12 August 2014

 Birthdays
Leah Pipes b. 1988 (The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Angel)
Electra and Elise Avellan b. 1986 (Grindhouse)
Charlotte Salt b. 1985 (Beowulf)
Natalie Mendoza b. 1981 (Code 46, BeastMaster [2000 TV], Farscape)
Maggie Lawson b. 1980 (Gamer, Smallville, Pleasantville, Meego)
Casey Affleck b. 1975 (Interstellar)
Rebecca Gayheart b. 1971 (Dead Like Me, Invasion, Sliders, Earth 2)
Yvette Nicole Brown b. 1971 (Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Repo Men, The Island)
Michael Ian Black b. 1971 (Reaper)
Ellory Elkayem b. 1970 (director, Return of the Living Dead: Rave to the Grave, Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis, Eight Legged Freaks, They Nest)
Katherine Kendall b. 1969 (Southland Tales, Firefly)
Andras Jones b. 1968 (The Attic Expeditions, Alien Nation [TV], A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama)
Brett Sexton b. 1967 (Surface, Birds of Prey, Vanilla Sky, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The X Files, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Angel)
Peter Krause b. 1965 (Beastly, The Lost Room, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
Bruce Greenwood b. 1956 (Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek, Super 8, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Mee-Shee: The Water Giant, I, Robot, The Core, Sleepwalkers [TV], Deadly Nightmares [TV])
Sam J. Jones b. 1954 (Ted, Flash Gordon [2007 TV and 1980], Black Scorpion, Stargate SG-1, Earth Minus Zero)
Ray Abruzzo b. 1954 (The Burning Zone, Lois & Clark)
Jim Beaver b. 1950 (Revolution, Supernatural, Tremors [TV], Star Trek: Enterprise, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The X Files, Lois & Clark)
Bruce Solomon b. 1944 (Night of the Creeps, Twilight Zone [1986])
Dana Ivey b. 1941 (Addams Family Values, The Addams Family, Explorers)
Oliver Ford Davies b. 1939 (Game of Thrones, Star Wars: Episodes I, II and III, Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story, The Cloning of Joanna May, Moonbase 3)
George Hamilton b. 1939 (The Little Unicorn, Love at First Bite)
Carol Eve Rossen b. 1937 (Mr. Merlin, The Fury, The Stepford Wives, The Invaders, Twilight Zone)
Michael Coles b. 1936 died 26 April 2005 (The Satanic Rites of Dracula, Dracula A.D. 1972, Doctor Who and the Daleks)
Elizabeth Shepherd b. 1936 (The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, Poltergeist: The Legacy, PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, Damien: Omen II, The Tomb of Ligeia)
William Goldman b. 1931 (screenwriter, Dreamcatcher, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, The Princess Bride, The Stepford Wives)
John Bluthal b. 1929 (Dark City, The Fifth Element, Spellbreaker: Secret of the Leprechauns, Leaping Leprechauns, Superman III, The Return of Captain Invincible, The Flying Sorcerer)
Dan Curtis b. 1927 died 27 March 2006 (writer, Dark Shadows, Frankenstein [1973 TV])
Ralph Nelson b. 1916 died 21 December 1987 (director, Charly, Twilight Zone)
Richard L. Bare b. 1913 (director, Twilight Zone)
Jane Wyatt b. 1910 died 20 October 2006 (Amityville: The Evil Escapes, Starman [TV], Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Gemini Man, Star Trek)
Oskar Homolka b. 1898 died 28 January 1978 (The Invisible Man [1976 TV], The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, The Invisible Woman)
Marion Lorne b. 1883 died 9 May 1968 (Bewitched)

Today's list spans a long time, and for my money there are several iconic roles on the list. Marion Lorne played Aunt Clara on Bewitched and Jane Wyatt was Spock's mom Amanda on Star Trek.  Katerine Kendall was Inara's female client on Firefly, which gives us the deathless tagline "I'll be in my bunk." Sadly, I didn't think the still shots of her were very clear. So we get Sam J. Jones in his most famous role as Flash Gordon from the movie of the same name. As usual, there are famous actors (Casey Affleck, Peter Krause, George Hamilton) who are not best known for their genre work.

Many happy returns to the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

 Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in his 1972 children's book, 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: At the town depot there are also other pipes—giant pipes that run the length and breadth of the country. This is a clean, efficient way to ship anything from a box of nails to a crane.

If someone buys a new electric car, this is the way it is delivered. The car is wrapped at the factory and dropped into the pipe full of liquid. Large pumps along the pipe keep the liquid flowing. Detectors at the pumping stations make sure there are no blockages and that the goods arrive at the right place.

When the car reaches the town’s main depot, it is lifted from the pipe, unwrapped, and delivered.

This is a very fast way of shipping goods. If you buy a car in the morning it will be delivered the same day.

Reality: I'm very sorry to say this is the last prediction from Hoyle's book. I'm sorry because I've enjoyed his work and doubly sorry because this prediction stinks sooooo much. What he is talking about is kinda sorta like pneumatic tubes, which of course this blog deeply loves, as do all right thinking individuals. But pneumatic tubes pick a single size container and that makes the system work. The idea that you could move anything from a box of nails to a crane with a system of hydraulic tubes that criss crosses a nation is massively impractical and I know of no such system working at any scale anywhere on the planet.

Sorry, Geoff. It's been fun but... we live in what you called the future and it's nothing like this.

Never to be Forgotten: JJ Murphy

The Irish actor JJ Murphy was cast for season 5 of Game of Thrones as Ser Denys Mallister, the oldest member of the Night's Watch. He shot his first few scenes for the show but died a few days later. The show's producers have decided not to recast the role. "We will not be recasting J.J. Murphy. He was a lovely man, and the best Denys Mallister we could have hoped for. And now his watch is ended."

He only had ten roles on film total, and his other genre work was in Dracula Untold. I couldn't find Mr. Murphy's birth year online, but he was 86 when he died.

Best wishes to the family and friends of JJ Murphy. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Herman Kahn gets to make his guesses about the 1970s and 1980s again tomorrow. This time he almost gets it right.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

29 July 2014

Birthdays
Allison Mack b. 1982 (Smallville)
Dominic Burgess b. 1982 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Doctor Who, Batman Begins)
Megan Hayes b. 1980 (Sleepy Hollow, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, +1)
Rachel Miner b. 1980 (Supernatural)
Stephen Dorff b. 1973 (Immortals, Blade, Space Truckers)
Dileep Rao b. 1973 (Touch, Inception, Avatar)
Wil Wheaton b. 1972 (Big Bang Theory, Eureka, The Guild, Neverland, Star Trek: Nemesis, The Invisible Man, Python, Deep Core, Flubber, Perversions of Science, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Monsters, The Curse, The Last Starfighter)
Graham McGrath b. 1971 (Krull, Frankenstein [1984 TV])
Timothy Omundson b. 1969 (Supernatural, Warehouse 13, Jericho, Xena, Starship Troopers, Dark Skies, SeaQuest 2032)
Richard Steven Horvitz b. 1966 (Invader ZIM, Babylon 5, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, The Munsters Today)
Dean Haglund b. 1965 (The Icarus II Project, Atlantis Down, The X Files, The Lone Gunmen)
Alexandra Paul b. 1963 (A.I. Assault, Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York, Cyber Bandits, Christine)
Brian Peck b. 1960 (Jack and the Beanstalk [2010], X-Men 2, X-Men, The Tick, Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest, Return of the Living Dead I, II and III)
Marcus Gilbert b. 1958 (Army of Darkness, Doctor Who)
Wendy Hughes b. 1952 died 8 March 2014 (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Amerika)
Charles Hallahan b. 1953 died 25 November 1997 (Roswell, Warlock: The Armageddon, Cast a Deadly Spell, Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Thing)
David Warner b. 1941 (Penny Dreadful, Doctor Who, Hogfather, The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse, Cyber Wars, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2003 TV], Planet of the Apes [2001], The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, Total Recall 2070, Wing Commander, The Last Leprechaun, Perversions of Science, Beastmaster III, Babylon 5, Lois & Clark, Necronomicon: Book of Dead, The Lost World, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Frankenstein [1984 TV], Faerie Tale Theatre, The Company of Wolves, Cat a Deadly Spell, TRON, Time Bandits, Time After Time, The Omen)
Robert Fuller b. 1933 (The Brain from Planet Arous)
Lloyd Bochner b. 1925 died 29 October 2005 (Legend of the Mummy, Superboy, Millennium [1989], Manimal, Battlestar Galactica, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, The Starlost, The Dunwich Horror, Bewitched, The Green Hornet, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twilight Zone)
Frank Marth b. 1922 died 12 January 2014 (The Incredible Hulk, Battlestar Galactica [1979], Captain America, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Marooned, The Invaders, The Green Hornet, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, My Favorite Martian)
Melvin Belli b. 1907 died 9 July 1996 (Star Trek)
Maria Ouspenskaya b. 1876 died 3 December 1949 (Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, The Wolf Man)

