4.4.06
HELLO
And here's the three hundred and thirty-third edition of "Hailing Frequencies."
If you want to be notified when this newsletter is updated, email me to be put on my "notification" list.
I didn't have an HF last week, but I haven't been goofing off. I've been looking into ways to get more news while it's still fresh. I think you'll see a better diversity of news and news sources in the future. :-)
BOOKS
John Scalzi talks with SCI FI Wire about his nominations for a Hugo Award and the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer for his novel Old Man's War.
BLOG: Review of Engaging the Enemy, by Elizabeth Moon
HARRY POTTER
Jason Isaacs (Lucius Malfoy), has not actually been signed yet to appear in Order of the Phoenix, but certainly wishes to be. Do I smell contract negotiation troubles.
Multiple sources are reporting the totally unconfirmed rumor that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be in American theatres July 13, 2007.
BLOG: Indy IV: Marshall Talks
BLOG: Judas Unchained, by Peter F. Hamilton
LOST
SciFiBrain has a nicely in-depth review of the Lost Soundtrack. Here's a blurb:
There was one thing I noticed about the soundtrack. When I listened to it, paying special attention to where every track began and ended, it was still a very good soundtrack, but I noticed all the flaws like just some very short and poor offerings. However, when I just let myself "live" the soundtrack, things blurred and merged so well I never knew when a song officially began or ended, which made listening to it this way a much more rewarding experience, as it felt like you were experiencing a condensed version of season one in just slightly over an hour.
LOST
Looking for More on that Map on Lost? EW has a good rendering of the map with comments here. Lost.cubit.net has the map with an overlay here.
My fave? "Here be Dragons!"
BLOG: Review of Planet of the Apes: The Legacy Collection on DVD
BLOG: Review of Savage Messiah, by Robert Newcomb
BLOG: The Seventh Sense, by T. J. MacGregor
SPIDEY 3
Dark Horizons has three paragraphs of plot and character spoilers posted for the next Spider-Man film.
STAR TREK
TrekToday has a fun retro-review of "The Trouble with Tribbles."
STAR WARS
The Official Site has a fun article on Lucas Licensing's "product rooms."
Check out George Lucas in Stormtrooper Disguise.
STARSHIP TROOPERS
SCI FI Wire reports that Markosia Comics is publishing Tony Lee's Starship Troopers: Blaze of Glory, a four-issue miniseries set in the universe but not a sequel to Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, and features a few of the novel's characters in cameos. "We have Zim and Carmen in issue number one," Lee said. "Later issues have Zander and Rico in passing. We really didn't want to use the well-known characters [as focal points of the storyline]. Lee says that he tried to draw the aliens and characters based on the book, though he admits some influence from Paul Verhoeven's 1997 Starship Troopers movie.
BLOG: Stargate Atlantis Season Two Picture Gallery Complete
SUPERHERO!
David Zucker told SCI FI Wire that he and Craig Mazin (Scary Movie 4) are collaborating on Superhero!, a spoof of the genre. Again, Zucker is using his "15 rules" for spoofing, which "include not referring to a film that's too obscure, avoiding dated references and avoiding building any of the plot's key points into a joke."
Look for it in 2007 from Dimension Films.
SUPERMAN RETURNS
Aintitcoolnews has an interview up with Brandon Routh. Fave bit:
QUINT: What's your favorite dirty joke?
BRANDON ROUTH: The only joke I remember... A mushroom walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a drink. The bartender says, "I'm sorry, sir. No." So, later the mushroom asks again. "I'd like a vodka on the rocks." And the bartender says, "No, sir. I don't, ah... I don't serve your kind." The mushroom says, "Why not? I'm a fungi (fun guy)!"
That's the only joke I remember... Not a dirty one... well, mushrooms are dirty. They're down in the ground and they get lots of dirt on 'em... You have to wash them off before you eat 'em, so... you know. Kind of dirty. (laughs)
Parker Posey told SCI FI Wire, "she gets to wear stylish clothes and carry a Pomeranian pup through most of her Superman scenes as Kitty Kowalski, girlfriend to Spacey's Lex Luthor. The role is similar to the part of Eve Teschmacher [Valerie Perrine]."
Superman Returns opens June 30 and will probably make a lot of money.
T4
Moviehole reports that Arnold Schwarzenegger will return after all in Terminator IV. They quote producer Mario Kassar, "T4 does have a script and all we need is Arnie to finish his term and step in front of the camera and play his trademark role." Nick Stahl may also return as John Connor, but Claire Danes has stated she's not involved in the project at this time.
TOMB RAIDER
Check out the free sampling of Tomb Raider: Legend with a 521.7MB demo available for download from GameSpot.
BLOG: Top 6 Groovy Sci-Fi Movies from the Age of Aquarius
NEWS BITS
One of the following news items is false. Can you spot it? (For the answer, highlight below.)
Reveal the fake (highlight): The script for Hulk 2, in which the mighty green one spends some of his time working part-time at a busy Starbucks only to discover caffeine is a big no-no, has been approved.
INSANE TREK TRIVIA
This Week's Question: What Trek character sings "Old Black Magic"?
Send your answer to scifi@about.com. All
correctly answering trivia maniacs will have their names mentioned in the next
newsletter. 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: What changes did James Blish make to the ending of "The
Naked Time" in his novelization?
Answer: Spock retires to his cabin and sings Vulcan songs to overcome his nausea
at "I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen."
No winners
BLOG: CHECK OUT THIS WEEK'S CAPTION CONTEST WITH
DR WHO
"LETTERS TO THE EDITOR"
This week's topic: What did you think of the season wrap-ups for the Stargates and/or Battlestar Galactica?
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No replies. :-(
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Next week's topic: Is the whole vampire horror genre about played out?
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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.)
BLOG: TOP SF/F MOVIES, SHOWS,
BOOKS & DVDS FOR THE WEEK
HAILING FREQUENCIES CLOSED
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Julia Houston
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Guide @ About.com
scifi@about.com
