May 21, 1980. It's a date that'll live in infamy of its own sorts. That's the date when Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back rocked the world of fandom to its core. That's when sci-fi fans learned a secret that no one saw coming, and it changed the way we looked at George Lucas's space western.
In the three long years since Star Wars opened our eyes to the possibilities of what could be done on the big screen, fans had grown a bit older, a bit wiser. What Lucas did -- along with many creative artists who contributed to TESB -- was to show us that our films can mature nicely as well, and boy did they deliver on that premise.
In the three long years since Star Wars opened our eyes to the possibilities of what could be done on the big screen, fans had grown a bit older, a bit wiser. What Lucas did -- along with many creative artists who contributed to TESB -- was to show us that our films can mature nicely as well, and boy did they deliver on that premise.
Arthur Hohl enjoyed a fairly prominent role aboard Island of Lost Souls (1932), one of the earliest (if not "the" earliest) adaptation of H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau. Though he's no longer with us, Hohl was born on this day in 1889. [Source: IMDB.com]
Whoa there, Captain! I guess Bill Williams has a particular leadership style, one that may not be all that popular with the ladies, but he perseveres, nevertheless. Williams is a screen veteran from such properties as Zombies On Broadway (1945), Space Master X-7 (1957), Men Into Space, Spaceflight IC-1: An Adventure In Space (1965), and a few more. Though he's no longer with us, Williams was born on this day in 1915. [Source: IMDB.com]
Acting legend Raymond Burr lent his considerable clout to such Fantasy projects as Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1956) and Godzilla 1985 (1984). Though he's no longer with us, Burr was born on this day in 1917. [Source: IMDB.com]
Jeanne Bates joined no less than The Phantom himself in one of the earlier Fantasy adaptations of the popular property. Though she's no longer with us, Bates was born on this day in 1918. [Source: IMDB.com]
Though her role was brief aboard Ghostbusters (1984), this New York City librarian certainly had plenty to scream about as played by Alice Drummond. Though she's no longer with us, Drummond was born on this day in 1928. [Source: IMDB.com]
Actor Jim Goodwin clocked in an impressive three visits to the world of Star Trek, appearing incidentally in "The Enemy Within," "Mudd's Women," and "Miri." Though he's no longer with us, Goodwin was born on this day in 1929. [Source: IMDB.com]
Ah, the venerable Richard Libertini left his mark on a pretty significant swath of entertainment, including roles aboard such entities as The Twilight Zone, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and The CW's Supernatural. Though he's no longer with us, Libertini was born on this day in 1933. [Source: IMDB.com]
Cinema baddie Ross Hagen leaves behind a legacy of almost one hundred different screen credits, but I'll never forget his work aboard the mildly clever SciFi/Exploitation flick Star Slammer (1987). Though he's no longer with us, Hagen was born on this day in 1938. [Source: IMDB.com]
The first season of Buck Rogers in the 25th Century actually had some great one-off characters (people who showed up once and then never again), and perhaps one of the best was David Groh. In the first two-part episode -- "Planet of the Slave Girls" -- Groh played Major Duke Danton, a competitor against Buck for the reigning title of the 25th century's leading Alpha Male. (As happens in episodic TV, the two eventually bonded.) Groh also boasted appearances aboard Tales from the Darkside, M.A.N.T.I.S., Last Exit to Earth, The X-Files, and Black Scorpion. Though he's no longer with us, Groh was born on this day in 1939.
In the guise of 'Dr. M'Benga,' Booker Bradshaw made a pair of appearances to the classic world of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek. Though he's no longer with us, Bradshaw was born on this day in 1940. [Source: IMDB.com]
Though he's no longer with us, actor Richard Hatch (above center) was born on this day in 1945, and, so far as fandom is concerned, he came to fame in the role of Captain Apollo, the dashing and handsome Colonial pilot serving aboard the Battlestar Galactica under command of his father, Adama. He was also given the chance to contribute to Syfy's new Galactica incarnation by signing aboard as the politico Tom Zarek, who made things tough for both Adama and the new government.
