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- Welcome to the Archive for June, 2007
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- June 1
Kryptonite, in the fictional Superman universe, is a rare mineral element and the primary weakness of Superman.
When Superman's home planet, Krypton, was destroyed, pieces of the planet were flung into space. Some of those pieces made it to Earth, some possibly accompanying the rocket that brought the baby Kal-El (who would grow up to be Superman).
In the most typical scenario, Superman is exposed to green kryptonite. The effect depends on proximity: the closer he is to the mineral (usually shown as a glowing green rock), the weaker he gets. Prolonged exposure would be fatal. The deadly radiation can be blocked by lead.
Earthlings are unaffected by kryptonite, and can handle it safely. It can also be synthesized, which has been done by Lex Luthor.
In the comics, other colors of kryptonite exist, with different effects . . .
- June 2
Torchwood is a spinoff program of the BBC's long-running series Doctor Who. It concerns the activities of the Cardiff, Wales branch of The Torchwood Institute, whose mission is to track alien activity and obtain and exploit alien artifacts.
Taking center stage as the star of the program is John Barrowman, who reprises his role as outrageous former time agent Captain Jack Harkness. Other members of the team include (back row, from left to right):
Because the organization describes itself as being outside of the control of any government and deals with aliens, the program has been compared to Men in Black. So far, however, it more closely resembles The X-Files in tone and content. Unlike its progenitor, Doctor Who, Torchwood is aimed at an adult audience. It is intentionally darker and does not shy away from violence or sexuality.
The program premiered . . .
- June 3
Ray Bradbury's early work was mostly fantasy and horror, as collected in his first book, Dark Carnival (1947). In 1950, he published his second and, at least for SF fans, most famous work, The Martian Chronicles, a collection of linked short stories about the rise and fall of human colonies on Mars. These pieces are signature Bradbury: poetic, moody, and nostalgic. His first novel, Fahrenheit 451 (1966), also much acclaimed, is set in a world where reading is forbidden, and Firemen are dispatched to burn books whenever they are found.
Bradbury is well regarded in the mainstream literature world, and in some ways it's misleading to think of him as a science fiction writer, even though he often employs SF elements to tell his tales. In the 1980s, he turned to crime fiction, of which Death Is a Lonely Business (1985) is one notable work.
His work has been adapted into a number of films, such as It Came from Outer Space (1953) and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953). In 1985, there was a short-lived TV series based on his work, Ray Bradbury Theatre. He is also a screenwriter, having scripted 1956's Moby Dick . . .
- June 4
Dark City is a sci-fi thriller directed by Alex Proyas and written by Proyas, Lem Dobbs, and David S. Goyer. The film was well rated among critics but was not a box office hit. Dark City opened in theaters on February 27, 1998.
The story concerns a man named John Murdoch, who awakens in a hotel with no knowledge of his past. He soon discovers he is wanted for several murders. He next discovers several people are after him, including the police, a woman claiming to be his wife, and a group of mysterious strangers able to manipulate the city around them at will.
Richard O'Brien's performance as Mr. Hand was . . .
- June 5
Simarka is a planet in the Milky Way visited by SG-1 in the episode "Emancipation" of the series Stargate SG-1.
Simarka is inhabited by various tribes descended from Mongolians who were taken from Earth by the Goa'uld several thousand years ago. SG-1 first encountered the Shavadai, a tribe that once had female warriors and women of equal status to their men. Several generations ago, the Simarkans enacted laws to protect their women from the goa'uld, requiring them to be veiled at all times. The women eventually became subservient properties of men.
When SG-1 arrived on Simarka, they were met by Abu, a member of the Shavadai and the son of their leader Moughal. In his attempts to win the daughter of an enemy tribe as his wife, Abu kidnapped and traded Samantha Carter to . . .
- June 6
Green Lantern is a DC Comics Super-Hero. Test Pilot Hal Jordan was surprised when his flight simulator took flight, and was carried by an eerie green light to the desert site of dying alien Abin Sur. Abin Sur explained that he is a Green Lantern, possessor of a very special ring. Whoever wears this amazing ring will find its green light energy will do anything its wearer can imagine, including granting the power of flight, just by the force of the owner's will-power. The only exception is that, due to a "necessary impurity in the ring", it can't affect anything yellow.
