Monthly Archives: May 2013

May 31, 2013 · 10:35 pm

BAD MOVIE: HORROR OF PARTY BEACH (1964) ON THE TEXAS 27 FILM VAULT: MAY 25TH, 1985

The Cute Mascot for Vibrators-to-Go

The Cute Mascot for Vibrators-to-Go

In the middle 1980’s/ Way down on Level 31 …

Before MST3K there was The Texas 27 Film Vault, hosted by Randy Clower and Richard Malmos. Balladeer’s Blog’s examination of this neglected 1980’s cult show continues. Here’s the 8th review of episodes where an original broadcast date can be determined.

EPISODE ORIGINALLY BROADCAST: Saturday May 25th, 1985 from 10:30pm to 1:00am.

Phantom EmpireEXTRAS: With 2 1/2 hours to work with every episode our machine-gun toting “Film Vault Technicians First Class” Randy and Richard had plenty of time to show (and mock) episodes of old Republic serials before showing (and mocking) the night’s bad movie. Before Horror of Party Beach our boys showed an episode of The Phantom Empire, in which Gene Autry played a singing cowboy  who saves the world from an advanced underground civilization complete with killer robots.

Yeah, most atomic beasts live off human brains!

Yeah, most atomic beasts live off human brains!

Also, a comedy sketch (which Randy Clower told me he still has footage of) from the episode featured Richard jamming a bunch of hot dogs in his mouth to resemble the absurd, multi-tongued sea creatures in Horror of Party Beach.     

FILM VAULT LORE: Special thanks to my fellow Texas 27 Film Vault fan Jana for the date of this episode and which serial preceded the movie. She did not remember which  chapter of the serial Randy and Richard were on, but you can’t have everything!

Here’s more in Jana’s own words: “My boyfriend and I at the time were at SMU and on Saturday nights everybody on Continue reading →

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May 30, 2013 · 10:37 pm

TWO COLLEGE BASEBALL CHAMPIONS CROWNED; MORE WORLD SERIES’ CONTINUE

 * NCAA D3 *

Linfield Wildcats logoYesterday the NCAA Division 3 World Series Champions were crowned. The LINFIELD COLLEGE WILDCATS and the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MAINE HUSKIES were the last two teams standing. In a battle of cats and dogs the Huskies scored a run in the 1st inning and led 1-0 until the bottom of the 4th. At that point the Wildcats put up 4 runs of their own. Neither team gave up any more points, making the final score 4-1. Congratulations Linfield!

* NJCAA3 *

GloucesterIn Division Three of the NJCAA the championship game went from being a classic to a blowout in one half of an inning. The upstart CENTURY COLLEGE WOOD DUCKS and the GLOUCESTER COLLEGE ROADRUNNERS were all tied up at 3-3 after 4 full innings of play. In the top of the 5th the Roadrunners “beep-beeped” out TEN RUNS and from there the outcome was never in doubt. The final score was Continue reading →

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May 30, 2013 · 9:05 pm

WYNONNA EARP: THE NEGLECTED HEROINE WHO DESERVES A MOVIE

Wynonna EarpBalladeer’s Blog’s Frontierado holiday is rapidly approaching! For newbies I’ll point out that that holiday is the 1st Friday of every August. I’m kicking off this year’s countdown to Frontierado with a look at a comic book heroine who should not be overlooked in this mad barrage of superhero films of the 21st Century. The fact that she falls into Weird Western territory is what makes her perfect for the Frontierado season. 

WYNONNA EARP – December of 1996 saw the comic book debut of Wynonna Earp, a descendant of Frontier Marshal Wyatt Earp. Wynonna worked in present-day law enforcement in the American southwest. What separates her from her more well known ancestor is the fact that Wynonna was a United States Marshal, Black Badge Division.

The Black Badge Division was a top-secret branch of Federal Marshals established by President Theodore Roosevelt to deal with paranormal menaces. That’s right, Wynonna Earp was as sexy as Barb Wire or Xena and fought werewolves, mummies, zombies, gremlins and all other manner of supernatural foes just like Kolchak or the X-Files crew. In her earlier adventures Marshal Earp was drawn as a drop-dead sex-bomb who often gouged out the eyes of her opponents with her impossibly high heels while in her final few escapades she was drawn as a more sensibly-dressed heroine.

Wynonna Earp was the Continue reading →

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May 29, 2013 · 10:20 pm

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES RESULTS FROM MAY 28TH: NAIA, NJCAA, D2 AND D3

* NAIA *

Lee FlamesYesterday the 2nd seeded LEE UNIVERSITY FLAMES scored 11 runs by the 6th inning of their game with the 9th seeded MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SPARTANS. The Spartans did not even get on the board until the 7th, and the final score in this elimination game was Flames 12  Spartans 2.   ###   Meanwhile the 7 seeds, the LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS stayed alive with another upset victory, this time over the 5th seeded MASTER’S MUSTANGS. The Warriors trailed 2-0 in the bottom of the 9th inning when their bats came alive, propelling them to a 3-2 comeback win!   ###   In a clash between two teams called EAGLES the 3rd seeded EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY held a 3-0 lead over Continue reading →

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May 29, 2013 · 9:34 pm

IROQUOIS EPIC MYTH: HODADEION PART FOUR

IroquoisPART FOUR – THE EYELESS ONE – With the evil medicine man Hodiadatgon overcome the god of magic Hodadeion continued his quest toward the north to find the cannibal wizards who had depopulated so many villages.

At length he came upon a longhouse lodge in a clearing. Creeping closer, Hodadeion looked within and saw an elderly man with no eyes sitting on the floor of the lodge. The old man was surrounded by furs and meat while the walls of his lodge were filled with the severed heads of men, both young and old. Seeing nothing inside that concerned him Hodadeion decided to move on, only to come out of thick woods to find the exact same clearing with the exact same lodge. Even the old man with no eyes and his macabre trophies lining the walls dwelt inside.

