24 August 2015

Birthdays
Rupert Grint b. 1988 (Harry Potter)
Chad Michael Murray b. 1981 (Agent Carter, Left Behind, The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghost of Georgia, House of Wax, Megiddo: The Omega Code 2)
Beth Riesgraf b. 1978 (Caper)
Alex O’Loughlin b. 1976 (Moonlight, The Invisible, Man-Thing)
James D’Arcy b. 1975 (Agent Carter, Jupiter Ascending, Cloud Atlas, Them [2007])
Kwesi Ameyaw b. 1975 (Continuum, Supernatural, Man of Steel, Once Upon a Time, Riverworld, Fringe, Stargate, Kyle XY, Fallen, Eureka, Blade: Trinity, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Jake 2.0, Battlestar Galactica, Smallville, Dead Like Me, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Jeremiah, Dark Angel, Strange Frequency, The Lone Gunmen, The 6th Day)
Jennifer Lien b. 1974 (Star Trek: Voyager)
Barret Oliver b.1973 (Twilight Zone [1986], Tall Tales & Legends, Cocoon, D.A.R.Y.L., The NeverEnding Story, Jekyll and Hyde… Together Again, Knight Rider, The Incredible Hulk)
Eric Edwards b. 1966 (Blade, Candyman)
Dana Gould b. 1964 (Mystery Men, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch)
Jared Harris b. 1961 (Poltergeist [2015], The Quiet Ones, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, Fringe, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Lost in Space [1998], Tall Tale)
Mark Protosevich b. 1961 (writer, Thor, I Am Legend, The Cell)
Steve Guttenberg b. 1958 (Lavalantula, Short Circuit, Cocoon 1 and 2, High Spirits, The Day After, The Boys from Brazil)
Stephen Fry b. 1957 (The Hobbit, The Borrowers, Alice in Wonderland [2010], V for Vendetta, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, MirrorMask, Doctor Who: Death Comes to Time, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride)
Kevin Dunn b. 1956 (Transformers, Lost, NYPD 2069, Small Soldiers, Godzilla [1998], Ghostbusters II)
Orson Scott Card b. 1951 (won 1986 Hugo and Nebula for Ender’s Game, won 1987 Hugo and Nebula for Speaker for the Dead)
Charles Rocket b. 1949 died 7 October 2005 (3rd Rock from the Sun, Star Patrol, The X-Files, Star Trek: Voyager, Lois & Clark, Hocus Pocus, Quantum Leap, Earth Girls Are Easy, Max Headroom)
Joe Regalbuto b. 1949 (Amazing Stories, Mork & Mindy)
Anne Archer b. 1947 (Nico the Unicorn, The Sixth Sense [1972])
Ronnie Blakley b. 1945 (A Return to Salem’s Lot, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Beyond Westworld)
Castulo Guerra b. 1945 (The Purge: Anarchy, Touch, Invasion, Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace, Lois & Clark, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Beauty and the Beast [1987], Starman [TV])
Kenny Baker b. 1934 (Star Wars, U.F.O. [1993], Prince Caspian and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader [1989], Willow, Labyrinth, Time Bandits, Flash Gordon)
William Morgan Sheppard b. 1932 (April Apocalypse, Mysterious Island, Doctor Who, Legend of the Seeker, Star Trek [2009], Transformers, The Prestige, Charmed, Star Trek: Voyager, Timecop, American Gothic, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Babylon 5, SeaQuest 2032, Needful Things, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Max Headroom, Werewolf, The Day of the Triffids [1981], Hawk the Slayer)
Jimmy Gardner b. 1924 died 3 May 2010 (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, My Hero, The Company of Wolves, Doctor Who, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe [1967], The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb)
Helena Carter b. 1920 died 11 January 2000 (Invaders from Mars)
James Tiptree, Jr. b 1915 died 19 May 1987 (author, Tales of the Quintana Roo, Up the Walls of the World)
Jorge Luis Borges b. 1899 died 14 June 1986 (author, The Book of Imaginary Beings, Labyrinths)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, I used pictures of Rupert Grint and Barret Oliver. The people I considered today were the authors Orson Scott Card and Jorge Luis Borges, the actress Jennifer Lein and the winner, Kenny Baker, the guy inside R2-D2.

2. Spot the Canadian! I'll give one hint. Today's lone Canadian is less than 50 years old.

3. Nepotism FTW. Jared Harris is the son of Richard Harris.

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

Predictor: OMNI Future Almanac, published 1982

Prediction: Skies crowded by personal planes, along with increased need for corporate material delivery and energy control, will make civilian aircraft carriers a necessity.

Reality: Yikes! This one is awful. But as I have written before, I kind of love the OMNI Future Almanac because they were not afraid to be bold. After last week's really good prediction about the Internet, we get a complete strikeout like this.

Not that it matters. I still love them.
 
Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Tuesdays belong to Heinlein and his novel The Door Into Summer.
  
