Coming Up

Linda Hardesty

Sci Fi Channel is at it again. After having a smash hit with its maximum-length miniseries from Steven Spielberg, Taken, the network is back with another potential blockbuster, Frank Herbert's Children of Dune. This production appears to have spared no expense, and it boasts the star power of Susan Sarandon. While the flying-saucer saga Taken had broad appeal, viewers will need some familiarity with the world of Dune to enjoy the new miniseries. But Dune has proved popular with Sci Fi fans in the past, and the latest installment should draw a crowd.

Next month, Trio focuses on film, and its centerpiece is the outstanding documentary Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, about the generation of filmmakers that changed the movie business in the 1960s and 1970s. Amazing footage of the young Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Peter Bogdanovich, Dennis Hopper and others highlight this look at how personal pictures like Mean Streets, American Graffiti, and The Last Picture Show put the dying studios in touch with new audiences. Until, that is, a kid named Spielberg came along and changed the game again. After seeing this documentary, you won't be able to wait for the next showing of Bonnie and Clyde on Turner Classic Movies.