31 March 2015

Birthdays
Jessica Szohr b. 1985 (Piranha 3D)
Melissa Ordway b. 1983 (Ted, In Time)
Judith Shekoni b. 1982 (Heroes Reborn, Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2006])
Kate Micucci b. 1980 (The Big Bang Theory)
Daniel Mays b. 1978 (Doctor Who, Nanny McPhee Returns)
Josh Saviano b. 1976 (The Ray Bradbury Theatre)
Carol-Anne Plante b. 1974 (Amanda & the Alien, Harry and the Hendersons [TV])
Adrian Holmes b. 1974 (Continuum, Arrow, Elysium, Primeval: New World, Battlestar Galactica, The Cabin in the Woods, V, Smallville, The Andromeda Strain, Supernatural, Kyle XY, Flash Gordon [TV], Stargate SG-1, The Collector, The 4400, Jeremiah, Highlander [TV])
Andrew Bowen b. 1972 (Jedi Camp, The Pit and the Pendulum, Dollhouse, Charmed, Supernatural Pirate Movie)
Ewan McGregor b. 1971 (Jack the Giant Slayer, Nanny McPhee Returns, The Island, Star Wars)
Craig McCracken b. 1971 (writer, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory)
Damon Herriman b. 1970 (Almost Human, House of Wax)
Michaela Bercu b. 1967 (Dracula [1992])
Jacqueline Kim b. 1965 (Futurestates, Threshold, Xena, Star Trek: Generations)
Johnny Timko b. 1965 (Prophecy, Battlestar Galactica, The Bionic Woman, Logan’s Run, The Lost Saucer)
Deborah Kara Unger b. 1964 (Silent Hill, Highlander: The Final Dimension)
Anne Marie Howard b. 1960 (Solar Flare, Power Rangers Wild Force, Prince of Darkness)
Tony Cox b. 1958 (Oz the Great and Powerful, Almost Human, Blankman, Leprechaun 2, Ghoulies IV, Willow, Beetlejuice, Spaceballs, Invaders from Mars, Ewoks; The Battle for Endor, Return of the Jedi, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype)
Marc McClure b. 1957 (Smallville, Apollo 13, Back to the Future, Superman)
Ian McDonald b. 1946 (author, Desolation Road, The Chaga Saga, India 2047)
Christopher Walken b. 1943 (Peter Pan Live, Gods Behaving Badly, Click, The Stepford Wives [2004], Sleepy Hollow [1999], The Prophecy, Batman Returns, Communion, The Dead Zone, Brainstorm, The Sentinel [1977])
Volker Schlondorff b. 1939 (director, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Tin Drum)
Evgeniy Lazarev b. 1937 (Iron Man 2, Carnivale)
Richard Chamberlain b. 1934 (The Swarm)
Shirley Jones b. 1934 (Zombie Night, The Creature of Sunny Side Up Trailer Park, The Adventures of Cinderella’s Daughter, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Out of the Blue)
John Jakes b. 1932 (author, Brak the Barbarian)
William Daniels b. 1927 (Galactica 1980, Star Trek: Voyager, Knight Rider, The Incredible Hulk, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Captain Nice)
Richard Kiley b. 1922 died 5 March 1999 (Phenomenon, Deep Space Nine, Jurassic Park, Ray Bradbury Theatre, Aladdin [1990 TV], Twilight Zone [1986], The Canterville Ghost)
Patrick Magee b. 1922 died 14 August 1982 (A Clockwork Orange, Hawk the Slayer, The Last Days of Man on Earth, The Masque of the Red Death)
Peggy Rea b. 1921 died 5 February 2011 (Meego, The Immortal, The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao)
Ted Post b. 1918 died 20 August 2013 (director, Ark II, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Twilight Zone)
Lucille Bliss b. 1916 died 8 November 2012 (Invader Zim, The Secret of NIMH)
Robert Stevenson b. 1905 died 30 April 1986 (director, One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing, The Island at the Top of the World, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, Son of Flubber, The Absent-Minded Professor, Darby O’Gill and the Little People)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In 2013, the Picture Slot went to the then recently deceased Lucille Bliss, the great female voice over actress, only rivaled by June Foray. In 2014, the picture was of Ewan McGregor, an honest to Odin movie star and featured actor in those three movies we decidedly don't love. This year, I nearly went with a poster from one of our directors, possibly Mary Poppins in honor of Robert Stevenson or The Handmaid's Tale by Volker Schlondorff. Another option was Tony Cox, probably the best known African American little person actor, but his best known work is in comedies like Bad Santa and me, Myself and Irene instead of in genre. Marc McClure was Jimmy Olsen in the Christopher Revve version of Superman. But after all the hemming and hawing, I decided on the poster of The Prophecy starring birthday boy Christopher Walken. I definitely don't count every movie and TV show with an angel in it as genre, but those that show some respect to Luke 2:9 (and the angel of the Lord appeared and they were sore afraid) have a better chance that angels that are all sweetness and light. If you read the Bible, when angels show up, usually seriously unpleasant stuff is going to happen to somebody.

2. Spot the Canadians! Adrian Holmes is easy to spot, Deborah Kara Unger, not so much.

3. The Guy at the Door. When we have a Guy or a Gal at the Door, I often feel as though I'm being morbid pointing it out. Today, all it means is that we have some folks in their eighties celebrating birthdays, but no one in their nineties. Statistically speaking, that's not particularly unusual. Of course, the blog offers special best wishes to William Daniels, the voice of K.I.T.T. and the star of Captain Nice.

4. Stuff I didn't know. Shirley Jones didn't do genre when she was younger. She was a singer and a movie star and only did occasional guest appearances on TV. But she was in a pilot in 1968 titled Out of the Blue, where she played an alien from an overpopulated world, trying to find out about earth customs from a friendly professor. A couple years later, she's making a good living on The Partridge Family, the role she is now best known for.

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

Movie released 
Ice Age: The Meltdown released, 2006 

Predictor: John Langdon-Davies in his 1936 book, A Short History of the Future

Prediction: By 1965, energy will be so cheap that there will be no profit in it.

Reality: So far, I have used three predictions from Langdon-Davies that were published in The Experts Speak, so all of them are dead wrong. I've finally found a version of the book being sold online and it should arrive this week, which means I can keep using this guy as my Tuesday regular for a while and maybe even find some stuff he got right. Of course, there was a profit in energy in 1965 and still is today, but solar could take a big chunk out of it in year to come.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's a new month, which means a new splash illustration. Even I don't know what it will be yet.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

 

30 March 2015

Birthdays
Cassie Scerbo b. 1990 (Sharknado, Bering Sea Beast)
Marley McClean b. 1987 (Serenity, Star Trek: Voyager)
Tessa Ferrer b. 1986 (Extant)
Simon Baker b. 1986 (Journey to the Center of the Earth, I, Robot, DreamKeeper, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven)
Helena Mattson b. 1984 (Iron Man 2, The Legend of the Seeker, 666 Park Avenue, Surrogates)
Jason Dohring b. 1982 (The Messengers, The Tomorrow People, Supernatural, Roswell, Deep Impact, Moonlight)
Lindsay Parker b. 1980 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Shocker, Critters 2, Beauty and the Beast [1987 TV])
Jose Pablo Cantillo b. 1979 (Constantine, The Walking Dead, Elysium)
Rupert Evans b. 1977 (The Man in the High Castle, Hellboy, Lexx)
Matt Doran b. 1976 (Battle of the Damned, Star Wars II: The Attack of the Clones, Farscape, The Matrix)
Mili Avatal b. 1972 (666 Park Avenue, Haunted, Arabian Nights, Minotaur, Stargate)
Mark Consuelos b. 1971 (American Horror Story, My Super Ex-Girlfriend)
Roland Kickinger b. 1968 (Terminator Salvation, Team Knight Rider)
Juliet Landau b. 1965 (Monster Mutt, Angel, Buffy, Millennium, Theodore Rex)
Ian Ziering b. 1964 (Sharknado, Lava Storm, Tyrannosaurus Azteca)
Maurice LaMarche b. 1958 (Futurama, Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law, Adventure Time, Dilbert, Pinky and the Brain, The Tick)
Paul Reiser b. 1957 (Aliens)
Lisa Harrison b. 1956 (Superman Returns, Invasion [2006])
Robbie Coltrane b. 1950 (Harry Potter, Van Helsing, From Hell, Alice in Wonderland [1999 TV], Blackadder’s Christmas Carol, Krull, The Crystal Cube, Luna, Flash Gordon)
Gabrielle Drake b. 1944 (UFO, The Champions)
Kenneth Welsh b. 1942 (Haven, Survival of the Dead, Bionic Woman, Stargate: Atlantis, The Covenant, Smallville, Category 7: The End of the World, The Fog, The Day After Tomorrow, Witchblade, The X-Files, The Twilight Zone)
John Astin b. 1930 (Betaville, The Frighteners, Harrison Bergeron, Killer Tomatoes Strike Back, Eerie, Indiana, They Came From Outer Space, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Teen Wolf Too, The Charmings, Otherworld, Batman, The Addams Family, Twilight Zone)
Richard Dysart b. 1929 (Back to the Future III, The Thing, Gemini Man, The Terminal Man)
Ray McAnally b. 1926 died 15 June 1989 (High Spirits)
Turhan Bey b. 1922 died 30 September 2012 (Babylon 5, VR.5, SeaQuest 2032)
Herbert Anderson b. 1917 died 11 June 1994 (Bewitched, Batman, I Dream of Jeannie)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot featured Robbie Coltrane from Harry Potter and Juliet Landau from Buffy and Angel. With those two worthies removed, my choice for the next most iconic role betrays my geezerhood as we look at the picture of John Astin as Gomez Addams. If I had been feeling like a dirty old man instead of just an old man, I might have had Gabrielle Drake in one of her ridiculous outfits from UFO, a Gerry and Sylvia Anderson live TV show that was actually worse than Space: 1999.

