31 July 2015

Birthdays
Alexis Knapp b. 1989 (Vamp U, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief)
Sofia Pernas b. 1989 (Age of the Dragons)
Jessica Williams b. 1989 (Hot Tub Time Machine 2)
Charlie Carver b. 1988 (The Leftovers, Teen Wolf [TV])
Raymond Pickard b. 1982 (The Borrowers, The Canterville Ghost)
Eric Lively b. 1981 (The Butterfly Effect 2)
Harry Potter b. 1980 (wizard)
B.J. Novak b. 1979 (Amazing Spider-Man 2)
Andrea Drepaul b. 1979 (Damien, Beauty and the Beast, Warehouse 13)
James Harvey Ward b. 1978 (The Dark Knight Rises, True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, No Ordinary Family)
Tressa Thomas b. 1978 (Flatliners)
Jayce Bartok b. 1975 (Spider-Man, Aliens in the Family)
Annie Parisse b. 1975 (Fringe, NYPD 2069, National Treasure)
Michael Klesic b. 1975 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Children of Men, Space Cadets, Multiplicity, Weird Science)
Jodi Ann Paterson b. 1975 (Dude, Where’s My Car?)
Emilia Fox b. 1974 (Merlin, Dorian Gray)
Tami Stronach b. 1972 (The NeverEnding Story)
Allison Barron b. 1972 (Harry and the Hendersons, Quantum Leap, Out of This World, Night of the Demons, A Nightmare of Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge)
Christina Cox b. 1971 (Arrow, Elysium, Stargate: Atlantis, The Chronicles of Riddick, Andromeda, Mutant X, Code Name: Eternity, Earth: Final Conflict, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, First Wave, Forever Knight)
Ben Chaplin b. 1970 (Cinderella, The Water Horse, Dorian Gray, The Return of the Borrowers [TV])
Dean Cain b. 1966 (Supergirl, The Black Hole [2015], Smallville, 10.5: Apocalypse, Lost, Futuresport, Lois & Clark)
Jim True-Frost b. 1966 (666 Park Avenue, Fringe, W.E.I.R.D. World)
Pat Finn b. 1965 (Wizards of Waverly Place, Dude, Where’s My Car?, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
J. K. Rowling b. 1965 (won the 2001 Hugo for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Ian Roberts b. 1965 (Infected, Puppet Master X; Axis Rising, Superman Returns)
Kym Malin b. 1962 (Weird Science)
Wesley Snipes b. 1962 (Blade, Futuresport, Demolition Man)
Greg Travis b. 1958 (Halloween II [2009], Night of the Living Dead 3D, Starship Troopers, Humanoids from the Deep, American Gothic, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventures [TV])
Dirk Blocker b. 1957 (The X Files, Quantum Leap, Starman, Poltergeist, Beyond Westworld)
Michael Biehn b. 1956 (Metal Hurlant Chronicles, Planet Terror, The Insatiable, Clockstoppers, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, Asteroid, The Abyss, The Seventh Sign, Aliens, The Terminator, Logan’s Run [TV])
Al Sapienza b. 1956 (Gotham, The Flash [2014], Godzilla [2014 and 1998], The Tomorrow People, Arrow, Fringe, NightMan, Dark Skies, Judge Dredd)
James Read b. 1953 (Charmed, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Star Trek: Voyager, Lois & Clark)
Barry Van Dyke b. 1951 (Light Years Away, She-Wolf of London, The Canterville Ghost, The Powers of Matthew Star, Galactica 1980, Mork & Mindy, Tabitha, Wonder Woman, Gemini Man)
Lane Davies b. 1950 (3rd Rock from the Sun, Babylon 5: In the Beginning, Lois & Clark)
Richard Griffiths b. 1947 died 28 March 2013 (Harry Potter, Hugo, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Whoops Apocalypse, Superman II)
Geraldine Chaplin b. 1944 (The Forbidden Room, Gulliver’s Travels [TV], Z.P.G.)
Sab Shimono b. 1943 (Ben 10: Race Against Time, Southland Tales, Waterworld, The X-Files, The Shadow, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III, Max Headroom, Knight Rider)
France Nuyen b. 1939 (Automan, The Six Million Dollar Man, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, Dimension 5)
Geoffrey Lewis b. 1935 died 7 April 2015 (Odyssey 5, The X-Files, The Lawnmower Man, Annihilator, Amazing Stories, Night of the Comet, The Amazing Spider-Man [TV], Salem’s Lot, Mork & Mindy, Quark, The Six Million Dollar Man, Ark II)
Ted Cassidy b. 1932 died 16 January 1979 (Man From Atlantis, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Planet Earth, Genesis II, I Dream of Jeannie, Mr. Terrific, The Addams Family, Jack and the Beanstalk [TV], Star Trek, Batman, Lost in Space)
Don Murray b. 1929 (The Stepford Children, Radioactive Dreams, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes)
Primo Levi b. 1919 died 11 April 1987 (author, The Periodic Table)
Mario Bava b. 1914 died 27 April 1980 (director, Baron Blood, A Bay of Blood, Blood Brides, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, Planet of the Vampires, Caltiki, the Immortal Monster, Lust of the Vampire)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot belonged to J.K. Rowling and Ted Cassidy, both easily defended on iconic status. If I was going modern, both Dean Cain and Wesley Snipes are iconic, but both are also jerks in their own way, Cain one of those Fox News jackasses and Snipes a tax evader. So instead it's the lovely France Nuyen from the original Star Trek and I expect very few complaints from heterosexual males.

2. Spot the Canadians! Andrea Drepaul and Christina Cox are today's northern contingent.

3. Nepotism and Not. Folks who know 1960s America TV will know that Dirk Blocker and Barry Van Dyke count as nepotism, Van Dyke a little more than Blocker. Geraldine Chaplin also counts, but Ben Chaplin is not related to Charlie, just to be clear.

4. Harry Potter turns 35 today. I wonder what model of mini-van he drives.


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

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

Prediction:But I believe that these prevailing men of the future, like many of the saner men of to-day, having so formulated their fundamental belief, will presume to no knowledge whatever, will presume to no possibility of knowledge of the real being of God. They will have no positive definition of God at all.

Reality: A lot of science fiction writers got it in their heads that the world would become more like the the folks they hang out with and religion would dwindle away.

Mmmm... not so much.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

A new splash illustration goes up tomorrow for the month of August and a few thoughts about those jetpacks and flying cars we were promised.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

