFORMERS 2
When Shia LaBeouf was involved in a car accident July 27, word
started flying that production would be shut down for 4 weeks so that
he could recover. Today trades are indicating he'll be back to work
today. Reportedly, the studio lost two days of production before Bay
and actors worked around their schedule to film alternative scenes
with his co-stars while Shia was on the mend. The upcoming sequel co-
stars Megan Fox, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, John Turturro, Isabel
Lucas, Rainn Wilson and Jennifer Alden. Bay is directing again, based
on a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Ehren Kruger.
There are rumors that we can expect our first teaser trailer look at
the sequel attached to Paramount and DreamWork's next Shia-led film
EAGLE EYE, which hits theaters September 26, 2008. TRANSFORMERS:
REVENGE OF THE FALLEN will hit standard and IMAX theaters June 26,
2009.

VALKYRIE FOR CHRISTMAS
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures announced today they will be releasing
the suspense film, VALKYRIE, from Director Bryan Singer, on Friday,
December 26, 2008. "We saw and tested the movie," says Clark Woods,
President of MGM Distribution. "and we believe a strong movie
deserves a strong playdate." Tom Cruise stars in the suspense
thriller, VALKYRIE, based on the true story of Colonel Claus von
Stauffenberg (Cruise) and the daring and ingenious plot to eliminate
one of the most evil criminals the world has ever known. Director
Bryan Singer re-teams with Academy Award®-winning USUAL
SUSPECTSscreenwriter Christopher McQuarrie to bring to life the story
of the men who led the operation to assassinate Hitler. The film also
stars an acclaimed cast including Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Tom
Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Thomas Kretschmann, Eddie Izzard,
Christian Berkel and Terence Stamp. A proud military man, Colonel
Claus von Stauffenberg is a loyal officer who serves his country all
the while hoping that someone will find a way to stop Hitler before
Europe and Germany are destroyed. Realizing that time is running out,
he decides that he must take action himself and joins the German
resistance. Armed with a cunning strategy to use Hitler's own
emergency plan - known as Operation Valkyrie - these men plot to
assassinate the dictator and over-throw his Nazi government from the
inside. With everything in place, with the future of the world, the
fate of millions and the lives of his wife and children hanging in
the balance, Stauffenberg is thrust from being one of many who oppose
Hitler to the one who must kill Hitler himself.

HEROES PREVIEW
NBC's preview of "Heroes'" third season, subtitled "Villains,"
scheduled to air on August 30th during its "NBC Primetime Preview"
presentation is already online at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=fJxBw3uc5cU>. HEROES returns on September 22.

LOST BOYS SEQUEL
While out promoting his new movie MIRRORS, Kiefer Sutherland, one of
the original stars of 1987's cult vampire movie LOST BOYS, was asked
if he was approached about appearing in the straight-to-DVD sequel
film, LOST BOYS 2: THE TRIBE. "If they had [asked] I wouldn't have
done it," Sutherland said. The 24 star added that original LOST BOYS
helmer Joel Schumacher wasn't contacted by the sequel's producers
either, and he didn't seem too happy about it. "It's not a question
of going back to that," Kiefer said. "That's a huge part of my life,
[and] I really value that. To kind of not consider any of the others,
Joel Schumacher and I ... You want to go make that, go make that.
That's your right to do it. But if you're not going to talk to us
about it ... To do a cameo in that ... would be really disrespectful
to something that I thought we made at one time that I thought was
special." LOST BOYS 2: THE TRIBE, directed by P.J. Pesce, features a
largely new cast, with the exception of original LOST BOYS cast
member Corey Feldman. Kiefer Sutherland added that he didn't find out
about half-brother Angus' participation until later. "He had a great
time making it, so I'm glad about that," Kiefer said. "I found out
after the fact. I think I was in Romania [shooting Mirrors] when he
did it." Kiefer retains warm feelings about LOST BOYS, which he
doesn't consider a horror movie, unlike MIRRORS. "LOST BOYS was a
conglomeration of a lot of things," he said. "It was funny. It was
rock 'n' roll. It was cool-looking. It was scary at moments; it was
touching at moments between, you know, Star and Michael." He
chuckled. "God, I haven't said those two names for a long time."

2012
The Hollywood Reporter reports that Sony Pictures Imageworks has been
awarded a substantial amount of visual-effects work on Roland
Emmerich's upcoming apocalyptic movie 2012. The SF thriller recently
started production in Vancouver, Canada, and will include a large
number of visual effects. A July 10, 2009, release is planned. The
production has a contingency plan in case of an actors walkout or
strike. Emmerich helmed last year's 10,000 B.C..

MIRABILIS
Emmy winner Christopher Lloyd has been cast opposite David James
Elliott in SCI FI's upcoming original fantasy miniseries MIRABILIS,
according to The Hollywood Reporter. The four-hour miniseries centers
on four knights who must save their great land of Mirabilis. Lloyd
(BACK TO THE FUTURE) will play one of the knights, Tesselink, a
venerated senior elf who is an accomplished master of "bloodsteel"
sorcery. The cast also includes Natassia Malthe. Sam Egan (JEREMIAH)
wrote the script. The movie will be produced by Reunion Pictures,
with RHI Entertainment and Industry Entertainment attached.

PERFECT GIFT FOR TREK FAN
CBS Consumer Products announced that it will sell a full-size,
operational replica of the chair piloted by Capt. James T. Kirk on
the original Star Trek TV show. Cost: only $2,000. The officially
licensed product features a working swivel design, light-up controls
and sound effects from the series (intercom hail, photon torpedoes,
etc.). The chair also issues snippets of dialogue from the show,
including the famous "Space: The final frontier" prologue and William
Shatner's voice uttering such deathless phrases as "Lt. Uhura, open a
channel to all decks" and "Kirk to engineering: Scotty, report!" The
chair will be available online and at retail outlets in time for the
holidays.

EARTHQUAKE
As the ground shakes in California, according to the Hollywood
Reporter, producer/director J.J. Abrams (Star Trek) and David
Seltzer, the screenwriter of the original Omen, are working together
to develop an earthquake-themed movie for Universal Pictures. The
project is untitled and not intended to be a remake of Universal's
1974 movie EARTHQUAKE. Details of the story are being kept under
wraps. Abrams is producing with Bryan Burk and Sherryl Clark via the
trio's Bad Robot company. Abrams is finishing up directing STAR TREK
for its May 2009 release. At the moment, he only plans to produce the
earthquake movie.

HEROES
Michael Ausiello, Entertainment Weekly columnist reported that Seth
Green and Breckin Meyer are close to joining NBC's Heroes as guest
stars for a multi-episode arc. Green (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and
Meyer (a frequent voice on Green's Robot Chicken TV show) will play
Atlanta-based comic-book nerds who cross paths with (and perhaps
serve as advisors to) one of the title heroes, Ausiello reported.
HEROES returns Sept. 22 with a retrospective clip show at 8 p.m.
ET/PT and a two-hour season premiere at 9.

ARGONAUTS
Variety reports that X-Men writer Zak Penn is writing and will
produce THE ARGONAUTS, a new take on the classic Greek myth, for 20th
Century Fox. Fox's version of THE ARGONAUTS is based on Penn's
original take on the story, about the Argonauts, a band of heroic
sailors, who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason
to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. The Argonauts name
comes from the sailors' ship, the Argo. John Davis (Alien vs.
Predator) is also on board to produce. THE ARGONAUTS tale has spawned
a number of projects, including the 1963 film Jason and the
Argonauts, as well as a 2000 NBC miniseries. DreamWorks is developing
a project, also titled THE ARGONAUTS, about a group of treasure
hunters who discover the wreck of the mythological sunken ship
thought to have been captained by Jason and are transported back in
time to ancient Greece. Penn is also writing THE AVENGERS, which is
based on the Marvel comic book.

THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK
According to reports in Variety, ABC has ordered a pilot for a new TV
version of THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, a variation on the 1987
supernatural movie of the same name. Maggie Friedman (Dawson's Creek)
will write the new pilot. The movie starred Jack Nicholson, Cher,
Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer and was based on the John Updike
novel, about three women who turn to witchcraft after losing (or
booting) the men in their lives. They conjure up a devil-like
character, who then proceeds to seduce all three of them. Warner
Brotheres Television has been looking to create a small-screen
version of the franchise for years. In 1992, writers Carlton Cuse and
Jeffrey Boam were behind a WITCHES OF EASTWICK pilot for NBC. That
version starred Catherine Mary Stewart, Julia Campbell, Ally Walker
and Michael Siberri. Fox developed a different version, also with
Warner, in 2002. The abbreviated-titled EASTWICK, from executive
producer Jim Leonard and writers Jon Cowan and Robert Rovner, focused
on the teenage sons of the original witches. Lori Loughlin, Marcia
Cross and Kelly Rutherford starred.

LOBO
Scott Steindorff's Stone Village has acquired LOBO, a spec script for
a werewolf- themed action thriller by Dikran Ornekian and Ryan
Colluci, Variety reported. Ezna Sands will direct the movie, about a
colony of werewolves in Brazil. The film has been fast-tracked for an
Oct. 15 production start and will shoot outside Rio de Janeiro. The
film's under-$15 million budget will be financed independently. In
the film, a man receives a photo and letters from his mother's will,
then heads to an isolated town in the Amazon to discover his roots.
There, he discovers a near-extinct species of werewolves and his true
identity, and he helps the werewolves wage a battle for survival.

AMPHIBIAN
Today's Hollywood Reporter writes that Stone Village Pictures has
acquired one the most popular Russian properties in history,
acquiring film and publishing rights to Alexander Belyaev's novel THE
AMPHIBIAN. Stone Village head Scott Steindorff will produce the
romantic adventure drama with Jenia Kokotuha, who brought the project
to the company. AMPHIBIAN follows an American surgeon living in the
Amazon who gives his son shark gills to survive a fatal respiratory
disease. The young man's underwater life is complicated when he saves
a local fisherman's daughter from a shark attack and romantic
feelings surface between them. The 1928 novel was turned into a 1962
big-screen Russian blockbuster, AMPHIBIAN MAN, released domestically
on DVD from Image Entertainment. As with the earlier properties,
Steindorff said, the sci-fi elements will remain as a backdrop to the
film's dramatic and comedic love story, which he likens to " 'Splash'
meets 'Forrest Gump.'" Steindorff is hiring a screenwriter to adapt
the book and plans to publish a new English translation. Comic book
and graphic novel adaptations also are planned through the Stone
Village imprint, handled by Intellectual Property Group's Joel
Gotler.

NEW HAWAII FIVE-O
According to the Hollywood Reporter, CBS is developing a new
installment of the HAWAII FIVE-O franchise from CRIMINAL MINDS
executive producer/showrunner Ed Bernero. Bernero is writing the
project, based around the Leonard Freeman cop series that aired on
CBS from 1968-80.
Plot Concept: Like the original series, it is a procedural
chronicling the workings of the fictional Hawaiian state police
department. In the original, the unit was headed by Steve McGarrett,
played by Jack Lord. In the new series, McGarrett's son Chris will be
the top cop. While the characters, storytelling and pacing will be
updated, "we will try to keep as much of the original show as
possible," Bernero said. "I'm not trying to reinvent it." As an
example, the famous opening music will be back but may also get a
face-lift.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

August 22-24, 2008
STARGATE CONVENTION
City: Chicago, Illinois
Place: Wyndham O'Hare
Guests: Michael Shanks, Ben Browder, Alexis Cruz, Lexa Doig, David
Kykl
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/sgchi.htm.

August 29-September 1, 2008
DRAGONCON 2008
Guests: Sean Astin, Adam Baldwin, Brad Dourif, Robert Englund, Walter
Koenig, Phil Morris, Peter David, as well as Michael Dorn who was in
Capt Simian with Jerry Doyle.
For more information, go to http://www.dragoncon.com

September 18-20, 2008
MID-ATLANTIC NOSTALGIA CONVENTION
Place: The Clarion Hotel
City: Aberdeen, Maryland
Guests: Edd Byrnes, Patty McCormack, Jon Provost, Kathleen Hughes,
Larry Storch, Margaret Kerry -- and more to come
For more information, go to
http://www.midatlanticnostalgiaconvention.com/. Last year the
convention raised over $4,900 for the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive
Cancer Center

That is it for now.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Be sure to stop in at the website (http://www.isnnews.net) often.
There are many more stories, video clips, pictures and information
about your favorite movies and TV series.  If you don't see one of
your favorites, let me know and I'll be sure to include it!

Take care.
Sandy

Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher
Babylon 5 ISN News:  The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net

THE ZOCALO TODAY – August 2, 2008

What's New
The Babylon 5 community is abuzz with reaction from JMS' last post
regarding Babylon 5's future.  If you listen to the Babylon 5 Podcast
this week, you'll hear some of what fans are thinking.

Post:  July 13, 2008
Several things just to update folks.
First, many thanks to all those who sent along research suggestions
and offerings to be of assistance on the project I can't talk about.
I've been swamped with deadlines and unable to reply to any of the
public notes and private emails, but as soon as I can get my head
above water, be assured that I'll be in touch with many of you.
Second, as noted in the original thread before I hijacked it, yes, the
plan at the moment is that I will be at Comic Con San Diego this year,
primarily doing my thing on Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
There is a *chance* -- mind you, it's just a slim chance but to be
honorable I must mention it -- that a work situation *may* preclude my
appearance there. Or it may not. I'll know more by the end of next
week, and for now as far as I know, everything's on target for me to
be at SDCC. If that changes, I'll be sure to let everyone know as far
in advance as possible.

One final note re: recent discussions on TMoS and more Lost Tales.
B5:TLT was commissioned at a $2 million budget to, yet one more time,
"test the waters" for B5. We did what we could with that, and that was
that. As we did with Rangers, which also suffered from not having a
lot of money because of concerns about "is there really a B5
audience?" Which is, of course, a foolish question from a studio that
has never really understood what it has in B5.

Of late, there have been more discussions from WB about doing more
DVDs, again at a low cost, or a cable thing, again with minimal
investment.

So for the last few months, I've been giving this whole subject a lot
of quiet thought. And I've come to a conclusion.

B5 as a five year story stands beautifully on its own. If anything
else is to be continued from that story, it should be something that
adds to the legacy of B5, rather than subtracts from it.

As well intentioned as Rangers and TLT were, as enticing as it was to
return to those familiar waters, in the end I think they did more to
subtract from the legacy than add to it. I don't regret having made
them, because I needed to go through that to get to the point where I
am now psychologically, but from where I sit now, I wouldn't make them
again.

So I've let everyone up here know that I'm not interested in doing any
more low-budget DVDs. I'm not interested in doing any low-budget cable
things or small computer games. The only thing I would be interested
in doing regarding Babylon 5 from this point on is a full- featured,
big-budget feature film.

It's that or nothing.

And if it's nothing, I'm totally cool with that because the original
story stands on its own just fine. I'm not lobbying for it, I'm not
asking fans to write in about it (nor should you) because such
campaigns never really have much impact...that's simply the position
I've taken up here. Lord knows I don't lack for other things to do
these days. I'm busier on more prestige projects with terrific people
and great film-makers than at any other time in my career.

At the end of the day, for me, it's not just a matter of getting more
B5. It's a matter of getting more *good* B5 that respects what came
before it and doesn't have to compromise visually or in terms of
action. The original show deserves better than that, the surviving
cast members deserve better than that, and the fans who have supported
it over the years definitely deserve better than that. A lot better.

So I've drawn that line in the sand, and I'm happy living on whichever
side of that line the universe puts me. Just thought you should know,
'cause it's your show too.

BABYLON PODCAST: SHOW 122
Welcome to Show #122!

Yes, it's late. These are late and lazy show notes.
We talked more about JMS' announcement, and fielded some more
commentary about it.

Go check out Deep Geeking when you get a chance, and if you want to
contribute something, get ahold of Summer.

To catch up on previous Babylon 5 Podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON - VIDEO CLIP
Found a video of JMS at Comic Con. Thanks to Mike for posting the
video on YouTube for everyone to enjoy. There are a few other things
up front, but JMS's panel is about half of the clip. Here's a link
http://animediet.net/archives/4448. Some great shots of the con. The
lines were WAY long.

PANEL DISCUSSION REPORT
Over at Comic Book Resources, you'll find a wonderful report by Marlan
Harris on JMS' Spotlight panel discussion. He talks about adapting
"World War Z" for the movies, "Brave & the Bold", the new Archie
superheroes he will be writing for DC Comics. He says that the rights
for "Lensman" were bought for him to write the screenplay with a
franchise of films in mind, with Ron Howard directing. He plans to
start prepping this in the next year. He also talks about
"Changeling", "Silver Surfer: Requiem", "Jeremiah" and other topics.
Good article.

BABYLON 5 TOPIC:
How do you feel about JMS' posting about the future of Babylon 5?  Do
you agree with him that if Warners isn't ready to fully fund a
project, he should not do it?  Do you feel he is just ready to move on?

Send in your comments to sgbruckner@... and I'll post them to
share with other readers.

OTHER VOICES - VOLUME 3

Babylon 5 Scripts: Other Voices
VOLUME 3
Price: $39.99

For more information and to order B5 Other Voices, go to
www.B5OtherVoices.com.

Volume 3 will never be offered at a discount again.
This limited edition run ends on September 30, 2008
Featuring these 6 scripts
• "The Long Dark" by Scott Frost
• "Soul Mates" by Peter David
• "There All the Honor Lies" Peter David
• "Gropos" by Larry DiTillio
• "Knives" by Larry DiTillio
• "Day of the Dead" by Neil Gaiman
All scripts include an introduction/commentary by the writers, written
exclusively for these volumes. Volume 3 has a total of 81 entries
detailing these B5 Script/DVD variations you probably never knew.

NEW DVDS

JUSTICE LEAGUE
Release Date: August 19, 2008
Synopsis:
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, Martian
Manhunter and Hawkgirl they have all used their unique powers to fight
evil across the galaxy. These 7 super heroes unite to become the
Justice League. These 26 adventures feature battles with favorite
villains like Lex Luthor, Vandal Savage and sorceress Morgan Le Fey.
Acts of justice include saving Aquaman from a coup and clearing Green
Lantern's name in a charge of genocide. From the smash hit TV series,
these triumphant tales of teamwork will enthrall and inspire!

TOM AND JERRY TALES V5
Release date: August 12, 2008
Official website: http://www.kidswb.com\whv
Tom and Jerry Tales: Vol. 5 presents viewers with 12 totally terrific
cartoons loaded with fur-flying, fun-filled chases, mischief and
general high-jinks, including encounters with space aliens in Invasion
of the Body Slammers, and Big Foot in Sasquashed. In Monster Con,
legendary monster hunter, Van Helsing, chases after Tom when he's
transformed into a werewolf. Jerry transforms into a skateboarder
while Tom chases him down on a dirt bike in Xtreme Trouble. Endless
Bummer features Tom, Jerry and the lovable Droopy entering a surfing
competition. Tom and Jerry Tales originally premiered on Kids' WB in
September 2006 and features characters from the classic Tom and Jerry
cartoons in newly created shorts, which audiences have not seen done
in 30 years. Tom and Jerry Tales can be seen online at kidswb.com.

Steven Spielberg Presents Freakazoid!: The Complete First Season
Official website: www.kidswb.com/whv
Release Date: July 29, 2008
Synopsis:
Cyber nerd Dexter Douglas surfs the web one fateful night, gets swept
into a digital techno-electro smash-up that bites him in the gigabytes
and ? ZAP! ? goes from geek to freak. To Freakazoid!, that is, a
smart- mouthing, butt-kicking, mega-voltage superhero with things to
do (unless there?s something really good on TV). It's Freaka-Me,
Freaka-You fun. Episodes. 14 episodes; each 22 minutes, Disc 1. 1)
Five Day Forecast / Dance of Doom / Hand Man, 2) Candle Jack / Toby
Danger in Doomsday Bet / The Lobe, 3) Mo-Ron / The Sewer Rescue / The
Big Question / The Legends Who Lunch, 4) And Fan Boy Is His Name /
Lawn Gnomes: Ch. IV - Fun in the Sun / Freak's French Lesson, 5) Foamy
the Freakadog / Office Visit / Ode to Leonard Nimoy / Emergency
Broadcast System, 6) The Cloud / Candle Jack (repeat). Disc 2 . Side 1
7) The Chip (Acts I - III), 8) The Chip (Act IV) / Freakazoid is
History, 9) Hot Rods From Heck / A Time for Evil, 10) Relax-O-Vision /
Fatman and Boy Blubber / Limbo Lock-up / Terror Palace, 11) In Arms
Way / The Cloud (repeat), 12) Next Time, Phone Ahead / Nerdator. Side
2, 13) House of Freakazoid / Sewer or Later, 14) The Wrath of
Guitierrez, Plus EC.

Clips from the WB
Sidekick Chronicles 1:58 with commentary (out of pilot)
Windows
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/freakazoid/season1/clips/
frkzds1eps1_sidekick_chronicles_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/freakazoid/season1/clips/
frkzds1eps1_sidekick_chronicles_qt_300.mov

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Official Release date: August 19, 2008
Website: www.terminatorondvd.com
The series stars Lena Headey (300), Summer Glau ("The 4400", "The
Unit", "Firefly"), Thomas Dekker ("Heroes"), and Richard T. Jones
(Vantage Point, "Judging Amy").
The mother of all destiny. Her son, the future leader of mankind.
Their protector, a terminator from the future. Together they must take
back the future as Sarah Connor (300's Lena Headey) prepares her son
to fight the war against machines determined to annihilate the human
race. The clock is ticking. Can they stop Judgment Day? The
man-vs-machines tale that has thrilled millions gets a reboot with
this popular series, set after the events of Terminator 2: Judgment
Day. Will John Connor (Dekker) seize his destiny? Will a cell phone
salesman's chess program evolve into Skynet? Can the sweet but deadly
cyborg (Glau) be trusted? Answers - and the fight for the future - are
here and now!
Terminator - The Sarah Connor Chronicles: The Complete First Season
DVD Special Features Include:
" "Creating the Chronicles" featurette - an all-encompassing look at
the production process involved with every aspect of bringing
Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles to television.
" Commentaries - includes executive producers Josh Freidman & John
Wirth, cast members Summer Glau & Thomas Dekker, and more.
" Terminated Scenes (i.e. deleted scenes)
" Gag Reel
" Cast Audition Tapes - includes Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker, and
Richard T. Jones
" Storyboard Animatic - featuring the storyboard sequence of the
school session where Cromartie attacks and John narrowly escapes
" Summer Glau Dance Rehearsal
" Extended Director's Cut of Episode The Demon Hand

REVIEW
I hadn't watched this series when it first came on the tube. I was
never a fan of the original movies, but when I began watching
TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, I got hooked. It is an
interesting and exciting drama that reminds me a lot of some very old
TV series -- like THE IMMORTAL. In this case however, the baddies are
almost invincible robots. Lena Headey is wonderful as Sarah Connor and
Summer Glau is terrific as their protector. If you have an afternoon
when it's raining and not much on TV (and that happen more and more
lately), pick up this series and give it a try. Season Two begins
shortly and you'll be able to catch up very quickly.

DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures
Official website http://www.DCSuperheroesfilmation.com Release date:
August 12, 2008
Synopsis:
Episodes. Disc 1. The Atom Cartoons, Invasion Of The Beetle-Men
(1967), The Plant Master (1967), The House Of Doom (1967), The Flash
Cartoons, The Chemo-Creature (1967), Take a Giant Step (1967), To
Catch a Blue Bolt (1967), Green Lantern Cartoons, Evil is as Evil Does
(1967), The Vanishing World (1967), Sirena, Empress of Evil (1967),
Disc 2. Hawkman Cartoons, Peril from Pluto (1967), A Visit To Venus
(1967), The Twenty Third Dimension (1967), Justice League Of America
Cartoons, Between Two Armies (1967), Target Earth (1967), Bad Day on
Black Mountain (1967), Teen Titans Cartoons, The Monster Machine
(1967), The Space Beast Round-Up (1967), Operation: Rescue (1967).

WITCHBLADE: THE COMPLETE SERIES
Release date: July 29, 2008
Official Website: www.witchbladedvd.com
Witchblade: The Complete Series
Synopsis:
In this adaptation of the Top Cow comic book, Witchblade is the story
of a New York detective, Sara "Pez" Pezzini, whose search for justice
brings her into contact with the Witchblade, an ancient, intelligent,
living weapon so powerful it can battle Earth's darkest evil forces.
Week in and week out, "Pez" employs her skills as a police detective
to fight crime. She finds she must employ the Witchblade to combat a
much greater and frighteningly organized conspiracy of evil that
threatens the very soul of humanity. As Sara tries to keep the secret
of the Witchblade, do her job and have a personal life, she finds that
her most formidable adversary may be the Witchblade itself.

REVIEW:
I remember this series when it was on TNT and thought it was
absolutely awesome. The special effects for a TV drama were just
astounding. Yancy Butler was unbelievable as Sarah Pezzini - in the
title role. She was perfect to play this very conflicted person who
saw so much injustice around her and was trying to make a difference
not only be being a policeman -- but by being a good policeman.
This was one of the most under-rated TV series of its day. The cast
was wonderful and you couldn't wait for the next week to see what
would happen next as Sarah learned more about the Witchblade and why
she was chosen to wear it.

Video clips from Warner Bros.
Murder Scene 1:41
Windows Media:
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
Witchblade_diplopia_murder_scene_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
Witchblade_diplopia_murder_scene_qt_300.mov
Photo Shoot 1:52
Windows Media
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_photoshoot_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_photoshoot_qt_300.mov
Sara Pezzini 1:17
Windows Media:
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_sara_pezzini_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_sara_pezzini_qt_300.mov
Witchblade 0:49
Windows Media
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_witchblade_300.asx
Quicktime
http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/witchblade/complete/
witchblade_ep102_conundrum_witchblade_qt_300.mov

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

ROBIN HOOD - BBC SERIES
I don't know if any of you have been following this series, but Robin
Hood has been a favorite character of mine since I was a kid. The
bandit who robs the rich to give to the poor is a universal one -- but
the BBC version of the story is awesome. I have been watching it from
season one and it has been consistently good and tonight is the season
two finale. Just checked the BBC America forum to see that season 3
will not begin until January -- but as another posting said, it is
good to hear that the show will be back.

EDGE OF DARKNESS
Variety reports that actor Robert De Niro is moving from one police
thriller to another, though this time, he will be without a budget.
After recently wrapping up work with Al Pacino on RIGHTEOUS KILL, the
actor is reportedly nearing a deal to co-star alongside Mel Gibson in
EDGE OF DARKNESS, a film to be directed by Martin Campbell. Written by
William Monahan, the drama is an adaptation of a 1985 BAFTA-winning
six-hour BBC miniseries that Campbell also directed. Shooting begins
this month in Massachusetts. Plot Concept: Gibson stars as Thomas
Craven, a straitlaced homicide detective for the Boston Police Dept.
and single father, whose 24-year old daughter is murdered on the steps
of his home. The cop assumes he was the target, but his investigation
leads in another direction and uncovers his daughter's secret life, a
corporate cover-up and government collusion. De Niro will play an
operative sent to clean up the evidence.

BABYLON A.D.
Michelle Yeoh co-stars with Vin Diesel in Mathieu Kassovitz' upcoming
futuristic thriller BABYLON A.D. Shot on location in Prague, the
filming was long, tough, loud and high-energy affair, Yeoh said in a
recent interview while promoting her current project, THE MUMMY: TOMB
OF THE DRAGON EMPEROR. "It was a big shoot," Yeoh said. "We shot in
Prague for four months. It's got everything. It's got submarines,
helicopters, planes, Hummers, bikes, Jet Skis. You name it, we've got
it in there. Nature didn't help. We needed snow and didn't get it. So
it was a rough shoot." BABYLON A.D. is based on the book Babylon
Babies by French author Maurice Georges Dantec. Yeoh said that the
film "has been in the head of Kassovitz" for five years and added that
the finished product will be his take on the material. "It's one of
those movies whereby the interaction of the characters needed to
evolve within the script while we were filming," Yeoh added. "That's
never easy to accomplish, but somehow with Vin and Melanie Thierry and
myself, we had an incredible chemistry sparked off by the madness of
Mathieu Kassovitz." The story is set half a century in the future.
"Religion, war, everything is taken over, and people have lost
humanity and hope," Yeoh said. "And there is this mercenary [Diesel],
who has been hiding in the lost world in Europe, because it's war-torn
and ravaged. He tries to get home to America, and he's in conflict
because there's no way he could get back until someone presented him
with this option: Deliver this package, and we will give you safe
passage home." The package turns out to be a young woman (Thierry),
who may be pregnant with the next messiah. And she doesn't come alone;
she's protected by Sister Rebecca, a nun played by Yeoh. "These two
women have been living out in the remote mountains to get away from
all the chaos that's been happening," Yeoh said. "And as the three of
them journey back to America, they discover that people are chasing
after them. So it's a journey full of danger, hazard, and they're
trying to kidnap the girl as well. Is she a weapon of destruction? The
hope to our future? This is something we have to protect. We have to
make sure our girl goes into the hands of the right people."

