VORTEX (1982) – Written and directed by Beth B and Scott B, this independent sci-fi detective film starred cult figure Lydia Lunch and actor James Russo. This is one of those movies made with so little money – some of it from the National Endowment for the Arts – that it can’t really be held to the same standards as mainstream releases of its time.
Vortex, a murder mystery involving corporate and governmental corruption, is a fun relic of the days when indy filmmakers did not have access to the kind of technology that such mavericks do today. Here in 2022 it’s possible to buy hand-held equipment that would automatically make one’s movie project look better than many 1980s efforts. However, that does not make today’s filmmakers any more talented than those who came before them.
To be kind, Vortex was one of those films in which the ideas being presented and the bold images being shown on screen were the true point. Solid acting and expensive special effects were only occasionally part of the equation. Continue reading
Long ago I was, I’m ashamed to say, a member of the increasingly deranged and hate-filled Democrat party before I left it to become an Independent Voter. Anyone mindlessly feeling “My political party, right or wrong” is not worth listening to on any issue. 
FINAL FOUR: FIRST BERTH – In this game the 3 seeds – the SULLIVAN COUNTY COLLEGE GENERALS – took on the 6th seeded CECIL COLLEGE SEAHAWKS. 
IRON MAN Vol 1 #54 (January 1973) 
Elsewhere, deep below the waters of the Pacific Ocean, a vessel constructed through the superior technology of the Eternals of Titan travels like a submarine for the moment. This vessel launches a futuristic satellite into orbit, a satellite with cloaking tech and other capabilities. 
HAMMETT (1982) – Directed by Wim Wenders and produced by Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios, Hammett is a criminally neglected valentine to Hard-Boiled Detective Stories and Film Noir. The flick is based on the novel by Joe Gores. 
Booze and coughing fits figure prominently in the movie, as you would expect given a protagonist who was an alcoholic with tuberculosis. For the sake of convenience the story that Hammett just finished before blacking out was one featuring his character the Continental Op (as in an operative for the fictional Continental Detective Agency). 
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE YELLOW JACKETS clashed with the ELMHURST UNIVERSITY BLUEJAYS for the D3 title. 
CENTRAL DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME – The PARKLAND COLLEGE COBRAS took the court against the JOHN WOOD COLLEGE BLAZERS. 
Independent Voter site Balladeer’s Blog comes to you from the Biden Crime Family’s corporate fascist kleptocracy, where Democrats try to dictate what the rest of us are allowed to say, wear, post on the internet, etc. Many of their oppressive actions would not be possible without the utter worthlessness of elected Republicans, whose apparent motto continues to be “Screw our constituents! As long as we remain wealthy enough to survive what the Democrats unleash, that’s all that matters!” 
A FLIGHT TO THE MOON (1813) – Written by George Fowler. This story introduces readers to Randalthus (no last name given), an 1800s American man who has come to regard the moon with a mixture of near-pagan worship and pioneer longing. 
An alert reader reminded me that I did not remember to put up a blog post with links to all my reviews of female author C.L. Moore’s six Jirel of Joiry pulp stories from the 1930s. Here is that collection of links in one convenient blog post. 
Balladeer's Blog 