Director J.J. Abrams was joined by stars Zachary Quinto (“Spock”), Leonard Nimoy (“Spock Prime”), Zoe Saldana (“Uhura”), Karl Urban (“Bones”), John Cho (“Sulu”), Bruce Greenwood (“Capt. Christopher Pike”), Jennifer Morrison (“Winona Kirk”), Clifton Collins (“Ayel”), Faran Tahir (“Captain Robau”), Jacob Kogan (“Young Spock”) and Jimmy Bennett (“Young Kirk”).

Red carpet arrivals were followed by an elegant party under the stars where guests were able to fraternize with green girls, sample some red matter and get a close up look at the “final frontier” through the Observatory’s famous telescope.

Photos courtesy of Paramount

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The day begins with a count down of the viewers’ choice five scariest episodes of Ghost Hunters. Then, Destination Truth star Josh Gates will join Ghost Hunters Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango and the Ghost Hunters Academy team for a night at the infamouse Essex County Hospital: the massive, abandoned hospital complex where over 10,000 souls perished.

Throughout the evening, you can log on to www.syfy.com/ghlive and help the team gather evidence by scanning the location through five live camera & audio feeds, letting the team know of suspicious activity via the site’s popular “panic button” feature. Steve, Tango and the team will investigate these hits during LIVE segments throughout the marathon.

I sat in for a few hours last year, even though I kept telling myself enough was enough. There’s something oddly tempting about watching live webcams looking for any sign of ghostly activity on a cold Halloween night. Are you likely to spot anything paranormal? No, but it’s still a fun party. Hope to see you there.

The six-hour event begins Saturday, October 31 @ 7 PM ET/PT.

Pictured: (l-r) Steve Gonsalves, Dave Tango — Syfy Photo: Michael Perez

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This interactive stage show due to run at theme parks and performing arts centers across the country, takes the audience through Starfleet Academy training combining the entertainment value of Star Trek with real educational materials aimed at upping scientific literacy.

The show is said to have “cutting-edge special effects, unmatched audience interaction and an exploration of real space-age technology.” And Kirk and Spock are supposed to be there, too.

Mad Science’s Managing Director and producer Leonard Lipes says, “So much of the Star Trek technology once considered science fiction has become a reality. Star Trek Live is going to explore many of these technologies as well as other sciences for a truly memorable experience resonating to audiences of all ages.”

Star Trek Live will debut in 2010 and travel throughout the United States and Canada.

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When you hunt  ghosts for a living, everyday must seem like Halloween, but that didn’t stop Ghost Hunters Steve Gonsalves and Dave Tango from enjoying Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando.

This year, Universal Orlando is devoting the entire event to bringing horror films to life – like “SAW,” “The Wolfman” and “Chucky.” The event runs select nights now through October 31.

If you’re in California, Universal Studios is running a “My Bloody Valentine” attraction instead of “Wolfman.”

For some extra Halloween fun, visit The Screamstress before October 15. She’s giving away a copy of the very funny Ghost Hunters book “Chilling Tales From the Porcelain Seat”

© 2009 Universal Orlando Resort. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: Kevin Kolczynski, Universal Orlando

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The ScareHouse

This year, they’re trying something with a scifi twist. It’s a steampunk themed saga called Rampage and The ScareHouse’s creative director, Scott Simmons, came on by to tell us about it.

How did the whole steampunk idea come about?

Scott: Last year, many of us on the design team realized that we had all been fans of the kinds of designs that fall under the steampunk genre without even realizing what it was called. We were constantly building boiler rooms and industrial areas that were heavily influenced by Disney’s film version of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea or drawings of Victorian-era machinery or other concept art we would find online.

In 2008, we created a 3-D haunted house that was inspired by cyber-goth culture as well as techno/rave dance clubs and it was (and still is) a huge hit with our fans. It really gave us the courage to push the idea of what you can do within a haunted attraction, and to really create something that was based around a much more in-depth “story” and environment.

