XENA MEDIA REVIEW #29 (11/03/97) Borg 2 of 5 =============== CUT HERE ==================== [002.1] 05-25-93 Sueddeutsche Zeitung. 2306 words. "Terminkalender Ausstellungen - Museen" COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. Yes, I am taking obsessiveness beyond sane bounds. There's a young German pianist out there is Bavaria named...Xena!!!! EXCERPT: ...Konzertreihe Junge Kuenstler: Xena Manoussaki, Klavier, und Ralf Forster, Klarinette, spielen Kompositionen von Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, Poulance u.a. 20 Uhr, Pianohaus Lang, Landsberger Str. 336... [002.2] 01-27-94 THE TIMES. Features. 1046 words. "The she-devils, from Medea to Madonna" By Marina Warner. COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. DUH! So that's what it means!!! EXCERPT: ...Women have, occasionally, successfully confronted the fear issue, by highlighting their femaleness. Virago, the feminist publishing house, is one example another is the group of five women writers in Zagreb, who were recently denounced as ''dangerous'' by the Croatian nationalist press. They immediately had badges made for themselves and their supporters, bearing the motto: Opasna Xena (dangerous woman).... [019.3] 05-15-95 IAC (SM) NEWSLETTER DATABASE (TM). Product Alert. No. 20, Vol. 25; 85 words. "Old West Venison Jerky MANUFACTURER: Xena Game Ranch CATEGORY: Other Snacks" COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. The Xena Game Ranch. Sounds entertaining! EXCERPT: ...Old West Venison Jerky is prepared for Xena Game Ranch of Watrous, SK, Canada.... [023.5] 06/27/95 AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Business; Pg. C1. 893 words. "Gardeners added to 'Golden Triangle'; Smith and Hawken to join new crop of Northwest Austin merchants this fall" By KIM TYSON EXCERPT: ... center on the northwest corner U.S. 183 and Great Hills Trail will include a 5,300-square-foot Xena Restaurant in the fall. Xena's is similar to Houston's Restaurant, an American-style restaurant on Anderson Lane, and is being built in Austin by ... ... Xena's Restaurant (Fall 1995) [023.6] 06-27-95 to 08-14-96 NOTE: Next time you are in Austin or Houstin, check out Xena's Resturant! [023.6a] 06-27-95 AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Business; Pg. C1. 893 words. "Gardeners added to 'Golden Triangle'; Smith and Hawken to join new crop of Northwest Austin merchants this fall" By KIM TYSON COMMENTARY: Notice of Houston's Xena expanding into Austin. EXCERPT: ... center on the northwest corner U.S. 183 and Great Hills Trail will include a 5,300-square-foot Xena Restaurant in the fall. Xena's is similar to Houston's Restaurant, an American-style restaurant on Anderson Lane, and is being built in Austin by ... ... Xena's Restaurant (Fall 1995) [023.6b] 12-14-95 AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. XL Ent; Pg. 36. 422 Words. "Eatnews" by Anne Smith COMMENTARY: EXCERPT: WORTH THE WAIT Anyone involved in construction knows there are always delays, and the owners of XENACQ HAVE recently have been reminded of that truth. Several tentative opening dates were left in the dust, as work progressed on the adobe-style, earth-toned restaurant... On Monday, with a little luck, an official opening is slated for the 5,300- square-foot grill at 9828 Great Hills Trail. There's seating inside for 156, with eight prime counter seats up front that command a view of the food preparation. The menu is a little eclectic, featuring grilled fish and chicken, some Southwestern- style dishes and soups and sandwiches, plus a few surprises (hot Thai beef stir- fry over cold greens and fresh lump crab cakes). There's also a wine list with about 30 labels. Owned by the Lavaca Group, Xena's general manager is Austinite Alan Thomas, formerly of Houston's, an American-style restaurant on Anderson Lane..... [023.6c] 05-16-96 Austin American-Statesman. Pg. 25. 763 words. "A WORLD OF CLASS; XENA FEATURES DIVERSE, QUALITY MENU, SOPHISTICATED DINING EXPERIENCE" BY Dale Rice COMMENTARY: A three and half star restaurant in Austin, Texas. Not Greek, though. REPRINT: XENA ADDRESS: 10201 Jollyville Road 345-9944 HOURS: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday CREDIT CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, American Express WHEELCHAIRS: Accessible Food *** Atmosphere *** Service ***1/2 Most restaurants are easy to label. Italian. Mexican. Chinese. Southern. Steakhouse. Home-style. But occasionally one pops up that is difficult to classify. The new Xena restaurant in Northwest Austin is a good example.... [023.6d] 08-08-96 AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. XL Ent. Page 2. 