Indiana Jones for a new generation

Lucasfilm's celebrated action/adventure hero, Indiana Jones, the forerunner of popular characters such as Lara Croft, will be making a triumphant return in 2008 with the yet-to-be-titled fourth installment of the Indiana Jones film series. Starring Harrison Ford and directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is slated for release in May 2008. Dark Horse Comics is excited to announce that it has acquired the comic book rights to the world's most famous adventurer and will launch a new series in 2008. Fans can plunge themselves into the adventures of the fedora-wearing archaeologist well before then. In February 2008, Dark Horse Comics will publish the first of two Indiana Jones Omnibuses collecting Dark Horse's previous entries in the saga. Then April sees the release of volume one of Indiana Jones Adventures--a digest-sized graphic novel designed for the enjoyment of young readers as well as adults. The Indiana Jones Adventures volumes and the Omnibuses will continue on a quarterly basis--including Omnibuses for the original Marvel run of Indiana Jones comics.

A comics adaptation of the film will be released simultaneously with the motion picture, followed immediately by an all-new Indiana Jones comics series.

Keep checking www.ScifiSlacker.com for more info!

First Look: Doctor Strange Animated Movie

Strap yourself in and get ready for the thrilling opening scene to the Doctor Strange animated feature film. The movie's staff provides an intro to the scene in which Strange's crew battles a giant monster.

Doctor Strange Animated Feature Trailer

The official trailer to Doctor Strange, Marvel's fourth animated feature with Lion's Gate is here. Sneak a peek at Doctor Strange, Wong, the Ancient One, Mordo and the dread Dormammu!

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Trailer

Spider-Man isn't the only hero of summer 2007. The Fantastic Four are back with a bigger story, bigger threats and bigger thrills. Check out this trailer, which wowed audiences before Spider-Man 3.

Cool Fan Star Trek Movie

Remastered Star Trek Episode The Doomsday Machine

The remastered version of the fan-favorite Star Trek episode, "The
Doomsday Machine" premieres in syndication nationwide during the
weekend of February 10, 2007. The remastered "The Doomsday Machine"
features over 100 all-new digital visual effects shots, the most of
any episode of the original Star Trek series.

William Windom guest stars as Commodore Matt Decker, commander of the
wrecked Starship Constellation. Decker tried desperately to save his
crew from the doomsday machine, only to be forced to watch in horror
as they were all killed by the alien robot.

The centerpiece of the new visual effects for "The Doomsday Machine"
is a digital rendering of the alien "planet killer," a miles-long
robot spaceship that destroys worlds, then eats the rubble for fuel.
CBS Digital created the new version of the massive weapon, based
closely on the original, but gave it a battered, more realistic
appearance. Another highlight of the episode is the Constellation, a
sister ship to the U.S.S. Enterprise. When discovered by Captain
James Kirk (William Shatner), the Constellation is a shattered hulk,
nearly destroyed by the doomsday machine. The hull of the
digitally-damaged Constellation has been torn open, revealing details
of a mangled and charred interior, underscoring the awesome power of
the planet killer.

"The Doomsday Machine" is regarded by many fans as a classic of
television science fiction, and was penned by noted s-f writer Norman
Spinrad. The episode was honored with a Hugo Award nomination in the
"Best Dramatic Presentation" category by the 1968 World Science
Fiction Convention. (Ironically, "The Doomsday Machine" lost to
another Star Trek classic, "The City on the Edge of Forever.")

The highly-anticipated remastered version of "The Doomsday Machine"
premieres nationwide during the weekend of February 10, 2007, starring
William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Mr.
Spock, with DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy. The original episode was
first aired in October, 1967 and was written by Norman Spinrad and
directed by Marc Daniels. Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry.
Star Trek remastered is distributed in nationwide syndication by CBS
Paramount Television.

See images at: http://www.scifislacker.com/television/star-trek-doomsday-machine.shtml

Hyperscan – Not Up To The Hype.

Last year Mattel announced a new gaming console that was going to be the next best thing to sliced bread. The Hyperscan. The Hyperscan combines the best of the hottest toy properties today, video gaming and collectible card games all into one neat little package. It is aimed at boys in the “tween” years [8-12]. Using RFID [radio-frequency identification] chips the game lets the players scan in new or upgraded powers for their characters. Sounds pretty cool doesn’t it?