As he was dying, he asked the ring to find a suitable replacement candidate, supposedly a man who is honest and "born without fear" who would use the power "against the forces of evil and injustice". The ring selected Hal, who accepted the ring and its lantern shaped "power battery", which recharges the ring's power every 24 hours. In later stories we learn that Hal is actually part of a large Green Lantern Corps, a kind of galactic police force. Each Corps member is assigned to a different space sector by these little ancient blue aliens called The Guardians of the Universe. The "Guardians" live on the planet Oa, all look exactly alike, and are a force for . . .
- June 7
Mr. Eko is a fictional character on the series Lost played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Eko survived in the tail section following the crash of Oceanic Flight 815.
Eko lived with other survivors of the tail section before joining the mid section survivors on the other side of the island. He survived 72 days before he was killed by a mysterious force on the island.
Originally from Nigeria, Eko was close to his brother Yemi. Their lives changed and the two were separated when Eko, to spare his brother the violence of the act, shot an unarmed man on the command of members of a guerrilla group. He was recruited by them and in later years became the leader of a criminal organization while his brother, Yemi, became a preist.
Eko came across a large amount of Heroin and attempted to get the drugs out of the country by taking advantage of laws which gave advantage to UN aid groups, missionaries and priests. He approached his brother for help and Yemi initially refused, he changed his mind when Eko threatened to burn . . .
- June 8
Elijah Wood (b. January 28, 1981) is an American actor originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Although he is best known as Frodo the hobbit in the Peter Jackson movie trilogy, Lord of the Rings, Wood got his start in acting at age 7 by being cast by Steven Spielberg for a small part in Back to the Future Part II.
Wood says he first heard about the Lord of the Rings' trilogy while he was filming the 1998 movie, The Faculty. Since his intuition told him Rings would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he asked his friend, director George Huang, to help him . . .
- June 9
Michael Vaughn is a CIA agent whose real name is Andre Michaux in the series Alias. Vaughn was Sydney Bristow's handler while she worked as a double agent in the organization SD-6. The two developed deep feelings for each other, intensified by the fact that he was the only person with whom she could be completely honest. They became romantically involved but their relationship came to an end when Sydney appeared to have been killed in a fire, leaving Vaughn devastated.
Following Sydney's death, he left the CIA to work as a French teacher. He became involved with NSC liaison, Lauren Reed, and the two married. Sydney resurfaced two years later, with no knowledge of where she'd been for the past two years. Vaughn returned to the CIA and his feelings for Sydney became a problem for his marriage.
Vaughn later learned his wife was a double agent working for The Covenant. Angry at having been taken in by her, he became obsessed with . . .
- June 10
Timothy William Burton (b. August 25, 1958) is an American screenwriter, producer, and director known for his strange, creative films filled with unusual imagery. Burton was born in Burbank, California, to Bill and Jean Burton. He has one sibling, a younger brother named Daniel.
Burton was a shy and imaginative child and spent his youth escaping reality through horror films. Film greats Edward D. Wood Jr. and Vincent Price were main influences. He enjoyed such films as Godzilla and Hammer horror films.
Career
Following his high school graduation, Burton won a scholarship to attend the Walt Disney founded California Institute of the Arts to study animation. Burton did not, however, enjoy animation and after . . .
- June 11
War of the Worlds (2005) is based on the novel by H. G. Wells, but updated to the 21st century. The film stars Tom Cruise as a Boston dock worker swept up in the tumultuous events surrounding an invasion of the Earth by extraterrestrials. Cruise plays a divorced dad, Ray Ferrier, whose teenage son and young daughter are visiting for the weekend when the invasion begins. The arrival of the aliens is presaged by a mysterious and dramatic lightning storm. In no time, giant tripod walking machines (buried, we later learn, perhaps millions of years ago) erupt from the ground and begin to blast people, cars, and buildings with ferocious beam weapons. Panic follows. Ray and his children go on the run, seeking safety and refuge from the tripods. Along the way they get caught up in a number of spectacular attacks, escapes, and adventures. Highlights include a tripod attack on a ferry, and a suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse with an alien probe device in a farmhouse basement.
