13 August 2015

Birthdays
Sebastian Stan b. 1982 (The Martian, Ant-Man, Captain America, Labyrinth, Once Upon a Time, Hot Tub Time Machine, The Covenant)
Alex Gonzalez b. 1980 (X-Men: First Class)
Damien O’Hare b. 1977 (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, The Broken, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
Grégory Fitoussi b. 1976 (World War Z, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra)
Jody Thompson b. 1976 (Sanctuary, Fringe, 2012, Smallville, Alien Trespass, Stargate: Atlantis, Reaper, Flash Gordon [TV], Painkiller Jane, The 4400, Stargate: SG-1, Blade: The Series, Supernatural, Andromeda, Mission to Mars, NightMan)
James Carpinello b. 1975 (The Punisher)
Michael Sinterniklaas b. 1972 (The Venture Bros. and a whole lot of other voice work I don’t count)
Crystal Allen b. 1972 (Anacondas: Trail of Blood, Anaconda III, Haven, Star Trek: Enterprise, Wolves of Wall Street)
David Monahan b. 1971 (The Dark Knight Rises, Supernatural, Angel, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Heike Makatsch b. 1971 (Resident Evil, Anatomy 2)
Moritz Bleibtreu b. 1971 (World War Z, Speed Racer, Run Lola Run)
Sean Hood b. 1966 (writer, The Legend of Hercules, Conan the Barbarian [2011], The Crow: Wicked Prayer, Cube2: Hypercube, Halloween: Resurrection)
Debi Mazar b. 1964 (Red Riding Hood [2006], The Tuxedo, Space Truckers, Batman Forever)
John Slattery b. 1962 (Ant-Man, Ted 2, The Adjustment Bureau, Iron Man 2, From the Earth to the Moon)
Tom Perrotta b. 1961 (writer/producer, The Leftovers)
Dawnn Lewis b. 1961 (The Burning Zone, Sliders)
Tony Alcantar b. 1960 (Arrow, Continuum, Supernatural, Once Upon a Time, Alice, Revolution [2009 TV Movie], Stargate SG-1, Fantastic Four, Dead Like Me, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Andromeda, Dark Angel, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Strange World)
Danny Bonaduce b. 1959 (Bigfoot, Shazam!, Bewitched)
Kathleen Gati b. 1957 (Alphas, Arrow, The Future, Carnivale)
Tom Davis b. 1952 died 19 July 2012 (writer, Coneheads)
Gene Day b. 1951 died 23 September 1982 (comic artist)
Jane Carr b. 1950 (Star Trek: Enterprise, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Babylon 5)
Lillian Hurst b. 1949 (True Blood, Lost, The X-Files)
Maria Rohm b. 1945 (Count Dracula [1970])
Kevin Tighe b. 1944 (Salem, Lost, The 4400, Strange World, Star Trek: Voyager, Escape to Witch Mountain, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Immortal [TV])
Raymond Serra b. 1936 died 20 June 2003 (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I & II [1990 & 1991], Wolfen)
Pat Harrington Jr. b. 1929 (The Invisible Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, 2000 Years Later, The Munsters)
Buck Kartalian b. 1922 (My Favorite Martian [1999], Monster Squad, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes [1972], Octaman, Planet of the Apes [1968], Batman, The Munsters, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Neville Brand b. 1920 died 16 April 1992 (Man from Atlantis, Killdozer, Twilight Zone)
Kurt Kasnar b. 1913 died 6 August 1979 (Wonder Woman, Land of the Giants)
Tristam Coffin b. 1909 died 26 March 1990 (The Time Tunnel, Batman, The Crawling Hand, The Night the World Exploded, Creature with the Atom Brain, King of the Rocket Men)
John Beal b. 1909 died 26 April 1997 (Amityville 3-D, Ark II, Dark Shadows, The Vampire)
Alfred Hitchcock b. 1899 died 29 April 1980 (director, The Birds)
Bert Lahr b. 1895 died 4 December 1967 (The Wizard of Oz)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, I had Dean Venture - voiced by Michael Sinterniklass - and Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion. While there are some well-known names, iconic folk are scarce. I could have gone with Kurt Kasnar from Land of the Giants, but he was my least favorite character on a very weak show, so instead I went with Alfred Hitchcock and a publicity still from The Birds, the only movie he made that I consider genre.

2. Spot the Canadians! Kathleen Gati and Jodi Thompson were born north of the border, Tony Alcantar moved to Vancouver to get work.

3. This whole "tempus fugit" thing. Okay, I know The Partridge Family is 40 years ago, but it's a little strange to me that child star Danny Bonaduce is three years older than John Slattery, whose career over that past decade has been as "the grown-up", both on TV and in movies. It goes without saying that I older than both of them.

4. MST3K.  I know The Crawling Hand got the treatment, there might be others.

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

Predictor: Morris L. Ernst in the 1955 book Utopia 1976

Prediction: Electricity usage in the United States doubles every 10 to 12 years.

Reality: Ernst overshoots this number by about a factor of two. If his numbers were right, 1976 should have seen an increase of about four times more energy used (between 3.6 to 4.6, depending on whether we use 10 or 12 as the doubling interval), but the best estimates I could find online said the electricity output in 1976 was about double 1955 instead of four times greater.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's H.G. Wells' turn again tomorrow. Will he be truly disgusting or merely appalling? He's definitely capable of both.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

