May 11, 2000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Leslie Unger - (310) 247-3000

                        lunger@oscars.org

Beverly Hills, CA - Females made over by mad science, destruction and regeneration of the human species, and micro-biology and replication will be among the topics covered in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' George Pal Lecture on Fantasy in Film on May 25 at 8 p.m. Dr. Lynn Spigel of the University of Southern California will be the guest speaker for the lecture.

Numerous film clips will be shown to illustrate the lecture. "Metropolis" (1927), "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) and "The Brain that Wouldn't Die" (1962) will be part of the first portion of the lecture, examining some of the electrifying film females created by the movies' mad male scientists. The lecture will then segue into an exploration of the effects of the post-war nuclear threat and film's depiction of destruction and regeneration of the species. Clips to be featured here include "Forbidden Planet" (1956), "The Incredible Shrinking Man" (1957), "Attack of the 50 Foot Woman" (1958), "The Fly" (1958) and "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968). The final segment of the event will look at the politics and scientific engineering of reproduction. Clips from "The Stepford Wives" (1975), "Blade Runner" (1982) and "Jurassic Park" (1993) will help illustrate these notions.

Currently Professor of Critical Studies in USC's School of Cinema-Television, Spigel teaches an annual course in post-war science fiction film and television. She has written extensively on film, television and popular culture and has been invited to lecture at a wide range of universities and museums. Spigel served as co-editor of Camera Obscura: A Journal of Feminism and Film Theory for ten years. Her recent works include: Sitting Room Only: Art and Culture in Everyday Places and High and Low Television: Art and Science on Commercial Television, 1950 - 1970.

The George Pal Lecture on Fantasy in Film was established in 1980 in honor of the filmmaker whose career ranged from the creation of the Puppetoons animated series to producing and directing such fantasy classics as "Destination Moon" (1950), "When Worlds Collide" (1951), "War of the Worlds" (1953), "Tom Thumb" (1958) the "The Time Machine" (1960). The lecture is designed to provide a forum for filmmakers and scholars to discuss the science fiction and fantasy film in all of its variations.

Tickets for "Mad Science Make-Overs" are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with valid identification. They may be purchased in advance by mail or at the Academy during regular business hours, or on the night of the lecture when the doors open at 7 p.m. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call 310-247-3000, ext. 111.