I have absolutely no problem admitting my love for some of the cheesiest sci-fi movies ever made, and -- in that spirit -- I know that Spacehunter: Adventures In The Forbidden Zone is not a very good movie. That, however, doesn't concern me. It's perfect camp, performed wonderfully by Peter Strauss as the Han Solo wannabe and his plucky sidekick played by Molly Ringwald.
Plus, it has the reliable Michael Ironside as the creepiest bad guy he ever played. What's not to love? It came & went from theatres, released on this day in 1983, as part and parcel of a cheap 3-D craze for the early 1980's.
Plus, it has the reliable Michael Ironside as the creepiest bad guy he ever played. What's not to love? It came & went from theatres, released on this day in 1983, as part and parcel of a cheap 3-D craze for the early 1980's.
I realize that Star Trek: Insurrection probably wasn't anybody's favorite of The Next Generation string of movies, but I thought it was all well and good, albeit not nearly as incomprehensible as Nemesis. In Insurrection, the great Anthony Zerbe played a senior Starfleet officer who was caught between doing what was right and what was needed for the Federation, and it was great to see what his gravitas (as a creative talent) added to the role. Zerbe was born on this day in 1936.
While I don't know this for certain, I'm willing to guess that singer/songwriter/actress Jane Wiedlin (of The GoGo's) has a curious fascination with Science Fiction. For starters, she's had small roles in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home; and -- to top it off -- she has a comic book property (which is also a rock opera) named Lady Robotika to her name. Wiedlin was born on this day in 1958.
In 1989, Matt McCoy had a role in the SciFi cult flick Deepstar Six, and that was the same year he turned up in a guest-starring role aboard Star Trek: The Next Generation as Devinoni Ral. McCoy was born on this day in 1958.
When it comes to Star Trek: Enterprise, I just didn't much care for the program. As I've said many times, I thought going back to that time period was genius; I just didn't like the stories that the writers came up with. However, I did enjoy the work that the talented cast brought to the program each week, and one of those regulars was John Billingsley. As Dr. Phlox, he brought a level of alien admiration to the role of dispensing medicine that only John could. Billingsley was born on this day in 1960.
Actor Tony Goldwyn took a break from running the United States on ABC TV's popular soap opera serial Scandal in order to play father to Shailene Woodley in 2014's Divergent. Goldwyn was born on this day in 1960.
Early in her acting career, a young Gina Ravera had a guest role aboard the Star Trek: The Next Generation seventh season mind-trip, "Phantasms," which has gone on to be revered as one of the weirder adventures in all of Trekdom. (It's the one where Data dreams that Counselor Troi is a cake.) Ravera was born on this day in 1966.
It isn't all that often that you ladies get on the bridge of the Enterprise-E (shame on you, you sexist, Capt. Picard!), so when you do we gotta celebrate! So -- with said equality in mind -- go get 'em, Stephanie Niznik! She was seen briefly in Star Trek: Insurrection (all too briefly, I might add), but she's also found work aboard Star Trek: Enterprise as well as ABC TV's Lost. Niznik was born on this day in 1967.
For whatever reason, sci-fi rarely lures an actor of Timothy Olyphant's status (seen above in the background from I Am Number Four). He's stuck to either more period or mainstream fare, but let's hope down the road he comes over to our side of the creative universe in some high profile projects. Olyphant was born on this day in 1968.
As part of the cast to Syfy's new-fangled Battlestar Galactica, character actor Tahmoh Penikett did a great job trying to balance out the demands of living a regular life aboard a starship with that of serving in what remained of that universe's military. Penikett was born on this day in 1975.
Gilmore Girls' alumnus Matt Czuchry has dabbled in Science Fiction with a guest role aboard Jake 2.0 and a guest voice-role aboard the Justice League Unlimited animated series. Czuchry was born on this day in 1977.
Candace Bailey braved the Apocalypse that was CBS's Jericho for sixteen episodes. Since then, she's popped up here and there in guest starring roles and has even committed voice work to Cartoon Network's Robot Chicken. Bailey was born on this day in 1982.
On this day in 1974, the diabolical Superbeast sprang from the imagination of writer/director George Schenck. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A doctor finds a jungle laboratory, complete with mad scientist and genetic engineering experiments."
"A doctor finds a jungle laboratory, complete with mad scientist and genetic engineering experiments."
Those of us who've been around at least as I have know all too well how sci-fi has had to embrace a fair amount of 'cheese' in order to have the longevity it has -- cheesy stories, cheesy special effects, and even just plain old cheese (aka voluptuous skin and bones). For a certain generation, there was no better 'cheese' than the lovely Traci Lords. Those of you interested can Google and/or Wiki the woman's legend; it's the stuff red-blooded American males are made of! Anyway, Ms. Lords has had a dubious flirtatious with legitimate pictures throughout the years, and she even dabbled in our territory. 1988's Not Of This Earth screened on this day back then, and here's the summary from IMDB.com:
"A nurse is assigned to help a strange man requiring regular blood transfusions at his home. He is really an alien checking out humans for harvesting their blood, since his race is dying out because of intergalactic nuclear wars. An assistant joins him as the final studies of blood are being completed, but the nurse, her boyfriend, and a local doctor begin figuring it out and resist."
"A nurse is assigned to help a strange man requiring regular blood transfusions at his home. He is really an alien checking out humans for harvesting their blood, since his race is dying out because of intergalactic nuclear wars. An assistant joins him as the final studies of blood are being completed, but the nurse, her boyfriend, and a local doctor begin figuring it out and resist."
