Work Is More Evil than Voodoo
“Like many people, I regularly used to work 70 hour weeks with little or no time for my family” says Pratten. “I woke up one morning and just decided to do something completely different, something fantastic”.
At 35 years old and a successful, internationally recognized consultant to the telecoms industry, Pratten quit work in 2000 and started at the London Film School just a few yards from his former office. Now, four years on, he’s written, directed and produced his first feature film to tell others quit your job before it destroys you.
The film, London Voodoo, tells of an ambitious New York analyst that takes his family on a secondment to London, England and is forced to embrace voodoo to save his family from destruction. “This guy, like many others in real life, is working so hard he doesn’t notice the changes happening around him - life is just passing him by”
Pratten wrote the film during 2001, a time when police were investigating several ritualistic killings in London thought to be related to the practice of voodoo. Investigating for himself, Pratten discovered a religion that brought comfort to many people (estimated to be 60 million worldwide) and even found himself stripped naked as part of a local voodoo initiation.
“First and foremost, the film is made to entertain but if I can get just one person in the audience to leave the theatre and do something different with their life then I see that as a life saved – it’s not voodoo that’s evil, it’s our unwillingness to take a break from the office”
London Voodoo features Sweden's finest: Sven-Bertil Taube and Michael Nyqvist with an original soundtrack by Siouxsie & The Banshees’ songwriter and bassist, Steven Severin. Additional songs are provided by his new group Darling Hate (featuring songwriting partner and vocalist, Arban Ornelas).
The film premiers 10pm March 7th at Laemmle Fairfax cinema 7907 Beverly Blvd. (corner of Fairfax) in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA.
Other dates scheduled are 5pm March 14th at Fearless Tales Horror/Fantasy Festival in San Francisco and April 4th-11th at The World Horror Convention in Phoenix, Arizona.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
MONTY PYTHON TOPS BRIT-FLICK POLL
AMAZON.CO.UK & IMDB ANNOUNCE TOP 40 FAVOURITE BRITISH FILMS OF ALL TIME
Monty Python and the Holy Grail has been voted the Favourite British Film of all time – knocking Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange into second place with more than double the votes – in a poll conducted by Amazon.co.uk & the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) which coincided with the BAFTA awards on Sunday 15 February.
The film was the comfortable winner taking a quarter of the total votes in the poll of over 7000 people conducted by Amazon.co.uk and IMDB (www.imdb.com). The final list reveals the public’s 40 favourite British films ranging from old classics such as Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and The 39 Steps to more recent British comedies such as Love Actually (out on DVD 26 March and available for pre-order now with £10 off at Amazon.co.uk), Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Full Monty.
TOP 20 BRITISH FILMS OF ALL TIME
Film Year % of Votes
1 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 24.3
2 A Clockwork Orange (1971) 12.5
3 Trainspotting (1996) 7.5
4 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 7.1
5 The Third Man (1949) 3.7
6 Shakespeare in Love (1998) 3.7
7 Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) 3.6
8 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 3.2
9 Sense and Sensibility (1995) 3.2
10 Love Actually (2003) 3.0
11 Goldfinger (1964) 2.9
12 Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) 2.5
13 The Full Monty (1997) 1.7
14 Elizabeth (1998) 1.7
15 The Italian Job (1969) 1.7
16 The English Patient (1996) 1.6
17 Doctor Zhivago (1965) 1.3
18 Gandhi (1982) 1.2
19 Chariots of Fire (1981) 1.1
20 Withnail and I (1987) 0.9
FEATURED FILMS
The final list reflects the huge diversity of British films, with the top 20 featuring everything from gritty realism to surreal comedy; from majestic epics to spy films; and from classic war stories to classic Shakespeare.
“This survey demonstrates the eclectic nature of British films and here at Amazon.co.uk we aim to offer the biggest selection of these genre-spanning movies,” comments Mark Walker, DVD Product Manager at Amazon.co.uk. “I think the biggest surprise is the presence of two Monty Python films in the top 10. These films lead a strong field from the genre of The Great British Comedy – accompanied in the top 20 by recent films such as Love Actually, The Full Monty and Four Weddings and a Funeral."
British epics and war movies also dominate the list, with Lawrence of Arabia, The Third Man, The English Patient, Gandhi and Chariots of Fire all appearing in the top 20.
POLL SURPISES
Additional themes from the results include surprises relating to British cult classics in the list. The relatively low ranking of Withnail & I, clearly one of the biggest cult films to come out of the UK, is an especially big surprise. Perhaps equally surprising is the incredible ranking of A Clockwork Orange at number 2, possibly a consequence of the controversy surrounding the film and its subsequent delayed release after a 25-year ban.
007 – MISSING IN ACTION
Another notable surprise, given their universal appeal, is the presence of only one Bond film in the top 10 – though this is almost certainly down to votes being split between the films. The results may have been very different if the films had been grouped together as the Bond franchise for voting purposes. It's also surprising that no Carry On or Ealing films are included in the top 20.
RECOGNISING BRITISH FILMMAKING TALENT
However, on the eve of the BAFTAs and the Oscars, where this year British films have been largely overlooked in the nominations lists – Walker believes this poll serves as a reminder of the enormous talent of British filmmakers.
“The list alone shows that there is so much for the British film industry to hope for in the future – if it can look to replicate the elements which have been successful in British filmmaking in the past: great writing, masterful directing, unforgettable performances, and of course the eclectic British characters that makes many of the favourites so unique.”
AMAZON.CO.UK DVD SHOP
Amazon.co.uk's DVD shop (www.amazon.co.uk/dvd) is the place to find, discover and buy films online. It offers an easy and convenient way to shop, with fantastic prices, great choice and comprehensive product information. With low prices and at least 30% off bestselling DVD’s, the chance to pre-order forthcoming releases and free delivery on qualifying orders over £25, Amazon.co.uk is the place to buy all these great DVDs. Amazon customers can also watch all their favourite movies and find great offers on DVD players at amazon.co.uk/electronics.
AMAZON.CO.UK & IMDB ANNOUNCE TOP 40 FAVOURITE BRITISH FILMS OF ALL TIME
Monty Python and the Holy Grail has been voted the Favourite British Film of all time – knocking Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange into second place with more than double the votes – in a poll conducted by Amazon.co.uk & the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) which coincided with the BAFTA awards on Sunday 15 February.
The film was the comfortable winner taking a quarter of the total votes in the poll of over 7000 people conducted by Amazon.co.uk and IMDB (www.imdb.com). The final list reveals the public’s 40 favourite British films ranging from old classics such as Great Expectations, Oliver Twist and The 39 Steps to more recent British comedies such as Love Actually (out on DVD 26 March and available for pre-order now with £10 off at Amazon.co.uk), Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Full Monty.
TOP 20 BRITISH FILMS OF ALL TIME
Film Year % of Votes
1 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 24.3
2 A Clockwork Orange (1971) 12.5
3 Trainspotting (1996) 7.5
4 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 7.1
5 The Third Man (1949) 3.7
6 Shakespeare in Love (1998) 3.7
7 Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) 3.6
8 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 3.2
9 Sense and Sensibility (1995) 3.2
10 Love Actually (2003) 3.0
11 Goldfinger (1964) 2.9
12 Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) 2.5
13 The Full Monty (1997) 1.7
14 Elizabeth (1998) 1.7
15 The Italian Job (1969) 1.7
16 The English Patient (1996) 1.6
17 Doctor Zhivago (1965) 1.3
18 Gandhi (1982) 1.2
19 Chariots of Fire (1981) 1.1
20 Withnail and I (1987) 0.9
FEATURED FILMS
The final list reflects the huge diversity of British films, with the top 20 featuring everything from gritty realism to surreal comedy; from majestic epics to spy films; and from classic war stories to classic Shakespeare.
