+ DON'T + KILL + SPIKE + CLUB +

25/02/05
Tony Head & David Fury Joining James in Melbourne
From: Tabula Rasa Mailing List

Tabula Rasa Events are delighted to announce that joining James Marsters in their first ever appearances in Australia will be; ANTHONY STEWART HEAD and writer/executive producer DAVID FURY; at the third annual and fan-favourite Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel Convention in Melbourne on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July.

We are sure with this superb line up of these highly demanded guests; that you will be able to enjoy a true Buffy/Angel packed weekend enjoying aspects from both the cast and crew perspectives of your favourite shows . . . The event will again be held at the sophisticated Crown Promenade, in Melbourne's beautiful Southbank precinct.

The Convention will feature the special guests in a rare up close and personal arena for Australian fans of the cult shows. Each guests will be conducting their own Audience Question and Answers forums; and audience members will be able to meet with the much loved stars in the Autograph sessions and will have Photograph opportunities over both days of the Convention.

Collectible merchandise, discussion forums and special screenings amoung other activities will also be apart of the weekend; which sees fan's returning to Melbourne year after year. Not only to see the stars; but to be apart of the active fan-community with attendees coming from as far as Europe and the US to be share in the weekend with like minded enthusiasts of the still popular programmes, despite both shows having wrapped in recent times.

The brand new shiny convention website is open and awaiting your visit. All the information you need to make an informed decision about purchasing your tickets can be found there at www.tabularasa.com.au

HOW TO BOOK:
Tickets will be available both through Ticketek [limited numbers] and through Tabula Rasa Events directly. All the different methods of payments are explained more thoroughly at the website, but if you have any queries, please feel free to contact us by email - info@tabularasa.com.au It's important to note that tickets will go on sale in two stages; the first date being next Monday 28 February for tickets through Tabula Rasa Events; and the following week beginning Monday 7 March for tickets through Ticketek.

And don't forget of course that in addition to the convention, James will be performing an extra special concert on the Saturday night [2 July] - an acoustic version of his highly anticipated solo album which is due for release in April. Which after just over three weeks on sale is almost sold out! With just a few tickets left to snap up, run don't walk to Ticketek now - http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=JAMESMAR05 for your direct link to the concert page.

Please note: the concert is restricted to persons 18+; the two day convention will be open to persons of all ages.

"Cool Money" (aka "The Pierre Heist") starring James Marsters has been rescheduled to Saturday, March 19 from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm on the USA network.

MAR 19 09:00 PM USA ORIGINAL MOVIE COOL MONEY
MAR 19 02:00 AM USA ORIGINAL MOVIE COOL MONEY
MAR 24 04:00 PM USA ORIGINAL MOVIE COOL MONEY
MAR 24 12:30 AM USA ORIGINAL MOVIE COOL MONEY

The Possibility of an "Angel" Movie: There are no plans right now. Whedon said, "I did get a lovely bunch of lilies on Valentine’s Day from a bunch of people who want to see a Spike movie. I’ll officially go on record as saying I do, too. I have to figure out who I have to tell that to, besides you guys."

In late 2004, Benson Entertainment signed a distribution deal with Small Planet Pictures for CHANCE. The theatrical release of CHANCE will begin on Friday, March 11th in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Amber Benson will attend the screenings at 7:30 PM and 9:30 PM on Friday and Saturday, including a Question and Answer (Q&A) session. The Friday night events also include a party after the screenings.

25/02/05
SlayerCon - NEWS FLASH!
From: The Official Vulkon SlayerCon & SlayerCruise Newsletter

James has been working on a new solo album - mostly his own compositions - scheduled for release in early 2005.

Join us on Saturday night at 9:30 pm for an amazing concert with James as he performs a number of tracks off this new album!

Be among the first to hear some of the new tracks live and in person! Concert tickets are $40 and only available at the door.

As with all other Vulkon activities, you must have a Vulkon admission ticket to attend the concert.

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Andy Hallett (Lorne) will be hosting and judging the Karaoke Contest on Friday!
Be sure to join in on the fun as Andy helps us name our first, second and third prize winners!

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20/02/05
Vulkon Sunnydale News Newsletter
From: The Official Vulkon SlayerCon & SlayerCruise Newsletter

The Official Vulkon "SlayerCon & SlayerCruise" Newsletter - 2/17/2005

UPDATE!

Dear Patrons,

This event is now only 6 weeks away and we wanted to take this opportunity to update you about the current guest line-up and to tell you about the addition of a NEW ONE-DAY ticket!

In addition to James Marsters, Amber Benson, Andy Hallett, Jonathan Woodward and Jenny Mollen, we have just added Camden Toy and hope to add at least one more guest to the line-up!

