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Science Fiction and Fantasy News
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News for: March 23, 2001 - April 3, 2001
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Fandom folds |
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by
Crowe, Tuesday, April 3, 2001 |
Fandom, which I rather liked a bit, is closing down. I'm still not clear if its a total shut down, because they say they will continue their fan domains. If anyone has any more detail, please drop me a line. Here is their open letter to fans:
Dear Fan:
Fandom has streamlined operations and let approximately 20 people go in the Santa Monica and Virginia offices. We are in the process of being acquired and these cuts were part of that effort. Creation Entertainment and Cinescape magazines are running `business as usual` and it is our intention to continue our agreements with our fan domains. If you have ordered merchandise from our site, please be assured that we`re continuing to ship product and that your credit card will not be charged, nor can it be legally, until your order is shipped. I know rumors are thick, so if you would like further information please go to the linked release here. I apologize for the confusion and I hope this clears it up.
Sincerely,
Debra Streicker Fine
CEO, Fandom
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source: Fandom |
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New Tombraider Trailer |
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Crowe, Tuesday, April 3, 2001 |
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The new trailer for the Tomb Raider movie will premiere on the film's official site, www.tombraidermovie.com, on Wednesday at noon (ET). Visitors will be able to watch the trailer online in Quicktime, Windows Media and Real Player formats. This trailer contains never-before-seen footage from the film, which reaches theaters on June 15. |
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source: Comics Continuum |
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Like a Speeding Bullet |
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Crowe, Tuesday, April 3, 2001 |
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Smallville, the new "Superman Soap" from the people who brought you other sappy stuff like Dawson's Creek and Buffy are wrapping up the show's pilot. With some veteran talent from X-Files Director David Nutter. Sounds like WB is holding a little back though, only ordering 13 ep's to start with. |
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source: SciFi |
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Pern falls short |
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by
Crowe, Tuesday, April 3, 2001 |
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WB has dropped out of any possible Pern options. If it would have eneded up like Beastmaster or any of those other cheesy tv adaptations, I say let it fall. Maybe SciFi or Fox will do something with Pern. |
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source: SciFi |
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Spidey Poster |
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Crowe, Monday, April 2, 2001 |
Always love it when there's new Spiderman news. Spidermanhype.com has posted the new movie poster. Check it out.
Pretty good idea snapping a shot with the digital camera! Maybe I can spy some cool movie posters, I do have a theater contact! |
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source: AICN |
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More Matrix 2 Pics |
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Crowe, Monday, April 2, 2001 |
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I know everyone has seen these by now, but AICN has even more pics here for your viewing pleasure. |
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source: AICN |
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Colosus screen test |
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Crowe, Monday, April 2, 2001 |
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Another great scoop over at AICN is the recent screen test for Colosus. They always get the good dish. Check it out. |
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source: AICN |
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AICN Takes a look at the IRON MAN script. |
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Crowe, Monday, April 2, 2001 |
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All you comic fans I'm sure are looking forward to the IRON MAN flick. Marvel is cranking them out. AICN takes a peek at the script. Check it out. |
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source: AICN |
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Star Wars April Fool Joke |
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by
Crowe, Monday, April 2, 2001 |
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While browsing the news circles this morning, I saw the link over at SciFi for the Star Wars web site April Fools joke. It's interesting, especially if you think, what if they could have had a web site in 1979? Here's the link. Check it out. http://www.starwars.com/401/index.html |
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source: SciFi |
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Meow! Ashly Judd as Catwoman |
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by
Crowe, Monday, April 2, 2001 |
Ashley Judd will play the title character in Warner Brothers' upcoming film Catwoman, based on the character in DC Comics' Batman series, Variety reported. Judd signed on after meeting last week with studio executives, the trade paper reported.
Catwoman--a character played by Michelle Pfeiffer in 1992's Batman Returns--marks the third Batman movie under development at Warner, Variety reported. The others include Batman: Year One, from director Darren Aronofsky (Pi), and a live-action version of The WB's animated television series Batman Beyond.