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

22 June 2015

Birthdays
Portia Doubleday b. 1988 (Her, Carrie [2013], Legend of the Mummy)
Joe Dempsie b. 1987 (Game of Thrones, Merlin, Doctor Who)
Douglas Smith b. 1985 (Terminator Genisys, Antiviral, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, The X-Files)
Lindsay Ridgeway b. 1985 (Star Trek: Voyager)
Amanda Brooks b. 1981 (Chillerama, Dragon Wars: D-War)
Stephanie Jacobsen b. 1980 (Star-Crossed, Quantum Apocalypse, The Devil’s Tomb, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Battlestar Galactica, Farscape)
Jeff Hephner b. 1975 (Interstellar)
Sarah Edmonson b. 1977 (Continuum, Fringe, The Dead Zone, Andromeda, Stargate SG-1, Vampire High)
Donald Faison b. 1974 (Kick-Ass 2, Skyline, Clone High, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch)
Benz Antoine b. 1972 (Death Race, Gothika, Seven Days, Strange World, Poltergeist: The Legacy, The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, NightMan, Stargate SG-1, Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County, Millennium)
Mary Lynn Rajskub b. 1971 (Safety Not Guaranteed, Dude, Where’s My Car?)
Laila Rouass b. 1971 (Conan the Barbarian [2011], The Sarah Jane Adventures, Primeval)
Michael Trucco b. 1970 (V [2010], Meteor Storm, Battlestar Galactica, The Big Bang Theory, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Charmed)
Paula Irvine b. 1968 (Phantasm I, II and III, Doin’ Time on Planet Earth)
James McCauley b. 1966 (The Amazing Spider-Man 2, True Blood, I am Legend)
Uwe Boll b. 1965 (director, Blubberella, Seed, BloodRayne, House of the Dead)
J.J. Cohen b. 1965 (3rd Rock from the Sun, Back to the Future, 976-EVIL, V [1985], Amazing Stories)
Amy Brenneman b. 1964 (The Leftovers, Casper)
Heidi Kozak b. 1963 (Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood, Twilight Zone [1987])
Catherine Disher b. 1960 (Good Witch, Forever Knight, War of the Worlds [TV])
Bruce Campbell b. 1958 (Ash vs. Evil Dead, Oz the Great and Powerful, Spider-Man, Alien Apocalypse, Sky High, Man with the Screaming Brain, Terminal Invasion, Bubba Ho-Tep, Timequest, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena, The X-Files, Weird Science [TV], Assault on Dome 4, Escape from L.A., American Gothic, Lois & Clark, Congo, Army of Darkness, Mindwarp, Waxwork II: Lost in Time, Darkman, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, Moontrap, The Evil Dead I and II)
John Murray b. 1958 (Scrooged)
Tim Russ b. 1956 (Star Trek: Voyager, Asteroid vs. Earth, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari [2006], Star Trek: Generations, SeaQuest2032, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Journey to the Center of the Earth [1993], Eve of Destruction, Alien Nation, Beauty and the Beast, The Twilight Zone, Spaceballs, Timestalkers, Starman [TV], Amazing Stories)
Chris Lemmon b. 1954 (My Dog the Space Traveler, Wishmaster)
Graham Greene b. 1952 (Defiance, Twilight Saga, Phil the Alien, Big Wolf on Campus, The Green Mile, Poltergeist: The Legacy)
Meryl Streep b. 1949 (Into the Woods, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Defending Your Life, Death Becomes Her, Alice at the Palace)
Lindsay Wagner b. 1949 (Warehouse 13, Alphas, A Light in the Forest, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man)
David L. Lander b. 1947 (Zoom, Black Scorpion, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, The Tick, Homeboys in Outer Space, Freddy’s Nightmares, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Who Framed Roger Rabbit)
Octavia E. Butler b. 1947 died 24 February 2006 (won 2000 Nebula for Parable of the Talents)
Murphy Dunne b. 1942 (Deadly Swarm, The Mothman Prophecies, Faerie Tale Theatre, Twilight Zone [1985], Space)
Michael Lerner b. 1941 (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Kingdom Hospital, My Favorite Martian [1999], Tale of the Mummy, Godzilla [1998], Tales from the Crypt, Omen IV: The Awakening, Amazing Stories, Strange Invaders, Threshold, Wonder Woman)
Kris Kristofferson b. 1936 (Blade, Planet of the Apes, NetForce, Millennium)
Amrish Puri b. 1932 died 12 January 2005 (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Prunella Scales b. 1932 (Wolf, The Boys from Brazil)
Ralph Waite b. 1928 died 13 February 2014 (Carnivale, Timequest, Time Trax)
Richard Eastham b. 1916 died 10 July 2005 (Galactica 1980, Salvage 1, Wonder Woman, Battle for the Planet of the Apes, The Invaders)
H. Rider Haggard b. 1856 died 14 May 1925 (author, She)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, the Picture Slotters were Bruce Campbell and Nebula award winner Octavia E. Butler. There are several good choices even with those two worthies excluded, the best known of whom is clearly Meryl Streep. But in terms of iconic roles in genre, Ms. Streep is probably just on par with her exact same birthday girl Lindsay Wagner. If I was going for the youngest iconic actor, I would have chosen Joe Dempsie as Gendry in Game of Thrones, but the Slot went to Tim Russ as Tuvok, the first black actor to play a recurring role as a Vulcan in the Star Trek universe.

2. Spot the Canadians!  There are five today and as often happens, it's easier to spot the younger ones, though not always. Native American actor Graham Greene would more properly be called a First Nations Canadian, but much of his career took place south of the border. Catherine Disher's resume shows some Canadian tendencies, but not as much as Benz Antoine's or Sarah Edmondson's. And then there's our youngest Canadian Douglas Smith, who does more movie work than Canuck-fi TV shows, so is just as hard to spot as Mr. Greene. Thanks to Art Velasquez for pointing out my earlier error excluding Smith.


3. Nepotism FTW. Two guys born in the 1950s have famous relatives who likely helped their careers. Chris Lemmon is Jack Lemmon's son and John Murray is the least well known of Bill Murray's siblings.

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

Predictor: The OMNI Future Almanac, published 1982

Prediction: Unmanned aircraft will be used for freight delivery, most especially to remote regions. Using advanced robotic technology not yet available, they will be controlled from the point of origin and unload cargo automatically.

Reality: This one gets full marks since no exact date was given nor was size of the drone specified. The OMNI Future Almanac was not shy about discussing military applications, but none were mentioned in this case, which has to count as an oversight.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's the regular Tuesday schedule, so we get another Commie prediction from John Langdon-Davies, Commie.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

28 May 2015

Birthdays

Cameron Boyce b. 1999 (Mirrors)
Jacob Kogan b. 1995 (The Tomorrow People, Star Trek [reboot])
Carey Mulligan b. 1985 (Never Let Me Go, Doctor Who)
Megalyn Echikunwoke b. 1983 (The 4400, Supernatural, Buffy, Creature)
Alexa Davalos b. 1982 (The Man in the High Castle, Clash of the Titans, The Mist, The Chronicles of Riddick, Angel)
Monica Keena b. 1979 (Night of the Demons, Freddy vs. Jason, The Devil’s Advocate, Snow White: A Tale of Terror)
Jesse Bradford b. 1979 (Clockstoppers)
Jake Johnson b. 1978 (Jurassic World, Safety Not Guaranteed, Flashforward)
Christian Alvart b. 1974 (director, Pandorum)
Kate Ashfield b. 1972 (Shaun of the Dead)
Glenn Quinn b. 1970 died 3 December 2002 (Angel)
Kylie Minogue b. 1968 (Doctor Who, Street Fighter)
Ashley Laurence b. 1966 (Hellraiser, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
Alon Aboutboul b. 1965 (The Dark Knight Rises, Fringe)
Christa Miller b. 1964 (The Andromeda Strain [2008], Clone High)
Brandon Cruz b. 1962 (The Incredible Hulk)
Julie T. Wallace b. 1961 (Speed Racer, Dr. Terrible’s House of Horrible, The Fifth Element, Time Riders)
Townsend Coleman b. 1954 (The Tick)
Kevin Van Hentenryck b. 1953 (Basket Case)
Sandy Helberg b. 1949 (Mortal Kombat, Spaceballs, Knight Rider, Terror in the Wax Museum)
Patricia Quinn b. 1944 (Doctor Who, The Box of Delights, Shock Treatment, Hawk the Slayer, Hammer House of Horror, Beauty and the Beast [TV], The Rocky Horror Picture Show)
Sondra Locke b. 1944 (Amazing Stories, Planet of the Apes [TV], Willard)
Zelda Rubenstein b. 1943 died 27 January 2010 (Southland Tales, Wishcraft, Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights, Little Witches, Timemaster, Tales from the Crypt, Teen Witch, Poltergeist)
Robert Biheller b. 1938 (Fire in the Sky, The Invaders, Batman, Twilight Zone)
Shane Rimmer b. 1932 (Dark Shadows [2012], Alien Autopsy, Mee-Shee: The Water Giant, Batman Begins, The War of the Starfighters, Space Truckers, A Kid in King Arthur’s Court, Year of the Comet, Space Police, Morons from Outer Space, Space, The Hunger, Superman II, Warlords of the Deep, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Space: 1999, Twilight’s Last Gleaming, Rollerball, UFO, Doctor Who)
Thora Hird b. 1911 died 15 March 2003 (The Quatermass Experiment)
Ian Fleming b. 1908 died 12 August 1964 (author, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)

Notes on the birthday list1. The Picture Slot. Today's list doesn't have a lot of big stars, Carey Mulligan is probably the biggest, but they are more than a few I consider iconic. In previous years I used Zelda Rubenstein from Poltergeist and Alexa Davalos from Angel. For 2015, I had to choose between two of my nerdy enthusiasms, either going with Glenn Quinn from the first season of Angel, satisfying my Whedonverse nerdiness, or go with the winner, a picture from the early 1990s cartoon The Tick, which was voiced by Townsend Coleman. In a blending of my nerdy loves, The Tick's creator Ben Edlund later worked for Joss Whedon.

