Leonard Nimoy Joins Big Entertainment As Comic Character Creator

BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Sci-Fi icon Leonard Nimoy has signed an agreement with BIG Entertainment (NASDAQ: BIGE) for Nimoy to create characters for BIG's Tekno-Comix(TM) universe, it was announced today by Mitchell Rubenstein CEO of BIG Entertainment. Expanding the traditional comic book format, BIG Entertainment will also bring Nimoy's comic characters to life in comic video and CD-ROM platforms.
Additionally, Nimoy will make several public appearances to promote Tekno-Comix; the first of which is a press conference to be held at Disney/MGM Studios Theme Park on February 9th.

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"While the entertainment world in evolving rapidly with the advent of multimedia products and the information superhighway, popular films, TV shows, video games and theme park attractions remain character driven," commented Nimoy. "I am therefore excited to be involved with BIG Entertainment's Tekno-Comix project developing original, futuristic characters created by myself and best-selling authors."
"Leonard Nimoy and his characters, created exclusively for BIG's Tekno-Comix, will be a powerful addition to our futuristic universe of characters created by best-selling authors," commented Rubenstein. "When Tekno-Comix hits the shelves, they're going to redefine the comic book genre altogether."

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Feb 8, 1994)

Big Entertainment's Techno-Comix (TM) At A Press Conference With Leonard Nimoy Announces first Three Comic Books

SAN DIEGO, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- BIG Entertainment's (Nasdaq: BIGE) Tekno-Comix(TM) announced the launch of their comic book line at a press conference with Leonard Nimoy, a Tekno-Comix(TM) character creator, at the 25th Annual San Diego Comic-con, the country's largest comic book convention. Leonard Nimoy announced that Leonard Nimoy's Primortals, Comic Book Issue No. 1, would be on sale by Tekno-Comix(TM) in November 1994. Tekno-Comix(TM) also announced that Neil Gaiman's Mr. Hero-The Newmatic Man, Comic Book Issue No. 1, would be on sale in November 1994; and that Gene Roddenberry's Lost Universe, Comic Book Issue No. 1, would be on sale by Tekno-Comix(TM) in December 1994.
"I'm very excited about Primortals," stated Leonard Nimoy to a packed audience of comic book fans and press at the San Diego Comic-con. "I think it's a wonderful, rich story and I fully expect there will be Primortals' CD-ROMs, television movies and feature films. I look forward to the first issue in November, and I surely hope that the fans will enjoy it."

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Aug 5, 1994)

Big Entertainment's Tekno-Comix (TM) Titles Rank in Top Ten

BOCA RATON, Fla., Oct. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Tekno-Comix, the imprint of BIG Entertainment (Nasdaq: BIGE), announced today that both of its November-releasing comic titles, Leonard Nimoy's "Primortals" and Neil Gaiman's "Mr. Hero - The Newmatic Man," are ranked in the top ten of all comics by sales volume from Entertainment This Month, the largest retailer of comics in North America.
Out of more than 10,000 customers ordering titles from Entertainment This Month (ETM) for delivery in November, 28 percent ordered Leonard Nimoy's "Primortals" No. 1 and 21 percent ordered Neil Gaiman's "Mr. Hero - The Newmatic Man" No. 1. This number of orders placed these titles fifth and seventh, respectively, by sales volume among all comic book titles ordered for shipment in November.

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Oct 11, 1994)

Big Entertainment's Rekno-Comix Goes 'Platinum' -- Ships Over One Million Comics in December; UK Distribution Added

BOCA RATON, Fla., Dec. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Tekno-Comix(TM), the imprint of BIG Entertainment (Nasdaq: BIGE), announced today that based upon orders from distributors for its three December-shipping comics titles (Gene Roddenberry's Lost Universe(TM) #1, Leonard Nimoy's Primortals(TM) #2, and Neil Gaiman's Mr. Hero -- The Newmatic Man(TM)#2) it will ship more than ONE MILLION comics in its second month since the launch of its comic line. Tekno-Comix shipped over 750,000 comics in November. Tekno-Comix also announced that it had this month commenced distribution of its titles in the U.K. through Seymour Press.

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Dec 8, 1994)

Warner Books Division Of Time Warner, Agrees To Develop Properties Licensed From Big Entertainment Tekno-Comix

BOCA RATON, Fla., Feb. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Warner Aspect, the imprint of Warner Books, a division of Time Warner, Inc. (NYSE: TWX), and BIG Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIGE), announced today that they have entered into an agreement in principle under which Warner Books will publish novelizations based on two of BIG Entertainment's Tekno-Comix comic book titles, Leonard Nimoy's Primortals and Gene Roddenberry's Lost Universe.