On this day in 1997, Invisible Mom appeared on home video ... or is that "disappeared"? It starred Dee Wallace and Barry Livingston, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"A family's life is thrown into comical chaos after mom accidentally drinks her inventor husband's latest concoction, an invisibility potion."
"A family's life is thrown into comical chaos after mom accidentally drinks her inventor husband's latest concoction, an invisibility potion."
As a lover of good ol' fashioned sci-fi monster, I actually spent a good portion of early 1998 looking forward to Godzilla. I was hoping that director Roland Emmerich could tap the magic he used to bring Independence Day to life once more and, in the process, serve up a wonderful return for the monster movie. However, on this day in 1998, my hopes were dashed as Godzilla came to life ... but maybe he was better off dead.
On this day in 2015 (in the Phillipines), the SciFi/Horror film Infini sprang to life. It starred Daniel MacPherson and Grace Huang, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"An elite 'search and rescue' team transport onto an off-world mining-facility to rescue Whit Carmichael, the lone survivor of a biological outbreak."
"An elite 'search and rescue' team transport onto an off-world mining-facility to rescue Whit Carmichael, the lone survivor of a biological outbreak."
On this day in 1960, The Twilight Zone aired "A Passage for Trumpet." This served as the thirty-second episode to the long-running program's first season, and here's the plot summary compliments of IMDB.com:
"A suicidally despondent trumpet player finds himself in a bizarre world where he seems to be the only moving being, except for one helpful other musician."
"A suicidally despondent trumpet player finds himself in a bizarre world where he seems to be the only moving being, except for one helpful other musician."
On this day in 1978, Project U.F.O. aired "Sighting 4011: The Dollhouse Incident." This served as the eleventh episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Major Gatlin and S Sgt. Fitz investigate a UFO sighting by an emotionally troubled man who lives on the estate of a scheming politician who wants to use the incident to further his political aspirations."
"Major Gatlin and S Sgt. Fitz investigate a UFO sighting by an emotionally troubled man who lives on the estate of a scheming politician who wants to use the incident to further his political aspirations."
On this day in 1992, Quantum Leap aired "A Leap For Lisa." This served as the twenty-second episode to the popular program's fourth season (also it's season finale), and that sexy nurse about to lock lips with Dr. Sam Beckett is none other than Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Terry Farrell! Here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"While trying to save a married woman, Sam changes history and Al is sent to the gas chamber giving Sam a new observer."
"While trying to save a married woman, Sam changes history and Al is sent to the gas chamber giving Sam a new observer."
On this day in 1996, goodbyes were said as Babylon 5 aired "War Without End, Part 2." This served as the seventeenth episode of the program's third season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"The mission to send Babylon 4 where it's needed continues. Sinclair's destiny is revealed. Sheridan sees what will happen to Centauri Prime in the future. Zathras explains who the "One" is."
"The mission to send Babylon 4 where it's needed continues. Sinclair's destiny is revealed. Sheridan sees what will happen to Centauri Prime in the future. Zathras explains who the "One" is."
On this day in 1997, the SciFi program that was The Burning Zone came to its end with the airing of its series finale, "On the Wings of Angels." This served as the show's nineteenth episode, and here's the summary as provided by TV.com:
"Prison officials experiment on prisoners then several prisoners escape and when their leader becomes ill, one of the prisoners knows of Taft and the escaped prisoners kidnap him, insisting he treat the dying man. Cassian and Hailey must find Taft, before the gang members kill him."
"Prison officials experiment on prisoners then several prisoners escape and when their leader becomes ill, one of the prisoners knows of Taft and the escaped prisoners kidnap him, insisting he treat the dying man. Cassian and Hailey must find Taft, before the gang members kill him."
On this day in 2000, Capt. Janeway and the crew aboard Star Trek: Voyager got back to "Basics, Part 1." This hour served as the finale to the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by TrekCore.com:
"When Seska sends a message to Chakotay that the Kazon plan to kill their son, Voyager sets out to rescue the baby. The message turns out to be a trap, however, and the Kazon take the ship, stranding the entire crew on an inhospitable planet with volcanoes, large reptiles, and hostile aliens."
"When Seska sends a message to Chakotay that the Kazon plan to kill their son, Voyager sets out to rescue the baby. The message turns out to be a trap, however, and the Kazon take the ship, stranding the entire crew on an inhospitable planet with volcanoes, large reptiles, and hostile aliens."
Cleopatra 2525 was a "blink and you'll miss it program" that served up ample amounts of sci-fi cheese for inquiring young minds (mostly male) that wanted to watch. Cheese. Goofy humor. Victoria Pratt's killer abs. Its first season closed out on this day back in the year 2000 with an episode titled "Hel and Highwater: Part 2" as our three ladies remained trapped in an underwater city but their exploits meant certain doom for all the residents in the underground.
It all came down to this: on this day in 2000, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World aired "Barbarians At The Gate" which served as the finale (Episode 22) of its first season. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"The adventurers try to leave the plateau in their balloon but are shot down by some raiders. As they try to escape the raiders, Summerlee gets shot by an arrow, while Challenger, Roxton and Malone drop from a collapsing bridge into a river."
"The adventurers try to leave the plateau in their balloon but are shot down by some raiders. As they try to escape the raiders, Summerlee gets shot by an arrow, while Challenger, Roxton and Malone drop from a collapsing bridge into a river."
On this day in 1943, The Adventures Of Superman radio serial began its "The Ghost Squadron" story. This serial aired from this day through June 2nd, and (unfortunately) I've not been able to locate any plot summary online.
- If you're interested, the entire radio play can be listened to online via YouTube.com right here.
