7 July 2015

Birthdays
Dylan Sprayberry b. 1998 (Teen Wolf, Man of Steel, Land of the Lost)
Juliana Guill b. 1987 (The Apparition, Altitude, Friday the 13th [2009])
Zoe Anderson b. 1983 (The X Files)
Marika Dominczyk b. 1980 (Witchblade)
Hamish Linklater b. 1976 (Battleship, The Future, Fantastic Four)
Kirsten Vangsness b. 1972 (Agent Carter, Shelf Life, Vampire Mob, Phil of the Future)
Heather Kafka b. 1972 (Idiocracy, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Tanya Newbould b. 1971 (Skyline, X-Men: The Last Stand, Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey)
Robia LaMorte b. 1970 (Buffy, Spawn, Earth Girls Are Easy)
Robin Weigert b. 1969 (Once Upon a Time, Gods Behaving Badly, American Horror Story, Lost)
Jorja Fox b. 1968 (House of Frankenstein [1997 TV movie])
Steven Schub b. 1967 (Brave New World, The Thirteenth Floor)
Tracy Reiner b. 1964 (Apollo 13, Masque of the Red Death)
Akiva Goldsman b. 1962 (writer, Allegiant: Part 1, Insurgent, Fringe, I am Legend, I, Robot, Lost in Space [1999], Batman & Robin, Batman Forever)
Billy Campbell b. 1959 (Helix, Revolution [2009 TV movie], Eureka, Meteor, The 4400, Dracula [1991], The Rocketeer, Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Catherine Carlen b. 1953 (Fallout: Red Star, They Came from Outer Space [TV], Chopper Chicks in Zombietown)
Shelley Duvall b. 1949 (Big Monster on Campus, Tales of the Mummy, Twilight of the Ice Nymphs, Frogs!, The Twilight Zone, Faerie Tale Theatre, Time Bandits, The Shining, Brewster McCloud)
Michael Herring b. 1947 (artist)
Joe Spano b. 1946 (The Invisible Man, From the Earth to the Moon, The X-Files, Apollo 13, The Incredible Shrinking Woman)
Ringo Starr b. 1940 (Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Alice in Wonderland, Caveman, Son of Dracula)
Richard Garland b. 1927 died 24 May 1969 (Mutiny in Outer Space, Panic in Year Zero!, Attack of the Crab Monsters, Adventures of Superman)
Jon Pertwee b. 1919 died 20 May 1996 (Doctor Who, One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing)
Robert A. Heinlein b 1907 died 8 May 1988 (won 1956 Hugo for Double Star, 1960 Hugo for Starship Troopers, 1962 Hugo for Stranger In A Strange Land, 1967 Hugo for The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress)
George Cukor b. 1899 died 24 January 1983 (director/designer [uncredited], The Wizard of Oz)

Notes from the birthday list. 
1. The Picture Slot. In previous years, I went with Robia LaMorte because I'm a Whedonverse nerd and Robert A. Heinlein because, well, this is a science fiction blog. Even with those two removed, I'd still say there are three good iconic choices, Shelley Duvall from The Shining, Ringo Star from Caveman and the winner, Jon Pertwee as the Third Doctor.

2. Nepotism FTW. Tracy Reiner is the daughter of Penny Marshall and took the last name of her stepfather Rob Reiner. Zoe Anderson is the younger sister of Gillian Anderson.

3. Living Canadian free! No Canadians today. That happens occasionally.

4. The Guy at the Door. No one older than Ringo Starr is alive and no one younger than he is has died yet. I can't tell you how old this makes me feel.

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

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

Prediction: Power will be supplied to all on the same terms as water and drainage today. Abundant new raw materials will make food, clothing and other necessities universally obtainable.

Reality: Being charitable, there is abundance in the world today compared even to the 20th Century, but not surprisingly, the people who own it want to be paid for it. A Commie like Langdon-Hughes might have thought that was only passing fancy, but we in the future can laugh at his naivete.

Though we might have to laugh through tears.

Never to be Forgotten: Amanda Peterson 1971-2015

For what I think is the first time, there are three genre obits today. The youngest, actress Amanda Peterson, had her heyday during the Brat Pack era and her genre movies are Windrunner and Explorers.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Amanda Peterson. She is never to be forgotten.
 

Never to be Forgotten: Daniel Quinn 1956-2015

The next oldest on our obit list is Daniel Quinn who died a month short of his 59th birthday. He also has just two genre credits, Spiders II: Breeding Ground and The X-Files.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Daniel Quinn. He is never to be forgotten.

