************************************************************************** THE MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS NEWSLETTER THE NEWSLETTER OF THE POWER RANGER CLUB ISSUE #59 -- APRIL 17, 1996 "IT'S COMING...." ************************************************************************** INDEX TO MMPR NEWSLETTER #59 1: MIGHTY (NON-UNION) POWER RANGERS How does Saban get away with it? 2: [funny name here] JOKE COLUMN What's coming up for the second Power Ranger movie? :) 3: SABAN SIGHTINGS! There's a lot of sightings! Check 'em out! 4: POWER RANGER STRIP SHOW #5 Adam's profile... 5: POWER RANGERS STRIP SHOW #4 [ANSWERS!] The answer to Kimberly's questions. 6: OOPS! Some corrections for the last newsletter. 7: NICE TO MEET YOU Dan Johnson's profile. 8: STRETCH Results and a new stretch! 9: ASK MAX Answers to your questions. 10: TODAY'S REVIEW OF THE DAY Today's review is on "The World Tour Live On-Stage" video. 11: MUSIC BOX I'm so alive... 12: MMPR POLL #5 Your vote counts! 13: THE MMPR BULLETIN BOARD Looking for some hard-to-get merchandise? Here's the place to look... 14: TODAY'S TRIVIA Do *you* know the answer? 15: POWER RANGER B-DAY ANNOUNCEMENTS! Happy, happy birthday, Baby! 16: WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK? Don't miss it! 17: NEXT ISSUE! A sneak peak at issue 60. ************************************************************************** **** MIGHTY (NON-UNION) POWER RANGERS by David Robb -- from "Backstage West: The Performing Arts Weekly"; 9/28/95 - 10/5/95 issue sent in by Matthew and Norma Sakimoto Here is Part Two out of Three: POOL LOCK Many popular films and TV shows shot in the U.S. have managed to skirt one or more of Hollywood's many unions over the years, but very few have ever succeeded in getting around SAG. Quentin Tarantino, for instance, made Reservoir Dogs without bothering to sign contracts with the Directors Guild of America or with the Writers Guild or America, but he still signed with SAG. Likewise, Spike Lee shot She's Gotta Have It and his subsequent films without signing DGA and WGA contracts, but he still signed SAG's. Signing a contract with SAG--or with SAG's sister union, the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, which covers actors who perform on taped TV shows--has been virtually mandatory, even for producers who don't like unions, because SAG and AFTRA have long enjoyed a lock on the pool of acting talent, and have strictly enforced their jurisdictions. To keep its members in line, SAG can and does enforce its so-called "Rule One," which prohibits SAG members from working for nonsignatory companies. Those actors who are caught working on non-union films--which usually turns out to be the lowest of the lowest-budget movies--are brought up before a SAG tribunal and disciplined, or, in rare cases, kicked out of the union. Saban has gotten around SAG by hiring non-SAG actors, by hiring SAG members who work under assumed names, or hiring SAG members who have resigned from SAG by opting for "financial core" status. Union members who voluntarily opt for financial core status can't run for union office or vote on union contracts, and they get only a small discount on their union dues, which they still must pay. But they can work on union and non-union productions, and hey cannot be disciplined by their union for working non-union, or even for crossing a picket line in the event of a strike. SAG recently fined one of its members $10,000 for violating Rule One by working on Saban's non-union shows. The actor turned around and quit the union by declaring financial core status. A SAG board member who was surprised to learn that Saban was producing these shows right here in Southern California without benefit of a SAG contract called on SAG to take immediate action. "I think it's a big deal," the board member said. "If this activity is going on right here in the Hollywood area, it needs to be addressed by the guild, and quickly. These programs are successful and are making big money. It does not bode well for the future of the union performers." Many of the actors in Saban's stable who were interviewed for the story agreed. "The union is being bypassed, and that's a dangerous situation," said one of Saban's regular performers. "SAG never really tried to unionize Saban. They never really made the attempt. The union needs to communicate and find out what's needed and wanted. But frankly, it might be too late." Indeed, Saban's Sweet Valley High and VR Troopers, which feature ensemble casts of non-union actors, are already in their second seasons, and Power Rangers is in its third. Another performer said he blamed SAG as much as he did Saban for this state of affairs, but added, "We the actors are also responsible, but unfortunately, there are people who have to take what they can get. Nobody is taking all responsibility at all, and Saban is taking advantage of this." A SAG member who works under an assumed name for a Saban show suggested that SAG should offer "amnesty" to Saban's actors and then