Friday, May 06, 2005

Star Wars....Some Breaking News Items

EDITOR'S NOTE: A SMATTERING OF NEWSY ITEMS IN THE STAR WARS UNIVERSE.

John Williams on NBC Today
http://video.msn.com/video/p.htm?m=Home%20and%20Living&mi=NBC%20Today&i=25ce7b49-3b45-4e65-b2e5-d2ef96b538c2,850bb90a-bdc1-4a3e-984d-409af1dbc2b5&p=Living_NBC%20Today>1=6473&rf=http://www.msn.com/

EDITOR'S NOTE: FUN INTERVIEW WITH JOHNNY W.

Lucas Responds To Bai Ling's Claim
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEGEORGE LUCAS RESPONDS TO ACTRESS BAI LING'S CLAIM THAT HER SCENE WAS CUT FROM THE LAST "STAR WARS" INSTALLMENT BECAUSE OF HER PLAYBOY PICTORIAL

In an interview with "Access Hollywood's" Tony Potts, director George Lucas responds to actress Bai Ling's claim that her scene was cut from the final installment of his "Star Wars" tale, "Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" because of her spread in Playboy.

"My daughter is in that same scene," said Lucas. "My daughter was cut as well."

To further illustrate that cutting Ling's scene was purely an editorial decision, the famed director added, "My other daughter was in another scene and that was cut as well.""EDITOR'S NOTE: YEAH. UNCLE G HAS NEVER BEEN A PRUDE PARTICULARLY. AT LEAST NOT WHERE NON-SW ACTIVITIES GO. (EWAN, SHOW US YOUR STUFF?)

More New Episode III TV Spots

Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi." -- Palpatine

This deceptive shove toward the dark side will begin airing this week and is among a third wave of television spots to promote the theatrical release of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith on May 19, 2005.
http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/release/trailer/seduction.html

You're a good person. Don't do this." -- Padmé

This emotional display of misplaced affection will begin airing this week and is among a third wave of television spots to promote the theatrical release of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith on May 19, 2005.
http://www.starwars.com/episode-iii/release/trailer/protect.html

EDITOR'S NOTE: MORE GREAT SPOTS. THE SECOND ONE ESPECIALLY IS VERY MOVING.

LEGO Revenge of the Brick Trailer

Head over to the LEGO website and checkout the new Revenge of the Brick trailer than has just been posted.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Jenny at LEGO sends word that the full version will be up one the site on Monday, May 9th.
http://www.lego.com/starwars/home.asp?x=x&bhcp=1



Star Wars....Some early ROTS reviews

EDITOR'S NOTE: AVOIDING SPOILERS, AND TRYING NOT TO GET OUR HOPES UP, BUT EARLY ROTS REVIEWS ARE POPPING UP LEFT AND RIGHT.....

FIRST UP, DWEEBPAL DAVIDH. SENDS IN THIS REVIEW:
David's 2 cents: Okay, I just keep getting my hopes higher. Here's something you may not have seen yet, and he's quite careful about spoilers.

Perhaps all the criticism of the last two films made Lucas mean, kinda like kicking a dog. If all the stuff I keep hearing is true (I only skimmed Kevin Smith's, 'cause dorkus can't say two words without a major spoiler), then this will be the first time I've ever been happy that somebody kicked a dog.D- (Editor's note: thank you David H)

(from reviewer/blogger Matt Dentsler)
Just Saw 'Sith'

War!

I just returned from an advance screening of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith here in Austin.

And, my press pals around the nation seem to indicate that Fox scheduled screenings all around the U.S. at precisely the same time. And man, was it a security process to get in. You had to put your signature on the pass, bring a photo ID, etc. etc.

I knew as much about the film as most people did. I haven't read any early reviews, haven't browsed the novelization. I went in cold.

The film itself is easy to describe in a few quick points (and don't worry, no major spoilers):

- It's the most graphically violent and disturbing of all six of the Star Wars films. Just when you think Lucas won't take it too far, he does. It's amazing to think that the guy we all thought had gone soft on us, was really hiding these dark and violent scenes for later.

- This film makes the first two weak prequels well worth it, if we were building up to this. Episodes I and II do make a little more sense. This is the best of the trilogy in the same ways that Return of the King was the best of that trilogy. This one, though, this is the film we've wanted for 20 years.

- Very, very, very little Jar Jar Binks. EDITOR'S NOTE: I HAPPEN TO LIKE JAR JAR, BUT I'VE HAD PROBLEMS GETTING MY MEDS PROPERLY ADJUSTED.

- It's great to witness the actors growing up as performers. Both Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen have matured over the years. I mean, you sit there watching Portman, and you see the momentum of Garden State and Closer shine through.

- The Wookiee planet is awesome. Keep an ear open for a Weismuller-era Tarzan homage. It's classic.

- Everyone's a badass. Sure, you hope Anakin Skywalker becomes more of a badass (and he does). But, Yoda is a bigger badass. Even R2-D2 is a badass for once (just wait and see). Samuel L. Jackson was always a badass.

- The way in which Anakin is pulled over to the Dark Side is totally convincing. I mean, he's supposed to evolve into one of the greatest screen villains of all time, and the process works. You believe the way he was tricked, and how tragic it becomes.

- I wanna spend an entire movie inside the opera/circus/theater that Anakin and Palpatine discuss the legends of the Sith. This "watershow" and its music are intense and amazing. More of that, please.

- Check out the subtle Peter Cushing lookalike, one of the many examples of how Lucas really does tie everything together in a fanboy bow.

- The montage in the middle of the film (I'll call it the "Order 66" sequence and say nothing else) will bring any Star Wars fan to the edge of their seat and grip you more than any sequence in the entire series of the films. It's heartbreaking - and not unexpected - but still presented in a tragic and engrossing manner. It also teases the viewer with some of the other worlds and battles that we didn't spend much time upon... and for once, a Star Wars prequel leaves you wanting more. Wow. I guess that was the whole point. Good job, George Lucas, you clever boy.
EDITOR'S NOTE: I'M WITH YOU, DAVIDH....DON'T WANT TO GET MY HOPES UP, BUT I CAN'T HELP IT AFTER THIS REVIEW!

BUT WAIT....THERE'S MORE!

SITH Reviews Hit the Net
A few reviews for REVENGE OF THE SITH are already going up around the Internet and so far everyone seems to have enjoyed the film a great deal.

Variety reviewer summed it up by stating, "The Force returns with most of its original power regained in "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith." Concluding entry in George Lucas' second three-pack of space epics teems with action, drama and spectacle, and even supplies the odd surge of emotion, as young Anakin Skywalker goes over to the Dark Side and the stage is set for the generation of stories launched by the original "Star Wars" 28 years ago. Whatever one thought of the previous two installments, this dynamic picture irons out most of the problems, and emerges as the best in the overall series since 'The Empire Strikes Back.'"

The Hollywood Reporter gushes with "The final episode of George Lucas' cinematic epic 'Star Wars' ends the six-movie series on such a high note that one feels like yelling out, 'Rewind!' Yes, rewind through more than 13 hours of bravery, treachery, new worlds, odd creatures and human frailty."

And TheForce.net said, "To put it simply, it’s probably the best of the prequels. If you were to ask me to rank all of the films, I’d probably put them in the following order from best to worst: The Empire Strikes Back, A New Hope, Revenge of the Sith, Return of the Jedi, Attack of the Clones, The Phantom Menace

EDITOR'S NOTE: SNIPPETS FROM THE FOLKS AT THEFORCE.NET (CAN'T SHARE THE REVIEWS AS A WHOLE CAUSE THEY ALL SAY THEY'VE GOT BUNCHES OF SPOILERS) -

Joshua on May 6, 2005:I'm not sure if the tear I shed was because this is the last Star Wars movie, or if it was really that good.

Neely's Revenge of the Sith Review on May 6, 2005:All in all the movie was filled with enough action to keep one interested and enough emotion to keep one wanting to believe in it again.

Matt’s Review of Revenge of the Sithon May 6, 2005:The only unfulfilled desire I was left with was the near uncontrollable urge to watch A New Hope the minute I left the theater. EDITOR'S NOTE: AND THIS IS JUST THE EMOTION WE SHOULD HAVE, YES?

AND THANKS TO PLANOKEVIN FOR PASSING THIS ALONG:
Last 'Star Wars' Movie Said Not for Kids

By DAVID GERMAIN
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (AP) - The Force lands in theaters a bit more forcefully in the final installment of George Lucas "Star Wars" tale.


"Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" is the first "Star Wars" tale to receive a PG-13 rating. The movie was screened for reporters Tuesday night at Lucas' Skywalker Ranch, and the PG-13 rating - "for sci-fi violence and some intense images" - is well-deserved. EDITOR'S NOTE: COOL. STAR WARS MEETS "SIN CITY"?

The action is relentless and includes sequences more dark and disturbing than anything previously seen in the tragic Skywalker soap opera.

EDITOR'S NOTE: SOME DECRIPTIONS. SKIMMING AHEAD.....
Young Jedi knight Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) completes his transformation into blackhearted villain Darth Vader with a bloodbath against old allies, the body count including a corridor of "youngling" corpses - Jedi children cut down by his light saber.

Anakin is left gruesomely mutilated in a death duel with former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor). His surgical reclamation as the part-flesh, part-machine Vader is chillingly juxtaposed against the bleak childbirth scene of his wife, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman), whose twins grow up to be heroes of the original "Star Wars" trilogy, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.

Even cute and cuddly Jedi master Yoda takes his lumps, torched by the electroshock treatment dished out by the saga's puppetmaster, the evil emperor (Ian McDiarmid).

EDITOR'S NOTE: END OF SKIMMING AHEAD SECTION.....
The previous five "Star Wars" flicks all were rated PG, which carry the mild warning "parental guidance suggested," and that some scenes might be unsuitable for children. The PG-13 rating carries the alert "parents strongly cautioned" that some material could be inappropriate for those younger than 13.

"We're getting a lot of flak from parents, a lot of people saying how can you do this? My children love these movies. Why can you not let them go see it?" Lucas told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "But I have to tell a story. I'm not making these, oddly enough, to be giant, successful blockbusters. I'm making them because I'm telling a story, and I have to tell the story I intended."

Of course, the PG-13 rating does not prohibit children under 13 from seeing the film without an adult tagging along. And while it's not likely to make much of a dent in the movie's certain blockbuster status, the rating could give some parents pause.

"These are pretty intense. Who should be allowed to see them should be left up to the parents, but at least they're warned that it's pretty intense," Lucas said. "
And obviously, that's not a good business move."

