Christopher Nolan: The Most Over-Contemplated Director in History
The first person to email me the name of the site being parodied in this post wins a special prize!
* TWELVE THINGS THAT TEN-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN DON’T KNOW ABOUT CLASSIC MOVIES *
* THE FOUR MOST EXCITING CRICKET PLAYERS IN HISTORY AND WHY THEY’RE REALLY THE FOUR MOST BORING CRICKET PLAYERS IN HISTORY *
* TEN REASONS WHY WE Continue reading
Filed under humor
Frontierado is Friday, August 4th!
The various range wars of the Old West were not truly “wars,” of course but were more like modern-day gangster conflicts with very rare examples of outright good guys or outright bad guys. Frontierado is about the myth of the American West, not the reality, though, so think in terms of Renaissance Festivals.
THE LINCOLN COUNTY WAR – Billy the Kid’s involvement in this range war has made this the most internationally famous of them all, so I chose it for this premier look at gangs fighting on both sides of the conflict. For fans of the original Young Guns movie I’ll lead off with the Regulators.
THE REGULATORS
Side: Tunstall-McSween Faction
Billy the Kid
Comment: Like many of the units fighting in the Lincoln County War the Regulators were “deputized” by law enforcement personnel in the pocket of their faction’s leaders. This provided an arguable veneer of legality to the group’s actions. Dick Brewer led the Regulators until he was killed by Buckshot Roberts, then Frank McNabb led them and, after his death Josiah Scurlock took over.
Prominent Members: Billy the Kid, Tommy O’Folliard, Charlie Bowdre, Jim “Frenchy” French, Dirty Steve Stephens, Tiger Sam Smith and the Coe Brothers.
SEVEN RIVERS WARRIORS
Side: Dolan-Murphy Faction Continue reading
Filed under FRONTIERADO
FOR PART 1 OF BALLADEER’S BLOG’S EXAMINATION OF MARVEL’S SUPERHEROINE MANTIS CLICK HERE
AVENGERS Volume 1, Number 131 (January 1975) A Quiet Half-Hour in Saigon
It’s back to Vietnam as we continue examining The Celestial Madonna Saga.
A QUIET HALF-HOUR IN SAIGON
Synopsis: We rejoin our heroes the day after their battle with the Titanic Three (plus Slasher) in the capital city of Vietnam where they were investigating Mantis’ past. Thor, Iron Man, Hawkeye, the Vision and Mantis still do not understand her coming role as the Celestial Madonna.
Nor do they understand exactly WHAT this Celestial Madonna will do, let alone who her mate will be or why their offspring will somehow control all time and space. The Scarlet Witch, meanwhile, is still back in New York at Avengers Mansion, being tutored by the sorceress Agatha Harkness.
There has been no response yet to the repeating radio summons to the Kree superhero Captain Marvel, who Iron Man hopes will be able to shed light on Mantis’ ties to the ancient sect of the Priests of Pama.
No one still alive in the criminal empire of Mantis’ late uncle has been able to provide useful information, either. The Madonna Star continues to shine above Avengers Mansion, drawing throngs from around the world and inspiring rumors that the star presages the end of the world.
Presently, as another night approaches Mantis gets to work off some frustration by thwarting an attempted mugging.
Even with all that going on, Hawkeye, who often wallows in even more self-pity than Peter Parker does, ponders his insecurities. He feels in a rut compared to all the mad action and changes swirling around most of his teammates.
CUT TO: The time-stream itself, where Kang the Conqueror remains locked in battle with his future self, Rama Tut II. Through time-travel technology that is superior even to Kang’s own the pair are plucked from Kang’s drifting time-sphere in which they were fighting. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
Here at Balladeer’s Blog I am still relishing the way that the bought and paid for Democrats and Republicans continue trying to act like everything is fine as the fundamentally corrupt nature of our government’s “Swamp” is laid bare.
Even people who hate our de facto Third Party President Donald Trump can get into the dark comedy being played out now that an outsider is in the White House. No matter how much Anti-Trump passion you feel, you can still comment on the current craziness like so:
POSE ONE: “I cannot abide that uncouth lout Trump but the actions of his enemies in both parties has laid bare what a cesspool of corruption the Democrats and Republicans have created.”
POSE TWO: “As much as I can’t stand Donald Trump he’s looking almost honest compared to the Democrats and Republicans in Congress.”