Although this film is somewhat more faithful to the novel than George Pal's 1953 version, it is first and foremost a visual spectacle. The effect of the tripods' beams on people is particularly gruesome, turning flesh and bone to dust in an instant, but leaving the victim’s clothes untouched. During the first attack, Ray gets . . .
- June 12
Like No Blade of Grass (1970), Soylent Green (1973) put an SF spin on the growing concern over ecology and overpopulation, and was adapted by Stanley R. Greenberg from the 1966 novel Make Room! Make Room! by Harry Harrison, creator of The Stainless Steel Rat. Director Richard Fleischer’s solid genre credits include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) and Fantastic Voyage (1966).
Charlton Heston was no stranger to apocalyptic, issue-oriented SF, having tackled animal rights, evolution, and nuclear war in Planet of the Apes (1968). Previous projects with producer Walter Seltzer included The Omega Man (1971), another apocalyptic SF film based on Richard Matheson’s classic I Am Legend, and Skyjacked (1972), which was also written by Greenberg.
An effective opening montage takes the viewer—at an accelerating pace—from the days of trolley cars to 2022, when the population of New York City has reached forty million, and the greenhouse effect has created a permanent green haze and artificially high temperatures. Heston is Thorn, a cop who lives with his “police book,” or researcher, Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson).
William Simonson (Joseph Cotton) is killed while . . .
- June 13
Robert Picardo as The Doctor in Star Trek: Voyager continues a great Star Trek tradition. The producers have shown an incredible knack for picking an actor who can make each "ship's doctor" an unforgettable, irascible, endearing character. From DeForest Kelley's Dr. Leonard McCoy in Star Trek through John Billingsley's Denobulan Dr. Phlox in Enterprise, the doctors have stolen the show, and this was never more true than with Robert Picardo.
Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Picardo brought a B.A. in Drama from Yale and many years of acting experience to his role as chief medical officer of the U.S.S. Voyager. His extensive list of credits includes such genre shows as the movie Star Trek: First Contact, and television appearances in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, The Dead Zone, Outer Limits, Early Edition, The 4400, Tales from the Crypt, and Amazing Stories. His feature film appearances include Small Soldiers, Wagons East, Gremlins II . . .
- June 14
Tales from the Darkside is a syndicated anthology show that ran for ninety episodes from 1983 till 1987. Similar to The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, the half-hour episodes tended to draw from horror side of the genre, with a little fantasy, science fiction, and even humor thrown in for spice.
Produced by zombie-daddy George A. Romero, the show provided a venue for more than a few big names, such as Stephen King, Harlan Ellison, and Clive Barker.
Every episode begins with a spooky voice-over from narrator Paul Sparer:
- Man lives in the sunlit world
- Of what he believes to be reality.
- But, there is, unseen by most, an underworld,
- A place that is just as real,
- But not as brightly lit . . .
- A darkside.
- June 15
The Night Stalker (TV series, 2005), starred Stuart Townsend as Carl Kolchak, a television crime reporter whose wife's mysterious murder leads him to investigate other crimes that appear to have some kind of supernatural component. The series, which lasted less than a season, also starred Gabrielle Union as Perri Reed, Eric Jungmann as Jain McManus, and Cotter Smith as Vincenzo.
The character of Kolchak was originally played in the 1970s by Darren McGavin, in a pair of TV movies and a short-lived series that went on to become a cult favorite.
Each episode of the 2005 series usually begins with a voiceover. Individual words from the monologue drift across the screen, as Kolchak . . .
- June 16
Ben Kingsley (born December 31, 1943 in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England) is a British actor.
He became an international star (and Oscar winner) in the title role in 1982's Gandhi. He has portrayed Dr. Watson as the secret brains behind Sherlock Holmes in Without a Clue. His performance in Sexy Beast got him another Oscar acting nomination (as of late 2006, he has been nominated four times).