“This survey demonstrates the eclectic nature of British films and here at Amazon.co.uk we aim to offer the biggest selection of these genre-spanning movies,” comments Mark Walker, DVD Product Manager at Amazon.co.uk. “I think the biggest surprise is the presence of two Monty Python films in the top 10. These films lead a strong field from the genre of The Great British Comedy – accompanied in the top 20 by recent films such as Love Actually, The Full Monty and Four Weddings and a Funeral."
British epics and war movies also dominate the list, with Lawrence of Arabia, The Third Man, The English Patient, Gandhi and Chariots of Fire all appearing in the top 20.
POLL SURPISES
Additional themes from the results include surprises relating to British cult classics in the list. The relatively low ranking of Withnail & I, clearly one of the biggest cult films to come out of the UK, is an especially big surprise. Perhaps equally surprising is the incredible ranking of A Clockwork Orange at number 2, possibly a consequence of the controversy surrounding the film and its subsequent delayed release after a 25-year ban.
007 – MISSING IN ACTION
Another notable surprise, given their universal appeal, is the presence of only one Bond film in the top 10 – though this is almost certainly down to votes being split between the films. The results may have been very different if the films had been grouped together as the Bond franchise for voting purposes. It's also surprising that no Carry On or Ealing films are included in the top 20.
RECOGNISING BRITISH FILMMAKING TALENT
However, on the eve of the BAFTAs and the Oscars, where this year British films have been largely overlooked in the nominations lists – Walker believes this poll serves as a reminder of the enormous talent of British filmmakers.
“The list alone shows that there is so much for the British film industry to hope for in the future – if it can look to replicate the elements which have been successful in British filmmaking in the past: great writing, masterful directing, unforgettable performances, and of course the eclectic British characters that makes many of the favourites so unique.”
AMAZON.CO.UK DVD SHOP
Amazon.co.uk's DVD shop (www.amazon.co.uk/dvd) is the place to find, discover and buy films online. It offers an easy and convenient way to shop, with fantastic prices, great choice and comprehensive product information. With low prices and at least 30% off bestselling DVD’s, the chance to pre-order forthcoming releases and free delivery on qualifying orders over £25, Amazon.co.uk is the place to buy all these great DVDs. Amazon customers can also watch all their favourite movies and find great offers on DVD players at amazon.co.uk/electronics.
Monday, February 16, 2004
Subtitling revolution arrives at your local cinema
A further seventy-eight cinemas in England will now be able to show subtitled screenings of the latest blockbuster and specialist films - marking a revolution for thousands of would-be cinema goers across the country.
RNID, the largest charity representing the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, welcomes today’s announcement by the UK Film Council, via its Cinema Access Programme, that seventy-eight cinemas have been successful in their application for funding towards the installation of captioning and audio description equipment.
The equipment will be available in one in seven of the country’s cinemas, and will enable people with sensory impairments to enjoy the latest mainstream and specialised films. Prior to this announcement, there were only twenty-two cinemas out of almost 700 cinemas in the UK that had subtitling equipment.
Dr John Low, Chief Executive of RNID, said “Deaf and hard of hearing people have been excluded from the enjoyment of cinema since the advent of the talkies back in the 1920’s. At a time when service providers are preparing for part III of the Disability Discrimination Act which comes into affect in October 2004, the installation of this equipment greatly expands access and choice for large numbers of deaf and visually impaired people.”
Peter Buckingham, Head of the UK Film Council's Distribution and Exhibition Fund said: "We want to help all sectors of the community to enjoy film which is such an important part of our culture. In the past, too many people with impaired sight and hearing have been cut off from the world of cinema. This pioneering new scheme will mean that they will able to enjoy films at the cinema, as well as the discussions afterwards, along with their friends and family."
A further seventy-eight cinemas in England will now be able to show subtitled screenings of the latest blockbuster and specialist films - marking a revolution for thousands of would-be cinema goers across the country.
RNID, the largest charity representing the nine million deaf and hard of hearing people in the UK, welcomes today’s announcement by the UK Film Council, via its Cinema Access Programme, that seventy-eight cinemas have been successful in their application for funding towards the installation of captioning and audio description equipment.
The equipment will be available in one in seven of the country’s cinemas, and will enable people with sensory impairments to enjoy the latest mainstream and specialised films. Prior to this announcement, there were only twenty-two cinemas out of almost 700 cinemas in the UK that had subtitling equipment.
Dr John Low, Chief Executive of RNID, said “Deaf and hard of hearing people have been excluded from the enjoyment of cinema since the advent of the talkies back in the 1920’s. At a time when service providers are preparing for part III of the Disability Discrimination Act which comes into affect in October 2004, the installation of this equipment greatly expands access and choice for large numbers of deaf and visually impaired people.”
Peter Buckingham, Head of the UK Film Council's Distribution and Exhibition Fund said: "We want to help all sectors of the community to enjoy film which is such an important part of our culture. In the past, too many people with impaired sight and hearing have been cut off from the world of cinema. This pioneering new scheme will mean that they will able to enjoy films at the cinema, as well as the discussions afterwards, along with their friends and family."
International Celebration of Video Art
Winners of the Grand Prizes
for the 26th Tokyo Video Festival “TVF 2004”
Selected Video Grand Prize: Mr. Yoshihisa Ishizu, 41, of Ehime Prefecture for “Why Can’t I Do Sakaagari?”
JVC Grand Prize: Mr. Bertrand de Souza Lira, 45, of Brazil for
“Bom Dia, Maria de Nazaré!” (Good Morning, Maria de Nazaré!)
The 26th Tokyo Video Festival “TVF 2004,” sponsored by Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC), attracted record entries of 2,881 works from 36 countries and regions from around the world (938 works from Japan and 1,943 works from overseas; an increase of 21 percent from last year). From among the entries, 30 works won Excellence Award and 70 Selected Works were mentioned. After the final review, the Video Grand Prize and the JVC Grand Prize (one work for each prize) were selected from among the works that won Excellence Award, and the newly established High-definition Digital Video Camera Award (one work) was chosen from among the works that won Excellence Award or Selected
Work. In addition, three works were chosen for the People Awards from among the works that won Excellence Award by a popular vote on the Internet.
For the Video Grand Prize, Mr. Yoshihisa Ishizu (41)’s “Why Can’t I Do Sakaagari?” was selected.
Mr. Ishizu is a teacher of an elementary school in Ehime Prefecture in Japan. It is a record of a teacher (Mr. Ishizu), who was shocked to find that his pupils were unable to do the forward upward circling on the horizontal bar, undertaking to instruct them until all of his class could accomplish the circling. The heartwarming video vividly shows the pupils practicing while they encourage each other and devise various methods in their practice. Although the pupils were made to practice at first, they gradually began to practice voluntarily. The work was highly praised for looking at education from a new angle.
