The Dweebletter

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LUKE SKYWALKER

2007-09-25T01:10:00.000-05:00

Editor's note: Well....Happy Birthday, Mark HAMILL, at any rate.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU....

HAPPY (#56) BIRHTDAY MR. HAMILL.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUU!

and many more.......

ttfn and mtfbwy ker

Title of new 'Indiana Jones' revealed

2007-09-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Once again, PlanoKevin leads the pack in sending me items that DEMAND posting. (Despite my current oppressive work schedule).

You ROCK, PK!

Title of new 'Indiana Jones' revealed

The "Jones" cast: Shia LaBeouf, Steven Spielberg, Karen Allen (seated), Ray Winstone and Harrison Ford.

Editor's Note: Is it just me, or is Indy looking almost frail? (Jeez, how did our lovely Han Solo become such a GEEZER)? Meanwhile, Karen Allen does not appear to have aged at ALL. (And she's a leading part in this??? YAY!!!!)

NEW YORK (AP) -- The title of the new "Indiana Jones" movie, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Harrison Ford, has been revealed.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" will be in theaters May 22, 2008. Editor's Note: Coincidence that the words "Crystal Skull" are in the title of a movie that opens on OddBob's birthday? (Seeing as how we are reasonably sure he FELL on his head and something BROKE)?

The title of the long-awaited fourth installment of the adventure series was announced by Shia LaBeouf, who co-stars with Ford in the film, at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The new Indy adventure, which is set in the 1950s, also stars Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent and Karen Allen.

Sean Connery, who played dad to Ford's globe-trotting archaeologist in 1989's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," will not reprise the role in the new movie.

The series began in 1981 with "Raiders of the Lost Ark," followed by "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" in 1984.

In promotional photos, the 65-year-old Ford appears fit as ever. Editor's Note: Umm...okay..... If you say so. Bet we won't be getting any more of that shirt-off/bodybyJake action?

"I have to say, he looks amazing," Kathleen Kennedy, the film's co-executive producer, along with George Lucas, told The Associated Press in July. "He looks fantastic in the outfit." Editor's Note: Ok, now you're just bein a TEASE.

NoI'mnotdead/Here'ssomeOddBob

2007-08-31T15:17:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: I have been accused of abandoning my dweebly responsibilities. While this is technically accurate (yesyesyes, it's been a heap of time since I've dweeblogged), since the finger being pointed is that of a jobless, feckless MIME, does it count?

Back to that whole treeinforestnoonehearsit thing.....

SO. HERE, you silly Mimey ODDBOB. Take THAT!

The Top 10 Rejected Star Trek Spinoffs

10> Quark Shadows

9> The Q Files, starring Q and Agent Scully

8> How I Met Your First Officer

7> Desperate Klingons

6> Geordi Loves Scotty

5> Federation Idol: The Ten-Forward lounge is the center stage in this search for the next big "star". Q covers "Me and Mrs. Jones" and wows the audience!

4> The Surreal Plot

3> The Viewscreen: Guinan, Counselor Troi & Neelix host a succession of warm and fuzzy feel-good book authors and other personality-impaired personalities. Show is universally despised by males, as well as Klingons of either gender. Only lasts half a season before entire cast is fed on-camera to a ravenous alien carnivore by their own stagehands.

2> Data-line NBC: To Catch A Soongian Android Duplicate

and the Number 1 Rejected Star Trek Spinoff...

1> Surak, Sarek and Spock in: Two and a Half Vulcans

Editor's Note: Hardly worth the wait, huh?

It is Now LEGAL to Think What OddBob's Thinking

2007-07-23T07:21:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Legal in the U.S. as well as those furren places. (and yes...what I might have been thinking too. But only cause OddBob put those evil thoughts into my head!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.....

HAPPY (18th) BIRTHDAY DANIEL RADCLIFFE.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

and many more.......

ttfn and mtfbwy ker

OddBob Wraps up Harry Potter Week (as only OddBob can)

2007-07-20T06:56:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Midnight tonight!!! (I think I need a nap.....)

The Top 13 Guesses at the Last Line of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (Part II)

"Not tonight, Ginny -- I'm watching the Quidditch match."

"And lo, Harry's spirit passed forth from the realm of hardcover releases, and into a series of ghost-written paperbacks unto eternity."

"Holding Voldemort's severed head high in the air, Dudley sneered at Harry's sniveling form in the corner, and exclaimed, 'No more fat jokes, cousin.'"

"I'd like you to meet my new associate, Nearly Headless Hermione."

"Hermione, on the other hand, decided to give up the whole wizard shtick and become a dancer at a gentleman's club called The Caldron in Hogsmeade."

"Okay, Ron, now it's time for a little Paycheckium Cashicus!!"

"It was the same as the last six closing remarks that I'd heard from Dumbledore: 'If you tell your parents, I swear to God, I'll kill you in your sleep,'"

"Hermione pressed her heaving bosom against Harry and the two stepped over Ron's smoking remains, mounted his broom and flew off with hopes of a new life in a land where screaming orgasms wouldn't incinerate everything in a 50-foot radius."

"Harry trudged down the lane, devastated at the news that he was the only one who'd have to repeat 7th year."

"So, in the end, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was undone by the love that dare not speak its name."

"Harry put a quarter in the juke box on the diner table and flipped through the song list, finally settling on Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing.'"

"Hey, this Bott's Bean tastes like cyani--"

and the Number 1 Guesses at the Last Line of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"...

"And then Harry woke up from his dream to find himself still on the scaffold, with the angry citizens of Salem Village clamoring for his death."

Editor's Note: OddBob items brought to you as a public service by the "ANYTHINGJKRWRITESISBOUNDTOBEBETTER" Association.

You'll thank us later?

ONE MORE DAY (well, almost two) TO GO

2007-07-19T08:41:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Not that we're counting. (Cause we're not really BREATHING now, and that is required for counting!)

ummm...yeah....OOOOOOKKKKKKAAAAAAY.....

All of these items were sent to me by my two most stalwart dweebpals: PlanoKevin, and OddBob. (Who even sent in stuff that isn't insane. Well, I THINK it was OddBob.....not sure now....)

FYI....I am not even reading this first article. I don't even want to know what spoilers I'm NOT reading.

Harry Potter Spoilers Proliferate
(ET)By HILLEL ITALIE

NEW YORK (AP) - In the final days before the world learns whether Harry Potter lives or dies, spoilers - or those pretending to spoil - are spreading on the Internet.

On Tuesday, digital images of what may be the entire text of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," including 36 chapters and a seven-page epilogue, were circulating among Web users. The book was apparently photographed as it lay on a carpet speckled with green and red, a hand at the bottom holding down the pages.

A separate link, , also displayed a seven-page epilogue and a 36-chapter table of contents from "Deathly Hallows," coming out July 21 under ultra-tight security.http://www.zendurl.com/h/hallows

Similar information appeared Monday on .http://spoilerboy.googlepages.com/home

Meanwhile, a resident of Vancouver, British Columbia, has said that he downloaded hundreds of pages from the 784-page book and U.S. publisher Scholastic, Inc., has been busy ordering would-be spoilers to remove their information from the Internet.

"I'm guessing we're in the double digits," says Scholastic spokeswoman Kyle Good, who added that requiring material to be pulled down did not mean it was authentic.

"There's so much out there that it's confusing for fans. Our lawyers are trying to keep down the amount of spoiler traffic that's out there and clear it from places where fans might be reading."

Anxious about keeping a lock on publishing's ultimate mystery, Scholastic has refused all along to say whether a spoiler has the real book or not. According to Good, there is more than one version of the full Potter text on the Internet. She said the different versions all "looked convincing" and all had different content from each other.

Leaked copies of other highly anticipated works have appeared online in recent years, from O.J. Simpson's canceled tale of murder, "If I Did It," to "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," which could be downloaded before the film's release with the help of a file-sharing program, BitTorrent, an apparent source of the full Potter book.

Author J.K. Rowling, who has said two major characters will die, has begged the public not to give away the ending to her seventh and final Potter book. Fan sites such as and have vowed to keep spoilers away.http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/http://www.mugglenet.com

"A lot or our tips about spoilers are coming from fans," Good says. "There's a groundswell from fans who find these links and send them to us, saying, 'I'm not going to look at this, but somebody told me about it.'"

"I just hope they find these people and punish them accordingly," said Leaky Cauldron Web master Melissa Anelli. "This is exceedingly wrong and mean-spirited. Let people enjoy their book, for Pete's sake."

Last month, a hacker who identified himself as "Gabriel" claimed to have broken into the computer system of British publisher Bloomsbury PLC and posted key plot points on .http://seclists.org/misc/harrypotterspoilers.html

Those plot points differ from what is revealed on , which contradicts itself on the fate of Potter's buddy Ron.http://www.zendurl.com/h/hallows/

"There is a lot of material on the Internet that claims to come from 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,' but anyone can post anything on the Internet and you can't believe everything you see online," Good says.

"We all have our theories on how the series will end, but the only way we'll know for sure is to read the book ourselves at 12:01 a.m. on July 21."

Harry Potter and the OTHER Dark Arts
I thought I'd bought a ticket to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

So why, sitting there with my popcorn and my blue Icee, did I get the feeling I'd walked into some allegory about the Bush administration?

The resemblance between the White House and the Ministry of Magic of this film was unsettling --- from star chamber-type inquiries to a takeover of Hogwarts School, where the Ministry's senior undersecretary becomes the new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. She teaches strictly to the test and the text, and as for the tests themselves, the OWLS exams -- well, let's just call them the No Wizard Left Behind tests.

The Harry Potter books have been sliced and diced six ways from Christmas, and the online speculation about J.K. Rowling's politics runs from the libertarian to the totalitarian.

Whatever Rowling's politics, her job description for this Dark Arts teacher here could have gotten Dick Cheney hired for the post. Once the Dark Arts instructor is promoted to Hogwarts headmistress, she posts so many ''thou shalt not'' ukases that she runs out of wall space. She despises disloyalty, and to ferret it out, she enlists spies -- so much for loyalty. She inflicts corporal punishment that wouldn't pass muster with the Geneva Convention, and tries to use an illegal curse to squeeze Harry Potter for information.

This character's name? Dolores Umbridge -- a name that conveys ''sorrows'' and ''anger.'' With the last Potter book landing in stores this week, she'll probably be out looking for work. I know just the administration that might have a spot for her for her ... Editor's Note: This would be funny, if it weren't so very very sadly true.....

Row in Israel Over Potter Sabbath Launch
JERUSALEM (AP) - The figure responsible for Israel's latest religious row is a bespectacled British teenager who is gifted with magical powers, world famous and entirely fictional.

The synchronized worldwide launch of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the seventh and last installment in the wildly popular series, falls at 2:01 a.m. local time this Saturday - on the Jewish Sabbath, when Israeli law requires most businesses to close.

With Israelis already clamoring for "Deathly Hallows," many bookstores are planning to launch the book at the appointed hour. That has drawn fire from Orthodox Jewish lawmakers, including Industry and Trade Minister Eli Yishai, who threatened to fine any store that opens Saturday.

"Israeli law forbids businesses to force their employees to work on the Sabbath, and that applies in this case as well. The minister will fine and prosecute any businesses which violate the law," said Roei Lachmanovich, a spokesman for Yishai, of the ultra-0rthodox Jewish Shas party.

Avraham Ravitz of the United Torah Judaism Party slammed the Potter books for their "defective messages."

"We don't have to be dragged like monkeys after the world with this subculture, and certainly not while violating our holy Sabbath," Ravitz said in a statement. Editor's Note: 'dragged like monkeys'? I sure hope that is just a bad translation of what he said. Cause otherwise, we now have to worry about all those scuffed up monkeys!

Steimatzky, Israel's biggest bookstore chain, is holding a gala event in Tel Aviv beginning Friday night to launch the book, and the company has no plans to change the time, said spokeswoman Alona Zamir.

"We're required by our agreement with the book's publisher to launch the book at the same time as everywhere else in the world," Zamir said. Editor's Note: And we now know who is more powerful....God or a book publisher.

The chain has already received tens of thousands of advance orders for "Deathly Hallows" in English, with the book's Hebrew translation due out close to the end of 2007, she said.

Worldwide, the Potter books have sold more than 325 million copies, have been translated into at least 64 languages, and have been spun off into a hit movie series.

The book's author, J.K. Rowling, has indicated that two characters die in the new book, leading to speculation that one of them might be Harry himself.

Harry Potter literary mash-ups
Ever wonder what the world of Hogwarts would be like as rendered by famous authors both dead and alive? Wonder no more. ZACH DUNDAS bringsyou J.K. Rowling's last chapter as interpreted by the likes ofHemingway, Zadie Smith and others.

How will billionaire Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling wrap up hermassive magical saga of a boy wizard's confrontation with cosmic eviland adolescence? Soon we'll know.

But frankly, plot aside, we already know how Rowling writes: like she's never met a tree she didn't want to kill in the name of an800-page tome. Editor's Note: He says this like it's a BAD thing. Sometimes More is GOOOOOOD.....

The Potter frenzy got us thinking-how would other writers handle theend of this cash-spinning franchise? What if Hemingway went to Hogwarts? What if iconic feminist author bell hooks or hip, equally British butmuch less rich novelist Zadie Smith had to deal with pubescent wizards?Where would hardboiled king Raymond Chandler take the story?

And what if -- gulp -- ye olde Associated Press wire of yore had to "cover" the endof Harry Potter from the front lines?

We'll never really know. But consider these five literary mash-ups ourloving tribute to Harry and the gang ... or at least all the characters Rowling lets live by the end of this last book.

HEMINGWAY VS. HARRY POTTER
It was dim and cool in Hogwarts. The walls were gray and the pictures could talk. At the top of the Astronomy Tower, Harry lay in a bed.Through the window he could see a hill and a road with pebbles andboulders that looked wet and he could also see the Death Eaters marchingup to the castle in black robes. His arm hurt some. His leg hurt also. He had only one eye after Snape attacked him with the Cruciatus Curse.He sweated and he grunted.

"They are coming," Hermoine said. She sat at the side of the bed and was crying but she was very beautiful.

"Yes," Harry said.

The Quidditch season would begin soon and the Seekers would practice with the Snitches on the muddy fields and come back to the dressing rooms tired but know it was a good day. The Quaffles would be brown or red or black or something, he could not remember and neither couldanyone else.

Harry knew he would not play Quidditch again. Ron was dead. Fleur was dead but beautiful. McGonagall was dead also. Neville was dead but no one could remember his significance except nine-year-olds who could explain it exactly.

"What will happen to us?" Hermoine asked. She wept and she was beautiful as Harry looked at her with his one eye. "I do not know," Harry said. "I do not know." His scar hurt and theywaited.

BELL HOOKS VS. HARRY POTTER
Angelina Johnson strode back and forth in front of the class. Who was Angelina Johnson? The strong sister pushed out to the margins, her voice expropriated by the magical white folks who dominated the Harry Potter narrative, an overarching construct of systemic institutionalized sexism and racism.

Sure, black folks like Angelina Johnson were good enough toplay Quidditch-bread and circuses.

Today it was going to be different,because today was Angelina Johnson's first day as Hogwarts' instructor in Magical Women's and Ethnicities Studies.

"Today," she said. "We're going to talk about the term 'dark magic,'"she began. The class sat up. "What do white folks mean when they say 'dark magic'? "And we're going to talk about the whole Voldemort thing.Is he for real, or is the Dark Lord just a diversionary ploy that creates a passive emotional backdrop for a vision of the Magical Universe that is fundamentally conservative and in no way in oppositionto the beliefs and values of white Muggle culture?"

In the back of the class, Harry looked at Ron. Now what had theygotten into?

ZADIE SMITH VS. HARRY POTTER
Early in the morning, late in the century, Diagon Alley. At 0627 hours on January 1, Ron Weasley pointed his own wand at his face, hoping the judgment would not be too heavy upon him. He was resigned to it. He wasprepared for it.

Ron Weasley attempted suicide because of Harry Potter. Why did "theBoy Who Lived" always get the glory?

But just as Weasley was about to perform the Avada Kedavra curse onhimself, a flock of urban vermin swooped in on Parvati Patel's Subcontinental Shoppe for the International Wizard.

Parvati rushed out, wand in hand, and dispatched six of the Mugglish pigeons with a single Aguamenti blast. "Six!" Parvati shouted. Then she noticed Weasley lyingin the gutter.

"No one zaps himself with the Killing Curse on my property!" she shouted. "We are not licensed. You hear me? No suicides around here, my friend."

Ron had a kind of epiphany. Life had said Yes to Ron Weasley, in the form of a character that a lesser author might have used as mere multicultural window-dressing. From now on, he would be the Boy WhoLived.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS TELETYPE VS. HARRY POTTER
HOGSMEADE, U.K. (AP) _ Tom Riddle, the embattled wizard commonly known as Voldemort, was killed Tuesday in an incident involving student Harry
Potter at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry near here.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Magic said the incident took place during the school's annual graduation ceremony. The official, who spokeon condition of anonymity because the matter was still under investigation, said Potter, 18, was critically injured.

Witnesses described the use of a number of high-powered curses, or spells, during the incident.

Wizards have magical powers. Authorities did not give further details.

Riddle and Potter were linked through a number of conflicts in recent years. Riddle allegedly killed Potter's parents.

Potter is a well-known Quidditch player.

Minerva McGonagall, the school's headmistress, delivered the commencement address. Editor's Note: LOL!! Makes me glad I didn't pursue journalism.

RAYMOND CHANDLER VS. HARRY POTTER
Potter was neat, clean, shaved and sober, and he didn't care who knew it. He was calling on five million gold galleons.

The sleek, tall butler who opened the door looked as proud as an auror's prize-winning hippogriff on a Sunday afternoon. He let Potter into a hall that would have fit a flotilla of well-fed basilisks. A dame sat in a chair at the far end and didn't get up.

"Good day to you, too, Ms. Granger," Potter said as he sat down. "Lovely household you have here. Seems like a nice place to have bad habits in."

"I didn't hire you for wisecracks at my expense," she said in a voice as cold as the Defense Against Dark Arts dungeon.

"That's okay. They come free of charge."

She sniffed. "Well, Potter -- I suppose you found what you werelooking for."

"What you were looking for, Ms. Granger," Potter said as he produced a slim manila envelope. "I was just your full-time errand boy for 25 galleons a day plus expenses."

Granger opened the envelope, taking care to hide the magical moving photograph inside from Potter. Nuts to her -- he'd had a good look: Ms. Granger and a half-giant named Rubeus Hagrid, both wearing slightly less than Adam and Eve.Editor's Note: ewwwwww.

She shuddered. "I suppose that's an end to this beastly affair. Now get out."

"That's a swell way to talk," Potter said. "You may have the money around here, Ms. Granger, but if not for me you'd be looking at that picture on the cover of the Daily Prophet. Your old pal Weasley didn't like the idea of handing it over. He needed a little persuasion. I learned that in charm school."

"I hate you," she said, closing her eyes. "Get out."

Potter got up and put on his hat. He guessed the butler would have his money. He'd get on his broom, fly home, have a butterbeer and like it.

Zach Dundas is a writer based in Portland, Ore.

The Top 15 Guesses at the Last Line of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (Part I)

"Lord Voldemort was vanquished, but the wacky adventures of Anakin Potter had just begun!"

"And then Harry joined hands with J.K. Rowling, and they set off, dragging the huge crate of money behind them, laughing all the way to the bank."

"It was many, many years and a good many adventures later that Harry, as he was known in bygone days, greeted the small man who answered the round door with a hearty 'It is good to see you again, my friend Baggins!'"

"Lord Voldemort, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"So it's off to Wizard College for Harry and his friends, where Ron reduces his brain to a grey, quivery pudding in his first semester after hollowing out his Quidditch broom to make the most magickal, mind-blowing bong on record."

"You know, Hermione, you should wear more sweaters."

"And then Harry awoke, still in his small bed under the stairs at 4 Privet Drive, and turning to Suzanne Pleshette, said, 'Man, that was one long, freaky nightmare -- I dreamed I was a wizard.'"

"Oh, Auntie Petunia, there's no place like Hogwarts!"

"As the three friends turned away, the last of the trains pulled out of Paddington Station with its cargo of doomed muggles."

"But before Hermione could console him over his rookie failure, Harry cried out, 'Cialis Erecto Viagralum!'"

"The Dursleys of Number 4 Privet Drive never saw it coming."

"Caressing the stiff wand, Harry replied, 'I wish I knew how to quit you, too, Ron.'"

and the Number 1 Guesses at the Last Line of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"...

"Suddenly, everybody was run over by a truck."

Editor's Note: Umm...huh?

All Harry/All the TIME!

2007-07-17T08:23:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: A great article about American HP book 'reader' Jim Dale. (And we get to see him in PERSON next week!!)

The Voice of Harry Potter Can Keep a Secret
By MOTOKO RICH

Jim Dale is either one of the luckiest men in America or one of the most tortured.

A little less than two months ago, Mr. Dale, the veteran Broadway actor turned voice of Harry Potter, finished recording the audio version of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final installment in the colossally successful series by J. K. Rowling.

So that means that he knows how it ends.

His grandchildren, who visited from England after he completed the recording, literally twisted his arms trying to get him to divulge a clue. His wife is still in the dark. Everywhere he goes, people want to know What He Knows.

“It’s a surprise ending,” he said on Friday, during an interview in his Park Avenue co-op. “Let’s say that.” Editor's note: ARRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHH.

Gee, thanks.

It is not quite four days until Harry Potter’s legions of fans can procure a copy of “Deathly Hallows” — in hardcover, CD or cassette — and find out for themselves exactly who does what to whom. Mr. Dale signed a confidentiality agreement so that he will not breathe a word of the plot.

But after spending eight years creating more than 200 voices for all the characters in the “Harry Potter” books, Mr. Dale really believes that readers — and listeners — should discover the end for themselves.

“For those people who say, ‘C’mon, Jim, how does it end?,’ it’s like parents who say: ‘There’s a surprise gift for you in the next room. It’s a bicycle,’ ” said Mr. Dale, whose apartment could easily make a Hogwarts professor feel at home with its eclectic collections of Victorian cake decorations, pewter plates and Persian swords. “Let the child find out for himself by opening this gift.”

Mr. Dale, 71, was born in central England and has had a long and storied career as a stand-up comedian, a pop singer and an actor in everything from the British “Carry On” series of films and Shakespeare at the National Theater in London to Broadway productions of “Joe Egg” and “Barnum,” for which he won a Tony Award.

Serendipity landed Mr. Dale the part of reading “Harry Potter.”

Back in 1999, Listening Library, then an independent company, acquired the United States audiobook rights to “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” the first book in the series, for just $15,000. Timothy Ditlow, the son of the company’s founders, was at a dinner party with a group of avid theatergoers who recommended Mr. Dale. (In Britain the audiobooks are produced by Bloomsbury, and Stephen Fry, the actor, author and comedian, reads them.) Editor's Note: I would LOVE to hear a little of the Stephen Fry versions. Hard to imagine anyone doing it as well as Jim Dale...who is INCREDIBLE....but I hear Fry is excellent too.

Mr. Ditlow recalled Mr. Dale’s performance in “Barnum” and a few other Broadway shows. Although Mr. Dale had recorded only one audiobook, which was never released, Mr. Ditlow offered him the job. “I think it’s just one of those combination factors of luck and just going by your gut,” Mr. Ditlow said.

Since he first went into the recording studio in the summer of 1999, Mr. Dale has recorded every single word of the “Harry Potter” series, amounting to 117 hours and 4 minutes of reading time across the seven books — or a lot of long car rides. Including sales of CDs, cassettes and digital downloads, the audiobooks have sold more than 5.7 million copies, according to the Random House Audio Publishing Group, which now owns Listening Library.

For his work on the “Harry Potter” series, Mr. Dale has won a Grammy Award and holds the record for creating the most voices in an audiobook in the Guinness Book of World Records.

“Deathly Hallows,” which runs to 784 pages in the ink-and-paper version, took about two and a half weeks, working six-and-a-half-hour days, recording about 18 to 20 pages an hour, to finish. As with the other books, Mr. Dale received the manuscript only two or three days before he was scheduled to begin recording.

“That makes it impossible for me to actually read it before recording it,” said Mr. Dale, who does not possess the 13-year-old megafan’s ability to inhale the book in a weekend.

So he read about 100 pages ahead, and noted all the different voices he needed for the first few days of recording. The benefit of reading in chunks, Mr. Dale said, is that: “I don’t ever know how the book is going to end so I can’t unconsciously lead you in the direction that the book is going. I don’t know who the villain is because I am just reading 100 pages at a time.”

By now the publisher has digital files of all the voices he has used for long-running characters like Hermione Granger, one of Harry’s sidekicks, as well as more minor recurring characters like the Death Eaters, so that Mr. Dale can recreate those voices for the latest book. He takes into account the aging of the main characters, who started out as 10 and 11 in “Sorcerer’s Stone” and are now 17 and 18 in “Deathly Hallows.”

For new characters Mr. Dale uses an old-fashioned cassette recorder and tapes one or two sentences in the new voice and notes the place in the text. Then, when he shows up in the studio and starts to read, he will go to his tape recorder, rewind until he finds the right voice, and play it back to refresh his memory before recording the text. To create the range of voices, he calls on his knowledge of dozens of accents from across the British Isles and imitates the voices of friends and relatives.

For Peeves, the poltergeist, he used the voice of an old comedian friend. For Prof. Minerva McGonagall, Mr. Dale chose the voice of an aunt on his wife’s side, who, perhaps fortunately, did not live to hear herself commemorated that way.

As with the earlier books, Ms. Rowling (whom Mr. Dale said he has met twice) sent along a list of new words and character names and their corresponding pronunciations. Whenever he stumbled on a word not on the author’s list, Mr. Dale would record it in context in several ways to account for every possible pronunciation.

The producers are sticklers for absolute fidelity to the text. “If she says ‘someone laughs, ha, ha, ha,’ and I do four ‘ha’s,’ I am stopped and told, ‘Just do three,’ ” Mr. Dale said.

This Friday night, in the run-up to the release of “Deathly Hallows” at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Mr. Dale will appear at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square in Manhattan, where he will invite children onto the stage to do impressions of his voices. After the book is released, he will do a tour of Houston, Washington, Philadelphia and Charlotte, N.C. Editor's Note: HOUSTON!!!! Woohoo!!!!

Since attracting a fan base for his “Harry Potter” readings, Mr. Dale has been recording other children’s classics, like “A Christmas Carol,” “Peter Pan” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”

“So if we can encourage the children who follow Jim Dale to listen to other books he records,” Mr. Dale said, “then we are really encouraging them to read or listen to other books that they may never find on their own.”

This fall fans will also be able to hear Mr. Dale’s voice as the narrator of “Pushing Daisies,” a new television series from Barry Sonnenfeld, the director of “Men in Black.”

But it is his role as the aural embodiment of Harry Potter that has brought Mr. Dale a chance at the kind of immortality that many performers crave.

“We have been part of history — big, big history,” Mr. Dale said. “It’s like the people who were connected with Lewis Carroll or the people connected with J. M. Barrie when ‘Peter Pan’ came up. It has been marvelous. Now my voice can be heard in hundreds of years’ time. We all need to leave something behind, and I am leaving behind a legacy of the ‘Harry Potter’ audiobooks.”

Harry Potter Taking over our BRAINS!

2007-07-15T10:45:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: This first item is great link on the NYT website sent to me by....gasp...a NONdweeb. (THANKS, Debs!)

Four interviews with a couple of HP-savvy reviewers parsing some nifty HP stuff from the 5 movies.

