I've written of my fondness for The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951) many times, and, no doubt, I will again. In fact, I will any chance I get. As a young one, it was one of the first truly spectacular science fiction films I can remember watching on television, and I always loved actor Michael Rennie's composure in it. As the man who came from the stars with a warning for the Earth, he balanced his knowledge of things greater than an entire race of people with the compassion he learned while briefly living among them, and The Day The Earth Stood Still remains one of the best, brightest sci-fi black'n'white flicks I give an enthusiastic thumbs up constantly.
Mr. Rennie worked as a car salesman and a factory manager before he discovered the acting bug ... and thank goodness for all of us he discovered it. Rennie was born on this day back in 1909.
Mr. Rennie worked as a car salesman and a factory manager before he discovered the acting bug ... and thank goodness for all of us he discovered it. Rennie was born on this day back in 1909.
Good grief, what do you say about Sean Connery? He's been so much apart of our culture -- much less sci-fi -- for decades. James Bond. He fathered Indiana Jones. He was in Zardoz as well as played a space marshal with a price on his head in Outland. He may be retired from acting, but he'll always be around on TV screens somewhere. Mr. Connery was born on this day back in 1930. [Source: IMDB.com]
Peter Gilmore joined Lea Brodie and Marc McClure aboard the Fantasy-themed Warlords of Atlantis (1978). Though he's no longer with us, Gilmore was born on this day in 1931. [Source: IMDB.com]
Veteran character actor Tom Skerritt made the most of his role as 'Capt. Dallas' in Ridley Scott's seminal Alien (1979). During the 1980's, he also turned up in the family-friendly Science Fiction flick SpaceCamp (1986). Also, in the late 1990's, he joined Jodie Foster in the silver screen adaptation of Carl Sagan's Contact (1997) for Warner Bros. Skerritt was born on this day in 1933. [Source: IMDB.com]
Director John Badham has clearly always had a fascination over how man interacts with machines. In the 80's, one might say it was a fascination of his, as he took the helm in such visionary pictures as WarGames, Blue Thunder, and then the light-hearted Short Circuit. Mr. Badham was born on this day back in 1939. [Source: IMDB.com]
Hmm. I suppose there are worse ways to go than to have the life throttled out of you by none other than the goddess Rebecca Romijn in her guise as Mystique in X-Men: The Last Stand, but you'll have to ask her FBI interrogator -- played by the above pictured Anthony Heald -- what he'd have to say about that. So far as genre work goes, Heald has also turned up in Tales from the Darkside, Poltergeist: The Legacy, Deep Rising, and The X-Files. Heald was born on this day in 1944. [Source: IMDB.com]
Veteran character actor John Savage (above right) played a small but pivotal role in the Star Trek: Voyager franchise when he starred as 'Capt. Ransom' in the exceptional two-parter "Equinox." Savage was born on this day in 1949. [Source: IMDB.com]
Legendary KISS rocker Gene Simmons made his big screen debut alongside no less than Tom Selleck in Runaway (1984). Simmons was born on this day in 1949. [Source: IMDB.com]
Arguably one of the most visually-dynamic directors working today, Tim Burton has built a solid career going from one quirky project to the next. He certainly helmed one of the better Batman movies (so far as this viewer is concerned), and SciFi fans either love or hate his interpretation of Mars Attacks (1996). Personally, I love it. Burton was born on this day in 1958. [Source: IMDB.com]
God bless the workhorse actors and actresses who help bring to life so many good secondary characters in so many of our favorite genre shows, especially those who are as lovely as Ashley Crow (pictured above right from NBC's Heroes)! She's turned in great performances in Probe (1988), Early Edition (1996), Dark Angel (2001), Minority Report (2002), and Supernatural (2014). Crow was born on this day in 1960.
The career of Joanne Whalley has kinda/sorta been all over the place in terms of high and low-profile projects. Personally, I've been in love with her since she appeared in George Lucas's 'next big thing' (that never quite turned out to be as big as George thought it would) otherwise known as Willow; but thank goodness she's done some voice work in the DC Universe (the insert shows her Justice League character, the Emerald Empress) so that I can feature her loveliness here. Whalley was born on this day in 1961.
