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SUNDAY, AUUGST 18, 2013WEEKEND BOX OFFICEMarking a victory for Lee Daniels and his high-profile cast, The Butler won the Friday box office with an estimated $8.3 million as it raced ahead of three other new films -- Kick-Ass 2, Jobs and corporate thriller Paranoia. The Weinstein Co.'s The Butler, returning Oprah to the big screen after a lengthy absence, is headed for a $24 million-plus weekend after nabbing stellar reviews and an A CinemaScore. The movie tells the true story of Eugene Allen (Forest Whitaker), a butler who served in the White House through eight presidential administrations. Oprah plays Allen's wife. Oprah has thrown her marketing weight behind The Butler, which is already considered an early awards contender. Heading into the weekend, most thought Universal's Kick-Ass 2 would win the weekend with a $20 million-plus debut because of younger fanboy moviegoers. The sequel, however, is lagging, grossing an estimated $5.8 million on Friday for a projected $15 million-plus weekend. That could put it No. 3 behind The Butler and We're the Millers. Kick-Ass 2, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz and Jim Carrey, won't match the success of the original Kick-Ass, which debuted to just under $40 million in spring 2010. The sequel, rebuffed by most critics, received a B+ CinemaScore. Jobs, the independently produced Steve Jobs biopic starring Ashton Kutcher, and the corporate thriller Paranoia are faring even worse. Made for under $15 million, Jobs took in an estimated $2.6 million on Friday for a projected $7.5 million to $8 million weekend, putting it at No. 6 or No. 7. The Open Road release was produced and financed by Five Star Films, with Endgame Entertainment partnering on the marketing. Jobs' performance is likely hurt by dismal reviews and a B- CinemaScore (Sony and Aaron Sorkin have their own Steve Jobs film in the works). Trailing even farther behind is Robert Luketic's $35 million film Paranoia, starring Liam Hemsworth, Gary Oldman and Harrison Ford. The title was produced and financed by IM Global and Demarest Films. Paranoia, receiving a C+ CinemaScore, grossed an estimated $1.3 million on Friday and may only earn $4 million, putting it outside the top 10 at No. 11. Among holdovers, We're the Millers is enjoying a strong second weekend and should boast a domestic cume of nearly $70 million by through Sunday. The New Line comedy stars Jason Sudeikis and Jennifer Aniston. Neill Blomkamp's Elysium is slipping to No. 4 in its second outing, and should finish the weekend with a domestic total of roughly $55 million.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 17, 2013TRUE BLOOD PREVIEWWhile we wait for the True Blood season-six finale coming up this Sunday (we still can’t believe the season’s almost over!), we can while away the time with an intriguing sneak peek. The clip features a discussion between Sookie and Alcide (Joe Manganiello). We don’t know about you, but we definitely missed these two having any interaction. Yes, he did show up rather randomly for Terry’s (Todd Lowe) funeral last episode, but hey, it’s True Blood!
HERCULES
CONVENTION CALENDAR Did you miss the news from yesterday -- or earlier in the week. Catch up by going to the News Archive. It will bring you up to date for all that has been going on in the world of science fiction. THE ZOCALO ON FACEBOOKI hope that you will join us over on FACEBOOK. We have a great discussion group, tons of visuals and just a nice group of people participating on the page every day. Do drop over and stay a while.
ON THE TUBE TONIGHT7:30pm on ABC FamilyToy Story 3 (2010) Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys find themselves dumped in a day-care center after Andy leaves for college. Animated. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles 8:00pm on BBC America The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) Allan Quatermain, Capt. Nemo, Dorian Gray, Dr. Jekyll, Tom Sawyer and others unite to stop a mad bomber. Sean Connery, Shane West, Stuart Townsend, Richard Roxburgh, Peta Wilson
8:00pm on Hallmark
9:00pm on Fox Freddy vs. Jason (2003) Teens are caught in the middle of a battle between the razor-clawed Freddy and the masked killer Jason. Robert Englund, Ken Kirzinger, Monica Keena, Jason Ritter, Kelly Rowland
9:00pm on CBS Castle Episode: Target S05, E15 (First Aired: Feb. 18, 2013) A murder investigation reveals a plot to kidnap a wealthy businessman's daughter; FBI Agent Harris (Dylan Walsh) helps Castle and Beckett investigate.