5 August 2015

Birthdays
Mars Curiosity landed 2012
Maddox Jolie-Pitt b. 2001 (World War Z)
Olivia Holt b. 1997 (Girl vs. Monster)
Ryan McDonald b. 1984 (Warehouse 13, Fringe, 2012, ReGenesis, Halloween: Resurrection)
Jesse Williams b. 1981 (The Cabin in the Woods)
Sophia Winkleman b. 1980 (Red Dwarf, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe)
Victor Cruz b. 1980 (Gotham, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Fringe)
Iddo Goldberg b. 1975 (Salem)
Lori Bagley b. 1973 (The Stepford Wives [2004])
Paul Kasey b. 1973 (Doctor Who, Being Human, The Sarah Jane Chronicles, Inkheart, Torchwood, 28 Days Later…, Blade II)
Darren Shahlavi b. 1972 died 14 January 2015 (Tomorrowland, Once Upon a Time on Wonderland, Continuum, Arrow, Aladdin and the Death Lamp, Mortal Kombat, Red Riding Hood, Watchmen, Bionic Woman [2007], Reaper, Slither, Merlin’s Apprentice, Legion of the Dead)
James Gunn b. 1970 (director, Guardians of the Galaxy, Slither [2006])
Chuck Campbell b. 1969 (Sanctuary, Stargate: Atlantis, Painkiller Jane, Stargate SG-1, Jason X, Earth: Final Conflict)
Jonathan Silverman b. 1966 (Inkubus, Jekyll, 12:01, Death Becomes Her)
Mark Strong b. 1963 (Nosferatu in Love, John Carter, Green Lantern, Kick-Ass, Babylon A.D., Stardust)
Tawny Kitaen b. 1961 (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, They Came from Outer Space, Witchboard)
Vivian Kubrick b. 1960 (The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey)
Janet McTeer b. 1961 (Insurgent)
Maureen McCormick b. 1956 (I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched)
Holly Palance b. 1950 (The Omen)
Loni Anderson b. 1945 (Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Munchie, Amazing Stories, The Incredible Hulk, The Invisible Man [1975])
Natalie Trundy b. 1940 (Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Twilight Zone)
Larry Elmore b. 1948 (artist)
Jan Francis b. 1947 (Ghostbusters of East Finchley, Aladdin and the Forty Thieves, Dracula [1979])
Alan Howard b. 1937 died 14 February 2015 (Lord of the Rings)
John Saxon b. 1935 (Lancelot: Guardian of Time, From Dusk Till Dawn, Hellmaster, My Mom’s a Werewolf, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Prisoners of the Lost Universe, Battle Beyond the Stars, Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Strange New World, Planet Earth, The Time Tunnel, Queen of Blood, Blood Beast from Outer Space)
Zakes Mokae b. 1934 died 11 September 2009 (The X Files, Waterworld, Outbreak, Vampire in Brooklyn, Knight Rider)
Joan Weldon b. 1933 (Them!)
Neil Armstrong b. 1930 died 25 August 2012 (first man to walk on the moon)
Don Matheson b.1929 died 29 June 2014 (Dragonflight, Alice in Wonderland [1985], Land of the Giants, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost in Space)
Mickey Shaughnessy b. 1920 died 23 July 1985 (Conquest of Space)
Selma Diamond b. 1920 died 13 May 1985 (Twilight Zone: The Movie)
Parley Baer b. 1914 died 22 November 2002 (Star Trek: Voyager, Roswell, Quantum Leap, Time Trackers, Twilight Zone [1986], The Incredible Hulk, Project U.F.O., Bewitched, Land of the Giants, I Dream of Jeannie, The Addams Family, My Favorite Martian, My Living Doll, The Outer Limits, The Brass Bottle)
John Huston b. 1906 died 28 August 1987 (Battle for the Planet of the Apes)
Reginald Owen b. 1887 died 5 November 1972 (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Bewitched, Mary Poppins, A Christmas Carol [1938])

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot was given to Neil Armstrong and The One Ring, voiced by Alan Howard. If I was in the mood to put up an actor, Reginald Owen as Scrooge is the most iconic, and putting up Mark Strong from Green Lantern would just be cruel, but I decided to celebrate the third anniversary of Mars Curiosity, one of the most science fiction-like real events in the past decade.

2. Spot the Canadians! Ryan McDonald and Chuck Campbell are Canadians and their credit lists look Canadian. The late Darren Shahlavi's credits look a little Canadian, but he was born in the U.K. (He also deserved his own Never to be Forgotten, but I didn't see his obit last January.) The unspottable Canadian is Selma Diamond. If I had to guess, I would have assumed she was a Jewish girl from New York.

3. Nepotism FTW. Vivian Kubrick and Maddox Jolie-Pitt are classic cases of nepotism.

4. Stuff didn't expect. Sometimes I see a name on imdb.com that I know and I click through to their credit page just to check, not knowing any genre credits and not expecting anything. That's what I did today with John Huston, Mickey Shaughnessy, Selma Diamond and Loni Anderson. That's a lot of surprises. 

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

Predictor: George Sutherland in Twentieth Century Inventions, published 1902

Prediction: But in electrical house-warming, for which a white heat is not required and in which the necessary protection from the air can be secured by embedding the conveying medium in opaque solid material, the problem becomes much simpler, because strong metallic wires can be used, and they may be enclosed in any kind of cement which does not corrode them and which distributes the heat while refusing to conduct the electric current. A network of wire, crossing and recrossing but always carrying the same current, may be embedded in plaster and a gentle heat may be imparted to the whole mass through the resistance of the wires to the electricity and their contact with the non-conducting material.

Reality: I don't know if this method was ever used, but it seems to me it would be hard pressed to produced enough heat to warm a house in the dead of winter in any cold climate unless the wall would become dangerously hot to the touch. Our undead architect friend would certainly know more than I on this subject.
 

Never to be Forgotten: Lynn Manning 1955-2015

 Los Angeles based actor and playwright Lynn Manning died from liver cancer last week. Manning had a very tough life even before dying so young. His young home life was very chaotic, living in multiple foster homes after his mother nearly killed his stepfather. He was blinded by a gunshot wound when he was 23. He established himself in the Los Angeles theater community and also acted on screen as well. He is mentioned here for a role in the sitcom the Vamps Next Door.

