Outside of having a memorable turn as a brief replacement captain of the Starship Enterprise-D on Star Trek: The Next Generation (OMG but Will Riker sure hated that guy!), actor Ronny Cox is known for his star turn fighting crime corporate-style in 1987's epic Sci-Fi actioner, Robocop. As the ruthless CEO for OCP, he oversaw the entirety of the program that developed the ultimate crime-fighting machine and even its next incarnation. Cox was born on this day in 1938.
Larry Manetti turned up in a guest spot aboard the late 1970's incarnation of Battlestar Galactica (ABC) before joining the cast of CBS's Magnum, P.I. Manetti was born on this day in 1947. [Source: IMDB.com]
The lovely Belinda Montgomery joined Patrick Duffy in bringing Man From Atlantis swimmingly to life on the small screen. As far as Science Fiction goes, she also enjoyed a small role as 'Grandma Flynn' aboard the underrated TRON: Legacy (2010). Montgomery was born on this day in 1950. [Source: IMDB.com]
Poor, poor, poor Woody Harrelson. It looks like doom follows the poor fellow around on his heels. First, he has to survive an Apocalypse of the undead in Zombieland (2009). And then he plays a conspiracy theorist who sees the end of mankind fastly approaching in Roland Emmerich's 2012 (also in 2009). Then, he's also had a terrific starring turn in the Apocalypse-themed The Hunger Games. Harrelson was born on this day in 1961.
Rob Stewart plays the formidable 'Khylen' aboard Syfy's signature series Killjoys. He's also made appearances in Highlander, Jake 2.0, Painkiller Jane, Lost Girl, Beauty and the Beast, Dark Matter, and Incorporated. Stewart was born on this day in 1961. [Source: IMDB.com]
Aboard 2017's popular Logan, the talented Eriq La Salle (above left) turned in a great supporting performance as a farmer just trying to stay one step ahead of a conglomerate bent on seizing his land. La Salle was born on this day in 1962. [Source: IMDB.com]
And speaking about The Hunger Games ...When the word of Philip Seymour Hoffman's death took Hollywood by storm, fans of The Hunger Games were understandably saddened by his passing as well as what it might mean for their beloved franchise. Thankfully, the actor had completed much of his photography already so the production remained untouched. Though he's no longer with us, Hoffman was born on this day in 1967.
Aside from the film's obvious globalist political posturing, Arrival (2016) was pretty much about as interesting a Science Fiction flick as any other, though producer Shawn Levy buoyed the project up even further with a solid, A-list cast. He's also helped bring such properties to life as Real Steel (2011) and Netflix's uber-popular Stranger Things. Levy was born on this day in 1968. [Source: IMDB.com]
After getting a humble start as part of the Josh Kirby: Time Warrior franchise, the lovely Charisma Carpenter has branched out on her own quite nicely. She certainly proved as part of the Angel ensemble that her small screen success was no fluke. Carpenter was born on this day in 1970.
Yeah, I'm well aware that the critics largely trashed G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra (2009), but I totally had fun with it. And kudos to Marlon Wayans for taking a swing at the character of 'Ripcord,' as I thought he did a respectable job. Wayans was born on this day in 1972. [Source: IMDB.com]
Funny lady Kathryn Hahn turned in a quirky supporting performance in Tomorrowland (2015), the Fantasy-themed flick from Walt Disney. Hahn was born on this day in 1973. [Source: IMDB.com]
Meh. Call me old-fashioned, but I think getting turned to the Dark Side of Fantasy might not be all that bad if the vampiress looks anything like Silvia Colloca did in Van Helsing (2004). Colloca was born on this day in 1977. [Source: IMDB.com]
As 'Ichabod Crane,' Tom Mison played the heart, soul, and narrative inspiration behind so much of Fox TV's Fantasy yarn Sleepy Hollow. Mison was born on this day in 1982. [Source: IMDB.com]
The Vampire Diaries may have ended, but Paul Wesley's work in the Fantasy-themed bloodsucking drama will live on via home video perhaps forever. Wesley was born on this day in 1982. [Source: IMDB.com]
In this guise of Harry Potter, young Daniel Radcliffe helped bring the saga of a young wizard to life for a generation of moviegoers. Radcliffe was born on this day in 1989. [Source: IMDB.com]
Hunters was one of those single-season programs that really deserved a second, mostly because much of its mythology was just starting to make sense when Syfy up and cancelled it. Britne Oldford was one of the regulars, a character who may've had a closer association with alien DNA than the rest of us. Oldford was born on this day in 1992. [Source: IMDB.com]
Sexy, young Lili Simmons will always be 'Rebecca Bowman' aboard Cinemax's epic Banshee crime drama, but thankfully she had a small role in HBO's Westworld adaptation so that I can mention her work here. Simmons was born on this day in 1993. [Source: IMDB.com]
On this day in 1988, the SciFi flick Mutant War premiered on home video. The feature starred Cameron Mitchell and Matt Mitler, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"The sequel to 'Galaxy Destroyer' which finds our hero Harry Trent wandering Earth's post-apocalyptic landscape full of mutants, monsters, and fragmented human tribes. Harry's attempt to help a young girl rescue her sisters, leads him to a group of armed mutants led by a human madman attempting to breed them and take over the world."
