15 September 2015

Birthdays
Matt Shively b. 1990 (Teen Wolf, Paranormal Activity 4)
Chloe Dykstra b. 1988 (The League of S.T.E.A.M., Chaotic Awesome, COPS: Skyrim, Drag Me to Hell, Wizards of Waverly Place, Spider-Man 2)
Chelsea Kane b. 1988 (Wizards of Waverly Pace)
Christian Cooke b. 1987 (Witches of East End, Dark Relics, Demons, Doctor Who)
Ben Woolf b. 1980 died 23 February 2015 (American Horror Story, Insidious)
Amy Davidson b. 1979 (NetherBeast Incorporated)
Dave Annable b. 1979 (666 Park Avenue, Spellbound)
Tom Hardy b. 1977 (Mad Max: Fury Road, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, Sucker Punch, A for Andromeda, Minotaur)
Marisa Ramirez b. 1977 (Supernatural, Roswell)
Jonathan Liebesman b. 1976 (director, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2014], Wrath of the Titans, Battle Los Angeles, Darkness Falls)
Marcus Shirock b. 1975 (Hercules Reborn, Bermuda Tentacles, Android Cop, Angel, Charmed)
Josh Charles b. 1971 (Bird People, After.Life, Muppets from Space)
Danny Nucci b. 1968 (Arrow, Monster Heroes, Firestarter 2: Rekindled, Quantum Leap, The Twilight Zone [1986])
Kenneth Hite b. 1965 (writer, Lost in Lovecraft)
Steven R. Monroe b. 1964 (director, End of the World, Jabberwock, Mongolian Death Worm, Ice Twisters, Wyvern, Ogre, Sasquatch Mountain, It Waits)
Philip Paley b. 1963 (Land of the Lost)
Colin McFarlane b. 1961 (Olympus, Hounded, Torchwood, Hyperdrive, Batman Begins, The Dark Knight)
Oren Aviv b. 1961 (National Treasure, RocketMan)
Ed Solomon b. 1960 (writer, Venom, What Planet Are You From?, Men In Black, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure)
Wendie Jo Sperber b. 1958 died 29 November 2005 (Back to the Future)
Barry Shabaka Henley b. 1954 (Carrie [2013], Flash-Forward, Heroes, Fallen)
Brad Leland b. 1954 (The Leftovers, Hancock)
Sabina Franklin b. 1954 (The Worst Witch, Blakes 7)
Olver Stone b. 1946 (director, The Hand)
Tommy Lee Jones b. 1946 (Captain America, Men In Black, Small Soldiers, Batman Forever)
Shelby Leverington b. 1946 (The Island, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Twilight Zone [1985], Cloak & Dagger)
Roy Brocksmith b. 1945 died 16 December 2001 (Babylon 5, Kull the Conqueror, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Lois & Clark, Good & Evil, Eerie, Indiana, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Arachnophobia, Total Recall, Martians Go Home, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Wizard, Wolfen)
John Reynolds b. 1941 died 16 October 1966 (actor/director, Manos: The Hands of Fate)
Norman Spinrad b. 1940 (writer, Star Trek, Bug Jack Barron, The Iron Dream)
Henry Darrow b. 1933 (NightMan, Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager, Time Trax, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Knight Rider, Beyond the Universe, The Incredible Hulk, The Bionic Woman, Wonder Woman, Halloween with the New Addams Family, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Invisible Man [1975 TV], Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Outer Limits)
Andree Melly b. 1932 (The Brides of Dracula)
Henry Silva b. 1928 (Cyborg – Il Guerriero d'Acciaio, Escape from the Bronx, Alligator, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Quark, The Sixth Sense [1972 TV], Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Outer Limits)
Jackie Cooper b. 1922 died 3 May 2011 (Superman, The Invisible Man [1975], The Astronaut, Twilight Zone)
Joseph Pevney b. 1911 died 18 May 2008 (director, The Incredible Hulk, Star Trek, The Munsters, Bewitched, Destination Space)
Fay Wray b. 1907 died 8 August 2004 (King Kong, The Vampire Bat, Doctor X)
Tom Conway b. 1904 died 22 April 1967 (The Atomic Submarine, Voodoo Woman, The She-Creature, Bride of the Gorilla, Cat People)
James Fenimore Cooper b. 1789 died 14 September 1851 (The Monikins)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot skewed old school, in 2013 with writer Norman Spinrad and in 2014 with the fabulous Fay Wray. If I wanted to push the blog into the 21st Century, the best choice would be Tom Hardy in the most recent Mad Max, but instead I went with Roy Brocksmith in his role from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I blush to mention that he's one of those "Wait... He's Dead?" folks for me.

2. An unspottable Canadian. Fay Wray is from the Great White North. I had no idea.

3. MST3K. This one's pretty easy, John Reynolds, who died only a little after filming was complete, directed Manos: The Hands of Fate and also played Torgo.

4. Nice same birthday pair. I always like it when two people who are both well known were born on the exact same day, and Oliver Stone and Tommy Lee Jones certainly qualify. 

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

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in his novel The Door Into Summer

Prediction: "IMPORTANT NOTICE! This service automaton DOES NOT understand human speech. It has no understanding at all, being a machine. But for your convenience it has been designed to respond to a list of spoken orders."

Reality: Our pal Bob takes a dim view of The Singularity here, and by 2000 he was still right, machines have no true understanding. It's quite popular in sci-fi now and there are those predicting the reality just around the corner, but as an old school programmer I remain very skeptical.

Never to be Forgotten: Steve Bickel 1951-2015

Film executive Steve Bickel was found dead this week after collapsing on a hiking trip in Portugal. He is mentioned here because he produced the 1980 time travel fantasy Somewhere in Time, starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Steve Bickel, from a fan of the movie. He is never to be forgotten.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another visit from our pal George Sutherland and his book Twentieth Century Inventions.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

8 September 2015

Birthdays
Travis Nelson b. 1990 (Supernatural, Fringe, Meteor Storm, Tucker and Dale vs. Evil)
Justin Bradley b. 1985 (Being Human, Warm Bodies, Beastly)
Christine Weatherup b. 1983 (Star Kid)
Jonathan Taylor Thomas b. 1981 (Smallville)
Miles Jupp b. 1979 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
Nate Corddry b. 1977 (Ghostbusters [2016], The Invention of Lying)
Larenz Tate b. 1975 (The Postman, The Twilight Zone [1985])
Martin Freeman b. 1971 (Captain America: Civil War, The Hobbit, The World’s End, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Shaun of the Dead)
Brooke Burke-Charvet b. 1971 (The Wraith)
David Arquette b. 1971 (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Eight Legged Freaks, Muppets from Space, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Brian Huskey b. 1968 (This Is the End, Fright Night [2011], Meet Dave, Land of the Lost [2009])
Brad Silberling b. 1963 (director, Land of the Lost, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Casper)
Larry Zerner b. 1963 (Knights of Badassdom, Friday the 13th Part III)
Thomas Kretschmann b. 1962 (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dracula [TV], Dracula 3D, FlashForward, Bionic Woman, King Kong, Frankenstein [2004 TV], Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Blade II, Relic Hunter, Total Recall 2070, Total Reality)
David Knell b. 1961 (Grimm, The Invisible Man, Total Recall, ALF, Splash, The Devil and Max Devlin)
Tom Tangen b. 1961 (Monkeybone, Donnie Darko, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Back to the Future)
Sonja Smits b. 1958 (Odyssey 5, TekWar, Videodrome)
Heather Thomas b. 1957 (Swamp Thing [TV], Cyclone, Zapped!)
Julian Richings b. 1955 (The Witch, Hellmouth, Orphan Black, Supernatural, Man of Steel, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Survival of the Dead, Saw IV, X-Men: The Last Stand, Skinwalkers, Re-Generation, Prince Charming, My Best Friend is an Alien, Highlander: The Raven, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms, Cube, Mimic, RoboCop [TV], War of the Worlds [TV])
Clayton Norcross b. 1954 (Weird Science [TV], Defending Your Life)
Mark Lindsay Chapman b. 1954 (Charmed, Poltergeist: The Legacy, NightMan, Legend of the Mummy, The Burning Zone, Lois & Clark, Weird Science [TV], The Langoliers, Swamp Thing [TV], Max Headroom)
Willard Huyck b. 1945 (writer/director, Howard the Duck; writer, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Archie Goodwin b. 1937 died 1 March 1988 (writer, Marvel Comics and Warren Publications)
Michael A. Hoey b. 1934 died 17 August 2014 (director, The Navy vs. the Night Monsters)
Joe Kubert b. 1926 died 12 August 2012 (artist)
Peter Sellers b. 1925 died 24 July 1980 (Alice in Wonderland [1972 and 1966])
Harry Harris b. 1922 died 19 March 2009 (director, Alice in Wonderland [1985], Land of the Giants, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, Lost in Space)
Harry Secombe b. 1921 died 11 April 2001 (Alice Through the Looking Box)
Frank Cady b. 1915 died 8 June 2012 (Monster Squad [TV], 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, The Next Voice You Hear…)
Alexander Mackendrick b. 1912 died 22 December 1993 (writer/director, The Man in the White Suit)
Brian Morrow b. 1911 died 11 May 2006 (Beauty and the Beast, Freddie’s Nightmares, Otherworld, The Greatest American Hero, The Bionic Woman, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Colossus: The Forbin Project, Star Trek, Bewitched, Lost in Space, The Invaders, Captain Nice, I Dream of Jeannie, Cyborg 2087, Atlantis, the Lost Continent, Twilight Zone)
William Fawcett b. 1894 died 25 January 1974 (I Dream of Jeannie, Mr. Terrific, The Munsters, Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter, Twilight Zone, Commando Cody, Captain Video, Atom Man vs. Superman, Batman and Robin [1949])