For the JVC Grand Prize, Mr. Bertrand de Souza Lira (45)’s “Bom Dia, Maria de Nazaré!” (Good Morning, Maria de Nazaré!) was chosen. Mr. de Souza Lira is a teacher from Brazil. The video
depicts how an FM radio station, set up in a poor community, draws the people in the community and spreads new and diverse modes of communication. Using the video media, the work captures the activities of a regional radio station that deals with the audio media. It was commended highly for showing how “the work of rebuilding a community and making a video production intertwined to bear rich fruits” (Mr. Susumu Hani).
The newly established High-definition Digital Video Camera Award went to Mr. Fumikazu Hatano (55) for his work “Land Close To The Sky-Traveling in Tibet in Summer”. Mr. Hatano is an office worker
from Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. The work takes full advantage of the high-definition and wide images (width-to-height ratio of 16:9) of the hi-definition image technology.
The People Awards, which were selected by popular vote on the Internet, went to Mr. Yoshihisa Ishizu (41) for “Why Can’t I Do Sakaagari?”, which also won the Video Grand Prize, Mr. Ryoichi Sato (50, self-employed from Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan) for “That Dam, Who Needs It!”, and Sebastián Talavera Serrano (Spain) for “Dueños De Nada” (Owners of Nothing).
Winners of the Grand Prizes
for the 26th Tokyo Video Festival “TVF 2004”
Selected Video Grand Prize: Mr. Yoshihisa Ishizu, 41, of Ehime Prefecture for “Why Can’t I Do Sakaagari?”
JVC Grand Prize: Mr. Bertrand de Souza Lira, 45, of Brazil for
“Bom Dia, Maria de Nazaré!” (Good Morning, Maria de Nazaré!)
The 26th Tokyo Video Festival “TVF 2004,” sponsored by Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC), attracted record entries of 2,881 works from 36 countries and regions from around the world (938 works from Japan and 1,943 works from overseas; an increase of 21 percent from last year). From among the entries, 30 works won Excellence Award and 70 Selected Works were mentioned. After the final review, the Video Grand Prize and the JVC Grand Prize (one work for each prize) were selected from among the works that won Excellence Award, and the newly established High-definition Digital Video Camera Award (one work) was chosen from among the works that won Excellence Award or Selected
Work. In addition, three works were chosen for the People Awards from among the works that won Excellence Award by a popular vote on the Internet.
For the Video Grand Prize, Mr. Yoshihisa Ishizu (41)’s “Why Can’t I Do Sakaagari?” was selected.
Mr. Ishizu is a teacher of an elementary school in Ehime Prefecture in Japan. It is a record of a teacher (Mr. Ishizu), who was shocked to find that his pupils were unable to do the forward upward circling on the horizontal bar, undertaking to instruct them until all of his class could accomplish the circling. The heartwarming video vividly shows the pupils practicing while they encourage each other and devise various methods in their practice. Although the pupils were made to practice at first, they gradually began to practice voluntarily. The work was highly praised for looking at education from a new angle.
For the JVC Grand Prize, Mr. Bertrand de Souza Lira (45)’s “Bom Dia, Maria de Nazaré!” (Good Morning, Maria de Nazaré!) was chosen. Mr. de Souza Lira is a teacher from Brazil. The video
depicts how an FM radio station, set up in a poor community, draws the people in the community and spreads new and diverse modes of communication. Using the video media, the work captures the activities of a regional radio station that deals with the audio media. It was commended highly for showing how “the work of rebuilding a community and making a video production intertwined to bear rich fruits” (Mr. Susumu Hani).
The newly established High-definition Digital Video Camera Award went to Mr. Fumikazu Hatano (55) for his work “Land Close To The Sky-Traveling in Tibet in Summer”. Mr. Hatano is an office worker
from Kanagawa Prefecture in Japan. The work takes full advantage of the high-definition and wide images (width-to-height ratio of 16:9) of the hi-definition image technology.
The People Awards, which were selected by popular vote on the Internet, went to Mr. Yoshihisa Ishizu (41) for “Why Can’t I Do Sakaagari?”, which also won the Video Grand Prize, Mr. Ryoichi Sato (50, self-employed from Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan) for “That Dam, Who Needs It!”, and Sebastián Talavera Serrano (Spain) for “Dueños De Nada” (Owners of Nothing).
STAR WARS MAGAZINE
Issue #49
This month, Star Wars Magazine brings fans across the Star Wars universe interviews with The Phantom Menace star Ray Park (Darth Maul) and Star Wars make-up creator Stuart Freeborn. We study the new aliens introduced in Attack of the Clones, look into the world of invisible effects from The Phantom Menace and take you behind-the-scenes of the Star Wars animated micro series Clone Wars.
As always, SWM is packed with all the latest scoops – including an Episode III post-production update and exclusive new photos from the set, plus much, much more!
Don’t miss your free Darth Maul poster with this issue!
THE PHANTOM MENACE
Stuntman-turned-actor Ray Park, best known to Star Wars fans as Darth Maul, the demonic apprentice to Darth Sidious, chats to SWM about life before, during and after The Phantom Menace, plus he reveals the latest on his role as Danny Rand in the upcoming Marvel comic adaptation, Iron Fist.
ALIEN FACES
SWM talks to Star Wars make-up creator Stuart Freeborn to discover how he created the looks for some of the most famous faces in Star Wars: Episode IV, V & VI, including Chewbacca, Yoda and Jabba the Hutt.
THE ALIENS FROM ATTACK OF THE CLONES
Star Wars aliens have played on our affections, our fears and our imaginations for over a quarter of a century. SWM studies the new aliens introduced to the Star Wars universe in Attack of the Clones, including the giraffe-necked Kaminoans and the bug-like Geonosians.
INVISIBLE EFFECTS FROM THE PHANTOM MENACE
There’s a good argument that the most impressive effects are the ones not even the most keen-eyed viewers can detect. SWM looks into the world of invisible effects from The Phantom Menace.
MAKING THE CLONE WARS!
SWM visits the Cartoon Network headquarters to take you behind-the-scenes of the Star Wars animated micro series Clone Wars.
ALSO INCLUDED IN ISSUE #49
Rob Coleman: Behind the Magic
Set Piece: The Outlander Club
Comlink
Star Wars Q&A
Win Star Wars LEGO sets!
Plus, LOADS more!
GET IT DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR!
Subscribe to SWM by calling 0153 6764 646 or email: starwarssubs@titanemail.com, quoting reference P103.
ISSUE #49 ON SALE NOW!
ã Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Issue #49
This month, Star Wars Magazine brings fans across the Star Wars universe interviews with The Phantom Menace star Ray Park (Darth Maul) and Star Wars make-up creator Stuart Freeborn. We study the new aliens introduced in Attack of the Clones, look into the world of invisible effects from The Phantom Menace and take you behind-the-scenes of the Star Wars animated micro series Clone Wars.
As always, SWM is packed with all the latest scoops – including an Episode III post-production update and exclusive new photos from the set, plus much, much more!
Don’t miss your free Darth Maul poster with this issue!
THE PHANTOM MENACE
Stuntman-turned-actor Ray Park, best known to Star Wars fans as Darth Maul, the demonic apprentice to Darth Sidious, chats to SWM about life before, during and after The Phantom Menace, plus he reveals the latest on his role as Danny Rand in the upcoming Marvel comic adaptation, Iron Fist.
ALIEN FACES
SWM talks to Star Wars make-up creator Stuart Freeborn to discover how he created the looks for some of the most famous faces in Star Wars: Episode IV, V & VI, including Chewbacca, Yoda and Jabba the Hutt.