The one day only tickets were created in response to numerous requests from fans that either could not attend for 2 days, or whose budget just did not allow them to attend for 2 days. We sincerely hope that the addition of the one day ticket will now make it possible for those patrons to attend. (See more info below)

Also please note that there are still great seats available in the Platinum B section and Gold section. Silver section is almost sold out as most of those remaining tickets were converted to One-Day only tickets. (This was done to keep the number of attending patrons at or below the 500 maximum we are scheduled for.)

THE CONFIRMED GUEST LINE UP!

James Marsters who played "Spike" on both Buffy & Angel. James appears both Saturday & Sunday for autographs and photo sessions and will also perform in Concert on Saturday Night! In collaboration with Himber Entertainment - This is James's only confirmed 2005 US appearance at this time.

Amber Benson who played "Tara" on Buffy. This is a rare appearance for Amber whom will attend both Saturday & Sunday for autographs and photo sessions, plus will attend the Friday Karaoke Cocktail Party and will also perform at our banquet!

Andy Hallett who played Lorne on Angel appears both Saturday & Sunday for autographs and photo sessions, plus will attend our Friday Karaoke Cocktail Party & Saturday night Banquet. Andy will perform at the Karaoke Cocktail Party - health permitting.

Jonathan Woodward who played Knox on Angel appears both Saturday & Sunday (Plus will attend Cocktail Party & Saturday night Banquet) Note: Jonathan is a "Bonus Guest."

Jenny Mollen who played Nina Ash on Angel appears both Saturday & Sunday (Plus will attend Cocktail Party & Saturday night Banquet) Note: Jenny is a "Bonus Guest."

Camden Toy who played numerous characters including: The Gentleman, Gnarl, The Prince of Lies and The Ubervamp. Camden appears both Saturday & Sunday (Plus will attend Cocktail Party & Saturday night Banquet) Note: Camden is a "Bonus Guest."

Attendance to this event will be very limited at only 500 tickets total.

We recommend you order early to guarantee admission! And, ALL SEATING at this event is RESERVED,
so you don't have to "camp out" to get a good seat and you can come and go as you please
knowing that your seat is there for you all weekend.

Please be advised that you must stay in your assigned seat when in the ballroom at all times,
no sitting on the floor or in the aisles will be permitted.

A limited number of tickets at all levels are still available !

Plus we just converted most of the remaining Silver tickets to one-day tickets
(see more info below)

(A limited number of tickets for photo sessions, cocktail party and banquet,
are also still available).

Admission & Autographs:

Platinum VIP Level A weekend tickets. This is an "All Inclusive Ticket" that includes: guaranteed reserved seating in rows 1-4; 2 in-person autographs from both James Marsters and Andy Hallett (gift giving will be allowed on Saturday); 1 in-person autograph from Amber Benson; a ticket to the Friday Night Karaoke Cocktail Party; a ticket to the Saturday Evening Banquet; a ticket to the Saturday Night James Marsters Concert; a ticket to the Saturday Night VIP after concert encore performance with James Marsters - featuring open bar and food; an exclusive autograph session with James, Andy and Amber; an exclusive photo session with James, Andy and Amber (you do get one photo op with each of these 3 guests included with platinum). Plus early bird admission to the James concert, dealers room and autograph room.
Price $800 Only 100 of these tickets will be sold. (SOLD OUT)

Platinum VIP Level B weekend tickets. This is an "All Inclusive Ticket" that includes: guaranteed reserved seating in rows 5-8; 2 in-person autographs from both James Marsters and Andy Hallett (gift giving will be allowed on Saturday); 1 in-person autograph from Amber Benson; a ticket to the Friday Night Karaoke Cocktail Party; a ticket to the Saturday Evening Banquet; a ticket to the Saturday Night James Marsters Concert; a ticket to the Saturday Night VIP after concert reception with James Marsters - featuring open bar and food; an exclusive autograph session with James, Andy and Amber; an exclusive photo session with James, Andy and Amber (you do get one photo op with each of these 3 guests included with platinum). Plus early bird admission to the James concert, dealers room and autograph room.
Price $750 Only 100 of these tickets will be sold. (58 tickets available)

Platinum Tickets are very limited and are sold non-refundable and non-transferable to avoid any resale abuse of our tickets. If you are unable to make the event, we will endeavor to resell your ticket for you. In the unlikely event James Marsters were to cancel - refunds would be available, OR you may transfer your payment to the make-up event he is contracted to do in the event of a cancellation.

For those fans that took advantage of our interest free ticket payment plan, please note that: Your Platinum ticket MUST be paid in full by March 1st, which is coming up fast, so please plan to make your payments accordingly. If you elected to make payments - you are guaranteed a seat in the section which you reserved, but if you default on your payments (which will wreak havoc with our seating charts), you may lose your seat assignment. Sorry but there always has to be a trade-off somewhere, but remember there are only 8 rows of Platinum so all seats will be good seats anyway.