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/20070714_POTTER.html#

And HERE's a link to an interview with JKR that took place right as the very first HP book was released in the states, and most of which hasn't been heard before:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11935611

Key Harry Potter roles up for grabs
Two key parts in the next Harry Potter film are up for grabs, according to Hollywood studio Warner Brothers, which has announced an open casting call.

The studio says the casting sessions in London will be held for the roles of Lavender Brown and Tom Riddle. Aspiring actors between the ages of 15 and 18 are required for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, the sixth book in the series.

Brown is the girl who ends up dating Harry's best friend, Ron. The studio says Lavender is a "pretty and lively girl who loves to be the centre of attention" and "reacts in an extreme way to everything."

Tom Riddle is a darker character described as "not a warm boy, but he is very charismatic. Both staff and children are probably all a little scared of him."

Auditions for Lavender Brown take place July 1 and for Tom Riddle, on July 8 at the Earl's Court Exhibition Centre. Editor's Note: yeah....I'm playing catch up. I guess we all missed the auditions?

This is not the first time the studio has sought non-professional child actors. A similar open call landed Evanna Lynch her first film role — as Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which hits theatres in July.

Then 14, the Dublin-based Lynch captured the attention of the casting director over 15,000 other hopefuls.

Lynch, who is now 16, has described herself as a rabid fan of the wizard-in-training books by J.K. Rowling.

"Watching the movies, I always thought it would be so cool to be in Harry Potter and to make that your job," Lynch told the Basingstoke Gazette in England.

"I wanted to go for Luna. I'm not one to sit around and wait for fate to do things so I got my friends and made a tape. They played Harry and Ron — they were very good about it, very patient — and I sent that away."

WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
Brace yourselves, Harry Potter fans. No matter how desperate you are for Harry to live, some experts in classic literature and mythology say that finishing off the young wizard would make sense -- in a literary kind of way.

What will happen to Harry at the end of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"? Only J.K. Rowling knows.

J.K. Rowling has never shied from darkness in her phenomenally successful series -- it started with the murder of Harry's parents, continued through his discovery that an evil wizard was trying to destroy him, and has included pain and torture and the deaths of major characters.
She's already promised two deaths in the seventh and final book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," coming out July 21, and has refused to commit to Harry surviving. But she couldn't kill Harry off, could she? She wouldn't do that, would she?

"If you look at the tradition of the epic hero ... there is this sort of pattern that the hero delivers people to the promised land but does not see it himself," said Lana Whited, professor of English at Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia, pointing out examples from King Arthur to Moses to Frodo.

Greek mythology has plenty of examples, like Hercules, who was killed at the height of his strength, said Mary Lefkowitz, a retired classics professor who taught at Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

"There's no long promise of happiness," she said. "You may have brief moments of glory and then the darkness comes."

And don't be fooled into thinking a happy ending is automatic just because the main characters are young, said Anne Collins Smith, assistant professor of philosophy and classical studies at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas.

"Just because it's children's literature doesn't mean it can't have very dark events in it," she said.

Others aren't convinced, saying that Rowling's story about Harry and his adventures is less influenced by classical mythology than it is by other storytelling traditions.

Philip Ray, an associate professor of English at Connecticut College, said Rowling was part of a tradition of British writers like Edith Nesbit, writing stories where children are the focus and have grand adventures.

Since Harry is about to finish his years at Hogwarts, Ray said, "I think it would be very unusual for a book like this to kill off the main character at a time when he's about to graduate from school."

The books are about Harry's development into a young man, Ray said.

"For Rowling to have put Harry Potter through all seven volumes just to kill him off, the point of all development would be wasted," Ray said. "Death strikes me as being the strangest ending of all." Editor's Note: Not that I want him to die, but IF he were to die, his efforts would not have been in vain. Other characters (and the readers) will have learned and gained much by his trajectory.

And even though the series has a dark aspect to it, Rowling hasn't set it up in such a way that Harry paying the ultimate price would make sense, said Tim Morris, who teaches English at the University of Texas at Arlington.

"I don't get the sense that J.K. Rowling has set us up for that kind of sacrifice," he said. "The first six books haven't given a sense of that tragedy to me. It's generally hopeful."

Whited acknowledges that reader outrage would be high if Harry died, and that it might seem cruel to younger readers, who aren't familiar with classic literary story arcs.

"I'm sure J.K. Rowling would get some howlers if Harry Potter did not survive," she said.
But even if he lives, don't be surprised if it's a hard-fought victory, she said. Another aspect of the classic hero myth is that even if he wins, it's not without some loss.

"There are always sacrifices, compromises along the way," she said. "If Harry doesn't die, one of his friends will." Editor's Note: No no no no NO!!!!

Oldman Offers Harry Potter Nude Advice

Editor's Note: Is it just me, or does this kinda read like Oldman was sitting around naked, giving advice to teen boys?

HOLLYWOOD - Gary Oldman helped coax Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe through his nude scenes in London play Equus after the teenager came to him for advice. The young actor admits he was extremely nervous about baring all onstage and felt sure Oldman's experience could help him.

He tells men's magazine Details, "I was nervous and I was a little bit worried... I talked to Gary Oldman about it, because we get on very well and I know he's been naked onstage. "I said to him, 'What's it like?' and he said, 'On the first night you'll be terrified and on the second night you'll be terrified, and after that you won't care.' "And that's absolutely true. When you've done it twice, it doesn't matter anymore." Radcliffe reveals he was so committed to the play and remembering his lines he didn't have to worry about getting an erection onstage during sex scenes with costar Joanna Christie.

He adds, "It's the least arousing process... Jo's beautiful, but after you've gone through it a hundred times with an audience there... To be honest, when you get naked in front of 900 people, quite the opposite happens."

The twisted economics of Harry Potter
The boy wizard brings both profit and pain to his business partners
By Diane Brady, Kerry Capell, and Joshua Vittor
Updated: 1:55 p.m. CT June 22, 2007

Call it the curse of Hogwarts. It turns out that — at least for some in the wizarding world — it's tough to make money out of magic. Harry Potter has fans clamoring in excitement as the seventh and last book in J.K. Rowling's hit series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, lands worldwide on July 21. With the fifth movie and the recent announcement of an Orlando theme-park attraction that could cost half a billion dollars, Pottermania is at an all-time high.

But what should be a pot of gold for Harry's business partners is turning into an empty cauldron for many of them. The most successful literary brand in recent history has made its author a billionaire, but others have not fared so well. Retailers, spellbound by the chance to reach millions of Potter-obsessed customers, are cost-cutting for market share to the point where many stand to lose money. For book publishers, the tsunami distorts results in Potter release years, creating wild share-price swings and a distraction from other parts of the business. Even Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., which has made billions off the Harry Potter movies, saw sales and profits drop last year and in the first quarter without a fresh Potter offering in the mix.

For booksellers, the source of the pain is mammoth retailers like Amazon.com, Wal-Mart, and Britain's ASDA chain, which have slashed prices by 50% to woo fans.

"It's like being in the trenches with the bullets flying over you," says Sonia Benster, owner of The Children's Bookshop in Huddersfield, England. Editor's Note: I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that people who have actually been in a shooting situation would find this a bit overstated? Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos concedes that the company won't make a profit from the new Potter book. But he told shareholders that it has racked up more than 1 million pre-orders so far — and, Amazon hopes, plenty of new customers who will buy other books. Because of such struggles for a piece of the Potter pie, notes Simon Fox of Britain's HMV Group PLC, owner of the Waterstone's book chain, it's "hard to make money."

Independent booksellers can't even begin to compete on that scale. While many plan to fight back with special midnight parties — in the belief that it's no fun to wear a wizard hat in Wal-Mart — others are just opting out of the frenzy.

"I won't be open at midnight," says Bonnie Stuppin of San Francisco's Alexander Book Co. Instead, she'll personally drop off copies to a few customers at no extra cost between midnight and 6 a.m. "It's sad that what little profit the industry can make off Harry Potter is being stripped away," says Stuppin. "If I ran my business that way, I wouldn't be here."

Some booksellers who helped launch Potter in America, hosting signings with Rowling when she was starting out, are disillusioned.

"In the beginning it was great for us, but the discount has become more important," says Valerie Lewis of Hicklebee's in San Jose, Calif. To Peter Glassman, owner of Manhattan's Books of Wonder, selling Potter below cost is "analogous to downloading music and the impact that has on music stores."

Potter's two publishers, which have sold more than 350 million copies worldwide, face a different set of perils. Scholastic Corp., which has U.S. rights, will never speak ill of the boy wizard whose last book accounted for 8% of revenues and an estimated one-third of profits in the fiscal year that ended in May, 2006.

It's planning a record 12 million print run this time. But analyst Drew Crum of Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. says the children's book division often does better in off-Potter periods.

"The company tends to lose focus in a Harry Potter release year," says Crum. "They extend so much energy on one title," he adds, and not enough on fixing things like the company's flailing direct-to-home book business. Although there has been the usual pre-Potter run-up in the stock, Scholastic's share price is below where it was five years ago. With the Harry franchise about to end, Scholastic is focusing on share buybacks, international expansion, and repairing weaker parts of the business.

And the company says backlist editions of Potter could generate tens of millions in sales each year.Few face as gaping a hole with Harry's exit as its original publisher, Bloomsbury, which holds all rights to the titles outside the U.S.

Last year, while the world waited as Rowling said she was working away on Book 7 in Scottish cafés instead of her multiple homes, the publisher's profits collapsed by three-quarters, to $10.3 million, as revenues fell almost a third, to $148.6 million. Spooked at the prospect of a one-trick pony, investors have sent Bloomsbury's share price down about 40% in the last year — even as a guaranteed hit is about to reach store shelves.

Now with Britain's biggest bookmaker taking bets that Harry will get killed off in the last installment, the possibility looms that the figurehead of this brand won't even be "alive" soon. That could be a real drag for General Electric Co.'s Universal Parks & Resorts, which beat out rival Walt Disney Co. to build "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" with Warner Bros. in its Orlando Park by late 2009. Editor's Note: Surely, with the investment being made in this theme park, JKR gave them SOME sort of assurances about how 'alive' the franchise would be?

doncha think?????

While it won't disclose the size of the investment, International Theme Park Services consultant Dennis Speigel predicts they could easily spend $500 million to get it right. The specter of a dead Harry could dampen some of the fun. But Universal Parks Chairman and CEO Tom William says the 20-acre attraction is "going to be a game-changer" and pledges to do "the biggest and best job on this as on any job we've ever taken." (MSNBC.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal, which is a GE company.)

In any case, it's easy to understand why the Potter brand is so seductive. Warner Bros. pumped out some disappointments last year, such as the thriller Lady in the Water, helping push movie revenues down by 17%. But Potter brings the magic all back. The company has made billions off the franchise and stands to make billions more as it rolls out movies and DVDs in the coming years.

Unlike bookstores, movie theaters don't slash admission prices when a new Potter film comes out. That said, the $974 million worldwide box office gross for the first Harry Potter movie (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) stands at 9% more than the $895 million gross for the most recent film in 2005, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And that's amid rising ticket prices.

Even if Harry Potter leaves a trail of profit-starved vendors and Potter-addicted producers in its wake as the series wraps up next month, the infatuation is unlikely to die. That's what Emerson Spartz, founder of the popular fan site MuggleNet.com, is betting on.

Spartz, a University of Notre Dame sophomore who launched the site in 1999 at the age of 12, gets more than 1 million hits a day. He's now pulling in "a six-figure income" from ads and his best-seller, MuggleNet.com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7. He hopes to mimic the fan base that's grown around The Lord of the Rings and has no plans to close down the site.

"There will always be people who get into Harry Potter fresh and want to meet other new Harry Potter fans," says Spartz. Editor's Note: Time will tell...

Rowling reveals Harry Potter ending ... to husband

Reuters Photo: File picture shows author J.K. Rowling and her husband Neil Murray (L) arriving at theDominion cinema for the Edinburgh International Film Festival UK premiere of the film 'Snow Cake' in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 15, 2006

LONDON (Reuters) - J.K. Rowling has leaked the ending of the eagerly awaited last book of her Harry Potter series -- to her husband.

Speculation has been rife about who dies in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" since Rowling announced last year that at least two characters would be killed off.

She has given no clue as to who they were, and even Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who plays boy wizard Harry in the Hollywood adaptations of the books, has been kept in the dark ahead of the publication of the seventh installment on July 21.

"None of us get a preview," Radcliffe told a news conference on Friday to promote "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," the fifth in the film franchise.

"I think only J.K. Rowling's husband has recently found out what happens. I don't think anybody else knows."

The 17-year-old has previously said he hoped Potter would die at the end of the final book, but he was more cautious this time around.

"A couple of years ago I said I would like Harry to die because I think that is a conclusive ending. But I'm going to steer away from that now because the next day the headlines were 'Radcliffe Wants Harry Dead'," he said.

"I do think it would be fitting in a way, because when you consider the prophecy that was made about him and Voldemort, one of them has to go. I think he might, but that's based on absolutely nothing."

In the latest movie, Harry discovers he and his evil nemesis Voldemort cannot both survive, raising the possibility that one, or both of them could die in the end.

ICE CREAM VAN
Publishers have gone to great lengths to protect the contents of the last Harry Potter book until its release, which promises to be one of the biggest events in publishing history.

More than 325 million copies of the first six books have been sold, and the four movies released to date have amassed around $3.5 billion (1.8 billion pounds) in worldwide ticket sales. "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" hits cinemas in early July.

Earlier this week, a computer hacker posted what he said were key plot details that he gleaned by breaking into a computer at London-based Bloomsbury Publishing.

The publisher declined to comment on the claims.

Radcliffe said he was aware of the claim, but that he had not read the posting and would only read an original copy.

Emma Watson, who plays Harry's schoolmate Hermione Granger, said she hoped her character would survive.

"I'm sort of thinking that she's going to make it," she said. "I don't know why, but I think she's going to make it. I hope so."

She, Radcliffe and Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley all said they hoped to continue acting once the Potter movie series was over, probably in 2010. But Grint said he had a backup plan if his career on screen and stage failed.

"Recently I got an ice cream van," he said. "If it doesn't work out I've still got the ice cream van."

Will knowing the ending keep 'Harry' fans from theaters?
The seventh and last book comes out shortly after the fourth movie sequel. Warner says it's not worried.
By Claudia EllerTimes Staff Writer
June 20, 2007

Warner Bros., the studio behind the "Harry Potter" blockbusters, could find itself in an awkward position when author J.K. Rowling lets the black cat out of the bag next month about the ultimate fate of her characters.

Ten days after the fifth installment, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," hits theaters July 11, the world will know what happens to the bespectacled boy wizard and the rest of his Hogwarts gang with the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," Rowling's seventh and final book in the series.

Last year Rowling revealed in interviews that she would kill off two characters and that one character "got a reprieve," never acknowledging whether Harry is among them. Potter fans have been rigorously debating on websites whether the British author will dare terminate the beloved star of what has become the biggest-selling series in literary history.

Warner doesn't expect any spoilers to hurt box-office sales of its upcoming film. Indeed, the flurry of publicity surrounding the release of a new movie and book could feed sales for both of them.

But there are two "Harry Potter" sequels to go over the next three years. Could knowing how it all ends dissuade moviegoers from turning out to see them?

Warner President Alan Horn said he wasn't worried."Whatever happens to Harry Potter, I would not anticipate it hurting the movie or future movies in any way," he said.Horn said that four months before the fourth film, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" was released in 2005, moviegoers had already learned in Rowling's sixth book that Albus Dumbledore -- headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry -- had died.

"And he was a beloved character," Horn said.

Horn also noted that James Cameron's 1997 "Titanic" was a blockbuster even though it was well known that the luxury liner sank, killing most of its passengers. And, Horn said, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" knew the ending of the trilogy but still turned out in force for the films."Harry Potter" has been a global juggernaut for the Burbank studio.

Worldwide, the first four movies have grossed $3.5 billion and sold 167 million DVD and VHS units.Warner and parent Time Warner Inc. also amassed hundreds of millions more in profit from television, video game and merchandising sales, such as a Lego Hogwarts Castle that retails at $89.99.

Three weeks ago, Warner struck a major licensing deal with Universal Orlando Resort for a $200 million-plus Harry Potter theme park attraction in Florida that is expected to open in late 2009.

According to Rowling's U.S. publisher, Scholastic Inc., the books have sold 325 million copies in 200 countries in 65 languages. Of that total, 54.5 million were sold in the U.S. alone. The initial release of Rowling's upcoming book in the U.S. is 12 million copies -- the largest first printing in publishing history.

Warner is laying plans for its final two films. Horn said that "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe, who started the series at 11 and turns 18 next month, is committed to continuing in his role.

The sixth "Potter" is set to begin production in September for release in November 2008. The seventh film is scheduled for theaters in either the summer or the fall of 2010.

Daun Taubin, Warner's domestic marketing president, said that though devoted Potter fans, including her 15-year-old daughter, are sad that Rowling's popular fantasy stories are coming to an end, they can take solace that there's life beyond the books.

"The movies allow the stories to live on," Taubin said. "So fans can relive the experience in a different way."Diane Nelson, who has overseen "Harry Potter" brand management at Warner for the last eight years, said fans have always known much of the story lines and which characters die before they've seen the screen version, and that hasn't lessened their enthusiasm for the movies.

She contends that the books enhance the film franchise and Harry's popularity. A 2004 study that a Warner unit commissioned surveying 670 children found that 97% had seen at least one "Harry Potter" film.

"Fans get to enjoy the stories in their imaginations first and then they get to see them in the movie theater," Nelson said.

In the past, Rowling has offed key characters, including Hufflepuff Quidditch captain Cedric Diggory and Sirius Black of the once-notable Wizard family. Many readers were upset about Dumbledore's death scene atop the Astronomy Tower, with some devotees still insisting that he may have faked his own death and will return in the final book.

As for Harry himself, Rowling has not said whether he will survive.

At MuggleNet, a website devoted to all things Harry Potter, more than 42,250 messages have been posted dissecting the final novel. More than 1,100 messages alone have been posted under the discussion titled "Will Harry die in Deathly Hallows?"

The speculation tackles every possible scenario -- Harry dying, Harry coming back, Harry losing his powers, Harry marrying Ginny.

"If Harry dies, our window into Hogwarts & the magic world will close," wrote one 43-year-old fan under the name "lindaluna." But she added a theory: "I can see Harry as we know him not surviving."

Horn said even he had no idea what the new book had in store for Harry but was confident that fans would like it."Jo Rowling is a brilliant writer," he said."Whatever she does with Harry Potter will be dramatically powerful."

Harry Potter artist Mary GrandPre makes magic
BY JANIS CAMPBELLGANNETT NEWS SERVICE
Can you imagine being one of the very first people on the planet to read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," the final novel in the series by J.K. Rowling? Mary GrandPre, the illustrator for the American editions of the books, doesn't have to imagine, she is one of the lucky few. Reading the book is just part of her job.

GrandPre, who lives in Sarasota, Fla., says she got the manuscript for Book 7 in January. That means she's known how the story ends for about six months. Is it hard to keep the secret? Do friends, family members or kids at bookstore signings press her for details?

"Not really so much," GrandPre says. "I think people just know that I can't talk about it."

One question she gets a lot is: "Who's your favorite character?"

"Besides Harry, I would say Hagrid is my favorite character," GrandPre says. In fact, she has a dog named Chopper who reminds her of Hagrid and was her inspiration for the character.

Does she get a kick out of all the excitement created by the early release of the cover? "I think it's fun to see the reaction from people. The fans that are really diehard fans look very closely at the artwork," GrandPre says.

And they should. "I try to make everything have a meaning. There is a reason why something is in the illustration. I don't just put it in because it looks better. It really does have to have a meaning or part of the story has to support it."

Harry, Ron and Hermione have been a part of GrandPre's life for a long time — the first U.S. edition was published about 10 years ago. So how does she feel as the final book is about to be released? "Oh gosh, it's actually quite a big relief that it's done," she says.

Barnes & Noble Hosts the World's Largest Costume Party
More Than 700 Barnes & Noble Stores Nationwide to Host Midnight Magic Costume Parties on July 20 to Celebrate the Publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS - News), the world's largest bookseller, today announced that more than 700 Barnes & Noble stores across the country will host "Midnight Magic Costume Parties" on Friday, July 20. Stores will remain open late and sell the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, at the stroke of midnight, when it officially goes on sale.

Barnes & Noble welcomes Harry Potter fans to come dressed as their favorite Harry Potter characters and enjoy a magical evening filled with enchanting activities, spellbinding prizes, photo opportunities, unique items for sale and the chance to be among the first to take Harry home.

To find the Midnight Magic Costume Party near you, please visit www.bn.com/midnightmagic.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will sell for $20.99, 40 percent off the list price of $34.99.

Barnes & Noble Members can buy the book for $18.89, a savings of 46 percent. The compact disc and audiocassettes for the unabridged book will also be available. Customers can order the book at any Barnes & Noble store or online at Barnes & Noble.com (www.bn.com).

Join the excitement at the world's largest Harry Potter costume party and be one of the first to get your hands on the last book of this enormously popular series at Barnes & Noble's nationwide Midnight Magic Costume Parties.

Dumbledore's Army talk Harry Potter

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which opens in cinemas in July, sees Harry's school friends taking a more central role in the battle against the evil Lord Voldemort.

Calling itself Dumbledore's Army, the group meets in secret to learn how to battle the Dark Arts.
Actors Bonnie Wright, 16, (Ginny Weasley), Matthew Lewis, 17, (Neville Longbottom), Katie Leung, 19, (Cho Chang) and newcomer Evanna Lynch, 15, (Luna Lovegood) are all members of the Army.

They talk to BBC News about being fans of the schoolboy wizard, and what it is like being part of the Potter phenomenon.

WERE YOU A FAN OF HARRY POTTER BEFORE YOU GOT THE PART?
Bonnie: I am definitely as fanatical as many of the other fans out there. I really enjoy the books and I can't wait for the last one.

Evanna: When I was about eight I was stuck in a phase of reading Tintin books but my mum wanted me to read something else. She said "there is this great book called Harry Potter", but I said I didn't want to read about a boy with glasses - I just thought it sounded silly.
Then she read me a chapter and I took it from her, because I loved it - and Tintin took the bottom shelf.

Matthew: I've been acting since I was five, doing Heartbeat and that kind of thing, and when I got to the age of 11 I had already read the books - I was a massive fan.
I heard they were making a film and I just wanted to be in it in some way. Even just as an extra, it would have been perfect.

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR PART IN THE FILM?
Bonnie: I heard they were auditioning, and I think it was more a case of "why not go for it?".
I always really enjoyed being in school plays, and the teamwork involved, but when I went I suppose I never really thought I'd get the role. After I got it there was a moment when I thought "can I do this?".

Evanna: I saw a poster advertising open auditions for Luna. Also I had sent tapes to the casting agent saying that I wanted to play her.
When they told me I had it, I couldn't believe it... I was waiting for her to call back and say: "I was only joking!"
I had to keep it quiet for a few days, but when I told my friends they were very, very excited.

Matthew: I took a day off school to go to the open audition in Leeds.
I was in there about two minutes and read a paragraph from the book. About two or three months later they asked me to come down to London for a recall for Neville Longbottom.
From getting to meet Chris Columbus [director of the first two films], to having a screen test, to actually getting the part happened in the space of about two or three days. To get that call was just great. I was jumping up and down on the sofa going crazy.

WHAT WAS YOUR HIGHLIGHT OF FILMING HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX?
Matthew: I love comedy, I love making people laugh - but what I really loved this year was tackling the emotional side of Neville.
That was a big challenge for me because Neville has always been a light-hearted, humorous character and I have never had to do anything as deep and emotional as that before.

Katie: Kissing Harry! I was so worried it was going to go wrong and that we would bang heads or something.
I think it was more awkward beforehand knowing it was going to come up, but we had a chat beforehand and had a laugh, asking each other if we'd brushed our teeth.

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE GROWING UP ON SCREEN?
Bonnie: It has definitely made me more confident. When I was younger - I started when I was nine - I was very timid and shy. We have all grown up in it together and are really comfortable with each other.

Matthew: Some of us shave now! We come in and the make-up ladies say 'I'm sick of shaving you, will you just do it before you come in?'.
Even if it's just a little bit of bum fluff they have to get rid of it.

HOW HAS HARRY POTTER CHANGED YOUR LIFE?
Bonnie: Sometimes I get recognised and I don't think you can ever get used to that.
It is always in places you don't expect. You can be on holiday and someone randomly comes up to you. It has made me aware of how big the audience is for Harry Potter.

Matthew: The things I have experienced and the places I have been are just incredible.
I have to spend a lot of time away from home, so I miss my friends a lot. I get quite homesick, but the pros just outweigh the cons.
When I go to parties back home, my friends say "guess what, he's in Harry Potter" because it's a great good way of getting in with girls.
It's a good way to start a conversation but I like to quickly get away from it. There's a little bit more to me than just Harry Potter.

Katie: I had a lot of positive feedback, fan-mail and stuff. I don't get recognised very often, if anything I'm just more confident now. I used to be really shy so it's a really good thing.

Editor's Note: OddBob gets the last word (as ever....)

The Top 13 New Jobs in the Harry Potter Universe

Quidditch steroid tester

Big, Tall and Giant tailor

Dementor recruiter ("Kill all that you can kill")

Fan grief counselor

Erotic Snape charmer

Editor's Note: Wrong. Very very WRONG.

Death Eater nutritional counselor

Grand Imperial Wizard (South Hogwarts only)

Automatic SpellChecker

Director, Department of Warrant-less Owl-Tapping, Ministry of Magic

Hat Sharpener

Recruiter for alternative Montessori Wizard's School

Gillyweed dealer

and the Number 1 New Job in the Harry Potter Universe...

Muggle whisperer

The Top 10 Scenes Cut from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"

10> The revelation of what "really" happened between Prof. Umbridge and all of those handsome, virile centaurs.

9> Hogwarts bans all students from spell-sharing on their iWands.

8> Malfoy unfurls a banner declaring, "Bong Hits 4 Voldemort!"

7> Desperate to be a real part of the Weasley clan, Harry zaps his hair a horrifying shade of fire-engine red. Complete with fire engine.

6> Hermione shops for training bras in Diagon Alley with Hagrid.

5> Voldemort, incensed by the Death Eater's inability to secure an iPhone at launch, turns Steve Jobs into a newt. Yes, he gets better.

4> Hilarious episode where Ron absentmindedly scratches his scrotum with his wand and ends up having to borrow Hagrid's wheelbarrow.

3> Nosing about in Dumbledore's private Penseive stash, Harry pays an appalling price for his curiosity when he becomes trapped in an erotic scene involving Dolores Umbridge and a Blast-Ended Skrewt.

2> In his final scene, Dumbledore winks at the camera and says, "Hey kids, guess what! I die in the next one!"

and the Number 1 Scene Cut from "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix"...

1> Incident where Harry uses the "disappearus pantiesoffus" spell right before a performance of the Hogwart's female high kick cheerleading squad.

Editor's Note: NEXT newsletter, we all submit punishments to be inflicted upon OddBob for submitting some of the above! (Something to REALLY look forward to!)

Geezer Jones, part TWO

2007-07-15T07:54:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Dweebpal Plano Kevin is at it again...sending in cool stuff that just FORCES me to get off my duff and post.

THANKS (?) Kevin!

Ford Can Still Fit Into Indy's Trousers
Editor's Note: Anyone besides me that can't stop thinking about Harrison Ford's butt? (I mean, more than USUAL?)

By JAYMES SONG

HILO, Hawaii (AP) - He may be 65, but Harrison Ford still fits into Indiana Jones' tight trousers.