He has, perhaps surprisingly, also been involved in a number of Sci Fi projects, including roles that might have suited Donald Pleasance a couple of decades earlier. From Gandhi to The Great Zamboni in Spooky House; from Twelfth Night to Thunderbirds . . .
- June 17
Batman Forever is the 1995 sequel to Batman Returns. Joel Schumacher replaced Tim Burton as the franchise's film director and Val Kilmer replaced Michael Keaton as Batman. New writers Lee Batchler, Janet Scott Batchler, and Akiva Goldsman also joined the film. The film had two villains. Tommy Lee Jones starred as Harvey "Two-Dace" Dent and Jim Carrey took on the role of Dr.Edward Nygma aka The Riddler. Nicole Kidman, Chris O' Donnell, and Drew Barrymore rounded out the all-star cast. The only returning cast members were Michael Gough as Alfred Pennyworth and Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon.
Batman faces off against two new villains. Former district attorney Harvey Dent has become Two-Face and believes Batman is responsible for his transformation. He decides to take his vengeance on Gotham. Dr. Edward Nygma is a former employee of Bruce Wayne and a computer genius who is determined to get revenge on his former boss. He becomes The Riddler, developing a hypnotic device he uses to . . .
- June 18
Adria, also known as the Orici, is a fictional character on the TV series Stargate SG-1. Adria embodies all that The Ori believe. She is not an Ori but she's as close as any human can be.
Adria's first appearance is in the Season 10 opener, "Flesh and Blood." As Adria ages quickly throughout the episode, she is played by three young actresses: Emma Rose Cooper, Jodelle Ferland, and Brenna O'Brien. Her final incarnation as an adult is played by Morena Baccarin of Firefly and Serenity.
Vala Mal Doran is transported through the collapsing singularity to the Ori galaxy in the episode "Beachhead," and is reconstituted by the Ring Transporter near the village of Ver Isca. She soon discovers she is pregnant and is unaware of how it happened. She begins to suspect . . .
- June 19
The Avengers are a team of fictional comic book superheroes published by Marvel Comics.
The Avengers is the primary team of the greatest heroes in Marvel Comics, sort of their version of DC Comics' Justice League.
The Avengers first came together to fight the Hulk, who somehow ended up joining the group, an alliance that lasted about two issues. The original team was composed of Iron Man, Thor, Ant Man, and The Wasp, though the Hulk is considered a founding member as well. In issue #4, the team found Captain America frozen in an iceberg, preserved in suspended animation. When defrosted, he joined the group as well.
The first major roster change had everyone leaving the Avengers but Captain America, who was then joined by ex-criminal Hawkeye, as well as the mutant siblings Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch. This would be the first of many roster changes, as the original members would eventually return, and future rosters would include the Black Panther, the Vision, the Swordsman, Captain Marvel, the Black Knight, Tigra, Mantis, Wonder-Man, the Black Widow, the Beast, Warbird,Hercules, Moondragon . . .
- June 20
Kasuf is a fictional character in the Stargate universe portrayed by Erick Avari. Kasuf is a native of Abydos and the father of two children, Sha're and Skaara.
He offered his daughter in marriage to Dr. Daniel Jackson when the first Stargate team from Earth visited in the film, Stargate. Daniel agreed and became Kasuf's son-in-law.
Convinced of the truth of the Earth-teams stories, Kasuf helped lead his people in a rebellion against Ra, an alien who enslaved their people and whom they believed to be a god. Kasuf is a leader among his people and shows himself to be wise, understanding, and open. He lost his daughter when she became taken over by a Goa'uld. She was ultimately killed to save Daniel. Though Daniel failed to . . .
- June 21
Kull Warriors are genetically engineered soldiers, on the TV Series Stargate SG-1, created by Anubis for the purpose of fighting those who oppose him. They effectively replaced Jaffa and proved more efficient with unquestionable loyalty. Their home planet is Tartarus, where Anubis grew several thousand of them.