The games, however, are very low def, so to speak. The X-men game that comes with the console is a lot like the first generation Mortal Kombat games. Low quality graphics and not a lot of moves make this a very cheap looking system. But I guess the old adage; “you get what you pay for” really does hold true in this case. The game system, which includes the X-Men CD-ROM, 6 collectible X-Men cards a controller and the game console, only costs about $70. [We picked ours up on clearance for $13].

So the concept is you collect and trade cool character, offense and defense cards to upgrade your characters and their moves. As you play the game you scan your card again to save the information. Sounds cool until you have to sit there and wait for the card to scan. Then sit there and wait for the game to load. Then sit there and wait to the card is scanned again to save your data. There is a lot of sitting and waiting in a world of fast moving video games. Not such a good thing.

So this system is really recommended for those 7-8 year olds who have not had any experience with other gaming consoles and have parents who don’t mind the slightly violent games [they are all pretty much fighting games]. Current games include X-men, IWL Wrestling and Ben 10. According to the website www.hyperscangamer.com [which was not working when we stopped by] there are new games in the work. Artwork suggests Marvel Heroes and Spider-Man.
For images and more info head to:http://www.scifislacker.com/news/mattels-hyperscan-gaming-console.shtml

Saul of the Mole Men

Okay, so those of us who grew up in the 70s all remember those live action Saturday morning TV shows like Land of the Lost, Space Academy, Sigmund and the Sea Monster, Bugaloos, Far Out Space Nuts and the like. Well, this new Adult Swim series follows suit and brings us psuedo sci-fi along with all the cheezy special effects, bad acting and even puppets just like when we were kids. Each episode is 15 minutes long [like most of the Ault Swim shows] which might be all we can handle out of this one. But Star Trek fans might find a similarity [at least to the background of the promo clips shown on the network's website].

Check it out. At least this live action series has a link to the animated world, albeit a small one, unlike previous network blunders like Saved By The Bell [what the hell were they thinking?].

Saul of the Mole Men: On a mission to the Earth’s core for the government’s STRATA agency, Saul Malone crashes his drill ship and stumbles upon the Mole Men.

Baffled by their customs and rituals, Saul runs afoul of the Mole Men by injuring their elder leader, killing their god and spreading disease. But Saul of the Mole Men is about more than just a stranded scientist. It involves political intrigue, time travel, and, of course, vampires.
Saul of the Mole Men, created by Craig Lewis, uses the most advanced mid-20th century technology, such as green screens and puppets, to deftly combine live-action and animation. Twenty episodes are in production.

Saul of the Mole Men is a 15-minute, serialized comedy-adventure combining live-action and puppetry and is shot entirely in front of a green screen. Saul of the Mole Men is executive produced by Peter Girardi, Craig Lewis and Tom Stern and is inspired by the work of Sid and Marty Krofft (Land Of The Lost), serialized sci-fi (Tom Baker-era Dr. Who) and the Planet of the Apes franchise.

Saul of the Mole Men premieres on Adult Swim on Sunday, February 11, 2007 at 12 a.m. [Cartoon Network]. Check you local listings.

Check out the previews:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwlk9DKpOwk
http://www.adultswim.com/shows/saul/index.html

More at: http://www.scifislacker.com/television/saul-of-the-mole-men.shtml

"Journey to Babel" airs weekend of February 3, 2007

The Starship Enterprise hosts an explosive gathering of interstellar diplomats in "Journey to Babel," an episode of Star Trek Remastered, premiering nationwide during the weekend of February 3, 2007. "Journey to Babel" is regarded by many fans as a pivotal episode of the series, introducing Mark Lenard as Ambassador Sarek, Spock's father, and Jane Wyatt as Amanda, Spock's human mother. In the episode, an alien spy nearly kills Captain Kirk (William Shatner), putting Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in temporary command of the Starship Enterprise while the ship comes under deadly attack. The situation pits Spock's logical duty to his ship against his all-too-human desire to reconnect with his dying father. 

 

Although most of the episode takes place on the Starship Enterprise, D.C. Fontana's script afforded the visual effects artists at CBS Digital the opportunity to show off the Enterprise's shuttlecraft hangar deck with an all-new shuttle landing sequence. They also reimagined the mysterious alien raider ship. In the original 1967 version of the episode, budget limitations forced the show's effects team to use a simple spinning wheel of light to represent the attacking spacecraft. For the 2007 remastered edition, digital artists remained faithful to the original effect, but embellished it by creating an ingenious ship design that used the spinning lights as a powerful alien propulsion system. Finally, this episode offered one of the original show's only glimpses of Spock's homeworld, Vulcan, as seen from space. 