call for a walk-out. "If all the financial core actors and all the union actors who are working under assumed names walked away from all its projects, Saban would be in the deep trouble," the performer said. "If Saban wanted to stay in business, it would have to sign a SAG contract. The actors would then turn the water off. I would walk off the show in a minute, and I think the others would, too. This would shut down production right then and there." Other performers, however, said that if SAG puts up a picket line and the actors honored it, Saban might just replace them all with other non-union actors--as it did recently with three Power Rangers who were holding out for more money--or move its productions to Canada, whose actors' union is very accommodating to runaway American productions. None of Saban's actors said they want to see Saban close its doors and move to Canada. "SAG should come in and sit down at a bargaining table and tailor-make a contract," one of the actors said. "We need residuals or a buyout of residuals. We need health benefits. That's the biggest thing right there. We need pension benefits. But these guys are getting away with ripping us off. SAG has to come up with something that's fair for everybody." Katy Wallin, whose Katy & Co. casting agency casts all of Saban's live-action shows, declined to discuss her casting practices. "You should probably talk to somebody more directly involved with the producers," she said. The article concludes in the next issue. ************************************************************************** **** [funny name here] JOKE COLUMN by David Bryan (bryand@cadvision.com) OK, we've all heard it. There's going to be a second movie, the first one made lots. No, there's not, the first one bombed. Is there? Isn't there? Well, I'd like to clear all this up for everyone. Unfortunately, I can't, because I don't know. However, I do know that there may or may not be a second movie. But did you ever wonder what it might be about? What improvements would be made? Whether they'll do some decent CGI? Well, according to my sources, any of the following are possible: - Thirty years in the future. There have been a total of 529 different rangers. Through an amazing time-travel plot, all the Rangers are united to defeat every single bad guy, ever. - Drama. The heart-wrenching story of Tommy going through speech therapy classes to try to stop using the word "man," and failing miserably. - The rangers are attacked by strange, otherwordly beings and beat the tar out of them, only to find that they were normal Californian teenagers. - Relatively the same as the first movie, except actors are replaced with robots, both to save money and improve the talent. - Billy looses his contact lenses and ends up fighting against the Rangers because he refuses to wear his glasses. ************************************************************************** **** SABAN SIGHTINGS! Today's Sightings is called Saban Sightings rather than MMPR Sightings because we have a few VR Troopers and Masked Rider sightings... -- Walter Jones character on Malibu Shores, "Mouse", will be the main character on the April 20th episode of Malibu Shores. DON'T MISS IT!!! -- Austin St. John has his face on a Hostess chips box. * Thanks to br550@freenet.toronto.on.ca for this sighting. -- "Bulk's niece", who was recently seen on the Fuzzles commercial, was in a VR Troopers PSA where the Troopers tell two kids who were acting out scenes from the show to leave the stunts to the stuntpeople on the show. She was one of the kids! * Thanks for Heather Almeter for this info. -- Rheannon J. Slover, who plays Molly on "Masked Rider", was in a commercial about waiting to have sex until marriage. * Thanks to halmeter@spea.spea.indiana.edu for this info. -- Sarah Brown, who used to play Kaitlin on "VR Troopers", is now a regular character on "General Hospital", or some kind of soap. I forgot which. * Who sent me this information? I lost my e-mail from last week, and can't find you. Please e-mail me so I can give you credit. -- Paul Schrier II, who plays Bulk on "Power Rangers", does a voiceover in Teknoman. * thanks to 71317.1524@compuserve.com for this info. -- The comic, "Sly Fox", featured a character called Max Mouse. * Thanks to iamnyc@bway.net for pointing this sighting out. ************************************************************************** **** POWER RANGERS PROFILE #5 The box of magic chose Adam, the Black Ranger. * * * * * * * * * * * SERIES ONE (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers symbol) "Power Rangers Profile" Collect 'Em! Trade 'Em! * * * * * * * * * * * ADAM The Black Ranger (Picture of the Black Ranger's helmet) About Adam As a youngster, Adam was someone what introverted and smaller than the other boys. He turned to martial arts as a means of building his self-esteem and defending himself against bullies. Thanks to his Zen-like meditation and his years of martial arts training, Adam is very focused and disciplined, possessing great inner