THE ALIENS FROM ATTACK OF THE CLONES
Star Wars aliens have played on our affections, our fears and our imaginations for over a quarter of a century. SWM studies the new aliens introduced to the Star Wars universe in Attack of the Clones, including the giraffe-necked Kaminoans and the bug-like Geonosians.
INVISIBLE EFFECTS FROM THE PHANTOM MENACE
There’s a good argument that the most impressive effects are the ones not even the most keen-eyed viewers can detect. SWM looks into the world of invisible effects from The Phantom Menace.
MAKING THE CLONE WARS!
SWM visits the Cartoon Network headquarters to take you behind-the-scenes of the Star Wars animated micro series Clone Wars.
ALSO INCLUDED IN ISSUE #49
Rob Coleman: Behind the Magic
Set Piece: The Outlander Club
Comlink
Star Wars Q&A
Win Star Wars LEGO sets!
Plus, LOADS more!
GET IT DIRECT TO YOUR DOOR!
Subscribe to SWM by calling 0153 6764 646 or email: starwarssubs@titanemail.com, quoting reference P103.
ISSUE #49 ON SALE NOW!
ã Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
DARING DIGITAL
The future stars of the UK’s billion pound games industry could emerge from a unique competition aimed at university students, Dare to be Digital 2004, which launches in Dundee this week.
Predicted as having "a major impact on the global games industry in the near future" by Richard Leinfellner, Vice President of Executive in charge of Production for leading games publisher Electronic Arts (EA), the annual Dare to be Digital competition is a joint venture between the University of Abertay Dundee, Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Dundee City Council.
Open to students from across all Scottish Universities and Colleges of Art, teams made up of five students will be asked to submit a concept for a new and original computer game or educational entertainment product. Judging the competition will be a panel of leading industry experts, who will be looking for the most creative ideas and those that fulfil the greatest market potential. Teams who make it through will have only 10 weeks to present a finished digital prototype and business sales document which can be pitched to investors.
The six teams, who will work from Dundee and have access to the cutting edge facilities at the University of Abertay, will be paid on a weekly basis and supported by experienced industry specialists, who will offer technical, creative and business advice – mentors who are inaccessible to any student outside the Dare project.
Dundee is one of the UK’s most important games centres and is widely regarded as the home of the Scottish games industry, housing over half of the country’s companies in the area. The number of people employed in computer games development companies in Scotland is around 500 people with a collective turnover of £20m. Dundee employs over a quarter of the related Scottish workforce.
In an industry that complains of the lack of ‘real-world’ application where academic courses are concerned, the Dare to be Digital competition is seen as actively addressing this problem by successfully bridging the gap, with five new companies set up by Dare teams.
As testament to the strength of work produced by past entrants, team members from last year’s two winning teams - who produced the PC based role-playing game Demon Lore and multiple solution puzzle winning game Zoo Crew – were asked to present to EA staff at their headquarters in Chertsey and were hired on the spot. Other Dare ‘graduates’ are working with games companies in Dundee and throughout the UK.
Due to the high level of excellence generated by the competition over the last three years, two new sponsors have come on board for 2004, Microsoft and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, NESTA, which join BBC Scotland Interactive and NCR.
For the 2004 competition, Scottish students will be joined by entries from Ireland. The Irish entry is being co-ordinated by The Digital Hub. Previously Dare has had teams from Japan and Malaysia and organisers hope that this international feeder to the competition will encourage further interest from global partner universities in 2005.
The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in Dundee in September, where teams will compete for a prize fund of £5000 as well as follow up-support to develop their prototype to commercial reality. An Endeavour Prize of £1000 will also be awarded to the team who has shown the most effort and progression.
Shona Cormack, the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Tayside, said:
"Dare to be Digital plays a leading role in supporting future talent for the digital and interactive industries and SET is delighted to have supported the competition through funding since its inception. The digital economy is a key component of Scotland's future. Ensuring there is a skill-base to allow this industry to thrive is a fundamental requirement and one we actively support in Tayside. The inclusion of international teams and the presence of judges from companies such as Electronic Arts and the BBC are welcome developments that confirms the value of this innovative competition."
As part of the launch, Dare to be Digital will be visiting Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen throughout February and March, where students will be able to find out more, meet with some of last year's teams, hear from BBC Scotland and have the chance to win an Xbox, and other prizes donated by Microsoft. Students wishing to attend one of these events should visit www.daretobedigital.com
ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, announced last month of the continued buoyant growth in the UK computer and video games market. UK sales of leisure software products reached an all time high in 2003, with values reaching £1.26 billion, an increase of 7.1 per cent over the previous year.
Entries close on 19th April. Dare to be Digital will be visiting the following cities–
Monday 16th February, Glasgow, The Lighthouse 4 - 5.30pm
Tuesday 25th February, Edinburgh, Royal Museum of Scotland 4 - 5.30pm
Wednesday 3rd March, Aberdeen, Hog’s Head 12 - 1.30pm
The future stars of the UK’s billion pound games industry could emerge from a unique competition aimed at university students, Dare to be Digital 2004, which launches in Dundee this week.
Predicted as having "a major impact on the global games industry in the near future" by Richard Leinfellner, Vice President of Executive in charge of Production for leading games publisher Electronic Arts (EA), the annual Dare to be Digital competition is a joint venture between the University of Abertay Dundee, Scottish Enterprise Tayside and Dundee City Council.
Open to students from across all Scottish Universities and Colleges of Art, teams made up of five students will be asked to submit a concept for a new and original computer game or educational entertainment product. Judging the competition will be a panel of leading industry experts, who will be looking for the most creative ideas and those that fulfil the greatest market potential. Teams who make it through will have only 10 weeks to present a finished digital prototype and business sales document which can be pitched to investors.
The six teams, who will work from Dundee and have access to the cutting edge facilities at the University of Abertay, will be paid on a weekly basis and supported by experienced industry specialists, who will offer technical, creative and business advice – mentors who are inaccessible to any student outside the Dare project.
Dundee is one of the UK’s most important games centres and is widely regarded as the home of the Scottish games industry, housing over half of the country’s companies in the area. The number of people employed in computer games development companies in Scotland is around 500 people with a collective turnover of £20m. Dundee employs over a quarter of the related Scottish workforce.
In an industry that complains of the lack of ‘real-world’ application where academic courses are concerned, the Dare to be Digital competition is seen as actively addressing this problem by successfully bridging the gap, with five new companies set up by Dare teams.
As testament to the strength of work produced by past entrants, team members from last year’s two winning teams - who produced the PC based role-playing game Demon Lore and multiple solution puzzle winning game Zoo Crew – were asked to present to EA staff at their headquarters in Chertsey and were hired on the spot. Other Dare ‘graduates’ are working with games companies in Dundee and throughout the UK.
Due to the high level of excellence generated by the competition over the last three years, two new sponsors have come on board for 2004, Microsoft and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, NESTA, which join BBC Scotland Interactive and NCR.
For the 2004 competition, Scottish students will be joined by entries from Ireland. The Irish entry is being co-ordinated by The Digital Hub. Previously Dare has had teams from Japan and Malaysia and organisers hope that this international feeder to the competition will encourage further interest from global partner universities in 2005.
The winners will be announced at an award ceremony in Dundee in September, where teams will compete for a prize fund of £5000 as well as follow up-support to develop their prototype to commercial reality. An Endeavour Prize of £1000 will also be awarded to the team who has shown the most effort and progression.
