Drewropa
members.xoom.com/Drewropa
Everybody loves the cute and cuddly girl from E.T. who, after a roller-coaster ride to physical maturity, triumphed as a well-rounded and quite prolific actress. If you missed anything along the way, don’t worry it’s all here. Comprehensive is an understatement. This site is almost too big to believe that anyone without an obsessive-compulsive disorder could have created it. Almost 3,000 images, an astrology reading, links to video clips, Drew software (screen savers and stuff), a chat room, a guest book with set questions and space for your own comments. It’s all done in a nice soft purple font and the pictures are well chosen. There is even a juke box of about 50 songs to listen to while you browse!
Verdict: Wow! Now I’m obsessed, too! - SS
NetWorth: *****
Sweetest Crush – Hole and Courtney Love
hole.simplenet.com
Created by a 20-year-old web design student with about as much attitude as Ms. Love herself, this site stands out in its style, content and interactivity. With a warm and personable approach, Carla dishes up the goss’, the pics, the video clips, the music, and plenty of inside info. Don’t worry, she’s not one of those fans who nauseatingly idolises their hero. Carla has her own opinions about Courtney’s celebrity status, yet she obviously has the utmost respect for the woman. You can chat away on the site and even contact Carla on ICQ. A Hole trivia game is going up, and an e-zine is happening as well. Some great links are also provided to other sites of one of the 90’s most famous widows.
Verdict: Kurt is starting to get jealous. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Sorsha’s Val Kilmer Page
www.geocities.com/~sorsha
Batman, Jim Morrison, The Saint… this dude is the coolest. Sorsha has erected a shrine in honour of Val’s talents as well as his notable external assets (eyes, hair, mouth etc.). There is a weekly poll, where you can vote for your favourite film, or body part or whatever. The multimedia material here is pretty extensive. Posters, pics, heaps of clips, there are even scripts of his films and MIDI files of themes and songs from the movies. A collection of articles covers a few interviews and news items. Whatever Sorsha hasn’t had time to get together here in this ever-growing site, her links will fulfil your constant Kilmer cravings.
Verdict: Almost as cool as the man himself. - SS
NetWorth: ****
The Leo Files
www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/8848/index.html
Without resorting to too many comparisons to a certain large boat, this site is definitely blessed with a degree of magnitude. Sydney-based creator Penny has covered all her bases with a very extensive menu bar taking you on a tour of the site. She has made sure that anything she couldn’t get on the site has a link. Special features of this site are some java games, a quiz, Leo’s girls, and a “Leo spotting” section where you can tell your story (true or not) of the time you saw Leo at the local 7-11 buying a hot dog. Order books from the bookstore, and then finally check his horoscope to determine if you are destined to be the girl he dates next week for a couple of hours.
Verdict: A down under DeCaprio delight. - SS
NetWorth: ****
The CelebSites’ Developers Association
www.celebsites.com
While CSDA caters for developers of celebrity sites (of which you could be one), in doing so it also gives fans access to hundreds of sites and features to explore. The deal is that developers exchange links and resources and work with these people to build a credible and formidable celebrity network, and in return get more hits to your site. Once you join, you can get licensing permission of official copyright material and at the time of review, there was an upcoming feature where technologies were to be made available for further site enhancements. Even if you are not a developer, the celebrity site list is big enough to feast on for a day or two.
Verdict: Organised worshipping, needs more input. – SS
NetWorth: ***
Jacksonline
www.geocities.com/~jacksonline
This Michael Jackson fan site fulfils many fan site requirements by having the audio, the video, the news, the pictures, the message board and chat room, trivia quiz, articles and links. It has a couple of interesting articles about the Jackson 5 from the early 70’s. For a site created and maintained by a 17 year old, it’s quite impressive, but I think the subject is just so out there, and everything he’s ever done so over the top (from singing a love song to a rat and on to, well.. you know…), that a website in his honour is almost completely redundant. Unless of course you were going to do something just as over-the-top. Let’s face it, the guy is a freak. This site isn’t.