A lot of good choices today. Last year, having done less research, I only listed Wil Wheaton and David Warner, and the younger actor got the Picture Slot. When I woke up this morning, my first thought was to give David Warner his moment in the spotlight, but another iconic image came to mind when I saw Lloyd Bochner's name. So many Twilight Zone stories depend on the twist ending, and To Serve Man is certainly one of them. Bochner's does not say the line, he gets to react to it, standing in for all of us at home who were thinking "Holy crap!" This still captures the moment.
A quick note: two actors died this year on today's birthday list and I didn't hear about their deaths. Both Wendy Hughes and Frank Marth deserve to never be forgotten.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories. 

Movies released
Cowboys & Aliens, released 2011
 

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in his 1972 children's book, 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: A large restaurant on the roof of the Sports and Social Center covers the roof and looks more like a garden than a restaurant.

It is sometimes hard to find people in this big area. So, to help you, there is a map at the entrance with all the sitting places marked on it. Look carefully and you can see where your family have marked their place.

At the table it is easy to order. You type what you want on the control panel fixed to the table. A few minutes later the tray comes along the conveyor belt close to the table. You can see that it is your tray because there is a flag stuck to it with your table number on it.

It is interesting to see how the food arrives in the giant kitchen. The kitchen is at the far end of the roof. Like the kitchen at home, it works by computer.

The restaurant kitchen serves thousands of people every day. It would take hundreds of deliveries by electric trucks to keep the refrigerators and deep freezers of the kitchen full. So the supplies are piped to it each day.

Whatever is needed in the restaurant is packed in special wrappers at a depot in the town. Everything is then placed in the pipe, which is filled with a special liquid, and pumped to the restaurant on the roof. The liquid allows packages of different weights to float. Otherwise small packages would float while large packages would sink and bang against the bottom of the pipe. When the packages reach the restaurant they are taken from the pipe, unwrapped, and put into the right containers.

The food is cooked the same way it is at home and sent along the conveyor belts to the customers.

Reality: Jeez, what a commie. Everybody eating at the the same restaurant. What does he think this place is, McDonalds?

Of course, there are restaurants that serve thousands of people a day and deliveries are all by truck. It's kind of too bad, because the pipes are almost like pneumatic tubes, a favorite futuristic gimzo from the predictors of the early to mid 20th Century. More than that, automation in fast food kitchens is possible, but it's certainly not the standard yet.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Herman Kahn takes another crack at predicting the late 1970s and early 1980s from his vantage point in 1972. Not quite as bold as our usual predictors and not that much more accurate.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

22 July 2014

 Birthdays
Lauren Bittner b. 1980 (Paranormal Activity 3)
Candace Kroslak b. 1978 (Knight Rider [2008], Planet of the Apes, Demonicus)
Franka Potente b. 1974 (American Horror Story, Run Lola Run)
Colin Ferguson b. 1972 (Caper, Haven, Eureka, Primeval: New World, Matty Hanson and the Invisibility Ray, Lake Placid 3, The Hunger [TV])
Rhys Ifans b. 1967 (The Amazing Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Nanny McPhee Returns, Little Nicky)
John Leguizamo b. 1964 (Kick-Ass 2, Repo Men, The Happening, Land of the Dead, Super Mario Bros.)
David Spade b. 1964 (ALF, Monsters)
Adam Godley b. 1964 (Powers, Battleship, Dollhouse, The X Files: I Want to Believe, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Nanny McPhee, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Willem Dafoe b. 1955 (John Carter, 4:44 Last Day on Earth, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, Daybreakers, Spider-Man, Control, Shadow of the Vampire, eXistenZ, Deadly Nightmares, The Hunger)
Tisa Farrow b. 1951 (Anthropophagus, Hunter of the Apocalypse, Zombie)
Alan Menken b. 1949 (music, Tangled, Hercules, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors)
Albert Brooks b. 1947 (Defending Your Life, Twilight Zone: The Movie)
J. Kenneth Campbell b. 1947 (The Huntress, Angel, Charmed, The Journey of Alan Strange, NightMan, Mars Attacks!, The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, The Abyss, Wonder Woman)
Danny Glover b. 1946 (Toxin, 2047 – Sights of Death, Space Warriors, Touch, 2012, Blindness, Earthsea, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Predator 2, Tall Tales & Legends, Iceman, The Greatest American Hero)
Peter Jason b. 1944 (Robosapien: Rebooted, Planet Raptor, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2006], Alien Apocalypse, Raptor Island, Carnivale, Ghosts of Mars, Perversions of Science, Escape from L.A., Mortal Kombat, Congo, Village of the Damned, Quantum Leap, Arachnophobia, They Live, Alien Nation, Prince of Darkness, Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star, Amazing Stories, Dreamscape, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Captain Nemo, Shadow on the Land, Land of the Giants)
Nick Brimble b. 1944 (Greek Gods and Goddesses: Jason and the Argonauts, Loch Ness, Frankenstein Unbound, Cosmic Princess, Blakes 7, Space: 1999)
Terence Stamp b. 1938 (Smallville, Wanted, Elektra, Red Planet, Star Wars: Episode I – Such a Good Cast Wasted, The Hunger [TV], Alien Nation, The Company of Wolves, Superman I and II, The Thief of Baghdad [TV], HU-Man, The Mind of Mr. Soames)
Louise Fletcher b. 1934 (The Genesis Code, Heroes, Wonderfalls, Deep Space Nine, Brimstone, VR.5, Frankenstein and Me, The Stepford Husbands, Virtuosity, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Tales from the Crypt [TV], Deadly Nightmares, Shadowzone, Twilight Zone [1988], Invaders from Mars, Brainstorm, Strange Invaders, Mama Dracula, Exorcist II: The Heretic)
Perry Lopez b. 1929 died 14 February 2008 (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Star Trek, The Time Tunnel, Creature from the Black Lagoon)
Orson Bean b. 1928 (Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe, Alien Autopsy, Being John Malkovich, Monsters, Innerspace, Twilight Zone)
James Whale b. 1889 died 29 May 1957 (director, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein)

A long list today and a lot of good choices for the Picture Slot. Last year it was Terence Stamp as Zod, undeniably iconic. Good arguments could be made for Franka Potente, Colin Ferguson, Willem Dafoe, Louise Fletcher, James Whale and because I'm such a geek for the original Star Trek and Twilight Zone, Perry Lopez and Orson Bean. But I woke up this morning in an Oh That Guy mood, so you are looking at Peter Jason, a guy with over 230 credits on imdb.com and about a tenth of those in live action genre films and TV. (I usually don't list voice work, though I make exceptions. With some actors, I could be here until noon just typing.) This still is from the not remarkably good but still remarkably memorable They Live, John Carpenter's idiosyncratic take on an alien invasion.

Many happy returns to the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in the 1972 children's book 2010: Living in the Future, illustrations by Alasdair Anderson

Prediction: It is very easy and cheap to travel by air. The airplanes are very small and very fast. They seat thirty people and fly them through the sky at over 4,000 miles per hour. Seats are not reserved in advance. You just climb aboard. It is just like the town bus service.

