The venerable Richard Denning made appearances in such properties as Unknown Island (1948), Creature From The Black Lagoon (1954), Creature With The Atom Brain (1955), Day The World Ended (1955), and The Black Scorpion (1957). Though he's no longer with us, Denning was born on this day in 1914. [Source: IMDB.com]
Ah, nothing says "vintage Science Fiction" like a scantily-clad woman down on all fours with a monster on her back, and that lovely lady is none other than Tandra Quinn, featured as 'Tarantella' in Mesa Of Lost Women (1953). She appeared in four films that same year, which also saw the release of her SciFi-themed The Neanderthal Man (1953) for Global Productions, both films of which definitely took advantage of her undenaibly strong sex appeal. (Woof!) Though she's no longer with us, Quinn was born on this day in 1931. [Source: IMDB.com]
Award-winning David Janssen faced the Final Frontier for his role aboard Marooned (1969), a SciFi/Drama from Columbia Pictures Corporation. His genre appearances were few: I've only located two -- 1955's Cult Of The Cobra and 1972's Moon Of The Wolf. Though he's no longer with us, Janssen was born on this day in 1931. [Source: IMDB.com]
Patrick Newell left behind a resume rich in over one hundred and fifty different screen credits. He served time aboard such properties as The Avengers, Doctor Who, Kinvig, Young Sherlock Holmes (1985), and Galloping Galaxies! Though he's no longer with us, Newell was born on this day in 1932. [Source: IMDB.com]
Poor Julian Glover (above right). Not only has he had the misfortune of drawing the ire of Darth Vader and Indiana Jones, but he also ticked off an entire Martian species in Quatermass and the Pit aka Five Million Years To Earth (1967). Glover was born on this day in 1935. [Source: IMDB.com]
Austin Pendleton is another one of those actors who turns up all over the place but never quite seems to find the stardom his work deserves. As far as genre projects, he's been a part of The Muppet Movie (1979), Simon (1980), Short Circuit (1986), and the US version of Life On Mars. Pendleton was born on this day in 1940. [Source: IMDB.com]
1976's visionary Logan's Run is one of those films that Hollywood has been chomping at the bit to remake for several years now, and I just wish they'd leave it alone. Even when considering the piece's dated production values, it still maintains a charm today, and the theme remains relevant for anyone looking. In it, a young Michael York played the key role of Logan, a Sandman on the run when he realizes his time is running out. York was born on this day in 1942.
Grant McCune was a Special Effects wizard responsible largely for working with miniatures aboard such projects as Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977), Battlestar Galactica (ABC), Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Firefox (1982), and Spaceballs (1987). Though he's no longer with us, McCune was born on this day in 1943. [Source: IMDB.com]
Size matters not in the realm of Fantasy, as the career of the late John Edward Allen attests. In his lifetime, he managed to squeeze in roles aboard Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Blade Runner (1982), Tales From The Darkside, Swamp Thing, Superboy, and Snow White: A Tale Of Terror (1997). Though he's no longer with us, Allen was born on this day in 1950. [Source: IMDB.com]
The resume of Mark Northover is very slim (only five professional entries), but he still managed to make appearances aboard Willow (1988) and Hardware (1990), one of the creepier SciFi films of its generation. Though he's no longer with us, Northover was born on this day in 1950. [Source: IMDB.com]
Mark Stetson is an Academy Award winning Special Effects wizard who has contributed to such projects as Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Blade Runner (1982), Solarbabies (1986), Total Recall (1990), Waterworld (1995), The Fifth Element (1997), and Peter Jackson's The Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Stetson was born on this day in 1952.
There's no doubt in my mind that Caroline Williams is best known for her work in the realm of traditional Horror flicks, but she has dabbled elsewhere, including work aboard the ever-growing Sharknado franchise. Williams was born on this day in 1957. [Source: IMDB.com]
To most folks, that's award-winning actor Stephen Dillane; but to many that's the ill-fated Stannis Baratheon from HBO's Game Of Thrones. Dillane was born on this day in 1957.
Not only has Adrian Rawlins had the good fortune of appearing in the greater Harry Potter universe, but he's also made a visit to the realms of Doctor Who. Rawlins was born on this day in 1958.
SciFi novelist Kevin J. Anderson has taken a crack a fashioning spin-off novels for a variety of franchises, including Star Wars, StarCraft, Titan A.E. and The X-Files. Anderson was born on this day in 1962.
