On this day in 1956 (per Wikipedia.org), humanity began what many cinema historians dubbed "a new age in science fiction" when audiences embraced Forbidden Planet for the first time: a starship crew headed by Commander JJ Adams (Leslie Nielsen) is sent to the planet Altair-4 in hopes of determining what happened to the colony of settlers originally deposited there. What they find is a lesson for all mankind.
Veteran actor Macdonald Carey made an appearance aboard Buck Rogers in the 25th Century ("Planet of the Slave Girls") playing Dr. Mallory, the scientific genius racing against time to find the cause of a medical plague threatening the survival of planet Earth. In his career, the man also booked appearances on Science Fiction Theatre, The Outer Limits, End of the World (1977), and It's Alive III: Island of the Alive. Though he's no longer with us, Carey was born on this day in 1913.
The late, great Lawrence Tierney tangled with a certain captain of a certain Enterprise-D starship aboard "The Big Goodbye," one of the more memorable episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation's first season. Though he's no longer with us, Tierney was born on this day in 1919.
I'll probably always remember Walter Gotell as the Russian adversary to James Bond in several of that series entries, but I'm also thankful he turned up in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Though he's no longer with us, Gotell was born on this day in 1924.
Veteran heavyweight Judd Hirsch (above left) brought some considerable gravitas along with a bit of comic relief to 1996's SciFi summer blockbuster, Independence Day, and he even returned for its sequel Independence Day : Resurgence which screened in 2016. Hirsch was born on this day in 1935.
Legendary storyteller David Cronenberg may not be to every cinema-goer's delight, but he certainly knows how to achieve a certain aesthetic appeal to those willing to embrace his visions. He's brought to life such films as Scanners, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, Existenz, and The Fly, to name but a few. Cronenberg was born on this day in 1943.
Nicholas Shaffer (above right) has booked appearances in several SciFi properties, including roles aboard Voyagers!, Quantum Leap, K-9000 (1991), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Shaffer was born on this day in 1951.
Craig Wasson will likely always be known for his work aboard Brian De Palma's Body Double, but genre fans might know him from work in A Nightmare On Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (1987), Trapped In Space (1995), and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Wasson was born on this day in 1954. [Source: IMDB.com]
The lovely Jacqueline Schultz arrived late to the party that was Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, appearing in the seventh season as the wife to the nefarious Mr. Sloane. Schultz was born on this day in 1956.
The lovely Lisa Langlois found herself trapped in The Nest (1988). So far as genre entries go, she's also been a part of The Man Who Wasn't There (1983), Transformations (1991), Psi Factor: Chronicles of the Paranormal, and Relic Hunter. Langlois was born on this day in 1959.
Greg Nicotero knows a thing or two about your nightmares. He works in the realm of makeup effects, polishing off stars to look either good or bad in such properties as Transformers (2007), Splice (2009), The Book Of Eli (2010), and AMC's Apocalypse juggernaut The Walking Dead. Nicotero was born on this day in 1963. [Source: IMDB.com]
Though she probably feels more at home in conventional fare, Robyn Malcolm has worked in such projects as Atlantis High and The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) for balance. Malcolm was born on this day in 1965. [Source: IMDB.com]
In his youth, James G. Becker gave the whole "acting thing" a shot, but the only gig that truly came his way (so far as IMDB.com indicates) was some uncredited work aboard Star Trek: The Next Generation. Still, he managed to book appearances aboard forty different hours of the program. Though he's no longer with us, Becker was born on this day in 1966.
The great Chris Bruno (above left) was one of the regulars aboard USA Network's TV adaptation of Stephen King's The Dead Zone. Bruno was born on this day in 1966.
The lovely Isa Dick Hackett (above left) has worked with Amazon Studios to usher her the work of her late father -- Philip K. Dick -- to their streaming platform, and The Man In The High Castle continues to impress audiences. Hackett was born on this day in 1967.
Mark McGrath is another actor who braved a Sharknado for the benefit of all mankind and his professional career. McGrath was born on this day in 1968. [Source: IMDB.com]
Kim Raver's gifts include a natural beauty along with the unassuming ability to step into just about any role -- big or small -- and make something of it. Sadly, she's done so very little Science Fiction -- she did have a role braving the Apocalypse at the heart of the short-lived Revolution -- though methinks fans would love to see more of her. Raver was born on this day in 1969.
