Hailing Frequencies, Issue #285

2.25.05 - 3.4.05

HELLO

And here's the two hundred and eighty-fifth edition of "Hailing Frequencies."

If you want to be notified when this newsletter is updated, email me to be put on my "notification" list.

Jay won! Wheee! Jay rocks!

BATMAN BEGINS

Christian Bale combined his work in two former roles -- Jesus and American Psycho -- to play Batman, or so he told SCI FI Wire: "And, yeah, you know, [you see it in] the battle between [his] spirit and ... flesh and, with Bruce Wayne, the battle between the philanthropy his father taught him and was a great example to him for and the need for vengeance, which is incredibly strong."

Check out the wonderfully fascist-Goth toys for Batman Begins from DC Comics.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

The entire cast of regulars will be returning for the second season, as will executive producer and writer Ronald D. Moore and executive producer David Eick. Since its January 14 premiere, the show has been averaging over three million viewers per episode and has become SCI FI's highest-rated original series. Galactica ends its first season on April 1. Shooting for next season starts mid-March.

CHARMED

Death will not prevent Julian McMahon (spoiler, highlight to read) from returning as Cole, the half-human/half-demon ex-husband of Phoebe Halliwell. He'll simply appear in the spirit realm as he helps Piper reunite with Leo on the show's 150 episode.

CONSTANTINE

Last week's poll:

Are you planning to see CONSTANTINE?

Absolutely! Whoo hoo! 25%
Probably. 30%
Don't know. 8%
No way. 36%

FIREFLY/SERENITY

Joss Whedon will oversee a three-issue Dark Horse series of Serenity comics as a prequel to the movie, which opens September 30. Brett Matthews is writing with Whedon, who feels he has a "dream team" of artists.

HARRY POTTER

Early snows have delayed filming of GoF in Scotland. Principal and secondary filming is expected to wrap up in mid-March.

WB denies truth to rumors that Elizabeth Hurley has been offered a role in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Harry Potter's cast members are donating clothes, including an autographed Harry Potter & TPS crew T-shirt from Daniel Radcliffe (Professor Trelawney) and a Richard Tyler couture gown from Emma Thompson, to aid Tsunami disaster relief efforts through Clothesagency.com.

Goblet of Fire's coming to theatres November 18, and Half-Blood Prince will be available June 16.

HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY

Producer Robbie Stamp told SCI FI Wire that Adams actually wrote some new material for the film before his death. "There's a brand new character called Humma Kavula [played by John Malkovich], who plays a sort of pivotal role" as a crazed missionary who lost the election to Zaphod Beeblebrox, who, we all recall, became President of the Galaxy (as opposed to the guy who actually ran things). Stamp explained: "He's clever, whereas Zaphod is stupid and charismatic...He's now a missionary....or a high priest of a cult that believes we were all sneezed into existence by the Great Green Arkleseizure that's waiting for the coming of the Great White Handkerchief. ... It's very Douglas."

It is! In fact, those are the inhabitants of Vitvoodle (sp) VI, who have 20 arms and are therefore the first race known in the galaxy to invent the aerosol deodorant before the wheel. hee hee hee

In the film, the Arkleseizure is based on a 3-D model of Adams' nose, and Adams also wrote a storyline where Trillian gets taken to the Vogsphere.

Interestingly (for me, anyway), Stamp also told SCI FI Wire that the film avoided CGI where it could, option for "real creatures" instead. "[With] some of the bigger, huge CGI epics, ... maybe just some of their heart and soul and fun has gone out of them." The Hitchhiker's galaxy features many aliens, spaceships, creatures and other otherworldly sights, many of which were a challenge to get just right. "I'm very aware that on anything like this, ... for every reader or listener there's a Marvin [the Android] in their heads," Stamp said. "And therefore ... the only thing you can do with that when you're dealing with one of these hugely loved books—or in this instance, book, radio series, TV series—is to work with the grain of the material and to try and find in the descriptions Douglas has given me the essence of the character. And then what you hope is that at the end, people will come out and say, 'Well, OK, that might not have been the Marvin that I had in my mind all these years, but it definitely was a Marvin.'"

Stamp also praised Joby Talbot as "an immensely talented composer," noting that "he's written a fabulous opening song called 'So Long and Thanks for All the Fish.'"

Man, oh man. I cannot wait. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy opens April 29.