Never to be Forgotten: Jerry Weintraub 1927-2015

The oldest of our freshly dead trio, producer Jerry Weintraub, is also the best known of the three. He worked both in the film and music industry and his three genre credits are the 2015 TV version of Westworld and the movies Soldier and My Stepmother Is an Alien.

Best wishes to the family and friends of Jerry Weintraub. He is never to be forgotten.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's Wednesday already and we hear from our sensible pal George Sutherland from his 1901 book Twentieth Century Inventions.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!
 

31 March 2015

Birthdays
Jessica Szohr b. 1985 (Piranha 3D)
Melissa Ordway b. 1983 (Ted, In Time)
Judith Shekoni b. 1982 (Heroes Reborn, Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde [2006])
Kate Micucci b. 1980 (The Big Bang Theory)
Daniel Mays b. 1978 (Doctor Who, Nanny McPhee Returns)
Josh Saviano b. 1976 (The Ray Bradbury Theatre)
Carol-Anne Plante b. 1974 (Amanda & the Alien, Harry and the Hendersons [TV])
Adrian Holmes b. 1974 (Continuum, Arrow, Elysium, Primeval: New World, Battlestar Galactica, The Cabin in the Woods, V, Smallville, The Andromeda Strain, Supernatural, Kyle XY, Flash Gordon [TV], Stargate SG-1, The Collector, The 4400, Jeremiah, Highlander [TV])
Andrew Bowen b. 1972 (Jedi Camp, The Pit and the Pendulum, Dollhouse, Charmed, Supernatural Pirate Movie)
Ewan McGregor b. 1971 (Jack the Giant Slayer, Nanny McPhee Returns, The Island, Star Wars)
Craig McCracken b. 1971 (writer, The Powerpuff Girls, Dexter’s Laboratory)
Damon Herriman b. 1970 (Almost Human, House of Wax)
Michaela Bercu b. 1967 (Dracula [1992])
Jacqueline Kim b. 1965 (Futurestates, Threshold, Xena, Star Trek: Generations)
Johnny Timko b. 1965 (Prophecy, Battlestar Galactica, The Bionic Woman, Logan’s Run, The Lost Saucer)
Deborah Kara Unger b. 1964 (Silent Hill, Highlander: The Final Dimension)
Anne Marie Howard b. 1960 (Solar Flare, Power Rangers Wild Force, Prince of Darkness)
Tony Cox b. 1958 (Oz the Great and Powerful, Almost Human, Blankman, Leprechaun 2, Ghoulies IV, Willow, Beetlejuice, Spaceballs, Invaders from Mars, Ewoks; The Battle for Endor, Return of the Jedi, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Dr. Heckyl and Mr. Hype)
Marc McClure b. 1957 (Smallville, Apollo 13, Back to the Future, Superman)
Ian McDonald b. 1946 (author, Desolation Road, The Chaga Saga, India 2047)
Christopher Walken b. 1943 (Peter Pan Live, Gods Behaving Badly, Click, The Stepford Wives [2004], Sleepy Hollow [1999], The Prophecy, Batman Returns, Communion, The Dead Zone, Brainstorm, The Sentinel [1977])
Volker Schlondorff b. 1939 (director, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Tin Drum)
Evgeniy Lazarev b. 1937 (Iron Man 2, Carnivale)
Richard Chamberlain b. 1934 (The Swarm)
Shirley Jones b. 1934 (Zombie Night, The Creature of Sunny Side Up Trailer Park, The Adventures of Cinderella’s Daughter, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Out of the Blue)
John Jakes b. 1932 (author, Brak the Barbarian)
William Daniels b. 1927 (Galactica 1980, Star Trek: Voyager, Knight Rider, The Incredible Hulk, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Captain Nice)
Richard Kiley b. 1922 died 5 March 1999 (Phenomenon, Deep Space Nine, Jurassic Park, Ray Bradbury Theatre, Aladdin [1990 TV], Twilight Zone [1986], The Canterville Ghost)
Patrick Magee b. 1922 died 14 August 1982 (A Clockwork Orange, Hawk the Slayer, The Last Days of Man on Earth, The Masque of the Red Death)
Peggy Rea b. 1921 died 5 February 2011 (Meego, The Immortal, The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao)
Ted Post b. 1918 died 20 August 2013 (director, Ark II, Beneath the Planet of the Apes, Twilight Zone)
Lucille Bliss b. 1916 died 8 November 2012 (Invader Zim, The Secret of NIMH)
Robert Stevenson b. 1905 died 30 April 1986 (director, One of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing, The Island at the Top of the World, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins, Son of Flubber, The Absent-Minded Professor, Darby O’Gill and the Little People)

