Dan O'Bannon (pictured above left, with H.R. Giger) always had a bit of an unassuming face. Most folks today probably wouldn't recognize the name, but, to sci-fi fans, Mr. O'Bannon contributed a small mountain of work. He wrote 1974's cult hit, Dark Star. He crafted a nightmare of a script that Ridley Scott filmed as 1978's Alien. He penned two segments of 1981's Heavy Metal. The impressive list goes on and on, with some jaunts taking place in gaming and books. Though he's no longer with us, Mr. O'Bannon was born on this day back in 1946.
The lovely Antoinette Bower had a dubious flirtation with the wide, wide world of Science Fiction, including a guest spot aboard the classic Star Trek as well as a more prominent role in Superbeast (1972). Bower was born on this day in 1932. [Source: IMDB.com]
Jack Wild had an admirable shine in the role of 'Jimmy' for the Fantasy-themed children's program H.R. Pufnstuf back in the early 1970's. Though he's no longer with us, Wild was born on this day in 1952. [Source: IMDB.com]
Former Brady Bunch regular Barry Williams braved the SciFi catastrophe that was Mega Piranha (2010). Williams was born on this day in 1954. [Source: IMDB.com]
The lovely Debrah Farentino found SciFi fame appearing in the cult TV show Earth 2 back in the mid-1990's, and later on she proved that lightning can indeed strike twice when she helped as part of the winning ensemble behind Syfy's Eureka. Farentino was born on this day in 1959.
Syfy didn't want to lose Battlestar Galactica when it was announced that the show was coming to an end; understandably, everyone thought Ronald Moore have crafted a unique vision of the TV space opera, so they started figuring how the storyline could continue. Inevitably, they decided to go into its past, and Caprica was the result. Eric Stoltz headlined the new series. It only last two seasons, but its fans would love to have seen it continued. Stoltz was born on this day in 1961.
Monica Bellucci is, clearly, one of the most beautiful creatures around. She should have a sci-fi franchise, no? I'd certainly be willing to give her a shot. Granted, she had a small but pivotal role in The Matrix trilogy, but it was limited to the 2nd and 3rd films -- The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions -- which most folks think were pretty much garbage. She was born on this day back in 1964, and she looks lovelier every day!
Andrea Roth is a terrific actress whom I wish did more SciFi work. She did appear in the TV series Robocop that originated from the motion picture franchise, and she's also enjoyed roles in The Outer Limits, Earth: Final Conflict, Lost, and Syfy's Ascension. Roth was born on this day in 1967.
Pretty as a picture Amy Landecker has put in her stripes aboard such genre projects as Project Almanac (2015), Doctor Strange (2016), and TBS's People Of Earth. Landecker was born on this day in 1969.
Alistair Petrie turned up as 'General Draven' aboard the SciFi blockbuster Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in 2016. Petrie was born on this day in 1970.
If you haven't yet seen Europa Report, then you're missing one of the best portrayals of the risk of deep space exploration around. Sure, you may not be all that thrilled with the big finish, but I liked it plenty. Daniel Wu appeared in it, turning in great work as astronaut William Xu. Wu was born on this day in 1974.
Marion Cotillard (pictured above left) was just one of many who faced an outbreak of global proportions in Stephen Soderbergh's Contagion (2011). The talented actress has also enjoyed roles aboard Inception (2010) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Cotillard was born on this day in 1975.
Stark Sands is one of the young talents headlining Fox TV's 2015 kinda/sorta retooling of Steven Spielberg's Minority Report for television viewing. Sands was born on this day in 1978.
The lovely Toni Trucks made a SciFi splash in the Telefilm Star Runners (2008) for the Sci-Fi Channel. She's also appeared in the Twilight Saga of films. Trucks was born on this day in 1980. [Source: IMDB.com]
The youthfully exuberant Lacey Chabert hasn't done that much science fiction in her budding entertainment career, but she did get the chance to put her imprint on our genre when she took on the role of Penny Robinson in 1998's ill-fated Lost In Space reboot. She did an affable job, but methinks the franchise just wasn't meant to be on the big screen. Chabert was born on this day in 1982.
A delicious Katrina Law first caught my eye for her work aboard Starz's Network incredible Spartacus program. She's also enjoyed exposure aboard The Resistance (pictured) and, most recently, the CW's Arrow. Law was born on this day in 1985.
Actors like Greyston Holt are the breed upon which quality genre entertainment rests. Fans have enjoyed his work as part of Smallville, The 4400, Flash Gordon, Fringe, SGU: Stargate Universe, Alcatraz (pictured above right), Supernatural, and Bitten. Holt was born on this day in 1985.
