Sunday, August 10, 2014

10 August 2014

Birthdays
Ah-sung Ko b. 1992 (Snowpiercer, The Host)
Lucas Till b. 1990 (X-Men: Days of Future Past, All Superheroes Must Die, X-Men: First Class, Battle Los Angeles, Dance of the Dead)
Devon Aoki b. 1982 (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead, Mutant Chronicles, Sin City)
Roxanne McKee b. 1980 (Dominion, The Legend of Hercules, Game of Thrones)
JoAnna Garcia Swisher b. 1979 (Once Upon a Time, The Astronaut Wives Club, From the Earth to the Moon, SeaQuest 2032, Superboy)
Joanna Baclaso b. 1976 (Lost Girl, Dude, Where’s My Car?, Forever Knight)
Rick Otto b. 1973 (Teen Wolf [TV], The Walking Dead, Dollhouse, Phantoms)
Justin Theroux b. 1971 (The Leftovers)
Claudia Christian b. 1965 (Runestone, Grimm, Starhyke, The Haunting of Hell House, Babylon 5, Highlander [TV], Lancelot: Guardian of Time, Space Rangers, Quantum Leap, The Hidden)
Eric Thal b. 1965 (The Puppet Masters)
Beverly Randolph b. 1964 (The Return of the Living Dead)
Suzanne Collins b. 1962 (author, The Hunger Games)
Antonio Banderas b. 1960 (Spy Kids 1, 2 and 3, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles)
Rosanna Arquette b. 1959 (Eastwick)
Don Swayze b. 1958 (Blood Type, True Blood, Charmed, Carnivale, Tremors [TV], The X Files, Lois & Clark, Beach Babes from Beyond)
Rick Overton b. 1954 (True Blood, COPS: Skyrim, Cloverfield, The Astronaut Farmer, Lost, Eight Legged Freaks, Charmed, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Lois & Clark, Groundhog Day, The Rocketeer, Earth Girls Are Easy, Traxx, Willow, Amazing Stories)
Diane Venora b. 1952 (Threshold, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, Wolfen)
Kate O’Mara b. 1939 died 30 March 2014 (Doctor Who, The Horror of Frankenstein, The Vampire Lovers)
Murray Melvin b. 1932 (Torchwood, Starhunter, Alice in Wonderland [1999 TV])
Lynn Cohen b. 1933 (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire)
Martha Hyer b. 1924 died May 31 2014 (Bewitched, First Men in the Moon, Mistress of the World, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars)
Jeff Corey b. 1914 died 16 August 2002 (Charmed, Brimstone, Perversions of Science, Babylon 5, Beauty and the Beast, War of the Worlds [1988], Starman, Faerie Tales Theatre, Manimal, The Powers of Matthew Star, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Battle Beyond the Stars, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, The Outer Limits, Superman and the Mole-Men, The Next Voice You Hear…, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man)
Richard Reeves b. 1912 died 17 March 1967 (Mr. Terrific, I Dream of Jeannie, Billy the Kid Versus Dracula, The Addams Family, Batman, The Munsters, My Favorite Martian, Adventures of Superman, Target Earth)
Curt Siodmak b. 1902 died 2 September 2000 (author, Donovan’s Brain)
Jack Haley b. 1898 died 6 June 1979 (The Wizard of Oz)

Last year, the Picture Slot went to Claudia Christian from Babylon 5. This year it goes to Oh That Guy actor Jeff Corey, who had a guest shot on Babylon 5 and about a jillion other TV shows as well as some famous big budget movies. The picture I used is from his role on The Outer Limits. If I decide not to have a different picture next year, Jack Haley from The Wizard of Oz is the odds-on front runner. Antonio Banderas is the biggest movie star on the list, but he is best known in live action films from his non-genre roles.

Most interesting tidbit (for me) in today's research: I can be accused of being stuck in the past, but I think of Rick Overton as a stand up comedian. In point of fact, he puts food on the table by being an Oh That Guy actor with 147 acting credits on imdb.com. A lot of people with that many do a lot of voice work, but Overton works more in front of the camera. I've seen a lot of his work and I never put him in the Oh That Guy category until today.

As my father is fond of saying, you learn something new every day... if you aren't careful.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.
 
 Predictor: Robert Conquest in his 1955 novel A World of Difference

Prediction: A nuclear war in the 1980s has caused little immediate damage except when fusion bombs punctured the shield over Tiflis and killed all its inhabitants. A form of limited war was waged in which cities were warned in advance that they would be attacked, the people evacuated, and the cities were then sown with radioactive dust. More people died of starvation than of direct effects of the bombs during the war. There have been mass liquidations and deportations. Manufacturing--largely automated--has been moved underground. There are few people left (London is the second largest city with thirty thousand people), but they maintain an advanced technology. There are several subplots, but the main plot concerns a scheme by ruthless Marxists to overthrow the government which has subjected many of their number to psychological reconditioning. At the novel's climax, a plot to wreck the Earth with cobalt bombs is thwarted.

Reality: As usual, the spoiler filled summary is from the valuable website runs by professor Paul Brians. In the real 1980s, there were some actual real ruthless Marxists, but today, most people called Marxists just want to bring the tax rates on higher incomes back to the levels seen under Bill Clinton.


Never to be Forgotten: Charles Keating 1941-2014

For Americans of a certain age, the name Charles Keating means the thief who ran a savings and loan, making himself feel better by giving the money he stole to Mother Teresa. This Charles Keating is an actor born in London who worked first in England in shows like Brideshead Revisited and Edward and Mrs. Simpson, then came to the U.S. and appeared on several soap operas including All My Children, Another World and As the World Turns. But he is remembered here because he played Zeus on both Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess.

By coincidence, the criminal Charles Keating also died this year.

Best wishes to the family and friends of the actor Charles Keating, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's time for that Monday morning sci-fi pick me up, another prediction from The OMNI Future Almanac.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

  

6 comments:

  1. Claudia Christian was also in "The Hidden," a fun, over-the-top, heavy metal, detective buddies tracking a rampant alien parasite, action flick... silly but recommended. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093185/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always pass over that title, and I saw the damn movie! Thanks for checking my work.

      Delete
  2. You might find this interesting. If it happens I may break a vow and return to the theaters to view this. I really liked Bab5 and if he gets the acting skills this could be quite a flick...
    http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2014/08/j-michael-straczynski-wants-to-reboot-babylon-5-as-a-big-budget-movie/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I had a game day yesterday with a big B5 fan who told me the same thing. Sounds intriguing, but the fun of the show was the long story arc.

      Still, I'm going to see it.

      Delete
  3. most people called Marxists just want to bring the tax rates on higher incomes back to the levels seen under Bill Clinton.

    I must be a frothing, insane leftist anarchist radical then; I'd like to see them revert to the levels seen under Kennedy.

    Boy, when it all shakes out I don't envy you your job in selecting the Picture Slot. Too many choices. If I had to do it, I would probably just throw up may hands and select the pretty woman every time. Or maybe the inevitable zombie actor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Some days there are too many choices, other days...

      Even if you just kept yourself to pretty women and zombies, today's list would still be a tough selection.

      Delete

Traveler! Have you news... FROM THE FUTURE?