10:00pm on CBS
10:00pm on BBC America 
JMS AND HEALTH ISSUESYesterday, JMS posted this on his Fans of J. Michael Straczynski account: To those who've noticed and inquired...I've been off the grid a lot lately in terms of posting. Long story still long: first week of July I got hit with a subcutaneous infection that turned into cellulitis, which if not treated quickly can actually turn fatal really fast. In and out of emergency rooms and spent 17 days on various antibiotics. Figured I was in okay shape for comic con even though I was still pretty shaky. Wrong. Came back to LA with a bit of a relapse and complications from all the treatments. Better now, feeling like myself for the first time in over a month. (Prior to this I was feeling mostly like Eleanor Roosevelt. I have no explanation for this.) Downside is that even though I was still getting some writing done, I lost a lot of work time, which I'm now striving to make up. (Consequently Ten Grand 5 may be slightly delayed, just by a week or so; I wasn't in any condition to give finalizing the issue the attention it needed for it to get to the printer in time.) Which is another reason why I'm not posting much at the moment...figure it's better to use that time on work than indulging myself on posts. I'll do a bit, to be sure, but will still be ramping up for a while on this. So all is good, have no fear, I'm past the worst of it, chugging probiotics, on the mend and catching back up on the work. I am sure we all wish JMS best wishes and a return to good health. 
J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI - NEW YORK COMIC CON ADDS WRITING WORKSHOP IN OCTOBERNew York Comic Con has just announced that JMS will be a guest Oct 10-13. For more information, go to http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/. Two new reviews, for Sidekick 1 and Ten Grand 4, in stores now: http://www.comichype.com/2013/08/06/j-michael-straczynskis-ten-grand-4-review/ and http://robpatey.com/2013/08/06/sidekick-1-review-joes-comics/. 
TERMINATOR: THE FINAL BATTLEUpdate and sample page of the upcoming Terminator comic: "Aaand I just turned in the script for issue two of Terminator: The Final Battle. Here's the b&w inked cover page for issue one. Tired but pleased." Aaand I just turned in the script for issue two of Terminator: The Final Battle. Here's the b&w inked cover page for issue one. Tired but pleased. 
APOCALYPSE ALFrom JMS about the long-awaited Adventures of Apocalypse Al: "Yesterday I got the first 69 inked pages of The Adventures of Apocalypse Al, coming out later this year through MTV.com. Beautiful work by Sid Kotian (who will be doing Dream Police for us once he's done with Al). Very excited. I think this is going to be a real sleeper hit. Here's a glimpse of page two...." Yesterday I got the first 69 inked pages of The Adventures of Apocalypse Al, coming out later this year through MTV.com. Beautiful work by Sid Kotian (who will be doing Dream Police for us once he's done with Al). Very excited. I think this is going to be a real sleeper hit. Here's a glimpse of page two.... PENDRAGON P.I. - HELP JASON CARTER Want to see British actor Jason Carter (Marcus on the classic hit sci-fi series Babylon 5) return as an unconventional private investigator who's a bit of Sherlock Holmes, a splash of Sam Spade, and a dash of The Doctor? Jason Carter is working with Jerry Seward, creator and executive producer of an independent movie pilot titled Pendragon, P.I.that They are developing a gifted and accomplished production team to produce this series. Jason will play the lead, a man who - along with his helper Lucy (played by April Washko) - relies on his deductive skills to sort through a maze of clues in an attempt to solve the case of mysterious disappearances in a small, lakeside town where impossible things happen. For more information on how you can help, go to http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-get-pendragon-p-i-jason-carter-project-made?show_todos=true. BILL MUMY - ACTOR/COMIC AUTHOR/MUSICIAN BILL MUMY is quite a musician as well as a marvelous actor. We all know and love him as Lennier, but here is a link to his latest CD "Illumination" http://gragroup.com/bill_mumy.html. The CD can also be purchased on iTunes and Amazon. After nearly 2 years of waiting Bill Mumy is back with a new release. Bill's latest release Illuminations is truly a masterpiece of Americana music. This album continues the musical format journey that Bill has been developing over his last three albums, Carnival Sky, Glorious in Defeat and Until the Big Bang Whimpers were all leading up to the pinnacle and that is Bill’s latest release Illuminations. 
