Conucopia Infobot News - 25-Aug-1999 Conucopia, NASFiC '99, c/o SCIFI, PO Box 8442, Van Nuys CA 91409. Conucopia is dedicated to the memory of Gary Louie, fan and friend. The Conucopia Infobot News is a service of the Conucopia Web Site, http://www.99.nasfic.org/ . If you know someone who'd like to subscribe, tell 'em to go to our web site at http://www.99.nasfic.org/ and enter their e-mail address, or write to listmaster@99.nasfic.org. If your e-mail address changes, or if you wish to be removed from the Conucopia Infobot News mailing list, or if you don't have web access and want to be added to the list, please write to listmaster@99.nasfic.org. In this issue: Films - No Fantasia 2000 Films - "Pitch Black" sneak preview Programming Update: Two Heinlein Panels Golden Duck Awards Membership Rates Films - No Fantasia 2000 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Despite the radio, television and newspaper coverage, there will be no showing of Disney's "Fantasia 2000" at the NASFiC. The convention could not make an acceptable accomodation with Disney. Films - "Pitch Black" sneak preview * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Pitch Black" will screen at the convention on Sunday at 1 pm. Don't be afraid of the dark. Be afraid of what's in the dark. On this planet, the first thing you notice is the temperature: the heat is brutal. You'll pray for night. But, once night falls, the worst is yet to come: creatures who emerge after dark to hunt for prey. You. From the mind of writer/director David Twohy (The Arrival and Disaster in Time) comes a new science-fiction thriller, Pitch Black. In the not-too-distant future, junior space pilot Fry (Radha Mitchell of High Art) makes a forced crash-landing of her spacecraft on a distant planet. Fry's crew is killed, even as some of the passengers escape. Lawman Johns (Cole Hauser of Good Will Hunting) is unharmed, but so is his prisoner, the murderous Riddick (Vin Diesel of The Iron Giant and Saving Private Ryan). As they explore the uncomfortably hot planet, they must band together in order to survive. The planet is eerie, aarid, and lifeless. But as the sun sets and the planet plunges into total darkness, its other inhabitants emerge from hibernation. These monsters are not human, and their hatchlings quickly take flight and attack the human visitors -- who desperately try to fight off, and escape, the nightmares come to life. ... Gramercy Pictures presents an Intrepid Pictures Pty, Ltd. production for Interscope Communications. A Film by David Twohy. Pitch Black. Radha Mitchell, Vin Diesel, and Cole Hauser. Costume Designer, Anna Borghesi. Production Designer, Graham "Grace" Walker. Director of Photography, David Eggby. Editor, Rick Shaine. Executive Producers, Ted Field, Scott Kroopf, and Anthony Winley. Produced by Tom Engelman. Written and Directed by David Twohy. USA Films will release Pitch Black nationwide in mid-January 2000. ... David Twohy (Director and Writer) David Twohy's previous films as writer/director are The Arrival, which starred Charles Sheen and Ron Silver; and Disaster in Time (a.k.a. The Grand Tour), which starred Jeff Daniels and Ariana Richards. The Arrival received a 1996 Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror. Disaster in Time received a 1992 Golden Scroll from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror; and the Grand Prix at the 1992 Festival Du Film Fantastique (in Brussels). As writer, Twohy's credits include The Fugitive, starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones, for which he wrote the story and co-wrote the screenplay (which received a Writers Guild of America nomination); G.I. Jane, starring Demi Moore (for which he co-wrote the screenplay); Waterworld, starring Kevin Costner (for which he co-wrote the screenplay); and Terminal Velocity, starring Charles Sheen and Nastassja Kinski (wihch he wrote and executive-produced). Vin Diesel (Riddick) Vin Diesel was most recently heard starring in Brad Bird's animated film The Iron Giant, for which Diesel provided the voice of the title character. His other film credits as actor include Steven Spielberg's Academy Award-winning Saving Private Ryan, in which he played Private Caparzo. He will next be seen with Ben Affleck and Giovanni Ribisi in Ben Younger's Boiler Room. As filmmaker, Diesel wrote, directed, and starred in the short film Multi-Facial, which screened at the 1995 Cannes Film Festival. He next wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the