Starland and Starfest news and information. February 2006 Contests, Movie Screenings, and Conventions in Denver Colorado

February 2006 Headlines

February 28

The Shaggy Dog Screening Quiz & Contest
Monday, March 6th @ 7pm @ The Colorado Center Theater (I-25 & Colorado)
Tim Allen transforms from family dad to family dog and back again in this fresh update of the Disney comedy classic, The Shaggy Dog.

It all begins when workaholic Deputy D.A. Dave Douglas takes on a case involving an animal laboratory - one that will take him away yet again from his wife and kids, who already yearn for his all-to-distracted attention.

But when Dave is accidentally infected with a top-secret, genetic-mutation serum, everything he thought he knew about being himself and his family changes. Yet with his newly perked-up ears, and his front-row seat on the household carpet, Dave is able to gain a whole new perspective into his family's secrets and dreams.

This film is rated PG. Play for tickets.

February 28

Denise Crosby To Appear At Starfest 2006
Denise had once thought that after she left Star Trek: The Next Generation, she would be able to move on with her life. She hoped she would be able to look back on her experience as a fond memory. A distant past that could perhaps be visited nostalgically from time to time.

Well, Karma had other plans for her. Rather than a fond memory of an earlier time, Star Trek has become more like a boomerang in her life. Every time she lets it go, it comes whizzing back at her - demanding that she catch a hold of it or get hit in the head.

Read more about Starfest 2006.

February 27

Dwight Schultz Confirmed For Starfest
William Dwight Schultz was born on November 24, 1947 in Baltimore, Maryland. As an actor, Dwight first attained fame as "H.M. 'Howlin Mad' Murdock" on the 80's situation comedy/action show The A-Team. He flew all the planes, helicopters and wild contraptions that were featured on the show.

To Star Trek fans, Dwight is better known for his portrayal of Lt. Reginald Barclay. His character on Star Trek was so endearing, he appeared on different versions of the show. First in The Next Generation and then on Star Trek Voyager. He additionally appeared in the feature film Star Trek: First Contact. His Star Trek character Reggie was the always endearing, often bumbling and supremely intelligent dreamer - an obvious homage to James Thurber's Walter Mitty.

Read more about Starfest 2006.

February 24

Dave Chappelle's Block Party
Screening Quiz & Contest
Wednesday, March 1st @ 7pm
@ The Continental Theater (I-25 & Hampden)
A genuine crowd-pleaser, Dave Chappelle's Block Party spotlights comedy superstar Dave Chappelle as he presents a Brooklyn neighborhood with its very own once-in-a-lifetime free block party. The unprecedented combination of comedy and music was shot on location. In addition to Mr. Chappelle performing all-new material, the stellar roster of artists includes Kanye West, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Dead Prez, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, the Roots, Cody ChesnuTT, Big Daddy Kane, and reunited for their first performance in over seven years the Fugees.

This movie is rated R. You must be at least 17 years of age to play for tickets.

Sequential Animation Reviews, News and Interviews
No comic escapes the discerning gaze of Michael Vance and Mark Allen
Starting off this week's column is last week's column. Because, I, Stephen Walker, neglected to finish posting the reviews from last week. I didn't even notice my mistake until today when I found they were not in the index and not mentioned in the headlines for February 17th. Sorry about that folks.

So here goes: Michael reviews Spiral-Bound - "...well-written, clever, and fun to read with lots of twists and excellent character development. Its surprise ending was completely satisfying." Mark tackled Northwest Passage - "...highly entertaining, and fair to say, experimental, comics project."

Now on to this week's column - an interview with Jeff Smith the creator of Bone, one of the most successful independent comic book properties, ever. So successful, in fact, that the collections have been picked up by Scholastic Books, and are a very popular seller in schools and libraries all over the country. Jeff's also a busy guy, and we're very appreciative of his taking time out to answer some questions from Suspended Animation.

Read more reviews - We have them going all the way back to 1997.

February 22

Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan Screening
Wednesday, March 1st @ 9pm on The Giant Screen at The Continental Theater (I-25 & Hampden)
Generally considered the best of all the Star Trek movies, The Wrath of Khan features an epoch battle of cat and mouse between Captain Kirk and the genetically engineered super-human Khan. The movie is a tale of vengeance and poetic prose. We learn that Kirk he has a son and Khan gets to deliver perhaps the most quoted line in Star Trek - Revenge is a dish that is best served cold.

What a fitting start to the Flashback series at the Continental! The Wrath of Khan is a movie that deserves to be served up big and it will be on the Continental's three-story screen. The portions at this film feast will be larger than life - with Kirk and Khan chewing up scenes in bites so large we can guarantee that no one will go home hungry.