Many fans are curious to see if, 18 years after "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," Ford can live up to the physical rigors of the globe-trotting archaeologist in the long-awaited fourth installment of the epic series. The actor's 65th birthday was Friday.

Producers of the adventure, currently being filmed on Hawaii's Big Island, say there's no need to worry. Ford is as fit as ever.

"I have to say, he looks amazing," said Kathleen Kennedy, the film's co-executive producer, along with George Lucas. "He looks fantastic in the outfit."

Actually, Ford knew the hat would still fit but wondered if he could still squeeze into the pants.

He did.

The action star, who first introduced the fedora-wearing, bullwhip-cracking Indiana Jones in the 1981 classic "Raiders of the Lost Ark," is actually doing many of his own stunts in the latest film.

"He's doing them, he just has a few more ice packs and a few more massages," Kennedy said.
"And a lot of Celebrex," producer Frank Marshall added. Editor's Note: Wow...an advertising placement and the movie isn't even in the CAN yet!

The movie just completed the first of three weeks of filming in Hawaii, after spending a week each in New Mexico and Connecticut. The lush areas surrounding Hilo are filling in as a South American rain forest.

Lucas and director Steven Spielberg have not released the title of the film, scheduled for release May 22, 2008. Editor's Note: Just for YOU, Odd Bob....(in celebration of YOUR birthday).

The filming has created a buzz on this normally sleepy island, known for macadamia nuts and premium Kona coffee. It's the most action since nearby Kilauea volcano rumbled to life in 1983.
The film's biggest action sequences are being filmed in Hawaii. Marshall compared one scene to the thrilling, white-knuckled truck chase in the desert in "Raiders."

"It's that level," he said.

Hawaii will be featured in about 20 percent of the film. About half will be from sets in Los Angeles. The Aloha State was also the backdrop for portions of "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
Ford, Lucas, Spielberg, Kennedy and Marshall all worked together on the first three films, so this latest is a homecoming of sorts.

"We're having a great time. It's so much fun being together," said Marshall, who has produced more than 50 films, including "Poltergeist,""Gremlins,""The Goonies,""The Color Purple,""Back to the Future" trilogy, "The Sixth Sense" and the "Bourne" trilogy. Editor's Note: I'm happy for you guys, truly. But the important thing will be will WE have a good time when we SEE the movie????

"Nobody's worried about their careers any more," he said.

The latest Indy adventure is set in the 1950s and, in addition to Ford, stars Shia LaBeouf, Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone and Jim Broadbent. One popular character not in the lineup is Sean Connery, who played Indy's father.

"We would've loved to have Sean do a cameo-type part in this but he's very much enjoying retirement," Kennedy said. Editor's Note: The ole curmudgeonly COOT.

She promised movie fans, who have patiently waited since the 1989 "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," would get the same level of excitement as the previous three films. Editor's Note: Well TWO of the three...ahem.....

"The cleverness, the humor and the tone of Indiana Jones is very much alive and well in this movie," Kennedy said.

The producers are being very tightlipped about the movie, and the remote sets are well guarded, leading to rampant rumors on blogs and chat sites.

It took some time to get to the fourth film, partly because of the schedules of Spielberg, Lucas and Ford. Plus, they knew they had to deliver another hit.

"The bar was pretty high," Kennedy said. Editor's Note: Still IS.

HAN SOLO IS SIXTY FIVE!!!

2007-07-13T06:08:00.000-05:00

Wow..... Who'd a thunk it POSSIBLE???!

Young Han Solo...

Well, ok, craggy/handsome OLD Han Solo is SIXTY FIVE!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HARRISON FOOOOOOOORD.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

and many more......

ttfn and mtfbyw ker

More OddBob Than is Allowed by LAW

2007-07-07T12:27:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: SO much to do, and SO little time. But OddBob keeps sending these lists......and sending and sending and SENDING....and I CAN'T.....STOP.....POSTING....THEM. (That last bit was performed by William Shatner?)

The Top 13 Lessons Learned From Comic Books

Never trust a girl who offers to be your holder for field goals.

While there is no cure for the common cold, one can overcome death via cosmic rays, magical incantations, or convenient plot developments.

Avoiding the unwashed on public transportation is easy: Just look for the stink lines.

Girls seldom make passes at secret identities who wear glasses.

The cost of super-battle clean-up inevitably falls to the taxpayers.

If your manager uses flowery adjectives, stage-whispered asides, and/or confers with a weirdly misshapen assistant while explaining your new project, odds are you work for a supervillain.

"I can communicate telepathically with sea creatures!" is a totally lame pick-up line.

A supervillian just out of jail can, in a few days, assemble an operation which puts NASA's entire space program to shame.

Erasing Betty's and Veronica's sweaters does *not* expose their breasts.

Never build a nuclear power plant anywhere near a genetics lab.

You can find out what your friends are thinking by reading the bubbles over their heads.

With great power come really impractical outfits.

and the Number 1 Lesson Learned From Comic Books...

No one wants a subscription to Grit.

Editor's Note: In honor of the next two weeks....big Harry Potter doins, dweeb pals (sure wish I had more time to dweebpost in fealty to it...sigh....)

The Top 12 Things Harry Potter Would Do With a Law Degree

"Arrested for drunk broomstick riding? Stay out of Azkaban, Call the Law offices of Harry Potter."

Sue J. K. Rowling to get her to write more Harry Potter books. He doesn't want to stay this age forever.

"Dobby, you have a great case against the Malfoys for kidnapping. House elf or not, they owe you millions in damages for wrongful imprisonment."

Get Paris Hilton sent to Azkaban.

"Ambulancius Chasius!"

Get hired by the Justice Department and start selectively firing Slytherin grads.

Open a hugely successful celebrity criminal defense practice after perfecting his glove-shrinking spell.

Initiate a massive class action law suit on behalf of all Hogwarts students whose lives have been put in mortal peril at school.

"Of course Lord Voldemort wasn't mentioned by name in the summons, Your Honor. He *is* He Who Must Not Be Named, after all."

Double-bill for all the time re-lived during "The Prisoner of Azkaban."

Forget Lord Voldemort. He's up against a power far more evil: Howard K. Stern.

and the Number 1 Thing Harry Potter Would Do With a Law Degree...

Law degree, black robes, and a sense of near infinite power? Straight to the Supreme Court, bay-bee!

The Top 10 Grievances of the Sci-Fi Characters Union

10> Silver spandex jumpsuits make our asses look like huge sparkly disco balls.

9> Much as we like to save Earth, the Universe and Everything on a regular basis, we'd like to get paid commensurate with our skill set. In other words, enough with the chump change! Show us some GRATITUDE! Monetarily, of course...

8> Those Borg scabs get all the best perks thanks to their unique approach to collective bargaining.

7> Half of the union has filed sexual harassment complaints against Lazarus Long, including his own past and future selves.

6> While we understand that spandex shows off our attributes -- for those of us that have them -- we find it really rides up in the crotch. So, NO MORE SPANDEX!!!

5> Dental benefits for "Aliens" exclude any sets of teeth that extend more than 6 inches in front of the face.

4> The gagh in the commissary is never served alive.

3> First transported down, first transported back up.

2> Medical insurance does not cover having one's DNA rewritten, despite the regularity of the event.

and the Number 1 Grievance of the Sci-Fi Characters Union ...

1> The Universal Brotherhood of BEMs demand human movies/TV stop falsely portraying aliens as hot human babes in tight clothing. We're bug-eyed. We're monsters. And we're damned proud of it!

The Top 12 Signs Your Sci-Fi Blockbuster Is Going to Bomb

"Starring Rosie O'Donnell as Spider-Woman!"
Even the Sci-Fi Channel refuses to air it.

Isaac Asimov personally returns from the dead just to bitchslap the director.

Maybe the world was ready for a new Star Trek flick, but "Weekend at Scotty's" ain't it.

The title, "Shovel Over Your Cash, You Easily Manipulable Geekboy Fans," might be a little too on the nose.

When the aliens land their spaceship and extend the olive branch of peace, the people of Earth accept it and the credits roll.

Let's just say the green stuff coming out of your Vulcan's pants ain't blood.

Thirty minutes into the film, even the bootleggers have left.

Does *anyone* really want to look at a bare-chested 87-year-old Ricardo Montalban?

Editor's Note: Have you SEEN him? Even in a wheelchair, he's still pretty darn buff! (ok....yeah....I should probably date more....)

Fanboys are so picky about the whole "laws of physics" stuff.

The premiere is attended by Joel Hodgson and three robot puppets.

and the Number 1 Signs Your Sci-Fi Blockbuster Is Going to Bomb...

Your PR team is looking sharp in their new red Starfleet uniforms.

The Top 9 Reasons Why Aliens Should NOT Land in Your City

9> Nome, AK - If you thought Pluto was cold...

8> Washington DC - Hard to do any anal probes since people's heads are in the way.

Editor's Note: LOL!!!

7> El Paso, TX - Aliens immediately granted work-release status, shipped to Florida to work in orange groves.

6> Hollywood, CA - People everywhere but no souls to be sucked dry.

Editor's Note: ooooo..the truth HURTS!

5> Tokyo – nothing smaller than Godzilla would be noticed.

4> Las Vegas, NV - Tentacles get stuck in slot machines reaching for extra coins.

3> Omaha, NE – Really? You need a reason not to land in Omaha? So you've gone through millions of years of evolution, developed the technology capable of traveling between galaxies, and you're looking for a reason not to land in Omaha? Fine, go ahead and land in Omaha. I'm sure we can put you to work at an IT support desk somewhere.

2> Durham, NC -- Because Mike Nifong would find some reason to put them in jail and prosecute them..

and the Number 1 Reason Why Aliens Should NOT Land in Your City ...

1> Rio de Janeiro - Wookiees would painfully find out what a "Brazilian" really entails.

Editor's Note: What an ODD and DISTURBING image to carry with us into Harry Potter Season. (THANKs, OB. Odd and Disturbing is what we COUNT on you for!)

Disney/Star Wars Weekends 2007 (fun pics)

2007-06-23T16:27:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: SO....back from vacation and now working mammoth hours to (TRY) to impress the new boss.

Is it working? Am I making any money yet?

sigh.....

All that to say, that...ONCE AGAIN....dweebing gets shunted to the side. But here are some fun pics to tide us over.

JUST FOR ODDBOB

I’m pretty sure the ears (groovy as they are) are NOT Jedi Regulation attire.

Does the Stormie know he has a mouse growing out of his helmet?

Another one for OB. Daniel Logan and Ray Park. (Ray makes the ears look goooooood, don’t you think?)

P.S. And is it just me, or have they suddenly got some pretty snazzy ear
choices?! (yet ANOTHER reason to go BACK TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!)

If we needed a reason????

This one confuses me....

Father's Day with OddBob

2007-06-15T14:58:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Getting our Dweeb on, OddBob style. And just in time for FATHER'S DAY.

The Top 10 Sci-Fi Advice From Dad

10> "Son, you can be anything you want to be. It doesn't matter what a Kirk becomes. Starship captain, lawyer or cop. We still get to have sex with all kinds of women."

9> "Try to find one thing that matters most to you in the universe, and go after it with intense and unwavering concentration" -- Zaphod Beeblebrox

8> "Son, if you reach the end of the universe, take a left. You'll eventually get where you're going. No need to ask for directions."

7> "Never play by society's rules, Laz. Women love a rebel. Hell, that's how I seduced your mother."

6> "Frodo me lad, there's nothing stronger than the ties that bind, those are words that always ring true."

5> "Don't worry about the future, son. You have all the time in the world" -- M. McFly

4> Phone home? Very nice, but would it kill you to call your mother in Florida once in a while?!

3> "Heed well my words, Kal-El my son. You will have many mighty powers one you reach Earth. You will need them all because no matter what incarnation you're in, Luthor will always be played by someone with lots more charisma than you." Editor's Note: Ok...THIS one made me LOL....AND snort!

2> "Vladimir, as a Harkonnen keep in mind that impropriety is the spice of life."

and the Number 1 Sci-Fi Advice From Dad...

1> "Son, the way to truly get ahead in life is to study hard, hone your natural abilities, and then forsake every value you have ever had, betray every friend you have ever known and finally murder your mentor. This is how you become one with all things." -- D. Vader

Editor's Note: And who better to know, than the mother of all daddies!?

And appropos of absolutely nothing....

Editor's Note: Here's the caption (from some dweeb-wag) - COME TO THE DARK SLIDE. (I don't write em, I just report em).

We'll try to get back in the dweeblog swing soon. Happy Daddy's Day!

BREAKING Harry Potter News!

2007-05-31T08:36:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: I think we read a rumor about this idea a while ago, but a non-dweeb actually sent me the breakingnews update. (Sad, when NON-dweebs trump the QOTD, eh?)

Universal Studios to open Harry Potter theme park!

Universal Studios and Warner Brothers made a joint announcement this evening from Leavesden Studios on the set of Dumbledore's Office to reveal that a Harry Potter theme park is currently in development.

The image is the first piece of concept art for the park: Hogsmeade Village.

Here's what we learned from Potter set designer Stuart Craig and a representative from Universal Studios (both of them hosted the big reveal):-

"The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort"-

Concept art of an owl's eye view of the park.

Announcement was made live via internet at 12:01 AM EST today to select media.

Areas of park to include Hogsmeade, Hogwarts Castle, and the Forbidden Forest.

20 engineers working on project.

Universal came to WB looking for authenticity.

Potter park to be built in "Islands of Adventure" area of Universal. Editor's Note: This is Universal ORLANDO, by the way. So finally, there will be an actual reason to go there. (Most of the time, while we're Disney'ing, it never seems enticing enough over at Universal to bother missing a Disney day to go over there).

Opening early 2010.

Universal's Potter website to be available at this link soon.
http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

Concept art of Hogwarts Castle.

JK Rowling has been involved "since the very beginning" of the project. Also "supportive and encouraging."

Have been in design for at least a year and a half.

Important that the theme park represents the entire saga from Book 1 to Book 7

In a rather cute way to end the announcement, the Universal representative asks Stuart Craig, "Now where's Dumbledore?" Stuart paused for a moment, looked around the office, and replied, "He was just here."

Here's the official Press Release:

Harry Potter(TM) to Cast Spell on Universal Orlando Resort
Harry Potter "Theme Park within a Theme Park" Scheduled to Debut in 2009 -- Fans to be Immersed in the Adventures of the World's Most Popular Wizard

Concept art of Hogsmeade Village.

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Universal Orlando Resort are partnering to create the world's first fully immersive Harry Potter themed environment based on the bestselling books by J.K. Rowling and blockbuster feature films from Warner Bros. Envisioned as a "theme park within a theme park" and titled "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," the new environment will become part of the experience within Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park at the Universal Orlando Resort.
Source: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

"Over the years we've received thousands of letters from fans around the world wishing they could visit Hogwarts and the wonderful locations described in each of J.K. Rowling's beloved stories," said Barry Meyer, chairman and CEO, Warner Bros. Entertainment. "Working with Universal Orlando Resort, we are confident that we'll be able to provide Harry Potter fans with an incredible experience that upholds the richness of J.K. Rowling's books and delivers on the authentic detail portrayed in our films."

"We will rely on our company's rich movie heritage and expertise in transforming film concepts into theme park entertainment experiences," said Ron Meyer, president and COO, Universal Studios. "The Harry Potter stories are among the most compelling of our time. The millions of people who have read the books and seen the movies will now be able to experience the world of Harry Potter in person."

Inspired by J.K. Rowling's compelling stories and characters - and faithful to the visual landscapes of the films - "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" will provide a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience the magical world of Harry and his friends. The fully immersive, themed land will enable guests to visit some of the most iconic locations found in the books and the films including the village of Hogsmeade, the mysterious Forbidden Forest, and even Hogwarts castle itself.

"The plans I've seen look incredibly exciting, and I don't think fans of the books or films will be disappointed," said J.K. Rowling. Editor's Note: Of course, if she has killed off Harry Potter, will we WANT to visit? (As it would just bring back traumatic memories....)

"We have a profound sense of responsibility for the Harry Potter franchise at Warner Bros. Bringing the magic of J.K. Rowling's written word to the motion picture screen was the first step in expanding this amazing and imaginative world. Working with Universal Orlando Resort to bring it to life in a physical environment that you can walk through, relax in and ride on is the natural next step for fans to experience and enjoy," said Alan Horn, president and COO, Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Expected to open in late 2009, the new environment will feature immersive rides and interactive attractions, as well as experiential shops and restaurants that will enable guests to sample fare from the wizarding world's best known establishments. Also debuting will be a state-of-the-art attraction that will bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in an exciting way that guests have never before experienced. Editor's Note: If this were Disney, I'd be more inclined to believe this.

"We are going to devote more time, more money, more expertise and more executive talent from throughout our entire organization and creative team - as well as from Warner Bros., our partners - to ensure that this entire environment is second-to-none," said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and Resorts.

Brad Globe, president of Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products, added: "In Universal, we found the right partner whose unparalleled commitment will ensure that this is a world class destination. Their track record of success and the consistently high level of entertainment at all of their parks gave us the confidence to know that they will meet -- or exceed -- the extremely high expectations we all have for this project."

The Academy Award-winning production designer Stuart Craig, who has worked to bring the world of Harry Potter to life in all of the feature films to date, leads the creative design for the area to ensure it remains faithful to the look and feel of the films.

"Our primary goal is to make sure this experience is an authentic extension of Harry Potter's world as it is portrayed in the books and films," said Craig. "I am very excited to be working closely with the Universal Orlando team to bring the area to life."

The Universal Orlando resort destination (www.universalorlando.com) includes two dramatically distinct and adjacent theme parks, the Universal Studios motion picture and television theme park and Universal's Islands of Adventure, Orlando's most thrilling and exhilarating theme park. Universal Orlando also includes CityWalk, a 30-acre dining, shopping, club and live-entertainment venue as well as premier on-site Loews hotels and world-class film and television production facilities.

Harry Potter continues to be a global phenomenon. The series of books by author J.K. Rowling has been translated into 65 languages with more than 325 million copies sold in over 200 territories around the world. The films, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures, have grossed more than $3.5 billion at the box office worldwide. Each of the four Harry Potter films produced to date has the distinction of making it into the all time top 20 grossing films worldwide. The fifth film in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(TM), will be released in theatres on July 11, 2007.

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR.

Harry Addendum

2007-05-29T12:12:00.000-05:00

Judge upholds schools' decision to keep Harry Potter books
A suburban Atlanta judge on Tuesday upheld the decision of Georgia school officials to keep the best-selling Harry Potter books in Gwinnett County school libraries.

Gwinnett County Superior Court Judge Ronnie Batchelor issued the ruling after hearing arguments from attorneys for the school system and from local mother Laura Mallory, who wants the books removed. Mallory was not represented by an attorney at the hearing.
Afterward, Mallory said she may take her case to federal court. Editor's Note: What is that line about foolish consistency....??? Persistent little idiot, ain't she?!

Mallory has tried to ban the books from Gwinnett County school library shelves since August 2005, arguing that the popular fiction series is an attempt to indoctrinate children in witchcraft. Editor's Note: Wanna make a bet she's never READ the HP books? (Assuming, that is, that she CAN read...)

School board members have said the books are good tools to encourage children to read and to spark creativity and imagination. In May 2006, the county denied Mallory's request. In December, the state Board of Education upheld the county's decision.

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter books, published by London-based Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, tell stories of children with magic powers. They have been challenged numerous times since 2000, making them the most challenged texts of the 21st century, according to the American Library Association.Editor's Note: All those OTHER satanic tomes should write J.K. Rowling a thank you note for taking so much of the heat!

Harry Potter, so much, so little time

2007-05-29T11:46:00.000-05:00

Potter casts a spell on Brown
GORDON BROWN today revealed one of his plans for his first few weeks as Prime Minister - to read the next Harry Potter book.

Mr Brown arrives in 10 Downing Street less than three weeks before Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is published on July 16. And the next Prime Minister, a personal friend of Capital author JK Rowling, named the book as one he hopes to get through over the summer. Editor's Note: Good thing ruling ENGLAND doesn't take much TIME....

Don’t Spoil the Story, Pleads J.K. Rowling
Author of Potter series hits back at websites posting spoilers for seventh novel.

As the release date for the final Harry Potter book looms, speculation and rumors abound. But sprinkled into the mix are also spoilers for the book’s plot.

The problem has prompted a response from author J.K. Rowling, who is denouncing the websites posting spoilers. She states that the spoilers will only ruin the pleasure of reading the final installment.

Rowling maintains that she is not worried about profits, that the people will buy the book regardless, but she wants those who have grown up with Harry to take this last adventure step-by-step with him.

Rowling also praised the webmaster of website The Leaky Cauldron, who posted an editorial denouncing spoilers and stated that the website would not post any spoilers submitted.

Anticipation is high for this final novel in the series, and Rowling has said that she will never write another Harry Potter book, though she hinted that she might be persuaded to do a companion encyclopedia for charity at a later date.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be released on July 21. Editor's Note: Here's a question, though....how are these miscreants GETTING the spoilers?

And speaking of the spoilers and such...

Harry Potter and the last instalment
WORD is that there are spoilsports out there who have been sending emails to a leading Harry Potter fan site (http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/), hinting at the content and ending of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

An AP wire service report quoted Leaky Cauldron webmaster Melissa Anelli, writing on her site, “If Harry dies, we don't want to know about it until J. K. Rowling decides to tell us.” Most fans would agree that, as much as the suspense is killing them, they would rather wait to read the book to know what Harry Potter will face next.

There is little less than a month before the final instalment of Rowling's series is published on July 21. Fans have already started placing orders for the book, fearing that copies will be sold out on the day and they will have to (gasp!) wait a couple of weeks to find out the fate of their hero.

Nicholas Wong of Sungai Buloh, Selangor, has placed an order for the Bloomsbury children's edition of Deathly Hallows. He regrets it but only because he doesn't think much of the cover art:

“I am disgusted. Is that Harry, Ron and Hermione? They look completely different. It's horrible, and, in my humble opinion, a bit too colourful. I was expecting something darker, something better fitting for the final book.

“I am disappointed. How could the artist mess up this huge task?” Editor's Note: Just to show that no one bites the hand the feeds quite like a dweebfan!

Still, Wong feels that “life goes on. The book will come out, millions will buy it, and the story itself will not change no matter what the cover looks like. It just goes to show that you can't judge a book by its cover.” Editor's Note: Actually, I was thinking it just goes to show that reading and comprehension aren't the same thing....

Another fan, Usha, doesn't think the cover is so bad: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has the most interesting cover among all the seven books. Harry, Hermione and Ron look in desperate need of a makeover – they look like they have been through a dreadful ordeal – but I am sure that there is a reason for this.” Editor's Note: It's only a month or so away, gang. We have to review the book cover, we're so absent things to discuss?

Usha too has pre-ordered the book: “Knowing that this the last time I'll be able to wear a HP tee and line up in front of a bookstore as it opens devastates me deeply.”

She is “dying to read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. With a title like that, who wouldn't be? I have so many questions as well as several hunches about what will happens next.”

But ... “Knowing J. K. Rowling, she will just shock readers with a totally unexpected ending,” says Kervindran Mohanasundaram from Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur. “Let’s just face it – how many of us expected Dumbledore’s death in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?” Editor's Note: Umm...me.

Kervindran isn't optimistic about Harry's chances of survival in Death Hallows, “ I do think that misfortune will befall Harry in his final battle against Voldemort. Either he dies with his nemesis, or he loses his loved ones. After all, absolute victory cannot be gained without huge loses, although I do acknowledge the fact that Harry has already suffered those loses.

“It is even possible that the death of another loved one would be the factor that pushes Harry to his limits and allows him to successfully annihilate his enemy. No matter what the ending is, the books have given me a great time. I must thank Rowling for the wonderful moments she has given me.”

HARRY POTTER BOOK MADE IN "TOTAL DARKNESS"
The seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series is apparently being printed in "total darkness" in a bid to avoid leaks about the novel's plot. Editor's Note: So look for a bunch of bruised printing guys, blinking at bright lights.

According to reports security is so tight for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows that German workers at the GGP print factory in the small town of Poessneck are being forced to work in pitch black conditions so that they cannot read any of the books.

The Cold War-style security measures follow high-profile leaks of information in the run-up to the publication of the previous three books.

Other failsafe schemes in place see workers' bags and cars searched as they arrive and leave, while GGP employees have already been told they will be sacked if they are found to have smuggled copies out or placed bets on the novel's ending.

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has already revealed that one, possible two or three, major characters will die in the final literary instalment of her best-selling series. Editor's note: Which I gather is one less than she initially PLANNED to kill. (Didn't she say that she had spared someone that originally was slated to die?)

Harry Potter under lock and key
J. K. Rowling's seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series will hit bookstores July 21.
But until then, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" is under wraps.

Judy Dewey, director for the Madison Library District, has planned ahead to meet the demands on the popular book series. When the books arrive they will be processed, but no one will be able to crack open the first page until the release date. The director and her assistants have all signed disclosures they would not.

Dewey has the competitive edge. She knows Wal-Mart will be open and selling Deathly Hallows just after midnight. She is ready to satisfy the library district's patrons.

"The books will be ready (to check out) on the release date," Dewey said, "at 10 a.m. when the library opens." Editor's Note: And there will be no talking above a whisper, and no eating in the main hall!

"We have 33 holds on volume seven. I suspect as we get closer to the release (date) we'll get more and more," she said.

Judy Dewey has been the director for over five years and through her leadership circulation has increased 66 percent.

"We've purchased 10 to 15 copies and we may have more. We'd like to satisfy the holds as quickly as possible," Dewey said.

Her competitive edge is that she has also purchased and will have the audio versions of Harry Potter. The library will have both books-on-tape and the CD.

It isn't unusual for Wal-Mart to be open and selling the hottest items on their release dates, but Deseret Book also has plans to be opened to accommodate their customers. Both stores are taking pre-orders and have discounts to do so.

Merchants and the library director are eager to satisfy their customers' reading interest. The merchants will keep their shelves stocked and the librarian plans to place some phone calls.
The library has an automated phone call system to notify patrons when the book they've requested is available. But because there is a seven-day hold on any item, Dewey plans to make some personal phone calls.

"With 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,' we won't rely upon it. I mean the system will place the call, but we'll also call personally, to see if the interest is still there," she said. "If they've already purchased it because they decided not to wait, we want to move people up on the list."

Dewey expects 1,300 people will come through the doors the first day of the summer programs and 1,000 every day for the rest of the week.

The library will be giving away copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" as part of its prize drawing.

The end is near
How will the Harry Potter series conclude?

The last word is “scar.”

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows won’t be released till July 21, but the author has said the final word of the seventh and concluding book will be “scar.” Editor's Note: Anyone besides me just get MAJOR goosebumps???!!!

Plenty of Pottering to do before new book, film arrive
J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows won't be out until July 21, and the film version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix isn't due until July 13, but here are six tips for preparing for what promises to be a very Harry summer:

1. Laugh: Some Massachusetts teens have reduced the Potter characters to hand-puppet silliness. Videos, T-shirts and more are on http://www.potterpuppetpals.com/.

2. Play: With every movie comes a new video game. Explore Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, debuting June 25 for most platforms.

3. Browse: Explore fan sites (http://www.mugglenet.com/, www. the-leaky-cauldron.org, www. sugarquill.net, http://www.hp-lexicon.org/); the publisher's site (www. scholastic.com/harrypotter); the movie http://harrypotter. warnerbros.com); or the creator (http://www.jkrowling.com/).

4. Analyze: The books have spawned a cottage industry of Potter predictions and punditry. Try mugglenet.com's What Will Happen in Harry Potter 7.

