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ALIEN: reviewed by Alexis Gilliland
This movie begins in a low-key, utterly prosaic environment, a space tug moving a huge mass of ore to the solar system for processing. Beautiful sets, carefully detailed, lend a touch of authenticity which is conspicuously absent from such flashier epics as BATTLESTAR G., BUCK ROGERS and STAR WARS. This attention to detail is carried through with meticulous care, with the result that the suspension of disbelief is automatic, and the weakness of the conception of the alien only becomes apparent in the post mortem.
Which is to say: when the alien is on stage, he/she/it dominates the action and as an offstage presence the alien is about as terrifying a threat as the movies have produced in some time.
The producers, eschewing the Japanese technique of lots of gore, have relied on understatement and suggestion. Which works beautifully, because there is nothing to distract you from the tension which builds unmercifully through the whole picture. You are being manipulated, but it is done with such skill and such force that you don't mind. The tension is released in the way the San Andreas fault releases tension . . . there is some explosive action, and then . . . the tension goes right back to building. When you come out of the movie you are really exhilarated, and you have, by golly, been really scared. Not by hokey special effects, although the special effects are uncommonly good; but by being compelled to root for the good guys, as---brave, confused, and (in a striking plot twist) the creatures of management---they fail to cope, and then seek to escape. And the cat. What is one to say about the cat? It is a credible cat, and its relationship to the crew is wholly catlike.
Go see the movie. Once.
---Alexis A Gilliland.
NOTICE: PICNIC ON SEPTEMBER 22
You are invited to a picnic, September 22, 1979 at 7 F Mpoec Circle, Baltimore, MD at 2 pm. Bheer, sodas and fried chicken will be provided. You are asked to bring anything else you want to eat or drink. Call
(301) 882-9169
to get directions and let me know what you are bringing.
-----------------------Sioux Wheeler------------------------
LEO AND KATHY CELEBRATED SEVERALTH MARRIAGE
Leo Sands and Kathy Lydick were married again--this time in a Methodist Church--on Sunday, August 12, 1979. There was a reception where Clam Chowder played & standard cake was served, at the residence of Kathy's parents in Baltimore. Guests dined on hamburgers, steaks, and wine mixed with orange juice and cinnamon.
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TED WHITE TO BE HEAVY METAL EDITOR
Ted White has now become Editor of Heavy Metal magazine, a slick,
well-distributed heavily visual magazine affiliated with France's
Metal Hurlant. It is rumored that his salary has been increased
as a result of this event by a staggering 2000 per cent.
Ted White is also doing an article on Somtow for Unicorn Times, much
to the astonishment of both parties.
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Dan Joy has announced his intention of gafiating in order to "partake more deeply of the meaning of life". A source close to this young BNF has suggested that fans of his precocity tend to burn up by the age of seventeen.
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THE DAY IT RAINED ON JACK CHALKER'S PARADE
by the Phantom Reporter
Manchester. The 4th of July bloomed with the promise of fair and hot weather. Jack and Eva Chalker looked forward with glee to the annual WSFA 4th of July picnic scheduled for 11 o'clock that day. However, this day was one that was to go down in infamy in the annals of WSFA history. By 12 noon the storm clouds had gathered; by 1 o'clock, the monsoon started and the temperature plummeted to an uncomfortable 50 degrees.
At this point, a group consisting of Tom Schaad, the Olivers, Joe Mayhew, Chris Callahan Dick Roepke, Scracth and Marianne Petrino arrived. More were to follow as the food started to pile up. By 2 o'clock, Alan Huff and Bob Oliver started the hot dogs (kosher) as the hurricane whirled around them. With a house full of confined WSFANS suffering from cabin fever, it appeared a riot would soon erupt!
However, over 1/3 of the crowd was quickly anesthetized by Atari's "Breakout" and a floating poker game eased some of the tension and emptied some pockets. Strange goings-on were reported from a sector in the garage, as sounds of enthusiastic inhaling emanated from the darkness and Oreo cookies seemed to disappear into a vortex.
By the evening the hopelessly bloated WSFans were in a comatose state and rounds of Atari's miniature golf began. By 7 pm people began to filter out into the wet night, where, yes Eva, it was still raining.