EDITOR'S NOTE: AND HERE'S THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER REVIEW IN ITS ENTIREITY:
Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith
By Kirk Honeycutt

Bottom line: A rousing finale for the "Star Wars" saga that smoothly brings us back to where it all began. EDITOR'S NOTE: YES YES YES!

The final episode of George Lucas' cinematic epic "Star Wars" ends the six-movie series on such a high note that one feels like yelling out, "Rewind!" Yes, rewind through more than 13 hours of bravery, treachery, new worlds, odd creatures and human frailty.

The first two episodes of Lucas' second trilogy -- "The Phantom Menace" (1999) and "Attack of the Clones" (2002) -- caused more than a few fans of the original trilogy to wonder whether this prequel was worth it.

The answer is a qualified yes. It did take a lot of weighty exposition, stiffly played scenes and less-than-magical creatures to get to "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith."

But what a ride Lucas and Company have in store!

Needless to say, international boxoffice will register in the hundreds of millions.

The real question is how much money the entire series, now ready for packaging and repackaging for all sorts of formats and media, will eventually take in.

Let's just say a lot.

What seems like the biggest drawback to "Episode III" turns out to be its strongest element.

Even casual moviegoers know what is in store for the characters, who will wind up at the point where the original "Star Wars" -- now dubbed "Episode IV -- A New Hope" -- began the whole saga nearly 30 years ago.

We know how Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker will turn to the dark side of the Force, how his twin children will be separated at birth and how his former master Obi-Wan Kenobi and the tiny Jedi Master Yoda will turn into his mortal enemies.

Yet watching these fates unfold with such tragic inevitability, watching each piece fall into place, is genuinely thrilling.

In fact, knowing that these strong characters cannot and will not escape their fate is what moves us.

EDITOR'S NOTE: EXPOSITION....I'M SKIPPING AHEAD. PROBABLY NOT SPOILERS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANYTHING I DON'T HAVE TO.
The movie opens with a bang. Anakin (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor), swashbuckling Knights in jet planes, swoop into a Sith space armada, batting off various attack forces with seasoned aplomb. In the main battleship, Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) and his coyote-faced, metal-skeletoned droid ally General Grievous -- one of many computerized characters -- hold the Republic's Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) prisoner.

Action goes nonstop for more than 20 minutes as the two Jedi Knights supply the jaunty, gravity-defying heroics, while the robot R2D2 (Kenny Baker) delivers brilliant comic action.

This holds true throughout the new film as writer-director Lucas does a much better job of interweaving comedy with the dramatic and even tragic.

The seduction of the troubled Anakin to the dark side and the turn of the cool, cerebral Palpatine into the dictator of the Galactic Empire occur in an intelligent and persuasive way.

The movie opens with the now traditional receding title crawl, which informs us that in the galactic warfare that has broken out, there are "heroes on both sides" and "evil is everywhere."

Understandably, Anakin doesn't know whom to trust.

As it is, he leads a double life, having secretly married beauteous Sen. Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman). Her pregnancy will now force that secret into the open and cause him to lose his knighthood.

Even more pressing, the rescued Palpatine brings Anakin into his confidence and plants doubts in his mind about the Jedi council. Sure enough, Council head Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) signals that he has lost his trust in Anakin.Palpatine gets Anakin appointed to the council, but Anakin is not allowed to assume to title of master.

Even more troubling, each side -- Palpatine and Obi-Wan -- comes to Anakin to ask him to spy on the other side. Soon dreams suggest to Anakin that Padme will die in childbirth. Palpatine hints to the distraught husband that only by exploring the Force more fully can he save his wife.

EDITOR'S NOTE: END OF EXPOSITION SECTION.
Poor dialogue and wooden acting still inflict the second trilogy. The tragic dimension of Anakin's dilemma can only barely withstand lines like this from Padme: "You're a good person. Don't do this." Many dialogue scenes, brief as they are, feel awkward and unnatural. Such scenes start cold -- we can almost sense the clapboard moving out of camera frame -- and end with long, lingering shots of actors' blank faces. Yet in face of the epic grandeur of the film's design and action, these are mere quibbles.

Now completely at home with digital filmmaking, Lucas can blaze a pioneering path as no one else. Shooting on soundstages in Australia and Britain with additional photography in China, Thailand, Switzerland, Italy and Tunisia, Lucas thrusts viewers into pitched battles in looming caverns and giant space ships or a lightsaber duel on a river of molten lava.

Combining choreographic action aesthetics that are American, Chinese and other worldly, Lucas has redefined fantasy filmmaking with "Star Wars," while teaching a generation of filmmakers to accept no limitations.

Cinematographer David Tattersall makes everything match beautifully, while editors Roger Barton and Ben Burtt (the latter also credited with the ingenious sound design) propel the story ever forward.

John Williams, Lucas' music collaborator through all six films, is content to rumble melodically in the background with only brief emotional swells at key moments.

Trisha Biggar's costumes and all the props and makeup are delicious fun, genuinely integral parts of the storytelling. And the CG creatures are more lifelike than ever. A particular standout is a giant lizard McGregor gets to ride.Yes, by all means, rewind! EDITOR'S NOTE: I AM NOW OFFICIALLY GOOSEBUMPY WITH ANTICIPATION!

EDITOR'S NOTE: ADDENDUM TO
REVIEWS/THIS JUST IN (330PM,
SATURDAY MAY 7TH) -
Spoiler Free Review of Episode III

Many of you want to know what Josh and Scott EDITOR'S NOTE: FROM THEFORCE.NET thought of 'Revenge of the Sith', but don't want to read any spoiler filled reviews.


Here are some questions we put to them about the film:

Q) Is it better than Episodes I & II?

Josh: WAY
Scott: Yes. It retains all the high points of the previous films and tones down the weak points.

Q) Is it better than 'The Empire Strikes Back'?

Josh: NO, but maybe better than 'Return of the Jedi'.

Scott: No, it's not better. 'Revenge of the Sith' isn't bad, but 'The Empire Strikes Back' had a better story, better acting, and a cool revelation.

Q) Is it as dark as they say it is?

Josh: YES, but it could have been taken further.
Scott: It's very dark, but I was expecting it to be gorier and more shocking than it was. But it's still dark.

Q) Is it suitable for children.

Josh: NO, it is PG-13. See if first than decide about your situation.
Scott: It depends entirely on the kid. If in doubt, go see it without them first.

Q) Does the length of the movie work.

Josh: YES, but there is alot to do in 2 hours (20 minutes).
Scott: Yes, the 2+ hours fly by.

Q) How does the movie flow?

Josh: 1st quarter is AWESOME, 2nd quarter is cheesy and drags a bit, 3rd and 4th rock super hard.
Scott: The first quarter is very lighthearted and fun. The second quarter is very slow because characters are being repositioned for the final half of the film. The second quarter also has some more weak romantic stuff. The last half of the film is almost non-stop action.

Q) Does the chemistry between Anakin & Padme get any better :)

Josh: Better ... still not perfect, but better.
Scott: It is better, but mainly when they are crying and fighting with each other. Portman and Christensen brood and cry well. The romance is still pur cheese.

Q) What grade would you give it?

Josh: B+ ... if I see it again I'd LOVE to make it an A-
Scott: After a first viewing I'll say a B to a B+. Ask me again after my second viewing.

Q) Do you need to see the movie twice to digest what's going on?

Josh: YES, absolutely!
Scott: Multiple viewings will be good for catcing everything. I tried to point out Easter Eggs to the guy next to me during the screening and even he missed them. Some of the plot may be confusing if you're spoiler free. I definitely recommend reading the novelization for more of the story that isn't explained in the film.

Q) How does the soundtrack work in the movie?

Josh: Pretty good ... a couple of eeire spots it is GREAT. The main theme is weaker than 'Across the Stars' and 'Duel of the Fates'.
Scott: I wasn't blown away by it, but there were a few scenes where it worked well. The battle scenes have great music and there's eerie stuff as the Sith are revealed.

Q) Did you leave the screening feeling satisfied?

Josh: Yes, pretty satisfied I think. If anything I wish it was a bit more over the top in parts ... but still ultimately satisfied that this is by far the best of the prequels.
Scott: Yes. It wasn't a train wreck, but it wasn't the best Star Wars film either. That being said, it was pretty satisfying to see the classic trilogy and prequel trilogy connected together

Star Wars Fan Films

EDITOR'S NOTE: A QUICK UPDATE ON SOME STAR WARS FANFILM STUFF AND NONSENSE.

FAN FILM STUFF:

EDITOR'S NOTE: REMEMBER THOSE GROOVY SWFAN FILMS WE GOT TO VOTE ABOUT? HERE'S THE LINK TO SEE WHAT WON:
Fan film awards:
http://www.atomfilms.com/af/spotlight/collections/
starwars/index.html

FROM KRAZYKARLA!
May the Force Be With You, and You, and You ...Why fans make better Star Wars movies than George Lucas.
By Clive Thompson

Light saber: sine qua non

Good news, Star Wars buffs. There's a new movie out this spring—and it isn't by George Lucas.

The 40-minute, fan-made Star Wars Revelations cost a mere $20,000. It's also just as good as—and often quite better than—the cringe-inducing Star Wars movies of recent years. EDITOR'S NOTE: MUST WE PICK ON UNCLE GEORGE TO MAKE OURSELVES FEEL BIGGER BY COMPARISON? HMMM????? Indeed, it's so artistically successful that it suggests a radical idea: Maybe Lucas should step aside and let the fans take over. EDITOR'S NOTE: BITE YOUR TONGUE, HEATHEN!

Our most cherished sci-fi franchises are in a creative trough. Lucas' movies have spiraled into unwatchabilityEDITOR'S NOTE: GRRRR.....; Paramount has so exhausted its ideas for Star Trek that it's folding up its tent and going home. EDITOR'S NOTE: WELL, YEAH.

The fans, in contrast, still give a damn: The director of Revelations, Shane Felux, is clearly more knowledgeable about the strengths and weaknesses of the material than Lucas himself. EDITOR'S NOTE: DOUBTFUL.

Felux's movie retains the funky vibe of the original Star Wars, down to the kitschy, '70s-style wipes, the obligatory scene in an alien bar, and Darth Vader's throat-choking technique. Better yet, it jettisons Lucas' most loathed innovations—neither Jar Jar Binks nor any Ewoks make an appearance. EDITOR'S NOTE: JAR JAR IS MY FRIEND. AND EWOKS....TASTE GOOD WITH MASHED POTATOES AND GRAVY. Fans may be pointy-headed and obsessed with useless trivia, but they have excellent bullshit detectors.

