27 April 2013

Birthday
William Moseley b. 1987

No, this hasn't magically become a blog about boy bands. Young Mr. Moseley is one of the actors who was in the Narnia series of films and many happy returns of the day.

Films released
Death Race 2000 released 1975 

Prediction: 2000: Frankenstein and “Machine Gun” Joe Viterbo are the co-favorites to win 20th running of the Annual Transcontinental Death Race.

Predictor: Death Race 2000, released 27 April 1975

Reality: Oh, this is a charmer. Screenwriter Robert Thom is responsible – if that is the correct word – for some of the oddest films made in the sixties and seventies, including this one, Wild in the Streets, The Phantom of Hollywood and The Legend of Lylah Clare. A fascist state has taken over America and has this annual cross-country race with points for traffic fatalities is run each year to keep the public entertained. And yes, it stars a post Kung Fu David Carradine and a pre Rocky Sylvester Stallone.

If the title doesn't convince you the story is told in the future, it has several touches that were popular in mid-century futurism, including food in pill form, monorails and of course, gladiator games.

It's kind of like The Hunger Games without the cute kids or the pretensions of seriousness. Don't get me wrong, the movie is plenty pretentious, but the pretensions are serious at all.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!



Tomorrow, we look once again at the exciting future of 2013 in Los Angeles, as seen from 1988.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

18 March 2013

Birthdays
Richard Biggs b. 1960 died 22 May 2004
Steve Kloves b. 1960
Brad Dourif b. 1950
Jack B. Sowards b. 1929 died 7/8/2007

The names today aren't exactly household, so a quick explanation. Steve Kloves wrote several of the Harry Potter screenplays, Brad Dourif is an actor best known for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Deadwood, but shows up in genre films and TV including Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Babylon 5 and Dune. Jack B. Sowards wrote The Wrath of Khan.

The photo position goes to Richard Biggs, one of WAY too many regulars on Babylon 5 who is already dead, including Jeff Conaway and Andreas Katsulas. A very unlucky show, if you ask me.

Prediction: Fifty years hence, the milk bottle will probably be a museum relic, along with the ice wagon, the coal shovel and the ash can, and out milk and butter will be derived from kerosene instead of cows, while most of our other food will be served in concentrated or pill form.

Predictor: Roger W, Babson, internationally known statistician, 1928 in Popular Mechanics

Reality: OMG! Food in pill form! Along with moving sidewalks and flying cars, food in pill form is the third part of The Holy Trinity of Antique Futurism.

To be fair to Professor Babson, milk bottles and ice wagons were completely antiquated by 1978, and coal shovels and ash cans were not part of most people's homes, though coal burning was and is still part of our energy consumption, the more's the pity.

Illustration: The great Virgil Finlay created the magazine cover I use as today's visual aid. It's a cute idea that the isolated astronaut has covered up the pin-ups with pictures of chicken, beer and steak. It's also a little bit of a shame, because Finlay's fabulous babes are comparable to the best work of Vargas and Frazetta.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE! 

Tuesday belongs to Robert A. Heinlein. Will it be Sensible Bob or Ridiculous Bob? Even I'm not sure yet, but it's always fun to find out.

Join me then... IN THE FUTURE!