514 words. "Trendoid Restaurants: improvement or aberration?: By Ed Crowell. COMMENTARY: Not a XWP cite, but a Xena one. Austin's Xena Restaurant made it as number 10 on the trendiest restaurants list. EXCERPT: ...Michael Barnes, who has a sharp sense of humor as well as a good eye for trends, sums up the purpose of his story on Page 34: ''In hopes of helping bewildered Austin diners, we've rated some of our favorite restaurants for levels of trendiness. The accompanying guide will help identify the biggest trendoids 50-feet high on our waitron scale by testing for flashy design, quirky food and self-conscious customers.'' Here are the winners (if that's the word), but you'll have to read the story to find out what makes them loom tallest: Bertram's, Bitter End Bistro, Brio, Coyote Cafe, Louie's 106, Mezzaluna, Mustang Diner, Soma, Sullivan's Steakhouse, Xena... [023.6e] 08-08-96 AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. August 08, 1996. XL Ent. Page 34. 1492 words. "Attack of the Fifty Foot Restaurant" By Michael Barnes. COMMENTARY: An detailed listing of why Xena Restaurant found itself on the Ten Top Trendiest Restaurants in Austin. "MOST TRENDY ENTREE: Tumbleweed chicken on aguocate sauce stuffed with cheese, bacon, jalapeno and sun dried tomatoes ($10.95)." EXCERPT: ...10. XENA 10201 Jollyville Road THE CROWD: More suburban, family- oriented than other trendoids. DISTINCTIVE DESIGN: Gotta be the wooden menu holders or the log ceiling. MOST TRENDY ENTREE: Tumbleweed chicken on aguocate sauce stuffed with cheese, bacon, jalapeno and sun dried tomatoes ($10.95). We also hear the spicy stir-fry contains more than 30 ingredients!... [023.6f] 08-14-96 AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Page F1. 1223 words. "Bring it on Home; Austinites Share Takeout Tips as They Join the Grab-and-go Crowd" By Kitty Crider COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. The Xena Restaurant in Austin was in the limelight again! It was cited as a prominant eat-in restaurant with a special take-out menu. EXCERPT: When the heat-beat days of August kill inclinations to cook, join the carry-out cuisine movement. Like that hot new dance, the macarena, this movement is nationwide. But it no longer is the province of pizza joints and fast-food spots. Full-scale and upscale restaurants offer takeout options. When Xena, a contemporary American restaurant in the Arboretum area, opened six months ago, it distributed takeout menus in nearby apartment complexes, although most of the restaurant's business is eat-in. People seem to expect takeout today, especially single people and dual-income couples who work long hours, says Xena general manager Alan Thomas... ...MIXED PLATE... ... Tumbleweed chicken ($12.80) from Xena, 1O201 Jollyville Road.... =========== ANNOTATIONS =========== [502] 09-16-96 IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE. Episode no. 24. Second release. COMMENTARY: See XMR408 for synopsis and commentary. [503] 09-16-96 DICK CLARK'S TV CENSORED BLOOPERS. NBC. 8pm. COMMENTARY: XENA bloopers appeared on network television. The bloopers shown were: CRADLE OF HOPE. When Xena's checking her weapons and the hook breaks off - LL says she "bwoke" her sword. Also, LL's talking and says she's "got a few tricks up my sleeve." Then mugs to the camera and says in kiwi, "I don't have any sleeves." BLACK WOLF. Xerxes is pulling Xena's sword out of the scabbard and hits her in the head with the hilt. He holds her head while LL puts on a mean face and makes like she's gonna hit him. DEATH IN CHAINS. LL in the tunnel with the rats crawling around her and Lucy's just grimacing, "Eeuu" and "Yuck"-ing. DREAMWORKER. When X & G are getting to the village after killing the highwaymen - Lucy's getting off the Argo, slips off and almost falls if Renee O'Connor hadn't helped her. Also, a scene where Xena's about to mount Argo while they're both running, except that the horse changes direction and Lucy goes flying off. [504] 09-16-96 MEDIAWEEK. Vol 6, No. 38. Page 46-47. 