"We are delighted to join BIG Entertainment's Tekno-Comix in bringing new science fiction to readers everywhere," stated Betsy Mitchell, Editor-In-Chief of Warner Aspect. "Both Leonard Nimoy's Primortals and Gene Roddenberry's Lost Universe have storylines full of potential, and our novels will help to expand these new worlds. We especially like the fact that the stories have appeal to readers of all ages, as that's something the best science fiction has always achieved."

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Feb 1, 1995)

Big Entertainment Forms Teknotoys Co.; To Launch Action Figures Based on Tekno-Comix (TM) Titles Beginning with Leonard Nimoy's Primortals

Capitalizing on the successful launch of Tekno-Comix's Leonard Nimoy's Primortals comic book title, the Company stated that the first three toy products to be developed by TeknoToys will be action figures based on characters featured in Leonard Nimoy's Primortals. These characters include: Primaster, the mysterious, powerful alien leader of the aliens; Prisar, the horned, fearless captain of the Primortal's ship; and Zeerus, the evil winged renegade. TeknoToys anticipates the launch of these first action figure products to be in time for the 1995 holiday season.

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Feb 23, 1995)

Warner Books, A Diviion Of Time Warner, and Big Entertainment enter Into Definitive Agreement to Publish Hardcover And Paperback Novels

BOCA RATON, Fla., May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- BIG Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIGE), announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Warner Books, a division of Time Warner, Inc. (NYSE: TWX), for the publication of novels based on two of BIG Entertainment's Tekno-Comix comic book titles; Leonard Nimoy's Primortals(TM) (created by Leonard Nimoy and Isaac Asimov), and Lost Universe(TM) (featuring Star Trek(TM) creator Gene Roddenberry's Xander).

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, May 11, 1995)

Big Entertainment To Join The Microsoft Network; First Event to Feature 'Live' Chat With Leonard Nimoy

BOCA RATON, Fla., July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- BIG Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIGE), an entertainment content development company, announced today that it has signed an agreement with Microsoft to develop and launch comics and mystery forums on The Microsoft Network, Microsoft's planned online service.

BIG'S Tekno-Comix Forum is scheduled to begin August 24th, the launch date for Microsoft's new service. BIG's Tekno-Comix is the publisher of monthly comic books based on concepts from celebrity creators. Among the events scheduled for the Tekno-Comix Forum is an hourlong "live" chat with Leonard Nimoy (Spock from Star Trek(TM) and creator of Leonard Nimoy's Primortals(TM), published by Tekno-Comix) scheduled for Friday, September 1, at 9 PM EST. Microsoft Network members across the country will be able to log-on and ask questions of the famous actor/director online.

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Jul 17, 1995)

Sierra On-Line And BIG Entertainment Enter Joint CD-ROM Publishing Venture

BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Sierra On-Line (Nasdaq: SIER), one of the largest worldwide publishers of interactive entertainment, productivity and educational software, and BIG Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIGE), a diversified entertainment company, announced today that they have entered into a joint CD-ROM publishing venture for Leonard Nimoy's Primortals.

Expected to be in the stores nationwide for the Christmas holidays, the suggested retail price of the Leonard Nimoy's Primortals CD-ROM will be $19.95.

The CD-ROM user will be able to: interact with the Primortals storyline from the point of view of any of four main characters; change from one character to another as the story evolves; make decisions affecting the unfolding of the storyline; and solve puzzles. The CD-ROM will feature special editor's notes linking the storyline to multimedia supplemental material; a profile of science fiction legend Leonard Nimoy; exclusive video clips and audio recordings; and a complete, comprehensive and interactive compendium of data on the world of Primortals and profiles of key characters.

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Sep 17, 1996)

BIG Entertainment Announces Shipping Of 'Leonard Nimoy's Primortals(TM): Target Earth' Hardcover Novel From Warner Books

BOCA RATON, Fla., April 8 /PRNewswire/ -- BIG Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIGE) today announced that "Leonard Nimoy's Primortals: Target Earth" hardcover novel has been shipped to bookstores throughout North America by Warner Books. The book rights to this novel were licensed by BIG Entertainment to Warner Books, a division of TimeWarner, Inc. The suggested retail price is $22.0O U.S., $27.95 Canada.

(...)

"I've always felt science fiction offers a 'broad canvas' to work on, but what fascinates me most about this story is the human element -- the reactions of ordinary people to an extraordinary event," commented Leonard Nimoy, creator of "Leonard Nimoy's Primortals." "I'm an optimist who believes we're always moving forward one step at a time on the 'Human Adventure,' so the kind of science fiction stories that interest me most are character-driven -- stories about people whose lives are changed by science and how they deal with it. And, man's desire to solve problems, to get past difficulties and learn, is at the heart of Primortals."

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Apr 8, 1997)

Leonard Nimoy to Be Official Spokesperson for Science Fiction Section Of bige.com, a Division of Big Entertainment.