 

Mark Lenard's character of Sarek proved a favorite among Star Trek's fans, so much so that Lenard later reprised his role in three Star Trek movies and two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The versatile Lenard had previously played the Romulan Commander in "Balance of Terror" during Star Trek's first season, and he also played a Klingon captain in the first Star Trek movie. Lenard is known to genre fans for his numerous roles in science fiction productions, including the regular role of Urko in the television version of Planet of the Apes. Jane Wyatt also reprised her role of Spock's mother in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Wyatt won three Emmy Awards for her performance as Margaret Anderson in the beloved sitcom, Father Knows Best. 

 

The newly-remastered version of "Journey to Babel" will premiere nationwide during the weekend of February 3, 2007, starring William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk and Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock, with DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy. The original episode was first aired in November, 1967 and was written by series story editor D.C. Fontana and directed by Joseph Pevney. Star Trek was created by Gene Roddenberry. Star Trek Remastered is distributed in syndication by CBS Paramount Television. 

 

Images attached: 

 

1. Touchdown. An Enterprise shuttlecraft makes a perfect landing in the ship's hangar deck. The shuttle carries Ambassador Sarek and his wife, Amanda to an important interstellar conference in "Journey to Babel," this weekend's episode of Star Trek Remastered. 

 

2. Shuttle turntable. An assemblage of Federation dignitaries and Starfleet crew members gather to witness the arrival of Spock's parents  on the Starship Enterprise in "Journey to Babel," this weekend's episode of Star Trek Remastered. The gathered ambassadors and Enterprise officers, glimpsed in the windows of the upper observation galleries, are cameo appearances by most of the visual effects artists and technicians who are working on the remastered visual effects. (Most of them appear more than once in different windows!) 

 

3. Vulcan orbit. The Starship Enterprise departs orbit of planet Vulcan, heading to the neutral planetoid Babel for a vital interstellar conference. Unfortunately, dark forces conspire to disrupt the mission in "Journey to Babel," this weekend's episode of Star Trek Remastered. 

 

4. Orion attack. A mysterious alien spaceship makes a deadly attack run on the Starship Enterprise in "Journey to Babel," this weekend's episode of Star Trek Remastered. 

 

Episodes and air dates for Star Trek Remastered: 

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/25835.html  

 

US stations carrying Star Trek Remastered: 

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/news/article/25835.html?page=1  

 

For more information: 

http://www.startrek.com/ 

 

For Images:
http://www.scifislacker.com/television/star-trek-journey-to-babel.shtml

Farscape creator is back

David Kemper is back in a big way.

The creator of Sci Fi Channel's Farscape--which ran four seasons on the network and was its highest-rated show at the time--has a deal with the network to create five new TV movies. Kemper also has a new series that is drawing interest from cable channels.

Kemper's first two films from the deal are the horror films Heat Stroke and Tyrannosaurus Azteca. They will air sometime next year, most likely in the network's Saturday Movie slot.
The new series in development by Kemper is being described as a postapocalyptic action series in the vein of Xena, The Warrior Princess. The series is based on a comic book.

Rigel Entertainment is coproducing the TV movies and producing the new series. Rigel president David Macaione says that three cable nets are interested in the new show, but he would not specify which three.

Sci Fi Channel has had even greater ratings success since Farscape, with Battlestar Galactica and Eureka each pulling in good numbers.

from TV.com

'Spaceballs' to become TV cartoon

Mel Brooks is developing an animated TV series based on his comedy feature "Spaceballs."
Like the 1987 movie, which parodied well-known science-fiction movies, "Spaceballs: The Animated Series" will spoof current blockbusters as well as every genre of entertainment from movies and reality TV to culture and politics.

It is set to debut on cable network G4 in fall 2007. Production has already started on an initial batch of 13 episodes.

Brooks, who will voice two characters in the show, co-wrote the pilot with longtime collaborator Thomas Meehan, who will oversee all writing for the series.

Shatner, Nimoy and 40 years of 'Star Trek'

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy first appeared as "Star Trek's" Capt. James T. Kirk and his first officer, Mr. Spock, on September 8, 1966 -- 40 years ago Friday.

Nobody has let them forget it since.

Indeed, Shatner and Nimoy seem downright, uh, reluctant to answer questions about that anniversary. Perhaps they're tired of hearing fans ask them about time travel in "City on the Edge of Forever." Or Vulcan mating rituals in "Amok Time." Or what it was like to wear pointy ears for three years on TV -- and many more on film.

After innumerable anniversaries, interviews, conventions, books, press junkets, red carpet arrival lines, DVD featurettes and commentaries, it's abundantly clear: They are so over "Star Trek."