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source: SciFi |
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Mummy and Jason pics |
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The Master, Saturday, March 31, 2001 |
The summer movie countdown edges closer, and French magazine Premiere is ahead of the game. The 'zine has posted a number of new stills from the upcoming Mummy Returns.
Getting the jump on the crowd, they've also got a handful of closeup looks at Jason Voorhees from the Jason X project. Looking wicked as ever... |
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source: Premiere |
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New villain in Matrix |
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The Master, Thursday, March 29, 2001 |
Variety reports that Harry Lennix (who is next appearing in the upcoming Schwarzenegger action flick Collateral Damage) will play a villain named Lock in both Matrix sequels. Specifically, Lock will be pitted against Laurence Fishburne's Morpheus.
Variety further reported that the production compnay has been haggling with the Australian government to try and get tax breaks worth tens of millions of dollars. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures have apparently decided to shoot there anyway: the production will move down under in September. |
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source: Variety |
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Animated Buffy |
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The Master, Thursday, March 29, 2001 |
The drama surrounding what network will air Buffy the Vampire Slayer next season continues unabated. In the meantime, Variety reports that the Fox TV network has fast tracked an animated version of the series.
Fox Kids and the Fox Family Channel revealed plans for a new animated series at a recent press conference, indicating that Fox ordered a full 26 episode season. Word is the show may end up on the schedule as early as February 2002.
Instead of following the current live action arc, the animated series returns Buffy and her pals to their high school days. There was no indication whether Buffy's actors will be providing voices, or whether Angel will be a part of the series.
Fox produces the live action Buffy for The WB, and is said to be a leading contender for the new home of the series if The WB fails to negotiate an acceptable new contract for the show. |
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source: Variety |
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McNeill says no one dies in Voyager finale |
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The Master, Thursday, March 29, 2001 |
Robert Duncan McNeill, who plays Paris on Star Trek: Voyager, told Cinescape that none of the cast dies in the series finale. "It doesn't kill any of us off," McNeill said. "But it puts a nice punctuation on the end of the series in a real heartfelt way. I think it's going to be a really great episode."
The actor stayed mute on the big question: will Voyager find its way home. However, he did indicate that the final episode should be exciting. "Without giving anything substantial away, I can tell you it's got a lot of action in it, which Star Trek has become known for. It's got great space battles and action scenes. It's also got some wonderful emotional, charged scenes. Every character on the show gets real attention and their stories come full circle by the end of it, and it really brings together every character in a strong, emotional way. I'm very excited about the last episode. I think the fans are going to love it. For the show and this premise and what we set out to do, I think it really wraps it up in a wonderful way."
The series finale is currently shooting, and is scheduled to air May 23.
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source: Cinescape |
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New Babylon 5 novel trilogy |
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by
The Master, Wednesday, March 28, 2001 |
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News submitted by: Jeanne Cavelos |
The first book in World Fantasy Award winner Jeanne Cavelos' new Babylon 5 series has been released by Del Rey.
Casting Shadows is the first book of The Passing of the Techno-Mages, which is based on on original outline by series creator J. Michael Straczynski.
The trilogy focuses on the mysterious order known as the techno-mages, a group of humans and aliens implanted with extremely advanced technology, technology that allows them to perform acts that seem magical. The techno-mages are devoted to knowing all that can be known, to creating beauty and wonder, and doing good. Yet with great power at their command, they are also opinionated, eccentric, and quick to anger.
Apprentice mage Galen waits with his teacher, Elric, as the other techno-mages arrive for a convocation. If all goes well, Galen and the other apprentices will emerge triumphant from the grueling initiation rites, ready to embrace their roles as full mages among the most powerful beings in the galaxy. Only the Vorlons and the Shadows are more powerful.
Yet now the Vorlons and the Shadows are going to war, and each is prepared to destroy the techno-mages if they enter the war on the wrong side.
Book 2, Summoning Light, is set for a July 2001 release, and Book 3, Invoking Darkness, will be available November 2001.
Jeanne's previous books include The Science of Star Wars, The Science of the X-Files, and The Shadow Within, which is also set in the Babylon 5 universe.
