Throwback Thursday: Great Stuff From Our Past Years Lists
One of the highest grossing films in Japan that year was "Cyborg She" (My Girlfriend Is A Cyborg), so it is no surprise that the film's lead actress, Haruka Ayase, would be a sought after commodity. Haruka found working on the film to be a challenge due to the language barrier between her and Korean movie director, Jae-Yong Kwak. "Mr Kwak taught me acting through gestures and facial emotions." Ayase also took a very playful approach to her robot character, "“Because I don’t have an opportunity to punch men, I enjoyed doing it during production.” I'm sure there are a lot of men out there that are happy that she got to live that fantasy out on the set.
Now male fans worldwide will want their very own Haruka Ayase cyborg. I guess it's time to trade in my "Lucy Liu Bot" for a new model!
See: Top Ten Hottest Women Of 2008
2008: Murphy As The Riddler? Weisz As Catwoman? Labeouf As Robin? Here We Go Again!
You know that Batman sequel that Christopher Nolan has been denying for months, well now it reportedly has a cast and a title. According to sources close to Nolan, the film will be titled, "Gotham" and will feature Rachel Weisz as Catwoman, Eddie Murphy as The Riddler and Shia Labeouf as Batman's trusted sidekick Robin.
As recently as October Nolan was making public statements that he wasn't sure that he even wanted to make a third Batman movie, worrying that he couldn't pull off a decent film.
Things reportedly changed in the Nolan camp, and changed in a hurry.
Weisz is the latest of the names to associated with the Catwoman character. For months it was believed that Angelina Jolie was the front-runner for the part. At one time even Cher's name was reported to be on the short-list. Weisz, however, now seems to be a lock.
It is interesting to note that Christopher Nolan didn't want to do a third film because third films generally "suck" (Those are his words), yet by bringing in three new characters, he seems to be following the same formula for disaster. Fans often refer to the adding too many elements into one films as the "Too Many Villains Syndrome." What generally happens here is that too many new characters get put into one film, limiting their character development, which bogs down the films plot. Examples of this are, "Spider-man 3", "Batman Forever" and "Batman & Robin." Fans generally point out that the best superhero films almost always feature one villain.
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See: The Most Talked About Stories Of 2008
2009: Allison Scagliotti
Just like last year's top cutie, Haruka Ayase, this years favorite, Allison Scagliotti, is more of a down to Earth, girl-next-door type.
I guess that this just goes to prove that what guys are 'really' looking for is a girl they can take home to mom.
Am I right guys?.....guys?.....guess I lost a few there.
Anyway, "Warehouse 13" is huge hit for the SyFy Channel and the fact that Scagliotti is on the show, certainly helped the actress capture our number one.
On "Warehouse 13" Scagliotti plays Claudia Donovan, a young, hip, brilliant techno-wiz, who manages to successfully breach the Warehouse's complex security system in order to track down Artie (Rubinek). With a natural aptitude for science and technology, Donovan's talents enable her to manipulate and activate many of the objects contained in the Warehouse to help the Team.
See: The Top Ten Hottest Women Of 2009
2010: GHOST ADVENTURES - Zak Bagans, Nick Grof And Aaron Goodwin At Comic Con 2010
Like I mentioned in my previous article, my experience at Comic Con was a little 'different' than that of the 'typical' fan. Instead of lusting after the 'trendy' movies and shows, my family and I were excited about a lot of things that weren't so mainstream.
One of these was the television series, "Ghost Adventures", and my wife April, son Christopher and I were really looking forward to meeting the shows stars Zak Bagans, Nick Grof and Aaron Goodwin at an autograph signing later in the afternoon.
As luck would have it, the very same people, Zak, Nick and Aaron,that we so strongly wanted to see, arrived at the convention at the exact same time that we did. Amazingly, they were just milling around in the area adjacent to the check-in and autograph areas. To our delite, we were able to snap a few photos and talk to Aaron for a few seconds. My wife was very happy to have told him that 'he was the shit!'
To our surprise, no one else even recognised them.
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See: The Top Monster / Sci Fi Stories Of 2010
2010: The First Look At Roger Corman's 'Dinoshark'
Isn't it wonderful that giant mutant monsters are popular again. After J.J. Abrams unleashed his giant monster movie, "Cloverfield", in theaters two years ago, there has been a non-stop parade of independent features where the motto, "bigger is better", has really been taken seriously.