Ally Walker toiled away on an awful lot of smaller, character work before landing a gig alongside kickboxer turned actor Jean-Claude Van Damme in 1992's Universal Soldier. A few years later, she headlined the Profiler series on NBC, a crime procedural centered around FBI profiling expert Dr. Sam Waters. She doesn't get much SciFi work, but I, for one, would love to see her do more. Walker was born on this day in 1961.
Because I respect quality writing, I'm always willing to give a shout out to those who help bring our various franchises to life. So kudos to the lovely Marti Noxon who has turned in silver screen writing duties on I Am Number Four as well as small screen scripts for Angel, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and Point Pleasant. Noxon was born on this day in 1964.
Blair Underwood took on the plumb role of playing the President of the United States of America who was specifically tasked with saving Earth from an alien presence in NBC's The Event, a single-season program that deserved another shot. Underwood was born on this day in 1964.
Though his resume boasts far more conventional dramas than SciFi, SciFiHistory.Net will still give a shout out to David Alan Basche for his work in 2005's War of the Worlds remake as well as another small role in 2011's sleeper hit Real Steel. Basche was born on this day in 1968.
Though he's apparently all the rage in HBO's True Blood, SciFi fans know Alexander Skarsgard best from Peter Berg's attempt to create a Michael Bay movie, Battleship (2012). Skarsgard was born on this day in 1976.
Not only did Jumper (2008) give Hayden Christensen the chance to show he could do more than swing a lightsaber on command, but it also paired him up in a pretty spiffy SciFi story alongside the dreamy Rachel Bilson. Bilson was born on this day in 1981.
Listen up, haters: Blake Lively wasn't awful in 2011's Green Lantern motion picture. What was awful was that her character of Carol Ferris was given nothing to do. Anyone who knows Lantern mythology knows that big things were definitely in store for Ferris ... and don't tell me you wouldn't have loved to see her 'suit up' as the Star Sapphire. Lively was born on this day in 1987.
Who doesn't appreciate a good monster movie? On this day in 1957, From Hell It Came enjoyed its original theatrical engagement. Directed by Dan Milner, the SciFi feature starred Tod Andrews and Tina Carver, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Tabonga, a killer spirit reincarnated as a scowling tree stump, comes back to life and kills a bunch of natives of a South Seas island. A pair of American scientists save the day."
"Tabonga, a killer spirit reincarnated as a scowling tree stump, comes back to life and kills a bunch of natives of a South Seas island. A pair of American scientists save the day."
A star is born! On this day in 1960 (in Italy), Assignment: Outer Space enjoyed its original theatrical engagement. Directed by Antonio Margheriti, the SciFi feature starred Rik Van Nutter and Gabriella Farinon, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"In the 22nd Century, Ray Peterson, reporter for the Interplanetary News, is assigned to write a story aboard a space station. Tension mounts between Peterson and the station's ommander, who think he's in the way, but has orders to leave him alone. Errant spaceship, Alpha Two enters the solar system and its photon generators are radiating enough heat to destroy Earth as it approaches. It falls to Peterson to try to figure out a way to enter the spaceship, disarm the generators, and escape before suffocating."
"In the 22nd Century, Ray Peterson, reporter for the Interplanetary News, is assigned to write a story aboard a space station. Tension mounts between Peterson and the station's ommander, who think he's in the way, but has orders to leave him alone. Errant spaceship, Alpha Two enters the solar system and its photon generators are radiating enough heat to destroy Earth as it approaches. It falls to Peterson to try to figure out a way to enter the spaceship, disarm the generators, and escape before suffocating."
On this day in 1989, Little Monsters grew big in the U.S. theatrical marketplace. Directed by Richard Greenberg, the Fantasy feature starred Fred Savage and Howie Mandel, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A child meets the monster that lives under his bed. He even becomes one of his best friends. Soon the child discovers a whole new world of fun and games under his bed where pulling pranks on kids and other monsters is the main attraction."