I'm not as gaga over the works of Quentin Tarantino as are most film nerds, but I do appreciate how he has cleverly incorporated elements of Fantasy into his storytelling. He even briefly flirted with the notion of making a Star Trek film, which definitely would've been interesting given the man's narrative sensibilities. Tarantino was born on this day in 1963. [Source: IMDB.com]
Clive Rowe (above right) made an appearance aboard "Voyage of the Damned," a 2007 episode of the BBC's Doctor Who. Rowe was born on this day in 1964. [Source: IMDB.com]
Though much of her work is in more conventional fare, Paula Trickey dabbled elsewhere with work aboard Time Trax, Black Scorpion, and Sliders. Trickey was born on this day in 1966. [Source: IMDB.com]
Talisa Soto turned heads (if by no other means than swift-kicking them) for her work aboard the 1990's Mortal Kombat films. Soto was born on this day in 1967. [Source: IMDB.com]
The work of Sandra Hess certainly deserves celebration amongst those who appreciate genre appearances. She's been a part of SeaQuest 2032, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman, Baywatch Nights, Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus (1996), Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), TV's Highlander, Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD (1998), Sliders, and Gargoyle (2005). Hess was born on this day in 1968. [Source: IMDB.com]
Audiences might not know it, but NCIS's Pauley Perrette actually maintains some pretty impressive SciFi credentials. First off, she provided vocals for the 1997 Blade Runner video game. A few years later, she did some voicework for the fondly remembered Batman Beyond. In the 2001-2002 TV season, she enjoyed multiple appearances aboard Special Unit 2, a short-lived procedural involving monsters on-the-loose in Chicago. Lastly, she provided the voice of 'Lois Lane' aboard the DC Comics direct-to-DVD release of Superman vs. The Elite (2012). Perrette was born on this day in 1969. [Source: IMDB.com]
Kevin Corrigan enjoyed a recurring guest spot aboard Fox TV's popular Fringe during the SciFi show's run. Corrigan was born on this day in 1969. [Source: IMDB.com]
Here's a tip for aspiring SciFi showrunners: if you want an audience, then cast the lovely Elizabeth Mitchell in it somewhere. I swooned for this beauty initially with her small role in 2000's Frequency, and I was thrilled she joined the ensemble that was ABC TV's Lost. I honestly didn't much care for the V reboot she appeared in, but that's not her fault: I just found the writing subpar. More recently, she turned up aboard the SciFi series The Expanse. Mitchell was born on this day in 1970. [Source: IMDB.com]
As I've mentioned before, I just didn't get into Firefly or its spinoff theatrical attempt Serenity. It isn't that I didn't see merit in the characters and situations; rather it just never struck a chord with me as anything all that interesting. In many ways, it felt an awful lot like Starhunter but with vastly better scripts. Meh. In any event, I did appreciate the performances, of which Nathan Fillion sure turned in a doozy. Fillion -- always a fan favorite -- was born on this day in 1971. [Source: IMDB.com]
Jason Narvy (above left) had the good fortune of playing in the realm of Power Rangers across several TV incarnations. Narvy was born on this day in 1974. [Source: IMDB.com]
There's a solid history of rockstars who've dabbled in filmdom, and Fergie is no slouch, having a small role aboard Planet Terror (2007), the better half of Miramax's Grindhouse cinematic experiment. Fergie was born on this day in 1975. [Source: IMDB.com]
Roger Velasco leapt into the realm of Science Fiction and Fantasy with his work aboard Power Rangers In Space amongst other Ranger properties. Velasco was born on this day in 1977. [Source: IMDB.com]
Aboard Containment (2015), Louise Brealey played one of an ensemble who came together in the face of mankind's fall. Brealey was born on this day in 1979. [Source: IMDB.com]
When she was but an urchin, the li'l Ashley Bank enjoyed a role aboard the fondly-remembered cinematic Fantasy The Monster Squad (1987). Bank was born on this day in 1981. [Source: IMDB.com]
One of Jon Steuer's earliest professional gigs was playing (the first) Alexander Rozhenko aboard Star Trek: The Next Generation. Though he's no longer with us, Steuer was born on this day in 1984. [Source: IMDB.com]
[NOTE: Sadly, Jon took his own life on January 1, 2018. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please share the number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255. It's never too late to save a life.]
[NOTE: Sadly, Jon took his own life on January 1, 2018. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please share the number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255. It's never too late to save a life.]
Science Fiction loves the ginger! Bonnie Gordon wore the Starfleet uniform for her role aboard the web-based Shield Of Tomorrow, a Star Trek related something-or-other. Gordon was born on this day in 1986. [Source: IMDB.com]
If you've missed out on Amazon Studios SciFi/Anthology series Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams, then you're missing something special. Not all installments are perfect -- such is the nature of anthology shows -- but there are some terrific gems in there worth your time, including Holliday Grainger's episode, "The Hood Maker." Grainger was born on this day in 1988. [Source: IMDB.com]
The lovely Rosabell Laurenti Sellers turned quite deadly for her role as 'Tyene Sand' aboard HBO's popular Fantasy/Drama, Game Of Thrones. Sellers was born on this day in 1996.