Science Fiction Mega-Icon,

Best Known for His Portrayal of Mr. Spock on the Original Star Trek(TM),

To Host Science Fiction Entertainment Section on bige.com Web site

BOCA RATON, Fla. and LOS ANGELES, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- bige.com, a division of Big Entertainment (Nasdaq: BIGE), today announced that science fiction icon Leonard Nimoy has signed on to become official spokesperson for the science fiction section of the bige.com Web site. Nimoy, who is best known as Star Trek's Mr. Spock, will also host monthly live chats on the site with occasional guests from the science fiction and science communities.

"We feel very fortunate to have the multi-dimensional talents of Leonard Nimoy as the voice of bige.com in our science fiction section and are especially excited to become the Internet site to offer Mr. Nimoy's outstanding audio productions, Alien Voices. Offering quality entertainment branded products and entertainment events is a focus of bige.com," commented Mitchell Rubenstein, CEO of BigE. "This announcement heralds the expansion of our relationship with Leonard Nimoy which began when he became one of our character creators for BigE's intellectual property division."

Source: The Free Library (PR Newswire, Jan 7, 1999)

(...)

(The matters discussed herein that are forward-looking statements are based on current management expectations that involve risks and uncertainties that may result in such expectations not being realized. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks described in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.)

Haaretz
May, 19, 2005
By Goel Pinto

Mr. Spock's alter ego

Nimoy became a cultural icon thanks to his role as Mr. Spock in the science fiction series "Star Trek." This is his fourth visit to Israel, this time as a guest of the Jewish Federation of Los Angeles and the Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership. (In 1982, he played the husband of Golda Meir, Morris Myerson, in a film made in Israel.) He has already visited the Tel Aviv Arts School, the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and the Herzliya Museum of Art, and held master classes in the Beit Zvi drama school. Today he is teaching a directing workshop at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.

Nimoy says that before he arrived, he asked to have recent Israeli films sent to him. He was surprised and very impressed by their high level - not only by the quality of the work, but also by the inner world of the filmmakers. There's no comparison, he says, to what there was here 20 years ago, and that he now feels that instead of talking about his experience as an actor, he comes to tell people that they are good creative artists.

It is not surprising that Nimoy is giving a workshop on directing. After all, he directed "Three Men and a Baby," the successful comedy starring Tom Selleck and Ted Danson (the American adaptation of the French film directed by Coline Serreau); he directed two "Star Trek" films, including "The Voyage Home," which is considered the best in the series and films starring Diane Keaton and Liam Neeson ("The Good Mother"); Gene Wilder and Christine Lahti ("Funny About Love") and Patricia Arquette ("Holy Matrimony").

"I never planned to direct. I loved to act," he says.

In the early 1960s, he studied acting in order to earn a living. Already then they told him he should direct, and he was insulted; he thought it meant that he wasn't a good enough actor. He says that he came to directing by chance. When the filming of "Star Trek 3" began, he asked Paramount to direct the film, and after several weeks of discussion, they agreed. When the same executives went over to work with Disney, they offered to have him direct "Three Men and a Baby."

This episode of "Fringe" brought a surprising amount of closure to a lot of storylines before giving us that stinger at the end. But first, how great was it to have Leonard Nimoy back as William Bell? Even if only for a single episode as "A Scanner Darkly" style cartoon. I presume that Nimoy is holding to his retirement from acting pledge, but he's at least willing to do voiceovers. If the entire "William Bell enters Olivia's brain" story hadn't featured him in some form, it would have been really disappointing.

Nimoy is such a gifted performer that even his voice is enough to carry some extremely moving scenes between Bell and Walter. In fact, as soon as Bell gave Walter his pep talk, I kind of knew that Bell's time was running out. Because those are the words that Walter has needed to hear all season. Walter has really changed and he may actually be a better man than Bell now. Bell's words were well written, but Nimoy gave them some added gravitas and power.

The same was true for Nimoy's final scene in the episode as Bell said goodbye to Olivia. There was something unsatisfying about Bell's death in the second season finale; in part I believe because it seemed as if he was being killed off to accommodate Nimoy's retirement plans. I get the feeling that Bell would have been around with a stronger presence in the series if Nimoy didn't have other plans. But this time, Bell's demise felt right for the character and the show doesn't need him after this. That's the best way to go out.

Source: Crave Online

The whole experience seems to have changed Olivia, possibly for the better. She's strong again, leaving her debilitating fear behind her not only in Toon Town, but also in real life. This means that ultimately, Olivia could end up with Fauxlivia's strength, thus fortifying her love with Peter and guaranteeing that the Doomsday device will blow up the other universe. LSD: Is there anything it can't do?

And finally, have we seen the last of William Bell? His consciousness was lost like a term paper to a disc-read error, but do you think he's gone forever? Has he slipped into the internet to live a life of spying on people's email and communicating via Chat Roulette? Is he the Ghost in the Machine?