1242 words. "Old heroes live again." by Michael Freeman. COMMENTARY: A lengthy look at why XWP and HTLJ are so popular and what shows like SINBAD and TARZAN have in mind. Plenty of quotes from studio execs. Actually, this a pretty funny read which concludes viewers dig XENA and HERCULES because they are no brainer joyrides. "People don't want to work too hard when they watch TV," quips one higher-up. Like, duh, studio guy, we don't want to work too hard when we do just about anything that we do! Isn't that why someone invented disposable diapers, four-wheel drive vehicles, and take-out Chinese Restaurants? Think about it. [MBE] REPRINT: More than a half-century ago, cheaply produced B-grade serials such as Tarzan, Zorro and The Lone Ranger brought kids and adults in droves to neighborhood nickelodeons. Today's viewing public may not have the same sense of innocence or awe, but they are nonetheless flocking to the small screen for an hour of escapism with the hit action-adventure series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: The Princess Warrior. On the whole, yesterday's innocence has indeed given way to jaded expectations and growing cynicism among today's moviegoers and TV viewers. So how is it possible that medieval-era series such as Hercules and Xena-which lack the whiz-bang sci-fi gimmickry of a Star Trek-capture the collective imaginations of American and international viewing audiences? The answers are varied and not always that easy to qualify. On the surface, one thing is for sure; both Hercules and Xena take a decidedly revisionist view of history by injecting healthy doses of contemporary invention and humor-almost completely blurring the lines between myth and reality. Here's some inkling of how Hercules playfully turns history upside-down: Produce stands were no doubt a reality in gothic times, but Hercules (portrayed by Kevin Sorbo) walks up to a fast-food vendor equipped with a flattop grill in the middle of a remote forest. Herc takes a bite from a sandwich in pita bread, then spits it out: "Hey, this tastes like road kill!" The oblivious vendor instead points to a sign above him reading "Falafel's." He sheepishly asks, "Hey, what do you think of my name atop the sign?" Singer Tony Bennett's famous ode to the city of San Francisco becomes subtle fodder: After strongman/sidekick Iolaus (played by Michael Hurst) barely escapes a beheading and falling in love with a mean-spirited king's daughter, he says to Hercules, "You know, I left my heart in Cyros." Hercules retorts, "Well, at least you kept your head with you." Undoubtedly, it's a formula that is connecting with viewers. And, typical of today's Hollywood mindset, it is spawning modern versions of similarly classic fables, Tarzan and Sinbad. "All I can think of is that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," says Dan Filie, who, as vice president of MCA Television, is the executive in charge of Hercules and Xena. "While I think the entry of Tarzan and Sinbad speak volumes about the health of the hour (syndication) marketplace, clearly the success of Hercules and Xena is unique and may not be duplicable. In the end, viewers don't just watch genres, they simply watch good shows." Given the size of the multimillion dollar budgets put forward on action-adventure series today, it appears that the producer/distributors of The Adventures of Sinbad and Tarzan: The Epic Adventures have no intentions of trying to directly emulate Hercules' and Xena's methods of success. For this month's (Sept. 23) launch of All American Television's Sinbad, creator and executive producer Ed Naha stresses that the series "will not load up with snappy quips or rapid-fire comebacks," but instead will "transpose" contemporary humor through several characters' actions and attitudes. "We have an absent-minded professor named Firouz (played by Tim Progosh) who invents everything from hang gliders to surfboards, but none of it ever survives time because he forgets to write any of it down," says Naha, who scripted the hit film Honey, I Shrunk The Kids as well as some episodes of Tales of the Crypt. "What I'm trying to do is to use Firouz and a couple of other characters to play off Sinbad (portrayed by Zen Gesner), but I don't want to have too many jokes diminishing the dramatic throughline of the show." It's All in the Dialog However, Peter Sussman, an executive vp of Atlantis Films, the company producing Sinbad, suggests that the viewers' renewed acceptance of period pieces is based on the utilization of contemporary, "user-friendly" dialog. "A lot of these shows offer liberal doses of modern dialogue and humor because it allows them to be accessible and understandable," explains Sussman, who also takes an executive producer credit on Sinbad. "The truth is that people don't want to work hard when they are watching television. In today's TV universe, ease of use becomes all the more important because viewers can switch theaters in the click of a remote."