Welcome and thank you for dropping by. Babylon 5
brought many of us together -- and it
remains with us, despite the fact that is no longer in production. The good
thing is that the internet gives a LOT of ways to stay in touch. Don't be shy.
Join in the discussion today or drop by my blog! You can also find me on
FaceBook and Twitter.
If you have questions or items for the news, drop me a line at sgbruckner@aol.com.
Again, WELCOME!
THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2012
ELEMENTARY
With CBS's fall schedule announced this week, we finally have our first peek at the controversial modern-day Sherlock Holmes series Elementary in action.
Jonny Lee Miller's take on Holmes comes off like a mix between Fox's House (a Holmes' homage itself) and Steven Moffat's acclaimed BBC adaptation Sherlock. The New York setting brings a gritty style that at least feels a little different than the BBC effort, and the dynamic between Sherlock and the new Dr. Watson (Lucy Liu) seems unique enough, and could actually work.
But, for all the differences, this does bare more than a few resemblances to Sherlock—be it a pitfall of the premise or simply stealing from the best. Could Elementary be good? Absolutely. But, it's far too soon to tell if it will merely be an also-ran to Moffat's show. Elementary will air on Thursday nights this fall.
REVOLUTION
On the heels of the now-cancelled Alcatraz, J.J. Abrams has another sci-fi series heading to TV. It's called Revolution and like Lost, it forces its characters to fall back on their basic primal instincts. But that's where the similarities end. Revolution is headlined by Twilight's Billy Burke, and centers on a global energy crisis. Electricity is a luxury humans no longer have access to. The event brings out the best and worst in people. The series has a large cast and ambitious plot, but Burke claims the storylines are straightforward.
"I don't think people will be confused in the slightest watching it," he says. "For some reason, all forms of energy and power go out. Fifteen years later, people are trying to get along and trying to figure out how to reconnect and how to form new societies without any of those benefits. We cut back and forth a little bit in time, but it's all pretty linear and very easy to follow and highly entertaining."
Most of Abrams' shows hinge on the connection between the past and present. Flashbacks were a major part of Lost and Alcatraz, while Fringe takes it a step further by switching universes. It sounds like Revolution will try to keep it simple. Perhaps they want to avoid the pitfalls of its predecessors? Revolution debuts this fall and will air Mondays at 10 p.m. on NBC.
NEW TNT PROGRAMS THIS FALL
After going full-on sci-fi with the alien-invasion hit Falling Skies, TNT is ramping up a few more sci-fi-ish projects that could make it to air this fall. Among them? A post-pandemic thriller about a virus that takes out half the planet, and a new action drama that sounds quite a bit like Fox's late, comic-based Human Target. The Last Ship, with Michael Bay directing, will follow crewmembers of a naval destroyer who wind up among the last survivors on Earth after a virus decimates the population.
The Human Target-ish series Legends, based on the novel of the same name by Robert Littell, is about a spy who goes deep into every assignment and transforms into a new person for each job.
Check out the official descriptions below: The Last Ship: In this exciting action/adventure project based on the popular novel by William Brinkley, the crew of a naval destroyer is forced to confront the reality of a new existence when a pandemic decimates most of the earth's population. Michael Bay (Transformers) intends to direct the pilot if it is green lit. Executive Producers: Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, Hank Steinberg (showrunner and writer) and Steve Kane (writer). Production Company: Platinum Dunes. Legends: This suspenseful, action-packed drama is being developed by Howard Gordon, Jeffrey Nachmanoff and Mark Bomback from the novel Legends by Robert Littell. The story follows a deep-cover operative named Martin Odum, who has an uncanny ability to transform himself into a different person for each job. But his own identity comes into question when a mysterious stranger suggests that Martin isn't who he thinks he is. Executive Producers: Howard Gordon, Jeffrey Nachmanoff, Alexander Cary and Jonathan Levin. Studio: Fox Television Studios.
SCIENCE FICTION NEWS STORIES:
Need to catch up on the news from this week or last, be sure to check out the
News Archive. It will
bring you up to date for all that has been going on in the world of science
fiction.