2. A Canadian walks amongst us. Shane Rimmer was born north of the border, but his credit list begins long before the existence of the Canadian genre film and TV industry.

3. Not really nepotism. Sandy Helberg is the father of Simon Helberg. The elder Helberg is not a big star, but it's easy to speculate that his kids could see a career in show business was possible since Dad did it for a living.

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


Movie released
The Day After Tomorrow released 2004

Predictor:  Wilbur Wright to his brother Orville, 1901, quoted in The Experts Speak

Prediction: “Man will not fly for 50 years.”

Reality: A few weeks back, there was a prediction for H.G. Wells that put practical heavier-than-air travel existing around 1950, making him look like a twit. This prediction shows that he was in pretty good company, though there is no chance Wells knew anything about these guys. (Orville's the one with the mustache; if they had their hats off, you'd see Wilbur was the balder of the two.) Instead of 50 years, Wilbur and Orville would have a plane flying (sort of) by the end of 1903 and made important progress towards making flight practical in the years that followed.


Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

While today's prediction helped make H.G. Wells look less silly, he gets another prediction published tomorrow, so there's a good chance he will make himself look more silly once again. 

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

 

14 May 2015

 Birthdays
Riley Griffiths b. 1997 (Super 8)
Miranda Cosgrove b. 1993 (Smallville)
Sasha Spielberg b. 1990 (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
Tara Thompson b. 1988 (My Super Ex-Girlfriend)
Amber Wallace b. 1987 (The Vampire Diaries)
Amber Tamblyn b. 1983 (Babylon Fields, The Grudge 2, Buffy, The Ring)
Jim Howick b. 1979 (Hellboy)
David Blakeley b. 1978 (Malice in Wonderland)
Ada Nicodemou b. 1977 (Beastmaster [TV], The Matrix)
Indira Varma b. 1973 (Game of Thrones, Torchwood, Sci-Fright)
Gabriel Mann b. 1972 (Legend of the Seeker, Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist, Carnivale)
Sofia Coppola b. 1971 (Star Wars: Episode I – The Title that Shall Not Be Mentioned. Faerie Tale Theatre)
Natasha Ryan b. 1970 (The Entity, The Day Time Ended, The Amityville Horror, Kingdom of the Spiders)
Neil and Adrian Rayment b. 1970 (Intergalactic Combat, The Matrix Reloaded)
Cate Blanchett b. 1969 (Cinderella, The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
Danny Huston b. 1962 (Frankenstein [2015], American Horror Story, Wrath of the Titans, Clash of the Titans, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Children of Men)
Tim Roth b. 1961 (The Incredible Hulk, Planet of the Apes, Metamorphosis)
Brett Leonard b. 1959 (director, Highlander: The Source, Man-Thing, Virtuosity, The Lawnmower Man)
Leilani Jones b. 1957 (Universal Soldier)
Robert G. Tapert b. 1955 (writer, Alien Apocalypse, Xena, Cleopatra 2525, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, producer Darkman, Evil Dead)
Robert Zemeckis b. 1951 (writer/director, Back to the Future, The Polar Express, Bordello of Blood, Kolchak: The Night Stalker)
Mark Blum b. 1950 (Fringe)
Tamara Dobson b. 1947 died 2 October 2006 (Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Jason of Star Command)
Joseph Zito b. 1946 (director, Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter)
Yutte Stensgaard b. 1946 (Lust for a Vampire)
Francesca Annis b. 1945 (Tales from the Crypt, Dune [1984], Krull)
George Lucas b. 1944 (writer/director, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Willow, THX-1138)
Veruschka b. 1939 (The Bride)
Sian Phillips b. 1933 (Cinderella [TV, 2000], Alice Through the Looking Glass [TV], The Borrowers, The Snow Spider, Ewoks: The Battle for Endor, Dune, Clash of the Titans)
Laszlo Kovacs b. 1933 died 22 July 2007 (cinematographer, Multiplicity, Ghostbusters, Slither, Blood of Dracula’s Castle)
Richard Deacon b. 1921 died 8 August 1984 (Piranha, The Lost Saucer, Hans Christian Anderson, I Dream of Jeannie, The Gnome-Mobile, The Addams Family, The Munsters, Twilight Zone, My Favorite Martian, The Birds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, This Island Earth, Invaders form Mars)
June Duprez b. 1918 died 30 October 1984 (The Thief of Bagdad)
James Flavin b. 1906 died 23 April 1976 (The Addams Family, Twilight Zone, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, One Touch of Venus, King Kong)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, I went with Cate Blanchett and Indira Varma. If I was going for most iconic, it should be George Lucas, but he fills me with ambivalence these days, so I continued in the fabulous babe mode with Francesca Annis from Dune.

2. No Canadians or Star Trek, but so much nepotism. No Star Trek yet again today, the second time this week. Also, I didn't find any genre based Canadians listed on imdb.com for today. To make up for that, we have lots and lots of nepotism, Sasha Spielberg, Amber Tamblyn, Sofia Coppola and Danny Huston. You could argue Sian Phillips counts as nepotism as Peter O'Toole's wife, but I say no, this was two working actors meeting and getting married. I loved her work as Livia on I, Claudius so much, still one of the great casts in TV history. No nepotism there in my book.

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

Predictor:Woldemar Kampfert in Outlook magazine, 28 June 1913

Prediction: “Over cities… the aerial sentry will be found. A thousand aeroplanes flying to the opera must be kept in line and each allowed to alight upon the roof of the auditorium in its proper turn.”

Reality: I re-use this old French postcard for Kampfert's prediction and note there was a German postcard that also had a lot of air traffic close enough to be in hailing distance. I give the postcard makers some slack because I think they were working before the Wright Brothers, but Kampfert is writing in 1913 and should have some understanding of how hard a plane is to land. No points awarded here.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Once more it's H.G. Wells. Will he write something awful? That will be revealed tomorrow.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

 