Notes from the birthday list.
1. The Picture Slot. In 2013, the Picture Slot went to the then recently deceased Lucille Bliss, the great female voice over actress, only rivaled by June Foray. In 2014, the picture was of Ewan McGregor, an honest to Odin movie star and featured actor in those three movies we decidedly don't love. This year, I nearly went with a poster from one of our directors, possibly Mary Poppins in honor of Robert Stevenson or The Handmaid's Tale by Volker Schlondorff. Another option was Tony Cox, probably the best known African American little person actor, but his best known work is in comedies like Bad Santa and me, Myself and Irene instead of in genre. Marc McClure was Jimmy Olsen in the Christopher Revve version of Superman. But after all the hemming and hawing, I decided on the poster of The Prophecy starring birthday boy Christopher Walken. I definitely don't count every movie and TV show with an angel in it as genre, but those that show some respect to Luke 2:9 (and the angel of the Lord appeared and they were sore afraid) have a better chance that angels that are all sweetness and light. If you read the Bible, when angels show up, usually seriously unpleasant stuff is going to happen to somebody.

2. Spot the Canadians! Adrian Holmes is easy to spot, Deborah Kara Unger, not so much.

3. The Guy at the Door. When we have a Guy or a Gal at the Door, I often feel as though I'm being morbid pointing it out. Today, all it means is that we have some folks in their eighties celebrating birthdays, but no one in their nineties. Statistically speaking, that's not particularly unusual. Of course, the blog offers special best wishes to William Daniels, the voice of K.I.T.T. and the star of Captain Nice.

4. Stuff I didn't know. Shirley Jones didn't do genre when she was younger. She was a singer and a movie star and only did occasional guest appearances on TV. But she was in a pilot in 1968 titled Out of the Blue, where she played an alien from an overpopulated world, trying to find out about earth customs from a friendly professor. A couple years later, she's making a good living on The Partridge Family, the role she is now best known for.

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

Movie released 
Ice Age: The Meltdown released, 2006 

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

Prediction: By 1965, energy will be so cheap that there will be no profit in it.

Reality: So far, I have used three predictions from Langdon-Davies that were published in The Experts Speak, so all of them are dead wrong. I've finally found a version of the book being sold online and it should arrive this week, which means I can keep using this guy as my Tuesday regular for a while and maybe even find some stuff he got right. Of course, there was a profit in energy in 1965 and still is today, but solar could take a big chunk out of it in year to come.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

It's a new month, which means a new splash illustration. Even I don't know what it will be yet.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

 

28 July 2014

 Birthdays
Hannah Lochner b. 1993 (Dawn of the Dead, Terminal Invasion)
Gabriel Pimentel b. 1979 (InAlienable, Beer Money)
Elizabeth Berkley b. 1972 (S. Darko, Threshold, Control Factor, Perversions of Science, Frog)
Alexis Arquette b. 1969 (Xena: Warrior Princess, Buffy, Alien Nation [TV])
Rachel Blakely b. 1968 (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Lost World, Xena)
Carlos Jacott b. 1967 (The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Firefly, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Angel, Buffy)
Michael Hitchcock b. 1958 (Super 8, Serenity, Bug)
Nina Axelrod b. 1955 (Critters 3, Brainstorm, Time Walker)
Bruce Abbott b. 1954 (The Prophecy II, Black Scorpion, Bride of Re-Animator, Beauty and the Beast [TV], Re-Animator, Interzone, The Last Starfighter)
Tony Carroll b. 1950 died March 2007 (Masters of the Universe, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Hercules in New York)
Frances Lee McCain b. 1944 (Back to the Future, Gremlins)
Phil Proctor b. 1940 (Lobster Man from Mars, The Twilight Zone [1985])
Charles Cyphers b. 1939 (Buffy, Sliders, SeaQuest 2032, Lois & Clark, Halloween I and II, Escape from New York, The Fog, Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, Isis)
Darryl Hickman b. 1931 (Beauty and the Beast [TV], Looker, The Tingler)
Ann Doran b. 1911 died 19 September 2000 (Twilight Zone [1987], Project U.F.O., Bewitched, The Brass Bottle, It! The Terror from Beyond Space, Adventures of Superman)

To be blunt, no A-List movie stars on today's list, but there are two actors whose best known roles are in genre. Rachel Blakely was the brunette on the syndicated TV show of The Lost World and Bruce Abbott was the star of Re-Animator. I went with Ms. Blakely this year because... she's purdy. Other options I considered were the Whedonverse folks, most notably Carlos Jacott and Michael Hitchcock, and Phil Proctor, just because I still love the Firesign Theatre.