Shona Cormack, the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Tayside, said:
"Dare to be Digital plays a leading role in supporting future talent for the digital and interactive industries and SET is delighted to have supported the competition through funding since its inception. The digital economy is a key component of Scotland's future. Ensuring there is a skill-base to allow this industry to thrive is a fundamental requirement and one we actively support in Tayside. The inclusion of international teams and the presence of judges from companies such as Electronic Arts and the BBC are welcome developments that confirms the value of this innovative competition."
As part of the launch, Dare to be Digital will be visiting Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen throughout February and March, where students will be able to find out more, meet with some of last year's teams, hear from BBC Scotland and have the chance to win an Xbox, and other prizes donated by Microsoft. Students wishing to attend one of these events should visit www.daretobedigital.com
ELSPA, the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association, announced last month of the continued buoyant growth in the UK computer and video games market. UK sales of leisure software products reached an all time high in 2003, with values reaching £1.26 billion, an increase of 7.1 per cent over the previous year.
Entries close on 19th April. Dare to be Digital will be visiting the following cities–
Monday 16th February, Glasgow, The Lighthouse 4 - 5.30pm
Tuesday 25th February, Edinburgh, Royal Museum of Scotland 4 - 5.30pm
Wednesday 3rd March, Aberdeen, Hog’s Head 12 - 1.30pm
Friday, February 13, 2004
JVC Launches New Cost Effective Studio Camera
The KY-F560 is JVC Professional's latest compact and high quality general purpose camera. With the help of a few accessories the lightweight (900g) KY-F560 becomes an efficient and cost effective studio camera for those in a space restricted environment.
The compact sized camera incorporates 3 x ½" progressive scan CCD chips offering 440,000 effective pixels and has wide screen capability. The KY-F560's high quality images are greatly enhanced by the 12-bit Digital Signal Processing (DSP). The KY-F560 produces 850 lines of horizontal resolution with a high sensitivity of F13 at 2,000 lux and will produce 100 percent video in a minimum illumination of F1.4 at 0.5 lux. The camera is fully compatible with all JVC KY-F32 series options including ½" bayonet lenses.
Optional boards allow for expandability of the camera, like SDI output. The camera has composite output and Gen-lock in-put. A remote system is available with optional PTZ kit. The KY-F560 has a signal to noise ratio of 62dB. Power requirements for the KY-F560 are 12V DC with the camera only power consumption being 0.7A.
Nick Fletcher, Marketing Services said "We are expecting the compact KY-F560 to be a very popular camera. We are finding that production companies are moving away from the large bulky studio cameras of yesteryear and are now preferring to invest in smaller, more flexible camera heads offering SDI and component video."
The KY-F560 is JVC Professional's latest compact and high quality general purpose camera. With the help of a few accessories the lightweight (900g) KY-F560 becomes an efficient and cost effective studio camera for those in a space restricted environment.
The compact sized camera incorporates 3 x ½" progressive scan CCD chips offering 440,000 effective pixels and has wide screen capability. The KY-F560's high quality images are greatly enhanced by the 12-bit Digital Signal Processing (DSP). The KY-F560 produces 850 lines of horizontal resolution with a high sensitivity of F13 at 2,000 lux and will produce 100 percent video in a minimum illumination of F1.4 at 0.5 lux. The camera is fully compatible with all JVC KY-F32 series options including ½" bayonet lenses.
Optional boards allow for expandability of the camera, like SDI output. The camera has composite output and Gen-lock in-put. A remote system is available with optional PTZ kit. The KY-F560 has a signal to noise ratio of 62dB. Power requirements for the KY-F560 are 12V DC with the camera only power consumption being 0.7A.
Nick Fletcher, Marketing Services said "We are expecting the compact KY-F560 to be a very popular camera. We are finding that production companies are moving away from the large bulky studio cameras of yesteryear and are now preferring to invest in smaller, more flexible camera heads offering SDI and component video."
ONLINE DVD RENTAL BROADENS MOVIE VIEWING HABITS
Over 15,500 unique titles currently on order by screenselect.co.uk
subscribers
Figures released by screenselect.co.uk today shows that online DVD rental is changing viewing habits and opening up new audiences for film and documentary makers. Screenselect.co.uk has revealed that its subscribers currently have over 15,500 individual titles on order. This compares to the average video high street rental store, which carries only a fraction of this at around 2,000 titles , with the majority being geared towards blockbuster hits.
With the largest selection of DVDs in the UK, screenselect.co.uk offers its subscribers every single DVD available or rental. According to managing director William Reeve, screenselect.co.uk has deliberately steered away from the lowest common denominator approach offered by video rental chains. "By working on the assumption that only the blockbusters will find an audience, the video rental industry is leaving a large number of filmed entertainment fans not being catered for.
“In fact the whole way the industry is set up is leading customers to be conservative with their rental choices. If every movie you walk out the door with is costing you £3.50 and it has to be back in 24 hours, then you will probably play it safe.
“By comparison, with our £14.99 monthly subscription you can watch as many DVDs as you like and keep them for as long as you wish. Though the latest Hollywood hits are obviously as popular as ever, we are also finding that our subscribers are taking advantage of our unrivalled selection of titles and experimenting with their selections.”
Screenselect.co.uk currently offersover 17,000 unique titles and is
adding hundreds more every month.. The 15,500 titles on customers’ wish lists, represents 91% of that total, and spans the whole range of DVDs on offer including art-house films, documentaries, music concerts, sitcoms, children’s titles and mainstream box office hits.
A number of screenselect.co.uk subscribers currently have over 1,000 titles in their selections, with one subscriber at over 1100 titles on order. If that subscriber watched one DVD a night, it would take him over three years to get through all the titles he wanted to watch – assuming he didn’t add anything to his wish list during that period!
Online DVD rental was pioneered as a concept in the US by Netflix,
which has over 1.5 million subscribers. Netflix regularly accounts for over 10% of all DVD rentals for major independent films.
Screenselect.co.uk subscribers currently have more titles in their
selections, than Netflix claims to have in their library (15,000).
Over 15,500 unique titles currently on order by screenselect.co.uk
subscribers
Figures released by screenselect.co.uk today shows that online DVD rental is changing viewing habits and opening up new audiences for film and documentary makers. Screenselect.co.uk has revealed that its subscribers currently have over 15,500 individual titles on order. This compares to the average video high street rental store, which carries only a fraction of this at around 2,000 titles , with the majority being geared towards blockbuster hits.
With the largest selection of DVDs in the UK, screenselect.co.uk offers its subscribers every single DVD available or rental. According to managing director William Reeve, screenselect.co.uk has deliberately steered away from the lowest common denominator approach offered by video rental chains. "By working on the assumption that only the blockbusters will find an audience, the video rental industry is leaving a large number of filmed entertainment fans not being catered for.
“In fact the whole way the industry is set up is leading customers to be conservative with their rental choices. If every movie you walk out the door with is costing you £3.50 and it has to be back in 24 hours, then you will probably play it safe.
“By comparison, with our £14.99 monthly subscription you can watch as many DVDs as you like and keep them for as long as you wish. Though the latest Hollywood hits are obviously as popular as ever, we are also finding that our subscribers are taking advantage of our unrivalled selection of titles and experimenting with their selections.”