Kull Warriors are not human. They are grown from unknown biological materials. After the body matures in a matter of weeks or less, it is brought to life by the Ancient healing device. They are then implanted with blank Goa'uld symboites. The symboites, produced by an unknown queen in Anubis' service, have no genetic memories and can be programmed to believe whatever Anubis desires.
Kull Warriors are stronger than average humans. Like all hosts they have improved strength and healing ability. Unlike the typical goa'uld however, their lack of genetic memories mean they do not possess the megalomaniacal tendencies and lust
. . .
- June 22
Sheppard first appeared in the two-part premiere episode, "Rising," in which it was discovered that he possessed the rare ATA gene that allowed him to control Ancient technology. His ability to control the technology was natural, and his talent with it surpassed that of all other expedition members with the same gene. Despite his having no prior knowledge of the Stargate, General Jack O'Neill convinced him to join Dr. Elizabeth Weir's expedition to the city of Atlantis in the distant Pegasus Galaxy. After the death of the expedition's military commander, Colonel Marshall Sumner, at the hands of the Wraith, Sheppard became the city's new military commander.
Sheppard is a very skilled pilot in the U.S. Air Force. At the beginning of the series, he was assigned to McMurdo Air Force Base, likely as a result of past conflicts with authority (he defied a direct order in order to save two fellow soldiers in Afghanistan). Assigned to fly General O'Neill to the Antarctic outpost of Atlantis, the discovery of his ATA gene was purely accidental, and his addition to the expedition team was somewhat last-minute. He sat in the outpost's Control Chair, and it immediately responded to his control. Dr. Weir took note and decided she absolutely had to have him on her team. Sheppard was not immediately inclined to go through the Stargate to a new galaxy, but once he stepped through the gate, there was no doubt . . .
- June 23
Colonel Steven Caldwell is a fictional character played by Mitch Pileggi on the series Stargate Atlantis. He is the commander of the Earth ship Daedalus, whose primary mission is the defense and resupply of Atlantis.
Caldwell is a very straightforward, rule-abiding officer who has had a contentious relationship with both Dr. Elizabeth Weir and Lt. Colonel John Sheppard. This is partly due to his desire to be the commander of Atlantis, an opportunity he lost despite the fact that the Pentagon wanted him to take over the position. After the death of Colonel Sumner when Dr. Weir made it clear she wanted Sheppard to keep the position and influenced his promotion to Lt. Colonel. Though he and Sheppard have a difficult relationship, he outranks Sheppard and makes it clear that while he doesn't have command of Atlantis, the Daedalus is his ship and all decisions regarding the Daedalus fall to him.
While on Earth, Caldwell came into contact with members of The Trust and was implanted with a Goa'uld . . .
- June 24
In UFO crash retrieval cases, a UFO reportedly crashes and the remains (of the craft and/or occupants) are recovered (usually by a government).
If crash retrieval stories are true, they would prove that there is a technological reality behind UFOs and that the technology is vulnerable to failure. If the technology could be analyzed and be shown to be of non-terrestrial origin, that would prove the ETH (Extraterrestrial Hypothesis). Conceivably, devices recovered from a craft could be examined and possibly recreated (a process called reverse engineering: starting from a completed object and figuring out how it was built).
Conversely, there are several theories as to why there would be false UFO retrieval stories:
- The stories are made up deliberately to hoax the public
- The stories are cover stories for other activities, such as the recovery of secret craft
- The stories are created to suggest confirmation . . .
- June 25
A footprint 40–50 centimeters long, discovered in Johor National Park in Malaysia in 2005
Mawas are hairy bipeds in Malaysia, also referred to as the Malaysian Bigfoot.
The reported creature is similar to its American counterpart in that the creature supposedly stands 10 feet tall or more, is covered in hair, and has humanlike characteristics—such as the ability to walk upright—that suggest it might be the missing link. And as its name suggests, Bigfoot is known for its massive foot size and the craterlike prints it leaves in the ground where it walks.
In recent years, however, Malaysian wildlife officials have begun to question the creature's allegedly reclusive nature, claiming that they are not solitary but rather reside in tribes. In 2006, after a spate of sightings, the government . . .
