Well apparently so.

The video below has Smith saying he’s going to be moving to LA.

He’s got one more year of Doctor Who.  So it sounds like (and I agree with the article from TGDaily) that #11 will be regenerating during the 50th anniversary episode.  (Or at least he should.)

Maybe we can get them to finally retrorengerate The Doctor back to Paul McGann so #8 gets his time on screen.  Or he could go back to #10…I wouldn’t mind that at all.  But most likely it’ll be a new actor heading into the Tardis.

My vote for who should be the next Doctor?  Well there are two for certain I’d like to see.  The video with Smith talking to VH1 follows my picks.

  YES PLEASE

This is also more than okay

Why the world needs Barnabas Collins to rise again

by Jessica Dwyer

I felt a need to write this, so bear with me.  In a world where people e-mail angry letters to sites saying how dare Universal Studios rip off Stephanie Meyer by making a film called The Wolfman (true story) I can only imagine what’s going to happen when this film hits the screens next year.  But there’s more to it than just Twi-headache’s.

Women In Horror Recognition Month: 

What it means to me

By Jessica Dwyer

So what does it mean to me to be a woman in horror?  It’s not that different from when I was young actually, I just get to tell a lot more people about the stuff I’ve always loved.

Women in this industry as well as being a fan of the genre are finally coming into our own.  It’s not just horror gals, but the sci-fi and so called “geek girls” too.  It seems the world has finally realized that having boobs doesn’t mean we don’t like watching a good evisceration or we can’t get a happy feeling in the middle of our chest when Adama pulls a move that would make Han Solo piss himself.

We’re women with taste that run against the grain that’s been established for us by society over the years.  We’re rebels if you will, to the norm.  Doesn’t mean we can’t get “girlie” about things of course, but what we get girlie about isn’t Barbie’s new dream house or what Justin Bieber is wearing today. 

I’ll squeal when I see a Blu-Ray collection with the hotness that was Rod Serling on the cover telling me I’ve just entered The Twilight Zone.  I’ll look at a new t-shirt painted up to celebrate a movie from the 1980’s that had mutant slugs changing people into mindless killing machines when they hopped into their mouths and say “Wow, that’s styling!  I want that for my new ensemble!”  Or most likely it’ll be “Holy shit!  WANT WANT WANT!” 

Growing up I came from a town that didn’t really know what to do with a girl like me.  I attribute my taste in things to a steady diet of the classics at a young age.  I was in that five to seven year old range when my sister started having me watch Creature Features with her.  These were the old Universal Classics and that’s the best when it comes for getting the young ones groomed for a love of the genre.  My sister and my mom, those are who’s really responsible.  Both of them love horror.  I think my mom got my sister hooked with Dark Shadows when she was in that same age range.

The Nightstalker and Tales from the Darkside and VHS, Re-Animator it just kept building and building.  And then Clive Barker showed up.  I was reading and watching everything I could.  Lost Boys came along, and then Freddy Krueger.  I discovered Lovecraft after having been in love with Edgar Allan Poe for years.  The 80’s and the early 90’s, I can’t do them justice when it came to the paradise that was a video store for a girl like me, or used bookstores for that matter.  And let’s not forget the comic book stores. 

As time passed I started working my passion for the genre into everything I could.  For my high school senior speech class final I did a presentation on Jack Pierce.  The Q and A was nearly twenty minutes long.  I got an A+.   For my high school newspaper I did a cult corner section where I talked about movies and the random comic book.   I stayed true to what I loved, even when it got me mocked or treated like poop often.

Over the last decade my life has become sort of surreal.  It was in that time that I started really writing and becoming more a part of the horror world.  I started Fangirl Magazine as a place for women who are fans to go talk about the things they love and enjoy.   The reason Fangirl came to be was because I found other gals online who thought like me.  It was a revelation let me tell you.  I’m indebted forever to the internet for that.  Never underestimate the power of Fangirls in large numbers.

Through this I started writing more and more.  I wound up with Bloody-Disgusting as their first fiction reviewer.  I wrote for a few other sites and then I came to HorrorHound Magazine, starting with their second issue.  I’ve been with them ever since.