RAMPAGE is the last haunt our guests experience, and we knew we wanted it to be much more aggressive and hard-hitting that anything we had done before. Our attraction is very large, and I think you need to keep altering the kind of experience they have or else it can become a little tedious. , “Hall of Nightmares” is more slow and creepy, “Delirium 3-D” is more fun and energetic, and last year it felt like our 3rd haunt was just too slow-paced. We needed something that would really push and pump-up customers.

This isn’t your typical Halloween maze, right? Rampage tells a story.

Scott: Our attraction has a definite story. The idea is that the workers and scholars within this facility have been oppressed and victimized by The DieRector and his well-armed security forces for years, but now they have finally risen up to fight for freedom.

In 2008 we had introduced two characters with heavy steampunk influences (“Daphnie” and “The DieRector”) and they were instantly popular, so we thought it would be fun to expand their mythology and create an entire attraction around them… while also giving ourselves the freedom to create an attraction that exists with a kind of industrial warzone. I think many of the steampunk characters and stories tend to be very Victorian and refined.. we thought it would be fun to create a world that was supposed to be tightly ordered and sophisticated, but then just exploded into chaos. Bullets fly, mutants are released, and you – as a customer – are trapped in the cross-fire.

How do you see this scifi theme in relation to the typical horror style haunted house? Any film or art in particular that influenced your design?

Scott: The challenge is to be faithful to this high-concept idea, and to really ramp-up the action and technology inside the world we’re creating … while also creating something scary and menacing. Certainly the first ALIEN was a huge influence. We wanted our sets to look as organic and “lived in” as possible, which means that we are constantly adding layers and layers of detail and distressing to everything. Most of RAMPAGE has the kind of well-worn feel of the nostromo or the various sets from SERENITY. We try to convey the idea that you’re in the bowels with the working class, and everything is covered in grime.

We’re also huge fans of the BIOSHOCK video game, which is a perfect combination of technology and terror. That game heavily influences other parts of the attraction, with the concept that certain sets looked very pristine and clean … until the carnage and fighting started. Now the lights are broken, nothing’s working right, and you know that all kinds of bad things are hiding in the dark to get you.

With so many Halloween attractions popping up all over the US, what makes The ScareHouse unique?

Scott: I think that many haunted house designers, just like many Hollywood producers, can sometimes fall back on the same clichés and ideas that have driven entertainment for so many years. I’m not saying that there’s anything wrong with haunted mansions, killer clowns, or chainsaw maniacs… but why not add something new and unique when bringing those environments to life? Create your own killer clown instead of copying “Pennywise,” or mix up influences from radically different genres to see what happens! There are so many talented artists and fantastic resources available, so why would anyone choose to try and create something that so many of us have all seen so many times before? I don’t want to spend months trying to re-create the same sets and characters from a popular movie, I would much rather create unique worlds and experiences that can only exist at The ScareHouse.

If you live in the Pittsburgh area, please do visit The ScareHouse and tell Scott and the crew that SFUniverse sent you (then come back here and tell us all about it). Even if you don’t live in the area, visit The ScareHouse website for a behind the scenes look at Rampage and their other spooky Halloween attractions.

Photos courtesy of The ScareHouse

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Caprica,

Syfy is launching Caprica at several film festivals including the Woodstock Film Festival which begins this Friday, October 2, and runs through Sunday, October 4.

Caprica Producer/Director Jeffrey Reiner and star Esai Morales will attend the Austin Film Festival Saturday, October 24 screening as well as participate on panels.

There was also a screening last week in San Diego, so if anyone was there, stop on by and tell us about it.

Want the 411 on Caprica? Here you go:

Humanity’s storyline takes completely new twists with Caprica, which follows two rival families and their patriarchs – Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) – as they compete and thrive in the vibrant realm of the 12 Colonies, a society recognizably close to our own. This original, standalone series will feature the passion, intrigue, political backbiting, and family conflict in an omnipotent society that is at the height of its blind power and glory…and, unknowingly, on the brink of its fall. Caprica also stars Paula Malcomson (Amanda Graystone), Polly Walker (Sister Clarice Willow), Magda Apanowicz (Lacy) and Alessandra Torresani (Zoe Graystone).

