Site of the Week -- Feb. 1, 1999
ix the zaniness of an eccentric like Ed Wood with the kookiness of a '90s aliens conspiracy theorist and you've got Ben I. Goldman, science fiction visionary. His life is chronicled on the Ben I. Goldman Story Web site, which tracks his filmmaking career from the timeless Gill Women of the Prehistoric Planet to the disastrous Jesus versus Mecha Jesus. None of these films ever made it big, and his work was never translated to video, not just because it was so terrible (it was), but because it never existed.
The Goldman site is a hoax and an excellent homage to the spirit of Plan 9 from Outer Space. The site lovingly mocks 1960s creature features as it takes behind-the-scenes looks at classics like Planet Earth vs. Count Dracula. Ten movies--complete with vintage posters and "rare" still shots--appear on the site, as does Goldman's belief that aliens from Planet X were communicating with him. Visitors can only hope that Goldman will emerge from hiding long enough to complete an 11th opus.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- Jan. 25, 1999
hen Star Wars was first released 20 odd years ago, it wasn't just the movie that amazed kids, it was the toys. The tiny Luke Skywalkers and Millennium Falcons took the world by storm as much as the film did, and the upcoming Star Wars - Episode I: The Phantom Menace will likely be no different. The movie promises to make gigantic strides in toy technology, and The Fandom Menace site is committed to covering every step.
The site's featured toys include Darth Maul (the alien with the two-handed lightsaber in the trailer), the "old" C3PO, young Anakin Skywalker and a Naboo fighter. There are shots of each toy both inside and outside of its packaging, and the site also includes a handful of features that complement these images, such as .WAV files of the Naboo fighter firing its weapons and doing flybys.
But The Fandom Menace does have a dark side. Diehard fans who refuse to even think about the prequel before seeing it in theaters probably shouldn't visit here--the sneak peeks show creatures, villains and vehicles that have only been hinted at in the movie trailer.
-- Kenneth Newquist
Site of the Week -- Jan. 18, 1999
ill Robinson wishes he had it so good. Instead of just one robot, the Robots Web site has nearly a hundred bots intent on taking over the world, or at least the local toy store. Conky is a small plastic wind-up robot that rose to fame in the 1980s with Pee-Wee's Playhouse. Sparky is a spark-shooting metallic wonder from 1950s-era Japan. Electric Robot and Son comes with a proud father and a baby robot in diapers.
But don't go looking for R2-D2 or any of his modern pals on this site. The nearly 100 inhabitants of Robots follow the classic design standard that dictates that bulky is good, but clunky is better. The site's monthly reviews include a brief description of a featured bot, as well as pictures and, if available, related Web links. While the robots on the site might not be as snazzy-looking as their latter-day counterparts, they've got a nostalgic feel that makes Robots worth a visit.
-- Kenneth Newquist