I'm sure some fans will write off "LSD" as a failed attempt at something more, but I don't think it was meant to be anything more than a fun, experimental diversion from what has otherwise been a brilliant, heavy season. Mission accomplished.

Source: TV.com

Is Leonard Nimoy Coming Back To Fringe...Again?
New Fringe feature sees Leonard Nimoy implying that he'd be happy to do another appearance on the series, even after retirement and two on-screen deaths!

Well hey, if Michael Jordan can retire as many times as he did, we should all welcome back Leonard Nimoy with open arms should he return to acting.

The Fringe actor recently made what was thought to be his final appearance as series' character William Bell (voicing Bell as a trippy LSD cartoon), but already admits the possibility of a return. In a behind the scenes featurette for the character, Nimoy discusses his pleasure with the character, concluding with "I wouldn't be surprised if they have me back, and back, and back and back. I'm happy to do it, I enjoy working on the show."

Bell was last physically seen being corporeally disintegrated in the second season finale, and most recently in "Lysergic Acid Diethylamate" voicing his animated counterpart inside Olivia (Anna Torv)'s mind, who had until then been "possessed" by Bell. Of course "Diethylamate" saw the destruction of the character's consiousness as well, but we have faith in the Fringe writers to utilize Nimoy well again if possible.

Fringe continues toward its third season end with this Friday, April 22nd's "6:02 AM EST," and keeps rolling in time for its hotly anticpated finale "The Day We Died" on May 6th. And don't forget about the fourth season!

Source:UGO

100 Artists See God is a traveling exhibition organized by Independent Curators International. The guest co-curators, artists John Baldessari and Meg Cranston, are tackling the ever-challenging question of God in this exhibition. Baldessari and Cranston have invited 100 artists to respond to one of art's most enduring challenges: picturing the divine. Recent political developments have also led the public to examine the notion of "divine authority"- in the curators' words, "God is news." The artists selected for this exhibition are those whose work the curators know and admire, those who possess the sense of humor and audacity necessary for such a project, or artists who are "likely to surprise."

An exhibition that goes beyond universal images of traditional faiths to offer individual interpretations of spirituality. The show was organized around the following questions: How contemporary artists see God? Ho and why might the point of view of artists reinforce-or stand in contrast to that of the general public? And what comfort or answers do we all seek in spiritual undertakings of varying kinds?

Source: Contemporary Jewish Museeum

God makes appearance in traveling exhibition
Religion's impact on `100 Artists'
September 15, 2005|By MICHAEL KILIAN

Our subject today is God.

Not God as politics, which has occupied newspaper pages for far too long a time, but the much more agreeable one of God as art.

In the earliest centuries of civilization, in fact, nearly all art had to do with God or, if you will, gods.

Casimir Malevich, the raging revolutionary Russian artist, spent the better part of his artistic career searching for a true image of God, and came up with a black circle.

Neither is represented in "100 Artists See God," a new exhibition of works by contemporary artists organized by the New York-based Independent Curators International.

(...)

The show is curated by the whimsical and oft irreverent California artist John Baldessari and artist/arts scholar Mary Cranston. In an essay accompanying the show, they wrote: "Whether or not one believes in God, whether we describe ourselves as theists, atheists, or even anti-theists, we all live in a world that is profoundly influenced by concepts of God. We were pretty sure the notion of God was affecting world events, but we had no certain idea how, or whether, God and religion were affecting art. So we decided to ask the artists."

(...)

Californian Leonard Nimoy's contribution is an exquisite photographic print of a beautiful dark-haired woman standing by the sea. She wears many bracelets.

More here.

Fringe Review: Olivia's Subconscious - A Life in Caricature

What a fun episode! Bellivia has been around long enough to be far less annoying, and more funny. Everything about this episode was enjoyable. Much of it comes from the mind of Olivia, via LSD she, Peter and Walter took to try to find her in Bellivia's subconscious.

(...)

"Lysergic Acid Diethylamide", however, wasn't being honest with us. That ornery Belly was the one they found. And from there they became cartoons. Cartoons!

It's easy to see why there were no promo pics for this episode. It was just too good to let it leak out ahead of time. There are times for spoilers, and there are times when the journey of watching live is part of the fun. This was one of those times.

Source: TV Fanatic

'Fringe' recap: LSD and the red door: Feed your head

You remember that Bell is inhabiting Olivia: Anna Torv was employing her canny array of vocal and physical tics to portray Leonard Nimoy; I was particularly taken with her cocked eyebrow a couple of times this week, a very Nimoyish twitch. But two consciousnesses in one brain would eventually result in what we non-scientists call splatter, so the race was on to download Bell’s into a computer, thus freeing Olivia to resume control of her own mind.