Informed sources report that the picnic ended when those remaining WSFans were swept into a time warp and the ghost of Rod Serling walked the spot where the Chalkers once lived, those poor, generous folk who had the misfortune to volunteer to host the picnic, and then had it rain on their parade.
WSFA MINUTES
Meeting of July 6, 1979 at Gillilands', Tom Schaad Presiding.
In attendance: Rosa Oliver, Joe Mayhew, Bill Berg, Chris Callahan, Alexis Gilliland, Alan Huff, Dick Roepke, Marianne Petrino, John Epperson, John Novak, Beverly Brandt, Janet Lynch, Dave Hastie, Janet Prato, Bobby Baum, Martin Morse Wooster, Steve Smith, Rich Kizewski, Phil Davies, Fran Buhman, Linda Melnick, Lee Smoire, Mike Walsh, Lisa Peoples, Ginny McNitt, Victoria Smith, Bob Lovell, Bob Oliver, Jane Woodward, Steve Brown, Walter Miles, Barry Newton, Judy Newton, Doll Gilliland, John Sapienza, Mike Riley, Nick Loter, Judy Fetter, Dick Preston, Eva Whitley, Jack Chalker, Bruce Dixon, Regina Cohen, Wayne Dionne, Joanna Dionne, Somtow Sucharitkul, Dan Joy. (48)
The meeting was called to order at 9:12. The minutes were read and approved. The Treasury stood at $1175.42
COMMITTEE REPORTS
*MEMBERSHIP. Two joined at the last meeting: Nick Loter and Linda
Melnick (both present).
*DISCLAVE 1979. Alan Huff reported that there would be approximate!y
$2900 profits from the con deposited in the WSFA Treasury.
*ENTERTAINMENT. Doll Gilliland reported that the Friday 13th Party
cannot be held at the Mayflower for many reasons.
OLD BUSINESS
Joe Mayhew moved that "upon deposit of the 1979 Disclave funds in
to the WSFA Treasury, $1500 of the funds be encumbered for exclusive
use as a drawing fund for Disclave 1980 and that the Chairman or his
designate shall be able to draw any amount of the encumbrance for the
Conventions business." Division was 27 AYE, 2 NAY. PASSED.
Dick Preston offered his place for the July 13 party. Majority present
accepted.
Doll Gilliland moved that: we table a motion to untable a motion to
table the motion made at a previous meeting to adjourn. Discussion:
it was pointed out that a motion to adjourn cannot be tabled under
Robert's Rules. Joe Mayhew moved to table Doll's motion. The motion
was tabled by voice acclamation.
NEW BUSINESS
Alan Huff moved that: we hereby reinstate the game of spin-the-bottle
as WSFA's official game. Division: 10 AYE, 12 NAY. Motion defeated.
ANNOUNCEMENTS. Jack Chalker was presented with a newspaper with the
headline: IT RAINS ON JACK'S PARADE, and a news article was read
(printed in the Journal).
The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m. (33 minutes!)
BALTIMORE TO PRESENT WORLDCON BID
Baltimore (or Baltington, to be more precise) will present a bid for the 1983 Worldcon. Competing at present is Australia. The Committee has placed an ad in the Northamericon Programme Book and will be distributing Baltimore in 83 literature at Worldcon . . . in several different languages.
OPEN UNIVERSITY of DC has announced a course entitled "The Future Through Science Fiction", to be taught by someone called Bill Gerken. I don't know who or what this is, but you could call 966-9606 if you would like to question or carp.
LANDCON 79
An alternative to Seacon 79 will be held somewhere in the Washington
area over the Seacon weekend. It will be similar in nature to the
fabled "Guanocon" of last year.
EDGAR ALLEN POE AT BALTIMORE IN 83
Edgar Allen Poe has been named "Ghost of Honor" for the Baltimore in 83 bid. This pun proved difficult to translate when it came to producing the multinational multilingual literature to be distributed at SEACON.
WSFA MINUTES
Meeting of June 15, at Berg's, Rosa Oliver presiding.
