Monthly Archives: November 2014

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF AND BOWL RESULTS FROM NOVEMBER 29th

* NAIA PLAYOFFS *

Southern Oregon Raiders“DON’T START PLAYING TIL THE FOURTH QUARTER” – The SOUTHERN OREGON UNIVERSITY RAIDERS made THE road comeback of the season in the NAIA! In this Second Round playoff game the Raiders had traveled to face the top seeded CARROLL COLLEGE FIGHTING SAINTS. SOU trailed 28-12 by Halftime and 35-18 to end the 3rd Quarter before outscoring CC 27-7 in the 4th for a heart-pounding 45-42 come-from- behind victory! The Raiders had 4 TD’s by air and 3 on the ground.  

Marian Knights helmet newDEFENDING CHAMPS ELIMINATED – The MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS pulled off the 2nd Round’s other big upset but did it in less nail-biting fashion. The Knights visited the defending champion GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS and were in control from start to finish. A 7-0 Marian lead in the 1st Quarter became 13-0 at the break, then 20-6 in the 3rd. The Knights added 14 more points in the final frame for a tally of 34-6. QB Hayden Northern passed for 258 yds and 3 TD’s in the win. Continue reading

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PULP HERO G-8 AND HIS BATTLE ACES: STORIES SEVENTY-THREE TO SEVENTY-FIVE

Falcon Flies with the damnedBalladeer’s Blog resumes its look at the neglected Pulp Hero G-8. This is a story-by- story look at the adventures of this World War One American fighter pilot who – along with his two wingmen the Battle Aces – took on various super- natural and super- scientific menaces thrown at the Allied Powers by the Central Powers of Germany, Austria- Hungary and the Ottoman Muslim Turks.

G-8 was created by Robert J Hogan in 1933 when World War One was still being called simply the World War or the Great War. Over the next eleven years Hogan wrote 110 stories featuring the adventures of G-8, the street-smart pug Nippy Weston and the brawny giant Bull Martin. The regular cast was rounded out by our hero’s archenemy Doktor Krueger, by Battle, G-8’s British manservant and by our hero’s girlfriend R-1: an American spy/ nurse whose real name, like G-8’s was never revealed.

Black Buzzard flies to Hell73. THE BLACK BUZZARD FLIES TO HELL (October 1939) – Introducing a new member of G-8’s Rogue’s Gallery of foes – Nordlich the Inventor! Herr Nordlich has put his genius to work and has come up with stealth planes coated in a special coal-black paint and capable of carrying over twice the bomb payload of other planes. In addition he’s invented special helmets that permit the planes’ pilots to see each other AND see in the dark of night.

The stealth planes’ debut mission finds them audaciously bombing the HQ of G-8 and his Battle Aces at Le Bourget Field! The emboldened Central Powers are exploiting this technological edge to the fullest so it’s up to G-8, Bull, Nippy and R-1 to root out the secrets of Nordlich’s deadly Black Buzzard planes and to find a weakness that can be used to bring them down. Continue reading

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EVEN DEMOCRAT CHUCK SCHUMER ADMITS OBAMACARE WAS A MISTAKE

Before ObamacareAs millions of working class victims brace themselves for the 2015 increases in Obamacare payments and deductibles even Obama shoe-shine boy Chuck Schumer has broken ranks with his fellow Obamabots to point out how damaging Obamacare has been to families with real-world incomes.

This came in a week which also saw the forced resignation of yet ANOTHER Obama administration member – Chuck Hagel, the Secretary of Defense (lmao) AND saw another scandal arise as Obama crony Terrence P Bean was arrested on charges of sexually abusing a FIFTEEN YEAR OLD BOY.  Continue reading

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CHRISTMAS CAROL-A-THON 2014 BEGINS WITH THE 1923 SILENT FILM VERSION

Christmas Season is upon us! Regular readers of Balladeer’s Blog will remember that from the Friday after Thanksgiving until Christmas Day I conduct a yearly Christmas Carol-A-Thon in which I examine some of the out of the way versions of what I consider to be THE Christmas story! As always I will mix in new reviews with some popular hits from the past. 