Verdict: Not Bad, not that Dangerous, almost a Thriller. - SS
NetWorth: ***
Steve Buscemi Worship Page
dancy.franz.com/~virago/buscemi
A couple of hit movies and this once relatively unknown actor has crept into the hallowed halls of famedom. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t been working his butt off for a couple of decades. The nice thing about this site is its elegant simplicity of design, which allows for a very clear presentation of the talents of this fine actor. The sites creator has a genuine and healthy respect for Steve, and created the site not so much out of an obsession, but after being dissatisfied with what was already out there on the man we know and love.
Verdict: Tasteful and succinct, a true fan site. - SS
NetWorth: ****
100% Natalie Imbruglia
natalie.back.nu
This guy only became a fan in February this year after going to a concert, which makes this site all the more notable. Awestruck by the charm of this young Australian siren, Jonas has managed to collect and compile quite a library of goodies in such a short time, particularly considering Ms. Imbruglia’s relative late arrival on the celebrity scene. Plenty of international magazine articles, a whole stack of video clips (some up to 10meg in size!), concert reviews and dozens of pictures of this unquestionably delicious babe, abound in a pleasantly packaged site. The discussion page is very animated, and well worth the visit.
Verdict: Will the real Alanis Morissette please stand up. - SS
NetWorth: ***
Miss Thing – Alanis Morissette
virpster.simplenet.com/mtws
Jagged Little Pill is one of the three biggest selling albums of the 90’s and with good reason. It was a perfect expression of feminine power that has led to virtually thousands of would-be Alanis’s trying to repeat the unrepeatable performance. I dare say Alanis will have a hard time matching it with her next album. This Web site is a thorough coverage of the performer, her music, her attitude and her career. There are a couple of transcripts of live chats, some goodies like t-shirts and a java puzzle, postcards, and like every good fan site there are heaps of links to other sites, in case there was something they forgot.
Verdict: You oughta know. Well, I’m here to remind you to bookmark Alanis. - SS
NetWorth: ****
Can’s Website Dedicated to Amy Grant
www.amygrant.org
Amy has been recording since 1977. Her career as both a Christian and mainstream artist has been pretty enviable. This site is a reflection of how she inspires her listeners. Can has really done a great job here. The design makes the site look like a professionally contracted official site, which it is not. Within the snappy layout lies over 500 photos, a complete discography with the chance to buy the records through CD Now, real audio interviews, articles, a scrolling Java news window, a live chat room, and some key links. Verdict: No nudity, no obscenity, no controversy, just talent and music, with some faith, hope and charity thrown in. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Anna Nicole Smith
www.annaonline.com/ans.html
At the other end of the Amy Grant spectrum lies Ms. Smith. This site claims to be a place where Anna Nicole is treated with respect after so much cruelty imposed upon her for marrying a 300 year old man and sticking two watermelons under her bra. The site kind of achieves this, with info, pics and news on the blonde one, but somehow the whole site is completely tainted by being covered with XXX hard core banner ads and offers to sign up for free porn. Any redemption the site gained for the poor mixed up kid is flushed down the toilet.
Verdict: He denies it, but I think this guy’s just another pervert. - SS
NetWorth: ***
Women Celebrities
www.women-celebrities.com
With over 1100 listings of famous women, this site can certainly claim to be a worthy spot on the web to find the woman of your fancy. Perhaps you just want to browse through them and compare careers. Maybe you are a budding celebrity and you need to get some tips on how your tribute pages should look. The site is updated daily, which gives it a rather rapid growth rate. There is a top ten and a voting form where every woman is listed in a scrolling menu bar. You will also find a discussion page, which is pretty useless as you will have 1100 different topics.