Ezra Miller is about to speed things up in his career with a prominent role as 'The Flash' aboard the big screen adaptation of Justice League (2017). Miller was born on this day in 1992. [Source: IMDB.com]
Rising star Levi Miller (above right) enjoyed a guest spot aboard the first season of Supergirl for CBS. Miller was born on this day in 2002. [Source: IMDB.com]
On this day in 1977, Demon Seed opened in theatres. The sci-fi thriller explored one of the weirdest encounters between man and machine on film when the world's greatest supercomputer -- code-named Proteus -- achieves consciousness and decides he wants to procreate! The machine sets its sights on the lovely Julie Christie (what machine wouldn't, after all?), and let the games begin! It's more than a bit schlocky, but even I can appreciate what the writer and director tried to do here by playing with mankind's dependence on technology in a new way.
On this day in 1983, Christopher Walken and others decided to tap into the unexplored potential of the human mind in Brainstorm. Here's the (lengthy) plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Brilliant researchers Lillian Reynolds and Michael Brace have developed a system of recording and playing back actual experiences of people. When another researcher dies during playback the tape is locked away and Michael has to fight against his former colleagues and the government lackeys that now run his lab in order to play back and confront the "scariest thing any of us will ever face" - death itself."
"Brilliant researchers Lillian Reynolds and Michael Brace have developed a system of recording and playing back actual experiences of people. When another researcher dies during playback the tape is locked away and Michael has to fight against his former colleagues and the government lackeys that now run his lab in order to play back and confront the "scariest thing any of us will ever face" - death itself."
Sadly, Serenity (or Firefly) is one of those properties I just don't discuss, and that's entirely do to its fan base. When the program appeared on television, the Browncoats took over the web and demanded that (A) everyone worship the show and (B) every discussion topic had to be about 'Mal Vs ___' (insert whatever pop icon you want in there). As I tried to point out, I just didn't find the program or its subsequent motion picture effort (which incidentally premiered theatrically on this day back in 2005) all that interesting. Perhaps it was too much of a hybrid, or perhaps I had seen too many of its concepts played out in some other variations elsewhere; I couldn't say. But ... it is what it is.
On this day in 2008, Pulse 2: Afterlife made its debut on home video. The feature starred Jamie Bamber and Rachel Robinson, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"After ghosts invade the human world through the Internet, a father must protect his daughter from the psychotic spirit of his ex-wife."
"After ghosts invade the human world through the Internet, a father must protect his daughter from the psychotic spirit of his ex-wife."
On this day in 2014, the Adult/SciFi flick better known as Apocalypse X found life in mankind's aftermath. The feature starred Stevie Shae and Veronica Rodriguez, and here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at The Movie Database:
"In a future, after years of demolition, the Earth’s natural resources have withered away and the world is now a deserted pit. A woman named Razor seeks vengeance upon a bike gang called Reapers. To the community, Razor is known as The Ghost. From stealing gasoline and food, to using men to feed her sexual appetite, Razor always takes what she wants. She has one last score to settle with the Reapers’ gang leader, Scar. In an effort to avenge the murder of her beloved husband, Razor will use every womanly advantage she has to seduce anyone in her path for retribution."
"In a future, after years of demolition, the Earth’s natural resources have withered away and the world is now a deserted pit. A woman named Razor seeks vengeance upon a bike gang called Reapers. To the community, Razor is known as The Ghost. From stealing gasoline and food, to using men to feed her sexual appetite, Razor always takes what she wants. She has one last score to settle with the Reapers’ gang leader, Scar. In an effort to avenge the murder of her beloved husband, Razor will use every womanly advantage she has to seduce anyone in her path for retribution."
While this entry isn't 'Science Fiction' per se, I think it's still something that most fans would find of interest: on this day in 2016, the Docudrama Passage To Mars found its premiere. According to IMDB.com, here's the plot summary:
"A NASA Arctic expedition designed to be the first Martian road trip on Earth becomes an epic two-year odyssey of human adventure and survival."
"A NASA Arctic expedition designed to be the first Martian road trip on Earth becomes an epic two-year odyssey of human adventure and survival."
It all began right here: on this day in 1959, Men Into Space premiered on television. According to our friends at IMDB.com, here's the plot summary for "Moon Probe":
"The first test of an orbital flight around the Moon is scheduled. During liftoff one of the stages does not separate correctly causing the ship to no longer be under control. A crew member goes outside the ship to inspect the damage. While outside an accident occurs that endangers both his life and that of the crew and ship."
"The first test of an orbital flight around the Moon is scheduled. During liftoff one of the stages does not separate correctly causing the ship to no longer be under control. A crew member goes outside the ship to inspect the damage. While outside an accident occurs that endangers both his life and that of the crew and ship."