"The sequel to 'Galaxy Destroyer' which finds our hero Harry Trent wandering Earth's post-apocalyptic landscape full of mutants, monsters, and fragmented human tribes. Harry's attempt to help a young girl rescue her sisters, leads him to a group of armed mutants led by a human madman attempting to breed them and take over the world."
On this day in 1988 (in Japan), Willow enjoyed its theatrical run. The Fantasy feature starred Val Kilmer and Warwick Davis, and here's the plot summary that's posted to IMDB.com:
"A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen."
"A reluctant dwarf must play a critical role in protecting a special baby from an evil queen."
On this day in 1996, the SciFi/Telefilm Inhumanoid sprang to life. The feature starred Richard Grieco and Lana Harris, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A family of three is travelling in space, when they encounter a stranded spaceship. They manage to pull out one survivor (Grieco) who's in shock. However, when the father goes on to investigate the ship, he finds that everyone was murdered. Suddenly, the stranger leaves him on the damaged spaceship and starts to terrorize his wife and daughter, for it turns out that the stranger is really an emotionally unstable android programmed without morals, making him go on a killer rampage. Who will survive?"
"A family of three is travelling in space, when they encounter a stranded spaceship. They manage to pull out one survivor (Grieco) who's in shock. However, when the father goes on to investigate the ship, he finds that everyone was murdered. Suddenly, the stranger leaves him on the damaged spaceship and starts to terrorize his wife and daughter, for it turns out that the stranger is really an emotionally unstable android programmed without morals, making him go on a killer rampage. Who will survive?"
On this day in 1996, Proteus enjoyed its brief theatrical life. The feature starred Craig Fairbrass and Toni Barry, and here's the premise as provided by the folks at IMDB.com:
"Group of heroin smugglers finds shelter on abandoned oil rig after their ship had exploded. Soon they find that the oil rig was just cover for biological experiment. One of the results is Charlie - shape-shifting monster with ability to absorb the memory of its victims. However, even such creatures have their own bad habits."
"Group of heroin smugglers finds shelter on abandoned oil rig after their ship had exploded. Soon they find that the oil rig was just cover for biological experiment. One of the results is Charlie - shape-shifting monster with ability to absorb the memory of its victims. However, even such creatures have their own bad habits."
On this day in 2015, the SciFi/Telefilm Roboshark swam its way into the hearts and minds of viewers everywhere. The feature starred Alexis Peterman and Matt Rippy, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A great white bites a UFO aircraft in the Pacific and turns into a robo/shark hybrid."
"A great white bites a UFO aircraft in the Pacific and turns into a robo/shark hybrid."
On this day in 2016, the SciFi/Drama Realive opened for audiences of the Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada. The film starred Tom Hughes and Charlotte Le Bon, and here's the premise as listed on IMDB.com:
"Marc (Tom Hughes) is diagnosed with a disease and is given one year left to live. Unable to accept his own end, he decides to freeze his body. Sixty years later, in the year 2084, he becomes the first man to be revived in history. It is then he discovers that the love of his life, Naomi (Oona Chaplin), has accompanied him this entire time in a way that he'd never expected."
"Marc (Tom Hughes) is diagnosed with a disease and is given one year left to live. Unable to accept his own end, he decides to freeze his body. Sixty years later, in the year 2084, he becomes the first man to be revived in history. It is then he discovers that the love of his life, Naomi (Oona Chaplin), has accompanied him this entire time in a way that he'd never expected."
