The Reaping Screening, Quiz Contest Monday, April 2nd at 7:00pm, CC Olde Town, 5550 Wadsworth Blvd
Katherine Winter doesn’t believe in miracles – she believes in facts.
A former minister, Katherine turned her back on the cloth after losing her young daughter and husband while doing missionary work in the Sudan, and now seeks answers through scientific investigation rather than prayer. A university professor, she has also become the foremost debunker of supposed miracles, traveling the world in search of weeping statues, wall stains resembling saints and palms that bleed.
And so far, there is no divine mystery she hasn’t solved.
But when small-town schoolteacher Doug Blackwell seeks her help with a scourge the townspeople of Haven believe are being sent by God, Katherine and her partner Ben come to learn that sometimes miracles can be treacherous, and the line between faith and superstition is dangerously thin.
This film has been rated R for violence, disturbing images and some sexuality.
World Premiere At Horrorfest April 21st - Marriott DTC - I-25 & Belleview
The small California town of Muerto Verde discovers that hell has been unleashed when inbred cannibal farmers are turned into zombies by a biochemical attack from Taliban warriors who poison the local water supply.
Several of the people who created the movie will be on-hand for a Q&A session following the movie. Click here for more details.
Horrorfest Wallpaper Released In case you thought our Starfest wallpaper is too froofy
To make our logo at home on your computer, click on the following link that matches your desktop size. After the picture loads, right click on the image to 'set as background' to make it happen. 1280x1024 - 1024x768 - 800x640
Starfest can use your help! Mario Acevedo Added to Horrorfest
March 22
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon Friday, March 30th at 7:30pm Costume Contest and Movie Premier
The Denver Film Society and Horrorfest present:
A special costume contest and preshow event for - Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon. The theme of the Friday March 30th event at the Starz Film Center is "come as your favorite movie killer." There will be great prizes for the best costumes and we predict that Murderous mayhem will abound! The
Costume contest begins at 7:30pm followed by the film at 8:10pm. The Starz FilmCenter is located at 9th and Auraria Parkway.
This film is rated R. You must be at least 17 years of age to attend. Click here for additional details.
Meet The Robinsons Screening Quiz Thursday, March 29 - 7:00pm - Colorado Mills Theater
Twelve-year-old Lewis has spent most of his life in an orphanage, desperately attempting to impress potential parents with some of his brilliant, but quite unpredictable inventions. Unfortunately, his faulty gadgets have had a rather negative effect and Lewis has had far more success scaring people off then enticing them to adopt him. With his latest and most ambitious invention, the memory scanner, he hopes to at least shed some light on the situation he has found himself in by looking into his own past to find out about his birth mother. Impressed with the preliminary results, Lewis decides to present the ingenious device at a local science fair.
This film is rated G. Click here to play for tickets to the screening.
Starfest can use your help! Mario Acevedo Added to Horrorfest
March 19
WE NEED YOUR HELP Yes, we are talking to you.
This year is Starfest’s 30th birthday - it’s only a month away. We need your help getting the word out about the convention. Please tell all your friends, fellow workers, schoolmates, anyone you can think of, about the show. You see, every year Starfest is only made possible by the hard work and effort of hundreds of people. Help us make that effort mean something by sharing what you know about Starfest with everyone.
We won’t just be grateful; we have thank you gifts for everyone that helps in the effort. The bigger your commitment and the better your results - the more you will be rewarded. Our sincere thanks go out to each of you that tells anyone about Starfest – even one more person at the show will make a difference!
We have posters, postcards and flyers available to help spread the word – just ask us and we’ll get them to you. If you have ideas about promoting the convention, send us an email (Starland@starland.com) or give us a call (303.777.6800) with your suggestions and we’ll do what we can to make them happen.
Sincerely, Stephen, KathE and everyone in the Starfest and Horrorfest family.
Mario Acevedo Added To Horrorfest Author of The Nymphos of Rock Flats and X-Rated Blood Suckers
After Mario bought his first computer, he decided to write a novel. Four computers and with six unpublished manuscripts later, he finally wrote a story good enough to get the interest of an agent and a publisher.