Reality: It's hard to get more wrong about a prediction, though Hoyle saves face a little with the final sentence. If he meant smelly, uncomfortable and a keen disregard for schedules, yes, air travel is just like the town bus service.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Hoyle may not be perfect, but he is followed by Herman Kahn in the regular weekly schedule, so he always looks better in retrospect.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
  

15 July 2014

Birthdays
Taylor Kinney b. 1981 (The Vampire Diaries)
James Devoti b. 1979 (White Space, Jericho, Heroes)
Lana Parilla b. 1977 (Once Upon a Time, Lost, Spiders)
Diane Kruger b. 1976 (The Host [2013 American movie], Fringe, Mr. Nobody)
Brian Austin Green b. 1973 (Smallville, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Small Wonder)
Scott Foley b. 1972 (True Blood, The Last Templar)
Amanda Foreman b. 1966 (Star Trek Into Darkness, Super 8, Star Trek [2009], Future Shock)
Brigitte Nielsen b. 1963 (Galaxis, The Cave of the Golden Rose, Red Sonja)
Forest Whitaker b. 1961 (Repo Men [2010], The Twilight Zone, Battlefield Earth, Amazing Stories)
Willie Aames b. 1960 (Zapped!, The Wide World of Mystery)
Terry O’Quinn b. 1952 (Falling Skies, 666 Park Avenue, The X-Files, Roswell, Lost, Earth 2, The Rocketeer, SpaceCamp, The Twilight Zone)
Celia Imrie b. 1952 (Doctor Who, Nanny McPhee, Star Wars Episode I- Yes, That One, The Borrowers, Frankenstein [1994], Highlander)
Jesse Ventura b. 1951 (Batman & Robin, The X Files, Demolition Man, Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe, The Running Man, Predator)
Richard Franklin b. 1948 died 11 July 2007 (director, The Lost World [TV], Beauty and the Beast [TV], Cloak & Dagger)
Jan-Michael Vincent b. 1944 (Jurassic Women, Lethal Orbit, Xtro II, Alienator, Damnation Alley)
Larry Cohen b. 1941 (writer/director, Wicked Stepmother, It’s Alive, A Return to Salem’s Lot, The Stuff, Q)
Patrick Wayne b. 1939 (They Came from Outer Space, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Beyond Atlantis, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Steven Gilborn b. 1936 died 2 January 2009 (Buffy, The Tick, Evolution, Lois & Clark, Beauty and the Beast [TV])
Joe Turkel b. 1927 (The Dark Side of the Moon, Blade Runner, The Shining, Land of the Giants, Village of the Giants, Visit to a Small Planet)
Philip Carey b. 1925 died 6 February 2009 (Monster [1980], The Bionic Woman, Kolchak: The Night Stalker)
Robert H. Harris b. 1911 died 30 November 1981 (The Six Million Dollar Man, Holmes and Yo-Yo, Land of the Giants, The Invaders, Bewitched, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Invisible Boy)
Ken Lynch b. 1910 died 13 February 1990 (Battlestar Galactica, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Invaders, Star Trek, The Munsters, Twilight Zone, I Married a Monster from Outer Space)

Last year, the Picture Slot went to Terry O'Quinn, likely the most iconic actor on the list in his role on Lost. This year I decided to go with somebody else and there were several interesting choices. It's been a while since I went with a Pretty Girl and Brigitte Nielsen might be the best known choice, but even I find her scarier than pretty and she is allegedly Just My Type. So instead, I went with an Oh That Guy once again, this time the late Ken Lynch in his role from Star Trek. As they put it on imdb.com, his level of fame might be better described as Oh That Cop given how many Irish cops he played.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Movies released 
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 released, 2011
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince released, 2009

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in his 1972 book, 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: A very popular room is the library. There are no books. The floor is shaped into tables and benches. Built into these tables are hundreds of vision phones. The books, films, and newspapers are all stored in the library computer.

First you dial the library index. This file contains all the books that have ever been written. It does not matter whether they were first written in Chinese or French. They will be here, translated into English. There is also an index of films and newspapers. You could spend all day watching comics, but it wouldn’t be a good idea.

To select the book you wish to read, you dial the book’s number. The first page appears on your screen. You can turn the pages backward or forward by using buttons on the vision phone.

If you are halfway through a book and you have to leave, there is no reason why you can’t finish it when you get home. You can dial the library and the book number from home and go on with your reading.


Reality: Okay, let me start with this I could spend the day reading comics, but it wouldn't be a good idea? Says who?

Let me hand the rest of the reality check over to Daniel Sinker, the guy who put this book up on the Internet for everyone to see.

"You want to understand the central issue of the modern era? Every single thing described here—perhaps with the exception of making pottery and building model airplanes—is a product offered by Google. And the main reason for that is because they’re the only ones rich enough to fight the copyright battles to make these things accessible. Libraries are stuck in the past in part because they can’t break copyright law to do exactly what Hoyle suggests: store these digital copies on their own servers and make them available to everyone. Google can. For these reasons, you don’t have your Sports and Social Centers because the information that was once vital to a library is now available on your vision desk at home."

Reality P.S.: Personally, sometimes I still like to go to the library.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Yet another prediction from Herman "heck, nuclear war isn't that bad" Kahn.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

8 July 2014

Birthdays
Jaden Smith b. 1998 (After Earth, The Day the Earth Stood Still)
Jamie Blackley b. 1991 (Snow White and the Huntsman, Myths)
Jake McDorman b. 1986 (Aquamarine)
Alexis Dziena b. 1984 (Invasion, Witchblade)
Milo Ventimiglia b. 1977 (Heroes, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)Iyari Limon b. 1976 (Buffy)
Kathleen Robertson b. 1973 (Tin Man, Psycho Beach Party, The Hidden Room, Maniac Mansion)
Amanda Peterson b. 1971 (Explorers)
Amy O’Neill b. 1971 (Honey I Blew Up the Kid, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, The Twilight Zone [1985])
Michael Weatherly b. 1968 (Dark Angel, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Charmed, Asteroid)
Billy Crudup b. 1968 (The Watch, Watchmen)
Marcus Chong b. 1967 (The Crow: Wicked Prayer, The Matrix, Hard Time on Planet Earth)
Michael B. Silver b. 1967 (Heroes, Supernatural, The X-Files, Virtuosity, Deep Space Nine)
Lee Tergesen b. 1965 (The 4400, Weird Science [TV], Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show)
Rocky Carroll b. 1963 (Invasion)
Robert Knepper b. 1959 (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Arrow, R.I.P.D., Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, SGU Stargate Universe, Heroes, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Carnivale, Species III, Seven Days, Brimstone, E.A.R.T.H. Force, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Twilight Zone [1987])
Kevin Bacon b. 1958 (R.I.P.D., X-Men: First Class, Hollow Man, Apollo 13, Flatliners, Tremors, Friday the 13th)
Angelica Huston b. 1951 (The Addams Family, The Mists of Avalon, The Witches, Faerie Tale Theatre, The Ice Pirates)
Kim Darby b. 1947 (The X-Files, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Teen Wolf Too, Star Trek)
Jeffrey Tambor b. 1944 (Paul, Hellboy, Muppets From Space, Meet Joe Black, Dr. Doolittle, Max Headroom, The Twilight Zone [1985/6])
William Cort b. 1936 died 23 September 1993 (Quantum Leap, Ghost, Small Wonder, Galactica 1980)
Marty Feldman b. 1933 died 2 December 1982 (Slapstick (Of Another Kind), Young Frankenstein)
Craig Stevens b. 1918 died 10 May 2000 (The Incredible Hulk, Project U.F.O., The Invisible Man, The Deadly Mantis, Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)
Glenn Langan b. 1917 died 26 January 1991 (The Andromeda Strain, Women of the Prehistoric Planet, Mutiny in Outer Space, The Amazing Colossal Man)

I'll admit it. I'm showing my age by thinking of The Amazing Colossal Man as iconic. When I go to imdb.com for research,  a lot of the early names on the list will be young actors I couldn't pick out of a police line-up. For example, today Kathleen Robertson was the top of the list in front of Kevin Bacon, Angelica Huston and Billy Crudup, who to my mind are actual movie stars. When we get past the 50th best known person, a name has to jump out at me, and when it does, it's usually a guy like Glenn Langan, who is forgotten by younger audiences.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories 

Movies released
Fantastic Four released 8 July 2005
 

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in his 1972 book, 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: All public transportation within the town is free. You have to pay only when you travel from one town to another.