30 July 2015

Birthdays
Joey King b. 1999 (Oz the Great and Powerful, The Dark Knight Rises, Battle Los Angeles, Jericho)Aml Ameen b. 1985 (Sense8, The Maze Runer)
Yvonne Strahovski b. 1982 (The Astronaut Wives Club, I, Frankenstein)
Martin Starr b. 1982 (Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead, This Is the End, Futurestates, The Last Lovecraft: Relic of Cthulhu, The Incredible Hulk, Roswell, Mysterious Ways, God vs Evil)
Lisa Wilhoit b. 1981 (The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Hook)
Jaime Pressly b. 1977 (Charmed, Mortal Kombat: Conquest, NightMan)
Christopher Ray b. 1977 (director, Blood Lake: Attack of the Killer Lampreys, Mega Shark, Asteroid vs Earth, Almighty Thor, Reptisaurus)
Nikolai Kinski b. 1976 (Aeon Flux)
John Reardon b. 1975 (Continuum, Supernatural, The Philadelphia Experiment [TV], TRON: Legacy, Super Hybrid, Eureka, Painkiller Jane, Merlin’s Apprentice, Andromeda)
Hilary Swank b. 1974 (The Core, Buffy)
Christine Taylor b. 1971 (The Craft, Here Come the Munsters)
Christopher Nolan b. 1970 (director, Interstellar, The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, Batman Begins)
Simon Baker b. 1969 (Land of the Dead, The Ring Two, Red Planet)
Terry Crews b. 1968 (Gamer, Terminator Salvation, Idiocracy, Click, The 6th Day)
Jason Watkins b. 1966 (Atlantis, Doctor Who, Psychoville, Being Human, The Golden Compass)
Kevin Blatch b. 1965 (Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Flash Gordon [TV], Stargate SG-1, Dead Like Me, The Dead Zone, Seven Days, Millennium, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Strange Luck)
Vivica A. Fox b. 1964 (Sharknado 2: The Second One, Ella Enchanted, Tremors [TV], Batman & Robin, Independence Day)
Monique Gabrielle b. 1963 (Munchie, 976-Evil II, Transylvania Twist, The Return of Swamp Thing, Not of This Earth)
Laurence Fishburne b. 1961 (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel, The Signal, The Colony, Predators, The Matrix, Cherry 2000, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors)
Richard Linklater b. 1960 (director, A Scanner Darkly)
Richard Burgi b. 1958 (The Green Inferno, Reaper, Firefly, Mann & Machine, The Flash)
Philip Davis b. 1953 (Being Human, Merlin [2011 TV], Doctor Who, Alien³, Howling V: The Rebirth)
Erwin Leder b. 1951 (Underworld)
Jean Reno b. 1948 (Rollerball [2002], Godzilla [1998], Le Dernier Combat)
Carel Struycken b. 1948 (Charmed, The Addams Family, Men in Black, Star Trek: Voyager, Babylon 5, Journey to the Center of the Earth [TV], Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Witches of Eastwick, Ewoks: The Battle of Endor, The Prey, Bigfoot and Wildboy)
Arnold Schwarzenegger b. 1947 (Terminator, The 6th Day, End of Days, Batman & Robin, Last Action Hero, Total Recall, The Running Man, Red Sonja, Conan, Hercules in New York)
William Atherton b. 1947 (Defiance, Lost, Stargate SG-1, Headspace, Race to Space, The Crow: Salvation, Twilight Zone [1985], Ghostbusters)
Frances de la Tour b. 1944 (Into the Woods, Hugo, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Alice in Wonderland [2010], The Book of Eli, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Peter Bogdanovich b. 1939 (Voyage to the Planet of Prehistoric Women)
John P. Ryan b. 1936 died 20 March 2007 (Class of 1999, Faerie Tale Theatre, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, It Lives Again, Futureworld, It’s Alive)
Richard Johnson b. 1927 died 6 June 2015 (Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Zombie, Space: 1999, The Haunting)
Victor Wong b. 1927 died 12 September 2001 (Poltergeist: The Legacy, Tremors, Beauty and the Beast, The Golden Child, Big Trouble in Little China)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. A fine list today, full of stars, fabulous babes, household names and folks with iconic roles. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Laurence Fishburne, both of them stars and both iconic. Taking them off the list, there are still plenty of choices, but I went with Carel Struycken as Lurch. It's a small coincidence that Ted Cassidy's birthday is tomorrow, but he won't be in The Picture Slot, as he has already had his turn.

2. Spot the Canadians! There are two, they are spottable, so I leave it as an exercise for the reader.

3. Nepotism FTW. Nikolai Kinski is Klaus's son.

4. The Guy at the Door. I did not know until this morning that Peter Bogdanovich had directed a cheap genre film early in his career under and assumed name. He is also the oldest living person on the list and everyone younger than him is still with us, so he is also The Guy at the Door at the tender age of 76. As always, the blog extends special best wishes for a long and happy life.
 
Many happy returns to all the living on the list, especially Peter Bogdanovich, and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

Predictor: Life Magazine, 1914

Prediction: The fashion trends of 1950

Reality: First things first. This version of Life has nothing to do with the iconic photo journalism magazine that began publishing in the late 1920s. This was a humor magazine from an earlier era.

The time frame is all wrong and men's fashion prediction is pretty bad, but from the 1960s on, there have been women's fashions at least as revealing as what the woman is wearing. The hair is a little outlandish, but only a little. Women smoking pipes in public is the one completely false note on the distaff side.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

H.G. Wells is back for another chance to damage his reputation as a pleasant human being.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

29 July 2015

Birthdays
Munro Chambers b. 1990 (Turbo Kid, A Wrinkle in Time)
Penny Bae Bridges b. 1990 (Space Jam)
Genesis Rodriguez b. 1987 (Moose Jaws, Tusk)
Tania Gunadi b. 1983 (Pixel Perfect, Haunted)
Allison Mack b. 1982 (Lost in Oz, Smallville, The Nightmare Room)
Dominic Burgess b. 1982 (The Leftovers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Doctor Who, Batman Begins)
Jeremy Beiler b. 1982 (Men in Black 3)
Megan Hayes b. 1980 (Sleepy Hollow, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, +1)
Rachel Miner b. 1980 (Supernatural, The Butterfly Effect 3: Revelations, The X Files)
Lana Kinnear b. 1976 (Iron Man, Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV)
Stephen Dorff b. 1973 (Immortals, Blade, Space Truckers)
Dileep Rao b. 1973 (Touch, Inception, Avatar, Drag Me to Hell)
Wil Wheaton b. 1972 (Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana, Sharknado 2: The Second One, Big Bang Theory, Eureka, The Guild, Neverland, Star Trek: Nemesis, The Invisible Man, Python, Deep Core, Flubber, Perversions of Science, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Monsters, The Curse, The Last Starfighter)
Graham McGrath b. 1971 (Krull, Frankenstein [1984 TV])
Mans Marlind b. 1969 (director, Underworld: Awakening)
Timothy Omundson b. 1969 (Supernatural, Warehouse 13, Jericho, Xena, Starship Troopers, Dark Skies, SeaQuest 2032)
Daniel Raymont b. 1969 (Alien: Resurrection)
Richard Steven Horvitz b. 1966 (Invader ZIM, Babylon 5, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, The Munsters Today)
Dean Haglund b. 1965 (The Icarus II Project, Atlantis Down, The X Files, The Lone Gunmen, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Sliders)
Alexandra Paul b. 1963 (Firequake, A.I. Assault, Disaster Zone: Volcano in New York, Cyber Bandits, Deadly Nighmares, Christine)
Kevin Spirtas b. 1962 (Daredevil, Quantum Leap, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood)
Brian Peck b. 1960 (Jack and the Beanstalk [2010], X-Men 2, X-Men, The Tick, Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest, Return of the Living Dead I, II and III)
Marcus Gilbert b. 1958 (Army of Darkness, Doctor Who)
Wendy Hughes b. 1952 died 8 March 2014 (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Amerika)
Charles Hallahan b. 1953 died 25 November 1997 (Roswell, Warlock: The Armageddon, Cast a Deadly Spell, Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Thing)
Mike Starr b. 1950 (Deep Space Nine, Millennium, Early Edition, James and the Giant Peach, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Freejack, Cat’s Eye)
Leslie Easterbrook b. 1949 (Lavalantula, House of the Witchdoctor, House, Halloween, The Munsters Today, Misfits of Science)
Ryan Cutrona b. 1949 (The X Files, Dark Skies, Millennium, Babylon 5, Alien Nation)
Charles Hallahan b. 1943 died 25 November 1997 (Space Jam, Roswell, Warlock: The Armageddon, Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Thing [1982])
David Warner b. 1941 (Penny Dreadful, Doctor Who, Hogfather, The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse, Cyber Wars, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2003 TV], Planet of the Apes [2001], The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne, Total Recall 2070, Wing Commander, The Last Leprechaun, Perversions of Science, Beastmaster III, Babylon 5, Lois & Clark, Necronomicon: Book of Dead, The Lost World, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, My Best Friend is a Vampire, Frankenstein [1984 TV], Faerie Tale Theatre, The Company of Wolves, Cast a Deadly Spell, TRON, Time Bandits, Time After Time, The Omen)
Robert Fuller b. 1933 (The Brain from Planet Arous)
Lloyd Bochner b. 1925 died 29 October 2005 (Legend of the Mummy, Superboy, Millennium [1989], Manimal, Battlestar Galactica, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, The Starlost, The Dunwich Horror, Bewitched, The Green Hornet, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twilight Zone)
Gordon Mitchell b. 1923 died 20 September 2003 (Evil Spawn, She [1982], Frankenstein ’80, The Giant of Metropolis, Atlas Against the Cyclops)
Frank Marth b. 1922 died 12 January 2014 (The Incredible Hulk, Battlestar Galactica [1979], Captain America, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Marooned, The Invaders, The Green Hornet, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, My Favorite Martian)
Chris Marker b. 1921 died 29 July 2012 (writer, La Jetee)
Melvin Belli b. 1907 died 9 July 1996 (Star Trek)
William Powell b. 1892 died March 5 1984 (Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid)
Maria Ouspenskaya b. 1876 died 3 December 1949 (Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, The Wolf Man)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Okay, in previous years I had Wil Wheaton and Lloyd Bochner in the Picture Slot. Wheaton had an iconic role and has become a major figure in nerd culture, while Bochner had the lead role on one the the greatest Twilight Zone episodes, To Serve Man. But seriously, this means I didn't give the Slot to David Warner two years running and I admit that's just wrong. I mean, could Wheaton or Bochner look like a bad-ass holding a colorized frisbee?