Gold weekend tickets. Includes guaranteed reserved seating in rows 9-14 and 1 in-person autograph from both James Marsters and Andy Hallett, plus a pre-signed photo of Amber Benson. Plus option to order tickets for the Karaoke Cocktail Party, Banquet, James Concert, photo sessions, & extra autograph tickets
Price $225 Only 150 of these tickets will be sold. (67 tickets available)

Silver weekend tickets. Includes guaranteed reserved seating in rows 15-20 and 1 in-person autograph from both James Marsters and Andy Hallett, plus a pre-signed photo of Amber Benson. Plus option to order tickets for the Karaoke Cocktail Party, Banquet, James Concert, photo sessions, & extra autograph tickets.
Price $175 Only 150 of these tickets will be sold. (10 tickets available)

NEW! Single Day Saturday Only tickets: Includes guaranteed reserved seating in rows 18-20 and 1 in-person autograph from both James Marsters and Andy Hallett. Plus option to order tickets for the Karaoke Cocktail Party, Banquet, James Concert, photo sessions, & extra autograph tickets (except Amber Benson extra autograph tickets as she only signs "extras" on Sunday).
Price $100 Only 75 of these tickets will be sold. (75 available)

NEW! Single Day Sunday Only tickets: Includes guaranteed reserved seating in rows 18-20 and 1 in-person autograph from both James Marsters and Andy Hallett. Plus option to order tickets for the Saturday night Banquet, James Concert, Sunday photo sessions & extra autograph tickets.
Price $100 Only 75 of these tickets will be sold. (75 available)

General Admission tickets: Will not be available for this event.

Note: Admission tickets may not be available at the door, if we sell-out in advance. Order your tickets early for lower badge numbers and best seating, as we call by rows during the autograph sessions.

Photos of all our stars (for autographing) will be available at the convention registration booth at the event. (For those of you new to conventions, the stars will sign almost anything you bring them: photos, calendars, posters, etc... but you must supply the item you want signed.)
Photos are $7 each and there will be a large selection of James, Andy and Amber photos to choose from.

Other "Bonus" Guests:
We have invited other "Buffy" and "Angel" guests for this event. These "Bonus Guests" (currently: Jonathan Woodward, Jenny Mollen, Camden Toy) will be selling and signing their photos all day (both days) for a modest fee - usually about $20 which includes a photo. More guests TBA soon !

NEW! : Amber Benson has graciously consented to sign an additional 200 autographs on Sunday. Autograph tickets to this special signing are only $25. This is for an in-person autograph from Amber. So if you order a Gold or Silver ticket and want an in-person Amber autograph (in addition to the pre-signed photo you will already be receiving) this is your chance - as Amber Benson Extra Autograph Tickets are on sale NOW! (Plus those of you who order a Sunday Only ticket - may want to order an "extra" Amber autograph ticket as the One-day price does not include an Amber autograph).

Tickets On-line at: www.vulkontickets.com

Tickets By Mail Order:
Make check or money order payable to Vulkon and mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Vulkon c/o Joe Motes
P.O. Box 297122
Pembroke Pines FL. 33029-7122

Mail orders must be postmarked by March 15th, 2005.

Tickets By Phone:
If not ordering through the mail, or if you do not have on-line access, you may also call in your ticket orders at: (954) 441-8735 Mon - Sun 12 Noon - 8 PM, eastern standard time please.

Tickets At The Door (if available):
Can be purchased from 5 PM- 9 PM Friday, and Saturday and Sunday 9:30AM Till 1 PM.

As tickets are often lost in the mail, Vulkon does not mail you the actual tickets - just a receipt that is emailed or mailed to you that you use to redeem your tickets at the event (please bring a photo ID to the event to pick up your tickets).

Reserved Seating:
ALL seats are Reserved seating at this show and is included with ticket purchase.

Child Admission:
Children 12 and under are one free per paying adult
Note: Under 12 free admission does not include autographs nor reserved seating. Reserved seating is available for children 12 and under, for only $10 total for the weekend. (If you want your child to get an autograph, a normal adult ticket must be purchased instead.)

Refunds:
All Vulkon tickets (except Platinum) are fully refundable for any reason up to 30 days prior to our events. We do deduct a 20% restocking charge to cover credit card charges and clerical fees that we have incurred in the processing and handling of your order. This restocking charge is non-negotiable, and by ordering tickets to our events you thereby agree to these terms and conditions.