Walter reminded us of the way Agent Scott and Olivia had shared their dream state, and LSD was the lubricant that enabled Walter, Peter, and Bell to enter Olivia’s brain. Two thousand milligrams shared, the male trio started stumbling around Olivia’s frightened psyche, encountering a murderous Nina Sharp (so Olivia really doesn’t trust her, eh?) and then finding themselves transformed into animated versions of themselves. Thus was the return of Leonard Nimoy, retired from acting only in the sense of not having a corporeal presence on-screen, effected.

The cartoons of Bell, Peter, and Walter enabled Fringe to have some fun — the Walking Dead parody of zombies chasing them was clever — but they also enabled Bell to impart some (final?) wisdom to Walter, who was fretting over “needing” Belly to solve the mysteries of the doomsday machine and the impending collision of worlds. Bell delivered a Spock-like speech that operated as a blessing upon Walter, telling him that while they once “needed each other,” Walter now possesses “the virtue of humility…the decisions you make will be the right ones; the direction you choose to take will be just.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly

Leonard Nimoy returns to 'Fringe'

So much for retirement?

Leonard Nimoy will be back on tonight's episode of "Fringe," in some form or another, as his character William Bell. (Of course it's quite possible that it's only his voice that has been "un-retired": This follows the announcement that he will be voicing the character of Sentinel Prime in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," a nice homage to his work in 1986's "Transformers: the Movie.")

"Bellie," as Walter calls him, has been back on the show for the past few episodes, having taken residence in Olivia's body, in a brilliant Nimoy-esque performance by Anna Torv.

"She is up for any challenge," executive producer J.H. Wyman said, speaking to reporters on Thursday. "This season, she's been pulled and pushed in every direction, and [executive producer Jeff Pinkner] and I are just amazed at how she hit the ground running with everything. The whole invention of the character, and how she spoke and everything, was all her creation."

Added Pinkner, "Anna and John [Noble] spent a weekend on their own, just working out their relationship, and John just helped her develop her take on Leonard Nimoy."

As fun as it is to see Olivia as "Bellie," there's still the question of what happened to Olivia.

"This episode is a journey to retrieve Olivia before it's too late," Pinkner explained.

So how did the "Fringe" masterminds get Nimoy to return?

"Leonard retired from acting at the end of our season finale, and he was very sincere about that, but Joel and I were talking about the notion that William Bell would inhabit Olivia's mind and we called Leonard and pitched the idea to him and he just started laughing, and said, 'I'm in, how do you want to use me?'" Pinkner said.

"He's participating in the show. William Bell is present in this next episode, and present in a way that gives new meaning to alternate reality, but it's very much Leonard Nimoy."

Source: CNN Entertainment

Anna Torv: The season finale left me speechless

PW: Then they even took it up another notch and had you playing Olivia playing William Bell.
Anna: Yea .... I didn't ask for that one [laughs]. I was petrified and I haven’t watched that episode yet. I’m going to wait until the season is over to look at that because I don’t know how I feel about it. I mean, what do you do? I just jumped in both feet, I don’t think there was another option.

Source: New York Post

Crowd control at a geek convention in Calgary is rather interesting. First, it’s Calgary, so the chances of anything major happening are rather small. Second, it’s geeks. Really. What are geeks going to do?

There are three kinds of geeks in the world:

1) Skinny geeks.
2) Fat geeks.
3) Sheldon.

(If you have to ask about Sheldon, you’re not a geek. Trust me.)

I’m the first kind, so my ability to stop a geek of the second kind, or, really, anyone, is somewhat limited, but then again, as I said, these are geeks.

The line moved. Things got signed. People asked questions. Mr. Nimoy answered them. Over and over again.

At one point, Mr. Nimoy asked, “how long is this line?” When he was told, he groaned and put his head down on the desk.

I turned to him (my job was to usher people out of the exit when they had finished getting their autograph) and said, “this has ‘long day’ written all over it.” He made eye contact with me, and then went back to what he was doing.

Eventually, the line dissipated, and was closed to new additions as lunch time was approaching. At the very end, one young guy showed up and asked to come in. As nobody else was around and Mr. Nimoy was still finishing a few last autographs, we said okay.

When this guy got to the front of the line, I immediately realized that he was “one of them.” A true “fanboy”. Mr. Nimoy was the immaculate professional and politely listened to him babble on and on and on about nothing, then said “thank you,” and got up to leave.

Fanboy wasn’t satisfied. He wanted Mr. Nimoy to write “best wishes”. Mr. Nimoy wanted lunch. I wanted Fanboy to leave. Eventually, John came over, got rid of Fanboy, and told me to get going – escort the golf cart with Mr. Nimoy on it around to his green room. The object being to ensure that nobody had snuck into the back passages and was waiting to ambush Mr. Nimoy. Fortunately, nobody had, and Mr. Nimoy went into his green room for lunch.

When last we saw our gang of FBI agents and consultants, Olivia had been possessed by the disembodied spirit of William Bell (Nimoy) who was working with Walter to find a way to occupy a more permanent host.