No, they could not. They aren't David Warner.

2. Spot the Canadians! Munro Chambers and Dean Haglund.

3. Wait... she's dead? Wendy Hughes died in March of last year and I didn't give her a Never to be Forgotten. I noted this glaring oversight last year on her birthday. This year, my brain adamantly refused to accept it had seen the memo about this.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Wendy Hughes, from a big fan. She is never to be forgotten, especially by the knucklehead writing this blog.

4. That's a long retirement. William Powell stopped acting in his 60s - Mister Roberts in 1955 - and lived into his 90s, never being tempted to get back on screen.

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


Movie released
Cowboys & Aliens released, 2011

Predictor: George Sutherland in his 1902 book Twentieth Century Inventions

Prediction: In farming and horticulture the field of labour is not so narrowly localised as it is in mining. Work representing an expenditure of hundreds of thousands of pounds may be carried out in mines whose area does not exceed two or three acres; and it is therefore highly remunerative to concentrate mechanical power upon such enterprises in the most up-to-date machinery. But the farmer ranges from side to side of his wide fields, covering hundreds, or even thousands, of acres with his operations. He is better situated than the miner in respect of the economical and healthy application of horse-power, but far worse in regard to the immediate possibilities of steam-power and electrically-conducted energy. No one can feed draught stock more cheaply than he, and no one can secure able-bodied men to work from sunrise till evening at a lower wage. Yet the course of industrial evolution, which has made so much progress in the mine and the factory, must very soon powerfully affect agriculture… But the presence of a source of power which can easily be shifted about from place to place on the farm for the purpose of watering the ground must very soon suggest the applicability of the same mechanical energy to the digging or ploughing of the soil. It is from this direction, rather than from the wide introduction of steam-ploughs and diggers, that the first great impetus to the employment of mechanical power on the farm may be looked for. The steam-plough, no doubt, has before it a future full of usefulness; and yet the slow progress that has been made by it during a quarter of a century suggests that, in its present form--that is to say while built on lines imitating the locomotive and the traction-engine--it cannot very successfully challenge the plough drawn by horse-power.

Reality: Regular readers will know that Sutherland looked at the problems with internal combustion engines and pretty much discounted their further usefulness, and so predicted great futures for electric engines and steam engines. Even with this major stumbling block in his predictions, I still like the guy.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

A prediction from the Edwardian era about how folks will dress in 1950.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

28 July 2015

Birthdays
Hannah Lochner b. 1993 (Dawn of the Dead, Terminal Invasion)
Dustin Milligan b. 1985 (Demonic, Shark Night 3D, Supernatural, The Butterfly Effect 2, Slither, Andromeda, Dead Like Me)
Eliza Swenson b. 1982 (The Penny Dreadful Picture Show, The Witches of Oz, Dragon, Pocahauntus, Dracula’s Curse, Satanic, King of the Lost World, The Beast of Bray Road, Frankenstein Reborn )
Billy Aaron Brown b. 1981 (Attack of the Sabretooth, Jeepers Creepers II)
Mark Vande Brake b. 1980 (Willow)
Gabriel Pimentel b. 1979 (InAlienable, Beer Money)
Chris Andrew Ciulla b. 1975 (Caper, Unearthed, Southland Tales)
Elizabeth Berkley b. 1972 (S. Darko, Threshold, Control Factor, Perversions of Science, Frog)
Alexis Arquette b. 1969 (Xena: Warrior Princess, Buffy, Alien Nation [TV])
Rachel Blakely b. 1968 (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Lost World, Xena)
Carlos Jacott b. 1967 (The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Firefly, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Angel, Being John Malkovich, Buffy)
Lori Loughlin b. 1964 (Eastwick, Birds of Prey, Amityville 3-D)
Michael Hitchcock b. 1958 (Super 8, Serenity, Bug)
Deborah Voorhees b. 1961 (Friday the 13th: A New Beginning)
Luca Barbareschi b. 1956 (Cannibal Holocaust)
Dey Young b. 1955 (Star Trek: Enterprise, Deep Space Nine, The X Files, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Freddy’s Nightmares, Not Quite Human II, The Running Man, Spaceballs, Strange Invaders)
Nina Axelrod b. 1955 (Critters 3, Brainstorm, Time Walker)
Bruce Abbott b. 1954 (Black Scorpion, Bride of Re-Animator, Beauty and the Beast [TV], Re-Animator, Interzone, The Last Starfighter)
Tony Carroll b. 1950 died March 2007 (Masters of the Universe, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Hercules in New York)
Georgia Engel b. 1948 (Mork & Mindy)
Sally Struthers b. 1947 (Monster Heroes, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Alice in Wonderland [1985])
Linda Kelsey b. 1946 (The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Twilight Zone [1987], The Picture of Dorian Gray [1973 TV])
Frances Lee McCain b. 1944 (Back to the Future, Gremlins)
Phil Proctor b. 1940 (Freddy’s Nightmares, Lobster Man from Mars, The Twilight Zone [1985])
Charles Cyphers b. 1939 (Buffy, Sliders, SeaQuest 2032, Lois & Clark, Halloween I and II, Escape from New York, The Fog, Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Isis)
Darryl Hickman b. 1931 (Beauty and the Beast [1987 TV], Looker, The Tingler)
David Brown b. 1916 died 1 February 2010 (producer, Deep Impact, Cocoon, Ssssss)
Laird Cregar b. 1913 died 9 December 1944 (Heaven Can Wait [1943])
Ann Doran b. 1911 died 19 September 2000 (Twilight Zone [1987], Project U.F.O., Bewitched, The Brass Bottle, It! The Terror from Beyond Space, Adventures of Superman)
Rudy Vallee b. 1901 died 3 July 1986 (Batman)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Remember on Sunday when the birthday list was loaded down with household names and actors with iconic roles? Well... this list isn't, to be blunt.

In 2013, before I learned a good research method, I had no one on the birthday list. Last year, I used the fabulous Rachel Blakely, who was a regular on the series The Lost World. This year, I considered Carlos Jacott and Michael Hitchcock because I'm a Whedonverse nerd or Ann Doran because she is an Oh That Gal with over 300 credits on imdb.com, but in the end I decided on Rudy Vallee playing one of the truly forgettable Batman villains, Marmaduke Ffogg. I chose him because Vallee was an asshole.

Let me explain.

A lot of living people maintain their own imdb.com pages, but of course the dead can't do that, and every once in a while you'll find a page where the biography leads with how much the cast and crew hated working with the featured artist. I saw it with Ken Maynard, a cowboy star of the 1920s and 1930s - he didn't have any genre credits, not surprisingly - and I saw it today with Vallee, though I had heard rumors about him before.

Image is everything in show business, as Bill Cosby is learning the hard way. There are some famously disagreeable people who are no longer being protected by their publicists - Chevy Chase and Vince Vaughan are two well-known names - and there are others who nasty nature seems related to drugs - Randy Quaid and his wife, Crispin Glover, the list goes on. I worked at Lucas Film Games when I was younger and hung out with the official Skywalker Ranch photographer, who had many juicy stories about well-known folks, including stories about people hating to work with Raquel Welch and Julia Roberts. I hope these lovely women have improved their outlook on life, since this gossip in nearly a quarter century old now.

Hey! I just squeezed three real paragraphs our of a lousy Picture Slot choice. How often does that happen?

2. Spot the Canadians! Our Canucks today are the two youngest on the list,  Hannah Lochner and Dustin Milligan.

3. Nepotism FTW. Darryl Hickman and Dwight Hickman were brothers, I usually don't count that unless its a Ron Howard/Clint Howard situation. Alexis Arquette is part of the Arquette dynasty, starting with granddad Cliff and continuing with her dad Lewis.

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: Crime will be considered a disease after 1985 and will cease to exist by 2000.