The bus stops in front of a large group of buildings, surrounded by beautiful country. The Center and grounds are so big it would take weeks to walk around them. Every afternoon professional games are played somewhere in the grounds. You can watch football, tennis, swimming, basketball, or play games yourself with your friends.

There are also places in the grounds where you can get away from the crowds and go fishing, horseback riding, climbing, or just walking.

Reality: Nice to see the commie Hoyle let free enterprise work on some level. Paying for transportation to other towns! Professional sports! At least freedom isn't completely dead.

Of course, I'm kidding. Hoyle's 2010 sounds like a paradise. Sorry I missed it.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Herman Kahn is our new Wednesday regular. No idyllic commie collectivism from old Blow 'Em Up Hermie.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

24 June 2014

Birthdays
Kaitlin Cullum b. 1986 (Galaxy Quest)
Lotte Verbeek b. 1982 (Outlander [TV])
Sarai Givaty b. 1982 (The Legend of Hercules)
Joanna Kulig b. 1982 (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters)
Minka Kelly b. 1980 (Almost Human)
Liane Balaban b. 1980 (Supernatural, Alphas)
Carla Gallo b. 1975 (Carnivale)
Iain Glen b. 1961 (Game of Thrones, Kick-Ass 2, Doctor Who, Resident Evil, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider)
Dan Gilroy b. 1959 (writer, Stan Lee’s Annihilator, Real Steel, Freejack)
Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister b. 1958 (The Lazarus Papers, Super Capers: The Origins of Ed and the Missing Bullion, Monster Ark, The Dark Knight, Saul of the Mole Men, Vegas Vampires, Dracula 3000, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Fifth Element, The Meteor Man, Universal Soldier)
Joe Penny b. 1956 (Reign of the Gargoyles, Threshold, The Twilight Zone [1986], Tucker’s Witch)
Michael Reid MacKay b. 1953 (X-Men 2, Batman & Robin, Sleepwalkers, The Monster Squad)
Mercedes Lackey b. 1950 (author, Valdemar, The Ship Who Searched)
Nancy Allen b. 1950 (My Apocalypse, RoboCop, Poltergeist III, The Philadelphia Experiment, Strange Invaders, Carrie)
Peter Weller b. 1947 (Star Trek Into Darkness, Fringe, Star Trek: Enterprise, Odyssey 5, Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula, Screamers, RoboCop. Leviathan, Buckaroo Banzai)
Paul L. Smith b. 1936 died 25 April 2012 (Gor, Haunted Honeymoon, Red Sonja, Dune, Wonder Woman)
Jack Carter b. 1923 (3rd Rock from the Sun, Time Trax, Lois & Clark, They Came From Outer Space, Arena, Amazing Stories, Alligator, Beyond Westworld, I Dream of Jeannie, Batman, Tales of Tomorrow)
Sir Fred Hoyle b. 1915 died 20 August 2001 (scientist/author, A for Andromeda, The Molecule Men)

Two surprises in my research today. Paul L. Smith is dead and Jack Carter is alive. I was also thinking Carter wouldn't have any genre credits when I went to his imdb.com page, but obviously I was wrong.

And to the Picture Slot choice. Everyone less than 40 years old is female and fabulous, but they have one or maybe two genre roles. Nancy Allen could also qualify for Pretty Girl = Picture Slot, but her best known role is in RoboCop, so Peter Weller has her trumped and he was the Picture Slot last year. When I did my first research, I had Iain Glenn's birthday wrong, so he's had a Picture Slot as well. Wanting to show someone new, I considered Paul L. Smith from Dune as Beast Rabban, but instead went with the Number One Oh That Guy on our list, the former wrestler Tiny Lister, here seen in his role as the president in The Fifth Element. For me, he's at the "Hey, It's Abe Vigoda!" level of fame, but your mileage may vary.

One last note: Sir Fred Hoyle was an astrophysicist, the father of our regular predictor Geoffrey Hoyle. The elder Hoyle is given credit for coining the term "big bang", though he didn't accept the theory and used it derisively. Now it's the dominant paradigm in physics, but the term used to deride it is the name everyone calls it, whether a proponent or a detractor.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories. 

Movies released 
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen released 2009
Spaceballs released 1987

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle form his 1972 children's book 2010: Living in the Future, illustrations by Daniel Sinker

Prediction: Your school classes finish every day at one o’clock. After lunch it is time to meet friends at the Sports and Social Center. You can travel by electric car or in a bus. The bus services are very good and run twenty-four hours a day. You can go anywhere in the town and know there will always be a bus back. With very little traffic on the roads it is safe for children to travel by themselves.

There is no fare to pay on the bus.

Reality: Two words.

Fukkin' commie!

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The regular weekly schedule gets a three day break as we celebrate a future that is now just around the corner.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

17 June 2014

 Birthdays
Arthur Darvill b. 1982 (Doctor Who)
Scott Adkins b. 1976 (Metal Hurlant Chronicles, The Legend of Hercules, Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Mutant X)
Heather Mazur b. 1976 (Journeyman, Night of the Living Dead [1990])
Joshua Leonard b. 1975 (Touch, Shark Night 3D, Dead in Love, The Shaggy Dog, The Blair Witch Project)
Matthew Senreich b. 1974 (writer, Robot Chicken)
Louis Leterrier b. 1973 (director, Clash of the Titans [2010], The Incredible Hulk)
Jason Patric b. 1966 (Powers, Frankenstein Unbound, The Lost Boys, Solarbabies)
Erin and Diane Murphy b. 1964 (Bewitched)
Greg Kinnear b. 1963 (What Planet Are You From?, Mystery Men, Blankman)
Thomas Haden Church b. 1960 (John Carter, Spider-Man 3, Zombie Roadkill, Idiocracy, Monkeybone, Takes from the Crypt: Demon Knight)
Jon Gries b. 1957 (Skinwalker Ranch, Supernatural, Lost, The Astronaut Farmer, Carnivale, Men in Black, The X-Files, Quantum Leap, The Twilight Zone, The Powers of Matthew Star)
Joe Piscopo b. 1951 (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
James Shigeta b. 1933 (Space Marines, Babylon 5, SeaQuest 2032, The Greatest American Hero, The Outer Limits)
Peter Lupus b. 1932 (Giant of the Evil Island, Challenge of the Gladiator, Hercules and the Tyrants of Babylon, The Brass Bottle, Muscle Beach Party, Goliath and the Conquest of Damascus)
Wally Wood b. 1927 died 2 November 1981 (artist)
Beryl Reid b. 1919 died 13 October 1996 (Doctor Who, Dr. Phibes Rises Again)
Ralph Bellamy b. 1904 died 29 November 1991 (Amazon Women on the Moon, Twilight Zone, Space, Search for the Gods, Rosemary’s Baby, The Invaders)
M.C. Escher b. 1898 died 27 March 1972 (artist)

The finalists for the Picture Slot today were the artists M.C. Escher, Wally Wood and this year's winner Arthur Darvill as Rory Williams from Doctor Who. Some of the other actors might make the cut in other year's but I can say this for certain.

It's not Lupus.

I kid. I'm a kidder. I might put in Peter Lupus from one of his Italian muscle man movies. The guy I will never put in is Joe Piscopo.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle from his 1972 book 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: With few people traveling to work there are no morning or evening rush hours—no streets crowded with cars, buses, and people. Gone are the oily smells and fumes of traffic. When people travel, they go by electric car, bus, or train.

In 2010 people can live and breathe in clean, fresh surroundings, but it was not always like this.