If you ask them what still gets them fired up about the late producer Gene Roddenberry's creation after all these years, you get an answer that -- underneath the glibness -- is very telling:

SHATNER: Money.
NIMOY: Yeah. The big, the big bucks.
SHATNER: Money. The money gets you fired up.
TOGETHER: The biiiig bucks.
Seriously?
SHATNER: Yes, that was serious. We were very serious about that.
NIMOY: Yeah. But seriously, folks.

They aren't the only ones whose affections are waning.
The 40th anniversary finds the venerable sci-fi franchise at a crossroads. "Enterprise" was canceled after only four seasons and the last "Trek" film, "Nemesis," was a critical and box office disappointment.

There also have been suggestions that Paramount, "Trek's" studio, is milking the franchise dry. Even "Trek" producer Rick Berman acknowledged "franchise fatigue" before the demise of "Enterprise."

Some "Trek" critics have even said the unsayable: It's time for "Star Trek" to declare victory and leave the field of battle, while it still has some dignity left and before the brand name is further tarnished. Shatner and Nimoy, in their Mutt-and-Jeff way, don't buy it.

SHATNER: So you want Paramount to say we've made enough money?
NIMOY: Let's stop making money. Yeah.
SHATNER: Yeah, yeah.
NIMOY: The stockholders won't mind.
SHATNER: No, and we've --
NIMOY: We should stop making money.
SHATNER: Folks, we've made enough money, we're walking away --
NIMOY: We're going to take a break --
SHATNER: Yes. It's been a wonderful ride --
NIMOY: We're going on vacation --
SHATNER: And no more money.
NIMOY: Right. Off to an island someplace and just ...
SHATNER: We'll just handle the books in a different way and make it look like we made something.
NIMOY: Watch the sunset and forget about money...
SHATNER: Yes.
NIMOY: And your investment? Oh, don't worry about it, you know.
SHATNER: It's going to be OK.
NIMOY: We'll get around to that someday.
SHATNER: You'll have some other shows.
NIMOY: Yeah, we don't want to make any more money. No.

Not that Paramount is listening to the critics. Plans are under way for another "Trek" film in 2008, with J.J. Abrams, fresh off his success with "Alias," "Lost" and "Mission: Impossible 3" slated to take over the reins. Word is the film will be about a young Kirk and Spock. Abrams gets the endorsement of the guys:

NIMOY: He's a talented person. He's talented.
SHATNER: He's going to call Leonard. He talked about calling Leonard for advice.
NIMOY: He's talented. We'll help him in any way we can.
SHATNER: As long as they meet Leonard's price.

Then there are the original episodes, the 79 shows fans got to know by heart through their endless airings in syndication. As part of the 40th anniversary celebration, TVLand will begin showing them in their original broadcast order in November. The show is also returning to broadcast syndication for the first time in 16 years. The episodes will begin airing on the more than 200 stations that own the rights starting September 16.

Perhaps the best news for fans -- though some purists may be upset -- is that the original episodes have been remastered in high definition and will include new special effects shots.

Not bad for a show that appeared to be dead on June 3, 1969, leaving Nimoy to join "Mission: Impossible," Shatner to take guest roles and "Saturday Night Live" to produce a great sketch about the show's demise.

So why are we still talking about it?

Shatner has an answer that's he's probably been giving for 40 years. No matter how rote it sounds it's still undeniably true:

SHATNER: It's the characters, it's the uniqueness. [It's] Mr. Spock. It is the relationship between Spock and Kirk. It is the relationship that the three of us had, the compadres, the family. The levels of meaning of the show. The uniqueness of the science fiction at that time. It was all that and many other things, but the curious thing is, nobody really knows. So anything you say is as valid as anything we could say. 'Cause if we knew what it was --

NIMOY: We'd do it again.

SHATNER: And again. And to keep trying. And I haven't got it yet.

By Douglas Cannon Hyde CNN

Dark Shadows Lives

I just found out that DS continues via Big Finish audio stories. First
one due out in September!

The House of Despair
Written by Stuart Manning
Directed by Gary Russell
Released September 2006

After years of wandering the world, Quentin Collins is coming home.
But the Collinwood that awaits him is no longer the sanctuary he
remembers. As the town of Collinsport hides in fear from otherworldly
powers, Quentin vows to unite old friends and reclaim his birthright…

http://www.darkshadowsreborn.com/

Guess I will have to check these out. [liked what they did for Doctor
Who so these should be good as well.]