Also, refunds will not be given for un-used tickets for any reason. If you cannot make this event, you must request a refund no later than 30 days before the event. At 30 days prior to the event ALL tickets become non-refundable. Remember this is a ticket to an event like a Concert or Sports event, tickets to those events are non-refundable and if you do not show the seat goes to waste as the promoter does not have the time and opportunity to resell that ticket. If you cannot make the event and notify us at least 72 hours prior, we will as a consideration to our patrons - offer a credit towards a future Vulkon event, but no refund.

We feel we have the best and fairest refund policy in the industry, as few if any events offer refunds or credits - for any reason.

Credit Card Orders For All Events:
All credit card charges will appear on your statement as "Genesis Productions of Broward" OR "Vulkon" OR "Paypal".
A $25 charge will be added for any returned checks or disputed credit card charges, so please check your statement carefully.

If you do not include or have an e-mail address, you must include a self-addressed stamped envelope with all correspondence.

If mailing your registration and since your receipt is sent to your email address, please print your email address clear and legibly!

Activities:
A large number of activities are planned with: Q&A session with all our guest stars, panels, auction, video room, autograph sessions with the stars, Photo Sessions with the stars*, crazy games with our Gamemaster, Banquet with the Stars*, Karaoke Cocktail Party with the stars*, Concert with James Marsters*, Costume Contest, dances, and more! (Note: If you would like to host a panel, please contact our panel planner "Paul" at: Pfrenczli@aol.com )

*Note: Unless you order the "All Inclusive Platinum Ticket" - Vulkon offers several "Optional" and "Special" activities that require purchase of a separate ticket in addition to your convention ticket. These additional activities include: Photo sessions with the stars, cocktail party, concert with James, and banquet. We felt it best that our patrons get to choose which activities they are interested in, so they can customize their experience to include as many or as few activities as they would like to attend, and thereby have full control of how much they will spend based on their particular budget and travel schedule.

Costume Contest:
Our costume contest will feature trophies in various categories and will be held Saturday afternoon. So time to start working on those costumes. Plus, we encourage all attendees to make an effort to come in costume all weekend, as it makes the entire convention - just that much more fun! Several of our guest stars will serve as celebrity judges and trophies will be awarded for those judged "Best" in several categories.

Vulkon Auction:
During our Saturday Auction, for those patrons that may not have purchased a banquet ticket or for someone who did buy a banquet ticket but wants to ensure that they get to sit with: Amber Benson, Andy Hallett, Jonathan Woodward, Jenny Mollen, Camden Toy, or another star of your choice, Vulkon will be auctioning ONE pair of tickets to sit at each stars table. Winning bid will entitle winner and one guest to sit at that star's table during the Saturday Night Banquet. (Anyone may bid on these items as this ticket will include banquet tickets). Numerous other items will also be auctioned off: including signed photos by other actors from both Buffy and Angel and numerous other goodies.

Bronze Dance:
On Saturday night, join us at the Bronze Dance Party with our MC and DJ "DIZ". The Bronze Dance is "free" to all our patrons, but you must present your Vulkon Convention badge for entry. Dance will run 11 PM - 2 AM or so and will be attended by several of our celebrity guests.

The Friday Cocktail Party with our guests, and Karaoke Contest:
For those of you who purchase tickets to this separate event, the Cocktail Party will run 8 PM - 10 PM. All of our guests (except James Marsters) will be joining us for the evening, which promises to be a riot with Andy Hallett hosting and singing a few Tunes! At 10 Pm the doors open for ALL our patrons to participate in our Karaoke Contest with Andy Hallet serving as Celebrity Judge! The cocktail party includes open bar and finger foods (translation: free food and booze).

Tickets to the Karaoke Cocktail Party are $75. Only 100 tickets will be sold to this event (not counting Platinum members).
Please Note: you must order a ticket to the convention in order to be able to purchase a ticket to the Cocktail Party.

The Saturday evening Banquet:
For those of you who purchase tickets to this separate event, we have a great evening of food and fun planned for you at our fabulous banquet with guests of honor: Amber Benson, Andy Hallett, Kelly Donovan, Jonathan Woodward, and Jenny Mollen. The evening will feature a sumptuous buffet "fit for a vampire" served in the company of our guest stars. (The chef promises an "interesting menu".) This is an opportunity to get up close and personal and mingle with our guests in a more relaxed setting. Event will run 7 PM - 9 PM.

Tickets to the Banquet are $75. Only 100 tickets will be sold to this event (not counting Platinum members). (49 tickets available)
Please Note: you must order a ticket to the convention in order to be able to purchase a ticket to the Banquet.

Plus: For those of you not able to attend the Cocktail Party or Banquet, don't worry - we will have the film room and other activities going on simultaneously to keep you entertained.