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

Never to be Forgotten: Coleen Gray 1922-2015

Actress Coleen Gray began he film career in the 1940s and was featured in big budget films like Kiss of Death, The Killing and Red River. Later in her career, she got bigger roles in smaller genre productions, most notably The Leech Woman, a film which got the MST3K treatment. Other genre roles include  Tales from the Darkside, The Sixth Sense, The Phantom Planet and The Vampire.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Coleen Gray, from a fan. She is never to be forgotten. 
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Thursday now belongs to our very optimistic pal Morris Ernst in his 1955 book Utopia 1976.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

1 July 2015

Birthdays
Hannah Murray b. 1989 (Game of Thrones, Dark Shadows [2012 movie])
Laura Jacobs b. 1987 (Almost Human, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief)
Hilarie Burton b. 1982 (Extant, Forever)
Kim Jackson b. 1981 (Iron Sky, Scooby-Doo)
Clemency Burton-Hill b. 1981 (Supernova, Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God)
Elizabeth Thai b. 1979 (Man of Steel, Arrow, Eureka, Fringe, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Dresden Files, The 4400, Smallville, Andromeda)
Liv Tyler b. 1977 (The Leftovers, Space Station 76, The Incredible Hulk, The Lord of the Rings, Armageddon)
Julianne Nicholson b. 1971 (The Others, Storm of the Century)
Colin Patrick Lynch b. 1968 (Serenity, Firefly, Angel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day)
Ritchie Coster b. 1967 (Let Me In, The Dark Knight, The Tuxedo)
Harald Zwart b. 1965 (director, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones)
Dominic Keating b. 1962 (Beowulf, Heroes, Star Trek: Enterprise, The Immortal, Good vs Evil, Buffy, Poltergeist: The Legacy)
Andre Braugher b. 1962 (The Andromeda Strain [2008 TV], The Mist, Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Salem’s Lot, Frequency)
Dale Midkiff b, 1959 (Flight of the Living Dead, Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion, Time Trax, Pet Sematary)
Alan Ruck b. 1956 (The Whispers, Zombie Night, Fringe, Eureka, The Happening, InAlienable, Stargate: Atlantis, From the Earth to the Moon. Star Trek: Generations)
Robby the Robot built 1955 (Earth Girls are Easy, Gremlins, Mork & Mindy, Wonder Woman, Project U.F.O., Space Academy, Ark II, Lost in Space, The Addams Family, Twilight Zone, The Invasion of the Neptune Men, The Invisible Boy, Forbidden Planet)
Dan Aykroyd b. 1952 (Earth vs. the Spider [2001 TV], Evolution, Coneheads, Ghostbusters, My Stepmother Is and Alien, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Twilight Zone: The Movie)
Brian George b. 1952 (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, The Big Bang Theory The 4400, Andromeda, Star Trek: Voyager, The X-Files, Lois & Clark, Deep Space Nine, Weird Science [TV], Poltergeist: The Legacy, Here Come the Munsters, Quantum Leap, Martians Go Home)
Terrence Mann b. 1951 (Sense8, The Dresden Files, Critters)
Michael Pressman b. 1950 (director, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze)
Deborah Harry b. 1945 (Anamorph, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Videodrome)
Tony DiBenedetto b. 1944 (Lois & Clark, The Hidden II, Splash)
Genevieve Bujold b. 1942 (The Adventures of Pinocchio, Coma)
Inga Neilsen b. 1940 (Beyond Westworld, Wonder Woman, The Invisible Man, Grave of the Vampire, Batman)
Karen Black b. 1939 died 8 August 2013 (Ooga Booga, Dr. Rage, Teknolust, Dinosaur Valley Girls, Plan Ten from Outer Space, Evil Spirits, The Invisible Kid, It’s Alive III: Island of the Alive, Faerie Tale Theatre, Invader from Mars [1986], Capricorn One, The Invaders)
Ron Masack b. 1935 (They Came from Outer Space, Starman [TV], The Aliens Are Coming, Wonder Woman, Laserblast, Land of the Lost, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Twilight Zone)
David Prowse b. 1935 (Star Wars, The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy [TV], Jabberwocky, Gulliver’s Travels [1977], Space: 1999, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, The Tomorrow People [1973 TV], Doctor Who, Vampire Circus, A Clockwork Orange, The Horror of Frankenstein)
Jean Marsh b. 1934 (An Adventure in Space and Time, The Tomorrow People [1994 TV], A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Doctor Who, Willow, Return to Oz, The Changeling [1980], UFO, Unearthly Stranger, Twilight Zone)
Farley Granger b. 1925 died 27 March 2011 (The Invisible Man [1975], The Six Million Dollar Man)
Florence Stanley b. 1974 (Dark Shadows [1960s])
Harold Sakata b. 1920 died 29 July 1982 (Death Dimension, The Amazing Spider-Man [1978], Dimension 5)
Olivia de Havilland b. 1916 (The Swarm)

1. The Picture Slot. In earlier years, the Picture Slot was filled by Liv Tyler and Robby the Robot. This year it was a competition between Hannah Murray who plays Gilly on Game of Thrones, Dan Aykroyd from Ghostbusters and the winner, David Prowse as Darth Vader, seen here without his helmet.


2. Spot the Canadians! The fact that Dan Aykroyd is Canadian is at the level of not very tough trivia to my mind, and the other Canadian is the very pretty Laura Jacobs, whose career so far has consisted of being very pretty in the background.

3. Wait... she's dead? I'm still not quite used to Karen Black being dead.

4. Wait... she's alive? I kinda sorta knew Olivia de Havilland was still alive. I knew that she and her sister Joan Fontaine were still feuding until Joan died in 2013, the thing is I'm a little sketchy on which one is alive and which one is dead.

5. I know this, but I'm still not used to it. Deborah Harry turns 70 this year. Most of the rest of the folks from the punk/new wave scene of the 1970s are about ten years younger.

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

Movie released
The Last Airbender escaped, 2010  
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs released, 2009
 

Predictor: George Sutherland in his book Twentieth Century Inventions

Prediction:  Just as the miner pounds away at the rock by means of compressed air or electricity, brought to his hands through a pipe or a wire, so the farmer will work his land by spades or ploughs by the same kind of mechanical power. The advantages of electrical transmission of energy will greatly favour this kind of installation on the farm, as compared with any other method of distribution which is as yet in sight. For the ploughing of a field by the electric plough a cable will be required capable of being stretched along one side of the area to be worked.

Reality: I like our sensible friend Mr. Sutherland, but he made an early decision that gas powered machinery was not going to be useful because of the technological challenges of 1900 and 1901. Those problems got fixed and we got the petroleum fueled modern world, like it or not.