Guillermo del Toro's The Strain was a curious mess of visually-interesting storytelling that managed to corral a cast of great players, including the always impressive Jonathan Hyde in a role that eventually saw him assume 'The Master' over what was left of humankind. Hyde was born on this day in 1948. [Source: IMDB.com]
Jean Kasem explored her comic side with a brief appearance in Ivan Reitman's Ghostbusters (1984). She also enjoyed a small role in an episode of the short-lived Good vs Evil. Kasem was born on this day in 1954. [Source: Google]
Ben Lemon enjoyed a somewhat villainous guest spot aboard "Violations," an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Lemon was born on this day in 1955. [Source: IMDB.com]
Netherlands-born Renée Soutendijk broke into genre entertainment in a big way when -- back in 1991 -- she played dual roles as Dr. Eve Simmons and Eve VIII in the Terminator-inspired Eve of Destruction. The lovely Soutendijk was born on this day in 1957.
David Lynch's Twin Peaks is one of those rare properties that simply defies categorization. Is it comedy? Is it Fantasy? Or none of the above? Think what you will, I've always classified it as Fantasy, and Brent Briscoe enjoyed a sizable role aboard the Showtime-sponsored continuation in 2017. Though he's no longer with us, Briscoe was born on this day in 1961. [Source: IMDB.com]
Lisa Edelstein voiced 'Mercy Graves,' Lex Luthor's right-hand-woman aboard Superman: The Animated Series among other animated projects. Edelstein was born on this day in 1966. [Source: IMDB.com]
Taylor Sheridan enjoyed a guest spot aboard Star Trek: Enterprise's "Chosen Realm" in 2004. Sheridan was born on this day in 1970. [Source: Memory Alpha]
Olga Sosnovska has appeared in the mainstream fare than genre projects, but roles aboard Jason and the Argonauts, Heroes, and The Leftovers still deserve a mention. Sosnovska was born on this day in 1972. [Source: IMDB.com]
Hunky Brett Tucker played the role of a Einherjar Guard aboard Marvel's Thor: The Dark World (2013). Tucker was born on this day in 1972. [Source: IMDB.com]
Fairuza Balk continues to explore one diverse project after another. While Science Fiction and Fantasy are clearly not her mainstays, she has appeared in Return to Oz (1985), The Craft (1996), and The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996). Balk was born on this day in 1974. [Source: IMDB.com]
Juliet Cowan enjoyed a recurring guest spot aboard the Doctor Who spin-off -- The Sarah Jane Adventures -- during that show's run. Cowan was born on this day in 1974. [Source: IMDB.com]
Did you know there was already an Adult-themed Game of Thrones porn adaptation? Well, now you do. (And, by the way, isn't Game of Thrones already a bit adult-themed?) The luscious Marie McCray did the deed no less in the role of 'Sansa Stark,' and McCray was born on this day in 1985. [Source: IMDB.com]
Sarah Ramos has invested heavily in the realm of Fantasy for her work aboard TV's Midnight, Texas. Ramos was born on this day in 1991. [Source: IMDB.com]
Pretty newcomer Brighid Fleming continues to find terrific work across all genres. To date, she's contributed to such realms as Gamer (2009), Alice in Wonderland (2010), After The Wizard (2011), Awake, and Once Upon A Time. Fleming was born on this day in 1999. [Source: IMDB.com]
I don't remember much of the short-lived Tremors: The Series, but I do remember one of its lovely regulars: Gladise Jiminez played a spicey li'l thing who made Perfection Valley worth the visit. I don't know her year of birth, but -- according to IMDB.com -- Jiminez was born on this day.
On this day back in 1971, Escape from the Planet of the Apes took our loyal simian friends Cornelius and Zira and saw them sped to Earth in the past, where they come face-to-face with a kind of bigotry that threatens their very survival.
On this day in 1976, Rock Hudson and Barbara Carrera starred in the horror/sci-fi thriller Embryo. Here's the summary from IMDB.com:
"A scientist doing experiments on a human fetus discovers a method to accelerate the fetus into a mature adult in just a few days. However, the "adult" fetus turns into a homicidal psycho and looks for a new formula to prevent her from aging further."
"A scientist doing experiments on a human fetus discovers a method to accelerate the fetus into a mature adult in just a few days. However, the "adult" fetus turns into a homicidal psycho and looks for a new formula to prevent her from aging further."
On this day in 1981, a sequel emerged that vastly surpassed its original when Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior premiered theatrically. Max was back ... and back with a vengeance. (Little known bit of trivia: in the picture above, that's Mel Gibson being held at arrow-point by none other than Virginia Hey ... who'd eventually turn up two decades later in Syfy's Farscape!) Here's the film's summary from IMDB.com:
"In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits."
"In the post-apocalyptic Australian wasteland, a cynical drifter agrees to help a small, gasoline rich, community escape a band of bandits."
