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On the Jazz - Vol 02 Issue 09
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The totally unofficial A-Team electronic mail newsletter
***** Now in it's second year of publication !! *****
Reflector submission address: onthejazz
Administrivia: Nicole Pellegrini
Please use the following address for subscribe/unsubscribe
and back issue requests:
pellegri
*NOTE* It is now possible to subscribe JUST to the newsletter and
not receive messages sent out through the reflector. If you wish
to change your subscription type, just email address above.
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DATE: January 28, 1996
ISSUE: 9
VOLUME: 2
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Hey all,
Well, looks like this issue is going out on time this week (for once!)
Let's see if I can remember everything that needs mentioning.
ADMINISTRIVIA & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
As mentioned earlier this week on the reflector, the two sets of A-Team
trading cards have been sold and the Mr. T flyer has been claimed. So, no
more offers for either, please!
I'm temporarily putting a halt to doing anymore A-Team tape dubbing from
my collection - except, of course, people who I have already made agreements
with recently to tape stuff. I'm just too flooded with requests at the moment
to keep up, folks, and I know there are other people here who have stated they
will do dubbing as well. So, if you need tapes, ask the mailing list, not me!
No further news on Dirk's movie yet, but while cruising the net I did find
for sale an exercise video(!) on sale featuring Dirk which I'd never seen
mention of before. You can check out the URL
http://netcenter.com/netcentr/mall/videos/fitness.html
for more information on it, including how to order it.
PLANS SCAMS & VANS 2: FINAL ABSOLUTE SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS SET
If you've been thinking/planning on contributing something to the 2nd issue
of this fanzine, take note that the absolute last day I will accept new
submissions is hereby announced as February 27th. Why that date? Long
explaination, suffice to say that I've made arrangements for the 'zine to
premiere and be on sale at MediaWest Con this year and will need enough time
to get it edited, printed, etc. before then!
Remember, just about anything goes: while the zine is mostly fiction it would
be nice to have an info-article or two, some poetry, artwork, whatever. So
long as it's about the A-Team.
And in response to a number of inquiries this past week, yes, there are still
copies of Issue 1 available and I may be preparing for a 2nd printing soon, so
you can still get a copy from me if you wish.
THE GOSSIP & SPECULATION DEPARTMENT
Heard something interesting this weekend at the Star Trek Creation (aka
"Cremation") Con in Valley Forge. Andrew Robinson, who plays Garak on ST:DS9
(and who also played the bad-guy in the very first "Dirty Harry" movie) was on
stage giving a talk, mainly about his experiences in the industry before Trek.
At one point he mentioned having an "absolutely terrible" experience in the 80s
regarding a certain TV show that so turned him off the industry that he didn't
do anything but theater work for 4 or 5 years afterwards. Why am I mentioning
this? Because the show was "The A-Team"! Now, I've been racking my brain
since then and can't remember him ever guest-starring on the show...however, I
*did* remember even if rather vaguely something Dwight said at ShoreLeave last
year, about how there was "another actor" who almost got the part of Murdock
instead of him. Putting one and one together...well, it seems like the two
things might be linked, though mind you this is just speculation on my
part. I was sorely tempted to ask Andrew to elaborate a bit but it seemed
like such a
sore spot with him still that I thought better of it...
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Finally this issue, the conclusion of the article
"Secret Master of the Holodeck"
from Starlog, Jan 1996, by Stuart Banks
STARLOG: If you ever directed, what would you like to do?
DS: Well, I *have* directed, but only in the theater. I love directing.
But I'm not a director in the sense that most people would assume. I have
a passion for doing *one* thing. Or two things, you know. Some people
want to direct all the time. They want to go from project to project. I
don't. I just have ideas about doing certain things. And I want to do
that. For instance, right now, I want to write a play. That's what I want
to do. I've been thinking, I've had an idea for a three-character play,
for about 10 years. In terms of directing, I have an idea for a film. It's
a futuristic science-fiction piece, but more of a sociological drama. If I
write that, that's the type of thing I would like to direct. I don't want
to direct television, althoug I admire people who do it.
STARLOG: Several 'Star Trek' actors have directed episodes.
DS: Yes, and they love it. It's a great training ground. But it's not my
forte. You have to have an awful lot of patience.
STARLOG: What other projects are you currently involved in?
DS: I'm not doing anything right now. I do a regular Saturday night radio
program on UFOs with the man who actually started the show, Don Ecker. Don's
wife, Vicky Cooper, is the editor of 'UFO Magazine.'