The fans can also give Industrial Light and Magic a run for its money. When it comes to special effects, Revelations is nothing short of astonishing. Early on, there's a jaw-dropping chase scene in which the heroes' ship darts like a nimble fish through a cluttered space-yard, a fleet of TIE fighters in hot pursuit. Later, a stunning attack on an Empire Destroyer left me laughing in sheer surprise.

How could Felux produce scenes this good? Because desktop animation and editing programs like Bryce and Adobe Premiere Pro allow anyone to blow up a CGI spacecraft on a garage-band budget. What's more, Felux relied on the techniques of open-source design. Hundreds of people worldwide offered small bits of work, purely for the love of the project—and a chance to brag about their contribution. Felux wrangled free labor from over 30 CGI artists, including one supremely talented 16-year-old kid who lists his occupation as "being awesome." For live-action shots, Felux convinced unpaid actors and crew members to drive out to weekend shoots. When he needed uniforms for Storm Troopers and X-wing pilots, he borrowed them from fans who made their own.

Pretty freakin' awesome FX
Fan-made art is also easier to distribute than ever before. The proliferation of broadband in the past few years means that a movie doesn't have to open on 3,000 screens to get seen by millions of eyeballs. In only one week online, an estimated 1,000,000 people have already downloaded Star Wars Revelations. You can get the movie for free from various online sites or by using BitTorrent—don't worry, it's a legal download. BitTorrent in particular is so efficient in its use of bandwidth that I downloaded the entire 252-megabyte movie in around 12 minutes. (That's probably because 99 percent of the geeks who are into fan-created sci-fi are using BitTorrent.)

George Lucas has always encouraged Star Wars­-inspired fan movies, so long as the wannabe auteurs didn't try to make a profit. (That's the case with Felux—he isn't selling his movie or any associated merchandise.) Lucas should do more, though. Once he stops polluting the world with prequelsEDITOR'S NOTE: I WILL COME HUNT YOU DOWN, IF YOU DON'T QUIT PICKIN ON UNCLE G! , he should slap a liberal "Creative Commons" copyright license on the Star Wars franchise. That would explicitly allow any fan to remix an existing movie, or create a new one in homage, so long as there's no profit involved. Everyone wins: Movies like Revelations keep the fan base alive, and Lucas can continue selling figurines until the sun explodes.

This open-source method won't work for every defunct cultural property. Fan art works best when it feeds off of dweeby universes that are jam-packed with characters. It would be easy to create amateur, offshoot films based on Lord of the Rings or The Twilight Zone, and possibly even a show with a revolving-door cast like Law & Order. Shows or movies that rely on a single, charismatic actor—like Sarah Michelle Gellar in Buffy the Vampire Slayer—aren't as easy to replicate. But Buffy fans could simply create spinoffs, the way Buffy's creator churned out a series of comic books starring other teen slayers.

All fan-created movies still face two big stumbling blocks: scriptwriting and acting. Even something as polished as Revelations is occasionally marred by a boilerplate plot and wooden acting. (Though that might make the homage all the more authentic given the hollowness of Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman in Attack of the Clones.) EDITOR'S NOTE: I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!! The amateurs, it seems, cannot escape the artistic trap that ensnares big-budget sci-fi auteurs. When you fall in love with CGI effects, sometimes you forget how to deal with those quaint, un-animated properties we call "actors." EDITOR'S NOTE: SOME OF THOSE 'ACTORS' CAN BE FAIRLY WELL UN-ANIMATED. WE'VE WORKED WITH SOME OF THEM, YES FELLOW THESPDWEEBS?

HAS ANYONE SEEN THIS "REVELATIONS" FLIC? ANY GOOD?
Clive Thompson writes about gaming and technology for Slate




Thursday, May 05, 2005

REAL (dweeb) News

EDITOR'S NOTE: A FEW BREAKING NEWS ITEMS OF GREAT (?) IMPORT.

Free Comic Book Day This Saturday
Just a quick reminder that this Saturday, May 7, is Free Comic Book Day. EDITOR'S NOTE: FOR MORE INFO, OR TO SEE IF YOUR COMIC SHOP IS PARTICIPATING, GO TO THIS WEB ADDRESS: http://www.freecomicbookday.com/

Hello Dallas Comic Con & Sci-FI Expo attendees
You are invited to our next event May 14 & 15 at the Plano Center. We have a great STAR WARS themed show planned with celebrity guests; A full exhibitors room loaded with comics, toys, and collectibles; Celebrity Q&As; and more.

ADMISSION: General admission is FREE for all ages! EDITOR'S NOTE: IS ATTENDANCE DOWN, PERHAPS? A special SpeedPass, which gains priority access to the guests, is also available at the door for $10.00.

SHOW HOURS: Saturday 11am-5pm, and Sunday 12noon - 4pm.

CONVENTION LOCATION:
The convention will be held at the Plano Center located at 2000 E Spring Creek Parkway in Plano, 10 miles North of Dallas and 1/2 mile East of US75 Central Expressway on Spring Creek Parkway.

SPECIAL GUESTS:
Matthew Wood: Episode III - General Grievous,
Temuera Morrison: Episode II - Jango Fett, Episode III - Clone Commander, Ray Park: Episode I - Darth Maul, Dave Prowse: Episode IV, V, VI - Darth Vader, Daniel Logan: Episode II - BobaFett, Amy Allen: Episodes II, III - Aayla Secura, Garrick Hagon: Episode IV - Biggs, Jerome Blake: Episodes I, II - Multiple characters, Dave Dorman: Comic Cover Artist, and others!

All guests are scheduled to appear all weekend. Guests are subject to professional commitments. Guests charge a fee to autograph memorabilia. For more details check out http://www.dallascomiccon.com/.


EDITOR'S NOTE: THANK YOU CHEWYANDY, FOR SENDING THIS ALONG!
IF YOU’VE ALREADY SEEN "HITCHHIKER’S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY", YOU’LL WANT TO IMMEDIATELY GO TO THIS LINK AND SING ALONG (AND CATCH A FEW OF THE LINES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED).

AND IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN IT, HERE’S SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE YOU RUN OUT TO YOUR NEAREST CINEPLEX!:
http://hitchhikers.movies.go.com/games/dolphin.html

Some very GROOVY Harry Potter stuff

Harry and pals undergo trial by 'Fire'
By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
EDITOR'S NOTE: FRED AND GEORGE TRY TO TRICK THE GOBLET

Though he must battle a spiny dragon, octopus-like creatures and fierce mermaids, Harry Potter is almost equally bedeviled by the idea of his first dance.

Double trouble: The Weasley twins make a potion to fool people into thinking they are old enough to be in the Tri Wizard Tournament.

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth film based on the best-selling J.K. Rowling books, Harry and his wizard pals, Hermione and Ron, are coping with the angst that accompanies being teens.

The second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, makes its network television debut Saturday on ABC with 13 minutes of additional footage, plus a glimpse of the upcoming fourth film, which opens Nov. 18. EDITOR'S NOTE: LEST YOU'VE FORGOTTEN. AND REMEMBER...WHEN ABC RAN THE FIRST HP MOVIE, THEY INSERTED SOME CUT SCENES BACK IN. SO SET THOSE VCRS!

In Goblet of Fire, the young wizards are "much more complicated," says director Mike Newell, the first British filmmaker to helm a Potter movie. "In the first three films, their characters were defined by what they were up against: a werewolf, a basilisk, a dementor. But this time, the story is how they're developing as people. So the school's Yule Ball is a torture to Harry and Ron because they have to ask girls out, and they don't know how."

In Goblet, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) again faces his mortal foe, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). "Voldemort is an utterly malignant human creature, a lot more savage and cruel than any invented creature could be," Newell says. "Harry has to find the resources in himself to do battle with him."

The physical requirements were much tougher this time. Goblet is more of an action thriller than the previous three because it centers on an elaborate physical contest, the Tri-Wizard Tournament.

Radcliffe had to learn to scuba-dive, then act underwater. "Just keeping your eyes open for a significant time is difficult," Newell says. "We couldn't do anything for more than 15 seconds at a time, which proved very complicated."

Radcliffe says he enjoyed diving, despite some minor drawbacks.

"It did sting a bit in the eyes, but other than that and the ear infections, it was fantastic."

In another scene, he slides down a roof to battle a dragon. "It was pretty much a vertical drop of about 50 feet," Radcliffe says. "I was on a wire going so fast that my mind didn't have time to catch up with my body and go, 'Wow, I'm falling.' It was fun after the first take. But at the beginning, I was absolutely terrified."

For the climactic scene in which he hands over the body of a fellow contestant to the boy's father, Radcliffe says, "I had to tap into emotions that I personally never felt, that most people have never felt. Because they were challenging, it does make them fun."

But Radcliffe says the character's death is "not gory or graphic. There's not any blood at all."

EDITOR'S NOTE: GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS!!!!!!
There's no looking back
By Claudia Puig, USA TODAY

His run doesn't end with The Goblet of Fire.
Radcliffe: He'll do a fifth film but won't watch earlier ones.
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Daniel Radcliffe, the 15-year-old who plays Potter, has said he will definitely be back as Harry in the fifth movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which starts filming next year. EDITOR'S NOTE: YIPPEE! HUZZAH! WOOHOO! ETC.....

However, Radcliffe has not gone back and watched the earlier films.

"I kind of contemplated watching the first; then I decided I sort of valued my sanity a little too much. I think it would be far too strange, and I would be self-conscious about what I do now."

Radcliffe was 12 when the first film in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, arrived, and both boy and character have grown up.

Says Radcliffe, who turns 16 in July: "Harry is more of a teenager in this film, and he's more vulnerable to emotions."

Meanwhile, shooting has finished on movie No. 4, and Radcliffe looks forward to some rest and relaxation (after a series of exams) and reading the sixth book in the series by J.K. Rowling, due in July.

Does playing Harry give him an edge over all the other eager readers, in terms of advance editions?

"I pre-ordered it, but I don't get an early copy or anything," he says. "I wouldn't want an early copy.

"It's fun to be able to discover it with everyone else."

EDITOR'S NOTE: AND BECAUSE LIFE IS SO DURNED GOOD, HERE ARE SOME PICS FROM SATURDAY'S SNEAK PEAK OF GOF -----

CEDRIC (AWWWW......)Image hosted by Photobucket.com

FLEURImage hosted by Photobucket.com

VICTOR KRUMImage hosted by Photobucket.com

PUTTING YOUR NAME IN THE GOBLETImage hosted by Photobucket.com

THE HUNGARIAN HORNTAIL Image hosted by Photobucket.com

THE MAZE Image hosted by Photobucket.com

Harry Image hosted by Photobucket.com

AND JUST FOR MISS SAMANTHA....HERMIONE, ALL DRESSED UP FOR THE YULE BALL Image hosted by Photobucket.com


Tuesday, May 03, 2005

Star Trek and the LA Times

EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS COMMENTARY DOES NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE QOTD. BUT WE ARE EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY DWEEB'BLOGGERS, YES?