While the character returned, Nimoy didn’t -- instead actress Anna Torv gave her best Ambassador Spock impression. But the occupation somehow went wrong and Olivia/Bell collapsed. According to the promos released by Fox, Walter and Peter must find a way into Olivia’s mind -- through hard work, tenacity, and good old-fashioned lysergic acid diethylamide.

Source: Screen Rant

Is Leonard Nimoy Coming Back to Fringe?

William Bell isn't really dead, as long as we find a way to remember him. Right?

The latest Fringe promo featurette for upcoming episode "Lysergic Acid Diethylamide" sees the cast coyly suggesting that Leonard Nimoy has indeed come out of acting retirement to make an appearance as his late character William Bell!

Up until this point Anna Torv has been channeling her best Leonard Nimoy impression while the character occpies (sic.) Olivia Dunham's body, having been disintegrated in the second season finale.

Leonard Nimoy has publically retired from acting, but suggestively tweeted the character's return months ago in a presumed reference to Olivia's current possession. The cast seems aloof in the below video, but could Nimoy himself make an appearance? The oddly familar voice at video's end would suggest so!

Source: UGO

"As much as beauty can astonish and inspire, it can also corrupt and subvert, rendering all else - and even itself - broken and obsolete. The great contemporary photographers do so much more than chronicle and celebrate what is beautiful in our time. They dig beneath it, they confront our compulsion with it, and they turn art's mirror on ourselves as well. I can't think of a more important conversation for the Annenberg Space to have," says Wallis Annenberg, Chairman of the Board, President and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation.

Other noted photographers and visual artists in the exhibit include: Andres Serrano, Carrie Mae Weems, Chuck Close, David LaChapelle, Ellen von Unwerth, Erwin Blumenfeld, Gilles Bensimon, Greg Gorman, Leonard Nimoy, Lillian Bassman, Lynn Johnson, Martin Schoeller, Mary Ellen Mark, Michel Comte, Nino Munoz, Norman Jean Roy, ORLAN, Patrick Demarchelier, Paul Lange, Robert Maxwell, Terry Richardson and William Claxton.

Showcasing images of performers, professional models and pop-culture icons, BEAUTY CULTURE features portrait and editorial images of Alek Wek, Angelina Jolie, Anja Rubik, Beverly Johnson, Bo Derek, Carmen Dell'Orefice, Cheryl Tiegs, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Crystal Renn, Du Juan, Elizabeth Taylor, Gisele Bundchen, Grace Jones, Helena Christensen, Hilary Swank, Iman, Jean Shrimpton, Kate Moss, Kristen McMenamy, Lakshmi Menon, Linda Evangelista, Madonna, Marilyn Monroe, Megan Fox, Michelle Pfeiffer, Nadja Auermann, Nancy Kwan, Naomi Campbell, Sophia Loren, Stephanie Seymour, Tatjana Patitz and Venus Williams.

Through the following themes, BEAUTY CULTURE will examine both traditional and unconventional definitions of beauty:
What Size Is Beauty?
What Color Is Beauty?
Beauty, Inc.: The $300 Billion Cosmetics Industry
Beauty for Money: The Professional Model
Beauty from Cradle to Grave
Dreams on Paper: The Pin-Up Girl
Extreme Beauty
Pageant Culture
Reaction and Revolution
The Hollywood Glamour Machine: Vamps, Vixens and Bombshells
The Marilyn Syndrome
Androgyny

Source: PRNewswire

How were you first brought into the Star Trek fold? How much did you know about Trek in advance of your first book? How much research did you do?

Crispin: I was a Star Trek fan from the early days of the show. I’d watched all of the episodes many times. I had read many of the novels and all of the James Blish novelizations. So I knew Star Trek inside and out when I wrote Yesterday’s Son on a whim. I did some research to write the book, mostly about arctic terrain and survival in arctic regions. But since I used established settings, mostly I only wrote about what I already knew from watching the show for all those years.

In your Trek books -- and the comic book you co-wrote -- you really explored the inner lives of Spock and Sarek. What intrigued you most about the characters? And what do you think you added to the lore of Vulcans in general and to Spock, Sarek and Zar specifically?

Crispin: From the beginning I was fascinated -- pardon the pun -- by Mr. Spock and Vulcan. As a child of the 60’s, the idea that Vulcans were strong, and capable, anything but wimps, yet their entire planet embraced pacifism, really inspired me. Also, Mr. Spock was smart, and I identified with his intelligence, yet (also) his “apartness.” He was a character pulled between worlds… this is a characterization a writer can really sink her teeth into! So I worked very hard at being able to set inside the skin of my Vulcan characters, and write them in a way that was true to their nature, yet made them understandable and allowed readers to empathize with them. I also loved Mr. Roddenberry’s optimistic vision of the future. I wanted to go live in that future, and I was able to, at least for as long as it took to write my novels. As for Zar, it seemed to me when I watched “All Our Yesterdays” that the episode cried out for a sequel… so I sat down and wrote it. Regarding adding Trek “lore”… I suppose I was able to add a bit. I recall inventing a rather nasty weapon from the time of Surak that Romulans still used for Sarek… a senapa, I believe it was called. That was fun.