POSE THREE (Recommended for Europeans in particular): “The Americans should be embarrassed that Donald Trump of all people is emerging as the most honest figure in their make-believe representative democracy.”
There you go! All the snarkiness you love but without the embarrassment of siding with the career criminals called Democrats and Republicans!
In any event, here is a terrific list of questions now needing answered about the whole Imran Awan/ Democratic National Committee/ Debbie Wasserman Schultz affair: (link below)
1. Who coordinated the hiring of the Awan brothers by dozens of Democratic Congressman?
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
Jeffrey Hunter as The Christmas Kid
Frontierado is coming up on Friday August 4th!
In the past Balladeer’s Blog has examined some of the big names among the fictional gunslingers of Spaghetti Westerns. I’ve covered the original Django, Sartana, the Holy Ghost, Dynamite Joe, Harmonica and even Tony Anthony’s character the Stranger. Here are a few of the lesser lights from Eurowesterns.
THE CHRISTMAS KID
Film: The Christmas Kid (1966)
The Story: Jeffrey Hunter portrayed this memorable gunslinger, who got his nickname from the date of his birth, December 25th. His nickname was always bitter-sweet, however, since his mother died giving birth to him on Christmas.
The Kid is a pacifist in fictional Jaspen, AZ during a copper rush. Our hero reluctantly takes up a gun and at first seems like he might be corrupted by the faction led by the crooked town boss (Louis Hayward) but eventually his girlfriend Marie dies as the violence escalates. The Christmas Kid redoubles his efforts against Hayward. Good but not a great film.
The Kid deserved more than one screen appearance but the forced Jesus parallels make this movie as UN-intentionally funny as the Holy Ghost Spaghetti Westerns (“Looks like this is your Last Supper.”). Continue reading
Filed under FRONTIERADO
BEYOND THE ETHER (1898) – Written by W. Cairns Johnston. This little honey is so jam-packed with enjoyable weirdness that it’s sort of like “If Ed Wood wrote Steam-Punk.”
Two friends from Harvard reunite on a camping and mountain-climbing trip. In Maine they discover a mysterious new gas which erupts from the ground. The pair study the gas and decide to use its lighter than air properties to visit other planets in our solar system.
In a cosmic-level coincidence our heroes later stumble upon a previously unknown plant here on Earth. The plant can be used to induce suspended animation for space travel and to heal grievous injuries. The incredibly lucky explorers leave the Earth on board their balloon propelled by their new gas.
At 30,000 feet they use their newly-discovered plant to put themselves into suspended animation for their trip to Mars. More than three years later they wake up as they enter the atmosphere of the Red Planet. Clumsily, our space pioneers fall out of their balloon’s basket and land in the nest of a gigantic Martian eagle. Continue reading
Filed under Ancient Science Fiction
“You’re not goin’ nowhere, ya bottom-dealin’ Hombre,” the gambler-gunfighter exclaimed, “We’ve got us a few apparent paradoxes and their effect upon contemporary religious thought to discuss!”
The Frontierado holiday is coming up fast – on Friday, August 4th in fact. Today we’ll revisit the rules of Frontierado Poker for newbies to the holiday.
Here are the rules for Frontierado Poker, the game that is Continue reading
Filed under FRONTIERADO
Real DEMOCRAT scandals continue to be ignored. Meanwhile, Trump-haters continue pursuing their hilarious conspiracy theories regarding United States President Donald Trump and the Russians … or old real estate deals … or any other absurd notion that Mueller and his staff of Hillary Clinton donors come up with.
(My Russian paymasters anonymous sources tell me that the Democrats will try to tie Trump to the disappearance of Judge Crater AND the Brinks Armored Car Robbery next.)
Fake news continues to flow like booze at a Hillary luncheon in the meantime. By the way, I LOVED the way Poland’s head of state openly put the deranged American media in their place over their FAKE NEWS that his wife had supposedly snubbed Trump during his visit. He made it clear THAT DIDN’T HAPPEN. If anyone still takes CNN or Fox seriously they are very, very confused people.
Anyway, Imran Awan was arrested trying to flee the country a few days ago. Awan’s ties to the Democratic National Committee and especially to the disgraced Debbie Wasserman Schultz have been getting explored – largely overseas – by REAL journalists.