Win LOTR, TMNT, Surface and more at ScifiSlacker.com

Stop by ScifiSlacker.com to enter to win any one of these great prizes:

Lord of the Rings LE DVDs
Ultimate Avengers 2 DVD
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 5 DVD
Surface the Complete Series DVD
and many other great prizes

http://www.scifislacker.com/contests/

“RETURN TO THE KING OF THE MONSTERS ™ HOMETOWN” SWEEPSTAKES

One Grand Prize Winner Will Receive an 8-Day, 7-Night Trip
For 2 to Tokyo, Japan

New York, NY – August 16, 2006 – Godzilla wants to show you his
hometown! To celebrate the US release of GOJIRA, the original 1954,
uncut Japanese Godzilla movie, Classic Media kicks off the Return to
the King of the Monsters™ Hometown Sweepstakes.

Starting today, Godzilla fans can log onto www.godzillaondvd.com to
enter to win one of more than 250 monstrous prizes.

One grand prize-winner will receive an 8-day/7-night vacation to
Tokyo, Japan for two, including travel and first-class accommodations.
Classic Media will also give away one SONY PSP ™ per day for the
duration of the sweepstakes, running from August 16 – September 16,
2006. Additional prizes include 50 "Gojira/Godzilla: King of the
Monsters" DVD sets and 200 limited-edition Gojira DVD movie posters.

For "Return to the King of the Monsters ™ Hometown" sweepstakes
details, rules and regulations – please log onto www.godzillaondvd.com
. This promotion is produced by T.E.A.M. Group, Florham Park, N.J.

William Shatner Announces Contest to Find the Next Sci-Fi Star

Manhattan, New York—August 4, 2006 — William Shatner knows how hard it is to become a bona-fide science fiction star. That's why he's making it a little bit easier for the next generation of would-be Captain Kirks. William Shatner announced today that he is holding an on-line
contest to find the most talented sci-fi personality in the United States. To enter, contestants just have to create a short video clip that shows why they are the heir apparent to William Shatner, and upload it at http://Shatner.blip.tv by September 30th.

Like many reality TV shows, this contest will rely on the voting public to help choose the winner. Anyone who wants to can view the contestants' video clips and vote for their favorites online at
http://Shatner.blip.tv. The top ten highest ranked entrants will be named finalists, and given a chance to win William Shatner's Sci-Fi Challenge.

Unlike hit TV shows American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, which focus on contestants that have one particular kind of talent, William Shatner encourages a much broader range of applicants. Aspiring actors can submit a tape of themselves re-enacting a
memorable sci-fi role or performing something new. Young directors and film makers can create a sci-fi short or a brief homage to Bill's career that demonstrates why they should win. Budding film critics can showcase their insight in a taped movie review. This diverse group of contestants makes for a richer talent pool, and a more interesting competition.

Some early submissions show the range of entries that contestants can make. A brief scan of the site revealed a sci-fi short featuring a light-saber battle between Darth Vader and William Shatner (mrpink468.shatner.blip.tv), a handsome but somewhat deranged fan who runs the Bill Shatner TV Station (BillTv.shatner.blip.tv), and an intergalactic celebrity roast (BjornBorg.shatner.blip.tv). While these videos may not all become finalists, each of them is certainly fun and sure to entertain.

In addition to those finalists voted in by the audience, Shatner has selected seven celebrity judges who will each be allowed to select an additional finalist (for 17 finalists in total). The celebrity judges are a diverse group of science fiction luminaries, and include representatives from StarTrek.com, the Sci-Fi Channel, and Chase Masterson from the cast of Star Trek: Deep Space 9. Also represented on the celebrity judge panel are Ain't It Cool News, Planet Magazine,
the Slice of Sci-Fi Podcast, and VideoDetective.com. William Shatner will select the winner from the 17 finalists.

The grand prize winner will receive a large cash award and will be named the Official Spokesperson for the William Shatner Science Fiction DVD Club. William Shatner started his Science Fiction DVD-of-the-Month Club earlier this year, and the club now boasts
nearly 5,000 subscribers. The club identifies great but unheralded science fiction films, and offers them to customers for just $4 each (Shatner DVD Club).

The William Shatner DVD Club, which sponsors this event, chose blip.tv to build the online channel where contestants can upload their video and where the public can view all of the entries. Blip.tv is an Internet media company that hosts and distributes Web-based TV shows
and videoblogs. Show producers can opt-in to advertising, and blip.tv splits all advertising revenues with them. Blip.tv also gives users the tools to distribute videos to blogs, iTunes, video aggregators, del.icio.us, Flickr and more.