Strange New World: No 'Star Trek'

COMMENTARY

By Orson Scott Card, Orson Scott Card is the author of "Ender's Shadow" (Tor Books, 2000) and "Ender's Game" (Tor Books, 1994). His most recent book is "Shadow of the Giant" (Tor Books, 2005).

So they've gone and killed "Star Trek."

And it's about time.

They tried it before, remember.

The network flushed William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy down into the great septic tank of broadcast waste, from which no traveler…. No, wait, let's get this right: from which rotting ideas and aging actors return with depressing regularity.

It was the fans who saved "Star Trek" from oblivion. They just wouldn't let go.

This was in the days before VCRs, and way before DVDs. You couldn't go out and buy the boxed set of all three seasons.

When a show was canceled, the only way you could see it again was if some local station picked it up in syndication.

A few stations did just that.

And the hungry fans called their friends and they watched it faithfully. They memorized the episodes. I swear I've heard of people who quit their jobs and moved just so they could live in a city that had "Star Trek" running every day.

And then the madness really got underway.

They started making costumes and wearing pointy ears. They wrote messages in Klingon, they wrote their own stories about the characters, filling in what was left out — including, in one truly specialized subgenre, the "Kirk-Spock" stories in which their relationship was not as platonic and emotionless as the TV show depicted it.

Mostly, though, they wrote and wrote and wrote letters. To the networks. To the production company. To the stars and minor characters and guest stars and grips of the series, inviting them to attend conventions and speak about the events on the series as if they had really happened, instead of being filmed on a tatty little set with cheesy special effects.

So out of the ashes the series rose again.

Here's the question: Why?

The original "Star Trek," created by Gene Roddenberry, was, with a few exceptions, bad in every way that a science fiction television show could be bad. Nimoy was the only charismatic actor in the cast and, ironically, he played the only character not allowed to register emotion.EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS FELLOW WRITES IN LA. HE HAS TO BE SNOOTY ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS MUCH BELOVED. IT'S IN HIS CONTRACT. IF HE HAD ANY HEART, AND IF ANY OF THAT TOUCH-OF-THE-COMMON-FOLK WERE TO SEEP INTO HIS WRITING, THEY'D MAKE HIM MOVE TO KANSAS, OR IOWA, OR ONE OF THOSE OTHER FLAT, FLY-OVER PLACES. AND, EVEN THOUGH THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE SOUL-RESTORING FOR HIM, HE WOULD HATE THAT.

This was in the days before series characters were allowed to grow and change, before episodic television was allowed to have a through line. So it didn't matter which episode you might be watching, from which year — the characters were exactly the same.

As science fiction, the series was trapped in the 1930s — a throwback to spaceship adventure stories with little regard for science or deeper ideas. It was sci-fi as seen by Hollywood: all spectacle, no substance. EDITOR'S NOTE: I AM NOT THE TREKKIE THAT SOME ARE (KEVIN). AND I AM A BIGBIG FAN OF THRU-LINE AND STORY ARCS, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW. BUT JUST BECAUSE IT DIDN'T REALLY HAVE EITHER OF THOSE, DOESN'T MEAN IT HAD NO SUBSTANCE. AND IT ISN'T REALLY FAIR TO JUDGE THE ORIGINAL TREK BY TODAY'S TASTES.

Which was a shame, because science fiction writing was incredibly fertile at the time, with writers like Harlan Ellison and Ursula LeGuin, Robert Silverberg and Larry Niven, Brian W. Aldiss and Michael Moorcock, Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov, and Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke creating so many different kinds of excellent science fiction that no one reader could keep track of it all.

Little of this seeped into the original "Star Trek."

The later spinoffs were much better performed, but the content continued to be stuck in Roddenberry's rut. EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS STATEMENT IS TRUE TO A LARGE DEGREE. BUT IT'S ALMOST BESIDE THE POINT.

So why did the Trekkies throw themselves into this poorly imagined, weakly written, badly acted television series with such commitment and dedication? Why did it last so long? EDITOR'S NOTE: HOW ABOUT WE DRIVE TO LA AND SLAP THIS GUY?

Here's what I think: Most people weren't reading all that brilliant science fiction. Most people weren't reading at all. So when they saw "Star Trek," primitive as it was, it was their first glimpse of science fiction. It was grade school for those who had let the whole science fiction revolution pass them by. EDITOR'S NOTE: NO ONE READS NOW, EITHER. HOWEVER, I'D BET YA THAT THE SCIFI AUDIENCE...AND THE STAR TREK AUDIENCE, TOO....IS MORE LIKELY TO HAVE READ THE GOOD STUFF, THAN THE NON-SCIFI/NON-TREK AUDIENCE.

Now we finally have first-rate science fiction film and television that are every bit as good as anything going on in print.

Charlie Kaufman created the two finest science fiction films of all time so far: "Being John Malkovich" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

Jeffrey Lieber, J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof have created "Lost," the finest television science fiction series of all time … so far. EDITOR'S NOTE: SORRY. GOOD AS "LOST" IS SO FAR, "FARSCAPE" HAS THAT BEAT BY MILES.

Through-line series like Joss Whedon's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and Alfred Gough's and Miles Millar's "Smallville" have raised our expectations of what episodic sci-fi and fantasy ought to be. Whedon's "Firefly" showed us that even 1930s sci-fi can be well acted and tell a compelling long-term story. EDITOR'S NOTE: "FIREFLY" BETTER THAN TREK? I WOULD PUT THEM ON THE SAME LEVEL. THIS GUY IS DESPARATE TO DISPARAGE TREK, TO THE POINT OF ELEVATING ANYTHING ELSE. AND I'D SAY HIS CHOICES ARE LIMITED ENOUGH HERE, THAT PERHAPS HE HASN'T BEEN EXPOSED TO A WHOLE LOT OF THE GENRE HE ACTS THE EXPERT ABOUT.

Screen sci-fi has finally caught up with written science fiction. We're in college now. High school is over. There's just no need for "Star Trek" anymore. EDITOR'S NOTE: THAT SHOULD GET EVERYONE'S BLOOD PUMPING IN IRE, EH?! (AEROBICS FOR DWEEBS!!!)

Star Wars, MORE Star Wars

EDITOR'S NOTE: CAN YOU BE TOO RICH, TOO THIN, OR HAVE TOO MUCH STAR WARS NEWS?

FIRST UP, FYI.....
BBC REPORT ON EP3 RUN-TIME
Unlike the US, where a dozen or more running times have been reported on various theater websites, the BBFC lists the definitive runtime for the UK, at a second shy of 2 hours and 20 minutes.

MORE SHOPPING:
Star Wars Slurpee Cups
Now showing up at 7-11 stores, Star Wars Slurpee cups! Complete with Darth Vader head topper, these cups allow fans to slurp the new pitch-black, icy concoction, called Darth Dew!

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

EDITOR'S NOTE: PRETTY DARN GROOVY! (WHERE IS A 7-ELEVEN NEAR ME? ANYONE KNOW THE HOUSTON 7-ELEVEN SITUATION?)

STAR WARS EPISODE III Music Video Online
StarWars.com is currently showing the music video for the “Battle Of The Heroes” Theme for STAR WARS: EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH. The music video includes some footage taken from the movie trailer as well as some new material.

Entitled “A Hero Falls,” the video is one of 16 similar videos that are included in the bonus 70-minute DVD that accompanies the Episode III soundtrack CD. Selected by John Williams, the videos will comprise of compositions that tell the entire story of the saga in 'Star Wars: A Musical Journey.'

You can watch the music video at StarWars.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE: UPDATE. I JUST WATCHED THIS VIDEO. IT IS WONDERFUL. SAD AND CHILLING.
HERE'S THE DIRECT EMAIL ADDRESS:
http://starwars.com/episode-iii/release/trailer/10.html


EDITOR'S NOTE: AND SPEAKING OF STAR WARS MUSIC.....
Target & Wal-Mart EP3 Soundtrack Exclusives
JWFan.com / SoundtrackNet reports that the bonus download with the ROTS soundtrack from Wal-Mart is a John Williams interview, while the bonus download with the ROTS soundtrack from Target is the radio edit of 'Battle of the Heroes'. EDITOR'S NOTE: TARGET WINS AGAIN?

ROTS Soundtrack Bonus DVD Review
DVD File has posted a review of , the bonus DVD that accompanies the Episode III soundtrack.

Here's an excerpt:George Lucas has prepared a gift for his loyal fans. Tucked away within the deceptively thin jewel case that houses the Sony Classical CD of John William's very strong score for Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith is a bonus DVD entitled Star Wars: A Musical Journey .

The DVD's sixteen chapters are partially chronological. The overriding structure defines the Star Wars saga from Anakin's childhood to his redemption. But each individual chapter has its own theme that might include sequences from some or all of the six Star Wars films.

As with the THX WOW demo piece, the editing is remarkably tight. Some specific onscreen events are timed precisely to crescendos in Williams' orchestral score. Each chapter is backed by one - sometimes two - of his musical sequences.

And each chapter may stand alone as a terrific home theater demo.They may be played either sequentially with the "play all" option or individually. They may be played either with or without a dramatic introduction by Ian McDiarmid (Senator Palpatine).

My advice? Play them sequentially (runtime 1:01:43) without the verbal introductions.

Then go back and repeat the process with the intros enabled, but use your next chapter button to skip the musical segments; you'll then be able to hear what Ian McDiarmid has to say as a sequential set of readings. His introductions have an aggregate runtime of 8:45. EDITOR'S NOTE: I'M CONFUSED. IS THIS BONUS FEATURE INCLUDED WITH ALL THE MUSIC CD'S OR IS THIS A SPECIFIC-STORE EXCLUSIVE OF SOME KIND?

Star Wars Chess Saga EditionMilton Bradley
List Price:
$37.43
Our Price:
$33.69

Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Featuring pewter playing pieces representing Old Republic and Separatist armies, including popular characters like Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu, Senator Padmé Amidala, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, Count Dooku, and Jango Fett, this chess variant takes the classic game to a whole new level of play in a galaxy far, far away.

Usually ships in 6 to 8 business days
Product Reviews
http://paizo.com/store/brand/starWars/boardGames
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More on 'Revenge of the Sith' DVD
In addition to our previous report on the 'Revenge of the Sith' DVD, an anonymous source writes:

I work at a Burger King and on our promotion list it says we have Star Wars toys on November 11 - December 16. It is to celebrate the release of the DVD. It will include 5 watches that you can buy and 16 new toys. Judging by the start date and our notes at the King, I expect a DVD release on Tuesday November 15th!! EDITOR'S NOTE: AND TOYS AND WATCHES!!!