Jeanne will be appearing March 30-April 1 as Science & Technology Guest of Honor at I-Con in Stony Brook, NY. For a complete list of upcoming appearances, visit the author's website.
Casting Shadows is available at a bookstore near you, or you can purchase it online from Amazon.com where you can also pick up Jeanne's other available books. |
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Acorn Media to release Lexx |
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by
The Master, Wednesday, March 28, 2001 |
Acorn Media is releasing the Sci-Fi series Lexx on video and DVD. Lexx follows the adventures of a crew of misfits exploring the heavens in a stolen spacecraft, the LEXX. The most powerful weapon
of destruction ever created, the LEXX is a living creature - a genetically engineered and mechanically enhanced insect roughly the size of Manhattan. Lexx is broadcast in 100 countries, including on The Sci Fi Channel in the United States.
The first Acorn release is set for May 29th and will feature two video sets. The first includes the first four episodes from the second season ("Mantrid,"
"Terminal," "Lyekka" and "Luvliner"), and the second features the next four episodes ("Lafftrak," "Stan's Trial," "Love Grows" and "White Trash"). Each video set is available as a VHS twin pack or as a single DVD, and carries a suggested retail price of $29.95.
Both the VHS and DVD formats of include scenes never before seen by American audiences, and exclusive interviews with the cast and crew. DVD-only features include behind-the-scenes "making of" featurettes, "Rated LEXX" segments, cast and character bios, LEXX trivia and English & French language tracks.
Based in suburban Washington, D.C., Acorn Media Publishing, Inc. is a home video distributor of high-quality science fiction, British drama, mystery, comedy and special interest programming. Their releases include cult classics Doctor Who, Red Dwarf, and Blake's 7. The latest information on recent and upcoming releases is available at acornmedia.com. |
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source: Acorn Media |
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Spider Man site active |
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by
The Master, Monday, March 26, 2001 |
The official site for Spider Man is now fully active. Unfortunately, The Flash heavy site promises the same slow downloads for modem users that have become all too common with movie sites.
Of particular interest is a series on the evolution of the movie costume, including artwork and even fan submitted versions. However, if you're looking for new images of the final costume, you won't find any. They are showing the same image released to the press months ago.
Check out the site for yourself!
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source: Spider Man official |
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Farscape coming to Latin America |
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by
The Master, Monday, March 26, 2001 |
Paris-based Salsa Distribution has licensed the sci-fi action adventure series Farscape (season 3) to HBO Latin America.
Farscape is produced by the Jim Henson Company and has already been sold to the Sci Fi Channel in the US, YTV in Canada, BBC 2 in the UK, Channel 9 in Australia, Sat 1 in Germany, and Serie Club and M6 in France. |
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source: C21 Media |
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Battlefield Earth sweeps Razzies |
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by
The Master, Monday, March 26, 2001 |
The "winners" of the 21st Annual Golden Raspberry Awards, which recognizes the worst movies of the year, were announced March 24.
The John Travolta disaster Battlefield Earth sweept the awards, taking worst movie, actor, screen couple (Travolta and "anyone sharing the screen with him"), supporting actor (Barry Pepper), supporting actress (Travolta's wife Kelly Preston), director (Roger Christian) and screenplay.
The movie's seven awards tied it with the previous record holder for most award, 1996's Showgirls.
The only awards not won by Battlefield Earth were in the categories where it wasn’t nominated: Worst Actress of 2000 went to Madonna for The Next Best Thing (Maddonna also won Worst Actress of the Century last year). The box office bomb Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 was named Worst Remake or Sequel.
The Razzies are traditionally given out the day before the Academy Awards. |
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source: Razzies.com |
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Voyager final ep starts filming |
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by
The Master, Friday, March 23, 2001 |
The official Star Trek site reports that filming for the final Voyager episode has begun. The shoot is expected to last for approximately two and a half weeks, followed by some additional photography and post production work. The final episode will air April 9.
In related news, a special retrospective section has been added to the official Star Trek site. |
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source: Star Trek Official |
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 I knew that would happen! |
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