Pretty newcomer Natasha Calis is only just starting to build her resume. Thus far, she's squeezed in performances aboard Impact and Donovan's Echo (2011) worthy of notice to genre fans, but hopefully she'll be exploring more. Calis was born on this day in 1999. [Source: IMDB.com]
On this day in 1968 (in Los Angeles, California), Planet Of The Apes enjoyed its release in theatres. The feature starred Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved."
"An astronaut crew crash-lands on a planet in the distant future where intelligent talking apes are the dominant species, and humans are the oppressed and enslaved."
On this day in 1984, The Passing played for audiences in attendance of the USA Film Festival. Written (in part) and directed by John Huckert, the SciFi/Horror starred James Carroll Plaster, Welton Benjamin Johnson, and Lynn Odell; and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Two elderly World War II buddies are living - and dying - together in their small home. One becomes a patient where salvage-worthy, older attributes are combined with useable, younger body parts. He returns, unrecognized by the other."
"Two elderly World War II buddies are living - and dying - together in their small home. One becomes a patient where salvage-worthy, older attributes are combined with useable, younger body parts. He returns, unrecognized by the other."
On this day in 2006, A For Andromeda came down to earth for TV audiences. This starred Tom Hardy and Kelly Reilly, and here's the plot summary as detailed on IMDB.com:
"In the Yorkshire Dales, a group of scientists receive radio signals from the Andromeda Galaxy. Once decoded, these give them a computer program that can design a human clone. One physicist decides it is a Trojan horse and decides to destroy the computer."
"In the Yorkshire Dales, a group of scientists receive radio signals from the Andromeda Galaxy. Once decoded, these give them a computer program that can design a human clone. One physicist decides it is a Trojan horse and decides to destroy the computer."
On this day in 2010 (in Germany), Swamp Devil emerged from the swamp and tooks its place on broadcast television. Directed by David Winning, the SciFi/Horror starred Bruce Dern, Cindy Sampson, and Nicolas Wright; and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A young girl finds out some disturbing supernatural truths about her father, who has been a suspect to multiple murder cases."
"A young girl finds out some disturbing supernatural truths about her father, who has been a suspect to multiple murder cases."
On this day in 2013 (in Spain), The Last Days delivered audiences with one more look at a possible Apocalypse. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"2013. A mysterious epidemic spreads across the planet. Humanity develops an irrational fear of open spaces that causes death within seconds. Soon, the world population is trapped inside buildings. As Barcelona descends into chaos, Marc sets off on a quest to find Julia, his missing girlfriend, without ever going outside."
"2013. A mysterious epidemic spreads across the planet. Humanity develops an irrational fear of open spaces that causes death within seconds. Soon, the world population is trapped inside buildings. As Barcelona descends into chaos, Marc sets off on a quest to find Julia, his missing girlfriend, without ever going outside."
- If you'd like to know more, then feel free to read SciFiHistory.Net's review for The Last Days right here.
A star is born! On this day in 2020, The Arbors enjoyed its first theatrical presentation ever when it played for audiences in attendance of the RiverRun International Film Festival. Written (in part) and directed by Clayton Witmer, the SciFi/Thriller starred Drew Matthews, Ryan Davenport, and Sarah Cochrane; and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Ethan's life takes an unsettling turn after finding a strange small creature and forming a mysterious connection."
"Ethan's life takes an unsettling turn after finding a strange small creature and forming a mysterious connection."
On this day in 1954, Tom Corbett, Space Cadet aired "Space Station Of Danger." According to our friends at the reliable IMDB.com, here's that adventure's plot summary:
"Twin threats imperil Tom and his men on a remote space station: a liquid compound is evaporating into the station's atmosphere sickening the crew while saboteurs plan to destroy the base with a nuclear time bomb."
"Twin threats imperil Tom and his men on a remote space station: a liquid compound is evaporating into the station's atmosphere sickening the crew while saboteurs plan to destroy the base with a nuclear time bomb."
On this day in 1965, Doctor Who aired "The Lion." This served as the twenty-second episode of the program's second season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"The TARDIS lands in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade and the crew help save Richard the Lionheart from an ambush, but Barbara is captured and brought before Saladin."
"The TARDIS lands in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade and the crew help save Richard the Lionheart from an ambush, but Barbara is captured and brought before Saladin."