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, I went Oh That Guy with Brian Morrow and noted the first episode aired of Star Trek. This year, I drag myself into the 21st Century with a picture of Martin Freeman from The Hobbit.

2. Spot the Canadians! Our two youngest on today's list, Travis Nelson and Justin Bradley, are both born north of the border, as is Sonja Smits. Julian Richings was born in Britain but moved to Canada in the 1980s.

3. Nepotism FTW. David Arquette is one of the multi-generational family of actors.

4. The Guy at the Door. On today's list, the cut-off year for the living and the dead is 1945, which is way too recent for my tastes. This means the blog gives special best wishes on his birthday to Willard Huyck, even though he is responsible for Howard the Duck.

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

TV show premieres 
Star Trek first aired, 1966

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in the 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: The Times came to me by tube each morning, now that I was a solid citizen.

Reality: This scene takes place in 2000 and Heinlein is discussing newspaper delivery by pneumatic tube.

He gets no marks for this, but I do not judge him, because this failed prediction makes me sad.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another visit from out friend George Sutherland.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

1 September 2015

Birthdays
Zendaya b. 1996 (Zapped [2014])
Michael Adamthwaite b. 1981 (The 100, Strange Empire, Nerds and Monsters, Arrow, Horns, Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, Fringe, Sucker Punch, Behemoth, Riverworld, Twilight: New Moon, Smallville, Reaper, Watchmen, Flash Gordon [TV], Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Dead Like Me, 10.5, Stargate SG-1, Jeremiah)
Lara Pulver b. 1980 (Edge of Tomorrow, True Blood)
Camille Chen b. 1979 (Grimm, American Horror Story, Touch, Meteor [TV], Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over)
Justice Leak b. 1979 (The Vampire Diaries, Powers, Insurgent, Supergirl)
Adrienne Wilkinson b. 1977 (Star Trek: Renegades, Nobility, Charmed, Angel, Xena)
Jenae Altschwager b. 1976 (Alien Ecstasy, She Alien, Alien Sex Files 3, Click, The Island)
Scott Speedman b. 1975 (Underworld: Evolution, Underworld)
Burn Gorman b. 1974 (The Man in the High Castle, Forever, Game of Thrones, Pacific Rim, The Dark Knight Rises, Torchwood)
Jhonen Vasquez b. 1974 (Invader ZIM)
Maury Sterling b. 1971 (Extant, Coherence, Dollhouse, Charmed, Star Trek: Enterprise, Angel, Dark Skies, Outbreak)
Ricardo Chavira b. 1971 (Warehouse 13, Piranha 3D)
Padma Lakshmi b. 1970 (Star Trek: Enterprise)
Zak Penn b. 1968 (writer, Pacific Rim 2, Alphas, The Avengers, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men: The Last Stand, Elektra, X-Men 2)
James Nguyen b. 1966 (writer, Birdemic 1 and 2)
Michelle Meyrink b. 1962 (Nice Girls Don’t Explode, Real Genius)
Joe Jusko b. 1959 (artist, Marvel Comics)
Sachi Parker b. 1956 (Eerie, Indiana, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Alien Nation [TV], Scrooged, Back to the Future)
James Rebhorn b. 1948 died 21 March 2014 (Coma [2012], The Adventures of Pluto Nash, From the Earth to the Moon, Independence Day, Cat’s Eye)
Susan Backlinie b. 1946 (Quark)
Venita Wolf b. 1945 died 22 November 2014 (Star Trek)
Beau Starr b. 1944 (Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Final Days of Planet Earth, The 4400, Earth: Final Conflict, Relic Hunter, Total Recall 2070, Halloween 4 and 5, V, Knight Rider, The Powers of Matthew Star)
Zitto Kazann b. 1944 (The X Files, Angel, Charmed, Buffy, Sliders, Waterworld, The Flash, Werewolf [TV], Automan, Tucker’s Witch, Knight Rider, The Greatest American Hero, The Six Million Dollar Man)
Don Stroud b. 1943 (Little Bigfoot, Babylon 5, The Alien Within, Carnosaur 2, Cyber Seeker, Frogtown II, Quantum Leap, Super Force, Hyper Space, The Powers of Matthew Star, The Incredible Hulk, The Amityville Horror)
C. J. Cherryh b. 1942 (won 1982 Hugo for Downbelow Station and 1989 Hugo for Cyteen)
Judy Levitt b. 1940 (InAlienable, Babylon 5, Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Moontrap, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home)
Lily Tomlin b. 1939 (The X Files, The Incredible Shrinking Woman)
Ron O’Neal b. 1937 died 14 January 2004 (Hyper Space, Beauty and the Beast [1987], Knight Rider, The Greatest American Hero, The Final Countdown, Brave New World)
Anne Ramsey b. 1929 died 11 August 1988 (Scrooged, Doctor Hackenstein, ALF, Deadly Friend, Knight Rider, Wonder Woman)
George Maharis b. 1928 (Superboy, The Sword and the Sorcerer, Logan’s Run [TV], Bionic Woman, Look What’s Happened to Rosemary’s Baby, Death in Space, Journey to the Unknown, The Satan Bug)
Yvonne De Carlo b. 1922 died 8 January 2007 (American Gothic, The Munsters)
Vittorio Gassman b. 1922 died 29 June 2000 (Quintet)
Richard Farnsworth b. 1920 died 6 October 2000 (Space Rage, Resurrection, Strange New World, Mighty Joe Young)
Betty Blythe b. 1893 died 7 April 1972 (She [1925])
Edgar Rice Burroughs b. 1875 died 19 March 1950 (author, John Carter)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. The previous Picture Slotters were Yvonne De Carlo and Edgar Rice Burroughs. This year, it goes to Venita Wolf from the Star Trek episode The Squire of Gothos. I consider major guest roles on Star Trek to be iconic almost always and she's a fabulous babe as well, but the third reason she is getting a mention is that she died last year and it escaped my attention. She should have had a send-off.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Venita Wolf, from a fan. She is never to be forgotten.

2. Spot the Canadians! Did you know Yvonne De Carlo was from the Great White North? I didn't. We also have Michelle Meyrink, Scott Speedman and Michael Adamthwaite. Of all of these actors, only Adamthwaite's credit list gives away his nation of origin.

3. Nepotism FTW. Sachi Parker is Shirley MacLaine's daughter.

4. Okay... WTF? Justice Leak? This is a Washington scandal, not an actual person's name.

5. Stealth MST3K. Our Picture Slotter Venita Wolf was also in Catalina Caper, not genre but it did get the best Brains treatment.

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

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in his 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: I found that a helicopter bus was due to leave for the center of the city in twenty-five minutes.

Reality: Local public transit that flies... not so much. Heinlein thought it would be here by the year 2000.
 

