Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Starlog Project: Starlog #99, October 1985: Party Like It's #99


Star Wars is back on the cover of Starlog this issue, for about the 98th time out of 99 issues. Okay, that's an exaggeration, obviously; I'm sure Star Trek was on the cover 104 times out of the first 99 issues. So there must be some parallel universe double-counting going on. (About that latter franchise: Just wait a couple years until Next Generation starts, and we'll see Trek-galore  – did I just coin a phrase? trakalore? trekglore?) This time, the occasion is a new interview with Anthony Daniels, the ever-present C-3PO from all six Wars films.

Starlog #99
76 pages (including covers)
Cover price: $2.95

The big news is not that big this issue. It's that this is the last double-digit magazine in the Starlog series. Yep, with next issue, the mag hits ol' number 100. And they've started celebrating early, plugging that special issue with two small ads within #99, in addition to the next-month box on the last page. "Watch for the Solid Gold cover!" we're told in the ads. Okay, we will. Oh, and by the way, the subscription ad informs us that sister magazine Fangoria is now published nine times annually, up from eight.

The rundown: Kerry O'Quinn's From the Bridge column recounts what he learned from his vacation in the U.K. and France; Communications letters include feedback on A View to a Kill and Lifeforce, praise for recent interviewees Peter Cushing, James Doohan, Rutger Hauer, and Jonathan Harris, and more; Log Entries short news items include Chris Henderson's brief chat with writer Damon Knight, David McDonnell's Medialog roundup, Henderson's Booklog roundup, and more.

Adam Pirani profiles actor Ian Holm about Brazil and Alien; Randy and Jean-Marc Lofficier interview Terry Hayes, Mad Max writer and producer; the Fan Network pages include fan club and convention listings, Daniel Dickholtz (his first appearance in Starlog, I believe) on a New York convention appearance by Leonard Nimoy, and a "Fan Notebook" of short bits; Brian Lowry interviews actor Anthony Daniels; David Hutchison's Videolog column debuts with a look at efforts to restore classics, such as Metropolis, and there's a sidebar by Lee Goldberg noting some science-fiction TV series that did not sell (such as Generation: "The father is an inventor, his brother is a 'sports gladiator,' his wife is the host of a futuristic TV talkshow, his parents are worried about the continuation of human values and his kids are attractive."); William Rabkin profiles Amazing Stories' Mick Garris (who once was a contributing writer to Starlog, among other publications); Lee Goldberg previews the revival of the Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV series; Edward Gross interviews Don Jakoby, writer of Lifeforce and Blue Thunder (about which he explains his dissatisfaction); Goldberg (again) previews The Twilight Zone TV revival; Brian Lowry interviews screenwriter Eric Luke (Explorers); Goldberg was a very busy man this month – he also profiles director Bob Zemeckis about Back to the Future; Bruce Gordon and David Mumford continue their look at Disney's Tomorrowland, in the Future Life section; Adam Pirani interviews Bond impressario Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli; Will Murray visits the set of Remo: The First Adventure; David Gerrold's column asks "Is There a Household Robot in Your Future?"; and editor David McDonnell uses his Liner Notes page to share some nice thoughts about various folks, including a touching note about Albert Broccoli.
"Someone at NBC thought it would be dynamite to revive the series [Alfred Hitchcock Presents], considering the renewed interest in Hitch as a filmmaker. I was extremely nervous about remaking the work of a man now dead."
–Christopher Crowe, producer, interviewed by Lee Goldberg: "Alfred Hitchcock Presents"
To view previous Starlog issue descriptions, click on "Starlog Internet Archive Project" in the keywords below or visit the Starlog Project's permanent home.

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