8 May 2015

 Birthdays
Ana Mulvoy-Ten b. 1992 (Teen Wolf, Myths)
Aneurin Barnard b. 1987 (The Adventurer: Curse of the Midas Box)
Matthew Boyle b. 1984 (Undead)
Elyes Gabel b. 1983 (Interstellar, World War Z, Game of Thrones)
Christina Cole b. 1982 (Jupiter Ascending, Rosemary’s Baby [2014]. Time Machine: Rise of the Morlocks, Doctor Who, Hex)
Stephen Amell b. 1981 (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, Arrow, The Vampire Diaries, ReGenesis)
Jasen Fisher b. 1980 (Hook, The Witches)
Josie Moran b. 1978 (Van Helsing)
Matthew Davis b. 1978 (The Vampire Diaries, S. Darko, Wasting Away, BloodRayne)
Anthony Reynolds b. 1968 (Fantastic Four [2015], Iron Man 3, The Hunger Games)
Melissa Gilbert b. 1964 (Babylon 5, Faerie Tale Theatre)
Michael Gondry b. 1963 (director, The Green Hornet, The Science of Sleep, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind)
David Winning b. 1961 (director, Lost Girl, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Dinosapien, Andromeda, Stargate: Atlantis, Dinotopia, Earth: Final Conflict, NightMan, Merlin [TV], Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie)
Jeff Wincott b. 1956 (House of Fallen, Terminus, The Invasion, Mutant X, Relic Hunter, Battle Queen 2020, Earth: Final Conflict, Universal Soldier II and III, Future Fear)
Stephen Furst b. 1955 (Basilisk: The Serpent King, Babylon 5, The Day After)
Betsy Baker b. 1955 (Oz the Great and Powerful, 2084, The Evil Dead)
David Keith b. 1954 (Locusts: The 8th Plague, Path of Destruction, Daredevil, Epoch, Carrie [TV], Anthrax, The Indian in the Cupboard, Firestarter)
Mark Blankfield b. 1950 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Crusade, NightMan, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Eerie, Indiana, ALF, Frankenstein General Hospital, Faerie Tale Theatre, Jekyll and Hyde… Together Again, The Incredible Shrinking Woman)
Rockets Redglare b. 1949 died 28 May 2001 (Big)
Ron Miller b. 1947 (artist)
Abdul Salaam El Razzac b. 1944 (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Jim Mitchum b. 1941 (Monster)
Peter Benchley b. 1940 died 11 February 2006 (writer, The Beast, Creature)
Moebius [Jean Henri Giraud] b. 1938 died 10 March 2012 (artist)
Thomas Pynchon b. 1937 (author, Gravity’s Rainbow, Vineland)
Salome Jens b. 1935 (Green Lantern, The Event, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Superboy, The Outer Limits, Terror from the Year 5000)
Robert Dix b. 1935 (Horror of the Blood Monsters, Blood of Dracula’s Castle, Frankenstein’s Daughter, Forbidden Planet)
Phyllida Law b. 1932 (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Mee-Shee: The Water Giant, The Time Machine [2002], The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns)
John Bennett b. 1928 died 11 April 2005 (Minority Report, The Infinite Worlds of H.G. Wells, Jason and the Argonauts [TV], Bridge of Dragons, The Fifth Element, Alien Nation: Millennium, Merlin of the Crystal Cave [TV], Blakes 7, 1990, Doctor Who)
Don Rickles b. 1926 (Innocent Blood, I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters, The Addams Family, X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes, Twilight Zone, Pajama Party)
Angela Stevens b. 1925 (Creature with the Atom Brain)
John Archer b. 1915 died 3 December 1999 (Batman, Twilight Zone, Men Into Space, Destination Moon)

Notes from the birthday list. 
1. The Picture Slot. The previous winner of the Picture Slot was Elyes Gabel from Game of Thrones. This year, it was a toss-up between some illustration by Moebius or a picture of Stephen Furst from Babylon 5. This is the scene where he tells Mr. Morden what he wants most. It pains me how much disrespect this series is shown. J. Michael Straczynski has a new show called Sense 8 on Netflix and in the trailer he is referred to as the writer of Changeling, a good enough film but not genre. He should still be remembered as the writer of Babylon 5.

2. Shades of nepotism. Jim Mitchum absolutely counts as nepotism. Phyllida Law counts a lot less. She had a career long before her daughter Emma Thompson became famous, but she does get roles in some of her daughter's starring vehicles.

3. Canadians spotted! Stephen Amell, star of Arrow, was born in Canada. So were director David Winning and actor Jeff Wincott

4. Surprises dead and alive. I still haven't quite processed that Moebius is dead and while he isn't even 90 yet, I have to stop for a second to remember whether Don Rickles is still around. (He is.) And then there's just the bad brain glitches. Before I clicked on Mark Blankfield's credit list to add him this year, I thought had died early, but that was just a brain fart on my part. He's alive, but he hasn't worked since 2003.

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

Movie released
Star Trek (reboot) released, 2009

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

Prediction: I am inclined to believe, as are many others, that long before the year A.D. 2000, and very probably before 1950, a successful aeroplane will have soared and come home safe and sound. Directly that is accomplished the new invention will be most assuredly applied to war… It is difficult to see how such a contrivance could carry guns of any calibre unless they fired from the rear in the line of flight. The problem of recoil becomes a very difficult one in aerial tactics.

Reality: Wells definitely scores points here, though the problem of shooting guns forward was not the insurmountable difficulty he imagined. He also gets marked down a little for having trouble with the time line, since airplanes were just years away, not decades.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another visit from our Saturday regular Morris L. Ernst from his cheery but scolding book Utopia 1976.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
  

19 March 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Another visit with H.G. Wells.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

 

8 September 2014

Birthdays
Jonathan Taylor Thomas b. 1981 (Smallville)
Larenz Tate b. 1975 (The Postman, The Twilight Zone [1985])
Martin Freeman b. 1971 (The Hobbit, The World’s End, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Shaun of the Dead)
Brian Huskey b. 1968 (This Is the End, Fright Night [2011], Meet Dave, Land of the Lost [2009])
Brad Silberling b. 1963 (director, Land of the Lost, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Casper)
Thomas Kretschmann b. 1962 (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Dracula [TV], Dracula 3D, FlashForward, Bionic Woman, King Kong, Frankenstein [2004 TV], Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Blade II, Relic Hunter, Total Recall 2070, Total Reality)
David Knell b. 1961 (Grimm, The Invisible Man, Total Recall, ALF, Splash, The Devil and Max Devlin)
Sonja Smits b. 1958 (Odyssey 5, TekWar, Videodrome)
Heather Thomas b. 1957 (Swamp Thing [TV], Cyclone, Zapped!)
Julian Richings b. 1955 (Orphan Black, Supernatural, Man of Steel, Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Survival of the Dead, Saw IV, X-Men: The Last Stand, Skinwalkers, Re-Generation, Prince Charming, My Best Friend is an Alien, Highlander: The Raven, Universal Soldier II: Brothers in Arms, Cube, Mimic, RoboCop [TV], War of the Worlds [TV])
Mark Lindsay Chapman b. 1954 (Charmed, Poltergeist: The Legacy, NightMan, Legend of the Mummy, The Burning Zone, Lois & Clark, Weird Science [TV], The Langoliers, Swamp Thing [TV], Max Headroom)
Willard Huyck b. 1945 (writer/director, Howard the Duck, writer, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
Archie Goodwin b. 1937 died 1 March 1988 (writer, Marvel Comics and Warren Publications)
Michael A. Hoey b. 1934 died 17 August 2014 (director, The Navy vs. the Night Monsters)
Joe Kubert b. 1926 died 12 August 2012 (artist)
Peter Sellers b. 1925 died 24 July 1980 (Alice in Wonderland [1972 and 1966])
Harry Harris b. 1922 died 19 March 2009 (director, Alice in Wonderland [1985], Land of the Giants, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Time Tunnel, Lost in Space)
Frank Cady b. 1915 died 8 June 2012 (Monster Squad [TV], 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, The Next Voice You Hear…)
Brian Morrow b. 1911 died 11 May 2006 (Beauty and the Beast, Freddie’s Nightmares, Otherworld, The Greatest American Hero, The Bionic Woman, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Colossus: The Forbin Project, Star Trek, Bewitched, Lost in Space, The Invaders, Captain Nice, I Dream of Jeannie, Cyborg 2087, Atlantis, the Lost Continent, Twilight Zone)
William Fawcett b. 1894 died 25 January 1974 (I Dream of Jeannie, Mr. Terrific, The Munsters, Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter, Twilight Zone, Commando Cody, Captain Video, Atom Man vs. Superman, Batman and Robin [1949])

There are two movie stars on the list, Martin Freeman and Peter Sellers, and Freeman's role in The Hobbit can be considered iconic. But as you can see, I was in an Oh That Guy mood today, and to honor the 48th anniversary of Star Trek on the air, I went with Brian Morrow as a Starfleet admiral. Morrow played a whole lot of White Guys In Charge, whether they were doctors or military men or politicians. The other late actors on the list are Frank Cady, best known from Green Acres, and William Fawcett, an actor with a face like a dried up apple who almost always played cranky old men. The oldest guy who isn't dead is Willard Huyck, but Howard the Duck killed his career but good.

