Basically, the Network and I had different ideas about what the tone of the show would be. They bought something somewhat different than what I was selling them, which is not that uncommon in this business. Their desires were not surprising: up the stakes, make the episodes more stand-alone, stop talking about relationships and cut to the chase. Oh, and add a chase. That you can cut to. Nothing I hadn't heard before on my other shows (apparently my learning curve has no bendy part) but frustrating as hell given our circumstances - a pilot shot, scripts written, everybody marching together/gainfully employed... and then a shutdown. Glad I was for the breathing room, but it's hardly auspicious. So back into the writer cave I went, wondering why I put up with this when I can make literally dozens of dollars making internet movies. Why I do put up with this is divided into three parts.

One: They're not wrong. Oh, we don't see eye-to-eye on everything, but wanting the first episodes to be exciting and accessible is not exactly Satanic. Being Satan is, but that's in their free time and hey, there's no judging in the Dollhouse. This kind of back and forth has happened on every show I've done, so if you liked those, chances are that was a part of why. And the need to focus on the essentials of what makes this universe tick - and which wire to cut to make it stop - really does bring up our game. So we as a staff have gone from blinking like unhoused moles to delving in with the same relish we had when we started. The show is really coming together now, in a way that I believe excites us and satisfies the Network. Of course, I have no idea if anybody else will like it, but I have the same faith in the staff, the crew and the remarkable cast that I always did. More, in fact. And what's more crucial:

Two: Nothing essential has changed about the universe. The ideas and relationships that intrigued me from the start are all there (though some have shifted, more on that), and the progression of the first thirteen eps has me massively excited. The episode we're shooting now I wrote as fast as anything I have before, not because I had to (although, funny side-note: I had to) but because I couldn't stop the words from coming. Because I can feel the show talking to me; delighting, scaring and occasionally even offending me. It's alive. Alive! Which is a far cry from how I felt a month ago. It's been hilarious trying to keep up with what's in, what's out, who's met whom and when - we've shot all of the first seven episodes out of airing order - but it's come together in a pretty thrilling way. My huge gratitude to our cast for their precision and patience.

*****

As for what's been changed, well, some things I obviously can't tell you. Some I can, for the record: The original pilot was in fact thrown out. Again, at my behest. Once it became clear what paradigm the Network was shooting for, it just didn't fit at all, even after I'd reshot more than half of it (see above re: despair). To get a sense of how completely turned around I was during this process, you should know there was a scene with Eliza and the astonishing Ashley Johnson that I wrote and shot completely differently three different times, with different characters in different places (actually I wrote it closer to eight times), and none of it will ever see air. Which is as it should be (though I'm determined to get Ms. Johnson back in the future). The scene just didn't belong anymore. Similarly, the character of November has fallen out of the mix, because the show simply moves too fast now for me to do what I wanted with her. Season three, anyone...? Happily, Miracle Laurie is still with us in a new role, playing against (and pining for) Tahmoh's character, Paul Ballard. Their chemistry is deeply nifty. The only other major cast shift is that the Dollhouse head of security, Laurence Dominic (played by Reed Diamond), who was written just for the now-defunct first ep, has stuck like fly-paper, and Reed is very much in the family for the present. (Most of my problems seem to involve my actors making themselves indispensable. This is the good problem kind.)

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Teresa Nielsen Hayden Hospitalized

Teresa Nielsen Hayden was hospitalized following a heart attack. Tests are continuing, but she is reportedly doing well. You can leave get well messages at her and her husband's popular blog. We wish her a speedy recovery and a healthy future!

Posted on September 15, 2008
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Ghostbusters 3 is a Go

Harold Ramis has written the Chicago Tribune to confirm that Ghostbusters 3 is in the works.

"yes, columbia is developing a script for GB3 with my year one writing partners, gene stupnitsky and lee eisenberg. judd apatow is co-producing year one and has made several other films for sony, so of course the studio is hoping to tap into some of the same acting talent. aykroyd, ivan reitman and i are consulting at this point, and according to dan, bill murray is willing to be involved on some level. he did record his dialogue for the new ghostbusters video game, as did danny and i, and ernie hudson. the concept is that the old ghostbusters would appear in the film in some mentor capacity. not much else to say at this point. everyone is confident a decent script can be written and i guess we'll take it from there."

OK, so we're picturing Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson showing the ghost-busting ropes to Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, James Franco and Michael Cera. (Ramis already memorably and warmly played Rogen's dad in "Knocked Up.") Maybe Jason Segel or Craig Robinson fit in there somewhere.

Harold Ramis was great in Knocked Up. And if Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd are also on board, we're on boards. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters: The New Generation, that's who.

Posted on September 9, 2008
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Fringe Will Start Off Jumping the Shark

Wired has an article about Fringe, the new show from J.J. Abrams. Abrams says Fringe won't be like Lost and that it will jump the shark right from the start.

On Fringe's slam-bang setup: "When we did the pilot for Lost, we had the monster appear at the end of the first act because we wanted to say to the audience, 'We're jumping the shark now. We're not going to wait. We're doing crazy shit from the beginning.' On Fringe, we very consciously made what is in many ways a preposterous, front-end scientific story choice in order to say to the audience, 'This is what you're going to be getting on the show.' It may be more extreme in some episodes, less so in others."

On the Fringe mythology: "I'm drawn to overarching, long-term stories so there will still be a mythology through the evolution of characters and revelations about what 'the pattern' means. But we're writing the show so it is not as serialized as Lost.

"What made X-Files so great is that they'd do a number of shows that have nothing to do with the mythology. Fringe is closer to E.R. almost, where you have these ongoing relationships and story lines, and yet week to week, when the door bursts open, you're faced with the insane urgent situation of the week."

Science fact, not fiction: "Though you could say it's science fiction, the weird thing about Fringe is that a lot of the stuff is at least in the realm of possibility. It's not sci-fi -- it's just sci.

The show debuts on Fox next Tuesday, September 9th. We will be watching. You can see the Fringe website here. A few other articles about Fringe can be found here, here, here, here and here.

Here's a video with J.J. Abrams discussing Fringe



Posted on September 4, 2008
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DragonCon in Atlanta This Weekend

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports on the arrival of Dragon*Con in Atlanta this weekend for Labor Day weekend. There are some interesting panels at this Con including "How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse."

It's Labor Day weekend and Dragon*Con is upon us again, the huge pop culture convention where tens of thousands of superfans from all over dress up, act out, and fly their geek flag proudly today through Monday.