Pictured: (l-r) Esai Morales as Joseph Adams, Eric Stoltz as Daniel Graystone — SCI FI Channel Photo: Carole Segal

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This is for the Battlestar Galactica fans. We want you to fight for humanity by sponsoring Katee Sackhoff and her team, The Frak Up, as they take part in AIDS WALK L.A. on October 18

It’s so frakkin’ simple, any nugget could do it…

GO: www.AIDSWALK.NET/LosAngeles

CLICK: Take Action

SELECT: Sponsor a Walker

TYPE: Katee Sackhoff

DONATE: $25.00 or more

Katee will be matching donations up to $5000.

Also, one philanthropic fan will receive an autographed photo and season 4.5 DVD set.

I’m a firm believer in the idea that you get back what you put out there, so don’t hesitate on this one. Will you really miss $25.00 out of your bank account?  Pass on those tall Starbucks coffees this month and give the money to Katee’s team. You don’t need all that caffeine but AIDS research needs the cash. Let’s show them the good side of fandom by making this happen.

Visit AIDSWalk.net/losangeles and donate now.

Photo: Syfy / NBC Universal

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The hero robot is expected to sell for $60,000 to $80,000 dollars (and that doesn’t include shipping!)

Here’s the bio on this beast:

Standing exactly 16 feet 10 7/8 inches tall and weighing 3200 pounds, this screen-used hero Bumblebee robot is an incredible feat of engineering craftsmanship.  Built by renowned special effects company FXperts, Inc. (a.k.a. John Frazier Special Effects), Bumblebee was the result of a direct request by Director Michael Bay for a full-size Transformer.  He was used prominently in all the critical scenes in the film:  when Sam and Mikaela are first introduced to all the Autobots; when Bumblebee is captured by Sector 7 with a helicopter; in the interior of the Hoover Dam; and on the back of a tow truck during the final battle sequences.

As a major character in the film, Bumblebee has become one of the most popular and beloved Transformers.  Since the opening of the movie, this Bumblebee robot has been on a worldwide tour, to such locations as Japan, Korea, London, Las Vegas, Dallas, Chicago, New York, and Bolton, Mississippi.  He was also featured at the Los Angeles premieres, Universal Studios, Cannes Festival, and Indy 500, where he drew as big of a crowd as the Indy cars.  With poseable arms, Bumblee stands a full 16′ 10 7/8″ tall and 13′ 5 13/16″ wide when fully assembled.  He is currently de-assemble and housed in three large wooden crates.  Assistance with assembly can be provided, if needed.

Also up for sale:

The 1977 Chevy Camaro Bumblebee car from Transformers ($12,000-$15,000).

This fully functional 1977 Chevy Camaro, used as the Bumblebee car, is yellow with black racing stripes and has primer and rust patches, riveted cowl induction hood scoop, Cragar SS wheels up front, Eric Vaughn Real Wheels in the back, marine-grade vinyl seats, and even an eight-track player.  This is the disguise that the courageous and loyal Autobot, Bumblebee, chose as he becomes Sam Witwicky’s (Shia LaBeouf) first car and ultimately his guardian, sent by Optimus Prime to protect Sam from the Decepticons.  Sam and Bumblebee naturally form a close bond and Bumblebee eventually remains as Sam’s guardian even after the Autobots foil the Decepticons’ plot.  Bumblebee spends the first part of the film as the 1977 model until Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox), who had refused to sit in the driver’s seat during a sequence when Bumblebee was driving, rhetorically asks Sam, “If he’s like, this super-advanced robot, why does he transform into this piece-of-crap Camaro?”  Mildly insulted, Bumblebee then transforms into the sleek and shiny 2009 model.  Somewhat “studio-distressed” but entirely serviceable, this vehicle comes with a certificate of authenticity from Bay Films/Paramount Pictures.  Sold “As Is”.