On this day in 1971, Doctor Who aired "The Claws of Axos, Part 3." This served as the thirteenth episode of the program's eighth season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"The Doctor and Jo are being held prisoner by Axos while Chinn is forced to organise the worldwide distribution of axonite and the Master returns to the power complex to try and steal the TARDIS."
"The Doctor and Jo are being held prisoner by Axos while Chinn is forced to organise the worldwide distribution of axonite and the Master returns to the power complex to try and steal the TARDIS."
The first season finale of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century aired on this day back in 1980. "Flight of the War Witch" saw Capt. Rogers and Twiki warping into another universe where the people of Pendar are being oppressed by the evil Zarina (played by Julie Newmar). Naturally, oppression doesn't sit well with Buck, so he forms an uneasy alliance with his long-time nemesis, Princess Ardala, in a bid to join forces and free the people.
For those of you who like this sort of thing, I've taken the time to screencap much of this first season episode, and interested parties can check out those pictures right here.
For the record: It's also interesting to note that this episode's costume designer -- Al Lehman -- scored a 1980 Primetime Emmy nomination for 'Outstanding Costume Design for a Series.' Though he didn't win the trophy, it's still definitely deserving of mention in this space.
For those of you who like this sort of thing, I've taken the time to screencap much of this first season episode, and interested parties can check out those pictures right here.
For the record: It's also interesting to note that this episode's costume designer -- Al Lehman -- scored a 1980 Primetime Emmy nomination for 'Outstanding Costume Design for a Series.' Though he didn't win the trophy, it's still definitely deserving of mention in this space.
It all came down to this: on this day in 1988, Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future aired "Retribution, Part 2." This served as the series finale -- the twenty-second episode of the program's first and only season -- and here's the plot summary as detailed by the ever- reliable IMDB.com:
"Lord Dread is about to have his mind transferred into a new machine body. But first he delivers his final strike against Captain Power. Blastarr and his troops attack the Jumpship and prevent it from entering a Teleportation gate by breaching it themselves. The machine forces overrun the Powerbase, manned only by Pilot as Power and the others remain helpless on the outside."
"Lord Dread is about to have his mind transferred into a new machine body. But first he delivers his final strike against Captain Power. Blastarr and his troops attack the Jumpship and prevent it from entering a Teleportation gate by breaching it themselves. The machine forces overrun the Powerbase, manned only by Pilot as Power and the others remain helpless on the outside."
On this day in 1993, Star Trek: The Next Generation aired "Starship Mine." This served as the eighteenth episode of the program's sixth season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"When the Enterprise puts in to space dock for an energy sweep of the ship which is lethal to humans, Picard gets trapped on board with technicians who are not what they appear to be."
"When the Enterprise puts in to space dock for an energy sweep of the ship which is lethal to humans, Picard gets trapped on board with technicians who are not what they appear to be."
On this day in 1994, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures Of Superman aired "Fly Hard." This served as the nineteenth episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Criminals burst into the Daily Planet offices and take most of the employees there prisoner. Only Jimmy manages to escape, eventually finding his way into the ventilation ducts. The criminals want to plunder the secret vault of Prohibition era racketeer Dragonetti, and they'll do it thanks to a set of old blueprints and the information provided by their mysterious boss. Superman risks nuclear catastrophe if he attempts to intervene!"
"Criminals burst into the Daily Planet offices and take most of the employees there prisoner. Only Jimmy manages to escape, eventually finding his way into the ventilation ducts. The criminals want to plunder the secret vault of Prohibition era racketeer Dragonetti, and they'll do it thanks to a set of old blueprints and the information provided by their mysterious boss. Superman risks nuclear catastrophe if he attempts to intervene!"
On this day in 1994, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine aired "Blood Oath." This served as the nineteenth episode of the program's second season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Three legendary Klingons come to DS9 to see if Jadzia will participate in a blood oath that they made with Dax's previous host Curzon."
"Three legendary Klingons come to DS9 to see if Jadzia will participate in a blood oath that they made with Dax's previous host Curzon."
On this day in 1998, Power Rangers In Space aired "When Push Comes To Shove." This served as the eighth episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Cassie loses her diary, which she believes may contain a picture of her that would reveal her identity as a Power Ranger. George, a teen troublemaker, gets ahold of it and uses it as blackmail to make Cassie go on a date with his pal, Lenny, a gentle giant. Meanwhile, Prof. Phenomenus unveils a new plutonium fuel, which plans to use to send Bulk & Skull into space to find aliens. But Astronema becomes aware of this, and has the Elephantitan monster try to topple the skyscraper the fuel is being stored at, in an effort to wipe out Angel Grove. It just so happens to be the same building Cassie & Lenny are having dinner at! Will she Morph in front of him in order to save lives? Or can a new weapon in the Rangers' arsenal arrive in the nick of time?"