The Con, as veterans call it, is always a precarious balancing act between the serious and the silly. "Apocalypse Rising," one of the Con's tracks - groupings of panels and events - shows off that spectrum.

On Saturday, a bloody tongue-in-cheek panel on "How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse" will probably attract an invasion of "real" zombies to spice things up, while on Sunday, Richard Alstatt, an actual rocket scientist, will lecture on the likelihood that Earth will get hit by a giant asteroid.

Other panels will deal with the apocalypse in religion (with the title "My God is Smitier Than Your God," the Con can be a pretty irreverent place) and modern pop culture, where it spreads like a killer virus through movies ("I Am Legend," "Children of Men," "The Road Warrior"), books ("The Host," "Left Behind," "The Stand") and TV ("Jericho," "The Day After").

There are a huge number of authors and actors attending the Con. You can read more about the convention on the official website at dragoncon.org.

Posted on August 29, 2008
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Screenwriters Suing to Stop Release of Death Race

Screenwriter Adam Stone is suing to stop the upcoming Jason Statham film, Death Race. Stone says the producers stole his script, then used it to create the current film.

Stone claims in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court that the upcoming Universal thriller is based on a script he pitched to the film's producer-director Paul W.S. Anderson and producer Jeremy Bolt. He seeks a court order stopping the film's release.

Stone claims that after the producers passed, Bolt made and kept a copy of his screenplay, titled "Joust," to use as a "blueprint" for Anderson's revision of the script for "Death Race." While "Death Race" is purported to be a remake of the 1975 film, "Death Race 2000," Stone contends in his lawsuit that it actually is based on "Joust" and that there are at least 39 elements in the soon-to-be released film that mirror his screenplay. Universal, which is a defendant in the lawsuit, declined comment on the lawsuit.

"Death Race," which stars Jason Statham and Joan Allen, is set for release Friday Aug. 22. Stone is asking the court to stop the release of the film. "Experience in other cases has shown that unless such orders are issued, defendants will simply continue to exploit the infringing motion picture in all media and by all methods at their disposal," the lawsuit states.

The Death Race trailers have been playing before almost every movie we've seen for the last three months. Or maybe it just seems that way. In any event, we are mightily tired of seeing the trailer.

Posted on August 20, 2008
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Universal Acquires Film Rights to Wheel of Time Series

Universal Pictures has acquired the film rights to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series. The films will begin with the first book, The Eye of the World.

Rick Selvage and Larry Mondragon will produce for Red Eagle Entertainment, which published graphic novel adaptations of Jordan's books. "The Wheel of Time" follows, among its dozens of characters, Rand al'Thor, the latest incarnation of a force for good called "The Dragon." Rand is born to fight an evil character called Shai'tan.

"Wheel of Time" books have sold 44 million copies worldwide and spawned computer, trading-card and role-playing games; a soundtrack; comicbooks; and numerous fan sites. The four most recent installments have reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list.

Jordan died last year at the young age of 58. The last book in the series is being written by Brandon Sanderson, who is working from Jordan's tapes and notes. It is due out in fall of 2009.

Posted on August 13, 2008
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Jason and the Argonauts Heading to the Big Screen

Screenwriter Zack Penn, who wrote The Incredible Hulk and The X-Men, is writing the script for a feature film version of The Argonauts for 20th Century Fox. But that's not the only sword and sandals epic heading to the big screen. Many more films are planned.

In the wake of the success of "300," sword-and-sandals pics have become a hot commodity. Warner Bros. is moving forward with a "Clash of the Titans" remake, with Louis Leterrier at the helm, as well as a "300" sequel. Joining the chariot race is Relativity Media, which has fast-tracked "War of Gods" about Greek warrior Theseus, who led a fight against imprisoned titans.

And at least three Hercules pics are in development around town, including Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment's "Hercules: The Thracian Wars," which Peter Berg is attached to direct. Meanwhile, Universal also has a "God of War" pic in the works, based on the epic Greek myth-inspired vidgame, with Brett Ratner attached to helm.

Fox's version of "The Argonauts" is based on Penn's original take on the classic Greek tale. In Greek mythology, the Argonauts were a band of heroic sailors who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. The Argonauts name comes from the sailors' ship, the Argo.

We can't believe there are going to be three Hercules films all coming out around the same time. That seems quite ridiculous. Still, we do like Hercules. But it's one of those stories that lives or dies with two things: the casting of the main character and the script. Mess those up and you get something totally ridiculous.

Photo: Scene from the 1963 version of Jason and the Argonauts directed by Don Chaffey.

Posted on August 12, 2008
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Clip From Animated Buffy Series That Never Aired

Here is a short promo episode of what would have been an animated Buffy the Vampire Slayer Saturday morning cartoon series. Sarah Michelle Gellar reportedly passed on the animated series to focus on her film career. The voice playing Buffy in the animated series belongs to Giselle Loren. Several series regulars including Alyson Hannigan, Anthony Stewart Head, Michelle Trachtenberg, Charisma Carpenter and David Boreanaz did lend their voices to this animated series that never aired. This four-minute clip was all of the animated series that was ever made. (via Animation Magazine )



Posted on August 5, 2008
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George Lucas Discusses Plans for Next Indiana Jones Movie

George Lucas discusses the chances of another Indiana Jones movie happening.

"We were hoping for box-office figures like that, which is, ultimately, with inflation, what the others have done, within 10%," Lucas explains. "So, we squeaked up there. Really, though, it was a challenge getting the story together and getting everybody to agree on it. Indiana Jones only becomes complicated when you have another two people saying 'I want it this way' and 'I want it that way', whereas, when I first did Jones, I just said, We'll do it this way' -- and that was much easier. But now I have to accommodate everybody, because they are all big, successful guys, too, so it's a little hard on a practical level.

"If I can come up with another idea that they like, we'll do another. Really, with the last one, Steven wasn't that enthusiastic. I was trying to persuade him. But now Steve is more amenable to doing another one. Yet we still have the issues about the direction we'd like to take. I'm in the future; Steven's in the past. He's trying to drag it back to the way they were, I'm trying to push it to a whole different place. So, still we have a sort of tension. This recent one came out of that. It's kind of a hybrid of our own two ideas, so we'll see where we are able to take the next one."

We have no idea what that means, but we wish he and Steven Spielberg would hurry up and figure it out. Harrison Ford isn't getting any younger, people. And we're not convinced that Shia LaBeouf is ready to pick up the hat and whip.