... [505] 09-21-96 TVGUIDE. Sept. 21-27. "TV guide Crossword" Contributed by MoonHowler lone_wolf16@wow.com COMMENTARY: TV Guide Crossword. This is very small, but its for anyone who collects even the smallest amount of collectibles. In the TV guide (week of 9/21-9/27) in the very back there is a crossword puzzle, as always. BUT this one is special!! Number 22 down reads _____: Warrior Princess. I think we all know the answer to this one. [MH] Making it into the TV guide crossword means that someone thinks you are common knowledge. [KT] [506] 09-17-96 to 09-23-96 NOTE: The amazing Ms. Glanton has recycled her 08- 28-96 article about XWP one more time and relied heavily upon quotes used in the 08-28-96 article. Ms. Glanton opened her article fantasizing what it would be like to peruse the job requirements of being a warrior princess (should be strong and brave; being pretty is a plus; must vow to protect the powerless and battle barbarians; superhuman powers are not mandatory, but advisable; and must be able to save whole civilizations in a single episode). Reflecting on the shows popularity, Ms. Lawless was quoted saying, "It just seems to have hit the world at the right time...The world is ready for a woman hero who is smarter and stronger than she is good-looking." Regarding Xena's costume, Ms. Glanton wrote, "While no one doubts Xena's brains and brawn, executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi don't mind having a little fun with Lawless's beauty. Muscular, and nearly 6 feet tall, Lawless is laced each week into a bustier-like costume of leather and metal. If the outfit seems a little exploitative for a feminist icon, a bit constricting for a superheroine, that's one of Xena's little jokes." The Ms. Glanton developed the idea of "little jokes" permeating the series by listing some (the blatant anachronism; the disclaimers in the credits at the end of the episodes; the show attracts a wide variety of sexual interpretations; and no respect for continuity of genre). Regarding the character of Xena, Ms. Lawless was quoted as saying, "Xena can make mistakes, although she's never made to look stupid...That gave me a whole new perspective and I let go of all those super-protective guards that actors like to have on their characters." Ms. Glanton also listed Xena's armory (chakram, accupressure, battle cry, martial arts) and then mentioned that Ms. Lawless was taken by surprise by the heartfelt letters from fans, the Internet forums, and the Ms. cover article that hailed her as a feminist icon. Ms. Lawless was quoted as saying, "People somehow find [Xena] really empowering...For a long time, I was very afraid of the role model stuff. But only recently, I'm realizing that this is just a true honor." Ms. Glanton correctly listed the second season as ordered for 22 episodes (amazingly way before Renaissance Pictures knew!). RP at that time was anticipating another 24 as in the first season and Variety reported the 2nd and 3rd seasons would have 26 episodes! [KT] [506a] 09-17-96 AP ONLINE. Tuesday. Entertainment, television and culture. 1134 words. "Lawless Lays Down Law As Xena" (also released as "Xena: So Mean She Got A Series") By Eileen Glanton REPRINT: It's hard to imagine, though fun to speculate about, the job qualifications of a television warrior princess. Like superheroines before her, she should be strong and brave. If she's pretty, so much the better. She must vow to protect the powerless and battle barbarians. Superhuman powers aren't mandatory, but advisable, and she must be able to save whole civilizations in a single episode. A real-life name like Lucy Lawless may seal the deal. Lawless, a 28-year-old New Zealand actress, stormed into the world of syndicated action-adventure television in March 1995 as a guest character on "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Giant, beautiful and fierce, Xena and her band of warriors tried to kill Hercules in a quest for his empire. But within the space of an episode, the warriors defected and the power-hungry princess realized