Over the years I’ve become friends with people I would never have thought possible.  I’ve danced with Joss Whedon and hugged Malcolm McDowell.  I’ve interviewed Sir Anthony Hopkins and worn Freddy Krueger’s glove on my hand.   Sometimes my life is pretty surreal.  I had my first short story published and I’m now working on a book.   I never thought I could do it, but I did.

So I’m sure you’re asking what the hell this has to do with anything?  Why the mini biography?  It’s because I’m nothing special kids.  I’m just me.  I’m a fan and I want the girls out there, the ones who were like me back in the day to realize they aren’t alone. 

Sometimes it can be rough and it still is for women who love horror to get respect.  We’re getting stronger and we’re definitely getting more of a voice, but it’s still a long road to go.  We’re still relegated to more boob than brain in this world and that’s wrong.  But it is getting better.  Film Festivals showcasing women’s work in the genre are sprouting up everywhere.   Books and anthologies are too. 

But I know there are women, and especially the younger generation who feel like I did a long time ago.  And I want them to know that they aren’t alone.  Don’t give up on those dark dreams of yours.  You can have a voice (or a scream) and you should let it be heard.  If you are an artist, then start pimping your work on DeviantArt.  If you’re a writer, then start checking websites.  You’ll probably have to start for free, but you’ll get your name out there.  Remember you aren’t alone and you DO have a voice. 

We’re stronger together girls, and I know you are out there.  This is Women In Horror Month.  We are legion.  We may bleed but we refuse to die.   Set yourself a goal this month.  If you are a writer, write a short story or even a fanfiction and post it for people to read.  If you’re an artist paint something amazing.  Share your talent and celebrate it with your sisters in scare.  And show the boys that we’re just as bloodthirsty as they are.  That’s what this month is about.

I watch a lot of movies; perhaps not as many as some, but probably more than the general public would think normal and natural. Movies are my thing.

Some of the biggest stars out there have done films that perhaps that general public has never heard of, that I’ve most likely seen so I thought it would be a nice addition to Fangirl Magazine to have a place to give fans a heads up on what they may have missed and to give props to some great work that may have been skipped over when it really shouldn’t have been.

I’m starting off this section with one of my (obvious) favorites Johnny Depp, who has quite a few great films that people may have missed…simply because they just know him as a pirate.

The Unknown and Underrated
By Jessica Dwyer
Today’s Big Star: Johnny Depp
The Movie: The Libertine

The Libertine was released in 2004, a year in which Mr. Depp was a busy busy boy. He had three films come out that year including Finding Neverland and Secret Window. He was riding the wave of success from the first Pirates of the Caribbean and was becoming an even hotter property in Hollywood.

Finding Neverland was the one that got the most press that year and had Oscar written all over it for Johnny (which sadly he didn’t win.) Secret Window was sort of lost in the ether but it was a great film as well. But The Libertine was where Depp REALLY shined and was one of the darkest films he’s ever done.

The Libertine was another period drama, this one set in the 17th century. Depp played the very real John Wilmot, another author but a far different type of person as opposed to Barrie in Neverland. The 2nd Earl of Rochester was, to put it mildly, a complete whore and would shag anything that walked if it looked at him the right way.
But Wilmot was a tragic figure as well, and he really was the mirror of the time in which he lived. King Charles the 2nd had a kingdom filled with lusting subjects and drunkards. Wilmot was at the heart of this world where theater was one step up from the brothel.

Yet Wilmot was a brilliant writer and poet. And he knew talent when he saw it. And in the Libertine he finds it in the form of Elizabeth Barry (played beautifully by Samantha Morton.) Lizzie is an actress whose talent Wilmot decides to grow and make great. And he does, and in the process falls in love with her. But much like Wilmot, Lizzie has a mind of her own and she knows what sort of man the Earl of Rochester is.

John explains to her that this desire to train her isn’t for the reasons she thinks they are. Although he does wind up getting under her petticoats the real reason is that John has become so embittered and unfeeling that the only time he can feel is at the theater. Barry makes him feel…and because of this she actually does make him love her.