ON THE TUBE TONIGHT
8:00pm on The CW
The Vampire Diaries - Season 3 Episode 1
Caroline plans a party for Elena's 18th birthday; Damon and Elena search for Stefan; Klaus and Stefan track a werewolf; Jeremy struggles with visions of ghosts.
8:00pm on ABC
Missing- Season 1 Episode 10
In a last-ditch effort to save her son, Becca faces her inner demons; Suspect Zero tries to finish his sale.
9:00pm on CBS
Person of Interest- Season 1 Episode 23
Reese becomes trapped with his POI in a heavily surveilled part of the city and must rely on Finch, Carter and Fusco's help.
9:00pm on Fox
Touch- Season 1 Episode 9
Martin involves himself with a heist crew in an effort to win back a dock worker's job; an Israeli boy and a Palestinian boy fight for their relationship; Clea finds documents about Jake; Martin and his wife's sister make a decision.
9:00pm on Syfy
Grindhouse Presents: Death Proof
Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) is a professional body double who likes to take unsuspecting women for deadly drives in his free time. He has doctored his car for maximum impact; when Mike purposely causes wrecks, the bodies pile up while he walks away with barely a scratch. The insane Mike may be in over his head, though, when he targets a tough group of female friends, including real-life stuntwoman Zoe Bell (who served as Uma Thurman's double in "Kill Bill"), who plays herself.
10:00pm on CBS
The Mentalist- Season 4 Episode 24
After Jane fails to defeat Red John, he finds a lover and shoots one of his own.
JERRY DOYLE's RADIO PROGRAM
Ranger Krystalyn sent along this note to share with all Babylon 5 fans:
Jerry Doyle, nationally syndicated radio show host and star of the Emmy Award-winning Babylon 5, has recently signed on to Tracky, the new open social collaboration platform.
With Tracky, Doyle can organize his broadcasts and personal life, interact with fans in real-time, and reach new audiences and much more!
On Babylon 5, Doyle played the role of Michael Garibaldi, chief of security on the space station. "If I'd had Tracky to keep tabs on all the nut jobs and lunatics on Babylon 5,” said Doyle, “it would've made my job a lot simpler and left me more time for more 'worldly pursuits'."
NEW SERIES FROM BABYLON 5 BOOKS
Jerry Doyle, nationally syndicated radio show host and star of the Emmy Award-winning Babylon 5, has recently signed on to Tracky, the new open social collaboration platform.
With Tracky, Doyle can organize his broadcasts and personal life, interact with fans in real-time, and reach new audiences and much more!
On Babylon 5, Doyle played the role of Michael Garibaldi, chief of security on the space station. "If I'd had Tracky to keep tabs on all the nut jobs and lunatics on Babylon 5,” said Doyle, “it would've made my job a lot simpler and left me more time for more 'worldly pursuits'."
THE VOLUME 2 PACKAGE INCLUDES
356-page book of the complete, uncensored transcripts of 24 interviews with the Babylon 5 cast and key crew, conducted while Babylon 5 was in production.
34 never-before-seen behind-the-scenes photographs accompanying the interviews, 9 concept sketches and 1 storyboard.
Hand-autographed by Bruce Boxleitner.
A personal message from Bruce.
Collectible postcard and bookmark with a Sheridan quote selected by Bruce Boxleitner.
Audio CD interview with Bruce Boxleitner and Michael O'Hare, recorded between seasons 4 and 5 (this interview is NOT in the book).
For more information, go to http://www.cafepress.com/b5books
BABYLON CONFIDENTIAL: A Memoir of Love, Sex and Addiction
Claudia Christian's New Book
Available November 12, 2012 (pre-order now from Amazon.com)
When actress Claudia Christian flees a troubled childhood and moves to Hollywood at age 17, she steps through the looking glass into another world.
