Site of the Week -- July 31, 2000
odestly designed and easy to negotiate, ClassicSciFi.com sets its sights primarily on the most popular of all science fiction media--movies. And, while not incredibly detailed or absolutely comprehensive, ClassicSciFi is quite a good resource for science fiction film aficionados and initiates alike.
The site provides a searchable database of hundreds of classic science fiction films. The film descriptions contain brief synopses, lists of starring actors, various ratings and rankings, awards and good-sized images of the movies' original posters. Visitors can also find out what science fiction and horror movies (not necessarily all classics) are on television on the current day and month. (Listings appear to be U.S. Eastern Standard Time broadcasts, though this isn't entirely clear.)
ClassicSciFi.com also compiles lists of science fiction conventions going on around the world, science fiction movies due out in the near or far future, and links to other science fiction movie-related sites--from memorabilia vendors to deals on science fiction magazines to resources for aspiring filmmakers.
Owners of Palm Pilots and other handheld computers will be delighted to see that ClassicSciFi's daily science fiction TV listings can be downloaded to handhelds (users must first download AvantGo software). Another interesting feature is the site's extensive list of in-house movie categories. Whether viewers hunger for a film that's "Campy" or about "Aliens," "Monsters on the Loose" or "Man, His Follies, and the End of the World," ClassicSciFi is the place to go.
-- Matthew McGowan
Site of the Week -- July 24, 2000
ccording to the history provided on its site, Apemania began with a group of Planet of the Apes fans. Painstakingly recreating the elaborate costumes of the films, Apemania members began attending SF conventions and performing at the masquerades. Since 1996, they have gone pro, performing at trade shows and fund-raisers, staging an ape invasion aboard a cruise ship and even providing voices for the new CD-ROM game from Fox Interactive.
This photo-laden Web site tells the Apemania story, listing the group's past and upcoming public appearances and providing insights into the complexities of creating creature makeup for the movies. It is also an inspiring look into the world of people whose lives, careers and current success have been shaped and directed by their passionate involvement in SF.
Even though some areas of the site are still under construction, there is plenty to enjoy, including a hilarious video of performers jumping rope in full costume. Particularly interesting is an interview with makeup artist Kevin Chase. Visitors can also view the museum-quality displays created by Apemania and purchase collectibles, costumes, accessories or the raw materials required to create an ape outfit at home. There is even a section where new costume-makers can share their war stories and photographs of their experiments.
Even casual visitors will find it hard not to love this irrepressible site. As for die-hard Planet of the Apes fans, Apemania.com is an absolute treasure trove.
-- A.M. Dellamonica
Site of the Week -- July 17, 2000
here is a menace among us. A lethal menace. A frightening menace. A mutant menace.
Fortunately, one politician is willing to do something about it: Senator Kelly.
The Senator's Web site--designed to counter the hype surrounding the pro-mutant piece of cinematic propaganda known as X-Men--outlines his plans to make America safe for ordinary people. He proposes a mutant registration authority, to reveal the hidden danger lurking in the cities and suburbia. He urges ordinary men and women to report suspected mutants, and his campaign video clearly outlines his no-tolerance approach to combating the mutant threat.
There's one thing voters should know, however, before heading to the booth in November: Senator Kelly doesn't exist.
Fox spawned his Mutant Watch Web site and the Stop the X-Men Campaign as a way of promoting the X-Men film. It would be a parody if lines like "empowering individual teachers to evaluate and remove genetically enhanced students from their classrooms" didn't so chillingly evoke the rhetoric heard after the Columbine massacre. Instead, it's a work of fiction ... and a good one at that.
-- Kenneth Newquist
