18 September 2015

Birthdays
Chris Riggi b. 1985 (Vampires Suck)
Alison Lohman b. 1979 (Gamer, Drag Me to Hell, Beowulf, The Thirteenth Floor, Kraa! The Sea Monster)
Travis Schuldt b. 1974 (Fringe, Big Bang Theory)
James Marsden b. 1973 (Westworld, X-Men, Superman Returns, Enchanted)
Michael Landes b. 1972 (Lois & Clark)
Jada Pinkett Smith b. 1971 (Gotham, The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded)
Carrie Genzel b. 1971 (Flashforward, Wizards of Waverly Place, Jennifer’s Body, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Watchmen, Flash Gordon [TV], Beyond Loch Ness, The 4400, Painkiller Jane, Smallville, Kyle XY, The Dead Zone, Supernatural, Stargate SG-1)
Tara Fitzgerald b. 1967 (Game of Thrones)
Holly Robinson Peete b. 1964 (Howard the Duck)
John Mann b. 1962 (Supernatural, Bionic Woman [2007], The Butterfly Effect 2, Battlestar Galactica, Underworld: Evolution, Catwoman, The Chronicles of Riddick, Smallville, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Stargate SG-1, Dark Angel, Strange Frequency, The Girl from Tomorrow Part Two: Tomorrow’s End)
James Gandolfini b. 1961 died 19 June 2013 (Fallen)
Andrew Airlie b. 1961 (Intruders [2014 TV], Once Upon a Time, Collision Earth, Caprica, Fringe, Reaper, The Butterfly Effect 2, Eureka, Supernatural, Neverwas, The 4400, Stephen Kings’ Dead Zone, Fantastic Four, Stargate SG-1, Smallville, Earth: Final Conflict, Mysterious Ways, Total Recall 2070, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The X Files, M.A.N.T.I.S, The Odyssey, Nightmare Cafe)
Ken Thomas b. 1961 (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Sin City)
Jasmin Geljo b. 1959 (Hemlock Grove, Skinwalkers, Land of the Dead)
Tim McInnerny b. 1956 (Outlander [2014 TV], Doctor Who, Erik the Viking)
Anna Levine a.k.a. Anna Thompson b. 1953 (The Crow, Leonard Part 6)
Beth Grant b. 1949 (Mockingbird Lane, Futurestates, Jericho, Southland Tales, Wonderfalls, Evil Alien Conquerors, Donnie Darko, The X Files, Angel, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Doctor Doolittle, The Wizard)
Alan Roberts b. 1948 died 21 March 2008 (Dinosaurus!, The Space Children)
Nicholas Clay b. 1946 died 25 May 2000 (Merlin [TV], Highlander [TV], The Odyssey, Excalibur, Terror of Frankenstein)
Gailard Sartain b. 1946 (Existo, RocketMan)
Veronica Carlson b. 1944 (Freakshow, Old Drac, The Horror of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Must be Destroyed, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave)
Fred Willard b. 1939 (My Future Boyfriend, Wizards of Waverly Place, Stargate SG-1, Good vs Evil, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Lois & Clark, Superman 50th Anniversary, Out of This World, Salem’s Lot, Americathon, Space Force, Tabitha)
Frankie Avalon b. 1939 (Panic in Year Zero!, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
William O’Malley b. 1931 (The Exorcist)
Phyllis Kirk b. 1927 died 19 October 2006 (Twilight Zone, House of Wax)
Grayson Hall b. 1922 died 7 August 1985 (Dark Shadows)
Jack Warden b. 1920 died 19 July 2006 (Alice in Wonderland [1985 TV], The Invaders, Bewitched, Twilight Zone)
June Foray b. 1917 (hundreds of voice acting credits, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit and The Twilight Zone)
Harry Townes b. 1914 died 23 May 2001 (The Warrior and the Sorceress, Voyagers!, The Incredible Hulk, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Ark II, Planet of the Apes [TV], The Sixth Sense, The Immortal, The Invaders, Star Trek, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, Men Into Space)
Leon Askin b. 1907 died 3 June 2005 (Frightmare, Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls, Genesis II, My Favorite Martian, Mr. Terrific, The Outer Limits, Mistress of the World, Adventures of Superman, Son of Sinbad)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot was given to June Foray, who turns 98 today, and the late Nicholas Clay from Excalibur. Today, I go a little more new school with Jada Pinkett Smith from Gotham.

2. Spot the Canadians! Three actors on the list self-identify as Canadian and their resumes give it away, Carrie Ganzel, John Mann and Andrew Airlie. Airlie was actually born in Scotland.

3. MST3K. The late Alan Roberts was in The Space Children.

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

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

Prediction: Never before in the world's history was the command of the sea worth what it is now.

Reality: In 1901, this was certainly true, but command of the air would surpass it much sooner than Wells anticipated.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Tomorrow's Soapbox discusses the future - or lack of same - for the blog.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

11 September 2015

Birthdays
Jett Good b. 1999 (Spy Kids: All the Time in the World in 4D)
Tyler Hoechlin b. 1987 (Teen Wolf)
Elizabeth Henstridge b. 1987 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.)
Ariana Richards b. 1979 (Jurassic Park, Tremors, Grand Tour: Disaster in Time, Spaced Invaders)
Cameron Richardson b. 1979 (10.0 Earthquake, The Lottery, Rise: Blood Hunter)
Tiffany Shepis b. 1979 (She Wolf Rising, Attack of the Morningside Monster, The Prometheus Project, Night of the Demons, Bonnie & Clyde vs. Dracula, Zombthology, Nightmare Man, Abominable, Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV, Tromeo and Juliet)
Taraji P. Henson b. 1970 (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Satan’s School for Girls)
Harry Connick Jr. b. 1967 (Bug, Independence Day)
Kristy McNichol b. 1962 (The Bionic Woman)
Virginia Madsen b. 1961 (Dead Rising: Watchtower, Witches of East End, The Haunting in Connecticut, The Astronaut Farmer, The Haunting, Star Trek: Voyager, The Apocalypse Watch, The Prophecy, Earth 2, Candyman, Highlander II: The Quickening, Zombie High, Creator, Dune)
Susan Gibney b. 1961 (Lost, Knight Rider [2008], Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Alien Nation)
Anne Ramsay b. 1960 (Extant, Wizards of Waverly Place, Planet of the Apes [2001], Star Trek: The Next Generation)
John Hawkes b. 1959 (Lost, S. Darko, Strange Frequency, Taken, The X Files, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Buffy, Steel, From Dusk Till Dawn, Future-Kill)
Julia Nickson b. 1958 (Half-Life, Power Rangers Wild Force, SeaQuest 2032, Babylon 5, Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Roxann Dawson b. 1958 (Star Trek: Voyager)
Scott Patterson b. 1958 (The Event, Saw, Them [1996], The Lost World [1998 TV movie])
Tony Gilroy b. 1956 (writer, Armageddon)
Reed Birney b. 1954 (In Your Eyes, From the Earth to the Moon)
Amy Madigan b. 1950 (Fringe, Doppelganger, Carnivale, The Dark Half, The Day After)
Kathrine Baumann b. 1949 (Knight Rider, The Thing with Two Heads)
Michael Sacks b. 1948 (Starflight: The Plane That Couldn’t Land, The Amityville Horror, Slaughterhouse-Five)
Felton Perry b. 1945 (Hollywood Vampyr, Dark Breed, RoboCop 1, 2 & 3, Automan)
Brian De Palma b. 1940 (director, Mission to Mars, Carrie, Phantom of the Paradise)
Charles Dierkop b. 1936 (Superguy: Behind the Cape, Merchants of Venus, Hard Time on Planet Earth, Star Trek, Land of the Giants, Batman, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Ian Abercrombie b. 1934 died 26 January 2012 (Wizards of Waverly Place, Charmed, Star Trek: Voyager, Good vs Evil, Buffy, Jurassic Park: The Lost World, Babylon 5, Test Tube Teens from the Year 2000, Addams Family Values, Army of Darkness, The Flash, Warlock, Frog, Otherworld, The Ice Pirates, Tucker’s Witch, Voyagers!, Blood Beach, Battlestar Galactica [1978], The Six Million Dollar Man, Young Frankenstein)
Eve Brent b. 1929 died 27 August 2011 (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Roswell, The Green Mile, Weird Science [TV], Date with an Angel, BrainWaves, Adventures of Superman)
Earl Holliman b. 1928 (NightMan, The Six Million Dollar Man: Wine, Women and War, Visit to a Small Planet, Twilight Zone, Forbidden Planet)
David Morris b. 1924 died 29 October 2007 (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)
Herbert Lom b. 1917 died 27 September 2012 (Whoops Apocalypse, The Dead Zone, Dorian Gray [1970] Count Dracula [1970], Journey to the Far Side of the Sun, Mysterious Island, Project M7)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. The previous Picture Slotters were Roxann Dawson and Earl Holliman, and I think there are good choices up and down the list, including Herbert Lom, Charles Dierkop, Michael Sacks, Susan Gibney, Virginia Madsen, Ariana Richards and Tyler Hoechlin. I chose Elizabeth Henstridge because she wasn't even listed last year and of course, she is so damned adorable.

