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!

29 June 2015

 Birthdays
Lorenzo James Henrie b. 193 (Fear the Walking Dead, Star Trek)
Addison Timlin b. 1991 (Fallen [2015], Zero Hour)
Christopher Egan b. 1984 (Dominion, Gothica [TV], Beauty and the Beast: A Dark Tale [TV], Resident Evil: Extinction, Eragon)
Lily Rabe b. 1982 (American Horror Story)
Sharon Lemelin b. 1979 (Being Human, Zombie Hamlet, Anonymous Rex)
Zuleikha Robinson b. 1977 (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Lost, The X-Files, The Lone Gunmen)
Will Kemp b. 1977 (The Prisoner [2009], Pinocchio [2006 TV], Van Helsing)
Travis Richey b. 1977 (Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City, Robot, Ninja & Gay Guy, Dinocroc vs. Supergator, Cry of the Winged Serpent)
Christy Taylor b. 1974 (Weird Science [TV], Mars: Base One)
Sharon Conley b. 1971 (Constantine, The Hunger Games, Teen Wolf [2011 TV], Green Lantern)
Ilan Mitchell-Smith b. 1969 (Superboy, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Weird Science)
Aleks Paunovic b. 1969 (iZombie, Dead Rising: Watchtower, The 100, Zapped [2014], Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Once Upon a Time, Chupacabra vs. the Alamo, Eve of Destruction, Mortal Combat: Legacy, Smallville, Supernatural, Caprica, Stargate: Atlantis, Bionic Woman, Flash Gordon, Battlestar Galactica, Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep, Eureka, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Mutant X, Andromeda, Stargate SG-1, Jeremiah, Nostradamus, Roswell: The Aliens Attack)
Judith Hoag b. 1968 (Grimm, I am Number Four, Halloweentown, Carnivale, The X-Files, Strange World, Armageddon, The Burning Zone, Quantum Leap, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [1990])
Melora Hardin b. 1967 (Zombie Hamlet, Timecop, Things That Go Bump, Lois & Clark, Quantum Leap, Mann & Machine, The Rocketeer)
Kathleen Wilhoite b. 1964 (The 4400, Quantum Leap, Witchboard)
Amanda Donohoe b. 1962 (Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, The Atlantis Conspiracy, Stardust, A Knight in Camelot, The Hidden Room, The Lair of the White Worm)
Sharon Lawrence b. 1961 (The After, Nuclear Family, Atomic Twister, Aftershock: Earthquake in New York, Star Trek: Voyager)
Maria Conchita Alonzo b. 1957 (Dark Moon Rising, The Dead One, Predator 2, Vampire’s Kiss, The Running Man, Knight Rider)
Michael Whelan b. 1950 (Illustrator)
Fred Grandy b. 1948 (Monster Squad, Death Race 2000)
Brian Herbert b. 1947 (author, Dune universe)
Michael Carter b. 1947 (The Illusionist, The Cloning of Joanna May, Return of the Jedi, An American Werewolf in London, Doctor Who)
Gary Busey b. 1944 (Mansion of Blood, Piranha 3DD, The Gingerdead Man, The Huntress, Jacob Two Two meets The Hooded Fang, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms, Predator 2, Silver Bullet)
Soon-Tek Oh b. 1943 (Seven Days, Stargate SG-1, Babylon 5, Time Trax, Highlander [TV], The Final Countdown, Logan’s Run [TV], Earth II, The Invaders)
Corey Allen b. 1934 died 27 June 2010 (director, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Otherworld, The Powers of Matthew Star)
Ian Bannen b. 1928 died 3 November 1999 (The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [1980 TV], The Watcher in the Woods)
Dick Martin b. 1927 died 14 February 1990 (illustrator, Oz books)
Ray Harryhausen b. 1920 died 5 May 2013 (visual effects, Clash of the Titans, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, The Valley of Gwangi, One Million Years B.C., First Men in the Moon, Jason and the Argonauts, Mysterious Island, The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, 20 Million Miles to Earth, It Came from Beneath the Sea, Mighty Joe Young)
Bernard Herrmann b. 1911 died 24 December 1975 (composer/conductor, It’s Alive, Fahrenheit 451, Lost in Space, Twilight Zone, Jason and the Argonauts, Mysterious Island, The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, The Day the Earth Stood Still)
Slim Pickens b. 1919 died 8 December 1983 (The Howling, The Swarm)
Antoine de Saint-Exupery b. 1900 died 31 July 1944 (author, The Little Prince)

Note on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Let me be as delicate as possible here. We have some actors here the public certainly knows, Gary Busey and Slim Pickens to name just two, but I don't think there's anyone here in front of the camera who is iconic in genre. The previous Picture Slotters were special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen and the Oz illustrator Dick Martin, and this year I go with Michael Whelan, the prolific cover artist for sci-fi and fantasy books.


2. Spot the Canadian! Today there is only one, so I leave it as an exercise for the reader.

3. The Guy at the Door. Oh That Asian Guy Soon Tek Oh turns 72 years old today, which is very young to be the oldest living person on the list. As always when we get this demographic oddity, we send out special wishes for many happy returns to Mr. Oh.

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

Movies released

Ted released 2012
Transformers: Dark of the Moon released 2011
War of the Worlds released 2005

Predictor: The OMNI Future Almanac, published 1982

Prediction: Within a few years, the city with the most degraded environment will likely be Cubatao, Brazil, located on the coastal lowlands.

Reality: Checking several lists online, Cubatao doesn't get a mention, while New Dehli, Beijing and Ahvaz, Iran are on multiple lists.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We get more Commie tommyrot from John Langdon-Davies.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE! 