This month's splash illustration: I'm a little amazed this exists, but this is a toy based on the 1963 episode of The Outer Limits entitled The Zanti Misfits. I was eight when I saw this and it scared the bejeezus out of me. The face of this toy kind of reminds me of Dr. Venture, so it's a little less scary now, but I can still transport myself back to the terrified pre-pubescent kid who first saw it in black and white.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's Thursday again and we get another clunker prediction from The Experts Speak.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

29 April 2015

Birthdays
Taylor Cole b. 1984 (Supernatural, The Event, The Green Hornet, Surrogates, Heroes)
Firass Dirani b. 1984 (Power Rangers 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, Reaper, Invasion, Jake 2.0, Evil Alien Conquerors, Dark Angel, Dead Last, The Immortal, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids [TV], NightMan, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Millennium [TV], The X-Files, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
David Sullivan b. 1977 (Karma Police, The Astronaut Farmer, Primer)
April Telek b. 1975 (Strange Empire, Supernatural, Reaper, Tin Man, Stargate SG-1, Dead Like Me, The Immortal, Replicant, First Wave, The Hunger, Millennium, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, The New Addams Family, Highlander [TV], Sliders)
David Belle b. 1973 (Metal Hurlant Chronicles, Babylon A.D.)
Derek Mears b. 1972 (Sleepy Hollow, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, True Blood, 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)
Paul Adelstein b. 1969 (Bedazzled)
Vincent Ventresca b. 1966 (Flying Monkeys, Dollhouse, Mammoth, MorphMan, The Invisible Man [TV])
Bruce Harwood b. 1963 (The Flash, 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 (won 1996 Nebula for The Terminal Experiment, won the 2003 Hugo for Homonids)
Michelle Pfeiffer b. 1958 (Dark Shadows [2012], Stardust, Wolf, Batman Returns, The Witches of Eastwick, Ladyhawke)
Eve Plumb b. 1958 (Nowhere, Lois & Clark, Wonder Woman, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters)
Kate Mulgrew b. 1955 (Warehouse 13, Star Trek: Nemesis, Star Trek: Voyager, Gargoyles)
Leslie Jordan b. 1955 (American Horror Story, Undead or Alive: A Zombedy, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, FreakyLinks, Weird Science, Star Trek: Voyager, Lois & Clark, Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday, Frankenstein General Hospital, The Wizard)
Gavin O’Herlihy b. 1954 (The Descent: Part 2, Star Trek: Voyager, Space Riders, Willow, Superman III, The Amazing Spider-Man [TV], The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man)
Robert Towers b. 1952 (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Angel, Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Masters of the Universe, Bewitched)
Nora Dunn b. 1952 (Southland Tales, Three Moons Over Milford, The Chronicle, What Planet Are You From?, The X Files)
Ellen Crawford b. 1951 (The Man From Earth, Soldier, Tales from the Crypt, The Invisible Kid, Werewolf, Otherworld)
Reb Brown b. 1948 (Night Claws, 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])
Richard Kline b. 1944 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Harry and the Hendersons, Shadow Chasers)
Lane Smith b. 1936 died 13 June 2005 (From the Earth to the Moon, Alien Nation: The Udara Legacy, Lois & Clark, The Twilight Zone [1986], Amazing Stories, 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)
Celeste Holm b. 1917 died 15 July 2012 (Wonder Woman, Cinderella [1965 TV])
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)
Ken Tyrell b. 1094 died 8 March 1966 (Master of the World, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, Sabu and the Magic Ring, Brain from Planet Arous, Daughter of Dr. Jekyll, The Adventures of Dr. Fu Manchu, Indestructible Man, Son of Sinbad, Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Zombies of the Stratosphere, Radar Men from the Moon, Flying Disc Man from Mars, The Invisible Monster)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. A lot of famous names and iconic faces on the list today. In earlier years, Kate Milgrew from Voyager and Akira Takarada from the original Godzilla got the slot, but this year I was thinking it was a competition between Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman or Uma Thurman as Poison Ivy. But thinking better of it, I realized I like The Adventures of Baron Munchausen much more than I liked any Batman film and Ms. Thurman's entrance as Venus made a much stronger impression on me.

He wrote, euphemistically.

2. Spot the Canadians. The late Wayne Robson is hard to spot from his credit list, but our other two Canucks are alive, kicking, born in the 1970s and not impossible to suss.

3. MST3K. Between Richard Carlson and Ken Tyrell, there must have been something one of them was in that got the MST3K treatment, and yes, it's Tyrell in Radar Men on the Moon. We also have Akira Takarada in Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.

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

Predictor: George Sutherland in the 1901 book Twentieth Century Inventions

Prediction: The telegraphic wire in the home and street will fulfill a very important part in the economy of the twentieth century. For conveying intelligence, as well as for heating, cooking and lighting, the electric current will become one of the most familiar of all the forces called in to assist in domestic arrangements.

Reality: Sutherland deserves nearly full points for this one, though he could not quite foresee the telegraph going obsolete. If anything, he underestimates how important electricity would become in our lives. There were already electric lights in use and patents for electric stoves had been granted. The closest thing to visionary is that the first practical electric heater was patented in 1905.

He's not the only person in 1901 who could see that electricity was the wave of the future, but that's a quibble. My two favorite kinds of predictions are the spectacularly right and the spectacularly wrong. This belongs in the first category.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We interrupt our regular schedule for a re-awakened Dalek. I'm sure that will go well.  