The film progresses through John’s eventual downfall (and when he falls he falls hard.) He insults the king in a major way and goes on the run. In the process he is dying from syphilis contracted from a lifestyle of sex, drink, and more sex. In the end, after tragedy upon tragedy and losing everything that meant even a little to him, John does what his King (who actually cared for him all along) asked and gives a rousing speech to help his monarch get the people on his side. It’s in part due to this speech that he gains back respect and some of his honor. Yet he dies at 33 years old, rotting from the inside out due to his disease.

To this day, I’m not sure why this film is not one of Depp’s biggest. It’s absolutely beautiful and Depp is epitome of the rakish charmer. He plays John perfectly, both as a seducer and scoundrel who is so filled with hate and vitriol that you try desperately to figure out who he is really and just why the hell you actually like him. But that’s just it, he’s all of these things…and that is why he takes the time at the beginning of the film to tell you “You will not like me.”

Wilmot is the epitome of the cynic and even when there is light in the world and the beauty he finds in it, he still cannot be truly happy. Depp’s take on this is flawless, and the tragedy of Wilmot’s downfall is even harder to watch, because he loses that beauty and happiness due to his own nature. He learns this but it’s too late to save himself.

The supporting cast is as perfect as Depp, and we see him co-start alongside two of his Pirates cast mates, Jack Davenport and Tom Hollander. Rosamund Pike plays John’s very understanding wife Elizabeth Malet. She truly does love him and knows of all his indiscretions, but accepts it nonetheless.

Rupert Friend plays the doomed Billy Downs, a beautiful boy who also loved John, but winds up paying the price for it. And of course John Malkovich is also well cast as King Charles the 2nd, imperious and sarcastic as always.
As I said, this film is amazing and is one of my favorites of Depp’s career. You can’t go into a role like this without taking it full on. And he does. It’s beautifully filmed by director Laurence Dunmore.

Now I got a perverse sort of pleasure when I saw this film because I knew what many of the younger female fans thought they were going to see. With the Pirates fever that was running rampant, I’m positive that the girls went thinking they were going to get an R-rated Jack Sparrow. They seem to forget that Johnny is an ACTOR and a damn good one. Watching the lovely that is Johnny wither away to a no nose pants pissing invalid was probably not on the menu.

But I think that might be part of the reason why the film didn’t get the recognition it deserved. Depp did not get an Oscar nomination for this film (Finding Neverland got all of that attention) but I think he deserved one for his role as well as a best picture nomination, definitely over a film like Sideways and even Million Dollar Baby.

So take my advice, hunt down The Libertine. I would very much love a Blu Ray release of the movie to come out, but I don’t know if that will ever happen. If you need even more incentive, then please watch the introduction below and tell me if you don’t want to meet the 2nd Earl of Rochester. It is probably one of the most badass and hot introductions to a film you’ll see…especially for a 17th century period non-fiction piece. But that’s just how Johnny rolls.

Rocky Horror Picture Show

Blu Ray Review

By Jessica Dwyer

No one put the cult in cult classic quite like Rocky Horror.  There’s really nothing more I can say about the beauty that is Tim Curry in fishnets and high heels or Richard O’Brien and his gaunt lunacy.  35 years is a lot of time (warp) and the movie and the music still stand up.

So for the 35th anniversary 20th Century Fox has released the film on Blu Ray and it is quite possibly one of the best I’ve seen.

The packaging is in a book filled with some beautiful shots of the actors and Curry in particular in glammed out glory.  The Blu Ray is packed too with not the least of which is a beautiful, clear presentation of the film.  So clear in fact I noticed things I’ve never seen before on the darker regular DVD’s and VHS copies.

Within the Blu Ray is the ability to watch a ShadowCast in the bottom right of your screen while the movie plays (just like in the theater).  There’s a callback track in the top right that tells you what you should be shouting.  There’s a prop box in the bottom left so you don’t have to ruin your living room and that you can activate to throw rice, toast, shoot water, etc at the appropriate times.  Commentary tracks by O’Brien and Patricia Quinn, deleted scenes, a Rocky-oke (kareoke) feature, alternate endings, just TONS of stuff and featurettes too.