Posted on July 31, 2008
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Red Sonja Poster is Here



The new Red Sonja poster is out. It features Rose McGowan licking a bloody sword, which is certainly an interesting creative choice. Apparently Sonja will have more hair in this version than in the 1985 film version starring Brigitte Nielsen. Robert Rodriguez is still directing and it appears that Rose and Robert -- who were said to have ended their relationship -- are back together again. So the movie is back on.

Posted on July 24, 2008
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Top Grossing Films are SF and Fantasy



The top films at the box office right now are all either fantasy or sf, which is pretty interesting. The rankings as of last weekend were: Hellboy II: The Golden Army which made $34,539,115 (first weekend gross), Hancock which has made $164,115,004 (cumulative), Journey to the Center of the Earth which has made $21,018,141 (first weekend gross), Wall-E, which has made $163,055,900 (cumulative) and Wanted, which has made $112,455,060 to date.

It certainly shows that the interest in sf and fantasy is there, if the films are good.

Posted on July 16, 2008
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Andre Norton Estate in Will Dispute Case

Andre Norton's estate is embroiled in a lawsuit over who owns the rights to the work of one of science fiction's best known and loved female authors. Norton's caretaker in her later years and her biggest fan and friend, an oncologist, are battling out the right to control all posthumous publication of her works.

Norton moved to Murfreesboro, a Nashville suburb, in the 1990s and established a writer's research library. As she got older, the library was closed and Norton, who had no children or other close relatives, moved in with her caretaker, Sue Stewart. Over the years, she gave Stewart more than $250,000, according to court testimony.

Norton updated her will several times and in the final version said she wanted to be cremated with a copy of her first and last books, and wanted her estate split among co-authors, friends and Stewart. Stewart was named as the beneficiary of the "residuary clause" -- all other property or money not explicitly assigned in the will. But the will also said that Norton's longtime fan, Horadam, was to get "the royalties from all posthumous publication of any of my works."

Stewart contends the will intends for her, not Horadam, to get the royalty income from any works published before Norton died. Horadam went to court, asking a judge to provide an interpretation of "posthumous publication." Stewart could not be reached for comment, but her attorney says Norton's close friends in Tennessee testified that they were surprised that Norton didn't leave control of her literary works to Stewart. The judge also heard from Norton herself thanks to a video recording.

"In the video, about a few months before her final execution of the will, she says she wants everything to go to Sue," said attorney Dicken Kidwell. "In that video, she says, 'All I have is yours.' I don't know how it could be much more explicit." But a Tennessee judge ruled in favor of Horadam, saying Norton used the terms royalties and copyrights interchangeably in her will and "posthumous publication" meant any publication of her works after her death, including reprints. The judge said Horadam had greater appreciation for the literary works than the caretaker.

It sounds like the will itself was poorly drafted. What a mess. You can be sure that whoever loses will appeal the ruling.

Posted on July 10, 2008
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When Hellboy Met Chuck

In one of a series of clever cross-promotions, Universal has created a hilarious video in which Chuck and Hellboy play videogames and grouse that the government doesn't let them out enough. Hellboy II: The Golden Army opens in wide release on July 11. Take a look at the promo:



Posted on July 4, 2008
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Terry Pratchett Talks God, Religion

Terry Pratchett writes about his relationship (or lack therof) with God for The Daily Mail. The results are classic Pratchett.

There is a rumour going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist.

But it is true that in an interview I gave recently I did describe a sudden, distinct feeling I had one hectic day that everything I was doing was right and things were happening as they should. It seemed like the memory of a voice and it came wrapped in its own brief little bubble of tranquillity. I'm not used to this.

As a fantasy writer I create fresh gods and philosophies almost with every new book (I'm rather pleased with Annoia, the goddess of Things That Get Stuck In Drawers, whose temple is hung about with the bent remains of bent egg whisks and spatulas. She actually appears to work in this world, too). But since contracting Alzheimer's disease I have spent my long winter walks trying to work out what it is that I really, if anything, believe.

*****

As a boy I had a clear image of the Almighty: He had a tail coat and pinstriped trousers, black, slicked-down hair and an aquiline nose. On the whole, I was probably a rather strange child, and I wonder what my life might have been like if I'd met a decent theologian when I was nine.

It's well worth your time to read the whole essay.

Posted on June 30, 2008
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34th Annual Saturn Award Winners Announced

The 2008 Saturn Award Winners have been announced. Cloverfield won for best sf film and Disney's Enchanted won for best fantasy movie. Sweeney Todd won in the horror category. Lost won for best network tv series. Some of the winning actors and actresses included Will Smith, Amy Adams, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Matthew Fox, Summer Glau, Michael Emerson and Elizabeth Mitchell. Here is the complete list of winners.

Best Science Fiction Film: Cloverfield

Best Fantasy Film: Enchanted

Best Horror Film: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet St.

Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: 300

Best Actor: Will Smith (I Am Legend)

Best Actress: Amy Adams (Enchanted)

Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)

Best Supporting Actress: Marcia Gay Harden (The Mist)

Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Freddie Highmore (August Rush)

Best Direction: Zack Snyder (300)

Best Writing: Brad Bird (Ratatouille)

Best Music: Alan Menken (Enchanted)

Best Costume: Colleen Atwood (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet St.)

Best Make-Up: Ve Neill, Martin Samuel (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End)

Best Special Effects: Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John Frazier (Transformers)

Best Animated Film: Ratatouille

Best International Film: Eastern Promises

Best Network Television Series: Lost

Best Syndicated / Cable Television Series: Dexter

Best Presentation on Television: Family Guy: Blue Harvest

Best International Television Series: Doctor Who: Sci Fi Channel

Best Actor on Television: Matthew Fox (Lost)

Best Actress on Television: Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer)

Best Supporting Actor on Television: Michael Emerson (Lost)

Best Supporting Actress on Television: (TIE): Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) / Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)

Best DVD Release: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (remix)

Best DVD Special Edition Release: Blade Runner (5 Disc Ultimate Edition)

Best DVD Classic Film Release: The Monster Squad

Best DVD Collection: Mario Bava (Box Sets 1 & 2)

Best Television Series Release on DVD: Heroes (Season 1)

Best Retro Television Series Release on DVD: Twin Peaks (Definitive Gold Box Ed.)

The Life Career Award: Robert Halmi, Sr.

The Life Career Award: Robert Halmi, Jr.

