For this holiday week Balladeer’s Blog is focusing on topics that are seasonal. This time around it’s 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 70s 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 an Elvis look-alike which adds to the fun. So does the desk-bound, chain-smoking, script-reading narrator who sermonizes about the evils of drug abuse while the movie plays.
A DAY OF THANKSGIVING (1951) – This 12 minute educational short would make a nice dessert after a Turkey Day screening of Blood Freak. The Johnson family – composed of Mom, Dad, Dick, Susan, Tommy and the toddler Janet – can’t afford a turkey for Thanksgiving. The children are at first callously (and comically) bratty about it, but relent after Dad – in his sexiest voice for some reason – gives the kids a lecture about being grateful for what you have instead of obsessing over the things you don’t have. Continue reading
More than eleven years after its posting online, this specially edited trailer for The Wicker Man remake as if it’s a comedy STILL hasn’t gotten nearly as much love as it deserves. So, for a holiday season break here is one of the few reworked trailers that is utterly hilarious because it doesn’t cheat by inserting footage from other movies. This baby is all pure video and audio from the Nicolas “What’s in the bag? … A shaaarrrk?” Cage remake. 
DEMOCRATS ANNOUNCE THEY’VE JUST DISCOVERED 
OCASIO-CORTEZ DEMANDS THAT PEOPLE STOP NOTICING THE IMBECILIC REMARKS SHE MAKES 
Thanksgiving is this Thursday, which means that on Wednesday Night Balladeer’s Blog will be showing its yearly Thanksgiving Eve presentation of Oliver! Yes, I know there’s no connection between Thanksgiving and that musical based on the Dickens novel Oliver Twist. 
College football rivalry games are as much a part of the Thanksgiving season as turkey and pumpkin pie. Here is a look at some of this week’s holiday offerings in the way of in-state grudge matches or other traditional gridiron clashes for the season. To find odds for the upcoming NCAAF games click 
CENTENNIAL-MAC BOWL – The FRANKLIN & MARSHALL COLLEGE DIPLOMATS from the Centennial Conference hosted the LYCOMING COLLEGE WARRIORS from the Middle Atlantic Conference. The Diplomats were chasing the Warriors 13-7 in the 1st Quarter and 20-14 at Halftime. Franklin & Marshall went on top 21-20 in the 3rd Quarter, a score that held up as the final tally, too. 
WHITELAW BOWL – The UTICA COLLEGE PIONEERS took on the ITHACA COLLEGE BOMBERS in the 2018 Scotty Whitelaw Bowl. The Bombers were leading 28-21 at the break and 35-24 to end the 3rd Quarter. In the 4th the Pioneers exploded for 20 points, winning the game by a count of 44-42. 
BUSHNELL BOWL – This year’s Asa Bushnell Bowl pitted the ALFRED UNIVERSITY SAXONS against the SALISBURY UNIVERSITY SEA GULLS. A 7-0 Saxons edge in the opening Quarter became a 7-7 tie at the Half. Neither team scored in the 3rd Quarter, but Alfred University added 7 more points in the 4th for a 14-7 win. 
The people of Fiji believed in an epic journey for the souls of the deceased. That journey is even more detailed than the Soul’s Journey envisioned by the Tupari of Brazil. 
I meant to post this item several days ago. Better late than never. It features some black voters in #BLEXIT shirts (as in Black Exit from the Democrat Party, a parallel movement to #WALKAWAY) explaining to a reporter why they support President Trump. (As regular readers are aware I consider Trump a de facto Third Party President, which is one of the things I like about him since I dislike both major parties.) 
DOUBLE OVERTIME – The BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS hosted the UNIVERSITY OF THE CUMBERLANDS PATRIOTS in this 1st Round game. A 17-13 Halftime edge for the Ravens became a 20-17 Patriots lead to end the 3rd Quarter. Benedictine College tied things up at 34-34 to force Overtime. The 1st OT wound up as a 41-41 deadlock but in the 2nd OT the Ravens emerged with a 48-41 triumph. 
TROUBLE RIGHT HERE IN ORANGE CITY – The DICKINSON STATE BLUE HAWKS traveled to face Orange City, IA’s NORTHWESTERN COLLEGE RED RAIDERS. After a scoreless opening Quarter the Blue Hawks were on top of the Red Raiders 7-6 come Halftime. Neither team scored in the 3rd Quarter following which Dickinson State added 7 more points in the 4th for a 14-6 Upset. 
UPSET IN INDIANAPOLIS – The SAINT XAVIER UNIVERSITY COUGARS took it on the road against their familiar foes the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS in this game. A 14-14 1st Quarter tie was unchanged at the break. In the 3rd Quarter the Cougars grabbed a 24-21 lead then added 10 more points from there to win it 34-21. 
GIZMO (1977) – An entertaining documentary about some of the oddest inventions you could possibly imagine. Some never made it anywhere close to actually working, while others worked but proved so hopelessly impractical that you’ll howl with laughter at the wasted effort. 