There are only two issues I have with the release.  One is the fact that (and this may just be my player but it’s a pretty new one) the load times are insane.  The disc is packed with content and it shows.  It also seemed to get confused a couple of times on what it was trying to do.

The other problem was I was hoping that the 25th Anniversary Special would be included on the disc.  I loved that thing, not the least of which was due to this (click the picture to see the video):

There were other performances too.  But damn Giles.  Anyway, that was a neat special and would have been a great addition to an already awesome release.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show 35th anniversary edition is awesome fun and just in time for Halloween.  Frank-N-Furter and the gang look absolutely beautiful.  This is one that you need to pick up.   MSRP $34.99 and worth it.

I wrote this at the time of Curtis’s death.  I want to note that I begged and pleaded with numerous websites to just post something about the man’s passing.  None of them did.  These are some of the so called “uber geek” sites that should know better. That bothered me and still does.  Only now, four years later, is he getting the respect he deserves.  Too little too late I think. 

Dan Curtis

Born August 12th 1927

Died March 27th 2006

Dan Curtis, in my eyes, was as important to genre television as Rod Serling.  In fact, Curtis brought us some of THE best TV horror ever produced.

Dan Curtis brought us the granddaddy of Buffy, Dark Shadows.  If not for that soap I doubt you would have shows like Buffy, Passions, or some of the activity that went on in General Hospital spin-off Port Charles a few years ago. 

Curtis brought us Barnabas and Josette, Angelique and the rest.  He was the man who helped bring us the first vampire who wanted to be cured, who was cursed and who had a love interest who was reincarnated over the centuries.  Think about that for a moment, and ponder just how many films and series have been inspired by the show Dan Curtis helped make into one of the biggest cult shows of all time.

But Curtis did more than introduce us to the Collins family.  He directed and produced some of the best horror movies to be made for the small screen.  Karen Black and the infamous fetish doll of Trilogy of Terror was one of them, along with Dead of Night and that beyond scary demon boy who was sent back to inflict revenge on a bad mother.  Not to mention The Night Strangler, the follow up to one of the highest rated TV movies of all time, The Night Stalker, starring the late Darren McGavin.   

Curtis also was responsible for many retellings of classic horror literature, such as Jack Palance’s turn as Dracula and Jekyll and Hyde.  He also took on The Turn of the Screw and The Picture of Dorian Gray. 

Add to this the directing of  The Winds of War and War and Remembrance, two amazing mini series starring Robert Mitchum, and you’ve got a man who’s credits show a legend of television. 

Dan Curtis was a pioneer of television horror, plus he did his share of feature film work as well, directing the creep fest Burnt Offerings.  I feel his passing has not been remarked upon as much as it should be.  He deserves more than what he has been giving, especially for what he has given us.   

I want to thank you Dan Curtis, for the many chills that you helped go up my spine.  For the jumps and scares that doll made me have.  For Barnabas and the gang.  For a lifetime of fun and enjoyment.  Thank you from all of us who rooted for the vampire to get the girl because you helped make him the hero for once.  Thank you and we’ll miss you.

Jessica

Written at the time of Darren’s passing:

Darren McGavin

Born May 7^th 1922

Died February 25^th 2006

I feel the need to write this.  I need to write about what Darren McGavin meant to me.  You see, he was the beginning of all of this in a big way. Darren McGavin was my first taste of fandom, of loving the genre of horror and a character in that genre.

McGavin did many, many projects in his career.  He was in numerous films and television shows. Besides playing the hard boiled Mike Hammer, others you may have heard include The X-files, which The Night Stalker helped to inspire.  He was in Millenium as the father of Frank Black, yet another series inspired by The Night Stalker.  Not to mention, The Man from UNCLE, Tales from the Darkside, Monsters, Murphy Brown, and that’s just a few of them.  And everyone knows A Christmas Story.

But to me, as will be the case with quite a few, he’ll always be Carl Kolchak. 

I was 4 years old, believe it or not.  And I still remember staying up way late and watching CBS’s repeats of the Night Stalker, and never missing it.  It just made me happy, and I loved Carl.   He made me laugh, I rooted him on.  Even at that age, I knew this was a special show and it clicked with that love I’ve always had for the dark side and fantasy. 