On this day in 1982 (in East Germany), the Russian-language SciFi film To The Stars By The Hard Ways had its premiere. The feature starred Yelena Metyolkina and Vadim Ledogorov, and here's its premise as listed on IMDB.com:
"A female creature created in space tries to live on earth and has special (and sometimes dangerous) powers."
"A female creature created in space tries to live on earth and has special (and sometimes dangerous) powers."
On this day in 1987 (in Australia), Hyper Sapien: People From Another Star came down to Earth for a theatrical appearance. The feature starred Dennis Holahan and Sydney Penny, and here's the plot summary as listed on IMDB.com:
"Three aliens from the planet Taros land on Earth and are befriended by a Wyoming rancher's son."
"Three aliens from the planet Taros land on Earth and are befriended by a Wyoming rancher's son."
I have a vague, vague recollection of seeing this when it came onto home video, but I completely missed Carnosaur when it screened theatrically on this day in 1993. (I was suitable unimpressed with the video; that's all I recall from it.) Still, here's the plot summary, as provided by IMDB.com:
"A genetically manipulated and very hungry dinosaur escapes from a bioengineering company and reeks havoc on the local desert town."
Maybe you should call it 'Jurassic Lark,' eh?
"A genetically manipulated and very hungry dinosaur escapes from a bioengineering company and reeks havoc on the local desert town."
Maybe you should call it 'Jurassic Lark,' eh?
On this day in 2003 (in France), the SciFi/Animated Dominator enjoyed its first breath of life. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"After a civil war in Hell, Lucifer has been defeated and the Key to Hell is in Lord Desecrater's grasp. However, the rebellious Dominator has his own thoughts and keeps the Key to Hell away from Lord Desecrater and is forced to fight off his forces including three other demons - Decimator, Extricator and Lady Violator. While on Earth, undertaker and exocrist Dr. Payne is in charge of London's dead. His three daughters who play in their own rockband called Crowcut, accidentally open a gateway to Hell by invoking black magi-ck into their music via the Lost Chord and unleash Dominator. Luckily for humanity, Dominator is willing to defend mankind, even if he is only interested in Dr. Payne's eldest daughter, Tara. When Desecrater learns of what has happened on Earth, he seeks out help using his new human agent - the corrupt politician Bishop, to carry out the rest of his deeds."
"After a civil war in Hell, Lucifer has been defeated and the Key to Hell is in Lord Desecrater's grasp. However, the rebellious Dominator has his own thoughts and keeps the Key to Hell away from Lord Desecrater and is forced to fight off his forces including three other demons - Decimator, Extricator and Lady Violator. While on Earth, undertaker and exocrist Dr. Payne is in charge of London's dead. His three daughters who play in their own rockband called Crowcut, accidentally open a gateway to Hell by invoking black magi-ck into their music via the Lost Chord and unleash Dominator. Luckily for humanity, Dominator is willing to defend mankind, even if he is only interested in Dr. Payne's eldest daughter, Tara. When Desecrater learns of what has happened on Earth, he seeks out help using his new human agent - the corrupt politician Bishop, to carry out the rest of his deeds."
On this day in 2008 (in France), Alien Encounter (aka They Came From Outer Space) served up modest SciFi thrills and chills. The feature starred Mackenzie Firgens and Ossie Beck, and here's the plot summary provided by IMDB.com:
"Two college students, Cameron and Justin go camping in the Arizona mountains for the weekend only to find themselves lost on a beach somewhere in California. Missing time, the mystery deepens when Cameron uncovers a unknown specimen not from Earth. In a race against time, with the government hot on their trail, Cameron and Justin's journey twists and turns and becomes more than just another close encounter."
"Two college students, Cameron and Justin go camping in the Arizona mountains for the weekend only to find themselves lost on a beach somewhere in California. Missing time, the mystery deepens when Cameron uncovers a unknown specimen not from Earth. In a race against time, with the government hot on their trail, Cameron and Justin's journey twists and turns and becomes more than just another close encounter."
On this day in 2009, Terminator Salvation opened theatrically. From what I can recall, fans weren't all that impressed with this outing, but I liked it just fine. To be perfectly honest, I think I've found something of value in each of the Terminator movies. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"In 2018, a mysterious new weapon in the war against the machines, half-human and half-machine, comes to John Connor on the eve of a resistance attack on Skynet. But whose side is he on, and can he be trusted?"
"In 2018, a mysterious new weapon in the war against the machines, half-human and half-machine, comes to John Connor on the eve of a resistance attack on Skynet. But whose side is he on, and can he be trusted?"