Last year, The Asylum, made a huge media splash with their film "Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus". The film featured former 80s pop sensation, Debbie Gibson, playing second fiddle to a titanic shark and an equally gigantic octopus. Likewise, films of the same vein like, "Dinocroc vs. Supergator", "Megaconda," and even The Asylum's follow-up to "Mega Shark", called "Megapiranha", were all rushed into production by the end of 2009.
Now it seems that the king of B movie monsters, Roger Corman, was feeling a little left-out by all of this, so he has developed his own giant monster film for the SyFy Channel called, "Dinoshark."
Lets see....Megaconda....Dinocrock.....Mega Shark........Dinoshark. Makes perfect sense in the grand scheme of things, doesn't it?
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2010: Alessandra Torresani
Alessandra Torresani (born Alessandra Olivia Toreson; May 29, 1987) is an American actress. She is credited as Alessandra Toreson for her work prior to 2007.
Torresani's television debut was at age nine when she hosted the "Kids' WB Club" for San Francisco's KBWB (Channel 20). She co-starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie Going to the Mat. Her other television credits include Even Stevens, JAG, ER, The War at Home, Malcolm In The Middle, Arrested Development, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and CSI among others.
In May 2008, Torresani was cast as Zoe Graystone in Syfy's pilot for Caprica, a prequel spin-off of Battlestar Galactica, which debuted in January 2010.
In 2009 she was cast to play Lita Ford in the biopic The Runaways about the all-girl punk band of the same name. However, the role was later given to Scout Taylor-Compton.
See: The Top Ten Hottest Women Of 2010
2012: Dynamite Baby, Grindhouse Dynamite!
Grindhouse is an American term for a theater that mainly shows exploitation films. Named after the defunct burlesque theaters located on 42nd Street in New York City where 'bump n' grind' or striptease was featured.
Grindhouse films characteristically contain large amounts of sex, violence or bizarre subject matter. One genre of film featured were "roughies" or sexploitation, a mix of sex, violence and sadism. Quality varied, but low budget production values and poor print quality were common. Critical opinions varied regarding typical grindhouse fare, but many films acquired cult following and critical praise. Double, triple, and "all night" bills on a single admission charge often encouraged patrons to spend a long time in the theater. The environment was faithfully captured at the time by the magazine ‘Sleazoid Express’.
By the 1980s, home video and cable threatened to make grindhouse obsolete. By the end of the decade, these theaters had vanished from Los Angeles's Broadway and Hollywood Boulevard, New York City's Times Square and San Francisco's Market Street. By the mid-1990s, these particular theaters had all but disappeared from the United States and very few are in existence today.
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2012: Classic Tales Of Cryptozoology: Does The Creature Really Walk Among Us?
For centuries people from all corners of the globe have claimed to have seen all kinds of creatures ranging from dinosaurs to werewolves and if you are inclined to believe so, a real life "Gill-Man".
Way back in the summer of 1972 two young men claimed that they were chased from the beach at Thetis Lake, British Columbia, Canada by the "Creature From The Black Lagoon" or at least something that looked very much like it.
Was it a case of mistaken identity or overactive imaginations run wild after an afternoon of watching monster movies?
At the time the local police believed the two youths and began a search for the monster. Four days later the story seemed to be validated when two fishermen spotted the monster on the opposite side of the lake. Of course the search didn't turn up any man-fish at the time yet reports of the aptly named "Thetis Lake Monster" continued on for two more decades.
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See: The Top Ten Most Popular Stories Of 2012!
Allison Scagliotti Joins The Cast Of DESTINATION TRUTH For First Ever Live Investigation
Source: NBC / UniversalActress Allison Scagliotti will join the team on Destination Truth: Live from Ireland – The Search for the Banshee Ghost, a four-hour special episode that will take Josh Gates and team to Ireland for their very first live investigation. Best known to Syfy fans as Claudia on the immensely popular series Warehouse 13, Scagliotti is also no stranger to live television or overnight adventure: she fearlessly served as co-host of last year’s Ghost Hunters Halloween Live event.
This special episode of Destination Truth will air from 7-11pm (ET/PT) on Thursday, March 17. In addition to Scagliotti, the team will also welcome three veteran guest investigators: Kris Williams and Barry FitzGerald (Ghost Hunters International), and Jael de Pardo (Fact or Faked: Paranormal Files, Destination Truth).