Reality: Did Langdon-Davies ever get tired of being wrong? He lived until 1971, so he saw a lot of his prophecies turn to crap, but he didn't live long enough to see this one fail, and fail it did.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We get another visit from our sensible friend George Sutherland and his book Twentieth Century Inventions.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

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!

26 July 2015

Birthdays
Taylor Momsen b. 1993 (Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams, Hansel & Gretel)
Elizabeth Gillies b. 1993 (Animal)
Miriam McDonald b. 1987 (Orphan Black, Lost Girl, The Sea Beast)
Georgina Sherrington b. 1985 (The Worst Witch)
Mageina Tovah b. 1979 (American Horror Story, Spider-Man 2 and 3, Buffy)
Eve Myles b. 1978 (Torchwood, Doctor Who, Merlin)
Ben Cotton b. 1975 (iZombie, Olympus, Defiance, The 100, Continuum, Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, Battlestar Galactica, The Tomorrow People, Arrow, Fringe, Seeds of Destruction, The Boy Who Cried Werewolf, Stan Helsing, Kyle XY, Stargate: Atlantis, The Day the Earth Stood Still [2008], Bionic Woman, Flash Gordon [2007], Supernatural, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, The 4400, The Chronicles of Riddick, Taken, Jeremiah, Dark Angel, Smallville, Strange Frequency, The Immortal)
Kate Beckinsale b. 1973 (Total Recall [2012], Underworld, Click, Alice Through the Looking Glass [TV])
Susse Budde b. 1973 (Cloverfield, Lost)
Spencer Wilding b. 1972 (Victor Frankenstein, Jupiter Ascending, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Legend of Hercules, Atlantis, Doctor Who, Wrath of the Titans, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, Game of Thrones, The Golden Compass, Stardust, Eragon, Batman Begins, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
Olivia Williams b. 1968 (The Last Days on Mars, Dollhouse, X-Men: The Last Stand, The Sixth Sense, Jason and the Argonauts [TV], The Postman)
Jason Statham b. 1967 (Death Race, In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale, Ghosts of Mars)
Jeremy Piven b. 1965 (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Edge of Tomorrow, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D, Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde)
Sandra Bullock b. 1964 (Gravity, Premonition, The Lake House, Practical Magic, Demolition Man, Love Potion #9, Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman)
Danny Woodburn b. 1964 (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lavalantula, Mirror Mirror, Watchmen, Passions, Charmed, Angel, Conan [TV], Early Edition, Lois & Clark)
Kevin Spacey b. 1959 (Moon, Superman Returns, K-PAX)
Nana Visitor b. 1957 (Ted 2, Grimm, Torchwood, Friday the 13th [2009], Battlestar Galactica, They Are Among Us, Dark Angel, Deep Space Nine, The Spirit, The Twilight Zone [1985], Knight Rider)
Danny Bilson b. 1956 (writer, The Rocketeer, The Flash, Zone Troopers, Trancers)
Susan George b. 1950 (Computercide, Tales of the Unexpected, Tintorera: Killer Shark, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde)
Helen Mirren b. 1945 (Inkheart, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Faerie Tale Theatre, Twilight Zone [1985], 2010, Excalibur, A Midsummer Night’s Dream)
Suzanna Leigh b. 1945 (Lust for a Vampire, tom thumb)
Kiel Martin b. 1944 died 28 December 1990 (The Ray Bradbury Theatre)
Celeste Yarnall b. 1944 (The Velvet Vampire, Land of the Giants, Star Trek, Bewitched, Captain Nice)
Peter Hyams b. 1943 (director, Threshold, End of Days, The Relic, Timecop, Amazing Stories, 2010, Outland, Capricorn One)
Mick Jagger b. 1943 (Freejack, Faerie Tale Theatre)
Chino “Fats” Williams b. 1933 died 5 April 2000 (Weird Science, The Terminator, The Incredible Hulk)
Robert Colbert b. 1931 (Disaster in Time, Knight Rider, Land of the Giants, The Time Tunnel, My Favorite Martian, Have Rocket – Will Travel)
Stanley Kubrick b. 1928 died 7 March 1999 (writer/director, The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, 2001: A Space Odyssey)
James Best b. 1926 died 7 April 2015 (The Green Hornet, The Twilight Zone, The Killer Shrews, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms)
Jason Robards b. 1922 died 26 December 2000 (The Day After, Something Wicked This Way Comes, A Boy and His Dog)
Pat Walshe b. 1900 died 11 December 1991 (The Wizard of Oz)
Aldous Huxley b. 1894 died 22 November 1963 (author, Brave New World)

 Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. It was random chance that I decided to go birthday only today and get this really amazing birthday list. We are loaded down with household names - Kate Beckinsale (previous Picture Slotter), Sandra Bullock, Kevin Spacey, Helen Mirren, Mick Jagger, Stanley Kubrick, Jason Robards and Aldous Huxley, and a bunch of lesser known folk to the general public who count as iconic in genre, most notably Olivia Williams from Dollhouse, the second previous Picture Slotter Nana Visitor from Deep Space Nine and Robert Colbert from The Time Tunnel. On a less stellar list, I might even put in Celeste Yarnell from her Star Trek role. But instead it's Helen Mirren from Excalibur, the first role where I really noticed her.

I chose Ms. Mirren because it reminds me of what a fool in love can do. I had seen her before the 1980s, most notably in a late 1960s version of A Midsummer's Night Dream. It was a British cast, which pretty much automatically makes it a good cast, but it is remarkable how many people in it became much more famous over time: Judi Dench, Ian Holm, Ian Richardson, David Warner, Ms. Mirren and the reason I made sure I watched it, Diana Rigg, who was no longer on The Avengers and went back to the Royal Shakespeare Company. I was so smitten with Diana Rigg I barely noticed Helen Mirren existed. As I said, a fool in love.

2. Spot the Canadians. Today I will make it an exercise for the reader. There are two and both their credit lists give big hints. Knock yourselves out.

3. MST3K. I know The Killer Shrews got the treatment, as I always enjoyed the movies I had seen without sass talking robots first.

4. Notable deaths. I keep track of exact same birthdays when I can, but for exact same death days, Aldous Huxley and John F. Kennedy are about as famous as it gets. Keil Martin from Hill Street Blues died young, but I wasn't surprised when I saw it. I knew he was gone.

5. And just in case anybody asks. No, I still don't count Dr. Strangelove as genre.

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

Movie released
The Wolverine released, 2013

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's Monday and Robert A. Heinlein will start sharing the day with OMNI Future Almanac.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