New! The Sunday night Pajama Party and Dance: The only way to end a great weekend - is with a Party! We did this in Oakland and it was HUGE hit, so Vulkon proudly announces the return of the Sunday Night Pajama party hosted by Camden Toy and our Vulkon DJ and MC "DIZ" ! The hotel will have a cash bar set-up for those of you who plan to party till you drop (and who are not driving). You must be 21 to drink in Texas.

James Marsters in Concert:
Join us on Saturday night at 10 PM for an amazing concert with James Marsters! This will be an "Unplugged Event" featuring James on his acoustic guitar. Tickets to the concert are not available in advance and will be sold at the convention only - by Steven Himber (James's Manager), starting on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday.

Concert tickets will be $40 and payment for the concert tickets MUST be in cash only.

Mr. Himber will also have James's latest CD's available for sale!

Professional Photo Sessions:
By popular request, in order to satisfy those fans that just "have" to have an in-person (cheek-to-cheek) photo taken of them with our many guest stars, Vulkon has arranged for special professional photo sessions.

Prices are $75 for James Marsters, $40 for Andy Hallett, $50 for Amber Benson
Tickets can be ordered on our secure server. Photo session tickets go on sale this Wednesday at 8pm.
www.vulkontickets.com

Please Note: Like all other Vulkon activities, you must have a Vulkon admission ticket to order and use your photo session ticket and refunds will not be given for unused photo session tickets.

You may email Promoter Joe Motes prior with any questions at: vulkon@aol.com

Dress Code:
There isn't one, but Vulkon recommends you "dress to impress"! (You do want to catch a Demon or Vampire's eye - don't you?) So, dig out that pretty cocktail dress and come in: Dressy, or Goth, or Costume attire to the Cocktail Party, Banquet, Dance and Karaoke Contest.

Convention Etiquette (This should be common courtesy and sense but):
Please don't spoil the event for yourself or others - Please remember to maintain a respectful distance when approaching our guest stars, as nobody likes to be mobbed or mauled, and any such action will result in revocation of your membership without refund. In other words: Please play nice, so all our guests feel comfortable and welcome, which will keep them around longer - okay?

Photography & Autographs:
Video and Still Photography will be permitted. However please observe the following rules: to maintain a "party atmosphere" no cameras will be allowed at the cocktail party. Also please be aware that James Marsters, Amber Benson, and Andy Hallett have been contracted for professional photo sessions, so they will not be able to pose with you for personal photos. Lastly, please NO flash photography at all in the autograph lines - as it is very annoying and disruptive to have a flash going off constantly in a guests face at close range.

Per the request of Himber Entertainment - no flash photography or videotaping of James In Concert will be allowed.

Our host hotel and convention site:

Sheraton North Houston Hotel
15700 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Houston, Texas 77032 / Phone (281) 442-5100

Room-rate is only $72 !! Make sure to mention Vulkon or Buffy to get the special rate.
Also please note that only $10 more allows you to upgrade to a larger room!

Mercedez McNab

As for the Slayercruise, the invited guests line-up just keep getting better and better! Cruising with us so far are: Andy Hallett, Clare Kramer, Mercedes McNab, Iyari Limon, Jonathan Woodward, James Leary, and just added - Camden Toy and Amber Benson !

Note: The guest line-up is always subject to change as professional and personal commitments come up, we will make every effort to replace any star that cannot attend if a suitable replacement is available.

The SlayerCruise Web site is up and running with prices, cabin categories, and guests. This Web site will be updated periodically with any news and information. www.slayercruise.com

A large number of guests stars will be joining us when we set sail to the beautiful Caribbean Islands, and guests will be added as they sign contracts and confirm their availability. Please check the Web site often for updates.

Reservations:
Most of you whom had sent deposits have now been contacted to confirm your cabin selections and category. Those of you not yet contacted, please call us at 954-441-8735 OR 305-828-5601 Mon-Fri 5- 9 PM eastern standard time, immediately to confirm your reservations!

Payments can be made on-line. You can reach the Vulkon ticket center at: www.vulkontickets.com

Note: There is still time to book this vacation experience of a lifetime! There seems to be some confusion among many of our patrons in regards to going on the cruise and as to when you can make a reservation. I'd like to take a moment to address this issue: You may decide to go on this cruise at ANY TIME between now and March 15th - that is the official deadline. But after that date - As long as space is available - you can still go, but after March 15th, they cruise line can raise prices and will take away any unsold cabins from us to resell themselves for non-SlayerCruise patrons. So if you have NOT booked, it is NOT too late!

Thank you for your patronage,

The Vulkon Team
www.vulkon.com

Please feel free to pass this newsletter on to a friend or post it on your Web site.
Vulkon appreciates your patronage and support.