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


TV shows first aired
Star Trek, 1966

Predictor: OMNI Future Almanac, published 1982

Prediction: The stately, massive outlines of lighter-than-air skyships should be in the skies within thirty years. These craft will be vaguely similar to the grand zeppelins, such and the Hindenburg and the Goodyear blimp, but much more sophisticated and varied. Large passenger-frieght liners will transport thousands of people and millions of tons through the air at extremely low cost. Longer than three football fields, they will land and take off with swiveling rotors, and then float through the air like dirigibles.

Reality: Well, they do exist, but they aren't used very much and I can't vouch for the extremely low cost. The most obvious problem is heavy winds, when they would be hard to fly and even difficult to keep moored to the ground.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Will we get another prediction from FM-2030? Will I once again call him a world-class prat?

For the answers, Join us... IN THE FUTURE!
 

2 August 2014

Birthdays
Kara and Shelby Hoffman b. 2002 (Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events)
Zuleyka Silver b. 1991 (In Time, Touch)
Kerry James b. 1986 (The Boy Who Cried Werewolf, SGU Stargate Universe)
Sam Worthington b. 1976 (Avatar, Wrath of the Titans, Clash of the Titans, Terminator Salvation)
Edward Furlong b. 1977 (Star Trek: Renegades, The Zombie King, Arachnoquake, The Green Hornet, Night of the Demons, Dark Reel, Warriors of Terra, The Crow_ Wicked Prayer, Brainscan, Pet Sematary II, Terminator 2: Judgment Day)
Jacinda Barrett b. 1972 (NightMan, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys)
James Preston Rogers b. 1972 (Alphas, Lost Girl, Death Warrior, Outlander)
Matthew Del Negro b. 1972 (Teen Wolf, Witches of East End, Eastwick, Stargate: Atlantis)
Alice Evans b. 1971 (Grimm, The Vampire Diaries, Lost, Highlander [TV])
Kevin Smith b. 1970 (writer/director, Tusk, Reaper, Dogma)
Cynthia Stevenson b. 1962 (Dead Like Me, Neverwas, From the Earth to the Moon, Max Headroom)
Mary-Louise Parker b. 1964 (R.I.P.D., The Spiderwyck Chronicles)
Olivier Gruner b. 1960 (Sector 4: Extraction, Re-Generator, One Night, Interceptor Force 1 and 2, Velocity Trap, Mars, Automatic)
Ken McLeod b. 1954 (author, The Fall Revolution)
Butch Patrick b. 1953 (Zombie Dream, Young Blood: Evil Intentions, The Munsters, Shazam!, Lidsville, The Phantom Tollbooth, I Dream of Jeannie, My Favorite Martian)
Joanna Cassidy b. 1945 (Heroes, Ghosts of Mars, Vampire in Brooklyn, The Tommyknockers, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Blade Runner)
Susan Denberg b. 1944 (Frankenstein Created Woman, Star Trek)
Max Wright b. 1943 (From the Earth to the Moon, Quantum Leap, ALF, Misfits of Science, Faerie Tale Theatre)
Isabel Allende b. 1942 (author, The City of the Beasts, The Infinite Plan)
Sandra Ellis Lafferty b. 1940 (The Hunger Games, The Vampire Diaries, The Prophecy 3, Conan [TV], Dark Skies, The Prophecy)
Wes Craven b.1939 (director, Vampire in Brooklyn, New Nightmare, The People Under the Stairs, Shocker, The Serpent and the Rainbow, The Twilight Zone [1985-6], Deadly Friend, Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes I and II, Swamp Thing)
Peter O’Toole b. 1932 died 15 Dec 2013 (Phantoms, Supergirl, Stardust, Creator, High Spirits, Gulliver’s Travels, Ray Bradbury Theatre)
Bernard L. Kowalski b. 1929 died 26 October 2007 (director, Knight Rider, Sssssss, Attack of the Giant Leeches, Night of the Blood Beast)
Carroll O’Connor b. 1924 died 21 June 2001 (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Outer Limits)
Theo Marcuse b. 1920 died 29 November 1967 (Star Trek, The Invaders, The Time Tunnel, Batman, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Outer Limits, The Twilight Zone)
Nehemiah Persoff b. 1919 (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Battlestar Galactica, The Bionic Woman, Logan’s Run, Wonder Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Invisible Man, Dracula, Land of the Giants, The Power, The Time Tunnel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Twilight Zone)
Gary Merrill b. 1915 died 5 March 1990 (Earth II, The Time Tunnel, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, Mysterious Island [1961])
Beatrice Straight b. 1914 died 7 April 2001 (Faerie Tale Theatre, Poltergeist, Wonder Woman)

Looking at the people in the Picture Slot recently, I've been favoring actors older than I am for the most part, so today I looked for iconic folks near the top of the list and decided on Edward Furlong from Terminator 2.  There are a lot of other excellent choices today, including Sam Worthington, Kevin Smith Butch Patrick, Joanna Cassidy, Wes Craven (last year's pick), Theo Marcuse and Nehemiah Persoff. There are several other famous names on the list whose roles in genre are not their best known work, so I didn't list them.

For me, the two big surprises are that Nehemiah Persoff is still alive at 95 - mazel tov, Mr. Persoff - and that Theo Marcuse died young. I think Marcuse's best known roles are as Korob in Star Trek and as Rip Torn's strongarm man Felix in The Cincinnati Kid. I must have known he died at one time, but I completely blanked on it when doing the research this morning.

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

Movies released
Signs released 2002  
 

Predictor: Dale Brown in The Day of the Cheetah, published 1989

Prediction: In August of 1994, a deeply planted KGB mole is ordered to steal the DreamStar XF-34 fighter, which is controlled by the pilot's thoughts.

Reality: Umm, Craig Thomas had a thought controlled fighter in the 1977 novel Firefox, only it was the Russkies who made it and Clint Eastwood who had to steal it (movie version, of course). I guess "the old switcheroo" makes this an original idea for Brown.

Sort of.