 This month's splash illustration: This month, I took a section from the cover of one of Frank Miller's Dark Knight series, probably the most influential version of Batman to this day.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We take a look at the Atlantic hurricane season at the halfway mark in the season.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

25 August 2015

Birthdays
Holly Gibbs b. 1997 (Nanny McPhee)
Angelica Mandy b. 1992 (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Kaitlyn Hooper b. 1992 (Addams Family Values)
Keegan Joyce b. 1989 (Superman Returns)
Blake Lively b. 1987 (The Age of Adaline, Green Lantern, Sandman)
Rachel Bilson b. 1981 (Jumper, Buffy)
Alexis Raben b. 1980 (The Invasion)
Toni Wynne b. 1980 (Oz the Great and Powerful, American Horror Story, Zombie Roadkill, Spider-Man 3, 2095, The Spirithunter, Blood Feast 2: All U Can Eat)
Kel Mitchell b. 1978 (The Thundermans, Mystery Men, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Alexander Skarsgård b. 1976 (Hidden [2014], True Blood, Battleship, Melancholia)
Donavon Stinson b. 1976 (Mighty Mighty Monsters, Snowmageddon, Eureka, Reaper, The X Files: I Want to Believe, Fantastic Four, Dark Angel)
Michelle Beaudoin b. 1975 (Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Neon Rider)
David Alan Basche b. 1968 (Real Steel, The Adjustment Bureau, War of the Worlds [2005])
Tom Hollander b. 1967 (About Time, Pirates of the Caribbean)
Brad Dryborough b. 1967 (Falling Skies, The Cabin in the Woods, Fringe, Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica, Alien Trespass, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Stargate: Atlantis, Smallville, Alien Incursion)
Marti Noxon b. 1964 (writer/actor, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Fright Night, I Am Number Four, Angel, Buffy)
Blair Underwood b. 1964 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Event, Deep Impact, Gattaca, Knight Rider)
David Packer b. 1962 (Early Edition, Strange Days, RoboCop, V)
Joanne Whalley b. 1961 (Willow)
Billy Ray Cyrus b. 1961 (Sharknado 2)
Ally Walker b. 1961 (Kazaam, Witches of Eastwick [TV], Universal Soldier)
Ashley Crow b. 1960 (Supernatural, Heroes, Minority Report, Probe)
Tim Burton b. 1958 (director, Frankenweenie, Dark Shadows [2012], Alice in Wonderland, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Planet of the Apes, Sleepy Hollow [1999], Mars Attacks, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Beetlejuice, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure)
Simon McBurney b. 1957 (Utopia, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, The Golden Compass)
Gene Simmons b. 1949 (Runaway, KISS Meets the Phantom in the Park)
John Savage b. 1949 (Sensory Perception, Demon Legacy, Bermuda Tentacles, Alien Rising, Dreamkiller, Fringe, Carnivale, Alien Lockdown, Dark Angel, They Nest, Star Trek: Voyager, Lost Souls, Firestorm, The X-Files, Carnosaur 2, Red Scorpion 2, Beauty and the Beast [1987 musical])
Michael Kaluta b. 1947 (artist, Bill the Galactic Hero)
Anthony Heald b. 1944 (X-Men: The Last Stand, The X Files, DeepRising, Tales from the Darkside)
John Badham b. 1939 (director, Supernatural, Heroes, Short Circuit, WarGames, Dracula [1979], The Sixth Sense)
Tom Skerritt b. 1933 (Ted, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [TV 2008], Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Fallen 2006 TV], Category 7: The End of the World, Aftershock: Earthquake in New York, Contact, Poltergeist III, The Twilight Zone [1986], SpaceCamp, The Dead Zone, Alien, The Devil’s Rain, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Time Tunnel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, My Favorite Martian)
Peter Gilmore b. 1931 died 3 February 2013 (Doctor Who, Warlords of the Deep, The Abominable Dr. Phibes)
Sean Connery b. 1930 (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, DragonHeart, Highlander I & II, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Time Bandits, Outland, Meteor, Zardoz, Darby O’Gill and the Little People)
Graham Jarvis b. 1930 died 16 April 2003 (Strange World, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids [TV], The X Files, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Munsters Today)
Bruce Allpress b. 1930 (Power Rangers Jungle Fury, The Water Horse, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
Mel Ferrer b. 1917 died 2 June 2008 (Nightmare City, Eaten Alive, The Great Alligator, The Visitor, Screamers, The Amazing Captain Nemo, Logan’s Run, Wonder Woman, The World, The Flesh and the Devil)
Van Johnson b. 1916 died 12 December 2008 (Killer Crocodile, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Batman, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Brigadoon)
Michael Rennie b. 1909 died 10 June 1971 (The Invaders, Batman, Cyborg 2087, The Time Tunnel, Lost in Space, The Lost World, The Day the Earth Stood Still)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot was occupied by Michael Rennie, certainly iconic in The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Blake Lively, back in 2013 when I wasn't quite so fussy about iconic and was more interested that day in fabulousness, which she certainly has. Today, being more strict about iconic roles, it's Alexander Skarsgård from True Blood. The other top choices would be Tom Skerritt from Alien and Sean Connery from several roles, but I likely would have chosen Zardoz 

2. Spot the Canadians! Graham Jarvis was born north of the border, but he was old enough that he had to venture south to find work early in his career. Of the three younger Canadians, Brad Dryborough's and Donavon Stinson's credit lists make it obvious, but Michelle Beaudoin's is not as clear.

3. Nepotism FTW. Alexander Skarsgård is Skellan's son, which could not have hurt in his early career in his native Sweden. Rachel Bilson is Danny Bilson's daughter, also likely an advantage early on.

4. Something new for this blog. Someone on a birthday list stopped by and left a comment! Canadian Ted Ludzik wasn't aware a resume could look Canadian. I expect he found this blog by Googling himself.  Don't laugh, I'm sure you've self-Googled on a lonely evening as well.

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

Predictor:Robert A. Heinlein in his 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: What do you ask after thirty years? I had plenty of questions, but the first I asked was “Doc, do they still have popcorn machines in the lobbies of movie theaters?”

“They did the last time I looked. I don’t get much time for such things. By the way, the word is “grabbie” now, not “movie”.

Reality: This is supposed to be a technological advance between 1970 and 2000 in Heinlein's fictional future. I thought he might be referencing William Castle and his practice of putting shocks in some seats for the movie The Tingler, but that is several years after Heinlein wrote this. More likely, he is referencing the phrase "feely" from Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Could our sensible friend George Sutherland be as much of a chauvinist and bigot as his contemporary H.G. Wells? I'm sorry, dear readers, but tomorrow we will find out the signs point to yes.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