KNIGHT RIDER
KNIGHT RIDER's Executive Producer, Gary Scott Thompson, said during a
recent interview that he learned lessons from last spring's backdoor
pilot movie as to the direction to take the fall show. "I didn't have
anything to do with the two-hour [telefilm]," Thompson said at San
Diego Comic-Con. "I was brought in after the movie to create the
series, but what I found was that fans missed certain things--like the
turbo boost and the interaction [between Mike, played by Justin
Bruening, and K.I.T.T., voiced by Val Kilmer]." A former executive
producer of LAS VEGAS, Thompson said that he was excited to join
KNIGHT RIDER and put his spin on the latest incarnation of the 1980s
series, about a team of crimefighters who use a high-tech talking car
to battle bad guys. Thompson's vision was to honor the past but
advance the concept for the new millennium. "I came in and wanted to
revamp," Thompson said. "I went back and watched the original series,
the first season, and asked, 'What's the mythology? Where are we going
and how do we create this 25 years later?' It's been all about taking
the concept to the next level." Among other things, the new show takes
into account advances in cars and technology in the intervening
decades. And then there's the geopolitical realities of the 21st
century. "The world has changed completely," Thompson said. "We live
in a world where two wars are going on, and there is terrorism. It's
not as simple as it was in the early '80s, when you just go and get
the drug dealer down the street. There is a much larger threat out
there." The new K.I.T.T. is a 2008 Ford Mustang GT500KR, loaded with
technology reflecting the most cutting-edge science. "I think the
biggest thing was embracing technology and owning it and making our
own," Thompson said. "We realize it is an iconic show and that [David]
Hasselhoff is an iconic person, but we couldn't redo the same thing
over again. I don't think the other half of the audience would stand
for it. And there's a whole new generation who has never seen it. [At
the KNIGHT RIDER Comic-Con panel,] we were in the room when the car
transformed, and the kids went crazy. I think we are doing the right
thing." KNIGHT RIDER debuts Sept. 24 and will air Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
ET/PT.

DORIAN GRAY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Colin Firth has signed on to star
opposite Ben Barnes in DORIAN GRAY, the retelling of the Oscar Wilde
supernatural classic being directed by Oliver Parker. Based on The
Picture of Dorian Gray, the story centers on Gray (Barnes), a young
man who becomes the subject of a painting. As the man descends into a
hedonistic lifestyle, the portrait begins to age and morph, but he
doesn't. Firth will play Lord Henry Wotton, the aristocrat who
corrupts Gray with his worldview. (He is sometimes called Harry in the
novel.) Ealing Studios is behind the adaptation, which is being
produced by Barnaby Thompson. At May's Festival de Cannes, Thompson
said Parker plans to make a visceral, dark horror story and said the
themes of stardom are as relevant as ever. The movie began shooting
this week.

AN AMERICAN CAROL
Variety reports that Vivendi Entertainment has picked up North
American rights to David Zucker's new supernatural comedy AN AMERICAN
CAROL and will release it in the fall. The movie tracks a cynical,
anti-American filmmaker who sets out on a crusade to abolish the July
Fourth holiday. He is visited by three ghosts who try to show him the
true meaning of America. Directed, produced and written by Zucker,
known as one of the masterminds of the Airplane! and Naked Gun
franchises, the movie is also produced by Mpower's Stephen McEveety
and John Shepherd. The cast includes Kevin Farley (Monk) as the
filmmaker, plus Kelsey Grammer, Leslie Nielsen, Dennis Hopper, James
Woods and Jon Voight. Lewis Friedman and Myrna Sokoloff co-wrote the
script. A wide opening is set for Oct. 3.

HUNG
Thomas Jane (PUNISHER) is coming to TV, tapped as the lead in HBO's
hourlong pilot "Hung." The dark comedy pilot, directed by Oscar winner
Alexander Payne, centers on Ray (Jane), a well-endowed struggling
middle-age high school basketball coach who figures out a way to use
his best asset. HUNG has been a big priority for HBO's new
entertainment president Sue Naegle, who made the spec script by "The
Riches" creator Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson her first major
purchase and later her first pilot pickup.

PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME
Disney's PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME has moved out of it's
June 19, 2009 release date and rescheduled the release of the upcoming
film back nearly a year to May 28, 2010. This means that instead of
going up against TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN next summer, the
adaptation of the best selling video game will instead be appearing in
theaters a week after SHREK GOES FOURTH and a week before THOR. Since
the film has its leading cast and director already attached, the
reasons behind the delay likely point other directions. The studio
could be looking for some script polishing or perhaps, they just want
more time for post-production on the tent pole. When we receive word
on the reasoning, we'll pass it along to you. PERSIA will star ake
Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Alfred Molina and Ben Kingsley. Mike
Newell is leading direction, based on a screenplay by Doug Miro, Carlo
Bernard, Jordan Mechner and Boaz Yakin.
Plot Summary: In the fantasy adventure based on Ubisoft's popular
video game, Gyllenhaal will play Dastan, a young prince in sixth
century Persia who must join forces with Tamina (Arterton), a feisty
and exotic princess, to prevent a villainous nobleman from possessing
the Sands of Time, a gift from the gods that can reverse time and
allow its possessor to rule the world.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
Variety reports that HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE has been
selected as the feature for Great Britian's Royal Film Performance, a
prestigious charity event to be held Nov. 17 in London; the screening,
to be attended by members of the royal family as yet unnamed, will be
the sequel's European premiere.
For a sneak peek, go to
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince/.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS producer, Catherine Winder, said recently
that the movie tells a story that fits between the events of Episodes
II and III. "It's something that [Star Wars creator] George [Lucas]
has been thinking about for many, many years, and, as you know, he's a
real storyteller, and he had lots of ideas and stories that he wanted
to tell during this time frame between Episodes II and III," Winder
said at San Diego Comic-Con. "And he didn't have the time to do it
before, working on all the other movies, so finally he decided that
this was the time." THE CLONE WARS centers on the Jedi Knights as they
struggle to maintain order and restore peace. Anakin Skywalker and his
Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano find themselves on a mission with
far-reaching consequences, one that brings them face-to-face with
crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents,
including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure
that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Meanwhile, Obi-Wan Kenobi
and Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the
forces of the dark side. Lucas had at one point said he was finished
making Star Wars movies. But that changed, Winder said. "He was ready
to tell the stories," she said. "And it's amazing how he can just
start riffing on some of these characters that you may have only seen
for a brief moment in one of the live-action films. And all of the
stuff that will come out from him. He just knows this inside and out."
And for fans who worry that the computer-animated film will retread
familiar territory, Winder said, "it's not just about the Clone Wars
as much as it's personal stories. It's dramatic, and there's comedy.
... It's all kinds of stories mixed into one, which is what Star Wars
is all about. And the characters that [the writers] wanted to delve
into exist at that point in the Star Wars universe and galaxy." STAR
WARS: THE CLONE WARS is slated to open Aug. 15.

KINGS
KINGS Executive Producer, Michael Green, was a staff writer for HEROES
and indicated that it was a big inspiration for the contemporary
drama, which is loosely based on the biblical story of King David. "I
wrote this while working on HEROES and was absolutely inspired by the
work we were doing there: the larger-than-life storytelling," Green
said at San Diego Comic-Con. "I absolutely bounced ideas off the
writers there and asked for their help and advice at various points. I
probably could not have written this without them being there
encouraging me and giving me good ideas when I didn't have them."
KINGS is a modern retelling of the David story, set in a nondescript
modern metropolis reminiscent of New York. David Shepherd (Christopher
Egan) is a soldier who rescues the king's son from enemy territory and
causes the path to peace to finally become clear. He returns home a
hero and must deal with his sudden celebrity and position of power.
"There are a lot of similarities to HEROES," Green said. "I look at
KINGS as a high-end family drama, where the family just happens to be
a royal family. There are similarities in that there will be ongoing
storylines, but KINGS lends itself a bit more to stand-alone stories
in the BATTLESTAR GALACTICA model. There are no barriers for entry for
audiences." Green added that he enjoyed contemporizing the familiar
story. "Taking these elements and thinking, 'What is Goliath in this
world?'" he said. "And taking these touchstone elements that people do
know from the story and bringing them to life in a new way. We are
taking inspirations from the original Bible story, so it's very much a
story of one king rising while another one falls. It's a way for me to
tell Godfather-like stories or these operatic stories." But Green said
the series is not literal in that he plays with the iconic story and
that it veers into what he calls "soft sci-fi." "I'm not afraid of
sci-fi, and I love it," he said. "We didn't want to do this as a space
opera. We wanted it to be a familiar world, but at the same time we
are inventing a world. We had a lot of fun inventing what this world
is going to look like. We are taking New York and impressing our own
aesthetic and own iconography. We got to have a lot of fun with that.
I remember talking to David Eick about this when he was doing
BATTLESTAR, and he said they were always asking themselves the
question, 'What do doorknobs looks like?' We decided that we wanted to
have things look like they could fit in our worlds, but you're not
sure what city it is." Green said that part of the SF element has to
do with the idea of "magic, faith, happenstance, luck, God." "I look
at it as the hand of faith guiding the heroes," he said. "I'm curious
to see how people perceive that. The ongoing discussions when people
see it are, 'Is that magic? Did something just happen beyond physics?
Is it something special or luck?' I won't answer that and will let
people interpret that." KINGS is set for a midseason start in early 2009.

THE TRANSPLANTS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Disney has picked up THE
TRANSPLANTS, a superhero action-adventure pitch from writers Adam Jay
Epstein and Andrew Jacobson for Sam Raimi to produce via the Stars
Road Entertainment company he runs with partner Josh Donen. The
parties are keeping a tight lid on the high-concept project, though it
is described as a four-quadrant ensemble superhero story with a
comedic bent. Epstein and Jacobson, best known for NOT ANOTHER TEEN
MOVIE, were planning to execute their idea via a comic book, but
Disney executive Kristin Burr was so keen on it that the company
preemptively picked up TRANGSPLANTS. Last weekend, Raimi was at
Comic-Con International in San Diego, where he showed off
well-received clips from his return-to-horrror film DRAG ME TO HELL.
TRANSPLANTS marks the first Disney project for Raimi, who is known
more for his horror fare and Spider-Man movies, not to mention his
comedic sensibilities that attract the geek audience.

DA VINCI ON DISCOVERY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the Discovery Channel is teaming
with producer Craig Piligian to try to bring to life the engineering
designs of Leonardo Da Vinci. During the 15th century, the Italian
artist conceptualized many inventions that are now considered hundreds
of years ahead of their time. His journals include blueprints of a
helicopter, a tank, a calculator and the harvesting of solar power.
Most of the designs have never actually been constructed -- until now.
"If Da Vinci had at his disposal the tools we have today, would the
inventions work?" asked Piligian (Discovery's "Dirty Jobs," Sci Fi's
"Ghost Hunters"). "How much of a genius was he really?" Discovery
Channel has ordered six one-hour episodes of the series, tentatively
titled "Doing Da Vinci." Each episode will attempt to build two of the
master artist's designs. "It's ingenuity under pressure and reaching
for the impossible," said Jeff Hasler, senior vp production and
development at Discovery. "It's right in keeping with our brand." The
"Da Vinci" design team will include a rocket scientist, a Hollywood
special effects expert and an everyday in-the-garage inventor.
Although the team will use modern tools, the building materials will
all be re-creations of what was available during Da Vinci's era. The
series is expected to debut sometime next year.

VENOM
The Hollywood Reporter says that Sony is moving forward with VENOM, a
potential "Spider-Man" spinoff. The trade says the studio is
developing the project, based on the villain who appeared in
SPIDER-MAN 3 and is hoping the character could serve as an antidote to
the aging "Spider-Man" franchise in the way that Fox has used
WOLVERINE to add longevity to its "X-Men" franchise. The studio had
commissioned a draft of the script from Jacob Estes (Mean Creek), but
the studio is considering going in a different direction from Estes'
script and is seeking writers for a new draft. Casting also is no
simple matter. Topher Grace played the character in the film, but
agents have been eyeing the role for their clients, as Sony is not yet
convinced the actor can carry a tentpole picture. The Hollywood
Reporter adds that neither Sony nor Marvel would comment for the
story. Sony is also still developing a fourth "Spider-Man" film for 2011.

MARVIN THE MARTIAN
Variety reports that Warner Brothers is launching development of a
MARVIN THE MARTIAN movie at Alcon Entertainment, which will blend live
action with computer animation. Alcon principals Broderick Johnson and
Andrew Kosove will produce, along with Steve Crystal. Marvin was
created by Chuck Jones and made his first appearance in a Looney Tunes
cartoon in 1948. The character was often intent on blowing up the
Earth, only to be foiled by Bugs Bunny. The film was pitched as a
Christmas story, with Marvin coming to Earth to destroy Christmas but
being prevented from doing so when he's trapped in a gift box.

STAR TREK - NEW KIRK
Chris Pine has big shoes to fill as he takes on the iconic role of
James T. Kirk in J.J. Abrams' upcoming STAR TREK reboot movie. During
an interview to promote the film BOTTLE SHOCK, Pine said, "I think
what J.J. has created--and what we've been a part of-- is really the
birth of these characters. ... Not only their individual journeys and
how they all meet, [but also] the forging of those relationships and
how it carries on to the five-year mission." Pine added that Abrams
and writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci "infuse these characters
with as much humanity as possible, so not only are you getting the big
effects you would expect from a blockbuster, but also something of a
character movie, which I think is difficult to do, and I think we've
done extremely well." Pine also praised co-star Zachary Quinto, who
plays Spock. "People will be blown away," Pine said. "Zach is great.
Between him and Karl Urban and the rest of the cast, ... they've
really captured who these characters are." Pine added that he got
Shatner's blessing before taking the role. "I wrote him a letter in
the beginning of the process and introduced myself, and said hello,
just to make a connection, because I didn't know him at all," Pine
said. "And he was very nice, and he was very gracious and sent me a
letter back, and that's the only contact we've had. ... Except my
father--in the first week I got the Star Trek project--did a Priceline
commercial with William Shatner, so there was multi-generational
contact with Mr. Shatner." STAR TREK is slated to open May 8, 2009.

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
Scottish rock star-turned-actress Shirley Manson admitted that she had
always wanted to get into acting, but she never found anything she was
really interested in. All that is changing, however. This season she
will play a nefarious businesswoman in the Fox's TERMINATOR: THE SARAH
CONNOR CHRONICLES. When friend Josh Friedman, the creator of Sarah
Connor, called her up, "[He] said, 'Would you be interested in
auditioning for the show?'" Manson recalled. "And I said, 'Yeah.' I
didn't really think it through; it was just sort of a trigger
response, because I was a big Terminator fan. And then he said, 'Well,
you need to come in for audition tomorrow.' So I was in the audition
process, [and] I got the part before I really understood the full
implications of what I'd gotten myself involved in." Manson turns up
as Catherine Weaver, the chief executive of Cyberdine Systems, which
all Terminator fans know develops the computers that eventually become
Skynet. "She's the CEO of a corporation that develops certain
technologies," Manson said. "And she's very self- empowered,
successful, self-assured, singular. So it's a cool character to play."
(She added that producers will let her keep her Scottish brogue.) Even
though Manson's Weaver finds herself on the wrong side of the war
against the machines, Manson herself admitted that she identified more
with Sarah Connor, as played by Linda Hamilton in James Cameron's
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY. "I just felt she was so intense and
powerful," Manson said. "Like, I just responded to that. Because I was
young and disenfranchised and I wanted to be her. I wanted to be
empowered. I wanted to kick ass. I wanted to push back against the
people that I felt weren't treating me right. And so I identified with
her more than anything. Who doesn't want to be a Terminator, right?"
TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES kicks off its second season on
Sept. 8 and will air Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

SMALLVILLE'S GREEN ARROW
Justin Hartley is very excited about his permanent status this year on
SMALLVILLE as Oliver Queen (aka Green Arrow). During an interview at
Comic-Con International Harley said, "I had actually just shot a pilot
with [fellow regular] Cassidy [Freeman], and they didn't pick it up. I
think it was a day or two later that I got the call from Smallville.
We talked a lot, and I love playing the character. I have a lot of
faith in the writers that they will write great stuff for me." Queen
first appeared in the sixth season as a love interest for Lois Lane
(Erica Durance). As a master archer who uses his powers for good,
Queen also served to spur Clark Kent toward his own destiny of helping
humanity. Hartley said that dynamic will continue to evolve this
season. "Clark and Oliver are buddies and friends in the premiere,"
Hartley revealed. "It's actually why Oliver is coming to back: to look
for Clark. But Oliver gets broken down a little bit. He starts to look
at all the things he sacrificed to do what he does, and he starts to
wonder if it was worth it. It's kind of cool, and I think everybody
does that. But once you start to question something and your heart is
not in it, then it becomes really dangerous to keep doing it, because
you are vulnerable and susceptible. It's like the football players
that say if you're not going to play 100 percent, you are going to get
hurt. Oliver starts to question if it's worth it anymore, and Clark
starts to embrace his 'destiny' a little bit more. It's interesting,
because the guy that's worn the suit is going the other way, and the
guy who has never worn the suit is going that way." Hartley said
audiences will also get to see more of Queen's origin story. "We're
going to go back into the Smallville mythology and explore how Oliver
became the Green Arrow, why he is the Green Arrow and how he became so
good at archery," he said. SMALLVILLE's eighth season kicks off Sept. 18.

HEROES - WEBISODES
Don't miss the new webisodes for HEROES over at NBC.com. Also check
out the photo gallery and wallpaper available for our computer.

JMS' BRAVE AND THE BOLD
Over at Newsrama, you'll find an interview with JMS about the "Archie
Heroes" - that is, the super-hero characters that were generated by
Archie Comics beginning in the `40s (and who have had various
incarnations in the decades since). Among the more famous of the
characters are The Shield, The Web, The Comet, The Fly, The Jaguar,
and The Black Hood. JMS will be working with some of these characters
as part of his BRAVE AND THE BOLD book.

TERMINATOR SALVATION
Bryce Dallas Howard takes over the role of Kate in the upcoming
TERMINATOR SALVATION. Her character is the physician wife of John
Connor, future leader of the resistance against Skynet and the
machines. Howard's character was played in Terminator 3: Rise of the
Machines by Claire Danes; John Connor is being played by THE DARK
KNIGHT's Christian Bale. During a news conference at San Diego
Comic-Con, Howard added that the Terminator reboot film is set in a
post-nuclear world that we can easily imagine, sadly. "In the
imagining of a post-apocalyptic world, you do have unfortunately a lot
of references that we can go to today," Howard (Spider-Man 3) said.
"War-torn countries and third-world countries where people don't have
access to ... basic clean food and water and necessities and medical
provisions. And that's something to kind of examine I think for us, to
say, 'OK, yes, we're making a picture about totally devastating
circumstances, but the fact that it does reflect things that are going
on currently in this privileged world that we're living in--where
there hasn't been an apocalypse and robots haven't taken over the
world--I mean, I think that's something definitely for us to
re-investigate and to continue to make choices for our own future." In
TTERMINATOR SALVATION, Howard's Kate and Bale's John are part of a
resistance against the robots, who are engaged in a program to
exterminate humanity, while also rounding some of them up for a
nefarious purpose. "For my character, because she is a physician, you
really are trying to just to the best that you can given
circumstances, and, I mean, I assume she's just finding books, and
she's just talking to as many people who have survived at the hospital
to learn techniques so she can continue to save lives," Howard said.
"So that's been a really fascinating journey for me, personally."
TERMINATOR SALVATION opens May 22, 2009.

SMALLVILLE
SMALLVILLE's Executive Producers Darren Swimmer and Todd Slavkin, said
during a San Diego Comic-Con interview that one of the new villains in
the upcoming eighth season, Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman), is a
brand-new character crafted in the writers' room. "She is a nod to
both Ms. Teschmacher [Valerie Perrine, from Superman: The Movie] with
Tess, and then her last name, Mercer, is a nod to Mercy from the comic
books," Swimmer said. "But she is neither Teschmacher nor Mercy. We
are taking a little bit of both, but the storyline and who she is and
where she came from and where she is going is completely created by
the [producers]." While little is known about Mercer, the producers
revealed that she is Lex Luthor's handpicked successor to LuthorCorp.
She matches her mentor's ambition and drive, so that will translate to
her becoming a formidable opponent to Clark Kent. "This is a girl you
don't mess with," Slavkin added. "Cassidy Freeman is great. She is a
young actress, and we love that you haven't seen her face everywhere.
She is very fresh. Before we came down to [Comic-Con] we saw a first
assemblage of the premiere, and we are so ecstatic with her. She's
remarkable." Swimmer added, "She hit the stage day one and nailed it.
As you can imagine, not that she's becoming the new Lex Luthor, but
now that Michael [Rosenbaum] is not on the show, we were wondering if
we could get somebody with the layers that he brings to that
character, and we think Cassidy really does that. We're excited."
SMALLVILLE's eighth season kicks off Sept. 18.

FOUNDATION
According to the Hollywood Reporter, New Line Cinema
founders-turned-producers Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne have signed on
to produce their first project since they received their post-New Line
deal at Warner Bros. Pictures, boarding an adaptation of Isaac
Asimov's futuristic sci-fi epic FOUNDATION, that they'll produce
through their Unique Features production company. Warners recently
picked up FOUNDATION, which had been in development at Fox. Vince
Gerardis, who had been attached as a producer in the Fox incarnation,
will remain on board as a producer for the Warners project with Shaye
and Lynne. FOUNDATION is based on Asimov's "Foundation Trilogy," which
centers on a society that has figured out how to predict the future
based on a method called psychohistory and sets up a foundation
devoted to scientific research to protect itself and ensure its
survival. Shaye and Lynne's goal is to adapt the first book for now,
and, if it's successful, potentially follow the New Line "Lord of the
Rings" template by developing adaptations down the road of the second
and third books.

NEW STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO
The Hollywood Reporter writes that CBS is developing a contemporary
remake of the classic 1970s cop series "The Streets of San Francisco,"
which starred Michael Douglas and Karl Malden. The trade says feature
writer Sheldon Turner (The Longest Yard) and "Numb3rs" producer Robert
Port are writing the script, with Simon West on board to direct the
potential pilot. CBS Paramount TV, which owns the rights to Quinn
Martin Productions' original series, is producing the new take that
has received a script order from the network. Turner and Port, a
certified member of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, had
worked on reinventing "Streets" for the past seven months. They spent
time in San Francisco, riding along with SFPD cops. The trade adds
that the remake will keep key elements from the original series: the
title, the names of the two main characters and, of course, the
backdrop of the City by the Bay. The series will also feature elements
of a traditional crime procedural.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Executive Producer David Eick told fans at San
Diego Comic-Con that the second half of the fourth and final season of
the series will have a number of extra-long, jampacked episodes as it
works toward the climactic finale. In a subsequent interview, Eick
said that producers have been "able to convince the network to let us
air ... long episodes--[to] take single episodes and make them double
episodes, ... [and to take] double episodes and make them quadruple
episodes." Eick added: "Our episodes are always ... long, and we're
constantly getting into the editing room with 10, 15, sometimes 20
minutes of material that you can't get into an episode." With just a
half-season remaining, Eick said, "the story has become so critical in
order to realize the arc of the series that we can't just cut stuff
out and save it for later or push it 'til next year, the stuff we're
used to doing. It's all got to be there."
Eick and the cast members refused to divulge any details about the
final episodes, other than to express excitement over the upcoming
storylines and to praise the finale, written by executive producer
Ronald D. Moore, which they have just finished shooting. "There are so
many great episodes in between, but ... the script of the finale, it's
poetry, ... it really is," Michael Trucco (Samuel T. Anders) said.
Jamie Bamber (Lee "Apollo" Adama) said that the final season, "like
all good endings, ... sort of ties [into] the beginning. ... It's like
a great piece of music where all the strains and all the melodies that
you've had so far come and are referred to in the end. And there is a
new beginning as well. ... The same for Lee. It's an ending and a
beginning, and it's sublime."
As for bringing the series to a close, Eick said, "We were trying to
do something different with science fiction, ... with the space opera;
we were trying to kind of blow the wheels off the sort of Star Trek
aesthetic, and I think on that front we feel very accomplished. ...
It's definitely gratifying to feel like we captured some part of the
public's imagination and that the show overcame its title and
overcame, in some respects, its genre to get the respect it's gotten."
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA returns with new episodes in early 2009.

LOST
LOST Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse made their
annual panel appearance at San Diego Comic-Con, along with surprise
guest Matthew Fox (Jack Shepard) and a few spoilers about the upcoming
fifth season. The revelations of the hour included confirmation that
the characters of Jin (Daniel Dae Kim - BABYLON 5 CRUSADE) and John
Locke (Terry O'Quinn) would return to the series, despite their
apparent deaths; that Vincent the dog is alive and well and will be
back; that Danielle Rousseau's (Mira Furlan-BABYLON 5) story will be
told; and that the show's trademark character flashbacks and
flash-forwards will change yet again. "We are steering away from the
word flashback and embracing a whole new word," Lindelof said to more
than 6,500 fans packing the San Diego convention center. "Once again,
when season five starts, you're not going to know when and where you
are. We do this fun thing every year where we let the audience figure
out where they are." Cuse continued, "There will still be flashbacks
and flash-forwards on the show, but we are going to do something
different this season and mix it up. There will be storytelling both
on the island and off the island and in different periods of time.
It's just going to be organized differently and not constrained by the
rules of flashbacks and flash-forwards." The panel also featured an
elaborate skit revolving around the Dharma Initiative Recruitment
project, which was promoted with a mysterious television commercial
during LOST's season finale and on ABC's Web site. The interactive
game culminated with a Dharma booth on the convention's exhibition
floor, which "tested" prospective candidates for a new Dharma project.
Those selected as the most desirable candidates were brought on stage
with Lindelof and Cuse before they were escorted to Phase II of their
recruitment. In the last minutes of the panel, a "candidate" named Dan
raced back onstage and shouted that he had answers for the crowd that
he shot in the booth with his video camera. The footage was then
screened and showed "Dan's" hand-held footage inside the Dharma booth
and a brand-new cryptic video featuring Dr. Marvin Candle confessing
his true name and that he and his Dharma colleagues would be "purged"
but that "time was of the essence" to stop their fate. LOST returns
for its fifth season in early 2009.

INVISIBLE MAN
THE DARK KNIGHT writer/director, David S. Goyer, is writing a new film
adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic 1897 SF novella THE INVISIBLE MAN
for Universal Pictures, which will pick up the story where Wells left
off. "It sort of starts kind of, like, about two months after the
events of the H.G. Wells book finish," Goyer (director of Blade III)
said in an interview at San Diego Comic-Con. "And the H.G. Wells book
kind of ends with, you know, the original invisible man, Griffin,
[who] has these three notebooks that all of his secrets are in, and at
the end of the H.G. Wells story, you establish that they're still in
existence. But ... nobody knows where they are. And my story begins
with those three notebooks falling into the hands of someone else, and
it takes off from there." Goyer said he envisions a period movie,
taking place around the turn of the 20th century, a few months before
Queen Victoria dies. "It's more sprawling, because it's ... big," he
said. "It's got elements of horror, but it's sort of a big, epic
adventure movie. Part of it takes place in England; part of it takes
place in Persia; part of it takes place in Siberia. ...And I added a
couple, I think, wrinkles to the notion of invisibility that nobody's
managed to do before. So it kind of takes it to an extreme level."
Goyer added that the film will have a Rudyard Kipling steam-punk vibe.
"Yeah, yeah, ... definitely," he said. "I mean, I've been reading a
lot of Kipling, a lot of steam punk, ... trying not to go in the sort
of movie-League of Extraordinary Gentlemen place [laughs]. But ...
there are a lot of real historical figures that are woven in among it.
... And I think I've come up with some pretty cool things in it that I
know haven't been on film before, so we'll see." Goyer added that
Universal has "high hopes for the film." Goyer's next film, the
independent horror movie THE UNBORN, opens later this year.