From the set of Dallas to her starring role on the sci-fi series Babylon 5, Claudia’s affairs with billionaires, supermodels, rock stars, and celebrities are mixed with shootings, stalking, heartbreak, and betrayal. Onset and off, drama follows Claudia—an alcohol-fueled coke run and makeout session with a bridesmaid on her wedding day; her tempestuous, love-hate relationship with actor Angus McFadyen; the conspiracy theories surrounding her ex-husband’s death; and a 20-year on-and-off relationship with billionaire Dodi Fayed before he dated Princess Diana. Hollywood life takes its toll on Claudia as she descends into alcohol addiction and a desperate battle to reclaim her life.
Rehab, alternative treatments, and even hypnotism can’t break the cycle of alcohol abuse that threatens to destroy Claudia. Close to despair she discovers The Sinclair Method, a treatment that saves her life.
Sometimes shocking, often humorous, always captivating — Babylon Confidential is a story of hope that will inspire and enlighten you.
JMS NEWS - WRITING THE DIVE
EXCLUSIVE: 20th Century Fox has attached Martin Campbell to direct and J. Michael Straczynski (Changeling) to write The Dive, the true, tragic love story of freediver Francisco “Pipin” Ferraras and his wife Audrey Mestre. The pic was originally a James Cameron-directing vehicle and he and his Lightstorm team of Jon Landau and Rae Sanchini are producing with Barry Josephson. Pic tells the story of two pre-eminent free-divers who, with but a breath of air in their lungs, plunged to unimaginable depths before swimming back to the surface. Mestre died during an attempt to better her world record to 557.7 feet. From a submersible, Cameron filmed Ferraras as he did a tribute dive in memory of his late wife, plunging to the depth that cost her life.
Here is a quote from J. Michael Straczynski about emotions. I had this theory that the more important and intimate the emotion, the
fewer words are required to express it.
First it's in dating: "Will you go out with me?" Six words.
"Honey, I care for you." Five words.
"You matter to me." Four words.
"I love you." Three words.
"Marry me." Two words.
But what's left? What's the one most important and intimate word you can ever
say to somebody? It's "goodbye."
While Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar), Rick Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Tim Choate (Zathras)
and Jeff Conoway (Zach Allen) are no longer with us, we will not forget their
wonderful personalities and talent -- as well as their significant
contributions to the BABYLON 5 universe. Be sure to visit In Memory Of for more
information about memorial efforts. Until we met again, in a place where
no shadows fall.
BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS
Theodore Bikel - May 2
Michael O'Hare - May 6
Stephen Furst - May 8
Melissa Gilbert-Boxleitner - May 8
Bruce Boxleitner - May 12
Andreas Katsulas - May 18
Andrea Thompson - May 22
Doug Wise - May 21
Douglas Netter - May 23
Paul Winfield - May 22
Roy Dotrice - May 26
Harlan Ellison - May 27
Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected with
Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include everyone in our
Happy Birthday Wishes.
BABYLON 5 PRESENCE ON FACEBOOK
I know a lot of you are already on FaceBook. However, I don't know if you knew
how many other Babylon 5 folks have taken the plunge and opened FaceBook
accounts. In fact, Pat Tallman has reopened her Fan Club using FaceBook at the
site. For a peek, go to
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45593318387. Claudia Christian has
been really active -- sharing pictures of her recent trips and letting us know
about upcoming convention activities. J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) has a
FaceBook page as well as a new "Fans of J. Michael Straczynski" page. So check
it out!
NEW VENTURE
I am starting up a new site over at Word Press. Not much there as yet, but I
will post important items there just to get started. The URL is http://thezocalo.wordpress.com. Check
it out if you have a second.
NEW DVDS OF INTEREST
JOYFUL NOISE
Release date: May 1, 2012
Product Description:
Joyful Noise tells the story of an unlikely partnership between two strong-minded women who are forced to work together to save a small town Gospel Choir after budget cuts threaten to shut them down. Music is a very important component to the story.