"A child meets the monster that lives under his bed. He even becomes one of his best friends. Soon the child discovers a whole new world of fun and games under his bed where pulling pranks on kids and other monsters is the main attraction."
1989's Millennium is another one of those sci-fi flicks that has a respectable cult following, and I'm absolutely befuddled as to why. (It was first released theatrically on this day back then.) It isn't that it's a bad film -- it's just that it's a great idea with largely half-@ssed execution. Here's the plot summary, compliments of IMDB.com:
"An NTSB investigator seeking the cause of an airline disaster meets a warrior woman from 1000 years in the future."
"An NTSB investigator seeking the cause of an airline disaster meets a warrior woman from 1000 years in the future."
On this day in 1992 (in Portugal), Deceit drummed up what theatrical business it could. Written and directed by Albert Pyun, the SciFi feature starred Samantha Phillips and Norbert Weisser, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Two outer-space aliens visit Earth with the intention of blowing it up, but they meet a hot blonde and decide to postpone the planet's destruction in order to try to score with her."
"Two outer-space aliens visit Earth with the intention of blowing it up, but they meet a hot blonde and decide to postpone the planet's destruction in order to try to score with her."
On this day in 1994 (in Germany), Swamp Thing himself (itself?) returned in The Return Of Swamp Thing on home video. Directed by Jim Wynorski, the Fantasy feature starred Dick Durock and Heather Locklear, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"The Swamp Thing returns to battle the evil Dr. Arcane, who has a new science lab full of creatures transformed by genetic mutation, and chooses Heather Locklear as his new object of affection."
"The Swamp Thing returns to battle the evil Dr. Arcane, who has a new science lab full of creatures transformed by genetic mutation, and chooses Heather Locklear as his new object of affection."
On this day in 2016, the SciFi/Short film called 3010 The Righteous Path enjoyed its U.S. release. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"In the year 3010, the Earth is ravaged by war and conquered by an alien race. A surviving genetically engineered super soldier, Aarin; lives a humble existence as a detached mercenary. Aarin finds himself in the service of Victor, the dominant power in the last remaining human controlled society, Jersey Town. Aarin has never failed in a task, but this latest mission could prove more trouble than it's worth."
"In the year 3010, the Earth is ravaged by war and conquered by an alien race. A surviving genetically engineered super soldier, Aarin; lives a humble existence as a detached mercenary. Aarin finds himself in the service of Victor, the dominant power in the last remaining human controlled society, Jersey Town. Aarin has never failed in a task, but this latest mission could prove more trouble than it's worth."
Smile for the camera! On this day in 2016 (in Russia), Guardians Of The Night enjoyed its full theatrical release. Directed by Emilis Velyvis, the Fantasy feature starred Ivan Yankovskiy and Lyubov Aksyonova, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Contemporary Moscow. When eighteen-year-old Pasha rescues a beautiful young woman from a band of strangely powerful attackers, he discovers an underworld of supernatural beings living among us."
"Contemporary Moscow. When eighteen-year-old Pasha rescues a beautiful young woman from a band of strangely powerful attackers, he discovers an underworld of supernatural beings living among us."
On this day in 1951, Space Patrol aired "A Big Wheel Named Ferris." Officially, this served as the thirty-fifth episode in the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Cadet Happy is ordered to "meet and greet" two new cadets who are the scions of prominent members of the government. He takes an immediate interest in pretty Joan "Jo" Vance, but Ferris Macklin, the son of the governor of Triton, immediately expresses his discontent with being forced to join the Space Patrol. Their relationship is further strained when Macklin blames Happy for taking Corry's space cruiser through a meteor belt causing a crash landing when he, in fact, disobeyed Happy's orders concerning their course."