William Shatner's Sci-Fi Challenge promises to be entertaining and engaging for both entrants and audience members. Although you need to submit a video to be eligible for the grand prize, anyone who votes on-line for their favorite submission can win a free Video iPod. William Shatner summarized his vision by saying, "This is an opportunity for new faces and new voices in the science fiction world to be seen and heard. Plus, this is a chance for passionate fans to
be the first to discover the next M. Night Shyamalan or Brandon Routh, and help propel them into stardom." The contest is runs from now until September 30th. To submit a video, learn more about the contest, or view submissions, visit http://Shatner.blip.tv (there is
no .com).

About the William Shatner DVD Club

The Official William Shatner DVD Club (www.ShatnerDvdClub.com), a DVD-of-the-month club, showcases the best sci-fi movies that didn't come to a theater near you. For less than $4 a movie, subscribers can own a powerful and entertaining science fiction movie every month.
It's easy and free to try, because the William Shatner DVD Club gives visitors a Free DVD (with no obligations) so they can see for themselves what they've been missing.

About blip.tv

Blip.tv is a leading Internet media company that empowers individuals to create, produce and distribute video content through the Web. With the most advanced distribution platform for independent video content on the Web, blip.tv utilizes a wide network of partnerships with
premier Internet companies. To learn more, please visit blip.tv's website at http://www.blip.tv/.

MOVIEMAKING GOES VIRTUAL AS SOCIAL NETWORK MEETS HOLLYWOOD

Social Network / Cyberstudio LiveMansion.com To Produce  Upcoming Feature Film

NEW YORK, NY -- Ckrush, Inc., announced the launch today of a new website designed to take social networking to a whole new level, fusing the strength of internet peer-to-peer networks with the power of being a studio mogul.   LiveMansion.com – a participatory creative community in which the members call the shots – will function as a producer on Ckrush's next feature film, LIVE MANSION: THE MOVIE, a thriller set in the underground world of mega-mansion, rave-style parties.  Members of the social network will cast the film, choose the director and  play a major decision-making role throughout the entire production process. The effort marks the first time most of the major production decisions on a film have been made through an online social network.

"Social networking has become a powerful collective force in today's world," said Jeremy Dallow, President of Ckrush.   "LiveMansion.com takes this phenomenon in a new direction, harnessing the participatory nature of the web in a whole new way.  Ckrush is committed to making highly entertaining feature films and we feel that the LiveMansion community will be a great producing partner and source for creative talent."
LiveMansion.com members will participate in the making of LIVE MANSION: THE MOVIE in up to three different ways.  They can enter an open casting call, audition to become the director and/or call the shots as a producer. Producers   vote during the talent search and then subsequently as key decisions are made throughout the rest of the production process.   Each member will earn "producer points" as they take part in the making of the film.  Those who participate the most will be brought to the set and will earn equity in the film among other benefits.

The search for a director will begin with online submissions, with candidates being asked to tell a story using three pictures and no narrative, and to submit a questionnaire.  LiveMansion.com members will rank submissions, with the top choices moving on to the second round.  The next step will require candidates to submit up to a three minute video, which will also be ranked.  For round three, those still standing will be provided three scenes from the film, one of which they must shoot and submit the video.  Community members will then cast a simple vote whether to give them the job or not.  The top vote getters will move on to the final round.

The five top candidates for director will be given a budget  to create a five-minute short film based on  scenes from LIVE MANSION: THE MOVIE.   The final candidates will then be brought to New York where they will present their work to industry professionals. Live Mansion Members will then vote online to select the director based on the strength of their short.  

The open casting process will also be broken into rounds, starting with photo and questionnaire submissions that will be ranked by members.  Top ranking entries will move to a sorting round in which LiveMansion.com will unveil eight character descriptions and candidates will choose which roles they feel fit them best.  Members will rate the candidates for each role, with the highest rated actor candidates going to the next round.   Round 3 will require candidates to submit a short video of themselves performing scenes from the movie. The top vote getters for each role will be brought to  New York and will participate in a live online casting showcase, before members make their final choices.    

About Ckrush, Inc.