Can you get more Fantasy than Sinbad? On this day in 2011, the Fantasy/Telefilm Sinbad and the Minotaur had its day in the sun. The feature starred Manu Bennett and Holly Brisley, and here's the premise from IMDB.com:
"Sinbad discovers an ivory scroll case in the desert camp of the evil sorcerer Al-Jibar, leading him to the golden head of the Colossus of Rhodes."
"Sinbad discovers an ivory scroll case in the desert camp of the evil sorcerer Al-Jibar, leading him to the golden head of the Colossus of Rhodes."
On this day in 1955, Adventures of Superman aired "Great Caesar's Ghost." This served as the fifth episode of the program's third season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Everybody knows that the favorite expletive of "Daily Planet" reporter Perry White (John Hamilton is "Great Caesar's Ghost!" With this in mind, imagine White's shock and dismay when he is confronted with the ghost of Julius Caesar (Trevor Bardette). Before long, all of Metropolis is seriously questioning White's sanity--which is precisely the intention of a gang of crooks who hope to discredit Perry's testimony at a criminal trial. Looks like Superman (George Reeves) is going to have to do some ghost-busting in this one!"
"Everybody knows that the favorite expletive of "Daily Planet" reporter Perry White (John Hamilton is "Great Caesar's Ghost!" With this in mind, imagine White's shock and dismay when he is confronted with the ghost of Julius Caesar (Trevor Bardette). Before long, all of Metropolis is seriously questioning White's sanity--which is precisely the intention of a gang of crooks who hope to discredit Perry's testimony at a criminal trial. Looks like Superman (George Reeves) is going to have to do some ghost-busting in this one!"
On this day in 1955, Tom Corbett, Space Cadet aired "Ambush In Space." According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's that adventure's plot summary:
"Roy Cowan, a disgraced Solar Guard captain, breaks out of prison and, with two henchman, hijacks a space freighter to use as bait to destroy his old adversaries on board the Polaris."
"Roy Cowan, a disgraced Solar Guard captain, breaks out of prison and, with two henchman, hijacks a space freighter to use as bait to destroy his old adversaries on board the Polaris."
On this day in 1966, Doctor Who aired "The O.K. Corral." This served as the thirty-seventh episode of the program's third season, and here's the plot summary that's been provided by IMDB.com:
"The Clantons have shot Warren Earp, leading to a showdown between the two families with the Doctor powerless to prevent bloodshed."
"The Clantons have shot Warren Earp, leading to a showdown between the two families with the Doctor powerless to prevent bloodshed."
On this day in 1979, Battle Of The Planets aired "The Space Rock Concert." This served as the thirty-fourth episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by TV.com:
"The Team is relaxing at a Dirty Name 5 concert when Spectra appears! The entire band is kidnapped and forced to play. Their music is used as a sound weapon, literally shaking apart whatever it is directed at. The G-Force team have to rescue the band and stop Zoltar from succeeding in his plan."
"The Team is relaxing at a Dirty Name 5 concert when Spectra appears! The entire band is kidnapped and forced to play. Their music is used as a sound weapon, literally shaking apart whatever it is directed at. The G-Force team have to rescue the band and stop Zoltar from succeeding in his plan."
On this day in 1979, Salvage 1 aired a two-part season finale, which was essentially two separate stories strung together for the purposes of making it more of an 'event.' The first hour was titled "Energy Solution," and here's the premise from IMDB.com:
"Melanie plan to develop a method to create crude oil literally backfires, resulting in a raging underground inferno."
The second hour of the two-part event was titled "Confederate Gold," and here's its premise from IMDB.com:
"While trying to locate gold from the Confederate States of America, the Salvage 1 team is captured by greedy townspeople and forced to work for the locals."
"Melanie plan to develop a method to create crude oil literally backfires, resulting in a raging underground inferno."
The second hour of the two-part event was titled "Confederate Gold," and here's its premise from IMDB.com:
"While trying to locate gold from the Confederate States of America, the Salvage 1 team is captured by greedy townspeople and forced to work for the locals."
On this day in 1997, Star Trek: Voyager aired "Scorpion, Part 1." This served as the twenty-sixth episode of the program's third season, and here's the premise as listed on IMDB.com:
"About to enter Borg space, Voyager finds a threat so devastating that even the Borg cannot deal with it."
"About to enter Borg space, Voyager finds a threat so devastating that even the Borg cannot deal with it."