And sort of not.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

We get a prediction from The Experts Speak, so you can be pretty sure it will be wrong.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

5 March 2014

Birthdays
Jake Lloyd b. 1989 (Star Wars: Episode 1: Don’t Make Me Type the Name)
Riki Lindhome b. 1979 (Big Bang Theory, Buffy)
Jolene Blalock b. 1975 (Legend of the Seeker, Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, Star Trek: Enterprise, Stargate SG-1, Jason and the Argonauts [TV])
Eva Mendes b. 1974 (The Spirit, Holy Motors, Ghost Rider, Mortal Kombat:Conquest [TV])
Matt Lucas b. 1974 (Alice in Wonderland [2010], Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire, Shaun of the Dead)
Paul Blackthorne b. 1969 (Arrow, Warehouse 13, The Dresden Files)
Aasif Mandvi b. 1966 (The Last Airbender, Jericho, Spider-Man 2)
David Fury b. 1959 (writer/actor, Fringe, Terra Nova, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog, Lost, Angel, Buffy)
Adriana Barraza b. 1956 (Thor)
Samantha Eggar b. 1939 (The Astronaut’s Wife, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Demonoid: Messenger of Death, The Brood, Doctor Doolittle [1967])
Dean Stockwell b. 1936 (The Dunwich Horror [2009 and 1970], Battlestar Galactica, Stargate SG-1, Star Trek: Enterprise, Phenomenon: The Lost Archives, CQ, They Nest, Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights, The Langoliers, Lois & Clark, Quantum Leap, The Twilight Zone [1989 and 1962], Dune, The Boy with Green Hair)
James Sikking b. 1934 (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Outland, The Incredible Hulk, The Bionic Woman, Man From Atlantis, The Terminal Man, Six Million Dollar Man, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, The Invaders, My Favorite Martian, The Outer Limits)

I'll admit it. Yesterday's birthday list was lacking in star power, but today's is much better. Last year, I had Jolene Blalock in the Picture Slot, both a fabulous babe and a regular on a Star Trek series. This year it's Dean Stockwell, a long career, a well-known face and a lot of his most memorable work in genre. I don't know who will get the Picture Slot next year, but it's probably not the youngest person, for reasons I don't think I need to explain.

Many happy returns to everyone on the list, all of whom are still alive. How about that? 
 

Predictor: T. Baron Russell in A Hundred Years Hence: The Expectations of an Optimist, published 1905

Prediction: I do not think that people will, within the next hundred years at all events, travel to and from work in flying-machines… But, as a means of amusement, the idea of aerial travel has great promise. Small one-man flying-machines, or the aerial counterpart of tandem bicycles, will no doubt be common enough. We shall fly for pleasure; and just as thousands of working men and women now take a Saturday-afternoon spin on a bicycle, so they will go for a sky-trip, and visit interesting mountain-tops for (non-alcoholic) picnics. The bicycle or the motor-cycle will perhaps be the point of development.

Reality: This week's prediction is very close to one hundred eighty degrees from correct. People do travel to and from work on planes, though few commute every day this way. People do travel by air for fun, but planes aren't much like tandem bicycles or motorcycles with wings. A plane is too expensive for the average working person to have one for weekend joyrides. And then there's Russell's dislike of alcohol, which sneaks into this prediction. Our pal T. Baron also thought eating meat and even drinking coffee and tea would be on the way out by the 21st Century, and on these points he and I part company. In moderation and at their appointed hours, caffeine, animal flesh and alcohol are among mankind's greatest blessings.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

The new regular Thursday predictor Lee de Forest shows up for the second time, looking at the 21st Century from his vantage point in 1960.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

1 March 2014

 Birthdays
Jensen Ackles b. 1978 (Supernatural, Smallville, Dark Angel)
Luke Mayby b. 1976 (28 Days Later…)
Jack Davenport b. 1973 (Pirates of the Caribbean, FlashForward, UltraViolet)
Cara Buono b. 1971 (Let Me In, Stephen King’s Dead Zone, Cthulhu, Hulk)
Zach Snyder b. 1966 (director, Sucker Punch, Watchmen, Dawn of the Dead, Man of Steel)
Ron Howard b. 1954 (actor, Land of the Giants, Village of the Giants, Twilight Zone, director, Apollo 13, Willow, Splash)
Dougal Dixon b. 1947 (author, After Man)
Dirk Benedict b. 1945 (Battlestar Galactica, Earthstorm, Sssss...)
David Weatherly b. 1939 (Lord of the Rings, Legend of the Seeker, Power Rangers Operation Overdrive, Hercules, Xena, My Grandpa Is a Vampire)
Joan Hackett b. 1934 died 8 October 1983 (The Terminal Man, Twilight Zone)

For fans of genre younger than myself, Jensen Ackles might be the best known face as the star of Supernatural, and therefore deserving of the Picture Slot. For someone my age, the most iconic actor here would be Dirk Benedict as Starbuck on the original Battlestar Galactica. But I saw Dougal Dixon's name on the Internet Speculative Fiction Database this morning and I remembered how much I enjoyed his often creepy speculations as to how evolution would proceed after humans were gone from the earth, including this creature he called the Night Stalker, a flightless descendant from modern-day bats. The other surprise for me was discovering how young Joan Hackett was when she died. I liked her in a lot of stuff.

Many happy returns to all the living on the list, and to the late Joan Hackett, thanks for all the memories.

Predictor: The Reverend Charles Augustus Briggs, making a prediction on the occasion of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition, a world's fair held in Chicago

Prediction: I have been interested in the development of the Sunday press, which is comparatively recent. At first I was prejudiced against it, and would not permit any reading of these Sunday newspapers. Whether it is regrettable or not, I now realize that the Sunday press is a permanent institution, that thousands of religious people recognize and approve it, and that it can be made a power for vast good.

Reality: Sometimes these predictions from more than 100 years ago remind us what an odd time the past was. I grew up with the Sunday newspapers, color cartoons, the entertainment section, the full list of major league batting averages. It never occurred to me there was a time when Sunday papers weren't published and their existence was controversial, but clearly that was the case in the 1890s.

I should note that the Reverend Briggs had shocked the more conservative members of the Presbyterian Church by stating that there might have been errors in the Old Testament and that many of the prophecies had been reversed. He was tried for heresy and acquitted, but there was so much bad blood he left the Presbyters and finished his life as an Episcopalian.

I know, shocking, isn't it?
  

This month's splash page: I saw this picture while wandering the 'Net this week and I remember when I was a kid and anything that was biggest or fastest was considered progress. This huge blimp thing has been unveiled in Bedfordshire. It's about the size of a football field. The side mounted fans and the cockpit kind of look like the eyes and mouth of some huge helpless thing, but if you realize the fans aren't eyes, the cockpit looks like a single cyclops eye and the craft takes on a more sinister surveillance aspect.

Whichever way you think of it, it will be staring out at you for the rest of March from the top of the page.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Do you remember when the world ended in 2001? Me, neither! Still, you will find out details tomorrow, on a blog post published on Sunday. (I know, shocking!)