MISTER ED

Brace yourselves. Word is that Lloyd Schwartz, who owns the rights to a number of old TV properties, including Gilligan's Island and The Brady Bunch, may be trying to get Mister Ed made as a feature. ::sniff sniff:: Do I smell a Mr. Ed vs. Francis sequel?

STAR TREK

Variety reports that Rick Berman has teamed up with three other guys who are not really related to Star Trek -- Jordan Kerner, Kerry McCluggage and Eric Genderson -- to "reinvent" Trek for an eleventh movie. Basically, this means brand-new characters for the film, which is good, because Lord knows none of us like the characters on TV, right? No, what we're all longing for is a movie about a bunch of strangers! Whoo hoo!!

Manny Coto isn't buying the idea that Trek needs a rest and is still hoping, bless him, that ENT could be saved, as he revealed in a chat hosted by TrekUnited. Here are some of my favorite bits:

Manny_Coto Personally, although I wouldn't really recommend doing another prequal, The most interesting would be the period during the Star Trek feature films. However I'd recommend for the next series going to the 25th century because I feel that Star Trek should move forward....I have numerous plans. The most interesting that come to mind are an arc that would deal with the founding of the first starbase. Also, I want to do a multi-part arc that takes place on the cloud city Stratos. And I really want to visit Denobula and to possibly do a coulple more mirror universe episodes which I invision as almost a series within a series. But the central theme of the season would have been the true founding of The Federation.

Manny_Coto I don't for a moment believe Star Trek needs a break. In fact I think we need more Star Trek. There should be a Star Trek night on UPN. I believe there is an audience for the show. I think a lot of it has to do with promotion. I don't know how many times people have told me when I tell them that I'm working on Star Trek, they're response is "Is that still on" Many people don't know we are here.

Manny_Coto My favorite [episode] is The Doomsday Machine. It's a perfect mix of action and drama. I wouldn't say it's the best, but it's my favorite. It's the one that made me fall in love with Star Trek. If I had to pick the best episode it would have to be "City on the Edge of Forever"

Manny_Coto One of the things I wanted to do for season five is to open the door once again for fan submissions as well as approach sci-fi writers to come up with ideas for story arcs. I envisioned story arcs developed by David Brin, Gregory Benford, and Greg Bear....One of the things I wanted to improve upon season four in season five is more social commentary....I think the idea of a gay Star Trek character is a fine idea and totally keeping with the Star Trek universe.

Manny_Coto emily: If Enterprise does come back the finale will in no way keep us from doing more episodes.

Xindi If Rick Berman and Brannon Braga were both drowning, and you only had time to save one, which would you save (if either)?

Manny_Coto Xindi: I would say Rick because he makes more money ::biggrin

By way of contrast, by Michael Logan reports from TVGuide.com that Rick Berman has pronounced the show DOA. "And I don't think an appearance by William Shatner would have mattered....But the writing was on the wall last year...when UPN moved us to Friday nights and the network began skewing in a different direction." He also called the appearance by Frakes and Marina Sirtis in the finale a "valentine" to the fans.

And George Takei has taken the high road by offering hope (and not mentioning Excelsior) in his comments on the cancellation: "Immediately, I thought of how the actors on the show must be feeling now. I know the sadness and the feeling of disappointment they must be experiencing....Then I thought of the fans that had trekked along with us now for generations. Some had been with us from the very beginning in September of 1966, from the original series on through four spin-offs series. They, the fans, are the ones who really created the phenomenon of Star Trek. They are the real pillars of the series. I know how hurt they must be feeling. But I also know the history of Star Trek. Back in 1969, we thought we were done with Star Trek. The series, the journey, had ended - except for the reruns. Little did I know then."

Ian M. Cullen has posted a fun con report at Sci Fi Pulse about appearances by Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes. For future trivia games, you should know that Stewart's suggestion for Picard's favorite tea was originally "lapsaang soo chong" and his favorite TNG episode is "The Inner Light."

If you're interested in protesting the cancellation of ENT, try SaveEnterprise.com and/or The Enterprise Project. TrekUnited.com is trying to get fans themselves to pay for a fifth season. You can also write your own plea to Bonnie Hammer, Sci Fi Channel, and David Stapf, Paramount.