5. Listen: The fund-raiser CD Wizards and Muggles Rock for Social Justice is due out next month with bands such as Harry and the Potters (www.eskimolabs.com/hp) and Draco and the Malfoys (http://www.evilwizardrock.com/).

6. Reread: The ambitious can dive into Books 1 through 6 again. Don't have time? Get by with only Book 6 (Half-Blood Prince) and the Phoenix film. Or for your summer vacation, try the audio versions, masterfully told by Jim Dale. Editor's Note: At the risk of repeating myself, these books on tape are FABULOUS. Jim Dale does an amazing job of it and it is a wonderful way to experience/re-experience the books. FYI...

'Wisdom of Harry Potter' author to offer fall college course
Students at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin, will be able to enroll in a course titled "Thinking about Harry Potter" during their fall term next year.

The course's instructor, Edmund M. Kern, is the author of The Wisdom of Harry Potter: What Our Favorite Hero Teaches Us About Moral Choices (Prometheus Books, 2003).

"Today's college students are like no others in history," said Kern. "They had the chance to grow up right along with Harry Potter. I'd be foolish to pass up the teaching opportunities that those circumstances offer me."

Following closely upon the publication of the finale of JK Rowling's series, the course will be interdisciplinary in nature and focus upon Harry not only as a literary phenomenon but as the biggest pop-cultural event of the era. It will explore Rowling's stories in terms of their relation to history, legend, and myth, take up debates about their contested aesthetic merit and ethical values, and take stock of their broader social and political implications.

Enrollment in the course will be by consent of the instructor only.

"I had to find a way to keep things manageable and in line with the small class sizes typical of Lawrence courses," said Kern. For this reason, only students who have already mastered all seven books of the Harry Potter series will participate.

Kern has never demanded over four thousand pages of text as a prerequisite for a course before, and he can't imagine other circumstances that would allow him to do so again. "I'm not going to assign Rowling's books. I'm simply going to assume that my students have a copious knowledge of them," he said. Editor's Note: oooooo...pick me, pick ME!

Interested students will have to write brief explanations of why they should be in the course. Kern hopes this requirement will allow students to "select themselves," but he is afraid that he might have to turn some students away. The course will involve serious scholarship, but Kern insisted it will also be fun. "I want to make sure I end up with the most dedicated fans of Harry Potter," he adds.

In keeping with the academic demands of the course, students will complete short research projects of their own design. "We might get a book of essays out of all this," Kern offered, "but ultimately, I just want my students to apply the skills they have developed in a wide variety of college courses to something that they've enjoyed, witnessed, and really been a part of. "

A member of Lawrence's Department of History, Kern first heard about Harry Potter from his students. "Back in '98 or '99, they began to ask me about the books, because I teach a course on the history of religion, magic, and witchcraft. Little did I know then, how things would turn out."

Britain to issue Harry Potter stamps
THEY'LL DEPICT U.K. BOOK COVERS

LONDON - Britain's Royal Mail is issuing a series of seven stamps depicting the covers of the best-selling Harry Potter books just before the final volume goes on sale.

Millions of the stamps will be issued on July 17 as part of the post office's tradition of celebrating "social themes and important occasions central to our way of life," said Julietta Edgar, who is in charge of special stamps at Royal Mail.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" goes on sale July 21.

"There's no doubt that J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter novels, published in dozens of languages worldwide, have made a phenomenal impact on our reading habits," Edgar said.

Rowling's fantasy series has sold more than 325 million copies worldwide. She has said two major characters will die in the final book, which is being released under tight security.

'Order of the Phoenix' 138 minutes long
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will have a running time of 138 minutes and 4 seconds (2 hours, 18 minutes and 4 seconds), according to the British Board of Film Classification . Editor's Note: YAY!! Longer is better!! (don't go to a bad place...OddBob, Joel, Dave....this means YOU).

The book is so durned long, I'm surprised the movie isn't THREE hours!

The BBFC recently rated Order of the Phoenix 12A, meaning no one under 12 years old may see the movie without an accompanying adult. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rated the film PG-13 in the U.S. which places kids under 13 under the same restriction.

'Lucius Malfoy' too superstitious to attend Harry Potter premiere
Jason Isaacs Editor's Note: Yummy Yummy Yummy! , famously known to "Harry Potter" fans as Lucius Malfoy will not be present at the July premiere of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix".

And Isaacs apparently seems to have no regret and guilt over the fact that he won't make it to the first screening of the fifth instalment of the blockbuster series.

Isaacs recently confessed that his absence in all the previous Harry Potter premieres has made him superstitious, and hence he doesn't want to mess up with things.

"I haven't been able to go to any of the premieres, and you know how superstitious actors can be. It's best this way, so I don't mess things up," the National Ledger quoted him, as saying.
Meanwhile Isaacs is busy shooting for his "Good" feature film in Budapest, Hungary, with Viggo Mortensen. Editor's Note: oh my golly....Viggo Mortensen and Jason Isaacs on the same screen!? That's almost too much loveliness for any one projector.

Isaacs is also occupied with the second season shooting of his Peabody Award-winning Showtime "Brotherhood" series in Providence, R.I.

Magic, Mayhem And Dumbledore’s Army
‘Order Of The Phoenix’ movie conjures up the dark side of Harry Potter
"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" will be bigger and more complex than its predecessors, according to Daniel Radcliffe, who has virtually grown up as the star of the movies based on the J.K. Rowling books.

"On an emotional level, there's much bigger stuff than I had to do in the fourth film," Radcliffe told SciFi Wire.

In "Order of the Phoenix," Harry returns for his fifth year of study at Hogwarts and discovers that much of the wizarding community has been denied the truth about the teenager's recent encounter with the evil Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). As Voldemort returns, Hogwarts has become the wizard world’s version of a police state, and the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), refuses to teach students any practical defense methods, leaving them unprepared to fight Voldemort. As a result, Harry and his friends Hermione (Emma Watson) and Ron (Rupert Grint) form "Dumbledore's Army" to train Hogwarts students to defend themselves.

"Order of the Phoenix" will have darker, more mature themes in it than in previous Harry Potter movies. According to Radcliffe, the film is more about political intrigue and the search for the truth.

"There's no major physical action set pieces, other than, of course, the final standoff between Voldemort and Harry and Harry and Voldemort and all the Death Eaters and the Order of the Phoenix." Radcliffe added "That's going to be pretty spectacular, I think."

On top of all the pandemonium at Hogwarts and the intrigue both at the school and the outside world, "Harry goes through what every teenager goes through, in a way. He feels angry. And, of course, Harry's feelings are exacerbated by the fact that he has had all of these troubles in his life, and has had people trying to kill him at numerous times, really," Radcliff stated.

Harry's relationship with his godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman), figures prominently in the story, as Harry's attitude and demeanor become increasingly conflicted and angry. "There's a lot going on inside of Harry's head that makes him more interesting to do," Radcliffe said. "And I think, for an audience, he becomes a more charismatic sort of character to watch, because he is so of two different sides."

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" opens in theatres on Friday, July 13.

6 Harry Potter 5 TV Spots!
Editor's Note: If you can't WAIT for the movie....watch the ads!

Warner Bros. Pictures has provided ComingSoon.net with no less than six TV spots from the highly-anticipated Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, opening in conventional theaters and IMAX on July 13.

You can watch the spots here!
http://www.comingsoon.net/films.php?id=4661

OddBob celebrates Star Wars a little bit more

2007-05-28T11:49:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: A 3-day weekend brings out the REALLY odd, in our OddBob. So here are a few more SW-related, cross-dweebfranchise polinations that OB sent to us.

Enjoy?

Editor's NOte: And what's REALLY odd is that OB didn't even make any...ahem...LIGHTsaber jokes when he sent this one in. (Guess he knew I would lower the standards without his help?)

Editor's Note: And how disturbing is THIS one???!!!

OddBob Celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars

2007-05-25T10:36:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: What's a celebration without a few OddBob moments?

WHAT, inDEED?!

As scary as it might seem, May 25, 2007 is the 30th birthday of the Star Wars franchise. Doubtless there will be celebrations, and hopefully nobody reading here will consider any of these while attending.

The Top 10 Things Not to Do at Your Star Wars 30th Birthday Party

10> Since you're 47 years old and never had a girlfriend, ask your sister if she'd be willing to help you recreate the scene where Leia kisses Luke.

9> Try to use the Force on your teenage babysitter.

8> Require everyone to leave the party via the garbage chute.

7> Bend over and light the candles on your cake with the Blue Flame of Alderon, like your frat brother did back at Jedi U.

6> Refer to the young chicks as "womprats" you'd like to "bulls-eye".

5> Let the kids take turns putting each other into Carbon-Freeze.

4> Please, for the Light Side's sake, resist showing party guests your small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port.

3> A rowdy game of droid tossing.

2> The "asteroid search" game is not supposed to include body cavities.

and the Number 1 Thing Not to Do at Your Star Wars 30th Birthday Party...

1> Drop your pants, point at your huge bare ass, and yell, "That's no moon! It's a space station!"

Editor's NOte: WooHOOOOO!!! NOW we've got a party, huh???!!

Let's all send a big dweebTHANKs to OddBob for setting the....ummm....level of the conversation.....ummm.....wellllll......let's just say the bar has not been set very high for the REST of us?

Ok....here's a weird thing he sent in that sort of redeems him?

Editor's Note: Think Uncle George ever gets confused about which franchise he's working on that day?

Editor's Note: The weird thing is, this doesn't really change her appearance that much, DOES it? (Saw the new Shrek last weekend, by the way. Cute).

Editor's Note: A good lead off to the weekend....celebrating 30 years of Star Wars, and seeing the third Pirates movie tomorrow AM. LIFE IS GOOOOOOOD.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend (and 30th ANNY weekend) DweebPals!!!

ttfn and mtfbwy ker

HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY, STAR WARS!

2007-05-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: 30 years old today. (And not looking a day over 29!)

And a little news in honor of the celebration.

Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed on History Channel

Thirty years ago, an unheralded film known as Star Wars opened in theaters and took audiences on a groundbreaking journey to a galaxy far, far away. It instantly seized the public's imagination, and three decades later still claims that grasp.

Now, a new special from The History Channel seeks to understand why the emotional impact of the Star Wars Saga remains as relevant as ever.

The two-hour special, Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed, is a World Premiere on The History Channel on Monday, May 28 at 9pm ET/PT.

Through interviews with politicians, academics, journalists and critics -- all of whom weigh in on the enduring appeal of George Lucas's creations -- the special demonstrates that Star Wars isn't just a high-action adventure in space. It's a remarkably complex and sophisticated story about power, politics, sin, spirituality and redemption--almost Shakespearean in its power, humor, presentation and influence.

The special makes the argument that Star Wars' intensely compelling stories -- borrowed from diverse traditions, from Greek mythology and American westerns to the Bible and even Vaudeville -- compel us to explore some of the biggest questions of our time. Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed explores that view through interviews with politicians, academics, journalists and critics, who all weigh in on the creations of George Lucas.

The special shows how seldom a movie can make us laugh and think about our role in the universe -- which may be why it has stood the test of time.

"The enduring appeal of Star Wars," says Tom Brokaw, "is that it's this vastly entertaining piece of cinema that also leaves you ... with the idea that there are some real issues out there that we ought to be thinking about -- good and evil, and right and wrong, and heroism. Generations of people a long time from now will be enthralled by it, just as we are enthralled by the story of Robin Hood or King Arthur's Court or any of the Shakespearean tales."

The special unites a diverse group of high-profile Star Wars fans, from filmmakers to politicians to journalists.

"The idea of the underdog who's on the right side defeating the overdog who's on the wrong side is a deeply American mythology," says former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who climbed a high political fence to agree with current Democrat House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the movies' impact.

Says Pelosi: "The legacy of George Lucas fits very comfortably among the classics of all time, whether ancient or modern. "

Editor's Note: Gingrich and Pelosi on the (literal and figurative) same page? Sign of the end times? Something worse?

Adds Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson: "You don't even have to ask, 'Will it stand the test of time?' It has and it will."

This action-adventure film with lighthearted moments and touching purity, demands that we focus on current fundamental themes, including environmentalism, racism and the temptations of power and greed.

As author Carl Silvio notes, at times the movies seem prophetic: "In Revenge of the Sith, when we hear Anakin say, 'You're either with me or against me,' it's almost impossible not to hear that quote and think of another very famous quote," a point the special underscores with a clip of President George W. Bush's November 2001 news-conference quote: "You are either with us or you are against us in the fight against terror." Editor's Note: And yet Anakin's path was set way before the current US preseidential miasma. (I don't mean 'long long ago;' I mean Uncle George had this in mind for Anakin long before the current doofus ever uttered those words).

The dichotomies of good vs. evil and mechanism vs. humanity is apparent throughout the movies, which carry themes of politics and power.

In the Star Wars universe, dictators are ruthless yet charismatic, and while some politicians are well-meaning, as Princess Leia Organa demonstrates, leaders are born from courage and conviction, not from gender.

With regard to other kinds of power, C-3PO and R2-D2 demonstrate that machines can be beneficial, while the feared Death Star shows us their danger. The Ewoks, instrumental in the eventual defeat of the Empire, remind us that natural, environmental solutions have as much as (or more) power than man-made ones. That the movies are fun only gives their central questions and observations more credence.

How long will that endure?

"A hundred years from now," says Joan Breton Connelly, an associate professor of fine arts at New York University, "someone will be sitting here discussing the impact of Star Wars and they will be seeing different things in it than we are seeing today, just as today we have classes in the university on Homer."

Filmmaker Kevin Smith: "It is bad guys versus good guys and everyone wants to see that story. That story will never grow tired, never grow old."

Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed is produced by Prometheus Entertainment in association with Lucasfilm Ltd. Executive Producer is Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Burns (Empire of Dreams, Look, Up in the Sky!). Executive Producer for The History Channel is Beth Dietrich Segarra.

PLUS....

In celebration of the upcoming special, The History Channel is offering fans the chance to win an incredible trip for two to Star Wars Celebration Europe, the largest official Star Wars event overseas.

Only The History Channel is offering fans in the US this exclusive opportunity!

The trip comes complete with roundtrip airfare to London, 4-nights hotel accommodations, 3-day passes to Celebration Europe, $1000 of Star Wars Celebration Europe exclusives and more.

In addition to the grand prize trip, fifty runner-up winners will receive $25 Audible.com gift certificates. From May 16 -- June 3, fans can enter The Legacy Revealed Sweepstakes here.

The History Channel has also announced the launch of The Legacy Collection at Audible.com, the online site where you can download audio books and more.

Beginning May 16, fans can access this incredible collection of audio books that offer insight into the characters, stories and themes introduced in Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed.

The collection includes such titles as Homer's The Odyssey, Shakespeare's Hamlet and Joseph Campbell's The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

Plus, you can listen to a free sample of the latest audio book in the Star Wars: Legacy of The Force series. Learn more here

Editor's Note: In honor of the 30th Anniversary, here are a few more SW articles from around the globe -

The Force remains strong
Keith Lane will never forget the first time he watched the original "Star Wars" movie. He was only 7, but he remembers the excitement of seeing "Star Wars: Episode IV."

"I couldn't wait to see it. I remember seeing clips of the movie on "Phil Donahue" (former talk showEditor's Note: Has it been so long they have to ID this? GOD I'm old....), and I was really excited about it," the Temperance resident recalled. "I've been a big fan ever since."

He, along with millions of other moviegoers, was not disappointed.

The original "Star Wars" movie celebrates its 30th anniversary Friday.

The epic film was created by writer and producer George Lucas and has become a multi-billion dollar franchise. Actors like Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Alec Guinness brought the sci-fi movie to life with their memorable characters. Even today, names like Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Obi-Wan Kenobi are common names in the pop culture world.

Mr. Lane, 38, is a serious fan. Not only is he a fan of the original flick, but of all "Star Wars" movies. He especially enjoys the original three movies.

"I've seen each of those at least 1,000 times," he said. And he knows his "Star Wars" trivia. According to his wife, Theresa, he can recite any line, give scene descriptions, owns the soundtrack to all the movies and can answer nearly any question you throw at him.

"She'll test me, and I'll know about 95 percent of the answers. If I know it, she'll tell me how big of a dork I am," said Mr. Lane, laughing. Editor's Note: DWEEB, not dork. (Although HE might be a dork....)

For Gary Davis of Monroe, the movie is appealing because it is a timeless film.

"Since it is set in another galaxy, it's not dated. You don't watch the movie and say it's a 1970s period movie. The cultural impact goes beyond the 1970s. It's still valid today," he said. Editor's Note: Well...except for a few 'hair' moments?

Mr. Davis, 21, got hooked on the "Star Wars" movies when he watched the re-released version of the original "Star Wars" 10 years ago, when it marked the 20th anniversary. He was only 11 when he saw it on the big screen.

"I liked how it mixed both fantasy and science fiction, which are two of my favorite (genres)," he said. Since the movie is ageless, new "Star Wars" fans pop up every day. Bob and Annette Navarre's children - Lindsay, 11; KellyAnn, 10, and Joe, 7 - are all huge fans of the movie.

"All three of them dressed up as ‘Star Wars' characters for Halloween, and they've made their own ‘Star Wars' movies," said Mrs. Navarre of Monroe. "They have light saber fights all the time."

The Navarre children were hooked on "Star Wars" when they first watched the film about two years ago. "They've collected 645 ‘Star Wars' items between the three of them since they watched their first "Star Wars" movie. They counted them all," Mrs. Navarre said.

In their collection, they have accumulated 132 figures, six ships, 11 light sabers, 390 cards, 15 articles of clothing and seven costumes, just to name a few.

"They love playing ‘Star Wars' games together. They have a great time," she said.

Mr. Davis also is an avid collector. Besides receiving most of his father's collection, he also has been collecting many items that he describes as in "good condition." Some items, he said, are still in the box in order to keep preserved.

"I've been to several ‘Star Wars' conventions, including ‘Star Wars' weekends in Disney World and Celebration 3 (in Indianapolis)," he said. "I even saw the ‘Star Wars' art exhibit when it came through Detroit a few years back."

Mr. Lane has a lot to celebrate this weekend. Not only does Friday mark the 30th anniversary of "Star Wars," but he and his wife will be celebrating their wedding anniversary this weekend.

The couple is traveling to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., for their anniversary. Mr. Lane also will be able to celebrate "Star Wars."

"It's ‘Star Wars' weekend at Disney. I heard George Lucas will be there so I'm hoping we can see him there," he said.

He believes many factors contribute to the success of the original film. "Special effects, the storyline, the characters … It's a combination of all those things," he said as to why "Star Wars" has such a big following. "Back then, sci-fi was a dead genre in movies. George Lucas really brought sci-fi back."

OVERVIEW OF THE MOVIE

"Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" was released May 25, 1977. Created by writer/producer and director George Lucas, the epic movie (then known simply as "Star Wars") has become a franchise worth more than $20 billion.

Additional films, television series, collector's items, video games, trading cards … the movie is one of the most successful franchises of all time.

The cast of the action, fantasy, science fiction and adventure movie became household names.

Mark Hamill played Luke Skywalker, the leading role, while Harrison Ford played Han Solo, Carrie Fisher was Princess Leia, Alec Guinness played Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi and James Earl Jones intoned the voice of Darth Vader.

The storyline follows the life of a farm boy, Luke Skywalker, who attempts to rescue a rebel leader, Princess Leia, from the clutches of the Empire. His allies, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO and R2-D2, help him along the way. His nemesis is a former Jedi Knight, known as Darth Vader.

THE FILMS

"Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope." Released May 25, 1977 "

"Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back." Released May 21, 1980

"Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi." Released May 25, 1983

"Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace." Released May 19, 1999

"Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones." Released May 16, 2002 "

"Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." Released May 19, 2005

A LITTLE TRIVIA

Actors James Caan, Al Pacino and Burt Reynolds turned down the role of Han Solo

"Vader" is Dutch for "father"

This is the only "Star Wars" movie nominated for Best Picture Academy Award

Mark Hamill (Luke) and Carrie Fisher (Leia) performed their own stunt in a scene in which they swing to safety. They shot it in one take.

Writer/director George Lucas based the character of Han Solo on his friend, director Francis Ford Coppola.

George Lucas came up with R2-D2 during post-production of "American Graffiti" when a crew member asked Lucas to retrieve Reel 2 of the Second Dialogue track. He asked by saying, "Could you get R2-D2 for me?" Lucas liked the sound of it, and wrote it down for future use.

The movie originally was scheduled for a Christmas, 1976, release but post-production took longer than expected.

Studio executives were concerned with May 25, 1977, since it would come out the same week as "Smokey and the Bandit." "Star Wars" grossed more than twice as much as "Smokey."

Within six months, "Star Wars" dethroned "Jaws" as the all-time box office champ. It held the record until "Titanic" in 1997.

In 1977, the movie earned $1.5 million on fewer than 40 screens in its first weekend. In 1997, it made more than $36 million on more than 2,000 screens. Source: Internet Movie Database

‘STAR WARS' STAMPS

The U.S. Postal Service is in "Star Wars" spirit, too.Fifteen 41-cent stamps commemorating the film will go on sale Friday. Editor's Note: Today!!! (going to the PO at lunch, dweebpals! Yessirree!!!) Visitors to www.uspsjedimaster.com could vote for their favorite stamp, which will be released on a single sheet besides the composite. Stamps depicting Yoda and Darth Vader were at the top earlier this week. Voting ended Wednesday.

Besides the stamps, the Postal Service dressed up 400 mail boxes nationwide to resemble the R2D2 droid. Fans can track the location of all the mailboxes by visiting www.frappr.com/r2d2.

AT THE THEATERS IN 1977
Editor's Note: Just to 'seal the deal' on making us feel OLD...

Top money makers of 1977
"Star Wars" - $460,987,469
"Saturday Night Fever" - $142,500,000
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" - $128,300,000
"Smokey and the Bandit" - $126,737,428
"In Search of Noah's Ark" - $55,734,818

Star Wars is ranked No. 2 all-time as the largest grossing movie in the United States. No. 1 is "Titanic," which grossed $600,743,440 in 1997.

1977 Academy Awards

"Star Wars" was nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Alec Guinness), and Best Original Screenplay.

It won for Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects.

Top Oscars went to:
Best Actor: Richard Dreyfuss for "The Goodbye Girl"
Best Actress: Diane Keaton for "Annie Hall"
Best Director: Woody Allen for "Annie Hall"
Best Picture: "Annie Hall"
Best Supporting Actor: Jason Robards for "Julia"
Best Supporting Actress: Vanessa Redgrave for "Julia"

Also at the theaters:

1977 was a big year for the movie industry. Here are some of the other memorable movies released that year:

"Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
"The Hills Have Eyes"
"Oh, God!"
"The Rescuers"
"Saturday Night Fever"
"Slap Shot"
"Smokey and the Bandit"

Those films also propelled the careers of many actors, who became A-Listers.

Here are a few actors that became household names after 1977.
Harrison Ford ("Star Wars")
Diane Keaton ("Annie Hall")
Richard Dreyfuss ("Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "The Goodbye Girl")
John Travolta ("Saturday Night Fever")

Signs You Have Too Much Star Wars Stuff
Editor's Note: not that you ever CAN have too much......

11. If your house burned down, more stormtroopers would perish than did in the Death Star explosion.

10. Your ability to afford retirement depends on how the market for realistic light sabers is doing.

9. You had to put both kids in the same room because you had to put your Star Wars Lego collection in a room by itself.

8. Your spouse has had to vacate his or her closet space to make room for your Leia slave girl outfits. Editor's Note: I like how open-minded the gender assignment is on this one. giggle....

7.You're petitioning to have your lot rezoned so you can move your Millennium Falcon collection outside.

6. You're using your refrigerator to store action figures.

5. You had to make a secret sub-basement to hide your Jar-Jar collection out of shame.

4. George Lucas called you when he needed a prop for the Star Wars celebration.

3. You are the highest bidder on eBay for a skin sample from Mark Hamill.

2. Your life-size talking cardboard characters talk to each other.

1. Your friends come over to play life-sized chess with your droid collection.

30 pieces of trivia about Star Wars

Editor's Note: You're going to know most of these already. Still...LISTS are FUN!

The original Star Wars film was released on 25 May 1977.

Much to the surprise of many involved in the project, including the studio which backed it, it became a runaway success.

To celebrate the movie's 30th anniversary here are 30 facts and figures related to the film which influenced a new generation of film-makers.

THE MAKING OF STAR WARS

1. The first trailer for the film hit cinemas six months before it was to open - with tag lines such as "the story of a boy, a girl and a universe" and "a billion years in the making" - as executives hoped to drum up some interest in a film they had little faith in.

2. Made on a budget of $11m (£5.5m) it made $215m (£108m) in the US during its original release, and $337m (£170m) overseas. The final film in the franchise - Revenge of the Sith - cost about $113m (£57m) to make. Editor's Note: yes, this was from a BBC article.

3. It was originally called The Star Wars, but "the" was dropped fairly early on in the creative process.

4. The full title Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope first appeared when the film was re-released in 1981.

5. Director George Lucas originally had a contract with Fox for $150,000 (£75,941) for writing and directing Star Wars. But he cannily insisted on total control and 40% of merchandising - something the studio agreed to because they had no idea of what a phenomenon Star Wars would become.

6. The famous - and often imitated - opening crawl for Star Wars was co-written by Brian De Palma, the director of Scarface. It begins "It is a period of civil war. Rebel spaceships, striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire."

7. Sir Alec Guinness made a ton of money from the film having recognised its potential success and negotiating a deal for two per cent of box office takings. He also refused to do any promotional work for the film.

8. Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and Kenny Baker, who played R2-D2, are the only actors credited with being in all six Star Wars films.

9. Harrison Ford was far from George Lucas' first choice to play Han Solo as the director had wanted completely new faces for Star Wars. Ford had already starred in Lucas' American Graffiti.

10. The original release date was set for Christmas 1976 but major delays in filming saw it pushed back. The Fox studio had threatened to close down production when filming over-ran by more than two weeks.

INSPIRATION

11. Ralph McQuarrie created the paintings which were used to illustrate how the Star Wars universe could look. He started out as a technical illustrator for Boeing.

12. The Wookiee Chewbacca was inspired by George Lucas' beloved dog Indiana - an Alaskan malamute.

13. Lucas once said that the shape of the Millennium Falcon was based on a hamburger.

14. George Lucas based the character of Han Solo on his friend Francis Ford Coppola.

15. The droids R2-D2 and C-3PO are said to be based on the 1958 Akira Kourosawa film Kakushi toride no san akunin (The Hidden Fortress). Other characters in Star Wars were also drawn from the film including Han Solo and Ben Kenobi.

MARKETING AND MERCHANDISING
16. Cinemas in the US were press-ganged into buying the film after few took up the option, with the threat that they wouldn't get The Other Side of Midnight - a widely-anticipated adaptation of a Sidney Sheldon novel. The Other Side of Midnight, starring Susan Sarandon, was a box office flop.

17. Publicity supervisor Charles Lippincott was aware of the power of the sci-fi fan, going along to conventions to talk about Star Wars and what audiences could expect. He was largely credited with bringing in huge opening day audiences.

18. The merchandise for the film was not in place to accommodate the demand for the first Christmas rush after the film's release. Lucas and merchandise company Kenner Toys hit upon a novel idea with the introduction of early bird certificate boxes. These were basically empty boxes that promised the receiver they would get the figures once they had been made. They sold for $16 at the time and the actual figures arrived two months later. Limited edition packs were re-released in 2005.

19. More than 250 million small action figures were shipped in the eight years after the first film, going to countries across the world. In the first year alone 42m were sold.