On this day in 2000, Code Name: Eternity aired "The Mission." This served as the second episode in the show's first (and only) season, and here's the plot summary as provided by TV.com:
"Ethaniel and Laura, having been wrongly implicated for murder, are forced to flee from the authorities, as well as Banning and Dent, while trying to clear their own names."
"Ethaniel and Laura, having been wrongly implicated for murder, are forced to flee from the authorities, as well as Banning and Dent, while trying to clear their own names."
On this day in 2000, The X-Files aired "Requiem." This served as the twenty-second episode of the program's seventh season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Nearly a decade since their first case, Agents Mulder and Scully return to Oregon to investigate a strange entity in a forest, risking their partnership and lives."
"Nearly a decade since their first case, Agents Mulder and Scully return to Oregon to investigate a strange entity in a forest, risking their partnership and lives."
On this day in 2003, the creative powers that be behind-the-scenes on the struggling Star Trek: Enterprise decided to up the stakes by finally giving the crew of the NX-01 Enterprise somewhat of a mission. The twenty-sixth episode to the second season -- and serving as the season's finale -- was titled "The Expanse," and it introduced a new villain worthy of a season-long conflict that would populate stories for the next viewing year. Here's the plot summary as provided by TrekCore.com:
"An alien probe unleashes an assault upon Earth. Enterprise is recalled, and along the way home Captain Archer acquires information that the perpetrators come from a mysterious region of space known as the Delphic Expanse."
"An alien probe unleashes an assault upon Earth. Enterprise is recalled, and along the way home Captain Archer acquires information that the perpetrators come from a mysterious region of space known as the Delphic Expanse."
On this day in 2005, Doctor Who aired "The Empty Child." This served as the ninth episode to the (restarted) program's first season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"Rose and the Doctor find themselves in 1941 London when the TARDIS receives an emergency signal from another time-traveling vehicle. While the Doctor tries to determine where the object may have landed, Rose goes off in search of a child she can hear calling for help. When she gets herself into a precarious situation, she's rescued by the rather handsome RAF Captain Jack Harkness, who owns a time machine of his own."
"Rose and the Doctor find themselves in 1941 London when the TARDIS receives an emergency signal from another time-traveling vehicle. While the Doctor tries to determine where the object may have landed, Rose goes off in search of a child she can hear calling for help. When she gets herself into a precarious situation, she's rescued by the rather handsome RAF Captain Jack Harkness, who owns a time machine of his own."
On this day in 2010, A Good Knight's Quest aired the thirteenth episode of its only season. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"The Chosen One has become quite the nuisance and Agent 2 needs to bite his tongue."
"The Chosen One has become quite the nuisance and Agent 2 needs to bite his tongue."
On this day in 2011, Doctor Who aired "The Rebel Flesh." (Gotta say -- in brief -- I just didn't care for the storyline.) This served as the fifth episode to the program's sixth season, and here's the plot summary compliments of IMDB.com:
"The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in a future Earth where a small group of humans operate a plant extracting highly dangerous chemicals. To minimize the danger to themselves, they create clones made of a plastic-like substance, 'gangers' (short for doppelganger) who do the actual work. While forming their clones however, the Earth is struck by massive solar flare activity that transfer the humans' emotions and memories in addition to their technical abilities. As they all try to deal with what has happened, the gangers are clearly no longer prepared to accept the limited status they previously had and insist on being treated as sentient beings in their own right. As it turns out, others have been affected as well."
"The Doctor, Amy and Rory arrive in a future Earth where a small group of humans operate a plant extracting highly dangerous chemicals. To minimize the danger to themselves, they create clones made of a plastic-like substance, 'gangers' (short for doppelganger) who do the actual work. While forming their clones however, the Earth is struck by massive solar flare activity that transfer the humans' emotions and memories in addition to their technical abilities. As they all try to deal with what has happened, the gangers are clearly no longer prepared to accept the limited status they previously had and insist on being treated as sentient beings in their own right. As it turns out, others have been affected as well."
On this day in 2014, things were looking very dark indeed for the Earthbound survivors on the CW's The 100 as Murphy returned to the camp but with something along for the ride no one expected. This was the tenth episode of the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Murphy returns to the camp carrying a horrific virus created by the Grounders to weaken the camp. After learning the Grounders plan to attack the next day, Bellamy, Finn and Raven come up with a plan to delay them."
"Murphy returns to the camp carrying a horrific virus created by the Grounders to weaken the camp. After learning the Grounders plan to attack the next day, Bellamy, Finn and Raven come up with a plan to delay them."
