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June - 2000 01.
[From the Editor's Desk] |
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Hello there Hazers! Welcome to the lean summer edition of the HLOFC newsletter. First let me apologize to anyone who tried to contact me at the old e-mail address, my ISP and I are currently in negotiations for actual service. <g> Due largely in part to my Mac and their software. So we survived the turn of the calendar to greet the year 2000 with only minor glitches. And if you haven’t finished off that water yet, maybe a nice hot summer will empty those last few gallons. :-) Speaking of hot seasons, it is shaping up to be a pretty exciting summer and fall. The elusive Ms. Leick, originally only slated for the England StarFury Con has been confirmed for Memphis Tennessee, Toronto Ontario and now Palo Alto California. The URLs and minor blurbs on each convention are listed in the updates section below. It is said often, but the truth is, if you haven’t seen Hudson live and in person, you have no idea what you are missing. For some recollections and reminencses – check out a few of the back issues of the newsletter circa 1998 – when Hudson did her ‘HudsonPalooza’ tour and swept across the country in a flurry of Convention appearances. Beginning with her now infamous appearance at Burbank, 1998 in the ‘catwoman’ outfit. When the ‘Haze’ exploded in full force.
This edition of the newsletter may seem a little like ‘old home’ week and I couldn’t help but smile as I put it together. I can’t speak for anyone else but myself, but I know that the place that Xena:Warrior Princess and the fandom once held in my life has shifted. It is a television show that I watch now, like an old friend I can call up and then not say much of anything. Yet, for my own simmered down version of the haze (which is still a constant) I cannot say it often enough, it has allowed me to befriend some great people and meet, even if only in passing, others who were simply amazing (not least among them Ms. Hudson Leick herself). Force of habit, when I heard about the new conventions, the first thing I checked was my credit card balance :-) We’ll see if I make it, I can always use any kind of excuse to fly to San Francisco.
During the height of the madness that was Xena fandom and the ‘haze’ – Hudson and the fans got to be a part of some monumental moments. From the very first ever Xena convention when Hudson stepped out onto stage to introduce herself and could barely be heard for all the applause and screaming from the audience to being a part of the Sword and Staff [http://www.sword-and-staff.com/] auctions. The S&S has raised $147,993.00. They gratefully acknowledge the support of Hudson’s fans as well as Hudson herself for the autographed items which have raised money for many notable causes.
There are definitely enduring items in the Xenaverse and to date, unless I am mistaken, Callisto still continues to rank in the top 5 of all time best villians on the show. Her legacy can still be seen in the form of Xena’s daughter who, if y’all caught the story arc with Eve as an adult, can see shades of the trademark fury that Hudson gave to Callisto trying to break out in Adrienne Wilkinson’s performance. Ms. Wilkinson has admitted in her interview with Whoosh [http://www.whoosh.org] that she was accutely aware of her lineage. Not just of ‘Xena’ as her mom, but the influence that was also Callisto.
This brings us to the present. I confess that this newsletter kind of snuck up on me. Snuck up because my life has been full of surprises, tragedy, joy and well, in general – life stuff. I wondered if I was in the throes of an existential dilemma when I sat down to write this and I realized that much as I had been immersed in a life – so had Hudson. She has been living her life, moving through the universe, having events happen to her that are noteworthy only because she is who she is. So, I pondered, what does one write about when the object of ones attention is off living a life of their very own? To that end, I came up with several possibilities and then scrapped them all :-) (Everyone should breathe a sigh of relief ;-) ) This is the final result.
I have seen a waning of the ‘haze’ in some of the old guard fans and have seen equal fervor from new fans to the haze. Fandom always has its ups and downs, but one thing always remains the same. That we all arrived at this place because of our mutual admiration, respect and just downright goofiness for liking Hudson Leick. I recently caught up again with someone whom I met at the first Xena convention, and I remember she had asked Hudson to autograph something she had designed. Hudson of course gleefully obliged. My friend stopped watching the show with any regularity awhile back but she definitely remembers Hudson and how gracious she was in signing her handiwork. I asked her why the sentimentality over it and she laughed and said, "It was Hudson."