THE CURSE OF THE MUMY - Issue #2As the first arc of The Curse of the Mumy continues... The Wolf Cub has captured Spaceboy and is holding him prisoner on the nazi moon base with plans to sacrifice the nobel boy astronaut in a blood ritual to summon a demon... We meet the mysterious alien mystic warrior, No'Lar... and learn that Mumy's family infiltrated the Illuminati over a century ago in hopes to thwart the present danger that threatens to wipe out millions. All this, plus Eileen makes tea! You can order an issue at http://www.comicfleamarket.com/servlet/the-432/Curse-of-the-Mumy/Detail. READER'S CORNERIf anyone would like to submit reports from a convention they recently attended or items they would like to share with fellow Zocalo readers, please send them along to me at sgbruckner@aol.com. I will happily open up a new page for any submissions you care to send along.
BABYLON 5 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOOK - PRICES GOING UP SOONUPDATE:Prices are going up! THe cost of shipping has doubled and the end of the first printing is in sight. If you order B5-20 by Friday, you'll pay only $88 for the book ($46 off the retail price of $134) for a total savings of up to $53. If you have any questions, send a note to help@B5Books.com. FIRST EVER BABYLON 5 BOOK PRINTED EXCLUSIVELY IN COLOR Not just full color, but the actual colors of the sets, costumes and props. Extensive care was taken to ensure that the final pages precisely matched the color qualities of the original photographs, which were taken on set during production. B5-20 covers everything from the pilot through The Lost Tales. DETAILS ABOUT THE PHYSICAL BOOK 256 pages. 753 images. 150gsm heavy-weight paper designed for high-resolution, full-color printing. Matte finish. Extra durable WIBALIN® cloth cover. WIBALIN® slipcase. Title and B5-20 logo embossed with foil stamping. Ribbon bookmark. A NOTE ABOUT THE BINDING We used the highest quality Smyth-sewn binding. This means the book lays flat for every page. More importantly, the pages will not pull away from the binding (nor will the spine crack) because the pages are NOT glued. HOW THIS OVERSIZED BOOK IS BEING SHIPPED We had a custom shipping box made to the exact specs of the book. It is a padded, double-walled bumper box that will withstand the weight of this book during shipping. The book itself is shrink-wrapped for authenticity and additional protection. Your B5-20 is guaranteed to arrive in perfect condition and if not, we will pay all expenses to get you one in pristine condition (including return shipping, and this does include international orders.) There is zero risk to you. ABOUT THE PRICE The retail price—the final price the book will be sold for—is $134. The final day to get B5 at Twenty for $88 -- $46 off the retail price of $134 -- is July 31. For more information on this magnificant volume, go to b5books.com. 
Here is a quote from J. Michael Straczynski about emotions. I had this theory that the more important and intimate the emotion, the fewer words are required to express it.
First it's in dating: "Will you go out with me?" Six words.
While Michael O'Hare (Sinclair), Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar), Rick Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Tim Choate (Zathras) and Jeff Conoway (Zach Allen) are no longer with us, we will not forget their wonderful personalities and talent -- as well as their significant contributions to the BABYLON 5 universe. Be sure to visit In Memory Of for more information about memorial efforts.
BABYLON 5 PRESENCE ON FACEBOOK I know a lot of you are already on FaceBook. However, I don't know if you knew how many other Babylon 5 folks have taken the plunge and opened FaceBook accounts. In fact, Pat Tallman has reopened her Fan Club using FaceBook at the site. For a peek, go to http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=45593318387. Claudia Christian has been really active -- sharing pictures of her recent trips and letting us know about upcoming convention activities. J. Michael Straczynski (JMS) has a FaceBook page as well as a new "Fans of J. Michael Straczynski" page. So check it out!
NEW BOOKS OF INTEREST
NEW DVDS OF INTERESTFor information on new DVDs coming out that may be of interest to you, go to New DVD Releases for more information.
