What's Happening At UPN? The mini-network is slipping fast in the ratings The ratings slide for UPN continues to perplex us. Enterprise is now pulling less viewers than The Dead Zone (a cable show). What gives? We've compiled some of the reasons they seem headed for failure.

They can't decide what kind of network they want to be. The "Big Guns" Enterprise and Smackdown! just keep losing viewers. They bought Buffy for a fortune - only to cut it loose after one season. Too many "Urban" comedy shows. Too much wrestling - not much drama. Owned by CBS - not likely to get the best shows.

Just for fun, why don't you vote for your favorite solution to "save" UPN. We'll post the results next week.

The Life of David Gale Quiz & Contest
Starland Screening on Tuesday, Feb 18th in Denver
The Life of David Gale, a taut suspense thriller directed by Alan Parker, stars two-time Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey and Oscar nominees Kate Winslet and Laura Linney.

In Charles Randolph's original screenplay, David Gale (Spacey) is a man who has tried hard to live by his principles but in a bizarre twist of fate, this devoted father, popular professor and respected death penalty opponent finds himself on Death Row for the rape and murder of fellow activist Constance Harraway (Linney). With only three days before his scheduled execution, Gale agrees to give reporter Elizabeth "Bitsey" Bloom (Winslet) the exclusive interview she’s been chasing. But Bitsey soon realizes that this assignment is more than she bargained for, and that a man's life is in her hands. Putting her own safety in jeopardy, she frantically races to piece together the shocking events surrounding Constance's death, before it's too late.

This movie is rated R. You must be at least 17 years old to be eligible for our contest. Click here to play.

Spy Kids 2 Video Quiz & Contest
Compete for a copy of the movie on DVD or VHS
After saving their parents and the free world, Carmen and Juni Cortez are now full-fledged SPYkid operatives within the OSS. In Island of Lost Dreams, they embark on a mission to a mysterious island to retrieve the Transmooker device - dangerous device, which in the wrong hands would jeopardize the world! This island, invisible to any radar or satellite, has the effect of disabling all power, which includes Carmen and Juni’s precious gadgets. And to complicate things, rival SPY kid agents Gary and Gerti Giggles show up to exact revenge on Carmen and Juni for stealing their assignment. This time around, Mom, Dad and the grandparents set out to save the spy kids, save the Transmooker device and save the world!

This movie is rated PG and will be available for sale on February 18, 2003. Click here to play for a copy of the movie.

E-Book Authors & Columnists Beaming In To Starfest
Interphase and Foundations writers Kevin Dilmore and Dayton Ward
Kevin Dilmore, a self described fan boy, left work as a newspaper reporter to become a Star Trek contributing writer and author. He currently chronicles the Star Trek's, performers, producers, script writers, designers, illustrators, sculptors, motion-simulator operators and even the food servers at Quark's Bar. His fictional Star Trek work has been with Dayton Ward on Interphase and Foundations, the multi-book tales of the Starfleet Corps of Engineers written for the audience of Star Trek e-books. Their latest e-book is Home Fires.

Dayton Ward, former Marine and software developer, began his writing career with submissions to the short-story anthology Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. He has worked with Kevin on the Star Trek: S.C.E. series and has authored a couple of printed Star Trek novels: In the Name of Honor and the forthcoming The Last World War. Dayton also contributed a short story to the horror anthology Family Plots which will make its debut at the World Horror Convention in April of 2003.

Both Kevin and Dayton will participate in writing panels at Starfest. Click here for more Starfest 2003 info.

Duck Variations At Starfest 2003
Starring Walter Koenig and Richard Herd
Walter Koenig and Richard Herd will be performing David Mamet's one-act play Duck Variations at Starfest 2003. The play, Mamet's first, was written in 1974 and has enjoyed World-wide success. The Saturday, April 26th presentation, will be the premier performance of this production. 

Duck Variations takes place in a park, were two elderly friends meet on a bench to discuss ducks, life and the value of company. The play evolves and envelops the audience in 14 short scenes that portray the passage of time and serve to illuminate the themes that gel in the conversations the two men share. Duck Variations is full of touching and insightful scenes of sparkling comedy.