In the Army he flew attack helicopters. In civilian life he worked as an engineer. Later, flexing his art muscles, he became an artist in residence for Arte Americas in Fresno, California. He was called up during Operation Desert Storm and served as a combat artist. After many publisher rejections, Mario finally got some much needed advice about his writing and then got two books published. He is now prepared to share those nuggets of advice and help you get your work published too.
Mario will be a panel guest at Horrorfest – our convention within the Starfest convention on April 21st.
For more information about Starfest and Horrorfest, click here.
Pride Screening
March 18
Pride Screening Quiz Wednesday, March 21st @ 7:00pm
Continental Theater, I-25 & Hampden
Based on true events, Pride tells the inspiring story of Jim Ellis, a charismatic schoolteacher in the 1970's who changed lives forever when he founded an African-American swim team in one of Philadelphia's roughest neighborhoods.
By turns comic, rousing and poignant, Pride is a triumphant story about team spirit and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.
This film is rated PG. Click here to play for tickets.
Sequential
Animation Reviews, News and Interviews No comic escapes the discerning gaze of
Michael Vance and Mark Allen
This week issue Mark Allen turns his reviewer's gaze on Anderson Psi Division: Shamballa - Levitating nuns? Frogs hatching from meteorites? People attacked on the streets by wild, supernatural animals? What's happening in Mega-City One? Then he suits up for Armorquest: Genesis Volume 1 - In an age of knights and dragons, when humankind is commonly terrorized by reptilian nightmares on leathery wings, a boy receives a sword; a sword which will lead him on his path to becoming a man and a knight, himself.
Michael Vance pulls a triple shift with Even White Boys Get The Blues - The South has risen again, ya'll, in one of those rare anomalies, a comic strip that is actually funny. Kudzu is not about the South Bronx or even South America; it concerns the folks of the American South. The Dreamland Chronicles - Alex falls asleep to awaken to adventure in his dreams! This classic theme (possibly the origin of all storytelling) is explored in The Dreamland Chronicles: Book One, a massive volume closer in style to Peter Pan than The Lord of the Rings. And Graphic Classics: Jack London - Fifty pages of new material have been added to an earlier published collection of adventure stories by Jack London. In his day, he was the most popular writer in America, and is best remembered for fiction that pits man and beast against nature.
Carrie Vaughn Returns To Starfest Probably because she didn't cause trouble at the last convention
Carrie is the author of Kitty and the Midnight Hour, Kitty Goes to Washington, and the forthcoming Kitty Takes a Holiday. She has also authored many short stories found in Weird Tales, Realms of Fantasy, Talebones, and others.
She is currently a contributor to the online review blog Warp Section. It is about Science Fiction, from the past and present and covers a large range of subjects: movie developments, reviewing past television show episodes, merchandise, and video games. Specifically, things related to the science fiction genre.
There are a couple of other good reasons Carrie's back, she brags about doing her own laundry (something I happen to do too) and since she lives in Boulder - we don't have to fly her into town.
Cheapo Discs, 2162 S Colorado Blvd., Denver 303.691.3499
Gimme Anime, 2495 S Havana St., Aurora 303.369.0043
Time Warp Comics, 1631 28th Street, Boulder 303.443.4500
The Last Mimzy Movie Screening
March 14
The Last Mimzy Screening Quiz & Contest Saturday, March 17th @ 10:00am
Cherry Creek Cinemas 3000 E 1st Ave
Based on the acclaimed sci-fi short story by Lewis Padgett, The Last Mimzy tells the story of two children who discover a mysterious box that contains some strange devices they think are toys. As the children play with these “toys,” they begin to display higher and higher intelligence levels. Their teacher tells their parents that they seem to have grown beyond genius. Their parents, too, realize something extraordinary is happening.
The Road Warrior Wednesday, March 14th @ 9pm - Tickets $5
The Continental Theater, I-25 & Hampden
Roaming the highways of a post-apocalyptic world, Australian policeman Max Rockatansky, "The Road Warrior" spends his life surviving and searching for fuel. He eventually stumbles upon a gasoline refinery that is home to a odd community struggling for survival while being terrorized by a gang of brutal thugs led by The Humangus. Looking for a load of gas for his car, Max offers to supply the survivors with a truck that's capable of hauling their tanker of gas to safety and away from Humangus' band of maurauders.