BABYLON 5 MUSIC VIDEOS AND TRIBUTESJohn Hudgens has created many Babylon 5 videos, but I believe this is the most moving. It was first shown at the Phoenix Comic Con 20th Anniversary and honors many of the Babylon 5 family who have passed on.
Here is a link to John's Babylon 5 videos: Richard Biggs memorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyD4L8yNtsA Andreas Katsulas memorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2UQ2l9NPIg - This is the extended version that I did for Andreas' widow ater the original cut was released on the net. It's never been seen online until now. For those of you who've never seen these, I hope you enjoy them - and for those that have (and emailed me many times over the years about releasing them), I hope they're as good as you remember. Working with Joe on these videos was one of the highlights of my career, and I'll be forever grateful to him for the doors these have opened for me. I'm proud to have them on my resume.
John Hudgens
 Worldcon 2014: Loncon 3 - 72nd World Science Fiction Convention Place: London, England Date: Thur 14 Aug 2014 - Mon 18 Aug 2014 For more information, go to http://www.loncon3.org/contact
STARGATE - SG-1 CONVENTION Dates: August 17-18, 2013 Place: Dallas, Texas - Westin Dallas Fort Worth Airport Guests include: Ian Somerhalder, Kate Graham, Torrey DeVitto, Steven R. McQueen and more For more information, to go http://www.creationent.com/cal/tvd_dallas.html. Salute to SUPERNATURAL Dates: August 23-25, 2013 Place: Vancouver, British Colombia - Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Guests: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard and more For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/supernatural_van.htm. TREK SEATTLE Dates: August 24-25, 2013 Place: Seattle, Washington - Hilton Seattle Airport Guests: William Shatner, Kate Mulgrew, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Nana Visitor, Denise Crosby, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Garrett Wang, and many more For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/st_seattle.html. Worldcon 2013: Lone Star Con 3 the 71st World Science Fiction Convention, Place: San Antonio, Texas, USA Date: Thur 29 Aug 2013 - Mon 2 Sept 2013 For more information: Email: info@lonestarcon3.org Postal: Alamo, Inc., PO Box 27277, Austin, TX 78755-7277 Writer Guests: Ellen Datlow, James Gunn, Willie Siros, Norman Spinrad, Paul Cornell, Leslie Fish Nominations for Hugo Awards is now open, download the link. All Attendees and Supporters can vote http://www.lonestarcon3.org/hugo-awards/index.shtml.
Dragoncon 2013
TREK NASHVILLE Dates: September 20-22, 2013 Place: Dallas, Texas - Westin Park Central Hotel Guests: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard and more For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/supernatural_dallas.htm. New York Comic Con Dates: October 10-13, 2013 Place: Javits Center, NYC Guests: J. Michael Straczynski For more information go to http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/. Salute to SUPERNATURAL Dates: October 11-13, 2013 Place: Toronto, Canada - Westin Harbour Castle Guests: Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Misha Collins, Mark Sheppard and more For more information, go to http://www.creationent.com/cal/supernatural_toronto.htm. STEEL CITY CON Dates: December 6-8, 2013 Place: Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville, PA Guests: Star Trek's George Takei, Terminator's Michael Biehn, Catherine Bach, Kyle Szymanski and more. For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com. FARPOINT Dates: February 15-17, 2014 Place: Corwne Plaza, Baltimore, MD Guests: Melissa McBride, others to be named shortly For more information, go to . SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS! Creation Entertainment has a large number of conventions planned for the next several months. They include stars from TWILIGHT, SUPERNATURAL, STARGATE, FARSCAPE, XENA, SERENITY, STAR TREK, etc. Check out their calendar to see if one will be in your neighborhood soon. Don't miss their Videos page as well. It is full of some priceless video from a number of conventions. Be sure to visit the referenced sites to see if there have been changes in dates/guests attending. Visit our Convention Calendar for a full listing of upcoming conventions.
BACK ISSUES OF THE ZOCALO TODAY
Take care and I look forward to hearing from you. Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com) Editor/Publisher ISN News: The Zocalo Today http://www.isnnews.net Copyright - SBruckner, 1999-2013
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Welcome and thank you for dropping by. Babylon 5
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WHERE IS HE NOW!
TWILIGHT ZONE MOVIE
BABYLON 5 TOONS
STARGATE SG-1: Ouroboros