WATCHMEN
Billy Crudup plays the superpowered Dr. Manhattan in the upcoming
graphic-novel adaptation WATCHMEN. He said in a recent interview that
he was guided by the comic in trying to play a nearly omnipotent being
who may or may not be hanging on to his humanity. "I think the graphic
novel and the screenplay attempt to ask that question and to answer it
at the same time," Crudup said at San Diego Comic-Con. "So the
experience of doing it was the experience of asking that question
every time: Does he have any more humanity left?" Dr. Manhattan is a
former scientist named Jon Osterman, who finds himself transformed
into a giant blue humanoid who can manipulate matter, space and time
with his mind. He is one of a group of superhero characters in the
movie, based on Alan Moore and Dave Gibbon's seminal graphic novel,
which is set in an alternate-universe 1985 New York. Crudup said of
Dr. Manhattan: "Mostly he was an entity that was distracted by what
for him were a higher order of problems. Which is: How does the
universe operate, or how do particles fundamentally [interact]. And he
was being asked to be a dutiful man at the same time by his
government, so he was trying to attend to both of those while trying
to carry on a relationship, and I think ultimately he discovered,
through his own journey, that he was no longer as interested in people
as he was in the ... universe. ... So I think my experience of doing
it was the experience of asking that question each and every day."
Fans got a glimpse of Dr. Manhattan in footage screened at Comic-Con.
To play him, Crudup wore a motion-capture suit covered in lights, with
dots on his face as a reference for computer animation that is to be
added in post- production. "It was a burden for about the first day,
until I saw what these guys [his fellow actors] were in, and then they
also had to go work out and watch what they were eating, blah di blah,
blah,blah," Crudup said. "I was as happy as a clam. Basically came in
and put on my pajamas, stood on my apple box, tried to figure out Dr.
Manhattan, so ... ." WATCHMEN opens March 6, 2009.

PIXAR'S UP
Director of the upcoming animated Pixar movie Up, Pete Docter, gave
attendees in a packed auditorium at San Diego Comic-Con International
a first look at footage of the film on July 26. The clip introduced
viewers to Carl Fredricksen, a 78-year-old widower who decides to
finally see the world as he had always dreamed of doing. Accompanied
by an unexpected stowaway--an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named
Russell--Carl embarks on a journey that takes him to the unexplored
jungles of South America. Docter told the audience that his initial
inspiration for the film's setting came when he saw a video of the
Lost World region in Venezuela--a land of flat-topped mountains,
"weird" rock shapes and "plants that are out of this world." "In UP,
we're taking you to a world you've never seen before," he said. "A
completely fantastic, weird place that I didn't even know existed
until we started this movie. This place felt like the perfect setting
for this story." The film features the voice talent of Ed Asner in the
role of Carl, with other characters voiced by Christopher Plummer,
Delroy Lindo and John Ratzenberger. Docter hinted at casting
surprises: "We have a great cast of characters that we didn't even
unveil all of today, so there's more to come," he said. The director
also told the audience about connections between Up and other Pixar
films, both past and future. "One of the characters from our film
appeared in RATATOUILLE," he said. "I won't say more, but if you
listen to the director's commentary you can find out more about that,
and we will have an advance sneak towards another film coming down the
pike."

THE PRISONER
Former JERICHO star Lennie James is taking up residence in a new
village. James, who played Robert Hawkins on JERICHO, has signed on to
AMC's remake of the classic 1960s show THE PRISONER. He'll play Number
147, a resident of the mysterious Village where a former secret agent,
now known as Number 6 ( Jim Caviezel), finds himself imprisoned. Three
other actors have also joined the series, AMC says. Ruth Wilson, a
Golden Globe nominee this year for a "Masterpiece Theatre" production
of "Jane Eyre," Hayley Atwell ("Mansfield Park," " Brideshead
Revisited") and Jamie Campbell-Bower ("Sweeney Todd") will play other
residents of the Village. Ian McKellen ("The Lord of the Rings," "Gods
and Monsters") was previously cast as Number 2, the apparent head of
the Village and Number 6's primary antagonist. AMC is producing THE
PRISONER with British broadcaster ITV and Granada International, with
Bill Gallagher attached to write. The six-hour miniseries is scheduled
to air sometime next year.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

August 6-10, 2008
STAR TREK CONVENTION
City: Las Vegas, Nevada
Place: Las Vegas Hilton Hotel
Guests: Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy and a huge guest list of Star
Trek cast members
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/stlv.htm.

August 6-10, 2008
WORLDCON 2008 - DENVENTION 3
Place: Denver, Colorado
For more information, go to http://www.denvention3.org

August 22-24, 2008
STARGATE CONVENTION
City: Chicago, Illinois
Place: Wyndham O'Hare
Guests: Michael Shanks, Ben Browder, Don Davis, Alexis Cruz, Lexa
Doig, David Kykl
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/sgchi.htm.

I guess that is about it for now.  Be sure to send in your comments to
the discussion topic. I'm curious to see what everyone thinks.

Have a great weekend.
Take care.

Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – JULY 19, 2008

WHAT'S NEW
There has been quite a bit going on this week.  I thought I'd just
wait until the weekend before sending it all along to you.  Next week
should be another BIG NEWS because of the San Diego Comic-Con.  JMS
will be there and we hope he'll provide us with some news of upcoming
projects.  We'll have to wait and see.  His schedule is below, so if
you are lucky enough to be going to the convention, be sure to drop a
note so that I can share it with your fellow readers.

UPDATE FROM JMS

Date: 7/13/2008 6:42:18 PM
From the Babylon 5 Moderated Newsgroup
Putting this on a recent thread here where it's more likely to be seen
in a quick fashion....
Several things just to update folks.

First, many thanks to all those who sent along research suggestions
and offerings to be of assistance on the project I can't talk about.
I've been swamped with deadlines and unable to reply to any of the
public notes and private emails, but as soon as I can get my head
above water, be assured that I'll be in touch with many of you.

Second, as noted in the original thread before I hijacked it, yes, the
plan at the moment is that I will be at Comic Con San Diego this year,
primarily doing my thing on Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
There is a *chance* -- mind you, it's just a slim chance but to be
honorable I must mention it -- that a work situation *may* preclude my
appearance there. Or it may not. I'll know more by the end of next
week, and for now as far as I know, everything's on target for me to
be at SDCC. If that changes, I'll be sure to let everyone know as far
in advance as possible.

One final note re: recent discussions on TMoS and more Lost Tales.
B5:TLT was commissioned at a $2 million budget to, yet one more time,
"test the waters" for B5. We did what we could with that, and that was
that. As we did with Rangers, which also suffered from not having a
lot of money because of concerns about "is there really a B5
audience?" Which is, of course, a foolish question from a studio that
has never really understood what it has in B5.

Of late, there have been more discussions from WB about doing more
DVDs, again at a low cost, or a cable thing, again with minimal
investment.

So for the last few months, I've been giving this whole subject a lot
of quiet thought. And I've come to a conclusion.

B5 as a five year story stands beautifully on its own. If anything
else is to be continued from that story, it should be something that
adds to the legacy of B5, rather than subtracts from it.

As well intentioned as Rangers and TLT were, as enticing as it was to
return to those familiar waters, in the end I think they did more to
subtract from the legacy than add to it. I don't regret having made
them, because I needed to go through that to get to the point where I
am now psychologically, but from where I sit now, I wouldn't make them
again.

So I've let everyone up here know that I'm not interested in doing any
more low-budget DVDs. I'm not interested in doing any low-budget cable
things or small computer games. The only thing I would be interested
in doing regarding Babylon 5 from this point on is a full- featured,
big-budget feature film.
It's that or nothing.

And if it's nothing, I'm totally cool with that because the original
story stands on its own just fine. I'm not lobbying for it, I'm not
asking fans to write in about it (nor should you) because such
campaigns never really have much impact...that's simply the position
I've taken up here. Lord knows I don't lack for other things to do
these days. I'm busier on more prestige projects with terrific people
and great film-makers than at any other time in my career.

At the end of the day, for me, it's not just a matter of getting more
B5. It's a matter of getting more *good* B5 that respects what came
before it and doesn't have to compromise visually or in terms of
action. The original show deserves better than that, the surviving
cast members deserve better than that, and the fans who have supported
it over the years definitely deserve better than that. A lot better.

So I've drawn that line in the sand, and I'm happy living on whichever
side of that line the universe puts me. Just thought you should know,
'cause it's your show too.
jms

FULL SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON SCHEDULE
For those of you lucky enough to go to the San Diego Comic-Con, July
23-27, there will be more than enough to occupy your time -- and I
hope that some of you will remember us back here and send in some
reports of what is going on.

Here is the schedule Comic-Con 2008 with a couple of items of
particular interest to Babylon 5 Fans:

Thursday, July 24
11:00-12:00 Professional Writing: Threat or Menace?—
Let's talk writing, creativity, and selling (and selling out), and
what the world of professional writing is like. Questions that you've
always wanted to ask? Creative blocks bugging you? Wondered what the
H*O*L*L*Y*W*O*O*D life is really like? Show up and get answers to
those questions. This no-holds-barred talk is moderated by J. Michael
Straczynski. Room 5AB

Saturday, July 26
4:45-5:45 Spotlight on J. Michael Straczynski—
Yes, it's him again. Somehow—we have no idea how—he's gone from
writing comics and TV to working with Tom Cruise, Clint Eastwood, Ron
Howard, Paul Greengrass, Tom Hanks, the Wachowski Brothers, and
Angelina Jolie. His long career (he's also known for Babylon 5,
Twilight Zone, and others) stands as proof positive that there is no
such thing as a just God. What's he up to now? What's coming next?
What secrets remain yet untold? How did he achieve this (well, okay,
we know that and let's just say it has something to do with a contract
signed with Ba'al)? Come and ask the man responsible—J. Michael
Straczynski—for Thor, The Twelve, and such upcoming movies ass
Changeling, World War Z, Proving Ground, The Flickering Light, The
Grays, and Lensman. Room 6B

OTHER VOICES - VOLUME 3 JUST RELEASED

Babylon 5 Scripts: Other Voices
VOLUME 3
Price: $29.99
Discount until July 21, 2008
For more information and to order B5 Other Voices, go to
www.B5OtherVoices.com.
Volume 3 will never be offered at a discount again.

This limited edition run ends on September 30, 2008
Featuring these 6 scripts
• "The Long Dark" by Scott Frost
• "Soul Mates" by Peter David
• "There All the Honor Lies" Peter David
• "Gropos" by Larry DiTillio
• "Knives" by Larry DiTillio
• "Day of the Dead" by Neil Gaiman

All scripts include an introduction/commentary by the writers, written
exclusively for these volumes. A sample of what you'll discover in
Volume 3:

* What Scott Frost believes is less-than-perfect about Cirrus's character.
* Why Peter David wrote "Soul Mates" even though J. Michael
Straczynski said "no."
* From on-the-set: Peter David details his perspective of the
different acting styles of Bruce Boxleitner and Andreas Katsulas.
* Find out which actor wore their make-up home on Halloween to answer
the door for trick-or-treaters.
* Why all the actors were barefoot in "Soul Mates"...and why it was
specifically written that G'Kar had his boots on.
* Revealed for the first time ever -- read all about the night that
Bruce Boxleitner referred to his character as Sinclair...and Peter
David's inside theory on why he did.
* The story of the legendary Babylon 5 bear told in captivating detail
including how the bear war began, the alien race Strazyn, and how a
final retribution was thwarted.
* Peter David's one, final regret about "There All the Honor Lies."
* Find out which line of dialogue Mira Furlan "despised with the fiery
passion of a thousand suns" and why this line might be the most
important revelation of the episode it's in.
* What actor Jerry Doyle was miffed that Londo got to do that
Garibaldi had not... and how Jerry's real life past came back to the
set in "Gropos."
* Who was originally cast as Dr. Franklin's father.
* What inspired "Knives" to open with Londo and Vir discussing opera.
* The tale behind the dramatic changes in Sheridan's story line in
"Knives"...and what was written out and the scenes not shot that later
prompted writer Larry DiTillio to ask himself "what was I thinking?"
* Find out what Larry DiTillio always bought 5 pounds of for the crew
when shooting his scripts.
* Discover why Andreas Katsulas refused to go to sci-fi conventions.
* Read the version of "Day of the Dead" with a talking Zooty.
* The line of dialogue that Neil Gaiman refers to as "astoundingly
awful" which, to his relief, was edited out as well as one of his
"favorite TV moments."

Volume 3 also includes --
* A 47 page guide to the Alien Races of the League of Non-Aligned
Worlds which details as many as 21 characteristics and history
including each race's homeworld, height, weight, hair, limbs,
reproductive methods, skin colors, special powers, governments,
religions, social structure, economics technology, military power,
recreation, art forms, alliances and enemies. This 13,000 word "bible"
covers the Abbai, Brakiri, Drazi, Grome, Hurr, Hyach, Llort, Markab,
pak'ma'ra and Yolu and also includes a short Centauri/Minbari/Narn
glossary.
* A brief introduction by J. Michael Straczynski for Neil Gaiman's
"Day of the Dead"
(Note: J. Michael Straczynski's introduction to "Day of the Dead" and
Neil Gaiman's script are reprinted from the 1998 "Day of the Dead: A
Babylon 5 Script book")
Just like previous volumes, the scripts included in Volume 3 are early
drafts.

Because there are so many differences, you also get the Script/DVD
Variations inventory, which catalogues all the changes, deletions,
additions and extras that were in the script but you never actually
got to see in a handy, easy-to- reference grid.

Volume 3 has a total of 81 entries detailing these B5 Script/DVD
variations you probably never knew.

G'KAR MASK GIVEN TO MUSEUM
Ranger Amy sent along this link to make sure that all Babylon 5 fans
know that the prosthetic mask worn by Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar is now
on display at the Museum of the Moving Image. The mask is mounted on a
life mask of Andreas Katsulas. You have to read the wonderful story of
Babylon 5 fans who banned together to purchase the mask so that it
could be shared by fans and the general public. Go to
http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056&representati\
on_id=4587
to read how this piece of Babylon 5 history was preserved. The Museum
of the Moving Image is located at 35 Avenue at 36 Street, Astoria, New
York 11106. There website can be viewed at
http://www.movingimage.us/site/site.php.

**Hear Amy talk about the mask and how she and other B5 fans banded
together to preserve this piece of Babylon 5 history for fans around
the world during the latest Babylon 5 Podcast. See the section on the
podcast below.

NEW DISCUSSION TOPIC
Over the last several years, comic book themes have been BIG box
office hits.  Why do you think that is?  Is it because comics, or
graphic novels, make it easier to relate to a character?  With the
major success of THE DARK KNIGHT and SPIDER-MAN, what comic would you
like to see next as a major film project?

Send in your ideas to sgbruckner@... and I'll post them for
everyone to enjoy.

NEW DVDS OF INTEREST

WITCHBLADE: THE COMPLETE SERIES
Release date: July 29, 2008
Official Website: www.witchbladedvd.com
Witchblade: The Complete Series Synopsis:
In this adaptation of the Top Cow comic book, Witchblade is the story
of a New York detective, Sara "Pez" Pezzini, whose search for justice
brings her into contact with the Witchblade, an ancient, intelligent,
living weapon so powerful it can battle Earth's darkest evil forces.
Week in and week out, "Pez" employs her skills as a police detective
to fight crime. She finds she must employ the Witchblade to combat a
much greater and frighteningly organized conspiracy of evil that
threatens the very soul of humanity. As Sara tries to keep the secret
of the Witchblade, do her job and have a personal life, she finds that
her most formidable adversary may be the Witchblade itself.

BATMAN BEGINS
Release Date: July 8, 2008
Batman Begins: Limited Edition Gift Set
Synopsis:
Batman Begins explores the origins of the Batman legend and the Dark
Knight's emergence as a force for good in Gotham. In the wake of his
parents' murder, disillusioned industrial heir Bruce Wayne (Christian
Bale)travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice and turn
fear against those who prey on the fearful. He returns to Gotham and
unveils his alter-ego: Batman, a masked crusader who uses his
strength, intellect and an array of high tech deceptions to fight the
sinister forces that threaten the city.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Actors: Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Gary
Oldman, Cillian Murphy, Tom Wilkinson, Rutger Hauer, Ken Watanabe,
Morgan Freeman, Mark Boone, Jr., Gus Lewis, Linus Roache, Rade Serbedzija
Blu-ray™ Hi-Def Limited Edition Gift Set extras include The Dark
Knight Prologue, a 32-Page Booklet featuring an exclusive comic
adaptation of The Dark Knight Prologue, a BATMAN BEGINS Motion Art
Lenticular, 5 Collectible Batman Begins Postcards and $7.50 "Movie
Cash" to see The Dark Knight in theaters

BIRDS OF PREY: THE COMPLETE SERIES
Release Date: July 15, 2008
Birds of Prey: The Complete Series
Synopsis:
Who will stand up to villains now that a heartbroken Dark Knight has
mysteriously vanished? Never fear, New Gothamites, a trio of champions
is ready to take wing - and Helena, the daughter of Batman and
Catwoman, is among them. She calls herself Huntress and crime is her
prey. Teenaged Dinah is the youngest of the group, learning as she
goes and gifted in clairvoyance. And overseeing the awesome
threesome's high- tech nerve center is Batgirl. Left wheelchair-bound
by The Joker, she has reinvented herself as Oracle, the team's cyber
expert. Huntress, Dinah, Oracle: They are the Birds of Prey. Fighting
together. Living together. And soaring into adventure together in 13
breathtaking live-action episodes.

BATMAN - GOTHAM KNIGHT
The Official Batman Gotham Knight website is at
<http://warnervideo.com/batmangothamknight/>.

Be sure to visit the official website at www.batmangothamknight.com to
see the new teaser for this video. It arrives in stores July 8. Go to
Batman-Gotham for an interview with writer Alan Barnett. More
information about the video can be found below in the DVD section.
BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT is a fresh and exciting new entry into the Batman
mythos, spinning out of a 40-year history in animation including the
Emmy®-winning "Batman: The Animated Series," widely considered a
pivotal moment in American animation. A cross section of distinguished
creators, award winning producers, and acclaimed writers weave six
interlocking stories that reveal Bruce Wayne's journey to The Dark
Knight, each with stylish art from some of the world's most revered
animation visionaries. BATMAN GOTHAM KNIGHT will arrive July 8, 2008
on DVD and Blu-Ray Disc, and will also be available On Demand via
digital cable and for download through broadband sites.

DC Super Heroes: The Filmation Adventures
Official website: http://www.DCSuperheroesfilmation.com
Release date: August 12, 2008
Synopsis:
Episodes. Disc 1. The Atom Cartoons, Invasion Of The Beetle-Men
(1967), The Plant Master (1967), The House Of Doom (1967), The Flash
Cartoons, The Chemo-Creature (1967), Take a Giant Step (1967), To
Catch a Blue Bolt (1967), Green Lantern Cartoons, Evil is as Evil Does
(1967), The Vanishing World (1967), Sirena, Empress of Evil (1967),
Disc 2. Hawkman Cartoons, Peril from Pluto (1967), A Visit To Venus
(1967), The Twenty Third Dimension (1967), Justice League Of America
Cartoons, Between Two Armies (1967), Target Earth (1967), Bad Day on
Black Mountain (1967), Teen Titans Cartoons, The Monster Machine
(1967), The Space Beast Round-Up (1967), Operation: Rescue (1967).

Be sure to visit the website – especially for the DVD offerings.
There are video clips for your enjoyment and review.

NEWS AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

STAR TREK
Entertainment Weekly (via TrekMovie.com) has put up four teaser
posters for J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek movie, which will be
available at next week's Comic-Con International in San Diego and
which offer the first glimpses of Zachary Quinto's Spock, Chris Pine's
Kirk, Zoe Saldana's Uhura and Eric Bana's villainous Nero.

MIRABILIS
David James Elliott and Natassia Malthe have been cast by the SciFi
Channel in a four-hour fantasy movie entitled MIRABILIS. The film
centers on a knight, John (Elliott of Lovesick, JAG), who wanders the
land of Mirabilis, and Malthe (Elektra), another knight who is also
John's love interest. They and two other knights come together to save
Mirabilis. Sam Egan (Jeremiah) wrote the script. The movie will be
produced by Reunion Pictures, with RHI Entertainment and Industry
Entertainment attached.

WIZARD'S FIRST RULE
WIZARD'S FIRST RULE, a fantasy TV series based on Terry Goodkind's
book series, will debut in syndication on the Nov. 1 weekend,
Disney-ABC Domestic Television and ABC Studios announced. The one-hour
series, which is shot in New Zealand, comes from executive producers
Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, Joshua Donen, Ned Nalle and Kenneth Biller. It
kicks off with a two-hour premiere event. WIZARD'S FIRST RULE follows
the travels of woodsman Richard Cypher (Craig Horner), who discovers
his own magical powers. With the help of a mysterious woman, Kahlan
(Bridget Regan), and a wise old wizard named Zedd, Richard must stop a
ruthless tyrant from unleashing an ancient evil and enslaving the world.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE
The news of THE DARK KNIGHT's success should not come as a surprise to
anyone. If you have been watching the trailers available on the
internet, you already know what a terrific movie this is -- with a
good story as well as amazing special effects. The Hollywood Reporter
writes that the domestic box office went into overdrive on Friday as
Warner Bros.' Batman sequel THE DARK KNIGHT stood ready to deliver the
best opening day gross ever, taking in an estimated $60 million to $63
million in ticket sales from a record 4,366 theaters.
Universal's film adaptation of musical MAMMA MIA was no wallflower,
either. The Meryl Streep-Amanda Seyfried starrer -- the ideal
counter-programming -- looked headed to gross an estimated $9 million
to $10 million from 2,976 theaters on Friday.
DARK KNIGHT, toplining Christian Bale and directed by Christopher
Nolan, could nab the highest opening ever for a non-holiday weekend if
business stays as strong as expected on Saturday and Sunday. Previous
record-holdover for both opening day and best opening for a
non-holiday weekend is SPIDER-MAN 3.
The critically acclaimed DARK KNIGHT is Nolan's follow-up to BATMAN
BEGINS, which grossed $15 million on its opening day in June 2006, and
$48.7 million for the weekend. DARK KNIGHT's transformation into the
event film of the summer confirms that Warners and Nolan have
successfully relaunched a franchise that has seen several
stops-and-starts. DARK KNIGHT's appeal is due at least in part to the
late Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker. Aaron Eckhart, Maggie
Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine also star.
If Friday's surge in theater traffic continues through the weekend,
the frame could bring the best box office gross overall for a
non-holiday weekend.
DARK NIGHT's Friday haul includes an estimated $18.5 million in
midnight shows, beating the previous midnight record set by Fox's STAR
WARS, EPISODE III: THE REVENGE OF THE SITH which grossed $16.9 million
from 3,663 venues.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE
The teaser for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince that is playing
in IMAX theaters with The Dark Knight has hit the web.
Voldemort is tightening his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding
worlds and Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it once was. Harry
suspects that dangers may even lie within the castle, but Dumbledore
is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows
is fast approaching. Together they work to find the key to unlock
Voldemort's defenses and, to this end, Dumbledore recruits his old
friend and colleague, the well-connected and unsuspecting bon vivant
Professor Horace Slughorn, whom he believes holds crucial information.
Meanwhile, the students are under attack from a very different
adversary as teenage hormones rage across the ramparts. Harry finds
himself more and more drawn to Ginny, but so is Dean Thomas. And
Lavender Brown has decided that Ron is the one for her, only she
hadn't counted on Romilda Vane's chocolates! And then there's
Hermione, simpering with jealously but determined not to show her
feelings. As romance blossoms, one student remains aloof. He is
determined to make his mark, albeit a dark one. Love is in the air,
but tragedy lies ahead and Hogwarts may never be the same again. HARRY
POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE hits theaters and IMAX November 21st.

WATCHMEN
Warner Bros. has unveiled the teaser trailer for Zack Snyder's
adaptation of WATCHMEN, starring Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley,
Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup and Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
It all begins with the paranoid delusions of a half-insane hero called
Rorschach. But is Rorschach really insane or has he in fact uncovered
a plot to murder super- heroes and, even worse, millions of innocent
civilians? On the run from the law, Rorschach reunites with his former
teammates in a desperate attempt to save the world and their lives,
but what they uncover will shock them to their very core and change
the face of the planet! Following two generations of masked
superheroes from the close of World War II to the icy shadow of the
Cold War comes this groundbreaking comic story - the story of The
Watchmen.
A complex, multi-layered mystery adventure, the film is set in an
alternate 1985 America in which costumed superheroes are part of the
fabric of everyday society, and the "Doomsday Clock" - which charts
the USA's tension with the Soviet Union - is permanently set at five
minutes to midnight. When one of his former colleagues is murdered,
the washed-up but no less determined masked vigilante Rorschach sets
out to uncover a plot to kill and discredit all past and present
superheroes. As he reconnects with his former crime-fighting legion -
a ragtag group of retired superheroes, only one of whom has true
powers - Rorschach glimpses a wide-ranging and disturbing conspiracy
with links to their shared past and catastrophic consequences for the
future. Their mission is to watch over humanity...but who is watching
the Watchmen?

CONVENTION CALENDAR

July 23-27, 2008
SAN DIEGO COMICON
City: San Diego, California
Place: San Diego Convention Center
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
Guests: Tons of people from the comic book realm
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/cci/.

July 25-27, 2008
JUMPCON - Pittsburgh
Place: Westin Convention Center
City: Pittsburgh, PA
B5 Guest: Marjean Holden (Crusade), Dylan Neal (Legend of the Rangers)
Guests: Adrian Paul, Elizabeth Gracen, Spike Spencer, Paul
Wingfield,JR Bourne, Vic Mignogna, Colin Baker, Steve Bacic
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/?q=Pittsburgh

July 26-27, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville, PA (near Pittsburgh)
Guests: Anthony Forrest, Star Wars, Vanessa Branch and Lauren Maher,
Pirates of the Caribbean, THE BATMOBILE - 1966 model
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com.

August 1-3, 2008
JumpCon
Place: Somerset, New Jersey
Babylon 5 Guest: Dylan Neal (Legend of the Rangers) Guests: Edward
James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, tons of people from Star Trek, Stargate
and others
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/somerset.

August 6-10, 2008
STAR TREK CONVENTION
City: Las Vegas, Nevada
Place: Las Vegas Hilton Hotel
Guests: Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy and a huge guest list of Star
Trek cast members.
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/stlv.htm.

August 6-10, 2008
WORLDCON 2008 - DENVENTION 3
Place: Denver, Colorado
For more information, go to http://www.denvention3.org

August 8-10, 2008
JumpCon
Place: Washington, DC
B5 Guests: Jason Carter (cancelled), Bruce Boxleitner, Tracy Scoggins,
Mira Furlan, Claudia Christian, Peter Woodward, Walter Koenig, Ed
Wasser, Maggie Egan, Peter Jurasik, William Forsythe, Marjean Holden,
Joshua Cox, Mary Kay Adams, Stephen Furst, Kitty Swink
Other Guests: Tons of people from Star Trek, Stargate and others
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/washington.

August 15-17, 2008
JumpCon
Place: Cleveland, Ohio
B5 Guests: Jason Carter, Kitty Swink
Other Guests: Adrian Paul, Tim Russ, Teryl Rothery, tons of people
from Star Trek, Stargate and others
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/cleveland.

August 22-24, 2008
JumpCon
Place: Detroit, Michigan
B5 Guests: Jason Carter
Other Guests: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Adrian Paul, Teryl
Rothery, tons of people from Star Trek, Stargate and others
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/detroit.

August 22-24, 2008
STARGATE CONVENTION
City: Chicago, Illinois
Place: Wyndham O'Hare
Guests: Michael Shanks, Ben Browder, Alexis Cruz, Lexa Doig, David Kykl
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/sgchi.htm.

** JUMPCON has defaulted on their convention in Boston this
weekend.  I have left their other conventions on the calendar, but
suggest you check BEFORE buying tickets to make sure the convention
will take place.

That's about it for now.  If anything comes out of the San Diego
Comic-Con, I'll send out another message next week.  I'm sure there
will be something!

Take care and have a great weekend.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – June 28, 2008

WHAT'S NEW

It is hot, hazy and humid here in Washington. Not really a news flash,
especially for those of us who have lived here for a while.  However,
this weather has moved in a bit earlier than usual this year – for
joy!  It could be worse – and is for my readers of The Zocalo Today.
With record heat and rains around the United States, I hope that all
of you are safe and sound this Saturday morning.

Before I forget, I have noticed a lot more visits to the website and a number of
new subscriptions to the news group.  Welcome to everyone -- old and new Babylon
5 and science fiction fans.  There is a LOT of information for you below. Enjoy.

JMS INTERVIEW
Over at <http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=16965>,
JMS talks about his latest projects, including THE CHANGELING and
RISING STARS along with his comic book efforts, THOR, SILVER SURFER
and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. This is just part I, so we'll have to wait for
the rest next week.

JMS - RESEARCH HELP
This is from the B5 moderated news group (June 17):
I apologize for the cryptic nature of what follows, but in time this
will all be cleared up.

Starting mid-July into August and possibly September, I'm going to be
traveling quite a lot in researching a new movie project that I
cannot, for the moment, announce. (Not Lensman, this is a different
project, and I've already started on Lensman.) Suffice to say that the
research stage is going to be extensive in the extreme.
The main emphasis is on advanced technology. If someone who can do the
math were to look down the road a million years and see what advances
might be there, based on what we know now, what would that look like?
Advanced tech here covers warfare, living, toys, environment, health,
media, space travel, you name it. Everything that a civilization a
million years more advanced than we are might use or encounter.

Secondarily to this would be information on planetary physics and
alien biology.