The lovely Cara Pifko maintains both live- and voice-acting citations, and she's definitely proven to have 'the right stuff' as part of such projects as Mass Effect 2, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Mass Effect 3. Pifko was born on this day in 1976.
Since launching a professional acting career in 2000, Brian Tee has built a resume impressively stocked with quality genre work. He's had roles aboard The Invisible Man, Starship Troopers 2: Hero of the Federation, The Wolverine, and Jurassic World. Tee was born on this day in 1977.
Apocalypses don't get much more barren than AMC's The Walking Dead, but recent addition Pollyanna McIntosh leads a group of survivors who speak in the same manner Yoda does, bringing the program some unintentional comic relief. McIntosh was born on this day in 1979.
Lisa Marcos trafficks in the realm of Fantasy for her work aboard Shadowhunters: The Mortal Instruments. She's also booked time aboard Mutant X, Threshold (2003), and Lost Girl. Marcos was born on this day in 1982. [Source: IMDB.com]
Aside from appearing in the Harry Potter series of films, Sean Biggerstaff made a vocal contribution to the 2003 animated adaptation of Doctor Who's "Shada." Biggerstaff was born on this day in 1983. [Source: IMDB.com]
While some actors are content baring their souls, others are better at baring their abs. Kellan Lutz does both. Fans have seen his work in the Twilight saga, Immortals (2011), and The Legend of Hercules (2014). Lutz was born on this day in 1985.
The lovely Vimala Pons found herself trapped in the heart of the SciFi vision known as Eden Log (2007) for Imperia Films. Pons was born on this day in 1986.
Playing the villanous Eric, international star Jai Courtney has lit up the silver screen in the Divergent series as well as taking over the shoes of Kyle Reese in the ill-received Terminator reboot, Terminator: Genisys. Courtney was born on this day in 1986.
Good grief! Some megalomaniacs never learn! On this day in 1967, Frankenstein Created Woman gave the fateful doctor one more chance to get his act together. This picture starred Peter Cushing and the lovely Susan Denberg, and here's the plot summary as listed on IMDB.com:
"Baron Frankenstein has acquired the dead body of a young maiden, Christina, and all it lacks is the spark of life. He captures the soul of a recently executed young man and installs it in the young woman. With the memories from the young man still intact, she starts to kill the people whose false accusations led to the young man's execution."
"Baron Frankenstein has acquired the dead body of a young maiden, Christina, and all it lacks is the spark of life. He captures the soul of a recently executed young man and installs it in the young woman. With the memories from the young man still intact, she starts to kill the people whose false accusations led to the young man's execution."
I had the good fortune of meeting author Kurt Vonnegut Jr when he was speaking at a seminar one time. Truth be told, he wasn't a very friendly guy. Whatever, I guess. Anyway, a filmed adaptation of his novel, Slaughterhouse Five, was first released theatrically on this day in 1972. Here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"A man tells his story of how he became unstuck in time and abducted by aliens."
"A man tells his story of how he became unstuck in time and abducted by aliens."
Very, very little can be found out there on the Information Superhighway about The Space-Watch Murders. It aired on this day in 1978, and here's what IMDB.com has to say about it:
"This 90 minute movie aired on Mystery of the Week series. This story was about a crew member who was held for the murder of her six shipmates by the inhabitants of a hostile planet."
"This 90 minute movie aired on Mystery of the Week series. This story was about a crew member who was held for the murder of her six shipmates by the inhabitants of a hostile planet."
The Stepford Children was a 1987 SciFi telefilm that took audiences back to that sleepy little burg in Connecticut for another go-round in the world of fashionable, tailor-made families. It starred Barbara Eden and Don Murray, and here's the plot summary compliments of our friends at IMDB.com:
"In this sequel to The Stepford Wives, Steven and Laura Harding (along with their kids David and Mary) have moved to the quiet community of Stepford, CT. Steven joins the men's club, which is still assimilating their wives into robots. This time, they have begun to turn their out of control teens into robots as well. Once they are assimilated, they are obedient, homework loving, big band dancing droids. Laura, David, and Mary stumble onto this mystery, and they must avoid Steven's plans to turn them into robots."