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

8 April 2015

Birthdays
Gabriella Wilde b. 1989 (Carrie, Doctor Who)
Taran Noah Smith b. 1984 (Little Bigfoot 2: The Journey Home)
Kristen Storms b. 1984 (Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century)
Taylor Kitsch b. 1981 (Battleship, John Carter, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Covenant, Kyle XY)
Katee Sackhoff b. 1980 (Oculus, The Big Bang Theory, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia, Battlestar Galactica, Bionic Woman, Halloween: Resurrection)
Rachel Roberts b, 1978 (The Host, In Time, FlashForward, S1m0ne)
Ana de la Reguera b. 1977 (Cowboys & Aliens)
Emma Caulfield b. 1973 (Once Upon a Time, TiMER, Buffy, Darkness Falls, Weird Science [TV])
Sung Kang b. 1972 (Knight Rider [2008], Mystery Men)
Leif Gantvoort b. 1972 (The Amazing Spider-Man)
Mary Randle b. 1972 (Hollow Man)
JR Bourne b. 1970 (Teen Wolf [2014], Fringe, Smallville, Superstorm, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Stargate SG-1, Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning, Andromeda, Jeremiah, Thir13een Ghosts, The Crow: Stairway to Haven, Futuresport, Millennium)
Patricia Arquette b. 1968 (Tales from the Crypt, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)
Robin Wright b. 1966 (The Congress, A Christmas Carol [2009], Beowulf, Unbreakable, The Princess Bride)
Biz Markie b. 1964 (Sharknado 2: The Second One, Men in Black II)
Richard Keats b. 1964 (Arrow, Continuum, Fringe, Smallville, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Supernatural, Masque of the Red Death)
Dean Norris b. 1963 (Under the Dome, True Blood, Lost, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Category 6: Day of Destruction, Tremors [TV], The Cell, Charmed, Millennium, Starship Troopers, Dark Skies, It Came from Outer Space II, The X Files, The Lawnmower Man, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Beauty and the Beast [1989])
John Schneider b. 1960 (Return of the Killer Shrews, Snow Beast, Smallville, Ogre, Journeyman, Lake Placid 2, 10.5, Relic Hunter)
Michael Spound b. 1957 (The Ring, Star Trek: Voyager)
Jim Piddock b. 1956 (Touch, Dollhouse, The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising, Epic Movie, The Prestige, Lost, Angel, From the Earth to the Moon, Independence Day, Multiplicity, The Twilight Zone [1986])
Brian Delate b. 1949 (Unforgettable, The Truman Show)
Robert Harvey b. 1948 (Looper, Predators from Beyond Neptune, Rumplestiltskin, Roswell [TV movie], Space Case, Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice)
Tim Thomerson b. 1946 (Trancers, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2006], Sliders, Lois & Clark, Xena, Dollman, Cherry 2000, Twilight Zone [1986], Zone Troopers, Metal Storm: The Destruction of Jared Syn, Jekyll and Hyde… Together Again, Quark)
Stuart Pankin b. 1946 (Zenon, Babylon 5: River of Souls, Beanstalk, Mannequin: On the Move, Arachnophobia, The Powers of Matthew Star, Earthbound)
Jack O’Halloran b. 1943 (Knight Rider, Superman I and II, King Kong [1976])
Douglas Trumbull b. 1942 (director, Brainstorm, Silent Running)
Pamela Gordon b. 1937 died 21 September 2003 (The Nightmare Room, The X Files, My Favorite Martian [1999], Alien Nation: Body and Soul, The Flash [1991], Tales from the Crypt, Poltergeist II: The Other Side, The Twilight Zone, Weird Science)
Shecky Greene b. 1926 (Splash)
Edward Mulhare b. 1923 died 24 May 1997 (Knight Rider, Battlestar Galactica [1979], The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, The Outer Limits)
Alfie Bass b. 1916 died 15 July 1987 (Star Maidens, The Fearless Vampire Killers)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Previous Picture Slotters were Emma Caufield from Buffy and Katee Sackoff from Battlestar Galactica. Even with those two worthies retired from the competition, there's plenty of other choices. If being a title character means anything, Kristen Storms was Zenon, Taylor Kitsch was John Carter, Rachel Roberts was S1m0ne and Edward Mulhare was the ghost in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.  We have a bunch of great Oh That Guys, the most iconic probably being Jack O'Halloran as the not very bright Kryptonian villain in Superman. But the winner is both a fabulous babe like our previous winners and the title character in a film better known that the other title roles, Robin Wright in her breakthrough role as Buttercup in The Princess Bride.

2. Spot the Canadians. I've already mentioned two of our Canucks, Taylor Kitsch and Rachel Roberts, neither possessing a giveaway credit list. The third Canadian is JR Bourne and his credit list has a very typical Canadian feel.


3. Wait... he's alive? As you will see at the end of this post, there were several deaths announced yesterday, including the great Stan Freberg, who did some great voice work but I didn't include as genre. So I'd like to mention someone who is still alive and that fact was a surprise to me. Happy birthday, Shecky Greene. I was also surprised he had a genre credit.

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

 Predictor: George Sutherland in his 1901 book, Twentieth Century Inventions

Prediction: will naturally attain its first great development in the neighborhoods of large waterfalls such as Niagara. When the manufacturers within a short radius of the source of power in each case have begun to fully reap the benefit due to cheap power, competition will assert itself in many different ways. The values of real property will rise, and population will tend to become congested within the localities served… It is already claimed that with the use of currents of high voltage for carrying the power, and "step-down transformers" converting these into a suitable medium for the driving of machinery, a fairly economical transmission can be ensured along a distance of 100 miles.

Reality: This is similar to one of our predictions from 1893 that the Buffalo area would become a thriving metropolis to rival New York or Chicago because of proximity to electric power produced cheaply. Sutherland makes mention of transformers, but does not realize just how good they would get within a few decades.

 Never to be Forgotten: James Best 1926-2015

James Best, probably best known for his role as Roscoe Coltrane on The Dukes of Hazzard, has died at the age of 88. He is mentioned here for roles in The Green Hornet, The Twilight Zone, The Killer Shrews and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. He was on three Twilight Zone episodes, which is one fewer than Burgess Meredith and one more than William Shatner. I use pictures from The Killer Shrews because it is a film skewered by MST3K.