To that effect, my intent is to visit as many of the following places
as possible: NASA Florida, the Wright-Paterson Air Force Base High
Technology Labs, MIT, CalTech, and any other places that seem like
good prospects. (If there's anything missing from that list, feel free
to add it.) I'm going to listen, ask questions, and try to keep up.
And no, there's no money involved, though if anyone proves to be
insanely helpful, I can try to work out a consulting credit. No promises.

The studio is going to help with some of the legwork here, they say
they can get me into Wright-Pat, but we'll see...even so, the ways of
studios grind very slowly. So I turn to you lot for assistance since a
number of you either are, or know someone who is, directly involved
with this stuff.

So...let the games begin.
jms

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

BILL MUMY
Ranger Glenda from Bill's fan club dropped by this latest information:
Bill Mumy's new CD "Circular" will be released in July.
Bill will be performing July 12, at 9pm at the Universal CityWalk in
Los Angeles. There will be no charge for this gig.

FOR PETE'S WAKE
There are only four days left for voting on FOR PETE'S WAKE for the
Independent Features Film Festival. This film stars Babylon 5's Pat
Tallman (Lyta) and Robin Atkin Downes (Byron), who also directed the
film. Go to <http://cinema.lycos.com/movies/for_petes_wake> to watch
the film and vote.   Film selection is done ONLINE via a web-based
competition. The top 21 films will receive an invitation to the
Independent Features Film Festival which will be hosted July 25-27,
2008 at the acclaimed Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. Please watch
the film, and vote, so they can make it into the fest!!!!!!

G'KAR MASK GIVEN TO MUSEUM
Ranger Amy sent along this link to make sure that all Babylon 5 fans
know that the prosthetic mask worn by Andreas Katsulas as G'Kar is now
on display at the Museum of the Moving Image. The mask is mounted on a
life mask of Andreas Katsulas. You have to read the wonderful story of
Babylon 5 fans who banned together to purchase the mask so that it
could be shared by fans and the general public. Go to
<http://collection.movingimage.us/index.php?g=detail&object_id=99056&representat\
ion_id=4587>
to read how this piece of Babylon 5 history was preserved. The Museum
of the Moving Image is located at 35 Avenue at 36 Street, Astoria, New
York 11106. There website can be viewed at
<http://www.movingimage.us/site/site.php>.

CARD GAME
Ranger Charles writes that he picked up the Babylon 5 CCG deck the
other day and started playing around with it.  He writes that he has
come up with a new twist:

"It's been a while since I've played the game in competition, but I
was going through my cards a while back and came up with a 'Human
Faction' Military deck which I've dubbed " The Stars Are Ours," and I
was wondering if you could find the space in your next newsletter, if
you might publish it, so I (and others) could get some reaction(s?)

   If the serious player will look at it, it show a way to jump from
Capt. Sheridan to John Sheridan to President Sheridan *without* the
help of Lorien.  Just as long as the 'other' players don't know what
you're doing<g.>

   Yes, I know that compared to the other races the Humans are weakest
militarily, but with this deck a person can (IMHO) bloody a nose or two.

    Please send any comments, suggestions, pro/con to:  pogomil@...
If you are a CCG player, contact Charles at the e-mail address above
and see what he has up his sleeve!

DISCUSSION TOPIC:

If you had to describe Babylon 5 in a sentence or two, what would you
say?  There have many descriptions written, but what would make a new
science fiction fan want to pick up the DVDs or VHS copies and watch –
and then read all the books that are canon?

Send your thoughts along to sgbruckner@... and I'll post them for
other readers to share and enjoy.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

The Works A21: Prison Break: As a representative of The Company, the
mysterious Susan caused a lot of trouble for banged-up Michael
Scofield in the third season. Jodi Lyn O'Keefe talks waterboarding,
severed heads and more. Oscar-winning star of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
Javier Bardem and co-star Josh Brolin take a thoughtful look at their
roles as killer Anton Chigurh and opportunistic hunter Llewelyn Moss
respectively. CLOVERFIELD: He might have spent most of the film behind
a camera, but actor TJ Miller was vital to the movie's success as Hud,
the man who documents a shocking monster attack on New York. NATIONAL
TREASURE's Diane Kruger relates the horrors she was put through as
Abigail Chase, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer on producing high-octane
successes.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

July 4-6, 2008
JUMPCON
Place: Kalamazoo,Michigan
B5 Guests: Jason Carter
Other Guests: Tons of people from Star Trek, Andromeda and others
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/kalamazoo.

July 11-13, 2008
SHORE LEAVE
Place: Marriot's Hunt Valley Inn
City: Baltimore, MD
B5 Guest: W. Morgan Sheppard (Soul Hunter) Guests: David Hewlett,
George Takei, Malcolm McDowell, Jewel Staite, Kate Hewlett, Mark
Sheppard, Leah Cairns
For more information, go to www.shore-leave.com.

July 23-27, 2008
SAN DIEGO COMICON
City: San Diego, California
Place: San Diego Convention Center
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
Guests: Tons of people from the comic book realm
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/cci/.

July 26-27, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville, PA (near Pittsburgh)
Guests: Anthony Forrest, Star Wars, Vanessa Branch and Lauren Maher,
Pirates of the Caribbean, THE BATMOBILE - 1966 model
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com.

NEWS UPDATE

HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY
As Doug Jones reprises his role as Abe Sapien in the HELLBOY sequel
film HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, he says that the project represents
a major professional milestone for him: He not only voices Abe for the
first time, he also plays other costumed creatures. "I've been acting
for 22 years, and I have never been this nervous, excited, jittery
about a film opening ever, and I think it's because I have a lot
riding on this one," Jones said at the Saturn Awards. "The role of Abe
Sapien has been expanded and grown so much in this that
[writer-director] Guillermo [del Toro] made him into a leading
romantic male for this film. So it's like, that's a lot. And also,
with the other two characters that I have in the film--the Angel of
Death and the Chamberlain--it was like I did triple duty on this
movie." Jones appeared in the first film as Sapien, Hellboy's
merman-like comrade in arms and fellow agent of the Bureau for
Paranormal Research and Defense (or B.P.R.D.), but his voice was
dubbed over by David Hyde Pierce in the final cut. This time, he
provided the voice for that character, as well as the other two he
plays. One of the most exciting aspects of the film for Jones was the
fact that Sapien will have a romantic storyline with an elfin princess
named Nuala, played by Anna Walton. "I get a love interest," Jones
said. "Aww. I've never had a love on camera like that. And she's
beautiful. Anna Walton played the princess, Nuala. And she's divine.
And she's Cate Blanchett good. You know what I'm saying? She's a
really wonderful actress. And I get to carry a weapon, and I fight bad
guys. I've got buddy-buddy brother time with Hellboy [Ron Perlman].
I've got brother-sister time with Liz Sherman, played by Selma
[Blair]. So it is a lot going on." Jones added that he got to play
some funny scenes as well. As for his future plans, Jones couldn't
confirm with certainty that he will be involved in del Toro's upcoming
project, a pair of films based on J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT. But he
did say that it was very likely. "I will quote Guillermo del Toro, and
that is, nothing official to report yet, exactly, on what role that
is, or what he might have for me," Jones said. "But he said, 'If I
direct a hemorrhoid commercial, Doug Jones will be in it.' So I think
that's a wink-wink, nudge-nudge that there's something for me in THE
HOBBIT, but I don't know yet." For trailers and prologue,go to
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/hellboy2thegoldenarmy/. For
more information on the movie, go to
http://www.hellboymovie.com/main.html.

With HELLBOY II getting ready to open on July 11, writer/director
Guillermo del Toro, thinks the second film is even better than the
original. "It's tenfold better, in my view," del Toro at the Saturn
Awards. "It's crazier, bigger, freer, and certainly creatively it was
much more fun to make. As an exercise in production it was as creative
as the first one, because the first one was [$66 million], this is
[$85 million]. But the scope we wanted was like that of a movie of
[$200 million] or more." But del Toro cautioned that his love for the
film is not necessarily an indication of its potential success. "I
felt this way with some of the movies I've done--not all of
them--where you know that you love the movie before it comes out, and
you can shout it to the wind regardless, because no one can predict
either the immediate future or the long future of a movie," del Toro
said. "But I can say safely that, regardless, I love the movie. It
happened to me with PAN's LABYRINTH. It happened to me, and that was
successful. It happened to me with DEVIL'S BACKBONE, which came out
and was barely noticed except by the critics. But went on to become a
movie that people know about and discover on DVD." The positive
response to the Oscar-winning Spanish-language fantasy film PAN's
LABYRINTH has brought del Toro fame among audiences who weren't
familiar with his work before. He said that he believes Hellboy II
will appeal to those audiences as well as to his longtime fans,
because it blends elements of his artistic projects with those of his
more commercial ones. "It's been great, because I think that PAN's did
that," del Toro said. "PAN's became that movie that put me in a
different view. Before, I would say that I love DEVIL's BACKBONE as
much, but, as I said, it was sort of an invisible movie for most of
the people. And most people knew me for the more commercial movies.
... People tend to distinguish. They say it's a Hollywood movie, or
they like the Spanish-language movies more. I think this one kind of
fuses both things into one. It has the same spirit and freedom that I
have in the Spanish movies, but with a much bigger scope."

SEQUEL FOR CLOVERFIELD ON HOLD
CLOVERFIELD director Matt Reeves said during the recent Saturn Awards
that plans for a sequel film have been put on hold until the
filmmakers can come up with an idea as interesting as the original.
"The thing that we sort of promised ourselves is we only wanted to do
another one if we could come up with something that felt as fresh to
us to make as that one did," Reeves said. He added: "We're still kind
of toying with what it's going to be and whether or not we're going to
find something that will be as exciting for us to make and, hopefully,
for an audience to watch. So we'll see. It's really in the baby, baby
stages. And right now it's definitely on hold until we come up with
what that would be." Press reports have suggested a prequel that would
go into the backstory of the creature that attacks New York in the
original or a parallel story set on the same night with different
characters. Reeves said that both of those ideas have been under
discussion. "We did talk about that, and I think that we would find
some way, if we did it," he said. "Some of the ideas we've come up
with reference this idea and reference the film, so that there is a
sense that it's related to this film. But it would be different. I
would need [it] to be really different." Meanwhile, Reeves has been
talking about other potential ideas with producer J.J. Abrams and
writer Drew Goddard that aren't necessarily related to CLOVERFIELD.
"We have a couple ideas," Reeves said. "We have a couple pretty
exciting ideas, but it's in the very, very early stages of that. And
whether or not that will develop into something that we want to do is
really unclear at this point. But as long as J.J. and Drew and I come
up with something that seems worth doing, then I think we'll do it."

JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH
According to Brendan Fraser, star of the latest version of Jules
Verne's classic, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH, the 3-D film is
both a groundbreaking technical accomplishment and a vast improvement
over the 1959 big-screen version, which starred James Mason and Pat
Boone. Fraser plays scientist Trevor Anderson, who is joined on an
inadvertent trek to a world within the world by his young nephew (Josh
Hutcherson) and an Icelandic guide (Anita Briem). As they desperately
try to find a way out, they must contend with flying piranha,
translucent birds, rampaging dinosaurs, flesh-eating plants and
fast-rising temperatures. "We were able to make the world's first
live-action, feature-length, digital, narrative-driven 3-D picture
based on a classic piece of literature written by the godfather of
science fiction well over 100 years ago," Fraser said. "And for that,
it's a fleur-de-lis in the cap of filmmaking, because this film is
like none other ever created. Yes, it's in 3-D. I don't go to movies
all the time, but I recall that 3-D was something that showed up at
the end of the movie with Michael Caine and a shark went [motions as
if it's coming at him]. That was Jaws, and I was like, 'That's it?'"
(Fraser actually meant Jaws 3-D, with Dennis Quaid and Louis Gossett
Jr.; Caine starred in Jaws: The Revenge). Three-dimensional imagery
actually dates back to the time of Verne, Fraser said. "Whether he
knew it or not, this guy was pretty innovative," he said. "I'd like to
think he's somewhere, hopefully not spinning in his grave, since Pat
Boone showed up with a ukulele and a goose and James Mason in Journey
to the Center of the Earth." The new JOURNEY opens nationwide on July 11.

JEFF GOLDBLUM
JURASIK PARK's Jeff Goldblum has joined LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT,"
replacing Chris Noth, who is leaving the crime drama after three
seasons. Goldblum will split starring duties with co-lead Vincent
D'Onofrio the way D'Onofrio did with Noth. "Jeff's presence will add a
new dimension to an already successful show," series chief Dick Wolf
said. LAW & ORDER: CI migrated from NBC to USA last year and was
recently renewed by the cable network for an 16-episode eighth season.
The Wolf Films/NBCU Cable Studio series gets a second window on NBC.
Goldblum is coming off a starring turn on the stage opposite Kevin
Spacey in the London production of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow."
Goldblum will be seen next on the big screen in "Adam Resurrected."

CLASH OF THE TITANS
Variety reports that Warner Bros. has set Louis Leterrier (The
Incredible Hulk) to direct their remake of CLASH OF THE TITANS, with
script by Lawrence Kasdan. In CLASH OF THE TITANS, Perseus, the son of
Zeus, must overcome a series of obstacles to save his beloved Princess
Andromeda, including cutting off the serpent-tressed head of Medusa,
who can turn a man to stone with a single glance. The original 1981
CLASH OF THE TITANS starred Harry Hamlin as Perseus and Laurence
Olivier as Zeus but is best remembered for Ray Harryhausen's visual
effects that brought to life Medusa, the Kraken and other creatures.
No production date has been set.

WAR OF THE GODS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that producers Mark Canton and Gianni
Nunnari (300) will produce WAR OF THE GODS, and have attached Tarsem
Singh, much known as a music- video and commercial director, to
direct. Charley and Vlas Parlapanides, the brothers who penned the
script for Universal's 50 Cent vehicle LIVE BET, penned the WAR OF THE
GODS spec. The script concerns the battles waged by Theseus, a warrior
from Greek mythology. That moves it into a somewhat different
historical time than 300 -- which concerned the battles of King
Leonidas against the Persians -- but ensures a similar vibe and
young-male demo. Production on WAR OF THE GODS could start as soon as
early 2009.

CBS PREMIERES ANNOUNCED
CBS announced that its upcoming new supernatural drama THE MENTALIST
will debut on Sept. 23 and will air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT, GHOST
WHISPERER returns Oct. 3 in its 8 p.m. Friday timeslot and ELEVENTH
HOUR premieres Oct. 9 and will air Thursdays at 10 p.m.

WALL*E
When Disney/Pixar's latest SF animated movie WALL*E opens today, SF
fans may feel a sense of deja vu when they hear the computer voice.
It's ALIEN star Sigourney Weaver, who famously fought her own evil
computer in that seminal SF movie. "We're all fans of science fiction
movies, including ALIEN and its sequels," said WALL*E's sound-effects
guru Ben Burttt, designer of the robot voices, in a news conference
last week. Burtt actually worked on the first ALIEN movie and made
sounds for that film's nefarious computer, Mother. "So I have a little
connection there," Burtt said. It was WALL*E co-writer/director Andrew
Stanton's idea to recruit Weaver to do the computer voice of the
starship Axiom. Stanton describes himself as "a sci-fi geek." "Her
voice was recorded straightforward in the studio, but during the mix
of the film it was put in a big echo chamber, so it comes from
everywhere, so it's this omnipotent voice," Burtt said. "You never
actually see the source of it. ... The idea is having it be omnipotent
and all powerful, I suppose." The movie, set 800 years in the future,
centers on WALL*E, a little trash-compacting robot, who is the last
thing on an abandoned, garbage-covered Earth. Humanity fled the
ravaged planet centuries earlier on the Axiom, a luxury cruise
starship. When a sleek probe robot arrives on Earth to search for
signs of life, WALL*E falls head over treads in love and finds himself
caught up in an adventure that affects the fate of both robots and humans.

ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that writers Michael Brandt and Derek
Haas (WANTED) have drafted a script for Sony and producer Neal Moritz
and his Original Film titled ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL. The film
is set in a world where the animals control the planet and humans are
the minority. Creatures takes place in North America, where people are
living in forts and the animals are running free.

RED SONJA
USA Today reports that GRINDHOUSE director Robert Rodriguez will
produce a new film adaptation of RED SONJA, starring his real-life
girlfriend, Rose McGowan. McGowan would play the flame-haired
comic-book warrior in a movie slated to open in 2010. The film will be
an origin story, to be directed by longtime Rodriguez associate
Douglas Aarniokoski, and will take its cues from the comic books, as
well as works by pulp novelist Robert E. Howard, father of the
original Sonja (then spelled Sonya) and Conan the Barbarian (also
undergoing a movie revival).

JAMES BOND - QUANTUM OF SOLACE
Columbia Pictures has announced they'll be releasing the first ever
trailer for Bond's next adventure QUANTUM OF SOLACE, this coming
Monday. The trailer will hit the internet on AOL here in America and
on MSN everywhere else, during a very brief, two-hour window Monday
June 30th at 9:00 am, after which it'll be sent out to independent
sites for sharing.

HEROES - SEASON THREE
During an interview at the Saturn Awards, HEROES creator and executive
producer, Tim Kring said that the upcoming third season will take the
show and its characters in entirely new directions--including deep
into the backstory. "One of the things that this volume is going to do
that, I think, is really going to be fun for the audience is that
there were very initial sort of primal questions that the show asked,"
Kring said. "Who am I? What's happening to me? How am I connected?
Where are these powers coming from? All of those questions get
reframed and turned on their head in a very interesting way in this
volume." As with the previous two seasons, the third will be divided
up into volumes. The first is titled "Villains" and will focus on the
nature of good and evil, Kring said. "You're going to see a lot of bad
guys in this one," Kring said. "The idea, also, is we're playing off
the idea of our characters as heroes or villains. So it's really the
duality of good and evil. ... We're playing off of this duality of
good and evil. All of our characters were given these powers and
possess these powers, and at some point it becomes sort of free will
and human nature as to what you're going to do with that. And all of
us are given the choice to make decisions that lead us down very dark
paths or towards heroic ends. And so, literally, every one of our
characters gets faced with that dilemma." Kring also said that the
popular villain Sylar (Zachary Quinto) will continue to be an integral
part of the show in the third season. Quinto had originally been
written out of the last half of the second season due to his shooting
schedule on the upcoming Star Trek film. But because of the writers'
strike, that part of the story was pushed into the third season, and
Sylar was written back in. "Well, we have no plans of saying goodbye
to Sylar right now," Kring assured fans. "I mean, that was yet another
silver lining for the strike, was Zach Quinto's availability to us in
the third volume. I mean, that was a huge thing for us to be able to
have him back. As you guys know, he would have disappeared for a large
chunk of the second half of season two. And so, for us, it was a big,
big deal." The third-season premiere of HEROES is scheduled to air on
Sept. 22.

JERICHO MOVIE????
Brad Beyer and Ashley Scott (Stanley Richmond and Emily Sullivan on
JERICHO) said during a recent interview at the Saturn Awards that they
have been hearing rumors of a possible feature-film version of the
show and would be interested in doing it if the opportunity presented
itself. "We got here and caught wind of a possible movie idea, which
we thought was really good," Scott said. "I think Brad had heard about
it online the other day, and I just heard tonight, and I thought that
would be really wonderful, wouldn't it? Kind of put a closing on it."
JERICHO was canceled after the end of its first season in 2007, but
returned for seven additional episodes earlier this year after a fan
campaign convinced CBS to bring the show back. It was canceled again
after the episodes aired to mediocre ratings. Beyer said that he would
like to see the film cover the escalating civil war between the
remaining survivors of a nuclear attack in the U.S. "We kind of feel
like it needs some closure, because it still feels kind of weird,"
Beyer said. "I mean, we didn't get to a whole second season. ... I
think you can do a lot more with it. I think there's a lot of
different ways you can go with the story." Fans of the show are
currently campaigning for another network to pick the show up. Both
actors said that they would gladly come back, whether it be for a
feature film or a new incarnation of the series. "I think we're all
very passionate about the show." said Scott. "We have been from the
moment I read the script, the first script, the pilot. I think we're
all very passionate about it. We're so thankful that our fans have
been so incredible. It's been such a blessing to know that we're
thought of that way. I think, at least speaking for myself, I know I'd
be back." Beyer added: "Yeah. I think everybody that I keep in contact
with would definitely jump on board with it. ... We're all pretty much
open to it. It was such a great, positive experience, why wouldn't we
want to do it again?"

X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
The official Web site for The X-Files: I Want to Believe has been
updated, with new video and other features; the sequel film opens July
25. Looks like another movie to put on your list for the summer!

SATURN AWARDS
SciFi.com reports that LOST was a big winner at the Saturn Awards on
June 24, earning four awards, including best network television
series, best actor (Matthew Fox), best supporting actor (Michael
Emerson) and best supporting actress (Elizabeth Mitchell). Among
nominated movies, ENCHANTED won three awards, including best picture
(fantasy) and best actress (Amy Adams). SWEENEY TODD, RATATOUILLE and
300 each received two awards.

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films presented the
34th Annual Saturn Awards in a ceremony in Universal City, Calif.,
hosted by Jeffrey Ross. Guillermo del Toro, director of the upcoming
HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, accepted the George Pal Memorial Award,
while producers Robert Halmi Sr. and Robert Halmi Jr. received the
Life Career Award. Director Matt Reeves was recognized with the
Filmmakers Showcase Award for directing CLOVERFIELD.

A complete list of the winners follows. Look for your favorites to see
how they did:
Best Science Fiction Film: Cloverfield
Best Fantasy Film: Enchanted
Best Horror Film: Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: 300
Best Actor: Will Smith (I Am Legend)
Best Actress: Amy Adams (Enchanted)
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Best Supporting Actress: Marcia Gay Harden (The Mist)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Freddie Highmore (August Rush)
Best Direction: Zack Snyder (300)
Best Writing: Brad Bird (Ratatouille)
Best Costume: Collen Atwood (Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet
Street)
Best Makeup: Ve Neill, Martin Samuel (Pirates of the Caribbean: At
World's End)
Best Special Effects: Scott Ferrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John
Frazier (Transformers)
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Best International Film: Eastern Promises
Best Network Television Series: Lost
Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series: Dexter
Best Presentation on Television: Family Guy: Blue Harvest
Best Actor on Television: Matthew Fox
Best Actress on Television: Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer)
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Michael Emerson (Lost)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: Summer Glau (Terminator: Sarah
Connor Chronicles), Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)
Best DVD Release: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
Best DVD Special Edition Release: Blade Runner five-disc ultimate edition
Best DVD Classic Film Release: The Monster Squad
Best DVD Collection: Mario Bava Box Sets 1 & 2
Best Television Series Release on DVD: Heroes
Best Retro Television Series Release on DVD: Twin Peaks

THE STORYTELLER
Icelandic actress Anita Briem (JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH) is
about to start work on THE STORYTELLER, a fantasy film in which she'll
play opposite Wes Bentley (Ghost Rider). "Wes is the writer to my
illustrator, and we create children's books together," Briem said. "My
character suffers from an extreme case of agoraphobia, so the friends
and family of Wes Bentley's character start to believe that I am a
figment of his imagination. So, you know, that is kind of magical in a
different way [from Journey] and a different genre altogether, too."
THE STORYTELLER will also feature American Idol's Katharine McPhee as
Bentley's assistant. Robert A. Masciantonio wrote and directed the
film. His credits include the 1999 vampire film COLD HEARTS.
Production is slated to begin later this summer in Philadelphia, with
an eye toward a March 2009 release.

39 CLUES
According to Variety, DreamWorks has acquired screen rights to THE 39
CLUES, a multiplatform fantasy adventure series to be launched in the
fall by Scholastic Media. Steven Spielberg is eyeing the project as a
directing vehicle. Spielberg is expected to set a screenwriter in the
next few weeks. THE 39 CLUES, which launches Sept. 9, is envisioned as
a 10-book series to be released over two years. It's described as a
multimedia adventure that will include a set of collectible cards and
an online game that will serve as a portal as young readers try to
solve a mystery for a grand prize of $10,000. The contest will run for
two years. The focus of THE 39 CLUES is the most powerful family in
the world, the Cahills, who count Napoleon and Houdini among their
relatives. Readers will be challenged to discover the source of the
family's powers, revealed through 39 clubs that are hidden around the
world and scattered throughout history.

INSERAPABLE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's Tricia
Helfer has been tapped to co-star on Fox's SF drama pilot INSEPARABLE.
INSEPARABLE, from ABC Studios and writer/executive producer Shaun
Cassidy, is a modern-day Jekyll and Hyde tale about Justin/Clyde
(Lloyd Owen), a partially paralyzed forensic psychiatrist with a split
personality whose alter ego is a charismatic criminal. Helfer will
play Mason Wicks, a psychiatrist who evaluates suspects for the police
department. The casting stems from the talent holding deal Helfer
signed with Fox in April. Also cast in the pilot is Morgan Turner as
Justin's daughter Emily. Helfer appears in the final season of
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA.

THE GHOST
MTV reports that Pierce Brosnan and Nicolas Cage will star in director
Roman Polanski's political thriller THE GHOST. The film, based on
Robert Harris' novel of the same name, centers on a ghostwriter who is
hired to complete the memoirs of a former British prime minister. He
uncovers secrets that put his own life in jeopardy. Brosnan would play
the prime minister, Adam Lang, and Cage the ghostwriter. Most of the
story takes place in an oceanfront house during the middle of winter.
Robert Benmussa and Alain Sarde will produce the film, slated to begin
shooting in Europe next fall.

AVENGER AND MARVEL STUDIOS
According to a story in USA TODAY, Marvel Studios has its proposed
lineup of superheroes for a proposed Avengers movie. IRON MAN director
Jon Favreau told the newspaper that the team's lineup has changed
throughout the years, "but the ones Marvel is talking about now are
Captain America, Hulk, Thor, Ant-Man and Iron Man. I would love to see
that." Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios' president of production, confirmed
to the paper that he's working toward the day when "heroes can cross
into each other's adventures and occasionally team up if there's a foe
too great for any one of them to handle." Feiger and screenwriter Zak
Penn (X2 and The Incredible Hulk) are uniting to get Avengers in
theaters by summer 2011.

PARAMOUNT STUDIOS - A GOOD YEAR
Reuters reports that Paramount Pictures said it had topped $1 billion
in tickets sales at U.S. and Canadian box offices, boosted by the hit
films IRON MAN and INDIANA JONES AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL,
becoming the first studio to pass that milestone this year.

WANTED - THE MOVIE/NOT THE COMIC
In a recent interview promoting the upcoming WANTED SF action movie,
the Russian director, Timur Bekmambetov, told reporters that he stuck
with the film's source comic only for the first part of the movie. The
film is based on Mark Millar and J.G. Jones' comic- book series, about
a meek office worker who is recruited into a secret organization of
costumed supervillains and finds pleasure in the amoral destruction of
those around him. Gone are the costumes and the supervillains and he
turns to the character, Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy), into a reluctant
assassin, recruited into a secret Fraternity of super-assassins. "I
think for the film audience, for cinema audience, it's quite important
to know why your hero's killing people," Bekmambetov said. "Not
killing just for fun. If not, you will lose your hero right away. It's
enough for 20 minutes ... I can do exactly like it is in the comic
book. But if I want to create the journey and to create the arc of the
character, I need an idea why my character wants to be different, you
know what I mean?" About all that is left of the comic is the film's
first act, which depicts Wesley's humiliating and soul-destroying
existence before he is mentored by the lethal Fox (Angelina Jolie) and
the enigmatic Sloan (Morgan Freeman). "If you want to keep audience
holding for longer, you need an idea, and the idea of the Fraternity
killing people to keep the balance of the world, ... [the] audience
will believe for two hours," Bekmambetov said in explaining the
changes. Bekmambetov, a Kazakhstan-born filmmaker, gained fame for his
visually arresting Russian-language films NIGHT WATCH and DAY WATCH.
WANTED is being released by Universal Pictures and opens June 27.

LALOLA
Variety reports that Fox has ordered a pilot from writer Kevin Falls
(NBC's Journeyman) based on Argentina's telenovela hit LALOLA, about a
womanizer who is transformed into a woman. Hyped in Argentina as the
next UGLY BETTY, the show puts its hero/heroine in a position to
endure the same kind of abuse he used to dole out. The show takes
place at a sports management firm and will also be set in the world of
entertainment and fashion. Falls will write the adaptation and
executive-produce; Jamie Tarses is also on board as an executive
producer. The U.S. version doesn't yet have a firm title; it's unclear
whether LALOLA will be used.

VIRTUALITY
The Hollwyood Reporter writes that Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, star of
Fox's canceled NEW AMSTERDAM, has signed on to Fox's two-hour SF pilot
VIRTUALITY. VIRTUALITY, from BATTLESTAR GALACTICA executive producer
Ronald D. Moore, is set aboard Earth's first starship, which is
equipped with advanced virtual-reality modules. Coster-Waldau will
play mission commander Frank Pike, a born leader. Moore and Michael
Taylor wrote the backdoor pilot, which is being directed by Peter Berg
(director of the upcoming superhero satire HANCOCK).