Reality: That would be a great advantage of nearly universal telecommuting, but as we know, that didn't become the norm. Still, there are a lot more environmentally conscious options now than there were back in 1972, though the pushers of petroleum really are doing everything they can to keep from being knocked out of their dominant position, the more's the pity.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

A new predictor joins the weekly line-up, and he is said to be the inspiration for several movie characters from the 1960s.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

10 June 2014

 Birthdays
Kelly Vitz b. 1988 (Sky High)
Celina Jade b. 1985 (Arrow)
Shane West b. 1978 (Salem, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Dracula 2000, Sliders, Buffy)
DJ Qualls b. 1978 (Supernatural, The Big Bang Theory, Lost, The Core)
Mike Dopud b. 1968 (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Continuum, Man of Steel, Battlestar Galactica, Beauty and the Beast [2012], Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, Grimm, Warehouse 13, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Stargate, Smallville, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Supernatural, Journey to the Center of the Earth [TV], Blade: The Series, BloodRayne, Kraken: Tentatcles of the Deep, Jeremiah, Rollerball, Dark Angel, Seven Days, The New Addams Family [TV], Millennium [TV], Futuresport, Welcome to Paradox)
Elizabeth Hurley b. 1965 (Wonder Woman [2011], Bedazzled, My Favorite Martian [1999])
Andrew Niccol b. 1964 (director, The Host, In Time, S1m0ne, Gattaca)
Ben Daniels b. 1964 (Jack the Giant Slayer, Merlin, Doom)
Jeanne Tripplehorn b. 1963 (Timecode, Waterworld)
Carolyn Hennesy b. 1962 (Acting Dead, True Blood, Once Upon a Time, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare)
Timothy Van Patten b. 1959 (director, Game of Thrones)
Robert Clohessy b. 1957 (The Avengers, Lois & Clark)
Frankie Faison b. 1949 (Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, Messengers, Prey, The Langoliers, Freejack, Maximum Overdrive, C.H.U.D., Cat People)
Mickey Jones b. 1941 (It Came From Outer Space II, Total Recall, Misfits of Science, V, Starman, The Incredible Hulk, Galactica 1980)
Jurgen Prochnow b. 1941 (Wing Commander, Judge Dredd, Terminus, Dune)
Maurice Sendak b. 1928 died 8 May 2012 (author/artist, Where the Wild Things Are)
Lionel Jeffries b. 1926 died 19 February 2010 (Lexx, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, First Men in the Moon, The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Quatermass Xperiment)
Judy Garland b. 1922 died 22 June 1969 (The Wizard of Oz)
Lou Frizzell b. 1929 died 17 June 1979 (Project U.F.O., Devil Dog: The Hound from Hell, Isis)
Robert Cummings b. 1919 died 2 December 1990 (My Living Doll, Bewitched, Twilight Zone)
Robert Eddison b. 1908 died 14 December 1991 (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Storyteller, The Legend of King Arthur [1979], Out of the Unknown)

If the standard for the Picture Slot is being iconic, Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz or an illustration by Maurice Sendak are the two competitors here, and I went with Judy. I loved this movie so much and we had the album of the soundtrack that I played incessantly when I was a kid.  I would easily put it on my list of top musicals and top fantasy films, and I think it's hard not to put it on a top ten list of best films of all time.

A short note on something a little odd on the list. Mike Dopud has been in a jillion productions, several of which I have seen, and he has made close to zero impression on me. I think I might be able to pick him out of a crowd if I watched more Battlestar Galactica, but he isn't nearly as recognizable as several other names on the list, at least for me.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in the 1972 book 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: While you are at school in one room, your parents may be at work in another. People who do office work do it at home. To keep in close touch with other people in their office they use the vision phone. The vision desk is connected to their firm’s computer, which stores all the office files. With this close contact between everybody in the office, it is easy to work from home.

Wherever people work—in a factory or at home, or whatever else their job might be—they will work for only three days a week. The rest of the week they can do what they like. They can play football, learn a language, or train for a new job.

Reality: In comparison to 1972, more people work at home now than did then and computers are a big part of that, but it's clear Hoyle isn't thinking about personal computers but instead honking big mainframes. As for three days a week of work... who does he think we are, the French?

Frickin' commie.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

June will be our last month hearing from T. Baron Russell, our regular Wednesday contributor ever since we ran out of stuff from John Elfreth Watkins. (sniff.)

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

3 June 2014

Birthdays
Brenden Jefferson b. 1986 (Holes, Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century)
Imogen Poots b. 1989 (Fright Night, 28 Weeks Later, V for Vendetta)
Jame Purefoy b. 1964 (John Carter, Solomon Kane, Frankenstein [2007, TV], Resident Evil, The Cloning of Joanna May)
Suzie Plakson b. 1958 (Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Beauty and the Beast, My Stepmother is an Alien)
Scott Valentine b. 1958 (Harpies, Black Scorpion, Fallout, Mars, Carnosaur 3: Primal Species, Lois & Clark, The Unborn II, To Sleep with a Vampire, Deadly Nightmares, My Demon Lover, Knight Rider)
Clive Mantle b. 1957 (Game of Thrones, Alien³)
Erland van Lidth b. 1953 died 23 September 1987 (The Running Man)
Melissa Mathison b, 1950 (writer, The Indian in the Cupboard, Twilight Zone: The Movie, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial)
John Rothman b. 1949 (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Enchanted, Dark Matter, Daredevil, From the Earth to the Moon, The Devil’s Advocate, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Ghostbusters)
John Dykstra b. 1947 (special effects, Godzilla, X-Men: First Class, Hancock, Spider-Man I and II, Batman & Robin, Batman Forever, My Stepmother is an Alien, Invaders from Mars, Alice in Wonderland [1985 – TV], Lifeforce, Firefox, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars: Episode IV, Silent Running)
Penelope Wilton b. 1946 (Doctor Who, Shaun of the Dead, Alice Through the Looking Glass [1998, TV], The Borrowers)
Bill Paterson b 1945 (Doctor Who, Sea of Souls, Ghostbusters of East Finchley, The Witches, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen)
Frank McRae b. 1942 (Asteroid [TV], Last Action Hero, Twilight Zone, Wonder Woman)
Edward Winter b. 1937 died 8 March 2001 (Weird Science, Superboy, Misfits of Science, The Greatest American Hero, Project U.F.O.)
Marion Zimmer Bradley b. 1930 died 25 September 1999 (author, The Mists of Avalon, Darkover)
Tony Curtis b. 1925 died 29 September 2010 (Stargames, Lois & Clark, The Mummy Lives, Lobster Man From Mars, BrainWaves, The Manitou)
Maurice Evans b. 1901 died 12 March 1989 (The Canterville Ghost, The Six Million Dollar Man, Bewitched, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, The Body Stealers, Rosemary’s Baby, Planet of the Apes, Batman)

Quite the list today. Last year the Picture Slot went to Suzie Plakson as K'Ehleyr, not a bad choice at any time. I also thought about a cover from a Marion Zimmer Bradley book or Penelope Wilton from Doctor Who or Shaun of the Dead. 

The first name on the imdb.com birthday list was Tony Curtis and my first thought was he hadn't done any genre work, but of course I was wrong. I could have gone with Maurice Evans as Dr. Zaius or Clive Mantle from Game of Thrones. But I bypassed all those great choices for the late Erland van Lidth, here in his costume as Dynamo in The Running Man. Van Lidth was a classically trained singer (he does a beautiful version of Down in the Valley (Birmingham Jail) in the movie Stir Crazy) and studied computer science at MIT, but got into the movies because he was a wrestler.

Many happy returns to the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Movies released
X-Men: First Class released, 2011  

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in the 1972 book 2010: Living in the Future
 
Prediction: At nine o’clock it is time for school. Inside a large closet in your bedroom there is a vision phone and vision desk. As soon as you dial your school number, the screen lights up, and there is your teacher.

The vision phone is a telephone that allows you to see the person you are talking to. He or she can see you, too.

School work would be impossible without the vision desk. When the teacher writes a sum on the blackboard, the figures are shown on the desk. To answer the question you take your electronic pen and start writing on the desk. If the teacher sees that you are going wrong, he or she can correct you. All the school work that is done on the vision desk is recorded on a giant school computer.