Review:
I enjoyed this movie a good deal. While it felt a little like "Sister Act" from years ago, it was a bit different. There were a number of story elements spinning around the main plot -- a small town choir going to Los Angeles for a competition. You see a bit of what is happening in small town America today -- businesses closing, homes going up in foreclosure, people having multiple jobs to keep their families together.
The music surrounding the movie is wonderful. Queen Latifah and Dolly Parton are comical as two battling sponsors of the choir, but the music that they make is marvelous.
THE FIELDS
Release Date: April 24, 2012
WHAT: THE FIELDS, an award-winning thriller starring Cloris Leachman is coming to Blu-Ray and DVD on April 24th. Brought to you by Breaking Glass Pictures (THE LIVING WAKE, 5 STAR DAY, CROPSEY), THE FIELDS follows a young boy as he discovers a terrifying secret lurking in the fields outside his Pennsylvania countryside home. The film received awards at the Erie Film Festival (Best Directors, Best Actress for Leachman), Terror Film Festival (Best Feature, Best Actress for Leachman, Best Emerging Actor for Ormond), Philadelphia Terror Film Festival (Best Picture, Best Emerging Actor for Ormond, Sound Design, Score) and the Best Picture Award at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival.
Review:
This is one of those rare movies that you would classify as thriller, suspenseful but without the blood and gore of current movies in this category. It holds your interest as you wait for the next thing to happen. Cloris Leachman is excellent and the young actor, Joshua Ormond, is wonderful. Based on actual events, it puts you into the heart of life in a remote area of Pennsylvania.
EXTREMELY LOUD & INCREDIBLY CLOSE
Release date: March 27, 2012
SYNOPSIS:
Adapted from the acclaimed bestseller by Jonathan Safran Foer, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” is a story that unfolds from inside the young mind of Oskar Schell, an inventive eleven year-old New Yorker whose discovery of a key in his deceased father’s belongings sets him off on an urgent search across the city for the lock it will open. A year after his father died in the World Trade Center on what Oskar calls “The Worst Day,” he is determined to keep his vital connection to the man who playfully cajoled him into confronting his wildest fears.
Now, as Oskar crosses the five New York boroughs in quest of the missing lock - encountering an eclectic assortment of people who are each survivors in their own way - he begins to uncover unseen links to the father he misses, to the mother who seems so far away from him and to the whole noisy, dangerous, discombobulating world around him.
Review:
I was wondering how this movie would tackle such a sensitive subject as 9/11 and the destruction of the World Trade Center. While it has been 10 plus years, the memory is still fresh for those involved -- and even for those who lived through that tragedy. This is a marvelous movie that delves into the emotion of a young boy who lost his father that day.
The journey of Oskar Schell as he copes with his loss and tries to find the lock that can be opened by a key he found in his father's closet. The key is in an envelope with the name Black on it. Oskar comes up with a plan to find what the key opens. In the process, he meets many different kinds of people and eventually is helped by "The Renter" - a man renting a room in the building where Oskar's grandmother lives. "The Renter" - marvelously played by Max van Sydow - accompanies Oskar as he wanders New York in search of the key's owner.
Tom Hanks portrays Oskar's father; Sandra Bullock is his mom. The bond between father and son was extremely strong and somewhat unique. Oskar is older than his years -- and you join him on his journey not only to find the owner of the key, but in his struggle to come to grips with the loss of his father. He forms a new bond with his mother -- and his grandfather -- "the renter".
This is a beautifully conceived and executed movie. It is sensitive to the subject matter and the emotions attached to this event. The acting could not be better. Thomas Horn is brilliant as Oskar Schell. Sandra Bullock is amazing as Oskar's mom who is trying to deal with her own grief as she tries to understand what her son is going through.
SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE WORLD PREMIERE
Superman vs. The Elite, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies, received its World Premiere as WonderCon’s featured evening event for Friday, March 16 in Anaheim. SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE will be distributed June 12, 2012 by Warner Home Video.
Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video, the all-new, PG-13 rated film will screen at 6:30 p.m. in the Anaheim Convention Center Ballroom. The screening was followed by a panel discussion amongst filmmakers and voice cast members. Award-winning comics writer Joe Kelly and versatile voice actor Robin Atkin Downes (Justice League: Doom and BABYLON 5) were among the confirmed panelists for Friday. Additional panelists will be announced as they are confirmed.
Kelly has adapted the story from his original 2001 DC Comics release, “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?” into the taut, thrilling screenplay for Superman vs. The Elite. The single-issue comic, Action Comics #775, was lauded by Wizard Magazine as the “Greatest Superman Story of All Time,” and ranked the epic tale at No. 21 on its list of the “Top 100 Comics of the last 30 years.”
In Superman vs. The Elite, Superman's effectiveness as a super hero comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders, known as "The Elite," appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive scale, to stop villainy -- putting them on a collision course with the ever-ethical, yet preferably non-lethal Man of Steel.
George Newbern (Father of the Bride) reprises his Justice League animated television role as Superman, and primetime television star Pauley Perrette (NCIS) provides the voice of Lois Lane. Downes steps in as Manchester Black, leader of The Elite. David Kaufman (Justice League: Doom) also reprises his Justice League TV series role as Jimmy Olsen.
The film is directed by Michael Chang (Batman: Brave and the Bold). Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One) is executive producer, and Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: Emerald Knights) is producer.
Here's a video clip from the film:
http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/whv/med/dc_superheroes/superman/tvspots/WVSUP_A2073_NO_MERCY-On_Demand-QT_100.wmv
TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” will be released on Blu-ray and DVD combo pack on March 20, 2012
by Universal Home Entertainment. The film also stars Mark Strong, John Hurt, Ciarán Hinds, Toby Jones,
Arthur Nightingale, Stephen Graham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kathy Burke, David Dencik, Zoltán Mucsi,
Péter Kálloy Molnár, Ilona Kassai and Imre Csuja from director Tomas Alfredson and writers Bridget
O’Connor and Peter Straughan.
Here is the synopsis for “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy”:
At the height of the Cold War, Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) – which is also known as MI6
and is code-named the Circus – has been compromised. An ever-watchful former top lieutenant and career
spy, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), is called out of retirement by the government to help identify and
track a suspected mole at the top of the agency. The list of suspects is narrowed to five men.
Even before the startling truth is revealed, the emotional and physical tolls on the players enmeshed in the
deadly international spy game escalate. “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” is Oscar-nominated for best actor
(Gary Oldman), best adapted screenplay (Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan) and best original score
(Alberto Iglesias). The film is also nominated for 11 BAFTA awards including best film and best actor.
HAPPY FEET TWO
Available on March 13, 2012
Synopsis:
Mumble, The Master of Tap, has a problem. His tiny son, Erik, is choreo-phobic and lacks the talent of all the other penguines. Reluctant to dance, Erik runs away and encounters The Mighty Sven - a penguin who can fly! Mumble has no hope of competing with this charismatic new role model.
Things go from bad to worse for Mumble when the world is shaken by powerful forces. Erik learns of his father's guts and grit as Mumble brings together the penguin nations and all manner of fabulous creatures - from tiny Krills to giant Elephant Seals - to put things right.
Review:
Loved this movie. There is a good story -- wonderful music and dancing -- a combination to get most of the kids I know up and dancing! Eliljah Wood is Mumble, Robin Williams is Ramon, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt as two krill that strike out on their own. An awesome voice cast that do a wonderful job with their characters.
As I watched the closing credits, I noticed a familiar name -- Babylon 5's Byron Robin Atkin Downes is somewhere in there!
Distributors announced home viewing dates Tuesday for two high-profile 2011 films, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and War Horse. Ghost Protocol will be available in stores and via Video-on-Demand and digital download on April 17, while War Horse will arrive April 3 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment. Ghost Protocol, which is being released by Paramount Home Media Distribution, will arrive in two separate editions -- a limited edition three-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack with over two hours of special features, and a two-disc combo pack. The extras in the three-disc set, which will retails at $34.99, include Suiting Up In Prague, Heating Up In Dubai, Vancouver Fisticuffs, Impossible Missions, The Russian Prison, Shooting in IMAX, Art Department, A Roll of Film, Life Masks, Stepping into the Storm, The Sandstorm, Dubai Car Crash, Lens on the Burj, Props, Composer, Deleted Scenes with optional commentary by director Brad Bird, Alternate Opening, and Trailers.