Time Gets Into The Sith Action

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESunday, May 1, 2005

FIRST LOOK AT THE LAST STAR WARS MOVIE:

Q&A With Director George Lucas'REVENGE OF THE SITH IS LESS OSTENTATIOUSLY REVOLUTIONARY THAN ITS PREDECESSORS...IF HE [LUCAS] HAS HIS WAY, SOON ALL MOVIE THATERS WILL BE JUNKING FILM PROJECTORS AND GOING DIGITAL,'Writes Time's Richard Corliss---

Lucas Talks to TIME's Richard Schickel:On 'Revenge of the Sith': "Like everyone who makes movies, I'm always convinced the next one will be a flop...[that] it probably won't make any money."EDITOR'S NOTE: FORTUNATELY OR UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE TWO THINGS DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ONE ANOTHER WHEN IT COMES TO STAR WARS.

On Creating His Visions with Special Effects: "'Jurassic Park' showed that you could create things using a computer that were so realistic, you could insert them into a movie seamlessly."

On His Shyness: "People think of me as a sort of pathological, Howard Hughes-type guy...It ain't even close to that."

On Future Projects: "I want to get out of doing anything important."

"The long-awaited conclusion to the Star Wars saga, Revenge of the Sith, with 90 minutes of animation, is less ostentatiously revolutionary than its predecessors. Rather, it's a consolidation of earlier breakthroughs,"EDITOR'S NOTE: A SEMI-MEANINGLESS COMMENT? writes TIME's Richard Corliss in his review of the last Star Wars movie. "The climactic face-off between Sidious and Yoda is a potent, visually plausible merging of a human actor and a digital one. When an audience takes for granted the integration of live action and animation, the revolution Lucas pioneered can be said to have triumphed. If he has his way, soon all movie theaters will be junking film projectors and going digital," writes Corliss.

And in an interview with TIME magazine's Richard Schickel, who has known him since 1977, director George Lucas opens up about how he works, his fear of failure and the sort of movies he really wants to make.

The TIME cover package includes a 2-page graphic of the Star Wars family tree guide that will help keep everything straight after 6 films, a list of 5 'Thing to Watch For' without giving anything away, an essay by TIME's John Cloud on falling in love with Star Wars as a child and exclusive pictures from the movie (on newsstands Monday, May 2).

On His Future: "I'm going to go off in the direction that I was really interested in going off in when I was in film school-films like Koyaanisqatsi, films that are a little more abstract in nature. It's vaguely in the land of music videos, I guess, but I don't even know how to describe them...How they're gonna turn out, I don't know. I know they won't be mainstream movies...I'm sure they'll be just as criticized as Star Wars films are. I'm sure some people will be just as devoted to them as the Star Wars films."

"I'm also going to do some TV shows. I love television because it's not important. You get to do really great work, you really get to focus on the work, and all this megillah that goes on around it is gone. And you get to explore your interests, and it doesn't have to be that important. I want to get out of doing anything important."

"On May 19th, you'll see where they got: back, finally, to the beginning. Sith will surely start a stampede to re-see the 1977 film as a reminder of how the 13-hr. tale proceeds. Lucas is nothing if not an expert extender of his franchise. In two weeks, lots of people will fill movie houses around the world to judge the latest and last Star Wars episode," writes Corliss.

Entire cover package is available on TIME.com: www.time.com/starwars

TIME ONLINE STAR WARS ARCHIVE: Check out digital versions of the May 30th, 1977 TIME magazine that contained coverage of the first Star Wars movie and the May 19th, 1980 issue on The Empire Strikes Back.

Flip through every page for free on Time.com: www.time.com/starwars

C3: Celebration 4 in 2007?
Lucasfilm is by no means ready to announce it, but it appears there's another Celebration planned for 2007.

According to our sources, fans are expected to gather officially once again for the 30th anniversary of Star Wars.

Lucasfilm denied the rumors, saying nothing official has been said yet.

We've hear reports on television and received rumors from fans that this might not be entirely accurate. Warwick Davis was reported to even have said, "See you at Celebration 4!" at the end of his time as MC on stage.

It is generally accepted that Indy would probably be the logical choice yet again for the next Celebration, especially since in a non-movie year attendance would be expected to be lower.

Of course, there could easily be the first season of the live-action TV show complete and the 30th anniversary complete DVD collection to contend with for fans attention.

Either way, we're expecting that once the Episode III DVD is out the door this fall, you'll begin to see a shift in focus on the part of Lucasfilm. It will be time to talk about TV, the ultimate DVD set and getting together with Star Wars fans for another big party. EDITOR'S NOTE: WONDER IF THEY'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WORK OUT THE LONG LINES/ DISORGANIZATION ISSUES BY THEN. PROBABLY NOT....

INTERVIEWS, REVIEWS, TALKING ABOUT STAR WARS:
One-On-One with George Lucas
By Scott Huver, Hollywood.com Staff

Imagine my excitement when I discovered George Lucas the original Jedi Master himself, hanging around the bar at an elite cocktail party in Pacific Palisades, trading quips with fellow Hollywood titans Ron Howard and Brian Grazer, and accepting compliments from celebrity well-wishers including Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi.

After putting the finishing touches on Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the legendary director had taken a well-deserved week off in Hawaii--a post-production ritual which years ago resulted in a brainstorming session with fellow vacationer Steven Spielberg that produced the storyline for the Indiana Jones films--and was preparing himself for the grueling onslaught of promotional duties for the new film.

Luckily, the Force was with me: I discovered Lucas before media burnout could set in, and--even battling a bout of bronchitis--he graciously agreed to chat exclusively with me for Hollywood.com.

You'll have to wait in line with the rest of the Padawans to learn the secrets of Episode III, but he delivered the exclusive scoop on Star Wars' future on TV, his plans to release 3-D versions of all six films, his next non-Star Wars project and the challenges of bringing digital projection to the mainstream multiplexes. Oh yeah, and some breaking news about a guy called Indy.

Are you ready for all the attention and hoopla for Episode III?
George Lucas: "No."

Are you ever ready?
Lucas: "No." [laughs]

What's more exciting for you, to unveil the new movie or to unveil Lucasfilm's new high-tech campus on the Presidio?
Lucas: "They're different. They're both finished. The movie and the Presidio were started at the same time, so it's like a completion. They were started at the same time, I was doing both of them simultaneously, and it be great that they're both done."

What are you going to do now that you're done with both?
Lucas: "We're doing a couple of Star Wars TV shows that I'm getting sorted out. One is called Clone Wars, which is a cartoon [on the Cartoon Network] and we're going to expand it to a half an hour, and the other's a live-action 'Star Wars' with spin-off characters. Not with the main characters."

Is that where the future of Star Wars is, on television?
Lucas: "Yeah, we're not going to do any more movies."

And what will be your involvement? Will you be overseeing everything?
Lucas: "No, I just hire the guy that does everything. And then I step away and let him do his job. I'm not going to have anything to do with it at all."

Is it true that starting in 2007 we're going to see all the Star Wars films again in 3-D?
Lucas: "Well, we're hoping so. It really depends how fast the theater owners finally get on the stick and put digital cinema in their theaters, because it won't work without having digital projectors. So we're hoping it's a way of pushing digital. I've been trying for six years to get digital--we did Phantom Menace digitally in four theaters, we did Attack of the Clones in about 115 theaters, and now a lot of people have sold their theaters so we're only going to be in about 80 theaters now. But in Europe it's gone from about 20 theaters to now there's about 300. So we're now, depending on the rest of the world. In the United States, the film industry has kind of gotten together and formed organizations to make sure this doesn't happen in the foreseeable future."

Is that frustrating for you?
Lucas: "Yeah, it's very frustrating for me. They're doodling on purpose for various reasons, to see how they can control it, but they're not going to be able to and it'll all work itself out. They deny that they're stalling, but six years is a long time to wait for this stuff to happen. They'll say 'Oh, no,' but we've been shooting this way for six years, we've been projecting this way for six years, the equipment's all there, everything's ready to go, the quality's better than film, and they're just still arguing among themselves about nothing."

What do you think is the main reason they're doing that?
EDITOR'S NOTE: MONEY, DUH.
Lucas: "Fear. Fear of the unknown. They just don't know what's going on, and they haven't actually taken the time to actually study it, so they skirt it over to people who's job it is to deal with film, and of course those people say it's bad. If you go digitally, then those people wouldn't have their job. So you're going to people who are going to lose their jobs and asking them their advice on what they think of digital cinema. It makes no sense whatsoever." EDITOR'S NOTE: AND MONEY.

Will you always continue to use Star Wars as a way to introduce technical advancements, because you know people love the films and will always come back to them?
Lucas: "No. The only reason I would release these in 3-D is I saw the 3-D process--I've seen LOTS of 3-D processes over the last 30 years--and this the first one that actually works. This is brilliant. It changes everything, it's easy to watch and I saw it and said 'This is great!' And it works very, very well with Star Wars. So, you look at it and say 'Well, yeah, I want to see the whole thing in 3-D.' We have some sections of it done, and I want to see the whole thing that way."

What other film projects do you have in the works?
Lucas: "I'm producing a film that I've been sort of working on for 15 years, and it's time I finished it. It's about African-American fighter pilots during World War II."

Have you written it, or do you plan to direct it?
Lucas: "I'll be producing, and hopefully we're going to do it sooner than later. As I said, it's been going for a long, long time. I've still got to get a script out of it."

Are there any actors attached or that you'd like to see star in it?
Lucas: "No, it's about kids. All those fighter pilots were all like in their twenties, young twenties--20, 21, 22 years old--so it's going to be all young kids."

And what's the status of the new Indiana Jones?
Lucas: "I talked to Steven while I was in Hawaii, and he said the script is done and he was going to send it to me when I got back, which was yesterday. It isn't on my desk today and he's coming up tomorrow to see Star Wars, so I assume he'll bring it with him."

You guys do well when you collaborate in Hawaii. Things tend to work out there.
Lucas: "Yeah. We're frantically trying to finish War of the Worlds at the same time. We'll see. I look forward to reading it and seeing if it's what we laid out in the first place. You never know."
Is there anything we can reveal about it?
Lucas: "It's...um...No."

You had an idea of what was planned before they wrote the script?
Lucas: "Oh yeah. I came up with this idea doing Young Indy, which has got to be about seven or eight years ago, and we've been through a number of scripts--six or eight scripts. Six scripts, two rewrites. So it's been down the path. There were certain aspects of it that Steven and Harrison [Ford] didn't like, and so we changed those, and then we laid out a version and it didn't come out the way it was supposed to, and then we did another version and it didn't come out, so we've just been going through this development hell, which happens once in a while. We'll see. When it comes out, it'll be different. Different, but the same."