25 July 2015

Birthdays
Mason Cook b. 2000 (Mockingbird Lane, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D)
Preston Bailey b. 2000 (Children of the Corn [2009])
Andrew Caldwell b. 1989 (Transformers)
Linsey Godfrey b. 1988 (Altergeist, Wizards of Waverly Place, Surface)
Michael Welch b. 1987 (Z Nation, Twilight, Grimm, Day of the Dead, Stargate SG-1, Birds of Prey, The Invisible Man, The X-Files, Star Trek: Insurrection)
Kevin Buttimer b. 1987 (Ant-Man)
Shantel VanSanten b. 1985 (The Messengers, The Flash, Something Wicked, Beauty and the Beast [2013])
James Lafferty b. 1985 (Oculus, S. Darko)
Jay R. Ferguson b. 1974 (No Ordinary Family, Surface)
Jason Marin b. 1974 (Back to the Future)
Aaron Craven b. 1974 (The Flash, The Age of Adaline, 100,000 Zombie Heads, Supernatural, Continuum, Fringe, Smallville, Alien Trespass, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Stargate: Atlantis, Kyle XY, The 4400, Stephen King’s Dead Zone)
Michael C. Williams b. 1973 (The Objective, Altered, The Blair Witch Project)
David Denman b. 1973 (After Earth, Angel, The X-Files)
Miriam Shor b. 1971 (Bedazzled)
D.B. Woodside b. 1969 (Buffy)
Matt LeBlanc b. 1967 (Lost in Space [1998])
Elke Jeinsen b. 1966 (Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV)
Illeana Douglas b. 1965 (Mega Shark vs. Kolossus, The Coven, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, Strange Frequency)
Iman b. 1955 (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Lynne Frederick b. 1954 died 27 April 1994 (Space: 1999, The Canterville Ghost, Phase IV, Vampire Circus, No Blade of Grass)
Nina Thomas b. 1952 (Doctor Who)
Janet Margolin b. 1943 died 17 December 1993 (Ghostbusters II, Planet Earth)
Pilar Seurat b. 1938 died 2 June 2001 (Star Trek, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Todd Armstrong b. 1937 died 17 November 1992 (The Greatest American Hero, Jason and the Argonauts)
Paul Collins b. 1937 (The Breed, The Invisible Man [2000], Dead man on Campus, Deep Space Nine, Quantum Leap)
August Schellenberg b. 1936 died 15 August 2013 (SGU Stargate Universe, Mysterious Ways, So Weird, Friday’s Curse, Deadly Nightmares)
Barbara Harris b. 1935 (Nice Girls Don’t Explode)
Ken Swofford b. 1933 (Max Headroom, Knight Rider, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America II: Death Too Soon, Battlestar Galactica, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Girl with Something Extra, The Andromeda Strain, The Intruders, Shadow on the Land)
Al Adamson b. 1929 died 2 August 1995 (Death Dimension, Doctor Dracula, Dracula vs. Frankenstein, Brain of Blood, Horror of the Blood Monsters, Blood of Dracula’s Castle)
Jerry Paris b. 1925 died 31 March 1986 (director, The Munsters)
Estelle Getty b. 1923 died 22 July 2008 (Mannequin)
Woody Strode b. 1914 died 31 December 1994 (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Kingdom of the Spiders, Batman)
Jack Gilford b. 1908 died 2 June 1990 (Cocoon, Anna to the Infinite Power, Caveman)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot, with extra "Wait... he's dead?" goodness. This is not a list weighed down with A-List stars. In previous years, I went full Whedonverse nerd with David Denman (the demon Skip from Angel) and D.B. Woodside, the hunky last principal of Sunnydale High on Buffy. This year, I go with Todd Armstrong, the star of Jason and the Argonauts, a movie I still love dearly. Starring in this movie did nothing for his career and he was upset that his voice was dubbed over after the fact. I don't blame him. I just found his name on imdb.com this year and I had not been cc:ed on the memo that he was dead.

This makes me sad.


2. Spot the Canadians! We have two Canucks today, both somewhat spottable. Most folks who benefit form the Canadian genre production boom are born after 1970, which is true of Aaron Craven, but we also see some of those credits on First Nations actor August Schellenberg, who died a couple years back.

3. My favorite actors on the list, or Welcome to Geezers Anonymous. Jack Gilford was a great comic actor, Woody Strode was probably the best known African-American actor in the Westerns. Strode worked with both John Ford and Sergio Leone, and that is plenty good enough for me.

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

Movie released
Lucy released, 2014

The Weekly Soapbox: The End of Oil.

Instead of predictions on Saturday, because I am running low, instead I will write a little opinion piece on things that have have been predicted. The End of Oil has only shown up a few times on the blog, once from OMNI Future Almanac, once from Utopia 1976 and John Elfreth Watkins foresaw the end of coal. All the dates have come and gone - 2010, 1976 and 2000 - and we still have petroleum based fuel running the world.

OMNI Future Almanac's call wasn't a surprise. It was published in 1982 and Peak Oil was already an idea people were batting about. Utopia 1976 was written in 1955 and Watkins made his predictions in 1900, so they are more surprising. Why hasn't the sky fallen yet?

I found many graphs similar to the one shown here that credit "natural gas liquids" and "unconventional oil" as the main stop-gap, and both of those rely heavily on fracking.

You might assume from my generally leftist leanings that I will now say "Boo! Fracking!", but I honestly haven't made up my mind. I know there are bad things that have happened at fracking sites, but I don't know how common they are. I'd like to find a neutral site where I could find good data, but I haven't found that yet.

This is the real world. There are always trade-offs. It's important to understand what they are. 

I could just see who is lined up on both sides and decide to go with the folks I like, but I got suckered into the anti-vax point of view by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on The Daily Show last decade, so I no longer think that is good enough.

The pro-fracking types think of themselves as The Sensible People - and yes, I'm looking at you Joe Nocera - but they are keen on writing "if there is environmental damage, the companies should be made to clean it up."

Yes, they should. Also, people should not cheat on their spouses or taxes, shouldn't litter or have their phones on at the movies or the theatre.

But people do those things. And what's worse, polluting companies pay a shitload of money to lawyers to make sure they don't have to clean up their messes.

There are things getting better in the world, usually slowly, but there are also things getting slowly worse. If the people getting screwed finally realize they can afford pitchforks and torches, I will likely sympathize with their cause. The Sensible People will likely complain of their burns or their pitchfork wounds and I will listen politely, but then I will say "Perhaps this is a good time to look at what both sides have done wrong."

Okay, I'm off the soapbox for a week.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The first slow Sunday, with only a birthday list. In previous years, the 26th of July Picture Slot has belonged to fabulous babes. Will the streak continue?

Signs point to yes.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

24 July 2015

Birthdays
Emily Bett Rickards b. 1991 (The Flash, Arrow, Soldiers of the Apocalypse)
Daveigh Chase b. 1990 (S. Darko, Donnie Darko, The Ring, Charmed, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Jeffrey Zubernis b. 1987 (The Sixth Sense)
Mara Wilson b. 1987 (A Simple Wish)
Kyle Morris b. 1984 (Fear Force Five, The Forbidden Dimensions, Night of the Living Dead 3D: Re-Animation)
Anna Paquin b. 1982 (X-Men, True Blood)
Elisabeth Moss b. 1982 (Invasion, Escape to Witch Mountain [1995])
Trevor Matthews b. 1982 (Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer)
Summer Glau b. 1981 (Arrow, Knights of Badassdom, Alphas, The Big Bang Theory, Mammoth, Angel, Dollhouse, Serenity, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, The 4400)
Rose Byrne b. 1979 (X-Men: First Class, 28 Weeks Later, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones)
Laura Fraser b. 1976 (Forever, Vanilla Sky, Neverwhere)
Chad Christ b. 1974 (Gattaca)
Jennifer Lopez b. 1969 (The Cell, Anaconda)
Rick Fox b. 1969 (Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, The Guild, Big Bang Theory, Dollhouse)
Kristin Chenoweth b. 1968 (Bewitched [2005])
Paul Ben-Victor b. 1965 (Daredevil, The Invisible Man [2002], Red Scorpion 2, The X-Files)
Doug Liman b. 1965 (director, Edge of Tomorrow, Jumper)
James Anthony Cotton b. 1956 (Phenomenon)
Janit Baldwin b. 1953 (The Powers of Matthew Star, Phantom of the Paradise)
Fiona Reid b. 1951 (Haven, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Puppets Who Kill, Dr. Zonk and the Zunkins)
Lynda Carter b. 1951 (Smallville, Sky High, Wonder Woman)
Jim Kouf b. 1951 (writer, Grimm, National Treasure, Angel, The Boogens)
Michael Richards b. 1949 (Coneheads, Whoops Apocalypse, Transylvania 6-5000, Faerie Tale Theatre)
Robert Hays b. 1947 (Sharknado 2: The Second One, Superhero Movie, Starman [TV], Deadly Invasion: The Killer Bee Nightmare, Cat’s Eye, The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything, Wonder Woman)
Linda Harrison b. 1945 (Planet of the Apes [2001 and 1968], Cocoon, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Batman)
Chris Sarandon b. 1942 (Charmed, Perversions of Science, The Vampyre Wars, Bordello of Blood, Deep Space Nine, Shatterbrain, Frankenstein [1987], The Princess Bride, Fright Night [1985])
Dan Hedaya b. 1940 (Gotham, Alien: Resurrection, The Addams Family [1991], The Twilight Zone [1985], Buckaroo Banzai, Earthlings, The Hunger)
Mark Goddard b. 1936 (Soupernatural, Lost in Space [1998 and 1965], Strange Invaders)
Ruth Buzzi b. 1936 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Out of This World, They Came from Outer Space, The Munsters Today, My Mom’s a Werewolf, Legends of the Superheroes, Once Upon a Brothers Grimm, The Lost Saucer)
John D. MacDonald b. 1916 died 28 December 1986 (author, The Girl, the Gold Watch and Everything)
Shelia Florance b. 1916 died 12 October 1991 (Mad Max)
Sydney Bromley b. 1909 died 14 August 1987 (The NeverEnding Story, Dragonslayer, An American Werewolf in London, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, The Fearless Vampire Killers, Prehistoric Women, Night Creatures, Quatermass and the Pit, Quatermass II, Nineteen Eighty-Four [1954 British version])
Stuart Randall b. 1909 died 22 June 1988 (Indestructible Man, Adventures of Superman)
Lord Dunsany b. 1878 died 25 October 1957 (author, The Gods of Pegana)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Okay, fabulous babes. I have not been intentionally ignoring fabulous babes for the Picture Slot, but I have had only one all month, which is a ridiculously low number. In previous years, the Slot went to the fabulous Lynda Carter and the fabulous Summer Glau, and if I want the most iconic people on the list excluding these two worthies, I'd say it's a contest between Mark Goddard from Lost in Space, Linda Harrison from Planet of the Apes and today's winner Anna Paquin, who has two advantages over Goddard and Harrison, one being a 21st Century pick and the other being she's the actual star of the show.