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

 Never to be Forgotten: Geoffrey Lewis 1935-2015

Geoffrey Lewis, a hard working character actor who may be best known for roles as Clint Eastwood's sidekick in Any Which Way but Loose and other films, died yesterday at the age of 79. Two things I did not know about him are that he was the father of Juliette Lewis and he was a Scientologist. He is remembered here for roles in Odyssey 5, The X-Files, The Lawnmower Man, Annihilator, Amazing Stories, Night of the Comet, Salem’s Lot, The Amazing Spider-Man [TV], Mork & Mindy, Quark, The Six Million Dollar Man and Ark II.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Geoffrey Lewis, from a fan of his work but not his religion. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Is tomorrow really Thursday? That means another dip into that deep well of bad predictions, The Experts Speak.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

24 January 2014

Birthdays
Mischa Barton b. 1986 (Phatasmagoria: The Movie, Zombie Killers: Elephant’s Graveyard, The Sixth Sense)
Karis Page Bryant b. 1985 (Charmed, Universal Soldier: The Return)
Justin Baldoni b. 1984 (Heroes, Charmed, The Helix… Loaded)
Remy Ryan b. 1984 (Opious, The Lost Room, RoboCop 3, The Flash [1990], Beauty and the Beast)
Craig Horner b. 1983 (Legend of the Seeker, Cyber Girl)
Carrie Coon b. 1981 (The Leftovers)
Kristen Schaal b. 1978 (Last Man on Earth)
Ed Helms b. 1974 (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian)
Matthew Lillard b. 1970 (Scooby-Doo, Area 57, Thir13n Ghosts, Wing Commander)
Stephanie Romanov b. 1969 (Angel, Seven Days)
Phil Lamarr b. 1967 (Futurama, Real Steel, Samurai Jack, Spider-Man 2, Evil Alien Conquerors, Invader ZIM)
Julie Dreyfus b. 1966 (The Crow: Stairway to Heaven)
Nastassja Kinski b. 1961 (Cat People, To the Devil a Daughter)
Peter Woodward b. 1956 (Dracula [2013 TV], Fringe, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Stargate: Atlantis, Charmed, Crusade, Babylon 5: A Call to Arms, Brimstone, )
William Allen Young b. 1954 (District 9, Babylon 5, The Twilight Zone [1985])
Michael Des Barres b. 1948 (Dead Like Me, Charmed, Sliders, Lois & Clark, Waxwork II: Lost in Time, Superboy, Super Force, ALF, Deadly Nightmares, Ghoulies, I, Monster)
Michael Ontkean b. 1946 (PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, The Stepford Husbands, Deadly Nightmares, Tales of the Unexpected, Necromancy)
David Gerrold b. 1944 (screenwriter, The Trouble With Tribbles)
Sharon Tate b. 1943 died 9 August 1969 (The Fearless Vampire Killers)
Barton Heyman b. 1937 died 15 May 1996 (The Exorcist, Twilight Zone)
John Hollis b. 1931 died 18 October 2005 (Superman I, II and IV, The Day of the Triffids [1981 TV], Flash Gordon, The Empire Strikes Back, Blakes 7, The Tomorrow People, Captain Kronos – Vampire Hunter, Doctor Who, Creatures the World Forgot, A for Andromeda)
Jerry Maren b. 1920 (Frankenstein Rising, Twilight Zone [1986], Wizards and Warriors, Something Wicked This Way Comes, TRON, The Amazing Captain Nemo, Lidsville, Bigfoot, Planet of the Apes [1968], Bewitched, Superman and the Mole People, The Wizard of Oz)
William Hudson b. 1919 died 5 April 1974 (The Reluctant Astronaut, Batman, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Moon Pilot, Men Into Space, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman, The Amazing Colossal Man, The She-Creature, Rocky Jones, Space Ranger)
John Hudson b. 1919 died 8 April 1996 (I Dream of Jeannie, Men Into Space, The Screaming Skull)
Ernest Borgnine b. 1917 died 8 July 2012 (Gattaca, Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders, Laser Mission, Alice in Wonderland [1985], Escape From New York, The Black Hole, Future Cop, The Devil’s Rain, The Neptune Factor, Captain Video and his Video Rangers)
C. L. Moore b. 1911 died 4 April 1987 (author, Northwest Smith, Cthulhu Mythos)
Estelle Winwood b. 1883 died 20 June 1984 (Batman, Bewitched, The Cabinet of Caligari, Twilight Zone, Blithe Spirit)
E.T.A. Hoffmann b. 1776 died 25 June 1822 (author, The Sandman, The Tales of Hoffmann, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The surprising stuff. Usually I start with the Picture Slot decision when explaining stuff about our birthday boys and girls, and I will do so today as well, but the over-riding theme of today's list is how many things I didn't realize.

I did not realize there is someone still alive from the cast of The Wizard of Oz, a movie which celebrates its 76th anniversary this year. Jerry Maren, born in 1920, was the middle guy in The Lollipop Guild, is the last known survivor from the cast and good on ya, Mr. Maren.

I did not realize how many genre credits Ernest Borgnine had. I still think of him as Marty or Fatso or McHale, but showed up in a lot of fantasy and sci-fi, including Captain Video, a show that was well before my time.

I did not realize the actress Estelle Winwood lived to be 101.

I did not think Michael Ontkean was much older than I am and I did not know he was Canadian, the only one on today's list.


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

Predictor: Albert D. Shaw (1841-1901), politician, diplomat and president of the Canadian Niagara Power Company

Prediction: One of the greatest cities in the United States will be found to occupy the area between Buffalo and Niagara Falls. I think that, early in the 20th Century, there will be a city of 1,000,000 inhabitants there. It will be one of the greatest manufacturing cities in the world. Nature has done everything to favor its locality.

Reality: Yes, it's true, nature has blessed Buffalo in every way, especially if you like the MIND-NUMBINGLY FUCKING COLD WINTERS!

