Site of the Week -- Oct. 18, 1999
e's a war hero. He's a commanding presence. He's an amphibian. And he
wants your vote!
That's right, Admiral Ackbar, leader of the Rebel Alliance's victorious attack on the second
Death Star, is running for president of Earth. All of the details are available on
the Admiral Ackbar For President campaign site, which includes news
releases, campaign posters, an Ackbar look-alike page, a short manifesto,
and sounds recorded during the heat of the Death Star battle. But it also goes beyond sound
bites, extolling the virtues of Ackbar's tactical skills while readily
admitting his cowardly impulses, such as his exclamation: "It's a trap! All
craft prepare to retreat!" during the Death Star assault.
The site turns this negative into a positive, however, by showing how Ackbar's
clown-like floundering during the Star Wars assault actually inspired
his men. It's this comedic genius, coupled with his "fish for everyone"
platform, that will undoubtedly win him the Earth presidency.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- Oct. 11, 1999
or exact and exhaustive data on which episodes of science fiction and fantasy television shows are airing when, The SFTV Page is unparalleled. The flat text files may look as dull as dishwater, but the information sparkles. Start with the Current and Upcoming SFTV Shows & News page, which has news blurbs about the shows, schedule changes, cast changes, special events and more. This page also lists--for more than three dozen broadcast, syndicated and cable series--exactly which episodes will be airing when over the next couple of months. It tells when shows are repeats, or even preempted entirely, so there won't be any nasty surprises.
The SFTV Shows Current Season page lists all the episodes for this plethora of programs in the coming season, and notes special events like the appearance of the Troi and Barclay characters on Star Trek: Voyager this December. The Tube Talk pages contain news archives and articles on such topics as the canceling of Crusade and the new fall TV lineup. Finally there are broadcast history archives, in case anyone needs to know when a particular episode of Xena: Warrior Princess aired in 1996.
-- J.B. Peck
Site of the Week -- Oct. 4, 1999
lthough often lost under thunderous sound effects and earsplitting
explosions, rousing musical scores generally accompany Godzilla and his
cohorts every time they trash Tokyo. Information on these compositions is
notoriously difficult to find, but, for folks seeking details about the
symphonic sounds that go along with the mayhem, the best resource around is
undoubtedly the Godzilla And Other Monster Music Web site.
The main page covers each of the 22 Japanese Godzilla soundtracks
(nearly all of which are unavailable in the United States), supplying brief
reviews and English translations of the individual song titles. Another
section is devoted to various Godzilla-related compilations and
spin-offs, with popular box-office competitors like Mothra and
Gamera showcased on their own separate pages. A couple of ultra-rare
box sets are also examined, along with scores from a few generic Japanese SF
films and some non-genre recordings from famed Godzilla composer Akira
Ifukube.
The site is enthusiastically maintained by Larry Tuczynski, who regularly
updates the information, sometimes even posting images of new CDs before he
can fully review or translate them. It's an ongoing project, but one done
with obvious love and affection, making Godzilla And Other Monster
Music an informative and entertaining resource for both G-fans
and film score aficionados.
-- Jeff Berkwits