That, the long and short of it, sums it all up.
Enjoy the newsletter! Haze on and if you are planning on any submissions for the Christmas issue – email me now :) HLOFC Editor [hlonl@representative.com]
Take care-
Dyann
If you were lucky enough to attend the 2-day event that took place in July of
1998, then you had the chance to watch Hudson introduce one of her dearest
friends and bring her up on stage. Hudson prompted her friend Artemis to sing a
quick song. Sing she did and incredibly well. The pictures of Hudson sitting on
the table with her legs curled beneath her are when she was listening to Artemis
sing. I think those pictures say more than I ever could.
Sooooo, without further adieu, a lil blurb announcing her first CD.
Here it is, at long last! Artemis' first release "treasure" is NOW
available at mp3.com!!
Find it with this link:
[http://www.mp3.com/artemis]
Four tracks, two totally new songs...OH BOY!!!
While you're there, listen to a tune or two...
and pass this along to all your friends!
So grab a yummy new cd -- heck, grab three -- they're cheap!
(ed. Note: I have stopped by and given a quick listen, the songs are pretty awesome, so if you missed the chance to hear Artemis sing in Tulsa, you can more than make up for it by checking out the link above.)
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Can of course always be found at the HLOWS [Conventions Page] [http://www.hudsonleickfan.com/conventions.shtml] |
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July 8-9, 2000 [http://www.creationent.com/calendar_frame.html]
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August 25-27, 2000 [http://www.hobbystar.com/sfx]
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| September 22-24, 2000 |
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| November 11-12, 2000 |
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Reflections on a Hazey Past
by Ephany
Time marches on and the wheels of obsession keep turning turning turning….
A friend asked me the other day if I would be attending the Palo Alto convention
this November where Hudson will be making a rare appearance. My answer was
somewhat non-committal and she wrote back, asking worriedly if I had ‘recovered’
from the Haze. I assured her that Hazedom is forever. Still, even with my
obsessive personality, I can only maintain a certain intensity for so long.
Eventually Real Life kicks in and demands attention…and eventually new
diversions come to the fore. I mean, I still love Beauty and the Beast (Which I
can say confidently, knowing this won’t be published under my real name….
<G> ) but I don’t tape the repeats on WGN. And these days I’m more
likely to wonder about how the heck Scully got pregnant, then what’s going to
happen to Eve in season six. Yet it’s interesting to reflect on the ways that
my Haze (may it live forever) and Xena fandom in general continue to influence
my life. Among the most valuable and lasting contributions are the friendships I
have made through Xena…including my Co-Prez and ultimate Haze- buddy, Geekgrrl.
Hazedom has also brought new vocabulary- for instance, the word ‘haze’ doesn’t
just describe a state of mind. It can also be used quite well as a greeting
(Haze! What are you doing?) or a goodbye (See ya, Haze), an adverb (I walked
hazely from the theatre after watching Chill Factor for the 47th time) And
though my world doesn’t revolve around the world of Hazedom as it once did
(cause, let’s face it, that would be pathetic), I have the continuity and
comforting nostalgia of our local monthly Xena nights where I can go and watch
episodes with friends, discuss the latest convention stories, and where, even
now, everyone makes sure to give me the latest Hudson rumors. And certain choice
convention photos still make great show and tell items at parties. Nothing makes
a first impression like sharing what a fool you’re willing to make of yourself
in front of 2000 people to impress a GRRL.
Another consequence of the Haze is my deepening love of travel. I never knew
before how fun it is to fly across the country on practically a whim. It’s
widened my horizons considerably and taken me to some interesting places.