In attendance: J Mayhew, B Berg, A Huff, A Gilliland, Linda Melnick, Dave Hastie, J Huff, S Harris, M Harris, Nick Toter, Cindy Topel, Anne Westlake, M Crouch, M Toper, J Novak, J Klapper, P Kelly, B Oliver, C Gilliland, S Wheeler, S Dolan, K Weston, D Ellis, D Gilliland, B Mayhew, P Mayhew, B Newton, M Walsh, L Smoire, S Dennis, W Dionne, J Dionne, W Miles, L Smoire, Somtow Sucharitkul, J Heneghan, F Buhman, G McNitt, L Peoples, B Brandt, N Handwork, P Cox, J Ellis, J Chalker, L Wolkoff, D Gause, B Marlow, E Whitley (51)
The meeting was called to order at 9:14. The minutes were read and approved. The Treasurer reported that the club treasury stands at $1228.87.
COMMITTEES:
*MEMBERSHIP. Three new members joined at the previous meeting: Ken
Roseman, Jim Klapper and Andy Beeken. Only Jim was present.
*ENTERTAINMENT. Charlie Ellis reported that John Huff will show three
Mike Jittlov films at the September 21 meeting of WSFA (at Bergs):
Hardware Wars, Animato, and Blow Along (?)
*LEAP CON. A poll was taken indicating the overwhelming preference of
those present for a weekend "con" instead of a one-night
stand.
*DC IN 84. New Chairman for the bid: Mike Walsh (Bob Oliver continues
as Treas. Rosa Oliver as Registrar.)
*PUBLICATIONS. The Journal was distributed.
OLD BUSINESS
Doll Gilliland moved that WSFA have its "Chicken Little"
party on Friday, July 13, 1979 at the Mayflower Square Condominiums
Pool---on Quantrell, near rtes. 95 and 236 and that WSFA pay all usage
fees. Passed unopposed.
NEW BUSINESS
Kim Weston proposed that WSFA investigate buying better sound
equipment and using it on a sharing basis with BSFS. Rosa asked Kim
to look into the particulars and report back to the club.
UNICON in the spirit of fannish cooperation (quid pro quo) has asked
to use a part of our hangings for their con. Also SCI-CON I (a small
new con in Newport News VA).
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Pat Kelly announced that the date for the first manned
shuttle flight is as yet uncertain: hopefully before March 1980.
Adjourned: 9:55 p.m.
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WFSA JOURNAL is edited by Somtow Sucharitkul and is published by the Washington Science-Fiction Association, monthly, for the benefit of paid-up members only. All news should be sent to Somtow Sucharitkul, 3428 South Stafford Street, Arlington, VA 22206. Urgent news may be phoned in. The number is (703) 931-5098. Joe Mayhew is Circulation Manager and mails it out; changes of address should be telephoned in to him. . .WSFA membership is $4/yr; it's worth it just for your free monthly copy of the good old gossipy WSFA Journal. So pay up, everyone.
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The WSFA Journal
3428 South Stafford Street,
Arlington, VA 22206
Tel: (703) 931-5098
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BUBONICON. (505) 821-3953. Albuquerque, NM, 24-26 August. Orson Scott Card.
NORTHAMERICON. (502) 636-5340, Louisville KY. Aug 30-Sep 3. Fred Pohl, Lester Del Rey and George Scithers.
PghLANGE. c.o Geruad, 1202 Benedum-Trees Bldg., Pittsburgh, PA 15222. (412) 561-3057. 28-30 September. Gene Wolfe. Relaxacon for recoverees from World & Northamericons.
RoVaCon, Box 774, Christiansburg VA 24073. (703) 389-9400. Roanoke, VA. September 28-30.
WORLD FANTASY CON, 43 Kepler, Pawtucket RI 02860. (401) 722-4738. Providence RI. 12-14 October. Frank Belknap Long, Michael Whelan and Stephen King.
SCI-CON, Box 6259, Newport News, VA 23606. Hampton, VA. 12-14 Oct. Kelly Freas and David Gerrold.
NOREASCON II, Box 46, MIT Po, Boston MA 02139. 29 Aug-Sep 1, 1980. Worldcon for 1980. Damon Knight, Kate Wilhelm and Bruce Pelz. Registration already pretty steep. Better join while can.
***