And, oh yeah, fabulous.

2. Four Canadians, three unspottable. The youngest person on our list today, Emily Bett Rickards, is born north of the border and is featured on two genre shows shot in Canada. Trevor Matthews has only one credit, so it's hard to spot from such minimal evidence. The other two Canadians were born there and moved away at a young age, Anna Paquin and Rick Fox. I know who both of them are, but had no idea they were Canucks. Go figure.

3. The Guy and Gal at the Door, and what I learned today. Today's list has no one who died young and a twenty year gap between a living pair born in 1936 and a dead pair born in 1916. This makes Mark Goddard and Ruth Buzzi the Guy and Gal at the Door. I've had Goddard on the list for a while, but today I clicked on Ms. Buzzi's page just for a lark. I'm a little amazed at how much work she did in genre, and this doesn't even include her voice acting work.

4. MST3K. Stuart Randall appeared in Indestructible Man.

5. Hey... no Star Trek! For only the second time this month, we have a day with no Star Trek birthdays. 

Many happy returns to all the living on the list, especially Ruth Buzzi and Mark Goddard, and to the dead, thanks for all the memories.

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

Prediction: Moreover, before Germany can unify to the East she must fight the Russian, and to unify to the West she must fight the French and perhaps the English, and she may have to fight a combination of these powers. I think the military strength of France is enormously underrated… And France will not fight alone. She will fight for Switzerland or Luxembourg, or the mouth of the Rhine. She will fight with the gravity of remembered humiliations, with the whole awakened Slav-race at the back of her antagonist, and very probably with the support of the English-speaking peoples.

Reality: The opinion of the French as bad-asses sounds ridiculous in the 21st Century, but they were bad-asses in the 19th Century and it took two world wars to erase that view. Wells should get some credit for seeing that Germany was going to fight on multiple fronts.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Welcome to the first prediction free weekend, but a few thoughts about the end of petroleum.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

23 July 2015

Birthdays

Daniel Radcliffe b. 1989 (Victor Frankenstein [2015], Horns, Harry Potter)
Pippa Bennett-Warner b. 1988 (Doctor Who)
Reece Ritchie b. 1986 (Hercules [2014], Atlantis: End of the World, Birth of a Legend, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, 10,000 BC)
Paul Wesley b. 1982 (The Vampire Diaries, Fallen, Smallville, Minority Report)
Tom Mison b. 1982 (Sleepy Hollow)
Kathryn Hahn b. 1974 (Tomorrowland, The Last Mimzy)
Stephanie March b. 1974 (The Invention of Lying, Early Edition)
Charisma Carpenter b. 1970 (Haunted High, Supernatural, Legend of the Seeker, Charmed, Angel, Buffy, Strange Frequency)
Marlon Wayans b. 1972 (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Dungeons & Dragons)
Bill Chott b. 1969 (Wizards of Waverly Place, Invader ZIM, Dude, Where’s My Car?, Galaxy Quest, 3rd Rock from the Sun)
Shawn Levy b. 1968 (director, Night at the Museum, Real Steel, First Wave, The Journey of Allen Strange)
Philip Seymour Hoffman b. 1967 died 2 February 2014 (Hunger Games, The Invention of Lying)
Eriq La Salle b. 1962 (Under the Dome, Mega Fault, Quantum Leap, Jacob’s Ladder)
Rob Stewart b. 1961 (Dark Matter, Defiance, Beauty and the Beast [2013], Lost Girl, The Good Witch, ReGenesis, Jake 2.0, The Adventures of Sinbad, Highlander)
Woody Harrelson b. 1961 (The Hunger Games, 2012, Zombieland, A Scanner Darkly)
Diane Robin b. 1956 (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Brimstone, The Relic, RoboCop)
Edie McClurg b. 1951 (Flubber [1997], Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Homeboys in Outer Space, A.J.’s Time Travelers, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Small Wonder, Faerie Tale Theatre, The Incredible Hulk, Carrie)
Belinda Montgomery b. 1950 (TRON: Legacy, Man from Atlantis, The Sixth Sense [1972])
Larry Manetti b. 1947 (Monster Makers, Quantum Leap, Swamp Thing, Tales from the Darkside, Battlestar Galactica)
Marianne Gordon b. 1946 (The Being, Rosemary’s Baby, Mr. Terrific)
Ronny Cox b. 1938 (Age of Dinosaurs, Stargate SG-1, Deep Blue Sea, From the Earth to the Moon, Time Trax, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Captain America [1990], Total Recall, Martians Go Home, RoboCop)
C.M. Kornbluth b. 1923 died 21 March 1958 (author, The Space Merchants [with Frederik Pohl])
Virgil Finlay b. 1914 died 18 January 1971 (artist)
Julie Mitchum b. 1914 died 21 February 2003 (House on Haunted Hill)
Coral Browne b. 1913 died 29 May 1991 (Dreamchild, Time Express, Theatre of Blood)
Michael Wilding b. 1912 died 8 July 1979 (Frankenstein: The True Story)
Arthur Treacher b. 1894 died 14 December 1975 (Mary Poppins)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Not surprisingly, the Picture Slot in 2013 went to Daniel Radcliffe, the most iconic actor on the list by a bunch. In 2014, I went with an illustration from Virgil Findlay, one of the great sci-fi and fantasy illustrators from the Golden Age of magazine illustration. This year, it's Tom Mison, Ichabod Crane from TV's version of Sleepy Hollow. While not as iconic as the other gentlemen, it should be noted that he is famous for work he is doing right damn now, which cannot be said for Radcliffe or Findlay.

2. Spot the Canadians! Today's three Canadians are all born before 1970. Actor Rob Stewart has that certain Canadian whiff on his resume, actress Belinda Montgomery does not. Director Shawn Levy does a lot of work south of the border and he garners hate from fans at levels to rival Joel Schumacher. I barely knew who this guy was before this morning.

3. Nepotism more or less. Julie Mitchum was the older sister of Robert Mitchum. His career hit the heights, hers didn't. Coral Browne got plenty of work on stage and screen, but most of her genre work is due to her husband Vincent Price.

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

Predictor: Dean Ing in Wild Country, published 1985

Prediction: The third volume in the Ted Quantill trilogy (the first volume is Systemic Shock, the second Single Combat). In 2006 Ring cities have been built around ruined metropolises. Essentially a crime adventure story involving heroin smuggling and the development of a matter synthesizer. Little is said about the nuclear war.

Reality: My source The Experts Speak has dried up, but it did give a good run and pointed to John Langdon-Davies and Morris L. Ernst, so no regret there. The new Thursday regular is a familar one, the nuclear holocaust database of Professor Paul Brians. Much like The Experts Speak, the "reality" section will be "Umm... no." This is not a problem as far as I'm concerned. Predictions with dates before 2020 that can be verified or falsified are the meat of this blog, and I'm glad to find them anywhere I can.

 Never to be Forgotten: Al Checco 1925-2015 A week ago I reported on British character actor Aubrey Morris passing away, and Al Checco is now the fifth familiar (or semi-familiar) face to die in that span of time. He had 95 credits on imdb.com from the 1950s to the 2000s, mostly but not all on TV. The genre credits are Knight Rider, Pete’s Dragon, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Far Out Space Nuts, The Terminal Man, The Reluctant Astronaut, Batman, Mr. Terrific, The Munsters, The Incredible Mr. Limpet and Tales of Tomorrow.

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

BLOG NEWS! Today is my 1,000th post. For a blogger, that's not an enormous number, but I have to admit to a certain pride.