- June 26
Illustration by Michael Lee (2007)
The Ri is also known as the Mermaid of New Ireland (a northeastern province of Papua New Guinea). The Ri is the ugly stepsister to the fanciful image of the creature popularized in such Hollywood films as Splash and The Little Mermaid. A local fisherman claims to have buried a Ri skeleton somewhere on New Ireland.
The Ri is said to be an air-breathing mammal with the head, arms, and upper torso of a human (although it is sometimes rumored to have the head of a sea-lion), combined with the lower body of a large fish, complete with lateral fins. It was recognized by the International Society of Cryptozoology after fishermen reported several encounters with mermaids in the waters around . . .
- June 27
Supergirl is a fictional comic book superhero character owned by DC Comics.
Supergirl is Superman's cousin from the planet Krypton who came to Earth with the same powers and vulnerabilities as the Man of Steel. Though she is physically younger than her cousin, she is just as powerful.
The creation of Supergirl was one of the defining moments of the Silver Age of Comics.
When Krypton was destroyed, a chunk of it flew off intact, including people and buildings. This was Argo City. The Kryptonians living there managed to create an artificial atmosphere and get lead shielding down to protect them from the ground which, like all of Krypton at the time of its destruction, had turned into kryptonite. Among Argo City's inhabitants was Zor-El, brother to Jor-El, and his wife Alura.
Soon, Alura gave birth to a daughter named Kara. As Kara grew up, she watched her cousin Kal-El's adventures on Earth through long-range telescope. She fantasized about joining him there as a partner. Reaching the age of fifteen, Kara's wish was about to come true, but not as she would have hoped.
When a meteor shower destroyed the lead shielding, it became evident that the inhabitants of Argo City would soon die . . .
- June 28
Robin Williams (b. July 21, 1951 Chicago, Illinois) is an American actor and voice artist.
Although born in Chicago, Williams moved to San Francisco when he was 16, and San Franciscans consider him one of their own.
He first came to national fame as the alien Mork from Ork in an episode of Happy Days in 1978. This quickly led to his starring in a successful series based on the character, Mork & Mindy. The show was a cultural touchpoint in its first year, and credit was given to Williams' manic energy and improvisational skills.
His big screen debut was as cartoon character Popeye in Robert Altman's take on the famous sailor. The movie was not well-received, so some were surprised by William's portrayal of the titular characer in The World According to Garp two years later. That same year, he got a taste of voice work playing Mork on a cartoon series.
Starring roles followed, which would lead to recognition of his dramatic skills with four Oscar nominations and one win (for . . .
- June 29
Connor Wyatt Trinneer (March 19, 1969) is an American actor born in Walla Walla, Washington. He is best known for his role as Commander Charles Tucker on the series Star Trek: Enterprise. He has also appeared on Stargate Atlantis as the Wraith, Michael.
Tinneer attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, where he played football before discovering acting. He graduated with a BFA in acting and earned his MFA at the University of Missouri Kansas City. His mother's family are from Missouri which enabled him to imitate well the southern accent he uses in Enterprise and on Stargate Atlantis.
Trinneer began his professional career on stage. Her performed on stage with the Huntington Theater Company in Boston. His early television appearances include guest roles on Touched by an Angel, Sliders, Freaky Links, and the TV mocies 61* and Far East. He took on the role of Trip Tucker in 2001 and played the character until the series ended in 2005. He followed up with . . .
- June 30
This long-running (seventeen volumes and counting) military sf series, Honor Harrington, by David Weber chronicles the adventures of Honor Harrington, an officer in the Royal Manticoran Space Navy, in a far-future interstellar civilization that mostly parallels the society and politics of England and France during the early nineteenth century.
The Star Kingdom of Manticore, a parliamentary monarchy, is locked in ongoing hostilities with the People's Republic of Haven, a socialist dictatorship. The starships in Weber's "Honorverse" travel via gravitic impellers—essentially force field generators that warp space in a wedge above and below a ship and drive it at faster-than-light speeds.
A side-effect of this form of FTL drive is that the impeller wedges create impenetrable barriers . . .
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