<span class="SFPTagline">
From SCIFIPEDIA
</span>
- Welcome to the Archive for July, 2006
You may need to purge the cache to see the changes you make here.
You may also see the archive for 2006 or the entire archive for This Day in SCI FI
- July 1
Armageddon opens (1998). NASA detects an asteroid the size of Texas on a collision course with Earth, and it's up to Bruce Willis and his motley band of oil-well drillers to nuke the rock before it destroys civilization as we know it. The cast includes Ben Affleck (fresh off of Good Will Hunting), Billy Bob Thornton, Steve Buscemi, and Affleck's on-screen love interest, Liv Tyler. Like the similarly themed Deep Impact, released earlier in the summer of 1998, Armageddon threatens to destroy the planet with elaborate special effects and, in so doing, makes a big bang at the box office.
Michael Landon dies (1991). Television heartthrob Michael Landon, who made his first big splash as a troubled youth turned into a murderous beast in I Was a Teenage Werewolf, dies at age 55. Among his final roles was that of Jonathan Smith, an angel who roams the Earth doing good deeds in the television series, Highway to Heaven. Landon was born in 1936 in Forest Hills, New York, USA.
Innerspace opens (1987). An arrogant American pilot (Dennis Quaid) and his spacecraft are reduced to microscopic size then injected into the body of a nerdy hypochondriac (Martin Short) in this sci-fi fantasy, a comic reworking of Fantastic Voyage, directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins). The leading lady is none other than Meg Ryan (before she became a really big star), who later becomes Quaid's real-life leading lady (though she ultimately divorces him in 2000).
- July 2
Men in Black opens (1997). Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith join forces to "protect the Earth from the scum of the universe" in this box-office smash directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (The Addams Family). Based on the comic book by Lowell Cunningham, this big-budget special effects-laden comedy followed the adventures of two special agents assigned to monitor alien activity on Earth. The movie spawned a popular theme song and would took home an Oscar for its make-up effects.
Fred Gwynne dies (1993) Gwynne is immortal for his comedic take on the Frankenstein Monster in the television series The Munsters (1964, as Herman Munster). He was also avuncular neighbor Jud Crandall in Pet Sematary (1989], adapted from the book by Stephen King). Gwynne's full name is Frederick Hubbard Gwynne and he was born in New York City, New York, USA.
Lee Remick dies (1991). Remick, who is best remembered for her serious acting chops as well as for her beauty, did the genre in a big way when she starred as Katherine Thorn, the doomed adoptive mother of Satan's spawn in the original The Omen (1976). She also appeared opposite a telekinetic Richard Burton in The Medusa Touch, as well as in such thrillers as No Way to Treat a Lady and Experiment in Terror. Remick was born in 1935 in Quincy, Massachusetts, USA.
- July 3
Independence Day opens (1996). The aliens arrive and turn out to be very destructive when Independence Day opens. Director Roland Emmerich (Stargate) combines state-of-the-art special effects (which go on to win an Oscar) with war movie clichés to assemble this smash hit, a newfangled War of the Worlds in which entire cities crumble before our very eyes. The cast includes proven box-office winners Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) and Will Smith (Men in Black), along with Bill Pullman (Lake Placid) as the put-upon President of the United States.
Liam Neeson marries Natasha Richardson (1994). Neeson, who goes on to play Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn in Star Wars: Episode One—The Phantom Menace as well as voicing Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and playing a mysterious martial arts expert in Batman Begins, weds his handmaiden, Richardson, who plays the lead in the movie adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel The Handmaid's Tale, and was in Fat Man and Little Boy. She also appeared in an episode of Tales from the Crypt, "Fatal Caper" (1996) on HBO.
Terminator 2: Judgment Day opens (1991). Director James Cameron re-teams with stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton for this sequel to their 1984 blockbuster. This time out, Schwarzenegger's cyborg is a good guy out to save newly buffed Sarah Connor and her son, John, from the T-1000—a nonstop, shape-shifting, liquid-metal assassin. Many fans consider Terminator 2 to be even better than the original. Needless to say, the movie rakes in the dough, but it also goes on to earn four Academy Awards—for visual effects, sound, sound effects editing, and make-up.
