30 November 2014

 Birthdays
Dylan Cash b. 1994 (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Dylan Smith b. 1992 (Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
Adelaide Clemens b. 1989 (Vampire, X-Men: Origins)
Sydney White b. 1991 (Young Dracula, The Sarah Jane Chronicles)
Kaley Cuoco b. 1985 (The Big Bang Theory, Charmed, 10.5, The Nightmare Room, Virtuosity)
Omahyra b. 1984 (X-Men: Last Stand)
Gael Garcia Bernal b. 1978 (Vamps, Blindness)
Jordan Belfi b. 1978 (Surrogates, Smallville, Buffy, Power Rangers Time Force, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Christopher John Fields b. 1976 (Boogeyman 2, Perversions of Science, Apollo 13, Witch Hunt, Stargate, Jurassic Park, Alien³, Jacob’s Ladder)
Nimrod Antal b. 1973 (director, Predators)
Jessalyn Gilsig b. 1971 (Heroes, Destination: Infestation, Haunted, Seven Days)
Perrey Reeves b. 1970 (Sliders, Escape to Witch Mountain [1995], The X Files, Child’s Play 3, The Flash [1990])
Michelle Burke b. 1970 (Sliders, Tales from the Crypt, Coneheads)
Walter Jones b. 1970 (House of the Dead 2, Good vs Evil, Buffy, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Space Cases, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers)
Marc Forster b. 1969 (director, World War Z)
Justin Lazard b. 1967 (Universal Soldier: The Return, Welcome to Paradox, Species II)
Ryan Murphy b. 1965 (writer, American Horror Story)
Ben Stiller b. 1965 (Night at the Museum, The Watch, Mystery Men)
Andrew Tiernan b. 1965 (Merlin [2012], Doctor Who, The Quatermass Experiment [2005], Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles, Space Precinct)
Richard Brake b. 1964 (Game of Thrones, Thor: The Dark World, Halloween II [2009], Doom, Batman Begins)
David Yates b. 1963 (director, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Parts I & II, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
Cherie Currie b. 1959 (Hansel & Gretl: Warriors of Witchcraft, Twilight Zone: The Movie)
Nancy Everhard b. 1957 (Charmed, Time Trax, Lois & Clark, DeepStar Six, The Trial of the Incredible Hulk, The Punisher, Knight Rider)
Colin Mochrie b. 1957 (Dark Rising: Warrior of Worlds, Annedroids, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone)
Stephen Dillane b. 1956 (Game of Thrones)
Brett Stimely b. 1955 (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Watchmen)
Mandy Patinkin b. 1952 (Dead Like Me, Alien Nation, The Princess Bride, Alien Nation)
Henry Selick b. 1952 (director, Coraline, Monkeybone, James and the Giant Peach, The Nightmare Before Christmas)
June Chadwick b. 1951 (V, Forbidden World)
Chris Claremont b. 1950 (writer, X-Men, Wild Cards)
Nicholas Woodeson b. 1949 (John Carter)
Billy Drago b. 1945 (Children of the Corn: Genesis, Supernatural, Zombie Hunters, The Hills Have Eyes [2006], Seven Mummies, Demon Hunter, Charmed, Mysterious Skin, The X Files, Lunarcop, Vamp, Automan)
William Dear b. 1944 (director, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Harry and the Hendersons, Amazing Stories, Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann)
Sally Douglas b. 1941 died September 2001 (Witchfinder General)
Ridley Scott b. 1937 (director, The Martian, Prometheus, Legend, Blade Runner, Alien)
Rex Reason b. 1928 (This Island Earth, The Creature Walks Among Us)
Robert Guillaume b. 1927 (Alchemy, The Meteor Man)
Richard Crenna b. 1926 died 17 January 2003 (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [TV 1997], Leviathan, Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell, The Evil)
Jay Overholts b. 1922 died 25 April 1966 (eight episodes of the original Twilight Zone)
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. b. 1918 died 2 May 2014 (The Visitor, Babylon 5)
Michael Gwynn b. 1916 died 29 January 1976 (Scars of Dracula, Jason and the Argonauts, Village of the Damned, The Revenge of Frankenstein)
Mark Twain b. 1835 died 21 April 1910 (author, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, The Mysterious Stranger)
Jonathan Swift b. 1667 died 19 October 1745 (author, Gulliver’s Travels)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year it was Kaley Cuoco, this year it's Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon from Game of Thrones. Next year, Mandy Patinkin from The Princess Bride is on the inside track, but if I'm in a mood for a creepy Oh That Guy, Billy Drago might also make the grade. As for fabulous babes other than ms. Cuoco, June Chadwick's role on V might be considered iconic.