2. Living Canadian free! It happens.

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

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

Prediction: There will arise… a New Republic dominating the world. It will be none of our ostensible governments that will effect this great clearing up; it will be the mass of power and intelligence altogether outside the official state systems of to-day that will make this great clearance, a new social Hercules that will strangle the serpents of war and national animosity in his cradle.

Reality: Does this sound anything like the world at any time? The only mass of power outside government that looks even slightly capable of this would be a confederation of large corporations, and I have my strong doubts this would be an improvement over the messy system we have now.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's the weekend, so no predictions, but I will stand up on the Weekly Soapbox.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

4 September 2015

Birthdays
Ellie Darcey-Alden b. 1999 (Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2)
Peggy Nesbitt b. 197 (The Hobbitt)
Caitlin and Amanda Fein b. 1992 (The X Files, Deep Impact)
Carter Jenkins b. 1991 (Aliens in the Attic, The 4400, Surface)
Charlotte Frogner b. 1981 (Dead Snow 1 & 2)
Max Greenfield b. 1980 (American Horror Story, No Ordinary Family)
Wes Bentley b. 1978 (Interstellar, American Horror Story, The Hunger Games, Underworld: Awakening, Jonah Hex, Ghost Rider)
John Ruby b. 1977 (Touch, The Event)
Rasika Mathur b. 1976 (Rubberhead, Cloverfield)
Kai Owen b. 1975 (Torchwood, Being Human, Rocket Man)
Jason David Frank b. 1973 (Power Rangers, V.R. Troopers)
Francoise Yip b. 1972 (Sanctuary, Fringe, Caprica, Blood Ties, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, Flash Gordon [TV], Andromeda, Blade: Trinity, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Smallville, Jeremiah, Mindstorm, RoboCop: Prime Directives, Earth: Final Conflict, Futuresport)
Ione Skye b. 1970 (Haunt, The Dead Zone)
Richard Speight Jr. b. 1970 (Supernatural, Jericho, Big Monster on Campus, Menno’s Mind, Hypernauts, Amanda & the Alien, Freddy’s Nightmares)
Noah Taylor b. 1969 (Edge of Tomorrow, Game of Thrones, Predestination, Pirates of the Caribbean: Secrets of the Dead Man’s Chest, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Simon Magus, Vanilla Sky)
Kristen Wilson b. 1969 (Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, Dr. Doolittle, Dungeons & Dragons)
Mo Brings Plenty b. 1969 (Cowboys & Aliens)
John DiMaggio b. 1968 (Futurama, Princess Mononoke, Adventure Time, among many others)
Phill Lewis b. 1968 (Wizards of Waverly Place, What Planet Are You From?, Buffy, Starman [TV])
Michael Bent b. 1965 (Threshold, Firefly)
Todd Sherry b. 1961 (Eastwick, Alien Autopsy, Charmed)
Annabel Schofield b. 1963 (Solar Crisis)
Damon Wayans b. 1960 (Blankman, Earth Girls Are Easy)
Domiziana Giordano b. 1959 (Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles)
Patricia Tallman b. 1957 (InAlienable, Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager, Dark Skies, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Army of Darkness, The Flash, Night of the Living Dead [1990], Hard Time on Planet Earth)
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs b. 1953 (Weird Science, Homeboys in Outer Space, Alien Nation)
Alan Blumenfeld b. 1952 (Touch, Heroes, Stargate: Atlantis, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, The Dark Side of the Moon, The Munsters Today, Beauty and the Beast [1988], Innerspace, Jason Lives, The Twilight Zone [1986], WarGames)
Judith Ivey b. 1951 (Rose Red, The Devil’s Advocate,Frogs!)
Michael Berryman b. 1948 (Apocalypse Kiss, Army of the Damned, Necrosis, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Conan, The X-Files, Beastmaster 2: Through the Portal of Time, Wizards of the Demon Sword, Guyver, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Aftershock, ALF, Saturday the 14th Strikes Back, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Barbarians, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, My Science Project, Weird Science, The Hills Have Eyes, Voyage of the Rock Aliens, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze)
David St. James b. 1947 (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Donnie Darko, My Favorite Martian [1999], Alien Avengers II, Alien: Resurrection, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, Space: Above and Beyond, The Invaders [1995 TV movie], Lois & Clark, Monolith)
Cynthia Pepper b. 1940 (The Addams Family)
Bob May b. 1939 died 18 January 2009 (Lost in Space, The Time Tunnel)
Leonard Frey b. 1938 died 24 August 1988 (Earthlings)
Nicholas Worth b. 1937 died 7 May 2007 (Star Trek: Voyager, Starforce, The X Files, Sliders, Deep Space Nine, Timelock, Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II, Darkman, Hell Comes to Frogtown, Knight Rider, The Greatest American Hero, Swamp Thing, Coma, The Invisible Man [1975], The Six Million Dollar Man, Scream Blacula Scream)
Edward de Souza b. 1932 (The Golden Compass, She-Wolf of London, 1990, Doctor Who, The Kiss of the Vampire)
Dinsdale Landen b. 1932 died 29 December 2003 (Doctor Who, Morons from Outer Space, Out of This World)
Dick York b. 1928 died 20 February 1992 (Bewitched, Twilight Zone)
Howard Morris b. 1919 died 21 May 2005 (It Came from Outer Space II, Transylvania Twist, Splash, The Munsters’ Revenge, Space Academy, Twilight Zone)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Did you ever wonder if Darren Stephens worked with Don Draper?  Okay... it's just me.

Previous Picture Slotters were Patricia Tallman from Babylon 5 and Michael Berryman from The Hills Have Eyes. Two other actors I considered were John DiMaggio, the voice of Bender, and Bob May, who was the actor inside the robot on Lost in Space, though Dick Tufield did the voice.

2. Wait... they're dead? We have a bunch of actors born in the 1930s who are already dead. The two whose deaths I had quite processed are Leonard Frey and Nicholas Worth.

3. Spot the Canadian! Today we have Francoise Yip.

4. Nepotism FTW. Ione Ske is the daughter of Donovan Leitch.

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 1901 book Anticipations

Prediction: The Japanese are a people quite abnormal and incalculable, with a touch of romance, a conception of honour, a quality of imagination, and a clearness of intelligence that renders possible for them things inconceivable of any other existing nation. I may be the slave of perspective effects, but when I turn my mind from the pettifogging muddle of the English House of Commons, for example, that magnified vestry that is so proud of itself as a club--when I turn from that to this race of brave and smiling people, abruptly destiny begins drawing with a bolder hand. Suppose the Japanese were to make up their minds to accelerate whatever process of synthesis were possible in China! Suppose, after all, I am not the victim of atmospheric refraction, and they are, indeed, as gallant and bold and intelligent as my baseless conception of them would have them be! They would almost certainly find co-operative elements among the educated Chinese...