Buffalo is still a city of about 250,000. Across the border, its sister city of Hamilton is closer to 500,000. I'm going to cut Mr. Shaw some slack, not just because of the awesome soup strainer on his top lip, but also because the technology of electrical transformers was in its infancy. Even our new predictor George Sutherland writing in 1901 makes predictions that places nearest electrical generating plants would be developed earlier than other locales. Nowadays, the wires can easily carry power many hundreds of miles away from the source.
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Sundays mean a visit from our pal, (usually) Ridiculous Bob, looking into his crystal ball at 1970 or 2000 from a 1956 vantage point.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

13 December 2014

Birthdays
Michael Socha b. 1987 (Once Upon a Time, Being Human, Paradox)
Tanya Van Graan b. 1983 (Starship Troopers 3: Marauder)
Jeffrey Pierce b. 1971 (The Tomorrow People, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Knight Rider [2008], Journeyman, Charmed, S1m0ne, The Astronauts)
Bart Johnson b. 1977 (Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, Vamp U, Monster Mutt, Tremors [TV], Babylon 5)
Christie Clark b. 1973 (Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge)
Tony Curran b. 1969 (Defiance, X-Men: First Class, Doctor Who, Primeval, Underworld: Evolution, Night Stalker [2005], The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Blade II, The Mists of Avalon, Being Human)
Jamie Foxx b. 1967 (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)
Harry Gregson-Williams b. 1961 (composer, Shrek, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Borrowers)
Johnny Whitaker b. 1959 (Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, Bewitched)
Lynn-Holly Johnson b. 1958 (Tales from Dark Fall, Hyper Space, Alien Predator, The Watcher in the Woods)
Amy Stock-Poynton b. 1958 (Beanstalk, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure)
Steve Buscemi b. 1957 (The Island, Spy Kids 2 and 3, Armageddon, Tales from the Crypt)
Afemo Omilami b. 1950 (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Sheena)
Wendie Malick b. 1950 (Adventures of a Teenage Dragonslayer, Strange Frequency 1 & 2, The X Files, Apollo 11, Tales from the Crypt, Scrooged)
Robert Lindsay b. 1949 (Atlantis, Tales from the Crypt)
Darlene Cates b. 1947 (Wolf Girl)
Kathy Garver b. 1945 (Hercules Saves Christmas, Horrorween, Soupernatural)
Richard D. Zanuck b. 1934 died 13 July 2012 (producer, Dark Shadows [2012], Clash of the Titans [2010], Alice in Wonderland [2010], Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Reign of Fire, Planet of the Apes [2001], Cocoon 1 & 2)
Robert Prosky b. 1930 died 8 December 2008 (Last Action Hero, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, World War III)
Christopher Plummer b. 1929 (The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, National Treasure, Dracula 2000, The Dinosaur Hunter, Twelve Monkeys, Wolf, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Vampire in Venice, Prototype, Dreamscape, Somewhere in Time, Starcrash)
Dick Van Dyke b. 1925 (Night at the Museum, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins)
Maria Riva b. 1924 (Scrooged)
Don Taylor b. 1920 died 29 December 1998 (director, Island of Dr. Moreau, Damien: Omen II, The Final Countdown, Escape from the Planet of the Apes)
John Hart b. 1917 died 20 September 2009 (The Greatest American Hero, The Astral Factor, Blackenstein, Atlantis, The Lost Continent, World of Giants, The Shaggy Dog, Atom Man vs. Superman)

Today's list presents a quandary. It is not short of well known names, but it's a little weak on iconic roles. Last year I used Christopher Plummer from Star Trek VI and this year Dick Van Dyke from Mary Poppins. My quandary is this. While those roles are iconic, they are among the worst performances ever by both actors. Plummer chewed the scenery so much, there was hardly any scenery left for Shatner to chew. And I quote a lyric of Joss Whedon which I agree with completely: "As convincing as a Cockney Dick Van Dyke." My top choice for next year is Jamie Foxx in his one genre role. I didn't see the film, so I will have to rely on others to tell me how over the top Mr. Foxx went.

And in other news, I found no Canadians born today to spot.

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

Movie released
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug released, 2013  
 

Predictor: John J. Carty, electrical engineer (1861-1932), predicting the 20th Century in response to questions sent out by the organizers of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago

Prediction: The probable developments in electricity in the 20th Century are almost inconceivable...

In domestic life, electricity may well replace gas, steam and coal as they are used today...

Coal will no longer be delivered from house to house, but instead to a few plants, perhaps only one, that will produce energy for an entire city...

It is estimated that if the all the energy in coal could be extracted, it would be a fivefold increase. This might solve the problem of aerial navigation...

The experiments of Tesla that show electricity can be passed from one conductor to another without need of an intermediary conduit, such as a wire. This will be found invaluable in the 20th Century. A war ship at sea might be powered by a great motor on land. Electricity as a weapon of war might also be possible.

Electric trolleys will obliterate the problems of distance. It could be possible for a man to leave his front yard - or for a farmer out from his driveway - and directly board an electric trolley that could transport him at the rate of 20 miles per hour into the great city. The trolleys would run so often that no timetables would be necessary.


Reality: First things first, a fine mustache. As for the uses of electricity, he gets stuff right and wrong. On the plus side of the ledger, home delivery of coal is extinct almost everywhere and electric stoves are useful, though gas ovens are also still in use.

As for the incorrect, his aerial navigation idea is likely talking about zeppelins fueled by electricity, which we don't do, electric weapons are limited to tasers - hardly weapons of war -  and trolleys can go much faster than 20 mph. When it comes to the most useful electric appliances, Carty would have sounded like a madman if he predicted radio, computers and television, and he was not a crazy person, but instead a practical man with a reputation that lasts until day, his name attached to a yearly award for excellence in electrical engineering first given out by AT&T in 1931.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another lazy Sunday and another nuclear conflagration avoided.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