Screenselect.co.uk currently offersover 17,000 unique titles and is
adding hundreds more every month.. The 15,500 titles on customers’ wish lists, represents 91% of that total, and spans the whole range of DVDs on offer including art-house films, documentaries, music concerts, sitcoms, children’s titles and mainstream box office hits.
A number of screenselect.co.uk subscribers currently have over 1,000 titles in their selections, with one subscriber at over 1100 titles on order. If that subscriber watched one DVD a night, it would take him over three years to get through all the titles he wanted to watch – assuming he didn’t add anything to his wish list during that period!
Online DVD rental was pioneered as a concept in the US by Netflix,
which has over 1.5 million subscribers. Netflix regularly accounts for over 10% of all DVD rentals for major independent films.
Screenselect.co.uk subscribers currently have more titles in their
selections, than Netflix claims to have in their library (15,000).
THE BAFTA/ROCLIFFE NEW FILM FORUM
Wednesday 25 FEBRUARY 2004 6.15 pm start
in support of MediCinema
PRESENTATION BY EALING STUDIOS & FILM FOUR LAB
SCREENINGS OF PERFECT – BUBBLEGUM – AT DAWNING
PROGRAMME COMPILED BY DAWN SHARPLESS OF DAZZLE FILMS
PANEL TO INCLUDE RANKIN, LAURA HASTINGS-SMITH, MARTIN JONES, MAGGIE ELLIS, SAM BAKHURST, LEA MOREMENT, KATE PENLINGON
This event will be BIGGER and BETTER than the last
Comprising a rehearsed reading of an early draft of three acclaimed, award-winning short films, followed by a screening of each of the films, and a discussion with the writers, directors and producers.
Confirmed Market Place exhibitors to include Fuji, Kodak, Lipsync Post, Arista, British Council, NPA, Curzon Cinema, Panavision, Lee Lighting, Genesis Cinema, VMI, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ealing Studios, VTR, Variety, Raindance, Soho Images, First 4 Media, London Film Academy, Movietech, Osborne Clarke and Bradford Film Festival
Tickets available for non-Bafta members. Email events@bafta.org to reserve your ticket
"The Rocliffe New Film Forum is a fantastic way for film-makers to share their knowledge and experience. I wish it had been around when I started making shorts" Alex Lewis, Producer, Whatever Pictures
"The Rocliffe Forums are a superb resource in which to improve writing and directing skills and network with some of the best new UK filmmaking talent" Dan Clark, Emerging Filmmakers Manager, Kodak UK
"It was great to be able to network and share information with such a varied group of emerging and existing UK talent" Alasdair MacCuish, Senior Producer, LipSync Post
"The New Film Forum is a commendable initiative that should be seen as a valuable industry resource" Lloyd Billing, Sound-Effects-Library.com
Wednesday 25 FEBRUARY 2004 6.15 pm start
in support of MediCinema
PRESENTATION BY EALING STUDIOS & FILM FOUR LAB
SCREENINGS OF PERFECT – BUBBLEGUM – AT DAWNING
PROGRAMME COMPILED BY DAWN SHARPLESS OF DAZZLE FILMS
PANEL TO INCLUDE RANKIN, LAURA HASTINGS-SMITH, MARTIN JONES, MAGGIE ELLIS, SAM BAKHURST, LEA MOREMENT, KATE PENLINGON
This event will be BIGGER and BETTER than the last
Comprising a rehearsed reading of an early draft of three acclaimed, award-winning short films, followed by a screening of each of the films, and a discussion with the writers, directors and producers.
Confirmed Market Place exhibitors to include Fuji, Kodak, Lipsync Post, Arista, British Council, NPA, Curzon Cinema, Panavision, Lee Lighting, Genesis Cinema, VMI, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ealing Studios, VTR, Variety, Raindance, Soho Images, First 4 Media, London Film Academy, Movietech, Osborne Clarke and Bradford Film Festival
Tickets available for non-Bafta members. Email events@bafta.org to reserve your ticket
"The Rocliffe New Film Forum is a fantastic way for film-makers to share their knowledge and experience. I wish it had been around when I started making shorts" Alex Lewis, Producer, Whatever Pictures
"The Rocliffe Forums are a superb resource in which to improve writing and directing skills and network with some of the best new UK filmmaking talent" Dan Clark, Emerging Filmmakers Manager, Kodak UK
"It was great to be able to network and share information with such a varied group of emerging and existing UK talent" Alasdair MacCuish, Senior Producer, LipSync Post
"The New Film Forum is a commendable initiative that should be seen as a valuable industry resource" Lloyd Billing, Sound-Effects-Library.com
Thursday, February 05, 2004
Fight Circle
Slowly but surely films are getting produced and distributed through the internet and Fight Circle is the latest example of this trend.
America's first feature-length martial arts film with worldwide premiere solely via the internet, hit computer monitors on February 04, 2004 at 2:04pm.
Fight Circle is a medieval martial arts film that follows a young woman, Paky, as she maneuvers her way into a male-centered fight arena where, ultimately, the victor determines life or death for the defeated.
banzai! Entertainment Inc is premiering Fight Circle via the internet only. Customers can visit the website to view the trailer and read the latest background on the characters, actors, cast and crew.
To order the movie, people will pay $7.00 to view the film online via streaming video. The movie is broken down into nine chapters each lasting approximately ten minutes. Fight Circle's unique purchasing options offer viewers maximum flexibility in how they choose to watch the movie. Viewers may watch the entire movie up to two times, or they may view it once in its entirety and then review their favorite chapters several times.
banzai! is excited by this new avenue for release as it gives all filmmakers an ability to have their work delivered to the general public in a cost-effective manner. banzai! is promoting Fight Circle through an online advertising campaign with banner ads appearing
on gaming sites such as mmorpg.com, keenspot.com and mpogd.com; on movie review sites; and in print magazines such as Movie Maker. banzai!'s promotional campaign is aimed at creating the first successful feature-length premiere on the internet.
"We believe in this movie and in banzai!'s unique approach to distribution. We think Fight Circle will stand up to many multi-million dollar films that have been given a full-fledged
theatrical release," says Donald Whittier, producer and director of Fight Circle.
Visit fightcircle.com to download images and clips of the film, learn more about the story, and meet its cast and crew.
Slowly but surely films are getting produced and distributed through the internet and Fight Circle is the latest example of this trend.
America's first feature-length martial arts film with worldwide premiere solely via the internet, hit computer monitors on February 04, 2004 at 2:04pm.
Fight Circle is a medieval martial arts film that follows a young woman, Paky, as she maneuvers her way into a male-centered fight arena where, ultimately, the victor determines life or death for the defeated.
banzai! Entertainment Inc is premiering Fight Circle via the internet only. Customers can visit the website to view the trailer and read the latest background on the characters, actors, cast and crew.
To order the movie, people will pay $7.00 to view the film online via streaming video. The movie is broken down into nine chapters each lasting approximately ten minutes. Fight Circle's unique purchasing options offer viewers maximum flexibility in how they choose to watch the movie. Viewers may watch the entire movie up to two times, or they may view it once in its entirety and then review their favorite chapters several times.
banzai! is excited by this new avenue for release as it gives all filmmakers an ability to have their work delivered to the general public in a cost-effective manner. banzai! is promoting Fight Circle through an online advertising campaign with banner ads appearing
on gaming sites such as mmorpg.com, keenspot.com and mpogd.com; on movie review sites; and in print magazines such as Movie Maker. banzai!'s promotional campaign is aimed at creating the first successful feature-length premiere on the internet.