Reality: This is about as complimentary as an Englishman of Wells' time can be about another nationality, and it's still incredibly condescending, most notably to the Chinese. We also have the history lesson of the Japanese making up their minds to "improve" the Chinese, and it wasn't quite the wonderful thing Wells had hoped for.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another Saturday, another Weekly Soapbox.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

28 August 2015

Birthdays
Quvenzhane Wallis b. 2003 (Beasts of the Southern Wild)
Kyle Massey b. 1991 (Gotham)
Katie Findlay b. 1990 (After the Dark, Continuum, Crash Site, SGU Stargate Universe, Fringe)
Armie Hammer b. 1986 (Stan Lee’s Mighty 7, Mirror Mirror, 2081, Reaper)
Sarah Roemer b. 1984 (The Event, The Grudge 2)
Carly Pope b. 1980 (The Tomorrow People, Elysium, Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon, The 4400, 10.5: Apocalypse, Jake 2.0, NightMan)
Kelly Overton b. 1978 (True Blood, Beauty and the Beast [2012], Tekken, The Ring Two)
Amber Sainsbury b. 1978 (Fairy Tales, 30 Days of Night, Hex, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
Nick E. Tarabay b. 1975 (Arrow, Believe, Star Trek Into Darkness)
Eugene Byrd b. 1975 (True Blood, American Horror Story, Eureka, Night Stalker [2006])
Kristin Booth b. 1974 (Orphan Black, Supernatural, ReGenesis, Total Recall 2070)
J. August Richards b. 1973 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arrow, Warehouse 13, The 4400, Angel, Sliders, Space: Above and Beyond)
Stephanie Belding b. 1971 (Lost Girl, Eureka, Watchmen, Reaper, Earth: Final Conflict, eXistenZ)
Daniel Goddard b. 1971 (Immortally Yours, Dream Warrior, BeastMaster)
Jack Black b. 1969 (Ghost Ghirls, Gulliver’s Travels, King Kong, The X-Files, Waterworld, The Neverending Story III, Demolition Man)
Jason Priestley b. 1969 (Haven, Day of the Triffids [2009], Termination Point, Jeremiah, Quantum Leap)
Billy Boyd b. 1968 (Space Milkshake, The Witches of Oz, Glenn, the Flying Robot, Lord of the Rings, Seed of Chucky, Urban Ghost Story)
Amanda Tapping b. 1965 (Supernatural, Stargate, Space Milkshake, Sanctuary, Earthsea, The X Files, Flash Forward, Forever Knight)
Dermot Keaney b. 1964 (Atlantis [TV], Game of Thrones, Pirates of the Caribbean, Strange)
Melissa Rosenberg b. 1962 (writer, Twilight)
David Fincher b. 1962 (director, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Alien³)
Jennifer Coolidge b. 1961 (Click, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Not of this Earth)
Emma Samms b. 1960 (The Little Unicorn, Humanoids from the Deep, Tales from the Crypt, Lois & Clark, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Arabian Adventure)
Brian Thompson b. 1959 (Flight of the Living Dead, Star Trek: Enterprise, Epoch: Evolution, Charmed, Birds of Prey, The X Files, Jason and the Argonauts [TV], Buffy, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, DragonHeart, Deep Space Nine, Weird Science, Kindred: The Embraced, Hercules, Star Trek: Generations, Doctor Mordred, Superboy, Alien Nation [TV], Star Trek: The Next Generation, Alien Nation, Fright Night Part 2, Werewolf, Knight Rider, Otherworld, The Terminator)
John Allen Nelson b. 1959 (Knight Rider, Seven Days, Quantum Leap, Killer Klowns from Outer Space)
Daniel Stern b. 1957 (SeaQuest 2032, Little Monsters, Leviathan, C.H.U.D.)
Rick Rossovich b. 1957 (Legend of the Lost Tomb, Black Scorpion, Future Shock, Tales from the Crypt, The Terminator)
Luis Guzman b. 1956 (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Rise of the Damned, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, SeaQuest 2032, Innocent Blood, *batteries not included)
Vonda N. McIntyre b. 1948 (won 1979 Hugo and Nebula for Dreamsnake, won 1998 Nebula for The Moon and the Sun)
Alice Playten b. 1947 died 25 June 2011 (Pioneer 12, Legend, Disco Beaver from Outer Space, The Lost Saucer)
David Soul b. 1943 (Doctor Who: Death Comes to Time, Deadly Nightmares, World War III, Salem’s Lot, Star Trek, I Dream of Jeannie)
Ken Jenkins b. 1940 (The X Files, Sliders, Babylon 5, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Abyss, Hard Time on Planet Earth)
Donald O’Connor b. 1925 died 27 September 2003 (Alice in Wonderland [1985 and 1983], The Bionic Woman, The Wonders of Aladdin)
Nancy Kulp b. 1921 died 3 February 1991 (Quantum Leap, Twilight Zone, Moon Pilot)
Jack Kirby b. 1917 died 6 February 1994 (artist, Marvel and DC comics)
Jack Vance b. 1916 died 23 May 2013 (author, The Dying Earth, Big Planet)
Simon Oakland b. 1915 died 29 August 1983 (Tucker’s Witch, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Starlost, Captain Nice, The Satan Bug, The Outer Limits, My Favorite Martian, Twilight Zone)
Morris Ankrum b. 1897 died 2 September 1964 (X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, From the Earth to the Moon, Giant from the Unknown, Beginning of the End, The Giant Claw, Kronos, Zombies of Mora Tau, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Invaders from Mars, Red Planet Mars, Rocketship X-M)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, I used Jack Kirby and J. August Richards. There were several options for today - David Soul from Star Trek, Brian Thompson from any of a number of roles, Billy Boyd from Lord of the Rings, Jack Black from King Kong - but I decided to go with Quvenzhane Wallis facing off with the Auroch from the end of Beasts of the Southern Wild.

2. Spot the Canadians! There are six today: Katie Findlay, Carly Pope, Kristin Booth, Stephanie Belding, Jason Priestley and Amanda Tapping.

3. Wait... she's dead? Alice Playten was a comic actress who did a lot of voice work. I remember her from Martin Mull's first album and from National Lampoon's Lemmings. I still haven't quite processed that she is dead.

4. MST3K. Morris Ankrum spent most of his career in Westerns, but he also made a lot of 1950s sci-fi, so many of them I saw when I was a kid watching TV in the 1960. Two of his movies got the Best Brains treatment, Beginning of the End and Rocketship X-M.

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

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

Prediction:  How will the New Republic treat the inferior races? How will it deal with the black? how will it deal with the yellow man? how will it tackle that alleged termite in the civilized woodwork, the Jew? Certainly not as races at all. It will aim to establish, and it will at last, though probably only after a second century has passed, establish a world-state with a common language and a common rule. All over the world its roads, its standards, its laws, and its apparatus of control will run. It will, I have said, make the multiplication of those who fall behind a certain standard of social efficiency unpleasant and difficult, and it will have cast aside any coddling laws to save adult men from themselves. It will tolerate no dark corners where the people of the Abyss may fester, no vast diffused slums of peasant proprietors, no stagnant plague-preserves. Whatever men may come into its efficient citizenship it will let come--white, black, red, or brown; the efficiency will be the test. And the Jew also it will treat as any other man. It is said that the Jew is incurably a parasite on the apparatus of credit. If there are parasites on the apparatus of credit, that is a reason for the legislative cleaning of the apparatus of credit, but it is no reason for the special treatment of the Jew. If the Jew has a certain incurable tendency to social parasitism, and we make social parasitism impossible, we shall abolish the Jew, and if he has not, there is no need to abolish the Jew. We are much more likely to find we have abolished the Caucasian solicitor.