On this day in 1960, Rod Serling's The Twilight Zone returned to the tube for the premiere of its second season. The episode was titled "King Nine Will Not Return," and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"A pilot of a downed WW II bomber comes to in the African desert and desperately tries to find out what happened to the rest of his crew."
"A pilot of a downed WW II bomber comes to in the African desert and desperately tries to find out what happened to the rest of his crew."
On this day in 1963, The Outer Limits aired "The Architects of Fear." This served as the third episode to the program's first season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"A secret group of scientists decide to surgically alter one of their members into an 'alien', in order to convince the world that an alien invasion is imminent. They hope that such a threat will force all governments to make peace with one another. However such a complex plan has many vulnerabilities... including the wife of the volunteer."
"A secret group of scientists decide to surgically alter one of their members into an 'alien', in order to convince the world that an alien invasion is imminent. They hope that such a threat will force all governments to make peace with one another. However such a complex plan has many vulnerabilities... including the wife of the volunteer."
On this day in 1973, Moonbase 3 aired "Outsiders." This served as the fourth episode in the program's only season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Faced with an inspection ahead of potential budget cuts, Caulder's hopes of demonstrating that the Moonbase 3 research programme is worthwhile lie with two brilliant but erratic researchers, Stephen Partness and Peter Conway, both of whom are showing evidence of cracking under the strain."
"Faced with an inspection ahead of potential budget cuts, Caulder's hopes of demonstrating that the Moonbase 3 research programme is worthwhile lie with two brilliant but erratic researchers, Stephen Partness and Peter Conway, both of whom are showing evidence of cracking under the strain."
On this day in 1977, Logan's Run aired its television episode "Capture," which pitted a nefarious weapons' collector after our heroes Jessica, Logan, and Rem.
It all began right here: on this day in 1983, TV's Manimal snarled its way to life. The series starred Simon MacCorkindale and Melody Anderson, and here's the premise for the pilot episode as provided by IMDB.com:
"Jonathan Chase is a British college professor at New York University who has the unusual ability to transform into any kind of animal he wants. He decides to use his power to assist the New York Police Department in solving unusual crimes, and in this series pilot, he teams up with cute cop Brooke and war buddy Ty to stop some terrorists from stealing a supply of toxic gas."
"Jonathan Chase is a British college professor at New York University who has the unusual ability to transform into any kind of animal he wants. He decides to use his power to assist the New York Police Department in solving unusual crimes, and in this series pilot, he teams up with cute cop Brooke and war buddy Ty to stop some terrorists from stealing a supply of toxic gas."
On this day in 1986, The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers aired "Psychocrypt." This (technically) served as the program's twenty-third episode (they were aired wildly out of sequence), and here's the plot summary from IMDB.com:
"Zackery can't sleep. His nights are interrupted by nightmares of his wife calling to him. Q-Ball realizes that the Queen of the Crown is using Aliza Foxx's psycho crystal to get to Zackery. Now he wants to go to the Psychocrypt to get her crystal. But Walsh refuses to let him go, forcing Zack into a rash decision. Can the other Rangers stand by and watch their friend go on a mission alone?"
"Zackery can't sleep. His nights are interrupted by nightmares of his wife calling to him. Q-Ball realizes that the Queen of the Crown is using Aliza Foxx's psycho crystal to get to Zackery. Now he wants to go to the Psychocrypt to get her crystal. But Walsh refuses to let him go, forcing Zack into a rash decision. Can the other Rangers stand by and watch their friend go on a mission alone?"
On this day in 1989, Star Trek: The Next Generation aired "The Ensigns of Command" in TV syndication. This served as the second episode to the program's third season, and here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at TrekCore.com:
"Data attempts to convince the leader of an endangered colony that his people must evacuate the planet or face extinction at the hands the Sheliak who are claiming the planet to colonize."
"Data attempts to convince the leader of an endangered colony that his people must evacuate the planet or face extinction at the hands the Sheliak who are claiming the planet to colonize."
On this day in 1994, The X-Files aired "Blood." This served as the third episode to the program's second season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"Mulder and Scully investigate a series of violent killings committed by seemingly normal residents of a small town."
"Mulder and Scully investigate a series of violent killings committed by seemingly normal residents of a small town."
On this day in 1996, Babylon 5 aired "Walkabout." This served as the program's eighteenth episode to its third season, and here's the plot summary as provided by our friends at IMDB.com:
"Kosh's replacement arrives and Dr. Franklin falls in love with a singer during his search."
"Kosh's replacement arrives and Dr. Franklin falls in love with a singer during his search."
On this day in 1998, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine premiered its seventh and final season. "Image in the Sand" saw Capt. Sisko waiting for direction from the Prophets, Kira dealing with a promotion, and Worf coming to terms with the loss of Jadzia Dax. Lo and behold, a new Dax was on the horizon!