- July 4
George of the Jungle opens (1997). Jay Ward's goofy cartoon hero springs to big-screen life with Brendan Fraser (The Mummy) in the title role. The movie's surprise success at the box office helped Fraser earn a rep as a viable leading man.
Gloria Stuart is born (1910). Stuart twice worked with Frankenstein director James Whale, as Margaret Waverton in The Old Dark House (1932) and as Flora Cranley in The Invisible Man (933). She also played Alice Walker in The Whistler (1944) and the Store Customer in The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975, television). Stuart was born in Santa Monica, California, USA.
Nathaniel Hawthorne is born (1804). Hawthorne was a writer of forbidding tales, some of which cross the border into the genre, such as his work on Twice-Told Tales and "Rappaccini's Daughter" (a story that has many similarities to the work of that master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe). Hawthorne was born in the quaint little town of Salem, Massachussetts, USA.
- July 5
Katherine Helmond is born (1934). Helmond played the beauty-seeking Ida Lowry in Brazil (1985). She was also Claire Fletcher in Locusts (1974), Emma Borden in The Legend of Lizzie Borden (1975, television), Mrs. Ogre in Time Bandits (1981), and Maude Marley in Ms. Scrooge (1997, television). She has also appeared on The Bionic Woman (1976, in the two-part episode "Deadly Ringer"). Helmond was born in Galveston, Texas, USA.
Jean Cocteau is born (1889). French film master Jean Cocteau directed an artsy 1946 version of Beauty and the Beast that remains one of the most romantic and poetic fantasies ever committed to film. His other classic works, also deeply rooted in fantasy, include Orphèe (1949) and Le Testament d'Orphèe (1960). Cocteau, who died in 1963, was born in Maisons-Laffitte, France.
- July 6
Shelley Hack is born (1952). After her stint on Charlie's Angels, model-turned-actress Hack played the unfortunate wife of a psychotic in the creepy The Stepfather (1987), and took on the mythical title beast in Troll (1986). She also was featured in Time After Time (1979) and in a 1989 episode of Tales from the Crypt, titled "The Assassin." Hack was born in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.
Geoffrey Rush is born (1951). Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush (Shine) recently took over for Vincent Price by playing the wicked host of a killer party in the updated House on Haunted Hill (1999). He also played Casanova Frankenstein in Mystery Men (1999) and starred as the Marquis de Sade in Quills (2000). Rush was born in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
Sylvester Stallone is born (1946). Stallone, whose full name is Sylvester Enzio Stallone, played John Spartan in Demolition Man (1993) and the titular character in Judge Dredd (1995, based on the comic). He also provided the voice of Weaver in the animated film Antz (1998). Stallone was born in New York, New York, USA.
- July 7
Species opens (1995). Roger Donaldson (Dante's Peak) directs this popular horror movie about a crew of reckless scientists whose experiments with DNA produce "Sil"—a sexy female monster that mates and kills. Pretty blonde Natasha Henstridge plays the murderous creature while Ben Kingsley, Forest Whitaker, and Marg Helgenberger head the effort to put an end to her killing spree. Species does well enough at the summer box office to warrant a 1998 sequel.
Bill Campbell is born (1959). Campbell has been in a handful of genre efforts, such as Call from Space (1989, as Young Man), The Rocketeer (1991, as Cliff Secord), Dracula (1992), as Quincy P. Morris), and The Cold Equations (1996, as Lieutenant John Barton). Campbell has also appeared on Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987, episode "The Outrageous Okona," as Captain Thaduin Okona). He was born in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.
Shelley Duvall is born (1949). Duvall was the cowed, terrorized, but ultimately extremely resourceful Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980), based on the novel by Stephen King). She also appeared in Time Bandits (1981, as Pansy), Rocket Man (1997, as Mrs. Randall) and Talos the Mummy (1998, as Edith). She also was the creative force behind Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories (1991, television series). Duvall has appeared in The Ray Bradbury Theatre (1985, episode "The Tombstone"), The Twilight Zone (1985, episode "A Saucer of Loneliness," as Margaret). She was born in Houston, Texas, USA.
- July 8
Dick Sargent dies (1994). Sargent played the second Darrin Stephens, opposite Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha on the beloved Bewitched series. His other genre credits include Teen Witch (1989), The Clonus Horror (1978), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1965), and, very early on, the low-budget The Beast with a Million Eyes. Sargent was born in 1930 in Carmel, California, USA.