"Cadet Happy is ordered to "meet and greet" two new cadets who are the scions of prominent members of the government. He takes an immediate interest in pretty Joan "Jo" Vance, but Ferris Macklin, the son of the governor of Triton, immediately expresses his discontent with being forced to join the Space Patrol. Their relationship is further strained when Macklin blames Happy for taking Corry's space cruiser through a meteor belt causing a crash landing when he, in fact, disobeyed Happy's orders concerning their course."
On this day in 1971 (in the United Kingdom), Ace Of Wands aired "Joker: Part 3." Officially, this served as the sixth episode in the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Investigating why normally well-behaved children suddenly go berserk and wreck their school classrooms, Tarot and his companions find themselves up against the fiendish Uncle Harry and his strange troupe of travelling entertainers."
"Investigating why normally well-behaved children suddenly go berserk and wreck their school classrooms, Tarot and his companions find themselves up against the fiendish Uncle Harry and his strange troupe of travelling entertainers."
On this day in 1976 (in the United Kingdom), Shadows aired "Peronik." Officially, this served as the fifth episode in the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Teenager Tom draws a poster illustrating an old legend for use as a decoration at a school costume dance. Then he finds that events from the legend seem to be following him around."
"Teenager Tom draws a poster illustrating an old legend for use as a decoration at a school costume dance. Then he finds that events from the legend seem to be following him around."
On this day in 1999, Crusade aired "Visitors From Down The Street." Officially, this served as the twelfth episode in the program's only season on broadcast television, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Two persecuted alien investigators believe that Earth is covertly invading them."
"Two persecuted alien investigators believe that Earth is covertly invading them."
On this day in 2000, Farscape aired "The Locket." This served as the sixteenth episode of the program's second season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"The crew finds a cloudy area where they might be able to hide from Peacekeepers. Aeryn goes into the area to check it out. She returns a few hours later, much older. And tells them to leave the area. Now they have to figure out how to escape the cloud before they suffer the same fate as Aeryn."
"The crew finds a cloudy area where they might be able to hide from Peacekeepers. Aeryn goes into the area to check it out. She returns a few hours later, much older. And tells them to leave the area. Now they have to figure out how to escape the cloud before they suffer the same fate as Aeryn."
On this day in 2000, Stargate: SG-1 aired "Scorched Earth." This served as the ninth episode to the long-running program's fourth season, and here's the plot summary as detailed on IMDB.com:
"On the Enkarans' new home, SG-1 discovers a giant spaceship is threatening the colonists as it terraforms the planet."
"On the Enkarans' new home, SG-1 discovers a giant spaceship is threatening the colonists as it terraforms the planet."
On this day in 2006, Stargate: SG-1 aired "Counterstrike." This served as the seventh episode to the long-running program's tenth and final season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"SG-1 is caught in the middle of a war after the Jaffa use a powerful weapon to kill 10,000 Ori followers."
"SG-1 is caught in the middle of a war after the Jaffa use a powerful weapon to kill 10,000 Ori followers."
On this day in 2014, Under The Dome aired "The Red Door." Officially, this served as the ninth episode in the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Barbie, Sam, Pauline, Lyle and Hunter try to evade Don and his forces and find a way back to Chester's Mill, while Junior and Melanie hide the egg from Julia and Big Jim."
"Barbie, Sam, Pauline, Lyle and Hunter try to evade Don and his forces and find a way back to Chester's Mill, while Junior and Melanie hide the egg from Julia and Big Jim."
On this day in 2015, Zoo aired "Murmuration." This served as the ninth episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Mitch escapes from Reiden with the mother cell and rejoins the others. The team digs into Delavenne's dealings with Reiden after he's seen by Mitch at the company's headquarters. Mistrust builds between Mitch and the others when they learn he was trying to return the mother cell to Reiden in exchange for his daughter's medicine."
"Mitch escapes from Reiden with the mother cell and rejoins the others. The team digs into Delavenne's dealings with Reiden after he's seen by Mitch at the company's headquarters. Mistrust builds between Mitch and the others when they learn he was trying to return the mother cell to Reiden in exchange for his daughter's medicine."