Reality: I do love the illustration of the giant school computer. We do have some distance learning, of course, but for the most part it's at the college level and the teacher isn't electronically peeking over every student's shoulder. Vision phones, vision desks and electronic pens are real technology, but the whole package didn't quite get put together in this configuration.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

June will be the last month of predictions for our Edwardian pal T. Baron Russell.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

27 May 2014

Birthdays
Bella Heathcote b. 1987 (Dark Shadows [2012], In Time)
Ben Feldman b. 1980 (Cloverfield, Them [2007])
Paul Bettany b. 1971 (The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Transcendence, Iron Man, Legion)
Joseph Fiennes b. 1970 (Hercules [2014], Amercan Horror Story, Camelot [2011], FlashForward)
Eddie McClintock b. 1967 (Warehouse 13, Boogeyman)
Linnea Quigley b. 1958 (A whole mess of low-budget stuff. Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers are typical examples. Not gonna type it all up.)
Richard Schiff b. 1955 (Man of Steel, Roswell, Doctor Dolittle, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Volcano, The Arrival, Special Report: Journey to Mars, Tank Girl)
Ken Lerner b. 1948 (The Big Bang Theory, They Crawl, Godzilla [1998], Buffy, The Exorcist III, RoboCop2, Project X, Twilight Zone, The Greatest American Hero)
Bruce Weitz b. 1943 (My Apocalypse, Dinocroc, Deep Impact, The X-Files, Lois & Clark, Highlander, The Twilight Zone [1989])
Louis Gossett Jr. b. 1936 (Stargate SG-1, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Legend of the Mummy, The Punisher, Enemy Mine, The Powers of Matthew Star, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Invaders)
Lee Meriwether b. 1935 (Wizards of Waverly Place, The Munsters Today, Time Express, The Immortal, Land of the Giants, Star Trek, The Time Tunnel, Batman, Batman: The Movie, 4D Man)
Harlan Ellison b. 1934 (writer, Babylon 5, Twilight Zone [1980s], The Starlost, A Boy and His Dog, Star Trek, The Outer Limits, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Sir Christopher Lee b. 1922 (The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Dark Shadows [2012], Hugo, The Season of the Witch, Alice in Wonderland, Star Wars, The Golden Compass, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Sleepy Hollow [movie], Tale of the Mummy, The Odyssey [TV], The Tomorrow People, Curse III: Blood Sacrifice, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Howling II:… Your Sister is a Werewolf, The Return of Captain Invincible, Captain America II: Death Too Soon, Return from Witch Mountain, Starship Invasions, The End of the World, Dracula and Son, To the Devil a Daughter, Space: 1999, The Wicker Man, The Satanic Rites of Dracula, Poor Devil, The Creeping Flesh, Dark Places, Horror Express, Dracula A.D. 1972, I Monster, The House that Dripped Blood, Scars of Dracula, Taste the Blood of Dracula, Count Dracula, Scream and Scream Again, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave, Blood Fiend, Island of the Burning Damned, Psycho-Circus, Dracula: Prince of Darkness, The Skull, She, Dr. Terrors House of Horrors, The Gorgon, Castle of the Living Dead, Crypt of the Vampire, Hercules in the Haunted World, Scream of Fear, The Hands of Orlac, The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, The Mummy, Horror of Dracula, The Curse of Frankenstein)
Vincent Price b. 1911 died 25 October 1993 (Edward Scissorhands, The Offspring, Bloodbath at the House of Death, Thriller [narrator], House of the Long Shadows, Hansel and Gretel [TV], The Monster Club, Time Express, The Bionic Woman, Journey Into Fear, Theatre of Blood, The Aries Computer, Dr. Phibes Rises Again, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, The Cry of the Banshee, An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe, Scream and Scream Again, The Oblong Box, More Dead Than Alive, Witchfinder General, Batman, House of 1,000 Dolls, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Tomb of Ligeia, The Masque of the Red Death, The Last Man on Earth, The Comedy of Terrors, Twice Told Tales, The Haunted Palace, Diary of a Madman, The Raven Pit and the Pendulum, Master of the World, House of Usher, The Bat, The Tingler, Return of the Fly, The Fly, House of Wax, The Invisible Man Returns)


In my morning research routine, I always check the Internet Speculative Fiction Database for birthdays. They include a lot of writers not usually considered genre and often I don't include them on my list, especially if they are there for what we would consider ghost stories or magical realism or straight science writing. The folks who celebrate birthdays today that didn't make my permanent birthday list include Dashiell Hammett (1894-1961), Rachel Carson (1907-1964), John Cheever (1912-1982), Herman Wouk (born 1915 and still alive!) and Tony Hillerman (1925-2008). That's a hell of a lot of names that didn't have to be explained to me.

Regular readers who read yesterday's post knew that after Peter Cushing was in the Picture Slot yesterday, Sir Christopher Lee would definitely be there today. I figured that would be my decision for every May 26th and 27th for as long as I write the blog, but then... Vincent Price.

I frickin' love Vincent Price. Lee and Price aren't exactly pretty, but they are very tall and masculine and I think they both look great and still looked great as older men. I also love them as actors. I have to admit the amount of typing I willingly did looking through their credits made me lazy when I got to scream queen Linnea Quigley. I hope no relatives of Ms. Quigley stop by to see the short shrift I gave her. Maybe next year I'll get around to typing in all her credits, but it's a lot of direct to video stuff.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the late Vincent Price, thanks for all the memories, from a fan.

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in his 1972 children's book 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: All foodstuffs are delivered at night from the supermarket in an electric truck. You order your food on a vision phone. When satisfied with your order, you dial your bank number and an electronic version of your thumbprint identifies you as the owner of the account.

Reality: Close but no cigar on this one. Online groceries make sense, but they didn't catch on quite as much as was hoped. One of the problems is how many people have to work and getting deliveries on schedule would be problematic. Hoyle has the "vision phone" as the technology used instead of the home computer, which he also predicts will be a major part of life in the 21st Century, as we will see in future predictions. Our banks don't need our electronic thumbprints, though that technology is used in other settings.

It's like he saw all the jigsaw puzzles pieces, but didn't construct them quite correctly

Looking one day... INTO THE FUTURE!

Again we hear from our friend in 1905 T. Baron Russell.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

20 May 2014

Birthdays
Jack Gleeson b. 1992 (Game of Thrones, Batman Begins, Reign of Fire)
Chad Connell b. 1983 (Beauty and the Beast, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Lost Girl, Warehouse 13, ReGenesis)
Matt Czuchry b. 1977 (Jake 2.0, Eight Legged Freaks)
Tahmoh Penikett b. 1975 (Supernatural, Continuum, Man of Steel, Arrow, Haven, Riverworld, Dollhouse, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Stargate SG-1, Dark Angel)
Timothy Olyphant b. 1968 (I am Number Four, Dreamcatcher)
Stephanie Niznik b. 1967 (Lost, Star Trek: Enterprise, Spiders II: Breeding Ground, Star Trek: Insurrection, Sliders, Apollo 11)
John Billingsley b. 1960 (True Blood, 2012, The Man from Earth, Star Trek: Enterprise, Angel, Stargate SG-1, The X-Files)
Tony Goldwyn b. 1960 (Divergent, The 6th Day, From the Earth to the Moon, Vault of Horror I, Tales from the Crypt, Ghost, Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI)
Bronson Pinchot b. 1959 (Meego, 3rd Rock From the Sun)
Matt McCoy b. 1958 (Abominable, Carnivale, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Little Bigfoot, The Apocalypse, Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter, Star Trek: The Next Generation, DeepStar Six)
Jon Amiel b. 1948 (director, Once Upon a Time, The Core)
Cher b. 1946 (The Witches of Eastwick)
Anthony Zerbe b. 1936 (Veritas, Prince of Truth, Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions, Total Recall 2070, Star Trek: Insurrection, Asteroid [TV], The Dead Zone, KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park, The Omega Man)
James McEachin b. 1930 (2010, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, The Invisible Man, The Sixth Sense)
David Hedison b. 1927 (Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, Knight Rider, Project U.F.O., Wonder Woman, The Cat Creature, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Lost World, The Fly)
Gardner Fox b. 1911 died 24 December 1986 (writer, DC Comics)

Oopsie! Should I have written SPOILER ALERT! before posting a picture of actor Jack Gleeson enjoying everybody's favorite scene he was in on Game of Thrones? Ah well, for those of you who haven't read the books and are waiting to catch up on the TV show, there's one more person who sat on the Iron Throne who won't be sitting on it any longer.