Reality: Wells is listed as a socialist, but this version of race relations sounds a lot like the conservative argument for "color-blindness", which means other races, if lucky, can eventually become honorary white people.

So yet again, we find H.G. Wells is a scumbag.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

This month, I read Brave New World for the first time and I will give a book report. The ghost of Aldous Huxley will not be pleased.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

21 August 2015

Birthdays
Maxim Knight b. 1999 (Falling Skies)
Hayden Panettiere b. 1989 (Heroes, Aliens in the Family)
Robert Knox b. 1989 died 24 May 2008 (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
Elarica Gallacher b. 1989 (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)
Kiami Davael b. 1986 (Conan [1998])
Laura Haddock b. 1985 (SuperBob, Guardians of the Galaxy, Rage of the Yeti, Captain America: The First Avenger)
Alicia Witt b. 1975 (The Librarians, Curse of the Ring, Vanilla Sky, Dune)
Nathan Jones b. 1969 (Mad Max: Fury Road, Conan the Barbarian [2011], Doom Runners)
Carrie-Anne Moss b. 1967 (Jessica Jones, Frankenstein [2015], The Matrix, Red Planet, Matrix [1993], Forever Knight, Deadly Nightmares)
Kim Catrall b. 1956 (Creature, Modern Vampires, Invasion, Split Second, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Big Trouble in Little China, City Limits, Mannequin, Tucker’s Witch, The Incredible Hulk, Logan’s Run [TV])
Loretta Devine b. 1949 (Supernatural, Anna to the Infinite Power)
Walter Williamson b. 1946 (The Omega Code, Babylon 5)
Basil Poledouris b. 1945 died 8 November 2006 (composer, Starship Troopers, RoboCop 3, RoboCop, Cherry 2000, Amerika, Twilight Zone [1985], Conan the Barbarian, Tintorera: Killer Shark)
Peter Weir b. 1944 (director, The Truman Show, The Cars That Eat People)
Clarence Williams III b. 1939 (Millennium, Deep Space Nine, Tales from the Crypt)
Wilt Chamberlain b. 1936 died 12 October 1999 (Conan the Destroyer)
Tony Steedman b. 1927 died 4 February 2001 (Babylon 5, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Beauty and the Beast, The Charmings)
Jack Weston b. 1924 died 3 May 1996 (Short Circuit 2, The Incredible Mr. Limpet, Twilight Zone, Rod Brown of the Rocket Rangers)
Anthony Boucher b. 1911 died 29 April 1968 (editor, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. Not all that long a list today, but certainly not short on the iconic. Previous Picture Slotters were Carrie-Anne Moss for The Matrix and Kim Catrall from Star Trek, and continuing with the fabulous babe theme, today it's Hayden Panettiere from Heroes.

2. One hard to spot Canadian and an explanation. Carrie-Anne Moss is Canadian. You will see she is in The Matrix and Matrix. The one without the definite article is a 1993 TV show about a hitman that comes back from the dead.

3. MST3K. Usually I look through the credits of the older actors when trying to find movies that got the Best Brains treatment, but of course today the actress that appeared in a movie on that show is Kim Catrall.

Are you singing along with Crow T. Robot in your head right now? Because I am.

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

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

Prediction: Every man will be soberly and intelligently setting about the particular thing he has to do [in time of war], even the rich shareholding sort of person, the hereditary mortgager of society, will be given something to do, and if he has learnt nothing else he will serve to tie up parcels of ammunition or pack army sausage. Very probably the best of such people and of the speculative class will have qualified as cyclist marksmen for the front, some of them may even have devoted the leisure of peace to military studies and may be prepared with novel weapons.

Reality: If we have learned anything from reading these gleanings from Anticipations, we have learned that Wells hates a lot of types of people. Here, he is hating on the idle rich and because I share his distaste, I don't mind so much. Still, turning these people into "cyclist marksmen" seems overly cruel, since it seems like a class of soldier who would get slaughtered rather easily on the 20th Century battlefield.
 

Never to be Forgotten: Ellen Albertini Dow 1914-2015 Ellen Albertini Dow died at the age of 101. I am embarrassed to say she died in May and I just noticed, but better late than never. She taught acting and dancing for decades before she went in front of a camera for the first time in the 1980s. Best known as the rapping granny in The Wedding Singer, she is remembered here for The Invited, Good vs Evil, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Carnival of Souls, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Quantum Leap, Space Case, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Freddy’s Nightmares, Beauty and the Beast [1987 TV], Munchies and Twilight Zone [1986].

Best wishes to the family and friends of Ellen Albertini Dow, from a fan. She is never to be forgotten.   

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Saturday is the Weekly Soapbox and this week I have a few cheery thoughts about nuclear war.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

14 August 2015

Birthdays
Garrett Ryan b. 1999 (Insidious, Teen Wolf, Oculis, Heroes)
Cassi Thomson b. 1993 (Left Behind, Grave Halloween)
Mila Kunis b. 1983 (Jupiter Ascending, Oz the Great and Powerful, Ted, The Book of Eli, Piranha)
Nick Holmes b. 1981 (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Zack Whedon b. 1979 (writer, Fringe, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog)
Christopher Gorham b. 1974 (Once Upon a Time, Jake 2.0, Odyssey 5, Buffy)
Raoul Bova b. 1971 (AvP: Alien vs Predator)
Michelle Lintel b. 1969 (Battle Planet, Black Scorpion)
Catherine Bell b. 1968 (The Good Witch, Threshold, The Triangle, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Alien Nation: Body and Soul)
Ben Bass b. 1968 (Dead Like Me, Jeremiah, Strange Frequency, The Lone Gunmen, The 6th Day, Stargate SG-1, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, The Hunger, Bride of Chucky, Forever Knight)
Adrian Lester b. 1968 (Merlin [2009], Doomsday, Being Human, Afterlife, Day After Tomorrow, Jason and the Argonauts [2000 TV])
Halle Berry b. 1966 (Extant, X-Men, Cloud Atlas, Catwoman, They Came from Outer Space [TV])
Brannon Braga b. 1965 (writer, Salem, Terra Nova, FlashForward, Threshold, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Generations, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Cristi Conaway b. 1964 (Timecop, The Advanced Guard, Attack of the 50 Ft. Woman, Batman Returns)
Andrew Kevin Walker b. 1964 (writer, The Wolfman, Sleepy Hollow [film], Perversions of Science)
Emmanuelle Beart b. 1963 (Date with an Angel)
David Aaron Baker b. 1963 (The Leftovers, Revolution, Beauty and the Beast [2014])
Marcia Gay Hardin b. 1959 (The Invisible, Space Cowboys, Flubber, Superman 50th Anniversary)
Tony Moran b. 1957 (American Poltergeist, Halloween)
Greg Bradford b. 1955 (Zapped!)
James Horner b. 1953 died 22 June 2015 (composer, Star Trek New Voyages, The Amazing Spider-Man, Shoestring Space Opera, Avatar, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Bicentennial Man, Mighty Joe Young, Deep Impact, Jumanji, Apollo 13, Casper, The Rocketeer, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Cocoon, Willow, *batteries not included, Aliens, Amazing Stories, Wizards of the Lost Kingdom, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Brainstorm, Krull, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Wolfen, The Hand, Battle Beyond the Stars, Humanoids from the Deep)
Carl Lumbly b. 1951 (Hope: The Last Paladin, Battlestar Galactica, Strange World, M.A.N.T.I.S., The X Files, SeaQuest 2032, Buckaroo Banzai, Lifepod, Caveman)
Jim Wynorski b. 1950 (director, so much cheap crap I’m a little ashamed I know who he is)
Lou Wagner b. 1948 (Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, The UFO Incident, Conquest of the Planet of the Apes, Beneath of the Planet of the Apes, Pufnstuf, Hello Down There, Planet of the Apes, Lost in Space)
Susan Saint James b. 1946 (Love at First Bite)
Antonio Fargas b. 1946 (Heroes, Good vs Evil, Homeboys in Outer Space, Firestarter, Kolchak: The Night Stalker)
Wim Wenders b. 1945 (director, Until the End of the World, Wings of Desire)
Steve Martin b. 1945 (Little Shop of Horrors, The Man with Two Brains)
Robert Viharo b. 1942 (The Evil, Dark Shadows)
Alexei Panshin b. 1940 (winner of 1969 Nebula for Rite of Passage)
Candace Hilligoss b. 1935 (The Curse of the Living Corpse, Carnival of Souls)
Alice Ghostley b. 1924 died 21 September 2007 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Small Wonder, Bewitched, Captain Nice)
Angela Clarke b. 1909 died 16 December 2010 (The Outer Limits, House of Wax)
 Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Halle Berry and Mila Kunis, both iconic, both fabulous. This year, I felt it was a contest between two artists I love turning 70 today, Steve Martin and Wim Wenders. Wings of Desire won.