James Franciscus dies (1991). Handsome leading man Franciscus was the hero of Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), the first sequel to the 1968 original, which had starred Charlton Heston. Franciscus also starred as a stranded astronaut in Marooned (1969) and battled prehistoric beasts in The Valley of Gwangi (1969). Later, he lent his appeal to such genre titles as Dario Argento's World of Horror (1985), Killer Fish (1978), and The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971). Franciscus was born in 1934 in Clayton, Missouri, USA.
Kevin Bacon is born (1958). Bacon works about six degrees away from the genre generally, but he did score handsomely in a few efforts. He was Jack in Friday the 13th (1980), and also appeared in The Demon Murder Case (1983, television), Tremors (1990, as Valentine McKee), Flatliners (1990, as David Labraccio), Apollo 13 (1995, as Jack Swigert) and The Hollow Man (2000, as Sebastian Caine). Bacon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
- July 9
Tom Hanks is born (1956). Hanks can list these efforts on his résumé: From the Earth to the Moon (1998, miniseries), Apollo 13 (1995), Toy Story (1995) and The Green Mile (1999). Hanks was born in Concord, California, USA.
Jimmy Smits is born (1955). Smits was the quiet leading man in the Stephen King miniseries The Tommyknockers (1993). He was born in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Anjelica Huston is born (1951). Huston has made statuesque appearances in The Ice Pirates (1984) and The Witches (1990). She portrayed the macabre, sensuous Morticia in the two Addams Family films, The Addams Family (1991) and Addams Family Values (1993).
- July 10
Pi opens (1998). First-time director Darren Aronofsky scores big at Sundance with his inventive, low-budget, black-and-white Pi, which opens to rave reviews at the festival. His paranoid thriller concerns a brilliant mathematician who teeters on the brink of insanity as he searches for a mysterious numerical code. The reviews are strong enough to make Aronofsky a new poster-boy for the American indie scene.
Cool World opens (1992). Ralph Bakshi, the original auteur of animation, combines live-action footage with his colorful cartoon creations for this edgy noir fantasy about an ex-convict and comic-book artist who trips from reality into the dangerous realm of his own "Cool World" comic strip. The film stars Gabriel Byrne (of Stigmata) and a pre-Oscar Kim Basinger, as a particularly sexy drawing with a dark secret. The cast also includes then-up-and-comer Brad Pitt, who plays a determined detective hot on Basinger's trail.
Fred Gwynne is born (1926). Fred has earned genre immortality for his comedic take on Frankenstein's Monster in the television series The Munsters (1964, as Herman Munster). He also played avuncular neighbor Jud Crandall in Pet Sematary (1989, adapted from the book by Stephen King). His full name is Frederick Hubbard Gwynne and he was born in New York, New York, USA.
- July 11
Stephen Lang is born (1952). Lang has been in genre efforts Project X (1987), The Possession of Michael D. (1995), and A Town Has Turned to Dust (1998, television). A Town Has Turned to Dust was filmed from an original Rod Serling script, years after Serling's death. Lang was born in New York City, New York.
Also born this day:
- July 12
Lon Chaney, Jr. dies (1973). Chaney is one of the lords of the genre, for his resume roll call: One Million B.C. (1940, as Akhoba), Man Made Monster (1941, as Dan McCormick), The Wolf Man (1941, as Larry Talbot/Wolf Man), The Mummy's Tomb (1942, as Kharis, the Mummy), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942, as Frankenstein's Monster), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943, as Lawrence Talbot), Son of Dracula (1943, as Count Anthony Alucard), House of Frankenstein (1944, as Lawrence Talbot), The Indestructible Man (1956, as Charles "Butcher" Benton), The Alligator People (1959, as Manon), The Haunted Palace (1963, as Simon Orne), Face of the Screaming Werewolf (1964, as The Mummified Werewolf) . . . there's more, but you're probably getting the picture. His true name is Creighton Tull Chaney and he was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Tod Browning is born (1882). Another genre legend, Browning was either the producer or director or writer (or any combination thereof) of these unforgettables: The Unknown (1927), London After Midnight (1927), Dracula (1931), Freaks (1932), Mark of the Vampire (1935), and The Devil-Doll (1936). Probably more than anything else, Browning is known for his unforgettable work on Dracula and his contribution to the vampire archetype. His true name is Charles Albert Browning and he was born in Louisville, Kentucky.