"We believe in this movie and in banzai!'s unique approach to distribution. We think Fight Circle will stand up to many multi-million dollar films that have been given a full-fledged
theatrical release," says Donald Whittier, producer and director of Fight Circle.
Visit fightcircle.com to download images and clips of the film, learn more about the story, and meet its cast and crew.
dreamwatch Issue #114
In Issue 114, dreamwatch brings you interviews with Angel star James Marsters (Spike), Smallvillle’s Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Alias newcomer Melissa George (Lauren Reed), Star Trek: Enterprise’s John Billingsley (Doctor Phlox), Hellboy comic creator Mike Mignola, Jake 2.0 actress Keegan Connor Tracey (Dr Diane Hughes) and Stargate SG-1’s Teryl Rothery (Dr Janet Fraiser).
We chat to writer Ronald D. Moore and executive producer David Eick about the new Battlestar Galactica mini-series, we quiz hot young American actress Amy Smart on her new movie, The Butterfly Effect, which also stars Ashton Kutcher, we go behind the scenes during the filming of the Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Doctor’s Orders” and we examine Sci-Fi’s 10 most jaw-dropping Cliffhangers.
As always, dreamwatch is packed with all the latest scoops from the world of sci-fi and fantasy entertainment – including Mike Newell, director of Four Wedding and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco and Mona Lisa Smile, on the fourth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the latest on Stargate SG1’s upcoming eighth season and the new spin off show, Stargate Atlantis and the movie version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, plus much, much more!
JAMES MARSTERS
dreamwatch catches up with actor James Marsters, best known to Buffy and Angel fans as Spike, the ultimate bad boy vampire, to discuss moving across to Angel from Buffy. He reveals why he is having far more fun than he did working on Buffy!
SMALLVILLE’S CLARK KENT: TOM WELLING
Model turned actor Tom Welling, discusses with dreamwatch life as the young Man of Steel and reveals exclusive news on the third series.
ALIAS: MELISSA GEORGE
Alias newcomer Lauren Reed initially looked like a victim of circumstance, but viewers are discovering that there’s a dangerous side to her character as season three unfolds. dreamwatch tracks down Australian actress Melissa George to chat about life on Alias.
STARGATE SG-1: TERYL ROTHERY
Teryl Rothery, who plays Dr Janet Fraiser on Stargate SG-1, tells dreamwatch about her final adventure in the epic two-part episode “Heroes” and reveals her personal Stargate SG-1 highlights.
HELLBOY: MIKE MIGNOLA
Mike Mignola, creator of the Hellboy comic-book saga - which follows the adventures of a demon who is summoned from hell by Nazis, but raised to be a hero - gives dreamwatch a sneak preview on the hotly-tipped movie adaptation and reveals all on the casting of Ron Perlman, who beat the likes of Nic Cage, Vin Diesel and The Rock for the role as Hellboy.
ENTERPRISE: JOHN BILLINGSLEY + SET VISIT
dreamwatch chats to John Billingsley, who plays Doctor Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise, about the under fire Star Trek franchise and reveals his thoughts on the new revamped action-packed third season. Plus, dreamwatch goes behind the scenes during the filming of Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Doctor’s Orders”.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RONALD D. MOORE, DAVID EICK & TOM DESANTO
Battlestar Galactica has been remade as a new mini-series, which revises and retells the events of the original show’s opening tale. Writer Ronald D. Moore and executive producer David Eick outline to dreamwatch their vision for the new mini-series, including the controversial decision to re-image Starbuck - the viper pilot played by Dirk Benedict in the original show – as a woman, Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace.
X-Men movie producer Tom DeSanto tells dreamwatch how he and Usual Suspects and X-Men director Bryan Singer were set to launch a Battlestar Galactica series that continued the originals show’s storyline, with Dirk Benedict, Richard Hatch and Herb Jefferson reprising their original roles.
ALSO INCLUDED IN ISSUE #114
Actress Keegan Connor Tracey, who plays scientist Diane Hughes, tells dreamwatch about life in Jake 2.0
dreamwatch quizzes hot young American actress Amy Smart about her new movie, The Butterfly Effect, which also stars Ashton Kutcher.
dreamwatch reveals Sci-Fi’s 10 most jaw-dropping Cliffhangers.
dreamwatch goes behind the scenes during the filming of Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Doctor’s Orders”.
PLUS: The very latest news, reviews and competitions
All this and much, much more in dreamwatch Issue#114!
ON SALE 29 JAN (UK) 17 FEB (US)
Get dreamwatch delivered to your door!
UK, call 01536 764646 or email dreamwatchsubs@titanemail.com.
US, call (1-877) 363-1310 or email expressmag@expressmag.com.
Please quote reference number P103.
In Issue 114, dreamwatch brings you interviews with Angel star James Marsters (Spike), Smallvillle’s Tom Welling (Clark Kent), Alias newcomer Melissa George (Lauren Reed), Star Trek: Enterprise’s John Billingsley (Doctor Phlox), Hellboy comic creator Mike Mignola, Jake 2.0 actress Keegan Connor Tracey (Dr Diane Hughes) and Stargate SG-1’s Teryl Rothery (Dr Janet Fraiser).
We chat to writer Ronald D. Moore and executive producer David Eick about the new Battlestar Galactica mini-series, we quiz hot young American actress Amy Smart on her new movie, The Butterfly Effect, which also stars Ashton Kutcher, we go behind the scenes during the filming of the Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Doctor’s Orders” and we examine Sci-Fi’s 10 most jaw-dropping Cliffhangers.
As always, dreamwatch is packed with all the latest scoops from the world of sci-fi and fantasy entertainment – including Mike Newell, director of Four Wedding and a Funeral, Donnie Brasco and Mona Lisa Smile, on the fourth Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the latest on Stargate SG1’s upcoming eighth season and the new spin off show, Stargate Atlantis and the movie version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, plus much, much more!
JAMES MARSTERS
dreamwatch catches up with actor James Marsters, best known to Buffy and Angel fans as Spike, the ultimate bad boy vampire, to discuss moving across to Angel from Buffy. He reveals why he is having far more fun than he did working on Buffy!
SMALLVILLE’S CLARK KENT: TOM WELLING
Model turned actor Tom Welling, discusses with dreamwatch life as the young Man of Steel and reveals exclusive news on the third series.
ALIAS: MELISSA GEORGE
Alias newcomer Lauren Reed initially looked like a victim of circumstance, but viewers are discovering that there’s a dangerous side to her character as season three unfolds. dreamwatch tracks down Australian actress Melissa George to chat about life on Alias.
STARGATE SG-1: TERYL ROTHERY
Teryl Rothery, who plays Dr Janet Fraiser on Stargate SG-1, tells dreamwatch about her final adventure in the epic two-part episode “Heroes” and reveals her personal Stargate SG-1 highlights.
HELLBOY: MIKE MIGNOLA
Mike Mignola, creator of the Hellboy comic-book saga - which follows the adventures of a demon who is summoned from hell by Nazis, but raised to be a hero - gives dreamwatch a sneak preview on the hotly-tipped movie adaptation and reveals all on the casting of Ron Perlman, who beat the likes of Nic Cage, Vin Diesel and The Rock for the role as Hellboy.