A Christmas Carol (1923)

A Christmas Carol (1923)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1923) – Not only am I an enthusiastic fan of this Dickens story but I’m also a lover of silent movies. There were plenty of adaptations of A Christmas Carol in the silent era but this one has got to be the most disappointing. By the 1920’s the art of silent filmmaking was at its creative peak with many of the masterpieces of the pre-sound era premiering during the decade. This British film adaptation is an undeniable bomb which sucks the soul out of the story as effectively as the 1910 Edison Company version. 

At least the 1910 version had the excuse of coming out when silent movies were still finding their way creatively, but this 1923 Hi-Mark production is an embarrassment and a definite step backward in the storytelling technique of silent films. This film was screened only at museums in England for several decades before finally being released on home video in 2007. The lack of exposure built up a certain mystique around this movie and its British pedigree enhanced the feelings of anticipation surrounding its release.

Watching the film quickly disillusions anyone expecting the usual 1920’s silent movie magic. There are Continue reading

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THANKSGIVING TURKEYS WITH THE TEXAS 27 FILM VAULT

Randy Clower (right) with co-host Richard Malmos as "Film Vault Technicians First Class" on The Texas 27 Film Vault

Randy Clower (right) with co-host Richard Malmos as “Film Vault Technicians First Class” on The Texas 27 Film Vault. They’re way down on Level 31. No, not Deep 13 – Level 31.

Randy Clower and Richard Malmos of The Texas 27 Film Vault (both lower right) featured in a Movie Host article with Stella from Saturday Night Dead and Elvira.

Randy Clower and Richard Malmos of The Texas 27 Film Vault (both lower right) featured in a Movie Host article with Stella from Saturday Night Dead and Elvira.

The Texas 27 Film Vault was a great pre-MST3K bad movie show from the mid-1980’s. The hosts Randy Clower and Richard Malmos (also the co-creators of the program) were members of the fictional quasi-military outfit called the Film Vault Corps – “the few, the proud, the sarcastic”. Ken Miller, who played the gung-ho Kilgore-esque Tex on the show was also a co-creator. Tragically Miller commited suicide in 1988.   

The Texas 27 Film Vault aired for 2 and 1/2 hours every Saturday night from 10:30pm to 1:00 am with Randy, Richard, Tex, Joe The Hypnotic Eye Riley and Laurie Savino the Mystery Clip Technician showing and mocking episodes of old Republic and Columbia serials before showing and mocking the night’s bad or campy movie.

Texas and Oklahoma loved this cult show and it’s rare for Sooners and Longhorns to agree on anything! Here’s a look at some of the more memorable episodes from The Texas 27 Film Vault history.  

It! The terror from beyond space 2IT! THE TERROR FROM BEYOND SPACE (1958)

Original Broadcast Date: July 12th, 1986

Serial: Atom Man vs Superman (1950) 

Host Segments: Most of the Host Segments in this episode centered around a touring troupe from the Film Vault Corps Academy in Leadville, Co. That troupe – the FVC Academy’s Little Theatre Group – was performing for Randy, Richard, Tex and the others. Joe Riley’s gore effects took center stage as the touring thespians presented comedic reenactments of classic scenes from movies about aliens, including the infamous chest-burster moment from Alien and an unappetizing moment from the 80’s remake of The Thing

The gore in the Host Segments made this the first Texas 27 Film Vault episode to come with a “Viewer Discretion” warning. Their later presentation of the hilariously bad Friday the 13th Part 3 was another. 

Movie: It! The Terror From Beyond Space was a joyously bad black & white space travel film from the 1950s. A Martian monster has already wiped out all but one member of the first expedition to the Red Planet. Next up on the menu for this ET who sucks all moisture from his victims: the rescue expedition who belatedly arrive to save the crew of the preceding mission to Mars.   

Continue reading

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THE TEXAS 27 FILM VAULT THANKSGIVING EPISODE FROM 1985

Blood Freak (1972)

Blood Freak (1972)

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

Before MST3K there was The Texas 27 Film Vault! Balladeer’s Blog continues its examination of this neglected cult show from the 1980′s with another review of an episode where an original air date can be determined. This time around I’m taking a look at the show’s Thanksgiving episode from the Saturday night before Thanksgiving in 1985.