Tickets for the screening are on sale right now for just $5.00 each. You can get them at the theater box office or online at www.regmovies.com. We have one pair of tickets to give away (on Monday, February 27th), but we'd recommend you get your tickets now and make sure you don't miss out on this incredible event.

We don't have all the details yet, but there will be a costume contest at the theater with prizes. Come in your favorite Star Trek costume and be prepared to go home with some cool stuff. What a great way to gear-up for Starfest in April! Play for tickets to the screening.

February 21

Night Watch Screening Quiz & Contest
Tuesday, Feb 28th @ 7pm @ The Mayan Theater (1st & Broadway)
Featuring the cinematic vision of cutting-edge Director/Writer Timur Bekmambetov, Night Watch is the first installment of a trilogy based on the best-selling sci-fi novels of Sergei Lukyanenko entitled Night Watch, Day Watch and Dusk Watch. Set in contemporary Moscow, Night Watch revolves around the conflict and balance maintained between the forces of light and darkness -- the result of a medieval truce between the opposing sides. But, an ancient prophecy is about to come true: a powerful “Other” will rise up, be tempted by one of the sides, and tip the balance, plunging the world into a renewed war between the dark and light, the results of which would be catastrophic. Night Watch was the official Russian contender for Best Foreign Language Film for the 2004 Academy Awards.

This film is rated R. You must be at least 17 years of age to play for tickets.

February 20

Tricia Helfer At Starfest
A humanoid model Cylon. She has drop-dead looks and a perfect body, her every move and gesture is smooth and precise, her eyes are keenly intelligent. And oh, by the way, she talks to God. Tricia Helfer plays Number Six, the seemingly imaginary, but frightenly real Cylon on the Sci-Fi hit show Battlestar Galactica.

Tricia was born in Donalda, Alberta, Canada, where she was raised on the family grain farm. She fell into modeling in high school when an agent discovered her in the line up of the local movie theater and sent her to New York. There she won the Ford Supermodel of the World Contest and began her career as an Elite Model working for magazines such as Elle, Vogue, and Cosmopolitan. Some of her campaigns include Ralph Lauren, Chanel, Giorgio Armani and she has graced the catwalks of designers like Versace, Dolce Gabbana, Victoria's Secret and Christian Dior to name a few.

Read more about Starfest 2006.

February 17

Dirk Benedict Added to Starfest 2006
Born Dirk Niewoehner on March 1st, 1945 in Helena Montana, Dirk grew up in the small town of White Sulphur Springs. He enjoyed all the trappings of youth only a small town can offer learning to hunt, fish, and enjoy sports, especially football. While in his freshman year at Whitman College in Walla Walla Washington, Dirk was first exposed to acting on a "dare" by his college buddies and fell in love with the stage. Hollywood was on the horizon.

Dirk's stage, film and television career has spanned almost 30 years and he's enjoyed such successes as "Battlestar Galactica" and "The A-Team" as well as playing "Hamlet" on Broadway. Dirk is also a Cancer survivor and has written a book "Confessions of a Kamikaze Cowboy" which chronicles his rise in Hollywood and his battle with the disease using a Macrobiotic approach. A philosophy he adheres to to this day.

Read more about Starfest 2006.

February 14

Running Scared Screening Quiz & Contest
Tuesday, Feb 21st @ 7pm @ The Denver Pavilions Theater (16th & Tremont Pl)
Paul Walker (The Fast and the Furious) stars in the fast-paced crime drama Running Scared from critically acclaimed director Wayne Kramer (The Cooler).

Walker plays a low-level mobster who, in order to save his family, must recover a gun used in a mob hit before it's found by his bosses or the cops. Co-starring Chazz Palminteri (The Usual Suspects).

This movie is rated R. You must be at least 17 years of age to play for tickets.

February 13

Eight Below Starland Screening
Screening Monday, Feb 13 @ 7pm @ The Continental Theater (I-25 & Hampden)
Inspired by a true story, Eight Below is an exciting action-adventure about loyalty and the bonds of friendship set in the extreme wilderness of Antarctica. The film tells the story of three members of a scientific
expedition: Jerry Shepard (Paul Walker), his best friend, Cooper (Jason Biggs), and a rugged American geologist (Bruce Greenwood), who are forced to leave behind their team of beloved sled dogs due to a sudden accident and perilous weather conditions in Antarctica. During the harsh, Antarctic winter, the dogs must struggle for survival alone in the intense frozen wilderness for over 6 months. The film is inspired by the events of a 1957 Japanese Antarctic Expedition, which served as the basis for the blockbuster Japanese film, Nankyoku Monogatari (Antarctica).