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Hello everyone. In response to a large number of emails from fans who could not afford to join us in Houston as they could not afford the $175 and up tickets. We have decided to take some of the remaining Silver tickets and convert them to One-Day Only tickets !
What does that mean for those of you who could not afford to go? That means you can now order a Saturday Only or Sunday Only ticket to the event for $100. The ticket will include admission to all our regular events, and an in-person autograph from Both James Marsters and Andy Hallett.
In addition you can also elect to order: photo session tickets, extra autograph tickets, banquet tickets, and cocktail party tickets along with your one-day pass.
And you can also attend the Saturday night James Marsters concert - tickets to the concert are only sold at the event, they cannot be ordered in advance, and you must have a one-day or higher ticket to the convention to buy a concert ticket as the concert is NOT open to the general public.
We hope this will help those of you unable to attend for economic reasons or scheduling issues who could only attend for one day, to join us for a rocking good time in Houston!
One-day tickets will go on sale online or by phone - Thursday night Feb 17th.
website: www.vulkon.com phone: (954) 441-8735 Mon-Sun 12 noon till 8 PM Eastern Time.

Question: Tell me honestly: What do you think the chances are of WB doing a Spike TV movie? - Renee

Ausiello: While I have her on the phone, let me ask Ms. Hannigan: "That's a great idea. I just talked to somebody today who was saying, 'Why don't they do a Spike movie?' That's who they should do — forget Angel or Buffy! Do the James Marsters movie. That would be huge. He's bigger than anybody!" No argument here.

Thanks for talking to us on Celebrity Extra. Ok we're talking seven seasons of BUFFY five of ANGEL. Why do you reckon it has done so incredibly well?

It's in the sci-fi horror genre and it's really lasted the distance what do you think was so special?

DAVID: And tapped into a market that appealed to everybody and the characters, our characters, took off and we just went with it and found ourselves on this crazy ride that was always changing from episode to episode and we just had a ball with it you know.

JAMES: Yeah. On both shows the art direction was fabulous, the cinematography was fabulous, the writing was fabulous, the direction was always good, sometimes very good.

JAMES: We tried, we did man. We tried. We would be in the set and I'd be like David how do you do this man? How do you do this? And what did you say?

JAMES: And that's all you said. You went horse racing and I was like 'yeah man horse racing'. It took me about 30 seconds to go, 'What are you talking about'.

DAVID: Horse racing. Straight ahead. Marty Jones man, Philly style. No, but its been great. The characters obviously appeal to a specific type of audience as well as a mass audience. I mean BUFFY and ANGEL were two different types of shows. What's great about ANGEL, especially for DVD's, is its wide screen format. You can really see the expansion and you can see the way they shot it. It's great for that kind of format.

JAMES: It looks so much better than BUFFY ever did. BUFFY was filmed in 16mm for the first three years and you know ANGEL were they shooting digitally?

JAMES: But I remember when I turned on ANGEL and it was in that wide screen format I was like 'Aw man they get all the good toys over there man.

Proper entertainment. Now if vampires can't see their own reflection how come you guys always looked so good?

JAMES: No that's the beauty of it. You'rE immortal. You don't have a sleepy day. But that's what kind of sucks about playing a vampire. As a vampire you're not supposed to look sleepy ever, but meanwhile, meanwhile they are working you 12,14 20 hours a day.

You forgot to mention a really good makeup artist in your list of things that make this programme work.

DAVID: Yeah but Dane who did the special effects did a great job for five seasons. He makes some amazing creations on the show.

Well regardless of whether there was makeup, lack of sleep, too much sleep, whatever you guys looked very good. So well in fact they you have got a legion of fans and you've both been on the sexiest man ever list ever, ever. Does that kind of stuff go to your head?

DAVID: Its part of what comes of being part of this business. You know it's a humbling thing. It comes with the territory. I thank my parents for having me.

DAVID: And this is what they produced, but no I'm not obsessing about it everyday.

Is it a little bit surreal to see yourself on, you know- you've been on a vampire sexiest male vampire list, you've been in the people top 50 most beautiful men. You open a magazine and you see that and you kind of go-

JAMES: No. What you do is you go, good publicist! You say thank you Jenny we did it! Coz they know there is a lot of work behind everyone one of those hits. There's a whole campaign behind every single one of those.

DAVID: And then you put your glass down and it makes a ring after a while so there's a ring of water on the bottom of the paper or whatever, their good coasters.

JAMES MARSTER: Yeah it is. Television is a weird thing and it gets you famous like that [clicks fingers] and you really can't take it too seriously. Like in a 'HARD DAYS NIGHT' with the Beatles, you can see the look on their faces when they are just starting to experience it and they are not taking it seriously but they are having fun with it.

Doesn't it always eventually get to your head as an actor? I'm not saying you particularly, but I so can relate to what you are saying about people starting out they've got a different attitude to 10 years down the line where they are beginning to inevitably believe the hype in some way, shape or form. Do you sense the danger of ever heading into that sort of territory?