In Destination Truth: Live from Ireland – The Search for the Banshee Ghost, Gates and his team will brave the crumbling ruins of Duckett’s Grove Castle in County Carlow, Ireland, in search of the truth behind the legend of the banshee. Today, many County Carlow locals claim to have witnessed hearing the banshee’s unmistakable wail and seeing glimpses of an ethereal woman stalking the grounds of the 200 year-old historic ruins of Duckett’s Grove Castle. Armed with equipment, expertise and, as always, humor, Josh and team will attempt to solve the mystery behind this age-old legend.
New episodes of Destination Truth will return starting Tuesday, March 22 @ 9pm (new night and time).
See Also: DESTINATION TRUTH Goes "Live" On St. Patrick’s Day / SyFy Celebrates The End Of Summer With STEPHEN KING And DESTINATION TRUTH / 100 Most Popular (Sexiest) Women In Movies, TV, SciFi And Fantasy #91- #100 / Kris Williams & Allison Scagliotti To Guest Star On 'Destination Truth' - Episode Schedule / Sci Fi Orders Another Season Of Destination Truth / If Your looking For Ghosts Go To The Aokigahara Forest In Japan
The Top Ten Hottest Women Of 2009
Last year I posted a very popular article about who, you, the Monster Island News reader, thought were the 'hottest women of the year' based on your in site searches.
Well, here we are again at the end of yet another year and I bet ya thought I was going to forget to make a list of the ladies that set your hearts on fire during the past 365 days?
NO WAY!
Though I did wait this year to the very last minute to compile the list as a tease, you know that I would ever forget to feed all you horny fanboys out there.
Oh, before I forget, I did make a few adjustments to my criteria this year. Essentially to make my job a whole lot easier, and to give all the young ladies a fair shake, I made all the women from last years list non-eligible for this years list. In doing so, I may have disappointed a few of you, but I promise that these 'fresh' faces will more than satisfy.
Enough of my banter, let's get right to it, shall we.
10. Rachel Grubb

I don't think that any of the young women that made this years list has had a busier 2009 than the fair Rachel Grubb.
Honestly to list all of her 2009 activities here would take up way too much time and space. I think that it would be quicker to list the things that Rachel didn't do over the past year......um.....well...I can say that she didn't go to the moon.
At least I don't think she did.
Rachel did, however, star in such films as "Strip Club Slasher" and "Terror Overload", plus, she was featured in several marvelous photo shoots.
Look out for more Rachel Grubb in 2010!
9. Elske McCain
Like the for mentioned Rachel Grubb, Elske McCain has had a very busy, and sometimes troubling, 2009.
The very curvy Miss McCain did much more than just make men go bonkers during the past year, staring in such films as "Strip Club Slasher", "Bad Girls" and "Killer Biker Chicks."
Though the very promising Scream Queen had plenty of success in 2009, she also had a fair amount of disappointments, including being dropped at the last minute from the film "Breath of Hate."
It can be a forgone conclusion that with curves that don't quit, we will see much more of Elske in 2010!
8. Suzi Lorraine
Suzi is long-time Monster Island News favorite and a good friend to yours truly, though I gave her no special treatment when it came to this list.
Suzi has always been known as a hard worker, and 2009 was the busiest of her career.
Suzi focused a good portion of her creative talents, and time, this year on writing and staring in the film "Won Ton Baby", which can only be described as horror/screwball comedy that pays homage to cult-classics like "Basket Case".
Hey if you like Elvis, strange birth defects and the lovely Suzi Lorraine, than this will be the film for you.
Suzi's 'pet' project, however, was just one of many things that kept her jumping this past year. She co-hosted the Gorezone Film Festival in London, did a "Knock Out Abs" infomercial, two restaurant commercials, appeared on "As the World Turns" several times, wrote a monthly magazine column, and worked on two feature films.
Wew!
Let us also not forget another of Suzi's latest films, "Destined to be Ingested", which wins the award for the best title for a cannibal movie ever.
Suzi really is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside!
7. Chase Masterson

Chase Masterson is truly a lovely and multi-talented treasure.