Look this story up wherever you want to on the web. Imran Awan and the DNC might make a reasonable person conclude that the Democrat panic about the Trump win over Hillary was really all about all of these Democrat scandals coming to light.
Read the stories and you’ll see even the weak, inept and crooked little man Barack Obama comes across as even more pathetic than he usually does. If Obama worshipers or equally irrational Trump haters feel otherwise, I’m always open to conversation. Continue reading
Filed under LIBERALS AND CONSERVATIVES, Neglected History, opinion
FRONTIERADO IS COMING UP ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 4th!
DELIA B HASKETT – “Dusty Delia” Haskett was the first woman to transport the U.S. mail via stagecoach. Delia was born in December of 1861 in Ukiah, California to businessman Samuel Haskett and schoolteacher Miranda Haskett.
Among the businesses run by Delia’s father were a blacksmith shop, the Ukiah Hotel and a stagecoach route for Wells Fargo. As the young lady grew up she was forever pleading with her father to let her become a stagecoach driver for the Ukiah to Willits route.
While periodically keeping up the pressure on her father, Delia lived the life of the ultimate tomboy, mastering the arts of trick-riding, lariat-trickery and – of course – gunplay. In 1876, when Haskett was just 14 years old, one of Samuel’s regular drivers was struck down with disease and could not drive his route.
With no other drivers on hand, Delia at last got her wish as her father agreed to let her take the ill driver’s dangerous afternoon to 3:00 AM route. In addition to other cargo, Haskett was transporting the United States Mail, too. Continue reading
Filed under FRONTIERADO
FOR PART 1 OF BALLADEER’S BLOG’S EXAMINATION OF MARVEL’S SUPERHEROINE MANTIS CLICK HERE
AVENGERS Volume 1, Number 130 (December 1974) The Reality Problem
AVENGERS ROSTER: Thor (Donald Blake, MD), Iron Man (Tony Stark), The Scarlet Witch (Wanda Frank), Hawkeye (Clint Barton), The Vision (not applicable) and MANTIS (Mantis Brandt).
The Swordsman is dead. So is Moe Greene … Barzini … Tattaglia … All the heads of the Five Families. Today I settle all family business, Carlo, so don’t tell me you’re innocent. It insults my intelli- OH, sorry. I started channeling Michael Corleone there.
In any event the Swordsman (Jacques Duquesne) IS dead, to begin with. As dead as a doornail. SORRY! I promise that’s the last time I’ll do that! The Swordsman was killed by Kang the Conqueror last time around, giving his life to save his beloved Mantis.
Mantis, who was proven to be the mysterious Celestial Madonna that Kang is after, realized how much she really loved the Swordsman, despite her recent callousness toward him while she tried to romance the Vision away from the Scarlet Witch. She deeply regretted her actions, pleading with her dying lover to forgive her and to chalk it all up to her youthful pride.
Two or three days have gone by since the Swordsman’s death in Peking as the Avengers battled Kang. Our heroes have been mourning the loss of their comrade while regrouping and trying to comprehend the universe-threatening situation they have found themselves in.
And there’s a lot to take in:
*** It’s the first time an Avenger has ever been killed in battle.
*** The Madonna Star continues to shine brightly over Avengers Mansion. Crowds remain thronged around the mansion for blocks because of this strange phenomenon which has spawned rumors that the End of the World is near.
*** The shocking death of an Avenger has added to the grim environment, magnifying global fears of imminent doom. The international tension caused by Kang’s attacks in Egypt, at the U.N. and in China doesn’t help any, either.
*** Kang is still at large and still determined to have the Celestial Madonna.
*** Exactly WHAT the Celestial Madonna IS and how she affects all time and space is still not known.
*** Exactly WHY Moon Dragon and the Scarlet Witch were having parallel experiences to Mantis’ own is still not known, either, but those parallel experiences added to the mystery of which one of them was really the Celestial Madonna.
*** The Vision and his teammates still cannot determine the cause of his recurring panic attacks/ deja vu traumas, more of which occurred while fighting Kang.
*** There is some speculation that the android Vision may be experiencing traumatic memories related to life experiences of the dead supervillain Wonder Man (Simon Williams), since HIS mental patterns were used for the Vision’s artificial intelligence. That was done back when Ultron-5 used them while creating the Vision as a weapon against the Avengers. Continue reading
Filed under Superheroes