DAVID: Well there's always the temptation of crossing the line or borders that are uncharted.

Well how do you find yourself in this? Are you prepared to go the distance or are you kind of going 'that's enough for me?'

JAMES: Well you have to build a life that is separated from the whole Hollywood thing and surround yourself with people who are willing to tell you when you are being a jerk.

DAVID: No. The simplicity of being blessed with a child and seeing that is enough to remind you everyday about what life is really about. You know you have your work and your family and those two are definitely separated but as you work you maintain your sanity through your work but your family keeps you afloat.

JAMES: Certainly whether you got the sexiest man thing. It's nice and didn't mean to denigrate the fact that the fans vote and that makes you feel good. Coz we work hard for them. I mean Joss just has to write it and man he goes on and then he goes to bed and we are down in the trenches fifteen hours a day making it happen. Basically we are the grunts and we are well paid and they make us look really good, but day to day for real we are working in a non heated, no air conditioned space with no places to sit really except boxes on the floor and it's dirty and it's a factory.

JAMES: There is no glamour. Glamour is a highly constructed artificial thing that takes a lot of work to create.

Talk to me about the fact that I've read up on a couple of things about you guys that a lot of the lines in ANGEL were adlibbed. They started with you in BUFFY and that it kind of continued. Is that true or is it very much scripted?

DAVID: Its pretty much, very much scripted. I don't know where that came from. Joss is very particular, always was very particular on specific lines which really have motivated specific story points.

DAVID: You know you look back and you go this is why it was happening and this is why you had to say that for that specific reason and I think because he was so specific it kind of pin pointed the show for what it was, and is.

DAVID: I think ANGEL will have a strong life in the future and they were saying that whilst they were shooting because it is different. It was more complex and I mean BUFFY was an extremely different show it was geared towards a different level.

JAMES: But the point of it was BUFFY was not about vampires, BUFFY was about the human characters and the vampires on BUFFY were just kind of a sideshow.

JAMES: So to get that one in the can- Dude, I don't know how you did that for five years. Smoked me. Smoked me, one year on that show smoked my ass.

Angelus and Spike were both in love with Buffy. Who should ultimately have gotten the girl?

DAVID: Well you know Angel's forte of going on and taking off and leaving her crying by the ambulance.

DAVID: I just think that over those years, though his radar was subject to picking up something a bit different maybe. I don't know, but ultimately it's really still up in the cards I think.

JAMES: I don't know man. There was an episode in the end of the season on BUFFY. They kind of sowed that one up. You came back over and filmed a scene. You remember that shit?

JAMES: I know but it was pretty clear that was true love whereas I was just really good sex.

She did, didn't she. Heartless... Beep! Talk to me about the conventions - the sci-fi vampire. You must have met some strange people. Now I know they are your fans so you don't want to dis them but come on.

DAVID: I don't really think of it as a multitude level of insanity like that. You can have a specific group of people that are fascinated with a certain subject matter. I think with us it has always been a group of fans that have always enjoyed the show and the genre rather than the specific quote unquote vampire kind of a thing. I mean you do have the occasional person that dresses up and comes and sees you.

DAVID: If we can give them their respect. If they can do that it's great but it really enables us to go and see the fans and give back to them for what they have given us for five seasons.

JAMES: And Angel and Buffy fans, there fans of good writing and ultimately that's what really draws people to the show. So my interaction with fans of the show has always been surprising. I have a lot of interesting conversations and a lot of people are very cool and I guess I play a character that they expect is going to hit them if they offend me, so they are always like I don't want to disturb you or anything.

Any ones that actually believe they are vampires or that you guys are vampires that they exist.

With you guys having played those sort of roles for so long and having researched the whole 'where is the vampires motivation', do you ever find yourself asking actually you know, they could exist.

DAVID: I believe in the supernatural yeah of course. Spirits and what not and energy but I don't believe that there are creatures of the night walking around. I'm sure there are late in the evening hours somewhere Soho or down in New York.

JAMES: Yeah and at that point there are people who do believe it, people who get their canines sharpened and extended and if they really believe they are vampires they really might bite someone so what's the difference.

Fair enough. But for the real bona fide vampires you're not going there you don't believe that they could actually exist?

JAMES: No man I think we are profoundly ignorant of our situation here in the universe and I think we are in the middle of something far more complex and beautiful than we realise but we really don't know exactly what that is.

Good man. Obviously ANGEL was left on the mother of all cliff hangers which means for all the fans they're begging to hear there will be some kind of Angel reappearance whether its in a movie or a couple more series. What's going on? Can you give us any tip bit of hope?