18 August 2015

Birthdays
Max Charles b. 2003 (The Strain, Constantine, White Space, The Amazing Spider-Man 1 & 2, True Blood)
Maia Mitchell b. 1993 (After the Dark)
Richard Harmon b. 1991 (The Age of Adaline, Continuum, The 100, Fringe, Caprica, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Smallville, Flash Gordon [TV], Jeremiah)
Mika Boorem b. 1987 (Mighty Joe Young, Jack Frost, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch)
Katie Lyons b. 1981 (The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus)
Rhonda Dent b. 1978 (Helix, Almost Human, Supernatural, The 4400, Insecticidal)
Mizuo Peck b. 1977 (Night at the Museum, Witchblade)
Malcolm-Jamal Warner b. 1970 (American Horror Story, Jeremiah, Sliders)
Edward Norton b. 1969 (Birdman, The Invention of Lying, The Incredible Hulk)
Christian Slater b. 1969 (Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Beyond the Stars)
Brian Bendis b. 1967 (writer, Jessica Jones, Powers, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman)
Sarita Choudhury b. 1966 (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, Midnight’s Children, Lady in the Water)
Jorgen Langhelle b. 1965 (The Thing)
Craig Bierko b. 1964 (The Thirteenth Floor, Red Dwarf [TV Movie])
Adam Storke b. 1962 (The Invisible Man [TV], Prey, Death Becomes Her, Lifepod)
Glenn Plummer b. 1961 (Monsters in the Woods, Vegas Vampires, Saw II, The Day After Tomorrow, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Strange Days, Beauty and the Beast [TV])
Michael McCleery b. 1959 (Alien Space Avenger)
Reg E. Cathey b. 1958 (Fantastic Four, Grimm, Tank Girl, The Mask, Star Trek: Next Generation)
Madeleine Stowe b. 1958 (Impostor, Twelve Monkeys, The Amazing Spider-Man)
Dennis Leary b. 1957 (Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2, Small Soldiers, Demolition Man)
Sergio Castellitto b. 1953 (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian)
Patrick Swayze b. 1952 died 14 September 2009 (George and the Dragon, Donnie Darko, Tall Tale, Ghost, Amazing Stories)
Teri McMinn b. 1951 (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Shirley Prestia b. 1947 died 6 October 2011 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Charmed, Babylon 5, Species, ALF)
Martin Mull b. 1943 (Eastwick, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Lois & Clark, Wonder Woman)
Robert Redford b. 1936 (Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Twilight Zone)
Gail Fisher b. 1935 died 2 December 2000 (Knight Rider)
Roman Polanski b. 1933 (director, Rosemary’s Baby, The Fearless Vampire Killers)
Anna Navarro b. 1933 died 27 December 2006 (Last Action Hero, Galactica 1980, Son of Sinbad, The Adventures of Hajji Baba)
Grant Williams b. 1931 died 28 July 1985 (Brain of Blood, The Outer Limits, The Munsters, The Monolith Monsters, The Incredible Shrinking Man)
Joan Taylor b. 1929 died 4 March 2012 (Men Into Space, 20 Million Miles to Earth, Earth vs. Flying Saucers)
Brian W. Aldiss b. 1925 (author, The Year Before Yesterday, Enigma; screenwriter, Brothers of the Head, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Frankenstein Unbound)
Shelley Winters b. 1920 died 14 January 2006 (Purple People Eater, Alice in Wonderland [1985], Pete’s Dragon, Batman)
Don Keefer 1916 died 7 September 2014 (Lois & Clark, Creepshow, Time Express, The Incredible Hulk, Sleeper, Star Trek, Bewitched, The Munsters, My Favorite Martian, ‘Way Out, Twilight Zone)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Robert Redford and Grant Williams have been in the Picture Slot previously, and when Don Keefer died last year, I had a picture of him from It's a Good Life, one of the iconic Twilight Zone episodes. If I go with the no repeat rule, Patrick Swayze from Ghost is likely the most iconic picture I can use.

2. Spot the Canadians! Both Rhonda Dent and Richard Harmon were born in Canada and are typical of the actors who gigs in Toronto and Vancouver. This is yet another example of government intervention that works to the benefit of the people of the country.

Gosh, I wonder if people might try that in the United States someday.

3. Wait... she's dead? And her, too? There are several people on the list who died young, most notably Patrick Swayze, but there are some today who I hadn't filed in the deceased category yet. They are Shirley Prestia, one of the original members of The Groundlings, and Gail Fisher, best known for her role on Mannix.

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

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in the 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: The changes in the language surprised me. Take one word used in innocence. A lady present was offended and only the fact that I was a Sleeper – which I hastily explained – kept her husband from giving me a mouthful of knuckles.

The word was “kink”.

Reality: The somewhat rude meaning of kink is the most common usage today, but no one will threaten you with bodily harm for using it in mixed company. You might be referring to Ray Davies, for example, and anyone who gets into a "mouthful of knuckles" mood when The Kinks are mentioned might well find me similarly offended.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Is it Wednesday already? That means a visit from our sensible friend George Sutherland.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

10 August 2015

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)
Brendon Thwaites b. 1989 (Maleficent, The Signal, Oculus)
Nicole Taylor b. 1983 (Insatiable)
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)
Pua Magasive b. 1980 (30 Days of Night, Power Rangers)
JoAnna Garcia Swisher b. 1979 (Once Upon a Time, The Astronaut Wives Club, From the Earth to the Moon, SeaQuest 2032, Superboy)
Leo Fitzpatrick b. 1978 (Carnivale)
Joanna Bacalso b. 1976 (Lost Girl, Dude, Where’s My Car?, Forever Knight)
Rick Otto b. 1973 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Teen Wolf [TV], The Walking Dead, Dollhouse, Phantoms)
Thor Van Lingen b. 1973 (Return of the Living Dead II)
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 (Automata, 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 (Little Hercules in 3-D, 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)
Rhonda Fleming b. 1923 (A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court)
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)
Noah Beery Jr b. 1913 died 1 November 1994 (Mysterious Two, Beyond Witch Mountain, The Six million Dollar Man, The Immortal, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, Rocketship X-M)
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)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Regular readers know the drill. I like iconic and I don't want to repeat myself except under remarkable circumstances. Early Picture Slotters were Claudia Christian from Babylon 5 and the great Oh That Guy Jeff Corey. In a just world, Ah-Sung Ko would be iconic from The Host and Snowpiercer, but that's just my imagination, running away with me.

Jack Haley as The Tin Man is iconic. It may be really old school, but that is completely beside the point.

2. Spot the Canadians! Roxanne McKee is Canadian, but being on Game of Thrones could easily send even the most experienced Canadian spotter off the scent. Joanna Bacalso is a little easier to spot.

3. Nepotism FTW and MST3K. Noah Beery Jr is the son of Noah Beery Sr and the nephew of Wallace Beery. He was also in Rocketship X-M, which means we have an MST3k connection Rosanna Arquette is part of the multi-generational Arquette clan.

4. And special birthday wishes to... Rhonda Fleming turns 92 today. She is not The Gal at the Door because some folks younger than her are already gone, but I wanted to send my best wishes because Miss Fleming is tied with Maureen O'Hara as the prettiest redhead ever. Cristina Hendricks is the most Va-Va-voomy redhead ever, tied with Jessica Rabbit.

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

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in The Door Into Summer, serialized in 1956, published as a novel in 1957

Prediction: Denver had become the national capital after the Six Weeks War.

Reality: Yet another causal prediction of a nuclear war from 1950s science fiction. Folks who remember earlier Heinlein predictions might recall he was asked by some folks to actually predict stuff, apart from the predictions he wrote in his fiction. He went from "We're all doomed!" to "Things will be okay."in the space of a couple years in the 1940s. Regular reader Leo Lincourt, much more a Heinlein scholar than I am, suggests his change of mood might have to do with divorcing a wife who made him miserable and then marrying another woman who made him happy.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We get the last prediction from our 1930s commie John Langdon-Davies. He hasn't been quite as much fun to mock as FroMo-2030, Paul Ehrlich or Ray Kurzweil, but he has been wrong just about as often.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

27 July 2015

Birthdays
Ashlyn Sanchez b. 1996 (The Happening, Charmed)
Indiana Evans b. 1990 (Arctic Blast, H2O: Just Add Water)
Charlotte Arnold b. 1989 (Beauty and the Beast [2015], Zixx Level One, Eart: Final Conflict)
Lou Taylor Pucci b. 1985 (Evil Dead [2013], Carriers, Southland Tales)
Blair Redford b. 1983 (Beauty and the Beast [TV], FlashForward, The Day the Earth Stood Still [2008], Dance of the Dead, Voodoo Moon)
David Schultz b. 1980 (Safety Not Guaranteed)
Kirsty Hinchcliffe b. 1979 (Haven)
Jonathan Rhys Meyers b. 1977 (The Mortal Instruments, Dracula [TV])
Maya Rudolph b. 1972 (Idiocracy, Gattaca)
Takako Fuji b. 1972 (The Grudge)
Takashi Shimizu b.1972 (director, Kiki’s Delivery Service [2014], The Grudge)
Tristine Skyler b. 1971 (Angel, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2)
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau b. 1970 (Game of Thrones, Oblivion)
Paul Levesque a.k.a. Triple H b. 1969 (Blade: Trinity)
Bryan Fuller b. 1969 (writer, American Gods, Mockingbird Lane, Heroes, Pushing Daisies, Dead Like Me, Wonderfalls, Carrie [TV movie 2002], Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Julian McMahon b. 1968 (Fantastic Four, Premonition, Charmed)
Cliff Curtis b. 1968 (Fear the Walking Dead, The Last Airbender, 10,000 BC, Virus, Mysterious Island [TV], Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
Donnie Yen b. 1963 (Blade II, Highlander: Endgame)
Roger Guenveur Smith b. 1959 (The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
Roxanne Hart b. 1952 (Meteorites!, Highlander)
Simon Jones b. 1950 (Spectropia, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy [2005 and 1981], Twelve Monkeys, Brazil)
Maury Chaykin b. 1949 died 27 July 2010 (Blindness, Eureka, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda, Lexx, Mister Destiny, Twilight Zone [1989], Def-Con 4, WarGames)
Betty Thomas b. 1948 (director, Doctor Dolittle)
Ilya Salkind b. 1947 (producer, Superman, Superboy, Supergirl)
Rade Serbedzija b. 1946 (The Legend of Hercules, X-Men: First Class, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Fallen [TV mini-series], Surface, The Fog, Batman Begins, Space Cowboys, Mighty Joe Young [1998])
John Pleshette b. 1942 (American Horror Story, Good vs Evil, The Truman Show, Lois & Clark, Beauty and the Beast [1990])
Lanny Flaherty b. 1942 (Men in Black 3, Signs, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, Waterworld)
Gary Kurtz b. 1940 (producer, Return to Oz, The Dark Crystal, Star Wars)
Robert Gunner b. 1931 b. 1931 died 18 December 2001 (Planet of the Apes, The Green Hornet)
Jerry Van Dyke b. 1931 (The New Addams Family, Teen Angel, My Mother the Car)
Keenan Wynn b. 1916 died 14 October 1986 (Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star, Black Moon Rising, Manimal, The Greatest American Hero, The Clonus Horror, The Lucifer Complex, Piranha, The Bionic Woman, Laserblast, The Devil’s Rain, The Girl with Something Extra, Son of Flubber, The Absent-Minded Professor, Twilight Zone)
Lupita Tovar b. 1910 (Dracula)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Previous Picture Slotters are Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Julian McMahon, both iconic and really good looking guys. I was tempted to go way old school and use a picture of Keenan Wynn from Twilight Zone, but instead it's Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Dracula from the current TV show.