"In this sequel to The Stepford Wives, Steven and Laura Harding (along with their kids David and Mary) have moved to the quiet community of Stepford, CT. Steven joins the men's club, which is still assimilating their wives into robots. This time, they have begun to turn their out of control teens into robots as well. Once they are assimilated, they are obedient, homework loving, big band dancing droids. Laura, David, and Mary stumble onto this mystery, and they must avoid Steven's plans to turn them into robots."
On this day back in 2002, our collective future got a little more grim as the video game inspired Resident Evil launched its first film theatrically, giving Milla Jovovich a franchise to call her own. I saw it, but I honestly don't remember all that much of it, so here's the plot summary compliments of IMDB.com:
"A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident."
"A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident."
As I'll always warn you, Science Fiction and Fantasy comes in all shapes, sizes, and predilections ... so on this day in 2011, the adult-themed SciFi/Comedy Bikini Time Machine was released on television. The feature starred Kylee Nash and Jenna Presley, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Two down-on-their-luck waitresses become paid guinea pigs in a wacky doctor's time travel experiments in this erotic adult comedy. Traveling back and forth through History has a peculiar side effect - it makes the girls lose control of themselves and become very frisky!"
"Two down-on-their-luck waitresses become paid guinea pigs in a wacky doctor's time travel experiments in this erotic adult comedy. Traveling back and forth through History has a peculiar side effect - it makes the girls lose control of themselves and become very frisky!"
On this day in 2013 (in Ireland), Earthbound landed in theatres. This film starred Rafe Spall and Jenn Murray, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Joe is an Alien on Earth. At least that is what his father told him before he died when Joe was eleven. He finds it difficult to adjust, and to find a compatible girl friend."
"Joe is an Alien on Earth. At least that is what his father told him before he died when Joe was eleven. He finds it difficult to adjust, and to find a compatible girl friend."
Ach! That's gonna leave a mark! On this day in 2014 (in Japan), the Fantasy-themed Gallowwalkers enjoyed a theatrical run. The feature starred Wesley Snipes and Riley Smith, and here's the plot summary as provided by the reliable IMDB.com:
"A cursed gunman (Snipes) whose victims come back from the dead recruits a young warrior to help in the fight against a gang of zombies."
"A cursed gunman (Snipes) whose victims come back from the dead recruits a young warrior to help in the fight against a gang of zombies."
Star Trek's "Bread and Circuses" remains classic Trek, the kind of story the program did quite well in its first and second seasons. It first aired on this day in 1968, and the action saw the crew encountering nothing but danger while investigating a sector of space for a missing starship. What do they find? They land on a world that's derivative of ancient Rome, where captives are forced to fight to the death for the amusement of the greater society.
On March 15, 1985, V visited "The Secret Underground," a story that saw Julia and Donovan boarding the Mothership, hoping to recover a list containing the names of the Resistance from the aliens!
On this day in 1993, "Night of the Savage" aired as the eighth episode of Time Trax's first season. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"Darien tracks a killer from the future to London. Known as the Savage, the killer drains the blood from his victims and may be posing as a police officer."
"Darien tracks a killer from the future to London. Known as the Savage, the killer drains the blood from his victims and may be posing as a police officer."
On this day in 1997, Crime Traveller aired "Fashion Shoot." This served as the third episode of the program's first (and only) season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Fashion designer Sonia Duvall has been receiving death threats and despite all the efforts of Slade and the team, is shot on the catwalk."
"Fashion designer Sonia Duvall has been receiving death threats and despite all the efforts of Slade and the team, is shot on the catwalk."
On this day in 1997, Dark Skies aired "To Prey In Darkness." This hour served as the seventeenth episode of the cult program's only season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"When Majestic learns that some film that shows the aliens is missing they look for it. They eventually find the film in the possession of TV news reporter who's hoping that it could get her into more serious work. So Loengard, Juliet, and Albano proceed to CBS and inform Majestic member William Paley of the situation. When the reporter turns up dead, they have to find it. But the hive also is there."