Ckrush, Inc. is a cutting edge entertainment and digital media group capitalizing on the global convergence of the traditional entertainment industry and the "participatory pop culture" revolution of online communities and digital technology. The Company produces feature films, sports programs and other content that target young adults, a highly-coveted entertainment industry demographic comprised of 70 million-plus consumers with an estimated spending power in excess of $200 billion annually. Ckrush feature films slated to be released in 2006 include, "Beer League," starring Artie Lange, "TV the Movie," starring Steve O and Wee Man of "Jackass" fame; and National Lampoon's "Pledge This," starring Paris Hilton. Ckrush also promotes and distributes televised sports events and other programming through pay-per-view, video-on-demand and other channels. For investor-specific information about Ckrush, Inc., including recent news and stock price data, please visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/ckrush/quote.html. For General Investor Information, please visit http://www.trilogy-capital.com/tcp/ckrush/. For additional information, visit http://www.ckrush.net.

LIONSGATE PARTNERS WITH HABBO FOR EXCLUSIVE ONLINE PREMIERE OF HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED MARVEL ANIMATED FEATURE ULTIMATE AVENGERS 2

First 10 Minutes Of Feature To Be Premiered On Popular Habbo.com Website On July 26th; DVD Available In Stores On August 8th

SANTA MONICA, CA/LOS ANGELES, CA (July 25, 2006) - This July, through a partnership with HABBO, one of the world's largest and hottest on-line destinations for teenagers, Lionsgate, the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, will premiere the first 10 minutes of its highly-anticipated MarvelT animated feature, Ultimate Avengers 2, on the popular website, Habbo.com.  This event marks the first time the online community will be able to view 10 full minutes of a never-before-seen film prior to its release.  A virtual red-carpet premiere event will be held at the Habbo Theaterdome on July 26th at 4:00pm PST, where a host of "special guests" will be in attendance, including the human personas of Captain AmericaT (Steve Rogers), Iron ManT (Tony Stark), The HulkT (Bruce Banner) and Black PantherT (T'Challa).  This will be a "black tie" affair - and all Habbos in attendance will be required to dress in black.

During the premiere event, registered users of the site, called "Habbos" will be able to attend by logging in to the virtual community and entering the Habbo Theaterdome to view the film footage and also respond within the community immediately - even while the footage is still playing.  After the premiere showing is completed, Habbos will be treated to an interactive Q&A session with the Marvel Heroes from the movie who attended the premiere. Once the premiere event concludes, all other Habbos will be able to view the footage on Habbo.com  for two weeks leading up to the August 8th DVD release of Ultimate Avengers 2.

"This partnership with Habbo on Ultimate Avengers 2 opens up exciting, new ways to reach a big audience and do it in a breakthrough way that strengthens the involvement of the consumer" said Michael Rathauser, Vice President of Marketing, Lionsgate.  "The Habbo world provides a unique opportunity to not only stream our content for viewing online, but to do it in a community environment that encourages instant reaction to the footage and which  generates the potential for significant word-of-mouth.  With Habbo's enthusiastic, highly involved user base, the buzz about the movie will just continue to build leading up to the DVD release."

"By partnering with Lionsgate, we are making it possible for our users, aka 'Habbos,' and Marvel fans to interact with one another and extend their Avengers experience through an online event like no other. The Habbo teen community undoubtedly already feels a strong connection to the Avengers characters, such as the HULK, Captain America, Thor, and Iron man, but at the same time, Habbo provides a great forum to attract a new audience as well. This will be the first real time interaction and feedback session of its kind in an online environment, instantly giving the users a sense of ownership," said Janne Kouri, Regional Director, North America.

Ultimate Avengers 2 is the second film in a multi-picture deal between Lionsgate and Marvel Studios and is the sequel to Ultimate Avengers: The Movie.  Available on DVD on August 8th for the suggested retail price of $19.98, the film is set in Wakanda, deep in the heart of Africa, and features non-stop animated action that stays true to its comic book roots. Additionally, it boasts highly-entertaining bonus features including a gag reel, a featurette, DVD-ROM game and more. 

ABOUT HABBO

HABBO is a richly colorful, multi-dimensional virtual community and game environment for  teens. Users join by creating a fully-customized online character called a Habbo.  From there, they can explore many public hang outs, play a variety of games, connect with friends, decorate their own rooms, and have fun through creativity and self expression.  Since its launch in 2000 by Sulake Corporation, an interactive entertainment company that specializes in developing, publishing and distributing multiplayer social networking communities and games, HABBO sites have been introduced in 18 countries on five continents, with more than 53 million Habbo characters created and more than 7 million unique users each month.  The highly-trafficked U.S site, www.habbo.com, is visited by over 1.7 million unique users per month who spend on average more than three hours a week on the site (Nielsen Net Ratings).  Sulake has headquarters in Finland and offices in 17 countries. Currently the company has over 270 employees worldwide. Sulake is extending the Habbo brand to include e.g. mobile games and content, and merchandising and licensing products. 