The Tom Cruise movie, on which animation filmmaker Brad Bird made his live-action debut, grossed $670.9 million worldwide and gave Cruise the biggest hit of his career. Horse, meanwhile, will come in a four-disc combo version as well as a two-disc verion. The four-disc set, which will be available for the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price of $45.99, will include a 60-minute documentary created by director Steven Spielberg, as well as inside looks at a scoring session with John Williams, editing with Michael Kahn, and sound room sessions with Gary Rydstrom. There’s also a section on producer Kathleen Kennedy’s on-set photos where she recalls how she brought the project to Spielberg.
5 STAR DAY
Synopsis:
Four People. One Horoscope. Infinite Possibilities. Jake Gibson's (Cam Gigandet) horoscope forecasts a perfect FIVE STAR DAY the morning of his birthday. Little does he realize that what's foretold to be a flawless day, unfolds to be far less than stellar when Jake's world is turned upside down as all that could go wrong...does. Determined that Astrology has no legitimacy, Jake embarks on a journey to test the theory of Astrology by finding the three people born the same time and place as himself - Sarah Reynolds (Jena Malone), Yvette Montgomery (Brooklyn Sudano) and Wesley Henderson (Max Hartman). The journey quickly uproots Jake from the small college town of Berkeley, California to downtown Chicago where he sets out to find and interview Sarah, Yvette and Wesley to see if their birthdays proved to be as disappointing as his own. Jake's pursuit in finding his three Astrological matches (or Zodiac twins) will not only test his convictions... Written by FSD
Video clip: http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi1688903961/
Review:
How many of you read your horoscope each day? Do you believe what you read? Do you think there is any way people sharing the same sign can share some common characteristics? Jake Gibson sets out to find out. He finds three people who share the same birthday as he does and he tries to interview them on their birthday. It is an interesting premise and one that proves interesting to follow through to the end. In the process of completing his research, he finds himself and happiness.
FINAL DESTINATION 5
Release date: January 17, 2012
Synopsis:
Death is just as omnipresent as ever, and in Final Destination 5 it strikes again. During the bus ride to a corporate retreat, Sam (Nicholas D’Agosto) has a premonition in which he and most of his friends — as well as numerous others — die in a horrific bridge collapse. When his vision ends, events begin to mirror what he had seen, and he frantically ushers as many of his colleagues — including his friend, Peter (Miles Fisher), and girlfriend, Molly (Emma Bell) — away from the disaster before Death can claim them. But these unsuspecting souls were never supposed to survive, and in a terrifying race against time, the ill-fated group tries to discover a way to escape Death’s sinister agenda.
Review:
I have not seen any of the previous FINAL DESTINATION movies, but this is is extremely well done
in my opinion. You are introduced to the principal actors within the first few minutes and you see all of them struggle when eight survive a freak accident and death delightfully played by Tony Todd comes to reclaim them one by one. "Death hates to be cheated," and that theme resonates throughout the movie as freak accidents befall each of the people who survived the collapse of a bridge early on in the movie. There are a number of twists as well. Some of the incidents are set up very well -- you anticipate the demise of the person and it comes in a totally different way!
JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM
Release date: February 28, 2012
BURBANK, CA (Dec 13, 2011) – Earth’s greatest super heroes face foes on all fronts – using a plan initiated from within – in the all-new Justice League: Doom, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original Movies. Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated film arrives February 28, 2012 from Warner Home Video as a Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack ($24.98 SRP) and DVD ($19.98 SRP), On Demand and for Download. Both the Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViiolet™ Digital Copy. Justice League: Doom finds Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg and Batman on their heels when a team of super villains discover and implement the Dark Knight’s “contingency plans” for stopping any rogue Justice League member. The story is inspired by Mark Waid’s much-heralded “JLA: Tower of Babel.”