"Cassie loses her diary, which she believes may contain a picture of her that would reveal her identity as a Power Ranger. George, a teen troublemaker, gets ahold of it and uses it as blackmail to make Cassie go on a date with his pal, Lenny, a gentle giant. Meanwhile, Prof. Phenomenus unveils a new plutonium fuel, which plans to use to send Bulk & Skull into space to find aliens. But Astronema becomes aware of this, and has the Elephantitan monster try to topple the skyscraper the fuel is being stored at, in an effort to wipe out Angel Grove. It just so happens to be the same building Cassie & Lenny are having dinner at! Will she Morph in front of him in order to save lives? Or can a new weapon in the Rangers' arsenal arrive in the nick of time?"
On this day in 2002, Star Trek: Enterprise aired "Acquisition." This served as the nineteenth episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Four greedy Ferengis have invaded Enterprise while the crew is unconscious. They have already confiscated numerous valuable supplies, but are still interested in more. They wake up captain Archer to get the know the whereabouts of 'the vault'. Another crew member is still awake in the decontamination chamber, Trip. He wakes T'Pol. Since the weakness of the invaders is not difficult to find, the three try to outsmart the Ferengis."
"Four greedy Ferengis have invaded Enterprise while the crew is unconscious. They have already confiscated numerous valuable supplies, but are still interested in more. They wake up captain Archer to get the know the whereabouts of 'the vault'. Another crew member is still awake in the decontamination chamber, Trip. He wakes T'Pol. Since the weakness of the invaders is not difficult to find, the three try to outsmart the Ferengis."
On this day in 2004, Starhunter 2300 aired "Hyperspace, Part 1" -- the first half for what promised to be a big finish for its second season. According to our friends at Wikipedia.org, here's the plot summary:
"While trying to solve the problems of hyperspace, Marcus finds help in the theories of a Dr. Gregory Lanzig and decides to track him down. Lanzig proves hard to find, but Travis and Callie find his assistant Dr. Vienna Xeylon and learn she and Lanzig are one and the same. Xeylon offers a device called a horizon generator which once installed in the Tulip' will help create a stable warp bubble. Soon, Orchard agents come for Xeylon, and Callie is shot during the ensuing firefight. Callie later dies from a powerful toxin carried by the bullet that destroys muscle tissue. Not wanting Callie's death to be for nothing, Travis and Marcus infiltrate The Orchard's facility on Mars and free Xeylon, but Tristan Catchpole returns and chases the Tulip down. The only chance left for escape is to try Xeylon's device and enter hyperspace."
"While trying to solve the problems of hyperspace, Marcus finds help in the theories of a Dr. Gregory Lanzig and decides to track him down. Lanzig proves hard to find, but Travis and Callie find his assistant Dr. Vienna Xeylon and learn she and Lanzig are one and the same. Xeylon offers a device called a horizon generator which once installed in the Tulip' will help create a stable warp bubble. Soon, Orchard agents come for Xeylon, and Callie is shot during the ensuing firefight. Callie later dies from a powerful toxin carried by the bullet that destroys muscle tissue. Not wanting Callie's death to be for nothing, Travis and Marcus infiltrate The Orchard's facility on Mars and free Xeylon, but Tristan Catchpole returns and chases the Tulip down. The only chance left for escape is to try Xeylon's device and enter hyperspace."
On this day in 2008, Smallville aired "Veritas." This served as the fifteenth episode of the program's seventh season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"When Brainiac ends up in a confrontation with Clark after trying to coerce Kara into joining him, he takes it out on Lana."
"When Brainiac ends up in a confrontation with Clark after trying to coerce Kara into joining him, he takes it out on Lana."
On this day in 2015, 12 Monkeys aired "Shonin" on Syfy. This served as the eleventh hour to the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"Cole splinters to Tokyo in 1987 in a last chance effort to stop the Army of the 12 Monkeys."
"Cole splinters to Tokyo in 1987 in a last chance effort to stop the Army of the 12 Monkeys."
On this day in 2001, Star Trek: Away Team was made available for retail to the general public. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's what the gameplay was all about:
"Isometric tactical action game about the away team of the USS Incursion, a Federation starship with unique masking technology. The team is joined by Data and Worf. They face a new mysterious threat known as the Wardens."
"Isometric tactical action game about the away team of the USS Incursion, a Federation starship with unique masking technology. The team is joined by Data and Worf. They face a new mysterious threat known as the Wardens."