HERO OF COLOR CITY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Christina Ricci will voice the
lead role of the timid crayon Yellow in Exodus Film Group's animated
CG feature THE HERO OF COLOR CITY. Ricci, who voiced the role of
Gwendy Doll in the 1998 fantasy SMALL SOLDIERS, plays one of several
crayons whose colorful world is threatened by an evil tyrant. She is
the first member of the cast to be announced for the film, which is
now in preproduction. Exodus also announced upcoming lines of
merchandise, art supplies and educational products based on the film.
Upper Deck will manufacture trading cards and Kidthing will create
interactive games, digital books and activities available on its free
downloadable player at Kidthing.com.

SONS OF ANARCHY
FX on Tuesday picked up SONS OF ANARCHY to series for a September
launch. The cable network handed out a 13-episode order to the drama
from THE SHIELD writer/executive producer Kurt Sutter, FX Prods. and
Fox 21, which is set in the world of motorcycle clubs. The news comes
days after HBO began production on the pilot for its own biker-themed
drama, "1%." SONS, which Sutter is exec producing with father and son
Art and John Linson, explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club's
efforts to protect their town of Charming, Calif., from drug dealers
and local corporate developers. It centers on Jax Teller (Charlie
Hunnam), whose love for the brotherhood comes into direct conflict
with his growing apprehension regarding the club's lawlessness. Katey
Sagal, who is married to Sutter, stars as his force-of-nature mother.
The other central role, that of Jax's stepfather, who is the club's
president, will be recast. It was played in the pilot by Scott Glenn.

DISNEY ON-LINE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney will stream full-length
movies on its Web site for the first time as part of its "Wonderful
World of Disney" series on ABC, running now through August. FINDING
NEMO is available at www.Disney.com/WWoD through Friday after the film
aired Saturday on Disney-owned ABC. MONSTERS, INC., HAUNTED MANSION,
CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE DRAMA QUEEN, PRINCESS DIARIES 2, FREAKY
FRIDAY and PETER PAN also will be available on the site this summer. A
Disney spokesman said the decision to stream movies for free marks an
"evolution" in the company's online strategy. Fox, Universal,
Lionsgate and MGM have all previously placed titles on Hulu, the NBC
Uni/News Corp.-owned JV, while Disney has gone the pay route and kept
its films, for the most part, on iTunes. Disney Channel does, though,
stream episodes of its shows online for free. The spokesman said that
the "advertising strategy has not been finalized" for the films. NEMO
currently employs a pre-roll and the others will, most likely, have
the same, but this approach could change and a "presented by" option
is also being considered. The movies will be on Disney.com from
Monday-Friday after the film airs on ABC on the preceding Saturday
night as part of the "Wonderful World of Disney" presentation. PETER
PAN will be the last movie to stream, ending its run Aug. 8.
Disney.com also will stream the Disney Channel original movie CAMP
ROCK on June 23 at www.Disney.com/CampRock for a 24-hour window
following its TV premiere June 20 and subsequent airings on ABC on
June 21 and ABC Family on June 22.

GREEN HORNET TEASE
Sony Pictures has released their first official logo for the upcoming
hero adaptation. Perhaps, an official website is coming soon? The
character, previously played by Bruce Lee, is now being overseen by
Seth Rogen and his partner Evan Goldberg as screenwriters. Previous
reports have Rogen wanting martial arts star Stephen Chow in the role
of Kato but that hasn't been confirmed yet.
Plot Summary:
THE GREEN HORNET made his debut on January 31, 1936 on WXYZ Detroit,
the creation of the station's George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, who
also created the Lone Ranger. The series, which ran until 1952 on the
Mutual and NBC Blue networks, followed the adventures of Britt Reid, a
bored playboy whose life is changed when he inherits his father's
crusading newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. He saves the life of Kato, a
Japanese man with incredible technical and martial-arts skills, who
becomes Britt's closest ally -- and transforms Britt's car into the
supercharged Black Beauty, which gives them an edge as they search for
evidence to expose the city's underworld in the newspaper. When Britt
and Kato witness a brutal mob hit, Britt invents his secret identity
-- taking his name from his powerful car's defective horn. A skilled
fighter and expert marksman, the Green Hornet uses two special,
non-lethal guns to subdue criminals: one fires a potent knock-out gas
while the other produces the "Hornet's Sting" -- an electric shock.
THE GREEN HORNET will hit theaters June 25, 2010.

I guess that is about it for now.  Please visit the website
(http://www.isnnews.net) to get the latest news from the world of
science fiction.  Send along any suggestions of items to include as
well.

Have a great weekend.
Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY, June 14, 2008

WHAT'S NEW

Babylon 5 Scripts: Other Voices
VOLUME 2
Price: $39.99
$29.99 $10 off good through Thursday June 19 ONLY

For more information and to order B5 Other Voices, go to
<HTTP://www.B5OtherVoices.com>.

Featuring these 6 scripts
• "By Any Means Necessary" by Kathryn M. Drennan
• "TKO" by Larry DiTillio
• "Eyes" by Larry DiTillio
• "Legacies" by D.C. Fontana
• "A Distant Star" by D.C. Fontana
• "Spider in the Web" by Larry DiTillio

All scripts include an introduction/commentary by the writers, written
exclusively for these volumes.

A sample of what you'll discover in Volume 2:

* Why Sinclair is prominently featured in both the A and B stories in
"By Any Means Necessary."

* What side of G'Kar was explored for the first time in "By Any Means
Necessary" and becomes central to B5 mythology.

* What previous episode inspired the G'Kar/Londo storyline in "By Any
Means Necessary."

* Find out what the inspiration was for the mind-altering G'Quan Eth.

* What writer Kathryn M. Drennan thought was a private joke that
apparently all the fans knew.

* How the episode "By Any Means Necessary" got its name and
specifically which historical strike was the basis for the story.

* What writer Kathryn M. Drennan considers her two "small but proud"
contributions to Babylon 5.

* Never before revealed: the complete original premise for "By Any
Means Necessary"

* Learn which actor, seen as an alien in "TKO", was recast as a human
in "Ceremonies of Light and Dark."

* What was the model for the Mutai in "TKO".

* Why in "TKO's" Act 1 Ivanova is listening to jazz, reading a book.

* Revealed: which scene Larry DiTillio says he "wrote and rewrote 100
times."

* Witness the script writing process in progress. The included draft
of "TKO" is a reprint of Larry DiTillio's actual writer's draft
complete with handwritten notes.

* Why Larry DiTillio refers to "Eyes" as a "protracted gabfest."

* Which actor caused "infinite delays" while shooting "Eyes" and why.

* Which actors Larry DiTillio nicknamed "Crazy Men at Large."

* Exposed -- the Great Motorcycle flap.

* Learn what Tuckerization is and how it found it's way into "Eyes."

* Which American president's funeral inspired "Legacies."

* Why writer D.C. Fontana uses "Legacies" as a teaching tool in her
writing classes.

* What was J. Michael Straczynski's one request for "Spider in the
Web" and what he originally called it.

* Find out how Kathryn M. Drennan and Larry DiTillio balanced the
portrayal of the regular characters with the guest characters.

* What action was cut from "The War Prayer" that was finally seen in
"Legacies."

* Detailed -- D.C. Fontana's "very personal references".

* Find out what gift from J. Michael Straczynski D.C. Fontana wears
everyday.

PLUS A SPECIAL BONUS:
Just like previous volumes, the scripts included in Volume 2 are early
drafts that include never-before-seen dialogue and action that were
later cut from the episodes.

Because there are so many differences, you also get the Script/DVD
Variations inventory, which catalogues all the changes, deletions,
additions and extras that were in the script but you never actually
got to see in a handy, easy-to-reference grid.

Volume 2 has a total of 140 entries detailing these B5 Script/DVD
variations you probably never knew.

Volume 2 is part of a 3-volume limited edition release that will only
be available through September 30, 2008.

VOLUME 2 EPISODE SYNOPSES

"By Any Means Necessary"
An accident is the catalyst for an illegal strike by dock workers. A
strike negotiator sent from Earth causes tensions to escalate. Londo
has the only plant G'Kar can use for an important religious ceremony.
"TKO"

Walker Smith, a friend of Garibaldi's, participates in the Mutai,
which causes Smith to have a newfound respect for alien ways. Rabbi
Koslov brings Ivanova a legacy from her father; Ivanova allows herself
to mourn her father's death.
"Eyes"

Sinclair is the focus of an internal investigation. Ivanova refuses to
submit to a scan by the Psi Corps, even if it means she has to resign
her commission. Garibaldi gets too much help from Lennier in building
his motorcycle.

"Legacies"
When the body of a revered Minbari military leader mysteriously
disappears, Sinclair has to overcome his feelings about the
Earth-Minbari War to keep the peace. Talia and Ivanova both try to
influence a young telepath coming into her powers.

"A Distant Star"
The Explorer Class ship Cortez stops over for resupply, bringing an
old friend of Sheridan's who shares stories of exploring the Rim with
the crew. Later, an accident aboard the Cortez leaves it stranded in
hyperspace unless Zeta Squadron can rescue it.

"Spider in the Web"
A pro-Mars independence businessman, a good friend of Talia's, is
murdered during negotiations. The Mars representative is taken hostage
by the businessman's murderer. Sheridan realizes that the murderer is
a victim of the Lazarus Project.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT.
J. Michael Straczynski's 14 Volume Series will no longer be available
after June 30, 2008. HURRY.

UPDATE FROM JMS
I snatched this from the B5 moderated news group this morning:
It's been a while, I know...but things have been awfully crazed at
this end of the modem.

I was there for the premiere of Changeling (no the name isn't going to
change) at Cannes, and it was, overall, perhaps the most surreal
experience of my life. I was ensconced at the Hotel du Cap overlooking
the French Riviera, just abaft from Clint Eastwood and Angelina Jolie
and Brad Pitt and Mick Jagger (who came to dinner with the bunch of us
that Friday) and surrounded by sights I could never have imagined
myself seeing. Day-trip drives into the South of France for shopping,
into Monaco and Monte Carlo where I dropped five hundred Euros at the
casino because, well, you pretty much have to...and the premiere.

Imagine for a moment: a procession of twenty one cars preceded and
followed by French police running lights and sirens to get the
motorcade through the streets of Cannes en route to the press
conference and, several hours later, the premiere. A sea of popping
flashbulbs. Paparazzi and TV cameras and microphones, reporters from
all over the world, and everyone shouting questions, to look this way
or that way. The red carpet, long and broad as the ocean. The theater,
three thousand seats filled with tuxedoes and gowns and stars. Smiles
and tears at the right moments as the film rolled by. A ten minute
standing ovation. Proclamations and prophecies of Oscars.
Surreal. Dream-like. Impossible. Was any of this really happening? To me?

Impossible. But there it was.
Then: after more days of interviews and press and screenings and
stunningly positive, glowing reviews, on to Berlin, where my script
for Ninja Assassin was being filmed. Brilliant stunt work. Dinners in
the cool German evening. Then off again to London for meetings with
several production companies regarding TV projects, and a meeting with
director Paul Greengrass on They Marched Into Sunlight, for Tom Hanks'
company, before flying back to LA for four days of massive jetlag.

Never give up, folks. Never stop trying. Never surrender dreams.
Because sometimes they come true.

Two asides before I crash.

First, on the plane ride home, I'd picked up the July issue of T3
Magazine, which contained in the mylar packet a subsidiary slim issue
about future tech and jargon and looked ahead to gadgets yet to come.
I meant to take it with me off the plane for research on another
project, but left it behind and it doesn't seem to be available
anywhere here; I may have missed the issue. Point being, could one of
our UK friends scan that magazine (it was only like 20 pages) and
upload it to me? If you do volunteer, could you note it here first to
avoid lots of folks duplicating the efforts? Accept my thanks in advance.

Second, keep an eye out for Daily Variety on June 19th. Another
surprise yet to come.

This is the dream. This is the fairy tale we all expect but so rarely
get. I am at peace. Go figure.
jms
THE CHANGELING COMING OCTOBER 24
According to Variety, Universal will release Clint Eastwood's period
drama CHANGELING, starring Angelina Jolie, on Oct. 24 in a limited run
before going wide one week later. CHANGELING made its world premiere
at the recently wrapped Cannes Film Festival, where it was in
competition. At Cannes, the French title of the film was "The
Exchange," prompting speculation that U might change the title
domestically, but studio and Eastwood are sticking with the original
name. Film, produced by Imagine Entertainment and Eastwood's Malpaso
Prods., will unspool in the heart of awards season. CHANGELING, set in
1920s Los Angeles, is based on the true life story of a woman whose
son disappears. Months later, police tell her they have found him,
only she says it's not her son. Eastwood directed from a script by J.
Michael Straczynski. John Malkovich, Jeffrey Donovan and Michael Kelly
also star. By opening in only a few select markets on Oct. 24,
Universal and Imagine will look to build buzz and play off reviews.

JEREMIAH ON SCIFI
JEREMIAH fans rejoice!!!! The SciFi Channel will begin running this
JMS series on July 10 at 7:00pm -- running four episodes in a row: The
Long Road, part 1 and 2; Man of Iron, Woman Under Glass and ...And the
Ground, Sown with Salt.

Many of you will remember this exceptional series from Showtime a few
years back. Luke Perry and Malcolm Jamal Warner starred in this drama
that followed survivors of a virus that kills everyone over 13. Season
One is out on DVD. Season Two has not yet been released.

BABYLON 5 FLASH-BACK
From the Babylon 5 moderated newsgroup comes this link to some
stunning photos of the Babylon 5 garden created by Ron Thornton and
Foundation Imaging at
http://darthmojo.wordpress.com/2008/06/01/b5-flashback-2/. See how in
1992, the tedious work of set design was handled. Seeing the amount of
work that went into every phase of the show, tells you something about
those involved in it.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

FOR PETE'S WAKE
FOR PETE'S WAKE (starring Pat Tallman and Robin Atkin Downes) is
temporarily available online, for consideration into the Independent
Features Film Festival. Film selection is done ONLINE via a web-based
competition. The top 21 films will receive an invitation to the
Independent Features Film Festival which will be hosted July 25-27,
2008 at the acclaimed Tribeca Cinemas in New York City. Please watch
the film, and vote, so we can make it into the fest!!!!!!
Use this link to watch For Pete's Wake
<http://cinema.lycos.com/movies/for_petes_wake>.

BILL MUMY
Ranger Glenda from Bill's fan club dropped by this latest information:
Bill Mumy's new CD "Circular" will be released in July.
Bill will be performing July 12, at 9pm at the Universal CityWalk in
Los Angeles. There will be no charge for this gig.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS

Jeffrey Willerth - June 5
Donovan Brown (Optic Nerve) - June 6
Ann Bruice Aling - June 8
Mark Walters - June 10
Susan Norkin (Post) - June 10
June 11 - Adrienne Barbeau (Amanda Carter)
Enid-Raye Adams - June 16
Mike Vejar - June 25
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.

BABYLON PODCAST
Welcome to Show #114!
Tim and Summer are eager for tonight's episode, but Jeffrey is nowhere
to be found. By a twist of fate, our in-studio guest, James Paul
(Scicomer), is not only a Babylon 5 fan, he's also a researcher
involved with the newest Mars lander, and he brought Script Book
Volume 15 and a bottle of Corralejo with him!
And then, there was much Mars geeking.
Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer, with James, discuss the pivotal events
in Falling Towards Apotheosis. Taking on the Vorlons is a bold move,
even for someone who's returned from the dead.
Discussion: James tells us how he discovered Babylon 5, how he was on
set to watch the filming of Londo's arthropod battle scene in "Sic
Transit Vir", his meeting of June Lockhart and of The Great Maker.
In addition to letting Summer stroke and paw his pretty copy of Volume
15, James has also made the Library of Congress aware of the script
books to they can acquire copies for the archive. He also wants to
figure out how to get a "definitive" collection of science fiction
works in the archive as well, so if anyone has any suggestions, take a
peek at the online catalog to see if any of your favorite classics or
groundbreaking works aren't in there yet.

To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

It seems like every day I hear something that reminds me of Babylon 5.
  The other day, Senator Barack Obama was giving a speech and he used
the phrase, Earth's last, best hope.  I wonder where that came from!!!
  Have you heard others?  While I was in Rome recently, I came across
Garabaldi street and a Garabaldi restaurant!  I'm sure there are more.
  Send yours along to share to sgbruckner@....

NEW DVDS

THE BUCKET LIST
Synopsis:
You only live once, so why not go out in style? That's what two
cancer- ward roommates, an irascible billionaire (Jack Nicholson) and
a scholarly mechanic (Morgan Freeman), decide when they get the bad
news. They compose a bucket list - things to do before you kick the
bucket - and head off for the around-the-world adventure of their
lives. Sky dive? Check. Power a Shelby Mustang around a racetrack?
Check. Gaze at the Great Pyramid of Khufu? Check. Discover the joy in
their lives before it's too late? Check!
Under the nimble direction of Rob Reiner, the two great stars provide
the heart and soul, wit and wiles of this inspired salute to life that
proves that the best time of all is right now.
Director: Rob Reiner
Actors: Jack Nicholson, Morgan Freeman, Sean P. Hayes, Rob Morrow

BRIEF REVIEW: I LOVED THIS MOVIE!
There aren't many movies about impending death that you can say are
funny, full of wit and uplifting. I am a big fan of Morgan Freeman.
This actor has limitless range and he proves again that he can take
any role and make you care about the character. He and Jack Nickolson
are marvelous together -- playing off each other, making you laugh and
cry. You hear the phrase often, "Life's too short." What would you do
if you had only a short time to live.

RAILS & TIES
Synopsis:
Kevin Bacon and Marcia Gay Harden give soaring performances in Rails &
Ties, director Alison Eastwood's moving tale of people in crisis and
emotions at the brink. Bacon plays Tom Stark, a train engineer unable
to face his wife's (Harden) illness. Then a terrifying railway
collision leaves a little boy orphaned. Tom takes the boy into his
home and - step by step, strength by strength - learns how to bond
with the wife he adores by opening his heart to a boy who needs the
security of a devoted family.
Director: Alison Eastwood
Actors: Kevin Bacon, Miles Heizer, Marcia Gay Harden, Eugene Byrd

NEW SCIENCE FICTION PUBLICATIONS:

Cult Times Issue #153: HEROES: Kristen Bell joins the cast as the
electrically charged Elle. But whose side is she on? SMALLVILLE's
Aaron Ashmore relates some of the latest adventures of his character,
ace Daily Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen. REAPER - Genre veteran and
all-round smoothie Ray Wise sits down for a chat about how he landed
the plum role of The Devil in the hip comedy-drama. MEDIUM's David
Cubitt takes a look at what the fourth season has brought for him in
his guise of Detective Lee Scanlon, and how the character's attitude
to Allison Dubois' psychic abilities has changed.

Starburst Issue #363: PRINCE CASPIAN: Director and co-writer Andrew
Adamson discusses the second, and darker, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA
installment to be adapted for the big screen. IRON MAN - Director Jon
Favreau, and actor Jeff Bridges who plays the villainous Iron Monger
are interviewed. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA (2000s) Michael Hogan and
Donnelly Rhodes (aka Colonel Saul Tigh and Doctor Cottle) reflect on
their roles in the final season of the Sci-Fi drama. SMALLVILLE's
Laura Vandervoort swoops in to chat to us about playing Clark Kent's
super-powered cousin Kara, who some may know as Supergirl...

TV Zone #229: STARGATE ATLANTIS: Star Trek: Voyager's Robert Picardo
as pen-pusher Richard Woolsey and producer N John Smith gives us a
preview of the other surprises to come in the imminent Season Five,
including Teyla's undercover mission among the Wraith.… DOCTOR WHO:
League of Gentlemen's Steve Pemberton guests as the owner of the
greatest library of the universe, leading an expedition to discover
why everyone within has disappeared… REAPER: Bret Harrison reflects on
how his slacker character Sam is, ironically, becoming a better man
thanks to Satan's influence in the hellishly funny comic Fantasy. CSI:
Miami's Rex Linn reveals why he's astonished to find himself becoming
a regular on the show, as the financier-turned-actor thought they'd
'never have that bald guy back' after the way he treated star David
Caruso on his first appearance as Detective Frank Tripp.

CONVENTION CALENDAR
June 20-22, 2008
FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS
Place: Crowne Plaza Meadowlands Hotel, 2 Harmon Plaza
B5 Guest: Tony Todd
Other Guests: James Marsters, Art Hindle, George Romero
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/fangonj.htm.

July 4-6, 2008
JUMPCON
Place: Kalamazoo,Michigan
B5 Guests: Jason Carter
Other Guests: Tons of people from Star Trek, Andromeda and others
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/kalamazoo.

July 11-13, 2008
SHORE LEAVE
Place: Marriot's Hunt Valley Inn
City: Baltimore, MD
B5 Guest: W. Morgan Sheppard (Soul Hunter) Guests: David Hewlett,
George Takei, Malcolm McDowell, Jewel Staite, Kate Hewlett, Mark
Sheppard, Leah Cairns
For more information, go to www.shore-leave.com.

July 23-27, 2008
SAN DIEGO COMICON
City: San Diego, California
Place: San Diego Convention Center
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
Guests: Tons of people from the comic book realm
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org/cci/.

July 26-27, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville, PA (near Pittsburgh)
Guests: Anthony Forrest, Star Wars, Vanessa Branch and Lauren Maher,
Pirates of the Caribbean, THE BATMOBILE - 1966 model
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com.

AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
The Chicago Tribune reports that the remaining episodes of BATTLESTAR
GALACTICA will be expanded. The series airs its mid-fourth season
finale tonight and many have been left wondering when the final ten
episodes would air. Now it seemse that the final episode of the series
could clock in at three hours, two of which will be added on bringing
the episode count to twelve. Reports of further TV movies have been
solidified with at least one pretty much set to be made this year.
Finally comes word from E! Online that the final episodes, no matter
what the length, will be going to air in the first quarter of 2009.

DEAD AIR
A new trailer for DEAD AIR is not available at
http://www.joblo.com/arrow/index.php?id=12567. This movie stars Patty
Tallman. It is a zombie movie directed by Corbin Bernsen (LA Law). You
can see a behind-the- scenes clip over at
http://www.reelzchannel.com/video/33472/dead-air-set-visit.

FRINGE
Fox has posted an interview on YouTube in which J.J. Abrams talks
about his upcoming TV series, FRINGE. It gives you a glimpse of the
new show -- and an insight into the characters and how it was created.
USA Today reported that DC Comics will offer a prequel comic to
FRINGE. The comic is due for release on Aug. 27.

JON VOIGHT JOINS 24
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Jon Voight has signed on for the
upcoming seventh season of "24." In his first series role in 40 years,
Voight will play Jack Bauer's (Kiefer Sutherland) uber-nemesis who is
pulling the strings behind next season's terrorist threat. The
character will be introduced during "24's" two-hour Season 7 prequel
and will be featured heavily in the latter half of the season. The
prequel, now shooting on location in South Africa, is slated to air
Nov. 23, with Season 7 of the Imagine TV/20th TV-produced series
kicking off in January. The tapping of Voight marks the first A-list
villain casting on "24" since Season 1 when Dennis Hopper appeared in
the final episodes as Serbian nationalist Victor Drazen. Voight did
several TV guest spots early in his career -- including a
three-episode stint on "Gunsmoke" between 1966-69 -- until his movie
career exploded with "Midnight Cowboy" in 1969. A four-time Academy
Award nominee, Voight won the best actor Oscar for 1978's "Coming
Home." He recently reprised his role as Nicolas Cage's father in
"National Treasure: Book of Secrets."

THE THAW
From the Hollywood Reporter: Aaron Ashmore ("Smallville," "Veronica
Mars") will star in the indie feature THE THAW, opposite Martha
MacIsaac and Val Kilmer. Anagram Pictures is producing the thriller
about an Arctic research team attacked by a killer parasite released
by melting polar ice caps. Ashmore will play a college student in the
besieged crew. THE THAW is written by Michael Lewis and Mark A. Lewis.
The latter also will direct. Shooting begins in Vancouver on Monday.

LAPD
ER's John Wells is all smiles. NBC eagerly picked up a cop-related
drama put pilot from the "ER" chief of staff. Tentatively titled
"LAPD," hour-long project will center on police in Los Angeles (as you
probably surmised by the title). Ann Biderman - whose credits include
"NYPD Blue" -- is set to write the project, while Chris Chulack ("ER")
will direct. Wells, Biderman and Chulack are set as exec producers on
"LAPD," which will come from Warner Bros. TV and John Wells Prods.
Wells' ER is set to go into it's 15th and final season. Biderman's
credits also include "High Crimes," "Smilla's Sense of Snow" and the
upcoming "Public Enemies."

THE MIDDLEMAN
Matt Keeslar, star of the upcoming ABC Family SF series THE MIDDLEMAN,
said in a recent interview that the show is a blend of SF, comedy and
procedural elements. "It's a tongue-in-cheek sci-fi, crime-solving
procedural. How's that?" Keeslar asked. "It's a cross between MEN IN
BLACK and GET SMART, or THE X-FILES and GET SMART. It's about a young
girl [Natalie Morales as Wendy Watson] who is inducted into a secret
crime- fighting society that solves exotic problems infra-, extra- and
juxta-terrestrial." Keeslar, whose credits include JEKYLL and Masters
of Horror, describes the "Middleman" as a former Navy SEAL who now
fights evil and takes his job very, very seriously. Wendy, meanwhile,
recently graduated from art school and is working as a temp. The show
was created and is executive-produced by Javier Grillo-Marxuach (Lost,
Medium), who based it on his own Viper Comics comic-book series.
"Wendy has a very wry sensibility about herself and the crime-fighting
organization," Keeslar said. "The relationship between the Middleman
and Wendy basically develops from him respecting Wendy as an
apprentice to more of an older-brother/younger-sister [dynamic] to a
crime-fighting duo. That's the arc of their relationship." ABC Family
has ordered 13 episodes of THE MIDDLEMAN and will premiere the pilot
on June 16 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

2012
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Amanda Peet has landed the female
lead in Roland Emmerich's epic disaster project 2012. Peet is joining
a strong ensemble cast that includes John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor,
Thandie Newton, Danny Glover and Oliver Platt. 2012 revolves around a
global cataclysm and the heroic struggle of the survivors. Peet is
playing Cusack's ex-wife, newly married to a wealthy man. Cusack plays
a divorced father trying to become a writer while holding a job as a
limo driver. Emmerich wrote the script with Harald Kloser, who is
producing with Mark Gordon and Larry Franco. Emmerich also is
executive producing with Michael Wimer and Ute Emmerich. Barring an
actors strike, the movie will shoot in July. The release date is
scheduled for July 10, 2009.

JERICHO - FANS STILL TRYING
JERICHO fans are continuing their campaign to bring the show back by
sponsoring more than 200 local ad spots to air on cable TV stations in
the Los Angeles area. The group, dubbed the "Jericho Rangers," has
already purchased a print ad in Variety and rented a billboard in
downtown Los Angeles to show their support for the series and help
find it a new broadcast home. The group paid for the advertising time
through a fundraising campaign which generated more than $6,000 in the
past three weeks. The fan-created 30-second ad features a voiceover
provided by actor Brad Beyer, who played Stanley Richmond on the show.
It's scheduled to air for 10 days, beginning June 12th, during several
popular cable shows, including Ghost Hunters on SCI FI Channel and
Deadliest Catch on the Discovery Channel. The ad will also be hosted
at the group's official site, www.SaveJerichoAgain.com. JERICHO was
cancelled for the first time last year after one season. CBS brought
it back for seven more episodes in early 2008 in response to the
efforts of fans, who sent in bags of nuts in support of the show.
After the new episodes earned lackluster ratings, CBS decided not to
renew the show for fall.

DRAGONOLOGY
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Universal has acquired the film
rights to the children's book series DRAGONOLOGY. Leonard Hartman will
write and executive-produce the adaptation. The books, by Dugald A.
Steer, are based on the conceit that dragons actually exist, as
revealed by the Victorian dragonologist Ernest Drake. An underlying
theme is that dragons should be studied and revered in the same way as
any rare species. Hartman's fantasy-adventure script revolves around a
group of dragonologists who go on a globe-trotting quest to keep a
corrupt man from taking control of the world's dragons and using them
to wipe out humanity. The first book, written and published in the
U.K. in 2003, has sold more than 2.8 million copies worldwide in 32
languages. Subsequent titles--from books on tracking and taming
dragons to a code-writing kit--have brought the total sales for all
Dragonology titles to 5.7 million, according to its publisher. Templar
recently signed a licensing agreement with video-game producer
Codemasters, which will adapt Dragonology into games for Nintendo's
Wii and DS platforms. Hartman most recently wrote the script for
Universal's Fury, which is in development, and the short film Gray
Matter.