Make that pride and trepidation.

As I said up in the prediction section, this blog lives on predictions that can be verified or falsified, and I am running out. I'd like to make it to the end of the year, so my new policy is just birthday, no predictions on the weekends. I do have a source that is going to help me get through November easily, but getting to November is the tough task. I don't like repeating prediction for the most part, but I might bring back one early predictor (hint for the regulars: man-crush) just to get the blog to the end of November, or better still, the end of the year. Beyond that, I make no promises. 

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

More early 20th Century cheese from H.G. Wells.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

22 July 2015

Birthdays
Madison Pettis b. 1998 (The 4400, Jericho)
Selena Gomez b. 1992 (Wizards of Waverly Place)
Amy Paffrath b.1983 (The Purge: Anarchy, Gingerbread man vs Evil Bong, Zombies vs. Strippers, I Kissed a Vampiure, Hauntsville)
Clive Standen b. 1981 (Atlantis, Doctor Who)
Lauren Bittner b. 1980 (Paranormal Activity 3)
A.J. Cook b. 1978 (Bloodsuckers, Dead Like Me, Final Destination 2, Laserhawk)
Candace Kroslak b. 1978 (Knight Rider [2008], Planet of the Apes, Demonicus)
Franka Potente b. 1974 (American Horror Story, Run Lola Run)
Colin Ferguson b. 1972 (The Vampire Diaries, Caper, Haven, Eureka, Primeval: New World, Matty Hanson and the Invisibility Ray, Lake Placid 3, The Hunger [TV])
Oliver Robins b. 1971 (Poltergeist, Twilight Zone [1986])
Rhys Ifans b. 1967 (Dominion, The Amazing Spider-Man, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Nanny McPhee Returns, Little Nicky)
John Leguizamo b. 1964 (Kick-Ass 2, Repo Men, The Happening, Land of the Dead, Super Mario Bros.)
David Spade b. 1964 (ALF, Monsters)
Adam Godley b. 1964 (Powers, Battleship, Dollhouse, Merlin, The X Files: I Want to Believe, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Nanny McPhee, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Joanna Going b. 1963 (From Dusk Till Dawn [TV], Journeyman, Dark Shadows [1991])
Willem Dafoe b. 1955 (John Carter, 4:44 Last Day on Earth, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant, Daybreakers, Spider-Man, Control, Shadow of the Vampire, eXistenZ, Deadly Nightmares, The Hunger)
Tisa Farrow b. 1951 (Anthropophagus, Hunter of the Apocalypse, Zombie)
Alan Menken b. 1949 (music, Tangled, Hercules, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors)
Albert Brooks b. 1947 (Defending Your Life, Twilight Zone: The Movie)
J. Kenneth Campbell b. 1947 (The Huntress, Angel, Charmed, The Journey of Alan Strange, NightMan, Mars Attacks!, The Big One: The Great Los Angeles Earthquake, The Abyss, Wonder Woman)
Danny Glover b. 1946 (Toxin, Day of the Mummy, 2047 – Sights of Death, Space Warriors, Touch, 2012, Blindness, Earthsea, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, Predator 2, Tall Tales & Legends, Iceman, The Greatest American Hero)
Peter Jason b. 1944 (Robosapien: Rebooted, Planet Raptor, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2006], Alien Apocalypse, Raptor Island, Carnivale, Ghosts of Mars, Perversions of Science, Escape from L.A., Mortal Kombat, Congo, Village of the Damned, Quantum Leap, Arachnophobia, They Live, Alien Nation, Prince of Darkness, Hyper Sapien: People from Another Star, Amazing Stories, Dreamscape, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Captain Nemo, Shadow on the Land, Land of the Giants)
Nick Brimble b. 1944 (Greek Gods and Goddesses: Jason and the Argonauts, Loch Ness, Frankenstein Unbound, Cosmic Princess, Blakes 7, Space: 1999)
Vaughn Bodé b. 1941 died 18 July 1975 (artist, Cheech Wizard)
Terence Stamp b. 1938 (Smallville, Wanted, Elektra, Red Planet, Star Wars: Episode I – Such a Good Cast Wasted, The Hunger [TV], Alien Nation, The Company of Wolves, Superman I and II, The Thief of Baghdad [TV], HU-Man, The Mind of Mr. Soames)
Louise Fletcher b. 1934 (The Genesis Code, Heroes, Wonderfalls, Deep Space Nine, Brimstone, VR.5, Frankenstein and Me, The Stepford Husbands, Virtuosity, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, Tales from the Crypt [TV], Deadly Nightmares, Shadowzone, Twilight Zone [1988], Invaders from Mars, Brainstorm, Strange Invaders, Mama Dracula, Exorcist II: The Heretic)
Perry Lopez b. 1929 died 14 February 2008 (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Star Trek, The Time Tunnel, Creature from the Black Lagoon)
Orson Bean b. 1928 (Mattie Fresno and the Holoflux Universe, Alien Autopsy, Being John Malkovich, Monsters, Innerspace, Twilight Zone)
Joseph Sargent b. 1924 died 22 December 2014 (director, Salem Witch Trials, Space, Tomorrow’s Child, Colossus: The Forbin Project, The Invaders, Star Trek)
James Whale b. 1889 died 29 May 1957 (director, The Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Frankenstein)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years I used the completely iconic Terence Stamp as Zod and the idiosyncratic choice of Peter Jason from They Live. I probably owe an apology to Franka Potente from Run Lola Run and Colin Ferguson from Eureka for skipping both of them, probably Loiuse Fletcher from Deep Space Nineas well. But my decision is to go with Williem Dafoe from Shadow of the Vampire is not idiosyncratic. I have no idea what goofy mood I was in a year ago.

2. Spot the Canadians! Not every star of a Canuck-fi show was born in the Great White North, but Colin Ferguson was.

3. Nepotism FTW. It's not fair to call Tisha Farrow's career a win, but she is the lesser known sister of Mia.

4. Wait... he's dead? The 1970s is supposed to be just a blur to me because I'm a boomer, but my drug usage was actually minimal. That said, I forgot that Vaughn Bodé died so young.

5. Wait... he's alive? Orson Bean turns 87 today. I didn't get the memo he was sill with us.

6. MST3K. There is a specific reference to Cosmic Princess in Nick Brimble's resume, so we get a hit.

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

Movie released
The Island released, 2005

Predictor:The Island, released 22 July 2005

Prediction: Lincoln Six-Echo is a resident of a seemingly Utopian but contained facility in the year 2019. Like all of the inhabitants of this carefully controlled environment, Lincoln hopes to be chosen to go to the "The Island" - reportedly the last uncontaminated spot on the planet.

Reality: The most surprising thing about this movie is how different it thinks the world is going to be in fourteen years. Blade Runner is also set in 2019, but it was made in 1982. In the 1980s, I'd argue the future still felt like it was coming at us in a rush. In 2005, this is just goofiness.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

An important announcement about the future of the blog.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

