THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS... TWXN 86 07/14/97 Monday Brought to you by XENA: MEDIA REVIEW (XMR): http://xenafan.com/xmr All back issues of XMR and TWXN are available at the above site. We herein give praise and thanks to Tom Simpson for the space he has graciously donated from his spectacular, TOM'S XENA PAGE (http://xenafan.com). TWXN is the advance sheet for XMR, an annotated world press review of reports regarding the internationally syndicated television show XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (1995 - 2000+?) and the castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. TWXN is not available for subscription, however it is posted Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the XenaVerse, Hercules-Xena, and Chakram Mailing Lists (thank you Lucia!), the MCA NetForum, the Xenite Message Center, and alt.tv.xena. For a free e-mail subscription to XMR subscribe by e-mail to ktaborn@lightspeed.net by stating somewhere in the subject or text "sub xmr". Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future issues of XMR. From the editor: 1. XMR #22 is officially out. Check out http://xenafan.com/xmr to download it. Our handy dandy auto-server is still in its beta stage so I had to use the mailing list from before 01/01/97 to send out the first wave. If I have time, I may try to do waves of mail-outs from the sub requests I have from the last six months. I regret all the inconvenience this is causing, but I did not want to hold up XMR while we are working out the mailer bugs. 2. Today's TWXN covers Ted Raimi; America's babysitter; Canadian hi-jinks of serious and not-so-serious natures; and Xena as a role model to young children. 3. The next issue of TWXN will cover that thing at Universal Studios in Florida; reveal who is the Xena of network programmers; inform you of the Golden Reel Awards; and show you how NZ is now comparing politicians to Xena too. And here is the stuff: [ ] 03-03-97 THE DETROIT NEWS. Monday. Page D5. 424 words. "In Oakland County: TV's Raimi never too busy for family, friends in Michigan" By Suzanne Chessler. COMMENTARY: Ted Raimi as only Michiganders could see him. REPRINT: Actor Ted Raimi's work has taken him to exotic locations, including New Zealand where he travels about six times a year to tape the television shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess. "I like to surf, and it's great surfing in New Zealand," Raimi said. But the Birmingham Groves High School graduate, who grew up in Franklin Village, always finds time to return to his roots in Michigan, particularly when there's a chance to visit with relatives such as his 8-year-old cousin, Sander Rubin of Farmington Hills . "I also enjoy getting back to Michigan to visit family, friends and former instructors. I have a dream about making a film in Detroit," he said. Raimi's Detroit movie idea is set down in a script about two hit men being chased by their own mob. If the film is ever made, it would be a departure from his current roles. Raimi is noted for his portrayal of a communications officer in seaQuest DSV, an NBC futuristic series that ran for three years. His interest in acting comes from his director brother, Sam, who spent a good deal of his childhood writing and filming movies with family and neighborhood kids. Ted Raimi studied performing arts at Oakland Community College, Michigan State University, New York University and the University of Detroit Mercy. Television fans will remember Raimi from his roles in Twin Peaks, American Gothic and the recent made-for-TV movie Apollo 11, which cast him in the role of Steve Bales, who was in charge of spacecraft guidance systems. Raimi, 31, is hardly recognizable to fans in his current role as Joxer the Magnificent in the overlapping shows Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, mythical fantasy adventures syndicated across the country. "When I met seaQuest fans, they used to recognize me," Raimi said, laughing. "Because I now work with so many props and don't wear glasses, the fans don't quite believe I'm Joxer. "I'm the funny guy, so I've got to fall a lot. It's all very physical, which is great for me because I love physical humor. I love doing comedy because most of the parts I've played have been incredibly serious." This summer, Raimi tries his hand at another comedy role onthe big screen with the release of a just-finished movie, Between the Sheets. "I usually play very cerebral computer or government guys, and they never crack a smile and are always pensive," said Raimi. "I play 90 percent of my parts with my eyebrows together since I'm supposed to be lost in thought." GRAPHIC: TV actor Ted Raimi of "seaQuest" fame, and cousin Sander Rubin, 8, of Farmington Hills. [ ] 03-03-97 BRANDWEEK [formerly Adweek Marketing Week]. 