CENTRAL PARK FANTASY
Variety reports that Warner Bros. has picked up an untitled pitch for
a fantasy set in Central Park. Bryan Schulz and Neil Uliano are
planned to write the script. The story follows two brothers who, while
visiting their grandfather in Gotham, meet a man who shows them a
mystical realm in Central Park that is in danger. The idea for the
fantasy was hatched by WB senior veep Jon Berg. WB and Lin have
already laid the groundwork for the project by aligning with the
Central Park Conservancy, which cares for the park, but no production
date has been set.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
A new trailer has popped up online for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the
new CGI series pilot that will continue later into a new series on TNT
and the Cartoon Network in the fall. The first segment of the series
will be hitting theaters on August 15 courtesy of Warner Bros. and
Lucasfilm. Director David Filoni is leading the project, based on a
screenplay by Henry Gilroy.
Plot Summary:
On the front lines of an intergalactic struggle between good and evil,
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." Produced by Lucasfilm Animation, "Star
Wars: The Clone Wars" takes audiences on incredible new "Star Wars"
adventures, combining the legendary storytelling of Lucasfilm with an
eye-popping, signature animation style. The theatrical debut of "Star
Wars: The Clone Wars" is only the beginning of all-new "Star Wars"
adventures that continue in the fall when the long-awaited television
series premieres on Cartoon Network, followed by airings on TNT.

I guess that is about it for now.  Please visit the website
(http://www.isnnews.net).  We have been having some problems lately,
but hopefully that will be ironed out soon.

If you have information you would like to have posted, drop me a line.
  I love getting ranger reports  about books you've read; movies you've
seen, etc.  Other readers will be interested as well.
Have a great weekend.

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – May 25, 2008

SYSTEM CRASH
We recently experienced a major problem at the website – all of the
recent files were lost.  During a move to another site, files were
corrupted.  I am in the process of reconstructing information
previously listed at The Zocalo Today, but many files will not be
recoverable.

If you have convention information you would like to have listed,
please send information so that I can update our convention schedule.
  I will be pulling together a new calendar shortly, but right now,
what's on the front page is all the current information I have.

If you click on a link and nothing happens – now you know why.  There
is no there – there.

J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI AT CANNES

Ranger Regis sent along a link to the video of this Press Conference
from Cannes <http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/mediaPlayer/9426.html>.
The entire 40-minute press conference (with translation in French) can
be seen at
<http://cannes2008.canalplus.fr/film-changeling-20-mai-2008-page1.aspx?PlayVideo\
=4>.

Ranger Mike sent in the following clipping from IMDb:

Movie Reviews: 'Changeling'
Clint Eastwood's Changeling has drawn some of the strongest early
reviews yet at the Cannes Film Festival. (Critics were unsure what the
actual title was. The festival said on Tuesday that it had received a
written notice from the studio that the title had been changed to The
Exchange, aligning it with the French title, L'Échange. But at a news
conference Eastwood implied that he had not agreed to a such a change,
and the daily festival program, after revising the title on Tuesday
changed it back to Changeling today.) Geoffrey MacNab in the London
Independent called the film a "magisterial piece of work." While
predicting that the movie won't become a big box-office success for
Eastwood, he concluded that "in its unfussy craftsmanship and
emotional punch, it shows him still at the peak of his powers."
Writing for the British trade publication Screen Daily, Mike Goodridge
predicted that the movie will "go all the way from the Palais to the
Academy Awards." Several critics attending the screening came away
forecasting an Oscar nomination not only for Eastwood but also for the
film's star, Angelina Jolie. "She is the entire, anxious point of
Eastwood's film," wrote James Christopher in the London Times, "and
absolutely terrific." Todd McCarthy in Daily Variety called her
performance "top notch." And Kurt Honeycutt wrote in the Hollywood
Reporter," Jolie puts on a powerful emotional display."

Another article noted is at
http://www.festival-cannes.fr/en/article/56129.html

Ranger Jim found this article that includes a quote from JMS:
"I was so astonished by the extent to which she suffered by asking one
simple, clear question: What happened to my child," said J. Michael
Straczynski, who researched Christine Collins' ordeal and wrote the
screenplay for "Changeling." "She did all the heavy lifting. I just
wrote it down."

From a longer article at
<http://movies.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=315022>.

Variety has reviewed the film as well. You can read all about it at
<http://www.variety.com/VE1117937210.html>.

The Hollywood Reporter's review can be found at
<http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/awards_festivals/fest_reviews/article_displ\
ay.jsp?&rid=11148&imw=Y>,

Over at <http://blogs.amctv.com/shootout/> you will find an interview
with J. Michael Straczynski, screenwriter for THE CHANGELING.

QUESTIONS FOR LARRY DI TILLIO
The Babylon 5 Script Team continues to bring us new opportunities to
ask questions of Babylon 5 authors. Here's another, so put on your
thinking caps and send along your questions to Ranger Jan:

Rare Opportunity: Ask B5 writer Larry DiTillio Your Questions

Not long ago we asked you to submit questions to B5 writer Kathryn
Drennan about her B5 script "By Any Means Necessary" -- which, by the
way, will be featured in her 9,200 word introduction in Volume 2 of
"Babylon 5: Other Voices".

Since some were bummed that they read that post too late to submit a
question you now get another chance, with another writer, Larry
DiTillio. We should also note that you guys asked some fabulous
questions, so we were eager to offer this opportunity up again.
We want to hear ALL your questions for Larry about his script "A
Spider in the Web". Since this is for Volume 2 of "Babylon 5 Scripts:
Other Voices" we can only accept questions for this particular script.
As a quick refresher, in "A Spider in the Web" a friend of Talia
Winters comes to Babylon 5 to negotiate a deal to help Mars become
more self-sufficient when a man calling out "Free Mars!" murders him
before her eyes. Here's the Lurker's Guide page for this episode.
<http://www.midwinter.com/lurk/countries/us/guide/028.html>.

Here are some sample questions we have lined up just as an example:

- Was Bureau 13 originally meant to be a regularly seen organization
like the Psi Corps?

- Amanda Carter's grandfather was John Carter, a reference to the
series of books set on Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Was it your idea
to include that?

- This the second script of yours to feature cyber-organics; first the
Vicar in "DeathWalker" and the Lazarus Project in this one. Is the
idea of cybernetics and human interface something that interests you?

IMPORTANT NOTE: You can email as many questions as you like.
Deadline: Wednesday, May 28
Please forward to our Editor, Jan Schroeder
JanMSchroeder@...

OTHER VOICES
Babylon 5 Scripts: Other Voices
VOLUME 1
Price: $39.99

Volume 1 will never be offered at a discount again
For more information about B5 Other Voices, go to www.B5OtherVoices.com

Featuring these scripts
• "Born to the Purple" by Larry DiTillio
• "The War Prayer" by D.C. Fontana
• "DeathWalker" by Larry DiTillio
• "Believers" by David Gerrold
• "Survivors" by Marc Scott Zicree
• "Grail" by Christy Marx

PLUS A SPECIAL BONUS:
David Gerrold's complete outline for "Laser-Mirror-Starweb," a
never-produced, never-seen episode of Babylon 5.
All scripts include an introduction/commentary by the writers written
exclusively for these volumes revealing how the stories came to be,
why these writers made the choices they did, what it was like to write
for the Babylon 5 universe, and, most important, what you didn't see.

Coming June 15, 2008
Babylon 5 Scripts: Other Voices - Volume 2
featuring "By Any Means Necessary" by Kathryn Drennan, which includes
a 9,000 word introduction written by her exclusively for this volume.

BABYLON PODCAST #112

Jeffrey returns from Hawaii to tease us all about his Vorlon tan, and
Tim revels in the fact that he and Bruce Boxleitner share a birthdate.
Tim also recounts what he saw at the Star Trek Experience in Las
Vegas, and got to see firsthand the Borg Invasion scenario that George
Johnsen worked on.

Jeffrey also lets us know what show he's working on now: Celebrity
Rehab on VH-1. So whenever he's not able to join us on Wednesdays,
know that he's working on Season 2 of this series, and it really is
something that's aiming to help.

Deep Geeking: Tim and Summer contemplate the mysteries and metaphors
in "Whatever Happened to Mr. Garibaldi?" For a long time… this is a
good one.

Listener Feedback: Tim passes on a question from George Brickner:
"What does Summer need her minions to do?" First, Summer needs a
vacation and some rest, then she'll need help with wiki setup, and
Joomla configuration.

If it matters, Summer would love to see a script book or three solely
about "Crusade". Just sayin'.

To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

DANIEL DAE KIM stars in The Andromeda Strain, premiering on A&E
tomorrow night at 9:00pm.  Daniel was Lt. Matheson on CRUSADE and is
currently on the hit series LOST.

DISCUSSION TOPIC:
With all the advances in CGI and computer animation, is it easier or
harder to tell a good story – science fiction or any other genre?

Send in your comments to sgbruckner@... and I'll post them to the
Discussion Page so that all readers of The Zocalo Today can share in
your opinions.

NEW PUBLICATIONS

Cult Times Issue #152: DOCTOR WHO: Douglas MacKinnon talks about
directing the two-part story that brings the Doctor, Donna and Martha
together for the first time. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Jamie Bamber looks
ahead to Lee 'Apollo' Adama's new life outside of a Viper. But will a
career change keep him out of harm's way? LOST: Michael Emerson (Ben)
talks about what's ahead for the show.

TV Zone #228: PUSHING DAISIES: Star Anna Friel said `Never again,'
after her first attempt to make it in Hollywood - but the quirky style
of the series lured her back to Los Angeles. She talks about why she
reckons the series' success is a testament to the appeal of
old-fashioned romance. BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Actress Rekha Sharma has
discovered her true, Cylon, nature. She discusses her nerves during
her first days on set, and discovering her new role.

TV Zone Special #81: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: This massive 60-page
overview lets you recap the series. There are inerviews with many of
the cast, including Katee Sackhoff, Callum Keith Rennie, Michael
Trucco, Alessandro Juliani. Also hear from some of the
behind-the-scenes folks -- Richard Hudolin and Douglas McLean -
production designers; Glenne Campbell - costume design and Gerald
Gibbons - hair stylist.

CONVENTION CALENDAR

May 30-June 1, 2008
The Wrath of Con
Place: Panama City Beach, Florida
B5 Guest: Jerry Doyle
For more information on the con, go to http://www.wrathofcon.org.

June 6-8, 2008
SALUTE TO SUPERNATURAL
Place: Hyatt Regency DFW City: Dallas, Texas
Guests: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Frederic Lane, Chad Lindberg,
Steve Carlson
For more information, go to
http://www.creationent.com/cal/supernatural_tx.htm.

June 20-22, 2008
FANGORIA'S WEEKEND OF HORRORS
Place: Crowne Plaza Meadowlands Hotel, 2 Harmon Plaza
B5 Guest: Tony Todd
Other Guests: James Marsters, Art Hindle, George Romero
For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/fangonj.htm.

July 4-6, 2008
JUMPCON
Place: Kalamazoo,Michigan
B5 Guests: Jason Carter
Other Guests: Tons of people from Star Trek, Andromeda and others
For more information, go to http://www.jumpcon.com/kalamazoo.

July 26-27, 2008
STEEL CITY CON
Place: Monroeville, PA (near Pittsburgh)
Guests: Anthony Forrest, Star Wars, Vanessa Branch and Lauren Maher,
Pirates of the Caribbean, THE BATMOBILE - 1966 model
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com.

That's about it for now.  I hope you will visit the website when you
have a chance (http://www.isnnews.net) – and more importantly, send
along information you would like to post for other Babylon 5 fans to
share.

I hope you all have a marvelous weekend and Memorial Day holiday (for
those of us in the U.S.).

Take care.
Sandy

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

While the site is down, I thought I'd send you another note with the
latest from the Babylon 5 Script Team.  They announced yesterday that
there will be another series coming:  Babylon 5 Scripts:  Other
Voices.  Volume 1 will be released next week.

This volume will contain scripts by:
Larry DiTillio
D.C. Fontana
David Gerrold
Christy Marx
Marc Scott Zicree

In addition, the sale of the original Babylon 5 script series will end
on June 30, 2008 - not May 31 as originally stated.  So you have time
to get in your order -- and pick up Volume 15 with JMS' autograph.

Hopefully the website will be back up and running soon.  Until then,
take care and have a great weekend.

Sandy

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

Yes, I wish it were still April.  This morning's message had the wrong
date on it.  Should be today -- May 9.

Have a great weekend.
Sandy

What's New

For those of you who have gone to The Zocalo Today for your daily fix
of information, you'll see a flash from the past instead of the
current page.  David and Doron, the wonderful webmasters, are moving
the site and it will be down for a couple of days.

In addition to this change, I leave for Italy tomorrow so I won't
have a chance to update the page as often as I would like to while I am away. I
won't be gone long though.  So don't be concerned, things will get back to
normal eventually.

For those of you who haven't seen the news, Bruce Boxleitner is
joining HEROES.  TV Guide Online's Michael Ausiello reported that
Babylon 5 star Bruce Boxleitner has won a top-secret recurring role
in NBC's HEROES, a role that was originally going to be modeled after
Sen. John McCain.  The character has since been reconceived, and
Boxleitner will reportedly share the screen with a female series
regular. HEROES returns in the fall.

Daniel Dae Kim, Lt. Matheson from Crusade, has been outstanding on
LOST as Jin-Soo Kwon.  While his fate seems to be up in the air, you
can see him soon in A&E's ANDROMEDA STRAIN - a miniseries airing May
26 and 27.  Daniel plays a microbiologist who once designed
biological weapons for the Chinese government but is now a U.S.-based
bioterrorism consultant. As a member of the Wildfire emergency
response team, he and other scientists must find a way to deal with a
lethal contagion from outer space.

Ranger Glenda from Bill Mumy's fan club dropped by this latest
information.  Bill Mumy's new CD "Circular" will be released in July.
Bill will be performing July 12, at 9pm at the Universal CityWalk in
Los Angeles. There will be no charge for this gig.

Got an update on Stephen's address yesterday.  He is now the General
Manager for Staff Dining at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas!
Cool.  Stephen was your friendly neighborhood Pak'Ma'Ra Ambassador on
Babylon 5.  He's a very nice guy and a wonderful comedian as well.
Best of luck in your new position.

Speaking of Stephen, he is hitting the big 5-0 this year and wants to
organize A Gathering.  Since some of you may be going out to Las
Vegas for the Creation Convention August 8-10 anyway, Stephen thought
it would be great to get together on the 9th.  He will send along
more details as they are available - so stay tuned.

I guess that's about it for now.  Just wanted to tell you about the
site being down for a few days.  Don't be alarmed.  I think that 2005
page is a hoot!

Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – April 27, 2008
Not a whole lot new – but I did want to send along this update from
JMS that I know you will enjoy.  If you thought you were a busy
person, just read what JMS has on his plate!!!

UPDATE FROM JMS
I know I've been absent here for a long time, but it's been necessary
to getting out from under a number of deadlines and personal stuff
that's been going on which basically put me into (or undre) the bunker
to focus on getting things done. There was a two week period where I
didn't leave the house other than to get mail. At all.
But with so much going on at the moment, I felt obliged to come in and
put out some information, with the note that there will be more to
come in the next week or so.

To the question of Emerald City Con, yes, I will still be attending,
though I don't yet know the schedule. I imagine they'll mainly have me
doing stuff on Saturday just because that's the main day for the con,
but that's conjecture on my part.

Yes, I will be attending the Cannes Film Festival with Changeling
along with the rest of those involved in making it. The announcement
was just flat-out stunning.

On the work side, in the post-strike environment, I've 1) sold two
original screenplays, 2) was hired to rewrite/basically write a new
script for a project for the Wachowskis, 3) have just finished a deal
to work on a project with Wolfgang Peterson, 4) have another spec
script going to auction around the end of May, 5) just closed the deal
on another assignment which is based on a very influential series of
SF books, 6) have one more deal to write a remake of a nearly
legendary SF movie that will close in a few days, 7) there's a deal on
the table for both Dream Police and Rising Stars which I'm considering
right now...all this in addition to writing The Twelve and Thor (which
remains in the top 5 of best-selling comics) and getting the script
books out the door.

Which explains why nobody's heard a peep from me in ages.
Now I need to take a nap.
JMS

BABYLON 5 SCRIPTS - UPDATE
Here is an update from the Babylon 5 Script Team at Cafe Press:
In the next couple days your Volume 14/Volume 15 will be shipping
together, in the same package. The important news is that the shipping
notice from CafePress.com will only state that Volume 14 is on its
way. It will NOT say that your Volume 15 is included.

THIS IS IMPORTANT SO WE ARE GOING TO REPEAT IT:
Your CafePress shipping notice will only tell you that your Volume 14
is on its way, and will make no mention of Volume 15.

As you know, Volume 15 is a gift from J. Michael Straczynski and is
not for sale, and therefore it does not have a product number. Without
a product number, it can't be a part of the CafePress system, and
that's why they can't include it on your shipping confirmation email.
We realize that this lack of any mention about Volume 15 on your
shipping notice could be confusing and anxiety-provoking, so we want
to assure you about this BEFORE you get your shipping notice.

Note to non-U.S. folks: Your customs declaration will only state the
value of volume 14. Because Volume 15 is a gift, there is no value and
therefore will be considered zero. So the total customs declaration
will be for Volume 14 only.

For the complete information about Volume 14 and an overview of the
Babylon 5 script series and Babylon 5 merchandise, go to
www.babylon5scripts.com.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW
STEPHEN AUSTIN
Got an update on Stephen's address yesterday. He is now the General
Manager at the Wynn Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas! Cool. Stephen was
your friendly neighborhood Pak'Ma'Ra Ambassador on Babylon 5. He's a
very nice guy and a wonderful comedian as well. Best of luck in your
new position.

DEAD AIR
Patty Tallman has just finished up her work on DEAD AIR, a zombie
movie being directed by Corbin Bernsen (LA Law). You can see a
behind-the-scenes clip over at
<http://www.reelzchannel.com/video/33472/dead-air-set-visit>.

J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI - THE CHANGELING
For everyone that missed the news yesterday, THE CHANGELING, written
by our own J. Michael Straczynski, is going to Cannes. Yes, director
Clint Eastwood has entered the movie into the Cannes Film Festival.
Now speculation is whether we'll get to see JMS in a tuxedo!!!!

BABYLON PODCAST #109
Welcome to Show #109!
No Jeffrey this week. No Vorlon puns. Tim and Summer are sad, but it
passes after a moment.

Deep Geeking: Call it uber geeking. Mike McCafferty rejoins Tim and
Summer to discuss "Z'ha'dum", the season 3 finale, containing one of
the most delicious and exasperating cliffhangers ever visited upon
scifi tv fans.

This is an interview you have to hear again and again, and you won't
care that it runs the full hour. To catch up on all the wonderful
podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

NEW DISCUSSION TOPIC
With Hulu.com having Babylon 5 online for us in the U.S. to enjoy
again, I wonder if you are like me – this time `round, I am seeing
more about the story than I did the first, second – even third time.
How about you?  Does knowing the story actually enhance your viewing
pleasure of the series?  Or does knowing how it ends spoil it for you?
Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@... and I'll post
them for other readers to share on the Discussion Page.

NEW DVDS COMING
BOTCHED
Release date: May 15, 2008
Official website: www.botcheddvd.com
Synopsis
In the spirit of great horror comedies like Army of Darkness, Shaun of
The Dead, and An American Werewolf in London comes BOTCHED a film that
takes funny and gore to the next level. Having recently won best
feature at the New York City Horror Film Festival, the film's star
Stephen Dorff (Blade, World Trade Center, and who is currently filming
Public Enemies with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale, and Director Michael
Mann) also took home Best Actor honors as well. Jamie Murray (Dexter,
and the BBC series Hustle) is also along for the ride along with a
ensemble cast of memorable characters. From producer Steve Richards,
who also brought you The Matrix: Reloaded, House on Haunted Hill, and
the upcoming Guy Ritchie film RocknRolla comes the story of Ritchie
Donovan (Stephen Dorff), a professional thief whose luck turns from
bad to worse. The only survivor from a heist that goes terribly wrong,
Ritchie is forced to take the rap and is sent to Russia to steal a
priceless antique cross locked in a safe on the penthouse floor of a
Moscow skyscraper. Unfortunately, his luck runs out, yet again, and
things rapidly go downhill. During the robbery, Ritchie and his
Russian accomplices are trapped by police and are forced to take
hostages, seeking refuge on the building's unused 13th Floor... and we
all know how unlucky the number 13 is. Director: Kit Ryan Actors:
Stephen Dorff, Sean Pertwee, Jaime Murray, Hugh O'Conor Critic's
Quotes: "A bloody great movie!" - Slasherpool.com "if you liked movies
like Severance and Shaun Of The Dead, you will definitely get a kick
out of this brilliant horror comedy." - Slasherpool.com "Hilarious
entertainment." - Horrorthon

Video clips from Warner Bros:
One Hostage - :39
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/botched/clips/botch_fea_one_hos\
tage_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/botched/clips/botch_fea_one_hos\
tage_qt_300.mov>

What is your handle - 1:32
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/botched/clips/botch_fea_what_is\
_your_handle_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/botched/clips/botch_fea_what_is\
_your_handle_qt_300.mov>

ONE MISSED CALL
Release Date: April 22, 2008
Official website: http://www.onemissedcallmovie.com
Synopsis:
It happens to one. Then another. And another. College students
discover eerie voicemail messages on their cell phones. Each call
comes from the near future. Each call has the chilling voice of the
student during his or her last moments alive. And each call comes
true. Terror is One Missed Call away in this got-your-number shocker
based on the hit Japanese thriller Chakushin ari. Does the viral spree
of calls have a single source? Is there something that links the
victims? Psych student Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon) and detective
Jack Andrews (Ed Burns) scramble for answers. And they?re working
fast. Because Beth just discovered an ominous message. Director: Eric
Valette Actors: Edward Burns, Shannyn Sossamon, Azura Skye

Warner Bros. Clips:
All Connected: :46
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/onemissedcall/clips/omc_fea_all\
_
connected_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/onemissedcall/clips/omc_fea_all\
_
connected_qt_300.mov>

Fire at St. Lukes 1:17
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/onemissedcall/clips/omc_fea_fir\
e_
at_st_lukes_300.asx>
<http://raincloud.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/onemissedcall/clips/omc_fea_fir\
e_at_
st_lukes_qt_300.mov>

CONVENTION CALENDAR
May 10-11, 2008
Emerald City Comicon
City: Seattle, Washington
B5 Guest: J. Michael Straczynski
For more information, go to http://www.emeraldcitycomiccon.com.

May 30-June 1, 2008
The Wrath of Con
Place: Panama City Beach, Florida
B5 Guest: Jerry Doyle
For more information on the con, go to http://www.wrathofcon.org.

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION
DOLAN'S CADALLAC
Christian Slater, Wes Bentley and Emmanuelle Vaugier are set to lead
in an adaptation of Stephen King's short story DOLAN'S CADILLAC.
Vaugier is set to play the unfortunate leading lady while Bentley is
set to play her avenging husband. Slater is the villain. Erik Canuel
is directing from an adaptation written by Richard Dooling. Production
is scheduled to begin May 14. DOLAN'S CADILLAC is a thriller about a
man (Bentley), who plots to avenge the murder of his wife (Vaugier) by
notorious and untouchable Las Vegas mob boss Jimmy Dolan (Slater).

IRON MAN
Set to open this week on May 1. As the Hollywood Reporter puts it,
"Iron Man," the first self-financed production from Marvel Studios,
should catch boxoffice lightning in a bottle, thanks to hiring
longtime Marvel Comics reader Jon Favreau as director and the
supersmart casting of Robert Downey Jr. as the conflicted protagonist.
The betting line about opening weekend grosses really pales in
significance to the real question: Will the film imitate its hero's
ability to blast into the stratosphere for many weeks? The guess here
is a big yes.

ANGELS AND DEMONS
Variety reports that Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer has nabbed the
female lead opposite Tom Hanks in Columbia Pictures' Da Vinci Code
prequel ANGELS & DEMONS. Ewan McGregor is in talks to join the
thriller, which is based on the Dan Brown best-seller. McGregor is set
to take on the role of a powerful Vatican insider who assists Hanks'
Robert Langdon. In the prequel, Langdon once again finds himself
entangled with powerful forces with ancient roots: the Illuminati--the
most powerful underground organization in history-- and the Catholic
Church. Zurer will play Vittoria Vetra, an Italian scientist who joins
forces with Langdon. Ron Howard is directing from an Akiva Goldsman
script.

THE HOBBIT
Variety reports that Guillermo del Toro has signed on to direct the
New Line-MGM's upcoming THE HOBBIT and its sequel for executive
producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh. The announcement--which had
been rumored for several weeks--came from Jackson and Walsh, New Line
president Toby Emmerich and Mary Parent, newly named chief of MGM's
Worldwide Motion Picture Group. Del Toro will move to New Zealand for
the next four years to work with Jackson and his Wingnut and Weta
production teams. He'll direct the two films back to back, with the
sequel dealing with the 60-year period between The Hobbit and The
Fellowship of the Ring, the first installment of the LORD OF THE RINGS
trilogy. Like RINGS, THE HOBBIT is based on a book by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Del Toro won't leave for New Zealand immediately, as he's still in
post-production on HELLBOY II: THE GOLDEN ARMY, which is due July 11.
The official signing of del Toro comes four months after New Line
settled a lawsuit with Jackson over profits from THE LORD OF THE RINGS
and announced that it had agreed with MGM to turn Tolkien's book into
two live-action films. Sam Raimi had been preceived as the initial
front-runner as director, but Del Toro had emerged in recent months as
the likely candidate. Though no screenplay deal's been set, it's
expected that the Rings scripting team of Jackson, Walsh and Philippa
Boyens will collaborate with del Toro. With del Toro blocking out four
years for the project, it's likely that the studios are aiming at
starting shooting next year and releasing the films in late 2011 and 2012.

THE DARK KNIGHT
A new poster has surfaced for THE DARK KNIGHT. THE
DARK KNIGHT reunites director Christopher Nolan with star Christian
Bale, who returns to continue Batman's war on crime. With the help of
Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and District Attorney Harvey Dent
(Aaron Eckhart), Batman sets out to destroy organized crime in Gotham
for good. The triumvirate proves to be effective, but they soon find
themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as the Joker
(Heath Ledger), who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces the Dark
Knight ever closer to crossing the fine line between hero and
vigilante. The official website is located at www.thedarkknight.com.

BLAKE'S 7
Sky One has revealed that a new remake of the classic British SF TV
series BLAKE'S 7 could soon return to U.K. television screens. The
satellite channel has given the green light to the development of two
60-minute scripts for a "potential event series" based on the show,
about a gang of rebels fighting an evil federation that ruled the galaxy.

PLANET 51
PLANET 51, an upcoming animated SF comedy, stars the voices of Dwayne
Johnson, Seann William Scott, Jessica Biel and Justin Long. The film,
which Johnson describes as a "reverse E.T." is now looking at a fall
2009 release. The film, developed at New Line Cinema, is now with
Warner Brothers. Johnson (Get Smart) said in an interview on April 24,
"I think it's going to be released next November." The movie--from Joe
Stillman, the writer of the Shrek movies--features Johnson as the
voice of astronaut Capt. Charles "Chuck" Baker, leader of an
expedition to the title world, which is inhabited by green creatures
who fear an alien invasion. "I go on their planet, and I'm actually
the alien," Johnson said, adding: "Of course, I befriend a little boy
[to try to] get back to my spaceship. It's really great." The film
marks Johnson's first foray into animation. "It was a lot of fun to
get in there and find his voice," he said. "But the character's great,
and I had a great time. We still have some more voice-overs to do, but
I'm really excited about that." The film also reunites Johnson with
his SOUTHLAND TALES Tales co-star Scott. The two share scenes
together, "but we laid down our stuff ... separately," Johnson said.
PLANET 51 is produced by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios. Jorge
Blanco is directing, with Javier Abad and Marcos Martinez co-directing.

CASTLE
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Nathan Fillion (FIREFLY) is in
negotiations for the lead in an ABC pilots: "Castle." "Castle," from
ABC Studios, is a comedic procedural about a famous mystery novelist
(Fillion) helping the NYPD solve crimes.
Fillion recurs on ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and recently wrapped
the feature "Chilled in Miami."

CRIMINAL MINDS
The Hollywood Reporter writes that A&E Network and ION Television have
snapped up rights to "Criminal Minds" from CBS Television
Distribution. A&E's multiyear deal for the exclusive cable rights to
"Minds" allows it to air episodes from the first three seasons on a
weekly basis starting in May before being able to strip the first four
seasons starting in September 2009. A&E executive vp and GM Bob
DeBitetto said he hasn't determined whether he ultimately will strip
the series, but he's eyeing a 7 p.m. slot as well as "opportunities to
use it vertically in primetime."