The George Pal Memorial Award: Guillermo del Toro

The Filmmakers Showcase Award: Matt Reeves

The Special Achievement Award: Tim & Donna Lucas

The Service Award: Fred Barton

You can find more information about the Saturn Awards on the official website.

Posted on June 26, 2008
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The HD Trailer for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor is Here



The new HD Trailer for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor and it looks amazing. The CGI looks incredible. The new installment stars Brendan Fraser, Jet Li, Maria Bello, John Hannah and Michelle Yeoh. Maria Bello is stepping in to replace Rachel Weisz as Evelyn Carnahan O'Connell. The film opens August 1, 2008.

The HD version of the trailer is linked off this page.

Posted on June 21, 2008
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Special Effects Master Stan Winston Dead at 62

Special effects and makeup wizard Stan Winston has died.

From The Terminator movies to Iron Man, Stan Winston made the magic that make movies magic. The Oscar-winning visual-effects and makeup guru died Sunday of multiple myeloma at his Malibu home. He was 62, and had been battling the plasma cancer for seven years.

Long Hollywood's go-to creator of creatures great and occasionally frightening, Winston won four Oscars for his wizardry on Jurassic Park, Aliens and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which earned him two statuettes, one for makeup and one for visual effects. He was nominated a total of 10 times. His handiwork can be seen in the current summer hits Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, You Don't Mess With the Zohan and Iron Man, for which Winston's namesake studio built the hero's high-tech armored suits. Stan Winston Studio is also set to work on the upcoming Terminator 4, the big-screen, live-action G.I. Joe and James Cameron's Avatar.

Although Winston tended to work on films that were heavy on special effects, he maintained his life's work was about building characters, not gadgets. "I don't do special effects. I create characters, and I use the tools of special effects necessary to do it," Winston told the BBC in 2003.

He will be missed. We send our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.

Posted on June 16, 2008
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Sci Fi Announced Summer Premiere Dates

Sci Fi Channel announced the dates for its summer premieres.

The new third season of Scare Tactics kicks off July 9 at 10 p.m. ET/PT with two back-to-back episodes. New host Tracy Morgan (NBC's 30 Rock) joins the show. Before that, Ghost Hunters International returns with seven new episodes beginning July 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Stargate Atlantis's 20-episode fifth season begins July 11 at 10 p.m. The new season introduces a powerful new race and will feature the show's 100th episode. Robert Picardo joins the regular cast as Richard Woolsey, and fan favorite Paul McGillion returns for five episodes as Dr. Carson Beckett. Amanda Tapping (Col. Samantha Carter) and Stargate SG-1 star Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson) will also appear as special guest stars this season.

Eureka's third season premieres July 29 at 9 p.m. Season three delves deeper into the classified inner workings of Global Dynamics and will feature new characters, including Eva Thorne, aka "The Fixer" (Frances Fisher), whose mission is to clean up Global Dynamics.

We're most looking forward to the return of Stargate Atlantis and Eureka, although Ghost Hunters is growing on us now that they've gone international.

Posted on May 31, 2008
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Latest Hobbit Rumor: James McAvoy as Young Bilbo Baggins

The casting rumors for The Hobbit are swirling around and change from week to week. The latest rumor is that a young Bilbo Baggins will be played by James McAvoy.

Although director Guillermo del Toro and producer Peter Jackson recently said that casting on The Hobbit won't start in earnest until next year, the rumor mill is suggesting that the filmmakers already have the actor in mind for the lead role of Bilbo Baggins.

According to The One Ring and MSN, via British tabloid Daily Express, Scottish actor James McAvoy (soon to be seen in Wanted) is the frontrunner to play Bilbo. McAvoy is no stranger to fantasy films, having previously played "Mr. Tumnus" in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

"A number of names have been doing the rounds, including Daniel Radcliffe and Jack Black, but James (McAvoy) is the one the film's bosses really want," the Daily Mail's alleged insider told the paper. "They're expected to have talks soon so hopefully it could be confirmed in the not too distant future."

McAvoy would do a great job. Daniel Radcliffe? That's an interesting idea, as well. But Jack Black?? Is that a joke? We do like Jack, but he's no Bilbo. Could this be the source of these insidious "Jack Black as Bilbo Baggins" rumors? We feel kind of queasy just thinking about it.

And as for Guillermo del Toro directing: we better not see even one of those Pan's Labyrinth-style creatures in Hobbiton. They've already made their way into Hellboy 2. You know the ones we mean.

Posted on May 30, 2008
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Spielberg Planning Social Network About Ghosts and UFOs

Stephen Spielberg is planning to launch a social network about the paranormal and UFOs sometime this summer. The site will be called The Rising. As fantasy/sf fans are aware Spielberg has directed many films that focus on ghosts and aliens including Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Artificial Intelligence: AI. Spielberg also wrote the screenplay for Poltergeist.

TechCrunch reports that Stephen Spielberg has experienced a paranormal experience first-hand.

Spielberg has apparently had at least one paranormal experience himself. There are stories of him staying in a hotel called Excelsior House and being so frightened by ghosts that he fled the room and moved 20 miles away. We've also heard anecdotes about Spielberg seeing the ghost of a dead relative repeatedly as a child. Whether based in reality or the product of an exceptional imagination, these experiences may have had an impact on his life's work and this upcoming social network.

If it done right this new social network could be very popular. Here is an animated logo for the planned website.



Posted on May 22, 2008
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Guillermo del Toro Wants Original LOTR Actors for Hobbit Movie

Guillermo del Toro wants the original Lord of the Rings cast to reprise their roles in The Hobbit trilogy that the will be directing.

Sure, not all of their characters appear in The Hobbit, but with a second, transitional film that takes place in the years between the two novels, could we possibly see Aragorn, Frodo, Galadriel, and the rest back for another go round? To hear the actors themselves say it, the answer was a resounding yes.

Well, it's time to put down the pipe weed, Viggo, dust off those ears, Cate, practice your archery Orlando, and get ready to walk around barefoot, Sean and Elijah -- you're about to get asked to go "back again."

"I want to be very clear about this. I am not going to recast any actor that is willing and able to work with us," recently announced Hobbit director Guillermo Del Toro told MTV News. "It would be my hope to bring back the same actors to play the parts. The casting on the trilogy was perfect."

Does that mean he has no intention of re-casting Bilbo as well? Well, not exactly. For Guillermo's ideas on who should play Bilbo, make sure you head over to Movies Main, where the talented director talked at length about his plans for The Hobbit, including chatter on Smaug, Riddles in the Dark, and more.