And Harrison's staying in shape all this time, right, in case he has to take his shirt off?
Lucas: "No, he's plays an older person in this."

Is it true that there may be a younger person in this, poised to take over?
Lucas: "It's possible. Not really to take over."

But someone to create new movies with?
Lucas: "No, it wasn't meant to be that way. But I guess that's a possibility. It's really to wrap it up. Just desperately trying to put things together that work. You need characters to make the film work. It's not just an adventure story. There's actually got to be human relationships in it."

Are you still planning on bringing back some of the other characters from the previous films?
Lucas: "Yeah."

Can you say who?
Lucas: "No." [laughs]

Mrs. Spielberg, perhaps?
Lucas: "Well, there are a lot of rumors out there. Some of them are true. True-ish

Steven Spielberg Reviews Episode III
Christian O'Connell: Stephen have you seen the new Star Wars?

Steven Spielberg: I saw it about a week ago, and it's absolutely amazing it's the best of the last 3 episodes, it's the best way you could possibly imagine for George to finish it off, it has a tremendous ending it's very dark you'll cry at the end, it's wonderful. EDITOR'S NOTE: NOT A LONG DRAWN OUT REVIEW, BUT WE KNOW WHERE HE LIVES, SO HOPEFULLY HE WOULDN'T LIE TO US. (EVEN FOR OUR UNCLE G).

Mark Hamill Talks Episode 3
EDITOR'S NOTE: MY CULT-OF-LUKE IS SUCH A LONELY ONE. WHY IS THAT DO YOU THINK?

Edwin writes:Mark Hamill was at the AFI Silver Theater in Silver Spring, Maryland. I am a TV news photographer and I went there to interview the cast of "The Big Red One."EDITOR'S NOTE: I AM A SUCKER FOR WW2 FLICKS, AND THIS ONE IS A LOVELY LITTLE UNDER-RATED ONE. AND I GATHER THIS NEW DVD RESTORES ABOUT 50 MINUTES OF FOOTAGE. (ADDED TO MY AMAZON.COM LIST, IF ANYONE'S SHOPPING FOR ME).

I talked to Mark for about 10 minutes and my last question was Star Wars related.

Question: " you know that in about 3 weeks, they are releasing a new movie..."(pause for about 5 seconds, and Mark gives me a blank look)I continue: "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of The Sith."

Mark responds sarcastically, "Oh, are they making another movie? That must be why I see Darth Vader on my corn flakes box."EDITOR'S NOTE: I'M SURE HE SAID IT IN GENTLE JEST. GIVE THE GUY A BREAK. (HE'S STILL THE HERO, IN MY BOOK!)

That's all he said about the movie, but he said that he has seen bits and pieces of it. He also said that George Lucas has invited him recently to Skywalker Ranch to talk about Mark's new animated show that he is working on.



OTHER STAR WARS ITEMS (RANDOMNESS IS GOOD, IF IT'S STAR WARS RANDOMNESS, YES?)
Film Focus Ultimate Star Wars Quiz
Film Focus has posted their 100 question long Ultimate Star Wars Quiz to celebrate the release of 'Revenge of the Sith':The quiz gets progressively harder as you go along and we hope there'll be questions in there you'll only be able to answer if you know the films inside-out.

We've teamed up with Fox to make sure there are oodles of Star Wars swag up for grabs to winners, we've got posters, DVD boxsets and loads more to give to runners up and there's a special prize for the Ultimate fan that we're keeping under wraps until the end of the quiz.

The quiz closes on May 14th in time for the release of the film and we'll be hand-scoring it to make sure that even if you've not got perfectly grammatical answers, if they're right you still get scored.

The quiz'll also come back after the competition closes as a play-for-fun exercise, and it'll be a permanent feature of the site.

EDITOR'S NOTE: I HAVE A PREMONITION OF DOOM....MAYBE I'M NOT REALLY A DWEEB, MAYBE I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH, MAYBE I SHOULD GO BACK TO MY HORRID DAY JOB AND GIVE UP MY QUEENDOM.

NAH....
http://www.filmfocus.co.uk/starwars1.asp

Bai Ling Cut From Episode III
Page Six reports that Bai Ling, who was cast as Senator Bama Breemu in 'Revenge of the Sith', has been cut from the film:

BAI Ling was cut out of "Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" after it was announced that she was posing nude in Playboy, the disappointed actress claims.

The sexy Chinese-born Ling, who was supposed to play Senator Bana Breemu in the final installment of the "Star Wars" series, burst into tears at the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of "The Beautiful Country" the other night while she was describing how her scene was snipped:

"I just found out that my part has been completely cut out of the upcoming 'Star Wars' movie. I do not know what happened," Ling said.

LucasFilm spokeswoman Lynn Hale told us that Ling's sole scene was cut more than a year ago. "It was just one scene," she said. EDITOR'S NOTE: GIVEN HOW MUCH OF YOUNG OBI-WAN'S ANATOMY IS AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING....AT ANY DVD SHOP, AND IN ANY NUMBER OF FILMS....I WOULDN'T THINK LFL IS SUDDENLY PRUDISH.

THE EXPANDED UNIVERSE.....YIPPEE!!!
C3: Timothy Zahn, Outbound Flight & the EU
12pmThe wait for Timothy Zahn was quite long and filled about 2/3rds of the panel room.

In fact such a long time was spent letting people in, he started a little later and gave a number of fans the chance to get a few items signed or just shake his hand.

There was a lot of great anecdotes about his writing and the positive fan reactions, but by far the coolest thing, and what really excited the fans in the room was information about his newest books.

Yup, books. Plural.

Read on for more information.

The moderator started off the show and Mr. Zahn talked a little about his newest novel, Star Wars: Outbound Flight which is due in bookstores on October 25. He explained a little about how the book, and it's sequel, the previously released Star Wars: Survivor's Quest came to be released.

In 2000 Lucasfilm approached Mr. Zahn to tell the story of Outbound Flight, the mysterious Jedi ship that was alluded to in his earlier Thrawn Trilogy. He thought about it for about two seconds and agreed. It was to be released before Episode 2, but eventually got pushed back to late in 2005 on the Del Rey release schedule.He was then asked to do a Luke/Mara story so he thought, since prequels are so popular, he would link the two stories together.

He doesn't usually write this way, but scheduling permitted it and he worked out both outlines simultaneously and was able to start plot threads in Survivor's Quest that won't resolve until Outbound Flight.

When asked if fans would ever find out more about Talon Karrde's old boss, Jorj Car'das, Zahn replied "You mean the Jorj Car'das in Outbound Flight?"He promises great Jedi action with Jorus C'baoth (the original, not the clone) and Obi-Wan and Anakin will be featured in the first half of the book.

Zahn also indicated Commander Thrawn will be featured and will not disappoint with his tactics and military action.EDITOR'S NOTE: THRAWN ROCKS!

What really got attendees excited was his announcement of a new book that is to be set right after A New Hope and features the classic characters. It is tentatively titled Allegiance and he will start working on it come August 2005. He was treated a huge round of applause when revealed it will depict Mara Jade at the height of her powers as The Emperor's Hand! He hopes to be able to find a nice part for Chewbacca, and will also feature Vader with some interaction between the Sith Lord and The Emperor's Hand. EDITOR'S NOTE: CLASSIC CHARACTERS, STILL IN THEIR PRIME, AND WRITTEN BY TIMOTHY ZAHN. LIFE IS GOOD!

When asked what else he might be writing in the GFFA, he admitted that it's by invite only, but he might like to do a Luke/Mara/Ben Skywalker story post-Legacy. He also would like to do a Thrawn and the Chiss book but feels it may not be marketable enough, so he said he may pitch it to the Star Wars Insider as short fiction.

Other things he touched on were clarifying some plot points about the Far Outsiders from the Hand of Thrawn duology, and the fact that he intended them to be the Yuuzhan Vong, but wasn't allowed to be more specific than he was. EDITOR'S NOTE: WASN'T THAT SUPPOSED TO BE KINDA OBVIOUS? (SUBTLE, BUT OBVIOUS?)

He also wishes he could have better nailed down the timeline issues in his first trilogy (as far as the Clone Wars and Prequels are concerned) but those are the breaks. "We get to play in George Lucas's driveway with our toys. And when he backs the car out and breaks something, we really have no right to complain."

All in all he was very modest and self deprecating towards the fans accolades, and wants to thank the fans as much as anyone for the resurgence of the Star Wars fiction. "I just poked my finger in the crust to show everyone that there was still steam here."

STARWARS FUNNIES:
The Darth Side: Memoirs of a Monster
You can check out the journal of Darth Vader, Lord of the Sith and servant to his Supreme Excellency the Emperor Palpatine
http://darthside.blogspot.com/
EDITOR'S NOTE: DARTH V IS SO TRENDY; HE HAS A BLOG!

Letterman Star Wars Top Ten
the Letterman Top 10 that aired April 27th:

Top Ten Questions To Ask Yourself Before Camping Out To See "Star Wars"

10. "Why don't I have anything better to do?"

9. "How many Wookiees does my tent sleep?"

8. "Will it be more fun than when I camped out to see 'Miss Congeniality 2'?"

7. "Exactly when did I give up on doing anything meaningful with my life?"

6. "Will I be teased by roving gangs of Trekkies?"

5. "If I use all my vacation days now, how will I take that trip to ice planet Hoth?"

4. "Does Starbucks let guys dressed as galactic bounty hunters use their bathroom?"

3. "I wonder how many other guys on line are named 'Shecky'?"

2. "Should I just pay the extra dollar and use Moviefone?"

1. "If I had a girlfriend, what would she think?"

EDITOR'S NOTE: TONS MORE STAR WARS STUFF STILL TO COME. BUT LET'S GET THIS POST UP, AND I'LL BE BACK TOMORROW OR SO WITH MORE.

A smattering of things that have nothing to do with Star Wars

EDITOR'S NOTE: IT'S TUESDAY, AND ONCE AGAIN I HEAR THE SIREN CALL OF STAR WARS. BUT DUTY NEEDS WIN OUT FOR A BRIEF SEC.

HARRY POTTER:
GOF coming to Imax theaters
Imax corporation and Warner Bros. are to announce that Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire will be shown on Imax screens on November 18, the same time the movie will be presented in conventional theaters.