Verdict: Lo-fi design, hi-fi linkability factor. - SS
NetWorth: ****
The Tool Page
toolshed.down.net
It’s a good sign that you’re doing something right when the band sends a Platinum disc to your doorstep. Kabir Akhtar started this journey three years ago and things have just snowballed. Tool had a huge hit album and all of a sudden Kabir had a huge hit Website. The site is now “semi-official”, meaning that it is regarded by industry members as an authoritative site. The frame-within-frame layout actually works, as there is so much to get through. Tool are certainly a unique band with their freaky videos and esoteric lyrics. They have spawned an entire subculture, and this is the cathedral in which to pay homage.
Verdict: He’s hit the nail on the head. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Spice Girls @ the Spice Shack
www.musicfanclubs.org/spiceshack/home.htm
Yes, there are hundreds of Spice Girl pages out there, but this one really puts it together well. A very snazzy layout, with nice animated mouse-over menus, takes you through news, gossip, tour dates and stuff. The sounds section is a cool look, where you click on a picture of the CD itself to select the tracks. There is a live chat page, so you can share your thoughts about the Spice phenomenon.
Verdict: Eye candy and content and all things spice - that’s what good fan sites are made of. – SS
NetWorth: *****
HansonHitz – The Unofficial but Totally Awesome Hanson Web Site
www.hansonhitz.com
Dedicated to providing a wholesome tribute to a wholesome young family and encouraging wholesome entertainment for the youth of today, HansonHitz has managed to achieve their aims admirably. The three young spunk-rats even OK’d the site. It’s packed with all things Hanson, including a time line, games and fun, chat room and reviews. The only disappointing aspect is the minimal links, which indicates that these people would rather you stayed right where you are. A little too selfish compared to most genuine fan sites.
Verdict: Almost hitz the spot. - SS
NetWorth: ***
Madonna – Madonna Extreme
www.madonnanet.com/extreme
Part of a large Madonna web ring, this soft pink site with nice pencil sketches, is a cool addition. You can see all the other sites from here, anyway, so take your time and flick through 400 photos, all the albums, news, biography and video releases before heading into the Madonna hub where more subtle marketing through the fans is done. Each fan site gets commissions from album and video sales, so it’s a pretty neat arrangement. While you are here, why not get the MIDI Jukebox going with over 50 Madonna tunes.
Verdict: Mad about Madonna. - SS
NetWorth: ****
George Clooney Web Ring
www.geocities.com/Hollywood/2766/indexgc.htm
With an excellent prelude to the concept of web rings, George’s little network of shrines takes you through a very diverse collection of Cloonified web offerings. It’s a case of obsessed fans milking every last drop of potential interest out of this man. Talent-wise, he is not really that notable at all, except for the fact that he lucked into a role in a hit TV show, he gained some confidence, and his manager got him a few gigs in Hollywood while the ratings were still up. I’d like to see George Cloony’s manager’s web ring. Now that would be some cool surfing!
Verdict: Much ado about some guy called George. Well done at that. - SS
NetWorth: *****
A Bunch Of Leunig
www.home.gil.com.au/~austernm/leunig.html
In a simply constructed little site, a bit like Leunig’s cartoons, is revealed a warm and genuine tribute to the man and his work. Without being so bold as to fill the site with copyright works, the creator has given links to some of Leunig’s stuff around the web, and offers a list of his works that you can buy. The descriptions and quotes capture the ethos of Mr Leunig well. There is even a fictional tale of Leunig meets the X-files, which is rather bizarre. There is a message board where you can pose curly questions, and the links are well researched.
Verdict: The duck quacked and the dog howled in approval. – SS
NetWorth: ****
The Crowe’s Nest – Russell Crowe
members.tripod.com/~Achika
The message board activity here is hectic, indicating the wide appeal of this NZ born Superstar. This is one of the few fan sites to actually have a couple of addresses listed so you can write the man a letter. Russell has a few admirers that have contributed to making this site a comprehensive archive of his work, history, promo pics, reviews and astrology chart (always a must in a fan site). Once you have yourself a fan site like this, you can sit back with pride that something has gone right with your chosen career path. Good on you Russell. Keep up the good work, and so too, the site’s creator(s).
