Good afternoon, gentle readers, and welcome to February 28, 2024 ... or -- as I like to call it -- On This Day In Science Fiction History!
Yes, yes, and yes: I realize not every single citation on the Daily Citation Page for February 28th isn't exactly Science Fiction, but it goes without saying that without SciFi we might not have Fantasy ... and without Fantasy we might not have Horror ... so you take it or leave it, my good folks, that's what I'm sticking with!
Otherwise ... how's your day shaping up?
Mine is going pretty good. As I think I've mentioned, I'm a bit busy this week elsewhere, so these MainPage posts are going to be reasonably infrequent as compared to other times of year. I'm wrapped up in helping some great talent achieve their own impossible dreams this season, and -- as a consequence -- I have to play a little 'give-and-take' with this space. Mind you: SciFiHistory.Net is always on my mind. That will likely never change. But like each of you I have to come and go with the tide during parts of the year, and this is a busy time. I know, I know, I know: you understand. But I felt it necessary to add a few words for posterity's sake.
Yes, yes, and yes: I realize not every single citation on the Daily Citation Page for February 28th isn't exactly Science Fiction, but it goes without saying that without SciFi we might not have Fantasy ... and without Fantasy we might not have Horror ... so you take it or leave it, my good folks, that's what I'm sticking with!
Otherwise ... how's your day shaping up?
Mine is going pretty good. As I think I've mentioned, I'm a bit busy this week elsewhere, so these MainPage posts are going to be reasonably infrequent as compared to other times of year. I'm wrapped up in helping some great talent achieve their own impossible dreams this season, and -- as a consequence -- I have to play a little 'give-and-take' with this space. Mind you: SciFiHistory.Net is always on my mind. That will likely never change. But like each of you I have to come and go with the tide during parts of the year, and this is a busy time. I know, I know, I know: you understand. But I felt it necessary to add a few words for posterity's sake.
Wowza! That Ali Larter? She's certainly a sight to behold, am I right?
Well, she's definitely a lady who has some serious talent, and -- along her way through the entertainment business -- she's definitely made a lasting impression on those of us who worship at the altar of All Things Genre. She burst onto the scene with a pretty commanding role aboard NBC's Heroes -- a weekly procedural that truly lost its way fairly quickly when it seemed like series' creator Tim Kring had no functioning game plan for how it could evolve beyond the first season. But that's not her only contribution to the realms of the Fantastic, and the rough-and-tumble lady can be seen in some solid installments of the Resident Evil franchise of flicks. (I know, I know, I know ... they're not all that great, but her contributions aren't predicated on whether or not there's a good script. Rent still has to be paid, folks.)
Since those happier days on screen big and small, Larter has largely settled into the acting gig pretty well. While it's safe to suggest that she hasn't had a ton of genre work since, I, for one, am hoping that it's only a matter of time before we see her again going boldly where few have gone before. Hers is the kind of presence that just makes things better, and we can always use a bit more of that when series and movies fill up the pipeline.
In the meantime ... Happy birthday, milady!
Well, she's definitely a lady who has some serious talent, and -- along her way through the entertainment business -- she's definitely made a lasting impression on those of us who worship at the altar of All Things Genre. She burst onto the scene with a pretty commanding role aboard NBC's Heroes -- a weekly procedural that truly lost its way fairly quickly when it seemed like series' creator Tim Kring had no functioning game plan for how it could evolve beyond the first season. But that's not her only contribution to the realms of the Fantastic, and the rough-and-tumble lady can be seen in some solid installments of the Resident Evil franchise of flicks. (I know, I know, I know ... they're not all that great, but her contributions aren't predicated on whether or not there's a good script. Rent still has to be paid, folks.)
Since those happier days on screen big and small, Larter has largely settled into the acting gig pretty well. While it's safe to suggest that she hasn't had a ton of genre work since, I, for one, am hoping that it's only a matter of time before we see her again going boldly where few have gone before. Hers is the kind of presence that just makes things better, and we can always use a bit more of that when series and movies fill up the pipeline.
In the meantime ... Happy birthday, milady!
Released on this day in 1992, John Carpenters' Comedy/Horror Memoirs Of An Invisible Man was an uneven effort, at best. Though it seems to strike a positive chord with some in the entertainment press back in the day, I don't recall it exactly being a bit hit at the box office. I do believe that it probably had a better life on home video -- so many of those late 80's and early 90's flicks that came-and-went pretty fast from theaters did come into the black once they were available on VHS -- but, frankly, I'll admit to being more than a tad disappointed with the effort.
To be fair, I know that the feature did earn some really positive attention from the Saturn Awards (which are sponsored by the Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror Films). The picture was nominated in four categories -- 'Best Special Effects,' 'Best Supporting Actor,' 'Best Actor,' and 'Best Science Fiction Film' -- and, yet, I'd argue that such praise was more likely doled out because of Carpenters' participation of the entire project. He still had a lot of sway in the industry at that time, and I'd argue a lot of goodwill rolled downhill onto those he put to good use in an otherwise middling affair. Daryl Hannah -- as the love interest -- was good, but, again, I'd find it hard to point to any truly groundbreaking work from any of the onscreen talent.
Some quick reading on Google.com suggests that Memoirs was neither a critical or commercial success, so I could be misremembering things slightly. Again, I recall seeing it on the silver screen and being mostly unimpressed, but I've always admitted my taste in humor and what mainstream gravitates toward rarely coincide. Whatever the case, let's be happy that the invisibility craze continues to ignite the imaginations of storytellers as that's fundamentally what always matters to genre enthusiasts.
To be fair, I know that the feature did earn some really positive attention from the Saturn Awards (which are sponsored by the Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror Films). The picture was nominated in four categories -- 'Best Special Effects,' 'Best Supporting Actor,' 'Best Actor,' and 'Best Science Fiction Film' -- and, yet, I'd argue that such praise was more likely doled out because of Carpenters' participation of the entire project. He still had a lot of sway in the industry at that time, and I'd argue a lot of goodwill rolled downhill onto those he put to good use in an otherwise middling affair. Daryl Hannah -- as the love interest -- was good, but, again, I'd find it hard to point to any truly groundbreaking work from any of the onscreen talent.
Some quick reading on Google.com suggests that Memoirs was neither a critical or commercial success, so I could be misremembering things slightly. Again, I recall seeing it on the silver screen and being mostly unimpressed, but I've always admitted my taste in humor and what mainstream gravitates toward rarely coincide. Whatever the case, let's be happy that the invisibility craze continues to ignite the imaginations of storytellers as that's fundamentally what always matters to genre enthusiasts.
"Is that all there is?" you ask.
Why, at this point, folks, you should know that there's always more. I've done the heavy lifting so that you can enjoy taking it easy and breezy, floating through the highs and lows of genre-specific trivia each day. There's likely something in there for everyone, and this is where I encourage all of you to head on over and check it out ...
As always, thank you for reading ... thank you for sharing ... thank you for being a fan ... and live long and prosper!
-- EZ
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