I would argue there is one movie star on the list, Cher, and she's not really a genre star. As for the other folks on the list who make their living in front of the camera, it's largely a collection of TV stars or Oh That Guys, some whose careers are somewhere in between.

Many happy returns to the living on the list and to our one deceased birthday boy Gardner Fox, thanks for all the memories.

Movies released
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides released, 2011

Predictor: Author Geoffrey Hoyle in his 1972 children's book 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: All the cooking is done automatically. It is controlled electronically by a small built-in computer. There is a control panel that looks like a typewriter. To order breakfast, you spell out what you want on the control panel. All kitchenware is disposable. Multiple ovens for cooking and keeping things warm.

Reality: We've had a lot of automated kitchen stuff, so Hoyle is not only inaccurate, he's also not original. It's also a little odd that in his world where room is so scarce that bathtubs and chairs don't exist, there is room to make everything disposable and energy enough for multiple ovens.

You didn't think this one all the way through, didya Geoff?

Looking one day ahead...INTO THE FUTURE!

We interrupt our regular schedule for a bold prediction ripped from the headlines.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

13 May 2014

Birthdays
Robert Pattinson b. 1986 (Twilight Saga, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Samantha Morton b. 1977 (John Carter, Code 46, Minority Report)
Brian Smith b. 1977 (Big Bang Theory, The Wolfpack of Reseda)
Neil Hopkins b. 1977 (Lost, Witches of East End, Grimm, True Blood, Skyline, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The 4400, The Net 2.0, The Cabinet of Dr, Caligari [2005], Charmed, Birds of Prey)
Brian Geraghty b. 1975 (True Blood)
Fana Mokoena b. 1971 (World War Z)
Stephen Colbert b. 1964 (Monsters vs. Aliens, Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, The Venture Bros.)
Siobhan Fallon b. 1961 (Holes, Men in Black)
Koji Suzuki b. 1957 (writer, The Ring)
Joe Johnston b. 1950 (director, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Wolfman, Jurassic Park III, Jumanji, The Rocketeer, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids)
Zoe Wanamaker b. 1949 (Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
Stephen R. Donaldson b. 1947 (author, Thomas Covenant series)
Mark Heap b. 1947 (The World’s End, Stardust, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Tim Pigott-Smith b. 1946 (Alice in Wonderland [2010], V for Vendetta, Clash of the Titans, Doctor Who)
Marv Wolfman b. 1946 (author, Blade)
Sam Anderson b. 1945 (Grimm, Lost, The Chronicle, Angel, NetForce, The X-Files, From the Earth to the Moon, Millennium, The Puppet Masters, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Alien Nation, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Charmings, Critters 2)
Buck Taylor b. 1938 (Cowboys & Aliens, The Mist, Starman [TV], Timestalkers, My Favorite Martian)
Beverly Owen b. 1937 (The Munsters)
Roger Zelazny b. 1937 died 6/14/1995 (won 1966 Hugo for … And Call Me Conrad and the 1968 Hugo for Lord of Light)
Bea Arthur b. 1922 died 25 April 2009 (Futurama, The Star Wars Holiday Special)

Last year, the picture slot was Robert Pattinson, the biggest movie star on the list and best known for a role in genre. Today, I was in an Oh That Guy mood, so I went with Sam Anderson as Holland Manners in Angel. Usually, I skip over voice work in cartoons, but I included Stephen Colbert partly because I love him and partly because he was on The Venture Bros. I put Bea Arthur on the list almost entirely so I could put in a reference to The Star Wars Holiday Special, a famously cheesy piece of work that some nerds of a puckish nature want to make part of the canon. If Jar Jar Binks is canon, I don't see how you exclude Life Day.

And one last mention, Beverly Owen was the original Marilyn Munster, but disliked the role and left the show to get married and never acted on the screen again.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list, and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.  
 

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in 2010: Living in the Future

Prediction: In the future, everyone will wear jumpsuits.

Reality: Will they be metallic jumpsuits? Because how can you tell if its the future if they aren't metallic?

I also like how the men have awesome facial hair, not just 19th Century style, more like the Medes in the bas relief profiles. Because if everyone wears jumps suits, men need some kind of sign to show that they are MEN!

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The weekly routine is interrupted for yet another exact date of a nuclear war.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

6 May 2014

Birthdays
Dominic Scott Kay b. 1996 (Pirate of the Caribbean: At World’s End. They Call Him Sasquatch, Power Rangers Wild Force, Minority Report)
Freddie Boath b. 1991 (The Mummy Returns)
Adrianne Palicki b. 1983 (From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, GI. Joe: Retaliation, Supernatural, The Robinsons: Lost in Space, Smallville)
Kyle Cassie b. 1976 (Fringe, Andromeda, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Jake 2.0, Stargate SG-1, Nightman)
Kavan Smith b. 1970 (Supernatural, Almost Human, Eureka, Red: Werewolf Hunter, Stargate [TV], The 4400, Battlestar Galactica, Blade: The Series, The Time Tunnel [2006], Jeremiah, Smallville, Mission to Mars, Escape from Mars, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Buffy)
Robert Floyd b. 1967 (Dark Angel, Sliders, Godzilla [1998])
George Clooney b. 1961 (Gravity, Spy Kids, Batman & Robin, From Dusk Till Dawn, Return to Horror High)
Carlos Lauchu b. 1961 (The Silencers [1996], Stargate)
Michael O’Hare b. 1952 died 28 September 2012 (Babylon 5, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, C.H.U.D.)
Gregg Henry b. 1952 (Dollhouse, Slither [2006], Star Trek: Enterprise, Firefly, Star Trek: Insurrection, M.A.N.T.I.S., Werewolf [TV])
Alan Dale b. 1947 (Dominion, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Once Upon a Time, Beauty and the Beast [TV movie], Lost, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Star Trek: Nemesis, The X-Files, The Lost World [TV], Space: Above and Beyond, Time Trax)
Richard Eyer b. 1945 (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, The Invisible Boy, Invasion U.S.A.)
Jack Sharkey b. 1931 died 28 September 1992 (author, Ultimatum in 2050 A.D.)
Gordon C. Davies b. 1923 died 1994 (artist)
Orson Welles b, 1915 died 10 October 1985 (writer/actor, Necromancy, War of the Worlds [radio])

Today's list has two honest to Odin movie stars (George Clooney and Orson Welles), a lead actor in a long running show (Michael O'Hare from Babylon 5), several child actors (besides the youngest two on the list, Richard Eyer was a child star in the 1950s) a few Oh That Guys and one fabulous babe. I was tempted to put in a shot of Adrienne Palicki as Wonder Woman, but that show never got off the ground, sad to say. Forgoing all those picks, we have instead an illustration of Gordon C. Davies for the Starship Troopers wargame from the 1970s. He was very prolific and also did covers for books by Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Roger Zelazny and many others.


Many happy returns to the living on the list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Movies released
Thor released, 2011  
 

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in the 1972 book 2010: Living in the Future, illustrations by Alasdair Anderson

Prediction:  The air all around the house is cleaned and correctly humidified every hour.

Reality: I don't know exactly how to grade this prediction. There were buildings with air filtration back when this book was written, but I would say that this prediction means everybody's modern homes would have such conveniences. I will grant that apartments and homes built after 1970 as a rule have fans and filters in the bathrooms and kitchens, but I'm not sure that counts as "cleaned and correctly humidified"everywhere. Perhaps out undead architect friend can weigh in on this. 