2. Nepotism FTW. Zach Whedon was willing to start at the ground floor, but it did help that his brother Joss was running the show.

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

Movies released.
District 9 released, 2009

I still remember walking home from this movie, polishing the Big Ugly Stick. I really, really hated it.

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

Prediction: The law that dominates the future is glaringly plain. A people must develop and consolidate its educated efficient classes or be beaten in war and give way upon all points where its interests conflict with the interests of more capable people. It must foster and accelerate that natural segregation, which has been discussed in the third and fourth chapters of these "Anticipations," or perish. The war of the coming time will really be won in schools and colleges and universities, wherever men write and read and talk together. The nation that produces in the near future the largest proportional development of educated and intelligent engineers and agriculturists, of doctors, schoolmasters, professional soldiers, and intellectually active people of all sorts; the nation that most resolutely picks over, educates, sterilizes, exports, or poisons its People of the Abyss; the nation that succeeds most subtly in checking gambling and the moral decay of women and homes that gambling inevitably entails; the nation that by wise interventions, death duties and the like, contrives to expropriate and extinguish incompetent rich families while leaving individual ambitions free; the nation, in a word, that turns the greatest proportion of its irresponsible adiposity into social muscle, will certainly be the nation that will be the most powerful in warfare as in peace, will certainly be the ascendant or dominant nation before the year 2000.

Reality: It's pretty much a given that any time Wells uses the phrase "People of the Abyss", I get an overwhelming desire to dig up his grave and punch him in his smug British nose. There has been an advantage in the 20th and 21st Centuries for the technologically superior, of course, but there have been a lot of wars won by the people who refused to give up. In the year 2000, after industrialized nations got over their propensity to fight wars directly against one another, the two dominant nations were the United States and China, not because of intellectual or moral superiority, but instead a willingness to produce wealth in different but definitely ruthless ways. 
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

On the Saturday Soapbox, looking at the predictions of overpopulation.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

7 August 2015

Birthdays
Liam James b. 1996 (Fringe, 2012, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem)
Francesca Eastwood b. 1993 (Kids vs Monsters, Heroes Reborn)
Katherine Press b. 1988 (Captain America: The First Avenger)
Abbie Cornish b. 1982 (RoboCop, Sucker Punch, Limitless)
Brit Marling b. 1982 (I Origins, Another Earth)
Cirroc Lofton b. 1978 (Invasion, Deep Space Nine)
Alexandre Aja b. 1978 (director, Horns, Piranha 3D, The Hills Have Eyes [2006])
Charlize Theron b. 1975 (Mad Max: Fury Road, Prometheus, The Road, Hancock, Aeon Flux, The Astronaut’s Wife, The Devil’s Advocate, Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest)
Hans Matheson b. 1975 (Clash of the Titans, The Mists of Avalon)
Michael Shannon b. 1974 (Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Man of Steel, Jonah Hex, Bug, Vanilla Sky, Early Edition, Chain Reaction, Groundhog Day)
Greg Serano b. 1972 (Agent Carter, LA Apocalypse, Doomed Planet, Terminator Salvation, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, The Postman)
Sydney Penny b. 1971 (Hyper Sapiens: People from Another Star, Twilight Zone [1986])
Paula Jean Hixson b. 1968 (Being Human, Source Code)
Charlotte Lewis b. 1967 (Highlander: The Raven, Embrace of the Vampire, The Golden Child)
Harold Perrineau b. 1963 (Constantine, Lost, Demons, 28 Weeks Later, The Matrix Revolutions, The Matrix Reloaded)
Ramon Estevez b. 1963 (Alligator II: The Mutation, The Dead Zone)
Brian Conley b. 1961 (Equilibrium, Cinderella: The Shoe Must Go On)
David Duchovny b. 1960 (The X Files, Evolution, Space: Above and Beyond)
Shannon Cochran b. 1958 (Fringe, Star Trek: Nemesis, The Ring, Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Paul Dini b. 1957 (writer, a whole lot of TV cartoon shows)
Wayne Knight b. 1955 (Torchwood, Punisher: War Zone, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Space Jam, Jurassic Park, The Day After)
Caroline Aaron b. 1952 (What Planet Are You From?, Edward Scissorhands, The Brother from Another Planet)
Alexei Sayle b. 1952 (Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Solarbabies, Doctor Who, Whoops Apocalypse)
Graeme Blundell b. 1945 (Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith)
David Rasche b. 1944 (Men in Black 3, Bigfoot: The Unforgettable Encounter, Wicked Stepmother)
John Glover b. 1944 (Agent Carter, Smallville, Heroes, Brimstone, Batman & Robin, Deep Space Nine, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, RoboCop 2, Scrooged, Twilight Zone [1986], The Incredible Shrinking Woman)
Tobin Bell b. 1942 (Saw, Revelations, Charmed, The X Files, Strange World, Stargate SG-1, Mann & Machine, Alien Nation)
Sue Lloyd b. 1939 died 20 October 2011 (U.F.O., Super Gran)
Steve Ihnat b. 1934 died 12 May 1972 (Star Trek, Countdown, I Dream of Jeannie, The Outer Limits, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)
Jerry Pournelle b. 1933 (author, The Mote in God’s Eye, The Man-Kzin Wars, Lucifer’s Hammer)
Edward Hardwicke b. 1932 died 16 May 2011 (She [2001], Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend, Venom, Supernatural [1977 TV mini-series], H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man)
Michael Masters b. 1929 died 2 December 2003 (Knight Rider, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Sixth Sense [1972], The Immortal)
Adrian Ricard b. 1924 (I, Robot, Lois & Clark, The Man with Two Brains, Gemini Man)
Jane Adams b. 1918 died 21 May 2014 (Adventures of Superman, Batman and Robin [1949], The Brute Man, House of Dracula)
Billie Burke b. 1884 died 14 May 1970 (The Wizard of Oz, Topper [1937])

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, I went fabulous with Charlize Theron and Billie Burke. We have some good Oh That Guy actors and some regulars from genre TV as well as important guest stars, but I decided to go with David Duchovny, who was actually a star of a show I think is important enough to have its own label, The X Files.

2. Spot the Canadian! The youngest person on the list - Liam James - was born north of the border. Hard to tell that just looking at his credits.