ION's multiyear deal for broadcast syndication rights to the
procedural, which is in its third season on CBS, allows that network
to strip the show in primetime starting in September 2009.
Sources said A&E paid $650,000-$700,000 per episode, while ION ponied
up $175,000 per episode. A&E's license fee indicates that the market
for off-net procedurals in cable has cooled a bit from just a few
years ago, when it seemed as if every new sale was a record-setter.
For example, "Minds" sold to A&E for less than half what TNT paid for
"Cold Case" and "Without a Trace" ($1.4 million each) and a third of
what Spike TV paid for "CSI: NY" ($1.9 million). However, "Minds" did
top other shows like "Bones," for which TNT shelled out about $450,000
an episode. DeBitetto said "Minds" will complement the network's
schedule, which includes such other off-net acquisitions as "The
Sopranos" and "CSI: Miami" and unscripted series like "The First 48."
A&E also is debuting its first original drama in several years, "The
Cleaner," in July. " 'Criminal Minds' is a great drama in a genre that
we know well and works very well for us," he said. "It's a franchise
that we had our eye on for quite some time." He also pointed to the
nonserialized nature of "Minds." A&E has tried its hand at highly
serialized off-net dramas like "24," which the network acquired with
the intention of airing as a primetime "event" before moving it to
daytime. It has since been pulled from the schedule. "We found that
after a time, because it was so hyper-serialized, it became more of a
challenge for us," DeBitetto said. "That was not a surprise or
unexpected. We also acquired it at a price that made it a success for us."

DRESDEN FILES
Fans of SCI FI's cancelled series, THE DRESDEN FILES, can still enjoy
adventures of wizard Harry Dresden. Best-selling fantasy author Jim
Butcher says his latest Dresden Files novel, SMALL FAVOR, continues
several ongoing storylines and gets involved in a couple of new ones
during the course of the investigation. "It's the 10th book of the
series, in which I plan to write a total of 20, more or less," Butcher
said in an interview. "Once all the 'case' books are written, I plan
to cap the whole thing off in a big old apocalyptic trilogy. I mean,
come on. Who doesn't love apocalyptic trilogies?" Harry Dresden,
wizard at large, has in the course of his investigations incurred a
debt to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, monarch of the Winter
Court of the Sidhe, Butcher said. "He owes the big bad queen of the
wicked faeries two favors, and in this story she shows up to collect
on one of them," he said. "Harry finds himself subject to attack by
the minions of Mab's enemy, Titania, the Queen of the Summer Court, as
well as in danger of being wiped out by friendly fire in the course of
a case he would much rather went unsolved--the kidnapping of Chicago
crime boss, John Marcone. Throw in a couple of holy knights, a cult of
demon warriors and the Billy Goats Gruff, and it's looking like a long
week for poor Harry." Faeries, in the Dresden Files books, "ain't no
pixie-dust spilling, friendly, cutely animated little Tinkerbells,"
Butcher said. "They're the faeries of the Grimms' tales, the original,
gruesome ones, and even the friendliest among them can be lethally
dangerous in the right circumstances. Harry finds himself maneuvered
into becoming a pawn in the continual war between the two major powers
of Faerie, the Summer and Winter Courts, and, as always, it takes
everything he has to survive the situation without abandoning the true
victims of the matter." Butcher is currently at work on the first
four-issue Dresden Files graphic novel for Dabel Brothers, an original
prequel story set a few days before the events of the first book in
the series, Storm Front. Following the publication of the prequel
graphic novel, Dabel Brothers will publish adaptations of the Dresden
Files novels.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY
May 3 is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY so be sure to stop in at your favorite
comic book shop to see what is new on the shelves and check out new
titles.

Please visit the website often (http://www.isnnews.net) for up-to-date
information about all things Babylon 5 and science fiction in general.  If you
have something you want to share with your fellow readers, send it along.

I guess that about covers it for now.  I hope that you all have a fantastic
Sunday – and a good week ahead.
Take care.
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY – April 20, 2008

WHAT'S NEW
There isn't a lot new, but I thought I'd drop you a line nonetheless,
just to stay in touch.  JMS has not posted information in quite a
while.  I suspect he has just been overloaded with work.  Hopefully he
will update us on all of his projects when he can.

There is a little news – HULU.COM now includes the first season of
Babylon 5!  That's new – so you can watch Babylon 5, Firefly, Twilight
Zone and many of your favorite old series online.  The best part – its
FREE!

BABYLON PODCAST
This week's Babylon Podcast is not to be missed.  Jeffrey Willerth
(Kosh) brings in George Johnsen, co-producer of Babylon 5, to
reminisce about their times on Babylon 5 productions – and we hear
about what George is up to now.  Go to www.babylonpodcast.com to hear
it all.

NEW DISCUSSION TOPIC

To celebrate HULU.COM's including season one of BABYLON 5 online,
let's talk about season one.  What is your favorite episode; your
least favorite one. Why?

I have at least two favorites – and for totally different reasons. I
love "By Any Means Necessary" because it shows the complexity of the
station and what it means to command such a facility.  I also love "A
Sky Full of Stars" because it fills in many of the blanks with
Commander Sinclair's history – and leaves you with a continuing
mystery of the Earth-Minbari War.  But then there's "Babylon Squared"
and "Chrysalis".  How can one pick just one!  Least favorite – I think
that is a bit easier.  "The Quality of Mercy" is my least favorite.
While there is a lot going on in the episode, it just didn't do it for
me. Now many will say "TKO" is their least favorite.  For me, I love
the one brief moment between Sinclair and Ivanova -- as he comforts
her following her father's death.

OK, I've told you my most favorite and least favorite.  Now it is your
turn.  Send in your selections to sgbruckner@... and I'll post
them so we can all share.

QUESTIONS FOR BABYLON 5 AUTHOR
Ranger Jan has just gotten a wonderful assignment and she would like
us to help her out. Here is her note to all of us:

I've been asked by a publication to interview Kathryn Drennan about
her B5 first season episode "By Any Means Necessary". The goal of the
interview is to ask the questions fans want to know about this episode
and her experience writing for Babylon 5.

Of the non-JMS scripts this is a particular fan favorite, so please
email me questions you would like to have her answer. Once the article
is done I will be able to announce when and where you can read it.
Send as many questions as you like to JanMSchroeder@...

Here is a synopsis of the episode:
Following a fatal accident in a docking bay the workers stage an
illegal strike. Earth Central sends in a negotiator who inflames the
situation further and invokes the "Rush Act" whereby striking workers
can be arrested and replaced. Meanwhile, due to the accident in the
docking bay, a plant necessary for a Narn religious ceremony was
destroyed and Londo Mollari possesses the only one of its kind on the
station. It's up to Commander Sinclair to find a solution to all of
these issues.

I'm not sure when Jan is doing the interview, so if you haven't sent
in your questions, please do so now!

NEW DVDS
I've gotten a ton of new DVDs from Warner Bros. and they have sent me
a number of clips to share with readers.  My favorites are the BBC
series put together for Earth Day.  These are videos you can watch
with your kids – or just enjoy yourself.  The photography is just amazing.

If you are an old movie fan, the WARNER GANGSTERS COLLECTION may be
one you'll like.  It has a number of movies you don't regularly see on
the cable channels, including PICTURE SNATCHER, SMART MONEY, BLACK
LEGION and MAYOR OF HELL.  They don't make them like that anymore!

AROUND THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION

TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES
The TV Guide posted the following yesterday:
Although Fox declined comment, multiple sources confirm to me
exclusively that Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles has been renewed
for a second season. The series stars Lena Headey, Thomas Dekker,
Summer Glau, Richard T. Jones, Brian Austin Green, Dean Winters and
Garret Dillahunt.

JOURNEY TOTHE CENTER OF THE EARTH - 3D
Walden Media has released a new trailer for JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF
THE EARTH 3D, the action-adventure starring Brendan Fraser, Josh
Hutcherson and Anita Briem. Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema will release
the film in theaters on July 11.  The link to the trailer is
http://www.walden.com/walden/experience/journey/index.php

LOSTSCAPE
ABC.com today launched LOSTscape, a unique, engaging, immersive
environment where fans can explore and interact with iconic items from
the hit series "Lost." Fans can also view 34 clips from the show in
which the items were used, as well as enjoy sneak peeks of upcoming
original episodes not available anywhere else. In addition, they can
enter for a chance to win a trip for two to the 2008 San Diego
Comic-Con to attend the "Lost" panel in person. Participants will
instantly be immersed in the setting of the island and its immediate
surroundings, discovering and collecting objects along the way. As
visitors scroll across the LOSTscape, they'll encounter various items,
some obvious, some not. Most items trigger a popup window containing a
brief video clip from the episode in which they first appeared, along
with textual, story-related information about it. There are 34 items
to be found, but once fans have identified seven, they'll be invited
to enter for a chance to win a trip to Comic-Con for themselves and a
friend. The Comic-Con trip will consist of round-trip airfare, hotel
accommodations and transportation for two people to San Diego, CA to
attend the "Lost" panel. In addition to preferred seating, there will
be a meet-and- greet with special cast members and executives from the
show. Entry deadline is June 30. No purchase necessary. Go to
<http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/lostscape/index?pn=rules> for more
information on the sweepstakes.

THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Brett Ratner (X-Men: The Last
Stand) is in negotiations to direct Universal Pictures and Imagine
Entertainment's remake of THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN. Brian Grazer
is producing the project, which has Eddie Murphy attached to star. An
updated version of the best-selling novel and 1957 SF classic starring
Grant Williams, MAN is taking the comedic approach to the fantastical
material, telling the story of a famous Las Vegas magician who is put
under a spell that causes him to shrink. He must find a way to reverse
the spell before he gets so small that he disappears. Thomas Lennon
and Robert Ben Garant wrote the most recent draft of the screenplay
for the project, which had previously seen Pete Segal and Keenen Ivory
Wayans in the director's chair.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
According to Variety, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA's executive producer David
Eick is expanding his role in the NBC universe, signing a two-year
overall deal with the studio.

Meanwhile, GALACTICA's show runner Ronald D. Moore is making a major
move to the big screen, signing with United Artists to create and
write an SF movie trilogy. UA's keeping details of the project under
wraps. Moore has written extensively for TV and film, with feature
credits on the upcoming THE THING as well as previous credits on
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: II, STAR TREK: FIRST CONTACT and STAR TREK:
GENERATIONS. Moore is the co-creator, writer and executive producer of
SCI FI Channel's BATTLESTAR, which airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

IMPACT
JAG fans will be happy to learn that David James Elliott has been
tapped to star in IMPACT, a four-hour disaster miniseries from Muse
Entertainment, Jaffe/Braunstein Entertainment and Tandem
Communications. Budgeted at $13 million, the effects-heavy IMPACT
chronicles the aftermath of a meteor shower during which a piece of a
dwarf star lodges itself in the moon. That triggers a series of
anomalies on Earth, including cell phone service interruption,
exaggerated tides and the occurrence of sporadic weightlessness.
Astrophysicist Alex Kinter (Elliott), with a help of a female
astronomer, discover that the moon has been dislodged from its orbit
and is on a collision course with Earth. Michael Vickerman
("Superfire") penned the script for the mini, which is being exec
produced by Michael Prupas, Howard Braunstein, Rola Bauer and Jonas
Bauer. Filming is slated to begin this month in Victoria, B.C.

X-FILES: I WANT TO BELIEVE
The latest X-FILES movie now has a title: I WANT TO BELIEVE. The
source of that title will appear in a key scene: When Dana Scully
(Gillian Anderson) reunites with her former FBI partner, Fox Mulder
(David Duchovny). Mulder has been living in a house in the woods
outside Washington, D.C., since 2002, the year the Fox TV series
ended. Six years will have elapsed since the end of the show and the
film sequel, set to open on July 25. Mulder "was a fugitive, as you
know at the end of the series," co-writer/producer Frank Spotnitz said
during a tour of the set. "So there was really very little continuity,
but there is this." He points to the office, now in the old house, a
loving recreation of Mulder's FBI basement space. "And there's the
poster," Spotnitz said: A flying saucer over the words "I want to
believe." Spotnitz added: "I don't actually know where the ... set
department got this poster from, whether it was one of the original
Vancouver or L.A. posters. But it is one of the originals." The house
actually sits in a soundstage built from a converted ice rink in an
abandoned amusement park in this Canadian city (the house set doubles
one in a nearby town that was used for exterior shots). The house has
an office with features that will seem very familiar to X-Philes: A
bulletin board crowded with news clippings and a drawing of the
creature from "Post-Modern Prometheus," sunflower seeds in a bowl on
the old wooden desk, pencils stuck in the ceiling, a photo of Samantha
on the desk and a basketball. There's even a fishtank in another room.
The office is the location of a scene being shot this day, in which
Scully, dressed in a long camel coat with her red hair grown long,
shows up at Mulder's house. He's facing away from her, sitting at his
desk, clipping something from a newspaper. He stands, turns to face
her and walks as he speaks over to the wall where the poster comes
into frame. Spotnitz and X-Files creator Chris Carter remain coy about
the movie's storyline, saying only that it picks up the characters in
real time and will stand on its own rather than pick up the show's
arcane mythology. "I'd say we're trying to scare the pants off of you,
like a really good episode of X-Files," Carter says during a break in
filming. "It's not a mythology episode, but it [deals with] the
characters' lives, what they've been through, their relationship and
the arc of the show."

STARGATE: CONTINUUM
MGM confirmed a July 29 release date for the second of its upcoming
Stargate SG-1 straight-to-DVD movies, STARGATE: CONTINUUM, which will
also be released on Blu-ray disc. In the movie, members of SG-1 find
themselves returning to a world where their history has been
dramatically altered. CONTINUUM brings back original SG-1 star Richard
Dean Anderson as Jack O'Neill, along with series regulars Ben Browder,
Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Beau Bridges and
Michael Shanks. CONTINUUM was filmed partly in the Arctic and is the
most ambitious Stargate production yet. The disc will also feature
commentary from producer/writer Brad Wright and director Martin Wood,
as well as three making-of featurettes that explore how the U.S.
military provided the production with a Navy nuclear submarine and
F-15 fighter jets, what it was like shooting in the Arctic and how
science and science fiction collide. STARGATE: CONTINUUM will carry a
suggested retail price of $26.98 (DVD) and $39.98 (Blu-ray).

007 EXHIBIT OPENS
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, the first major exhibition devoted to British
author and James Bond creator Ian Fleming, opens at London's Imperial
War Museum on April 17 to mark the centenary of the writer's birth.
Reuters reports that the exhibit runs until March 1, 2009. On display
is Fleming's desk from his Jamaican home, Goldeneye, where he wrote
his Bond books; a jacket he wore during a raid by British forces on a
French port in 1942; several Bond manuscripts; and props from the
blockbuster film franchise based on the books.

LEGION OF 5
Variety reports that the Vancouver, Canada,-based animation company
Rainmaker Entertainment is partnering with Stan Lee's POW!
Entertainment, Inc., and Brighton Partners to launch Lee's latest
superhero creation, LEGION OF 5, as a series of animated feature
films. The movies will be supported by print and electronic comics,
games, merchandising and online and mobile releases. Details of LEGION
OF 5 are being kept under wraps. Spider-Man co-creator Lee will
receive the inaugural New York Comics Legend Award at New York Comic
Con this weekend.

ATLANTIS RISING
According to the Hollywood Reporter, DreamWorks has optioned the
rights to Platinum Studios' comic book ATLANTIS RISING for a
live-action feature adaptation to be produced by Star Trek co-writers
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. Platinum chairman and CEO Scott
Mitchell Rosenberg also will produce. Created by Rosenberg, ATLANTIS
is a five-part miniseries first published by Platinum Studios Comics
in November. The fifth and final installment in the series, written by
Scott O. Brown and drawn by Tim Irwin and Andy Elder, is due on
comic-book shelves in late April. In ATLANTIS, seismic disturbances at
sea force world militaries to investigate the deepest part of the
world's ocean, where an underground civilization emerges to wage war
with planet Earth. ATLANTIS marks the second property that DreamWorks
has optioned from Platinum. DreamWorks, along with Universal, optioned
the rights to COWBOYS AND ALIENS last year and is currently developing
the SF western adventure with Kurtzman and Orci and Imagine
Entertainment. Kurtzman and Orci are currently working on TRANSFORMERS
2 and have teamed up with STAR TREK director J.J. Abrams to
executive-produce Fox's two-hour SF drama pilot FRINGE.

I guess that's about all for now.  I hope that you will visit the
website (http://www.isnnews.net) on a regular basis to get the most
up-to-minute news from the world of science fiction.  There is quite a
lot there, but if something is missing, let me know and I'll see about
adding it to the mix.

Take care and have a great Sunday.
Sandy

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

Ranger Jan has just gotten a wonderful assignment and she would like
us to help her out. Here is her note to all of us:

I've been asked by a publication to interview Kathryn Drennan about
her B5 first season episode "By Any Means Necessary". The goal of the
interview is to ask the questions fans want to know about this episode
and her experience writing for Babylon 5.

Of the non-JMS scripts this is a particular fan favorite, so please
email me questions you would like to have her answer. Once the article
is done I will be able to announce when and where you can read it.
Send as many questions as you like to JanMSchroeder@...

Here is a synopsis of the episode:

Following a fatal accident in a docking bay the workers stage an
illegal strike. Earth Central sends in a negotiator who inflames the
situation further and invokes the "Rush Act" whereby striking workers
can be arrested and replaced. Meanwhile, due to the accident in the
docking bay, a plant necessary for a Narn religious ceremony was
destroyed and Londo Mollari possesses the only one of its kind on the
station. It's up to Commander Sinclair to find a solution to all of
these issues.

FYI:
New Discussion Topic:
With the news of a new LONE RANGER project in the works, I began
thinking about all the old "heroes" I grew up with - Roy Rogers, The
Lone Ranger, Rocky Jones Space Ranger, Captain Gallant, etc. Would
these shows survive in today's environment? Would the good moral-based
stories survive today's fiercely competitive ratings?

Send in your thoughts and comments to sgbruckner@.... I will post
them on the Discussion Page for everyone to share and enjoy. It is
interesting to hear other views on the topic so be sure to send them
along.  We enjoy hearing from you.

Talk to you soon,
Sandy

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

THE ZOCALO TODAY, March 30, 2008

WHAT'S NEW

I hope you all got the note sent yesterday regarding the Babylon 5
Script books. If you have been collecting the series, Volume 14 is now
available for order.  Be sure to fill out your proof-of-purchase for
the prior volumes to make sure you get Volume 15 – only available to
those who bought the entire set.  For more information, go to
www.babylon5scripts.com.  If you have any questions, just send a note
to feedback@....  They will be more than happy to help
you out.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

WORLD WAR Z
Over at Ain't It Cool News, you'll find an article on J. Michael
Straczynski's WORLD WAR Z project. After reading the script, they
can't wait to see it on film. The article says JMS does a great jog of
etching the details of a world that has already faced its darkest
moments and is now trying to put things back in order. Hopefully we'll
hear something from JMS on this soon.

ED WASSER
Babylon 5's Mr. Morden, Ed Wasser, will co-star with EUREKA's Erica
Cerra and Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1) in DARK SWARM. Tim Pyle
(Decaying Orbit)has co-written and will direct. Pyle will also handle
the visual effects, as he's done on such productions as Jimmy Neutron:
Boy Genius and the SCI FI original miniseries Children of Dune. DARK
SWARM goes into production this summer with an eye toward a 2009 release.

WALTER KOENIG
Ranger Patty has sent along this information to share with readers:
World Premeire of Star Trek: New Voyages "To Serve All My Days: A
Night in 1969"
The Cawley Entertainment Company announces the world premiere of "To
Serve All My Days: A Night in 1969."The public premiere of the special
upgraded and enhanced episode will be at a gala red carpet evening
event at the Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA on Saturday, March
29, 2008.
World Premiere of "InAlienable" in competition at the Backlot Film
Festival, April 2, 2008, 9pm. The Festival is being held at Veterans
Memorial, 4117 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA.  "InAlienable" stars
Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica), Courtney Peldon (Boston Public),
Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: Next Generation), Erick Avari (Stargate,
Heroes) and Walter Koenig (original Star Trek). The strong supporting
cast includes Jay Acovone (Stargate SG-1), Richard Herd (Seinfeld and
Star Trek: Enterprise), Judy Levitt (Babylon 5), Andrew Koenig (Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine), Pat Tallman (Babylon 5), Gary Graham (Alien
Nation, Star Trek: Enterprise), Alan Ruck (Star Trek: Generations,
Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Philip Anthony Rodriguez (Jake 2.0, Star
Trek: Enterprise) and JG Hertzler (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine).
"InAlienable is a work of love by all that were involved," Walter
Koenig stated. "I'm extremely proud of our production team, cast and
crew."  "InAlienable" brings a well-crafted sci-fi story to life.
Still guilt-ridden over the accident that took his family's lives,
Eric Norris discovers that his body is host to a parasite from another
world. Except, it is more than a parasite: it carries his DNA. Is this
his new son or--as the government believes--a threat to mankind?
Executive producers for "InAlienable" are Walter Koenig, R.H.
McRoberts and Luke McRoberts. Producers are Sky Conway, Karuna Eberl
and James McLean. Director is Robert Dyke and writer is Walter Koenig.
"InAlienable" was shot on location in southern California.
"It astonishes by how much better it gets as it goes along..."-SciFi
Weekly.  For more information and to purchase tickets:
www.backlotfilmfestival.com/.

PAT TALLMAN
Pat writes that she is scheduled to shoot the finishing scenes for
"Dead Air" this week. Directed by Corbin Bernsen (LA Law, Psych), Bill
Mosley (Night of the Living Dead) stars with Pat. She hopes to share a
set report with us next week, along with some pictures.
A bit of sad news, the marriage between Pat and Jeffrey Willerth
(Kosh) has ended. Their divorce became final recently.

BABYLON PODCAST #105
Tim and Summer travel to the Vorlon Homeworld to record this week's
show! That's right… there was no live feed last week because Jeffrey's
studio isn't set up to feed out to the streaming servers… and the chat
room was really antsy about missing their fix.

We're going to have to try to fix that, aren't we?

Deep Geeking: This week, Tim and Summer discuss "And the Rock Cried
Out, No Hiding Place", and the intrigues undertaken by Londo regarding
G'Kar and Lord Refa, a boost in morale from messages from the
Resistance on Earth relayed by several visiting religious dignitaries,
and Sheridan and Delenn discovered the method behind the madness that
the Shadow attacks that have been plaguing the sector for the past few
weeks.

Jeffrey adds some background on William Forward's portrayal of Lord
Refa, and the good-natured banter between Mel Winkler and Louis Turenne.

Luckily, there was no carrying on cranky this week!

Listener Feedback: Mitch O sent an email saying that Jerry Doyle made
a unannounced appearance at Megacon in Orlando 2 weekends ago, and
said that Michael O'Hare was gravely ill. Tim couldn't find any
supporting info online, but Jeff's going to try to find out for sure.
Lowell wonders if B5 will show up on The WB's new online web
programming, but B5 was technically pre-WB Network, so it's unlikely,
but we'd love to be happily surprised!

Upcoming Interviews: Jeffrey proposes a new interview format: we tell
you who's coming up, and you send us questions to ask them! In two
weeks, our guest will be co-producer George Johnsen! Send in your
questions for George, and we'll get them aired! Send in an email or
voicemail with your questions for George!

Your feedback does matter, and is welcome! You can call us at
206-338-2259, or email us and tell us what you think… and likely hear
it played or read on the show. Please try to keep the voicemail
comments as brief as possible.

To catch up on all the wonderful podcasts, go to www.babylonpodcast.com.

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!

CONVENTION CALENDAR

April 4-6, 2008
EYECON
City: Orlando, Florida
Guests: Jared Padalecki, Jim Beaver, Samatha Ferris, Chad Lindberg,
Alona Tal, Sandra McCoy, Gabriel Tigerman (Supernatural)
For more information, go to www.eyeconfla.com.

April 11-13, 2008
GRAND SLAM: THE SCI-FI SUMMIT
Place: Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel
City: Burbank, CA
Place: Florida Hotel & Convention Center
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.

April 26, 2008
Uni-Com 2008
Place: Franklin Pierce University
City: Rindge, NH
B5 Guest: Walter Koenig
Uni-Con 2008 is a one day convention spanning a broad range of
interests in southwestern New Hampshire. Walter Koenig, who played
Bester on Babylon 5 and Chekov on Star Trek: The Original Series is
our guest of honor. Our special guests include Jeanne Cavelos, author
of several novels set in the Babylon 5 universe, and other works;
Steve Meretzky, a veteran game designer whose career began at Infocom
in the 1980s; and Leigh Grossman, professor at UConn and designer of
the Wildside Gaming System. We will have a wide range of games
covering video games, board games, a Magic: the Gathering tournament,
and tabletop roleplaying games. For more information, go to
www.uni-con.org.

NEW PUBLICATIONS
Cult Times Issue #151: LOST: Still one of the most mysterious
inhabitants of the island, get the inside track on Juliet Burke from
the woman who plays her, Elizabeth Mitchell; REAPER: The
scene-stealing Tyler Labine explains why he doesn't want to play Bert
'Sock' Wysocki as just another slacker and how 'tape hand' drew him
instantly to the role; CHUCK: star Zachary Levi gives us a guided tour
down his career path, from waiting on tables to starring as the
ultimate geek in the new comedy-drama-action series; PUSHING DAISIES:
creator and executive producer Bryan Fuller introduces the world of
pie maker Ned and the dead woman, Charlotte 'Chuck' Charles, who's
going to change his life… TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES:
star Lena Headey discusses her version of Sarah Connor, the tough,
no-nonsense, Terminator-fighting mother originally played by Linda
Hamilton; MOONLIGHT - star of the show Alex O'Loughlin explains why
Mick St John is a different kind of vampire in the contemporary
romantic drama.

Starburst Issue #361: DOCTOR WHO: The Doctor is back and everything
you need to know about the upcoming fourth season is in this issue.
HARRY POTTER: Special effects supervisor John Richardson talks about a
few of the trials and tribulations awaiting him in the sixth Harry
Potter film; HELLBOY 2: Wintry Budapest is the place and actress Selma
Blair talks about the return of pyrokinetic Liz and her ongoing
relationship with Hellboy; STAR TREK: THE TOUR: Visit Long Beach,
California for a tour of all things Trek. It's a five year mission to
learn all there is to know about the famous franchise…; STARGATE
ATLANTIS: Star David Hewlett, aka the roguish egotistical Dr McKay,
provides some of the treats in store during the series' fourth season;
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: Hunky Bodie Olmos talks about his role as Lt
`Hot Dog' Costanza and the fourth and final season.

TV Zone Special #80: STARGATE ATLANTIS: Massive 60-page overview; The
second half of the series' fourth season takes a look at the latest
adventures, complete with star interviews, including...Amanda Tapping,
David Hewlett, Rachel Luttrell, Jewel Staite. Also a Season 4, Part 2
Preview - The production team's thoughts on the second half of the
season, with hints of what's to come; Art Department - Season 4,
Second Half - Production Designer James Robbins continues his visual
guide to the concepts of Season 4 as he focuses on its later episodes;
Visual Effects – Season 4, First Half - Special effects supervisor
Mark Savela and his colleagues James Rorick and Shannon Gurney look
back at the amazing effects.

Stargate Magazine Special #23: Catch up on all the latest with this
latest issue of Stargate magazine! Featuring exclusive interviews with
the cast and crew, behind-the-scene specials, and the latest on the
fifth season of Stargate Atlantis, this is your ultimate guide to
every Stargate!

SCIENCE FICTION NEWS

STAR TREK AD 1973 Ranger Mac sent along this absolutely delightful
clip from YouTube. Be sure to go to
<http://www.videosift.com/video/KIRK-SPOCK-Star-Trek-AD-1973> to watch
this one. You are going to love it!
While you are there, don't miss the Star Trek XI Teaser Trailer at
<http://www.videosift.com/video/Star-Trek-XI-Teaser-Trailer>.

NEW INDIANA JONES TV SPOT AVAILABLE
Paramount Pictures has revealed a new TV spot online for INDIANA JONES
AND THE KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL, coming to theaters on May 22.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, the highly-anticipated action-adventure
stars Harrison Ford, Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Karen
Allen, John Hurt and Jim Broadbent.
<http://www.indianajones.com/site/?deeplink=videos/1/v33>. From the
looks of the trailer, I guess I should buy multiple tickets now!

VALKYRIE
Some new photos for Bryan Singer's upcoming WWII thriller VALKYRIE
have appeared courtesy of Empire Online. The war film will star Tom
Cruise, Kenneth Branagh, Bill Nighy, Patrick Wilson, Stephen Fry, Tom
Wilkinson, Carice van Houten, Eddie Izzard, Halina Reijn, Kevin
McNally, Christian Berkel, Terence Stamp and David Schofield. Go to
http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=22278.