http://www.sulake.com/

http://www.habbo.com/


ABOUT LIONSGATE

Lionsgate is the leading independent filmed entertainment studio, winning this year's Best Picture Academy Award R for Crash, generating two consecutive years of $300 million-plus domestic theatrical box office, operating a $500 million-plus home entertainment business and producing a broad slate of prime time television series for fiscal 2007.  It is a premier producer and distributor of motion pictures, television programming, home entertainment, family entertainment and video-on-demand content.  Its prestigious and prolific library of more than 5,500 titles is a valuable source of stable, recurring revenue and a foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses.  The Lionsgate brand name is synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

http://www.lionsgate.com/

RAY HARRYHAUSEN UNITES WITH BLUEWATER PRODUCTIONS FOR NEW ADVENTURE

Filmmaker Ray Harryhausen has joined forces with BlueWater Productions on a series of new comic book ventures and merchandising under the "Ray Harryhausen Presents" banner. Harryhausen is now part of the BlueWater team developing projects that tap his extensive creative talents.

BlueWater will produce six titles with Harryhausen, advancing the adventures of the characters the filmmaker brought to life in his classic sci-fi and fantasy franchises. Slated for release later this year are "Wrath of the Titans," "Sinbad's Voyage to Mars" and "20 Million Miles From Earth."Plans for feature films and a television series are being developed by Left Field Film Corp.

Harryhausen will be at the San Diego Comic-Con July 21 and 22 with the BlueWater team, where he'll sign posters from the upcoming series. Details will be available on the BlueWater website, www.bluewaterprod.com.The collaborative projects will provide springboards for the next generation of characters based on Harryhausen's films. Harryhausen also plans on crafting a story line featuring BlueWater's signature character, the 10th Muse. "X-Men" author Scott Lobdell will write the updated "10th Muse" series based on Harryhausen's take.

Each comic will feature five pages of original artwork from Harryhausen's collection, thanks to a partnership with Every Picture Tells a Story, the Santa Monica-based gallery that sells the artist's works. Harryhausen's artwork also will grace the covers.

"As an artist, I've always enjoyed exploring new and interesting areas," Harryhausen says. "Although many of my feature films, beginning with 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad,' were adapted into the comic book format, I have never been directly involved with that particular art form -- until now. I am very happy to be working with BlueWater Productions, who have already done wonderful work with their '10th Muse' and 'Isis' comic books, and look forward to seeing characters from my films in new and exciting adventures."

BlueWater President Darren Davis says he's humbled to have Harryhausen aboard. "Ray Harryhausen is one of the reasons I create comics. 'Clash of the Titans' made a priceless impression on my career. I'm honored to work with Ray. He inspired and motivated me to take 'Legends' into different media."

BlueWater Art Director Nadir Balan is equally excited to work with Harryhausen. "Ray Harryhausen's films have a timeless appeal that extends beyond special effects and monsters. My goal is to capture the essence and charm of his films and adapt them to action-packed comics so both new readers and existing fans can catch up on the ongoing adventures. I'm thrilled to be part of the team dreaming up new futures for these great characters."

More projects showcasing the Harryhausen-BlueWater partnership are in the works and will be announced soon.

Ultraman: Series One, Vol. 1 Coming To DVD

The "Ultraman" Collection is a remastered 3 Disc 20 episode set. For the first time in the U.S. you can see all the episodes with the original Japanese audio track with the English sub-titles or listen to the English budded tracks created for the U.S broadcasts by the cast of Speed Racer.

All 20 episodes from this first series are all uncut and remastered of the original Tsubuaya Productions television series created by Eiji Tsuburaya, (the special effects genius behind Godzilla).





1 Ultra Operation No. 1
2 Defeat the Invaders!
3 Sally Forth, Science Patrol!
4 5 Seconds Before The Big Explosion!
5 Treasure of the Miloganda
6 The Coast Guard Command
7 The Blue Stone of Baradhi
8 The Lawless Monster Zone
9 Operation: Lightning Speed
10 The Mysterious Dinosaur Base
11 The Ruffian from Outer Space
12 The Cries of the Mummy
13 Oil S.O.S.
14 The Pearl Oyster Protection Directive
15 The Terrifying Cosmic Rays
16 The Science Patrol to Outer Space
17 Passport to Infinity
18 The Brother from Another Planet
19 The Demons Once More
20 Terror on Route 87