3. Nepotism FTW. I will not hem and haw about Francesca Eastwood or Ramon Estevez. Classic nepotism careers.

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

Movie released
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra released, 2009

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

Prediction: And for the rest, those swarms of black, and brown, and dirty-white, and yellow people, who do not come into the new needs of efficiency? Well, the world is a world, not a charitable institution, and I take it they will have to go. The whole tenor and meaning of the world, as I see it, is that they have to go. So far as they fail to develop sane, vigorous, and distinctive personalities for the great world of the future, it is their portion to die out and disappear.

Reality: Well obviously, if the people in those lands the British rape and pillage can't learn to steal everything not nailed down and act like it's God's plan, there is no place for them in the shiny new future.

Many commenters including myself have a soft spot for Time After Time, the 1979 movie where Malcolm McDowell plays young H.G.Wells as an adorable nerd with a time machine who falls in love with the equally adorable Mary Steenburgen. Reading Anticipations has put a damper on my love for that movie not unlike the steady stream of news over the past few months has made it hard to enjoy The Cosby Show.

Would I rather go back to happy ignorance or be stuck with the messy, ugly truth? What I'd rather do is live in a world when H.G. Wells and Bill Cosby aren't scumbags, but since that's not an option, I'd rather know the truth because I'm a grown-up.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Up on the soapbox on Saturday, feeling bad about part of the future we didn't get, or rather, we had for a while but let it slip away.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

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!

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!
 

17 July 2015

Birthdays
Perla Haney-Jardine b. 1997 (Spider-Man 3)
Austin Macdonald b. 1995 (Mr. Magorum’s Wonder Emporium, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, ReGenesis)
Jessica Amlee b. 1994 (Absolute Zero, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Stargate: Atlantis, Jeremiah, Andromeda, Smallville, Dark Angel)
Cazi Greene b. 1993 (The Maze Runner)
Billie Lourd b. 1992 (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens)
Tom Cullen b. 1985 (Last Days on Mars)
Daniel Berge Halversen b. 1982 (Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead)
Melanie Thierry b. 1981 (The Zero Theorem, Babylon A.D.)
Mike Vogel b. 1979 (Under the Dome, Cloverfield)
Eric Winter b. 1976 (Witches of East End, Charmed)
Dagmara Dominczyk b. 1976 (They)
Cory Doctorow b. 1971 (writer, Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom)
Jason Clarke b. 1969 (Terminator: Genisys [2015], Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Death Race, Farscape)
Alex Winter b. 1965 (The Borrowers, Freaked, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, The Lost Boys)
Santiago Segura b. 1965 (Pacific Rim, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Hellboy, Blade II)
Heather Langenkamp b. 1964 (American Horror Story, Star Trek Into Darkness, Perversions of Science, Shocker, Nightmare on Elm Street)
John Ventimiglia b. 1963 (Rosenkrantz and Guilderstern are Undead)
Robin Shou b. 1960 (Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Mortal Kombat)
Tim Rose b. 1956 (Wizards vs. Aliens, Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader [TV], Howard the Duck, Return to Oz, Return of the Jedi, The Dark Crystal)
Margot Rose b. 1956 (Hollow Man, Deep Space Nine, Lois & Clark, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Freddy’s Nightmares)
J. Michael Straczynski b. 1954 (writer, Sense8, World War Z, Thor, Babylon 5, Jeremiah, The Twilight Zone [1980s], Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, She-Ra, He-Man)
David Hasselhoff b. 1952 (Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, Anaconda III, Knight Rider, Click, 3rd Rock from the Sun, NightMan, Starcrash)
P.J. Soles b. 1950 (Mil Mascaras vs. the Aztec Mummy, Little Bigfoot, Alienator, Knight Rider, Halloween, Carrie)
Catherine Schell b. 1944 (Doctor Who, Space: 1999, Moon Zero Two)
Donald Sutherland b. 1935 (The Hunger Games, Frankenstein [2004], Salem’s Lot, Space Cowboys, Virus, Fallen, The Puppet Masters, The Lifeforce Experiment, Buffy the Vampire Slayer [movie], Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, Castle of the Living Dead)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slot went to Donald Sutherland, kind of a hybrid movie star/character actor and Tim Rose, the poor baster who was stuck in teh Howard the Duck suit. I think the best known name not yet used is David Hasselhoff, but seriously, I just couldn't. So instead we have J. Michael Straczynski, who is currently tweeting about his new series Sense8, which he made with teh Wachowskis and is available on Netflix.

2. Spot the Canadians. It's not a tough bit of trivia to know Donald Sutherland was born in Canada. You might be able to spot Jessica Amlee by her credit list, but writer Cory Doctorow and young actor Austin Macdonald are doing their best to blend in.

3. Tempus fugit and the horse you rode in on. The other guy from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure turns 50 today. I don't remember whether he was Bill or Ted and I would like not being reminded, thank you very much. When I see a milestone like this, I get one of those "Jesus! How old am I then?" moments. I mean, I know how old I am, but just makes it sink in a little deeper.

4. MST3K. Two episodes of Space:1999 were turned into Cosmic Princess and mercilessly mocked by Joel and the bots.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list and to the... wait a tick! Everyone's alive! Yay!

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

Prediction: If deterrent punishments are used at all in the code of the future, the deterrent will neither be death, nor mutilation of the body, nor mutilation of the life by imprisonment, nor any horrible things like that, but good scientifically caused pain, that will leave nothing but a memory.

Reality:I can't read this without thinking of the dialog.

"The booth for this one, Captain?"

"Yes... the booth."

And, oh yeah, the young H.G. Wells was not the lovable, wide eyed fellow played by Malcolm McDowell in Time After Time. Not to put too fine a point on it, he was an asshole.

Never to be Forgotten: "Diamond" Dave Somerville 1931-2015 I'm old enough to have been on newsgroups back when the Internet was all text. One of my favorite newsgroups,  alt.obituaries, still has a presence on Facebook. Ray Arthur, one of the regulars, pointed me in the direction of the passing of Dave Somerville, the original lead singer with The Diamonds, whose big hit was Little Darling. Besides that claim to fame, Somerville took acting classes and one of this fellow students was Leonard Nimoy. Somerville appeared on the Star Trek episode The Conscience of the King and was also on the 1970s TV show The Amazing Spier-Man, back when special effects barely deserved the description "special".

Best wishes to the family and friends of "Diamond" Dave Somerville, from a fan. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another prediction from the very optimistic 1955 book Utopia 1976.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