- July 13
Harrison Ford is born (1942). Ford is best known to the genre for his portrayal of Han Solo in the Star Wars films—Star Wars (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983). He is equally as famous for his portrayal of the archeologist-adventurer in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Ford starred in Blade Runner (1982) and even had an appearance in E.T. the Extraterrestrial (1982, as a principal, scenes deleted). On genre television, he appeared in The Intruders (1970). Ford was born in Chicago, Illinois.
Patrick Stewart is born (1940). Stewart was made so on this day in Mirfield, Yorkshire, England. He has portrayed Captain Jean-Luc Picard on television (Star Trek: The Next Generation) and in films—Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), and Star Trek: Insurrection (1998). He has also appeared as Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men (2000), as Gurney Halleck in Dune (1984), as Leondegrace in Excalibur (1981), and as Number One on The Simpsons (1989, episode "Homer the Great").
- July 14
Ingmar Bergman is born (1918). Bergman is the Swedish master filmmaker behind the classic The Seventh Seal (1957).
Also born today:
- July 15
Apollo-Soyuz mission begins (1975). The American and Soviet crafts link in outer space, suggesting a thaw in Cold War tension and the possibility of international cooperation in space exploration.
Brigitte Nielsen is born (1963). Nielsen was a warring Amazon in Red Sonja (1985), and portrayed Agnes in 976-EVIL 2: The Astral Factor (1991). The tall Dane also appeared as Ladera in Galaxis (1985). She was born in Helsinger, Denmark.
Terry O'Quinn is born (1952). X-Files and Millennium fans will recognize O'Quinn for work on both of these Chris Carter series. O'Quinn portrayed Lieutenant Brian Tillman in the The X-Files episode "Aubrey" and was a series regular on Millennium as Peter Watts. O'Quinn has also appeared in many films: Silver Bullet (1985, as Sheriff Joe Haller), SpaceCamp (1986, as Launch Director), The Rocketeer (1991, as Howard Hughes), Amityville: A New Generation (1993, as Detective Clark), Shadow Warriors (1996, as Dr. Connors), and in The X-Files (1998, as Darius Michaud). O'Quinn's television work includes appearances on Tales from the Crypt (1989, episode "The Bribe") and Earth 2 (1994, episodes "Redemption" and "All About Eve," playing Reilly).
- July 16
Tokyo is destroyed (1988) . . . according to director Katsuhiro Otomo. In his anime film Akira, the Japanese director specifies July 16, 1988 as the death knell for the much-abused Japanese capital.
Corey Feldman is born (1971). Feldman has had a lengthy career in the genre, having started quite young in the business. He was Tommy in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter (1984), Pete in Gremlins (1984), Clarke "Mouth" Devereux in The Goonies (1985), Edgar Frog in The Lost Boys (1987), the voice of Donatello in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III (1993), Phlegm in Stepmonster (1993), Caleb Verdoux in Bordello of Blood (1996), and Siegal in Legion (1998). On television, Feldman has appeared on Tales from the Crypt (1989, playing Todd in episode "The Assassin"), on Sliders (1995, playing Reed Michener in episode "The Electric Twister Acid Test") and on The Crow: Stairway to Heaven (1998, playing Chris Draven in episode "Brother's Keeper"). Feldman was born in Reseda, California.
- July 17
Robocop opens (1987). Peter Weller's automaton officer makes its debut today in 1987.
J. Michael Straczynski is born (1954). JMS, as he is known, is the writing, directing, creating, producing powerhouse behind the television series Babylon 5 (1994) and "Crusade" (1999). He was also a staff writer for He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1983, television) and She-Ra: Princess of Power (1986, television). He served as a story editor for both The Twilight Zone (1985, television) and The Real Ghostbusters (1986, television) and was the writer for the television production of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1989). JMS made an uncredited appearance on Babylon 5 as a Maintenance Worker in the episode "Sleeping in the Light." His full name is Joseph Michael Straczynski.
Donald Sutherland is born (1934). Sutherland is a veteran of practically everything, and he has appeared in these genre efforts: Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965, as Bob Carroll), Billion Dollar Brain (1967, as Scientist at Computer), Day of the Locust (1975, as Homer Simpson), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978, as Matthew Bennell), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992, as Merrick), and The Puppet Masters (1994, as Andrew Nivens). Sutherland was born in New Brunswick, Canada.