STARLOG: Do you find that SF literature has become too dogmatic in its
approach, in going for issues such as personal conflicts and emotionaly
stories as opposed to purely action-related stories, such as 'Star Wars'?
DS: Well, that's what *real* science fiction is about. Our predicament. In
fact, I *don't* consider 'Star Wars' science fiction. It's more in line
with fairy tales. I consider 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' science
fiction/horror. There has to be a very important element as to how this
technological change affects the human being. 'Demon Seed' is another -
living with the computer and being inseminated by a computer. When we are
the center focus, then it becomes interesting to me.
STARLOG: Do you think that the media portrays you in a good light considering
how some of those in public view are portrayed?
DS: Well, yes. Because the media *doesn't* portray me very much. I don't have
a publicist. I don't seek publicity. I like to do the roles, but I don't
want to be on magazine covers. I don't necessarily want to be recognized.
STARLOG: Do you think that playing the same role for any length of time can
be restrictive to an actor?
DS: Here's where I'm a little crafty. When I did 'The A-Team,' I did it,
knowing each week I would be something different, even though I was always
Murdock. When we talked about Barclay, you know, the whole concept of him
on the Holodeck, was that he could be four different characters, in one
room.
He could be something different every time. It doesn't stay that same. It's
*not* a continuation. So, in a sense, you see, there isn't a typing. I
didn't identify myself with Murdock or Barclay. The future lies in your
ability to do *other* things. So many actors tie themselves to *one* thing,
and it seems right at the moment. But ultimately speaking, you have to let
go.
I'm almost getting too old to do Barclay, because he's a character who
has to change in a different way, or go back, or revert to what he was. You
can't look back. I don't. I don't have any pictures upon the wall. If you
walk into my house, you would never know I was in show business, except for
one letter from Laurence Olivier up on my wall. You see, I have been in the
homes of people who were very famous. It's incredibly sad that they've
lived their lives on the wall. Actors have ups and downs. Always. There
have been a number of actors who have put full page ads in 'Variety,' saying,
"Please, somebody hire me." I'm not kidding. John Ireland, a wonderful
actor who was in 'Spartacus,' couldn't work for five or six years. I was
unemployed for a year back in the 70's. I know how difficult it is. I know
other famous actors who've been unemployed for three or four years. Dean
Jones. And Dean Stockwell. He hadn't worked for three years, and I
remember he was desperate. He was on 'The A-Team' and I couldn't believe he
had not worked. And of course, things change, he did 'Blue Velvet,' then
his career took off again. That's an actor's career.
Very few actors - some, but very few, only the mega-stars - go from role
to role, and they have their three or four years soaked up. You can see the
actors in Hollywood saying, "I'll never do TV, ever." Take Charleton Heston.
He said the same thing. But when he wasn't getting any roles, what did he
do? Television. It's a failure to recognize reality, in a sense, because
you're fortunate, so fortunate. There's so much good luck. The right role
at the right time and you can work for 10 years. I know an actress who was
at Yale one year behind Meryl Streep. She won every award that Meryl won at
Yale. She left Yale, went to New York, won an Obie for the first thing she
did, and then *never* worked again. Her career died. She's living in New
York as a secretary, working once in a while doing a show here or there.
She is a remarkable talent, and yet she's dying. For some reason, fortune
and she didn't come together. I mean, that's it.
STARLOG: Because you've worked within SF-TV, are you looked down on by those
within the acting profession?
DS: Well, you know, people look down on me because I was in 'The A-Team.'
But then, there are people who loveme because I was in 'The A-Team.'
Whatever you do, whether it's burlesque, George Bernard Shaw or Shakespeare,
you do it the best you can. People are going to look down at you whatever
you do. I was absolutely thrilled to do 'Star Trek.' Look at what has
happened to Patrick Stewart's career since 'The Next Generation.' He can do
anything he wants. Now, people may say they look down on him. Do you
think they really look down on him? And do you know how many actors would
like to *be* Patrick Stewart? Give them a break, and you'll hear a lot of
people knocking him, because they're jealous. Me? Doing 'Star Trek' was
one of the happiest moments of my life.
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Well, that pretty much wraps things up for this issue. Next time, the
return of some more original A-Team fiction. Michele Lellouche has given me
the OK to reprint her absolutely wonderful story, "Shadows in the Rain."
Until then!
nicole
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Quote of the week:
FACE:Why is it I'm always the one who has to stick his head in the
lion's mouth?
HANNIBAL:It's your personality.
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This waste of bandwidth has been brought to you by Sockii
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The \/ "After talking with Agent Mulder here I suddenly
/\ Files feel slightly constipated."