AWARDS
20. Composer John Williams won an Oscar for his score for Star Wars. The music was later named by the American Film Institute as the greatest film score of all time. Editor's Note: Johnny W ROCKS!

21. A New Hope was the only one of the six films in the franchise to be nominated in the Academy Awards best picture category. It lost out to Woody Allen's Annie Hall.

MISHAPS AND MISCELLANEOUS
22. Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, was involved in a car accident following primary shooting. His face was damaged making reshoots impossible. Hamill later said he only broke his nose and reports that his face was reconstructed were wide of the mark. Editor's Note: I am a Luke gal. Always have been. But come ON???? He has never looked the same since the accident. I still think he's lovely, but his face is completely different. Yes???!!!

23. Anthony Daniels was injured during his first outing as C-3PO when a leg piece fell off his gold-coloured costume and shattered - stabbing him in the foot.

24. On the first day of filming in the deserts of Tunisia, the country experienced its first major rainstorm in 50 years and a rest day had to be called.

25. When filming moved to Elstree it was hoped the earlier problems encountered in the desert would be finished. But a new problem arose in the shape of the strict British working conditions adhered to on set. Lucas says that filming had to close at 5.30pm on the dot, unless he was in the middle of a shot - when he could ask workers to stay for an extra 15 minutes.

26. One of the most famous bloopers from the film is when stormtroopers burst into a room and one of them hits his head on the door frame. Fans of Star Wars and the blooper have spotted hundreds of "mistakes" throughout the Star Wars franchise but many can only be spotted by the most eagle-eyed viewer.

27. Peter Mayhew, who played Chewbacca, worked as a hospital orderly in London before being cast as the Wookiee. He was said to have got into character by copying the mannerisms of animals he visited at the zoo.

28. David Prowse, the 6ft 7ins actor who plays Darth Vader, had problems filming lightsaber scenes as he kept breaking the poles that were used as stand-ins for the weapons. In the sequels, fight co-ordinator Bob Anderson stepped into the costume to film the lightsaber scenes.

29. George Lucas wanted his sets to look worn and scuffed but the studio cleaning service continually cleaned and tidied up after a day's filming - much to the director's dismay. Editor's Note: TOO funny! (I wish I could get MY maid to do as well).

30. Lucas' stress levels reached such a height that he thought he was having a heart attack. He was diagnosed with hypertension and exhaustion and told to rest - something the punishing schedule would not allow.

Editor's Note: And here's a link to a SW trivia quiz from an Aussie website -

http://media.news.com.au/multimedia/2007/05/070525_starwars

It's really easy....but it's Friday, so who wants anything difficult, right?

Netlets: Fox and CW present their wares

2007-05-17T15:32:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: I hope no one minds if I skip the programming info for MY, Univision, and Telemundo?

We could almost skip some of FOX, for that matter.....

Fox Unveils 10 New Series; Changes Six Nights
Fox has announced an ambitious new prime-time schedule broken out in three parts: fall 2007, January 2008 and spring 2008.

Keep in mind, of course, that the latter two schedules are subject to change pending the outcome in fourth quarter. Editor's Note: Let's face it....it's ALL subject to change. And FOX is the most A.D.D. of them all when it comes to fickle-finger-of-fate programming decisions, yes? (And all of these delicate machinations fold like a house of cards the minute something doesn't deliver and they have to restart a show earlier to cover the laggards).

Fox will introduce six new series this fall (two dramas, one sitcom and three non-scripted series, including a docu-soap called Nashville), with changes on six of the seven nights. Only Saturday will remain consistent with perennial occupants Cops and America’s Most Wanted. Editor's Note: It doesn't COUNT if you don't change Saturday, if you didn't really program it to BEGIN with.

Included this fall are the return of Prison Break Editor's Note: yay!!! and three shows -- ‘Til Death, Bones Editor's Note: Yay, encore! and King of the Hill -- moving to new time periods.

January 2008 on Fox will feature the return of American Idol and 24, two new dramas (Canterbury’s Law and The Sarah Connor Chronicles), and new time periods for fall-introduced dramas K-Ville and New Amsterdam, plus Bones, King of the Hill and Family Guy.

Effective in the spring will be the return of Prison Break, a new Wednesday 8:30 p.m. comedy called The Return of Jezebel James, and ‘Til Death in a new time period -- Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. A third new comedy, The Rules for Starting Over, is slated in an undetermined time period in midseason.

In total, that makes 10 new series on the map for Fox in 2007-08: four dramas, three sitcoms and three non-scripted series.

Here is Fox’s new prime-time schedule broken out by fall 2007, January 2008 and spring 2008. New shows bolded in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

Editor's Note: All times EST.

FALL 2007

Monday
8:00 p.m. Prison Break
9:00 p.m. K-VILLE

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. NEW AMSTERDAM
9:00 p.m. House

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. BACK TO YOU
8:30 p.m. ‘Til Death (new time)
9:00 p.m. Bones (new time)Editor's Note: Oh. Good. Now they can be gorier?

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00 p.m. KITCHEN NIGHTMARES

Friday
8:00 p.m. THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND
9:00 p.m. NASHVILLE

Saturday Editor's Note: Or as I like to call it "Shutinrepublicantheater."
8:00 p.m. Cops
9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Sunday
7:00 p.m. The OT (NFL post-game)
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. King of the Hill (new time)
9:00 p.m. Family Guy
9:30 p.m. American Dad

JANUARY 2008

Monday
8:00 p.m. K-Ville (new time)
9:00 p.m. 24

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. American Idol
9:00 p.m. House

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Back to You
8:30 p.m. ‘Til Death
9:00 p.m. American Idol

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00 p.m. CANTERBURY’S LAW

Friday
8:00 p.m. Bones (new day and time) Editor's Note: so every quarter they shuffle the shows to see if we're paying attention. (Only really ATTENTIVE people can watch FOX!) Or maybe it's a plot to boost subscriptions to TVGuide?
9:00 p.m. New Amsterdam (new day and time)

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Cops
9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Sunday
7:00 p.m. King of the Hill (new time)
7:30 p.m. American Dad
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. Family Guy (new time)
9:00 p.m. THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES

SPRING 2008

Monday
8:00 p.m. Prison Break
9:00 p.m. 24

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. American Idol
9:00 p.m. House

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. Back to You
8:30 p.m. THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES
9:00 p.m. American Idol
9:30 p.m. ‘Til Death (new time)

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?
9:00 p.m. Canterbury’s Law

Friday
8:00 p.m. Bones
9:00 p.m. New Amsterdam

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Cops
9:00 p.m. America’s Most Wanted

Sunday
7:00 p.m. King of the Hill
7:30 p.m. American Dad
8:00 p.m. The Simpsons
8:30 p.m. Family Guy
9:00 p.m. The Sarah Connor Chronicles

New Show Descriptions:

Dramas
K-VILLE
Set in crime-infested New Orleans two years after Hurricane Katrina, two determined police officers (Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser) do anything it takes to try to keep order. Editor's Note: Anthony Anderson and Cole Hauser....not exactly people that make you WANT to watch a show. In fact, perhaps the opposite?

NEW AMSTERDAM
A typical looking New York homicide detective named John Amsterdam (Nikolai Coster-Waldau) has one huge advantage: he is immortal. Back in 1642, Amsterdam was a Dutch soldier in the colony of New Amsterdam who was given immorality by a native Indian girl and was told he would not age until he finds true love. Unfortunately, everyone Amsterdam has met eventually leaves him while he remains young. Editor's Note: Depending on how he feels about living forever, he has a perfect excuse to be committment phobic, huh?

CANTERBURY’S LAW (January 2008)
In this new legal drama from Denis Leary and Jim Serpico (Rescue Me), a rebellious female defense attorney puts her career on the line to take on risky and unpopular cases. Linus Roache, Chester Fields and Molly McConnell co-star.

SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES (January 2008)
Based on the heroine from The Terminator theatrical franchise, Sarah (Lena Headey) and her teenage son John (Thomas Dekker) are now fugitives from the law. Alone in a very dangerous, complicated world, the two together must face more enemies from both the present and the future. Their one ally is Cameron (Summer Glau), a student at John’s school. Editor's Note: Ok...Summer Glau. I'll watch.

Comedies

BACK TO YOU
Multi Emmy Award winners Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Kelsey Grammer (Frasier) head back to the world of small screen sitcoms in this tale of two squabbling on-air news anchors Editor's Note: So the dramas are targeted to 20somethings and the comedies are targeted to the AARP? Interesting strategy....

THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES (Spring 2008)
A successful woman (Parker Posey) who seems to have it all lacks one instrumental thing: a baby. But when she finds out she cannot conceive, she proposes a plan for her quirky younger sister (Lauren Ambrose of Six Feet Under) to carry the child.

THE RULES FOR STARTING OVER (Midseason)
A group of newly single friends (Craig Bierko, Johnny Sneed and Shaun Majumder) must start over in their 30s in their quest to find true love. Editor's Note: zzzzzzzzzzz. And since when is Bierko in his 30's?

Non-Scripted

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES
Angry Chef Gordon Ramsay of Hell’s Kitchen fame hits the road, tackling a restaurant in crisis each week and exposing the often stressful realities of trying to run a successful food business.

NASHVILLE
Set in “the biggest small town in America,” this docu-soap from the creative minds Editor's Note: ????!!!! behind Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County will focus on the dreamers and dream-makers in the music industry.

THE SEARCH FOR THE NEXT GREAT AMERICAN BAND
From the producers of American Idol, this new reality/competition will scour the country, seeking groups from all musical genres who think they have what it takes to make it big. The final three acts will compete for a major recording contract and the chance to become music superstars.

The CW Changes Four Nights; Adds Gossip Girl, Reaper
The CW will head into its sophomore season on an aggressive note, with six new prime-time series (three dramas, one sitcom and two non-scripted half-hours) impacting four nights of the week.

The highest profile of the freshman mix, drama Gossip Girl, will air in the network’s protected Wednesday 9 p.m. time period out of America’s Next Top Model.

Former midseason entry Beauty and the Geek has been promoted to the fall and designated as the Tuesday anchor into Buffy, the Vampire-like new drama Reaper.

Monday will feature long-awaited sitcom Aliens in America at 8:30 p.m. out of Everybody Hates Chris and into Girlfriends and surprise returnee The Game.

And Sunday will be completely revamped from 7-9 p.m., with the non-scripted Online Nation and CW Now in the 7 p.m. hour, followed by new drama Life is Wild.

Thursday and Friday will remain unchanged, while encore telecasts of America’s Next Top Model will remain Sunday at 9 p.m.

The CW has also announced four series in midseason, including reality/competitions Farmer Wants a Wife and Crowned: The Mother of all Pageants, and the return of One Tree Hill and Pussycat Dolls Present.

Missing from the lineup (in addition to the already announced departures of 7th Heaven and Gilmore Girls) are three-year-old sitcom All of Us and the critically acclaimed, but ratings-starved Veronica Mars.Editor's Note: I am very sad. But given the rest of the CW line-up, VM doesn't really fit. (too classy, too smart). Sure wish there were another net or cable net to pick this up. I especially liked the rumor I heard that, if the show had been picked up, they were going to skip ahead 5 years and have Veronica set up in her own PI biz. Ah well.....no good show goes uncancelled.

Here is The CW’s fall 2007 prime-time schedule with new shows bolded in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

Editor's Note: oooo....Guess What?!!! All times EST!

Monday
8:00 p.m. Everybody Hates Chris
8:30 p.m. ALIENS IN AMERICA
9:00 p.m. Girlfriends
9:30 p.m. The Game

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. Beauty and the Geek (new day and time)
9:00 p.m. REAPER

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model
9:00 p.m. GOSSIP GIRL

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Smallville
9:00 p.m. Supernatural

Friday
8:00 p.m. Friday Night Smackdown!

Sunday
7:00 p.m. ONLINE NATION
7:30 p.m. CW NOW
8:00 p.m. LIFE IS WILD
9:00 p.m. America’s Next Top Model (repeats)

New Program Descriptions

Dramas

GOSSIP GIRL
Based on the series of young adult novels of the same name, the lives of a privileged, but dysfunctional group of prep school teens on Manhattan’s Upper West Side is the focus. Being super-rich and super-popular are not necessarily synonymous with finding true happiness. Editor's Note: Subtitle? Life's a Bitch, and no one cares? The cast includes Penn Badgley, Chace Crawfrod, Blake Lively, Leighton Meester, Taylor Momsen, Matthew Settle and former Melrose Place star Kelly RutherfordEditor's Note: Kelly Rutherford is someone's MOM, no doubt? A guidance counselor. Poor dear..

LIFE IS WILD
A blended family living in New York City relocate to spend a year at a broken-down lodge in a game reserve deep inside South Africa. Outsiders at first, the family begins to appreciate the breathtaking scenery, the enchanting locals, and the vibrant culture surrounding them. Brett Cullen (Friday Night Lights) leads the ensemble cast.Editor's Note: Sounds interesting. Like one of those cable shows for tweens you stumble across on Saturday mornings.

REAPER
When a 21-year-old slacker (Bret Harrison) learns that his parents sold his soul to the devil before he was even born, he must now serve as a bounty hunter, tracking down evil souls that have escaped and returning them to Hell. With his friends and trusty vessel-of-the-week at his side, Sam is ready to face his destiny as the Reaper.

Comedy

ALIENS IN AMERICA
A sensitive, nerdy 16-year old (Justin Tolchuk) trying to make it through high school with the help of his well-meaning family finds his world turned upside down when a Pakistani exchange student of the same age (Adhir Kalyan) arrives. The cast includes Amy Pietz (Caroline in the City), Patrick Breen (Kevin Hill) and Lindsey Shaw as popular sister Claire.

Non-Scripted

CW NOW
In this adult 18-34-targeted newsmagazine, the focus is on the hottest fashions, the coolest music, the A-list movies, and the best in technology. Editor's Note: Phew! For a minute there I was worried they were going to try to give REAL news to 18-34 year olds. (Thank goodness THAT's not the case).

ONLINE NATION
Scouring the endless number of websites, blogs and user-generated materials on the Internet, Online Nation will feature everything and anything that has captured the attention of the online world. Viewers, in addition, will be able to communicate with each other live on the air.

CROWNED: THE MOTHER OF ALL PAGEANTS (midseason)
In this eight-episode competition judged by Carson Kressley (Queen Eye for the Straight Guy) and former Miss U.S.A. Shanna Moakler, teams of mothers and daughters are pitted against each other in a no-holds-barred beauty pageant. Editor's Note: Good. More witchy skinny people off the streets!

FARMER WANTS A WIFE (midseason)
In this reality sounding hybrid of Green Acres and The Bachelor, a group of 10 women fed up with bad dates in the big city will compete for the hand of a charming, hard-working farmer.

Editor's Note: Kinda sounds like the CW got the pick of pilots no one else wanted? I think Telemundo even passed on a few of them. Yuck.

CBS takes their turn

2007-05-16T12:26:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Another Network stakes its claim for Fall. (And they cancelled "Jericho," so now I don't have to get caught up on THAT one, at least).

CBS Changes Six Nights; Adds Five For Fall
CBS, the most-watched network, has designed a 2007-08 prime-time schedule emphasizing strength, consistency and new potential opportunities.

The Eye net will introduce five new fall series (dramas Cane, Moonlight and Viva Laughlin; sitcom The Big Bang Theory; and the non-scripted Kid Nation), with changes impacting six nights of the week.

Only perennial wasteland Saturday will remain unchanged, with two hours of drama series repeats (packaged as Crimetime Saturday) and 48 Hours Mystery.

Two returning CBS series will relocate to new time periods. Without a Trace will move back to its original Thursday 10 p.m. slot for season No. 6, while Shark will head to Sunday at 10 p.m. (out of Cold Case) for season two.

The network has also announced four midseason series, including 1976-based drama Swingtown, a new game show called Power of 10 hosted by Drew Carey, and new seasons of The Amazing Race and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Not returning are dramas Close to Home, The Class and Jericho.

Here is CBS’ fall 2007 primetime schedule with new shows bolded in caps, followed by the new program descriptions:

Editor's Note: All times EST.

Monday
8:00 p.m. How I Met Your Mother
8:30 p.m. THE BIG BANG THEORY
9:00 p.m. Two and a Half Men
9:30 p.m. Rules of Engagement
10:00 p.m. CSI: Miami

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. NCIS
9:00 p.m. The Unit
10:00 p.m. CANE

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. KID NATION
9:00 p.m. Criminal Minds
10:00 p.m. CSI: NY

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Survivor: China Editor's Note: China?! Wonder how many years it took to cut thru the red tape (no commie pun intended) to get THIS?!
9:00 p.m. CSI
10:00 p.m. Without a Trace (new day)

Friday
8:00 p.m. Ghost Whisperer
9:00 p.m. MOONLIGHT
10:00 p.m. Numb3rs Editor's Note: Yay! More Rob Morrow! (And Judd Hirsch, on a slow day).

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday (drama encores)
9:00 p.m. Crimetime Saturday (drama encores)1
0:00 p.m. 48 Hours Mystery

Sunday
7:00 p.m. 60 Minutes
8:00 p.m. VIVA LAUGHLIN
9:00 p.m. Cold Case
10:00 p.m. Shark (new day)

New Program Descriptions

Dramas
CANE
Former L.A. Law/NYPD Blue star Jimmy Smits Editor's Note: YUmmy. returns to the regularly scheduled series grind as the immigrant heir to a family fortune, who must battle to keep his place in the rum and sugar trading business in South Florida. The ensemble cast includes Nestor Carbonell, Sam Carmen, Hector Elizondo, Lina Esco, Eddie Matos, Rita Moreno, Alona Tal, Michael Trevino and Polly Walker. Editor's Note: SUPER cast. (Has that scent of over-wrought soap opera about it. But Wow....such a CAST!)

MOONLIGHT
In this new twist on the traditional vampire type of storytelling, an “undead” private investigator named Mick (Alex O’Loughlin) uses his acute vampire senses Editor's Note: Are these anything like SPIDEY senses? (Trying to decide if I'd rather be bitten by a radioactive SPIDER, or gnawed on a by a vampire...tough one!) to help the living instead of feeding on them. With only a handful of undead confidantes for company, Mick fills his days by trying to protect the living. Moonlight is created by movie producer Joel Silver (The Matrix).

VIVA LAUGHLIN
In this musical mystery/drama based on the BBC series Viva Blackpool, a man who opens a casino in the desert oasis of Laughlin, Nev., quickly realizes that life as a casino owner is no easy feat. The cast includes Madchen Amick, P.J. Byrne, Carter Jenkins, Lloyd Owen and Eric Winter. Hugh Jackman is an executive producer. Editor's Note: Don't tease us with Hugh, if you aren't going to SHOW us Hugh!

SWINGTOWN (midseason)
After a new family moves into an affluent Chicago suburb it soon discovers that all is not quiet in suburbia with open marriages, wife swapping, couple swapping and wild parties. Shanna Collins, Jack Davenport, John Hopkins, Molly Parker, Eric Winter and D.B. Woodside star. Editor's Note: I have SEEN what lives in the suburbs. And I do NOT want to see them naked. (On the upside, if they are all swapping and partying with EACH other, we inner city sorts can feel safe?)

Comedy

THE BIG BANG THEORY
Two brainy best friends (Jim Parsons and Roseanne star Jonny Galecki) and the remaining members of their “geek squad” try to fit into the social world at the coaching of their sexy new neighbor (Kaley Cuoco of 8 Simple Rules fame). Chuck Lorre (Two and a Half Men) is the creator. Editor's Note: The "cool" kids just HATE it when the dweebs have fun without them, don't they? This is SO a non-dweeb fantasy. (They really want to BE us, huh?!)

Non-Scripted

KID NATION
Forty overachieving kids between the ages of 8 and 15 will have 40 days to build a new world without any parental supervision in a deserted town in Bonanza City, N.M. They will cook their own meals, run their own homes and businesses, and create a real government while coping with the everyday pressures of being a child.

POWER OF 10 (midseason)
In this high-stakes new game show, contestants are challenged to guess the behaviors, opinions and lifestyle choices of the American public for a chance to win $10 million. Drew Carey is the host. Editor's Note: Gosh, don't we already know too MUCH about the 'mind'set of the American Public? (How they VOTE, for example?) Don't make me get into their heads any more than I already HAVE to.

ABC Makes its Fall Pitch

2007-05-15T13:51:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Another party heard from...

ABC Changes Five Nights; Adds Cavemen, Private Practice
ABC will introduce eight new series this fall, and 12 overall for the 2007-08 season.

In total, just 30 percent of ABC's fall lineup will be occupied with new or relocated programming, with changes impacting the Monday through Friday lineups.

There are five new fall dramas (Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Big Shots, Women's Murder Club and Grey’s Anatomy spinoff Private Practice), and three new fall sitcoms (Cavemen, based on the Geico Insurance commercials Editor's Note: And now, in a new feature, you can actually SMELL the dweeblog! , Carpoolers and Sam, I Am).

College Football on Saturday and the Sunday rotation of America's Funniest Home Videos, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives and Brothers & Sisters will remain intact.

Wednesday's lineup will be completely revamped with new dramas Pushing Daisies, Private Practice and Dirty Sexy Money, while the returning Men in Trees will relocate to the Friday 8 p.m. anchor spot.

ABC has also announced an aggressive slate of new midseason entries including sitcom Miss/Guided; dramas Cashmere Mafia and Eli Stone; and the nonscripted Oprah’s Big Give.

Lost, Supernanny, Wife Swap, October Road and Notes From the Underbelly will also be back for new seasons.

Not returning are sitcoms According to Jim, George Lopez, In Case of Emergency, The Knights of Prosperity; and dramas Day Break, The Nine, Six Degrees, Traveler Editor's Note: They ran ONE episode of "Traveler." What is the point of producing the shows, if you're not even going to give them a fair run? (I mean, reruns and such do better ratings? I mean, you've already PAID for the production of episodes, so why not RUN them?!) and What About Brian.

Here is ABC’s fall 2007 prime-time schedule with new shows in caps, followed by the new program descriptions: Editor's Note: ALL times EST.

Monday
8:00 p.m. Dancing With the Stars
9:30 p.m. SAM I AM
10:00 p.m. The Bachelor (new time)

Tuesday
8:00 p.m. CAVEMEN
8:30 p.m. CARPOOLERS
9:00 p.m. Dancing With the Stars Results Show
10:00 p.m. Boston Legal

Wednesday
8:00 p.m. PUSHING DAISIES
9:00 p.m. PRIVATE PRACTICE
10:00 p.m. DIRTY SEXY MONEY

Thursday
8:00 p.m. Ugly Betty
9:00 p.m. Grey’s Anatomy
10:00 p.m. BIG SHOTS

Friday
8:00 p.m. Men in Trees (new day and time) Editor's Note: Didn't "Men in Trees" start in this time period?
9:00 p.m. WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB
10:00 p.m. 20/20

Saturday
8:00 p.m. Saturday Night College Football Editor's Note: It must be EXHAUSTING for the nets to come up with their elaborate Saturday scheduling. Ahem....

Sunday
7:00 p.m. America’s Funniest Home Videos
8:00 p.m. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
9:00 p.m. Desperate Housewives
10:00 p.m. Brothers & Sisters

New Program Descriptions

Dramas

BIG SHOTS
Four successful male friends at the top of their game support each other through life’s surprising twists and turns. The cast includes Michael Vartan (Alias), Dylan McDermott (The Practice), Christopher Titus (Titus) and Joshua Malina (The West Wing). Editor's Note: Well it's a PRETTY cast.....

DIRTY SEXY MONKEY Editor's Note: LOL!!! I think the actual title is "Diry Sexy MONEY", but the typo the magazine made is too funny not to include.
A privileged Kennedy-like family, including a Presidential candidate, find themselves in constant hot water. But the one saving grace is a lawyer named Nick who takes on the daunting task of keep the family called Darling clean. The ensemble cast includes William Baldwin, Jill Clayburgh, Glenn Fitzgerald, Seth Gabel, Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland and Natalie Zea. Editor's Note: Then again, MONKEY might be more appropriate. Unless VERY well-written, and timed JUST SO for the popular 'zeitgeist,' these family saga soaps have a really bad track record.

WOMEN’S MURDER CLUB
Based on the best-selling novel from James Patterson, four working women in San Francisco--a detective, a district attorney, a medical examiner and a reporter--use their talents and expertise to solve murder cases. Editor's Note: The books are sort of heavy-handed and over-wrought. But fun. Angie Harmon (Law & Order), Laura Harris, Elizabeth L. Ho and Paula Newsome star.

PRIVATE PRACTICE
In this spinoff from Grey’s Anatomy, Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery (Kate Walsh) joins a chic private practice in Santa Monica, Calif., operated by her newly divorced medical school friends. The cast includes Paul Adelstein (Prison Break), Amy Brenneman (Judging Amy), Tim Daly (Wings), Merrin Dungey (The King of Queens), Taye Diggs (Day Break) and Chris Lowell (Veronica Mars).

PUSHING DAISIES
In this blend of romance, procedural crime and fantasy from Barry Sonnenfeld, a young man has the ability to return someone dead briefly back to life with just a simple touch. So, to put his special ability to good use, he teams with a private investigator to crack murder cases by asking victims to name their killers. Editor's Note: Unless a lot of the briefly wokens LIE, it sounds like a 30-second show? The cast includes Kristin Chenoweth, Anna Friel, Swoosie Kurtz, Chi McBride, Lee Pace and Jim Dale. Editor's Note: GREAT cast. That's often a bad sign for the ratings...when all those REAL actors sign on.

THE CASHMERE MAFIA (midseason)
Described as Sex and the City mixed with The Devil Wears Prada, Editor's Note: Yuck. So it's Lifetime for Sexaholics? four Manhattan women bonded by their Ivy League educations and executive success support each other through all personal and professional problems. The ensemble class includes Lucy Liu, Frances O’Connor, Mirando Otto, Bonnie Somerville, Peter Hermann and Julian Ovenden. Editor's Note: Great cast. But I want to watch ugly, unsuccessful people. All those really pretty, really RICH folks depress me. (Oh...really pretty, really rich people having SEX).

ELI STONE (midseason) A successful lawyer (Jonny Lee Miller) at a top San Francisco law firm seeks a deeper meaning in life as a prophet after discovering an aneurysm in his brain. The cast includes Loretta Devine, Natasha Henstridge and former Alias star Victor Garber. Editor's Note: A test pattern with Victor Garber? I am THERE!

Comedies

CARPOOLERS
Four guys from very different backgrounds commiserate about their lives, loves, jobs and families in the carpool lane. The cast includes Fred Goss, former Crossing Jordan star Jerry O’Connell Editor's Note: A lot of the "Crossing Jordan" folk already have other gigs; it sounds like they got a heads-up that CJ wasn't coming back?, Jerry Minor, Tim Peper, former Hope & Faith star Faith Ford and Allison Munn.

CAVEMEN
Based on the popular Geico Insurance commercials, three modern and very different cavemen (Bill English, Nick Kroll and Dash Mihok) struggle to find their place in the world. Editor's Note: Which my guess would be, in the cancellation file?

SAM, I AM
Former Married With Children star Christina Applegate is Sam, a woman who wakes up from a coma after eight days with no memory of the past. Forced to start over, Sam begins to realize she was not exactly the most honest or loving person. Kevin Dunn, Jennifer Esposito, Melissa McCarthy, Tim Russ and 24’s Jean Smart co-star.

MISS/GUIDED (midseason) After a new and improved woman (Judy Greer) returns to her former high school as the guidance counselor, she quickly realizes that insecurities form the past are hard to keep hidden. Brooke Burns, Earl Billings, Kristoffer Polaha and Jonathan Sadowski co-star.

