22 May 2015

Birthdays
Molly Ephraim b. 1986 (Paranormal Activity)
Tao Okamoto b. 1985 (Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, The Wolverine)
Lucy Gordon b. 1980 died 20 May 2009 (Spider-Man 3)
Maggie Q b. 1979 (Insurgent, Divergent, Priest)
Ginnifer Goodwin b. 1978 (Once Upon a Time)
Noa Tisby b. 1977 (Charmed, The Island, The 4400, Star Trek: Enterprise)
A. J. Langer b. 1974 (Poltergeist: The Legacy, Escape from L.A., And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird, The People Under the Stairs)
Sean Gunn b. 1974 (Guardians of the Galaxy, H+, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Specials, Angel, Tromeo and Juliet)
Max Brooks b. 1972 (author, World War Z)
Alison Eastwood b. 1972 (Breakfast of Champions)
Michael Kelly b. 1969 (Man of Steel, Chronicle, The Adjustment Bureau, Fringe, Level 9)
David Holcomb b. 1967 (Spider-Man)
Brooke Smith b. 1967 (American Horror Story)
Mark Christopher Lawrence b. 1964 (Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys, Halloween II, Heroes, The Island, K-PAX, Planet of the Apes, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Terminator 2: Judgment Day)
James Lorinz b. 1964 (RoboCop 3, Frankenhooker)
David Schneider b. 1963 (28 Days Later…)
Ann Cusack b. 1961 (The Lost Room, Charmed, Star Trek: Enterprise, What Planet Are You From?, From the Earth to the Moon, Multiplicity, Tank Girl)
Gary Kasper b. 1958 (Bigfoot, My Demon Within, Star Trek: Enterprise, Conan, Batman Forever, Harry and the Hendersons [TV], Space, J.O.E. and the Colonel)
Gary Sweet b. 1957 (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader)
Mike Muscat b. 1952 (Horrorween, Shamelessly She-Hulk, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Last Action Hero, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Starman [TV], The Clan of the Cave Bear)
Thomas Schlamme b. 1950 (director, Invasion)
Cheryl Campbell b. 1949 (The Sarah Jane Adventures)
John Lazar b. 1946 (Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfolds)
Jack Kehler b. 1946 (The Man in the High Castle, Angel, Men in Black II, The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human, Sliders, Babylon 5, Waterworld, Deep Space Nine, Tales form the Crypt, Mann & Machine, Strange Invaders)
Michael Sarrazin b. 1940 died 17 April 2011 (Feardotcom, Arrival II, Earthquake in New York, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Frankenstein: The True Story)
Paul Winfield b. 1939 died 7 March 2004 (Mars Attacks!, White Dwarf, Babylon 5, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Charmings, The Terminator, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Twilight’s Last Gleaming)
Richard Benjamin b. 1938 (actor, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Saturday the 14th, Love at First Bite, Quark, Westworld; director, My Stepmother is an Alien)
John Nolan b. 1938 (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight Rises, 1990, Doomwatch, The Prisoner)
Frank Converse b. 1938 (VR.5, The Bionic Woman, The Starlost, The Sixth Sense [1972])
Merry Anders b. 1932 died 28 October 2012 (Women of the Prehistoric Planet, The Time Travelers, The Addams Family, Beauty and the Beast [1962])
Michael Constantine b. 1927 (WW 3, Free Spirit, The Powers of Matthew Star, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, The Invaders, My Favorite Martian, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone)
Quinn Martin b. 1922 died 5 September 1987 (producer, The Aliens Are Coming, The Mephisto Waltz, The Invaders)
Laurence Olivier b. 1907 died 11 July 1989 (Clash of the Titans, Dracula [1979], The Boys from Brazil)
Arthur Conan Doyle b. 1859 died 7 July 1930 (author, The Lost World)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Paul Winfied from Star Trek: The Next Generation and a poster from the Indiana Jones movie released in 2008. This year I go with Laurence Olivier as Zeus in Clash of the Titans. I want to be clear that putting someone in the Picture Slot is not a sign of approval for their work. Olivier was very pretty when he was young and may have been great on stage, but on film I thought he was way too hammy. I am much keener on his contemporaries like John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson.

2. Nepotism FTW. Allison Eastwood is the most obvious case of nepotism on the list, but imdb.com made a special point to note that Brooke Smith is the daughter of powerful publicist Lois Smith. While not that well known to the general public, it probably helped her get started. Ann Cusack is John Cusack's sister, Richard Benjamin is married to Paula Prentiss and I don't consider either relationship nepotistic.

3. One unspottable Canadian from the Wait... he's dead category. Michael Sarrazin was born north of the border, but his career took off long before the Canadian genre TV industry came into existence. I also have to admit I wasn't completely aware he was gone when I clicked on his imdb.com web page this morning.

4. MST3K. Merry Anders was in Women of the Prehistoric Planet.

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


Movies released 
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull released, 2008
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian released, 2009

Predictor: H.G. Wells in his 1901 book Anticipations

Prediction: The struggle on the high seas between any two naval powers (except, perhaps, the English and American, who have both quite unparalleled opportunities for coaling) will not last more than a week or so.

Reality: Not even close. Naval struggles in both world wars lasted throughout the duration and the Germans and Japanese held their own for a long time against the British and Americans. While coal was used well into the 20th Century, many vessels ran on gasoline and coaling stations became obsolete.

Big fat goose egg, Herb.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

More incautious optimism from the 1955 book Utopia 1976.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!