Ms. Bonnie Hammer
President and General Manager
Sci Fi Channel
1230 Avenue Of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Mr. David Stapf
President
Paramount Television
5555 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038-3112

STAR WARS

Chris Avellone, lead designer for the LucasArts video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, told SCI FI Wire, "The first game was really a tough act to follow...The first game allowed the player to shift to the light side or the dark side,...In [the sequel] we've added the element of the player bonding with others and subsequently influencing them, resulting in either a stronger or weaker group. Consequently the game takes on a deeper storytelling element as your actions start affecting everyone else in your party. This is a dual game, in which you have to evaluate your own moral decisions and what that's going to do to other people in your party." The new game is available for the Xbox and PC.

Spoiler (highlight to read): Here's the opening "crawl" for Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith:

War! The Republic is crumbling under attacks by the ruthless Sith Lord, Count Dooku. There are heroes on both sides. Evil is everywhere. In a stunning move, the fiendish droid leader, General Grievous, has swept into the Republic capital and kidnapped Chancellor Palpatine, leader of the Galactic Senate. As the Separatist Droid Army attempts to flee the besieged capital with their valuable hostage, two Jedi Knights lead a desperate mission to rescue the captive Chancellor....

NEWS BITS

NOT SCI-FI, BUT LOOKS LIKE IT

Ack!

SAD NEWS

Hunter S. Thompson. RIP

INSANE TREK TRIVIA

This Week's Question: What song did Kirk suggest before the camping trio settled on "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"?

Send your answer to scifi@about.com. All correctly answering trivia maniacs will have their names mentioned in the next letter. The first winner gets to make a request, anything they like -- within reason -- for the next "Hailing Frequencies" Issue. Please let me know if you don't want me to post your email address if you win.

Last Week's Question is from winner evay: Why did Ensign Sito end up on Enterprise-D? :

Answer: She was one of the cadets in Wesley's Nova Squadron who had to repeat a year as punishment for the Kolvoord Starburst accident, and Picard wanted to give her a fair chance to prove herself as an officer.

First winner
Arwenmir

Second winner
Patty Greenberg

Third winner
Jim

Fourth winner
Owen G. Riley

CAPTION CONTEST

Send in your best caption for the picture below. The best (as in, my favorite) entry will appear in next week's issue.

[Insert caption here.]

THIS WEEK'S WINNER:

"Oh God...I gotta remember my CPR lessons...uh, tilt the head back, pinch the nostrils, clamp my mouth over...oh man, sorry, he's just not gonna make it." Tony Chatfield

Honorable Mentions...

Short guy talking to himself: "My head's SO bigger and rounder than his."
Tall guy: "I heard that." - Grezuki

"It's Degree. I'm glad you like it!" - paskwirl

"I'm not wearing any underwear..." - paskwirl

"Frodo, you have to get up. People are talking." - BTCHONWHLS

"Promise me you won't tell anyone." - Michael

"LETTERS TO THE EDITOR"

This week's topic: Do you think there's a chance in hell ENT could be "saved"?

***

I think there's certainly a chance; it depends on how much SCI-FI wants it. If they're willing to invest in the franchise and lose money in the beginning to reap much larger rewards later, it could happen. Taking ENT would be a gamble for them. I think it's a gamble which will pay off, but they accountants have to be convinced. In any case, I'd rather go down fighting (and donating and writing) and know that I did whatever I could to keep ENT on the air than to sit on my hands and rail against Moonves and the Bs.

evay

***

No.

BTCHONWHLS

***

To put it plainly... No! No matter how much i love ent i don't think that it can be saved! Its had too much bad press and i think the actors have realised that it isn't going to carry on! That sucks big time but thats life!

Katy

***

It's too bad Ent (when did it start being referred to as Ent?) was canceled, it would have been better never to have been made in the first place. Though there were a few good episodes, the overall concept wasn't solid enough to sustain it. Would have been interesting though to see Guinan (who was alive and on Earth in the time of Mark Twain) guest star. And isn't Data's head still buried under San Francisco? He could have made a cameo as a head (pre-emotion chip too), and later replaced to preserve the time line. And why bring Riker and troi back? Why not Admiral Chekov? Or Captain Sisko through the wormhole? Or Ambassador Picard, post-retirement, living on his vinyard in France?

Know what I'd like to see? I'm tired of street savvy super heroes in their leather jackets and tight jeans driving 007's cars and living in secret lairs that would make Batman envious. Let's see some new heroes in classic form, with tights and capes and cleavage! A Justice Society type team, old fashioned heroes with old-fashioned values behaving like real heroes, not anti-heroes. Everyone's so into Batman's moods and Spidey's angst, even Superman has been transformed into a 21st century hero that's driven to heroism by a sense of guilt over the effects of meteor rocks on small town teens. What happened to the heroes who were heroic because it was just the right thing to do? Save people, catch the bad guy, etc. Does everything have to have a deep dark secret behind its motivation?