Come enjoy the movie - as it was meant to be seen on The Continental's 3-story screen - with an audience of appreciative fans. As an extra enticement, we'll be giving away some cool swag from upcoming movies and two free tickets to Starfest.
Don't forget we are sponsoring screenings at The Continental every Wednesday Night at 9pm and Saturday Mornings at 10am. This Saturday's movie is Viva Las Vegas and next Wednesday we'll be seeing Casablanca. Click here for a complete list of our Continental Flashback Features.
Starter For 10 Movie Screening
March 12
Calling All Pirates! Sunday, March 18 @ 3:00pm
UA Denver Pavilions Theater 16th & Tremont
Disney invites you to see the world premier of the
trailer for Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and then get to see the movie that launched the saga - The Curse of the Black Pearl. We would like everyone who is attending the screening to dress up.
There will be BIG prizes for those who do. For complete details about this special event - click here.
Well shiver me timbers! We're already getting a lot of entries. Click here to take a gander at all the fine bedazzlers.
Starter For 10 Screening Tuesday, March 13 @ 7:30pm
Mayan Theater, 1st & Broadway
“Ever since I can remember, I’ve wanted to be clever,” Brian Jackson confesses in voice over at the beginning of Starter For 10. A working-class student from Essex navigating his first year at Bristol University, Brian has a lot to prove. While his hometown mates worry about him turning into a poncey wanker, Brian’s biggest concern is making the team for the long-running British television quiz show University Challenge. (The game show, which began in 1962 and is something like the UK’s answer to Jeopardy, pits four-member teams from posh universities against each other. “Starter” questions, worth ten points each, give the film its title.)
Amidst Tarts & Vicars dances, anti-Apartheid rallies, minging dorm rooms and puffs of marijuana smoke, Brian also finds himself romantically torn between two very different co-eds: ultra-fit blonde bombshell and University Challenge teammate Alice, and thoughtful, politically-conscious Rebecca Epstein.
With Margaret Thatcher’s economically depressed Blighty as a backdrop, and a killer, pitchperfect New Wave soundtrack—featuring music by The Cure, Wham!, Bananarama, Yaz, The Smiths, New Order, Tears For Fears, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Buzzcocks, and The Psychedelic Furs—in the foreground, STARTER FOR TEN is the great British teen 80s movie that never was...
THIS IS AN INSTANT-WIN CONTEST - Once you answer the quiz, you will be able to call for tickets to the screening.
Starfest guest Ray Park and Daniel Logan
March 11
New Guests Added To Starfest Star Wars Actors - Ray Park (Darth Maul) and Daniel Logan (Boba Fett)
Born in 1974, Ray Park is best known for his performance as the Sith Lord Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. His last appearance in Denver was at the first Star Wars Celebration, shortly before the release of the movie. We are happy to welcome him back to Denver (and hopefully for a drier weekend).
At the top of this young actors growing resume sits "STAR WARS: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," with the coveted role of Boba Fett. For that part, Lucasfilm had auditioned over 1000 young men for the part - Daniel was selected from that group on the strength of a single reading! As Darth Vader himself would say, "Impressive, most impressive."
For more information about these actors and Starfest, click here.
Space presentations at Starfest by Dr. Josh Colwell and Dr. Steve Lee
March 8
Real Space Stuff At Starfest New Views of Mars and Saturn
Dr. Josh Colwell is a planetary scientist who studies the small stuff in the solar system. Comets that smash into moons and break them into countless pieces and giant planets that can both capture dust and spit it back out into interplanetary space. Studying the behavior of these leftover building blocks of the solar system has lead him down several interesting and sometimes surprising paths. He has run experiments on the space shuttle and flown on NASA's infamous "vomit comet" airplane (it's a great way to perform experiments in weightlessness and also a great way to make yourself sick). Since 1990 he has been on the science team of the Cassini mission to Saturn with an emphasis on Saturn's mysterious and rings. Saturn's rings are a beautiful laboratory to study how the planets formed, and Cassini is returning stunning data of the ringed planet.
He also studies collisions in the solar system which even garnered him a part in the movie "Deep Impact." In addition to being a member of the Screen Actors Guild, for his day job he is Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Central Florida. He has spent the last 17 years as a Research Scientist at the University of Colorado and his entire life as an ardent Star Trek fan. His studies of the formation of the planets from a cloud of dust and gas perhaps make him a prenatal-planet scientist.