Primetime television stars Nathan Fillion (Castle) and Tim Daly (Private Practice), the reigning voices of Green Lantern and Superman, respectively, join a group of eight actors reprising their famed Justice League cartoon roles. Fillion made his debut as Green Lantern/Hal Jordan in the recent Green Lantern: Emerald Knights, and took his initial DC Universe bow as the voice of Steve Trevor in the 2008 hit Wonder Woman. Daly originated his role as Superman’s voice in the landmark cartoon, Superman: The Animated Series. He has reprised the role in two DC Universe films: the 2009 extravaganza Superman/Batman: Public Enemies and the 2010 thriller Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.
The grand reunion of actors who provided the voices of the Justice League for the cartoon of the same name and its follow-up, Justice League Unlimited, includes Kevin Conroy (Batman: The Animated Series) as Batman, Michael Rosenbaum (Smallville, Breaking In) as Flash, Susan Eisenberg (Superman/Batman: Apocalypse) as Wonder Woman and Carl Lumbly (Alias) as J’onn J’onzz/Martian Manhunter. Bumper Robinson (A Different World, Transformers: Animated) joins the cast as Cyborg.
The Justice League faces two sets of villainous teams in the film – The Royal Flush Gang and a sextet of notable evildoers. The latter group includes three voice acting alumni of the Justice League animated series: Phil Morris (Smallville, Seinfeld) as Vandal Savage, Olivia d’Abo (The Wonder Years) as Star Sapphire, and Alexis Denisof (Angel) as Mirror Master. Also opposing our heroes are Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911) as Bane, Paul Blackthorne (The Dresden Files) as Metallo, and Claudia Black (Farscape, Stargate SG-1) as Cheetah.
David Kaufman (Danny Phantom) also reprises his Justice League role of Jimmy Olsen.
The film is executive produced by Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One), and directed by Lauren Montgomery (Batman: Year One), who is also credited as producer alongside Alan Burnett (Batman: The Animated Series). Justice League: Doom is the final DC Universe script from the late Dwayne McDuffie (All-Star Superman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths), who passed away in February 2011. Casting and dialogue direction is once again in the capable hands of Andrea Romano (Batman: Year One, Justice League).
“Justice League: Doom has all the classic ingredients of a great super hero film – a cavalcade of dynamic villains, internal strife amongst our heroes, treacherous twists and turns, and a cast that brings together some of today’s popular primetime television actors with many of the fans’ favorite voices from the original series,” said Hersin Magante, Warner Home Video Marketing Director, Family & Animation. “I think fans will embrace Dwayne’s McDuffie’s final script, particularly as it has been nuanced by Bruce Timm and the Warner Bros. Animation team. Warner Home Video is proud to distribute Justice League: Doom as the next DC Universe Animated Original Movie.”
DOLPHIN TALE Dolphin Tale is a 2011 family drama film directed by Charles Martin Smith from a screenplay by Karen Janszen and Noam Dromi and a book of the same name. It stars Harry Connick, Jr., Ashley Judd, and Morgan Freeman.
The book and film are "inspired by the amazing true story of Winter", a bottlenose dolphin that was rescued in December 2005 off the Florida coast and taken in by the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. It lost its tail after becoming tangled in as rope attached to a crab trap and had to be fitted with a prosthetic one.
Review:
Looking for a good movie to watch with the family -- the entire family? Here's one for you. You need not worry about violence, language, adult situations -- something that is hard to avoid these days. Here's a movie that looks at a number of "big" issues -- the environment, wildlife preservation, soldiers returning from war, family ties. They are all brought together by a dolphin, Winter and an 11-year old boy, Sawyer. Morgan Freeman channeled a bit of his "Lucius Fox" character from "The Dark Knight" as he portrays Cameron McCarthy, a specialist in prosthetics. While
the plot is not too unusual, the story is engaging and uplifting.