21 July 2015

Birthdays
Jessica Barden b. 1992 (My Parents Are Aliens)
Rory Culkin b. 1989 (Signs)
Juno Temple b. 1989 (Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, Maleficent, Horns, The Brass Teapot, Mr. Nobody, The Dark Knight Rises)
Jamie Waylett b. 1989 (Harry Potter)
Fernando Tielve b. 1986 (Pan’s Labyrinth)
Sprague Grayden b. 1980 (Touch, Paranormal Activity, Jericho, Biohazardous)
Josh Hartnett b. 1978 (Penny Dreadful, Parts Per Billion, 30 Days of Night, Sin City, The Faculty, Halloween H20)
Justin Bartha b. 1978 (National Treasure)
Jaime Murray b. 1976 (Defiance, Sleepy Hollow, Warehouse 13)
Ray Galletti b. 1974 (Hemlock Grove, Arrow, Smallville, The Core, Stargate SG-1, Andromeda, Jeremiah, The New Addams Family)
Ali Landry b. 1973 (Repli-Kate, Conan)
Charlotte Gainsbourg b. 1971 (Melancholia)
Treva Etienne b. 1965 (Falling Skies, Terminator Salvation, Charmed, Angel, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl)
Susan Swift b. 1964 (Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Amazing Stories, Audrey Rose)
Ike Eisenmann b. 1962 (Race to Witch Mountain, Star Trek II; The Wrath of Khan, Wonder Woman, Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell, Return from Witch Mountain, The Fantastic Journey, Escape to Witch Mountain)
Jim Martin b. 1961 (Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, I Was a Teenage Zombie)
Lance Guest b. 1960 (Jericho, Stepsister from Planet Weird, The Burning Zone, The X Files, The Last Starfighter, Halloween II)
Jon Lovitz b. 1957 (Southland Tales, The Stepford Wives [2004], Little Nicky, Coneheads, Mom and Dad Save the World, My Stepmother is an Alien)
Otto Jesperson b. 1954 (Troll Hunter)
Rory Stevens b. 1954 (Carrie, The Munsters, Bewitched, My Favorite Martian)
Robin Williams b. 1951 died 11 August 2014 (Night at the Museum, The Final Cut, Bicentennial Man, What Dreams May Come, Flubber [1997], Jumanji, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Faerie Tale Theatre, Mork & Mindy)
Art Hindle b. 1948 (Dark Rising: Warrior of Worlds, Mutant X, Total Recall 2070 [TV], Poltergeist: The Legacy, The Brood, The Invasion of the Body Snatchers)
Sergio Calderon b. 1945 (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End)
Edward Herrmann b. 1943 died 31 December 2014 (Wonder Woman [2011], Here Come the Munsters [1995], The Lost Boys, Purple Rose of Cairo, The Electric Grandmother)
John Woodvine b. 1929 (An American Werewolf in London, Doctor Who)
Norman Jewison b. 1926 (director, Rollerball)
Paul Burke b. 1926 died 13 September 2009 (Men Into Space, The Adventures of Superman)
Don Knotts b. 1924 died 24 February 2006 (Pleasantville, The Girl with Something Extra, The Reluctant Astronaut, The Incredible Mr. Limpet)
Ken Maynard b. 1973 died 23 March 1973 (Bigfoot)
C. Aubrey Smith b. 1863 died 20 December 1948 (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [1941])

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. As awkward as I feel when we have a Guy at the Door, today's may be more awkward still. I consider that there are three iconic genre actors here, and we've used two of them in the past 365 days in Never to be Forgotten posts, namely Robin Williams and Edward Herrmann. By process of elimination, that leaves Don Knotts in The Incredible Mr. Limpet, seen here with Jack Weston. I loved this movie as a kid, but I haven't seen it in I don't know how long, so I have no idea how it holds up.

2. Spot the Canadian! Norman Jewison is Canadian, but I expect that isn't common knowledge. The other Canuck on the list is very spottable, so I leave it as an exercise for the reader.

3. Nepotism FTW. Rory Culkin is in that gray area, a lesser known sibling who got work in stuff his brother starred in. Juno Temple is Julien Temple's daughter; this is not a gray area.

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

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

Prediction: Mankind, like the social insects, will be divided into four or five different sexual types and will forget the he and she in the needs of physiological and social division of labour.

Reality: As the young people say... I can't even.

Never to be Forgotten: Theodore Bikel 1924-2015

It's been a rough week for character actors. The latest to join the choir invisible is Theodore Bikel, the Austrian born singer, actor and activist. I think his best known role in genre might be as Worf's step-father on Star Trek: The Next Pajamas, but I'm still a sucker for any starring role on the original Twilight Zone, and Bikel was the star of the episode Four O'Clock. Besides those roles, his genre appearances include Babylon 5, The Burning Zone, Beauty and the Beast [TV], Knight Rider and The Amazing Spider-Man [TV].

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

 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The weekly schedule is interrupted by a prediction from a movie.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

20 July 2015

Birthdays
Julianne Hough b. 1988 (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
Osric Chau b. 1986 (The 100, Supernatural, Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, 2012)
Martin McCann b. 1983 (Clash of the Titans)
Rory Jennings b. 1983 (Doctor Who, Frankenstein [1994])
Charlie Korsmo b. 1978 (Hook)
Judy Greer b. 1975 (Ant-Man, Jurassic World, Tomorrowland, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, The Big Bang Theory)
Simon Rex b. 1974 (Rise: Blood Hunter)
Omar Epps b. 1973 (Resurrection, Dracula 2000, Breakfast of Champions)
Roberto Orci b. 1973 (writer, Star Trek 3, Van Helsing, Sleepy Hollow, Amazing Spider-Man 2, Star Trek Into Darkness, Fringe, Cowboys & Aliens, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Transformers, The Island, Xena, Hercules)
Sandra Oh b. 1971 (Blindness, Last Night)
Josh Holloway b. 1969 (Lost, Sabretooth, Angel)
Leighanne Littrell b. 1969 (Mortal Kombat: Conquest)
Carlos Saldanha b. 1968 (director, Rio, Ice Age, Robots)
Julian Rhind-Tutt b. 1968 (Lucy, Merlin, Stardust, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider)
Reed Diamond b. 1967 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Revolution, Dollhouse, Journeyman, Stargate SG-1, Spider-Man 2, The Huntress)
Rodney Eastman b. 1967 (The X-Files, Millennium, Sliders, Babylon 5, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 and 4)
Dean Winters b. 1964 (The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Millennium)
Frank Whaley b. 1963 (Under the Dome, Gotham, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Little Monsters)
Adoni Maropis b. 1963 (The Scorpion King, Angel, Mortal Kombat: Conquest)
Jonathon Morris b. 1960 (Full Moon Fright Night, Doctor Who)
Donna Dixon b. 1957 (Twilight Zone: The Movie)
Jeff Rawle b. 1951 (An Adventure in Space and Time, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Doctor Who)
Tantoo Cardinal b. 1950 (Strange Empire, MythQuest)
Naseeruddin Shah b. 1950 (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen)
Muse Watson b. 1948 (TIMER, Frankenfish, Hollywood Vampyr, The Handmaid’s Tale)
Wendy Richard b. 1943 died 26 February 2009 (No Blade of Grass)
Diana Rigg b. 1938 (Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, Snow White [1987], The Worst Witch, Theatre of Blood)
Natalie Wood b. 1938 died 29 November 1981 (Brainstorm, Meteor)
Cormac McCarthy b. 1933 (author, The Road)
Sally Ann Howes b. 1930 (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Cinderella [1950 TV])
Patricia Cutts b. 1926 died 6 September 1974 (The Tingler)
Lola Albright b. 1925 (The Incredible Hulk, The Monolith Monsters)
Paul Christian a.k.a. Paul Hubschmid b. 1917 died 31 December 2001 (The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms)
John Steadman b. 1909 died 28 January 1993 (The Incredible Hulk, The Hills Have Eyes)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Josh Holloway from Lost and Diana Rigg. To be blunt, the list is not long on iconic actors, but I decided to go Whedonverse nerd and used Reed Diamond as the villain Daniel Whitehall from Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

2. Spot the Canadians.  Not very obvious today. Tantoo Cardinal is a First Nations Canadian, and Osric Chau, Sandra Oh and Rodney Eastman.


3. Exact birthday pair.  Natalie Wood and Diana Rigg. Nowhere near as famous as Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln, but a lot prettier.

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

Movies released
The Dark Knight Rises released, 2012

Predictor: The OMNI Future Almanac, published 1982

Prediction: In the 1990s, children will be diagnosed to find the best times in the day for mental, physical and intellectual activity, based on biological cycles.

Reality: Oooooh, bio-rhythms! I remember when people kinda sorta took this stuff seriously. It's one of those things I'd like to forget to make room for something useful, but I've been using this memory of mine for quite a long time now and I know for sure things don't work like that, sad to say.

Never to be Forgotten: George Coe 1929-2015

Yet another veteran character actor has died, the third in five days. George Coe had a long and interesting career. He was active in the Screen Actors Guild and did a lot of voice-over work. He was listed as one of the Not Ready for Prime Time Players on the very first episode of Saturday Night Live and was used on that show in fake commercials for about a decade. His genre roles include Supernatural, Smallville, The Lone Gunmen, The Omega Code, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Max Headroom, The Entity and The Stepford Wives. While these roles might lead one to believe we have spotted a Canadian, Coe was born south of the border. I wanted to use a picture of him as the leader of the planet on Star Trek: The Next Generation where Riker has screwed up an undercover first contact assignment, but I couldn't find a good quality still.

Best wishes to the family and friends of George Coe, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We get another prediction from our resident Commie, John Langdon-Davies.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!