Original Optimus Prime CGI head from from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($4,000-$6,000)

Special effects green-screen head used for CGI sequences, the head is constructed of Styrofoam painted blue.  It measures 51″ x 40″ x 47″ tall.  In need of restoration as ear pieces are broken.  Comes with a certificate of authenticity from Bay Films/Paramount Pictures.

Megan Fox’s hero black leather motorcycle costume worn as “Mikaela Banes” from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($3,000-$5,000) (Paramount, 2009)  Complete costume including black leather jacket and matching pants, black leather boots, and the white cotton strapless dress that was worn underneath.  Worn by Megan Fox as “Mikaela Banes” as she arrives at the Witwicky house and then quickly changes out of it to surprise Sam.  Includes original costumer’s tags and a certificate of authenticity from Bay Films/Paramount Pictures.

Megan Fox’s hero motorcycle airbrushing costume worn as “Mikaela Banes” from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen ($3,000-$5,000) (Paramount, 2009)  Pair of True Religion denim shorts, blue football tank top with the number “15″ in faded yellow, and pair of weathered leather boots, worn by Megan Fox as “Mikaela Banes” in the chopper shop scene where Mikaela straddles a motorcycle, as she airbrushes a female devil design onto the gas tank, all the while talking to Sam Witwicky on a Bluetooth headset.  Includes the original costumer’s tags and comes with a certificate of authenticity from Bay Films/Paramount Pictures.

Just imagine that robot or even Megan Fox’s shorts under the tree this Christmas. It really is the perfect gift.

For more information about Profiles in History and to download the complete catalog of items available please visit their website.

Photo: Profiles in History

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The event, which is being run by IBG.Inc.  will feature a moderated Q&A panel with Frank Spotnitz, Gillian Anderson and other TBA members of “The X-Files” team*.

A limited number of VIP tickets, available for $125, can be purchased here beginning September 22, 2009: http://www.ibginc.org/tickets

VIP tickets to the event grant the holder front section seating, in-person autograph with participating panelists and admission to the VIP party (please note that panelists are invited, but not obligated/guaranteed to attend the VIP party).

In addition, “Meet and Greets” with Gillian Anderson will be auctioned on eBay with registration beginning September 22, 2009. “Meet and Greets” with Frank Spotnitz and TBA panelists will also be available for auction in the coming weeks.

Information on general seating ticket availability for the Q&A panel will be available at a later date. Please check the IBG website for more information on ticket availability, event schedule, participating charities and venue details: http://www.ibginc.org/events

Founded in late 2008, IBG established an official non-profit campaign focusing on utilizing the power of philanthropy through the arts to benefit a wide range of charities worldwide. IBG acts as a “fundraiser facilitator” for underfunded and start-up charities that would otherwise struggle with the logistics and costs associated with event fundraising.

Event Details:

Date: November 14, 2009
When: Q&A begins at 2:30pm with pre-event raffle scheduled at 2:15pm.
Tickets: http://www.ibginc.org/tickets

*Event talent subject to change due to availability.

Photo: Newscom / George Lynn-PHOTOlink.

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When you look at the evolution of computers and the vision Roddenberry had for Star Trek, there’s an incredible synergy between the two. At the time, it was hard to imagine a computer that responded to voice commands, a computer no bigger than a lunch box that could analyze complex data in a matter of seconds, a flip “communicator” that allowed people to talk without the need for phone lines. But Gene Roddenberry saw it all and it wasn’t as far fetched as people thought. Because while he was imagining it, Apple Computers was making it so.

Gene Roddenberry’s Mac comes with a signed letter of provenance from Gene Roddenberry’s son, Rod and it will be up for auction through Profiles in History on October 8-9, 2009. It has an estimated sale price of $800-$1200. Worldwide bidding begins at 12:00 PM (noon) both days and can be placed either in person, via mail, phone, fax or live on the Internet at:
http://www.icollector.com/Hollywood-Auction-37_a5736.

Photo: Profiles in History

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