Highlights from Chases 2009 don't include any new films or television roles, but she did perform a stellar concert (yes, she sings...and sings well) at the Universal City Walk and pose for some very sexy, and patriotic, photos for charity.
Hey, when you have one of sci fi's sexiest women posing nude, wrapped in an American flag, your going to get some attention.
I should also note that one of Chase's films, "Yesterday Was A Lie" (2008), is finally getting a release, so look for that one soon.
Chase also has three projects pending, "R.U.R", "Station 21 (3D)" and "The Camel Bookmobile", so odds are she may be about to experience a real career upswing.
6. Scarlet Salem

Okay, here is a quick quiz. What do our number 10, number 9 and number 6 lovelies have in common?
The answer: All three were in the 2009 film, "Strip Club Slasher."
Now, I don't want to take anything away from actress/model Scarlet Salem, but when you combine a beautiful blond with the words "strip club"....well you figure it out.
All joking aside, Scarlet Salem really struck a chord with horror movie fans in 2009, though I really think that her best work came in the form of being the subject in front of photographer H Morgen's camera.
Honestly the duo of Morgen and Salem combined to produce some truly magical gothic images in 2009.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of this type of photography in 2010, as I am sure you are as well.
Did I mention that Scarlet was also an actress.....?
5. Laura Vandervoort

Remakes of classic movies and television shows were big time news in 2009, and when the busty blond, Laura Vandervoort, landed a role as Lisa on ABC's remake of "V", well a high position on this list was a lock.
Already a fanboy favorite from playing Supergirl/Kara Kent on "Smallville", Vandervoort sure didn't hurt her popularity any by moving on to the alien invasion drama.
Here's a bit from Vandervoort's studio bio:
In 2006 Vandervoort shot her first feature film, "The Lookout," opposite Jeff Daniels, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Mathew Goode and Isla Fisher. She got her big break at age 19 when she landed the lead role of Sadie Harrison on the CTV TV series "Instant Star," which ran for four seasons and was extremely popular in Canada.
Vandervoort began acting at the age of 13, she had always been an entertainer, putting on shows for family and friends. But what triggered her interest in the arts was the film "My Girl," which she received from her aunt at a very young age, and after watching it realized that acting was what was inside her.
Some of her other credits include "CSI," "The Dresden Files," "Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire," "Alley Cats Strike," "Mutant X," "Prom Queen" and "Twice in a Lifetime."
A tomboy for years, Vandervoort loves most sports, especially soccer, karate, basketball, tennis, gymnastics and baseball. Entering karate at age seven, she found herself with a second degree Black Belt at by 16. She currently divides her time between Los Angeles and her native Canada.
From the response that the curvy actress has received here, I wouldn't be surprised if she moves higher up on next years list.
4. Eve Myles

I have to admit that I have a 'thing' for actress Eve Myles. I don't know if it is the gap between her front teeth, her raven-black hair, or how she says, "Reese I Capture Aliens" with a British accent, but she really melts my butter.
Ahem.....
In 2009 the BBC mini-series "Torchwood: Children of Earth" was epic television that dazzled viewers on both sides of the Atlantic. The series really backed up my claim that "Torchwood" is the best sci fi on TV...period.
Eve Myles is a big part of what makes "Torchwood" stand out amongst the competition. The actress really is a scene stealer and is quite easy on the eyes as well.
If you aren't a fan of the show or the stunning Myles, then you really need to get with the program.
3. Rachel Nichols

Most actresses never get a chance to star in two summer blockbusters in one year, but Rachel Nichols manged to do just that in 2009. Indeed the lovely blond was cast as Gaila, in what is arguably the best movie of the year, "Star Trek", and as Shana 'Scarlett' O'Hara in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra."
Not a bad 2009 for Nichols by any ones standards.
A small-town New England native, Nichols first caught the attention of a modeling scout while attending Columbia University, from which she graduated with a double major in math and economics. After campaigns with such brands as Guess, L'Oreal, Abercrombie & Fitch and Nicole Miller, she broke into the world of acting when her agent sent her out on her first-ever audition--for a "Sex and the City" episode called "The Vogue Idea," in which she guest-starred as the restaurant hostess who becomes a birthday present from Samantha to her boyfriend, Richard. She followed that with a role in "Autumn in New York," with Richard Gere. In 2003, she starred in "Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd," the prequel to "Dumb and Dumber." Nichols has also guest-starred on the ABC series "In the Line of Fire."