Non-Scripted

OPRAH’S BIG GIVE
Ten people will be challenged to take the money and resources they are given to help others and make a difference in their lives. The stakes will get higher each week, with one person ultimately being chosen to have his or her wildest dream come true. Editor's NOte: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Obi-Wan does the BARD

2007-05-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Ewan McGregor may earn millions making movies, but the actor has decided to perform Shakespeare on the London stage for minimum wage.
The 36-year-old star, known for Hollywood roles such as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" films, will earn $790 a week -- standard minimum wage for actors in Britain -- playing Shakespeare's arch villain Iago in "Othello," Donmar Warehouse spokeswoman Kate Morley said Saturday.

McGregor was recruited for the role by Donmar Warehouse artistic director Michael Grandage, who worked with the actor on the musical "Guys and Dolls." The production marks Grandage's fifth anniversary as the acclaimed theater's artistic director.

It opens on December 4 with Golden Globe nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor starring as Othello and Kelly Reilly as Desdemona. Editor's Note: I love Ejiofor too. As several naughty dweebs have already opined - if only naked Harry Potter were still playing at the same time as evil Obi-Wan (Iago), this would SO be worth the trip to London, huh?!

Oh, and THANKS (as ever) to dweebpal PlanoKevin for passing along this loverly tidbit.

So here's the NBC Line-Up for Fall (until it changes)

2007-05-14T17:57:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: And now, the annual TV NET foolishness BEGINS....

NBC Changes Five Nights; Unveils Journeyman, Lipstick Jungle
NBC, the first network to officially unveil its 2007-08 prime-time lineup, will introduce five new series this fall. There are four dramas (Journeyman, Chuck, The Bionic Woman and Life) and a musical reality/competition called The Singing Bee, which will air Friday at 8 p.m. after the returning 1 vs. 100 ends its summer run.

Three established series -- 30 Rock, The Office and Friday Night Lights -- will move to new time periods; a second edition of Deal or No Deal will anchor Wednesday; and benched reality/competition The Biggest Loser will move to Tuesday at 8 p.m.

NBC, in addition, has one scripted sitcom, The IT Crowd, dramedy The Lipstick Jungle, and a reality/competition called World Moves slated for midseason.

The Peacock net, overall, will make changes on five nights of the week (excluding Saturday, which will remain occupied by Dateline and encore telecasts of its drama series, and Football ignited Sunday).

Once football season is over, NBC will kick off Sunday with Dateline, followed by the returning (and relocated) Law & Order, the returning (and relocated) Medium, and Lipstick Jungle.

Law & Order: Criminal Intent, which is not on NBC’s schedule, will move to cable network USA for 22 new episodes. Editor's Note: This is GREAT news. I swear, USA Net is the best Network.....cable or non.

Not returning are Crossing Jordan, The Black Donnellys, Raines, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, game show Identity, and non-scripted The Real Wedding Crashers and Grease: You’re the One That I Want.

The future of veteran The Apprentice remains uncertain at press time.

NBC has also ordered 30 new half-hours of The Office (including five hour-long episodes), while increasing the episode order for My Name is Earl to 25.

In addition, Jerry Seinfeld will return to NBC in 20 live-action comedy “minisodes,” which will give viewers a glimpse at his behind-the–scenes work on upcoming animated feature Bee Movie.

Heroes, meanwhile, will offer an online initiative called Heroes: Origins that will allow viewers to choose a new character. Editor's Note: This article makes it sound like this is a web-only deal. But here's what the article in the Houston Chronicle said:

Heroes: Origins is a head-scratcher. So far, all NBC is saying is that this Heroes spinoff will introduce characters that could join the mother show in the fall 2008 season, depending on viewers' votes. Six episodes have been ordered, as well as 24 new episodes of Heroes. An air date hasn't been determined for the six Origins episodes.

So that sounds more like an on-AIR show, yes? TBD....

Here is NBC’s fall 2007 schedule, followed by the new program descriptions:

MONDAY
7 p.m. Deal or No Deal
8 p.m. Heroes/Heroes: Origins (new)
9 p.m. Journeyman (new)

TUESDAY
7 p.m. The Biggest Loser
8 p.m. Chuck (new)
9 p.m. Law & Order: SVU

WEDNESDAY
7 p.m. Deal or No Deal
8 p.m. Bionic Woman (new)
9 p.m. Life (new)

THURSDAY
7 p.m. My Name Is Earl
7:30 p.m. 30 Rock (new time)
8 p.m. The Office (new time)
8:30 p.m. Scrubs (new time)
9 p.m. ER

FRIDAY
7 p.m. 1 vs. 100/The Singing Bee (new)
8 p.m. Las Vegas
9 p.m. Friday Night Lights (new time)

SATURDAY
7 p.m. Dateline NBC
8 p.m. Reruns

SUNDAY (fall)
6 p.m. Football Night in America
7 p.m. Sunday Night Football

SUNDAY (starting in January)
6 p.m. Dateline NBC
7 p.m. Law & Order (new night)
8 p.m. Medium (new night)
9 p.m. Lipstick Jungle (new)

New Program Descriptions

Dramas

JOURNEYMAN A man who has it all -- a loving wife, son and a lucrative career -- takes a complete turn and suddenly finds himself traveling into the past to impact people’s lives, good or bad. While taking this journey, he reconnects with an ex-fiancé, who perished in a mysterious plane crash but can now potentially survive with the knowledge he has. Moon Bloodgood, Reed Diamond, Gretchen Egol, Brian Howe, Kevin McKidd and Charlie Wyson star.

CHUCK Zachery Levi (Less Than Perfect) plays Chuck, a nerdy computer tech with a database of government secrets downloaded into his brain who inadvertently becomes the government’s most powerful weapon. The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz and director McG are the creators of Chuck.

THE BIONIC WOMAN In this remake of the original 1976-78 ABC/NBC sci-fi adventure, British actress Michelle Ryan has been cast a Jaime Sommers, a woman who finds a new lease on life when her body parts are replaced with extraordinary artificial parts after a horrific accident. Mel Ferrer (Crossing Jordan) plays the head of the government agency that rebuilt her; Chris Bowers (Rescue Me) is her boyfriend.

LIFE After an ex-cop (Damian Lewis) who rejoins the force after being wrongfully imprisoned finds challenges and obstacles in a world that has moved on without him.

Comedies

THE IT CROWD (midseason) Based on the hit British series, two Information Technology geeks (Joel McHale, Richard Ayoade) seek the help of their “cool” new office manager (Jessica St. Clair) to help them get the recognition they are so desperately looking for.

Non-Scripted

THE SINGING BEE This eight week reality/competition will challenge the contestants to accurately sing along to the lyrics of popular songs – even when the band stops playing. Editor's Note: Now if the songs were SHOW tunes.....

WORLD MOVES (midseason) This new talent competition from American Idol host Randy Jackson will feature dance teams from around the world looking to win an international touring contract.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE GEORGE!!!!

2007-05-14T06:27:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: When the king of the universe and CREATOR

has a birthday,

you gets some balloons

bake a cake

and stop what you are doing and SING!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR UNCLE GEOOOOOOOORRRRRRGE!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

and many more......

Happy 63rd natal celebration to our lord and master and the originator of all goodness and joy in the universe.

umm....or SOMETHING like that.

ttfn and mtfbwy ker

FIrst Word from the TV Net upfront presentations

2007-05-11T16:40:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: First out of the shoot, NBC. With a few disappointments (For ME, at any rate).

NBC Orders Five Dramas for Next Season
NBC took the first steps toward rebuilding its prime-time schedule yesterday by ordering five new hours of drama programs, which will be part of the fall schedule the network plans to announce to advertisers on Monday.

NBC may not complete its schedule until late this weekend, but executives in charge of the series that have won places on the schedule were notified yesterday.

The network has not yet made decisions on two long-running hits — “Law & Order” and its spinoff, “Criminal Intent” — but it has decided on some other series that had been considered in danger of cancellation. “Friday Night Lights,” which was among the best-reviewed shows of this season, though not a ratings success, will be renewed. So will the drama “Vegas,” which is adding Tom Selleck to its cast. Editor's Note: I like Selleck; for a Republican, he's kinda hot. But what is it with this show? Why was it EVER on, much less is it STILL on?

But NBC will cancel the dramas “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip,” “The Black Donnellys” and “Crossing Jordan.” Editor's Note: In order - SOBWOEWAIL, good riddance, and sniffle. (That last one is not a great show, but I've come to really enjoy the people and their interplay). It also is likely to pass up another year of the comedy “Scrubs,” which has become prohibitively expensive.

NBC will fill many of the holes with the new dramas. The network has yet to order any new comedies, though it probably will add one of three potential entries by Monday.

The drama that is certain to get the most instant recognition is “Bionic Woman,” a 21st-century remake of the 1970s series. This one stars Michelle Ryan as an accident victim remade with bionic parts who is embroiled in a secret government project, which also includes a previous bionic prototype, played by Katee Sackhoff. The series was once thought to be in trouble, but the pilot is now getting some of the strongest favorable reviews inside NBC. Editor's Note: So is Sackhoff not coming back to Battlestar, or is she going to be in both shows? (And if she has DIED in Battlestar, don't tell me. I will catch up this summer, I PROMISE).

NBC will have another science-fiction-based series in “Journeyman,” which stars Kevin McKidd (of “Rome”) as a happily married journalist in San Francisco who begins to travel back in time for reasons he cannot understand. Editor's Note: Wouldn't we be more worried if he DID understand?

A third series with sci-fi elements is “Chuck,” in which a young computer whiz, played by Zachary Levi, becomes a reluctant government agent after information from a supercomputer is downloaded into his brain. Editor's Note: Which presumes there is actually information in any government computers?

A new police drama called “Life” will star Damian Lewis, who had a lead role in HBO’s “Band of Brothers,” as a former police detective who returns to his old job after winning a huge cash settlement for a wrongful conviction for murder that sent him to prison for 12 years. Adam Arkin, once of “Chicago Hope,” and Robin Weigert of “Deadwood” are also in the cast.

The final new drama is “Lipstick Jungle,” based on the book by Candace Bushnell, whose previous book turned into the HBO hit “Sex and the City.” This show will cover similar territory, covering the lives of a group of successful professional women in New York. It stars Brooke Shields, Lindsay Price and Kim Raver, who most recently starred as Jack Bauer’s girlfriend in “24.” Editor's Note: Wow....it's like "LIFETIMEFORWOMEN" except with more explicit sex and the women wear more makeup. Yawn.... (now show a lumpy dweeblady with a really cute DOG, and THEN we've got a SHOW!)

Among the shows already renewed for next season are the comedies “The Office,” “Earl” and “30 Rock,” and the dramas “E.R.,” “Heroes,” “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Medium” and the game show “Deal or No Deal.”

The final decision on the other “Law & Order” series may not be made until next week, an NBC executive said.

OddBobbing on a Friday

2007-05-11T14:37:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: What would Friday be without OddBob?

Ok....maybe it's best not to ponder that TOO much. And hey, it beats thinking for ourSELVES, right?!

With the completion of the third season of Battlestar Galactica on the Sci-Fi network, there are all kinds of speculation about who is or is not a Cylon.

The Top 10 Signs Your Best Friend is a Cylon

10> You were willing to accept the fact that she was one of a set of triplets. But dodecaheptuplets is a bit hard to swallow.

Editor's note: And even HARDER to SAY!

9> You suggest getting juiced. You grab a few beers, he sticks his toe into an electrical outlet.

8> You notice that his deodorant smells just like WD-40.

7> He's so nice and so agreeable. I mean, all this "by your command" stuff.

6> Programming in C gets him horny, and not in a normal nerdboy kinda way; we're talkin' full on "evil alien robot overlord horny enough to strupp the entire universe up the black hole without lube" if you know what I mean.

5> After an unexpected half-hour long monologue about God and love, he cleans and defragments your hard drive with a sternly worded threat.

4> The girlfriend is well-lubricated in more ways than one.

3> Her dateless Friday night: vanilla candles, a personal massager, and a DVD of "2001".

2> She has pretty much everything in the house chromed because it "reminds her of dad".

and the Number 1 Sign Your Best Friend is a Cylon...

1> He has a disturbing tendency to open fire on every Dodge Viper he sees.

Editor's Note: Well now THAT's just good taste.

The Top 8 Signs That a "Chick Flick" Is in Trouble

8> Explosive chase scenes outnumber heroic cancer victims.

7> Focus is so soft you can't even tell what's going on.

6> The heroine's idea of getting even is serving dinner five minutes late.

5> The ingenue is played by Martina Navratilova.

4> Lifetime wants no part of the movie rights.

3> Well, the director had a... *ahem*... different concept of "chick flick."

2> Just not enough plot in "Thelma & Louise 2: Ride to the Bottom."

and the Number 1 Sign That a "Chick Flick" Is in Trouble...

1> Males 18-35 caught in test screening bear traps fail to gnaw off their limbs to escape.

Editor's Note: Or dweebs. Or ME!

Happy dweebweekend, dweebpals!

Yo Ho HOoooooooooo!!!!!!

2007-05-11T12:45:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Good news passed along from dweebpal Joel. (Although he has concerns...as do I.... about this upcoming third installment given Orlandobaby's quotes about the weird plot).

Depp says he is open to fourth "Pirates" movie

If all goes right, "Pirates of the Caribbean" actor Johnny Depp might soon be singing "Yo ho ho, give me a fourth bottle of rum."

The star of the upcoming film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," told Entertainment Weekly magazine in an issue hitting newsstands on Friday that he is open to making a fourth film in the blockbuster series, which has earned more than $1.7 billion at worldwide box offices.

"As long as you're doing it for the right reasons, why not?" Depp told the magazine. "If we came up with a story where we could explore something absurd or funny or totally insane."

In the movies, Depp plays a buccaneer known as Captain Jack Sparrow, distinguished as much for his swishy hips and love of adventure as his pirating skills. The 43-year-old actor's portrayal of wildly funny Sparrow has been credited with much of the franchise's popularity. Editor's Note: Well, and the other people aren't bad to look at EITHER.

The first film in the series, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," was a surprise hit with audiences and critics in summer 2003, and last year "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest" turned in blockbuster results despite mixed reviews for too many plot twists.

"At World's End" debuts on May 25 and anticipation is running high. But the stars, including Depp, Orlando Bloom, Keira Knightley and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones, are remaining mostly mum when asked to explain the plot of the third film.

"Someone asked me, 'So tell us about your character's arc in the third movie,"' Bloom told Entertainment Weekly. "I said, 'Dude, the writers can't even explain the third movie."'

If, like the second movie, "At World's End" takes its lumps for a twisted plot, Depp is not worried.

"With this one, they're probably going to do the same thing and maybe even go below the belt," he said of the critics. Editor's Note: I enjoyed the last one, so as long as it's as entertaining as that one, I'm fine. Maybe I should lower my expectations and avoid disappointment.

Depp praised the acting of Richards, who plays Depp's father in the movie and whom Depp has credited with inspiring his portrayal of Jack Sparrow.

"What I didn't expect was he was going to be such a great actor," Depp said. "It was like a gunslinger who arrived in the town, charmed all the women and impressed all the men and then split." Editor's Note: So Richards is a great actor? I suppose he was just ACTING stoned all that time??? Ahem....

Broken Records

2007-05-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: So tell me again why dweebs get no respect???

Amazon Potter 7 Orders Top 1M
Amazon.com said it has booked more than 1 million advance orders for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the upcoming seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling's franchise, which is scheduled for release in late July, Reuters reported.

The online retailer also lowered its price on the book to $17.99 from $18.89. It said it would honor the lower price for customers who had already ordered the book, the last volume in the series about a boy wizard and his struggle against the forces of evil.

More than 620,000 copies have been ordered in advance in the United States, with more than 250,000 in the United Kingdom, Amazon.com said. Advance orders for this book have surpassed those in 2005 for Rowling's sixth release, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

In April, Barnes & Noble said that advance orders for the book had topped 500,000 copies, breaking the bookseller chain's record for the most advance requests in its history. The book, which is published in the United States by Scholastic Corp and in Britain by Bloomsbury, officially goes on sale on July 21.

Spidey 3 Smashes Records
Spider-Man 3 smashed box-office records in its opening weekend, taking in about $148 million in its first three days of release, the Associated Press reported.

That put it ahead of the previous record debut of $135.6 million set last summer by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.

With $59.3 million on opening day May 4, Spider-Man 3 broke the single-day box-office record, also held by Dead Man's Chest ($55.8 million).

Since it began rolling out overseas on May 1, Spider-Man 3 has taken in $227 million in foreign markets, bringing the film's worldwide total to $375 million.

In just days, the movie has grossed $117 million more than its whopping $258 million production budget, the AP reported.

In just two days, it also nearly matched the $114.8 million opening weekend of 2002's Spider-Man, which had held the debut record until Dead Man's Chest opened. Editor's Note: Of course, Pirates 3 opens in a couple of weeks, so more records might fall?

A Smidge of TV Dweebing

2007-05-08T09:30:00.000-05:00

The end is coming for Lost
Popular show will run until the 2009-2010 season
The days for Lost are numbered — and everybody's happy about it.

Lost will continue for three more shortened seasons, then go out with an inevitable "shocking" finale at the end of the 2009-2010 season, ABC said Monday.

The announcement means producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof have gotten what they wanted, receiving an end date they requested as well as signing a rich new deal.

The agreement is also good for ABC, which gets three more seasons of the still-popular series. The network receives 48 more episodes that ABC will roll out in 16-episode seasons, with all seasons airing uninterrupted (like Fox's 24).

"In considering the powerful storytelling of Lost, we felt this was the only way to give it a proper creative conclusion," said Stephen McPherson, president of ABC Entertainment. "Due to the unique nature of the series, we knew it would require an end date to keep the integrity and strength of the show consistent throughout, and to give the audience the payoff they deserve." Editor's Note: So there WILL be a payoff???

Getting ABC to commit to an end date was first advanced by producers in January. In addition to getting that, Cuse and Lindelof signed contracts that will keep them with the show throughout its run. Details were not announced, but the deal is inevitably a rich one considering Lost is the No. 1 9 p.m. show on TV among the 18-49 audience.

Although its total audience has dropped since its premiere 2004-2005 season, Lost still averages 15.1 million viewers per episode, enough to make it a Top 20 show. It is also the most recorded show on TV, gaining 2.1 million viewers per week via time-shifted viewing.

Going to 16-episode seasons is unusual. Standard series length is 22-24 episodes. 24, for example, has a 24-episode season. In essence, ABC gets to string out two 24-episode seasons of Lost over three seasons. Editor's Note: Which sucks. They'll have to talk really fast to get all the good stuff in, I guess?

Lindelof and Cuse apparently wanted to go two more seasons but agreed to the compromise.

The deal appears to be good for all concerned, including viewers.

"I think for story-based shows like Lost, as opposed to franchise-based shows like ER or CSI, the audience wants to know when the story is going to be over," Cuse told Variety. "When J.K. Rowling announced that there would be seven Harry Potter books, it gave the readers a clear sense of exactly what their investment would be. We want our audience to do the same." Editor's Note: Actually, I think an enddate on "ER" might have been a good thing, too. But that's just me?

NBC Sees Renewal For 'Medium'
NBC has renewed psychic drama "Medium" for a fourth season, the network announced Monday.

"'Medium' is a quality show with an outstanding star that has always delivered a very loyal audience," said Kevin Reilly, president, NBC Entertainment. "We are pleased to know that we can look forward to more of its unique storytelling next year under executive producer Glenn Gordon Caron's superb creative vision."

"Medium" has experienced a ratings downturn since moving to its 10 p.m. Wednesday night time period this season, where airs up against ABC's "Lost." The show has averaged a 3.0 rating among adults 18 to 49, according to Nielsen. But renewal makes sense for fourth-place NBC, which could give the show a less competitive time slot in the fall.

"Medium" is produced by CBS Paramount Network Television, Picturemaker Productions, Inc. in association with and Grammnet Productions. Glenn Gordon Caron is creator and executive producer. Editor's Note: I love this show. Good news!

Nets Use May to Debut New Fare
Each year, summers start earlier. This season, summer starts in spring. On May 18, ABC premieres its game show National Bingo Night. On May 22 and 24, auditions kick off On the Lot, Fox’s filmmaking contest show from Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg. Burnett’s other contest show, Pirate Master, debuts May 31 on CBS. Editor's Note: Is it just me, or does that last one sound naughty? (Note to self: need to get out more....)

It may be no surprise that the networks are using May’s high HUT levels to promote—if not launch—their summer series. The only surprise may be that it’s taken them this long to do so.

The practice began in earnest last season, when Fox premiered So You Think You Can Dance the night after American Idol’s finale. The network is following a similar game plan this year.

“Rather than give viewers a chance to rest up, the best thing to do is keep the momentum going,” said Preston Beckman, executive vp of strategic program planning for Fox. “The closer you are to the end of May, the higher the circulation. If you wait a few weeks, you get into some really low numbers. So you might as well take maximum advantage of May.” Editor's Note: Yeah...get that crappy reality trash in early, before people remember where they left the remote.

Jeff Bader, executive vp of ABC Entertainment, said his network also hopes to use its high-rated shows to promote Bingo. And while ABC officially launches its midseason holdover Traveler on May 30, it previews the drama May 10, following Grey’s Anatomy. “It’s all about sampling,” Bader said. “Putting Traveler after Grey’s gives it an audience of more than 20 million people. When will there be that big of an audience again?”

Like ABC, The CW launches its midseason stand-by Hidden Palms on May 30. And Fox returns its underperforming action romance Standoff on June 8. Critics often deride such series scheduling as burn-offs. Networks argue they must try to recoup their initial investments in these projects. And in an increasingly fragmented marketplace, advertisers are siding with broadcasters.

“It still is something new for many viewers,” said Lisa Quan, vp, director of audience analysis at Magna Global USA. “Maybe they didn’t know a show was supposed to be on earlier in the season, or maybe they didn’t watch it if it was on. So when they see something that looks new and original, they might stop and say, ‘Hey, this is something I’d like to watch.’” Editor's Note: And it beats reading a book or talking to your family, right?

As important as summer’s start is, so is summer’s end. The fall season officially begins Sept. 24, rather than Sept. 17. Editor's Note: And they wonder why they are losing audience? Why even BOTHER producing new content?! Stop prolonging the death spasms; just run test patterns and concede the whole thing to cable and other media now. In response, NBC has pushed back its return of America’s Got Talent to June 5 (from May 29), enabling a mid-summer run of The Biggest Loser to air through September. “If you can keep up circulation right until fall premieres, that’s the best,” said Vince Manze, president, NBC program planning, scheduling and strategy.

Vote Early/Vote Often

2007-05-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note:

Actually, this is your editor's.....your QOTD's....PLEA.

Yoda and Vader are running neck-and-neck for top vote-getters in the Star Wars Stamp ballotting.

And I really really don't want to look at Yoda's face on ALL my stamps. (one or two, ok, but an entire SHEET of them?)

And do you truly want an entire sheet of stamps to be evil? (Everyone but OddBob may answer that).

SO...

Go to the Post Office website: http://www.uspsjedimaster.com/main/splash.html

And vote for the one that is currently in the FOURTH position:

This is every bit as 'iconic' as Vader, but so much NICER. And wouldn't you rather look at young Luke on an entire sheet of stamps? (And you can almost hear that lovely John Williams Force Theme/Twin Suns theme playing in the backround, eh?)

You can vote once per day.

If not for yourself, do it for your QOTD!

ttfn and mtfbwy ker

P.S. I HAD been dividing my votes between twin suns and the Anakin/Obi duel, but since THAT one is even further back in the voting, lets concentrate our efforts on Lukie.

Why not Potter?!

2007-05-04T10:51:00.000-05:00

David Yates to direct ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’
Director David Yates has confirmed that he will be back to helm the movie adaptation of JK Rowling’s sixth book ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’.

Yates, who has also directed ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’, revealed to SCI FI Wire that he was indeed returning along with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Editor's Note: You'd think they'd at least wait to see if "Phoenix" is any good. (I mean, what if no one goes to SEE it?....snicker....)

“I am doing Half-Blood Prince, and I’m doing it because I love the world, I love the characters,” Moviehole.net quoted him, as telling SCI FI Wire.

“I think I have more business with this world and these characters,” Yates added.

The award winning director reveals that is glad that he will be getting a chance to continue and develop the tonal shift that he has taken in the fifth Potter flick.

“I’ve made a kind of tonal shift with the fifth film, which I want to continue and develop into the sixth film,” Yates said. “And I can see the fifth story evolving into the sixth story in a really interesting way. So I’m on a journey with this material and this world, and I’m keen to complete it,” he added.

While the ‘Order of the Phoenix’ is due to hit theatres on July 13, this year, “Half-Blood Prince” is in preproduction with an eye to a November 2008 release. Editor's Note: Oh why, god, WHY do they TAKE so long!???!!! (If they make me get a REAL LIFE, I will be VERY upset)!

OOTP to feature 100 centaurs
Framestore CFC, a firm which works on some of the special effects seen in the Harry Potter movies, has updated its site with some information on the Order of the Phoenix film, including that there will be over 100 centaurs. Editor's Note: Oooo...HORSIES. (giggle)

"We have been hard at work on some of the film's most demanding beings, including over 100 centaurs, a house-elf named Kreacher, the return of Fawkes the Phoenix and assorted magical effects. In addition, we are creating the films title sequence for the first time."

'Deathly Hallows' Special Edition at 816 pages
Scholastic has updated their bookseller information page with a page count of 816 pages for the US Special Edition of Deathly Hallows. A description, which has been available for sometime, explains what the extra 32 pages will hold.

Includes exclusive insert featuring near scale reproductions of Mary GrandPre's interior art, as well as never-before-seen full-color frontispiece art on special paper. The custom-designed slipcase is foil-stamped and contains a full-cloth case book that has been blind-stamped on front and back cover with foil stamping on the spine.

The book includes full-color endpapers featuring jacket art from the Trade edition and a wraparound jacket featuring art created especially for this edition by Mary GrandPre.
Editor's Note: I'm not usually suckered in by all these 'special' editions of things, but depending on the difference in cost, this one....just for the GrandPre art ALONE....might be worth it!

New Wizard of the Month at JKRowling.com
A witch who we've all come to know is featured this month at JK Rowling's official website:

Helga Hufflepuff(Medieval, precise dates unknown)

One of the four celebrated Founders of Hogwarts, Hufflepuff was particularly famous for her dexterity at food-related Charms. Many recipes traditionally served at Hogwarts feasts originated with Hufflepuff.

Editor's Note: And check out the groovyniftykeano pics I just found!!!!

Editor's Note: WHEN did the twins get so adorable??!!! (And when did they stop being identical?)

Editor's Note: She's not evil. She's just misunderstood.

Editor's Note: No, scratch that.... She's evil.

Editor's Note: And now, a musical number....She had it Coming.....(with apologies to Kander and Ebb).

Editor's Note: This is JUST like I imagined it when I read the book.....only WAY cooler.

Editor's Note: LOVE Tonks. love her love her LOVE her! (And how cool as an actor to get to play the same character but NOT....MadEye, the REAL one this time!)

Editor's Note: WHAT are they feeding the kid playing Dean?

A couple of Misc. Neato Posters

2007-05-04T09:34:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Quick trolling of the net uncovered these two fun posters. Sharing....

Editor's Note: The Golden Compass....which from the poster is going to look a lot like the Narnie movie?

Editor's Note: I am not a Simpsons watcher, per se, but this is a funny poster.