Although my budget doth protest mightily, the idea of flying to another city for
a party isn’t the outrageously strange idea that I would’ve thought it 3
years ago. Why limit fun to your own backyard? I don’t think anything at all
anymore of traipsing down to LA for a star studded production of The Vagina
Monologues or a Xenafest/BBQ party weekend. But the looks I get from strangers
when I mention my trips reminds me a lot of the looks I used to get for watching
Xena in the first place. Makes me all nostalgic and stuff… J
Now, with Hudson coming out of convention retirement, my Scully obsession my
have take a backseat. Oh sure, I can be calm and ambivalent now about going to
at least one of the cons…but if I stop kidding myself, I know that chances are
good that I’ll be jaunting down to Palo Alto for a little Haze refresher come
November. Besides, I live up north so I’m sure I’ll need a little southern
exposure by then.
My advice…if you missed your chances before to really see what this thing
is all about, start planning now to get yourself to one of Hudson’s
appearances. Oh and one other thing…if you should be so lucky as to meet her
in person…you might want to plan what to say in advance…maybe write it on
your hand or have an interpreter handy… The Haze doesn’t leave many working
cells in the ‘intelligent conversation’ area of the brain. Don’t say I
didn’t warn you. :-)
Forever Hazed, Ephany Ed. Note – Thanks for the excellent advice on pre-planning what to say and
I am told that 47 is NOT an actual number of viewings ;-)
Chill Factor DVD
by [admkingsley@yahoo.com]
Here's my review of the Chill Factor DVD that was released recently:
If I were to classify Chill Factor in one "nutshell" category, it
would be classified with those movies that are full of action, explosions,
comedy, suspense, and that leave you feeling good at the end. Movies like
Twister, The Fifth Element, Speed, and U.S. Marshals. This is a high-budget
action thriller, starring well-known names such as Cuba
Gooding, Jr., Skeet
Ulrich, Peter Firth, David Paymer, and of course, our personal favorite bad
girl, Hudson Leick.
The first thing I noticed when I popped this disc in my player is that Morgan Creek didn't spare any talent on the creation of this DVD. If you buy it, you'll notice the smooth graphics and effects, clear and straightforward navigation, background music, and extensive special features. The cover and box art is pretty eye-catching too.
I love the extra goodies that are included with DVDs. Some production
companies have better DVD extras than others, and Morgan Creek has produced a
winner with the Chill Factor DVD. Chill Factor has a behind-the-scenes visual
effects presentation, which explains in detail the shooting locations that were
used in this movie. It also describes a lot about the sets that were constructed
for some of the best scenes in the movie, especially the tunnel scenes at the
end. This DVD has full cast & crew biographies and filmographies, including
cast interviews with
Hudson, Ulrich, Firth, and director Hugh Johnson. In
Hudson's interview, she mentions that she is one of very few women associated in
the creation of this film. (In fact, I can only remember one other woman with a
speaking part in this film! Please correct me if I'm wrong!) Hudson admits that
got her a lot of "special attention," and she shows a hint of that
sexy, teasing Callisto that we love so much from Xena: Warrior Princess. She
explains how she tried to model her
character's attitude, and she mentions how much she likes playing the
villain. A fantastic interview, shot on location as they were filming the
critical scene at the dam where the military learns what really is going on.
One thing I do wish they had included that the DVD is lacking: deleted scenes and/or bloopers.
The DVD includes Production Notes, 13 theatrical trailers from other Morgan
Creek films, and a full list of DVD credits. As a special bonus, if you have a
Windows-based computer, there's lots of great software on this disc! Chill
Factor: The Game is basically the movie in video game form. You must get
"Elvis" out of the enemy's hands and keep it
under 50 degrees until
you deliver it to Fort McGruder. If you succeed, you'll be shown the movie's
alternate ending! If you fail, well... you're dead, but you can always try
again! The DVD-ROM software also includes links to the Morgan Creek website and
various Warner Bros. sites.