Variety reports that negotiations are already underway with Viggo Mortensen. Presumably he'd show up in the second and third films, although he was patrolling the Shire as a Ranger back then and hunting for Smeagol. The timelines will have to be juggled a bit, no doubt. We wonder who will play a young Bilbo?

Posted on May 21, 2008
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Bruce Boxleitner Joins Cast of Heroes

Bruce Boxleitner is joining the cast of Heroes.

Bruce Boxleitner, who played Scarecrow to Sabrina Duncan's Mrs. King in the mid-80s, has snagged a top-secret recurring role that was originally going to be modeled after Sen. John McCain. The character has since been reconceived, and now all I know for sure is that he'll be sharing scenes with a female series regular.

By the way, although it may seem like Heroes is getting ready to force-feed us another batch of newbies, an NBC insider insists that's definitely not the case. Yes, the show is introducing some new faces next season, but the primary focus, my source maintains, will remain "on the core characters from the pilot."

This is great news, but....Senator McCain? Last time we checked, he wasn't investigating mutants in the mainstream population. Or, is he.....?

Posted on May 9, 2008
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Michael Chabon Wins Nebula For Best Novel

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon won the Nebula Award for Best Novel. The Nebula Awards are presented annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, for superior achievement in science fiction and fantasy writing. Here are the other winners:

Novella: "Fountain of Age" by Nancy Kress

Novelette: "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang

Short Story: "Always" by Karen Joy Fowler

Script: Pan's Labyrinth by Guillermo del Toro

Andre Norton Award: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling.

Author Emeritis: Ardath Mayhar

SFWA Service Award: Melisa Michaels and Graham P. Collins

2008 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master: Michael Moorcock

The Nebulas are presented by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Congratulations to all th winners! To learn more, visit the website.

Posted on April 28, 2008
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Daniel Dae Kim Talks Lost

Lost returns this Thursday night, and we can't wait. Kristin Dos Santos of E! is hanging out in Hawaii with the cast, trying to get scoop and spoilers. Here she talks to Daniel Dae Kim about the three possibilities that surround his character Jin. Specifically, is he really dead or not? And if so, when does he die? Daniel also talks about getting the dreaded "call" from Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof.



Posted on April 21, 2008
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NBC Unveils SF and Fantasy Entries for New Season

NBC unveiled its upcoming television schedule and it's quite heavy with SF/Fantasy elements, which certainly works for us. Here's what's coming:

Debuting on May 29:

Fear Itself. The show, a horror anthology series from the makers of Masters of Horror, will feature such stars as John Billingsley and Shiri Appleby and showcase the talents of directors including Brad Anderson, Mary Harron, Ernest Dickerson, Ronny Yu, John Carpenter and Stuart Gordon.

Shows on the fall 2008-'09 schedule:

Chuck, airing Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Heroes, airing Mondays at 9 p.m.

My Own Worst Enemy, airing Mondays at 10 p.m. Christian Slater makes his television series debut as Henry Spivey, an efficiency expert and married father of two who learns that he has an alter ego named Edward Albright, an operative who speaks numerous languages and can kill with his teeth. The network is touting it as "Jekyll and Hyde meets Jason Bourne." Heroes veteran David Semel directed the pilot and will stay on as executive producer.

Knight Rider, airing Wednesdays at 8 p.m. NBC scored a hit with a two-hour backdoor pilot movie that aired in February, and the series picks up where the movie left off. K.I.T.T., the supercar with a mind of its own, returns, as do stars Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison.

Shows debuting in winter 2009:

Merlin, airing Sundays at 8 p.m. A fantasy series set in Camelot but inspired by 21st-century storytelling, Merlin stars Colin Morgan (Doctor Who) as the title character and Bradley James as Arthur, and it explores the characters' lives before they became legends. Co-stars include Anthony Head (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Richard Wilson and Angel Coulby.

Kings, airing Sundays at 10. A modern-day spin on the King David tale, the show stars Christopher Egan as David and Ian McShane as the king. Michael Green (Heroes) penned the pilot and will executive-produce. I Am Legend helmer Francis Lawrence directed the pilot and will executive-produce the series as well.

Series debuting in summer 2009:

The Listener, airing Thursdays at 10 p.m. Toby Logan (Craig Olejinik of Thirteen Ghosts) is a 24-year-old paramedic and telepath who's always ignored his ability to hear people's thoughts ... until now. Having changed his mind, he uses his unique gift to help others.

Miniseries debuting in 2009:

The Last Templar. In this four-hour miniseries, four horsemen dressed as knights crash the New York Metropolitan Museum during the opening of an exhibition of Vatican treasures and swipe an arcane medieval decoder, thereby sending an archaeologist (Mira Sorvino) and an FBI agent (Scott Foley) on a wild chase for the secrets of the Knights Templar. Co-stars include Victor Garber and Omar Sharif.

We recently read the book, The Last Templar: we liked it and it should make a great miniseries. Plus -- Victor Garber from Alias! Well, and of Eli Stone. And Mira Sorvino, too. That works quite well.

In addition to the new shows, there will also be new webisodes for Heroes, Chuck and The Office, which will debut on NBC.com beginning in July. Additional chapters of webisodes for each show will roll out throughout the season.

Posted on April 3, 2008
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The 85 Weirdest Storytellers of the Past 85 Years

Weird Tales has listed the 85 weirdest storytellers of the past 85 years. Here are the top 10:

DOUGLAS ADAMS

CHARLES ADDAMS

LAURIE ANDERSON

J.G. BALLARD

NICK BANTOCK

CLIVE BARKER

ART BELL

BJORK

DAVID BOWIE

RAY BRADBURY

Not surprisingly, it's a weird list. And a pretty fabulous one.

Posted on March 29, 2008
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Sir Ian McKellen is Ready to be Gandalf Again

Sir Ian McKellen has been posting some interesting snippets on his blog lately. He says he's ready to play Gandalf again in The Hobbit, but hasn't been asked yet (there's no director hired yet).

Yes I will, if Peter Jackson and I have anything to do with it, he being the producer and me being, on the whole, a very lucky actor.

*****

Encouragingly, Peter and Fran Walsh have told me they couldn't imagine The Hobbit without their original Gandalf. Their confidence hasn't yet been confirmed by the director Guillermo del Toro but I am keeping my diary free for 2009!