- July 18
James Brolin is born (1940). Brolin is not famed for his genre work, but his work is indeed ample nonetheless. He portrayed a Technician in Fantastic Voyage (1966), John Blane in Westworld (1973), Charles Brubaker in Capricorn One (1978), George Lutz in The Amityville Horror (1979), and P. W. in Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985). Brolin has also appeared on Batman (episode "Ring Around the Riddler" as Kid Gulliver; episode "The Cat and the Fiddle" as Ralph Staphylococcus) and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (episode "The Saboteur" as Spencer). Brolin was born in Los Angeles, California.
Paul Verhoeven is born (1938). Verhoeven is the director of such films as RoboCop (1987), Total Recall (1990), and Starship Troopers (1997). He also served as director on the television series The Hitchhiker (1983). He was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Hume Cronyn is born (1911). Cronyn has portrayed Gerard in Phantom of the Opera (1943), Frank Riley in *batteries not included (1987), and Joe Finley in Cocoon (1985) and Cocoon: The Return (1988). Cronyn was born in London, Ontario, Canada.
- July 19
Jack Pierce dies (1968). Jack Pierce is the make-up maestro behind such films as Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), Murders in the Rue Morgue (1932), White Zombie (1932), The Old Dark House (1932), The Invisible Man (1933), The Black Cat (1934), The Raven (1935), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Werewolf of London (1935), Dracula's Daughter (1936), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Brain from Planet Arous (1957), I Bury the Living (1958), Giant from the Unknown (1958), and Beauty and the Beast (1962). And that's the genre short list. Obviously, his work was so prolific that it would be hard to single him out for just one effort, but, probably more than anything, his artistry in creating the iconic Frankenstein's Monster from Boris Karloff's urbane features is the shining beacon in his legend. His real name is Jack Piccolo, and he was born in Greece.
Terri Treas is born (1959). Treas is probably best known to fans as the newcomer alien Cathy Frankel from the television series Alien Nation (1989) and the subsequent television films. She has also starred in The Terror Within (1988), The Nest (1988), Frankenstein Unbound (1990), Nightmare on the 13th Floor (1990), and House IV (1992). Treas was born in Kansas City, Kansas.
- July 20
First lunar landing (1969). NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong takes one small step for a man, and a giant leap for mankind, onto the lunar surface. This historical accomplishment transforms humanity from an earthbound species into one with interplanetary aspirations, and fuels the imaginations of future space travelers around the world.
Diana Rigg is born (1938). Rigg is eternally the brilliant and dangerous Mrs. Emma Peel of the television series The Avengers. She has also portrayed Edwina Lionheart in Theatre of Blood (1973) and Miss Hardbroom in The Worst Witch (1986, television). Rigg is sometimes credited as Dame Diana Rigg. She was born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.
- July 21
Basil Rathbone dies (1967). If his stage name seems upper-crust, consider his real name: Philip St. John Basil Rathbone. He appeared in numerous genre productions, and his fame is legendary. Some of his work includes The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Black Cat (1941), Tales of Terror (1962, segment "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar"), Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965), and Queen of Blood (1966). Rathbone has also appeared on the television program Science Fiction Theatre (1955, episode "The Stones Begin to Move"). He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Robin Williams is born (1952). Although better known for comedy, Williams has had a few stints in the genre, including the one that kicked off everything—his portrayal of Mork from Ork, which was a guest appearance on Happy Days that evolved into his own star vehicle Mork and Mindy (1978). Williams has also portrayed King of the Moon in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988, credited as Ray DiTutto), Alan Parrish in Jumanji (1995), and Professor Philip Brainard in Flubber (1997). Williams was born in Chicago, Illinois.
Edward Herrmann is born (1943). It's his face rather than his name that is more familiar to genre fans, but here is a list of his relevant work: the patriarch Max in The Lost Boys (1987), Mr. Dingle in My Boyfriend's Back (1993), Herman Munster in Here Come the Munsters (1995, television), the U.S. president in Pandora's Clock (1996, miniseries), and another stint in the Oval Office as the president in Atomic Train (1999, television). Herrmann was born in Washington, D.C.