3 July 2015

Birthdays
Dean Cook b. 1985 (Powers, The Little Vampire, Highlander [TV])
Corey Sevier b. 1984 (Supernatural, Immortals, Age of the Dragons, Smallville, Metamorphosis, The Dresden Files, 2030 CE)
Brandon Jay McLaren b. 1981 (Dead Before Dawn 3D, Falling Skies, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, Kyle XY, Smallville, Blade: The Series, Power Rangers S.P.D., Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed)
Shoshannah Stern b. 1980 (Jericho)
Olivia Munn b. 1980 (X-Men: Apocalypse, Iron Man 2)
Ian Anthony Dale b. 1978 (American Horror Story, Mortal Kombat: Legacy, The Event, Tekken, Dollhouse, Charmed, Angel)
Patrick Wilson b. 1973 (Space Station 76, Prometheus, Watchmen)
Shawnee Smith b. 1970 (The Grudge 3, Saw, Island, Breakfast of Champions, Armageddon, The Shining [1997 TV], The X-Files, The Stand, The Blob [1988])
Justin Dreyfuss b. 1969 (Munchies, Close Encounters of the Third Kid)
Connie Nielsen b. 1965 (Demonlover, Mission to Mars, Solider, The Devil’s Advocate)
Tommy Flanagan b. 1965 (Sin City, Alien vs. Predator)
Thomas Gibson b. 1962 (Category 6: Day of Destruction, The Lost Empire, Psycho Beach Party)
Hunter Tylo b. 1962 (SharkMan)
Tom Cruise b. 1962 (Edge of Tomorrow, Oblivion, War of the Worlds, Minority Report, Vanilla Sky, Interview with the Vampire, Legend)
Rick Ducommun b. 1956 died June 2015 (Brimstone, Ghost in the Machine, Groundhog Day, Encino Man, Gremlins 2, Little Monsters, Spaceballs, Max Headroom)
Cork Hubbert b. 1952 died 28 September 203 (Charmed, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Sinbad of the Seven Seas, The Charmings, The Twilight Zone [1986], Legend)
Betty Buckley b. 1947 (The Happening, Carrie)
Michael Cole b. 1945 (It, Beyond Westworld, Wonder Woman)
Paul Young b. 1944 (The Omega Factor, Mad Max)
Kurtwood Smith b. 1943 (Resurrection, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Deep Impact, Star Trek: Voyager, Deep Space Nine, The X-Files, Star Trek VI, RoboCop)
Harrison Schmidt b. 1935 (walked on the moon)
Tom Stoppard b. 1937 (co-author, Brazil)
Ken Russell b. 1927 died 27 November 2011 (director, The Lair of the White Worm, Altered States)
Tim O’Connor b. 1927 (The Burning Zone, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Wonder Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Sssssss, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, ‘Way Out)
Carol Ohmart b. 1927 (House on Haunted Hill, Men Into Space)
Rae Allen b. 1926 (Vampire Mob, Stargate, The Greatest American Hero)
Louise Albritton b. 1920 died 16 February 1979 (Son of Dracula)
George Sanders b. 1906 died 25 April 1972 (The Body Stealers, Batman, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Village of the Damned, From the Earth to the Moon)
Franz Kakfa b. 1883 died 3 June 1924 (author, Metamorphosis)

1. The Picture Slot. In previous year, I had moonwalker Harrison Schmidt and Thetan talker Tom Cruise in The Picture Slot. This year, I considered Kurtwood Smith (whom I didn't use because I'm a dumb-ass), George Sanders (whose iconic genre role as Mr. Freeze is beneath his dignity) and instead decided to go with happy-go-lucky elfin charmer Franz Kafka.

2. Spot the Canadians. The late Rick Ducommun was born north of the border and is hard to spot, but the other two are obvious to the trained Canuck hunter and the reader is given the chance to spot them.

3. Nepotism FTW, however small. Justin Dreyfuss is the nephew of Richard Dreyfuss. The two films lists are his entire credit list.

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

Movies released
Despicable Me 2 released, 2013
The Amazing Spider-Man released, 2012
Transformers released, 2007
Men In Black released, 2002
Terminator 2 released, 1991
Back to the Future released, 1985
 

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

Prediction: The suggestion is powerful, the conclusion is hard to resist, that, through whatever disorders of danger and conflict, whatever centuries of misunderstanding and bloodshed, men may still have to pass, this process nevertheless aims finally, and will attain to the establishment of one world-state at peace within itself. In the economic sense, indeed, a world-state is already established.

Reality: Wells has a full chapter devoted to what a nightmare modern warfare will be and while the particulars are off, the basic premise is correct. We don't have a one world-state and we are unlikely to get there soon, but it should be noted that it's been seventy years since two (or more) truly industrialized nations squared off against each other. It's impossible to say now whether this is just a very long lull historically or the actual beginning of a limited version of peace among the most powerful nations.

Looking two days ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The writer of this blog is going to take a two day break, known in some cultures as weekend. He has heard good things about them and wanted to try one just to see if he liked it. He will be back with the usual silliness on Monday.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

26 June 2015

Birthdays
Harley Quinn Smith b. 1999 (Tusk)
Katie and Kelly Cockrell b. 1988 (Star Trek Into Darkness, Return to Halloweentown)
Aubrey Plaza b. 1984 (Safety Not Guaranteed)
Tolga Safer b. 1982 (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
Jason Schwartzman b. 1980 (Bewitched [2005 movie], The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, S1m0ne)
Tory Mussett b. 1978 (Nightmares & Dreamscapes, Boogeyman, Peter Pan [2003], The Matrix Reloaded)
Matt Letscher b. 1970 (The Flash, Her, Radio Free Albemuth)
Chris O’Donnell b. 1970 (Batman & Robin, Batman Forever)
Nick Offerman b. 1970 (Sin City)
Steven Brand b. 1969 (Teen Wolf, Hellraiser: Revelations, Jurassic Attack, Alien Express, The Scorpion King)
Christina Fulton b. 1969 (Dracula [1992])
Ian Tracy b. 1964 (The 100, Strange Empire, Continuum, Man of Steel, Supernatural, Sanctuary, Sucker Punch, The 4400, Smallville, Elektra, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Taken, Stargate SG-1, Dark Angel, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Highlander [TV], The Adventures of Sinbad [TV], The X-Files, Timecop)
Terri Nunn b. 1961 (Time Express)
Mark McKinney b. 1959 (Space Riders: Division Earth, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Jacob Two Two Meets the Hooded Fang, Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy)
Lela Ivey b. 1958 (Pleasantville, The Addams Family [movie], Quantum Leap, She-Wolf of London, ALF, The Purple Rose of Cairo)
Gedde Watanabe b. 1955 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Armageddon, Gremlins 2: The New Batch, Vamp)
David Brisbin b. 1952 (The X-Files, Buffy, From the Earth to the Moon, Dark Skies)
Robert Davi b. 1951 (Lost Time, Asteroid vs. Earth, Swamp Shark, Stargate: Atlantis, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, VR.5, Predator 2, The Powers of Matthew Star, The Incredible Hulk)
Michael Paul Chan b. 1950 (Megiddo: The Omega Code 2, The Invisible Man [TV], Good vs Evil, Batman & Robin, Lois & Clark, The Burning Zone, Batman Forever, Babylon 5, Alien Nation, Max Headroom)
Leo Rossi b. 1946 (The Mating Habits of the Earthbound Human, Mutant Species, Amazing Stories, Halloween II)
Clive Francis b. 1946 (Relic Hunter, A Clockwork Orange, Journey to the Unknown)
John Beasley b. 1943 (The Lost Room, Millennium [TV])
Edwin Hodgeman b. 1935 (Ultraman: Toward the Future, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome)
Josef Sommer b. 1934 (X-Men: The Last Stand, Early Edition, Strange Days, Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman, Dracula’s Widow, D.A.R.Y.L., Iceman, The Henderson Monster, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Stepford Wives)
Richard X. Slattery b. 1925 died 27 January 1997 (Space, Monster Squad, Wonder Woman, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Invaders, Mr. Terrific, The Green Hornet)
Richard Bull b. 1924 died 3 February 2014 (Amazing Stories, The Andromeda Strain, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Bewitched, The Satan Bug, Men Into Space)
Dick Smith b. 1922 died 30 July 2014 (make-up artist, House on Haunted Hill [1999], Death Becomes Her, Monsters [TV], Poltergeist III, Starman, The Hunger, Ghost Story, Scanners, Altered States, Exorcist I and II, The Stepford Wives, Dark Shadows, ‘Way Out, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [TV 1968], The Alligator People, Alice in Wonderland [TV 1955])
Peter Lorre b. 1904 died 23 March 1964 (The Raven, Tales of Terror, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In 2013, I didn't have a birthday list for June 26, and in 2014, I decided to use Oh That Cop Richard X. Slattery because I thought it was cruel to use Chris O'Donnell in his silly nipple costume from one of his only two roles in genre, the movies that almost killed the Batman franchise forever. (My position: Blame Schumacher First!)

Well, okay, I admit it. Sometimes I'm cruel.


2. Nepotism FTW. What kind of person would name his daughter after a villain from a comic book? That would be director Kevin Smith and his daughter Harley Quinn Smith.