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: Fossil fuel will dwindle steadily over the next thirty years as new energy sources become operative and the supply of crude oil diminishes. By 2010, high prices and decreasing supply will limit the use of fossil fuels to old buildings, cars, airplanes and specialized lubrication functions.

Reality: I first heard of Peak Oil back in the 1970s, and if the science of petroleum creation is correct, eventually we run out. As we know now in hindsight, 2010 was not "eventually". The price fluctuations in crude have made other energy sources more attractive, but I seriously doubt the End of Crude will come in my lifetime. In the lifetimes of my grand nieces and nephews... that's a different story.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

2010 is such a popular year, we will hear what Geoffrey Hoyle thought it would look like tomorrow.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE 

7 May 2014

Birthdays
Maxwell Perry Cotton b. 2000 (Elysium)
Alexander Ludwig b. 1992 (The Hunger Games, Race to Witch Mountain)
Robbie Jarvis b. 1986 (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
Carrie Henn b. 1976 (Aliens)
Tracy Lords b. 1968 (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, D.R.E.A.M. Team, Blade, Virtuosity, Plughead Rewired: Circuitry Man II, Highlander [TV], The Tommyknockers, Super Force, Not of This Earth)
David Franklin b. 1962 (Farscape, Xena: Warrior Princess, The Matrix Reloaded, Time Trax)
Ned Bellamy b. 1957 (Resurrection, Under the Dome, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Twilight, Being John Malkovich, Starman [TV], Twilight Zone [1986], The Greatest American Hero)
John Fleck b. 1951 (True Blood, The World, Star Trek: Enterprise, Carnivale, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Modern Vampires, Millennium, Waterworld, Lois & Clark, Babylon 5: The Gathering, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Mutant on the Bounty, Max Headroom, Howard the Duck, Hard Rock Zombies)
Randall “Tex” Cobb b. 1950 (The X-Files, Highlander [TV])
Lee de Broux b. 1941 (Mars, The X-Files, Quantum Leap, Pumpkinhead, RoboCop, Max Headroom, Voyager from the Unknown, The Incredible Hulk, The Bionic Woman, The Terminal Man)
Roger Perry b. 1933 (Wonder Woman, The Bionic Woman, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Thing with Two Heads, The Return of Count Yorga, Count Yorga, Vampire, The Invaders, Star Trek, The Munsters)
Gene Wolfe b. 1931 (won Nebula for The Claw of the Conciliator)
Darren McGavin b. 1922 died 25 February 2006 (The X-Files, Millennium, Captain America[1990], Firebird 2015 AD, The Martian Chronicles, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Six Million Dollar Man, Mission Mars)
David Tomlinson b. 1917 died 24 June 2000 (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Mary Poppins)
Ishiro Honda b. 1911 died 28 February 1983 (director, Godzilla [1977], Mecha Godzilla, Ultraman Returns, Godzilla’s Revenge, Yog: Monster from Space, Latitude Zero, Destroy All Monsters, King Kong Escapes, The War of the Gargantuas, Invasion of the Astro Monster, Frankenstein Conquers the World, Ghidorah, Motrha vs. Godzilla, Atrtagon, Matango, Varan, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Gorath, Mothra, Battle in Outer Space, The H-Man, The Mysterians, Rodan, Godzilla, King of the Monsters!, Godzilla [1954])
Val Newton b. 1904 died 14 March 1951 (producer, Isle of the Dead, Cat People, The Curse of the Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie)

I think the best two known names from this list are Tracy Lords and Darren McGavin, both more famous for their work outside of genre. The most important name in genre is likely Ishiro Honda, director of a jillion Japanese monster movies. For my money, the Oh That Guy who could easily be in the Picture Slot is John Fleck, though I also have a soft spot for Randall "Tex" Cobb, mainly for his work in the non-genre Raising Arizona. But in the Picture Slot is Carrie Henn as Newt in Aliens, the only credit on her imdb.com page.

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

Movies released
Iron Man 2 released, 2010
 

Predictor: T. Baron Russell in A Hundred Years Hence, published 1905

Prediction: [T]he chief gift of the sea to the life of the future will be the two gases of which water is composed oxygen and hydrogen : and the other gas, chlorine, which forms half the salt, as well as the metal sodium which forms the other half, will probably have many new uses found for them. Liquefied oxygen will no doubt be our sole disinfectant. It will also replace the poisonous, noisome and destructive bleaching agents used to-day. Hydrogen, the lightest of all gases, will be another staple of commerce. It will (as we have elsewhere seen) probably be the only fuel employed, for its combustion furnishes the greatest heat terrestrially known, and its flame is smokeless and yields no poisonous by-product.