Plot Summary:
Tom Cruise heads an international cast as Col. Claus von Stauffenberg,
the aristocratic German officer who led the heroic attempt to bring
down the Nazi regime and end the war by planting a bomb in Hitler's
bunker. The "July 20 Plot" on Hitler's life is one of the most heroic
but least known episodes of World War Two. Severely wounded in combat,
Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg returns from Africa to join the German
Resistance and help create Operation Valkyrie, the complex plan that
will allow a shadow government to replace Hitler's once he is dead.
But fate and circumstance conspire to thrust Stauffenberg from one of
many in the plot to a double-edged central role. Not only must he lead
the coup and seize control of his nation's government... He must kill
Hitler himself.
VALKYRIE will hit theaters October 3, 2008.

JERICHO
I waited a while, just in case there were folks who wanted to see the
last show on-line, rather than watching the finale on Tuesday night. I
enjoyed every moment of this show and the last episode had you on the
edge of your seat the entire time. We as fans got closure -- but the
door is still open for more JERICHO in the future. What happens next?
What happens to JERICHO during the great Civil War that is sure to
come between the Cheyenne and Texas Governments? There is much more
story to tell and I hope that we get to see it.

The creators of JERICHO are shopping the series around so I hope they
find a home for it. While I wasn't always there to watch on whatever
night it was aired, I was one of the 700,000 watching it on the
www.CBS.com website. Too bad there aren't Nielsen ratings for that.

MOONLIGHT - FAN FAVORITE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that CBS' MOONLIGHT returns April 25
with four new episodes. The vampire drama is considered on the bubble
for a fall renewal, but odds look good for a pickup. If fans have
anything to say about it, MOONLIGHT will live on forever. The trade --
still available at www.thr.com -- in which we asked voters what shows
they wanted brought back in the new fall season. In overwhelming
numbers -- 5182 out of 5958 votes cast as of Friday at 3:11 p.m. PT --
MOONLIGHT flew away with it. The vampires took 86% of the votes cast,
while CASHMERE MAFIA only took 5% of the votes to put it a distant second.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS
According to ComingSoon.net, Warner Bros. Pictures is currently
planning to reveal the trailer for STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS in
theaters with the studio's own SPEED RACER on May 9th. No word yet on
when the trailer would debut online, though studios usually bring
trailers online that same week. The August 15 release will feature
such characters as Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padmé Amidala,
along with brand-new heroes like Anakin's padawan learner, Ahsoka. In
the film, 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. The theatrical debut of STAR WARS: THE
CLONE WARS will be followed in the fall when the TV series premieres
on Cartoon Network, followed by airings on TNT.

THE HULK VIDEO GAME
The trailer for The Incredible Hulk movie game is now available at
GameTrailers.com, while the game's official website has also launched
with info, character details, screenshots, and more.

HANCOCK
A new viral marketing website has popped up online for Columbia
Pictures' upcoming Will Smith vehicle HANCOCK. The new site can be
found at HancockWasHere.com which is run by HANCOCK (Smith) by the
looks of it. Also, some new pics for the upcoming comedic take on a
superhero-gone-wrong tale can be found here. Plot Summary:
There are heroes... there are superheroes... and then there's Hancock
(Will Smith). With great power comes great responsibility – everyone
knows that – everyone, that is, but Hancock. Edgy, conflicted,
sarcastic, and misunderstood, Hancock's well- intentioned heroics
might get the job done and save countless lives, but always seem to
leave jaw-dropping damage in their wake. The public has finally had
enough – as grateful as they are to have their local hero, the good
citizens of Los Angeles are wondering what they ever did to deserve
this guy. Hancock isn't the kind of man who cares what other people
think – until the day that he saves the life of PR executive Ray
Embrey (Jason Bateman), and the sardonic superhero begins to realize
that he may have a vulnerable side after all. Facing that will be
Hancock's greatest challenge yet – and a task that may prove
impossible as Ray's wife, Mary (Charlize Theron), insists that he's a
lost cause.
HANCOCK will hit theaters July 2, 2008.

THE MENTALIST
Simon Baker, THE GUARDIAN, has signed on to front THE MENTALIST. The
drama pilot concerns a man who uses a heightened power of observation
to help solve crimes. According to Variety, Baker will be join in the
cast by Owain Yeoman (The Nine), Amanda Righetti (The O.C.), Shaun
Toub and Tim Kang.

AUSTIN GOLDEN HOUR
Recurring SMALLVILLE superfriend/onetime Aquaman spinoff candidate
Justin Hartley has landed a lead role in the CW pilot AUSTIN GOLDEN
HOUR. The real-time medical drama from American Idol producer Simon
Fuller follows a team of emergency room surgeons and emergency medical
technicians.

LEGION
Variety reports that Tyrese Gibson, Dennis Quaid, Jon Tenney, Charles
S. Dutton, Lucas Black, Kate Walsh, Adrianne Palicki, Kevin Durand and
Willa Holland will join Paul Bettany in LEGION, Screen Gems'
apocalyptic thriller film. The movie marks the feature-directing debut
of Scott Stewart; shooting is about to get under way in New Mexico.
Written by Stewart and Peter Schink, the thriller casts Bettany as the
archangel Michael, the only one standing between mankind and an
apocalypse, after God loses faith in humanity. Man's lone hope rests
with a group of strangers who must deliver a baby they realize is
Christ in his second coming. The deals for Quaid, Gibson and Tenney
are being finalized, and the rest of the cast is set.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
As BATTLESTAR GALACTICA approaches its fourth and final season, Edward
James Olmos, who plays Adm. William Adama on the series, said in a
recent interview that it's not inconceivable that all of the
characters could die--and that would be OK with him. Not that that is
in any way a spoiler for the upcoming season, but Olmos said it would
be fitting for a show that he called a "commentary on our times" and
the "most worthwhile piece of television" he has ever done.
"Basically, if it's true to form, no one makes it," Olmos said.
Producers have been tight-lipped about their plans for the show's
climax and denouement, though it's believed that the fourth season
will take up the sudden reappearance of Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) and
her revelation that she's been to Earth. Meanwhile, four people must
deal with the sudden knowledge that they are Cylons. If everyone were
to die? "I think that people would be shocked, and they'd be hurt, and
they would be totally, totally frustrated," Olmos said. "But I've got
to tell you, that's a truth that people have to realize. We may do it
to ourselves [in real life]. It all depends on us now and what choices
we make."

During a recent interview, Ronald D. Moore, co-executive producer of
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA said that knowing in advance that the show's
upcoming fourth season would be its last greatly affected how the
writing staff went about closing out the show. "It informed
everything," Moore said. "We gathered with the writers before the
season began and said, 'OK, this is the last year. We want to push to
a resolution and let's talk about the end first.'" In the fourth and
final season, the crew of Galactica must contend with the sudden
reappearance of Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) and her revelation that
she's been to Earth. Meanwhile, four people must deal with the sudden
knowledge that they are Cylons. "We talked about what the end of the
series would be, and we've talked about the end of the series several
times since," Moore said. "We keep refining it, changing some ideas
about it, changing some of the parameters and just kind of continually
finding it." The recently ended writers' strike "stopped everything
cold" after production had been completed on half of the final 20
episodes, Moore said. But it also provided an opportunity to assess
the completed fourth-season episodes and take that into account as
they prepared the final nine episodes, which will go into production
in the coming weeks and air in 2009. "It gave us a chance to step back
and say, 'Well, some of those things that we were going to do, maybe
that's not the best way to go. Let's go back and change it again.
Let's re-break some of the story,'" Moore said. "It gave us all a
chance to really step back, take a breath and say, 'OK, is this really
the way we want to do the last 10 or not?' And we changed some of
those things on the fly."
Season four will premiere April 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with "He That
Believeth In Me."

NIM'S ISLAND
NIM'S ISLAND co-star Jodie Foster said in a recent interview that she
knew she had to be in this family fantasy movie when her oldest son
read the children's book on which it based. Foster wanted to do a film
that her two boys--Charles, 9, and Kit, 6-- could watch without her
having to explain too much. "It's funny, because the book really
changed Charlie's life," Foster said. "My younger one doesn't quite
read yet, but he's into it. He takes the books out, and he can say the
first letter and stuff, and so he's on his way." In the film
adaptation of Wendy Orr's children's novel, Foster plays a reclusive
author who is sought out by a young girl (Abigail Breslin) to try to
help find her missing father (Gerard Butler). Foster said the message
for kids is to connect with nature. "You don't need video-game
characters and laser tag in order for it to be interesting, but I
think it's also a message of self-reliance and of making decisions
that are strong decisions because they're what you know is right and
believing in yourself," Foster said. Foster said that her children are
excited about seeing the movie. "They haven't seen it yet," Foster
said. "I'm pretty excited about the premiere, because they've read the
book, too. And the book had a big impact on my son: that he could read
the book and then visualize me, and it was so exciting to him. It was
like he discovered literature in a completely different way. I
couldn't get him to come to dinner because he was too busy reading the
book again. It was great." NIM'S ISLAND opens nationwide April 4.

HEREAFTER
According to Variety, DreamWorks has acquired HEREAFTER, a
supernatural spec thriller script by Peter Morgan (The Queen).
Kathleen Kennedy will produce through Kennedy/ Marshall. The movie,
which Morgan wrote before he got an Oscar nomination for THE QUEEN, is
in the vein of THE SIXTH SENSE, the trade paper reported.

LONE RANGER REMAKE
The Hollywood Reporter writes that writers Ted Elliott and Terry
Rossio are going from "shiver me timbers!" to "Hi-yo Silver!" The
writing duo, best known for their work on the "Pirates of the
Caribbean" films, are in final negotiations to write a live-action
big-screen adaptation of "The Lone Ranger" for Disney and producer
Jerry Bruckheimer. The project will be made by Disney and Jerry
Bruckheimer Films in association with Entertainment Rights. "Ranger,"
owned by Classic Media, began life as a 1930s radio show. Its
popularity led to movie serials, TV shows, comic strips and comic
books, toys, novels and more. The hero's origin story begins with a
group of Texas Rangers chasing down a gang of outlaws led by Butch
Cavendish. The gang ambushes the Rangers, seemingly killing them all.
One survivor is found, however, by an American Indian named Tonto, who
nurses him back to health. The Ranger, donning a mask and riding a
white stallion named Silver, teams up with Tonto to bring the
unscrupulous gang and others of that ilk to justice.
Despite the long-standing presence in pop culture, however, "Ranger"
has not enjoyed success in modern times. The character's most recent
shot at the big screen, 1981's "The Legend of the Lone Ranger," failed
so badly that the film's star, Klinton Spilsbury, never worked in
Hollywood again. In 2003, WB Network aired a TV movie that served as a
backdoor pilot, but it also bit the dust. Part of the problems are the
character's tropes -- wearing a mask, using only silver bullets, a
creed that includes not killing your fellow man, the exclamation
"Hi-yo Silver, away!" -- which can seem musty to today's audiences.
Rossio and Elliott, however, do have experience bringing back genres
that seemed passe. The CAA-repped duo wrote "The Mask of Zorro," the
hit adventure movie featuring one of the Ranger's contemporaries, as
well as Disney's "Pirates" franchise, which breathed new life into the
old skull and crossbones.

CASTLE
ABC has greenlighted four new projects, including CASTLE from ABC
Studios and Beacon. It is described as a drama penned by feature
writer Andrew Marlowe ("Hollow Man") that centers on a horror novelist
who is consulting for the NYPD Homicide department. Marlowe is exec
producing with Beacon's Armyan Bernstein and Laurie Zaks.

X-FILES PREVIEW
X-FILES fans were treated to a brief glimpse of the upcoming sequel
movie by Chris Carter, who co-wrote and directed the film during the
William S. Paley Television festival in Hollywood on March 26. The
rough cut trailer features the new tagline "Believe Again." The
trailer featured a bit of dialogue between Fox Mulder (David Duchovny)
and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson):
Mulder: "Scully. I need you on this with me."
Scully: "I know. That's what scares me."
Also featured were quick cuts of footage of uniformed men searching a
snowfield, led by a white-haired man played by Billy Connolly; someone
dragging a body; Mulder in a car being hit by another vehicle; a
glimpse of cast member Callum Keith Rennie; Scully hitting someone
over the head with a blunt object; the discovery of a body buried in
ice; and other images, some of which were also previewed at WonderCon
in San Francisco last month.
The trailer ends with a voiceover bit of dialogue between Connolly's
character and Mulder as viewers see an image of Mulder and Scully
climbing out of a helicopter:
Connolly's voice: "Do you believe in these kind of things?"
Mulder's voice: "Let's just say I want to believe."
Chris Carter offered fans a few tantalizing spoilers for the movie,
while his writing partner, Frank Spotnitz, said it would remain true
to the show's mythology even though it is a stand-alone story.
Spotnitz said that the movie will pick up the story of Mulder and
Scully six years after the events in the show's finale, which aired in
2002. "In the movie, we wanted it to work for non-fans as well as
fans," Spotnitz said. "But we were determined for the fans to honor
all the work that these guys did on the series and all the love that
people had for the show over the years. And so I think you'll see
that, while this not a mythology movie, it's true to everything that's
come before. It's true to Mulder and Scully, who they are, where they
would be at this point in their lives and all of the experiences that
they've had."
The finished trailer will debut in movie theaters along with IRON MAN
on May 2. The second as-yet-untitled X-FILES movie opens July 25.

AFTERBURN
Variety reports that SPIDER-MAN star Tobey Maguire is attached to
produce AFTERBURN, a SF movie based on the Red 4 comic book by Paul
Ens and Scott Chitwood. Neal Moritz's Original Films is producing.
Relativity is in talks to board the post-apocalyptic project, whose
story begins one year after a solar flare burns half of Earth.
Treasure hunters go back to the scorched portion of the planete to
retrieve valuable artifacts. Maguire's company is also producing an
adaptation of the Japanese anime series Robotech for Warner Brothers,
along with Tokyo Suckerpunch for Sony.

DRAG ME TO HELL
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Jessica Lucas, Lorna Raver and
David Paymer have joined the Sam Raimi's "Drag Me to Hell" for Ghost
House Pictures and domestic distributor Universal. Lucas
("Cloverfield") will play the roommate and best friend of Stephanie
(Alison Lohman), the unwitting recipient of a supernatural curse.
Raver plays Mrs. Ganush, a proud Eastern European woman with an
old-world belief system who, when defied and humiliated, vengefully
casts the curse. Paymer will play Mr. Jacks, Stephanie's practical
bank-manager boss. Raimi wrote the screenplay with his brother, Ivan.
Principal photography begins Monday in Los Angeles.

SANCTUARY
For years, fans have followed the career of Amanda Tapping, Samantha
Carter on STARGATE SG-1 and now STARGATE ATLANTIS. She will have a new
role as star and executive producer of SCI FI's upcoming new series
SANCTUARY. During a recent interview, Tapping said that the show will
differ significantly from the Web series on which it is based. SCI FI
has ordered 13 episodes of SANCTUARY, which was created by Damian
Kindler and co-written by Martin Wood, who, like Tapping, are both
veterans of STARGATE SG-1 and STARGATE ATLANTIS. Tapping will reprise
her role as Dr. Helen Magnus, an apparently immortal doctor and
scientist who seeks to locate, aid and protect supernatural creatures.
To adapt the high- definition digital Web series for television, SCI
FI has ordered up a new pilot. "The fact is it's already evolving,"
Tapping said. "Our pilot that we're now going to start shooting is
very different from what you've seen on the Web. But [Magnus] is still
this crazy character. She's 157 years old, and she's very eccentric
and very sexy and very unapologetic. I love it." Tapping, who will
continue to guest star on ATLANTIS as Col. Samantha Carter, said that
the transition to television opens up all sorts of possibilities for
SANCTUARY. "It gives us a good home base," Tapping said. "SCI FI is
the perfect fit for this show and for me, because I have worked with
the network for so long. It made so much sense to stay with this
network. They understand the genre. They understand the fans. And now
they understand multimedia platforms in terms of utilizing social
networking, which is what our company is all about. So it's a perfect
fit." SANCTUARY will premiere later this year.

SMALLVILLE
Everyone who has read a Superman comic knows the character of Lex
Luthor. However, Michael Rosenbaum, SMALLVILLE's Lex Luthor, has put
his own brand on the character. SMALLVILLE returns with new episodes
later this month. "I would say if you are going to watch one episode
of Smallville, you need to watch 'Descent,'" the April 17 episode,
said executive producer Brian Peterson said in an interview. "It is
pivotal. It is up there with Clark [Tom Welling] opening the Fortress
of Solitude. It's right up there." Co-executive producer Kelly Souders
added: "Lex has had a lot of challenges in his life, and he's sort of
gone and sat on that fence all these years. This is the episode he
leaps off of it." DESCENT deals with Luthor's decline into "his own
personal hell," Peterson said. "There is a major turn that happens in
his life that drives him into pure darkness. ... It's Lex's real
descent into the villain he becomes. I think that is what fans have
been waiting for. It's what I've been waiting for," Peterson added
with a laugh. Before that, look for James Marsters to return in the
role of Brainiac in the March 27 episode, VERITAS, was written by
Peterson and Souders. In the episode, Kara (Laura Vandervoort) decides
to teach Clark to fly to help him battle Brainiac. As for the
possibility of an eighth season, Peterson and Souders are hopeful.
Regardless of whether or not The CW renews the series, the duo is
thrilled with how this season is shaping up. "It's all because of the
fans," Peterson said. "That's what's great. They have been so loyal.
We have plenty more in store for them that they will be excited
about." SMALLVILLE airs Thursday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

THE HOBBIT
Ian McKellen played Gandalf the wizard in the three LORD OF THE RINGS
movies. On his personal blog, he posted that he is interested in
reprising the role in the Peter Jackson-produced HOBBIT movies now in
development. "Yes, I will [do them], if Peter Jackson and I have
anything to do with it, he being the producer and me being, on the
whole, a very lucky actor," McKellen wrote on March 26. Jackson is
producing two HOBBIT films, based on J.R.R. Tolkien's book, and is
expected to adapt the book with his LORD OF THE RINGS partners Fran
Walsh and Philippa Boyens. "Encouragingly, Peter and Fran Walsh have
told me they couldn't imagine The Hobbit without their original
Gandalf," McKellen said. "Their confidence hasn't yet been confirmed
by the director, Guillermo del Toro, but I am keeping my diary free
for 2009!" Del Toro is reportedly still in talks about directing THE
HOBBIT, which will consist of two movies.

STAR WARS FAN MOVIE CHALLENGE
The deadline for the next Star Wars Fan Movie is approaching. If you
don't have it circled on your calendar already, the due date is May
27th. Get creative, get some friends together, get your cameras
rolling or get your animation started,and submit your fan movie to
AtomFilms by May 27 for a chance to be in the running for awards at
the San Diego Comic-Con International in July. Your movie may get seen
and chosen by George Lucas, and win the coveted George Lucas Selects
award. Winners may also get their Star Wars Fan Movies shown on Spike
TV. More details at http://starwars.atomfilms.com..

LOST
LOST Co-executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz have
confirmed that the current season's final batch of new episodes will
unspool a story arc based on a plan devised in anticipation of the
writers' strike. "The last two weeks before the strike, we actually
sat down and said, 'Here is what we want to tell for the rest of the
season,'" Kitsis said in an interview. "We all sat down, and the
entire staff came up with a battle plan in place." When LOST returns
in late April, it will wrap up the fourth season with five episodes,
three fewer than planned before the strike took place. "We got to tell
a little more story this season than we anticipated," Kitsis said.
"It's really worked out well. We came back from the strike, and
everyone is just really excited, and I have to say, creatively, every
day has been a pleasure. Everything we're doing right now is exciting,
and every script that is going out, you're jealous if you didn't write
it." As for the missing episodes? "I feel that the three missing
episodes will be made up over the course o f the next two seasons,"
Horowitz said. "Seasons four, five and six are meant to encompass 48
episodes." Kitsis added: "I have a feeling it will mean more, like,
two-hour shows as opposed to more episodes, but those are decisions
above our pay grade." Season four has so far been marked with a
continuation of the "flash-forward" storytelling technique introduced
in the finale of season three. "This just seemed like the most
interesting way to tell the rest of the story of the show," Kitsis
said. "When we realized that we were only going to do three more
seasons, it enabled us to starting thinking a little more out of the
box in how we want to tell the remaining story that was left. The
flash-forwards are, I think, just a great way to keep the show
energized and tell the story in an interesting way. It was a brilliant
idea by [executive producer] Damon [Lindelof]." LOST returns with new
episodes on April 24 in its new Thursday timeslot at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

MEDIUM
NBC announced that beginning April 14, Kelly Preston will guest-star
on MEDIUM with a four-episode arc. Starting with an episode entitled
"Partners in Crime," Preston will play Meghan Doyle, an attractive
venture capitalist who likes what she sees when Joe Dubois (Jake
Weber) makes a presentation on his new solar-power- based invention to
her investment firm. Her decision to fund the project and become
business partners with Joe ultimately creates tension in Joe's
marriage to Allison (Patricia Arquette). MEDIUM airs Mondays at 10.

COUNTDOWN
The Hollywood Reporter writes that Summit is developing COUNTDOWN, an
SF action movie based on a classic Richard Matheson Twilight Zone
episode, with Michael Brandt to direct. The film revolves around a
group of astronauts who land on a planet only to find a crashed
spaceship and corpses that eerily resemble their own. They then must
piece together where they are and whether they might in fact already
be dead.

NOWHERE MAN
Variety reports that Hugh Jackman and Eli Stone co-creator Marc
Guggenheim are teaming with Virgin Comics to create NOWHERE MAN, an
original SF comic-book series that is designed to be transferred to
the big screen as a Jackman vehicle. The story was being kept under
wraps, but Jackson's Seed Productions partner John Palermo said it
features a protagonist reminiscent of the one Will Smith played in I
Am Legend. The concept is a futuristic world where mankind has traded
privacy for safety, a premise that sprouted with Seed, Virgin chief
executive officer Sharad Devarajan and chief creative officer Gotham
Chopra. Guggenheim has also written installments of Amazing Spider-Man
and Wolverine for Marvel Comics. Jackman is in Australia, starring for
20th Century Fox in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, the spinoff movie that
will hit theaters May 2009. NOWHERE MAN will be published under the
Virgin Voices line, which also includes Voodoo Child, which Nicolas
Cage hatched with son Weston Cage.

PRISON BREAK RENEWED
According to Variety, Fox has greenlit a fourth season for PRISON
BREAK, ordering 22 more episodes from 20th Century Fox TV. The show
had its third season cut short by the WGA strike for Fox aired 13
episode this season, averaging 8.2 million viewers and a 3.5 rating/9
share among adults 18-49. The third season of "Prison Break" revolved
around the show's main characters breaking out of a Panama prison. The
show's executive producers had crafted a midyear cliffhanger at the
end of the show's 13th episode; that ended up serving as a de facto
season finale. PRISON BREAK will also relocate to Los Angeles;
production had previously been located in Dallas (seasons two and
three) and outside of Chicago (season one).

I guess that is about it for now.  Be sure to drop over to the website
when you have a chance for all the up-to-date news around the world of
science fiction.  If you have news you would like posted, send it
along.  Know of any conventions coming up that are not on the
calendar, please send in that information as well.  In the meantime,
take care.

Be safe,
Sandy

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

Just in case you aren't on the mailing list for the Babylon 5 Script
Books, here is the latest!

VOLUME 15 - GOOD NEWS #1

Are you sitting down?

Last week, we were having our regular pow-wow with J. Michael
Straczynski, detailing the production status of Volume 15. This is
when JMS told us that while he was adding one big, bonus piece of
content (which you'll read about in Good News #2), he also wanted to
do something extra special for the fans as a thank you for their
patience and loyalty to the script books.

"You could sign them," we replied in unison, half-chuckling, as if JMS
would lock himself up for weeks to sign every Volume 15.

"That's what I was thinking," he replied.

Stunned silence. We knew he wasn't kidding.

So that's what he's doing. Right now. As you read this. Signing.

Actually, to be more specific, he's signing the title page of each
book, and the signed title page will be bound with the rest of the
pages for Volume 15.

To do this, we paused production on Volume 15, dispatched a FedEx
convoy that arrived at an undisclosed location -- fondly referred to
by the team as the "Signing Bunker" -- and off-loaded box after box
after box after box of these title pages.

Signing stations were set-up throughout the Signing Bunker. Each
station has a table with a stack of title pages and a fresh-
out-of-the-box pile of red Sharpie pens. If you were to climb up on a
ladder all you'd see is row after row of these signing stations and, a
speck at one of them, hunched over.

(Important note: J. Michael Straczynski is signing his name only. In
other words, these aren't personally inscribed, meaning that they
don't include a inscription such as "To John". If you would like JMS
to inscribe your book, he's happy to do that during signings at his
personal appearances.)

Once JMS is done signing all the title pages, the FedEx convoy will
return to haul the pages back across country to Cafepress, who will
reunite the signed title pages with the rest of Volume 15's contents,
and then bind them.

We expect the whole process to take about 21 days -- give or take a
little.

Because Volume 15 is being shipped with Volume 14, we are holding the
shipping of all Volume 14s until we have the signed Volume 15s bound
and ready. Despite the slight shipping delay, you can still order
Volume 14 today, and as soon as Volume 15 is done, both will be
shipped together to those folks who have completed and submitted their
proof of purchase form.

So that's the first big piece of good news. Your Volume 15 will arrive
SIGNED.

VOLUME 15 GOOD NEWS #2
The second good news item is that JMS has added a new goodie to Volume
15 that he describes as "the most staggering document to appear in any
of these volumes. A Rosetta Stone, if you will, to the whole series of
script books."

This Rosetta Stone is called "Joe Cuts."

Joe Cuts is an inventory of every variation between all 92 scripts in
the 14-volume series and what you've seen on the DVDs. In other words,
a script archivist compared every single line of every single script
to what is in the episode on DVD, and itemized those differences, line
by line, shot by shot, scene by scene.

Here's an example of one entry:

         EPISODE: Infection -- Deleted Scene -- Ivanova has taken Mary
Ann on a tour of the Station and they end in C&C. Mary Ann asks a few
questions about Ivanova's family then thanks her and then asks if
there's anything Ivanova would like to say to the audience. Ivanova
gives some sound advice.

This is just one of 526 entries in the inventory. 526. This is why it
took 160 hours to compile and why it runs 70 pages.

So if your "things to do before I die" list includes watching every
episode on the DVDs along with the scripts from this 14-volume series
to spot the differences, you've just been given a chunk of your life back.

WHAT YOU SHOULD DO NEXT
We sent out an announcement with every Volume 13 that explained that
fans must submit their proof of purchase BEFORE they order Volume 14,
and that Volume 15 is being shipped with every Volume 14 that has a
proof of purchase form associated with it.

If you haven't ordered Volume 13 yet, or if you haven't completed your
set up to Volume 13, you'll want to read all about this. For full
details go to <http://babylon5scripts.com/proof>

Our mandate from J. Michael Straczynski is to make sure that every fan
who is entitled to the free Volume 15 gets one. If you have any
concerns, questions, special considerations, or notable exceptions,
and are worried that your proof of purchase form might not go through
successfully, worry NOT. We're here to help. Just email us at
help@... and put "Question about Proof of Purchase" in
your subject line.

If you've already completed your proof of purchase form, all you need
to do is order Volume 14. That's it. We will match your proof of
purchase form with your Volume 14 order and make sure that you get
your free Volume 15. It will be sent at the same time.

VOLUME 14 - JUST RELEASED

• The Wheel of Fire
• Objects in Motion
• Objects at Rest
• In The Beginning
• BONUS: "In The Beginning" Producer's Notebook

It's here. Volume 14 of the 14-volume series which includes not only
the last three scripts of the series, but the complete script of the
Babylon 5 movie-for-television: "In the Beginning."

But wait. There's more.

You'll also get a replica of the highlights of J. Michael
Straczynski's Producer's Notebook for "In the Beginning," including
documents never released to fans such as the Storyboards, Shooting
Schedule and One Line Schedule.

Volume 14 is also packed with more goodies, including the opening
narration credit voice-over scripts, more exclusive photos and an
appendix.

Yes, an appendix.

Now that you've got all 14 volumes, we figured it would be handy to
have a catalog of everything in them, and, more importantly, where to
find what you're looking for. So this section inventories every photo,
concept art, memo, script fragment and other highlights with a
succinct description and reference so you know in exactly which volume
of the 14 to find each of them.

But wait. There's even more.

As if it couldn't get any better, also in this volume JMS is releasing
a bit of "Sleeping in Light" Holy Grail: act one of the script he used
while shooting which contains his handwritten director's notes, some
set illustrations and set diagrams. As an extra treat, he's also
including five pages from the production draft script of "Sleeping in
Light" autographed by every member of the cast and most of the crew.

Remember, to get the free Volume 15 you must purchase all 14 volumes,
so complete your set today.

Finally, know that the 14-volume series may be over, but JMS has lots
more to share. Stay tuned.

Thank you all from the Babylon 5 Scripts Team.

For an overview of the Babylon 5 script series and Babylon 5
merchandise, go to
<a href="http://www.babylon5scripts.com"> www.babylon5scripts.com</a>.<p>

That's it.
Regular newsletter to follow -- probably tomorrow.
Take care.
Sandy

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