Dweeb Marketing

2007-04-30T09:34:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Rewatched Spidey Une et Deux this past weekend, so I'm all SET for Spidey Trois!!!

As are all these marketing folks....

'Spidey' spins tangled web of tie-ins
By Gail Schiller
April 27, 2007
NEW YORK -- "Spider-Man 3" has cast a superhero-size $100 million promotional web with four of the film's seven tie-in partners -- General Mills, Kraft, Burger King and Comcast -- airing custom spots, many of which were produced in-house at Sony Pictures with the help of the studio.

According to George Leon, executive vp worldwide consumer marketing at Sony Pictures, the dedicated spots reflect the same "aspirational" themes of the movie and the studio's own multimillion-dollar marketing campaign.

"We worked hand in hand with our partners to create these spots," he said. "It really helps us meet our own objectives, too. The custom-made spots are all about the consumer aspiring to be Spider-Man. A lot of our creative took that tone. We encouraged our partners to really look at the aspirational values of our movie and interpret that within their own world."

He said Sony Pictures president of creative advertising Josh Goldstine worked closely with the partners and their ad agencies in making their spots.

Comcast's commercial features a man dressed in a Spider-Man suit (minus the mask) sitting in his apartment decorated with framed Spider-Man posters, action figures and busts interviewing a prospective roommate. There's even a dog donning a Spider-Man mask and garb. Editor's Note: I think I might have to get this costume for MY dweebdog!

General Mills' commercial for Trix cereal features the Trix rabbit dressed up as Spider-Man, with kids following him around until they unmask him and discover he's really the Trix rabbit.

And Kraft's spot for Cheese Nips shows two boys watching "Spider-Man 3" in a theater, shooting webs back and forth to grab the Cheese Nips box from each other until a web darts out of the movie screen to grab the Cheese Nips from both of them.

"When we talk to consumers about why they like Spider-Man, it really is this idea of an ordinary guy who can do extraordinary things," said Putney Cloos, senior associate brand manager for Cheese Nips. "Showing kids shooting webs is a great way to bring that core consumer insight to life," she said, noting that the Cheese Nips spot was created by ad agency Ogilvy & Mather.

Only Kraft and Burger King are returning promotional partners from "Spider-Man 2."

"We've had to change our long-standing partners and get new partners and new ideas," Leon said. Editor's Note: OR, earlier partners didn't see any return on the large investment, and bailed out?

One of those new ideas is evident in Spidey's Comcast promotion.

The largest U.S. cable provider, which is in more than 24 million homes, has created a VOD Spider-Man channel with 50 pieces of exclusive content that is refreshed on a weekly basis.

The content -- which has included the premiere of the fourth and final film trailer, "featurettes" describing how Venom, Sandman and the New Goblin became villains, the premiere of the "Spider-Man 3" music video "Signal Fire" from Snow Patrol and trailers from Activision's "Spider-Man 3" video game -- also is available online at Comcast.net and custom microsite www.SpiderMan3OnComcast.com. Editor's Note: Do we want to watch this BEFORE we see the film? Won't that sort of spoil stuff for those of us who don't know all the back stories?

"The reason Comcast is so special to us is because we don't have a TV network we could take advantage of as a studio, so we had to look at media partners," Leon said. "This is the first time we have done a promotion of this nature with a cable service provider, and the reason why is they are in so many million homes across the U.S. We couldn't have content on all the time on a broadcast or cable network," said Leon, adding that the promotion gives "Spider-Man 3" a destination on cable, something that can't even be purchased as a media buy.

Comcast is running two Spider-Man-themed spots in the U.S. as part of its promotion, while General Mills is airing three, Kraft two and Burger King five. The film's promotional partners are said to be spending more than $100 million in media alone, an extremely high figure even for an anticipated blockbuster like "Spider-Man 3."

Another promotional partner, 7-Eleven, is doing radio spots for its Slurpee tie-in. Procter & Gamble's Pringles' "Spider-Man 3" campaign is limited to print and online media, while Sony Electronics' is an in-store and online initiative.

Burger King's five-week adult-targeted promotion, which launches Monday, also reflects the aspirational themes of Sony's marketing campaign, taking it even a step further by giving customers the chance to choose between traditional red-and-blue Spidey and the new black-suited Spidey from the latest film in the franchise.

The Burger King campaign centers on a "Which Spidey Suits You?" scratch-and-win game in which customers choose to reveal what's behind either red-and-blue or black Spidey.

Customers have a 50% chance of winning every time they play, with a prize behind one of the two scratch-off areas on each game piece. Top prizes include a $1 million American Express gift card and a 2007 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT.

"Our goal was to create a game that would deliver the excitement of 'Spider-Man 3' directly to our guests," said Brian Gies, vp marketing impact at Burger King. "It takes the thrill of Peter Parker's own internal conflict and his struggle to choose between his classic red-and-blue Spider-Man suit or his new black suit and puts that choice right into our guests' hands to then have a one-in-two chance of winning millions of prizes if they choose correctly." Editor's Note: Umm...what if you like him best completely UNsuited? (sorry......ahem....)

Burger King's spots feature the game and creative reflecting the "Which Spidey Suits You" theme.

The fast food giant also is running a Kids Meal promotion with 10 different Spidey-themed toys that is being supported by kids' media.

For General Mills, the promotion is its largest to date, with more than 20 different brands in 12 categories and more than 60 skus participating in the U.S. campaign. Globally, more than 100 million individual General Mills' products will feature "Spider-Man 3" on their packaging.

Kraft's promotion involves 10 different brands and 20 skus in five different categories. Leon said Sony is treating its retail partners as promotional partners this time around.

In addition to Wal-Mart running its own TV spot featuring Spider-Man leaving a Hasbro web-blaster for a boy on a Wal-Mart rooftop, Sony has developed exclusive retail promotional programs at most mass-merchant retailers.

Target, for example, is running a contest inviting consumers to "spin" their own webisodes using Spider-Man action figures. In addition to Sony prize pack and Target gift card prizes, the winning webisode will be featured in the "Spider-Man 3" DVD bonus disc, which will be available exclusively at Target.

Toys R Us is featuring an exclusive Spider-Man gift-card program.

Despite a viral video circulating on the Web mocking what's depicted as over-the-top product placement in "Spider-Man 3" via an abundance of superimposed brands, Leon said there were no paid product placements in the movie, and none of the promotional partners got the added benefit of seeing their brands integrated into the film.

The only integrations will be from the studio's parent company Sony, he said.

Star Wars Items

2007-04-26T11:17:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Some thisandthat misc. Star Wars items to share....

"Robot Chicken" Star Wars-Themed Special

Adult Swim's "Robot Chicken" travels to a galaxy far, far away to create an all Star Wars-themed special.

Premiering on June 17, "Robot Chicken: Star Wars" brazenly combines the satirical sensibilities of Seth Green and Matthew Senreich's (Stoopid Monkey Productions) "Robot Chicken" with the unforgettable moments and favorite characters of the Star Wars universe -- among them, its creator himself, George Lucas.

Transformed into the stop-motion animated characters that are the hallmark of Adult Swim's "Robot Chicken," and in conjunction with ShadowMachine Films (Alex Bulkley/Corey Campodonicos), the Star Wars galaxy takes on an entirely different attitude.

"The special is a funny and ironic take on the Star Wars universe," says Green. "We're thrilled to be able to collaborate with Lucasfilm Ltd. and to have fun with the very property that shaped our sensibilities."

"It's a cliché to say but this is a dream come true," says Senreich. "How many people can say that George Lucas let them play with his entire Star Wars universe and do 'Robot Chicken'-like things to it?" Editor's Note: Just the fact that you use the phrase 'robot chicken' in that sentence, narrows the list of who can say it down to a VERY small number.

and more is the pity.....

In addition to the ultimate get of having George Lucas himself voice his stop-motion animated likeness for the special, other noteworthy voice actors include Conan O'Brien, Seth MacFarlane, Malcolm McDowell, Hulk Hogan, James Van Der Beek, Robert Smigel, Donald Faison, Abraham Benrubi, Breckin Meyer and Joey Fatone.

"We were big fans of the work that Matt and Seth had done, so when they approached us with the idea to make a Robot Chicken episode dedicated to Star Wars we were really enthusiastic about it," says Tom Warner, Senior Director of Marketing for Lucasfilm Ltd. "They caught the human and fun side of Star Wars and put an entirely different spin on it. We think Star Wars fans are really going to enjoy it." Editor's Note: Yes, I realize I am not unbiased, but what other franchise creator has the splendid sense of humor about snarking in his universe as our Uncle G?

Robot Chicken: Star Wars was created and executive produced by Green and Senreich under their own Stoopid Monkey Productions, in conjunction with Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico's ShadowMachine Films.

The special is directed by Green. The duo also executive produce, write and direct the series, with Green providing many of the voices in the special and the series, which begins its third season later this year.

Editor's Note: And more on this, passed along by everstalwart dweebpal PlanoKevin. (THANKS, Kev!)

Lucas, Hamill reunite for 'Star Wars' spoof

Editor's Note: He's lookin GOOD!

George Lucas and Mark Hamill will reunite for "Robot Chicken: Star Wars," a 30-minute stop-motion animation special for Adult Swim, Cartoon Network's late-night programming block.
The special spoofs key scenes and favorite characters from the "Star Wars" universe. It was done in collaboration with Lucas' production company Lucasfilm. Lucas, the creator of the "Star Wars" franchise, will voice a cartoon version of himself, and Hamill will resurrect Luke Skywalker. Editor's Note: I know I need to get out more, but I luvs me some Luke! (even OLDLuke!)

The special, set to premiere at 10 p.m. on June 17, comes from "Robot Chicken" creators Seth Green and Matthew Senreich. Green directed.

The voice cast also includes Conan O'Brien, Seth MacFarlane, Robert Smigel, Malcolm McDowell, Hulk Hogan, James Van Der Beek, Donald Faison, Abraham Benrubi, Breckin Meyer and Joey Fatone. Editor's Note: No Chicks, huh? TYPICAL.

The special stems from three "Star Wars" skits on "Robot Chicken," including the popular "Emperor's Phone Call," featuring Darth Vader calling Emperor Palpatine to tell him that the Death Star has been blown up.

Representatives for Lucasfilm wanted to post that sketch on StarWars.com, and they set up a meeting with Green and Senreich that turned into a pitch meeting for a special.

"We were big fans of the work that Matt and Seth had done, so when they approached us about the idea to make a 'Robot Chicken' episode dedicated to 'Star Wars,' we were really enthusiastic about it," said Tom Warner, Lucasfilm's senior director of marketing.

The "Star Wars" special was developed with Lucasfilm's approval at every stage. The company also helped with sound files on Chewbacca and R2-D2.

Green has been a big fan of the "Star Wars" universe.

"It informed my whole creative sensibility, and the 'Star Wars' toys I played with in my childhood inspired my imagination," Green said. "I've always wanted to be a part of a 'Star Wars' project, and I got to make one."

And he got to direct Lucas.

"It was really exciting," Green said. "He was very shy but very playful."

Let the Anniversary BEGIN!
Star Wars 30th Anniversary Book-signing Celebrations will be held across the country.

Click here to see book signing info for your location.

Star Wars Stamp Sheet Available for Pre-Order
Can't wait? The U.S. Postal Service announced customers may pre-order the set of 15 Star Wars stamps starting yesterday.

The stamps will officially go on sale Friday, May 25, following a special dedication ceremony at Star Wars Celebration IV at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

For $6.15, customers can ensure they receive these collector stamps by going to http://www.usps.com/ or by calling 1-800-STAMP-24.

All Star Wars stamps preorders will be shipped on May 25.

Voting continues for America's favorite stampVoting continues through May 23 on www.uspsjedimaster.com.

Editor's Note: Here they are one by one (I'm rooting for either Luke with the Twin Suns....an iconic image....or Anakin and Obi-Wan in their duel, the core event of the whole saga, IMHO).

Editor's Note: And here's OddBob's favorite?

Editor's Note: ALSO an iconic image....but who wants a whole sheet of EVIL stamps!?

The winning stamp will be announced at the first-day-of-issue ceremony of the Star Wars stamp sheet on May 25 during Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles and will be honored with the issuance of a single stamp, which will be for sale later this summer.

Which one is your favorite? Luke Skywalker; Han Solo and Chewbacca; Princess Leia Organa with R2-D2; C-3PO; Yoda; Queen Padmé Amidala; Obi-Wan Kenobi as seen in Episodes IV through VI; Anakin Skywalker battling Obi-Wan Kenobi; Darth Vader; Emperor Palpatine; Darth Maul; Imperial Stormtroopers; Boba Fett; the Millennium Falcon; and an X-wing fighter.

Which one is your favorite?

Check http://www.uspsjedimaster.com/ for regular updates on voting -- it's up to America to choose which Star Wars stamp wins the honor of a single-stamp sheet release.

Cool little Article

2007-04-23T11:45:00.000-05:00

Old interviews redefine 'Star Wars' mythology
By Gregg Kilday
April 20, 2007
"Star Wars" is so firmly ensconced in the pop culture firmament that its success -- in a movie universe a long time ago -- would seem to have been pre-ordained.

But that was hardly the case.

As the movie celebrates its 30th anniversary, George Lucas will be joined by many of his collaborators at a special screening at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences' Goldwyn Theater on Monday. Editor's Note: Today, fyi....

Simultaneously, Ballantine Books is publishing J.W. Rinzler's "The Making of Star Wars," which bills itself as "The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film."

More than just a promotional making-of book, Rinzler's account seeks to strip away a lot of the mythology about the movie's creation that has grown up over the years.

Rinzler, an executive editor at Lucasfilm, was aided in that quest when he discovered a treasure chest of interviews that Charles Lippincott, Lucasfilm's vp marketing and merchandising in the mid-'70s, conducted with the film's principals between 1975 and 1978.

They provided him with a contemporaneous view into the movie's origins, uncolored by its eventual success.

"Everyone's memories are somewhat faulty, and opinions have changed over the years," Rinzler explains. But the discovery of the old interviews allowed him "to do as close to an aural history as I could."

Among the forgotten aspects of the movie's production that he unearthed was a failed attempt to use front-projection, forcing the production to shift to bluescreen.

Rinzler quotes Lucas saying, "The biggest change during filming was from front projection to bluescreen. We had shot the approach to the Death Star, but once we got the results, we realized it wasn't going to work."

n fact, the production was constantly fighting battles on two fronts.

A skeptical 20th Century Fox whittled away the budget -- just four months before shooting was to begin in 1976, the studio shaved the production budget from $7.5 million to $6.9 million.

At the same time, Lucas was constantly challenging his crew to come up with innovative solutions like John Dykstra's motion-control camera that defined the state-of-the-art.

But as Lucas was forced to fund most of the movie's preproduction, one of the suits, Alan Ladd Jr., then the studio's production chief, emerged as a hero.

In October 1975, smarting from the failure of the big-budget "Lucky Lady" with Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds and Liza Minnelli, Fox imposed a moratorium on further spending on "Star Wars" until its board met on Dec. 13. It was Ladd, personally vouching for his belief in the project, who persuaded the board to issue a greenlight.

But even on May 25, 1977, when the movie opened to lines that snaked around Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, no one involved was quite convinced that they were witnessing a pop cultural phenomenon.

"Star Wars" bowed in just 32 theaters nationwide, and the only reason it was booked into the prestigious Chinese was that the release of William Friedkin's "Sorcerer," which had been set to play that house, had been postponed.

Lucas himself was holed up at the Goldwyn Studios, mixing down the film's 8-track stereo mix to monaural for its wider release. Ladd called him with the first boxoffice results.

"Wait, calm down," Lucas told the studio boss. "Remember, science-fiction films do really great the first week, then they drop off to nothing. It's a good sign, but it doesn't mean anything. Let's wait a couple of weeks."

Turning to the others in the room, Lucas added, "The movie's only been released for five hours. I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch."Editor's Note: Well no one can accuse Uncle George of grand-standing or over confidence!

Another sign of the ENDtimes?

2007-04-21T13:10:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Sign of the apocalypse, or clever idea? YOU decide....

Spider-Man makes leap to Broadway as a musical
It looks like Spider-Man will be swinging over to Broadway — and bringing Bono with him.

Marvel Entertainment announced that the iconic web-slinger will be the subject of a major Broadway musical that will be directed by Tony-winner Julie Taymor, who famously adapted The Lion King to stage, and feature music and lyrics by Bono and the Edge of U2.

Readings will start this summer for the splashy project, executives at Marvel Comics said.

There's no official word on a premiere date or any hints about early casting choices to play Peter Parker, Mary Jane Watson, Aunt May, J. Jonah Jameson or the other characters from the popular spandex soap opera.

It won't be the first time a superhero has made it to Broadway; "It's a Bird ... It's a Plane ... It's Superman" took flight in 1966 but, despite favorable reviews, didn't click with the public. Spidey is the first Marvel Comics character to leap to the stage.

The spindly wall-crawler, created in 1962 by artist Steve Ditko and writer Stan Lee, already has proved to be titan on the silver screen. The first two films in the popular Sony franchise have grossed $777 million in the United States while the third installment is poised to hit theaters on May 4.

Spider-Man has his hands full as a cross-media property, too. He will be a linchpin presence in the recently announced $1-billion Marvel Comics theme park in Dubai, set to open in 2011, and he will be the star of new animated television series for the Kids WB scheduled to launch next year. There's also the Spider-Man 3 video game from Activision due in stores also on May 4.
Bono and the Edge have done movie soundtrack work, but the rock heroes are newcomers to Broadway.

They do have some super-hero résumé lines, however: Edge wrote and played the slinky theme song for The Batman, the stylized Kids WB cartoon series that premiered in 2004; U2 also contributed Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me to the Batman Forever film soundtrack in 1995. Editor's Note: Which is so memorable everyone swung out of the theater humming? (Or not....)

Friday OddBOBbing...

2007-04-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Just for us from the infamous OddBob....cause he loves us and wants us to be happy? (Or is it that he loves TORTURING us?)

TomAto/toMAHto....

The Top 10 SciFi Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Flavors

10> Dark Matter Chocolate

9> Big Bang Banana Crunch

8> Klingon Ridge Ripple

7> Vulcanilla

6> Spocky Road

5> Obi-Wan Spumoni

Editor's Note: But is it OLD Obi-Wan Spumoni, or cute/YOUNG Obi-Wan Spumoni? (And did we just go to a bad place when we asked that question?)

4> Red Shift Raspberry

3> Wookiees & Cream

Editor's Note: LOL!!!

2> Bradbury Crunch

and the Number 1 SF Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Flavor...

1> Bananakin Skywalker

Editor's Note: Or AniAnise?

Have a great weekend, Dweebpals!

Yep, More Potter

2007-04-20T16:30:00.000-05:00

Potter V Gets 3-D Finale
IMAX Corp. and Warner Brothers announced that the final 20 minutes of the upcoming Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be digitally converted into 3-D in the version of the movie released in IMAX theaters on July 13.

The fifth film in the franchise, based on J.K. Rowling's books, will also be released in conventional theaters on that date.

IMAX said that it will use its proprietary 2-D-to-3-D conversion technology to transform the end of the film into IMAX 3-D.

The previous installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, broke IMAX 2-D box-office records when it opened in November 2005, the company said.
Editor's Note: So most of the film will be 2-D IMAX, and then 20 minutes will be (faux) 3-D IMAX!!! This sounds like an excuse....as if we NEEDED one...to see the movie a second time in the theaters, yes???!!!

AND, now a bit of Rumor-mongering....

'Equus' with Radcliffe & Griffiths to come to Broadway?
Editor's Note: And now we pause for a sec whilst all of you who downloaded the nudieharry pics have a PRIVATE moment.....

We have been receiving emails all morning letting us know that Harry Potter actors Daniel Radcliffe and Richard Griffiths are planning to take the current production of Equus, which closes on June 9th on London's West End, to Broadway in 2008.

Please note that both Dan and Richard were only scheduled to participate in the play till June 9th and recent speculation of extending the run with new actors has previously been reported online and have subsequently been denied.

We are trying to have this news confirmed and will update once we know more.

Strange Confluence

2007-04-19T08:28:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Does it mean anything that both Tim Curry and Hayden Christensen have birthdays on the same day?

Happy 61st birthday, Mr. Curry!

Happy 26th birthday, Haydenbaby!

(and hush up all you Haydenhaters, just HUSH!)

ttfn and mtFbwy ker

Breaking DWEEBing

2007-04-18T19:53:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Now HERE's some weird and unexpected news.....

NORTON IS THE NEW HULK

Edward Norton is about to get smashed by a big, green, gamma-powered giant.

In a bit of a surprise, Variety reported last weekend that Norton will take over the role of Bruce Banner from Eric Bana (who was not expected to return) in "The Incredible Hulk."

The signing of the Oscar-nominated actor is just another impressive catch for newly independent Marvel Enterprises, which locked down Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow for their live-action version of "Iron Man."

The studio says this new "Hulk" will be less serious than 2003's "Hulk" (directed by Ang Lee) and will be more in line with the comic book and TV series. Marvel also says the picture will leave the monster's origin story to the first movie as it picks up with Banner on the run trying to avoid capture by turning into that misunderstood green menace (perhaps he should stop breaking things like expensive automobiles, glass windows and fire hydrants). Editor's Note: Or perhaps they can hire screenwriters and actors with actual charisma.

Just another way to go with it.....

This role is an eyebrow-raising choice for the normally dour Norton, who scored a nice hit last summer with "The Illusionist," but hasn't starred in a blatantly commercial film since 2003's "The Italian Job." (That role was forced on him by Paramount Pictures to fulfill a contract that also gave Norton his breakout role in "Primal Fear" seven years prior.)

The actor also has a reputation for spending too much time in the editing room of his movies, especially because he usually doesn't have the additional title of either director or producer. This will make for an interesting mix for "Incredible Hulk" director Louis "leverage-less" Leterrier, whose resume of "The Transporter" movies and "Unleashed" won't do much to squelch the opinions of his leading man ("Yes, Louis, Ed's on the phone again with more suggestions").

Marvel hasn't announced if Jennifer Connelly will return as Banner's love interest Betty Ross, but a spy told the Hitlist they expect to recast the role. Editor's Note: Maybe with someone who can act? (again, just a radical suggestion....)

Additionally, look for Sam Elliott who played General Ross (Betty's father and the man whose mission is to end the Hulk's reign of terror) to be the only returning actor from the first "Hulk."

In any event, "The Incredible Hulk" will start shooting this summer in Toronto in anticipation of a June 13, 2008 release.

Editor's Note: Norton is always an asset to a film. Strange choice for him, though. Wonder what they promised him to get him on board? (Yes, Mr. Norton, we'll be sending you the first-born children of each of the Marvel Board of Directors via UPS....)

Teasing Pirates

2007-04-18T11:01:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Stealing PR hoakum from Disney is WAY better than writing stuff myself...

A World of Excitement Approaches

The adventurers assemble for their voyage to the edges of the Earth -- and beyond -- in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End."

It's looming on the horizon -- the Jolly Roger fluttering from its mast. It's the adventure of the summer.

Although it won't make landfall until May 25, anticipation is already growing for "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," the final film in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy.

This one will take Captain Jack and crew to the ends of the Earth -- literally!

And according to production designer Rick Heinrichs, it will be unlike anything you've seen before -- even in the previous "Pirates" films. Editor's Note: Yet another Disney 'cast member' who has quaffed the kool-aid!

"It really does go off into new locations and a new look. It has a more restrained graphic and simplified look," he says. "Pirates: At World's End" will take our heroes far from the Caribbean into the far East and uncharted waters beyond. "

[The look is] in keeping with the Asian themes, but also because we're at world's end and we're dealing more with landscapes of the mind."

We talked to Rick about the making of "Pirates: At World's End" as well as the second film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest." He gave us a peek into the upcoming excitement -- from some harrowing moments on slippery decks to a journey that none of our heroes will ever forget.

Rick is an old Disney hand -- he started his career in 1979, working under Blaine Gibson, the then-head-sculptor at WED Enterprises. He was also working under another set of heads -- the original clay head sculptures used when the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction was created.

Rick says that these busts were a great inspiration to him -- especially when the time came for him to imagine the world of "Pirates."

"[Imagineering legend] Marc Davis did such an amazing job -- you can tell it was done by people who were telling stories and developing characters, who thought about telling stories the way you do onscreen in a movie. I was very inspired by that."

Rick got his chance to put that inspiration to work when he joined the "Pirates" crew to work on the second and third films. Parts of the two movies were filmed simultaneously -- a race to take advantage of locations in The Bahamas, even as the script for "Pirates: At World's End" was still flying off the typewriters.

"When we were down in the Caribbean and The Bahamas with the special tanks that we had built there for shooting water scenes, we tried to film as much of the third movie as would make sense," Rick explains. "The third film's script wasn't completely finished when we were shooting No. 2, so there was a bit of a scramble to figure out which scenes made sense to shoot down there."

Some of the most exciting moments in the third film, however, were beyond what the film crew could create in a water tank. Rick and the rest of the team had to film one of the most elaborate ship-to-ship confrontations ever seen onscreen.

To make the scene feel completely real to audiences, the filmmakers went above and beyond, spending weeks to build unique sets and equipment that put the actors in the middle of a typhoon on the pitching, rolling decks of their ships. Editor's Note: Urp. I am getting motion sick just THINKING about it. (I thought being an actor meant dry land!) It was an impressive accomplishment -- but a demanding one.

"It was incredibly hard on the crew and the cast. They had to be out there in the wet for 16 hours a day," Rick says. "Our art department was right off the stage there, and we would stand on the stage and look up at what they were doing, and be incredibly glad we weren't up there, 30 feet in the air. They were getting drenched and blown and slipping and sliding. But nobody got hurt."

The plot of "Pirates: At World's End" is a secret as closely guarded as a pirate's treasure horde. But Rick confirms that the title should be taken literally -- expect to see the very edge of the world itself on film ... and to discover, along with Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth, and Will Turner, what lies beyond.

It's not a discovery to be taken lightly, as Captain Jack will discover.

As the trilogy draws to a close, no one can say whether the voyagers aboard the Black Pearl will have more adventures in store.

For Rick, at least, coming this far has been an amazing journey.

"I've loved Pirates of the Caribbean since I first rode the attraction, so this has been a thrilling experience -- not just because it gave me a chance to work with [director] Gore Verbinski and work with Disney again, but because this was something from my own childhood that had such a great impact on me. And I think we've succeeded in giving the movies a limitless quality that suggests we are concentrating on one portion of the pirate world, but there's so much more out there."

Next month, we'll see a lot more of that world ... and we can hardly wait. Editor's Note: Pirates/Shmirates. Bring on Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Keira Knightley! (oh...and what the heck...the undead monkey)!

I LOVES me some DROID

2007-04-17T18:28:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: The Houston R2 mailbox. Near City Hall. (Pictures taken about 2 weeks ago....yes the QOTD has been lax. AGAIN).

R2

R2, again

R2 and his pals (me, my dweebdog Roobeus, and a dweebpal, Samantha).

P.S. And please note the ever-so-dweebishlysnazzy R2 headgear (knitted by a NON-dweeb, believe it or not!), and my Rebellion T-Shirt. Was I totally DECKED out to meet R2, or WHAT!?

Breaking Indy 4 News!

2007-04-13T16:52:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: And yet another scooplet passed along by dweebpal PlanoKevin! (YOU rock, Kev!)

Rumors true: LaBeouf will be in 'Indiana Jones 4'

After months of building Internet buzz, this can finally be reported as fact: Shia LaBeouf has been cast in the upcoming "Indiana Jones" movie.