she was losing her humanity. In later episodes, Xena and Hercules became allies, then lovers. In fall 1995, Xena pulled off a true feminist coup: She got her own series. One year later, the campy, comic action show, which blends ancient mythology with Hong Kong-style fight scenes and special effects, has legions of fans and solid ratings (check local listings for time and channel). Along the way, Xena, who now fights only for justice, has become something of a role model. "It just seems to have hit the world at the right time," Lawless said. "The world is ready for a woman hero who is smarter and stronger than she is good-looking." While no one doubts Xena's brains and brawn, executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi don't mind having a little fun with Lawless's beauty. Muscular, and nearly 6 feet tall, Lawless is laced each week into a bustier-like costume of leather and metal. If the outfit seems a little exploitative for a feminist icon, a bit constricting for a superheroine, that's one of "Xena's" little jokes. Some others: Time. The show is set somewhere in the "golden age of myth." Dialogue, however, bubbles with the hip double entendres of, say, "Melrose Place." Closing credits. Read the fine print; you're likely to find a guarantee that no Amazon warriors were killed while filming the show. Sexuality. Men love Xena. But so do women, and viewers and producers alike snicker about Xena's friendship with Gabrielle, the young, blond sidekick played by Renee O'Connor. Continuity. "We have no respect for that!" crows Lawless. "Sometimes it's completely slapstick, then it'll be more intense and dramatic, with some fantastic moral dilemma.'" Lawless believes those moral dilemmas give her character more depth than the average superhero. "Xena can make mistakes, although she's never made to look stupid," she explains. "That gave me a whole new perspective and I let go of all those super-protective guards that actors like to have on their characters." Xena may be vulnerable, but she's mighty well-armed. She wields a chakram, a razor-sharp discus. She uses the "Xena touch," a two-fingered pinch on the pressure points of the neck, to elicit information from uncooperative sources. Her battle cry, which sounds something like "Yi-yi-yi," strikes fear into gods and mortals alike. And she boasts excellent martial-arts skills, honed in sessions with Douglas Wong, a renowned kung fu master in Los Angeles. Lawless knew from the beginning that Xena was a formidable character. But the heartfelt letters from fans, the Internet forums, the Ms. cover article that hailed her as a feminist icon, took her by surprise. "People somehow find her really empowering," she said. "For a long time, I was very afraid of the role model stuff. But only recently, I'm realizing that this is just a true honor." By the end of last season, "Xena" ranked as high as 11th among syndicated shows, occasionally beating out the likes of "Baywatch." This season, in 22 original episodes, "Xena" is aiming squarely at the Top 10. Success seems imminent; after all, if Xena can save Prometheus, can't she pummel David Hasselhoff? Yi-yi-yi! [506b] 09-19-96 THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE. Page P6D. 508 words. "Lawless Lays down the Law Hard as 'Xena'" COMMENTARY: Edited down version of xmr506a [506c] 09-21-96 AP WORLDSTREAM. Saturday. 987 words. "AP Photo NY460" By EILEEN GLANTON COMMENTARY: Pared down version of XMR506a. [506d] 09-28-96 CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Saturday. Page 28. 412 words. 'Lucy Lawless Lays down the Law as 'Xena'" By Eileen Glanton. COMMENTARY: Edited version of XMR506a. [506e] 09-17-96 THE NEWS TRIBUNE (Waltham, MA). 434 words. "Xena Updates Superheroine Image" By Eileen Glanton. COMMENTARY: Edited version of XMR506a. Contributed by XenaWPrinc@aol.com [506f] 09-17-96 CHATTANOOGA FREE PRESS. Entertainment Section; Pg. B4. 775 words. "Lucy Lawless Lays Down The Law As Television's "Xena". By Eileen Glanton COMMENTARY: same as XMR506a. [506g] 09-17-06 GT Online http:www.usa.net/gtonline/archive/96-09-17/lif011.html "Xena bursts into prominence." by Eileen Glanton COMMENTARY: same as XMR506a. [506h] 09-23-96 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS. "Xena is standing tall among superheroes." by Eileen Glanton. COMMENTARY: Same as XMR506a =============== CUT HERE ==================== XENA MEDIA REVIEW #29 (11/03/97) Borg 2 of 5