feature film Strays. The film screened at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, where it was entered in the official competition. He is currently developing Doormen, an original screenplay which he will direct and star in, based on his experiences as a bouncer in New York City. The New York City native began his acting career in the New York theater at the age of seven. Programming Update: Two Heinlein Panels * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Saturday, 11:30 am 234. Everything You Know About Heinlein Is Wrong... Or Is It? Salon AB What DO we know about Robert Heinlein, after all? The man, the writer -- you name it. Bring your favorite questions, and a couple of experts in the emerging field of Heinlein Studies will try to figure out what we really know about the most important F&SF writer of our time. Bill Patterson (moderator) and Mike Cassutt. Sunday, 1:00 pm 235. Who Cares What Robert Heinlein Thinks About the Year 2000? Orange County 2 In 1950, Robert Heinlein was asked to make predictions about the year 2000 a.d. He made 19 predictions and a handful of "negative predictions" -- things we won't have by then, if ever. Let's zero in on the negative predictions. What do YOU think about Time Travel, Life After Death, Artificial intelligence or manlike robots? Participants: Bill Patterson (moderator), Dafydd ab Hugh, Hal Clement, Hal O'Brien Golden Duck Awards * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Golden Duck Award was created by several interested fans who were unsuccessful in lobbying for a children's Hugo in 1991. It is a cash award, funded by Duckon , a western Chicago suburbs convention that started in 1992. ConuCopia hosts this year's awards presentation, on Friday at 2:30 PM. Nominees Picture Book (Content should be more science fiction than fantasy. Award goes to the illustrator) * Monica Aimmona, Uniworld (The Asterplanet Chronicles). Illustrator: Jon Ward * Laura Cecil, Noah and the Space Ark. Illustrator: Emma Chichester Clark (Carolrhoda Books) * Arlen D. Cohen, Solar System SOS. Illustrator: Don Sullivan (Accord) * David McPhail, Tinker, Tom, and the Baby Star (Little, Brown) * David West Reynolds, Star Wars: Incredible Cross Sections. Illustrators: Jans Jensen and Richard Chasemore (DK Publishing) * David West Reynolds, Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary. Illustrator: Alexander Ivanov (DK Publishing) Middle Grades (Grades 2-6. Content should be more science fiction than fantasy) * Kevin Anderson and Rebecca Moesta, Young Jedi Knights (Boulevard) * Chris Archer, Second Sight (Mindwarp). (Pocket) * Chris Carter, Hungry Ghosts (X-Files). (Harper Trophy) * John Peel, The Invaders (Outer Limits). (Tor) * Brent Rowley, Light Traveler: The Adventure Begins (Covenant) Young Adult (The Hal Clement Award) (Content should be more science fiction than fantasy. Books should have a young adult protagonist) * Christie Golden, Invasion America (Dreamworks) * Nalo Hoplinson, Brown Girl in the Ring (Warner) * B. Alexander Howerton, Project Avalon (Space Available Press) * Gary Paulsen, The Transall Saga (Delacorte) * Larry Segriff, Alien Dreams (Baen) * Kate Thompson, Switchers (Hyperion) Membership Rates * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Attending Membership (No Vote, no Patronage or support)...... $100 Conversion: if you voted at LoneStarCon 2, you need to pay .. $80 Kids 5-12 ................................................... $50 born on or after 27-Aug-1986, and on or before 26-Aug-1994. Kids-in-tow up to 4 years old are free. Kids 13 and up are $100, same as adults. Supporting Membership (Must pay conversion fee to attend) $20 Make Checks Payable To: Conucopia/NASFIC '99 c/o S.C.I.F.I. Inc. PO Box 8442 Van Nuys CA 91409 At the Door ................................................. $100 Daily (Available at Convention ONLY) ........................ $50 Note that at-the-door rates have been lowered, to $100 for a full membership or $50 for one day. If you join at the door for $50 for one day, you can come back the next day and pay the other $50 to get the rest of the convention. Service Mark Notice * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Service Mark Notice: "World Science Fiction Society", "WSFS", "World Science Fiction Convention", "Worldcon", "NASFiC" and "Hugo Award" are registered service marks of the World Science Fiction Society, an unincorporated literary society. 19990825.txt sent to 495 subscribers of NASFIC99-NEWS.