Producer George Lucas and director Steven Spielberg announced Friday that LaBeouf will appear alongside Harrison Ford in the fourth installment of the adventure franchise, scheduled for release May 22, 2008. Production is set to begin in June.

"We are excited about bringing Shia into our Indy family," Spielberg said in a statement on the "Indiana Jones" Web site. "His talent has impressed not only his audiences throughout his young career but the directors, producers and fellow actors who have worked with him in his television career and now his film career."

Paramount, a division of Viacom Inc., declined Friday to say what role LaBeouf would be playing.

The 20-year-old actor told The Associated Press in March that the persistent Internet rumors about his casting in the film were just that -- rumors.

"The way that thing started, it's just wild how it snowballed," LaBeouf told the AP then. "I don't have a deal on the table, it's just a rumor. Would I do it? In a second. It'd be working for a legend and working with legends. Who wouldn't? But is it something I'm doing right now? No. I'm an out-of-work actor."

It's a busy weekend for the up-and-coming actor. He stars in "Disturbia," a high-tech, teen version of "Rear Window," which opened Friday; then he's hosting NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday.

LaBeouf also co-stars in this summer's "Transformers" movie for Spielberg's DreamWorks Pictures, and provides the voice of one of the penguins in the animated "Surf's Up."

His previous films include "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints," "The Greatest Game Ever Played" and "Holes."

He also won a Daytime Emmy in 2003 for the Disney Channel series "Even Stevens."
Editor's Note: So there you are. NOW all they need is a good script?

OddBob, we've missed ye SO!

2007-04-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: You thought, just cause we hardly get any dweebing of substance going these days, that somehow, OddBob would be forsaken?

Heaven forFEND!

No....we ain't that lucky.

The Top 10 Diet Crazes of the Future

10> The Sith Beach Diet

9> Lunar fat farms. You instantly lose 5/6th of your weight when you arrive!

8> Grok Your Weight Away on the Valentine Michael Smith Diet!

7> The Full Cranial Transfer diet: Take one simple pill, go to sleep, and when you wake up, your brain's been transplanted into a slimmer body!

6> The Pluto diet. It was small to start but then someone took it away from you.

5> Q's Cwazy Quiche Cookbook.

4> The "On the Beach" diet: You have to travel to Australia and wait for the end of the world before chowing down.

3> "The Soylent Green Diet". Once you find out what it is, you'll never eat again.

Editor's note: if THIS one worked, no one would eat hot dogs, blue cheese, or street-fair meat pies.

2> The Water-Sharing Diet: Order one meal and share it amongst your water brothers.

and the Number 1 Diet Craze of the Future ...

1> Jedi Mind Trick Diet: "This is not the chocolate strawberry triple cheesecake you're looking for." Editor's Note: NOW we're talkin!!!! (either that, or you just convince everyone ELSE that you are actually very thin and attractive?)

If it's Wednesday, there must be more Harry Potter news?

2007-04-11T14:38:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: A day without SOME sort of Harry Potter news is....well, it doesn't EXIST at this point.

37 Lucky Libraries Across the Country To Host the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Knight Bus Tour

THE KNIGHT BUS TAKES OFF FROM NEW YORK CITY ON JUNE 1

Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, announced today the 37 library tour schedule for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Knight Bus Tour.

The Knight Bus, based on the unique triple-decker bus described in the Harry Potter books, will launch on June 1, 2007 from New York City and will travel to 37 libraries across the country over a seven-week period ending back in New York at Scholastic headquarters to kick off the release of the seventh and final book in the series at 12:01a.m. on July 21, 2007.

In each location where the bus stops, fans will be invited to board the Knight Bus and share on video their thoughts and feelings about the Harry Potter books. Select video clips from each location will be uploaded for viewing and sharing on www.scholastic.com/harrypotter.

Additionally, each person will receive a unique username and password so that they can view their own video online.

"We know that one of the most incredible things about Harry Potter is the amazing discussion that it ignites among fans of all ages," said Lisa Holton, President of Scholastic Trade and Book Fairs, Scholastic. "The Knight Bus tour is the perfect way to let fans from across the country share their Harry Potter experience as they await the conclusion of this remarkable series."

The schedule of libraries was planned to reach the largest possible number of fans all across the country during the weeks from June 1 through the release of the book.

The complete Knight Bus current tour schedule is as follows (subject to change):
Friday 6/1 Book Expo America
New York City (open to conference attendees only)

Monday 6/4
10 am-1 pm Providence Public Library
South Providence Branch
3-6 pm Providence Public Library
Mount Pleasant Branch

Tuesday 6/5
9:30 am-12:30 pm Boston Public Library
Central Library
2:30-5:30 pm Boston Public Library
Codman Square Branch Library

Thursday 6/7
12 noon-3 pm New York Public Library
Bronx Library Center

Friday 6/8
10 am-1 pm Queens Borough Public Library
Hillcrest Library
3-6 pm Queens Borough Public Library
Elmhurst Library

Saturday 6/9
10am-1pm Brooklyn Public Library
3-6pm Newark Public Library

Wednesday 6/13
10 am-1 pm Free Library of Philadelphia
Main Branch
3:30-6:30 pm Free Library of Philadelphia
Lawncrest Branch Library

Friday 6/15
9 am-12 noon Baltimore County Public Library
The Cockeysville Library
2-5 pm Enoch Pratt Free Library System, Baltimore
Southeast Anchor Library

Saturday 6/16
10 am-1 pm Prince George's County Library System
New Carrollton Branch Library
3-6 pm Prince George's County Lib System
Oxon Hill Branch Library

Tuesday 6/19
9:30 am-12:30 pm Washington DC Public Library
Petworth Branch Library
3-6 pm Montgomery County Lib System
Bethesda Public Library

Wednesday 6/20
10:30 am-1:30 pm Fairfax County Public Library
Chantilly Regional Library
3:30-6:30 pm Arlington Public Library
Central Library

Saturday 6/23
10 am - 1 pm Cuyahoga County Public Library, Ohio
Parma Snow Branch Library
3-6 pm Cleveland Public Library
Rockport Branch

Tuesday 6/26
11 am-2 pm Chicago Public Library
Sulzer Regional Library
4-7 pm Chicago Public Library
Budlong Woods Branch Library

Wednesday 6/27
10 am - 1 pm Chicago Public Library
Woodson Regional Library

Thursday 6/28
10 am - 1 pm St. Louis Public Library
Main Branch
3-6 pm St. Louis County Public Library
Daniel Boone Branch Library

Tuesday 7/3
9-12 noon Maricopa County Library District, Arizona
Northwest Regional Library
2-5 pm Phoenix Public Library
Chavez Branch Library

Thursday 7/5
10 am-1 pm San Diego Public Library
Mission Valley Branch Library
Fenton Marketplace in Mission Valley

Friday 7/6
9 am-12 noon County of LA Public Library
West Covina Library
2-5 pm County of LA Public Library
Clifton M. Brakensiek Library

Saturday 7/7
9 am-12 noon Los Angeles Public Library
Mid-Valley Regional Branch Library
2-5 pm Los Angeles Public Library
Central Library

Tuesday 7/10
10 am-1 pm San Jose Public Library
Cambrian Branch Library
3-6 pm San Jose Public Library
Berryessa Branch Library

Wednesday 7/11
11 am-2 pm San Francisco Public Library
Main Branch
4-7 pm Oakland Public Library
Main Branch

Editor's Note: SO....nothing in the south, nothing in the SouthWEST. Houston, the 4th largest city in the country gets NADA.

This is clearly the work of deatheaters.

The fastest-selling book in history, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book was released on July 16, 2007 with a first printing of 10.8 million. It sold 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours.

All six Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have been number one bestsellers in the United States, Britain, and around the world. The American editions of the Harry Potter books are published under Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine imprint.

Tuesday Snippets

2007-04-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

Maguire Might Be Done With 'Spider-Man'

Tobey Maguire, star of "Spider-Man 3," isn't sure he'd play the superhero a fourth time. Editor's Note: sniffle....

"I appreciate movies from a standpoint of entertainment and distraction, and I also love when people make movies that help raise awareness," says the 31-year-old actor, whose films also include "The Cider House Rules" and "Seabiscuit."

"I don't really have a lot of formed ideas. It's more just thoughts," he tells Men's Journal in its May issue, on newsstands Tuesday.Editor's Note: He doesn't have a lot of formed ideas? Well....big of him to admit that, I guess. I mean, there are LOTS of folks out there these days (hail to the chief, etc) with no formed ideas, and none of them ever own up to it. So.....umm...YAY, Spideyboy!!! "I might do another `Spider-Man' movie — I don't know."

Maguire says "Spider-Man 3" has a "fresh story" for his character
.
"The public is adoring him, and it goes to his head. He's behaving arrogantly and is self-involved, which changes the feeling of the character for me. And it just gets darker from there," he says.
Maguire says he talks to the media to publicize his movies — "I don't feel compelled to share anything."

"I used to prepare to go to battle with journalists," he tells the magazine. "Now I don't have my feet planted. I won't talk about what I won't talk about, but I'm more relaxed about it."

Maguire says he began attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at 19 because his life had become oddly predictable.

"I have an addictive nature," he says, "an obsessive-compulsive nature — well, I don't know that's what it is clinically. But I go to addictive extremes, and before I got sober, that became routine."

Maguire is engaged to Jennifer Meyer, a 29-year-old jewelry designer. They have a 5-month-old daughter, Ruby Sweetheart.

"When she smiles, it's the most fantastic thing ever," he says. "But it's not like I didn't expect that. I expected to fall completely in love with my child."

Columbia Pictures' "Spider-Man 3" opens May 4. Editor's Note: So SOOON!!!! We need to have a Spidey Uno and Due mini-marathon chez moi PRONTO!!! (yes, I realize I just mixed bastardized parts of a couple of languages. I haven't had my coffee yet; it's a wonder I can even TYPE).

And by the by, it doesn't appear....as the headline so dramatically hinted...that Maguire has hardly any thoughts at ALL, much less that he's 'not doing spidey 4.' Hype and Hooie!

And then we have the opposite headline....

Maguire may do Spider-Man 4
Rumours suggesting that Tobey Maguire isn’t returning for another “Spider-Man” film – following this Summer’s “Spider-Man 3” – are rather premature.

The actor tells Sci-Fi Wire that he’ll indeed consider wearing the red spandex again for a “Spider-Man 4”.

"Well, it's possible that we make another movie," Maguire said in an interview. "It all depends on if there's a story worth telling. I feel very proud of the three movies that we've made. I feel like the stories all deserve to be told, and, you know, if they come up with a good movie, and the whole team wants to get back together, and we feel like we can make a good movie that's worth making, then I'm up for it."

Co-star Kirsten Dunst has said the same, that if there’s a great script on the table she’s not passing up the opportunity to bring Mary-Jane back. "I would work with Sam on any movie he wanted to work on it with me, because I just adore that man."

If Maguire does decide to hang up his tights, Producer Avi Arad plans on making “Spider-Man 4” anyway. Editor's Note: Just cause Jake Gyllenhal looks a lot like Maguire, doesn't make Maguire expendable in the role, huh?!

Staunton: Playing Potter villianess takes 'proper acting'

Oscar nominee Imelda Staunton wasn't exactly flattered when a friend first suggested she'd be perfect for the part of Harry Potter's first female nemesis, Dolores Umbridge.

"I read the book, and Umbridge is described as a short, ugly, toadlike woman," Staunton told Newsweek. "I thought, 'Oh, thanks very much.'" Editor's Note: And in point of fact, Staunton IS way to pretty for Umbridge. (I guess almost anyone HUMAN would be?)

But Staunton ended up playing the villainess as an "apple-cheeked schoolmarm — drenched in pink angora," the magazine says.

In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth movie based on the J.K. Rowling series, Umbridge is a new teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry bent on restricting free thought.

"There can't be any mess or individuality," Staunton said. "But, of course, that leads to brainwashed people."

Staunton, who was nominated for a best-actress Academy Award for playing Vera Drake in the eponymous 2004 movie, says the Potter role is no joke.

"You may think that it's just a bunch of hand-waving, but there's a lot of proper acting going on," she said. Editor's Note: It's a veritable who's who of Brit thesping...how could there NOT be acting going on???!!!

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is to be released July 13.

Orlando Bloom in next Superman film?

Editor's Note: Yes, this is a gratuitous pic. Your POINT?!

According to Just Jared, via Slashfilm.com, Orlando Bloom is in talks for a role in the upcoming “Superman Returns” sequel.

Apparently the “Pirates of the Caribbean” stud was spotted talking to rector Bryan Singer and producers Mindy and Jon Peters.

The latter site says, “Bloom’s ex-girlfriend Kate Bosworth played Lois Lane in the first film. So speculation has already begun over Bloom playing the Man of Steel.”

A source for Warner Bros tells us that Bloom will “definitely not” be taking over the role of Superman. Editor's Note: I luvs me some Orlando Bloom, but he is NOT right in any form or fashion for the Superman part. (And I thought Brandon Routh was already re-signed to that?)

As for whether he’s in the mix to play another of the roles? Say Zod or Brainiac? Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Tom Hanks signs on for Da Vinci sequel
Cinemablend.com reports that Tom Hanks has signed on to star in the sequel to “The Da Vinci Code” - “Angels and Demons”.

A scooper for the site says that Hanks is going to score “[the] biggest salary ever paid to an actor in the history of Hollywood” to reprise his role as adventure-seeking Robert Langdon.

The sequel, which Ron Howard is supposedly returning to direct, will reportedly lens in June.

Laura Dern to star in Jurassic Park 4

Laura Dern will return to do battle with the prehistoric rogues in “Jurassic Park 4”, the actress confirmed to Collider.

“I’m told its happening and I’m told they’re calling me. I’m told that Ellie Sattler is involved in it”, Dern told the site. Editor's Note: And is there....perchance...an actual SCRIPT this time? (not to be GREEDY...).

“ [A] certain fellow [Steven Spielberg] is the one that called me and it’s hard to say no to him cause he’s always got something totally genius up his sleeve so we’ll see what they have in mind. But I don’t know anything about it at this point.”

Sam Neill, who co-starred with Dern in the first and third “Jurassic Park” films, recently told the media he wouldn’t be a part of the new film. Editor's Note: I don't at all BLAME him, after he was such a trooper mushing through the last misbegotten JP flick, but no Neill, lowers MY incentive to see the next one.

According to Dern, the new film will be released next year. Editor's Note: Wouldn't the CG alone take longer than that? (If they haven't even started filming, I mean?) Or are they just going to cut and paste from the first three?

Woe is I...and alack!

2007-04-06T12:23:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: Another year in which I STILL cannot attend the Disney Star Wars weekends.

I am bereft.

(And you thought I was the QOTD?)

rimshot....

Here's the blurb from the Disney PR juggernaut:

A Galaxy Far, Far Away—Up Close & Personal
Meet one of the creative forces behind Star Wars™ Weekends

Editor's Note: Aww.....Look at the happy fake people interacting with the happy fake Chewbacca!

Whether you're a dyed-in-the-wool Jedi junkie, or even if you can't always tell a Jawa from a Wookiee,Editor's Note: If you can't tell a Jawa from a Wookiee.... (well, for one thing, you're probably not reading THIS missive). But really, you are going to go into Chalmun's Cantina, and something you mistakenly call a Jawa is going to WookieWhup you BAD! you won't want to miss Star Wars Weekends at Disney-MGM Studios every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 1 to June 24.

"Star Wars Weekends is a totally immersive event in the ideal setting of Disney-MGM Studios," Walt Disney Entertainment Show Director Mark Renfrow told us. "Surrounded by three-dimensional settings and set pieces, like Endor Village, the planet of Tatooine and the AT-AT walkers, we really make it possible for everyone to live the fantasy of meeting celebrities and characters—while enjoying all the features created exclusively for the event."

Non-stop Star Wars fun and adventure
You can meet characters like Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, Chewbacca, Darth Maul, Princess Leia and even Jedi Mickey, and get autographs from some of the greatest names in Star Wars history.
There's nothing like the excitement when kids meet the Star Wars characters. Editor's Note: Not the REAL ones. It's like Santa...at the mall, yes?

"It's great to see their reactions," Mark said. "It's as if the characters stepped right off the screen to meet, play and sometimes actually duel with them." (Of course, you don't have to be a kid to connect with your favorite interplanetary pals!) Editor's Note: SEEE!! SEEEEE!!!! TOLD Ya!

Young Guests may be chosen to wield a lightsaber and join the Jedi Training Camp, where a Jedi Master shows them the ropes on how to deal with the galaxy's most treacherous villains. They can also test their Star Wars knowledge at the Padawan Mind Challenge.

Seeing the stars from beyond the stars
Seeing—and maybe even talking with—celebrities is an exhilarating part of Star Wars Weekends. This year's guest list includes Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), Ray Paul (Darth Maul) and more. Editor's Note: The typo on Ray Park's name is on the Disney website!!!! (Do you think they meant RU Paul?)

Every day during the Weekends, you can enjoy Stars of the Saga, a live celebrity talk show in which you may find yourself asking one of our visiting Star Wars celebrities one of the questions. Also daily, look for Legends of the Force: A Star Wars Celebrity Motorcade, where you can cheer celebrities and characters as they make their way along Hollywood Boulevard.

Mark is particularly excited about Behind the Force, a 20-minute, big-screen film presentation edited from over 1,000 hours of Lucasfilm footage.

"You can't see 'Behind the Force' anywhere else but Disney-MGM Studios," Mark said. "And this year, the story will be all about the 30 years of Star Wars, taking you from the saga's conception to where it's going in the future." Editor's Note: Woe, alack and ALAS!!!

The ultimate Star Wars thrill ride and more
It wouldn't be Star Wars Weekends without a voyage or two aboard Star Tours, Editor's Note: Ok, THAT I'm not sorry I'm missing. (I get motion sick just THINKING about it). plus the fun finale of Hyperspace Hoopla, a musical comedy romp. Editor's Note: "Hyperspace Hoopla"? Oh dear oh dear oh dear. (The words 'musical comedy romp' are pretty much NEVER a good sign. And then pair them with Star Wars, and there is a very bad tremor in the Force).

"It's a chance for even the Star Wars characters to let their hair down," said Mark.
"And seeing a Wookiee let his hair down is usually quite impressive!" Editor's Note: BAD PR man, BAD BAD!!! It's the spice mines of Kessel for YOU!

And on till Sunset, Scotty...

2007-04-02T10:38:00.000-05:00

Editor's Note: As ever, dweebpal PlanoKevin sends us the news that's fit to blog.

Doohan's Ashes to Be Blasted Into Space
LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) - The ashes of James Doohan, who played chief engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott on the original "Star Trek" TV series, have been loaded into a rocket that is set to launch in New Mexico later this month.

The remains of Doohan, Mercury astronaut Gordon Cooper and some 200 others were loaded into the rocket Friday by Charles Chafer, chief executive of Celestis, a Texas company that contracts with rocket firms to send cremated remains into space.

"And we're ready to go," Chafer said after inserting the silver canister.

Jerry Larson, president of Connecticut-based UP Aerospace Inc., said the rocket will be launched April 28.

Families paid $495 to have a few grams of their loved one's ashes placed on the rocket.
Chafer said he's aware of the dedication of "Star Trek" fans.

"There's no doubt that we'll find a way to accommodate fans who travel here and want to be part of that experience," he said.

Doohan died in July 2005 at age 85.

The remains of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry were blasted into space in 1997.

Editor's Note: God speed, Mr. Doohan.....

Dweebs...Place your Bets!

2007-04-02T10:31:00.000-05:00

HARRY PLOTTER
Punters back Neville to kill his Boy Wizard pal
By Mark Mcgivern
HARRY Potter's reign as the prince of boy wizards could be brought to a brutal end - by one of his pals.

Bookies have reported a rush of bets on fellow Hogwarts pupil Neville Longbottom killing Harry in the final adventure. Editor's Note: Say WHAT?!

Author JK Rowling has hinted that two of the main characters are killed off in her new book - Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, which goes on sale on July 21.

The favourites on "Who Will Pot Potter" are still evil Lord Voldemort and Professor Snape, who are priced at 2-1 and 5-2 respectively, say bookmakers William Hill.

But a flurry of wagers on Neville - played by Matthew Lewis in the films - has seen his odds cut from 25-1 to 12-1.

Hill's spokesman Rupert Adams said: "Neville and Harry were born within a day of each other and you can see why fans have made the connection.

"It is difficult to know if the bets are complete speculation or insider info, and with less than four months to go, we are worried about being stitched up."

There's also increased support for the theory that Neville will cause the demise of Voldemort, with odds of that going from 100-1 to 8-1. Editor's Note: How about Voldemort kills Neville, and then Harry kills youknowwho? (Actually, I think it MORE likely that Voldiebaby kills SNAPE...who turns out to be fighting on the right side and gives his life for Harry....and then Harry kills Voldie).

If Harry survives, all stake money will be returned. Editor's Note: This is a cold, cruel bunch, eh?

The book has also attracted a string of alternative bets. One punter has wagered £100 at 4-1 that Dumbledore's death was staged and he will be alive and well in the final book.

And an Aberdeen woman has placed £50 at 20-1 that Snape is a hero and £40 at 50-1 that Professor McGonagall is actually a baddie. Editor's Note: Ok, I'm fine with that first one, but Maggie Smith goes to the darkside???!!! Say it isn't so, lassie!

Another punter placed £10 at 8-1 that Ron and Hermione will get married.

WHODUNNIT?
2-1 Lord Voldemort
5-2 Professor Snape
6-1 Draco Malfroy
6-1 Ron Weasley
6-1 Harry Potter
12-1 Neville Longbottom
14-1 Lucius Malfroy
14-1 Hermione Granger
20-1 Professor Slughorn
25-1 Hagrid
25-1 Cornelius Fudge
33-1 Arthur Weasley
33-1 Dawlish
40-1 Professor McGonagall
50-1 Lupin
50-1 Mr Filch
50-1 Dobby
100-1 Ginny Weasley
100-1 Tonks
100-1 Fred/George Weasley
100-1 Uncle Vernon

Friday Pottering

2007-03-30T13:30:00.000-06:00

Editor's Note: Now that the HP Book 7 cover has been released (see dweebpost earlier this week), all that's left is ad nauseum second-guessing. Woohoo!

Plus hand-wringing in fear for our favorite characters, and some movie 5 previewing.

'It's a very, very emotional book.'
-- Arthur A. Levine, J.K. Rowling's American editor

Oh, my goodness, here we go -- 112 days till the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows," and we've gotten our first look at the cover art for the U.S. and U.K. editions.

We've also heard from one of the first people in the world to read the story, Arthur A. Levine.

The editor of the Potter books' American editions said on NBC's "Today" show that he didn't just cry, he "sobbed" when he read the final novel in the series. Editor's Note: Anyone else besides me now wringing their hands AND hiding under their desks sucking their thumbs?

Just ME?

But he wouldn't reveal anything else about the story.

So take a close look at Mary GrandPre's artwork for the American books (scholastic.com) and at the book jackets for the British children's and adult editions (bloomsbury.com), and let's try to figure out what's going on.

Levine pointed out that the U.S. book jacket is wider than usual and Lord Voldemort is pictured for the first time.

Look at the background; could Harry and Lord Voldemort be in that ancient chamber in the Ministry of Magic containing the archway with the mysterious black veil? Is this their final confrontation? Why are they both looking up?

Editor's Note: We had the US cover in a dweebpost earlier this week, but here it is again:

On the U.K. book jackets, the children's edition shows Harry, Hermione and Ron in battle, while the adult edition shows a necklace monogrammed with an elaborate, serpentine "S" picked out in emeralds. Hmm, a green, snakelike "S." Could this be the Slytherin locket that contains a sliver of Voldemort's soul?

Here are the Brit Covers (kid's cover first, front and back, then adult cover, front and back).

What do you think?

Write to PotterWatch@tribune.com with your theories.

Last week, Kate P. of Homer Glen asked us all for advice: Her cousin is getting married July 21, and Kate fears she is faced with smuggling "Deathly Hallows" into the church and reception or she'll "miss out on the final installment of my favorite book of all time!"

Turns out Kate's not the only one. Angela M. of Midlothian says she will be going to a cousin's wedding on the evening of July 20, "so that means no midnight release parties for me." She figures she might slip out of the reception a little early so she can pick up her book at a nearby bookstore. Her suggestion for Kate: "I say, read as much as you can in the car, and after maybe there will be another Potter fan at your wedding and you can read together in the corner! Good luck."

But our dean of Muggle studies disagrees.

Amy Dickinson, a PotterWatcher as well as advice columnist, gets the last word:"I know that it will sound hopelessly 'Muggle' of me to say this, but please remember that other relationships need to come before even the most compelling literary passions," Amy says. "Think like Harry. In 'The Chamber of Secrets,' Harry had to go to Nick's Death Day party instead of going to the Halloween feast. Why? Because Nick helped Harry out of a jam and Harry was obligated to honor the relationship. This is what we love the most about Harry -- he has integrity." Editor's Note: It is very confusing when a non-dweeb quotes a dweeb icon to make us be more like non-dweebs.

My head hurts.

But I'm pretty sure that mugglelady is wrong, and has NO sense of proportion.

The best thing to do is not to steal moments during other events to secretly read the book. If you do, both the book and the event will suffer. Savor this last gulp of Harry Potter during a time when you can give it your full and undivided attention.

"Remember, the book isn't going anywhere; it's yours to read again and again -- but the event only happens once."

Think of these weddings as the Quidditch World Cup Tournament. To the bride and groom, they are." Editor's Note: WhatEVER.

EW features 'Potter' covers & all you need to know about 'OotP'
Just a few hours ago we posted some new images from the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie, which will appear in Entertainment Weekly on Friday.

Editor's Note: And ohmygollygraciousme, check out these wonderful pics!

Cho Chang

Harry

Dumbledore's Army!

Boo!!! Hiss!!! Dolores Umbridge (MORE booing and hissing!!)

Harry and Sirius Black (Editor's Note: SOME of you...oddbob...just went to a naughty place, didn't you?! "Equus" flash-backs, perchance?)

Harry and the Tribunal at the Minestry of Magic

Hermione (Editor's Note: And thank goodness the young lady came to her senses, so we don't have to be mad at her and can love her evermore! Get a LIFE, you say? Pshaw!)

Ron

Luna Lovegood (Editor' s Note: Who is WAY too pretty, IMHO. Which frankly, so is Dolores).

The Trio

Editor's Note: Is it my imagination, or do we have this exact same pose of the three of them from almost every movie?

Sirius Black (Editor's Note: Looking VERY handsome, and sort of sad).

The issue features three different covers with Harry, Hermione and Ron, all the information you need to know about the movie, quotes from Daniel Radcliffe and director David Yates and a quiz to test your Harry Potter knowledge.

One article mentions that Mr. Yates has been tapped to direct Half-Blood Prince, although nothing has been finalized yet and that the producers state that the movie will be two and a half hours, the shortest in the series to date.

Or you can start reading the articles here and here for the list of characters, all on the EW site.
Editor's Note: That first link, above, takes you to the articles and such on the EW site. (In the interest of me actually getting some WORK done today at work...ahem...)

Editor's Note: Saving the yummiest for last:

Lucius Malfoy....So Evil, SO pretty....

P.S. As in Postal Service?

2007-03-28T14:03:00.000-06:00

Editor's Note: PS....I think you can vote (for your favorite SW stamp) once per day. It's a very tough choice, though, huh?

I voted for the DUEL today. Probably give Luke, Leia, Han, and Darth some votes as well.

The BIG issues like this need CAREFUL consideration, my padawandweebpals!

ttfn and MTFBWY ker