No matter which direction Hodadeion traveled or how long he ventured through the thick forest he always emerged on the clearing where the eyeless old man’s lodge stood. This time while he was standing outside the door the man with no eyes called out to Continue reading →

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May 28, 2013 · 9:27 pm

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES RESULTS FROM MAY 27TH FOR THE NAIA, NJCAA, D2 AND D3

lcsc_logo1* NAIA *  

The 7th seeded LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS and the 4th seeded NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY (TX) KNIGHTS were in a tight 5-4 contest headed into the 8th inning. The Warriors’ bats went into overdrive during the final 2 innings and provided a 9-5 elimination game victory to Lewis-Clark State.    ###    Meanwhile the 3 seeds, the EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY EAGLES, pulled off an upset of their own. ERAU turned a 3-1 6th inning lead by the 2nd seeded LEE UNIVERSITY FLAMES into a 5-4 triumph for themselves.    ###    College World Series 1st-timers, the 9th seeded MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SPARTANS, stayed alive by eliminating the 10th seeded ROGERS STATE UNIVERSITY HILLCATS in a 5-4 comeback win.    ###    And the top seeded FAULKNER EAGLES held off an 8th and 9th inning rally from the (til-then) scoreless MASTER’S MUSTANGS. The Eagles eliminated the Mustangs by a Continue reading →

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May 26, 2013 · 10:37 pm

THE TOP FOUR FORGOTTEN MILITARY UNITS FROM AMERICAN WARS

As part of this Memorial Day weekend Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of neglected areas of United States military history.

Oneida Nation's First Allies Unit

Oneida Nation’s First Allies Unit

4. THE ONEIDA NATION’S FIRST ALLIES UNIT 

Conflict: Revolutionary War

Comment: The Oneida Nation of Native Americans were America’s first allies. During the Revolutionary War most Native American tribes sided with the British but the Oneida Nation, under Chief Shenendoah, led his people to ally themselves with the emerging United States. The Oneida alliance with the U.S. therefore PREDATED France’s recognition of an independent America.

The Oneida warriors fought alongside American forces throughout upstate New York, most notably at the Battles of Oriskany and Saratoga. They also provided desperately needed food and medical supplies for the Continental Army during the terrible winter at Valley Forge. Two treaties were signed and honored to this very day regarding Oneida sovereignty, retention of their land and a yearly ceremonial delivery of bolts of cloth to the Oneida leaders. That ceremony continues once a Continue reading →

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May 26, 2013 · 2:17 pm

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES RESULTS FROM THE NAIA, NJCAA PLUS D2 AND D3

Memorial Day means more than just remembering the fallen and having cookouts. It also means all the college championship baseball you can handle! What basketball is to March various College World Series’ are to Memorial Day weekend.

* NAIA *

rogers state hillcatsOn Day 2 for this World Series the 10th seeded ROGERS STATE UNIVERSITY HILLCATS eliminated the 6th seeded YORK (NE) PANTHERS in a thrilling 4-1 upset. The score was tied at 1-1 in the bottom of the 6th when the Hillcats bats started adding runs.    ###    The 4 seeds, the NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY (TX) KNIGHTS, scored a run in the 1st inning, little dreaming it would be the only run logged in the entire game. The Knights bounced the 8th seeded STERLING COLLEGE WARRIORS in this 1-0 pitcher’s duel.    ###    The 2nd seeded LEE UNIVERSITY FLAMES and the 7th seeded LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS were involved in an outright orgy of scoring yesterday. The game was tied at 10-10 headed into the 6th before the Flames started pulling away for a 14-11 victory.    ###    And the top seeded FAULKNER EAGLES won a 2-0 game for the ages against the 9 seeds, College World Series newcomers the MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SPARTANS.

* NCAA D2 *

Franklin Pierce Ravens logoDay One of the NCAA Division 2 World Series began with the FRANKLIN PIERCE UNIVERSITY RAVENS taking on the SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY RED RAIDERS. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 8th inning when the Ravens got on the board with one run. They then shut down the Red Raiders one last time in the top of the 9th to walk away with a 1-0 triumph.    ###    And in the only other game played yesterday in D2’s Series the MINNESOTA STATE MAVERICKS clashed with the GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY LAKERS. This was another game for those who love defense, with the Continue reading →

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May 26, 2013 · 1:22 pm

CASABLANCA CAPTIONING FUN IS BACK

The latest in this series of captions for iconic moments from the Continue reading →

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May 25, 2013 · 7:47 pm

COLLEGE WORLD SERIES: DAY ONE RESULTS FOR THE NAIA AND D3

* NAIA*

Missouri Baptist University SpartansDay One of the 2013 College World Series for the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) started off with history being made. The 9th seeded MISSOURI BAPTIST UNIVERSITY SPARTANS, playing in their FIRST EVER World Series game, upset the 8 seeds, the STERLING COLLEGE WARRIORS, in a dominant 8-3 performance!    ###    The 5th seeded MASTER’S MUSTANGS upset the 4th seeded NORTHWOOD UNIVERSITY (TX) KNIGHTS in a 4-3 Instant Classic.    ###    The 3rd seeded EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY EAGLES smacked around the (6) YORK (NE) PANTHERS by a score of 8-3.      ###    And the 7th seeded LEWIS-CLARK STATE WARRIORS clobbered the 10 seeeds, the ROGERS STATE UNIVERSITY HILLCATS, 6-1. The top two seeds, the LEE UNIVERSITY FLAMES and Continue reading →

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