This is the second time a Harry Potter movie has been shown on Imax screens with POA last summer becoming one of Imax's highest-grossing digitally remastered movies.
EDITOR'S NOTE: FIRST VIEWING IS USUALLY BEST ON THE REGULAR SCREEN (CAUSE IT'S HARD TO TAKE IT ALL IN THE FIRST TIME ON THE LARGE-SCREEN IMAX). BUT THE IMAX POA WAS GORGEOUS....AND NOT JUST THE PICTURE; THE SOUND WAS ENHANCED TOO.

Brand new GOF set reportHP4U.co.uk has posted another great Goblet of Fire set report.

It details the Quidditch World Cup campsite, the Hogwarts Grounds, Gryffindor common room, the graveyard (at the end of the book) and more:

It was all so impressive and the Graveyard is vast, creepy and enchanted and soooo realistic. Every tombstone and stone coffin were hand covered in moss and lichen, mist swirled around the entrance to what one of the crew said was a charnel house. There were giant trees and bushes twisted into tortured shapes. Not a place anyone would want to be at night. Because the grass is real and the entire floor is sculpted and turfed it also smelled like you’d imagine a gloomy graveyard would. The heat from the lights and the amount of bodies (live ones) made the place so warm that steam was rising from the grass making the place seem even more scary.

The biggest surprise of the whole day had to be [as I stood shivering with excitement in the spooky place]. A very unwell looking Cedric Diggory came walking down to set. “Hi,” he joked, “Sorry about my appearance. You’ve caught me on a dead day.” EDITOR'S NOTE: I GUESS THAT'S A SPOILER? (IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE BOOKS.........AND SHAME ON YOU FOR THAT). A FUNNY ONE!

More info on GOF special effectsHP4U.co.uk has a new set report from Starburst Magazine detailing the Hungarian Horntail and more:


The wings are literally 'puppeteers' from behind, and the tail - it's a tail on a stick, basically, he reveals. The beast's front half is animated via a computer performance system. Other achievements by the props department include silicone aquatronic dummies of four of the youngsters - Hermione, Ron, Cho Chang, and Fleur - for an underwater sequence that was filmed in a 60 by 20 foot tank, and the "extreme" make-up for Mad-Eye Moody, played by Brendan Gleeson.

Voldemort...the action figure
Here he is, in all his evilness.

Image hosted by Photobucket.com

MOVIE NEWS:
It's a July start for War Games 2
MGM has announced a July start date for the sequel to 1983's "War Games". Called "War Games II : The Deadly Key", the film is scheduled to shoot in Europe, and tipped for a direct-to-DVD release sometime next year.
EDITOR'S NOTE: OH. DIRECT TO DVD. WELL NEVER MIND, THEN.

In "War Games 2", teenage computer-whiz Cory Carpenter, is on a class trip in Europe when the authorities wrongly mistake him for a cyber criminal. Now, Carpenter's on the run, but thanks to his beautiful classmate Anne and his nerdy best mate Dale Darrow, manages to stay one step ahead of the law.

Unfortunately, whilst all this is happening, Carpenter's long-time internet pal Jay Forell - whom Carpenter later discovers isn't so much a human as he is a government computer that's gone haywire - implents a plan for nuclear disaster by bringing down an unsuspecting planet.

Producer Mike Elliot ["American Pie : Band Camp"] recently chatted about the film, saying

"The story is more international... it takes place in half in Philidelphia, half in Europe". EDITOR'S NOTE: WITH A DIRECT-TO-DVD BUDGET, DID THEY EVEN LEAVE NEW JERSEY? He adds, "It’s hard to believe it but the original “War Games,” which I consider a true classic, is twenty years old! The original was made in a time before everyone had their own computer… before we all had worldwide access to the internet. The world back then was so different from today’s, so much more innocent, that we have had to do a ton of updating. The result is a more techy and fast-paced than the original. It’s tricky, but we are hopeful we will simultaneously please fans of the original and draw in some new viewers."

None of the stars of the original film, notably Matthew Broderick, are expected to return for the sequel.EDITOR'S NOTE: YEAH. GO FIGGER. Casting begins shortly.

Lucas on Indiana Jones's last crusade
Now that the kid's scored his helmet, George Lucas is looking to the "Indiana Jones" franchise for the next extension on his mansion.
EDITOR'S NOTE: 'THE KID'S SCORED HIS HELMET'? HUH?

Though it's been pushed back more times than a drunk chap at a bar, "Indiana Jones 4" is still happening, says Lucas - the plan is in place.

And it doesn't matter that star Harrison Ford is getting older - because the script caters for that.

Talking to Hollywood.com, Lucas shed some much welcomed light on the third sequel, saying it'll feature Indy - played by Harrison Ford - as well as a new, younger, sidekick. EDITOR'S NOTE: SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE CALLING HIS LADY-FRIENDS THESE DAYS?

"I talked to Steven while I was in Hawaii, and he said the script is done and he was going to send it to me when I got back, which was yesterday. It isn't on my desk today and he's coming up tomorrow to see Star Wars, so I assume he'll bring it with him", the "Star Wars" zillionaire says. Lucas says he's trying to get "Indiana Jones 4" off the ground since working on TV spin-off "Young Indiana Jones".

"Oh yeah. I came up with this idea doing 'Young Indy', which has got to be about seven or eight years ago, and we've been through a number of scripts--six or eight scripts. Six scripts, two rewrites. So it's been down the path. There were certain aspects of it that Steven and Harrison [Ford] didn't like, and so we changed those, and then we laid out a version and it didn't come out the way it was supposed to, and then we did another version and it didn't come out, so we've just been going through this development hell, which happens once in a while. We'll see. When it comes out, it'll be different. Different, but the same." EDITOR'S NOTE: OH POOR UNCLE GEORGE. WHY DO YOU SPEAK TO REPORTERS? WHY? WHY? SIGH....

And what of the rumours that a new younger sidekick may be involved?

"It's possible. Not really to take over", says Lucas, adding that the new character hasn't been designed so he/she can star in their own movies. "No, it wasn't meant to be that way. But I guess that's a possibility. It's really to wrap it up. Just desperately trying to put things together that work. You need characters to make the film work. It's not just an adventure story. There's actually got to be human relationships in it."

Lucas wouldn't confirm who would be playing the new sidekick - everyone from Kevin Costner, playing Indy's brother, to Scarlett Johansson, playing Indy's new female sidekick, has been rumoured for the part - but did hint that some old series faves, including Kate Capshaw's Willie Scott, could be returning. EDITOR'S NOTE: WONDER IF SHE CAN STILL MAKE THAT SHRILL SHRIEKING NOISE? (THANK HEAVENS SHE AGED INTO A WAY MORE INTERESTING SCREEN PRESENCE THAN INDY 2 GAVE ANY HOPE THAT SHE WOULD).

Shrek 3 is NSYNC
Seems Justin Timberlake's involvement in the "Shrek" franchise will extended more than a picture of the pop-star featured in the last sequel. (As you'll recall, a poster of "Sir Justin" hangs in Fiona's bedroom).

According to USA Today, the rising young actor will lend his voice to "Shrek 3", playing the role of a young King Arthur in the film.

"Artie," King Harold's rebellious nephew who has no interest in being king, needs Shrek to help him act like royalty. Despite their high-profile relationship, Diaz, who is the voice of Shrek's wife, Fiona, had no say in Timberlake landing the job, producer Aron Warner insists.

"Our desire was to get somebody who is visible and had their own persona to bring to the table," he says. "Justin fit that bill perfectly."

Warner says there's another surprise in the next sequel - Shrek and Fiona may be having a baby. "In teaching Artie to be king, Shrek has to overcome his deep-seated fear of being a father", says the producer. "That's all I'm going to say".

The Talented Mr. Polo
Now this could be go either way. Matt Damon is set to play Marco Polo in a new film from "Kingdom of Heaven" scribe William Monahan, says Variety.

Based on Polo's autobiography "The Travels of Marco Polo", the film will star the blonde superstar as an adventurer who went farther into Asia than any Westerner had ever tried to.

It took Polo twenty four years to complete his journey in which time he witnessed many technological advances in China and Mongolia and became a confidante of Kublai Khan.

"Travels" is one of the greatest books of all time—a vast treasury of invaluable observations on the peoples and geography of the Near East and Asia in the 13th century. Damon is usually pretty good at picking them - can't say the same for his good bud, Ben - so hopefully this will have some crackle. EDITOR'S NOTE: IF THERE HAS TO BE ONE OF THESE CASTOFTHOUSANDSALLCOVEREDINMUD EPICS EVERY SUMMER (AND IT APPEARS THERE DOES), AT LEAST THEY'RE CASTING MORE INTERESTING PEOPLE (THAN COLIN FARRELL OR BRAD PITT) LATELY.

Marsters and Whedon in talks for Spike pic?
Wendy at SupportSpike has slapped up an interesting Q & A with James Marsters, who appeared at Collectormania and waxed lyrical about the much-talked about "Spike" telemovie.

The good news?

The former "Buffy" and "Angel" star had a chat to Joss Whedon about such a project, just two weeks ago.

Q : Is there going to be a Spike movie?

JM : Hopefully. I talked to Joss two weeks ago and he asked me if I was still up for it. I would love to do it but we’re on a clock. I’m a middle-aged man and in 5 years I will be (thinks) I will be 48. Vampires can’t age so it must be done soon. Spike needs to have something to aim for, to win the girl, lose the girl, something like that.

For those not-in-the-know, Whedon's keen on doing a telemovie that centres on the character of Spike, from both "Buffy" and "Angel".

The WB network has yet to give the thumbs up to it.

Mork calling Orson, Come in Orson
Deep in a san-fran bungalow, Robin Williams is brushing up on his 'Nanoo, Nanoo'.

Why?

It seems the fuzzy-funnyman is set to return to the role that put him on the map - that of earth-visiting alien Mork.

Williams tells Sky that he's keen to bring the "Happy Days" spin-off to the silver screen.

It's still a great story and ahead of its time", says Williams.

In the series, which ran from 1978-1982, Williams played A wacky alien who comes to Earth and falls for pretty young Mindy McConnell, played by Pam Dawber.

Producer Garry Marshall ["Happy Days"] came up with the idea of the orignal series during a chat with an ABC exec. He introduced the character of Mork, by way of a guest appearance, on his hit series "Happy Days".

Will Williams wear the red jump-suit again? "I may be a little old but do aliens really age?"

Have the X-Men enlisted Sark?
David Anders, best known as the sneaky 'Sark' from TV's "Alias", is in talks to star in "X-Men 3".

Anders, whose character was written out of the Jennifer Garner starrer last season, is reportedly a hop, skip and a jump away from landing the role of the mutant, Angel, says Development Hell.