I would run around my house with a tape recorder, not nearly as neat as Kolchak’s, making up adventures that I would have with Carl, and of course he was my boyfriend.  Even back then I was crazy for the guys.

It was this show, and in particular McGavin’s character that helped to spawn the love of all the things I care about now.  I truly believe knowing that he was a writer/reporter helped to generate my love of writing.  All of this from a canceled TV program and a haggard reporter trying to speak the truth, that there are things out there making those bumps in the night.

I made it a point, two years ago, to send an e-mail via www.darrenmcgavin.net  to him as the webmasters there printed them out and made sure he got them.   I am very glad I did it now.  I hope it brought a smile to his face as he had brought many to mine. 

Thank you Darren, I will miss you.

Jessica

Gone, But Not Forgotten:
Vengeance Unlimited
By Jessica Dwyer

Back in the late 90’s ABC premiered three really great series that wouldn’t last a full season.  There’s no accounting for taste I suppose…we can’t all be the wonder filled goodness that is Desperate Housewives (do you hear the sarcasm in that statement?)

Anyway…those three shows were Fantasy Island (starring the beautifully menacing Malcolm McDowell as a far darker Mr. Roark) Cupid (starring the now hot as a bonfire Jeremy Piven), and the show that this article is about (and the best of the three) Vengeance Unlimited.

VU was an amazing show starring tough guy extraordinaire Michael Madsen.  The premise wasn’t a new one, but the execution was.  The plot was this:  Mr. Chapel (Madsen) is a man of mystery who had something very bad happen to him in his past.  Hints are given to what it was and it most likely involved the death of a wife and child.  But his past is shrouded in mystery and haunted looks.  Chapel has now dedicated himself to helping those whom the justice system has let down. 

He sends newspaper clippings to those he sees have been wronged by the system.  One shows a case before he’s become involved and the next shows the resolution.  Then there is the newspaper clipping about the persons own problem.  This is followed by a white piece of paper with Chapel’s phone number.  The person calls him and he shows up with this proposition:  Pay him a million dollars or you can owe him a favor for when the next person he helps needs a hand.

Chapel receives help in the form of KC, a former client who works for the DA’s office.  KC gets called in for a favor on a case and winds up helping Chapel full time, much to the displeasure of her superiors at the DA.  KC tries to figure out what happened to Chapel while assisting him.  She also brings out a tender side to the big guy that a lot of people don’t get to see (although a couple of his female clients get under the armor.)

Mr. Chapel is Madsen at his crazy best with his deadpan delivery and quirky dance moves from Reservoir Dogs all intact.  Chapel is a combination of all that great in his repertoire of acting.  The noir mystery man, seemingly psychopath, sweetie at heart who has eyes that could cut steel with a glance; all these were represented by the awesome Mr. Chapel. 

KC was played by the striking redhead Kathleen York.  KC is that rare female sidekick who isn’t annoying.  You like her even when she comes off as far too naive.  There are points during the series your sure she and Chapel are going to hook up, but alas, you since the show was cancelled that never got a chance to happen.  You get the feeling that KC is intimidated by the memory of whomever it was that Chapel lost and doesn’t feel confident enough to try.  She’s also afraid of him, but not just that…there’s almost a family vibe between them that’s hard to label.  It’s a great chemistry.

Guest stars in the show included guys like Gregg Henry (who you might know from films like Payback or Slither), Ray Wise, and even a Pre-Saw Tobin Bell. 

The series Co-Creator, John McNamara was the writer behind a couple of other great shows featuring quirky dark humor;  Brisco County Jr. and Profit…both of which were on the FOX network and both having died before their time.

Sadly, VU was cancelled after only a partial season of episodes.  The show was on ABC who are notorious for canning shows without giving them a chance to thrive.  Nearly as bad as FOX in that regard, VU was moved round and played at times that made it hard to find. 

Unfortunately for those who never got a chance to see it, VU is not available on DVD yet.  But there are some copies floating around the internet of homemade box sets that fans have made.  You can sometimes catch them on Ebay! as well as Ioffer.com for around 30 bucks or less.  There have been campaigns to get it an official release on DVD but as yet none are successful.

