BEST OF APRIL 2025

Balladeer’s Blog’s annual retrospective continues with this look at April’s best.

SCREAMBOOK (1984) – This low, low budget horror anthology film was written, produced and directed by THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Joseph Zaso.

He went on to a still-going career in Psychotronic filmmaking, but this debut effort saw him directing (mostly) his fellow teens, even in the adult and elderly roles. Sort of a Bugsy Mallone feel. Click HERE.   

AIHEC: COOL NAMED TEAMS AND LOGOS – A look at 21 cool-named sports teams and their logos from the American Indian Higher Education Consortium. Meet the Turtle Mountain College Mighty Mikinocks, the Red Lake Nation College Migizi, the Leech Lake College Leech Lakers and more. Click HERE.

WINK MARTINDALE, RIP: HE DID MORE THAN JUST GAME SHOWS – I reviewed some of Mr. Martindale’s other productions, like his role on the sci-fi series Mars Patrol (1953-1955), the Rock and Roll movie Let’s Rock (1958), the 26-minute short about life in the future titled 1999 A.D., and the PureFlix series Hilton Head Island. Click HERE.

VAL KILMER, RIP: TOP SECRET (1984) – Click HERE.

FOR APRIL 1st, THE THIRD FOOL KILLER LETTER – From June 28th, 1861.

The folk figure created by Charles Napoleon Bonaparte Evans in the 1850s expressed his disgust with the fools who brought on the Civil War. Click HERE.

FORGOTTEN TELEVISION – Bracken’s World (1969-1970) Leslie Nielsen as the head of a Hollywood studio with as many stars as The Love Boat. Click HERE.   The Engelbert Humperdinck Show (1969-1970) – Singing and comedy sketches with celebrity guests. Click HERE.   Empire (1962-1963) Ryan O’Neal, Charles Bronson and Richard Egan starred in this modern ranching drama HERE.   

ANCIENT SCIENCE FICTION – Consolations in Travel (1830) A journey to see the alien life-forms on the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and on comets HERE. The Guardian of Mystery Island (1896) Hemp that grants long lifespans and a large man-eating tree with tentacles for branches. Click HERE. A Story of the Year 2236 (1900) – A war between Earth’s interstellar empire and a hostile alien empire from Sirius. Click HERE.   

ARGENTINA’S SUPERHEROES – I examined the country’s male and female heroes like Caballero Rojo, Cybersix, Sonoman, El Cazador, Alien Girl, Arana Negra and many more. Click HERE.

BAD MOVIES – A look at Werewolves on Wheels (1971), Psychomania (1973), Black Angels (1970), Bigfoot (1970), She-Devils on Wheels and several more HERE.   

THE SUCCESSOR (1965) – Forgotten drama which fictionalized the College of Cardinals’ process for their selection of a new Pope. Click HERE.

HOLLYWOOD DETECTIVE (1991) STARRING GREGORY PECK’S SON – Stylish and witty, this series starred Tony Peck as a hard-boiled private detective in late 1920s and early 1930s Los Angeles.

His cases involve silent film stars like John Barrymore, writers like Dorothy Parker, plus bootleggers, escaped convicts, the Aimee Semple McPherson disappearance and more. Click HERE. 

CAPTAIN MORS, THE AIR PIRATE – I reviewed the German sci-fi character Kapitan Mors’ 1908-1911 adventures: 1 to 5 HERE, 6-10 HERE, 11-15 HERE and 16-20 HERE.

THE CLOCK, PART THREE – More of the pioneering comic book hero’s 1936-1944 stories.  Click HERE.

ROCK STAR CHERI CURRIE IN 2025 – Click HERE.

Randy (right) and Richard way down on Level 31 hosting The Texas 27 Film Vault.

THE TEXAS 27 FILM VAULT – My look at the 1985-1987 cult show’s 40th Anniversary year. Bad and campy movies mocked included Blood Beach (1980) HERE, High School Confidential (1958) HERE, Horror of Party Beach (1964) HERE, and Invasion USA (1952) HERE.

AN EASTER SUNDAY EXAMINATION OF SILENT FILMS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST – Silent Jesus movies from 1898, 1899, 1902, 1903, 1906, 1907, 1910, 1912, 1916, 1917, 1923, 1927 and 1928. Click HERE.

MARVEL’S 1940s STORIES ABOUT CAPTAIN AMERICA AND GOLDEN GIRL – Cap and his replacement for Bucky, Golden Girl HERE.   

MISS AMERICA: THE FINAL 1940s STORIES ABOUT THIS MARVEL SUPERHEROINE. Click HERE.