The actor is currently working on an Indy called "Eli", and let slip that he tested for the role a few days back - and that he's meeting with director Matthew Vaughn to discuss it further.

The character of Angel is merely one of several new characters being introduced into the franchise circa "X-Men 3". EDITOR'S NOTE: IS ANGEL A BAD GUY OR A GOOD GUY IN THE XMEN LEXICON? (DAVID ANDERS, YUMMY ON ANY SIDE)!

Romijn-Stamos on X-Men 3
The troops from IESB caught up with Rebecca Romijn-Stamos and her fine legs, and got blabbing about "X-Men 3".

According to Romijn-Stamos, who plays mystique in the films, she's due on set August 1st, and from the sounds of it, the story might have been tweaked from last reports.

The site adds, "When asked about the script, she mentioned that last she heard it was not done yet and that there has been plenty of changes from the first drafts. The early reports that the storyline would revolve around the Dark Phoenix may no longer be accurate. Part of the problem that Fox is having is that they currently don't know what character the third movie will focus and revolve around."

It's sweet 16 for Mos Def
Rapper-turned-actor Mos Def ["The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"] has won a plum co-starring role in the next Bruce Willis headliner, "16 Blocks".

The film, from director Richard Donner ["Lethal Weapon"], tells of a NYPD officer who is forced to escort a happy but down-on-his-luck witness 16 blocks from the station to 100 Centre Street.

The kicker is - no one wants them to make it from A to B. When this is wrapped, Bruno's due to strap on John McClane's trousers again.

Rodriguez heading back to Sin City
"Sin City" is one of the most eye-popping films of the year. EDITOR'S NOTE: IT ROCKS, ACTUALLY.

The good news? Robert Rodriguez is already planning the follow-ups. EDITOR'S NOTE: YAY!

Says JoBlo.com, "Robert Rodriguez will be shooting back to back sequels for SIN CITY 2 and 3 starting February of next year for a release presumably summer of 2007. I guess the studio big wigs were satisfied with the commercial and critical appeal of the uber-cool SIN CITY that they jumped on the shooting back to back sequels bandwagon". EDITOR'S NOTE: THE FIRST ONE WAS BRILLIANT, BUT I HOPE THEY SPACE OUT THE RELEASE DATES OF 2 AND 3, CAUSE IT'S REALLY INTENSE STUFF, AND I WOULD NEED TO TIME FOR BREATH IN BETWEEN, I THINK.

That's not all, Rodriguez is also planning to do a movie called "Conan" for Warner Bros. There's no details on the film, so it's only a guess, but didn't John Milius say Warner now had they're own ideas for a "Conan" movie? Might be this be it?

Universal digging up The Mummy again?
A while back rumours surfaced that Diector Stephen Sommers might be unearthing the "Mummy" franchise again - without original star Brendan Fraser.
EDITOR'S NOTE: WITHOUT FRASER (AND WEISZ) WHAT IS THE POINT?!

Now, according to JoBlo.com, The Mummy 3" is closer to being a reality, with a storyline already scrawled. Stephen Sommers has completed a script for a third MUMMY sequel and is looking to start shooting at the end of this year and early 2006.

There's no word yet as to whether Brendan Fraser or Rachel Weisz will be back for this sequel but if Universal knows what's good for them, they willl be. EDITOR'S NOTE: YES. EXACTLY!

The last rumoured plot for a third film involved King Imhotep/The Mummy waking up in contemporary times.

Dial M for Melbourne
Victoria Hill and Lachy Hulme have jumped aboard Geoffrey Wright's retool of Shakespeare's "Macbeth," titled "M", about to kick off a shoot in sunny Melbourne.


The film, a contemporary take on Bill Shakespeare's yarn, is a film set amid a violent gangland war in the southern Australian city.

Like Bazz Luhrmann's "Romeo and Juliet", the film will retain the play's original dialogue but be set during modern-day bloody gangland wars.

Rising star Sam Worthington ["Dirty Deeds"] will play Macbeth.

Hill, whose credits include TV's "Crash Palace" and "All Saints", will play Lady Macbeth, and "Matrix Revolutions" star Lachy Hulme is Macduff.

The original play centred on Macbeth's murderous overthrow of the King of Scotland, at the urging of Lady Macbeth, before dying at the hand of Macduff. The film will likely follow the same storyline. EDITOR'S NOTE: SO IT'S A COMEDY?

Blake Nelson, Prepon, Ladd in 'Morning'

Laura Prepon, Tim Blake Nelson and three-time best supporting actress Oscar nominee Diane Ladd are joining the cast of Bold Films' "Come Early Morning," which started principal photography last week in Arkansas.

Written and directed by Joey Lauren Adams, the film stars Ashley Judd as a small-town woman who has never committed to a serious relationship. Actress-turned-director Adams co-starred in Kevin Smith's "Chasing Amy" and appeared opposite Adam Sandler in "Big Daddy

Streep has deal with 'The Devil'

Meryl Streep has signed on to star in Fox 2000's upcoming fashionista comedy "The Devil Wears Prada." Wendy Finerman is producing.

"Devil" is based on Lauren Weisberger's best-selling novel about a young woman who goes to New York to work for an all-powerful magazine editor named Miranda Priestly (Streep). EDITOR'S NOTE: I CAN HEAR THE LINE-READINGS NOW. BITCHY AND BRILLIANT. (AND LOOKING FABULOUS!)

Weisberger did a stint as an assistant to Vogue editor Anna Wintour. David Frankel is directing from a script by Aline Brosh McKenna ("The Laws of Attraction").

OTHER STUFF:
'Ray' tuning up for Broadway stage
Get ready for "Ray" the musical.

"Ray" producers Stuart Benjamin and Howard and Karen Baldwin are reteaming to bring a Ray Charles stage project to Broadway.

The producers have acquired dramatico-musical rights to the project from the Ray Charles estate and Ray Charles Enterprises. Universal Pictures and "Ray" director Taylor Hackford are not involved at this time.

The stage project will differ in scope and intent from the film. The play will span his entire career, allowing the producers to showcase Charles' lifetime repertoire of music. It also will combine performances with dramatic vignettes that will tell stories of Charles' business, political and charitable endeavors. EDITOR'S NOTE: IN CASE ANYONE THOUGHT BROADWAY WAS MAKING A COMEBACK.....STICK A FORK IN IT, IT'S DONE. (I DON'T MEAN BOX OFFICE. BUT IT AIN'T ABOUT NEW AND IT AIN'T ABOUT THE AMERICAN MUSICAL, NOW IS IT?!) SIGH.....

NARNIA Online
In case you haven't seen it yet, Disney has an elaborate website for their upcoming THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE.

The site includes production art along with character profiles. There are also behind-the-scenes videos, news, a film synopis, and downloads (wallpaper, AIM icons). And they recently added a third video which focuses on the sets and locations.

The film hits theaters this December 9th.

http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/narnia/

USC study: MPAA ratings system flawed
A study released on Monday shows that one in five films rated PG, or "parental guidance suggested" -- with some material that may not be suitable for children -- actually have more violent actions than the average for those listed as PG-13, or inappropriate for children under 13. EDITOR'S NOTE: GOSH. RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU ARE SURPRISED THAT THE WHOLE RATINGS SYSTEM IS A BUNCH OF MALARKY? (PUT YOUR HAND DOWN, BOB).

It also found that one in 10 PG films had more violent acts than the average for those in the study that were rated R, or "Restricted" -- meaning any viewer under 17 should be accompanied by an adult.

"The most striking finding was that more than one quarter of the violence in each of the three rating categories was of lethal magnitude," said the report from the School of Film, Television and Digital Media at USC on a review of 100 top-grossing films.

The MPAA rating system provides secondary information on violence, nudity and language, but it is often in the background in advertising. Thus parents who rely on the age-based categories are using what Theresa Webb, one of the report's authors, called "the weakest of all the indicators" to make viewing decisions.

2929 signs Soderbergh for six pack
In a move that provides significant momentum to Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner's efforts to collapse the traditional distribution windows, their 2929 Entertainment company has signed a six-picture deal with maverick director Steven Soderbergh.

Announced Thursday, the deal through 2929's HDNet production company will see Soderbergh's films released simultaneously across theatrical, TV and home video platforms on the theory that collapsing the traditionally staggered windows gives consumers a choice regarding how and when they want to see a film.

Soderbergh will have creative control over all the films' content, with each produced in 1080i high-definition format.

The first project, "Bubble," centering on a murder mystery in a small town in Ohio, is in production on a three-week schedule with Soderbergh writing and directing.

The casting director trawled area malls and beauty shops to find local residents to audition for the nonprofessional cast.

HDNet Films is financing all the projects with "Bubble's" budget between $2 million-$3 million.

Wagner said this number might increase for the yet-to-be-announced projects, if Soderbergh pitches a compelling concept.

I'm excited to work with Todd and Mark and appreciate the freedom to create independent films under this new distribution model," Soderbergh said in a statement. "All of us see consumer choice driving the future of the movie industry and this is a giant leap in that direction."

Soderbergh has long been a fan of digital filmmaking. His digital projects include Miramax's "Full Frontal" and the HBO series "K Street" and "Unscripted."

The day-and-date strategy will be executed via 2929's Magnolia Pictures label, with theatrical distribution initially taking place at the company's Landmark Theatre chain and TV distribution through the company high-definition cable channel HDNet Movies.

It's unclear whether the theatrical distribution will expand beyond 2929's properties, as the strategy of collapsing windows is seen as a threat by many in the industry.

However, as Soderbergh's recent projects, "Criminal" and "The Jacket," both performed dismally at the boxoffice via Warner Independent Pictures, 2929's strategy might provide an attractive alternative for Soderbergh's smaller projects. (2929 also produced "Good Night, and Good Luck," the story of broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, directed by George Clooney, Soderbergh's production partner in his company Section 8.)

"I think the distribution strategy was part of why (Soderbergh) did it," Wagner said. "Some of the things he did before didn't get the theatrical attention he would have liked. With us, we can make sure they get theatrical distribution in addition to television and home video. We can get it out there and test this model."

Another driver of this strategy, which Wagner hopes will one day be releasing a theatrical film each quarter, is to add subscribers to his burgeoning HDNet network.

"We want the HDNet subscribers to be happy," Wagner said. "We need to make it worthwhile for them to be on the system. With a director of this caliber they will know that this is something we are serious about."

Wagner also hopes that Soderbergh is not the only director to sign on. "This is just the beginning. This deal doesn't prevent other directors or actors from trying to do something different. But we're off to a good start with Steven leading the charge." EDITOR'S NOTE: AS LONG AS THE CLEVER DISTRIBUTION EXPERIMENT DOESN'T OVER-SHADOW CONTENT?