2. Forget spotting the Canadians today. There are three and none of them have work on the usual Canuck genre TV shows. They are the director William Dear, comic actor Colin Mochrie (born in Scotland, raised in Canada, and actress Jessalyn Gilsig.

3. What kind of cruel parents name a kid Nimrod? Nimrod Antal is Hungarian. I would guess the name sounds less silly in that language.

4. Jay Overholts, not an Oh That Guy. Overholtz was on eight Twilight Zones, always as a supporting player. That accounts for more than half his screen appearances anywhere. He acted from 1959 to 1962 and died in 1966. He's a trivia answer, not a recognizable face.

5. Hey... no Star Trek! It's rare but it happens.

6. Wow, Mark Twain and Jonathan Swift. Any other really famous people born this day? I think Winston Churchill qualifies and his name was listed on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database for an alternate history, but I didn't include him here.

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

Predictor: Trio: Rebels in the New World, Book 4: The Hidden Evil, written by R. A. Montgomery, Published 1990.

Prediction: The United States signed a disarmament treaty in 1995, but hid six bombs. In 2015, after a nuclear holocaust, the young heroes struggle for possession of the weapons which have been secreted away, aided by aliens from a flying saucer.

Reality: We have a lot more than six bombs, and way too many of them can be classified under Crumbling Infrastructure. As for a 2015 nuclear holocaust, I would bet against it, especially since if I bet it was going to happen, there's a good chance I wouldn't survive to collect.

Once again, thanks to professor Paul Brians for his nuclear fiction database.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Since the Atlantic hurricane season ends on November 30, we will look in on the prediction made this year to see how accurate it was.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

16 November 2014

Birthdays
Noah Gray-Cabey b. 1995 (Heroes, Lady in the Water)
Kimberly J. Brown b. 1984 (Halloweentown)
Michael Faustino b. 1979 (A Gnome named Gnorm, Alien Nation [TV], The Monster Squad)
Maggie Gyllenhall b. 1977 (Nanny McPhee Returns, The Dark Knight, Donnie Darko)
Gigi Edgley b. 1977 (Quantum Apocalypse, Farscape, BeastMaster, The Lost World [TV])
Missi Pyle b. 1972 (Captain Fantastic, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Warehouse 13, Heroes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Tick, Roswell, Galaxy Quest)
Martha Plimpton b. 1970 (Fringe, Surface)
James Parks b. 1968 (True Blood, Jericho, Threshold, House of the Dead 2, Star Trek: Enterprise, Stargate SG-1, Crocodile 2: Death Swamp, The X-Files, Buffy, House of Frankenstein [1997 TV movie], Apollo 11, Alien Nation: The Enemy Within, Star Trek: Voyager, Babylon 5, Space: Above and Beyond)
Tammy Lauren b. 1968 (Wishmaster, Deadly Nightmares, The Stepford Children, Mork & Mindy)
Lisa Bonet b. 1967 (Angel Heart, Tales from the Darkside)
Dean McDermott b. 1966 (Earth: Final Conflict, WW 3, My Secret Identity, Friday’s Curse, Graveyard Shift II)
Mark Benton b. 1965 (The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, Doctor Who, Dr. Terrible’s House of Horrible)
Harry Lennix b. 1964 (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel, Dollhouse, The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded)
Marg Helgenberger b. 1958 (Species I & II, The Tommyknockers, The Hidden Room, Tales from the Crypt)
Dan Shor b. 1956 (The X Files, Star Trek: Voyager, Doppleganger, Solar Crisis, Beauty and the Beast, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, TRON)
Griff Rhys Jones b. 1953 (Aladdin [TV movie], Jack and Beanstalk [1998 TV], The Adventures of Pinocchio, Morons from Outer Space)
Miguel Sandoval b. 1951 (Oculus, Real Steel, The X Files, House of Frankenstein [1997 TV movie], Lois & Clark, Jurassic Park, Beauty and the Beast [1990 TV], Howard the Duck, Timerider: The Adventure of Lyle Swann, Voyagers!)
David Leisure b. 1950 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Perversions of Science, Lois & Clark, Goddess of Love, ALF)
Barbara Leigh b. 1946 (Mistress of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk, Terminal Island)
Steve Railsback b. 1945 (Plaguers, King of the Lost World, Supernatural, Charmed, The X Files, Alligator II: The Mutation, Twilight Zone [1986], Lifeforce, Deadly Nightmares, Escape 2000)
Guy Stockwell b. 1934 died 6 February 2002 (Quantum Leap, Werewolf [TV], Knight Rider, Ark II, It’s Alive, Land of the Giants)
Clu Gulager b. 1928 (Piranha 3DD, Teen Vamp, The Hidden, The Offspring, A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, Return of the Living Dead, Space, Automan, Mystery in Dracula’s Castle)
Barbara Payton b. 1927 died 8 May 1967 (Bride of the Gorilla)
Jose Saramago b. 1922 died 18 June 2010 (author, Blindness)
Royal Dano b. 1922 died 15 May 1994 (The Dark Half, Spaced Invaders, Ghoulies II, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, House II: The Second Story, Amazing Stories, The Right Stuff, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Planet of the Apes [1974 TV], Moon of the Wolf, Lost in Space, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao)
Ellen Albertini Dow b. 1913 (The Invited, Good vs Evil, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Carnival of Souls, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Quantum Leap, Space Case, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Freddy’s Nightmares, Beauty and the Beast [1987 TV], Munchies, Twilight Zone [1986])
Burgess Meredith b. 1907 died 9 September 1997 (Faerie Tale Theatre, Clash of the Titans, The Manitou, The Amazing Captain Nemo, The Sentinel [1977], Beware! The Blob, Batman, The Invaders, The Twilight Zone)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Last year it was Burgess Meredith from one of his Twilight Zone appearances, this year it Gigi Edgley from Farscape. Next year, I'm not sure, but Missy Pyle from Galaxy Quest is certainly in the mix.

