Just a light-hearted post about a non-serious topic but one which I’m seeing both sides of the political aisle making silly talking points about. In the new Marvel movie Thunderbolts Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays the character Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine.
Because of the prominent streak of white in her hair anti-Gabbard people are wasting their time pretending it’s making fun of Tulsi while pro-Gabbard people are wasting their time getting upset at the notion that it’s making fun of Tulsi.
BALLADEER’S BLOG
In truth, Valentina was introduced in 1967 in the comic books and has had the streak of white in her hair for SEVERAL DECADES. So, everybody on both sides can calm down. The white streak is simply a trademark of the character as much as Nick Fury’s eyepatch is. (And she had been Fury’s romantic partner for decades, by the way.)
This is like when The Dark Knight Rises movie came out long ago and people unfamiliar with comic books made a similar mistake. Some Republicans were upset that the character Bane was supposedly a joking insult about Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital and some Democrats were laughing because they too thought the name was a satirical poke at Bain Capital. Continue reading
EMPIRE (1962-1963) – Ryan O’Neal, Charles Bronson, Richard Egan and Terry Moore starred in this modern-day (1960s) drama about a family ranch in New Mexico. 
RICHARD EGAN starred as Jim Redigo, the brawny ranch manager with an MBA. That was an intriguing idea, and this character helped capture the new complexities of operating a ranch in the modern era while retaining the raw machismo that 1960s viewers would have expected from a ranch manager. 
RYAN O’NEAL played Tal Garret, Lucia’s son who was being groomed to take over the family ranch one day. His relationship with Redigo went from being like an uncle and nephew to more like a father and son but Tal struggled for the respect that he felt the older man was not giving him. Neither as a young man nor a rancher. 
For Balladeer’s Blog’s overview of the entire Kapitan Mors der Luftpirat series click 
THE AIRSHIP IN A WHIRLWIND – As the early pulp adventures of Kapitan Mors continue, his Luftschiff (Air Ship) is still incredibly damaged in the aftermath of his first clash with Ned Gully, his archenemy. That battle happened in the previous installment. 
Institution: FORT PECK COLLEGE 
Institution: TURTLE MOUNTAIN COLLEGE 
THE SUCCESSOR (1965) – This made for British television drama was as deep as a 1965 production was going to go in depicting the deliberations and the behind the scenes maneuvering as the College of Cardinals chooses the next Pope. All the characters are fictional, but it’s acknowledged that the events are slightly based on the election of Pope John XXIII in October of 1958. 
Balladeer’s Blog continues its marking of the FORTIETH anniversary year of the neglected cult show The Texas 27 Film Vault, which debuted on February 9th, 1985. 
SERIAL: Before showing and mocking the movie our members of the Film Vault Corps showed and mocked a chapter of Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (1940). 
HOST SEGMENTS: Some potential dispute here. Dr X-Rae thinks that this was the episode that showed Randy and Richard seeming to quit the Film Vault Corps (“the few, the proud, the sarcastic”) and through an oddball series of events, winding up in front of a firing squad … and getting shot! 
Yes, Happy Easter, ladies and gentlemen! Balladeer’s Blog helps celebrate by combining the holiday with my passion for silent films. I’m providing the following list of silent movies – both shorts and feature films – about Jesus Christ. 
CHRISTUS (1916) – Directed by Giulio Cesare Antamoro, this is a fascinating look at Jesus, from the Angel visiting Mary through his Resurrection and subsequent visit with his Apostles. Christus runs 88 minutes and features some inventive variations on Biblical tableaux. The Star of Bethlehem is depicted as a comet; when Mary finds young Jesus preaching to his teachers His shadow appears as a cross; and Judas gets three visions of the Devil – first urging him on to betray Jesus, then taunting him when he regrets that betrayal, and finally welcoming him into Hell, which opens up under Judas’ swinging corpse. 
CABALLERO ROJO (Red Cavalier) 
CYBERSIX
Von Reichter’s creations developed free will, including Cybersix and the pantheroid Data 7, and they rebelled. Von Reichter exterminated all of them except our heroine Cybersix and Data 7, who escaped and have opposed their insane creator, his new creations and other forces of evil ever since.
Powers: This heroine possesses super-strength, greater than human speed & agility, and can see in the dark. Like her panther Data 7, Cybersix can make spectacular leaps due to her incredible strength. 
Balladeer's Blog 