2. Spot the Canadians! There's two today. Charlotte Arnold's credit list is short, but it is all Canuck genre TV, so the sharp eyed might have caught her. It is not quite as obvious that the late Maury Chaykin was born north of the border.

3. Nepotism, FTW and not. Jerry Van Dyke has been in his brother's shadow for a long time, but I can shed no tear for a working actor with a career spanning more than a half century. Keenan Wynn had a long career too, but I think being Ed Wynn's son did open some doors early on.

Movie released
Planet of the Apes released, 2001

Not a typo: Yes, the birth year for Lupita Tovar is correct, she is 105 today. She played the Mina Murray character in the 1931 Spanish language version of Dracula, the name changed to Eva for some reason. She's not iconic to gringos, but she is certainly fabulous. I'm sure the readers of this blog have the whole tempus fugit concept under control, and we know radiant creatures such as her become abuelitas by and by, but consider that Sra. Tovar could easily have grandkids my age.

Yow.


Many happy returns to all the living on the list, with very special best wishes to the fabulous Lupita Tovar, and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in the 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: There was not much for her to take in my wallet – a small amount of cash, ID cards, driver’s license, keys and such, and a nasal inhaler against the smog.

Reality: Given the state of air pollution when Heinlein wrote this and the complete lack of will to fix the problem in the 1950s, the prediction isn't that far fetched, but by 1970 when this part of the story, air quality was actually on the mend.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Will our Commie forecaster John Langdon-Davies be just wrong or crazy, weird wrong?
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

19 July 2015

Birthdays
Steven Anthony Lawrence b. 1990 (Buffy, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, My Favorite Martian)
Kaitlin Doubleday b. 1984 (Dragon Warriors, Witches of East End)
Jared Padalecki b. 1982 (Supernatural, Friday the 13th, House of Wax)
Mark Webber b. 1980 (Goodbye World)
Chiara Zanni b. 1978 (Riverworld, Smallville, Supernatural, Stargate: Atlantis, X-Men 2, The Immortal, NightMan)
Erin Cummings b. 1977 (The Astronaut Wives Club, Dollhouse, Charmed, Threshold, Star Trek: Enterprise)
Benedict Cumberbatch b. 1976 (Dr. Strange, The Hobbit, Star Trek Into Darkness)
Vinessa Shaw b. 1976 (Hocus Pocus)
Patricia Ja Lee b. 1975 (Power Rangers)
Bodhi Elfman b. 1969 (Touch, Charmed, Armageddon, Sliders, Godzilla, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
Nancy Carell b. 1966 (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World)
Anthony Edwards b. 1962 (Zero Hour, Pet Sematary II)
Campbell Scott b. 1961 (The Amazing Spider-Man, Final Days of Planet Earth, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Top of the Food Chain, The Love Letter)
Robbi Morgan b. 1961 (Friday the 13th)
Hideo Nakata b. 1961 (director, Ring [Japanese and American versions])
Terri Treas b. 1957 (Alien Nation [TV], Knight Rider)
K.A. Applegate b. 1956 (author, Animorphs, The One and Only Ivan)
Peter Barton b. 1956 (Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter, The Powers of Matthew Star)
Dan Hicks b. 1951 (Oz the Great and Powerful, Paranormal, Burbank, My Name is Bruce, Spider-Man 2, Wishmaster, Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero, Darkman, Evil Dead II)
Tom McLoughlin b. 1950 (writer, She-Wolf of London, They Came from Outer Space, Friday’s Cruse, Amazing Stories, Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI)
Richard Pini b. 1950 (writer, Elfquest)
Martin Stephens b. 1949 (The Witches, The Innocents, Village of the Damned)
George Dzundza b. 1945 (Stargate: SG-1, The Twilight Zone [1986], Faerie Tale Theatre, Salem’s Lot)
Tim McIntire b. 1944 died 15 April 1986 (A Boy and His Dog, The Invaders)
Priscilla Allen b. 1938 died 14 August 2008 (Total Recall)
Richard Jordan b. 1937 died 30 August 1993 (Tales from the Crypt, Solar Babies, Dune, Logan’s Run)
Priscilla Montgomery b. 1929 (The Wizard of Oz)
Arthur Rankin Jr. b 1924 died 30 January 2014 (director, The Wind in the Willows, The Last Unicorn, The Return of the King, The Hobbit, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)
Pat Hingle b. 1924 died 3 January 2009 (Muppets from Space, Batman, The Shining [TV], Maximum Overdrive, Amazing Stories, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Invaders, Twilight Zone)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In both 2013 and 2014, Benedict Cumberbatch was in the Picture Slot. While I still think he is in the sweet spot of his career, I instead went with a picture of Supernatural star Jared Padalecki. Mr. Padalecki has decided to talk about his battle with depression and the fan reaction, especially at Comic-Con this year, was very heartening. It's a positive thing that people are talking more about mental illness, so good on ya, Mr. Padalecki.

2. Spot the Canadian! Padalecki stars in a Canuck genre TV show, but he was born on this side of the border. The Canuck is Chiara Zanni, who has the almost always telling trifecta of Supernatural, Smallville and Stargate.

3. Nepotism and not. Nancy Carrell and Bodhi Elfman are not as well known as their respective spouses Steve and Jenna, but they have careers of their own and I don't count that as nepotism. The late Tim McIntire was son of the character actor John McIntire, so I would count that.

4. Does she count? Last year, an obit said the last living female Munchkin from The Wizard of Oz was gone. A little known fact is that several Munchkins were kids and not little people, so the "official" Munchkins are the members of the Singer Midget troupe. Priscilla Montgomery was one of the kids and she is still with us. (Betty Ann Bruno, a now retired reporter for KTVU in Oakland, is also an uncounted Munchkin.) Happy birthday to Miss Montgomery. Without her on the list, the Guy at the Door would have been 70 year old George Dzundza, which is way too young for that "honor" in my book.

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

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in the 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: A lot of little things from 2000 I missed going back to 1970, I had to go back to shaving! I once even caught a cold.

Reality: In this story, the hero goes into suspended animation to get from 1970 to 2000, then time travel to get back. So the end of shaving and the end of the common cold in the 20th Century. That's 0 for 2 for Bob this week.

Never to be Forgotten: Alex Rocco 1936-2015

Veteran character actor Alex Rocco, pictured here in probably his most iconic role as Moe Greene from The Godfather, has died at the age of 79. His biography mentions that he worked hard to get rid of his thick Boston accent, working with well known genre actors Leonard Nimoy and Jeff Corey. While he played gangsters in a lot of his roles, his genre performances include Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Small & Frye, The Entity, Slither and Batman.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Alex Rocco, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.