How about Captain Do-Gooder? The Green Samaritan? Crimson Citizen? Super Girl Scout? Where have all the heroes gone?

Michael

***

[on another topic]

I watched this week's [Lost] episode, and it was entertaining. After reading an interview with the show's "guiding light" and creator. I'm kind of waiting for the "other shoe to drop". From his interview with TV Guide, I kind of got the impression, that he felt that he had "Card Blanche", to go in any direction that he thought would keep the show fresh and interesting.

From what I understand from reading interviews with various story tellers, (be they movie makers or book authors). You must stay true to the "values" or "rules" that you set fourth in the environment that your story takes place in. For example.., It would be unfair to the viewer or reader, to suddenly, introduce an alien in a story that was basically an old style murder mystery. You have to give the reader or the viewer, a feeling of continuity, and in the story and it's ending, and not make them feel as though they have been "duped". Lost seems to be based on the premise that the creator can do anything he wants, in order to keep his audience interested, and consistently surprised. Would the odd Polar Bear, alien, crazed stranger, or a visit from President Bush, keep us guessing? You betcha! But how much can be thrown into the mix, before I, and people like me, start to lose interest?

While I think that too much "structure", can be unnecessary, and unwanted. I think that it is incumbent on the person "telling" the story, to establish a framework, and environment, that remains consistent throughout the storyline. I truly fear, giant rabbits suddenly wadding ashore on the island, for no particular reason other than to keep the viewers guessing. The creator has a lot of leeway, and flexibility built into the premise of Lost, but I hope that he doesn't use the "capitol" that he has built up with the viewers, to make us feel that he is just "playing" us, and that there is really no story! Just smoke and mirrors. Granted. This could just be a show about a fantasy, and there are no rules. That's fine for those that are comfortable with that kind of format. As for me, that may be fun for a while, but I prefer more logic driven programs like, the Trek series, the C.S.I.'s, and the Law and Orders. I hope Lost and Galatica can hold my interest. Each of them, has its own possible downside, in my view.

Larry Moran

***

Next week's topic: Any thoughts on that Peter Jennings UFO special?

***

Send me something if you've got something to say.  It can be about anything that's on your mind! (Please let me know if you don't want your email address to accompany your name in either contest or for the LTE.)

TOP MOVIES FROM THE NUMBERS

1 Hitch....................................$99,111,000
2 Constantine...........................$37,369,000
3 Because of Winn-Dixie..........$14,706,000
4 Million Dollar Baby...............$56,896,000
5 Are We There Yet?...............$71,949,000
6 Son of the Mask......................$9,959,000
7 The Aviator...........................$89,551,000
8 Pooh's Heffalump Movie.......$13,239,000
9 Sideways..............................$59,322,000
10 Wedding Date.....................$26,504,000

TOP SF/F NETWORK SHOWS, NGR, 1/31/05 - 2/6/05

1. Medium 10.2
2. Lost 6.7
3. Desperate Housewives 6.2
4. Smallville 3.0
5. Point Pleasant 2.3
6. Enterprise 1.9

TOP SF/F SYNDICATED SHOWS, NGR, 1/31/05 - 2/6/05

1. Stargate SG-1 2.1
2. Andromeda 1.6
3. Buffy 1.5
4. She Spies 1.4
5. The X-Files 1.4
6. Mutant X 1.3
7. The Twilight Zone 1.3
8. The Outer Limits 1.2
9. Angel 1.1
10. Ripleys 0.8

TOP SCI-FI/FANTASY BOOKS, Amazon - 2/17/05

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2. The Da Vinci Code
3. Angels and Demons
4. State of Fear
5. The Time Traveler's Wife
6. The Five People You Meet in Heaven
7. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
8. A Treasure's Trove
9. Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide
10. Chainfire (Sword of Truth)

TOP SCI-FI/FANTASY DVDS, Amazon - 2/22/05

1. The Incredibles
2. Angel season five
3. Bambi
4. Nausicaa
5. Phantom of the Opera
6. Return of the King platinum edition
7. Lord of the Rings trilogy
8. Shark Tale
9. Donnie Darko
10. Charmed season one

HAILING FREQUENCIES CLOSED

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http://scifi.about.com/blhailarchive.htm
Julia Houston
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Guide @ About.com
scifi@about.com