Happy Halloween 2020 from Balladeer’s Blog!
THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND (1908) – Written by William Hope Hodgson. This tale is a terrific but often overlooked forerunner of Lovecraftian horror blended with traditional haunted house elements. Throw in material that puts the reader in mind of Madame Blavatsky’s and Aleister Crowley’s horror fiction and it’s a magnificent story for Halloween.
Our tale is set in and around an isolated house in a desolate, eerie location in West Ireland. The main character is an elderly man who lives there with his sister. His sleep is tainted with disturbing dreams that become more like occult visions of barren but impossible landscapes. (Think “If M.C. Esher did landscaping.”)
In those visions his and his sister’s house is always in the middle of the terrifying geography. After these unsettling experiences on the astral plane the material version of those forces are unleashed in the real world by a minor earthquake near our main character’s house.
Swinish humanoids that resemble the illusory pig-faced monster in the movie Boardinghouse emerge from the new fissure and besiege the two terrified humans, Night of the Living Dead style. Continue reading
Balladeer’s Blog’s Month-long celebration of Halloween nears its end for 2020 as I take a look at the most seasonal covers of the 1970s Marvel Comics series Son of Satan. The latest Marvel television show, Helstrom, is a very watered-down and weak version of their horror character Daimon Hellstrom, the son of Satan and a mortal woman. (They didn’t even use both “L’s” in the name Hellstrom for the series title, as if h-e-l-l is too shocking for public use.) 
MARVEL SPOTLIGHT Vol 1 #12 (October 1973) 
While Joe Biden hides in his bunker from the Biden Family Corruption Scandal, Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog notes that yet ANOTHER Native American Tribe has endorsed de facto Third Party President Donald Trump. In the endorsement, Alvin Not Afraid, Jr (the best name imaginable) called attention to President Trump’s policy of letting the tribe assign and grant permits on THEIR OWN mineral rights, unlike so many previous administrations. (link below) 
Meanwhile, Martin Luther King Person of Courage Maurice Davis, the Democrat VP of the Flint City Council announced he is crossing party lines to support President Trump:
CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER REV WILLIAM OWENS also mentioned his support for Trump, praising the president’s policies which have helped communities of color.
THE MAGICIAN – During Halloween Season a few years back Balladeer’s Blog reviewed the 1926 silent movie adaptation of The Magician. This time around I’ll review the original Somerset Maugham novel from 1908. It’s no secret at this late date that the malevolent sorceror of the title, Oliver Haddo, was based on the real-life Aleister Crowley. In fact, Crowley would accuse Maugham of plagiarism when he reviewed The Magician under the name Oliver Haddo, his fictional counterpart.
I. Jacques Morand – Roughly 300 years ago Jacques Morand was in love with Genevieve Parent. Unfortunately for him Genevieve decided to join a convent. When Morand could not change her mind through pleading he turned to threats, which drew warnings from Genevieve’s father and brothers. 
Independent voter site Balladeer’s Blog couldn’t help but note that while the Democrats’ war on the rest of us has now spread to Philadelphia, de facto Third Party President Trump has added even more accomplishments. Peace between Sudan and Israel plus presiding over the greatest U.S. manufacturing boom since the 1970s. (links below)
Proving they have no intention of regaining their sanity anytime soon, Democrats like Senator Chris Coons have begun calling for harassment of hundreds of lower court Justices who don’t obey Democrat Party dogma. (link below) 
CROWHAVEN FARM (1970) – Do you like ghosts and witches? Do you enjoy slow burn horror like Rosemary’s Baby? Give Crowhaven Farm a viewing or two. It’s perfect for a viewing party after the trick or treaters are done for the night. And at just 74 minutes what do you have to lose? 
VAMPIRE (1979) – Incredibly underappreciated horror film that concentrates on atmosphere and eeriness rather than in-your-face antics. Cult actor Richard Lynch stars as the title menace, Prince Anton Voytek. When the undead bloodsucker’s tomb is disturbed by construction for a new church (talk about adding insult to injury), the vampire subjects the city to a reign of terror. 
Balladeer’s Blog has featured countless Martin Luther King People of Courage supporting de facto Third Party President Donald Trump and defending him from the lies of Democrat media outlets. Here are two more videos. 
BLAZING A TRAIL TO VICTORY – The MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY PIONEERS took it on the road against the EVANGEL UNIVERSITY CRUSADERS yesterday. A 7-0 Pioneers edge in the 1st Quarter became 14-0 by Halftime but the Crusaders knotted things up at 14-14 to end the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th MNU pulled out a 28-21 win. 
TRIPLING UP ON THE COMPETITION – The MAYVILLE STATE COMETS found themselves on the road against the PRESENTATION COLLEGE SAINTS (should be the Angels). The Comets went up 7-0 in the opening Quarter and never looked back. By the 3rd Quarter Mayville State led 28-7 before winning it 42-14. 
SHUTOUTS – The BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS visited the CENTRAL METHODIST UNIVERSITY EAGLES and blanked them 16-0 ### And the GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS (should be Zebras) obliterated their hosts the WILLIAM PENN UNIVERSITY STATESMEN 55-0. 