Mamet is renown as a master of interaction and popular speech. The opportunity of attending this engaging and funny performance - by these two great actors - promises to be a great highlight of Starfest 2003. Click here to purchase preferred seating tickets.

The Guru Screening Contest
Screening Tuesday, February 11, 2003 at 7:00pm in Denver
Ramu Gupta (Jimi Mistry) is a young Indian dance instructor mesmerized by Broadway's footlights a world away. But he finds the road to fame in New York is no magic carpet ride and Ramu winds up juggling the waiter's tray at an Indian restaurant and going to any audition that comes along. One of his auditions leads to a job in an adult movie. He quickly loses his job but fate finds him a friend in his co-star Sharonna (Heather Graham).

Desperate, for work, he works a catering job for a New Age therapy-crazed socialite Lexi (Marisa Tomei) and through circumstance, turns it into his ticket out of obscurity - using the weird advice of his porn-star girl friend Sharonna.

This movie is Rated R. If you are at least 17 years of age, click here to play for tickets.

Suspended Animation Reviews
The Wandering Ones: Ghost Wind & Road To Perdition
Mark Allen does double-duty on this week's reviews, taking a look at two comics of completely different origins. The Wandering Ones: Ghost Wind is a web comic - the first that Mark's reviewed, and Mark notes that it's refreshingly not a copy of other comics he's read before. Road To Perdition is a reprint of the earlier work that inspired the Tom Hanks movie. Mark really likes Perdition and says, "Road to Perdition is done the way I wish ALL comics were done."

Old School Screening Contest
Win tickets to our screening on Wednesday, February 12th
"Old School" is a raucous comedy about a trio of thirty something buddies who try to recapture the outrageous, irrepressible fun of their college years by starting their own off-campus frat house.

Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell and Vince Vaughn star as the trio of over-the-hill frat boys. The film also stars Ellen Pompeo, Huliette Lewis, Leah Remini, Craig Kilborn and Jeremy Piven.

This movie is rated R. You must be at least 17 years of age to be eligible to play our contest. Click here to play.

Starfest Is Official
April 25-27, 2003 convention in Denver Colorado
Starfest 2003 is now an Official Star Trek sanctioned convention. The agreement between Starfest LLC and Viacom Consumer Products Inc. allows Starfest to use certain elements from the Star Trek television series and motion pictures in connection with the convention. It also affords endorsement and mention on the www.startrek.com website.

Starfest 2003 will mark the 27th year of Starcon and Starfest conventions in the Denver area. The multi-media convention feature actors, directors, producers and craftspeople from all aspects of the field of media entertainment. Tickets for the April 25-27 convention are currently available online at www.starland.com. This year's convention will be held at our new home at the Marriott Denver Tech Center (I-25 & Belleview).

Click here for more Starfest 2003 information.

Starfest 2003 Guest, Author Larry Nemecek

Mr. Nemecek will be presenting a couple of panels at Starfest and be on-hand Friday-Sunday, April 25-27, 2003.

The Jungle Book 2 Screening Contest
Saturday, February 8, 2003 at 10am - Great Kids Screening!
Disney’s "The Jungle Book 2" adds an all-new animated chapter to one of the best-loved animated classics of all time. Mowgli now lives in the man village, and he loves his new family and friends, especially his feisty little step-brother Ranjan and his best pal Shanti, the girl who initially wooed Mowgli from the jungle. But Mowgli misses his buddy Baloo, who likewise pines for his little man-cub. Baloo isn’t the only one hoping to see Mowgli again soon - Shere Khan impatiently awaits his revenge. When Mowgli sneaks away to the jungle, the chase is on to see who will find Mowgli first - his old pals, his new family, or the man-eating tiger. It’s an adventure packed with thrills, songs and fun for the whole family. The film gets a musical boost from both a reprise of "The Bare Necessities" and Smash Mouth’s rousing rendition of "I Wan’na Be Like You" as well as new tunes like the show-stopping "W-I-L-D" and the swinging beat of "Jungle Rhythm."

VOICE TALENT: John Goodman, Haley Joel Osment, Mae Whitman, Tony Jay, Bob Joles, John Rhys-Davies, Phil Collins, Connor Funk, Jim Cummings, Jess Harnell, Jeff Bennett. This movie is rated G.

Click here to play for tickets to the screening.