2. Actor note, the 1st: Ellen Albertini Dow. Yes, she was born in 1913 and yes, she is still with us, bless her. 102 credits on imdb.com and she didn't start working in front of the camera until the 1980s.

3. Actor note, the 2nd: Steve Railsback. On film, he's played Ed Gein and Charles Manson. One of his biggest budget films is The Stunt Man, where he plays a fugitive who does stunts for director Peter O'Toole. Casting directors sure think he looks criminal, but he's a senior citizen now and his rap sheet is... zero. Good on ya, Mr. Railsback.

4. Actor's notes, the 3rd: The Oh That Guys. Royal Dano, a great tall odd looking Oh That Guy. Clu Gulager, an Oh That Cowboy. Miguel Sandoval, an Oh That Hispanic Gentleman. David Leisure, an Oh That Joe Isuzu. James Parks, a craggy faced Oh That Guy who has been in a lot of stuff I've seen, but hasn't quite made an impression on me.

5. The unspottable Canadian. Dean McDermott was born in Canada, but he works out of Los Angeles. He is best known for his real life role as Tori Spelling's creepy husband.

6. Actor note, the last: Harry Lennix, mensch. I've like the work Harry Lennix has done on screen, but my favorite story was when Stephen Colbert did the comedy routine at the White House Correspondent's Dinner. Colbert scorched the media, but afterwards everyone was being civil to him. It was his friend Lennix who heard what people were actually saying behind Colbert's back, pulled him aside and said. "These people are all phonies. C'mon, let's get out of here." Good on ya, Harry.

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


Movies released
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone released 2001
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 released 2012
 

Predictor:Larry S. Todd, The Warbots, published in Galaxy magazine, October 1968.

Prediction: Describes a series of increasingly formidable robot-like fighting machines, the earliest of which detonates an atomic bomb when attacked. It is used in China in the year 2000.