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

8 February 2014 - UPDATED with Gertie the Dinosaur

 Birthdays
Dawn Olivieri b. 1981 (The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, Heroes, Stargate:Atlantis)
Jim Parrack b. 1981 (True Blood, Battle Los Angeles, Supernatural)
Seth Green b. 1974 (Buffy, The Venture Brothers, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed, Greg the Bunny, Angel, Seaquest 2032, The X-Files, My Stepmother Is an Alien)
Mary McCormack b. 1969 (K-PAX, Deep Impact)
Larry Clarke b. 1964 (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Lost, Buffy)
Ethan Phillips b. 1955 (True Blood, The Island, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Werewolf[TV], The Twilight Zone [1986], Critters)
Mary Steenburgen b. 1953 (Elf, Gulliver’s Travels, Back to the Future Part III, Time After Time)
Brooke Adams b. 1949 (The Dead Zone, Invasion of the Body Snatchers)
Roger Lloyd Pack b. 1944 died 15 January 2014 (Doctor Who, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Interview with the Vampire, U.F.O., The Magus)
Nick Nolte b. 1941 (The Spiderwick Chronicles, Hulk, Breakfast of Champions)
John Williams b. 1932 (composer, Star Wars, Minority Report, Harry Potter, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, E.T., Dracula [1979], Superman, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Land of the Giants, The Time Tunnel, Lost in Space)
Jack Larson b. 1928 (Superman Returns, Lois & Clark, Superboy, Advnetures of Superman)
Lyle Talbot b. 1902 died 2 March 1996 (Plan 9 From Outer Space, Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe, Tobor the Great)
Jules Verne b. 1828 died 24 March 1905 (author, From the Earth to the Moon, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, In the Year 2889)

A long birthday list today and many good candidates for the Picture Slot. For iconic roles, Jack Larson as Jimmy Olsen and Ethan Phillips as Neelix would certainly qualify, but I'd say the two most influential talents on this list are those who aren't on camera, composer John Williams and author Jules Verne, whose picture you are looking at. I had forgotten that Williams did so much work for Irwin Allen early in his career, writing the themes for all of Allen's sci-fi shows except Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. His later work, much of it with Steven Spielberg, speaks for itself.

Regular readers will know that I have often used H.G. Wells for predictions but I've never used Verne. The reason is simple. Many of his stories with dates assume that the fantastic events have already happened and his great leap into the future was to 2889, which is way too far into the future to be useful by the standards set for this blog.

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

Movies released
Gertie the Dinosaur by Winsor McCay released 1914
The first cartoon using keyframe animation is now one hundred years old. This was a huge step forward in the technology and even without that, it's Winsor McCay, one of the great cartoonists of all time, whether moving or still. The link above gives a lot of live action lead-in to the main show, but I found it entrancing and I hope you will as well.

Predictor: Senator William A. Peffer or Kansas, giving his predictions for the 20th Century in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exposition held in Chicago.

Predictions: Men will grow wiser, better and purer in the years to come. The common weal will be the chief end of government, the ballot of the poor shall be counted and the popular will be law. Women will share with men in all the duties of citizenship, the dramshop (a.k.a. saloons) extinct and war abolished. Men will navigate the air and smoke shall be suppressed. The time of daily toils shall be shortened to four or five hours.

Reality: Well, Senator Peffer wasn't asking for much, was he? I cut several of his predictions short, but he went through the entire shopping list of populism that was found back in his day. It's no coincidence that women's suffrage, prohibition of alcohol and anti-war sentiments should all end up in the same sentence. As a historian friend of mine puts it, prohibition of alcohol was the attempt of the women's rights movement to outlaw bad husbands.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

A prediction about October 2015 from this week's Wall Street Journal.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
  

1 February 2014

Birthdays
Lee Thompson Young b. 1984 died 19 August 2013 (Smallville, FlashForward, The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
Sara Malakul Lane b. 1983 (Sharktopus, 100 Degrees Below Zero, 12/12/12)
Rachelle Lefevre b. 1979 (Under the Dome, Twilight)
Rutina Wesley b. 1979 (True Blood)
Michael C. Hall b, 1971 (Gamer, Paycheck)
Brandon Lee b. 1965 died 31 March 1993 (The Crow)
Linus Roache b. 1964 (Batman Begins, The Chronicles of Riddick)
Bill Mumy b. 1954 (Lost in Space, Babylon 5, Twilight Zone, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)
Elisabeth Sladen b. 1946 died 19 April 2011 (Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures)
Bibi Besch b. 1940 died 7 September 1996 (Tremors, The Day After, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
Sherman Hemsley b. 1938 died 24 July 2012 (Lois & Clark, Alice in Wonderland, The Twilight Zone, The Incredible Hulk [TV])
Peter Sallis b. 1921 (Wallace and Gromit)
Andrea King b. 1919 died 22 April 2003 (Red Planet Mars, The Beast with Five Fingers)
George Pal b. 1908 died 2 May 1980 (director, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm, The Time Machine, tom thumb, Atlantis, the Lost Continent)

This is an unlucky birthday list to be sure. Fourteen names listed and eight are dead, including two actors who never made it to their thirtieth birthdays, Lee Thompson Young and Brandon Lee, and two actresses who died before they were sixty five, Elisabeth Sladen and Bibi Besch.

Last year I had a picture of Bill Mumy from his Lost in Space days and i vowed I'd use a picture of him from Babylon 5 instead.  I make no promise for next year's Picture Slot except that it's someone else's turn.

Predictor: Felix L. Oswald (1845-1906), physician and naturalist, asked to make predictions about 1993 in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exposition held in Chicago.

Predictions (reality): A few years ago, Prime Minister William Gladstone predicted the United States would have 600,000,000 inhabitants. There is no reason to believe the population of our present national territory will exceed 300,000,000. (Good call. The Census listed 280,000,000 in 2000.)

Politically our federation of states will comprise Canada and Mexico. (Um... no.)

North of the Tennessee River, Sambo Africanus will vanish as soon as the increase of population brings him in competition with European immigrants. (Racist much?)

On the Rio Grande, the aborigines and Ethiopians may coalsce against the north. Caucasian races and the struggle for supremacy will involve frequent appeals to the arbitrament of force. (I actually cut some stuff worse than this. The guy was a disgusting bigot.)

To conclude with a few miscellaneous predictions: (Please, please, please don't be about race relations.)

The problem of aerial investigation will be solved within the next 20 years. (I'm guess he means heavier than air flight. He gets this right.)

Transcontinental mails will be forwarded by means of pneumatic tubes. (Wow, he gets the math of population growth right AND he mentions pneumatic tubes. Does this make up for his racist horseshit? Not in my book. He's still a scumbag.)

In 1993 millions of houses will be artificially cooled in summer, as they are now heated in winter. (Another point for Oswald. Geez, how I wish he had kept his views on the races to himself. He did pretty well otherwise.)

This month's splash page: The Aeromobil is yet another prototype of a flying car, this one being made in Slovakia. Of course, what we really want is a contraption as easy to use as George Jetson's. This thing looks like it would be bitch to land and the when the front wheels touched, the pilot would be bounced into the top of the transparent cockpit cover and the fenders could easily damage the front tires.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Yet another story of nuclear war to cheer up our Sunday reading.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

2 November 2013

Birthdays
Brandon Soo Hoo b. 1995 (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Ender’s Game)
Jon M. Chu b. 1979 (director, G.I. Joe: Retaliation)
Whit Hertford b. 1978 (Twilight Zone, Poltergiest II, Jurassic Park)
Michael Bailey Smith b. 1957 (The Hills Have Eyes, Men in Black II, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, Star Trek: Voyager, The Fantastic Four)
Dale Brown b. 1956 (writer, Sky Masters, Day of the Cheetah, Shadow Command)
Lois McMaster Bujold b. 1949
(won 1989 Nebula for Falling Free)
(won 1991 Hugo for The Vor Game)
(won 1992 Hugo for Barrayar)
(won 1995 Hugo for Mirror Dance)
(won 2004 Hugo and Nebula for Paladin of Souls)
Jerry Wasserman b. 1945 (I, Robot, Watchmen, Supernatural, Dark Angel, The X-Files)
Steve Ditko b. 1927 (artist, Spider-Man, Dr, Strange)
Warren Stevens b. 1919 died 27 March 2012 (Forbidden Planet, Star Trek, Land of the Giants, The Outer Limits, Twilight Zone)

The writers and graphic artist on today's birthday list are better known than the actors in general. Dale Brown writes military techno-thrillers, often setting the action in the near future, Steve Ditko was an important artist from the very beginning of Marvel Comics and Lois McMaster Bujold has more Nebulas and Hugos for novels than Heinlein got in his career.