Vengeance Unlimited was one of the best shows to have been cancelled in a while.  It’s a great dark little gem of a series that was fun to watch and see the bad guys get paid back.  It also gave Madsen a chance to shine in a role that let him actually act and not stand around glaring behind a pair of sunglasses (although he does that too in this…come on the Ray Bans are a given).    If you are fan of the Michael Madsen or good TV in general hunt it up online or write into SleuthTV and see if you can’t help get replays on the air.

Gone, But Not Forgotten:
Profit
By Jessica Dwyer

Stephen J Cannell, the master of television, has given us many a fun time; The A-team, Wiseguy, and far too many others to list (one of which was Riptide…but we can’t all be perfect.)

Back in 1996 Cannell decided to do something a little bit darker and a lot more different. Fox brought it to life (albeit briefly) and we were given the black jewel known as Profit.

PLOT

Jim Profit (played by the oh so sinisterly handsome Adrian Pasdar) is what we call damaged. He was raised on TV, or actually TV raised him. His father had what we would call a serious lack of parenting skills. He left Jim in a cardboard box with a hole cut out of the front so he could watch TV while he was out either working/drinking/whoring and when he wasn’t doing those he would beat him. He was fed table scraps and left naked in there for hours if not days at a time.

Needless to say, this less than family friendly environment left Jim a little scarred (he still has to sleep in a replica of the box in front of TV, naked). He eventually grew up and took his revenge on his father and leaving him for dead moved on. He is now a very smart and very dangerous individual (who has a habit of talking to the camera about what is on his twisted mind.) To give you an idea, take Patrick Bateman from American Psycho, add in some Gordon Gekko from Wall Street, and top it off with a Charlie Sheen sound and look a-like and you have Jim Profit.

So Jimmy (as his SKANK of a step-mother Bobbi calls him) has a dream. He wants to be head of acquisitions for Gracen & Gracen, a large company which is ran by two brothers both with their own sets of issues. Jim’s already got a job there, but it’s not the one he wants. Systematically he’s tearing down those obstacles in his path to his goal with the beauty of an artist (and a really cool computer program). Jim is not someone you want to piss off.

Of course, as always is the case, masterminds like Jim have to run into trouble. In his case, he’s got a heap of it. The aforementioned step-mother for one. Bobbie is a drug using, sex using, blackmailing mother of the first order. She knows her Jimmy and she knows he’s up to something. So, instead of fighting it, he gets her to help him in his schemes. Then there is the security gal, Joanne (played by Lisa Zane, known to many as Freddy Krueger’s daughter from Freddy’s Dead). Joanne can see in Profit his dark side from the first meeting she has with him. And when he tangles with her ex-lover she gets really pissed. Sykes is another in line to get Profit taken down. He’s nearly as devious as Jim, but may be out of his league when it comes to the games Profit plays.

END PLOT

PROTEIN IS IMPORTANT

Profit was ahead of it’s time and would have probably been better served on a cable network, like Showtime or HBO. The way it showcased the world of corporate life (a backstabbing, vice ridden wonderland of dark secrets and lies…nothing like real life at all) was not taken to kindly by it’s advertisers. The fact that the lead character was also a sociopath and in a way you felt he was the most sympathetic of the show probably didn’t help either (but you couldn’t help but cheer him on.) It dealt with issues of homosexuality, drug use, and a few other taboo (at the time) subjects openly which was quite ballsy.

It was a thing of beauty to behold, with super performances all around by Pasdar (some of his best work ever), Keith Szarabajka (who is excellent in everything he’s in, such as Holtz in Angel), and Lisa Blount as the ever scuzzy Bobbi (I can’t emphasize enough how dirty this woman made my television feel, I needed to clean it after every viewing). But then again, what could you expect from writer/creator/producer David Greenwalt. He’s the man who helped in bringing us Miracles, Buffy, Angel, and The X-files.

As is the case with all the beauties that find their way to “Gone but not forgotten” Profit met its demise way too soon. Only 4 episodes were shown in America (9 were filmed in total) before Fox pulled the plug. Once again a victim of television, Jim Profit was placed back in the dark. Was it too deep for the TV viewers to grasp or was Fox trying to save their butts from being dropped by their advertisers? Who knows? But man, in this day and age of crap television I sure miss Profit. It was dark and it was mean, and it didn’t really care.