Let's be cruel here and ask you to do the following: please give us two sentences summing up your thoughts -- what you felt worked best, what readers responded to most, etc. -- in each of your Trek stories.

Crispin: Yesterday’s Son; I think readers were hungry in that era for stories that explored the inner lives of the Trek characters, and my book did that. Especially in the case of Mr. Spock. Time for Yesterday; I’m proudest of that book, out of all four of my Trek novels, because it was a prequel to Wrath of Khan, my favorite Trek film. Also, it was fun to write a love story for Zar. The Eyes of the Beholders; When The Next Generation aired, I decided to do something I’d never pursued before, and submitted a treatment for a teleplay about an ancient artifact that was causing a certain area of space to become a sort of outer-space Sargasso Sea. Then the Pocket editors put out a call to all their writers begging them to write a Next Gen story, and I figured a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush, as they say, and converted my teleplay treatment into a novel. Sarek; I met Mark Lenard many times at Star Trek conventions over the years, and was always fascinated by the character he portrayed. We were talking about Sarek’s character at one point, and he said, “Why don’t you write a novel that tells Sarek’s story?” I felt so honored that Mark would say that, that I pitched it to my editor, and that’s how I came to write the novel.

How cool was it that Leonard Nimoy and Jimmy Doohan did the dramatic readings for a couple of your stories? And what feedback did you get from Leonard about your treatment of Spock and Sarek?

Crispin: I’ve met Mr. Nimoy a number of times over the years, and he was always polite and gracious, but the only time he ever commented on the reading he’d done for Yesterday’s Son and Time for Yesterday was to ask me once at a party whether I’d gotten my royalties from the audio department yet that year. And yes, they were running a bit late, which wasn’t all that unusual. Jimmy Doohan did read Yesterday’s Son, and told me he liked it very much, even before he was tapped to do the reading on the audio tape. MarkLenard told me he really liked Sarek. As you say, hearing that was pretty cool.

Celebrated Actor Leonard Nimoy to Speak At Boston University

Boston – The Friends of the Libraries at Boston University will host an evening with actor Leonard Nimoy, best known for playing Spock on the science fiction series Star Trek. A Boston native, Nimoy will lecture on his long career in Hollywood where he was nominated for three Emmy Awards for acting, has directorial credits on numerous feature films, became a successful recording artist and authored several volumes of poetry and two autobiographies: I Am Not Spock (1977) and I Am Spock (1995). Nimoy is also an accomplished photographer and the recipient of a Master's Degree in Education, an Honorary Master of Fine Arts and four Honorary Doctorates.

Event Details

Title: The Friends Speaker Series Featuring Leonard Nimoy
Hosts: The Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center
Date: Monday, May 9, 2011
Time: 6:00 PM
Location: Tsai Performance Center (685 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston)
Admission: $25 admission, free to members of the Friends of the Libraries and the BU Community
Contact: RSVP to 617-353-3697. For more information, please call 617-353-3696

The Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University seeks to capture and document history by collecting the manuscripts from individuals who play significant roles in the fields of journalism, poetry, literature and criticism, dance, music, theatre, film, television, and political and religious movements. The Center strives to preserve the documents and make them readily available to researchers while administering all legal copyrights and restrictions. The Center also presents extensive exhibitions, seminars and tours for students, parents, alumni, various visiting groups and members of the public.

More here.

An Evening with Leonard Nimoy at B'nai Israel Congregation
Wednesday, May 18 at 7:45 p.m.

Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of the intense, rational and emotionally suppressed Vulcan, Spock, on Star Trek has left an indelible imprint on multiple generations. First airing in 1966, Nimoy's character would become an icon over the years as the popular television show branched off into syndication and later onto the big screen as a series of six feature films. Nimoy's performance on Star Trek earned him three Emmy nominations.

As a successful movie director, Nimoy was responsible for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, one of the most successful of the Star Trek films. He has also recorded ten narrative albums and authored several volumes of poetry, two of which feature his photographs. In 1975, Nimoy published the autobiography, I Am Not Spock and followed 20 years later with the sequel, I Am Spock, which he refers to as "coming to terms" with his alter ego.

As well as being an award-winning actor, director, poet and photographer, Nimoy, a true Renaissance Man, is a benefactor of the arts and sciences. In 2003, he and his wife, Susan Bay-Nimoy, founded the Nimoy Family Foundation, a philanthropic organization that provides funding for education and arts programs. The couple is also known for their leadership and generosity in the Jewish community.

More here.