As for the actors, Brandon Soo Hoo and Whit Hertford started as child actors, Michael Bailey Smith often plays monsters under a lot of make-up, Jerry Wasserman has a very long career guest starring on TV shows, a tough way to make a living, which also describes most of the late Warren Stevens' career, who gets the Picture Slot for the role of the alien Rojan on the original Star Trek series.

Many happy returns of the birthday to all the living on our list.

Movies released
Wreck-It Ralph released, 2012
Monsters, Inc. released, 2001
 

Predictor: Edgar Wilson "Bill" Nye, comic writer, founder of the Laramie Boomerang, columnist for the New York World, making predictions about the 20th Century in honor of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition held in Chicago.

Predictions (realities in parentheses):

Politically, there will be a lot less money expended in electing officials. (Strike one, Mr. Nye.)

The government should own both railways and telegraphs. (Some railways, no telegraphs.)

I see no reason to hope that money will not accumulate in the hands of a few in the future, even more than in the past. (A tough sentence to diagram, but he gets the modern situation right. Wealth accumulation is getting to be more uneven, though in the middle of the 20th Century, this prediction would have to be considered incorrect.)

The laboring classes will always be oppressed. (Things definitely got better for workers after 1893, with the end of child labor, the 40 hour work week, workplace safety laws, etc. That said, there are a lot of working people who are getting stiffed, as the whole debate about fast food workers shows today.)

Our soil, with improved agricultural methods, should grow enough for an increased population. (Good call. Of course, in 1893, Mr. Nye would have been hard pressed to see how much population growth was coming.)

American literature, I hope, will be more realistic in 100 years. (Once again, Mr. Nye gets it right.)

Music and drama will have grown rapidly. (Another good call.)

Women will never want the right of suffrage. (Oooh, and things were going so well.)

I look to the perfection of the flying machine. (In 1893, this is a bold prediction.)

Our greatest city will be on the present site of Chicago. (Sucking up to the hosts doesn't make this one right.)

As for the most honored American in 1993, the people will not have forgotten George Washington. (Not a bad call, though Lincoln and Jefferson give him a run for his money.)

And I am also putting up a delicate little tribute to myself in the way of a mausoleum, which will keep me as green in the memory of those from whom I am liable to be snatched away at any moment. (Nye died in 1896 from meningitis at the age of 45. Dying so young, his catalog of books is not extensive and no book of his is as well remembered as Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn or Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary, humorists who were his contemporaries. Sorry, Mr. Nye.)

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Ray Bradbury tells us how things are progressing up on Mars in 2002.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

26 July 2013

Birthdays
Olivia Williams b. 1968 (Dollhouse)
Kevin Spacey b. 1959 (Superman Returns)
Nana Visitor b. 1957 (Deep Space Nine, Battlestar Galactica)

In terms of overall fame, I would say Mr. Spacey is the best known actor on this list, but in terms of being recognized for genre work, the nod goes to Ms. Visitor.

And besides, the website is woefully short of women with crinkle cut fries on their noses.

Many happy returns to all concerned.

 

In the year 2000!

Prediction: Cops in flying suits will direct traffic in the air over Paris.

Predictor: French postcards from the turn of the 20th Century.

Reality: Um, guys... physics? Besides no flying suit being able to do this, the cop probably wouldn't want to be that close to a propeller.

Points in the favor of this picture is that the planes are close to the right shape. These postcards were produced up to 1910, so this could have been after actual heavier than air flying craft existed, but at least there is a propeller instead of flapping wings.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Songs from the future features the first song from an album that gets my vote for the best single side of vinyl of all time.


Cue the synthesizers.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!  

20 May 2013

Birthdays
Jack Gleeson b. 1992
Tahmoh Penikett b. 1975
Timothy Olyphant b. 1968
John Billingsley b. 1960
Anthony Zerbe b. 1936

From oldest to youngest, Zerbe was in The Omega Man, two of the Matrix films and one Star Trek  movie. Billingsley was Dr. Phlox on Enterprise. Olyphant is best known for Deadwood and Justified, but he was also in I Am Number Four. Penikett was on the reboot of Battlestar Galactica and Dollhouse.

I chose Jack Gleeson for the Picture Slot because I feel sorry for the lad. Now 21, his role as Joffrey on Game of Thrones is the biggest role of his short career so far by a country mile, and people hate the character with a white hot hate, as all right thinking human beings should. I worry that he might get typecast, but his current plans are to go back to school and study with hopes of entering academia. I hope this works for him. 

And as always, I wish all our birthday boys many more happy returns of the day. 

Movies released
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides released, 2011  

Prediction: "This simple, practical, foolproof personal helicopter coupe is big enough to carry two people and small enough to land on your lawn. It has no carburetor to ice up, no ignition system to fall apart or misfire: instead, quiet, efficient ramjets keep the rotors moving, burning any kind of fuel from dime-a-gallon stove oil or kerosene to aviation gasoline."

Predictor: Popular Mechanics magazine, 1951

Reality: Usually I ask for an exact date on a prediction, but I liked the history provided by Gregory Benford in the book that collected these pictures and texts The Wonderful Future That Never Was. Benford relates that helicopter commuting was relatively popular for a few decades, though not in personal copters, instead in short hop heli-buses. There were several crashes, many in Los Angeles and in the San Francisco Bay Area, but the most spectacular was in New York City on May 16, 1977, when a helicopter tipped over while landing on the Pan Am building, the rotors chopping people lined up to board, and then the helicopter hung from the side of the building and one of the rotors fell to the street below.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Tomorrow's prediction is not from science or science fiction, but it is an exact date for the end of the world, so it gets a place on the blog.


(Spoiler alert: The date has already passed and we are still here.)

 
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

3 May 2013

Birthday
Christina Hendricks b. 1975

Movies released
Spider-Man released 3 May 2002

While Ms. Hendricks' best known role is as Joan on Mad Men, genre fans may know her best from two appearances on the quickly cancelled cult classic Firefly. Many happy returns to Ms. Hendricks, of course.

 

In the year 2000!

Prediction: Advance sentinel will scout from the air in baskets held aloft by a small rotor blade mounted above the craft.


Predictor: French postcards from 1900

Reality: Let's remember that this is before the Wright Brothers get airborne in 1903, so the artist can be forgiven for underestimating the size of the rotor blade necessary to achieve enough upward thrust to fly.

I often mock the French. I am an American and it is an important part of our cultural heritage. But if John Elfreth Watkins described this in one of his predictions, I'd likely give him full points, so it's only fair to give credit where credit is due. Even to the French.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Many of the predictions from the early 1900s take an optimistic view of what's to come, but tomorrow we will meet a dark futurist whose 1907 book about the future foresaw a brutal class war. His name is Jack London.

 
Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!