17 June 2014

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

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

It's not Lupus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

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

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

25 April 2014

 Birthdays
Heather Sossaman b. 1987 (10.0 The Big One, Buffy)
Daniel Sharman b. 1986 (Teen Wolf, Immortals)
Marguerite Moreau b. 1977 (Smallville, Firestarter 2: Rekindled, Queen of the Damned, Mighty Joe Young, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
Emily Bergl b. 1975 (Warehouse 13, Star Trek: Enterprise, Taken, The Rage: Carrie 2)
Gina Torres b. 1969 (The Vampire Diaries, FlashForward, Serenity, Firefly, The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded, Angel, Cleopatra 2525, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena, M.A.N.T.I.S.)
Hank Azaria b. 1964 (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Mystery Men, Godzilla [1998])
Daniel Kash b. 1959 (Orphan Black, RoboCop [2014], Alphas, Lost Girl, Repo Men, The Dresden Files, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, Diary of the Dead, Mutant X, Veritas: The Quest, Total Recall 2070, Virus, RoboCop [TV], Forever Knight, Nightbreed, War of the Worlds [TV], Aliens)
Ron Clements b. 1953 (director, The Princess and the Frog, Treasure Planet, Hercules, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid)
Peter Jurasik b. 1950 (Quantum Apocalypse, Sliders, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Babylon 5, TRON[1982])
Jeffrey DeMunn b. 1947 (The Walking Dead, The X-Files, Phenomenon, The Blob [1988], Twilight Zone [1984])
Al Pacino b. 1940 (S1m0ne, The Devil’s Advocate)
Kay E. Kuter b. 1925 died 12 November 2003 (Charmed, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The X-Files, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Beauty and the Beast, V, The Twilight Zone [1986], The Last Starfighter, Far Out Space Nuts, I Dream of Jeannie, The Outer Limits, The Mole People)

Last year I put up a picture of Gina Torres and I was sorely tempted to do so again, but there were some tough choices. Jeffrey DeMunn has gone from Oh That Guy to somewhat iconic with his role on The Walking Dead and the late Kay E. Kuter was a great Oh That Guy. But instead, showing love for the forgotten and somewhat derided classic from the 1990s Babylon 5, I have a picture of Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to Kay E. Kuter, thanks for all the memories.

Predictor: Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich in the 1968 book The Population Bomb

Prediction: Scenario #2:
1979: Mexico, last non-Communist Latin American government, is replaced by a Chinese-supported junta.
Stalemate with Chinese in Southeast Asia.
Bubonic plague in Egypt averts U.S.-Soviet confrontation in the Mediterranean.
Food shortages in U.S.
L.A. killer smog wipes out 90K in two years.
Sino-Soviet nuclear war destroys life in Northern Hemisphere.

Reality: I will stipulate (and my commenters agree) that Lee de Forest, "the father of radio", stunk the place out yesterday with his atomic rockets prediction. But here's his lucky position at the table.

For at least another couple weeks, his predictions, no matter how bad (and not all of them are) are followed by Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich, who STUNK ON ICE over and over and over again.

De Forest is dead and Ehrlich is alive and still accepting honorary awards. If he ever stumbles upon this blog, I have one piece of advice.

Apologize for your public sins before you die. Better to be Robert MacNamara than Donald Rumsfeld.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Regular readers will know it's time for a trip back to 1893. Sadly, this one will be without bold facial hair or even a bold prediction.

(I think this breaks several rules of coming attractions. My bad.)

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

3 March 2013

Birthdays
Jessica Biel b. 1982 (Total Recall, Blade: Trinity, Next)
Julie Bowen b. 1970 (Lost, The Last Man on Planet Earth, Multiplicity)
Miranda Richardson b. 1958 (Maleficent, Harry Potter, Southland Tales, Sleepy Hollow [movie], Merlin)
Laura Ziskin b. 1950 died 12 June 2011 (producer, Spider-Man 1, 2, and 3)
Estaban Maroto b. 1942 (illustrator)
Robert Shaye b. 1939 (producer, The Mortal Instruments, The Golden Compass, The Last Mimzy, The Lord of the Rings, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Xtro, Critters)
James Doohan b. 1920 died 20 July 2005 (Star Trek)
Harold J. Stone b. 1913 died 18 November 2005 (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, Twilight Zone, The Invisible Boy)

There are attractive women on the birthday list if I wanted to go with Pretty Girl = Picture Slot and Harold J. Stone is a great Oh That Guy actor. But if "iconic" is trump, and it usually is, Jimmy Doohan will be in the Picture Slot on March 3rd for as long as I write this blog. Besides playing Scotty on Star Trek, it should also be noted that Doohan was a D-Day vet.

Many happy returns to the living on the list, and to the dead, thanks for the memories, and to James Doohan, thank you for your service.
  
 

Predictor: OMNI Future Almanac, published 1982

Prediction: Mexico City may hold two distinctions by 2000. It will be the world's largest city with 32 million people and also the world's most polluted city.

Reality: This prediction is pretty strong. Mexico City was the most populous city in the world in 2000 according to this website maintained by Iowa State, though they listed the population at 26 million. It's hard to find reliable data on most polluted cities at any given time, but in 1992 Mexico City was considered the most polluted city on earth by the W.H.O. Recent news reports say the situation has improved dramatically in the past two decades and it is no longer even listed in the world's top ten most polluted cities. Unlike most populous lists, most polluted lists are very subjective and it's easy to find lists published a few months apart with almost no agreement. For example, this list from 2013 published in Time and compiled by the W.H.O. doesn't mention Dehli or Beijing, which this report from 2014 lists as the top two.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another Ray Kurzweil prediction for 2009, and this week I am not in a lenient grading mood.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!