3. Spot the Canadians! Easy to find with a simple clue. There are two, one born in the 1950s and the other in the 1960s.

4. Wait... they are the same age? This happens sometimes, when you get two actors, one best known for younger roles and the other best known for roles later in his or her career. Both Chris O'Donnell and Nick Offerman turn 45 this year. I would not have guessed they were the same age.

5. The Guy at the Door. Two people on this list have died during the lifetime of this blog. I did do a Never to be Forgotten for Dick Smith, but I missed the obit for Richard Bull. My bad. With those two gone, everyone born in the1920s is dead and our new oldest person on the list is veteran character actor Josef Summer, who turns 81 today. As always when this happens, I wish special birthday greeting to our Guy (or Gal) at the Door.

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

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

Prediction: [B]etween contiguous nations that have mastered the art of war, instead of the pouring clouds of cavalry of the old dispensation, this will be the opening phase of the struggle, a vast duel all along the frontier between groups of skilled marksmen, continually being relieved and refreshed from the rear. For a time quite possibly there will be no definite army here or there, there will be no controllable battle, there will be no Great General in the field at all. But somewhere far in the rear the central organizer will sit at the telephonic centre of his vast front, and he will strengthen here and feed there and watch, watch perpetually the pressure, the incessant remorseless pressure that is seeking to wear down his countervailing thrust. Behind the thin firing line that is actually engaged, the country for many miles will be rapidly cleared and devoted to the business of war, big machines will be at work making second, third, and fourth lines of trenches that may be needed if presently the firing line is forced back, spreading out transverse paths for the swift lateral movement of the cyclists who will be in perpetual alertness to relieve sudden local pressures, and all along those great motor roads our first "Anticipations" sketched, there will be a vast and rapid shifting to and fro of big and very long range guns. These guns will probably be fought with the help of balloons.

Reality: I'm going to give Herb pretty much full marks for this. He is describing that massive clusterfuck now known as World War I fairly accurately. Aircraft, tanks and other technology have made trench warfare a thing of the past, but in 1901 our past is his future.

Never to be Forgotten: Laura Antonelli 1941-2015 Italian beauty Laura Antonelli has died at the age of 73. In Italy she was nearly as well known for her long affair with Jean-Paul Belmondo as she was for her film career. She was also in the news when she was convicted for dealing cocaine after it was found in her home during a police raid in 1991. She steadfastly proclaimed her innocence, and after a long process was vindicated and paid damages of 106,000 euros. She is mentioned here for her one role in genre in the silly Vincent Price vehicle Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs. This picture is a still from the movie and she was the top billed actress in the cast.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Laura Antonelli, from an adoring fan. She is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's Saturday tomorrow, so we hear from our optimistic and moralistic pal Morris L, Ernst in his book Utopia 1976.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

12 June 2015

Birthdays
Cody Horn b. 1988 (Demonic)
Abbey Lee b. 1987 (Mad Max: Fury Road)
Luke Youngblood b. 1986 (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone)
Dave Franco b. 1985 (Other Space, Warm Bodies, Fright Night)
Jeremy Howard b. 1981 (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Haunted Mansion, Buffy, Men in Black II, Galaxy Quest)
Kenzo Lee b. 1980 (Extant, Monarch of the Moon)
Richard Ayoade b. 1977 (The IT Crowd, The Watch, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace)
Jason Mewes b. 1974 (Zombie Hamlet, Netherbeast Incorporated, Dogma)
Rick Hoffman b. 1970 (Knight Rider [2009], Battleship, The Day After Tomorrow, What Planet Are You From?)
Gordon Michael Woolvert b. 1970 (Supernatural, Andromeda, Sliders, Mysterious Island, Forever Knight, Maniac Mansion, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future)
Sarah Trigger b. 1968 (Pet Sematary II, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey)
Frances O’Connor b. 1967 (Once Upon a Time, Timeline, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Bedazzled [2000])
Cathy Tyson b. 1965 (The Serpent and the Rainbow)
Paula Marshall b. 1964 (Haunted Hathaways, W.E.I.R.D. World, Warlock: The Armageddon, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Superboy, The Flash [1990])
Patrice Martinez b. 1963 (Beetlejuice)
Tim DeKay b. 1963 (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Monster Ark, The 4400, Carnivale, Invasion, SeaQuest 2032)
Eamonn Walker b. 1962 (Unbreakable)
Paul Schulze b. 1962 (The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Roswell)
Scott Thompson b. 1959 (Dark Rising: Warrior of Worlds, Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy, Star Trek: Voyager, Millennium)
Jenilee Harrison b. 1958 (They Came from Outer Space)
Timothy Busfield b. 1957 (Sleepy Hollow, Revolution, Terminal Error, Lois and Clark)
Ella Joyce b, 1954 (Bubba Ho-Tep, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Gary Farmer b. 1953 (Mutant X, Forever Knight, Route 666, The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon)
Roger Aaron Brown b. 1949 (Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Supernatural, Dark Skies, Galaxis, RoboCop 2, Alien Nation, Hard Time on Planet Earth, Near Dark, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, The Incredible Hulk)
Len Wein b. 1948 (writer, Swamp Thing)
Jim Nabors b. 1930 (Knight Rider, The Lost Saucer, The Addams Family Fun House)
Alberto De Martino b. 1929 died 2 June 2015 (writer, Holocaust 2000, Hercules vs. the Giant Warriors)
Henry Slesar b. 1927 died 2 April 2002 (author, 20 Million Miles to Earth)
Jim Siedow b. 1920 died 20 November 2003 (Amazing Stories)
Uta Hagen b. 1919 died 14 January 2004 (The Twilight Zone [1986], The Boys from Brazil)
Irwin Allen b. 1916 died 2 November 1991 (producer/writer/director, Aliens from Another Planet, The Swarm, City Beneath the Sea, Land of the Giants, The Time Tunnel, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Lost World)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. The list today has a lot of well-known actors, just not well-known for genre. In 2013, before I learned a good research method, I had no birthdays on 12 June and the Picture Slot when to an exact day prediction about Irwin Allen's Land of the Giants. In 2014, I decided to use Irwin Allen's picture. This year, I decided to go with Abby Lee from Mad Max: Fury Road. I don't think she's iconic, but in my defense, she IS fabulous and her name is at the top of the popularity list on imbd.com among all the birthday folk.

2. Spot the Canadians! There are three today. Gary Farmer is a First Nations actor born north of the border, Scott Thompson got his first fame on the Canadian show Kids in the Hall and Gordon Michael Woolvert has a very Canadian looking resume, as well he should.

3. Nepotism more or less. Dave Franco is James Franco's less known brother.

4. A Missed Never to be Forgotten. I did not see the obit for writer Alberto De Martino earlier this month, but he wrote in genre and deserved a mention. My bad.

5. The Guy at the Door. Had Mr. Martino survived, he would have been the Guy at the Door. As it is, the oldest person on our list is Jim Nabors, now 85. As always, special birthday wishes to The Guy at the Door.

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

Movie released
This is the End released, 2013

Predictor: H.G. Wells in his book Anticipations

Prediction: The Russia of to-day is indeed very little more than a vast breeding-ground for an illiterate peasantry, and the forecasts of its future greatness entirely ignore that dwindling significance of mere numbers in warfare which is the clear and necessary consequence of mechanical advance.

Reality: Ah, another bracing look into the mind of Herbert George Wells, British bigot! He was absolutely convinced warfare would be all about cool gadgets in the 20th Century, and he certainly gets at least partial credit there, but as we have seen time and again, war is about breaking a country's will to fight. The Soviet Union in WW II had "mere numbers" and approximately 20 million of them died in that war and they did not surrender. Even the Germans didn't have an answer for that.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another prediction from Utopia 1976, probably loaded with optimism and short on accuracy.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!