"When Majestic learns that some film that shows the aliens is missing they look for it. They eventually find the film in the possession of TV news reporter who's hoping that it could get her into more serious work. So Loengard, Juliet, and Albano proceed to CBS and inform Majestic member William Paley of the situation. When the reporter turns up dead, they have to find it. But the hive also is there."
On this day in 2000, Star Trek: Voyager aired "Good Shepherd." This served as the twentieth episode of the program's sixth season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by TrekCore.com:
"Janeway goes on an away mission in the Delta Flyer with three misfit crewmembers from the lower decks who, according to Seven, are constant underperformers. When the mission runs into difficulty, Janeway's leadership skills are needed more than ever."
"Janeway goes on an away mission in the Delta Flyer with three misfit crewmembers from the lower decks who, according to Seven, are constant underperformers. When the mission runs into difficulty, Janeway's leadership skills are needed more than ever."
On this day in 2000, Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles aired an episode titled "Spirits of the Departed." According to our friends at TV.com, here's the plot summary:
"As Rico Struggles with his promotion to Lieutenant and leader of the Roughnecks, the squad is assigned to Honolulu, Hawaii and when they arrive, they greet the new recruit, Max Brutto. While on station, they are attacked by a huge swarm of the Bug Army. Will Rico be able to get the Roughnecks out alive as his first mission as their leader?"
"As Rico Struggles with his promotion to Lieutenant and leader of the Roughnecks, the squad is assigned to Honolulu, Hawaii and when they arrive, they greet the new recruit, Max Brutto. While on station, they are attacked by a huge swarm of the Bug Army. Will Rico be able to get the Roughnecks out alive as his first mission as their leader?"
On this day in 2002, Dark Angel aired "Fuhgeddaboudit." This served as the fifteenth episode of the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A transgenic with the ability to control people messes with Max's mind to keep her from coercing a meek mob bookie into selling out his boss to Eyes Only. But once the mutant sets her sights on Alec, the stakes are raised, leading him back into the boxing ring to make some money for some not-so-good fellas."
"A transgenic with the ability to control people messes with Max's mind to keep her from coercing a meek mob bookie into selling out his boss to Eyes Only. But once the mutant sets her sights on Alec, the stakes are raised, leading him back into the boxing ring to make some money for some not-so-good fellas."
On this day in 2002, Stargate: SG-1 aired "48 Hours." This served as the fourteenth episode to the long-running program's fifth season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"When Teal'c is trapped in the Stargate buffer, the team must juggle the technical challenges along with personal, interdepartmental and diplomatic rivalries to rescue him in time."
"When Teal'c is trapped in the Stargate buffer, the team must juggle the technical challenges along with personal, interdepartmental and diplomatic rivalries to rescue him in time."
On this day in 2003, Mobile Suit Gundam Seed aired "War For Two." This served as the twenty-fourth episode of the program's only season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A war is under way between genetically enhanced Coordinators and unmodified Naturals."
"A war is under way between genetically enhanced Coordinators and unmodified Naturals."
On this day in 2007, Smallville aired "Promise." This served as the sixteenth episode of the program's sixth season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Clark has second thoughts about Lana marrying Lex, Lana starts to have the same concerns. Meanwhile... the doctor involved in the secret behind Lana's pregnancy threatens Lex with his knowledge."
"Clark has second thoughts about Lana marrying Lex, Lana starts to have the same concerns. Meanwhile... the doctor involved in the secret behind Lana's pregnancy threatens Lex with his knowledge."
On this day in 2017, The 100 aired "We Will Rise." This served as the sixth episode of the program's fourth season, and here's the plot summary as listed on IMDB.com:
"Clarke and Roan are forced to work together when they are tasked to deliver a dangerous but crucial asset to Abby through enemy territories."
"Clarke and Roan are forced to work together when they are tasked to deliver a dangerous but crucial asset to Abby through enemy territories."
On this day in 2017, The Expanse aired "Pyre." This served as the eighth episode of the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Naomi tracks down signs of protomolecule and Fred Johnson's control over OPA collapses."
"Naomi tracks down signs of protomolecule and Fred Johnson's control over OPA collapses."