- July 22
Joanna Going is born (1963). Going portrayed Victoria Winters/Josette DuPres in the revived Dark Shadows (1991). She was also Dr. Jennifer Pailey in Phantoms (1998) and Toni Fiorelli in the miniseries Netforce (1999). She was born in Washington, D.C.
Willem Dafoe is born (1955). Dafoe began his genre career as the 2nd Phone Booth Youth in The Hunger (1983), which soon led to better things. He has appeared in the television series The Hitchhiker (1983), played Gas in eXistenz (1999) and Max Schreck in Shadow of the Vampire (2000) as well as The Green Goblin in Spider-Man (2002) and Spider-Man 2 (2004). Dafoe was born in Appleton, Wisconsin.
Danny Glover is born (1947). Glover has portrayed Lieutenant Mike Harrigan in Predator 2 (1990) and provided the voice of Barbados in Antz (1998). Glover was born in San Francisco, California.
- July 23
Charisma Carpenter is born (1970). Carpenter played the tony Cordelia Chase on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and then graduated to the spinoff Angel (1999). Carpenter was born in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Also born this day:
- July 24
Lynda Carter is born (1951). Carter will forever be known as Diana Prince/Wonder Woman in the television series Wonder Woman (1976). Carter's true name is Lynda Jean Cordoba and she was born in Phoenix, Arizona.
Also born this day:
- Lord Dunsany, 1878, writer of classic fantasy short stories.
- Lee Brown Coye, 1907, pulp writer.
- John D. MacDonald, 1916, perhaps best known as a mystery and suspense writer, who also produced a number of distinguished SF short stories (and novels) during a vastly prolific writing career.
- Barry Malzberg, 1939, who won the John W. Campbell Award and published more than forty novels, and also won a Hugo Award for nonfiction for his memoir of working in the SF field, The Engines of the Night.
- Gordon Eklund, 1945, a productive short story writer and novelist who also produced several collaborations with Gregory Benford.
- July 25
Maximum Overdrive opens (1986). Novelist Stephen King made his directorial debut with this big-screen horror tale about a group of interstate travelers held captive by a convoy of homicidal, driverless trucks. The film, which starred Emilio Estevez and Pat Hingle, was dismissed by most critics and never got out of second gear at the box office.
Matt LeBlanc is born (1967). LeBlanc made his genre debut with his portrayal of Major Don West in the film Lost in Space (1998). He has also appeared on the series Monsters (episode "Shave and a Haircut," paired with former Star Trek: The Next Generation wûnderkind Wil Wheaton). LeBlanc was born in Newton, Massachusetts.
Al Adamson is born (1929). Adamson was the gore-hound and mastermind behind a slew of exploitation titles, including such drive-in classics as Blood of Ghastly Horror (1972), Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971), Horror of the Blood Monsters (1970), and Psycho a Go-Go (1965). Adamson, who died in 1995, was born in Hollywood, California.
- July 26
Deep Blue Sea opens (1999). Director Renny Harlin does Jaws one better when he puts a trio of mechanical sharks through their paces for this over-the-top thriller about genetically altered killer fish that feast on the crew of a sinking, deep-sea research facility. The supremely munchable cast included Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Samuel L. Jackson, and LL Cool J.
Sandra Bullock is born (1964). Bullock is best known to genre fans for her roles in Practical Magic (1998), The Net (1995), Demolition Man (1993), and Love Potion No. 9 (1991), but who could forget her performance in Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1989)? Bullock, whose full name is Sandra Annette Bullock, was born in Arlington, Virginia.
Nana Visitor is born (1957). Visitor portrayed fiery Bajoran freedom fighter turned liaison officer, Major-cum-Colonel Kira Nerys on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993). She has also appeared on The Outer Limits (episode "In Our Own Image," as Cecelia Fairman). Visitor was born in New York, New York.
- July 27
Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later opens (1998). Twenty years after the debut of John Carpenter's seminal Halloween, genre heroine Jamie Lee Curtis was coaxed into returning to her role as Laurie Strode, the victimized sister of indestructible masked killer Michael Myers. Director Steve Miner (a graduate of the big-screen Friday the 13th series) also casts newcomers Josh Hartnett (The Faculty) and Michelle Williams (Species). By the end of this round, it seems that Michael is dead, once and for all . . . but never say never.