We see Hudson (Vaughn) in plenty of action in this movie, as her most
memorable scene is the one where she gets to beat the tar out of Skeet
Ulrich! Her very first scene is a great shot of her in a black tank top,
loading rounds into her gun. Personally, I think she had
one of the best lines
in the movie. As the villains are chasing Skeet and Cuba, they lose a few
comrades along the way. When their truck passes one of the deceased henchmen
along the road, she looks at the fellow driving and says simply, "looks
like our share just got bigger." Very Callisto-like, albeit without the
insane glare in her eye and the flashing blade of her sword! Still, very
effective.
I only recently got caught in the Haze, unfortunately after Callisto's character has run her course on X:WP (but never say never!). When I realized that Hudson was in this movie, I also realized I never got to see it in the theater, so I ran right out after work one day and grabbed it. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who's as caught in the Haze as I am.
ed. Note – Awesome review, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a lil mini-Vaughn in the game on the DVD. Maybe this next short review will shed some light on what it is like to see a digitalized Hudson in a video game.
I Wanna Be Leick Callisto!
by [Gamergirl@2die4.com]
So you’re having a bad day at the office, school is stressing you out, traffic makes you crazy, your younger brother won’t just go away and stop touching all your stuff. Want to take pointers from a certain Goddess Callisto and kick some butt? Well, in the Nintendo 64 game, Talisman of Fate, you can do just that. It is a fighting game that allows you to choose from one of 10 characters from Xena. You can choose from Ares, Caesar, Autolycus, Joxer, Lao Ma, Ephiny, Velasca , Xena, Gabrielle and of course, Callisto. In some ways it is pretty standard fighting game, each character has certain special moves, they fight in various arenas etc. What the creators of the game, Titus games, should be given much credit for is the attention to detail that they gave to this game. Each of the characters looks pretty dead on like the actors they are based upon. The signature moves are pretty easily identifiable, and when there is a signature sound involved, they have it. Of course, the most obvious examples are Xena’s war cry and Callisto’s scream. Both sounds can be found here.
Another nice factor is that this is not just limited to a 2 player set up. You can play up to 4 players simultaneously, in teams or just a mad brawl. That makes it fun.
The drawback is that it is a fighting game and if you are just playing against the computer, you can move through the levels pretty quickly. A nice touch though is that if you are playing one character and must battle ‘yourself’ in a level, they did a pretty good job trying to choose decent alternates. Callisto always shows up originally as the black leather clad long blonde hair sword wielding, fire throwing (OH YEA!!) fury that we all know and love. When you come across the counter part, it is none other than the shorthaired toga robed imp from Ides of March.
Overall, the game gets a pretty fair rating. The limitations are not in the actual game itself, more so, just in the type of game it is. However, comparing it to the PlayStation title for Xena, this one definitely wins hands down. And not just because the N64 version has Callisto. It seems like the developers for the N64 game paid more attention to the show, the characters, and the things that a fan might look for in a game instead of dressing a poorly imitated Lara Croft up in a Xena costume and calling it Xena.
Definitely one of the neatest lil bonuses is when Callisto does get to take over the world. Aim for that goal!
That is it then, all you Hudson fans. Next issue I know I am looking forward to Con reports galore, maybe a few Christmas wishes and who knows what else? While I realize that indeed we are always in forward motion, I just wanted to say here, a very strong thank-you to the members of the HLOFC maintenance team. To everyone from Debbie, Wesser and Mike Ownby – whose names we know and should say big thanks to often, to the people behind the scenes, who make it happen from day to day. Even when real life creeps up on us. :-) I also have thanks to those other people, like my haze buddy Eph, the Oddity Twins, and most especially to Hudson. For helping to open a door that led to this lil corner of cyberspace. I don’t know if anyone else out there has been surfing around the net, but Callisto lives long and prospers on the Internet.
Until next time – Haze On!!!
Dyann