Reality: Again, it's nuclear fiction, so my thanks go to Paul Brians and his great database.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The 36th anniversary of an unforgettable TV special. Many have tried to forget, but none have yet succeeded.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

2 November 2014

 Birthdays
Brandon Soo Hoo b. 1995 (From Dusk Till Dawn [2014 TV] , Ender’s Game, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra)
Katelyn Tarver b. 1989 (No Ordinary Family)
Lindze Letherman b. 1988 (Clockstoppers, Bicentennial Man, Seven Days)
Brian Sutherland b. 1984 (Glitch, The Collectibles, Grimm)
Christopher Fennell b. 1983 (The X Files, American Gothic)
Katharine Isabelle b. 1981 (Being Human, Eve of Destruction, Vampire, Ogre, Supernatural, Stargate SG-1, Earthsea, Smallville, Freddy vs. Jason, Carrie [2002 TV], Meteors, The Immortal, Ginger Snaps 1 and 2, First Wave, The X Files, The Ray Bradbury Theatre)
Jon M. Chu b. 1979 (director, G.I. Joe: Retaliation)
Whit Hertford b. 1978 (Dreamworld, Jurassic Park, The Addams Family [1991], The Munsters Today [1990], A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Twilight Zone [1986], Poltergeist II)
Jason Cerbone b. 1977 (Cloverfield)
Danny Cooksey b. 1975 (Invader ZIM, Mom and Dad Save the World, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Mac and Me, Werewolf, Twilight Zone [1985])
Marisol Nichols b. 1973 (The Gates, Charmed)
Gabe Khouth b. 1972 (Once Upon a Time, Fringe, Supernatural, Andromeda, It)
Jaume Balaguero b. 1968 (writer, [Rec], Quarantine, Fragile)
David Schwimmer b. 1966 (John Carter, Wolf)
Lauren Velez b. 1965 (Strange World)
Donna Spangler b. 1962 (Space Girls in Beverly Hills, Dinosaur Valley Girls, Earth Girls Are Easy)
Janet Gunn b. 1961 (Carnosaur 3: Primal Species, Space: Above and Beyond, Super Force)
Peter Mulan b. 1959 (Hercules, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Children of Men)
Michael Bailey Smith b. 1957 (Blood Shot, The Hills Have Eyes I and II [2006 and 2007], Monster Man, Men in Black II, Charmed, Roswell, Buffy, Seven Days, The X-Files, My Favorite Martian [1999], Conan, Star Trek: Voyager, Space Marines, Babylon 5, The Fantastic Four [1994], A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child)
Dale Brown b. 1956 (writer, Sky Masters, Day of the Cheetah, Shadow Command)
Peter Atkins b. 1955 (writer, Hellraiser)
David Andrews b. 1952 (World War Z, Revolution, Stargate SG-1, Surface, Star Trek: Enterprise, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, From the Earth to the Moon, Apollo 13, Mann & Machine, Graveyard Shift, Cherry 2000, A Nightmare on Elm Street)
Lois McMaster Bujold b. 1949 (won 1989 Nebula for Falling Free, won 1991 Hugo for The Vor Game, won 1992 Hugo for Barrayar, won 1995 Hugo for Mirror Dance, won 2004 Hugo and Nebula for Paladin of Souls)
Jerry Wasserman b. 1945 (Doomsday Prophecy, Watchmen, Alien Trespass, Supernatural, Battlestar Galactica, The Butterfly Effect 2, Final Days of Planet Earth, Smallville, I, Robot, Stargate SG-1, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Taken, Mysterious Ways, Dark Angel, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Deadlocked: Escape from Zone 14, Cyberjack, The X-Files, M.A.N.T.I.S., Red Scorpion 2, The Fly II, Deadly Nightmares)
Jack Starret b. 1936 died 27 March 1989 (Nightwish, Knight Rider)
Terry Richards b. 1932 died 14 June 2014 (Space Precinct, Red Sonja, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Flash Gordon, Blakes 7)
Rachel (Judith) Ames b. 1929 (When Worlds Collide)
Steve Ditko b. 1927 (writer/artist, The Sinister Six, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, Justice League, Iron Man [1966 TV])
Warren Stevens b. 1919 died 27 March 2012 (Twilight Zone [1986 and 1962], Wonder Woman, The Amazing Captain Nemo, Star Trek, Land of the Giants, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Cyborg 2087, The Time Tunnel, The Outer Limits, Forbidden Planet)
Burt Lancaster b. 1913 died 20 October 1994 (Island of Dr. Moreau [1977], Twilight’s Last Gleaming)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. I'm a geezer, as regular readers are already aware, and I don't pay the same rapt attention to pop culture now as I did when I was younger. This birthday list is a perfect example of my geezerdom, because nobody on it less than fifty years old has a chance for the Picture Slot this year or probably even next year. Among the younger set, David Schwimmer is a TV star, but his genre roles are not iconic. Going much younger, Katharine Isabelle was the star of the werewolf movie Ginger Snaps, but the movie means nothing to me. So last year, before I had done as much research, I went with Warren Stevens from his role on Star Trek and this year, an illustration of Doctor Strange by Steve Ditko. I'm glad Mr. Ditko is still alive to see his creations become some of the most popular films of all time and I will admit that even if the reviews stink, I'll probably see Doctor Strange starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the theater. No idea who gets the slot next year, but damn Lois McMaster Bujold has a lot of awards.