For more information about the movie, visit the official website at disney.go.com/disneypictures/8below.

This is an Instant Win screening. All you have to do is call Starland (303.777.6800) after 12 Noon on Monday, February 13th and say "Tickets" and you can win a pair of tickets to tonight's screening. Passes are available on a first-call basis. Once we've given them all away, this contest is over.

Carrie Vaughn Added to Horrorfest@Starfest Guest Lineup
Carrie is the author of Kitty and the Midnight Hour, the forthcoming Kitty Goes to Washington, and many short stories found in Weird Tales, Realms of Fantasy, Talebones, and others.

On her website Carrie says she is always ready to battle the forces of galactic evil... in retro style.

She describes her childhood as that of a typical Air Force Brat. "When I was born in January 1973, my father was co-piloting a B-52 all over southeast Asia and my mother was having her umpteenth nervous breakdown at Mather Air Force Base near Sacramento, California. That explains so much, doesn't it?

She credits her parents for her writing. "My mother gave me Heinlein's Red Planet when I was eight. Shortly thereafter my father sat me down to watch 2001. My brain just hasn't been the same [since]."

More information about Starfest 2006.

February 13

For more information about the movie, visit the official website at disney.go.com/disneypictures/8below.

February 6

Gary Jones Dials In Starfest
Gary Jones was born on January 4th 1958 in Swansea, Wales. Gary moved to Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada in 1986. Before Gary delved in to a career in acting he used to work as an Art Director for a Gazette Newspaper in Burlington.

Gary is an award-winning playwright and is a Leo-nominated comedy writer. Now he is known by the Stargate fans as Chief Master Sergeant Walter Harriman on Stargate SG-1 (he's the guy that dials the Stargate on the show). Gary never imagined working on Stargate for nine years and he is always ready to shoot another episode! Other genre shows he has worked on include: Sliders, Outer Limits, Highlander, and Wiseguy.

Gary will be participating in the Autograph and Photo with the Stars program at Starfest and will appear onstage for questions and answers either Saturday or Sunday. Check our Convention Schedule for the most up-to-date information on guest appearances and times.

He will be performing with Dean Haglund (of The X-Files) in a two-man comedy show on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Aspen Theater. Make sure that you book your tickets early - as we expect that the performances will sell-out.

Read more about Starfest 2006.

February 2

Hauntcon Convention
May 19-21, 2006
The Marriott Denver Tech Center (I-25 & Belleview)

One of the first-time exhibitors at the upcoming Starfest convention will be Hauntcon. Most of you know by now that the folks behind Starfest spend a great deal of time each year building haunted houses in Denver. Because Denver is considered a haunted house hotbed in the haunt world, Denver has been chosen as the site for the 2006 Hauntcon convention. Hauntcon will feature programming for anyone who is into scenic design, home haunts, makeup and all things haunted and scary... in other words, it will be a blast for just about everyone. Here's the official info:

You are invited to join Haunted Attraction Magazine and over 1,000 Haunters from across the country at the third annual Haunted Attraction National Tradeshow and Convention (HAuNTcon), May 19-21, 2006 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center, in Denver, Colorado.

Created by Haunters, for Haunters, HAuNTcon is focused on education, with over 60 hours of FREE seminars, workshops and product demonstrations. Nightly networking socials give attendees the chance to share experiences, and backstage tours of the Reinke Brothers Haunted Mansion and the Little Spider Productions ScreamPark. Attendees can socialize and fraternize at various social events including the infamous Haunted Attraction Magazine Costume Ball, where attendees are able to dress in their most fantastic costume and dance the night away.

Everything that the Haunter needs for success is on display in the large tradeshow floor filled with cutting-edge companies displaying the latest in Haunting props and services. Bargain hunters can even pick up used items and materials at the Haunted Garage Sale, or sell their old Halloween stuff by buying a table.

HAuNTcon 2006 is sponsored by the Anatomical Chart Company, Bad Boys Scenic Design, Distortions Unlimited, Halloween Vendor Coalition, HauntedHouse.com, Haunted Media Magazine, Haunt X, Haunted Attraction Magazine, Little Spider Productions, Midwest Haunters Convention, Parallox, ScreamPass, and the Scream Syndicate.

HAuNTcon is open to the general public and designed for the whole family with all ages welcome. Don’t miss the industry’s largest national Haunted Conference!

For more information or to register for this exciting exposition, go to www.hauntcon.com or call 972-951-5100. Make your discount reservations today by calling the Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 South Syracuse, Denver, Colorado 80237 at 1-800-228-9200 (Use code: HAUA)

HAuNTcon … the convention designed for Haunters, by Haunters!

January 2006 Headlines