Dr. Steve Lee is Curator of Planetary Science and Chairman of the Department of Space Sciences at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS), and is a Research Scientist at the Space Science Institute (SSI) in Boulder, CO. He is a curator and science advisor to the DMNS Space Odyssey exhibition and Gates Planetarium and was the Science Content Coordinator for SSI’s MarsQuest traveling exhibition. Lee's principal research interests are the interaction between the surface and atmosphere of Mars (utilizing spacecraft and telescopic observations) and data visualization techniques. He is a Co-Investigator on the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) and Context Imager (CTX), two of the camera systems launched to Mars aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission in August 2005; these cameras just started returning data from Mars orbit in September 2006.
Doctors Colwell and Lee will present the latest results and images from NASA's fleet of robotic explorers to the other planets in our solar system, from the Mars Exploration Rovers on the red planet to the Cassini spacecraft touring the Saturn system. In addition to highlighting these two ambitious missions, overviews of other interplanetary missions, including the New Horizons probe to Pluto, will be presented. There will be plenty of images and movies from our own deep space probes.
For additional information about Starfest, click here.
The Host Movie Screening
March 5
Leonard Nimoy Confirmed For Starfest 2007 As the alien Mr. Spock he represented the voice of reason and intellect for an entire crew of humans - on TV and in the Movies
We are happy to confirm that Leonard Nimoy, the consummate actor and director will be appearing at Starfest 2007 on Saturday, April 21st. Additional details and information will be forthcoming soon.
For additional information about Starfest, click here.
The Host Movie Screening
March 2
The Host Movie Screening, Quiz Contest Wednesday, March 7th at 7:30pm, Landmark Mayan, 110 Broadway
The talk of the 2006 Cannes International Film Festival, THE HOST, the latest film from critically acclaimed visionary director BONG Joon-ho, has already garnered a substantial amount of international buzz. Utilizing state-of-the-art special effects courtesy of a creative partnership between Weta Workshop (King Kong, The Lord of the Rings) and The Orphanage (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Sin City), THE HOST is equal parts creature-feature thrill ride and poignant human drama.
The Time Machine and The Man An in-depth retrospecive analysis and discussion
Hosted by Kevin Atkins at Starfest 2007
He is the man who worked miracles. He piloted the first spaceship to the moon. Fantastic, you say?
It's even more fantastic when one considers that he did it in 1950, long before NASA or the Apollo Project had ever been dreamed of. Five years later he landed men on Mars. He has nearly destroyed our Earth many times with Martian invasions and atomic wars, and once he actually did destroy it, when he engineered a collision with another planet.
He has explored the lost continent of Atlantis, the jungles of South America, and the far reaches of time.
He has mastered the art of magic and wizardry, which he has used to bring to life elves, dragons, abominable snowmen, the dreaded Loch Ness Monster, and dozens of other mythical creatures.
Most of this was done in less than twenty-five years, although his career spanned twice that time. During his career, he was honored with eight Academy Awards, plus dozens of other awards for bringing his dreams to life. His name is George Pal.
In the motion picture industry of Hollywood, where names are made and forgotten overnight, George Pal was one of the legendary figures in the business. His fourteen feature films rank among the greatest cinematic fantasy adventures of all time. And this is because he believed in them.
Unlike many Hollywood filmmakers, who simply crank out pictures to make a fast profit, George Pal believed in fantasy. He was a dreamer, a romantic in an age of cynicism. In his films, good always triumphs over evil. He loved happy endings. It was characteristic that even his villains were usually quite likable.
I feel very fortunate to have spent some time with the man. While I was working as a technician/producer at the Gates Planetarium, a good friend of mine called and asked if I would mind if he were to bring Mr. Pal to see one of our shows. It was a Monday and we were closed to the public, but I said that we'd be happy to run the show for him. When we met, I addressed him as Mr. Pal and he quickly asked that I call him George.
When we went into the theater, he started asking me questions about the equipment - to which I suggested that he hold his questions until after the show. You can imagine how nervous I was, the program "Vision Beyond Time" was narrated by Orsen Wells and was my first production for the Gates Planitarium.