Randy and Richard showed and mocked Blood Freak, the notorious “Turkey Monster” movie that has been featured by virtually every Movie Host show except MST3K over the years. The Turkey Monster and the main character’s job at a turkey farm have made this a Thanksgiving Season favorite for lovers of bad movies. 

EPISODE ORIGINALLY BROADCAST: Saturday November 23rd, 1985 from 10:30pm to 1:00am.

Blood Freak2FILM VAULT LORE: Our machine-gun toting members of the fictional Film Vault Corps Randy Clower and Richard Malmos used to joke about how The Texas 27 Film Vault seemed to show every movie that had the word “blood” in the title. Previously I’ve reviewed the T27FV episodes featuring the movies Queen of Blood and Blood Beach but there are plenty more coming with sanguinous titles.

Thank you to my fellow T27FV fan Dolores for this quote about Ken Miller, who played “Tex” on the show and who, tragically, committed suicide in 1988: “I loved the random bits of madness added by the gung ho Tex each episode! He always reminded me of Robert Duvall’s character Kilgore from Apocalypse Now. My favorite catch-phrase from Tex was when he would say “Commies don’t watch bad movies!” the way Duvall said “Charley don’t surf!” in Apocalypse Now.”  

Flash Gordon Conquers the UniverseSERIAL: Before showing and mocking the movie our Film Vault Technicians First Class showed and mocked a chapter of the 1940 serial Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe. Special thanks to my fellow Vaultie Channing for her providing the date and serial for this episode.  

THE FILM: BLOOD FREAK (1972) – This movie is about a man who turns into a murderous monster with the head of a turkey after he eats a Continue reading

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OLIVER! – BALLADEER’S BLOG’S THANKSGIVING EVE TRADITION

"Please, sir, may I have some more?"

“Please, sir, may I have some more?”

It’s that time of year again! Just a note in the spirit of the holiday season to mention my favorite Thanksgiving Eve movie.

Every Wednesday before Thanksgiving I make a point out of watching the musical Oliver!

I know the Continue reading

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WHAT KIND OF SAVAGES BEHEAD CHILDREN?

The Ben Affleck Brigade about to go in search of sandwiches to eat.

The Ben Affleck Brigade about to go in search of sandwiches to eat.

Oh, yeah … Muslim savages. Fanatical practitioners of the blood-soaked religion founded by the insane child rapist named Muhammad, fanatics who also teach their own children to do nothing but kill and kill and kill.  

The Obama-spawned ISIS are beheading Kurdish children while teaching their own children to do what Muslim fanatics do best – kill. Kill non-Muslims, kill Muslims who disagree with their own interpretation of Islam, but most of all … kill. It’s why I sarcastically put all the sub-groups of Muslim terrorists under a big umbrella organization called I.S.L.A.M – Intolerant Savages Loathing All Modernity.    Continue reading

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COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF PICTURE GETS CLEARER AFTER WEEK 13

football dogsJust days before we enter the final week of the college football regular season, the official Top 25 ranking will be unveiled Tuesday evening, but the latest mock for the College Football First Four shows the same four teams from last week will top the playoff field. The mock poll includes Florida State, Alabama, Oregon and Mississippi State at the top. The college football betting odds for the NCAAF playoffs are pretty much the same, with the Seminoles dominating the lines as the top favorite team to win the national championship. Continue reading

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TURKEY DAY: BAD MOVIES AND SHORTS FOR THANKSGIVING

Blood Freak (1972)

Blood Freak (1972)

For the Thanksgiving holiday Balladeer’s Blog is focusing on bad movies and hilariously lame educational shorts that have a specific Thanksgiving theme. As always my Bad Movie page contains full-length reviews of the films I’m offering a brief synopsis of here.

BLOOD FREAK (1972) – This movie is about a man who turns into a murderous monster with the head of a turkey after he eats a chemically treated gobbler at the turkey farm where he works. Blood Freak has been a cult classic for Thanksgiving for decades now, with many Movie Host shows of the late 70’s onward making a point of screening it at this time of year (including The Texas 27 Film Vault). The biker who turns into the blood-crazed turkey monster is Continue reading

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