Here's more math for ya. Hot actress + "Star Trek" = Number 3 on MIN's 2009 list.
2. Elisabeth Shue

Many of you may be surprised by both the number 2 and number 1 hotties on this years list, but there are legitimate reasons for these ladies to covet such high rankings.
Elisabeth Shue has always been a woman with a notorious figure, and throughout the years she hasn't been shy about showing it off.
So, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that when it was announced that the buxom Shue was going to be cast in a movie about wild partying and man eating fish, that more than one eyebrow was raised.
The film that I am talking about is the remake of the 1978 cult film "Piranha", but before you get any visions in your mind about Shue taking her top off and partying it up, let me drop on bummer bomb on you, she plays the town sheriff.
Regardless of that fact, MIN readers have been more than just a little interested in seeing as much of Elisabeth Shue as they can.
1. Allison Scagliotti

Possibly a big surprise here at number 1?
Just like last year's top cutie, Haruka Ayase, this years favorite, Allison Scagliotti, is more of a down to Earth, girl-next-door type.
I guess that this just goes to prove that what guys are 'really' looking for is a girl they can take home to mom.
Am I right guys?.....guys?.....guess I lost a few there.
Anyway, "Warehouse 13" is huge hit for the SyFy Channel and the fact that Scagliotti is on the show, certainly helped the actress capture our number one.
On "Warehouse 13" Scagliotti plays Claudia Donovan, a young, hip, brilliant techno-wiz, who manages to successfully breach the Warehouse's complex security system in order to track down Artie (Rubinek). With a natural aptitude for science and technology, Donovan's talents enable her to manipulate and activate many of the objects contained in the Warehouse to help the Team.
The young actress is also known for her role on Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh" as Josh's smart and sassy girlfriend, Mindy. She has had numerous memorable guest spots on ER, CSI, and One Tree Hill and can be next be seen this summer in National Lampoon's Endless Bummer and My Name is Jerry, starring Doug Jones.
In other words, Allison plays "Warehouse 13's" version of Velma from "Scooby Doo."
Hey, you may tell your friends you want Daphne, but secretly you have the hots for Velma. It's kinda like the whole Ginger and Marry Ann thing.
Right guys?
Guys?
Hey, the numbers don't lie.
Here is a quick look back at last year's list:
10. Natalie Martinez 9. Eriko Sato 8. Amanda Tapping 7. Emilie Ullerup 6. Harumi Nemoto 5. Olivia Munn 4. Yumiko Shaku 3. Anita Briem 2. Christine Nguyen 1. Haruka Ayase
See Also: Top Ten Hottest Women Of 2008
Allison Scagliotti Finds A Home In Warehouse 13
Source: NBC / UniversalAllison Scagliotti (Drake & Josh) has been cast in Warehouse 13, the all-new SCI FI original one-hour dramedy adventure series. She joins the previously announced cast members Eddie McClintock, Joanne Kelly, Saul Rubinek and CCH Pounder. Warehouse 13 will premiere Tuesday, July 7 with the 2-hour pilot from 9 - 11PM ET/PT.
Scagliotti will portray Claudia Donovan, a young, hip, brilliant techno-wiz, who manages to successfully breach the Warehouse's complex security system in order to track down Artie (Rubinek). With a natural aptitude for science and technology, Donovan's talents enable her to manipulate and activate many of the objects contained in the Warehouse to help the Team.
Allison Scagliotti is most recognizable for her role on Nickelodeon's Drake & Josh as Josh's smart and sassy girlfriend, Mindy. She has had numerous memorable guest spots on ER, CSI, and One Tree Hill and can be next be seen this summer in National Lampoon's Endless Bummer and My Name is Jerry, starring Doug Jones.
Warehouse 13 is about two Secret Service agents who find themselves abruptly transferred to a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and supernatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse's caretaker Artie charges Pete (McClintock) and Myka (Kelly) with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the warehouse itself.
The series is produced for SCI FI by Universal Cable Productions. It is executive produced by Jack Kenny (The Book of Daniel) who also serves as showrunner. David Simkins (Dresden Files) is executive producer; Jace Alexander (Burn Notice, Rescue Me) is co-executive producer and director of the pilot; and Stephen Surjik (Monk, Burn Notice) is producer/director of the series.
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