He also gives a fascinating behind the scenes look at Peter Jackson's directing style and his attention to detail:

Each day on set Peter would be there before any of the cast, reading to himself the relevant chapter from the book. He was open to any last minute suggestions from the actors about details they wanted to discuss. Then he would summarise the scenes we would be shooting; a necessity when so many of them were shot out of sequence. (On my first day on the film, I was on location for Gandalf's cart-ride entry into the first film. My next day's work was in the studio filming Gandalf's departure to Grey Havens at the end of the third film!)

The rigour of the Jackson approach continued through each day and individual camera set-ups were shot many times more than is usual in my experience. Not only me. On his first day, Christopher Lee was alarmed to have do more than 20 takes and hoped it didn't mean the director was unhappy about having cast him! It was not that Peter was uncertain of anything rather that he wanted to give himself maximum choice when editing the film many months later. Invariably he would not leave a scene without asking us to do just one more take, in case it revealed something spontaneous and new.

We hope Sir Ian keeps blogging regularly and that they hurry up and get the director and cast signed for The Hobbit.

Posted on March 27, 2008
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Whedon's Dollhouse Gets New Dolls

Joss Whedon's upcoming show Dollhouse just got some new castmembers, in addition to star Eliza Dushku. Battlestar Galactica co-star Tahmoh Penikett, who plays Helo, Fran Kranz, Dichen Lachman and Enver Gjokaj have all signed on for the show.

"Dollhouse" revolves around a group of young men and women who are imprinted with different personalities for different assignments. They have no memories of their previous lives, until Echo (Dushku) begins to try to find out who she was. Penikett will play Paul Smith, an FBI field agent obsessed with the urban myth of Dollhouse and a twisted romantic foil for Echo.

Kranz will play Topher Brink, a twentysomething genius programr responsible for imprinting the dolls. Lachman will play Sierra, a doll like Echo and her friend, who has every personality in the world but her own. Gjokaj will play Victor, also a doll and a friend of Echo's, who is childlike when he's inactive, and everything from Errol Flynn to young DeNiro when he's active.

The show was greenlit for seven episodes before the writers' strike and we're really looking forward to seeing it. It's produced by Fox, though. You know what they did to Firefly. Enough said.

Posted on March 26, 2008
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Lost Returns in Late April

Lost will return to TV screens on April 24th and will wrap up the current season with five new episodes. The truncated season was necessitated by the writers' strike interruption. But things are back on track now.

Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, co-executive producers of ABC's Lost, told SCI FI Wire that the current season's final batch of new episodes will unspool a story arc based on a plan devised in anticipation of the writers' strike. "The last two weeks before the strike, we actually sat down and said, 'Here is what we want to tell for the rest of the season,'" Kitsis said in an interview. "We all sat down, and the entire staff came up with a battle plan in place."

When Lost returns in late April, it will wrap up the fourth season with five episodes, three fewer than planned before the strike took place. "We got to tell a little more story this season than we anticipated," Kitsis said. "It's really worked out well. We came back from the strike, and everyone is just really excited, and I have to say, creatively, every day has been a pleasure. Everything we're doing right now is exciting, and every script that is going out, you're jealous if you didn't write it."

As for the missing episodes? "I feel that the three missing episodes will be made up over the course of the next two seasons," Horowitz said. "Seasons four, five and six are meant to encompass 48 episodes." Kitsis added: "I have a feeling it will mean more, like, two-hour shows as opposed to more episodes, but those are decisions above our pay grade."

We've been very happy with this season so far, although some fans are really getting tired of the flash-forward scenes. But we aren't. Plus, Lindelof has promised that the mystery of the four-toed statue will eventually resolved, so that makes us happy. Lost returns on ABC on April 24th at its new timeslot. It's still on Thursday, but starts an hour later at 10 p.m. ET.

Posted on March 25, 2008
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Terry Pratchett Donates $1 Million for Alzheimer's Research

Terry Pratchett has donated $1 million to Alzheimer's research. He spoke to the BBC about how he's handling his recent Alzheimer's diagnosis and why he made the donation.

Mr Pratchett has a rare form of the disease called posterior cortical atrophy, in which areas at the back of the brain begin to shrink and shrivel. He says he is starting to notice its effect on him. "I've given up my driving licence because I didn't feel confident driving. And if I've got something inside out, it's a little bit puzzling getting it the right way round again." He added: "The curious thing is that writing goes on, although the typing doesn't."

Mr Pratchett is paying for the Alzheimer's drug Aricept because the NHS says he is too young to get it for free.

The author told the conference he is prepared to go to extreme lengths in order to beat the disease.

He said: "Personally, I'd eat the arse out of a dead mole if it offered a fighting chance. "I am, along with many others, scrabbling to stay ahead long enough to be there when the cure comes along. "Say it will be soon - there's nearly as many of us as there are cancer sufferers, and it looks as if the number of people with dementia will double within a generation.

"In most cases, alongside the sufferer you will find a spouse suffering as much. "It is a shock to find out that funding for Alzheimer's research is just 3% of that to find cancer cures."

In total, an estimated 700,000 people in the UK have Alzheimer's disease. However, the Alzheimer's Research Trust estimates that just £11 per patient is spent annually on research into the disease - compared with £289 for each cancer patient. Rebecca Wood, chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said the trust currently had to turn down two out of every three research projects due to lack of funds.

Now you can Match It For Pratchett, by donating cash or buying a t-shirt. Or you can help get the word out via your blog or website. It's a great cause and any little bit will help towards stopping this dreadful and life-stealing disease.

Posted on March 24, 2008
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Sarah Michelle Gellar and Seth Green Talk Buffy and More

Most of the original Buffy cast showed up for the panel at Paley Fest 2008 and all seemed to be getting along, he said in his report. Alyson Hannigan and David Boreanez failed to show. But Sarah Michelle, Seth Green, Nicholas Brendan, Joss Whedon and Charisma Carpenter were all smiles. Michael Ausiello of TV Guide interviews Michelle Gellar and Seth Green in this video, in which they discuss many things, including Buffy's gay affair in the ongoing comic.



Posted on March 21, 2008
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Noah Wylie is the Librarian

Noah Wylie will return to his duties as the globetrotting, adventure-seeking Librarian, in the third movie for TNT. The first two movies were monster hits for TNT, so the entire cast is returning, including Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin. This time the Librarian heads to New Orleans in search of a mysterious evil chalice.

Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation), who directed the second Librarian installment, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines, will once again take the helm. Electric Entertainment's Dean Devlin, Kearie Peak and Marc Roskin are executive-producing. Wyle and Electric's Phil Goldfarb are producing, with the company's Rachel Olschan co-producing. The project began shooting in New Orleans this week.

The Librarian: The Curse Of The Judas Chalice opens with a restless Flynn attempting to assimilate back into his career as a librarian at the New York Metropolitan Library after many adventures abroad. Led to New Orleans by strange dreams, he finds himself in the midst of uncovering a conspiracy that involves the notorious vampire Prince Vlad Dracul. Once again, Flynn must overcome his fears and protect one of the world's most sacred artifacts, the Judas Chalice, or face the consequences of it falling into the wrong hands.

Newhart returns as Judson, who once having been a librarian, now serves as head of the library. Curtin comes back as Charlene, the extremely serious-minded, no-nonsense personnel director for the library.

Katic plays Simone Renoir, a gorgeous young New Orleans jazz-club singer, who uses her hypnotic performances to charm an off-guard Flynn. Turned into a vampire by the infamous Vlad Dracul 400 years ago, Simone has been on a lifelong hunt to find the man who condemned her soul to walk the night forever. She teams up with Flynn to outwit those hoping to find the chalice and use it for their evil agenda.

Davison plays Professor Lazlo, an elderly, crippled man who is a brilliant professor at the University of Bucharest. Seemingly harmless, he is taken hostage by the villainous Kubichek, who wants Lazlo to lead him to the Judas Chalice.

It's a fun, family-friendly franchise.

Posted on March 10, 2008
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Read Neil Gaiman's American Gods for Free Online



HarperCollins has posted the entire text of Neil Gaiman's bestselling novel, American Gods online. It will only be there for one month, so by all means check it out if you haven't read it yet. You can read it here.

You can read our book editor's review of American Gods from back in the day here. You can read our interview with Neil in which he talks about American Gods here.You can read Neil's blog here.

Posted on March 9, 2008
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Co-Creator of Dungeons and Dragons Gary Gygax Dead At 69

Gary Gygax the c0-creator of Dungeons and Dragons has died at the age of 69. Wired reports:

Gary Gygax, one of the co-creators of the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, died Tuesday morning at his home in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, according to Stephen Chenault, CEO of Troll Lord Games. Gygax designed the original D&D game with Dave Arneson in 1974, and went on to create the Dangerous Journeys and Lejendary Adventure RPGs, as well as a number of board games. He also wrote several fantasy novels.

"I don't think I've really grokked it yet," said Mike Mearls, the lead developer of the upcoming 4th edition of Dungeons and Dragons. "He was like the cool uncle that every gamer had. He shaped an entire generation of gamers."

Gygax was not directly involved with Dungeons & Dragons after 1985, and his relationship with his former company, TSR Inc., was not friendly at first. The company sued him over his competing game Dangerous Journeys, and in a 2004 interview with GameSpy he stated that he was "pleased to say" that he thought the cost of the suit and settlement drove TSR to sell the rights to the game.

While reportedly unimpressed with the current edition of the Dungeons and Dragons game, he created adventures and settings that could be used with it, which were published by Troll Lord Games. Gygax went well beyond the role of game developer and became an icon to gamers, appearing as himself in episodes of Futurama and Code Monkeys and participating in discussions on roleplaying-related message boards.

Fans can post remembrances and and thoughts about Gygax on the Troll Lords message boards. Fans are planning a massive day of D&D in his honor, so check the boards for more details.

Posted on March 4, 2008
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10,000 B.C.: A Prehistoric Adventure

The premiere of the film 10,000 BC in Germany featured life-sized figures of Woolly Mammoths. The movie is directed by Roland Emmerich, who also diected Indepence Day, Stargate and The Day After Tomorrow. In the video clip below, Emmerich says the period is a fascinating time in history because we know so little about it. The film stars Steven Straight as a mammoth hunter named D'Leh. Some of the many dangers include sabertooth tigers, ground sloths and angry warlords.

10,000 B.C. bears little resemblance to One Million Years B.C. - the film that made Raquel Welch's figure famous - or other caveman movies. There were also films and tv shows called Korg: 70,000 B.C. and 50,000 B.C. (Before Clothing). Newsday says 10,000 B.C. marks a new era of caveman flicks. You can find out more about the film on IMDB, Wikipedia and on the official website.



Posted on February 29, 2008
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Golden Compass Team Wins Best Visual Effects Oscar

Trevor Wood, Ben Morris, Bill Westenhofer, and Michael Fink won the Best Achievement in Visual Effects Oscar for their work on The Golden Compass. It was a surprise win and they were understandably thrilled. We quite enjoyed The Golden Compass: it worked for us. And, of course, the special effects were fantastic.

You can see a list of all the winners here. You can see critiques of the Oscar fashions here.

(Photo courtesy A.M.P.A.S.)

Posted on February 25, 2008
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Ghost Whisperer Renewed. Still Waiting For Moonlight Renewal

Ghost Whisperer starring Jennifer Love Hewitt is one of the shows that has been renewed in what has been a slew of renewal announcements. The Denver Post listed a few of the renewals and show restart dates in this article. Numb3rs and The Big Bang Theory were among other CBS renewals.

Post-strike, the networks are posting return dates for original series. On the CW, nine episodes of "The Game" return beginning March 23; six of "One Tree Hill" return April 14; five of "Smallville" return April 17; five of "Gossip Girl" starting April 21; five "Reaper" April 22; four "Supernatural" April 24.

On NBC, "My Name Is Earl" resumes April 3 with a one-hour episode. "30 Rock," "The Office," "Scrubs" and "ER" pick up April 10; "Law & Order: SVU" returns April 15; "Law & Order" returns April 23.

CBS has renewed "Cold Case," "Criminal Minds," all three "CSIs," "Ghost Whisperer," "NCIS," "Numb3rs," "Two and a Half Men," "Without a Trace" and "The Big Bang Theory," along with previously announced "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race."

For Ghost Whisperer you can also catch season 2 of The Other Side webisodes on the show's official website. Things are less clear for Moonlight, the great show that started following Ghost Whisperer last year. Hollywood Reporter writes that the fate of Moonlight is still up in the air. There will be four new Moonlight shows beginning April 4th but CBS really needs to hurry up and renew Moonlight!