On this day in 1979, Battle Of The Planets aired "Peaks Of Planet Odin." This served as the forty-third episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by TV.com:
"7-Zark-7 has a hunch that Spectra is about to unleash a scheme on Planet Odin and sends G-Force there. The chief of that planet turns out to be intent on capturing Colonel Chronos and working with Zoltar who will give him a great new weapon."
"7-Zark-7 has a hunch that Spectra is about to unleash a scheme on Planet Odin and sends G-Force there. The chief of that planet turns out to be intent on capturing Colonel Chronos and working with Zoltar who will give him a great new weapon."
On this day in 1995, The Outer Limits aired "I, Robot." This served as the eighteenth episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"Legendary lawyer Thurman Cutler is hired to defend Adam, a humanoid robot with many human qualities including speech, rational mind and empathy, who's been accused of murdering his creator. Cutler suspects there's more to the story."
"Legendary lawyer Thurman Cutler is hired to defend Adam, a humanoid robot with many human qualities including speech, rational mind and empathy, who's been accused of murdering his creator. Cutler suspects there's more to the story."
On this day in 1999, Syfy's incomparable Sci-Fi classic, Farscape, aired an hour titled "Rhapsody in Blue," the thirteenth episode in its inaugural season. According to IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"The crew finds a colony of Delvians. Z'han goes down to be with her own people for a while, but one of them wants something from Z'han and will do almost anything to take it from her."
"The crew finds a colony of Delvians. Z'han goes down to be with her own people for a while, but one of them wants something from Z'han and will do almost anything to take it from her."
On this day in 1999, The Outer Limits aired "Essence of Life." This served as the eighteenth episode of the program's fifth season, and here's the plot summary as detailed on IMDB.com:
"A new designer drug called S is available to those wanting to "reunite" with a deceased loved one. The catch? It's illegal, addictive and can drive the user insane if they take too much too often."
"A new designer drug called S is available to those wanting to "reunite" with a deceased loved one. The catch? It's illegal, addictive and can drive the user insane if they take too much too often."
On this day in 2004, Stargate SG-1 aired the third episode of its eighth season. The hour was titled "Lockdown," and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"General O'Neill is still in the early days of commanding the SGC and faces a major problem when newly arrived Russian Col. Alexi Vaselov collapses in his quarters. Dr. Brightman's belief that Vaselof may be contagious seems correct when Daniel, who was with the Russian when he collapsed, apparently goes mad and tries to leave the base through the gate. O'Neill locks down the SGC but the problem isn't contagion: the essence of Anubis is alive and well and seeking a new host."
"General O'Neill is still in the early days of commanding the SGC and faces a major problem when newly arrived Russian Col. Alexi Vaselov collapses in his quarters. Dr. Brightman's belief that Vaselof may be contagious seems correct when Daniel, who was with the Russian when he collapsed, apparently goes mad and tries to leave the base through the gate. O'Neill locks down the SGC but the problem isn't contagion: the essence of Anubis is alive and well and seeking a new host."
Also on this day in 2004, Stargate: Atlantis was only just opening its doors for business. The second episode of the program's first season was titled "Hide and Seek," and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Rodney can't get rid of a device that makes him invincible, disabling him to drink or eat. Meanwhile power malfunctions and one of the Athosians mentions seeing a shadow."
"Rodney can't get rid of a device that makes him invincible, disabling him to drink or eat. Meanwhile power malfunctions and one of the Athosians mentions seeing a shadow."
On this day back in 2006, The 4400 aired the seventh episode of its third season, an hour which included special guest star Brian Dennehy. It was called "Blink," and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Tom and Diana are drugged by a 4400 and are forced to face some unresolved issues from their past. Isabelle decides that Shawn should marry her."
"Tom and Diana are drugged by a 4400 and are forced to face some unresolved issues from their past. Isabelle decides that Shawn should marry her."
On this day in 2010, A Good Knight's Quest aired the twenty-second episode of its only season. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Dorian must get to the crystal before the dark army crosses over."
"Dorian must get to the crystal before the dark army crosses over."
On this day in 2012, Alphas premiered its second season with the airing of "Wake Up Call." According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's what the plot summary details:
"The alphas rescue Dr. Rosen's estranged alpha daughter from an assassin. She carries a carefully coded message stolen from Red Flag. But Dr. Rosen suspects it's a ruse which leads him to take precipitous action."
"The alphas rescue Dr. Rosen's estranged alpha daughter from an assassin. She carries a carefully coded message stolen from Red Flag. But Dr. Rosen suspects it's a ruse which leads him to take precipitous action."
