Sci-Fi Storm

Lucasfilm has had another setback in its case against artist Andrew Ainsworth. An appeals court has ruled that the Stormtrooper’s helmet is not a copyrightable work of art, and therefore Lucasfilm cannot prevent Ainsworth from selling replicas. Ainsworth is the artist who sculpted the original helmet design.

I didn’t find this out until this evening, but the mayor of Boston has declared today, November 14th 2009, Leonard Nimoy Day. And for some reason, they have to bring up that Bilbo Baggins song again…

Some tidbits of the announcements Disney made during today’s sessions at the D23 Expo: The fourth Pirates Of the Caribbean installment has the subtitle On Stranger Tides (and announced with a fully decked out and in character Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow), fueling rumors it may be based on the novel of the same name by Tim Powers; the classic psychedelic Yellow Submarine will be remade in 3D with motion capture; the Muppets are returning in The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made; no plans to screen Captain EO in the parks as rumored, although they did consider it; and while talking about The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (opening July 16, 2010), Nicholas Cage was asked and agreed to star in National Treasure 3). Nothing Star Wars related – yet. That is expected tomorrow.

Disney is acquiring Marvel for about $4 billion in cash and stock. This will make for some very interesting interactions, as Universal Studios Theme Parks have rights to some of the characters…obviously those agreements will still be in place for the foreseeable future, but what happens when they expire is anyone’s guess.

The Thunder Child writes “Steve Ihnat was devoured by plankton in Voyage To the Bottom of the Sea’s first ever “monster” episode. He played the mind-controlled Lt. Minns in The Outer Limits two-part episode of “The Inheritors” (1964), he co-starred in two SF films – In Like Flint opposite James Coburn and Countdown, opposite his “Iheritors” co-star Robert Duvall, and he was probably the only actor in the history of Star Trek who upstaged William Shatner, as Garth of Izar in “Whom Gods Destroy.” This article features an appreciation of his small, but choice, SF work.
http://thethunderchild.com/Television/1960s/StarTrek/InheritingtheMadness.html“

Author Terry Pratchett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in late 2007, made a plea via the press to allow assisted suicide. “I live in hope I can jump before I am pushed,” he said. On Thursday, the House of Lords directed that the Director of Public Prosecutions draw up a policy regarding whether those who help others seek assisted suicide will be prosecuted or not.

The Thunder Child writes “Steve Vertlieb, who contributes regular essays to The Thunder Child in our Vertlieb’s Views section (bios of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff, appreciations of Bernard Herrmann, “How I Met the Blob” and so on) knew Forry Ackerman for over 40 years. He has penned a rememberance called The Most “Famous Monster” of Them All. Check it out at: http://thethund.ipower.com/Movies/VertliebViews/ForryAckermanTribute.html (Forrest J. Ackerman was the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland, and the only non-Ray of the three-Rays – friends with Ray Bradbury and Ray Harryhausen since teenage-hood.)”

PumpHunter writes “J. Michael Straczynski, creator and writer most known for the sceience fiction TV series “Babylon 5”, has been nominated by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (the British Oscar) in the category best original screenplay, for the movie Changeling directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Angelina Jolie, both also nominated in their respective categories.
The awards ceremony will take place Sunday 8th of February 2009 at the Royal Opera House in London.” Update: JMS’s response? “Sonuvagun…” and “And I’d thank my hairdresser if he or she could just find some hair to dress…”

The Thunder Child writes “Terry Farrell (Jadzia Dax in Deep Space Nine) retired from acting after marrying her husband, “The Sprint Guy”, Brian Baker, and has spent the last few years as a stay-at-home mom. In February, 2009, she and her husband will be on stage. (Not in an SF play, unfortunately.) http://thethunderchild.com/Theatre/TerryFarrell.html“

The Thunder Child writes “I’m somewhat hesitant to share the following videos, as they are, very embarrasingly, sideways, but as Beverly Garland has just passed away, I thought I would share them, and request your indulgence. http://dailyspace.blogspot.com/2008/12/beverly-gar land-at-williamsburg-film.html. She was at the Williamsburg Film Festival a couple of years ago, and was very fun and vivacious, and I videoed her talk on Not of this Earth. And I had a brand new digital camera, first one I’d ever had, and didn’t know it’s limitations. So turn your head sideways, and watch and listen…”