2. Spot the Canadians! There are two actual Canucks, though several actors have roles in the well known Canadian productions. See if you can find those who will Stand on Guard for The True North Brave and Free and separate them from the sneaky Yankee carpetbaggers.

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


Movies Released
Wreck-It Ralph released, 2012
Monsters, Inc. released, 2001

Predictor: William Nolan and George Clayton Johnson in Logan's Run published by Dial, New York in 1967

Prediction: Although the cover of the book mentions the twenty-third century as the novel's setting, the only date given in the text is 2072, which seems more probable. A youth rebellion in the year 2000 led to the dropping of a tactical bomb on the Smithsonian Institution (the area has been rendered tropical by the lingering radiation stored in tidal salts under Washington, D.C.). Aside from this one inexplicable act, no nuclear weapons were used. Young people prevailed in their war with older people, but, then faced with an overpopulation problem, they instituted a bizarre regime in which everyone is killed at age twenty-one. Those who try to escape this fate are called "runners"; the plot concerns a police agent who becomes a runner himself. Society is ruled over by a supercomputer called "The Thinker." The hero defeats The Thinker and flees with his lover to a space station near Mars which provides sanctuary. A typical crackpot dystopia crossed with a Wizard of Oz-like quest story, loaded with inconsistencies. The novel is more violent, more sexual, and more varied in setting than the 1976 film based on it. The paperback edition contains colored stills from the movie.

Reality: Regular readers will know that when I have a prediction this detailed, I have likely nicked it from Paul Brians' great nuclear war literature website. I agree with Brians that a youth rebellion dropping a nuke on the Smithsonian is inexplicable. As for a society with no one older than 21, I don't know who would have the technical know-how to fix The Thinker when it broke down, and I'm sure everyone agrees the damn thing will break down.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The regular schedule is broken with a prediction from 1935 about 1936. Not our future, but it was futuristic when it was written.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

30 September 2013

 Birthdays
Lacey Chabert b. 1982 (Lost in Space)
Marion Cotillard b. 1975 (The Dark Knight Rises, Inception)
Monica Bellucci b. 1964 (Matrix Reloaded, Matrix Revolutions)
Eric Stoltz b. 1961 (Caprica)
Nicola Griffith b. 1960 (won 1997 Nebula for Slow River)
Dan O’Bannon b. 1946 died 17 December 2009 (writer, Alien, Aliens, Total Recall, Dark Star)

Interesting birthday list today. I follow the obits fairly regularly but I had forgotten that O'Bannon was dead.  I'm not a big fan of horror, but I went to Alien because it was billed as sci-fi. Scared the hell out of me.

As for the Pretty Girl = Picture Slot formula, it's hard to go wrong with Monica Bellucci, and once you see the second picture today, you'll thank me for giving you something nice to look at here.

Many happy returns to the living on today's list.

Prediction:30 September 1990: Trashcan Man interrupts a public execution in front of the MGM Grand with a nuclear device he found. The weapon magically explodes, wiping out the demon Randall Flagg and his followers.

Predictor: Stephen King in The Stand, complete and uncut, published 1990

Reality: There are a lot of exact dates in The Stand, but I only use the ones that are major plot points. I realize this could be considered a spoiler, but the book is 23 years old and the mini-series is 19 years back, so it's not like I'm spilling the beans on what happened in the last episode of Breaking Bad last night.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Isaac Asimov has more to say about the year 2014 from his vantage point in 1964. Once again, it's about architecture and once again, pretty far off the mark.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!