Verdict: Russell and his fans have got something to crow about. - SS
NetWorth: ****
The Network For Entertainment Fans
www.fansites.com
Although this site doesn’t look like much (probably because it’s heavily automated, so design wasn’t the main focus), it is a goldmine of celebrity resources. Divided into adult and child male and female, the list is quite phenomenal. It can be sorted either alphabetically, by first name, or by popularity, and it is so easy to link your own fan site here, that the site has grown into a monster. Among the lists can also be found models and singers as well as actors.
Verdict: I didn’t know there were so many famous people in the world, in fact I’ve never heard of most of them! - SS
NetWorth: ****
Mel Gibson Fans Internet Mailing List
www.villagefair.com/MelGibson
This site is split up into four mini-sites – explore, faq section, fun stuff and interact. Within each section are various categories to get around the mountain of info on the legend that is Mel Gibson. Braveheart has touched a lot of people, and it is given separate sections all to itself. The links overall are wide reaching, not just fan sites, but background material and official sites among others. You can’t deny the celebrity status of this gentleman, and the depth and breadth of this site is testament to his success. The fun stuff is extra good, as the fans share in Mel humour the way he probably would if he wasn’t so damn famous.
Verdict: It’s his eyes. It must be his eyes. - SS
NetWorth: *****
Lano and Woodley Fan Club On Line
www.vision.net.au/~dwalker
Two kids, 17 and 15 have done a real pro job here with a bit of cgi scripting to create a members area, a chat page and message service, and joining the Lano and Woodley web ring. Is there a web ring for everybody now? These two kids love the comedy duo, and although the material is restricted by copyright, there is enough here to more than whet the appetite for L & W. All in all a fine effort and plenty of scope for growth with the site so well set up.
Verdict: Who? Oh yes, those two…. Ah, yeah… hahaha.
NetWorth: ****
Celebrities Email Addresses
web2.airmail.net/bobb
Forget fan sites, why not just contact the dude or dudette in person and have a one-on-one rave about their favourite colour and astrology chart. There are a lot of emails listed here. Naturally, I didn’t go checking to see if they all worked. Chances are you’d probably get an abusive reply telling you to stop harassing them, or a curt press release. You never know, though. If you word it right, and you catch someone straight out of rehab, you may begin a lifelong friendship with your favourite star.
Verdict: Why not give it a try, you’ve got nothing to lose but your service provider. – SS
NetWorth: ****
St Alphonzo’s Pancake Homepage – Frank Zappa
www.wins.uva.nl/~heederik/zappa
After an incredibly prolific career throughout the halcyon days of rock, when humans ruled, the genius of Frank Zappa was eventually snuffed out, almost ironically, by a disease in the same bodily region which he was so famous for singing songs about. He worked with the world’s best musicians, and created some incredibly original, poignant, funny, serious, funky stuff. This site is text based, though it still has heaps of other files. What is notable here is the massive amount of goodies available. You can search for every musician, instrument, song, album and lyric, as well as browse a huge collection of articles and interviews. Frank was a hard working man, and the legacy is all here.
Verdict: Sheik Yerbouti over to this little corner of cyberspace. – SS
NetWorth: *****
Matt Damon Underground
www.cs.purdue.edu/homes/schappsj/matt
This one-woman multi-award winning dedication to the young fella that wrote a script and got Robin Williams to star in the movie, is a feast to behold for Matt Damon fans. It’s got all the goodies, and in large doses as well. Real Audio sounds of the Oscar acceptance speech and some pretty in depth articles about the man are features. These young fan site creators really ought to start working in the business. The commitment and motivation to get such a large undertaking up and running is phenomenal. A lot of commercial Websites with whole teams working on them aren’t as comprehensive as this.
Verdict: Obsession breeds excellence. - SS
NetWorth: ****
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