15 May 2014

 Birthdays
Alexandra Breckinridge b. 1982 (True Blood, American Horror Story, Buffy, Charmed, Vampire Clan, Wishcraft)
Caroline Dhavernas b. 1978 (Wonderfalls, The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne)
David Krumholtz b. 1978 (This is the End, Serenity, Addams Family Values)
Grant Heslov b. 1963 (The Scorpion King, Bug, The X-Files, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Congo, M.A.N.T.I.S., Harry and the Hendersons, The Twilight Zone [1987])
Jamie Harris b. 1963 (American Horror Story, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, The Green Hornet, Night of the Demons, The Prestige, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Highlander [TV])
Larry Holden b. 1961 died 13 February 2011 (Batman Begins, Charmed, Timecop , NightMan)
Rob Bowman b. 1960 (director, Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Night Stalker, Elektra, The Lone Gunmen, The X-Files, VR.5, M.A.N.T.I.S., Dark Shadows [1991], Star Trek: The Next Generation, Alien Nation [TV], Werewolf)
Nicholas Hammond b. 1950 (Stealth, Farscape, The Lost World [TV], 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [1997], The Martian Chronicles, The Amazing Spider-Man, Logan’s Run [TV], The Fantastic Journey)
Ralph Steadman b. 1936 (illustrator)
Joseph Wiseman b. 1918 died 19 October 2009 (The Greatest American Hero, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Twilight Zone)
James Mason b. 1909 27 July 1984 (The Boys from Brazil, Frankenstein: The True Story, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [1954])
Joseph Cotten b. 1905 died 6 February 1994 (Twilight’s Last Gleaming, Soylent Green, Baron Blood, Lady Frankenstein, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, City Beneath the Sea, From the Earth to the Moon)
L. Frank Baum b. 1856 died 6 May 1919 (The Oz universe)

It may be that I'm just old, but I would say on today's list the most famous names are the four dead guys at the end. The Oz universe is having a revival now that the original books have entered public domain. The one surprise in research today was discovering how many low budget movies Joseph Cotten made in the 1960s, including The Abominable Dr. Phibes starring Vincent Price.

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


Movies released The Matrix Reloaded released 2003

Predictor: Steven Leigh in Flamestones, published 1985

Prediction: Set after the May 15 Mistake, when New York, Moscow, and Tel Aviv had all died in radioactive fire. Civilization continues, but with food shortages, mounting civil disorders, and worsening international tensions. An old man hunting mysterious flamestones in this hills witnesses a nuclear explosion which signals the final cataclysm. Strange new people arrive to dominate the postholocaust world. There is a poetic allusion to the nuclear winter theory: the winter would have come early on wings of ash.

Reality: The description is again lifted from Paul Brians' comprehensive database of nuclear war fiction. It was a very good day when I found this source and I am grateful to Professor Brians for letting me use it.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We are back to the schedule just in time for another prediction for Dr. Paul Ehrlich, one of the least accurate predictors of anyone who has had a regular weekly slot.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!