NEW SATIRES FROM TYE
Tye
Bourdony has been doing satires for a number of years. This month's SciFi
magazine features one of them. I will start posting more of Tye's work here
for you to enjoy! By the way, congrats Tye on the SciFi feature. To see
more of Tye's work, go to http://www.thelightersideofscifi.com
BABYLON 5 MUSIC VIDEOS AND TRIBUTES
I found a touching tribute to Johnny Sekka this
morning. Johnny was Dr. Kyle in "The Gathering" - the original pilot for
Babylon 5. I met Johnny at a convention once. He was an awesome personality. He
had vast experience in theater and a resonent voice that was hard to forget.
Johnny died in 2006 of lung cancer.
I found this message on the Babylon 5 moderated
newsgroup this morning and just had to post it so that others might enjoy the
marvelous music videos created by John Hudgens.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++ As some of you may know, I was hired by Joe
Straczynski back in the day to create Babylon 5 music videos for him to use at
science fiction conventions, and later to promote the show to networks. Eight
were produced over the run of the series, not including the memorial videos I
did later for Rick Biggs and Andreas Katsulas.
For the longest time, the only way to see these was if Joe or I showed
them at a convention, but now, after numerous requests from fans over
the years, Joe has given me permission me to post these online.
- This is the extended version that I did for Andreas' widow ater the
original cut was released on the net. It's never been seen online
until now.
For those of you who've never seen these, I hope you enjoy them - and
for those that have (and emailed me many times over the years about
releasing them), I hope they're as good as you remember. Working with
Joe on these videos was one of the highlights of my career, and I'll
be forever grateful to him for the doors these have opened for me. I'm
proud to have them on my resume.
John Hudgens
www.zteamproductions.com
Comic-Con 2012
Date: July 12-15, 2012
Place: San Diego Convention Center
Guest list too numerous to list.
For more information, go to http://www.comic-con.org
Shoreleave 34
Date: August 3-5, 2012
Place: Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, Hunt Valley, MD (near Baltimore)
Guests: Joe Flanigan, Connor Trinneer, Michael Shanks, Jonathan Frakes, Robert Davi, Wil Wheaton,
Kavan Smith, Colin Ferguson, Saul Rubinek, Ryan Robbins and Robin Dunn
For more information, go to http://www.shore-leave.com.
Worldcon 70
Date: August 30-September 3, 2012
Place: Hyatt Regency Chicago
Guests: Mike Resnick, Story Musgrave, Rowena Morrill, Jane Frank, Peggy Rae Sapienza,
John Scalzi
For more information, go to http://www.chicon.org
Dragon*Con
Date: August 31-September 3, 2012
Place: Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia
For more information, go to http://www.dragoncon.org.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS! Creation Entertainment has a large
number of conventions planned for the next several months. They include stars
from TWILIGHT, SUPERNATURAL, STARGATE, FARSCAPE, XENA, SERENITY, STAR TREK,
etc. Check out their calendar to see if one will be in your neighborhood soon.
Don't miss their Videos
page as well. It is full of some priceless video from a number of
conventions.
Be sure to visit the referenced sites to see if there have been changes in
dates/guests attending. Visit our Convention
Calendar for a full listing of upcoming conventions.
BACK ISSUES OF THE ZOCALO TODAY
The front page of the The Zocalo Today changes daily, so be sure to
check the back issues to make sure that you
haven't missed anything IMPORTANT! I hope you will become a regular visitor to
The Zocalo Today!
Take care and I look forward to hearing from you. Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com)
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net
Copyright - SBruckner, 1999-2011
NEW TNT PROGRAMS THIS FALL
8:00pm on The CW
JOYFUL NOISE
Distributors announced home viewing dates Tuesday for two high-profile 2011 films, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and War Horse. Ghost Protocol will be available in stores and via Video-on-Demand and digital download on April 17, while War Horse will arrive April 3 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment.
5 STAR DAY
FINAL DESTINATION 5
JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM
