Chicago Tribune from Chicago, Illinois • Page 82

i Tempo 10 Section 5 Chicago Tribune, Thursday, December 4, 1997 'Voyager' prescription More of Robert Picardo as the Doctor Sci-fi --I I i-. 'fil v1 -v' IMIIIIlil -I1V i i li Study: Estrogen doesn't increase risk of breast cancer By Ron Kotulak and Jon Van Tribune Staff Writers Many women with a family history of breast cancer are afraid of taking hormone replacement therapy after menopause because they think it may increase their risk of breast cancer. But an eight-year study of nearly 42,000 Iowa women found Anastasia and her grandmother discuss the future in a scene from "Anastasia," Twentieth Century Fox's animation challenge to Disney. Inaccurate 'Anastasia' will satisfy young viewers Later this season, in "Retrospect," the Doctor will develop a psychotherapeutic subroutine in the hopes of assuming the role of ship's counselor. His efforts at self-improvement will backfire with dramatic results.

On other fronts, fans can see Picardo's cameo as the Doctor in "First Contact" (1996) this month on HBO, and can catch his brief turn in "Menno's Mind," a sci-fi outing with "Trek" veterans Michael Dorn and Corbin Bernsen, which debuts Dec. 13 on The Movie Channel. Picardo's also hopeful that he'll follow up his directing stint on the "Voyager" episode "Alter Ego" with another show early next season. When summer 1998 rolls around, look for Picardo in "Small Soldiers," a live-action Pixar animation melange about action figures that come to life in the real world. The DreamWorks SKG film is in production now, with Picardo's longtime pal and frequent employer, Joe Dante, calling the shots.

"I don't know yet what I'm going to play," says Picardo, who's appeared in such Dante pictures as "The Howling" (1981), "Gremlins 2" (1990) and "Matinee" (1993). "I can guarantee you this: I'll be the only actor in the movie who actually has an action figure of his own. Hopefully, hidden in the background of my big scene, you will see my Doctor doll somewhere. That's my goal." Family movie guide departed, a scenario that's had a great impact on both Picardo's screen time and the Doctor's character development. "Seven of Nine introduces an additional source of conflict on the ship, and that's good," Picardo says.

"She's already got an interesting relationship with Janeway Kate Mulgrew, and she's developing an interesting relationship with the Doctor. "She's a technological creature, as is he, which means there's a natural respect that she may not have right off the bat for other crew members. There's an air of superiority that comes with technological perfection that they both share, and we're going to play on that. They'll become confidantes," he says. "Jeri is a talented actress, and it all brings a whole new realm of possibilities for scenes because we've never had a character like Seven of Nine.

She is an enemy-turned-ally and she's fun to look at, which never hurts." In coming weeks viewers will see more of the Doctor. First, there's "Message in a Bottle," in which the Voyager crew uses an alien sensor network to send a compressed holographic Doctor program through space to a Star-fleet ship on the outskirts of the Alpha Quadrant Once there, the Doctor interacts with that ship's holographic doctor, played by "NewsRadio's" Andy Dick. way through fighting games also can maim opponents by slashing their arms and legs. To add an element of strategy, players can run around their opponent and attack from different angles. The sound and graphics for Bushido Blade are excellent The game also has a high replay value because of the complexity of the moves and the variety of weapons.

Fighting Force Innovative, 3-D brawler takes on thugs in the streets of New York while attempting to put an end to the evil Dr. Zeng, who is determined to destroy the world. One or two players fight their way through seven levels and 25 stages including back alleys, elevators and underground subways. Along the way, gamers must fight hundreds of bad guys who stand in the way of their stopping the terrorist. Players can use any weapon they find along the way, such as pipes, boxes and barrels.

They also can smash soda machines for a soft drink or demolish an ATM machine to pick up some extra cash. If you're looking for more than a standard fighting game, this would be an excellent choice. Street Fighter EX Plus Alpha One of the best 2-D fighting game series makes an impressive showing in the 3-D fighting game arena. The old characters have never looked better or fought with more aggression. The newest addition to the Street Fighter series maintains a similar fighting style to the original, but has added more offensive attacks.

Expect to see Guile, who has always been a defensive player, take on a much more aggressive role. Like all the games in the Street Fighter series, this game is fun and the controls are easy to learn. 01997 Webstar UnivmNy new ucn By Ian Spelling New York Times News Service TT t's been an excellent sea- I son so far," Robert I Picardo, a a the Doctor, I says of "Voyager's" fourth year. "We've had extraordinary action shows as well as incredible optical effects and some very thoughtful stories. 'Year of Hell' two-parter was like a movie, and it was the same with 'Scientific That last show also had the sight of me in tights for the first time, which I know was an extraordinary thrill for our regular viewers.

"The wonderful thing about working with Jeri Ryan (as Seven of Nine) when I was wearing the Spandex was that Jeri thought it was completely OK to treat me as a sex object, and it was. It was something I'd been begging for for years." 'Picardo, on the telephone from his trailer on the Paramount Pictures lot, laughs. "I'd always felt I had the nicest butt in the acting company, but I'm sure there are eight other butts that would care to differ," heisays. "Now that Jeri's come along and joined the group, it's hard to hold onto the title." Ryan's arrival on "Voyager" clearly reinvigorated the series. The progress is apparent everywhere, from the snappier scripts to the increased ratings.

Of course. Seven of Nine beamed aboard just as Kes (Jennifer Lien) Fighting your By Michael McGeehe Tribune Staff Writer the holiday season approaches, the competition for fighting games is starting to heat up. Each year more and more fighting games are released with only a few worth buying. If you are still stumped on which fighting game to get, here are a few Sony PlayStation games that will please even the most hard-core fighting game fans. Bushido Blade If you buy just one fighting game this year, this probably is the game for you.

This unique fighting game could easily redefine the genre. There are no life meters, combos or time limits. Players pick one of eight samurai weapons such a war hammer or a saber and compete against their opponents head-to-head. Once a fatal blow is delivered, the game is over. Players Look who's on-line Thursday 7 p.m.

"Chef Jerry Gulley," on the Internet. Learn how to prepare low-fat meals, www.digltalehef.comcommunity Chat 8 p.m. "Marty Krofft H.R. Pufnstuf," on America Online. Chat with wacky duo of at Nite." Location: Bowl.

Keyword: NAN ..78. p.m. "Ed McMahon," on America Online. Chat with Johnny Carson's legendary sidekick and current star of "The Tom Show." Location: Globe. Keyword: Comedy Clinic Friday 7 p.m.

"Country Music Star wynonna," on America Online. Discuss her single "She Is His Only Need." Location: AOL Live. Keyword: Electra 9 p.m. "AIDS Educator Sean Sasser," on America Online. Former co-star on MTV's series, "Real World 3" discusses his AIDS education efforts.

Location: AOL Live. Keyword: AltMed Saturday 10 a.m. "Donnie O'Quinn," on CompuServe. Chat with co-author of "Photoshop in a Nutshell." Location: CompuServe Forum. a.m.

"Coin Expert on the Internet Chat with experts from the coin collecting world. For details, visit: Sunday 9 p.m. "Mitch Woods, blues singer" on the Internet. Chat about his album, "Keeper of the Flower." www.BluesChat.com Monday 7 p.m. "Veronica Webb 4 Katie Ford," on America Online.

Chat with a model and the CEO of Ford Models respectively. Location: Bowl. Keyword: Electra 7 p.m. "Kaye Gibbons, author," on America Online. Chat about her award-winning novel, "Ellen Foster" and her book, "A Virtuous Woman." Location: Globe.

Keyword: Oprah Tuesday 7 p.m. "Dan Gordon," on America Online. Meet creator of TV series, "Highlander." Location: AOL Live. Keyword: AOL Live 8 p.m. "Talk Show Host Jenny Jones," on America Online.

Discuss her new autobiography, "Jenny Jones: My Story." Location: Globe. Keyword: Book Report Wednesday 7 p.m. "Jane Pratt, founder of Sassy on America Online. Discuss her latest book, "Beyond Beauty: Girts Speak Out On Looks, Style and Stereotypes." Location: Globe. Keyword: Book Report For access, you need a computer, modem and appropriate software.

Call: America Online 800-922 0808; CompuServe 800-554-4067; Prodigy 800-776-3449; Microsoft Network 800-426-9400. (Check your on-line service for updates.) 1987 Thbuw Mttta SarvteM A This feature is intended to help parents learn about movies their children are seeing or might want to see. Talk about empowering kids! "Anastasia" (G), the most heavily hyped non-Disney animation feature, has opened to respectable and even more-than-respectable reviews. But now comes the real test: How will it rate on the kiddie-meter? Probably high. It's got beautiful visuals, and the romantic angle has an edge that keeps it from becoming "icky." But any young moviegoer who thinks of it as an accurate account of the Russian Revolution will be in for a reality check from a history teacher.

The mass execution of the czar's family is presented fleetingly, although a few scenes of the mad monk Rasputin may be temporarily unsettling to really young kids. But fidgeting probably will be kept to a minimum. "Bean" (PG-13) Kids will probably like Rowan Atkinson's disturbing Mr. Bean character as much as, if not more than, adults. Bean is pure cartoon, from his odd personal-hygiene habits to his inability to succeed at even the slightest of tasks (including standing still and not touching anything).

While the grownups start getting bored halfway through, the kids will probably be more forgiving as they await Mr. Bean's next disastrous move. "Boogie Nights" (R) Mark Wahlberg and Burt Reynolds are inhabitants of the sleazy, universe of the 1970s porn industry. "Critical Care" (R) James Spader is a cynical young doctor who gets caught in a lawsuit between two sisters whose father lies in a "persistent vegetative state" while the hospital drains off his life savings, and Albert Brooks is the institution's greedy alcoholic chief resident who doesn't want to treat anyone without health insurance. The film has a chilling message: that hospitals are in the business of collecting insurance and to maximize profits they will mechanically prolong the lives of suffering patients.

"Fast, Cheap and Out of Control" (PG) Director Errol Morris interweaves the work of four inspired eccentrics a lion tamer, a topiary gardener, a scientist studying social behavior of the naked mole-rat, and a robot designer into a haunting and poetic exploration of creative imagination. Morris brings wisdom, wit, quirkiness and a metaphysical overview to this eerily beautiful meditation. "Grizzly Mountain" (G) Kids who see this film will probably feel as if they're Exclusive Trunk jffij yi (01 Discoveries that estrogen does not significantly increase their risk of breast cancer and that they actually have half the death rate of women who don't take estrogen, said Dr. Thomas A. Sellers of the University of Minnesota.

Women who take estrogen live longer because the hormone protects them against heart disease and stroke, each of which kills more women than breast cancer, he reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 'Assisted technology' on rise The use of wheelchairs, braces, hearing aids, telescopic lenses and other devices that help people get along has increased dramatically in the last 10 years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. About 17 million Americans now rely on these devices, a number that has increased because of population expansion, the growing number of older people and technological advances. Among devices showing the biggest increases between 1980 and 1990 are braces (other than foot or leg braces), up 174 percent; walkers and wheelchairs, up nearly 100 percent; and canes and walking sticks, up 53 percent. Marvelous milk Teenage girls who drink an extra half-pint of milk daily do not gain weight but they do have stronger bones.

A 12-month study of 82 12-year-old girls in Sheffield, England, found that girls who drank more whole or reduced-fat milk did not gain or lose weight, or show differences in height, but their bone mineral density and content was higher than that of girls who stuck to their usual diet said Dr. Margo Barker of the University of Sheffield. Building stronger bones early in life could help prevent osteoporosis and its consequent risk of bone fractures, she reported in the British Medical Journal Diamond Brokers store visiting a favorite uncle (Dan Maggerty), who happens to live in one of the country's most picturesque places. Most kids will enjoy the buffoonish bad guys, the snarling bad woman and the broad jokes about how the 1870 gentry respond to high-tech toys. "The Jackal" (R) International assassin Bruce Willis (a master of disguise known only as the Jackal) is assigned to kill a top U.S.

government official. He's pursued by an FBI deputy director (Sidney Poitier) who works with a Russian intelligence officer (Diane Venora) and an imprisoned Irish militant (Richard Gere), one of the few who knows what the Jackal looks like. This is an adult thriller with an intricate plot, strong language, adult issues, bloody violence and intense action. "Mad City" (PG-13) This tale of a simple security guard who, basically through an accident, winds up taking a group of schoolkids hostage, won't scare young viewers as much as it will bore them. "The Man Who Knew Too Little" (PG) Bill Murray's cartoonist) behavior aside, his brand of humor is a bit too subtle for most kids to pick up on.

But then, in this lame, mildly violent comic thriller, the humor might be too subtle for anyone to get. "The Matchmaker" (R) An old-fashioned love story full of modern-day charm and romance in which Janeane Garofalo travels to Ireland to locate information about Irish relatives for the senator who is her boss, in hopes that it will help him win votes. She arrives in town at the same time the local matchmaker is holding a festival for singles, and finds a match of her own. "Mondo" (Unrated, but contains PG elements) This tale of a 10-year-old gypsy boy who brings joy to the slums of Nice has strong, mystical charm. But the locale's harshness is definitely not glossed over.

"The Rainmaker" (PG-13) Director Francis Ford Coppola gives John Grisham's best seller a polished, intelligent interpretation. But the trial scenes and steamy characterizations may not interest kids. Language and accounts of spousal abuse. "Red Comer" (R) Richard Gere, in one of his more forceful recent performances, stars as a middle-aged American who is outraged by the Chinese government's repressive tactics. This courtroom drama relies as heavily on standard movie melodrama as on its harshly critical vision of China.

"Seven Yeart In Tibet" (PG-13) Young viewers interested in world politics and exotic locales, as well as Brad Pitt fans, will respond to this saga of a despicable Nazi who finds redemption through the young Dalai Lama. But younger audience members may think it seems like the titular seven years. "Telling Llet in America" (PG-13) Teens should enjoy this coming-of-age tale, mostly because of star Brad Renfro. And even though the film is set in the '60s, the lessons about growing up are universal and the rock n' roll is still good stuff. V.

POTTER Show 6 Y500 I I -TT. Time tn Put Your Career On A 7 wi iuic 1 -jv -x An advanced degree from Webster University can open up all kinds of opportunities. You'll share the knowledge of faculty who are successful professionals in their fields. Choose from flexible evening and weekend options, once-a-week classes and accelerated nine-week terms. Get instant access to our "Passports" online research library from campus, home or work.

And enhance your resume with a university that has an 80-year tradition of academic excellence, and a network of over 70 campuses that span the globe, Webster University. Education for the real world. Classes begin January 5, 1998. Webster Graduate programs are offered in Lake and McHenry Counties. Deerfleld Campus Crystal Lake Campus 570 Lake Cook Road 8900 NW Highway, US 14 Suite 106 Building B.

Room B174 Deerfield, IL 6001 5 Crystal Lake, IL 600 1 2 847-940-4556 FAX: 847-940-0364 Web Site: www.websteruniv.edu E-mail: sandyr20ix.netcom.com Dec. 4. 5, 6 9:30 8:30 rri. Sf I Approved: Illinois Board of Higher Education 45 First Highland Park 1.