On this day in 2000, Batman Beyond aired "Inqueling." This served as the third episode to the program's third and final season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"Seriously wounded in a doublecross, Inque approaches her estranged daughter for help."
"Seriously wounded in a doublecross, Inque approaches her estranged daughter for help."
On this day in 2011, Fringe aired "One Night in October." This served as the second episode to the popular program's fourth season, and here's the plot summary as provided by IMDB.com:
"As the victims of a highly intelligent serial killer "Over There" stack up, the Fringe Division "Over Here" is asked to assist. As the two sides tangle and innocent people remain at risk, the suspect's doppelganger "Over Here," a professor who teaches Forensic Psychology, is brought into the fold and forces the team to consider the notion of sending civilians to the other side."
"As the victims of a highly intelligent serial killer "Over There" stack up, the Fringe Division "Over Here" is asked to assist. As the two sides tangle and innocent people remain at risk, the suspect's doppelganger "Over Here," a professor who teaches Forensic Psychology, is brought into the fold and forces the team to consider the notion of sending civilians to the other side."
On this day in 2011, Star Wars: The Clone Wars aired "Shadow Warrior." This served as the fourth episode to the program's fourth season, and here's the plot summary as detailed by IMDB.com:
"There is unrest on Naboo and the Gungans are considering to join the Separatists. But General Skywalker discovers Boss Lyonie is being influenced by dark magic against his will."
"There is unrest on Naboo and the Gungans are considering to join the Separatists. But General Skywalker discovers Boss Lyonie is being influenced by dark magic against his will."
Children of the 1980's rejoice! On this day in 2015, IDW Publishing has brought back to life the property Airwolf, returning Hawke and Santini with their super-intelligent and ultra-cool high-tech helicopter for another go'round of serious flying mayhem. (NOTE: this is a trade paperback collecting previously serialized adventures.) According to our friends at TFAW.com, here's the plot summary for Airwolf Airstrikes:
"Hawke, Santini, and the coolest attack chopper ever made are back in this epic reimagining of the hit TV classic! Airwolf, the nuclear-powered helicopter, is featured in this blistering anthology of stand-alone thrillers that redefines the classic for a new generation!"
"Hawke, Santini, and the coolest attack chopper ever made are back in this epic reimagining of the hit TV classic! Airwolf, the nuclear-powered helicopter, is featured in this blistering anthology of stand-alone thrillers that redefines the classic for a new generation!"
Fans longing for the days of Matt Smith's incarnation as the infamous time traveling Doctor Who need look no further than Titan Comics collection of the 11th Doctor in a massive omnibus collection, apparently the first of seven planned. It's being released on this day in 2015, and here's the plot summary from TFAW.com:
"Jack the Ripper and sentient spam! Giant robot dinosaurs and ancient football! Body-swaps, giant space squid... and a very happy Christmas! It's all in the first Eleventh Doctor Archives Omnibus, collecting US-format comics published by IDW Publishing from 2010-2011! Collects: Doctor Who Volume II (2010) #1-12 and Annual 2011, previously published in the collections 'The Ripper,' 'When Worlds Collide,' and 'It Came From Outer Space.'"
"Jack the Ripper and sentient spam! Giant robot dinosaurs and ancient football! Body-swaps, giant space squid... and a very happy Christmas! It's all in the first Eleventh Doctor Archives Omnibus, collecting US-format comics published by IDW Publishing from 2010-2011! Collects: Doctor Who Volume II (2010) #1-12 and Annual 2011, previously published in the collections 'The Ripper,' 'When Worlds Collide,' and 'It Came From Outer Space.'"
Think you can keep a good cop down? Think again, creep! That's what Boom! Studios wants you to know with their release of Robocop: Dead Or Alive (trade paperback) on this day in 2015. According to our friends at TFAW.com, here's the skinny:
"Months after the events of the original classic film, John Killian, a criminal from Old Detroit's mysterious past, returns to a city ablaze. As RoboCop, Anne Lewis, and the police department wage war on anarchic streets, tension between the people and 'their protectors' is at an all-time high. When the mayor launches an initiative to remove the people's rights to arms, Killian will lead the citizens in an uprising that tears down the very foundation of OCP."
"Months after the events of the original classic film, John Killian, a criminal from Old Detroit's mysterious past, returns to a city ablaze. As RoboCop, Anne Lewis, and the police department wage war on anarchic streets, tension between the people and 'their protectors' is at an all-time high. When the mayor launches an initiative to remove the people's rights to arms, Killian will lead the citizens in an uprising that tears down the very foundation of OCP."