 

Never to be Forgotten: Alan Kupperberg 1953-2015

Mark Evanier's webpage reports the death of comic book artist (and sometimes writer and letterer) Alan Kupperberg at the age of 62.  As I get older, my definition of "much too young" changes, but younger than my oldest brother has always been much too young in my book.

Kupperberg spent most of his career as a fill-in artist at Marvel, though he worked at other companies as well. The picture included here is the cover of the one-shot Obnoxio the Clown vs. The X-Men, a book where Kupperberg did everything, writing, doing the art and the lettering. That's a rare thing in the comic book industry, though cartoonists do it all the time.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Alan Kupperberg, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

My old dependable source OMNI Future Almanac gets center stage tomorrow, a Monday tradition on the blog.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

12 July 2015

 Birthdays
Vivienne Jolie-Pitt b. 2008 (Maleficent)
Erik Per Sullivan b. 1991 (Wendigo, Armageddon)
Phoebe Tonkin b. 1989 (The Originals, The Vampire Diaries, The Secret Circle, H2O: Just Add Water)
Melissa O’Neil b. 1988 (Dark Matter)
Mikaela Hoover b. 1984 (Zombie Basement, Guardians of the Galaxy)
Natalie Martinez b. 1984 (Self/less, Under the Dome, Death Race)
Walter Perez b. 1982 (The Avengers)
Kristen Connolly b. 1980 (The Whispers, The Cabin in the Woods, The Happening)
Michelle Rodriguez b. 1978 (Resident Evil: Retribution, Battle Los Angeles, Lost, Avatar, BloodRayne, Resident Evil)
Topher Grace b. 1978 (Interstellar, Predators, Spider-Man 3)
Steve Howey b. 1977 (Stan Helsing, Ctrl)
Anna Friel b. 1976 (Neverland [TV], Land of the Lost [2009], Pushing Daisies, Bathory: Countess of Blood)
Phil Lord b. 1975 (writer/director, The Lego Movie, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Clone High)
Jaason Simmons b. 1970 (Sharknado, Frankenstein & the Werewolf Reborn!, Frankenstein Reborn!)
Byung-hun Lee b. 1970 (Terminator: Genisys, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra)
Tamsin Greig b. 1966 (Doctor Who, Neverwhere, Shaun of the Dead)
Charlie Murphy b. 1959 (Frankenhood, Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe, Night at the Museum)
Mel Harris b. 1956 (Stargate SG-1)
Jamey Sheridan b. 1951 (Arrow, The Stand)
Cheryl Ladd b. 1951 (Charmed, Millennium, The Fantastic Journey)
Brian Grazer b. 1951 (writer, Splash)
Jay Thomas b. 1948 (Horrorween, Dragonfly, C.H.U.D.)
Edwin Neal b. 1945 (Halloween: Harvest of Souls 1985, Power Rangers, Knight Rider 2000, Future-Kill)
Denise Nicholas b. 1944 (Ghost Dad, Blacula)
Bill Cosby b. 1937 (The Meteor Man, Ghost Dad, Journey Back to Oz [TV])
Gordon Pinsent b. 1930 (Relic Hunter, Ray Bradbury Theatre, Blacula, Colossus: The Forbin Project)
Kathy Staff b. 1928 died 13 December 2008 (Mary Reilly)
James Gunn b. 1923 (writer, The Immortal, This Fortress World)
Buckminster Fuller b. 1895 died 1 July 1983 (inventor)
Cheerio Meredith b. 1890 died 25 December 1964 (The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, The Three Stooges in Orbit)
Edgar Stehli b. 1884 died 25 July 1973 (Seconds, Atlantis, the Lost Continent, Twilight Zone, 4D Man)
Tod Browning b. 1880 died 6 October 1962 (director, The Devil-Doll, Mark of the Vampire, Dracula [1933])

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Michelle Rodriguez from Lost and Jamey Sheridan from The Stand. This year, I decided to remind folks that 51 years, Time magazine wanted to let its readers known that Bucky Fuller was the future. Living in their future, I would have to say... not so much.

2. Spot the Canadians! There is little likelihood you can spot the Canadians from the credit lists today. Melissa O'Neill has only one credit and Gordon Pinsent has some Canuck-fi credits, but he's old enough to have work before his home and native land had its production boom.

3. Nepotism FTW. Vivienne Jolie-Pitt is in her one movie playing a scene opposite her mom. Charlie Murphy is the brother of Eddie Murphy and that definitely was how he got his start, though now he best known for Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories.

4. Hey... no Star Trek! I can promise we will NOT be using this label tomorrow.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list, except for the guy who needs to be shipped off to Monster Island, and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.


Movies released
Pacific Rim released, 2013
The Cabin in the Woods released, 2012

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in his 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: At the dental-supply house I bought ten kilograms of gold, isotope 197, in the form of fourteen-gauge wire. I paid $86.10 a kilo for it.

Reality: This scene takes place in 2000, when gold was selling for $9,000 per kg.There's missing a numerical prediction and there's missing by two orders of magnitude. Ouch.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

For me, the great comfort of Mondays is knowing the OMNI Future Almanac is waiting for me.
 
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

7 July 2015

Birthdays
Dylan Sprayberry b. 1998 (Teen Wolf, Man of Steel, Land of the Lost)
Juliana Guill b. 1987 (The Apparition, Altitude, Friday the 13th [2009])
Zoe Anderson b. 1983 (The X Files)
Marika Dominczyk b. 1980 (Witchblade)
Hamish Linklater b. 1976 (Battleship, The Future, Fantastic Four)
Kirsten Vangsness b. 1972 (Agent Carter, Shelf Life, Vampire Mob, Phil of the Future)
Heather Kafka b. 1972 (Idiocracy, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Tanya Newbould b. 1971 (Skyline, X-Men: The Last Stand, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey)
Robia LaMorte b. 1970 (Buffy, Spawn, Earth Girls Are Easy)
Robin Weigert b. 1969 (Once Upon a Time, Gods Behaving Badly, American Horror Story, Lost)
Jorja Fox b. 1968 (House of Frankenstein [1997 TV movie])
Steven Schub b. 1967 (Brave New World, The Thirteenth Floor)
Tracy Reiner b. 1964 (Apollo 13, Masque of the Red Death)
Akiva Goldsman b. 1962 (writer, Allegiant: Part 1, Insurgent, Fringe, I am Legend, I, Robot, Lost in Space [1999], Batman & Robin, Batman Forever)
Billy Campbell b. 1959 (Helix, Revolution [2009 TV movie], Eureka, Meteor, The 4400, Dracula [1991], The Rocketeer, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Catherine Carlen b. 1953 (Fallout: Red Star, They Came from Outer Space [TV], Chopper Chicks in Zombietown)
Shelley Duvall b. 1949 (Big Monster on Campus, Tales of the Mummy, Twilight of the Ice Nymphs, Frogs!, The Twilight Zone, Faerie Tale Theatre, Time Bandits, The Shining, Brewster McCloud)
Michael Herring b. 1947 (artist)
Joe Spano b. 1946 (The Invisible Man, From the Earth to the Moon, The X-Files, Apollo 13, The Incredible Shrinking Woman)
Ringo Starr b. 1940 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Alice in Wonderland, Caveman, Son of Dracula)
Richard Garland b. 1927 died 24 May 1969 (Mutiny in Outer Space, Panic in Year Zero!, Attack of the Crab Monsters, Adventures of Superman)
Jon Pertwee b. 1919 died 20 May 1996 (Doctor Who, One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing)
Robert A. Heinlein b 1907 died 8 May 1988 (won 1956 Hugo for Double Star, 1960 Hugo for Starship Troopers, 1962 Hugo for Stranger In A Strange Land, 1967 Hugo for The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress)
George Cukor b. 1899 died 24 January 1983 (director/designer [uncredited], The Wizard of Oz)

Notes from the birthday list. 
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, I went with Robia LaMorte because I'm a Whedonverse nerd and Robert A. Heinlein because, well, this is a science fiction blog. Even with those two removed, I'd still say there are three good iconic choices, Shelley Duvall from The Shining, Ringo Star from Caveman and the winner, Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

2. Nepotism FTW. Tracy Reiner is the daughter of Penny Marshall and took the last name of her stepfather Rob Reiner. Zoe Anderson is the younger sister of Gillian Anderson.