Continuum: Gender Identities
April 30 – June 3, 2011

Each of us exists somewhere on the continuum between female and male. For some of us, that space is clearly defined; for others, it’s more fluid. Some of us move freely about in the world in our given skin, others shed that skin and create a new one. Come see and read what over 50 artists from around the corner and around the world have to say on the subject of gender.

December 16, 1927 - April 2, 2011
Cherished mother, grandmother ("Nonnie") and great-grandmother Sandi died at home in Westwood of cardiac complications.
She will be deeply missed by her adoring children Julie (Greg) and Adam (Martha), her nephew David Adler, and her beloved grandchildren Alex, Dani and Spencer Schwartz, Maddy and Jonah Nimoy and their mother Nancy (Bob), Jonathan Winston, Morgan Pearson (Eric) and great grandson Charlie Pearson along with many friends and relatives who loved and adored her.
Sandi was born in Cordova Alaska and graduated from USC. A patron of the arts, she loved literature and jazz and was active in Democratic Party politics. She will always be remembered for her loving heart and generous spirit.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her honor to the charity of your choice preferred.
Services will be held at Hillside Memorial Park at 12:00pm on Tuesday, April 5.

Nimoy-Gate

On April 3rd, 1973, Leonard Nimoy came to Cottey. He gave an evening lecture, “The Life and Death of a Series Character”, to a full audience in Rosemary Auditorium.1,2 Nimoy was scheduled to meet informally with students at the B.I.L. Lodge earlier that day, but canceled it at the last minute.3 (Oddly, the Nevada Daily Mail states that this meeting did happen, and even recounts what was supposedly discussed, “from politics to sensuality.”1) Students were disappointed and dismayed. Karen O’Leary, a Cottey Senior at the time, writes, “Word got out that several students were planning to boycott his lecture, so the administration made it known to the student body that attendance would be taken that evening.”3

The events that followed have developed into a kind of legend. Former Cottey professor Charles Nash has written a second-hand account of Nimoy’s lecture, stating that “Mr. Nimoy showed up so royally sauced that he preferred lying down on the floor of Rosemary Auditorium to standing behind the podium.”4 However, this was not the case. Nimoy did not appear drunk at the lecture, just “somewhat disoriented and moody,” as Randy Jiner puts it.5 Jiner lived in Nevada when Nimoy came to town, and attended the lecture to see his Star Trek hero. He remembers, “[Nimoy] pissed us all off right at the beginning because the microphone was making noise or something. He snickered and sneered, ‘Expensive microphone’. That was rude. The girls did everything they could to make him feel at home, and he seemed to look down on it all.”

Nimoy gave Nevada’s notoriously foul water a try during the lecture. “He asked for a glass of water and the audience went ‘Woooooooo!’ in anticipation. The look on his face was priceless. Needless to say, he didn’t like it. He said it tasted like something they used on Vulcan for medicinal purposes.”5 The Daily Mail described Nimoy “rambl[ing] across the stage as he spoke, drinking enormous quantities of Nevada water, which he compared to an acid used in one series.”1

As Golden Key president, Karen O’Leary was charged with planning a reception for Mr. Nimoy after his address. She recalls that Nimoy “was so rude to the students that only the administration and a few faculty showed up…”3 Star Trek had been a favorite show of Cotteyites, O’Leary notes, but “you could walk all over campus the next week at 4:00 and not see one student watching Star Trek reruns… It was quite the phenomena!”

Works Cited:

1. “Nimoy Gives Inside View of Acting.”  Nevada Daily Mail [Nevada, MO] 4 Apr. 1973: 9. Google news. Web.
2. “Personal Mentions.” Nevada Daily Mail [Nevada, MO] 4 Apr. 1973: 3.
3. O’Leary, Karen. Personal interview. 2-3 Apr. 2010.
4. Nash, Charles C. “Lansing and Byer—here’s looking at you, kids!” Nevada Daily Mail [Nevada, MO] 1 Apr. 2001: 4A. Web. (See also: Nash, Dr. Charles. “Memories of Inez Byer.” Cottey Viewpoint. Winter 2008. Print.)
5. Jiner, Randy. Personal Interview. Feb. 2011.

Mr. Spock himself, Leonard Nimoy, has joined the film as the voice of Sentinel Prime, the predecessor of Optimus Prime whose wrecked body is seen in the teaser trailer, found crash-landed on the moon by the Apollo 11 astronauts in 1969. Later, after being brought to earth, he takes the disguise form of a fire engine in the movie’s massive, climactic battle through Chicago.

(...)

Transformers filmmaker Michael Bay had toyed with the idea of inviting him to play a voice in the second movie, Revenge of the Fallen, but wasn’t sure he could pay the veteran actor enough. “I was too scared to ask him,” the director says. “Plus, he’s married to Susan Bay, who’s a cousin of mine. So I had to be careful. I’ve met him at family functions. But he told me, ‘I would be honored. I’m glad to be back!’”