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RKO horror classics boxed up

Coming in a DVD set Oct. 4: The Val LawtonHorror Collection.

The five disk set includes the director's RKO films:
1. The Cat People/Curse of the Cat People.
2. I Walked With a Zombie/Body Snatcher.
3. Isle of the Dead/Bedlam.
4. The Leopard Man/The Ghost Ship.
5. The Seventh Victim.

Separate disks will be available of The Cat People/Curse of the Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie/Body Snatcher and Isle of the Dead/Bedlam.

According to the Digital Bits:

Extras will include audio commentary with Greg Mank and Simone Simon on Cat People and Curse of the Cat People, commentary with Kim Newman and Steve Jones on I Walked With a Zombie, commentary with Steve Haberman and Robert Wise on The Body Snatcher, commentary with Tom Weaver on Bedlam and commentary with Steve Haberman on The Seventh Victim, along with the Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy documentary (on the life and films of the famous RKO Radio Pictures producer - the documentary is exclusive to the box set) and theatrical trailers.

"X-Men 3" teaser poster revealed

They haven't even started making the thing yet, but here's the first "X-Men 3"-related image.

Hey, kid! This ain't a library!!

ICv2 reports on the phenomenon of the "hidden manga reader." No, it's not a new super villain, but free-loading "browsers" who plop down and read entire books in the store:

The availability of comfortable reading space and easy access to big manga selections have long attracted readers to big box bookstores such as Borders and Barnes and Noble. The theory of these retailers is that consumers that come to sample will also buy, but there's definitely a subset of visitors to such stores that read the complete manga volume in the store and don't purchase it. Now there's at least some evidence that the problem has been recognized and is being addressed; Shojo Beat contributing editor Eric Searlemen told attendees at a BEA panel that a Borders store he frequented, on Union Square in San Francisco, had begun packaging all its manga titles in plastic, regardless of content.

The real Princess Leia

Actually, the kid's name is spelled Leah--but she's an actual princess. In Norway.

Reuters reports:

Norwegian Princess Leah's name was inspired by a character in a "Star Wars" movie, the mother of the infant princess was quoted as saying on Thursday.

"I must admit that I have always been a big 'Star Wars' fan, and Princess Leia has always been the most beautiful in the whole world," Princess Martha Louise said in an interview with the Norwegian daily Aftenposten.

Princess Leah, born on April 8 this year and fifth in line to the Norwegian throne, was due to be baptised on Thursday.

More new "Doctor Who" planned

From the BBC:

Dr Who fans will be delighted to hear
that the Time Lord will be returning for a third series.
Just days before the current run of the sci-fi show is due to end, its
makers have revealed that there are at least two more series to come.
On Saturday, Christopher Eccleston will make his final appearance as
the Doctor with David Tennant set to take over.
In addition to two more series, there will also be Christmas specials
for 2005 and 2006, the show's makers said.

That means Dr Who fans have a total of 28 more episodes to look forward
to when the current series ends.
Billie Piper will continue playing Rose until at least the end of
series two.


More Doctor Who.

Batman #11 cover up for bid

Oh to be rich: Heritage Auctions is selling the great Jerry Robinson's cover to Batman #11, starting bid $100,000. The pic depicts the Caped Crusader socking Robinson's creation, The Joker.

Pop Artifact! Batman Vs. the Fearsom Foursome paperback

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Secrets revealed at "Lost" confab

Ok, no big secrets, but spoilers nonetheless. Don't read the full Los Angeles Times account if you wanna stay entirely in the dark.

"Serenity" star rumored for "Wonder Woman"

Angel and Buffy News reports on rumors that actress Morena Baccarin, who appeared in "Wonder Woman" director Joss Whedon's "Firefly" TV series and the upcoming big screen spin-off of that show "Serenity," may be interested in portraying the amazon.

Happy birthday Neal Adams!

Cassette culture

At the NPR site, read the introduction to Sonic Youth guitarist/singer Thurston Moore's new book "Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture":

...I made what I thought was the most killer hardcore tape ever. I wrote 'H' on one side, and 'C' on the other. That night, while we were in bed, and after Kim had fallen asleep, I put the cassette on our stereo cassette player, dragged one of the little speakers over to the bed, and listened to the tape at ultra-low thrash volume. I was in a state of humming bliss. This music had every cell and fiber in my body on heavy sizzle mode. It was sweet.