3. Living Canadian free! No Canadians today. That happens occasionally.

4. The Guy at the Door. No one older than Ringo Starr is alive and no one younger than he is has died yet. I can't tell you how old this makes me feel.

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

Predictor: John Langdon-Davies in hsi 1936 book A Short History of the Future

Prediction: Power will be supplied to all on the same terms as water and drainage today. Abundant new raw materials will make food, clothing and other necessities universally obtainable.

Reality: Being charitable, there is abundance in the world today compared even to the 20th Century, but not surprisingly, the people who own it want to be paid for it. A Commie like Langdon-Hughes might have thought that was only passing fancy, but we in the future can laugh at his naivete.

Though we might have to laugh through tears.

Never to be Forgotten: Amanda Peterson 1971-2015

For what I think is the first time, there are three genre obits today. The youngest, actress Amanda Peterson, had her heyday during the Brat Pack era and her genre movies are Windrunner and Explorers.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Amanda Peterson. She is never to be forgotten.
 

Never to be Forgotten: Daniel Quinn 1956-2015

The next oldest on our obit list is Daniel Quinn who died a month short of his 59th birthday. He also has just two genre credits, Spiders II: Breeding Ground and The X-Files.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Daniel Quinn. He is never to be forgotten.

Never to be Forgotten: Jerry Weintraub 1927-2015

The oldest of our freshly dead trio, producer Jerry Weintraub, is also the best known of the three. He worked both in the film and music industry and his three genre credits are the 2015 TV version of Westworld and the movies Soldier and My Stepmother Is an Alien.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Jerry Weintraub. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's Wednesday already and we hear from our sensible pal George Sutherland from his 1901 book Twentieth Century Inventions.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

28 June 2015

Birthdays
Kare Hedebrant b. 1995 (Real Humans, Let the Right One In)
Nicholas Purcell b. 1990 (Surrogates)
Felicia Day b. 1979 (Supernatural, The Guild, Eureka, Red: Werewolf Hunter, The Legend of Neil, Dollhouse, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Buffy)
Camille Gauty b. 1978 (The Vampire Diaries)
Jeff Geddis b. 1975 (Monster Island, Odyssey 5, Jason X, Earth: Final Conflict)
Carsten Bjornlund b. 1973 (The Thing)
Alessandro Nivola b. 1972 (The Eye, Jurassic Park III)
Aileen Quinn b. 1971 (The Frog Prince)
Steve Burton b. 1970 (Taken, Manimal)
Ayelet Zurer b. 1969 (Daredevil, Man of Steel, Touch, Halo 4: Forward Into Dawn)
Gil Bellows b. 1967 (Falling Skies, Extraterrestrial, Sanctuary, Goblin, FlashForward, Smallville, Infected, Final Days of Planet Earth, Mermaid Chronicles Part 1: She Creature, Snow White: A Tale of Terror)
John Cusack b. 1966 (Cell [2014], Hot Tub Time Machine, 2012, 1408, Being John Malkovich)
Mary Stuart Masterson b. 1966 (Touch, The Postman, Amazing Stories, The Stepford Wives [1975])
Sara Stewart b. 1966 (Wizards vs. Aliens, The Prisoner [2009], Demons, Batman Begins, Doctor Who, Space Island One)
Christopher Doohan b. 1959 (Star Trek Continues, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek, Star Trek: the Motion Picture)
Alice Krige b. 1954 (Thor: The Dark World, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Solomon Kane, Children of Dune, Dinotopia, Star Trek: Voyager, Welcome to Paradox, Twilight of the Ice Nymphs, Star Trek: First Contact, Sleepwalkers, The Hidden Room, Ghost Story)
Raffaella De Laurentiis b. 1954 (producer, The Forbidden Kingdom, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Kull the Conqueror, DragonHeart, Dune, Conan the Destroyer, Conan the Barbarian)
Lalla Ward b. 1951 (Doctor Who, Vampire Circus)
David Gautreaux b. 1951 (The Event, Threshold, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Man from Atlantis)
Kathy Bates b. 1948 (American Horror Story, Alice, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Golden Compass, Dragonfly, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Stand, My Best Friend is a Vampire, The Morning After)
Bruce Davison b. 1946 (Bigfoot, Return of the Killer Shrews, Earth’s Final Hours, Lost, Knight Rider [2009], The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Battlestar Galactica, Kingdom Hospital, X-Men, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Hunger [TV], Star Trek: Voyager, Harry and the Hendersons [TV[, Amazing Stories, V, The Astronauts, The Lathe of Heaven, Willard)
Robert Asprin b. 1946 died 22 May 2008 (author, Myth Adventures, Thieves’ World)
Gilda Radner b. 1946 died 20 May 1989 (Haunted Honeymoon, Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins, Jack: A Flash Fantasy)
John Byner b. 1938 (Robodoc, Wishmaster, Munchie Strikes Back, Friday’s Curse, Transylvania 6-5000)
Pat Morita b. 1932 died 24 November 2005 (Earth Minus Zero, Timemaster, Space Rangers, Harry and the Hendersons [TV], The Munsters Today, Alice in Wonderland [1985 TV], Slapstick (Of Another Kind), Full Moon High, The Incredible Hulk, Man from Atlantis)
Don Dubbins b. 1928 died 17 August 1991 (Starman [TV], The Incredible Hulk, Project U.F.O., I Dream of Jeannie, The Illustrated Man, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twilight Zone, Men Into Space, From the Earth to the Moon)
Mel Brooks b. 1926 (Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein)
Maxine Stuart b. 1918 died 6 June 2013 (The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone)

Notes from the birthday list. 
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Felicia Day and Alice Krige, if I wanted to continue with the fabulous babe theme, I could have chosen Lalla Ward from Doctor Who, but instead it's the oldest living person on our list, Mel Brooks as Yogurt from Spaceballs. To be clear, he is not The Guy at the Door because several people younger than he is are already gone.

2. Wait... he's dead? I've processed the deaths of Gilda Radner and Pat Morita, but somehow I still haven't put author Robert Asprin in the deceased file.

3. Spot the Canadians (and Nepotism FTW.) Jeff Geddis and Gil Bellows were both born north of the border and their resumes show some trace, but Christopher Doohan is both Canadian and an  obvious beneficiary of nepotism.

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

Movie released
Superman Returns released 2006

 

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in his novel The Door Into Summer

Prediction: (Mr. Powell) picked up his phone and said, “Opal, get me Dr. Berquist.” I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, for he turned on the privacy guard. But after a while he put down the instrument and smiled as if a rich uncle had died. “Good news, sir! I had overlooked momentarily the fact that the first successful experiments (of suspended animation) were made on cats. The techniques and critical factors for cats are fully established. In fact there is a cat at the Naval Research Laboratory in Annapolis which is and has been for more than twenty years alive in hypothermia.”

“Wasn’t NRL wiped out when they got Washington?”

“Just the surface buildings, sir, not the deep vaults.”