1643 words. "Entertinment Marketing: The Pictures Got Smaller, The Opportunities Bigger" COMMENTARY: Spookiest moment of this excerpt is "video is America's babysitter". Eek!!! EXCERPT: As rentals and sales of film videos increase both their ubiquity at retail and their overall dollar volume, they are beginning to get the kind of orchestrated marketing launches once reserved for theatrical releases. The trend is creating opportunities for consumer-products manufacturers who see both another vehicle with which to reach moms and families where they shop every day, and also a chance to avoid the burgeoning risks of tying in with the original theatrical releases. That's a striking development, because just a few years ago videos were considered the downmarket stepchild of theatrical releases. But for a number of years now, video rentals and sales have eclipsed box office revenues. Last year's box office take of about $ 5.9 billion was dwarfed by the video figures, estimated at roughly $ 16 billion.... ..."Video is America's babysitter," said Andrew Kairey, executive vice president of Universal Studios Home Video.... ...Kairey adds that his department is "totally in control" of release dates, which are somewhat flexible should a big promotional partner request a different window.... ...Kairey said other sequels in the works include further episodes in the Steve Spielberg-produced American Tail series, as well as new direct-to-video animated versions of Universal TV's hit live-action syndicated shows, Hercules and Xena. He added that Universal is "evaluating and developing" possible live-action direct-to-video, but has not yet gone into production.... [ ] 03-04-97 THE TORONTO SUN. Tuesday. Page 1. 640 words. "Letters to the Editor Column" COMMENTARY: Canadian politician compared to Xena! EXCERPT: ...(How many times do the people have to say No to this idea before it sinks in?) XENA COPPS, Warrior Princess of the Liberals, model of integrity, has accused the Ontario provincial government of "spreading mistruths" ("Top Grits get tough with Harris," Feb. 23). Sheila contends Liberal cutbacks of $ 4 billion so far and $ 3 billion still to come to the provinces have not and will not affect health care, education and social programs. By attacking the provincial government Sheila is asking voters to accept her word rather than that of Mike Harris, a man whose greatest sin in the eyes of his opponents is that he honors his campaign promises and is reorganizing the delivery of services to make them more efficient. Surely Liberal strategists have erred in choosing Copps to spearhead this attack to deflect criticism of them cutting transfers to the provinces as a main means of reducing the federal deficit. Joe Hueglin Niagara Falls... [ a] 03-05-97 THE TORONTO SUN. Wednesday. Page 1. "Harris: Megacity a Go - with Fixes. Welfare Downloadingplan Will Likely Be Dropped, Tories Say" COMMENTARY: Even Canadian TV comedy shows are referencing the warrior princess!!! EXCERPT: ...GRAPHIC: MARG ATTACK ... TV wild woman Mary Walsh, in character as a Xena-clad Marg Delahuntey, gets a laugh out of Premier Mike Harris as she wreaks havoc at a Queen's Park media scrum yesterday while filming a bit for the CBC show This Hour Has 22 Minutes... [ b] 05-03-97 THE OTTAWA CITIZEN. Wednesday. Page A5. 832 words. "Harris to snub mega-city voters: Ontario government refuses to back down on merger plan" COMMENTARY: More on the same from above. EXCERPT: ...GRAPHIC: Ontario Premier Mike Harris winces as Mary Walsh of This Hour Has 22 Minutes -- in costume as Xena the Warrior Princess -- waded into the emotional debate yesterday in Toronto over the merger of the city's six municipalities into a single mega-city... [ ] 03-05-97 THE PRESS-ENTERPRISE (RIVERSIDE, CA.). Wednesday. Page B03. 693 words. "Women in spotlight at HERstory event; Speakers, pupils salute heroes" by Kris Lovekin (The Press-Enterprise) COMMENTARY: As role models go, I guess they could have done worse. What an honor! Xena is up there with Sojourner Truth and Hilary Clinton. But what does Xena NOT SHARE with these fine role models? She ain't real. Gives you food for thought, no? EXCERPT: ...Mildred Tyler, a tall woman who is also the mother of five, brought Sojourner Truth to life Tuesday for students at Mira Loma Middle School. Tyler, the assistant director of UCR's Women's Resource Center, was among 20 speakers at HERstory, an event organized to honor the contributions of women, including college professors, a sheriff's deputy, executives from private industry, artists and others. Like Sojourner Truth, these modern women told the seventh- and eighth-graders tales about times when they broke gender stereotypes, or overcame obstacles.... ...Mack asked this group about their "sheroes," and they came up with Hillary Clinton and Xena, the warrior princess...