14 December 2013

 Birthdays
Vanessa Hudgens b. 1988 (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Sucker Punch)
Martin Christopher b. 1977 (Fringe, Stargate, Eureka, Night at the Museum)
Natascha McElhone b. 1969 (The Truman Show, Solaris, Feardotcom)
Ted Raimi b. 1965 (Supernatural, Spider-Man, Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, SeaQuest 2032, Army of Darkness, Darkman, Alien Nation, Evil Dead I and II, Shocker)
Debbie Lee Carrington b. 1959 (Total Recall, Return of the Jedi, Invaders From Mars, Batman Returns, Mighty Joe Young, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Celia Weston b. 1951 (Under the Dome, The Invasion, The Village, K-PAX, Hulk)
Dee Wallace b. 1948 (E.T., Cujo, The Howling, The Stepford Wives, Critters, Alligator II: The Mutation, The Frighteners)
Lee Remick b. 1935 (The Omen)
Lewis Arquette b. 1935 died 10 February 2001 (Babylon 5, SeaQuest 2032, Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman, The Man From Atlantis)
Laurence Naismith b. 1908 died 5 June 1992 (Jason and the Argonauts, The Valley of Gwangi, The Invaders, Village of the Damned)
Frances Bavier b. 1902 died 6 December 1986 (The Day the Earth Stood Still)

All actors on the list today, females outnumbering males. Ted Raimi has had the most work in genre TV and film, much of it in projects where his brother Sam is the producer or director. Debbie Lee Carrington is a little person, working sometimes in body costumes as an ewok or penguin and other times not. Yes, Frances Bavier, a.k.a. Aunt Bee, was in the original The Day the Earth Stood Still.  Laurence Naismith played the ship builder Argo in Jason and the Argonauts, Lewis Arquette was part of the improv team Christopher Guest worked with, Dee Wallace is still getting work one role at a time, bless her. But I decided as I often do that Pretty Girl = Picture Slot and went with Natascha McElhone. My late mom was a model back in her teens and twenties, and she had a long nose, high cheekbones and a wide jaw. It's not like anyone needs any extra boost to think Natascha McElhone is gorgeous, but that look always gets a second look from me.

Many happy returns of the day to all our birthday boys and girls, and to the departed, thanks for all the memories.


Movies released
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey released, 2012
King Kong released, 2005
I Am Legend released, 2007

Now it's a year later and we get the second installment of The Hobbit. I have a friend who I expect would like to see it, but if that doesn't work out, I'm not waiting for it to come out on video. Some movies are big screen or not at all.
 

Predictor: Asa C. Matthews (1833-1908), first comptroller of the U.S. Treasury, predicting the 20th Century in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition held in Chicago.

Prediction: Looking to the future my eye detects on the dim horizon an American republic which shall embrace not only the present United States and Alaska, but all the remainder of the North American continent now under British, Mexican or minor domination.

Reality: Given how much expansion had already taken place in Mr. Matthews' life, it's not surprising he would think that we would somehow conquer or acquire everything from Panama to Ellesmere Island. We had a similar prediction from John Elfreth Watkins back at the beginning of the year. But even with the Spanish American War and the Panama Canal still in the near future for Matthews, the United States did not do much more land grabbing, and almost none on the continent itself. Canada, Mexico and the countries of Central America are still independent of us and happily root against us whenever we play soccer.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Ray Bradbury is back with his stories about the colonization of Mars at the dawn of the 21st Century.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!