strength. (Picture of the Power Ax) ------------- Q: What does Adam draw her power from? A: (will be revealed next issue) Q: Which form of martial arts does Adam know best? A: (will be revealed next issue) Q: Who did Adam replace as a Power Ranger? A: (will be revealed next issue) (picture of Black Lion Thunderzord) Q: Who did Zedd send to Angel Grove to trick Adam for the vice-versa dance? A: (will be revealed next issue) Q: What kind of power turns teens into Power Rangers? A: (will be revealed next issue) Q: Who contacts the Power Rangers for Zordon? A: (will be revealed next issue) (Black Ranger and mastodon in a triangle) ************************************************************************** **** POWER RANGERS STRIP SHOW #4 [ANSWERS!] Here are the answer's to Kimberly's strip. Q: What does Kimberly draw her power from? A: The Pterodactyl. Q: What did Kimberly do when she first saw who the White Ranger was? A: She fainted. Q: Who kidnapped Kimberly and tried to turn her into an evil queen for Lord Zedd? A: Goldar. Q: What instrument was Kimberly playing when Zedd got the idea to unleash the Guitardo? A: The Guitar. Q: What do the power teens say before they morph into their uniforms? A: It's Morphin Time! Q: Where did Goldar imprison the World Teen Summit delegates? A: In a deep cave. ************************************************************************** **** OOPS! I guess even geniuses make mistakes. ;) In the last newsletter, I got a some information wrong. (Hey, nobody's purfict!) Here's some corrections and updates: -- "Sicily"'s real name is Sicily Sewell, not Shekinah Williams. * Thanks to Matt Sakimoto for this correction. -- The game is called "Gabriel's Knight - The Beast Within", not "Gabriel's End". * Thanks to inet!tucch@uunet.uu.net for this info. Here are some updates on "Where Are They Know?" from KibaRanger@aol.com: -- Austin St. John also has a Martial Arts Encyclopedia (video). -- Thuy Trang was in Walter Jones' Dance Masters video, and Austin St. John's Martial Arts Encyclopedia. -- Walter Jones is also on Malibu Shores, has a Dance Masters video, appears quickly in the Martial Arts Encyclopedia, appears in "Karate Masters", and seen at car shows. * Patri56297@aol.com also pointed out the Malibu Shores sighting. ************************************************************************** **** NICE TO MEET YOU E-MAIL ADDRESS: Rn2Be97@aol.com REAL NAME: Dan Johnson 4BIRTHDATE: 1/14/83 CURRENT RESIDENCE: Omaha, NE FAVE EPISODE(S): "Master Vile and the Metallic Armor Part II" and "Mighty Morphin Mutants" FAVE QUOTE: "It's morphin time!" ************************************************************************** **** STRETCH Last week's stretch word was "Cookies". Here are the three most creative responses: #3: Cookies are food you want to eat a lot of, and the Rangers fought the Pudgy Pig who ate A LOT of food. -- EnsTomP@aol.com #2- Cookies are eaten by the Cookie Monster, like the monsters that the Rangers fight on the show. -- dudette@ois.com.au #1- Cookies are food, and you chew food, and you also chew bubblegum, and bubblegum is pink, and so was the goop in Billy's volcano that shot all over Bulk in "For Whom The Bell Trolls". -- Ninjamousy@aol.com My idea: Cookies are things you eat, and the Juice Bar sells things to eat. Today's stretch word is "Disneyland". ************************************************************************** **** ASK MAX Q: How do you pronounce "Zeo Ranger I-V"? -- Patri56297 A: It's a Roman Numeral so it'd be Zeo Ranger one, Zeo Ranger two, etc. Q: In "Along Came A Spider", why does it say that it was written by Buzz Alden and Charlotte? A: The two writers had to use pseudonyms because they were SAG members (I figured this out after reading the above article) and they used those particular names because Buzz Alden is an astronaut who worked for NASA and that makes up for the NASA subplot, and Charlotte is the spider from "Charlotte's Web", and that makes up for the Spider subplot. ************************************************************************** **** TODAY'S REVIEW OF THE DAY by Marx Okman (marxokman@aol.com) Today's review is on "The World Tour Live On-Stage" video. By now, we all know that there was a Power Rangers world tour live on-stage show. And, if you read the newsletter last week, you would know that the show had been filmed and put on video, two years after it was performed. So, what's it like? The video is actually pretty cool. During the performance, there were large screens that showed footage of things that couldn't be shown onstage (i.e. the zords, Command Center, etc.) and the video shows those clips, rather than showing the clips being played on a screen. It also gets great shots of what's going onstage and whenever the audience interacts with the play, it shows the audience too. So, basically you're not just watching the show -- it's a mixture of things to help you feel like you actually participated. The story is actually pretty creative. Zedd's palace lands on the moon, and he devises an evil plan to send down an evil lion monster (Sorry, I forgot the name) who can destroy anything he touches. Alpha notices the disturbance and comes to the city (wherever the Rangers are) to find out what is wrong, and the putties attack him. He gets the audience to call on them and they appear and kick some putty butt! Then, there's a little performance on the moon and Goldar goes and kidnaps Aisha and Adam and traps them in a cage in Zedd's cave. Then, Lord Zedd turns them into cockatoos, and Zedd figures that when the Rangers come to save them, they'll trap them! The Rangers fight the lion monster in their zords (The zords were on a screen and the monster was fighting them on the other side of the screen, which looked really cheap and fake), and get the audience to help create rain. Then, the putties create a monster while "Silly Putty Putties Makes Silly Monster" plays in the back. The only thing that can get rid of the monster is sound. The Rangers make it into the cave and Aisha and Adam try to tell them the monster's weak spot but they can only speak bird. Saba communicates with them (he can speak bird too) and tells the Ranger the monster's weak spot. The Rangers get the audience to make a lot of noise, and the monster is destroyed! Now, Zedd is totally POd and he blows himself up into a big balloon. The Ranger ask the kids to hold up their prism cards (I guess they got them when they bought their ticket) and Lord Zedd deflates back to the moon. The Rangers are happy -- but, they must return to Angel Grove to fight Zedd's newest challenge. They wave goodbye and it ends. (I think that's right -- who knows? The costumes are okay, but not exactly like the ones on the show. However, I have to admit that each costume was a good example of each character. The coolest thing was that the Rangers looked like they were supposed to -- like Kimberly was the shortest, Tommy was the tallest, etc. The teens make an appearance on the screen, but never on the show. However, all of the cast members do the voiceovers (I don't think Saba did though) and the thing runs pretty smoothly. This video is very creative and fun to watch, even for 70 minutes, which is long for a home-video. It's only on video and well-worth the money. If you haven't seen the tour show, it's a must-have. And, if you have seen the show, then you should buy it just to relive the memory. ;) ************************************************************************** **** MUSIC BOX by Marx Okman (marxokman@aol.com) "Alive" (PJ Olsson) (whispered) So alive.... Ali-i-i-i-i-i-ive Chorus- I'm so alive, I'm so alive I'm so alive; yes, I'm going -- I'm going to a world today. I'm so alive, I'm so alive. I'm so alive; yes, I'm leaving -- I'm leaving for a world today. Verse 1- Now, wait for the full situation. It's coming in solitude. After the field of alteration. Running into me, yeah. Seeing in the state of information When I get a hold-on. Off to a place of a higher nation. I'm coming in light, yeah * Chorus * (whispered) So alive... Ali-i-i-i-i-i-ive Verse 2- Far in a state of meditation Lookin' inside of me Flipped to an escape of complications They're never gonna hold me too I ain't gonna take your invitation Right low to the ground Sittin' in the light of reservation To come alive now I'm so alive... But, I'm so alive... I'm so alive... Now...I...am so... * Chorus * (two times) ************************************************************************** **** MMPR POLL #5 This week's poll is "What do you expect from Power Rangers Zeo?" Please give concise answers. Thanks! :) ************************************************************************** **** THE MMPR BULLETIN BOARD If you have an announcement you'd like me to print, send it to "BULLETIN BOARD" at marxokman@aol.com! --- Today's quote comes from the "It's Coming" Power Rangers Zeo previews... --- meiche@teleport.com is writing a "Your obsession of PRZ has gone to far when..." and would like some input from everyone. He will also give out "Your obsession of MMPR has gone to far when..." to anyone who asks. --- ACMeeko@aol.com is desperately looking for a copy of "Beauty and the Beast". --- Rushnrulet@aol.com is looking for the following cards: series 1: 26, 32, 37 series 2: 74, 96, 115, 122 series 3: 6, 33, 58, 59, 61, 64, 71 --- marxokman@aol.com is looking for any MMPR boxes. The ones that the cards come in, the candy comes in, etc. The ones you have to ask for when the thing is empty. :) --- marxokman@aol.com is also looking for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Graphic Novel (I saw an ad in one of the old comic books of MMPR) and the #4 VR Trooper McDonald's toy. --- ue451@freenet.Victoria.BC.CA is selling Titanus ($80), Megazord ($50), DragonZord ($50), Power Rangers Gun Sword Figures Red, Yellow, Blue, Black, Pink, and Battle Bikes (3) for $15 each. ************************************************************************** **** TODAY'S TRIVIA Today's trivia question is "Which three monsters were defeated because of their vanity?" Last week's trivia was "Who ended up winning the basketball game in 'The Trouble With Shellshock'?" The answer was Billy. Zack was the champion against Jason, and Kimberly and Trini were the "cheerleaders". After Zack whooped Jason's bootie (Hey, this is for kid's too), Billy talked Zack into playing against him -- and, ended up winning! I have to mention TienCO@aol.com for her correct answer: "Billy won the game -- I am so proud of him!" * IMPORTANT NEWS: The scoreboard is ending. There will still be trivia questions, but the answers will be posted in the next issue, and it won't matter if you know the answer or not. KIBARANGER@AOL.COM WAS THE WINNER OF THE LAST SCOREBOARD!!! ************************************************************************** **** POWER RANGER B-DAY ANNOUNCEMENTS! Welcome to the MMPR Birthday Announcements! It works like this: We'll list your name, either your real or screen, your e-mail address directly after, and then the month and day of your birth. Happy birthday to these MMPR Newsletter members, from April: David Anthony Bryan (Bryand@cadvision.com)..............4/1/80 Joe Kutniewski III (NYZeta@aol.com)...........................4/7/76 April McCarron (AprilMac12@aol.com).........................4/13/83 Brian Alexander Clark Lewis (BACL@aol.com)..............4/15/79 Debbie Herndon (Ninjamousy@aol.com).........................4/17/81 Josh Goldberg (mike_g@earthlink.net).............................4/17/87 Kristy Fritz (KLF4009324@aol.com).............................4/26/82 Krystal (LitlBug@aol.com)..............................................4/28/84 ************************************************************************** **** WHAT'S ON THIS WEEK? I got these summaries from the Fox Kids web site. (http://www.foxnetwork.com): Monday, April 15: WATER YOU THINKING? The young Rangers begin their quest to find the five shards of the shattered Zeo Crystal. Rocky's quest leads him to rural Mexico, where he must climb an active volcano! Tuesday, April 16: ALONG CAME A SPIDER Adam's quest leads him to ancient Korea, in search of a wise man named Kai-Ogi, while Zedd and Rita spin a web of deceit to trap the unsuspecting Alien Rangers. Wednesday, April 17: SOWING THE SEAS OF EVIL Tommy and Katherine search for their shards of the Zeo Crystal; Tommy in the American Southwest, where a native American shaman leads him on a vision quest, and Katherine in a place very much like the Australian outback, where she must make a difficult choice. Thursday, April 18: HOGDAY AFTERNOON, PART I Master Vile's plan has succeeded: the Earth has been turned backwards in time, and the now-preteen Rangers are the only ones who realize what has happened. As Master Vile assembles an army of monsters to destroy the defenseless city, and Goldar and Rito try to destroy the Command Center itself, Zordon seeks assistance from a very distant source... Saturday, April 20: HOGDAY AFTERNOON, PART II The Alien Rangers agree to defend the Earth until Zordon and the Power Rangers can figure out a way to restore the planet, and themselves, to the proper time. But can the Aliens hope to defeat an army of the craftiest villains the Rangers have ever faced--without the home-court advantage? * A ZEO BEGINNING, PART I The teens can hardly believe what they've seen--the command center, for years their sanctuary from the devious Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd, lies in ruins before them, the fate of their friend Alpha and their mentor Zordon uncertain. It looks like this is truly the end of the Power Rangers. But the end is always a new beginning... * indicates a new episode ************************************************************************** **** NEXT ISSUE! The 60th issue with... A review on "Power Rangers Zeo", an index on which Music Boxes hold which songs, a list of Power Ranger Zeo toys, a story about Max's trip to a MMPR-packed Kmart in Los Angeles, Mark's sighting of Saban Entertainment and Saban Studios, part three of the article on "Mighty (Non-Union) Power Rangers, a funny classified ad, another What's On This Week, a new top 10 list, a new Stretch game, poll results, and more! Coming on April 24th or earlier!!! I am still working on the MMPR MegAdventure review.... Don't forget... -- to write a review (maybe on PRZ merchandise) -- to write a Top 10 list -- to watch "Power Rangers Zeo" premiere on April 20th That's all for now! I think we should leave with Kimberly's song again... MEMORIES ("Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" Song) by Kimberly Hart Down the road, we never know What life may hold in store Winds of change will rearrange Our lives more than before But you'll never stand alone, my show Memories never die In our hearts, you'll always live And never say goodbye Mark "Three More Days!!!" Oxman President of the MMPR Fan Club ************************************************************************** SEND REPLIES & CORRESPONDENCE TO marxokman@aol.com or MOXMAN@CHIBA.NETXN.COM **************************************************************************