DAVID: There won't be a series. If anything it would have to be a big screen feature as far as getting me back involved into playing this character again for raising the bar and the level to where it has to be. I think going back and doing an extended series on it or something to further it maybe a little bit longer would most probably jeopardise it or maybe even taint it in a way that may hurt it. And I won't want to do that.

DAVID: I mean unfortunately for the fans at the same time the door was so left wide open the way they ended this season and this show I think was a great way.

And you're happy with that. You're happy they didn't kind of conclude to any other kind of-

OK. Well if we are not going to see you on Angel again, final question is what are you guys up to? Where can we see you James first of all?

JAMES: Frankly yeah. A lot of people want me to play demons or bad guys and drug addicts and that stuff

JAMES: But I played a human being recently and that was very refreshing. That was good. I liked doing that a lot. I'm working on music actually which is going really well.

JAMES: No I've split up my band and that's a hard thing but I'm continuing doing my material with a new producer and I'm really happy about how it is coming out and I think it is going to be really good.

DAVID: I just did, I've done 3 movies so far. I've done a romantic comedy with Alana and Paul Sorvino. It's called MR FIX IT. Then I did a film called THE HARD EASY with Bruce Dern and Vera Farmiga.

DAVID: Peter Weller was in it. I play a neurotic stockbroker who is out 4 million dollars and is selling bonds to diamond heists. And I'm working on a film called THESE GIRLS with Caroline Dhavernas. I don't know if you know her. She's a very talented actress. I play a stoner kind of guy. It a black comedy.

DAVID: Yeah I've done some very interesting roles and I think that it's been really interesting to see the take on that and we've just sold the show to ABC so I'm excited.

Busy man. Busy man. Glad to here it. It's been great chatting to you and good luck with the DVD. I don't need to tell you that it's going to do brilliantly.

DAVID: There's specials and there's extras and there's a lot of the behind the scenes stuff that we did while we were shooting it and I think it's a gift to you guys, a gift to the fans.

Well thank you very much. We accept it with open arms. Lovely chatting to you. Thank you.

The true story of Bobby Comfort a con man who is soon lured into a hotel heist by Sammy Nalo, a flamboyant thief with questionable mob connections. With a third man Doc Di Paolo, they succeed in robbing a NY hotel but almost kill each other in the process. They have very different philosophies and the harmless, debonair Bobby refuses to ever work again with the violent, two-bit thug Sammy.

When Sammy shows up with the take on the hotel job, Bobby and Doc are lured by the potential windfall to re-team for another heist. From now on they're doing it Bobby's way: no violence, no costumes, all very polite. In fact, when the these tress guys show up in tuxedos--and then proceed to hold up the jewelery vault--all the victims can remember is how polite and suave they are. The next one goes off so well, they begin a spree of NYC hotel robberies.

The BIG ONE is the Pierre Hotel, which boasts the most wealthy and renowned guests coming for a New Year's Eve bash. Bobby knows the cops are onto them, but that just adds to the challenge. Together with Doc and Sammy, and two other recruits, they manage to pull off the biggest hotel heist in American history.

The Heist is now called Cool Money. It airs Friday, March 18th on the USA cable channel.

09/02/05
Live in Five: Extra Cavern Tickets
From: James Marsters Live Mailing List

An extra 50 tickets have been released for the eagerly-awaited opening concert of the James Marsters tour at the Cavern in Liverpool.

The tickets are being made available today because of overwhelming public demand. The last 50 tickets will be sold to the first callers to contact the Cavern. Tickets cost £15 and are available from The Cavern Pub. Phone: +44 (0)151 236 4041.

There are a few remaining tickets left for the second concert date at The Fleece in Bristol. All other concert dates are sold out.

Anyone who donates $20 to the ongoing fundraiser for Amber Benson's new film will receive a free VHS of Chance in PAL (overseas) format. Do not worry about shipping and handling - the donation will cover the mailing costs. Please note that this special offer does not include the picture or poster.

Find out more about the fundraiser at Amber's site - http://www.amberbenson.us/ - within the calendar page of the news section.

HEIST (A.K.A. THE PIERRE JEWEL HEIST) (USA) - The James Marsters-led ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel") telefilm has been slated to air Friday, March 18 at 9:00/8:00c. Here's how USA's press materials describe the project: "A thief from the age of six, Bobby Comfort bounced in and out of prison for years. When he turns twenty-two, Bobby finally settles down and starts a family, determined to lead a calmer life. Bobby, however, soon is lured back into the only profession he knows, agreeing to help a friend rob a string of high-end New York City hotels. When their forays prove extremely lucrative, Comfort once again embraces his talent for crime. While his unsuspecting family believes he is traveling for business, Bobby and his partner are having the time of their lives conning wealthy socialites, culminating in the largest jewel heist in American history."