Age of Reptiles Comic Review
I'm not going to say a whole lot about Mark Allen's review of this comic. Mark does a fine job all-by-himself.
Click here to read Mark's review...

Video Release Update
Our latest list of upcoming features includes: Dune, Battlefield Earth, and three Casper Van Dien action flicks. Click here to see what's coming to your local video store soon...

Hey Jesse, Brad Pitt Alert!
A diamond heist gone helter-skelter, the rough and tumble world of bare knuckle boxing, an unpredictable Irish gypsy and ...a dog. Guy Ritchie's highly anticipated comedy, "Snatch," features a colorful ensemble cast in a rollicking ride through London's gangster world, its bustling diamond district and a rowdy gypsy camp.

The Starland screening to this movie will be held on January 15, 2001. Play our quiz to win free tickets.

Starman - The Suspended Animation Review
Imagine scoffing at your out-of-touch father and older brother your whole life and then having to step-in to fill their shoes. That's the premise behind the new Starman series. And it works! The comic has managed to appeal to traditional superhero fans and alternative comic readers. Mark Allen tells you why in this week's review.
Click here to read Mark's review...

Welcome Tye
We are adding an all-new feature to Starland.com - The Lighter Side of Sci-Fi. Featuring the art of Tye Bourdony, each Tuesday we hope to feature a new cartoon poking fun at the sci-fi world we all love. Click here to see our first installment...

Dracula 2000

Hey two great Star Trek alumni appear in this Wes Craven update of the immortal story about a guy out looking for a holiday snack. Why this movie is being released for the Christmas season is way beyond me. Anyway, Jeri Ryan (7 of 9) and Christopher Plummer (General Chang) sink into their roles - one as a biter and the other as the biter-hunter.
Click here to view the trailer...

Comic Legend Wayne Boring

During the peak of Superman's popularity, much of the definition of his look and visual presence was drawn by Wayne Boring. From 1938 until 1968, Wayne's drawing was manifest in heroic terms. Though he died in the late '80s, Wayne's impact on the comic world can be felt today.
Click here to read this week's Suspended Animation review...

This is a movie I'm looking forward to seeing! John McTiernan, the guy that brought us Die Hard, is remaking the 1975 classic that pre-dates Blade Runner in portraying a future of large corporations run amok. The parallels between the two movies are striking. They both delve into the value of the individual v.s. the power and creation of the establishment. Since Blade Runner was produced seven years later, it is the more SFX laden of the two, but Rollerball more than makes up for it's lack of effects with raw violence and agony. I suggest that before you see the remake, you take the time to revisit both Blade Runner and the original Rollerball.
Click here to visit the Rollerball website...

Star Trek Update

Jonathan Frakes, thanks to production delays, will now be able to direct the next Star Trek feature. Of course, that's only if production can start before the writer's strike in the spring. Even if the movie's script is complete, a possible actor's strike could halt production of what is widely thought to be the last Next Generation movie. The news of Frakes taking the helm was reported by Lolita Fatjo at a recent convention. 

Frakes had been unable to previously commit to the film due to other projects which have also been affected by the looming strike. STX will introduce new alien bad guys and revisit some old ones too - specifically the Romulans. Don't start bugging your local theater for the release date yet, even under a best-case scenario, the film won't be ready until spring of 2002.

John Logan, the screen writer, is a good friend of Brent Spiner and has been reportedly been collaborating with him on a screenplay that features Data prominently. Spiner, Logan and Rick Berman wrote the original story for the script.

I'd previously speculated that the next Star Trek series would be produced outside the USA, but I'm now hearing reports that it will be made in Hollywood - but possibly not at Paramount. This because so much of TV and movie production has moved out of the country. They might be able to find cheaper sound stages elsewhere in L.A. It would be sad indeed if the new series leaves the lot where all the previous Star Trek series and movies have been made.

I'll have more news about the new series and movie as I get it.

Finding Forrester Starland Screening
(Click on the image for more info about the movie)

"For if we wait too long, we risk learning that life is not a game that is won... or lost... it is a game that, too often, simply isn't played."

He was a vibrant personality who wrote a Pulitzer Prize-winning classic novel four decades ago. And that's the last the world heard of William Forrester.

That is until Jamal Wallace, a brash 16-year-old with writing aspirations of his own, cracks the veneer of Forrester's sheltered existence and re-ignites the dreams of this literary legend in the winter of his life. 

Known as the neighborhood recluse, silver-haired Forrester (Sean Connery) is a man whose mystery and eccentricity border on the mythical. When Jamal (Rob Brown)-- a talented African-American scholar-athlete who is recruited by an elite Manhattan prep school for his brilliance on and off the basketball court-- sneaks into his apartment and accidentally leaves behind his backpack full of writings, they both get something unexpected in return. Compelled to look past skin color and suppositions, Jamal encounters not only his first fan, but a mentor who will challenge and change him forever, and Forrester has his first reason in years to emerge from his self-imposed solitude.

The movie is directed by Gus Van Sant who was nominated for his work on Good Will Hunting. It is rated PG-13. The Starland Screening of the film will be held at the UA Colorado Center Theater (I-25 & Colorado Blvd) on December 12, 2000 at 7:00PM. 

We have now closed the screening entries, winners will be notified shortly.

Funky Winkerbean: Could Be A Book Deal Here

Several years ago, Tom Batiuk made a visit to Starcon. KathE had invited him because of the frequent appearance of Star Trek as a subject in his comic strip. Even more enlightening and gratifying, was how his satire improved and became more "on target" after his convention experience.

This week, Michael Vance reviews Tom's latest Funky Winkerbean in his Suspended Animation column. While pointing out how Tom's political and philosophical views are differ from his own, he gives the book his recommendation and praise.
Click here to read this week's Suspended Animation review...

New SF Video Release Update
Realizing an update to my SF Video release schedule was long overdue, I've now posted the latest update. Among the movies in the pipeline are: Hollow Man, Godzilla 2000, and The Cell. I also added a whole bunch of Anime titles too.
Click here to see the calendar...

Star Trek at Blockbuster.com?
I started looking into this eventuality based on a call I got from one of our readers. A little research on my part revealed that the movie studios are beginning to realize the potential of streaming movies over the internet in a big way. Most are already working on the method of streaming films, on demand, over high-speed Internet connections. Sony, Disney and Time Warner seem to be the furthest along in the process and are currently working on a joint delivery service. 

In the long-term battle, though, Viacom has the added benefit of retail marketing muscle. Blockbuster (another Viacom company) wants to own this market. It is anxious to make Blockbuster.com "The" portal that you get your movies from. They have proposed to move product through their website and promote it extensively through their thousands of retail stores. They have a definite leg-up due to their ties to Paramount Pictures, UPN, and CBS - which are all Viacom properties. Twentieth Century Fox and Paramount are already discussing the issue and are expected to make an announcement shortly. It's probably a good time to ask for that DSL or Cable internet connection you've been wanting for Christmas... The big drawback is that you'll have to get used to watching movies in a little 4"x4" window until higher bandwidth delivery systems are common.

Science Fiction TV Updates
As we find ourselves busy with the holiday season, the networks see fit to bombard us with repeats and preemptions. Of the series we are currently tracking, only 7-Days, Andromeda, Earth Final Conflict and The X-Files have new episodes for us this month. If you want to catch an episode you missed earlier in the season - now's your best chance. We've added Dark Angel to the list per KathE's directive - I think she's planned to loan it her La Femme TV time until The Section returns with new episodes.
Click here to view our current upcoming episode list...

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