I have to apologize for the delay in this latest DI. We recently packed years worth of books, videos, records, cds, and cooking equipment and headed to the Eastern part of the state. If you want to read more about our Steel City Sojourn, reserve a copy of The Hungover Gourmet #4 now.

I'm always amazed when film fans get all weeepy 'cause someone like George Burns or Jimmy Stewart croaks.

Who really cares? It'd be one thing if they were still viable forces in the entertainment industry, but can you name the last thing Stewart did?

On the other hand, when Italian horrormesiter Lucio Fulci died in 1996 at the age of 68 he was beginning to reap the benefits of his rabid US fanbase. Films like ZOMBIE, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY, and the brilliant THE BEYOND were being shown in their intended state, and Fulci was even planning a new new flick called WAX MASK. You can read all about Fulci's checkered career in Lucio Fulci Beyond the Gates: A Tribute to the Maestro by Chas Balun. Though the slim volume (80-pages) reads more like a lengthy magazine piece than a career overview, it does a nice job of appreciating Fulci as more than the man who helmed some classic chunkblowers. Filled with ad mats, stills, lobby cards, and rare photos, Beyond the Gates can be ordered from Blackest Heart Media, c/o Shawn Smith, PO Box 3376, Antioch, CA 94531-3376. $3 bucks gets a catalog, or check out their web site.

CAN YOU SAY "SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION"?

You'd think that between slaving away for ER, C14, and The Hungover Gourmet, this writer'd have little time to pump out more brilliant observations. Oh, how wrong you'd be. Enter Cream Chip Beef Dave Negrin, longtime pal and editor of the new zine, Adverse Reaction. You'll notice my byline popping up now and then throughout the pages of AR, but that ain't the only reason to seek this 'un out. With two issues under his belt, Dave's put together coverage that can only be typified as, uh, diverse. Consider this lineup from the currently-available issue #2: chats with director Savage Steve Holland (ONE CRAZY SUMMER, BETTER OFF DEAD), the Replacements during their heyday, and Curtis "Booger" Armstrong; plus articles on 80s teen film soundtracks, audiophile cds, video game emulators, and more. If you're an 80s pop-culture historian, it's a bargain at $6 for the next four issues. PO Box 414, Rancocas, NJ 08073.

I'VE GOT MY EYE ON YOU

There's a couple mags we drop everything for when they show up in the mailbox. Shock Cinema's one, Factsheet Five's another. But for sheer "head to the coffeeshop for breakfast" enthusiasm, the award has to go to EYE, Lisa Crosby's bi-monthly examination of news and culture. Though it's gone through a variety of formats, the mag has settled into a distinctive, oversized style that's always a treat. #14 features an article on Debbie Goad (who recently got divorced from her husband and ANSWER Me! counterpart, Jim), a look at the history of Tupperware, plus info on Dionysus Records, poaching (and I'm not talking about the cooking technique), and lots of cds, gimmicky gadgets, web sites, and more. Six issues for $14 from 301 S. Elm Street, Suite 405, Greensboro, NC 27401-2636.

Better than THE ODD COUPLE 2...

Joe Flynn was a character actor in the 1960s and 70s who made a name for himself in such films as THE MILLION DOLLAR DUCK and SUPERDAD, but is best remembered for his recurring role as Captain Wallace Binghamton, the thorn in the side of McHale's Navy. Pewter Joe Flynn is/are three California residents that produce short films for their own enjoyment and the amusement of others. Their first effort was THE SHARK, a mockumentary about an aging pool hustler who fleeces the youngsters at his neighborhood pool halls. SPLOONKA, their latest work, is a sepia-toned, widescreen story in the style of the German expressionists that brought us THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI. But, it was their sophomore effort that got them the most notoriety...a spot-on parody of the opening to tv's The Odd Couple. But with the minor difference that Oscar and Felix have been replaced by Darth Vader and Chewbacca from STAR WARS.

Hot on the heels of the SPECIAL EDITIONS, the parody received some attention after they sent it to series creator George Lucas and it was written up in Film Threat Weekly. PJF's shorts are the type of thing I'd love to see between programs on MTV and Comedy Central. You can e-mail them directly for more information.

Web Heads...

Looking to see what film projects are currently spiraling out of control? Have to get the numbers of the box office winners/losers for water-cooler-chat? Then point your browser to Dr. Daniel's Movie Emergency, one of the many film sites you can visit so you don't have to buy Movieline! There's tons of film-related web links and industry news (in their News Bleed section), but their capsule reviews leave something to be desired. Short-maybe a little too short-and to the point, the picks may not to be up the alley of some low-brow cinema fans. Example? The touchy-feely PHENOMENON with John Travolta gets the highest rating, while enjoyably B-grade fare like Romero's THE DARK HALF gets slagged and hit with a gutter-level rank!

I've fallen out of the comics information world recently, but I still keep tabs on my fave superhero thanks to the web. Nope, I'm not talkin' about the Web-Slinger or the Dark Knight. When it comes right down to it, Daredevil: The Man Without Fear remains one of the best, most complex characters in comics. And I'd be lost without The Man Without Fear web site. Here you can keep posted on such breaking news as the Chris Columbus-produced DD movie (currently on hold), the latest story arcs, and the news that Kevin Smith (CLERKS, MALLRATS, CHASING AMY) will be writing a DD story arc come this fall!