Gone, But Not Forgotten:
Misfits of Science
By Jessica Dwyer

The 80’s gave us many things; inflation, big hair, Clear Pepsi, and some truly great TV. Part of this truly great TV was a show called Misfits of Science that aired smack in the middle of the decade in the year 1985.

It was a different show with a kind of rocking, pop music vibe. It was funny, it was kooky, and it was oh so cool. So let’s get to the meat of the show.

PLOT

Dr. Billy Hayes (Dean Paul Martin, yes son of that Dean Martin) is a young scientist who’s a maverick type. He’s cute and his energetic. He works for The Humanidyne Institute with his partner in trailblazing new fields of science Dr. Elvin Lincoln (played by Kevin Peter Hall.)

They help those who are considered Misfits of Science (catchy huh?) and do some bizarre experiments of their own, sometimes even on themselves. This happened to Elvin when he tried to make himself shorter (Hall himself was over 7 feet) but it backfired. Now when he pushes a spot on his neck he becomes the size of a Barbie doll.

Wacky adventures ensue every episode (getting back ray guns that could be used against man kind, that kind of thing) and require the aide of some of their previous subjects:

Johnny Bukowski, AKA Johnny B (played by Mark Thomas Miller) who is an ex-rock and roller. He was involved in an accident on stage during a show and was electrocuted. This gave him some special abilities; glowing eyes, he can shoot electric bolts from his hands, and he can move really fast when he wants. There are drawbacks though to his new condition. He can’t be touched by water or it burns him (which begs the question how does he bathe…eww!) so he lives in the desert and pretty much shuns contact with people until Billy talks him into helping out. He looked really good in sunglasses and a leather jacket.

Gloria Dinallo (played by the fresh from the set of cousin Bruce’s Dancing in the Dark video Courtney Cox) was a telekinetic with some issues. She had a parole officer named Jane Miller (played by Jennifer Holmes) who stuck around for a couple episodes as a love interest for Dr. Hayes, but she kind of disappeared after awhile. Every time she used her “powers” Gloria got real negative. No really…she did! The screen turned this grayish monochrome and there’d be cymbals playing to emphasize the effect. Cox would later be known for her work in the super big hit….Masters of the Universe: The Movie with superstar Dolph Lundgren.

The Iceman (played by Mickey Jones) was a character for the pilot only. He was frozen back around the 30’s or so and kept say “Amelia!” due to the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. He was very very cold and could freeze things by touch. This is why you’ll see the ice cream truck that the crew drive around in. That’s the only way they could transport him, that and a cryo-suit. It was a neat make-up job and a shame they had to get rid of him. I guess you really couldn’t do much with the character though since he was really a frozen hulk.

In addition to these guys we had Dick Stetmeyer (played by Alf’s dad Max Wright) the director of the institute. Wright plays pretty much the same character in everything he’s in; a stuttering, nervous, bean counter type who acts like he’s going to have a breakdown at any moment. He gets in the way but is pretty much on the sidelines for most of the shows.

END PLOT

Misfits lasted a total of 17 episodes, one of which wasn’t even aired. NBC decided to kill it, but would wind up keeping Wright’s other series Alf for 4 years!!! (but I’m not bitter, can you tell?)

Tragedy would strike the cast twice after the cancellation.

Dean Paul Martin was killed in a plane crash not long after the show left the air in 1987. It was a heavy blow to his father Dean Martin, who would never really recover from the loss of his son. It was the end of a promising career far too soon.

Then in 1991 Kevin Peter Hall passed away from AIDS he contracted through a blood transfusion. Hall was beloved by many as Harry the Bigfoot in Harry and the Hendersons and as the first Predator to go against Arnold. Another young actor taken from us too soon.

But in the hearts of sci-fi geeks everywhere Misfits of Science lives on. It’s quirkiness and kicking soundtrack will forever be remembered as that show on Friday night we’d watch while eating our Peanut Butter Boppers and wearing our neon green socks. Ah, memories…

Links of interest

TV.com Misfits of Science Page