Sci-Fi Storm

Disney, which is producing the feature film version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, is looking to hear from fans. They are running a contest where you write a 250-word-or-less essay on why you are a fan and how you live according to the fictional guide. Six winners will get their profile posted on the official web site.

Scourge of Worlds Special Collector’s Edition is a re-release of a 2003 “Choose Your Own Adventure” interactive DVD with new scenes and endings added, along with the second disc with special features, set in th Greyhawk world of the venerable Dungeons and Dragons gaming universe. How does it fare? Read More to find out. It hits the streets this Tuesday (2/15).

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mbourgon writes “Jack Chalker, author of 50 novels and best known for “Midnight at the Well of Souls”, passed away yesterday. He will be missed by many. News at http://jackchalker.com/news.htm.
I remember, when I was in high school, writing a couple dozen sci-fi authors. I got a handwritten letter back from him, answering a couple fanboyish questions. An all around nice guy.”

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films has nominees for the 2005 Saturn Awards. Notables: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban leads the field with 9 nominations; Lost tops TV with 5. Stargate: SG-1 and Smallville each have four, with frosh series Stargate Atlantis taking two.

With Battlestar Galactica still getting galactic ratings for them, the SCI FI Channel has already ordered a second season. They are still working out the details on how many episodes it will be, cast, etc.

Warner Independent Pictures has trailers online for The Jacket, starting Adrien Brody (The Pianist) as Gulf War veteran Jack Starks who returns home suffering from amnesia, accused of murder, and committed to an institution. A doctor (Kris Kristofferson, the Blade trilogy) uses a controversial treatment which results in Starks having visions of Jackie (Keira Knightley, King Arthur), a woman from the future who lets him know he will die in 4 days. The Jacket opens March 4th. Quicktime: 56k, 100k, 300k; Windows Media: 56k, 100k, 300k. Update: The official web site can be found here. Update 2/23: iFilm now has a “bootleg” clip available for viewing.

The SCI FI Channel has announced three new cast members joining its flagship Stargate series: Emmy winner Beau Bridges (10.5) will join SG-1 as General Hank Landry, the new head of the SGC (Richard Dean Anderson’s role of Gen. Jack O’Neill moves to “Homeworld Security”, and likely offscreen); Oscar winner Louis Gossett Jr. (Enemy Mine) has a recurring role on SG-1 as a Jaffa competing with Teal’c for control of the Jaffa; and Mitch Pileggi (X-Files) will have a recurring role on Atlantis as a hard-nosed Colonel giving Dr. Weir and Maj. Sheppard a tough time. Not sure how he gets there though…

I’m slowly making progress on Storm 2.0, in between various interruptions of life. Mostly I’ve gotten some theming done, with a combo of CSS and XSLT. Take a look at the Beta Site: the default theme is now dark blue, but grey, maroon, and black will also be available. IE users will get black by default for now to get around PNG transparency issues, but the will be a separate theme for IE (probably only one). I’ve also put in a feathered effect on all the title bars. Backengine work still needs to be done – you can’t actually register yet, but the beginnings of the cookie authentication is in place. Comments? Suggestions?

The other shoe finally fell. UPN and Paramount have announced the cancellation of Enterprise, effective at the end of the season, where the finale will air on May 13th. This marks the first Trek series since the original to end prematurely since the original, and it will also be the first time since the debut of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987 that there isn’t a Trek series in production. I’m actually sorry to see it go – I didn’t think it was as bad as some made out. What will we do? Update 2/4: Berman doesn’t understand why Enterprise didn’t get the ratings – perhaps putting it up against SCI FI Friday was a bad idea, hmmm? I sense a clue-by-four is needed. And he also adds that the show won’t be shopped to another network.

I mentioned in my review of the Crusade DVD Box Set that JMS was miffed that they had edited the commentary track he did, against his agreement. Well, as part of a larger post, JMS says he and WB came to an agreement that all future pressings of the Crusade DVDs will no longer have the commentary track in question, as per their original agreement of “…use it all, including the explanation of what happened, or use none of it.”