James Mason dies (1984). An icon in both British and American films for decades, Mason is best remembered by genre fans for his menacing performance as Straker, the vampire's servant in the television adaptation of Stephen King's 'Salem's Lot (1982). Among his other credits are Evil Under the Sun (1982), Murder by Decree (1979), The Boys from Brazil (1978), Child's Play (1972), the made-for-TV Frankenstein: The True Story (1972), The Night Has Eyes (1942), and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), in which he played Captain Nemo. Mason was born in 1909 in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, UK.
- July 28
The Net opens (1995). After the huge success of Speed, rising star Sandra Bullock (Demolition Man) took on the lead in this techno-thriller about a computer wizard who finds her identity and her life deleted by nefarious forces. The movie became a surprise hit at the box office, pushing Bullock to the top of the Hollywood A-list.
Waterworld opens (1995). Kevin Costner produced and starred in this big-budget adventure about a world submerged by water and the fight to survive on its surface. Though the movie didn't flop as badly as industry rumors predicted, Waterworld became another stumbling block in Costner's increasingly waterlogged career.
Friday the 13th: Jason Takes Manhattan opens (1989). In the eighth installment of the Friday the 13th series, Jason donned his hockey mask one more time, this time to board a high-school cruise celebration headed for New York City. Needless to say, the number of students in the graduating class was significantly reduced during the course of the story.
- July 29
Krull opens (1983). Peter Yates (The Deep) directed this action-packed SF-fantasy about a young prince forced into battle to save his planet from a hostile monster warrior and his army. The cast included a newcomer named Liam Neeson, who went on to star in Darkman (1990), Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (1999), and the remake of The Haunting (1999).
Stephen Dorff is born (1973). Dorff, of course, was the vampire entrepreneur Deacon Frost in Blade (1998). He has also starred in Quantum Project (2000), Space Truckers (1997), and The Gate (1987). Dorff was born in Atlanta, Georgia.
Wil Wheaton is born (1972). Wheaton is best known in the genre as Ensign Wesley Crusher, wûnderkind of Jean-Luc Picard's Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He has also appeared in The Last Starfighter (1984, scenes deleted), The Man Who Fell to Earth (1987), Trekkies (1997, as himself) and Flubber (1997). He also counts these series appearances on his résumé: Monsters (episode "A Shave and a Haircut, Two Bites"), Tales from the Crypt (episode "House of Horror"), The Outer Limits (episode "The Light Brigade"), and Perversions of Science (episode "Snap Ending"). Wheaton was born Richard William Wheaton III, in Burbank, California.
- July 30
Hilary Swank is born (1974). Before she earned her 1999 Academy Award as Best Actress for Boys Don't Cry, Hilary Swank starred in two popular genre titles: the Stephen King sequel Sometimes They Come Back . . . Again (1996), and the original big-screen Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992). Swank was born in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Christine Taylor is born (1971). Best known as the new, big-screen Marcia Brady, Taylor also has starred in a few genre titles, among them Campfire Tales (1997), the made-for-TV To the Ends of Time (1996), The Craft (1996), and Night of the Demons 2 (1994). She also took over the role of Marilyn Munster in the 1995 television movie, Here Come the Munsters (1995). She was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and is married to Ben Stiller (Mystery Men).
Laurence Fishburne is born (1961). Before he played Morpheus in the smash hit The Matrix (1999), this Academy Award nominee starred in the outer-space horror tale Event Horizon (1997) and in A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors. He was born in Augusta, Georgia.
- July 31
Death Becomes Her opens (1992). Oscar winners Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn star as two beautiful but aging life-long rivals—one a star of stage and screen, the other a successful romance novelist—who join a mysterious cult devoted to the pursuit of immortality. After the two women kill each other while battling for the affections of a mild-mannered plastic surgeon (Bruce Willis), they find themselves counted among the living dead. This very dark comedy, directed by Robert Zemeckis (Contact), won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.
Dean Cain is born (1966). Cain put on the cape of Superman in television's Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (1993). Cain was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan.
Wesley Snipes is born (1962). Snipes is best known to genre fans for his performance as the vampire-hunting title character in the popular Blade (1998). His credits also include the role of the villain in Demolition Man (1993). Snipes was born in Orlando, Florida.
2008, SCI FI. All rights reserved.