Reality: Not T. Baron's best work. Breaking down the chemical bonds in sea water is not an easy gig. Hydrogen is certainly not "the only fuel employed" and "liquefied oxygen"... is that even a thing? I know liquid oxygen is, but that happens at scary low temperatures and is not used as a cleaning agent. That there are "new uses for sodium and chlorine" gives him some partial credit, but the whiffs on hydrogen and oxygen put this prediction in the "not so good" column.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Lee de Forest returns with another prediction that gets no points for originality and not much for accuracy either.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

21 September 2013

Birthdays
Christian Serratos b. 1990 (Twilight)
Maggie Grace b. 1981 (Lost)
David Wenham b. 1965 (Lord of the Rings)
Bill Murray b. 1950 (Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Zombieland)
Stephen King b. 1947 (Carrie, The Stand, The Shining, Under the Dome)
Jerry Bruckheimer b. 1943 (Armageddon, Pirates of the Caribbean)
Tracy Reed b. 1942 died 2 May 2012 (Dr. Strangelove)
Larry Hagman b.1931 died 23 November 2012 (I Dream of Jeannie)
H. G. Wells b. 1866 died 13 August 1946 (War of the Worlds, The Time Machine)

If the Picture Slot was chosen today based on influence in the genre, I'd have to give the nod to Wells, but we see his picture regularly enough, so I put up the picture of Stephen King instead. Any of the women on the list - Serratos, Grace or Reed - easily qualifies for the Pretty Girl = Picture Slot criteria. Maybe next year.

Many happy returns to the living on today's list. 
 

Predictor: James William Sullivan, American labor leader, making his predictions on the occasion of the 1893 Columbian Exhibition in Chicago.

Predictions: The future is a fancyland palace whose portals I cannot enter... yet, let us listen to today's visionaries and dreamers. For they are pleasing fellows.

One cent mail delivery across the country and free within counties... cheap national telegraph and telephone service... all the electors across the country will vote on the tariff, silver coinage, a national banking system and restriction of immigration... All railroads under a single management... the consolidation of all the coal industry, from extraction to delivery... national distribution of meat and oil... efficient public markets reducing the prices to the consumer by 20%.

Reality: For a labor leader, old Sully sure took the side of the vulture capitalists of his day way too often. I'd give him no points for the mail delivery or the election predictions, and industry consolidation didn't go quite as far as he predicted. Also, in 1893 he would have to be slightly askew to predict the telegraph would be on its way to obscurity within 100 years.

Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Sundays belong to Ray Bradbury's Martian Chronicles, his famous but depressing work. The Fourth Martian Expedition is the one that finally survives, but even the reason for that is pretty grim.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!

15 May 2013

Movies released
Matrix Reloaded released 15 May 2003

The movies I mention are not all post Star Wars and not all big box office hits, but a lot of them are. On a day like this with no birthday to mention (still researching this and that may change next year), expect to see a movie poster in the picture slot.

In the year 2000!

Prediction: Coal will not be used for heating or cooking. It will be scarce, but not entirely exhausted. The earth’s hard coal will last until the year 2050 or 2100; its soft-coal mines until 2200 or 2300. Meanwhile both kinds of coal will have become more and more expensive. Man will have found electricity manufactured by waterpower to be much cheaper. Every river or creek with any suitable fall will be equipped with water-motors, turning dynamos, making electricity. Along the seacoast will be numerous reservoirs continually filled by waves and tides washing in. Out of these the water will be constantly falling over revolving wheels. All of our restless waters, fresh and salt, will thus be harnessed to do the work which Niagara is doing today: making electricity for heat, light and fuel.  

Reality: Coal isn't that scarce, sad to say. As for heating and cooking, Watkins is talking about coal being delivered to people's homes as a energy source and as far as that goes, he's right, that's over. As for water power, it certainly increased over the 20th Century, but it has its environmental costs as well. I've never quite understood why the tides aren't used as an energy source, probably because they only flow at their hardest for a few hours a day.


Looking one day ahead... INTO THE FUTURE!

Tomorrow, it's H.G. Wells' turn again, so we'll get a glimpse of The Shape of Things to Come.

Join us then... IN THE FUTURE!