When the show ended, George came to the operations console with a gleem in his eye and asked where the movie projectors were located. I explained that we didn't use motion picture film, that all the visuals he saw were from modified slide projectors. He said that couldn't be possible and mentioned a certain effect that I'd built for the show.
The scene was a giant rotating Milky Way Galaxy that rose into view and covered a third of the sky. He told me that it must have been a movie. I insisted it wasn't! To prove it, I took the projector off the shelf and showed it to him. I opened the case and explained how I'd built it and how it worked. George asked for a piece of paper and began to take notes and make a sketch of the projector. I proceeded to show George how we controlled the over 350 projection systems used in the show. I gave him the Cook's tour of our workshops and photo room. It was one of the most memorable afternoons of my life. It was a great feeling to know that I had provided a bit of entertainment, and magic to a man who had given so much to us over the years.
Sadly George passed away in 1980, with many projects unfinished.
His contributions to film cannot be overlooked, or forgotten. It's easy to look back at his films and find fault with them technically because we've become jaded by today's technology. Additionally, the budgets of SF and Fantasy films now reach astronomical heights. The cost of a film like Spiderman is greater than the sum of all the films Pal produced. The people needed to create the visual effects in today's SF extravaganzas number in the hundreds. The Pal film we're screening and talking about at Starfest is The Time Machine. It had a visual effects crew of less than ten people - including Pal himself.
In addition to screening The Time Machine, we'll be presenting a documentary titled The Fantasy Film Worlds of George Pal. This 90 minute program provides an in-depth look at this visionary man, with appearances by, Chesley Bonestell, Ray Bradbury, Ray Harryhausen, Charlton Heston, Gene Roddenberry, Director Robert Wise and others.
Please join me, Kevin Atkins, for a special edition screening of The Time Machine and a discussion about how the effects were produced.
The Reaping Screening, Quiz Contest 
Horrorfest Wallpaper Released
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon 
Meet The Robinsons Screening Quiz
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Mario Acevedo Added To Horrorfest 
Pride Screening Quiz
Carrie Vaughn Returns To Starfest 
The Last Mimzy Screening Quiz & Contest
The Road Warrior 
Starter For 10 Screening
Born in 1974, Ray Park is best known for his performance as the Sith Lord Darth Maul in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. His last appearance in Denver was at the first Star Wars Celebration, shortly before the release of the movie. We are happy to welcome him back to Denver (and hopefully for a drier weekend).
At the top of this young actors growing resume sits "STAR WARS: Episode II - Attack of the Clones," with the coveted role of Boba Fett. For that part, Lucasfilm had auditioned over 1000 young men for the part - Daniel was selected from that group on the strength of a single reading! As Darth Vader himself would say, "Impressive, most impressive."
Since 1990 he has been on the science team of the Cassini mission to Saturn with an emphasis on Saturn's mysterious and rings. Saturn's rings are a beautiful laboratory to study how the planets formed, and Cassini is returning stunning data of the ringed planet.
Dr. Steve Lee is Curator of Planetary Science and Chairman of the Department of Space Sciences at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS), and is a Research Scientist at the Space Science Institute (SSI) in Boulder, CO. He is a curator and science advisor to the DMNS Space Odyssey exhibition and Gates Planetarium and was the Science Content Coordinator for SSI’s MarsQuest traveling exhibition. Lee's principal research interests are the interaction between the surface and atmosphere of Mars (utilizing spacecraft and telescopic observations) and data visualization techniques. He is a Co-Investigator on the Mars Color Imager (MARCI) and Context Imager (CTX), two of the camera systems launched to Mars aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission in August 2005; these cameras just started returning data from Mars orbit in September 2006. 
Doctors Colwell and Lee will present the latest results and images from NASA's fleet of robotic explorers to the other planets in our solar system, from the Mars Exploration Rovers on the red planet to the Cassini spacecraft touring the Saturn system. In addition to highlighting these two ambitious missions, overviews of other interplanetary missions, including the New Horizons probe to Pluto, will be presented. There will be plenty of images and movies from our own deep space probes.
Leonard Nimoy Confirmed For Starfest 2007 
The Host Movie Screening, Quiz Contest 
The Time Machine and The Man