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

This month will be the last featuring the predictions of our buddy from 1905 T. Baron Russell. Let's see how he envisions the 21st Century once again.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

29 April 2014

Birthdays
Taylor Cole b. 1984 (Supernatural, The Event, The Green Hornet, Surrogates, Heroes)
Firass Dirani b. 1984 (Power Ranger Mystic Force, Pitch Black)
Alex Vincent b. 1981 (Child’s Play)
Tyler Labine b. 1978 (Deadbeat, Rise of the Planet of the Apes [2011], Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Invasion, Jake 2.0, Evil Alien Conquerors, Dark Angel, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids [TV], Poltergeist: The Legacy, Millennium [TV], The X-Files, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
David Sullivan b. 1977 (Karma Police, The Astronaut Farmer, Primer)
David Belle b. 1973 (Metal Hurlant Chronicles, Babylon A.D.)
Derek Mears b. 1972 (Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Team Unicorn, Predators, The Hills Have Eyes II, Zathura: A Space Adventure, Cursed, Star Trek: Enterprise, Men in Black II, The Tick, The Wonder Cabinet)
Darby Stanchfield b. 1971 (Jericho, Angel)
Uma Thurman b. 1970 (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Paycheck, Gattaca, Batman & Robin, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen)
Vincent Ventresca b. 1966 (Dollhouse, Mammoth, The Invisible Man [TV])
Bruce Harwoord b. 1963 (The X-Files, Supernatural, The Last Mimsy, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Alienated, Smallville, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda, The Lone Gunmen, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids [TV], The Fly II, Earth Star Voyager)
Robert J. Sawyer b. 1960 (author, won 1996 Nebula for The Terminal Experiment and won 2003 Hugo for Homonids)
Michelle Pfeiffer b. 1958 (Dark Shadows [2012], Stardust, Wolf, Batman Returns, The Witches of Eastwick, Ladyhawke)
Kate Mulgrew b. 1955 (Warehouse 13, Star Trek: Nemesis, Star Trek: Voyager, Gargoyles)
Gavin O’Herlihy b. 1954 (Star Trek: Voyager, Willow, Superman III, The Amazing Spider-Man [TV], The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man)
Reb Brown b. 1948 (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Space Mutiny, Robowar, Howling II, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Yor, the Hunter from the Future, Brave New World [TV], Captain America [TV], Strange New World [TV], The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Ssssss)
Wayne Robson b. 1946 died 4 April 2011 (Survival of the Dead, The Timekeeper, The Incredible Hulk [2008], Lexx, Cube, RoboCop [TV], The Twilight Zone [1989])
Lane Smith b. 1936 died 13 June 2005 (From the Earth to the Moon, Lois & Clark, Duplicates, V)
Akira Takarada b. 1934 (Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, King Kong Escapes, Godzilla [2014 and 1977 and 1954], Invasion of Astro-Monster)
Irvin Kershner b. 1923 died 27 November 2010 (director, SeaQuest 2032, RoboCop 2, The Empire Strikes Back)
Richard Carlson b. 1912 died 24 November 1977 (The Valley of Gwangi, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Strange Case of the Cosmic Rays, Creature from the Black Lagoon, It Came from Outer Space, The Magnetic Monster)
Jack Williamson b. 1908 died 10 November 2006 (author, The Legion of Time, Starchild, The Man from Outside, Land’s End)

Okay, first things first. Whose job was it to tell me Lane Smith died? I loved his work and I had no idea.

Last year's Picture Slot was Kate Mulgrew, an excellent and iconic choice without a doubt, but this year I was torn between Michelle Pfieffer and Uma Thurman when I read online that Akira Takarada's part in the newest Godzilla ended up on the cutting room floor. That seemed so unfair I decided to give him the Picture Slot with a still from the 1954 version.

I also want to give a shout out to Reb Brown, the actor who played Captain America in Marvel's 1970 attempt to get their stuff turned into TV shows. Hulk worked well and Spider-Man did okay, but Cap didn't quite make the cut. You have to be nearly as old as I am to remember that once upon a time, DC had all the successes in turning comic books into live action movies and TV while Marvel had a whole lotta flops.

Many happy returns to all the living on our list, and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

 

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in the 1972 book 2010: Living in the Future, illustrations by Alasdair Anderson

Prediction: No tubs. Just showers. No faucets for hot and cold, no need for soap or towels. Set the dial for water temperature and step in. Foamy water covers you, clean water rinses you, a jet of warm air dries you.

Reality: As I wrote last week, Hoyle's vision is fairly nice in many ways, but there is an obsession with space because of overcrowding. Also, I'm not that keen on stepping into a mini car wash every morning. Think about how long it takes air dryers to work on my hands, I'd be way too antsy to air dry my whole body.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Our Edwardian pal T. Baron Russell is winding down and May will be his last month with us. We'll see what more he has to say tomorrow.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
   

22 April 2014

Birthdays
Amber Heard b. 1986 (Zombieland)
Michelle Ryan b. 1984 (Metal Hurlant Chronicles, Cockneys vs Zombies, Doctor Who, Merlin, Bionic Woman, Jekyll, The Worst Witch)
Francis Capra b. 1983 (The Strain, Touch, Clear Skies 3, Heroes)
Gemma Whelan b. 1981 (Game of Thrones, The Day They Came to Suck Out Our Brains!, Gulliver’s Travels, The Wolfman)
Eric Mabius b. 1971 (Outcasts, Resident Evil, The Crow: Salvation, Millennium)
Sheryl Lee b. 1967 (Vampires)
Jeffrey Dean Morgan b. 1966 (Watchmen, Jonah Hex, Supernatural, Star Trek: Enterprise, Angel, The Burning Zone, Sliders)
Brooke McCarter b. 1963 (The Lost Boys, The Twilight Zone [1987])
Catherine Mary Stewart b. 1959 (The Witches of Eastwick [TV], Night of the Comet, The Last Starfighter, Mr. Merlin)
Ken Olandt b. 1958 (Total Reality, Digital Man, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Leprechaun, Super Force, V)
Joseph Bottoms b. 1954 (Wishman, The Black Hole)
Steve Englehart b. 1947 (author, Marvel, DC, Max August)
Jason Miller b. 1939 died 13 May 2001 (The Henderson Monster, Vampire (1979), The Exorcist)
Richard Marquand b. 1938 died 4 September1987 (director, Return of the Jedi)
Jack Nicholson b. 1937 (Mars Attacks!, Wolf, Batman, The Witches of Eastwick, The Shining, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Terror, The Raven, Little Shop of Horrors)
Eddie Albert b. 1906 died 26 May 2005 (Time Trax, The Girl from Mars, The Twilight Zone [1986], Dreamscape, Beyond Witch Mountain, The Devil’s Rain, Escape to Witch Mountain, The Borrowers, The Outer Limits [1964], Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Byron Haskin b. 1899 died 16 April 1984 (director, The Outer Limits[1964], Robinson Crusoe on Mars, From the Earth to the Moon, Conquest of Space, The War of the Worlds [1953])

Okay, I'll say it. There is one person here much more famous than the rest of the list: Jack Nicholson. More than that, while he has had a long career, he has done genre roles all throughout it, from his early days working for Roger Corman to playing The Joker in the first big budget Batman. I would also like to point out that regardless of the ways he has abused his body, he is still alive while Jason Miller and Richard Marquard, born just two years and one year after him, are already dead. Jack has some crazy wicked luck working for him.

And yet, the Picture Slot goes to Michelle Ryan from the reboot of Bionic Woman because... pretty.

Also iconic.

Many happy returns to all the living on our list and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.
 

Predictor: Geoffrey Hoyle in the 1972 book 2010: Living in the Future, illustrations by Alasdair Anderson

Prediction: The alarm clock wakes you up to music. No chairs, no tables, no beds. The bedroom is an office, the kitchen is a living room. With so many people in the world, there can be no wasted space.

Reality: Say hello to our new Tuesday regular, Geoffrey Hoyle, son of the physicist Sir Fred Hoyle, not to be confused with the British actor Geoff Hoyle who was in The Lion King on Broadway. Hoyle co-wrote a lot of the science fiction his dad worked on and in 1972 made this children's book. If you want to see the whole thing at a single go - just 31 pages with nice big illustrations and text re-written at the bottom for readability - you can click on this link to a website created by Daniel Sinker. Thanks, Daniel!

The book is this amalgam of capitalist progress, socialistic living situations and a feeling of a pleasant post-apocalyptic hellhole. If somebody is serious about taking away my chairs and tables, I would consider it time to exercise my Second Amendment options, if you know what I mean. As for my bed, I sleep in a La-Z-Boy lounger, which has been great for my back. Still, space is nowhere near at the premium Hoyle considers early on.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We travel backward in time to 1905 to another British version of the brave new world that awaits us.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!