Posted on February 21, 2008
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Tolkien Estate Threatens to Pull Hobbit Film Rights From New Line

Here we go again. The Tolkien Trust and Harpercollins are suing New Line for failing to pay contractually required gross profit participations from the three Lord of the Rings movies. Sound familiar? It should. That was the whole basis of the dispute between Peter Jackson and New Line that caused The Hobbit movie to be so delayed that Jackson can't even direct it due to other commitments.

According to the suit, although the "Lord of the Rings" films produced by New Line are among the most financially successful films ever created, with worldwide gross receipts of nearly $6 billion, New Line has failed to pay the plaintiffs any portion of the gross profit participation they are entitled to under their deal.

The complaint seeks, among other things, in excess of $150 million in compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages, and a declaration from the Court that the plaintiffs have a right to terminate any further rights New Line may have to the Tolkien works under the agreements, including "The Hobbit", due to the serious and material nature of the breach of the agreements.

Bonnie Eskenazi, the trustees' U.S. counsel who filed the complaint, said, "New Line has brought new meaning to the phrase 'creative accounting.' I cannot imagine how on earth New Line will argue to a jury that these films could gross literally billions of dollars, and yet the creator’s heirs, who are entitled to a share of gross receipts, don't get a penny."

The trustees' UK lawyer, Steven Maier, of Manches LLP, added: "The Tolkien trustees do not file lawsuits lightly, and have tried unsuccessfully to resolve their claims out of court. But in this case, New Line has left them no option at all. New Line has not paid the plaintiffs even one penny of its contractual share of gross receipts despite the billions of dollars of gross revenue generated by these wildly successful motion pictures. To make matters worse, to date New Line has even prevented the plaintiffs from auditing the last two films of the series."

They didn't pay the Tolkien estate one dime??? They claimed they never made a profit?? New Line apparently has no shame whatsoever. We say: throw them into the flames of Orodruin. Oh, and as for The Hobbit movie? That is so not happening unless The Tolkien Estate says so.

Posted on February 11, 2008
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CGI May Help With Heath Ledger's Role in Gilliam Fantasy Film

The Times Online reports that CGI may be one of the options to replace Heath Ledger in The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus - a $30 million fantasy movie directed by Terry Gilliam. The article says the film was about a third of the way finished before Heath Ledger's untimely death. Another option is to have another actor - possibly Johnny Depp - take over the role.

The recent location shooting in East London meant that filming was about one-third complete when Ledger was found dead in his Manhattan apartment. Cast and crew were due to get together again in Toronto next week, although that was called off as soon as news emerged of the actor's death.

It would not be the first time that CGI had been used to complete a role. It was used most notably after the death of Oliver Reed to finish off the actor's performance in Ridley Scott's Gladiator, although in that case shooting was much closer to completion.

An alternative for Gilliam, notorious as a director whose projects hit unexpected snags, is to appoint another actor to take over in Ledger's role, specifically after a scene when his character steps through a magic mirror. The American Johnny Depp, who has worked with Gilliam in the past, is seen as the most likely contender.

Heath Ledger's co-star in the film Christopher Plummer (who plays Dr. Parnassus) has commented on Heath's death saying that he had been suffering from a nasty bug. You can read another article on The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus here - this one says Gilliam is working hard to save the film.

Posted on January 30, 2008
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Dark Knight's Heath Ledger is Dead at 28

Actor Heath Ledger who is playing the Joker in the upcoming Batman film was found dead today in his New York apartment, apparently from an overdose of both prescription and nonprescription sleeping pills. Various media reports say he has battled substance abuse for some time.

In this interview from The New York Times two months ago, there are some clues as to his mental state. He is discussing his roles in the Bob Dylan biopic and in The Dark Knight and the stress the roles caused him.

It all tied him in knots. "I stressed out a little too much," Mr. Ledger said.

He tends to do that. He is here in London filming the latest episode of the Batman franchise, The Dark Knight. (Mr. Bale, as it happens, plays Batman; Mr. Ledger plays the Joker.) It is a physically and mentally draining role - his Joker is a "psychopathic, mass-murdering, schizophrenic clown with zero empathy" he said cheerfully - and, as often happens when he throws himself into a part, he is not sleeping much.

"Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night," he said. "I couldn't stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going." One night he took an Ambien, which failed to work. He took a second one and fell into a stupor, only to wake up an hour later, his mind still racing.

Even as he spoke, Mr. Ledger was hard-pressed to keep still. He got up and poured more coffee. He stepped outside into the courtyard and smoked a cigarette. He shook his hair out from under its hood, put a rubber band around it, took out the rubber band, put on a hat, took off the hat, put the hood back up. He went outside and had another cigarette. Polite and charming, he nonetheless gave off the sense that the last thing he wanted to do was delve deep into himself for public consumption. "It can be a little distressing to have to overintellectualize yourself," is how he put it, a little apologetically.

Conducting a tour of the house, which he is renting for a few months, he made wry remarks about the art. One painting depicts a crowd of creatures who appear to be in hell, but who seem determined to extract as much sexual pleasure as they can from their eternity of free time; Mr. Ledger has turned another one around and hung it upside down, to no apparent ill advantage.

Heath was only 28 years old; he has a two year-old little girl named Matilda. Matilda's mother is actress Michelle Williams, with whom Heath was involved with for three years. The couple broke up in September, 2007. What a terrible tragedy for his family.

Posted on January 22, 2008
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Birmingham Planning Fantasy Science Fiction Convention Called OmegaCon

The Birmingham News reports that Birmingham, Alabama will be home to a fantasy and science fiction convention called OmegaCon. The convention's founders hope to rival Atlanta's DragonCon and draw an attendance of over 7,000 fans of the genre.

The event will be March 14-16 at the Sheraton Birmingham, 2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. It will include appearances by actors, writers, scientists, fan clubs and live bands.

"There's a huge science fiction and fantasy following in Birmingham and Alabama," Knopf said. "We have a very large technology community here. Look at NASA and look at UAB."

OmegaCon will include appearances by some well-known actors:

George Takei, who portrayed Mr. Sulu in the original "Star Trek" series and movies and who recently portrayed Kaito Nakamura on NBC's "Heroes" series.

Richard Hatch, who portrayed Capt. Apollo on the original "Battlestar Galactica" series and Tom Zarek on the current reimagined version.

Ray Park, who portrayed Darth Maul in "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" and Toad in "X-Men."

Kevin Sorbo, who played Capt. Dylan Hunt in "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda," and Hercules in "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys."

The dates for OmegaCon are March 14-16, 2008. You can see a list of the guests and speakers on OmegaCon's website.

Posted on January 16, 2008