Nimoy to Talk Photography at Synagogue

Leonard Nimoy will present his one-man multimedia show "See What I See: Shekhina" this Saturday evening in the Santa Clarita Valley, just north of Los Angeles. He will appear at Congregation Beth Shalom on October 21 at 8:00 p.m., as part of the synagogue's Distinguished Speaker Lecture Series. This presentation is similar to the one Nimoy made at the Creation Las Vegas convention last August, where he said that his photography work, which in large part explores the feminine aspect of Jewish mysticism, "is singularly personal to me. I learn every day something about the world in which I live, the society in which I live, the culture in which I live, and I learn about myself each day" (related story, page 4).

Seating is extremely limited. Regular reserved seats are $60 per person, and a "Santa Clarita Patron Package" is available for $149. The latter package includes seats at the front of the theater, a signed copy of Nimoy's book "Shekhina," and a pre-show wine and cheese reception attended by Nimoy. Proceeds will benefit the congregation's special education program. For tickets and information, call Mary at the congregation's office at (661) 254-2411. Congregation Beth Shalom is located at 21430 Centre Pointe Parkway in Santa Clarita.

Prof. Hawking to Star in 3-D Imax Film

Professor Stephen Hawking, who played a holographic version of himself in "Descent, Part I," is going three-dimensional once again — and with the help of a TNG staff writer. The world-renowned wheelchair-bound physicist will be the star of a 3-D Imax film called "Stephen Hawking's Beyond the Horizon," in which he will explain some of the more esoteric theories he espouses, such as 11-dimensional space and the cause of the Big Bang.

Leonard Mlodinow, story editor and writer during the second season of Next Generation, is the screenwriter. Mlodinow has a Ph.D. in physics himself, having published papers on quantum theory.

The film is a semi-fictional documentary, with a storyline that involves a young journalist who believes that science is not relevant to the big questions of life, and gets more than she bargained for when she interviews Hawking. Hawking, 64, will play his present-day self, but another actor will be cast to portray him as a young man. The story will also include dramatized interviews with Albert Einstein and other famous physicists such as Richard Feynman. "It will be like Groundhog Day meets Star Trek," said Mlodinow in a Sunday Times - Britain article.

Production is in the early stages, so no release date has been set. You can learn more about the project at its official website, www.UniversePartners.net.

TV Land Launches Trek in November

In another sign that Star Trek is as popular as ever at age 40, the classic episodes have found yet another venue for fans to enjoy them. Cable network TV Land will begin airing the Original Series next month, starting with marathons running for three days the weekend of November 17-19, including two airings of "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan."

In the week leading up to that launch, TV Land will schedule special programming in tribute to Star Trek, including a repeat of the William Shatner edition of "Living in TV Land" which premiered last March. In addition, the network will run a series of episodes from other classic TV shows that feature Star Trek cast members, such as Gunsmoke with Shatner, Bonanza with Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley, and Miami Vice with George Takei. Also during the week of Nov. 13th, it will air special "space-themed" episodes from such classic shows as I Love Lucy, Green Acres and Benson.

The schedule for Star Trek and the special programming has not been solidified yet, so keep an eye on the TVLand.com Star Trek page and/or your local listings.

Also in November, TVLand.com (from the same hub page) will launch other content including a "Star Trek Convention Webumentary," a video clip trivia game, and new interviews with Shatner and Nimoy. The site will also make full-length TOS episodes available on-line.

Diamond Select Toys to Display Auction Winnings

At the three-day Christie's auction of Star Trek memorabilia earlier this month, most of the winning bidders (particularly those on-line and on the phone) remained anonymous during the event. Gradually, though, we expect those auction winners to reveal themselves. One already has, in a press release issued recently by a Star Trek licensee. Diamond Select Toys & Collectibles announced it purchased a number of lots from the auction including key costumes from the Trek films, props from the various TV series, "and even large pieces of the Enterprise." The press release stated that these items "will be making their way to fans over the next year."

"We've got great plans for our auction winnings," said Chuck Terceira, director of Diamond Select. "We plan to display these items at several conventions and trade shows in the coming months, culminating with a great new Star Trek promotion sure to excite fans of the franchise." Without giving away any details, Terceira added, "It's something that's never been done before." We look forward to seeing what that is!

Page 2:
Kirk & Spock Rank 50th Most Influential Fictional People
Showbiz Briefs: Perlman, Madsen, Goldberg, Silverman, etc.
Science Briefs: More Progress on Teleportation, Cloaking