ENTERPRISE: JOHN BILLINGSLEY + SET VISIT
dreamwatch chats to John Billingsley, who plays Doctor Phlox on Star Trek: Enterprise, about the under fire Star Trek franchise and reveals his thoughts on the new revamped action-packed third season. Plus, dreamwatch goes behind the scenes during the filming of Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Doctor’s Orders”.
BATTLESTAR GALACTICA: RONALD D. MOORE, DAVID EICK & TOM DESANTO
Battlestar Galactica has been remade as a new mini-series, which revises and retells the events of the original show’s opening tale. Writer Ronald D. Moore and executive producer David Eick outline to dreamwatch their vision for the new mini-series, including the controversial decision to re-image Starbuck - the viper pilot played by Dirk Benedict in the original show – as a woman, Kara ‘Starbuck’ Thrace.
X-Men movie producer Tom DeSanto tells dreamwatch how he and Usual Suspects and X-Men director Bryan Singer were set to launch a Battlestar Galactica series that continued the originals show’s storyline, with Dirk Benedict, Richard Hatch and Herb Jefferson reprising their original roles.
ALSO INCLUDED IN ISSUE #114
Actress Keegan Connor Tracey, who plays scientist Diane Hughes, tells dreamwatch about life in Jake 2.0
dreamwatch quizzes hot young American actress Amy Smart about her new movie, The Butterfly Effect, which also stars Ashton Kutcher.
dreamwatch reveals Sci-Fi’s 10 most jaw-dropping Cliffhangers.
dreamwatch goes behind the scenes during the filming of Star Trek: Enterprise episode “Doctor’s Orders”.
PLUS: The very latest news, reviews and competitions
All this and much, much more in dreamwatch Issue#114!
ON SALE 29 JAN (UK) 17 FEB (US)
Get dreamwatch delivered to your door!
UK, call 01536 764646 or email dreamwatchsubs@titanemail.com.
US, call (1-877) 363-1310 or email expressmag@expressmag.com.
Please quote reference number P103.
Buffy issue#57
Hop aboard the Sunnydale tunnel of love, for the very special Valentines issue of Buffy Magazine (on sale 5 February)! We look at the romantic side of the Scoobies and set our pulses racing as we rate the top ten Buffy kisses! Juliet Landau discusses her time as Spike’s paramour Dru, Amber Benson tells us about her new ventures and Joss Whedon talks about his projects – past, present and future!
FREE SUPPLEMENT!
Buffy & Angel Guide to Romance
In the second of our two free supplements (the first can be bought with Angel Magazine#7), featured relationships include Buffy’s first lesbian couple, Willow and Tara, a true case of opposites attract with Buffy and Spike, and the doomed love of Cordelia and Angel. Plus, if you’re looking for lurve on the Hellmouth then check out our classifieds!
Dru Life
The actress behind twisted vamp Drusilla, Juliet Landau, regales us with tales of her time on Buffy and Angel.
Preserved in Amber
Amber Benson talks about her film project Chance and reveals why so many of the Buffy cast and crew are listed in the credits. Plus find out about her next project – in England!
What Now?
When Joss Whedon appeared at the San Diego Comic Con., we were among the 2000 fans to hear him talk about Buffy and Angel. Find out what he had to say about the all-important Buffy spin offs!
Heart Felt
As if Sunnydale teens don’t have enough to take care of, what with the Hellmouth and all, there’s also the trials and tribulations of love to cope with! Our feature looks at the loves of the Scooby gang – the good, the bad and the bizarre! We also rate our top ten Buffy smooches, from Willow and Xander’s long awaited kiss, to Giles and Joyce’s teenage make out!
And there’s more…
Whatever happened to Kendra, our favourite Jamaican slayer, a.k.a. Bianca Lawson?
Spike – now and then
News on all of the Buffy cast and crew!
Subscribe to Buffy and get the mag direct to your doorstep!
Subscribe to Buffy Magazine now and ensure that you never miss an issue of your fave mag by getting the magazine delivered directly to you! No more running down to the newsagents to grab your copy before they fly off the shelves! To subscribe, call 01536 764 646 or email buffysubs@titanemail.com quoting reference number P103.
Issue 57 of Buffy Magazine on sale 5 February!
Need an instant Buffy e-fix? To subscribe to the Buffy e-zine, simply send an email to: buffyezine@titanemail.com, writing ‘subscribe’ in the subject box.
Angel Magazine 7 on sale now!
Don’t forget to pick up issue 7 of Angel Magazine for the first part of our Buffy and Angel guide to romance! There’s also an interview with James Marsters, talking about Spike’s LA relocation, we go behind the scenes of new Angel episode “Unleashed” to meet the new werewolf on the block and experience a day in the life of the Angel costume department!
Hop aboard the Sunnydale tunnel of love, for the very special Valentines issue of Buffy Magazine (on sale 5 February)! We look at the romantic side of the Scoobies and set our pulses racing as we rate the top ten Buffy kisses! Juliet Landau discusses her time as Spike’s paramour Dru, Amber Benson tells us about her new ventures and Joss Whedon talks about his projects – past, present and future!
FREE SUPPLEMENT!
Buffy & Angel Guide to Romance
In the second of our two free supplements (the first can be bought with Angel Magazine#7), featured relationships include Buffy’s first lesbian couple, Willow and Tara, a true case of opposites attract with Buffy and Spike, and the doomed love of Cordelia and Angel. Plus, if you’re looking for lurve on the Hellmouth then check out our classifieds!
Dru Life
The actress behind twisted vamp Drusilla, Juliet Landau, regales us with tales of her time on Buffy and Angel.
Preserved in Amber
Amber Benson talks about her film project Chance and reveals why so many of the Buffy cast and crew are listed in the credits. Plus find out about her next project – in England!
What Now?
When Joss Whedon appeared at the San Diego Comic Con., we were among the 2000 fans to hear him talk about Buffy and Angel. Find out what he had to say about the all-important Buffy spin offs!
Heart Felt
As if Sunnydale teens don’t have enough to take care of, what with the Hellmouth and all, there’s also the trials and tribulations of love to cope with! Our feature looks at the loves of the Scooby gang – the good, the bad and the bizarre! We also rate our top ten Buffy smooches, from Willow and Xander’s long awaited kiss, to Giles and Joyce’s teenage make out!
And there’s more…
Whatever happened to Kendra, our favourite Jamaican slayer, a.k.a. Bianca Lawson?
Spike – now and then
News on all of the Buffy cast and crew!
Subscribe to Buffy and get the mag direct to your doorstep!
Subscribe to Buffy Magazine now and ensure that you never miss an issue of your fave mag by getting the magazine delivered directly to you! No more running down to the newsagents to grab your copy before they fly off the shelves! To subscribe, call 01536 764 646 or email buffysubs@titanemail.com quoting reference number P103.
Issue 57 of Buffy Magazine on sale 5 February!
Need an instant Buffy e-fix? To subscribe to the Buffy e-zine, simply send an email to: buffyezine@titanemail.com, writing ‘subscribe’ in the subject box.
Angel Magazine 7 on sale now!
Don’t forget to pick up issue 7 of Angel Magazine for the first part of our Buffy and Angel guide to romance! There’s also an interview with James Marsters, talking about Spike’s LA relocation, we go behind the scenes of new Angel episode “Unleashed” to meet the new werewolf on the block and experience a day in the life of the Angel costume department!
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