9 August 2014

Birthdays
Bill Skarsgard b. 1990 (Hemlock Grove)
Adelaide Kane b. 1990 (Teen Wolf, The Purge, Power Rangers R.P.M.)
Anna Kendrick b. 1985 (Into the Woods, Twilight Saga)
Ashley Johnson b. 1983 (The Avengers, Dollhouse, Roswell, Lloyd in Space)
Rhona Mitra b. 1976 (SGU Stargate Universe, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, Doomsday, Hollow Man, Beowulf, Ghostbusters of East Finchley)
Jessica Capshaw b. 1976 (Minority Report)
Kevin McKidd b. 1973 (Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Journeyman, The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns)
Liz Vassey b. 1972 (Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, The Tick, The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space, Quantum Leap, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Superboy)
Ryan Bollman b. 1972 (Star Trek: Voyager, Good vs Evil, The Neverending Story III, Children of the Corn II: The Final Sacrifice, Small Wonder, Starman [TV])
Thomas Lennon b. 1970 (writer, Battle of the Smithsonian)
McG b. 1968 (director, Terminator Salvation)
Eric Bana b. 1968 (The Time Traveler’s Wife, Star Trek [2009], Hulk)
Gillian Anderson b. 1968 (Robot Overlords, The X Files)
Josh Cox b. 1965 (Revolution, Thor, A.I. Assault, Babylon 5, Sliders, Quantum Leap, Freddy’s Nightmares)
Amanda Bearse b. 1958 (Here Come the Munsters, Fright Night)
Melanie Griffith b. 1957 (Cherry 2000)
Adam Nimoy b. 1956 (director, The Invisible Man [TV], Hercules: The legendary Journeys, Early Edition, Sliders, Babylon 5, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
John Varley b. 1947 (author, Eight Worlds, Gaean, Slow Apocalypse)
Sam Elliott b. 1944 (Hulk, Frogs, Land of the Giants)
Burton Gilliam b. 1938 (Sliders, Weird Science [TV], The Terror Within II, Back to the Future Part III, Knight Rider, The Girl, the Gold Watch & Dynamite)
Dick Anthony Williams b. 1934 died 16 February 2012 (The X Files, Edward Scissorhands, Space, The Powers of Matthew Star, Omen III: The Final Conflict, Brave New World, Man from Atlantis)
Daniel Keyes b. 1927 died 15 June 2014 (author, Won 1960 Hugo for the short story Flowers for Algernon and the 1967 Nebula for the novel length version)
Robert Aldrich b. 1918 died 5 December 1983 (director, Twilight’s Last Gleaming)
Leo Genn b. 1905 died 26 January 1978 (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [TV movie 1968])
P.L. Travers b. 1899 died 23 April 1996 (author, Mary Poppins)

Good list today. Last year the Picture Slot belonged to Gillian Anderson and she's a perfect fit. The best known role of her career is iconic and in genre and she's a fabulous babe. This year I went with Liz Vessey, here in her Captain Liberty costume from the live action version of The Tick. She's clearly fabulous, but the show didn't take off, sad to say. I have loved every incarnation of The Tick from the comic books to the cartoon to the live action. Heck, I even follow The Tick on Twitter. He once called me chum! (I'm sure he meant "pal" and not "large mass of cut up bait".)
 

 Predictor: Joseph Howard Jr. (1833-1908), predicting what the 20th Century would look like in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.

Prediction: This is the age of electricity. Before another decade has passed, electricity will be the prime motor directing the great mechanisms of the world. As for changes in journalism, I fail to see the signs.

Reality: Okay, first the look. He's got the facial hair, the uncomfortable collar, the glasses mounted on the nose with a wire hanging from one side. Thank you, 19th Century fashion.

As for predictions... I sliced away three and half pages of blather about the history of journalism and how the enterprise ran in his day before his first prediction. Even when he gets to the predictions, I trimmed mercilessly. This guy writes like he was paid by the word. He was right about electricity, of course, but in 1893 that was not tough to predict. As for his field of expertise, all that overture and no actual show. Pretty sad, Mr. Howard.

Never to be Forgotten: Menahem Golan 1929-2014
Menahem Golan, producer who formed The Cannon Group with his partner Yoram Globus, has died at the age of 85. His company mainly produced action films, many of them sci-fi or fantasy. among those films are American Cyborg: Steel Warrior, Prison Planet, Captain America [1990], Night of the Living Dead [1990], Cyborg, Doin’ Time on Planet Earth, Journey to the Center of the Earth [1988], Alien from L.A., Masters of the Universe, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, Beauty and the Beast, Invaders from Mars, America 3000 and Lifeforce.

Many producers who make as many low to medium budget action films eventually get the urge to make something that will be considered award worthy. Golan and Globus never did. Their movies were about fights and explosions and guys with large biceps and the occasional naked woman. I respect him for staying true to his code, no matter how tack that code was.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Menahem Golan. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

What, another nuclear conflagration? Yep, it's an alternate Sunday and those are the rules around here.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

18 January 2014

Birthdays
Antje Traue b. 1981 (Man of Steel, Pandorum)
Jason Segel b. 1980 (This is the End, Gulliver’s Travels)
Jay Chou b. 1979 (The Green Hornet)
Dave Bautista b. 1969 (Riddick, Guardians of the Galaxy)
Kevin Costner b. 1955 (Waterworld, The Postman, Man of Steel, Testament)
Paul Freeman b. 1943 (Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark)
John Boorman b. 1933 (director, Excalibur, Exorcist II: The Heretic, Zardoz)
Robert Anton Wilson b. 1932 died 1/11/2007 (author, The Illuminatus Trilogy, Schrodinger’s Cat)
Orville Sherman b. 1916 died 1 October 1984 (Westworld, The Twilight Zone, The Brain Eaters, The Adventures of Superman)

Last year on this date, before I had done much research, Jay Chou was in the Picture Slot. This year it's Antje Traue, who biggest role to date is as the Kryptonian warrior Faora-Ul in the latest Superman movie Man of Steel. I could have put up a picture of Kevin Costner, the best known name on the list, but it seemed a little cruel to remind a man on his birthday of his biggest flop Waterworld. Another good choice would have been Paul Freeman, best known as the villain Belloc in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

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

Predictor: Charles Foster (1828-1904) governor of Ohio 1880-1884, Secretary of the Treasury 1891-1893

Prediction: "Thomas A. Edison, the greatest genius of this century, says that electricity is terrestrial magnetism and the universe is full of it. Edison believes electricity may be pumped out of the earth or the sea, just as water is pumped out of a stream. The only thing necessary now is to find the form of the pump that will do the trick."

Reality: I would not put Edison as the greatest genius of the 19th Century, just as I wouldn't put Bill Gates or Steve Jobs as the greatest geniuses of the 20th Century, but I understand the respect the general public gives to successful inventor/industrialists. Here, Foster is assuming that if Edison says something it must be true, not unlike the way the general public thinks the people who give TED Talks must know their ass from their elbow. Regular readers will know that TED talkers don't have that great a track record at predicting the future and in this particular case, neither did Edison, which makes a fellow like Foster who trusted him look bad.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

One last date from The Martian Chronicles.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!