10 June 2015

Birthdays
Kelly Vitz b. 1988 (Teenius, Sky High)
Mitch Ryan b. 1987 (Cabin Fever: Patient Zero)
Celina Jade b. 1985 (Arrow)
Susannah Fielding b. 1985 (Doctor Who)
Leelee Sobieski b. 1983 (Hercules [2005 TV])
Shanna Collins b. 1983 (The Haunting of Molly Hartley, War of the Worlds)
Toby Levins b. 1981 (The 100, Fear the Walking Dead, Falling Skies, Godzilla [2014], Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, The Tomorrow People, Almost Human, Battlestar Galactica, Supernatural, Fringe)
Jonathan Bennett b. 1981 (Smallville, Eastwick)
Melinda Sward b. 1979 (Supernatural)
Shane West b. 1978 (Salem, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Dracula 2000, Sliders, Buffy)
DJ Qualls b. 1978 (Man in the High Castle, Z Nation, Supernatural, The Big Bang Theory, Lost, The Core)
Simon Fenton b. 1976 (A Night in Camelot, Matinee)
Mike Dopud b. 1968 (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Continuum, Man of Steel, Battlestar Galactica, Beauty and the Beast [2012], Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, Grimm, Warehouse 13, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Stargate, Smallville, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Supernatural, Journey to the Center of the Earth [TV], Blade: The Series, BloodRayne, Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep, Jeremiah, Rollerball, Dark Angel, Seven Days, The New Addams Family [TV], Millennium [TV], Futuresport, Welcome to Paradox)
Elizabeth Hurley b. 1965 (The Tomorrow People, Wonder Woman [2011], Bedazzled, My Favorite Martian [1999])
Amy Yip b. 1965 (Robotrix, Erotic Ghost Story)
Andrew Niccol b. 1964 (director, The Host [2013], In Time, S1m0ne, Gattaca)
Vincent Perez b. 1964 (Queen of the Damned, The Crow: City of Angels)
Ben Daniels b. 1964 (Jack the Giant Slayer, Merlin, Doom)
Jeanne Tripplehorn b. 1963 (Waterworld)
Carolyn Hennesy b. 1962 (Hybrids, Acting Dead, True Blood, Once Upon a Time, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare)
Gina Gershon b. 1962 (Category 7: The End of the World, Voodoo Dawn, Twilight Zone [1987])
Timothy Van Patten b. 1959 (director, Game of Thrones)
Robert Clohessy b. 1957 (The Avengers, Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe, Lois & Clark)
Rich Hall b. 1954 (C.H.U.D. II – Bud the Chud)
Frankie Faison b. 1949 (Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, Messengers, Prey, The Langoliers, Freejack, Maximum Overdrive, C.H.U.D., Cat People)
Randee Heller b. 1947 (ALF)
Mickey Jones b. 1941 (It Came From Outer Space II, Total Recall, Misfits of Science, V, Starman, The Incredible Hulk, Galactica 1980)
Jurgen Prochnow b. 1941 (House of the Dead, Wing Commander, Judge Dredd, Terminus, Dune)
Alexandra Stewart b. 1939 (Highlander [TV], Deadly Nightmares)
Luciana Paluzzi b. 1937 (The Six Million Dollar Man: Solid Gold Kidnapping, Captain Nemo and the Underwater City, The Green Slime, Mr. Terrific, Hercules)
Maurice Sendak b. 1928 died 8 May 2012 (author/artist, Where the Wild Things Are)
Sunshine Parker b. 1927 died 17 February 1999 (Tremors, Werewolf [TV])
Lionel Jeffries b. 1926 died 19 February 2010 (Lexx, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, First Men in the Moon, The Revenge of Frankenstein, The Quatermass Xperiment)
Judy Garland b. 1922 died 22 June 1969 (The Wizard of Oz)
Garry Walberg b. 1921 died 27 March 2012 (King Kong [1976], The Andromeda Strain, The Immortal, Land of the Giants, The Invaders, Star Trek, Twilight Zone)
Lou Frizzell b. 1920 died 17 June 1979 (Project U.F.O., Devil Dog: The Hound from Hell, Capricorn One, Isis)
Barry Morse b. 1918 died 2 February 2008 (TekWar, Dracula: The Series, Twilight Zone [1988], Whoops Apocalypse, The Changeling, The Shape of Things to Come, Space: 1999, The Starlost, The Invaders, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, ‘Way Out)
Robert Eddison b. 1908 died 14 December 1991 (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Storyteller, The Legend of King Arthur [1979], Out of the Unknown)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to writer Andrew Niccol because he was the only birthday boy I had back in 2013 before I figured out easy methods of research and Judy Garland in 2014 because The Wizard of Oz is still one of the best and most successful genre films of all time. I thought about Jurgen Prochnow from Dune and Maurice Sendak, but I went instead with Barry Morse from Space: 1999, still one of my all-time least favorite genre TV shows. It should be remembered that Space: 1999 was produced in that desperate era between the cancellation of Star Trek and the release of Star Wars, when sci-fi fans were starved for good options. I watched every week and this was definitely not a good option.

2. Spot the Canadians! I'll give you Alexandra Stewart, because she's hard to spot. There's one more, not hard to spot, though you might be fooled be a faux Canadian.

3. The Gal at the Door and MST3K. The oldest living person on the list is Italian beauty Luciana Paluzzi, now 78. Everyone younger than her is still with us. She was a Bond girl in Thunderball, but is remembered here for genre work, including two films that got the MST3K treatment, the original Hercules and The Green Slime.

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

Predictor: George Sutherland in the 1901 book Twentieth Century Inventions

Prediction: With the advance of municipalisation, and of intelligent collectivism generally, enterprises of public utility will be guarded from mere cut-throat commercial hostility much more sedulously in the twentieth century than they have been in the past.

Reality: Hey! Our sensible pal Mr. Sutherland is a Commie! I knew I liked him.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Because I'm trying not to repeat myself, I will NOT be using a picture of Peter Dinklage tomorrow, and I already feel some pangs about this.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!