Reality: There are three predictions in this passage, all of them false. Suspended animation does not work on humans, it does not work on cats and there was no catastrophic nuclear war between 1957 and 1970, or indeed a nuclear war of any kind.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

One more Monday and another prediction from The OMNI Future Almanac.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
   

21 June 2015

Birthdays
Brian Sites b. 1983 (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines)
Benjamin Walker b. 1982 (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter)
Chris Pratt b. 1979 (Jurassic World, Guardian of the Galaxy, Her, Jennifer’s Body, Path of Destruction)
Garikayi Mutambirwa b. 1978 (Legend of Souls, Jeepers Creepers II, Clockstoppers, Angel, Seven Days)
Erica Durance b. 1978 (Painkillers, Smallville, The Butterfly Effect 2, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda, House of the Dead)
Will Thorp b. 1977 (Doctor Who)
Maggie Siff b. 1974 (The Fifth Wave, Push)
Natasha Beaumont b. 1974 (Inception, The Lost World, Farscape)
Juliette Lewis b. 1973 (From Dusk Till Dawn, Strange Days, My Stepmother Is an Alien, Meet the Hollowheads)
Carrie Preston b. 1967 (True Blood, Lost, The Stepford Wives [2004], Wonderfalls)
Lana Wachowski b. 1965 (director, Sense8, Jupiter Ascending, Cloud Atlas, Speed Racer, The Matrix)
David Morrissey b. 1964 (The Walking Dead, Extant, Earthbound, The Water Horse, Doctor Who, The Reaping)
Doug Savant b. 1964 (Firefly, Godzilla [1998], Teen Wolf)
Sammi Davis b. 1964 (Lost, Lair of the White Worm)
Josh Pais b. 1964 (The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Deep Space Nine, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [1990])
Eric Douglas b. 1958 died 6 July 2004 (Tales from the Crypt, The Golden Child)
Berkeley Breathed b. 1957 (writer, Mars Needs Moms)
Robert Pastorelli b. 1954 died 8 March 2004 (Modern Vampires, Beauty and the Beast [1980s], Twilight Zone [1985], Knight Rider, Tucker’s Witch)
Michael Bowen b. 1953 (Revolution, Lost, The X-Files, Night of the Comet)
Robyn Douglass b. 1953 (Galactica 1980)
Rachel Winfree b. 1952 (Roswell, Donnie Darko, The X Files, Lois & Clark)
Michael Gross b. 1947 (Tremors [TV and film], The Hunger, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court)
Meredith Baxter b. 1947 (The Cat Creature)
Tony Scott b. 1944 died 19 August 2012 (director, The Hunger [1990s TV and 1983 movie])
Joe Flaherty b. 1941 (Maniac Mansion, Back to the Beanstalk, Back to the Future Part II, Innerspace, Deadly Nightmares, Dave Thomas: The Incredible Time Travels of Henry Osgood)
Lyman Ward b. 1941 (Black Scorpion [TV], Independence Day, Weird Science [TV], Sleepwalkers, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Battlestar Galactica [1979], Man from Atlantis)
Mariette Hartley b. 1940 (Conan [TV], Encino Man, The Incredible Hulk, Logan’s Run [TV], Genesis II, Mystery in Dracula’s Castle, Earth II, The Return of Count Yorga, Star Trek, Twilight Zone)
Ron Ely b. 1938 (Superboy, Wonder Woman)
Monte Markham b. 1935 (Fringe, Millennium Man, Deep Space Nine, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, The Incredible Hulk, Beyond Westworld, The Invisible Man, The Six Million Dollar Man, Project X)
Bernie Kopell b. 1933 (The Creature of the Sunny Side Up Trailer Park, Charmed, Bug Buster, Charmed, The Charmings, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Bewitched, My Favorite Martian)
Maureen Stapleton b. 1925 died 13 March 2006 (Doin’ Time on Planet Earth, Cocoon, The Electric Grandmother)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, it was David Morrissey from The Walking Dead and director Lana Wachowski. I could have gone old school with Mariette Hartley from Star Trek, but I went instead with the third youngest person on today's list Chris Pratt, who in just a couple years now has two iconic genre roles.

2. Things I learned today.
The nice thing: Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter share the exact same birthday, both turning 68 today and good on 'em.


The not nice thing: Robert Pastorelli was a "Wait... he's dead?" guy for me, dying very young. His best known role is as Eldon on Murphy Brown.

Neither nice nor not: Joe Flaherty was born in Pittsburgh, PA. He must have had a Canadian work visa for at least part of his career, but I can find no evidence he ever had Canadian citizenship.


3. Spot the Canadians! There are two today. Lyman Ward works mainly south of the border, Erica Durance works mainly north.


4, Nepotism, not a win. While I didn't know Robert Pastorelli was dead until I did research today, I was aware of the early death of Eric Douglas, son of Kirk Douglas. Very sad story.

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

Movies released
World War Z released, 2013
Monsters University released, 2013
Minority Report released 2002

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in his 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: I’m going to tell you because it can’t hurt anything… it’s time travel, all right, but it’s not practical. You can’t use it.”

Reality: As reality, time travel isn't happening, but I did like the version Heinlein created for this story. The impractical thing was that you couldn't be sure whether you were moving forward in time or backward. As Heinlein put it "Point in the direction of the future." Instead, time travel sent some stuff forward and the rest backward when used.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Monday rolls around again, which means another dip into The OMNI Future Almanac.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

14 June 2015

Birthdays
Daryl Sabara b. 1992 (Zombie Basement, After the Dark, John Carter, Wizards of Waverly Place, Spy Kids, Roswell)
Evan Sabara b. 1992 (Spy Kids)
Lucy Hale b. 1989 (Supernatural, Wizards of Waverly Place, Bionic Woman [2007])
Kevin McHale b. 1988 (True Blood)
Torrance Coombs b. 1983 (Haven, Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica)
Chauncey Leopoldi b. 1981 (Shadow Zone: The Undead Express, Casper)
Daniel Newman b. 1981 (The Dark Knight Rises, The Vampire Diaries, Heroes, Children of the Corn [TV], The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Surface)
Rochelle Davis b. 1980 (The Crow)
Pascale Hutton b. 1979 (Once Upon a Time, Continuum, Fringe, Sanctuary, Behemoth, Supernatural, The 4400, Smallville, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Stargate: Atlantis, Fantastic Four, Dead Like Me, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed)
David Kopp b. 1978 (Blade: The Series, Freddy vs. Jason, Stargate SG-1, Mysterious Ways, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show)
Alexandra Castillo b. 1971 (Warehouse 13, Fringe, 2012, Mutant X, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, The Sixth Day)
Sophiya Haque b. 1971 died 16 January 2013 (Wanted, Fairy Tales)
Lara Wickes b. 1969 (Demon Island, The Hunger, Total Recall 2070, Big Wolf on Campus)
Traylor Howard b. 1966 (Son of the Mask, Lois & Clark)
James Gurney b. 1958 (author, Dinotopia)
Will Patton b. 1954 (Falling Skies, The Fourth Kind, The Punisher, The Mothman Prophecies, Armageddon, The Postman, VR.5, The Puppet Masters)
Jeremy Sinden b. 1950 died 29 May 1996 (Star Wars)
Harry Turtledove b. 1949 (author, The Guns of the South, Agent of Byzantium)
Antony Sher b. 1949 (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The Wolfman, Erik the Viking, Superman II)
Joe Grifasi b. 1944 (Early Edition, Batman Forever, Splash)
Ben Davidson b. 1940 died 2 July 2012 (Conan the Barbarian)
Jack Bannon b. 1940 (The Six Million Dollar Man, The Invaders)
Marla Gibbs b. 1931 (The Meteor Man)
Sam Wanamaker b. 1919 died 18 December 1993 (Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, The Day the Fish Came Out, The Outer Limits [1964])
Gene Barry b. 1919 died 9 December 2009 (War of the Worlds [2005 and 1953], Twilight Zone [1987], The 27th Day)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, The Picture slot went to the late Jeremy Sinden from Star Wars and Iain Glen, whose birthday I got wrong in 2013. This year, we have Gene Barry in his most famous genre role as Dr. Clayton Forrester (heh.) in The War of the Worlds.

2. Nepotism, not a win. One twin goes up, one twin goes down. Daryl Sabara has a career of sorts, Evan not so much. While Daryl was on of the stars of the Spy Kids franchise, Evan played "Creepy Kid" in the 3D installment.

3. Spot the Canadians! Lara Wickes is not easy to spot, but all four of the Canadians born after 1970 I think can be sussed out. See what you can do.

4. Hey, no Star Trek! Star Trek is the most popular label by a very wide margin, but every once in a while we get a day with no birthdays from that franchise. Today is the second such day this month.

5. What constitutes dying young? Football player/actor Ben Davidson was 72 when he died three years ago. Nowadays, that's younger than average for Americans. Star Wars actor Jeremy Sinden and Bollywood lovely Sophiya Haque both died in their forties from cancer. No question that constitutes dying young.

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

Movies released
Man of Steel released, 2013
X-Men released 2001

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in the 1957 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: They made the predictable fuss about taking a cat into the room and an autobellhop is not responsive to bribes – hardly an improvement.

Reality: Bob was pretty sure any job he considered beneath him was going to be done by a machine by 2000. We are automating a lot of jobs, but not quite as many as Heinlein thought we would.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's Monday again, and another dip into that reliable source The OMNI Future Almanac.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!