2. Spot the Canadians! The actors taking advantage of the 21st Century boom in genre production tend to be in theirs 20s, 30s or maybe 40s, but today we have three with a wide age range. Kenneth Welsh is celebrating his 73rd and is the actor with the most Canadian looking resume. Maurice LaMarche is 57 and his resume is not a giveaway, since he is one of the biggest stars in voice over acting, most especially cartoons. Simon Baker turns 29, which is more in the usual age range, but his credits do not make his Canadian heritage obvious.

3. Nepotism FTW. Juliet Landau is the daughter of Martin Landau and Barbara Bain. Tessa Ferrer is the daughter of Gabriel Ferrer, who really is not much involved in show business, and Debby Boone, who had that awful hit song so many years ago. Ms. Ferrer's well-known grandparents are Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney and Jose Ferrer.

4. The Guy at the Door. The oldest living person on the list is Richard Dysart, who turns 86 today, and no one younger than him is dead. Most folks probably remember him from L.A. Law, but for me, his big genre role is in the John Carpenter version of The Thing. As always, special best wishes to the person who is in this particular demographic situation.

5. Obviously, cancer has been cured. My dear friend Mina, seeing that a lot of money was being spent on something monumentally stupid, used to say "Obviously, cancer has been cured." Sadly, Mina died of cancer back in 2006, so it falls on me to plagiarize her.

There are now three Sharknado movies. Obviously, cancer has been cured.

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


Movie released
Spy Kids released, 2001

Predictor: OMNI Future Almanac, published in 1982

Prediction: Small scale hydrofoil buses will be in use as ferry services in many locations in the near future, including Puget Sound, the San Francisco Bay Area and New York City. With top speeds of 50 knots in good weather and 40 knots in bad, they will trim commute times dramatically. 

Reality: Not a bad prediction, but the top speeds are seriously over-estimated. The hydrofoil ferry in San Francisco is somewhat bigger than 30 passengers and has a top speed of about 27 knots.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We get another prediction from the 1936 book A Short History of the Future, a source of bold and often wrong prognostications.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

29 March 2015

Birthdays
Chris Massoglia b. 1992 (Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, The Hole)
Hayley McFarland b. 1991 (The Conjuring, Pushing Daisies)
Luke Eberl b. 1986 (Eyeborgs, Planet of the Apes, Phantoms)
Caitlin Wehrle b. 1985 (The Initiation of Sarah [2006], Idiocracy)
Ed Skrein b. 1983 (Deadpool, Game of Thrones)
Chad Rook b. 1982 (The Flash, iZombie, Supernatural, Dreamcatcher)
Jeffrey Parazzo b. 1978 (Power Rangers)
Ed Vassallo b. 1972 died 25 February 2014 (Fringe, War of the Worlds)
Sam Hazeldine b. 1972 (Resurrection, The Wolfman [2010])
Ryan Lambert b. 1971 (The Monster Squad)
Frank Gilhooley b. 1971 (Outlander, Guardians of the Galaxy)
Krista Sutton b. 1970 (The Neighbors)
Lucy Lawless b. 1968 (Ash vs Evil Dead, Salem, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., No Ordinary Family, Angel of Death, Battlestar Galactica, Bedtime Stories, Vampire Bats, Locusts, Boogeyman, Spider-Man, The X-Files, Xena, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Hercules and the Amazon Women [1994], The Ray Bradbury Theater)
Elle Macpherson b. 1964 (Batman & Robin)
Amy Sedaris b. 1961 (Jennifer’s Body, Bewitched [2005], Elf)
Michael Winterbottom b. 1961 (director, Time Riders)
Annabella Sciorra b. 1960 (What Dreams May Come, Asteroid)
Victor Salva b. 1958 (director, Jeepers Creepers I, II & III)
Christopher Lambert b. 1957 (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Blood Shot, Metamorphosis, Southland Tales, Highlander, Beowulf, Mortal Kombat)
Marina Sirtis b. 1955 (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Castlevania: Hymn of Blood, The Grudge 3, InAlienable, Grendel, Terminal Error, Stargate SG-1, Earth: Final Conflict, The Outer Limits, Gargoyles, Waxwork II: Lost in Time)
Brendan Gleeson b. 1955 (Edge of Tomorrow, Harry Potter, Beowulf, The Village, 28 Days Later…, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Lake Placid)
Christopher Lawford b. 1955 (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, The 6th Day, Blankman)
Bud Cort b. 1948 (Dogma, The Mask [TV], Theodore Rex, The Twilight Zone, Deadly Nightmares, Invaders From Mars, Tales from the Darkside, Faerie Tale Theatre, Brave New World, Brewster McCloud, Gas! –Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It)
Eric Idle b. 1943 (Ella Enchanted, Casper, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Faerie Tale Theatre)
Scott Wilson b. 1942 (The Walking Dead, Radio Free Ablemuth, The Host [2006], The X-Files, Judge Dredd, Tall Tale, The Exorcist III, The Twilight Zone)
Terence Hill b. 1939 (Die Nibelungen 1 & 2)
Jackie Vernon b. 1924 died 10 November 1987 (Faerie Tale Theatre, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Monitors)
Phil Foster b. 1914 died 8 July 1985 (Conquest of Space)
Arthur O’Connell b. 1908 died 18 May 1981 (Ben, The Reluctant Astronaut, Fantastic Voyage, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao)
Philip Ahn b. 1905 died 28 February 1978 (Wonder Woman, The Time Tunnel)
Onslow Stevens b. 1902 died 5 January 1977 (Them!, Mark of the Gorilla, House of Dracula)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Simply put, my earlier choices were the iconic fabulous babes, Lucy Lawless and Marina Sirtis. Avoiding repetition, I figured it was either Eric Idle in Munchausen or the winner, Brendan Gleeson in Harry Potter.

2. Spot the Canadians! There are three, not easy to spot: Chad Rook, Jeffrey Parazzo and Krista Sutton.

3. Nepotism FTW.  Christopher Lawford is the son of Peter Lawford and part of the Kennedy clan.

4. The Guy at the Door. Terence Hill, born in Italy, is best known to American audiences for his work in spaghetti westerns. He was also in a German filmed version of the Ring of the Nibelung epic, but without Wagner's music. He's also the oldest living person on the list, so he gets special birthday wishes today.

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

 

Predictor: Robert A. Heinlein in 1956 book The Door Into Summer

Prediction: Quite a lot can happen in thirty years (from 1970 to 2000). I wasn’t surprised the Great Asia Republic was crowding us out of the South American trade; that had been in the cards since the Formosan treaty. Nor was I surprised to find India more Balkanized than ever. The notion of England being a province of Canada stopped me for a moment.

Reality: Nothing here we can call a hit. There is no Great Asia Republic, but many Asian companies are our rivals throughout Latin America. India hasn't changed that much politically, even from 1956 and as for England being a province of Canada, I think the Canadians are just too polite to ask.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The new week rolls around and we get another prediction from The OMNI Future Almanac.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
  

28 March 2015

Birthdays
Jenna Berman b. 1990 (iZombie, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn)
Jimmy Wong b. 1987 (Misscliks D&D Demigods, Video Game High School, John Dies at the End, The Guild)
Michael Wayans b. 1985 (Blankman)
Gareth David-Lloyd b. 1981 (Enoch the Traveler, Warehouse 13, Red Faction: Origins, Torchwood, Doctor Who)
Annie Wersching b. 1977 (The Vampire Diaries, Extant, Revolution, Touch, No Ordinary Family, Journeyman, Supernatural, Charmed, Angel, Birds of Prey, Star Trek: Enterprise)
Richard Kelly b. 1975 (writer/director, The Box, Southland Tales, Donnie Darko)
Shanna Moakler b. 1975 (Timecop, Lois & Clark)
Nick Frost b. 1972 (Syrenia, Doctor Who, The World’s End, Snow White and the Huntsman, Paul, Hyperdrive, Shaun of the Dead)
Vince Vaughn b. 1970 (The Watch, The Cell, The Lost World: Jurassic Park)
Brett Ratner b. 1969 (director, Hercules [2014], X-Men: The Last Stand)
Max Perlich b. 1968 (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Charmed, Dinocroc, Buffy, The Butcher’s Wife)
Darcy Laurie b. 1966 (Strange Empire, Arrow, Continuum, Supernatural, Fringe, V, Battlestar Galactica, Kyle XY, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Stargate SG-1, The Chronicles of Riddick, Jeremiah, Dark Angel, The Chronicle, Atomic Train, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The X-Files, Highlander: The Final Dimension, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven)
Orla Brady b. 1961 (Doctor Who, Fringe, Sinbad [2012], The Deep, The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns)
Chris Barrie b. 1960 (Red Dwarf, Lara Croft)
Stephen Ure b. 1958 (The Hobbit, Legend of the Seeker, Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Lord of the Rings, Xena, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
Reba McEntire b. 1955 (Tremors)
Jason Robards III b. 1949 (They Live)
Dianne Wiest b. 1948 (Category 6: Day of Destruction, The 10th Kingdom, Practical Magic, Edward Scissorhands, The Lost Boys, The Purple Rose of Cairo)
Conchata Ferrell b. 1943 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, K-PAX, Buffy, Edward Scissorhands, Faerie Tale Theatre)
Mike Newell b. 1942 (director, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Jeff Burton b. 1924 died 18 January 1988 (Bewitched, Batman, Planet of the Apes)
Frank Lovejoy b. 1912 died 2 October 1962 (House of Wax)
Charles Starrett b. 1903 died 22 March 1986 (The Mask of Fu Manchu)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. The previous Picture Slotter was Chris Barrie from Red Dwarf. This year, the competition was between Reba McEntire is her first role in Tremors and the winner Nick Frost, pictured here with Simon Pegg from Shaun of the Dead, which still gets my vote for funniest zombie movie.

2. Spot the Canadians. Darcy Laurie has a typical Canadian resume, and sure enough he is. Jenna Berman is also Canadian, but it's not quite as obvious.

3. The Guy at the Door. As will happen from time to time, the deceased are all at the bottom of the list and the oldest person alive gets the title of The Guy at the Door. Today it's director Mike Newell, who is only in his early seventies. Here's hoping Mr. Newell lives long and prospers.

4. Nepotism FTW. Not sure if it's exactly a "win", but Jason Robards III had a brief career in movies.

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

Movie released 
G.I. Joe: Retaliation released, 2013
  

Predictor: Walter Wellman (1858-1934), journalist and explorer, predicting the world of the 20th Century in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in 1893

Prediction: The speeds of trains will climb to 80 to 100 miles per hour, and within 10 years, some electrical railways will achieve 150 miles per hour in ease and comfort. Railways in the western hemisphere will stretch from Alaska to Patagonia.

Man will be able to extract magnetism from the earth and convert it into electricity.

Heavier than air navigation will be solved in the next century.

The greatest advance will be elevated electric trains over the main thoroughfares of the great cities, at once beautiful and practical, keeping the rain and snow off the pedestrians below and keeping the street from being covered in mud.

Reality: Wellman scores a lot of points here, not just for the uncomfortable clothes, magnificent mustache and the pince nez. Predicting airplanes in 1893 is very bold indeed. So is extracting magnetism from the earth, one of those sources of energy we aren't even close to tapping. The major thing he misses in his prediction is the automobile, which is a less bold prediction than the airplane, since Benz had a patent in Germany in 1886. He loses points for the 150 mph electrical railway by 1903 and tapping the magnetic field of the earth, but still, a solid performance.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Let's see what Robert A. Heinlein has to say about the second half of the 20th Century, shall we?

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

27 March 2015

Birthdays
Holliday Grainger b. 1988 (Demons, Merlin, Roger and the Rottentrolls)
Brenda Song b. 1988 (Wizards of Waverly Place, Phil of the Future, The Nightmare Room)
Emily Ann Lloyd b. 1984 (Early Edition, Apollo 13)
Jason Narvy b. 1974 (Power Rangers)
Nathan Fillion b. 1971 (Thrilling Adventure Hour Live, The Big Bang Theory, Neil’s Puppet Dreams, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The Guild, The Venture Bros., Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, Lost, Slither, Serenity, Firefly, Buffy, Dracula 2000)
Elizabeth Mitchell b. 1970 (Once Upon a Time, Revolution, V, Lost, Frequency)
Pauley Perrette b. 1969 (The Singularity Is Near, Satan Hates You, The Ring, Dead Last, Early Edition)
Kevin Corrigan b. 1969 (Fringe, Superboy, The Exorcist III)
Sandra Hess b. 1968 (Sliders, Highlander [TV], Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Beastmaster: The Eye of Braxus, Lois & Clark, SeaQuest 2032)
Talisa Soto b. 1967 (Elysium, Island of the Dead, Mortal Kombat)
Martin Weisz b. 1966 (director, The Hills Have Eyes II)
Quentin Tarantino b. 1963 (screenwriter, From Dusk Till Dawn)
Jeff Griggs b. 1963 (Power Rangers Time Force, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Babylon 5)
Adrian Rawlins b. 1958 (Harry Potter, Doctor Who)
Caroline Williams b. 1957 (Seed 2, Halloween II, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, They Came from Outer Space, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2)
Bairbre Dowling b. 1953 (Star Trek: Voyager, Zardoz)
Michael York b. 1942 (Megiddo: The Omega Code, One Hell of a Guy, Dark Planet, Babylon 5, SeaQuest 2032, Not of this Earth, TekWar: TekLab, Space, The Island of Dr. Moreau, Logan’s Run)
Austin Pendleton b. 1940 (Wishcraft, Tales from the Crypt, Alice in Wonderland [1983], Simon)
June Wilkinson b. 1940 (Frankenstein’s Great Aunt Tillie, Batman[TV])
Julian Glover b. 1935 (Game of Thrones, Atlantis [TV], Alien Uprising, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Empire Strikes Back, Doctor Who, Blakes 7, Space: 1999, Five Million Miles to Earth)
Lorenzo Semple Jr. b. 1923 died 28 March 2014 (writer, Flash Gordon, King Kong, Batman [TV], The Green Hornet)
Dick King-Smith b. 1922 died 4 January 2011 (author, The Sheep-Pig)
Richard Denning b. 1914 died 11 October 1998 (Alice Through the Looking Glass [1966 TV], Creature with the Atom Brain, Target Earth, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Black Scorpion)
Carl Barks b. 1901 died 25 August 2000 (author, Scrooge McDuck, Gyro Gearloose)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot was graced by Nathan Fillion and Michael York.  This year, it was a toss-up between Carl Barks, who gets my vote as the greatest writer of comic book adventure stories ever, and the winner, Julian Glover. Glover played Richard the Lionheart on Doctor Who, Grand Maester Pycelle on Game of Thrones and is pictured here as General Veers from The Empire Strikes Back. For an Oh That Guy, that's a heck of a lot of iconic.

2. A Canadian amongst us. Nathan Fillion is allowed to walk the streets of this great land of ours as free and easy as you please, despite the lowly circumstances of his birth in another (and therefore inferior) country placed by God north of ours, where there is only bitter cold and giant mosquitoes.

3. MST3K. The only one I'm sure of is Richard Denning in The Black Scorpion.

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

Movie released
Monsters Vs. Aliens released, 2009  
 

Predictor: H.G. Wells in his 1902 book Anticipations

Prediction: The stories the growing girl now prefers, and I imagine will in the future still prefer, deal mainly with the rich and free; the theatre she will prefer to visit will present the lives and loves of opulent people with great precision and detailed correctness; her favorite periodicals will reflect that life.

Reality: Just in case you got upset with H.G. Wells, bigot and totalitarian, meet H.G. Wells, mansplainer. Reading the entire passage from which this paragraph is taken, it's pretty clear Wells looked down on young women because they didn't buy H.G. Wells novels. Imagine his surprise at the success of young adult novels about sparkly vampires and cute girls who are really good with a bow and arrow.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's Saturday and 1893 beckons to us.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

26 March 2015

Birthdays
Haley Ramm b. 1992 (X-Men: The Last Stand, Ben 10: Race Against Time)
Sterling Sulieman b. 1984 (In Time, The Vampire Diaries)
Keira Knightley b. 1985 (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Never Let Me Go, Pirates of the Caribbean, Neverland, Star Wars: Episode I – The One we Don’t Talk About)
Luke Ford b. 1981 (The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Hercules [2005])
Bianca Kajlich b. 1977 (Halloween Resurrection)
Amy Smart b. 1976 (Dead Awake, The Butterfly Effect, Starship Troopers)
Francis Lawrence b. 1971 (director, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Constantine, I Am Legend)
Jonathan Glazer b. 1965 (director, Under the Skin)
Ed Wasser b. 1964 (Babylon 5, Sliders, Quantum Leap)
Marita Geraghty b. 1962 (Charmed, Groundhog Day, Hard Time on Planet Earth)
Jennifer Grey b. 1960 (In Your Eyes)
Deke Anderson b. 1959 (Doll Factory, Green Lantern, Army of Darkness, The Bite, The Hidden)
Robert Shields b. 1951 (Wonder Woman)
Martin Short b. 1950 (Prince Charming, Alice in Wonderland [1999 TV], Merlin, Mars Attacks!, Maniac Mansion, Innerspace)
Johnny Crawford b, 1946 (The Thirteenth Floor, Village of the Giants, The Space Children)
James Caan b. 1940 (Elf, The Lathe of Heaven, Alien Nation, Rollerball, Slither)
Phillip R. Allen b. 1939 died 1 March 2012 (Out of this World, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Mork & Mindy, Dark Shadows)
Alan Arkin b. 1934 (Gattaca, The Rocketeer, Edward Scissorhands, Faerie Tale Theatre, The Return of Captain Invincible, Simon, The Monitors)
Luke Askew b. 1932 died 29 March 2012 (The 4400, The Warrior and the Sorceress, Automan, Knight Rider, The Powers of Matthew Star, The Greatest American Hero, The Six Million Dollar Man)
Leonard Nimoy b. 1931 died 27 February 2015 (Star Trek, The Big Bang Theory, Fringe, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Futurama, Brave New World, The Lost World, The Outer Limits, Invasion of the Body Snatchers [1978], Twilight Zone, Them!, Zombies of the Stratosphere)
Ed Hinton b. 1919 died 12 October 1958 (Adventures of Superman, Captain Midnight, Red Planet Mars )
Strother Martin b. 1919 died 1 August 1980 (Sssssss, The Invaders, Lost in Space, Twilight Zone, World Without End, The Magnetic Monster)
Ed Peck b. 1917 died 12 September 1992 (Mork & Mindy, The Incredible Hulk, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Land of the Giants, I Dream of Jeannie, Star Trek, The Invaders)
Sterling Hayden b. 1916 died 23 May 1986 (Venom, The Last Days of Man on Earth, The Starlost)
Edward Bellamy b. 1850 died 22 May 1898 (author, Looking Backward, 2000-1887)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. As with William Shatner earlier this week, Leonard Nimoy had possession of The Picture Slot in both 2013 and 2014. Of course, Nimoy had a Never to be Forgotten post late last month as well. The list has several other choices available, though none of them is as important to genre as Nimoy was. For me, the choices were between Ed Wasser as Mr. Morden from Babylon 5, Keira Knightley from Pirates of the Caribbean, Johnny Crawford from Village of the Giants and the winner, James Caan as Jonathan E. in Rollerball.

2. Spot the Canadians! Most of the original cast of SCTV were Canadian (not Joe Flaherty or Andrea Martin), so Martin Short should be easy to spot. Knowing Luke Ford is Canadian pretty much proves you are a relative of Luke Ford.

3. MST3K. Village of the Giants was on MST3K, the last episode that featured TV's Frank. I did not have a picture of Johnny Crawford riding Joy Harmon's giant breasts in the Picture Slot today, which is more restraint than I usually show. I will monitor myself for the rest of the day for other uncharacteristic behavior. Crawford was also in The Space Children, as regular commenter Zombie Rotten McDonald kindly pointed out.

4. Nepotism FTW. Jennifer Grey is the daughter of Joel Grey.

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

Movie released
 How to Train Your Dragon released, 2010

Predictor: Sir Compton Domville, (1842-1924), speaking in 1914

Prediction: (Arthur Conan Doyle's story Danger! is) “improbable and more like one of Jules Verne’s stories…”

Reality: Doyle predicted a submarine blockade of the British Isles in a war against a fictitious country Norland. The real submarine blockade of Great Britain during World War I by the Germans was responsible for the sinking of the Lusitania, which brought the United States into the war.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's H.G. Wells' turn once again.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!


 

25 March 2015

Birthdays
Elizabeth Lail b. 1992 (Once Upon a Time)
Seychelle Gabriel b. 1991 (Falling Skies, The Last Airbender, The Spirit)
Kiowa Gordon b. 1990 (Twilight Saga)
Aly Michalka b. 1989 (iZombie, Phil of the Future)
Erik Knudsen b. 1988 (Continuum, Beastly, Jericho, Saw II)
Sean Faris b. 1982 (Supernatural, Free Runner, The Vampire Diaries, Ghost Machine, Smallville)
Lee Pace b. 1979 (The Hobbit, Guardians of the Galaxy, Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, The Falls, Pushing Daisies, Wonderfalls)
Edgar Ramirez b. 1977 (Wrath of the Titans)
Lark Voorhies b. 1974 (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Small Wonder)
Laz Alonzo b. 1974 (Avatar, Constantine [2005])
Kari Matchett b. 1970 (Invasion, Plague City: SARS in Toronto, Wonderfalls, Cube, Cube2, Earth: Final Conflict, Poltergeist: The Legacy, PSI Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, Forever Knight)
Chip Joslin b. 1967 (Humans vs Zombies)
Sarah Jessica Parker b. 1965 (Mars Attacks, Hocus Pocus)
Brenda Strong b. 1960 (Starship Troopers, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Craft, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Spaceballs, Misfits of Science)
Peter O’Brien b. 1960 (Doctor Who, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America, Relic Hunter, The Lost World, Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord, Time Trax)
Mary Gross b. 1953 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Lois & Clark)
Robert O’Reilly b. 1950 (Star Trek: Enterprise, Deep Space Nine, The Mask, The Flash [1991], Max Headroom, Knight Rider, Otherworld, Manimal. Voyagers!, The Incredible Hulk)
Bonnie Bedelia b. 1948 (Flowers for Algernon [2000], Needful Things, The Boy Who Could Fly, Salem’s Lot)
Richard O’Brien b. 1942 (Elvira’s Haunted Hills, Dungeons & Dragons, Dark City, Flash Gordon, Shock Treatment, The Rocky Horror Picture Show)
D.C. Fontana b. 1939 (writer, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Logan’s Run [TV], The Six Million Dollar Man)
Hoyt Axton b. 1938 died 26 October 1999 (Space Case, Gremlins, Faerie Tale Theatre, The Bionic Woman, I Dream of Jeannie)
Sylvia Anderson b. 1937 (writer, Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons from Mars, Space:1999, UFO, Joe 90, Stingray, Fireball XL5, Supercar)
James Lovell b. 1928 (astronaut, twice to the moon, never stood on it)
Roberts Blossom b. 1924 died 8 July 2011 (The Twilight Zone [1985 and 1987], Tales from the Darkside, Amazing Stories, Resurrection, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Slaughterhouse-Five)
Patrick Troughton b. 1920 died 28 March 1987 (Super Gran, The Omen, A Hitch in Time, Space: 1999, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, Out of the Unknown, Scars of Dracula, The Gorgon, H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man)
Jean Rogers b. 1916 died 24 February 1991 (Flash Gordon [1936])
Dan White b. 1908 died 7 July 1980 (Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter, Twilight Zone, Attack of the Giant Leeches, Adventures of Superman)
Ed Begley b. 1901 died 28 April 1970 (The Dunwich Horror, The Invaders, Out of the Unknown)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Star Trek  writer D.C. Fontana and astronaut Jim Lovell. This year it was a toss-up between Robert O'Reilly as Gowron on Star Trek, Patrick Troughton as the second Doctor and the winner, Richard O'Brien as Riff-Raff from Rocky Horror, based on the play O'Brien wrote. Actor/singer/playwright is a hard triple threat to beat.

2. Canadians pre-spotted for your protection. Kari Matchett and Erik Knudsen were born north of the border. However, Sean Faris has the Supernatural/Smallville daily double and was born in the U.S. I could find no mention of his living in Canada.

3. MST3K. Dan White was in the Attack of the Giant Leeches and two features produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson also got the treatment, Invaders of the Deep and Cosmic Princess. The Mole People in Deep 13 were named Gerry and Sylvia, an obvious homage.

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

Predictor: George Sutherland in 20th Century Inventions, published in 1901

Prediction: The example of the cheap watch industry may be cited to convey an idea of the immensely important revolution which will take place in the production of both small and large prime-motors when all the possibilities of electrotyping, casting, and stamping the various wearing parts true to shape and size have been fully exploited. An accurate timekeeper is now practically within the reach of all; and in the twentieth century no one who requires a small prime motor to do the rough work about home or farm will be compelled to do without it by reason of poverty--unless, perhaps, he is absolutely destitute and a fit subject for public charity.

Reality: Henry Ford is credited with the big assembly line breakthroughs in 1908, so this counts as a generally correct prediction for Sutherland, though in general he thought the internal combustion engine had too many mechanical challenges to be the final big winner in the production of cheap energy.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's another one of those days when the Picture Slot choice seems obvious if iconic is our primary criterion. Will I mix it up this year? To find out... 

Join us tomorrow... IN THE FUTURE!

24 March 2015

Birthdays
Keisha Castle-Hughes b. 1990 (Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, Vampire, Legend of the Seeker, The Almighty Johnsons, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith)
Finn Jones b. 1988 (Game of Thrones, The Sarah Jane Adventures)
Nick Lashaway b. 1988 (In Time, The X Files)
Jeremy James Kissner b. 1985 (Brotherhood of Blood, A.I. Artificial Intelligence)
Sam Daly b. 1984 (Astronaut Wives Club)
Philip Winchester b. 1981 (Camelot, Fringe, Warehouse 13, Solomon Kane, Thunderbirds [2004])
Alison MacInnis b. 1980 (Power Rangers, Bewitched [movie], Tremors [TV])
Jud Tylor b. 1979 (Supernatural, Smallville, Andromeda)
Lake Bell b. 1979 (Surface)
Amanda Brugel b. 1978 (Orphan Black, Dark Matter, Warehouse 13, Category 6: Day of Destruction, Jason X, A Diva’s Christmas Carol)
Jessica Chastain b. 1977 (The Martian, Interstellar, Journeyman, Dark Shadows [2005])
Olivia Burnette b. 1977 (Jekyll Island, Quantum Leap)
Michelle Harrison b. 1975 (The Flash, Continuum, SGU Stargate Universe, Supernatural, Eureka, V, Fringe, The Invisible, Andromeda, Paycheck, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The YV Show, Poltergeist: The Legacy)
Alyson Hannigan b. 1974 (Buffy, Angel, Dead Man on Campus, Free Spirit, My Stepmother is an Alien)
Jim Parsons b. 1973 (The Big Bang Theory)
Charlie Creed-Miles b. 1972 (The Frankenstein Chronicles, The Fifth Element)
Gabriel Olds b. 1972 (The Event, Surrogates, Heroes, Charmed)
Megyn Price b. 1971 (Quantum Leap)
Lara Flynn Boyle b. 1970 (Hansel & Gretel Get Baked, Men in Black II, The Hidden Room, Poltergeist III, Amerika)
Kelly LeBrock b. 1960 (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice [2002], Weird Science)
Robert Carradine b. 1954 (Sharktopus vs. Petracuda, The Terror Experiment, Attack of the Sabertooth, Ghosts of Mars, Lycanthrope, Scorpio One, Dark Skies, Humanoids from the Deep, Escape from L.A., Lois & Clark, Birds of Prey, The Tommyknockers, Deadly Nightmares, Faerie Tale Theatre, The Twilight Zone [1986])
Kim Johnston Ulrich b. 1955 (Supernatural, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Rumplestiltskin, Highlander [TV], Lois and Clark, Werewolf [TV], The Charmings)
Patrick Malahide b. 1945 (Game of Thrones)
R. Lee Ermey b. 1944 (The Watch, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, Jericho, Starship Troopers, The Frighteners, The X-Files, Space: Above and Beyond, Tales from the Crypt, Body Snatchers [1993], Toy Soldiers, The Terror Within II, Deathstone, The Rift, Up from the Depths)
Lynn Borden b. 1937 died 3 March 2015 (Frogs)
William Smith b. 1933 (The Ghost of Frankenstein, The Boy with Green Hair, Atlantis the Lost Continent, Batman, I Dream of Jeannie, Piranha, Invasion of the Bee Girls, The Six Million Dollar Man, Planet of the Apes [TV], Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Twilight’s Last Gleaming, Logan’s Run [TV], Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Conan the Barbarian, Hell Comes to Frogtown… and more third rate crap than you can shake a stick at)
Steve McQueen b. 1930 died 7 November 1980 (The Blob)
Norman Fell b. 1924 died 14 December 1998 (C.H.U.D. II – Bud the Chud, Out of this World, Twilight Zone [1986], Transylvania 6-5000, The Bionic Woman, The Invaders, Bewitched)
Murray Hamilton b. 1923 died 1 September 1986 (Whoops Apocalypse, The Amityville Horror, Damnation Alley, The Invaders, Way Out, Twilight Zone)
Gene Nelson b. 1920 died 16 September 1996 (director, Star Trek, I Dream of Jeannie)
Martin Kosleck b. 1904 died 15 January 1994 (Batman, The Outer Limits, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Flesh Eaters, She Wolf of London, The Mummy’s Curse)
Ub Iwerks b. 1901 died 7 July 1971 (visual effects, Mary Poppins, The Birds, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Song of the South)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot was occupied by Alyson Hannigan and Jim Parsons. There are plenty of other choices available that count as iconic, but again the Games of Thrones bug has gotten to me and I'm using Keisha Castle-Hughes as one of the Sand Snakes. It's hard to call her role iconic since she won't show up until this season, but the Sand Snakes were interesting characters in the book and I hope the show will do them justice as well.

2. Spot the Canadians. There are three and they were all born in the 1970s. Knock yourself out.

3. Nepotism FTW. Robert Carradine is of course a member of the Carradine clan.

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

Predictor: John Langdon-Davies in the 1936 book A Short History of the Future

Prediction: By 1960 work will be limited to three hours a day.

Reality: From what I've seen in my lifetime, that's about the average amount of work that actually gets done, but companies still make you hang around for eight.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another look at future technology from George Sutherland in 1901.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

23 March 2015

 Birthdays
Vanessa Morgan b. 1992 (My Babysitter’s a Vampire)
Steven Strait b. 1986 (10,000 BC, Sky High, The Covenant)
Anastasia Griffith b. 1978 (Once Upon a Time)
Nicholle Tom b. b. 1978 (Gotham, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2006], Welcome to Paradox)
Michelle Monaghan b. 1976 (Source Code)
Keri Russell b. 1976 (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Dark Skies, Honey I Blew Up the Kid)
Jaume Collet-Serra b. 1974 (House of Wax [2005])
Melissa Errico b. 1970 (Frequency)
Marin Hinkle b. 1966 (The Haunting of Molly Hartley, Quarantine, Frequency)
Sarah Buxton b. 1965 (Freddy’s Nightmares, Otherworld)
Hope Davis b. 1964 (Real Steel, Flatliners)
John Pinnette b. 1964 died 5 April 2014 (The Punisher)
Jason Schombing b. 1963 (Supernatural, Alice [2009], Watchmen, Smallville, Tin Man, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Fantastic Four, Mutant X, Seven Days, Stargate SG-1, The New Addams Family, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, NightMan, Early Edition, Timecop, The X Files, I Still Dream of Jeannie)
Jenny Wright b. 1962 (Enchanted, The Lawnmower Man, Near Dark)
Charlene Ferenetz b. 1960 (Sabrina the Teenage Witch [Movie and TV], Mann & Machine)
Catherine Keener b. 1959 (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Where the Wild Things Are, Being John Malkovich, S1m0ne)
Amanda Plummer b. 1957 (The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Vampire, Battlestar Galactica, The Vampyre Wars, Dark Skies, The Prophecy, Needful Things, Freejack, The Hidden Room, Tales from the Crypt)
Teresa Ganzel b. 1957 (Hexed, They Came from Outer Space, The Charmings, The Twilight Zone [1986], Transylvania 6-5000)
Sal Lizard b. 1955 (Young Blood: Evil Intentions, Hillbilly Bob Zombie, I Am Legend [2007])
Kim Stanley Robinson b. 1952 (won the 1993 Nebula for Red Mars, 1994 Hugo for Green Mars, 1997 Nebula for Blue Mars, 2012 Nebula for 2312)
John William Young b. 1951 (Frankenstein General Hospital)
Barbara Rhoades b. 1947 (Quark, Tabitha, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Ghost Busters [1975], Far Out Space Nuts, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Scream Blacula Scream, Bewitched)
Terry Alexander b. 1947 (Day of the Dead, Salvage 1, The Werewolf of Washington)
Elizabeth Ann Scarborough b. 1947 (won the 1990 Nebula for The Healer’s War)
Tony Burton b. 1937 (Poltergeist: The Legacy, Hook, The Shining, The Incredible Hulk, Gemini Man, The Invisible Man)
Kenneth Tobey b. 1917 died 22 December 2002 (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Honey I Blew Up the Kid, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Innerspace, The Twilight Zone [1986], Gremlins, Strange Invaders, The Howling, Galactica 1980, The Vampire, It Came from Beneath the Sea, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, The Thing from Another World)
Joan Crawford b. 1905 died 10 May 1977 (The Sixth Sense [1972], Trog, Night Gallery)
H. Beam Piper b. 1904 died 11 November 1964 (author, Little Fuzzy, Flight from Tomorrow)
Philip Ober b. 1902 died 13 September 1982 (I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters, The Brass Bottle, Twilight Zone)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Michelle Monaghan, certainly fabulous but questionably iconic in genre, and Kenneth Tobey, who showed up in several 1950s monster movies. While we have an honest to Odin movie star in Joan Crawford, I think the writers on the list today are more iconic than the actors, so the Picture Slot goes to the three Mars books of Kim Stanley Robinson, each of which won either a Nebula or a Hugo, a rare feat for a trilogy. For example, George R.R. Martin currently has a total of... let me check... ZERO Hugos and ZERO Nebulas for the first five books of the Song of Ice and Fire.

2. Canadians, true and false. If you followed the standard operating procedure for Canadian spotting, the obvious choice is Jason Schombing, but he was born in Philadelphia and I can find no independent confirmation that he moved to Canada, though it certainly looks like he did. The native Canadians are Charlene Ferenetz and Vanessa Morgan, but their nationality is not made clear by their credit lists.

3. Nepotism FTW. Amanda Plummer is the daughter of Christopher Plummer, a Canadian, and Tammy Grimes, a Yank. Amanda was born in New York City and there is no sign of her claiming dual citizenship.

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


Movie released
The Hunger Games released, 2012

 Predictor: The OMNI Future Almanac, published in 1982

Prediction: In the future, plants that stand in a farm field will be only one part of a carefully controlled agricultural chain. The husks will be used after harvest to make gasohol to run the machines that preserve the harvested crop. The water that nourished the plants will be carefully recaptured and used again the next season. Nutrients lacking in the soils will be provided by farmers growing genetically engineered plants in the off season that spew the need nutrients from their roots into the soil. The future farmer will be the model of efficiency and his farm a self-contained eco-system.


Reality: It's a little odd to read such a pro-environment prediction that speaks well of genetically engineered plants, but it was written thirty three years ago when there were more pro-science environmentalist types than there are today. According to the best information we have here in drought-stricken California, the modern farm is hardly self-contained and they want their water NOW and FUCK ALL THE REST OF YOU!

I may be paraphrasing.

Never to be Forgotten: Gregory Walcott 1928-2015 Gregory Walcott, who died this week at the age of 87, had 114 credits, both film and TV, starting in the 1950s and continuing through the 1990s. One of his luckiest breaks was to catch the eye of Clint Eastwood, who cast Walcott as the foil to Eastwood the star, destined of course to fail, regardless of whether Clint was the good guy or the bad guy. But as Walcott well knew and his obituaries prove, he is best remembered for being in Plan Nine from Outer Space, incorrectly billed as the Worst Film Ever Made. Fans of MST3K can likely name five films just as bad or worse, from Manos: The Hands of Fate to Red Zone Cuba, with a few Gamera films thrown in for good measure.

Several of the other actors had next to no career after Plan Nine, some because of actual death and others merely career death, but Walcott's career was unscathed by appearing in this turkey, as was Lyle Talbott's. (Note: I am not saying Plan Nine is good, I just question its ranking as the worst.) Walcott's other appearance in genre include  House II: Second Story, The Six Million Dollar Man, Land of the Lost, Gemini Man and The Invisible Man [1975].

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


Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another prediction from John Langdon-Davies 1936 book A Brief History of the Future.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

22 March 2015

Birthdays
Tania Raymonde b. 1988 (The Last Ship, Big Bang Theory, Texas Chainsaw 3D, Lost)
Katie Stuart b. 1985 (The Returned, The 100, Supernatural, Dead Like Me, A Wrinkle in Time, X-Men 2, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Stargate SG-1, The Sentinel, Poltergeist: The Legacy)
Lizzie Brochere b. 1985 (American Horror Story)
Shawn-Caulin Young b. 1982 (Thor, The Wizards of Waverly Place, The Invisible Man [2001])
Kandyse McClure b. 1980 (Haven, Hemlock Grove, Alphas, Children of the Corn, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Andromeda, Jake 2.0, Jeremiah, Dark Angel, Level 9)
Reese Witherspoon b. 1976 (Little Nicky)
Shelley Longworth b. 1976 (Vampire Academy)
Anne Dudek b. 1975 (Grimm, Invasion, Charmed)
Cole Hauser b. 1975 (Transcendence, Pitch Black)
Shawn Bradley b. 1972 (Space Jam)
Will Yun Lee b. 1971 (True Blood, The Wolverine, Total Recall [2012], Bionic Woman [2007], Fallen, Elektra, Witchblade, Brimstone)
Keegan-Michael Key b. 1971 (Tomorrowland)
Eric Bruskotter b. 1966 (Angel, Starship Troopers, Quantum Leap, Not Quite Human II, War of the Worlds, Amazing Stories)
Samantha Robson b. 1966 (Red Dwarf)
Steve Toussaint b. 1965 (Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Judge Dredd)
Mel Fair b. 1964 (Super 8, True Blood, Showdown at Area 51, Halloween [2007], Charmed, Buffy)
Adrien Dorval b. 1963 (Twilight Saga: New Moon, Painkiller Jane, Stargate SG-1, Battlestar Galactica, The Chronicles of Riddick, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, The Crow, Stairway to Heaven, NightMan, Millennium, Highlander [TV], The Neverending Story III)
Matthew Modine b. 1959 (CAT. 8, The Dark Knight Rises, Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story)
Lena Olin b. 1955 (Queen of the Damned, The Ninth Gate, Mystery Men)
Mary Tamm b. 1950 died 26 July 2012 (Doctor Who)
James Patterson b. 1947 (author, Daniel X, Witch & Wizard)
Carter Wong b. 1947 (Big Trouble in Little China)
Eileen Wesson b. 1947 (They Live, Mr. Terrific)
Eric Roth b. 1945 (writer, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Postman, Wolfen)
Jeremy Clyde b. 1941 (The Worst Witch, Deadly Nightmares, Supernatural [1977], Batman)
Bruno Ganz b. 1941 (Wings of Desire, Nosferatu the Vampyre)
M. Emmet Walsh b. 1935 (The X-Files, Wilder Napalm, The Flash, Harry and the Hendersons, Amazing Stories, The Twilight Zone, Blade Runner, Escape from the Planet of the Apes)
Larry Martyn b. 1934 died 7 August 1994 (Omen III: The Final Conflict)
William Shatner b. 1931 (A Christmas Horror Story, Horrorween,Star Trek, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Perversions of Science, TekWar, SeaQuest 2032, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, The Six Million Dollar Man, Mork & Mindy, Kingdom of the Spiders, The Devil’s Rain, The Sixth Sense [1972], The People, Incubus, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone)
Stephen Sondheim b. 1930 (composer, Into the Woods)
Karl Hardman b. 1927 died 22 September 2007 (Night of the Living Dead [1968])
Marcel Marceau b. 1923 died 22 September 2007 (Barbarella)
Ross Martin b. 1920 died 3 July 1981 (Mork & Mindy, Quark, Wonder Woman, The Invisible Man, The Immortal, Twilight Zone, The Colossus of New York, Johnny Jupiter)
Werner Klemperer b. 1920 died 6 December 2000 (Tabitha, Batman, Lost in Space)
Karl Malden b. 1912 died 1 July 2009 (Alice in Wonderland [1985], Meteor)
Joseph Schildkraut b. 1896 died 11 January 1964 (Twilight Zone)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In the Picture Slot in 2013 and 2014 were William Shatner and... William Shatner. Before I did today's research, I didn't think there was anyone else who qualified as iconic. Reader James Marshall VI recommended Mary Tamm from Doctor Who, very pretty and died much too young, but I instead decided to go with Swiss actor Bruno Ganz from Wings of Desire, who definitely counts as iconic in my book.

2. Canadians spotted for your convenience. Lots of Canadians today, the oldest being Shatner. Besides The Captain, we have Adrien Dorval and Katie Stuart born and bred, and Kandyse McClure moved with her family from South Africa at a young age.

3. Nepotism FTW. Werner Klemperer was the son of Conductor Otto, Cole Hauser is the son of actor Wings.

4. Fun facts to know and tell. Jeremy Clyde was in the pop duo Chad and Jeremy. He moved from that to acting without a hitch, still getting steady work mainly on British TV, including a role on Downton Abbey. I had no idea.

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

Movie released
The Croods released, 2013

Predictor:Robert A. Heinlein in his 1956 book The Door Into Summer.

Prediction: But while I was awake, part of me was dead. I know what they used on me: the “zombie” drug, Uncle Sam’s answer to brainwashing. So far as I know, we never used it on a prisoner, but the boys whipped it up in the investigation of brainwashing and there it was, illegal but very effective.

Reality: The drug Heinlein describes doesn't exist, thank goodness. The person who takes it has next to no will left. If it did exist, Bill Cosby alone would have kept the manufacturer in business.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The week begins again and we dip into The OMNI Future Almanac once more.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

21 March 2015

Birthdays
Scott Eastwood b. 1986 (Texas Chainsaw 3D)
Sonequa Martin-Green b. 1985 (The Walking Dead, Once Upon a Time)
Honorine Bell b. 1981 (A Guy, A Girl, A Space Helmet, The Thirst: Blood War, )
Sam Troughton b. 1977 (AVP: Alien vs. Predator)
Joseph Mawle b. 1974 (Sense8, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Awakening, Game of Thrones, Merlin[2009])
Laura Allen b. 1974 (Clown, Ravenswood, Awake, From Within, The 4400)
Vanessa Branch b. 1973 (Pirates of the Caribbean, Lost, The Invisible Man [TV], Star Trek: Voyager, The Cell)
Jaye Davidson b. 1968 (Stargate)
Karyn Kusama b. 1968 (director, Jennifer’s Body, Aeon Flux)
Greg Ellis b. 1968 (The Hobbit, Touch, Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Trek [2009], Knight Rider [2008], Beowulf, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Brimstone, The X-Files)
Lara Lamberti b. 1967 (Aenigma, Red Sonja)
Phillip Troy Linger b. 1964 (The Hunger Games)
Matthew Broderick b. 1962 (The Stepford Wives [2004], Inspector Gadget, Godzilla [1998], Project X, Faerie Tale Theatre, WarGames, Ladyhawke)
Kathryn Greenwood b. 1962 (Wonderfalls, Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy, RoboCop [TV], Maniac Mansion)
Kassie Wesley DePaiva b. 1961 (Time Trax, Evil Dead II)
Sabrina Le Beauf b. 1958 (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Gary Oldman b. 1958 (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, RoboCop, The Dark Knight Rises, Harry Potter, The Dark Knight, Batman Begins, Lost in Space [movie], The Fifth Element, Dracula)
Timothy Dalton b. 1944 (Penny Dreadful, Doctor Who, Hercules [2005 TV], Tales from the Crypt, Flash Gordon)
Lorene Yarnell Jansson b. 1944 died 29 July 2010 (Spaceballs, Wonder Woman)
Alex Courtney b. 1940 (Programmed to Kill, The Bionic Woman)
Kathleen Widdoes b. 1939 (The Invaders, Way Out)
Roger Hammond b. 1936 died 8 November 2012 (Bedazzled [2000], A Christmas Carol [1999], Ghostbusters of East Finchley, Morons from Outer Space, Doctor Who, Queen Kong)
Al Williamson b. 1931 died 12 June 2010 (illustrator, Flash Gordon)
James Coco b. 1930 died 25 February 1987 (The Stepford Children, Twilight Zone [1985], The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Alice in Wonderland [1983])
Cliff Norton b. 1918 died 25 January 2003 (Tabitha, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Mr. Terrific, It’s About Time, The Munsters, My Favorite Martian, My Living Doll)
Peter Bull b. 1912 died 20 May 1984 (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland [1972], The 3 Worlds of Gulliver, A Christmas Carol [1951], The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus [1947])
Gustav Frohlich b. 1902 died 22 December 1987 (Metropolis)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark from Game of Thrones and Gary Oldman from Harry Potter. Even with these two removed, there are plenty of good choices for iconic, including Timothy Dalton from Flash Gordon, Matthew Broderick from WarGames, Jaye Davidson from Stargate, or an illustration by the late great Al Williamson. But I decided on the late Lorene Yarnell, the woman who was inside the Dot Matrix robot in Spaceballs. I was not aware she was dead.

2. Spot the Canadian! If you know your 20th Century Canadian genre productions, today's solo Canuck should not be tough to find.

3. Nepotism FTW. Scott Eastwood started his career using his mother's name Reeves, but he's pretty much got his dad's face. He's Clint Eastwood's son.

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

Movie released
Divergent released, 2014  
 

Predictor: Hempstead Washburne 1852-1918, mayor of Chicago, asked to predict the world of 1993 in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition

Prediction: The political condition of the United States in 1993 will be very similar to that of the present. Railroads and telegraphs will be under public control. We will still be on the gold standard. Corporations will tend towards more perfect centralization, until the monopolies become so obnoxious that they will be regulated by federal and local statutes. The accumulation of wealth will continue, but laws will be enacted to regulate the amount of wealth that can be inherited. The laboring classes shall organize and become a large part of the middle class. It is not improbable that women will obtain the franchise in many states.

Reality: Washburne starts by saying it's business as usual, then proceeds to predict a much more liberal form of government than the one that was in place in 1893, with women's suffrage, successful labor unions, trust busting government and taxes that discourage a permanent class of inherited wealth. It is interesting to note that besides the gold standard and women's suffrage, Washburne's topics are still a big part of the liberal-conservative debate even 122 years later.

As for facial hair, it's a bold mustache, but the rest is pretty tame. He kind of looks like the actor Bruce McGill, doesn't he?

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

I'm not keen on repeating myself this year on choices for the Picture Slot, but tomorrow looks like one of those days.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

20 March 2015

Birthdays
Samantha Weinstein b. 1995 (Darknet, Carrie [2013], Swarmed)
Christy Carlson Romano b. 1984 (Infected, Wolvesbayne)
Talia Russo b. 1980 (Beauty and the Beast [2012], Lost Girl, ReGenesis)
Bianca Lawson b. 1979 (Witches of East End, Teen Wolf [TV], Beauty and the Beast [2012], The Vampire Diaries, American Horror Story, Big Monster on Campus, Buffy)
Georgia Craig b. 1979 (Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Stargate SG-1, The 4400, Dawn of the Dead)
Freema Agyeman b. 1979 (Sense8, Doctor Who)
Paula Garces b. 1974 (Warehouse 13, Knight Rider [2008], Clockstoppers)
Jane March b. 1973 (Jack the Giant Killer, Clash of the Titans, Blood of Beasts, Dark Prince: The True Story of Dracula, Dark Realm, Relic Hunter)
Ingrid Kavelaars b. 1971 (Lost Girl, V [2009], ReGenesis, Stargate SG-1, Jeremiah, Code Name: Eternity, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County, Millennium, Specimen)
Liam Waite b. 1971 (Vampire Bats, Ghosts of Mars)
Michael Rapaport b. 1970 (The 6th Day, Deep Blue Sea)
Lawrence Makoare b. 1968 (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, Xena)
Marc Warren b. 1967 (Dreams1997, Dracula [2006], Hogfather, Doctor Who, Alice Through the Looking Glass [1998], Highlander [TV])
Leif Tilden b. 1964 (Monkeybone, Invader, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [1991])
David Thewlis b. 1963 (Harry Potter, The Zero Theorem, The Omen [2006], Timeline, Dinotopia, The Island of Dr. Moreau [1996], DragonHeart, Erasmus Microman)
Stephen Sommers b. 1963 (director, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra, Van Helsing, The Mummy, The Mummy Returns, Deep Rising)
Kathy Ireland b. 1963 (Journey to the Center of the Earth [1988], Alien from L.A.)
Karen M. Waldron b. 1961 (Space Cowboys, Return of the Killer Tomatoes!)
Holly Hunter b. 1958 (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice)
Theresa Russell b. 1957 (The Legends of Nethiah, Fringe, Spider-Man 3, Earth vs. the Spider [2001], Good vs Evil, A Young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court)
Chris Wedge b. 1957 (director, Ice Age, Robots, Epic)
Bruce Wagner b. 1954 (writer, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)
Tom Towles b. 1950 (Halloween [2007], House of 1000 Corpses, Firefly, Star Trek: Voyager, 3rd Rock from the Sun, VR.5, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Night of the Living Dead [1990], The Pit and the Pendulum)
William Hurt b. 1950 (Humans, The Host, Hellgate, The Incredible Hulk, Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Neverwas, Frankenstein [2004 TV], The Village, Tuck Everlasting, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Dune [TV], Lost in Space [movie], Dark City, Michael, Until the End of the World, Altered States)
John De Lancie b. 1948 (Zombie Hamlet, Cloned: The Recreator Chronicles, Torchwood, Gamer, My Apocalypse, Invader ZIM, Charmed, Andromeda, Stargate SG-1, Star Trek, Multiplicity, Legend, Time Trax, The Twilight Zone, Battlestar Galactica [1979], The Six Million Dollar Man)
Chip Zien b. 1947 (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Undead, Breakfast of Champions, Into the Woods, Howard the Duck)
Hal Linden b. 1931 (Supernatural, Light Years Away, Time Changer)
Karen Steele b. 1931 died 12 March 1988 (Star Trek, Cyborg 2087, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Jack Kruschen b. 1922 died 2 April 2002 (Lois and Clark, Tucker’s Witch, The Time Machine [TV], The Incredible Hulk, Batman, The Angry Red Planet, The War of the Worlds)
Carl Reiner b. 1922 (director, The Man with Two Brains)
Wendell Corey b. 1914 died 8 November 1968 (The Astro Zombies, Cyborg 2087, Women of the Prehistoric Planet)
B.F. Skinner b. 1904 died 18 August 1990 (author, Walden Two)
Fredric Wertham b. 1895 died 18 November 1981 (author, Seduction of the Innocent, The World of Fanzines)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. There are plenty of well-known names on the list, either movie or TV stars: Carl Reiner, Hal Linden, William Hurt, Teresa Russell, Holly Hunter, David Thewlis. Are they iconic in genre? Well, Hurt and Thewlis maybe, but I didn't go in that direction. The previous Slot winners were the pain in the ass writer Wertham and the Star Trek actor John de Lancie. I got in a fabulous babe mood this morning, (I know, that almost never happens, right?) so the three finalists were Karen Steele as one of Mudd's Women, Bianca Lawson as Kendra the vampire slayer and the winner, Freema Agyeman as the companion Martha Jones.

2. Spot the Canadians! Oh That Guy actor Jack Kruschen was born in Canada but worked in the states, back in the dark days when Canada didn't have a TV production industry. The other four Canucks listed here are much younger and all of them did work in Toronto or Vancouver, Ingrid Kavelaars, Georgia Craig, Talia Russo and Samantha Weinstein.

3. MST3K. There's plenty of films on the list that deserved the treatment, but the only one I know for sure that got it was Women of the Prehistoric Planet.

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

Predictor: H.G. Wells in the 1902 book Anticipations

Prediction: It is easily conceivable that once the omnibus roads are in existence, cyclists and motors other than those of the constructing companies will be able to make use of them.

Reality: I have written this before, but I would not have known about Sutherland's 20th Century Inventions had it not been mentioned by Wells in Anticipations. Sutherland also speculates on how roads will be improved, but he assumes it will be largely public funding instead of private, while Wells takes the other side of that bet.

Point for Sutherland.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

As usual, Saturday means another trip back to 1893. 

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

19 March 2015

 Birthdays
Kelly Vint b. 1982 (Space Jam, Stargate)
Abby Brammell b. 1979 (Bird of Prey)
Virginia Williams b. 1978 (Journeyman)
Jorma Taccone b. 1977 (The Watch, Land of the Lost)
Rachel Blanchard b. 1976 (The Rage: Carrie 2, Deadly Nightmares, War of the Worlds [TV])
Matthew Leitch b. 1975 (The Dark Knight, Below)
Dalton James b. 1971 (Encino Man)
Connor Trinneer b. 1969 (Unbelievable!, Star Runners, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Stargate: Atlantis, Star Trek: Enterprise, FreakyLinks, Sliders)
Woody Schultz b. 1968 (Avatar, Beowulf, Alien Hunter, Angel)
Jake Weber b. 1964 (Dawn of the Dead, Wendigo, Meet Joe Black, American Gothic)
Geoffrey Lower b. 1963 (Quantum Leap, Hook)
Bruce Willis b. 1955 (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Looper, Surrogates, Planet Terror, The Astronaut Farmer, Sin City, Unbreakable, The Sixth Sense, Breakfast of Champions, The Fifth Element, Armageddon, Twelve Monkeys, Death Becomes Her, The Twilight Zone [1985])
Harvey Weinstein b. 1952 (producer, Halloween, Knight Rider, The Crow, Sin City, The Amityville Horror, Vampire Academy, Dark Skies, Escape for Planet Earth, Piranha 3D, Apollo 18, Spy Kids, The Mist, Planet Terror, The Prophecy, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl 3-D, Ella Enchanted, Lord of the Rings, Dracula 2000, The Prophecy, The Crow, The Faculty, Mimic)
Ron Clinton Smith b. 1951 (Coma [2012], The Mist)
Dermot Crowley b. 1947 (HG Wells: War with the World, Return of the Jedi)
Glenn Close b. 1947 (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Stepford Wives [2004], Mars Attacks!, Mary Reilly, Hook)
Ursula Andress b. 1936 (The Cave of the Golden Rose, Manimal, Clash of the Titans [1981], She)
Renee Taylor b. 1933 (Lois & Clark, Tales from the Darkside)
Phyllis Newman b. 1933 (Mannequin)
Philip Roth b. 1933 (author, The Plot Against America)
Jan Shepard b. 1928 (Land of the Giants, Attack of the Giant Leeches)
Patrick McGoohan b. 1928 died 13 January 2009 (Hysteria, The Phantom, Baby: The Secret of the Lost Legend, Scanners, The Prisoner)
Tige Andrews b. 1920 died 27 January 2007 (Mistfits of Science, Tucker’s Witch, Star Trek)
Eric Christmas b. 1916 died 22 July 2000 (The X Files, Eerie, Indiana, ALF, Misfits of Science, The Philadelphia Experiment, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, The Andromeda Strain, Mr. Scrooge)
Fred Clark b. 1914 (I Dream of Jeannie, The Addams Family, Dr, Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, Zotz!, Twilight Zone, Visit to a Small Planet)
Kent Smith b. 1907 died 23 April 1985 (Wonder Woman, Lost Horizon [1973], The Cat Creature, The Invaders, The Outer Limits, Moon Pilot, Cat People)
Roy Roberts b. 1906 died 28 May 1975 (Bewitched, The Addams Family, The Munsters, Twilight Zone, Topper [1954], House of Wax)
Sir Richard F. Burton b. 1821 died 20 October 1890 (translator, The Book of the Thousand and One Arabian Knights, Tales of Hindu Devilry)

Notes on the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the slot went to Connor Trineer from my least favorite Star Trek show and Patrick McGoohan from my favorite summer replacement for the Jackie Gleason Show. (Seriously, there is almost no way to explain how odd The Prisoner was on 1960s TV.) For this year, I considered it a three way race between Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element, Ursula Andress in She and the winner, Glenn Close from Guardians of the Galaxy. The tie breaker was which movie I liked the most.

2. The Gal at the Door and MST3K. Everyone younger than Jan Shepard is still alive and everyone older is gone. Technically, we don't if Ms. Shepard or Patrick McGoohan was born first back in 1928, but this does make her The Gal at the Door. Ms. Shepard's heyday was in the 1950s and 1960s, when she made genre productions for which she is noted here as well as a couple of movies with Elvis. She has been married to actor Ray Boyle since 1954 and they are both still with us, so good on ya, lovebirds! Also, she's in Attack of the Giant Leeches, a movie that got the MST3K treatment.

3.  One hard to spot Canadian. Rachel Blanchard was born north of the border. War of the Worlds was a Canadian TV production from last century, but it's not as obvious a sign of Canadian content as more recent shows like Smallville or Supernatural.

4. Nepotism? Not here. The British singer Donovan's last name is Leitch and he has kids who went into show biz. Matthew Leitch is British, but he isn't related.

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

Predictor: Colonel John W. Thomason Jr, United States Marine Corps, November 1937, quoted in The Experts Speak

Prediction: “It is not possible… to concentrate enough military planes with military loads over a modern city to destroy it.”

Reality: Compare this to Billy Mitchell in 1925, predicting the Japanese would attack us by air in the Pacific, probably in Hawaii and the Philippines with the attack happening on a Sunday. When Mitchell says this, the technology really doesn't exist yet to make the attack possible. On the other hand, Thomason is making this prediction when the Flying Fortress was already in production and the B-25 was being tested. There were also major bombers being produced by the British and the Germans by 1937.

Clearly, there was a big disagreement in the military on the importance of air power and Thomason was on the losing side.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another visit with H.G. Wells.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

 

18 March 2015

 Birthdays
Madeline Carroll b. 1996 (Astro Boy, Resident Evil: Extinction, Lost)
Lily Collins b. 1989 (The Mortal Instruments, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Mirror Mirror)
Duane Henry b. 1985 (The Dark Knight Rises, Doctor Who)
Adam Pally b. 1982 (Iron Man 3)
Chris Geere b. 1981 (After Earth)
Vanessa Evigan b. 1981 (Zombie Hamlet, Sand Sharks)
Sophia Myles b. 1980 (Transformers: Age of Extinction, Outlander, Moonlight, Dracula [2006], Doctor Who, Underworld, From Hell)
Danneel Ackles b. 1979 (Charmed)
Jareb Dauplaise b. 1979 (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)
Dane Cook b. 1972 (Mystery Men)
Queen Latifah b. 1970 (The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz, Sphere)
Tamer Hassan b. 1968 (Robot Overlords, Dracula [2014], Clash of the Titans [2010], Kick-Ass, Batman Begins, Sucker Punch)
Vanessa Williams b. 1963 (666 Park Avenue, WW 3, Futuresport, The Odyssey, Deep Space Nine)
Thomas Ian Griffith b. 1962 (Timecop: The Berlin Decision, Vampires, Kull the Conqueror, The Guardian [1997])
Richard Biggs b. 1960 died 22 May 2004 (Babylon 5, The Alien Within, Twilight Zone [1986])
Steve Kloves b. 1960 (writer, Harry Potter, The Amazing Spider-Man)
Luc Besson b. 1959 (director, Lucy, The Fifth Element)
Jim Knobeloch b. 1950 (Predestination, The 25th Reich, Iron Sky, Knowing, King Kong)
Brad Dourif b. 1950 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., End of the World, Child’s Play, Malignant, Once Upon a Time, Fringe, Halloween I & II [21st Century], The Lord of the Rings, Soulkeeper, Prophecy 3, The Hunger [TV], Alien: Resurrection, Star Trek: Voyager, Babylon 5, Escape to Witch Mountain, The X Files, Tales from the Crypt, Critters 4, Graveyard Shift, The Exorcist III, Deadly Nightmares, Dune, Desire, the Vampire)
Drew Struzan b. 1947 (illustrator)
Susan Tyrell b. 1945 died 16 June 2012 (Digital Man, Tales from the Crypt, Rockula, Deadly Nightmares, Forbidden Zone)
Carl Gottlieb b. 1938 (director, Caveman)
John Updike b. 1932 (author, The Witches of Eastwick)
Jack B. Sowards b. 1929 died 8 July 2007 (writer, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
Peggy Dow b. 1928 (Harvey)
Peter Graves b. 1926 died 14 March 2010 (Addams Family Values, The Invaders, Attack of the Eye Creatures, Beginning of the End, It Conquered the World, Red Planet Mars)
Alexander Leydenfrost b. 1888 died 16 June 1961 (illustrator)
Edward Everett Horton b. 1888 died 29 September 1970 (2000 Years Later, Batman, Down to Earth [1947], Here Comes Mr. Jordan, Lost Horizon, Alice in Wonderland [1933])

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to the late Richard Biggs from Babylon 5 and the illustrator Drew Struzan. Not wanting to repeat myself, the actors with the most iconic roles on the list for me are Brad Dourif and Peter Graves. I chose Graves partly because the monster from It Conquered the World is an odd combination of obviously fake and still terrifying, but also as a nod to how the cheaply produced sci-fi of the 1950s was the starting point for a lot of actors who would have very successful careers on TV within a few years. 

2. Nepotism FTW. Graves and his brother Jim Arness both got their starts at about the same time, so I don't know how much nepotism is involved. Among our younger birthday celebrants, Lily Collins is the daughter of Phil Collins and Vanessa Evigan is the daughter of Greg Evigan.

3. Living Canadian free. I found no one born north of the border today in today's research. Not quite as rare as no Star Trek, but unusual.

4. MST3K. Of the cheesy sci-fi movies Peter Graves made in the 1950s, only Red Planet Mars avoided being an experiment on the Satellite of Love. He was also in the non sci-fi SST: Death Flight which got the treatment before the show was on Comedy Central.

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: By its agency not only will the transport of goods along well-made roads become less costly and more expeditious, but localities in sparsely settled countries--such as those beyond the Missouri in America and the interior regions of South Africa, Australia and China--will become much more readily accessible. A traction-engine and automobile which can run across broad, almost trackless plains at the rate of fifteen miles an hour will bring within quick reach of civilisation many localities in which at present, for lack of such communication, rough men are apt to grow into semi-savages, while those who retain the instincts of civilisation look upon their exile as a living death. It will do more to enlighten the dark places of the earth than any other mechanical agency of the twentieth century.

Reality: Ooh, fifteen miles per hour! Won't that frighten the horses?

It is interesting to note how Sutherland viewed the world and how much it has changed. While the interiors of South Africa and Australia may still be sparsely populated, China is the populous country on earth and not just a population near the sea or the rivers but nearly everywhere. As for America beyond the Missouri, I do not view my life as exile or living death and I am not yet a semi-savage, though the opinions of some may differ on that.
 

Never to be Forgotten: Ib Melchoir 1917-2015 Danish born screenwriter and author Ib Melchoir has died at the age of 97. He wrote the screenplays for Planet of the Vampires, The Outer Limits, The Time Travelers, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Angry Red Planet, Men Into Space and Reptilicus. His story The Racer was the basis for Death Race 2000.

He was also well known for claiming a lot of things were stolen from him. He pitched a story he called Space Family Robinson to Irwin Allen and when he got no credit for Lost in Space, he consulted with lawyers who told him suing would hurt his career. He got paid as a consultant for the 1998 remake, but sued when he didn't get a cut of the profits. He also claims he pitched the original idea of a starship with a brave captain and an alien first officer to Gene Roddenberry, but no one involved with Star Trek ever rolled over and gave him any credit.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Ib Melchoir. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another less than accurate prediction from The Experts Speak.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!