Site of the Week -- Sept. 20, 1999
he Phantom Menace may be on its way out of theaters, but the Star
Wars shows still go on at the Mos Eisley Multiplex.
The site features links to more than 40 digital short films and skits by Star
Wars fans. Each link includes a brief about the production, and a few have links
to longer behind-the-scenes articles that explain how and why the films were
made.
The multiplex links to some of the most famous underground skits, such as
Troops and SimWars (the Star Wars/Titanic parody), but it has
plenty of not-so-famous shorts as well. Those who never got over Jar Jar
Binks can revel in Killing Jar Jar, a film that shows just how much
abuse one of those plastic Jar Jar heads can take. Those looking for
something more highbrow can take in a Jedi-ified version of Macbeth.
There's a higher-than-average dead link count on the site, but since most of
the download sites have multiple mirrors, this is only a minor
inconvenience.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- Sept. 13, 1999
he Australian-based Dark Horizons Web site carries news, rumors, reviews and information about TV shows and films, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy and horror. The News and Rumors section supplies up-to-the-minute reportage on current and upcoming TV and film projects, including plot hints, casting updates, and filming locations. The This Week listings tell what films are currently opening in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
In addition to being a good source for current Tinsel Town dish, Dark Horizons also catalogs movies and TV shows gone by. The yearly Film Index pages, beginning with 1997, list every major Hollywood film and include stills, cast and crew information, plot summaries and even trailers. Worldwide release dates are given, as well as links to online reviews. (The site's creator, Garth Franklin, also reviews almost every Hollywood film--his articles are short, specific, and very readable.) For TV, there are comprehensive episode guides to selected shows, including Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena: Warrior Princess, and even the yet-to-be aired Angel.
Considering that Dark Horizons is based Down Under, it's amazing how well connected this site is to the Hollywood scene.
-- J.B. Peck
Site of the Week -- Sept. 7, 1999
lliance Atlantis Entertainment is working to bring best-selling author Anne McCaffrey's The Dragonriders of Pern series to television, and Pern.com is the official--though not yet complete--site for the new show. Despite its "in progress" status, now is a good time to bookmark this site for those interested in keeping up to date on all the series' developments, such as casting, images, merchandise and everything that accompanies the birth of a new TV show.
Currently the best section of Pern.com is the FAQ in the Have Your Say area, which has the scoop on how the show will relate to McCaffrey's novels, and also explores some of the challenges involved in bringing such a rich world to the small screen. There is also a survey that asks questions like "Which tale do you favor most?" This appears to be a chance for Pern fans to influence the direction the show will take.
In the site's News and Events section, a time line outlines significant dates of the production schedule (casting begins in November 1999, so get those head shots sent in soon). Currently the Events area has photos of McCaffrey and other members of the Pern team at the 1999 Dragon*Con. There's also a biography of McCaffrey, a QuickTime movie of her speaking, and a listing of the many awards she's won for her writing.
This site is professionally designed and informative, and it will only get better with time. One thing to note is that while the Flash plug-in is not required, it is helpful.
-- J.B. Peck
